Thunderbolt: One Year Later

Thunderbolt: One Year Later

By Mauricio Grijalva, Macworld.

It's been almost 12 months since Thunderbolt made its debut on the 2011 MacBook Pro. In that time, just a few dozen Thunderbolt products have shipped, to the disappointment of users eager to take advantage of the fast connection.

The reasons for the lack of devices range from the technical to the financial. For Hitachi, implementing Thunderbolt technology into their products turned out to be a bit more complex than they had anticipated. Back in September, the company announced that they would begin shipping Thunderbolt G-Raid and G-Drive external drives in October, but had to put those plans on hold.

"The complex technical nature of Thunderbolt required us to take extra time with design, testing and quality assurance, as the inside of a Thunderbolt product is considerably more complicated than a simple USB device," explained Mike Williams, VP and General Manager of branded business for Hitachi Global Storage Technologies.

Unlike USB and FireWire, Thunderbolt combines video, audio, data, and power into one single connection, allowing up to 10Gbps of information to be passed through. The technology's complexity even extends to the cable, where chips in the connectors on both ends of the cable help with the heavy lifting.

"It's a developing process. It isn't completely there yet, but we've worked closely with Intel and Apple, and now we're seeing great performance," Williams said. Due to the delay, Hitachi now hopes to ship products in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Sonnet Technologies experienced a similar situation. At the NAB Show in April 2011, the company announced a slew of Thunderbolt storage devices and adapter cards. Since then, only one product, the Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapter, is currently for sale.

"The overall development and testing is taking a bit longer than we thought," explained Greg LaPonte, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Sonnet.

After looking at the cost benefits, Sonnet decided to put the development of Thunderbolt drives on the back burner and focus on making adapters. Instead of releasing individual gigabit ethernet and FireWire 800 adapters, as originally intended, Sonnet shipped the Echo instead, which works with ExpressCard/34 cards. "When we saw how much adapters would cost, we decided it would be better to put out the Echo to provide a better value," LaPonte said.

In BlackMagic Design's case, it wasn't the technological complexity of the new protocol that kept their products from entering the market. Rather, it was the certification process. According to Dan May, president of BlackMagic's US Office, products must be certified and approved by Apple and Intel before they are released. In the case of the Intensity Extreme, a video capture and playback device, that procedure added about a few weeks to the development process.

"We wanted to try making it so that the device was powered through the Thunderbolt port, which presented some new challenges," May said. "It delayed us for about a month, but we got it out."

May didn't seem to mind the delay though, since he praised Apple and Intel's way of doing things. "Both Apple and Intel have been hands-on in this. They've made the process smooth. Everyone involved said, 'let's make sure everything is done the right way.'"

Some manufacturers are waiting for costs to come down, as Larry O'Connor, CEO of Other World Computing, conveyed to Macworld. "Everyone points to the products that are out there and asking why we aren't there yet," said O'Connor. "But many of the same products pointed to, the number one complaint is the high cost. We're waiting for the right performance, right features, and cost consideration as well."

One example of that high cost is with the Thunderbolt cable itself, which currently retails for £39/US$49, and can only be purchased through Apple. The cheapest Thunderbolt accessory available is the Seagate GoFlex Thunderbolt adapter, which costs $100 in the US and isn't available yet in the UK -- but it doesn't include an external drive.

The companies that have released Thunderbolt products say they have been met with praise. Mike Mihalik, Senior Engineer & Program Manager at LaCie, said customers were happy with the Little Big Disk Thunderbolt Series, released last September and tested by us here. "The response has been excellent, with demand exceeding our expectations. We've had to increase our initial forecasts several times. Only recently have we been able to ramp up volumes to meet our worldwide demands."

Despite the delays and current lack of devices, companies are still excited about the technology and its potential. Hitachi's Williams feels that Thunderbolt's biggest impact will be in video production. The new technology "helps laptops and desktops morph into full-fledged video editing workstations. Just imagine the blazing speed that you can get while editing in the field."

Several of the company representatives pointed out that Thunderbolt adaption will only continue to flourish. Apple recently announced that it sold 5.2 million Thunderbolt-equipped Macs in the fiscal first quarter of 2012, outpacing the rest of the PC industry, and the numbers are expected to grow.

More products were unveiled at CES and more recently at Macworld | iWorld, where Seagate and Western Digital demonstrated their new Thunderbolt adapter and hard drive, respectively.

PC manufacturers have also thrown their support behind the protocol. Asus and Acer have expressed their interest in adding Thunderbolt to their line of products later this year.

BlackMagic's May thinks Thunderbolt could even show up in non-computer devices in the future. "Thunderbolt continues to push boundaries, so we're definitely excited," he said. "How great would it be to have a Thunderbolt connection in your car?"

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The Next-Generation MacBook Pro 2012

The Next-Generation MacBook Pro 2012

BY JESUS DIAZ, VIA:gizmodo.com.

