One of the world’s first gradient and curvature enhancement product to be offered for GPS has been developed by digital maps provider Tele Atlas. The system, called Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) presents a combination of maps, behavioral and environmental data to the driver in order to ease his/her way through unknown territories.
"The most powerful ADAS solutions will dynamically combine map, behavioral and environmental data, Jonathon Husby, Tele Atlas Vice Pre… (read more)
The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas is opening today and the opening keynote is designed to set the tempo for the annual show. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the stage to a packed audience and laid out what we might expect from Redmond this year.
Windows 7 is doing great according to Ballmer, due to the largest development process in history. Microsoft used 3,000 software engineers to bring Windows 7 to final form, worked with 50,000 partners, and had over 8 million beta testers to make sure that Windows 7 was ready for release in 2009. It is the OS that can work on screens of all sizes, from handheld slates to massive displays like that used in the keynote address.
The focus of Ballmer’s talk was directed more to the new philosophy that the consumer wants Windows on every screen in the house. It was clear that Microsoft is dropping the Tablet PC product name, in favor of the hot “slate” name that has been pushed into the media by the Apple tablet rumors. Ballmer didn’t mention Apple at all during his lengthy keynote, perhaps an unspoken acknowledgment of the competition Microsoft is feeling from those in Cupertino.
Ballmer demonstrated three slate computers that are in prototype stage, the primary focus being an unnamed slate from HP. The device looked to be a simple slate with few controls on the gadget, simply a touch screen for interaction. This slate is scheduled to hit the market later this year. It was clear from the demonstration that the media buzz about this mystery slate probably overshot the reality. It is simply a slate running Windows 7, without a keyboard. Nothing truly earthshaking. We saw a far more interesting slate yesterday from Lenovo.
A large focus of Ballmer’s keynote was the Xbox Live ecosystem, and it has definitely turned into one of huge proportions. Xbox Live will work with games, of course, but Pay TV is expected to provide a huge market for consumers. AT&T – runs on Microsoft Mediaroom software, and it all works seamlessly with Xbox Live. There is a concerted effort at Microsoft to get Pay TV totally integrated with Xbox, with all the revenue that represents.
Xbox Live will see the release of a new genre of game that Microsoft deemed the Psychological Action Thriller, in the form of a game dubbed Alan Wake. This game will tread in the waters of a new revenue model for games, with episodes being released over time that consumers can get through Xbox Live.
The entertainment business will be huge for Microsoft, with over 100 million songs and games having been downloaded to date. Zune video is now available in 18 countries, and that should continue to grow in 2010.
Microsoft is going to debut a new Xbox Live gaming ecosystem this year that focuses on retro arcade console games from the past. Over 1,000 games will be released over the next few years, and Live members can pick them up to build personal arcades. The goal is to provide a social network aspect to these personal arcades, with members able to invite others to play in their virtual arcades.
Microsoft is expecting 2010 to be the biggest year ever for Xbox Live. This was reflected in the amount of time spent during the keynote discussing these new efforts. There is a massive effort to merge TV consumption with gaming, and Xbox Live is Microsoft’s ticket to bring MS technology to every screen in the house.
Bringing the content to all screens includes the small screen of the Windows phone. Ballmer was proudly carrying the HTC HD2 around the stage during the keynote. He pointed out that Zune content and Xbox Live content will soon be appearing on the Windows phone screens. No timetable was given for this effort. Interestingly, that was the only Windows phone that was shown by Microsoft, despite their intention to release Windows Mobile 7 late this year. WM7 was not discussed at all, a rather telling example of where it fits in Microsoft’s overall strategy.
Roll Call speculates that Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) may not be retiring after all — he may trade his office in the Senate’s Russell Building for one in the Treasury. Could he replace Tim Geithner as Treasury Secretary? It’s not beyond the realm of possibility, but I doubt it.
