Samsung Galaxy S5 variant with metal body, QHD display coming in May: Report

  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's keynote speech at this year's Mobile World Congress centred on his vision of a connected world via the Internet.org project. Launched in 2013, Internet.org is a global collaboration among technology leaders, non-profit organisations and local communities who are working together to bring the Internet to the vast majority of the world's population. The Philippines became a test bed for the coalition through a partnership with local mobile operator Globe Telecom to provide free Facebook access to its subscribers.
"Internet.org is a partnership, it's an industry coalition working together to make the Internet and the different parts of it more efficient. For everyone to have access to it for a really affordable price or free is the real goal for basic internet services. In the Philippines, for example, we've been working with Globe, and what we've seen in the Philippines is the number of people who are using Internet and data has doubled," shared Zuckerberg.

The social networking giant is not alone in its vision of a connected online world. Early this year, Microsoft deployed "Super Wi-Fi" to assist survivors of the super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) with free Skype calls and Internet access so they can contact family members. Super Wi-Fi taps unused TV channels to enable connectivity. Microsoft worked with the Department of Science and Technology Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO) to install communication devices at evacuation centres in hard hit areas across Leyte province.
TV White Space technology has helped local governments and non-profit organisations in disaster relief efforts in the Philippines because of its long distance propagation features, which is essential for communication in rural areas where Internet connection is sparse. The DOST-ICTO is pushing for TV White Space to be used for improving health care access in all provinces in the country

Samsung Galaxy S5 variant with metal body, QHD display coming in May: Report

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Samsung Galaxy S5, which was unveiled in Barcelona at the sidelines of MWC 2014, could soon have company in the form of a premium variant that could launch in May.

A new report emerging from Korea has claimed that the South Korean manufacturer will announce a new premium line-up of smartphones dubbed Galaxy F and a Samsung Galaxy S5 variant sporting metal body and beefed up specifications that the leaks had indicated, would be its first member.
The report claims that premium Galaxy S5 will sport a Quad HD display and the rear camera will feature OIS (optical image stabilisation), a feature that is missing in the Samsung Galaxy S5 unveiled earlier this week. In addition, the report claims that Samsung, which has been using plastic body for its devices, will finally change gears and introduce a metal chassis for its alleged Galaxy F smartphone range, in-line with previous reports. An earlier report had even claimed that a Galaxy S5 variant featuring QHD display has entered mass production.
Tipster Ricciolo has also claimed that due to the HTC M8 (codename for the HTC One successor) Samsung's 'luxury' Galaxy S5 variant will be announced in May. The tweet said, "Due to M8 shipping in april,you will see the LUXURY S5 version with metal+exy+better screen in about 2 months from now on."
Samsung is yet to reveal price of its recently announced Galaxy S5; however recent reports have claimed that Samsung is considering pricing its latest flagship lower than what the Galaxy S4 was priced at launch and indeed the competition, such as the Sony Xperia Z2.

Google Wants Its Modular Ara Phone To Cost $50

Google is taking its Ara modular smartphone platform increasingly seriously. Now, in interviews with Time it has revealed that it aims to sell a simple version of the phone for as little as $US50.


Time has taken a deep dive into Google’s modular smartphone, revealing some interesting details along the way. Work on the concept, which follows on from R&D by Phonebloks and Motorola, remains at Google because it kept hold of the Advanced Technology and Projects group when it sold Moto to Lenovo .
It seems Google has ambitious plans for it, too. The Time feature explains that its current plan is to create a “grayphone”: a barebones, customisable exoskeleton that initially comes with little more than a screen, a frame and a WiFi radio. The devices should only cost $US50 and will be “designed to be sold at convenience stores”. From there, users would be able to customise their device however they wanted.
In fact, the upgrade path sounds quirky too. An on-board app will allow users to tweak soft design elements, and Google’s Paul Eremenko told Time that users would rock up to special kiosks to upgrade the physical components. Those kiosks will be designed to fit into shipping containers to be sent around the world, and will contain parts and tools so users can tweak their devices.
It all sounds wildly ambitious, because it is. Indeed, Eremenko says there’s a way to go before Google reaches the $US50 price point, and it’s still unclear if there’s huge demand for phones like this. But Time points out that Eremenko wants the project to be “great, not profitable,” so perhaps it doesn’t matter. Certainly, it isn’t idle speculation: Google is even holding an Ara developers conference in coming months, so it’s clearly taking the whole project seriously. It’s going to be exciting to see what comes of it.

Nokia's Stephen Elop To Head Microsoft Devices Group

Microsoft needs leadership willing to do what it takes to take back the mobile market, and Nokia's Stephen Elop (pictured) is a good candidate to do that, said analyst Rob Enderle. "Now, Microsoft has a new CEO. You put Elop in as the mobile guy and at least you've got folks who understand the cloud and wireless working with each other."

Not all the big wireless news is coming out of Mobile World Congress this week. A leaked memo is revealing some of Microsoft's internal mobile plans, including how Nokia's Stephen Elop fits into the big picture. It all starts with Julie Larson-Green, a former Windows exec, and her internal memo carrying the subject line "ASG Organizational Announcement." ASG stands for Applications and Services Group. Larson-Green, who most recently was head of the company's hardware development division, is now the chief experience officer for ASG, which covers Office, Skype, Bing and other products.

That makes room for Elop to lead the company's Devices and Studios Group (DnS). Elop, who left Microsoft to become CEO of Nokia, is rejoining Microsoft as part of the company's $7.2 billion Nokia acquisition. The Devices and Studios Group covers Surface, Xbox and other hardware products.
Elop's 'Great Hands'
"I'll remain in role leading the DnS organization in the interim until the Nokia deal closes and Stephen Elop makes his transition to Microsoft. We've been meeting regularly throughout and are making a lot of progress, ensuring our teams are ready for the Day 1 close and beyond," Larson-Green wrote in the memo.
"You are all in great hands with Stephen and already we've shared a lot with him and his LT from Nokia regarding all of the fantastic people, teams and products in DnS. I also know many of you are looking forward to welcoming the Nokia team and working more closely with them."
Larson-Green then shared a favorite Chinese proverb: "To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping." Finally, she encouraged the crew to stay focused on the journey and opportunities ahead.
A New Mobile Era?
We caught up with Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, to get his take on the shuffle. He told us Elop is a "devices guy" so it makes sense to put him in that role. But considering Nokia was largely tanking before the acquisition, is Elop really the best guy for the job?
"I think when Elop went into Nokia the plan was to sell to Microsoft. Nokia was a train wreck when he got there. It wasn't like he was the guy that made all the wrong moves," Enderle said. "I think with the proper leadership at Microsoft Elop can make a difference."
As Enderle sees it, Microsoft didn't devote adequate resources to its mobile efforts and kept changing its strategy. Microsoft needs leadership that is willing to do what it takes to take back the mobile market.
"Now, Microsoft has a new CEO. You put Elop in as the mobile guy and at least you've got folks who understand the cloud and wireless working with each other in a simplified organization," Enderle said.
"At least from a structural standpoint, it looks like Microsoft may have addressed the problem. They made a big splash this week in Barcelona," he said. "They have a lot of device wins but that still has to equate to volume. I think they are in better shape than they were. We'll have to let this play out. It's a whole new executive team, so it's too early to say if it's going to work yet."

