Apple-IBM deal will save the iPad

APPLE'S LATEST RESULTS were met with the predictable rush of criticism generally aimed at large firms that everyone can't wait to see toppled from their pedestals.

Apple posted another set of impressive financial results for its fiscal third quarter, with revenue of $37.4bn, up from $35.3bn in the same quarter in 2013, and a whopping $7.7bn in profit - around $85m each day - up from $6.9bn. But all the focus was on the firm's slight dip in iPad sales, which has been hailed by some as the beginning of the end for Apple.

While the iPad decline is an area that needs to be addressed by Apple, it's clearly winning in other parts of the business. iPhone sales for the quarter came in at 35.2 million - down from the record 43.7 million handsets the firm sold in its second quarter, but up 13 percent compared with the 31.2 million Apple shipped for the same period in 2013.

Speaking on a conference call to release the latest results, CEO Tim Cook also noted impressive 55 percent growth in the BRIC countries over the same period, and it's in these regions that Apple still has the potential to see further growth, both for smartphones and tablets.

Apple also did well on the Mac side, boasting an increase in sales from 3.8 million in the third quarter of 2013 and 4.1 million in the second quarter this year to 4.4 million of its desktops and laptops, an impressive feat when the PC market is generally on the decline.

Cook held off mentioning the iPad sales until the end of the call, as the 13.3 million sold fell short of analyst expectations by more than one million units. iPad sales were down eight percent from the 14.6 million tablets Apple shifted in the same quarter last year, and dropped off significantly from the 16.3 million sold in the second quarter this year.

While Apple was keen to point out that the iPad is seeing growth in developing markets - for example a 64 percent year-over-year increase in the Middle East, 51 percent in China and 45 percent in India - this can't hide the overall headline decline.

Cook predictably blamed the decline on external circumstances, rather than anything Apple is doing wrong with its tablet strategy.

"iPad sales met our expectations but we realised they didn't meet many of yours," he told investors on the call. "Our sales were gated in-part by a reduction in channel inventory and in part by market softness in certain parts of the world."

Cook also cited IDC's latest estimate of a five percent overall decline in the US tablet market across the quarter, accompanied by a drop in the Western European tablet market, as evidence that this isn't an issue with the iPad per se, but a market conditions problem.

The iPad numbers would be worrying for investors if the firm was resting on its past glories in tablets and assuming sales will pick up based on ongoing love for the Apple brand and slightly cheaper price tags on offer via the iPad Mini. But Apple is clearly aware of the situation and has already signed an enterprise deal with IBM, which will see the iPad further embedded in the workplace. The importance of this recent deal now seems even clearer, as Apple attempts to reinvigorate its tablet business.

As Cook explained: "We think our partnership with IBM, providing a new generation of mobile enterprise applications, designed with iPad's legendary ease of use and backed by IBM's cloud services and data analytics will be one such catalyst for future iPad growth.

"We're very bullish about the future of the tablet market and we're confident that we can continue to bring significant innovation to this category through hardware, software and services."

So while some analysts are focused on the future threat a larger-sized iPhone might have on tablet sales, noting this could further decrease iPad sales, Apple has sensibly realised that its best potential for iPad growth lies in the enterprise. The two examples of iPad use the firm highlighted during the conference call were both firmly non-consumer. Apple instead chose to point out that Qantas Airlines has more than 15,000 iPads deployed, while the Swedish government has more than 100,000 iPads in use at local government offices across the country.

Apple also talked up its tablet's popularity in the education sector, where the iPad has an 85 percent share of the US tablet market, with 13 million iPads sold to education customers globally.

Enterprise mobility and bring your own device (BYOD) are still huge drivers for business IT spend, with thousands of companies still in the process of shifting to this new way of working. The reality is that business users want the mobility aspect, but they also want screens large enough to support their standard productivity and enterprise apps. Anyone who has tried to work on a spreadsheet or CRM system via a 5in device will no doubt agree with this point.

And by teaming up with IBM, which will start selling iPads into business markets like retail and health, bundled with apps to cover the security, device management and business analytics side of things, Apple is ensuring that wherever a BYOD tablet sale is up for grabs, it's in the prime position to snatch that deal from the likes of the Microsoft Surface.

