RIM is sending out invites to a specific group of Canadian politicians for a November 7th event at which the Canadian manufacturer will show off BlackBerry 10. Canada's elected officials have a long relationship with BlackBerry thanks to the encryption that gives users another layer of protection when sending messages. In fact, each Member of Parliament receives a 'Berry on their first day of service. 

On November 7th, RIM will show the politicos a run through of BlackBerry 10 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. At the same time, the politicians will get to mingle with RIM executives. But it's not only Canada where politicians favor BlackBerry. U.S. president Barack Obama was known to favor the device during his first campaign, although his passion for the device has apparently cooled. 

Meanwhile, as we've documented, a number of U.S.companies like Yahoo have jumped ship from BlackBerry to the Apple iPhone or Android. The latest is U.S. government adviser Booz Allen Hamilton, which on Friday said it was shuttering its BlackBerry server and allowing its employees to switch to the Apple iPhone or an Android device. 

Attendees to the November 7th event will have a chance to win a BlackBerry 10 phone or a 4G LTE enabled BlackBerry PlayBook. Which one would you choose? 

Who says that Android tablets aren’t cool? Research firm Strategy Analytics says that shipments of Android tablets surged to a new high in the third quarter of 2012, accounting for 41% of all tablets shipped. Neil Mawston, Strategy Analytics’ executive director, says that there’s no one Android tablet responsible for the surge, which is more due to a large influx of devices from a wide variety of vendors including “ASUS (2357), Samsung (005930) and Nook.” Shipments of Apple’s (AAPL) iPad lineup, meanwhile, shrank to 57% of the market as “demand for tablets slowed due to ongoing economic uncertainty and consumers holding off purchases in anticipation of multiple new models, like the iPad Mini, during the upcoming Q4 holiday season.” Strategy Analytics’ full press release is posted below 

Strategy Analytics: Android Captures Record 41 Percent Share of Global Tablet Shipments in Q3 2012 

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global tablet shipments reached 25 million units in the third quarter of 2012. Apple iOS slipped to 57 percent global market share, allowing Android to capture a record 41 percent share. 

Peter King, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global tablet shipments reached 24.7 million units in Q3 2012, rising a sluggish 43 percent from 17.2 million in Q3 2011. Demand for tablets slowed due to ongoing economic uncertainty and consumers holding off purchases in anticipation of multiple new models, like the iPad Mini, during the upcoming Q4 holiday season. Apple shipped a disappointing 14.0 million iPads worldwide and captured 57 percent share in the third quarter of 2012, dipping from 64 percent a year ago. Apple’s slowdown allowed the Android community to make gains and Android’s global share of the tablet market now stands at a record 41 percent.” 

Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Android captured a record 41 percent share of global tablet shipments in Q3 2012, jumping from 29 percent a year earlier. Global Android tablet shipments doubled annually to 10.2 million units. No single Android vendor comes close to Apple in volume terms at the moment, but the collective weight of dozens of hardware partners, such as Asus, Samsung and Nook, is helping Google’s Android platform to register a growing presence in tablets.” 

Other findings from the research include: 

* Global tablet shipments grew just 43 percent annually in Q3 2012, compared with 289 percent annually in Q2 2011. This was the weakest growth rate since the modern tablet industry began in Q2 2010; 

* Microsoft captured a niche 2 percent global tablet share in Q3 2012. The imminent release of the new Windows 8 operating system will likely drive Microsoft tablet volumes higher during the Q4 2012 holiday season. 

Exhibit 1: Global Tablet Operating System Shipments and Market Share in Q3 2012 1 
Global Tablet OS Shipments (Millions of Units) 
                       Q3 ’11         Q3 ’12 
Apple iOS        11.1             14.0 
Android             5.0             10.2 
Microsoft           0.4             0.4 
Others                0.7             0.1 
Total                17.2             24.7 
                             
Global Tablet OS Market Share % Q3 ’11             Q3 ’12 
Apple iOS         64.5%           56.7% 
Android             29.2%           41.3% 
Microsoft            2.3%             1.6% 
Others                 4.1%             0.4% 
Total               100.0%          100.0% 
                            
Total Growth Year-over-Year %     288.6%             43.4% 

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is now official, following Google's announcement of the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10. There are a lot of new things to cover, so let's not waste any time. 

