Microsoft Corp said Wednesday it has sold more than 10 million Kinect motion-sensing game system units worldwide in just over four months, making it the fastest-selling consumer device on record. Get the full story »
Filed under: Consumer electronics
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Jobs introduces faster, more powerful iPad
Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces iPad 2. (Getty Images)
Steve Jobs, Apple’s founder and CEO, unveiled the second generation iPad tablet computer Wednesday in San Francisco.
Saying that the legion of tablet competitors that has sprung up have not even matched Gen I, Jobs, whose latest medical leave has raised speculation about the future of the company, said the new tablet is a total redesign. Get the full story »
Kindle 3G to come to AT&T stores Sunday
AT&T will begin selling Amazon’s Kindle 3G March 6 as it looks toward other gadgets to increase its customer base outside of cell phones.
The Kindle 3G will sell for $189 at AT&T’s retail stores, the same price at which Amazon sells the e-reader online. Amazon has said that the Kindle is the most popular item sold on its gigantic retail Web site — though the company has never said how many it has sold.
Motorola confirms Xoom price: $600 with contract
(Motorola)
Motorola Mobility Inc.’s Xoom tablet, which debuted to positive buzz when it was introduced earlier this year, will go on sale at Verizon Wireless on Thursday at a subsidized price of $599.99 or $799.99 without a contract, the companies said Tuesday.
The pricing confirms remarks made by Motorola Mobility Chief Executive Sanjay Jha on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress show in Spain. Reuters had also quoted Jha as saying, “Competing with Apple, you have to deliver premium products.”
Motorola introduced the Xoom in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The device is the first to run Honeycomb, a version of Google’s Android operating system that is specifically designed for tablets. Get the full story »
H.H. Gregg comes to Chicago; will hire 900
Electronics retailer H.H. Gregg Inc. said it plans to enter the Chicago market for the first time this fall with 20 stores.
The Indianapolis-based company will open stores in Schaumburg, Niles and Vernon Hills, among other locations, according to spokeswoman Sari Martin.
The fast-growing retailer aims to take advantage of big-box real estate left empty in the wake of the recession, moving into stores once occupied by bankrupt retailers Circuit City, Wickes Furniture and Linens ‘n Things. Get the full story »
Motorola’s Xoom tablet priced at $799
The Motorola Xoom. (Reuters)
Motorola Mobility Holdings’ Xoom tablet will sell for an unsubsidized $799 at Verizon Wireless, with the WiFi-only version priced at around $600 price, chief executive Sanjay Jha said on Wednesday.
“Competing with Apple you have to deliver premium products,” Jha said, adding Xoom software was also upgradable.
Motorola is a latecomer to the surging market for tablet computers, which was created by Apple’s iPad last year, and is expected to reach total sales volumes of around 50 million units this year. Get the full story »
Smartphone shipments overtake PCs
A long-anticipated milestone was hit late last year: Smartphone shipments overtook PCs.
Manufacturers shipped 100.9 million smartphones to stores around the globe in the final three months of 2010, compared to 92.1 million personal computers, according to a study released this week by IDC. Get the full story »
Navteq launches traffic info in Middle East
Residents of the United Arab Emirates can now access traffic information from their GPS device or phone using Chicago-based NAVTEQ’s Traffic program. Get the full story »
Price keeps plasma TVs on consumers’ radar
Most TV manufacturers may have given up on plasma technology, but the public has not.
Shipments of plasma sets jumped nearly 30% worldwide last year, to 19.1 million from 14.8 million the year before, according to research firm DisplaySearch.
The reason: price.
Plasma sets are “the most affordable large flat-panel TVs for many consumers,” said DisplaySearch in releasing its survey Thursday.
Ahead of iPhone, Verizon says it may slow data
The Verizon version of the Apple iPhone is displayed on Jan. 11, 2011. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)
On the day the iPhone went on sale for Verizon Wireless customers, the carrier delivered a warning to its heaviest data users: Verizon reserves the right to slow down your access speed.
For the subscribers that fall within the top 5 percent of the network’s data users, Verizon said it may reduce their download speeds for the current and subsequent billing cycles, according to a memo on the carrier’s website. The company said the slow-down would most likely be periodic and during peak hours.
“Our proactive management of the Verizon Wireless network is designed to ensure that the remaining 95% of data customers aren’t negatively affected by the inordinate data consumption of just a few users,“ the memo said. Get the full story »
Unreleased Apple iPad seen at News Corp. event
Spotted at Rupert Murdoch’s splashy digital newspaper launch on Wednesday: a prototype of Apple’s newest iPad.
A Reuters eyewitness saw what appeared to be a working model of the next iPad with a front-facing camera at the top edge of the glass screen at a press conference to mark the debut of News Corp’s Daily online paper in New York on Wednesday.
A source with knowledge of the device confirmed its existence, adding that the final release model could have other features. News Corp and Apple declined to comment. Get the full story »
Sony to launch new Playstation portable this year
Sony Corp. unveiled a new handheld gaming device, the first to feature 3G wireless connectivity, as it battles with Nintendo’s best-selling DS and tries to fend off competition from smartphones including Apple Inc.’s iPhone. Get the full story »
Nintendo glasses-free 3DS to debut March 27
(AP)
Promising to usher in a new era in 3-D entertainment, Nintendo says its glasses-free handheld 3DS will go on sale on March 27 in the U.S. for $250.
That’s the same price that the Wii console cost when it went on sale in 2006.
The president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, said Wednesday the 3DS is a “truly unique experience that doesn’t exist anywhere else.”
The gadget features a touch screen on the bottom and a 3-D screen on top. It has three cameras, one facing the user and two facing outward. The latter two let you take 3-D photos, which can be instantly displayed on the screen. Nintendo Co. says more than 30 games will be available for the 3DS by June.
Jan. 18 at 4:17 p.m.
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Filed under: Cell phones, Computers, Consumer electronics, Earnings Apple topples expectations on iPhone, iPad strength
Apple Inc. reported better-than-expected results, fueled by blockbuster holiday sales of the iPhone and iPad that may help ease investor concern about Chief Executive Steve Jobs’ decision to take medical leave.
Shares in Apple, halted before the release, rose 4 percent, to about $354, after-hours, from a regular-session close of $340.65. Get the full story »
Jan. 14 at 12:32 p.m.
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Filed under: Computers, Consumer electronics, Media, Newspapers, Technology News Corp., Apple delay launch of iPad newspaper
News Corp. is pushing back the launch of the world’s first iPad-only newspaper.
The company declined to comment on why. But a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Friday that News Corp. and iPad maker Apple Inc. have decided to delay the launch while they work on the technology involved in providing subscriptions. Get the full story »
