Lenovo aims for ‘rural market,’ announces $199 desktop for China

Posted in Vista, business, industry, china, chinese (August 4, 2007 at 2:17 am)

Looks like Lenovo won’t be the one to get left behind in the pursuit of the “poor rural Chinese market,” as the firm has just announced a basic PC that it plans to sell in that neck of the woods for between $199 and $399. While there are currently “no details” with respect to processor choices or other internal hardware specifications, we do know the unit will “include a keyboard and use a buyer’s television set as a monitor.” Interestingly, Lenovo actually went so far as to deny assumptions that it was merely “responding to Dell’s initiative,” and noted that it had been selling low-cost PCs to “rural Chinese families since 2004.” Of note, there was no mention of which operating system would be running the show, but considering that Microsoft just halved the retail price of Vista over in China, you just may see it vying for selection.

Read - Lenovo to sell $199 PC in rural China
Read - Microsoft halves Vista retail price in China

 

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Power outage halts Samsung’s flash memory production, shortages expected

Posted in business, industry, samsung ( at 2:17 am)

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Samsung, the worldwide leader in flash memory production, has been forced to “shut down six of its chip production lines after a power outage occurred at a plant near Seoul,” and while recent reports suggest that “operations should be restored within a day,” the lasting effects could linger on for quite some time. Reportedly, the outage occurred at Samsung’s Giheung complex and disrupted production of flash memory, DRAM, and logic chips, and while this may not sound too significant to the average outsider, estimates are already pegging losses at around $54 billion. Notably, Samsung wouldn’t say whether or not the hiccup will affect supplies of memory chips to Apple (one of its top customers), but analysts are already purporting that we could see “a severe shortage of NAND chips” and increased prices in the coming weeks.

[Thanks, Patrick M.]

Read - Samsung Electronics chip output hit by power cut
Read - Samsung operations should be restored within a day

 

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AT&T profits soar, iPhone largely to thank

Posted in business, industry, apple (July 25, 2007 at 1:08 am)

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We already figured AT&T made out like gangbusters considering just how many iPhones it moved as Q2 came to a close, but upping profits by 61-percent ain’t nothing to sneeze at. Moreover, the telco posted a $2.9 billion increase in net income and sales of $29.5 billion, and a key part of those figures came from the 146,000 iPhone activations. Notably, some 40-percent of those iPhone buyers were new to AT&T, which helped to slash customer turnover to a record low (that isn’t likely to be broken anytime soon). Still, these numbers didn’t turn out to impress Wall Street very much, as many apparently had even higher hopes for AT&T’s quarter, and Piper Jaffray & Co. analyst Gene Munster even went so far as to called the amount of iPhone activations “a disappointment.” Tough crowd, huh?

[Via mocoNews]

 

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Apple ties Gateway for third in US PC shipments, looks to steal the bronze

Posted in business, industry, apple, mac, Gateway, sales (July 20, 2007 at 1:08 am)

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While many have criticized Apple for (debatably) giving its handheld lineup more priority than the Mac, it looks like sales aren’t suffering because of it. Presumably due (at least in part) to the halo effect stirred by Apple’s marketing blitz of its iPhone and iPod, Apple’s US personal computer shipments for Q2 of this year landed them in a tie with the once mighty Gateway in terms of American market share. Granted, Gateway did have a few more shipments than Apple, but if Gateway continues to fade and Macs continue to move, we could see Cupertino raising up the bronze (outright) here soon. Attaboy Steve — just snag 18-percent more of the market and second place is all yours.

 

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CE-Oh no he didn’t, part XXXVIII: Peter Moore tells Sony it’s failing

Posted in xbox 360, Xbox360, business, industry, ps3, sony, sales (July 18, 2007 at 1:08 am)

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While Peter Moore wasn’t exactly this forthright when chatting it up with us, it’s not totally out of character for execs to lash out at rivals from time to time. In the latest chapter of CE-Oh no he didn’t, we find Mr. Moore claiming that Sony’s “long-term business plan of being successful in Japan is crumbling.” Moreover, he continued to knock the PS3 by sidestepping questions of why the Xbox 360 has sold so miserably in the Land of the Rising Sun and suggested that Sony was the one that should be worried about “getting outsold six-to-one.” As a finisher, Peter added that he had “built a business plan for Japan,” and while sales have indeed been lackluster, he claimed that “Sony was missing its plan by much more” than he was missing his. Seriously, them’s fightin’ words there.

