Microsoft looking to poach webOS devs
Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 21 Aug 2011 14:29
Following HP’s decision to kill off all webOS-based hardware and firesale their Pre phones and TouchPad tablet for $49 and $99, respectively, Microsoft is looking to bring talented webOS devs over to the floundering Windows Phone 7 platform.
Microsoft has had good success in bringing developers over to WP7 and despite mediocre hardware sales the platform has 30,000 apps in record time.
Director for Windows Phone 7, Brandon Watson, has tweeted this weekend:
To any published webOS devs: We’ll give you what you need to be successful on #WindowsPhone, including free phones, dev tools, and training, etc
Microsoft is said to have strong tools and a strong training program for WP7 devs.
Result for: hardware sales
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.
Result for: hardware sales
Although hardware saw a nice jump for the month, NPD has reported that June U.S. video game industry sales continued the long term downtrend, with overall sales falling 6 percent year-on-year (YoY), to $1.1 billion USD.
Hardware sales saw a nice five percent pop, to $401.7 million, and accessories saw a similar jump to $169.6 million.
Software dragged the entire industry down, falling 15 percent YoY to $531.3 million.
On the hardware side, the DS series led the way, at 510,700 units sold. The Xbox 360 saw a nice boost, moving to 451,700 units sold, beating out the Wii, which sold 422,500 units for the period.
Following behind were the Sony consoles, with the PS3 at 304,800 and the dying PSP handheld at 121,000.
On the software side, Red Dead Redemption continues to be a blockbuster, selling almost a million more units in June.
Full figures via GameSpot:
OVERALL DOLLAR SALES
Games: $1.1 billion (-6%)
Hardware: $401.7 million (+5%%)
Software: $531.3 million (-15%%)
Accessories: $169.6 million (+6%)
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