C00011579-001408 a {color:#999999} a,a.aapl-link,a.aapl-link:link {text-decoration:none} a.aapl-link:hover {text-decoration:underline} <!–[if gte mso 9]> table,td,div,p {font-family: Lucida Sans, Lucida Sans Unicode, Lucida Grande, Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif !important;line-height:normal !important} table,td,div,p {font-family: Lucida Grande, Lucida Sans, Lucida Sans Unicode, Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif !important;line-height:normal} <![endif]–>
|
El Segundo, Calif., April 26, 2010To support media coverage of Apple Inc.s speculated acquisition of microprocessor Intellectual Property (IP) provider ARM Holdings, iSuppli Corp. is providing the following the fast facts and analysis: Published reports speculate Apple could be considering a purchase of ARM Holdings, a leading supplier of semiconductor IP. The news reports surfaced on Wednesday, April 21, lifting ARM shares up about 7 percent. Responding to acquisition speculation, Apple does not need to buy the company, they can just license technologies for less, said Warren East, ARM chief executive officer, in an interview with British newspaper The Guardian. The timing of this speculation is interesting because Google recently announced its IP-driven acquisition of Agnilux, a start-up founded by P.A. Semi professionals who left when that fabless chip designer was acquired by Apple in 2008. ARMs IP plays an important role in mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. ARM designs microprocessor circuits that are widely used because the company is a leader in power efficiency, delivering the most calculations for the fewest electrons. In 2009, ARM signed 87 new semiconductor IP licenses, bringing its total to 662. Interestingly, ARM estimates that every semiconductor company would need to spend between $50 million and $150 million annually to reproduce what ARM does. ARM-based chips can be found in the majority of mobile phones presently sold. Just because ARMs IP plays an important role in mobile devices, that doesnt necessarily mean ARM is of strategic value to Apple, said William Kidd, director and principal analyst, financial services for iSuppli. iSuppli thinks ARM would represent a costly acquisition with little in the way of true strategic benefits. The acquisition would not give Apples products a competitive edge/differentiating value. iSuppli also doesnt buy into prevailing speculation that there could be significant value in denying other competitors access to ARMs IP, since the majority of the impact would be felt by companies like Broadcom, Samsung and Texas Instruments, which are not exactly Apples biggest rivals. In any case, there would be no visible end-market impact seen for two years at a minimum. If Apple were to acquire ARM, iSuppli believes chip makers would worry about Apples inward-looking corporate style. Many major semiconductor companies already have long and broad use of current ARM technology, and we suspect that their business engagement with ARM allows for future access as well. If you take this theory out further, it would be problematic for chipmakers to stop using ARM, not just because of their reliance on an ARM-designed microprocessors per se, but because redesigning the software/firmware of some baseband designs would be very time consuming and disruptive. We speculate that other ARM bidders could come outbut only if Apple truly emerges as a bidder, Kidd added. http://www.isuppli.com About iSuppli Corporation iSuppli Corporation is the global leader in technology value chain research and advisory services. Services afforded by iSuppli range from electronic component research to device-specific application market forecasts, from teardown analysis to consumer electronics and from display device and systems research to automotive telematics, navigation and safety systems research. More information is available at http://www.isuppli.com and by following us at twitter.com/iSuppli
BBC: Adobe is to stop making software tools that allow Apple's iPhone and iPad to use its popular Flash technology. The decision reverses an earlier pledge in which it said it would help get Flash working on the gadgets. Flash is very widely used on the web and many sites use it to power animations, media players and other multimedia elements. Despite this, Apple's products do not support Flash and it has made public statements criticising the technology. Closed toolsIn mid-April, Adobe released software called Creative Suite 5 that contained translation tools that automatically turn Flash code into programs that run on the iPhone. the BBC
The Samsung Mobile March to a Million project is underway, and we hope you can help us reach our goal to collect and recycle one million mobile phones in 2010. Thats not our only goal! While recycling or properly disposing of mobile phones can have a significant environmental and social impact, we believe it is equally important to educate consumers about the value of this endeavor. To that end, the Samsung Mobile March to a Million program is executing a nationwide in-school education and recycling program that will teach teens about the importance and ease of mobile phone recycling, as well as encourage students, teachers and the community to recycle used mobile phones.Each school participating in the program has the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes to win either a VIP concert from the alternative rock band, Hey Monday, or one of fifty $1,000 "Green Grants" to put towards making their school more environmentally friendly*.Joining the "March" is easy. Anyone can simply collect used mobile phones from wherever they are taking up space and Samsung Mobile will reuse the materials and recycle the rest responsibly. The following links include information on the science behind mobile phone recycling, building a sense of civic awareness and encouraging participation in the program.We appreciate your support of the March to a Million program and encourage you to get involved!Find out more here.
