Nokia profits continue to slide

Nokia's headquarters in Espoo, Finland.

(Credit:Nokia)

Buffeted by ever more intense competition in the mobile phone market, Nokia saw its earnings fall for the final quarter of 2010.

Net profit for the quarter ended December 31 declined 21 percent to 745 million euros ($1.02 billion), compared with 950 million euros in the year-ago quarter. Sales, though, were on the upswing, reaching 12.6 billion euros ($17.2 billion), a gain of 6 percent from 2009's final quarter.

Nokia attributed the downturn to the heated competition in the mobile phone market as well as various component shortages and challenges meeting supply and demand. The company has been facing a rough climate in the high-end smartphone market as it sheds share to rival players such as Apple and Samsung. But it's also been losing out on the low end to mobile phone makers in China and other emerging countries.

For the quarter, Nokia said that its global slice of the mobile phone market dropped to 31 percent, a decline from its 35 percent share in 2009's fourth quarter but a slight gain from a 30 percent share in the third quarter of 2010. The company sold a total of 123.7 million mobile devices in the fourth quarter, down 3 percent from the prior year. But sales volume for converged mobile devices (smartphones and mobile computers) reached 28.3 million units, a jump of 36 percent from a year ago.

The fourth-quarter results also managed to handily beat the forecasts of analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires, who were anticipating a 45 percent decline in earnings and only a 3 percent gain in sales.

"In Q4 we delivered solid performance across all three of our businesses, and generated outstanding cash flow," CEO Stephen Elop said in the company's earnings report. "Additionally, growth trends in the mobile devices market continue to be encouraging. Yet, Nokia faces some significant challenges in our competitiveness and our execution. In short, the industry changed, and now it's time for Nokia to change faster."

Nokia's profitability was hit hard in 2009, a year when the overall industry was feeling the effects of the global recession. Since then, Nokia has tried to battle back through cost cuts, a reorganization, and staff layoffs.

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Twitter blocked as protests hit Egypt

Egyptian police crack down on second day of protests By the CNN Wire Staff STORY HIGHLIGHTSMain opposition party, the Muslim Brotherhood, says 149 members are arrestedWebsites of 2 newspapers shut down, journalists group saysTwitter is blocked, but some people have used proxies to get information outDemonstrators have been demanding ouster of President Hosni MubarakAre you in Egypt? Share your protest images with CNN iReport.

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Protesters taking to the streets in Egypt on Wednesday felt the wrath of security forces, a day after an unparalleled display of public rage at the government and full-throated cries for the ouster of the longtime president.

Police turned water cannons and tear gas on protesters in the early hours of Wednesday morning to try to break up anti-government demonstrations as the Interior Ministry warned it "will not allow any provocative movement or a protest or rallies or demonstrations."

In the heart of Cairo, people were being beaten with sticks and fists and demonstrators were being dragged away amid tear gas. Witnesses saw security forces harassing journalists and photographers. Demonstrations continued into the nighttime hours.

Egypt's official MENA news agency reported that at least 90 people were detained Wednesday while trying to demonstrate in downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square.

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AT&T iPhone vs. Verizon iPhone: All You Need To Know to Make an Informed Decision

Verizon is essentially selling the same iPhone to its customers as AT&T is (with the exception of the antenna set, obviously), so for iPhone shoppers, the decision of which carrier to go with can be broken down into three questions, so let’s quickly look through them.By Glenn Derene

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Sony reveals PlayStation Suite framework, store for Android gaming

Sony just dropped a bomb on the Japanese stage -- not a single PlayStation Phone, but a PlayStation Phone experience for everybody. The company unveiled a cross-platform software framework called PlayStation Suite, which sounds rather boring in those words, but what it amounts to is an official PlayStation Store filled with games for your Android tablets and cellphones. Sony's starting with an emulator for existing PlayStation Portable titles and is promising an Android game store later this year, but soon it might be much, much more: the company's calling PlayStation Suite a "hardware-neutral" development framework to make games portable for all sorts of handhelds.

Sony will sponsor a first-party licensing and quality-assurance scheme called PlayStation Certified, and provide the marketplace as well, likely hoping to attract major game developers to build top-tier titles for mobile and get a piece of the action too. If your device doesn't have have a pop-out gamepad handy, it looks like PlayStation Suite will emulate touchscreen controls, and you won't necessarily need a phone to get in on the action, as Sony says the next-generation PlayStation Portable will be compatible with games developed for PlayStation Suite right off the bat. Doesn't look like we're getting any details on game prices or compatible devices, but we imagine one particular phone will change all that at Mobile World Congress next month.
Sony reveals PlayStation Suite

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A photographer one stop shop in Manila

Guys have you heard about Pixel Pro???

Well I just want to share this as a Photography enthusiast; I just love their store coz it seems like a heaven for me!!!

Reasons why I love their store:

1. It is accessible since it is only located at 3rd Floor, V Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center San Juan City. No need to go to Quiapo to avail of low prices! They are both priced almost equally!

2. You can almost purchase all your needs in that store from Camera accessories to camera bags to tripods and a lot more.

3. Items are at a reasonable price. (Did I just mention that again?)

4. There are a lot of parking space which has security (for me this is a big deal, because I bring my own car)

5. Lastly, you don’t have to be afraid of walking out of the store with your brand new 100,000 SLR because you are in Greenhills! (it’s safer compared to Quiapo)

Contact Info: 726-9387 ; 584-5356
pixelproinc@yahoo.com

2009 Earth Hour

Official Earth Hour 2009 video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CRs-7lRlPo

Earth Hour is on March 28th, 2009 at 8:30pm.

Confronting the issues Graciously

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and dosen't do it, sins.

James 4:17

When you are confronted with a situation you feel is wrong, follow these guidelines:

1. Talk to others in your community or peer groups. Your concern may be the catalyst, which God can use to accomplish great good.
2. Pray about the issue before you do anything. This often helps you deal with anger and helps you channel your feelings produtively.
3. Do some research . Find out what the law is or who is in charge.
4. Raise the issue without raising your voice. When one person objects to something, only a few people pay attention to the issue. But when thirty peoplr object to the same issue, it gets attention.
5. Don't give up when you know that you are right.

Edmund Burke, the British patriot, said, "All that is neccessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Make your voice heard. It may be all that it takes to move others to take a stand for right.

Sala, Harold. Just for today: Guidelines for living.