Samsung Charged by the EU with abusing vital telecoms patents

The European Commission has charged Samsung Electronics with abusing its dominant position in seeking to bar rival Apple from using an patent that's essential to cell phone use.
The Commission sent a "statement of objections" to the South Korean group, with its preliminary view that Samsung was not acting fairly.
"Intellectual property rights are an important cornerstone of the single market. However, such rights should not be misused when they are essential to implement industry standards, which bring huge benefits to businesses and consumers alike," Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in statement.
Apple and Samsung, the world's top two smartphone makers, are locked in patent disputes in at least 10 countries as they vie to dominate the lucrative mobile market and win over customers with their latest gadgets.
The filing of competition objections is the latest step in the Commission's investigation. After notifying Samsung in writing, the company will have a chance to reply and request a hearing before regulators.
If the Commission then concludes that the firm has violated the rules, it could impose a fine of up to 10 percent of the electronics firm's total annual turnover.
Technology companies are increasingly turning to the European Commission as the European Union's competition authority, to resolve their disputes. The Commission is also investigating Google and Microsoft.
In the case of Samsung, its standard-essential patents (SEPs) relate to the EU's 3G UMTS standard. When this was adopted in Europe, Samsung committed to license the patents fairly to competitors, the Commission said.
However, it began seeking an injunction in 2011 in various EU member states against Apple's use of these patents. The Commission opened its investigation in January 2012.
Samsung said it was studying the Commission's statement. It said it would cooperate fully and "firmly defend ourselves against any misconceived allegations".
"Samsung is confident that, in due course, the Commission will conclude that we have acted in compliance with European Union competition laws."

Facebook new drag-and-drop photos, simplified timeline and new privacy controls

An update pushing out to individual users lets them drag-and-drop photos into a new post, like we've seen on other social networks, and to a newly streamlined Messages format that's rolling out at the same time. A much smaller circle is seeing a second update. Facebook has confirmed to ABC News that it's conducting limited trials of an updated Timeline that moves the news feed to a single column, replaces the thumbnail navigation with simpler-looking tabs and makes all profile page information available through scrolling. A spokesperson wouldn't say if or when the new Timeline would reach the wider public, but history points to "when" being more likely. They did however mention that the new privacy shortcuts, activity log and untagging tool would be going live for all users starting tonight, and we've already seen them pop up on some of our accounts.

Instagram users leave by the thousands today due to Facebooks new terms of service

Instagram, or should we say Facebook, is out with a new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service agreement that all users must follow beginning Jan. 16, 2013. The Huffington Post was the first to dig through this. We warn you: there is absolutely nothing to love here and because of that there have been mass deletions of accounts today by thousands of very annoyed users.
Instagram can now make money on your photos
We already know that Instagram ads are coming. What you probably didn’t know is that your photos could popup in a future campaign.
Note: highlights are mine.
Some or all of the Service may be supported by advertising revenue. To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.
What ads?
Not only are ads arriving soon on Instagram, but sometimes they won’t be marked as such.
You acknowledge that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such.
Again, Instagram can use your photos
Given the first point, this shouldn’t be surprising. Facebook isn’t claiming that they own our photos, just that they can use them to make money. Nice, huh?
Instagram does not claim ownership of any Content that you post on or through the Service. Instead, you hereby grant to Instagram a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide license to use the Content that you post on or through the Service, except that you can control who can view certain of your Content and activities on the Service as described in the Service’s Privacy Policy, available here: http://instagram.com/legal/privacy/.
But you must still post responsibly
Okay, so nude photos are now okay?
You agree that Instagram is not responsible for, and does not endorse, Content posted within the Service. Instagram does not have any obligation to prescreen, monitor, edit, or remove any Content. If your Content violates these Terms of Use, you may bear legal responsibility for that Content.
Facebook won’t even backup your photos
So after Instagram uses our photos to make money, they can also lose them and not be held responsible? Facebook lawyers, aren’t they great?
Instagram is not a backup service and you agree that you will not rely on the Service for the purposes of Content backup or storage. Instagram will not be liable to you for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Services, or the loss of any Content.
If you really want to read this gibberish in its entirety, click here. Otherwise, check out our Instagram alternatives.

Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2 and others have a major security flaw.

Samsung's Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 smartphones have been revealed to suffer from a security flaw found in their Exynos ARM-based system-on-chip (SoC) processors, which could lead to users' personal data being exposed to malware.
First spotted by a user on the XDA Developers forums, the flaw affects all Android-based Samsung devices that use the Exynos 4210 and 4412 system-on-chip processor - including the Galaxy S2, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Note 10.1, but not the cut-down Galaxy S3 Mini, which uses a different processor. The Samsung-manufactured Nexus 10 tablet, meanwhile, also escapes the bug as it uses the next-generation Exynos 5-series processor rather than the Exynos 4 family.
Currently, the flaw is not known to be exploited in the wild except for an application designed to allow users to 'root' their handsets - a process analogous to 'jailbreaking' an iPhone - without the need to connect the handset to a computer and use third-party software. The developer who discovered it, however, warns that it could be potentially serious: allowing full read/write access to the device's memory, the flaw allows malware to read personal details - including usernames and passwords - or patch itself into other applications, such as to record telephone calls or text messages. The vulnerability could even be used to trigger the device's microphone or camera remotely.
So far, there is no news of an official patch from Samsung, with some researchers releasing a third-party unofficial patch to work around the flaw.

iPad Mini sales double Apple's original order expecting 12 million units sold this year since launch which is huge.

Initial orders of the iPad mini -- pegged at around six million units for 2012 -- may be only half of what will be required, according to a report from NPD DisplaySearch analyst David Hsieh, Apple is now asking its iPad mini display partners to double the initial order, expecting more than 12 million units to be sold by the end of the year. For a product who's size class was strongly resisted by Apple for years, the nearly 8-inch iPad mini is very likely to outsell its larger, recently-updated big brother, the 9.7-inch fourth-gen iPad.
Sales of the iPad mini have taken off since the device became widely available in stores -- where potential buyers can see and feel that the Mini is much slimmer and lighter (and only slightly smaller) than the full-size iPad, which at a cursory glance doesn't appear to have changed much from the previous iteration. If the 12 million figure is accurate, the iPad mini will also beat out all of its Android-based tablet competition in sales during the quarter, and perhaps for the entire year.

The Mini has won praise in particular for its seamless transition to the smaller size, exceptional quality of construction, increased portability and ability to take full advantage of Apple's much wider and larger selection of tablet-optimized apps -- a major selling point that continues to restrict Android tablets to very limited success if any. The higher price -- $329 -- compared to its closest competitors (the Kindle Fire HD and Galaxy Nexus 7) also doesn't appear to have phased consumers, again perhaps because consumers who are buying in stores can clearly see that the Mini, despite its name, is significantly bigger than the competition.

While Apple has said that it doesn't believe the iPad mini is "cannabalizing" sales of the fourth-generation iPad too much, sales of the iPad 2 -- which the iPad Mini mimics from a spec standpoint -- are likely to be poor due to the presence of the Mini. Apple kept the iPad 2 available as a lower-cost full-size option, but discontinued the third-generation iPad after only eight months, replacing it with the similar but double-speed fourth-generation Retina iPad. NPD's Hsieh says that the iPad mini could account for as much as half of all iPad shipments in 2013, making it the best-selling model.

The company also believes total iPad shipments could reach more than 100 million in the next year, which would likely force Apple to find additional display-making partners -- LG Display and AU Optronics, the current iPad mini display suppliers, may not be able to scale to that level demand that quickly. Both companies have struggled to keep up with quality and quantity demands from Apple for the displays.

Google Maps app for iPhone now available for iPhone

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The rumors are true! Google Maps for iPhone is now available in the App Store. One of the biggest things it offers that Apple Maps doesn't is public transit directions by train, bus, or subway.
The main features of Google Maps includes built-in Google local search, voice guided turn-by-turn navigation, public transit directions, and Google Street View. You can also discover places to eat, drink, shop, and play including rating and reviews. If you sign in, you can save and quickly access all your past searches and direction from your computer, right on your iPhone.
Additionally, Google Maps lets you access live traffic information in cities across the world, see inside more that 100,000 businesses worldwide, and view high resolution satellite imagery of locations around the world.
Personally, I'm having issues installing Google Maps and keep getting a "this item is no longer available" error, but others are able to download it fine. We've heard installing through iTunes on your computer might be a good work around as well.
When you get it installed, let us know what you think!

• Free - Download now

Is your credit card details being stolen at point-of-sale terminals when shopping at big companies?

Administration panel for Dexter, a malicious application that steals credit card data from point-of-sale systems. The malware was recently found on hundreds of computers around the world.

A researcher has uncovered new malware that steals payment card data from point-of-sale terminals used by stores, hotels, and other businesses.
Dexter, as the malware is called, has infected hundreds of point-of-sale computers at big-name retailers, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses, according to a report issued by Aviv Raff, chief technology officer of Israel-based security firm Seculert. Businesses infected in the past three months are located in 40 different countries, with 30 percent of those compromised located in the US, 19 percent in the UK, and nine percent in Canada. Malware that infects point-of-sale terminals can be one of the most efficient ways to carry out payment card fraud because it targets machines with access to large amounts of the required data.
"Instead of going through the trouble of infecting tens of thousands of PCs or physically installing a skimmer, an attacker can achieve the same results by targeting just a few POS systems with specially crafted malware," Raff wrote. "Dexter is one example of such malware."
Dexter has infected systems running a variety of different versions of Windows, including XP, Home Server, Server 2003, and Windows 7. Once installed, Dexter uploads the contents of computer memory to a server located in the Republic of Seychelles. An online parsing tool then attempts to ferret out Track 1 and Track 2 card data processed by various POS applications. The data is then retrieved by the malware operators, presumably for the purpose of cloning payment cards. More on Dexter here.

