Nokia N8 Pink gets creepy dismembered doll treatment, even more pink (video)

Earlier this month, we were rather unimpressed with Nokia's rebranding of the N8 Symbian smartphone, and it seems someone took note. Because the promo video for the N8 Pink is anything but unimaginative. In fact, it's downright frightening. The video features a series of contorted Barbies dolls, prancing about in Lady Gaga-esque undergarments, with accompaniment by British girl group Sugababes. This is one marketing campaign we won't soon forget. For a glimpse at the disturbingly enthralling cotton-candy romp, check out the video after the break.

[Thanks, Dillan]

Nielsen: Android’s Lead On iOS Plateaus, Data Usage Spikes

According to Neilsen’s May survey, not much has changed by way of smartphone operating systems in the past month. Android, iOS and BlackBerry OS are at a standstill, posting the same market share numbers they did last month. Android still controls 36 percent of the market, with iOS trailing at 27 percent, and BlackBerry OS rounding out the top three with a 22 percent market share. Down at the bottom of the barrel, HP’s WebOS, Nokia’s Symbian, and Microsoft’s Windows Phone maintained their single-digit market shares from last month, with Windows Phone leading at 9 percent.

Though nothing’s changed in terms of market share, data usage has certainly spiked. Around 75 percent of those Android/iPhone owners surveyed downloaded apps within the last 30 days, almost half listened to streaming music or mobile radio on their phone, and a little over a third of surveyed users watched mobile television. iPhone data consumption barely beat out Android in each of those categories, but according to the survey, Android users consume more data on average.

Nielsen’s analysis of the nearly 65,000 cellphone bills in the U.S. found that Android users download an average of 582 MB of data each month, whereas iPhone owners download about 492 MB.

[via TUAW]

Nokia lowers devices and services outlook for Q2, increasingly confident about first Windows Phone in Q4

You know what happens when you tell the world that you're abandoning Symbian for Windows Phone? Right, Symbian sales dry up. No matter how many times you boast about plans to sell an additional 150 million new Symbian devices, and no matter how long you commit to supporting Symbian devices, the OS is essentially dead to developers and consumers alike. So, we're not surprised to hear that Nokia just lowered its devices and services outlook for Q2 of 2011. The updated guidance calls for devices and services net sales to be substantially below the EUR 6.1 billion to EUR 6.6 billion expected in Q2 due to lower than expected average selling prices on lower volumes. It also sees margins drifting below the expected range of 6 percent to 9 percent due to lower than expected net sales -- Nokia expects its non-IFRS operating margin to be "around breakeven." As as result, Nokia is also pulling back its annual targets for 2011 and will provide further updates as its situation becomes more clear.

On the positive side, Nokia does say that it has "increased confidence" that it will ship its first Windows Phone product in Q4 2011. Let's hope so.

Show full PR text

Nokia lowers Devices & Services second quarter 2011 outlook and updates full year 2011 outlook

Published May 31, 2011
Nokia Corporation
Stock exchange release
May 31, 2011 at 15:00 (CET +1)

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today commented on factors impacting its business and updated its second quarter and full year 2011 outlook for Devices & Services. During the second quarter 2011, multiple factors are negatively impacting Nokia's Devices & Services business to a greater extent than previously expected. These factors include:

- the competitive dynamics and market trends across multiple price categories, particularly in China and Europe;
- a product mix shift towards devices with lower average selling prices and lower gross margins; and
- pricing tactics by Nokia and certain competitors.

Updated outlook for Devices & Services for the second quarter 2011:
- Nokia now expects Devices & Services net sales to be substantially below its previously expected range of EUR 6.1 billion to EUR 6.6 billion for the second quarter 2011. This update is primarily due to lower than previously expected average selling prices and mobile device volumes.
- Nokia now expects Devices & Services non-IFRS operating margin to be substantially below its previously expected range of 6% to 9% for the second quarter 2011. This update is primarily due to lower than previously expected net sales. While visibility is very limited, Nokia's current view is that second quarter 2011 Devices & Services non-IFRS operating margin could be around breakeven.

