Android Tablets Gain on Apple IPad in Fourth Quarter

Google Inc.’s Android software boosted its share of tablet computers almost 10-fold in the fourth quarter, narrowing the lead of Apple Inc.’s iPad, market researcher Strategy Analytics said.

Android devices captured 22 percent of global tablet shipments in the three months to Dec. 31, up from 2.3 percent in the preceding quarter, the Boston-based researcher said in a statement today. The iPad accounted for 75 percent of shipments in the period, down from about 95 percent, it said.

Via:

Bloomberg - Android Tablets Gain on Apple IPad in Fourth Quarter

Is Nokia About To Embrace Android?

Nokia's earnings report for the December quarter contained more bad news -- profits down 21% from last year, market share down to 31% from 35% last year -- but new CEO Stephen Elop says the company is finally taking serious action.

"Nokia must compete on an ecosystem-to-ecosystem basis. In addition to great devices, we must build, catalyze, and/or join a competitive ecosystem."

So,BI asks... Is Nokia About To Embrace Android?

Link me to Davos 2011

Selected articles to link you to the World Economic Forum, Davos 2011

• Five myths about Davos
  
• Davos Man needs his image polishing
  
• A Hot Topic for Davos: China’s Big Challenges
  
• The biggest challenges facing the world in 2011 are not the most obvious
  
• World leaders struggle to rebuild trus
• What’s the price tag to be a Davos Man?
  
• Davos: A social media guide
  
• Official Twitter list of tweeps attending WEF2011

Ivory Coast's president-elect Alassane Ouattara imposes cocoa export ban - Telegraph

The price of cocoa is expected to spike on Monday after the Ivory Coast's president-elect, Alassane Ouattara, imposed a one-month ban on cocoa exports in an effort to oust his rival.
(...)

Ivory Coast is the world's largest producer of cocoa beans and accounts for approximately one third of global production.

The price of cocoa had already hit a five-month high last week – at $2, 150 (£1,340) per tonne in London – over concerns about political unrest following the disputed election.

Telegraph, pr

Social shopping Comparison Analysis Kaboodle vs ThisNext

View more presentations from Vanina Delobelle.

Google Names Co-Founder Larry Page New CEO

Google will have a new CEO:

Larry Page will replace Eric Schmidt in an unexpected move as Google announced far better than expected profits.


The company said Page would take over from 4 April when Eric Schmidt will become executive chairman "focusing externally on deals, partnerships, customers and broader business relationships".


Schmidt posted the moves some minutes ago, at Google's official blog:

Larry will now lead product development and technology strategy, his greatest strengths, and starting from April 4 he will take charge of our day-to-day operations as Google’s Chief Executive Officer. In this new role I know he will merge Google’s technology and business vision brilliantly. I am enormously proud of my last decade as CEO, and I am certain that the next 10 years under Larry will be even better! Larry, in my clear opinion, is ready to lead.

Sergey has decided to devote his time and energy to strategic projects, in particular working on new products. His title will be Co-Founder. He’s an innovator and entrepreneur to the core, and this role suits him perfectly.

As Executive Chairman, I will focus wherever I can add the greatest value: externally, on the deals, partnerships, customers and broader business relationships, government outreach and technology thought leadership that are increasingly important given Google’s global reach; and internally as an advisor to Larry and Sergey.

"Day-to-day adult supervision no longer needed!", Eric Schmidt twitted

Iberdrola compra distribuidora Elektro por US$ 2,4 bilhões

A empresa de energia espanhola Iberdrola anunciou nesta quarta-feira a compra de 99,7% da distribuidora brasileira de energia Elektro por 1,78 bilhão de euros (US$ 2,4 bilhões).

A Elektro era controlada pela norte-americana AEI (Ashmore Energy International) e atende a 223 municípios paulistas e cinco do Mato Grosso do Sul, totalizando 2,1 milhões de clientes. Segundo a própria companhia, a área corresponde a 11,5% da energia elétrica distribuída no Estado de São Paulo.

Vi@  Folha.com

Eleven Digital Trends to Watch in 2011

View more presentations from Edelman Digital.

Apple’s Insane Q1 ’11: $26.7 Billion Revenue, $6 Billion Profit; 7.33 Million iPads, 16.24 Million iPhones

Apple's figures.... figures? Figures!!

