virgin
Latest
Engadget interviews Sir Richard Branson!
Our own Paul Miller found himself jet-setting on Virgin America's inaugural flight with none other than Sir Richard Branson -- that's right, he's a knight and he could probably kick our asses -- of Virgin Group fame. Naturally, the topic of Virgin Mobile came up in the discussion. What does Sir Richard think of his little MVNO project here in the States? Read on to find out!
Deadly blast rocks Virgin Galactic rocket test
This week is quickly becoming a tough one for the aerospace industry, as just a day after NASA reported tampering on an ISS bound computer, an explosion at the Mojave Air and Space Port has claimed two lives and seriously injured four others. The blast reportedly occurred during a "test of a new rocket motor for SpaceShipTwo -- a spaceship being built for Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's space tourism company." According to a spokeswoman for the spaceport, the blast was "on a remote pad" at an airport home to Scaled Composite (which is the builder of the first private manned rocket to reach space), but the firm's founder Burt Rutan wasn't in attendance when the "cold fire test" went awry.
Virgin Mobile aims for $506 million in IPO
Lying in sharp contrast to Amp'd's less-than-stellar fortunes, Virgin Mobile USA -- a joint venture of Virgin and Sprint operated very differently from its European cousin -- is actually hoping to do even better than originally expected. The MVNO had said in May that it hoped to raise up to $100 million through an initial public offering of shares (stock symbol "VM" in case you're curious), but that figure has now skyrocketed up to a rather shocking figure of $508 million. Virgin Mobile hopes to use the cash to pay off a handful of debts it accrued in the process of getting its business off the ground, something Amp'd hasn't quite managed to do just yet.
Virgin America cleared for take-off, CEO forced to resign
We'd heard rumblings that Virgin America was indeed lobbying for the US Department of Transportation's blessing to take off from American soil, and after getting a hands-on experience that was second to none, we couldn't help but hope for things to work out. Sure enough, VA has now been given the almighty thumbs-up to operate in the United States. Interestingly, the final approval was only granted after "several additional conditions" were finally agreed to, one of which will leave the current CEO sans a job. Unfortunately for Mr. Fred Reid, "US law restricts foreign ownership in airlines to 25-percent of voting stock," and apparently, the DOT didn't take too kindly to Reid's "longstanding association with foreign investors," most notably Virgin Group's Richard Branson. Nevertheless, the current head man will stay on board for another six months, and while a replacement has yet to be named, the airline hopes to get its birds in the air sometime this summer. Initially, flights will travel from its home base (SFO) to New York (JFK), and while there's no definite timetable as to when routes will be expanded to hit other US cities, feel free to click through for the full lineup of locales that VA hopes to be servicing sooner rather than later.Read - Virgin America cleared for take-offRead - Fred Reid forced to resign as VA takes flight
Virgin Mobile to file for IPO
Virgin Mobile's distinction of being the first MVNO in the U.S. means it is the "granddaddy" of virtual operators, at least stateside. Enough bragging time has now gone by apparently, as Virgin Mobile has filed for an initial public offering (IPO). The move will take the company public where shares of the company will be traded in the U.S. marketplace. Some pundits believe this signals a maturation of the MVNO segment in the U.S. wireless landscape, but don't tell that to the scrappy folks at Amp'd Mobile or Helio, will ya? Anyhoo, Virgin Mobile has filed to be listed as "VM" on the New York Stock Exchange and it's possible the company will raise up to $100 million in the offering. That wad of cash will most likely be used to pay off debt and give a certain, unknown sum to Sprint Nextel, the carrier representing the American half of the joint venture -- the other half, of course, being Virgin proper.
Virgin radio gives PS3 owners a personal radio station
What a nice feature! Seems that Virgin radio is giving a nice heads up to the online world available in the web browsers via the PS3 and Nintendo Wii. They are claiming to be the first UK radio stations to make such an effort -- the effort to put a unique radio station on the web available only through the two consoles mentioned.They don't just toss out whatever's on their actual radio station at the time, they also offer videos and exclusive session recordings... not to mention concert tickets, CDs and tracks available for download. There will also be a few additional radio stations available, including Virgin Radio Xtreme, Virgin Radio Classic Rock, and Virgin Radio Groove. So... enjoy that![Thanks, Ant!]
Virgin Radio hits the Wii
Virgin has taken the first step today, as it's become the first UK brand to offer its services on the Wii. In opening the door to its music channels via the Opera web browser, it's presenting a new way for Wii owners to enjoy their console. Several different stations will be available, including Classic Rock, Xtreme and Groove, along with the ability for users to download tracks, along with full albums, and buy concert tickets. Also, the service will allow you to play music videos.This is very exciting news, as it paves the way for other companies to team up with Nintendo and offer their services via the Wii console. [Via Eurogamer]
Virgin Mobile rolls out MARBL from Kyocera
See, that wasn't such a bad wait, no was it? A few weeks after we told you about the MARBL coming down the pike for Virgin Mobile from frequent partner Kyocera, the cheap flip is now available for public consumption from retailers everywhere. At $30 sans contract (remember, Virgin is a prepaid MVNO), the MARBL doesn't offer terribly much in the way of features, but it does manage to pack a speakerphone, internal antenna, and color display -- and hey, it doesn't look half bad. Just as long as you're cool with the name, Motorola, we are, too.
