Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Amazon announces Q4 2011 results: sales jump to $17.43 billion, but profits drop 58 percent

Amazon's just announced its earnings for the fourth quarter of the year, and it's a bit of a mixed bag. While net sales were up 35 percent year-over-year to $17.43 billion, net income dropped a hefty 58 percent to $177 million, or 38 cents a share -- that's off analysts' expectations, who were looking for sales in the neighborhood of $18.3 billion and earnings of 17 cents a share. As always, the company is remaining mum on any specific Kindle sales figures, but it says that sales of all Kindle devices nearly tripled over the holiday shopping season, and that the Kindle Fire remains the bestselling item across all of the products it offers; of course, the loss it's taking on each one is also one of the big reasons for that drop in profits.

Specific figures are equally hard to come by for some of Amazon's other services, but the company says the number of Appstore for Android customers has nearly tripled from the previous quarter (with them downloading more apps in Q4 than all of the previous quarters combined), and that the number of Instant Video customers has more than doubled year-over-year (with the number of streams increasing 300 percent from the previous quarter). Looking at the full year, sales for all of 2011 totaled $48.08 billion, up 41 percent from $34.2 billion in 2010, while net income dropped 45 percent to $631 million (down from $1.15 billion in 2010). And as for the future, Amazon is also lowering expectations somewhat for the first quarter of 2012, projecting that revenue will come in at $12 to $13.4 billion, and that net income could range from a $200 million loss to a gain of $100 million.

Continue reading Amazon announces Q4 2011 results: sales jump to $17.43 billion, but profits drop 58 percent

Amazon announces Q4 2011 results: sales jump to $17.43 billion, but profits drop 58 percent originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/31/amazon-announces-q4-2011-results-sales-jump-to-17-43-billion/

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German court upholds ban on original Galaxy Tab 10.1

German court upholds ban on original Galaxy Tab 10.1

While Samsung was more than willing to redesign its flagship tablet in the face of the German court's ruling last year, the higher regional court in Dusseldorf maintains that the original still can't be sold within its borders. As Samsung and Apple continue their legal fisticuffs worldwide, the claim from Cupertino that the 10.1-inch Android tablet is too similar to its own iPad has seen more attention than most. Samsung returned the favor by counter-suing over mobile technology patents, although it's been just as unfortunate here, losing two out of the three infringement claims. The final case will be ruled on in early March. Today's decision will also encompass the Galaxy Tab 8.9, although given that this ruling is based on Germany's own unfair competition law, it's unlikely to be replicated elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab 10.1N remains on shelves -- and very desperate tablet fans remain just a short drive away from neighboring countries still able to sell the original.

German court upholds ban on original Galaxy Tab 10.1 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/31/german-courts-upholds-ban-on-original-galaxy-tab-10-1/

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8 Killer iOS Apps That Shined at Macworld 2012

At this year's Macworld | iWorld event, iOS apps took center stage -- which wasn't hard for a trade show of ever-diminishing relevance. We checked out the action, and here are our picks for the apps you need to know about most.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/01/8-top-macworld-apps/

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LG Optimus L3 emerges in Sweden, appears to be new entry-level offering

Android Central Android Central

LG has been busy selling various flavors of its high-end Optimus LTE over the past few months, but that doesn't mean it's forgotten about its entry-level line-up. A new budget device, dubbed the LG E400 Optimus L3, has appeared over on Swedish retailer CDON, running Android 2.3 (and LG's Optimus UI) on a 3.2-inch screen. Other specs include a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA and Wifi connectivity and a microSD card slot. There's no information on what CPU you'll find powering this thing, but we wouldn't expect anything beathtakingly fast -- maybe a 1GHz single-core chip, if that. Nevertheless, from the outside the Optimus L3 looks like a stylish little device for anyone on a budget.

But there's some cause for concern regarding that 3.2-inch screen, as according to CDON's spec list, it's a QVGA (320x240) panel. In 2012, that kind of resolution borders on unacceptable, even on a budget device. Last year's Optimus One was fitted with a HVGA (480x320) screen, so we're hoping this is just an error on the part of the retailer.

The Optimus L3 is shown with a pre-order price of 1290 SEK (~£120, $190) off-contract, with stock apparently due to arrive on Feb. 27.

