Celebrate with some Digital Chocolate Tweet

GLOBAL – The folks over at Digital Chocolate, developers of some pretty addictive games, are having a bit of a celebration. Why? Well, their catalogue of games on Ovi Store has recently bounced through the 4 million downloads mark. To celebrate, they’ve taken the prices off some of their games for April and May (restricted to selected European countries). Read on after the jump to find out more.

Like Shazzam, Polarbit and Nimbuzz who have all broken through the 1 million downloads milestone, Digital Chocolate has hit an even bigger one in achieving 4 million downloads. In the games developer’s back catalogue you’ll find addictive and classic games such as Tower Bloxx, Rollercoaster Rush and Crazy Penguin. Trip Hawkins, CEO of Digital Chocolate had this to say about the achievement:

“We are excited about the continuous growth of the Ovi Store, and the opportunities it creates for global mass-market content distribution. Digital Chocolate will also be working to provide more value to consumers, and introducing innovative new ways to monetize on Nokia’s Ovi Store.”

Since its launch last year Ovi Store has evolved rapidly. Getting content on the Store is getting easier and the new user interface means that you guys find what you want faster, and apps receive more visibility. Marco Argenti, VP and Global Head of Media, Nokia commented:

“Digital Chocolate makes highly addictive games that play very well across a wide range of Nokia devices, allowing Digital Chocolate to reach millions of users thanks to the worldwide reach of Ovi Store, currently having registered users from over 180 countries,” “Gaming is one of the strongest content categories in most of our markets, and as Ovi Store’s selection continues to grow and we add more Digital Chocolate franchises, we’ll further democratise games and mobile applications for Nokia users around the world.”

Have you had a play with any of Digital Chocolate’s games? If not now’s your chance. Digital Chocolate is offering free game downloads throughout April and May. Choose from (or all of) the five free games on the list: Tower Bloxx, Rollercoaster Rush, Crazy Penguin, Nightclub Fever and Dictator Defence. The give away only applies in select European countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

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Motorola Shows TD-LTE Commercial Readiness with End-to-end Demonstration Based on World's First TD-LTE USB Dongle Tweet

Latest progress takes TD-LTE commercialization and globalization a step further by helping build a healthy TD-LTE device ecosystem.

BEIJING – Motorola, Inc.'s (NYSE: MOT) Networks business announced that it showcased an end-to-end TD-LTE demonstration via the world's first TD-LTE USB dongle at the Shanghai Expo site to support the "TD-LTE Showcase Network Opening Ceremony" hosted in Shanghai on April 15. Delegates at the ceremony experienced applications that run over a TD-LTE network via USB dongles, including high-definition video wall (simultaneous 24 video streams), remote monitoring and high-speed Internet browsing applications. This latest advancement demonstrates a major milestone of the collaborative industry efforts in building a healthy TD-LTE device ecosystem, reaffirming Motorola's commitment to TDD spectrum operators around the world.

Motorola, a leading provider of TD-LTE technology, and China Mobile share the same commitment to accelerating TD-LTE commercialization and globalization. "We are very excited to support China Mobile in bringing the world's first TD-LTE USB dongle demonstration enabled by our TD-LTE system," said Dr. Mohammad Akhtar, corporate vice president and general manager, Motorola Networks business in Asia Pacific. "A healthy devices ecosystem has always been critical to the development, commercialization and success of wireless network technologies. We are working closely with partners to drive this ecosystem as demonstrated by the advancement announced today. TD-LTE is now a commercial reality and we are very pleased to see that industry players are joining forces to accelerate TD-LTE globalization."

Interest in TD-LTE continues to grow because of several key factors: the low cost of TDD spectrum that is particularly attractive to emerging and developing markets; operators' continuing need for more capacity and spectrum; and the ability to hand-off between TD-LTE and LTE FDD networks. In effect, this ability to roam between LTE FDD and TD-LTE means operators can use TD-LTE networks to augment their FDD LTE network for more capacity or other applications such as video broadcasting, while operators choosing to use TD-LTE as their "main" network can still offer their subscribers the ability to roam to other operators' FDD LTE networks in different countries. Motorola is one of the few vendors in the industry that has expertise in, and is committed to investing in both FDD-LTE and TD-LTE, as well as WiMAX. By leveraging its orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) expertise and WiMAX legacy, Motorola has built up its leadership position in TD-LTE with a number of industry-firsts.

