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Garmin officially exits the smartphone business, reports mixed Q3 earnings
Based on our experience with relationships, we've learned that it takes two to tango. It also takes two to produce co-branded wares, and with ASUS already withdrawing (respectfully, of course) from the ill-fated Garmin-Asus smartphone partnership, this here is more a formality than anything else. That said, those worried that Garmin would try to loop in another handset maker in order to manufacturer yet another Garminfone that 3.4 people would consider buying can rest easy. In the company's Q3 2010 earnings, it confirmed that it is "winding down" its smartphone efforts, and rather than continuing on a path to doom and destruction, it'll be ramping up marketing efforts in the aviation and maritime sectors. As for quarterly results, the company did see net income rise to $279.5 million (up from $215.1 million a year ago), but shares fell as it issued a depressing outlook for Q4 amid weakening demand for standalone PNDs. Hate to say we told you so...
Roku 'disallows' PlayOn, cites 'possibility of legal exposure'
Bummer. Just a few short days after PlayOn support was apparently added to Roku's stable of set-top boxes, it looks as if the fun has come to an abrupt halt. Based on quotes from both PlayOn and Roku staff members, it sounds like the PlayOn channel will no longer work on those who try to get it installed, but those who managed to slip in early may be in the clear. Jim, a PlayOn staffer, stated that his company was "contacted today by Roku and told that they were going to disallow this channel," and because neither the Roku channel developer nor Roku "are affiliated with PlayOn, [they] have no control over the situation." On the Roku side, one Patrick has confirmed that "while... many of you are excited about a PlayOn-compatible Channel and may be using it, it unfortunately presents the possibility of legal exposure for us; as a result, the current PlayOn channels have been removed and are no longer available to add to your Roku player." If your bubble has just been popped in the worst possible way, we'd probably start looking into that 30-day return policy -- for you early birds, is PlayOn still working on your Roku box? Hit us up in comments below. [Thanks, Brian]
ASUS officially walks away from Garmin-Asus partnership
Chalk another up to the rumor mill. Just as we'd heard, the Garmin-Asus partnership will soon be no more. After a few arguably valiant attempts to break into the smartphone market, it seems as if ASUS is walking away in hopes of finding greener grass elsewhere. According to Reuters, an unnamed ASUS official has confirmed that it would be "ending its mobile phone cooperation agreement with Garmin." We're expecting the rest of the breakup details to roll tomorrow, but honestly, you'd turn the other cheek and move on if you were classy. But we both know that's not happening, right?
Meizu M8 ceases production amid pressure from Apple and intellectual property office
Well, can't say we didn't see this coming; we're just surprised that it's taken this long for Meizu to take a hit over its notorious handset. In case you have no idea what we're talking about, earlier this month said Chinese company's been in heated talks with Apple due to the M8 smartphone bearing an "appearance roughly similar" to the iPhone. Seriously, that's the only reason Apple provided for the accusation, if CEO Jack Wong is to be trusted (and hey, he did kinda ask for it). Anyhow, the latest development is that Meizu's bowing to pressure from both the provincial intellectual property office and Cupertino, and announced that it's shutting down production lines for its flagship M8 this month. This is no doubt a big blow to the company, but it might get even nastier -- here's what Jack said in one of his many frustrated forum postings: Apple requested that we cease manufacturing the M8 this month, we agreed but then [Apple] came back and asked for a sales ban instead. I can cope with a production freeze, but not with having our shops closed and thus not being able to use up our inventory. If Apple and the provincial IPO take another insatiable step, I can only go head to head against them. So, it looks like the M8's all set for an early retirement, either way -- it doesn't look like Apple's going to let this one go easily, and Jack's also expressed concern over the fact that the IPO has the power to shut his factory down without going to court. That said, things are still looking positive for the elusive M9 -- from the sounds of it, Meizu's upcoming Android phone isn't affected by this takedown (yet); but the question is whether Jack and co. can keep the shops running until a December launch for their next flagship device. Oh well, hang in there, Meizu!
Google plans 1-800-GOOG-411 funeral, asks for an indefinite moment of silence
If you're still using Google's 1-800-GOOG-411 voice search hotline, you're obviously one of only a handful. But you're special nonetheless. To that end, Google's giving you just over a month to speed dial its dedicated local search line, and come November 12th, the aforementioned number will likely lead to a dial tone (or a decidedly unpleasant disconnected message). The Big G isn't pointing to a decrease in use as the reason for its death, but is instead suggesting that the company will be moving onward and upward with "more innovation" in the voice search department. Of course, Google's voice search app can be downloaded free of charge on most any smartphone, but it looks like dumbphone users may have to find an alternative to calling in their search queries. We'd say "going with you gut" is probably a solid choice.
