Kamis, 27 Januari 2011

What's new on SlashGear.com

What's new on SlashGear.com

Speck Debuts new Covers and Sleeves for the MacBook Air 11” and 13”

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 03:36 PM PST

Speck launched three new products for the just released MacBook Air for those who want to protect it while keeping it looking light and sleek.  All three products will be available for the MacBook Air 11" and 13".


The PixelSleeve Air is a tight fitting sleeve that wraps your MacBook Air in a textured neoprene exterior with a soft micro-fleece interior.  Featuring Speck's trademark pixel-pattern design on the outside giving it grip and style, the PixelSleeve Air has also been made zipper-free so that it's airport security friendly.  The PixelSleeve Air will be available in February in Black, Aubergine, and Peacock for $34.95 MSRP

The SeeThru and SeeThru Satin Cases are two piece cases that snap onto your MacBook Air giving you a tight fitting hard shell protection.  The minimal design offers access to all the port areas and access to the back/hinge area.  The four rubberized feet on the bottom help keep your laptop in place as you open and close the screen.  The ultra thin plastic doesn’t add bulk to your MacBook Air while providing protection.  The sleek and shiny SeeThru is available in Clear right now, with additional colors Cobalt and Rasberry available in March.  The SeeThru Satin has a frosted look with a soft-touch rubber coating that still allows the Apple logo to shine through.  The SeeThru Satin is available in Black right now, with additional colors Aubergine, Mango, and Peacock available in March.  Both are $49.95 MSRP

[Via BusinessWire]

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Official IRS App for iOS and Android

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 02:16 PM PST

If you’re wondering where your tax dollars are going, you can now rest assured that some of it has gone to a mobile app developer. The Internal Revenue Service is now offering an app named IRS2Go that will track your federal tax refund.


To access your information you will have to enter your social security number. Here’s how it works from the IRS:

First, taxpayers enter a Social Security number, which is masked and encrypted for security purposes. Next, taxpayers pick the filing status they used on their tax return. Finally, taxpayers enter the amount of the refund they expect from their 2010 tax return.

After the above, you’ll be able to access the status of your refund and check it at leisure while on the go. The app should work within 72 hours of receiving confirmation that the IRS received your return.  The app is available for download for both Android and iPhone users.

[Via The OC Register]

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“Touch the Magic” as Disney launches its own Android phone

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 01:16 PM PST

Details have come out for Disney's new phone it plans to debut next month in Japan.  The phone looks like a Sharp Galapagos 003SH powered by a Disney themed version of Froyo version 2.2 of Google's Android.

The Disney phone packs a 3.8 inch screen with some sort of 3D capability, a 9.6-megapixel camera, possibly TV tuner, and an app that puts the popular sticker booth in your hand as it lets you add bows and cat whiskers onto your own original photos.

The phone has plenty of Disney exclusive features such as live wallpapers that change depending on your time zone, Disney emoticons to impress your friends, and seven different Disney designs: Disney castle, Minnie Mouse plant print, Minnie Mouse polka dot, Star white, and mouse-patterns in pink, white, and gold.  The phone is only available in Japan and is not planned for a US release.

[Via Android Community]

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State of the Internet 2010

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 12:54 PM PST

The chart is self-explanatory. Social networking and online media dominate. See the whole chart after the break.

- 20 million Facebooks apps installed every day. Getting a lot of work done?
- 2 billion videos watched on YouTube per day
- 89% of all e-mails sent were spam
- 25 billion Tweets sent in 2010

[Via Focus]

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iPhone 4 Class Action Lawsuit after “Glass Gate”

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 12:37 PM PST

There have been many complaints about the fragility of iPhone 4′s glass casing. So much so that the phenomenon is now termed “Glassgate.” Earlier this week Donald LeBuhn, of Los Angeles, filed a class action lawsuit against Apple. He claims that the iPhone 4 is not as durable as Apple claims and that Apple continues to sell the product without warning customers of its defective glass housing.

LeBuhn had spent $252 in September for his new iPhone 4, but within three weeks, the glass broke after his daughter accidentally dropped it from about three feet off the ground while sending a text message. A similar accident happened when he used to own an iPhone 3GS, but the glass on that phone did not break after the drop.

Apple is marketing the strength of the iPhone 4 as being "20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic" and is “ultradurable” and crafted from the same type of “glass used in helicopters and high-speed trains.” LeBuhn feels that these claims are false and is asking the court for Apple to refund the price paid for the iPhone 4 to everyone in the class action lawsuit and to reimburse repair fees.

[Via TheNextWeb]

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George Lucas Mines Star Wars Movies for Last Scrap of Un-merchandised Content in “Frames”

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 12:37 PM PST

Just kidding, there’s infinite content inside a universe that parallels our own, of course, and George Lucas will keep mining Star Wars until the end of time (even beyond his God-given human life.) Today there’s a collection of Star Wars memorabilia unlike (to our knowledge) anything those people at the Star Wars camp have ever offered before. This is “Star Wars: Frames,” a high-end celebration of exactly 1,416 frames from the 6 live-action Star Wars films. Every single one of these frames has supposedly been hand-picked by George Lucas himself, and each set comes hand-signed by big L as well.

This set is limited edition – can you guess the number of sets that have been made? That’s right, 1,138 numbered and signed wood boxes filled with the 6 books in the edition have been created and can be yours for the low low price of $3,000. The box has a Darth Vader seal on one side and a Yoda seal on the other, the wood case is art deco inspired, and each set comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by George Lucas himself.

This project began all the way back on September 9, 2005, when George and his pals Mike Blanchard and J. W. Rinzler (an interesting fellow in his own right) all sat down in an editorial suite at Skywalker Ranch and began selecting images. Two of three times a month, every month, until July 11th, 2008, these three dudes were selecting frames from the films. After that, more than 2 years were required to “solve all of the production challenged presented by the project’s exacting requirements.” Take a peek at this official info on the case and the medallions surrounding the books:

Constructed from premium hardwoods, this limited edition case measures approximately 25″ X 14″ X 13″ with an extended base. The case features intricate wood inlays from a combination of Padouk, Meranti, and Bubinga, against a hardwood frame of Rubberwood. The finish is an environmentally sensitive water-based product, which provides exquisite luster and enduring protection. This case has outer pocketing to accept the full-relief sculptures of Darth Vader and Yoda, which were created exclusively for Star Wars: Frames. The books inside the case are accessed by means of an innovative spring-loaded storage and retrieval system.

Sound pretty good? I think so. Time to bust out the ol’ pocketbook and sell a few automobiles and laptops – this set will run you a cool 3 g’s: Star Wars: Frames [$3,000] Run out and buy it now! Or actually just go to the official site and buy em all up.

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Coconut fiber concept iPad case straight out of Gilligan’s Island

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 12:01 PM PST

This concept from Econut takes the cake as being the most green gadget accessory.  The concept case is made from coconut fibers and allows you to slip your iPad in, prop it up and use the built in keyboard with the device.

After using the case, you can simply give the case back to nature as it seems to be biodegradable.  The design is stylish and clean and would make the Professor from Gilligan's Island quite proud.

The video indicates the case will come in five stylish colors; white, yellow, green, red, and black.  So if the designers ever do get the case into production, expect plenty of Prius drivers to be carrying them around.

