2011
Latest
Google, Apple, other vaguely familiar tech names top Nielsen's 'Tops of 2011' list
Those perpetual rankers over at Nielsen unveiled their "Tops of 2011" list this week, revealing the most popular brands and products across all manner of categories. There's nothing particularly shocking over on the digital side of things -- Google topped the list of Top US Web Brands, followed by Facebook. Perhaps a bit more surprisingly, Yahoo managed to hold its own in 2011, rounding out the top three. Over on the smartphone side, Apple came out on top with a 29 percent marketshare in data pulled from August to October 2011, followed by HTC. Despite a fairly tough year, RIM managed the number three spot. On the social side, Facebook scored number one, followed by Blogger and Twitter, while some site called "YouTube" was ranked number one in video. Check out the rest of the results in the source link below.
The Perfect Ten: Most significant MMO stories of 2011
2011 was an odd duck of a year for MMO news. A huge chunk of the year felt devoid of significant releases, but that was mitigated somewhat by the major launches of RIFT and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Titles got shoved back to 2012 or beyond, MMOs that we thought never would go free-to-play did, and the industry continually surprised us with revelations, ideas, and controversy. So in my last Perfect Ten of 2011, I put together the 10 most significant MMO stories of the year. Ten seems like an awfully small number for such a great big field, so I had the rest of the staff members chime in with their nominations just to make sure I wasn't too off-base with any of these. It was a whopper of a year, and Massively was there for all of it -- the ups, the downs, the queues, and the QQs. It's time to wrap it up with a pretty bow and dedicate it to the history museum!
Gaming in 2011: a two-minute video roundup
Who has time for words anymore? You're too busy for those, so why not relive 2011's biggest games in the time it takes you to drink a cup of coffee?
Encrypted Text: Remembering 2011 as the year of the rogue
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Encrypted Text for assassination, combat and subtlety rogues. Chase Christian will be your guide to the world of shadows every Wednesday. Feel free to email me with any questions or article suggestions you'd like to see covered here, like how to sneak around wearing a gaudy sweater. With 2010 fading fast, rogues apprehensively looked forward to Cataclysm and how it would shape 2011. We were the crowned kings of Icecrown Citadel, with armor penetration and attack power as our top stats and both assassination and combat battling for first place. Mutilate rogues still tied down by Hunger for Blood, and combat rogues were spamming Blade Flurry on cooldown for the attack speed increase. Looking back, we have grown since Wrath. Each of the rogue specs has evolved and found a niche, and even subtlety can make a reasonable claim for a raid spot now. With the massive talent system revamp, the developers struggled initially to balance each spec against the others. Rogues entered into 2011 and Cataclysm with a whimper, as the loss of armor penetration and the conversion of attack power to agility was not as smooth as Blizzard would have hoped.
Android and iOS share a merry little Christmas: seven million total device activations
Google's SVP of Mobile just provided us with another glimpse inside the horse's mouth, claiming that Android scored 3.7 million new device activations over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. To put that in context, Flurry reported that total Android and iOS activations on Christmas Day alone totaled 6.8 million. If we can accept a very high margin of error, and if we assume that the vast majority of Rubin's activations were on the 25th, then we might extrapolate a roughly even split between the two rival platforms. Considering where Android was just a couple of Christmas's ago, it's no wonder that Mr Rubin is in the tweeting mood.
Lichborne: 2011 in review for death knights
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. As 2011 draws to a close, we have come to an end in some places. Patch 4.3 has been confirmed as the last major raid patch for the Cataclysm expansion. Certainly, Blizzard could always change tracks and create another raid or two if it can't get Pandaria up and running fast enough, but we can probably assume that most new class balancing will be put off. With that in mind, it's a good time to look back on the year that was 2011 and see what death knights have been up to, what's happened with our class, and maybe make a few guesses about what we can expect going forward. 2011 was strange for us. We were never, perhaps, horribly underpowered, but we had some weird quirks, some strange deficiencies, and a lot of mechanical stuff to worry about. If I had to give it a title, perhaps I'd call it the year of contradictions.
