Best Buy's internal inventory systems points to 4/27 in-stock date for white iPhone 4

Nearing the inevitable and shedding even more light on the white iPhone 4’s eventual release, we’re now presented with a recent screenshot of Best Buy’s internal inventory system showing the handset’s expected in-stock date.

As you can tell, it’s been graced with an April 27th in-stock date – meaning, we can expect to stroll into our local Best Buy store and pick up one of these pristine looking white iPhone 4 models. Interestingly enough, this new revelation seemingly confirms the date pinpointed by yesterday’s news about the mythical device. Although it took nearly a full year to finally make it to market, we’re guessing that there might still be some diehard individuals out there waiting to scoop one up.

Thankfully, we shouldn’t wait to wait long in order to find out whether or not this in-stock date given by Best Buy holds up to be true, but then again, things might change as well.

source: Engadget

Samsung Droid Charge & HTC Droid Incredible 2 are listed as coming soon to Best Buy

When you start to see unreleased devices begin to grace the Best Buy Buyer’s Guide with the connotation of “coming soon,” you know that the undeniable reality is coming sooner than you think.

Chiming in on time as we begin to close out April and embrace May, both the Samsung Droid Charge and HTC Droid Incredible 2 are gracing the pages of Best Buy’s mobile focused magazine – thus shedding more truth to their inevitable release. From what we’ve seen already, the “coming soon” remark seemingly solidifies the April 28th date we’ve been hearing attached to the Samsung Droid Charge’s launch. However, there’s still yet to be any kind of indication from Verizon that the Droid Incredible 2 actually exists. Nonetheless, you can’t help but think that a powerhouse company like Best Buy is in the loop regarding such things.

So when you see unreleased devices grace their Buyer’s Guide, it undoubtedly yields to a strong likelihood that they are indeed for real – then again, maybe not.

Thanks Philip!

source: Best Buy via Droid-Life

Pre-release Gingerbread ROM for the Samsung Galaxy Ace is leaked

Not something you’d expect to find a big company like Samsung to focus on meticulously, especially when it has so many other top shelf devices to bring up to spec, but owners of the Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 might be surprised to find a leak Gingerbread ROM that’s available for download.

Apparently, it looks as though a pre-release Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread ROM for the Samsung Galaxy Ace has been leaked – which naturally carriers along all the optimizations expected with Gingerbread. Although there is still yet no official word on when we’ll see the official build, this just might be able to tide some people over until then. Just because the handset isn’t in the upper echelon of Samsung’s stable, it doesn’t mean that Samsung is going to forget about this entry-level Android smartphone altogether.

So if you’re itching to experience Gingerbread, maybe you should check out this pre-release ROM and find out for yourself?

source: samfirmware via GSMArena

BOLT Browser is enhanced with local search results provided by xAD

Continuing to be regarded as one of the more favorable web browsers available for BlackBerry smartphones, the BOLT Browser is receiving some location based abilities in the form of local search results.

Thanks to Bitstream’s partnership with xAD, users of the BOLT Browser will now be able to get relevant local search results by using the browser’s very own built-in search bar which is powered by xAD. Not something unusual in this day in age, it’ll obviously get you results based on your current location – which is great in taking out the hassle from manually having to search things for yourself. Right now, the local search function is now being rolled out to users in the US initially, but it’s expected to branch out to other markets in the very near future – such as German, UK, and France,

Naturally, there’s a good majority of BlackBerry owners who will be thrilled about the news, but you also can’t forget the many others out there who installed the app to their Java-based phones.

source: Business Wire via Phonescoop

Leaked roadmap also shows that a Lenovo 7" Honeycomb tablet is coming in Q4

Just when we all thought that we managed to get our fill of Lenovo news today, they’re seemingly just getting warmed up as we speak after a leaked roadmap uncovers yet another prize waiting at the end of the rainbow.

