Nokia Warns 30,000 Jobs at Risk at Indian Factory:

Nokia has appealed to India s Supreme Court for relief after a lower court imposed new conditions on its plans to sell its Indian handset factory to Microsoft

The Delhi High Court had previously said that Nokia could include the Chennai factory to Microsoft as part of the handset division sale, but late last week added new conditions to the sale.

The conditions have been applied as the factory assets had been frozen as part of a tax dispute that Nokia is engaged in with the government. Nokia made a deposit of Rs 2,250 crore against the tax demand to secure the release of the factory.

The transfer of the factory to Microsoft can now be blocked again if the tax authorities raise their tax demand against Nokia.

A Nokia global spokesperson said changes imposed by the court would be detrimental to India's reputation as a stable investment destination.

Are Consumers Feeling Tablet Fatigue?:

Consumers are buying tablets at a furious pace, yet approximately two-thirds of U.S. adults still don't own one, according to a report from Pew Internet Research. Tablet makers such as Samsung, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and others are vying for those un-tableted consumers and the market is now awash with a dizzying array of sizes, features and price points. Such choice can mean it's a great time to be a consumer, but some analysts warn that buyers may be wearying.

"There may be a bit of tablet fatigue," said Mike Feibus, principal analyst, TechKnowledge Strategies. "Tablet development has slowed; it has plateaued."

That fatigue may be attributable, in part, to a market that was once defined by the Apple iPad moving to a new phase of fragmentation with multiple operating systems, app ecosystems and use cases.

"We've got kid tablets, we've got TV tablets, we've got ruggedized tablets, we've got tablets that just stick on the wall," said Ben Bajarin, principal at tech analyst firm Creative Strategies. "We are seeing this market segment."

As the market splits into segments, new niches are emerging, pulling consumers in a variety of directions.

Indian Court Releases Nokia Factory Seized by the Tax Authorities:

Delhi's High Court ordered the tax authorities to release the factory in Chennai, which is one of Nokia's largest -- in a move that makes Nokia's handset division sale to Microsoft easier to complete.

Nokia was asked to make a deposit of US$367 million with the court in order to release the assets.

However, the tax dispute itself is still outstanding, and it was revealed that it could reach as high as US$3.4 billion when all the possible penalties and interest payments are included.

Nokia still denies that the tax on software transfers is payable, as there is a dual-taxation avoidance treaty with Finland to prevent the software being taxed in both countries.

Microsoft asks HTC to add Windows to Android phones:

MICROSOFT is talking to HTC about adding its Windows operating system to HTC’s Android-based smartphones at little or no cost, people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg. Terry Myerson, head of Microsoft’s operating systems unit, asked HTC last month to load Windows Phone as a second option on handsets with Google’s rival software. Myerson discussed cutting or eliminating the Windows licence fee to make the idea more attractive, the report said. The talks are preliminary and no decision has been made, two people said.

HTC, the first company to make both Windows and Android phones, hasn’t unveiled a new Windows-based handset since June and has no current plans to release any more, said one person. Myerson was planning to visit Asia this month and meet with senior executives at Taiwan-based HTC to discuss his proposal, according to the report.

To grow the Windows market share, Microsoft is trying to line up other new partners. CEO Steve Ballmer and other executives met with handset makers last week during a trip to Beijing, said a person with knowledge of their trip. They stressed that Microsoft wants to keep working with partners other than Nokia, and expects to be able to sign accords with some phone makers who previously have focused on Android, the report said.