iPad 2 debuted in Japan. Video

WorldWideTech & Science. Roberto Gómez.

Apple's iPad 2 finally landed in Japan on Thursday (April 28), a month behind the originally scheduled arrival date due to last month's earthquake.

Still, the Japanese are among the earliest to receive the new tablet in Asia, and hundreds of fans thronged Apple stores in Tokyo before official opening hours, trying to be among the first to get the latest Apple gadget in the region. 

[Yukihiko Hata, Business Consultant]:

"I wanted to get it in my hand as early as possible to show off to my friends, so I don't mind lining up from early morning."

The new version of Apple's tablet debuted in the United States last month.

The 10-inch touch screen iPad 2 is thinner and faster than the previous version, and comes with a pair of cameras for video chat.

Some impatient fans had tried to get one earlier overseas - but unsuccessfully.

[Keiko Oda, Businesswoman]:

"I tried to buy one in New York last week, but I couldn't, even though I went to three different shops. So, I've been determined to grab one in Japan on its first day of sale."

The iPad 2 goes on sale in many other Asian countries on Friday (April 29), including Singapore and South Korea, before hitting the Chinese market on May 6th.

Chart: HP leads the worldwide PC market for the 1Q2011 .

WorldWideTech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Chart: HP leads the worldwide PC market for the 1Q2011 .

"Canalys announced in April 28^th, 2011, that the PC market grew 7% in Q1 2011, as the pad market, led by Apple's iPad, continued to bolster growth."

That's how Canalys, the first research firm to count tablets as PCs, began its report on how the market shaped up in the first calendar quarter of 2011.

The chart includes all desktops, netbooks, notebooks and pads.

HP leads the PC market share for the 1Q2011 with a 16,6% , followed by Acer with 12,8%, Dell 11,3% ,  Apple 9,5%,  and Lenovo 9,2% .

Thanks to the iPad, Apple jumped into third place in worldwide PC shipments in Canalys' Christmas quarter report, behind only HP and Acer. In Thursday's report, Dell outsold Apple by 1.5 million units, pushing Apple into fourth place. Apple might have retained its position if it could have manufactured iPad 2s fast enough to meet demand.

Total tablet shipments for the quarter reached 6.4 million units worldwide, according to Canalys, with the iPad accounting for 74% of those units.

"Taking into consideration the iPad's 'halo effect' on the company's other products, Apple has grown considerably in most markets worldwide," said Canalys analyst Tim Coulling. "As the iPad 2 and its competitors continue to roll out, we expect pad sales to propel PC market growth for the rest of the year."

We think Canalys measure the PC market that way , because the pads (tablets) are in some way cannibalizing the netbooks and notebooks sales.

However the story doesn´t end there for the year 2011. Acer just launched the Iconia tablets in some markets and HP is about to launch the webOS TouchPad this summer.

Would be interesting to know , how these figures changed at the end of the current year.

Source: Canalys

HP Bluetooth keyboard for the webOS TouchPad hits the FCC.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

HP Bluetooth keyboard for the webOS TouchPad hits the FCC.

Although the HP webOS TouchPad has a 4 sizes virtual keyboard XS, S, M and L, that feels confortable for typing on the device ( see pic below), HP will offer as an option the Bluetooth Keyboard KT-1087, which popped up on the Federal Communications Commission's site.

The BT keyboard looks light and easy to handle and also has a card view button and everything.

And how it looks on a black and white picture available at palm.com/us:

Source:FCC  via Precentral.

HP webOS Veer White 4G for AT&T ?

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

We've only seen Veer in all black -- in fact, this would be the first white webOS device,

The Veer,  has a 800MHz processor and petite 2.6-inch, 400 x 320 resolution screen, is officially launching early next week, meaning that a release should be coming in short order.

 It's not totally clear what version of webOS Veer will be running when it ships: some sources say 2.2, while others 2.1, and we've even some pics that webOS 2.3 may be powering the same-generation Pre3  at its summer debut.

Related posts: http://worldwidegadget.blogspot.com/2011/04/hp-webos-veer-is-4g-small-is-new-big.html and

Veer

Chart: WorldWide mobile phone market share 1Q2011. Top 5.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Worldwide Mobile Phone Market Grew Nearly 20% in the First Quarter; Smartphones and Vendors Outside the Top 5 Keys to Growth, According to IDC

The worldwide mobile phone market grew 19.8% year over year in the first quarter of 2011 (1Q11) fueled by high smartphone growth, especially in emerging markets, and gains made by market challengers. 

