Tag Archives: IPod

Apple’s Identity Crisis – As Earnings Decline, Investors Pay Attention to a Lack of New Products

Image representing Apple as depicted in CrunchBase
Jessica E. Lessin, jessica.lessin@wsj.com

It’s all about how Apple is positioned by investors and the marketplace.

If it continues to be seen as a hardware business, Apple’s streak—driven by products like the iPhone and iPad—could run out quickly as smartphones and tablets get commoditized and consumer tastes change. It is a lesson learned by companies like BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion Ltd., whose tech hardware was quickly eclipsed by products from Apple itself.

If Apple is classified as a software-hardware hybrid, the company could be valued more like Internet and software makers that have recurring revenue streams and that often trade at higher price-to-earnings ratios than hardware firms.

“The market views Apple as a consumer hardware company tied to product cycles that drive volatile revenue and earnings streams,” says Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty. But that view isn’t complete, she says, since “Apple customers buy into a brand that offers ease of use similar to companies like Amazon.com or enterprise companies like NetApp.”

Apple has characteristics that differ from many other hardware businesses. Its customers often upgrade their Apple products annually, far more frequently than the four-year PC upgrade cycles typically found at tech hardware businesses including Hewlett-Packard or Dell.

The history of hardware companies that stayed on top through software is short. Sony Corp., 6758.TO +2.14% for instance, lost its supremacy to Apple when the Walkman couldn’t compete with iTunes and the iPod. RIM enjoyed huge sales spurred by its email service, only to have that eclipsed by Apple and its App Store.

Now, some say there are signs Google Inc. GOOG +1.91% may do the same to Apple with online services. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says Apple builds great software, but gets a “C” on software services like data syncing service iCloud.

Must Read Internet Report from Mary Meeker

English: Mary Meeker portrait

If you only read two things a year, they need to be Mary Meeker‘s analysis of the state of the Internet and technology in general.  She just released new new presentation (copied below), and in it outlines:

  • Internet growth remains robust
  • Internet penetration in the U.S. leads all other countries.
  • iPods Changed Media Industry… iPhones Ramped EvenFaster… iPad Growth (3x iPhone) Leaves “Siblings” in Dust
  • Android ‘Phone’ Adoption Has Ramped Even Faster –Nearly 6x iPhone
  • Global Smartphone + Tablet Shipments Exceeded PCs in Q4
  • Global Smartphone + Tablet Installed Base Should Exceed PC Installed Base in Q2, 2013
  • 169 Years In, Standalone Compact Camera Shipments Were Surpassed By Smartphone (with Camera) Shipments
  • 20+ Years In, Portable Navigation Device Unit Shipments Were Surpassed by Waze

Looking for Guests for show on Mobile Device Evolution

A stack of the iPods I now own... included are...

We’re looking for guests to interview via telephone Wednesday, September 26th, afternoon to fill ten slots on our technology-related radio show. We’ll be talking about:

Modern Mobile Device Evolution

We’re thinking about things like:

iPods changed the music industry. iPhones changed the phone industry even faster.

  • What has the growth of Smart handheld devices been?
  • How does it compare with past evolutions/revolutions?
  • Where is it going?
  • Android adoption has advanced at 4x rate of iPhone – where is it going?
  • How much room for growth is left?

Contact us via producer+smartdevices at CraigPeterson.com

Get a Second Phone Number for Your Cell Phone AND Save on Calling Costs

Image representing Vumber as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

Craig Peterson:  Welcome back to Tech Talk with Craig Peterson. Today we’re talking about back to college, all of the different types of technologies that can help make it cheaper and easier to go to college, to be able to communicate with family and friends back home. And right now, that’s specifically what we’re going to be talking about. A company called Vumber.com online, at least that’s where you’ll find them, V-U-M-B-E-R. We’re going to be talking about what they’re doing that allows you to turn your iPod or iPad into a phone. And also, from an IOS device, which can include your iPhone as well, have unlimited calling and texting worldwide. How they pull all of this together. Continue reading

Trade-In that Old Piece of Electronics

Image representing Gazelle as depicted in Crun...

Image via CrunchBase

We’ve talked about trading in your old electronics online on the show before (should probably do it again).  There are players out there we’ve talked about including Gazelle.com and Amazon — who has now expanded their trade-in plan to include used electronics.

Amazon.com is testing a plan to let consumers trade in used cellphones, tablets, cameras and other gadgets for credit against other purchases, in a bid to keep up with rivals such as Best Buy and eBay.

