Friday, October 26, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Xiaomi Phone 2 to be launched in China on October 30 starting at $320

Posted: 26 Oct 2012 02:31 AM PDT

It's getting almost impossible to keep track of all of the newly unveiled Android phones powered by the super-snappy quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, but the Xiaomi Phone 2 should stand out of the crowd for two reasons.

The Chinese handheld has been the first to be announced with said processor under its hood, way back in July, and the Phone 2 (also known as the Mi-Two) should be the cheapest of the bunch. Even compared with the LG Nexus 4, another "budget-friendly" S4 Pro-powered device. The bad news? We still don't know if the Mi-Two will ever see the light of day in Europe or the US.

What we do know is that the phone will finally start selling in China next week. Probably not for long though, because Xiaomi will only make 50,000 units available come October 30, and, based on recent history, those should last… around a couple of hours.

An additional 250,000 phones will be sold in "mid-November", but that still seems like way too less to satisfy the huge demand. Anyways, if you're currently residing in China and are thinking about getting the "beast", think no more and act right now. You can register online here, and then fingers crossed.

The Xiaomi Phone 2 will come in two flavors, with 16 and 32 GB of on-board storage. The first will be priced at just ¥1,999 (around $320), while the 32 gig model will go for ¥2,299 ($370). Very small prices to pay considering that not only is this big guy powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon SoC, but it also comes equipped with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean-based MIUI OS, 2 GB of RAM, dual 8 MP/2 MP cameras, and a 2,000 mAh battery.

The 4.3-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen sports a 1280 x 720 pixels resolution and an uber-high 342 ppi pixel density, while the whole "package" weighs in at 145 grams and measures a measly 10.2 mm in thickness.

Again, there are definitely better options around or coming soon in terms of raw power and specs (the LG Optimus G, Oppo Find 5 and HTC J Butterfly are the first to come to mind), but will anyone be able to beat Xiaomi’s prices? Not likely! Now if only someone were to bring the Phone 2 to the West

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    Google Play Canada prepares the coming of LG Nexus 4

    Posted: 26 Oct 2012 02:26 AM PDT

    google-play Android.com

    Can October 29 come and greet us already? If only to help remove the thick shroud of mystery surrounding the next Nexus phone, which we know almost nothing of. Oh, who are we kidding! While it seems like we already know most things about the LG Nexus 4, due to the amount of leaks about the device in the past months, we're sure Google still has some "juicy" stuff to share.

    With only a couple of days left until the big reveal, those who are interested in getting the pure Google phone are probably strategizing on ways to secure the Nexus 4. If you live in Canada, there's a good chance that you'd be able to buy it off Google Play.

    Mobile Syrup

    Just like its Australian cousin, Google's online store for the Canadian market has received a minor update. If you look at the "devices" category, a new phone icon has been added there. It's a rather subtle hint that the company may soon start making its Nexus phone(s) available on Google Play Canada.

    How excited are you about the upcoming LG Nexus 4? Will you get it directly from Google Play?

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    LG Nexus 4 to cost £390? Also, support page goes live, shocks no one.

    Posted: 26 Oct 2012 02:12 AM PDT

    lg-nexus-4

    Boom! The Nexus 4 support page goes live three days ahead of the official announcement! The tech blogs are afire! Well, not really. The reaction is more like …meh.

    Anyways, here's the report: a support page for the upcoming LG Nexus 4 (our full coverage is here) has popped up on LG's website. The page is actually dedicated to the LG E960, but that's widely assumed to be the designation for the next pure Google device. I guess they thought that another leak is a drop in the bucket at this point, so they didn't even bother to take it down yet.

    There's not much information here, aside from the fact that the Nexus 4 will probably sold through the Play Store and through carriers (hat tip to Ausdroid for spotting this detail).

    SIM-free LG Nexus 4 to be priced at £389.95?

    Moving on, there's another report today concerning the Nexus 4, and this one sheds some light on the one aspect that wasn't leaked until now – the price tag of the new Nexus.

