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Saturday, July 6, 2013

HTC finances improve over last quarter, but show just $41.6 million profit in Q2 2013

HTC picks up the pace with for Q2 with $125 billion in earnings

Though HTC has fallen shy of the $65 million in earnings investors were looking for in Q2 2013, at least it's a marked improvement over last quarter's disaster. It managed to improve profits to $41.6 million from a mere $2.8 million last quarter, based on unaudited figures. Likely reflecting demand for the flagship One and HTC's ability to finally produce that handset in significant numbers, revenue also jumped to $2.4 billion -- that's bad in the sense that it's a 20 percent drop relative to the same quarter last year, but it's slightly better than the 33 percent year-on-year revenue shortfall we witnessed last quarter. Overall, these figures still pale in comparison to HTC's historical performance and there's no immediate prospect of things getting better. According to Reuters, the most serious problems occurred towards the end of the quarter, as sales for June swooned 26.4 percent versus Q2 2012 -- a trend that puts a lot of pressure on the little shoulders of the HTC One Mini.

Source: Reuters

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Netflix added 3 million subscribers worldwide in Q1, will offer a 4-stream $11.99 plan

Netflix has reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2013, and in that period it's added over 3 million customers worldwide. Domestically it added 2.03 million customers alone, pushing its total number over 30 million (including trial users) in the US. That means it's passed HBO in paying subscribers for the first time ever, while notching $2.69 million in net profits on $1.02 billion in revenue for the quarter. Internationally there were over a million new sign-ups and it's planning to launch in a new European market during the second half of this year, which we should hear more about on its Q2 earnings call in July.

One change all users will notice is to its package of streaming plans, as CEO Reed Hastings mentioned an $11.99 per month option is incoming that will allow subscribers to stream as many as four videos simultaneously, up from the current official limit of two. There's some question over whether Netflix will begin to crack down harder on account sharing, but Hastings claims he expects less than one percent of users to opt for the new plan. The company is also continuing to test the personalized profiles we got a peek at during CES, and expects to roll them out "in the coming months." Another major note is that as it expands its suite of original content, it's shifting focus away from some of existing "bulk, nonexclusive" licensing deals and will let a major one from Viacom expire in May. Specifically referenced is content from Nickelodeon, MTV and BET, although it's negotiating for access to particular shows. In the future, its preferred option will be exclusive deals with the studios that produce the shows, like the one it announced earlier this year with Warner. Check after the break for a few more details, including updates on the progress of some of its original series.

Another item previewed in the letter is a new streaming platform coming to various devices around the holidays that will focus on small size and quick startup speed, "aiming to match the time required for a linear channel change." One of the big questions as it's started to roll out original content is how customers will react and while it's still not giving any specific viewership stats, Netflix did provide some new details. According to Reed, fewer than 8,000 people created a free account just to watch House of Cards and then quit. The just-released Hemlock Grove is reportedly doing well with young adults, and notched more viewers in its first weekend than HoC did. Last time around it noted how few of its "Top 200" titles were even offered by competitors and this time around noted Amazon Prime is up to 74 from 73, and didn't mention Redbox at all. Check out the full letter for more stats and details, we'll be hopping on the earnings call at 6PM to see if there's any more new information to report.

Update: There wasn't much revealed of note on the earnings call, however Reed Hastings seemed to brush off issues from user's password sharing to "casual acquaintances," apparently believing Netflix doesn't see much of that behavior. However he feels about it, he didn't mention any new plans to combat such practices.

Source: Netflix Q1 Investors letter (PDF)

Department of Energy seizes $21 million reserve account from Fisker

Fisker just can't catch a break. As if enduring the layoffs of three out of every four employees and the resignation of its founder wasn't unsettling enough, it's now come to light that the Department of Energy recently confiscated the company's $21 million reserve account in an attempt to recoup some of the government's loan. Fisker's first payment on the $192 million federal loan was due Monday, but the Energy Department revealed that it actually took the money 12 days beforehand, simply due to the company's high risk of default -- a move it characterized as an "appropriate action on behalf of taxpayers." If you're thinking the writing's now on the wall, you're correct... the WSJ reports that Fisker has hired a bankruptcy attorney, and the company admits that it's actively in search of a new owner. Will luck swing in Fisker's favor next time around? Place your bets.

