George W. Bush has taken up painting since leaving
the limelight, and even his former political rivals are impressed with
his work.
Bush showed off one of his paintings on a recent ride aboard Air
Force One to a group that included former First Lady and Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton. The moment was captured by White House
photographer Pete Souza,
showing Hillary with an impressed look. Next to the smiling Hillary was
National Security Adviser Rice and Attorney General Eric Holder, who
both looked enthralled with the former president’s work.
While other former presidents have maintained a high profile since
leaving office, George W. Bush has preferred to remain quiet. He has
stayed away from politics entirely, refusing to comment on his successor
Barack Obama even while members of his White House have been publicly
critical.
Instead, Bush has poured his energy into painting.
“I don’t long for [fame]. Nor do I long for power,” Bush told The Huffington Post
at his annual Warrior 100K bike race held at his Texas ranch earlier
this year. “I’ve come to realize that power can be corrosive if you’ve
had it for too long. It can dim your vision.
“And so I came to the conclusion that, you know, I don’t long for
fame. And really, gonna shy away from it. Not shy away from it. Avoid
it. I’m not very shy. Avoid it.”
George W. Bush said that painting has changed his life, giving him an outlet for his creativity that he never had before.
“People are surprised,” Bush told ABC News. “Of course, some people are surprised I can even read.”
Painting isn’t the only creative outlet that George W. Bush has found since leaving the White House. He also designed a Christmas ornament
that features a Cardinal perched on a branch. The ornament, which sells
for $29.98 through his presidential library, is so popular that it has
been on back order for several weeks.
Nov 29 (Reuters) - Benin freed a former militant
leader from Nigeria's oil-rich Delta region on Friday after a
personal intervention by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, a
government spokesman said. Mujahid Dobubo-Asari had been arrested in the West African
nation's capital Cotonou on Tuesday.
Like Jonathan, Asari is from the Ijaw ethnic group. He is
best known for staging attacks on oil infrastructure in the
swampy creeks of OPEC member Nigeria that drove up oil prices to
record highs in 2004.
"It was under pressure from the Nigerian head of state that
the authorities freed the rebel chief on Friday at around
midday," said Benjamin Agon, spokesman for Benin's foreign
affairs department.
Benin police declined to comment but Asari's lawyer Festus
Kiyamou confirmed the release and said his client was now in the
Nigerian capital Abuja.
There was no immediate comment from the Nigerian government
on the case.
Diplomats told Reuters this week that Cotonou had been
investigating Asari's business interests in Benin, a tiny cotton
producing country which borders oil giant Nigeria.
One of the diplomats said Asari's group, the Niger Delta
People's Volunteer Force, had been suspected of lending support
to criminal activities in the Delta.
Asari's Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force reached a peace
deal with the Nigerian government in 2004.
However, oil production in the region is still frequently
disrupted by criminal gangs who tap crude from pipelines for
local refining or sell it onto large tankers for export.
(Reporting by Samuel Elijah; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by
Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Gareth Jones)
COTONOU, Benin — A judge who
angered the president of the West African nation of Benin says he fled
the country over the weekend and is seeking political asylum in the
United States.
Angelo Houssou called The Associated Press Sunday
from an airport in New York, saying he had hiked into neighboring Togo,
and then waded across a river separating Togo from Ghana, where he
boarded a New York-bound flight. He was told upon arrival that his visa
had been revoked. He is now negotiating for asylum, saying he fears for
his life in Benin.
Houssou was the judge handling two high-profile
cases, including an alleged coup plot this March and an attempt to
poison President Yayi Boni in 2012. Houssou ruled on May 17 that there
wasn't enough evidence in either case.
Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/12/02/3349797/benin-judge-tries-to-flee-to-united.html#storylink=cpy
Participants in the maiden edition of Lagos
State International Squash Classics drawn from across Africa will today
go home with $40,000 prize money as the competition ends today.
The competition, which is part of efforts of the Lagos State
Government to empower youths through sports drew participants from South
Africa, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Congo and Nigeria and was in three categories
of men, women and under 19.
A total of $22, 500 will go to all the participants in the men
category, $12, 000 goes to every participant in the women category while
the under 19 category gets $5000 which is also to go round every
participant.
