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Groupon’s IPO raises $700 million for company

By
jsaliba
– November 4, 2011Posted in: News, Tech

In the short time it has been a part of the tech world, Groupon has managed to earn a reputation as one of the leading names in the growing daily deals business. Previously a private company, it set its initial public offering (IPO) during late trading on November 3, and managed to raise  $700 million, according to NPR.

The news source reports that Groupon’s IPO, which places it at a market value of $12.7 billion, is second only to Google, which went public in 2004 to earn an initial market value of $23.1 billion. Its official trading debut is set for November 4, with prices at $20 per share.

Expectations for Groupon’s IPO were less than the eventual total it brought in. Analysts had believed that the stock would be priced at about $16 to $18 per share.

The company’s beginnings were far from humble – it started in Chicago in 2008, and as of September 2011, its offerings were available in 175 markets across the globe.

According to the Register, some analysts expected Groupon’s entry into the public trading market to fall between $15 and $25 billion, but that scrutiny by the Securities and Exchange Commission may have slightly dimmed traders’ enthusiasm.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 includes yet another scene bound to be highly controversial

By
jsaliba
– November 4, 2011Posted in: Gaming, News, Tech

Much like the Grand Theft Auto video game series, the Call of Duty franchise has acquired its reputation through two significant attributes: setting new sales records and containing controversial, violent content. According to GamePro, the latest entry in Activision’s flagship series, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, contains another cut scene expected to court significant attention.

The news source reports that the scene depicts a bombing in a fictional, war-torn London, England. Through the lens of a video camera, the player sees an explosion kill a family of three – including a small child. It is not known if the scene involves characters with an active role in the story.

This is far from the first time titles in the Call of Duty series have included such content. An entire level in Modern Warfare 2 involves an undercover CIA operative who witnesses a mass shooting of civilians at an airport, with the option to take part and no chance to stop it or risk breaking his cover. Black Ops also earned some criticism for its graphic depictions of gun violence and torture.

CNN reports that Modern Warfare 3 is due for release on November 8, along with the cross-platform Call of Duty Elite social network for its players.

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YouTube earns higher ranking than Facebook and other social media outlets in survey

By
jsaliba
– November 4, 2011Posted in: Facebook, Internet Trends, News, Tech, Video

The research firm Harris Interactive just released the results of its 2012 Harris Poll Youth Equitrend study, an examination of the popularity of various social media services among U.S. youth aged 13 to 24. In a result that has surprised some, YouTube earned the top rankings in this survey, beating Facebook and other popular sites in this category.

To determine the results of the Youth EquiTrend poll, Harris Interactive’s analysts examine respondents’ familiarity and satisfaction with various social media outlets. It also awards the “Brand of the Year” honor to the highest-ranking services, and this award went to YouTube in its category.

Regina A. Corso, senior vice president for Youth and Education Research at Harris Interactive, commented on YouTube’s advantage among youth.

“For many teens and young adults, the allure of Facebook is still there, but YouTube has become an alternative media outlet,” she said. “This is something that marketers should remember when creating their social media strategies.”

Recently, the Boston Globe reported that Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg returned to Harvard University to recruit young people with fresh new ideas for the website.

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Amazon e-book lending service launches

By
jsaliba
– November 4, 2011Posted in: Apps, Gadgets, News, Tech

Not long ago, Amazon announced that it would be expanding the scope of its e-book business by incorporating a lending library into its offerings. This week marks the start of that e-book lending service, currently available only to participants in its Amazon Prime subscription-based website membership program.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the program’s offerings will be limited at first, since none of the six major U.S. publishing firms are participating in the program due to fears of lost revenue. Despite this, the service is slated to feature approximately 5,000 titles at first, over 100 of which are current and past best-sellers.

The news source reports that the lending service is subject to a number of restrictions beyond the amount of titles it will include. It will only be available to users of the Amazon’s Kindle e-reader or Kindle Fire tablet, and users will be prohibited from borrowing more than one book at a time or more than one book per month.

The limitations placed on the Amazon lending library are an example of a common issue with e-book services, according to GigaOM. Licensing restrictions imposed by publishers and the results of competition between different e-book providers are just a few of these.

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Obituary: Dell Streak 5, smartphone/tablet hybrid, at 12 months

By
jsaliba
– August 12, 2011Posted in: Gadgets, News, Tech

The Dell Streak 5, a mobile device that attempted to bridge the gap between smartphones and tablets, has been officially laid to rest. It was one year old.

The Streak 5 was recognized by many as an ambitious project met by several unfortunate hurdles. Introduced in May of last year, a handful of issues caused Dell to delay the smartphone/tablet hybrid’s release until last August.

Then, after its launch, many users were confused by the functionality of the device. At five inches, the Streak 5 seemed too large for a smartphone, yet too small for a tablet. Coupled with a pricetag exceeding $500, the device had trouble finding its niche in an increasingly competitive market.

In a message on its website, Dell wished farewell to its marred handset, noting that “it’s been a great ride.” The company added that it will continue to offer Streak 5 accessories.

The Streak 5 is survived by its successor, the 7-inch Streak 7, which was released in February this year. Additionally, Unwiredview.com has reported citings of a third Dell tablet in the works, the Streak 10 Pro.

