How to boost your career by upgrading skills

Sometimes, when you reach the highest position for your skill set in a particular job, you could find yourself stagnating in the firm or industry.

You may not want to switch industries because starting afresh or taking a pay cut wouldn’t be palatable. The best option in such a situation is to acquire additional educational qualification or skill set, which can boost your career.

Here’s how to determine the course of action that would be right for you.

Graduate

If you are not a graduate, and don’t have any other degree, you’re already at a disadvantage in the job market. You might be a brilliant territory sales manager for an auto firm, having risen up the ranks through hard work and perseverance, but you may not make it to a regional manager.

More often than not, a clause in the company’s HR policy will state that the qualifications required for a particular post include a graduate degree.

Even if your present employer is not short-sighted, your next one may be. Whether you are 20 years old or 40, it is worth investing in a part-time or full-time graduate degree. This will make a difference in your pay band or grade, sooner or later.

The professionals who should consider this option include those in the travel and hospitality industries, plant workers holding engineering diplomas, sales personnel and BPO employees. Remember to check with your HR team if the firm is willing to sponsor your efforts.

Generalise

If you are stagnating in your current post, try to have a more inclusive work profile. To do so, you will need to have a more generalised set of skills. Picking up a general qualification is useful when you want to switch industries, grow beyond your specialised vertical, or become the head of your department.

The most obvious option is a management qualification, which makes you more employable and improves career options. For young techies in big software companies, a full-time, 2-year MBA programme is the popular choice, while it’s the one-year, full-time executive programme for professionals in their mid-30s.

If you can’t afford to take a long break from work or need the income, go for shorter management development programmes or part-time/distance learning. There is something available in every field. If you are a doctor, a course in hospital administration will qualify you for registrar and business roles; a military officer’s chances at top leadership improve with the Staff College qualification.

Apart from managerial lear ning, consider investing in oft-ignored soft skills and communication training programmes. The impact of such courses on your personality and career far outweigh the minuscule value of the certificate.

Specialise

Do you love your professional skills but dislike managerial or leadership roles? You can jumpstart a low-voltage career by specialising further. However, choose wisely as specialisation should involve the principle of scarcity; there should be a critical demand, but low supply, of specialists in the industry.

If you are in health care, consider training in paediatric specialities, given India’s baby boom. As a pilot, you could go for a conversion course to the latest aircraft being purchased by the airline industry, where there is a shortage of qualified pilots.

A consultant or lawyer can specialise in a sector over a period of time before being selected as a partner. Even where direct benefits are not apparent, specialisation can open up new vistas.

Upgrade

Are you a skilled professional working for an old and large firm, or the government? Look no further than your organisation’s policies, where you will find detailed requirements and career progression options for each position.

If you have reached a plateau in your current role, there will be different courses and exams that will qualify you for a vertical or lateral movement. If you are in a government organisation, you will need to go through mandatory promotion courses and exams before you get your next pay grade. Even in other industries, upgrading your skills can earn a higher income.

As a commercial diver, upgrading for Hazmat (hazardous material) will qualify you for more lucrative dives. As a language worker, you can upgrade your linguistic skills to qualify as an interpreter/translator.

Cross-train

If you don’t want to generalise or specialise, pick a course that excites you. Explore ways to complement your skill sets to make you more employable. As a print journalist, who finds graphics fascinating, you can opt for a Web designing course and move to both creation and delivery of online content.

A software engineer with a fascination for accounts could enrol for a part-time course infinance and accounts, and support the sales team with its pricing and accounting. Most professionals can get a PMP (project management professional) certification. Even if you do not get an opportunity to lead a new project, it can help you rework your existing job profile and improve your output and compensation.

To ensure that the benefits are realistic, speak to people who have pursued the course.

- See more at: http://content.timesjobs.com/?p=7084&fromsite=toi&utm_source=toi&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=toi-tj-whitelabel#sthash.t4EBTQnK.dpuf

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Why is EQ as important as IQ?

Studies show that a high or low EQ affects a person’s abilities to perform under pressure, resolve conflict, and cope with challenges

Ishita Royal

Emotional Quotient is a person’s proficiency to control his/her emotions and manage them best according to the situation. It is  often confused with Intelligence Quotient (IQ). The difference between EQ and IQ  is understanding emotion and understanding information. Ashima Kaul, a professor at Delhi University explains, “Your IQ can get you through college but your EQ will get you through life.”