Dr. Akhtar added, "Motorola has once again demonstrated the superiority of its TD-LTE solution and its expertise in network planning. Motorola, with its experience in OFDM and with its award winning solutions, is in the best position to enable TDD spectrum operators to roll out their next-generation networks."

Motorola's TD-LTE Expertise and Achievements
Motorola has gained significant experience and momentum in TD-LTE thanks to its OFDM experience, which was instrumental in the development and design of the TD-LTE 4Tx/8Rx solution. These engineering innovations resulted in one of the most efficient radios in the market – allowing it to be compact enough to be installed and mounted on a tower. By packing more performance into a smaller unit, operators can get better performance out of the sites they deploy and may be able to use fewer sites, thereby lowering their total cost of ownership.

Motorola was selected last year by CMCC to be the main equipment supplier to provide indoor TD-LTE coverage for pavilions at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai China. At the Expo, which runs May 1 to Oct. 31, 2010 and is expected to attract 70 million visitors, Motorola also will integrate and launch the world's first TD-LTE USB dongle that supports both 2.3GHz and 2.6GHz. This LTE device launch will help operators build a healthy TD-LTE ecosystem.

Motorola's on-going advancements in TD-LTE include its recently announced first over-the-air TD-LTE data session on the TD-LTE network in Shanghai and the successful completion of the TD-LTE key functionalities tests initiated by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

These achievements, plus being the only vendor able to complete all radio frequency (RF) test cases in CMCC's TD-LTE trial including the ability to support the TD-LTE maximum data rate in 20MHz and successfully running multiple user devices, and conducting the world's first TD-LTE live drive demo at ITU Telecom 2009 in Geneva, are further demonstrations of Motorola's LTE expertise.

Motorola Networks business delivers fully integrated and customizable media solutions enabling operators to offer personalized, rich media experiences to their subscribers. As a global wireless infrastructure leader, Motorola is committed to 4G with WiMAX and LTE solutions that provide a way for operators to profitably meet the ever-growing demand for mobile broadband today while giving 2G and 3G customers a future path as we continue to support their legacy networks. Motorola brings its services, fourth-generation OFDM platform and 25 years of wireless data systems innovation, experience and expertise to bear as operators – wireline, wireless, cable and telco –seek to evolve their networks for the future.

For more information about Motorola's 4G solutions please visit our 4G Digital Press Kit. For more information about Motorola's LTE solutions please visit http://www.motorola.com/Business/SG-EN/Business+Solutions/Industry+Solutions/Wireless+Operators/LTE .

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New phones combine Walkman™ functionality with social networking Tweet

Sony Ericsson Zylo™ with Walkman™ and Sony Ericsson Spiro™ with Walkman™, is a new duo which continues the iconic Sony Ericsson Walkman™ phone legacy. With more than 130 million Walkman™ phones sold worldwide, Sony Ericsson now adds two affordable Walkman™ phones to its portfolio – without compromising on features.

Sony Ericsson Zylo™ and Sony Ericsson Spiro™ provide consumers with the best music experience they have come to expect from Walkman™ phones but go one step further and marry music with social networking. From Twitter™ to Facebook™, consumers can catch up with friends at just a touch of a button while still listening to their favourite music on the Walkman™ player. Another key function available on both phones is TrackID™ – which allows consumers to access the name and artist of a track they hear playing wherever they are. This function has proved popular with music lovers world-wide with 129million TrackID™ lookups in 2009 alone.

Sony Ericsson Zylo™ and Sony Ericsson Spiro™ also feature the human curvature design that is now consistent across the whole Sony Ericsson portfolio. Beautiful and timeless human curvature also incorporates an ergonomic keypad which makes the handset easy to use.

“The Sony Ericsson range of Walkman™ phones has seen tremendous success since it was first launched in 2005 having sold more than 130 million handsets to date – and we are still seeing a great appetite from consumers. Today’s announcement aims to satisfy this demand by making the Walkman™ phone range available to a wider audience.” Said Jenny Maltesson, Marketing Business Manager at Sony Ericsson. “By combining the best of the Walkman™ functionality with a myriad of social networking capabilities, Sony Ericsson Zylo™ and Sony Ericsson Spiro™ offer consumers the chance to access and get a taste of what our Communication Entertainment portfolio has to offer.” Concluded Maltesson.