[Via DailyTech]

 

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AMD sinks $7.5 million into Transmeta

Posted in business, industry (July 8, 2007 at 1:20 am)

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Shortly after months of bickering with Intel, Transmeta finally took its ungraceful bow out of the CPU business, but apparently AMD sees something within the company worth investing in. Yesterday, AMD announced that it would be investing $7.5 million in Transmeta in exchange for Transmeta preferred stock, a move that was eloquently dubbed “a strategic investment in the future of Transmeta.” Les Crudele, president and CEO of Transmeta, was quoted as saying that his firm looked forward to “continuing its collaboration with AMD on technology initiatives in the future,” and AMD returned the lip service favor by boasting about how vital Transmeta was in bringing its AMD64 technology to market. Aw, how touching.

[Via CNET]

 

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Wii outselling PlayStation 3 ’six to one’

Posted in business, industry, ps3, sony, playstation 3, Playstation3, wii, console, sales (July 6, 2007 at 1:08 am)

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Considering that some retail locales in America are still having trouble keeping a fresh supply of Wii consoles in stock (whilst the PlayStation 3 units tend collect thin layers of dust), it’s no surprise to see such dramatic sales figures surface. Sure enough, Enterbrain’s latest report demonstrates that Nintendo’s darling moved into 270,974 new households in June, while only 41,628 PS3s were sold in the same timeframe; just to compare, the even older Xbox 360 was able to sell 17,616 units. That brings the overall sales figures to date for Nintendo to nearly 2.76 million, while Sony has yet to break the magical one million in units sold. But don’t count Sony out just yet — it’s coming back, remember?

 

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Sprint explores options for WiMAX, ponders Clearwire deal

Posted in Outlook, business, industry, partner, partnership, sprint, wimax (June 16, 2007 at 1:19 am)

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Looks like Sprint’s feverish approach to WiMAX just swallowed a chill pill, as the firm is reportedly “exploring new options for financing its ambitious plan.” In a presumed effort to “soothe investor concerns about the cost of the WiMAX plan,” the company is actually investigating a partnership or joint venture with Clearwire in order to simultaneously remove a potential competitor and gain access to the critical Clearwire markets in the southeastern US. Of course, Clearwire isn’t one to shy away from high stakes partnerships, and the FCC nod for a WiMAX-class laptop card that it garnered just last month could fit in quite well here. Still, Clearwire is refusing to comment just yet on whether this possibility is even feasible, but the mere mention of a spinoff likely means that Sprint isn’t feeling all too peachy about future WiMAX profitability. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

[Via InformationWeek]

 

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Toshiba’s HD-A2 HD DVD player going for a mere $199

Posted in business, industry, pricing, price (June 12, 2007 at 1:20 am)

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Now this is more like it. Sure, we’ve seen the prices of HD DVD players slowly but surely sinking over time, and while there’s been more than a few inconvenient rebate offers of late, it looks like a new precedent has been set. Crutchfield is now offering up Toshiba’s HD-A2 HD DVD player for a mere $199 after a $100 instant rebate, but we wouldn’t count on this thing showing up anytime soon. According to the site, not only is inventory sitting at zero, but it also admits that the ship date is unfortunately “uncertain.” Still, $199 for a second-generation HD DVD player ain’t too shabby (have you seen one for less?), so be sure to check out the previous impressions before grabbing your place in the ever-growing line of customers trying to take advantage.

[Thanks, Andrew]

UPDATE: Too bad — looks like Crutchfield was forced to jack the price up by a Benjamin or face an order backlog beyond belief.

 

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Apple readying three million iPhones for launch?

Posted in business, industry, apple, launch, rumor (June 9, 2007 at 1:17 am)

We won’t bother trying to number crunch how much coin Apple will be laying down if sources at Business Week are right about just how many iPhones will be available to thrill come June 29th, but Cupertino better hope this thing takes off a tad quicker than the iPod did in 2001. Two separate sources have apparently noted that Apple will have a whopping three million iPhone units ready at launch, which should (if true) quell looming any shortage fears right off the bat. Interestingly, several analysts have predicted that the firm will only move about that many units this entire year, but we’re sure Apple won’t be complaining if any more iPhones are necessary to quench 2007’s demand. Here’s to hoping this Rev. A iPhone was thoroughly scrubbed for bugs beforehand, or else Steve & Co. could be dealing with quite a hefty basket of recalled Apples.

