Latest News and Info on Consumer Electronics

Voice Search: A New Age Has Dawned
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:13:56 -0500
Jack Miller submits:

A friend recently demonstrated the Apple (AAPL) i-phone's ability to find the song hummed to it; a neat trick but not a "Killer Application". Killer APPS are "game changers". They are the things, that when your neighbor gets one, you have to have one. Today, Google (GOOG) voice search goes live on the i-phone. Ask 'Where is Shell Gasoline?' and the i-phone provides a Google map of your current location with Shell stations marked with teardrops.

Sophisticated voice systems, such as those sold by Nuance (NUAN), are exceptional tools, but they require practice time for the computer to learn the nuances of each voice. Google's recognition ability has a long way to go to reach the accuracy of the Nuance systems, but many questions will be correctly answered in the early days and most will be answered correctly in future days. As this technology is widely adopted, productivity will take another giant leap forward. Trillions of questions will be asked. The answers will ultimately save consumers Trillions of time and dollars.

Network DVR: First Challenge of a Connected Future
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:03:15 -0500
Shelly Palmer submits:

One important vision of the future of video distribution is the concept of making content available to consumers, WIWWIWWIW, "What I want, where I want, when I want." To accomplish this distribution goal, service providers will have to store content in a central location and transcode (prepare) it for distribution to a plurality of devices.

Just think of the various screen sizes in your world. Cell phone 2 ½" diagonal, PDA 3 ½" diagonal, Video Monitor in the back of the SUV 9" diagonal, laptop 15" diagonal, living room HDTV 42" diagonal, etc. Just making video available in the appropriate resolutions, aspect ratios and sizes for these different devices seems like a big job. It is.

Questioning Trimble's Share Repurchase Timing
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:47:00 -0500
Sam E. Antar submits:

In my last blog post about convicted felon turned fraud fighter Barry Minkow’s expose of corporate officers and directors misrepresenting their resumes, I closed with the following comment, “As a convicted felon, I have learned that where there is smoke there is usually fire.” In this blog post, I take a closer look at Trimble Navigation Limited (NASDAQ: TRMB).

According to a Fraud Discovery Institute (Minkow’s private investigation company) background check, Executive Vice President and Executive Committee member Dennis L. Workman claimed in various SEC filings (latest 10-K here) that he obtained a Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ((MIT)) in 1969. However, a background check by FDI shows that while Dennis Workman attended MIT from September 19, 1967 to May 31, 1968, no degree was conferred.

Researcher Finds Phony Credentials for Eight Executives
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:42:16 -0500
Sam E. Antar submits:

My dear friend and mentor, convicted felon-turned-fraud fighter Barry Minkow has a message for deceitful directors and officers of public companies: If you lie about your resume, past experience, and qualifications for your present job and such lies show up in SEC filings, he will find out about it and expose you to investors and regulators.

Minkow and I believe that if you lie about your educational background, you are capable of lying about anything else, too. Investors require honesty from the fiduciaries running their companies. If Barry Minkow can find false credentials in corporate America where company gatekeepers have failed, what other more devastating internal control failures exist that we do not know of?

Tech May Be a Wreck, But This Isn't 2001
Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:57:00 -0500
Alan Brochstein, CFA submits:

I have been negative on Tech as a sector relative to the market as a whole, but I am no longer so. I shared my reasons over a year ago (too early), arguing that the strong balance sheets and high exposure to international sales were masking high valuation and significant but under-appreciated exposure to the consumer.  I noted that recessions had never been kind to tech stocks and this one wouldn't likely be different. 

2008 hasn't been kind at all to Tech, as it is actually the third worst sector year-to-date (after Financials and Materials), down almost 46% and trailing the S&P 500 by over 5%.  Most of the poor relative performance has actually taken place recently.  At the end of May, when the S&P 500 was down about 5% year-to-date, the Tech sector was down the same. 

LaBarge, Inc. F1Q09 (Qtr End 09/30/08) Earnings Call Transcript
Sun, 16 Nov 2008 06:35:55 -0500

LaBarge, Inc. (LB)
F1Q09 (Qtr End 09/30/08) Earnings Call Transcript

October 30, 2008 11:00 am ET

Should Apple Consider Buying Yahoo!?
Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:32:26 -0500
Joel West submits:

PC World columnist JR Raphael notes the various rumors that Apple (AAPL) is getting into the search engine business. After noting that the world doesn’t need another search engine, he suggests:

If you must get into search, buy Yahoo! (YHOO). Please.

Damage Report: Nokia Blows Up Mobile Sector
Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:34:02 -0500
Eric Savitz (Barron's) submits:

Nokia (NOK) this morning said out loud what everyone in the mobile phone business kind of knew already: demand in 2009 is going to be down from 2008. This is an industry that had become accustomed to seeing unit growth in the 10% plus range; to see the industry’s most important player forecast a down year is a shocker, even if you suspected that something like this was inevitable.

