Tech News » Some Google services hit by partial outage

REUTERS - Google Inc (GOOG.O) is experiencing a small outage of some of its popular applications such as Gmail and Google Drive, the search engine said on Wednesday.


The company disclosed on its website that six of its 13 applications were having partial status disruptions.
The issue with Gmail, for example, is affecting less than 0.007 percent of Google Mail users, who cannot access their accounts.
Google said in a response to a request for comment that it is currently investigating the issue and will post the cause once the investigation is complete.
"For everyone who is affected, we apologize - we know you count on Google to work for you and we're working hard to restore normal operation for you," Google said.

Source : http://in.reuters.com

Tech News » Nokia to trim loss as Lumia sales pick up

(Reuters) - Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia (NOK1V.HE) is expected to have trimmed its losses in the first quarter, thanks to rising Lumia smartphone sales and a turnaround at its equipment venture Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN).


After falling behind Samsung (005930.KS) and Apple (AAPL.O) in the smartphone race, Nokia is aiming for a comeback with the Lumia range, which uses Microsoft's (MSFT.O) Windows software, though it is still burning cash and remains a long way from the volumes shipped by the market leaders.
While Nokia still sells more regular mobile phones than smartphones, its future is likely to depend on higher-margin smartphones as a growing number of global consumers want access to apps such as Twitter from their handsets.
Nokia has recently launched the Lumia handsets in new markets such as China where consumers have been increasingly turning from regular phones to smartphones - principally its rivals'.
The market expects quarterly shipments of 5.6 million Lumia handsets, up from 4.4 million in the fourth quarter, according to a Reuters poll of analysts.
Its quarterly underlying loss, which excludes special items, is seen shrinking to 0.04 euros per share from 0.08 euros per share a year earlier.
While the improvement will take some pressure off Chief Executive Stephen Elop, who was hired in 2010 to lead a turnaround and took the decision to switch to the untried Windows software, analysts say it's too early to sound the all-clear, with Nokia's cash position expected to have fallen to 3.7 billion euros by end-March from 4.4 billion three months earlier.
Investors are also wary, saying the smartphone industry's top two players show little sign of ceding market share.
A separate Reuters survey showed the market estimates Samsung shipped around 61.6 million smartphones in the first quarter, while Apple shipped 36.9 million iPhones.
"Remember we're talking 4 million here with the Lumia. That's still very, very small," said technology stocks investor Inge Heydorn Sentat Asset Management, a fund that neither owns nor is short on Nokia stock. He said it would be hard to judge first-quarter results since supply shortages limited sales in the fourth quarter.
"Whether it's 5 million or 4 million, it's not clear how many of those are from inventory build-up in the last quarter," he said. "It's still a very difficult time for them."
Analysts on average expect Lumia shipments to pick up to over 7 million units next quarter, and any flagging of momentum would raise serious doubts over Nokia's future in smartphones.
RECOVERING SHARES
Such uncertainty has weighed on Nokia shares, which last traded at around 2.63 euros, a far cry from their 65-euro peak in 2000.
While they are now double their lifetime low of 1.33 euros last year, they are still significantly lower than the 4-5 euros many analysts see as the sum value of the company's parts, which include its handset business, Navteq mapping unit and stake in NSN.
In addition to Lumia sales and cash burn, investors will be focusing on the recovery at NSN. Once a cash drain for co-parents Nokia and Siemens (SIEGn.DE), NSN is now profitable thanks to restructuring, and as its focus on fourth-generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks has begun to pay off.
The turnaround has also raised hopes that NSN may be ready to be sold or publicly listed later this year. The joint venture agreement lapsed earlier this month, freeing both parties to sell their stakes without consulting each other.


Source : http://in.reuters.com

Tech News » Twitter sharpens ad targeting by sifting through tweets

(Reuters) - Twitter Inc on Wednesday unveiled a new tool that allows marketers to disseminate targeted messages based on the content of users' tweets, a technology that could help elevate Twitter's effectiveness as an advertiser to a rarefied level demonstrated only by digital advertising leaders like Google Inc (GOOG.O).

