LG steps back from Windows Phone, blames the OS for poor sales

After suffering through  half a year of net losses, LG finally managed to scrape together some encouraging financial news last quarter. Thanks to strong sales of their LTE smartphones, the company returned to profitability. Despite this success, LG is tempering expectations for the future, saying that they don’t expect rapid growth when it comes to smartphone sales.

There are several contributing factors at work. The smartphone market is extremely competitive, and LG is finding it tough against competitors like Samsung and HTC when it comes to Android and Windows Phone. Beyond that, LG’s placing some of the blame for their struggles on Microsoft’s mobile OS.

An LG spokesman told the Korea Herald that “the total unit of Windows Phone sold in the global market is not a meaningful figure,” and that the company would focus instead on Android. That’s not an entirely new revelation. At MWC 2012, LG said that their Windows Phone device sales were “slower than hoped for.”

To be fair, LG shoulders plenty of blame for that. The company only built two Windows Phone devices — the LG Quantum and the E906 Jil Sander Mobile — and they did very little to promote either one. Neither was particularly interesting, save for the slide-out QWERTY keyboard on the Quantum. In fact, despite being released nearly a year after the Quantum, the E906 sported nearly identical specs. It did at least drop the keyboard for a shiny, blue back plate, but that’s not exactly a move that will get consumers buzzing about your Windows Phones.

As many as three LG Windows Phone prototypes have been spotted in the wild in recent months, though none looked particularly interesting. Two were saddled with 1GHz processors and all three sported 5MP cameras. Granted, megapixels aren’t everything, but surely LG couldn’t have expected to have consumers ooing and ahhing over last-generation specs when devices like the Lumia 900 HTC and HTC Titan II are available.

When you point one finger at someone, three point back. So when LG says they’re going to continue research and development efforts around Windows Phone, let’s hope that their come-back attempt is something that has a bit more sizzle than what we’ve seen in the past. And not just more sizzle than their new LG Cloud service.

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Skitch releases Windows 8 Metro app

There’s no Skitch app for Windows Phone yet, though you might think there would be. Evernote has been available in the Marketplace for quite some time, after all. But here’s some good news for those of you who have been waiting patiently for the popular annotation app to arrive: the fact that there’s now a Skitch Windows 8 Metro app is a good indication that one is on the way to Windows Phone in the near future.

Those of you running the Windows 8 Consumer Preview can zip over to the Store and download Skitch right now. It’s designed in accordance with Microsoft’s Metro app guidance, with a toolbar along the bottom providing access to the core Skitch functions. To kick things off, you can open an existing picture on your computer, work from scratch on a blank canvas, or capture an image from your camera. At the far right of the bar is the familiar Evernote elephant icon. Click it, enter your credentials, and you’ll be able to save your creations directly to your Evernote cloud storage. Opening files from Evernote isn’t yet supported, though if you’ve got the app installed you can open your local copies in Skitch and changes will be uploaded automatically.

The usual Skitch tools are supplied: shapes (line, rectangle, rounded rectangle, and circle), text, marker, and the all-important arrow. Eight colors and four line widths are available, and elements can be modified and moved after they’re placed on the canvas.

The Skitch Metro app for Windows 8 performs quite well, is very stable, and a very handy tool to add to your Start Screen. Now that’s they’ve got a version for larger Metro displays that’s pretty polished, it shouldn’t be long before a scaled-down Skitch for Windows Phone arrives.

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Prindiville Imagines Tuning the One-Off Lamborghini Aventador J Speedster

We would like to believe that the last thing going through the mind of the person who has or will acquire the one-off, €2.1 million Aventador J are 24 inch rims and carbon fiber spoilers, but for the sake of conversation and some crafty marketing to reach the masses, UK design house Prindiville has released a theoretical tune for Sant'Agata's speedster.

Prindiville's imaginary (i.e. photoshop) creation builds on the limited production design and performance package it offers for the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 coupé, of which only eight examples will be produced.

The UK tuner says it would start by replacing many original panels with new and lighter parts made from carbon fiber and finish the exterior in a silver shade (or any other color for that matter).