We all know that Lenovo’s 10.1” Think Slate (aka ThinkPad Tablet) will sport an interesting convertible design combined with a nifty alternative input method with its stylus, but looking further down in the leaked roadmap, it yields a smaller sized 7” tablet with Honeycomb in tow. Interestingly enough, this smaller bundle of joy isn’t messing around with specs – especially when it’s expected to flaunt a dual-core ARM processor and an impressive 1280 x 800 pixels resolution. Although we’re presented with a tiny rendered image of the device, it’s more likely to be nothing more than a simple placeholder for right now – so don’t be surprised to see something totally different down the road

Sure we’re getting a solid dose of Honeycomb based tablets right now, but this 7” model is stated to come along with “Le OS” –  which seems to be Lenovo’s custom interface running on top of Honeycomb. So far, it’s pegged with a Q4 launch based on the roadmap, but it’ll be interesting to see how things progress in the coming months.

source: This Is My Next

Italy enjoys its early Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the HTC Incredible S

Needless to say that it’s still easily regarded as being a rarity right now, but there’s plenty of buzz from HTC Incredible S owners in Italy because it seems that they’re in for some Gingerbread surprise this week.

Specifically, an update for Gingerbread is going to be pushed out to Italian owners of the smartphone this week via an over-the-air process. Bringing the handset to Android 2.3.3, this is surely a welcoming surprise seeing that HTC pledged to get the handset to Gingerbread by the end of Q2 2011. Furthermore, we can also assume that a global rollout could potentially be on its way – and taking into account how it’s rolling out in Italy this week, it’s uplifting to say the least to see HTC expediting the entire process.

In the greater scheme of things, the HTC Incredible S will indeed make itself presentable even more just because it’s still one of the few devices on the market that’s basically running Gingerbread.

via Electronista

Thicker sized Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v is going on sale in Portugal tomorrow for €590

Considering all the hoopla surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Tab’s redesign for its 10.1” tablet, it leads you to believe that very few people would be interested in its chunkier variant – you know, the one that was shown off at MWC as opposed to the newer razor sharp redesign shown off at spring CTIA 2011 last month.

Well, Portugal is going to be the first in the world nevertheless to start selling the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v – the original one without the thinner profile. In fact, Vodafone Portugal is in fact going to start selling this Honeycomb filled tablet starting tomorrow for its no-contract price of €589.90 ($860). Despite keeping with its original design, there’s still a decent amount of things to like about this one – such as its dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 8-megapixel camera, 1080p video recording, Wi-Fi-, Bluetooth 2.1, and 16GB of internal memory

Although this version is exclusive to Vodafone only, it’s still unknown whether or not the newer redesigned one will eventually be sold by them as well. Still, we can only cross our fingers at this point.

source: Vodafone Portugal via Engadget & Samsung Hub

Steve Jobs says Apple devices do not track a person's location, but Android phones do

Playing that old schoolhouse game, "I'm rubber, you're glue. Anything you say bounces off me and sticks to you," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that all of those fears about iOS devices tracking you and secretly keeping tabs of your location are not true. He went on to say that those fears should be directed at Android phones.

In a email sent by a MacRumors reader, Jobs was asked, "It’s kind of unnerving knowing that my exact location is being recorded at all times. Maybe you could shed some light on this for me before I switch to a Droid. They don’t track me." "Oh yes they do." Jobs replied. "We don’t track anyone. The info circulating around is false."

While Jobs statement doesn't seem to account for some location-based data that is saved on the iPhone and 3G versions of the iPad, that data is not 100% precise. On the other hand, Android is said by analyst Samy Kamkar to transmit expected location data, a hardware identifier and the location of nearby Wi-Fi hot spots. While Google has rejected this claim, and said, "Any location data that is sent back to Google location servers is anonymized and is not tied or traceable to a specific user," the Mountain View based company said that in theory, it is possible for a third party to grab the data and use it to identify a specific person.

We're pretty sure that we haven't heard the end of this story. There could be some more back and forth bickering and finger pointing before this all fades away.

source: electronista

Lenovo's convertible style Honeycomb tablet boasts an optional stylus - slated for summer

As we quickly approach the summer season, there’s no arguing the amount of heated competition expected out of the tablet market, but it appears as though Lenovo is planning to differentiate its Honeycomb powered tablet by dishing out its own flavor.

Similar to the convertible style ASUS EeePad Transformer, with its laptop-esque functionality, the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet with Android 3.0 Honeycomb will follow accordingly with its own “keyboard booklet and cradle.” Basically, power users will especially adore the productivity it’ll provide by connecting the 10.1” tablet to its keyboard cradle. Moreover, it has the usual suspects of hardware to keep it in line with the competition – like its dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 chipset, HDMI out, USB ports, SD card reader.  However, it’s following the HTC Flyer’s route by bringing along its very own stylus as an additional form of input.

