Radio apps prove popular with smartphone users
The survey, which studied the listening habits of 1,083 respondents who use the internet or a mobile phone for access to audio services, found that 1.4 million people downloaded a radio app during June 2010 and of those, over half of them 53 per cent) used the app at least once a week. Thirteen per cent of adults aged 15 plus, have ever listened to the radio via a mobile phone and 14 per cent of that group listen via a specific radio station’s app. Thirty-one per cent of listeners claim to have listened to the radio via the internet, including 29 per cent who used the web to listen live. Twenty-five per cent of people polled used the web to time-shift their listening habits, which was an increase of two per cent since November 2010, when Rajar commissioned its previous digital listening survey.
AMD breaks sales record for last quarter
AMD has reported a record breaking second quarter for sales and attributed part of that to very strong growth in its big iron server line. Revenue grew 40 per cent year on year during the quarter in part thanks to a record $1.65bn in sales. System sales showed around four ore cent growth, with AMD's GPU division doubling that but chief executive Dirk Meyer singles out the companies high end 6000 series server platform for particular praise. “The 6000 series server sales quadrupled, “ he said. “That will have an impact in the third quarter results.” AMD's rebranding around the Vision platform had been the most successful launch in the company's history, with 130 design wins for the platforms and the reintroduction of players like Sony into its stable.
Motorola Droid X launches in the US
Motorola's Droid X handset has launched in the US, and the early response could be discouraging for users hoping to hack the devices. Multiple user and researcher reports suggest that the handset contains security components which could prevent users from performing certain modifications. Users who do attempt to tamper with the operating system could find the handset disabled in a condition that can only be resolved by Motorola. The reports arose as part of an otherwise mostly smooth launch for the Droid X. Motorola said that it did not anticipate a shortage, although reports of minor activation delays surfaced on Thursday evening.
Chile becomes first net neutrality nation
Chile has become the first nation to officially put net neutrality principles into law. In a vote by the Chilean legislature, the new law won a near unanimous vote, according to local media. The new law forces ISPs to "ensure access to all types of content, services or applications available on the network and offer a service that does not distinguish content, applications or services, based on the source of it or their property". The legislation also requires ISPs to provide parental controls that block objectionable content, as well as requiring written consent before paying for online services and ensuring that ISPs have proper security measures in place.
Enterprise security market set for strong growth
The global enterprise security market will grow by 13.8 per cent in 2010 as budgets return and companies update systems, according to Canalys. The analyst firm said that strong year-on-year growth of 15.2 per cent in the first quarter underlined returning industry confidence, and that the value of the security market will reach $15bn (£9.8bn) by the end of the year. Europe will account for 33.6 per cent of this growth, at around $5bn (£3.5bn), while North America will remain top with 46.4 per cent market share, equating to $6.96bn (£4.53bn) in sales.
Voda makes LBS software open source
"Given our decision to stop developing turn by turn location based services as part of our core business, it seemed an obvious choice to make the code we own open source” said Pieter Knook, director of internet services at Vodafone Group. "We look forward to seeing its continued use in all sorts of different applications in the future." The code will be made available on github. Vodafone bought Swedish mapmaker Wayfinder in 2009 in a bid to cash in on location based services. But then Google went free on Maps Navigation and Nokia introduced free turn-by-turn navigation on Ovi Maps, and the market disappeared.
Flirtomatic raises $9 million
Flirtomatic will use the funds to further its growth both geographically and in terms of platforms. It has presence across Europe and the US via partnerships with AT&T, MetroPCS, Virgin Mobile, T-Mobile and others. It has also closed a distribution deal with a multi-national operator 'launching Flirtomatic across an initial eight countries, under a single payment and billing system.' Flirtomatic has more than 2.5 million users in the US and UK, and is available on the mobile web and through iPhone, iPod Touch and Android apps. This summer it will launch on Blackberry and Nokia’s Ovi Store.
3 UK launches £100 Android phone and makes network pledge
Three UK and ZTE have jointly launched the Racer, an Android-based handset that will be available to pre-pay customers for £100. The device will be marketed as an entry level mass market mobile internet device, but also one that offers the Android experience - including the Marketplace and Google apps and services. David Kerringan, Head of Internet Services at 3 UK, said, "We want to bring the 3G mobile internet experience to as many customers as we can. Pricing has been a barrier to that, by bringing the price down to £100 then that is the next step to the mass market."
VoLGA Forum adds new capabilities to voice over LTE specifications
The VoLGA Forum today released an updated set of specifications for delivering mobile voice and SMS services over LTE. The latest release is said to add key new features and capabilities to facilitate rapid deployment, including: the use of VoLGA over HSPA; support for SIM-less emergency calling; optimised voice-bearer routing; and host APIs for LTE handsets. "We are pleased to see that the VoLGA Forum has continued to add valuable new capabilities to the specifications," said Karl-Heinz Nenner, chairman of the VoLGA Forum. "Voice continues to be a critical service for next-generation mobile networks. The additional features make VoLGA a very complete solution."
NTT buys Dimension Data; NSN eyeing Motorola, report suggests
Japanese carrier NTT on Thursday made a £2.1bn offer for all of South Africa-based global IT services firm Dimension Data. The move was unanimously approved by the Dimension Data board and will create an international powerhouse catering to the corporate and enterprise services space worldwide, with particular strengths in Asia, Europe, the US, Africa, the Middle East and Australia. NTT and Dimension said that the ICT industry is about to “enter a time of revolutionary change with the advent of cloud computing,” where enterprises are attempting to integrate business domains beyond their existing framework.
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