[Via AppleInsider]

 

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Planar dives head first into high-end home theater market by acquiring Runco

Posted in business, industry, merge, merger, lcd, projector (May 24, 2007 at 1:07 am)

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Joining the growing array of recent acquisitions is Planar and Runco International, as just today Planar has written a check for $36.7 million to take on the assets of privately-held Runco International, Inc. Planar, while not a household name in the home theater biz, managed to hold its own amongst competitors in the HT market, and while the majority of its products catered to the mid-range consumer, we suspect that picking up Runco was the easiest way to launch into the high-end realm. As expected, it looks like the Planar, Runco, and Vidikron brand names will remain as they are, and just as Planar will continue to sell through its current network of distributors, it sure sounds like Runco will remain a niche offering rather than bleeding over towards the mainstream.

 

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XM Radio outages continue on, software to blame

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For the XM Radio subscribers who haven’t patiently waited to hastily cancel your subscription just yet, we’re sure you’re well aware that the outages from yesterday are still lingering on. Reportedly, “software problems resulted in the loss of one of the network’s four satellite signals,” and while it expected to have everything back to normal by last night, sometime today is looking more likely. The company stated that “the problem occurred during the loading of software to a critical component of the satellite broadcast system,” and while XM has urged listeners to tune in online if possible, we all know this doesn‘t solve much. Notably, analysts are already pondering just how much loyalty (and cashflow) XM will lose from such an outage, and while we won’t bother to guess, each passing minute of dead air won’t do the customer satisfaction surveys any favors.

Update: XM is claiming service is back to normal.

 

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Nokia’s 1100 handset: over 200 million served

Posted in business, industry, sales, nokia (May 8, 2007 at 1:07 am)

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Sales records typically don’t stand for too long without being overtaken by the next best thing, but somehow, Nokia’s el cheapo 1100 handset has reportedly racked up “over 200 million sales” since it launched in 2003. You heard right, this low-end candybar has put the 100 million iPods, 50 million RAZRs, 10 million Chocolates, and 115 million PlayStation 2 consoles to shame in terms of sheer units moved. Interestingly enough, the design team that conjured up this cash cow originally dubbed it “Penny,” and the stripped down, dust-proof mobile purportedly entered the market at precisely the right time to catch the booming overseas growth as folks worldwide began snapping up their own cellphone. Of course, such a basic, uninspiring phone isn’t for everyone, but considering the 200 million strong that owned one sometime during their life, we’d say Nokia found a winner.

[Via Celularis, thanks Mariano]

 

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Dell joins the Microsoft-Novell alliance, hopes for Windows / Linux harmony

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The adoration for Linux that has been flowing from Round Rock of late is both refreshing and curious, and Dell has just taken its respect for the open-source OS to another level by signing on with Microsoft and Novell. While Linux users have long griped (and protested) about Microsoft, it’s been no secret that Michael Dell has a thing for Ubuntu, and now it sounds like Dell will be “buying SUSE Linux Enterprise Server certificates from Microsoft,” and moreover, “will be setting up a services and marketing program aimed at getting users of open-source platforms to switch to the new SUSE Linux offering.” With the agreement inked, the Texas Powerhouse becomes the “first major systems provider to align with Microsoft and Novell in the collaboration,” and judging by all the other recent Linux happenings in the Dell arena, we’d say this deal aligns perfectly with its current strategy.

 

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Microsoft’s Xbox 360 to finally become profitable in 2008?

Posted in microsoft, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360, business, industry (May 7, 2007 at 1:07 am)

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It’s fairly safe to assume that Microsoft as a whole ain’t hurtin’ in the wallet, but for its Xbox platform, the positive cash flow is (possibly) just around the corner. According to an interview with Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division, the firm’s gaming business “will be profitable next year,” which will certainly be a breath of fresh air considering how much loot it has been losing for years in the arena. Still, it’s not like any major competitors aren’t suffering through the same pains, and while the Big N is smiling all the way to the bank with the profits it makes on every Wii sold, we’re glad that at least a few consoles are offering up high-definition and true online play regardless of the cost. Obviously, the continual decrease in component costs are making the consoles cheaper to produce, but Bach went so far as to point out that (overpriced) peripherals, an increased user base on Xbox Live, and software sales would be the primary margin drivers next year. So now that the Xbox 360 is looking rosy, what’s to be done about the Zune?