Twitter's advertising business is relatively modest and is likely to generate 2013 global revenue of under $600 million, according to the consultancy eMarketer.
But the fast-growing social networking company, which has 200 million users around the world, hailed its new tool as something of a technological breakthrough: until now, Twitter has been able to decipher a user's interests largely by analyzing the list of accounts he or she follows, otherwise known as the "interest graph."
The new tool allows marketers using Twitter to delve into the content of a user's tweets to show the most relevant ads.
A band on tour may now send automated, paid ads about their next show in Chicago, for instance, to any Twitter user in Chicago who has tweeted about that band.
Early tests of the new keyword-based targeting mechanism showed that in some cases, users clicked on ads 11 out of 100 times they were shown, a remarkably high rate in the realm of digital advertising, according to Kevin Weil, a senior director of product at Twitter.
That click rate "shows the power of the intent expressed in users' public tweets," Weil said.
The new ad tool could also take advantage of the existing ubiquity of "hashtags" -- the pound sign that Twitter users include to signify a topic of discussion, to deliver ads.
"It's already used today as a way to focus conversation," Weil said. "Now it's also a way for users who are talking about something to see really relevant."
The push to refine its advertising products comes as Twitter, valued at $9 billion by private investors, prepares for an IPO as early as 2014.
The new technology echoes the search ad technology employed by Google, which for years has proved hugely effective because it shows relevant ads based on precisely what a user has searched for.
Another online advertising leader, Facebook Inc (FB.O), shows ads based on what a user has "liked," among many other signals.
In a blog post Wednesday, Twitter said the new keyword targeting technology would be available globally to marketers in 15 languages.
The seven-year-old company, which did not establish a viable business model in its early years and suffered from management turmoil, has aggressively ramped up its revenue-generating capabilities in the past two years under the direction of Chief Executive Dick Costolo, who assumed leadership in 2010.



Source : http://in.reuters.com

Tech News » Samsung says considers Hynix chips for its mobile products

(Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co(005930.KS) is considering purchasing mobile memory chips from rival SK Hynix Inc(000660.KS) for future products including its new flagship Galaxy S smartphone to be launched this month, J.K. Shin, head of Samsung's mobile business, said on Thursday.

A supply deal would be a boost to SK Hynix, which relies heavily on Apple Inc (AAPL.O) as a customer for its mobile dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips.
It also points to tightening chip supplies as mobile gadget makers prepare to upgrade their flagship product lines with greater variety and increased memory storage capacity.
Prices of mobile DRAM chips have increased steadily since early this year, reflecting a tightening supply outlook.
Samsung, the world's biggest maker of DRAM chips, has largely depended on internal supplies of memory chips for its Galaxy range of smartphones, but the market has expected it may also begin looking to outside chip suppliers to ensure no supply disruptions for key models of its Galaxy S smartphone.
The Galaxy S4, which will go on sale later this month, is expected to outsell its predecessors, with monthly sales of about 10 million, and could leapfrog past Apple's iPhone which recaptured the top spot in global smartphone sales in the fourth quarter, analysts said.
Shares in Hynix dropped 2.8 percent on Thursday as Apple suppliers were hit by concerns of weaker demand from the iPhone and iPad maker, after a disappointing revenue forecast by one of its suppliers.
Shares in LG Display Co, which makes flat screens for Apple's iPhone and iPad, tumbled 4.3 percent.




Source : http://in.reuters.com

Tech News » Supplier woes stir Apple demand fears, Asian parts makers dive

(Reuters) - Apple Inc's(AAPL.O) shares fell below $400 on Wednesday for the first time since December 2011 after a U.S. chip supplier's disappointing revenue forecast fanned fears about weakening demand for the iPhone and iPad as competition intensifies.


The surprise warning by Cirrus Logic Inc(CRUS.O) knocked down shares of key component suppliers like South Korea's LG Display Co Ltd and Japan's Toshiba Corp on Thursday in Asia, a region that supplies the lion's share of chips, cases and displays for the Cupertino, California-based company.

The Cirrus Logic revenue forecast fueled fears that demand for the iPhone - which makes up more than half of Apple's revenue - is slowing more quickly than expected as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and other rivals that use Google Inc's Android software flood the market with cheaper phones. It has also thrown the spotlight on Apple's quarterly earnings announcement due out next week, with some analysts saying the results could miss already reduced estimates.

"This is a tough environment. Apple is in transition between products," said Michael Yoshikami, a portfolio manager at California-based Destination Wealth Management, which owns about 50,000 Apple shares. Cirrus's warning "makes it more likely Apple's not going to surprise on upside."

Cirrus Logic, which makes analog and audio chips for the iPhone and iPad, warned of a reduced product forecast from one customer - which it did not name. But 90 percent or more of its business comes from Apple, making it a key indicator of demand for iPhones and iPads.

That sent shares of Apple below $400 briefly before they ended 5.5 percent lower at $402.80. The drop wiped off more than $22 billion of market value.

In Asia, shares of flat-screen supplier LG Display shed 4 percent and mobile chip maker SK Hynix slipped 3 percent. NAND flash maker Toshiba and component maker Murata Manufacturing Co Ltd both fell 2 percent.

LG Display will report earnings on Monday and SK Hynix next Wednesday.

BEARISH ON SUPPLIERS

"We've been bearish about shares of Apple's suppliers for quite some time," said Andrew Wang, Chief Investment Officer of Manulife Asset Management in Taiwan.

"It is now very clear that Apple's market share has reached the peak, given that Samsung has taken a big chunk of it and HTC has had a few nice models since last year," he said, referring to Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp.

Cirrus's weak forecast followed a 19 percent decline in first-quarter sales at Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, Apple's main contract manufacturer. The Taiwanese company makes an estimated 60 to 70 percent of its revenue assembling iPhones and iPads, and carrying out other work for Apple.

Hon Hai shares were down 1.2 percent on Thursday.