The tuner would then move on to the engine bay to add a twin titanium or stainless steel exhaust system along with some electronic tweaking to boost the 6.5-liter V12's output from 700- to 805-horses.

Prindiville says that the 805hp Aventador J could complete the 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in around 2.5 seconds, and top out at 220 mph (350 km/h).

Other performance upgrades would include the uprated braking system with ceramic discs and adjustable suspension.

As for the interior, Prindiville would dress the cabin in black leather and alcantara and add a five-inch LCD TV screen for the new infotainment system with a DVD player, satellite navigation, and bespoke software featuring maps, setups, and telemetry.

Commenting on the Prindiville Lamborghini Aventador J concept, company founder Alex

Prindiville, said:

“Although this model was created as a one off-example, the design which we have created showcases the beauty and technology which we are able to offer clients across ourcustom-built supercar model range including the Aventador. The new supersports car is undisputedly one of the most exciting and extreme high performance cars ever built by Lamborghini, and we will be keeping our eyes firmly peeled on the forthcoming product line-up from Sant'Agata Bolognese.”

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Augmented Reality and Location Services Drive Growth in MEMS

The growth of new mobile technologies such as augmented reality and location-based services is driving adoption of sensor devices that can detect environmental conditions such as speed, temperature and direction.

By 2016, there is expected to be around 4 billion MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) sensor devices in circulation, according to Juniper Research. The majority of these will be motion detectors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and compasses, which are increasingly being built into smartphones for use alongside new mobile applications.

Juniper said that, from a mobile device standpoint, Apple is primarily responsible for spurring demand for MEMS, which allow iPhones and iPads to detect the tilt of a device and orient the screen accordingly. However, other smartphone manufacturers are now building similar sensors into their devices, and games consoles such as Nintendo Wii are also driving adoption.

Juniper predicts that annual revenues generated by MEMS devices built into mobile phones - including sensors, audio, displays and radio frequency components - will exceed $6.3 billion by 2016. However, unit prices for MEMS devices will continue to fall rapidly, meaning that vendors will need to have guaranteed volumes in order to commit to cost and price reductions.

"MEMS sensors, especially accelerometers and gyroscopes have experienced a dramatic reduction in price over the past few years," said Juniper Research analyst Nitin Bhas, who wrote the report. "Increasingly vendors need to create or add value to their products by incorporating more functions into a single MEMS device, thereby further reducing size, complexity, and cost".

MEMS devices were a prominent feature of the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, not only in smartphones and tablets but also printers, pico-projectors, digital cameras, microphones and hundreds of other products.

While accelerometers and compasses are now commonplace, the next big thing will be barometers, according to Frank Melzer, CEO of Bosch Sensortec. Barometers can detect tiny fluctuations in air pressure, enabling them to calculate relative changes in altitude, such as when a person climbs a flight of stairs.

This means that smartphones will be able to detect what floor of a building the user is on, allowing them to navigate using interior maps of museums and shopping malls, said Melzer. MEMS barometers also help positioning technologies such as GPS to work indoors.

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Barnes & Noble chops e-reader prices for Mother's Day

For a limited time, the Nook Simple Touch is available for $79 while the Nook Color drops to $149.

A day after getting a $300 investment from Microsoft, Barnes & Noble is on the offensive again, chopping $20 off its Nook Simple Touch e-ink e-reader and the Nook Color tablet for Mother's Day.

You can now pick up the Nook Simple Touch for $79 and the Nook Color for $149. The sale runs until May 12 and Barnes & Noble will also throw in a free Nook gift bag with purchases of those devices (while supplies last). The bag doesn't look all that exciting, but hey, it's better than a plastic bag.

It should be noted that the Nook Simple Touch didn't sell as well as Barnes & Noble had hoped during last year's holiday season and the company recently started shipping the hot-selling $139 Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, which earned a CNET Editors' Choice and is back-ordered until May 7. The Nook Color is also an older model that came out in 2010 and doesn't have the faster processor of the $199 Nook Tablet.

