Motorola and Lenovo to use Intel chips in smartphones

Motorola Mobility and Lenovo said they will use Intel processors in smartphones and other devices, giving the chipmaker its first entry into a market it has long coveted.

Intel Corp. has struggled to bring down the power consumption of its chips so that they can be used in phones without draining the battery in a matter of hours. Meanwhile, phone-style chips from other manufacturers are starting to encroach on Intel's PC chips, by becoming the chips of choice for tablet computers.

Lenovo Group Ltd. will be first out the gate, with a smartphone called K800 for the Chinese carrier Unicom in the second quarter, according to Liu Jun, a senior vice president at the company. The phone will have a 4.5-inch touch screen, will use Google Android software for smartphones and tablets and will be able to stream video to TV sets equipped with Intel's Wireless Display technology.

Jun spoke as the guest of Intel CEO Paul Otellini, who was making a keynote speech at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. He was joined on stage by Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. CEO Sanjay Jha, who said he will have Intel-powered phones in testing this summer and ready for consumer hands a few months later.

Jha didn't provide any details about the Intel-powered devices, except to say that they would use Android. Motorola Mobility is set to be acquired by Google.

Intel said the phones will be able to run most applications straight from Google's Android Market. Usually, switching to another processor family means applications won't run, but Intel said it has a way around that obstacle.

Otellini demonstrated an Intel-made prototype phone, running Android, that he said could get eight hours of talk time and six hours of movie playback from its battery, comparable to smartphones with standard processors. At the same time, Otellini said, the greater processing capability of Intel's Atom chip means the phones can run more programs at the same time.

Microsoft Corp. dealt Intel a blow last year by announcing that it would release its new operating system, Windows 8, in one version for Intel-style chips and other for phone-style chips that are based on designs from Britain's ARM Holdings PLC. Windows has run exclusively on Intel-type chips since the mid-90s.

AT&T to sell Nokia Lumia 900

AT&T has said it will sell a Nokia smartphone running Microsoft's Windows Phone software. The device represents Nokia and Microsoft's best chance yet to break Apple and Google's hold on the U.S. smartphone market, the world's most lucrative.

Nokia Corp. CEO Stephen Elop joined Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer in unveiling the phone at a press event in Las Vegas ahead of the International Consumer Electronics Show. The presence of both CEOs was a sign of the importance the companies place on the device.

The phone, the Lumia 900, will use AT&T Inc.'s new "LTE" wireless data network, for faster downloads. It's a slab-like touch-screen phone in the vein Apple Inc.'s iPhone. The companies said it will be available "in coming months." However, they didn't reveal the price.

Finland based company, Nokia, is betting that it can reverse its sinking fortunes by switching to Microsoft's new phone software, and Microsoft is paying it billions to do so.

For Microsoft, the partnership with Nokia is a chance to break into smartphones, which are dominated by Apple and Google Inc., through its Android software. Other phone makers have also put out Windows phones, but sales have been slow.

T-Mobile USA has said it will sell a more modest Lumia model starting Jan. 11. It's the fourth-largest U.S. carrier. AT&T is the second-largest, after Verizon Wireless.

Apple CEO Tim Cook received stock award worth $376 million

Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook received a one-time stock award worth nearly $400 million, the largest given by a company in a decade.

The company's board granted Cook 1 million restricted stock units (RSUs) to signal its confidence in Cook after Steve Jobs turned over the helm of the iPhone and iPad maker to his long-time lieutenant in August.

The stock award, half of which vests in 2016 and the remaining half in 2021, was worth more than $376 million, based on the closing price of Apple's shares on August 24, 2011.

"As far as a singular award, we haven't seen anything this large in a long time," said Aaron Boyd, head of research at Equilar, an executive compensation data firm.

The only one-time stock award in recent memory that was worth more, said Boyd, was the January 2000 stock option package that Apple gave co-founder Steve Jobs. The 40 million options in that award were valued at more than $600 million at the time, Boyd said.

Jobs, who was ousted from Apple in the mid-1980s, returned to the company in 1997 and went on to transform Apple into the world's most valuable technology company with a string of hit products including the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad.

Jobs, who died in October after a years-long battle with cancer, owned 5.5 million shares of Apple.

Jobs received $1 a year in salary during the past three years, according to the filing, while Cook received a salary of about $900,000 in 2011.

Apple said Cook's award was a retention and promotion tool, as well as recognition for running the company during Jobs' previous medical leaves of absence.