Updated outlook for Devices & Services for the full year 2011:
- Given the unexpected change in our outlook for the second quarter, Nokia believes it is no longer appropriate to provide annual targets for 2011. However, Nokia expects to continue to provide short-term quarterly forecasts in its interim reports as well as annual targets when circumstances allow it to do so.
- Nokia's previous targets for the third quarter, fourth quarter, and full year 2011 were: 1) Net sales in Devices & Services to be at approximately the same level in the third quarter 2011 as in the second quarter 2011, and seasonally higher in the fourth quarter 2011, compared to the third quarter 2011; 2) Devices & Services non-IFRS operating margin to be between 6% and 9% in 2011. These targets are no longer valid.

Nokia is taking immediate action to address the issues that are impacting its Devices & Services business. Nokia's high-level strategic objectives and targets remain unchanged.

- Nokia is continuing to invest to bring new innovative capabilities to its Symbian line up. In addition, Nokia has taken price actions on its current smartphone portfolio, and Nokia is intensifying its focus on retail point-of-sales marketing.
- Nokia started shipping its new dual-SIM devices last week.
- Nokia remains pleased with its progress on its Windows Phone strategy, and has increased confidence that the first Nokia product with Windows Phone will ship in the fourth quarter 2011.
- Nokia remains committed to its target to reduce its Devices & Services non-IFRS operating expenses by EUR 1 billion for the full year 2013, compared to the full year 2010, and plans to implement these reductions as quickly and effectively as possible.
- After the transition, Nokia continues to target Devices & Services net sales to grow faster than the market and Devices & Services non-IFRS operating margin to be 10% or more.

"Strategy transitions are difficult. We recognize the need to deliver great mobile products, and therefore we must accelerate the pace of our transition," said Stephen Elop, president and CEO of Nokia. "Our teams are aligned, and we have increased confidence that we will ship our first Nokia product with Windows Phone in the fourth quarter 2011."

Nokia will provide its second quarter results and more details when it reports its Q2 2011 results on July 21, 2011.

GeForce GTX 560M Notebook Graphics Announced by NVIDIA

NVIDIA has unveiled its latest offering in notebook graphics, the NVIDIA GTX 560M GPU, which is designed to deliver high end gaming graphics in notebooks, in Full HD at 1080p.
GeForce GTX 560M GPUs are “DirectX 11 Done Right,” and offer even more performance-per-watt than the previous generation, with faster frame rates and more detail with the same battery life. The power of GeForce GTX GPUs means gamers can play at full 1080p high-definition resolutions with the advanced technology features that set GeForce GPUs apart from the competition.

The first companies to offer notebooks featuring the NVIDIA GeForce GTx 560M GPU will be Alienware, Toshiba, Asus, MSI and more so we can expect to see some of these notebooks available shortly.

Windows Phone 7 smartphone with a 12 MP camera will be launched by HTC

It looks like HTC will be launching a new Windows Phone 7 smartphone with a 12 megapixel camera built in, the photos below were posted on Twitter by Eldar Murtzain.

As you can see from the photos, the camera on this new Windows Phone 7 smartphone from HTC features a 12 megapixel resolution, unfortunately there are no other details about this mystery device.

e have heard previously that HTC may be working on a 16 megapixel smartphone, so as Slashgear points put this could be the rumored device with the resolution set lower than the maximum, or it could possibly be another new device.

One of the Most Downloaded Business Apps VQ Mileage Tracker Now Available on BlackBerry App World

VQ Mileage Tracker, one of the most downloaded business apps on BlackBerry App World, is now available in an enhanced Enterprise version that offers companies centralized billing, one-step activation, priority tech support and other great Enterprise-oriented features.  VQ Mileage Tracker is the only mileage tracking app that AUTOMATICALLY tracks your mileage every time you drive your car. It also now automatically adds Microsoft Outlook Calendar events to user’s mileage tracking reports. 

