Acer, Toshiba To Take On IPads With Windows 8 Tablets

Acer Inc., Toshiba Corp. (6502) and Asustek Computer Inc. (2357) will unveil tablets running Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 8 operating system next week, people with knowledge of the matter said, challenging the dominance of Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPad.

Acer will display a tablet based on Microsoft’s new software at the Computex show in Taipei, while Toshiba will show a tablet and a notebook-type device, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven’t been made public. Asustek will present tablets with detachable keyboards similar to its current Transformer model, the people said.

A tablet computer during the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Play Video

June 1 (Bloomberg) -- Gregory Bryant, general manager for Asia-Pacific at Intel Corp., talks about the outlook for the company's business in Asia and the personal-computer industry. Bryant spoke from the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Bangkok with Susan Li on Bloomberg Television's "First Up." (Source: Bloomberg)

A new Acer tablet computer in Las Vegas. Photographer: Peter Zschunke/DPA/Landov

The annual Computex show provides a forum for the computer industry to tout its wares before the typical increase in second-half demand. Computer makers allied with Microsoft (MSFT)will use this year’s event to highlight a long-awaited response to the iPad and machines that run Google Inc.’s Android operating system, which together have 91 percent of the tablet market.

Windows 8 also will be the first version of the software that will work on processors using ARM Holdings Plc (ARM)technology, a type of chip made by Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM),Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN) and Nvidia Corp. that dominates the phone industry. ARM-based chips, manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co., power the iPad.

The use of ARM-based chips marks a snub for Intel Corp. (INTC), which along with Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD)has been the exclusive provider of chips for Windows machines. Intel, which has more than 80 percent of the PC-chip market, hasn’t been able to parlay that dominance into market share in phones or tablets.

Asustek will demonstrate tablets based on an Nvidia ARM- based chip called Tegra and another powered by an Intel chip, the people said. The Tegra-based device, which is similar to the one that will go on sale, will be displayed publicly, setting up an opportunity for direct comparisons between a Windows computer running on ARM and one using Intel technology.

Tablet Sales

The Acer (2353) tablet is built around an Intel chip, while Toshiba is using Texas Instruments for its processors.

Microsoft plans to show off Asustek devices in a presentation by Vice President Steven Guggenheimer at the show on June 6, said one person familiar with the company’s plans.

The show provides the first airing of tablet hardware that Microsoft intends to use to narrow Apple’s lead in the tablet market. Sales of Windows PCs to consumers have slumped as buyers opt for tablets, making it critical for Microsoft to offer a compelling option in that category.

The tablet market is poised to grow 70 percent a year on average through 2015, according to estimates from Evercore Group LLC. Traditional notebooks will have an average annual growth rate of 8 percent. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook predicted in January and reiterated this week that tablets will surpass PCs in terms of units sold.

Windows 8

The June 5-9 Taipei show will highlight a limited number of ARM-based devices as Microsoft seeks to ensure that when Windows 8 is released later this year, the products will stand up to comparisons with the iPad. The limited debut will be followed by a second wave of computer and phone makers lined up for next year, two of the people said.

Qualcomm, the world’s largest maker of mobile-phone chips, will demonstrate a test device running Windows 8 based on its Snapdragon processor, said a person familiar with its plans. The company is committed to having customer devices in the market when the new version of the software goes on sale, the person said.

Spokesmen for Microsoft, Asustek, Acer, Nvidia (NVDA), Intel and Texas Instruments declined to comment on their plans before announcements and demonstrations planned for next week.

Facebook developing technology to allow access to children under 13

Facebook is developing technology that would allow children younger than 13 years old to use the social-networking site under parental supervision, a step that could help the company tap a new pool of users for revenue but also inflame privacy concerns.

Mechanisms being tested include connecting children's accounts to their parents' and controls that would allow parents to decide whom their kids can "friend" and what applications they can use, people who have spoken with Facebook executives about the technology said. 

The under-13 features could enable Facebook and its partners to charge parents for games and other entertainment accessed by their children, the people said.

'We are in continuous dialogue ... about how best to help parents keep their kids safe in an evolving online environment.'

- Facebook statement

Facebook currently bans users under 13. But many kids lie about their ages to get accounts, putting the company in an awkward position regarding a federal law that requires sites to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal data from children.

Any attempt to give younger kids access to the site would be extraordinarily sensitive, given regulators' already heightened concerns about how Facebook protects user privacy. 

But Facebook, concerned that it faces reputational and regulatory risks from children already using the service despite its rules, believes it has little choice but to look into ways of establishing controls that could formalize their presence on the site, people familiar with the matter said.