    Paul O'Brien from MoDaCo received the image bellow from a Twitter follower. It's supposedly a shot of Carphone Warehouse's internal inventory system that shows that the LG Nexus 4 (black version) will cost £389.95. Sadly, we have no clue about what storage variant will go for that price, but it's probably the 8GB model. For comparison, the freshly launched Galaxy Note 2 (16GB) costs £549.95 at CW.

    And yes, there's a white version of the LG Nexus 4 as well, but for that one, we have no pricing information.

    So, there you have it. Would you be interested in the Nexus 4 if it'd sell for £390? Let us know.

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      Samsung’s 9,000mAh power bank now listed on Amazon Germany, can be yours for €80

      Posted: 26 Oct 2012 01:29 AM PDT

      Those who need a trusty power pack sidekick for their smartphone have probably lusted over Samsung's super high-capacity external battery that we gleefully reported about a month ago. While we had no details of its pricing and release date at the time, the compact-sized gizmo has now made its way to Amazon Germany.

      If you got €80 lying about in the house, you can already purchase the Samsung-made battery pack on said online retailer. The description says that it's made for the Galaxy Note 2, but we see no reason why it won't work on other recent Samsung devices.

      The package comes with 30-pin and micro-USB data cables. As for the device itself, it has four LED indicators, a regular USB port, and a microUSB port. Lest we forget that it's packing a humongous battery capacity of 9,000mAh to feed your hungry-power smartphones and tablets.

      Guess we should also mention that it won't be ready to ship right away, and may take between one to four months. At least, that's what the listing says. If you don't mind the rather long wait, you know where to click.

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        Sprint Mobile Broadband Passes: no-contract LTE plans starting at $15 for 300MB

        Posted: 26 Oct 2012 12:47 AM PDT

        In line with recent tablet computer launches — particularly the latest iPad and iPad Mini — Sprint has announced new data-only no-contract plans. These data plans give 20% more value than comparable plans from Sprint’s competition.

        Sprint’s new LTE plans come in the following packages:

        • $14.99 – 300MB per month
        • $34.99 – 3GB per month
        • $49.99 – 6GB per month
        • $79.99 – 12GB per month

        The company says these new plans will not be tied to any particular device. This means you can get any compatible tablet or smartphone on a Sprint data plan without any long-term obligation. This includes iOS, Android, and any other supported platform.

        Sprint’s plans are relatively more affordable than, say AT&T’s or Verizon’s. For example, Verizon offers 2GB for $30 and 5GB for $50. Meanwhile, AT&T does offer a lower price for its 3GB plan, at $30. But the $50 plan only gets you 50GB and you get charged excess fees beyond this allocation.

        Additionally, you can get these data plans both on a monthly, recurring basis or as one-off plans bought by the bucket. With Sprint Mobile Broadband Passes, you get the same data buckets for basically the same prices:

        • $14.99 – 300MB
        • $34.99 – 3GB
        • $49.99 – 6GB
        • $79.99 – 12GB

        These buckets can be charged directly to your credit card, and are ideal for tablet users who are averse to monthly pricing. Existing smartphone subscribers can opt for a special promotion: an additional $10 on top of your monthly plan gets you 100MB of 3G or LTE data connectivity, and a $15 add-on gets you 1 GB. The promo is currently on limited-run, and could expire anytime.

        No activation fee will be charged for new tablet subscriptions, which will be in effect by November 11.

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          T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 comes with dormant LTE, only software activation needed?

          Posted: 25 Oct 2012 07:52 PM PDT

          Given differences in 4G technology support, carriers across the U.S. are adopting a gradual roll-out of their 4G technologies. T-Mobile, for one, has promised network-wide LTE support for 200 million U.S. customers by end of 2013. While T-Mobile currently doesn’t support LTE, it seems the Galaxy Note 2 only has LTE deactivated through the firmware.

