Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveils 'Fire' smartphone

Amazon.com Inc Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos unveiled a "Fire" smartphone on Wednesday equipped with a 3D-capable screen and the ability to recognise objects, music and TV shows, hoping to stand out in a crowded field dominated by Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics.

Bezos, in a rare media appearance, demonstrated three-dimensional display features on the 4.7-inch phone, such as greater depth perception in maps and pictures. Four front-facing cameras track head movements and can shift perspectives depending on a user's activity.

A "Firefly" feature allows users to point the phone at an object, such as a product, or direct it to listen to a song. If the device recognizes it, the user can buy it on Amazon.com if it is sold there.

Shares of Amazon climbed 2.5 per cent to $333.67 in afternoon trading from roughly flat before Bezos took the stage.

"What if there were a thousand artists standing by to redraw the picture every time you moved your head," Bezos asked hundreds of Amazon customers, reporters and industry executives gathered in Seattle for the unveiling.

The smartphone joins Amazon's "Fire" lineup of tablets and streaming devices. It represents the latest attempt to extend its dominance of online commerce into mobile phones, which are increasingly being used to buy items and view video.

It is unclear how "Firefly" or the 3D-perspectives will function in the real world, or how fickle consumers will take to them.

Industry insiders had expected the "Fire" to be far less expensive than the top-selling iPhone and Galaxy devices, after the company sold its Kindle Fire tablets at cost.

Amazon is selling the Fire smartphone on its website for $649 without a contract. From July 25, a 32-gigabyte storage version will sell for $199.99 with a two-year contract on exclusive carrier AT&T Inc. These prices are comparable to the iPhone 5C, though it has superior displays and other features.

The Fire smartphone represents a new area for Amazon, which got its start selling books and has expanded into everything from cameras to grocery delivery. It could also boost adoption of a payments platform.

The Fire is the third device Amazon has introduced this year, after its FireTV streaming device and Dash grocery-ordering wand. In recent years, the company has moved more aggressively into hardware, selling its devices at cost to spur purchases on its website.

Its entry into the smartphone market reflects the growing trend among consumers to view and buy items online. Mobile commerce grew at almost twice the rate of online retail during the first quarter, according to comScore.

Panasonic P81 is a power-packed phablet

Panasonic P 81 
Price: Rs 18,999
Specs: 5.5-inch IPS (1280x720 pixels), 1.7GHz MediaTek octa-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB + microSD slot, 13 MP + 5 MP camera, dual SIM, Android 4.2, 2500mAh battery

With so much happening in the smartphone space, Panasonic isn't staying quiet. Focusing on Android smartphones for some time now, the Japanese electronics giant has now launched a phablet priced at under Rs 20,000.

The Panasonic P81 has got a 5.5-inch display, with a 1280x720 pixel resolution. Irrespective of its size, the 7.9mm thickness makes it slightly convenient to hold. The faux leather back panel makes for a comfortable grip. The leather finish, however, isn't premium. Overall, the phone feels light to hold and offers good viewing angles. Watching multimedia was good as other than good viewing angles, it offered great sound too.

Running on Android 4.1, this isn't a vanilla Android phablet as Panasonic has customised the interface. Features such as gesture commands, pop-up video player, built-in call recorder, Play More apps, etc., add utility value to this device.

In an effort to make it a sub-Rs 20,000 phablet, Panasonic has gone ahead with the MediaTek chipset. This one is powered by the true octa-core processor. It has got a 1.7 GHz chipset and is paired with 1GB of RAM. While the P81 manages to run all the day to day tasks with ease, it did lag a couple of times with multiple heavy apps running in the background.

Panasonic has added a 13 MP rear camera, which is a good deal at this price. While it might not stand against the results obtained by the cameras added on the flagship Samsung and Sony smartphones, the images captured were sharp and impressive. However, there weren't many modes to play around with. A slightly evolved camera software would have been better.

To back up this power-packed performance, Panasonic has also added a 2500 mAh battery to the P81 that lasted over a day and a half with heavy usage.

Bag it or Junk it: Panasonic P81 performs, without many glitches
Rating: 4/5

BlackBerry to shut down music, video sections from July 21

Canadian handset maker BlackBerry on Thursday said it will shut down the music and video sections on its app store, BlackBerry World from July 21.

The announcement comes close on the heels of BlackBerry's partnership with Amazon to make240,000 Android apps available to its users.

"While BlackBerry World will continue to offer music and video services via third party applications -- again giving you more choices for your valued content -- we will be closing the music and video sections of our store on July 21st," it said on its blogpost.