Multiple user accounts 

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for tablets adds multiple user-support to the OS. This way everyone in the household can have an account, which once logged in, welcomes them to their own homescreen, background, widgets and apps. Even the games keep the individual high scores and levels.

Settings center in the notifications drawer 

The expandable notifications were a welcomed addition in Android 4.1, but now in Android 4.2, you can also take various actions like toggling Wi-Fi, adjusting screen brightness, go to Airplane mode, and more. 

To do so, just tap on the icon on the top right once you have the notification drawer on. It took Google a while to copy the time-saving feature that TouchWiz, SenseUI and many other manufacturer Android skins implemented a while ago. Still, it's good to have it backed in right into the OS.

Photo Sphere 

With Android 4.0, Google introduced the Panorama capturing mode, and now with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean users will get a cool feature dubbed Photo Sphere. It's a panorama mode on steroids and allows you to capture photos in multiple directions (up, down, left, right).

After they've been captured and saved as JPEG files you can view them and navigate around the whole image. You can share the image on Google+ or, if you feel like it, contribute the Photo Sphere to Google Maps. 

The feature itself was inspired by Street View, as the Product Management Director for Android Hugo Barra points out. He adds that the photos pack embedded XML metadata in them allowing you to easily share them on Google+ and put them in Google+ photo albums, where your friends can view them as well.

Google Now is updated 

Google has added a lot of new cards to its Google Now service. It now can feed data directly from Gmail, which will provide new cards, such as package shipments info. 

Google Now also got cards for events, restaurant reservations, hotels, and flights. Some of them, like hotels and flights will be location specific. There are also new cards like movie screenings, concerts, stocks, public alerts and developing stories & breaking news. 

Naturally, most of them won't be available world-wide at launch, but make sure that Google will work hard to bring them to more and more places in the future.

Gesture Typing 

Forget about Swype, Android's very own Gesture typing is the new cool kid on the block. It works in a manner very similar to Swype -- you just Swipe your finger over the letters you want to type, lifting after each word is complete.

Naturally, the Gesture Typing feature benefits from the already existing Android word prediction, so you can just click on the words the keyboard suggests. This comes in addition to the offline voice typing service that Google offers, which makes for an all-round great messaging experience. 
Wireless TV integration 

Better late than never, finally in this version of Android Google has allows you to wirelessly share the screen of your phone or display with a big screen TV set.

All you need to do is connect a wireless display adapter to an HDMI-enabled TV and then it'll start mirroring whats on your screen using DLNA. The new feature uses the Miracast protocol for streaming. 

It's another feature most customs launchers had, but is only now making its way to the platform itself.

Widgets on the lock screen 

Widgets are a major part in Android and now you can assign a widget on the lockscreen as well. Think of the Music player widget on the lockscreen, but now you can assign another one there, so it's always just a click away.

Daydream 

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean isn't just business and no play. Google has integrated a little feature called Daydream, which is simply a sort of a screensaver. Once turned on, you can set it up to show photo albums, latest news from Google Currents and more when the device is either docked or idle.

Various improvements 

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean has a lot going for it, including some minor additions. You can now use pinch-to-zoom in Gmail for enhancing reading, triple-tap to magnify the entire homescreen and the pan and zoom with two fingers, as well as added speech output and gesture mode navigation for the visually impaired users. 

Expect Android 4.2 Jelly Bean to start its roll-out once the new Nexus family of devices goes on sale on November 13. 

At the official unveiling of Windows Phone 8 today in San Francisco, most of the leaked information turned out to be true, and in some ways, things will be even better depending on your point of view.  After the presentation, we got to see many of the devices up-close and there was a row of Microsoft specialists who were on-hand to go in-depth with some of the features. 

amsung has reached yet another sales milestone with its Galaxy S III flagship. The Korean giant just announced that it has sold 30 million units of the smartphone worldwide. The number includes the I9300 as well as carrier specific versions offered in specific markets such as the United States, Japan, and Korea and is spot on with earlier expectations. 