It remains unclear how POS systems are infected by Dexter, which gets its name from a string of text found in one of its files. The large percentage of infected Windows servers suggests Web-based exploits and social engineering traps aren't likely vectors, since those types of machines typically aren't used to browse Web pages. Raff declined to identify the businesses infected by the malware.

Google has 'no plans to build out Windows apps,' according to product manager

Despite the fact that Google showed Windows 8 users how to "get your Google back" a few weeks ago, it sounds like the company won't put much support behind Microsoft's latest OS going forward. Speaking to V3, Google Apps product management director Clay Bavor said that "we have no plans to build out Windows apps." Bavor had some harsh words about the installed base for Windows on both the PC and on mobile, saying "we are very careful about where we invest and will go where the users are but they are not on Windows Phone or Windows 8." He did leave some wiggle room by noting that if the trends changed, "we would invest there, of course," but it sounds like Google hasn't exactly been blown away by what it has seen so far. There's also a chance that Google is getting tired of Microsoft's constant attack ads, though we'd be surprised if it stopped developing for Windows over some cheeky commercials.
Of course, Google has already invested a bit in the Windows 8 platform — its search app is native for the new OS and is available in the Windows Store, and there's also a Metro version of Chrome available. From the sound of things, that might be all Windows users get for some time. Instead, Bavor said that Google will continue focusing on its iOS and Android apps as well as its cloud-based offerings like Drive and Gmail. Still, it wouldn't surprise us to see Google do an about face eventually — while Windows 8 sales may not be as high as expected, we still wouldn't want to bet against Microsoft's new desktop OS achieving dominance sooner or later.

FACEBOOK CONFIRMS: Ads Are Coming To Instagram

FACEBOOK CONFIRMS: Ads Are Coming To Instagram
Facebook vp/global marketing solutions Carolyn Everson tells us that yes, "monetization" will be coming to Instagram. Thus far, the photo-sharing app has been ad-free. But ever since Facebook acquired the company, speculation has been rife that the service's big, broad, relatively uncluttered palette is ripe for sponsored pics and posts.

We told you that Wall Street believes ads will arrive in Instagram back in October. Advertisers have been eyeing Instagram as an ad medium since the acquisition in April. And Facebook itself hinted it was focused on photo sharing back in July.
We asked Everson about the plan for Instagram at BI's Ignition 2012 conference. Here's exactly what she told us. Bear in mind, she's the ad sales chief — that's the context for "monetization."
BI: Will you put ads in Instagram?

CE: Eventually we'll figure out a way to monetize Instagram.

BI: How far are you away from figuring that out?

CE: Well, Instagram continues to grow incredibly fast and we're still a very small team when you think about the amount of people they are reaching. There are many brands that use Instagram right now to try to get a feel for how to engage with their followers. We will definitely be figuring out a monetization strategy. When that will happen, I can't comment, but it's going to happen.
Note: Facebook declined further comment on whether there was any difference between "ads" and "monetization."


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-confirms-ads-are-coming-to-instagram-2012-12#ixzz2EtqkRMtv

Internet Explorer 6-10 vulnerability lets hackers track your mouse movements

A vulnerability found in Microsoft's Internet Explorer allows hackers to track the movements of your mouse cursor across the screen, which could in turn reveal data entered on virtual keyboards.
Virtual keyboards and keypads can be used to reduce the chance of a keylogger recording every keystroke and therefore being able to "read" your passwords. However Spider.io discovered that Internet Explorer versions 6 to 10 make it possible for your mouse cursor to be tracked anywhere on screen, even if the IE tab is minimised. You can see a video demonstration of the vulnerability embedded in this post, or you can try it yourself at this link (provided you are browsing with IE).
This particular vulnerability is of concern, because if you use Internet Explorer your mouse movements can be recorded even if you never install any software. A hacker simply needs to buy a display advertising placement on any webpage you visit. As long as the tab with the ad remains open, mouse movements can be tracked.
The analytics company disclosed the vulnerability to Microsoft back in October, but has now gone public. The Microsoft Security Research Centre recognises that there is a vulnerability but has said that there are no immediate plans to patch it. Spider.io says that a number of web analytics companies are already making use of this ability to track cursor movements.
Spider's Douglas de Jager explained to Wired.co.uk that they discovered the issue when looking into ways to measure the position of advertisements on a web page. There are two ways to measure the "viewability" of display advertisements online -- i.e. to check whether the ad slots are placed in a prominent place on the website. (This is because some disreputable publishers have been known to place MPUs and other ad placements outside of the frame of the website so that -- for example -- a video might be playing on repeat out of sight, meaning that the advertiser is paying for views of their video when web users aren't actually able to see them.)
One involves a geometric approach, which compares the position of the four corners of the ad relative to the host webpage and comparing the position of the four corners of the browser's viewpoint relative to the host webpage. A variant of this approach is comparing the ad with the screen edge rather than the host page. This geometric approach doesn't work so well when ads are embedded in "unfriendly" or cross-domain iframes. A second approach involves monitoring browser optimisations: by monitoring how a browser allocates resources to render an ad, you can determine what proportion of the ad is in view -- this is the approach that Spider.io uses.
The Internet Explorer issue arose in the geometric approach that the browser takes, which involves showing the position of the cursor relative to the advertisement and relative to the screen edge -- allowing web analytics companies and potentially hackers to ascertain the cursor position at any point.
In order to glean any meaningful information from this attack, any hacker would need to know what website or application the user was using and the layout of the site. The site would also need to use an onscreen keypad or keyboard to enter sensitive information -- something that ING Direct's online banking service uses.

Android Malware: Only 15% of it Detected By Google !

Last month, Google unveiled a new security feature that sought to stop what experts have warned is a growing problem on Android phones: malware.
But a security researcher on Tuesday said the service fails to detect the vast majority of harmful apps.
Smartphone owners running Android 4.2 and later with Google Play installed can use the new security service, which is supposed to flag unsafe apps and send users messages that say, “Installing this app may harm your phone” or “Installation has been blocked.” If a user receives the latter message, Google prevents the app from being installed.
But Xuxian Jiang, an associate professor computer science at North Carolina State University, tested Google’s new security service and found it detected only 15 percent of known malicious apps as being dangerous. His research was based on 1,260 samples of malicious code from the Android Malware Genome Project, an initiative run by the university to analyze cybersecurity threats on mobile devices.
He noted that VirusTotal, a cybersecurity software company that Google bought in September, worked better than the security feature that Google unveiled last month. However, VirusTotal has not yet been integrated into Google's new app verification service.
A Google spokesperson said the findings focused on a group of malware "that may not be representative of actual conditions," while Google's new app security service "uses real-world data and multiple detection techniques to protect against Android malware."
"We go after threats users are most likely to face," the spokesperson said.
Security experts have repeatedly warned that the number of malicious Android apps is growing, partly because Google’s method for policing its mobile app store has been less stringent than Apple’s system for keeping malware out of its mobile app store.
Such claims have prompted Google to unveil new mobile security features over the past year. In February, Google unveiled “Bouncer,” which was supposed to flags bad apps before they entered Google’s app store, known as Google Play.
In June, security researchers claimed they had found a workaround that allows hackers to sneak dangerous apps past Bouncer.
"No security approach is foolproof, and added scrutiny can often lead to important improvements," Hiroshi Lockheimer, Android vice president of engineering, wrote in February.

Linux 3.7 arrives, ARM Support!!

The latest Linux, 3.7, comes with real improvements for ARM developers and network administrators.
Only months after the arrival of Linux 3.6, Linus Torvalds has released the next major Linux kernel update: 3.7. The time between releases wasn't long, but this new version includes major improvements for ARM developers and network administrators. The 3.7 source code is now available for downloading.
Programmers for ARM, the popular smartphone and tablet chip family, will be especially pleased with this release. ARM had been a problem child architecture for Linux. As Torvalds said in 2011, "Gaah. Guys, this whole ARM thing is a f**king pain in the ass." Torvalds continued, "You need to stop stepping on each others toes. There is no way that your changes to those crazy clock-data files should constantly result in those annoying conflicts, just because different people in different ARM trees do some masturbatory renaming of some random device. Seriously."
ARM got the message. Thanks to Olof Johansson, a Google Linux and ARM engineer, unified multi-platform ARM was ready to be included in Linux 3.7.
ARM's problem was that, unlike the x86 architecture, where one Linux kernel could run on almost any PC or server, almost every ARM system required its own customized Linux kernel. Now with 3.7, ARM architectures can use one single vanilla Linux kernel while keeping their special device sauce in device trees.
The end result is that ARM developers will be able to boot and run Linux on their devices and then worry about getting all the extras to work. This will save them, and the Linux kernel developers, a great deal of time and trouble.
Just as good for those ARM architects and programmers who are working on high-end, 64-bit ARM systems, Linux now supports 64-bit ARM processors. 64-bit ARM CPUs won't ship until in commercial quantities until 2013. When they do arrive though programmers eager to try 64-bit ARM processors on servers will have Linux ready for them.
Website and network administrators will also be happy with Linux 3.7. TCP Fast Open will now be supported on servers By eliminating a step in opening Internet TCP connections, TCP Fast Open can speed up Web page opening speeds from 10 to 40%.
Network managers who have Windows PCs on their networks will also be glad to know that Linux now supports Server Messenge Block (SMB2) protocol.. Microsoft introduced this file-sharing protocol in 2007 in Vista. While its predcessor, SMB, is still supported on Windows, SMB2 support will enable Linux file servers, and the many Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices that use Linux for their operating system, to deliver files faster to Windows PCs.
For those who are still using Network File System (NFS) to share files on their networks at long, long last Linux 3.7 now fully supports NFS 4.1. The main advantage of this is that it also means you can parallel NFS (pNFS). PNFS enables you to use clustered servers to provide extremely fast and scalable parallel file access.
If you want to know more about what's new and significant in Linux 3.7, check into th Kernel Newbies Linux 3.7 Website. The bottom line though is that if you're working with ARM or you're running a network, you're going to want Linux 3.7 in your Linux distribution as fast as possible. For you, Linux 3.7 is a game-changing release.