Via: TNW

Source: WSJ

Friday, April 19, 2013

AMD Q1 2013 earnings: softer $146 million net loss on $1.09 billion revenue

Just two days after the earnings report of its storied rival, AMD has followed suit with a Q1 2013 balance sheet of its own. The company reported a net loss for the quarter of $146 million, which stings, but isn't quite so painful as the $473 million loss that it took just one quarter earlier. Meanwhile, AMD's revenue of $1.09 billion is more or less flat from the previous quarter, but has fallen by $500 million since Q1 of the previous year. The announcement was enough to make investors wince, as AMD's stock price is now declining in after-hours trading. As for a silver lining, AMD emphasized that its gear will power the upcoming PS4. If Microsoft were to make a similar decision, then perhaps AMD could turn its financial frown upside-down.

Source: AMD

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Verizon sold 2 million iPhone 5s, 4 million iPhones in total during 2013 Q1

During Verizon's quarterly financials call, company CFO Fran Shammo let slip that of the 7.2 million smartphones that the company activated, 4 million of them were iPhones. He added that half of them were LTE-ready, which we can take to mean the iPhone 5, while the other half was mixed amongst the older devices in Apple's smartphone pantheon. While the executive didn't break out how much of the 3.2 million other smartphones were Android-based, we're reasonably confident that other operating systems haven't made too much of a dent in that figure.

Source: Verizon

Nokia hits $7.7 billion in revenue for Q1 2013 with 5.8 million Lumias sold

Nokia hits $77 billion in revenue for Q1 2013 with 58 million Lumias sold

Nokia may have seen an operating loss of $150 million in Q1 2013, but the news isn't all bad. The company saw revenue of $7.7 billion and managed to sell 5.6 million Lumias, which equates to a 30 percent increase in handset sales over last quarter. As for earnings, Nokia put a shiny buff on them by trumpeting a net profit of $236 million using the non-IFRS method, but regardless of the method used, it's still showing lower profits than last year, when it saw a $439 million operating profit and $635 million non-IFRS.

Of the Finnish outfit's handset sales, North America accounted for a mere 400,000 out of the 61.9 million sold compared to the 700,000 it sold last quarter, making it the only region that saw a decline during the period -- though its upcoming (rumored) launch of the Lumia 928 on Verizon might help there. Other regions, like China, saw a large bump in smartphone revenues, largely due to the popularity of pricey handsets like the Lumia 920. CEO Stephen Elop said the company's bullish on Lumia sales, considering that it hasn't been selling the 620 long and the Lumia 520 and 720 just dropped into the market. He said that sales of other devices were a dark spot, however -- so the company's likely hoping the new WP8 devices will offset those lost sales next quarter.

Source: Nokia

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Eric Schmidt: Google now at 1.5 million Android activations per day

There's a Google exec speaking at a tech conference, and that means one thing: more Android statistics. At Dive Into Mobile today, Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt confirmed that the company is now seeing 1.5 million Android activations per day, which is up from 1.3 million per day last fall and 1.4 million as of last month (seemingly an uptick after a short period of slower growth). Schmidt also says that the company remains on track for one billion total devices by the end of the year, which would be a sizeable increase from the 750 million that CEO Larry Page confirmed in his most recent statement last month. Schmidt further notes that the key to that future growth -- or reaching the "next five billion people looking to get connected," as he puts it -- will be the $100 price point, something he suggests they'll quickly get to.

Source

By: Unknown On 9:06 PM

Friday, April 12, 2013

LinkedIn acquires Pulse news reader for $90 million

LinkedIn Acquires Pulse

Pulse's Talent, Technology, and Products to Help LinkedIn Accelerate Its Content and Mobile Initiatives

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 11, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD), the world's largest professional network on the Internet with more than 200 million members worldwide, today announced it agreed to acquire Pulse (owned by Alphonso Labs, Inc.), a leading news reader and mobile content distribution platform.

Pulse was founded in 2010 by Akshay Kothari and Ankit Gupta while they were students at Stanford University. It quickly grew to become one of the most widely used platforms for content consumption on the Internet.

Pulse currently has more than 30 million users who have activated its iOS and Android-based news reader apps in more than 190 countries.

Pulse is available in nine languages, and approximately 40% of users are outside the United States. More than 750 of the world's leading publishers distribute their content through Pulse.

