Carriers & Vendors
Ahead of the Bell: Analysts See iPhone Sales Down
April 23, 2013 9:34 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsApple Inc. is set to report fiscal second-quarter results after the market close Tuesday, and analysts expect to see the first quarter ever in which iPhone sales declined. The launch of the first iPhone in 2007 set off a boom in smartphone sales...
Cricket Rolls Out New Family, iPhone Plans
April 22, 2013 10:44 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsPrepaid carrier Cricket today annoucned a new family plan discount, as well as a revamp of plans for the iPhone. As part of the family plan discount, consumers will essentially get $10 off the $50 smartphone plan when they activate 2 lines. The $50 smarpthone plan includes 1GB of data...
Canadian Tire Taps BlackBerry for Smartphone Needs
April 22, 2013 10:30 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsBlackBerry 10 Smartphones To Be Deployed Across Canadian Tire's Family of Companies. BlackBerry can count Canadian Tire Corporation as the latest enterprise customer to purchase its new Z10 and Q10 BlackBerry 10 smartphones.
LG Display Logs Small Profit in Q1
April 22, 2013 10:14 am | by Youkyung Lee, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean panel giant LG Display Co. said Monday that it logged a small profit in the first three months of the year, reflecting slackening orders from its key client, Apple Inc., during a typically slow period for consumer electronics.
Former Google CEO Shares Vision in Tech Treatise
April 22, 2013 9:59 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Some illuminating books already have been written about Google's catalytic role in a technological upheaval that is redefining the way people work, play, learn, shop and communicate. Until now, though, there hasn't been a book providing an unfiltered look from inside Google's brain trust.
Sprint Forms Special Committee to Review Dish Bid
April 22, 2013 9:50 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSprint today announced a special committee of independent directors who will evaluate Dish Network’s $25.5 billion proposed merger. The committee will decide if Dish’s proposal is, or “is reasonably likely to lead to,” a superior offer to Softbank’s near $20 billion bid to acquire a 70 percent stake in Sprint.
Petition Urging Verizon to Drop Contracts Nears 100,000 Signatures
April 19, 2013 10:48 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsA petition on Change.org that urges Verizon Wireless to do away with two-year contracts has notched nearly 100,000 signatures in less than two weeks. Mike Beauchamp, Verizon customer and blogger for online tech store Zagg, wrote that he does not anticipate leaving the carrier but that he wants that choice for himself.
Google Posts $14B in 1Q Revenue, Struggles with Mobile
April 19, 2013 10:35 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsGoogle's first quarter revenue was up 31 percent annually to $14 billion, while net income reached $3.9 billion, but the company is still trying to sort out how best to capitalize on mobile. Shares of Google were up nearly 3 percent immediately following Thursday's earnings call. That trend continued...
Microsoft’s 3Q Beats Street, Company Announces Smaller Tablets
April 19, 2013 10:02 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe fervor over the PC market going down in flames and how that will affect PC giant Microsoft can settle a bit after the company’s third quarter 2013 beat analyst estimates. The company posted revenue of $20.5 billion on $0.72 EPS, marking an 18 and 20 percent increase annually, respectively. That’s compared to analyst expectations of $20.1 billion on $0.68 EPS.
Nokia Cuts Losses but Sales Continue to Plummet
April 18, 2013 10:32 am | by Matti Huuhtanen, Associated Press | News | CommentsAlthough the Finland-based company managed to reduce its first-quarter net loss to 272 million euros ($357 million) from a loss of 928 million euros a year earlier, mainly thanks to cost cutting, net revenue dropped to 5.8 billion euros from 7.4 billion euros in the same period last year.
Sprint CEO Announces LTE Roaming Agreement With C Spire
April 18, 2013 10:20 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSprint CEO Dan Hesse, speaking at the Competitive Carrier Association’s Global Expo in New Orleans, opined on the virtues of a competitive mobile market. “We’re all going up against Goliaths,” he said, speaking about the uphill battle Sprint and other carriers, many also members of CCA, face in catching up with Verizon and AT&T.
Verizon Reports Strong 1Q, Looks to Maintain Record Margins
April 18, 2013 10:13 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon today reported a strong first quarter that was once again driven by wireless, with 677,000 retail postpaid net additions, up 35 percent annually. Margins were especially impressive. The company reported 32.9 percent operating income margin and 50.4 percent segment EBITDA margin...