Twitter restores rare username @N to hijacking victim Naoki Hiroshima had his account stolen in January James Vincent Author Biography Wednesday 26 February 2014 30 Print A A A Twitter has restored the account of a Naoki Hiroshima, a computer developer whose coveted single-letter username was stolen in

Naoki Hiroshima had his account stolen in January

Twitter has restored the account of a Naoki Hiroshima, a computer developer whose coveted single-letter username was stolen in 

Hiroshima’s twitter account, @N, was the target of an alarming blackmail campaign by an anonymous thief, intent on securing the rare username for their own use.
In his first tweet from his Twitter account Hiroshima said “Order has been restored”.
Details of how the account was stolen were revealed by Hiroshima in a blog post entitled 'How I Lost My $50,000 Twitter Username’.
The exchanges between Hiroshima and his anonymous antagonist revealed that the thief had easily tricked customer services at various internet companies (including PayPal and GoDaddy) and was happy to tell Hiroshima about his methods.
The story was soon picked up by national media outlets while Hiroshima moved to the @N_is_stolen handle (now, apparently released back into the wild and snapped up by an anonymous user).
The incident was a reminder of the importance of online security and the susceptibility of even established companies to particularly tenacious thieves.
In the case of web hosting company GoDaddy the theft of @N’s account even led to a policy change, with the company admitting that its security protocols had been lax and that in future it would take more precautionary measures before giving out customers’ information.
In a recent tweet this morning Hiroshima said “This is a happy ending not only for me but also for sane employees and loyal users of Twitter's. Congrats to those, too”

IDC Spells Out a Gloomy Smartphone Future for Android OEMs

According to a new mobile phone forecast from IDC, mature smartphone markets like North America and Europe are expected to see growth drop to single digits. In emerging markets, 2014 volumes are expected to be 1.2 billion, up from 1 billion in 2013, representing 19.3% year-over-year growth. In the longer view, IDC forecasts worldwide smartphone shipments will slow to 8.3% annual growth by 2017 and 6.2% in 2018. While IDC's forecast spells out a gloomy smartphone future for Android OEMs, it may spell opportunity for Apple.

IDC's report states that "Annual smartphone volume in 2013 surpassed 1 billion units for the first time, accounting for 39.2% growth over 2012. Ryan Reith, Program Director with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker states that in the coming year, we'll see more than 200 million smartphones in active use in North America. He further states that "2014 will be an enormous transition year for the smartphone market. Not only will growth decline more than ever before, but the driving forces behind smartphone adoption are changing. New markets for growth bring different rules to play by and 'premium' will not be a major factor in the regions driving overall market growth."

As mature markets become saturated and worldwide growth slows, IDC notes that service providers and device manufacturers are seeking opportunities to move hardware wherever they can. The result is rapidly declining price points, creating challenging environments in which to turn a profit. Worldwide smartphone average selling price (ASP) was $335 in 2013, and is expected to drop to $260 by 2018.

Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC's Mobile Phone team notes that "In order to reach the untapped demand within emerging markets, carriers and OEMs will need to work together to bring prices down. Last year we saw a total of 322.5 million smartphone units ship for under $150 and that number will continue to grow going forward.

This week we posted a report titled "Nokia Declares War on Samsung with Exciting New Android Smartphones at Stunning Prices." Obviously by the byline, we were shocked at the prices that Nokia announced for their new hybrid Android-Windows phones that deliver quite a punch with a superior interface than most Android phones. The magic number of US$150 for a smartphone that IDC noted was met and surpassed. Nokia's high-end Nokia XL smartphone with a 5" display is only US$150 while their entry Nokia X will sell for a starting price of just US$122.

The key to note is that the phones will be shipping to markets outside of the U.S. such as Asia Pacific, Europe, India, Latin America, the Middle-East and Africa. This is an interesting development. Will Microsoft use their newly acquired Nokia Brand to win in markets outside of the U.S. while promoting Windows OS in the U.S. and Canada? The second trend is pricing. Will Microsoft be focusing on premium priced smartphones in the U.S. and Canadian markets or will they be bring in Nokia-styled pricing? Only time will tell, but this could be the year that Microsoft, under a new CEO, finally cracks the smartphone market with a hammer.

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IDC: Notes on Operating Systems

Google's Android will maintain its reign as the leading operating system throughout IDC's forecast. With a strong presence within emerging markets and attainable price points for both vendors and customers, IDC expects both a commanding market share as well as prices below the industry average. What remains to be seen is which vendors will win the contest within emerging markets, as many local vendors have gained share last year.

Apple's iOS will remain the clear number 2 platform behind Android and will have the highest Average Selling Price among the leading platforms at $649 in 2014 and $610 by 2018 versus $247 and $202 for Android phones. IDC notes that Apple has maintained a tight focus on the high end of the market with its most current devices, a trend they expect to see continue into the future. This could keep iOS from realizing greater volumes within emerging markets, but sales in mature markets will offset much of the difference.

Microsoft's Windows Phone stands to grow the fastest among the leading smartphone operating systems, with continued support from Nokia as well as the addition of nine new Windows Phone partners. Most of these new vendors come from emerging markets and could help bring the Windows Phone experience to customers there.

Shifting Smartphone Landscape

At the end of the day, consumers will generally be able to purchase smartphones at much lower prices this year and lower in the years ahead. That's great for consumers of Android products but rather gloomy for smartphone OEM's, who are experiencing razor thin margins (if not loses).

This is why Samsung's co-CEO JK Shin, head of Samsung Electronics' mobile division down-played eye-popping technology for simple-stuff. A volume-minded company like Samsung will now shift focus from trying to be an innovator to that of a price cutter.