Virgin Media intros digital TV service, set-top box
It looks like Virgin is trying to pry folks in the U.K. away from their tried and true Freeview digital TV service, today announcing its own competing over-the-air service and set-top box. Opting for Virgin's offering will net you 40 TV channels and 15 radio stations, along with Virgin's on-screen programming guide, as well as the company's pint-sized VBox set-top box. While Virgin is touting both the box and service as "free," that's only the case if you also subscribe to Virgin's broadband/phone bundle, with the TV service apparently not available on its own (free or otherwise).Update: As some of you have pointed out, it turns out that Virgin's much-ballyhooed service is actually nothing more than the standard Freeview service, with the free set-top box and Virgin-branded programming guide the only things distinguishing it from what's already widely available.
Police concerned about impending UK PS3 launch
The PS3 is launching on Friday, March 23rd in Europe, and Virgin Megastore's flagship Oxford Street store will be home to a midnight launch--something that has the police worried. A spokesperson for Marylebone Police has told GamesIndustry.biz that there are "genuine concerns" about the safety of shoppers attending the launch.The American launch of the PS3 was wrought with violence, including shootings, and various robberies. The Virgin Megastore launch will pose a few unique problems for police, as it is situated on a narrow stretch of pavement nearby busy tube and bus stops. Because crowd barricades will not be possible, the police are advising shoppers to take extra caution: "We don't want people walking around London with expensive pieces of equipment late at night. We want Oxford Street to be vibrant and successful, but we don't want victims of crime."Eurogamer is offering a few (obvious) tidbits for those willing to camp out for the midnight launch: don't bring cash, have a cell phone, bring a friend, and take a cab back home. Good luck to all of you that are going to attempt a midnight launch.
Virgin Mobile adding another cheap flip, "Marbl"
The Oystr looks poised to give way to the Marbl in the "what $30 will buy you" department on Virgin Mobile -- the US' prepaid Virgin Mobile, that is, not its DVB-H-havin' cousin across the pond. The Kyocera-sourced clamshell follows Virgin's typical keep-it-simple strategy with a minimal internal display and clean exterior (read: no cam or external display to be found). That said, the phone doesn't look half bad -- and seeing how this is prepaid, that $30 is going to get you this thing outright. No word on an exact release date, but Virgin's site lists it at "Coming Soon" and -- in our experience, at least -- waits are measured in days once a carrier admits that they're going to launch a model.[Thanks, Charlene]
Nintendo's Link loves the PSP
Sega's not the only one that can love the PSP. Nintendo's Link from The Legend of Zelda is also feeling the love. This photo, taken from the Paris Virgin Megastore, shows that Link clearly wants to hang out with the Sony crowd.[Via Joystiq]
Richard Branson touts revolutionary PC game download service
"This is a really exciting development for us, as it gives us the opportunity to do for PC games what iTunes has done for music," says Virgin mega boss, Richard Branson. We've all heard that one before, but Branson promises that his take on digitally distributed PC games will rely on top-notch technology to push it into the mainstream market. MCV reports that Virgin Games and Game Domain International have unveiled plans for a distribution platform called A World of My Own (AWOMO).A woah mow? The service is described as a 3D virtual world (likely the interface) built upon several key features, including quick download speeds -- supposedly you'll get your games in minutes, not hours -- and better security. Branson even goes as far as to say that the proposed technology will "revolutionise how the mass market will play games, and will give them more choice for less money." Koch Media has already pledged its support.Though it will be interesting to see just how the technology gets around download speeds (barring an artificial size limit, as was present in Xbox Live Arcade until a while ago), that factor alone won't be enough to break into a mass market already targeted by the likes of Gametap and Steam. Content is, as always, key. Until Virgin and GDI unveil a library of games and real specifics, their revolutionary proposition remains nebulous at best.
Mega hands-on: Virgin America's Airbus A320 with Red in-flight entertainment
Not-yet-airborne Virgin America invited us to check out the way-decked Airbus A320 with Red prototype in-flight entertainment system that's parked at SFO right now. (Naw, we didn't get to take it up, the US Dept. of Transportation hasn't yet cleared VA for commercial flights yet, boo.) They definitely weren't kidding when they said it's got it all: movies on demand, pervasive music playlists, in-seat messaging with a QWERTY controller, touchscreen Linux consoles with games, the works. We've got a massive, massive gallery for you to check out (it's really not to be missed); we toured the aft cargo area where the each plane's servers live, the Red in-seat consoles (of course), the cockpit, even WiFi-enabled flight attendant handhelds. We've also got a full rundown of everything you need to know about Virgin America, Red, and the kitted-out Airbus, so check out the gallery below, and click on for more details about the only airline we officially sanction as being geeked enough to transport Engadget.%Gallery-1556%
Nintendo blamed for pre-order ambiguity
Customers at Virgin Megastores interested in preordering a PS3 are being told that they may or may not actually get the console they're reserving, thanks to Nintendo. Yeah, our reaction was very like that "what-huh" you've got going on there. Now, we know there were Wii shortages in the UK (as there are now everywhere), but there are often shortages at launch. It's part of the rush to be an early adopter -- you get out there and fight your fellow gamers and everyone has a grand time. No, we're just confused as to why this is an issue. It's pretty much SOP around here to assume that pre-orders aren't a guarantee. Most places even remind you of that fact either on a receipt or in person at the time of preorder. So instead of pointing the finger at Nintendo, why aren't they just saying, "That's the way of preorders, old chap! We'll keep our fingers crossed for you." Instead, they're all trying to instigate some problems between Sony and Nintendo. Good game, Virgin... let's get everyone amped up to fight!Outside of all the finger-pointing drama, there is an interesting underlying issue in this story regarding the shortages. Nintendo denies any shortages, and seems to have delivered on their year-end numbers. Virgin says they didn't receive what was promised. Nintendo swears they released all allocations in October and met them on time. Certainly someone's at fault here, but it's hard to tell amidst all the finger-pointing.