"We are thrilled to be able to add Pulse's considerable talent, technology, and products to our growing ecosystem of content offerings, and we believe that they will help us accelerate our ability to deliver to our members the insights they need to be better at what they do, on any device," said Deep Nishar, SVP of Products and User Experience. "To continue to deliver that value to our members, our vision for content is that LinkedIn will be the definitive professional publishing platform, and Pulse is a perfect complement to this vision."

"News--the people, the places, the stories--is part of our daily conversation. Over the past three years, Pulse has established itself as a key part of that conversation; it has grown from a small project, to a platform for millions of readers to access their favorite content," said Kothari. Gupta added, "Now that our team is part of LinkedIn, we'll work together to expand the possibilities for content discovery, helping readers engage in conversations with colleagues, mentors, industry leaders, and beyond."

Following closing, members of the Pulse team, including those from Engineering, Product and Design, will join LinkedIn at the company's Mountain View, Calif., headquarters. The existing Pulse apps will continue to be supported as the integrated Pulse and LinkedIn teams work to build future generations of professional content consumption products.

The transaction is valued at approximately $90 million, subject to adjustment, in a combination of approximately 90 percent stock and approximately 10 percent cash, and the stock being issued in the transaction will be done so in a private placement. Subject to the completion of customary conditions, the acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter of 2013.

Nishar blogged about the acquisition at

http://blog.linkedin.com/2013/04/11/welcome-pulse-to-linkedin-family, and a SlideShare presentation outlining the deal can be found on LinkedIn's SlideShare page at:

https://www.slideshare.net/linkedin/welcome-pulse-to-linked-in-family and on the investor relations section of the LinkedIn website at: http://investors.linkedin.com/. Kothari and Gupta blogged about the acquisition at http://www.pulse.me/linkedin.

About LinkedIn

Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. With more than 200 million members worldwide, including executives from every Fortune 500 company, LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the Internet.

The company has a diversified business model with revenue coming from Talent Solutions, Marketing Solutions and Premium Subscriptions.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, LinkedIn also has offices across the globe.

The LinkedIn logo is available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11096 Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements related to LinkedIn, Pulse, and the potential benefits of the acquisition, including statements regarding future product plans and strategies and the timing of closing. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements due to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with: our ability to successfully integrate Pulse and its technology and personnel; execution of our plans and strategies, including with respect to mobile products and features; demand for content consumption products; and other important factors that could cause results of the acquisition and related transactions to differ materially from those contained in LinkedIn's forward-looking statements described in the documents LinkedIn files from time to time with the SEC, including LinkedIn's most recent Form 10-K, as well as LinkedIn's future filings. Although LinkedIn believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, LinkedIn cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements.

LinkedIn is under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results.

Source

By: Unknown On 9:10 AM

Saturday, March 30, 2013

The After Math: a million Z10s, the UnCarrier's new plan and a 16-button controller

Welcome to The After Math, where we attempt to summarize this week's tech news through numbers, decimal places and percentages

The After Math Blackberry ships a million Z10s, more PlayStation 4 details and a 16button controller

This week, there's been a mixed bag of interesting news numbers, from T-Mobile's New York event and the company's new perspective on the phone network business, to San Francisco (again) for the Games Developers Conference. We also got to take a look at BlackBerry's first financial results since the name change and its BB10 launch.

BlackBerry revenue for the last financial quarter: $2.7 billion Profit made by BlackBerry: $94 million BlackBerry revenue for the same period last year: $4.2 billion Loss made by BlackBerry during the same period last year: $125 million Cost of Samsung's latest lawsuit against LG: $45 million Number of BB Z10 handsets shipped so far: 1 million Proportion of Z10s sold, according to CEO Thorsten Heins: Two-thirds to three-quarters iPhone 5 units sold in its first weekend: 5 million iPhone 5 (16GB) handset price from Apple: $649 iPhone 5 (16GB) handset price from T-Mobile: $579 Minimum monthly plan from T-Mobile: $50 The After Math Blackberry ships a million Z10s, more PlayStation 4 details and a 16button arcade controller

The After Math Blackberry ships a million Z10s, more PlayStation 4 details and a 16button arcade controller

Price of the OUYA console at launch: $99 Buttons on OUYA's Bluetooth controller: 11 Buttons on the original NES controller: 4 Buttons on the original PlayStation controller: 10 Buttons on the PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller: 14 Buttons on the skunk-evading Tenya Wanya Teens arcade controller: 16 Tags: aftermath, bb10, blackberry, gdc2013, ouya, ps4, sony, t-mobile, uncarrier