Apple seeks to block newest HTC phones from import into U.S.

Apple Inc. filed an enforcement action at the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, seeking an emergency order that would block imports of HTC Corp.’s newest phones and tablet computers.

HTC had been ordered by the commission to remove a function patented by Apple for data-detection technology if it wanted to continue selling its mobile phones in the U.S. Apple contends products including the HTC One X, HTC One S, HTC EVO 4G LTE phones and Flyer tablets continue to infringe its patent even after an exclusion order was issued in December

China proposes expanding controls on Internet to include microblogs

Associated Press

SHANGHAI — China plans to stiffen restrictions on Internet service providers as it seeks even greater control over the opinions voiced on the country’s lively microblogs and other web forums.

Samsung challenges Apple's move to block Galaxy smartphone sales in the US

Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea — Samsung Electronics Co. said Thursday it will fight Apple’s move to stop U.S. sales of its new Galaxy phone in the latest flare-up of an intellectual property battle between the world’s top smartphone makers.

HTC, Asia’s second-largest smartphone maker, is counting on its One series of phones to improve its share of a market that reached $312 billion last year, according to Bloomberg Industries data. The company had 4.5 percent of the global smartphone market in the first quarter, down from a peak of 10.7 percent in the second quarter of 2011, as it lost to competition from Apple’s iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy line.

“HTC has worked long and hard to get itself back on track and this is aimed at what everyone looks at as a new beginning with the One series,” said Will Stofega, an analyst at IDC in Framingham, Massachusetts. “HTC has been having a rough patch and this is them getting kicked again.”

Stopped at Border

Some HTC products were stopped at the U.S. border last month, delaying plans by Sprint Nextel Corp. to sell the HTC EVO 4G. U.S. Customs and Border Protection allowed the products, made in Taiwan, to enter the U.S. after assurances by HTC that the devices weren’t infringing the Apple patent.

“HTC has completed the review process with U.S. Customs and HTC devices have been released, as they are in compliance with the ITC’s ruling,” the Taoyuan, Taiwan-based company said in an e-mailed statement today.

Apple wants the commission to have all HTC products that run on Google Inc.’s Android operating service blocked from the U.S. until the enforcement case is resolved. It also asks the agency to force HTC to remove any products from store shelves that it imported in violation of the exclusion order.

“The commission allowed HTC four months to either negotiate a license with Apple or to remove the infringing functionality from its Android devices,” Apple said in the complaint. “HTC did neither.”

Android Battle

Cupertino, California-based Apple said that if such an order isn’t imposed, HTC otherwise should be required to post a bond equal to the value of each imported product, or at least $290 for each device, Apple said in the filing dated June 4.

“HTC’s market share for Android phones is the most significant part of their business,” said Makan Delrahim of Brownstein Hyatt in Los Angeles, who specializes in patent and trade issues. “If Apple got an order to remove those from the shelves, that would be as significant as it comes.”

Apple filed its initial complaint against HTC in March 2010, the first salvo in the iPhone maker’s legal battle against devices that run on Android. It has since become embroiled in litigation with Samsung and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., which became a Google unit last month, over their Android products.

In February, HTC lost a patent-infringement case it filed against Apple. Both companies have filed new patent complaints against each other at the trade agency.

The newest case is In the Matter of Personal Data and Mobile Communications Devices and Related Software, Complaint No. 2900. The earlier case is In the Matter of Certain Personal Data and Mobile Communications Devices and Related Software, 337-710. Both were filed at the U.S. International Trade Commission (Washington).

Nokia expands range of Asha Touch devices

Bangkok, Thailand -- Nokia has today taken another step towards connecting the next billion consumers by unveiling the Asha Touch family of mobile devices, taking the full touch experience to new price points. The three new phone models - the Nokia Asha 305, Nokia Asha 306 and Nokia Asha 311 - further expand the successful Asha family, first introduced in October 2011. Today, there are 10 Asha devices available in more than 130 markets, providing young, social consumers with a choice of phones to match their own lifestyle.

These latest phones have been designed to provide an incredibly rich, smartphone-like experience to consumers who want to be set free from excessive data consumption costs and short battery life. The Nokia Asha 305, Asha 306 and Asha 311 offer a new, fully re-designed touch user interface, combining the proven ease-of-use from Nokia's heritage with digital design innovations specifically fit for the purpose.