[Via Yanko Designs]

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AT&T grabs #1 spot from Verizon as nation’s largest carrier

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 11:28 AM PST

AT&T added 2.8 million new customers in the past quarter and became the largest carrier in the U.S. with 95.5 million subscribers, squeaking past Verizon's 94.1 million.  The question is how long can AT&T sustain its lead as Verizon's much hyped iPhone is debuting in two weeks?

Verizon became the largest carrier two years ago and leapfrogged AT&T with its acquisition of Alltel.  Since then Verizon has had no close competitors, even with AT&T's iPhone monopoly the company could not catch up until now.  AT&T activated 4.1 million new iPhones this past quarter, but I expect Verizon's iPhone numbers to be strong as well and will probably re-take its former pole position.

[Via Slashgear]

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Verizon iPhone – New pre-order details available

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 11:19 AM PST

There is word over at MacRumors forums that Verizon has begun sending out information to their corporate customers containing some exclusive details about the upcoming iPhone launch. It seems that they will be offering the Verizon iPhones at a first come first serve basis to their existing customers on February 3rd, a week before the general public launch. Details from the email shown after the break.

From the email:

- Make sure you have your My Verizon self-serve account set-up online. Orders can only be placed through your my Verizon account. You can register/setup your account at… https://myaccount.verizonwireless.com/accessmanager/public/controller?action=displayRegistration

- On February 3rd at 3am EST, Verizon Wireless will allow our current customers to order upgrades or new lines to their accounts through your My Verizon online account (make sure you have registered before the 3rd).

Inventory is limited and once gone, customers will have to wait till the February 10th public launch date. They also offered AT&T iPhone customers a trade-in-for-credit opportunity. Their rates listed below:

iPhone 2G – 16GB: $60
iPhone 3G – 16GB: $105
iPhone 3Gs 32GB: $160
iPhone 4- 16GB: $280
iPhone 4 – 32GB: $360

[Via MacRumors Forum]

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Lenovo and NEC team up for PCs and smartphones

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 10:58 AM PST

During a news conference earlier today, Lenovo CEO announced that they are forming a joint venture with NEC to focus on increasing sales of personal computers in Japan. With the market focused on mobile products, the joint venture has expressed interest in pursuing developments in that arena as well.

The joint venture will be in the form of a new company called NEC Lenovo Japan Group, with Lenovo owning 51 percent of the company and NEC the rest. The deal is considered a win-win. Lenovo is the world’s no. 4 computer maker and NEC is Japan’s most popular PC brand. Together, they can outpace global market growth, breakthrough the Japanese market that is usually resistant to foreign brands, keep pace with Taiwanese rival Acer, and also scale up or diversify into other services.

Beyond PCs, it is likely that the new team effort will venture into developing, producing, and selling other devices especially in the mobile arena such as tablets and smartphones. Lenovo CEO was quoted by Reuters to suggest that smartphone development was definitely in their near future.

[Via ZDNet]

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More Action And Fewer Cutscenes In Video Games, Please

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 10:30 AM PST

Video games are more like movies than ever before. Studios are spending boatloads of cash to get epic games on store shelves, and along the way, they're making stories more engaging and dramatic. A key component in a developer's ability to create a more cinematic experience is the use of cutscenes. Just about every game nowadays starts out with a cutscene to break gamers into the title and ends with a cutscene to close out the story. Most titles also have scenes sprinkled throughout to add a bit more color.

I've always been fond of cutscenes. I enjoy the opportunity to learn more about characters than I otherwise would without cutscenes, and I typically find them useful for relaxing my hands or running to the kitchen to get a drink between the action.

But there is a limit to what I'm comfortable sitting through.

As anyone who has played Metal Gear Solid titles knows, cutscenes can be a nightmare. Games in that franchise make you sit for an inordinate chunk of time listening to characters interact on topics you just don't care about in most cases.

I'm fine with the few seconds, and can even live with a cutscene that lasts a few minutes. But once a game hits the 10-minute threshold, I've checked out. And I'm left wondering why I didn't just watch the shows I had DVR'd rather than sit through the typically boring cutscene.

Realizing that, I wasn't too happy to hear that Dragon Age 2 might be overrun with cutscenes. In fact, the BBFC in the UK revealed this week that the title will have 103 minutes of cutscenes when it launches.

Maybe it's just me, but having 103 minutes of cutscenes in a video game sounds excessive.

When I play a game, I've made the conscious decision to not watch a movie or television show. I've decided I want to do something active while I sit on the couch rather than shovel popcorn into my mouth. I don't want to think that I'll have the opportunity to actually play Dragon Age 2 and then get stuck sitting through several cutscenes as the finite amount of time I have each night to play a video game ticks and tocks away.

If Dragon Age 2 had about 30 to 40 minutes of scenes, I'd be happy. But once a title hits over an hour and goes to nearly two hours, I'm annoyed.

Believe it or not, I'm not impatient. I simply feel that nearly two hours of cinematic content over the course of the several hours the game lasts will take me out of the experience of playing the title. Worst of all, so much cutscene content could make the game feel choppy.

So, let's hope Dragon Age 2 offers the ability to skip scenes. If not, I doubt I'll complete it.

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Double USB – It goes both ways

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 10:10 AM PST

Inserting a USB connector is generally a fairly simple task. But there’s always that little pesky split second you spend checking which side is on top. Now considering how many devices these days rely on us plugging and unplugging their USB connectors, we are possibly wasting loads of time each day. This problem may now be solved should the Double USB design from Yanko be adopted as a standard.


Yanko Designs has offered up another beautifully simple solution. The Double USB features two contact layers that expand and contract freely and hence would fit in either direction. When inserted, regardless which orientation, one of the contact layers will be pushed in allowing the right one to make contact.

[Via Yanko Designs]

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Netbook shipments expected 18% decline

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 09:41 AM PST

Tablet PCs are elbowing out netbooks according to a report put forth by DRAMeXchange in Taiwan. The forecast predicts that netbook shipments in 2011 will decline 18% to about 27 to 28 million units with primary growth only to remain in emerging markets.

While the netbook still has a cost/performance advantage, the shift in media exposure since telecommunication carriers are now redirecting their attention from netbooks to tablet PCs keeps the spotlight on the latter. However, it is believed sales in emerging markets should see growth since the $550 to $650 price point for tablet PCs is less affordable.

Although many Chinese white brand netbook vendors are now shifting towards manufacturing tablet PCs, some still believe that Netbooks will retain their own niche market. Asus just launched the Eee PC 1015PW and expects to introduce 3 to 4 more new netbook models.

[Via ConceivablyTech]

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Sony NGP to come in 3G and WiFi-only versions

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 09:11 AM PST

The Sony NGP may have a significantly more impressive spec sheet than its PSP predecessor, but there’s still confusion as to whether all versions of the console will have integrated 3G connectivity. While it’s on the spec sheet alongside WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, SCEE president Andrew House told Eurogamer that there will be 3G and non-3G versions of the NGP.

“The first thing to clarify, which I’m not sure the presentation did a perfect job of doing today, is that all of the devices will have Wi-Fi capability” he explained, while “a separate SKU will have 3G.” That would certainly help keep the cost of what – given the high-res OLED display and quad-core CPU – is likely to be a reasonably expensive handheld down, as well as give buyers wary of a 3G contract a way to avoid that.

