pyramid

The recent prediction by Pyramid Research that Windows Phone would become the dominant mobile OS in just four years surprised many industry watchers, several of whom argued with the forecast. In a new analyst note, the research firm explains its prognostication.

Pyramid's initial report asserted that by "2015, Windows Phone will establish itself as the leader in the smartphone OS space," thereby beating Android for the top spot. And the firm qualified that statement in its new note to reflect its belief that Microsoft's mobile OS will become the leader much sooner, as early as 2013.… Read more

For cell phone fanatics, there's nothing worse than hearing about a cool new device launching overseas and having to wait to see when and if it will land in the States. Thankfully, this isn't that kind of story. Announced alongside the global launch in London today, HTC introduced its latest Android smartphone for the U.S. market, the HTC Sensation 4G, which is slated to hit T-Mobile this summer.

Long rumored as the HTC Pyramid, the Sensation 4G comes with all the talked-about hardware improvements, including a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, a 4.3-inch HD (540x960-pixel resolution) Super … Read more

The much anticipated dual-core HTC Pyramid could be less than a week away from making its official debut. Expected to be among the announcements at HTC's London event scheduled for April 12, the high-end smartphone may carry a different name. According to sources close to tech blog Pock-lint, the handset will arrive as the HTC Sensation at some point over the coming months.

Indeed, HTC has made a habit of releasing similar hardware designs across multiple markets with U.S. carriers branding the phone and loading their preferred applications. In contrast, wireless providers across the pond typically keep HTC's product name and offer the device as is.

The Pyramid name that we've heard whispered over the last few months will likely disappear with the Sensation name signaling a new flagship series. T-Mobile has long been rumored to carry the Pyramid with an expected May launch. Considering the timing of the event, I would anticipate HTC announces the Sensation next week with T-Mobile following shortly after with their own press releases.

The hardware for the Pyramid is a considerable step forward from last year's HTC phones. Expected hardware includes a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 7,658MB RAM, and an 8-megapixel camera. Factoring in the 4.3-inch qHD 960x540-pixel display and it sounds very similar to the EVO 3D unveiled at CTIA.

In any case, a high-end announcement from HTC is needed. Its announcements from Mobile World Congress this year weren't major steps forward for the hardware maker. The Desire S and Wildfire S were merely refreshes of existing handsets, while the Incredible S basically is a bigger Droid Incredible. … Read more

The details surrounding the upcoming HTC Pyramid are starting to come into focus, thanks to an anonymous XDA forums tipster. Along with seeing a handful of new images, we've learned that the hardware is in line with previous rumors.

Look for the Pyramid to debut at some point over the next few weeks with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 768MB of RAM, and a 4.3-inch qHD 960x540-pixel display. The back of the phone will feature an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording video in 720p, if not 1080p, while the front side will have a VGA camera. Initially expected to launch in May for T-Mobile, the device appears to be coming together sooner.

As some of you might have heard, HTC recently began sending out invitations to an event scheduled for April 12 in London. HTC may well announce a non-Sprint-branded version of the Evo 3D for European markets and may have a few more tablets up its sleeve as well. In any case, we'll bring you all the news from that event. … Read more

A tiny robot could help unlock the mysteries of the queen's chamber in the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Nobody knows where two unexplored air shafts leading from that ancient room lead. The hope is that the remote-controlled robotic tunnel explorer--which can fit through holes less than one inch in diameter--can drill through the secret door blocking the shafts and gather evidence that determines their purpose.

Leeds University in the U.K. is teaming with the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt and a team of international engineers to construct the bot, which is also known as the Djedi project … Read more

Android is now the leading smartphone operating system in the U.S. in market share, according to a report released Wednesday by NPD Group.

Following a slew of new smartphones released in the second quarter, the Android operating system accounted for 33 percent of all smartphones sold in the U.S. consumer market. That number pushed it ahead of Research In Motion with 28 percent and Apple with 22 percent. It also marked the first time since the fourth quarter of 2007 that RIM dropped to second place, said NPD.

Among the top five Android phones, the Motorola Droid was the best-selling handset in the quarter, followed by the HTC Droid Incredible, the HTC Evo 4G, the HTC Hero, and finally the HTC Droid Eris. Though Android's surge has helped it overtake RIM in market share, the Google OS-based phones still need to compete with heavy consumer demand for Apple's new iPhone 4.

"For the second consecutive quarter, Android handsets have shown strong but slowing sell-through market share gains [which measures the number of items sold against the number shipped] among U.S. consumers," Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD, said in a statement. "While the Google-developed OS took market share from RIM, Apple's iOS saw a small gain this quarter on the strength of the iPhone 4 launch."

RIM unveiled its new Torch phone with the BlackBerry 6 OS on Tuesday. But NPD sees the Torch's lack of large-screen allure as a negative compared with its bigger and similarly priced rivals Droid Incredible and Evo 4G.… Read more

Smartphones will capture 37 percent of the worldwide cell phone market by 2014, a leap from 16 percent in 2009, predicts a new report from Pyramid Research.

The report, released late last week, sees much of the growth coming from outside the U.S., notably in emerging markets. Across the globe, China is likely to outpace the U.S. as the largest smartphone market next year. Latin America will be the fastest-growing region over the next five years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 48 percent for smartphone sales, forecasts Pyramid.

"Pyramid expects China to capture the … Read more

China's telecommunications market is on track to generate $187 billion by 2014, fueled by mobile uptake in its rural areas and by 3G technology, according to Pyramid Research.

The latest annual report from the analyst firm estimated that the country's telecoms market generated $110 billion last year, "making it the second largest telecommunications services market in the Asia-Pacific region after Japan."

Pyramid estimates that the Chinese market will surpass Japan by 2014, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.8 percent between this year and then.

Daniel Yu, Pyramid Research analyst said: "China, … Read more

Konnet makes a few versions of its Power Pyramid charging docks, including one that's designed to charge four wireless Xbox 360 controllers at one time and one that charges four PS3 controllers (which only come in a wireless version). However, the model we reviewed is the only one that charges both wireless Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers. That duality obviously has some appeal to gamers who own both systems and don't want to invest in two charging systems.

Wireless Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers can be charged via USB, but a dedicated charger such the Power Pyramid eliminates … Read more