Facebook set to buy Indian startup Little Eye Labs for $10-15 million: Report

 Facebook is reportedly set to acquire an Indian startup Little Eye Labs in a deal valued between $10 million and $15 million.

Bangalore-based Little Eye Labs's chief product is a tool that helps Android app developers to measure, analyze and optimize their apps. It helps visualize the app's behaviour and estimates the app's power, memory and network data consumption trends.

According to TechCrunch, Facebook's acquisition of the Indian startup would mean a lot for the one-and-a-half years old company, which also pitched to Twitter but the social networking giant offered a better deal.

The final deal is expected to be signed by mid-January following which most of the Little Eye Labs's founding team will move to Facebook's US headquarters, and work there as part of the mobile engineering team, the report added.

After iPad Air, Apple to launch iPad Pro: Reports

2014 seems to be the year that Apple will adopt big screens. While reports of bigger iPhones have been doing the rounds since early this year, latest reports say the iPad too is set to get bigger.

And Apple won't be done with just one model.According to a report by International Business Times Australia, the Cupertino-based company is working on a 12.9-inch iPad with high-resolution display. This model is said to combine the capabilities of the Macbook Air and Macbook Pro in a keyboard-less format.

Korea Times has also reported that Apple is working with one of its first-tier display suppliers to develop a 12.9-inch Retina display. This panel is being currently manufactured in Korea and features picture quality similar to that of UHD (ultra high definition) displays.

The upcoming model, currently being termed iPad Pro, will come with both 2K and 4K displays. While the former is expected to hit the market in April next year, the latter is slated to launch in October.

This falls in line with earlier rumors of Apple readying iPad with 12-inch screens next year. Last year, Apple launched the third-generation iPad in April and followed it up with the fourth-generation model in October. Then in February this year, it launched the 128GB variant of the fourth-generation, improving only the storage while retaining the rest of the configuration. Therefore, Apple launching more than one iPad model in a year will not be a surprise.

Samsung, LG to unveil 105-inch curved OLED TVs

Samsung and LG say their curved TVs will get bigger and sport the sharpness four times the regular HD television sets. The world's two largest TV makers said separately that they will announce ultra-HD TVs with curved screens that measure 105 inches diagonally.

The South Korean TV makers began selling curved TV sets earlier this year but they were made with advanced displayed called OLED measuring 55 inches. The upcoming premium TVs set to be unwrapped in Las Vegas next month will be made of LCD panels packing more than 11 million pixels. Samsung and LG kept mum on prices.

Asian TV makers are trying to excite shoppers with new display technology. But limited video content in ultra HD resolution and price tags will likely limit appeal.

BlackBerry enlists Foxconn as Q3 loss hits $4.4BN

The struggling mobile phone maker announced on Friday a third-quarter loss of $4.4 billion, a freefall from the loss of $965 million suffered in the previous quarter. Revenue also tumbled, nestling in at $1.2 billion from $1.6 billion in the prior quarter. BlackBerry managed to sell only 1.9 million smartphones last quarter, an ugly decline from the 3.7 million sold in the previous quarter.

The results showed an even more devasting downturn compared with last year's third quarter when BlackBerry took in a profit of $14 million on revenue of $2.72 billion and shipments of 6.9 million smartphones.

On a brighter note, BlackBerry said that more than 40 million users have registered the BBM apps for iOS and Android over the past 60 days. More than a dozen different Android vendors also plan to preload BBM on their devices.

As smartphone sales dwindle, BlackBerry is also relying more on its enterprise products. The company said that more than 30,000 BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 servers have been installed to date, up from 25,000 in September.

Nelson Mandela tops Google's 2013 searches

Topping Google's zeitgeist, aka "spirit of the times" for 2013, was the late Nelson Mandela. The former South African president was already high on the list of searches among Google users, but his passing on December 5 triggered a surge in interest about his life, according to Google.

Actors Paul Walker and Cory Monteith, were No. 2 and No. 4 on the list, respectively. Walker, famous for his role in "The Fast and the Furious" films, and Monteith, most recently known for his part on the "Glee" TV series, affected fans with their untimely deaths this year.

At No. 6, the Boston Marathon bombing in April was another tragedy that drove people to Google's search engine. At No. 10, North Korea earned a spot on Google's list in light of the sabre-rattling of leader Kim Jong Un. Dance craze the Harlem Shake shook up the ranks at No. 5, while the birth of the royal baby earned the No. 7 spot.

Curiosity about new tech products also earned spots on the annual zeitgeist. Apple's iPhone 5S was at No. 3, and Samsung's Galaxy S4 came in at No. 8. Sony's PlayStation 4 took the No. 9 spot, probably to Microsoft's chagrin since the Xbox One failed to crack the top ten.

Dear Brazil, the NSA is watching you: Snowden

Edward Snowden has written an extensive open letter to the people of Brazil to discuss his findings and ultimately seek asylum.

In a broad letter published Tuesday by Brazil newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, Snowden asks Brazil for the second time to grant him asylum. "Today, if you carry a cell phone in Sao Paolo, the NSA can and does keep track of your location: they do this 5 billion times a day to people around the world. When someone in Florianopolis visits a website, the NSA keeps a record of when it happened and what you did there. If a mother in Porto Alegre calls her son to wish him luck on his university exam, NSA can keep that call log for five years or more. They even keep track of who is having an affair or looking at pornography, in case they need to damage their target's reputation.", he wrote.

Snowden has received asylum offers from several South American countries, including Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Venezuela. He has petitioned Brazil to grant him asylum previously, but has so far been unable to obtain it. His latest overture centers on a singular idea: attempt to show the ways the NSA is allegedly spying on Brazil's citizens.

Meta's $3,000 3D glasses look to an augmented reality future

High up in the hills of Portola Valley, Calif., west of Stanford University, a band of engineers and designers are creating the future. At least that is what they hope. For the last several months, Meta has been developing augmented reality, 3D glasses that combine the power of a laptop and smartphone in a pair of thick Ray-Bans and a small pocket computer.

CEO Meron Gribetz believes that physical laptops, phones, and tablets will soon no longer be necessary. In an augmented reality environment, the world of physical objects is rendered virtually, and those virtual objects, such as a phone, drawing program, or tabletop game, are controlled by your hands. Similar to the movie portrayals of computing in "Iron Man" and "Avatar," you can touch and move 3D holograms directly with your hands in 3D space.