 

““We’ve received a large number of inquiries from companies of various sizes looking for ways to easily deploy VQ Mileage Tracker to their Field Service and Sales teams”, says Harris Korn, president of Xpressions Inc., creators of VQ Mileage Tracker (www.4tracker.com) and VQ CarFinder (www.4carfinder.com). “To address this market demand we’ve added a number of Enterprise-oriented features to VQ Mileage Tracker to meet the needs of small, medium and large-scale businesses. Our beta tests with a number of companies have proven successful and we are now actively rolling out our Enterprise-friendly version of the app.”

 

Key new features added include: one-step activation (employees simply download the Enterprise version then click OK to activate); centralized billing and tracking, enabling IT departments to manage costs and track which staff members have downloaded the app; priority tech support; no-charge version upgrades; and no-charge for issuance of new licenses to staff that change to another BlackBerry smartphone.

 

“These new features enable IT Departments to easily deploy VQ Mileage Tracker to their staff, streamline billing, manage costs, and ensure premium support for their employees,” adds Korn. “VQ Mileage Tracker saves business people time and spares them the frustration and inefficiency of manually tracking their mileage. It’s great for anyone who has to be on the road for work.”

 

The Enterprise version of VQ Mileage Tracker also has all the features that have made VQ Mileage Tracker a top choice for BlackBerry smartphone users, including automatically tracking every trip, capturing the user’s start and end address for every trip, automatic emailing Mileage Reports (every week, month or quarter), Microsoft Outlook Calendar integration, tracking to the nearest tenth of mile/km, and many other great features.

 

“Most existing mileage tracking apps are what we call ‘digital pencils’, in that they require you to manually key in everything,” says Korn. “VQ Mileage Tracker does all of this for the user and more, making it easier for Sales and Field Service staff to accurately track and report their business mileage. It automatically notes the date and time, how far you drove, and the address you drove to every time you drive your car and now, it can automatically email you all this information when you’re ready to submit an expense report.”

 

VQ Mileage Tracker is currently promotionally priced on BlackBerry App World, the VQ Mileage Tracker site and other online sources. VQ Mileage Tracker works on all current BlackBerry smartphone models that have built-in GPS and run BlackBerry OS version 4.7 or higher.

 

PhoneNews.com is Looking for Writers & Sencha Touch Engineers

It’s been awhile since we put out the call to hire. Now we’re doing that again, and we’re going to keep it up at an almost-annoying pace. Emphasis on the almost part there.

We’ll keep this one brief. We’re looking for two types of people; writers, and those familiar with coding in Sencha Touch.

If you fall into the writer category, we ask that you only apply if you have past writing experience. We’re short on time and folks have had us down and out for the count for awhile.

We’re sick of it, and we need experienced writers to put those naysayers to shame. Those with past writing experience in the mobile media get bumped to the front of the line. If you are unhappy with your arena/scoop/edia/un-genius/AOL-way experience… we’re more than happy to make you an offer.

On the second topic, we’re looking for Sencha Touch engineers to help do something powerful on our mobile site. We are not looking for Flash engineers, sorry, your emails will blissfully find their way to our email circular file.

Bonus points for experience with ExtJS, but not necessary.

All of the positions mentioned above are freelance, project-based. But, we like to keep a close circle at PhoneNews.com, so do not think that we’re not committed to the team that we’ve built.

As we enter year eight at PhoneNews.com, we’re working on something massive. While we can’t commit to deploying on June 30, we really want to make that happen. And, we’re on the look out (now more than ever… seriously) for talented people to join the team.

Ready to start the conversation? Get in touch with us.

Google Maps 5.5 for Android cops more Latitude, tweaks Places and transit pages

Last month we asked for a "funny pages" display in Google's next release of Maps that shows a thick dotted line depicting where we've traveled, but it appears the folks at El Goog had a different agenda in mind for version 5.5. This time around, we see a few redesigns as well as some streamlined Latitude features. First, check-ins and ratings have now been added to the Places page, giving you one extra point of access; you also now have the option of changing your home or work address within your Latitude Location History, in case you ever move or just like to roam from place to place. Last but not least, Google Maps 5.5 for Android also offers reorganized transit station pages that now list off upcoming departures, transit lines serving that particular station, and links to other stops nearby. Though not a substantial upgrade from previous versions, it's still impressive that Google pushed it out less than a month after 5.4. The new update is available as a free download in the Android Market.

