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These numbers shouldn’t really surprise anyone, but a ton of people bought smart devices in 2012, according to IDC. They bought over 1 billion of those devices, actually. That includes, desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The leaders there were (obviously) Samsung and Apple, with Apple accounting for 20.3% and Samsung accounting for 21.2%. Pretty impressive for just two companies.

IDC also expects smartphone and tablet sales to surpass PC sales in 2013, which, considering how fast new phones and tabs seem to sell, isn’t all that surprising. They’re predicting PC sales will actually stall to no growth whatsoever by 2017. Four years is a long time, and things can change, but if the market continues on the trend it’s going now, I think that’s a very realistic result.

What do you guys think? Are you surprised that portable devices are eating into traditional PC market share? Do you think that’ll turn around in a year or two? Let us know in the comments. (more…)

The University of Southern California said it launched the Viterbi Startup Garage, an early-stage technology accelerator that will provide financial and other resources to USC student and alumni entrepreneurs. The school’s Viterbi School of Engineering said the accelerator was put together in partnership with Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers and the talent agency United Talent Agency. The goal is to provide grants and mentorship to approximately 10 companies for a 12 week session beginning in May 2013.

PRESS RELEASE

USC, KLEINER PERKINS CAUFIELD & BYERS and UNITED TALENT AGENCY LAUNCH THE VITERBI STARTUP GARAGE

The technology accelerator is designed to provide resources to USC engineering students while also stimulating the Los Angeles early-stage technology marketplace.

March 26, 2013 – LOS ANGELES — Today the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, in partnership with the prominent venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers (KPCB) and leading talent and literary agency United Talent Agency (UTA), announced the Viterbi Startup Garage, an early-stage technology accelerator designed to provide financial and other strategic resources to a select group of USC student and alumni entrepreneurs.

“We are very excited to provide our students world-class opportunities and resources by launching the first Los Angeles accelerator backed by a prominent University,” said Ashish Soni, Executive Director of Digital Innovation and Founding Director of the Viterbi Student Innovation Institute at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. “We believe that KPCB and UTA are ideal partners, given KPCB’s unparalleled track record in identifying and advising phenomenal entrepreneurs, and UTA’s track record in providing early-stage companies strategic assistance across a number of categories.”

Southern California produces a large number of talented engineers each year. The USC Viterbi School of Engineering, with approximately 1800 undergraduate and 3800 graduate students, attracts many of the top students from around the world. However, entry-level and accelerator opportunities in Southern California have always been sparse. As a result, graduates that ultimately spin-out and launch their own startups do so for the most part in regions other than Southern California.

USC, KPCB and UTA want to change the situation and create an environment customized for USC engineering students and graduates. This will help facilitate the growth of the Los Angeles technology marketplace, as well as encourage the best and brightest engineers to not only remain in Southern California, but to also flourish and further enrich the region. USC is also working with Los Angeles-based Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. to sponsor and support other initiatives within the Viterbi Student Innovation Institute (VSI2) in and out of the classroom.

“Talent is global, and we are very impressed by the quality of engineers emerging from USC’s Viterbi School,” said Mike Abbott, General Partner at KPCB.  “The partnership with USC and UTA is an example of our intensifying efforts to identify and nurture the next-generation of technology leaders wherever they are in the world, adding to our strong track record of organizing and supporting pioneering development programs to build scalable successful businesses.”

As envisioned, the accelerator will provide financial grants, strategic guidance and mentorship to approximately ten companies, who will work out of the Viterbi Startup Garage facility, housed in USC’s Information Sciences Institute in Marina Del Rey for twelve weeks beginning May 28, 2013.

“We have been proudly advising technology startups for many years, and the Startup Garage will give us an opportunity to be even more hands-on with inspiring entrepreneurs who are working on groundbreaking ideas,” said Brent Weinstein, Head of Digital Media, UTA. “So many early-stage companies are media focused or media adjacent, that we feel Los Angeles is the ideal place to launch an accelerator in partnership with world class partners like USC and KPCB.”

The program will be formally introduced at USC on April 2, 2013 by Yannis C. Yortsos (USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Dean), Ashish Soni (USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Executive Director of Digital Innovation and Founding Director of the Viterbi Student Innovation Institute (VSI2)), Mike Abbott (KPCB, General Partner), and Brent Weinstein (UTA, Head of Digital Media).

“Innovation and entrepreneurship are the key ingredients of our knowledge-based society and a strategic pillar of the goals of the Viterbi School,” said Yortsos, Dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. “We are very pleased that we are in a position to launch this accelerator at our Information Sciences Institute, the birthplace of the Internet era.”

The Viterbi Startup Garage is one of several programs offered by the VSI2 which is a hub for innovation and engineering entrepreneurship that helps engineering students transform their ideas into successful business ventures. VSI2 board of advisors include Jeff Stibel and Peter Delgrosso from Dun and Bradstreet Credibility Corp., Jake Winebaum from Brighter, Bradley Horowitz from Google and Mike Abbott from KPCB.

Any USC undergraduate or graduate students or USC alumni who graduated in the past 5 years are eligible to apply to the Viterbi Startup Garage, with the requirement that at least one member of the founding team is an enrolled student in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering or a USC Viterbi alumnus. Applications will be accepted through Monday, April 22.