Gribetz claims that within three to five years the capabilities of the 3D glasses can be shrunk into a contact lens and eventually inside the brain, implanted behind the optic nerve.For now, Meta's technology isn't ready to take on the world. The Meta 1 is expected to ship in February to more than 1,500 developers. It's bulky and more of a heads-up display than fashionable eyewear, and is tethered to a computer.
"The MetaPro will be $3,000, like the launch price of the MacBook Air. It will come down just as price of MacBook Air has."

No CEO news until next year: Microsoft

Sorry sports fans, but there won't be any news about the person who will replace Steve Ballmer as Microsoft's next chief executive until sometime early next year.

Board member John Thompson offered that update in a blog post he put out on Tuesday.
"As you would expect, as this group has narrowed, we've done deeper research and investigation, including with the full board. We're moving ahead well, and I expect we'll complete our work in the early part of 2014," Thompson wrote without getting any more specific.
"On Aug. 23, we announced that Steve Ballmer would be retiring from Microsoft within 12 months, and the Board of Directors was launching a search for a replacement, looking both externally and internally. Since then, we've been focused on finding the best possible person to lead the company. As we approach the end of the calendar year, there has been natural interest in getting an update on where we are in the process. I'm writing to share this with you here", he added.

Samsung unwraps game controller for Android phones

Android smartphone owners can add some gaming savvy to their device via a new controller from Samsung.

Dubbed the Game-pad, the steel-framed controller grasps your phone as you work the knobs and buttons to play your favorite games. The Game-pad can hold Android devices ranging in screen size from 4 inches to 6.3 inches, so it's geared more for phones but can certainly squeeze in a phablet.

The controller is compatible with any device of the right size running Android 4.1 or higher. But Samsung says it's also optimized for Galaxy devices outfitted with Android 4.3 or higher, such as the Galaxy S4 and S3 and the Note 3 and 2. That means the Game-pad can more easily pair with Galaxy devices via NFC and that it will give Galaxy owners quicker access to games via a Play button.

The Play button launches Samsung's Mobile Console app, which helps people browse and buy games supported by the GamePad. The 35 available games are "reasonably-priced," according to Samsung and include such titles as Need for Speed Most Wanted, Asphalt 8: Airborne, Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour, Virtua Tennis Challenge, and Prince of Persia: The Shadow and the Flame. More games are due in 2014.

For now, the GamePad is available only in some European countries.

NASA locates coldest place on Earth

If you like the cold (really, really like the cold), then you might see if your travel agent can book you a ticket to visit the East Antarctic Plateau ice sheet. NASA announced that a particular high ridge located there is the coldest place on Earth. Temperatures in the hollows on the ridge drop to minus 133.6 degrees Fahrenheit on some winter nights.

Pinpointing the coldest place on Earth wasn't the simplest task. A team of scientists dug through data delivered by the Landsat 8 satellite, a shared project with the US Geological Survey, along with data from other satellites. All in all, they had 32 years of data from multiple satellites to study before declaring the ridge the coldest spot on the planet.

It was previously thought that perhaps the Russian Vostok Research Station in East Antarctica was the coldest spot, with its minus 128.6 Fahrenheit record low temperature set in 1983.

"We had a suspicion this Antarctic ridge was likely to be extremely cold, and colder than Vostok because it's higher up the hill. With the launch of Landsat 8, we finally had a sensor capable of really investigating this area in more detail," said Ted Scambos, lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo., in a statement.

The Landsat 8 satellite has scientists excited. Not only has it delivered the location of the coldest place on Earth, but it will continue to generate accurate data on climate change and help scientists monitor remote icy spots on the planet where humans wouldn't want to set foot.

Ubuntu Touch OS wins its first smartphone partner

Canonical has just signed its first deal to supply a smartphone with its mobile operating system, Canonical founder and product strategy leader Mark Shuttleworth revealed in an interview at the LeWeb conference. He wouldn't say which company has agreed to use the Linux-based OS, but said it will be offered on high-end phones in 2014.

"We have concluded our first set of agreements to ship Ubuntu on mobile phones," Shuttleworth said. "We've shifted gears from 'making a concept' to 'it's going to ship.' That has a big impact on the team."
And, he said, Canonical is in board-level discussions with several others: "We are now pretty much at the board level on four household brands. They sell a lot of phones all over the world, in emerging and fully emerged markets, to businesses and consumers."

It's significant progress for a nine-year-old company that has specialized in the Ubuntu version of Linux. But it's a very long way to making even a small dent in the dominance of Google's Android and Apple's iOS.

Apple wins patent for curved touch-screen design

Apple seems to have its eye on the curved display market, at least as evidenced by a newly awarded patent.
Granted Tuesday by the US Patent and Trademark Office, a patent dubbed simply "Curved touch sensor" outlines a technical process to achieve higher-quality curved displays. Current sensor displays are typically very thin, so thin that their components can sometimes be damaged during the fabrication process. Apple has a way around that.
The patent suggests placing a thin film over a flexible substrate while the substrate is flat. This new pattern is then joined to a flexible substrate. A high level of heat is applied, allowing the substrate to be manipulated into a curved state without warping or other defects.

The resulting sensor display can be thinner than the traditional flat-substrate design and offer a higher degree of sensitivity. The technology would fit most naturally into a smartphone, but Apple also sees its use in touch-pads, mice, and other devices.

Samsung eyes 20 megapixels for 2014 smartphone: Report

Samsung is indulging in the mobile camera craze, according to a new report. The handset maker is working on a 20-megapixel camera it'll bundle into mobile devices in the second half of 2014, Korea's ET News is reporting, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the company's plans.

Several reports have surfaced over the last several months suggesting Samsung is at work on bigger and better camera technology. Rumors have been swirling that the eventual Galaxy S5 will come with a 16-megapixel camera. Many analysts have predicted that Samsung is planning on a camera bump in its next-generation handsets.

Camera technology is an important component in smartphones. Nearly every major vendor, including LG, Nokia, and Apple, has emphasized aspects of its photographic savvy as a way to separate its phones from the pack. If the ET News report is true, Samsung plans to make its own splash in that space in the next year.

Windows 8.1 overtakes Mac OS X 10.9 among desktop OS users

Windows 8.1 is now the fifth most popular desktop OS, at least as recorded by Web tracker Net Applications. For November, Microsoft's latest version of Windows snagged 2.64 percent of all desktop OS traffic recorded by Net Applications.

