Latest News and Info on Consumer Electronics

Consumer Electronics

Can Tablet PCs Bring Life Back Into Newspaper-Style Reading?
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:08:56 -0500
Sam Diaz submits:

During a presentation in front of the Federal Trade Commission yesterday, Google’s Chief Economist painted a picture of a newspaper industry whose demise was caused by a number of sources, not just the Internet.

That goes contrary to what newspaper executives have been saying for some time: that the Internet and, in particular, news aggregators like Google have been giving away content that newspapers used to be able to charge for - both in subscriptions and ad revenue. In a blog post, economist Hal Varian explained that his testimony is part of the FTC’s exploration of the future of the news industry.

Apple's iBookstore Will Take a Bite Out of Kindle's Market
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:47:26 -0500
Trefis submits:

Apple (AAPL), which competes with Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Kindle, is expected to launch iBookstore alongside its tablet PC, the iPad, in April 2010. iPad owners will be able to download books to their iPad through iBookstore, an application which will be available on Apple’s iTunes store. We estimate that iTunes and iPhones Apps constitute about 6% of the $267 Trefis price estimate for Apple’s stock.

We expect Apple to generate ebook revenue of $400 million in 2010 by selling around 48 million ebooks at an average price of $8. You can access our full forecasts and rationale for AAPL here:

PS3 to Get More Movies as Sony Signs Deal With All Six Studios for Movie Streaming
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:44:03 -0500
Dan Rayburn submits:

Sony (SNE) just announced that 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros have all agreed to allow Sony to stream their movies over the PlayStation Network to users of the PS3. The service, which launched yesterday, is only available in the U.S. but will be expanded to consumers in U.K., France, Germany, and Spain.

The PlayStation Network is the first gaming console to offer high definition movies from all of the major movie studios and consumers will have the option to either buy or rent HD titles. There's no word as to how many titles the studios will make available or how quickly they will be added, but Sony did list 18 new movie releases in the press release from all six studios that are available today.

Will Apple Kill Photoshop?
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:27:52 -0500
Michael Comeau submits:

The Apple (AAPL) vs. Adobe (ADBE) flash war has been heating up for quite some time now, but the rivalry may run a heck of a lot deeper than you think.

Adobe is best known for Photoshop, the defacto standard in photo and image editing software - and if my calculations are correct, Apple would like to kill it.

Hedge Funds Bet on Steve Jobs' Next Move
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:33:12 -0500
Jason Schwarz submits:

So here we are. Apple is at all time highs. The stock is up another $5 today. The Apple/QQQQ slingshot trade has generated huge returns. We're waiting to sell until Apple moves against the market to the downside. But what is really going on here? This stock action certainly isn't happening because mainstream
investors decided they wanted to buy in last Friday. This isn't
investing 101. This is advanced hedge fund action so let's make an
effort to understand things from their point of view.

This run is happening because of Norway. About a month ago, some third
party Apple reseller decided to put a link on their website to allow
customers to pre-order the iPad. They had to shut it down because the
demand was overwhelming. We all know that Steve Jobs worries just as
much about marketing as he does about the products themselves. At the
end of the day, nobody actually needs an iPhone or an iPad in the same
way that nobody needs an In-N-Out Burger or a Tito's Taco. The
atmosphere of standing in line to get your favorite product is very
important.

Sony Reminds Us of the High Cost of First Generation 3D TV
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:16:05 -0500
TechCrunch submits:

By Matt Burns

Put Activity Surges as Palm Hits New Low
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:53:28 -0500
optionMONSTER submits:

By Chris McKhann

Put volume dominated the option trading in Palm (PALM) yesterday as its shares fell to a new 52-week low.

Research In Motion: Bulls Play for More Upside
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:48:02 -0500
optionMONSTER submits:

By David Russell

Research In Motion (RIMM) ripped higher yesterday, and options traders are positioning for the gains to continue.

Will Books Be the Next to Go in Apple’s App Store Purge?
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:24:32 -0500
Jason Kincaid submits:

Over the last month or so, Apple (AAPL) has clearly been on a mission to trim down the App Store to applications that are useful and family friendly. First, it removed thousands of sex-themed applications, and it’s also been making moves to crack down on overly simplistic ‘cookie cutter‘ apps. But there may be yet another segment of the App Store on the chopping block: Books. According to a recent report, books represent 27,000 of the App Store’s 150,000 applications, making them the most abundant type of application on the App Store. And they’re becoming increasingly redundant.

Before developers get alarmed, I should make it clear that I haven’t heard anything about Apple removing the myriad book apps from the App Store. But given the impending release of Apple’s own iBooks app alongside the iPad, and the recent App Store cleanup spree, I won’t be at all surprised if they do something to change the way books are treated on the platform.

New Survey Shows Huge Wave of iPad Demand Impacting Amazon
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:09:05 -0500
Paul Carton (ChangeWave Alliance) submits:

By Paul Carton and Jean Crumrine

It's been just a matter of weeks since Steve Jobs announced the impending release of the new Apple (AAPL) iPad tablet.