          The Verge reports that the T-Mobile variant of the Galaxy Note 2 is essentially identical to the one offered by AT&T, including hardware support for LTE. It seems activating LTE is only a matter of switching it on through the firmware. T-Mobile was sought out for an answer, and gave this response:

          The Galaxy Note II features a Qualcomm 9215M chipset which provides the hardware capability to support both HSPA+42 and LTE. T-Mobile plans to reach more than 200 million Americans with LTE by the end of 2013. The Galaxy Note II will not automatically access T-Mobile's LTE network. We will share more information on how and when the Galaxy Note II will support T-Mobile's upcoming LTE network when the network is available.

          As such, the Note 2 will not automatically support LTE once T-Mobile rolls out its higher-speed network implementation. Support will likely come along with a software update. But given that carriers are usually bottlenecks when it comes to Android patches and updates, will it be easy for T-Mobile to simply flip the “on” switch for its Galaxy Note 2 LTE support?

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            32GB Google Nexus 7 listed by Office depot at $250, promptly pulled out

            Posted: 25 Oct 2012 07:04 PM PDT

            A 32 gigabyte capacity Google Nexus 7 has been long rumored to be in the pipeline. But even before Google’s official announcement, some retailers seem to have inadvertently listed the product already. For one, Office Depot was reported to have listed the 32 GB Nexus 7 on its retail site, priced at US$ 249.99.

            What’s interesting to note here is that the 32GB model is priced the same as the 16GB model, which also sells for $249.99 at various retail stores and on Google’s own Play Store. Google is expected to announce new products this coming October 29, which may include the 32GB Nexus 7 model, as well as a rumored 10-inch Nexus tablet and Android 4.2. With the Office Depot leak, we might expect Google to reduce prices for the current 16 and 8GB models. Some international retailers have already discounted the 16GB model in anticipation for the upgrade.

            But Office Depot seems to have pulled out the item. As an update, the retailer has de-listed the 32GB Nexus 7:

            We’re Sorry. We are unable to process your last request.

            Rest assured we are working diligently to resolve this issue. If you’d like to place an order by phone or speak with one of our Customer Service representatives please contact us:

            Call 1-800-GO-DEPOT

            Listing may have just been a mistake, although with just a few days before the expected launch, the pricing seems plausible. Perhaps folks interested in buying a 16GB Nexus 7 should hold off until we get an official announcement. You might get a better-spec’d tablet for the same price by Monday.

            Is anyone excited for a 32 GB Nexus 7? Or does the prospect of a Nexus 10 appeal to you more?

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            Amazon posts $274 million loss for Q3 2012, compares iPad mini with Kindle Fire tablets in earnings press release

            Posted: 25 Oct 2012 05:53 PM PDT

            Now that we have looked at Google's, Microsoft's and Apple's quarterly earnings for the period ending on September 30, it's time to check out Amazon's number, as the Kindle Fire maker has also revealed them today.

            And it's not good news despite how the title of its press release, embedded below, may sound, "Amazon.com Announces Third Quarter Sales up 27% to $13.81 Billion," because it was a losing quarter for the company.

            But first, let's take care of the crazy part in this release: Amazon is offering comparisons between the iPad mini, announced two days ago, and the new Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD Android tablets that are have been available to consumers for quite a while now.

            In fact, the Kindle Fire tablets have been fighting it out with the Google Nexus 7 so far, while the iPad mini was just rumor. So why the comparison?Nevertheless, here's why the Kindle Fires are better than the iPad mini, according to Amazon's PR folks:

            Compared to the iPad mini, Kindle Fire HD 8.9" has:

            • 193% more pixels (2,304,000 pixels vs. 786,432 pixels)
            • 56% more pixels-per-inch (254 vs. 163)
            • Watch HD movies and TV – cannot on iPad mini (iPad mini is an SD device)
            • Better audio with dual stereo speakers and Dolby Digital Plus
            • Wi-Fi with dual band, dual antennas + MIMO
            • Costs $30 less