Korean analysts agree with this line of thinking. The Korean Herald today noted that Samsung's "latest Galaxy S5 smartphone failed to wow the audience." Kim Hye-yong, analyst from Woori Investment and Securities, stated that "There was nothing new in the Galaxy S5 in terms of design and function. Most of the specifications were already anticipated."

Critics also said some of the new features had also been adopted by mobile device makers such as Sony and Apple. Some analysts said the Korean firm changed its marketing strategy in the face of cutthroat global competition.

Nam Dae-jong, an analyst from Hana Daetoo Securities, stated that "Samsung seems to have shifted its focus away from hardware improvement, and toward better pricing policies", hinting that the S5 may be priced lower than previous Samsung flagship phones.

Underscoring Microsoft's Potential

The one forecast by IDC that might be a little on the conservative side, in my view, concerns the prospect for Windows Phone growth. While they do forecast the largest percentage of growth for smartphones going to the Windows Phone by 2018, I think that they're underscoring it. I think that Nokia declaring war on Samsung and other Android OEMs this week will gain them much more market share and growth in that timeline to 2018.

In respect to IDC's forecasts for Apple, they might be miscalculating it once again. Volume selling isn't Apple's game and never will be, so remaining in the number two spot isn't guaranteed in light of the coming price wars.

I think that Microsoft with their Nokia Brand aggressively attacking emerging markets will be much closer to Apple's 14.4% by 2018 if not surpassing it as they take share away from Samsung and others. Of course Apple will remain the most profitable OEM on the planet, so dipping to third spot in a sea of cheap smartphones for volume sake will be meaningless to Apple fans, though an ongoing point of contention with their critics on Wall Street.

And while Tizen bombed at the Mobile World Congress trade show this week, failing to find a single smartphone OEM to adopt it, Samsung is still likely to pick up the mantle before 2018 that could drag down Android and change the landscape for mobile operating systems.

Opportunity for Apple

While I applauded Nokia's latest smartphones earlier this week for being greatly priced, you have to put them into context. They're geared for markets that Apple won't be addressing anytime soon. They're definitely not iPhone 5C competitors. They don't offer high res displays, LTE connectivity or even a front side camera for videoconferencing with FaceTime. So while Apple may put their newest iPhone 5C that's "Unapologetically Plastic" under the microscope to fine-tune it for Christmas sales 2014, they'll never be dropping the prices down to anywhere close to the $247 price point where cheap Android phones are headed – and rightfully so.

The current iPhone 5C is in a class far beyond Nokia's new X models. They offer consumers very nice specifications in a colorful cool case that some just can't resist. Just ask Europe's hippest females. They get it. I don't think that these hip babes will be chasing down cheap plastic phones anytime soon. They want cool, but they also want value and features that keep them on the go in style.

At the end of the day, with the exception of Apple's unique market position, IDC's latest report looks like a very gloomy forecast for Android smartphone OEM's around the globe. And with Samsung giving up the ghost in trying to deliver eye-popping technology at the high end, it looks like another opportunity for Apple to take premium smartphones like the iPhone 6 to the next level and beyond without a worthy competitor in sight.

So while Wall Street continues to pound the desk singing Samsung's praises for being a volume leader, eventually a volume strategy leads to falling prices and unprofitable financial quarters like Samsung keeps experiencing. Now as the price wars are about to really kick in, innovation will take a back seat to price slashing and more unprofitable quarters are bound to roll in one after another going forward from all quarters of the Android world. 

That's why Apple's strategy has been right all along. While it wouldn't hurt Apple to make their iPhone 5C, or whatever they'll call it in the future, more price competitive, the fact is that they're likely to keep their premium iPhone of-the-day priced at healthy enough prices to sustain investments in research so that they could continue to deliver eye-popping technology like Touch ID that's conveniently hidden in the iPhone's Home Button. Technology that Apple's base of customers around the globe just love and expect from Apple.

So while Android OEMs will be fighting it out at the bottom of the barrel for profit scraps come Q4, Apple will continue to deliver what they do best. They'll continue to surprise us with quality high-end iPhones with true Innovation that we love to own and better yet, give as gifts to our loved ones at Christmas. Never expect Wall Street or research analysts to ever get that.     

Google smartwatch Motorola proto leaks as OS launch tipped soon

Details of Google's smartwatch development have emerged, along with photos of an old Motorola-made prototype, and whispers that the final version could be unveiled at Google IO 2014 in June. Chatter of the company's ongoing research into wearables other than its Glass head-worn computer has continued for the past twelve months or so, though most recently have suggested the company will make Google Now its focus on the wrist by delivering timely and contextually-relevant information from a connected smartphone.


According to CNET sources, LG is the possible manufacturer of the smartwatch, with Google leading the design and development process. That would be similar to how the Nexus phone scheme works, and another possibility is that LG could be one of several hardware partners, all using a new "wearable OS" that could be revealed as soon as March.
Meanwhile, images of what's said to be the "Google Gem", a prototype watch built for the company by Google, have leaked, courtesy of Android Police. Not headed to production - and likely used by Google internally to test its OS handiwork - the Gem is believed to date from some point in 2013.
Full specifications are unknown, beyond what the hardware itself tells. The watch has a small square display, a rocker or double-button above, and a capacitive button underneath, by the Motorola logo.
Going by magnified images of the rocker itself, it could have icons for a running man and for a microphone. That has led to suggestions that fitness and Google Now voice recognition would be the two primary purposes for the smartwatch, getting dedicated shortcuts.
Meanwhile, a final image shows a clever USB charging/syncing plug integrated into the watch's strap.
Motorola confirmed yesterday at Mobile World Congress that it was working on a smartwatch for release sometime in 2014, though it's unclear whether that builds on this Gem prototype or a different design. Meanwhile, Samsung made its second play for the smartwatch market, unveiling the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo which work with the company's Galaxy range of phones.

WhatsApp Adding Voice Calls After Getting Bought By Facebook

WhatsApp will be adding voice calls to the app for Android and iPhones by Spring 2014. (Photo : Facebook/WhatsApp)

After being purchased by Facebook last week for $19 billion, WhatsApp is planning to make a huge upgrade to their app by letting users make calls.
Yes you heard that right. Jan Koum, CEO of WhatsApp, said that anyone who downloads the chat app to their phones will be able to make Internet phone calls on Android and iPhones the spring, according to ABC News.