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 371.8 million units in 1Q11 compared to 310.5 million units in the first quarter of 2010.

Smartphone growth worldwide, particularly in Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America, helped lift the overall market to a new first-quarter high. Increasingly, mobile phone makers and carriers are making smartphones affordable to a wider variety of people, which has helped drive the market to new heights. Smartphone-specific vendors, such as HTC, continue to grow sales at a steady clip as a result of this trend.

"Several notable vendors, including feature phone makers, outpaced the overall market, which contributed to share losses of some top suppliers," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. "The growth of companies outside the top 5 vendors – vendors in the 'Others' category, such as Micromax, TCL-Alcatel, Huawei, and Research In Motion – shows that the overall market is still very much ripe for share gains."

"At the same time, feature phones have represented the majority of mobile phone shipments, but still are under tremendous pressure from smartphones," adds Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "Even popular quick-messaging devices (phones with a QWERTY keyboard), once a bright spot within the feature phone market, appear to be losing steam as smartphones gain popularity. Still, IDC does not expect feature phones to disappear quickly as there is still strong demand across the globe."

Market Outlook

Nonetheless, IDC expects almost all of the worldwide mobile phone market's growth to be driven by smartphones throughout the forecast, which goes to 2015. "Increasingly smartphones will drive market growth. This means feature phone makers will either need to become smartphone dependent or consolidate that part of the market," noted Restivo.

Regional Analysis

• The Asia/Pacific market grew thanks in part to strong mobile phone shipments to Greater China despite the seasonally slow quarter. Smartphone shipment growth was exceptional despite some key product launch delays. In Japan, the market underperformed IDC's forecast due to the impact of the earthquake and tsunami. Japan's largest mobile operators ordered fewer phones than expected in March.

• In Western Europe, Android-based phones and iPhones helped grow the market in the seasonally slow quarter. New devices from HTC, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson sold well in most countries in the high-end tiers. Alcatel, Huawei, and ZTE Android devices helped drive mid-tier segment sales volume. Meanwhile, feature phone shipments receded as more smartphones hit the market. The CEMA markets performed well on a year-over-year basis despite civil unrest in some Gulf countries, such as Egypt, where sales were negatively impacted by the turbulence. Nokia and Research In Motion performed well in the regions overall.

• In the United States last quarter, Apple's iPhone and the LTE-enabled HTC Thunderbolt were two smartphones introduced at Verizon Wireless that helped keep the category front and center of the overall mobile phone market. Feature phones, including once popular quick messaging devices, continued to lose ground. Similarly, in Canada, the market grew thanks to smartphones. BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android devices were best sellers.

• The Latin America market growth continued last quarter as the gap between smartphones and feature phones narrowed. Smartphone shipments were aided by carriers, who are moving customers to 3G networks while vendors shipped more touchscreen and QWERTY models. New Android and Windows Phone devices were launched too, which helped drive smartphone growth. The average selling prices also declined in the region, thanks to aggressive expansion by Chinese vendors.

Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors

Nokia laid out its transformation strategy during the quarter, one that will embrace Windows Phone as its primary smartphone operating system, introduce further enhancements to its mobile phones, and invest in future disruptions to the mobile phone market. Until that strategy is fully realized, the company will rely on its current platforms to compete in the market. Its Symbian-powered smartphones continued to find a warm reception, and the company introduced the E6 and X7, both running on the new Symbian Anna software. In mobile phones, Nokia ramped up shipments of its C3 and X201 from last year and announced a dual-SIM phone with the C2. What remains to be seen is how quickly Nokia will introduce new phones as competition intensifies.

Samsung having posted a record Q1 shipment volume, further closed the gap against market leader Nokia and extended its lead ahead of third place vendor LG Electronics. Although feature phones comprised the majority of its shipments, smartphones represented a greater share from a year ago, nearly a fifth of its total volumes. Samsung appears well poised to reach its goal of 50 million smartphones shipped this year, as new models, including the Galaxy S II, 4G smartphones, and more mass-market smartphones are expected to reach the market later on.