Nokia N7

You have to give Nokia and the Symbian OS credit. Despite reports for months now about how Symbian is on its way out as soon as Nokia’s new partnership with American software giant Microsoft (probably next year but who knows!) begins, Symbian is holding on with all of its might.

It looks like there is life in the old dog and the latest version of the software runs the brand new, multimedia based phone from Nokia which looks as if it could at least sustain Nokia in the smartphone market until their new OS takes over. Looking at the Nokia X7, it could even do much more than that as it is a tidy phone with plenty of fun features and many improvements on the software side of things.

The first thing that you notice about the X7 is its strange looks. The phone has a weird space age look about it, with tapered corners on either side of a large screen and a rounded metallic back. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea but I happen to think it is an extremely good looking phone.

The screen itself is a 4 inch, Super AMOLED touch screen and it does look rather good. A closer look reveals though that it is only 360 x 640 pixels, which is way short of the 480 x 800 pixel screen that the majority of its rivals have, You can take this two ways however, you can either complain that it does not have as good a resolution as the other smartphones or you can admit that despite the low resolution, the Nokia phone gets an extremely sharp picture on its screen.

It is the phone’s multimedia features that Nokia have been quickest to highlight, and not for no reason. The X7 has better multimedia software than any other Symbian phone, featuring HD video playback, media players that support almost all music and video formats and plenty more. If you are a Nokia fan and you like your phone to be media driven, this could be the phone for you. For more infomation head over to www.dialaphone.co.uk/ today.

ASUS 'PadFone' to be the final name of the phone-docking tablet?

PadFone. Well, as silly as it sounds, the name sure speaks for itself. Unearthed by our friends over at Pocketnow, this USPTO trademark document was filed by ASUS merely four days ago. Such timing suggests that this could very well be the final name of the company's eccentric "pad or phone" combo, which is to be unveiled at Computex next week. As expected, no specifics are detailed in this application, but it does mention "electronic pens for computer touch screens" -- possibly hinting that the PadFone will be compatible with N-Trig's DuoSense or similar stylus technology.

Alas, that's all we have for now until ASUS lifts the curtain on Monday, but let us point you to Notebook Italia's brilliant mock-up to quench your thirst for the time being -- we, too, suspect that the phone would slide onto the back of its companion tablet, hence the bump. That said, do bear in mind that this phone is already proven to be not as tacky looking, but is likely closer to a full-fledged Android handset. Anyhow, check out the artist's impressions after the break.

Update: Oh hey, remember Windows SideShow? Good times.

HTC Desire S Unveiled in Australia

HTC Desire S has been unveiled today in Australia, becoming the second Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone to be available there (after the Google Nexus S).

For the instant, Australian customers can find the Desire S only at MobiCity, which sells it, unlocked, for 699 AUD (726 USD). In case you want to get the new Desire on contract, you should know that Telstra will launch it soon – although we’ve no idea how soon, and neither for how much.

Another new HTC smartphone that’s available at MobiCity Australia is the Incredible S. Unlike the Desire S, this comes with Android 2.2 Froyo (but it will be upgraded to Gingerbread sometime later this year).

Source: Unwiredview

Smartphones, not DVRs, are the biggest threat to TV adverts

TV viewers are a famously fickle bunch, which tends to drive TV advertisers crazy. The prevalent theory remains that skipping past ads using a pesky DVR is the biggest enemy of marketers, but new research has once again contradicted that received wisdom. The IPG Media Lab in Los Angeles pulled together a representative group of 48 TV and online video viewers and asked them to sit through some programming while equipped with the usual "devices or distractions" that accompany their viewing habits. Central to the study was the measurement of time each person spent facing the screen and how engaged they were with the content. The first thing noted was that 94 percent of TV viewers and 73 percent of online video consumers used some other form of media to augment their visual entertainment. Smartphones were the most common, with 60 percent of test subjects resorting to their handset while gawking at the TV. That's resulted in a mediocre 52 percent attention level during actual programs and 37 percent during ads. In other words, two thirds of the time, commercials are being ignored and smartphones are helping people with that heinous behavior. Ironically, fast-forwarding adverts using a DVR garnered attention levels that were 12 percent higher, mostly because people were trying to make sure they didn't skip too far ahead. Damn, why does reality have to be all complex and stuff?

