Apple (AAPL) continues to bring the iPhone to countries outside the U.S. Although its launch in China didn't generate as much fanfare as the company had hoped, things take time to roll into a big ball of success. Apple won't be slowing down international introductions of the handset that changed the wireless game, that's for sure.

As such, South Korea's own LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics are about to see their homeland assaulted by the official introduction of the iPhone for sale into that country. South Korea's KT Corp. and SK Telecom are the reported carriers for Apple's iPhone there, and although the South Korean market may seem like a small potato of opportunity for Apple, the company has been cleared by the Korean Communications Commission to start selling its popular handset.

Continue reading Apple's iPhone set for South Korean launch

Apple's iPhone set for South Korean launch originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL) were once favorite friends. When Google CEO Eric Schmidt resigned from Apple's board of directors, though, the gloves came off. With Apple's venerable and extremely popular iPhone selling for $99 (for the base edition), Google's "Android" phones -- made by several manufacturers and sold by many carriers -- have not matched those low Apple prices. Not any more.

Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy (BBY) is selling the Samsung Moment and the HTC Hero for $99 through December -- matching Apple's iPhone pricing for a two-year contract. That's with no rebates, either. So, the question is this: will Google's Android-powered phones start gaining traction on the iPhone? With AT&T's (T) penchant for poor service and for exorbitant calling plan prices, this may be enough to get those on the iPhone fence switching over to a touchscreen Android phone.

Continue reading Android-powered phones set stage for holiday competition with iPhone

Android-powered phones set stage for holiday competition with iPhone originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Verizon to unveil Droid Eris phone for $99 -- and kills Sprint Nextel's $180 price for the HTC Hero

Verizon to unveil Droid Eris phone for $99 -- and kills Sprint Nextel's $180 price for the HTC Hero originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY) has become a leader in DVD sales in the last half-decade, but the largest consumer electronics retailer in the U.S. may see that the future of the movie rental business is in downloading -- not discs.

Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) has been a pioneer in this space, as the largest DVD mail-order rental firm has begun embedding its software in Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and other devices to stream digital content over the internet -- no disc needed. Best Buy apparently wants a little piece of that action.

Continue reading Best Buy partners with CinemaNow to challenge Netflix

Best Buy partners with CinemaNow to challenge Netflix originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOG) Google Apps project has gained steam (and customers) since its introduction a few years ago. Although it's not yet a true competitor to Microsoft Corporation's (NASDAQ: MSFT) Office juggernaut, it is making headway.

The "software as a service" camp is doing nothing but speeding up, as small and large businesses would like to offload expensive software installations and just use the Internet as a vehicle for getting things done across boundaries and time zones. Microsoft, though, is not capitulating just yet.

Continue reading Microsoft cuts software as a service prices to match Google Apps

Microsoft cuts software as a service prices to match Google Apps originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Let the war begin: AT&T sues Verizon Wireless over advertising claims

Let the war begin: AT&T sues Verizon Wireless over advertising claims originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Watch out HP: Acer wants the top spot in notebook PC sales

Watch out HP: Acer wants the top spot in notebook PC sales originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple's iPhone sees lukewarm reception in China debut

Apple's iPhone sees lukewarm reception in China debut originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart shares are dead money -- so where is it headed?

Wal-Mart shares are dead money -- so where is it headed? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Google unveils new competitive threat to online real estate listings

Google unveils new competitive threat to online real estate listings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Although Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) has much of the business world wrapped around at least some of its software, the largest software company in the world is mostly known for its consumer products. Names like Windows, Zune, Windows Mobile, Sidekick, and Xbox are household terms (well, in gadget households perhaps).

Still, with all those names, why hasn't Microsoft formed some kind of overall consumer ecosystem so that all these products fit, work, and play together seamlessly?

Continue reading Microsoft is not competing in the most efficient manner possible -- why?

Microsoft is not competing in the most efficient manner possible -- why? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) has been on a roll lately. The third-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. has been releasing a whole crop of new cutting-edge phones, has improved its customer service and seems to be on the way to a recovery. Well, everything but that last part.

