Lenovo loss less than expected with smartphone business improvements
Lenovo has released their second quarter financial results for the period that ended September 30th and although they experienced a loss, it was not as deep as had been estimated and expected. Lenovo says they were able to narrow the losses thanks to stronger than expected sales growth and improvements in their smartphone business. The net loss ended up being $714 million, beating the average loss of $803 million projected by analysts.
Looking at the Lenovo lines of business, the PC business continues to be profitable, but is slowing. That segment’s positive results are being offset by costs and results from the acquisition of server and smartphone units, including Motorola, last year. CEO Yank Yuanqing says Lenovo is shifting their focus away from China to other emerging markets due to the intense competition in China. With regard to Motorola specifically, Yang says the company is working to boost market share in mature markets like the U.S. and Europe.
According to Lenovo, the shift away from China when combined with additional cost cutting efforts, including job cuts, will help the company return Motorola to profitability within one to two more quarters of operations. Yang says he is confident Lenovo can also turn around the enterprise business purchased from IBM last year, reaching their target of $5 billion in annual sales within one year of the acquisition.
In terms of revenue, Lenovo saw sales in China fall by 12 percent when compared to the prior year. Despite that hit, revenues for the quarter still came in at $12.2 billion, which exceeded the $11.8 billion estimate. The improvements in sales and revenues have been offset by restructuring costs and impairments.
source: Bloomberg
Come comment on this article: Lenovo loss less than expected with smartphone business improvements
Amazon devices, Chromecast to get access to PlayStation Vue
Sony has announced that they are expanding support for their PlayStation Vue service to include Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick devices and to Chromecast. Support for the Amazon devices is starting today and Sony says the Chromecast support is coming soon. These new devices will join the PS4, PS3, iPhone and iPad as supported devices for subscribers to access PlayStation Vue.
PlayStation Vue offers subscribers a variety of content through the service, like SHOWTIME or Fox Soccer Plus. In addition, some multi-channel options are available in markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, and Miami. Sony is also changing pricing for some of the packages they offer, dropping a Core package from $59.99 to $54.99 per month while the Elite package will be $64.99, down from $69.99.
PlayStation Vue offers a free trial that users can sign up for at http://www.psvue.com. To help entice potential subscribers to not abandon the service after the free trial is up, starting on November 15th new subscribers will receive a free Amazon Fire TV Stick once they make their first monthly subscription payment. Subscribers do have to be in one of the cities where PlayStation Vue multi-channel packages are available to take advantage of this promotion.
source: PlayStation Blog
Come comment on this article: Amazon devices, Chromecast to get access to PlayStation Vue
New York Times’ virtual reality experiment with readers was massively successful
Google and the New York Times partnered together to get Google Cardboard in the hands of as many NYT subscribers as possible this past weekend, and it turned out to be a pretty successful experiment.
According to the Times, the #nytvr hashtag has been trending on Twitter all weekend, and more than 700 people uploading pictures and videos of themselves using the cardboard VR headset to watch the exclusive film that was promoted for this event, The Displaced. The movie covers the global refugee crisis and is only available to watch on the New York Times VR app.
The VR app had more downloads in its first few days than any other New York Times, and although you can still watch the film without cardboard, 92% of videos viewed within the app have been done in cardboard mode. That’s an impressive stat and it makes the future of Google’s ultra-affordable virtual reality headset look great.
source: New York Times
Come comment on this article: New York Times’ virtual reality experiment with readers was massively successful
LeTV launches their online LeMall in U.S.
Joining China and Hong Kong, the U.S. is now an official market for LeTV thanks to their online LeMall site. U.S. consumers may not be familiar with LeTV, but they are quickly rising as a popular electronics retailer in China. LeTV makes a wide variety of electronic devices available through the online store, including their own smartphones in the Chinese market. However, neither phones nor televisions are currently available through LeMall in the U.S.
Just this week, LeTV reported that they achieved $239 million in sales during the big 11:11 event in China. With the availability of a variety of LeTV accessories now available in the U.S. market, the company hopes to continue their growth. Part of that will be driven by the availability of LeTV televisions which the LeMall site indicates will be coming on November 16th.
If you are in the U.S. and tiring of the typical retailers for electronic accessories, you may want to check out LeMall using the source link below.
Come comment on this article: LeTV launches their online LeMall in U.S.
Shatterproof display on Motorola DROID Turbo 2 gets put to the test on ‘Good Morning America’
Device reviewers along with many smartphone enthusiasts around the world have put Motorola’s ShatterShield display tech to the test. Just this week, the famous drop test made it all the way onto ABC’s “Good Morning America show” on national TV.