Have no doubt about this: Apple is revamping their MacBook Pro line in 2012 in a radical way - not merely evolutionary. We know this not because of the usual rumors, but because there is no way this will not happen.

A radical but logical change

When Steve Jobs said that the MacBook Air was the future of laptops, he was right. To the disgust of a vocal minority, Apple destroyed lots of ancient technology with the Air. They simplified its guts and squeezed its industrial design to create an amazing machine. The result was a huge success - and the whole industry started their photocopiers once again.

It's only logical that they will take the same steps with their MacBook Pro. It's not only a rational consequence of the Air, it's also extremely convenient for their bottom line and their public image: The new MacBook Pros - and not the beefed-up iPad 3 - will be the first real test for the new executive team at Apple.

They need to make a statement. Here's how.

Faster guts

The new MacBook Pro will use Ivy Bridge, the new Intel 22-nanometer architecture with 3D transistors that will provide quite a speed boost over the current MacBooks. Intel estimates that it Ivy Bridge will provide a 20 percent performance boost with comparable Sandy Bridge laptops. Ivy Bridge also provides a 30 percent boost in integrated graphics performance, although these machines will use something stronger to drive graphic intensive applications (more on this later).

No hard drives

Screw the hard drives. It's antiquated technology with a negative impact on battery life. Apple loves SSD and Apple users love SSD. They may not be the cheapest, but it's the fastest, safest and most power efficient storage technology for mobile devices. Moving their entire laptop line to SSD will also give them more buying power, which will help them keep the same price and benefit margins.

SSDs are also key for speed. In fact, for most consumers, it's also one of the key factors to boosting speed perception, even more than the processor and the graphic cards. When everything loads and saves almost instantly, people instantly get it, which is what happened with the Air.

No legacy stuff

The new MacBook Pro 2012 line will get rid of legacy technology. That means no more optical drives, and no more Ethernet port and FireWire. These machines will have nothing but a bunch of Thunderbolt and USB ports, plus the SD memory card reader, just like the MacBook Air. By taking this out, the new machines will save space and simplify the electronics on board.

I can't remember the last time I used my optical drive. All my media and application consumption goes through online services, like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and iTunes. Apple and thousands of developers have already shifted to 100% digital downloads for software distribution. The optical drive is dead.

And I can't remember the last time I used my Ethernet port. Most consumers are in the same position. And while FireWire is the only point of conflict I may have - since I use it for backups and extra disk space - an adapter will easily an cheaply take care of any legacy equipment. In fact, there's plenty of Thunderbolt adapters at this point, for FireWire, Gigabit Ethernet, and even PC Cards.

Retina-ish display

The machines will have a high definition Retina-ish display. This is part of Apple's ongoing move to HiDPI.

How much? They will not be as dense as the iPhone's 326 pixels per inch - which is as high as your average printed page - but they will be close enough. The current 15-inch MacBook has a 128-pixel-per-inch display (1440 by 900 pixels), while the 17-inch runs at 133 pixels per inch (1920 by 1200 pixels). These relative resolutions are similar to the current MacBook Airs.

The question now is if they would be able to double these resolutions to 2880 by 1800 pixels and 3840 by 2400 pixels. It seems insane and there's no evidence of anyone manufacturing these kind of displays.

But we know that there are graphic cards that can push that kind of power. We also know that, before the iPhone 4 came out, nobody had heard of a 326ppi Retina Display before. Apple had bought all of them and they kept the lid on them until the iPhone 4 was announced.

Perhaps Apple will just increase the resolution to 180 or 200ppi. Given the distance from your eyes to the screen, 200ppi will be enough to achieve close to the effect of a "retina" display in the iPhone, the point in which you can't see pixels. And still, it will be a lot of extra pixels.

Killer graphics

All those extra pixels will require a lot of graphic muscle. Apple uses AMD Radeon graphics in all their MacBooks now, so most probably they will stick with them. AMD is set to introduce their new high end, mobile 28nm process graphics engine in the second quarter of 2012. They will be part of the Radeon HD 7700m family.

If Apple continues with AMD, the top of the line MacBooks will likely use the HD 7770M (their current notebooks us the HD 6670M). Given the boost in resolution, I wouldn't be surprised if the highest end came with 2GB of GDDR5 memory. The current top of the line MacBook has 1GB of GGDR5 RAM. The cheaper option could be the HD 7750M, with 1GB of GGDR5 memory.

If Apple decided to change with Nvidia, it's not clear what would they use. Someone leaked that Samsung's Ivy Bridge laptop would use a Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M with 2GB DDR5, but GTX graphics would probably run too hot to be incorporated into a super-slim product like the MacBook Pro 2012.

Redesigned enclosure

That will be the biggest selling point of these new MacBook Pros. These things will have a super-slim wedge profile. Perhaps even more so than the Macbook Air, given that they will have a largest surface to spread the components. They will also be really light compared to the current machines, all thanks to the saving achieved by getting rid of so much legacy crap. Although maybe they will be less aggressive on the weight shaving and increase the space used by the battery.

