Round Rock just rolled out some new consumer machines this week, so it comes as no surprise that it's doling out some fresh computing goodies to the enterprise as well. First up is the new Dell Latitude E series laptops that come with a variety of ports for your connecting pleasure: one eSATA/USB combo, two USB 3.0 ports, a serial connector, 3.5mm headphone jack, plus HDMI and Gigabit ethernet. All those sockets come embedded in a chassis made of magnesium alloy that's been powder-coated on the bottom, giving it a lightweight, yet sturdy look and feel. In keeping with the tough-but-light theme, the top of these Latitudes are sheathed in aluminum, and the hinges are made of steel. Additionally, though it's a new machine, it's backwards compatible with many previous-gen Latitude docks and batteries

Gallery: Dell Latitude E6430s hands-on

Continue reading Dell outs new E series Latitude laptops, Optiplex AIO and desktops to entice the enterprise

Dell outs new E series Latitude laptops, Optiplex AIO and desktops to entice the enterprise originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Zynga CEO and founder Mark Pincus just took the stage here at D10, and in a wide-ranging interview with Kara Swisher, he sidestepped conversation about Words With Friends and Farmville long enough to touch on the murky world of console gaming. In a bid to quell any potential surprises at E3 next month, Mark said outrightly that his company is not interested in getting into the console world. "We're aiming for you," he said while pointing at Swisher. "We're going after the mainstream market. There's too much friction [in the console world]."

He also made clear that he tries to not look too far ahead of where the world really is. When talking about the undeniable shift to mobile, he made clear that there's still a huge amount of desktop traffic on Zynga's games -- "lots of people play while bored on conference calls at work," he quipped. It's an interesting viewpoint in a world where PSN and Xbox Live Arcade has given independent developers all new distribution platforms to reach users, but it also highlights the outfit's intrinsic attachment to Facebook in particular.

Continue reading Zynga CEO Mark Pincus says 'no thanks' to console gaming, isn't worried about a life detached from Facebook

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus says 'no thanks' to console gaming, isn't worried about a life detached from Facebook originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Scalado's latest 99 cent app for iOS only does one little thing, but it does it well. Its singular mission is to let you share an image from your Camera Roll to any web-connected display in front of you, without having to navigate through a more sophisticated file-sharing platform or use extra hardware on the receiving device. That recipient can be anything -- a smart TV, tablet, PC, Mac, games console, whatever -- so long as it has a browser pointed at the Photobeamer homepage. That page displays a QR code, which provides all the clever linkage you need: you simply load up the app on your mobile, pick the image you want to share, and then point the rear camera at the QR code to beam the image across via the web.

Having given it a quick test, we'd say it's definitely up to regular domestic challenges where you just want to display a few photos rather than perhaps videos or presentation slides, and where there's no need to print or store shared images. You can swipe left and right between different pictures in your gallery, and also choose whether you want those images to be fitted to the recipient display or resized to fill it. There's a video after the break to help you decide if that's worth a dollar, while the Photobeamer app itself waits patiently at the iTunes link below.

Continue reading Scalado Photobeamer for iOS brings rapid photo sharing to any web-connected display (video)

Scalado Photobeamer for iOS brings rapid photo sharing to any web-connected display (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cisco had grand plans for a Cius tablet on every fast-paced executive's desk, but those dreams appear to have been dashed not long after getting off the ground. Senior VP OJ Winge says the company will "no longer invest" in the design, leaving the already rather creaky Android 2.2-based, 7-inch tablet to an eternal slumber outside of occasional specialized orders. It's not hard to see what hastened the Cius to its early demise, as Winge pins it on companies and customers encouraging a BYOD (bring your own device) strategy that likely brought more than a few iPads and beefier Android tablets into the space Cisco wanted to occupy. Before existing Cius owners start videoconferencing with themselves out of sheer despondence, though, there's a silver lining: the company now expects to take the Cius' firmware all the way from Android 2.2 to 4.0 in one fell swoop near the end of the summer. You may not be living Cisco's 2010-era vision, but at least you'll have Chrome for Android.