HTC Eliminates Locked Bootloader Policy After Customer Outcry

HTC has confirmed on its Facebook page via message from CEO Peter Chou that the manufacturer’s recent trend to lock the bootloaders on its most recent devices (Thunderbolt, Incredible S, Sensation and EVO 3D) will be no more.

“There has been overwhelmingly customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we’ve listened. Today, I’m confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience.”

The intention behind locking the bootloader on all Android devices was to ensure that devices could remain secure enough for average users while avoiding support issues due to inexperienced users attempting to load custom ROMs.  In practice however, locking bootloaders served as a way to maintain control of hardware due to carrier demands and requirements, such as preloaded applications and support for protected content as evidenced by the recent blockades of Android Market movie rentals, Netflix and Blockbuster from rooted devices.

As an unlocked bootloader made it easier to bypass such restrictions by allowing custom Android builds, more and more carriers and manufacturers decided to start locking said bootloaders on devices to exercise control of hardware. With HTC releasing its next wave of devices, it has embraced the Android hacking community by eliminating its recent policy and ensures that the spirit of Android as an open platform is preserved, even down to hardware access.

HTC officially dissolves locked bootloader policy

The homebrew community may mourn HTC's Thunderbolt, Incredible S, Sensation and EVO 3D, but the company's controversial policy of locking bootloaders is no more. Following a tease yesterday, HTC CEO Peter Chou has decreed from on high -- namely, HTC's Facebook page -- that future devices will be open.
There has been overwhelmingly customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we've listened. Today, I'm confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience. We're holding out hope that this policy will also be retroactive, but this is very welcome news regardless. Ball's in your court, Motorola.

Elop: Symbian will continue getting updates until 2016, at least

How much does it take to convince Symbian users their OS is doomed? Just the one slide you see above. Now it seems Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is attempting damage control. In an interview with Nokia Conversations, Elop attempted to placate his shareholders and customers by stating that the OS's last update will take place somewhere around 2016 at the earliest. He isn't switching the focus away from Windows Phone as his company's bright new future, but he does want to assuage folks who sunk money into Symbian that their investment isn't just going down the drain. Stating there is "a long history still to be paved for Symbian in the future," Elop didn't volunteer any additional details on update strategy or how much longer new Symbian phones will be sold. We're a bit surprised at the length of this extension of relevancy; we can't help but feel as though it's all because Nokia's breakup with Symbian was too emotional and they're both trying to stay friends. Or perhaps four years is just how long the company thinks it will take to sell all of the remaining 150 million units it originally planned to push. Either way, check out the full video after the break and let us know what you think below.

[Thanks, Chris]

Business Wi-Fi/Cellular Phone Shipments Approached 247 Million Units in 2010

Global economic challenges have slowed sales of IP phones, but the movement toward IP telephony systems continues. While corded IP phones remain the standard in business, Wi-Fi/cellular handsets continue to grow, as new In-Stat research indicates that shipments of these dual-mode devices approached some 247 million units in 2010.

“In the past, cellular operators earning their revenue from a per-minute service plan would not support a handset that would use Wi-Fi to move those minutes off of the cellular network, without getting something in return,” says Norm Bogen, VP Research. “Over the past few years, cellular operators have yielded to consumer demand for VoIP services on their cellphones and have formed partnerships with VoIP vendors, such as Skype, to keep traffic on their network.” Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

Nokia Promises Rapid-Fire Launch Strategy Post Mango

Nokia has been positioning itself for a rapid-fire release strategy after the launch of the world’s first Windows Phone-powered Nokia handset, according to Jo Harlow, Nokia’s executive vice president of smart devices. Despite the fact that Nokia and Microsoft finalized their partnership back in March, we consumers will continue waiting for a Mango-flavored Nokia phone until Fall rolls around.

