Samsung seems to have checked Nokia as the largest seller of mobile phones worldwide, but the company recorded strong sales of smartphones in the quarter just reported, despite a fall in operating profit.

The South Korean company reported 3.75 trillion won ($ 3.6 billion) operating profit for April-June quarter, narrowly beating analysts' forecasts. That was 18% of 5.01tn won a year ago, as the unit of the company reported a second quarter flat screen business and loss of main chips struggled.

Technology conglomerate joins a host of global companies in warning that weak consumer demand is hurting sales of televisions, flat screens, computers and semiconductors.

"The earnings momentum for Samsung will revive in Q3, but the recovery will not be strong due to weak economies in the U.S. and Europe," said Lee Dong-Jin, a fund manager at KTB Asset Management . "Also, no new applications that can boost demand as the iPhone and iPad did."

Operating profit in its telecommunications division to more than double 1.67tn livestock, 630bn won a year ago, helped by strong sales of a new version of its flagship intelligent S Galaxy, of which 5 million to date have been sold.

Samsung did not provide sales figures for their phones, but said that shipments increased by high single-digit percentage of the units of 70m in the previous quarter. That would put a maximum of about 77 million units behind the Finnish company Nokia struggle, which sold 88.5m handsets in the second quarter.

But analysts still think they could have surpassed both Nokia and Apple in the field of smartphones - Apple has sold just over 20 million iPhones in the same period. Complete figures are expected to analysts in late July.

Samsung is locked in a battle with Apple in the U.S. by the appearance of some of their smart phones and tablets, which Apple says the violations "trade dress" rules to make them look much like its iPhone and iPad.

Falling chip prices are a major concern for the company in South Korea, winning half of their earnings from semiconductors in the second quarter. Display your business reported a second consecutive loss of 210bn won quarterly operations, little has changed from 230bn won loss in the previous quarter.

On Thursday, Sony and Panasonic also warned of weak TV sales, especially in the U.S. and Europe, following Philips and Corning to highlight anemic demand.

Samsung is betting big on its mobile phone business by launching new versions of the tablets and phones, helping to capture market share BlackBerry maker RIM and Nokia.

Shares in Samsung, which reached a record in late January, have lost 12% so far this year.

The company has a market capitalization of $ 134bn (£ 82bn), larger than the combined value of rivals Sony, Nokia, Toshiba, Panasonic and LG Display.

"It will be difficult to dramatically increase revenue in the third quarter demand for memory chips and televisions will remain low," said Song Myung-sup, analyst at HI Investment and Securities. "His loss of business flat screen also report breakeven at best."

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According to the latest statement from the U.S. Treasury, the government had an operating cash balance of $ 73.8 Wednesday billion. That's still a lot of money, but less than Steve Jobs has lying around.

Technology giant Apple had a whopping $ 76.2 billion in cash and marketable securities at the end of June, according to its earnings report earlier. Unlike the U.S. government, which is struggling to avoid defaulting on its debt, Apple gets more money than it spends.

This feat symbolic - the world of technology most valued company exceeding the fiscal strength of the most powerful nation in the world - is only the latest summit of Apple, which has been an unprecedented role.

U.S. Debt: How we got here?

Their Macs, iPhones and iPads be hot sellers, its stock has soared beyond $ 400 a share and Apple just became the biggest selling smartphone in volume.

There has been much speculation about what Apple could buy with their piles of cash - Facebook and Sony are two of the most prominent examples - but the company seems in a hurry to make a move.

"Do not let the money burn a hole in your pocket or acquisitions stupid," said Jobs, chief executive officer last fall. "We would continue to keep our powder dry, because we believe that one or more strategic opportunities in the future."

Uncle Sam offers a short term loan is unlikely any of them. 

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In a significant test case achieved by the six major Hollywood studios, the UK High Court has forced BT to block access to their customers to the site Newzbin2 called "pirate". This was seen as a victory for the creative industries. But it was a defeat for the web and free speech in Britain. Now we have the tools for state support of Internet censorship.