Barnes & Noble has discounted the Nook Simple Touch to $79 a couple times before, but that price point is the lowest for a touch-screen e-reader and matches Amazon's highly rated non-touch Kindle 2011 with Special Offers, which costs $79 and is ad-supported.

CNET readers frequently point out that you can get refurbished Nook e-readers at nicely discounted prices. A quick look at Google shows that most refurbished Nook Simple Touch units are selling for $79, though I did spot one for $59.99. 

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Facebook adds organ donor status, registry to timeline

(CBS/AP) Facebook wants to make it easier to donate your organs and broadcast that information to all of your friends.

Users in the United States and the U.K. can enroll as organ donors via links to official registries on the world's biggest social networking site, said chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg.

Facebook users who are already organ donors can add that information to their timeline. Zuckerberg said his friendship with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who had received a liver transplant before he died last year, helped spur the idea, as did talks with his girlfriend Priscilla Chan, a medical student.

Those who would like to become an organ donor can follow a link that will launch a state-by-state directory of organ donation registries. The links should make it easier for people who want to donate their organs to sign up.

More than 112,000 Americans are waiting for organs and 18 people die every day from the lack of available organs, according to Donate Life America, a nonprofit that is teaming with Facebook.

Zuckerberg announced the organ donor update to Facebook on "Good Morning America" Tuesday.

Facebook has 901 million monthly active users and is based in Menlo Park, Calif. The social network is busy readying an initial public stock offering said to be pegged at $5 billion. Facebook's IPO could place the company's value at $100 billion.

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iPad '4G' claims face scrutiny from UK regulator

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The UK does not yet have widespread 4G coverage, and the iPad will be incompatible with it when it does
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The Advertising Standards Authority has widened its inquiry into the advertising of the Apple iPad.

The BBC understands the regulator is not satisfied that Apple has complied with an agreement to amend claims about the latest iPad's 4G capabilities.

The UK does not yet have widespread 4G coverage, and the iPad will be incompatible with it when it does.

The regulator said it had received dozens of complaints in relation to the issue. Apple has declined to comment.

The regulator had resolved some of the complaints after discussions with Apple about changes to its advertising, but said it is now looking into further concerns raised by consumers.

A letter to one complainant seen by the BBC says that Apple "have advised us that no further reference to the 4G capabilities of the iPad will be made on their UK website".

The letter goes on to say that this will resolve the complaint, and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will consequently be closing the file.

The ASA told the BBC that when it approached Apple the company said it had removed references to 4G from the webpage subject to the complaint, and had edited a video that contained references to 4G.
'Potentially problematic'

But Apple's UK site still offers consumers the chance to buy a "wi-fi + 4G" version of the iPad.

A footnote explains that "4G LTE" is supported only on certain networks in the United States and Canada.

The ASA said it had since been contacted by several complainants who had identified other "potentially problematic claims" about the iPad and 4G on the website.

"If it appears that the problem claims we asked Apple to remove are still appearing," the regulator said, "we will investigate these new complaints."

Apple said it would not comment on its discussions with the regulator, but a source at the company insisted that no undertaking was given to remove all references to 4G from its site.
Incompatible

4G mobile phone networks, which promise much faster web surfing, have yet to arrive in the UK.

But even when they do, the frequencies to be employed for the new networks in Britain - and the rest of Europe - are different from those used in the US and Canada.

That means that the "4G" iPad, in its current configuration, can never connect to 4G networks in Europe.

Apple is also in dispute with Australian regulators over the advertising of the iPad there.

The country's Competition and Consumer Commission accused the firm of misleading consumers by telling them that the product could connect to a 4G network in Australia when that was not the case.

Apple offered to refund any iPad buyers who felt that they had been misled.

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Microsoft buys stake in Nook, college textbook business

Microsoft is set to invest $300 million in Barnes and Noble's Nook business, Microsoft announced Monday. With that investment, Microsoft will have a 17.6 percent stake in a newly formed subsidiary that will handle B&N's digital and college bookstore businesses, and the partnership will result in a Nook application for Windows 8.

