Aug 29

LG Display cuts spending targets for 2012, amid sagging LCD demand

Posted in: business, hdpostcross, korea, LCD, LG, money, South Korea, SouthKorea, Today's Chili, TV

LG Display has decided to drastically cut its expenditure target for 2012, in yet another sign that the LCD market is going through some tough times. Today, the manufacturer announced that it will spend only three trillion won (about $2.8 billion) on its production facilities next year — a 33 percent decrease from its previously revised budget and LG Display’s lowest expenditure target since 2009. The company also said that it has no plans to build a new LCD plants in 2012, suggesting that it may already be facing excess panel supply. Analysts are predicting that demand will remain subdued throughout the end of 2011, though LG Display CFO James Jeong had previously said he expects things to pick up by the beginning of next year.

LG Display cuts spending targets for 2012, amid sagging LCD demand originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 09:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 28

Switched On: The accidental handset company, Part 1

Posted in: Apple, business, cellphone, column, Google, industry, merger, mobilepostcross, motorola, smartphone, switched on, SwitchedOn, Today's Chili

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Tech company acquisitions often seek to reshape a company or even the entire industry. Buying Applied Semantics catalyzed Google’s rise to online advertising dominance. Apple’s purchase of NeXT transformed the former’s operating system’s roadmap. And HP’s merger with Compaq created a $40 billion powerhouse vendor of Windows PCs.

That’s not the case for “Googorola,” a portmanteau that the world formerly knew only as an Italian blue cheese often crumbled into steak salads. Indeed, Google’s recent announcement of its intent to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion may turn out to be the highest profile acquisition ever aimed at maintaining the status quo. Presaged by a blog post from Google’s chief legal officer and punctuated by lockstep statements by Motorola’s rival Android licensees praising legal protection, the blog post announcing the acquisition promised to “supercharge” Android. But the subsequent Google conference call regarding the merger reinforced that the “IP” Google seeks to acquire does not stand for “Incredible Phones.” Google seeks to invigorate Android simply by having the freedom to progress unencumbered along the successful path it already has largely staked out.

Continue reading Switched On: The accidental handset company, Part 1

Switched On: The accidental handset company, Part 1 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 25

Acer unveils TravelMate 8481T laptop for the all-business crowd

Posted in: availability, bluetooth, business, CoreI7, LCD, notebook, price, Today's Chili, usb 3.0, Usb3.0, wifi

Globetrotting financiers have a new companion to slot into their briefcases, now that Acer has taken the wraps off its TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebook. Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and weighing in at 3.7 pounds, this little guy boasts a 14-inch, 1366 x 768 LCD that’s been engineered to fit within a 13-inch footprint, thanks to a frameless, bezel-trimming design. The latest addition to the TravelMate 8481 family also boasts 4GB of DDR3 memory (or 8GB, if you upgrade) and a 320GB SATA hard drive, along with the usual collection of WiFi, Bluetooth and USB 3.0 capabilities — all packed within a slim, 0.87-inch thick frame. The laptop is expected to start shipping in “early September” for $1,000, but you can find more details in the full PR that’s sitting after the break.

Continue reading Acer unveils TravelMate 8481T laptop for the all-business crowd

Acer unveils TravelMate 8481T laptop for the all-business crowd originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 25

Motorola rolling out 4G LTE upgrade for select Xoom users?

Posted in: 4G, Android, android tablet, AndroidTablet, business, Email, government, lte, motorola xoom, MotorolaXoom, ship, shipping, slate, tablet, Today's Chili, upgrade, verizon, xoom
It’s been a while coming, but it looks like some Motorola Xoom users will finally be receiving 4G LTE support, in the very near future. According to a customer service e-mail obtained by Droid Life, the manufacturer has already begun sending out instructions on how to receive the upgrade, as part of an apparent gradual rollout. To make the jump, select consumers, businesses and government clients will have to first back up their Android-based tablets, before shipping them off to Motorola in a pre-paid FedEx box. Once that’s taken care of, they’ll have to twiddle their thumbs for three business days before receiving their newly refreshed devices, dripping in Verizon’s LTE goodness. No word yet on when the rest of the Xoom community can expect similar treatment, but hit up the source link to read the full e-mail for yourself.

Motorola rolling out 4G LTE upgrade for select Xoom users? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDroid Life  | Email this | Comments

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Aug 23

ERPLY’s mobile credit card reader handles NFC payments on an iPad, obliterates the check-out line

Posted in: business, enterprise, ios, ipad, iPhone, money, nfc, retail, smartphone, Software, tablet, Today's Chili
It may look like nothing more than a glorified chip clip, but that dongle at the bottom of this guy’s iPad is actually ERPLY’s new credit card reader — the latest addition to a growing field of NFC and mobile payment devices designed for small and large businesses. Once attached to an iPad’s charging port, the peripheral will send a user’s encrypted credit card information to ERPLY’s point-of-sale and inventory management software, allowing customers to purchase products on the store room floor and giving retailers the ability to monitor transactions and stock flows in real time. Available for $50 (with a transaction fee of 1.9 percent), the reader is also equipped to handle both NFC and traditional card payments and, after processing a purchase, will automatically send a receipt to consumers via text or e-mail. At the moment, it’s only available for the iPad, though iPhone users should be able to get their own version within the next three months. Swipe past the break for more information, in the full press release.

