When we saw Monogram show off its iPad app at 500 Startups demo day, it was instantly one of our favorites of the bunch. Well, we're not the only fans of the app, as the startup has raised $840,000 in seed funding led by Quest Venture Partners. Monogram has created an app that is like your own personal shopper on the iPad, taking the pain out of searching for your favorite brands or discovering new clothing lines that you might not have heard of. It seeks to eliminate the fragmentation in the e-commerce market, by aggregating the best clothing lines and deals from across multiple fashion-centric e-commerce sites and delivering them to you in one slick user interface. That way, users will no longer have to search multiple sites to find the clothes they're looking for.
SHANGHAI, Aug. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Acorn International, Inc. (NYSE: ATV) ("Acorn" or the "Company"), a media and branding company in China engaged in developing, promoting and selling products through extensive direct and distribution networks, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2012.
Summary Financial Results for the Second Quarter of 2012:
Net revenues were $46.1 million, down 44.3% from $82.9 million for the second quarter of 2011.
Gross profit was $23.2 million, down 34.1% from $35.2 million for the second quarter of 2011.
Gross margin increased to 50.3% from 42.4% for the second quarter of 2011.
Operating loss was $7.4 million, compared to operating loss of $0.2 million for the second quarter of 2011.
Net loss attributable to Acorn was $5.2 million, compared to net income of $3.8 million for the second quarter of 2011.
Diluted loss per American Depositary Share ("ADS") was $0.17, compared to diluted earnings per ADS of $0.13 for the second quarter of 2011.
"In the second quarter of 2012, we saw a 44% decline in revenue, primarily due to decreased demand for existing mobile phone models and slower-than-expected sales of new mobile phone models launched in the second quarter of 2012. Higher media costs continued to impact the Company during the quarter, with rates 17% higher than the same period last year.? In response, we reduced our TV advertising airtime by focusing on TV channels with the most effective media utilization and ceased the cooperation with less effective TV channels, which adversely impacted our TV direct sales, particularly for lower margin products.? We also discounted prices of our older electronic learning products in order to clear our existing inventory in advance of the July launch of our new products incorporating mobile internet interactive features.? Although we saw an improvement in gross margin and kept other operating expenses under control, we incurred a loss during the quarter," said Mr. Don Yang, CEO of Acorn.? "Going forward, we will seek to maximize the effectiveness of our media spending and accelerate new product launches to energize our sales platforms, diversify our product mix and help us return to a growth trajectory.? We recently introduced new product upgrades to our popular line of Yierjian fitness products that have been well received by our customers.? We expect to see accelerated sales of our new electronic learning products from recent levels in the third quarter and plan to launch new beauty products in October in advance of the peak season for cosmetics. We will continue to monitor China's mobile phone market and plan to test market new models in the second half of the year. Additionally we will cooperate with certain insurance companies to promote and sell insurance products.? Finally, we are also in the process of establishing a joint venture between Acorn and Guthy-Renker LLC ("Guthy-Renker"), which, upon completion, will sell Guthy-Renker branded products in China. We expect that such joint venture will be completed in the second half of 2012. "???
Business Results for the Second Quarter of 2012:
Sales of mobile phones generated revenues of $14.1 million, representing 30.5% of total revenues, in the second quarter of 2012.? Mobile phone sales declined 74.1% from the second quarter of 2011, primarily due to decreased demand for existing mobile phone models and slower-than-expected sales of the new mobile phone models launched in the second quarter of 2012.? The Company intends to launch new mobile phones models in the second half of 2012.
Sales of fitness products (namely our Yierjian product line first launched in the third quarter of 2011), performed well in the second quarter of 2012 and generated revenues of $13.7 million, representing 29.6% of total revenues. The Company expects the fitness product line to remain one of its major revenue drivers in 2012.
Other direct sales platforms, represented by third-party bank channels, outbound calls, catalogs and Internet sales declined 53% in the second quarter of 2012 as compared to the second quarter of 2011.? The decline in other direct sales was primarily due to the lower sales from third-party bank channels as the Company ceased its cooperation with certain banks where sales through these banks were unprofitable, and slower sales from outbound calls and Internet sales as a result of the lower-than-expected performance of newer products including newly launched mobile phones.