Speaking with THISDAY during the semi-finals yesterday at the Rowe
Park, Yaba venue of the event, the Tournament Director and member of the
Lagos State Squash Association, Mr. Boye Oyerinde described the squash
competition as "a laudable initiative by the Lagos State Government." He
said with the international standard and dimensions to the competition,
Nigerian youths stand a lot to benefit especially in the area of
international exposure to the game.
Also speaking, a member of the association, Mr. Wunmi Ogunbiyi said
the idea behind the competition was to promote the game of squash, make
the youngsters realise that the game is not expensive to play, keep them
busy and fit and also, to create international recognition for Nigeria
among the squashing nations in the world.
But more than that she said the idea has compelled some of the under
19 participants to return to school, "because some of them are orphans
and no longer attending schools, so a criteria for participating is that
they must enrol in schools and we are educating some of them."
Energy
drinks may cause serious increases in heart contraction rates within an hour of
drinking the beverage, according to new research presented at a medical
conference Monday.
The
authors are worried what these types of side effects might do to the hearts of
teens and young adults over long periods of time.
"Until
now, we haven't known exactly what effect these energy drinks have on the
function of the heart,” Dr. Jonas Dorner, a radiology resident of the
cardiovascular imaging section at the University of Bonn in Germany, said in a
statement. "There are concerns about the products' potential adverse side
effects on heart function, especially in adolescents and young adults, but
there is little or no regulation of energy drink sales."
Energy drink-related emergency room visits have doubled over the past four years, according to government estimates, with most cases involving teens and young
adults.
The
drinks have been linked to life-threatening changes in heart rhythm, called arrhythmias, and blood pressure increases.
For
the study, Dorner and his colleagues took cardiac MRI scans to look at the
hearts of 18 healthy, mostly male volunteers, who were an average age of 27.5
years old.
Each
participant underwent an MRI before and one hour after consuming an energy
drink containing taurine and caffeine. A
cardiac MRI uses radio waves, magnets and a computer to create pictures of the
heart to look at its structure and function.
When
comparing baseline MRI readings to scans taken after consuming an energy drink,
researchers found significant increases in peak strain and peak systolic strain
in the heart’s left ventricle. Those are two measures of how the heart contracts or contractility. The
left ventricle is responsible for receiving oxygen-rich blood from the lungs
and pumping it into the aorta, which distributes the blood throughout the body.
"We
don't know exactly how or if this greater contractility of the heart impacts
daily activities or athletic performance," said Dorner. "We need
additional studies to understand this mechanism and to determine how long the
effect of the energy drink lasts."
The study remains ongoing. Dorner added that more research might show whether these
short-term contractility changes could affect people with heart disease.
Energy
drinks have gotten more attention from federal health officials in the past
year as they have been investigating reports of adverse events and deaths
linked to Monster Energy and 5-Hour Energy drinks.
One
14-year-old girl, Anais Fournier, reportedly died of cardiac arrhythmia after
drinking two 24-ounce Monster drinks in 24 hours. Her family sued Monster last Oct.; the company claims the girl had preexisting heart conditions.
Dorner
pointed out the amount of caffeine is typically up to three times higher in
energy drinks than in other drinks like coffee or cola, and high intake of
caffeine may trigger rapid heart rate, palpitations, rises in blood pressure
and in severe cases, seizures or sudden death.
He
advises children and people with cardiac arrhythmias to avoid energy drinks
entirely.
The
study was presented Dec. 2 at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting in Chicago. The research is considered preliminary until it is
published in a peer-reviewed journal.
BEIJING
— China successfully launched a lunar probe into space Monday morning,
on a two-week journey to deliver a robotic rover to the surface of the
moon. The mission marks China's first attempt at soft-landing a
spacecraft on an extra-terrestrial body, and could benefit future plans
to land Chinese astronauts on the moon.
A Long March rocket
carrying the Chang'e 3 lunar lander blasted off at 1:30 a.m. local time
Monday from southwest China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center, reported
the official Xinhua News Agency.
"We will strive for our space
dream as part of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation,'' said the
center's director, Zhang Zhenzhong. China's ruling Communist Party has
used the military-backed, state-run space program to boost national
pride and support for its policies.
By mid-December, Chang'e 3
aims to land on the moon's Bay of Rainbows, and unleash the six-wheeled,
solar-powered Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, lunar rover to look for natural
resources and conduct geological surveys for three months. China hopes
to become the third nation, after the USA and the former Soviet Union,
to achieve a difficult "soft landing" on the moon, whereby the
spacecraft and equipment remain intact. An earlier Chinese orbiter made
an intentional crash-landing on the moon.