About the USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Engineering Studies began at the University of Southern California in 1905. Nearly a century later, the Viterbi School of Engineering received a naming gift in 2004 from alumnus Andrew J. Viterbi, inventor of the Viterbi algorithm now key to cell phone technology and numerous data applications. Consistently ranked among the top graduate programs in the world, the school enrolls more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students, taught by 177 tenured and tenure-track faculty, with 60 endowed chairs and professorships.

http://viterbi.usc.edu

Contact: Megan Hazle, 213-821-5555, [email protected]

About Kleiner Perkins
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has backed entrepreneurs in more than 500 ventures leading to 150 IPOs, 350,000 jobs and a deep strategic network. The firm invests in all stages from seed and incubation to growth companies, and has helped build pioneering companies like Amazon, Google, Intuit, Symantec, and WebMD. KPCB operates from offices in Menlo Park, San Francisco, Shanghai and Beijing.

http://www.kpcb.com

Contact: Christina Stenson, 415- 671-7676, [email protected]

About United Talent Agency
United Talent Agency is a premier global talent and literary agency representing many of the world’s most widely-known figures in every current and emerging area of entertainment, including motion pictures, television, digital media, video games, books, music, and live entertainment.  The agency is also globally recognized in the areas of film finance, film packaging, corporate consulting, branding, licensing, endorsements and the representation of production talent. UTA operates the brand strategy agency The Brand Studio at UTA as well as New York and Los Angeles-based United Entertainment Group, a joint venture firm focusing on branded entertainment for Fortune 500 companies.

http://www.unitedtalent.com

Contact: Chris Day, 310-860-3723, [email protected]

The post University of Southern California Launches Accelerator With Kleiner, United Talent appeared first on peHUB.

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is teaming up with the talent and literary agency United Talent Agency and USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering to create what’s being called the Viterbi Startup Garage, an accelerator that will provide financial and other resources to select USC students and alumni. Applications will be accepted through Monday, April 22. Ten teams will then be chosen; they’ll work out of USC’s Information Sciences Institute in Marina Del Rey for twelve weeks beginning May 28.

PRESS RELEASE:

Today the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, in partnership with the prominent venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers (KPCB) and leading talent and literary agency United Talent Agency (UTA), announced the Viterbi Startup Garage, an early-stage technology accelerator designed to provide financial and other strategic resources to a select group of USC student and alumni entrepreneurs.

“We are very excited to provide our students world-class opportunities and resources by launching the first Los Angeles accelerator backed by a prominent University,” said Ashish Soni, Executive Director of Digital Innovation and Founding Director of the Viterbi Student Innovation Institute at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. “We believe that KPCB and UTA are ideal partners, given KPCB’s unparalleled track record in identifying and advising phenomenal entrepreneurs, and UTA’s track record in providing early-stage companies strategic assistance across a number of categories.”

Southern California produces a large number of talented engineers each year. The USC Viterbi School of Engineering, with approximately 1800 undergraduate and 3800 graduate students, attracts many of the top students from around the world. However, entry-level and accelerator opportunities in Southern California have always been sparse. As a result, graduates that ultimately spin-out and launch their own startups do so for the most part in regions other than Southern California.

USC, KPCB and UTA want to change the situation and create an environment customized for USC engineering students and graduates. This will help facilitate the growth of the Los Angeles technology marketplace, as well as encourage the best and brightest engineers to not only remain in Southern California, but to also flourish and further enrich the region. USC is also working with Los Angeles-based Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. to sponsor and support other initiatives within the Viterbi Student Innovation Institute (VSI2) in and out of the classroom.

“Talent is global, and we are very impressed by the quality of engineers emerging from USC’s Viterbi School,” said Mike Abbott, General Partner at KPCB. “The partnership with USC and UTA is an example of our intensifying efforts to identify and nurture the next-generation of technology leaders wherever they are in the world, adding to our strong track record of organizing and supporting pioneering development programs to build scalable successful businesses.”

As envisioned, the accelerator will provide financial grants, strategic guidance and mentorship to approximately ten companies, who will work out of the Viterbi Startup Garage facility, housed in USC’s Information Sciences Institute in Marina Del Rey for twelve weeks beginning May 28, 2013.

“We have been proudly advising technology startups for many years, and the Startup Garage will give us an opportunity to be even more hands-on with inspiring entrepreneurs who are working on groundbreaking ideas,” said Brent Weinstein, Head of Digital Media, UTA. “So many early-stage companies are media focused or media adjacent, that we feel Los Angeles is the ideal place to launch an accelerator in partnership with world class partners like USC and KPCB.”

The program will be formally introduced at USC on April 2, 2013 by Yannis C. Yortsos (USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Dean), Ashish Soni (USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Executive Director of Digital Innovation and Founding Director of the Viterbi Student Innovation Institute (VSI2)), Mike Abbott (KPCB, General Partner), and Brent Weinstein (UTA, Head of Digital Media).

“Innovation and entrepreneurship are the key ingredients of our knowledge-based society and a strategic pillar of the goals of the Viterbi School,” said Yortsos, Dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. “We are very pleased that we are in a position to launch this accelerator at our Information Sciences Institute, the birthplace of the Internet era.”