However, confusing matters is an ITMedia tweet suggesting that all of the Japanese NGP versions will indeed have 3G. Now, it could be that Sony plans to only offer 3G SKUs there – perhaps with some sort of bundled data package – or it could be a mistake. We’ll hopefully find out more before the NGP launches later in 2011.

[via Joystiq]

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Verizon HTC Thunderbolt to do simultaneous voice & 3G data?

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 08:51 AM PST

The Verizon iPhone 4‘s inability to do simultaneous voice and 3G data is still one of the key differentiators between it and AT&T’s GSM version, but it seems not all Verizon smartphones are created equal. According to a purported leak from inside the carrier and passed to Phandroid, the upcoming HTC Thunderbolt will actually support simultaneous voice and 3G data; however, it’s not something we should expect to hear Verizon making much noise about.

According to the leak, Verizon “cannot promise the experience will be one that is consistent with [the] brand” and so are advising sales people to “not reference this functionality as a benefit during your conversations with customers.” As sales strategies go this seems somewhat bizarre, but we can understand Verizon not wanting to overshadow its other devices – including the new CDMA iPhone – with a single HTC handset.

[via Android Community]

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SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: January 27 2011

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 08:40 AM PST

Let’s take a look at a few statistics before we begin a day of releases and leaks, shall we? First, AT&T finances reveals that thus far, 4.1m iPhones & 442k tablets have been activated. Then, Qualcomm First Quarter Results Report reveals $1.17 Billion in Net Income, that being up a whopping 39% since last year. Next, there’s some big reveals coming your way from Sony: Sony PlayStation Suite & PS Store for Android gaming and Sony NGP is "next generation portable" PSP2. Looks like a day for gaming if you ask me. How about one from the makers of Final Fantasy – Square Enix announces Crystal Defenders for Android. That font treatment remind you of anything? It’s squaring up to be a colorful day here on SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up!

R3 Media Network

Editor’s Choice
NOOKcolor firmware v1.1.0 adds pinch-zoom, more
Sony PlayStation Suite brings gaming to Android
Official Android 3.0 Honeycomb Logo Revealed
Square Enix announces Crystal Defenders for Android [FINAL FANTASY FOREVER]
HTC smartphone caught in wild ahead of MWC 2011 debut

SlashPhone
Sony Confirmed Bringing PlayStation Suite for Android Smartphone
Google US Accepts Mobile Number Porting to Google Voice Service
Samsung Galaxy S 2 Unveiled on MWC

Android Community
HTC Verizon smartphone latest to leak
Awesome Super Mario Android wallpaper
NOOKcolor firmware v1.1.0 adds pinch-zoom, more
Android app for ATM repair techs launches
Square Enix announces Crystal Defenders for Android
HTC smartphone caught in wild ahead of MWC 2011 debut
Sony PlayStation Suite brings gaming to Android
Official Android 3.0 Honeycomb Logo Revealed

SlashGear
Pandora open-source console goes on general sale
Qualcomm First Quarter Results Report $1.17 Billion in Net Income, Up 39% Compared to Last Year
OWC Media Center bundle turns Mac mini into a home entertainment system
Facebook denies HTC phone rumors
Skype for Mac drops beta, charges for group video calls [Video]
Nokia "must build, catalyse or join a competitive ecosystem" says CEO
Verizon HTC Android phone latest to leak
RIM insists "no possibility" of BlackBerry backdoor for India
Assero Defender will make you look like an asshat
Apple will support TD-LTE standard says China Mobile
AT&T finances: 4.1m iPhones & 442k tablets activated
Trimble Ranger 3 rugged outdoor computer debuts
Yahoo Mail gets YouSendIt integration
Parrot names Horizon Hobby as distributor for AR.Drone in the US and Canada
Tesla launches battery recycling program in Europe
iKit AutoCharge + USB keeps USB gear powered on the go
MSI GT680R-008US Gaming Notebook uses Sandy Bridge
Nokia market share drops; needs to "change faster" says new CEO
SAVANT unveils new 16-channel multi-room amp called AMP-1640
Scosche flipSYNC II keychain charge cable ships
New HTC Android phone caught in wild: HTC Desire replacement?
PS3 update v3.56 released; blocks unofficial firmware
Renesas 16MP smartphone SoC does Full HD, 15fps stills
Ballistic trots out new cases for Droid X, HTC Evo, and Samsung Fascinate
Sony's first bizarre NGP PSP2 trailer revealed [Video]
Everything Everywhere contactless phone payments due Q2 2011 in UK
Hulu facing free show cull as "virtual cable operator" plans considered
Motorola sales dip under Verizon iPhone 4 pressure
MacBook Pro stock shortage could point to imminent Sandy Bridge refresh
Sony unveils 82-strong NGP studio support list
Sony PlayStation Suite & PS Store for Android gaming
Sony NGP is "next generation portable" PSP2

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

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Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play caught in wild

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 08:36 AM PST

It’s obviously the day for unannounced smartphones to get caught in the wild. After a duo of HTC devices were spotted, it’s the turn of Sony Ericsson’s well-leaked XPERIA Play – aka the PlayStation Phone – which is currently considered a lock-in for MWC 2011 next month. A SlashGear tipster sent in this shot of Sony Ericsson’s gaming handheld being thumbed on the Tube.

According to the tipster, the XPERIA Play was being publicly manhandled in London; they were too coy to interrupt and ask for some playtime of their own, but they did snap a sneaky photo of the sliding smartphone. The handset has a 4-inch 854 x 480 resolution touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread; we’ve also heard separately that it will launch on Orange UK, though we don’t know if it will be a carrier exclusive or not.

After today’s Sony NGP launch, meanwhile, we also know that the XPERIA Play – while seemingly not getting PlayStation branding – will get access to the PlayStation Suite, Sony’s new gaming platform and PS Store for titles that run on Android phones. That’s expected to be populated with PSOne classics initially, though Sony is also inviting Android game developers to have their titles certified and included in the on-device download store.

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Pandora open-source console goes on general sale

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 07:46 AM PST

Like the idea of Sony’s NGP but not the closed ecosystem? Pandora is now offering its open-source Pandora console for general sale, promising a seven day turnaround on the $499.99 clamshell. Your money gets you a 4.3-inch WVGA touchscreen display, QWERTY keyboard, dual analog sticks, an ARM Cortex A8 CPU and PowerVR SGX graphics.

The NGP may have a quad-core, Cortex A9 heart and a larger, higher resolution display, but the difference is that you can buy the Pandora now whereas Sony’s machine isn’t expected until the end of the year. There’s a lot more flexibility in the Pandora too, assuming you’re the sort of person who likes tinkering with open-source software.

Therein, of course, lies the main difference between Pandora and more mainstream consoles from Nintendo and Sony: the target audience. The NGP is more powerful and the 3DS supports 3D, but neither offer the out-of-the-box flexibility of their compact rival.

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Qualcomm First Quarter Results Report $1.17 Billion in Net Income, Up 39% Compared to Last Year

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 07:36 AM PST

Miraculous. Qualcomm, the folks that bring you Snapdragon chips, the ones going in basically every big-name superphone coming out in the near future. In addition to their First Quarter Results showing a 39% increase in Net Income when compared to exactly one year ago, their Non-GAAP Revenues have gone up 25% as well over the past year, from $2.67 billion to $3.35 billion. Massive amounts of cash flying around here. Why have profits increased so much at this time when smartphones are taking over the mobile market? Why, that’s both the question and the answer, of course!