Continue reading ERPLY’s mobile credit card reader handles NFC payments on an iPad, obliterates the check-out line

ERPLY’s mobile credit card reader handles NFC payments on an iPad, obliterates the check-out line originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 03:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 22

HP’s Compaq 8200 Elite all-in-one desktop coming to a cubicle near you

Posted in: blu-ray, business, desktop, enterprise, HP, Today's Chili, windows 7, Windows7

If you were in need of HP news that has nothing to do with the sold-out, overnight sensation that’s become the TouchPad, then read on. The company’s just announced a new all-in-one desktop solution for the enterprise set — the Compaq 8200 Elite. Starting at a wallet-pleasing $1000, the 1920 x 1080 23-inch full HD monitor comes outfitted with your choice of Intel’s Pentium or vPro line of chips, up to 8GB DDR3 SDRAM, HDD storage that ranges from 250GB to 1TB, six USB 2.0 ports, an optional Blu-ray drive, and a six-in-one media card reader. As you might expect, the machine also comes pre-loaded with MS’ ever-handy Office 2010 starter pack and Norton Internet Security. Sound like the sort of refresh you so desperately need for your cubicle? Then check it out for yourself at the source below.

HP’s Compaq 8200 Elite all-in-one desktop coming to a cubicle near you originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 21

Apple eclipses Lenovo’s sales in emerging Chinese market

Posted in: Apple, business, earnings, financial, lenovo, sales, Today's Chili

As if Apple needed further incentive to take a victory lap around its billion dollar war chest, the company can now add greater China to its list of top performing markets. According to the Financial Times, Apple’s third quarter China sales outstripped Lenovo’s $2.8 billion first quarter results, racking up a commanding $3.8 billion lead in the PC maker’s own backyard. Lenovo’s CEO, Yang Yuanqing, was quick to dismiss the ‘apples to oranges’ financial comparison, citing his company’s inability to compete in the mobile phone segment, and continued strong focus on personal computing. For what it’s worth, Lenovo does separate out both Hong Kong and Taiwan sales from its mainland report, putting the company on unequal footing with Cupertino which includes the two markets in its total Chinese earnings. Still, Lenovo has plenty of reason to keep its chin up. It does, after all, have that dominating 31.7 percent market share to lord over Mr. Steve Jobs.

Apple eclipses Lenovo’s sales in emerging Chinese market originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 18

HP may spin off PC business, shift focus to software and services

Posted in: breaking news, business, earnings, hewlett-packard, HewlettPackard, HP, PC, rumor, Today's Chili, webos

HP LogoWord ’round the campfire is, HP may be prepping to spin off its PC business. Though Hewlett-Packard is the world’s largest computer company, desktops and laptops are a relatively low profit margin business. Obviously, there’s no confirmation yet that such a split will happen, but with the recent focus on tablets and smartphones, and CEO Leo Apotheker’s own admission that he’d like to expand into software and services, the move would make sense. According to Bloomberg the announcement could come as soon as today, during the company’s quarterly earnings call, where it’s also expected to reveal a $10 billion purchase of software company Autonomy Corp. We’ll be listening in live later, so check back this afternoon to see if HP sets its PC business free.

HP may spin off PC business, shift focus to software and services originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 18

Lenovo nearly doubles net profits in Q1 earnings report, not so certain about ‘mainstream’ Ultrabooks by end of year

Posted in: business, earnings, financial, lenovo, money, PC, price, Today's Chili
Lenovo‘s enjoying a bright and sunny Thursday in Hong Kong today, where the company has just unveiled a Q1 2011 / 2012 earnings report that’s full of rosy news. According to the report, Lenovo’s revenues jumped to $5.92 billion during the fiscal quarter, representing a 15 percent increase over last year’s figures, while net profits nearly doubled to $108 million (compared to $54.9 million last year). Global PC sales, meanwhile, nudged upward 23 percent — even at a time when most other manufacturers are seeing relatively sluggish growth. During an earnings conference call this morning, COO Rory Read provided a little insight into his company’s approach to the growing Ultrabook sector, while hinting at future price reductions. Speaking to reporters, Reed assured that Lenovo would “invest in innovation to be a leader” in the Ultrabook market, adding that prices for its MacBook Air competitors may reach “mainstream” (sub-$1,000) levels by 2012: “I wouldn’t say by the end of the year necessarily but…that’s definitely going to happen.” Head past the break for Lenovo’s financial summary, along with the full PR.

[Original photo by Cory Grenier]

Continue reading Lenovo nearly doubles net profits in Q1 earnings report, not so certain about ‘mainstream’ Ultrabooks by end of year

Lenovo nearly doubles net profits in Q1 earnings report, not so certain about ‘mainstream’ Ultrabooks by end of year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 05:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 16

Leaked FCC document details AT&T’s 4G LTE rollout plans, talks up T-Mobile merger

Posted in: 4G, att, business, deal, Law, leak, legal, lte, merger, money, network, t-mobile, Today's Chili
On Friday, a law firm accidentally posted a letter to the FCC website, detailing AT&T’s confidential 4G LTE rollout plans and explaining how they would be bolstered by a merger with T-Mobile. Arnold & Porter LLP, which is helping design the deal on AT&T’s behalf, quickly removed its partially redacted document, but the folks over at Gizmodo have gotten their hands on it once again and recently posted it for our viewing pleasure. According to the document, AT&T plans to extend its US coverage to 70 million consumers by the end of this year, before ramping that figure up to 170 million by the end of 2012 and a full 250 million by the end of the following year. The carrier plans to achieve this by upgrading a full 44,000 of its nodes to LTE over the course of the next three years and, once its merger goes through, hopes to cover 97 percent of all Americans within the six years following approval. The letter goes on to explain how the economics behind the TIA-approved deal would help facilitate these aspirations, while confirming that the merger is indeed as expensive as earlier reported — a whopping $3.8 billion, to be exact. To read the document in full, hit up the links, below.

Leaked FCC document details AT&T’s 4G LTE rollout plans, talks up T-Mobile merger originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 06:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGizmodo, Broadband DSL Reports  | Email this | Comments

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