The above number has been achieved in an impressively quick fashion – the first Samsung Galaxy S III units hit the shelves roughly five months ago. With the upcoming holiday shopping season right around the corner, coupled with the healthy drop of the handset’s price in some major markets, it is all but guaranteed that the number will increase even further, thus cementing the position of the device as the go-to top shelf Android smartphone these days. 

Samsung have once again outdone themselves, this time with the Galaxy Note II. The 5.5-inch phablet is now ticking in 3 million pockets worldwide, just 37 days after the September launch. 

"The rapid Galaxy Note 2 sales have a meaning of not just creating a new category of smartphone, but also of popularizing the category." – says Samsung. 

While the number is not as impressive Galaxy S III and far from Apple’s iPhone 5 sales, it’s still a milestone for the company and for any device in this class. The first Galaxy Note managed to sell just 2 million units four months after its premiere (way more than the initial expectations), so the Note II is a sound success indeed. 

Apple’s iPad mini is currently out of stock at every Apple store location, but it looks like you’ll be able to buy one online and reserve it for next day pick up. Apple currently uses the same system to allow customers to purchase and reserve iPhone 5′s for the next day. After 10 p.m. on Apple’s online store, you can add an iPad mini to your cart, and look at store’s stock levels, and visit the next day to grab your iPad mini. 

It has been five years since Android exploded onto the scene and since then the world’s most popular mobile operating system has seen a variety of enhancements. The first iteration of Android was lackluster to say the least, although each software update has delivered much-needed improvements. Google (GOOG) completely revamped its mobile platform with the release of Ice Cream Sandwich, the operating system that finally integrated smartphones and tablets. Following the release of Android 4.0, the Internet giant added increased security features to its then Android Market, now known as the Play Store. The “Bouncer” feature worked by analyzing apps that were uploaded to the Play Store, although users who chose to install apps through sideloading were left unprotected. With the introduction of Android 4.2, Google has finally brought a new high-powered security feature to the Android platform. 

The software is essentially an extension of the security features found in the Play Store, but rather than scanning apps on the marketplace, Android 4.2′s new security feature will scan for malicious or potentially harmful codes in apps that are loaded onto a user’s device. Users have the ability to completely opt-in or out of the new feature, although it is unclear as to why anyone would be opposed to more protection.

“We view security as a universal thing,” Android VP of Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer said in an interview with Computer World. “Assuming the user wants this additional insurance policy, we felt like we shouldn’t exclude one source over another.” 

The scanning process is conducted behind the scenes and is able to instantly find and analyze third-party apps that are loaded onto a device. If the app is recognized on Google’s servers as a safe program, installation will proceed as normal. If an app is flagged as dangerous, the system will prevent the users from installing it. For programs that Google does not recognize or those that include questionable codes, the system will only warn the user of the potential dangers. 

“We have a catalog of 700,000 applications in the Play Store, and beyond that, we’re always scanning stuff on the Web in terms of APKs that are appearing,” Lockheimer said. “We have a pretty good understanding of the app ecosystem now, whether something’s in the Play Store or not.” 

Android 4.2 also includes a behind-the-scenes feature that will alert a users anytime an app attempts to send a text message to a premium service. Similar to the app scanning service, this feature can be disabled in the system settings. 

The Android platform has been targeted with malware more than any other mobile operating system, however with the latest Jelly Bean software version, Google doing more than ever to keep users safe. 

Broadening its depth, it surely took Apple a long time to steer into new territory with its much-vaunted iPhone, but nevertheless, they introduced the world an unfamiliar iPhone with a larger 4-inch display. Strangely enough, they’re doing the same thing now with the iPad, as the aptly named iPad mini is set to appease those who have a flare for compact tablets that are easier to travel around with. And to tell you the truth, the timing couldn’t have come any sooner, seeing that we’ve been witnessing such fierce competition in the sub 8-inch category. 