LG unit shipments declined on a year-over-year basis for the third straight quarter. The phone shipment drop off was most noticeable in Europe and the CIS countries where shipments on a combined basis declined. The company hopes to deliver a better second quarter performance with the introduction of products such as the Revolution, which will run on the LTE network of Verizon Wireless, and the Big. The question for LG will be whether feature phone declines in emerging and other markets can be offset by smartphone gains in future.

Apple maintained its number 4 spot on IDC's Top 5 list thanks to a record quarter for unit shipments. The company posted the highest growth rate of the worldwide leaders. Apple's results were buoyed by strong sales on Verizon Wireless and additional carrier deals; the company is now on 186 carriers operating in 90 countries. The iPhone once again sold particularly well in developed economic regions of the world, such as North America and Western Europe.

ZTE held on to the number 5 slot in the rankings thanks to strong year-over-year growth in countries and regions where it does particularly well, such as China and Latin America. ZTE primarily sells low-cost feature phones but the company is making a concerted effort to ship more smartphones, which are based on the Android operating system, this year. The company has said it will try to create brand awareness and sell more devices in developed markets, such as the U.S., this year.

 Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, April 28, 2011

Note: Vendor shipments are branded shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors.

New Trailer: Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Video.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Trailer: Director Michael Bay and Producer Stephen Spielberg have released a new trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third, and most explosion friendly movie of Bay’s trilogy.

In the third film in the Transformers trilogy, a Cybertonian spacecraft is discovered on the moon, and it begins a desperate race between the Autobots and Decepticons to see who can learn its secrets first. Meanwhile down on Earth there are lots of things happening! Important, impressive things.

 Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2D, 3D and IMAX on July 1.

Google debuts Google Docs app for Android.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Google announced availability of a Google Docs app for Android devices. In a blog post, it said that “with this new app it’s easy to filter and search for your content across any Google account, then jump straight into editing docs using the online mobile editors.” 

Users can also upload content from the handset and open documents directly from Gmail. A widget can also be added to a device homescreen, to provide access to three common tasks: jumping to stored documents, taking a photo to upload, or creating a new document with one tap. 

Google Docs app for Android runs on devices powered by Android 2.1 or later, and is currently only available in English. It is available for download via the Android Market.

HP Helps Print Service Providers Increase Versatility and Productivity.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

HP Helps Print Service Providers Increase Versatility and Productivity.

HP Scitex LX850 and LX820 Printers, HP LX610 Latex Scitex Inks debut at ISA Sign Expo 2011

LAS VEGAS, April 28, 2011

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HP today unveiled the latest additions to its Latex Printing Technologies portfolio to boost productivity and expand application versatility for print service providers, while delivering high image quality and lowering the impact of printing on the environment.

On display in HP booth 4543 at the ISA International Sign Expo 2011, the new offerings include:

• The HP Scitex LX850 Printer, a 126-inch (3.2 m) latex ink printer that delivers maximum versatility and productivity with multiple workflow features, including dual-roll, roll-to-free fall and roll-to-collector handling and an ink collector.
• The HP Scitex LX820 Printer, a 126-inch (3.2 m) latex ink printer that offers high productivity at a lower price in a roll-to-roll configuration.
• HP LX610 Latex Scitex Inks, which produce rich blacks and glossy results on banners and self-adhesive vinyl, plus improved water resistance on fabrics.^(1,2)
• HP PVC-free Wall Paper, available June 1, is now made with FSC®-certified⁽³⁾ paper from well-managed forests and is GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certified, allowing customers to offer bold, colorful indoor murals without distracting odors.^(4,5)

HP also announced new software to help streamline workflows, including HP SmartStream Designer Version 5.1 for creating, preparing and collating personalized campaigns from HP Scitex printers and the GMG ColorServer Suite, a color management software from HP Solutions Business Partner GMG for HP Scitex large-format printers.

“Today’s announcement marks the next development in what has proven to be a revolutionary technology platform for the sign and display market,” said Yariv Avisar, vice president and general manager, Scitex Large-format Solutions, HP. “With more than 5,000 HP Latex Ink systems installed worldwide, HP is offering customers the competitive advantages needed to differentiate their businesses and capture new growth opportunities.”

HP Scitex LX850 and LX820 Printers boost productivity

Delivering high image quality at production speeds, the HP Scitex LX850 Printer allows customers to accelerate their large-format workflows. The device also enables customers to expand their application versatility with a built-in ink collector for direct-to-fabric printing⁽²⁾ on flag fabrics. A scaled-down version of the HP Scitex LX850 Printer, the new HP Scitex LX820 Printer, is available with an optional dual-roll kit upgrade.