The rise also pushed Windows 8.1 just ahead of Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks with a 2.42 percent share and just behind Windows Vista with a 3.57 percent share. Windows 8.1 popped up in June as a preview edition before officially launching in October. The upgrade is free to Windows 8 users and offers several improvements over its predecessor.

Windows 8 continued to shed its share of traffic in November as more users upgraded to its successor. But combined, Windows 8 and 8.1 took home a 9.3 percent share, easily outscoring Vista but still playing a distant third to Windows 7 with 46.6 percent and Windows XP with 31.2 percent.

XP has gradually lost ground since giving up its dominance to Windows 7 in August 2012. But the 12-year-old XP continues to hang on among users and businesses. Time is running out, though. Microsoft is set to cut off support for XP in early April.

New Moto G Is Available In Amazon Now

Motorola surprised the smartphone world by launching its new Moto G cell phone on its Web site months early. Now, the device can also be bought on Amazon.

The e-commerce giant began selling both the 8GB and 16GB versions of the smartphone on Friday. The prices are the same as Motorola, which has the 8GB going for $179 and the 16GB at $199. Amazon says that the device will start shipping on December 4, while Motorola will begin shipping on December 2.

The Moto G is a less expensive version of Motorola's Moto X. The Moto X, which launched only in the US earlier this year, stands out to customers because they can tweak how the device looks with different colors and accents.

The Moto G is being launched around the world, which could mean it'll sell better than its costlier predecessor. It has nearly an identical design to the Moto X and also offers a host of colors, a 720p 4.5-inch display, and the Android Jellybean operating system.

Microsoft, bored of bashing Apple, bashes Samsung

If you're in the gadget business, however, you're nobody unless Microsoft criticizes you. What other conclusion can one reach after Redmond's assault on its various rivals?

There's the constant poking at the iPad's foibles. Then there's the sublimely gauche Scroogled campaign, which accuses Google of being little more than a malevolent dictatorship. Samsung, though, has been relatively free of Microsoft's barbed fire. Until now, that is.

For Microsoft has chosen the Thanksgiving weekend to give thanks that its own Surface RT is so much more intelligent and useful than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.I'll admit I haven't seen an enormous proliferation of Tab 10.1s adorning coffee shops, holding cells and public transport. So it makes for a slightly odd target for Microsoft.

However, Redmond wants you to be clear, should you be vacillating between a Tab and a Surface RT that its machine is superior. It has a full-size USB port, which allows you to do, well, full-size USB porting. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has one micro USB port, which means you can't power and connect to an external device at the same time.

Incredible remote-control world's-largest passenger plane

Soaring over the airshow, the A380 looks as it should -- its double-decker fuselage wowing the crowd watching from below.

But while Airbus' A380 is the world's-largest passenger plane, this aircraft doesn't even have a pilot, at least not one on board. In fact, this is a remote-control scale model of an A380. Built by Peter Michel, the model, made to look like a Singapore Airlines A380, took eight months, 5,000 working hours, and a whole lot of Styrofoam and lightweight balsa wood" to take air.

According to information provided with a YouTube video, the plane is 15.8 feet long, has a wingspan of 17.4 feet, weighs 156.1 pounds, and has a 2.6-gallon fuel tank that burns through 0.3 gallons a minute. Powering the plane are four Jetcat turbine engines.

Firefox OS fan Geeksphone plans high-end Revolution

Geeksphone, the first Firefox OS phone maker, announced on Wednesday a new high-end smartphone called The Revolution.Those who've ordered Geeksphone's Peak+, a Firefox OS phone, will be able to switch to the Revolution.

The Spanish company didn't disclose details such as price, features, ship date, and appearance. But judging by the wording on the Geeksphone Revolution Web page, "a creation with a powerful heart," we can expect a faster processor than what's in the company's first models, the low-end Keon and midrange Peak.

"We are...confident that we will surprise everyone by its very high performance," Geeksphone co-founder Javier Aguera said in a statement. "And it's very competitively priced." The phone will run not just Firefox OS, but Android, too, and customers can order it with either. Geeksphone offered Android phones be

The company bet big on Firefox OS, Mozilla's open-source, browser-based operating system. Mozilla hopes Firefox OS, along with an Android version of Firefox, will extend the clout it has with personal computers into the mobile market, too. Currently, Apple and Google dominate mobile operating systems, and Mozilla doesn't like those companies' controlling ways.fore it began its Firefox OS foray.

Supply of iPad Mini with Retina ramps up to 4M :Report

Apple's iPad Mini with Retina display shipments are up in November, according to a new report. Apple has upped its iPad Mini orders to 4 million units in November after clearing some bottlenecks in production, Digitimes reported on Wednesday, citing people in the company's supply chain.

The iPad Mini with Retina display has been hit with low supply after Apple had issues getting enough Retina displays, Digitimes says. The iPad Air, meanwhile, benefited from a longer preparation time and, therefore, didn't suffer the same problems.

There's no way to know for sure whether Apple's iPad Mini orders have indeed hit the 4 million mark. Digitimes has a spotty record when it comes to rumors, meaning this report should be taken with a hefty helping of salt.

Still, the iPad Mini with Retina's supply issues have been well-documented, and several reports have claimed Apple is working hard to break the logjam in production. If the Digitimes story is to be believed, that effort is going well.

New Lumia 525 quietly boosts Nokia's low end

Nokia is boosting its bet on the budget side of the smartphone business. The smartphone maker quietly released the details of the Lumia 525, an upgraded version of its original low-end Lumia 520, which debuted in February during Mobile World Congress.

For Nokia, it's a continued push to the low end, which has brought it some success in many international markets. In contrast, the company has struggled a bit in the high-end segment, particularly in Western markets. The Lumia 525 offers double the RAM at 1GB, the company's trademark colorful -- and interchangeable -- covers, and more special effects for its camera.

 The phone doesn't appear to be headed to the United States -- at least not right away. A list of the local product pages include countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. Not included are North America, Europe, and South America. Still, the phone could emerge as an unlocked prepaid device down the line.

Google lets developers look into Glass

Google is now letting developers get their hands (and eyes) on Glass. The search giant on Monday sent out invites to developers to pick up a pair of Google Glass. Google hasn't said how many developers were invited to pick up its eyewear and whether the offering will be expanded in the coming weeks and months.

Google's Glass sale to developers follows the company's recent launch of its Glass Development Kit. Google has also offered its Mirror application programming interface to developers who want to create apps for the hardware.