Source: CDON; via: GSMArena



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/7zCKSO74WrE/story01.htm

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How to Upgrade or Downgrade Ipad Firmware

It is a known fact that when most of the people encounter problems with their everyday use of the ipad, they resolve to upgrading or downgrading their firmware as a way to eliminate and solve their problems. There are many problems however that cannot be solved or fixed by upgrading or downgrading ipad firm ware. Though the two tasks appear to be similar, they differ from one another, and this is not in reference to upgrade or downgrade. The legality [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/how-to-upgrade-or-downgrade-ipad-firmware/

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GeeknRolla Rocks Into The London Web Summit, March 19

Screen Shot 2012-01-31 at 11.10.59Way back in 2009 there was no large event dedicated to technology startups in the UK. TechCrunch, under Mike Arrington, was busy trying to get its TechCrunch50/Disrupt programme going in the US, and outside of local meetups, the TC event juggernaut still had yet to arrive in Europe. My friend and colleague Robin Wauters was doing Plugg in Brussels, but there wasn't a startup event in London. So I launched a personal project, an event I called GeeknRolla, the name for which I literally dreamt up in a London pub. Despite those amateurish beginnings, about 400 people turned up that year, and I ran it again for the next couple of years as a fun side project. But times move on and after running it single-handedly for three years in a row, I'm going to bring the GeeknRolla "mojo" to a new event (while we wait for the TC event machine to spin up in Europe, and more on that later so stay tuned). Thus, GeeknRolla and the Dublin Web Summit, are merging to create the London Web Summit. It'll be on March 19th in The Brewery Venue, in London's "Tech City" area.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Ajd-JNYgt5M/

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Stop Ruining Your Phone With a Stupid Case [Rant]

The market for phone cases is huge. Waterproof cases, leather cases, silicon cases, stick-on screen protectors, plate-glass screen protectors. Enough. It's time to lose your cover for good, and let your phone roam free, nude, as nature intended. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DrDuiYVUJX0/stop-ruining-your-phone-with-a-stupid-case

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Monday, January 30, 2012

IE9 and Firefox 4 post top marks in Web browser power use comparison

Over on the Internet Explorer Blog, Microsoft has posted results from an extensive comparison of the top five Web browsers. The goal: to determine whether Internet Explorer 9, Firefox 4, Chrome 10, Safari 5, or Opera 11 is able to squeeze the most life out of your laptop's battery.

A baseline was determined with test systems sitting idle, and then browsers were pointed at about:blank, a news site, the HTML5 Galactic demo, and the IE9 fish tank demo. Perhaps unsurprisingly, IE9 came out on top -- though Firefox 4 was a very close second on nearly every test. As you can see, the other browsers didn't necessarily fare quite as well, with Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera all posting significantly worse scores. In Opera 11's case, a laptop battery would last over one hour more with Internet Explorer 9 installed.

But what we'd really like to know is where did Microsoft find the dilithium crystals required to run a Galactic Total Power Consumption test...

IE9 and Firefox 4 post top marks in Web browser power use comparison originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/ie9-and-firefox-4-post-top-marks-in-pc-power-use-comparison/

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Former RIM Co-CEO Will Invest $50 Million As Heins Takes The Reins

MikeLazaridisRIMWhether a "drastic change" is needed or there is already "a lot of change", former RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis (the same one who flipped out on the BBC during an interview) still believes in the BlackBerry. Forget the fact that the company's figures are half what they were at the beginning of 2011, and never mind the fact that the stock dropped 8 percent on the first day that new CEO Thorsten Heins was at his post. Lazaridis still thinks a $50 million investment in RIM stock (from out of his pocket) is well worth it.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/7Z-iiEehsGE/

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Words With Friends for Android updated, promises "smoother game experience"

wordswithfriends
As several of you noted in the comments to our post asking for cross-platform iOS/Android games, Words With Friends for Android does not provide the smoothest gaming experience... and that's being rather charitable.

You might be happy to hear that a couple of days ago Zynga released an update which promises to solve many of the Android-specific issues, such as notifications not popping up.

Sadly, installing the update is not a smooth experience; you have to manually uninstall the previous version, and then go to the Android Market and install it. What's nice is that it doesn't lose your saved games - this screenshot shows a game I've started before the update and continued after updating.

How's the new update working out for you? Let us know in the comments!

Words With Friends for Android updated, promises "smoother game experience" originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/04/words-with-friends-for-android-updated-promises-smoother-game/

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Visualized: futuristic AMELIA aircraft (theoretically) soars through NASA wind tunnel

It's the Advanced Model for Extreme Lift and Improved Aeroacoustics, and it's the brainchild of many, many intelligent beings planted at California Polytechnic State University. The aircraft has been in design courtesy of a grant from NASA, touting engines above the wings and the ability to achieve shockingly short takeoffs and landings. And did we mention it looks sexier than a freshly-washed 787? Yeah.