Cisco drops Cius tablets after the BYOD crush, plans upgrade to Android 4.0 out of kindness originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 May 2012 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Research in Motion's head of global sales is leaving the company after serving the BlackBerry maker for 14 years. Patrick Spence joined the company before it had even produced its first smartphone before rising to his current position, based in London. Reuters hints that he was dissatisfied about being passed over for the vacant COO's position, due to be filled by former Sony Ericsson man Kristian Tear later this year. A spokesperson for the Canadian company said that Mr. Spence would be moving to a leadership role in another industry.

[Image Credit: Globe and Mail]

RIM's global sales head departs after 14-year stretch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

NTT DoCoMo is applying to extend its network to the 700MHz spectrum after losing out the coveted 900MHz band to smaller rival Softbank. If successful, the communications giant will have to fork out 150 billion yen ($1.9 billion) to make the necessary infrastructure changes to allow 3.9G devices to work on its network. While it can't be too happy at having to make do with the weaker frequencies, it does expect to pocket nearly $5 billion in profit this year, which ought to cushion the blow.

NTT DoCoMo bids for 700MHz spectrum, will drop two big-ones if it succeeds originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Dell profit drops 33 percent in Q1, both home and corporate sales take a hit

Dell profit drops 33 percent in Q1, both home and corporate sales take a hit originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Qualcomm is hiring AMD's former CTO Eric Demers to help the company produce a blockbuster mobile graphics chip. It needs the silicon for its big push for smartphone dominance (and tablets running Windows RT) in the face of strong competition from Imagination Technologies' Series 6 PowerVR and NVIDIA's Tegra 3. Demers' first job will be to merge Qualcomm's in-house Adreno team with ATI's Imageon mobile graphics chip team, which AMD flogged off for $65 million back in 2009 -- a move Sunnyvale is probably regretting now that it too is trying to get its hardware into mobile devices, unless it included a do-over clause in the sales contract.

Qualcomm hires former AMD CTO, makes 'em pay for dropping mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

China Daily is claiming that Foxconn will pump $210 million into building a production line in China's Jiangsu province. Local authorities have stated that the plant in Huai'an city will produce components for Apple, no doubt heralding a raft of rampant speculation as to Cupertino's intentions. The building will occupy 40,000 square meters, produce $1.1 billion worth of gear per year and require 35,800 employees -- more than Nokia and Sony have fired in recent months, combined.

Report: Foxconn spending $210 million on Apple production line originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We largely steer clear of companies going public here at Engadget, but Facebook and its zillions of users warrants an atypical tip of the hat. The outfit has announced that starting tomorrow, 421,233,615 shares of its common stock will be up for grabs at a price to the public of $38 per share. It'll trade on the NASDAQ under the symbol "FB," with the outfit offering 180,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and selling stockholders offering 241,233,615 shares of Class A common stock. Closing of the offering is expected to occur on May 22nd, subject to "customary closing conditions." And with that, we'd like to congratulate a plethora of new billionaires on... well, being billionaires. Don't work too hard, guys and girls.

Celebratory video is after the break.

Continue reading Facebook IPO is official: $38 per share, on sale tomorrow under ticker symbol 'FB'

Facebook IPO is official: $38 per share, on sale tomorrow under ticker symbol 'FB' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallic storage outfit LaCie is nonchalantly unveiling its 2big double-bay NAS that's purportedly capable of pumping data around your network at 100MB/s. Designed for small businesses, it'll remind any passers by of HAL or GLaDOS, depending on their age. Sporting a 2GHz processor and the company's NAS OS2, it'll also happily interact with Windows 7 Backup or Time Machine and you can access your files on the go with the company's iOS app. It's available from today, prices starting from $299 (£187 in the UK) with a three year warranty. If you'd like to know more, then we've got a short film and some PR after the jump.

Continue reading LaCie's new 100MB/s NAS is 2big, resists that second scone (video)

LaCie's new 100MB/s NAS is 2big, resists that second scone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Intel brings Ivy Bridge to third-gen Core vPro business platform

Intel brings Ivy Bridge to third-gen Core vPro business platform originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 22:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hand firmly grasping hat? Good. The Wall Street Journal is reporting on quite the bombshell today, noting that Google is about to cause its carrier partners in the States all sorts of grief -- indirectly, of course. Just weeks after placing its heralded Galaxy Nexus on sale for $399 unlocked, the report states that said move is only the beginning of a new initiative. Likely to be formally revealed at Google I/O, the mega-corp is planning to partner with a variety of OEMs (rather than just one at a time) in order to have up to five Pure Google (read: Nexus) devices available at once. Better still, the whole stable will ship with Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) and will be sold directly from Google in unlocked form to consumers in America, Europe and Asia.