B&N announced in January that it was exploring a "strategic separation" of its digital business. The formation of Newco, the subsidiary that will contain the company's digital and college textbook businesses, could be a first step toward spinning off its digital business entirely.

Representatives for both companies expressed enthusiasm for using the Windows 8 Nook application. Andy Lees, president at Microsoft, said the app will "accelerate e-reading innovation across a broad range of Windows devices," while William Lynch, CEO of B&N, said the partnership will "bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform."

It's worth noting that there is already a Nook for PC app (as well as apps for Android, iOS, and Mac); this suggests that the Nook app may have a far broader range of functionality than just being a vector for e-reading. That the new subsidiary also includes B&N's textbook business may indicate that Microsoft and B&N are looking to compete with Apple in its recent push in the e-textbook market.

As a result of this partnership, Microsoft and B&N have settled their patent disputes. Going forward, B&N and Newco will have a royalty-bearing license under Microsoft's patents for its Nook e-readers and tablets.

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scion cars 2013 Scion FR-S

For all of the press and hype surrounding the Toyota GT 86 and the Subaru BRZ, not a lot of people know or have given love to the third model of the bunch, the Scion FR-S.

All that’s about to change because the Scion FR-S has arrived. For those that have shed rivers of tears when they found out that neither the GT 86 nor the BRZ were headed Stateside, news that the FR-S will arrive in America is tantamount to a post Thanksgiving blessing.

Now, we’ve actually seen a concept version of the FR-S - called the FR-S Concept - at the New York Auto Show, so it really didn’t come as a surprise to a lot of us that the sports coupe was coming to the US, but seeing the concept and seeing the production version are two different things.

It doesn’t even matter that we’re not getting the GT 86 and the BRZ. We have the FR-S, and just like a child that comes to us, we’re going to shower it with as much love as we can possibly give.

UPDATE 05/01/12: Scion has unveiled a new set of images for their brand new FR-S sports car. Check the picture gallery to see them.

Exterior

Since it was a concept, Scion was able to play around with the design of the FR-S Concept a little bit more. The production version, on the other hand, appears to have been designed more conservatively, albeit still carrying a sharp and clean design that’s a far departure from what we’re used to with Scion.

In addition to tracing its lineage to the AE86 generation of the Toyota Corolla, the production FR-S’ profile was inspired by the Toyota 2000GT, and distinguishes itself with a sleek and low hood and roof-line that enhance the coupe’s sporty and aggressive stance while also providing aerodynamic efficiency. The sharp lines, wide mouth, and angular headlights of the FR-S are likewise a testament to the car’s personality, as are the aggressive front fenders that protrude upward. Meanwhile, the rear end fascia lies low and wide to the ground, complete with aerodynamic lower treatments that surround the sporty dual exhaust system. Just like the 86 and the BRZ, the FR-S also boasts of LED lights that illuminate the edges of the taillights, and a new set of 17" lightweight alloy wheels round out the muscular look of the sports coupe.

Interior
As for the interior, the FR-S was designed with a 2+2 seating configuration that was developed to adhere to the car’s overall form and function. Just like the exterior details on the car, the front seats are mounted lower than usual, yet are still comfortable enough to encourage aggressive driving. The two rear seats can be folded, offering up more space for luggage to be stowed. The FR-S also has a large center-mounted tachometer with a three-gauge cluster.

Performance

The Scion FR-S is powered by a 2.0-liter front boxer engine that can also be found on the 86 and the BRZ. The engine can then be mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Output numbers are also the same at 200 horsepower and 151 lb/ft of torque.

What’s unique about this new powertrain is that it carries Toyota’s new D-4S injection system, a technology that results in direct injection combined with port injection. With separate twin injectors for both direct and port injection, and a high compression ratio of 12.5:1, the D-4S system can increase the power and torque bands of the FR-S over a wide range of engine speeds, all without having to sacrifice the sports coupe’s fuel efficiency numbers.

“We all know that it’s not hard to make horsepower and torque, but it is hard to do all that and still achieve impressive fuel economy,” Hollis said. “The FR-S accomplishes all three.”