The $179 Moto G hits the US early

Motorola Mobility apparently couldn't wait for its low-cost Moto G to hit the States. The Moto G went on sale in the US on Tuesday, available only in the GSM variant and unlocked on Motorola.com for $179 without a contract.

The surprise launch comes well ahead of the company's previously planned target of getting the Moto G out in the US by January. Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside told that early demand for the phone has been strong overseas. The company was able to ramp up the manufacturing process faster than anticipated, and it was able to get the Web site up faster, allowing for the early release of the phone. By launching now, Motorola also takes advantage of the holiday shopping season.

That doesn't take away from its plans for the first quarter. Motorola's carrier and retail partners will launch the Moto G in January, just in time to take advantage of the traditionally strong prepaid market early in the year. While Verizon Wireless has committed to selling the Moto G for its prepaid brand, Woodside said the LTE-less phone would get "broad distribution" with multiple partners.

 Moto G is the low-cost brother to the more ambitious Moto X, which is primarily sold in the US and stands out because customers can tweak how the device looks with different colors and accents.

Apple preps shoppers for Black Friday

Apple will join the countless number of retailers looking to score some cash on Black Friday. The company on Tuesday sent out e-mails and published a page on its site teasing its Black Friday "shopping event." Apple didn't say what kind of deals it plans to offer customers.

If history is to be our guide, Apple's Black Friday event should offer discounted pricing on everything from Macs to iPads. The company's discounts usually aren't major, with Apple typically sticking to around $101 off Macs and $41 to $61 off iPads.

As in previous years, Apple's deals are being offered only on Black Friday. Online shoppers will get access to the discounts starting at midnight on Black Friday. Apple's retail stores will also offer the discounts for that day.

Apple confirms deal for 3D sensing company PrimeSense

A week after reports began circulating that Apple had purchased PrimeSense, Apple has confirmed the acquisition of the 3D sensing company behind Microsoft's Kinect sensor.

Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet on Sunday confirmed for CNET the deal's closure, which had been reported by AllThingsD. Financial newspaper Calcalist reported earlier this month that Apple had paid $345 million for the Israel-based company, but other sources said the deal had not been finalized and that the deal's value would likely be a little higher. Huguet declined to disclose the deal's value."Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," Huguet said in routine Apple statement.

Apple was reportedly in talks to acquire the 3D-sensing company since July when it was said to be offering $280 million for the Tel Aviv-based company. Perhaps best known for powering the gesture control used by Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console, the company's technology is also used in 3D scanners, iRobot's Ava, and the Asus Xtion.

Apple has found Israel to be a veritable treasure trove: last year, the company confirmed that it acquired Israel-based flash storage maker Anobit for $400 million. PrimeSense has raised $85 million from Israeli and US venture capital funds such as Canaan Partners Global, Gemini Israel, and Genesis Partners, according to Calcalist.

Samsung goes big again with Galaxy Grand 2 smartphone

Samsung has introduced yet another large-screen smartphone. Unveiled on Monday, the Galaxy Grand 2 sports a 5.25-inch, 1,280x720 display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, which the company touts as ideal for watching movies, playing games, and reading books.

 A Multi Window feature lets you use the large screen to run two apps side by side.Powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, the phone includes a 2,600mAh battery that promises 17 hours of calls and 10 hours of playback on a single charge. Internal storage is a mere 8GB, but you can bump that up to 64GB with a microSD card.
Dual-SIM capability lets you switch between different carriers. However, the device isn't 4G LTE-compatible and supports HSPA+ instead.

Samsung has enhanced the 8-megapixel rear camera with such features as Best Face, Best Photo, and Continuous Shot. The Grand 2 will also include an array of Samsung apps, including Story Album, S Translator, S Travel, Samsung Hub, and Samsung Link.

Equipped with Android 4.3, the phone will come in white, black, and pink. Samsung also said it will be available in "selective regions" but didn't reveal any specific markets, launch date, or pricing. A Samsung spokesperson told CNET that no US plans have been announced for the Grand 2.

China 'flies first stealth drone' : Reports

China successfully flew a stealth drone for the first time on Thursday, state media said, citing eyewitness reports. A drone, called "Sharp Sword" by the media, made a test flight for around 20 minutes in Chengdu, reports said.

China has been developing stealth aircraft in recent years, including J-20 and J-31 stealth fighters. In September, an unmanned drone flew close to a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea, raising tensions with Japan.

After this magical aircraft development China is joining a small elite club of nations that includes the US, Israel, France and the UK, who are pushing the boundaries of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) technology.It is clear from recent air shows and the Chinese technical press is that Beijing has developed a variety of UAVs matching virtually every category deployed by the US.

Per Lindstrand plans inflatable 1km solar chimney

Per Lindstrand, who crossed the Pacific in a balloon with Sir Richard Branson in 1991, said the technology could offer more efficient green power generation in remote areas. It could help in areas with high seismic activity, where maintenance of solid structures is difficult.

He told The Engineer magazine the project could cost about $20m (£12m). Several companies are experimenting with "solar updraft" technology, which is seen as preferable to flat solar panels. And Lindstrand Tech specialises in developing "lighter than air" technology.

Mr Lindstrand told the magazine there was a need, particularly from research centres based in deserts, to have a cleaner alternative to diesel and gas power, but without the fallibility associated with existing solar technology.

"The problem in this part of the world is the sand is very fine and would very quickly clog up solar panels, so you have a very big cleaning job in a place that has no water," he said.
Making the tower an inflatable structure would bring the cost of the project down dramatically, Mr Lindstrand said, saving hundreds of millions of dollars compared with similar towers made of concrete.

China retains supercomputer crown in latest Top500 list

A supercomputer built by the Chinese government has retained its place at the top of a list of the world's most powerful systems. Tianhe-2 can operate at 33.86 petaflop/s - the equivalent of 33,863 trillion calculations per second - according to a test called the Linpack benchmark.

Tianhe-2 - which translates as Milky Way 2 - was developed by China's National University of Defence Technology and will be based in the city of Guangzhou, in the country's south-eastern Guandong province.It uses a mixture of processors made by Intel as well as custom-made CPUs designed by the university itself.

The system is to be offered as a "research and education" tool once tests are completed, with local reports suggesting that officials have picked the car industry as a "priority" client.