FLO TV killing direct-to-consumer programming in spring 2011, will make necessary refunds
Don't say we never gave you a heads-up on anything. 24 hours (give or take a few minutes) after we punched the final nail into FLO TV's direct-to-consumer coffin, Qualcomm itself has issued a brief but pointed statement regarding the tragically doomed service. The major line is this: "We are suspending our direct to consumer sales of new devices." If you just so happen to already own one, you can look forward to service continuing through the Spring of 2011, after which you'll be up a certain creek without any sort of steering apparatus. In the event of a discontinuance of service, FLO TV will make appropriate refunds, but the details surrounding that won't be communicated until that fateful day draws nearer. We're also told that MediaFLO service (provided to handsets via carrier partnerships) will continue on unaffected, and it sounds as if the company has plans to attach its service to tablets in the future. The worst news of all? Qualcomm's working to redeploy impacted employees, but it does "anticipate that there will be some layoffs." The statement can be seen in its entirety after the break.
FLO TV killed by Qualcomm, its four users look shocked and saddened
We'd heard from a couple of internal sources on Friday that Qualcomm was pulling the plug on the ill-fated FLO TV direct-to-consumer service, and now we've reason to believe that the deed is in fact done. Despite the company's best attempts at playing up the idea of carrying around a mobile TV and paying yet another content subscription bill, it seems as if the public's wishes are finally being recognized. According to our sources, Qualcomm is informing partner retailers to stop selling FLO TV products immediately, and sure enough, a glance over at Best Buy's website reveals that only a couple of accessories remain in stock. We're guessing that Wally World is hoping to rid itself of as much stock as possible before the news goes mainstream, but in all likelihood, those units will too vanish into the night in short order. It's bruited that Qualcomm is still in discussions with AT&T and Verizon on the future of its wholesale MediaFLO service, and we've reached out for comment on the future of service for those who already sprung for a FLO TV Personal Television. We'll let you know what else we hear, but for now, be sure to stay away from a product you were never, ever interested in to begin with. It'll be a challenge, we know.
Qualcomm's CEO confesses: tablets killed the smartbook star
We remember it like it was yesterday -- pressed against the edge of our seat, speakerphone on 11, listening to Qualcomm preach about how these so-called "smartbooks" were coming to take over the world. Can't fault 'em for trying. A little over a year after the (admittedly valiant) effort began, Qualcomm's CEO is effectively putting this whole nightmare behind him. According to Slashgear, Paul Jacobs admitted during an event this morning that "tablets such as the iPad had already occupied the niche his company expected smartbooks to." Essentially, the iPad delivered on the concept of an "always-on, all-day device" long before smartbooks ever had a chance at gaining traction, and judging by the fact that only a handful of these guys ever made it to market, we'd say that brutally honest assessment makes a lot of sense. We aren't necessarily better off for it, mind you, but it definitely seems that the resurgence of the tablet (and the proliferation of the longevous netbook) has extinguished any hope of smartbooks dominating the world. Hey, at least this guy's man enough to know when a journey's reached its end. Sayonara, smarties.
Dell lays down the law: no more Windows XP shipments after October 22nd
Microsoft already informed its most moneyed partners that no more systems could leave their labs after October 22nd with Windows XP, but given that the proverbial boy has cried wolf before, we were inclined to think that we'd eventually face yet another push back. We guess there's still a few ticks of the clock left between now and that fateful day, but there seems to be little hope for XP to live on in any significant form beyond the aforesaid date. Dell has just published a report noting that they will stop offering XP on new machines later this month in preparation for October's cutoff, though they're quick to point out that Microsoft will continue Windows XP driver support until December 2012. For the average consumer, that means you've got just over a month to get whatever XP-equipped systems you want from Dell; for select "qualified customers," they will still be able to snag XP machines post-October 22nd through the company's Custom Factory Integration service. Hit the source link for all the details, and feel free to pour one out for a waning OS. We can shed a few more tears next month.
Plastic Logic kills QUE, 'shifts focus' to second-generation ProReader
And just like that, with the swing of a virtual axe, she's all dead and buried. Plastic Logic has been stuck in a world of perpetual delays ever since wowing the universe with its QUE ProReader at CES, and rather than delaying it again, the company is simply cutting its losses and moving on. To quote CEO Richard Archuleta: "We recognize the market has dramatically changed, and with the product delays we have experienced, it no longer make sense for us to move forward with our first generation electronic reading product." To that end, the company plans to "shift its focus to bring to market a second-generation ProReader plastic electronics-based product," but absolutely no details regarding form factor, pricing or an estimated ship date are given. Wilder still, those rumors about a company sale have coincidentally (or not?) flared up again, with the Financial Times stating this go 'round that Plastic Logic could sell a "significant stake" of itself to Rusnano, a Russian state-owned nanotechnology corporation. We're told that the two are currently "in discussions," and that if a deal is reached, Plastic Logic's production facility for this elusive next-gen product would have to be based in Russia. We can't say we're completely shocked at the outcome here, but we're man enough to shed a tear at our loss. Rest easy, QUE -- at least we had our times.