The move is significant in a myriad ways. For one, more unlocked Nexus devices means more choice when it comes to carrier selection. Furthermore, the move is likely to quell fears that certain partners may have about Google making Motorola Mobility its favorite after a $12 billion acquisition. Not surprisingly, Google's not commenting on the matter, but sources "close" to the situation say that the company's hoping to have the 5.0 cadre on sale by Thanksgiving -- you know, just in time for Black Friday and the looming holiday shopping season. We're all guessing that this will address the growing "app situation" head-on; by making a push to eliminate carrier-infused bloatware (while also providing early Android OS access to more partners), we're hoping that the whole "skinning" dilemma is addressed, too.

Google reportedly planning stable of Nexus devices with Android 5.0, will sell 'em direct originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Western Digital has completed its FTC-ordered handover of assets to Toshiba in order to buy Hitachi's HDD business Viviti. The wedding of the year was halted when regulators, citing monopoly concerns, demanded WD hand over a bundle of IP, R&D materials and production line gear to Tosh. In exchange, Western Digital will take over Toshiba Storage Device (Thailand), the arm of the company that was devastated in the recent flooding. It's WD's aim to integrate the remaining assets into its own local operations -- you can read the official line in the land of pure imagination below.

Continue reading WD grits teeth, hands over the goodies to Toshiba to regulators and dentists' delight

WD grits teeth, hands over the goodies to Toshiba to regulators and dentists' delight originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 08:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Now that Intel's Ivy Bridge specifications are finally out of the bag, you may as well resign yourselves to a deluge of PC refreshes over the coming months. Today Lenovo's up at bat, unveiling a slew of products under its business-friendly ThinkPad brand. If you were looking for a wholesale redesign, we'll kindly direct you to the X1, which was just reborn as a 14-inch Ultrabook. Otherwise, if you were just holding out for a little Ivy Bridge, we've got your refresh right here.

All told, the upgrades span Lenovo's ultraportable X series, mainstream "T" lineup, budget "L" models and the W-series workstation. In general, you'll find Ivy Bridge processors (natch), Dolby audio and, in some cases, optional 4G radios. Additionally, the company tweaked its famed keyboard ever-so slightly and added a backlighting option to almost every system, save the newly available T430u Ultrabook. That's the abridged version for those of you not actually in the market for a new system, but folks craving more nitty-gritty details can follow past the break for a more detailed breakdown of pricing and specs.

Gallery: Lenovo ThinkPad L430

Gallery: Lenovo ThinkPad T430, T430s and T530

Gallery: Lenovo ThinkPad X230 and X230t

Gallery: Lenovo ThinkPad W530

Continue reading Lenovo refreshes its ThinkPad T, W, L and X lines with Ivy Bridge processors, retooled keyboards

Lenovo refreshes its ThinkPad T, W, L and X lines with Ivy Bridge processors, retooled keyboards originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Canon has announced that it'll ditch human production line employees and rely entirely on robots to build its cameras. Several Japanese companies have felt the pinch thanks to the soaring value of the yen and have acted quickly to move production overseas, but Canon has resisted doing the same. Company spokesperson Jan Misumi has said that the move won't cause job losses as those employees will be moved into other parts of the organization once the switchover has been completed -- which could be as early as 2015. Now we just need to check our diaries as to when the Robopocalypse is due to begin.

Canon ditching humans, cameras hand-made by robots by 2015 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As expected, May 14th is indeed a dark day for LightSquared. The company has just filed paperwork in order to initiate Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in Manhattan's US Bankruptcy Court, effectively killing its dream of providing a high-speed mobile wireless network to upwards of 260 million people. Not quite a year after Sprint and LightSquared put together an agreement that would ensure 15 years of blissful LTE enjoyment together, Philip Falcone's baby looks weaker than ever. With the Sprint tie-up now void, and over $1.6 billion in debt, there's probably not too many places for LS to turn. The primary hurdle -- one it never could seem to overcome -- was the FCC's outright refusal to believe any of the company's mitigation proposals in relation to GPS interference issues. Despite "profoundly disagreeing" and raising all sorts of chaos in an effort to get its way, LightSquared never did manage to convince the powers that mattered. Where it turns from here is anyone's guess, but it won't be a quiet fall from grace, we're surmising.