Second Quarter 2012 Results:
Total net revenues were $46.1 million for the second quarter of 2012, a decrease of 44.3% from $82.9 million for the second quarter of last year.? Direct sales contributed to 93.4%, or $43.1 million, of the total net revenues for the second quarter of 2012, a decrease of 44.3% from $77.3 million for the same period last year. The decrease in direct sales levels resulted mainly from a decline in sales generated from mobile phones, cosmetics and collectible products.
Distribution sales net revenues decreased 45.0% year-over-year to $3.1 million from $5.6 million for the second quarter of 2011, primarily due to the decreased demand for existing electronic learning device models and price discounts offered to distributors on older models prior to Acorn's launch of new electronic learning devices incorporating mobile internet interactive features.
The table below summarizes the gross revenues of the Company for the second quarter of 2011 and 2012, broken down by product categories:
2012?Q2
Sales
2011 Q2
Sales
$'000
%
$'000
%
Mobile phones
14,104
30.51%
54,495
65.61%
Fitness products
13,692
29.62%
N/A
N/A
Collectible products
4,133
8.94%
6,625
7.98%
Consumer electronics
3,069
6.64%
4,064
4.89%
Electronic learning products
2,335
5.05%
4,559
5.49%
Jewelry and accessories
1,708
3.69%
1,387
1.67%
Cosmetics
1,329
2.87%
6,541
7.87%
Health products
1,180
2.55%
1,627
1.96%
Other products
4,683
10.13%
3,763
4.53%
Total gross revenues
46,233
83,061
Cost of sales for the second quarter of 2012 was $22.9 million, representing a 51.9% decrease from $47.7 million for the second quarter of 2011, primarily due to the decrease in sales.
Gross profit for the second quarter of 2012 was $23.2 million, a decrease of 34.1% as compared to $35.2 million for the second quarter of 2011. Gross margin was 50.3% in the second quarter of 2012, as compared to 42.4% in the same period in 2011. The increase in gross margin was largely due to a shift in product mix toward fitness products sales, which generally have higher margins, and reduced sales of lower margin mobile phones. This was partially offset by lower average selling prices for electronic learning products.
Advertising expenses were $12.9 million for the second quarter of 2012, down 16.3% from $15.4 million for the second quarter of 2011. Gross profit over advertising expenses, a benchmark Acorn uses to measure return on its multiple sales platforms, was 1.80 in the second quarter of 2012, down from 2.28 in the second quarter of 2011. The decline was primarily as a result of higher media prices, as well as the decline in our sales.
Other selling and marketing expenses decreased 18.1% to $11.6 million from $14.1 million for the second quarter of 2011.? The decrease in expenses was not in line with the decline in our sales, mainly due to larger contribution of fitness products to total revenues, which have higher delivery costs, as well as the increase in labor costs of sales and marketing personnel.
General and administrative expenses were $6.6 million for the second quarter of 2012, representing a 3.0% increase from $6.5 million in the second quarter of 2011.
Other operating income, net, was $0.5 million for the second quarter of 2012, as compared to $0.6 million in the second quarter of 2011.
As a result, operating loss was $7.4 million, as compared to operating loss of $0.2 million in the second quarter of 2011.
Other income, primarily from interest income and income from the sale of the Company's Eroda trademark, was $3.0 million, as compared to $5.6 million in the second quarter of 2011.? In the year ago period, the Company generated investment income of approximately $5.4 million from the disposal of the equity interests in a jewelry sales company.
Share-based compensation was $124,392 for the second quarter of 2012, as compared to $34,116 in the second quarter of 2011.
The Company recorded an income tax expense of $0.9 million in the second quarter of 2012 as compared to income tax expense of $1.0 million in the second quarter of 2011.
Net loss attributable to Acorn was $5.2 million, as compared to net income of $3.8 million in the second quarter of 2011.