Battery capacity

Something that will make everyone extremely happy and will be truly disruptive: some insane battery life. Given the reduction of components and the lack of a hard drive, an increased battery life seems more than reasonable no matter what. If they decide to increase the amount of battery cells, then maybe we could witness a laptop that will run for an entire work day on a single battery charge. Or close enough. If Apple is going radical on these, I would expect a radical battery life.

One more thing: Full surface trackpad

This is something that has been rumored before, but now I believe it may happen: the entire palmrest of the new MacBook 2012 will be a multitouch trackpad. It's obvious that, technologically, Apple can accomplish this. They have patents that cover detection of palm touch vs finger touch vs accidental touch. Even a Wacom Bamboo tablet can distinguish between my fingers and my palm.

But they would not do it just because they can. They would do it mainly for two reasons.

The first, because the full surface would be the cornerstone for the final step in the metamorphosis of Mac OS X. A metamorphosis that started with the success of multitouch and direct interface manipulation on iPhone and iPad.

Lion brought some of those concepts into Mac OS X and, while it isn't the successful merging that I was hoping for, it clearly shows where Apple is headed. The next Mac OS X will only get deeper into multitouch, just like Microsoft is doing with Metro and Windows 8. A full surface trackpad - not a touchscreen - will be the key in this transition for laptops and the desktop (for an idea of how this could work you only need to see the video next to these lines).

But there's perhaps a more important reason for the introduction of such an innovation: the "one more thing" factor. Cook and the new executive team need to show the world that they have what it takes, that they can keep innovating and pulling rabbits out of their hats just like the old boss did. He would have gone something like this:

"But why have just a trackpad? The current trackpad is very good, but too limiting. What about if we could give you the entire palmrest as a trackpad? It's a hard technological challenge, but we found a way to differenciate between your palms and your fingers, so your MacBook doesn't get confused and you can use multitouch with Mac OS X as easy as you can do it in your iPad! So we did it. We are eliminating the little trackpad and giving you a trackpad when you can freely use multitouch. We love it. And we think you will love it too. Let me show it to you."

Showing the world that they can pull something like this will be the perfect "Yes We Can Kick Ass Without Steve" statement from Cook's Apple. Because, even while they have their amazing economic results, they need to demonstrate the world that they can keep "making magic" happen for a long time.

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BlackBerry faces new challenge from U.S. agency

BlackBerry faces new challenge from U.S. agency

By Alastair Sharp.

(Reuters) - In another blow for beleaguered BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, the U.S. federal government's main procurement agency is issuing iPhones and Android-based devices to some of its 17,000 workers.

While the General Services Administration does not impose its purchasing decisions on other parts of the government, the terms and conditions it negotiates can be used as a blueprint for other agencies.

"We actively seek to be progressive in our adoption of new technologies so that we can learn the lessons which will inform our client and customer agencies as they seek to go down a similar path," the GSA's chief information officer, Casey Coleman, told Reuters in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Once Washington's only option for secure mobile communication, RIM has struggled to offset a rising tide of companies allowing their workers to use their own devices for work or supplying them with rival devices, which have made strides towards matching the BlackBerry's famed security.

The GSA - which manages $500 billion of government assets including telecom, information technology and real estate - is also testing the use of employees' personal smartphones and tablets on their secure networks, a popular move for corporations looking to cut costs.

Coleman said that BlackBerry remains by far the most used smartphone at GSA, with devices from Apple and those using Google's Android software accounting for less than 5 percent of the agency's fleet, which covers the majority of GSA employees.

The personal smartphone pilot is to supplement rather than replace government-issued devices, she said, and the GSA has no plans to abandon RIM servers, which manage secure BlackBerry traffic.

RIM charges a fee for use of its servers and data centers, which compress and encrypt email and other sensitive data.

The GSA's move is just the latest hurdle to face Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM.

Another U.S. agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said last week it would ditch the servers that run its BlackBerrys by June as it trimmed costs.

Oilfield services company Halliburton plans to switch 4,500 BlackBerry-toting employees to iPhones, saying it's is better suited to its needs. Several banks have also welcomed BlackBerry rivals.

The NOAA move was made possible after it switched its desktop-based software to Google Apps for Government.

Coleman said the GSA moved to Google Apps in June, cutting its costs in half compared with its legacy desktop software.

The GSA plans to offer a service so other agencies can quickly order Web-based email, she said.

"This is an area that is changing and evolving rapidly and as the market changes we will continue to seek to provide our employees with the best devices for them to do their best work."

BlackBerry Dealt Blow as U.S. Procurement Agency Issues IPhones to Staff

By Hugo Miller.

The General Services Administration, the U.S. government's main procurement agency, has begun issuing iPhones alongside BlackBerrys, delivering another knock to Research In Motion Ltd.'s once dominant position in Washington.