Why is it important?

A recent poll conducted by TimesJobs.com reported the following  viewpoints regarding the importance of emotional quotient at workplace.

• 39% of the respondents says it helps build workplace relationships

Being overly emotional at work can be treacherous. It adds negativity to one’s career and is often considered unprofessional. “A high emotional quotient however, empowers the employee to feel and enjoy his/her work with passion,” stated Nakul Mehra – CEO, Vizz Media, Delhi.

• 27% says it is essential for team bonding

Everyone in the workplace has to make some decision or the other. If a team is emotionally strong they tend to work in a productive manner. A balanced emotional quotient helps in building an optimistic work relationship. “An empathetic colleague with a good emotional quotient allows for the creation of a stable work environment, crisper thought process and communication between colleagues. As human- bonding is inevitable in the workplace, a good EQ always plays a vital role in keeping the team intact,” adds Sonal Kapoor, CEO, Protsahan India Foundation.

• 18% says it helps handle stress

Regardless of how convenient one’s job is, he/she cannot escape stress at one point or the other. “A professional team high on EQ, will always have higher productivity, and will stay together even under stress, crazy deadlines or during times of crisis,” says Kapoor.

Sandeep Chaudhary, Judicial Magistrate, Kanpur explains, “In my profession, it is important to make decisions that are neutral and fair. Whether the decisions are big or small, they have a direct impact on a number of people, hence it is very important for me to balance my emotions, stay calm and resolve conflicts effectively making EQ as important as IQ. ”

In general, people often become defensive while facing criticism but by being emotionally strong one can convert criticism into constructive feedback. According to Mehra, “Our social media team is a good example of an emotionally strong team and gets positively involved with the responses they get from their clients.”  A high emotional quotient can make the difference between a professional who enjoys his/her work and is good at it, and one who considers their job a burden and can’t wait to get through the day.

- See more at: http://content.timesjobs.com/?p=7067&fromsite=toi&utm_source=toi&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=toi-tj-whitelabel#sthash.XtCGj7Pv.dpuf

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Lessons from My First Job: Abhishek Joshi, Zenga Media

Abhishek Joshi, CEO, Zenga Media, shares his first job experience with TimesJobs.com

My First Job was: Ananda Bazaar Patrika Group of Publications

My experience: It was a unique experience being the first corporate exposure for a young kid out of the MBA School, it was a fantastic journey wherein I was exposed to the different functions – circulation sales, ad-sales, brand and events and that too in different locations across the country. It gave me a head-start to have a firsthand experience across the corporate structure for my future journey to head a business.

Things I learnt: People are the most important cogs in the wheel in any organization and it’s imperative to be a people manager and take them along to achieve the common objective.

Skills I Acquired: Interpersonal, analytical, negotiation, networking and strategic skills.

My Manager’s Teaching: To be intuitive and be well aware of the happenings around the space and be a quick decision maker to change course if need arises.

My Journey So Far: From an enthusiastic student of marketing to a well-grounded manager of people, resources and processes have been a fruitful and an exciting journey!

Turning Point in my Career: The last 12 years has seen many turning points in my career with every job change and every step in a different industry, role or function has been important and exciting but the most important turning point has been when I came on board of ZengaTV wherein I have a chance to govern how the business in this sunrise industry is or will be managed in the future.

My most crucial step: The most important and crucial assignment till date is with Zenga wherein I am responsible for the 2 most important constituents in the business – Viewer and the Advertiser, it’s my constant endeavor to keep the viewer engaged, entertained and sustained with the content offerings whereas on the other hand the advertiser also gets the maximum returns with every Ad-dollar spent on this platform. The 2 most important cogs in the wheel is my core responsibility and if they are well taken care of then the business will see an exponential growth in no time.

My Advice: My advice would be to never lose focus on the core objective and put all the processes in place to achieve that common goal.

Where I see myself 5 years from here: Where I will be in the next 5 years completely depends on what I do and achieve in the next couple of years, ideally would like to see myself on a beach in the Caribbean’s playing beach cricket in 5 years time!

