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Engadget News |
- Samsung Galaxy S II not coming to Verizon after all?
- Growing Up Geek: Joe Pollicino
- Verizon to offer Intuit's GoPayment in retail stores, free after rebate
- Engadget's NYC Reader Meetup is happening tonight!
- AMD taps Lenovo's Rory Read to be President and CEO
- Tim Cook: Who is Apple's new CEO?
- Sony's Digital Link Sound System brings all-in-one iOS integration to your dashboard
- Lightning Motorcycles risks neck for an extra 10 MPH on the Flying Banana
- AMD 990FX motherboards from Asus, ASRock and Gigabyte get rounded up and ranked
- Alleged HP TouchPad running Android appears, can be yours on eBay (update: and another one!)
- Apple's new CEO Tim Cook addresses employees in staff letter
- Acer unveils TravelMate 8481T laptop for the all-business crowd
- WebKit turns 10, celebrates a decade of speedy, standards-compliant browsing
- Motorola rolling out 4G LTE upgrade for select Xoom users?
- Sony's AR tool lets you put big screens in small apartments (video)
- SanDisk launches $50 Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player, makes for a cheap workout date
- X10 AirPad is a warm slab of Gingerbread for under $200
- BlackBerry to run Android apps on future QNX devices?
- Sony Vaio Z gets the in-house teardown treatment (video)
- CineSkates smooth your camera's roll (video)
- Microsoft: front facing cameras, Skype integration coming with Mango update (video)
- Facebook sets sights on Instagram users with photo filter integration
- Gunnar Optiks crafts limited edition Modern Warfare 3 specs, keeps the bad guys in clear sight
- Talk O' Clock makes alarm clocks more social, strangers more friendly
- Droid Bionic teases boot sequence, LTE prowess to anxious onlookers (video)
- 3G coverage survey gives British smartphone users little to smile about
- EEE Pad Transformer gains Netflix support, minor fixes
- BBM Music gets official for BlackBerry owners lusting after Spotify
- Fukushima technician gives behind-the-scenes look at the cleanup operation
- Mango teaches Windows Phone to share, probably still needs carrier permission
- Nikon unveils S1200pj and AW100 cameras, we go hands-on
- TiVo talks cable, satellite deals in Q2 results; DirecTiVo exposed! (video)
- ITK's Handroid: a softer, gentler robotic hand (video)
- Steve Jobs' Apple: a timeline
- Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple
- Huawei Sonic reappears at the FCC, ditches AWS 3G and NFC functionality
- Ticketmaster's interactive seat map brings Facebook stalking to concert venues
- Samsung's GT-19220 shows up in leaked photos, preps for battle with iPhone 5? (update: nope!)
- Engadget's NYC Reader Meetup happens August 25!
- Toshiba Smarbo takes on dirt, Roomba, music playing prowess unclear
| Samsung Galaxy S II not coming to Verizon after all? Posted: 25 Aug 2011 11:46 AM PDT  |
| Growing Up Geek: Joe Pollicino Posted: 25 Aug 2011 11:00 AM PDT       Joe Pollicino's one of the most multifaceted gents you'll ever meet, with a loud speaking voice and a love of the great indoors. He'll sometimes announce his next pizza delivery order or complain about gadgets on Twitter (@akaTRENT), and when he's on the move there's always a laptop by his side in some sort-of crazy bag. Any time he has left, he spends pwning n00bz on PSN (ID: akaTRENT). |
| Verizon to offer Intuit's GoPayment in retail stores, free after rebate Posted: 25 Aug 2011 10:39 AM PDT  Intuit GoPayment App and Credit Card Reader Now Available at Verizon Wireless Stores BASKING RIDGE, N.J. & MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless and Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU) today announced a strategic alliance to give all small businesses – from the sole proprietor to a medium-sized business – the ability to process credit card payments on smartphones and tablets. The companies are now offering Intuit's GoPayment app and pocket-sized credit card reader in Verizon Wireless' 2,300 retail stores and business-to-business sales channels. GoPayment makes it easier and more affordable for small businesses to process credit cards and for anyone who sells products or services to accept credit card payments wirelessly. The card reader simply plugs into the audio jack of a supported smartphone or tablet. Credit and debit cards can be swiped through the card reader or entered into the app manually. The transaction is processed immediately and funds are automatically deposited into a user's bank account within a few business days. GoPayment supports devices on Android™, BlackBerry® and iOS platforms for most popular 3G and 4G LTE smartphones and tablets. "Intuit's GoPayment on America's most reliable network is a mobile transaction game changer, and brings another dimension of must-have technology to the small business community," said Mike Schaefer, executive director of the Business Solutions Group for Verizon Wireless. "Payments and transactions are often the biggest hurdle businesses face. Our value proposition is to streamline, simplify and enable business owners to get paid with minimal delay. This collaboration with Intuit is an important part of our strategy to bring the most innovative online and mobile tools to our customers." "Rather than lose out on potential business, anyone who sells a product or service can now easily and affordably give their customers the option of paying with plastic," said Chris Hylen, general manager of Intuit's Payment Solutions division. "GoPayment is meeting a huge need and is one of the fastest growing mobile payment solutions in the market. With Verizon Wireless, we'll help even more people discover that they too can process credit card payments on the phones or tablets they already own." To save time when processing payments, GoPayment offers the ability to create and sell from a list of frequently sold items. Depending on the types of goods and services sold, users can choose to apply sales tax, add tips and send customized receipts via text message and email with a map of where the transaction took place. To protect data, sensitive credit card information is never stored on the phone. The data is also encrypted – once via the card reader and a second time via the GoPayment app. For the more than four million small businesses that use QuickBooks®, GoPayment can also sync transactions with recent versions of QuickBooks – PC, Mac and soon QuickBooks Online – to save time by reducing manual data entry. GoPayment also supports up to 50 users on one account, which is ideal for businesses with multiple employees who work in the field. Pricing Verizon Wireless customers can get the GoPayment credit card reader free with activation of a GoPayment account and a mail-in rebate for the $29.97 purchase price. The GoPayment mobile payment app is free and the basic service has no monthly, transaction or cancellation fees, and offers a competitive 2.7 percent discount rate for swiped transactions. A paid version of GoPayment is also available for $12.95 a month and provides a low discount rate of 1.7 percent for swiped transactions. Intuit is offering Verizon Wireless customers two months of free service when they select this monthly paid plan. Customers who purchase a smartphone for their GoPayment use will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 for monthly access. Tablet and smartphone users require a data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data. For additional information, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/gopayment or gopayment.com/verizon. |
| Engadget's NYC Reader Meetup is happening tonight! Posted: 25 Aug 2011 10:16 AM PDT  For starters, AT&T, Samsung, HTC, RIM and Motorola will be on hand, showing off their latest and greatest. And as you can see above, there's also a sweet electric Mini Cooper parked outside. Toss in lots of cool free stuff, a live podcast, live art and food and drink, and you've got a pretty sweet party. The all ages event kicks off tonight at 6:30PM at Guastavino's, located at 59th Street in Manhattan. Space is limited to 1,000, and things are first-come, first served, so showing up a little early certainly couldn't hurt. Oh, and a Facebook event? We've got your Facebook invite right here. |
| AMD taps Lenovo's Rory Read to be President and CEO Posted: 25 Aug 2011 09:34 AM PDT  AMD has finally found itself a permanent CEO. The company today named Rory P. Read to the post, also announcing that he'll serve as President and as a member of the board of directors. Read most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Lenovo, and spent 23 years serving in a variety of roles at IBM prior to that. He replaces AMD CFO Thomas Seifert (now returning to his original role), who had been serving as interim CEO since the departure of Dirk Meyer -- who himself only became CEO in 2008 when Hector Ruiz stepped down. For his part, Read says that he's "very pleased to be joining AMD at this important time in its history," and that "AMD is a true innovator and is uniquely positioned to lead the industry forward, delivering the next big thing both within the PC ecosystem and beyond." The company's full press release is after the break. AMD Names Rory P. Read President and CEO 28-year industry veteran brings extensive track record of growth through transformation and strong customer perspective SUNNYVALE, Calif. -8/25/2011 AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Rory P. Read, 49, President and Chief Executive Officer of AMD, effective today. Mr. Read has also been appointed to the Company's board of directors. Read joins AMD from Lenovo Group, Ltd., where he was most recently President and Chief Operating Officer responsible for leading day-to-day global operations while overseeing the development and implementation of the company's growth strategy. "Rory is a proven leader with an impressive record of driving profitable growth," said Bruce Claflin, Chairman of AMD's Board of Directors. "He is ideally suited to accelerate AMD's evolution into the world's leading semiconductor design company. As President and COO of Lenovo he helped take the company into dynamic new markets while growing market share and expanding profitability. His sound strategic thinking and natural customer orientation will help amplify the voice of the customer inside AMD." While managing Lenovo's Americas group, Read drove double-digit revenue growth and market share gains, reversing operating losses and delivering consistent profitability. He was promoted to president and COO in 2009, helping to transform Lenovo into the world's fastest growing major PC manufacturer and achieving its largest worldwide market share ever. Prior to Lenovo, Read spent 23 years at IBM, where he held a broad range of management positions. "I'm very pleased to be joining AMD at this important time in its history. AMD is a true innovator and is uniquely positioned to lead the industry forward, delivering the next big thing both within the PC ecosystem and beyond," said Read. "AMD has strong momentum and the opportunity to continue profitably gaining share based on its highly differentiated products, solid financial foundation, and passionate and committed employees. I'm excited to be joining AMD's employees as we write the next chapter not just for the company, but for the industry and consumers around the world." Thomas Seifert, who served as interim Chief Executive Officer since January, will return to his role as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. Claflin, named Executive Chairman of the Board when he assumed additional responsibilities specific to AMD's search for a new CEO, returns to his role as AMD's Chairman of the Board. "On behalf of my fellow directors, I would like to thank Thomas Seifert for serving as interim CEO," added Claflin. "Under Thomas' leadership, AMD has