            Compared to the iPad mini, Kindle Fire HD 7" has:

            • 30% more pixels (1,024,000 vs. 786,432 pixels)
            • 33% more pixels per inch (216 vs. 163)
            • Watch HD movies and TV – cannot on iPad mini (iPad mini is an SD device)
            • Better audio with dual stereo speakers and Dolby Digital Plus
            • Wi-Fi with dual band, dual antennas + MIMO
            • Costs $130 less

            Great stuff, right? Now let's get back to the actual numbers, because in this department Amazon is yet to compare itself to the main players in the mobile business.

            Amazon reported a 27% increase in net sales, $13.81 billion in Q3 2012 compared with $10.88 during the same period last year. But there were no profits. Net losses are at $277 for the quarter or $0.60 per share (EPS), including a $169 million loss reported by LivingSocial, or $0.37. That still leaves Amazon with quite a loss compared to $63 million net income or $0.14 for the same time last year.

            Operating loss was at $28 million this quarter, a hefty drop from the $79 million operating income reported in Q3 2011.

            Sure, the Kindle Fire tablets are best sellers, according to Amazon, but the company never tells us how many units they sell. Not to mention that they're all sold at cost, so there are hardly any direct profits for the company there.

            Things aren't looking good for Amazon for the Christmas quarter either, as the company expects either a loss or a profit, and it's quite a large interval, from $490 million loss to $310 million operating income. In Q4 2011, Amazon saw a $260 million operating income.

            Are you buying a Kindle Fire tablet this holiday season?

            Show full PR text

            Amazon.com Announces Third Quarter Sales up 27% to $13.81 Billion
            SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct. 25, 2012– Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2012.

            Operating cash flow increased 8% to $3.37 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $3.11 billion for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2011. Free cash flow decreased 31% to $1.06 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $1.53 billion for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2011.

            Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 469 million on September 30, 2012, consistent with 469 million one year ago.

            Net sales increased 27% to $13.81 billion in the third quarter, compared with $10.88 billion in third quarter 2011. Excluding the $348 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales grew 30% compared with third quarter 2011.

            Operating loss was $28 million in the third quarter, compared with operating income of $79 million in third quarter 2011. The unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter on operating loss was $3 million.

            Net loss was $274 million in the third quarter, or $0.60 per diluted share, compared with net income of $63 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in third quarter 2011. The third quarter 2012 includes a loss of $169 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, related to our equity-method share of the losses reported by LivingSocial, primarily attributable to its impairment charge of certain assets, including goodwill.

            "Our approach is to work hard to charge less. Sell devices near breakeven and you can pack a lot of sophisticated hardware into a very low price point," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "And our approach is working – the $199 Kindle Fire HD is the #1 bestselling product across Amazon worldwide. Incredibly, this is true even as measured by unit sales. The next two bestselling products worldwide are our Kindle Paperwhite and our $69 Kindle. We're selling more of each of these devices than the #4 bestselling product, book three of the Fifty Shades of Grey series. And we haven't even started shipping our best tablet – the $299 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" ships November 20."

            Highlights

            Compared to the iPad mini, Kindle Fire HD 8.9" has:

            193% more pixels (2,304,000 pixels vs. 786,432 pixels)
            56% more pixels-per-inch (254 vs. 163)
            Watch HD movies and TV – cannot on iPad mini (iPad mini is an SD device)
            Better audio with dual stereo speakers and Dolby Digital Plus
            Wi-Fi with dual band, dual antennas + MIMO
            Costs $30 less
            Compared to the iPad mini, Kindle Fire HD 7" has:

