IDC report: Samsung sold more phones than Nokia in Finland during Q1 2013

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/28/idc-samsung-sold-more-phones-than-nokia-in-finland/

Nokia might have been bested by Samsung's global phone shipments for a while, but there was always one vanguard -- the Finnish public, who have patriotically stood by (and bought up) Nokia smartphones over the last few difficult years. It looks like rivals have very much broken through, however, with IDC reporting that Samsung was responsible for the highest number of phone sales in the last quarter, claiming 36 percent against Nokia's 33 percent market share. Third place was Apple, trailing with 14 percent, while other manufacturers soaked up the remaining 16 percent. According to Digitoday, the change was due to the continuing shift to smartphones, one that shows no signs of slowing down.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia

Comments

Via: Android Beat

Source: Digitoday (Finnish)

Read More...

Summary only...

LG exec says the company won't make the Nexus 5

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/28/lg-kim-wong-we-wont-make-the-nexus-5/

Despite the ladles of praise heaped upon LG's Nexus 4, the company's European VP doesn't believe we'll see the company build the next iteration in the range. During a chat with AllAboutPhones, Kim Wong said that the Nexus 4's success means that the company "does not need such a marketing success again" -- disagreeing with the Korea Times, which said just the opposite at the start of the month. Wong added that whilst the company is still friendly with Google, it won't be entering the stock Android game any time soon, thanks to a desire to bring LG's own skin-friendly experience to users.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, LG

Comments

Source: All About Phones (Translated)

Read More...

Summary only...

Scientists find that graphene can be used to build lasers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/26/graphene-lasers/

You already know that graphene can be used to make transistors, solar cells and even Sennheiser-quality cans. But if you think that's about as cool as the carbon material can get, listen to this: It can also be used to make ultrashort-pulse lasers. According to scientists from a smattering of institutions, the atomic-scale chickenwire material has the ability to absorb light effectively -- much like a sponge -- over a broad range of wavelengths. It can then release the light it absorbs in quick bursts that last a few femtoseconds each (with one femtosecond lasting one millionth of one billionth of a second), which is what ultrashort-pulse lasers do. With graphene as a component instead of traditional materials, scientists could develop a laser as small as a pencil that's immune to thermal damage typically caused by intense beams. The finished product, if ever someone actually concocts one, could be applied across a variety of fields -- everything from pollution monitoring to medicine. For those unafraid of technobabble, there's plenty more in the source link.

[Image credit: Michaelpkk, Wikimedia]

Filed under: Misc, Science

Comments

Source: Nature

Read More...

Summary only...

A Clever Plastic Brace Turns Long-Stemmed Flowers Into Their Own Vase

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-clever-plastic-brace-turns-long-stemmed-flowers-into-509714046

Florists around the country, pay attention. If you're looking for a value-added reason for people to buy a dozen roses from your shop, then find a way to get this brilliant Crown Vase put into production and include one with every bouquet.

Designed by Lambert Rainville, a student at the Royal College of Art, the Crown Vase works as a support allowing flowers to stand via their own stems, like a simple shelter crafted by an experienced outdoors person. A shallow dish or bowl full of water is still needed to keep the flowers alive for more than a day, but when they eventually die everything can be composted and recycled, making cleanup an eco-friendly affair.

[Lambert Rainville via Notcot]

Read More...

Summary only...

Chrome OS updated with new panel window and launcher options, other minor improvements

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/24/chrome-os-update-stable-release/

It's fairly minor as far as operating system upgrades go, but Chrome OS users can expect to receive a new update in the stable release channel sometime in the next few days (if they haven't already). It brings with it some added panel windows for things like chat, along with a new positioning mode for the launcher, autocomplete in Drive search, a new three-finger gesture to move between tabs, and expanded support for wireless mice and touchpads, among other minor fixes and additions (including some promised memory management improvements). You can find the full rundown at the source link below.

Filed under: Software, Google

Comments

Source: Chrome Releases

Read More...

Summary only...