Sunday, November 11, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Apple, HTC sign 10-year patent cross-licensing deal: mutually beneficial?

Posted: 11 Nov 2012 01:53 AM PST

Not all court litigation ends in costly legal fees and court-determined payment of damages. Some choose to end it early on and just settle out-of-court. While Apple has won a whopping billion dollars in its landmark patent infringement case against Samsung, it’s not the same case for other mobile manufacturers. For one, even as Apple has sued HTC for infringing some of is software patents, the two companies have now agreed to a cross-licensing deal that is viewed as potentially mutually beneficial.

With the cross-licensing deal, HTC will now be allowed to use the following technologies and UI elements on smartphones during the term, among others:

  • Slide to unlock
  • Universal search
  • Bounce scrolling
  • Scroll locking

The terms of the cross-licensing deal are still confidential, although given the companies’ joint press release, the deal is  a “global settlement” that will dismiss “all current lawsuits” and a “ten-year licensing agreement.” The cross-licensing deal also extends to future patents that either company may hold.

But while the press release does not indicate any amount, we believe that at least some money will exchange hands. For one, HTC representative Jeff Gordon says HTC “does not expect this license agreement to have any adverse material impact on the financials of the company,” in a statement to The Verge, indicative that the deal does involve some payments on HTC’s part.

Digging deeper into the Apple-HTC cross-patent licensing deal, some analysis may put better light into the decision to settle rather than pursue litigation full-on.

HTC is not Samsung. Apple’s victory over Samsung may have set a precedent, but it does not mean that Apple will necessarily use this as a gauge of how to deal with other companies. For one, Samsung is a bigger competitor, and Apple was able to adequately present evidence in court, including (1) internal communication that Samsung intended to copy Apple designs, and (2) Samsung products that had visual similarities with Apple’s. Moreover, the large volume of Samsung sales has assured Apple of a hefty fee. With lower sales volumes by HTC, Apple may not expect a big enough fee to be worth pursuing a protracted court case.

HTC is small fry. Well, maybe not exactly, but it’s smaller than Samsung, at least. As such, Apple may have thought it better to just deal with HTC lightly rather than go into “thermonuclear war” like what it has done with Samsung. Similarly, HTC has better priorities and may have decided it would have better use of its resources into innovating rather than paying costly lawyer’s fees.

HTC is Samsung’s competition. Given Samsung’s performance in terms of volume and market share, the Korean company is Apple’s prime competition at this point. HTC is also struggling to compete with Samsung in both Android and Windows Phone marketplaces, and it might be better for Apple to help HTC eat into Samsung’s market share.

Windows Phone 8 may have been a factor. HTC has a long history with Microsoft, having manufactured the first ever Windows Mobile handsets (including as ODM for the HP iPAQ). With the launch of Windows Phone 8, and HTC’s Windows Phone 8 branded smartphones, the Taiwanese firm may have replaced Nokia as Microsoft’s prime smartphone manufacturer (although the rumored Microsoft-developed smartphone may change that in the future). Given Apple’s disdain for all things Android, it might have helped that HTC’s renewed partnership with Microsoft means it might take some of its resources away from Android development. Apple and Microsoft actually have a healthy business relationship, including cross-licensing agreements, and of course a colorful history since the dawn of the PC age.

These are mostly speculation and analysis, though. Given the confidential nature of the deal, what may be more important at this point is to expect better innovation from both Apple and HTC — and for the latter, both in Android and Windows Phone. With this settlement, Apple has so far had cross-licensing deals with Nokia and HTC, and has pursued full litigation with Samsung. The only big competitor left in litigation is Motorola Mobility — effectively a proxy for Google.

Will this settlement deal mean Apple is gearing up to focus its resources in litigation against Motorola/Google?

Show full PR text

HTC and Apple Settle Patent Dispute

All Patent Litigation Between the Companies Dismissed

TAIPEI, Taiwan and CUPERTINO, California—November 10, 2012—HTC and Apple® have reached a global settlement that includes the dismissal of all current lawsuits and a ten-year license agreement. The license extends to current and future patents held by both parties. The terms of the settlement are confidential.

"HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC.

"We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC," said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. "We will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation."

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How Orca’s failure may have cost Mitt Romney thousands of votes

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 10:30 PM PST

Mitt Romney
If there is one thing that republicans and democrats can agree on, it’s that everyone is happy this election season is finally over. After several months of being assaulted by ad campaigns and ridiculous debate quotes, everyone can get back to the business of living. However, Mitt Romney and his team will be spending the next couple months figuring out where they went wrong. An application called Orca may have been one of them.

