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Nintendo of America recruits new VP of corporate affairs, who used to run on Dunkin
Sure, in an hour, you may be wildly F5-ing our Nintendo GDC keynote liveblog. But you know who's going to be paying even closer attention? Cynthia Gordon, who begins her tenure as Nintendo of America's new VP of corporate affairs on March 14. In addition to preparing for the upcoming North American 3DS launch, she'll be responsible for handling any new products that are announcemented today at GDC. (For her sake -- and ours -- let's hope that doesn't include a surprise We Dare localization). Gordon fills the void left by Denise Kaigler's departure and brings her experience managing various family-friendly consumer brands, including Dunkin Donuts and Universal Orlando Resort. She most recently served as SVP of 360 Public Relations, a video game-oriented agency that features the parent-friendly "MomSquad." She was also once director of the Chrysler account at GolinHarris, Nintendo of America's current PR firm.
Deutsche Bank ditches BlackBerry for iPhone, Apple puts chink in RIM's enterprise armor
For years, suit-and-tie circles have bowed to BlackBerry as the king of corporate communication, but iOS has been creeping in on enterprise territory, calling into question RIM's sovereignty in the boardroom. The folks at Deutsche Bank Equity Research struck the most recent blow to RIM's enterprise dominance with the announcement that they'll buck BlackBerry for iPhone, following a trial using Good Technology's secure email app. The company tested the app in conjunction with Microsoft Exchange Server, delivering AES 192-encrypted email and calendar data to employees, and, according to the firm's research analyst, the iPhone proved an easier and faster solution to BlackBerry. Last summer, AT&T announced that 40 percent of iPhone sales are enterprise, and we just reported on RIM's possible move to devices beyond the BlackBerry. We're not saying it's off to the guillotine with the old standard bearer, but it definitely looks like there are new contenders for the enterprise crown.
Citrix survey finds enterprise iPad enthusiasts are enthusiastic
Citrix, the company behind GoToMyPC and various flavors of virtualization, has released the results of a survey they recently took of iPad users. These weren't just any iPad users, though, but those who are part of the Citrix iPads At Work community, a site with information and forums for people who have or want iPads as part of their enterprise environment. What did Citrix learn about the iPad in the enterprise, from people who have and/or want them there? Unsurprisingly, they're popular! What's interesting is the data that contradicts my own personal experience, primarily that 57 percent of respondents said the company will buy iPads for corporate use. All of my experience has shown that people who purchased iPads for personal use aren't that interested in using them to access corporate data. They mostly just want to take notes in meetings without looking like they're texting. However, more than one person who has asked me about mine has mentioned that everyone they talk to has a company-issued iPad. I also noticed while reading the survey and results that a lot of people think it is a benefit to have another way to work in even more places than before. I guess I'm in the minority that believes there's a benefit to a line between work time and personal time. Another thing I found interesting is that "iPad" isn't recognized by whatever spell checker Citrix is using. I was wondering how my computer could possibly think that iPad was misspelled, and then I realized the red underline was part of the graphic. There isn't a lot of revolutionary information here, but I did find it interesting to see how many people have come to rely on the iPad as heavily as they do. Considering the iPad was announced less than a year ago and only released eight months ago, it seems like a very steep adoption curve in the traditionally more conservative enterprise environment. What has your "iPad at work" experience been?
Brazilian billionaire wants Apple manufacturing contract
AppleInsider reports that Brazilian billionare Eike Batista, who made his $27 billion fortune in the mining industry, is trying to convince Apple to have its products made in Brazil rather than by Foxconn in Shenzhen, China. He is currently constructing the Port of Acu in southern Brazil -- a $1.6 billion construction project -- encompassing 90 square miles of available space that he hopes will lure companies to Brazil for product assembly. If Apple doesn't bite, Mr. Batista says he is going to try to lure BMW to his new development instead. Apple has been using Foxconn as its product manufacturer for years, but a series of suicides by plant workers earlier this year lead to a cut in overtime hours and increased wages, which Apple itself was rumored (and Foxconn formally denied) to be subsidizing. Foxconn, part of Taiwan-based parent company Hon Hai, recently reported that it will be raising manufacturing prices, directly affecting Apple's costs. Not sure what that means for product prices next year, but Mr. Batista could be approaching Apple at a time it might be willing to talk about developing a new manufacturing plan. If that's the case, we wish him luck.