The spacecraft, bearing
China's red, five-starred flag, will become the first to visit the moon
since the last Soviet unmanned mission there in 1976. One new feature is
a ground-penetrating radar to measure the lunar soil and crust. The
mission represents the second stage of China's slow but steady lunar
program. In phase three, China will send another robotic probe to gather
lunar samples, possibly by 2020. A manned mission could then follow.
While
China's space achievements appear to imitate those of the USA and
Soviet Union in decades past, they stir considerable pride and
nationalism within China, whose government stresses its use of
indigenous technology, and peaceful aims in space. Live TV broadcasts
showed excited scenes at the launch center, where a reporter from the
national broadcaster CCTV embraced one delighted designer.
Some viewers who stayed up to watch later went online to celebrate.
"The
scientists are so great," wrote an "inspired and proud" Wang Wei on
Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like micro-blog platform. "Of course there's still
a definite gap from America sending humans to the moon, but this is
already amazing," wrote Wang, an economics professor in east China's
Shandong province.
Other Internet users said the launch was even more stunning than the space movie Gravity,
currently no.1 at China's box office. Legend and literature abound in
China's real space program, where the space station that saves the day
in Gravity is called the Heavenly Palace, lunar spacecraft are
named after moon goddess Chang'e, and the lunar rover is named after her
pet rabbit.
While China's citizens cannot choose their leaders,
they were able to participate in an Internet poll that chose the "Jade
Rabbit" name. Chinese poets and folklore artists down the centuries have
depicted a white rabbit pounding a mortar and pestle to create an
elixir of immortality.
The secret of eternal life may remain
elusive, but Chinese scientists are hopeful the moon may offer up other
treasures such as rare metals and Helium-3, a potential fusion energy
source. China's ultimate aim is to use the moon as a "springboard" for
deep space exploration, said Luan Enjie, a senior adviser to China's
lunar program, in the China Daily newspaper.
The USA should
overcome its objections and cooperate with China in space, wrote Leroy
Chiao, a former NASA astronaut and commander of the International Space
Station, on the website Space.com in October.
"America, already on
the decline after the retirement of the space shuttle (now only Russia
and China can launch astronauts into space), will on the way down hand
over the leadership position of human spaceflight to the Chinese," he
said. Partnering with China "could be a win-win-win for all", but
"certain members of the U.S. Congress are dedicated to keeping China
out, dooming the United States to continue its decline in human
spaceflight," Chiao wrote. Contributing: Sunny Yang
Amazon may eventually have drones deliver everything from shoes to
consumer electronics. The FAA has been working to integrate civilian
drones into US airspace, but that could take awhile.
This
undated image provided by Amazon.com shows the so-called Prime Air
unmanned aircraft project that Amazon is working on in its research and
development labs.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Sunday said his firm is working on ways to
deliver small packages via drones. That’s right: Amazon “Prime Air” may
eventually have thousands of robot flying machines buzzing through
neighborhoods across America, dropping off everything from shoes to
consumer electronics.
Peter Grier
Washington Editor
Peter Grier is The Christian Science Monitor's Washington editor. In
this capacity, he helps direct coverage for the paper on most news
events in the nation's capital.
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
At least, that’s the vision Mr. Bezos outlined on “60 Minutes.”
“It will work, and it will happen, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun,” he told correspondent Charlie Rose.
Well, we would not wager against Amazon, given its relentless march
toward US retail dominance. And it’s easy to see how the concept would
work, in a technical sort of way: Small "octocopter" unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) capable of carrying five pounds or so already exist.
The
“fun,” however, may be in the eye of the beholder. In urban areas,
swooping octocopters might seem a hazard, pigeons with gas-powered
propellers. In rural areas, they might be targets for people bored of
hunting deer.
“Amazon fine print: ‘Drone delivery unavailable outside urban areas during hunting season,’ ” RedState's Erick Erickson tweeted on Monday.
And
the real problem here might be the Feds. The Federal Aviation
Administration is working to integrate civilian drones into US airspace.
That’s unlikely to be a speedy process. Amazon’s realistic
drone-delivery start date might be 2025 or beyond.