For those who don’t know, Orca was an application developed by the Mitt Romney campaign to help volunteers. Essentially, it let them check off who had already voted and who hadn’t. This allowed for things like projections and volunteers know who they needed to call to get more votes in.

Granted, there aren’t a whole lot of people out there who respond to being constantly called by campaign volunteers. However, if done on the right day, like election day, it might have bolstered a small percentage of people to get up and go vote.

So what happened with Mitt Romney’s Project Orca?

If it is any indication, a trademark quote from those involved was, “Orca is lying on the beach with a harpoon in it.” If that gives you any indication of how well it actually went. According to The Verge, the app was a monumental disaster.

There were just a myriad of issues. People trying to log into the app were having their pins rejected. Orca actually crashed on election day for half an hour during the heat of the voting day. It eventually crashed altogether. According to the Huffington Post there were duplicates checklist items and FAQ answers that didn’t match the questions. It was a total mess.

The big question is whether or not Orca affected Mitt Romney’s chances of success. It’s very likely that it didn’t affect the overall outcome of the election. However, every vote counts and you just never know when even a a few thousand votes will matter. Do you think projects like Orca will play a more major roll in future elections? Let us know your thoughts.

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Chinese government blocks Google services during start of Communist Party Congress

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 05:19 PM PST

We know how the Chinese government can be restrictive when it comes to online access to information. Google isn’t exactly welcome in China, after an issue involving Google’s accusation that Chinese government hackers have attacked the site. China has since denied access to the Chinese version of Google, and instead redirects users to its Hong Kong servers. As such, this has had serious repercussions in the mobile industry. Android smartphones in China — or Android derivatives like the Xiaomi phones — don’t have access to Google content, but instead access apps and services through their own brands.

This actually has a good offshoot, with several local companies rising up to the challenge, in terms of offering services. With almost a billion mobile users, and more than half a billion Internet users, this is a huge market. A big part of China’s Internet population go online from mobile devices. Without access to Twitter, Facebook, Gmail Google+ and other such services, local alternatives abound. There are “Weibo” services that are popular microblogging platforms here. In China, Baidu is the dominant search engine, with over 80% of market share. In contrast, Google’s market share in the country is a paltry 16% or so.

While Google has had problems within the so-called Great Firewall of China, the search giant does have services in the country, mostly accessed through VPNs and through its local presence Hong Kong. But during the period in which the Chinese government is changing hands, Google seems to have be totally banned from within the mainland.

A few highlights

  • Google services were offline in China starting Friday this week. These were the main google.com page, as well as subdomains like mail.google.com, google-analytics.com, docs.google.com, drive.google.com, maps.google.com, play.google.com and other such services.
  • Google has confirmed this block was due to a DNS poisoning attack, in which local DNS servers rerouted clients to a dummy server, hence denying access to the actual Google servers.
  • Using a DNS server outside of China will still not get you Google from within the mainland. Google’s own DNS servers (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) are likewise inaccessible.

The said blockage seems to have coincided with the 18th Party Congress, during which China’s government has been expected to do its once-a-decade leadership change. Google is not alone in this shakedown, though. The Chinese government has been clamping down on other possible sources of dissent. The New York Times notes that government has gone as far as replace books in bookstores and even ban balloons because these could carry protest messages.

China has since lifted the ban, although the nature of DNS poisoning would mean that services will be fully restored within a three-day period during which ISPs refresh their DNS caches. Users can also manually flush their computer’s DNS cache.

Why this is important

As earlier mentioned, China is a big mobile and Internet market. But with severe restrictions on content and access, this can be a particularly difficult market to breach, especially for western firms offering social networking services. More importantly, these blocks are severely limiting to Internet users in the country, who are subject to censorship, and who are even at risk of summary legal proceedings for online dissent. China has also required microblogging service users to register using their real names, a move that was aimed at banning anonymous posts, and therefore a clampdown on dissent.

This arbitrary blockage also indicates that the Chinese government can again arbitrarily block any website or web service if it deems these potentially dangerous to be accessed within its constituency. While the current ban on Google services seems to have been done as a precaution during the current party congress, similar blockages have also been done before, likewise coinciding with events that were potentially politically-charged, such as the Arab Spring.

There is also the question of whether the Chinese government has done this as a test. The ban on Google is currently lifted, but there’s no knowing of whether regulators will enforce a DNS poisoning attack again, or even other methods of blocking.

I’m not sure how many readers we have from China, but if you’re undergoing similar Google downtimes, please share your experiences.