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The news came out at the Mobile World Congress, where Koum said that Blackberry, Microsoft and Nokia phones would be able to do the same thing later.
Koum said the app is the best of its kind while using the least bandwidth to make it possible.
"We are going to introduce voice in WhatsApp in the second quarter of this year," Koum said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. "I think we have the best voice product out there. We use the least amount of bandwidth."
The app currently has a voice function but users have to send it in voice messages instead of having a live conversation.
WhatsApp's new owner Facebook has been pretty busy on the mobile side of things for the past month. The social network released a new mobile app called "Paper" a few weeks ago, according to CNN.
Tech websites like The Verge gave the app great reviews and even said that "Paper is the best Facebook app ever" in the headline of its review.
The review of the app also said that Paper was simply "just a better-looking, more responsive version of what you'll find inside the company's main app."
The app is said to be similar to apps like Flipboard, Feedly and Zite, essentially apps that curate news for users' feed.
With that in mind, you will be able to almost ignore your newsfeed if you want while searching through sections curated by Facebook.
The company said that Facebook content will be presented in a "magazine-style way" that the company hopes will make users look at posts, stories and images more often. A post on Facebook's newsroom said the company wanted to make the app's design attractive and make stories easier to share.
"Paper makes storytelling more beautiful with an immersive design and fullscreen, distraction-free layouts," the company said in the post. "We've also made it easier to craft and share beautiful stories of your own."
Facebook News Feed will be the first section of the app but won't have the same functions that the "native" Facebook app has. It will still present the same things in the feed, but will just appear in a more aesthetically pleasing way.
In addition, users will be able to customize the app by adding other topics "from photography and sports to food, science and design."
The social network also promised that the app will showcase "a rich mix of content from emerging voices and well-known publications."
There won't be any buttons though, users instead will have to look at other stories or posts by tilting their phone and swiping their fingers on the screen.
Paper was the first release from Facebook Creative Labs, whose mission is to create new mobile apps for the social network.

New report calls Windows Phone 'top performer' and 'fastest growing OS in the world'

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It may seem that there's only bad news for Windows Phone these days, but a new report from a respected research firm says that Windows is the "fastest growing OS in the world," and sees good times ahead for it. Is this just hype, or is there some truth behind it?
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech just published a report titled "Mobile Trands that Matter Tomorrow." (Here's the summary; if you want the full report, click here.) The reports summarizes the most important trends of 2013, and looks forward to those it expects to take root in 2014. It looks at trends such as brand loyalty, OS loyalty, screen size, and more. It also examines how each of the major mobile OSes fared in 2013, and how they might fare in 2014. Here's what it concludes about Windows Phone:

"If Android and Apple can claim to be the big players of 2013, Windows Phone wins the title of top-performer."

Why top performer? It claims:

"Windows [Phone] is the fastest growing OS in the world. It has overtaken Apple in Italy, is a close second in Germany and has snatched back third place in Britain."

The report says that Windows Phone has managed to do that by Nokia focusing on the low end rather than the high end of the smartphone market:

"The turning point for Windows Phone was 2013’s launch of the Nokia Lumia 620 and 520. Changing tactic and re-focusing on the low to middle-end of the market appealed to a large number of the remaining first-time smartphone buyers, many of whom still own Nokia featurephones. It has sucked up the remaining customers from Symbian and BlackBerry and is now eating into the low-end Android market."

And it projects potentially good times ahead for Windows Phone, if Nokia can convert budget-minded first-time Windows Phone buyers to buying higher-priced phones:

"The good news for Nokia and Microsoft is that once consumers buy their first smartphone and become more engaged in the market, they are willing to spend significantly more on their upgrade. Nokia may be skewed to the low end now, but if it can keep its increasing base of customers loyal the high-end should follow soon after."

Is there truth in that conclusion, or is it painting too rosy a picture? It seems to me that it's skewed too far to the bright side, especially considering that Kantar Worldpanel ComTech just released a report showing that Windows Phone's growth has stalled in Europe, fallen behind in China, and not making a great deal of headway in the U.S.
In Europe, Windows Phone growth has stagnated at around 10%, where it's been for months. In China, staganation would have been a good thing, because Windows Phone now has 0.7% of the Chinese smartphone market, compared to 1.4% a year ago. In the U.S., it first appears that there's good news for Windows Phone, which the firm found had a market share of 5.1% in the most recent quarter, up from 3.4% a year ago. But in both March and April, 2013, Windows Phone sales were 5.6% of the U.S. market. So Windows Phone has lost ground since then.
All that certainly doesn't add up to Windows Phone being the "top performer" among smartphone operating systems. And neither does Nokia's announcement at the Mobile World Congress 2014 that it will be selling three low-end Android phones into markets in the developing world. If Windows Phone was indeed a top performer, there would be no need for Nokia to resort to that.
As for Windows Phone being the "fastest growing OS in the world," that's possible, but only because it started at such a low point. There's no glory in going from nowhere to a far-behind third-place also-ran, which Windows Phone is right now.
So while it's true that Windows Phone did grow a great deal in the past year, most of that growth came in the early part of the year, and has since stagnated. Microsoft and Nokia clearly need new tactics. Launching Android phones which are really Windroid phones because they're a mashup of Android and Windows Phone, is a good first move. But they'll have to come up with plenty more if Windows Phone is to become a true "top performer."

Keep your cellphone data private: New 'Blackphone' claims to be hacker-proof

SAN ANTONIO -- Do you feel like big brother is spying on you? With the recent leaks made public by former NSA staffer-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden, that may feel truer than ever, but it's the companies developing the apps on your smartphone who are keeping a close eye on you.

Enter 'Blackphone,' an Android-based smartphone that aims to protect its users from hackers, governments, and something else -- smartphone apps.

Debuted recently at the World Mobile Congress, Blackphone is being hailed as the digital equivalent of a ski-mask -- keeping a person's identifiable features completely hidden.

Many folks would be surprised to know that phone data can be quite revealing -- location, contacts, phone and data usage are all metrics that can be tracked by third-party applications.

How can they do this? You have to opt in, of course! (Think of the contract most people readily agree to whenever a new app is downloaded and opened.)

But it's not your personal life that companies want to glimpse. Like most business strategies, it's about cold, hard cash.

Mined data is often sold to other companies, like advertisers, who pay top dollar for a person's information.

That's why the Blackphone boasts 'military-grade' encryption, guaranteeing that no one can hack the phone's proprietary operating system, called 'PrivateOS.'

Co-founder Silent Circle claims 'PrivateOS' will allow users to make and receive secure calls and text messages, as well as surf the web privately through an anonymous virtual private network.