The Viterbi Startup Garage is one of several programs offered by the VSI2 which is a hub for innovation and engineering entrepreneurship that helps engineering students transform their ideas into successful business ventures. VSI2 board of advisors include Jeff Stibel and Peter Delgrosso from Dun and Bradstreet Credibility Corp., Jake Winebaum from Brighter, Bradley Horowitz from Google and Mike Abbott from KPCB.

Any USC undergraduate or graduate students or USC alumni who graduated in the past 5 years are eligible to apply to the Viterbi Startup Garage, with the requirement that at least one member of the founding team is an enrolled student in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering or a USC Viterbi alumnus. Applications will be accepted through Monday, April 22.

About the USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Engineering Studies began at the University of Southern California in 1905. Nearly a century later, the Viterbi School of Engineering received a naming gift in 2004 from alumnus Andrew J. Viterbi, inventor of the Viterbi algorithm now key to cell phone technology and numerous data applications. Consistently ranked among the top graduate programs in the world, the school enrolls more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students, taught by 177 tenured and tenure-track faculty, with 60 endowed chairs and professorships.

http://viterbi.usc.edu

Contact: Megan Hazle, 213-821-5555, [email protected]

About Kleiner Perkins
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has backed entrepreneurs in more than 500 ventures leading to 150 IPOs, 350,000 jobs and a deep strategic network. The firm invests in all stages from seed and incubation to growth companies, and has helped build pioneering companies like Amazon, Google, Intuit, Symantec, and WebMD. KPCB operates from offices in Menlo Park, San Francisco, Shanghai and Beijing.

http://www.kpcb.com

Contact: Christina Stenson, 415- 671-7676, [email protected]

About United Talent Agency
United Talent Agency is a premier global talent and literary agency representing many of the world’s most widely-known figures in every current and emerging area of entertainment, including motion pictures, television, digital media, video games, books, music, and live entertainment. The agency is also globally recognized in the areas of film finance, film packaging, corporate consulting, branding, licensing, endorsements and the representation of production talent. UTA operates the brand strategy agency The Brand Studio at UTA as well as New York and Los Angeles-based United Entertainment Group, a joint venture firm focusing on branded entertainment for Fortune 500 companies.

http://www.unitedtalent.com

Contact: Chris Day, 310-860-3723, [email protected]

The post Kleiner Perkins Joins with USC and United Talent Agency to Create L.A.-Based “Startup Garage” appeared first on peHUB.

We’ve seen some leaks lately regarding Google Babble, and we’ve seen many of those leaks debunked. This time, though, we’ve got a mock-up of Babble that actually looks believable. It was posted on a Dutch site called Skloink, so it’s not official from Google or anything, but it definitely looks like something we could actually see from Google in the future.

It takes on a very Google Plus-esque approach, which is something Google has been pushing hard for lately. There are also cards similar to what we see in Google Now and in the newer versions of the Play Store. So even though this isn’t definitely what Google Babble is going to look like, let’s hope Google sees this and takes notes. It looks like an extremely polished, extremely well done app.

source: Droid Life

via: Skloink

Come comment on this article: New (believable) Google Babble mock-up shows up

Celiac Supplies, a Brisbane area-based gluten free shop, has become a viral phenomenon, but not in a good way. As previously reported, reddit user BarrettFox posted an image of a sign the store posted on its front door, and it quickly became the subject of a great deal of mockery on and off the social news site.

The sign (as seen above) reads:

Dear Customers,

This policy is in line with many other clothing, shoe and electronic stores who are also facing the same issue.

BarrettFox’s image came under the title, “When they open tomorrow I’m going to see how many times I can walk in and out without paying the toll.”

Comments from redditors include:

“This store seems desperate to go out of business.”

“The thing that confuses me is: How is this allowable? Someone walks in, looks around, decides not to buy anything and starts to leave. They berate them until they pay? What if they hadn’t noticed the $5 fee sign and don’t have any money on them? If it was me, I’d say “Screw you.” and not give them a dime, walk out and refuse them any future business. They are asking to go out of business.”

“I don’t have my glasses. Does it say ‘Going Out of Business Sale’?”

“”Introducing the new loyalty program! Every $100 you spend you get 20% off your next purchase” Fixed that. I’m a small retailer, I have to compete with the internet, but many of my customers come to me because I make my store a positive and enjoyable experience. Most of them don’t even want a discount.”

At least one person sees where the store is coming from, commenting:

“Eh, I’ve been to a store before and then gone to Amazon to see their price. Amazon had a higher price but it was only by a buck or two, certainly more even after tax was applied. But I was already home, and it’d be delivered to my door, so I just ordered through Amazon.
Now I have a smartphone and just check the price in the store. Also, now Amazon charges tax.”

The store’s owner assumes people are leaving without buying anything and going to buy products at a supermarket chain or online. Perhaps one alternative for the store would be to sell products online (they have a site, just apparently not one that sells products), and advertise that site on a sign on the door.

By the way, this story comes from reddit’s WTF section.