Sounds like a great idea for consumers.  You should be able to purchase used items from Amazon.com at a better price point than eBay, and you should be able to easily dispose of all those old pieces of electronics without the hassle of trying to sell them on eBay or take them to the local recycling center (where you may have to pay to dispose of them).

Amazon.com Trade-in Tips:

  1. Search for items to trade in. Your trade-in items must meet the product eligibility criteria.
  2. Print a shipping label and packing slip, package your items, and ship them for FREE.
  3. An Amazon.com Gift Card will be deposited into your account upon receipt of items.

Gazelle tips:

  1. Visit gazelle.com to receive an offer on your item: Search for the item you’d like to trade in on gazelle.com, answer a few quick questions, and we’ll give you an offer in seconds.
  2. Ship us your item: Transactions with a value of at least $1 qualify for free shipping and many items qualify for free packaging as well. Simply print out your shipping label and send your item to us.
  3. You get paid: Once we receive your item, it will be hand evaluated by a trained member of our gadget lab team. If all checks out, we’ll send your payment.

Best Buy e-cycle
Best Buy takes just about anything electronic, including TVs, DVD players, computer monitors, audio and video cables, cell phones, and more.

Home Depot CFL Recycling
The Home Depot offers free in-store recycling of compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.

Lowe’s
Recycling centers, located at the store entrance, offer a free, convenient and easy way for customers to recycle rechargeable batteries, cell phones, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and plastic shopping bags.

Office Depot
Accepts computers, monitors, fax machines, scanners and many other devices. Fees apply.

Radio Shack
This retailer takes cell phones and rechargeable batteries.

Staples
Staples accepts ink and toner cartridges, PDAs, cell phones, digital cameras, rechargeable batteries, desktop computers, monitors, laptops, printers, keyboards, mice, speakers and modems. A recycling fee of $10 is charged for each piece of large equipment. No charge for Dell computers and monitors.

Target Recycling
Customers can recycle cans, glass plastic bottles, plastic bags, MP3 players, ink cartridges and cell phones at Target stores.

Walmart Electronics Recycling
Through the Samsung Recycling Direct program, Walmart customers can recycle Samsung consumer electronics for free at drop-off locations in all 50 states Other brands are recyclable for a nominal fee.

Whole Foods
Some Whole Foods stores recycle #5 plastic, which is commonly used in containers for yogurt, cottage cheese and other foods.

Consumer Electronics Show – First Look

Image representing Android as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase

Last night was the shot across the bow for the media.  We were invited to a huge press event called “CES Unveiled” where dozens of companies paid to exhibit their wares in a pre-show show.  Almost all of the news coverage you’re going to see this morning is from that show.  It’s another lesson in publicity — pay up.  Oh well.

The biggest news this year?  Tablet computers and better 3D television.  And, of those, Vizio is taking the majority of the steam.

Vizio, a U.S.-based company, has taken the television market by storm.  They’re now the top selling of quality, affordable LED and LCD televisions in the country.  I’ve recommended their TVs for a couple of years, and their market share has done nothing but grown.

Now, Vizio is in the process of moving into two other markets — Tablets and Smartphones.  And it starts this week.

At CES yesterday, Vizio has announced their new Google-Android based Tablets and Smartphone.  These look like they’re going to be great devices, and with their distribution channels it’s likely that they’ll have a huge shot at the current market leader’s slot.

Microsoft‘s CEO, Ballmer, is also rumored to be showing off a couple of third-party tablets running a modified version of Windows.  The Samsung device is expected to be “‘similar in size and shape to the Apple iPad, although it is not as thin,’” reported the Times, quoting its source. “‘It also includes a unique and slick keyboard that slides out from below for easy typing.’” The tablet is also expected to “run the Windows 7 operating system when in landscape mode, but will also have a layered interface that will appear when the keyboard is hidden and the device is held in a portrait mode.”

Toshiba will reportedly unveil a tablet that will run Honeycomb, the next version of Google’s Android operating system. There’s also talk that Lenovo will unveil at least one, if not two, Android tablets.

Apple iPad — watch out!  But, if the iPod’s competition is any predictor of the future, there may not be much to worry about.

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Must-Have Protectors for Electronics – Special 55% Off Coupon Code

The brushed aluminum back of the iPad Wi-Fi
Image via Wikipedia

It’s rare that I recommend something as a must-have, but this is one of those times.  If you are buying, or have recently bought, an electronic device such as a cell phone, iPod, iPad, MacBook Laptop or other electronic item you need to protect it now.