That’s if
Amazon can satisfy the FAA’s safety concerns at all. The Amazon concept
brings drones into closer contact with people than other civilian UAV
uses currently under FAA study. Will it be possible to avoid packages
dropped from a hundred feet up, buzzing drones snagged on power lines,
out-of-control drones plummeting into bedroom windows? Plus, what about
privacy and national security concerns?
“The safe integration of
unmanned aircraft into the [national airspace] is a significant
challenge,” the FAA notes in the conclusion of its road map for approval of civilian drone use.
Of course, civilians already fly drones in America.
They’re used for everything from land-use planning to photography.
Drone development is a big industry. Some 50 companies are working on
150 systems right now. Civilian UAV sales may hit $6 billion by 2016.
But
these are generally one-time uses. Many are subject to restrictions,
such as a requirement that operators maintain sight of the UAV. Amazon
wants something much larger, a sort of UAV cargo airline across the
United States.
Currently, the FAA is supposed to finalize drone
regulations by 2015. It has already missed some deadlines, however, and
the agency may not meet that goal. Furthermore, look at the fine print
in the FAA road map, and it’s apparent that Amazon’s plan probably falls
into the FAA’’s long-term outlook – meaning it couldn’t gain approval
until 2022 or 2026.
The FAA’s concept list of drone uses doesn’t
include civilian package delivery, for one thing. (It does contain cargo
carriage, but that’s for delivery from one airport to another.)
A
perusal of the road map shows that the FAA intends to develop security
vetting procedures for UAV personnel. That means Amazon's ground-based
UAV pilots would have to undergo some Fed-approved training. The FAA
also is working on airworthiness rules. In others words, it intends to
provide guidelines for the design and testing of robust UAV structures,
as it does now for manned aircraft. That means the nifty Amazon drone
seen buzzing on “60 Minutes” might have to reengineered.
And the
FAA intends for civilian UAVs to include sense-and-avoid technology to
ensure they don’t hit airliners or one another. That’s something that
won’t be perfected for years, the agency acknowledges.
“Although
research will continue, fully certified [UAV] collision avoidance
solutions may not be feasible until the long-term and are deemed to be a
necessary component for full [UAV national airspace] integration,” the
FAA road map says.
The bottom line here is that Amazon Prime Air
might not be operational until Miley Cyrus is playing on oldies radio.
That’s led some critics to charge that unveiling the plan on “60
Minutes” at the beginning of the holiday shopping season was really a
well-planned publicity stunt.
“[I]t’s all hot air and baloney,” writes James Ball of the Guardian.
VATICAN
CITY — Pope Francis met Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu in a closed-door meeting at the Vatican to discuss matters
that are highly political and an illustration of the pontiff's
increasing willingness to weigh in on global affairs.
The Israeli
government said Netanyahu talked with Francis about the Iranian nuclear
program, negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians and the fate of
Christians living in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.
The 25-minute meeting comes after Francis' private Vatican get-together last week with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"During
John Paul II's declining years, and throughout Benedict XVI's papacy,
the Vatican was more quiet," said James Walston, a political scientist
with the American University of Rome and a frequent commentator.
"Francis is starting to show he's willing to be a lot feistier."
In
the nearly nine months since he became pope, Francis has been outspoken
about the need for Catholics to do more to help the needy and to focus
on inviting people of all faiths to seek solace and direction from the
teachings of Jesus Christ.
But in addition to his pastoral message Francis has increasingly waded into political matters.
He
has questioned whether the church was putting too much emphasis on
church stands against abortion and gay marriage. He called for a
diplomatic solution to the Syrian civil war rather than for the ouster
of dictator Bashar Assad, whose forces have killed tens of thousands of
civilians.
And in a document outlining his aims for the future,
Francis stressed the importance of governments to combat "unfettered"
capitalism and a "culture of prosperity."
His statements on
political and global affairs have caused consternation among Catholics
who favor the defeat of militancy in the Middle East, as well as legal
protections for unborn children.
Some in Rome said it was right that the pope weigh in on the big political issues of the day.
"I
think the pope is already bringing his message of love and morals and
transparency to the church, and if he can do that in the Middle East as
well, it can only be good," said the Rev. Antonio Mozzicone, who was in
St. Peter's Square as the meeting between Netanyahu and Francis was
taking place.
But Lorenza Sensi, a retired history teacher from a Roman Catholic school, disagreed.