ANF Technology raised about $13 million in a round arranged by FPI Innovation Fund LP. The company makes an aluminum oxide nano fiber. FPI led a $1.3 million seed investment in ANF in 2010 and in 2012 the company received a second round investment of $600,000 with two new co-investors participating.

PRESS RELEASE

Venture Capital FPI Innovation Fund LP attracts €10 million co-investment into ANF Technology, the producer of NAFEN™

Global profile of NAFEN™ expected to increase significantly
Major industrial companies currently testing NAFEN™ samples

LONDON & TALLINN – 26 March 2013. FPI Innovation Fund LP, (“FPI”), the seed and venture capital fund targeting high return investments in the scientific, engineering and entrepreneurial sectors, today announces it has attracted and arranged a co-investment of €10m into ANF Technology, the producer of NAFEN™. NAFEN™ is the first ever superior-grade aluminum oxide nano fiber to be produced at commercially viable industrial volumes.

FPI typically invests directly at the earliest stage in a company’s development, when risks are higher but competition and required capital commitment are much lower. In the case of ANF Technology, FPI has subsequently attracted sophisticated co-investors at a later stage when risks have been reduced, business strategy developed and the core team has been built. This current third round of funding represents a commitment from the venture capital division of a major family office.

NAFEN™ is a breakthrough development in materials science. NAFEN™’s outstanding physical and mechanical properties, available at large scale production volume with commercially viable pricing, provide industrial players with the potential to unlock innovation across a wide variety of applications, ranging from aviation to biomedicine.

Alexander Timofeev, Managing Partner at FPI, commented: “To date, low nanomaterial production volumes and high prices have held back the wider application of nanotechnology at a mass scale. We are delighted to have identified and arranged this third round of investment, the largest to date, which is a strong commitment to support NAFEN’s widespread adoption across multiple industries”.

Tim Ferland, ANF Technology’s Business Development Manager for North America, said: “FPI has attracted a committed pool of sophisticated investors into ANF Technology. This latest round is the clearest indication that investors are confident in ANF Technology’s scientific pedigree and business acumen. We expect the global profile of NAFEN™ to increase significantly as the testing of NAFEN™ samples develops into long-term commercial partnerships.”

FPI had previously led a €1m first seed investment round into ANF Technology in June 2010. In early 2012, ANF Technology received a second round investment of €0.5m, with two new co-investors participating.

The previous financing rounds enabled ANF Technology to begin synthesizing (producing) NAFEN™ at commercially viable industrial volumes. The new funding provides ANF Technology with the necessary financing to scale-up production levels and drive the introduction of NAFEN™ to the most promising target business sectors globally. The  €10m investment is divided into two tranches of €2m and €8m.

Major industrial companies are currently testing NAFEN™ samples to determine its competitive advantage in materials and composites development, and how it can be used to boost application critical performance in extreme environments. Potential applications include composite ceramics, metal-matrix composites, paints and coatings, fuel cells, polymer composites, catalysts, electronics, filtration, biomedicine, advanced abrasives, aviation and aerospace.

FPI Innovation Fund LP is a seed and venture capital fund focused on transforming hi-tech scientific and intellectual property ideas into market-oriented and commercially effective business reality. The Fund identifies projects in Russia as well as globally with the focus on Russian speaking scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs from the former Soviet Union, many of whom have emigrated but still maintain strong professional ties to their native countries. The FPI team combines the experience of specialist scientists and investment professionals with an international level approach to investing in hard-to-access yet promising scientific, engineering and entrepreneurial sectors.

Aleksandr Timofeev, Managing Partner at FPI, commented: “Attractive seed capital projects are available in our sectors, but it takes specific skills and effort to find, reposition, restructure and develop them into commercial success. The FPI team is highly experienced in managing complex scientific projects from startup through to commercialization. We examine projects at their earliest stage, even before the business model is formed, to actively develop them using a hands-on approach, devising value-building strategies and working in partnership with the Russian and global investor community”.

FPI meets the gap between the major research breakthroughs by elite scientists from the former Soviet Union and the current low level of competence available in early stage venture investing into such opportunities. In this way, FPI brings together “smart money” with the demand for “smart ideas”, supporting the commercialization mechanisms in the area of industrial technologies.

The post ANF Technology Raises About $13M appeared first on peHUB.

Twice a year, many of the finest restaurants in the Boston area participate in a discount promotion called Restaurant Week. Diners are offered an attractively priced “special” three course menu (typically with a few options for each course) — this year lunch is $20.13 and dinner is $38.13

This successful promotion — which is offered in many U.S. cities — packs restaurants and provides lessons that all businesses can learn from about discounting.

Lesson 1: Don’t crowd out full-paying customers. Restaurant Week is offered during low demand time periods — usually during the end of the summer (August) and spring break (March).

Lesson 2: Don’t encourage cannibalization. By this, I mean try to minimize the chance that customers who would have paid full price take advantage of the discount. For instance, No. 9 Park, a top Boston restaurant, doesn’t include its signature “prune-stuffed gnocchi” as part of its Restaurant Week menu. Instead, it offers new menu items that are likely lower cost. As a result, die-hard fans of prune-stuffed gnocchi can’t order it at a discount.