- See more at: http://content.timesjobs.com/?p=7062&fromsite=toi&utm_source=toi&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=toi-tj-whitelabel#sthash.JqndJucS.dpuf

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5 Eat right ways to a slim you

5 Eat right ways to a slim you (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Shedding the kilos involves developing a healthy eating regime. Here are tips on getting that right...

Don't miss meals
Have at least three meals or then four smaller ones at a certain time everyday. These should contain enough cereal, protein and vegetable and fruit. If you skip a meal not only do you lower the body's metabolic rate but also tend over eat in the next one, which is harmful, state dietexperts.

Go for balance
It's wise to choose a combination of vegetables, protein, grains, minerals, fruit as well as fish, which is high in omega 3 fats that help prevent heart disease. High fibre foods like beans and whole grains are filling and low in calories. It's also recommended to have enough Vitamin C in the form of oranges or a lemon, everyday.

Don't overload...
It's said 'we eat with our eyes' therefore don't pile food onto the plate. Experts stress that an easy start to eating right is to practice portion control. Using a smaller dinner plate is smart and won't make you feel guilty. Just don't overload it, though.

Have more whole grains
Doing away with refined grains is most important when it comes to eating right and slimming down. The best sources of this are oatmeal, whole-wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat) and brown rice. Whole grains are said to have lower calories and they enhance one's fiber intake, which can in turn reduce blood cholesterol levels, lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases and chances of developing obesity.

Snack smarter
The next time you're pondering over what to have from a vending machine, do the right thing: walk away. Research points that snacking on chips or chocolates can hinder a diet like no other. Nutritionists advise having a healthy bite like a carrot stick or some dry fruit when you feel the munchies. A fruit is also a good option. 

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HP working on smartphone with 'differentiated experience'

HP is looking at re-entering the smartphone race and is working on launching a new device

BEIJING: Technology giant HP is looking at re-entering the smartphone race and is working on launching a new device, which will offer a "differentiated experience" to consumers.

Without giving a timeline, HP senior director, consumer PC and media tablets, Asia Pacific Yam Su Yin told that the company is focusing on all segments including tablet PCs, notebook PCs as well as all-in-ones (AIOs).

When asked if a smartphone is in the offing, she said: "The answer is yes but I cannot give a timetable. It would be silly if we say no. HP has to be in the game."

The company had bet big on the smartphone ecosystem when it purchased Palm for $1.2 billion in April 2010 but the webOS-based devices failed to take off.

With the likes of Apple and Samsung seeing a strong spurt in sales pushed by smartphones, HP also seems to be seen cashing in on the opportunity.

According to IDC, smartphone shipments are expected to grow 32.7% year-on-year reaching 958.8 million units in 2013, up from 722.5 million units shipped last year.

It also expects 2013 to mark the first year when smartphone shipments would surpass those of feature phones, accounting for 52.2% of total mobile phone shipments worldwide.

Emerging markets are forecast to account for 64.8% of all smartphones shipped during 2013, up from 43.1% in 2010.

Once it re-enters the smartphone segment, HP will have to compete with category leaders like Apple and Samsung, which together have more than 50% share of the global smartphone market.

Asked if it will be able to make up for the lost time, she said, "Being late you have to create a different set of proposition. There are still things that can be done. Its not late. When HP has a smartphone, it will give a differentiated experience."

HP is not alone in placing big bets on smartphones. Over the last few quarters, other computer makers like Lenovo and Dell have also launched smartphones to grab a share of the pie.

According to reports, after the failure of the webOS, HP is expected to turn to Android operating system, which has seen huge adoption from end users and availability of devices at multiple price points have also added to the popularity of the Google-promoted platform.

Besides, HP also plans to launch over 20 products by September across various categories like notebook PCs, AIOs, printers as well as services for enterprise users.

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Lenovo K900 review: Slim and fast phablet

Lenovo K900 smartphone

Most people know Lenovo as the company that makes laptops and desktops. It is not a firm that we think of when we start looking for our next smartphone. Lenovo's goal this year is to change this. It wants to be known as a company that doesn't only sell laptops but also the one that makes great computing devices, whether they are traditional computers or smartphones. 
In China, Lenovo has already become one of the top smartphone sellers. India, which has a similar high-volume and value-driven smartphone market, looks like a good market for the company. This is the reason why in the last month Lenovo launched six smartphones priced between Rs 32,999 and Rs 8,689. 

