When it comes to forecasting Apple’s earnings, amateurs are better than the pros
January 20, 2011 No Comment
The Challenge: predict seven key metrics of Apple’s fiscal success over the past quarter — such as sales numbers, profit margins, and gross revenue — with the highest accuracy. The Competitors: In the blue corner, a bunch of amateur finance bloggers, and in the red corner, a cabal of professional analysts making mad dough at banks and trading houses. The Conclusion: whatever you’re paying for your ” expert ” advice on the future financial wellbeing of Apple, or any other tech stock for that matter, stop . Just… stop. When it comes to forecasting Apple’s earnings, amateurs are better than the pros originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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That’s right, the 787 Dreamliner, which has airlines all aflutter over promises of increased fuel efficiency, has been delayed yet again. Boeing announced yesterday that customers can expect to see the plane in the third quarter of 2011: one in a long line of setbacks that have put it three years behind schedule. However, despite delays, it seems customer confidence hasn’t waned. In fact, the New York Times reported that 787 buyers still find a summer release perfectly practical, leading to a three percent rise in Boeing stock. Trouble for the 787 started back in 2008, with the FAA warning of hacker vulnerability, followed by a 2009 discovery of structural weakness, and an on-board fire last November. Even with delays, and cancellation of at least 60 orders, the 787 still has about 850 pre-orders: more than any other mid-size commercial liner in history. So what’s keeping the 787 Dreamliner afloat? Well, mostly promises of a 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency, thanks to a design that’s 50 percent composite materials. Clearly, testing the 787 hasn’t been a dream, but it seems nothing can keep this plane grounded for good. Boeing 787 Dreamliner delayed again, expectations still sky high originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 05:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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3D technology has been the wave of the future for more than fifty years now. Yet despite decades of work, today’s 3-D technology offers, at best, an incomplete illusion, and at worst, makes people uncomfortable or even sick. (Jan. 20)
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Oh look, even more evidence that the next generation iPad will be equipped with cameras. The image above showing the three new iPad apps was discovered in the iOS 4.3 beta 2 by MacRumors . To be effective, the iPad’s Camera and FaceTime apps would require both back- and front-facing cameras just like the iPhone 4. The Photo Booth app is new to iOS but already ships on Macs running OS X — it could, presumably, use either camera to record snapshots (with filters) and video. And really, at this point, with such overwhelming evidence the only surprise would be for Apple to announce a new iPad without a camera. iPad camera apps discovered in iOS 4.3 beta, nobody surprised originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Amazon agrees deal to buy UK movie streaming and rental service Lovefilm
January 20, 2011 No Comment
Amazon has just announced it has agreed terms to buy up all the remaining shares of Lovefilm it didn’t already own. The British outfit operates a subscription-based movie rental and streaming service in its home market along with Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Customary closing conditions will need to be met before the final stamp of approval is applied, but the acquisition is expected to complete by the end of the first quarter of this year. Amazon’s wading into content distribution, who’d have thunk it? Continue reading Amazon agrees deal to buy UK movie streaming and rental service Lovefilm Amazon agrees deal to buy UK movie streaming and rental service Lovefilm originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony Ericsson ships 9 million Xperia Android phones, but latest earnings disappoint
January 20, 2011 No Comment
Sony Ericsson has just made its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2010 official and the highlight, at least for milestone lovers like us, is the figure of nine million Android-based Xperia handsets shipped since the family’s launch. Now, the language used here is important, as Sony loves to report shipments to retailers instead of actual sales, but it’s still a pretty grand number of Xperia X10, X10 Mini, X10 Mini Pro, and X8 handsets out and about in our big wide world. Hell, it’s even more impressive when you consider that those phones have spent most of their lives riding the ancient Android 1.6 as their operating system. In terms of actual currency figures, however, SE has fallen short of expectations, reporting a moderate €35 million pre-tax profit for Q4, which the company is turning into a positive by noting that it marks its fourth consecutive quarter of being in the black. If the new crop of Xperia Androids are anything to go by, we can probably expect this habit to continue for a good long while. Sony Ericsson ships 9 million