As always, the way the Motion Picture Association (MPA) has sold the verdict was that it ensured the future development of new content. The prospect of the death of the film industry is greatly exaggerated. After all, this decision comes just days after the last of the Harry Potter broke a dramatically new box office record.

The idea that at a time when growth is weak and the income of ordinary people squeezed disposable being there is an untapped revenue stream are larger than simply does not hold. I'm sure the chancellor, George Osborne, I would like to know where the missing millions are actually said to come from the economy. One of the unsubstantiated claims about Newzbin2 was that it was about £ 1.40 per user per year. This is not enough to save an industry.

I do not think there can be no doubt that the creative industries play a vital role in our cultural and economic life, and we all want to see them continue to flourish. But the real question presented by a decision of this type is whether it is fair and proportionate.

A worrying aspect of this case is the new burden imposed on Internet service providers. Clearly the defense that they are a "mere conduit" is no longer acceptable, essentially, are now responsible for what the British want to access in their own homes. One unanswered question is who will pay for this action to force the blocking of websites, is likely to fall at least in part, from the ISP themselves, and by extension all of our bills whatever our habits of discharge. Not surprisingly, the answer in a protected area of ​​the Association of Internet Service Providers "not welcome the decision, noting" the blockade is not a silver bullet to stop the violation of copyright online. "

One of the absurdities of this ruling is the inefficiency that is actually to achieve the stated objectives of the MPA. After all, it only affects customers of BT, and a specific website. Other sites pop-up, we seem condemned to a perpetual legal blow round-a-mole. The only industry that is very likely that growth through the lock case Newzbin2 get-around, such as virtual private networks.

The wording of the statement leaves no doubt that the property rights of the creators of the triumphs of human rights and freedom of expression. Politicians have been quick to condemn the blockade of the Internet abroad. But make no mistake, the result leaves us with a central control of what can and can not do on the Internet, none of us individually having nothing to say on the matter. Certainly in a democracy can not be a proportionate response, whatever the vision of sharing files.

There is no reason to believe that this will result in compliance with copyright, for example, fans of libel, no doubt, this result is looking forward to. One of the most depressing part is that the blockade must be passed through the system established to address the issue of child abuse images on the network. This system was not just made for a mission extremely broad, and frankly the use of Cleanfeed seems awfully cynical. Guarantees, as it would only ever be used to address this most heinous of crimes now seem futile.

The ruling also raises serious doubts about the direction of government policy on the Internet coalition. Strongly criticized the Digital Economy Act remains steeped in difficulties. It seems that the technical measures for the "three strikes" law does not apply until 2013 now. The Department of Culture Media and Sport, seems determined to build a web blocking scheme with lobbyists for the entertainment industry, and caused controversy with secret meetings. Ed Vaizey very public host on Twitter Newzbin2 result calls into serious doubt the sincerity of his offer with a series of political groups on the digital.

The film industry has been so impatient for results that has taken the road of the commandments. Hollywood is now she is teaching digital rights agenda, not the parliament. 

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Hollywood movie studios won a landmark ruling High Court UK on Thursday to force BT to block access to illegal file sharing website accused of operating "on a large scale."

The Motion Picture Association, the trade body whose members include Warner Bros, Fox, Disney and Paramount Pictures, has been awarded an order requiring BT - UK's largest, the Internet service provider - to block access of their customers to the website Newzbin2.

Thursday's verdict will be available to creative industries as a milestone that could set a precedent for blocking websites widespread illegal file sharing by the ISP, helping to stop the flow of digital piracy in the UK.

"In my view, it appears that BT has a real knowledge of other people using the service to infringe copyright: known to users and operators Newzbin2 copyright infringement on a large scale, and in particular, infringes the copyright of the studies in a large number of movies and television, "Arnold said in his ruling Justice in High Court in London.