The beautifully crafted Nokia Asha 311 is a fast and fluid 3.5G capacitive touchscreen device, powered by a 1GHz processor to provide a great internet experience. The bright and edgy Nokia Asha 305 is a fun and affordable phone, featuring the exclusive Easy Swap dual SIM. Its sister, the Nokia Asha 306, is a single SIM model, and becomes Nokia's most affordable Wi-Fi handset to date.

"By introducing the Asha Touch phones to the market, we're accelerating our commitment to connect the next billion consumers," said Mary T. McDowell, Nokia's executive vice president for Mobile Phones. "These phones deliver on what young, urban people value most -- a great-looking device; and an intuitive and affordable experience for connecting to the internet, to their friends, and to a world of entertainment, web apps and content."

Great for fast, affordable mobile internet and gaming entertainment The new devices take full advantage of the Nokia Browser 2.0, a major recent update which uses Nokia's cloud technology to reduce data consumption by up to 90%, meaning that consumers can enjoy faster and cheaper internet access. Web sites load up to three times faster in comparison to devices without cloud-accelerated browsing, making it simple for users to find and select from more than 10,000 web apps available for download. They deliver a richer and more interactive consumer experience whilst using less data than a stand-alone internet connected app.

Consumers can easily stay connected with friends and family at the touch of a button as well as share files and links across their social networks. Furthermore, the Nokia Browser's Download Manager feature helps consumers to manage external content easily, saving music, video or pictures on a memory card, while surfing the internet.

The Asha family is also getting positive support from developers and consumers. Nokia Store has just broken the 5 billion downloads landmark. From January to April, 42% of all content downloaded from Nokia Store was delivered to Asha and other Nokia devices based on the Java ecosystem. Just one year ago, that number was 10%. Also, there are 410 Nokia developers with apps which have achieved more than 1 million downloads. India Games and Pico Brothers just passed 100 million.

As well as providing a great, social online experience, the Nokia Asha 305, Asha 306 and Asha 311 have been created with entertainment in mind. All users will receive an exclusive gift of 40 EA games to download for free* and keep forever. These games range across action, arcade and sports, and include titles such as Tetris®, Bejeweled®, Need for Speed(TM) The Run and EA SPORTS(TM) FIFA 12. The Nokia Asha 311 also comes with 15 levels of Angry Birds pre-loaded onto the phone, perfect for making the most of the touchscreen and 1GHz processor.

"Nokia is taking another interesting step forward in connecting consumers to the Internet, seeking to improve their experience through a new touch user-interface that is allowing the company to compete in new mass-market price bands. The mass-market is a competitive segment, but we believe Nokia's upgraded Asha portfolio has included an attractive package that can enable consumers to have lower running costs, taking advantage of things like its compressed browser and a long-life battery", says Neil Mawston, Executive Director of devices research at Strategy Analytics. "It is also interesting to see how Nokia is promoting its Asha strategy with global launches taking place in important high-growth markets such as Asia. Nokia resonates well there and the response from local consumers is likely to be positive".

Product details

The Nokia Asha 311 is a colourful, compact touch screen device that comes Nokia Asha 311with all the features you'd expect for a fun and easy mobile experience. It boasts a bright and colourful, scratch resistant capacitive glass screen with polarization filters ensuring users get the best experience from the unique and visually entertaining user interface. The Nokia Asha 311 also features a 3.2MP camera and pre-installed Nokia Maps, in addition to the 15 level pre-bundled version of Angry Birds.

The pre-loaded social client makes accessing Facebook, Twitter and many other global social networks simple while Nokia Browser makes using mobile internet fast and affordable. It also includes the most popular messaging services. "WhatsApp has a clear vision of creating a reliable and easy to use cross-platform messaging application that enables people to stay in touch with their family and friends from all around the world," said, Brian Acton, Co-Founder of WhatsApp Inc. "By partnering with Nokia whose worldwide reach in mobile is well established, WhatsApp becoming available for the Asha Touch devices will enable us to further realize our core mission".

Nokia Asha 305The Nokia Asha 305 is a fun and entertaining Easy Swap dual SIM phone, helping users make the most of their phone while retaining control of their costs. The phone features a bright and colorful 3" WQVGA resistive touch screen along with Bluetooth and Dual Band connectivity. Forty EA games are available for download with every phone as well as a 2MP camera, Nokia Maps and the revolutionary Nokia Browser which helps significantly lower data costs.

The Nokia Asha 306 is the sister device to the Nokia Asha 305. Along with Nokia Asha 306all the great features that come with its sister, such as bright and colorful, 3" WQVGA resistive touch screen and 40 EA games for download - a Nokia exclusive offer, the Nokia Asha 306 also provides WLAN, enabling users to stay connected while on the move. It also supports video streaming through both GPRS and WLAN, meaning this handset truly is a fun way to stay in touch.