Sony Ericsson Zylo™ with Walkman™

Bought a song and dying to share it with friends? Consumers can play their favourite tune in the background while chatting away on their handset. The Sony Ericsson Zylo™ with Walkman™ also comes preloaded with sounds so consumers can pretend they are still at work, walking on the street or in a restaurant. The FLAC format, which debuts on this handset, allows consumers to experience superb sound.

* Iconic Sony Ericsson Walkman™ music player
* Superb sound with clear audio experience
* High definition FLAC format – best sound quality ever on a mobile phone
* TrackID™ - name that tune
* PlayNow™ - shop in our music and app store 24/7
* Stay connected with Facebook™ and Twitter™
* Share photos on Flickr® and Picasa™
* Upload video clips to YouTube™ with two clicks

The screen is a scratch-resistant 2.6 inch 262,144 colour TFT (QVGA: 240 x 320 pixels). Features include a 3.2 megapixel camera, microSD™ memory card support up to 16 GB, Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP), NetFront™ web browser. Sony Ericsson Java Platform JP-8.5 is supported.

Sony Ericsson Zylo™ with Walkman™ supports UMTS HSPA 900/2100 and GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS HSPA 850/900/1800/1900 and GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900. It will be available in selected markets from early Q3 2010 in the colours Jazz Black, Chacha Silver and Swing Pink

Sony Ericsson Spiro™ with Walkman™

Enjoy best-in-class music experience with the Sony Ericsson Spiro™ with Walkman™. With the press of a button consumers get instant access to TrackID™ where they can discover millions of songs in seconds. Fancy a chat? Log onto Facebook™ or Twitter™ or chat via SMS with its easy-to-read conversation bubbles.

* Iconic Sony Ericsson Walkman™ music player
* Tunes on the go – 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth™ stereo and FM radio with RDS
* TrackID™ - name that tune
* Download the music from PlayNow™
* Catch up with friends on Facebook™ and Twitter™

The screen is a 2.2 inch 262,144 colour TFT (QVGA: 240 x 320 pixels). Features include a 2.0 megapixel camera, microSD™ memory card support up to 16 GB, Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP), Obigo Q7 web browser. See the White Paper for JSR support.

Sony Ericsson Spiro™ with Walkman™ supports GSM GPRS/EDGE 900/1800 and GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/1900. It will be available in selected markets from early Q3 2010 in the colours Contrast Black, Sunset Pink, Spring Green and Stealth Black.

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Sony Ericsson announces new Chief Financial Officer Tweet

London, UK – Sony Ericsson announces that William ‘Bill’ A Glaser, Jr, former Sony Corporation Vice President and Head of Sony Group Risk Office, has joined Sony Ericsson and is appointed Chief Financial Officer effective today. In his new role Bill Glaser will succeed Ulf Lilja, who will return to Ericsson on 31 July. Bill Glaser will report to Sony Ericsson President Bert Nordberg, and he will be based at the company’s global corporate offices in London as well as its offices in Lund, Sweden.

Bill Glaser has over twenty years of experience working in Sony’s diverse electronics, game and entertainment businesses in the US, UK and Japan. In the last ten years he has held senior positions at Sony in Japan and in the US. As Vice President and Head of the Sony Group Risk Office for Sony Corporation since 2006, Bill Glaser was responsible for developing and introducing Sony’s global enterprise risk management programme. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller for Sony Electronics, Sony’s US subsidiary responsible for electronics and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. He began his career at Price Waterhouse in the US, where he became a Certified Public Accountant.

Bert Nordberg, President, Sony Ericsson, said, “Ulf Lilja joined Sony Ericsson as Chief Financial Officer in 2005 and has witnessed many changes to both the industry and our company over the five years. I wish to thank Ulf for his longstanding contribution to Sony Ericsson and wish him well in the future.” He added, “Bill Glaser joins Sony Ericsson at an important time in our industry. The convergence of technologies across home and mobile devices, coupled with the increasing importance of understanding consumer insight, is something that he has already experienced across Sony’s diverse businesses. We look forward to welcoming him to Sony Ericsson.”

Commenting on today’s announcement, Bill Glaser said, “I am very pleased to be joining Sony Ericsson during these very exciting times for both the mobile handset industry and the company itself. Over the past few months Sony Ericsson has announced one of its strongest product portfolios ever, which has created buzz in the industry. I look forward to applying the experience I have gained at Sony and contributing to Sony Ericsson’s next phase of growth.”