“We print 13,000 to 16,500 square feet a month, and while we didn’t lack output capacity, competition remains fierce and profit margins have been squeezed,” said Jose Año, general manager at Marc Marti, a Valencia, Spain-based print service provider. “The HP Scitex LX850 Printer’s versatility gives us extraordinary image quality on a range of economical, uncoated media and substrates, while differentiating our products from those using solvent-based inks.”

Both the HP Scitex LX850 and LX820 Printers work together with the new HP LX610 Latex Scitex Inks. Alternatively, customers can install HP 3M LX600 Specialty Latex Inks⁽⁶⁾ to offer graphics backed by the 3M™ MCS™ Warranty, one of the most comprehensive warranties in the industry. The warranted durability period for vehicle graphics made with the HP 3M LX600 Specialty Latex Inks and 3M media has been extended from four years to five years by 3M, and 3M Panagraphics™ III Wide Width Flexible Substrate has been added.

The HP Scitex LX850 Printer and the HP Scitex LX820 Printer are expected to be available on May 1 and June 1, respectively.⁽⁷⁾

HP LX610 Latex Scitex Inks offer proven quality, durability

Capable of producing eye-catching images with rich blacks and glossy results on banners and self-adhesive vinyl, the new HP LX610 Latex Scitex Inks continue to set the standard for high-quality sign and display output.

 The inks produce prints with display permanence and scratch, smudge and water resistance comparable to low-solvent inks.⁽⁸⁾ Plus, the new formulation offers improved water resistance⁽¹⁾ on fabrics,⁽²⁾ further expanding high-value soft signage application capabilities.

“The advantage of being able to print on textiles with the HP LX610 Latex Scitex Inks is that, unlike dye sublimation, it’s just print and go,” said León Gateño, owner, Target Graphics, a Mexico City-based print service provider. “The upgrade process was very easy and we were printing right after the HP technician finished.”

Customers with HP Scitex LX600 or LX800 Printers⁽⁹⁾ can benefit from the new inks – as well as double-sided printing capabilities⁽¹⁰⁾ for blockout banners – by purchasing the HP Scitex LX610 Inks Upgrade Kit.

The HP Scitex LX610 Inks Upgrade Kit is expected to be available May 1 and can be installed by an HP technician in one day.

Workflow solutions from HP and GMG facilitate VDP, color management

HP SmartStream Designer is an easy-to-use application that generates variable data elements for marketing campaigns, such as images, text and colors, and is also a simple imposition tool for HP Scitex presses. The new HP SmartStream Designer Version 5.1 includes key improvements, such as HP Photo Enhancement to automatically improve variable images and the best fit feature, which optimizes paper usage.

Designed for customers with complex requirements like multipress uniformity and color standards, the GMG ColorServer Suite simplifies color conversions between color spaces using predefined HP Scitex printer settings for the HP Scitex FB7500, TJ8300 and TJ8500 Printers. GMG SmartProfiler software calibrates the output device and creates color profiles for wide-format printers. The GMG ColorServer Suite for HP Scitex printers is now available through GMG distributors and resellers.

HP at ISA Sign Expo 2011

John Stevens, large-format specialist for the HP Designjet L25500 Printer series, and Kerry Ignatovich, large-format media specialist at HP, are presenting a seminar titled “Beyond Banners: New Applications for Growth” on Saturday, April 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT. The session will help customers think beyond their role as a banner or poster provider to see the profit possibilities that lie in unique applications.

HP offers flexible financing solutions for customers deploying the latest HP digital printing technology through HP Financial Services, the company’s leasing and life cycle asset management services division. An HP Financial Services representative is on-site at ISA to provide details of applicable offers.

More information about HP’s sign and display printing solutions is available at www.hp.com/go/gsb, through the HP Graphic Arts Twitter feed and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts. Additional information about HP at ISA Sign Expo 2011 is available at www.hp.com/go/HPatSignExpo2011.

Malasya: ZTE wins network contract at DiGi.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Malaysian operator DiGi has signed up China’s ZTE to build a “unified mobile network that will provide DiGi with a fully transformed 2G/3G/4G network starting third quarter this year.”