"The Board views his retention as CEO as critical to the Company's success and smooth leadership transition. The RSU award is intended as a long-term retention incentive," Apple said in its statement.

Motorola launches Motoluxe and Defy Mini Android phones

Motorola has expanded its range of Android smartphones with the launch of two new devices, the Motoluxe and the Defy Mini. While neither astound in terms of specification, they’re solid entries into Motorola’s mid-level line-up.

The Motoluxe is the more advanced of the two, and sports a 4-inch touchscreen with a 480 x 854 pixel resolution, with an 800Mhz processor and 512MB RAM inside. Other features include Bluetooth 3.0, GPS and DLNA support, while Google Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread is the OS of choice.

An 8-megapixel camera sits on the rear of the 123-gram chassis, and video-calls can be made using the forward-facing VGA lens too. Motorola says a light-up lanyard slot, which alerts users to incoming messages or missed calls, sets the Motoluxe apart from its rivals.

The Defy Mini follows on from the Defy and the Defy+, and is once more a device for those who need a phone that can withstand a little punishment. The 3.2-inch touchscreen is covered in scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, while the chassis is dust-proof and water-resistant.

It’s not as feature rich as the Motoluxe though, with only a 600Mhz processor, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS and a 3 megapixel camera. The battery is rated at 1650mAh, which should return ten hours talktime and more than 500 hours standby. Like the Motoluxe, the operating system is Android Gingerbread.

Both the Motoluxe and Defy Mini have been made available in China already, under the names XT615 and XT320 respectively, but will be coming to the UK, Europe and Latin America in February.

Acer unveils world's thinnest laptop Aspire S5

Acer has unveiled the world's thinnest laptop computer as an array of "ultrabook" rivals prepared to debut this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The Taiwan-based computer titan will begin shipping Acer Aspire 5 models in the second quarter of this year, with prices to be disclosed in coming weeks.

According to analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies, "That S5 is quite significant. It looks like the thinnest and lightest, and it sets the bar for the rest of the ultrabook vendors".

The Aspire S5 has a 34-cm (13.3-inch) screen and is 15 mm at its thickest point. The ultrabook weighs slightly less than 1.35 kg (three pounds).

"We are committed to evolving this technology," said Acer chief executive J.T. Wang. "By the second quarter of this year we will have four models of ultrabook and more to come."

Ultrabooks powered by Windows 8 will be released by Acer after Microsoft releases the new version of its computer operating system later this year.

Mr. Wang estimated that ultrabooks would make up at least 35 percent of the Acer product line by the end of this year.

Since Aspire S5 is Windows based it is not likely to be a direct challenge to MacBook Air laptops, which have been winning converts to the sleek machines powered by Apple software.

"The real battle is not with Apple, it is with all the other vendors coming out with Windows ultrabooks," Bajarin said.

"Apple will still do great with MacBook Air, but in the Windows world it is great news that five years after Apple set the tone the industry is finally getting something equal," he continued.

Acer also announced plans to launch a free service that will let users of its computers store video, photos, music, and documents in the Internet "cloud" and access files from any Windows 8 or Android software powered gadgets.

"We believe Microsoft will take care of Windows devices; Google will take care of Android devices, and Acer will take care of in between," Wang said.

"We will make Windows work very well with Android and other platforms too."

Bajarin described Aspire S5 as the first viable Windows equivalent of popular MacBook Air laptops built by California-based Apple.

Brand new CEO for Yahoo

Yahoo has finally found a new chief executive to replace Carol Bartz and he is Scott Thompson, who till recently was the president of the PayPal division of eBay.

With the deterioration of Yahoo’s core business – user engagement declining, stagnant email product, lack of substantive mobile strategy – turnaround needs to happen at many levels, including product development, infrastructure improvement, talent retention, and brand building, among others, to return the company to a positive growth trajectory. Revenue has declined for the last 12 quarters and with competition continually innovating in these areas, execution of new strategic initiatives and product improvement could be challenging.

Thompson has a track record of proven success with PayPal emerging as a leader in online payments. The company has over 100mm people that have connected PayPal to their credit card and/or bank accounts, a meaningful technology lead, the trust that’s been built around the brand, and over $3.5 bn in mobile transactions already on the platform. It’s worth noting however, that previous CEO Carol Bartz was viewed as a strong restructuring hire who was overwhelmed by this challenge and the conflicting goals of Yahoo’s board and its shareholders.