Roll Call says:
For instance, several Democratic Senate aides noted that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is an extremely unpopular figure in the Senate. Geithner has also taken the brunt of the criticism for the administration’s handling of the economy and, these sources speculated, if the country’s financial picture does not brighten before Election Day, he could be the first secretary to leave the administration.
Although Dodd would appear to be well-situated to take control of Treasury if the position were to open, it may not be smooth sailing for his nomination.
I have a few thoughts about this. The conspiracy theorist pragmatist in me wonders if the Obama administration promised Dodd a prominent position — even if it isn’t Treasury Secretary — in order to secure his promise not to seek re-election. Dodd’s prospects of winning in November were relatively dim, and the Obama administration knows that it can’t lose any Senate seats if it wants to push through its ambitious agenda in the second half of its term. Powerful Senators tend not to be meek or humble, so I find it surprising that Dodd wouldn’t want to go down without a fight, unless he had some other incentive to throw in the towel early.
Yet, Roll Call makes an important point about potential trouble with the nomination process. There’s a reason why Dodd may have lost re-election: he’s become a very controversial figure, having been accused of being in bed with the banking and finance industry prior to the crisis. As Faiz Shakir at Think Progress notes:
Dodd’s cozy relations with Countrywide and A.I.G. could subject his nomination to a messy confirmation battle.
Obviously, Republicans won’t make the process easy, but given these allegations, I wonder if even Democrats worry that Dodd is too poisonous, particularly for very prominent administration post like Treasury Secretary. I also think the Obama administration might look like it has egg on its face if it dumps Geithner. Republicans would surely use that as an opportunity to claim that the President is admitting his economic policies administered through Geithner didn’t work. Politically, even if things are still bad in the latter part of this year, the Obama administration might be smarter to just use the “it takes time to clean up a mess this big, so we should stay the course” talking point instead of scapegoating Geithner.
So while I think it’s possible that Dodd could very well end up in the Obama Treasury in some capacity, I’d be pretty surprised if he got the top post. Maybe he could run the one of the new agencies that financial regulation seeks to create — like the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Something like that seems a lot more likely to me than Dodd replacing Geithner.
Bongiovi Acoustics today launched the first headphones to incorporate the Digital Power Station (DPS), a software based digital audio processor that optimizes program material for playback on a particular device. The headphones, which will be available mid-2010, are built to meet original equipment (OEM) automotive standards and will be distributed through AVG Group.
The DPS technology will allow the listener to hear music and audio that is as close to studio quality as possible … (read more)
Nice Mariah Carey may be, but her chances at the Oscars seem to be pretty nil at this point. The Academy, after all, is full of divas, and critics’ groups have mostly ignored her. The one running away with every best supporting actress award out there is Mo’Nique, who also seems to be very nice even though she plays a diva from hell in Precious.
Addendum: Some have said that Carey’s speech at the People’s Choice Awards was weird and incoherent. She sounded perfectly coherent while talking to reporters backstage.
Mariah opted for a white halter-style gown with blinged-out earrings while Nick went for the classic look in a black tuxedo complete with a black bowtie.
The night got even more exciting when Ms. Carey was announced as the Best R&B Artist and graciously accepted her trophy onstage.
Newly engaged Carrie Underwood had plenty to smile about, too. The singer, who picked up three awards last year, was named favorite country artist.
Other major winners included Lady Gaga (favorite pop artist), Johnny Depp (favorite movie actor) and Miley Cyrus (breakout movie actress). Woo hoo!
Queen Latifah MC’d the People’s Choice Awards, marking the kick-off of awards-show season in Hollywood. Follow the jump for the full list of winners …
Favorite MOVIE ACTOR
* Johnny Depp
* Brad Pitt
* Hugh Jackman
* Robert Pattinson
* Ryan Reynolds
Favorite MOVIE ACTRESS
* Sandra Bullock
* Anne Hathaway
* Drew Barrymore
* Jennifer Aniston
* Kristen Stewart
Favorite ACTION STAR
* Hugh Jackman
* Christian Bale
* Gerard Butler
* Shia LaBeouf
* Vin Diesel
Favorite COMEDIC STAR
* Jim Carrey
* Adam Sandler
* Ben Stiller
* Ryan Reynolds
* Vince Vaughn
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It’s a love triangle of the nerd kind!