Of course, we’ll see Wi-Fi and 3G variants of the ThinkPad tablet, and much like most tablets nowadays, it’ll be available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities – the latter of which will offer Cisco’s security software that should complement any enterprise users out there. So far, there are some leaked images of the tablet that better reveal its design and form, but it’s speculated to launch some time in the summer.

source: This is My Next via Android Central

Analyst sees Apple beating Wall Street's growth expectations for Q3

Analyst Horace Dediu of asymco expects another blow out earnings report from Apple once the current third quarter has concluded. Dediu sharpened up his pencils and took out his slide rule and computed that the Cupertino based firm will report $6.02 a share in earnings for Q3. That beats out Apple's own low-end (possibly done on purpose to lower expectations) $5.02 a share and Wall Street's $5.25 a share estimates.

Revenue is expected to soar to $25.8 billion from last year's $15.7 billion. That surpasses Apple's prediction for sales in the current three month period, but is slightly lower than the $23.8 billion that brokerage analysts are expecting. To get there, Dediu expects shipments of 14.7 million iPhones, a 75% increase over the 2010 third quarter. He also sees a 200% increase year-over-year in the number of iPads shipped to 9.8 million units, but a 15% decline in the number of iPods delivered to 10.1 million.

The company's recently reported Q2 numbers set off a rally in the stock. If Dediu's numbers prove to be correct, will it be enough growth for investors to keep buying the stock?

source: asymco via BGR

Latest software update for the NOOK Color officially brings Android 2.2 Froyo

For the many people who decided on picking up the Barnes & Noble NOOK Color as opposed to the host of other dedicated Android tablets on the market, they’re in for one special treat that supremely unlocks a bevy of features to this sometimes regarded ebook reading device first and Android tablet later.

Version 1.2.0 of the NOOK Color’s software specifically brings along Android 2.2 Froyo to the masses – meaning, you won’t have to go through some alternative ways to get it in line with some of its Android tablet brethren.  Additionally, it features things like NOOK Apps, NOOK Email, an enhanced web experience, NOOK Kids Read and Play titles, enhanced NOOK Books, and much more. All in all, this software update is surely going to make this tablet even more favorable for people out there considering its low cost of ownership price tag.

As it stands right now, owners should start to see the notification pop up on their devices indicated its arrival, but for those who are simply impatient, you can always manually do it yourself by heading to the Barnes & Noble NOOK Color support page.

source: Barnes & Noble via Engadget

Best Buy is selling the Honeycomb filled Acer ICONIA Tab A500 for $450

Up until now, you really have to dish out a boatload of money to experience either of the two currently available Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets in the US – which so happen to be the Motorola XOOM and T-Mobile G-Slate. Of course, you can save yourself some money if happen to decide on picking up a non-Honeycomb powered device, but then again, the experience is pretty much like most smartphones out there.

Enter the Acer ICONIA Tab A500, priced at a reasonable $450 through Best Buy, which so happens to come to market finally breaking into that beloved sub-$500 price point. Not only do consumers have the opportunity to experience Honeycomb without having to pay a high premium for it, but the Acer ICONIA Tab A500 packs along some modern hardware to glorify its overall capacity. Specifically, this 10.1” Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet with WXGA resolution sports the all too common dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 16GB of internal storage, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, and a 2-megapixel camera.

Obviously, the best thing about this one is that it’s entering the market with a Wi-Fi only model first; which contributes to its lower price point. So if the previous two Honeycomb tablets were too much for you taste, head on over to Best Buy’s web site and place your order for this one.

source: Best Buy via Mobileburn

Another Samsung Galaxy S II ad is uncovered; no Voice Talk promo on this one

Samsung keeps churning ads out for the Galaxy S II at such a pace, it might make your head spin. At least this time, the Korean based manufacturer decided to steer clear of controversial topics like texting while driving. In fact, there is no mention of the Voice Talk technology that the last two ads had championed.