Samsung Galaxy S4? No.. Not Happening Any Time Soon.

The successor to the blockbuster Galaxy S III won't be showing up anytime soon.
Don't hold your breath for Samsung to unveil the Galaxy S4 any time soon.
The successor to Samsung's blockbuster Galaxy S3 smartphone won't be showing up at the Consumer Electronics Show next month, CNET has learned.
At the tech confab, Samsung is planning to introduce a number of electronic products, heavily focused on televisions, according to people familiar with the company's plans. Those announcements, however, do not include any major mobile news, and Samsung plans to showcase its mobile products at a separate media event after CES.
Speculation about the Galaxy S4's arrival surfaced yesterday after Samsung released a teaser video for CES. The video revealed little, but it was enough to kick off speculation and anticipation for a smartphone announcement. Samsung actually downplayed the rumor a while back, but that was largely ignored.
It wouldn't make sense for Samsung to unveil the new version so soon, given that the Galaxy S3 continues to sell well, and the company has put its resources behind promoting the newly released Galaxy Note 2.
Many companies are holding off until Mobile World Congress in February to make their announcements, with a number, including Samsung, opting to follow the Apple model and holding their own events.
The Galaxy S3 has proven to be a hit nearly on par with Apple's iPhone franchise. While it doesn't draw the crazy lines and crowds, Samsung's products have consistently ranked among the top-selling wares at each of the carriers. Part of Samsung's success has been its ability to get a consistent version of its Galaxy S3 phone at every carrier, allowing it to tap into the largest base of customers possible.
It's a far cry from the first Galaxy S phone, which was heavily altered and renamed by the U.S. carriers, and looked more like generic smartphones. But persistent marketing and carrier support has helped Samsung establish a reputation for quality mobile products.

Facebook user data to be shared between Facebook-owned services cause you didnt vote it out!

Voting on Facebook's latest policy changes has ended, with voters overwhelmingly asking it to keep the old version of its governing documents, but participation may not have been high enough to make a difference. According to Facebook's governance page, around 670,000 users voted, with roughly 88 percent rejecting the new changes. Unfortunately for them, that total number is far short of the 30 percent of the site's billion active users, so the vote will be advisory rather than binding. Facebook is free to make changes as it sees fit. On a broad scale, these numbers are very similar to what we saw last time — when a relatively tiny number of voters came out overwhelmingly against changes — although turnout was doubled this time.
The proposed changes will allow user data to be shared between Facebook-owned services, primarily Instagram, and will remove controls over who can message users, though they'll be given filtering mechanisms instead. Most dramatically, it will also do away with the veto system, in which a vote is currently triggered after 7,000 comments and is binding if 30 percent of users vote on it. This vote may have just proved the irrelevance of that particular change: as before, it doesn't seem most users really care.

Facebook And Microsoft Are Working On A Deal, And It Could Change Everything About Advertising

Facebook and Microsoft are working on a deal that, if completed, would put Facebook one huge step closer to launching an ad network that could rival Google's in size, and change the way advertising is done online forever.

According to several industry sources, Facebook is in negotiations with Microsoft to buy Atlas Solutions, the ad-serving product Microsoft acquired when it bought aQuantive for $6 billion in 2007. 
Our sources are outside of Facebook and Microsoft. 
Microsoft has been trying to sell Atlas for years, and one of our sources is close to a company that was interested in buying it. In recent days, Microsoft ended negotiations with this company, and said it was moving forward on a deal with Facebook.
Since then, Facebook and Microsoft employees have reached out to other ad tech companies to do research for the deal. A source at one of these companies briefed us on the details of those conversations.
Though acquiring Atlas was the main reason Microsoft bought aQuantive for $6 billion in 2007, it seems like Facebook will pay a much lower price. One source says that prior to Facebook's negotiations with Microsoft, the highest bid for Atlas was $30 million. Microsoft has already written off most of that $6 billion.
Press representatives for Facebook and Microsoft declined to comment on this story. We haven't heard that the deal is about to close, only that talks are serious. It could fall apart.
Building or buying ad-serving technology is seen as one of the last tasks Facebook needs to complete before it can launch, at scale, an ad network for third-party Web sites. 
"[Facebook] needs infrastructure because they are reliant on too many intermediaries," says one industry source.
In 2007, Google paid $3 billion to buy its own ad-serving product, DoubleClick for the same reason.
The value of a Facebook-powered/Atlas-supported ad network could be tremendous.
Here's why.
Facebook is the only company in the world that has a billion email addresses, home addresses, and phone numbers on file.
This asset allows Facebook to do something no other Website can. 
Facebook can tell marketers whether or not a Facebook user saw, on Facebook.com, an ad for a product before going to the store and buying it.  


Gokul Rajaram is developing Facebook's ad products
This is possible because retailers often have their shoppers' phone numbers, home addresses, or email address on file. (They buy them from data collection companies.)

In the short term, Facebook will use this process to tell marketers exactly how much their sales increased thanks to ads on Facebook.com.   
That should make Facebook an attractive place for marketers to advertise, because it's always nice to know exactly what you're getting for your money.
Facebook is already quietly rolling this product out.
What's really exciting is what it could do with an Atlas-supported ad network: perform the same trick for the rest of the Internet.
Facebook computers could track Facebook users across all sites partnered with Facebook, keeping track of what ads these users see and what products they later buy.
A Facebook-partnered website that serves an ad that later leads to a purchase will be able to take credit for helping that sale happen. Websites will be able to charge more, and Facebook will take a piece of the action.
What has to be thrilling to Facebook executives is that some of these Websites will have better, more naturally-situated ad inventory than the tiny, annoying ads currently on Facebook.com. Facebook will finally be able to  leverage its real asset, data, to take advantage of better inventory off of Facebook.com.
There are a couple obstacles Facebook has to overcome to make this vision a reality. 
First, it will have to keep people calm about what may look like an invasion of privacy. That shouldn't be a problem, because Facebook won't actually be invading anyone's privacy. All the data flying back and forth will be anonymous and encrypted — "hashed," to use Facebook's terminology.
Second, Facebook will have to actually build the tech behind such a sophisticated product. That'll be hard. 
But that's why it's in talks with Microsoft to acquire Atlas.

Microsoft opens its social network, Socl to the public

Microsoft is opening the doors on Socl, the mysterious social network project from its FUSE research group. As ZDNet reports, up until now the beta had been limited to a small set of users, but now anyone with a Facebook or Microsoft account is free to sign up.
The first thing we noticed on logging in was that the site has seen a major redesign since last November. Where it used to share a lot of design elements with Facebook, the new layout puts images front and center, with a continuously-scrolling two-column design that has a lot more in common with Pinterest. According to Lili Cheng, Fuse Labs’ General Manager, the team’s idea is to "democratize design and make beautiful posts." Once you're logged into Socl, clicking the new post button gives you a "topic" text field that runs a Bing search for your chosen string. Next, you’re presented with a list of related images, links, and videos that you can paste into a Live Tile-esque grid layout. Also, when you're commenting on others’ posts, a link labeled "Riff on this post" will let you create a new post based on the same search, with a list of relevant links to incorporate courtesy of Bing.

So far, all of the issues we had with Socl at this time last year still stand — there are still no private interactions or curated groups along the lines of Google+’s circles. And despite Microsoft’s stated aim of combining search with a social network, Socl’s simple tagging system still isn’t the most useful way to find relevant content. The project is still a work in progress, but if you’d like to check out what the Fuse Labs teams have been up to, Socl is yours to test drive.

Microsoft Surface Pro Costs More Than a MacBook Air… No Thanks.

Microsoft announced that Surface Pro will start at $900USD at launch for a 64GB version, while a 128GB version will run you $1000. Both models come with 4GB RAM, a USB 3.0 port, will have 4-5 hours of battery life (Intel drains much faster than Surface RT's SoC architecture), and run full Windows 8. That price also includes a fancy stylus, but not one of Microsoft's handy—and frankly, for this device, necessary—Touch or Type Covers. Those cost $120 and $130, respectively, meaning that to give yourself a true laptop replacement you're going to have to shell out at least $1020.
For some perspective, that means the base, 64GB, 10.6-inch Surface Pro with keyboard cover will cost more than a comparably spec'd MacBook Air.
That seems like a tough sell. Microsoft had always been clear that Surface Pro would be priced comparably with ultrabooks, but that implies a pretty broad range of prices. A range that Surface Pro, it turns, out, is near the top of. And while on the one hand you could argue that the innovative form is worth a premium over your standard 11-inch Dell, Microsoft's main concern right now should probably be getting Surface in the hands of the masses.
The company's biggest hardware challenge now, no matter how many dance-filled commercials it runs, is a knowledge deficit. Why take a flyer on a $1000 hybrid device when you know for a fact that comparable MBA or Zenbook performs well and costs less?
The Surface Pro might be the greatest technological marvel to come along since the rotisserie oven. Or it might be a disappointment. Either way, it's a leap of faith for buyers. In that sense, it's a whole lot like the original Xbox, another new entrant into a crowded field that was a longshot at best. Microsoft sold it at a loss for years, literal years, undercutting Sony and winning a massive install base in the process. And if Microsoft's already taking a massive hit on a $1,020 entry level price, well, maybe it was an ill-fated pursuit to start with. [Microsoft]

iTunes 11 is here and is really FAST.