Xperia Android phones, but latest earnings disappoint originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Oh, there’s no need to act like you’re surprised , fellow Brits. As promised, HTC’s going to dish out its latest budget Froyo Android and WP7 slider to the UK next month. Just a quick recap: the “pearl white” Gratia — which is the international version of the Aria — sports a humble 600MHz processor, along with a 3.2-inch 480 x 320 LCD and a VGA camera. As for the 7 Pro, it packs the bog standard WP7 specs (1GHz Snapdragon, 8GB storage, and 5 megapixel camera with 720p recording), as well as a slide-and-tilt 3.6-inch 800 x 480 display that reveals a landscape QWERTY keyboard underneath — the tilting part still a first for WP7. Sadly, it doesn’t look like any carriers have picked up either handset yet, nor has HTC shed light on their standalone costs, but hey, patience is priceless. Continue reading HTC 7 Pro and Gratia get anglicized, heading to the UK in February HTC 7 Pro and Gratia get anglicized, heading to the UK in February originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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You might not know Greg Bell by name but you’ve certainly been affected by his work. The man who directed Logitech’s amusingly creepy Lonely TV viral ads has returned with a series of videos meant to promote Android. The premise is, of course, absurd: middle manager, trapped beneath a fallen vending machine, continues to work because his Android powered smartphone allows him to be productive even without the full use of his hands. In a bit of video magic, the handset with a 32-day battery is the Nexus S running Gingerbread… but only when shot from the front. Otherwise it’s a Nexus One when shot from the back, presumably because this was filmed before the S’ launch. Regardless, the result is a series of clever videos encapsulating an everyman’s transformation into nerd superhero, El Vendor — we dare you to not click all five. Continue reading Android turns average man into El Vendor! (video) Android turns average man into El Vendor! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony Ericsson MT15i / Vivaz 2 ensnared by Eldar Murtazin, given glowing preview
January 20, 2011 No Comment
The choice of Android Gingerbread handsets just grew by one, courtesy of the Sony Ericsson MT15i and Russia’s premier mobile reviewer, Eldar Murtazin , who has put it through his rigorous preview cycle. The typically curmudgeonly gent was pleasantly surprised by SE’s latest (and entirely unofficial) handset, claiming that the company “has developed and is about to launch truly cutting edge devices and … has almost nothing to fear in the hardware department as well.” He has praise for the above-average front-facing cam, the endurance offered by the 1500mAh battery, and the 854 x 480 res on the Reality Display — though he does warn that Sony’s Bravia Engine is only used when consuming multimedia and therefore has limited impact on improving output quality. Internally, you’re looking at 512MB of RAM and a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM7630 with Adreno 205 graphics, all of which resulted in perfectly smooth, lag-free operation. In spite of its many pluses, Eldar describes the MT15i as a phone targeting the mid-range, which invites all sorts of delicious pricing speculation, though we’re not entirely sure we agree with his postulation that this handset will be called the Vivaz 2. The Xperia branding up front and the replacement of Symbian with Android would collectively suggest it’ll bear an altogether new name when it’s unveiled — which we’ll go ahead and presume is going to happen at MWC next month. Sony Ericsson MT15i / Vivaz 2 ensnared by Eldar Murtazin, given glowing preview originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HTC Flyer tablet tipped for US landing in March, to be followed by two more slates in June
January 20, 2011 No Comment
Given current trends , it’s reasonable to believe that the foremost question regarding an HTC tablet is no longer if the Taiwanese company will produce one, but when . So, who could we possibly turn to for help but those ever-loquacious upstream component manufacturers that DigiTimes knows and loves so well? Their latest info points to an Android tablet dubbed the Flyer arriving in the US in March (just early enough to potentially beat the Xoom and PlayBook to market), which will roll out across the world in the second quarter of 2011 and be joined by two more slate devices ( Scribe? ) in June. Further details are a little murky, including the dubious suggestion that the Flyer will come with Android 2.3 on board and be upgradeable to Honeycomb (3.0), but we’re inclined to consider the overall roadmap credible. In spite of its Thunderbolt launch at CES, HTC was relatively quiet in the big January event, so we suspect it’ll bring the big(ger than a smartphone) guns to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month. HTC Flyer tablet tipped for US landing in March, to be followed by two more slates in June originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 01:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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