When 2011 is wrapped up, the consumer electronics industry, despite all the marketing and highly-touted gadgets, will have had a disappointing year. That’s according to market research firm IHS iSuppli, which estimates that revenue this year will total $357.3 billion, up only 1.5 percent from a year ago, and well off of the 6.4 percent …
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Shopkick, a mobile check-in and rewards app, and Visa are hoping consumers are in a holiday-shopping mood. Shopkick The two companies announced a partnership today to offer a faster way for consumers to earn “kicks”–Shopkick’s version of rewards–which can be redeemed for gift cards, gadgets, and other goodies. Shopkick works when a user walks into a retail partner: enter the …
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Electronic Arts, best known in the mobile world for its stable of premium franchises such as “Madden NFL” or “Need For Speed,” is increasingly trying its hand at free games. The company is offering four games for free in the Apple App Store right now, but plans to expand that number to between 10 and 14 by March, an EA …
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The HTC Wildfire S for U.S. Cellular certainly packs a punch for such a small device. But it’s not for everyone. The Wildfire S has a 3.2-inch touch screen, a 5-megapixel camera, and it runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with HTC’s Sense interface. As with other entry-level smartphones, it doesn’t break any new ground, and its specs are far from top …
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Clearwire is considering whether or not to make a major loan payment as the cash-strapped wireless provider looks for financing options. The company is supposed to make a $237 million payment on December 1. With $698 million in cash and short-term investments as of September 30, it can certainly meet the obligation, but at the cost of a significant chunk …
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Amazon.com takes a hit with the sale of each Kindle Fire, but the loss isn’t as bad as initially thought. A look at the build of materials and manufacturing costs concluded that Amazon spends $201.70 on each Kindle Fire, only slightly above its $199 retail price, according to research firm IHS iSuppli. The cost is lower than the nearly $210 …
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Research In Motion is stuck between an Apple and an Ice Cream Sandwich. After some initial excitement for the new line of BlackBerry 7 smartphones and a strong launch–both unusual for RIM for the past year–sales are starting to sputter. That’s according to Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley, who said his checks indicate a slowing trend for BlackBerrys. It’s …
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Asus reiterated its commitment to the Android tablet business, refuting a report that said it, along with Acer and Dell, are looking to retreat after a rocky start. Asus says it’s sticking with its Android tablet business. Josh Miller/CNET The company was responding to Taiwanese news site Digitimes, which cited suppliers in its report that the three PC manufacturers were …
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Better raid the piggy bank, because AT&T just raised the price of its low-end iPhone 3GS to 99 cents. The iPhone 3GS was free with a two-year contract, but MacRumors spotted the modest price increase today. It’s a curious move by AT&T, which gets little payoff for the price increase, yet loses the ability to tout offering a free iPhone. …
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Motorola Mobility stole and profited from unique source code related to mobile technology, a private technology firm alleged on a lawsuit filed yesterday. Lemko claimed Motorola hired away an engineer responsible for creating the source code, and sent the intellectual property to its operations in China. The complaint is part of a broader legal battle between the two companies that …
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