It's FAST
iTunes is fast now. Which is crazy. iTunes hasn't been fast in years. But iTunes 11 feels legitimately lightweight and like something you wouldn't mind running all the time. That's a huge change. Search, scrolling, anything—in any view—is all lightning quick now.
Your Library Sidebar Is Gone
One of the biggest changes is how you get around in your Library. The old left-hand bar with Music, Movies, Podcasts, etc. is gone, replaced with a drop down in the top left of the app. The change frees up loads of screen space for more information, but also makes navigating to different forms of media slightly harder, so it's a trade-off. If you decide it's not worth the trade, you can get it back by clicking on View > Show Sidebar. You can get the status bar on the bottom back

Qantas Confirms: Passbook Support Incoming For Airline Boarding Passes

The Australian airline Qantas has recently announced that Passbook support for boarding passes is now available.
First reported by Australian Business Traveller on Tuesday, the news means that Qantas customers can take advantage of an “Add to Passbook” button when they receive digital boarding passes. As such, passes can be stored within the Passbook application, and scanned upon arrival at the departure airport.

Qantas Passbook passes
Passes change color depending on the user’s frequent flyer status, and multiple passes can easily be stored on a single iPhone.
However, this isn’t all Qantas has in store for for its iPhone-equipped customers. As Australian Business Traveller notes:
A Qantas spokesperson says the airline is “working on further developments to the app which will enable live updates to the boarding passes. We expect that this extension will be in place by late January 2013.”
Passbook is really taking off, don’t you think?

Ericsson Sue's Samsung.

Samsung seems stuck in a sue sandwich. It is embroiled in patent litigation with Apple across the globe, and now Ericsson is coming after it, as well. On Tuesday, the mobile network infrastructure manufacturer sued Samsung for patent infringement, claiming that the company continues to use its mobile technology patents even though its licensing agreement has expired.
Ericsson said the suit follows two years of failed negotiations with Samsung, during which the South Korean company sought to significantly reduce the licensing fees it pays to license Ericsson’s IP under so-called fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) terms.
“Ericsson has tried long and hard to amicably come to an agreement with Samsung and to sign a license agreement on FRAND terms,” Ericsson’s chief intellectual property officer, Kasim Alfalahi, said in a statement. “We have turned to litigation as a last resort.”
Samsung, for its part, says that it would like to license Ericsson’s patents on FRAND terms, but that’s not what the company is offering. “Ericsson has demanded prohibitively higher royalty rates to renew the same patent portfolio,” Samsung said in a statement of its own. “As we cannot accept such extreme demands, we will take all necessary legal measures to protect against Ericsson’s excessive claims.”
Better get those ready, Samsung, because Ericsson isn’t messing around here. It alleges that Samsung has sold “hundreds of millions” of unlicensed devices since the expiration of its previous agreement, and it’s seeking damages on all of them, as well as an injunction against the infringing products themselves.

Microsoft: Windows Phone 8 reboot fix. You'll have to wait till December.

Tired of your Windows Phone 8 doing random reboots? Microsoft is taking it's sweet time to fix the problem. According to a statement (below), an over-the-air fix is on the way sometime in December, reports All Things D. In the meantime, if you have a really bad case of the reboots, there isn’t much you can do other than bring your phone back to the store and try and arrange a swap. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear more.

Nintendo Wii U Sold out at launch

Nintendo sold more than 1 million hardware units over the last week.
On the portable side, Nintendo sold more than 500,000 hardware units, including 250,000 3DS and 275,000 DS devices. Fils-Aime explained to CNET that the DS outsold the 3DS because of the "significant" deals retailers were offering on Black Friday.
Still, according to Fils-Aime, the 3DS "continues on record-setting pace" selling through more than 6 million units during its first 21 months on store shelves. During the same period, the original DS had about 1 million fewer sales.
The big story, however, is the Wii U, which launched on November 18. Fils-Aime explained to CNET that the Wii U's sales figures during the last week were essentially capped by the company's ability to get units to store shelves.
"Wii U is essentially sold out of retail and we are doing our best to continually replenish stock," Fils-Aime said. "Retailers are also doing their best to get the product to store shelves. But as soon as product hits retail, they're selling out immediately."
Shortages are certainly nothing new to those who tried to get their hands on the Wii after its launch in 2006. Each week, shipments would trickle in to local retailers, and consumers would stand on line hoping enough units were available for them to get a unit. Web sites were even created to give customers hints on where they could find a Wii. Fils-Aime doesn't necessarily expect a repeat with the Wii U.
"Wii was a unique phenomenon," Fils-Aime said. "You couldn't walk into a retailer and buy a Wii until spring of 2009. We've certainly learned many lessons from that and we are replenishing retailers more quickly this time around. We are looking to have as much product into retail as possible. It's driven by consumer response."

Barclays Bank rolling out 8,500 iPads!

Apples iPad is selling hot, UK based bank, Barclay’s has ordered a whopping 8,500 iPads to roll out across its branches in the UK. The order is believed to signify one of the largest roll outs of iPads in the UK finance sector according to The Channel.
A PR mouthpiece at Barclays told us that staff had demanded the reassuringly expensive pad over any other shiny devices - clearly there are a lot of fanbois in the bank's ranks.
She said the device will be used "to assist our branch colleagues to interact with customers, improving the customer experience".
"We investigated a number of different tablet options and in this instance, we concluded that iPads were the best solution for their specific needs. We are now starting to use these across Barclays branches in the UK," she said.
Barclay’s did not specify which model of iPad that it had ordered but if you based the purchase on the iPad 2 16GB model, you are looking at an order worth nearly £2.8 million or $4.4 million. Of course we expect that Barclay’s got a bit of discount for the size of that particular order.
The continuing use of iPads in the business sector must be a real blow to Microsoft who have always dominated the business world when it comes to computing. The just released Microsoft Surface may have been suitable for Barclay’s needs on the hardware side however the software side still has a long way to go before it could be considered a useful tool for business. We will have to see how that develops in the future.

Google Forgot About December

SOFTWARE
By Richard Devine  | Nov 18 2012 | 7:58 am  | 16 COMMENTS

With new versions released of Android, there's bound to be a few little bugs hidden within. While Google will test, test and test again, there's always likely to be something that slips the net, many of which most users never come across. What we find in Android 4.2 however, definitely belongs on some kind of blooper reel. They forgot December. 
Google Calendar is unaffected, so we're all good on that front. But, when adding events to profiles within your People application, there is no option to add dates in December. Loved ones birthdays, Christmas, New Years Eve, all don't exist, at least in this part of Android 4.2 anyway. If nothing else, it's pretty embarrassing. The issue has been reported to the Android bug tracker, and we can imagine that a fix will be rolled out in the not too distant future.

Windows Phone 8 Suffering Random Reboots and Battery Issues

Windows Phone 8 users are starting to report early issues across HTC and Nokia handsets. In a thread over at WPCentral with 143 replies, a variety of HTC 8X users report that handsets randomly reboot while in use. A thread on Microsoft's own support forums has also gained 50 replies complaining about the issues. The Verge can confirm that an 8X we are testing has rebooted on more than one occasion.
Nokia Lumia 920 users are also reporting random reboots and freezes, with some complaining of poor battery life too. In a thread on Nokia's support forums, a number of users appear to be complaining of lock ups and resets with the Lumia 920. Battery life issues have led to some users wiping their devices in hope of a quick fix, unfortunately that seems to have resulted in some devices left stuck on a Nokia splash screen. In our own experience with several Windows Phone 8 devices, we've found that disabling the tap + send (NFC) feature results in improved battery life. We have reached out to Microsoft, HTC, and Nokia to discuss the issues and we'll update you accordingly.

HTC Droid DNA Looks Like An Amazing Smartphone

HTC and Verizon have just announced the Droid DNA, a 5-inch sporting an incredible 1080p Super LCD3 display. Powering those pixels is the capable Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC, familiar to us as the APQ8064 with 4 Krait cores running at 1.5GHz and last seen in the Nexus 4. For modem, the Droid DNA is using MDM9615 which makes this HTC's first Qualcomm Fusion 3 based device. The Droid DNA also includes ImageChip and the usual ImageSense features, and brings the 2.1 MP F/2.0 camera we saw on the HTC 8X as well. There's 2 GB of RAM onboard as well.
The style of the phone alludes to its Incredible forebears, but only in the bright red accents. The design is sleeker, with a smooth back and thin profile. On the long edges of the phone are large red grills, though stereo speakers are not in order. What is available to audiophiles, is a 2.55v built-in headphone amp, not a common find in a smartphone but something that will go a long way to improving the listening experience. 
Wireless charging is also being introduced to the Droid line for the first time. It's unclear whether this will be  on the increasingly common Qi standard, but if Brian's growing enthusiasm for the technology is any indication, this could be a popular feature. 
As is the norm, the HTC Droid DNA will be available on-contract for $199, and pre-orders start today with shipments expected by November 21st. We'll be hands-on shortly, and give some impressions of the device. 

Samsung Tech Going For Flexible Screens.

