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China poised to overtake the United States as world’s top smartphone market

We Americans like thinking of ourselves as No.1 in everything, but there was simply no way we were going tostay on top of China as the world’s largest smartphone market. The latest research from IDC show that China will account for 26.5% of all smartphone shipments in 2012, up from 18.3% in 2011 and nearly nine percentage points higher than 17.8% of smartphones that will be shipped to the United States this year.

While the U.S. had just barely edged out China in 2011 when it accounted for a world-leading 21.3% of all smartphones shipped, the country is unlikely to ever top the world in smartphone shipments again as IDC projects that its share of global smartphone shipments will fall to 14.5% in 2016 while China’s will level off slightly at 23% as India and Brazil increase their own shares. IDC’s full press release follows below.

China to Overtake United States in Smartphone Shipments in 2012, According to IDC

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., August 30, 2012 – Strong end-user demand and an appetite for lower-priced smartphones will make China (PRC) the largest market for smartphones this year, overtaking the United States as the global leader in smartphone shipments. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, China will account for 26.5% of all smartphone shipments in 2012, compared to 17.8% for the United States.

“Looking ahead, the PRC smartphone market will continue to be lifted by the sub-US$200 Android segment,” said Wong Teck-Zhung, senior market analyst, Client Devices, IDC Asia/Pacific. “Near-term prices in the low-end segment will come down to US$100 and below as competition for market share intensifies among smartphone vendors. Carrier-subsidized and customized handsets from domestic vendors will further support the migration to smartphones and boost shipments. Looking ahead to the later years in the forecast, the move to 4G networks will be another growth catalyst.”

“Regionally, we expect smartphone demand to flow down to lower-tier cities,” added James Yan, senior market analyst for Computing Systems Research at IDC China. “After going through a period of sustained high growth, top-tier cities are likely to see decelerating smartphone growth rates. In contrast, secondary cities are expected to experience accelerated smartphone growth, with strong demand for low-cost models as well as high-end models, which are desired as status symbols.”

“The fact that China will overtake the United States in smartphone shipments does not mean that the U.S. smartphone market is grinding to a halt,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Phone Technology and Trends program. “Now that smartphones represent the majority of mobile phone shipments, growth is expected to continue, but at a slower pace. There is still a market for first-time users as well as thriving upgrade opportunities.”

“In addition to China and the United States, several other countries will emerge as key markets for smartphone shipment volume over the next five years,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker program. “High-growth countries such as Brazil and Russia will become some of the most hotly contested markets as vendors seek to capture new customers and market share.”

Top Five Markets for Smartphone Shipments

As it becomes the leading country for smartphone shipments this year, the PRC smartphone market will continue to grow, primarily on demand for lower-cost handsets. While this bodes well from a volume perspective, it also means lower average sales values (ASVs), thinner margins, and increased competition from all players. Over the course of the forecast, China’s share of the global smartphone market will decline somewhat as smartphone adoption accelerates in other emerging markets.

Smartphone shipments into the United States will increase as users upgrade their devices and feature-phone users switch over to smartphones. Furthermore, a combination of lower-priced models, expansion of 4G networks, and the proliferation of shared data plans will encourage continued smartphone adoption. Smartphones are already the device of choice at the major carriers, and regional and prepaid carriers are following suit and competing with alternative service plans.

With smartphone penetration in India currently among the lowest in Asia/Pacific, the market has tremendous untapped growth potential. Low-end smartphones offering dual-SIM capability and local apps and priced around US$100 will rapidly bring this market to life. Although 3G data plans are currently too expensive for the majority of consumers in India, IDC expects the popularization of 3G, and in later years 4G, to drive smartphone uptake as operators roll out more affordable data plans and generous subsidies while expanding offerings to tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The affordability of service plans will be another important key to smartphone adoption in India.

