Google / Microsoft – Silly spat

          The silly spat has ended with a win / win. Since the launch of Windows Phone 8, Google has been refusing to support the platform and so Microsoft took the APIs and made the You Tube app itself. This became available this month and immediately caused consternation as the Microsoft’s implementation allows the videos to...

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Future TV – Integrate or die.

          Over the top offerings will need to be integrated or they will perish. TV over the internet is still a tiny fraction of the market (5% of US – see here for details) but it is the future and so everyone is starting to get their ducks in a row for when it finally takes...

Smartphone usage – Meaningless data

          The latest data is meaningless without a demographic adjustment.  Experian has produced an extensive survey looking at what users do with their smartphones. The data includes normal telephony functions and reveals usage patterns that match most of the previous surveys. Time spent on smartphones by activity (%) % share of time iOS Android Total Talk...

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Mozilla – The promise

          Mozilla must live up to its promise to survive in mobile.   Not content with just smartphones, it looks as if Mozilla is also moving into the cut throat tablet market. June 3rd is the date for a joint press event between Mozilla and Foxconn where a new device seems certain to be announced. The...

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Hulu – Caveat emptor

          Buying Hulu is fraught with risk. Hulu, the video site is up for sale once again but the price is unlikely to be better than the $2bn valuation at which Providence recently exited. Hulu has 4m customers paying $7.99 a month and generated 2012 revenues of $695m. As an over-the-top (OTT) provider of premium content,...

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Windows 8 – Adoption by attrition

          Windows 8 will get there in the end. At its London Analyst summit Intel bemoaned the lack of cool designs for the malaise of the PC market but as usual, this less than half the story. There are multiple reasons why the PC market is struggling of which form factor is but one. These are:...

HPQ Q2 – The Meg diet

            Austerity buys time for a proper strategy to be formed. HPQ posted good Q2 results and guided nicely as the cost cutting plan began to show results. Q2 Revenues and EPS where $27.6bn / $0.87 compared to consensus at $28.0bn / $0.81. Revenues from the PC segment where the real culprit for the top...

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xBox One – TV Blooper

          TV lets xBox One down but it is not Microsoft’s fault. The xBox One has been revealed with great fanfare and while it’s a winner in many areas, it falls over when it comes to the integration of TV. To be fair to Microsoft, I suspect that this is not its fault and that the...

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Jolla – Half the story

          Jolla’s new handset is really only half of the story Jolla has released the Jolla Phone with some interesting innovation, but the $520 price tag is going to bring tears to the eyes of many potential buyers. The device is a sleek, buttonless touch device with a 4.5inch touch display, dual core processor and an...

Yahoo! / Tumblr – Diamond in the rough

          Tumblr is exactly what Yahoo! needs to expand its coverage of Digital Life. The wires are alive with the idea that Yahoo! will announce its $1.1bn acquisition of Tumblr today at its event in New York. 10x 2013 revenues looks punchy but the usage stats point to a website where the traffic is substantially under-...