And the really neat feature is that the phone can be fine-tuned to an individual's privacy preferences.

 

Users will still be able to download Angry Birds, Instagram and other apps that surreptitiously mine data; however, Blackphone users will receive a notification shortly after launching an app, stating that a third party is attempting to access peripheral phone data.

If all these geeky terms are making your temples thump, one Blackphone advertisement puts it simply:

"Technology was supposed to make our lives better; instead we have lost our privacy. Now it's time for a change."

Is Blackphone NSA-proof? Probably not.

Co-founder Mike Janke told CBS: "No, there is nothing in the world today that is NSA-proof."

But rest assured, with Blackphone, it's a lot easier to go off the grid.

The 'smarter-phone' carries a $629 price tag. Yes, it's pricey, but in the digital age, can you really put a price on privacy?

The Dangerous Reaction to Netflix-Comcast

If you pay any attention to the mainstream press, then you know that the Comcast-Netflix deal announced over the weekend and the deals expected now between Netflix and other broadband ISPs will end net neutrality as we know it, probably drive up the cost of the Netflix service, and reshape the entire Internet business.

I'd agree with our Mari Silbey's report that the Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX)-Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) deal is a game-changer. But I am not convinced that it's the end of the Internet as we know it, which is what you might think if you view USA Today's video version, which comes complete with live artwork. (See Comcast-Netflix Peering Deal: A Game-Changer?.)
As some other tech writers, notably Dan Rayburn of streamingmedia.com and Marguerite Reardon of CNET have correctly noted, this is not a net neutrality issue at all. Nor does it give Netflix an unfair advantage when it comes to traversing broadband access pipes.
But you would only know that, as a news consumer, if you dug a little deeper than most people do.
What Netflix and Comcast have negotiated has to do with where and how the Netflix video content enters the Comcast network, not how it is treated over the last-mile access networks, where cable and telecom companies have a virtual duopoly in the US. It is an agreement that makes business sense for both companies as both have reason for Netflix video traffic to be handled in a way that's appropriate to its volume and specific quality requirements.
The problem is that a nodding acquaintance with network technology can lead the best of us non-IP engineers to think we know exactly how the Internet works. As I, myself, have been reminded of late by some sharp-minded readers, there are too many glib, over-simplified references that fail to recognize the complex interconnection of networks (and business arrangements) that brings the Internet to our doors, or more accurately, our computing devices.
Normally, that lack of total understanding by the general press doesn't matter. But in this case, it's led to some sweeping and sometimes dangerous generalizations about what's really happening between Netflix and Comcast.
Unless and until someone with real power -- say, a member of Congress or a regulator -- decides to use this news coverage as the basis for legislation, the danger is minimal, although such reporting does help prolong the simplified thinking that fuels hatred of large broadband ISPs. (Some would say they pour gas on that fire with poor customer service, but that's a digression I won't risk).
But I can also envision how a journalistically simple-minded view of the Internet could influence coverage of major network outages and security issues -- as well as the kind of protections that might be required to prevent or recover from these. And that could lead to serious problems.
I think it's time for all of us to admit we don't know what we don't know sometimes, and stop trying to wear a mantle of all Internet understanding when it doesn't fit.

iPhone software security flaws exposed

Apple is facing its biggest security scare in years after flaws in its iPhone software risked exposing its users’ communications.

Researchers at FireEye, a cyber security firm, on Monday published a “proof of concept” surveillance app that would allow an attacker to capture every tap on the iPhone’s screen or buttons. This came after Apple quietly released a software update on Friday that fixed a serious weakness in its iOS software’s encryption technology, which had existed for more than a year. 

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The rare vulnerabilities threaten to undermine Apple’s reputation for providing more secure technology than its rivals, a key selling point for its products.
“Potential attackers can use such information to reconstruct every character the victim inputs,” potentially stealing passwords or credit card details as they are entered, FireEye said of its proof of concept app.
Such security flaws are particularly damaging because vulnerabilities have rarely been discovered on the iPhone. Previous security flaws were usually found to have been introduced by third-party software. Researchers say they were shocked by Apple’s tacit admission that it made such a basic error in its software coding.
Marc Rogers, principal security research for Lookout, a mobile security company, said the initial iPhone vulnerability was one of Apple’s worst and could be counted in the top 10 mobile vulnerabilities to date.

Apple also released a fix for the Mac operating system, which is also affected, on Tuesday.

FireEye said it was working with Apple on the second exploit, which it said can “bypass Apple’s app review process effectively”.

Apple has not responded to requests for comment. Its last significant security scare came in January last year when a flaw in Oracle’s Java software allowed employees’ computers to be hijacked. Other companies were affected by the same flaw, whereas the latest vulnerability was of Apple’s own creation.

A single line of errant code created the original exposure, although it is unclear how many hackers were aware of the flaw before Apple issued Friday’s security advisory.

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Apple’s tight integration of hardware, software and services has typically ensured security flaws have been more rare on its products than its rivals such as Google’s Android mobile operating system or Microsoft’s Windows. In the PC era, Apple customers’ security also benefited from the company’s small market share, which meant there was less incentive for cyber criminals to try to crack its software.
However, a growing band of hackers has targeted Apple’s products due to their upmarket customers and larger number of mobile devices in the market.
Apple faces a “particularly difficult job” right now as it is under scrutiny from hackers who want to break into its typically strong, closed-off environment, said Mr Rogers. At least 12 teams around the world are trying to “jailbreak” Apple products and any vulnerabilities, known as exploits, are sold at higher prices on the underground markets than those for the Android operating system, despite its larger market share.
However, Mr Rogers praised Apple’s “pretty phenomenal” reaction in releasing an update that fixed the vulnerability very fast. “I think they still do have a good reputation,” he said.
The iOS vulnerability has existed since the introduction of iOS 6 in autumn 2012. Some observers have suggested that the National Security Agency may have become aware of the opportunity to tap iPhone owners’ communications, noting Apple’s inclusion in the PRISM monitoring programme just a month later, according to documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden last year.
Dr Tao Wei, senior staff research scientist at FireEye, said it was increasingly likely that cyber criminals would be looking for ways to use the vulnerability to quietly monitor what people were doing on their iPhones and iPads.
Dr Wei said companies and government users should be particularly careful, but added: “We don’t think this vulnerability has been widely exploited so most people are not likely to be affected.”

BlackBerry said to be replacing Microsoft in Ford's new cars

It appears a multiyear partnership could be ending, with the car maker opting for BlackBerry to create its next-generation Sync in-car entertainment and communications technology, according to Bloomberg.