In the conference call surrounding this report, Qualcomm EVP Steve Mollenkopf told investors who were invited to listen in that they’ve currently got “more than 150 Snapdragon devices in development, including more than 20 tablets.” And what of the reported deal Qualcomm recently signed off on with Apple for both iPhone 5s and iPads? Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm only had one comment having anything to do with Apple: “We’re happy to see the Verizon iPhone announcement since it’s been the subject of intense speculation, but we have no other comments on that topic.” Does this mean they’ll be waiting to reveal the truth or falseness of the situation until Verizon and ATT work with Apple to release the 5th generation phone? Who knows?

Take a look at the full press release below:

Qualcomm Announces Record First Quarter Fiscal 2011 Results Revenues $3.3 Billion, EPS $0.71 Non-GAAP EPS $0.82
— Record First Quarter Results, Raising Fiscal 2011 Guidance —

SAN DIEGO — January 26, 2011 — Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, products and services, today announced record results for the first quarter of fiscal 2011 ended December 26, 2010.

"We are very pleased to report record revenues, earnings per share and MSM chipset shipments this quarter driven by increased demand for smartphones and data-centric devices across an expanding number of regions and price points," said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. "In addition, we have resolved one of our previously disclosed licensee disputes, which will be reflected beginning with the second fiscal quarter results. We continue to execute on our strategic objectives as our partners leverage our technologies and solutions to offer leading wireless products and services to consumers around the globe. We believe we are uniquely positioned to benefit from these industry trends and are substantially raising our revenue and earnings guidance for the fiscal year."

First Quarter Results (GAAP)
• Revenues: $3.35 billion, up 25 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) and 13 percent sequentially.
• Operating income: $1.11 billion, up 26 percent y-o-y and 33 percent sequentially. • Net income: $1.17 billion, up 39 percent y-o-y and 35 percent sequentially. • Diluted earnings per share: $0.71, up 42 percent y-o-y and 34 percent sequentially. • Effective tax rate: 12 percent for the quarter.
• Operating cash flow: $48 million, down 96 percent y-o-y due to a $1.5 billion income tax payment.*Qualcomm Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2011 Results Page 2 of 19
• Return of capital to stockholders: $309 million, or $0.19 per share, of cash dividends paid.

Non-GAAP First Quarter Results
Non-GAAP results exclude the Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives (QSI) segment, certain share- based compensation, certain tax items that are not related to the current year and acquired in- process research and development (R&D) expense.

• Revenues: $3.35 billion, up 25 percent y-o-y and 13 percent sequentially.
• Operating income: $1.42 billion, up 25 percent both y-o-y and sequentially.
• Net income: $1.35 billion, up 29 percent y-o-y and 22 percent sequentially.
• Diluted earnings per share: $0.82, up 32 percent y-o-y and 21 percent sequentially.

The current quarter excludes $0.05 loss per share attributable to the QSI segment, $0.07 loss per share attributable to certain share-based compensation and $0.02 earnings per share attributable to certain tax items (the sum of Non-GAAP earnings per share and items excluded do not equal GAAP earnings per share due to rounding).
• Effective tax rate: 19 percent for the quarter. • Free cash flow: $127 million, down 90 percent y-o-y due to a $1.5 billion income tax
payment* (defined as net cash from operating activities less capital expenditures).
*The $1.5 billion income tax payment primarily related to the 2008 license and settlement agreements with Nokia.

Detailed reconciliations between results reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and Non-GAAP results are included at the end of this news release.

First Quarter Key Business Metrics
• CDMA-based Mobile Station ModemTM (MSMTM) shipments: approximately 118 million units, up 28 percent y-o-y and 6 percent sequentially.
• September quarter total reported device sales: approximately $34.0 billion, up 39 percent y-o-y and 20 percent sequentially.
o September quarter estimated CDMA-based device shipments: approximately 165 to 169 million units at an estimated average selling price of approximately $201 to $207 per unit.

Cash and Marketable Securities
Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled approximately $19.1 billion at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2011, compared to $18.4 billion at the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 and $18.9 billion a year ago. On January 5, 2011, we announced an agreement to acquire Atheros Communications, Inc. for $45 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of $3.1 billion on that date. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of calendar 2011, subject to customary closing conditions including the receipt of domestic and foreign regulatory approvals and the approval of Atheros' stockholders. On January 14, 2011, we announced a cash dividend of $0.19 per share payable on March 25, 2011 to stockholders of record as of February 25, 2011.

Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased 26 percent y-o-y primarily due to an increase in employee-related costs and patent-related costs and other professional fees. QSI SG&A expenses decreased 44 percent y-o-y primarily due to a decrease in selling and marketing costs related to FLO TV.

Effective Income Tax Rate
Our fiscal 2011 effective income tax rates are estimated to be approximately 17 percent for GAAP and approximately 21 percent for Non-GAAP. The first quarter GAAP effective tax rate of 12 percent was lower than the estimated annual effective tax rate primarily due to a $32 million tax benefit recorded in the first quarter of fiscal 2011 related to fiscal 2010 as a result of the retroactive reenactment of the federal R&D tax credit in the first quarter of fiscal 2011. This tax benefit was excluded from our Non-GAAP results.

Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives
The QSI segment manages our strategic investment activities, including FLO TV, and makes strategic investments in early-stage and other companies and in wireless spectrum, such as the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum won in the auction in India. GAAP results for the first quarter of fiscal 2011 included a $0.05 loss per share for the QSI segment. The first quarter of fiscal 2011 QSI results included $134 million in operating expenses primarily related to FLO TV.

On December 20, 2010, we announced that we agreed to sell substantially all of our 700 MHz spectrum for $1.925 billion to AT&T, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice. The agreement follows our previously announced plan to restructure and evaluate strategic options related to our FLO TV business and network.

Under the restructuring plan, we now expect that the FLO TV business and network will be shut down in March 2011 and are in the process of shutting down the MediaFLO Technologies division. Restructuring activities under this plan were initiated in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 and are expected to be substantially complete by the end of fiscal 2012. In the first quarter of fiscal 2011, restructuring and restructuring-related charges related to this plan included in QSI results were $64 million. We estimate that we will incur future restructuring and restructuring-related charges associated with this plan in the range of $300 million to $375 million, of which substantially all are expected to be recorded in fiscal 2011 in the QSI segment.

In December 2010, the loan that was obtained in connection with the India BWA spectrum purchase was refinanced. The new loans are payable in full in Indian rupees in December 2012. At the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2011, the aggregate carrying value of the loans was $1.09 billion.

Business Outlook
The following statements are forward looking and actual results may differ materially. The "Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" at the end of this news release provides a description of certain risks that we face, and our annual and quarterly reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provide a more complete description of risks.
Our outlook does not include provisions for future asset impairments or the consequences of injunctions, damages or fines related to any pending legal matters unless awarded or imposed by a court, governmental entity or other regulatory body. Further, due to their nature, certain income and expense items, such as realized investment gains or losses, or gains and losses on certain derivative instruments, cannot be accurately forecast. Accordingly, we only include such items in our business outlook to the extent they are reasonably certain; however, actual results may vary materially from the business outlook.