Of these devices, one particularly stands out. In India, Lenovo K900 is the first and only phone powered by Intel's dual-core (four-thread with hyperthread technology) Atom processor. It is also one of the slimmest smartphones in the world with a uniform thickness of 6.9mm. Finally, it is the cheapest smartphone in India to have a FullHD screen, though we hear that Micromax Canvas 4, supposed to launch on July 8, may take away this crown in the coming days. 

Of course, specifications alone don't sell the phone. Can K900 take on the other phablets like Galaxy Note II? Can Lenovo match the software and polished interface that Samsung and HTC offer in their phones? We test it out... 

Made from steel
We have seen phones with plastic shell and we have seen phones with aluminum bodies. But K900 is different. It is a phone that uses a unibody shell made of steel alloy and polycarbonate (tough plastic). The phone has an industrial design with clean rectangular shape. The back of the phone has two hues. The top and bottom part of the phone's body, made of polycarbonate (very tough plastic), are grey. The middle part is shiny steel. 

We like the materials Lenovo has used to build K900. In comparison, smartphones made of plastic feel downright cheap. Even phones that use aluminum alloy, a softer metal, seem less durable and more scratch prone. With the front of the device covered with tough Gorilla glass, K900 has a solid feel. The steel on the back inspires confidence that the device can survive coins in keys in pockets without getting scratches. 

K900 does suffer from one design issue - size. With a 5.5-inch screen and 162 gram weight, it is a big phone. That makes it using with single hand almost impossible. In fact, the height of the device means you will it difficult to reach the power button, which is the top of right side if you are using it with one hand. The slim design helps a bit but overall we find Galaxy Note II, which has a screen with similar size, much easier to hold. Reason? The boxy design of K900 gives it somewhat poorer ergonomics. Bigger devices with curvier designs and rounded edges feel better in hands. 

Fast but with tacky UI
Our experience with K900 was very good. In terms of hardware, it ticks all the right boxes. The phones feels fast and handles everyday workload very well. For example, multitasking is lag-free and switching between apps happen effortlessly. Even demanding games like Rayman Jungle Run can be played without any issues. Web browsing with multiple tabs is fast and pinch-to-zoom is smooth. GPS works well, call quality, though not exceptional in the league of Galaxy S4 or Nexus 4, is clear and network connection is maintained well. 

The highlights of K900 are its screen and camera. The 1080P screen is sharp and can show very good colours. The outdoor visibility is not as good as what offered by screens on more expensive phones like HTC One, but working on the device in sunlight doesn't feel tedious. 

The 13-MP rear camera clicks excellent images. In terms of image quality, the camera in K900 easily matches what offered by sharp-shooters like iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4. The pictures snapped with it are full of fine details, have vibrant colours and shows subjects in sharp focus. Even in low light, the K900 camera captures lot of detail, even as it tries to keep the level of noise (grain) low. 

Our only issue with K900 is the user interface (UI) used in it. K900 is powered by Android Jelly Bean. But Lenovo has stripped out the default options and loaded its customized UI on the phone. While it doesn't seem to affect the performance of the phone, Lenovo's UI neither looks great nor feels intuitive. Though, to be fair to Lenovo, the UI choices and tastes are often subjective. There are some people who love stock user interface in Android while some hate it. 

Instead of using the default icons and skins, Lenovo uses round and big icons in K900. It also uses a different default font. We feel this UI look bloated, cartoonish, and a bit unfamiliar. It also uses different kind of animations - for example the app drawer uses a flashy animation circular animation when you swipe through the list of installed apps. Similarly, the settings panel, the notification panel and quick settings, and way apps are managed on home screen have been completely changed. If you had used an Android device earlier you may take a while to get used to the interface on K900. 

While functionally, UI changes don't affect K900, we will suggest you check it out in a store before buying it. 