The GSA, with 12,635 employees, supplies more than US$70-billion worth of products and services to other federal agencies a year. GSA staff may now request Apple Inc. phones and devices running Google Inc.'s Android software if they have applications that can help them work more efficiently with customers like the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, said Deborah Ruiz, a GSA spokeswoman. She didn't say when the change took effect.

The move highlights the challenge facing Thorsten Heins, RIM's new chief executive officer, who has vowed to rethink the way the company markets and sells BlackBerrys to reverse slumping demand. Sales in the U.S. fell 45% last quarter as consumers and businesses opted for iPhones or Android devices for their better Web browsers and wider array of apps.

The U.S. decline is dragging down RIM's global market share even as sales in emerging markets like India and Indonesia climb. RIM's share of the worldwide smartphone market slid to 8.2% in the fourth quarter from 14% a year earlier, while Apple's share rose to 24% from 16% in the same period, according to research firm IDC.

Jamie Ernst, a spokeswoman for RIM, didn't have any immediate comment.

Approved Devices

The sales drop has led to a 90% plunge in Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM's share price from its 2008 high. RIM fell 0.7% to US$14.80 at 11:41 a.m. New York time. Shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple gained 0.4% to US$504.81.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last week it would support BlackBerrys until May and then begin replacing them with iPhones. Apple's devices can be integrated into its current infrastructure more cheaply than paying for a dedicated BlackBerry server, said Joe Klimavicz, chief information officer of the the weather, ocean and fisheries research agency with 13,000 workers.

Halliburton Co., the world's second-largest oilfield- services provider, said last week it will phase out 4,500 BlackBerrys and switch to the iPhone because the Apple device does a better job of supporting internal company applications like software to monitor well construction.

The GSA, which also manages office buildings for more than a million federal employees across the U.S., picks suppliers and negotiates prices for more than 12 million products and services ranging from consulting contracts to office supplies and laboratory equipment.

The Washington-based agency will continue to issue BlackBerrys alongside other devices and allow employees to choose their own device from an approved list, Ruiz said. The agency has no plans to support employees' own devices, a policy adopted by some companies seeking to reduce costs.

Ruiz didn't say how many smartphones the GSA issues to employees or what the breakdown is by type of device.

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Straddling the tablet/ laptop divide; Time for Android and iOS laptops

Straddling the tablet/ laptop divide; Time for Android and iOS laptops

By James Kendrick | VIA:zdnet.com.

Summary: Some folks (myself included) are successfully using tablets with keyboards for work tasks. Is there a market for Android/ iOS laptops and if so, what do they need?

Some folks (myself included) have been able to shift a good portion of work tasks from conventional laptops to tablets. This usually involves pairing the tablet, Android or iPad, with a small external keyboard for handling lots of text entry. There are plenty of keyboard options for both Android tablets and the iPad, and even slick two-piece tablets like the ASUS Transformer Prime. Whatever the solution that folks are using, it is interesting how many folks are straddling the tablet/ laptop divide.

My coverage of using both the iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab with keyboards is extensive, and I am constantly amazed how much of my work can be accomplished with these combos. While not everyone’s work is appropriate to be performed without a Windows or Mac laptop, the more I talk to folks the more of them I hear from who are able to leave the laptop behind and go the tablet/ keyboard route.

Even though I am using the tablet/ keyboard combo for more and more of my work, I still use the tablet without the keyboard at least half the time. That’s not the case with quite a few folks with whom I have discussed this; I am hearing from many that they are mostly leaving the tablet docked in the keyboard almost all of the time. This has me wondering if there is a viable market for a Android and iOS laptops?

If there is a significant enough interest for Android and iOS laptops, a few criteria would have to be met to be successful. Size is important, as a dedicated laptop shouldn’t be larger than existing two-piece combos being used today. It would make no sense to trade existing solutions for a dedicated laptop if the size and weight increased. I personally wouldn’t be interested in a laptop solution if the screen was bigger than 10 inches. The beauty of these two-piece systems are how small they are. Let’s keep the same for the laptop solution.

A laptop with iOS or Android would also have to be cheaper than the two-piece varieties. That should be feasible given there’s nothing new about the laptop form. Make these mobile laptops very thin and light, and cheaper than tablets plus external keyboards.

I used to think laptops with touch screens were a waste of money, but on an Android or iOS laptop I think they are required. Both of these OSes are optimized for touch operation, and it makes sense to take advantage of that on these little laptops.

One of the coolest features of the Transformer Prime is the second battery in the laptop dock. Together, the keyboard and tablet get about 20 hours of battery life. This could play into the dedicated laptop form, with a light second battery fitted inside that can generate over 12 hours of battery life combined with the main battery. Long battery life is a major reason these tablet/keyboard combos work so well, so do the same with the dedicated laptop form.

I am not sure that an Apple iOS laptop or an Android laptop would be widely accepted. It depends on the factors I have mentioned, plus how large the market is for those who would benefit from having a keyboard on the tablet form. Microsoft is betting a lot on Windows 8 on the ARM platform, both tablets and laptops, so perhaps the market exists. We’ll soon find out.