"He
[the pope] is a good man, a holy man, but I believe the church would be
better off if he kept his focus on religious and church issues where he
is desperately needed," Sensi said.
Netanyahu, who was also to
meet with Vatican Secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin, intended
to invite the pope to come to Jerusalem next year, according to the Jerusalem Post.
If the trip happens, Francis will be just the fourth pope to visit
Israel, which the Vatican recognized as a state only 20 years ago.
In
addition to Iran the two were expected to discuss relations between
Israel and the Catholic church. Netanyahu presented a Spanish
translation of the 1995 book The Origins of the Inquisition to Francis. Netanyahu's father, Ben-Zion Netanyahu, was an Israeli historian who died last year.
Netanyahu
has been traveling to world capitals to denounce a pact between Iran
and Western nations to limit its nuclear activities. The Israeli prime
minister says the deal allows Iran to retain its nuclear capabilities
and make fuel for a nuclear bomb.
Israel has sad it may have to
launch a military strike to debilitate Iran's program. The U.S. State
Department says the Iran deal is an initial agreement that will be
strengthened.
Netanyahu emphasized the danger in a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta following his visit with Francis.
"Iran
aspires to attain an atomic bomb," Netanyahu said during a celebration
of the fifth day of Hanukkah. "It would thus threaten not only Israel
but also Italy, Europe and the entire world."
iPads were the top-selling item at Apple, Target, and Walmart over the weekend. iPhones also sold well to holiday shoppers.
10 Best Tablets Of 2013
(click image for larger view)
If there was one product Black Friday shoppers coveted, it was the
Apple iPad. A handful of data points from analysts and other sources
suggest Apple's tablets were a big hit. The iPhone didn't do poorly,
either.
Apple analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray took to the Mall of
America in Bloomington, Minn., over the weekend to scout out activity at
the Apple Store. According to his data, traffic at the store was up 9% compared to last year,
and interest in the iPad Mini with Retina Display was "better than
expected." Based on Munster's observations, he believes Apple may move
as many as 24.5 million tablets during the holiday quarter.
Trip Chowdry from Global Equities Research was also impressed with
Apple's Black Friday performance. He visited nine different Apple stores
as well as five Target stores over the weekend and claims to have
spoken to at least 300 people about their holiday purchases. According
to Chowdry, the 128-GB variants of both the iPad Air and iPad Mini with
Retina Display were the most popular devices at Apple stores. Prices for
those tablets are $799 and $699, respectively. Not cheap. [Watch out, Apple: Low Smartphone Prices Drive Sales Growth.]
The reason for picking up the higher-capacity models: People are
storing more HD movies on their tablets. The WiFi-only versions were
outselling the carrier versions at a ratio of three-to-one. This is
probably because the carrier versions cost $130 more than their WiFi
counterparts. Everyone Chowdry interviewed who bought an iPad also
bought an Apple Smart Cover for their tablet.
Apple iPad Mini.
Chowdry further determined that sales of the iPhone 5s closely
followed those of the iPad. AT&T's 5s outsold all the other carrier
versions, followed by Verizon's, the unlocked version, and Sprint's
version.
InfoScout didn't rely on direct observations to determine Apple's
Black Friday success. Instead, it analyzed some 90,000 receipts from
retailers, including Target and Walmart. Its data suggests
that Target shoppers were a bit more frugal than those at Apple Stores.
The 16-GB iPad Air, 16-GB iPad Mini, and the 32-GB iPad Air were the
No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 top sellers at Target stores. Together, these
iPads totaled 18.1% of Target's in-store sales on Black Friday. Given
the wide range of products sold by Target, that's a high number.
The 16-GB iPad Mini was Walmart's best-selling device on Black
Friday, InfoScout said. Walmart claims it sold 1.4 million tablets
between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening, and it doubled
up on tablet orders for the season. The remaining top five selling
items at Walmart stores were Android tablets, two TV models, and
laptops, demonstrating once again shoppers' interest in discounts on
electronics. Moving email to the cloud has lowered IT costs and improved
efficiency. Find out what federal agencies can learn from early
adopters. Also in the The Great Email Migration issue of InformationWeek Government: Lessons from a successful government data site. (Free registration required.)
Brooklyn
Nets forward Paul Pierce has a minor fracture in his right hand and
will miss two to four weeks, the team announced Monday.