Diluted loss per American Depositary Share ("ADS") was $0.17, as compared to diluted earnings per ADS of $0.13 for the second quarter of 2011.
As of June 30, 2012, Acorn's cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash and short-term investments, totaled $110.5 million, as compared to $122.7 million as of December 31, 2011.
Other information:
In June 2012, our subsidiary, Shanghai HJX Digital Technology Co., Ltd. ("Shanghai HJX") received 18 court briefs and relevant case materials from Beijing City First Intermediate People's Court alleging that Shanghai HJX and Beijing City Large and Medium Sized Home Appliances Chain Sale Co., Ltd. ("Beijing Home Appliance"), infringed copyrights controlled by the plaintiff Yang Ya Zi Dian Co., Ltd. ("Yang Ya Zi Dian"). Yang Ya Zi Dian claims that in Mainland China it is the exclusive licensee of the copyright "Let's Talk In English" and "Studio Classroom" (the "Copyrights").? Yang Ya Zi Dian claims that Shanghai HJX's unauthorized use of the foregoing content on its website and its nine models of electronic learning products manufactured by Shanghai HJX and Beijing Home Appliance's sale of the foregoing products infringed upon the Copyrights, and brought separate lawsuits for each alleged infringement against Shanghai HJX and Beijing Home Appliance.
Damages or remedies sought by Yang Ya Zi Dian primarily focus on (i) monetary damages for the alleged infringements (possibly totaling up to RMB 10.8 million); (ii) termination by Shanghai HJX of the manufacture and sale of electronic learning devices allegedly infringing the Copyrights; and (iii) termination by Beijing Home Appliance of the sale of electronic learning devices manufactured by Shanghai HJX allegedly infringing the Copyrights. The Company is actively defending such allegations and the dates of relevant court hearings are to be determined.
Fiscal Year 2012 Business Outlook:
Due to lower-than-anticipated performance in the first half of 2012 and the overall macro-economic environment in China, the Company is revising its guidance. The Company now anticipates revenues between $260 million and $280 million and a net loss between $14 million and $16 million.
In the second half of 2012, Acorn will seek to improve effectiveness of its media spending by collaborating with its most effective TV channel partners to choose the best programs and times to air infomercials for its top performing products. Acorn also intends to build up new sales channels for its own branded products on the platforms of China's leading e-Commerce companies and plans to strengthen control and management of its distribution network, which is expected to have a positive impact on sales in the second half of 2012. The Company plans to further diversify its product offerings with seven to nine new products planned for the second half of 2012, including electronic learning products, fitness products, cosmetics and mobile phones, helping energize its direct sales platforms. At the same time, the management team remains focused on controlling costs and continuously improving operations.
These estimates and actions are subject to change.? Also, Acorn reminds investors that its operating results in each period vary significantly as a result of the mix of products sold in the period and the platforms through which they are sold. Therefore, the operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full year.? Consequently, in evaluating the overall performance of Acorn's multiple sales platforms in any period, management also considers metrics such as operating margin and gross profit return on advertising expenses.
Conference Call Information
The Company will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. ET on August 31, 2012 (8:00 p.m. Beijing Time) to review the Company's financial results and answer questions. You may access the live interactive call via:
A live and archived webcast of the call will be available on the Company's website at http://ir.chinadrtv.com.?
About Acorn International, Inc.