Our second quarter and fiscal 2011 outlook reflects the impact related to the resolution of one of our previously disclosed licensee disputes. Favorable resolution of the Panasonic dispute will be further upside if completed this fiscal year.

In addition to our ongoing operating costs, our business outlook for the second fiscal quarter and fiscal 2011 include restructuring and restructuring-related charges related to FLO TV and the MediaFLO technology division that are currently expected to be incurred.

We have not included any estimates related to the Atheros business in our fiscal 2011 outlook. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of calendar 2011. Excluding amortization of acquired intangibles, we expect the acquisition to be modestly accretive to earnings per share in fiscal year 2012, the first full year of combined operations.

The following table summarizes GAAP and Non-GAAP guidance based on the current business outlook. The Non-GAAP business outlook presented below is consistent with the presentation of Non-GAAP results included elsewhere herein.

The above report is truncated somewhat due to the immense size of its entirety – see the full PDF of the report [here] – Qualcomm Official, where you can also access the investor call.

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OWC Media Center bundle turns Mac mini into a home entertainment system

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 07:36 AM PST

Want a new, OS X based media center experience but can’t be bothered putting it all together yourself? OWC is pleased to exchange your money for convenience with the OWC Media Center Solution for the 2010 Mac mini, comprising a pre-upgraded Mac mini, up to 12TB of storage in an external RAID 5 enclosure, various digital TV tuner options and Plex preinstalled.

Plex is a free media player app that allows you to use either an Apple remote or an iOS device running the free controller software to record live TV and manage a library of downloaded and ripped content. In fact, with OWC’s setup you can apparently easily rip DVDs to the Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 RAID enclosure.

Availability is pegged for the end of January, with OWC planning to announce pricing at the same time. Options will range from 4TB – up to 2,045hrs of DVD-quality footage – to 12TB – 6,145hrs – and OWC will also offer Blu-ray too.

Press Release:

OWC Unveils Industry's First Plug And Play Three Screen Home Theater Media Center Solution For 2010 Mac mini At Macworld Expo 2011

Pre-configures 2010 Mac mini as home entertainment media server with first three screen (PC, TV, mobile) interface that simplifies and improves how content is viewed and managed across multiple devices

Options include enough capacity to hold up to 6,145 hours of DVD quality movies with Mercury Pro Qx2 RAID storage solutions up to 12TB – – and the ability to make copies of purchased CD/DVD/Blu-ray media with OWC's Slim portable bus-powered drive

Complete bundled solution includes RAM upgrade to 4GB, HDMI A/V cables, Elgato EyeTV tuner or DVR recorder, and Apple Remote

January 27, 2011 San Francisco, CA — Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com, a leading zero emissions Mac® and PC technology company, announced today its new OWC Media Center Solution for the 2010 Mac mini to address the growing need of consumers wanting to search, navigate, consume, store/backup, and sync digital content from multiple content sources and devices with one easy to use solution. The OWC Media Center Solution includes installing the Plex digital media management platform onto a customer's 2010 Mac mini, upgrading the mini with 4GB of OWC RAM, and bundling all the necessary hardware – including an OWC Mercury Pro™ Qx2 storage solution, OWC Slim portable CD/DVD/Blu-ray disc burner, Elgato EyeTV Hybrid tuner or HD DVR, and Apple Remote – to deliver a complete and hassle-free Plug and Play Mac mini based home theatre/entertainment solution. OWC will be demonstrating the new OWC Media Center Solution and other first-to-market products, like the OWC Mercury Aura Pro SSDs for MacBook Air models, in booth #513 at the Macworld Expo, which begins today in San Francisco, California.

Access And Manage Content Anywhere With Any iOS Device
At the heart of the OWC Media Center Solution is Plex, the first open three screen (PC, TV, mobile) media platform designed to simplify and improve the way people view and manage personal, commercial and streaming content sources across a variety of connected devices. With Plex installed, Mac mini owners can watch videos, access their music library, and control their Plex media manager at home with the included Apple Remote or while mobile with any iOS Device with the Plex iOS application installed.

Plug And Play Media Organization And Storage
The OWC Media Center Solution offers pre-configured Plug and Play organization and high performance storage of all your digital media, whether from local drives, network shares, optical media, and/or the Internet in one, easy to use application without having to install any additional third party plug-ins or programs. Because it requires virtually no hardware, networking, or home theater knowledge, the OWC Media Center Solution ensures even the most novice Mac mini user will able to access their favorite TV programs, movies, photos, and more with the intuitive, yet visually striking interface that compliments the home theatre experience.

Streams Free Media For Greater Viewing Options
Obtaining new content from free online sources with the OWC Media Center Solution is easy too. With the Plex App Store, a built-in library of free third-party plug ins, users can expand their media viewing choices by streaming content from websites like Apple Trailers, Hulu™, Joost™, Netflix®, Pitchfork™, Vimeo®, and YouTube™.

Backup And Save Content
With the included OWC Mercury Pro Qx2 storage solution, users can save up to 12TB of content – enough space for up to 6,145 hours of DVD quality movies – backed up by the safety of RAID 5. And with the optional OWC Slim portable, bus-powered CD/DVD/Blu-ray optical drive and the included MakeMKV application, users can make backups of purchased DVD and Blu-ray media and convert the files for use on any iOS and Android based device.

Watch And Record TV In High Def
Watching and recording TV with a Mac mini has never been easier than it is with Elgato EyeTV products. The OWC Media Center Solution offers a choice of either an EyeTV Hybrid to watch and record cable and broadcast TV channels broadcast in standard definition and unencrypted HD; or an EyeTV HD DVR for capturing up to 1080i HD from a cable or satellite receiver with component video connections. Once a program is recorded, it can be exported to the OWC Mercury Pro Qx2 for permanent storage and later viewing.

Live Product Demos Presented At Macworld Expo
The OWC Media Center Solution for 2010 Mac mini will be demonstrated live at the Macworld Expo in OWC's booth #513. Pricing and ordering information for the custom configured bundle for 2010 Mac mini, which will include a 48 business hours or less installation turnaround, various shipping options, and OWC's renowned warranty coverage; will be announced by the end of January. For additional OWC Media Center Solution details and answers to commonly asked set-up and usage questions, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/turnkey/Mac_Mini_Media_Center/AV

For more information on the OWC catalog of over 2,900 performance upgrades and accessories, or for reseller inquires, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/.

"By creating a comprehensive, yet option rich bundle and configuration service, we eliminated all the hassle of incorporating a 2010 Mac mini into a home theatre system," said Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. "This is the ideal solution for managing and viewing personal and public content whether it be a single user or an entire family with multiple devices."

The OWC Media Center Solution Includes:

OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 storage solution in choice of 4TB, 8TB, and 12TB models pre-set with folders linked to Plex Media Server.
Optional OWC Slim portable, bus-powered CD/DVD/Blu-ray optical drive
HDMI audio and video connection cables
Apple remote control
Quick Start guide
Choice of:
o Elgato EyeTV Hybrid TV tuner stick for watching and recording cable and broadcast TV channels broadcast in standard definition and unencrypted HD.
o Elgato EyeTV HD digital video recorder (DVR) for connecting directly to a cable or satellite receiver to capture premium programming in full HD.