Lesson 3: Drop the dream of “they’ll try it at a deep discount and come back to pay full price.” We’ve been down this road several times. As Groupon has empirically proven, consumers don’t behave this way. Quite simply, most diners who come for the Restaurant Week promotion are deal seekers who will probably not come back…until the next time there is a deal. And to be clear, this is okay – if discount diners aren’t taking up a table that would have otherwise been occupied by a full-paying customer, it makes sense to reap the incremental margin.

Lesson 4: Capitalize on consumers’ “mental accounting” behavior. Richard Thaler, a well-regarded University of Chicago economics professor, believes that consumers establish mental accounts for specific occasions. So, if they save money on an occasion — say, dining out at a fine restaurant — it’s hard for them to mentally transfer these savings to another “account.” Thus, we’re tempted to spend it on the occasion. In my case, since I get such a good deal on the three course meal, I feel that I have some extra “house money” to blow on profit-laden extras (such as cappuccino, instead of coffee) instead of saving the money for another use.

Regardless of whether you are selling a service or product, the key to taking advantage of this mental accounting behavior is to provide upgrade choices. Many Restaurant Week participants, for instance, offer meal supplement options (to upgrade to a better course) as well as deals on wine. Proactive suggestion allows consumers to envision a richer experience and given that they have extra “budget” in their mental accounts, are tempted to spend it. Sure, diners end up enjoying an enhanced meal at less than the regular price — they get a bargain. But by encouraging diners to spend their mental account surplus, restaurants reap a higher profit.

While discounting is a common pricing strategy, most companies execute on it poorly. Instead of offering whimsical “finger in the air” price breaks which can gut profits, following the above pricing guidelines can rationally generate growth and most importantly, earn significantly higher profits.

T-Mobile sounded the death knell of contracts and phone subsidies on Tuesday at its Un-carrier event in NYC, but it is maintaining another unpopular practice in the mobile industry: locking phones.

Customers who buy a device from T-Mobile through one of its financing plans (for instance, the iPhone 5 can be had for $100 up front and 24 monthly payments of $20) will still get locked devices. But T-Mobile CMO Mike Sievert said whenever a customer finishes paying off his or her financing plan, T-Mobile will unconditionally unlock the device.

Earlier this month, I wrote that the phone locking was a symptom of the broken subsidy model used by carriers. T-Mobile is now fixing the subsidy system, but it’s not ending the practice of locking. What gives?

Well, the answer is a bit nuanced. Instead of diving headlong into the murky depths of full-cost devices, where customers wind up fronting the costs of a $500 or $600 smartphones on day one, T-Mobile is easing customers into the model with interest-free financing plans.

Though it’s separating the device from service plan – and eliminating the contract in the process – T-Mobile is still on hook for the device cost, and it wants ensure that its customers won’t take their new iPhone or Galaxy S 4 and then bolt to another carrier. As with any loan, customers are still bound by financing contract, but T-Mobile wants extra insurance that they won’t renege.

T-Mobile USA CEO John Legere

At the event on Tuesday, T-Mobile went to lengths to explain that it is against the idea of locking all phones for the mere sake of binding customers to a specific carrier. In fact, T-Mobile hopes to benefit enormously from an unlocked device market, said T-Mobile USA CEO John Legere. He’s hoping AT&T customers will take their out-of-contract and unlocked devices over to T-Mobile, giving them a second life on T-Mobile’s network.

Legere also said that T-Mobile is a strong advocate of device portability — Customers can take an unlocked phone to T-Mobile for a month, and if they’re not happy they can move on to the next carrier. T-Mobile expects to win out in any head-to-head contest with a major carrier over unlocked devices because it won’t be factoring contract subsidies into its pricing plans. “The rate plan is just going to be about the service,” Legere said.

With that philosophy in mind, T-Mobile will unlock any device as soon as the customer’s financial obligation for it is over. If a customer buys a phone up front, T-Mobile will unlock it, Sievert said. If they accelerate their financing agreement and pay the phone off early, then T-Mobile will unlock it, Sievert said. If they return the phone to T-Mobile before the contract ends, T-Mobile will credit their financing agreement with the current market value of the device, Sievert said.

It’s not an ideal situation. There are uses for unlocked phone even if you’re sticking with your service provider – traveling overseas for instance – but I can understand why T-Mobile is imposing the locking practice. Ultimately it seems that if we want to be free of the carrier yoke entirely, we’ll have to start buying our devices outright.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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There is an inherent struggle between phone manufacturers and carriers. Each wants to control the end user experience. Verizon has been hugely aggressive in this. When you buy a new Android smartphone, you’ll notice a number of pre-installed Verizon-braneded apps, such as VZNavigator and Verizon Tones. They recently nixed its MP3 music sales channel thanks to competition from Google Play and iTunes. But it appears they’re fighting back on at least one front: gaming.

Today Verizon announced a new gaming portal, powered by PlayPhone. It will in many ways resemble Apple’s Gaming Center, in that it allows people to hook up over their internet connections and play games together. It is, in other words, something of a social network for mobile gaming. At the same time, it will utilize other social networks for sharing, which should increase the service’s visibility.