Acorn is a media and branding company in China, operating one of China's largest TV direct sales businesses in terms of revenues and TV airtime, and other direct sales platforms and a nationwide distribution network. Acorn's TV direct sales platform consists of airtime purchased from both national and local channels. Acorn's other direct sales platforms include catalogs, third-party bank channels, outbound telemarketing center and e-commerce websites. Acorn has built a proven track record of developing, promoting and selling proprietary-branded products, as well as products from established third parties. For more information, please visit http://ir.chinadrtv.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release contains "forward-looking statements," including, among other things, Acorn's anticipated operating results for 2012; Acorn's marketing strategy; Acorn's ability to maximize the effectiveness of its media spending and enhance media return; Acorn's ability to accelerate new product launches or further diversify its product mix, the potential impact on the sales of Acorn in connection with its new electronic learning products in the third quarter and the planned launch of new beauty products in October; Acorn's ability to test market new mobile phone models in the second half of 2012 or at all; any continued or sustained improvement in sales of Acorn's mobile phones, fitness products or electronic learning products; the Company's ability to successfully introduce new products and services as planned; Acorn's ability to enter into cooperation with certain insurance companies; Acorn's ability to complete the joint venture with Guthy-Renker in the second half of 2012 and the expected benefits from such joint venture; the ability for the fitness product line to become a major revenue driver in 2012; the Company's ability to further diversify its product offerings; its ability to defend any litigation and anticipated damages and remedies related to the alleged copyright infringement by the Company's subsidiary; and the Company's ability to further enhance its direct sales platform, strengthen its distribution channels and improve effectiveness of its media spending. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Company's belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. The Company's actual results and financial condition and other circumstances may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and financial condition indicated in these forward-looking statements. Acorn's business may not improve in the remainder of 2012 and the Company may fail to meet the operating results expectations. In particular, the operating results of the Company for any period are impacted significantly by the mix of products and services sold by the Company in the period and the platforms through which they are sold, causing the operating results to fluctuate and making them difficult to predict. The Company may not be able to maintain the sales and margin of such products at current level in the event that there is a change in the customers' preference, which may results in a material adverse impact on the Company's results of operations and financial conditions.
Other factors that could cause forward-looking statements to differ materially from actual future events or results include risks and uncertainties related to: the Company's ability to effectively consolidate the distribution channels, the Company's ability to successfully improve or introduce new products and services, including to offset declines in sales of existing products and services; the Company's ability to stay abreast of consumer market trends and maintain the Company's reputation and consumer confidence; the Company's ability to execute and maintain a successful market strategy, continued access to and effective usage of TV advertising time and pricing related risks; relevant government policies and regulations relating to TV media time and TV direct sales programs, including the new SARFT regulations and actions that may make TV media time unavailable to the Company or require the Company to suspend or terminate a particular TV direct sales program; potential unauthorized use of the Company's intellectual property; potential disruption of the Company's manufacturing processes; increasing competition in China's consumer market; the Company's U.S. tax status as a passive foreign investment company; and general economic and business conditions in China. The financial information contained in this release should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's 2011 annual report on Form 20-F filed with Securities and Exchange Commission on April 23, 2012. For a discussion of other important factors that could adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, see "Risk Factors" beginning on page 6 of the Company's Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. The Company's actual results of operations for the second quarter of 2012 are not necessarily indicative of its operating results for any future periods. Any projections in this release are based on limited information currently available to the Company, which is subject to change. Although such projections and the factors influencing them will likely change, the Company will not necessarily update the information. Such information speaks only as of the date of this release.
Statement Regarding Unaudited Interim Financial Information
The condensed, consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited. These statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) that we considered necessary to present a fair statement of our results of operations, and financial position. The results reported in these condensed, consolidated financial statements should not be regarded as necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. It is suggested that these condensed, consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our 2011 consolidated financial statements.
?
ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In US dollars)
December 31, 2011
June 30, 2012
(audited)
(unaudited)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
111,180,139
99,950,459
Restricted cash
1,556,852
512,577
Short-term investments
9,993,720
9,994,688
Accounts receivable, net
16,693,959
12,770,587
Notes receivable
-
536,752
Inventory
32,888,645
26,318,443
Prepaid advertising expenses
11,654,922
8,486,308
Other prepaid expenses and current assets, net
9,928,245
8,340,161
Deferred tax assets, net
3,465,795
1,204,261
Total current assets
197,362,277
168,114,236
Prepaid land use right
8,105,061
7,988,419
Property and equipment, net
29,803,901
28,589,110
Acquired intangible assets, net
2,126,596
1,961,355
Investments in affiliates
6,794,955
6,769,171
Other long-term assets
1,482,881
817,883
Total assets
245,675,671
214,240,174
Liabilities and equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
21,023,807
10,798,205
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
18,910,178
11,907,839
Notes payable
4,411,840
1,558,602
Income taxes payable
3,603,813
247,397
Dividend payable
467
122
Total current liabilities
47,950,105
24,512,165
Deferred tax liability
831,006
827,852
Total liabilities
48,781,111
25,340,017
Equity
Acorn International, Inc. shareholders' equity:
Ordinary shares
945,666
945,944
Additional paid-in capital
160,632,659
160,811,936
Statutory reserve
5,442,682
7,547,128
Retained earnings
10,517,590
989,400
Accumulated other comprehensive income
30,320,856
29,657,265
Treasury stock, at cost
(11,463,946)
(11,463,946)
Total Acorn International, Inc. shareholders' equity
Today in international tech news: Trade sanctions have prevented Iranians from playing the ever-popular computer game "World of Warcraft." Also: Australia grapples with data collection laws that one official likened to a police state; Chinese search engines juke results to stymie one another; VMware tries to tap into China's IT-heavy Five Year Plan.
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Isaac was downgraded to a tropical storm on Wednesday as it continued to batter the U.S. Gulf Coast, causing flooding and power outages but so far no discernible damage to refineries or offshore oil and gas platforms.
The National Hurricane Center downgraded Isaac from a hurricane to a tropical storm as of 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT). The storm center was 50 miles to the southwest of New Orleans and maintained wind speeds as high as 70 miles per hour.
U.S. crude oil futures dropped 84 cents to settle at $95.49 a barrel, and gasoline futures fell by around 0.7 percent on Wednesday, a sign that energy traders did not expect the region's oil and gas infrastructure to suffer major damages. Natural gas futures rose by less than 1 percent.
"The rigs offshore should be up in about a week," said Kenneth Medlock, an energy expert at Rice University's Baker Institute in Houston.
"The offshore facilities should be OK with regard to major damage ... I would not expect a prolonged production outage."
Shell plans to begin flyover inspections of its platforms in the central Gulf of Mexico on Thursday and could begin restarting them on Friday.
BP Plc and Chevron Corp said they were waiting for weather to improve before sending crews to inspect platforms and potentially restart them.
In Louisiana's southernmost parish, Plaquemines, waters flowed over a levee and prompted flooding. The area around the 247,000 barrel per day (bpd) Alliance, Louisiana plant owned by Phillips 66 was evacuated.
Phillips was unable to confirm whether the plant itself was flooded.
As of early Wednesday, U.S. government figures showed 95 percent of oil and 72 percent of natural gas production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico remained shut in. Platforms have been shutting down since last week as a precautionary measure.
Some 936,500 barrels per day of refining capacity, or 5.5 percent of the U.S. total, remained offline due to Isaac.
The U.S. Gulf typically accounts for 23 percent of domestic oil and 7 percent of natural gas production. The coastal region's refineries account for 45 percent of U.S. crude processing capacity.
LOOP OUTAGE
Isaac continued to cause dangerous storm surges and flooding as it pelted coastal Louisiana with rain. More than 650,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama had power outages.
The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) suffered a power outage due to a damaged transmission line. The line serving LOOP's facilities is located in a marsh, which could make its repair more difficult, utility Entergy said.
LOOP's offshore terminal normally receives crude imports but has been shut down during Isaac. It will again take cargoes once it reopens since it relies on diesel generators.
The power outage may affect LOOP's onshore terminal operations, including a storage facility, and curtail some crude shipments on pipelines, LOOP spokeswoman Barb Hestermann said, without offering further details.
LOOP's pipelines connect to refineries that account for around half of U.S. refining capacity.
Emergency management officials in Garyville, Louisiana, said there were no reports of flooding or damage at Marathon Petroleum Corp's 490,000 bpd refinery.
Independent refiner Valero Energy said crews were riding out the storm inside two of its shuttered Louisiana plants -- located in Meraux and Norco -- and would assess for any damages once Isaac had passed.