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Facebook denies HTC phone rumors

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 07:03 AM PST

Facebook has denied reports that HTC is making a Facebook-branded smartphone, with a spokesperson suggesting “the rumors around there being something more to this HTC device are overblown.” According to Dan Rose, Facebook’s head of business development, the speculation is simply over-assumption based on “just another example of a manufacturer who has taken our public APIs and integrated them into their device in an interesting way.”

As for whether the HTC device – which is expected to be announced among a range of handsets at MWC 2011 next month – would be Facebook branded, Rose was even more blunt. “No” he told reporters at an event in London this week.

Although Facebook phone rumors have persisted for some time now, this latest batch suggested that HTC would produce two devices for the social network, offering support for Facebook Voice calls and putting the news page on the homescreen. The devices were expected to be Android-based, and SlashGear has heard separately that at least one would include a physical QWERTY keyboard.

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Skype for Mac drops beta, charges for group video calls [Video]

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 06:53 AM PST

Skype has stripped the beta label from its Skype for Mac app, and in the process made group video calling a premium – i.e. paid – feature. $4.99 gets you a day’s use of group video, or there’s a monthly subscription for $8.99. Meanwhile, Skype has also slimmed down the UI and stuffed more of IM conversations into the screen at any one time.

There’s also the return of full-screen video calls, and an easily revealed chat pane for when you’re in the midst of them. The new UI changes are welcome, certainly, but group video calls going premium will be a disappointment to many. You can download Skype for Mac here.

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Nokia “must build, catalyse or join a competitive ecosystem” says CEO

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 06:41 AM PST

Nokia needs to “change faster” to keep up with the cellphone market, CEO Stephen Elop has admitted, but it’s his ecosystem comments during the company’s financial results call that have tongues wagging. The Nokia/Android/Windows Phone 7 speculation has proven sturdily resilient to common sense and the Finns’ own denials, and Elop’s suggestion that Nokia “must build, catalyse or join a competitive ecosystem” is unlikely to do much bar fueling the rumors.

“Nokia must compete on ecosystem to ecosystem basis. In addition to great device experiences we must build, catalyse or join a competitive ecosystem. And the ecosystem approach we select must be comprehensive and cover a wide range of utilities and services that customers expect today and anticipate in the future” Stephen Elop, CEO, Nokia

At face value, that could certainly be interpreted as a sign that Nokia might consider lending its much-appreciated hardware skills to producing a device running something other than Symbian or MeeGo. The CEO’s specific focus on the US market, meanwhile, could also lend weight to that. ”Whatever the strategy is we outline on February 11,” Elop continued, “we very clearly [must ensure] that it will give us the opportunity to reopen markets such as the U.S. and some others, where we have not recently been present.”

For a company that strives to be so self-contained, though, persisting with Symbian while readying MeeGo devices still looks the most likely route. Nokia’s “competitive ecosystem” could well refer to Intel’s low-power Atom platform, or a more general indication that it intends to compete in the smartphone chipset arms-race which currently dictates the US handset market. We’ve already seen suggestions that the company is working on a high-powered MeeGo tablet based on dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processors; that would give the company an admirable spec-sheet that could take on any rival.

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Verizon HTC Android phone latest to leak

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 06:25 AM PST

Short of only making a single prototype and sewing it into Peter Chou’s trouser pocket, we’re not sure what HTC could do to stop its smartphones leaking and spoiling the surprise come launch day; still, if they didn’t we wouldn’t get premature glimpses of models like this Verizon slab from the mobile01 forums. Hot on the heels of the potential Desire replacement from earlier today, this Verizon-branded model is also expected to run Android.

On the back is a protruding camera and dual-LED flash, together with some angular molding that looks a lot like that of the Verizon DROID Incredible. Meanwhile the front reminds us of the HTC 7 Trophy.

Full details are likely to come through at MWC 2011 in Barcelona next month, assuming HTC doesn’t spring another leak before then. Reach for the needle & thread, Peter, we say.

[via Android Community and via Engadget]

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RIM insists “no possibility” of BlackBerry backdoor for India

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 06:07 AM PST

RIM has told the Indian government that there is no way that it can supply covert access to encrypted emails sent using BlackBerry smartphones, in the process risking finding its service in the country cut off over security concerns. The denial is the latest in a back & forth battle between the Canadian company and the Indian security forces, over concerns that BlackBerry phones will be used by terrorists and dissidents to communicate, and RIM’s persistent claims that a monitoring system would be technologically infeasible.

“There is no possibility of us providing any kind of a solution,” RIM vice president Robert Crow insists, “there is no solution, there are no keys to be handed.” Instead, Crow suggests, individual Indian companies would have to hand over their own encryption keys to the government. Still, there are hopes that India’s security forces will be content with the BlackBerry messenger access RIM has already granted.

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Assero Defender will make you look like an asshat

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 05:52 AM PST

I really like my iPad. I do worry that I will drop it and crush the screen sometime, but that worry isn’t strong enough for me to wear something like this new iPad holder called the Assero Defender. It looks like one of those baby carriers that some people carry infants around in.

This contraption is sort of like a backpack that you can wear on your chest. It has a flip down flap that the iPad is mounted on that you can unzip for access to your iPad while standing without having to hold the iPad.

The downside is that this is one of the geekiest (and not in a good way) things I have ever seen. It will also cost you $130 despite the fact that it makes you look like a real ass-ero.

Via CrunchGear

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Apple will support TD-LTE standard says China Mobile

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 05:44 AM PST

With the iPhone, now hitting Verizon with CDMA support and the device being on 3G networks around the world there are other carriers using different standards that want the iPhone too. In China, the iPhone has been offered for a while now on China Unicom.

Unicom runs on the 3G global standard and is not the largest carrier in the country. The largest carrier is China Mobile, which uses a different standard called TD-SCDMA and will use TD-LTE for its next gen standard. According to China Mobile chairman Wang Jianzhou Apple has committed to supporting TD-LTE.

China Mobile has been working with Apple for years trying to get Cupertino to build an iPhone supporting TD-SCDMA. The pledge for support of the next generation TD-LTE format brings new expectations of Apple perhaps offering an iPhone for the Chinese carrier that will support the current 3G network.

Via Reuters

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AT&T finances: 4.1m iPhones & 442k tablets activated

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 05:38 AM PST

AT&T has announced its financial figures for Q4 2010, and the carrier has been buoyed by strong iPhone and tablet activations. Wireless revenues as a whole are up 9.9-percent, aided by 4.1m iPhone activations in the three month period, along with 442,000 tablet activations. We can’t credit the iPad for the entireity of that figure, however, since it also includes Android slates like the Galaxy Tab.

In total, 2.8m wireless customers joined the network, for a total of 95.5m altogether, and data revenue climbed by more than a quarter versus the same period a year ago: up 27.4-percent to $4.9bn. Based on that, says CEO Randall Stephenson, AT&T has “accelerated our LTE deployment plans, and we expect to add 20 4G devices to our lineup this year.”

Of the tablets – which the carrier describes as “a new growth area” – nearly 90-percent were bought with prepaid tariffs. AT&T makes no mention of the fact that it is losing exclusivity of the iPhone come February, when Verizon will begin to offer the Apple smartphone.