Verizon will launch the service by preinstalling it on a number of new Android devices. That’s certainly an annoyance for some, but given the number of apps Verizon already installs on Android devices it shouldn’t cause too much customer dissatisfaction. It’s really the best way for Verizon to push the service. For current Android customers, a software update should be coming soon enough.

While the preinstall breaks down one barrier, Verizon’s account billing breaks down a perhaps more important one. How many users, for instance, forego purchasing an app or game through Google Play, because they don’t want to enter their credit card information (or don’t have a credit card)? Carrier billing can increase sales by reducing friction. The challenge will come with secondary lines on family accounts. The primary account needs to not only have control over purchases, but needs to be made aware of the potential in the first place. The last thing Verizon needs is a group of parents complaining after the fact that they didn’t know they had to limit such activity.

The specific focus on games could lead to a greater level of social engagement than those games found in Google Play. When you browse Google Play there is a a huge selection of content, from apps to games to MP3s to videos. By picking its battles and sticking with just games, the Verizon/PlayPhone experience could become a positive for many casual smartphone gamers.

Android is certainly a good place to start, but in order to realize success Verizon needs to get this on iOS devices as well. Preinstallation is likely not an option here, but the availability of the PlayPhone app will make a big difference. Apple will likely push back, seeing as it competes with Apple’s own social gaming platform. And there we have the struggle. Will Verizon prevail and horn in on the mobile gaming market, or will Apple hinder their efforts?

Via Phone Scoop.

The post Verizon Makes Social Gaming Play With PlayPhone appeared first on MobileMoo.

BlackBerry has announced the availability of new television content for US customers of the all-new BlackBerry Z10. The new shows come by way of deals with PBS, Univision and Viacom and include shows from Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Downton Abbey, and Spanish soap operas.

The launch of BlackBerry 10 in the US has opened up the world’s largest BlackBerry market to new TV content. There are no shortage of clients wanting to check out some of the mobile video streaming capabilities of the media savvy BlackBerry Z10 and are now able to buy episodes in BlackBerry World.

An interesting fact from the press release is the immense popularity of Hispanic content in the mobile space, which is said to dominate all other genres by double digits.

Want to check out TV and Movie content on your BlackBerry 10 device? Click on BlackBerry World and place a search, the new BlackBerry World puts video and music results right below apps.

Burgeoning populations and pockets of lagging technology infrastructure make Asia a prime location for IT development. Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt surely thinks so with his recent stint of trips across the continent, where he’s been spreading messages of open internet and much more. Click on our map below to see what else he’s been up to.

Seoul, South Korea

Sept. 27, 2012: Last year Schmidt took a trip to much less controversial South Korea, where he met with Samsung execs, promoted Nexus 7 and showed a sillier side by dancing along with Psy and his viral “Gangnam Style.”

Pyongyang, North Korea

A March cyber attack on South Korean computer networks has been traced to an IP address in China, despite many experts suspecting the attacks to originate in North Korea.  (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Jan. 7, 2013: Google’s executive chairman took what many saw as a strange and controversial trip to North Korea, where he advocated for a free and open internet in what he calls “the last really closed country in the world.”

Beijing, China

During a April 2006 trip to Beijing, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt spells Chinese characters “Gu Ge”  at the inauguration of the company new Chinese brand name. (Photo by Guang Niu/Getty Images)

Feb. 20, 2013: Attending a TED-like event known as Geek Park, Schmidt made his first public appearance in China in three years. In his hour-long talk, he discussed Google’s Android operating system and encouraged developers to write apps for it.

New Delhi, India

New Delhi (Thinkstock)

March 21, 2013: While on a trip to the Big Tent Activate Summit in New Delhi, Schmidt warned about heavyhanded control over the internet in China, where he had visited the month before, and advocated for better IT infrastructure in India.

Yangon, Myanmar

Old colonial palace in Yangon, Myanmar. (Thinkstock)

March 22, 2013: Schmidt became the first top  U.S. executive to visit Myanmar after its decades-long military dictatorship. There he promoted a free and open internet in a country ripe for IT expansion.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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Hot off the heels of its newly-announced 4G LTE network, T-Mobile has finally given up the deets on the pricing and availability of its upcoming higher profile devices. It has announced it will launch the Galaxy S 4 on May 1st, while the One smartphone will launch at some point in April. Additionally, the nation’s fourth-largest carrier will offer each flagship device for the incredible price of only $99 on a 24-month contract. The best news is that T-Mobile has highlighted the 24-month contract for customers can be canceled at any point within the contract, so long as the device is fully paid for.

So now that the juicy details have finally been given up, you T-Mo customers can feel free to make the appropriate plans to grab one of the two awesome devices now.

Come comment on this article: T-Mobile announces the launch details for the HTC One and Galaxy S 4 smartphones

There are plenty of web services around which can try to help you find a stolen computer. Usually this involves equipping your system with a small agent of some kind, which then uses the system IP address, wifi connections and more to determine its current location, before communicating this to a central server.

If you’d like something more lightweight, though, there are a few simple free tools around which you might like to try. IPFetcher, for instance, won’t grab images from your webcam, and can’t lock down your system remotely. But it can retrieve a system’s IP address, then email or upload it to an FTP server, and that’s more than enough to be useful.

The program arrives as a compact (1.2MB) download. Unzip this, install the two components included (IPFetcher.msi and IMFetcherBackend.msi) and reboot your PC.