The Wall Street Jounall is reporting Samsung is heavily invested in flexible screens.
Samsung's display unit, Samsung Display Co., is in the last phase of development of flexible displays for mobile devices, which are expected to be released in the first half of next year, a person familiar with the situation said.
It is still unclear when devices using the technology will be available commercially, and Samsung declined to comment on how much it is investing in the displays.
Samsung Group's flagship company, Samsung Electronics Co 005930.SE -1.70% ., which makes products as diverse as semiconductors, television sets and smartphones, combined its liquid-crystal-display operations with its organic light-emitting diode joint venture, Samsung Mobile Display, earlier this year and turned it into Samsung Display.
The move to mass produce flexible displays comes as global smartphone and tablet makers look to differentiate their products to boost their profit margins and market share in the fast-growing markets.
Samsung's flexible displays will incorporate OLEDs, a display technology that the South Korean company is already using in its smartphones and television sets.
OLEDs are thin and can be put on flexible material such as plastic or metal foil. By using plastic rather than glass, they make the displays more durable and light. Flexible OLEDs have been in the development phase for many years, and companies including Sony Corp. 6758.TO -10.69% of Japan and LG Display Co. 034220.SE -1.71% of South Korea also have launched prototypes. However, manufacturers haven't been able to commercialize them or use them in devices due to technological barriers in mass production. Samsung hopes it will be first to bring the product to the market.
Samsung's push has taken on more urgency, because other display makers are also moving to introduce different screen technologies for cellphones and tablets. Sharp Corp. 6753.TO +2.63% of Japan and LG Display are already selling liquid-crystal displays with technology used for the screens of Apple Inc.'s AAPL -0.43% iPhone 5. The "in cell" technology makes the smartphone's screen thinner by integrating touch sensors into the liquid crystal display, eliminating the need for a separate touch-screen layer.
Samsung is able to invest heavily in the display business despite a supply glut of panels as its profits are soaring. In the third quarter, Samsung Electronics' net profit surged 91% from a year earlier to about $6 billion.
The vice president of Samsung's display unit, Lee Chang-hoon, said the company is currently sampling the displays with a few customers. Mr. Lee said the release date of a new product based on flexible displays hasn't been determined yet.
"The key reason for Samsung to use plastic rather than conventional glass is to produce displays that aren't breakable. The technology could also help lower manufacturing costs and help differentiate its products from other rivals," said Lee Seung-chul, an analyst at Shinyoung Securities.
Samsung's success isn't guaranteed, however.
Sony said it has been researching the technology since 2002, though a spokesman for the company said Monday that it can't comment on when flexible displays will be mass-produced or commercialized. Two years ago, Sony showcased a 4.1-inch flexible OLED display.
"Samsung is still busy making the original glass-type displays for its latest Galaxy S III smartphones and Galaxy Note II devices, so profit-wise the new displays don't seem to be that attractive," said Julius Kim, an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities.

Microsoft DirectX 11.1 is Windows 8 Only!

We hope there weren't too many PC gamers clinging to Windows 7 for dear life, because Microsoft isn't about to rescue them with a near-term DirectX update. The company's Daniel Moth (and supporting documentation) states that DirectX 11.1 is exclusive "for all practical purposes" to Windows 8-based platforms, including Windows RT and Windows Server 2012 -- you can't leap forward in media support without a full-on OS switch. None of the changes are large enough to trigger any immediate envy outside of the occasional fan of 3D glasses, but they could pose problems for conservative gamers in the long run if games and other visually intensive titles start demanding 11.1 as a baseline. There's no known plans to port the code back or release a harmonizing version, either. We can at least take comfort in knowing that Windows 8 upgrades are cheap enough to be low-hanging fruit for all but the most Metrophobic.

Nokia "Here" Mapping System, it's cross platform.

Nokia plans an ambitious expansion of its mapping and location-based services platform beyond its own smartphones to competing devices running OSes other than Windows Phone 8, it said Tuesday.
The move is being backed with the acquisition by Nokia of Earthmine, a California-based provider of street-level 3D imaging data, and will see Nokia going head-to-head with Google, Apple, and dedicated mapping companies like TomTom.
"We want to give everyone with any type of device to ability to use this, the best location platform in the industry," said Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia, speaking at an event in San Francisco.
Nokia will use the "Here" brand name across its location platform.
The company hopes that by expanding its platform beyond its own handsets, it will benefit from the greater scale of the service and in turn make its own service better.
Nokia's platform includes mapping and satellite data, 75 million searchable points of interest, car and foot navigation data, and public transport information.
Already mapping
Nokia has already taken some steps towards opening up its mapping database. It has worked with car navigation system makers and other IT companies including Amazon and Oracle to license its maps, said Elop.
"We will do much, much more of this," he said.
As a first step, Nokia will launch on Apple's iOS in the coming weeks, said Michael Halbherr, head of Nokia's location and commerce division. The iOS version will be based on HTML5 but will appear to users like a native application, he said. It will offer maps, navigation, live traffic, public transport information and more.
Nokia has already submitted it to Apple's App Store, where the company plans to offer it for free.
The iOS version will offer turn-by-turn navigation for pedestrians but not for car drivers.
"When we look at turn-by-turn, we look at it in a different way," said Thom Brenner, vice president of Nokia's location and commerce business, in an interview. "Safety is very important and we don't think HTML5 is good enough for what we want."
Brenner didn't say if Nokia was developing a native iOS app.
A Here SDK (software development kit) for Android will be available in the first quarter of 2013. That will allow developers to embed Here Maps and make use of Nokia's location information in their own applications.
However, while software makers will be able to develop Android apps that make use of the location services, the services will only be available on handsets from companies with which Nokia has a licensing agreement, said Brenner.

That means Nokia's platform will only expand to Android devices if other handset makers—the company's rivals in the competitive smartphone market—license the technology.
Nokia will also work with Mozilla to bring a Here Maps app to the Firefox OS.
"People today already own multiple connected devices, so to have a proper solution for the consumer we need to make sure it works everywhere," said Halbherr.

Nokia Here map creator
Internet users can check out Nokia's new platform by looking at here.com, a freshly launched website that offers maps, satellite images and data on landmarks and shops. In a demonstration, Nokia showed a map of San Francisco that included 3D buildings and allowed the user to zoom and rotate the map in a similar fashion to Google Earth.
A mobile version of the site is available for cellphones.
Nokia also said it will open up the augmented reality platform used in its Nokia City Lens software. Called LiveSight, the data and software engine allows cellphone users to hold up their phones to see a live view of the world around them through the phone's camera with locations marked and overlaid on the image.

Steven Sinofsky Is Leaving Microsoft

In shock news Steven Sinofsky, the President of the Windows Division at Microsoft, is out. Sinofsky is leaving amidst "growing tension between him and other top executives". He was once seen as the heir apparent at Microsoft, someone who could possibly become CEO.
Seeing Sinofsky's successful track record at Microsoft this is very surprising and news that absolutely stains the launch of Windows 8. Having the guy in charge of Windows 8 leave Microsoft, near the launch date of Microsoft's most important product? Not. Good. AllThingsD likens the move to Apple firing Scott Forstall:
Sinofsky, though seen as highly talented, was viewed at the top levels as not the kind of team player that the company was looking for.
Sinofsky previously worked in the Office division at Microsoft but took over as President of the Windows division after the embarrassing bungling of Windows Vista. He fixed it with Windows 7 and Windows 8. Sinofsky even had a hand of creating Outlook.com and Skydrive and was a big champion of Surface. Meaning: his resume at Microsoft was pretty fantastic and whatever happened behind the scenes had to be really serious for Microsoft to part ways with his talent.
Microsoft is saying that Julie Larson-Green will now lead all Windows software and hardware engineering and that Tami Reller, the CFO at Microsoft, will assume responsibility for the business of Windows. In a letter to Microsoft employees about the news of Sinofsky leaving, Ballmer says:
As we enter this new era, and with the successful launch of Windows 8 and Surface behind us, Steven Sinofsky has decided to leave the company. Steven joined Microsoft in 1989 as a software development engineer and has contributed to the company in many ways from his work as a technical advisor to Bill Gates, to leading the evolution of the Microsoft Office business, to his direction and successful leadership of Windows and Windows Live as well as Surface. I am grateful for the work that Steven has delivered in his time at our company.

More Microsoft Surface (Tablet) Problems.

There is more issues with Microsofts first crop of Tablets The Surface RT Models
Reports have been rolling into Microsoft with Splits appearing on the Keyboards and Audio issues. The company is investigating the problems, but has not yet confirmed it is able to reproduce them. A report in The Guardian notes that Touch Cover users are reporting some hardware issues too. A number of users have spotted that the Touch Cover edge appears to be fraying, exposing the wiring of the cover. we have seen units with the defect and Microsoft is shipping a replacement free of charge to affected users. A Microsoft support person admitted that the company is dealing with "a lot" of Touch Cover returns.The audio stuttering is another issue and will hopefully be sorted with a firmware update well have to see.

WIndows RT Tablets Windows 8 Serious Vulnerabilities..

It's been less than a month since Windows 8 and Windows RT-powered Surface tablets were launched and went on sale, but Microsoft is already warning that the two next-generation operating systems contain critical security vulnerabilities that are due to be patched this coming Tuesday.
Among the various flaws, versions from Windows XP (Service Pack 3) all the way through to Windows 8 are affected, including versions of the Office suite, and versions of Windows Server. Released only in September, Windows Server 2012 requires patching to maintain maximum security.
The latest vulnerabilities include three critical security vulnerabilities for Windows 8, and one critical security vulnerability for the Surface-based Windows RT operating system. These flaws are considered "critical" and could allow remote code execution on vulnerable systems. 




Among the flaws, a few patches will be delivered for Internet Explorer that will fix a flaw that allows drive-by attacks on vulnerable systems, such as if the user visits a malicious Web page through the browser. Older versions of Internet Explorer, versions IE6, IE7 and IE8, which run on Windows XP, will not be patched. 
The latest version of Internet Explorer 10, exclusive to Windows 8 and Windows RT machines, contains no vulnerabilities that Microsoft is yet aware of.
For Office, where a machine could allow remote code execution if a user opens a malicious Office document. Rated as "important," it requires user intervention -- in this case, the code can only run if the user opens up the document.
In all, the six patches will fix 19 vulnerabilities, and will be released through the usual channels in the coming days -- on so-called "Patch Tuesday."