By now, we’re fairly familiar with what entails the iPad mini, but upon looking at its $330 starting price point, it’s still somewhat rather difficult to swallow after quickly peeking at its specs sheet. Still, beauty as we all know is more than simply skin deep – so let’s explore everything and see if there’s something more grand beneath it all. 

The package contains: 

    Lightning cable 
    Wall charger 
    Start Guide 
    Apple decals 

Design: 

One quick look at its name justifies what you can expect with the design of the iPad mini. See that word attached to iPad? You guessed it folks, this baby is merely a shrunken down or “mini” version of Apple’s popular 9.7-inch tablet. Although there’s nothing fresh with the design of the iPad mini, there are a couple of noticeable differences – like how it employs the same chamfered beveled edge of the iPhone 5 around its trim. Above all, though, it stands out primarily for its impeccable construction, something that’s notably unmatched! In fact, not only does it instill a sense of durability and strength thanks to its aluminum chassis, but it’s incredible to see how skinny this thing is at 0.27-inches thin – making it skinnier than even the iPhone 5! 

Of course, it’s wider to hold in the hand over other 7-inch tablets on the market, which is attributed to its larger screen size and its choice of employing a 4:3 aspect ratio. Regardless of that, we’re still able to grasp it with a single hand – albeit, we’re stretching it to the limit. Having its weight (11.01 oz) evenly distributed, we find it to complement the overall sturdiness of the tablet. The more we think about it, there’s nothing else out there within the same size category that comes close to the premium nature of the iPad mini.

Distinctively an Apple device, it sports a recessed physical home button beneath its display. Naturally, accidental presses are non-existent with it, since it requires a firm push to activate. Meanwhile, on the opposite edge above the display, there’s a 1.2-megapixel iSight camera for all your self-portrait and video chatting need, which also has the ability to shoot videos in 720p.

 

Along the trim of the iPad mini, there’s nothing out of the ordinary, since it employs all the same set of buttons, ports, and switches found with its bigger sibling. Yet again, there are no problems activating its power button and separated volume control, seeing that they’re both pronounced in feel and springy in response. Next to the volume control, there’s the mute switch that places the tablet into silent mode. 

On the top trim of the tablet, we find its 3.5mm headset jack and microphone – so there’s nothing different here. However, there’s a major shakeup found along the bottom edge of the tablet! Specifically, gone is the typical Apple 30-pin port from yesterday, and instead, it’s now flaunting Apple’s new and proprietary Lightning docking port. Also, the iPad mini has chosen to sport two speakers, as opposed to the single one from before, as they’re surrounding both sides of the tablet’s Lightning port. 

Lastly, Apple is nice enough to bless this with a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera, which features an F2.4 lens and 1080p video recording – but there’s no flash. For a moment there, we thought Apple would merely outfit it with some paltry offering, since it was expected to be compete against some of the cheaper Android tablets on the market. So yeah, we’re glad they decided to give it some love in this category. 

Display: 

In this day and age, high definition displays are surprisingly abundant in super-affordable tablet category as well! Knowing that, we’re disappointed the most to find out that the iPad mini isn’t following suit, but rather, it decides on sporting a low resolution of 1024 x 768 with its 7.9-inch IPS LCD display. When Apple has been talking a lot of talk about its various Retina Displays (iPhone and iPad), they really would’ve made a statement by following suit with the iPad mini, but that’s sadly not the case here. 

Indeed, it’s not as sharp looking when compared to other tablet HD displays, even more when its 162 ppi pixel density is a far outcry from the 264 ppi figure attached to the third and fourth generation iPads. 

Beyond that, however, it’s still one pleasant looking display thanks to its neutral color production, wide viewing angles, and high brightness output – making it the ideal candidate for outdoor usage. However, we do notice that it’s not as vibrant looking as the iPhone 5’s display. No doubt, we would’ve love to see this sporting something higher in resolution, but it’s still tolerable to use with most things.

Gartner, a leading IT research and advisory company, has compiled estimates on the growth of smart devices and the effect they will have on the consumer electronics market. According to the report some 70 percent of total devices sold this year were either tablets or smartphones. 