So don't expect the iPad to go the way of the iPod just yet; the Apple-IBM deal looks even cannier in light of this latest set of results and could be the remedy Apple needs to turn around sales for its upcoming quarter.

Apple and IBM join forces to push iPhones and iPads into the enterprise

SURPRISE, Apple and IBM have announced a mutual embrace that will give the world's large enterprises better mobility.

We hear better mobility and we think mobile phones. We aren't wrong, The firms said that they have "forged a global partnership" that will bring tried and tested IBM enterprise services to the shiny pocket botherers iPhone and iPad.

We are in solid press release territory here, and the talk is of "transforming" enterprise mobility.

This will happen on a few fronts, for example the plan is to release 100 enterprise tools, including apps, and build up cloud services for iOS including device management and security features.

As part of the deal Big Blue will sell enterprise flavoured iThings to its customers, while the two companies will work on business specific software. IBM and Apple do not appear to have much in common, but the two are convinced that they will make the marriage work, if only for the sake of the enterprise.

"iPhone and iPad are the best mobile devices in the world and have transformed the way people work with over 98 percent of the Fortune 500 and over 92 percent of the Global 500 using iOS devices in their business today," said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

"For the first time ever we're putting IBM's renowned big data analytics at iOS users' fingertips, which opens up a large market opportunity for Apple. This is a radical step for enterprise and something that only Apple and IBM can deliver."

IBM chairman, CEO and president Ginni Rometty agreed and issued some kind words toward Cupertino.

"This alliance with Apple will build on our momentum in bringing these innovations to our clients globally, and leverages IBM's leadership in analytics, cloud, software and services. We are delighted to be teaming with Apple, whose innovations have transformed our lives in ways we take for granted, but can't imagine living without," Rometty said.

"Our alliance will bring the same kind of transformation to the way people work, industries operate and companies perform."

First iPhone 6 Clone is Out, Runs on Android

It only takes a few leaks of different iPhone 6 parts and you've got a clone. The Chinese makers made sure to include all the icons from iOS 8 to make the device look realistic. 

 

French website Nowhereelse.fr has posted 16 photos of a seemingly identical to an iPhone 6 device. The phone is working just fine and it has the looks and some of the feel of the Apple gadget, but it runs on a modified version of Android OS, just like all the other clones. 

 

According to the source of this story, the clone was made using technical designs, industrial models and the back casing was copied after the rear shell of the iPhone 6 that was smuggled out of the Chinese manufacturing plants working with Apple. 

 

This is a common practice among Chinese knock-off makers, but they usually do not come out with devices before Apple releases the new iPhone. That would be because they want to make sure they can fool more customers into buying the clones and they need to copy every single detail from the original. 

 

This clone even has a Touch ID ring around the home button, but the people who got their hands on this device did not specify if it actually works as a fingerprint reader. 

 

The iPhone clone came out with all the default apps that the original has: Messages, Calendar, Photos, Camera, Weather, Clock, Maps, Videos, Notes, Reminders, Stocks, Newsstand, App Store, Passbook, Compass, Settings, Phone, Mail, Safari and Music. 

 

There's also a YouTube app that doesn't usually come with the operating system and another icon with an "S" on it. The phone doesn't have a lightning port connector, but a microUSB and the flash on the back is not a dual one. Also, the back camera protrudes from the case.

 

The Settings.app has less menus than the ones on iOS. The missing ones are Personal Hotspot, Carrier, Wallpapers & Brightness and Touch IS & Passcode. 

 

A redesigned version of iPhone is expected early fall 2014. The new Apple flagship phone is rumored to come out in two different models - a 4.7-inch diagonal display and a 5.5-inch one. So far, we have seen parts made for what looks like the 4.7" model. They all came from the Chinese manufacturers that are currently under contract with Apple - Pegatron and Foxconn.  

