One Google search generates 7g of CO2

One Google search generates around seven grams of carbon dioxide, equal to boiling half a kettle of water, reports US information research specialist Gartner.

The company suggested carbon dioxide emissions generated by the global IT industry account for 2% of the world's total emissions, according to China Economic Weekly, a weekly magazine published under the People's Daily.

Shang Erbin, president of Eaton Cooperation's China Division, told the magazine that data centers account for 40% of total energy consumption for global IT industry emissions. In 2011, data centers in China accounted for 5% of the total national energy consumption of the country, which is three times of that of the US, while the biggest energy-consuming units include infrastructures such as uninterruptible power supply, power distribution systems and cooling systems.

Guo Xiuming, director of China's Ministry of Information Industry Policy and Regulation Department, calculated that the energy consumption of the country's electronic appliances, especially computers, is roughly equivalent to the total generating capacity of the Three Gorges hydroelectric dam.

Guo said the government's 12th five-year plan (2011-2015) has designated green development of the information network and the improvement of standards for information services as goals for the communication industry. This will include initiatives such as promoting mobile offices and video conferencing to reduce the energy consumption of the country as a whole.

Apple may trounce rivals with smaller iPad

This file photo shows a customer using his iPad outside an Apple store in Shanghai, on June 28.

Apple, which is expected to launch a mini version of its market-leading iPad tablet, could quickly overpower its rivals in the segment with the addition of the new product, analysts say.

The launch expected later this year however would probably prompt Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to roll over in his grave, given that the late technology pioneer ridiculed the small-screen tablets offered by his competitors.

Jobs once said the seven-inch (17.8-cm) screens for mini tablets should "include sandpaper so users can sand down their fingers" to be able to use onscreen keys.

But analysts say the market has changed since Jobs died last October.

Amazon's Kindle Fire proved popular last year, and the small-format Google Nexus 7 joined the Samsung Galaxy in the hot tablet market, dominated by the iPad, which has a screen of nearly 10 inches (24.6 centimeters).

Rumors about the smaller iPad have been swirling for months, but the Wall Street Journal reported this week that Apple's component makers in China are gearing up for mass production of the device.

"Despite what Steve Jobs claimed, the seven-inch form factor is popular and very useful if you want true portability," said analyst Jack Gold at J. Gold Associates.

"Also, seven-inch is less expensive and so they can compete for the lower end of the tablet market."

Analyst Tom Mainelli at research firm IDC said Apple has discovered that larger tablets are not universally popular, noting that users in Japan "with a more mobile culture" may prefer a smaller format, which also may be better for education in primary schools.

If Apple sells the new device at less than $300, as widely expected, Mainelli said, "they put a hurt on all Androids."

Mainelli said that a mini iPad "ultimately grows the market," and that Apple does not appear to be perturbed by others in the field, since it makes a profit on the devices, unlike some other manufacturers.

Andy Hargreaves, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities, said in a note last week that he expects Apple will sell 35 million iPad mini units in the coming year at $299, "with 25 percent cannibalization of the larger iPad."

"Apple is a approaching a tremendous period of product cycle strength, with anticipated launches of a new iPhone, a 7.85-inch iPad and a refreshed 9.7-inch iPad that are likely to drive strong profit growth and corresponding stock appreciation," Hargreaves said.

Among the many reports circulating was one on the Apple tracker blog iMore, which said a new 7.85-inch iPad would come with "aggressive" pricing at $200 to $250.

This would "do to the tablet market what Apple did to the MP3 market in 2004 with the expansion of the iPod product line -- leave absolutely no space for competitors," a blog post by Rene Ritchie said.

Apple shares rose 1.76 percent to $609.94 on Thursday, and Hargreaves upped his price target on the company to $690 per share. Another analyst, Brian White at Topeka Capital markets, raised his target price for Apple to $1,111.

Apple held 65 percent of the market in the first quarter with 11.8 million iPad shipments, according to ABI Research.

The market leader, however, faces tougher competition as Samsung, Amazon, Microsoft and Google roll out competing devices.

Analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group said that now that the new, smaller format has proven popular, "I don't think Apple has any choice but to go into this segment."

He said the new Apple device "will both cannibalize 10-inch (iPad) sales and broaden the market but it will also give Apple a line of offerings in what, prior to Apple, was not a one-size-fits-all world."