“We should be launching new devices in a rhythm that might be every couple of months, every three months, something like that,” said Ms. Harlow. The first Windows Phone launched in October, and since then, we haven’t seen many more grace carrier shelves. Gartner marks the Windows Phone OS fifth among major platforms, with a measly 3.6 percent market share. Microsoft’s weak performance in the mobile OS space could be blamed on the fact that WP7 has been a “secondary platform” for most big-name manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC, said Harlow.

Coupling Windows Phone with the most popular handset maker in the world, Nokia, could bolster Windows Phone OS popularity, since Mango will be the primary platform for Nokia beginning this Fall. “We’re going to keep coming with new devices in order to have something to talk about,” she said.

Nokia has already made an impression on the Windows Phone OS, as Nokia mapping software and perhaps some of its cloud services will be present on the platform. Harlow said that the Nokia Music Store may replace Zune in certain countries where Microsoft doesn’t have a major presence.

Live from the Google Wallet press event!

12:20PM Tap on that and you can add funds from any credit card that you like.

12:20PM It, like the main card, can be used at any of the 300,000 PayPass locations.

12:20PM Then there's also the Google prepay card, which can be provisioned with a single tap.

12:19PM At first you can only use up to $100 until you enter a confirmation code received over SMS or e-mail, but it can be used immediately -- so long as your spree isn't too extravagant.

12:19PM This cycle will "Change the way credit cards are issued in the future."

12:19PM Personal info goes to the customer's bank, which then works with First Data, which is the "Trusted Services Manager."

12:18PM Yeah, we just saw his number. That may have been intentional. It scored some laughs.

12:18PM OOPS... I think we just saw his number.

12:18PM He's adding the data in realtime...

12:17PM Now he's doing it with his actual "wallet" -- which is just a stack of stuff in his pocket. He's entering it into the phone live -- no, he's not showing the number to us.

12:17PM At that point you can add cars, asking for details about a Citi Mastercard.

12:17PM It's asking for a PIN "without it I can't use it to pay or access any information in the wallet."

12:16PM Agreeing to some terms and conditions... reeeeeeally long terms and conditions.

12:16PM Getting a demo now, bringing up a Nexus S with the wallet app.

12:16PM Applause for the coders!

12:15PM Thanking the engineers and partners who've worked "tirelessly" to bring this to market.

12:15PM "This is not just an announcement, this is a real product. It's up and running and merchants are integrating as we speak."

12:15PM "Google is uniquely positioned" to shift us into this new grand payment scheme.

12:14PM Osama Bedier is up on stage, VP of Payments.

12:14PM "Eventually you'll be able to put everything in your Google Wallet" -- even drivers licenses!

12:14PM "Pay, you redeem offers, and you receive loyalty rewards with one tap of your phone."

12:14PM You'll be offer ads that you have to look for, places offers offered by retailers, and check-in items for those who want to be mayor of couponville.

12:13PM To redeem offers you just have to tap your phone, no fumbling for e-mails.

12:13PM Groupon just got Google'd.

12:12PM "Offers will be delivered to your inbox as an offer of the day." You can also go hunting for them through apps.

12:12PM Okay, time to talk Google Offers.

12:12PM Here we go: Macy's, Subway, Wallgreens, Toys 'R Us, Noah's Bagels, and "many more."

12:12PM The service starts in San Francisco and New York, expanding nationally "in the coming months."

12:11PM No more worrying about the guy at the next table over at dinner spying your digits.

12:11PM Phone lock, required pin, encrypted data on the phone itself, and the card is never fully displayed.

12:11PM It's a "wallet you can lock" -- multiple levels of security.

12:11PM Can also use a Google prepaid creditcard that can be funded from any credit card you like.

12:11PM Google Wallet supports multiple cards, by default Citi Mastercards.

12:10PM Okay, we're hearing now that it's 2014 before 50% of smartphones having NFC.

12:10PM Okay, diving in to Google Wallet now. Field test kicks off today, with the official release this summer.

