Microsoft Considering Bringing Cortana to Android and iOS Devices

The Redmond giant is considering the expansion of its recently launched virtual assistant - Cortana, and to that end, is evaluating the merits of bringing it to other platforms like Android and iOS, apart from other form factors, like desktops, vehicles, and kiosks.

Cortana is currently available as part of the Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview in the US in beta mode. Microsoft also has plans to release it to China and UK in the second half of 2014, while it might reach other countries by 2015.

On Thursday, speaking at the SMX Advanced conference in Seattle, Marcus Ash, Windows Phone Group Program Manager, said Microsoft wants Cortana to be "pervasive" across regions, devices and platforms.

"We want to scale Cortana internationally and across devices. The Android/iOS question is interesting. We're asking, would Cortana be as effective if she didn't have access to the details on your phone? We're still trying to get Cortana adopted on Windows Phone and figure out what it wants to become there. But we're actively talking about this.

I think it's natural to think that an assistant that only runs on one device ... the idea that she will be very pervasive is important to us." said Ash to Search Engine Land's Danny Sullivan.

Although it will be interesting to see whether Android and iOS users, who already have Google Nowand Siri, will actually shift to Cortana, and in what form the Microsoft virtual assistant could appear on those platforms.

Ash also said that for now Microsoft didn't have plans to monetise the Cortana virtual assistant with ads, saying it was far too early in the product's life, "We think we're in the stage right now where we have to build trust with the users. We'll explore monetization eventually, but Cortana is so nascent. It's too early. We know there are commercial opportunities, but in this first year we need to establish what Cortana is and how people use it."

Speaking about how Cortana would affect traditional smartphone search, Ash said the integration of the search box and the virtual assistant is the goal, "The search box is what people know. That's why we're trying to bring [it and Cortana] together. The declarative intent of traditional search saves us so much effort - if you tell us what your interest are via search, Cortana gets so much better. We think Cortana makes you more likely to search, it doesn't replace search."

BBM 2.2 for Android and iOS Brings Easier Sign-Up, Friending, and More

It was late last year that Canadian smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry released its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) on Android and iOS platforms for free. Now the latest version of BBM (version 2.2) is available for download on Google Play, with the iOS version all set to hit the App Store in the coming days.

On the official BlackBerry blog, Inside BlackBerry, Jeff Gadway, head of product and brand marketing writes about the new version which has hit the Google Play store on Wednesday, "This next release (v.2.2) is focused on streamlining key aspects of the BBM experience. Our goal was to make it simpler for new users to join the BBM community and to make it faster and easier to add new BBM contacts."

The new features on BBM v2.2 for Android include an easier way to add contacts via email, wherein a user who receives a BBM invite by email can just become a contact by clicking on the link provided, rather than sending a PIN invite back, as is the current method. Even signing up for BBM is easier. All that new users require are an email ID, name and password, and they can start using it.

On the cosmetic side there are 16 new emoticons that will be added to the new version. These include a hotdog, hacker, a pair of hot lips amongst others. The 'Updates' tab has been renamed to 'Feeds', to represent a user better. It will include latest statuses and profile photos from BBM contacts and newer posts from the BBM channels that users follow. The latest version also brings a range of bug fixes and performance improvements.

The updated BBM v2.2 app Android version can be downloaded from Google Play. In addition to that the blog also makes a mention of the fact that there is something new in store for BlackBerry users. While Gadway has not given away much details in the post, he does write that the special release of the BBM for BlackBerry smartphones will be for the BBOS and BlackBerry 10 smartphones. "This special release of BBM for BlackBerry smartphones will include many of the things we've talked about here...and a few special things added for good measure," he writes.

It is also important to note that the previous update which had come to BBM (for Android, BB10 and iOS) around two months ago offered larger and bolder images, brought sticker support, as well as the ability to share photos in multi-person chats. It also increased the file sharing limit from 6MB to 16MB.

Windows Phone is still the only major smartphone ecosystem BBM has not yet made a foray into. It was however confirmed by BlackBerry that it is looking for a Q2 2014 release of BBM for Windows Phone.