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16GB Nexus 7 buyers getting $50 refund from Google, certain conditions apply

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 03:44 PM PST

Just the other day, we told you that Asus is ready to offer €30 vouchers to Nexus 7 buyers that purchased the tablet before October 29. That's when Google introduced the new 32GB Nexus 7 versions and that's also when the company announced the new pricing structure of the Nexus 7 tablets.

The 8GB version was discontinued and the 16GB took its place to be sold for $199 a pop. The 32GB models will sell at $249 (Wi-Fi version) and $299 (3G model).

Considering all this, Asus decided to give money back to Nexus 7 buyers. But the refund program is only available in Europe and it only applies to Nexus 7 units purchased either from Asus or Google.

Now we learn that Google is also ready to refund money to Nexus 7 buyers that got one before Nexus 7. By "before," Google means 15 days of the price reduction on Google Play. So if you purchased one on October 13, well, then you're out of luck:

Nexus 7 (16GB version only) purchases from Devices on Google Play are currently eligible for Price Protection if the purchase was made on or after October 14, 2012. If your purchase is eligible, we’ll refund the difference in price within 14 days of your request.

As for 8GB models that were purchased in the same period, well, you're out of luck again.

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Apple apology to Samsung punished with fine, iPhone maker has to pay Samsung legal fees

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 03:21 PM PST

While not comparable with Apple's U.S. $1.05 billion win – which isn’t satisfying to either party by the way, for different reasons, obviously – the fact that Apple has to pay Samsung's UK legal fees has to mean something for South Korean giant and the public.

When did that happen? Well, in case you missed it, earlier this year the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was declared to be not as cool as the iPad, and therefore it was found to be not infringing on Apple patents. The UK court decided that Apple should apologize to Samsung publicly, on its local website as well as in print. The ruling was appealed by Apple and the company lost.

Which brings us to this fall, when Apple started apologizing to Samsung. It first posted a lengthy message on its website in which it acknowledged the decision but also made sure the reader was informed on other rulings in other similar cases between the two companies, rulings that were favorable to Apple.

That apology wasn't good for the court, and Apple was ordered to reword it. That's what the company did, but it apparently changed the code on its website, to make the modified apology visible only if the user scrolled the webpage downwards.

The wording was indeed changed, although the word "sorry" or any synonym of it wasn't found in it. The same goes for the print apology, which went live sometime between the two online versions.

Which brings us to today, when we find out via The Verge that Apple will have to pay Samsung its legal fees, as UK judges did not find Apple's apology shenanigans funny and decided to award Samsung a little bonus:

As to the costs (lawyers’ fees) to be awarded against Apple, we concluded that they should be on an indemnity basis. Such a basis (which is higher than the normal, “standard” basis) can be awarded as a mark of the court’s disapproval of a party’s conduct, particularly in relation to its respect for an order of the court. Apple’s conduct warranted such an order.

How much will Apple pay? We may never find out but patent lawyers are very expensive.

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Leaked Office Depot Black Friday ad lists $229 $32GB Nexus 7, other Android goodies

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 02:37 PM PST

With just two weeks to go until Black Friday 2012, things are hitting up in the leaked ads department. We've seen various leaks this week, from a variety electronic retailers, and we've seen plenty of Android deals in those flyers. But there's always room for more, therefore we're now looking at the leaked Office Depot Black Friday ad that has plenty of interesting offers.

One of the most exciting one is the 32GB Nexus 7 (Wi-Fi model) that will sell for $229.99, which is $20 less than what everyone is selling it for, even on Black Friday. And then there's also an interesting Samsung bundle that includes a laptop and an Android tablet.

In what follows, we're going to share with you all the Android products listed in the flyer:

Android Tablets

  • $469.98 Samsung Laptop & Tablet Bundle (Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and Samsung Series 3 Laptop) – $230 in savings
  • $179.99 Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 – $70 in savings
  • $69.99 Jazz Ultratab 7 – $60 in savings
  • $99.99 Jazz Ultratab 9 – $80 in savings
  • $199.99 Lenovo IdeaTab A2 – $100 in savings
  • $299.99 32GB Asus Transformer Pad – $100 in savings
  • $149.99 Asus Keyboard Charging Dock with tablet purchase
  • $229.99 32GB Google Nexus 7 Wi-Fi – $20 in savings
  • $159.99 Amazon Kindle Fire ($25 Visa card included with purchase)

Android Smartphones

  • $89.99 T-Mobile LTE VMB Comcast Prepaid wireless phone – $10 in savings

Accessories

  • 50% off tablet cases with purchase of tablet (Jazz and Lenovo models)
  • 50% off Kindle Fire cases with purchase of Kindle Fire tablet
  • $10% off Beats by Dr. Dre headphones
  • $99.99 Monster iSport Livestrong and Immersion in ear headphones
  • $59.99 Monster NCredible NTune on-ear headphones – $40 in savings
  • $19.99 iFrogz C845 headphones – $10 in savings
  • $4.99 2XL by Skullkandy Spoke earbuds – $5 in savings
  • $8.99 16GB SanDisk microSD memory – $23 in savings

Did you see anything that you'd like to buy from Office Depot this Black Friday?