The Anvil of Crom: Greatest hits vol. 2011
By Crom! Can you believe we've made it through another year? Well, almost, at any rate. Technically there are a few days left in 2011, but as I'll be taking some of them off for the purposes of gaining weight and opening presents, it seems like as good a time as any to do a little recapping. Saying that 2011 was a big year for Age of Conan probably qualifies as severe understatement rather than simply understatement. The big news, of course, was the Unchained free-to-play conversion, but that was really just the tip of the gigantic Hyborian iceberg. Join me after the break for my top seven Anvil of Crom issues from the past year.
Facebook's most popular games list topped by Playdom (which isn't Zynga)
You'll excuse our baffled aghast, but we just saw Facebook's most played games of 2011 list and were mesmerized by this list of stuff we've never heard of. Also, we're surprised that Disney-owned Playdom sits at the top of the list with Gardens of Time, while Zynga's myriad "Ville" offerings, "... with Friends" games, Empires & Allies, and Adventure World are instead scattered throughout the bottom nine. EA's The Sims Social edges out Zynga as well for the number two spot, though neither Playdom nor EA can compare to Zynga's four entires on the top 10. According to Facebook, the list is put together by "looking at the top games on Facebook with more than 100,000 monthly active users and giving priority to those games with the highest user satisfaction scores."
Shocker! Tablet ad requests up 700 percent during 2011
Good news: all those new tablets you see reported on these pages aren't being stolen by elves; they're entering the human population at large and -- most Christmassy of all -- they're displaying ads. Google told TechCrunch that its AdMob platform saw eight billion ad requests from tablets during the month of November, compared to one lonely billion back in December 2010. Total AdMob requests amount to roughly three billion per day, however, so tablet advertising is still sugary froth compared to that on smartphones.
iPhone app downloads stuttering in the US, but still gold compared to Android
At some point, we'll all have to stop binging on discounted apps and start being reflective -- and that's when Distimo's 2011 'App Year in Review' report can serve as a nice digestive. Alongside some predictable trends, such as an impressive 400 percent surge in available Windows Phone apps, it also reveals a few interesting stats about the market leader. iPhone app downloads in the US "have been declining for nearly the entire year," it says, although there was big spike following the launch of the 4S. Regardless of volume, however, top-grossing iPhone apps still made four times as much money as the Android Market's premium performers. By the same measure, even iPad apps on their own generated twice as many dollars. Is this a tale of quality over quantity, or are Android apps simply better value? We'll decide when we're less queasy, and in the meantime there's a fuller summary of the report at the source link -- though you'll have to register to view it.
Talkcast tonight 10pm ET: Reviewing the year that was
It's time again for the TUAW Talkcast! We'll be live on our usual TalkShoe meeting place, podcast fates and bandwidth permitting, starting at 10 pm Eastern time. Given the calendar alignment this year, with both Christmas and New Year's Eve falling on our normal Sunday chatterbox timeslot, this may be the final regularly-scheduled talkcast of 2011; I won't rule out a show on Christmas night, or one on a special day/time during the week of 12/26, but I think the 31st is pretty well booked up. That means we're going to take this week to reflect and share: we'll review the top ten stories of the year gone by (including the obvious and tragic #1), consider what we're thankful for (and what we could have done without), and go over our Santa-baby wishlists for Apple in 2012. We'll welcome some special guests from The Loop and TiPB, raise a glass of good cheer, and all that jazz. As always, the show only gets better when we have you as a part of it! To participate, you can use the browser-only Talkshoe client or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines: dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. We'll get started as usual around 10pm ET, which is 7pm PT. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Blink, Zoiper or X-Lite SIP clients, and if you have SkypeOut credit you can use Skype to call. Snow Leopard Mac users and earlier can use the built-in VoIP connector in the TalkShoe client, but Lion users are out of luck (it requires Rosetta). Talk to you tonight!
Barbara Walters names Steve Jobs most fascinating person of 2011
This probably isn't the most important honor Steve Jobs has ever picked up, but Barbara Walters has named Apple's co-founder as the most fascinating person of 2011, as reported by USA Today. Unfortunately the article doesn't actually tell us why, instead focusing reality show personalities, only mentioning Steve Jobs at the end. If nothing else, this shows just how profound the effect of Steve's life and legacy has been. Amid an expected outpouring of emotion from the Apple community, several artists and mainstream news outlets have also honored Jobs and his work. Yes, temporary celebrity may be granted to these reality show stars and their ilk, but Jobs and his genius have built up a following across all kinds of different communities, and that's one of the most magical things about this man and his life.