This time, we are shown how thin the Samsung Galaxy S II really is. At 8.49mm, the device is thin enough to (Spoiler Alert!) slip under a door. Actually, by the time the ad ends, you are not sure if our hero actually gets his phone-or his girlfriend-back.

The device is expected to launch in the U.K. on May 1st as we reported, and so far, Samsung has kept mum on its plans for this handset regarding the U.S. But with the success the company had with the original Galaxy S Stateside, we would imagine that the unit will eventually make that trip over the ocean. And until then, there probably will be a few more commercials made that not only extol the many features of the Galaxy S II, but also let U.S. cellphone fans see what they are missing out on-at least for now.

source: YouTube via AndroidCentral

Nintendo to launch new Wii in 2012 as profit slips

 
OSAKA, Japan  - Nintendo Co Ltd said it would launch a successor to its aging Wii game console in 2012 as it struggles to win back users from rivals Microsoft and Sony and seeks to reverse a slump in profits.
Nintendo said Monday that it expects profits to remain almost flat in the current financial year, despite the launch of its much-touted 3D-capable handheld games device, whose sales in Japan have been overshadowed by the devastating March 11 earthquake.

Shaken Japan latches onto earthquake warning app

 
TOKYO  - In what has become a too-familiar experience in Tokyo, a crowded subway train screeches to a sudden halt. From around the car, mobile phones start to ring.
The sound is an emergency earthquake warning from an iPhone app that lets subscribers know when the quake will come, where the epicenter will be located and how strong the shaking will be. Often, seconds after the phone rings, the shaking starts.

BlackBerry firm seeks security 'balance' in Russia

 
MOSCOW  - BlackBerry maker Research In Motion said Russia could help development of new technologies by finding a balance between state security and innovation.
Co-chief executive Jim Balsillie said on Monday the Canadian company had "ambitious plans" in Russia and offered President Dmitry Medvedev -- an avid user of Apple's iPad -- a new Blackberry tablet at a meeting on developing new technology.

Quarter of homes in the US now have only wireless phones, no landlines

Washington, Apr 25 : A new study has revealed that more than a quarter of homes in the United States now have only a wireless phone, and no "landline."
That percentage doubled in three years, reports CBS News.
Among the findings of the survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics were:
More than one-in-four U.S. homes, or 26.6 percent, had only a wireless phone as of June 2010, up from 13.6 percent in 2007.

Mac users are more educated, eat hummus, and stay younger: Study

Washington, April 25 : A new survey conducted by Hunch has found that those owning Macs are younger, 50 percent more likely to throw parties and are less likely to ride Harleys compared to PC users.
The study conducted on 388,315 people is aimed at differentiating between a Mac user and a PC user.
The data collected has revealed that PC users will apparently content themselves with french fries from McDonald's, unlike their hummus-munching counterparts who prefer to splurge on bistro-type fries.

Now, visually explore space, time using Google's time machine!

Washington, April 26 : Google has created a time machine with which one can simultaneously explore space and time at extremely high resolutions.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute have leveraged the latest browser technology to create GigaPan Time Machine, a system that enables viewers to explore gigapixel-scale, high-resolution videos and image sequences by panning or zooming in and out of the images while simultaneously moving back and forth through time.

Net privacy expert warns teachers not to befriend pupils on Facebook

London, Apr 25 : Teachers have been warned not to add pupils as "friends" on social networking sites like Facebook, as it might blur the boundaries between school staff's professional and private lives.
At the National Union of Teachers' annual conference, teachers were told that pupils are getting access to potentially embarrassing information about teachers on their Facebook pages.
And that headteachers and school governors are increasingly using information posted on social networking sites to screen candidates for jobs.

Samsung, Sony JV to cut capital as Sony struggles with TV loss

 
SEOUL  - S-LCD, a flat screen joint venture between Sony Corp and Samsung Electronics, said it would reduce capital by $555 million, as Sony struggles with perennial losses from its TV business and Samsung seeks to shift to a new type of display.
The global liquid crystal display (LCD) market is struggling with faltering demand, with some analysts forecasting the $100 billion LCD TV industry had already peaked last year and would shrink by 3-4 percent annually, as consumers in advanced countries have already traded their bulky tube TV sets to flat screens.

iPhone 'tracks location even if services are turned off'

New York, April 25 : Disabling location services won't stop your iPhone from tracking and storing your location.
According to a test conducted by The Wall Street Journal, the location data appear to be collected using cellphone towers and Wi-Fi access points near a user's phone and don't appear to be transmitted back to Apple.
The new finding is likely to renew questions about how well users are informed about the data being gathered by their cellphones.