ARM Chief Touts Windows 8 Tablets, Questions Android's Appeal

By Damon Poeter, Via:pcmag.com.

In the process of reporting strong earnings for the fourth quarter on Tuesday, ARM CEO Warren East had some interesting things to say about Microsoft's coming Windows 8 release-namely, that it could propel more tablet sales than Google's Android mobile operating system has accomplished so far.

"Consumers are familiar with Microsoft and very familiar with Windows and they're less familiar with an Android environment," East said during an exchange with an analyst noticed by CNET. "Microsoft has an awareness advantage with consumers that the Android folks didn't have.

"It's up to Microsoft [and we'll see] how well they're going to exploit that advantage. But I think that's a fundamental difference."

East's comments add to the anticipation for Windows 8, expected to be released by Microsoft this fall and "accompanied by a tidal wave of tablets, hybrids, and convertibles," as PCMag.com lead laptop analyst Eric Grevstad put it recently.

Indeed, there's a lot for tablet fans to like about Windows 8, starting with Microsoft's recommended specs for a Windows 8 tablet. Grevstad breaks those down as "a 1,366-by-768-pixel screen with a minimum of five touch inputs; at least one USB 2.0 port; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; a three-axis accelerometer; power, rotation lock, and volume buttons; 10GB or more of free storage space when taken out of the box; and a Windows key button measuring at least 10.5mm in diameter in the center of the bottom bezel."

And it's no secret that Microsoft has been courting tablet and smartphone makers who in the last several product cycles have overwhelmingly selected ARM-based chips to run their devices over the x86-based parts made by Intel and Advanced Micro Devices.

In fact, Windows 8's release is likely to mark a pivotal moment in personal computing history as the long-running "Wintel" partnership of Microsoft and Intel takes a decidedly new turn. Not only is Microsoft tuning its next-generation operating system for non-x86 processor architectures, but Intel is concurrently optimizing its own Atom chips for Android, as it takes another shot at penetrating the mobile device market.

East did have some nice things to say about Android, of course. ARM's stellar growth, including a 45 percent increase in net income in its fourth quarter, owes a lot to the popularity of Android smartphones (Apple also uses ARM-based chips designed in-house in the iPhone and iPad).

If history is any lesson, he said, Android tablets just need "a little more time" to mature.

"Actually when Android phones were introduced, there was a lot of hype," East was quoted as saying by CNET. "And then, actually, they didn't take off in the sort of way that reflected that hype. Then a few years later-two years later-half a million units a day, 700,000 units a day. [Android phones now are] really ... a very successful product."

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Worldwide Mobile Phone Market Maintains Its Growth Trajectory in the Fourth Quarter Despite Soft Demand for Feature Phones, According to IDC

Worldwide Mobile Phone Market Maintains Its Growth Trajectory in the Fourth Quarter Despite Soft Demand for Feature Phones, According to IDC

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Feb 01, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE), VIA:marketwatch.com.

The worldwide mobile phone market grew 6.1% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2011 (4Q11), as the feature phone market declined faster than anticipated, dragging market growth down to its lowest point in over two years. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 427.4 million units in 4Q11 compared to 402.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2010. The 6.1% year-over-year growth was higher than IDC's forecast of 4.4% for the quarter, but weaker than the 9.3% growth in 3Q11.

"The mobile phone market exhibited unusually low growth last quarter, which shows it is not immune to weaker macroeconomic conditions worldwide," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. "The introduction of high-growth products such as the iPhone 4S, which shipped in the fourth quarter, bolstered smartphone growth. Yet overall market growth fell to its lowest point since 3Q09 when the global economic recession was in full bloom."

While smartphones continue to grow in popularity, feature phones still comprise the majority of all mobile phone shipments. "Feature phones accounted for a majority of shipments from four of the five market leaders during the quarter," said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "Even though their proportion is eroding, feature phones maintain their appeal on the basis of price and ease of use.

"At the same time, feature phones are fighting to maintain their market share," adds Llamas. "To meet the challenge, feature phones are becoming more like smartphones, incorporating mobile Internet and third-party applications. While this may not stem the smartphone tide, it should slow down the rate at which smartphones are selected over feature phones."

Regional Highlights

-- In Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan), the feature phone market declined in conjunction with the region's largest feature phone markets -- China, India, and Indonesia. The impact on phone demand due to the holiday season, which generally means a sales uplift, was minimal in this category. Meanwhile, smartphones maintained their growth momentum as the iPhone 4S was well received in Australia, Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan. Competition in the Android market intensified as mid-range vendors, such as Lenovo, Coolpad, and Huawei, shipped large numbers in their home market of China. Elsewhere, the rest of the Android market was dominated by Samsung, followed by HTC and LG. Windows Phone gained some momentum thanks to sales of the HTC Titan and Radar and Nokia Lumia. In Japan, pent-up demand for mobile phones after last year's natural disasters and weakened economy meant unusually high growth for the country's mobile phone market. Smartphone sellers, such as Apple, fared particularly well while non-Japanese vendors continue to make incremental gains in the market.