Thursday, March 28, 2013

BlackBerry makes $94 million on revenue of $2.7 billion, ships 1 million BB10 devices in 2013 Q4

This isn't quite the BlackBerry earnings story you're waiting for -- after all, the US figures covering the success (or otherwise) of the Z10 won't arrive until the next quarter. Instead, we're looking at the company's results from the end of the fiscal year to March 2nd, which shows that the smartphone maker made $94 million in GAAP income on revenues of $2.7 billion -- in contrast with the $125 million net loss it made in the same quarter last year. More importantly, however, it shipped out almost one million BlackBerry 10 devices during the three weeks of the quarter that they were available. In addition, it managed to push five million of its older smartphones and 370,000 PlayBook tablets out of the door, but saw user numbers fall from 79 million last quarter to 76 million now.

As revenue has remained relatively flat, the surge in profits can only be attributed to Thorstein Heins' aggressive cost-cutting measures, with the CEO remarking that the "numerous changes" he has implemented at the company have "resulted in [BlackBerry] returning to profitability." At the same time, Mike Lazaridis has announced that he'll retire from his position as vice-chair and director of the outfit he founded the better part of three decades ago. He'll exit the business on May 1st so that he can concentrate on his new enterprise, Quantum Valley Investments.

Update: During the conference call, Thorsten Heins has revealed that around two-thirds or three-quarters of the one million BB10 devices shipped have been sold.

Source: ADVFN

More Coverage: Roger W. Cheng (Twitter)

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

National Archives donates 1.2 million digital objects to Digital Public Library of America pilot project

National Archives donates 12 million digital objects to Digital Public Library of America pilot project The new Digital Public Library of America (or DPLA) will be kicking off its first big pilot project at the Boston Public Library next month, and it's now gotten a big shot in the arm courtesy of the US National Archives. It announced today that it's donating some 1.2 million digital objects to the effort, which range from founding documents to Civil War photos to World War II posters. That initial effort from the DPLA, dubbed the Digital Hubs Pilot Project, aims to stitch together a number of individual digital libraries now spread across the US into one network, and make the items from the National Archives and other institutions freely available to the public. In a statement, US Archivist David S. Ferriero says "the ability to seamlessly search across the collections of major cultural, historical, and research institutions improves democracy through education, and furthers the principles of Open Government." You can find the full announcement, and more on the DPLA at the source link.

Source: DPLA

Sunday, March 3, 2013

LG announces 10 million LTE smartphones sold worldwide

It's been roughly two years since LG began its role in the LTE Revolution, but the company has just crossed an important milestone in its pursuit. Today, LG revealed that it's now sold 10 million LTE smartphones, which is double the number we last saw in August. Despite the lengthy amount of time it's taken LG to achieve this 10 million figure, the news comes at an interesting juncture, as the company's now ramping up distribution of its halo device, the Optimus G. Similarly, both the Optimus F7 and F5 are due later this year, which will be aimed at those seeking 4G on a budget. Will we see an uptick in LG's sales of LTE smartphones? We certainly hope so, but our Magic 8-Ball's currently broken. That said, you'll find the full announcement after the break.

Show full PR text

LG PASSES TEN MILLION MARK IN LTE SMARTPHONE SALES

LG Expands LTE Market with Compelling Lineup Targeting Diverse Range of Consumer Needs

SEOUL, Mar. 3, 2013 -- LG Electronics (LG) reports that it has sold more than 10 million LTE smartphones worldwide, a result of the company's aggressive push into 4G markets with a combination of the best hardware and advanced 4G LTE technologies.
"Aggressive pushing forward with 4G LTE technology allows LG satisfy the needs of consumers and is a huge factor in our growing success in global LTE smartphone sales," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of the LG Mobile Communications Company. "Having established ourselves as a major industry player, we will continue to expand our footprint in the global LTE market with a wider range of differentiated, high quality LTE smartphones."

LG's success in expanding its presence in this segment is a result of its early entry into the LTE market and its leadership in LTE research and development. Last year, LG launched popular LTE smartphones in significant markets such as the United States, Japan, Germany and South Korea. In recent weeks, the company began a global rollout of its LG Optimus G in an additional 50 countries.