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Facebook integrates desktop and mobile teams to unify experience

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 12:53 PM PST

Facebook Search

In the latest Facebook “Under the Hood” blog post, engineer Michael Eyal Sharon mentions that by better integrating its teams, Facebook hopes it will become more of a whole experience rather than several disparate experiences.

One of the more interesting tidbits Sharon touches upon in the blog post is that, in the beginning, the Facebook iOS app was developed by a single person, before moving on to a small team of developers. For some time, the teams developing the Facebook web app and its mobile app were completely separate. While this worked in the short term, it was clear that this method wouldn’t scale well.

While there are still separate teams, they work much more closely now, and according to the post, the teams “have taken ownership of their product experiences across both desktop and our mobile apps.” The standalone Messanger and Camera apps were born out of this new method of operation.

As two of the most used functions of Facebook’s mobile app, it makes sense to break off the Messanger and Camera aspects into smaller apps that can launch more quickly and be easier to use while still integrating with the main Facebook app.

While most of the blog post focuses on Facebook for iOS, we can hope that it will apply to the native Facebook Android app that will supposedly be released soon. Sharon mentions that the Facebook app shares a code base with the standalone Messanger and Camera apps for iOS, and seemingly the Android Facebook Messenger app works similarly. Hopefully when the fully native Android app arrives, utilizing a shared code base, combined with Facebook’s new timed released cycle will lead to faster, more efficient updates.

How often do you use Facebook’s mobile apps compared to its web app? Do you think that this unified approach will benefit the new Android app when it is released?

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Official Predators game lands in the Google Play Store

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 11:34 AM PST

While it may not be the Alien vs. Predator game that we heard was coming in November, Angry Mob Games and Fox Entertainment have teamed up to release a new Predators game in the Google Play Store.

The game sees you playing as a Predator creature who is trying to earn its way into a full membership within the Predators clan. Your goal is to take down the deadliest Killers from Earth, but it’s not only humans you’ll be fighting; you’ll also be fighting other Predators who want to stop you from achieving you goal.

Luckily, you will be well equipped to track down and eliminate your prey. Your tools will include your Stealth Generator and Thermal Vision, along with a variety of weapons including your wrist blade, spears, long-range cannons, Smart Disc, Razor Whip and Net Gun.

Take a look at the video below for a hint of what the game will look like in action.

Predators will cost you $2.99 and is a 105MB download in the Google Play Store. The game is optimized for NVIDIA Tegra and Xperia Play devices.

Have you tried the Predators game? Are you excited for an Android Alien vs Predator game?

 

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Updated Google Currents may be arriving soon

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 09:26 AM PST

Google-Currents

Those will keen eyes might notice something in the The Verge’s Nexus announcement video from a while back: an updated version of Google Currents.

If you’ve never used it before, Google Currents is essentially Google’s version of Flipboard, a magazine style reader app for mobile devices. The app hasn’t been talked about much since it’s release in December of 2011, but with this new update, that might change.

Google Currents hasn’t been updated since June, so it could be due for an update. The new look appears to be inspired by the Google+ Android app. The image below shows what a newly updated Google Currents might look like on the Nexus 10.

No announcement of a new version of Google Currents has been made, but as it comes preinstalled on Nexus devices now, Google may be waiting until the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 go on sale on Tuesday, November 13. It’s possible that the version of the app seen in the video is just a prototype, but it’s unlikely Google would have allowed it to be recorded if this was the case.

Are you a Google Currents user? What features would you like to see if the app does indeed get an update?

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Sprint spent $200 million in Q3 to bolster its 3G CDMA network. Why?

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 05:59 AM PST

Sprint is lagging behind other carriers in America with its 4G LTE network expansion, which explains why it has recently announced its goal of bringing LTE to more than 100 new markets in the coming months. Although 4G LTE is the "it" thing in the telecom industry, it's clear that there are still many wireless customers out there who are still stuck on 3G.

A recent filing made by Sprint to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reveals that the carrier spent $200 million on legacy 3G platform equipment in the third quarter of the year to improve the capacity on its CDMA network.

