Samsung is kicking ass - as in everyone's ass. They're kicking Apple's ass in smart phones, they're kicking Sony's ass in TVs, and they're kicking Nokia's ass in smart phones, Nokia no longer the top selling cellphone maker in the world. For the first time in 14 years, Nokia will not be #1 in the global cellphone business on an annual basis at the end of 2012. Instead, Samsung is now the world's #1 mobile handset maker according to a new study from iSuppi. I'll add that Samsung makes Windows 8 tablets, the Samsung Series 7, that has earned rave reviews, including from me, as it has become my primary computing device, primary tablet, and primary eReader.

Samsung's Galaxy line of phones (SII, SIII, Note, Note 2) are very popular because they are feature-rich, run on Android, a superior mobile OS to Apple's walled-garden OS, and have features not seen on Apple like NFC. Samsung's line of Smart TVs with Internet apps, support for Skype, Netflix, etc. and awesome picture quality make Samsung one of the top brands. I remember how Japan's Sony dominated consumer electronics (Walkman, CD players) in the 1970s and 1980s and with Japanese car imports Americans were worried everything would be made in Japan. Now it would appear South Korea's Samsung has taken the mantle from Sony and I would argue is starting to knock the mighty Apple off of their tree.

Ironic, that both Japan and South Korea were at one point required American military intervention. In Japan's case to overthrow the military which controlled the Emperor and in South Korea's case to fight off North Korea who invaded. Makes you wonder had we decided to not defend South Korea or rebuild Japan how different the consumer electronics world would be today. One only needs to look at communist North Korea's failed economy to know what would have happened to South Korea. Nevertheless, even with South Korea's capitalist system, it still requires ingenuity and like their Japanese and American electronics company counterparts, Samsung has ingenuity in spades. Though Apple would likely argue they are copy-cats pirating their ideas  - hence the lawsuits.