[Via Joystiq]

 

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IBM gearing up to lay off over 100000 American employees?

Posted in business, industry, ibm (May 5, 2007 at 1:07 am)

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We’ll admit, even we’re a bit frightened that immensely intelligent humanoid bots may one day oust us from these seats, but according to whispers going around at IBM’s HQ, something just as momentous could be going down as early as this year. Shortly after Lenovo told 1,400 of its US-based employees to politely hop off the payroll, IBM’s LEAN plan could call for over 100,000 American workers to be canned in favor of (surprise, surprise) hiring overseas. Already, the firm has laid off 1,300 employees in 2007, but according to a recent report, an ongoing “planning meeting” for how to handle the company’s Global Services could eventually axe “up to 150,000 US jobs” while hiring cheaper labor in China and India. Interestingly, this news could actually be sweet music to Wall Street, at least in the short term, but we can’t imagine how this logistical nightmare will ever bode well for Big Blue’s future.

 

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Netgear acquires Infrant to boost storage offerings

Posted in business, industry, merge, merger, nas, raid, smb, soho (May 4, 2007 at 1:07 am)

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Hot on the heels of yet another big time acquisition between Philips and DLO comes news that Netgear will be snapping up the privately-held Infrant Technologies for a cool $60 million in cash. All 34 employees will soon be wearing Netgear badges, and Infrant’s CEO will move over and become Netgear’s Vice President and General Manager for storage products. Essentially, Netgear is hoping that this move will strengthen the firm’s presence in the enterprise and small-business storage realm, as it can now offer up a trusted name in RAID-based NAS products for SMB, SOHO, and the home. More specifically, the ReadyNAS, RAIDiator, and X-RAID portfolios were the targets of Netgear’s desire, and while details on branding and the timeframe for the merge weren’t noted, it sounds like Netgear’s ready to get this party started on the double.

[Thanks, Matt]

 

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Xda terra becomes first WM6 Pro device to ship

Posted in business, industry, launch, germany (April 28, 2007 at 1:07 am)

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Just over a month ago, O2 Germany came clean and announced the future availability of the Xda terra, and now the carrier will forever hold the crown of being the first major provider to offer up and ship a Windows Mobile 6 Professional handset. Sure enough, O2’s Germany webstore proudly displays the dashing mobile, lists the specs that you’ve already memorized, and mentions that it now includes a two-megapixel camera to boot. Of course, being first in line always comes at a premium, and from what we can gather through the (admittedly sketchy) translation, the lowest price point you’ll be reaching is €279.99 ($382) bundled with a contract. Additionally, O2 lists the handset sans agreement for a stiff €519.99 ($710), but it looks like those will only be available from retail locations — decisions, decisions.

[Via Unwired]

 

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Microsoft notches record profits, thanks Vista

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Don’t act surprised: record profits are the expected benefits of selling 20 million copies of a much-delayed operating system, but we must say that increasing one’s net income 65-percent year-over-year to a staggering $4.93 billion is worth congratulating. Sure, the newfangled system has suffered (and still is) its share of troubles in the early goings, but with those kind of profits coming in, we’re sure all of Redmond will be treated to a 12-pack of their favorite soft drink in celebration. Looking forward, Microsoft also noted that next quarter’s performance should be just as impressive, and since it’s pulling in all this dough of late, why not extend that $3 software bundle to us low-on-cash Americans, alright?

 

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Sony’s PSP price cut coming to Europe on May 4th

Posted in business, industry, pricing, sony, psp, europe, uk, britain, england (April 25, 2007 at 1:08 am)

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C’mon, you did think that Sony whippersnapper that confirmed the US PSP price cut was holding back about Europe, didn’t you? As these things tend to fall, Europe is getting similar treatment as the US (albeit in a slightly later fashion), as the price of the PlayStation Portable will soon be descending to £130 / €170 (between $231 and $260) across the lake. Additionally, several Platinum titles will be taking a nosedive right along with it, as Ridge Racer 2, Tekken, Killzone, LocoRoco, and Moto GP all sink to £14.99 ($30). Hold your horses before skipping out of work and ripping our your credit card, though, as the price drops aren’t slated to take effect until May 4th — but we’d still recommend keeping a close eye out, as we know all too well how those street dates can fall through hold up.