It's simply a case of Sprint wanting to make sure that it can handle the increased data usage on its legacy network, while slowly rolling out of the more advanced LTE network. It's not going to be the last one either. Sprint wrote on the filing: "We expect additional capital expenditures of legacy equipment until our network modernization is substantially complete.”

Talking to Fierce Wireless, Sprint spokesman Scott Sloat explained that the spending was a necessity, given that the company has to accommodate more users on its platform, particularly smartphone users. Sloat noted that Sprint added more than 900,000 new subscribers in Q3.

Sprint said it'll keep encouraging subscribers with 3G devices to make the jump to 4G LTE. So far, the carrier has sold over 1 million 4G LTE-enabled devices to its subscribers, whom we’re sure can’t wait to get 4G LTE signal bar on their devices. We hope some of them won’t mind waiting until the end of 2013 for the LTE roll out to be completed.

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Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Android Overload: Nexus 7 deals, Nexus 4 and 10 launch details, T-Mobile 2-day sale and more

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 06:01 PM PST


Hello Phandroids! We are here to bring you all the Android-related news that didn’t make it to our home page. Many of these are still worth a read, so go ahead and check them out before you take off for your holiday weekend endeavors!

  • 32 GB Nexus 7 to sell for $229 at Office Depot this Black Friday [Reddit]
  • Google clarifies Nexus 4 / 10 availability [Android Police]
  • T-Mobile organizing a 2-day sale for Nov 16, 17 [Into Mobile]
  • Motorola RAZR HD becomes first 4G LTE phone in Mexico soon after Telcel’s LTE network launch [Into Mobile]
  • Multiview feature ported to the OG Samsung Galaxy Note [XDA Developers]
  • First ROM for the HTC One X+ [XDA Developers]


Google services halted in China – Communist Party Congress at fault?

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 03:36 PM PST


It was all good and usual in China until reports of issues with Google services started flooding in. The reasons are still unknown, but it seems Google services have been halted in the faraway land. This includes Gmail, Google Maps and Google Docs, which are essential to many users.

What is even more interesting is that it happened right as the 18th Chinese Communist Party Congress takes place, which is when the country’s new leaders are elected. During this event, the Chinese Government holds the right to block any websites that don’t comply with their media regulations. The same regulations Google mentioned, in 2010, they would not comply to.

The problem is more than likely related to this, as Google has stated the following:

“We've checked and there's nothing wrong on our end” -Google

Meanwhile, Google searches are being re-routed to a Korean site by using DNS Poisoning. Google has seen a major drop in traffic in said country, so there is no doubt this is no accident.

It is sad to hear our Chinese friends are not able to enjoy these services at the moment. If you have ever experienced a server drop from Google, you would know a huge part of our internet use is affected. To some of us, it would become near impossible to continue with our daily tasks, and we might not even be able to easily continue our work.

We just have to wonder how this is working with mobile devices in China. Are Android’s native applications and Google services being affected on smartphones? If we have any readers from China, please do let us know. For now, let’s just wait and hope it all goes back to normal soon.

[via Business Week]


Apple vs Samsung: UK orders Apple to pay all legal fees due to site’s misleading statement

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 01:43 PM PST


Samsung’s victory against Apple in the UK was everything but unnoticed. The court went as far as ordering Apple to publish a notice in their official website stating that Samsung did not infringe on the patents at hand. Of course, Apple didn’t see this through with crossed arms and managed to publish a statement that gave more credit to the iPhone maker than it did to the case’s results. UK authorities then forced Apple to edit the statement, which they did, but not without a bit more trickery.

We knew this was all going to come back and bite Apple in the rear, and so it did. The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is now forcing Apple to pay for all of Samsung’s legal fees, due to their “false and misleading” notice.

We must keep in mind that such practices are usual in the UK: losers usually do end up paying for the winners’ legal fees. But the fact that this decision was based on an indemnity basis makes for a very sound slap with a white glove. It is meant to remind Apple, and everyone else, that what they did was wrong.

Now that this one is out of the way, let’s get ready for the hundreds of lawsuits to come. This game is not ending any time soon, guys. It won’t until we change our legal system to get rid of all these problems, which many times are based on insignificant factors.