LightSquared officially files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Update: Yahoo has confirmed Thompson's departure in an official press release (after the break), placing Ross Levinsohn in a interim CEO position, as expected. The firm also mentions that Roy Bostock's seat as Chairman of the board will be filled by Fred Amoroso. Hit the break for the official statement.

Continue reading ATD: Yahoo's CEO Scott Thompson to step down amidst degree scandal (update: confirmed)

ATD: Yahoo's CEO Scott Thompson to step down amidst degree scandal (update: confirmed) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Can't say it's striking us as any sort of surprise, but the seemingly destined-to-fail LightSquared just might be out of options. After getting a high-five from Sprint and plenty of attention for its initiatives in bringing yet another wireless option to America, those blasted GPS interference issues (or "supposed" issues, depending on who you ask) eventually became too much to overcome. According to a breaking report out of The Wall Street Journal, Philip Falcone's venture is seriously teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, as "negotiations with lenders to avoid a potential default faltered," according to the ever-present "people familiar with the matter." Purportedly, the two sides have until 5PM tomorrow to strike a deal that'll keep the firm out of bankruptcy court (if you'll recall, it owes over $1.6 billion dollars to various entities), but given just how far apart these sides remain, its fate seems all but sealed. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more, but don't go placing bets on yet another debt-term violation waiver.

WSJ: LightSquared 'preparing' for bankruptcy protection filing, final decision coming tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When established enterprise competition is currently hurting, now's the time to strike. At least, that appears to be HTC's thinking, which has refreshed its HTCpro site that encompasses the manufacturer's suit-centered features and mobile solutions. This includes security guidelines for personal devices brought into businesses by its employees and more info on business apps created by its partners. Now, we're obviously all about the mobile business solutions here at Engadget and if you're looking to play buzzword bingo with the likes of maximize, leverage and innovation, you can hit up the source. You should be able to find plenty of excuses reasons why the entire office needs, nay, demands new One Xs.

HTC reckons it's business time, includes requisite 'pro' suffix originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last we heard from Pogoplug, it had unleashed its Series 4 hardware (its current device for making any of your drives network accessible). Today, the company, known for its pursuit to make the cloud more "personal," has shifted its gears back to software, aiming directly at businesses with a new service dubbed Pogoplug Team. On basic level, Team is similar to the software-based version of Pogoplug, enhancing the experience with goodies like multiple accounts and full customization to match your businesses' look. Interestingly, Pogoplug isn't including storage options for Team's pricing scheme, but instead charging $15 a year for each user (minimum of three required) -- meaning your users dictate the amount of storage space needed with their own computers and drives, rather than utilizing remote servers as with other major services like Google Drive or SkyDrive. Better yet, current Pogoplug users can upgrade to Team if they're interested. Curious for all the details? There's a nifty press release just after the break.

Continue reading Pogoplug Team lets businesses tap into their own 'personal clouds' for $15 a year per user

Pogoplug Team lets businesses tap into their own 'personal clouds' for $15 a year per user originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HP is in full-on laptop-unveiling mode, and the company's business line isn't getting left out -- in fact, it has five new models -- including an 11-incher, a first for this series. The boardroom-bound EliteBooks are making the step up to Ivy Bridge, but it's also adding the option of LTE across the board. All models will ship with SRS Premium Sounds PRO and an optional 720p webcam. We have a complete breakdown of the models past the break, and you can find hands-on shots, along with the official press release below.