With 12,000 still missing, Japan keeps searching

 
A line of somber soldiers walked methodically through a drained swamp Monday, with each step sinking their slender poles into the muck beneath.
If one hit a body, he would know.
"Bodies feel very distinctive," said Michihiro Ose, a spokesman for the Japanese army's 22nd infantry regiment.
The men were among 25,000 troops given the morbid duty of searching the rubble, the seas and the swamps of northeastern Japan for the bodies of the nearly 12,000 people still missing in last month's earthquake and tsunami.

Nintendo's annual profit down 66 percent to $947M

 
TOKYO – Nintendo's annual profit dropped for the second straight year as sales of its gaming devices fell despite a price cut for the DS handheld.
The Kyoto-based company behind the Super Mario franchise and the Wii console said Monday its net profit for the fiscal year ended March 31 fell 66 percent to 77.6 billion yen ($947 million) from 228.6 billion yen the year before.
Nintendo, which does not break down quarterly numbers, said annual sales slipped 29 percent to 1.014 trillion yen ($12.4 billion).

Emirati telecom: BlackBerry limits next week

 
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Emirati authorities seeking greater control over smartphone data are pushing ahead with plans to impose tighter restrictions on the most tough-to-monitor BlackBerry service next week, according to a senior telecom executive.
The proposed new rules, outlined earlier this month, have renewed questions about how far the United Arab Emirates is willing to go in allowing highly secure communications within its borders.
The Gulf Arab federation threatened a far more sweeping ban on BlackBerry email and other services last year, but reversed that decision shortly before it would have taken effect.

AT&T starts selling 'cell tower in a suitcase'

 
NEW YORK – For the first time, AT&T is selling small, portable cellular antennas that will allow corporate and government customers to provide their own wireless coverage in remote or disaster-struck areas.

Nintendo Confirms Wii Successor For 2012

Nintendo has confirmed it will launch a successor to its popular Wii gaming console in 2012.
As of March, Nintendo has sold 86.01 million Wiis since 2006 when the console was launched. However, in 2010 the company sold only 15.1 million Wiis globally -- a 25% drop from 2009 when it sold 20.1 million units.
The company also revealed its yearly financial results for 2010, marking a big drop in net profit -- $825 million -- 66 percent less than in 2009.
The declining Wii sales paired with the shoddy financial results make this a perfect moment for Nintendo to announce the next version of Wii. A "2012 launch" is as vague as launch dates come, but Nintendo promised to have a playable unit, as well as more details and specifications of the upcoming Wii model, at the E3 Expo, which is June 7-9 in Los Angeles.

China to punish Baidu for illegal music downloads

SHANGHAI  – China's ministry of culture is to punish search engine company Baidu for providing illegal music downloads, a move that may hit its soaring share price.
Xinhua, China's official news agency, reported on Monday the government will punish 14 websites that have provided illegal music downloads, including Baidu, China's top search engine.
Xinhua reported that an official said the websites continued to provide illegal downloads after repeated warnings not to do so. Details about the punishment were not released.
Baidu spokesman Kaiser Kuo said it would act quickly to remove links to files identified by the ministry.

Sony 'rebuilding' PlayStation Network after outage

NEW YORK – Sony Corp. said it is rebuilding its PlayStation Network to bring it back online after an "external intrusion" caused it to suspend the service.
The company said it turned off the service, which lets gamers connect in live play, so that it could strengthen its network infrastructure. Qriocity — the company's online entertainment platform — was also affected.
"Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security," the company said in a blog post Saturday. An email message to the company seeking further details was not immediately returned.

BlackBerry firm seeks security "balance" in Russia

MOSCOW  – BlackBerry maker Research In Motion said Russia could help development of new technologies by finding a balance between state security and innovation.
Co-chief executive Jim Balsillie said on Monday the Canadian company had "ambitious plans" in Russia and offered President Dmitry Medvedev -- an avid user of Apple's iPad -- a new Blackberry tablet at a meeting on developing new technology.

