Rumblings in the gaming community have broadcast the need for a revamp in console offerings when the next-generation of kit goes on general release. Microsoft' unveiling of the Xbox One was reminiscent of Q42012 and Q12013 releases from manufacturers of Smart TVs, smartphones and other smart devices. Voice and gesture control, Internet content hubs and multitasking came together to give the impression of a platform reborn and one ready to do battle with its forthcoming Sony-made rival the Playstation 4.

Lenovo Group announced results for its fourth fiscal quarter and full-year ended March 31, 2013. With record full-year sales of US$34 billion, an increase of 15 percent year-over-year, a record full-year pre-tax income of US$801 million, up 38 percent year-over-year and record earnings of US$ 635 million, up 34 percent, Lenovo had a strong showing.

RIYADH -- The Middle East (ME) IT spending is projected to total $192.9 billion in 2013, a 5.5 percent increase from 2012, according to Gartner, the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. 
And, the Middle Eastern and North African public cloud services market will see strong growth in 2013 with spending for the overall market forecast to increase by approximately 24.5 per cent from 2012, also according to Gartner. 

London: At Mobile Asia Expo 2013 in Shanghai, t

London: Tom Phillips, Chief Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer, GSMA, offered the following statement regarding the United Arab Emirates’ decision to allocate the 700MHz and 800MHz (the Digital Dividend) spectrum bands to mobile, maximising spectrum harmonisation within the region and globally:

LAS VEGAS: An all-female panel this morning emphasised the importance of diversity in the mobile industry and outlined how to effectively develop the next generation of skills.
“We really need to step up the diversity of this industry,” said Mary Dillon, president and CEO of US Cellular and the first woman to chair the CTIA.

Optus, Australia’s second-largest mobile operator, will next month launch a TD-LTE service in Canberra, the country’s capital city.

The operator will initially offer a data-only service in the city using frequencies in the 2.3GHz frequency band, according to various reports of a press conference featuring managing director of networks, Gunther Ottendorfer (pictured).

Sprint acquired 20MHz of PCS spectrum (1900MHz frequency band) from regional carrier US Cellular in various Mid-West markets, including Chicago, plus a 10MHz slice of PCS spectrum in the St Louis market.

The $480 million transaction includes the transfer of around 420,000 US Cellular customers onto Sprint’s network.

The US number three operator says it’s providing special offers and incentives to reduce the cost of acquiring a new device to transition from the US Cellular network.

Chessington, UK. Fujikura Europe, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of fibre optic cables and equipment, has launched AFL’s NOYES M310 OTDR into Europe. It is specifically designed to address the technical challenges associated with emerging data centre architectures and increasing network speeds.

Android and iOS together accounted for 92 per cent of global smartphone shipments during Q1 2013, as the two leading operating systems further strengthened their grip on the market, according to IDC.

In Q1 2012, the two OS had a combined market share of 82 per cent, said the research firm.
Behind the two leaders, Microsoft’s Windows Phone overtook BlackBerry into third place – a first – with the largest year-on-year gain among the leading operating systems.