Sony rumored to be delivering Windows Phone handsets in July

According to Pierre Perron, head of
Sony Mobile Europe, the manufacturer
is talking to Microsoft about some
unnamed project. This dovetails
perfectly with speculation that Sony
will be rolling out a pair of Windows
Phone flavored handsets this coming
July. Actually, Sony Ericsson and
Microsoft did team up on older models,
such as the original Sony Xperia X1 .
The device with the panel based
interface, was powered by Windows
Mobile Professional 6.1.
While Perron later backtracked a little
from his comment, it doesn't matter.
Other rumors have Sony starting a
test run of several thousand Windows
Phone handsets. It is expected that
the Sony phones will be the first to
roll off the assembly line with the new
GDR updates being planned by
Microsoft.
"We are continuing our discussions
with other partners, including
Microsoft, as part of our partnership
with this company on the broader Sony
spectrum." -Pierre Perron, Sony Mobile
Europe
Besides producing devices with
Windows Mobile, a few years ago, Sony
Ericsson had manufactured a
prototype of a phone
that ran on the Windows Phone 7
platform. Codenamed "Julie," the
model never did get offered to the
public.
source: @tomwarren via WMPoweruser

Micromax to offer Windows Phone smartphones later this year

Domestic handset maker Micromax has
partnered with Microsoft to offer
Windows Phone 8.1-powered
smartphones in the country.

The deal -
that was announced on Wednesday at
Microsoft's Build 2014 conference in
San Francisco - is expected to
intensify competition in the
smartphone space in India.

Microsoft Executive VP (Operating
Systems) Terry Myerson on Wednesday
said: "We are thrilled to welcome 11
new Windows Phone partners since
Mobile World Congress in February,
with the addition of Micromax and
Prestigio just announced today".
Delhi-based Micromax's revenues were
Rs. 3,168 crores for the financial
year 2012-13 and it expects to clock
revenues of $1 billion for the last
fiscal-ended March 2014. The mobile
manufacturer is expected to release
its first Windows Phone smartphone
later this year.

Micromax, which is the second largest
smartphone player in India, held about
16 percent market share in Q4 2013,
according to IDC data. Some its top-
selling models were the entry level
smartphones like A35 Bolt and A67.
Besides, the software giant has also
announced that it will offer its
Windows operating system free to
smartphone and tablet makers (for
devices with screen-sizes less than 9-
inches), a move that will help the firm
compete with Google's Android and
Apple's iOS in the fiercely competitive
smart devices market.
This offering also enables hardware
partners to provide their customers a
one-year subscription to Office 365 .

The move, though surprising, will led
to a fiercer competition in the
smartphone and tablets space,
especially in the backdrop of its plans
to acquire the handset business of
Finnish phone maker Nokia for $7.2
billion.

Microsoft's third CEO, Satya Nadella,
since his appointment in February
has been emphasising the company's
focus on mobile and cloud.

Nokia Lumia 930 will be equipped with5.1 Dolby Digital Plus audio recording

Hi The Nokia Lumia 930 was introduced recently. The new Windows Phone flagship model is similar to the Nokia Lumia Icon, which is an exclusive to Verizon. There are a few differences of note between the two models. One is the various color options that buyers of the Lumia 930 will have.

The second is that the Lumia 930 will feature 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus audio recording. Nokia says that the Lumia 930 will be the first smartphone to offer this feature. The same HAAC (high-amplitude audio recording) microphones found on the Nokia Lumia 1520 and the Nokia Lumia Icon, are found on the Nokia Lumia 930. 

The difference is in the firmware and Nokia has hinted that a future update to the Lumia 1520 and Lumia Icon will add the 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus technology to those two models. Currently, the 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus audio recording feature is still in development, and can only be found on a few units of the Lumia 930 kept internally by Nokia. 

The Finnish manufacturer hopes to finish off the feature in the weeks before the phone is launched in June. The option will be found in the Camera settings under Video. Nokia already prides itself on the quality of the sound reproduction on video captured by the rear camera on its high-end models. The 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus technology on the Nokia Lumia 930 takes the audio to another level.