The
non-displaced fracture of the third metacarpal came during the first
half of the team's loss Friday to the Houston Rockets. It was another
blow to a team that has the league's highest payroll at $102 million and
trying to mesh in the early part of the season. BROKEN HAND: Pelicans' Anthony Davis BROKEN HAND: Clippers' J.J. Redick
Deron
Williams (sprained left ankle) hasn't played since Nov. 20, Andrei
Kirilenko (injured back) has played in just four games, Brook Lopez just
returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a sprained ankle
and Jason Terry is out with a knee injury. The Nets are 5-12 but only 1½
games out of first place in the lowly Atlantic Division.
A
10-time NBA All-Star with the Boston Celtics, Pierce is averaging 12.4
points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists a game in his first season with the
Nets. PHOTOS: NBA's biggest current injuries
Chicago Bulls star point guard Derrick
Rose suffered a medial meniscus tear in his right knee on Nov. 22. He
will miss the rest of the season after surgery.Take a look at the other
notable NBA players who are sidelined.
Dennis Wierzbicki, USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls star point guard Derrick
Rose suffered a medial meniscus tear in his right knee on Nov. 22. He
will miss the rest of the season after surgery.Take a look at the other
notable NBA players who are sidelined.
Dennis Wierzbicki, USA TODAY Sports
Summary: Japan and the US are bucking
the trend as Windows Phone edges over 10 percent in Europe, and iOS
sales fall in Australia despite the new iPhone's launch.
Kantar's latest smartphone sales data for the three months up to the end of October has shown that iPhone sales have jumped as expected, but that the size of the increase has seen Apple gain a smaller percentage of smartphone sales than its iPhone 5 launch did.
In Japan and the US, Apple has captured a larger share when compared
to last year. Due to the iPhone's availability on NTT DoCoMo, Japan's
largest telco, Apple's share surged to 76.1 percent of smartphone sales,
while in the United States, Apple returned to a majority share with
52.8 percent, up from 48.1 percent at the same time last year. Australian smartphone install base. (Image: Kantar)
"Apple's share of the market still remains lower than when the iPhone
5 was released, although this is not wholly unexpected, as shoppers
tend to react more positively to 'full' releases than incremental
improvements such as the 5s and 5c," said Dominic Sunnebo, strategic
insight director, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
Across the five leading Western European economies, Apple earned only
15.8 percent of sales, with Android responsible for 70.9 percent, and
Windows Phone continuing its run of increasing sales just edging over
the 10 percent mark to 10.2 percent from 9.8 percent last month.
Focusing on the United Kingdom, the Kantar report says that it has seen
the iPhone 5s outsell the 5c model by a factor of three to one — Apple
had 28.7 percent of sales in the UK over the past three months.
Sunnebo said that demand for the iPhone 5c is coming from
lower-income owners, who have an average age of 38 years — Kantar says
the average age of an iPhone 5s owner is 34 years.
"Almost half of iPhone 5c owners switched from competitor brands,
particularly Samsung and LG, compared with 80 percent of 5s owners who
upgraded from a previous iPhone model," Sunnebo said.
Similarly, the gains made by Windows Phone in Europe have been made in the lower end of the market.
"In Britain, almost three quarters of Nokia Lumia sales in the latest
period were low-end devices such as the Lumia 520 and 620 — a pattern
that is similar across other EU markets," said Sunnebo.
Australian iOS sales fall
The latest release of Kantar's numbers provides an update of the
existing install base in the Australian mobile phone market. As it
stands at the end of October, feature phones held 31.4 percent of the
market, Android had 33 percent, iOS came in at 26.8 percent, Windows
Phone had a mere 2.8 percent, and BlackBerry and "other" accounted for 1
percent each.
Compared with the same time last year, Android had gained 8.9
percent, Windows Phone was up 0.9 percent, and other was steady at 1
percent, while iOS had shrunk by 3.9 percent, BlackBerry lost 0.6
percent share, and the percentage of feature phones decreased by 8.5
percent. (Image: Chris Duckett/ZDNet)
Despite the launch of a new pair of iPhones, iOS sales in Australia
dropped by 2.1 percent when compared to smartphone sales figures from
September. Android sales grew by 4.1 percent in October, while Windows
Phone sales fell off its recent high of 9.3 percent by 2 points to 7.3
percent.
In the three months until the end of October 2013, 27.7 percent of all mobile phone sales were feature phones.