Gallery: HP EliteBook Folio hands-on

Gallery: HP EliteBook 2170p

Gallery: HP EliteBook 2570p

Gallery: HP EliteBook 8470p

Gallery: HP EliteBook 8570p

Continue reading HP refreshes EliteBook line with five new models, Ivy Bridge and optional LTE

HP refreshes EliteBook line with five new models, Ivy Bridge and optional LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 23:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HP's already outed a bunch of business laptops today, but so far they've all been aimed at the enterprise level -- machines an IT manager would deploy on the order of thousands. But while it was at it, the company also refreshed its ProBook lineup for small businesses, the sort of operations that likely don't have an IT department running the show. For those folks, there's the refreshed b- and s-series. Starting with the "b" lineup, it includes 14- and 15.6-inch models (the 6470b and 6570b), each of which have a magnesium-reinforced chassis with a coating designed to resist scratches and other signs of wear. Users can choose between integrated and discrete graphics, while the 14-inch version, at least, will be offered with Intel and AMD chips. (The 15-incher is Intel-only.) Other perks include Intel's vPro management technology, HP 3D DriveGuard and optional 3G / 4G connectivity. The Intel-based models will start at $769, while the AMD-based 6475b will go for $669 and up. Expect these to land on June 4th. Meanwhile, the s-series (pictured) is available in a wider range of sizes (13, 14, 15 and 17 inches), with a mix of Intel and AMD chips. The existing s-series has also gotten a redesign, with aluminum casing and a spill-resistant keyboard. These laptops, too, will arrive June 4th, though they're slated to start at a lower price of $589.

Gallery: HP ProBook s-series hands-on (2012)

Gallery: HP ProBook refresh (Spring 2012)

Continue reading HP refreshes its ProBook laptops for small businesses

HP refreshes its ProBook laptops for small businesses originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 23:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In addition to all the laptops and printers HP announced today, it also has a few goodies for the cube monkeys out there. The company just outed a trio of business-grade desktops, along with two monitors. First up, there's the Compaq Elite 8300, which is aimed squarely at large businesses with IT-friendly tools like TPM, Intel's vPro technology and remote management via LANdesk. The Compaq Pro 4300, meanwhile, targets small businesses with its compact form factor and features like HP's Chassis Security Kit. The mid-size Compaq Pro 6300 aims to please both groups, with TPM protection, HP's BIOS solutions and the same 15-month life cycle program offered on the higher-end Elite 8300. Regardless of the model, you're looking at Ivy Bridge CPUs coupled with Intel's most up-to-date integrated graphics. Expect the 6300 and 8300 to land on June 4th, priced starting at $579 and $679, respectively. You'll have to wait a bit longer for the 4300, though: it'll arrive in Asia on the 22nd, and make its way to the US sometime this fall.

As for those monitors, HP's introducing one with a touchscreen, and another more nondescript model. Starting with the former, the Compaq L2206tm has a 21.5-inch (1920 x 1080) multitouch display with a VGA port, two USB 2.0 sockets and DVI output with HDCP support. Meanwhile, the Compaq LA2405x has a 24-inch, 1080p screen, along with VGA, DVI and DisplayPort output -- not to mention, a pair of USB 2.0 ports. Either way, they both have a 72 percent color gamut, 250-nit brightness level and viewing angles rated for 170 degrees across and 160 degrees vertical. The LA2405x is available today for $269, while the finger-friendly L2206tm is coming June 4th for $279. All those details and more in the press release after the break.

Gallery: HP Compaq Elite 8300

Gallery: HP Compaq Pro 4300

Gallery: HP Compaq Pro 6300

Gallery: HP Compaq L2206tm and LA2405x

Continue reading HP intros three Compaq desktops, two displays for the business set

HP intros three Compaq desktops, two displays for the business set originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Toshiba isn't going with the flow this financial season, bucking the trend and posting a healthy (albeit reduced) net profit of 73.7 billion yen ($898.8 million). Whilst down from $1.7 billion in 2010, the company points to the European debt crisis, Japanese Earthquake and high oil prices as the barriers to further success. Unlike its local rivals, Tosh branched out early into "social infrastructure," building everything from radiation detectors, power plants and LED light bulbs -- businesses that made a stack of cash while its computer and TV businesses slumped. Unencumbered by these crises in the future, the company is projecting to make $1.68 billion across the next 12 months -- at which point it might treat itself to a spa day, or something.