China blasts the iPhone as a 'national security threat'

THE GLORIOUS People's Republic of China has slammed the Apple iPhone as a "national security threat" because of its ability to track and timestamp its user's location.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, a report by Chinese broadcaster CCTV took aim at the iPhone's "Frequent Locations" function, which tracks and timestamps a user's location if switched on, blasting it as a threat to the country's national security, much like it did with Windows 8.

The state-owned broadcaster quoted researchers who said that those with access to the "extremely sensitive data" could gain knowledge of the broader situation in China or, dramatically, "even state secrets".

The Wall Street Journal reported that the broadcaster cited the Snowden disclosures as its reason for concern, calling US technology firms' databases a "gold mine". It also quoted officials who said that China needed stronger data protection laws, and that Apple would need to "take on any legal responsibilities" if any data leaks caused harm.

China might not have anything to worry about soon, however, as the loss of a lawsuit by Apple could see the iPhone, along with the iPad, removed from shelves in the country.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that a Bejing court ruled in favour of Chinese firm Zhizhen Network Technology in its ongoing court case against Apple, ruling that the firm's Siri digital assistant infringes the company's patents.

This, if Zhizhen gets its way, could see Apple iPhones and iPads slapped with a sales ban across the country. Apple said it will appeal the ruling.

Amazon Fire Phone vs. iPhone 5S vs. Galaxy S5 vs. HTC One M8

Amazon unveiled its highly-anticipated Fire Phone Wednesday.

The phone comes equipped with four front-facing 3D cameras that help enable its "dynamic perspective" head-tracking features.

The Fire Phone has some flashy features, but it's also a lot different from other flagship handsets. Check out the chart, below, to see exactly how it stacks up to the iPhone 5S, Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One m8.

	Amazon Fire Phone	iPhone 5S	Samsung Galaxy S5	HTC One m8
Screen Size	4.7 inches	4 inches	5.1 inches	5 inches
Resolution	1,280 x 720	1,136 x 640	1,920 x 1,080	1080 x 1920
Dimensions	5.5" x 2.6" x 0.35"	4.87" x 2.31" x 0.30"	5.59" x 2.85" x 0.31"	5.76" x 2.78" x 0.37"
Weight	5.64 ounces	3.95 ounces	5.11 ounces	5.64 ounces
Mobile Operating System	Fire OS 3.5.0 (Android)	iOS 7.1	Android KitKat (4.4)	Android KitKat (4.4)
Processor	2.2GHz quad-core processor	A7 chip with 64-bit architecture with M7 motion coprocessor	2.5GHz Quad core application processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core 2.3GHz processor
Battery Life	Up to 22 hours talk time	Up to 10 hours talk time (3G)	Up to 29 hours talk time	Up to 20 hours talk time
Storage Space	32, 64GB	16, 32, 64GB	16, 32GB + microSD slot (up to 128GB)	16, 32GB + microSD slot (up to 128GB)
Camera	13MP rear, 2.1MP front	8MP rear, 1.2MP front	16MP rear, 2MP front	4MP rear, 5MP front
Other sensors	3Dynamic Perspective sensor system with invisible infrared illumination, gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, barometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor	Three-axis gyro, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Fingerprint identity sensor	Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Hall, RGB ambient light, Gesture, Fingerprint, Heart Rate Sensor	Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Compass, Barometer
Price	$199 (32GB), $299.99 (64GB), $27/month for 24 months (AT&T only), $649(32Gb, unlocked)	$199 (16GB), $299(32GB), $399(64GB)	$199.99 (AT&T, US Cellular, Verizon) $27/month for 24 months (Sprint), $27.50/month for 24 months (T-Mobile), $649 (MetroPCS)	$199.99 (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon)
Carrier	AT&T	AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile	AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, US Cellular, Metro PCS	AT&T, Verizon and T-mobile

Samsung might buy the voice recognition firm behind Apple's Siri

SAMSUNG REPORTEDLY is in talks with Nuance, the company that provides the voice processing technology behind Apple's Siri, about a possible acquisition.

So says the Wall Street Journal, which reports that Nuance is in talks with Samsung [paywalled], along with some private equity firms, about a possible deal. If the rumours are true, it's unclear how much Samsung will have to pay for the voice recognition technology firm, but last year it was rumoured that Apple might pick up Nuance for around $7bn.

