Microsoft to buy Nokia's handset business for $7.2 billion

As reported by NBC News: Two years after hitching its fate to Microsoft's Windows Phone software, Nokia collapsed into the arms of the software giant, agreeing to sell its main handset business for 5.44 billion euros ($7.2 billion).

Nokia, which will continue as a maker of networking equipment and holder of patents, was once the world's dominant handset manufacturer but was long since overtaken by Apple and Samsung in the highly competitive market for more powerful smartphones.

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, who was hired away from Microsoft by the Finnish company in 2010, will rejoin Microsoft after the deal is completed, the companies said.

Nokia and Microsoft have been trying to make inroads in the smartphone market as part of a partnership forged in 2011. Under the alliance, Nokia's Lumia smartphones have run on Microsoft's Windows software, but those devices haven't emerged as a popular alternative to the iPhone or an array of Android-powered devices spearheaded by Samsung Electronics' smartphones and tablets.

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop unveils Nokia's Lumia 1020 smartphone
July 11, 2013, in New York.  Elop will join Microsoft once the deal
between the two companies is completed.

Microsoft is betting it will have a better chance of narrowing the gap if it seizes complete control over how the mobile devices work with its Windows software.

In a joint news release from the two companies, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the deal will bring Nokia's capabilities in hardware design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution to Microsoft.

"For Microsoft, this transaction is the key next step in furthering the company's transition to a devices and services company," the statement said.

Nokia is still the world's No. 2 mobile phone maker behind Samsung, but it is not in the top five in the more lucrative and faster-growing smartphone market.

Nokia, which had a 40 percent share of the handset market in 2007, now has a mere 15 percent market share, with an even smaller 3 percent share in smartphones, Reuters reported.

When the deal closes, expected to be in early 2014, about 32,000 Nokia employees will transfer to Microsoft. Nokia Chairman Risto Siilasmaa will take over CEO duties while the Espoo, Finland-based company looks for a new CEO.

Ballmer surprised the technology world Aug. 23 by announcing he would step down as CEO of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft within 12 months, ending a tenure marked by the software giant's declining dominance and struggles to keep pace with its competitors.

Microsoft said then that Ballmer would retire "upon the completion of a process to choose his successor. In the meantime, Ballmer will continue as CEO and will lead Microsoft through the next steps of its transformation to a devices and services company."

The announcement further stoked speculation in the technology press that Elop might be the one to replace Ballmer. Oddsmaker Ladbrokes had set the odds at 2-to-1 that he would be chosen -- even before news of the deal, the International Business Times reported.

Named in 1871 after the Nokianvirta river where mining engineer Fredrik Idestam set up his second paper mill, Nokia spent more than a century making tires, boots or cables before producing the first handheld mobile phone, the Mobira Cityman, in 1987.

Galileo to Miss Another Launch Date as Tests Continue on FOC Satellite

As reported by Inside GNSS: As engineers painstakingly work their way through tests of the first full operational capability (FOC) Galileo satellite at the European Space Agency’s European Space Research and Technology Center (ESA/ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, European space sources admit that the new generation spacecraft’s maiden voyage will not occur until December 28, if then.

Last week, ESA reported details of acoustic tests on the FOC conducted in the Large European Acoustic Facility, LEAF, designed to recreate the roar of a rocket lifting off. The satellite has since had its solar wings removed as part of the preparations for the thermal vacuum testing phase. The main satellite “box” will stay in a vacuum chamber for several weeks, subjected to the same temperature extremes it will experience in orbit.

The second FOC satellite arrived at ESTEC on 9 August from manufacturer OHB in Bremen, Germany, and will undergo a similar series of tests. These will be followed by a System Compatibility Test Campaign in which the satellite is linked with Galileo Control Centers in Germany and Italy to transmit signals to ground user receivers as if it was already in orbit.

Late last year Galileo program managers laid out an ambitious schedule of launches, including two dual-satellite launches this year, that called for having 14 to 18 FOC spacecraft in place by the end of next year so that they could declare the beginning of “early services” based on the system’s civil signals. But missing a planned September launch date will now cast further doubt on the prospects for achieving the latest milestones of the long-delayed program.

Nonetheless, last month ESA and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invited companies to take part in a test campaign of Galileo chipsets to assess their readiness to support the reception and processing of Galileo signals in view of the planned declaration of early services.

The campaign will be undertaken by ESA between October 2013 and September 2014 and will consist of a series of laboratory and real-life signal tests making use of ESTEC facilities. Under GSA coordination, other product compatibility assessments may also be performed with the support of the European Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy.

The tests will focus on the compatibility of the devices with the reception of Galileo Open Service Signals and their combined use with GPS and GLONASS, covering aspects such as time to first fix and accuracy. Depending on the capabilities of the devices, tests can be extended to cover assisted-GNSS performance.

The purpose of the campaign is to get feedback and recommendations from the Galileo user community, with results on proprietary receiver test results being treated as confidential.

