Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung’s full results aren’t scheduled until January 25, but its Q4 financial estimates are looking promising – says Samsung, the company had a record profit of $8.3 billion. If that number’s too big to visualize, try looking at it from a different perspective: the Korean company sold nearly 500 smartphones per minute, in addition to its other sales. This makes the company’s fifth record in a row.

Needless to say, Samsung’s shares are also up into the “record” range, with estimates stating that Samsung will hold strong through the next quarter despite the post-holiday slump. According to the announcement, the company’s operating profit increased 89-percent from last year, a jump of 8.6-percent from last year’s third quarter. Estimates show Samsung’s Q4 sales number at nearly $53 billion.

According to Reuters, smartphones are largely responsible for the company’s records. Although the number of Galaxy S III sales declined by 3 million in the quarter to 15 million, Galaxy Note II sales hit 8 million, helping boost the sum total number of smartphones sold to somewhere in the 63 million range.

Although some have expressed concern that sales might drop, many are saying that the combination of handsets Samsung has planned and its diversity across so many products and components gives it a distinct advantage, and makes outlooks favorable. Strategy Analytics, a research firm, has stated that it expects Samsung to continue to outpace Apple into 2013, adjusting its smartphone sales estimates for the year from 215 million to 290 million.

[via Reuters]

Samsung estimates $8.3 billion profit, beats it own record is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft has scored a $617 million contract with the Department of Defense, something it touts as the most comprehensive agreement it has ever formed with the Defense Department. Under the agreement, the Air Force, Army, and Defense Information Systems Agency will have access to Microsoft products including Windows 8. Says the announcement, this agreement covers almost 75-percent of the Defense Department’s personnel.

The deal is for a total of three years, and will bring Microsoft products to approximately 1.5 million computers. Included under the licensing agreement is Office 2013 and SharePoint 2013 Enterprise, which will facilitate data sharing across the agencies. Both the Air Force and Army have been working alongside Microsoft to create AF Standard Desktop Configuration and Army Golden Master compliance for Microsoft’s OS.

According to Bloomberg, the Defense Department had seven bids come through for the contract, all from companies that have not been named. Ultimately, it went to Insight Public Sector, which is an Arizona-based Microsoft products reseller. Considering Windows’ lagging sales, the deal couldn’t have come at a better time for the company.

General Manager of Microsoft’s Department of Defense Business Tim Solms offered this statement. “Microsoft has longstanding relationships with the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force and DISA, and we are honored to expand our support of ongoing technology modernization efforts across all three organizations. This agreement enables us to provide the best technology tools to an incredibly broad range of servicemen and servicewomen across the DoD, and we are looking forward to implementing to support their mission goals.”

[via Microsoft]

Microsoft scores $617 million contract with Department of Defense is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft has acquired R2 Studios, a small startup that it will use to bolster the Xbox, sources have told the Wall Street Journal. In doing so, Microsoft also scored some patents that are said to concern “controlling electronic devices.” Thus far, neither company have made any official statements about the acquisition, and the price paid has not been revealed.

It is said that both Google and Apple were in talks with R2 Studios about a possible acquisition, but that Microsoft ultimately trumped them and snatched up the startup. R2 Studios was founded by Blake Krikorian, and deals with displaying and distributing content on televisions. Krikorian will be working with Microsoft along with a small team from R2.

We reported on December 21 about the possible acquisition that was in talks. Although it hasn’t offered a statement, the running theory is that Microsoft will use the acquisition in its push to align the Xbox as more than a mere gaming console, but instead as a set-top type of device that brings Smart TV functionality to gamers’ living rooms.

So far, R2 Studios has only produced an Android app, which turns mobile devices into a universal remote for Crestron home automation. Says its description in Google Play, “R2 enables residential and commercial customers to control AV, lighting, thermostats, security systems, and thousands of other products via their Android device from anywhere in the world.”

[via WSJ]

Microsoft trumps Apple and Google, buys R2 Studios is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple and Google have a cordial relationship peppered with bouts of sparring and relentless competing for the world’s mobile users. Now the two companies have formed an unlikely – although not surprising – joint effort to acquire Eastman Kodak’s 1,100 patents, according to unnamed sources familiar with the issue. The patents will cost upwards of $500 million, with both companies having already tried acquiring them for lesser amounts independently.

Eastman Kodak filed for bankruptcy back in January of this year, showing $5.1 billion in assets and $6.5 billion in debt. That debt includes a rather hefty $950 million Citigroup loan, which Kodak will pay off in part with the money it makes from the patent sales. If all goes as planned, Kodak anticipates being out of bankruptcy by June 2013.

It is not uncommon for companies to form a group and jointly bid on patents. Before joining up, Apple and Google both led their own groups in pursuit of the patents. Apple was joined by the likes of Microsoft and Intellectual Venture Management LLC, while Google was joined by manufacturers of Android smartphones and the RPX Corporation. The offers for the patents fell between $150 million and $250 million.

Recent examples of companies jointly acquiring patents includes 2011′s band of Apple, RIM, EMC, Sony Ericsson, Microsoft, and Sony shelling out $4.5 billion for 6,000 Nortel Networks patents and patent applications. Google did not offer a comment when questioned about the matter, saying only that it doesn’t comment on rumors. Likewise, Apple has remained silent amidst the speculation.

[via Bloomberg]

Apple and Google reportedly join forces to buy Kodak patents is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Google has purchased BufferBox, a Canadian startup based in Waterloo that has been in business for about two years. According to sources, Google paid over $17 million for the locker storage provider, although the terms of the deal aren’t available. This could poise the search engine giant as a serious competitor to Amazon Locker, a service that allows buyers to pick up a product at a locker unit rather than receive it at their home or office.

A Google spokesperson told Tech Crunch: “We want to remove as much friction as possible from the shopping experience, while helping consumers save time and money, and we think the BufferBox team has a lot of great ideas around how to do that.” There’s no word on how Google plans to implement the service, with only the acknowledgement that BufferBox will keep its brand.

In excess of 100 BufferBox lockers will be available in Canadian transit depots and other select locations by the end of 2013. Users will be able to subscribe for single-use deliveries. This is, of course, in the same vein as Amazon’s Locker service, which allows users to pick up an item from a locker using a code that is delivered via email once the parcel has arrived.

We reported on November 6th that Staples is set to place Amazon lockers in its retail stores. This is in addition to their current placement in a variety of locations, including drug stores and convenience stores throughout the US. Buyers have three days to pick up an item once they receive the notification that it is available.

[via TechCrunch]

Google buys locker storage provider BufferBox is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.