It's unclear when the talks between Samsung and Nuance occurred, or whether they are still ongoing. The WSJ notes, "The Burlington, Mass., company has recently spoken about a possible sale of the company with Samsung Electronics Co. and private-equity firms, some of the people said. It isn't clear where sale talks, some of which happened earlier this year, currently stand or if they will lead to a deal."

Still, investors are clearly excited about a possible Samsung buyout, as following the reports release on Monday shares in Nuance rose 11 percent to $19.04, boosting its previous $5.5bn valuation. 

While some might see this as Samsung stepping on rival Apple's toes, the Korean firm licenses Nuance's voice recognition technology for its own devices, including smartphones, TVs and tablets. Nuance said last September that it it would also power Samsung's upcoming wearable devices, such as the Tizen-powered Samsung Gear 2.

Samsung could be eyeing Nuance for its patent portfolio, too. As noted by Business Insider, the firm's extensive patents hoard includes some patents for IBM's speech technology and the popular predictive text technology known as T9.

Neither Samsung nor Nuance have commented on the report.

iOS 8 vs iOS 7

APPLE UNVEILED iOS 8 during its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) on Monday, and while it isn't a drastic overhaul like iOS 7 it will bring lots of new features to the iPhone and iPad.

We've stacked up iOS 8 against last year's release to see what features you can expect.

Notifications
Apple has made some fairly major tweaks to Notification Center, a feature which was first introduced in iOS 7, and therefore somewhat limited.

Chief among these tweaks is the addition of interactive notifications, a feature which lets you reply to messages or "Like" a Facebook post, for example, without having to leave the app you're already in.

Notification Center has also been beefed up with widgets. No, hell hasn't frozen over - Apple has in fact introduced Android-style widgets, which developers can start building to appear in the drop-down menu. Apple's Craig Federighi showed off an eBay app that's already available, which will allow users to bid on items from the notifications screen.

Compare this to iOS 7 and Apple's tweaks will be welcomed by most, with the feature presently limited to viewing notifications and tapping to jump into apps.

Messaging
Apple's most interesting iOS 8 updates arguably relate to messaging, with the firm introducing a number of new features.

First off, Apple introduced Quicktype, a feature that could signal the end of Autocorrect. This is a smart word-prediction service, which Apple claims will quickly learn how you talk and what words you're likely to type next, depending on who you're talking to. Support for third-party keyboards was also announced, which means iPhone users can soon opt to replace Apple's proprietary offering with Swiftkey, for example.

Apple also announced that with iOS 8, users will be able to use Do Not Disturb on specific group iMessage conversations, in order to silence frustrating notifications. The firm has also introduced a Snapchat-style Destruct feature, allowing users to send images, videos or audio messages that will be automatically deleted, unless a user has specified otherwise.

These features likely will be welcomed by current users of iOS 7, although the firm has been criticised for "ripping off" features from Snapchat and Whatsapp.

Siri
Apple's voice-activated digital assistant, Siri, will see a fairly major update in iOS 8. Mimicking Google Now, users will be able to say "Hey, Siri" to activate the feature, which will soon be capable of recognising songs (thanks to Shazam) and will be able to recognise streaming voice recognition.

Healthkit and HomekitiOS 7 didn't introduce many new apps from Apple, with the firm instead focused on touting its redesign. iOS 8, however, sees the arrival of Healthkit and Homekit, which sees Apple looking to challenge the likes of Samsung while making its mark in the Internet of Things (IoT).

Healtkit is similar to Samsung's S Health feature, allowing users to track data such as the number of steps walked, calories burned and so on. Unlike the app found on the Galaxy S5, however, Apple's Healthkit app supports third-party apps, including Nike+.

Homekit is Apple's rumoured smart home application, allowing users to easily control internet-connected devices, such as Philips Hue lightbulbs, from their iPhone or iPad.

Next: Camera, Mac continuity, enterprise.

Apple unveils Swift programming language for iOS and Mac OS X developers

APPLE UNVEILED a new programming language called Swift during its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) keynote on Monday, introducing it along with iOS 8 and Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite.