Nokia’s warning is weighing heavily on a variety of players in industry: other phone companies; wireless carriers; chip makers; and even contract manufacturers. Here’s a look at the damage:

Will Apple Beat 2009 Revenue Consensus?
Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:02:35 -0500
Andy Zaky submits:

Four months ago, the analyst consensus estimate for 2009 had Apple (AAPL) earning $6.36 in EPS on approximately $40 billion in revenue. Since that time, the economy has gone through a major financial crisis, which has led many analysts to revise their estimates down, quite dramatically. As of Wednesday, the analysts were now looking for Apple to earn $5.35 in EPS on approximately $37.5 billion in revenue in 2009. The consensus has Apple literally contracting on the year—down from $5.36 in EPS in 2008. These extraordinarily bearish consensus estimates have set Apple up to beat revenue expectations by approximately $900 million each quarter in 2009.

I expect Apple to earn about $6.63 in EPS on $41.2 billion in revenue beating expectations by $1.28 in EPS and $3.63 billion in revenue. This amounts to an average quarterly beat of $907 million in revenue and $0.32 in EPS. Even before this recent bout of downward revisions to the estimate, I saw the consensus as already pricing in a moderate to severe recession.

Video Game Industry Holding Up Reasonably Well
Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:11:39 -0500
Seth Gilbert submits:

THQ (THQI) is trimming staff and focusing on a smaller slate of titles. EA (ERTS) announced layoffs too and forecast caution. Activision (ATVI) showed results that were stellar. Sony (SNE) got crushed with currency issues. Nintendo (NTDOY.PK) raised sales expectations for the Wii. Depending on where you looked, this earnings season was filled with mixed messages from gaming companies. These, stacked on top of stalling retail foot traffic and surprisingly weak retail sales data in August and September, have made it very difficult to gauge the health of the gaming industry heading into the pivotal holiday shopping season. 

Is the industry recession resistant? Are negative results merely the result of delayed purchases, or single company management choices? Or is the industry feeling the weight of the greater economy? It’s been so tough to tell.

Opposing Views on RIMM's Future
Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:11:13 -0500
FP Trading Desk submits:

Research in Motion (RIMM) may be facing serious headwinds in the face of a global slowdown, but two analysts – both of whom are lowering their estimates and targets – are taking opposite views on the company’s prospects.

Over at Raymond James, Steven Li has an “outperform” rating on RIM shares, though he is reducing his target price to $80 from $110, based on a price-earnings multiple of 18. That’s a 30% discount of the last five years average, trailing a P/E of 26 times, attributable to the “significant contraction in sector valuations.”

Risks Remain, But iPhone's Fundamentals Should Help Apple Surpass Expectations - RBC Analyst
Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:00:51 -0500
FP Trading Desk submits:

Although the near-term outlook for consumer spending doesn't fare too well for Apple Inc. (AAPL), the company is well positioned for long-term leadership in the smartphone space, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky.

While global smartphone shipment growth is expected to slow from 52% to 21%, the company's iPhone and its strong fundamentals will certainly help to surpass expectations over the next two years.

What's RIMM's Problem?
Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:00:38 -0500
FP Trading Desk submits:

In less than six months, Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) has fallen from more than $145 per share to roughly $45. This is despite long-term fundamentals that position the BlackBerry maker as a leader in the smartphone market. The company is innovative, boasts competitive advantages and brings products to the market quickly. So what’s the problem?

Despite the boost RIM is expected to get from strong initial demand for the BlackBerry Bold and Storm launches, a deteriorating macro environment and intensifying competition poses near-term risks to the company’s growth and margins, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky. He pointed out that recent survey data demonstrates the weakest outlook ever for consumer electronics spending.

UBS Analyst: T-Mobile's Trial Promotion for RIMM's Javelin a Real Surprise
Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:54:49 -0500
FP Trading Desk submits:

News that Research In Motion Ltd.'s (RIMM) BlackBerry Curve 8900, otherwise known as the Javelin, has launched with T-Mobile Germany comes as little surprise given what has been circulating around the blogosphere. But what is a surprise to UBS analyst Jeffrey Fan, is that T-Mobile will offer a free six-month trial promotion for those who buy the smartphone and subscribe to or extend a BlackBerry Internet Service [BIS] plan that go for as little as €4.95 per month. The promotion will initially be limited until December 31, 2008.

Mr. Fan told clients:

Insider Buying at Corning; Stock Shouldn't Go Much Lower
Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:39:36 -0500
Larry Lazer submits:

In the past week, three prominent insiders have purchased a large number of shares of Corning (GLW). The ex-CEO and a descendant of the company's founder, James Houghton led the way by purchasing 100,000 shares valued in excess of $1 million. He was followed by CFO James Flaws and board member Gordon Gund, who each also purchased 100,000 shares valued at more than $1 million.

Gordon Gund has made great insider purchases in the past. In mid-2002, Gund made the following purchase:

Tyco International Ltd. F4Q08 (Qtr. End 09/30/08) Earnings Call Transcript
Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:07:16 -0500

Tyco International Ltd. (TYC)

Q4 FY08 Earnings Call

A1 IT Products - Computers, Digital Cameras, Monitors, Cables, Accessories, Battery Equipment, Printers, Storage, Office Machines

NEC LCD Technologies Develops 12.1-Inch High-Density 3D LCD Module
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:51:33 GMT
NEC LCD Technologie has developed a new 12.1-inch amorphous-silicon thin-film-transistor (TFT) color liquid crystal display (LCD) module with super video graphics array (SVGA) resolution that enables naked-eye viewing of stereoscopic images.