AT&T goes live with Encrypted Mobile Voice, kills your dreams of breaking into Pelosi's social circle
AT&T told us back in July that it was fixing to launch the first carrier-provided two factor encryption service, and it seems that today's the day. The day it goes live, we mean. At any rate, the company's Encrypted Mobile Voice service is reportedly active, and it's already providing "high-level security features for calls on the AT&T wireless network." Of course, none of this fancy security is meant for simpletons like us -- instead, it's targeting government agencies, law enforcement organizations, financial services institutions and international businesses. We're told that the tech combines KoolSpan's TrustChip and SRA International's One Vault Voice, with the former being a microSD card and the latter being a software layer. Currently, it only plays nice with BlackBerry and Windows Phones, but until we see Biden bust out a Bravo, we'll assume the lack of Android support isn't "a big flipping deal."
Don Mattrick now more official-sounding Xbox boss
Microsoft has promoted executive Don Mattrick to "president" of its Interactive Entertainment Business, which includes the company's Xbox business, as well as its PC and mobile gaming efforts. Previously, Mattrick was labeled a "senior vice president," though his responsibilities have not appeared to change in quite some time. He has led the Interactive Entertainment segment since July 2007. In May, Microsoft announced the pending retirement of Xbox head Robbie Bach from his position as president of the Entertainment & Devices Division (under which Mattrick's Interactive Entertainment Business is filed). Since that time, the company has seemingly done away with Bach's position (just what was he doing, anyway?), since Mattrick and colleague Andy Lees, now president of the Mobile Communications Business, where already overseeing the E&D Division's two main businesses. Both executives report directly to CEO Steve Ballmer.
Capcom appoints new CEO of US and European branches
Capcom has promoted Kazuhiko Abe, former director and managing corporate officer of Capcom's worldwide operations, to the position of CEO and President of Capcom USA and Capcom Europe. (Well, we assume it's a promotion.) Abe joined Capcom in 2003 as general manager of management planning and also served as CFO. Previous to this announcement, Capcom had only one CEO worldwide, founder Kenzo Tsujimoto. The assignment of a separate CEO for Western operations -- even an executive from Capcom Japan -- suggests that Capcom plans for its US and European branches to act more independently from the home office. [Image credit: Capcom.co.jp]
WSJ: Apple lost confidence in Papermaster months ago, Jobs accepted iPhone 4 antenna risks
We may never know the truth about the ousting of Mark Papermaster, Apple's VP in charge of the iPhone and a direct report to Steve Jobs. However, a report in the Wall Street Journal co-authored by Yukari Iwatani Kane -- widely considered to be Apple's favorite go-to source when it wants to control a story in the press -- is as close as we're likely ever going to get, from Apple's perspective anyway. Citing several anonymous sources familiar with Papermaster's downfall, the WSJ says the following: Mr. Papermaster had lost the confidence of Mr. Jobs months ago and hasn't been part of the decision-making process for some time, these people said. They added that Mr. Papermaster didn't appear to have the type of creative thinking expected at Apple and wasn't used to Apple's corporate culture, where even senior executives are expected to keep on top of the smallest details of their areas of responsibility and often have to handle many tasks directly, as opposed to delegating them. In other words, it wasn't just about the iPhone 4's antenna. In fact, the WSJ claims that Jobs knew about the risks of the antenna design as much as a year ago and it was his decision, not Papermaster's, to move forward with its development. Whatever the real story is, we're sure that Steve, visibly agitated at having to host an antennagate press conference, wasn't too pleased at having stood in front of the media promising an "end of July" ship date for the already delayed white iPhone 4 only to delay it again just a few days later. Straw, meet camel.