The Big News of 2010: 4G…or is it G4?A Nexius Executive Commentary – By Ned Taleb, Nexius CEO The first quarter of 2010 has just come to an end and a colleague at Nexius recently asked me what seems to be the hot topic with our operator customers and the technology press and analysts this year. My simple answer: 4G. From Apple previewing the 4th generation of its revolutionary iPhone today to operators racing to launch their 4th generation networks, 4G is the marketing term of the moment. At CTIA Wireless in March, I saw 4G news everywhere. Every major US wireless operator spoke about their 4G plans at the show: Verizon said they expect to roll out LTE in nearly 30 markets to cover 1/3 of all Americans by the end of 2010. The biggest LTE rollout and the first to market in the US. Not to be outdone, however, AT&T announced that their 4G vendor trials are underway and that they plan to begin commercial rollout early in 2011. While, T-Mobile didnt dive deep into 4G but they did announce plans to make a faster HSPA+ network available in markets that serve 180 million people by the end of the year. Since HSPA+ is backwards compatible with T-Mobiles current 3G technology its customers can continue to use their existing handsets to enjoy considerably faster network speeds. Sprint made perhaps the biggest 4G news at the show showcasing Americas first 4G smartphone, the HTC EVO 4G, which they will launch on the Clearwire WiMAX network. Sprint CEO, Dan Hesse, said in his address "LTE will be the larger of the two standards, but we couldn't wait. We have enough spectrum that we could add other techs later.""LTE will be the larger of the two standards, but we couldn't wait. We have enough spectrum that we could add other techs later." Even MetroPCS, a smaller operator, announced that it will launch its 4G LTE service in the second half of 2010. They are also working with Samsung to launch the first LTE handset, the SCH-r900, on their network later this year. But it isnt just operators and Apple talking 4G. Even Avatar director, James Cameron, recently jumped on the 4G bandwagon by pointing out that faster 4G networks would be the key to delivering 3-D applications on the phone. (To be precise, he actually said faster G4 networks would be the keybut he makes movies, not cell phones. His audience is Generation-X, Generation-Y, and beyond. He cares not for the enabling technology platforms but what they can do to bring media such as Avatar into the palm of the next generation of audience. So G4 it is, in as far as it really matters to our clients and customers. J )Clearly 2010 is all about speed: 1.) Getting to market quickly. 2.) Launching faster networks and faster devices. 3.) Delivering content to consumers at the speeds they demand. It really does not matter which 4G wireless operators deploy, be it WiMAX in the interim or LTE in the longer term, the objective is the same: to enable the realization of the future of wireless services and applications. Everyone from wireless operators to Apple to James Cameron want to deliver these services by uniting the best technology platforms with the fastest networks and the next generation of smart devices. We feel fortunate that Nexius has had the opportunity to work with so many of these leading companies to develop their 4G network rollout strategies as well as create, deploy, and integrate the services and applications that these networks enable. Its great to be at the center of such fast-paced innovation. Only time will tell who wins this battle for 4G dominance. Lets check back at CTIA 2011 to find out.