continued to make important progress across key areas of the business, successfully executing on major initiatives and new product introductions while improving the company's financial performance. We look forward to Thomas' continued contributions to the Company as Chief Financial Officer." About Rory P. Read Rory P. Read spent five years at Lenovo. During his tenure as President and COO, Read led a global business turnaround that resulted in record market share gains, strong revenue growth and significant improvements in operating income. Prior to Lenovo, Read spent 23 years at IBM where he held a broad range of management positions. While at IBM, Read consistently grew revenues while significantly improving the operating profitability for the groups under his management: As Managing Partner for IBM's Business Consulting Services Division, Read led the division through a turnaround that significantly improved gross margins, drove new customer acquisitions and generated double digit revenue growth and operating profitability. As Executive Vice President of Global Business Transformation, IBM Global Services, Read was responsible for worldwide leadership of IT initiatives and Business Transformation across the $45 billion business. As General Manager, Business Consulting Services, Asia Pacific, Read was the senior executive leader for IBM's $3.5 billion consulting services organization in Asia Pacific. He was responsible for driving significant customer and revenue growth while also improving gross margin and successfully leading the integration of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Read graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in Information Systems from Hartwick College. About AMD Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a semiconductor design innovator leading the next era of vivid digital experiences with its ground-breaking AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). AMD's graphics and computing technologies power a variety of devices including PCs, game consoles and the powerful servers that drive the Internet and businesses. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com. |
| Tim Cook: Who is Apple's new CEO? Posted: 25 Aug 2011 09:00 AM PDT  Cook has been with Apple for the lion's share of Jobs's second coming, joining the company in 1998. At the time, Cook was six months into a stint at Compaq, serving as Vice President, Corporate Materials. Prior to his brief run there he was the COO of Intelligent Electronics and spent a far longer 12-year stretch at IBM, serving as the Director of North American Fulfillment at the time of his exit. Cook did his undergrad at Auburn University, earning a BS in industrial engineering, going on to get an MBA at Duke University half a decade later. When Cook first joined Apple his title was Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations -- a position that challenged him to overhaul the company's inefficient supply chain. The exec would soon prove himself an invaluable and no-nonsense leader within the confines of Cupertino, trimming excess fat, closing down factories, reducing inventory levels and pumping up margins. He compared his work to the dairy business, driving home the importance of never keeping anything past its freshness date. And no collection of Cook anecdotes is complete without a simple question -- "Why are you still here?" -- posed to a fellow executive half an hour after telling them that someone needed to be in China, addressing a supply concern there. Most Cook anecdotes paint him as dry and business-minded, waking up at 4:30 in the morning to send emails, and holding meetings on Sunday night to prepare for the week to come. So it was no surprise that Cook's first official staff letter as CEO arrived bright and early this morning. In 2005, Cook was named COO, having already stepped in for Steve Jobs a year earlier during his first medical leave. At the time of his promotion, Jobs said of Cook, " Tim has been doing this job for over two years now, and it's high time we officially recognized it with this promotion." You could say the same applies to Cook's latest promotion as well. It's true, while Jobs shed his title as chief executive, he was also appointed chairman of the company's board of directors -- a role that will likely ensure he remains steeped in the company's big-picture decision making. That caveat aside, Cook has considerable experience running the company's day-to-day operations, and as anyone who knows Cook will attest, he's reputed as much for being a diligent student as a tireless worker. And when it comes to the world of consumer electronics, it's hard to imagine a better teacher than Steve. 02.27.08 - Apple COO says it's not married to iPhone exclusivity, still on track to sell 10m this year 01.14.09 - Steve Jobs is taking a leave of absence from Apple due to health reasons 01.21.09 - Apple on smartphone competition: "if others rip off our intellectual property, we will go after them." 07.20.10 - Apple posts record $3.25b profit in first full quarter of iPad sales, says more 'amazing products' coming this year 01.12.11 - A brief and anecdotal history of the Verizon iPhone 4 deal 02.18.11 - Apple's Tim Cook hints at cheaper iPhone, prepaid possibilities to come? 08.24.11 - Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple 08.24.11 - Apple's new CEO Tim Cook addresses employees in staff letter |
| Sony's Digital Link Sound System brings all-in-one iOS integration to your dashboard Posted: 25 Aug 2011 08:42 AM PDT  Is your car yearning for more iOS integration? Sony's got you covered, with its new Digital Link Sound System. The company's new audio package is available in two models: the all-in-one XDP-PK1000 and the more compact XDP-MU110. The former consists of five components, including an iPhone / iPod Touch cradle (pictured above), wireless remote control, customizable digital sound processor, 12-inch box subwoofer and 300 watt Class D mono block amp. The XDP-MU110, on the other hand, is geared toward drivers who are already content with their amp / subwoofer setup, but simply want to outfit their ride with a fresh audio system, with the help of Sony's cradle, processor and remote. If you're interested in getting one, however, you'll have to wait a little longer; the XDP-PK1000 is expected to start shipping in September, for about $800, with the XDP-MU110 slated to ship in November, for $400. Cruise past the break for more information, in the full PR. Sony's New Digital Link Sound System Integrates Factory Car Head Units with Sound Staging Technology The product is an all-in-one package solution for iPod touch®/iPhone® integration into original car audio systems San Diego, August 24, 2011 – Sony announced Digital Link Sound System, a new product that easily installs and enhances the audio quality of factory head units. Digital Link Sound System will be available in two models, XDP-PK1000, an all-in-one package to optimize sound staging, and the XDP-MU110 model, a condensed version which integrates with existing or other subwoofers and amplifiers. "It is becoming increasingly common for original in-dash radios to be integrated with other features like navigation and climate controls, and more and more, customers want to keep the original looks of their car stereos, while improving sound quality," said Mike Kahn, director of the Audio Product Division at Sony Electronics. "Digital Link Sound System is a convenient solution, allowing music lovers to listen to their favorite songs on their iPhone or iPod touch with a high-quality, powerful 3 Dimensional sound and increased functionality of their factory audio system." XDP-PK1000 Digital Link Sound System The XDP-PK1000 Digital Link Sound System is a total audio system comprised of five pieces: Cradle for iPhone, card remote, Digital Sound Processor Master Unit, 12 inch box subwoofer, and Class D Mono Block Amplifier. The internal DSP processing creates a balanced front stage and improves sound quality on a pre-installed original car audio system. It enhances iPod Touch or iPhone playback by digitally connecting and fully processing in the digital domain for optimized sound performance. It also enables adjustment of time alignment, equalization and crossover points to deliver an improved audio experience. The processor is customizable, utilizing three multi-position switches to adjust DSP parameters for 18 types of vehicles. Bass response is increased with the 300 watt Class D amp and sealed 12 inch subwoofer enclosure. The Class D amp is highly efficient, converting about 90% of incoming power into output to the speakers. Sony's original technology, Dynamic Distortion Suppressor, suppresses distortion that occurs at higher playback levels for clear bass reproduction. The subwoofer utilizes Sony's Dimpled Woofer Cone, which makes the unit lightweight but tough, while producing higher output power. Using the adjustable dash mounted cradle, you can control playback of internally stored audio content or listen to audio from internet audio apps on an iPod touch or iPhone. The included wireless remote lets drivers control the basic functions of the system. XDP-MU110 Digital Link Sound System For music lovers who already have an amplifier and subwoofer or want to install a different audio system, the XDP-MU110 system is an ideal solution. This model comes with three pieces: Cradle for iPhone, Digital Sound Processor Master Unit and card remote. Buyers of this model still get the enhanced sound quality from the DSP processing and increased functionality from the mounted cradle and wireless remote control while having the flexibility and freedom to combine with the amplifier and subwoofer of their choice. The XDP-MU110 model offers a simple and easy set-up and navigation support by illumination color (cradle) and beep sound. Whether using the internal 45W x 4 high power amplifier for speakers or the 2 Volt Front, Rear and Sub RCA pre-amp outputs to feed an external amplifier, drivers can dial in the output for optimum sound. Pricing and Availability The XDP-PK1000 model, available in September 2011, will be available for about $799 at authorized car dealerships nationwide, Best Buy and Sony stores and online at http://store.sony.com. The XDP-MU11, available November 2011, will be available for about $399 at authorized retailers nationwide, Sony stores and online at http://store.sony.com. For further details and pre-orders, please visit http://sony.com/caraudio. For images and information, please visit www.sony.com/news. |
| Lightning Motorcycles risks neck for an extra 10 MPH on the Flying Banana Posted: 25 Aug 2011 08:21 AM PDT  Weeks after breaking the electric motorcycle land speed record, Lightning Motorcycles decided it wasn't satisfied with 206.079 MPH. Shunning a well-deserved vacation, its Flying Banana MK. II bike hit a verified speed of 215.960 MPH. The company is taking orders for the $38,888 eco-widowmaker and assures you it'll be cheap to run -- the record breaking trip in the video below used a mere 18 cents of electricity. |
| AMD 990FX motherboards from Asus, ASRock and Gigabyte get rounded up and ranked Posted: 25 Aug 2011 08:02 AM PDT  |
| Alleged HP TouchPad running Android appears, can be yours on eBay (update: and another one!) Posted: 25 Aug 2011 07:55 AM PDT  Update: Apparently one of our own commenters, Shahzeb Jiwani, has come into possession of a similar device. Luckily for us, he's chosen to make a ROM dump available over on RootzWiki, so check out his video after the break or head over to the thread there as they try and find out how to make this work on everyone else's $99 tablet. [Thanks, David & Dennis] Jiwanish's Video:  |
| Apple's new CEO Tim Cook addresses employees in staff letter Posted: 25 Aug 2011 07:33 AM PDT 
Read the full text of the letter after the break.