 

Ford has partnered with Microsoft for its Sync in-car infotainment system for years, but it's looking like the car giant may be switching to BlackBerry.

The automaker is swapping out Microsoft for BlackBerry for its next-generation in-car entertainment and communications technology, according to a Bloomberg report citing anonymous sources. Apparently, the car maker believes BlackBerry's system could be cheaper and more reliable.
Ford partnered with Microsoft in 2007 to create a fully integrated, flash memory-based system to enable drivers to call hands-free and to control a range of digital audio via voice commands and buttons mounted on the steering wheel. The system is based on Microsoft's Windows Embedded Automotive technology. Currently, Ford's Sync system is used in more than 7 million vehicles worldwide.
The news comes at an interesting time, considering that Ford CEO Alan Mulally was reportedly one of a handful of people in the running to become Microsoft's next CEO. Earlier this month, Satya Nadella was named the tech giant's new chief executive -- replacing Steve Balllmer.
As for BlackBerry, a partnership with Ford would likely be a welcome boost for the company. Facing fierce competition from smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung, BlackBerry has been struggling over the past couple of years. Last fall it announced it was for sale -- it's yet to find a suitable buyer, however.
BlackBerry owns a company called QNX -- a major software supplier to automotive companies. It's possible that Ford could adopt QNX as its device connectivity software for its cars. According to ZDNet, Microsoft has been pretty quiet on the automotive front for a number of years, suggesting it may have put its Windows Embedded Automotive technology on the back burner.
Microsoft declined to comment on whether Ford is switching to BlackBerry for its Sync system. CNET also contacted Ford and BlackBerry, and we'll update the story when we have more information.

Did you get the message? Facebook to shutter its email service

Few likely to be disappointed since not many used @Facebook.com

Computerworld - Facebook will shutter its email service next month, and it's likely that not many people will even notice.

In what may be one of Facebook's first failures, the social media company said in an email to Computerworld Tuesday that it has begun notifying email users that the service is ending.
The service will be shut down and users' emails will be redirected to their alternate email address by early to mid-March.

Facebook had a simple problem with its email service: Not enough people were using it. The company did not respond to a question on how many people use the email service.
"This reminds me of that old saw about a tree falling in the forest," said Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group. "If a tech service that no one knows about goes away, does it make a noise? In this case, not much of one, no."
In the fall of 2010, Facebook unveiled what CEO Mark Zuckerberg called a "modern messaging system" -- one that encompassed e-mail, instant messages, Facebook messages and SMS. Facebook was looking to move all of these different styles of communication under one social umbrella.
The move gave users a chance to have a facebook.com e-mail address.
Zuckerberg noted at the time that more than 4 billion messages were sent every day on Facebook, with the vast majority of them between two people. He said he started thinking about those numbers after talking with a group of high school students who told him that they rarely used e-mail.
And then come to found out, those students were part of a trend. People didn't use the email service that Facebook developed to bring them in.
"By the time Facebook became popular, pretty much everyone had email, plus plenty of free email services available," Olds said. "In fact, I wonder if there are more people still using @AOL.com than currently use @facebook.com."
Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with ZK Research, said shutting down the email service is a big failure for Facebook, but it won't hurt the company because there won't be many disappointed users.
"If you're not failing, it means you're not trying hard enough," he said, explaining that big, successful companies have to take chances.
Olds agreed that closing down email won't hurt Facebook.
"You can't hit home runs, or even singles, every time at bat," said Olds. "Facebook has definitely struck out when it comes to email services, but that's OK. It doesn't really impact any of their other lines of business."

Motorola: Wearables Are Ugly, Say Farewell to $650 Smartphones

At MWC, Motorola focused mostly on its union with Lenovo, but a few candid quips stole the show.

BARCELONA—After Lenovo's acquisition of Motorola and Moto CEO Dennis Woodside leaving for Dropbox, we weren't sure what to expect from Motorola's media event at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
In Woodside's stead were senior vice presidents Steve Horowitz, Rick Osterloh, and Mark Randall, who took the stage for a Q&A session at the palatial Casa Llotja. They stressed the benefits of joining forces with Lenovo, but a few candid quips stole the show.

The trio opened the night by highlighting the strategic union between Lenovo and Motorola. The latter's brass expressed excitement over working for a company that they described as "truly focused on mobile" as the next phase for the company. On the flip side, Lenovo will benefit from Motorola's established brand in developed markets, something missing from the Chinese company's mobile lineup. The panel was really toeing the company line, but that's understandable considering the deal isn't technically closed yet.
The Q&A session moved onto the topic of wearables, where Osterloh pulled no punches: existing options are "all extremely ugly." There wasn't much in the way of grand vision or specifics, but Osterloh talked up plans for a watch-like product from Motorola, which has been in development since before the Lenovo acquisition.
When asked about premium devices, Osterloh was candid yet again, predicting that "the days of $650 smartphones are coming to an end." Given Lenovo's track record of value-driven products, it's possible future smartphones from a combined Motorola-Lenovo will resemble the Moto G $99.99 at Amazon rather than the Moto X $399.99 at Amazon.

Check Out the Best Photos From MWC 2014!

The takeaway here was clear: not much changes under Lenovo for now, and both companies look to benefit from the union. Other than that, though, we'll have to wait and see what Motorola and Lenovo have in store for the future.

Apple Patches Critical OS X 'Gotofail' Security Hole

The so-called "gotofail" flaw could let an attacker on the same network as a victim eavesdrop on all user activity.

Apple on Tuesday issued an update for OS X that fixes a serious SSL security hole the company already fixed in its iOS devices late last week.

The so-called "gotofail" flaw, which stemmed from an extra line accidentally added in Apple's source code, could let an attacker on the same network as a victim eavesdrop on all user activity. Apple on Friday pushed out an update for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, but experts warned that Mac desktops and laptops were still at risk.
Tuesday's security update, OS X version 10.9.2, fixes the bug in both OS X Mavericks and the older Mountain Lion; older versions of Mac OS X are not believed to be affected. To get the update, head to your Mac's Apple menu and select Software Update. Users should install the update as soon as possible.
Apple did not reveal too much information about the problem, though experts who have studied the bug said hackers could launch man in the middle attacks to intercept messages as they pass from a user's device to trusted sites like Gmail, Facebook, or even online banking.
"An attacker with a privileged network position may capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS," Apple said in its original advisory.
Besides just patching the scary SSL bug, the update includes a number of other security and stability improvements for Mail, Safari, and iMessage, as well as the ability to make and receive FaceTime audio calls on your Mac. There's also call waiting support for FaceTime audio and video calls, and the ability to block iMessages from individual senders.