Smartphone growth in Brazil will be bolstered by strategic investments by mobile operators, smartphone vendors, and regulators. Operators’ focus on increasing ARPU will drive greater demand for smartphones while smartphone vendors will look to reap greater profitability from offering such devices. The Brazilian government, meanwhile, will offer tax exemptions for smartphones and protect local manufacturing against foreign vendors. These factors, combined with solid end-user demand, will drive smartphone volumes in the coming years.

The United Kingdom has been one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in Western Europe, driven by the high operator subsidies and long-term post-paid contracts. Over the forecast period, smartphone shipments will continue to increase due to the introduction of LTE and a new range of services that will appeal to heavy smartphone users. In addition, price erosion on HSPA devices will also attract feature phones users. Growth rates will slow in the later years of the forecast as penetration plateaus and operators seek out alternative subsidy models. Top Five Smartphone Markets and Market Share for 2011, 2012, and 2016 (based on shipments)

Country 2011 Market Share 2012 Market Share 2016 Market Share 2011 – 2016 CAGR PRC 18.3% 26.5% 23.0% 26.2% USA 21.3% 17.8% 14.5% 11.6% India 2.2% 2.5% 8.5% 57.5% Brazil 1.8% 2.3% 4.4% 44.0% United Kingdom 5.3% 4.5% 3.6% 11.5% Rest of World 51.1% 46.4% 46.0% 18.1% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 20.5%

Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, 2012 Q2 Forecast Release, August 30 2012

Note: Countries listed in terms of ranking in 2016.

http://www.bgr.com/2012/08/31/global-smartphone-shipments-china-tops-united-states/

How an LTE iPhone could lead to an AT&T exodus

AT&T (T) had better hope that consumers like its LTE network better than they like its Facetime policies. AllThingsD reports that Jefferies & Co. analyst Thomas Seitz sent a note to investors Friday describing how AT&T could lose a significant number of iPhone users to rival Verizon (VZ) due to the size and quality of its LTE network.

The numbers Seitz lays out are stark: Verizon’s LTE network currently has 203 million POPs, more than all other American wireless carriers combined. Combine this with Verizon’s traditionally high ratings for network quality, and it’s easy to see how Verizon could easily drag some iPhone users over from AT&T as long as its network holds up. Seitz says that while he doesn’t expect that Verizon’s large LTE network will decimate AT&T’s iPhone user share immediately, it could give Verizon a long-term advantage that pay dividends in terms of customer loyalty.

“We believe this network advantage could lead to a share shift towards Verizon, primarily at AT&T’s expense,” he writes.

http://allthingsd.com/20120831/an-lte-iphone-could-send-some-customers-from-att-to-verizon/?refcat=news

JetBlue fulfills fan's request for Jets plane

David Baghdassarian is a huge Jets fan.

His Florida license plate is JTSFN, his tailgating grill is green and white and he dressed as Rex Ryan for Christmas. No, not Halloween. Christmas.

So when Baghdassarian was getting ready for a trip back to New York, where he was born and raised, he thought he'd give it a try: Get JetBlue to fly him home in its Jets plane.

As part of its partnership with the Jets, the company has been flying around a plane wrapped with a Jets logo since October 2010. Where it flies to and from is usually random, but this Jets fan wanted to change that.

On Aug. 23, a week before his flight, Baghdassarian (@bags) tweeted to JetBlue executives, who have been particularly active on Twitter.

David Bags@bags

@martysg @DavidJBarger @JetBlueCOO Visiting family in NY #272 on 8/30 return #377 on 9/3. Any chance I can get the @nyjets plane? Thanks!

23 Aug 12

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The Tweet reached its intended targets: Marty St. George, the airline's vice president of marketing, David Barger, JetBlue's CEO, and COO Rob Maruster.

The next morning, Barger sent the tweet along with the comment "Love it!" to his vice president of airport and system operations, Alex Battaglia, known on Twitter as @B6AirportGuy.

A few hours later, the main @JetBlue account tweeted to Baghdassarian:

David Bags@bags23 Aug 12

@martysg @DavidJBarger @JetBlueCOO Visiting family in NY #272 on 8/30 return #377 on 9/3. Any chance I can get the @nyjets plane? Thanks!