            30% more pixels (1,024,000 vs. 786,432 pixels)
            33% more pixels per inch (216 vs. 163)
            Watch HD movies and TV – cannot on iPad mini (iPad mini is an SD device)
            Better audio with dual stereo speakers and Dolby Digital Plus
            Wi-Fi with dual band, dual antennas + MIMO
            Costs $130 less
            Amazon.com introduced the fifth generation Kindle e-readers: Kindle Paperwhite is the most advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, up to 8 weeks of battery life, and a thin and light design for just $119; Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G — never pay for or hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot with the all-new top-of-the-line Kindle e-reader with free 3G wireless for just $179; and the new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now with new, improved fonts, faster page turns for just $69.
            Amazon.co.jp launched the Japanese Kindle Store, offering customers a vast selection of over 50,000 Japanese-language Kindle books. In total, the store offers over one million titles, including the largest selection of bestsellers in English and other languages.
            Amazon.com announced a new licensing agreement with EPIX for movies including The Avengers, Iron Man 2, The Hunger Games, Super 8, Thor, and more, expanding its catalog of title offerings for Prime Instant Video to more than 30,000 movies and TV episodes.
            Amazon announced significant updates to Cloud Player, including scan and match technology which provides customers a fast and easy way to get all of their music from their computers to the cloud. Cloud Player customers can then enjoy their music on their favorite devices, including Kindle Fire, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android devices, Sonos home entertainment systems, and any web browser. Amazon also expanded Cloud Player to the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
            Amazon announced it is hiring for more than 50,000 seasonal positions at its fulfillment centers across the U.S. this holiday season. Amazon employs more than 20,000 people across its 40 U.S. fulfillment centers and pays its full-time, permanent employees 30 percent more than what traditional retail store employees earn.
            Amazon has announced 19 new fulfillment centers worldwide to be opened in time to support this year's holiday demand.
            North America segment sales, representing amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from sellers) and subscriptions through North America-focused websites, and including amounts earned from Amazon Web Services (AWS), were $7.88 billion, up 33% from third quarter 2011.
            International segment sales, representing amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from sellers) and subscriptions through internationally-focused websites, were $5.92 billion, up 20% from third quarter 2011. Excluding the unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, sales grew 27%.
            Worldwide Media sales grew 11% to $4.60 billion. Excluding the unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, sales grew 14%.
            Worldwide Electronics and Other General Merchandise sales grew 36% to $8.56 billion. Excluding the unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, sales grew 39%.
            The NASDAQ OMX Group announced the launch of FinQloud, a cloud computing offering powered by AWS and exclusively designed for the financial services industry. FinQloud provides efficient management and storage of financial data to help market participants streamline operations and meet regulatory compliance requirements without making costly capital expenditures for their underlying infrastructure.
            AWS announced that more than 300 government agencies and 1,500 education institutions are leveraging AWS for a wide range of uses including big data analytics, high performance computing, web and collaboration applications, archiving and storage, and disaster relief. AWS also announced new services and features available in the AWS GovCloud (U.S.) Region, including the addition of high performance computing capabilities.
            AWS announced Amazon Glacier, a secure, reliable and extremely low cost storage service designed for data archiving and backup. Amazon Glacier is designed for data that is infrequently accessed, yet still important to retain for future reference, and for which retrieval times of several hours are suitable.
            Financial Guidance

            The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of October 25, 2012. Our results are inherently unpredictable and may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce and the various factors detailed below.

            Fourth Quarter 2012 Guidance

            Net sales are expected to be between $20.25 billion and $22.75 billion, or to grow between 16% and 31% compared with fourth quarter 2011.
            Operating income (loss) is expected to be between $(490) million and $310 million, compared with $260 million in the prior year period.
            This guidance includes approximately $290 million for stock-based compensation and amortization of intangible assets, and it assumes, among other things, that no additional business acquisitions, investments or legal settlements are concluded and that there are no further revisions to stock-based compensation estimates.
            A conference call will be webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET, and will be available for at least three months at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results.