"Combining Dolby Surround Sound Capturing with Nokia Rich Recording, all of your videos will document exactly what you hear. Play it back and you’ll experience true surround sound in 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus format." -Nokia source: WPCentral

Nokia designer talks about the Lumia930

Nokia’s new Lumia 930 was announced earlier this week, but it won’t be released until June. We don’t know why it’s taking so long for the 930 to hit shelves, especially since, according to Nokia designer Jonne Harju, the handset’s “single aluminum frame body means less manufacturing time.” Talking to Nokia Conversations, Jonne Harju obviously acknowledged that the Lumia 930 “unquestionably has DNA from other devices”, naming the Lumia 925 , and the Verizon-exclusive Lumia Icon among those. 

As with the Icon, he says, Nokia has “put maximum effort to create the most purest and honest aluminum frame body that fits seamlessly together with the vibrant back cover shape.” Jonne Harju further said that, since Nokia’s hardware design and the Windows Phone UI have similar principles (simplicity and minimalism), the Lumia 930 has “a human quality throughout to remind people it’s not just a technical device.” 

The Lumia 930 is basically an Icon for international markets - but one that will run the new Windows Phone 8.1 out of the box. The handset will cost $ 599 unlocked, coming with a 5-inch 1080p ClearBlack display, a 20.7MP PureView rear camera, quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory (non- expandable), and a 2,420 mAh battery.

Watch "Word Flow," coming onWindows Phone 8.1, set a new recordfor fastest text on a touch-screen

For the most part, the virtual QWERTY on Windows Phone has been hailed as one of the best features offered by Microsoft's mobile OS.

Coming with the Windows Phone 8.1 update, is a new feature that just might make the QWERTY even better. It's called "Word Flow" and is similar to Swype. Using your finger, you slide from letter to letter on the screen, to spell out words.

When Microsoft designed the "Word Flow" software for the QWERTY, they did so with the intention to break various text-message speed records. And that is where the video below comes in. Back in January, Gaurav Sharma joined the Microsoft Research team and a representative from Guinness to see if "Word Flow" could take down one of the old records. And sure enough, with a time of 18.44 seconds, the old Guinness record of 18.53 seconds went down. If you're a Windows Phone 8 user, you will soon see what the fuss is all about when "Word Flow" becomes available on your QWERTY, after the update to Windows Phone 8.1.

Has any phone in 2013 made you switch platforms?

We're in that final stretch of months
before 2013 officially comes to an end,
and it's been a pretty wild year for
mobile all year long.

In the beginning, we saw BlackBerry's
plans and release of BlackBerry 10. In
the following months we saw the
release of two of the most anticipated
Android flagships of the year, the HTC
One and the Samsung Galaxy S4. We
finally found out the dark and
mysterious details of Google's "X"
phone, which turned out to be none
other than the Moto X, which featured
just about none of the things leaks,
rumors and hopes predicted that it
would. Nokia pushed the envelope even
further with their Nokia Lumia line,
famous for its notably good cameras
for a smartphone, by releasing the
Nokia Lumia 1020 with its 41-megapixel
camera. We also have phones like the
iPhone 5s, the Nexus 5, the Galaxy
Note 3 and the LG G2 . Yep, it's been a
pretty good year for mobile.

New phones are released all the time.
But regardless of how many phones
can be produced, each smartphone is
more than likely using one of four of
the most popular mobile platforms that
we have available to us today: iOS,
Android, Windows Phone or BlackBerry.

These platforms are constantly
changing and tweaking in order to
become the best, and I have to say
that this year has had one of the
most interesting combinations of new
hardware and new software I have
seen in a while. If you guys have had
any thoughts like I have, you've
probably considered jumping from
whatever phone it is that you have to
something new - perhaps you even
made the switch.

Did any new phones tickle your fancy
enough to make you switch this year?
One did for me (get it? One ? Ha!)
Actually, I should say two . Initially, I
was more intrigued by the Galaxy S4.
However, just as I had suspected in
previous thoughts mentioned across my
articles, there is such a thing as a
phone that's too big for some people.