Peter Orszag, President Obama’s budget chief, fathered a child with Greek shipping heiress Claire Milonas who gave birth to their daughter in November. Orszag jilted Milonas and became engaged to ABC financial correspondent Bianna Golodryga just a few months before the baby was born.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Found under: Windows Mobile, Awards, Best Freeware 2009, Winners, Announce,
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Nice Mariah Carey may be, but her chances at the Oscars seem to be pretty nil at this point. The Academy, after all, is full of divas, and critics’ groups have mostly ignored her. The one running away with every best supporting actress award out there is Mo’Nique, who also seems to be very nice even though she plays a diva from hell in Precious.
Addendum: Some have said that Carey’s speech at the People’s Choice Awards was weird and incoherent. She sounded perfectly coherent while talking to reporters backstage.
Mariah opted for a white halter-style gown with blinged-out earrings while Nick went for the classic look in a black tuxedo complete with a black bowtie.
The night got even more exciting when Ms. Carey was announced as the Best R&B Artist and graciously accepted her trophy onstage.
Newly engaged Carrie Underwood had plenty to smile about, too. The singer, who picked up three awards last year, was named favorite country artist.
Other major winners included Lady Gaga (favorite pop artist), Johnny Depp (favorite movie actor) and Miley Cyrus (breakout movie actress). Woo hoo!
Queen Latifah MC’d the People’s Choice Awards, marking the kick-off of awards-show season in Hollywood. Follow the jump for the full list of winners …
Favorite MOVIE ACTOR
* Johnny Depp
* Brad Pitt
* Hugh Jackman
* Robert Pattinson
* Ryan Reynolds
Favorite MOVIE ACTRESS
* Sandra Bullock
* Anne Hathaway
* Drew Barrymore
* Jennifer Aniston
* Kristen Stewart
Favorite ACTION STAR
* Hugh Jackman
* Christian Bale
* Gerard Butler
* Shia LaBeouf
* Vin Diesel
Favorite COMEDIC STAR
* Jim Carrey
* Adam Sandler
* Ben Stiller
* Ryan Reynolds
* Vince Vaughn
Related posts:
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Google (GOOG) has a problem most businesses would love to have: Its ~$22 billion search advertising sales are so huge, that it’s hard for the company to come up with new lines of business that produce enough revenue to move the needle.
So, when Goldman Sachs analyst James Mitchell says HTC’s new Google-issued phone, the Nexus One, could increase Google’s annual revenues by 9%, it’s time to snap to attention — even if James only thinks the phone will increase Google profits 0% to 2%.
Here’s James in a note today:
We look into unit volumes and costs at HTC, the Nexus One manufacturer, with Robert Chen, our colleague who covers HTC stock. We conclude that 3.5 mn Nexus One sales could boost Google’s 2010 revenue by about 9%, reduce its operating margin by 200 bps, and increase its EBIT by 0%-2%.
VOLUME: We estimate Google may sell 3.5 mn Nexus Ones in 2010, based on first-year sales for other HTC Android models of 1.5-4.0 mn; we adjust up for Google’s brand and down for limited availability in retail outlets.
REVENUE: 3.5 mn units at $530 per unit add $1.9 bn, or 9%, to Google’s 2010 net revenue. Google will book the full unit sales price (including carrier subsidy on locked phones) to its “licensing and other” line item.
MARGIN: We estimate HTC’s component cost at $300 per unit, boosted by the OLED screen and CPU. We assume HTC bears warranty, after-sale service, & R&D expenses of $50, and retains a $75 profit. We estimate Google’s R&D & marketing expenses at $50 or more, for a margin to Google of up to $55 per unit, or up to 10%, and a boost to Google’s EBIT of up to $190 mn, or 0%-2%.