Press Release:

AT&T Reports Record 2.8 Million Wireless Net Adds, Strong U-verse Sales, Continued Revenue Gains in the Fourth Quarter

$0.18 diluted EPS, $0.55 excluding significant items; compared to $0.46 diluted EPS and $0.50 per diluted share when excluding significant items in the year-earlier period
Consolidated revenues of $31.4 billion in the fourth quarter, up $653 million, or 2.1 percent, versus the year-earlier period
9.9 percent growth in wireless revenues, with a 9.6 percent increase in wireless service revenues
Best-ever wireless net adds, with a more than 2.8 million increase in total wireless subscribers to reach 95.5 million subscribers in service; full-year wireless net adds totaled 8.9 million, the company's best-ever annual total
Continued expansion in new wireless growth areas; connected devices up a record 1.5 million; iPad- and Android-based tablets up 442,000
27.4 percent growth in wireless data revenues, up $1.1 billion versus the year-earlier quarter
Postpaid subscriber ARPU (average monthly revenues per subscriber) up 2.2 percent to $62.88, the eighth consecutive quarter with a year-over-year increase
Best-ever fourth-quarter total wireless churn at 1.32 percent; 1.15 percent postpaid churn, matching previous best-ever fourth-quarter level
Second consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth in wireline consumer revenues, driven by AT&T U-verse® services
246,000 net gain in AT&T U-verse TV subscribers to reach nearly 3 million in service, with continued high broadband and voice attach rates
28.5 percent growth in wireline consumer IP data revenues, driven by AT&T U-verse expansion
210,000 net gain in wireline broadband connections
17.1 percent growth in revenues from strategic business services such as Ethernet, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), hosting and application services, the largest increase during the year
Note: AT&T’s fourth-quarter earnings conference call will be broadcast live via the Internet at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011, at www.att.com/investor.relations.

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today reported fourth-quarter results highlighted by revenue growth, record wireless net adds, strong U-verse services sales and gains in IP-based and strategic business services revenues.

"We had another strong quarter and a solid year," said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer. "Our major growth platforms – mobile broadband, U-verse and strategic business services – continue to set the pace for the industry, and we're still early in the growth cycle for all of these areas. Progress across these growth platforms, combined with continued progress on our cost-improvement initiatives, drive our positive outlook.

"2011 is the year when we'll take mobile broadband to the next level," Stephenson said. "We're seeing 4G speeds today in areas of key markets, we've accelerated our LTE deployment plans, and we expect to add 20 4G devices to our lineup this year. AT&T has led the mobile broadband revolution, and we are well positioned to drive the industry's next waves of innovation and growth."

Fourth-Quarter Financial Results

For the quarter ended December 31, 2010, AT&T’s consolidated revenues totaled $31.4 billion, up $653 million, or 2.1 percent, versus the year-earlier quarter, marking the company’s fourth consecutive quarter with a year-over-year revenue increase.

Compared with results for the fourth quarter of 2009, operating expenses were $29.3 billion versus $26.1 billion; operating income was $2.1 billion, down from $4.6 billion; and AT&T’s operating income margin was 6.7 percent, compared to 14.9 percent. Excluding fourth-quarter significant items, operating expenses were $25.8 billion versus $25.6 billion, operating income was $5.6 billion, compared to $5.1 billion, and operating income margin was 17.7 percent, compared to 16.6 percent.

Fourth-quarter 2010 net income attributable to AT&T totaled $1.1 billion, or $0.18 per diluted share. Excluding a one-time charge of $0.26 from a previously disclosed pension accounting change; a $0.09 charge for severance costs; and a $0.02 charge for asset impairments, adjusted earnings per share was $0.55. These results compare with reported net income attributable to AT&T of $2.7 billion, or $0.46 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2009. Excluding significant items, earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2009 was $0.50 per diluted share. Excluding significant items, fourth-quarter 2010 earnings per share was up 10.0 percent versus the fourth quarter of 2009.

Fourth-quarter 2010 cash from operating activities totaled $9.6 billion, and capital expenditures totaled $6.6 billion. Free cash flow — cash from operating activities minus capital expenditures — totaled $3.1 billion.

Full-Year Results, Outlook

For the full year 2010, compared with 2009 results, AT&T’s consolidated revenues totaled $124.3 billion versus $122.5 billion; operating expenses were $104.7 billion, compared with $101.5 billion; net income attributable to AT&T was $19.9 billion versus $12.1 billion; and earnings per diluted share was $3.35 compared with $2.05. Earnings per share, excluding significant items, totaled $2.29, compared with $2.07, an increase of 10.6 percent for the year.

Compared with 2009 results, AT&T’s full-year cash from operating activities totaled $35.0 billion, up from $34.4 billion. Capital expenditures, including capitalized interest, totaled $20.3 billion versus $17.3 billion, including a more than 50 percent increase in wireless-related capital investment versus the year earlier, as AT&T aggressively deployed next-generation wireless broadband networks; and free cash flow totaled $14.7 billion, compared with $17.1 billion.

In 2011, AT&T expects consolidated revenue growth in conjunction with an expansion in consolidated, wireline and wireless operating margins, including wireless service margins. Achieving these targets will lead to expected mid-single digit or better earnings per share growth versus 2010 earnings, excluding changes in capitalized interest. (In 2011, AT&T will no longer capitalize interest expense attributable to the company’s LTE-related spectrum purchases. The impact of the change would have reduced earnings per share by $0.07 in 2010. Therefore, projected earnings growth is based on a 2010 earnings per share number of $2.22.)

AT&T also expects modest improvement in free cash flow, with capital expenditures in the low-to-mid $19 billion range, as increases in wireless spending will be offset by lower wireline capital expenditures and the elimination of capitalized interest in LTE spectrum.

Wireless Operational Highlights

Led by record subscriber additions, AT&T delivered continued strong growth in its wireless business in the fourth quarter, including wireless service revenue gains. The fourth quarter was also the first quarter in the company's history in which wireless revenues exceeded wireline revenues. Highlights included:

Best-Ever Subscriber Gain. AT&T posted a net gain in total wireless subscribers of 2.8 million, to reach 95.5 million in service, the best net gain in the company's history. Full-year wireless net adds totaled 8.9 million (adjusted for mergers and acquisitions), the company's best-ever annual total. Fourth-quarter net add growth reflects rapid adoption of smartphones, increases in prepaid subscribers, strength in the reseller channel and a record quarter in connected devices such as eReaders, security systems, fleet management and a host of other products. AT&T also had a another strong tablet quarter, a new growth area for the company. It added 442,000 iPad- and Android-based tablets to its network, with more than 90 percent of these booked to the prepaid category.

Retail net adds for the quarter include postpaid net adds of 400,000 and prepaid net adds of 307,000. Connected device net adds were 1.5 million, and reseller net adds were 595,000.

Churn at Record Fourth-Quarter Levels. Postpaid churn was 1.15 percent, matching last year's best-ever fourth-quarter record. Total churn was a record-low fourth-quarter level of 1.32 percent versus 1.42 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Continued Strength in Integrated Device Sales. AT&T continued to grow its base of integrated device subscribers. More than 7.4 million postpaid integrated devices were sold in the fourth quarter, including the second-largest quarterly number of upgrades in the company's history. Integrated device sales included 4.1 million iPhone activations. More than 80 percent of postpaid sales were integrated devices. (Integrated devices are handsets with QWERTY or virtual keyboards in addition to voice functionality and are a key driver of wireless data usage.)