It seems that a 5" screen is just too
much for me to be able to hold without
dropping onto the floor, my face, or
whatever else I happen to be holding
my phone over. Aside from that and
some apparent issue with overheating
(as in the phone felt hot - really hot
- but didn't show much adverse
effects from it) the phone would have
been dandy. I really did like the
camera and all of the features. But
the fact that I couldn't even hold the
phone comfortably bothered me more
than anything, and I ended up
switching out for the HTC One.
Switching from iOS back to Android
was a lot easier than I thought it
would be, mostly because I still
remembered Android as being the slow,
buggy OS that it was back in 2010. But
once I decided to make the jump back
to Android from iOS after being mostly
happy with iOS for the better part of
two years, I was honestly surprised at
how well Android had adapted.
Whether
it was the advances that Android made
over the past couple of years, or
perhaps just the fact that I had
lowered my expectations when I
switched to the One and my
expectations were surpassed, I am still
to this day pretty darn happy with my
One. Although I will once again stress
that the purple tint on my camera is
still an issue that wasn't fixed since
updating to the official Android 4.3
build. Aside from that, the phone is
fantastic. Great build, great feel,
great battery life, and runs smooth
like butter.

I even entertained the thought of
switching to BlackBerry or Windows
Phone as well, considering the only
hands-on experience I've had with the
devices are limited to retail store
displays. BlackBerry was intriguing; I
was interested in seeing how
BlackBerry 10 worked on the
traditional BlackBerry form factor of
having a small screen and a full
physical QWERTY keyboard. I was also
intrigued by the Z10, BlackBerry's
first attempt at what might be
considered a more "normal" look for a
modern smartphone. However, the lack
of applications made specifically for
BlackBerry wasn't exactly inviting. I
will admit, it is nice that several what
I would consider "important"
applications that were initially made
for Android can be "sideloaded" onto
BlackBerry 10, but in the end I wasn't
exactly thrilled with the idea. The same
"lack of application" problem stopped
me from Windows Phone, but definitely
to a lesser degree.
I was mostly
interested in the fact that the Lumia,
at the time, had some of the best
cameras that a smartphone could have.
I also dig the minimalistic interface of
Windows Phone.
Overall, I'm happy I switched to the
One. It's not the first time I've
switched, nor will it be the last, but I
am happy that I was able to switch to
a phone that I thought I would like,
and ended up actually liking it, because
I'm not always that lucky.
Readers, did you find a phone this
year that made you switch platforms?
Which platform did you come from, and
which one did you go to? Are you
happy with the decision? Let us know
your thoughts in the comments below!

Microsoft Windows 8.1 free update released

Microsoft has released the free update of Windows 8.1 for Windows 8 and Windows RT device users via the Windows Store. Businesses now have access to the final versions of Windows 8.1 Pro and Windows 8.1 Enterprise. Windows 8.1 will also be available on new devices and as boxed software from 18 October.

Updates include: An improved, more customisable Start screen with variable tile sizes, more background designs and colours to make each Windows device look unique. Now you can chose to boot up at the Start screen or directly in good old fashion Windows desktop. 

The Start button has also returned as well as an updated apps view. Search with Bing has been enhanced for instant online or local searching from the Start screen. 

You can now enjoy native support for 3D printing making it easy as plug-and-play for all. Up to four apps can be used at once side by side with easy screen resizing as well as improved multi- monitor support. 

Sky Drive is also more heavily integrated making backing up files and using them across devices much easier. The Windows Store has also had a refresh making keeping up to date easier.

Hangouts 1.3 Will Reportedly Add SMS, Giving Android Its Own iMessage Equivalent

Google is said to be prepping an update
to its Hangouts instant messaging/video
chat Android app that would allow it to
integrate with SMS, making it possible
to get all text and MMS messages right
in the same inbox. That would fulfill a
promise made a long time ago, near
when Hangouts was first announced, by
Hangouts and Chat community manager
Dori Storbeck.