Bankrupt iRex can't buy a vowel, gets new lease on life as IRX Innovations
Things were looking bad for iRex Technologies a few months back. Its DR 800 e-reader didn't get to retail in time for the holiday season and, at $450, it wasn't exactly price competitive anyhow. As the company filed bankruptcy, CEO Hans Brons remained optimistic, saying "expectations are still positive," and now we can see why: the company is being reborn as IRX Innovations. This time it will skip the pesky retail market altogether, hoping to find businesses willing to pay the roughly 100% premium over a comparable 3G Kindle or Nook or what have you. It's unclear whether IRX will be offering the same products or will start showing off new, more business-minded ones, but with the WiFi Kindle now shipping for a mere $140 we're hoping the new company has some lesser expensive offerings.
Mark Papermaster leaves Apple for reasons and destinations unknown (update)
We're not quite sure chip guru Mark Papermaster ever truly settled into his role as Apple's SVP of Devices Hardware Engineering in the year and four months since he finally walked through the door, but after the recent antenna troubles someone decided that he wasn't going to work there anymore. The New York Times reports that Papermaster has left and Bob Mansfeld (SVP of Mac Engineering) will assume his role. So far, there's been no official statement as to why the departure is occurring, whether he was ousted or left of his own volition (again, though he oversaw the new iPhone, his background is in processor design) but either way, the former SVP's picture and bio have already been removed from Apple's website. The man himself reportedly refused to comment when contacted by the Times, but as with all truths we're sure this one will come out eventually. Update: The ever-resourceful John Gruber says that Papermaster's departure may be more closely related to Apple's antenna troubles than we originally thought:Inside Apple, he's "the guy responsible for the antenna" - that's a quote from a source back on July 23. (Another quote from the same source: "Apparently the antenna guys used to have a big chip on their shoulder. No more.")
AT&T Encrypted Mobile Voice to bring extra security to Obama's BlackBerry calls
Yeah, we know that the Prez was once seen rocking a Verizon-branded BlackBerry 8830, but just bend your mind a bit and bear with us. Shortly after lighting up Wall Street with an exceedingly excellent quarterly earnings report, AT&T has announced an Encrypted Mobile Voice service that'll hit later in the year. Assuming Obama actually does own an AT&T-branded 'Berry, he'll soon be able to enjoy what AT&T calls "the first mobile-to-mobile voice encryption solution using two-factor authentication offered by a US operator." Said service is expected to provide a higher level of security for calls across the AT&T wireless network, and naturally, it'll be shopped to government agencies, law enforcement organizations, financial services institutions and international businesses, all of which will pay far too much for what's likely a false sense of security. We mean, haven't these guys ever seen 24?
Google said to be moving away from Windows internally, Mac and Linux systems on tap instead
According to a report in the Financial Times, Google is making a full-throated move away from Windows PCs for the company's workforce. Apparently the big G is now giving staffers the option of a Mac or Linux rig as an alternative to a Windows computer. The FT article suggests that the move is spurred on by security concerns -- some specifically related to a flurry of attacks against the company which emanated from China, a country Google has recently been at odds with over censorship. Although security could be at issue, some of the employees interviewed for the article seem to suggest the changes -- which mean staffers require CIO approval for a Windows PC -- might actually be geared towards bringing Chrome OS into the Googleplex full-throttle. "A lot of it is an effort to run things on Google product," said one unnamed source, "They want to run things on Chrome." Another employee is quoted as saying that, "Before the security, there was a directive by the company to try to run things on Google products. It was a long time coming." Regardless of the reasoning behind the move, if Google is moving the company to Macs and Linux instead of the world's most popular computing platform, it's certainly notable. We've reached out to both Microsoft and Google for comment, and will update you if and when we have word. Update: We finally got some word (albeit not much) from a Google spokesperson: "We're always working to improve the efficiency of our business, but we don't comment on specific operational matters."
