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Microsoft Windows Phones Pass BlackBerry in Global Shipments

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:38:51 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Microsoft picked up some good news by moving up in worldwide smartphone rankings while BlackBerry suffered a wrenching disappointment.

According to first quarter results from IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker when viewed by installed operating systems Google's Android-based smartphones lead the industry with Apple iOS devices back in second place.

But the third and fourth place finishers were the real news in the latest rankings. For the first time, Microsoft and its Windows Phone operating system are now in third place inching ahead of BlackBerry OS products. ...

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BlackBerry Falls on Q5 Smartphone News

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:52:40 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - BlackBerry shares were falling even as the smartphone maker unveiled a new operating system and a new lower-priced handset at its widely-watched annual conference for investors and developers taking place this year in Orlando.

CEO Thorsten Heins made the announcements while sparking speculation that the Ontario, Canada-based company may soon ship new BBM (BlackBerry Messaging) apps for both Apple iOS and GoogleAndroid devices.

Blackberry was falling 3.4% to $15.34 in afternoon trading. The shares had surged 34% this year before today. The Nasdaq Composite index has increased 15% in 2013. ...

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Nokia's Newest Phone is Terrific But Won't Sell in U.S.

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:59:00 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Another week, another new Nokia phone. This one is terrific, even if it won't sell as well as it should in the U.S.

This week it's a new, top-of-the-line Lumia model - the 925. It runs on Microsoft's latest Windows Phone 8 operating system. It sports a nifty-looking 8.7 megapixel camera, interesting new photo software, optional wireless charging and a beautiful, lightweight aluminum body.

It's also the second announcement that Nokia has made outside of the United States market. Last week, their Asha 501 feature phone was announced in India. Southeast Asia and other emerging markets are where the Asha line is popular. ...

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Life-Changing Tech's Fall From Glory

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:33:32 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Before 1999, consumers were still messing with VCRs to, at best, record TV shows. (At worst, it cut off the ending because you never figured out that clock). Then TiVo took over and truly changed the way we watch TV.

The ability to pause live TV, skip commercials and schedule recordings with one button was mind boggling. TiVo, whether it liked it or not, became part of our vernacular -- even to describe other digital video recorders.

But what has TiVo done lately? Did you know or even care that Tim Tebow is the company's new brand ambassador? DVRs are here to stay. Approximately 46% of households have one, according to Leichtman Research Group. But only about 2% use a TiVo. (Also see Tech That Disrupts Our Lives for the Better) ...

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Tech That Disrupts Our Lives for the Better

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:32:54 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- For many, it's difficult to go a day without checking Facebook or reading the latest posts on a favorite blog or pinning a cool picture. Today, losing your smartphone is just as bad as losing your car keys.

It was pretty much the same a decade ago. Only the names have changed. We checked AOL , read the newspaper, emailed photos and lost cellphones.

Many products and companies we once relied on daily have pretty much vanished (also see Life-Changing Tech's Fall From Glory). Some, like Apple , Google and Amazon.com continue to grab our attention and have us wanting to try something new. Others are waiting to emerge. So who or what is leading the way? That, of course, is anyone's educated guess. But here are some companies and markets to remember.>>Also see: Microsoft's Turnaround Recipe: Copy Google and Salesforce >> Self-Diagnosis Kits ...

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Nokia's New $99 Phone Could Mean Trouble For Microsoft

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:58:43 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Nokia has just announced a tiny new phone that could be a very big deal for them and disrupting to their competitors. It might turn also evolve into a formidable bargaining chip against Microsoft and Windows Phones.

The new phone is called the Asha 501 and it's part of their low-cost line of handsets designed to appeal to users in what is commonly known as "emerging markets." That usually means phones with very few features that sell at a very low price point. They chose to announced the handset in India - one of the world's largest emerging markets.

From what we can tell, this phone may be inexpensive for users to purchase but looks to be anything but cheap or ordinary. ...

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Apple iPhone Rumor Mill Reaching Full Throttle

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:30:17 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - We're nearly half-way through the second quarter of 2013 and that means we're getting closer and closer to the time that Apple will be announcing plans for their next iPhone.

As could be expected, rumors about what Apple might be planning have started to ramp-up. So, let's see what's out there.

One thing we do know is that Apple will attempt to improve the product while keeping supply lines open and keeping production costs down. After previous bottlenecks (especially the one concerning touch screens) Apple is sensitive about making sure it can meet demand. ...

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Microsoft Falls as Windows 8 Sales Stumble

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:59:41 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Microsoft says they've moved 100 million copies of their Windows 8 operating system in it's first six months of life. Microsoft's spin on the current situation. That's one way to look at it.

The other way is to see when those 100 million licenses actually sold. Microsoft released Windows 8 in October, 2012. In its first three months of life (November through January) they say they moved 60 million copies of their new OS.

Microsoft shares were falling 1.1 percent Tuesday afternoon to $33.38. ...