-- The Western European mobile phone market was impacted by lower demand, a result of the worsening economic environment. Smartphone growth was not enough to offset the feature phones decline, despite excellent performances from Apple and Samsung. Nokia experienced another difficult quarter as a result of its transition towards Windows Phones. Feature phone shipments were near historic lows, supported primarily by very low-end devices. Overall, the Central Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMA) markets showed strong double-digit growth due in large part to Samsung's continued strength in the regions. Bucking its global troubles, Nokia shipments flattened out in the regions after a strong third quarter, enabling it to remain the market leader in the regions. Apple continued to make quiet progress in the regions as well.

-- In North America, smartphones held the spotlight with the launch of the Apple iPhone 4S, while LTE smartphones from HTC, LG, Motorola, and Samsung also made important gains. Research In Motion launched several new phones running on BB OS 7 during the quarter, and signaled a late 2012 timetable for its first BlackBerry 10 smartphones to reach the market, leaving an opportunity to its competitors to attack its market share.

-- Smartphones also took center stage in Latin America with the launch of multiple models across the region, particularly sub-$200 Android models. The low price points have enabled broader appeal, and have also found placement among popular prepaid markets. Although smartphones continued to grab attention, low-cost feature phones ruled the market, with strong participation from Nokia, Samsung, and multiple Chinese vendors.

Vendor Highlights

Nokia finished the year exactly where it began: as the undisputed leader of total mobile phone shipments. The company took another step in its storied transition, having officially launched its first Windows Phone-powered Lumia smartphones and its Asha line of smartphone-like feature phones. While both have received positive response from the market, Nokia has been quick to adjust its retail experience, customer engagement, and hardware bug fixes. At the same time, the increased focus on the Lumia, combined with changing market conditions in key markets, has prompted Nokia to change its strategy on Symbian smartphones. Fewer Symbian devices will be sold in 2012. Still, Nokia's broad distribution around the world and manufacturing capabilities make it a serious contender to maintain its leadership position.

Samsung finished the quarter and the year reaching new record levels: breaking the 90 million unit mark for the first time in a single quarter and breaking the 300 million mark for the first time in a single year. Leading the charge for Samsung was its growing smartphone volumes, boosted by the release of several high-end devices (Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Nexus), mass market models (Galaxy Ace, and Galaxy Y), and new Windows Phone smartphones (Focus Flash and the Focus S). These, along with its own steadily growing feature phone volumes, pushed Samsung closer to market leader Nokia, with fewer than 20 million units separating them in 4Q11.

Apple jumped into the third spot globally from the fifth spot last quarter thanks to a record-breaking quarter of shipments. That represents the Cupertino-based company's highest-ever ranking on IDC's Top 5 global mobile phone leaderboard. The launch of Apple's iPhone 4S smartphone, which is now available in over 90 countries (as of mid-January), was the primary reason the company leapt over LG and ZTE in 4Q11. Device sales in the U.S. and Japan were particularly strong given extra sales days in the quarter and carrier distribution.

LG's total volumes declined for the third consecutive quarter, sinking to levels not seen since the second quarter of 2007. Driving this result was a combination of waning interest in its aging feature phones and stalled smartphone volumes. In addition, from a full year perspective, LG posted the largest full year-over-year decline among the leading vendors. Still, the quarter did have some bright spots, including a return to profitability and a warm reception for its Optimus LTE smartphones across multiple markets. 2012 will feature more smartphones from LG, especially LTE-powered models, but the competition has similar smartphone strategies.

Chinese vendor ZTE nearly tied with LG for fourth place, with fewer than a million units separating the two vendors. Long known as a purveyor of entry level devices, ZTE's smartphones increasingly moved into the spotlight. The company's primary targets included countries throughout Asia/Pacific, but it also gained presence in EMEA and Latin America, and branched out into North America. Key models for the quarter included its popular mass-market Blade and mid-range Skate Android smartphones, and recently the company added its first Windows Phone-powered smartphone, the Tania.

Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, Q4

2011 (Units in Millions)

Vendor 4Q11 Unit 4Q11 Market 4Q10 Unit 4Q10 Market Year-over-year

Shipments Share Shipments Share Change

Nokia 113.5 26.6% 123.7 30.7% -8.2%

Samsung 97.6 22.8% 80.7 20.0% 20.9%

Apple 37.0 8.7% 16.2 4.0% 128.4%

LG Electronics 17.7 4.1% 30.6 7.6% -42.2%

ZTE 17.1 4.0% 15.7 3.9% 8.9%

Others 144.5 33.8% 135.9 33.7% 6.3%

Total 427.4 100.0% 402.8 100.0% 6.1%

Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, February 1, 2012

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

On a full-year basis, the worldwide mobile phone market maintained its upward trajectory by growing 11.1% in 2011, which was down from the 18.7% year-over-year growth experienced in 2010. While part of the slowing growth can be attributed to softening demand for feature phones, IDC expects continued double-digit growth in the years ahead as smartphones continue to capture a greater share of the overall market.

Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share

Calendar Year 2011 (Units in Millions)

Vendor 2011 Unit 2011 Market 2010 Unit 2010 Market Year-over-year

Shipments Share Shipments Share Change

Nokia 417.1 27.0% 453.0 32.6% -7.9%

Samsung 329.4 21.3% 280.2 20.1% 17.6%

Apple 93.2 6.0% 47.5 3.4% 96.2%

LG Electronics 88.1 5.7% 116.7 8.4% -24.5%

ZTE 66.1 4.3% 50.5 3.6% 30.9%

Others 552.1 35.7% 443.6 31.9% 24.5%

Total 1,546.0 100.0% 1,391.5 100.0% 11.1%

Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, February 1, 2012

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

About IDC

IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For more than 47 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com .

All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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Will mobile campaign donations be a game-changer for politicians?

Will mobile campaign donations be a game-changer for politicians?

BY MIKE FLACY, VIA:digitaltrends.com.

While many smaller retailers have adopted Square's mobile payment technology for consumer purchases, candidates seeking presidential office in 2012 have the same idea for fundraising.

Detailed by reports from both the campaigns of President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, Square's mobile payments hardware is being rolled out to collect campaign donations. Fundraisers are being outfitted with the small, plastic credit card reader which can be used with the iPhone, 3G iPad or Android smartphone to collect money while campaigning within neighborhoods or other commercial locations. Assuming that this program is successful when collecting money for presidential candidates, more politicians in lower levels of office could also adopt the strategy of collecting thousands of micro-payments with mobile smartphones or tablets. During the 2010 campaign season, the Square application was used by New York politician Reshma Saujani as well as Silicon Valley's Josh Becker for political campaigns.

According to Obama re-election campaign spokeswoman Katie Hogan, she stated "Eventually we want to make a version of the Obama Square application available to everyone from within the App Store. Someone who is a supporter of the campaign can then download the app, get a Square attachment and can go around collecting donations." All money collected by the application would go directly to the Obama campaign and supporters wouldn't need to get the approval of the local campaign office to become a fundraiser. The Square application that's being used by campaign officials across the country does comply with Federal Election Commission's rules on mobile payment donations.

Last year, Square partnered with the Salvation Army in a similar manner to help the organization collect donations through credit cards rather than limiting collections to loose change, bills and checks. This program was rolled out in large cities such as New York City and San Francisco. It helped cut down on theft of typical collections, but Square also continued to collect its standard 2.75 percent fee on all transactions.

The same processing fee will apply to political campaign donations, but does offer the public a digital paper trail to keep track of the donation. Identical to the standard Square application, the payee will receive a receipt through SMS or email. Outlined within the Federal Election Commission's rules, the Square application has to collect specific information from the donor such as employer name, occupation, name, street address, city and zip code.

As stated by Square's brand marketing representative, "It's now easier than ever to give to campaigns of any political stripe. At a campaign, or any political event, donors will be able to give on the spot. They won't have to run home and get a check or fill out long paper forms."

Romney's campaign is also rolled out a "beta test" of the technology in Florida during today's primary with merchandise sales and fundraising. Since Romney won the Florida primary with approximately 46 percent of the vote, it's likely that Romney fundraisers are using the Square hardware to collect donations tonight from registered Republican voters.

According to Romney campaign digital director Zac Moffatt, he stated "Anything that reduces the barrier to donate is going to help us with our supporters. The challenge on this sort of thing is never with the technology, it's with the compliance. We're making sure everything we're doing follows fundraising rules and is compliant with the FEC," in regards to Square's mobile payment technology.

The Romney campaign is also looking into creating a custom mobile application, similar to Obama's campaign, that would allow anyone to collect money for the Republican candidate using the Square hardware. According to campaign officials, they are also looking into developing an iPhone specific application to collect donations through an app interface. However, Romney campaign officials are concerned about the 30 percent revenue cut that goes to Apple when a micro-transaction is conducted through an application downloaded from the iTunes App Store.

Facebook's Mobile Monthly Active Users Grew 21% Over Past Four Months

By Sarah Perez, VIA:techcrunch.com.

Earlier analyst estimates from December had pegged the monthly active users of Facebook's mobile apps at around 300 million per month. This number includes smartphone apps, like those for the Android and iPhone, but also apps that run on BlackBerry, Nokia, and feature phones. At the time, that number equated to roughly 40% of the company's overall user base.

Facebook hadn't revealed an official number for monthly active users on mobile since September, however, which was then at 350 million users for both mobile apps and mobile web combined. Today, thanks the Facebook IPO filing, we have an update to the official numbers: there are now 425 mobile monthly active users as of December 2011, out of Facebook's total 825 million users.

Facebook defines a monthly active user (MAU) as a user who accessed Facebook via a mobile app or via mobile-optimized versions of the Facebook website (e.g., m.facebook.com), whether on a mobile phone or tablet device like the iPad, during the period of measurement.