Continue reading Visualized: futuristic AMELIA aircraft (theoretically) soars through NASA wind tunnel

Visualized: futuristic AMELIA aircraft (theoretically) soars through NASA wind tunnel originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNASA, NBC Bay Area  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/30/amelia-airplane-nasa-test-future-flight/

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Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser

interlocked
Back when I was a kid, I used to love crafting ornate puzzle boxes out of Lego. There would be just one way to open the box, by carefully shifting and rotating a bunch of pieces. Well, either that, or breaking the box in frustration.

Interlocked takes that spirit and turns it into a beautiful Flash game. It's a good thing the soundtrack is soothing, because the game itself can get pretty frustrating.

At the start of each level, you're presented with a box built out of blocks in different colors. You can click and drag the mouse to rotate the box any which way. Once you decide you want to shift a part of the box, hit SPACE to switch into "move" mode. You can then click any part of the box and drag it. Of course, you can only move a part as long as nothing is in its way. So it becomes a matter of understanding how the box is built, and what parts you need to move around so you could eventually take the box apart.

It's a tricky, difficult game, but it's a great brain teaser -- and definitely a keeper.

Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/29/interlocked-is-a-three-dimensional-brain-teaser/

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Magnus iPad Stand Marries Minimalism With Magnets

It’s hard to see why anyone would spend $50 on this small sliver of aluminum, but design-wise, it has to be one of the best-looking iPad stands around. It comes from Ten One design, purveyor of minimal iAccessories to the rich and tasteful, and it’s called the Magnus. The Magnus is carved from aluminum, stuffed [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/01/magnus-ipad-stand-marries-minimalism-with-magnets/

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US Government Nixes Three of Rambus' Most Prized Patents [Lawsuits]

Three patents pertaining to memory chip design that were used to successfully sue HP and Nvidia—dubbed the Barth Patents—are among Rambus' most valuable IP. Excuse me, they were among Rambus' most valuable until the US patent office invalidated them. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ABBoQpT46Cw/us-government-nixes-three-of-rambus-most-prized-patents

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Company turns to bribery for 5 star Amazon reviews

In a world where word of mouth and the judgment of the hive mind is worth more than any ad or the ruminations of many professional reviewers, companies will do just about anything to ensure a strong rating on outlets like Amazon. It's clear that dummy accounts simply aren't the way to go, but what about bribing your existing customers? Apparently VIP Deals thought that route was perfectly acceptable and offered rebates to people who rated their products on Amazon. Now, the offer letter (which you can see at the more coverage link) doesn't explicitly ask for a five star review, but it is strongly suggested that the company expects one in exchange for receiving the product for free -- in this case, a leather Kindle Fire case. VIP's reviews and its products have all since been booted from Amazon, but it certainly raises plenty of questions about the ease with which some companies are able to game the system and how a reputable outlet can protect its customers from ratings scams. Hit up the source for the full story.

Company turns to bribery for 5 star Amazon reviews originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNew York Times  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/28/company-turns-to-bribery-for-5-star-amazon-reviews/

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Apple Employee Meeting Reveals More Corporate Kindness From Tim Cook

With an employee headcount in excess of 45,000, Apple’s ability to manage news concerning its internal machinations sets a benchmark for corporate information control. It’s all described in fascinating detail in recent reporting from Fortune’s Adam Lashinsky. Yesterday, however, CEO Tim Cook held an all-hands meeting for the work force, and a little bit of [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/01/apple-private-employee-meeting/

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Tales of Password-Hacking Woe [Password]

It's the social media sites that do you in. A Close Friend—capital C, capital F—posts a link to a video that piques your interest. Click. Suddenly you're asked to sign back into Facebook. What happens next? You give some hacker or spambot your password, and your whole digital life is at risk. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/83ihuJnFBKw/tales-of-password+hacking-woe

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'Optimus 3D MAX' branding rumored for next LG 3D phone

LG 3D phone

Earlier this week we saw reports that LG is preparing a successor to its Optimus 3D smartphone, to be unveiled at next month's Mobile World Congress. The LG CX2, as it's apparently codenamed, was to ship with a 1.2GHz CPU, 4.3-inch 3D WVGA NOVA display and dual 5MP cameras. Leaked renders also appeared, showing a device much thinner than the veritable brick that was the original Optimus 3D.

Today GSM Israel says it's learned from a "very reliable source" that the CX2's official branding will be "Optimus 3D MAX" (spelled the old-fashioned way, with just one X). If true, the new name would fit a device which appears to be more a refinement of last year's Optimus 3D than anything revolutionary.

It's likely we'll see more of the Optimus 3D MAX, or whatever it's called, in just a few weeks time at Mobile World Congress, so stay tuned.

Source: GSM Israel (translated); via: UnwiredView



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/DMQnHpa1e18/story01.htm

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