12:09PM "Tap and save" is the phrase here. "Tap and save." We'll be hearing a lot of that.

12:09PM We're being told that this is "just getting started"

12:09PM Retailers can build relationships with consumers and deliver better targeted deals. Perhaps just a little big disconcerting...

12:09PM We spotted people from Macy's, Footlocker, and other retailers on the way in.

12:08PM Now, we're looking at the merchant side -- important, as there are a number of merchants in the house.

12:08PM When you tap to pay, all the loyalty rewards are applied and credited. No need to shuffle through a wallet full of flimsy cards.

12:08PM A pie coupon has popped up. So much for that diet...

12:07PM Based on your location the phone knows to bring up your shopping list. We're apparently out of avocados.

12:07PM We're going to walk through an example now, going grocery shopping.

12:07PM Joined by Citi, Mastercard, and Sprint.

12:07PM Stephanie is back, telling us how things are going to merge.

12:06PM "By working together we'll be able to truly transform the shopping experience."

12:06PM Mastercard estimates that, by next year, half of all phones will have NFC built in.

12:06PM Google Wallet is compatible with PayPass, meaning when this goes live you'll have compatibility in your phone.

12:05PM No more currency exchange! No more bizarre looking coins rattling around in desks and drawers for years after vacations.

12:05PM A phone could, in theory, work anywhere in the world if PayPass is accepted.

12:04PM They've provided the NFC foundation that we'll see "leveraged today by Google."

12:04PM PayPass was embedded in a Nokia phone almost a decade ago -- the basis for what we'll be seeing today.

12:04PM Time for Ed McLaughlan from Mastercard.

12:03PM "We are on the cusp of the next major change."

12:03PM We're looking at a 1950 Diners' Club card and the evolution to now, PayPass in 2011.

12:03PM Google says this is because shopping is not a "truly magical experience." Yes, the euphemisms are in the house!

12:02PM Still, e-commerce is only eight percent of overall retail.

12:02PM We wonder how many of them are PSN subscribers.

12:02PM in 1998 70% of consumers wouldn't pay online. Today, over 70% do. 180 degree transaction.

12:02PM "Virtually every retail brand has invested in building an ecommerce website... you're literally seeing every retail brand, every consumer brand offline come online."

12:01PM eCommerce surpassed $227 billion in 2010, will go over a trillion in 2013.

12:01PM "Your phone will be your wallet -- just tap, pay, and save."

12:01PM This system will "bring together all the pieces of the ecosystem" for payments.

12:00PM She's saying that all commerce, not just e-commerce, needs a reboot.

12:00PM Asking for carriers and banks to create "tomorrow's next best shopping experience."

12:00PM "Today we are announcing a couple of products: Google Wallet and Google Offers"

11:59AM She came over from eBay and PayPal, joining to "improve commerce" for consumers.

11:59AM Stephanie Tilenius, VP of Commerce at Google is on the stage.

11:59AM And here we go folks...

11:57AM Being washed in shades of purple, lime, tangerine, aqua -- always changing, never primary.

11:53AM Silencing our devices. Would hate to be that guy.

11:53AM "The program will begin in a few moments."

11:51AM This is some serious salsa/rap hybrid stuff we have playing here. We're stumped as to the source, and Shazam up and threw a Force Quit trying to figure it out.

11:45AM And some good times.

11:45AM And we're in our seats! Smooth latin beats and lots of multi-colored lights. Get ready for some trippy pics.

Okay, so we're not totally sure Google will be unveiling its Google Wallet contactless payment system, but we're rather certain that whatever the company has to unveil will have something to do with paying for things using a wallet that doesn't contain physical money yet features some sort of Google branding. Would you like to know more? Join us for the full liveblog experience at the times below:

06:00 - Hawaii
09:00 - Pacific
10:00 - Mountain
11:00 - Central
12:00 - Eastern
17:00 - London
18:00 - Paris
20:00 - Moscow
00:00 - Perth
00:00 - Shenzhen
01:00 - Tokyo (May 27th)
02:00 - Sydney (May 27th)