Battery life of the device is average. It lasts around 11 to 12 hours when used with custom settings in the battery saver app, which always runs in the background whether you require it or not. By default this battery saver app switches off the data connection and controls the brightness too aggressively when the battery gets low. To avoid that you will have to set your own battery settings. Also, we found that web browsing for some reason takes a heavy toll on K900 battery life compared to other Android devices. If you don't browse too much, you will get better battery life from the device compared to what we got on an average day. 

Should you buy it
If you don't mind the size, Lenovo K900 is a good value for money with an MRP of Rs 32,990. Other than the size and a bloated looking UI, K900 is a solid device. It is slim, has a fantasticbuild quality, a good screen and one of the best cameras ever put in a smartphone. 

At the moment, K900 has one natural competitor - Galaxy Note II. Both are big devices with large 5.5-inch screen. And while Note II debuted in the market at a much higher price, now it is selling for around Rs 35,000, which makes it a K900 competitor. Note II has more polished software features and user interface compared to K900. But it has slightly inferior camera and a 720P screen compared to a much-sharper 1080P screen on K900. The Lenovo device also has a more attractive design, though Note II feels better in hand. Note II has a significantly better battery life and comes with a useful stylus. 

Both are fine devices and you won't go wrong with either of them. But at the current prices, Lenovo K900 is slightly better value for money. 

Specs *5.5-inch capacitive touchscreen (1080 x 1920 pixels resolution)
*2GHz Intel Atom Z 2580 dual-core processor
*PowerVR SGX544MP2 graphics chip
*2GB RAM
*16GB internal storage
*13-megapixel camera, 1080P video recording
*2MP front-facing camera
*3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
*2500 mAh battery
*Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
*Price: Rs 32,990
 

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Samsung India to invest Rs 500 crore in mobile plant

Samsung India to invest Rs 500 crore in mobile plant: Sources

Samsung is planning to invest over Rs 500 crore to ramp up its mobile production capacity in India, industry sources said.

NEW DELHI: South Korean electronics majorSamsung is planning to invest over Rs 500 crore to ramp up its mobile production capacity in India, industry sources said. 

"Samsung is working to invest Rs 500 crore in its mobile production facility in India. It had approached government in this regard to take benefit of policy announcements and other incentives. The investment proposals have been cleared at Department of Electronics and IT (Deity) level," a source told. When contacted,Samsung India spokesperson said: "We are looking at strengthening our manufacturing presence in the country, to fulfil our growing needs in the market. However we are not able to provide further details at this stage." 

The company in April had said that it will manufacture its latest high-end smartphone Samsung Galaxy S4 in its Noida facility, but had not disclosed the investment that it would make in the manufacturing facility. 

Noida facility manufactures about 3.5 to 4 crore phones annually, including 12 smartphones models such as Galaxy S III. 

Samsung had last announced investment of $70 million (around Rs 315 crore) in September 2011 to ramp up its mobile production capacity from 1.2 crore per annum to 3.6 crore per annum. 

As per latest report by market research firm IDC, Samsung led the Indian smartphone market with shipment of around 20 lakh smartphones accounting for 32.7% of the total smartphones shipped in January-March 2013 period.

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Under pressure, you tend to miss Dhoni: Virat Kohli

Kohli assessed that there was marked change in the behaviour of the wicket when West Indies batted. (AFP Photo)

KINGSTON: Stand-in captain Virat Kohliadmitted that he missed the vast experience ofMahendra Singh Dhoni during pressure situation against West Indies as India lost a close encounter by one wicket in their first match of the Tri-series. 

Dhoni, who suffered from cramps while batting didn't come out to field and it was Kohli who led the side. 

"There were times when you are under pressure and you miss him (Dhoni) because he remains calm under pressure," a disappointed Kohli admitted at the post-match presentation ceremony on Sunday. 

Kohli assessed that there was marked change in the behaviour of the wicket when West Indies batted. 

"The way the wicket played in the second innings, the score wasn't enough, but it was completely different in the morning, it was damp, it became better for batting later on." 

Kohli praised his bowlers for keeping them in the game but considered that they were unlucky as a few edges didn't carry to the fielders. 