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| Acer unveils TravelMate 8481T laptop for the all-business crowd Posted: 25 Aug 2011 07:09 AM PDT  Globetrotting financiers have a new companion to slot into their briefcases, now that Acer has taken the wraps off its TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebook. Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and weighing in at 3.7 pounds, this little guy boasts a 14-inch, 1366 x 768 LCD that's been engineered to fit within a 13-inch footprint, thanks to a frameless, bezel-trimming design. The latest addition to the TravelMate 8481 family also boasts 4GB of DDR3 memory (or 8GB, if you upgrade) and a 320GB SATA hard drive, along with the usual collection of WiFi, Bluetooth and USB 3.0 capabilities -- all packed within a slim, 0.87-inch thick frame. The laptop is expected to start shipping in "early September" for $1,000, but you can find more details in the full PR that's sitting after the break. Acer America Expands Business PC Lineup With Slim and Stylish TravelMate Timeline Notebook New TravelMate Timeline 8481T Features Unique 14-Inch Screen in Ultraportable 13-Inch Form Factor, All Day Battery Life and Enterprise-Class Security and Manageability SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - August 24, 2011) - For ultimate road warriors and savvy business professionals seeking a combination of style, mobility and professional-grade security and manageability, Acer America today debuts the new TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebook PC for U.S. and Canadian customers. The lightweight TravelMate Timeline 8481T delivers outstanding performance, all-day battery life(1) and sports a unique 14-inch screen in an ultra-thin 13-inch form factor. "True road warriors and professionals need a thin and light mobile PC that is capable of running heavy business applications and presentations," said Gregg Prendergast, vice president of commercial sales and marketing for Acer America. "The TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebook is an important addition to our commercial notebook portfolio, as it combines everything a business professional requires on the road or in the office, including exceptional performance, enterprise-level security and manageability and long battery life in a small form factor for a best-in-class mobile experience." Sleek Mobility in a Mainstream Form Factor At just 3.7 pounds with a super slim 0.87-inch profile, the TravelMate Timeline 8481T features an innovative new display technology to allow an ultra-compact, frameless 14-inch LCD to fit into a 13.3-inch footprint. The sophisticated industrial design trims the bezel by a third and allows 15 percent more display area so users can conduct business and boost productivity while enjoying the portability of a traditional 13-inch notebook. The TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebook is housed in a unique dual-tone resilient magnesium-aluminum case that evenly distributes external forces and can withstand extreme pressure. The notebook also features a new metal-alloy hinge design for maximum hold strength when the cover is open, and Autolock to ensure the notebook lid is tightly secured for LCD protection. Serious Notebook Performance for Serious Business Ensuring mobile performance required for business users, the new TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebooks are powered by second-generation Intel® Core™ i5 processors with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 that encrypts files and folders for critical data security. The TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebooks enable professionals to run business productivity applications 60 percent faster than previous generation processors, with up to two times faster multitasking. Users can create more compelling sales presentations and run power hungry business applications up to 70 percent faster and perform complex financial calculations up to 80 percent quicker, resulting in increased productivity. The TravelMate Timeline 8481T delivers superb business presentations with rich color and crisp images via the notebook's 14-inch Acer ComfyView LCD LED backlit display with HD (1366x768) resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. With Intel® HD Graphics 3000 with 128MB of dedicated system memory and Wireless Display (WiDi) technology, users can connect the notebook to an HD display with a compatible adaptor, and easily setup and wirelessly share presentations and HD videos with great image clarity and sound. Long-lasting battery life is another extremely important requirement for professional users. The TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebook's eight-cell lithium ion battery provides up to 13 hours PC performance depending upon usage(2), to ensure users are productive for an entire working day without a power source. Additionally, the notebooks feature Acer PowerSmart long cycle batteries, which provide up to three times longer battery life cycles than traditional batteries (1,000 vs. 300 cycles). These batteries also maintain 80 percent capacity after the 1,000 cycle count, which means the battery will last longer, reducing the need to replace it. (3) The TravelMate Timeline 8481T packs 4GB of DDR3 memory and is upgradeable to 8GB, providing plenty of space to store and manage important files and folders of any size thanks to a spacious SATA hard disk with up to 320GB of capacity at 7200 rpm. To ensure the physical integrity of the PC's data, the TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebooks feature next-generation DASP (Disk Anti-Shock Protection) technology that insulates the hard disk, providing added on-the-go protection if the notebook is accidently dropped, knocked or bumped. The hard disk drive is also soft-mounted onto the system to provide extra cushioning. The result is a significant improvement in preventing hard disk drive failure and higher MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure). The TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebooks offer a full range of advanced connectivity solutions including Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth. The Acer Video Conference solution, including high-def webcam and built-in microphone, enables high-quality video conferences so that users can easily keep in touch with business contacts. Premium Security & Manageability When booting up the system, the TravelMate Timeline 8481T utilizes the multi-level Acer ProShield Security with BioProtection Fingerprint solution, preventing unauthorized access while safeguarding the notebooks valuable assets and data integrity with one swipe of a fingerprint. TravelMate Timeline 8481T users can easily manage and transfer data to and from external devices ten times faster than before with the notebook's USB 3.0 port. The TravelMate Timeline 8481T flaunts the Power-Off USB Charging technology, allowing users to charge a smartphone or other USB device without turning the computer on. The TravelMate Timeline 8481T easily becomes a charging station, allowing road warriors to travel without extra power adapters for mobile phones and other gadgets. Pricing, Eco-Compliance and Warranty The Acer TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebooks are available in the U.S. and Canada in early September at authorized Acer resellers. Prices for the TravelMate Timeline 8481T begin at $999.99 US/CAN. Acer professional notebooks are submitted to a series of reliability tests and are compliant with the most stringent industry criteria. The elimination of hazardous substances throughout the TravelMate Timeline notebook's supply chain results in Acer's greenest notebook to date.(4) These TravelMate Timeline series models are Energy Star® qualified, ensuring energy savings and longer battery life and are registered EPEAT® Silver, having less environmental impact than products that do not meet the EPEAT criteria.(5) The new Acer TravelMate Timeline Series comes with a standard one-year parts and labor warranty, which can be extended to three years with the Acer Advantage service.(6) Additionally, some models have longer warranties offered through specific channel partners. All Acer notebooks and netbooks are backed by toll-free service and support.(7) |
| WebKit turns 10, celebrates a decade of speedy, standards-compliant browsing Posted: 25 Aug 2011 06:46 AM PDT  It's hard to believe but WebKit, the rendering engine inside Safari and Chrome, is now ten years old. The forked child of KDE's KHTML received its first commit of code from Apple back on August 24th of 2001. It would be well over a year before the debut of Safari in 2003, and another two years before it was fully open sourced. Since then it's begun to replace Gecko (Mozilla) as the rendering engine du jour and even spawned a sequel in Webkit2. So, happy birthday to Apple's greatest contribution to the open source community. |
| Motorola rolling out 4G LTE upgrade for select Xoom users? Posted: 25 Aug 2011 06:26 AM PDT  It's been a while coming, but it looks like some Motorola Xoom users will finally be receiving 4G LTE support, in the very near future. According to a customer service e-mail obtained by Droid Life, the manufacturer has already begun sending out instructions on how to receive the upgrade, as part of an apparent gradual rollout. To make the jump, select consumers, businesses and government clients will have to first back up their Android-based tablets, before shipping them off to Motorola in a pre-paid FedEx box. Once that's taken care of, they'll have to twiddle their thumbs for three business days before receiving their newly refreshed devices, dripping in Verizon's LTE goodness. No word yet on when the rest of the Xoom community can expect similar treatment, but hit up the source link to read the full e-mail for yourself. |
| Sony's AR tool lets you put big screens in small apartments (video) Posted: 25 Aug 2011 06:14 AM PDT  [Thanks, Matt] See Before You Buy: Sony uses augmented reality to help choose the right size TV for your home 22 August 2011 We've all been there when it comes to sizing up televisions for the home. Judging if it will fit into a certain space, how it will look when it's there and whether it will be suitable for the style of your home are some of the customary headaches associated with making a purchase. There is also a common opinion that bigger is usually better when it comes to TVs, but a lack of confidence over whether bigger will look better often leads us to opt for a smaller size. It's only when the television is in place that we realise a bigger size would have looked just fine. In fact, it can be misleading that today's TVs are bigger. If you compare one of Sony's top of the range 32-inch Trinitron TV's from 2001(*1) and today's 46-inch award winning BRAVIA, the KDL-46HX923 –– the latter is only 10cm wider than the Trinitron and half as deep at 24cm. That includes the stand as the TV alone is just 3cm thick. This is because the frame around the actual screen takes up less space, as well as it being much flatter. To help consumers choose the best size TV with confidence, Sony has developed its own 'TV Size Guide' tool. Hosted online, www.sony.co.uk/article/tv-size-guide, it uses augmented reality to show how different size TVs look in any given location, so you can rely less on gut feeling when it comes to the most appropriate size. How it works The prospective TV buyer simply goes to the TV Size Guide website and follows four easy steps: 1. Download and print out a marker – this is a simple shape printed onto an A4 piece of paper that the app will recognise and transfer into your selected TV 2. Place this marker where you want your TV to go, either on a flat horizontal surface or mounted on a wall, and take a photograph of it. 3. Upload the image to Sony's online tool and it will automatically pick up the marker, working out the appropriate scale and position for your TV. Choose different size TVs which will appear on top of the marker to find the best one for you. 4. Save your images to create a gallery of choices to compare and contrast. Tim Schwarz, Online Content Manager, Sony Europe explains: "Up until now a tape measure and guess work is all that most of us have had to rely on when it comes to picking the best sized TV for the home and this often leads to mistakes. We know consumers put a lot of emphasis on getting the right screen size and our research has shown that this is one of the most important features they look for when buying a TV(*2). What people don't often realise is that TVs take up a lot less space than they used to, so you really can go larger. This is why we've developed this simple guide – to give you the confidence to choose the right size TV by accurately visualising how it would look in situ before you buy." |