[Source: Bailii Via: The Verge]


Android Overload: Google exec says there should be more carrier UI’s, T-Mobile 2-day sale for select Samsung phones, and more

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 01:17 AM PST

This image has no alt text

  • AT&T offering $100 off tablets with a 2-year data plan. [AT&T]
  • Pulse updated in the Play Store to version 3.0. Brings new navigation and improvements. [Play Store]
  • T-Mobile 2-day sale offers discounts on select Samsung devices (no Galaxy Note 2). [TMoNews]
  • Android (and iOS) app Blippar breathes life into the ShortList magazine via augmented reality. [Mashable]
  • Nvidia’s Q3 revenue hits record $1.2 billion thanks to Tegra 3 processor sales. [NVIDIA]
  • Google Ventures executive thinks carriers should be doing more to customize their Android UI’s. [FierceMobile]
  • Paper Monsters coming next week to the Google Play Store. [YouTube]
  • Ubuntu team releases Ubuntu Nexus 7 desktop installer. [DroidDog]
  • Light Flow for Android updated in the Play Store. Brings support for 4.2 Jelly Bean. [Play Store]
  • Arcane Legends launching within a week for Android in the Google Play Store. [SpacetimeStudios]
  • Google and all Google services being blocked in China (again). [Readwrite]


Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums


NVIDIA Reports Record Revenue For Q3, Gives Sunny Forecast For Company’s Future

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 08:51 AM PST

 

It’s no secret that NVIDIA has much of the smartphone and tablet market cornered with its impressive line of processors and GPUs, but NVIDIA has a lot to smile about today thanks to its recently announced Q3 earnings. According to its report, the company made an astounding $1.20 billion in Q3, which is up 15.3% from Q2 2012 and 12.9% from Q3 2011. As expected, NVIDIA head Jen-Hsun Huang highlights the secret to NVIDIA’s winning formula :

 

“Kepler GPUs are winning across the special-purpose PC markets we serve, from gaming to design to supercomputing. And Tegra is powering some of the most innovative tablets, phones and cars in the market.”

 

Now that NVIDIA has jumped on its success, we should its impressive chipsets in even more Android devices. More details are available once you hit the presser after the break.

 

NVIDIA Reports Financial Results for Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2013
NVIDIA Initiates Dividend; Extends Share-Repurchase Authorization

Nov 08, 2012 (Marketwire via COMTEX) –NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA)

Record revenue of $1.20 billion.
GAAP net income was $209.1 million, or $0.33 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income was $245.5 million, or $0.39 per diluted share.
GAAP gross margin was a record 52.9 percent. Non-GAAP gross margin was a record 53.1 percent.
NVIDIA initiated quarterly dividend of 7.5 cents a share.

NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) today reported record revenue of $1.20 billion for the third quarter of fiscal 2013 ended Oct. 28, 2012, up 15.3 percent from the previous quarter and up 12.9 percent from a year earlier.

The company also announced that it is initiating the payment of a quarterly cash dividend, and extending its existing $2.7 billion share-repurchase program, initiated in August 2004, through December 2014.

“Investments in our new growth strategies paid off this quarter in record revenues and margins,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and chief executive officer of NVIDIA. “Kepler GPUs are winning across the special-purpose PC markets we serve, from gaming to design to supercomputing. And Tegra is powering some of the most innovative tablets, phones and cars in the market.”

He continued: “We are pleased to start paying our shareholders a quarterly cash dividend. We have confidence in our businesses and our continued ability to grow. Given our strong financial position and ongoing ability to generate cash, we are well positioned to continue investing in our future.”

GAAP Quarterly Financial Comparison
(in millions except per share data) Q3 FY13 Q2 FY13 Q3 FY12 Q/Q Y/Y
Revenue $1,204.1 $1,044.3 $1,066.2 up 15.3% up 12.9%
Gross margin 52.9% 51.8% 52.2% up 1.1 p.p up 0.7 p.p
Operating expenses $384.4 $401.1 $359.6 down 4.2% up 6.9%
Net income $209.1 $119.0 $178.3 up 75.6% up 17.3%
Earnings per share $0.33 $0.19 $0.29 up 73.7% up 13.8%

Non-GAAP Quarterly Financial Comparison*
(in millions except per share data) Q3 FY13 Q2 FY13 Q3 FY12 Q/Q Y/Y
Revenue $1,204.1 $1,044.3 $1,066.2 up 15.3% up 12.9%
Gross margin 53.1% 52.0% 52.5% up 1.1 p.p up 0.6 p.p
Operating expenses $344.8 $342.5 $317.6 up 0.7% up 8.6%
Net income $245.5 $170.4 $217.0 up 44.0% up 13.1%
Earnings per share $0.39 $0.27 $0.35 up 44.4% up 11.4%

*Non-GAAP earnings excluded stock-based compensation, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, other acquisition-related costs, a contribution expense in the second quarter of fiscal 2013, and the tax impact associated with such items.