Scott Thompson has a record of deep industry experience, having most recently served as President of PayPal with overall responsibility for establishing that company as the leading global online payment service. He previously served as PayPal’s Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. Prior to PayPal, Mr. Thompson was Executive Vice President of technology solutions at Inovant, a subsidiary of Visa formed to oversee global technology for the organization. Thompson was also Chief Information Officer of Barclays Global Investors, where he implemented a new strategic technology platform and global infrastructure. In addition, he worked with Coopers and Lybrand, delivering information technology solutions to leading financial services clients.

From those who know him, he is said to have solid leadership skills and tends to focus on technology - both things Yahoo needs badly.

LG to unveil Google TV next week

LG Electronics Inc said it would unveil its first Google TV next week, joining Sony Corp and Samsung Electronics Co in partnering with the search giant to get a foothold in the emerging Internet TV market.

Google hopes to replicate the success of its Android mobile software in the TV market, but its attempt to conquer the living room has seen limited success so far due to a lack of web content and support from hardware manufacturers.

Google TV allows consumers to access online videos and websites on their TVs, as well as specialized apps such as video games. Currently it comes built-in on certain Sony television models and Samsung is also working with the U.S. firm to launch Google TVs.

LG said it would introduce its first Google TV next week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Google said that chipmaker Marvell Technology Group, chip designer MediaTek and TV manufacturer Vizio were also new partners for its Google TV service.

Grappling with slowing demand and cutthroat competition, TV manufacturers hope forays into the Internet TV market will help cushion squeezed margins.

Acer Iconia Tab A200 debuts at $329

Computer maker Acer is upping its Android tablet game, announcing its new Acer Iconia A200 Android tablet. The Iconia A200 builds on the 7-inch Iconia A100, jumping out to a 10.1-inch 1280 by 800-pixel touchscreen display and keeping the 1 GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra processor and 1 GB of memory. While the Iconia A200 will launch this month with Android 3.2 Honeycomb, Acer says it’ll be upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich next month.

“The Acer Iconia Tab family of tablets is an excellent example of Acer’s ability to deliver high-performance, full-function mobile devices at unbeatable values,” said Acer America senior product manager Eric Ackerson. “Acer brings the Iconia Tab A200 to consumers at an affordable price, without making sacrifices on key tablet features such as expansion, connectivity to other devices, HD displays and cameras.”

The Iconia A200 comes with either 8 or 16 GB of onboard flash storage and a microSD slot that can handle up to 32 GB more. The table features a 2 megapixel front-facing camera for video chat, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi for connecting to the Internet or media servers around the house via Acer’a DLNA-compliant clear.fi technology, and Acer says the tablet sports both a full-size and microUSB port for connecting with other devices. Although Acer is keep to position the A200 as a gaming and entertainment tablet- supporting 1080p HD video, HD gaming, and of course Adobe Flash-based games that doesn’t mean it fizzles out after a bit of use. Acer says the A200 can run for up to eight hours on a single battery charge.

Acer has also bundled its own software into the A200, including the Acer Ring interface (enabling quick access to items using a double circle located on the system bar), along with Acer’s SocialJogger that combines Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking services into a single portal. Acer’s also pre-loaded Amazon’s Kindle app for ereading fans.

The Acer Iconia Tab will be available in 8 GB and 16 GB configurations starting January 15, with the 8 GB edition starting at $329.00 and the 16 GB version carrying a $349.99 suggested price. Acer says Android 4.0 Cream Sandwich will be available for the tablet in mid-February.

BlackBerry Milan and Colt canceled

RIM may be trying to get us all excited about BlackBerry OS 10, but when reports appear that the company is canceling smartphones set to run it, it doesn’t exactly fill us with confidence regarding an expedited arrival.

According to BGR.com, “not only has the Colt been canned, but the Milan has too”.

The Colt was all set to be the first phone to use the next generation of BlackBerry software, OS 10, and actually initially appeared when that software was still expected to be named after the QNX platform found on the PlayBook. With a single-core 1Ghz processor rumored, and presumably yet another Curve/Bold lookalike design, it never sounded the most inspirational phone on which to launch a new platform.

The Milan, on the other hand, has been revealed as a BlackBerry OS 7 phone rather than one waiting for BlackBerry OS 10. Apparently, it was too close in design to the existing BlackBerry Torch.

