Seth Gilbert, 04-2-2008
When you talk about video game consoles the first topics are usually the quality of play and the graphics; it’s the fun factor not the technology. But beneath the surface of shiny plastic cases and glowing LED’s, these remain powerful devices with impressive technical credentials. The consoles can do a lot more than gaming and their innovations are carrying into entirely unrelated sectors.
•••Wii Warfare•••
Nintendo’s motion activated controller has proven to be a huge hit with consumers. The simple, but effective interface, has completely changed the nature of video game play. It’s expanding audiences, increasing accessibility and just simply: fun. It’s also turning out to be a lot more powerful.
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Seth Gilbert,
There may be plenty of buzz about next generation iPhones, or Apple’s efforts to capture the smartphone market, but Research in Motion doesn’t seem fazed. Wednesday, when the phone maker released Q4 earnings, the numbers were strong. Even amidst a slowing economy, RIM (Nasdaq: RIMM) easily beat guidance and doubled year over year results.
For the three months ending March 1st, RIM earned $412.5 million (72c a share) on revenue of $1.88 billion. Both numbers are more than double year ago results when RIM reported earnings of $187.4 million (33c a share) on revenues of $930.4 million. The Wall Street consensus was for fourth quarter earnings of 70c a share on revenue of $1.86 billion (Thompson).
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Seth Gilbert, 04-1-2008
Speculation about Apple products is always a popular pastime. Lately, two questions are dominating the discussion: how close are we to seeing the second generation iPhone? And, When it gets here, what goodies does it have in store? The answers depend on who you ask but they may be here sooner than largely expected.
When, When, When?
Regarding timing, the widely held consensus is that June will be home to D-day (delivery day). The theory is Apple will use their popular developer event to reveal a faster (3G), more feature laden phone. That timing would also match the planned rolled out date for software upgrades. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is among those taking that position. (He’s also predicting at least three models of iPhones will be sold globally in 2009 and the annual tally for that year could push 45m units sold globally).
Others are pointing to the newly revealed Samsung Instinct, a 3G, Touch-controlled phone with an uncanny resemblance to the iPhone. It has some of the things the current iPhone is missing like expandable memory and a haptic system that provides tactile feedback to touch. Apple will beat that phone to market, they say. They won’t let Samsung get to a 3G touch sensitive phone first. Accordingly, for these speculators it’s by June at the latest.
Another fork in the rumor path is being fueled by existing phone supplies which are currently dwindling. Click to Read More
