Amazon has “sold millions” of Kindles this holiday season
Although normally dead quiet on Kindle sales figures, Amazon has boasted today that they have “sold millions” of the latest generation e-readers during the first 73 days of this quarter, strong numbers considering the Christmas rush is still heating up.
In the past, Amazon had said little about sales figures, only claiming that the Kindle was the top selling item on the e-tailer’s site, and its “fastest selling” item, ever.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos also made the bold claim that e-book sales will pass paperback sales by summer 2011, and surpass hardcover and paperback sales by 2012.
The giant online retailer has always said that the hardware sales are not as important as the e-book sales, and Amazon even makes Kindle apps for iOS, BlackBerry, Android, Macs and PCs.
Despite being the clear market leader, increased competition from Apple, Barnes & Noble and now Google has analysts believing a once 70-percent share will fall to under 40 within 2 years.
The latest Kindle Wi-Fi sells for $140.
Verizon iPhone 4 will have LTE support?
MacDailyNews has reported today that the upcoming Verizon-bound iPhone 4 will have LTE 4G support, a feature not seen on any other current model.
Additionally the site says the phone will hit the Verizon network before the New Year, right after Christmas.
Citing reliable sources, MDN says AT&T requested Apple hold off on breaking the American exclusivity pact until after Christmas so the carrier could make as many iPhone 4 and 3GS sales as possible.
Furthermore, the site says the LTE iPhone has already shipped to Verizon warehouses and has been in the hands of training managers since last week.
As a special marketing campaign, Verizon will market the device as “the only LTE iPhone.”
Because Verizon has just begun their LTE rollout, the iPhone will backwards compatibility with 3G CDMA.
For now, take this as rumor, but we will keep you updated.
EU fines 5 companies for being ‘LCD cartel’
The European Union has fined five companies $863 million USD this week for being part of an ‘LCD cartel’ that helped fix prices from 2001 through 2006.
Samsung, the sixth LCD maker in the scheme and the largest in the world, blew the whistle on the other companies and therefore avoided a fine from the European Commission.
LG Display, the second largest LCD maker in the world, was fined $284 million and accepted the fine saying: “LG Display acknowledges the wrongful acts of the past and respects the European Commission’s regulatory authority in this regard.”
The company did say it may appeal the ruling if it finds any “procedural issues with the investigation.”
Execs for each of the companies met in Taiwanese hotels “at least 60 times” during the time period, dubbing the exchanges “the Crystal meetings.” During the meeting, the execs would work on fixing prices while sharing information on future production plans.
For the five year period, the cartel affected LCD panel sales worth about $9.24 billion in the European market.
The other companies and their fines:
Chimei InnoLux Corp - $395 million
AU Optronics Corp - $153 million
Chunghwa Picture Tubes - $11.8 million
HannStar Display Corp - $10.7 million
[More]>>
Over 300,000 Android phones being activated every day now
Google’s head of Android Andy Rubin took to Twitter today to let the world know that over 300,000 Android smartphones are being activated each day.
Marking only the second time he has ever tweeted, Rubin says, simply: “There are over 300,000 Android phones activated each day.”
The number is a huge jump from the 200,000-a-day claim stated in August. In February the company claimed 60,000 per day and 160,000 in June.
Adds Rubin, via MM: “It looks like Android is not just phenomenal but incredibly phenomenal in its growth rate. God knows how long that will continue.”
Android has quickly become the most popular smartphone operating system in the United States, surpassing RIM and Apple in the Q3 2010.
Version 2.3 of the OS, dubbed Gingerbread, has just been unveiled and will be available next week via the new flagship Nexus S.
8 percent of Americans now use Twitter
According to a new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 8 percent of American adults currently use Twitter, with only 2 percent using it on a daily basis.
The company surveyed 2550 Americans, 74 of which use the Internet.
Although the overall number was low, Pew found that Twitter was popular among younger adults, urban city dwellers and minorities.
Women were also more likely to use Twitter.
Overall, 10 percent of Twitter users were women, compared to 7 percent for men, with the majority being in the 18-29 age group.
From a racial standpoint, Hispanics were most likely to use the micro blogging service followed closely by the black population and finally the white population.
24 percent of Twitter users check the site for updates multiple times a day, while 12 percent check it just once. A full 21 percent never check their accounts.