Verizon halting Kin sales, supply getting returned to sender?
Not that Verizon really cared much for it anyway, but according to WMExperts, the carrier is preparing to cease sales of the Microsoft's Kin altogether. As for the fate of the remaining stock, it's apparently being sent back to, well, somewhere. While a few retail stores we called disavowed any knowledge of such a thing, PhoneArena has a supposed internal screenshot that suggests they may soon change their tone. Either way, Verizon's not selling Kin online anymore, that's for sure -- quoth the raven, 404.
What killed the Kin?
While the news today that Microsoft has killed its troubled Kin line didn't come as the craziest of surprises, it's definitely left a lot of lingering questions about just what happened. Now we may have a little insight into what went wrong -- and what might be in store down the road -- thanks to a reliable source of ours who's shared some news on Redmond's inner turmoil. Apparently, the troubles started long before the swirling Pink phone rumors (and way before the name Kin was ringing in our ears). According to our source, the birth of these devices began with a decision at Microsoft to create a platform agnostic, cloud-centric featurephone. A featurephone that could be had at a relatively low cost, and sold to a burgeoning market of teens and young adults who had little need for a BlackBerry-level device (or pricing). The first step in the project was acquiring Danger to leverage the work it had done with the Sidekick platform, and aligning with Verizon as a launch partner who could offer attractive pricing plans for the devices to a big pool... and here's where the trouble begins.
XBMC bids farewell to its progenitor: the original Xbox
After seven years of development, the Xbox Media Center team says they'll no longer support the console that gave the project its name. We can't blame 'em: the writing's been on the wall for years now, and 733MHz will only carry you so far. If you can't live without your chunky horizontal monolith, don't despair -- you'll still find lingering threads of code being woven at our more coverage link, and you can always lend a hand yourself if updates aren't as quick as you'd like. Don't let that keep you from pouring out your sorrows in comments, though. We're sure Boxee, Media Portal and Plex already have a tear in their eye. [Thanks, bgjz]
Intel kills Larrabee discrete GPU, will focus on integrated graphics
Intel's been promising to blow up the graphics market with its Larrabee GPU for over three years now with virtually nothing to show for it, and it looks like the company has finally decided to can the entire project after downsizing it to a "software platform" last year. A new Intel blog post on the matter says the company won't bring a discrete graphics chip to market, and will instead focus on integrated graphics for everyday computing and highly-parallel multicore processors for high-performance computing. Now, Intel's obviously still in the graphics game, and it's already made a strong move towards integrated graphics by building GPUs right into the Atom N470 and much of the Core 2010 line, but on a much broader level the decision to drop Larrabee means that Intel is now essentially pursuing the same strategies as its competitors: AMD is famously behind schedule with its Fusion project but plans to ship ATI-powered hybrid CPU / GPUs next year, and NVIDIA has been pushing its multicore GPU-based Tesla high-performance computing platform for a while now. We're also curious about how Intel intends to address the gaming market in the future -- its own integrated graphics obviously aren't up to the task, and it's still fighting with NVIDIA over a Core 2010 chipset license, so that's a big question mark going forward as more and more focus is placed on low-power and integrated solutions. We'll see what happens -- it's not too often the death of a vaporware product has the potential to shake up the entire industry.
Sony's last cassette-blastin' boom box is precisely how Ruff Ryders roll('d)
Sony may not shed a tear for the 3.5-inch floppy disk when it meets its maker in March, but you'd better believe the company's crafted a retirement plan for the format that propelled it to fame: the compact cassette. To be fair, the CFD-A110 CD / cassette boom box above isn't actually a new product -- it's a relabeled CFD-A100TV from 2003 minus the nigh-obsolete analog TV band -- but if you're rocking magnetic mix tapes we're guessing you'll welcome this blast from the past. For your projected ¥20,000 (about $215) you'll get a pair of full-range speakers, 14 AM/FM presets, an external microphone port for karaoke and a remote when it launches in Japan this June 21st. What that won't buy you, however, is an obnoxiously large gilded chain, a beefed up left shoulder for carrying it around, and a time machine needed to actually fit in while using this. Ya heard?
