ConsumerIT - For Europe's High Volume PC Retailers, Distributors & Builders

In-Stat reports the WW wifi network equipment market remains "relatively flat" compared to Q1 2011, with revenues staying at around $1.6 billion.

The 802.11n segment accounts for 68% of total wifi shipments, reaching 5.27M units with strongest growth-- shipments increase by 17% Q-o-Q and revenues grow by 7% Q-o-Q.

USB wifi devices also seen an increase of 8.6%.

TP-Link leads the global wifi market, with 26% market share. Netgear takes second place, with 19% share, while D-Link follows with 17%.

Linksys is at 4th place (7% market share) and Pace takes the 5th (5%).

Go Q2 2011 Wifi Equipment Tracker (In-Stat)

With hardly any noise (and few noticing) Google opens the first "Google Store"-- a "Chromezone" shop within a London PC World branch.

The polar opposite of over-hyped Apple retail launches, the small "shop within a shop" only sells Chromebooks and accessories (such as headphones) and will run for the 3 months leading to Christmas, the London Evening Standard reports.

Staffing the Chromezone are "specially trained Chromebook experts."

"It's still very, very early days" Arvind Desikan from Google UK says on this first step towards physical retail.

Other than the London "Chromezone," Chromebooks are only available online-- a business strategy questioned by Samsung. In fact, Google says 80% of laptop sales are through stores (according to its research).

A second similar store will open in Essex next week, and Google plans to open more pilot stores worldwide in the future. Should the Chromezone experiment be successful, it is very easy to imagine Google playing the Apple-style retail game, over-hyped Google-only stores and all. After all, Google now owns Motorola Mobility now...

Go Google's First Store Pops Up in London (London Evening Standard)

IHS iSuppli reports Amazon will sell the new Kindle Fire tablet at a "razor-thin margin on sales" of both devices and digital content-- in order to promote physical product sales from the Amazon online store.

The analyst estimates the Kindle Fire costs around $192 to make, with additional manufacturing expenses rising the total price to $209.63. The device itself will cost $199 on shelves.

While commentators say the Kindle Fire will make profit through digital content sales, iSuppli insists the Kindle Fire will actually "promote sales of the kinds of physical goods that comprise the majority of Amazon’s business"-- the physical products the online retailer generates profits from.

Thus, Amazon has a potential secret weapon-- an Amazon-only platform making online purchases easier (if not more customer-friendly) than ever, encouraging the online purchases of everyday goods.

IHS iSuppli also says the Kindle Fire has potential to become the no. 2 selling tablet on the market (following the iPad), even if it technically "represents an enchancement on the e-book reader."

Go Amazon Sells Kindle Fire at Low Profit Margin to Promote Online Merchandise Sales

VIA Technology accuses Apple of patent infringement, filing a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC).

The company says the iPhone, iPad, iPod and Apple TV carry two unlicensed VIA technologies-- specifically a "method and apparatus for double operand load" and an "instruction set for bi-directional conversion and transfer of integer and floating point data."

Why would a x86 microprocessor developer go after Apple? VIA owns around 5000 patents-- hundreds of which covering basic microprocessor technology, obtained through CPU subsidiary Centaur Technology.

The company also has an ongoing license to Intel's x86 instruction set architecture-- the result of another courtroom squabble.

Apple will probably follow Intel's example, and settle the dispute via an undisclosed (large) cash lump and a technology cross-licensing deal-- unless VIA decides to push legal matters further.

Go VIA Sues Apple for Patent Infringement