The new info comes from Android Police,
which says it had heard that Google
would be building SMS integration into
Hangouts in a version releasing soon, a
report which was then corroborated by
screenshots from an anonymous tipster.
In the screenshots, Hangouts is depicted
as showing messages clearly sent “via
SMS,” as well as being able to “Send an
SMS message” in the existing compose
screen. There’s also a screenshot of the
settings where SMS can be toggled on
and off.

The update would also offer up video
sharing via Hangouts, the report claims,
but the biggest news for both Google
and for other third-party messaging
platforms would be the SMS integration.
It would consolidate one more service/
app offering into Hangouts for Google,
which has already subsumed Google Talk
and Google+ Messenger. It would be
easy to see it taking the next logical
step from there and offering VoIP
services, too, providing a complete over-
the-top service.
It would also be potentially bad news
for competitors like WhatsApp and
Facebook Messenger. FB’s messaging app
already offers SMS integration, but
Google’s Hangouts version would ship on
devices pre-installed, and could
conceivably replace the Messaging app
altogether, making it the default option
for Android users. It could also eat
away at more carrier business, as
combining the two and favoring Google
+ based messaging first would have a
similar effect to iMessage, where
carriers eventually derive less revenue
from shuttling SMS content back and
forth.
SMS has long been in the cards for
Hangouts, and hopefully it’s arriving
soon. There’s no timeline attached to
the report, apart from some speculation
it could arrive with Android KitKat, but
in all likelihood this functionality will be
generally available to Hangouts users
regardless of their OS version.

Skype overhaul promises improvedcalling, chat sync across devices

Skype has announced a new architectural update with an intent to improve the popular messaging and video call platform in a world with more connected mobile devices. Sharing some details about the changes in a blog post, Skype's Mark Gillet mentions that Skype is now using the cloud to assist clients in delivering chat messages and connecting calls, marking a shift from the p2p nature of the service where a major amount of processing was done on the user's device.

Gillet calls the move to Skype cloud the service's biggest architectural change in 10 years and says that new technologies are helping the company to promote improved battery life and improved connections. "Skype clients continue to evaluate bandwidth, connectivity and firewall settings to select the most appropriate path for the call and continue to connect devices for P2P calls across the Internet so that users get audio and video connections that 'just work'," he states. 

Skype also credits the cloud for enhancing the performance and quality of its core messaging experience. It talks about the ability to receive messages offline and pushing notifications to the Windows Phone 8 mobile client even when the Skype app is not running, and says that the feature will soon be extended to other Skype mobile clients soon. 

However, the major feature that Skype is about to introduce is chat sync, something which has been demanded by a large number of users since the time Skype started focusing on clients for multiple devices. Skype says that it is working to synchronise chat message status across all of the user's devices so the user knows the current status of all of chats on every device that is used to interact with Skype. 

It says the capability will be rolled out across clients over the next few months. Right now if you log-in to Skype's mobile client after being logged in on the desktop one, you receive all messages that you've already read on your desktop on your mobile, which hampers the chat experience in a world where users keep on shuttling between different devices.

Skype also states that it will use its cloud to help preserve the battery of the users' device by enabling the mobile Skype app to stay in "sleep" mode until it's needed by using push notifications. When a user calls another user, the calling app sends the Skype ID and IP address of the parties, as well as the time and date, to the Skype cloud. 

Once a push notification is sent, Skype collects and stores information about the call. It will even sync missed calls information across all the users' devices, The Skype client on Windows 8.1, will offer the ability to answer calls directly from the lock screen with the user's choice of audio, video or a message. Skype also clarified that it uses strong physical, technical and administrative security protections, apart from storing only partial IP addresses, and cryptographically hashing the Skype IDs it stores, to help protect the users' privacy.

Fingerprint recognition promised for Android devices, due in six months

While fingerprint scanners had not hit
mainstream devices at a major level till
Apple decided to include it with the
latest-generation iPhone, the iPhone 5s
calling it Touch ID, it looks like the
Android device bandwagon will also get
its own version of the technology in six
months, if a new report is to be
believed.