| SanDisk launches $50 Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player, makes for a cheap workout date Posted: 25 Aug 2011 05:55 AM PDT  SanDisk Introduces Sansa(R) Clip Zip(TM) MP3 Player Stylish, Feature-Rich Player Delivers Affordable On-The-Go Music Experience MILPITAS, Calif., Aug 24, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Packed with features, including a larger color screen, compatibility with all major music formats, a stopwatch, an FM radio, voice recording capability and a microSDHC(TM) card slot for extra storage --Successor to one of the best-selling sub-$50 MP3 players in the United States --Available now in the United States and Canada; coming soon to Europe SanDiskCorporation /quotes/zigman/54370/quotes/nls/sndk SNDK +0.87% , a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today introduced the Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player, the latest addition to the popular Sansa(R) Clip family. The Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player is perfect for active music fans looking for a feature-rich, easy-to-use player at a great value. "The Sansa Clip family ranks among the most popular sub-$50 MP3 players in the United States, and now we've made it even better," said Tom Bailey, senior director, AV retail, SanDisk. "Our tiny Sansa Clip Zip packs big features that few other MP3 players in its class can match." Major Music Enjoyment The Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player offers rich sound quality and is compatible with all major music formats, including the AAC codec (DRM-free iTunes compatible). The player's new 1.1-inch LCD color screen offers 83 percent more viewing area than previous models. Its updated graphical interface displays album art and makes it easier than ever for consumers to navigate songs. Features for Consumers The Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player offers extra features that consumers want in an MP3 player, including: -- microSDHC card slot lets consumers instantly expand the player's storage capacity--up to 32 additional gigabytes(2) (a maximum of 8,000(3) songs total between the internal and external memory). -- Easy compatibility with all major music, audio book and podcast formats, including MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, AAC and Audible files. -- Optimized for use with Rhapsody, eMusic and Napster music services. -- More colors--red, blue, black, orange, white, grey and purple. Reliable Workout Partner The Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player includes a new stopwatch for timing laps and an FM radio for tuning into stations at the gym or on the go. Thinner and lighter than before, the player weighs a little more than half an ounce (15.8 grams) and is about the same size as a matchbox (2.25 x 1.42 x 0.58 inches). The compact player features a durable design that is perfect for hands-free listening. Convenient Travel Companion With up to 15 hours of battery life(1), the Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player lets consumers enjoy music during long trips away from home while conserving their phone or tablet's battery. The player slips easily into any piece of luggage or clipped onto a piece of clothing. It includes a built-in microphone with voice recording capabilities and uses a micro-USB connector, the popular charger used for many mobile devices today--so travelers can pack one less cable. Pricing and Availability The Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player comes in capacities of 4GB (storing up to 1,000 songs(3)) and 8GB (storing up to 2,000 songs(3)), carrying MSRPs of $49.99 and $69.99. The player is available now in the United States and Canada, and will reach Europe next month. |
| X10 AirPad is a warm slab of Gingerbread for under $200 Posted: 25 Aug 2011 05:32 AM PDT  Couldn't get your hands on a discount TouchPad? It's not quite as cheap, but X10 does boldly claim that its new AirPad is "the best tablet on the market for under $200." It's important to have realistic goals, after all. The seven-inch slate packs in 4GB of storage (plus a microSD slot), WiFi, and Android 2.3. |
| BlackBerry to run Android apps on future QNX devices? Posted: 25 Aug 2011 05:08 AM PDT  |
| Sony Vaio Z gets the in-house teardown treatment (video) Posted: 25 Aug 2011 04:24 AM PDT  |
| CineSkates smooth your camera's roll (video) Posted: 25 Aug 2011 03:49 AM PDT  Wheels make everything better, right? That certainly seems to be the case with CineSkates. Joby has given a big thumbs up to the Kickstarter project, which help the Gorillapod Focus capture some pretty sweet tracking shots, because nothing says "elegance" like a gorilla on wheels. |
| Microsoft: front facing cameras, Skype integration coming with Mango update (video) Posted: 25 Aug 2011 03:20 AM PDT  [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| Facebook sets sights on Instagram users with photo filter integration Posted: 25 Aug 2011 02:33 AM PDT  |
| Gunnar Optiks crafts limited edition Modern Warfare 3 specs, keeps the bad guys in clear sight Posted: 25 Aug 2011 01:58 AM PDT  Limited Edition Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 Gaming Eyewear Revealed by GUNNAR Optiks Computer Eyewear Maker Brings Performance, Protection and Style to Fans Awaiting Most Anticipated Game of the Year SAN DIEGO - August 23, 2011 GUNNAR Optiks®, the world's leading manufacturer of technology eyewear, today announced a licensed partnership with Activision Publishing, Inc. to release limited edition Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 Gaming Eyewear. The exclusive Modern Warfare® 3 design brings new form, function and style to GUNNAR's existing line of Advanced Gaming Eyewear. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is scheduled to release worldwide on November 8th. The limited edition Modern Warfare 3 eyewear combines all the features of GUNNAR's i-AMP® lens technology into a futuristic fighter-inspired design. Specs include custom spring hinges, a magnesium alloy frame and wide coverage lenses, providing an ultra sharp view into the farthest ranges of your peripheral vision. Adjustable nose pads accommodate a wide range of facial features with venting details inspired by the latest technology in military machinery. GUNNAR's eyewear delivers style and comfort, allowing gamers to look sharp, stay focused and play longer while protecting their eyes during extended gaming sessions. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's release this November will no doubt be the event of the year and is certain to achieve a new level of action-packed, unflinching entertainment," said Rob Aarnes, president of GUNNAR Optiks. "GUNNAR has supported gamers over the years helping them to enhance their vision and protect their eyes with our expanded line of MLG, SteelSeries and Call of Duty®: Black Ops edition gaming eyewear, and we're pleased to continue this with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3." Not only will the limited edition eyewear provide a visual advantage to gamers through those long nights of intense action, but they will be able to show their affinity for the new blockbuster and look badass while playing it." The eyewear will be sold worldwide at an MSRP of $99 and will include a limited edition Modern Warfare 3 carrying case and cleaning cloth. The product will be sold exclusively in North America at Best Buy retail locations with a demo experience in select US locations. The eyewear will also be sold in select European retailers. Preorders will begin in late August, available through BestBuy.com in North America and select European countries. Specific product details will emerge in the coming months. To learn more about the limited edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Gaming Eyewear from GUNNAR Optiks and to find a Best Buy location that carries other styles in GUNNAR's gaming collection, please visit: www.gunnars.com/mw3/. Key features of GUNNAR Optiks Advance Gaming Eyewear: • Amber Tint - Specially formulated lens tint conditions and shifts the color spectrum to provide superior contrast, detail and resolution • Minimizes Eye Fatigue - Lens geometry and tint reduces visual stress and dry eyes • Reduces Glare - Lens coatings and material reduces glare and improves visual focus • Improves Focus - Amber lens tint and geometry help your eyes focus more naturally improving comfort and protecting against fatigue • Sharpens Detail - i-AMP® lens technology enhances detail for sharper, clearer vision • Fit - Lightweight frame, extended coverage, adjustable nose pads, and custom spring hinges • 20/20 Ready - Out of the box solution for 20/20 or 20/20 corrected vision • Rx Compatible - Custom Prescriptions are available through GUNNAR's prescription program with Carl Zeiss Vision across approximately 15,000 eye care providers nationwide. Multiple styles of GUNNAR Optiks' Advanced Gaming Eyewear are currently available, including the PPK, Paralex, MLG Phantom and Legend, and SteelSeries Scope with retail prices ranging from $79 to $99 MSRP. |
| Talk O' Clock makes alarm clocks more social, strangers more friendly Posted: 25 Aug 2011 01:02 AM PDT  |
| Droid Bionic teases boot sequence, LTE prowess to anxious onlookers (video) Posted: 25 Aug 2011 12:22 AM PDT  [Thanks, Tu] |
| 3G coverage survey gives British smartphone users little to smile about Posted: 24 Aug 2011 10:28 PM PDT  |
| EEE Pad Transformer gains Netflix support, minor fixes Posted: 24 Aug 2011 09:52 PM PDT  [Thanks, Zack] |
| BBM Music gets official for BlackBerry owners lusting after Spotify Posted: 24 Aug 2011 09:01 PM PDT  RIM Announces BBM Music - A New Social Music Sharing and Discovery Service New Cloud-Based Music Service Makes Music a Social Experience Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) today announced BBM Music, a new BBM (BlackBerry® Messenger) service for socially connected music fans. BBM Music is an easy-to-use cloud-based service that enables social and viral music discovery by allowing users to build an evolving, community-based music library that is shared amongst their BBM Music friends. The size of the music library continues to grow as new friends join the community and each user can select music from a catalog with millions of songs from leading music companies - Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI. "More than 45 million customers already love the social communication benefits delivered through BBM and we are thrilled to be extending the experience into a uniquely social and interactive music service," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "We have partnered with leading music companies to provide a „full track‟ music sharing and discovery experience that will provide users with quality music on demand and allow them to connect with friends on a whole new level." Key features of BBM Music include: - Music made social – BBM Music is a cloud-based, social music service that allows you to share and discover music with your friends, creating a continually evolving music library: - Build a personal music profile with 50 of your favorite songs. You can refresh your profile by swapping out up to 25 songs each month. - Invite your BBM friends to subscribe to BBM Music and to join your BBM Music Community. - With each friend that is added to BBM Music, you grow your music collection since the songs from the profile of each BBM Music friend are available to you at any time. - Up to 50 tracks from your personal profile are shared with your BBM Music Community, and each member of your community shares up to 50 songs from their profile with you. - Enjoy a truly social community-based music experience – the more friends who join your community, the more songs you can listen to. - Easily discover music that your BBM Music friends are listening to, and comment on your friends‟ songs and playlists. - You can create multiple playlists from music in your profile as well as all of your friends‟ profiles, and with one click you can shuffle the entire collection of music from your BBM Music Community. You can even see which friend contributed each song while it plays. - Within your BBM Music app, you also see a visual timeline that shows the recent updates of all users within your community. It gives you a chronological view of community updates, including who added new friends, which songs were added or removed, which playlists were created and what comments were made by your BBM Music friends. - Listen to Full Tracks - BBM Music subscribers can listen to full tracks from their friends‟ profiles – not just previews. - Offline Listening - Music can be saved to smartphones for offline listening, allowing users to access songs even when they don‟t have wireless coverage. - Topping the Charts – Keep track of how many friends are listening to your tracks. "A major component of online music continues to be about community, and the ability to discover new artists and music through word of mouth," stated Rob Wells, President of Global Digital Business for Universal Music Group. "BBM Music dynamically and elegantly integrates the excitement of this social music discovery process with a high quality music service, enabling tens of millions of BlackBerry users to experience new music and to share those experiences with their friends virtually anywhere and at anytime." "We are pleased to be partnering with Research In Motion on their BBM Music service. RIM and its large base of BlackBerry Messenger users represent an exciting platform for expanding the reach of commercial digital music around the world," stated Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales and Corporate Strategy, Sony Music Entertainment. "The combination of a premium music solution and instant messaging will enable viral music discovery and emphasize the social power of digital music. It also offers an effective way of serving younger consumers by integrating music into the fabric of an important hub of their digital activity." "A dynamic social music experience is a powerful way for our artists to connect with fans and also for fans to discover music by interacting with each other," said Michael Nash, Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy & Business Development, Warner Music Group. "Addressing more than 45 million BlackBerry Messenger users with a service tailor-made for its mobile community, BBM Music has the opportunity to reach a broad and engaged audience." "We are very excited to work with Research In Motion to bring our artists‟ music to BBM‟s huge and very loyal user base," said Mark Piibe, Executive Vice President of Global Business Development at EMI Music. "BBM Music‟s unique social discovery experience offers fans a great new way to discover music, share their favorite tracks with their friends and build a stronger connection with the artists they love." "The widespread adoption of mobile devices provides the perfect foundation for consuming and sharing music. Brands that want to deliver a unique interactive experience must create services that are mobile, social, and contextual," said Maribel Lopez Principal at Lopez Research and Constellation Research Group. A closed (limited) beta trial of the BBM Music service is starting today in Canada, the United States and the UK. The BBM Music service is expected to be commercially available to customers later this year for a monthly subscription of $4.99 USD* in Australia, Canada, Columbia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, the United Kingdom and the United States. |
