Google to Release New 'Nexus' Phone - Wall Street Journal

Google Inc. said it is launching a new smartphone, developed with Samsung Electronics Co., along with a new version of the Android software for mobile devices.

The Nexus S phone will be sold in mid-December through retailers such as Best Buy Co. Inc., said Andy Rubin, a Google vice president of engineering who leads the Android team. The Nexus S will be sold for $199 with a two-year T-Mobile USA contract in the U.S. It will also be sold for $529 without a service contract.

Google is shifting strategies it used with the last Google-branded phone, the Nexus One, which launched earlier this year and was sold directly to consumers through a Google Web store. Executives at wireless carriers said the Nexus One didn't sell well, though Mr. Rubin claimed more than 100,000 were sold in three months. Google closed the Web store a few months ago.

The Nexus S smartphone will feature front- and rear-facing cameras so users can make video calls, similar to Apple Inc.'s iPhone. It also includes technology that could help people make payments with their devices when they're on the go.

Google, in a blog post, said the new Android software that will power the Nexus S, known as Gingerbread, includes support for so-called near field communications technology. Such technology can enable third-party developers to create mobile payment applications.

The company also said Nexus S is the first smartphone to feature a four-inch contoured display, which is designed to fit comfortably in the palm of the hand and along the side of the user's face.

Google won't make any money from direct sales of the Nexus S, a spokesman said. Google licenses the Android software for free to hardware makers such as Samsung.

But the adoption of Android software helps ensure that Google's Internet search, maps and other services will be a mainstay on mobile devices. Google sells ads alongside its Internet search results and helps place ads within mobile-device applications such as games, and two months ago Google executives said the company was on track to generate $1 billion annually in mobile-related revenue.

Android is making significant gains in the smartphone market, claiming 23.5% of U.S. subscribers aged 13 years old and up in October, up from 17% in July, according to estimates by comScore Inc. Apple had 24.6% of U.S. subscribers in October, up from 23.8% in July, comScore said. Research In Motion Ltd, maker of the BlackBerry, continued to slip, dropping to 35.8% from 39.3% during the same period.

Write to Amir Efrati at amir.efrati@wsj.com

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Aung San Suu Kyi Release Sparks Celebration, Caution - Voice of America

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Saturday, 13 November 2010 Latest News: Select Your LanguageAfan OromoAlbanianAmharicArmenianAzerbaijaniAzeriBanglaBosnianBurmeseCantoneseChineseCreoleCroatianDariEnglish WorldwideFrenchGeorgianGreekHausaIndonesianKhmerKhmer (English)KinyarwandaKirundiKoreanKurdiKurdishLaoLearning EnglishMacedonianMandarinNdebelePashtoPashto - DeewaPersian PortugueseRussian SerbianShonaSomaliSpanishSwahiliThaiTibetanTibetan (English)TigrignaTurkishUkrainian UrduUzbekVietnameseZimbabwe - EnglishNewsProgramsVideoLearning EnglishAbout UsLive Streams:Latest Newscast|Africa Live|Global LiveNews USA Africa Americas Asia Europe Middle East Arts and Entertainment EconomyMore TopicsEducationEnvironmentHealthNews AnalysisReligionScience and TechnologySports Web FeaturesSpecial ReportsDigital FrontiersSlide ShowsGoing Green Money In MotionNow You KnowOff the Beaten PathThe LinkInteractive YouTubeFacebookTwitter Web ServicesPodcastsRSSMobileNewsletterWebcastsLinks About the USEditorialsRFE/RLRFAPronunciation Guide NewsNewsRSS FeedAung San Suu Kyi Release Sparks Celebration, Caution Nico Colombant13 November 2010

Photo: APSupporters of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi celebrate outside her home after her release from house arrest in Rangoon, 13 Nov 2010.

Share ThisDiggFacebookStumbleUponYahoo! Buzzdel.icio.usRelated ArticlesRangoon Diary: Burmese Reunite with Beloved Democracy LeaderActivists, Asia Pacific Governments Welcome Aung San Suu Kyi's ReleaseWorld Leaders Laud Aung San Suu Kyi's FreedomObama: Suu Kyi Source of InspirationBurma's Aung San Suu Kyi Released from House Arrest

Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest in Burma, also known as Myanmar, has sparked worldwide celebrations among supporters of the long-time pro-democracy activist.  But her supporters are also cautious in noting the daughter of Burma's assassinated independence leader, Aung San, has been previously released before being detained again.

Members of the Burmese community in France as well as supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi immediately took to the streets to display their relief.

Aung San Suu Kyi Greets Her Supporters in Rangoon

Mireille Boisson was among the protesters in Paris. "As you can guess, it can only be joy right now. It can only be joy for all of us who have been fighting for so long, for her, for the Burmese population who support her, we are really full of joy. But at the same time we are very cautious. I mean, we rejoice now in the moment and we want her to be safe and we ask the Burmese authorities to guarantee her safety," she said.

In Washington, a lawyer who tries to assist some of the hundreds of pro-democracy Burmese activists who are in jail, Jared Gensler also expressed caution about Aung San Suu Kyi's release. "She has been out three times before and nothing has changed in the country. In fact, in recent years, there has not been any indication from the military regime that it intends to compromise in any way whatsoever by engaging in any sort of dialogue with her," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement saying she joined billions of people around the world who are welcoming the release of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

The statement also called on Burma's military leaders to make her release unconditional so she can travel and take part in politics without restriction.

The 65-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi, who led the National League for Democracy to the most votes in 1990 elections which were then ignored, has been under house arrest for most of the past 20 years.

Her release Saturday from her home in Rangoon comes after November elections in which the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won in a landslide, but opposition parties who decided to compete were able to gain some seats in parliament and in local legislative assemblies.

 

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Samsung Galaxy Tab: T-Mobile Price and Release Date - Product Reviews

Following on from our previous article which informed you about a confirmed price and date for the MyTouch 4G on T-Mobile, we now have a confirmed price and date for the T-Mobile version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

As reported from BGR, the price has now been confirmed to be $399, which is what was first rumored in one of our previous reports here. That price has now been set though, and it is subject to a two-year agreement.

What you might not be aware of though, is that the T-Mobile version will also benefit from their newly established HSPA+ network, which promises 4G speeds of up to 21Mbps.

If you are interested in picking one up, it will be available to buy on November 10th, just one day after a certain video game is launched worldwide.

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