At the end of the quarter, 61.0 percent of AT&T’s 68.0 million postpaid subscribers had integrated devices, up from 46.8 percent a year earlier. The average ARPU for integrated devices on AT&T’s network is 1.7 times that of the company’s non-integrated device base. More than 80 percent of integrated device subscribers are on FamilyTalk and/or business discount plans. Churn levels for these subscribers are significantly lower than for other postpaid subscribers.

Continued Strong Wireless Revenue Growth. Wireless service revenues increased 9.6 percent, to $13.8 billion, in the fourth quarter. Total wireless revenues, which include equipment sales, were up 9.9 percent year over year to $15.2 billion.

Robust Growth in Wireless Data Revenues. Wireless data revenues — driven by messaging, Internet access, access to applications and related services — increased $1.1 billion, or 27.4 percent, from the year-earlier quarter to $4.9 billion. AT&T postpaid wireless subscribers on monthly data plans increased by 20.4 percent over the past year. Versus the year-earlier quarter, total text messages carried on the AT&T network increased by nearly 29 percent to 173.1 billion, and multimedia messages increased by 75.0 percent to 3.9 billion.

Further Postpaid ARPU Growth. Driven by strong data growth, postpaid subscriber ARPU increased 2.2 percent versus the year-earlier quarter to $62.88. This marked the eighth consecutive quarter AT&T has posted a year-over-year increase in postpaid ARPU. Postpaid data ARPU reached $22.64, up 17.8 percent versus the year-earlier quarter.

Wireless Margins. Fourth-quarter wireless margins reflected increased operating costs associated with strong integrated device activations and high customer upgrade levels, offset in part by improved operating efficiencies and further revenue growth from the company's base of high-quality integrated device subscribers. AT&T's fourth-quarter wireless operating income margin was 22.9 percent versus 25.9 percent in the year-earlier quarter, and AT&T's wireless OIBDA service margin was 37.6 percent, compared with 40.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 and flat sequentially. (OIBDA service margin is operating income before depreciation and amortization, divided by total service revenues.) Fourth-quarter wireless operating expenses totaled $11.7 billion, up 14.3 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, and wireless operating income was $3.5 billion, down 2.8 percent year over year.

Wireline Operational Highlights

AT&T’s fourth-quarter wireline results were highlighted by continued growth in consumer revenues, sustained growth in revenues from strategic business services and solid cost management. Highlights included:

Growth in Wireline Consumer Revenues. Driven by strength in IP data services, revenue from residential customers totaled $5.3 billion in the fourth quarter, up 0.7 percent year over year, their second consecutive year-over-year increase.

Continued U-verse Service Gains Driving Consumer Growth. AT&T U-verse TV had its best quarter of the year, adding 246,000 subscribers to reach nearly 3 million in service. In the fourth quarter, the AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet attach rate continued to run above 90 percent, and 60 percent of subscribers took AT&T U-verse Voice. More than three-fourths of AT&T U-verse TV subscribers have a triple- or quad-play option from AT&T. ARPU for U-verse triple-play customers was more than $160.

AT&T’s U-verse deployment now reaches more than 27 million living units. Companywide penetration of eligible living units is 14.2 percent, and across areas marketed to for 30 months or more, overall penetration is more than 22 percent. AT&T’s total video subscribers, which combine the company’s U-verse and bundled satellite customers, reached 4.9 million at the end of the quarter, representing 19.7 percent of households served.

Improved Wireline Broadband Growth. Driven by strength in AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet service and standalone broadband, AT&T posted a 210,000 net gain in wireline broadband connections. About two-thirds of consumers have a broadband plan of 3 Mbps or higher.

U-verse Revenues Up 73.4 Percent. Increased AT&T U-verse penetration drove 28.5 percent year-over-year growth in IP revenues from residential customers (broadband, U-verse TV and U-verse Voice). U-verse continues to drive a transformation in AT&T's consumer area, reflected by the fact that IP revenues now represent 45.0 percent of AT&T’s consumer wireline revenues, up from 35.3 percent in the year-earlier quarter and up from 25.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. In the fourth quarter, AT&T U-verse revenues were $1.3 billion, 73.4 percent higher than in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Further Growth in Revenues Per Household. Driven by AT&T U-verse services, wireline revenues per household served increased 7.5 percent versus the year-earlier fourth quarter and were up 0.4 percent sequentially. This marked AT&T's 12th consecutive quarter with year-over-year growth in wireline consumer revenues per household.

Consumer Connection Trends. In the fourth quarter, AT&T posted a decline in total consumer revenue connections due primarily to expected declines in traditional voice access lines, consistent with broader industry trends and somewhat offset by increases in U-verse TV and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) connections. AT&T U-verse Voice connections increased by 186,000 in the quarter and 726,000 over the past four quarters. Total consumer revenue connections at the end of the fourth quarter were 43.4 million, compared with 45.3 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2009 and 43.7 million at the end of the third quarter of 2010.

17.1 Percent Growth in Strategic Business Services Revenues. Revenues from new-generation capabilities that lead AT&T’s most advanced business solutions — including Ethernet, VPNs, hosting, IP conferencing and application services — grew 17.1 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, their strongest growth during the year, and were up 5.5 percent from the third quarter of 2010, continuing AT&T's strong trends in this category. Total business revenues were $9.4 billion, a decline of 4.5 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, reflecting economic weakness in voice and legacy data products, and the third-quarter sale of the company's Japan assets. Business service revenues, which exclude CPE, declined 4.3 percent year over year and decreased slightly sequentially, down 1.2 percent.

Improved Growth in Business IP Revenues. Total business IP data revenues grew 9.0 percent versus the year-earlier fourth quarter, led by growth in VPN revenues. Global Enterprise Solutions IP data revenues grew 11.0 percent. More than 70 percent of AT&T’s frame customers have made the transition to IP-based solutions, which allow them to easily add managed services such as network security, cloud services and IP conferencing on top of their infrastructures. This generated total business data revenue growth of 1.1 percent, the largest growth in this category in four quarters.

Improved Wireline Margin Trends. AT&T's fourth-quarter wireline operating income margin was 13.0 percent, compared with 12.3 percent in the year-earlier quarter and 13.0 percent in the third quarter of 2010. Fourth-quarter total wireline revenues were $15.1 billion, down 3.2 percent versus the year-earlier quarter. Fourth-quarter wireline operating expenses were $13.1 billion, down 3.9 percent versus the fourth quarter of 2009 and down 1.1 percent sequentially. Wireline operating income totaled $2.0 billion, compared to $1.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009 and $2.0 billion in the third quarter of 2010.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

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Trimble Ranger 3 rugged outdoor computer debuts

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 05:22 AM PST

Trimble has announced a new rugged outdoor computer called the Ranger 3. The computer is made for people that work outside in harsh environments like surveying, construction, forestry, and a lot more. The Ranger 3 has a sunlight readable VGA resolution display.

It runs Windows Mobile 6.5 Pro and meets military specs for ruggedness. It has an IP67 rating and is sealed against water with the ability to survive in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. The Ranger 3 has integrated GPS, a 5MP camera, and a 1D laser barcode scanner.

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Posted: 27 Jan 2011 05:07 AM PST

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