Its Linpack score is nearly double that of the next supercomputer in the list - Titan, the US Department of Energy's system at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

The Top500 list is compiled twice-yearly by a team led by a professor from Germany's University of Mannheim. It measures how fast the computers can solve a special type of linear equation to determine their speed, but does not take account of other factors - such as how fast data can be transferred from one part of the system to another - which can also influence real-world performance.

IBM - which created five out of the 10 fastest supercomputers in the latest list - told the BBC it believed the way the list was calculated should now be updated, and would press for the change at a conference being held this week in Denver, Colorado.

Unlocked, SIM-free iPhone 5S now sold through Apple

People who like their phones unlocked and SIM-free can now pick up an iPhone 5S in that state directly through Apple.

Available via Apple's online store, the new unlocked iPhone 5S requires a GSM-compatible SIM, which means it'll work on AT&T and T-Mobile but not on Sprint or Verizon. It also means buyers will have to pick up a SIM from their carrier of choice.

With no carrier subsidy, the phone sells at full retail -- $649 for the 16GB model, $749 for the 32GB edition, and $849 for the 64GB version. An unlocked iPhone 5S that comes with a T-Mobile SIM has already been on Apple's Web site selling at the same prices. Apple promises a ship time of one to two weeks for the SIM-free edition and three to five business days for the unlocked T-Mobile version.
Consumers curious about the pros and cons of an unlocked iPhone should read Apple's "About the Unlocked iPhone" Web page.

Heads up Apple, here comes 64-bit Android on Intel

Apple's A7 chips will feel some 64-bit heat from Intel and Android next year. Intel is readying a 64-bit Bay Trail Atom platform for Android, according to Hermann Eul, Intel's general manager, mobile and communications group, speaking at the company's investor day on Thursday.

Eul continued. "We have 64-bit Windows shipping next quarter and, needless to say, we'll run fast to make this happen on Android as well."

Intel's Bay Trail processor -- which is currently powering a growing number of tablets and 2-in-1 devices from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Lenovo -- today is 64-bit but runs Windows 8.1 in 32-bit mode. That will be rectified next quarter when Bay Trail tablets run in full 64-bit Windows 8.1 mode.Today, Android on smartphones and tablets is a 32-bit affair.

Apple garnered lots of headlines in September when it unveiled the 64-bit A7 processor -- that chip now powers the iPhone 5S, iPad Air, and iPad Mini Retina.

Google Unveils Prepaid Debit Card,Available Only In US

Google Inc will offer a prepaid debit card that will allow consumers to purchase goods at stores and to withdraw cash from ATM machines, the Internet company said on Wednesday.

The card, which is only available in the United States, lets consumers access the funds stored in their Google Wallet accounts. Google Wallet is a smartphone app and online payment service that lets consumers buy goods and transfer money to each other.

The new Wallet card will be accepted at "millions of locations" that accept MasterCard and at ATM machines, Google said in a post on its official blog on Wednesday. Google said the card is free and that the company will not charge cardholders any monthly or annual fees.

The card could help advance Google's efforts to play a bigger role in commerce and provide the company with valuable information about consumer shopping habits, though it appears to be less ambitious than the full-fledged credit card once rumored to be in the works.

Google, the world's No. 1 Internet search engine, in 2011 began offering a special AdWords Business credit card that its advertising customers could use to buy ads on its website.

A Google spokeswoman confirmed that data about transactions made with the new Wallet card - including a description of goods purchased, the amount of the transaction and the name and address of the seller - would be added to the internal profiles that Google maintains for users of its services, which can be used to target ads.

Consumers add money to the new Wallet Card by linking it to a bank account or when another person transfers money to their Wallet account, according to Google. The card can be ordered online on Wednesday, and typically takes 10 to 12 days to arrive, a Google spokeswoman said.

Samsung owes Apple $290M more in damages: jury

A jury on Thursday ruled that Samsung must pay Apple $290,456,793 in additional damages for patent infringement, slightly less than the $380 million Apple had requested.

That brings its total award to about $930 million. Samsung believed it owed Apple only $52 million more in damages.

"For Apple, this case has always been about more than patents and money," Apple said in a statement. "It has been about innovation and the hard work that goes into inventing products that people love. While it's impossible to put a price tag on those values, we are grateful to the jury for showing Samsung that copying has a cost."

Samsung, meanwhile, said it is "disappointed by today's decision, which is based in large part on a patent that the US Patent and Trademark Office has recently deemed invalid."

The jury of six women and two men reached the decision slightly before noon PT Thursday after deliberating since midday Tuesday. Wednesday, the jury requested more information about how to determine Apple's lost profits, but most other questions related to office supplies -- they needed calculators and highlighters -- and lunch -- they got pretty sick of the catered sourdough sandwiches.

India to have world‘s largest Facebook population by 2016

Indians are increasingly logging into their Facebook   and Twitter accounts, with the country recording the highest social networking growth of 37.4 per cent this year, according to a new study.

India will also have the world's largest Facebook population by 2016, research firm eMarketerfound. India, with the highest growth this year, will increase user numbers by 37.4 per cent, while Indonesia's numbers will climb 28.7 per cent and
Mexico will grow its social network user base by 21.1 per cent.

All three of those countries are also high-growth areas for Facebook, the world's largest social network, which eMarketer estimates will reach a worldwide monthly user base of 1.026 billion this year. 

The US remains the single country with the greatest number of Facebook users, at 146.8 million this year, and India comes in a distant second. 

Indian IT has changed its hiring model: Nasscom

IT industry body Nasscom said the sector in the country would grow by 12-14% while IT exports are likely to reach $86 billion in the current fiscal on the back of adoption of new technologies and tapping new geographies by corporates.

"The (IT sector) growth will be 12-14% in dollar terms and in rupee terms it will be higher because of currency (fluctuations)," Nasscom President Som Mittal said here.

He was here to attend two-day IT conclave organised by UT Chandigarh Administration in collaboration with Punjab government and CII today. Nasscom was also positive about achieving higher growth this fiscal asIT companies came out with good financial results during last two quarters.

"From $76 billion last year, it is expected $86 billion...it is $10 billion increase...lets not talk about slowdown, the base has increased. Therefore, the growth in per centage will certainly drop as the base has increased," he said.

He said the hiring in current fiscal may be 1.80 lakh. Asked about emerging markets, Mittal said that the US market would continue to grow while Asia Pacific was also growing, adding that though the global economies were still struggling.