 ZTE said in a statement that the new network will be immediately capable of delivering theoretical peak download speeds of up to 42Mb/s using HSPA+ and “thereafter up to four times faster when LTE spectrum becomes available.”

LTE: Rogers eyes Canada’s first LTE network

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Rogers Communications said yesterday it will launch LTE in Canada later this year, ahead of its closest rival Telus. 

According to a Reuters report, Rogers, Canada's largest mobile operator, is to launch LTE in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa this year, and then broaden coverage to the nation's top 25 markets in 2012. 

Telus has said it would launch its LTE network early next year.

Galaxy S II debuts in South Korea. To launch in 120 countries.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Samsung launched the second-generation version of its Galaxy S smartphone in its home market of South Korea today, and said it aims to launch the new model in 120 countries by early June 2011. 

According to a Dow Jones Newswires report, J.K. Shin, president of Samsung's mobile communications business, said the company initially targets to sell 10 million units of the new version, without giving a specific timeframe.

HP Cures Networking Ills for Healthcare Providers with Converged Infrastructure.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

HP Cures Networking Ills for Healthcare Providers with Converged Infrastructure

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 28, 2011

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HP today announced that three healthcare providers serving thousands of patients have chosen HP Networking solutions to improve service delivery and simplify their IT infrastructures.

San Francisco-based Brown & Toland Physicians, Enloe Medical Center of Chico, Calif., and the Kantonsspital Graubunden (KSGR) in Chur, Switzerland, evaluated several competitive solutions, including HP and Cisco. These customers are among the many that select HP’s high-performance, easy-to-manage and affordable networking solutions to improve service delivery without downtime.

HP Networking solutions are core to HP Converged Infrastructure, which integrates servers, storage and networking into pools of interoperable resources.

Upgrading networking equipment without downtime

Brown & Toland Physicians, an independent practice association serving residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, needed to upgrade its networking equipment. The association approached HP to discuss options for replacing an existing Cisco Catalyst 6509 switching solution, which was nearing end of life. The replacement option from Cisco, the Nexus 7000 Series, exceeded Brown & Toland’s budget, without offering significant advantages.

“From patient records to billing, technology has become the backbone of our operations,” said Mark Grace, supervisor, Infrastructure Management, Infrastructure Engineering and Design, Brown & Toland Physicians. 

“HP enabled us to upgrade our networking equipment without downtime, allowing us to deliver the best patient service rapidly and securely.”

HPM Networks, a provider of networking solutions and HP channel partner, delivered a custom implementation for Brown & Toland Physicians, including the HP A9512 modular core switch and HP Intelligent Management Center management software. Combined with its existing HP ProLiant blade servers and HP storage solutions, Brown & Toland Physicians built a powerful and flexible infrastructure that can easily scale, while reducing complexity and cost.

Interoperable networking solutions for branch offices

Enloe Medical Center serves more than 400,000 Northern California residents across eight facilities. The center was seeking a networking solution that would increase the IT efficiency of its branch offices by making existing and new components work together seamlessly.

Citing interoperability as a key concern, the center solicited advice from HP channel partner Quorum Technologies, which recommended HP Networking solutions. Enloe Medical Center chose the HP E5400 zl series modular Ethernet switches, HP PCM+ Network Management and the HP Care Pack Services extended warranty.

“We are a very busy hospital,” said Jim Hauenstein, chief information officer, Enloe Medical Center. “With HP Networking products we can upgrade our networks with the knowledge that our systems will continue to communicate with zero downtime.”

Clear communications in life-critical situations

KSGR, a leading provider of healthcare, required a robust network to ensure fast, high-quality communications for its 60,000 patients annually and 1,800 staff. KSGR’s new network based on HP solutions is instrumental in improving patient care. It supports medical applications such as radiological systems with the capacity and flexibility to meet the requirements of future services such as bedside media applications.

The unified HP network platform based on HP A7500 modular Ethernet switches, in conjunction with existing IP phones, meets KSGR’s need for absolute clarity by delivering the highest quality VoIP (voice over IP) communications.

“We chose HP Networking because it offered the highest quality, speed and availability,” said Martin Liver, chief information officer, KSGR. “Sharing the media for bandwidth-intensive systems and real-time applications requires a highly flexible transport system. We deal with life-critical situations on a daily basis, so we need a network that is completely reliable, always available, fast and trusted.”

More information about HP networking solutions is available at http://www.hp.com/networking.