Microsoft Office coming to Android and IOS Devices next year

Microsoft's Office for iPad, iPhone, and Android is a reality. Although Office Mobile has been rumored and reportedly spotted in the wild, Microsoft has remained persistently quiet about its plans for the product. The Verge has learned through several sources close to Microsoft's plans that the company will release Office versions for Android and iOS in early 2013.

Office Mobile will debut in the form of free apps that allow Android and iOS users to view Microsoft Office documents on the move. Like the existing SkyDrive and OneNote apps, Office Mobile will require a Microsoft account. On first launch, a Microsoft account will provide access to the basic viewing functionality in the apps. Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents will all be supported, and edit functionality can be enabled with an Office 365 subscription.
Microsoft will allow iOS users to purchase an Office 365 subscription within the app, or let organizations distribute codes to enable Office Mobile editing for users. The apps will allow for basic editing, but we're told this won't go very far in attempting to replace regular full use of a desktop Office version.

A recent Microsoft press release from the company's Czech Republic subsidiary revealed that Office Mobile apps for Android and iOS would be made available from March 2013. We understand that Office Mobile for iOS will arrive first in late February or early March, with an Android version due in May.
We reached out to Microsoft for comment on this story and a company spokesperson says "Office will work across Windows Phone, iOS and Android."

Windows 8 Activation Cracked By Pirates.

Pirates have cracked Windows 8 Activation system in spitete of Microsoft lowering upgrade prices. It seems no matter how cheap it gets there still will be users wanting to get things for free, and for them their will always be a hack or crack to bypass copy protection and activation procedures.
Unlike Windows 7 doing an activation crack on Microsoft Windows 8 is much harder as the operating-system features newer technology to detect and protect illegal activations. Like every other software out there pirates always find a way to beat the protection allowing mass pirating, and once again this has been done for Microsoft Windows 8.
The KMS Activator for Windows 8 is still the prominent method to crack Windows 8 and use it illegally, another variant of the same method seems to be out now as Windows.8.Activator.K.G.v1.11.2012-Genial7
which not only hactivates but also changes some files to make your computer look activated on all relevant screens.

Now, while pirates can activate and use illegal copies of windows 8 - it should be noted that these are not real cracks and work by exploiting the genuine Microsoft KMS activation service aimed for volume licensing. KMS activation method allows copies to Microsoft software's to be activated in bulk legally for 180 days. Similar to KMS activator crack for Windows 8 this new hactivation utility performs the same KMS activations (using an illegal or unauthorized server) which works by installing a service which autoruns on 179/180the day of hactivation to reactivate without user knowing about it. The only additional job done by this new utility is to change some files and make Windows 8 cosmetically report that it is fully activated hiding the real status of 180 days KMS activation.

Apple drops to 50.4% tablet market share BUT then it sells 3 Million iPads in 2 Days!

Update: To throw a spanner in the works Apple announces 3 Million iPads in 2 days quick someone re calculate!
Apple’s iPad sits at 50.4 percent market share in the third quarter of 2012, which saw a total of 27.8 million total units (update that by 3 Million) shipped worldwide. Rounding out the top three tablet manufacturers were Samsung at 18.4 percent and Amazon at 9.0 percent, both pushing ahead with their Android tablet offerings.
It’s important to underline that we’re talking about shipments not sales here. Keeping that in mind, the latest estimates come from IDC, which summarized its findings in the following chart:

The tablet market grew 49.5 percent year-over-year, but only 6.7 percent when compared with the second quarter of 2012. Android shipments, led by Samsung and Amazon, surged during the quarter, at the expense of iPad’s market share.
Apple lost 9.3 percentage points between last quarter and the third quarter last year, or put another way, 15.1 percentage points when compared to its market share in the second quarter of this year (65.5 percent). Still, at 50.4 percent, the company commanded over half of the tablet shipments last quarter. It’s worth noting that Apple’s share could translate to a higher return since it’s the only company that reports actual sales, not just shipments. On the flipside, Apple’s drop translated into the remaining top five tablet vendors gaining share during last quarter.
Samsung did the best, thanks to its Galaxy Tab and Note 10.1 products. The Korean company shipped 5.1 million tablets worldwide in the third quarter of 2012, gaining 11.9 percentage points year-over-year.
Amazon, which did not have a tablet in the third quarter of last year, gained 4.2 percentage points from the second quarter of 2012. The company announced new 7-inch and 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD tablets late in the quarter, and began shipping the new 7-inch HD version (in addition to a refreshed version of the original 7-inch Fire) in mid-September. It’s worth noting that Amazon only shipped its new offerings in the US last quarter, although it expanded to five additional countries this quarter.
The top five tablet manufacturers list was rounded out by Asus and Lenovo. Asus’ growth was backed by strong shipments of its Google-branded Nexus 7 device, which allowed it to gain 4.8 percentage points year-over-year. Lenovo’s gains were driven by strong shipments in China, but it only managed to grab an additional 0.3 percentage points.
Android may have dominated smartphones last quarter, but iOS is still winning in the tablet space. Google’s platform is slowly cutting into Apple’s marketshare, however, and this trend doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. Will the iPad Mini save the day? We’ll see next quarter.

1 in 4 computers sold last quarter were tablets

IDC reported that 27.8 million tablets were sold worldwide in the third quarter of 2012 with Apple holding the majority even as other vendors, such as Samsung and Amazon, are catching up. But that’s not the story: Tablet sales have already approached nearly 25 percent of PC sales. As computer sales are in decline, sales of tablets rose 49.5 percent from the same quarter in the prior year. That’s more bad news for traditional computer makers.
To get a feel for the tablet vs PC market, I again looked to IDC for data on computer sales. Last month, it reported a total of 87.7 million personal computers were sold in the third quarter of this year; down 8.6 percent from the year ago quarter. That’s not a favorable trend, considering tablet sales grew nearly 50 percent in the past year. If you were to ignore the smartphone for this exercise — which has surpasses sales of the PC early this year — and do a quick calculation of the total tablets and PCs sold, 24 percent of the 115.5 “computers” were tablets in the last quarter.

Bear in mind that the existing tablet market only began in 2010 with the first iPad. In just three calendar years then, tablets have captured nearly a quarter of the PC market if you lump these devices together. One could argue that these shouldn’t be put together, but I’d disagree. In fact, I did just that in February, with a GigaOm Pro report (subscription required) explaining why the “PC” you buy in three years won’t be a PC but would instead be a tablet. And I’m not the only one seeing the trend: In August, Om pointed out that HP and Dell are on the road to nowhere as both companies missed out on the shift to mobile devices. Add analyst Horace Dediu to the list as well: He suggests tablets will outsell PCs by the fall of 2013.
As I’ve reiterated before with similar posts, I’m not declaring the PC “dead” by any means. There are still numerous use cases where a traditional computer is the best tool for the task. There will be for some years, if not decades, to come.
However, in this new mobile era, there are a growing number of people that simply don’t need a PC any longer. The smartphone with its ubiquitous connectivity and ability to fit in a pocket makes it a Swiss Army knife of applications on the go. And when you need a larger screen to more comfortably create or consume content, the tablet is filling the role of a PC more and more. Still not convinced? Wait for this holiday season and see which market grew more or had blow-out sales: tablets or PCs. My money is on the tablet, just as it has been for the past few years.

Windows Surface 32GB Tablets are only really 16GB.

When the Surface’s pricing and storage options were announced, it received praise coming with, at minimum, 32 gigabytes of internal storage. That’s twice what the low-cost, full-size, and current-model iPad sports, it was noted. However, once you nickel and dime your way through the amount of stuff Microsoft has installed on the device, you end up with a flat 16 gigabytes of open space.
How did that happen. Happily, Microsoft has compiled a chart. Here’s where all your space went:

Now, we could fire up our humor engine and crack a few fat jokes, but let’s avoid comedy for the moment.
Microsoft appears to have lied, at least accidentally. During its AMA session on Reddit, as reported by TNW at the time, the company made a very different promise in regards to storage space on the Surface:
How much space will you have left after Windows RT is installed on a 32GB RT model? – “After the OS, OfficeRT and a bunch of apps, you will still have more than 20GB. As you say, you can always add an SD card and while you cannot add apps there, you can get music, movies and photos there.”
20, as you will note, is more than 16. In fact, it’s 25% more, which is non-trivial in this case.
Chewing through 16 gigabytes is certainly a big deal, in that for most consumers, disk space is their primary storage method. Sure, with SkyDrive you have another 7 gigabytes in the sky, and the Surface can take externally added SD memory, but those are options that most consumers, I presume, will use far less frequently than internal, normal storage space.
Thus, the Surface is less usable, as the 32 gigabyte model only provides half that space to its user. TNW has asked Microsoft to comment on the discrepancy in its reported storage information. This post will be updated when we hear back.
For now, don’t expect to be dropping too many high-def films onto your new Surface.

Android Malware Up Massively.