DigiTimes: Apple has previewed its iPhone OS 4 software and released a beta version of the software to iPhone Developer Program members. The new release includes an updated Software Development Kit (SDK) with over 1,500 new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and over 100 new features that will be available to iPhone and iPod touch users in summer 2010, the company claimed.iPhone OS 4's new multitasking offers users a new way to move between apps, and provides developers seven new multitasking services to add multitasking features to their apps. These services include background audio, so apps like Pandora can play music in the background, and VoIP, so VoIP apps can receive a VoIP call even when the iPhone is asleep or the user is running other apps.iPhone OS 4 delivers mail experience on a mobile phone with its new Unified Inbox, allowing users to see messages from all their email accounts displayed together in a single inbox. Users can switch between inboxes to see messages from any single account. In addition, users can now thread their messages by conversation, making it easier to stay on top of email discussions. DigiTimes
Wireless Week: Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg said his company was open to the iPhone but added that the final call on bringing the device to Verizon Wireless was really up to Apple. Seidenberg made the comments during a Q&A immediately following a speech before the Council on the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Seidenberg was on hand to discuss all things related to the FCC's National Broadband plan and the commission's push toward net neutrality. The discussion afterwards turned to the likes of Apple. When asked whether Verizon had plans to carry the iPhone, Seidenberg sounded more comfortable with the idea than he has in the past. "We're open to doing that. It's [Apple's] shot. It's their call. We want to carry everybody's device," he said in a video posted on the CFR's Web site. Wireless WeekI hope Verizon and Apple can work it out.
Fred Wilson Seeking Alpha: "I'm typing this on my iPad. I pre-ordered it and it came yesterday. I spent a fair bit of time playing with it last night. I don't know where the complaints about typing come from. Compared to the iPhone, I find typing on the iPad to be much easier.I also find it much easier to read on this device than the iPhone. The bigger screen size makes a huge difference, at least on my middle aged eyes. I downloaded the Kindle app and love the fact that the Gotham Gal and I can now read the same book at the same time on multiple devices. That's been possible with Kindle and iPhone for a while now but reading books on the iPhone never interested me.I showed the Gotham Gal several books she has just read on the Kindle displayed on the iPad. She grabbed the iPad and immediately said "this thing is way too heavy." I guess I will be reading on the iPad and she'll be reading on the Kindle. I agree that the iPad is heavy. I've been holding it for about five mintues so far while typing this and can feel the strain in my left forearm. The Kindle never feels that way even after hours of reading with it."Read More from Fred at Seeking Alpha
San Diego, CA–April 6, 2010–TikiCase.com announces the release of a new phenomenon in iPhone cases. iTiki is a South Pacific deity from the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, who protects iPhones from enemies.iTiki is more than just the original tiki-based iPhone case. Its the silicone incarnation of the same spirit who, according to legend, created the first woman. When he got thirsty, he invented really tasty rum drinks. Now the iTiki wants to protect your iPhone.iTiki requires no food or water but he is discriminating. He is looking for iPhone users with discerning tastes and an overwhelming desire to have a phone that looks as cool as they do. While TikiCase.com stands behind its products, the company warns users that this new accessory may be life-changing. "We take no responsibility for increased consumption of coconuts, pineapples or tropical cocktails," says Tim Goggin, chief of sales and marketing. "You may also discover a renewed passion for going to the beach. Don't blame us if you are suddenly mobbed by surfers and bikini-clad women." iTiki actually transforms your iPhone into a tiki by wrapping the phone in a snug-fitting silicone skin, designed to look like traditional Polynesian tikis.iTiki is available in two colors: (*) Pacific — the cool blue of the ocean.
Seeking Alpha Dan Rayburn: In my post entitled "Many Content Owners Can't Afford To Make Their Videos Available For iPad", many readers left comments making it clear that they blame Adobe (ADBE) for the lack of Flash video support on the iPad. Too many simply want to disregard the additional costs a content owner has to support the iPad by blaming supposed shortcomings in Flash, even though we've seen data from tests to show that these shortcomings do not exist.Reading many of the comments on my post it's clear that some just want an excuse to bash Flash, yet if my content was in Silverlight, I don't think they would be saying the same thing. If someone does not like Flash, that's fine, they have every right to. But their dislike for a platform gives them no grounds to stand on to say that there are no additional costs to content owners to support video on the iPad.Yes, Brightcove and other online video platforms can re-encode the content for free, but StreamingMedia.com only has that option because Brightcove nicely gave us a free account years ago. Before that, we had to encode our content like many content owners do, without using a video platform, which is the way a lot of content owners still do it today. None of the folks who commented addressed any of the additional hosting costs that can be associated with video for the iPad. Seeking Alpha
Tech News 