HP Converged Infrastructure is a key component of the Instant-On Enterprise. The Instant-On Enterprise embeds technology in everything it does to serve customers, employees, partners and citizens with whatever they need, instantly.

HP’s premier client event, HP DISCOVER, takes place June 6 - 10 in Las Vegas and Nov. 29 - Dec. 1 in Vienna, Austria. The event showcases how organizations can get started on their Instant-On Enterprise journeys.

Verizon iPhone 4 white is available.

WorldWide Tech & SCience. Roberto Gómez.

With a expected shipment date for April 29th, 2011 Verizon is selling the white iPhone 4 since yesterday.

16GB- US$ 199,99 with a new 2 year activation and data pak required.

32GB- US$ 299,99 with a new 2 year activation and data pak required.

Source: Verizon

Shipments of tablets to be affected by component shortages

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

The global supply chain for tablet PCs is expected to brace for acute shortage of parts and components, including memory chips, gyroscopes, capacitors, chip-resistors, cover glass and even bismaleimide-triazine (BT) resin, which will seriously affect shipments of  tablets, according to sources at Taiwan notebook makers.

The market had originally expected the tight supply of components and key materials caused by the Japan earthquake will ease in May. Contrary to the expectations, the crisis of the possible interruption of the supply chain now is likely to emerge in the second half of May, indicated the sources.

Supplies of gyroscopes from STMicroelectronics and AKM, high-end capacitors and resistors from Japan-based makers, BT resin for IC substrate production and other types of chemicals all will fall short of demand, the sources added.

Affected by the component shortages, a number of makers have reduced their shipments of tablet PCs, said the sources, noting that combined tablet shipments from first-tier notebook vendors could be less than five million units in 2011.

Actual sales volumes for the Galaxy Tab from Samsung Electronics, the Eee Pad Transfomer from Asustek Computer and even the Xoom from Motorola Mobility could have been lower than the target amounts or reported figures, the sources commented.

US : Samsung sues Apple over 10 patents .

WorldWide Tech & Science. Roberto Gómez.

The suit, filed this Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California San Jose division, and picked up by Bloomberg, accuses Apple of infringing on 10 of its patents. One of those patents includes the capability to use the Web while on a phone call, a feature Apple's touted in its advertisements for the GSM version of the iPhone.

The suit targets iPhones going all the way back to the 3G, as well as the iPod Touch, and first- and second-generation iPads. Samsung is seeking damages caused by Apple for its alleged infringements in these devices.

Apple launched a multi-prong lawsuit against Samsung earlier this month, claiming the company was infringing on its patents, as well as copying Apple's design and other intellectual property.

 Apple's suit takes aim at Samsung's Galaxy series of smartphones and tablets, as well as other devices made by the South Korea-based company. Samsung responded in kind last week, launching lawsuits against Apple in Tokyo; Manheim, Germany; and Seoul South Korea.

"Samsung is continuing to respond actively to the legal action taken against us in order to protect our intellectual property and to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communications business," the company said in a statement released to ZDNetAsia's sister site CNET.

An Apple representative declined to comment on the latest suit, instead referring to the claims made against Samsung in its filing earlier this month.

As mentioned in previous coverage, Apple and Samsung are longtime business partners, with Apple once investing millions into the company's display business. During Apple's quarterly earnings call last week, Apple COO Tim Cook noted that the company was Samsung's largest customer and that Samsung was "a very valued component supplier for us." Apple's suit specifically targets Samsung's mobile communications business.

Source: ZDNet Asia.

Apple responds to privacy concerns with new iPhone update.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Roberto Gómez.

Apple is to provide a software update for the iPhone in the coming weeks that will reduce the amount of user location data stored on the device. 

Although Apple firmly denied accusations that the iPhone was set-up to track users’ location data, the move appears a response to recent reports that the latest version of the device was automatically storing location data without users' knowledge or permission. 

“Apple is not tracking the location of your iPhone. Apple has never done so and has no plans to ever do so,” said the firm in a statement  But Apple admitted that the phone did use Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data alongside GPS to speed up the iPhone’s location-based services.

However, as this data is too big to store on the phone, Apple said that a subset (cache) was downloaded onto each iPhone and synched with iTunes – and not necessarily in an encrypted form. The backing up of this data is to cease with the new software update. 