Louisiana typically processes around 3 million bpd in its plants, many of which are located in low-lying areas near the coast.
(Additional reporting by Selam Gebrekidan, Janet McGurty, Eileen Houlihan, Ed McAllister, David Sheppard and Robert Gibbons in New York; Writing by Joshua Schneyer; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Bob Burgdorfer, Marguerita Choy and Phil Berlowitz)
Source: wn.com --- Thursday, August 30, 2012 NEW YORK (AP) ? Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz has been selling 150,000 shares of Facebook stock a day out of the hundreds of millions that he owns. So far, he has shed 1.35 million shares for proceeds of $26.2 million, at prices ranging from $18.79 to $20.08. Moskovitz was Mark Zuckerberg's Harvard roommate when they founded Facebook in 2004. Moskovitz, 28, left Facebook in 2008 and started Asana, whose software helps manage projects. He has been disclosing the sales every three days. He did not sell any stock in Facebook's IPO. Facebook is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. Here's a look at his daily sales, average prices and ranges and proceeds for the day: ? Aug. 17:... ...
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"Content marketing" is a phrase I hear more and more these days, as brands increasingly create their videos, blog posts, and other forms of content to promote themselves, rather than just relying on traditional advertising. Now a startup called PostRelease has built what is, essentially, an ad network for content marketing, so that advertisers can ensure that their content gets distribution, while publishers can make some revenue. CEO Justin Choi says that publishers just add a few lines of code to their site (or installing the PostRelease plugin for WordPress and vBulletin) and create a template for sponsored posts, then the sponsored content starts running automatically. He argues that PostRelease should be more appealing to publishers than a service like Outbrain, because it isn't linking people to content on other sites, so they aren't necessarily driving readers elsewhere. Right now, for blogs, the sponsored posts always appear as the second post from the top, though Choi says the placements may become more customizable over time.
In 10 years, tablet computers will be archaic and obsolete. You will look back at the early 2000s, perhaps with an inquisitive child sitting on your knee, and laugh at how you carried a cumbersome, neck-straining, gorilla arm-inducing, larger-than-pocket-size computer around with you. ?It made sense at the time??
Desktops and laptops too, having already begun their slide into outmoded antiquity, will soon be nothing more than dusty cupboard-dwelling relics and museum exhibits.
The one form factor that will remain ? the last and only bastion of consumer computing ? will be the smartphone.
Inevitability
Over the last five years, smartphones have proven that they?re immensely capable. Through the continuing miniaturisation of tech and Moore?s law, smartphones are now approaching the levels of power seen on a desktop or laptop PC. In a few years, everything you do on your laptop today will be achievable on a smartphone. So why continue to use a laptop?
The only real argument for a larger device, such as a laptop or tablet, is the interface. As it stands, the keyboard is still the best way of inputting data, and some activities simply can?t be performed on a 4in smartphone screen. This will change, though.
In just the last few months, thanks in part to efforts made by Apple and Google (and others), voice recognition has finally reached the stage where it can replace keyboard input. Muscle-computer interfaces, infrared keyboards, brain-computer interfaces ? in the next few years, any of these could reach a level of maturity that deprecates conventional keyboards.
The display side of things is no different: Head-up displays (HUDs) like Google Glass, wireless contact lens displays, flexible OLED displays (pictured at the top of this article) and e-ink displays, not to mention bionic eyes all threaten to replace the 70-year-old tradition of a solid, immovable screen being the centrepiece of our interaction with multimedia.
In the next few years, the reasons for keeping a laptop, desktop, or tablet will grow very slim indeed.
Life in the smart lane
For a moment, just think about what it would be like if your smartphone was your only computer. You would always have your computer with you. All of your documents, photos, games, apps, and utilities would always be in your pocket, accessible at any time. If you want to check the time or your messages, just glance down. If you want to watch a TV show on the train, or edit a photo, just flip down your high-resolution HUD.
