Hasta La Gadget!

In a matter of pleasant timing, the global version of the HTC One mini (PO58200) has been given the sweet go-ahead of approval from the Federal Communications Commission. As usual, we went through the documents that so discretely discuss the various radiation measurements, antenna placement and other intensely deep numbers and couldn’t uncover any details we didn’t know already, but FCC approval is always a rite of passage that indicates the phone is on the right track to a release sooner rather than later. Here’s hoping this is a signal that we’ll be playing with the new miniature device next month, as HTC has promised.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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Source: FCC

First, the rough news: AMD saw just $1.16 billion in revenue for its Q2 2013, and actually took a net loss of $74 million (and an operating loss of $29 million). That’s an 18 percent decrease in revenue year-over-year, but CEO Rory Read says that things are looking up. “Our focus on restructuring and transforming AMD resulted in improved financial results,” noting that AMD “expects significant revenue growth and a return to profitability in the third quarter.”

That’s a pretty bold statement given the continued decline in the PC market, but the outfit’s graphical department seems to be doing fairly well. In fact, AMD’s Graphics reportable segment has been renamed Graphics and Visual Solutions, and the outfit gleefully points out that AMD silicon is baked inside of the Wii U, Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One. What isn’t precisely clear, however, is the expected market change that’ll finally turn the tide for AMD — the world’s watching for Q3, folks.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, AMD

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Source: Marketwire, AMD

In our ongoing coverage of things that claim to regulate one’s body temperature, I present to you the Nike Aeroloft 800 Vest. It’s $180.

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It looks like China’s TCL isn’t just working with Google to grace its line of flat-screen TVs. The TV maker has just announced that its next line of Smart TVs will be powered by yet another well-known web brand — Opera. Indeed, TCL’s E5691, E5510, F3250 and F3500 series of HDTVs will be built on top of Opera’s devices SDK for Linux-based devices, and will feature Opera’s TV browser and TV Store. Aside from apps and the usual online entertainment options, Opera’s TV platform also seeks to offer an enhanced TV experience, so that you can check your Twitter stream while watching your favorite episode of Game of Thrones, for example. Other features of the new line of TCL sets include 3D viewing, multi-screen interaction and the ability to use your phone as a remote control. They’re slated to debut in Australia, Europe and Latin America later this year for a yet to be determined price, with no word on their North American presence. This is not the first time Opera has entered the Smart TV space, but TCL’s adoption does lend additional legitimacy to the company’s silver screen venture.

Filed under: HD

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Windows RT is a dog. We’ve been saying that from the beginning. We weren’t alone. It’s very hard to find a positive review of Windows RT, and more specifically, the nine-month-old Microsoft Surface with RT. And now Microsoft, in its latest earnings report, finally revealed that we were right.

The company took a massive $900M writedown last quarter because of unsold Surface RT’s. Even more telling is that Microsoft actually revealed this loss. It’s that big. The company had to tell investors why it didn’t meet Wall Street’s expectations.

Sadly, the Surface RT hardware is not at fault here. The tablet itself is actually a beautiful machine: sleek, solid and downright stunning. It’s hard to pick one up and not be impressed. The Surface RT’s designers and engineers should be proud of their creation. It’s not their fault.

Windows RT should not exist as a consumer-facing product. It’s a reactionary move against the iPad and the multitude of Android tablets flooding the market. It’s Microsoft punching down where it should have just walked away from the fight. While Intel is quickly bringing most of the advantages of ARM chips to its x86 line, Microsoft decided it couldn’t wait and built a product that ignored Windows’ main advantages of legacy software. The Surface RT was sadly part of the ecosystem that is predictably failing.

The Surface product line was a big risk for Microsoft. The company went all-in on a PC for the very first time. And in a way, it was successful. The Surface RT and Pro brought a lot of attention to Windows 8 tablets — much more attention than HP, Dell, or Samsung could have provided. The striking product line put a lot of consumer electronic companies on notice, especially since Microsoft — historically a software-first outfit — took on the task of creating their own first-rate hardware. These tablets are the standard for Windows 8 tablets even if it’s clear after today’s news that they failed to live up to Microsoft’s expectations.

Without the Surface Pro and RT, the Windows 8 tablet world would be as stale and lifeless as Windows 8 laptops.

All signs point to a new Surface line being announced in the coming weeks. And even with today’s news, it’s entirely possible that Microsoft will release a second generation Surface RT with a starting price point much lower. If anything, Microsoft is a company that does whatever the hell it wants even if no one is buying the products.