The company said that mobile usage of Facebook increased in 2011, including in major developed markets like the United States where smartphone penetration has been rapidly growing. But the mobile MAU has also been driven by other product enhancements, including Facebook's acquisition of Snaptu in April 2011 and the launch of the long-awaited Facebook iPad app in October.

However, despite the large numbers of mobile users for the social network, Facebook doesn't currently display ads through either its mobile apps or websites. That's a large, untapped market for Facebook's advertising efforts, since, in many cases, users only engage with Facebook via mobile – not on the desktop-sized web. Not surprisingly, Facebook didn't assign a number to its "mobile only" demographic. When it comes to how many Facebook users only interact with the social network via apps or the mobile website, it's still going to be anybody's guess.

Facebook also notes that its revenue may be negatively affected by the fact that it doesn't currently monetize its mobile user base via ads. This will continue "unless and until" it rolls out either ads or sponsored stories (promoted stories from advertisers) to mobile devices. The global mobile advertising market was $1.5 billion in 2010 and is expected to grow at a 64% compound annual rate to $17.6 billion in 2015, Facebook notes in the filing. With that number in mind, Facebook says it believes in its potential future monetization opportunities. (No kidding).

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Health Discovery Corporation Launches Android Version of Popular MelApp, Melanoma Risk Analysis Mobile Phone App

Health Discovery Corporation Launches Android Version of Popular MelApp, Melanoma Risk Analysis Mobile Phone App

MelApp Named One of the Top Ten Apps that can Save Your Life in Parade Magazine

SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb 01, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE), Via:marketwatch.com.

Health Discovery Corporation, the molecular diagnostics company that launched MelApp, the first SVM-based image analysis iPhone app for melanoma risk assessment, today debuts its popular MelApp mobile app for Android(TM) devices. Now, health-conscious consumers can easily learn about melanoma and identify areas on their skin which may need attention from a specialist, anytime, anywhere with their iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, as well as Android smartphone.

First launched this summer for iPhone, MelApp uses highly sophisticated patent protected mathematical algorithms and image based pattern recognition technology to analyze an uploaded image. The app was validated using an image database licensed from Johns Hopkins University Medical Center and uses a device's camera feature to deliver a risk analysis of user's photographed skin lesions within seconds. In addition, MelApp can use the smartphone's GPS to refer users to physicians specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma for proper medical diagnosis and treatment.

"Being currently used in nearly 50 countries, and having been named one of the 'Top 10 Apps That Could Save Your Life' in a recent issue of Parade Magazine, MelApp has become a worldwide success," stated Stephen D. Barnhill, M.D. Chairman and CEO of Health Discovery Corporation. "With the launch of MelApp for Android our goal was to extend the availability of this easy to use, inexpensive and potentially life-saving app to the more than 46 percent of the smart phone market that use Android devices, according to Nielsen."

Now available for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, as well as for Android, MelApp is available for download at a special limited time price of $1.99 at the following app marketplaces:

-- iTunes App Store - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/melapp/id446669257?mt=8&ls=1

-- Android Marketplace - https://market.android.com/search?q=MelApp&c=apps

This version of MelApp for Android has been optimized for the Droid X. For support and technical inquiries. Physicians who diagnose and treat melanoma can become a subscribing member of HDC's physician referral network.

About MelApp & Health Discovery Corporation

MelApp uses highly sophisticated patent protected mathematical algorithms and image based pattern recognition technology to analyze the uploaded image. MelApp was validated using an image database licensed from Johns Hopkins University Medical Center and uses a device's camera feature to deliver a risk analysis of user's photographed skin lesions within seconds. The app can use the iPhone GPS to refer users to physicians specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma for proper medical follow-up. MelApp by Health Discovery Corporation is available at a special limited time introductory price of $1.99. For more complete details.

Health Discovery Corporation is a molecular diagnostics company that uses advanced mathematical techniques to analyze large amounts of data to uncover patterns that might otherwise be undetectable. It operates primarily in the emerging field of personalized medicine where such tools are critical to scientific discovery. Its primary business consists of licensing its intellectual property and developing its own product line of biomarker-based diagnostic tests that include human genes and genetic variations, as well as gene, protein, and metabolic expression differences and image analysis in digital pathology and radiology.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which is necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, statements regarding future performance, opportunities and investments, and anticipated results in general. From time to time the Company may make other forward-looking statements in relation to other matters, including without limitation, commercialization plans and strategic partnerships. Actual results may differ materially due to a variety of factors, including, among other things, the acceptance of our approach to applying mathematics, computer science and physics into the disciplines of biology, organic chemistry and medicine and our products and technologies associated with those approaches, the ability to develop and commercialize new drugs, therapies or other products based on our approaches, and other factors set forth from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

All forward-looking statements and cautionary statements included in this document are made as of the date hereof based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or cautionary statement.

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