Security firm F-Secure’s latest mobile threat report (for Q3) reports “a whopping 51,447 unique samples” detected in the third quarter, up from 5,033 in Q2 and 3,063 in Q1. The majority of the new Android malware detected by F-Secure in Q3 are designed to “generate profit from SMS sending activities or by harvesting information found on the infected device”, it notes — whereas earlier this year driveby malware was the most prolific. Commenting on Android’s security situation last month, a Google spokesman told me: “We are committed to providing a secure experience for consumers in Google Play.” Mountain View claims its data on Android malware shows a 40 percent decrease in “the number of potentially-malicious downloads from Google Play” between the first and second halves of 2011.
Google takes various measured to tackle malware. Earlier this year, when it introduced its app store scanning system — codenamed Bouncer – Hiroshi Lockheimer, VP of Engineering, Android  explained how it worked in a blog post
The service performs a set of analyses on new applications, applications already in Android Market, and developer accounts. Here’s how it works: once an application is uploaded, the service immediately starts analyzing it for known malware, spyware and trojans. It also looks for behaviors that indicate an application might be misbehaving, and compares it against previously analyzed apps to detect possible red flags. We actually run every application on Google’s cloud infrastructure and simulate how it will run on an Android device to look for hidden, malicious behavior. We also analyze new developer accounts to help prevent malicious and repeat-offending developers from coming back.
In addition to scanning for malicious code, Google’s security approach includes Content policies that Android developers must adhere to — also tightened up this summer — along with what it describes as “a multi-layered security model based on user permissions and application sandboxing”. Any apps that violate Google policies are pulled from Google Play — but of course that does not stop them being offered on third party app markets.
F-Secure notes that the release of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean included “a number of exploit mitigation features as part of an ongoing effort to improve security on the platform” (Engadget reported Jelly Bean adoption had reached 1.2 percent of Android phones and tablets as of September).
The Android malware identified by F-Secure is not broken down by app store source — so it’s not possible to determine what proportion comes from the Google Play store. “We can’t produce stats on the amount of malware from Google Play vs elsewhere as most of our samples come via anonymized sources,” Mikko Hypponen, F-Secure’s chief research officer, told TechCrunch.

The HTC 8X is the best Windows Phone Hands Down.

Theres a bunch of new Windows phone 8 phones to choose from but frankly there is the HTC Windows Phone 8X, and then there is everything else. This handset isn’t just better than the Windows Phone competition if you include all the other smartphones ranging from the Samsung Galaxy S3, iPhone 5's and what else you choose it's still better. The HTC 8X, is the only smart phone on the market that edges past the iPhone 5 in terms of sheer beauty. It’s better looking, and it feels better in the hand, while offering the same benefits of a thin and tall design. Since hardware design was the iPhone’s biggest advantage over previous Windows Phone handsets, this is a huge accomplishment.


Compared to other flagship Windows Phones, there’s no contest. The Lumia 920 is a honking beast of a machine that makes even the Lumia 900 look a bit tweenish by comparison. And the Samsung ATIV-S, despite a surprisingly thin form factor given the size of its screen, is plain looking. Not ugly. Just not interesting.


The HTC 8X comes in three brilliant colors— deep blue, red, and yellow—plus black, and as with the Lumia devices, the color isn’t painted on, it’s baked into the unibody design, and simply gorgeous looking. More to the point, it’s the opposite of the iPhone in hand-feel: Where Apple’s machine has harsh edges, the 8X is soft and wonderful.


Long-time readers know I’ve become somewhat obsessed about smart phone camera quality. I’ve been taking photos with this thing since Monday and the picture quality is superb, easily the best of any smart phone I’ve ever owned. An impromptu camera test pitting the 8X against an iPhone 5 on Tuesday was inconclusive: The shots were nearly identical, which I take as a good sign. But I’ll be doing a more detailed comparison of the cameras in the 8X, the iPhone 5 and the Lumia 920. You can stay tuned for that, but it doesn’t matter. The 8X’s 8 megapixel camera is absolutely good enough for me, and when you combine it with the form factor advantages, the argument is simply moot. The 8x is the best overall Windows Phone 8 handset. And the best smart phone, period.


HTC does include a handful of apps on the phone. One I find surprisingly useful is simply called HTC, and I use it primarily to glance at the time, since it features a wonderfully large clock display on its tile. But this app can also be used as the lock screen background, which I’m using too, and there it features the local weather, which is certainly useful too.
HTC also includes converter, flashlight, photo editing, and Yellow Pages, apps—nothing too exciting if you’re familiar with Nokia’s rich Lumia-only apps library—and of course you get the AT&T apps prebundled, most of which I uninstall.

From a tech specs perspective, the HTC 8X is fairly leading edge for a Windows Phone. It has a 4.3 inch screen with Gorilla Glass 2 running at 720p HD resolution (1280 x 720). It features a 1.5 GHz dual-core QUALCOMM processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of non-expandable internal storage, works with GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSPA/WCDMA networks, and comes with GPS, digital compass, proximity, and ambient light sensors.
The HTC 8X also includes a built-in amp, and using it each morning to listen to music and podcasts as I get ready for work, I’m stunned by how loud and clear the internal speaker sounds. But it also includes Beats Audio: Plug in headphones or speakers and crank it up, because it sounds fantastic. This is the best-sounding smart phone I’ve ever used.


Battery life has been on par with my Lumia 900 this week in heavy usage. And for once, this is real world usage: I’ve dragged this thing with me to four cities this week and really used the heck out of the device.
It’s not perfect. The HTC 8x lacks micro-SD expansion, and some may pine for that or at least more internal storage. The side-mounted hardware buttons—power, volume, and camera—are flush to the device and sometimes hard to press.
And … I’m pretty much grasping at straws here, trying to come up with something to criticize.
This phone is awesome. And once you see one in person, and hold it in your own hand, you’ll get it: Apple’s tired, repetitive hardware designs have finally met their match and the other Windows Phone handsets have been put to shame. The HTC Windows Phone 8X is the obvious choice. The only choice. And you’ll want one too.

FTC recommending US government sue Google

The Federal Trade Commission has reportedly recommended that the US government pursue legal remedies against Google for violating antitrust laws. The review sprung from fears that Google is demanding sales embargoes against products that use patents required to be licensed under fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory terms (FRAND) terms rather than engage in the required good-faith negotiations legally required by owners holding standards-essential patents.
Google and fully-owned subsidiary Motorola Mobile are embroiled in many suits with Apple and Microsoft among others, each alleging that their patents are being infringed by other companies, generally involving smartphone and tablet technology. In most cases, the suits request that infringing products be prevented from sale in or import to the US. FTC Chariman Jon Leibowitz said in the middle of September that he expected a decision in the investigation to be reached by the end of 2012. Google declined to discuss the report, claiming that "we take our commitments to license on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms very seriously."

When the Justice Department approved the Google acquisition of Motorola Mobility, and the Nortel Network patents by a group spearheaded by Apple and Microsoft, it said it would monitor for patent misuse by any of the companies. Apple and Microsoft pledged that they wouldn't prevent any FRAND licensing of standards-essential patents. Google promised the same, as long as good-faith negotiations for the patents were underway, but maintained the right to seek court relief if no agreement could be reached on licensing.

Critics argue that this exception has allowed Motorola (and by extension Google) to avoid negotiating in good faith and demand unreasonable terms. When negotiations fail, the company files suit and claims that potential licensees refuse reasonable terms.

Motorola has historically asked for 2.25 percent of the cost of an entire device that uses even one of its patents, and rather than a rate based on just the value of the patent. For example, the current requested rate for Microsoft's Xbox 360 is $4.50 of the $200 retail price per unit sold.

Previous demands for Windows' use of the H.264 patent asked for 2.25 percent of each PC sold, and not just the retail value of Windows. Conservative estimates by Microsoft have placed the amount they would owe for the video playback patent alone in the billions of dollars, assuming the average PC was conservatively worth $500. The rate Motorola demands is several orders of magnitude larger than the capped license fee maximum of $6.5 million per year demanded for the patent by the MPEG LA group.

Microsoft currently testing its own smartphone, says WSJ

Microsoft surprised the world earlier this year when it moved into producing its own computer hardware with the Surface, but the company's plans may not stop there. According to the Wall Street Journal's sources, Microsoft is currently testing a smartphone with Asian suppliers, although it's unclear whether or not the device will enter mass production. The phone reportedly has a screen size somewhere between four and five inches.
The Verge previously heard that while Microsoft was considering making its own flagship Windows Phone, such a device would be unlikely to see the light of day before the year is out. Indeed, Microsoft has gone out of its way to promote the efforts of hardware partners such as HTC and Nokia, and our sources tell us that any "Surface phone" would likely be deployed as a "Plan B" should Windows Phone 8 fail to gain significant traction. If the Journal's report is to be believed, however, this plan may be further along than previously thought.

Microsoft Sued Over Windows 8 Live Tiles Etc.

Microsoft surprised the world earlier this year when it moved into producing its own computer hardware with the Surface, but the company's plans may not stop there. According to the Wall Street Journal's sources, Microsoft is currently testing a smartphone with Asian suppliers, although it's unclear whether or not the device will enter mass production. The phone reportedly has a screen size somewhere between four and five inches.
The Verge previously heard that while Microsoft was considering making its own flagship Windows Phone, such a device would be unlikely to see the light of day before the year is out. Indeed, Microsoft has gone out of its way to promote the efforts of hardware partners such as HTC and Nokia, and our sources tell us that any "Surface phone" would likely be deployed as a "Plan B" should Windows Phone 8 fail to gain significant traction. If the Journal's report is to be believed, however, this plan may be further along than previously thought.

Tablets, Tablets Everywhere, Headless Chooks and the iPad mini reviewed.

Tablets Tablets Everywhere. Whether it's one of a huge choice of Android units, a New Windows RT, a soon to be Windows Surface Pro, or the new iPad Mini there seems to be Manufacturers running about like headless chooks trying to get mind and money share in the Tablet space. Lets face it Tablets are in no way new but the old ones pre the original iPad really sucked. They just where computer OS's stuffed into a touch interface and it came out clunky in both hardware and OS design and use. Well thats obviously changed a lot and consumers have a lot more choice these days and the clunkiness of tablets has dropped drastically though that not completely gone away… yet. SO whats new?




