NewsFactor Network

Ballmer Says Windows 7 Sales Double Those of Vista

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:19:49 -0500

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer isn't talking turkey when it comes to the software giant's newest operating system. At a shareholder meeting Thursday in Bellevue, Wash., Ballmer told investors that Windows 7 sold double the number of copies in one month as its previous Windows Vista operating system.

During the meeting, which was broadcast over the Internet, Ballmer wouldn't say exactly how many licenses or copies were sold to consumers and businesses, but previous reports that put Vista's sales in the first month at 20 million makes it easy to calculate sales of Windows 7 at about 40 million.

Since its Oct. 22 release, Windows 7 has received good reviews from consumers and developers. That doesn't mean, however, that Microsoft can sit back and relax.

Minimal Impact

Gartner analysts expected the launch of Microsoft's Windows 7 to have a minimal impact on PC sales, although inventory adjustments around the same time could artificially affect shipments during the third and fourth quarters.

Recent Windows releases haven't driven PC market growth, according to Gartner's Mikako Kitagawa. The timing of Windows 7, however, is favorable for the industry because of expected economic improvements and an overdue hardware replacement cycle.

Gartner also anticipates more consumers and small businesses will upgrade during the holiday season because of the Windows 7 release. On the corporate level, analysts expect Windows 7 adoption won't ramp up until late 2010.

Shipments Better Than Expected

While analysts predicted the PC market this year would suffer substantially compared to 2008, shipments of PCs have been doing better than expected, according to a Gartner report.

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 80.9 million units in the third quarter, a 0.5 percent increase from the third quarter 2008, according to Gartner.

While most PCs are shipped with Windows operating systems, Apple continues to increase its share of Mac shipments year over year, according...

Flat Shipments Hurt Dell Despite Increased Earnings

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:21:41 -0500

Dell's earnings are up and expectations are solid, but the company's stock still took a hit Friday afternoon after analysts signaled the company isn't playing a key role in the PC market recovery. Dell's shipments were flat in the third quarter and down five percent from the year-ago period despite improvements in the large-enterprise and small-and-midsize business segments and increased demand and revenue from business customers.

Dell's total revenue for the third quarter was $12.9 billion, a one percent improvement over the second quarter but a 15 percent decline from the year-ago period. Earnings per share were 17 cents. Cash flow from operations totaled $801 million. Operating expenses were 12.8 percent of revenue, or $1.7 billion, 10 percent lower than last year's third quarter.

"We are seeing improvement in overall underlying IT demand that is continuing into the fourth quarter," said Michael Dell, chairman and CEO. "The same is true with momentum in Dell's business, specifically in our large-enterprise and SMB segments. The launch of Windows 7 is being very well received by SMBs and consumers, and we'll see the benefits of that more fully in our fiscal Q4."

An Active Third Quarter

Dell had an active third quarter. The company completed the acquisition of Perot Systems in early November. Dell hopes the acquisition will give the company an advantage in delivering more practical solutions to help customers reduce IT costs. Dell is in the process of integrating Perot Systems into its business.

"Consistently generating strong cash from operations allows us to expand our own capabilities and acquire new ones," said Dell CFO Brian Gladden. "Those investments will mostly be in higher-margin enterprise solutions, like our purchase of Perot Systems. Adding Perot best positions us to provide streamlined solutions that help customers get the most from their IT budgets."

Dell had a strong quarter...

Barnes & Noble Nook E-Reader Will Arrive After Christmas

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:21:55 -0500

In what may remind many consumers of the Amazon Kindle's early days, Barnes & Noble expects shipments of its nook e-book reader to be delayed. On Friday, the giant book retailer said it has sold out its first batch of nooks amid high demand -- and new shipments won't be available until after the holiday shopping season ends.

"While we increased production based on the high consumer interest, we've sold out of our initial nook allotment available for delivery before the holidays," the company said.

A Certificate for the Holidays

Running out of hot products isn't new in the technology world. Beyond Amazon's Kindle, Apple has also had issues keeping iPhones in stock at launch. Sony is also facing shortages of its Daily Edition e-book reader.

