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Meg Whitman says HP has to 'offer a smartphone'
HP bet big on the smartphone world when it purchased Palm, but the company fell flat on its face and webOS failed to take off. The reasons for the failure are numerous, but the new CEO Meg Whitman is smart enough to realize it can't simply abandon the market entirely. In an interview with Fox Business, she said that HP "ultimately has to offer a smartphone." Though she was willing to acknowledge that the company is "working on this," she would not divulge too many details about its mobile plans. Whether or not webOS may rise from the ashes as a largely community-powered platform remains to be seen, but we wouldn't be shocked to see HP pivot towards its longtime partner Microsoft, and release a Windows Phone 8 device. Perhaps the best glimmer of hope for the former Palm system was Meg's focus on developing markets. She rightly points out that, in some parts of the world, the first and only "computer" a person may own is a smartphone -- and reaching that audience is essential to Hewlett-Packard's success. Going back to the webOS well (with its open source support) would allow the company to save a few dollars on the cost of a new handset. Check out the video after the break for the full quotes in context.
Bill Gates: Microsoft pursuing 'a lot of' tablet projects, pen-based input will be 'mainstream for students'
Few people would've taken the news of the Courier's demise lightly, and while Microsoft sought to comfort us, it's never quite as reassuring as when you hear it from the progenitor himself: "Microsoft has a lot of different tablet projects that we're pursuing. We think that work with the pen that Microsoft pioneered will become a mainstream for students. It can give you a device that you can not only read, but also create documents at the same time." So yes, Microsoft ain't quttin' on tablets just yet, and don't you even dare question the utility of the stylus. Bill Gates has been an unashamed promoter of pen-based computing for the longest time, and it's fun to see that even cold hard facts are insufficient to shake his confidence. Having spoken out against the iPad's lack of keyboard or pen input back in February, Bill has seen the American market gleefully embrace Apple's touchscreen device, something he acknowledges by agreeing that "both in general and in the specific, Apple's done a great job." But he still expects students to be drawn to pen-friendly mobile devices. Well Bill, give the other Steve a call and get him to bring one out and we shall see, eh?
EA: Downloads offset sluggish retail sales
EA's John Riccitiello has a bit of advice for the anxious investors, analysts, and fanboys who eagerly await the monthly NPD numbers: "There's an entire other world of download, online, all the things that are going on that doesn't really show up in the surveys and I think that's the future." NPD figures only track retail sales, a market that has been challenged by the downturn in the global economy. Games like Madden 10 may sell fewer copies than previous versions, but that doesn't mean investors should jump ship. "Online games that you download, games you would get by way of iPhone for example, that totally digital business is up so strong that it's actually offsetting the challenge we see at retail," Riccitiello tells FOX Business. Offerings like Madden 10 on iPhone, the upcoming Madden NFL Arcade, and Madden 10 DLC should go far in helping the company's bottom line. "The retail business is down," Riccitiello admits, but "the combination [of both retail and digital] is up." Riccitiello's belief that digital is the future of the industry echoes earlier sentiments from EA Sports boss Peter Moore, who called the retail model "a burning platform." See Riccitiello's full interview with FOX after the break. [Via Edge]
Fox going all-HD in 2009, with help from Motorola
We knew Fox was getting serious about high definition next year for sports production, now comes word it's switching all program distribution to HD: the Fox broadcast network, national cable channels, regional sports networks, Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network. Starting in the first quarter they'll use Motorola MPEG-2 HD equipment exclusively, converting in real time to SD when necessary. All the new equipment should mean higher quality broadcasts, although as we've recently heard, they may be switching again before too long. Remember the old days when a lack of capacity held back HD NFL action, and we were happy to hear about college football coming to FSN HD?