According to Strategic Analytics, global shipments of LTE smartphones are expected to drastically increase to 275 million units this year. LG is aiming to double its LTE smartphone penetration this year, expanding its presence in both established and emerging markets with a variety of devices. New for 2013, LG's Optimus F series will deliver a high-speed experience to users transitioning from 3G to 4G LTE networks in countries around the world.

Source

By: Unknown On 7:09 PM

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Judge orders new Apple vs. Samsung trial to reevaluate $450.5 million in damage awards

Samsung has tentatively been on the hook for $1.05 billion in penalties after allegedly infringing on Apple's patents, but that figure is about to change -- for better or for worse. Judge Koh has ordered a reevaluation of $450.5 million of the damages in a second trial, arguing that the jury set one damage figure per product where there were six infringement claims that had to be taken into account for each device. She also believes that Apple may be entitled to damages for sales not included in the original case. There's a chance Samsung can lower the amount it ultimately has to pay, but the extra factors and devices could easily worsen its situation. Koh hasn't set a trial date, either, but we'd like it to come soon: Apple versus Samsung is quickly becoming the battle that never ends.

Source: FOSSpatents, Bloomberg

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Instagram tops 100 million active users per month: what policy uproar?

Instagram tops 100 million active users a month what terms of service uproar

Instagram started reporting its active user base in what many saw as an attempt to quell talk of an exodus following its terms of service debacle. It has a better reason to post hard numbers today, however: there's now a neat, tidy 100 million active Instagram users every month. The milestone suggests that another 10 million mobile photographers got hooked on square-shaped photography in about five weeks, and it implies that the Facebook-owned company isn't about to slow down just yet. Not that everyone is in a position to join the party, mind you.

Source: Instagram

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Aereo branches out to the 19 million people in greater New York and PA

AEREO ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF CONSUMER ACCESS TO ITS GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY ACROSS THE NEW YORK CITY GREATER METROPOLITAN AREA

Aereo's technology is now available to more than 19 million people in 29 countiesacross the New York City greater metropolitan area, providing consumers increased access to free-to-air, local broadcast television

New York, NY (February 25, 2013) – Aereo, Inc., today announced that its groundbreaking television technology is now available to the more than 19 million people living in the New York City metropolitan area. The New York City metropolitan region, commonly referred to as a designated market area (DMA), includes 29 counties across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Previously, Aereo was only available to residents of New York City's five boroughs. The expansion into the NYC metropolitan areas comes less than two months after the company's announcement in January of its intention to expand to 22 additional markets in 2013.

Aereo's innovative remote (cloud-based) antenna/DVR technology makes watching television simple and user friendly. Using Aereo's technology, consumers can pause, rewind and fast-forward any program that they are watching live, or save a program for future viewing. Getting started with Aereo is easy. Simply go online to aereo.com to create an account. There is no box to install or any wires to connect, so consumers don't have to worry about installing equipment or waiting for the 'cable guy.' No cable subscription is required to use Aereo and membership plans begin at $1/day, $8/month or $80/year

Aereo works on 'smart' devices from tablets to phones to laptop computers. Aereo is currently supported on iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Chrome, Internet Explorer 9, Firefox, Safari, Opera, AppleTV (via airplay) and Roku devices. In the New York City metro area, there are 30 over-the-air broadcast channels available to consumers using Aereo's technology. In addition, consumers can also add Bloomberg Television, for a total of 31 channels

"Creating more choice and a competitive marketplace is a good thing for consumers," said Chet Kanojia, Aereo CEO and Founder. "Today, consumers are tethered to expensive and outdated technology that limits how, when and where they can enjoy their own television programming. Aereo's technology now lets us provide simplicity, ease of use and rational pricing – three things that have all but disappeared for the consumer. We believe that consumers deserve better and we're committed to delivering on that promise."

Aereo today also announced the launch of its first advertising campaign, which debuts on city billboards, phone kiosks and at key city transit points, including waterways, commuter trains and PATH transit hubs this week.

(more)

Aereo membership is available to consumers residing in the following counties in New York State, New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, Sullivan, Orange, Dutchess; in Connecticut's Fairfield County; in Pennsylvania's Pike County; and in the following counties in New Jersey, Bergen, Warren, Union, Sussex, Somerset, Passaic, Ocean, Morris, Monmouth, Middlesex, Hunterdon, Hudson, and Essex. For a full list of eligible zip codes, visit: aereo.com/support.