TiVo Inc. F4Q10 (01/31/10) Earnings Call Transcript
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:19:08 -0500

TiVo Inc. (TIVO)

F4Q10 (01/31/10) Earnings Call

March 8, 2010 5:00 pm ET

AT&T: Stuck in the iPhone Mindset
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:56:03 -0500
TechCrunch submits:

By Greg Kumparak

Our full review of the Motorola Backflip should be up in a few days, but a few words of wisdom in the mean time: Don’t buy it. Between its crazy form-factor and the hidden trackpad tucked on the back of the display, everything we took as merits at face value have devolved into novelties.

Research In Motion Breaks Above Range
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:32:27 -0500
optionMONSTER submits:

By Bryan McCormick

Shares of Research In Motion (RIMM) broke out above the top of its trading range this morning at the $72 area.

Apple's New Apps Stance: More Features or Die
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:22:54 -0500
Jason Kincaid submits:

In the wake of Apple’s sudden decision to remove nearly all “sexy” applications from the App Store, we’ve been hearing that the company is also clamping down on so-called “cookie-cutter” applications — iPhone apps that are built from templates using one of the many app-building services available.

This would be yet another major change for the App Store, as it already features thousands of such applications. And, perhaps more important, quite a few companies have sprung up to facilitate building iPhone applications. I’ve reached out to Apple to ask if they’d like to clarify their stance, but given their lack of transparency in the past, I’m not betting on getting anything definitive. To try to get to the bottom of the current situation, I spoke with multiple developers (some of whom wished to remain anonymous) to find out what Apple was telling them.

Thoughts on the Downside of the Droid
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:20:09 -0500
Shelly Palmer submits:

Author’s Note: Droid fans, you are going to hate this article and, more importantly, you are going to want to write me a nasty emails telling me how “uneducated” I am about the Droid App Store and how there is an app that solves every one of my problems. Here’s a news flash. I know. Here’s some news for you — normal people who buy phones will expect the stock applications for features like txt, email and contact management to work perfectly as delivered. Apps, in the minds of normal, non-tech people, are for additional features, NOT core functionality. It is with the general consumer in mind that I write the following:

I’ve had my Verizon (VZ) Droid since the phone debuted in November of 2009. I replaced my fully functional, absolutely-perfect-for-a-business-guy, BlackBerry Curve. As many of you know, I carry an iPhone 3GS, which does everything “except” work as a phone, so, my first priority for the Droid was that it work as a mobile telephone.

High Conviction: An American Legend Repositioned for the Digital Age
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:01:48 -0500
Cary J. Amann submits:

Cary J. Amann is founder and portfolio manager for A-V Capital Management, a New Orleans, LA based investment management firm managing equity and fixed income portfolios for individuals and institutions. A-V Capital Management also provides advisory and consulting services to Pension, Profit Sharing and other company-sponsored Retirement plans.

We recently had the opportunity to ask Amann about his single highest conviction holding at present.

Apple Slingshot: Trade of the Year
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:22:47 -0500
Jason Schwarz submits:

For hedge funds, Apple (AAPL) is the battleground of a broad market war. If they can move Apple up, the rest of the market will follow. If they can move Apple down, the rest of the market will follow. Since October this Apple slingshot action has happened six times; it's time to document a seventh.

On February 25th Apple was at $196 and it jumped $23 in the next six trading days. The slingshots move in approximately $20 increments. At economictiming.com we reinvested in our Apple/QQQQ slingshot trade on the morning of February 25th, and the Apple January 2011 $250 call options have gone from 8.55 to 13.95 (a gain of 63 percent). The QQQQ June 2010 $41 call options have gone from 3.95 to 5.89 (a 49 percent gain). Not bad for six trading days. So what should we do now?

Global Smartphone App Market Could Reach $15 Billion by 2013
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:44:20 -0500
TechCrunch submits:

By Robin Wauters

Research reports forecasting future market sizes should always be taken with a grain of salt, but it occasionally helps to see the estimates of research organizations in order to gain some perspective on the current and upcoming trends for those markets.

Sony: Can Copycat Products Bring It Back to the Top?
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:46:34 -0500
Sam Diaz submits:

Sony (SNE) may make some fun commercials featuring Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake. But when it comes to selling gadgets to today’s tech-savvy consumer, Sony has a long way to go before it can catch up to rivals such as Apple (AAPL).

Sources tell The Wall Street Journal that Sony is working on a new lineup of handheld products, specifically a gaming smartphone and a portable device that brings together netbook, e-reader and PlayStation Portable functionality. Clearly, that’s an attempt to go after Apple, which has incorporated - and played-up - handheld gaming in the iPod Touch (and, indirectly, the iPhone, too), as well as the yet-to-be-released iPad tablet device.

Apple's HTC Lawsuit: Is It Biting Off More Than It Can Sue?
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:08:31 -0500
Larry Dignan (ZDNet) submits:

Apple’s (AAPL) high-profile patent lawsuit vs. HTC could set off a wide range of unintended consequences including a big two-front legal battle with well-heeled foes like Google (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT).