The estimated retail price for Nokia Asha 305 is EUR 63 and it's expected to start shipping in the second quarter of 2012. The estimated retail price for Nokia Asha 306 is EUR 68. The Nokia Asha 311 has an estimated retail price of EUR 92. Both devices are expected to start shipping in the third quarter of 2012. Above mentioned prices exclude taxes and subsidies.

Samsung Introduces Two New Series 5 Laptops

Ridgefield Park, NJ -- Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, today announced two additions to its mobile PC line: the 15.6-inch Series 5 notebook and the 14-inch Series 5 500 notebook. Both products feature a 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processor and top-of-the-line entertainment features, including JBL® stereo speakers and NVIDIA® GeForce® Graphics. Additionally, Samsung announced that its Series 9, Series 5 and Series 3 models will feature Intel’s new, more powerful processors.

“Our latest Series 5 notebooks offer a premium computing experience, thanks to Samsung’s advanced engineering and Intel’s new processors, as well as enviable entertainment features including JBL audio speakers to provide a home theater experience in a mobile PC, whether you’re using it in your office, home or at a hotel,” said Todd Bouman, vice president of marketing at Samsung Enterprise Business Division. “The power and speed of Intel’s latest processors have enabled us to create even faster, more efficient laptops, and we’re excited to have begun integrating them into these new models and several of our existing designs as well.”

15.6-inch Series 5 Notebook

The Series 5 notebook features an Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM processor, which delivers unprecedented speed and performance. Thanks to Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology, users can effortlessly multitask between applications, and Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0.1 gives you an automatic burst of speed whenever you need it – making this a perfect laptop for users looking for a powerful, easily portable solution with a large screen. The new processor, combined with 8GB of RAM and a 750GB HDD, provides the power users need to stay productive everywhere.

With the Series 5 notebook’s embedded JBL® 3 speakers and sub-woofer, users will enjoy clear, rich sound, deep bass and great tone articulation – making it an ideal laptop for music lovers and video enthusiasts. SoundAlive technology adds to this premium experience by offering virtual 3D sound, further enhancing the overall sound quality and enabling users to switch between various modes (such as movie mode and music mode) to optimize sound quality for different usage.

In order to match this premium audio quality with an unrivalled visual experience, Samsung incorporated NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 630M Graphics into the new Series 5 notebook, which make fast-paced games and videos come alive on the 15.6-inch LED HD 1366x768 screen.

14-inch Series 5 500 Notebook

The 14-inch Samsung Series 5 500 notebook is an ideal laptop for multi-tasking users, from college students to busy professionals. It features an Intel® Core™ i5-3210M Processor, which delivers high speed right from the start, as well as Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology and Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0.1 for optimal multitasking.

Samsung also incorporated a range of intelligent solutions into the laptop to maximize usability. Tilting legs and a backlit keyboard enable you to comfortably use it anywhere, while a power saving button lets you set the laptop to automatically power down when not in use. Users can also access Samsung EasyShare with just the click of a button, allowing them to effortless share files with friends and colleagues.

The 14-inch Series 5 500 notebook also provides the latest advances in multimedia technology. As with the 15.6-inch Series 5, the inclusion of powerful JBL® stereo speakers, a sub-woofer, HD audio processing and NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 630M Graphics offer an unrivaled entertainment experience.

The laptop features an LED HD 1366 x 768 resolution display, with Samsung’s slim bezel, giving you the largest screen possible in its small, sleek chassis. This larger screen enables you to easily create presentations, edit photos, watch videos and surf multiple Internet windows without sacrificing portability.

Both the 15.6-inch Series 5 notebook and the 14-inch Series 5 500 notebook feature Samsung’s renowned style profile and a patterned silver body. The 15.6-inch product will retail for $899.99 and the 14-inch model will retail for $799.99, both beginning in mid-June 2012.

Updated Series 9, Series 5 and Series 3 Lines Samsung will also introduce its13.3-inch and 15-inch second-generation Series 9, the 13-inch and 14-inch Series 5 ULTRA and Series 3 laptops with the latest Intel processors beginning in mid-June 2012.

The company recently introduced two other laptops featuring 3rd generation Intel processors, the 17-inch Series 7 CHRONOS and Series 7 GAMER, both of which currently available.

Key Specs: * All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, to benefits, design, components, performance, availability and capability of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.