For those that actually post, 72 percent post about their personal lives, 62 percent write about work and 55 percent post news. 54 percent “post humorous or observational tweets” and 53 percent re-tweet other posts.
52 percent send private messages, 40 share pics, 28 percent share videos and 24 percent tweet their geo-location.
Sirius XM deal with Howard Stern allows mobile streaming
Sirius XM has signed a new five-year deal with infamous ’shock jock’ Howard Stern, one that will pay him somewhere between $80-$100 million per year.
Stern’s current 5-year $500 million deal expires at the end of the year.
As part of the new deal, the shock jock can also be streamed via mobile/Internet apps, such as those found on the Apple iPhone and Android smartphones, alongside satellite radio devices.
Stern’s first deal blocked the host from being on Internet sources.
Since Stern’s original contract was signed, Sirius’ subscriber base has jumped from 600,000 to 19 million.
Prima Cinema to give consumers a chance to start their own home movie theaters, literally
Prima Cinema, a new start-up, wants to bring movies to your home movie theater the day that movie launches in theaters, but it won’t be cheap.
The company will charge a one-time $20,000 fee to install the digital-delivery system, and each new movie will cost $500.
Prima says it has $5 million in venture capital from Universal and Best Buy and hopes to begin delivering movies to customers in the Q4 2011.
The company has high expectations, as well. Prima wants to install the delivery system in 250,000 homes by 2015, however, executives in Hollywood seem to see that number as a lot lower.
Other execs see it differently: “While this is a niche market, there is a chance for significant upside,” says Adam Fogelson, chairman of Universal Pictures (via WSJ). “And precisely because it is a niche market, that upside should come without harming any of our existing partners or revenue streams.”
Prima CEO Jason Pang adds: “We’re not here to replace anything. We are trying to create new revenue streams for studios and new viewing opportunities for moviegoers.”
The movie delivery company has not yet signed on with any studios, but is actively in talks with all the majors and major independents.
Netflix gets more content from ABC, Disney
Netflix has signed a new licensing agreement with Disney-ABC, adding tons of new content to their Watch Instantly streaming service.
For the first time ever, Disney has added ABC Family content to the streaming library.
Newer first-run content will be available 15 days after initial telecast.
Part of the new agreement are “prior season episodes of current ABC hit series “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Desperate Housewives” and, for the first time on Netflix, “Brothers & Sisters.”
Furthermore, Netflix will have all seasons of “Scrubs,” “Lost,” Ugly Betty” and “Reaper.”
From the Disney Channel comes more episodes of “Phineas and Ferb,” “Good Luck Charlie,” “The Suite Life on Deck” and “Wizards of Waverly Place.”
Finally, from ABC Family comes the catalogs of “Greek,” “Make It or Break It,” “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “Melissa & Joey.”
Smartphone, tablets will outship PCs by 2012
Market research firm IDC has said today that the end of the PC-centric era is near, with tablet and smartphone shipments set to overtake PC shipments in 2012.
IDC makes sure to note, however, that PC sales will continue to increase, as well, just at a much slower rate than gadgets that rely on touchscreen and apps.
Worldwide shipments of “app-enabled devices” will reach 377 million in 2011, and 462 million shipments in 2012, exceeding PCs which are expected to ship 402 million in 2011 and 448 million in 2012.
Frank Gens, chief analyst at IDC says tablets and smartphones are “not replacing the PC — that’s a key point — but [they are] expanding the market.”
Overall, global IT spending will jump 5.7 percent to $1.6 trillion in 2011.
Apple Mac app store coming next week?
Although unconfirmed, multiple sources are reporting that Apple will launch its Mac app store next week, on December 13th.
The Mac app store will give third-party developers a chance to create low-cost apps for Mac users, basically becoming a desktop version of the iOS App Store.
One source says “Apple is targeting a Monday, December 13 launch of the Mac App Store,” although CEO Steve Jobs has reportedly pushed for an earlier launch date.
Other sources claim Apple will use this month to launch iOS 4.3, which will bring the addition of subscription-billing APIs, and “The Daily,” a cheap, iPad-only newspaper created in conjunction with News Corp.
iOS 4.3 should also bring an update to AirPlay.