JetBlue Airways

✔

@JetBlue

@bags (@martysg @DavidJBarger @JetBlueCOO@nyjets) Done! - Enjoy your flight on JetGreen!

24 Aug 12

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"I was super excited," Baghdassarian, a 40-year-old health care attorney, told ESPN.com. "I didn't tell too many people because I didn't want to jinx it."

[+] Enlarge Courtesy of David BaghdassarianDavid Baghdassarian in his Rex Ryan costume.

On Thursday, he showed up at the airport in a Jets T-shirt for the flight and sure enough, when he checked in, there was the plane in its green and white glory.

"I think it's so great that CEOs and executives are making themselves accessible to the public and responding to things like this," Baghdassarian said. "It really helps people connect with a company."

For its part, JetBlue spokesman Morgan Johnston says it was the first time the airline ever got a request from a passenger to specifically have the Jets plane fly him home, though Johnston said it has happened before with some of the company's other sports planes -- a Red Sox one and one draped in Real Salt Lake logos.

"We saw his tweet and it wasn't hard to schedule the plane to fly him home," Johnston said. "Now we obviously can't have our customers dictating their routes all the time, but when we can listen to our customers, react quickly and do something cool, we obviously make the effort to do so."

After several high-profile public relations disasters, JetBlue has devoted more attention to reaching out to its customers. At more than 1.6 million followers, JetBlue is not only the most-followed airline, it is also among the most-followed companies on Twitter.

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/dollars/post/_/id/1356/jetblue-sends-jets-fan-home-on-jetgreen

Google Now updated with support for movie showtimes, public alerts and sports

Google (GOOG) on Wednesday updated its Android Search app with some extra goodies for Google Now. The new version adds support for movie theaters, public alerts, enhanced sports information and it now reorganizes Korean. Google Now can be set to display a card that includes movie showtimes based on how a user searches or even if the smartphone is near a theater. The new public alerts card will be displayed during emergencies, and will include information and warnings regarding storms, earthquakes and more. Google previously would supply sports information based on earlier searches, however with the enhanced sports card, users can now manually input their favorite teams to receive scores and updates. The latest version of Google Now is included in the Google Search app, which is available now on the Play Store for users running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+android/posts/cZAVZEDMPRn

Samsung’s plan for revenge: Sue Apple if it dares release an LTE iPhone

Samsung (005930) will soon go from licking its wounds to licking its chops if Apple’s (AAPL) next iPhone utilizes LTE technology. The Korea Times reports that Samsung has “confirmed that it will immediately sue Apple if the latter releases products using advanced long-term evolution (LTE) mobile technology.” Although Apple has already released an LTE-capable device with the latest version of its iPad, Samsung is likely waiting for Apple to put out an LTE-capable iPhone before busting out its extensive LTE patent portfolio to seek injunctions. An analysis conducted by IP research firm iRunway earlier this year found that Samsung holds fully 10% of all LTE patents issued so far, meaning it could have ample firepower to take on Apple over its use of LTE in future smartphone releases.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2012/08/133_118544.html

Reuters: Google and Apple are conducting secret patent settlement talks

Google (GOOG) CEO Larry Page and Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook have been conducting behind-the-scenes talks regarding the ongoing patent disputes between the two companies, unnamed sources have told Reuters. Page and Cook recently had a phone conversation to discuss various matters involving intellectual property, and according to Reuters‘ sources, they are expected to talk again soon. The two companies are “keeping the lines of communication open at a high level” after Apple’s recent victory over Samsung. Reuters speculates that the executives could be working on a truce involving disputes over the Android operating system, although it is unclear whether their chats might result in a broad settlement or a more limited one. Discussions involving lower-level officials have also been ongoing, the report claims.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/30/us-google-apple-idUSBRE87T15H20120830

Virgin Airlines Will Give Its Most Frequent Flyer a Free Trip Into Space

Forget about upgrading to first class. Virgin is offering frequent fliers the chance to upgrade to a flight into space.