China Approaches 900 Million Mobile Phone Users

China is on the verge of becoming the first country in the world to have more than 900 million cell phone users, according to government statistics.
The number of mobile phone users in the country reached 889 million at the end of March, an addition of 30 million in the quarter. Based on that and recent growth rates, the total number of users is likely to surpass 900 million sometime during May.
The figures underscore the soaring rate of mobile phone adoption in the country. In March 2009, the country had 670 million mobile phone users. During the same period in 2010, that number reached 776 million.

Online Activism Aims to Stop School Spankings

Can social media make a real difference for a cause? It's a challenge taken on by Marc Ecko and his Unlimited Justice, a campaign to fight corporal punishment in U.S. schools. More than just an isolated campaign, it's an example of how the Internet is changing modern activism.
Online activism has been both the whipping boy and unexpected hero of social good. The recent revolutions in the Middle East offer a strong case for the powers of social media to amass people into a sum greater than the individual. However, social good has also given birth to ugly terms like "slacktivism" -- a portmanteau that picks on the perceived apathy and laziness of social media users.
It may take less physical effort to sign an online petition than stage a protest, but those online efforts are starting to mean more and more to officials. Ecko's Unlimited Justice campaign helped pressure New Mexico into banning corporal punishment and made in-roads on the practice in Texas.

Nintendo to launch new Wii in 2012 as profits dwindle

 
OSAKA, Japan – Nintendo Co Ltd said it would launch a successor to its aging Wii game console in 2012 as it struggles to win back users from rivals Microsoft and Sony and seeks to reverse a slump in profits.
Nintendo said on Monday that it expects profits to remain almost flat in the current financial year, despite the launch of its much-touted 3D-capable handheld games device, whose sales in Japan have been overshadowed by the devastating March 11 earthquake.

Acer Iconia Tab A500 Now Available for $450

Acer's Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablet has arrived on schedule, bringing an interesting array of features for a very competitive price.
The Acer Iconia Tab A500 features a 10.1-inch screen 1280×800 TFT WXGA screen, an Nvidia Tegra 250 1GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of flash storage (with the possibility of extending the storage capacity up to 32 GB via a Micro-SD card). It's got a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front one for video chats, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a USB 2.0 port and a battery that should last around 10 hours if you're using the device for browsing the web.
While those specifications sound very similar to those of another Android 3.0 tablet, the Motorola Xoom, Acer's tablet does have the advantage of a brushed aluminum back and a much lower price.
The Acer Iconia Tab is available at Best Buy.

Best Buy lists white iPhone, on sale this week; Apple might be going with T-Mobile

Whoa, a mess of new rumors hit over the weekend that are likely to have iPhone 4 enthusiasts seriously excited.
First up is the white iPhone 4, which has long been more elusive than a yeti riding a unicorn and having a conversation with the Loch Ness monster. And suddenly, evidence points to Apple (AAPL) having shored up the issues with the phone and priming it to hit store shelves -- like, on Wednesday. Of this week. For real.

Mexico agency confirms $1B fine for Slim's company

MEXICO CITY – Mexico's antitrust agency confirmed Sunday that it levied a $1 billion (12 billion peso) fine against the Mexican cellphone subsidiary of tycoon Carlos Slim and ordered it to stop unfair practices.
The Federal Competition Commission said it found that Slim's Telcel business engages in "relative monopolistic practices" by overcharging competitors to connect calls to Telcel users.
The fine against Telcel is the maximum penalty possible — 10 percent of the company's assets because it is a repeat offender, the agency said in a statement. It gave Telcel 30 days to say how it will change its practices. Telcel also has 30 days to appeal.
Slim's telecom company, America Movil, revealed the fine April 15. It said it was studying all options for appeal.

Netflix soon to be the largest subscription entertainment service in the U.S.