A native of the US, Bill Glaser has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Business and Economics and a Masters of Science Degree in Management Sciences from Lehigh University, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In addition to postings in the US, UK and Japan, he has lived in Brazil and Belgium. Bill Glaser is 47 years old.

Sony Ericsson is a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson established in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London and operations in all major markets. Our vision is to become the industry leader in Communication Entertainment; where new styles of communicating through the internet and social media, become entertainment. Sony Ericsson offers exciting consumer experiences through phones, accessories, content and applications.

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Sony Ericsson reports first quarter 2010 results Tweet

Q1 Highlights:

* Company returns to profitability in Q1 2010
* ASP rises to Euro 134 as Xperia™ X10 and Vivaz™ start shipping
* Improved cost structure generates better margins

The consolidated financial summary for Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Ericsson) for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010 is as follows:




Q12009


Q4 2009


Q1 2010

Number of units shipped (million)


14.5


14.6


10.5

Sales (Euro m.)


1,736


1,750


1,405

Gross margin (%)


8%


23%


31%

Operating income (Euro m.)


-369


-181


20

Operating margin (%)


-21%


-10%


1%

Restructuring charges (Euro m.)


12


150


3

Operating income excl. restructuring charges (Euro m.)


-357


-32


23

Operating margin excl. restructuring charges (%)


-21%


-2%


2%

Income before taxes (IBT) (Euro m.)


-370


-190


18

IBT excl. restructuring charges (Euro m.)


-358


-40


21

Net income (Euro m.)


-293


-167


21












Average selling price (Euro)


120


120


134

Bert Nordberg, President, Sony Ericsson commented, “We are pleased to see the positive impact of both the launch of new products and the business transformation programme improving the company’s results. The Xperia™ X10, our first android-based Communication Entertainment device featuring signature Sony Ericsson applications Timescape and Mediascape™, and Vivaz™, a beautifully designed, touch-screen Symbian phone started shipping towards the end of the quarter. Both models have been well received by global customers.” He added, “Increases in both gross and operating margins show that we are on the right track to build the correct cost structure for our business organization and strategy. We will continue to work through the transformation programme to ensure that we are competitive.”
Units shipped in the quarter were 10.5 million, a decrease of 28% compared to the same period last year, reflecting the streamlining of the portfolio over the past 12 months to focus on higher-end phones. Sales for the quarter were Euro 1,405 million, a decrease of 19% year on year. Average selling price (ASP) increased 12% both sequentially and year-on-year to Euro 134 during the quarter due to good sell through of existing models, new flagship phones starting to ship at the end of the quarter and a positive currency effect.

Gross margin rose both sequentially and year-on-year, reflecting a more favourable product mix and the benefit of cost of sales improvements in the past year, including the resolution of certain royalty matters during the quarter.

Income before taxes for the quarter excluding restructuring was a profit of Euro 21 million, illustrating the positive impact of the cost reduction programme.
The transformation programme, which started in mid-2008, with the aim of reducing annual operating expenses by Euro 880 million is continuing with the full benefit expected during the second half of 2010. Since the start of the programme, Sony Ericsson has reduced its global workforce by approximately 3,150 people to reach a total of 8,450 by March 31, 2010. The total restructuring charges taken to date are Euro 342 million.

As of March 31, 2010, Sony Ericsson retained a net cash position of Euro 563 million.
During the first quarter of 2010, Sony Ericsson obtained additional external funding of Euro 150 million. The funding was guaranteed by the parent companies on a 50/50 basis.
Market share in unit base for the quarter decreased by one percentage point sequentially and is now estimated to be around 4%.
Sony Ericsson maintains a forecast of slight growth in units in the global handset market in 2010.

EDITOR’S NOTES:

Financial statements and additional information:

Financial statements:

Consolidated income statement
Consolidated income statement – isolated quarters
Consolidated balance sheet
Consolidated statement of cash flows
Consolidated statement of cash flows – isolated quarters

Additional information:

Net sales by market area by quarter

Sony Ericsson is a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson established in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London and operations in all major markets. Sony Ericsson vision is to become the industry leader in Communication Entertainment; where new styles of communicating through the internet and social media, become entertainment. Sony Ericsson offers exciting consumer experiences through phones, accessories, content and applications.