Zoran Ships New HDTV Processor
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:47:30 GMT
Zoran announced that its highly integrated SupraHD 775 and SupraHD 785 HDTV processors are shipping to qualified DTV manufacturers.

Spansion Sues Samsung Over Flash Memory Patents
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:23:48 GMT
Spansion Inc. wants to block U.S. sales of iPods, BlackBerry gadgets and other devices because memory chips made by Samsung and used in those products allegedly violate Spansion patents.

LG, Sharp, Chunghwa Say Guilty in LCD Case
Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:24:39 GMT
Three leading electronics manufacturers - LG Display Co. Ltd., Sharp Corp. and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. - have agreed to plead guilty and pay a total of $585 million in fines for fixing prices of LCDs used in a wide variety of electronics, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday.

WD TV HD Media Player Turns Portable Drives into HD Media Players
Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:26:45 GMT
WD today introduced a simple way for consumers to play their stored digital content on their HDTV in Full-HD 1080p resolution, the WD TV Media Player.

FDI 2008: 40-Inch OLED by Samsung SDI
Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:54:20 GMT
Samsung SDI has on display the company's latest OLED (organic light emitting diode) display prototypes including a 40" model at the FPD International 2008 trade show in Yokohama, Japan.

Netflix, TiVo Team Up On Web Streaming
Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:55:31 GMT
Netflix and TiVo are finally joining forces to deliver more movies and old TV episodes to their mutual subscribers, consummating a relationship that was supposed to come together four years ago.

Pioneer Wins Patent Infringement Suit against Samsung SDI
Wed, 29 Oct 2008 06:37:32 GMT
A jury in the United States District Court in Eastern District of Texas has reached a verdict in favor of Pioneer Corporation in a patent infringement suit against Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. and two affiliated companies.

Toshiba to Launch 43nm SLC NAND Flash Memory
Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:40:52 GMT
Toshiba today announced the launch of a new line-up of 43nm single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory products available in densities ranging from 512Mbits to 64 gigabits and in a total of 16 versions.

Samsung Blu-ray Players to Stream Netflix Movies, Pandora Music
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:01:26 GMT
Online movie rental service Netflix and Samsung today announced a partnership to offer consumers the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from the Netflix directly to their living rooms via Samsung's BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray disc players.

Two new Limited Edition KURO plasma TVs
Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:39:22 GMT
From November, two new limited editions of Pioneer's KURO plasma TVs will be available ? the KRP-500ABG and the KRP-500AW.

LG to Build Solar Cell Lines in Old PDP Plant
Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:07:01 GMT
LG Electronics decided at its board of directors meeting held on October 20 to convert its A1 plasma panel-manufacturing line in Gumi, Korea, into solar cell production lines.

Broadcom Solution Powers LG300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player
Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:50:07 GMT
Broadcom today announced that itsBCM7440 Blu-ray Disc system-on-a-chip (SoC) solution has been selected by LG Electronics to power the first Blu-ray Disc player featuring Netflix instant streaming.

Panasonic Unveils Small Fuel Cell For Laptops
Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:28:44 GMT
Panasonic has reduced the size of its portable fuel cell device for laptops making it more compact and efficient.

DTS Launches DTS-HD Master Audio Essential
Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:30:21 GMT
DTS, Inc. released a variation of it's popular surround sound technology DTS-HD Master Audio, which delivers high definition audio that is bit for bit identical to the studio master.

Warner Bros. Licenses Content for Distribution on DivX Certified Consumer Electronics Devices
Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:46:00 GMT
DivX and Warner Bros. Entertainment have entered into an agreement that will enable online retailers to offer Warner Bros. titles in the DivX standard definition format in October 2008 and high definition format in September 2009.

Pioneer Flagship Professional DJ Headphones Available by the End of This Year
Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:53:08 GMT
Pioneer's new ew HDJ-2000 professional DJ headphones available by the end of this year, featuring a new sleek design and enhancements.

Sandisk Introduces the Sansa slotMusic Player
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:56:10 GMT
Sandisk released today the Sansa slotMusic, a new plug & play portable music player specially designed for use with the new slotMusic cards available today in the United States.

Sharp to Introduce AQUOS DX Series LCD TVs with Built-In Blu-ray Recorders
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:39:51 GMT
Sharp will introduce into the Japanese market the 16-model AQUOS DX Series (including 52V-, 46V-, 42V-, 37V-, 32V-, and 26V-inch models), the world?s first series of LCD TVs equipped with Blu-ray Disc Recorders.

JVC Launches New 500GB Blu-Ray Recorder
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:04:56 GMT
Victor-JVC announced today the release of their new Blu-Ray Recorder, the DR-BX500, which will be available in Japan at the end of November for around 180,000 Yen (€1300).

Car Audio & Video, Car Electronics, DJ Equipment, Appliances