Implications
Though the Nexus One should reduce Google’s margins, we assume few investors will penalize Google’s stock given: (1) We still expect Nexus One to be neutral-to-positive for Google’s absolute earnings. (2) We believe the real value of Nexus One lies in it helping accelerate mobile search activity on Google Android smartphones, as opposed to devices such as the iPhone, where Google pays traffic acquisition costs to Apple.
Valuation
Our 6-month target price of $670 is based on DCF and P/E to normalized growth, and equates to 24X our 2010E EPS of $28.38.
Key risks
Tougher competition in search once Microsoft’s alliance with Yahoo! receives regulatory approval; Apple retaliating in handsets.
Join the conversation about this story »
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Introduction- If you put one pedal through the metal, the second will have to follow
As hot hatches achieve new levels of performance and enter proper sport cars territory, the latter become more and more powerful themselves and threaten supercars. Some of these are so determined to maintain their supremacy that they mutate into hypercars. The German power wars create saloon monsters which feature previously unimaginable power figures. Tuners have also evolved and nowadays increa… (read more)
Nice Mariah Carey may be, but her chances at the Oscars seem to be pretty nil at this point. The Academy, after all, is full of divas, and critics’ groups have mostly ignored her. The one running away with every best supporting actress award out there is Mo’Nique, who also seems to be very nice even though she plays a diva from hell in Precious.
Addendum: Some have said that Carey’s speech at the People’s Choice Awards was weird and incoherent. She sounded perfectly coherent while talking to reporters backstage.
Mariah opted for a white halter-style gown with blinged-out earrings while Nick went for the classic look in a black tuxedo complete with a black bowtie.
The night got even more exciting when Ms. Carey was announced as the Best R&B Artist and graciously accepted her trophy onstage.
Newly engaged Carrie Underwood had plenty to smile about, too. The singer, who picked up three awards last year, was named favorite country artist.
Other major winners included Lady Gaga (favorite pop artist), Johnny Depp (favorite movie actor) and Miley Cyrus (breakout movie actress). Woo hoo!
Queen Latifah MC’d the People’s Choice Awards, marking the kick-off of awards-show season in Hollywood. Follow the jump for the full list of winners …
Favorite MOVIE ACTOR
* Johnny Depp
* Brad Pitt
* Hugh Jackman
* Robert Pattinson
* Ryan Reynolds
Favorite MOVIE ACTRESS
* Sandra Bullock
* Anne Hathaway
* Drew Barrymore
* Jennifer Aniston
* Kristen Stewart
Favorite ACTION STAR
* Hugh Jackman
* Christian Bale
* Gerard Butler
* Shia LaBeouf
* Vin Diesel
Favorite COMEDIC STAR
* Jim Carrey
* Adam Sandler
* Ben Stiller
* Ryan Reynolds
* Vince Vaughn
Related posts:
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
What has Google done to win the love of green energy geeks?
The company is all over the place today, with an extensive Q and A with company green energy czar Bill Weihl in Green, Inc., and a piece in Green Tech about the company’s new Google Energy subsidiary.
The search giant’s devotion to sourcing affordable green energy for its data centers and venture capital investments in eSolar, BrightSource and geothermal interest AltaRock Energy are all mentioned at length.
Weihl also talks about the company’s 70-20-10 approach to its internal investments on technology, from search to energy. He says.
Seventy percent is the main core services, 20 percent is the next layer of things right around the corner, and 10 percent is just wacky stuff. Some people might look at that and say, ‘I don’t see any relationship between that and Google’s business.’ And then maybe five years later they’ll say, ‘Whoa, it’s a good thing you guys thought about that.’
This seems great, because Google is a highly successful business that has transformed advertising, email and the Web in general.
But does the company’s track record in its core businesses give us any reason to believe it can do the same to green energy?