RIM reports Q3 2011 earnings: $5.2b revenue, $265m net income and 14.1 million handsets shipped
News out of Waterloo isn't all bad today, as Research in Motion has revealed its financial results for the third quarter of 2011. While the company previously had to scale back its earlier earnings projections of $5.6 billion in the quarter, it's apparent the firm came close to meeting that mark. After close of the markets today, RIM reported $5.2 billion in revenue with $265 million in net income and 14.1 million handsets shipped. The company was only able to eke out 150,000 PlayBook tablets during this time frame, however, which no doubt contributed to these reduced numbers. Unfortunately, the market hasn't taken so kindly to the revelation, as RIM's stock has fallen seven-percent in after hours trading. In a small bit of positive news, the firm reports that its subscriber count is up 35-percent year-over-year, which now totals 75 million subscribers. Looking forward, the company expects to bring in between $4.6 and $4.9 billion in revenue for the next quarter, where it hopes to ship between 11 and 12 million units. Co-CEO Jim Balsillie referred to the last few quarters as among the most trying in the company's history, and promised to re-evaluate RIM's product portfolio, R&D strategy and to "leave no stone unturned" as it seeks to regain prominence in the smartphone world. Meanwhile, co-CEO Mike Lazaridis reaffirmed the commitment to the PlayBook OS 2.0, which remains on track for a February launch. As for the QNX-based BlackBerry 10 smartphones that we've been looking forward to, Lazaridis said to not expect anything until late 2012. Apparently, its availability will be hampered by a critical chipset supply that's not expected to become available until mid-next year. In other words, unless consumers develop a love for BlackBerry 7 OS real quick, 2012 may sadly be another ugly year for the folks in Waterloo.
Samsung claims record 300 million mobile sales this year
Add together ten million Galaxy S IIs, a dollop of Galaxy Nexii, a gargantuan gathering of Galaxy Notes and a healthy serving of Badas, and what do you get? 300 million handset sales so far in 2011, that's what. And Samsung claims that makes this the best year in its mobile-making history, surpassing 2010 by a whopping 20 million. Of course, more sales doesn't necessarily translate into greater revenue -- Nokia is still the world's largest manufacturer by volume and is a case in point. Nevertheless, we'll know more when Samsung reveals its Q4 earnings next month.
HP releases Q4 2011 earnings: $9.7 billion operating profit for fiscal year
It hasn't been the best year for HP, what with the demise of webOS and the uncertainty surrounding its status as a PC maker. But, Meg Whitman hasn't taken the bridge of a sunken ship, though things are far from peachy keen. HP just posted its Q4 2011 earnings, and the company cleared a healthy $9.7 billion operating profit in 2011, though that's down 10 percent from last year. Total revenue for the quarter was 32.1 billion, a three percent decline from 2010. And, for those wondering just how much the death of webOS cost the company? Turns out that dalliance took a $3.3 billion chunk out of HP's bottom line. So, the news isn't the best for you HP fans, but we'll be listening in on the earnings call later today, so stay tuned for more details. Impatient folks can find plenty more financial figures in the Source link and PR that follow. Update: CEO Meg Whitman and CFO Cathie Lesjac were on the call, and while specifics were hard to come by, they did let loose a couple hints regarding the company's future direction. Meg once again assured us all that HP and PSG are meant to be together, so the king of PC makers plans to keep its crown. Additionally, both bigwigs stressed that the company will be plowing more of its money in 2012 into R&D to foster "organic innovation" instead of buying it through outside acquisitions. Given the massive case of buyer's remorse HP had this year, that's probably a pretty good idea.
MacTech 2011 pulls in huge attendance, videos available now
MacTech Conference 2011 was held this week in Los Angeles, California, and since last year, this conference has definitely grown. There were almost twice as many people as last year's event, says MacTech publisher Neil Ticktin, reaching a total of almost 350 people. There were plenty of great speakers in both the developer and IT tracks of the conference, and highlights include Guy Kawasaki's great keynote speech, an impassioned series of questions from Aaron Hillegass, a demo of the Simian deployment software that got the Mac IT guys talking, and a to-the-point talk from Andy Ihnatko about how developers can put together strong relationships with the press to help promote their apps. Everybody at the conference seemed to have a great time throughout, and during coffee breaks, lunches, and even the bowling party held last night at Universal CityWalk, Mac devs and IT professionals chatted and networked together in the strong Mac development community. If you weren't at the conference itself, videos of all of the presentations are now available online, in a bundle for $449, or individually for $20 a piece. There's a lot of wisdom hidden in those, whether you get one or the whole bunch, so if something on the schedule piques your interest, do check them out. And the MacTech train is going to roll on -- Ticktin says a new one-day, specially focused event called MacTech InDepth will be held on December 7 in San Francisco, and both MacTech Bootcamp and MacTech Conference will be on again next year in 2012. Thanks to MacTech for graciously hosting the show this week for us as well. This year's conference really showed that the event is a great place for the Mac IT and development community to touch base and learn how better to work with the platform, both from peers and influential speakers.