Earnings Preview: Google’s 1Q Hinges on Ad Market
April 18, 2013 9:23 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google' first-quarter earnings report, which arrives after the market closes Thursday, is likely to reveal how effectively the company is managing its dominance of the Internet search market as it expands into the mobile device market.
Yahoo’s 1Q 2013 Sees Earnings Gain, Ad Sales Drop
April 17, 2013 10:56 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsYahoo’s first quarter numbers for 2013 show off GAAP net earnings of $390 million, marking a 36 percent increase annually. But those encouraging figures were dulled some by the number of display ads sold, which dropped 7 percent annually.
Sprint, T-Mo Customers Will Get First Shot at Galaxy S4
April 17, 2013 10:41 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsBoth Sprint and T-Mobile today announced that they'll be the first of the major U.S. carriers to get the Samsung Galaxy S4.T-Mobile's version of the S4 will be available online and in stores beginning April 24 for $149.99 down and no contract, but with monthly device payments...
Google’s Schmidt: More Than 750M Android Phones in Use Globally
April 17, 2013 10:06 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsGoogle chairman Eric Schmidt estimated the global number for Android phones in use today at around 750 million. He added that Google sees 1.5 million sales or activations worldwide of Android phones every day. Speaking at the D: Dive Into Mobile event, Schmidt estimated that Android phones in use worldwide would top one billion later this year and pass two billion by 2014.
Dish’s Ergen Says Sprint Debt Manageable
April 17, 2013 9:38 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsDish Network's combative chairman, Charlie Ergen, on Tuesday defended his $25.5 billion bid for Sprint Nextel, saying the debt load the deal would create for the combined company will be manageable. "We will take on more leverage than we have today," Ergen said...
Intel Meets 1Q Expectations Despite PC Slowdown
April 17, 2013 9:31 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Write | News | CommentsIntel Corp., the world's largest maker of chips for PCs, is remaining steadfast amid a drastic slowdown in computer sales. Intel on Tuesday said it's keeping its sales and margin forecasts for this year, even as first-quarter PC sales plunged 14 percent from a year ago...
Facebook Bringing Limited Home Experience to iOS App
April 17, 2013 9:17 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsRumors that Facebook has been in talks with Apple and Microsoft about getting its new Home product on those operating systems prove at least slightly overblown. According to Facebook, the company will be updating its iOS app to include...
Ahead of the Bell: Yahoo 1Q Puts Spotlight on CEO
April 16, 2013 9:44 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsYahoo's first-quarter earnings report will cast a spotlight on CEO Marissa Mayer's efforts to turn around the Internet company. The numbers, due out after the stock market closes Tuesday, are being released with Yahoo's stock price trading at some of its highest levels since the company squandered an opportunity to sell itself to Microsoft Corp. for $47.5 billion, or $33 per share, in May 2008.
Report: Clearwire Might Default if Sprint Bid Not Approved Soon
April 16, 2013 9:23 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsClearwire is considering defaulting on a $255 million interest payment due in June, which is based on nearly $4.5 billion in debt. Reuters dug into the company’s proxy filing from last week and saw that the company might consider bankruptcy if Sprint’s proposed acquisition is not approved by shareholders.
Broken Healthcare System Needs a Wireless Fix
April 15, 2013 4:29 pm | by Andrew Berg | Articles | CommentsRick Valencia, vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Life, a subsidiary of Qualcomm responsible for all things mHealth related, believes the healthcare in this country need a bit of a technological overhaul. “There are two industries that have fought off any kind of technological...
Analysts Weigh-In on Dish’s Offer to Sprint
April 15, 2013 3:32 pm | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsDish Network unleashed a whole lot of disruption Monday morning when it announced a $25.5 billion offer to merge with Sprint. The unsolicited bid threw a big wrench into Softbank’s $20-billion deal for Sprint. Roger Entner, founder of Recon Analysts, sees Dish’s offer playing out in terms of more money for Sprint’s investors.
Dish Leapfrogs Softbank With $25.5 Billion Bid for Sprint
April 15, 2013 10:26 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsDish Networks this morning announced a $25.5 billion merger bid for Sprint, a deal it says represents a 13 percent premium over the value of Softbank’s current offer to acquire the Kansas City-based carrier. Dish’s offer consists of $17.3 billion in cash and $8.2 billion in stock.
Review: BlackBerry Z10
April 15, 2013 10:10 am | by Ben Munson | Articles | CommentsIt’s still too soon to predict BlackBerry’s fate. But it is clear to see, after spending some time with the Z10, that the company is making tangible strides toward shaking off some vestiges of what a BlackBerry was and embracing what it can be.