If everyone carries a smartphone, then the power of ubiquity kicks in. If third parties can assume that everyone carries a smartphone, imagine the potential applications ? it?s effectively the same thing as wearable computing, a dream that has haunted us for decades. You could use your smartphone as a passport, or as a credit card. Your smartphone could track your movements, and then pass the data off to commercial apps, or helpful services like Google Now. With additional sensors, your smartphone could constantly monitor your activity and overall health.
And then there?s my personal favourite: Docking stations. If you do need a large screen, a keyboard and mouse, and some nice speakers, then you can simply plug your smartphone into a docking station. You could have a docking station at home, in the office, at the airport, and they might even be dotted around town. With the high throughput of 60GHz wireless networks, a physical docking station might not even be required.
As a corollary, of course, an atomic computing platform would also give hardware and software makers a laser focus on just one primary form factor. Spurred by increasing power costs, ecology, a worldwide love affair with mobile computing, and very limited battery capacities, we are already seeing a global shift from faster to smaller and more efficient. If smartphones became the singular consumer-oriented computer, this effect would be dramatically magnified. Chip makers would be able to specifically target smartphones. Manufacturers could specialise their production lines and equipment. Software vendors, instead of messily porting programs and games between form factors, could focus on a single form factor and hardware spec.
With an atomic computing platform, smartphones would be cheaper, faster, last longer, and be much more capable than they are today.
The PC will never die
Over the last couple of years I have heralded the death of the PC on numerous occasions. Almost like clockwork, commenters are quick to point out that there are just too many applications where PCs will never be unseated ? especially by a smartphone. Commenters also point out that technology doesn?t die; it dies out, but it very rarely goes extinct.
In a world where smartphones rule supreme, and extra connectivity is provided by docking stations, there really is no hope for the PC. If it helps, you can simply think of a smartphone as a really small PC. In the case of Windows Phone 8, which shares Windows 8?s kernel, it really is a small PC.
This isn?t to say that larger general-purpose computers won?t live on, though. At least for the foreseeable future, there will be limits to just how much processing power you can squeeze into a smartphone ? and there will always be people who need or want faster computers to speed up their workflow.
Instead of desktop PCs, though, I think this gap will be filled by cloud computing. Within 10 years, most of the world will be blanketed with high-speed mobile networks such as LTE. At some point in the future, as mobile data throughput and latency improves, the cloud will simply become another resource ? another processor core ? that smartphones can tap into. Photoshop, for example, would perform lightweight edits locally ? but the moment you do anything complex, the cloud would kick in. Likewise, the cloud could be leveraged to bridge the gap between mobile and desktop graphics.
If technology has taught us anything, though, it?s that a time will come when chip making processes are so advanced that the SoC in your smartphone is 10 (or 100) times the speed of today?s CPUs and GPUs. Eventually, you won?t need the cloud as a crutch, or a desktop PC that you wheel out whenever you need to do some 3D modelling. Eventually, it will seem completely unfathomable that computing once consisted of sitting in front of a variety of large beige/black/silver cuboids. Heck, eventually, anything more than a brain-implanted interface will seem clunky.
Trust me, in a few years, when you have a single, pocketable computer that can do just about anything ? from streaming movies, to making contactless payments, to playing the latest version of Crysis ? you will wonder why you ever thought that tablets or ultrabooks would be the next big thing.
Published under license from Ziff Davis, Inc., New York, All rights reserved. Copyright ? 2012 Ziff Davis, Inc
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? The Senate's Republican leader is chiding President Barack Obama for focusing too much on music and golf instead of fixing the economy.
Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell plans to tell GOP convention delegates that the country knows what's on the president's iPod, but has no idea what Obama plans to do about a looming tax hike.
In excerpts from his prepared remarks, McConnell also takes a dig at Obama for playing too much golf. He says the president hasn't been working to earn re-election, but instead has been working to earn a spot on the Professional Golf Association tour.
McConnell says Obama wants to impose the kind of "government-imposed equality" that he blames for weakening the economies of Western Europe.
McConnell is leadoff speaker on the GOP convention's third night.
