Samsung net profits reach $6.96 billion (7.77 trillion won) with 47.5% Y-o-Y growth in Q2 2013-- a record for the company, even if lower than earlier analyst forecasts.

Revenues total $51 billion (57.46 trillion won), a 19% Y-o-Y increase.

The company sees growth slowdown in smartphone sales, with mobile unit profits falling by 3.5% Q-o-Q (if increasing by 52% Y-o-Y) due to "weak seasonality," increased product launch costs, retail channel investments and general R&D. The quarter saw the launch of the flagship Galaxy S4 in April.

The mobile unit amounts for over 66% of total company earnings.

Offsetting the slowdown is the supply of mobile device semiconductors and panels to to vendors such as Apple and HTC. It also sees growth in its CE division, with Q-o-Q growth in premium TV and air conditioner sales.

Just a month after the Computex 2013 launch Intel teases more details on the 4th generation of Core processors, aka "Haswell"-- and promises a version operating at a scenario design point (SDP) of all of 4.5W.

It joins a version offering 6W SDP operation, both designed for use in thinner, fanless hybrid and 2-in-1 devices. The company does not provide further specifications on the latest Haswell addition.

But what does "scenario design point" actually mean? In a somewhat misleading turn in PR speak, SDP means Intel limits processor performance to allow it to run comfortably (at most times) in a chassis able to cool 4.5W heat.

Apple is following the Android "big is beautiful" trend with the next batch of iDevice launches the Wall Street Journal reports-- supplier officials claim the company is testing larger iPhone and iPad displays.

According to unnamed sources Apple already tested out a smartphone display "larger than 4-inches" and asked for tablet screen designs "measuring slightly less than 13-inches."

The WSJ sources also say Apple will release a new iPad featuring a lighter and thinner display integrating touch sensors with a thin film instead of the glass found in current iPads, and a less expensive iPhone with nonmetal, multi-colour casing.

For the record, the iPhone 5 features a 4-inch display, while the iPad and iPad mini are 9.7-inch and 7.9-inch.

According to AllThingsD Apple buys even further into mobile mapping services with Locationary, a small Toronto-based developer of crowdsourced location data management. 

Reportedly the acquisition covers both Locationary technology and staff. As per Apple usual there is no actual confirmation of the purchase, just the statement “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”

Locationary manages a vast local business database. It uses crowdsourcing and its own Saturn data exchange platform to collect, merge and verify information. 

Interestingly Locationary CEO Grant Ritchie wrote a TechCrunch article detailing the 5 challenges Apple faces in creating a mapping service just 10 months before he ended up making part of Apple.