Apple's growing pains, culture of secrecy and the iPad
On Saturday, when you plug in your shiny new iPad and peruse the App Store for apps, you'll see 'HD' or 'XL' designations for iPad-specific apps. You may wonder what that's all about. It's about a lack of solid information, driven by a top-down policy of secrecy. When a company like Apple fosters a culture of anxiety amongst third-party associates and low-level employees, you're going to wind up with some bad decisions being made in the absence of clear policies. True, the iPad offers more pixels than the iPhone, but it is hardly "HD" (whatever that means to begin with). Clearly, these suffixes are designed to let you know that they are "jumbo" versions of apps with more features than their iPhone companions, right? That may not be the case. While they might be bigger, they may not be badder. In fact, they may be more stripped down than their developers intended. Why would these apps be less feature-filled than devs would want? It comes down to this: Apple's rush to innovation has caused a vacuum of information for developers. Around this vacuum lies fear. It is a fear generated by Apple as a byproduct of the company's own paranoia, favoritism, and lack of empowerment for middle managers unable to "think different" and use common sense. Apple is a powerhouse of innovation because it can control things completely, but the other edge on that sword is its own fear of losing control. The machine lurches forward, but is it sustainable?
Report: Activision reshuffles execs in US, UK; layoffs result
According to "internal memos" acquired by the LA Times, Activision has switched up more of its executive positions, in addition to the change in position for Thomas Tippl, who is currently co-serving CFO/CCO/COO (enough acronyms?). A representative for the company told the LA Times, "We realigned our structure to better reflect our slate and marketing opportunities and direct our resources against the largest, most profitable business segments," without directly confirming a claimed 15 layoffs in the US. The report claims that, in an email from company head Bobby Kotick, Activision revealed that business head Mike Griffith will now serve as vice chairman and adviser to Kotick, while Thomas Tippl's new job is detailed as "the only executive reporting directly to Kotick" (and overseer of Blizzard head Mike Morhaime). Heading up licensed game properties will now supposedly be Dave Oxford, in addition to Maria Stripp taking over "all internally owned titles besides Call of Duty and Blizzard games" (CTO Steve Pearce and product head Steve Ackrich are temporarily overseeing the CoD franchise). Further, MCV confirmed with Activision that the corporate reshuffling will result in changes in the publisher's UK division as well, though no specifics are available at this time. The site claims to have independently confirmed UK layoffs have already occurred, and we've reached out to Activision for clarification on both reports. Source - Activision Blizzard quietly hits reset button [latimes.com] Source - Activision UK to restructure [MCV] If you're with Activision or a former employee and would like to speak with Joystiq regarding the company's situation, please feel free to contact us. (Your tips will remain confidential. Please leave a valid email address in case we have further questions. Thank you!)
Sony reorganization shuffles names, but doesn't mess with the games
You ready? Okay -- follow along: Sony announced today that the Sony Computer Entertainment subsidiary will change its name to SNE Platform (or "SNEP"), and then transfer its video game operations to a new subsidiary, named -- surprise! -- Sony Computer Entertainment. On April 1, SNEP, which will be primarily operating Sony's network services and business as a wholly-owned subsidiary, will merge with Sony, and then promptly dissolve into the parent company. Since Sony already owns all shares of SNEP, there's not going to be any market action (issuance of new shares, share capital increases or cash payments) upon the merger. So, wait, what's happening? Essentially, Sony is moving its network business out from under the gaming wing and bringing it up to the parent company level. This is a different path than the one laid out a year ago, which suggested SCE, as then operator of the network business (think: PSN), would begin to play a larger role in the unification of the company as it pertains to an online strategy. Instead, the "new" Sony Computer Entertainment will have a slightly more narrow focus, "mainly consisting of the planning, development, manufacturing and sales of home-use/portable game consoles and software," according to the reorganization announcement; and Sony Online Service, including the proposed expansion of PSN IDs to non-gaming Sony devices, will seemingly be handled by a new division (but possibly the same personnel) within the Sony parent company. Though listed as the "Representative Director" of the short-lived SNEP subsidiary, Kaz Hirai will presumably remain in charge of the PlayStation division now and after the April 1 merger. Sub-divisions SCEA and SCEE are unaffected by the reorganziation.