Launch IPFetcher from the Softraven section of the Start menu, and click either “Set FTP” or “Set Mail”, depending on which method you’d like to use. In both cases you’ll need to complete a form with your server names, account details and so on.

Setting up the program is awkward – but you only have to do it once

The “Set Mail” page includes a “Test Mail” button, which in theory should send a test message to confirm your settings are correct. But in practice this didn’t work for us. If we tried it, the program interface would first stop responding for a while, before displaying a horribly technical .NET error message (even though we’d entered the right information).

There are other setup problems, too. Once you’ve completed the form you’ll probably click “Save”, but this just displays a less than clear error message. You’ll have to click “Set interval and log” and set both the “Reset log count” and “Repeat hours” (how often the location will be sent) values; “200″ and “24 hours” will be fine for now. We would manually start the service, too, just in case (click Service Settings > “Click to manually start Service”).

Finally, enter a password in the box, click Save and reboot your PC.

If this sounds all a little irritating, then it certainly was. But if you’re interested in the idea, don’t let it put you off. Once we were past the clumsy setup process we found IPFetcher worked very well, correctly retrieving our external IP address and emailing or uploading it as we’d specified. And there’s no further maintenance required, unless you change your email account or FTP server, anyway — it just works.

Photo Credit: Matt Antonino/Shutterstock

Putting the screws to an old hot-rod or muscle car is one of the best feelings on the planet. They rattle, shake and throw you around like nothing else, and at days end, make you feel like you’re actually driving something mechanical. There are no anti-lock brakes, airbags or even independent suspension systems. Just a big engine, a solid-live axle in the rear and the perma-grin that’s plastered on your face as soon as you hit the gas.

Source: Cal Thorley

The state of Nevada granted a first-of-its-kind license to a U.K. company last week to operate online poker games in the state. The move will help return internet gambling to American shores but, according to a gaming insider, the value of the license is, for now, closer to a pair of deuces than a royal flush.

The news, in case you missed it, came last Friday when a company called 888 confirmed it will begin operating online poker games as soon as May alongside established casinos like Treasure Island and Caesars. The move comes in response to the federal government’s decision in 2011 that online gambling is no longer illegal if states explicitly permit it; Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have so far passed laws to allow it.

So why is the 888 news not a big deal? According to a source who works in the gambling industry, 888′s opportunity comes with two major strings attached: it is limited to players physically in the state of Nevada and it only covers poker. The second condition is important because poker depends on player liquidity, which means it is less lucrative for the house than games like roulette or slots.

The source, who did not want to be identified, added that the online gambling industry is focusing instead on developments in New Jersey which has a much larger population (8.8M versus 2.7M in Nevada) and where the state law permits all casino floor games, not just poker.

In the bigger picture, even New Jersey is unlikely to be a game changer given that online gaming companies still have to cater to players on a state by state basis.

“It’s like taking the stock exchange and dividing it by 50. You have to ring fence players, and then account for whether the legal age is 18 or 21,” said the source, adding that the industry is crossing their fingers for a big state to come on board. “If Texas or California falls, that would be a more interesting thing.”

The online gaming industry, which was chased out of the United States in 2006, is also hoping for a bigger breakthrough in the form of new federal legislation that would establish unified rules and protocols across the country.

The outcome is important because potentially hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake for online gaming giants like Bwin that currently operate in Britain and elsewhere, and for fading social gaming sites like Zynga that are desperate for a new revenue stream. Finally, casino centers like Atlantic City are desperate to get a piece of the online action to make up for business they’ve lost to other states and venues.

(Image by  Doug Stevensvia Shutterstock)

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In a long-overdue announcement, T-Mo has officially unveiled its full-fledged 4G LTE network. Among the first customers to enjoy the speedy gains are those living in the following metro areas:

• Washington-Baltimore
• Kansas City
• Houston
• Las Vegas
• Phoenix
• San Jose

Don’t think T-Mobile is stopping there either. Complimenting the newly announced network is the announcement of the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One smartphones having full LTE support, while the Galaxy Note II is also slated to have support as well (but you knew that already). T-Mobile also pledges that it will expand its LTE reach later this year and well into next year… but again, you knew that already too.

Come comment on this article: T-Mobile formally announces its 4G LTE network

Greenbriar Equity Groupis moving forward with its previously-announced plans to acquire all outstanding shares of EDAC Technologies, a Farmington, Conn.-based maker of aerospace and industrial components.

PRESS RELEASE:

EDAC Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: EDAC) (the “Company” or “EDAC”) and Greenbriar Equity Group LLC (“Greenbriar”) today announced that GB Aero Engine Merger Sub Inc. has commenced the previously-announced tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company at a price of $17.75 per share, net to the seller in cash without interest. GB Aero Engine Merger Sub Inc. and its parent company, GB Aero Engine LLC, are affiliated with Greenbriar.