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LA Noire, Duke Nukem lead video game sales in June

By
jsaliba
– July 15, 2011Posted in: Gaming, Industry News, News, Tech

June proved to be a good month for Take 2 Interactive. Despite a poor showing from the video game industry as a whole, Take 2′s L.A. Noire and Duke Nukem Forever topped the market’s bestsellers list, according to recent figures from NPD Group.

Overall, the U.S. video game market continued its downward spiral last month. According to the research firm, video game sales, including hardware, software and accessories, dipped 10 percent compared to last June, reaching only $995 million, CNET reported.

Software saw the most significant decline during that time, dropping 12 percent to total $469.5 million.

Of the 10 top-selling games for June, L.A. Noire was the only one wasn’t a remake or a sequel. Coming in at No. 2, Duke Nukem Forever is the much-delayed, mixed-reviewed continuation of the Duke Nukem franchise. Rounding out the top five are Infamous 2, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean and the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the Nintendo 3DS.

Despite the poor showing in June, Gartner has predicted video game sales to rebound in the near future. According to the research firm, the “gaming ecosystem” will reach $112 billion by 2015, but this will be in large part to the rise of mobile gaming.

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Japanese earthquake affects Sony Ericsson sales

By
jsaliba
– July 15, 2011Posted in: News, Tech

After five consecutive quarters of profit, mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson posted it first loss since 2009 in the second quarter of 2011, Reuters recently reported.

According to the news provider, Sony Ericsson saw a pre-tax loss of $59.5 million during the quarter after selling only 7.6 million phones. The company noted that a large part of the loss can be attributed to the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March.

Though the company is headquartered in London, many of its parts come from Japan. Sony Ericsson had originally expected to sell between 8 million and 11 million phones during the quarter, but supply chain constraints stemming from the natural disasters reduced that figure by an estimated 1.5 million.

Sony Ericsson president and CEO Bert Nordberg told the news provider that the effects of the earthquake would be minor in the third quarter, and he expects the company to rebound during the second half of 2011.

While Sony Ericsson may have failed to meet expectations, fellow smartphone maker HTC reportedly exceeded its revenue goals last month. The Taiwanese company posted its highest monthly sales in June, with year-over-year sales increase of 87.8 percent.

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Energy-Efficient ‘Silly String’ Keeping the Japanese Cool

By
jsaliba
– July 8, 2011Posted in: Innovation, Tech

To beat the blazing heat this summer, companies like Ice Spark are producing an interesting product: foaming gel that cools on contact, allowing users to experience a chilling sensation despite high temperatures. Though products akin to the freezing foam are not necessarily new, they are currently high in demand and are in good terms with the thought of “setsuden,” a buzzword coined after the earthquake in Japan’s Tōhoku region, meaning “saving energy.”

Conveniently sized and portable, users can carry the foam with them to particularly hot, crowded places like the subway. To experience the cool, users apply foam to skin, letting it harden into a wristband or necklace, generating a “breeze” without having to utilize any electricity. Products like the cooling gel are trending in Japan to keep the unbearably hot temperatures seemingly chill.

Source: Japan Trends

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One-third of iPhone 4 traffic on Verizon, study shows

By
jsaliba
– July 8, 2011Posted in: Apple, News, Tech

While AT&T may have enjoyed eight months as the sole iPhone 4 carrier in the United States, Verizon has come out guns a-blazin’, managing to capture nearly a third of the market in five months.

According to a recent study from Localytics, Verizon now accounts for 32 percent of the country’s iPhone 4 traffic, despite the fact its smartphone has only been available since February.

One of the main reasons for Verizon’s success, Localytics noted, was the carrier’s unlimited data plan. However, as of this week, Verizon is no longer offering such a plan, but is instead moving to a tiered cellular data structure similar to AT&T’s. How this will affect the carrier’s business remains to be seen.

Also contributing to Verizon’s success is the sheer size of its customer base. As the No. 1 wireless provider in the country, Verizon has more than 90 million mobile customers, which represents a significant edge over AT&T.

However, AT&T and Verizon may not be the only players in the iPhone market for long. According to a recent report from Forbes, Apple’s smartphone may soon land in Sprint’s portfolio as well. If the rumors prove to be true, iPhone users will once again have the option to sign with a carrier offering an unlimited data plan.

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Rugged Motorola smartphone coming from Sprint

By
jsaliba
– July 8, 2011Posted in: News, Tech

A recent report from Sprintfeed revealed that a new rugged Motorla smartphone from Sprint is slated to hit the market later this month, boasting a number of features designed to withstand even the most extreme work environments.

According to the report, the Motorola Titanium will arrive on July 24. The smartphone will include a full QWERTY keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera and is built to military specifications to resist shock, dust, vibration, low pressure, extreme temperatures and solar radiation.

Curiously, the smartphone will be shipped with Android 2.1, or Eclair. While the mobile OS is a perfectly serviceable one, it is a bit outdated at this point, as Google has introduced several new versions of Android since Eclair.

Regardless, the Titanium is sure to find favor among some business customers who don’t spend their days behind a desk. One of the handiest features included on the smartphone is the Nextel Direct Connect for push-to-talk capabilities.

Eclair, in some regards, could be considered ancient history as this point. Later this year, Google will make available the latest version of its Android software, dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich, which is expected to bridge the gap between Android-based smartphones and tablets.

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