As noted by CNet’s Maggie Reardon, Apple’s motives so far are unclear. On the surface, it appears that Apple wants to merely push aside HTC, an emerging smartphone threat. Zoom out a bit and you could picture a patent war on the horizon. Apple isn’t in the patent game for revenue or cross licensing deals—the motive of many patent lawsuits. Apple is looking to use patents as a moat around its iPhone juggernaut.

But let’s fast forward a bit. Apple’s lawsuit against HTC and Android (and Google by proxy) is likely to bring the search giant into the legal mix at some point. Google will stand behind Android. The wild card is Microsoft. Apple didn’t call Microsoft out by name, but the HTC devices mentioned in its complaint run on Windows Mobile.

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

Samsung eREADER Available in the U.S.
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:26:58 GMT
Samsung announced today the availability of its first-ever eReader product for the US market.

Pioneer Is In The Mix With The Latest DJM-2000 Mixer
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:49:32 GMT
Pioneer is again front and center of the DJ scene as a technology leader with the introduction of the DJM-2000 professional mixer.

Samsung Announces Pricing and Availability of its First Full HD 3D LED TVs, BD Players, Plasma and LCD TVs
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:27:20 GMT
Samsung Announces Pricing and Availability of its First Full HD 3D LED TVs, BD Players, Plasma and LCD TVs Samsung today officially announced the world's first-available Full HD 3D LED TV and full lineup of 3D home entertainment products to consumers worldwide.

Sony To Launch Three New BRAVIA 3D TV Series in June
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:59:44 GMT
Sony said Tuesday it will begin selling 3D televisions in Japan starting in June, as it pins hopes on the latest new technology to help regain its lead in a market now dominated by LG and Samsung.

Sony Develops Efficient RGB Laser Light Source Module for Large Screen Projectors
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:23:23 GMT
Sony today announced the development of a RGB laser light source module suitable for large screen projectors such as digital cinema projectors.

iPad Available in US on April 3
Sat, 06 Mar 2010 06:03:08 GMT
Apple today announced that its iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models.

Latest Version Of HDMI Specification Specifies Mandatory 3D Formats For Broadcast Content
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:55:47 GMT
HDMI Licensing, LLC today announced the release of HDMI Specification Version 1.4a featuring key enhancements for 3D applications including the addition of mandatory 3D formats for broadcast content as well as the addition of the 3D format referred to as Top-and-Bottom.

Mitsubishi Offers Large Screen 3D-ready TV
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:22:06 GMT
Today, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. (MDEA) is showcasing its 82 inch Home Theater TV, the world?s largest mass production 3D-Ready television available.

Sony BRAVIA Series Now Certified for DivX Playback
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:45:24 GMT
DivX today announced the first line of DivX Certified HDTVs from Sony.

TiVo Introduces Premiere DVR
Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:15:28 GMT
TiVo today introduced TiVo Premiere and TiVo Premiere XL boxes, two television set-top boxes that simplifies finding videos from Web outlets like Netflix and YouTube in addition to local program listings.

Fraunhofer Showcases Autostereoscopic 3D Displays at CeBIT 2010
Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:50:55 GMT
Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) presented autostereoscopic (no glasses) 3D displays and solutions for 3DTV.

Acer Ships NVIDIA 3D Vision-Ready Projectors
Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:22:50 GMT
Acer today released two new NVIDIA 3D Vision-Ready video projectors.

Pioneer 5.1 Channel AV Receivers Work With The iPhone
Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:09:54 GMT
Pioneer today unveils a new line of 5.1 channel A/V receivers featuring the wireless Bluetooth technology.

LG 15EL9500 OLED TV Goes On Sale in Europe
Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:48:45 GMT
LG finally decided to enter the OLED TV merket with the released of the 15EL9500 OLED TV in Europe this May.

CeBIT: New Display Enables 3D without Special Glasses
Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:16:25 GMT
The technology supplier Sunny Ocean Studios makes it possible to enjoy a 3D experience from 64 different perspectives for the first time without additional visual aids.

Cablevision Users to Network-Connect PCs With TheirTelevision
Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:19:15 GMT
Cablevision Systems Corp. today announced the development of a new service, called PC to TVMedia Relay, that will allow its digital cable customers to relay whatever information orimages currently appear on their computer screen to their television in real-time using the company?s network.

Samsung Ships First 3D LED TVs in South Korea
Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:00:45 GMT
Samsung released its first "3D LED TV 7000/8000 series" in the S.Korean market, which includes a 46" and a 55" model.

Samsung to Unveil Broadband HDTVs with Embedded Skype Capability
Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:24:15 GMT
Samsung and Skype today announced that the new Samsung LED 7000 and 8000 series models of 2010 high-definition televisions will feature embedded Skype software allowing Skype users to make video and voice calls through the TVs.

Samsung Showcases New Products at Second Annual Samsung European Forum
Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:58:41 GMT
Samsung today laid out a confident vision for continued growth and expansion in Europe, opening the second annual Samsung European Forum at the Austria Center.

Sony Introduces First 3D Compatible Receivers
Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:03:34 GMT
Sony today announced the new STR-DN1010, the company's first A/V receiver capable of supporting 3-D audio and video.

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