• We sold more Macs, iPhones, and iPads than any quarter Apple’s history.
• Record earnings and profits.
• Net income 6 billion, new record by $1.7 billion
• 4.13 million Macs. 23% growth over the year-ago. 8 times PC growth in the market.
• Mac App Store - open Jan 6 – available in 90 countries. More than 1,000 free and paid apps. Very pleased with customer response. 1 million downloads in one day
• 19 million iPods (21 million a year ago). iPod touch grew 27% year over year.
• $1.1 billion revenue for iTunes Store. Beatles are here.
• 16.2 million iPhones. 86% year over year growth. (70% growth from global smartphones overall)
• $10.47 billion from sales of iPhone and accessories.
• 185 carriers in 90 countries
• 3.5 million iPhones in channel inventory
• iPad sold 7.3 million units.
• In 46 countries now
• Revenue: $4.61 billion. $4.4 billion for iPads alone.
• 160 million cumulative iOS device sold
• Apple Retail Store — revenue $3.85 billion (almost doubled year over year)
• Four stores in China both highest traffic and revenue
• 323 stores worldwide now — 87 outside the U.S.
• $12 million — average revenue per store.
• 75.7 million customers in the store last quarter
• 38.5% gross margin (ahead of guidance)
• Cash: $59.7 billion (up 8.7% versus last quarter)

Apple’s Insane Q1 ’11: $26.7 Billion Revenue, $6 Billion Profit; 7.33 Million iPads, 16.24 Million iPhones

Facebook Drives US Social Network Ad Spending Past $3 Billion in 2011

Facebook will be the primary driver for a huge growth in Social Network ad spending, according to eMarketer:

US marketers will spend $3.08 billion to advertise on social networking sites this year, eMarketer predicts. Spending will be up 55% over the $1.99 billion advertisers devoted to social networks in 2010 and will rise by a further 27.7% next year to reach nearly $4 billion.

This year’s dramatic growth in spending will bring social media ad dollars to 10.8% of the total spent online in the US. Worldwide, where social network ad spending will rise 71.6% to $5.97 billion, that proportion will be somewhat lower, at 8.7%.

...

eMarketer predicts ad spending on the world’s top social network will reach $2.19 billion in the US this year and just over $4 billion worldwide—both more than double last year’s figure.

More data: 

Facebook Drives US Social Network Ad Spending Past $3 Billion in 2011 - eMarketer

Inflation has arrived in China

In China, consumer prices were 5.1 percent higher in November than a year earlier, according to official government data. And many economists say the official figures actually understate the rate of inflation, which might in reality be twice as high.

(...)

Higher global commodity prices, as well as rising wages in China, play roles in the increasing cost of Chinese goods. But economists say the main reason for the inflation now is China’s foreign exchange reserves, which surged by a record amount in the fourth quarter.

(...)

Inflation in China is not just the result of China’s currency market intervention, although (several) economists describe it as the biggest single cause. Another cause is aggressive lending by Chinese banks, despite repeated demands by regulators to slow things down.

Chinese Inflation Rises, Threatening Higher Consumer Prices - NYTimes.com

Why Are Taxpayers Subsidizing Facebook, and the Next Bubble?

Goldman Sachs is investing $450 million of its own money in Facebook, at a valuation that implies the social-networking company is now worth $50 billion. Goldman is also creating a fund that will offer its high-net-worth clients an opportunity to invest in Facebook.

(...)

Social-networking companies should be able to attract risk capital and compete intensely. They do not need subsidies in the form of cheaper financing, or in any other form.

Social networking is a bubble in the sense that e-mail was a bubble. The technology will without doubt change forever how we communicate with each other, and this may have profound effects on the nature of our society. But investors will get carried away, valuations will become too high and some people will lose a lot of money.

ECONOMIX BLOG, @ NYTimes.com

Toshiba launches tablet to challenge iPad

Toshiba Corp is making its foray into the tablet war, offering a 10-inch device it says will be comparable in price to Apple's iPad.

The Toshiba Tablet, which will be available in the first half of 2011 and run Google's forthcoming Honeycomb version of the Android operating system, is targeted at consumers.

Like other touchscreen tablets, it plays high-definition videos and is designed for Web browsing, games and electronic books.

Read more at reuters.com

Posted via email from Zoid's reading the Wide Web

10 million Samsung Galaxy S sold

Samsung has officially confirmed that they’ve sold more than 10 million units of Galaxy S. The phone was launched in June last year and it has taken just 7 months to reach this milestone.

Samsung managed to sell about 1.4m devices per month or about 40,000 units per day.

Samsung Hub