Weihl seems to think so, citing the company’s “culture of innovation.”
But some of this talk just smacks of hubris: If Google built a better search engine, why can’t it also develop a cure for cancer or make renewable energy scalable and affordable? Because success in one area does not guarantee, or even correlate with, success in the other.
One need only recall Google-backed AltaRock Energy’s recent abandonment of its Geysers drilling project to see how green energy can go wrong.
Green Tech’s story is a more measured account of the company’s attempts to pursue carbon neutrality and be able to buy green energy on the wholesale market, with approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
But this program too, smacks of overreach.
The company has invested about $50 million since 2007 in internal and external investments to make renewable energy cheaper than coal. Officials have lots more money to spend but they can’t find enough good projects out there.
Frankly, Google’s investments in this area are just too small for it to become, or to be a support hub for, the new Bell Labs of green energy.
Despite the buzz around Google’s Nexus One smartphone, other Android device makers are working to rise above the noise at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show. Motorola’s latest Android smartphone is the Backflip, but analysts aren’t too sure the market will do cartwheels over the device, especially in the wake of Google’s big announcement.
The Backflip promises social savviness and multitasking capabilities with a unique reverse flip design that aims to make it easier for consumers to watch videos, look at pictures, and listen to music. The device offers a QWERTY keyboard and a high-resolution 3.1-inch screen.
“Since introducing our first MOTOBLUR-based device, we’ve remained focused on differentiating the Android experience and bringing it to new carrier partners around the globe,” said Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of Motorola and CEO of Motorola Mobile Devices. “Backflip maximizes the multitasking and multifunctional potential of MOTOBLUR with its unique design elements, making it as smart as it is social.”
Motorola’s Reverse Design
The phone is called the Backflip because it reverses the traditional design by flipping in the opposite direction. When the device is in reverse-flip, tabletop mode, users can listen to music or watch videos hands-free. And a trademarked feature called Backtrack, a touch panel located on the other side of the device, lets users scroll through the Web, texts, e-mails and news feeds without obscuring the home-page view.
Backflip offers a full HTML browser with a touch display, 3G speed, and Wi-Fi access. The device boasts a five-megapixel camera with flash and the ability to upload photos to social-networking sites. Users can also tap into the Android Market and its more than 18,000 apps and widgets that allow smartphone customization.
The Backflip will be available in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia in the first quarter. But will it and other yet-to-be-announced Android smartphones be overshadowed by the…
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Not much, if you compare across the major economies’ GDP growth rates. Moderate policies in favor of greater equality seem to have little or no impact on average growth. I wonder if they also diminish the variance of growth (which would be a good thing)?
Read – DP Review, Olympus FE Series
Read – DP Review, Olympus µ- Series
Read – DP Review, Olympus µ Tough 3000
Olympus goes point-and-shoot crazy with nine new compact cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The first oil portrait of Princes Harry and William together has been unveiled at Britain’s National Portrait Gallery.
The painting shows the brothers in a casual pose wearing their military uniforms and medals. The portrait fratures the Princes wearing the dress uniform of the Household Cavalry, as worn for the Queen’s Birthday Parade in 2008. London-based artist Nicky Philipps crafted the painting, which is set in the Clarence House, the home of their father Prince Charles.
We’ve heard rumblings about this for a little bit, but a tip we just received gives a little clarity on the situation. Apparently RIM is going to make a non-camera version of the BlackBerry Bold 9000 pretty standard — not earth shattering. But, we’ve heard that RIM and some carriers might actually discontinue the BlackBerry Bold 9000 model with a camera, to get people up and over to a BlackBerry Bold 9700. Not the worst business move we’ve ever heard…
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We’re at Plastic Logic’s CES press event, where they’re at last showing off the finalized, market-ready QUE e-reader. Developing…
Plastic Logic debuts QUE touchscreen e-reader originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Neato’s XV-11 robot vacuum gets the hands-on treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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