On March 18, 2013, the Company and Greenbriar announced that the Company and affiliates of Greenbriar had entered into a definitive merger agreement on March 17, 2013 pursuant to which the tender offer would be made. Pursuant to the merger agreement, after completion of the tender offer and the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, the Company will merge with GB Aero Engine Merger Sub Inc., and all outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, other than shares held by GB Aero Engine LLC, GB Aero Engine Merger Sub Inc. or the Company and shares held by the Company’s shareholders who are entitled to and have properly exercised dissenters’ rights under Wisconsin law, will be automatically cancelled and converted into the right to receive cash equal to the $17.75 offer price per share.

After careful consideration, the board of directors of EDAC unanimously approved the merger agreement, the tender offer, the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, and declared that the terms of the merger agreement, the tender offer, the merger and the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement are fair to and in the best interests of the shareholders of EDAC. Accordingly, EDAC’s board of directors unanimously recommends that shareholders of EDAC accept the tender offer and tender their shares into the tender offer, and if required by applicable law, adopt the merger agreement.

Today, GB Aero Engine LLC and GB Aero Engine Merger Sub Inc. are filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a tender offer statement on Schedule TO, including an offer to purchase and related letter of transmittal, setting forth in detail the terms of the tender offer. Additionally, the Company is filing with the SEC today a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 setting forth in detail, among other things, the recommendation of the Company’s board of directors that the Company’s shareholders tender their shares into the tender offer. The completion of the tender offer is subject to customary conditions, including, among others, the satisfaction of a minimum tender condition and the expiration or termination of applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”).

The tender offer and withdrawal rights are scheduled to expire at midnight, New York City time, on Tuesday, April 23, 2013, unless extended or earlier terminated in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated is serving as exclusive financial advisor and Robinson & Cole LLP is serving as legal counsel to EDAC Technologies Corporation. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel to Greenbriar Equity Group LLC.

About EDAC Technologies Corporation

EDAC Technologies Corporation (or the “Company”) is a diversified manufacturing company serving the aerospace and industrial markets. In the aerospace sector, EDAC offers design and manufacturing services for commercial and military aircraft, in such areas as jet engine parts, special tooling, equipment, gauges and components used in the manufacture, assembly and inspection of jet engines. Industrial applications include high-precision fixtures, gauges, dies and molds, as well as the design, manufacture and repair of precision grinders and precision spindles, which are an integral part of machine tools found in virtually every manufacturing environment. EDAC’s core competencies include extensive in-house design and engineering capabilities, and facilities equipped with the latest enabling machine tools and manufacturing technologies. EDAC’s acquisition of EBTEC Corporation in June 2012 expanded its services to the aerospace and industrial markets to include electron beam welding, laser welding, laser cutting and laser drilling, EDM, vacuum heat treating and abrasive waterjet cutting as well as expanding its markets to include semiconductors and medical devices. The Company’s acquisition of Smith-Renaud assets in October 2012 added centerless grinding systems and custom precision spindles, completing the EDAC Machinery product line.

About Greenbriar Equity Group LLC

Greenbriar Equity Group LLC, a private equity firm with $1.5 billion of committed capital, focuses exclusively on the global transportation industry, including companies in aerospace and defense, automotive, freight and passenger transport, logistics and distribution, and related sectors. Greenbriar invests with proven management teams who are interested in being significant equity owners in their companies as well as with corporate partners who are interested in raising capital. Greenbriar’s partners bring many decades of experience at the highest levels within the transportation industry. Additional information may be found at www.greenbriarequity.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995; including forward-looking statements regarding the anticipated acquisition of EDAC by an affiliate of Greenbriar, These forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “plans,” “seeks,” “projects,” “expects,” “believes,” “may,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “should,” and other similar expressions. Each of these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those, express or implied, in these forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that may cause differences between current expectations and actual results or developments, including risks and uncertainties associated with the anticipated acquisition of EDAC. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, uncertainties as to how many of EDAC’s shareholders will tender their shares pursuant to the tender offer, the risk that competing offers will be made, and the possibility that various closing conditions to the tender offer or the subsequent merger may not be satisfied or waived, and the risk that shareholder litigation in connection with the tender offer and subsequent merger may result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability. Other factors that may cause EDAC’s actual results or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements in this press release are discussed in EDAC’s filings with the SEC, including the “Risk Factors” sections of EDAC’s periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. All forward-looking statements in this announcement are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Unless required by law, EDAC does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

Notice to Investors
This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. The solicitation and the offer to buy shares of the Company common stock will be made pursuant to an offer to purchase and related materials that Greenbriar intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. An affiliate of Greenbriar will file a tender offer statement on Schedule TO with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the commencement of the offer, and thereafter the Company will file a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the offer. The tender offer statement (including an offer to purchase, a related letter of transmittal and other offer documents) and the solicitation/recommendation statement will contain important information that should be read carefully and considered before any decision is made with respect to the tender offer. These materials will be sent free of charge to all shareholders of the Company when available. In addition, all of these materials (and all other materials filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission) will be available at no charge from the Securities and Exchange Commission through its website at www.sec.gov. Investors and security holders may also obtain free copies of the documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Company by contacting our Information Agent, Georgeson, at telephone number (800) 223-2064 or Glenn L. Purple, at EDAC Technologies Corporation, telephone number (860) 677-2603.

The post Edac Technologies’ Acquistion by Greenbriar Equity Moves Forward appeared first on peHUB.