Data Point: Android Is on Pace to Take Over the World by 2015

The number of devices that will be shipped with GoogleGOOG +1.04%’s Android software is expected to overtake all other mobile and PC operating systems by 2015, according to data from the research firm Gartner that was compiled by Statista.

The number of devices running iOS and OS X is increasing as AppleAAPL +1.60% ships more iPhones, iPads and Macs around the world. But Apple’s operating systems are exclusive to Apple devices — there’s just one manufacturer, albeit a big one. Android can be used by any third party like Samsung, MotorolaMSI +0.01% and LG, for example. So it makes sense that there are going to be more Android devices, much like the flood of Windows PCs in the 1980s and ’90s.

If you’re wondering how the columns for “other” could be so tall considering they exclude Google, Apple and MicrosoftMSFT -0.51%, it’s partly because the data include the software running older mobile phones known as “feature” phones, or less-affectionately “dumphones.” In 2012, for example, 1.75 billion mobile phones were shipped; of these only 680 million were smartphones, Gartner has said. Smartphone sales didn’t overtake feature-phone sales until 2013. While Apple phones are still pretty pricey, the lower-end phone makers now have Android as an option.

– Brian R. Fitzgerald

Windows Phone 8.1: When it’s coming, and how to get it.

Microsoft has announced Windows Phone 8.1, its first major update to the Windows Phone mobile operating system, which introduces a virtual personal assistant named Cortana, several cool design tweaks, and a host of new features. If you’re wondering when it will arrive on your phone, or which phones about to go on sale will have the OS pre-installed, we’ve got all the information you need right here.

Microsoft says it’s coming soon

During the Build 2014 keynote, following a lengthy introduction to the software, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore gave an approximate release timeframe for the update. How approximate? Simply that it will be out in the coming months. Not very precise, but then it’s not entirely down to Microsoft. The official line on new phones is that we’ll be seeing the first new releases during April or early the month after.

Networks start to announce their plans

Sprint is the first to confirm its intention to distribute Windows Phone 8.1 soon. According to the network’s communications manager, the update will be coming to the HTC 8XT and the Samsung Ativ S Neo this summer.

Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/windows-phone-8-1-phone-update-list/#ixzz2y3Hw5tTC
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Handheld Devices Should Be Banned for Children Under the Age of 12

more here ..

fixing the Internet?

Last week, the administration said the United States will begin negotiations to cede control of one of the Net’s most powerful institutions, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN. Currently overseen by the Department of Commerce, ICANN will be taken over by an international agency to be assembled later. The process is set to begin next week in Singapore, where the current ICANN members are scheduled to meet.

More here>>

Who controls the Internet?
a short history & the future? Published on 24 Mar 2014

The Internet began as a Pentagon-funded project called ARPANET, a network linking computers in some American universities and government agencies. Eventually, it was opened up to become the world wide web, connecting everything from computers and mobile phones to tablets and video game consoles.No one government fully controls the Internet, but the US does regulate some protocols. Faced with pressures, it is now considering relinquishing some of it to global stakeholders.Al Jazeera's Gerald Tan reports.

Facebook To Buy WhatsApp For $19 Billion

WhatsApp's Brian Acton and Jan Koum are billionaires
thanks to a $19 billion deal with Facebook.
(Photo: Robert Gallagher for Forbes)

Facebook announced on Wednesday afternoon that it had reached an agreement to buy popular mobile messaging startup WhatsApp for an upfront total of $16 billion, including $4 billion in cash and about $12 billion in Facebook shares.

Co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook’s Board of Directors, but WhatsApp will continue to operate independently within Facebook, much like Instagram. The purchase price could rise to as much as $19 billion once you factor in an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units that will be granted to WhatsApp’s founders and employees vesting over four years.

full news here >>>

Do Luv em! FF

Dear Firefox & You subscriber,

From the very beginning, Mozilla was built to be a movement, not a company.

We've always felt people should be in control of their online lives, not kept in the dark. We want the tools we build — like Firefox — to respect people, to care about their security and to protect their privacy.

That's why I chose to make Mozilla a non-profit. An open, accessible Web matters more than maximizing shareholder value.

The idea of putting people before profit is a powerful one. There are thousands of Mozilla volunteers and staff around the world who believe deeply in our mission and values. We are all building an Internet that puts the public good over profit. 

But we can't do this important work without the support of people like you. This is the only email we will send to you this year asking for a donation to support our work. Make your online gift to Mozilla right now.

Parts of the Internet will always be built by large companies. And that's good. That economic engine brings a lot of skill, energy and resources to bear, but it's not enough. 

We must also build the Web the world needs — an Internet where people come first. Whether it's profitable or not, it's the right thing to do.

What we've accomplished so far has been possible because tens of thousands around the world have joined and supported Mozilla. Just knowing that so many people share our vision and our commitment to users is both humbling and empowering. We would like to count you in.

I'm only sending one single email about the Mozilla Year-End Fundraising Campaign. That means you have just one chance to make a donation to support our important work.

The heart of Mozilla is a global community with a shared mission. That's what gives us power. That's what gives us impact. That's what makes us different — people like you who help us build the Internet the world needs.

Sincerely,

Mitchell

---

Mitchell Baker
Chair
Mozilla

Browser : Rockmelt has been acquired by Yahoo!

We’re excited to tell you that Rockmelt has been acquired by Yahoo!.

Yahoo! and Rockmelt share a common goal: To help people discover the best content from around the web. In our short four and a half years at Rockmelt, we’ve learned a lot about how you like to browse the web, discover content, and share the great stuff you’ve found. You’ve been right by our sides as we’ve celebrated successes, endured failures, and invented new ways of doing things. You’ve taught us a ton. And we plan to put everything we’ve learned to work at Yahoo!.

The truth is Rockmelt wouldn’t exist without you, our users. You showed us what it means to browse the web in today’s world. You made us go aww, lol, and hmm. And sometimes you confounded us, which gave us a good excuse to say wtf. Just by using Rockmelt, you made this opportunity possible. We can’t thank you enough for letting us into your daily lives and for believing in us. We will definitely keep you close to our thoughts, designs, and products in our new world.

For many of you, Rockmelt has become a daily habit and for that we’re eternally grateful… so we’ve kept all your valuables safe. In each of our products, you’ll find a tile to click on that initiates the export service. Your kept items will be exported as bookmarks and the feeds you follow as an OPML file. The Rockmelt apps and web product will be shutdown on August 31, 2013.

Our mission of exploring the web faster and in a fun way has not changed. We’re joining a fantastic team of people where we can have a much bigger impact, and we’re thrilled and honored to have the opportunity.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

– Eric, Tim, and the Rockmelt Team