Remember when everyone in the tech industry sort of took a step back, looked at Pinterest, and said, whoa, this whole digital moms demographic might have some legs to it? Well, as it turns out, moms aren't just out there pinning recipes and home decor to their Pinterest boards - they're heavy-duty digital consumers across all channels, including not only social media, but also in e-commerce and on mobile. According to the findings of a new report released today by mobile ad network Mojiava?in conjunction with Distimo, moms are heavily engaged with their tablets and phones. One third own a connected device. They spend 6.1 hours per day on average on their smartphones - that's more than magazines, TV or radio, to put it in perspective. 62% use shopping apps and 46% took action after seeing a mobile ads. This an active, active group of users to target here.
Yahoo! News asked voters to pinpoint one single issue they'd like to see addressed at the Republican National Convention. Here are one voter's thoughts.
I am a 25-year-old soldier from Washington state, currently living in Fort Bragg, N.C. When it comes to what the GOP is talking about, let's just say it's just a bit near-sighted.
We all know we're at war and in a recession. We also know about shootings, natural disasters and other topics of hot debate. But we don't have a clue as to where we are going as a nation -- let alone as world.
For example: America gets excited about an electric highway that features recharging stations. Yet Europe is planning highways that charge cars as you drive on it. Why are there bullet trains in other countries, but we think they cost too much or are too risky? How are we the "richest country in the world," but we can't even afford to give our children a good education?
I tire hearing about where we are or where we were. The GOP needs to start talking about where we are going.
DAILY POST: This is SHOCKING!!! Family TV firing PREGNANT employees The Kenyan DAILY POST Media News, News 00:56 Monday, August 27, 2012?- A female employee of Family TV is planning to sue the Christian broadcasting station for firing her due to her pregnancy. It is also alleged that two more female employees have been fired in the past for the same.According to the employee whose name has been kept anonymous due to the sensitivity of the case, she fell ill on Tuesday at about 3 p.m. and the head of department gave her permission to go to Aga Khan Hospital Buru Buru branch for treatment.The employee was escorted by the media house receptionist, a scan and check up was conducted but she had to be admitted till Wednesday thus did not show up for work. The 7 months pregnant employee reported on duty on Thursday and was informed that the general manager Ken Masiolo had summoned her.Masiolo asked her how her baby was doing and she produced the medical reports, and told him it was faring well. He then handed her a dismissal letter.Apparently the employee will tie the knot with her fianc? this weekend. And according to her the media house has now refused to pay her terminal dues by crudely bringing into play the ?gross misconduct? clause in the employment contract.The firing of pregnant employees is both against human rights and women?s rights. She is planning to file a case against them and have justice served against her and other employees who have suffered the same.The Kenyan DAILY POST
2012 The Kenyan DAILY POST. All Rights Reserved. - Designed by Denno
When we saw Monogram show off its iPad app at 500 Startups demo day, it was instantly one of our favorites of the bunch. Well, we're not the only fans of the app, as the startup has raised $840,000 in seed funding led by Quest Venture Partners. Monogram has created an app that is like your own personal shopper on the iPad, taking the pain out of searching for your favorite brands or discovering new clothing lines that you might not have heard of. It seeks to eliminate the fragmentation in the e-commerce market, by aggregating the best clothing lines and deals from across multiple fashion-centric e-commerce sites and delivering them to you in one slick user interface. That way, users will no longer have to search multiple sites to find the clothes they're looking for.
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In 10 years, tablet computers will be archaic and obsolete. You will look back at the early 2000s, perhaps with an inquisitive child sitting on your knee, and laugh at how you carried a cumbersome, neck-straining, gorilla arm-inducing, larger-than-pocket-size computer around with you. ?It made sense at the time??
Remember when everyone in the tech industry sort of took a step back, looked at Pinterest, and said, whoa, this whole digital moms demographic might have some legs to it? Well, as it turns out, moms aren't just out there pinning recipes and home decor to their Pinterest boards - they're heavy-duty digital consumers across all channels, including not only social media, but also in e-commerce and on mobile. According to the findings of a new report released today by mobile ad network