| Fukushima technician gives behind-the-scenes look at the cleanup operation Posted: 24 Aug 2011 08:29 PM PDT  New details about the robotics deployed to help clean up Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant have emerged, thanks to a series of blog posts penned by an anonymous technician. Known only as 'S.H.', the blogger wrote of the effectiveness of the donated iRobot Packbots and Warriors (despite their prolonged exposure to electronics-damaging radiation), while criticizing the Tokyo Electric Power Company for what he saw as inept supervision, unreasonable schedules and disregard for technician safety. S.H., who helped retrofit a vacuum cleaner onto a robot to collect radioactive dust, also revealed technical details about the robots, explaining that they were manipulated with a PlayStation-style controller via a Panasonic Toughbook and that the devices were most effective in pairs, which allowed for better wireless connectivity and faster emergency response. The site was taken down after it began circulating on Twitter but IEEE kept and translated the posts, available for your perusal at the source link, below. |
| Mango teaches Windows Phone to share, probably still needs carrier permission Posted: 24 Aug 2011 07:51 PM PDT  Microsoft's budding mobile OS is finally learning to share, just like the big kids. Windows Phone's graduation to Mango comes not only with Twitter integration, SkyDrive music streaming, and multitasking, but with internet connection sharing as well. The new feature showed its toggle switch at WPCentral this week, riding in on a Microsoft flashed Focus running Mango build 7720.68. According to the tell-all image, Windows Phones running Mango will be able to share their cellular internet connection with up to 5 devices -- reportedly draining its battery with unprecedented efficiency. ChevronWP7 collaborator Rafael Rivera confirmed over Twitter that the feature is baked into Mango, guessing that it would require a "carrier 'update' to enable." Yeah, we wouldn't be surprised. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| Nikon unveils S1200pj and AW100 cameras, we go hands-on Posted: 24 Aug 2011 07:02 PM PDT  S1200pjThe most obvious sign of progress with the S1200pj is its pleasant size and build. Unlike its bulky and plasticky predecessors, you probably wouldn't be too embarrassed to lug this thing to a party. It weighs in at 186g (6.6 oz) and stands 63.4mm (2.5-inches) tall, 107mm (4.3-inches) wide and 22.6mm (0.9-inches) thick -- in other words it doesn't feel a world apart from an ordinary compact. The metal build helps too, giving the device a strong and classy tactility.  General specs are par for the course: a tiny 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor crowded with 14.1 megapixels, a 5x optical zoom, a 3-inch 460k-dot LCD, and the ability to record 720p at 30fps. It's too early to say how these specs add up in terms of image quality, because Nikon understandably won't let us take sample pics with a non-final device. Nevertheless, it is clear that the burden of an inbuilt projector doesn't hurt the S1200pj's all-round credentials. This also applies to battery life, which allows for up to 350 snaps or a full hour of projection before it delivers its final whimper. The older pj models had less stamina because they used LCOS projector technology, whereas the S1200pj adopts tried-and-tested DLP projection instead. Not only does this save on power consumption, it also yields 40-percent more brightness: 20 lumens instead of 14. In practice, this means you can see a relatively clear image even when there's some light in the room -- although we wouldn't pit the bulb against daylight or anything brighter than, say, a romantically-lit dining room.  The biggest problem with the projection isn't the brightness, but rather the fact that the projected image (the above being a self-portrait, admittedly) just wasn't very enjoyable to look at. To be fair, we were projecting onto a non-uniform wall, in uneven lighting, and the camera was handheld, creating a seriously wobbly projection. If lighting was ideal and the camera was stably mounted at a sweet spot around five feet from the wall (which would yield a picture width of approximately 35-inches), then no doubt the results would have been better. But even so, we struggle to imagine relying on the projector to convey a particularly beautiful or detailed image -- it's far more suited to rough and ready projections of bolder images and videos of the type you'd want to share among friends in a casual setting (although, as we've said in previous posts, we've yet to see anyone actually do this in real-life). To hone in on its target market, Nikon has added support for projection directly from an iPod, iPad or iPhone. This smart feature works via a cable that goes from the 30-pin iDevice connector to a 3.5mm input on the camera. Nikon tells us that this cable will be bundled free for at least the first three months after launch -- although there's a chance it might be charged as separate accessory after that. As with previous pj models, there's also the option of a USB cable that allows for projection from a PC or Mac laptop. AW100The AW100 is a handsome beast with its camouflage paint job and interesting locks and seals. In terms of dimensions and weight it's very similar to the S1200pj and it also has the same 5x lens, but it's a lot more pleasurable to hold and behold.  It's freeze-proof down to minus 10 degrees Celsius and can allegedly be dropped from a height of up to 4.5 feet without smashing. But we reckon most people will want the AW100 for its underwater abilities -- it can shoot as far down as 33ft, which is a lot deeper than most cheaper waterproof cameras that stick to the 10-16ft range, and which makes this an ideal tool for snorkeling and shallow dives.  Nikon isn't trying to compete with $100-$200 rugged cameras, but instead wants to become the market leader in this niche by incorporating added features, including: a 16MP CMOS sensor that can record full 1080p (30fps) HD; GPS plus a compass and preloaded maps for geo-tagging; plus, a handy 'action button' which should make it easier to control the camera when diving or wearing gloves. Pressing this large button brings up a simplified menu and switches the camera into a motion sensing mode, where flicking it left to right or backwards and forwards cycles through menu options just like the arrow keys would during normal operation. There's not much more to say about this camera until we're able to take it beneath the waves and grab some stills and footage. But from what we saw today, there's a good chance that the AW100 will be worth its fish-scaring price tag. |
| TiVo talks cable, satellite deals in Q2 results; DirecTiVo exposed! (video) Posted: 24 Aug 2011 06:33 PM PDT  Speaking of the DirecTivo, an apparent training video has leaked. ZatzNotFunny has more information, but it reveals the hardware and UI, which disappointingly harken back to the days of older Series3 hardware instead of the updated HD menus on the new Premiere boxes. Check out the video and Q2 press release after the break. TiVo Reports Results for the Second Quarter Ended July 31, 2011 -- Early success from new operator deals returns TiVo to positive MSO/Broadcaster subscription gains -- Service & Technology revenue up 18% year-over-year, exceeding guidance -- Adjusted EBITDA and Net loss both exceed guidance -- Strong early success at Virgin Media highlighted by more than 50,000 subscriber installs in first three months since launch -- Grande Communications deal showcases TiVo's leadership among small and medium sized operators -- Insignia Connected TV with TiVo Design rolled out at Best Buy -- Announced a stock repurchase program of up to $100 million ALVISO, CA, Aug 24, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), a leader in advanced television services, including digital video recorders (DVRs), for consumers, content distributors and consumer electronics manufacturers, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended July 31, 2011. Tom Rogers, President and CEO of TiVo, said, "This was another milestone quarter for TiVo, highlighted by our successful execution on key strategic growth initiatives. On the heels of our historic settlement with DISH Network, in the second quarter we delivered better than anticipated revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and net income, exceeding our guidance. Further, the deals we have signed over the past years as a source of growth are now delivering a substantial number of subscribers, and we believe this trend should accelerate with more deployments later this year. Finally, we added yet another distribution relationship in the U.S., this time with Grande Communications. This agreement leverages our R&D investment from existing distribution relationships, highlighting our ability to provide a quick and cost effective advanced television solution for operators globally." For the second quarter, service and technology revenues were $49.6 million, compared to our guidance of $46 million to $48 million and up 18% compared to $42.1 million for the same period last year and $38.8 million in the fiscal first quarter 2012. TiVo reported a net loss of ($19.6) million, compared to guidance of a net loss of ($25) million to ($27) million and a net loss of ($15.3) million in the year ago quarter. Net loss per share this quarter on a basic share basis was ($0.17). Additionally, Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of ($9.2) million, compared to Adjusted EBITDA guidance of a loss of ($14) million to ($16) million, and to an Adjusted EBITDA loss of ($6.5) million in the same period a year ago. TiVo ended the second quarter with approximately $628 million in cash and short-term investments, up significantly from the prior quarter due to the receipt of the first DISH Network settlement payment of $300 million. Rogers continued, "We recently announced that our Board has authorized a $100 million share repurchase plan. Both TiVo management and our Board concluded, at the time, that with our shares trading at unusually depressed levels which reflected little value beyond our cash and NOLs, a $100 million repurchase authorization could be a highly compelling investment relative to other uses of cash while also not limiting our ability to consider other strategic opportunities. "Our mass distribution efforts are now showing tangible results through subscription growth. We are seeing subscription growth from partners such as RCN, Suddenlink, and Virgin Media, while Charter, DIRECTV, and ONO are progressing towards launch, which we believe should provide further momentum. "Virgin Media is a perfect example of how we are executing with operators. As part of its second quarter earnings results, Virgin Media said that it had approximately 50,000 TiVo subscribers live at the end of July. This is a very strong indication of consumer demand in what are only the early stages of this deployment, and we are seeing this demand only accelerate in the third quarter. We are thrilled that Virgin Media has embraced our offering in such a meaningful way. A quote from Neil Berkett, Virgin Media's CEO on the company's recent earnings call said it all: 'I think TiVo will do to our video business what Docsis 3.0 did to our broadband business. I think it will significantly change our brand, our perception and our ongoing delivery... TiVo is the best connected TV certainly in the U.K. and I would argue in the world. It is produced by connected TV experts. It's all they do, that's why we've partnered with them. That's why it's actually launched on time.' "Further, we are continuing to focus on deepening current distribution relationships. For example, our relationship with RCN continues to expand as they are set to be the first to offer subscribers a TiVo Whole-Home solution based on TiVo's expanded product family that includes our non-DVR set-top box and 4-tuner DVR set-top box. Our non-DVR set-top box, in particular, increases our ability to significantly