Specs
Scion FR-S        
    Length     166.7 inches
    Width     66.9 inches
    Height     51.2 inches (exclusing antennae base)
    Wheelbase     101.2 inches
    Track (Front)     59.8 inches
    Track (Rear)     60.6 inches
    Seating Capacity     4
    Engine Displacement     1,998 cc
    Engine Type     Horizontally opposed four-cylinder, D-4S injection, DOHC
    Bore × stroke     86 × 86 mm
    Maximum output     200hp @ 7,000 rpm
    Maximum torque     151 lb.-ft. @ 6,600 rpm
    Transmission     6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
    Driveline     Rear-wheel drive
    Front Suspension     MacPherson struts
    Rear Suspension     Double wishbone
    Front Brakes     Ventilated Disc
    Rear Brakes     Ventilated Disc
    Front Tires     215/45R17
    Rear Tires     215/45R17
    Fuel tank     13.2 gallons
    Fuel     Premium Unleaded

Pricing

We now have a price tag, ladies and gentlemen! The Scion FR-S will cost you $24,930, including $730 in destination charges, for the six-speed, short-throw manual transmission. If you prefer an automatic a six-speed, paddle-shifted transmission with rev-match technology, the cost reaches $26,030 inclusive of destination charges.

GT86 vs BRZ vs FR-S

To a lot of North Americans, this conversation is rendered moot because two of the three models aren’t even coming to our soil. So by default, the Scion FR-S wins.

But when you really take account the whole sibling rivalry, engine specs are also a wash, considering that all three carry the same power train. Where the FR-S falls short is in the higher-spec model, which Toyota and Subaru are promising with the GT 86 and BRZ, respectively. What this means is that both models will most likely have a higher-output version that could potentially carry as much as 300 horsepower.

We haven’t heard that kind of discussion with the FR-S so we’ll be holding our breaths to see what Scion has in store for their model.

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Nokia Asha 202 dual SIM touch and type features, review and price

Nokia Asha 202 now joins the Asha family sporting a touchscreen display with alphanumeric keypad and can house 2 SIM cards with easy swap feature. Nokia Asha 302, Asha 300 and Asha 200 phones are already available in the market, so what makes the 202 different let’s find out.

The Asha 202 in general weighs just 90 grams and is 13.9 mm thin. It is available in dark red, dark grey, silver white, black and golden white colours. On the first glance it looks like a simple cute looking phone and the touch features add extra value to it.
Nokia Asha 202 features

Display and OS

 
The 202 comes with a 2.4 inch touchscreen with QVGA resolution (320 by 240 pixels) at 167 ppi. The touchscreen is of resistive technology which will not be as smooth as the capacitive one and neither does it support multi touch.  This handset comes powered by Series 40 OS with option to update the software over the air.

Dual SIM and memory

 
This handset can house two GSM cards and with easy swap option you will be able to switch the SIM’s without having to turn off the phone. The hot swap option is only available with secondary SIM or SIM 2. The SIM 2 slot is present on the side (no need to open the battery compartment).

The Asha 202 comes with (up to) 10 MB of internal memory that can be used by the user, 16 MB RAM and 32 MB ROM. Apart from that microSD card is also supported (up to 32 GB).

Connectivity

 
3G is not supported but GPRS and EDGE networks are. There is no Wi-Fi either. Other options are micro USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 2.1. You can use this phone for surfing, staying connected with your social networks, keep a track of your emails etc, but to do all these you need an EDGE/GPRS connection.

Camera and Entertainment

 
Yes this handset does come with a modest 2 MP camera with video recording at 15 fps. There is a built in FM radio for live music with recording, you also get access to about 40 exclusive games from EA that you need to download. The media player can play MP4, MP3, WMV, WMA and WAV files – to name a few.

Battery

 
The Asha 202 comes with BL-5C Li-ion 1020 mAh battery that gives about 16 days of standby, 5 hours of talktime, music playback over 24 hours and video playback for up to 6 to 7 hours.

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