Outlook

Our outlook for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 is as follows:

Revenue is expected to be between $1.025 billion and $1.175 billion.

GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins are expected to be flat relative to the prior quarter, 52.9 percent and 53.1 percent, respectively.

GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $400 million; non-GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $359 million.

GAAP and non-GAAP tax rates are expected to be approximately 20 percent and 19 percent, respectively, plus or minus one percentage point. This estimate excludes any discrete tax events that may occur during the quarter, which, if realized, may increase or decrease our actual fourth quarter GAAP and non-GAAP tax rates. If the U.S. research tax credit is reinstated into tax law, we estimate our annual effective tax rate for the fiscal year 2013 to be approximately 16 percent.

Depreciation and amortization for the fourth quarter is estimated to be approximately $58 million to $60 million. Capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $60 million to $70 million.

Diluted shares for the fourth quarter are expected to be approximately 629 million.

Dividend and Share-Repurchase Program

The quarterly dividend of 7.5 cents per share, 30 cents on an annual basis, is equivalent to a yield of about 2.4 percent, based on the Nov. 7 closing price of $12.61. It will be payable on Dec. 14, 2012 to all shareholders of record on Nov. 23, 2012.

Since NVIDIA initiated its repurchase program in August 2004, NVIDIA has spent $1.46 billion to repurchase 90.9 million shares of its common stock. NVIDIA is authorized, subject to certain specifications, to spend up to an additional $1.24 billion repurchasing shares of its common stock.

Any future repurchases would be made in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions or in structured share-repurchase programs, and may be made from time to time or in one or more larger repurchases. The program will be conducted in compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Rule 10b-18 and applicable legal requirements and shall be subject to market conditions and other factors. The repurchases would be funded from available working capital.

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2013 were $3.43 billion.

Third Quarter Fiscal 2013 and Recent Highlights:

Microsoft launched its NVIDIA Tegra® 3-based Surface RT to critical acclaim.

NVIDIA’s new energy-efficient Kepler™ GPU architecture continued to make excellent headway:

Kepler-based gaming was extended to new, lower price points with the launch of the GeForce® 660 Ti, GeForce GTX 660, GeForce GTX 650 Ti and GeForce GTX 650.
Kepler made further inroads in supercomputing, as Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced that it had completed Titan, the world’s fastest open-science supercomputer. Titan gets 90 percent of its processing power from 18,688 NVIDIA Tesla® GPUs.
Kepler moved further into Apple’s lineup, with the NVIDIA Quadro® K5000 for Mac Pro users.
NVIDIA launched the VGX™ K2 GPU, also based on the Kepler GPU, for cloud-based workstation graphics.

CFO Commentary
Commentary on the quarter by Karen Burns, NVIDIA interim chief financial officer, is available at www.nvidia.com/ir.

 



Light Flow update released to support Nexus 4 and GMail 4.2

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 06:39 AM PST

Rage Consulting has released an update to their popular LED control app Light Flow bringing it up to to version 3.3.0. The new update adds support for LG Nexus 4 devices just in time for that device’s release. Along with the new handset support, Light Flow now supports several additional applications, most notable among them being GMail 4.2. For those not familiar with Light Flow, the app enables users to customize the LED notifications on your device. You can configure different colors for different notifications, set priorities, match these to sounds or vibrations, and establish sleep modes to help conserve battery life.

The app does have some specific hardware requirements, with HTC devices presenting the biggest challenges. If you are interested in Light Flow, grab the $2.49 app using one of the download links below or opt for the Lite version that is available for free.

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Google Play Download Link



Virgin Mobile to offer Samsung Galaxy S II for $369.99 starting November 15th

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 06:18 AM PST

Virgin Mobile is poised to start offering the Samsung Galaxy S II this coming week. According to sources, Virgin will make the device available for $369.99 starting on Thursday, November 15th. The device will be available in titanium and white. Users can then opt for a $35 per month plan. Although the Galaxy S II is now a generation old, the device remains popular. As we saw last week, even Sprint is working on a refreshed version to make available. The Galaxy S II still a solid smartphone device and could be a good option for some users looking to upgrade even older devices.

source: TechnoBuffalo



Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III leaks once again, could be final build

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 11:12 PM PST

Verizon’s Galaxy S III has seen no shortage of leaked software updates. Earlier this month we came across an unfinished build of Android 4.1 for the handset, though it contained several bugs that hindered the overall usability of the software.