penetrate the subscriber base of service providers beyond the DVR, providing us with an even larger opportunity to grow. "We're also making steady progress with Suddenlink, as we've seen them accelerating deployments and increasing the TiVo footprint beyond Texas, most notably in North Carolina, where TiVo for the first time is being deployed with an Arris video-on-demand system. As for our deal with Charter, we continue to make progress and we look forward to initiating a trial later this year. "In addition, the success we're seeing in our current deployments along with the fact that we are the only mass distributed advanced television solution deployed to date, has led to additional operators taking notice. To that end, we announced earlier today a distribution agreement with Grande Communications, a broadband communications company based in the Southwest U.S. with about 150,000 video subscribers. Going forward, TiVo will be the exclusive provider of DVRs and whole home solutions for Grande. We expect Grande's initial launch to begin in October. It's worth noting that the speed with which we are able to launch with Grande is a great example of how our recent R&D investments enable us to bring on new customers with limited incremental cost to TiVo and the operator and then to move with great speed. "On the retail side of the business, Best Buy launched Insignia Connected TVs with a TiVo designed user experience. This is the first time TiVo has been available directly on a television as its primary user interface and highlights another way TiVo touches the consumer as well as represents another device in Best Buy stores with the TiVo experience. While we continue to be cautious with our investments in the retail business, we are confident that our retail offerings will benefit from having the TiVo Designed Insignia televisions at Best Buy. More importantly, by leveraging the R&D elements of our retail business into our operator business, TiVo is the only vendor that is in the unique position of having an array of operator products that benefit from more than ten years of direct interaction with retail subscribers and households. And by being in retail we continue to believe we are able to control our own destiny, innovate, and deliver the best product with a well recognized brand. That pedigree of innovation is one of the things operators find extremely valuable. "In terms of our intellectual property, and in particular our patent portfolio, since our inception we have been diligent in our efforts to file patent applications around the inventions we have created. We currently have 210 issued patents and 389 pending applications in our worldwide portfolio of media experience and connectivity intellectual property that extend to DVRs, set-top boxes, smart phones, tablets, and other forms of consumer electronics and processes. And much of this intellectual property extends well into the future. We are very pleased to see that patents and intellectual property in general are becoming increasingly more valuable, and we believe that, as a result of our creativity and engineering focus, we have one of the more significant advanced patent portfolios out there in these fields." Rogers concluded, "We are seeing momentum building around many elements of our business that we believe will drive our future growth. We have showcased to the pay-TV world that we have a unique advanced television solution that is being deployed in the marketplace today. We believe our current agreements with operators are just the tip of the iceberg, as we see significant potential in future deals driving accelerated subscription growth. The recent validation of our intellectual property, coupled with the growing value of patent portfolios in the market and the fact that we believe we have now become the leader in the expanding market of advanced television to operators, has put TiVo in a strong position today." Management Provides Financial Guidance For the third quarter of fiscal 2012, TiVo anticipates service and technology revenues in the range of $49 million to $51 million. TiVo anticipates net loss to be in the range of ($27) million to ($29) million, and an Adjusted EBITDA loss to be in the range of ($17) million to ($19) million. This guidance includes ongoing licensing revenue from the DISH Network settlement. This financial guidance is based on information available to management as of August 24, 2011. TiVo expressly disclaims any duty to update this guidance. Management's guidance includes Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure as defined in Regulation G. TiVo has provided a reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) in the attached schedules solely for the purpose of complying with Regulation G and not as an indication that EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA is a substitute measure for net income (loss). Conference Call and Webcast TiVo will host a conference call and Webcast to discuss the second quarter financial and operating results and guidance outlook at 2:00 pm PT (5:00 pm ET), today, August 24, 2011. To listen to the discussion, please visit http://www.tivo.com/ir and click on the link provided for the Webcast or dial (877) 618-4505 (conference ID number is 90406852). The Webcast will be archived and available through August 31, 2011 at http://www.tivo.com/ir or by calling (706) 645-9291; and entering the conference ID number 90406852. About TiVo Inc. Founded in 1997, TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) developed the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). TiVo offers the TiVo service and TiVo DVRs directly to consumers online at www.tivo.com and through third-party retailers. TiVo also distributes its technology and services through solutions tailored for cable, satellite, and broadcasting companies. Since its founding, TiVo has evolved into the ultimate single solution media center by combining its patented DVR technologies and universal cable box capabilities with the ability to aggregate, search, and deliver millions of pieces of broadband, cable, and broadcast content directly to the television. An economical, one-stop-shop for in-home entertainment, TiVo's intuitive functionality and ease of use puts viewers in control by enabling them to effortlessly navigate the best digital entertainment content available through one box, with one remote, and one user interface, delivering the most dynamic user experience on the market today. TiVo also continues to weave itself into the fabric of the media industry by providing interactive advertising solutions and audience research and measurement ratings services to the television industry. TiVo and the TiVo Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc. or its subsidiaries worldwide. Copyright 2011 TiVo Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to, among other things, TiVo's future business and growth strategies including future subscription growth with TiVo's MSO/Broadcaster customers and subscription growth in TiVo's retail business, future repurchases of TiVo stock by TiVo, the timing of future TiVo product roll-outs and availability of particular products in the future with customers such as DIRECTV, ONO, Charter, RCN, and Grande Communications among others, TiVo's ability to leverage its research and development in the future between customers and MSO and retail markets and the future strength and value of TiVo's intellectual property portfolio. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "intend," "estimate," "continue," or similar expressions or the negative of those terms or expressions. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include delays in development, competitive service offerings and lack of market acceptance, as well as the other potential factors described under "Risk Factors" in the Company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2011, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended April 30, 2011, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect an analysis only and speak only as of the date hereof. TiVo disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. TIVO INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except per share and share amounts) (unaudited) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended July 31, July 31, ------------------------ ------------------------ 2011 2010 2011 2010 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Revenues Service revenues $ 34,016 $ 35,654 $ 67,350 $ 71,898 Technology revenues 15,586 6,415 21,089 13,388 Hardware revenues 11,580 9,481 18,495 27,650 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Net revenues 61,182 51,550 106,934 112,936 Cost of revenues Cost of service revenues 9,089 9,887 17,889 20,290 Cost of technology revenues 3,813 4,211 10,833 9,232 Cost of hardware revenues 13,401 11,546 22,254 30,765 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Total cost of revenues 26,303 25,644 50,976 60,287 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Gross margin 34,879 25,906 55,958 52,649 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Research and development 26,042 19,326 53,270 37,954 Sales and marketing 6,905 6,622 13,242 14,382 Sales and marketing, subscription acquisition costs 2,441 1,366 3,674 4,557 General and administrative 17,826 14,103 40,278 25,800 Litigation Proceeds -- -- (175,716) -- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Total operating expenses 53,214 41,417 (65,252) 82,693 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Income (loss) from operations (18,335) (15,511) 121,210 (30,044) Interest income 678 381 3,841 750 Interest expense and other income (expense) (1,965) (145) (4,589) (147) ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Income (loss) before income taxes (19,622) (15,275) 120,462 (29,441) Benefit from (provision for) income taxes 71 (29) (988) (63) ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Net income (loss) $ (19,551) $ (15,304) $ 119,474 $ (29,504) =========== =========== =========== =========== Net income (loss) per common share Basic $ (0.17) $ (0.13) $ 1.03 $ (0.26) Diluted $ (0.17) $ (0.13) $ 0.91 $ (0.26) Income (loss) for purposes of computing net income (loss) per share: Basic (19,551) (15,304) 119,474 (29,504) Diluted (19,551) (15,304) 122,472 (29,504) Weighted average common and common equivalent shares: Basic 116,146,567 113,814,828 115,695,989 112,663,287 Diluted 116,146,567 113,814,828 135,161,128 112,663,287 TIVO INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except per share and share amounts) (unaudited) July 31, January 31, 2011 2011 ---------- ---------- ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 96,027 $ 71,221 Short-term investments 531,798 138,216 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $406 and $275, respectively 11,246 16,011 Inventories 13,588 13,228 Deferred cost of technology revenues, current 12,056 13,760 Prepaid expenses and other, current 11,174 6,983 ---------- ---------- Total current assets 675,889 259,419 LONG-TERM ASSETS Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $44,217 and $44,682, respectively 10,377 10,229 Purchased technology, capitalized software, and intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $16,438 and $15,110, respectively 5,909 6,956 Deferred cost of technology revenues, long-term 13,573 2,100 Prepaid expenses and other, long-term 4,123 1,224 Long-term investments 3,400 5,890 ---------- ---------- Total long-term assets 37,382 26,399 ---------- ---------- Total assets $ 713,271 $ 285,818 ========== ========== LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY LIABILITIES CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable $ 19,202 $ 18,052 Accrued liabilities 34,002 30,115 Deferred revenue, current 74,720 33,792 ---------- ---------- Total current liabilities 127,924 81,959 LONG-TERM LIABILITIES Deferred revenue, long-term 100,927 34,857 Convertible senior notes 172,500 -- Deferred rent and other long-term liabilities 560 246 ---------- ---------- Total long-term liabilities 273,987 35,103 ---------- ---------- Total liabilities 401,911 117,062 COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Preferred stock, par value $0.001: Authorized shares are 10,000,000; Issued and outstanding shares - none -- -- Common stock, par value $0.001: Authorized shares are 275,000,000; Issued shares are 121,718,388 and 117,420,874, respectively and outstanding shares are 120,441,826 and 116,475,318, respectively 122 117 Treasury stock, at cost - 1,276,562 shares and 945,556 shares, respectively (11,869) (8,660) Additional paid-in capital 982,855 956,947 Accumulated deficit (659,751) (779,225) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 3 (423) ---------- ---------- Total stockholders' equity 311,360 168,756 ---------- ---------- Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 713,271 $ 285,818 ========== ========== TIVO INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) (unaudited) Six Months Ended July 31, ---------------------- 2011 2010 ---------- ---------- CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net income (loss) $ 119,474 $ (29,504) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment and intangibles 4,493 4,560 Loss on disposal of fixed assets -- 42 Stock-based compensation expense 14,559 12,374 Amortization of discounts and premiums on investments 1,010 1,076 Non-cash loss on overallotment option 1,536 -- Utilization and write-down of trade