The FIDO (Fast IDentity Online)
Alliance a group of 48 technology
companies, which was founded by the
likes of Lenovo and PayPal is working
on a new technical standard for
biometric fingerprint scanners to be
featured on Android smartphones.
In an interview with USA Today,
Michael Barrett, president of the FIDO
Alliance has said that the initial FIDO-
equipped Android devices, will roll out in
early 2014 along with services that use
the FIDO protocols.

"The intention of FIDO is absolutely
that it will allow consumers to have
access to mobile services that they can
use with very low friction, while keeping
good security," said Barrett.
It's not clear as to which device
makers and services would choose to
include FIDO but prominent members of
the alliance include LG, BlackBerry,
Google, Lenovo and PayPal. So it's
likely that these players choose to
integrate the standard with their
devices and services.

It's worth pointing out that Apple's
Touch ID fingerprint sensor is not
FIDO-compliant but Barrett informed
that Touch ID could easily be adapted
to FIDO but it will take a couple of
years.
According to its website, the FIDO
Alliance aims to develop specifications
that define an open, scalable,
interoperable set of mechanisms that
supplant reliance on passwords to
securely authenticate users of online
services. It essentially wants to build a
ubiquitous biometric standard that
works across different devices and
online services that require
authentication.
It's worth mentioning that Apple's
Touch ID allows users to unlock the
phone, by simply placing a finger on
the Home button. It can also be used
to confirm purchases made on the App
Store, iBookstore or the iTunes Store.

LG's curved display smartphoneconfirmed for November launch

LG Electronics Inc's display unit said on Monday it will start mass production of curved smartphone displays as the South Korean phone maker plans to launch a smartphone with the new screens next month to catch bigger rival Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. 

Samsung said last month it would introduce a smartphone with a curved display in October as the world's top handset maker seeks to set the pace of hardware innovation amid slowing growth in the high-end smartphone market. 

Curved displays are in the early stages of development and allow bendable or foldable designs that could eventually allow mobile and wearable gadgets to take new forms that could radically change the high-end smartphone market.

LG Display Co Ltd said on Monday it has started production of a six-inch display curved top to bottom. LG Electronics plans to launch a smartphone with the curved display in November, a source familiar with the matter said. By contrast, Samsung's phone will have a display curved side to side, another source who has direct knowledge of the matter said. In January Samsung, which has taken over from Apple Inc as the global smartphone leader, showed off prototype products with a flexible screen and a display that extends from the side of a device. 

Technology firms have yet to figure out how to mass produce the parts cheaply and come up with display panels that can be thin and heat resistant. 

Curved displays are already commercially available in large-screen televisions. 
Samsung and LG Electronics started selling curved OLED TV sets this year priced at about $9,000.

Tim Cook reflects on second anniversary of Steve Jobs' death

Apple CEO Tim Cook used the eve of
second anniversary of Steve Jobs'
death to write an email to all Apple
employees, reflecting on the moment.
Cook told employees that Steve would
be "proud of all of you" and everyone
should honour Jobs' memory by
"dedicating ourselves to the work he
loved so much." Here's the full copy of
the letter obtained by 9to5mac .

Team-
Tomorrow marks the second
anniversary of Steve's death. I
hope everyone will reflect on
what he meant to all of us and to
the world. Steve was an amazing
human being and left the world a
better place.I think of him often
and find enormous strength in
memories of his friendship, vision
and leadership. He left behind a
company that only he could have
built and his spirit will forever be
the foundation of Apple. We will
continue to honor his memory by
dedicating ourselves to the work
he loved so much. There is no
higher tribute to his memory. I
know that he would be proud of
all of you.
Best, Tim

In 2012, Apple remembered Steve Jobs
with a video tribute
and a message from Cook on its
homepage.
On Saturday, two years to the day
that Steve Jobs passed away, Cook took
to Twitter to share thoughts more
personal in nature, saying he would be
using the day to reflect back on his
friendship with Steve and the "dents"
Jobs made in the universe.