The passenger who earns the most frequent flyer points from booking flights on Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America and Virgin Australia from now through August 7, 2013, will win a free trip on the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwoshuttle.

The starting price for a trip into space on one of Virgin’s shuttles is $200,000.

As part of the contest, Virgin will give the second most frequent flyer a free zero-gravity flight. Customers can use their frequent flyer points for other flights during this time without counting against their chances for scoring the free trip into space.

Aside from the trip, the lucky passenger will get bragging rights and perhaps even a chance to hobnob with some of the rich and powerful people who are actually able to afford the hefty price tag for the flight.

http://mashable.com/2012/08/30/virgin-free-flight-space/

A Look into the Emirates Airlines A380 First Class-Bangkok to Hong Kong (Video)

Samsung to launch see-through displays next month

Here’s something innovative that Apple (AAPL) can’t accuse Samsung (005930) of copying from the iPhone: transparent displays. Samsung on Monday announced that it will be bringing its new NL22B transparent displayto the IFA electronics trade show in Berlin, which kicks off on August 31st and lasts through September 5th. Samsung says that the display, which will be launched shortly after the IFA, comes complete with “a built-in PC, speakers, LED bar and protective glass” that make it perfect for retail companies who want to create interactive display cases for their products. Samsung also noted that the display’s “thin LCD panel on the front of the transparent display allows images and animations to dynamically interact with the merchandise inside the showcase while still enabling passers-by to view the product.” A video of the display in action follows below.

http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/?p=17699

iOS and Android device adoption rate said to be fastest in history

According to analytics firm Flurry, the adoption rate of iOS and Android devices has now surpassed all other consumer technologies in history. Smartphones and tablets are being adopted at a rate 10 times faster than PCs from the 1980s, two times faster than the Internet in the 1990s, and three times faster than the current social networking boom. Flurry’s latest estimates point to a combined total of more than 640 million iOS and Android devices in use during the month of July. The firm also found that 78% of U.S. adults aged 15 to 64 were using smart devices during that period. China is quickly catching up, however, growing a whopping 401% year-over-year. It is estimated that at the current rate, China could overtake the U.S. as early as the upcoming holiday season. Along with China, three other countries — Chile, Brazil and Argentina — all showed growth rates exceeding 200% in the last year, while four others — Vietnam, Mexico, Russia, Turkey and India — grew more than 100%.

http://blog.flurry.com/bid/88867/iOS-and-Android-Adoption-Explodes-Internationally

Study estimates paid shills account for one-third of all online reviews

Ever wonder how “Fifty Shades of Grey” could garner any five-star reviews on Amazon (AMZN)? Well wonder no more. The New York Times points to new research from data-mining expert Bing Liu from the University of Chicago estimating that roughly one-third of all online reviews are posted by people who have some sort of financial incentive to praise the product in question. Liu says that this could mean actual customers who are given a discount on the product in exchange for writing a positive review, third-party reviewers-for-hire who take payments for posting positive reviews online, or even marketers themselves who give glowing reviews of their own company’s products.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/business/book-reviewers-for-hire-meet-a-demand-for-online-raves.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Google: We didn’t pay anyone to talk about Oracle trial, but here is a list of people we paid

After failing to comply with Judge William Alsup’s earlier order, Google (GOOG) finally reiterated its previous statements and asserted that it did not pay any authors, journalists, commentators or bloggers to report or comment on its trail against Oracle (ORCL). The Internet giant did provide a list of consultants, contractors, employees and various organizations who commented on the case and have in the past received money from the company, however, including Google attorney William Patry, Java creator James Gosling and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, among others. “Pursuant to the [judge's order], the required disclosure does not include advertising revenue, disclosed experts, or gifts to universities,” Google said in its court filing. “It does, however, include ‘all commenters known by Google to have received payments as consultants, contractors, vendors, or employees’ and employee-commenters at organizations who receive money from Google.”

http://www.scribd.com/doc/103832136/12-08-24-Supplemental-Google-Disclosures

Samsung is prepared for the worst – says it will modify phones to avoid Apple ban

Samsung (005930) on Tuesday confirmed that it is willing to modify its smartphones if it cannot successfully fightApple’s (AAPL) request to have them banned in the United States. After managing a big win in its trial againstSamsung, Apple made an initial request with the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California to ban eight smartphones including the Galaxy S II. Samsung plans to fight the request but if the company is unsuccessful, it confirmed that it is willing to modify the devices in order to avoid sales bans.