Android is expected to continue to dominate the mobile market even in the business sector, with 56% of devices expected to run on Google's OS by 2016 (up from 34 percent this year). 

Tablets are expected to achieve a three-fold growth for business within the next four years, with 53 million units predicted to be sold in 2016. 

Finally, Gartner predicts that Windows 8 tablets and smartphones will move to third place behind Apple and Android by 2016, with many businesses choosing smart devices rather than upgrading Windows on desktop PCs like in the past. 

An unsettling statistic for Apple (AAPL) has come to light: Consumer adoption of Android smartphones is increasing six times faster than iPhone adoption, according to KPCB analyst Mary Meeker. Smartphones running Google’s (GOOG) operating system were previously outpacing iPhone sales in May at a rate that was four times faster than that of Apple’s, however adoption continued to increase throughout the summer. Speaking at Bloomberg’s San Francisco headquarters on Monday, Meeker also revealed that shipments of Android devices surpassed those running Windows for the first time ever in the first quarter of 2012, TechCrunch reported. Manufacturers shipped roughly 90 million Android units during the quarter, compared to roughly 82 million Windows PCs. Meeker expects that by the end of 2013 more than 160 million Android devices will be shipped in a single quarter, compared to 100 million Windows devices and 80 million iOS devices. 

Windows Phone 8 is going to be getting big updates to some key applications.  One of the applications that is already integrated into Windows8 and will be heavily integrated into Windows Phone 8 is Skype, an obvious reality since Microsoft owns the company. 

Skype has announced that users of Microsoft’s Messenger (Windows Live Messenger) may now connect their Microsoft account to the Skype client. Messenger is a heavily used service and coupling that user base with Skype creates a rather sizable user base. 

With the release of Skype 6.0, Messenger users will be able to sign into Skype using their Messenger account credentials and their contacts will be there. With the migration to Skype, Messenger users will be able to use all the Skype features, plus have the ability to share screens, video calling on mobile phones, video calling with Facebook friends and group video calling. 

What is yet to be seen is how this new set-up will work with certain games and other features that exist with Messenger.  Also, what has not been communicated is whether the whole Messenger service will migrate to a peer-to-peer setup like Skype, or if Skype will have server-based features enabled. While Skype is a capable communications client for calling and instant messaging, Windows Live Messenger has other features like the ability to initiate remote assistance sessions. 

As those issues are addressed, get used to the idea of Skype taking on the role, as Messenger will be retired in the first quarter of next year (except in China). 

The Samsung GALAXY Note II will soon receive its first firmware update OTA and it will contain the Multi Window feature that allows the user to split the screen in two, allowing two apps to be running at the same time. The multitasking feature was absent from the phablet when it originally launched. Other changes include a slight update to the email application which will now send emails to the in-box when the device is in Airplane Mode, or when no coverage is available. In addition, message notifications will now only beep when the user is on a voice call.

To make sure if your phablet requires the update, go to the settings screen and click on About phone. If you haven't received the notification that the update is ready to be downloaded and installed, do not jump, do not panic and do not pass go and collect $200 and be patient. The rollout is being done in waves of random users. Once you get the notification, you will have the option to download the update and install it immediately, or to delay it until later. If you go with the latter, you will be mercilessly hounded one or twice a day until you finally install the update. 

The update will take a few minutes to complete and Samsung suggests that your battery be full when you start the process. By the way, Samsung Galaxy S III owners jealous over the Multi Window feature should not let that green monster (envy) take over. Next month, an update is scheduled to bring that feature to your phone. 

After getting delayed, RIM's BlackBerry 10 platform finally has a launch date set. On January 30, RIM will hold multiple events across the world simultaneously where it will launch both the OS and the first the BlackBerry phones to use it. 

The BB 10 OS will hit the ground running - it will launch with "a large catalog of the leading applications from across the globe and across all categories" and a FIPS 140-2 certification (which means that government agencies can switch to BB 10 right away and count on security). 

During the event, RIM will give details on the two launch phones and their availability. We've most likely seen them already - the touchscreen operated L-series and the more traditional QWERTY-packing N-Series. Then there's the rumored BlackBerry 10 Aristo device with a quad-core Krait and a 4.65" AMOLED 720p display. 