Barnes & Noble customers who order the nook won't get the device until January. The next batch of nooks will ship the week of Jan. 4, according to the company. Consumers who want to purchase a nook as a holiday gift will receive a certificate that highlights the January availability.

Sony's Daily Edition is available on a first-come, first-served basis and Sony isn't making guarantees about holiday delivery of its latest e-book reader. As a result, Amazon may be the big e-reader winner this year. Amazon has a strong supply of various versions of the Kindle.

"Part of the problem with the delays is that Barnes & Noble is not a device company. So they are working with suppliers and getting into businesses that they are somewhat unfamiliar with," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. "I also think they are dealing with a category that is emerging, and therefore it is incredibly hard to predict the demand. But new e-book readers are debuting at CES, so if they wait too long there will be more competition."

Getting to Know...

California's Plasma-TV Ban Could Be Costly, CEA Warns

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:22:11 -0500

California's ban on plasma-screen televisions to reduce energy consumption could cost as much as $50 million per year in sales taxes because consumers are free to buy the sets online or in other states. "At a time when the state of California is facing its worst money crisis in history, this is going to be disastrous," said Jennifer Bemisderfer, a spokesperson for the Consumer Electronics Association, which lobbied against the ban.

The California Energy Commission's ban on plasma sets 58 inches or smaller is the first in the nation. It came after two years of debate on skyrocketing home energy costs and takes effect in 2011.

Billions in Savings

Commission Chairman Karen Douglas said the new regulations will save $8.1 billion in energy costs.

"The real winners of these new TV energy efficiencies are California consumers, who will be saving billions of dollars and conserving energy while preserving their choice to buy any size or type of TV," Douglas said. "Californians buy four million televisions each year and they deserve the most energy-efficient models available."

The Virginia-based Consumer Electronics Association, which represents 2,000 manufacturers, retailers and suppliers, estimated the $50 million tax loss. It also warned that the ban could kill 4,000 retail jobs in California.

The nation's most populous state, California represents one quarter of the market for plasma TVs, Bemisderfer said. "The [CEC] considers TVs low-hanging fruit," she added. "They have estimated the amount of TVs used in the home at 10 percent. Our estimate is that about half that. And in the last two years alone, manufacturers have improved energy efficiency by 41 percent."

Widespread Opposition

Last month, a manufacturer's group, the Plasma Display Coalition, accused the commission of a "flagrant misinformation campaign" about plasma energy usage.

A Zogby International poll commissioned by the CEA found that 57 percent of California residents opposed the ban.

Bemisderfer...

New Pogoplug 'Personal Cloud' Does Social Networking

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:46:25 -0500

On Friday, Cloud Engines released its newest version of the Pogoplug, a small "multimedia sharing device" that connects hard drives to the Internet and allows a user to access the files remotely. The company described Pogoplug as "your own personal cloud that broadcasts safely from your home."

You connect Pogoplug to your router by Ethernet, attach hard drives or USB flash drives, and then access files by logging in from anywhere through a browser. You can also securely give access to others for downloading or uploading, the company said.

Drives Can Appear Local

The shared content can be searched remotely by file type or other parameters and, with a downloadable desktop application, the drives can work as if they were local to whatever machine you happen to be on. Mobile-compatible devices include iPhone, BlackBerry and Android-based phones.

The newest Pogoplug offers multiple USB ports for as many as four external drives, a drag-and-drop interface to create slide and audio shows, and capabilities for sharing with friends on social-networking sites.

Essentially, Pogoplug is a gateway to deliver your content to yourself or others from a home or office through the Internet. Cloud Engines CEO Daniel Putterman said the company is "giving our customers the best way to access their data from anywhere in the world."

The newest incarnation of this product enables Pogoplug to sync with a Mac or PC, so content can be automatically imported from iTunes, Windows Media Player, or iPhoto. With this "set it and forget it" feature, users can access new photos, videos or music remotely.

Network-Attached Storage

The new model also allows creating a slideshow of photos, videos and music, and then sharing the show via a link. There's an address book to share e-mail addresses, and global search across multiple Pogoplugs and drives. Videos can be played back directly from Pogoplug.

Ross Rubin, director...