BumpTop acquired by Google, no longer available
Leaving us so soon? BumpTop, the OS overlay specialist that gave Windows 7 touchscreen PCs a great reason to exist back in early 2009, seems to be pulling the plug on its one and only claim to fame. In a somewhat terse update posted to the site, the company -- which just outed a Mac version of their software in January -- has been acquired by Google, which means that BumpTop (for both Windows and Mac) will "no longer be available for sale." This plug pulling also means that no future updates are planned, but if you're not shaken by such a thought, the app can still be downloaded for the next week free of charge. As for BumpTop Pro users? End-of-life support will be provided for you all, but there's no guarantee that won't change as the wind blows. We're definitely curious to see what Google has in store for BumpTop -- ChromeOS and Android could get real crazy, real fast. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Microsoft confirms, kills Courier in one fell swoop
Well this is depressing. Word has just gone fluttering out of Redmond that work on the Courier project -- a heretofore rumored dual-screen tablet which rightfully set the tech world ablaze -- has been spun down by the company. Here's the official line from Frank Shaw, Microsoft's VP of corporate communications: At any given time, across any of our business groups, there are new ideas being investigated, tested, and incubated. It's in Microsoft's DNA to continually develop and incubate new technologies to foster productivity and creativity. The "Courier" project is an example of this type of effort and its technologies will be evaluated for use in future Microsoft offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time. All very sad, of course. So how did we get here? And was this thing ever really real to begin with? After all, it's hard to kill something that never lived. Well here's the deal, according to a source familiar with the situation: the Courier did indeed start life as a potential new product category for the company, one which was being incubated internally with very real plans for a marketable device. It seems, however, that things just didn't manage to take shape, and word was handed down very recently that the incubation period had reached its conclusion -- sans product -- and resources would be directed elsewhere. Now, that doesn't mean that we won't see some of this technology turn up in other products which Microsoft has in the pipeline (the company does keep quite a few balls in the air), but it does mean that those rendered videos of the Courier in action will remain, unfortunately, renders. As far as the Engadget team is concerned, there isn't a dry eye in the house right now -- but the Courier will always remain in our hearts as one of the finest unicorns that ever unicorned across our screens.
Toughbook plummets from helicopter, narrowly misses future Toughbook user
So, check it. You're out and about with mum and dad on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, eager to get whatever's on the grill into your own grille. You're pondering the origin of wildflowers, the middle name of America's 18th president and how humanity functioned prior to the invention of Mighty Putty. You're only ten years old, but your young eyes have lived to see a lot... so much, in fact, that you're semi-seriously considering penning your own novella. Bang. Three inches to your left lies a mildly deformed swivel-screen laptop, and all you can think about is the gush of air that's still rustling your fauxhawk. Turns out, a medical helicopter departing St. Cloud Hospital in Minnesota forgot to bring their Panasonic Toughbook onboard before heading out, and if fate were feeling just a bit more cruel, that shock-mounted hard drive may have left you out for the count. But as it stands, you've got a fairly stupendous show-and-tell to deliver in class this week, and who knows -- maybe that DIMM will work in your Nickelodeon Edition Mini 10.
Hypersonic-PC powers down for the last time
In 1997, Hypersonic joined the likes of Voodoo, AlienWare and Falcon Northwest in the gamble that gamers would buy what were then gut-wrenchingly expensive (think $10,000) custom PCs. Ten years later, it was gobbled up by memory manufacturer OCZ, and soon came to our attention for selling a chic, tiny, but somehow nicely specced 12.1-inch laptop. Today, the company is no more. The Hypersonic website reads that the firm is no longer accepting orders, and Techgage -- speaking to OCZ's chief marketing office Alex Mei -- reports that while OCZ will honor all warranties, the company is ceasing marketing and sales support for the Hypersonic brand. Sad, yes, but at least it's one fewer temptation to lure us extreme gamers into bankruptcy.
Sony kills XEL-1 OLED TV production in Japan, cites 'sluggish demand'
It's been a good run, XEL-1, but you knew this day would come. After wowing just about everyone with your 3mm thickness and stunning base back in late 2007, we suspect that most normal humans decided to pass right on by after the drooling process was complete. After all, it's not like too many Earthlings have nearly $2,000 to drop on an 11-inch set. Since the display's debut, few other OLED TVs have made it to the commercial market in any size, and there's no question that cost is largely to blame. Today, Sony announced that it was pulling the plug on XEL-1 sales and production in Japan, citing "sluggish demand" as the cause. For now, the outfit will continue to hawk the miniaturized wonder in other nations, but we get the feeling that's only to dry up remaining inventory. Oh, and if you're one of those "collector" types, snapping one up right now might not be the worst idea. [Thanks, Trevor] Update: It's worth pointing out that a Japanese report from AV Watch notes that the discontinuation is going down for another reason. Reportedly, Japan is forcing TV makers to integrate a "youth control filter" into their wares, presumably in an effort to shield those precious eyes from the evils of the content world. Sony's obviously not interested in complying, but this could just be a great excuse to nix a product that's already collecting too must dust on retail shelves.
