Also: How Michael Dell is making waves again; Instagram releases new user numbers.
For about four months, gadget bloggers along with tech writers at South Korean newspapers have tried to uncover the details of Samsung’s next high-end smartphone, likely to be called Galaxy S IV after consecutively numbered versions over the past three years.
They have suggested it will have a bigger screen, thinner case, come with a pen, have no buttons and, of course, have a faster chip to run it, as well as better battery life. Some reports back in November suggested the new phone would have an unbreakable screen, and others have said it would be waterproof.
Michael Dell’s empire in a buyout spotlight [THE NEW YORK TIMES]
The private equity firm Silver Lake has been in negotiations to join with Mr. Dell on a transaction, along with other potential partners like wealthy Asian investors or foreign funds. Mr. Dell would be expected to roll his nearly 16 percent ownership of the company into the buyout, a stake valued at about $3.5 billion. He could also contribute additional personal money as part of the buyout.
After reports of user revolt, Instagram releases monthly active user data for the first time [ALL THINGS D]
At last count, more than 90 million people use Instagram on a monthly basis, the company said on Thursday. Moreover, the company is seeing growth rather than decline; that number is up ten percent, month on month, in the period from December to January.
Box CEO Levie targets 2014 IPO after global expansion [BLOOMBERG]
Levie said in the interview yesterday that the company intends to grow to close to 1,000 employees in the next year, up from about 670 now, as it expands in countries including Japan, Germany, France and the Netherlands. Growth in Brazil and Australia is also on Box’s agenda, Levie said.
The service itself, in my early look today, largely resembles a simplified version of Dropbox and other cloud-based storage services. I’m accessing it on Chrome — which Mega recommends. “If you are planning on using MEGA frequently, there is currently no alternative to using the most advanced browser currently in existence – Google Chrome,” it notes in a blog post today.
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