Google's Chrome OS Will Be Optimized for Speed

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:41:10 -0500

Google is showcasing how its Chrome OS will change the user experience when it launches before next year's holiday season. The new operating system will initially appear on netbook-style devices that will feature bigger keyboards than today's netbooks offer, the company said.

First and foremost, the Chrome OS design team is obsessed about speed, noted Group Product Manager Caesar Sengupta and Engineering Director Matt Papakipos.

"We are taking out every unnecessary process, optimizing many operations, and running everything possible in parallel," Sengupta and Papakipos said. "This means you can go from turning on the computer to surfing the web in a few seconds."

Improving the User Experience

Though Chrome OS still has a long way to go before all its specs are finalized, Google is already showing off some of the features it has in mind. To minimize the amount of screen space devoted to the Chrome OS, the system's user-interface window is expected to combine apps and standard web pages into a tab strip at the top of the screen.

Called the apps menu, the primary OS access point will provide ready access to frequently used web apps and tools featuring desktop functionality. Moreover, individual apps will open in tabs along the strip.

"Within these application tabs, most things behave the same way as they do in Chrome today," said Google spokesperson Glen Murphy.

Some secondary apps will open in small overlays that Google calls panels. Designed to handle specific functions, such as chat and music players, the panels will float on top of other open applications. Or if the user prefers, they can be docked to a bar at the bottom of the screen or placed in a sidebar. Additionally, Google may offer a split-screen mode that will enable users to view two different content selections side by side.

No Worries Data...

Smart Spending: Online Help for Holiday Shopping

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:05:44 -0500

Shoppers face a dizzying array of offers of help in the form of new Web sites, services and mobile phone applications as they set out for their holiday shopping this year.

To make the most of new services, experts advise employing them often and early, even before the season kicks off with Black Friday next week.

Here are four ways to track down holiday bargains and a look at whether each could work for you:

1. GET SOCIAL. Many consumers are following their favorite brands and retailers to networking Web sites like Facebook and Twitter, where the companies are posting deals not seen in stores.

"I don't think it's going to be all about the Black Friday or Cyber Monday," said Michelle Madhok, CEO and editor in chief of shopping sites Shefinds.com and Momfinds.com. "I think those deals are going to go on and on."

This year's best deals will be online, she said. It's easier for retailers to launch and retract deals online, where matching inventory with customers is less of a challenge than in stores.

- IS IT FOR YOU? If you're a regular on Twitter or Facebook, social networks are good places to start shopping. But if you're new to social networking, it may take time before you can efficiently find deals. And there are other ways to find bargains online (see No. 3).

2. GET ORGANIZED. Other new services include budget applications for mobile phones; they can help you stay within your limits even though they're intended to help coax shoppers into spending.

JPMorgan Chase's "GiftPlanner" lets users list recipients and how much they want to spend and then track their total budget. Both GiftPlanner and AOL's "Holiday Plan" are free for the iPhone, and the latter enables users to click through to sponsor Walmart.com to start shopping.

- IS IT FOR YOU? You may...

TV on the Go Leaves a Little To Be Desired

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:10:00 -0500

You have to really love TV to spring for a portable TV like the FLO TV Personal Television I've been testing. While you can already "snack" on live and pre-recorded mobile TV offerings on some cell phones, this brand new FLO handheld is a dedicated television you might schlep in addition to a phone.

FLO's pitch is that you can use this stand-alone digital TV to keep you and the troops entertained on the go. You might watch on the bus or train to the office. You might pass FLO TV to the kids in the back seat during a lengthy trip. Heck, you might even watch it in the bathroom or prop it up on your desk at work.

Only, for now, its pickings are too slim, the quality of the TV signal is so-so and its price too high.

The device arrives from FLO TV Inc., a Qualcomm subsidiary whose initial mobile TV fare is available on certain smartphones and soon in automobiles as well. Programming comes from the likes of CBS Mobile, CNBC, CNN Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile, Fox News, MSNBC, MTV, NBC 2Go and Nickelodeon. FLO can carry up to 20 channels, but only half that number are on the Personal Television at the moment.

Some shows are simulcast the same time they're broadcast on regular TV. Others are time shifted, so you can watch the Late Show with David Letterman or The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien the day after the previous evening's broadcasts.