Second anniversary of Steve's
death. Going on a long hike today
and reflecting on his friendship
and all the dents he made in the
universe.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October
5, 2013

The remark is an obvious reference to
one of Steve Jobs' iconic quotes, who
once said, "We're here to put a dent in
the universe. Otherwise why else even
be here?"

Apple Beats Coca-Cola, Google To Become World’s Most Valuable Brand

Apple is now the world's most valuable
brand, according to a report by
Interbrand. Reuters
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has surpassed
Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and Google
(NASDAQ:GOOG) to become the world’s
most valuable brand among 100
competitors, according to the “Best
Global Brands” report for 2013
released by Interbrand, a New York-
based corporate identity and brand-
consulting company.
According to the report, while Apple
claimed the top position this year,
Google secured the second spot and
Coca-Cola, the brand that held the
No. 1 position for 13 consecutive years,
fell to third place.
“Every so often, a company changes
our lives—not just with its products,
but with its ethos. This is why,
following Coca-Cola’s 13-year run at
the top of Best Global Brands, Apple
now ranks #1,” Jez Frampton, global
chief executive at Interbrand, said in a
statement. “Tim Cook has assembled a
solid leadership team and has kept
Steve Jobs’ vision intact – a vision that
has allowed Apple to deliver on its
promise of innovation time and time
again.”

Apple, which was ranked thirty-sixth
when Interbrand’s Best Global Brands
began grading brands back in 2000, is
now valued at $98.3 billion, at almost
15 times its brand value 13 years ago.
Last year, the Cupertino, Calif.-based
technology giant was in second place
after more than doubling its valuation
from 2011.
Here is an excerpt from the report:
“Few brands have enabled so many
people to do so much so easily, which is
why Apple has legions of adoring fans,
as evidenced by the record-breaking
launch of the iPhone 5c/5s… From our
perspective, Apple’s internal brand
strength has remained steady. CEO Tim
Cook has assembled a solid team that is
aligned around the Apple vision, which
has allowed them to deliver against the
promise time and time again. There’s
been a lot of change at the top in the
last 12 months, but the alignment of
both hardware and software design
under Jonathan Ive is a major step
toward maintaining focus.”
According to the report, Apple proved
to be resilient and managed to climb up
the list despite having its reputation
somewhat tarnished by patent spats
with Samsung (KRX:005935) and a
scandal at its supplier, Foxconn, over
unsuitable labor conditions, and
emerged as the leader in the Best
Global Brands 2013 list.
Google, in second place, managed to
reach a brand valuation of $93.3
billion, while Coca-Cola got a valuation
of $79.2 billion, followed by IBM
(NYSE:IBM) with $78.8 billion.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) rounded up
the top 5 with a valuation of $59.5
billion.
The other companies that made it to
the top 10 list include General
Electronics (NYSE:GE) with $46.9
billion, McDonalds (NYSE:MCD) with $
41.9 billion, Samsung (KRX:005935) with
$39.6 billion, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)
with $37.2 billion and Toyota
(NYSE:TM) with $35.3 billion.
Interbrand said that while determining
the top 100 most valuable global
brands, it examines three key aspects
that contribute to a brand’s value --
the financial performance of the
branded products or service, the role
the brand plays in influencing
consumer choice and, the brand's
ability to command a premium price or
secure earnings for the company.
In addition, each of the companies are
also required to generate 30 percent of
total revenues from outside their
domestic markets and have a presence
on at least three major continents as
well as coverage in emerging markets.
This year, the total value of the 100
Best Global Brands was $1.5 trillion --
an 8.4 percent record increase over the
total value of the 100 Best Global
Brands in 2012, the report said.

Microsoft buys Nokia’s phone businessfor $7.1 billion

Microsoft and Nokia announced today that Nokia's Devices & Services business—the part of the company that builds all Nokia's phones (both smart and otherwise)—is changing hands. Microsoft is paying €5.44 billion ($7.17 billion) for the struggling Nokia division . The deal, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014. 