VirginMega France to sell DRM-free MP3s in March
What do you do when a judge slaps down your case and leaves you no hope whatsoever? Apparently, you just do whatever the heck you want, including ditching that whole "DRM" idea altogether. Yep, as shocking as this may sound to we Americans who are essentially forced to juggle some sort of DRM on a daily basis, the French VirginMega store is planning to offer up quite a few (200,000 to be exact) tunes directly through its online music that are devoid of any DRM whatsoever, and moreover, are encoded as 256kbps MP3 files. Of course, we aren't certain if these tracks are on major or indie record labels (aside from V2Music, who has already signed on), but regardless, this is certainly a move that will elicit smiles on those fed up with proprietary formats not playing nice with a wide variety of DAPs. So if you're not too picky on what tunes you listen to, and you're down with supporting DRM-free music regardless of genre, keep an eye out for the new catalog opening up to French users this March.[Via DJing]
Kyocera brings K325 "Cyclops" to Virgin Mobile
Looking perhaps to move a little upmarket from the low-end Oystr, Virgin's new Kyocera-supplied "Cyclops" clamshell adds a couple key features that should appeal to the gearheads in the prepaid crowd. Besides generally looking a little fancier than its pearly sibling, the Cyclops puts its money where its mouth is by rocking a 1.3-megapixel shooter, a 160 x 128 display, and a speakerphone. The big draw here, though, appears to be the introduction of Virgin's new Virgin Mobile Audio Messaging (VAM) which allows subscribers -- rocking compatible handsets, of course -- to exchange brief voice messages the same way they'd send SMSes. As with Nuance's voice-to-text service, we're a bit skeptical that this is really gonna catch on, but who knows what kinds of services the kiddies are into these days?
UTStarcom Slice gets official for Virgin Mobile
Rumor has it the Slice has been floating around a Wal-Mart here and a Radio Shack there for at least a week or two now, but UTStarcom and Virgin are just now getting around to announcing the slimphone's availability all official-like, and the companies are quick to point out the Slice's main selling point: the candybar is now the thinnest phone (10mm) available in the US without contract. Of course, other critical points to make would be the phone's attractive out-the-door price of $50, while feature-conscious users will still appreciate the MP3 ringtone support with 32MB of storage, reasonable 128 x 128 color display, and that endlessly imitated RAZR-style keypad. Look for the Slice now in stores with online available following on November 2.
UTStarcom serves "Slice" to Virgin Mobile
Though it's known simply as the PCS-1400 to UTStarcom, Virgin Mobile has a history of christening its phones with creative names, and the trend continues here: enter the "Slice." The phone looks a bit like UTStarcom's previously seen UT1200 for GSM networks but rocks CDMA instead (obviously), bringing 10mm-thick slimphone goodness to prepaid users on the cheap -- just $50. Specs are pretty much what you might expect for a $50 phone, with a single-band 1900MHz radio, 128 x 128 display, 32MB of internal storage, and a speakerphone, but no camera or Bluetooth to be found. No word on an official availability date for the Slice, but it looks like Circuit City will be happy to sell you one as we speak.[Thanks, Gusto and Jeremy]Read - Circuit CityRead - Virgin Mobile Slice support pageRead - UTStarcom
Virgin Atlantic revises complete Dell, Apple laptop ban
Virgin Atlantic has altered its sweeping policy of banning all Inspiron, Latitude, iBook, PowerBook, MacBook and MacBook Pro batteries from its flights, saying "If the battery is identified as being from the affected batch as identified by Apple and Dell, the battery must be removed. In cabins where the seats are fitted with In Seat Power Supplies, leads/adapters will be offered. Where no ISPS is provided or no laptop leads/adapters are available, the use of these affected laptops is prohibited." No word yet on whether Qantas or Korean Air has gotten the memo that it doesn't need to forbid every Dell laptop under the sun on their flights as well. But we've yet to hear of airlines banning Panasonic, Toshiba, and IBM laptops -- something that may be coming sooner than you think, if someone doesn't figure out pretty fast what the devil is going on.