BlackBerry launches Porsche Design P'9982 luxury smartphone

Canadian handset makerBlackBerry in association with Porsche Design launched a new all-touch Porsche Design P'9982luxury smartphone.

Though the price of the handset was not disclosed, BlackBerry said the device is fashionedhigh-quality materials and features a customised version of its 10.2 operating system. BlackBerry has also launched a second Crocodile model strictly limited to 500 devices globally, it said in a statement.

The P'9982, which extends the Porsche Design luxury brand's range of modern luxury smartphones, features a satin finished frame, complemented by a hand-wrapped genuine Italian leather back door.

The smartphone will be available at Porsche Design stores, carriers and retailers globally starting November 21, with the exclusive retail launch at Harrods, Knightsbridge, London.

The limited Crocodile edition will be available early December, and will be exclusive to the Porsche Design shop-in-shop at Harrods. Other BlackBerry handsets with Porsche Design include P'9981 in gold, silver and bla

Google Glass throws open its doors to developers

Google Glass has taken a major step towards being ready for the public as Google unveils its Glass Development Kit at a Glass hackathon on Tuesday.

The development kit, or GDK, gives developers access to parts of Glass that have previously been under lock and key. Developers now can write Glass apps that can work even when not connected to the Internet; that work in real-time; and that utilize the hardware accelerometer and GPS.

Addressing the 100 or so developers who were invited to the hackathon, Timothy Jordan, Glass's senior developer advocate at Google, told them that even though the company hasn't made installing Glass apps easy, more than 83 percent of all Glass owners have installed at least one.Up until now, developers have only been able to develop with the Mirror API. The GDK opens up more programming options, so that developers can access the location provider; control the camera; insert voice commands and triggers into the options menu; create live cards; and detect gestures on the touchpad.

Severla companies were also present at the hackathon to demo app that they built thanks to early access to the GDK. One of the most impressive was a Glassware app called Wordlens, which translates printed words and replaces them with the target language.The app can take a German warning sign such as, "Bergweg betreten auf eigene Gefahr," and replace the printed words with, "Mountain path enter on own danger," when looking through Glass.

'Apple doesn't own beautiful and sexy' :Samsung

And the war is still going on.Samsung on Tuesday argued that Apple deserves a low amount of additional damages for patent infringement because Apple's patents are "very narrow" and people buy Samsung's devices for their differences from the iPhone.

Samsung attorney Bill Price said Apple has tried to show its patents cover all aspects of design and ease of use, preventing companies from making "attractive" devices that are easy to use. However, the patents are limited, he argued, which is why Samsung should only pay Apple $52 million for patent infringement, not the $380 million Apple has requested.
"Apple has tried to mischaracterize these patents so they are the iPhone," Price said during closing arguments in a court here. But "these patents are very narrow. ... Apple doesn't own beautiful and sexy."

He added that while Samsung knew it needed to alter its devices to compete with the iPhone,Apple has done the same thing with new devices like the iPad Mini.
"There's nothing wrong with looking at your competitors and changing what you do because of it," Price said.

Sprint, Best Buy give students a free year of talk, text, and data

Hey students, your report card can now earn you a free cell phone plan.Best Buy and Sprint announced Monday that they've teamed up to offer free unlimited talk and text, plus 1GB of data, for one full year to students.It works like this: Head to Best Buy between November 18 and January 4 and buy a new feature phone or smartphone at the Student Activated Price (the average phone price is $530), and activate it on a Sprint Unlimited, My Way plan. You'll need to pay for the cost of the phone, plus a $36 activation fee, taxes, and any other applicable fees.

Next, go to Sprint's student verification site within 14 days of your purchase to prove that you're a current student. One you're verified, your account will be credited for one year of unlimited talk and text, plus 1GB per month of data if you buy a smartphone, which Sprint says is a $70 per month value.
If 1GB of data isn't enough for your studying -- or let's be real, social media -- needs, you can pay $10 per month for unlimited data. You can also trade in your current phone to get a new handset with the offer. It's worth noting that you don't need to sign a two-year agreement for the student line. Lastly, students can get up to nine extra free years of service when a new line is added to the same account they're on.

Before you start thinking of ways to game the system, here's what you need to prove to Sprint that you're a student:

• You must be a part-time, full-time, or vocational student.
• You must be enrolled in a US-based elementary school, middle school, high school, college, university, or other accredited institute.
• Students under 13 must get parental consent when filling out the student verification form. Additionally, you need to submit one of the following via fax, or with your online form:
• Valid report card from current school year
• Student ID
• Enrollment confirmation or tuition receipt for current school year
• Required state documents if home schooled

After your free year is up, you (or the primary account holder) will be charged $70 per month for the services, unless you terminate the line. For more info on the program, head over to Sprint's site. And remember, just because your college ID never expires, that doesn't mean you should still claim you're a student five years after graduation.

MAVEN blasts off to Mars on $671 million mission

A new NASA Mars probe began a 10-month voyage to the Red Planet Monday, blasting off on a $671 million mission to study the thin martian atmosphere in a bid to find out what triggered a dramatic case of climate change that turned a once-hospitable environment into a cold, presumably barren desert.

"Something clearly happened," said Principal Investigator Bruce Jakosky. "Water was abundant on early Mars, the environment was something that was capable of supporting liquid water yet today we see a cold, dry planet that is not able to support water. What we want to do is to understand what are the reasons for that change in the climate."

Taking off just ahead of approaching clouds, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution -- MAVEN -- spacecraft, mounted inside a protective nose cone atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, blasted off on time from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 1:28 p.m. EST (GMT-5).

Generating 860,000 pounds of thrust, the first stage majestically boosted the rocket out of the dense lower atmosphere and fell away just over four minutes after liftoff. The rocket's hydrogen-fueled Centaur second stage then ignited for the first of two planned "burns," firing for nine-and-a-half minutes to complete the initial phase of ascent.If all goes well, the 2.5-ton spacecraft will reach Mars on September 22, 2014, braking into an elliptical orbit with an eventual high point of around 3,860 miles and a low point of just 93 miles. That will allow the spacecraft to repeatedly fly through the upper reaches of the martian atmosphere to directly sample its constituents and map out its structure.

In addition, MAVEN will carry out five "deep dip" sessions lasting about five days each, dropping to a low point of around 78 miles to study the atmosphere in "well mixed" regions where it is 30 times denser than the much thinner "air" the spacecraft normally samples.