Designed to make life easier for the more than nine million developers who write software for iOS and Mac OS X, the firm described Swift as "Objective-C, without the C".

Swift is native to Apple's Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks, upon which Mac OS X applications and iOS apps are built, respectively, and sees Apple looking to replace its use of the Objective C and Python languages. However, the new language works alongside Objective-C, so developers will be able to switch between them.

Apple SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi unveiled Swift, saying that the new language will make coding quicker and more efficient, and that it will eliminate common programming errors. "We have a new programming language. The language is called Swift and it totally rules," he said.

"We've used Objective-C for 20 years, and we love it. But we wondered what we could do without the baggage of C. Swift is fast, it is modern, it is designed for safety and it enables of level of interactivity in development that you've never seen before on a platform."

Apple also unveiled a feature called "Xcode Playgrounds", which makes writing code interactive by instantly displaying the output of Swift code.

For developers who want some more information on the new programming language, Apple is offering a free Swift guide in its iBook store, and a beta version of Swift is open now through Apple's developer programme. Apple noted that apps written in Swift can be submitted when iOS 8 and Mac OS X 10.10 are released this autumn.

Swift wasn't Apple's only announcement aimed at developers, as the firm was keen to boast that iOS 8 arrives with over 4,000 new APIs. These include the ability for developers to bake Touch ID functionality into apps, new Camera APIs, a back-end solution called Cloudkit that helps developers eliminate the need for writing server code and new App Store features, such as the ability to offer apps in bundles.

Apple Introduces iOS 8 And Texting Will Never Be The Same

Apple introduced its latest update to the iPhone operating system, iOS 8, at its annual World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco on Monday. If you're a big texter, some of the changes should make your life a lot easier. iOS 8 will be available for the iPhone 4S and above this fall.

If you're still recovering from Apple's last OS update don't worry: These changes are nowhere near as huge as last year's move to iOS 7 -- a radical redesign of the iPhone interface and one of the biggest moves Apple made post-Steve Jobs. Some iPhone people appreciated the modern design. Others complained of the new look, and some even reported that the design gave them motion sickness.

This year's changes won't make you ill. And, some of them are pretty much irrelevant. Here are the ones that you must know about:

Smarter Notifications

Now when you get a notification for a text message or a Facebook comment, you can respond from whatever app you're in. So if you're looking at Twitter and you get an iMessage from your mom, you can quickly respond without leaving Twitter.

If a notification appears -- on the lock-screen or wherever -- and you don't want to deal with it immediately, you can flick it up and off the screen.

You will also be able to use the double tap you use to see your open applications to see the people you communicate with the most frequently.

Easier Email

There are significant changes to Apple's Mail app. You can mark emails as unread or delete them with a single gesture, and you can swipe down a message you're composing in order to see the rest of your inbox.

'Damn You Autocorrect' Is...Over?

Texting is what most people do on their iPhones - iMessage is the device's most popular app by far, Tim Cook said on Monday. He introduced QuickType for iMessage, a new feature that could potentially eliminate embarrassing auto-correct errors. As you type, you'll get suggestions for what to type next. QuickType learns from you, based on what you type and to whom. It will suggest different words based on how you generally speak to a specific person.

No More Annoying Group Texts

Group messaging is also going to be vastly improved. With iOS 8 you can name your group texting threads and add or remove people from group texts. You can also leave a group messaging thread or push "do not disturb" to mute a specific thread. No more annoying group texts!

If you want to find your friends, you can share your location through messages and show your friends where you are for an hour, until the end of the day, or until you decide to stop.

If you're less into texting, you can send audio, video or photo messages right from iMessage. Taking a cue from Snapchat, these messages will self-destruct unless you say otherwise because they take up so much space on your iPhone.

New hack targets Apple devices

There is a new global cyber-attack. Hackers are now targeting and locking iPads, iPhones and other Mac devices and sending out a ransom message.

The devices are locked by the hacker using the name Oleg Pliss and demands $100 be sent to a Paypal account in exchange for unlocking it.