“We will take all necessary measures to ensure the availability of our products in the U.S. market,” a Samsung spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, further noting that Samsung would file to block the injunction, appeal any injunction granted by the judge, and then modify devices should the company’s appeal fail.

Apple is expected to seek bans on additional Samsung smartphones in the coming weeks — in all, 21 Samsung devices were found to infringe on Apple’s protected technology and design patents.

http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444914904577616421507214932.html

Is Android doomed in the wake of the Apple v. Samsung verdict? Not a chance

There have been rumblings in some corners of the tech press that Google (GOOG) ought to be quaking in its boots in the wake of the Apple (AAPL) v. Samsung (005930) patent verdict because it could give Apple enough juice to take out Android all together. This is highly unlikely to ever happen for a multitude of reasons, but the most important is that Google has a lot of money, a lot of creative and talented people, and a lot of incentive to make sure that Android remains successful.

First of all, let’s acknowledge that Samsung’s loss in the patent trial against Apple was more about its own mistakes than Google’s, since half of the patents successfully asserted by Apple were design patents that had nothing to do with Android and were only about Samsung’s hardware choices.

Yes, the jury also found that the Google-designed Nexus S infringed on two of the remaining patents that dealt with software, but only one of those patents — the ’915 patent that deals with pinch-to-zoom and one-fingered scrolling on iOS devices — seems consequential to Android’s core functionality. The other patent — the ’381 patent that covers the bouncy “rubber band” effect that occurs when scrolling on Apple devices — does not. And as 9to5Google notes, Google claims to have fixed both of these infringements with the release of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Couple this with the fact that Google allegedly warned Samsung that it was walking on thin ice with some of its design concepts for its tablets and you get the impression that Samsung was a uniquely rich target for Apple’s legal team to exploit. This is unlikely to be replicated with every other Android vendor. Indeed, Apple’s own attorneys at the trial pointed to the Android-based Sony (SNE) Xperia arc as a smartphone that had a unique design and that wasn’t a direct copy of Apple’s iPhone, so Apple does acknowledge to some extent that Android isn’t a complete ripoff of its own operating system.

That said, this is not the time for Google to kick up its feet and sip a martini. Android manufacturers such as HTC (2498) and LG (066570), which don’t have deep pockets like Samsung does, will undoubtedly be nervous and will need reassurance that their best devices won’t get similarly clobbered in the near future. To accomplish this, Google may want to take a much more hands-on approach with manufacturers. It can work with them to make sure their hardware doesn’t take liberally from Apple’s designs, and also to provide them with direct legal help during patent suits — something it was reluctant to do during the Samsung trial.

Google also might consider going back through Android to figure out which features are most vulnerable to intellectual property claims and alter them to lessen the likelihood of more Android-related patent litigation. At the same time, Google also will likely want to continue bolstering its own IP portfolio either through acquisitions such as the Motorola deal or through filing more original patents of its own to scare off potential plaintiffs.

While this is all easier said than done, Google has the resources, the talent and the incentive to do it.

Let’s start with the resources and the talent: Simply put, Google plugs a whole lot of its money into research and development and it encourages its developers to think really big, whether it’s creating a high-speed fiber network in Kansas City or creating “smart glasses” that beam images from the web directly to users’ eyeballs.

While not all of Google’s experiments have been successes — yes, I’m looking at you, Nexus Q — the company puts out so many different products that its Chromes, Androids and Gmails are more likely to be remembered than its assorted failures. Or put another way, Google has shown it has the creative energy and financial flexibility to keep innovating despite past failures.