Since its September 2012 peak, Apple has lost 40 percent of its market value or more than $280 billion - slightly more than Google Inc's(GOOG.O) entire capitalization - battered by worries about the effect on Apple's industry-leading margins if it is forced to do faster updates of its products to keep up with rivals.

Some say Apple will not be able to sustain its high gross margins as competition in the tablet and smartphone markets leads to lower prices. Shorter product cycles limit Apple's ability to bring down component costs, Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi said in a note to clients.

"It's a reminder of weakening demand and the challenges around product transitions," Shannon Cross, of Cross Research, said. "There's not a lot of conviction about what the second half is going to look like."

NERVES

Investors are growing increasingly nervous about Apple's growth prospects.

Shares of other chipmakers and Apple suppliers - including Qualcomm Inc(QCOM.O), Avago Technologies Ltd(AVGO.O), Broadcom Corp(BRCM.O) and Skyworks Solutions Inc(SWKS.O) - fell between 2 and 6 percent on Wednesday.

Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope said in a note on Wednesday that Apple's momentum could weaken further before it launches new products later this year.

Apple, which relies heavily on new products to drive its revenue growth, has not had a launch since last October when it unveiled its 7.9-inch iPad mini and an updated full-size iPad.

In the past week, analysts had reduced their estimates for Apple's March quarter revenue on average to $42.53 billion from $42.68 billion.

Apple is expected to report a 9 percent increase in quarterly revenue on April 23, with net profit expected to decline 17 percent to $9.59 billion, or $10.08 a share, for its fiscal second quarter, according to average analysts' estimates.

Bernstein Research's Sacconaghi, who lowered his quarterly revenue estimate to $41.1 billion from $42.4 billion, said he expects mixed results with Apple's revenue coming in below consensus and earnings per share largely as expected.

Source : http://in.reuters.com

Tech News » LinkedIn to test smartphone ads in new mobile apps

(Reuters) - LinkedIn Corp introduced revamped mobile apps on Wednesday that give greater prominence to the stream of information shared by members of the professional social network and will for the first time allow the company to show ads to smartphone users.


LinkedIn will begin showing advertisements within the mobile app's news stream as part of a "small test," said LinkedIn spokeswoman Julie Inouye.

The new app, available for both the Apple Inc(AAPL.O) iPhone and for Android smartphones, makes it easier for smartphone users to interact with content in LinkedIn's news stream, such as "liking" or commenting on a shared news story.

As consumers increasingly access the Web from mobile devices instead of PCs, Internet companies such as LinkedIn, Facebook Inc(FB.O) and Google Inc(GOOG.O) are stepping up efforts to better reach mobile users. More than a quarter of LinkedIn's web traffic now comes from its mobile app, up from 15 percent one year ago, according to the company.

LinkedIn has rolled out a number of new features and enhancements to its website in recent months as it tries to entice its 200 million members to spend more time on its website.

Shares of LinkedIn have surged roughly 57 percent this year, closing Wednesday's regular session at $179.97.

Source : http://in.reuters.com

News » Google reportedly offers search results changes in EU probe

Package of concessions includes clear labeling of its own products in search results, as well as prominent placement of rivals' services, sources tell The Wall Street Journal

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Google has proposed an overhaul of how it displays search results in Europe to allay concerns that the Web giant is abusing its dominant position in the market.
The search behemoth, which was put under the European antitrust spotlight in 2010 after rivals lodged allegations of anticompetitive behavior, submitted a package of concessions with the European Union last week but its details remain under wraps. Critics and competitors have accused Google of anticompetitive behavior, promoting its own services in search results over those of its competitors.
In its proposed remedy, Google has offered to "make users clearly aware" when the search giant was promoting its own specialized products through special labels, a person familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the deal. When it does promote one of its own services, such as Google+, the Web giant has also promised prominent display of at least three relevant links to rivals' services, such as Yelp or TripAdvisor, the Journal reported.


However, that provision would not apply to some of Google's specialized-search sites, such as Google Shopper and Google Flight, in which participants pay for listings, the Journal reported. Although in those cases, rival specialized search sites can pay for placement.
As with its recent settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Google would allow other sites to remove their content from specialized, or "vertical," search sites. Also, as with Google's FTC settlement, the search giant's prized search algorithm would be unaffected.
A person familiar with the matter told CNET that Google's proposal had been accepted and that market testing of the concessions would begin soon.
Google declined to address the Journal's report, stating, "We continue to work cooperatively with the European Commission."
EU competition chief Joaquin Almunia told the New York Times last week that Google had submitted proposals he hoped would help consumers better identify when Google was promoting its own products over those of competitors. The package of concessions was reportedly submitted as Google faced a new round of antitrust scrutiny from the EU, this time for Android.
A new complaint was filed by Fairsearch Europe, a group of companies that includes Microsoft, Nokia, and Oracle, accuses Google of using Android "as a deceptive way to build advantages for key Google apps in 70 percent of the smartphones shipped today."

Source : CNET