Keyboard and Function Keys Returning to BlackBerry Phones

Last year, BlackBerry’s vision of the future was an all-touch-screen phone. Now John S. Chen, who became chief executive and executive chairman after that plan’s spectacular failure, is proposing a return to BlackBerry’s past as its path to the future.

On Tuesday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Mr. Chen said that in addition to a physical keyboard, the company’s next flagship phone would include physical buttons for some functions and a track pad. When BlackBerry introduced a keyboard-touch screen hybrid phone as its second new product last year, many loyalists were dismayed by its lack of function keys.

“In my first 90 days on the job, I consistently heard from our ardent BlackBerry customers that the hard buttons and track pad are an essential part of the BlackBerry Qwerty experience,” Mr. Chen said in a statement. “I want these customers to know that we heard them.”

Mr. Chen did not show a prototype of the new phone, which will be called the Q20, nor did he announce a release date. But the company indicated that it would include a larger battery than current models and have “Menu,” “Back,” “Send” and “End” buttons.

Charles Golvin, an independent technology analyst based in Los Angeles, said the new phone clearly reflected Mr. Chen’s decision to focus BlackBerry on its traditional customer base of government and corporate users.

“Going back to a kind of device you can operate one-handed is a way for BlackBerry to differentiate itself,” Mr. Golvin said. “They’re going back to their remaining loyalists and the recently departed. I doubt there was an overwhelming tidal wave of ‘bring us the old buttons back,’ but there may have been a trend that BlackBerry 10 was just a move too far away.”

BlackBerry made several announcements at the conference on Tuesday that provided a refreshing change from the announcements of cutbacks, layoffs and asset sales that have been made so far in Mr. Chen’s tenure. The company introduced a new version of software that allows corporations to manage and control BlackBerrys and other brands of smartphones used by their employees, as well as a high-security version of the BlackBerry Messenger instant messaging service, also intended for corporate and government users. Mr. Chen has made it clear that much of BlackBerry’s future rests on its software and services business.

At the other end of the phone price spectrum, the company also announced the Z3, a low-cost, touch screen phone that will be sold only in Indonesia, a market where BlackBerry continues to thrive.

The new phone announcements, however, are not a definitive sign that BlackBerry will remain in the phone business in the long term.

In an interview posted online this week by The Globe and Mail, a Toronto newspaper, Mr. Chen left open the possibility of an exit.

“I think devices are still one component of the solution,” Mr. Chen says. “The question is: Do we need to be in the device business? That remains to be seen.”

Women prefer Apple, gentlemen prefer Samsung

When commenters lurch to these pages, their lightsabers raised even higher than their voices, they categorize phones in simple terms.

The Samsung Galaxy, is, in an Apple lover's eyes, a big, bad copy of an iPhone.
The iPhone, to everyone but an Apple lover, is merely a girlie gadget with all the technological sophistication of a 1980s Barbie.
How odd, then, that a piece of research has just appeared before my exclusive eyes to suggest that women prefer an iPhone.
The research, sponsored by cache-cleaning specialists KS Mobile, examined, among many aspects, whether there was a gender bias in phone choice.
A fulsome 45 percent of all the women questioned said that they preferred Apple as their mobile device provider. Just in case you wondered whether there might be some locational kinks here, I will disabuse you.
Apple was the king, or perhaps queen, in every region of America.
The only area in which another brand enjoyed supremacy was in one particular age group. Women aged 40-49 plumped for Samsung (36 percent), rather than Apple as their one true love.
For men, however, the tale is quite different. Their preferred provider is Samsung. Yes, gentlemen prefer a Galaxy over an iPhone, although not in quite such severe numbers as the women.
The top percentage among men was Samsung's 33. However, again there was one outlying age group that didn't want to go along with the male crowd. Men aged 50-59 preferred Apple (34 percent).
Overall, Apple was the preferred brand of 39 percent of the respondents, with Samsung still 10 points behind.
It is, perhaps, no surprise that these were the two brands that dominated people's lists.
However, one statistic ought to give hope to MicroNokia and other brands that might aspire as they perspire.
Twenty-five percent of these 1,000 respondents didn't have a favorite mobile brand. (The survey was conducted online from February 6 to 10.) More precisely, this was made up of 27.3 percent of the men and 23.7 percent of the women.
That is surely a huge market, whose heart has not been captured and is clearly ready for love.
Just to show you how great a chasm exists currently between some brands and true consumer affection, in this research a mere 3 percent of respondents said that Nokia was their preferred brand.
Still, Nokia came ahead of BlackBerry (2 percent) and Microsoft (1 percent).
When you think of how many phones seem to be produced and reviewed almost daily, it's quite sad that so many of them inspire little to no enthusiasm.
Perhaps engineers and marketing departments ought to huddle more closely and examine what people love and why they love it.
Otherwise, Judge Lucy Koh will spend her whole life listening to Apple and Samsung lawyers drone on about their ultimate righteousness.

Facebook defends $19bn WhatsApp buy, seeks to democratise internet

Facebook, social network giant, says its recent acquisition of WhatsApp for $19 billion is all part of forging a high-powered, strategic coalition which seeks to bring affordable internet services to the next two or three billion people specifically those in emerging markets like Nigeria.

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer, Facebook, made this remark while answering questions from technology journalists at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. Industry insiders at the conference told BusinessDay that the acquisition of WhatsApp is driven essentially by Facebook’s resolve to avoid irrelevancy in a dynamic technology market.

Blackberry, Motorola, Dell, Hewlett Packard (HP) in recent times have lost market relevancy and are currently struggling.

According to Adam Hartung, an industry analyst at Forbes, these firms were industry leaders who lost their luster, many of their customers, a big chunk of their employees and much of their market valuation in months when they missed a fundamental market shift.

But Zuckerberg insists that WhatsApp is a ‘great fit’ with for the company’s vision of connecting everyone on the planet.

WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. It is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone, and those phones can all message each other. WhatsApp currently has 200 million active users. As at December 2013, Facebook had 1.23 billion users on its network.

This marriage of both online businesses, according to industry insiders, could have a profound impact on improving the level of internet connections and subscriptions in underserved and unserved communities across the entire globe.

The number of mobile broadband users in Africa is expected to hit 277 million by 2015, according to research firm, Ovum. There are roughly 6 billion active cell phones in the world. Of the 6 billion cell phones currently in use, around 1.1 billion of them are mobile broadband devices.