[Via Joystiq]

 

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Corporations finding green in going green

Posted in business, industry, green ( at 1:08 am)

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A select few have already discovered just how lucrative going green can be, but for mega-corps around the globe, this year’s Earth Day was just as much about earning green as it was recycling. While throngs of companies have already instituted programs to recollect and recycle customer’s obsolete gear, outfits are now looking for easy money in selling scrap material, used plastics, hardware components, and “refurbished PCs,” all while tooting their own horn and eliciting a good bit of positive PR love along the way. According to IDC analysts, the global demand for such junk unusual treasures is on the rise, making it easier for companies such as Dell, Apple, and Sony to flip the returned hardware for extra cash. Furthermore, some say that these in-your-face recycling programs could even entice users to scrap their current PCs faster than they otherwise would, which could also lead to more business with said companies as they plunk down for yet another computer that they honestly didn’t need. Sure, the motives behind going green in the tech industry could be swaying, but as long as hardware retirement and disposal is being handled in an environmentally-friendly way, we suppose there’s not much room to repine.

 

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Hitachi aims high with forthcoming 85-inch plasma HDTV

Posted in business, industry, sales (April 20, 2007 at 1:06 am)

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It looks like Hitachi is continuing to follow the go-big mantra revived by the 1TB 7K1000, as the firm is reportedly looking to crank out quite a few 85-inch plasma HDTVs over the next few years. Of course, this forthcoming beauty won’t take the crown for the largest PDP out there, but it could very well achieve the metrics the sales crew is hoping for. Hitachi is looking to hit the 50-inch and over category hard, increasing overall PDP marketshare to 20-percent, and boosting its stake in the aforementioned subset to over 30-percent. Still, the company probably has a fairly good backup plan if plasma sales continue to sag, but we reckon a respectably priced behemoth such as this could definitely make up the slack if it’s bringing the goods.

 

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Robo-tout solicits business in Osaka prefecture

Posted in business, industry, crime (April 18, 2007 at 1:08 am)

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Although robots haven’t stolen sign-toting jobs from weather-braving Americans just yet, it looks like those street corner consignment gigs could be vanishing in Osaka. Due to a curious loophole in Japanese law, owners of adult entertainment clubs and information kiosks are now crafting robo-touts to solicit business from interested consumers, as it’s illegal for a human to do the same. The handsome bots proudly hoist “Ask Me!” signs that attract passerbyers eyes, and apparently, direct any takers to the appropriate human source of information. Of course, these directing gurus could certainly branch out into less dodgy lines of work, but considering that the pictured servant underwent a ¥500,000 ($4,209) makeover just to look the part, these humanoids should probably be reserved for the most lucrative of chores.

[Via PinkTentacle]

 

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Microsoft lawyer whines about Apple’s DRM complaints

Posted in News, microsoft, business, industry, apple, sales (April 15, 2007 at 1:07 am)

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The gloves have long since been removed in the battle war between Cupertino and Redmond, and while we wouldn’t deem this a direct hit, it’s a mighty blow to gut regardless. Microsoft’s general counsel and executive vice president Brad Smith has apparently decided that whining about whiners is the best approach to garner public support, as he mouthed off to reporters and suggested that Apple should just shut its trap in regard to the limitations of DRM, and in a completely unrelated addition, claimed that sales of the iPod should be good enough for that oh-so-greedy corporation. More specifically, Mr. Smith claimed that he wasn’t a “big believer in just blaming the music industry for Apple’s inability to sell every conceivable iPod,” but contradicted himself ever so slightly by insinuating that Apple should leave well enough alone and enjoy the profits the player is already pulling in. Is it just us, or do you sense this vibe of bitterness mixed in there somewhere, too?