Posted yesterday, the new leak manages to address a few issues which could potentially prove to be valuable for custom ROM developers. It remains unclear exactly what has been changed, but users are acknowledging its improved performance and stability. In fact, the poster of the leaked firmware says it very well could be the final OTA that is slated to arrive for Verizon customers later this year.

You can download the leaked ROM in both odexed and deodexed versions, as well as find instructions on how to install it at the source links below. If you’re the adventurous type, let us know what you think of the new firmware in the comments.

Via: AndroidAuthority
Source: Xda-Developers, (2)



Nexus 7 explodes, gives new meaning to ‘burning rubber’

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 10:42 PM PST

What exactly happened to the above Nexus 7, you ask? Well, put simply–it exploded. Apparently the device spontaneously combusted as a result of being plugged in to a standard wall charger.

The owner, who posted the set of images in a Chinese forum, claims she left the device to charge for a total of 3 hours using the factory OEM charger before the tablet went up in flames. As we’ve seen before, these types of incidents leave plenty of room for controversy, though it seems as though this particular case is legitimate. In fact, ASUS has already acknowledged the problem and has sent out a fresh replacement free of charge.

Considering this is the first we’ve heard of this type of thing happening to a Nexus 7, we’re hoping the problem is isolated to this single unit. However, until we hear something official from ASUS, you may want to make sure your device isn’t sitting next to anything valuable or flammable.

Hit the break for a duo of additional images.

Source: Phandroid



Samsung Galaxy Note II now available from AT&T

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 10:13 PM PST

Despite being announced back in August, Samsung’s latest flagship phablet is just now making its way to North American shores. Beginning today, the company’s new Galaxy Note II is available to purchase from AT&T, both online and in brick and mortar stores. The S Pen-wielding superphone will set you back $299 with a new two-year commitment.

While that price may seem a bit steep, keep in mind that you’re getting the latest and greatest in terms of hardware, including a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.6GHz, 2GB of RAM, a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display and an 8-megapixel rear camera. But with other appealing smartphones like the Nexus 4 on the horizon, you’ll undoubtedly need a little insight before taking the plunge. So, why not check out our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Note II before making any final decisions?

Source: AT&T



Judge Lucy Koh agrees to hear Samsung’s accusations of juror misconduct in patent trial

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:04 PM PST

 

After the recent ruling in Apple’s favor on that infamous patent case, Samsung asked the court to investigate whether jury foreman Velvin Hogan had concealed information about previous legal situations that would provide basis for an anti-Samsung bias. Naturally, a bias like that could have had a significant impact on the jury’s ruling. Judge Lucy Koh issued a statement that she would be willing to to hear out Samsung’s claims on December 6th. In that statement, she said  ”the Court will consider the questions of whether the jury foreperson concealed information during voir dire [jury selection], whether any concealed information was material, and whether any concealment constituted misconduct. An assessment of such issues is intertwined with the question of whether and when Apple had a duty to disclose the circumstances and timing of its discovery of information about the foreperson.”

That’s important for several reasons. If Apple had learned that Hogan had concealed information, that would be a pretty serious hurdle to jump to uphold that ruling in Apple’s favor. If Samsung succeeds in putting casting enough doubt onto the jury, and can prove that it would’ve changed the outcome of the case, the entire lawsuit will get a retrial, which could possibly swing in Samsung’s favor. After being ordered to pay out over a billion dollars, I can imagine Samsung is really hoping this pans out.

source: The Verge



Motorola introduces ‘Test Drive’ feature for select few to test future software updates before release

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 06:22 PM PST

Right on the heels of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update on the DROID RAZR M today, Motorola has introduced a feature they’re calling ‘Test Drive.’ This feature will allow a select group of registered users to have access to the latest software and provide feedback before it goes public. There’s no mention of how or when those users will be selected however. Tenure maybe? The first group of “a few hundred consumers” that get to be a part of this new feature will be when Android 4.2 begins to roll out. This no doubt will be a pretty sweet, distinguished group of folks, so we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

source:  Motorola Blog



Google and Asus offering refunds to certain Nexus 7 owners who purchased before recent price drop to cover the difference

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 06:05 PM PST

Both Asus and Google have announced a price protection program for those that bought a Nexus 7 within a specific time frame, before the price drop. First up is Asus. They’re offering UK customers that bought the 16GB Nexus 7 directly from either Google or Asus a ₤25 refund for those who bought one before October 29th. You must register your device with Asus and also provide a proof of purchase. You must also do so by November 30th. Next is Google as they are offering a $50 refund towards your account for those in the U.S. that purchased the 16GB Nexus 7 on or after October 14th.

source:  The Verge