The iPad mini has arrived — and so has our review. Just last week, Apple introduced the world to the newest member of its wildly successful tablet line, an adorable, diminutive slate with a 7.9-inch display. It even had an adorable ad to show along with it: an iPad mini joining in with a full-sized iPad to play "Heart and Soul" on the piano.
But to think of the iPad mini as a companion to the 3rd or 4th generation iPad — some kind of secondary player to the bigger version — would probably be a mistake. With a price tag starting at $329 and heading all the way up to $659 (with LTE and 64GB of storage), this isn't really a step down from the existing iPad (well, the iPad 2 at least) as much as it is a step to the side. At least, that's the impression I get. Want a big iPad that isn't too expensive? Get the 2nd gen one. Want one that you can throw in a bag or keep on the nightstand? Get the iPad mini. You fly business class and work in photography? Let me point you in the direction of the new 4th generation model.
But regardless of market positioning, the iPad mini has to be viewed in a world with a $199 Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD — two strong performers that are a far cry, at least in price, from the iPad mini. Even though Apple might want consumers to see these as separate product categories, consumers may only see that $129 gulf.
On the other hand, Apple has a lot to fill that gulf, including the absolute best software ecosystem for tablets on the planet right now. But is the iPad mini worth the stretch, or would you be smarter to save the cash and saddle up to another device?
Moments after I held the iPad mini at Apple's event in San Jose, I hurriedly wrote that it made other tablets in this class feel like toys. Perhaps I was a bit hard on the competition in the heat of the moment, but I will say that there isn't a single product in the 7-inch tablet market that comes close to the look, feel, or build quality of the new iPad. It is absolutely gorgeous to see, and in your hand has the reassuring solidness of a product that's built to last.
If the iPhone 5 is reminiscent of jewelry, the iPad mini is like a solidly made watch.
In fact, the iPhone 5 and the mini have a lot in common. They both share a metal housing (in silver or black) that's lean and smooth, with that reflective, chamfered edge that runs around the border of the display. The iPad mini's paint job is similar to the iPhone's, but smoother, and on the black version I tested has a glint of blue and purple to it in certain light. It looks dangerous, and it feels great.
It looks dangerous, and it feels great


The iPad mini's design stands above the competition
All of the standard iPad button and switch placement is intact here, save for the move of the speaker grille to the bottom of the device (it's been around back for iPads previous to this version), along with the new Lightning port. And that's a good-sounding set of stereo speakers, by the way. You'll find separate volume buttons on the right side beneath the mute / rotation lock toggle, and the power / sleep button on the top, just as expected. The front of the device is all glass, save for an HD camera in the center of the top bezel (as you hold it in portrait) and the home button on the bottom. There's also a 5-megapixel camera on the back.
Though the iPad mini sports a slightly larger display than other devices in this class, its profile feels extremely lean. Sometimes too lean. The device weighs just 0.68 pounds, and it's only 0.28 inches thick (noticeably thinner than the Nexus 7's 0.41 inches or Fire HD's 0.4 inches). I actually had a little trouble holding onto the device when I wasn't using the Smart Cover due to the back being as smooth as it is, and the frame being so thin. Maybe it's just my big hands, but I wanted a little more to grab onto. In that regard, I prefer the feel of the Nexus 7.
That problem was exacerbated by how wide the device feels in your hand, as well as the lack of a significant bezel around the left and right of the screen in portrait. Maybe it's just old habit, but I didn't feel completely comfortable putting my thumb over the screen itself. Apple has apparently included some new palm rejection logic in the iPad mini's version of iOS which wards off unwanted touches, and it did seem to work. It may have caused other issues, however, which I'll touch on in the software section.
Minor quibbles aside, the iPad mini stands head and shoulders above the competition in terms of design, the caliber of its components, and the solidness of how it's been built. But it also has another quality, one that's nearly as important: the device has personality. I've started to think of it as a constant companion — small enough to throw in a bag or carry around the house. There's something endearing about the mini that makes you want to keep it on-hand and use it often. It's a feeling the larger iPad never elicited in me.
Specs and cameras

Inside the mini, you'll find specs essentially identical to the iPad 2, save for a few alterations. The system is built atop the two-generations-old A5 CPU, appears to sport a dangerously tiny 512MB of RAM, and ships in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB storage capacities (I tested the 64GB, Wi-Fi-only version). All the requisite radios are here too: Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, and eventually you'll be able to buy a version with CDMA, GSM, and LTE cellular options. As you would expect, a light sensor, accelerometer, and gyroscope are here as well. It really is a mini version of the iPad 2, except for the cameras, which are significantly improved.
As you may know, I'm not a fan of people taking photos with tablets. Just as with previous models I've tested, I find the act to be not only awkward, but embarrassing as well. The slightly more diminutive size of the iPad mini does make the experience slightly better, and its 5 megapixel backside camera is actually not terrible for general shots. In fact, its color tone and low light performance was better than what I've seen on many newer smartphones. It was sometimes difficult to get a clean image due to shakiness, but that has more to do with the odd physicality of taking a photo with a tablet than it does with the actual camera.
The front-facing FaceTime HD camera is fine for video chatting (and I think is a lot more comfortable than chatting with the full size iPad), but won't be useful for anything more than that.
Display
There's no question that the screen does look lower-r
Much has been made about the display on the iPad mini. The IPS screen measures 7.9 inches diagonally, and is 1024 x 768 in resolution. For those keeping count, it's the same resolution as the original iPad. That makes for a pixel density of 163 ppi, which as you might guess doesn't seem too terrific next to devices like the Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD (each 216 ppi), Nook Color HD (243 ppi), or the big daddy 4th generation iPad (264 ppi). It's also much lower in pixel density than pretty much any smartphone on the market right now.
But how does it look? Well for starters, it's a really good looking display in general terms. Apple is using the same treatment here as it does on the iPhone 5 and iPad, and it makes for a crystal-clear screen that seems to hover just a tiny bit beneath glass. Colors are vibrant and blacks are deep, and games, photos, and video look terrific.
That's only half the story, however. There's no question that to the naked eye this screen does look lower in resolution than its nearest competition. Pixels are noticeable, especially in webpages, books, and when viewing email — and that can be distracting sometimes. Since Apple is the company that's gotten our eyes used to the hey-look-no-pixels trick of the Retina display, it's hard to take a step back and not notice. I don't think the lower resolution is a deal-breaker in this product, but it is a compromise you have to be aware of. It simply doesn't look as clear as other products on the market.

Software, battery
Software, performance, battery
Its app selection is an embarrassment of riches


The biggest change in the software on the iPad mini that you need to be aware of is... everything is smaller. 99 out of 100 times while using it, this wasn't an issue, but it did take some getting used to in places. For instance, because the screen real estate is so much larger than an iPhone but icons are now roughly iPhone size, apps with lots of navigational elements can be a little less intuitive to navigate. Furthermore, the keyboard size feels altered — most notably in portrait — and the keys don't seem tall enough for my fingers. On the other hand, the mini makes landscape typing a lot easier.
Supposedly, the software on the mini has been tweaked to reject unwanted touches on the sides of the display, and during my testing it did seem to keep my thumb from making accidental moves in apps. The flip side to that, however, is that it sometimes seems to overcompensate and reject touches you intended — meaning that sometimes apps don't respond the way you want. It wasn't a huge problem, but it could be annoying at times, so I hope that Apple makes some effort to fine-tune this in future updates.
Other than that, iOS on the iPad mini is exactly the same as the software on a regular iPad. That's it. The end. Fin.
I'm not going to go into great detail about iOS 6 since we've already seen it on other products (and in fact have a review of it right here). What I will say is that the fact that is for all intents and purposes a regular iPad makes it easily the most attractive tablet in this size range when it comes to software.
It's easy to become used to how vast and impressive the library is for the iPad, but using the mini reminded me of just how right Apple got this part of their ecosystem. Compared to the Nexus 7 or the Fire HD... well, there is no comparison. The iPad's app selection is an embarrassment of riches, and using apps like the powerful Paper or GarageBand, or playing games like the incredibly fun PunchQuest or Letterpress really makes a tremendous case for why a consumer might spend that extra $129.
Performance on the device was expectedly snappy. I didn't see any weirdness, stuttering, or lag that would cause alarm, though some heavier apps and games took noticeably longer to load up than they do on the new 4th generation (or even 3rd generation) iPad. I think for the time being, the mini can handle what developers are throwing at it just fine — but I do have my concerns about the shelf life of this product considering how much older its internals are. Given Apple's habit of rapid-fire obsolescing of products, your timeline for the mini may be shorter than you expect.
Battery life was — not surprisingly — everything Apple claimed it would be. On the tablets more than on any other product the company makes, it seems to be hitting its targets on longevity. I spent some pretty heavy days in mixed use (intermittent sessions of email, web browsing, Twitter, IRC, game playing, music, and video playback), and didn't have to worry about charging until the about the middle or evening the next day. Overall, I was more than satisfied with the iPad mini's battery performance.
I didn't have to worry about charging

GOOD STUFF
Fantastic design and build quality
Software selection second to none
Great battery life
BAD STUFF
Screen is lower resolution than the competition
Can sometimes be a little awkward to hold
Expensive
APPLE RAISES THE BAR YET AGAIN

The iPad mini is an excellent tablet — but it's not a very cheap one. Whether that's by design, or due to market forces beyond Apple's control, I can't say for sure. I can't think of another company that cares as much about how its products are designed and built — or one that knows how to maximize a supply chain as skillfully — so something tells me it's no accident that this tablet isn't selling for $200. It doesn't feel like Apple is racing to some lowest-price bottom — rather it seems to be trying to raise the floor.
And it does raise the floor here. There's no tablet in this size range that's as beautifully constructed, works as flawlessly, or has such an incredible software selection. Would I prefer a higher-res display? Certainly. Would I trade it for the app selection or hardware design? For the consistency and smoothness of its software, or reliability of its battery? Absolutely not. And as someone who's been living with (and loving) Google's Nexus 7 tablet for a few months, I don't say that lightly.
The iPad mini hasn't wrapped up the "cheapest tablet" market by any stretch of the imagination. But the "best small tablet" market? Consider it captured.