Ex-Garmin worker charged with $1M in GPS thefts

A former employee of Garmin International has been charged with stealing more than $1 million worth of GPS devices from the Kansas-based company.

The U.S. Attorney's office says 31-year-old Terrence M. Heathington, who now lives in Atlanta, was indicted Wednesday on 40 counts of mail fraud.

Heathington worked from March to September 2008 as a Garmin warehouse material handler in Olathe, where the company is headquartered.

The indictment alleges he caused about 165 cases of stolen GPS devices to be shipped to his home and those of co-conspirators. The devices were then sold on eBay and elsewhere.

In addition to the criminal charges, prosecutors are also seeking a forfeiture judgment.

No phone listing could be found for Heathington in Georgia, and court records do not list a defense attorney.

Geofencing: Bringing Context and Value to User Engagements

Geofencing can take many forms, and has been used extensively
by vehicle tracking systems and mobile resource managers
as early as 2001 to send out alerts when vehicles enter or leave
a particular geofenced location.

As reported by the SmartData Collective: After the web 2.0 revolution, the Internet is now poised to make its next big transition. Concepts like the Internet of Things (IoT) and M2M technology will connect the physical world with the online world, and as we find ourselves in this transitional phase, it is becoming more and more apparent that geofencing will also be a component of this next revolution.

Wikipedia defines a geo-fence as a “virtual perimeter for a real world geographic area”. But it’s core objective goes beyond defining a physical boundary; it provides businesses and marketers with the to deliver location-specific content and personalized information to a mobile user and a precise moment in time.

The meteoric success of Foursquare has inspired industry juggernauts like Facebook, Google and Twitter to deliver elaborate location-based services for their users. They intend to inject some social relevance and context into the geotagged information recorded within their massive platforms.

The impact of geofencing campaigns has already seen immensely positive marketing and lead gen results for many businesses, which have witnessed nearly a doubling of ad click-through-rates from timely and location driven offers. The prospect of serving the right user with the right information at the right time is the next big initiative for all businesses with an online presence and cannot be ignored.

So let us take an in-depth look into the 4 essential points every marketing manager and researcher should consider before jumping on the geofencing bandwagon:

Developing Engaging Content
Although geofencing can fetch you web traffic numbers you always dreamed of, the onus of retaining attention is still on you. Hence, the creativity and value in your content should be of the highest priority in order to ensure that the targeted users become active participants in your campaign.

Prioritizing Data Integration
The best way to capitalize on geofencing campaigns is to understand how to leverage the data aggregated from your users and identify further diverse demographics.

By charting down user feedback, historical consumption and user engagements across various stages of your marketing campaign, you can accordingly restructure your business model to appease all segments of your user base.

Address the Privacy Concerns of Users
Users have a legitimate concern when it comes to privacy issues, and since geofencing campaigns are reliant to a major extent on user permissions, it is critical for companies to tread carefully.

Marketers must recognize the compromise in user privacy as a privilege that must not be exploited by creating intrusive user permission protocols that users may be highly skeptical to opt for.

Drawing an Accurate Geofencing Perimeter
Before you start laying down strategies for your geofencing marketing campaigns, it is essential to identify the ideal coverage area for targeting. The dimensions of your geofencing perimeter are imperative in determining the number of customers you can draw to a particular location.

If marketers are able to follow these steps, then they’ll be able to fully take advantage of users who are in a particular location at a particular time. Ultimately, users can sign up for smartphone alerts from their favorite brands and receive instant alerts on events and offers they can check out at the nearest outlets at their convenience. This is the power of location data, geofencing and how we as businesses will draw context from the immensely growing number of data points available.

Electrifying Infrastructure: Conductive Concrete Brings Smart Cities Closer

Electrified concrete roadways could be used for deicing or to
sense when infrastructure is cracking or in need of repairs.

As reported by Txchnologist: Decking out infrastructure with wires and sensors is the goal of many future-leaning urban planners and architects who are working to realize the dream of a true smart city. Now, the interconnected hyper-reality of interactive skins on buildings and bridges that signal when they need fixing is moving one step closer to fruition.

Several research groups have developed and patented unique formulas for electrically conductive concrete, which could deice roadways, sense when infrastructure needs repairs or even create cyber-secure buildings.

Just add water
Concrete typically has three main ingredients: cement, water and an aggregate, which is usually stone. But start playing around with that recipe, and the final product will have interesting properties. Add in a conductive aggregate - like materials science wunderkind graphene - and you’ve got electrically conductive concrete. The formula can be tweaked depending on the material’s intended use.

Here are a few applications for conductive concrete that researchers are investigating:

Hold the ice
One Canadian research group envisions the new concrete being employed in roads, sidewalks and bridges to melt dangerous ice, and to heat the floors of homes.

The invention is being developed around the world - and has been for several years. But it’s been the subject of intensive investigation at the Building Envelope and Structure research group at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), a country with particularly harsh winters. The NRC has already patented and proven the technology in small-scale applications.

According to NRC’s Rick Zaporzan, their material’s applications go beyond deicing and heating. “With a few tweaks, it can be used for developing a crack-detection system if it’s hooked up to proper sensors that can monitor and interpret that data,” he says.