“Why are the next two billion not on the internet?” Zuckerberg further queried. “The reason is not because they don’t have any money, it’s because they don’t know the value of having a data plan or the services they can access”, the Facebook CEO said.

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), there are currently 120 million mobile subscribers out of a population of 167 million people. There are little over 47 million data users on operators’ network in the country. The Nigerian government, through the implementation of its national broadband plan, which includes issuance of new spectrum and infrastructure licences is really determined to connect the vast majority of Nigerian populace to the internet.

Under Facebook’s coalition dubbed ‘Internet.org initiative’, launched last August, Zuckerberg gave insight into some of the successes recorded with Globe in the Philippines and Tigo in Paraguay.

Both telcos doubled mobile data subscriptions within just three to four months by simply ‘zero-rating’ data chewed up by their users when accessing Facebook and other services, such as Wikipedia and weather information. According to him, customers were willing to pay for data once they had a free trial. But what’s zero-rating? It is the practice of not counting the data used by specific services or content against a user’s monthly data cap or data bundle.

Photos: The Nokia XL, a Big Android Phone With Big Ambitions

zokia's XL smartphone runs a fully-customized version of Android. Maurizio Pesce

View the gallery in full screen to read additional information for each photo.
BARCELONA, SPAIN — The mobile industry was set ablaze yesterday with the arrival of a new family of Android-powered handsets from the soon-to-be-Microsoft-owned manufacturer Nokia.
Three new Nokia devices were previewed here at Mobile World Congress — the mid-sized Nokia X (which we wrote about yesterday), the similar-sized X+, which has extra memory and storage, and a big-screened, beefier version of the X called the Nokia XL. We’ve assembled some hands-on photos of the Nokia XL above.
The Finnish company was quick to point out that its Android experiment is intended as a stepping stone to Microsoft cloud services and Windows-powered Lumia devices for for first-time smartphone buyers, primarily in developing countries.
Maybe that’s a tall ask — the idea of a Microsoft-affiliated handset running Google’s mobile OS certainly had most onlookers here shrugging. But the X phones do stand a fighting chance for a few reasons. First, they are relatively inexpensive, ranging between $135 to $150. Also, they’re attractive and should be a hit with consumers. Chalk this up to Nokia’s excellent sense of industrial design. The company’s phones are chunky and rugged, they come with top-rate cameras, and they are usually offered in fun and bright colors. Nokia’s implementation of Android isn’t pure Google, it’s heavily customized both visually and functionally.
With its 5-inch WVGA display, Noxia XL puts Nokia’s own customized version of Android on a nice, big screen. It also has the best cameras of the X line — 5 megapixels on the rear, and 2 megapixels on the front. If you weren’t paying close attention, it could be easily mistaken for a Lumia 1320. Unless the display was unlocked, of course.
Nokia X family uses Android 4.1 as its bedrock while the OS (which is simply called “X”) links to Microsoft’s API for mapping and cloud services. The result is that you won’t find any Google Play Store here, or Google Drive. Those apps have been replaced by a Nokia App Store and Microsoft’s OneDrive. The phone will be able to run all those regular Android apps that are released on the web version of the Play store — you’ll just have to download an apk file.
Clearly inspired by Windows Phone’s tile-based UI, the XL’s interface is quick to get used to and easy to personalize: just press and hold any icon to resize it or move it around the screen. Swiping from the right always lets you access your favorite and most recently used apps. Again, just holding one finger on an element, you can toss it or change it.
Like the other Nokia X phones, the XL is not available in the U.S., but they will be on sale elsewhere in the world. The XL starts at €109 (about $150) and ships in March.

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MediaTek Drives Global LTE Adoption with New ALCATEL ONETOUCH POP S7

HSINCHU, Taiwan, Feb. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MediaTek and ALCATEL ONETOUCH today announce the LTE-enabled ALCATEL ONETOUCH POP S7, powered by MediaTek's 4G LTE quad-core platform. Available in Q2 this year, the POP S7 launch will bring 4G LTE to the mass market at an affordable price point, and will further extend the product range for both ALCATEL ONETOUCH and MediaTek across their respective global portfolio of LTE devices.
The POP S7 features MediaTek's 1.3GHz quad-core processor and multi-mode 4G LTE modem MT6290. By combining fast 4G connectivity with a sharp and bright 5" IPS display, users can enjoy a truly immersive mobile experience with the POP S7 such as streaming high-definition video content.
The MT6290 multimode 4G LTE modem embedded within POP S7 supports LTE Release 9 CAT 4, enabling data rates as high as 150Mbit/s downlink. The MT6290 modem is also compatible with FDD and TDD modes, as well as HSPA+, W-CDMA, TD-SCDMA, EDGE and GSM/GPRS radio technologies.

"MediaTek is proud to again be selected to power the latest ALCATEL ONETOUCH smartphone. The new ALCATEL ONETOUCH POP S7, designed for the mass market and featuring our multimode 4G LTE modem, is the exciting first step for MediaTek to demonstrate its global capability in the fast growing LTE market." said, Jeffrey Ju, General Manager of Smartphone Business Unit, MediaTek. "We're focused on providing a wide range of solutions to serve the super-mid market", Jeffrey added.
Dan Dery, CMO of ALCATEL ONETOUCH added, "The POP S7 is the first entry-level LTE-enabled smartphone powered by MediaTek's innovative technology, and we're rolling out across EMEA, APAC and other regions. We foresee a huge increase in LTE adoption worldwide in 2014, and we are pleased to working in close collaboration with MediaTek to meet the market demand at the right time."
About MediaTek Inc.
MediaTek is a pioneering fabless semiconductor company, and a market leader in cutting-edge systems on a chip for wireless communications, HDTV, DVD and Blu-ray. MediaTek created the world's first octa-core smartphone platform with LTE and its CorePilot technology released the full power of multi-core mobile processors. MediaTek [TSE:2454] is headquartered in Taiwan and has offices worldwide. Please visit www.MediaTek.com for more information.
About ALCATEL ONETOUCH
ALCATEL ONETOUCH is simple, unexpected, down to earth, irreverent and colorful. We believe that what makes technology smart is what you can do with it rather than what it can do.
ALCATEL ONETOUCH is a brand within TCL Communication, an international multicultural company which designs, develops, and markets globally a growing range of mobile and Internet devices. TCL Communication is a public company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (2618.HK) and part of TCL Corporation one of the largest consumer electronics companies in the world.