Continue reading Toshiba made $898.8 million profit, could manage to lend you twenty bucks

Toshiba made $898.8 million profit, could manage to lend you twenty bucks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 05:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lenovo's going all-out on Ivy Bridge-based ThinkCentre pro desktop updates this evening, and the centerpiece is the smallest of the lot. The ThinkCentre M92p Tiny -- yes, it's officially nicknamed Tiny -- is about as thick as a golf ball at 1.4 inches and ready to tuck behind your display, but packs up to a third-generation Intel Core chip, vPro for IT control and your choice of spinning or solid-state hard drives. The M92p Tiny and a lower-end M72e should arrive in June, although what the respective $799 and $499 prices will get you are still mysteries.

There's no shortage if you prefer your desktops slightly more upsized. The all-in-one pack is topped by the 21.5-inch ThinkCentre Edge M92z, an uncommonly thin (2.5 inches) desktop using an IPS-based LCD with optional multi-touch that's due in July for $699. The 20- and 23-inch M92z AIO models start off at $799 for their June releases and pack up to 1TB of storage and dedicated AMD Radeon HD graphics, while a more modestly equipped, 20-inch M72z AIO will appear the same month for $599. And if you've just got to have a traditional box, Lenovo will gladly sell you the budget ThinkCentre Edge 72 ($439) or slightly uprated ThinkCentre M82 ($599). Everyone has the option of the 23-inch ThinkVision LT2323z display, which touts an IPS-based LCD and a webcam with Lync VoIP-certified, noise-cancelling microphones. The screen's price hasn't been set, but it does have a locked-in June release. You can delve into the full details of Lenovo's massive ThinkCentre revamp in the releases after the break.

Gallery: Lenovo ThinkCentre May 2012 updates

Continue reading Lenovo swings out diminutive ThinkCentre M92p Tiny, bevy of all-in-ones and VoIP-ready ThinkVision display

Lenovo swings out diminutive ThinkCentre M92p Tiny, bevy of all-in-ones and VoIP-ready ThinkVision display originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rovio has announced that in 2011, it made a huge $106.3 million turnover and a whopping $67.6 million in profit (before tax), showing that flinging feathery fowl is a very serious business. Fueled by the success of Angry Birds, Seasons and Rio, the company grew by a factor of eight in the last year, from 28 employees all the way to 224. The company adds that the three games were downloaded 648 million times and are now used by 200 million daily users, while sales of merchandise contributed to around 30 percent of the total revenue. The report adds that the only barrier to future profits is if people stop buying new smartphones, but we're not sure that's likely to be the case for a while.

Continue reading Rovio makes a Mighty Eagle's $68 million in profit in financial squawk

Rovio makes a Mighty Eagle's $68 million in profit in financial squawk originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Would it be ironic if Android developers did an end-run around Microsoft patents by using Microsoft's own C#? Or if Google kiboshed its Oracle brouhaha with the aid of none other than Redmond? We're asking because Xamarin, the wacky open source implementer of .NET, has ported Android to Microsoft's C# with its XobotOS project. Although just an experiment and unlikely to solve Google's issues, the team showed that running the robot on C# instead of Java gave fewer coding limitations, better battery life and direct graphics access. Additionally, Xamarin reports "massive" speed gains on its HTC Flyer and Acer Iconia when running the side-project port -- no surprise given C#'s machine heritage. Sure, it's pure speculation that Mountain View and its developers would ever change their Java MO, but a little patent relief and faster Android devices in one kill shot? That's a sweet idea.

Xamarin's XobotOS opens prospect of Android port to C#, can of worms originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 May 2012 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Financial maven and maker of beautiful graphs Horace Dediu has found that between the top eight mobile phone vendors, Apple and Samsung share 99 percent of the total spoils. Of RIM, LG, Sony (Ericsson), Motorola, Nokia and HTC, only the latter made a profit -- claiming that left over one percent. The remaining six all recorded losses for the quarter, Mr. Deidu adding that several of those companies are carrying feature phone businesses that they should shed before they become an albatross around their neck.

Visualized: Apple and Samsung occupy the 99 percent... of phone profits originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 May 2012 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This one is still very much unconfirmed, but a "trusted source" recently provided Neowin.net with the image you see above, which purports to be a mockup of a forthcoming business-minded tablet from HP dubbed the Slate 8. That's obviously a Windows 8 tablet and, if the details are to be believed, you can expect a 10.1-inch display, eight to ten hours of battery life, optional pen-based input, a docking station of some sort, an outdoor viewing option and a number of business-friendly security measures -- all in a package that's 9.2mm thick and about 1.5 pounds. Adding some weight to leak is ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, who hasn't been able to confirm it outright, but says that after a bit of investigation she is "inclined to believe this is a real mock-up and is part of HP's line up of business desktops and laptops it will be touting this year."