The cull leaves the London as the only phone we currently have any knowledge of that’s set to run BlackBerry OS 10. Revealed in November, the London shares some design similarities with the Porsche Design BlackBerry P’9981, but shuns the QWERTY in favor of a full touchscreen. Rumored specs include a dual-core 1Ghz processor, an 8-megapixel camera and a screen measuring 4-inches.

BlackBerry OS 10 is set to make an appearance at Mobile World Congress at the end of February.

Samsung announces Galaxy Ace Plus

Not content with enraging Apple with their alleged iPhone 4-alike designs, Samsung has now taken a shine to the previous model. We’re talking about the distinct design similarity between Samsung’s new Galaxy Ace Plus and the Apple iPhone 3G/3GS.

Yes, the camera lens may be in a different spot, but the front and side views along with that grey surround make it uncannily reminiscent of the previous iPhone.

The original Galaxy Ace has been a big seller, thanks to a very reasonable price and the Android operating system. The new Galaxy Ace Plus improves in some areas, but decides to play it safe in others.

Samsung has ever-so slightly increased the screen size, from 3.5-inches to 3.65-inches, but has left the resolution the same at 320 x 480. Next is a slight boost in power, with the Ace Plus using a 1Ghz processor instead of the old 800Mhz chip.

Like its predecessor, it uses a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash and Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but adds Bluetooth 3.0 and Samsung’s range of apps and services, such as the ChatON service.

Initially, the Ace Plus will launch in Russia later this month. Later on, it will spread to the rest of the world including Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Scott Thompson: new CEO of Yahoo

Yahoo's previous turnaround attempts have flopped under three different leaders with dramatically different backgrounds - former movie mogul Terry Semel, beloved Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang and profanity-spewing Silicon Valley veteran Carol Bartz.

Now, the struggling Internet company is making yet another unorthodox choice with announcement that it has lured Scott Thompson away from a lower-profile job running eBay's thriving PayPal service to step into the pressure-packed position as Yahoo's fourth CEO in less than five years.

The appointment raised questions among analysts, since Thompson, 54, has no experience in online content and advertising, Yahoo's chief sources of revenue. The timing of Thompson's hiring also came as a surprise, given that Yahoo's board has been considering a sale of all or part of the company since firing Bartz four months ago.

With Thompson's selection, Yahoo's board is signaling that it believes the company can still rebound, despite several years of losing ground to Google and Facebook in product innovation and online advertising.

Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock dismissed recent speculation that Yahoo might team up with buyout firms to take the company private.

Thompson's job will be to revive Yahoo's revenue growth and repair the company's fractured relationship with investors fed up with a litany of broken turnaround promises.

Yahoo was attracted by Thompson's impressive track record at PayPal, where he was chief technology officer for three years before becoming the online payment service's top executive in 2008. PayPal's annual revenue more than doubled from $1.9 billion when Thompson took over the division to an estimated $4.4 billion last year.

Thompson also will have to lift Yahoo's employee morale, which has deteriorated along with the company's fortunes.

His departure from PayPal threatens to hurt eBay Inc., where the payments service has emerged as the fastest-growing part of a company best known for running online auctions.
Thompson received a compensation package valued at $10.4 million, including a $645,000 salary, from eBay in 2010, according to regulatory documents. Yahoo did not disclose how much it offered to lure him away.

Yahoo awarded Bartz a compensation package valued at $47.2 million during her first year on the job in 2009. The pay, which included a $1 million salary, consisted most of stock incentives that didn't become as valuable as Yahoo projected because the company's stock remained in a funk during Bartz's tenure.

Latest Apple iPhones to hit China on January 13

Apple has announced that the latest version of its hot-selling iPhones will be released in China and 21 other countries on January 13.

"Customer response for our products in China has been off the charts," said Apple chief executive Tim Cook.

"With the launch in China next week, iPhone 4S will be available in over 90 countries making this our fastest iPhone rollout ever," he continued.

The new generational iPhone made its international debut in October of last year, shortly after the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

While not officially available in mainland China, 4S models popped up in shops there only to be bought quickly despite high premiums being tacked onto prices.

Apple prices for iPhone 4S handsets ranged from $199 to $399 depending on memory capacity.
Popular iPhone 4S features include high-definition video cameras and a quick-witted artificial intelligence "personal assistant" named Siri.

California-based Apple sold more than four million new iPhone 4S models in their first three days on the market.