            These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments, the mix of products sold to customers, the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services, the extent to which we owe income taxes, competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, international growth and expansion, the outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, risks of inventory management, seasonality, the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks related to new products, services and technologies, system interruptions, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. In addition, the current global economic climate amplifies many of these risks. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

            Our investor relations website is www.amazon.com/ir and we encourage investors to use it as a way of easily finding information about us. We promptly make available on this website, free of charge, the reports that we file or furnish with the SEC, corporate governance information (including our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics), and select press releases and social media postings.

            About Amazon.com

            Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the most-advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, extra-long battery life, and a thin and light design. The new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now features new, improved fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support and dual-antennas/MIMO for 40% faster throughput than other tablets, enough storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics engine—and it is available in two display sizes—7" and 8.9". The large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with 4G wireless, and comes with a groundbreaking $49.99 introductory 4G LTE data package. The all-new Kindle Fire features a 20% faster processor, 40% faster performance, twice the memory, and longer battery life.

            Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

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            Square is going international, with Canada as its first market outside US

            Posted: 25 Oct 2012 05:25 PM PDT

            Square is revolutionizing the mobile payments business. The company lets business and store owners accept payments through their iPhone, iPad or Android device through an add-on accessory. Initially launched in the U.S., Square is gradually opening to an international market, with Canada as its first step.

            “We are focused on making commerce easy for everyone. Square builds free tools for local businesses of all sizes and types to thrive,” says Alyssa Cutright, vice president of international at Square.

            Square offers its card reader for free, and charges a 2.75% fee per transaction. The accessory plugs into an iOS or Android device’s audio jack, and accepts payments from swiped credit cards. Square promises next-day deposits so store-owners don’t  have to wait long to get their funds. The company also offers the use of its Square Register app, which is a point-of-sale service that businesses can use to track inventory. Square also features a Square Directory, where business owners can promote their establishment.

            One concern that TechCrunch notes, though, is that Canadian credit and debit cards mostly prefer to initiate payment through smart card rather than magnetic strip. But going beyond swiping credit cards, Square has actually partnered with establishments for card-less payments with its Pay With Square feature. As such, the company is not limited to credit cards, but may actually open to additional payment protocols in future.

            Expanding to Canada makes sense, given its proximity and language. But apart from North America, Square is rumored to have plans to expand to other regions, including Asia.

            Show full PR text

            Square Arrives in Canada

            Canadians Can Now Accept Credit Cards and Run their Business using Square on their Mobile Device

            SAN FRANCISCO– October 24, 2012 – Square, the company making commerce easy for everyone, today announced availability in Canada. Square enables anyone, anywhere in Canada to accept credit cards, run and grow their business.

            Square's free Mobile Card Reader plugs into the headphone jack of an iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Square Register is the free app that enables anyone to safely and securely accept credit card payments with one simple, low transaction rate of 2.75% per swipe, with no hidden fees. Funds from swiped payments are available the next business day, eliminating the wait for cash flow.

            Canada is Square's first market outside the US. Over 2 million individuals and businesses can already accept credit cards with Square, and Square is processing over US$8 billion in annualized payments.

            "We are focused on making commerce easy for everyone. Square builds free tools for local businesses of all sizes and types to thrive," said Alyssa Cutright, VP of International for Square. "We're thrilled to introduce Canadian businesses and their customers to the most seamless and enjoyable way to do business."

            Square Register serves as a free full point-of-sale system for businesses to accept payments, track inventory, and monitor daily reports, empowering them to make smart decisions for their business. Square Register also helps businesses attract new customers with tools to create customized loyalty and rewards programs as well as showcase themselves in the Square directory.

            Square Register app is free for download from the App Store and Google Play. Square's Mobile Card Reader is available for free onwww.square.ca.

            About Square, Inc.

            Square is making commerce easy for everyone. Square's Mobile Card Reader enables anyone to accept credit cards anywhere, anytime at one simple rate. Square Register serves as a full point-of-sale system for businesses to accept payments, track inventory, and share menu and location information. Square Wallet, available in the US, is the most seamless way to pay, enabling individuals to pay with their names at their favorite local businesses, discover new ones nearby, explore menu listings, and store receipts. Founded in 2009, and headquartered in San Francisco, Square is currently available in the U.S. and Canada. More information is available at squareup.ca.