Lenovo X201 Tablet, W701 and new L series revealed by ThinkPad roadmap slide (updated)
Our crack team over at Engadget Chinese has managed to snag the above roadmap slide for Lenovo's mobile computer division. We've seen earlier versions of the same slide -- when the Edge and T410 / T510 were freshly added -- but the very latest iteration contains a sprinkling of even newer machines. Most intriguing will be the L400 and L500, which are set to replace the former "corporate mainstream" mainstay R series, which incites the more hopeful among us to believe that perhaps a new chassis design is on the cards too. No less notable are the new X201 models, though we might surmise by the mild numerical change that they'll just be upgraded to low-voltage Arrandale CPUs and left well enough alone. For more info on the likely specs of the W701, you should check out our breakdown of its FCC appearance right here. Update: In light of the X201 discovery, we've combed through our CES 2010 imagery and found a photo of an X200 with a touchpad, which was a curious thing to see when Lenovo has never sold such a creation. Our suspicion is that the X200 on display was in fact an early showing of the touchpad-enabled X201 that is soon to come. Browse past the break for the evidence.
Capcom backpedals from unfavorable Wii comments
Following Capcom France head Antoine Seux's uncertainty about the Wii as a profitable platform for the company going into 2010, it would appear that the Capcom mothership would like to carefully rephrase the sentiment. As such, HQ has issued a statement reconfirming the Japanese publisher's "commitment as a multiplatform developer and publisher of interactive software." There's no word on just how many lashes Mr. Seux is to receive.
Tim Cook gets $12.3M for watching Apple while Jobs was out
Apple COO Tim Cook has received $12.3 million in Apple stock for stepping in as CEO during Steve Jobs absence earlier this year. Considering its been a rough couple of years for the economy and many CEOs still got large salaries for doing very little, it's nice to see Cook being rewarded for, you know, actually doing something and producing results. In 2007 and 2008 Cook earned stock awards worth $7 million and $6 million, respectively. This year for Tim closes with a $12.3 million stock award plus a $100,00 salary raise (up to $800,000 from $700,000) and a fat cash bonus of $800,000. Total compensation for 2009? $14 million. Steve Jobs took his usual $1 salary and a $1 bonus. But don't worry, he's doing just fine with his 5.5 million shares of Apple (AAPL) stock, which closed Monday at another all-time high of $211.61 a share (that makes Steve's shares worth a cool $1,163,855,000).
Atari CEO David Gardner steps down, Jeff Lapin steps up
Atari's ongoing corporate shuffle is still, well, going on. The company formerly known as Infogrames has just named a new CEO. Current COO Jeff Lapin is to replace David Gardner as CEO and has executive experience with Take-Two and THQ, as well. It's unknown whether the move is Gardner's decision or Atari's, but he will stay with the company as a "director." Lapin doesn't appear to be getting a raise with this new position, but don't weep for him too much: his current compensation package includes "an annual fixed gross compensation of €400,000 [or nearly $585,000] and an annual variable compensation, subject to the achievement of performance criteria, up to €200,000," as well as 900,000 stock options. "We will launch our second MMO game - Star Trek Online -- in February 2010," Lapin said in the announcement. "I am excited to take on these new responsibilities at this important time and look forward to developing Atari's strategy to bring the company back to profitability." [Via IndustryGamers]
Seagate's first Pulsar SSDs ready to blast the enterprise
We first heard of Seagate's plans to enter the SSD market way back in mid 2007 and then again in 2008. Here we are in the final days of 2009 and guess what: the first Seagate SSD has been announced. Unfortunately, Seagate's 2.5-inch SATA Pulsar SSD targets the raised-floor crowd locked away in your corporate data center, not you directly. The SLC-based Pulsar tops out at 200GB and claims a peak performance of 30,000 read IOPS and 25,000 write IOPS and a 240MBps sequential read and 200MBps sequential write -- damn quick compared to Samsung's enterprise-class SSDs released last year clocking 100MBps sequential reads and 80MBps writes. Hopefully, we'll see Seagate push into the consumer sector once they finish milking corporate IT budgets, or what's left of 'em.