Android's Share In Mobile OS Market Crosses 80% In July-September

Shipments of Android operating system-based Smartphones rose to over 211 million in the July- September quarter this year accounting for more than 80 percent of global mobile OS market share, research firm IDC said. Android accounted for 81 percent of all smartphone shipments, marking the first time Android topped 80 percent in its short history.

Despite high saturation rates in number of mature markets, the overall smartphone space grew 39.9 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) in the third quarter, it added.Another major success story was that of Windows Phone OS, which grew by 156 percent y-o-y.

"Granted, volumes started from a small base of 3.7 million units a year ago and overall market share is still less than five per cent. But Microsoft's efforts, with Nokia's support behind it, helped drive the platform into multiple tiers and price points," IDC noted.

Android and Windows Phone continued to make significant strides in the third quarter. Despite their differences in market share, they both have one important factor behind their success, price, IDC Mobile Phone team Research Manager Ramon Llamas said.

Shhh...God Is Delivering His Last Speech!

First of all I apologize to all of you readers who follows my posts daily... because this is a kind of offbeat post.

From my childhood I saw a man who played for our country,India.I smiled I jumped out from my bed with his beautiful cover drive,glorious straight drive,marvelous upper cut and cried with his single mistake to get out.  If he has a million fans, then I am one of them..! If he has just one fan, then I am that one..! If he has no fans, that means I am dead..!Anyone can play one Red Hot aggressive knock in debut but u can't continue to do that in your entire career Unless your name is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. He is known by his so many nicknames like 'Maestro','Master Blaster','Little Master' and of course 'God of Cricket' also.

And today I am writing this because the mighty legend has retired yesterday from all forms of cricket and we are never going to see him in the field.This is the end of an era(1989-2013) to all of  the cricket fans and again he touches our heart by his beautiful inspiring empowering speech.

The following is the full text of Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell address at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Saturday.
"All my friends, settle down, let me talk. I will get more and more emotional. My life, between 22 yards for 24 years, it is hard to believe that the wonderful journey has come to an end, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank people who have played an important role in my life. Also, for the first time in my life I am carrying this list, to remember all the names in case I forget someone. I hope you understand. It’s getting a little bit difficult to talk but I will manage.

Tribute to parents
"The most important person in my life, and I have missed him a lot since 1999 when he passed away, my father. Without his guidance, I don’t think I would have been standing here in front of you. He gave me freedom at the age of 11, and told me that [I should] chase my dreams, but make sure you do not find short cuts. The path might be difficult, but don’t give up, and I have simply followed his instructions. Above all, he told me to be a nice human being, which I will continue to do and try my best. Every time I have done something special [and] showed my bat, it was [for] my father.

"My mother, I don’t know how she dealt with such a naughty child like me. I was not easy to manage. She must be extremely patient. For a mother, the most important thing is that her child remains safe and healthy and fit. That was what she was most bothered and worried about. She took care of me for the last 24 years that I have played for India, but even before that she started praying for me the day I started playing cricket. She just prayed and prayed and I think her prayers and blessings have given me the strength to go out and perform, so a big Thank You to my mother for all the sacrifices.

"In my school days, for four years, I stayed with my uncle and aunt because my school was quite far from my home, and they treated me like their son. My aunt, after having had a hard day’s play, I would be half asleep and she would be feeding me food so I could go again and play next day. I can’t forget these moments. I am like their son and I am glad it has continued to be the same way.

"My eldest brother, Nitin, and his family, have always encouraged me. My eldest brother doesn’t like to talk much, but the one thing he always told me is that ‘whatever you do, I know you will always give it 100 per cent, and that I have full faith and confidence in you’. His encouragement meant a lot to me. My sister, Savita, and her family, was no different. The first cricket bat of my life was presented to me by my sister. It was a Kashmir willow bat. But that is where the journey began. She is one of those many who still continue to fast when I bat, so thank you very much.

Brother’s role
"Ajit, my brother, now what do I talk about him? I don’t know. We have lived this dream together. He was the one who sacrificed his career for my cricket. He spotted the spark in me. And it all started from the age of 11 when he took me to Achrekar sir, my coach, and from there on my life changed. You will find this hard to believe but even last night he called me to discuss my dismissal, knowing that there was a remote chance of batting again, but just the habit we have developed, the rapport we have developed, since my birth, has continued and it will continue. Maybe when I’m not playing cricket we will still be discussing technique.

"Various things we agreed upon, my technique, and so many technical things which I didn’t agree with him, we have had arguments and disagreements. If that hadn’t happened, I would have been a lesser cricketer.

"The most beautiful thing happened to me was in 1990 when I met my wife, Anjali. Those were special years and it has continued and will always continue that way. I know Anjali, being a doctor; had a wonderful career in front of her. When we decided to have a family, Anjali took the initiative to step back and say that you continue with your cricket and I will take the responsibility of the family.

"Without that, I don’t think I would have been able to play cricket freely and without stress. Thanks for bearing with all my fuss and all my frustrations, and all sorts of rubbish that I have spoken. Thanks for bearing with me and always staying by my side through all the ups and downs. You are the best partnership I’ve had in my life.

"Then, the two precious diamonds of my life, Sara and Arjun. They have already grown up. My daughter is 16, my son is 14. Time has flown by. I wanted to spend so much time with them on special occasions like their birthdays, their annual days, their sports day, going on holidays, whatever. I have missed out on all those things. Thanks for your understanding. Both of you have been so, so special to me you cannot imagine. For 14-16 years I have not spent enough time with both of you, but I promise you [that] the next 16 years or even beyond that, everything is for you.

"My in-laws, Anand Mehta and Annabelle, both have been so, so supportive [and] loving and caring. I have discussed on various things in life, generally with them, and have taken their advice. You know, it’s so important to have a strong family who is always with you and who are guiding you. Before you start clapping, the most important thing they did was allowing me to marry Anjali, so thank you very much.

"In the last 24 years that I have played for India I have made new friends, and before that I have had friends from my childhood. They have all had a terrific contribution. As and when I have called them to come and bowl to me at the nets, they have left their work aside to come and help me. Be it joining me on holidays and having discussions with me on cricket, or how I was a little stressed and wanting to find a solution so I can perform better. All those moments my friends were with me. Even when I was injured, I would wake up in the morning because I couldn’t sleep and thought that my career was over because of injuries. That is when my friends who have woken up at 3 o’clock in the morning would come to drive with me and make me believe that my career was not over. Life would be incomplete without all those friends. Thanks for being there for me.