Business-minded HP 'Slate 8' tablet surfaces in leaked image originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sharp posts $1.4 billion extraordinary loss, refocuses on mobile displays

Sharp posts $1.4 billion extraordinary loss, refocuses on mobile displays originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Logitech's Q4 and full-year report makes for uncomfortable reading. Despite profits increasing by a factor of nine in the last quarter of the year, overall annual profit fell 44 percent from $143 million to $71 million. The company has already parachuted in former Whirlpool exec. Bracken P. Darrel to turn things around and recover the losses made when the company went big on Google TV. His first action has been to kick-start a restructuring operation that will save $80 million in costs, starting by cutting a whole management layer -- demoting current product VP Junien Labrousse and firing sales VP Werner Heid. Mr. Darrell is now working directly with his team on a new lineup of "stronger" products to be unveiled later this quarter, with an emphasis on Windows 8 peripherals and LifeSize video conferencing gear.

[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Continue reading Logitech president celebrates end-of-year earnings with management cull

Logitech president celebrates end-of-year earnings with management cull originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Acer's Q1 financial report reveals that the fourth biggest PC maker in the world is feeling weak after posting a very modest profit -- three months after it declared a $212 million loss for 2011. Turnover for the first three months of this year was NT$113 billion ($3.8 billion) and profits after tax were NT$331 million ($11.2 million). To put that in context, it made a $40 million profit in the same quarter last year -- so this is a spectacular collapse of 72 percent year-over-year

Reuters is suggesting that the problem is in part due to increased hardware costs caused by the Thailand floods, but the company isn't giving anything away. Instead its terse announcement just advised that the company grew its global PC market share by 0.8 percent to 10.9 percent, while in the EMEA region it grew 2.4 percent to 13.5 percent, adding that it is the only one of the "big five" that's seen any increase at all. You can read the scanty details for yourself, after the break.

[Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Continue reading Acer's Q1 2012: World's fourth biggest PC maker made just $11.2 million in profit

Acer's Q1 2012: World's fourth biggest PC maker made just $11.2 million in profit originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has offered up its first quarter results for the year, revealing yet another middling quarter. While turnover was NT$105.51 billion ($3.6 billion) and net profit was NT$33.47 billion ($1.1 billion), that's still 7.7 percent down on the NT$36.28 it made in the same quarter last year. On the upside, the chip foundry, which produces silicon for plenty of the world's biggest electronics companies, managed to claw back some of those profit dips from Q4 of last year, suggesting milder climes may lie ahead.

The company is also encouraged by strong demand for its new 28-nanometer chips, which should offset the $8.5 billion spent on developing them, alongside a forthcoming 20-nanometer facility. 28-nanometer hardware still only equates to 5 percent of overall revenue, which should grow as companies use up their older inventory. If you've got a currency convertor to hand, head on past the break for the detailed breakdown.

Continue reading TSMC 2012 Q1 results: profits down again as 20-nanometer process proves expensive

TSMC 2012 Q1 results: profits down again as 20-nanometer process proves expensive originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tim Cook: Apple focusing more on iPad for enterprise

Tim Cook hates litigation, not quite ready to call a patent truce

365 million iOS devices 'in play,' iPad taking off in education and government markets

How do you follow up a stunning Q1 where you set record quarterly earnings and issue a sizable dividend to investors? Well, if you're Apple, you just keep on keepin' on, shattering even the wildest expectations with "a record March quarter." Leading up to today's earnings, the outfit's stock was down around two percent, mostly on reports that iPhone activations were something other than mind-blowing. That said, shares have already started to creep back into positive territory in after-hours trading. Wall Street was hoping for around $36.88 billion in revenue (despite lower guidance from Apple itself), with upwards of 30 million iPhones sold and 12 million iPads sold -- galling numbers, no matter how you slice it.