In the transaction, all of Nokia's device business, including design, manufacturing, sales, marketing, and support, becomes a part of Microsoft. This includes 32,000 staff, of which 4,700 are in Finland. Remaining behind is Nokia Solutions and Networks (formerly Nokia Siemens Networks), which builds telecommunications equipment, and mapping division HERE (Navteq). Nokia is also retaining its Advanced Technologies group, which develops and licenses intellectual property. 

These parts together account for about half of Nokia's revenue, and approximately 24,000 staff. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop—formerly of Microsoft—will be succeeded as Nokia CEO by Risto Siilasmaa. Elop will serve as Executive Vice President of Devices & Services, and Nokia expects that he will move to Microsoft once the deal is closed. The headline €5.44 billion figure is split €3.79 billion ($4.99 billion) for Devices & Services, €1.65 billion ($2.17 billion) for a patent agreement. Under that agreement, Redmond is buying a ten year license to Nokia's patents, with an option to make the ten year agreement perpetual. 

Microsoft is also acquiring Nokia's various licenses to patents from Qualcomm, IBM, Motorola Mobility, and Motorola Solutions. Additionally, and not as part of this transaction, Microsoft is licensing the HERE platform for four years. For HERE, this will substantially replace the internal cross-billing that currently occurs, and Microsoft will become one of HERE's top three customers. Microsoft is also offering Nokia €1.5 billion ($1.97 billion) in financing. Finally, Microsoft is obtaining a limited license to the Nokia's brand names. The Lumia (smartphone) and Asha (featurephone) brands move to Microsoft. Redmond can continue to use the Nokia brand on all current products, and can also use it for ten years on any products based on Nokia's Series 30 and Series 40 featurephone platforms. 

However, it appears that future smartphones will not be permitted to carry the Nokia brand. Microsoft says that it will continue to license Windows Phone to other OEMs. Redmond says that with the purchase, its gross margin on each Nokia phone will grow from less than $10 per unit to more than $40 per unit, with "synergies" saving about $600 million in costs each year, and that the deal should start contributing positively to earnings per share by the 2016 financial year. The deal will be financed with offshore cash (just as happened with the Skype purchase ).

Microsoft launches Bing News, Bing Finance, Bing Weather and Bing Sports apps for Windows Phone 8

Microsoft has released apps for News,
Finance, Weather, and Sports on
Windows Phone 8.
The apps can be downloaded free of
charge through the Windows Phone
Store. Microsoft has detailed the apps
in a blog post.
The Bing News app features headlines
and videos of breaking news and is
customisable, allowing users to track
specific story categories, topics, or
news sources. It also allows users to
rearrange headline clusters to keep
news that's relevant to them at the
top.
Microsoft has partnered with editorial
and news agencies including Associated
Press, Reuters, Gizmodo, and The
Guardian, among others, in addition to
other local and regional sources. In
India, the app features NDTV, India
Today, IBN Live and Reuters for local
news. The app also supports Live Tiles
and users can also pin a favourite news
source or a personal topic to their
Start screen for quick access.
The Bing Sports app offers recent
scores, top sports headlines, videos,
photos, schedules, standings, statistics
and other content across most major
sports, including soccer, football,
baseball, cricket, racing, tennis, hockey,
and basketball.
The Bing Weather app offers up-to-
date current conditions including
temperature, precipitation and
wind.The app also dynamically updates
the live tile based upon the user's
current location. They can also save
other locations to get the weather.
The app offers weather with dynamic
maps for cities or regions in a number
of categories including satellite,
temperature, precipitation, cloud cover
and radar. Users can also check daily
weather conditions, historical data and
view charts for temperature and
precipitation through the app.
The Bing Finance app offers financial
news, market info, currency
conversions, stock updates for the US
and customisable interactive charts.
Users can set up a watchlist to track
their stocks and pin individual stocks to
their phone's Start screen for live tile
updates. Users can also track
performance of a stock, browse news
about the company, stock statistics
and an overview of the company. The
financial info is provided through tie-
ups with Bloomberg, CNBC, and Fox
Business.
Microsoft had also launched similar
apps on Windows 8 in October 2012.