RIM's press release didn’t say anything about the first two BlackBerry 10 phones, so the Aristo remains in the rumor mill for now, but the company did say that the phones are being tested by 50 carriers (with more on the way), pointing to a wide launch. 

Android's market share increased significantly during the third quarter of 2012, with the Google OS powering 72.4% of all smartphones sold in the three months' period. Apple's iOS came a very distant second with a market share of 13.9%.

 

This is an impressive accomplishment for Google's mobile OS, considering Android's market share was 52.5% in Q3 of 2011. 

Samsung saw its position as the leading mobile manufacturer increase to 22.9% after selling almost 100 million phones in the three month period ending in September. This was mostly at the expense of Nokia, which saw its market share slide almost 5 percent points year-over-year.

Skype 3.0 for Android is available for free from the Google Play Store and brings the usual ability to make voice and video calls over cellular or Wi-Fi. Those calls are free of course, when they are Skype to Skype. You can also make low priced calls to other mobile phones or landlines. Those with Android tablets have been using the phone app, which really didn't make the best use of a tablet's real estate. But that is all changed with the new update as Skype 3.0 for Android is optimized for Android tablets. 

The new UI for tablets is a combination between the regular Android UI and the traditional blue Skype look. And since Microsoft now owns Skype, it should be no surprise that you can now sign into the service using your Microsoft password. Also included with the update is improved audio, important when you're on a voice or video call, and the usual Raid housekeeping which kills bugs dead. 

Sure, the Samsung GALAXY Note II is a powerful smartphone, but could the device be used as a PC? ColdFustion posted a video showing the phablet connected to a 29 inch Samsung monitor using an HML Samsung adapter and an HDMI cable. An Apple wireless QWERTY keyboard and Magic Mouse was hooked up to the device, and a number of tests were performed to see if the Samsung GALAXY Note II could make it as a PC. 

Multitasking, as you can see from the video, is entirely possible and the Samsung GALAXY Note II supports a more full-featured floating browser than the pop-up one found on the phone. Looking to tax the processor, two flash videos were started at the same time. With four flash videos running simultaneously with two native apps, things finally started to lag and break down. 

One test that failed when tried with the Samsung GALAXY Note, involved a copy and paste test using the Dolphin Browser and a picture of a cat and lettuce. The picture was 

successfully copied and pasted thanks to the 2GB of RAM on the Note II. The 1GB of RAM on the OG Samsung GALAXY Note could not handle this test. S Note became a whiteboard-like tool, allowing the user to use the S Pen to scribble notes that could be seen nicely on the larger monitor. How did the Samsung GALAXY Note II hold up for PC game playing? Most games worked without a problem. One in particular suffered from a permanent portrait orientation, which looks pretty horrible on the monitor. Another game, called Nova 3, had a problem with frame drop. And lastly, plugging in a USB stick directly into the Samsung GALAXY Note II allowed the user to watch Misfits without a hitch. Trying this particular test with the Samsung Galaxy S III and Samsung GALAXY Note resulted in some contrast issues in scenes with low lighting. 

The bottom line? While it might not be "practical" to use the Samsung GALAXY Note II as a PC, considering the extra accessories you would need to make this work, it is possible. Considering that much of the testing did not work with the OG Samsung GALAXY Note, a huge step was taken with the higher specs on the GALAXY Note II. Imagine where we will be in, say, three years from now. 

According to a Yahoo China report Nokia has received more than 2.5million orders for the Lumia 920 across the globe, which is more than the entire Lumia lineup sold in Q3 of 2012. 

The report also says the Lumia 920 and 820 have been sold out in the United States, Germany, Australia and elsewhere, which goes in check with previous reports of the Lumia 920 being sold out in the US. 

In other news Nokia's stock documented a 25% rise yesterday, which is probably mainly due to the positive sales figures of the Lumia range. 

Marko Ahtisaari, head of Nokia's Design unit, went on YouTube to talk about the designing of the Lumia 920. Here goes the video.