Sprint Nextel, yet again, lost hundreds of thousands of customers in its most recent quarter in spite or marked improvements throughout its business.

Continue reading Sprint Nextel continues losing customers, money in Q3

Sprint Nextel continues losing customers, money in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Google Voice ruffles AT&T's feathers yet again, along with many telecom operators

Google Voice ruffles AT&T's feathers yet again, along with many telecom operators originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Costco to start accepting food stamps at all U.S. locations

Costco to start accepting food stamps at all U.S. locations originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It was still a good idea for News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWS) to buy MySpace.com over fours years ago for a little more than half a billion. The social media network still brings in decent ad revenues, even though it is out of the popular fad culture of social media. That space is now owned by Facebook and Twitter. But then MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta says that his company is "fundamentally different" than Facebook -- as in a special experience providing entertainment content -- those words could come back to haunt him.

As will words like "I really don't view Facebook as a competitor." While it's true that Facebook and MySpace go after two types of online social interaction, they are both vying for many of the same customers in a large crossover audience. Teens, 20-somethings, and others are very fickle and many use both social networks. The two may have different goals, but they are competitors.

Continue reading MySpace focuses on social entertainment, says Facebook not a competitor

MySpace focuses on social entertainment, says Facebook not a competitor originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Microsoft's Windows 7 will help popularize the PC touchscreen

Microsoft's Windows 7 will help popularize the PC touchscreen originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) has been losing market share in the mobile phone business to faster and more innovative companies like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Korea's Samsung Electronics. Although Nokia is still the world's largest mobile phone maker by volume, the company's most recent quarterly results don't speak highly of its efforts as of late.

And, when you start suing competitors, your back must be against a pretty hard wall. What is Nokia going to do? Try to innovate again and manufacture wireless handsets that carrier partners are glad to have on shelves and customers seek to purchase? Sorry, the iPhone already has beaten you -- for a few years now -- to the punch. A potential $1 billion judgment against Apple is proof in the pudding. But if Nokia thinks some of its newer phones can compete with Apple as easy as other competitors, Nokia is dead wrong.

Continue reading Nokia's new CFO thinks company can compete with Apple's iPhone

Nokia's new CFO thinks company can compete with Apple's iPhone originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) recently announced an electronic e-reader to compete with the likes of the Amazon.com's (NASDAQ: AMZN) Kindle and Sony Corp.'s (NYSE: SNE) Reader.

In perfect holiday fashion, the e-reader is set to become the "must have" gadget for the gift-giving season almost upon us. The newer Nook device has a small color screen that allows easier content locating (but no keyboard), the ability to "lend" digital books to a friend and built-in wireless internet.

Continue reading An Apple e-reader could overshadow Amazon's Kindle and B&N's Nook

An Apple e-reader could overshadow Amazon's Kindle and B&N's Nook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) was a crown jewel in the retail world in 2008. It was seen as a more upscale and clean alternative to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) but with the same discount strategy. It was winning customers for most of last year.

Then the economy went south (almost to the South Pole). Customers immediately flocked to save as much money as possible and obtain everyday staples as cheaply as they could. Target got whacked by reality. It's been playing catch-up to Wal-Mart ever since.

Continue reading Target chases after Amazon.com, Wal-Mart in new book discounts

Target chases after Amazon.com, Wal-Mart in new book discounts originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY) may be starting to realize that consumer lifestyles sometimes don't fit into the neatly-packaged 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. workday. As such, the leading consumer electronics retailer plans to open its first 24-hour location in NYC's Union Square. What does Best Buy gain by this?

Well, the ability to see if gadget consumers (which we all are in one form or another) need to get their fix at all hours of the day or night. Already, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) ensures its supercenter big-box locations are open 24 hours a day, although it's hard to see consumers scrambling to buy that iPhone charger or flat-screen television at 3:00 am. Still, Best Buy's new 24-hour location will be just a sniff away from Apple, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) 4th Avenue retail location.

Continue reading Best Buy to open first 24-hour location in New York's Union Square

Best Buy to open first 24-hour location in New York's Union Square originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.