The majority of attacked phones are reported to be in Australia, but according to Apple’s support thread a number of victims are from the United States. The hack is reported to be using the ‘Find my iPhone’ feature to remotely lock the devices

If this happens to you Apple says bring the locked phone in to the apple store to be restored. However, unlocking the device will cause the user to lose everything from music to contacts if the phone has not already been backed up.

Microsoft smartwatch to rival Samsung Gear Fit with 'always-on' heart rate sensor

MICROSOFT REPORTEDLY will be the next firm to enter the growing wearables market, with speculation claiming that its unannounced smartwatch will be the first to work with iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices.

Forbes claims to have got the scoop on Microsoft's first smartwatch, having heard from its anonymous sources that the device will sync with iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices, and will be the first to feature an always-on heart rate monitor.

Microsoft's Kinect division reportedly has developed the sensor, which reportedly will track a user's heart rate continuously over the court of a day, unlike the Samsung Gear Fit, for example, which requires users to switch the feature on.

"The device will draw on optical engineering expertise from Microsoft's Xbox Kinect division to continuously measure heart rate through the day and night," claimed Forbes' sources.

While it will get one-up on Samsung's Gear Fit with its always on monitoring feature, it apparently will look quite similar to the fitness focused wearable, touting "a full colour touchscreen about half the size of a stick of gum". However, bizarrely, Forbes notes that the screen will be positioned on the inside of the wearers' wrist, aimed at making it easier and more private for users to view notifications.

There's no release timeframe provided for the rumoured smartwatch, but Forbes suggests it could arrive as early as this summer, with a two-day battery life.Apple's rumoured iWatch is set to debut around the same time, with a circular watchface like the Motorola 360.

Microsoft declined to comment on the speculation, with a spokesperson saying, "We have nothing to share."

However, this isn't the first we've heard about a Microsoft smartwatch, with reports earlier in May claiming that the firm has filed a patent for a "Wearable Personal Information System". This filing suggests that as well as an always-on heart rate monitor, the device will also track a user's calorie intake and other health statistics.

It is also thought the unnamed device will feature, again like the Gear Fit, a detactchable screen that can be dismounted and attached to a charging dock, while ex-Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is said to head up the project. 

Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe to pay $ 325 m to settle hiring lawsuit

REUTERS: Four major Silicon Valley companies have formally agreed to pay $ 324.5 million to settle claims brought by employees who accused them of limiting competition by colluding not to poach each other’s talent.
The settlement, between Apple Inc, Google Inc, Intel Corp, Adobe Systems Inc and roughly 64,000 workers, was disclosed in papers filed late on Thursday with a federal court in San Jose, California.
US District Judge Lucy Koh has been asked to preliminarily approve the accord at a June 19 hearing, over an objection by one of the four named plaintiffs, Michael Devine, who says the settlement let the companies off too easily.
The payout was originally reported by Reuters but not officially confirmed.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs may seek up to 25% of the settlement amount in legal fees.
Filed in 2011, the lawsuit accused Silicon Valley companies of conspiring to limit competition and keep wages down for engineers, programmers and other technical staff.
The case has been closely watched because of the potential $ 9 billion of damages sought, and its occasional embarrassing revelations into how Silicon Valley operates.
Among the communications that became public were pointed emails from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs that at times admonished then-Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt to stop raiding his company.