Prime time doesn't mean the same in mobile TV land. FLO says its usage peaks around 1 p.m., with the average daily viewer spending more than 25 minutes watching the service. The company says its largest ever audience came during Michael Jackson's memorial in July. FLO can add channels during live events such as college...

Watchmakers Seize the Moment for iPhone

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:11:18 -0500

It was not so long ago that the spread of the mobile phone sent waves of fear through the reserved world of fine watchmaking. The practicality of a portable phone that doubled as an accurate digital timekeeper made the necessity for a wristwatch vanish almost overnight.

But now, with the popularity of the iPhone and its myriad applications, the watch industry finally has been able to embrace a product that once was considered the biggest threat to its survival.

A wide range of brands, from the big names like Breitling, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, Dior and Bell & Ross to independents like Dewitt, have introduced iPhone applications in the past six months that highlight their watch lines. The applications, all free, are available from the online Apple store.

Some might argue that the efforts are just another way of marketing to timepiece aficionados, but within the industry they are seen as a way to reach a younger and more digitally savvy customer and a natural extension of the close-knit world of watch collectors that thrives online with fan forums and blogs.

After all, Apple announced in early November that it now has more than 100,000 applications available. "The high-end watch world has indeed flourished since the Internet has become so widespread," says Elizabeth Doerr, author of "12 Faces of Time," a book on independent watchmaking scheduled to be published in February by teNeues. "The independents, in particular, have greatly profited from the technology in that they can communicate more directly with aficionados and collectors."

"The apps that have thus far appeared -- and will continue to do so until the next big social marketing tool is discovered -- are an extension of the rapidly changing world of watch marketing," she adds. "Brands are looking for less costly ways of more effective and direct marketing,...

Intel Leads Big Retreat in World Markets

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:12:12 -0500

World stocks slid Thursday after analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch reportedly downgraded their recommendations on a series of U.S. technology stocks, including Intel Corp. That feeded mounting concerns that current valuations are not justified by the pace of the global economic recovery.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed down 74.43 points, or 1.4 percent, at 5,267.70 while Germany's DAX fell 85.43 points, or 1.5 percent, to 5,702.18. The CAC-40 in France ended 67.94 points, or 1.8 percent, lower at 3,760.22.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 149.72 points, or 1.4 percent, at 10,276.59 around midday New York time while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 19.12 points, or 1.7 percent, at 1,090.68.

Technology stocks in the U.S. were at the sharp end of Thursday's retreat in the U.S. after Bank of America Merrill Lynch downgraded their recommendations on ten stocks, including Intel Corp., Texas Instruments Inc. and Marvell Technology Group Ltd, said David Buik, markets analyst at BGC Partners. Intel was down over 5 percent, making it the biggest faller on the Dow.

The downgrades fed into a growing feeling in the markets that stock valuations are now pricing in too rapid an economic recovery.

Stock markets have rallied strongly since March's lows as investors reined in their economic doomsday expectations to factor in a swifter than anticipated global economic rebound, but recent disappointing U.S. housing figures have dented the optimism.

Figures Thursday from the Mortgage Bankers Association showing that more than 14 percent of American homeowners with a mortgage were either behind on their payments or in foreclosure at the end of September added to the gloom.

Mixed earnings from some of the country's leading retailers have also weighed on sentiment as household spending in the U.S. is key for recovery -- it...

Review: $100 Palm Pixi Is Stylish But Sluggish

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:13:29 -0500

Palm Inc. is fighting harder than ever to snag a chunk of the smart phone market, and just six months after releasing the stylish Pre it's back with a lighter, more petite and affordable version called the Pixi.

It's too bad such a good-looking phone is so aggravating to use.

With its trim candy bar-shaped body, full keyboard and $100 price tag (with a two-year Sprint Nextel contract and $150 in rebates), it's clear that Palm is aiming the Pixi at younger, text messaging-savvy consumers.

The Pixi is one of the most attractive phones I've seen. Its glossy black face features a crisp-though-diminutive 2.6-inch touch screen and a full keyboard that's about the size of a Pink Pearl eraser. The keys are the sticky, rubbery kind familiar to Palm fans. In between the screen and keyboard sits a small area where you make finger swipes to switch between applications.