The actuals? Well, we're seeing $12.30 earnings per share, compared to an estimated $10.04 earnings per share. It all adds up to $39.2 billion in revenue and $11.6 billion in pure, unadulterated profit with 35.1 million iPhone units sold alongside 11.8 million iPads. (Of note, the new iPad was only on sale for around a fortnight in this quarter, making that figure even more impressive.) The former represents an 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter, while the latter shows a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Though Mac sales weren't equally astonishing, the four million units sold in the past three months indicates a seven percent uptick compared to Q2 2011. The iPod department, which has been sinking in recent years as iPads and iPhones become the primary music players of consumers, still saw 7.7 million units sold, representing a 15 percent decline from the same quarter last year.

Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010.

Continue reading Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion

Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Huawei's annual earnings report is out and it's a mixed bag, since while turnover increased by 11.7 percent to 203.9 RMB ($32.3 billion), profits plummeted 53 percent to 11.6 billion RMB ($1.8 billion). Revenue from overseas sales (138.4 billion RMB) equated for over half the company's total income and it boasted of having sold 150 million consumer devices, including 20 million smartphones in the year. The company didn't provide reasons for the drop in profit, emphasizing that it's increased R&D spending by 34.2 percent to 23.7 billion RMB ($3.75 billion) and that in any event, it's got around $30 billion of assets that can shoulder the brunt of a bad year.

However, the company may not see a rosy 2012 either, after both America and Australia refused to give the company big infrastructure deals (Huawei's bread and butter) thanks to allegedly close relationships between the company and the Chinese government. It seems to be following a similar trajectory to rival ZTE, which also felt margins squeeze as it entered the global retail space and felt the heat when its political dealings were thrown in the spotlight.

Continue reading Huawei 2011 financials: 20 million smartphones sold yet profit down 53 percent

Huawei 2011 financials: 20 million smartphones sold yet profit down 53 percent originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft has agreed to sell on around 650 patents to Facebook in a deal worth $550 million. The Haüs of Zuckerberg will stump up the cash in exchange for various social networking patents that were registered by AOL (disclaimer: Engadget's parent company) and sold to Redmond for $1 billion a fortnight ago. Microsoft will hold onto the remaining 275 in its portfolio and cross-license those that it's sold on, but not the 300 patents that AOL licensed but kept hold of. The social network will likely utilize the portfolio to better defend itself from litigation like the lawsuit brought by Yahoo back in March. If you're interested in reading the phrase "protect Facebook's interests over the long term," then head past the break for the official word from the men who invented poking.

Continue reading Facebook paying Microsoft $550 million for 650 patents, Ballmer clicks 'like'

Facebook paying Microsoft $550 million for 650 patents, Ballmer clicks 'like' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

UK mobile giant Vodafone is planning to buy up commercial network provider Cable & Wireless for just over £1 billion ($1.7 billion). If successful, it'll gain a national fibre-optic broadband network (separate to BT and Virgin Media's), a large portfolio of business customers and a backbone venture that connects 150 countries with undersea cables. The latter will probably be sold off so that Vodafone can concentrate on winning more enterprise customers from its rivals while also easing the burden on its own network. It's also worth pointing out that C&W previously offered retail broadband and cable services, but any notion of Vodafone using this acquisition to offer the same would be pure guesswork.

Vodafone looking to buy Cable & Wireless, just can't resist that fibre-optic infrastructure originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SanDisk profits declining thanks to a 'glut' of flash memory on the market originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Windows on ARM really opens up the world of Windows to some great hardware. So great in fact that you'll probably have to buy one yourself if you want one to use at work. But a time will come where you'll want to get your work email and maybe even an app or two. You might already realize that by adding an ActiveSync email account to your tablet opens your new device up to restrictions by your system administrator -- like requiring a lock screen password or the ability to remotely wipe it - and in the Windows x86 world, your company uses things like an Active Directory (AD) Domain and its Group Policies to lock things down. But, AD isn't an option for Windows RT. According to the Building Windows 8 blog, Microsoft has instead built in the ability to connect to the company network to access apps, while at the same time, gives the admin the ability to control all the familiar AD security settings like bad password attempts, complexity requirements and can even verify your anti-malware software status. Of course if you leave the company or just want to use your tablet without entering a password, you can always break the tie and regain control of the security.

How your company will control your Windows RT Tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.