credits 619 65 Allowance for doubtful accounts 267 184 Changes in assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 4,498 3,214 Inventories (360) (6,789) Deferred cost of technology revenues (9,178) (5,483) Prepaid expenses and other (1,915) (926) Accounts payable 985 1,997 Accrued liabilities 3,887 (1,411) Deferred revenue 106,998 (3,828) Deferred rent and other long-term liabilities 314 21 ---------- ---------- Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 247,187 $ (24,408) ---------- ---------- CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Purchases of short-term investments (567,013) (84,190) Sales or maturities of long-term and short-term investments 174,222 81,573 Acquisition of property and equipment (3,148) (4,113) Acquisition of capitalized software and intangibles (281) -- ---------- ---------- Net cash used in investing activities $ (396,220) $ (6,730) ---------- ---------- CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from issuance of convertible senior notes, net 166,285 -- Proceeds from issuance of common stock related to exercise of common stock options 7,479 29,185 Proceeds from issuance of common stock related to employee stock purchase plan 3,284 2,407 Treasury stock - repurchase of stock for tax withholding (3,209) (3,794) ---------- ---------- Net cash provided by financing activities $ 173,839 $ 27,798 ---------- ---------- NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS $ 24,806 $ (3,340) ---------- ---------- CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS: Balance at beginning of period 71,221 70,891 ---------- ---------- Balance at end of period $ 96,027 $ 67,551 ========== ========== TIVO INC. OTHER DATA Guidance Reconciliation Three Months Ended -------------- July 31 Three Months ------------------------------ Ending October 31, 2011 2010 2011 -------------- -------------- -------------- (In thousands) (In millions) Net loss $ (19,551) $ (15,304) $(29) - $(27) Add back: Depreciation & amortization 2,259 2,339 $2 Interest income & expense 1,288 (381) $2 - $1 Provision for income tax (71) 29 $0 -------------- -------------- -------------- EBITDA (16,075) (13,317) $(26) - $(24) Stock-based compensation 6,902 6,788 $7 -------------- -------------- -------------- Adjusted EBITDA $ (9,173) $ (6,529) $(19) - $(17) ============== ============== ============== EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Results. TiVo's "EBITDA" means income before interest income and expense, provision for income taxes and depreciation and amortization. TiVo's "Adjusted EBITDA" is EBITDA less expense for stock-based compensation. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not measures of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles, which we refer to as GAAP. We have presented EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA solely as supplemental disclosure because we believe they allow for a more complete analysis of our results of operations and we believe that EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are useful to investors because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are commonly used to analyze companies on the basis of operating performance. In addition, because of the variety of equity awards used by companies, the varying methodologies for determining stock-based compensation expense, and the subjective assumptions involved in those determinations, we believe excluding stock-based compensation enhances the ability of management and investors evaluate our operating performance over multiple periods. Management does not use EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of liquidity because, among other things, they do not exclude the impact of deferred revenues associated with the amortization of product lifetime subscriptions. We do not use stock-based compensation expense in our internal measures. A limitation associated with these non-GAAP measures is that they do not include any stock-based compensation expense related to hiring, retaining, and incentivizing the Company's workforce. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not intended to represent, and should not be considered more meaningful than, or as an alternative to, measures of operating performance as determined in accordance with GAAP. TIVO INC. OTHER DATA Three Months Ended Subscriptions July 31, -------------------- (Subscriptions in thousands) 2011 2010 --------- --------- TiVo-Owned Subscription Gross Additions: 25 32 Subscription Net Additions/(Losses): TiVo-Owned (43) (48) MSOs/Broadcasters 10 (77) --------- --------- Total Subscription Net Additions/(Losses) (33) (125) Cumulative Subscriptions: TiVo-Owned 1,165 1,366 MSOs/Broadcasters 763 1,018 --------- --------- Total Cumulative Subscriptions 1,928 2,384 % of TiVo-Owned Cumulative Subscriptions paying recurring fees 57% 56% Included in the 1,165,000 TiVo-Owned subscriptions are approximately 286,000 lifetime subscriptions that have reached the end of the period TiVo uses to recognize lifetime subscription revenue. These lifetime subscriptions no longer generate subscription revenue. Subscriptions. Management reviews this metric, and believes it may be useful to investors, in order to evaluate our relative position in the marketplace and to forecast future potential service revenues. The TiVo-Owned lines refer to subscriptions sold directly or indirectly by TiVo to consumers who have TiVo-enabled DVRs and for which TiVo incurs acquisition costs. The MSOs/Broadcasters lines refer to subscriptions sold to consumers by MSOs/Broadcasters such as DIRECTV, Cablevision Mexico, Seven/Hybrid TV (Australia), Television New Zealand (TVNZ) (New Zealand), Virgin Media (United Kingdom), RCN, Suddenlink, and Comcast (under the prior agreement with Comcast) and for which TiVo expects to incur little or no acquisition costs. Additionally, we provide a breakdown of the percent of TiVo-Owned subscriptions for which consumers pay recurring fees, including on a monthly and a prepaid one, two, or three year basis, as opposed to a one-time prepaid product lifetime fee. We define a "subscription" as a contract referencing a TiVo-enabled DVR for which (i) a consumer has committed to pay for the TiVo service and (ii) service is not canceled. We count product lifetime subscriptions in our subscription base until both of the following conditions are met: (i) the period we use to recognize product lifetime subscription revenues ends; and (ii) the related DVR has not made contact to the TiVo service within the prior six month period. Product lifetime subscriptions past this period which have not called into the TiVo service for six months are not counted in this total. We amortize all product lifetime subscriptions over a 60 month period. We are not aware of any uniform standards for defining subscriptions and caution that our presentation may not be consistent with that of other companies. Additionally, the subscription fees that our MSOs/Broadcasters pay us are typically based upon a specific contractual definition of a subscriber or subscription which may not be consistent with how we define a subscription for our reporting purposes nor be representative of how such subscription fees are calculated and paid to us by our MSOs/Broadcasters. Our MSOs/Broadcasters subscription data is based in part on reporting from our third party MSOs/Broadcasters partners. TIVO INC. OTHER DATA - KEY BUSINESS METRICS Three Months Ended July 31, ----------------------- TiVo-Owned Churn Rate 2011 2010 ---------- ---------- (In thousands, except churn rate per month) Average TiVo-Owned subscriptions 1,188 1,390 TiVo-Owned subscription cancellations (68) (80) ---------- ---------- TiVo-Owned Churn Rate per month (1.9)% (1.9)% ---------- ---------- TiVo-Owned Churn Rate per Month. Management reviews this metric, and believes it may be useful to investors, in order to evaluate our ability to retain existing TiVo-Owned subscriptions (including both monthly and product lifetime subscriptions) by providing services that are competitive in the market. Management believes factors such as service enhancements, service commitments, higher customer satisfaction, and improved customer support may improve this metric. Conversely, management believes factors such as increased competition, lack of competitive service features such as high definition television recording capabilities in our older model DVRs or access to certain digital television channels or MSO Video-on-Demand services, as well as, increased price sensitivity and installation and CableCARD(TM) technology limitations may cause our TiVo-Owned Churn Rate per month to increase. We define the TiVo-Owned Churn Rate per month as the total TiVo-Owned subscription cancellations in the period divided by the Average TiVo-Owned subscriptions for the period (including both monthly and product lifetime subscriptions), which then is divided by the number of months in the period. We calculate Average TiVo-Owned subscriptions for the period by adding the average TiVo-Owned subscriptions for each month and dividing by the number of months in the period. We calculate the average TiVo-Owned subscriptions for each month by adding the beginning and ending subscriptions for the month and dividing by two. We are not aware of any uniform standards for calculating churn and caution that our presentation may not be consistent with that of other companies. Three Months Twelve Months Ended July 31, Ended July 31, ---------------- ---------------- 2011 2010 2011 2010 ------- ------- ------- ------- Subscription Acquisition Costs (In thousands, except SAC) Sales and marketing, subscription acquisition costs $ 2,441 $ 1,366 $ 7,286 $ 7,785 Hardware revenues (11,580) (9,481) (42,463) (61,069) Less: MSOs/Broadcasters-related hardware revenues 8,079 1,601 18,691 20,046 Cost of hardware revenues 13,401 11,546 60,522 73,163 Less: MSOs/Broadcasters-related cost of hardware revenues (6,019) (1,222) (13,730) (17,647) ------- ------- ------- ------- Total Acquisition Costs 6,322 3,810 30,306 22,278 ======= ======= ======= ======= TiVo-Owned Subscription Gross Additions 25 32 147 145 Subscription Acquisition Costs (SAC) $ 253 $ 119 $ 206 $ 154 ======= ======= ======= ======= Subscription Acquisition Cost or SAC. Management reviews this metric, and believes it may be useful to investors, in order to evaluate trends in the efficiency of our marketing programs and subscription acquisition strategies. We define SAC as our total TiVo-Owned acquisition costs for a given period divided by TiVo-Owned subscription gross additions for the same period. We define total acquisition costs as sales and marketing, subscription acquisition costs less net TiVo-Owned related hardware revenues (defined as TiVo-Owned related gross hardware revenues less rebates, revenue share and market development funds paid to retailers) plus TiVo-Owned related cost of hardware revenues. The sales and marketing, subscription acquisition costs line item includes advertising expenses and promotion-related expenses directly related to subscription acquisition activities, but does not include expenses related to advertising sales. We do not include third parties' subscription gross additions, such as MSOs/Broadcasters' gross additions with TiVo subscriptions, in our calculation of SAC because we typically incur limited or no acquisition costs for these new subscriptions, and so we also do not include MSOs/Broadcasters' sales and marketing, subscription acquisition costs, hardware revenues, or cost of hardware revenues in our calculation of TiVo-Owned SAC. We are not aware of any uniform standards for calculating total acquisition costs or SAC and caution that our presentation may not be consistent with that of other companies. Three Months Ended July 31, ------------------ TiVo-Owned Average Revenue per Subscription 2011 2010 -------- -------- (In thousands, except ARPU) Total Service revenues $ 34,016 $ 35,654 Less: MSOs/Broadcasters-related service revenues (4,371) (3,819) -------- -------- TiVo-Owned-related service revenues 29,645 31,835 Average TiVo-Owned revenues per month 9,882 10,612 Average TiVo-Owned per month subscriptions 1,188 1,390 -------- -------- TiVo-Owned ARPU per month $ 8.31 $ 7.63 ======== ======== Three Months Ended July 31, ------------------ MSOs/Broadcasters Average Revenue per Subscription 2011 2010 -------- -------- (In thousands, except ARPU) Total Service revenues $ 34,016 $ 35,654 Less: TiVo-Owned-related service revenues (29,645) (31,835) -------- -------- MSOs/Broadcasters-related service revenues 4,371 3,819 Average MSOs/Broadcasters revenues per month 1,457 1,273 Average MSOs/Broadcasters per month subscriptions 753 1,063 -------- -------- MSOs/Broadcasters ARPU per month $ 1.94 $ 1.20 ======== ======== Average Revenue Per Subscription or ARPU. Management reviews this metric, and believes it may be useful to investors, in order to evaluate the potential of our subscription base to generate revenues from a variety of sources, including service fees, advertising, and audience research measurement. You should not use ARPU as a substitute for measures of financial performance calculated in accordance with GAAP. Management believes it is useful to consider this metric excluding the costs associated with rebates, revenue share, and other payments to channel because of the discretionary and varying nature of these expenses and because management believes these expenses, which are included in hardware revenues, net, are more appropriately monitored as part of SAC. We are not aware of any uniform standards for calculating ARPU and caution that our presentation may not be consistent with that of other companies. Furthermore, ARPU for our MSOs/Broadcasters may not be directly comparable to the service fees we may receive from these partners on a per subscription basis as the fees that our MSOs/Broadcasters pay us may be based upon a specific contractual definition of a subscriber or subscription which may not be consistent with how we define a subscription for our reporting purposes or be representative of how such subscription fees are calculated and paid to us by our MSOs/Broadcasters. For example, an agreement that includes contractual minimums may result in a higher than expected MSOs/Broadcasters ARPU if such fixed minimum fee is spread over a small number of subscriptions. We calculate ARPU per month for TiVo-Owned subscriptions by subtracting MSOs/Broadcaster-related service revenues (which includes MSOs/Broadcasters' subscription service revenues and MSOs/ Broadcasters'-related advertising revenues) from our total reported net service revenues and dividing the result by the number of months in the period. We then divide by Average TiVo-Owned subscriptions for the period, calculated as described above for churn rate. The above table shows this calculation. We calculate ARPU per month for MSOs/Broadcasters' subscriptions by first subtracting TiVo-Owned-related service revenues (which includes TiVo-Owned subscription service revenues and TiVo-Owned related advertising revenues) from our total reported service revenues. Then we divide average revenues per month for MSOs/Broadcasters'-related service revenues by the average MSOs/Broadcasters' subscriptions for the period. The above table shows this calculation. SOURCE: TiVo |