You don’t need the above headline to know that Netflix is huge. More and more people are opting away from pay movie channels on cable TV while the networks themselves put increasing effort into developing original projects that add value to their rosters… eventually bringing those projects to Netflix after seasons end and made-for-TV movies air. The biggest component in the service’s success, without any doubt, is its robust Watch Instantly library of streaming video content. Removing physical media and mailings from the equation entirely, this component of Netflix offers subscribers instant access to thousands of films and TV series’ and has contributed significantly to the service’s rise in popularity in recent years.
The company is due to release its quarterly earnings report on Monday, and analysts predict that the additional estimated 3.7 million subscribers that have joined bring its total user base up to roughly 23.7 million, The Hollywood Reporter reveals. Even if the actual numbers fall short of the estimated figure, it is believed that the company has grown large enough to become the number one subscription entertainment business in the United States.
Phone, cable and Internet service provider Comcast is currently in the top spot, with 22.8 million video subscribers. Satellite radio service Sirius XM holds steady at number two, with 20.2 million. The expectation once the numbers are released is that Netflix and Sirius XM will be battling for the number one spot while Comcast will settle in at number three, thanks to the shrinking number of new subscribers. NPD analysts peg 61 percent of all movies streamed over the Internet as coming from Netflix, eight times more than Comcast, BMO Captial Markets analyst Edward Williams tells THR.
“Following the torrid pace of subscriber growth since Netflix’s Watch Instantly service made its way onto game consoles, we expect subscriber growth to remain elevated,” Williams said.
Observers are looking to offerings like Time Warner’s HBO Go, which was recently announced for a May 2 rollout on iOS and Android devices, as viable competitors to Netflix’s streaming content dominance. The amount of money the company spends on securing rights to that streaming content will be looked over carefully by industry analysts as they gauge what the future holds for Netflix and its competition.

Second computer worm 'hits Iran'

 
TEHRAN  – Iran has been hit with new malicious software as part of cyber attacks against the country, a military officer told Mehr news agency on Monday without specifying the target.
"Certain characteristics about the 'Stars' virus have been identified, including that it is compatible with the (targeted) system," Gholam Reza Jalali, commander of the Iranian civil defence organisation, told the agency.
"In the initial stage, the damage is low and it is likely to be mistaken for governmental executable files," Jalali said, adding that Iranian experts were still investigating the full scope of the malware's abilities.

Impact of the Amazon Server Crash Spreads

Last week Amazon's EC2 web-hosting service suffered a technical problem that took down some of web's most popular social sites including Reddit, Foursquare, Quora and Hootsuite, among others, and service disruptions are ongoing. But given the wide adoption of Amazon's hosting service, it's not surprising that the outage spread beyond the the realm of social media startups. Web ntrepreneur Jason Calancanis pointed to a disturbing message posted on the Amazon Web Services forums, supposedly from a cardiac patient monitoring company, with the subject heading, "Life of our patients is at stake - I am desperately asking you to contact." The message read:
Sorry, I could not get through in any other way
We are a monitoring company and are monitoring hundreds of cardiac patients at home.
We were unable to see their ECG signals since 21st of April
Could you please contact us?... Or please let me know how can I contact you more ditectly.
Thank you

So far there is no response at Amazon, however an intense debate has begun underneath the post regarding whether or not a company should stake its customers' lives on the reliability of Amazon's servers. As one commenter wrote:

You put a life critical system on virtual hosted servers? What the hell is wrong with you?

Another commenter elaborated:

Which begs the question, why did you leave yourself -- and your patients -- open to this risk in the first place? I hope for your patients' sake that you begin taking more seriously your IT planning. Since you apparently don't have a fail-over -- and are waiting for Amazon anyway -- you might want to think about solving the weakness you built into your own system, i.e., start working on an alternative method of getting what you need. And if you can't find a way to do that even now, I submit that you should never have launched your service at all.

The original poster responded by backtracking on his subject heading, and wrote, "This is a home based system, not an intra hospital system. So the promised 99.95% uptime is fine" and "this is not a life saving system.Which does not mean that patient's life cannot be saved using it."

 

Others maintained that despite the flaws of relying on servers that you can't touch, the villain was Amazon for its flawed server and its failure to respond to the posters' cry for help:

No reason for everyone to go all self-righteous on him. In the end, the market will decide. if his patients die, he'll be fired and/or his company will go out of business... I guarantee that there were hundreds of other mission-critical apps in the healthcare industry that went down as well. Amazon's US-EAST region hosts hundreds of thousands of customers. It's one of their largest.

The villain here is Amazon, not specific developers who may or may not be in the healthcare industry.