Samsung is denying reports that it is working on a Facebook-like service that will debut next year. The company called the rumors “groundless” on its blog, adding that what it’s working on is far from a Facebook competitor.
The report originated from The Korea Times, claiming a company official said Samsung is working a social networking service with an emphasis on photo sharing and chatting that is code-named Samsung Facebook.
“This is not true and the rumor is groundless,” Samsung said in a statement on its official blog. The company went on to say that it’s actually working on an update for its Family Story service aimed at families sharing photos and video across smartphone, tablets and Internet-connected TVs.
“Family Story has been available since February 2012 on Samsung smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and the Web,” the statement continued. “This service, like its name, is a family-oriented convergence service that focuses on sharing and storing families’ special moments.”
“It is true that we currently are working on upgrading Family Story as we always thrive to provide consumers with enhanced experiences, but this is far from a ‘Samsung Faceboook’ as some are claiming it to be,” the company explained.
Although facilitating photo and video sharing between its devices might sound a bit like Facebook, Family Story is probably one of Samsung’s ideas to add value to its Android offerings and differentiate itself from other manufacturers -- a bit like the PhotoStream sharing feature coming to iPhones with iOS 6.
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T-Mobile Still Plugging Away at iPhone-Ready Network - Yahoo Finance
T-Mobile is working hard on a transition that will allow the iPhone to run at full speed on its network.
By the end of next month, the company says some 2,500 cell sites will be equipped with the necessary gear to operate in the 1900Mhz spectrum used by AT&T’s iPhones. The goal is to have such service throughout its major markets by the end of the year, CTO Neville Ray reiterated in an interview with AllThingsD on Thursday.
Whether T-Mobile will have an iPhone to sell is another matter. At a minimum, Ray said that the company wants to serve as an attractive alternative for unlocked iPhone owners. AT&T has started unlocking devices for customers that have fulfilled the terms of their contract.
“We’ll hopefully attract a lot more iPhones,” Ray said, reiterating past statements that the carrier has more than 1 million iPhones on its network today, even though its data rates are limited to 2G speeds.
Beyond the potential to lure bargain-hunting iPhone owner, Ray said the move to 1900MHz should allow many of T-Mobile’s existing smartphone customers to get better reception and performance.
“It’s like two new lanes on the road,” Ray said.
Additionally, it should give T-Mobile an opportunity to nab some lucrative traffic from overseas roaming customers visiting the U.S.
Not only do all of the other major U.S. carriers offer the iPhone, but an increasing number of smaller carriers including small regional players and prepaid brands such as Leap’s Cricket.
Aiming to recover from its failed effort to sell itself to AT&T, T-Mobile has said it plans a major marketing campaign and rebranding effort for the second half of the year. In the meantime, Ray said he wishes more people would recognize the speed and performance of the company’s existing network as well as the value it is offering to customers.
The company is trying it out the new iPhone-compatible network configuration at various spots –including San Francisco’s Moscone Center. That move attracted a lot of attention as it was noticed by iPhone customers just ahead of this week’s Worldwide Developer Conference. T-Mobile has insisted that was pure coincidence.
“Nobody believes us but it was,” Ray said.
Beyond installing the networking gear needed to serve the iPhone and other 1900Mhz devices, T-Mobile is, where it can, also putting in the equipment needed for the LTE network it hopes to begin running next year.
The company has said it plans to cover 200 million people with that network by the end of next year, but has not said when and where the network will begin operations.
Samsung LCD lines hit by brief power outage - msnbc.com
SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Display, a unit of Samsung Electronics Co, said four flat-screen production lines had stopped briefly on Thursday due to a power outage -- a development that may mean sizeable losses.
Although production was only halted for 10 minutes, even a short stop can render some panels obsolete.
"Samsung may have to report some costs, because around 70 percent of panels which were in the process of production during the blackout become useless," said an analyst who declined to be identified.
Shares in Samsung Electronics, tumbled 3 percent in morning trade, underperforming a 0.7 percent decline in the broader market.
Samsung, which competes with local rival LG Display and Japan's Sharp Corp, has since restored 60 percent of production and has said it expects the lines to return to full output later on Friday.
The lost output, mainly large-sized panels for TVs and computer monitors, is unlikely to have major impact on sales or global LCD market, where supplies are plentiful due to weak consumer demand.
The plant in Tangjeong, southwest of Seoul, houses Samsung's most advanced LCD production lines. The four lines have a combined monthly output capacity of 320,000 panels.
Its parent Samsung Electronics separated out its loss-making flat-screen business in April to combine it with a more promising AMOLED (active matrix organic light-emitting diodes) flat-screen operation, currently used mainly in high-end smartphones.
(Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
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