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Barnes & Noble Falls Despite Nook Discount Offer

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:02:10 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Barnes & Noble wants you to know that they've cut the price of their Nook tablets just in time for Mother's Day. They want you to believe this represents some benevolent move on their part to make Moms super happy on their special day. B&N would rather you not assume that their Android tablet could really use a big sales boost right about now.

Competition is fierce. According to recent sales figures, Barnes & Noble doesn't even make it onto the top five tablet manufacturer list. Apple and Samsung are leading the field. Asus and arch rival Amazon.com are third and fourth respectively. And, for the first time, Microsoft with their new line of Surface tablets has made its way onto the list.

B&N had to do something to boost sales and entice consumers, so they've decided on the Nook discount....

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Budweiser's Facebook-Beer Glass Helps Gen-Y Make Friends

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:01:22 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Since when do people need help making friends in a bar?

Some folks go to bars to sit in a corner alone and drink their troubles away. A larger majority, possibly, enjoys having a drink or two and making new friends. Never before have either group needed the help of Internet-connected beer mugs.

But, this is 2013. And these days people have to be connected by any and all means possible to do even the most simple social tasks - like striking-up a conversation in a bar. Also see: 10 Biggest Summer Blockbusters Without Superheroes ...

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Samsung's Smartphones Widen Lead Over Apple's iPhone

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:41:07 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - For the very first time, smartphones are outselling "feature phones" worldwide. And, when it comes to smartphones, Samsung is still outselling Apple phones, but now by an even wider margin.

These tidbits of insightful data come from IDC, the International Data Corporation in their just released "Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report. Also see: Cramer Greets the 21st Century: Social Media Aggregators

Overall, total global mobile phones sales grew a meager 4% in the first quarter of 2013 (418.6 million vs. 402.4 million in 2012). The industry pushed out 483.2 million phones in the last quarter of 2012. ...

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Samsung Delay Won't Curb Galaxy Demand

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:57:15 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Samsung's new Android flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S 4 may just be too much of a success even before it hits store shelves.

The next few days had been hoped to be huge ones for the company in terms of the product launch and subsequent first day sales. But, there seems to be a problem keeping up with the expected demand. Although Samsung is planning a huge, global rollout of the new phone on Friday with events planned in their home market of South Korea, they're warning that early adopters may be disappointed. Also see: Cramer Greets the 21st Century: Social Media Aggregators

Samsung is saying they're currently experiencing "supply chain problems" because of the overwhelming global demand for the new phone. They site a limited supply of memory components as the cause of the delay. ...

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Verizon Subscribers Ask, Can You Hear Us?

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:56:13 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - T-Mobile's new, lower priced pricing plans have gotten the attention of subscribers from other carriers, particularly, Verizon.

As of this morning, more than 94,000 people had signed a two-week old online petition asking Verizon to drop its requirement that customers sign two-year contracts in favor of T-Mobile's new pricing schemes.

T-Mobile's newly established "no-contract" plans offer lower monthly service fees because you're asked to purchase your phone in a separate transaction. That way once you pay-off your phone, your monthly bill is reduced. T-Mobile is then able to offer customers unlimited talk/text/Internet plans at reasonable prices. You can add unlimited data while multiple handset family-plans offer even greater bargains. ...

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Krakow: Smartwatches Are Not The Next Big Thing

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:12:56 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Is the world waiting breathlessly for smartwatches? There are rumors that Microsoft, Apple and Samsung all think so. They're supposedly working on wirelessly-connected, data-centric wrist watches as the "next big thing". If past attempts are any indicator, they're going to be expensive flops.

The electronics industry needs something new, that's for sure. Growth is desktop computer sales are non-existent. Laptops are stagnating. Even the red-hot smartphone segment is showing signs of a slowdown. Plus, everyone already has at least one flat-screen HDTV monitor in their home, radio is a past tense technology and reasonably-priced digital cameras are losing out to smartphones. What's left? Wrist watches?

Mechanical watches used to be standard equipment for nearly everyone in the civilized world. That started changing when electronic/digital watches gained popularity in the 1970s. Instead of a quick glance to see the time, you had to arduously press a button to wake-up the screen. Good grief. ...

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Think Google Glass Will Be the Next Big Thing? Think Again.

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 07:30:00 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Google Glass may sound like something out of a science-fiction novel, but the real question isn't whether Google Glass is a novelty. There is a bigger issue at hand: Who, exactly, is going to buy the headset and is that group of people large enough to make it a success?

Teenagers and trendsetters may be early adopters, but I doubt this sort of enthusiasm is going to hold.

That is not to say Google is a bad company. Its stock has been climbing steadily for two years. It trades at just under $830 and is clearly on a course to top $1,000. Is it going to reach that mark this year? Probably not. But I am sure it will happen sooner rather than later. Google has a 52-week range of $557 to $844, and is estimated to enjoy growth in the neighborhood of 13.6% per annum for the next five years -- somewhat under expectations for its industry of 19% but, still, nothing to sneeze at. ...

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