Microsoft’s new Surface tablet takes aim at Apple’s MacBook

Microsoft Corp unveiled a larger but lighter version of its Surface Pro tablet on Tuesday, hoping that the company’s expertise in business software will help it take on Apple Inc in mobile devices.
At a presentation in New York, new Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella made it clear that Microsoft, which recently acquired Nokia’s handset business, is committed fully to making its own devices, despite a lack of success for its phones and tablets so far.
“We are not building hardware for hardware’s sake,” said Nadella, at the event. “We want to build experiences that bring together all the capabilities of our company.
The Surface Pro 3 tablet, which comes in three models starting from $ 799 (474.5 pounds) and costing up to $ 1,949, features a 12-inch screen, much larger than Apple iPad’s 9.7 inches. It also comes with access to Microsoft’s Office software suite, employed in businesses around the world.
Microsoft executives made frequent comparisons with the MacBook Air at Tuesday’s launch, making it clear that Apple’s lightest laptop, which starts at $ 629 with a full cellular connection, was the device to beat.
The same executives, highlighting a focus on the enterprise segment of the market, also talked up the limitations of existing tablets in a full office environment.
Microsoft “has concentrated on its key strength – business users who look at tablets as extensions and/or replacements for full laptop capability,” Jack Gold of J. Gold Associates wrote. “Microsoft finally seems to understand it cannot go head to head with Apple’s iPad, and must offer a superior business device.” Microsoft, which is recasting itself as a ‘devices and services’ company, has not made much headway on the devices side, except for its Xbox game console.
The Surface, launched in October 2012 and updated last year, has about 2% of the tablet market, failing to make a dent on Apple’s iPad. Microsoft has only 3% global share in smartphones, chiefly through Nokia.
The Surface Pro 3 runs the full Windows operating system, and Microsoft hopes it will be the device consumers and companies go to when they are replacing laptops.
Initial reaction was positive, but analysts have doubts that Microsoft can easily haul itself into a meaningful position in the hardware business.
“This is Microsoft’s best shot yet to move the needle in the right direction on market share gains,” said Daniel Ives, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets. “The odds are stacked against Microsoft, although we have to credit Nadella with putting his pedal to the metal to go after tablet market share, which remains key going forward.”
The new device, which like previous versions uses Intel Corp processors, will be available to order this week.

Apple iPhone 6: Release date, rumours, features and news

Apple plans to release its new iPhone in August, a month earlier than expected, after sales were hit by new big-screen models from its rivals, a major Taiwanese newspaper reported Friday, citing supply chain sources.

The Economic Daily News quoted unnamed sources as saying Apple  had acquired parts from various Taiwanese suppliers such as wafer maker Visual Photonics Epitaxy Co and Largan Precision, a leading maker of lenses used in mobile phones, for the handset expected to be called iPhone 6.

Taiwanese electronics contract makers including Foxconn and Pegatron have also been notified by Apple to start their assembly lines for the new handsets likely around late June, said the mass-circulation national newspaper.

US-based Apple has decided to roll out the 4.7-inch screen version of the new model in August, a month early, as recent sales have been affected by the launch of bigger-screen phones from rivals such as South Korean giant Samsung and Taiwan’s HTC, the report said.

A high-end variant of the iPhone 6 with a 5.5 or 5.6-inch screen will still be unveiled in September as previously planned, it said, adding that Apple expected total sales of 80 million units for both versions.

Japan’s Nikkei business daily reported in March that Apple would release its next iPhone in September, its latest salvo in the smartphone wars where it has lost global market share to rivals such as Samsung.

Apple released its current iPhone 5 in September 2012 and newer versions in the series last year.

A number of top Taiwanese electronics companies have been behind the production of the iPhone series by supplying components or assembling the handsets.

The latest to come onboard is the world’s biggest contract chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which reportedly started producing chips for the next iPhone in February.

That news fed rumours that Apple is reducing its reliance for parts on Samsung, its main competitor in the mobile phone market and a bitter rival with which it is contesting several copyright court battles globally.

The companies named in the Economic Daily News report declined to comment.

Samsung to pay Apple more than $200m for copying phones

A Silicon Valley jury has ruled that Samsung must pay $290m (£180m) to Apple for copying iPhone and iPad features in its devices.

 This verdict comes after a previous jury found Samsung owed Apple $1.05bn for copyright infringement.

 However, US District Judge Lucy Koh ordered a retrial because she said that jury miscalculated the amount Samsung must pay.

Samsung is expected to appeal.

 Apple said in a statement: “We are grateful to the jury for showing Samsung that copying has a cost.”

 The jury’s ruling covers 13 of the 26 Samsung devices that Apple had argued copied its technology. These are mostly older Samsung tablets and smartphones.

 The $290m figure comes on top of the $550m Samsung owes Apple as a result of the initial verdict. In total, Apple has now been awarded close to $930m in the case.

 Apple shares traded slightly higher on the news. Samsung closed down slightly earlier in the day.

-BBC-