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            Apple posts record $8.2 billion in profits on millions of iOS device sales, but falls short of estimates

            Posted: 25 Oct 2012 05:23 PM PDT

            Stop me if you've heard any of this before: a tech giant failed to meet Wall Street expectations for the third quarter of the year, while bringing in huge profits nonetheless.

            We all saw Google's leaked Q3 2012 results that sent the stock into a downward spiral until trading was stopped. Microsoft's own numbers fell short of what analysts expected. Now it's time for Apple to take the same path with its results for Q4 FY2012 (the period ending on September 30 represents the company's fourth fiscal quarter).

            So how did Apple do? Better than Google and Microsoft combined, reporting $8.2 billion in net profits or $8.67 per share (EPS) on $36 billion of revenue. The company is on an ascending path, when looking at the year ago quarter, when it posted $6.6 billion in profits ($7.05 EPS) on $28.3 billion, but it still fell marginally short of analysts expectations: $8.81 EPS on $35.8 billion of revenue. Apple stock dropped over 1% on the news.

            Overall, Apple shipped 26.9 million iPhones – a number higher compared to Q4 FY2011 and most likely boosted by strong iPhone 5 sales in the last days of its Q4 – and 14 million iPads, a number that's seen as "well below lowered forecasts for the tablet," despite being higher during the same period last year.

            Forecast for the crucial December quarter is at $52 billion in revenue – "below the average estimate of $55 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S," but we'll note that Apple sits on a $121.3 billion pile of cash, and that in just three quarters it has already passed its entire 2011 performance when it comes to revenue and profits.

            Why is any of this important for the Android ecosystem and the mobile market? Well a company with that much money on hand, that sells at least two mobile products that are still in hot demand with consumers and that is able to report higher earning year-over-year quarters is still a fierce rival for anyone else in the mobile business, especially Google and Microsoft, who are yet to reap similar profits from their mobile divisions.

            The Christmas quarter will definitely be interesting to watch, with a variety of new mobile devices already available, or about to hit stores from all major players.

            What smartphone and/or tablet are you buying this holiday season?

            Show full PR text

            Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results
            26.9 Million iPhones Sold; Record Fourth Quarter Revenue and Profit

            Board Declares Quarterly Dividend of $2.65 per Common Share

            CUPERTINO, California—October 25, 2012—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2012 fourth quarter ended September 29, 2012. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $36.0 billion and quarterly net profit of $8.2 billion, or $8.67 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $28.3 billion and net profit of $6.6 billion, or $7.05 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.0 percent compared to 40.3 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 60 percent of the quarter's revenue.

            The Company sold 26.9 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 58 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 14.0 million iPads during the quarter, a 26 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4.9 million Macs during the quarter, a 1 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 5.3 million iPods, a 19 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.

            Apple's Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $2.65 per share of the Company's common stock. The dividend is payable on November 15, 2012, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 12, 2012.

            "We're very proud to end a fantastic fiscal year with record September quarter results," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "We're entering this holiday season with the best iPhone, iPad, Mac and iPod products ever, and we remain very confident in our new product pipeline."

            "We're pleased to have generated over $41 billion in net income and over $50 billion in operating cash flow in fiscal 2012," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO. "Looking ahead to the first fiscal quarter of 2013, we expect revenue of about $52 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $11.75."

            Apple will provide live streaming of its Q4 2012 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on October 25, 2012 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq412. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

            This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company's estimated revenue and diluted earnings per share. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company's reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company's products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company's gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company's need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company's business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company's dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company's international operations; the Company's reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company's dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company's products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company's sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of the Company's public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2011, its Forms 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended December 31, 2011; March 31, 2012; and June 30, 2012; and its Form 10-K for the year ended September 29, 2012 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

            Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

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