Coach’s contribution
"My cricket career started when I was 11. The turning point of my career was when my brother [Ajit] took me to Achrekar sir. I was extremely delighted to see him up in the stands. Normally he sits in front of the television and watches all the games that I play. When I was 11 or 12, those were the days when I used to hop back on his scooter and play a couple of practice matches a day. The first half the innings I would be batting at Shivaji Park, the second half, at some other match in Azad Maidan. He would take me all over Mumbai to make sure I got match practice.

"On a lighter note, in the last 29 years, sir has never ever said well played to me because he thought I would get complacent and I would stop working hard. Maybe he can push his luck and wish me now, well done on my career, because there is no more matches, sir, in my life. I will be witnessing cricket, and cricket will always stay in my heart, but you have had an immense contribution in my life, so thank you very much.

"My cricket for Mumbai started right here on this ground, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), which is so dear to me. I remember landing from New Zealand at four o’clock in the morning, and turning up for a game here at eight o’clock just because I wanted to be a part of Mumbai cricket, and not that somebody forced me. That was for the love of Mumbai cricket, and thank you very much. The president is here so thank you very much, along with your team, for taking care of me and looking after my cricket.

"The dream was obviously to play for India, and that is where my association with BCCI started. BCCI was fantastic, right from my debut they believed in my ability and selecting me into the squad at the age of 16 was a big step, so thanks to all the selectors for having faith in me and the BCCI for giving me the freedom to express myself out in the middle. Things would have been different if you had not been behind me, and I really appreciate your support. Especially when I was injured, you were right with me and making sure that all the treatments were taken care of, and that I got fit and fine and playing [right] back for India.

"The journey has been special, the last 24 years, I have played with many senior cricketers, and even before that there were many senior cricketers whom I watched on television. They inspired me to play cricket, and to play in the right way. Thanks to all those senior cricketers, and unfortunately I have not been able to play with them, but I have high regards for all their achievements and all their contributions.

"We see it on the mega-screen, Rahul, Laxman, Sourav, and Anil, who is not here, and my team-mates right here in front me. You are like my family away from home. I have had some wonderful times with you. It is going to be difficult to not be part of the dressing room, sharing those special moments. All the coaches for their guidance, it has been special for me. I know when M.S. Dhoni presented me the 200th Test match cap on day one morning. I had a brief message for the team. I would like to repeat that. I just feel that all of us are so, so fortunate and proud to be part of the Indian cricket team and serving the nation.

"Knowing all of you guys, I know you will continue to serve the nation in the right spirit and right values. I believe we have been the lucky ones to be chosen by the Almighty to serve this sport. Each generation gets this opportunity to take care of this sport and serve it to the best of our ability. I have full faith in you to continue to serve the nation in the right spirit and to the best of your ability, to bring all the laurels to the country. All the very best.

Support staff
"I would be failing in my duties if I did not thank all the doctors, the physios, the trainers, who have put this difficult body together to go back on the field and be able to play. The amount of injuries that I have had in my career, I don’t know how you managed to keep me fit, but without your special efforts, it would never have happened. The doctors have met me at weird hours. I mean I have called them from Mumbai to Chennai, Mumbai to Delhi, I mean wherever. They have just taken the next flight and left their work and families to be with me, which has allowed me to play. So a big Thank You to all three of you for keeping me in good shape. My dear friend, late Mark Mascarenhas, my first manager. We unfortunately lost him in a car accident in 2001, but he was such a well-wisher of cricket, my cricket, and especially Indian cricket. He was so passionate. He understood what it takes to represent a nation and gave me all the space to go out and express myself, and never pressurised me to do this ad or promotion or whatever the sponsors demanded. He took care of that and today I miss him, so thank you Mark for all your contribution.

"My current management team, WSG, for repeating what Mark has done, because when I signed the contract I exactly told them what I want from them, and what it requires to represent me. They have done that and respected that. Someone who has worked closely with me for 14 years is my manager, Vinod Nayudu. He is more like my family and all the sacrifices, spending time away from his family for my work, has been special, so big Thank You to his family as well for giving so much time for my work with Vinod. In my school days, when I performed well, the media backed me a lot. They continue to do that till this morning. Thank you so much to the media for supporting and appreciating my performances. It surely had a positive effect on me. Thank you so much to all the photographers as well for those wonderful captured moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life, so a big Thank You to all the photographers.

"I know my speech is getting a bit too long [crowd roars], but this is the last thing I want to say. I want to thank all the people here who have flown in from various parts of the world, and have supported me endlessly, whether I scored a 0 or a 100-plus. Your support was so dear to me and meant a lot to me. Whatever you have done for me.

"I know I have met so many guys who have fasted for me, prayed for me, done so much for me. Without that life wouldn’t have been like this for me. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, and also say that time has flown by rather quickly, but the memories you have left with me will always be with me forever and ever, especially ‘Sachin, Sachin’ which will reverberate in my ears till I stop breathing.

"Thank you very much. If I have missed out on saying something, I hope you understand. Goodbye."

 LEGEND NEVER RETIRES! WE ALWAYS MISS YOU SACHIN! SACHIN...SACHIN...!SACHIN...SACHIN...! 

Verizon admits network faces traffic pressure in big cities

Verizon Wireless is feeling the crush of all of those LTE-enabled devices on its network. The carrier said it is facing pressure to deliver increased amounts of bandwidth in big cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. In a rare admission on Tuesday, Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo admitted the rapid growth in traffic was starting to hamper the quality of the service.

"There are certain pockets where we're absolutely going to experience that down tick from the LTE network down to 3G because of capacity constraints," Shammo said during an investor conference.

It's a surprising concession from a company that typically trumps its network superiority as a reason why customers should pay a premium for its wireless services. It has long touted itself as the nation's most reliable, but that claim has since been taken by AT&T, which also boasts the nation's fastest network. Verizon maintains it has the most reliable network, and cites a different study.

The growth in data traffic is a result of its early move into LTE. Verizon boasts the nation's largest LTE network, and the longest running, which has meant more LTE customers than anyone. And LTE customers like their data. While LTE customers make up a third of the company's total base, they consume 64 percent of the traffic.

Shammo said the company has poured more money into the network, including increasing its capital expenditures by $500 million this year. The company is also investing in small cell technology and turning on more spectrum as it works to build up network capacity.