"[BT] knows Newzbin2 users include BT subscribers and meets users to use their services to receive illegal copies of copyrighted works available to them Newzbin2," said Arnold.

BT had argued that forcing the prohibition of its 6 million customers in the UK have access to a website would be the beginning of a new wave of online censorship.

However, the creative industries website blocking claim could save hundreds of millions of pounds in illegal downloads.

AMP backs Newzbin2 said illegal TV shows and movies, and receives over 1 million pounds a year from its 700,000 users.

"This ruling Justice Arnold is a victory for millions of people working in the creative industries in the UK and demonstrates that the law of the land must apply," said Chris Marcich, managing director of AMP, Europe, Middle East and Africa. "This lawsuit was not an attack on the ISP, but we need your cooperation to address NewzBin page that continually tries to evade the law and judicial sanction."

The struggle of the film industry to block NewzBin dates back to March last year when the high court ordered the site to end all its pirated material and pay damages to the studios.

The three men behind NewzBin Ltd - Chris Elsworth, Thomas Lee Hurst and Skillen - sold all its shares in the company of David Harris, shortly before trial. NewzBin Ltd went into administration shortly after the sentence and avoid huge payments.

Months later a clone operation site anonymously from Sweden. Rights holders said they had no choice but to force BT to block access to users from the UK to the website, saying that all other legal avenues had been exhausted.

Simon Milner, policy director of industry group BT said the last trial of the holders of rights means that now have to prove in court that a Web site violates copyright before it is locked.

Milner added that the trial puts the Digital Economy blocking scheme voluntary act, made in the round tables of industry earlier this year with Ed Vaizey, Minister of Culture, in an uncertain position.

"[The decision] is really useful and we welcome because it clarifies a complex question of law and shows that rights holders can use the copyright laws in this country. This means they have to show a vulnerable site before [a] court and obtain a court order, "he said.

Milner did not reveal how much they cost ISPs such as BT to block offending websites.

Other ISPs, including Virgin Media and Talk Talk, refused to join the battle against BT film studios, the court was told in June.

Speaking after the ruling Thursday, a spokesman for TalkTalk said the ruling "has no direct or immediate" impact on the ISP, the second largest in the UK but would consider any similar injunction filed by the movie studios against him.

The association of Internet service providers, which represents UK ISPs, said: "The concern about over-blocking, ease of circumvention and encryption are widely recognized to increase meaning that the blockade is not a bullet Silver to stop the violation of copyright online. " 

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The chief of the U.S. responsible for combating cyber attacks has resigned unexpectedly after a series of online attacks in the CIA and other government agencies.

Randy Vickers, team principal emergency preparedness team USA (US-CERT), resigned Friday, according to a DHS-mail obtained by Reuters news agency.

According to Reuters, the email does not show any reason for the resignation of Vickers. The Department of Homeland Security declined comment. Vickers, director of US-CERT since 2009, will be temporarily replaced by deputy director of Rock Lee.

Vickers resignation follows a series of online attacks on government websites, including the Senate, the CIA and the FBI. William Lynn, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary, revealed earlier this month that a foreign intelligence service had stolen up to 24,000 computer files from one supplier to the Pentagon in March - one of the most successful cyber attack on a government agency of the U.S. ..

The collective of anonymous hackers targeted web pages after the U.S. state LulzSec intelligence agencies pledged to crack down on groups, resulting in a series of arrests around the world.

Sixteen suspected members of the group Anonymous were arrested last week as part of the investigation. Two British teenagers, 19-year-old Ryan Cleary and an anonymous 16-year-old were arrested last month accused of involvement in the attacks.

The unnamed teenager in south London - thought to be in line with the alias "Tflow" - was released on bail Friday following his arrest on Tuesday.

Washington-based US-CERT is responsible for the protection of U.S. networks government team, including the Pentagon and the Senate.

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