Now let’s look at the incentives: Google knew exactly what it was doing when it launched Android as an open-source mobile operating system in 2007. The company knew that location-based advertising was about to become an enormous market in the smartphone era and was determined to get its own software and services out to as many mobile devices as possible. There’s simply no way that Google will allow Apple and its walled-garden devices to dominate a realm that is essential to the future of its business.

And besides, it isn’t as though manufacturers have an obvious alternative to Android that will guarantee them healthy revenues going forward, as Nokia (NOK) has shown that manufacturing solely for Windows Phone won’t magically improve market share. The fact is that many manufacturers need Android just as much as Android needs them.

http://www.bgr.com/2012/08/28/apple-samsung-verdict-analysis-android-well-positioned/

T-Mobile prepares to do battle with the iPhone 5

As AT&T (T), Verizon Wireless (VZ) and Sprint (S) prepare to sell as many iPhones as they can manage to get their hands on in the coming weeks, T-Mobile will once again be forced to sit on the sidelines and watch from the bench. With no LTE network to support the next-generation iPhone’s new 4G connectivity and an incompatible (for the most part) 3G network, T-Mobile will once again miss out on the biggest smartphone launch of the year. The carrier won’t be sitting completely idle, however, as it has reportedly informed retail staff to prepare for battle.

According to a purported internal memo published by TmoNews, T-Mobile has informed retail workers that they should brace for Apple’s next iPhone launch beginning September 21st — the rumored date that Apple’s “iPhone 5” will go on sale. Sales associates will be provided with new materials that will apparently arm them with convincing arguments that might sway customers from heading elsewhere to purchase the new iPhone.

For those who cannot be swayed, TmoNews also reports that T-Mobile will offer new “Monthly4G Micro SIM” kits that will allow users to purchase a sixth-generation iPhone elsewhere and use it on T-Mobile’s network. Service speeds in most areas will pale in comparison to 4G LTE or even AT&T’s 3G HSPA+ service, but T-Mobile does have some compelling arguments to make — especially considering how expensive owning a smartphone can be with carriers like Verizon Wireless, which now charges $90 per month for its cheapest smartphone plan.

Apple’s next iPhone is expected to feature a 4-inch display, 4G LTE, NFC and a completely redesigned case that is just 7.6 millimeters thick when it is unveiled during a press conference on September 12th.

As commercial space race intensifies SpaceX, Virgin find they have company

While Earthdwellers cast their eyes to Mars this week and waited for news from NASA's Curiosity, lots of action took place closer to home, where the commercial space market has seen progress from every direction. We've rounded up a short summary of what happened back on the home planet.

Chasing dreams

Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft team held its Program Implementation Plan Review in Colorado this week, the first milestone in its CCiCap list. CCiCap is phase 3 of NASA's Commercial Crew vehicle development program, intended to foster a private ride to low Earth orbit. Passing that first milestone was worth $30M to Sierra Nevada. It advances the company toward the first drop test and free flight of the Dream Chaser Engineering Test Article, a version of the craft specifically built for testing, in November.

According to NASA's Dream Chaser technical manager, Cheryl McPhillips, Sierra Nevada has two safety review milestones coming as part of its CCiCap program, then an integrated system baseline review, then ultimately a critical design review toward the end of the program. Sierra Nevada also has optional milestones, but they were redacted in the information released thus far.

NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden has said that the program set out for Sierra Nevada, as a winner of a partial funding allocation in this phase of Commercial Crew, attempts to retire all of Dream Chaser's technical risk. Presumably that strategy will make it much easier later on for the company to quickly complete the vehicle and use it to bid on crew transportation to and from the International Space Station.

Returning to orbit

SpaceX completed its COTS (Commercial Orbital Transport Services) agreement this week with a certification from NASA, clearing the way for SPX-1, its first standard cargo flight to the International Space Station. (The earlier flight was a test loaded with non-critical supplies.) SpaceX Cargo Resupply Services flights, at $133M, will cost far less than deliveries launched by Russia, Japan, or the European Space Agency.