It added that previously downloaded content will be available after that date through MyWorld (user account under BlackBerry World).

"Users will be able to access video and music services through a number of popular third party services available through the Amazon Appstore and BlackBerry World," it said.

Under the licensing agreement with Amazon announced yesterday for the Amazon Appstore, users will have access to more than 200,000 Android apps when the Waterloo-based firm introduces its latest BlackBerry 10.3 operating system later this year.

This would mean BlackBerry users will finally have access to popular apps like Groupon, Netflix, Pinterest, Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft.

Along with access to Amazon Appstore, the company will continue to offer BlackBerry World.

On Wednesday, the firm said it has entered into a licensing deal with Amazon, which will give BlackBerry 10 users access to 240,000 android apps on the e-commerce giant's app store, a move aimed at boosting the sales of its latest smartphone.

The Diane von Furstenberg Google Glass frames are now on sale

Google Glass has a haute new look, courtesy of designer Diane von Furstenberg. Her fashion label, DVF, unveiled its Google collaboration earlier this month. Starting on Monday, the stylish specs are finally one sale — and they are not cheap. On Net-A-Porter, Glass, DVF frames and sunglasses come in a bundle for $1,800. (The site helpfully recommends a $1,275 Chloé blouse to go along with it). Special DVF frames are also available for $225 on Google's website for people who have already purchased Glass for $1,500. The awkward looks that come along with wearing Google Glass are free of charge.

Mass production of Apple's smartwatch to begin in July

Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc will start mass production of Apple Inc's first smartwatch in July, a source familiar with the matter said, as the US tech giant tries to prove it can still innovate against rival Samsung Electronics.

The still-unnamed watch, which Apple followers have dubbed the iWatch, will be the company's first foray into a niche product category that many remain skeptical about, especially as to whether it can drive profits as growth slows in tech gadgets.

The production will be a boost to Quanta, whose work for Apple so far has focused on laptops and iPods, product lines that are in decline.

Quanta's role, though, is likely to raise questions about what involvement Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, one of Apple's biggest suppliers, will play in production.

While the watch has been widely expected, the start date of its mass production and the extent of Quanta's involvement were not known until now.

"Mass production will start in July and the commercial launch will come as early as October," according to the source and another person familiar with the matter. The sources requested anonymity because Apple's production plans are private.

Apple will introduce a smartwatch with a display that likely measures 2.5 inches diagonally and is slightly rectangular, one of the sources said. The source added that the watch face will protrude slightly from the band, creating an arched shape, and will feature a touch interface and wireless charging capabilities.

The source said Apple expects to ship 50 million units within the first year of the product's release, although these types of initial estimates can be subject to change.

The watch is in trial production at Quanta, which will be the main manufacturer, accounting for at least 70 per cent of final assembly, the source said.

Like many other smartwatches, Apple's watch will be able to perform some functions independently, but tasks like messaging and voice chat will require connection to a smartphone, according to the source.

The device will only be compatible with gadgets running Apple's iOS, like its flagship iPhone, one of the sources said.

Most mainstream smartwatches collect data about the user's heart rate and other health-related metrics, in addition to facilitating tasks like checking e-mail and making phone calls.

A third source said LG Display Co is the exclusive supplier of the screen for the gadget's initial batch of production. It also contains a sensor that monitors the user's pulse. Singapore-based imaging and sensor maker Heptagon is on the supplier list for the feature, two other sources said.

Apple declined to comment. Quanta, LG Display and Heptagon also declined to comment.

GAME-CHANGER?

Apple's smartwatch will follow similar devices by Samsung, Sony Corp, Motorola and LG Electronics Inc - gadgets that tech watchers say have not been appealing or user-friendly enough to ignite a wave of mass adoption.

But the market is growing fast, with data firm IDC saying that worldwide shipments of wearable computing devices, including smartwatches, will triple this year over 2013.

Apple has already dropped hints of its plans in this arena, hiring the former chief executive of French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, a unit of Kering SA, and proclaiming that it will introduce "new product categories" this year. 
Many are hoping that Apple's entry into the field of so-called smart wearables will transform the industry like the company's iPhone did in 2007.

Some forecast that smartphone sales, the current cash cow of the consumer tech world, will lose momentum as the market reaches saturation. IDC predicts that worldwide smartphone sales will increase 23 per cent this year, slower than the 39 per cent last year, and that annual growth will average only 12 per cent from 2013 to 2018.