Source

By: Unknown On 3:46 PM

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Outlook.com exits preview with 60 million active users, Hotmail UI to be retired this summer

It's been so long since Microsoft launched Outlook.com that we forgot it was technically in preview mode. Well, that ended today, at 12:01AM ET on the dot. The company just announced that the email service is no longer in beta, and that the site has racked up 60 million active users -- over a third of them Gmail converts. If you decide to join today, you'll be getting the same feature set announced last summer, just with a smoother, less glitchy experience (not that it was ever that buggy to begin with, if you ask us). To lure in even more users, Microsoft is planning on launching a massive advertising campaign, one that will include TV and radio spots (see one of them after the break), online ads and even posters in subway stations. Basically, the sort of heavy promotion Microsoft is already doing for Surface.

Regardless of how much success Microsoft has in converting Gmail loyalists, though, a lot more people are about to become acquainted with Outlook's clean UI: the company has said it plans to switch Hotmail users over to the Outlook interface by summertime. To be clear, Microsoft says it has no plans to shut down the hotmail.com domain, so your existing Hotmail email address is safe, and you don't even have to register for an Outlook.com addy if you don't want to. Additionally, all of your folders and settings will be preserved. It's just that you're soon going to have to say goodbye to the old Hotmail. Onward, we say.

Source: Microsoft

Monday, February 18, 2013

Kai-Fu Lee defies ban, invites 30 million Weibo followers to join him on Twitter

Think you're brave, internet tough guy? Ex-Google China chief Kai-Fu Lee's been rather outspoken about censorship in his homeland, and as such was banned from Sina and Tencent Weibo for three days, presumably by over-zealous authorities. To keep his followers in the strictly monitored nation up-to-date, the Beijing-based Lee took to Twitter and invited all 30 million of them to join him, which would make him the social network's fourth most-followed user. That's unlikely, of course -- Twitter can be accessed fairly easily despite a ban in the nation, but developing a country-sized following on an illicit site would be a stretch, even for an outspoken pundit.

Via: The Telegraph

Source: Kai-Fu Lee (Twitter, translated)

LG Display invests $655 million to expand OLED HDTV mass production next year

Sure, LG's current 55-inch OLED HDTV is pretty pricey with a US MSRP of $12K, but that may start to change next year when panel supplier LG Display kicks its new 8G production line into full gear. LG Electronics holds a 38 percent stake in the company and although it supplies screens to many others as well, the next generation of 55EM9700s will likely be a large segment of the displays produced. Although LCD manufacturers ramped up 8G facilities capable of producing six 55-inch displays from one piece of glass in the late 2000s, oversupply caused prices to drop and manufacturing to slow down, including at LG Display.

Now, new display technology is ramping up investment again, which will see this new line installed at its P9 plant in Paju, South Korea at a cost of 706 billion won ($655 million). Based on LG's WRGB OLED evaporation process, it should be capable of working with as many as 26,000 input sheets per month once it's up to full speed in the first half of 2014. Chief competitor Samsung showed off "production" OLED HDTVs last year and plenty of demo units at CES with a mid-year release planned, we'll see if it manages to keep up before / if the tech goes mainstream.

Show full PR text

LG Display Announces Investment in New 8th Generation OLED TV Panel Line

Seoul, Korea (February 18, 2013) – LG Display [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220], a leading innovator of display technology, announced today that it has decided to invest KRW 706 billion in a new 8th generation OLED TV panel manufacturing line (2,200?×2,500?), to be installed at its P9 plant in Paju, South Korea.

The company plans to begin investment in the line, which will focus on WRGB OLED evaporation process, in the first quarter of 2013, with mass production scheduled for the first half of 2014 at a monthly capacity of 26,000 input sheets.

Leadership in OLED Technology
With introduction of the world's first 55-inch OLED TV in January 2013, LG Display has demonstrated its position as a pioneer of the OLED TV era. The company moves a step ahead in the emerging OLED TV market through new investments with a strategy of providing differentiated value to customers.

Additionally, LG Display's adoption of WRGB OLED technology addresses limitations inherent with large-sized OLED, such as productivity and lifespan issues.

Market Forecast
According to forecasts by research firm DisplaySearch, the OLED TV market will experience dramatic growth starting in 2014 to become a USD 3 billion market by 2015.