The next flight has been bumped into early October by another rocket launch, and won't be sent off before October 8 at 8:12pm. Wet dress rehearsals (loading up the rocket with propellants on the stand and staging countdowns) should begin within the next week.

Beyond the mandatory food and clean underwear, SPX-1 will carry 15 experiments for NASA's Student Spaceflights Experiment Program. The SSEP formerly offered students in grades 5-14 an opportunity to fly an experiment aboard the Space Shuttle, but it has since shifted to the International Space Station.

Aiming for Antares

Orbital Sciences was also slated to fly its Antares rocket for the first time in early October, but there's no word yet on whether the traffic jam that's holding up SpaceX will bump them again. Antares is Orbital's COTS vehicle and a competitor of SpaceX's Falcon. It has been delayed several times due to launchpad construction at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia. If all goes well, Antares will carry a Cygnus cargo spacecraft to orbit on its second flight, in a few months, in a test very similar to the one performed by the SpaceX Dragon earlier in the year, when it rendezvoused with the International Space Station.

The Antares rocket has been waiting patiently since last month in its processing facility at MARS. Orbital chose MARS partially to avoid range issues at Kennedy Space Center in Florida—if there are conflicts with the SpaceX flight from Kennedy, it would only be due to a shortage of NASA personnel to help manage both flights. This sort of personnel shortage shouldn't be a major issue for the next few years, but might be more of a problem in the future. ISS is beginning to look like it will stay in orbit until at least 2028, and more space stations are on the way, so there may be a busy launch schedule at both ranges in the future.

Short of orbit

XCOR Aerospace announced this week that they'll build a new spacecraft factory in Brevard County, Florida, to build its Lynx 2-person suborbital spacecraft. Lynx takes off and lands horizontally and requires a runway, which in Florida means the Shuttle's landing strip at Kennedy Space Center.

The factory may soak up some aerospace workers laid off when the Shuttle was retired. XCOR hopes to hire as many as 150 people by 2018, depending on what sort of traffic they get for their $95,000 suborbital spaceflights. XCOR is also hoping to move into orbital flights in the next several years, and they have several projects in development with other aerospace manufacturers. Testing of those vehicles will be done in a new facility to be constructed in Midland, Texas, while production will be done on the Space Coast.

XCOR's Lynx 2-person suborbital spacecraft is slated to fly from several locations, including Mojave, California, the Caribbean island of Curaçao, and possibly Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The United Arab Emirates has looked at a spaceport that will host flights from both the Lynx and Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Two, XCOR's prime competitor at $200,000 per flight.

There's already competition in the suborbital space tourism market, and the flights haven't started yet.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/08/as-commercial-space-race-intensifies-spacex-virgin-find-they-have-company/

Internal Apple memo: ‘We do this to delight our customers, not for competitors to flagrantly copy’

Apple (AAPL) on Friday scored what could end up being a major victory over rival Samsung (005930) if the South Korean company isn’t able to reverse the ruling during its appeal. Following the jury’s decision, Apple CEO Tim Cook sent an email to Apple’s entire staff to congratulate them on the win and to tell them he is “very proud of the work that each of you do.” Here is Cook’s note in its entirety:

Today was an important day for Apple and for innovators everywhere.

Many of you have been closely following the trial against Samsung in San Jose for the past few weeks. We chose legal action very reluctantly and only after repeatedly asking Samsung to stop copying our work. For us this lawsuit has always been about something much more important than patents or money. It’s about values. We value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. And we do this to delight our customers, not for competitors to flagrantly copy.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the jury who invested their time in listening to our story. We were thrilled to finally have the opportunity to tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trial showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than we knew.

The jury has now spoken. We applaud them for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.

I am very proud of the work that each of you do.

Today, values have won and I hope the whole world listens.

Tim

The email was first published by 9to5Mac. Samsung on Friday was found to have willfully infringed on Apple’s technology and design patents, and was ordered to pay nearly $1.05 billion in damages. Samsung plans to appeal the decision.

http://9to5mac.com/2012/08/24/tim-cook-tells-apple-employees-that-todays-victory-is-about-values/

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