| ITK's Handroid: a softer, gentler robotic hand (video) Posted: 24 Aug 2011 06:01 PM PDT  Most robotic hands are built with a series of individual motors in each joint, making them heavy, expensive and prone to gripping everything with the subtlety of a vice. Japan's ITK thinks it's solved those problems with Handroid -- designed with cords that mimic the muscles in our meat-paws. No motors mean it's far lighter than the standard Terminator design, and it's controlled with a glove that allows it to mirror the operator's movement as it happens. ITK wants to sell Handroid for the bargain price of $6,500 by 2013 for use in environments too dangerous for humans, but because it's so light and cheap it could also see use as a medical prosthesis. You can see how the device works in the video after the break. |
| Posted: 24 Aug 2011 05:13 PM PDT  Soon after, Jobs would resign, going on to form NeXT. The company never managed sales figures anywhere near the previous endeavor, but its products would prove highly influential, forming, among other things, the basis of Apple's paradigm-shifting OS X operating system. While Steve Jobs was focused on NeXT and The Graphic Group -- the company that would later morph into the far more familiar Pixar -- Apple suffered a series of defeats. Jobs returned first as an advisor, then interim CEO, finally reclaiming his role as the head of the company. In 1998, the company reimagined desktop computing yet again with the iMac. In 2001, the company unveiled the first Apple retail store and debuted the iPod and iTunes that same year, drastically altering the state of the music industry. In 2007, the company debuted the iPhone, before it gave the world the App Store a year later. There were plenty of smartphones before Apple got in the game, but since the introduction of the iPhone they've never been the same. And after years of rumors, 2010 saw the debut of the iPad, a device that did the unimaginable, making the tablet a viable and indeed thriving consumer device. Over the years, Jobs have proven an enigmatic and sometimes polarizing figure in this industry, but whatever words one might immediately leap upon to describe the black turtlenecked CEO, his impact can never be denied. And the aftershocks will no doubt be felt for decades to come. We knew that this day would come, but we were nonetheless taken by surprise when Jobs announced that he would be resigning his post at the head of the company, stepping aside for Apple COO Tim Cook. We've gathered some of the biggest pieces of Jobs news to happen since the founding of our own site in 2004, not to bemoan the exit of Jobs, but rather to celebrate the presence of a figure who truly is larger than life. 06.06.05 - Apple goes Intel, it's true! 01.09.07 - Apple loses the "computer," unveils the iPhone 02.06.07 - A letter from Steve Jobs on DRM: let's get rid of it 05.30.07 - Steve Jobs and Bill Gates: historic discussion live from D 2007 08.08.08 - Rumors of Steve Jobs' death greatly exaggerated 01.14.09 - Steve Jobs takes leave of absence due to health 06.29.09 - Steve Jobs back to work at Apple 01.27.10 - Apple unveils its "latest creation," the iPad 01.31.10 - Steve Jobs lashes out at Google and Adobe 06.01.10 - Steve Jobs reveals the origins of iOS, talks iPhone 4 prototype 07.16.10 - Jobs addresses antennagate 01.17.11 - Steve Jobs takes medical leave from Apple, puts Tim Cook in charge 03.01.11 - Steve Jobs' knighthood rejected by Gordon Brown 06.06.11 - Apple unveils iCloud, Jobs gives what may be his final WWDC keynote 06.08.11 - Jobs reveals Apple's new spaceship campus 08.24.11 - Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple |
| Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple Posted: 24 Aug 2011 03:35 PM PDT  Steve himself published the following letter:
Apple has confirmed that Jobs will stay on as Chairman. Full details in the PR after the break. Update: We've turned comments back on. Please, please... be nice. Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple Tim Cook Named CEO and Jobs Elected Chairman of the Board CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apple's Board of Directors today announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and the Board has named Tim Cook, previously Apple's Chief Operating Officer, as the company's new CEO. Jobs has been elected Chairman of the Board and Cook will join the Board, effective immediately. "Steve has made countless contributions to Apple's success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple's immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration." "Steve's extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world's most innovative and valuable technology company," said Art Levinson, Chairman of Genentech, on behalf of Apple's Board. "Steve has made countless contributions to Apple's success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple's immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration." "The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO," added Levinson. "Tim's 13 years of service to Apple have been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does." Jobs submitted his resignation to the Board today and strongly recommended that the Board implement its succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO. As COO, Cook was previously responsible for all of the company's worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple's supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. He also headed Apple's Macintosh division and played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices. |
| Huawei Sonic reappears at the FCC, ditches AWS 3G and NFC functionality Posted: 24 Aug 2011 03:26 PM PDT   |
| Ticketmaster's interactive seat map brings Facebook stalking to concert venues Posted: 24 Aug 2011 02:57 PM PDT  You desperately want to attend Katy Perry's raucous San Antonio concert, but your kid sister has absolutely zero interest in tagging along, and the mere thought of going stag strikes fear into your heart. All seems lost, but worry not -- because Ticketmaster and Facebook have just joined forces to create a new feature that weds concert-going with social networking. As of today, users purchasing tickets to select events can easily find out whether any of their Facebook friends are also attending and where they're seated. All you have to do is connect to Ticketmaster with your Facebook account, find your concert of choice and use the interactive venue map to tag your own seats, or to see those of online friends who've already tagged themselves. From there, you can buy tickets right next to your intended targets and act totally surprised when you bump into them at the show. For now, the feature is only available for 300 venues (encompassing some 9,000 events), but you can find more information in the video and press release after the break. Ticketmaster Delivers Social Connectivity Into Interactive Seat Maps - Fans Can Share and See Where Their Friends Are Sitting Through Interactive Seat Maps, Integrated With Facebook® - LOS ANGELES, Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ticketmaster, a Live Nation Entertainment company, today unveiled interactive seat maps integrated with Facebook. Fans can instantly share their live event plans by tagging themselves into their seats, enabling people on Facebook to see where they are sitting and which seats are available for purchase. More than 9,000 interactive seat maps are available on Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com. "Ticketmaster is taking an important step toward making every stage of the live event experience as social online as it is in real life," said David Fisch of Facebook. "Ticketmaster's interactive seat map shows the promise of using social technologies to improve the event experience." Adding social connectivity into interactive seat maps begins to realize Ticketmaster's vision to integrate social into every fan touch point, extending the fun and excitement of the live entertainment experience far beyond the walls of the venue. Ticketmaster first revolutionized the search and selection process of tickets with the roll out of interactive seat maps, which began last year. Integrating Facebook into these interactive seat maps will create a community around each live event that will begin with the onsale and build through the live event. Fans have the ability to select who they want to share their plans with: they can choose to share with everyone, with their friends or they can opt to not share. "Live events are inherently social and leveraging social media to enhance them allows the passion to exist in the digital space before, during and after live events," said Nathan Hubbard, CEO of Ticketmaster. "Our team is fanatical about leading the industry forward and we will continue to innovate the live experience." When purchasing event tickets on either Ticketmaster.com or LiveNation.com, fans can use the interactive seat maps to see where their friends are sitting. Fans can then select available seats, complete the purchase and tag themselves. If the purchaser tags friends, notifications are then sent through Facebook so individuals tagged can choose to share. For fans that have already purchased tickets, or purchased tickets elsewhere, they can also add themselves directly into the interactive seat map and share with their network of friends. For more information about the interactive seat maps integrated with Facebook, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znxZ8h-z3rk |
| Samsung's GT-19220 shows up in leaked photos, preps for battle with iPhone 5? (update: nope!) Posted: 24 Aug 2011 02:31 PM PDT  Update: Alas, as many of you have pointed out in comments, there's not a lot of truth to this story. First, both devices you're seeing above appear to actually be PMPs, not phones -- the Galaxy S players we've seen before. Secondly, we're hearing the actual name of this supposed smartphone is GT-i9220, not 19220. |
| Engadget's NYC Reader Meetup happens August 25! Posted: 24 Aug 2011 01:57 PM PDT  We've lined up an array of exhibitors to show their latest and greatest toys, including AT&T, Samsung, HTC, RIM, and Motorola. We'll also have an electric Mini Cooper to check out, a glasses-free 3D display from Magnetic 3D, a recharging lounge to refill your electronics, and snacks and desserts to refill your stomachs. AT&T will be bringing artist Matt Siren to do a live piece of art inspired by your stories, and we will of course have a massive pile of goodies to hand out from companies like iRobot, Western Digital, and Pioneer, plus a special giveaway you'll need a QR reader to win -- so don't forget those smartphones. (Not that you would.) The party is at Guastavino's, which is located at 59th Street in New York City. Things will kick off at 6:30pm that night and run until 10:30pm. It's an all-ages event, but we can only manage 1,000 people in there at a time, and it's first-come first-served, so don't be late. Want to come? Just show up by 6:30! You don't need to pre-register. We'll have a boatload of Engadget editors on hand fielding questions, good friends from Joystiq and TUAW will be in attendance, and we'll be doing a Q&A-focused live podcast (which we won't be able to broadcast, but look for the recording later). If you're a member of the media who would like to attend, please e-mail us at meetup at engadget dot com. Everybody else, get ready to party, and if you want to share with your friends the Facebook event is here.  |
| Toshiba Smarbo takes on dirt, Roomba, music playing prowess unclear Posted: 24 Aug 2011 01:29 PM PDT  |
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