That’s a useful application, considering that in the United States alone, one in nine bridges is structurally deficient, according to Transportation for America.

Cyber-secure buildings
Electrified concrete can block electromagnetic signals, which means that if it is used to insulate a building, no information could get in or out.

But what about catching an Internet signal? “A building could be electronically secured and still have Wi-Fi,” says Zaporzan. “This is already done in, for example, military shelters. But the concrete is quicker, more effective and less costly than other ways of shielding a building.”

Blocking unwanted electromagnetic signals is useful beyond creating cyber-secure buildings, explains Zaporzan. It can also shield individual objects within buildings. “The concrete can also be used to protect extremely sensitive medical equipment, and that’s a huge application,” he says.

Laying the foundation
How long until electric concrete is available on the market? “It could be commercialized within one to two years, but we need industry partners,” Zaporzan says. “These partners could be anybody who wants to take their product further, from building or bridge owners, medical equipment manufacturers, or architects and urban designers.”

There are a few limitations to the technology, such as its power source. Hardwiring the concrete to the power grid is, to date, the best option. That means that heating up an entire highway isn't practical, but heating up particularly vulnerable stretches or parts of a bridge is.

But as Zaporzan says, “Anything is possible if you can create enough power. There are so many energy options available, from wind power to hydrogen fuel cells, solar and regenerative power. Down the road, heating up an entire highway is in the realm of the possible.”

Remote texter can be held liable for distracted driver’s crash, appeals court rules

The NJ appeals court ruled that a remote 'texter' can be held liable
to third parties for injuries if they knowingly sent texts to someone
driving a vehicle - with the expectation that they would read them
while driving.

As reported by ABA Journal: In a case of first impression, a New Jersey appeals court has held that a remote texter can be held liable to third parties for injuries caused when the distracted driver has an accident.

However, that is only true if the individual sending the texts from another location knew they were being viewed by the recipient as he or she was driving. And, in the case at bar, the trial court correctly held that insufficient knowledge was shown to defeat a motion for summary judgment by the defendant texter, 17-year-old Shannon Colonna, the Appellate Division of New Jersey Superior Court ruled. An accident that caused serious injury to two motorcyclists occurred within less than 30 seconds of when phone records show the driver, 18-year-old Kyle Best, last received a text from her.

"We conclude that a person sending text messages has a duty not to text someone who is driving if the texter knows, or has special reason to know, the recipient will view the text while driving," explains the court in a Tuesday opinion. (PDF). "But we also conclude that plaintiffs have not presented sufficient evidence to prove that Colonna had such knowledge when she texted Best immediately before the accident."

There was no evidence that Colonna "actively encouraged" Best to text her while he was driving, the court said, and "Colonna did not have a special relationship with Best by which she could control his conduct," the appellate panel said.

Colonna had sent two texts to Best on the September 2009 afternoon when the accident occurred, and the other one was sent about two hours before the accident. The content of the messages isn't known, the court noted.

"Even if a reasonable inference can be drawn that she sent messages requiring responses, the act of sending such messages, by itself, is not active encouragement that the recipient read the text and respond immediately, that is, while driving and in violation of the law."

The claims of the plaintiffs, David and Linda Kubert, against the driver were previously settled.

“Kill Switch” for Stolen Smartphones and Tablets Planned for 2014

'Kill switches' include a feature that would allow users
to permanently disable their phone if lost or stolen in order
to protect access to their data, as well as phone usage.

As reported by Android Community: This isn't the first time we've heard the term “kill switch” when talking about smartphones. Samsung has talked about it in the past, and now some new reports from the Wall Street Journal is stirring things up again. This new anti-theft system looks to finally curb a massive and growing problem, and it’s already in some devices already.

Stolen phones are a huge problem, and has only increased severely with iPhone and Android phones in nearly every persons hand. The “kill switch” would reportedly make the device completely unusable, which would make stealing ones device rather useless. I like this idea already.

It's estimated that 113 cell phones are lost or
stolen every minute in the U.S. alone.

Smartphone theft has reportedly jumped nearly 500% from 2009, and isn't showing any signs of slowing down, so something surely needs to be done. Swapping the SIM card, wiping the phone, or even flashing new firmware wouldn't get around this “kill switch” and the point of stealing a device would be gone. It’s a big move, and something we've seen and heard before.

The folks from Apple have Find my iPhone, and Google’s recently launched a similar service for Android, although it only finds it. Not to mention Pantech started offering this kill switch on all their devices earlier this year. For now we don’t have exact details, but the WSJ reports that both Samsung and LG could introduce this with all their phones moving forward starting in early 2014.

It's estimated that 113 cell phones are lost or stolen every minute in the U.S. and that $7 million worth of smartphones are lost daily.

Keeping the 'kill' process speedy but secure will be the biggest issue, so that hackers or other entities are not able to kill your phone without your permission - while limiting access to the phone till you are sure you want to permanently disable the device.