The Pixi felt great in my hand. The sides of the device are rounded and its sides and back are a matte, rubberized plastic. At 3.3 ounces, it's a featherweight compared to the Pre, iPhone and most BlackBerry phones -- the Pre and iPhone each tip the scales at 4.8 ounces. The Pixi includes 8 gigabytes of storage for photos, music and videos.

The Pixi's display is an elfin version of its older brother's. Like the Pre, it has Palm's easy-to-navigate WebOS software, which organizes your open applications like little playing cards that stretch across the screen, waiting for you to tap on them to bring them to the foreground. (You use an upward finger flick to dismiss them.)

A notable WebOS feature has been its ability to aggregate your contacts and calendar entries from such services as Facebook and Google. The Pixi takes things a little further by letting you include your contacts from Yahoo and...

Sony Ericsson Closes Sites as HQ Moves

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:14:19 -0500

Cell phone handset maker Sony Ericsson will move its North American headquarters from North Carolina to Atlanta and close a half-dozen sites worldwide as it retrenches against what it expects will be a tighter market and cuts about 1,600 jobs globally.

The joint venture between Sweden's LM Ericsson and Japan's Sony Corp. will consolidate product development operations by closing sites in Research Triangle Park; Seattle; Miami; San Diego; Kista, Sweden; and Chennai, India, spokeswoman Stacy Doster said.

The site closures are new elements of a plan announced in April to cut a worldwide staff of 10,000 by 20 percent, Doster said. About 400 jobs have been cut since then and about 1,600 remain to meet that goal by the middle of next year, she said.

The cost-cutting follows the loss of 2,000 jobs last year.

The 8-year-old company has about 425 workers left in Research Triangle Park after shedding hundreds of jobs in the past year. Operations include customer support, sales, finance and research and development.

Doster said she did not know how many were employed at other locations the company planned to close. She also did not know how many would be added in Atlanta when that site takes over North American headquarters functions.

"There's a project team looking at what makes sense in what areas of the business," Doster said. "We've got to figure all that out across the whole organization."

Atlanta was chosen in part because of its proximity to AT&T Inc., one of the company's largest customers, Doster said. The city also is desirable as a "gateway into Latin America" because of its international connections through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she said.

Product development would be consolidated in Sony Ericsson operations in Redwood Shores, Calif.; Lund, Sweden; Tokyo; and Beijing, Doster said.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue said the headquarters relocation "will be another boost to...

FAA Glitch Causes Widespread U.S. Air Travel Delays

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:15:54 -0500

Air travelers nationwide scrambled to revise their travel plans Thursday after an FAA computer glitch caused widespread cancellations and delays for the second time in 15 months.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the problem, which lasted about five hours, was fixed around 10 a.m., but it was unclear how long flights would continue to be affected.

Doug Church, a spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Union, said controllers were still entering flight plans manually in some locations.

Aviation officials told The Associated Press that the problem began at the computer center in the Salt Lake City area. The officials asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

FAA spokesman Paul Takemoto said the problem started between 5:15 and 5:30 a.m. and affected mostly flight plans but also traffic management, such as ground stops and ground delays.

Airplane dispatchers had to send plans to controllers, who entered them into computers by hand.

"It's slowing everything down," Takemoto said.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest, has been particularly affected. Chicago and Washington, D.C., and New York metro airports also reported delays due to the glitch. The problem was exacerbating delays caused by bad weather in the Northeast. Orlando International Airport, Florida's busiest, also reported about a dozen delays due to the chain reaction around the country, and flights in Tampa, Fla., were also delayed.

Mary Rulo, an educator from Atlanta, was trying to get to Philadelphia for a conference. She said her 9 a.m. flight was delayed until 3 p.m. and AirTran was not able to help with other arrangements.

"This is really going to affect my conference schedule," she said. "It's really frustrating."

AirTran canceled at least 22 flights and dozens more flights were delayed as of 8 a.m. Delta Air Lines was also affected.

Passengers were asked to check the status of their flights...