If you’re still doubting the shatterproof display on Motorola’s new DROID Turbo 2, you might want to check out this drop test done on ABC’s “Good Morning America” show. The device gets dropped from multiple heights, beginning with 5ft. and never breaks a crack. Will 2016 be the year where shatterproof display’s become the norm on smartphones? We sure hope so! Check out the video at the link down below.
Source: ABC
Come comment on this article: Shatterproof display on Motorola DROID Turbo 2 gets put to the test on ‘Good Morning America’
Engadget giveaway: Win a set of SnapPower USB Chargers and a Guidelight!
You don’t need electrical know-how or have freshly renovated digs to get some of the latest built-in conveniences at home. One easily solution for adding USB charging or illuminated ambiance to your old wall outlets is to spend an estimated 60 seconds worth of effort installing one of SnapPower’s click-on products. The company’s Guidelights have been providing a late-night glow to customers with just a few twists of a screw and the company’s signature snap-on installation — no wiring involved. Now, SnapPower offers the same quick and easy access to built-in USB charging, without blocking access to existing outlets. This week, we’re passing on a 3-pack of SnapPower’s easy-to-install retrofit products for one lucky Engadget reader. Just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget for up to three chances at winning this tiny bit of built-in luxury.
Hyundai makes owner’s manuals more interesting with augmented reality
Augmented reality showrooms are one thing, but Hyundai using that tech to make learning about your new car more interesting. This week, the automaker announced its an augmented reality owner’s manual app for Android and iOS. The Hyundai Virtual Guide plays nice with both smartphones and tablets, offering details on repairs, maintenance and vehicle features. Hyundai says the app will only provide reference materials for the 2015 Sonata at first, but other models will be added soon after. There’s 82 how-to videos, six 3D overlay images for areas like the engine bay and over 50 guides to serve up all the details in a format that’s should be engaging that flipping pages. This isn’t the first time owner’s manuals have gone digital, but Hyundai says this is the first to include augmented reality. The apps are available now, free of charge, via either iTunes or Google Play. Slideshow-341185
Via: The Verge
Source: Hyundai
Storytelling in video games doesn’t have to be scary
Benjamin Rivers believes in the dramatic, emotional appeal of the video game industry. He’s the man behind Home, a surprisingly complex, pixelated horror game that found great success once it debuted in 2012. It’s praised for impressive narrative arcs that branch in twisted, unique ways depending on the decisions of each player, and this is precisely the type of story-centric design that delights Rivers. He sees video games’ potential to convey convoluted human experiences through strong narrative design, and he’s bringing these sensibilities to Alone with You, a science-fiction adventure due to hit PlayStation 4 and PS Vita in the spring.
Alone with You stars a lonely survivor on a planet due for implosion in a few weeks; players have to escape with help from the colony’s AI system, which eventually takes on the personalities of dead crew members. And, it’s a romance. A futuristic, interstellar romance starring just one actual human — because that’s the kind of storyteller Rivers is.
YouTube Music isn’t perfect, but it’s still heaven for music nerds
The new, ad-free YouTube Red subscription service that just arrived is only one part of Google’s big re-imagining of YouTube taking place this year. The odd-duck YouTube Music Key service has graduated from beta and is being re-introduced as YouTube Music. The new app is available today for Android and iOS users, and you can use it whether or not you’re signed up for YouTube Red.
At first glance, YouTube Music is a bit of an enigma — after all, Google already offers its own take on music streaming with Google Play Music. But after spending some time with the new YouTube Music app, it’s clear that the new service isn’t meant to mimic Google Play Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and all the rest. Instead, it’s a music service for the millions of people who already do most of their music listening straight through YouTube itself. And if you’re the kind of listener who likes to go deep down a band’s rabbit hole, the wild depth of unofficial music on YouTube makes this app a lot of fun.
Native Instruments uses 3D Touch for better mobile beat making
Native Instruments is a huge player in the music production and DJ world. Its Traktor DJ software and (myriad) hardware controllers are a favorite with digital crate diggers. The company also manages to squeeze Traktor (and Maschine) into surprisingly comprehensive iOS apps — but there’s obviously a trade off. That gap in functionality shrinks a little today with iMaschine 2, which has the ability to make complete songs (not just loops), and puts Apple’s 3D Touch — a feature that’s ripe for music making apps such as these — to clever use.
AIVAnet 