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More Coverage: Dow Jones, Yonhap News, Reuters

Saturday, February 16, 2013

LG touts 15 million Optimus L Series phones sold like so many refrigerators

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LG touts 15 million Optimus LSeries phones sold like so many washing machines

As stylish as it can be, LG's Optimus L Series is very appliance-like, the smartphone line that gets the job done versus the more luxuriant Optimus G. It's almost no surprise, then, that LG's sales rate has accelerated to the volume we'd expect from an air conditioner or fridge: just two months after the L Series hit 10 million in sales since launch, it's already at 15 million. That's no doubt heartening to LG, especially with the L Series II right around the corner. We doubt Samsung will break into cold sweats, though. When the Galaxy S III alone moved twice as many units by November of last year, LG still has some catching up to do in 2013.

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15 MILLION CUSTOMERS APPROVE OF LG OPTIMUS L SERIES

SEOUL, Feb. 15, 2013 ? LG Electronics (LG) announced today it sold an Optimus L Series device every second over the past two months, propelling sales of the popular smartphones to over 15 million units. Since its launch at Mobile World Congress (MWC) last year, Optimus L Series smartphones have become the device of choice for individuals around the world who favor a well-balanced smartphone with a unique design. Building on this momentum, LG will unveil a new generation of the stylish series at MWC 2013 with an upgraded design and improved features.

The Optimus L SeriesII will carry on the legacy of its predecessor, offering a user experience unique to LG smartphones. The Optimus L3II, Optimus L5II and Optimus L7II all feature a comfortable contour with laser-etched details in a slim unibody design. The sleek and customizable devices are also differentiated by smart LED lighting around the home button to mirror users' unique styles.

"The success of the Optimus L Series is testament to our belief all along that there is indeed a market for well-balanced smartphones that represent individuals' unique tastes," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "The new Optimus L SeriesII expands upon the design philosophy of the original series so we're quite confident that we'll have another hit on our hands."

The new Optimus L SeriesII smartphones will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress later this month. Visitors to MWC are encouraged to see these new models up close at the LG booth in Hall 3.

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Tags: android, l3, l5, l7, l9, lg, lseries, minipost, mobilepostcross, mobilepostmini, optimus, optimuslseries, smartphone

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By: Unknown On 10:11 PM

Angry Birds Trilogy flutters to Wii / Wii U in celebration of one million sold

ACTIVISION AND ROVIO SOAR PAST ONE MILLION ANGRY BIRDSTM TRILOGY UNITS WORLDWIDE

Companies Confirm Plan to Release Angry Birds Trilogy on Wii UTM This Year

London, UK – 14th February 2013 – Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), and Rovio Entertainment today announced that Angry Birds™ Trilogy has soared past one million units sold worldwide. Released in September 2012 on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft with Kinect™ for Xbox 360 compatibility, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system with full PlayStation®Move support and the Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system, Angry Birds Trilogy won fans over by combining Rovio's three legendary mobile titles, Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio, along with new content, levels and features. Building on this success, Activision and Rovio will release Angry Birds Trilogy for Nintendo's Wii™ and Wii U™ systems in 2013.

"Angry Birds' proven formula for fun and addicting gameplay translated perfectly to the big screen and the consumer response has been overwhelming," said Jennifer Mirabelli, VP of Sales and Marketing for Activision Publishing, Inc.

"It was certainly satisfying to see Angry Birds gameplay adapt so well to other platforms in 2012," said Petri Järvilehto, EVP of Games for Rovio. "The features specific to the Wii U are very intriguing to us, so we're excited to release this version to fans."

Completely recreated in striking HD with refined controls, gamers can play Angry Birds Trilogy with all-new animations and interactive backgrounds through 700+ levels with more than 150 hours of addictive gameplay. Angry Birds Trilogy: Anger Management, the recently released DLC pack, features even more content with 130 fan-favourite puzzles like Wreck the Halls and Birdday Party.

Angry Birds Trilogy is rated PEGI 3 and is available now for the Xbox 360 system, the PlayStation3 system and the Nintendo 3DS™ system. For more information, please visit www.activision.com.

About Rovio Entertainment Ltd.
Rovio Entertainment Ltd is an industry-changing entertainment media company headquartered in Finland and the creator of the globally successful Angry Birds franchise. Angry Birds, a casual puzzle game, became an international phenomenon within a few months of its release and is now the number one paid app of all time. Angry Birds have expanded rapidly in entertainment, publishing and licensing to become a beloved international brand. www.rovio.com

About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the expected release date are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

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By: Unknown On 10:06 PM