Sony posts $350 million loss in Q2 earnings report, forecasts full-year loss
Sony's Q2 earnings have just come in and, as you might guess, they're not particularly glowing. A few days after announcing plans to buy out Ericsson's stake in Sony Ericsson, the manufacturer posted a quarterly loss of ¥27 billion ($346 million) today, compared with a net income of ¥31.1 billion during the same quarter last year. Last quarter, the firm posted a net loss of ¥15.5 billion, or about $200 million. Sony attributed much of this decline to a stronger yen, lower TV sales and recent flooding in Thailand, which has disrupted its supply chain. On this basis, the company lowered its full year forecast, predicting a net loss of ¥90 billion ($1.2 billion), compared with a net profit of ¥60 billion that it had previously expected. It appears, then, that Sony's TV division is primed to post an annual loss for the 8th straight year, which would certainly explain those plans for a forthcoming shakeup. Find the full report at the source link, below.
Cablevision reports Q3 earnings, sees profit fall by 65 percent, drop in video subscribers
It's safe to say that Q3 2011 probably won't be remembered as Cablevision's finest. According to the provider's latest earnings report, profits declined by a full 65 percent over the year, with net income plunging to $39.3 million this quarter, compared with the $112.1 million it raked in during the third quarter of 2010. The company also reported a loss of 19,000 video subscribers during Q3, though it added 17,000 broadband customers and 38,000 telephone subscribers. Total customers, however, declined by 15,000 over the past three months. Revenue, meanwhile, increased by eight percent to $1.7 billion, though the New York-area operator lost about $16 million to Hurricane Irene -- not to mention all those legal fees. Smell that? That's a big platter of PR, sitting right there after the break.
Hon Hai sees profit fall nine percent in Q3, pins hopes on new Chinese factories
Hon Hai Precision Holdings has just released its Q3 earnings report, and it probably did so with a whimper. That's because net profits fell to NT$19.2 billion (about $614 million) this quarter, marking an 8.6 percent decline from Q3 2010, when Hon Hai (aka Foxconn) reported a net income of NT$21 billion (around $702 million). The company blamed the decline on a slow economic recovery and its ongoing expansion in China, where new factories are being constructed across inland areas like Chengdu, Wuhan and Zhengzhou. These costs are still taking a toll on Hon Hai's bottom line, though analysts say the expansion could pay off in the long-run, thanks to the lower wages that Hon Hai will have to pay to maintain operations in these less affluent regions. Some are also hopeful that the iPhone 4S will help spur production heading into Q4 of this year, though its ultimate effect, of course, remains to be seen. Hit up the links below for more details and analysis.
Nintendo posts first half loss in earnings report, slashes forecast yet again
Nintendo's latest earnings report may be one of its most forgettable. The company posted a net loss of ¥70.27 billion ($923 million) this morning, in a report covering the first six months of the fiscal year ending on September 30th. That's significantly deeper than the ¥2.01 billion loss Nintendo posted during the same period last year, though Nintendo attributed the result, in part, to a strengthened yen and sagging demand for its 3DS console. Revenue, meanwhile, fell by 40.6 percent on the year, to ¥215.74 billion ($2.84 billion), as the manufacturer reported an operating loss of ¥57.34 billion. Things are looking so bleak, in fact, that Nintendo has decided to slash its financial projections yet again, predicting a net loss of ¥20 billion for the full year (ending in March 2012), compared with the ¥20 billion in profits it projected only in July. And, as Bloomberg notes, if these prognostications hold true, it would mark Nintendo's first annual loss in a full 30 years. Ouch. Check out the full report for yourself at the source link, below.