Infosys to appoint Dr. Vishal Sikka as Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director

Bangalore - June 12, 2014 :  The Infosys Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Vishal Sikka as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO & MD) of the company. Dr. Sikka will be inducted as a whole-time director of the Board and CEO & MD (Designate) on June 14, 2014. He will take over as CEO & MD from Mr. S. D. Shibulal on August 1, 2014.

The Board has also elevated Mr. U.B. Pravin Rao, President and whole-time director, as Chief Operating Officer, with effect from June 14, 2014.

Dr. Vishal Sikka was, until recently, a member of the Executive Board of SAP AG, leading all products and driving innovation globally. He has worked closely with leaders of global companies in building breakthrough business solutions. At SAP, he was responsible for all products, from traditional and cloud-based applications to technology and platform products including HANA, analytics, mobile and middleware. In addition, Dr. Sikka led multiple initiatives to accelerate innovation and research at SAP. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University, USA.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Sikka said, “I am honored to lead Infosys, an iconic company built by pioneers in the technology industry. I look forward to working with and learning from talented Infoscions around the world. Computing technology is reshaping every industry across every walk of life. We, at Infosys, have a unique opportunity to deliver breakthrough solutions that will bring greater value to our clients, employees, investors and other stakeholders. I am grateful to the Infosys Nominations and Governance Committee, Mr. Kamath, Mr. Murthy and the Board for this opportunity.”

The Board also announced the following changes:

• Mr. N.R. Narayana Murthy and Mr. S. Gopalakrishnan will voluntarily step down as Executive Chairman and Executive Vice Chairman, respectively, on June 14, 2014. In order to facilitate a smooth transition of responsibilities, they will continue on the Board till October 10, 2014 as the Non-executive Chairman and Non-executive Vice Chairman, respectively
• Mr. K. V. Kamath will become the Non-executive Chairman of the Board on October 11, 2014
• Mr. Murthy will be designated as Chairman Emeritus with effect from October 11, 2014 in recognition of his contributions to the company
• Mr. S. D. Shibulal will step down as CEO & MD and from the Board on July 31, 2014
• Mr. Srinath Batni, whole-time Director of the company, will step down from the Board on July 31, 2014
• In addition, the company has elevated twelve leaders to the position of Executive Vice President with additional responsibilities

The Executive Chairman’s office will be dissolved with effect from June 14, 2014. Dr. Rohan Murty, whose appointment was co-terminus with the Executive Chairman, will leave the company on June 14, 2014. The remaining members of the Chairman’s office will take up other responsibilities in the company.

“I am pleased with the selection of Dr. Vishal Sikka as our new CEO.” said Executive Chairman, Mr. N. R. Narayana Murthy. “Vishal brings valuable experience as a leader of a large, global corporation. His illustrious track record and value system make him an ideal choice to lead Infosys. On behalf of all of us at Infosys, I would like to thank Mr. Gopalakrishnan, Mr. Shibulal and Mr. Batni for their contributions.”

Mr. Murthy added , “I would like to thank our clients, the members of the Board, all my colleagues at Infosys, ex-Infoscions, our investors, the media, and well-wishers of the company for their support and encouragement. I also want to thank the members of my office, the Chief Financial Officer and the head of Human Resources for their fabulous support through my second innings at Infosys.”

Mr. K. V. Kamath, Lead Independent Director and Chairman of the Nominations & Governance Committee said,“The Committee adopted a rigorous selection process with the assistance of reputed global executive search and evaluation firms. Vishal brings a unique combination of technology prowess and business acumen. The Board is committed to support him to strengthen the company’s leadership in the global technology industry.”

Mr. S. Gopalakrishnan commented, “I am glad that the Board has chosen a thought leader who has demonstrated how technology can be leveraged to help businesses become more competitive. I wish him all the best.”

Mr. S. D. Shibulal remarked, “I would like to thank the Board, employees and investors for the support they have extended to me through the years. I believe that Vishal brings the vision and capability we need to take Infosys to greater heights.”

Mr. Srinath Batni said, “I have spent some of the most enriching years of my life at Infosys and will always cherish the experience. With Vishal, Infosys is well placed to chart its way forward boldly.”

Infosys will host a press conference at its Headquarters at Electronics City, Bangalore at 12:30 p.m. (IST) on June 12, 2014.

The company will also host a call for Investor Analysts at 6:00 p.m. (IST) on June 12, 2014. Dial-in details of investor call will be put up on the company’s IR website later today.