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Android war began Tweet

Domestic and foreign mobile phone makers launch Android phone and textile machinery are expected to be fought over market leadership.

Within two months of the first Android phone, Samsung Electronics and Pantech are released next month, Sony Ericsson and HTC of Taiwan will join the ranks of the competition. LG Electronics 'Eclipse' is being developed through the Project Name of Android phones are expected to emerge after May.

● 2 years later, seemed to exceed 20% market share

Gartner Group projects the market five days, according to the chain geuchyeotdeon Android phones in 2008 to 0.5% of the world's market share in 2012 is expected to exceed 20%. Height-year-old semyida geupsokhan.

Google offers a variety of content to boast of openness with Android. However, most of the hardware capabilities of the product and the operating system (OS) that wasteful jachit bleeding similar to the claims of competing. Released four months after opening up 50 million cost to Apple's iPhone also can not avoid the burden of having to face.

Q2 year to release Android phones in the country is more than a minimum of five kinds. Samsung's first Android (Model SHW-M100S) that is released through SK Telecom. With the best hardware specifications that puts plans. Further upgrade the OS to get rid of the hassle has decided to mount the 2.1 version. Given the large number of users for video calls the world's first Android phone also supports video telephony functionality.

3.7 in. Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AM OLED) display was equipped with a 500 megapixel camera. 800 ㎒ processor, T-DMB, and video telephony functionality to support is an advantage.

The first Android guknaehyeong ponin 'Andro -1' unveiling next month, LG Electronics, LG Telecom and KT through from the integration of a high specification and plans to introduce Android handset. Augmented Reality (3-D virtual objects superimposed to show the reality and the technology) with applications 'LU-2300' model, the eye-catching.

Pantech's first Android 'Sirius' will appear near the end of this month. Android without having to borrow the name will be released through SK Telecom, the latest version of 2.1 and 3.7 inches was mounted display. 5 million pixel camera, T-DMB are supported. The price is 900,000 won chobandae influential. Mon 45,000 won to pay the late fees by 20 million won is likely to get his hands on devices.

● exhaustive bleeding inevitable competition

Next month, SK Telecom, Sony Ericsson's first Android's new 'Extreme periah X10' deserves a close look. 'Monseuteopon' is called. 4 inches in the 8.1 million-pixel camera, large display, such as Qualcomm 1 ㎓ seunaepdeuraegeon processor boasts powerful hardware. Due to the highly competitive domestic market, foreign markets will be higher than the 2.1 version release. More than two kinds of applications (application software) can be driven simultaneously. Conducted 18 to 31 month book sales in Japan are 50,000 volumes in the book have been exhausted.

HTC's other relaxation 'design had better not be landing in Korea through SK Telecom. Google-'nekseoseuwon' and almost the same appearance and specs.

source

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Navigate to the final with CoPilot Live South Africa Sat Nav App Tweet

Full turn-by-turn navigation app for smartphones provides voice-guidance to hotels, airports and even stadium gates throughout South Africa.

– London, UK – Football fans heading to South Africa this summer will be able to find their way around easily thanks to the newly available CoPilot Live South Africa sat nav app.

Available for iPhone, Android smartphones or Windows Phone, CoPilot Live provides full turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation in-car or on foot. Detailed street maps of South Africa are stored on the phone, so there’s no need to rely on the mobile network for navigation and no risk of incurring huge roaming bills for downloading maps.

With matches for the forthcoming tournament spread between several cities over considerable distances (approximately 1,500 miles for the England team’s first 3 games alone), many fans will have the chance to explore the stunning scenery and sights throughout South Africa.

CoPilot Live can help fans find their way with confidence wherever they need to go, whether it’s to the hotel, airport or the game. With the very latest maps available, it can even provide directions to specific gates at tournament stadiums. Thousands of useful points of interest (POIs) are also pre-installed, including the locations of ATMs, hotels, restaurants, bars, car hire offices and airports.

On the road, CoPilot Live’s advanced guidance features make it easy to see where to go, with 2D and 3D map views, lane assistance display and speed limit indicator.
Whatever the score this summer, at least you’ll be able to enjoy the journey.
The CoPilot Live South Africa navigation app is available for £29.99 via the iPhone app store, Android Market and for Windows Phones from www.copilotlive.com.
# # #
For any screenshots and device images, please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/copilotlive/collections/
For any videos related to this announcement, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/copilotlive

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