"We tried to take as many wickets as possible, one or two edges going to the fielders would have been different, we were close to winning it. There was a bit of spongy bounce in the morning and Narine was getting some turn. It was just a matter of one wicket. It was a great fight by us and good entertainment. West Indies had a great game," the young captain said. 

West Indies' stand-in captain Kieron Pollard wasn't happy that the match went down to the wire. 

"We find ways to get into these positions, but we won in the end. Teams of the past could have just fallen, that shows the belief of everyone in the team, victories such as these bring us together," a visibly satisfied Pollard said. 

Pollard said that the main goal was to go to Trinidad with two wins and he is happy that they have been able to achieve that. 

"We wanted to go to Trinidad with two wins, does not matter how we have done it, but we have. We should not be overconfident though, should win these sort of games easily. Thanks to the crowd for the support. Bravo (sitting out) was precautionary, we have Pakistan coming up, he has five or six days to get ready, hopefully he should be taking the mantle in Trinidad, with Ravi we are not sure." 

Man of the match Johnson Charles, who struck an attractive 97 was happy that he could make amends after his struggle against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tournament. 

"This was a good innings as in the previous game, I struggled a bit. Myself and (Darren) Bravo have always batted well together as I enjoy batting alongside him," Charles said. 

The 24-year-old opener admitted that the pitch flattened out in the second half. 

"Wicket improved a bit as it got flatter and was more of a batting pitch. I would have liked to get three-figure mark and carry my team to victory. I am a bit disappointed about it," he concluded.
 

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Facebook removing ads from controversial Pages

The social network would prefer if advertisers' messages appeared only alongside brand-appropriate content, which means no more ads on Pages that hawk adult products.

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In an effort to appease its advertisers, Facebook plans to more aggressively remove ads from Pages and Groups that host content of a violent, graphic, or sexual nature, the social network said Friday.

The change, which will start as a manual review process and become automated over time, means the social network will actively restrict ads from appearing on the right-hand side of Groups and Pages, such as those selling adult products.

"While we already have rigorous review and removal policies for content against our terms, we recognize we need to do more to prevent situations where ads are displayed alongside controversial Pages and Groups. So we are taking action," the company said in a press release. "Beginning on Monday, we will implement a new review process for determining which Pages and Groups should feature ads alongside their content."

The social network said the point is to ensure that advertisers' messages appear next to brand-appropriate Pages and Groups. The company, which doesn't yet seem to have a clear guideline as to what's questionable and what's appropriate content, is obviously trying to cater to its more than 1 million active advertisers, whose contributions finance its operations.

The decision follows complaints from Marks and Spencer and BSkyB, two companies that threatened to suspend their Facebook advertising after sponsored messages appeared alongside objectionable content, according to the BBC. One Sky ad was reportedly shown next to a Facebook Page called "cute and gay boys," and the ad prompted a negative reaction from some brand fans.

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Smartphone market share consolidates at top, study shows

Apple and Samsung continue to dominate smartphone makers, while Google's Android and iOS remain the top platform, according to ComScore, with the rest of the leaderboard ceding share to them.

The smartphone market leaders are more entrenched, and that's bad news for the underlings, based on a new study from ComScore.

ComScore's latest MobiLens report had no shifts in status among the major phone manufacturers and mobile operating systems in the three months ended in May, but the top two in both fields gained share while the bottom three all lost ground.

Apple ranked as the top phone maker with 39.2 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers, up 0.3 percentage point from the prior quarter, followed by Samsung with 23 percent market share, up 1.7 points.

But HTC , Motorola, and LG, which rounded out the top five, and all lost share.

(Credit: ComScore)

As they have for more than two years, the top operating systems all held their rankings. Google's Android and Apple's iOS remained No. 1 and 2, respectively, with both rising. Blackberry, Microsoft and Symbian systems all declined.

(Credit: ComScore)

Blackberry's rate of decline wasn't as sharp as it had been in previous ComScore reports, but that's little relief on a day the company's shares plunged 27 percent after a bleak quarterly report.

Overall, more and more Americans are choosing smartphones as their mobile option. In the latest three-month period, 141 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones, which is 59 percent mobile market penetration.

During the period of the latest study, the Blackberry Z10 launched a month before Samsungrolled out its Galaxy S4, and the HTC One also debuted.

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