[Via GizmoNews, picture courtesy of Worth1000]

 

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Philips to acquire DLO, expand peripheral offerings

Posted in News, microsoft, business, industry, apple (April 14, 2007 at 1:06 am)

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Continuing the hot streak of industry madness going down on this eventful Friday the 13th is Philips, as it has announced plans to acquire Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) in an attempt to compliment the firm’s headphone / DAP offerings with a smorgasbord of other peripherals and accessories for mobile devices. Essentially, Philips is hoping that the deal will allow it to “become a leading player in peripherals and accessories market for the mobility domain,” and considering the vast amount of DAP / PMP toting individuals out there eying such niceties as the HomeDock, iBoom Travel, and the obligatory colored carrying case, it’s probably not a bad move. Interestingly, Philips is actually taking over a firm who pumps out products for two competing music players, but a spokesperson for the company played the rivalry down by suggesting that DLO’s products were “designed for all of the players on the market.” Although pricing details weren’t readily available, Philips is planning to complete the acquisition by Q2’s end, and hopes to make DLO more predominant “outside of the US while broadening its product portfolio.”

[Via Reuters]

 

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PSP Core pack unsurprisingly falling to $169.99

Posted in News, business, industry, pricing, sony, psp (April 2, 2007 at 3:23 am)

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Although the PSP Core pack isn’t dropping to the lows in which we had hoped it would, the stripped-down package is getting a slashing nonetheless as it attempts to attract buyers who still aren’t down with a $200 Value pack. Apparently, GameStop / EB Games locations have already received displays and instructions (posted after the jump) to lower the Core’s price down a few notches starting on April 3rd, which means that you should put your PSP shopping trip on hiatus until tomorrow rolls around. Of course, this leveling out of pricing doesn’t come to anyone’s surprise, but if you’ve managed to both hold off on a PSP until now and still have an urge to pick one up outside of the used market, Wednesday’s your day.

Continue reading PSP Core pack unsurprisingly falling to $169.99

 

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Quanta planning $200 OLPC for developed nations

Posted in News, business, industry (March 28, 2007 at 1:40 am)

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A lot of good things can happen when you receive a million orders for your product, such as finding the ability to add speedier hardware, offer up new renditions, and of course, break into new markets. Such is the case with Quanta, as it is reportedly aiming at bringing a device “similar to the OLPC to developed markets when the time is right,” and if all goes as planned, it’ll hit “for as little as $200.” Of course, it was noted that the low-end versions would likely arrive sans a hard drive, with diminutive screens, and utilize open source software, but there’s currently not much room to grumble if your laptop budget tops out at two Benjamins. In a quote that certainly made a case for CE-Oh No He Didn’t, Michael Wang (Quanta’s president) frankly stated that there were “a lot of poor people in developed countries, too,” simultaneously dissing those without a large deal of disposable income and mislabeling the millionaire tinkers who’d probably pick one up just to fiddle with. No hints at a release date just yet, but if the sluggish rollout of the OLPCs is a halfway accurate benchmark, we’d guess that this one’s a good ways out.

[Thanks, Charbax]

 

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Mitac International to acquire Tyan

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Before long, Mitac International just might own every other Taiwanese company currently out there, as the corporation is swallowing up yet another subsidiary by reportedly acquiring Tyan. The merger is slated to hit completion by the third quarter of this year, but the two firms aren’t entirely strangers as it stands. Currently, the Mitac Group holds a 35-percent stake in Tyan, but the deal should allow for Tyan’s products to be “more competitive in the market.” Stockholders were apparently pleased with the announcement, as shares for both firms raised during public trading hours, and you can probably assume the newfound company’s new supercomputer will be even more sensational (and hopefully cheaper) than the existing iteration.

[Via Inquirer]

 

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XM / Sirius to offer new pricing schemes after merger

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We already know just how “priceless” the XM / Sirius merger will be, that your current radio will probably still function just fine, and that both firms are still facing legal heat in one way or another, but we hadn’t heard just how the newlyweds would handle the pricing of the new service — until now. In a decision sure to make a few people elated while giving a hint of suspicion to most others, the merged company will offer customers a package that includes “less channels” at a monthly price lower than $12.95, one that seems “substantially similar” for exactly $12.95, and finally, a third option that touts even more channels for “a modest premium.” We can only assume that the pricey third alternative will boast a nice mixture of both companies’ existing lineups, but unfortunately, it also leaves open the possibility that the cheaper two options might exemplify the “you only get what you pay for” tagline.

[Thanks, Frankenstein B.]

 

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