Samsung readying Windows RT tablet for October launch

Samsung is reportedly working on a tablet running Microsoft's next generation operating system ahead of its worldwide release in October. According to sources familiar with the matter cited in a report byBloomberg, the South Korean firm plans to release the ARM-based tablet running Windows RT at the same time as Microsoft releases its new OS to the public.

Both of the sources asked not to be named as the plans weren't public. One of them claimed Samsung's Windows RT tablet would be released in October.

Windows RT is a fine-tuned version of Windows 8 for touchscreen devices that will be powered by ARM-based processors. Samsung’s Windows RT tablet in particular will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC. ARM-based chips have risen massively in popularity in recent years and are now used to power a whole host of smartphones and tablets, including Apple's industry leading iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone.

Samsung's entry will provide a welcome boost to the Windows 8 tablets available at launch. Two weeks ago rumors emerged suggesting one of Microsoft's biggest OEMs, Hewlett Packard, was towithdraw from making ARM-based Windows RT tablets after the software giant unveiled its own Microsoft Surface tablet.

HP has since confirmed in a statement to Forbes it plans to focus on x86 Windows 8 tablets with business users in mind for the foreseeable future. That said, they didn't completely rule out ARM-based Windows RT tablets, saying it "continues to look at using ARM processors in business and consumer products".

If the latest rumors are true, Samsung would join Asus, Dell and Microsoft in building ARM-based tablets running Windows RT for launch in October. The launch will mark the first time ever that the Redmond software firm has released a cross platform operating system working on traditional x86 computers and notebooks as well as ARM-based tablets at the same time.

Microsoft is in better shape than most people think, says Bernstein report

Microsoft is in far better shape as a whole than most people perceive. A 44-page report from Bernstein Research takes an in-depth look at the company’s financial situation and outlines a few possible scenarios regarding potential threats from tablets, alternative operating systems and cloud computing.

As it turns out, the company is in a good position and should be able to avoid any dire situations.

According to the report, today’s share price is reflective of a scenario in which the company’s core Windows / Server / MBD division never grows, the online division continues to drain money indefinitely and management ruins value with poorly-decided acquisitions and investments.

As Bernstein senior analyst Mark Moerdler put it, he doesn’t believe such a scenario will ultimately play out and feels that any potential threats are manageable.

With regards to tablets, Bernstein estimates that over 200 million units will ship by 2014. Tablet success will cannibalize PC sales to some degree but the report concludes that users will ultimately be buying tablets in addition to PCs, not replacing them. Furthermore, the company expects a large segment of PC sales to come from emerging markets that might not have the extra cash to spend on “luxury” tablets.

But then again, we must not forget that Microsoft is bringing Windows 8 to tablets as well. This will likely be an attractive option for enterprise users in part based on compatibility with existing applications. Microsoft is planning a public beta release of Windows 8 for February; no final release date has been announced as of yet.

iPod touch users report graphical glitches after iOS 4.3 update

Over on Apple Discussions, iPod touch owners are reporting graphical glitches after updating their devices to iOS 4.3, which was released earlier this month. After updating, screens on affected devices seem to flicker and distort, particularly on the lock screen and with the arrival of a push notification.

The issue appears to mainly affect fourth-generation iPod touch devices. Users are reporting different variations of the problem, but they all come down to random distortion with what is being displayed on the screen. Some have uploaded video examples of the problem on YouTube:

During the iOS 4.3 testing phase, none of the three beta releases had this problem; it appears to only be present in the final ''Golden Master'' build. Users experiencing the problem have urged others to report it via the iPod touch feedback page.

Apple has yet to publicly acknowledge the issue. In the meantime, resets and factory restores don't appear to do anything, so users are waiting for a patch from Cupertino. If you have an iPod touch and have upgraded to iOS 4.3, are you affected?