“We don’t think the iPhone needs to store more than seven days of this data,” Apple said, acknowledging that “people have identified up to a year’s worth of location data being stored on the iPhone.” 

Apple also admitted that a “bug” is to be corrected which has meant that the location-tracking continues even when the ‘Location Services’ option is disabled.

NASA Awards $2.5 Billion Services Contract to HP

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

NASA Awards $2.5 Billion Services Contract to HP.

HP to modernize NASA’s desktop environment to improve collaboration and security while reducing costs

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 28, 2011

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HP Enterprise Services has been chosen for a single-award firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract worth up to $2.5 billion over a four-year base period with two three-year option periods by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

HP will provide end-user desktop services and devices that will increase NASA’s efficiency and allow its employees to more easily collaborate in a secure computing environment.

As a part of NASA’s Agency Consolidated End-User Service (ACES) Program, HP will modernize NASA’s entire end-user infrastructure by delivering a full range of personal computing services and devices to more than 60,000 users. The modernization is expected to deliver significant productivity gains and cost savings to NASA.

“NASA personnel use IT to support NASA’s core business, scientific, research and computational activities,” said Michael Sweigart, procurement officer, Shared Services Center, NASA. “HP will provide, manage, secure and maintain these essential IT services for the agency.”

Under the ACES contract, HP will provide a variety of Computing Seat, Tier 2/3 Service Desk Support and Collaboration Services to more cost-effectively manage NASA’s end-user infrastructure at all NASA sites across the United States. Computing seat and cellular seat services are designed with security and collaboration capabilities to help the NASA team safely share information.

“The ACES contract will help evolve NASA’s IT environment to a centralized, adaptable IT infrastructure to enable economies of scale, agency-wide visibility and improved management and security,” said Dennis Stolkey, senior vice president and general manager, U.S. Public Sector, HP Enterprise Services. “HP will build on our deep industry, infrastructure and end-user services expertise to support this significant work for the agency that is pioneering the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.”

HP will be teaming with numerous small businesses to meet NASA’s small business participation guidelines and diverse mission needs. The contract will be managed at the NASA Shared Services Center in Stennis, Miss., and will serve all NASA centers and facilities.

LG launches Smart Fridge

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

LG has announced the launch of the Smart Refrigerator, which will allow users to get connect with the device with a tablet or smartphone.

The Smart Manager touchscreen display in the door will offer users recipes based on the contents of the fridge

With a 15.1-inch touchscreen display, entertainment hub possibilities and food management capabilities – would herald the dawn of connected domestic appliances.

The new Smart Refrigerator will allow users to receive inventory updates from the Smart Manager application while out shopping with smartphones or tablets.

Shangai Motor Show: Peugeot shows SXC Crossover Concept .

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

The SXC (which stands for Shanghai Cross Concept) has a 1.6 liter, 160 kW internal combustion engine driving the front wheels and a 70 kW electric motor driving the rear, providing the option of electric-only two wheel drive or a four wheel drive hybrid mode.

Designwise, the SXC is marked by a two-part panoramic roof, reverse-hinged doors, slender headlamps and a "floating" grille, along with distinctive 22-inch wheels and boomerang shaped tail-lights.

It's not the most outlandish of concept cars and although there's no official production plans from Peugeot, it's not hard to imagine a design like this being let loose on the streets ...

The car was designed by Peugeot's international style teams based at the China Tech Center in Shanghai and Peugeot notes in its release that the Crossover is "becoming increasingly popular in the Chinese market."

HP webOS CONNECT coming to Paris and Berlin. Learn, share and network with the webOS community.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

From the HP webOS developer blog:

webOS CONNECT coming to Paris and Berlin ‣

Building on the excitement and good times we had at webOS CONNECT London, the fun continues with a pair of upcoming webOS CONNECT events in Paris and Berlin, slated for May.

Whether you’re an experienced webOS developer or someone that just wants to learn and see what all the webOS buzz is about, these events are the perfect opportunity to:

- Meet Richard Kerris, VP of webOS Developer Relations and others on the webOS team

- Learn from best practices of other webOS developers

- Network with the webOS community over some good food and fun

With the webOS 3.0 SDK out in Early Access and all-new webOS devices coming, there’s so much to talk about and we want to bring everyone together to share in all of it and have a good time.

Register now and plan on bringing a friend or two. We’ll see you there!

Source: HP webOs developer blog