Enderle said Apple is in a fierce battle with Korean rival Samsung across several product lines including tablets and smartphones, and this is forcing the Cupertino-based giant to adapt.

Apple executives are also likely to introduce a larger screen for its popular iPhone to compete with those using the Google Android operating system, according to Enderle.

"Their tardiness in moving to four- and five-inch phones has dropped them well off the smartphone leadership position they once owned and has been handing that market to Google, they shouldn't repeat that mistake here."

Samsung's Galaxy

Samsung's Galaxy powers record $5.9 billion profit

Soaraway sales of the Galaxy smartphone drove record quarterly profit of $5.9 billion at Samsung Electronics, though the South Korean tech giant is sweating over how Europe's debt crisis is denting demand in its biggest market for televisions and home appliances.

The flagship Galaxy smartphones are likely to have stretched their lead over rivals Apple and Nokia - despite a parts shortage that meant it struggled to keep up with stronger-than-expected demand for its latest S III model.

While strong handset sales grab the headlines, more than doubling profit growth, other businesses such as chips and consumer electronics are battling weak prices and demand and a limping euro, which eats away at repatriated profits.

In a sign that the euro zone crisis is exercising minds in boardrooms around the globe, Samsung executives said this week the group was operating to a contingency plan.

"Europe is our biggest consumer electronics market and we may have to initiate cost cuts and product price increases should the euro fall further from the current level," said one executive who didn't want to be named as the plan is internal.

"Our smartphones are flying off the shelves, with some outlets reporting 40-60 percent sales growth, but that's distorting the overall trading outlook which is more challenging due to the weak global economy and a weak euro."

The euro has fallen around 5 percent against the Korean won since April, and about 8 percent in the past year, to 2-year lows.

In its April-June earnings guidance on Friday, Samsung, valued at $170 billion and the world's leading maker of TVs, smartphones and DRAM memory chips, estimated operating profit jumped 79 percent to 6.7 trillion won from a year ago - in line with an average forecast in a Reuters survey of 23 analysts.

That would be 14.5 percent higher than the previous record quarterly profit in January-March. Samsung estimated its second-quarter revenue at 47 trillion won ($41.4 billion), just below a 50 trillion won forecast.

"Revenue is below our forecast, which suggests price pressure was more severe than had been expected in products such as televisions and home appliances," said Nho Geun-chang, analyst at HMC Investment Securities in Seoul.

"Earnings will be stronger in the current quarter as sales of the high-end Galaxy S III will increase dramatically and drive the telecom division's earnings to above 5 trillion won," he said, predicting shipments of the S III would hit 19 million this quarter.

Samsung is due to release its full second-quarter results - the first since former components chief Kwon Oh-hyun took over as CEO - towards the end of this month.

Samsung and local rival LG Electronics are among the few global TV makers making money and gaining market share from stumbling Japanese rivals Sony, Panasonic and Sharp.

But, spooked particularly by a weak chip market, Samsung shares have dropped 15 percent in the past two months, while the broader Korean market has fallen just over 5 percent, and Apple has gained almost 3 percent.

On Friday, Samsung shares dipped 1 percent to 1.173 million won ($1,000), while the broader market was off 0.4 percent.

MOBILE DRIVER

Profit from the mobile division is likely to have more than doubled to around 4.4 trillion won from a year ago, with sales of around 50 million smartphones - at a rate of 380 every minute.

Current quarter mobile profits are expected to forge further ahead as the latest Galaxy model enjoys a boom before the next iPhone launch. Samsung's overall third-quarter operating profit is likely to be between 7.3 trillion won and 8.5 trillion won, an increase of as much as 27 percent from the second quarter, according to a Reuters survey of 13 analysts. The mobile business brings in more than 70 percent of Samsung's earnings.

While the next iPhone, expected later this year, will likely slow Samsung's handset earnings growth, it will boost the Korean firm's semiconductor earnings as Samsung is the sole producer of processing chips used to power the iPhone and iPad, and also supplies Apple with mobile memory chips, NAND flash and display screens.

"Earnings will grow further as the semiconductor division will also stage a solid recovery on the back of improving DRAM and NAND demand," said Jeff Kang, an analyst at Daishin Securities, adding the division could increase earnings by 1 trillion won this quarter.