The manufacturer of ScreenGuardz and BodyGuardz have given Tech Talk Listeners a 55%-off Coupon for This Weekend Only! That’s better than their Black-Friday pricing!

During checkout from their website, use the Discount Code “TECHTALK” to get the 55% off!

Great stuff for a great price!  Thanks to NLU Products for making this offer to our listeners.

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Amazon Electronics – Not Just a Book Store – The Place For Electronics Online

Amazon’s Electronics store offers hundreds of thousands of consumer electronics products from the latest must-have gadgets to hard-to-find items.   Can provide product examples.  You can have Audio TV and Home Theatre, Camera, Photos, Videos, Computers, GPS, MP3 and Media Players, Networking Storage, Office Electronics, Video games, Cell Phones and services.

All the above products are ideal gifts on Father’s Day.  You will have detailed information on each product and can have specific product examples too.

You can have big brands and multiple products of same brands with stunning features.  All the brands have been arranged alphabetically, so that users can find them easily.  You can also browse the products category-wise.

Amazon also provides Electronics blog, where you can read reviews, views, opinions of latest products by End users.

At Amazon, we’ve found that our consistent bestsellers, and those that really generate customer excitement, are the products that are incredibly easy to use.  They represent a leap forward and offer a full solution for enjoying media and entertainment, communicating, downloading and sharing, in exciting new ways.

Customers can refer to Amazon’s Bestsellers list  (the most popular items by category updated hourly) or Most Gifted lists (the most popular items ordered as gifts) to get a sense of what other Amazon customers are buying, watching, listening to and reading.  You can also check today’s deals which throws information on hot deals on daily basis.

Amazon’s robust editorial and customer reviews, buying guides, the ability to upload customer images and videos, and our click-to-call feature helps customers find and discover the perfect gift for all Dads.

Amazon.com’s “Most Wished For” Consumer Electronics for May ’08.  Below is product wise ranks

  1. B000Q3043Y  Canon PowerShot Pro Series S5 IS 8.0MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
  2. B000H49LXQ  Garmin nüvi 660 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
  3. B000NK8EWI  Canon PowerShot SD1000 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)
  4. B000JLKIHA  Apple iPod classic 80 GB Black (6th Generation)
  5. B000V1PXMI  Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder
  6. B000JO7PIM  Apple iPod nano 4 GB Silver (3rd Generation)
  7. B000M2GYF6  Kingston DTI 4 GB USB Flash Drive
  8. B0007QKN22  Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)
  9. B0012YA85A  Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)
  10. B000NP3DJW  Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras
  11. B000I1ZWRC  Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)
  12. B000LRMS66  Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount for Nüvi Series and StreetPilot I Series
  13. B0012JCYPC  Apple iPod touch 8 GB with Software Upgrade (not the iPhone)
  14. B00007E7JU  Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens
  15. B0012JNQYK  Apple iPod touch 32 GB
  16. B000AO3L84  Canon 430EX Speedlite Flash for Canon Pro1
  17. B000EOMXM0  Kingston 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card (SD/2GB
  18. B000EXS1BS  Garmin nüvi 360 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
  19. B000BKJZ9Q  Garmin nüvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
  20. B000Q30420  Canon PowerShot SD850 IS 8.0 MP Digital Elph Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
  21. B00006JN3G  Nikon Lens Pen Cleaning System
  22. B000U9WVW6  TomTom ONE 3rd Edition 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator
  23. B001413D94  Samsung LN46A650 46-inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color
  24. B001413DF8  Samsung LN52A650 52-inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color
  25. B000BY52NU  Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

The Movers & Shakers index identifies, by category, the biggest gainers in sales rank at Amazon.com in the past 24 hours. For example, suppose a music item has a sales rank of 10 today, but was ranked as low as 30 yesterday, its Movers & Shakers increase would be 200 percent.

The most popular items ordered as gifts in Electronics.  This is updated daily.  The product changes day by day.  Hence, keep watch this space very often.

Paul Ryder
VP Consumer Electronics
Amazon

Paul Ryder -  A biography

Paul Ryder is the Vice President,  Consumer Electronics, Amazon.com

Paul Ryder was appointed vice president of Amazon.com Consumer Electronics and Wireless businesses in August of 2006. He is responsible for Amazon.com’s merchandising, marketing, and customer service for all Consumer Electronics categories.

Prior to working at Amazon.com, Ryder was a vice president at Honeywell International, leading portions of their aerospace business.  In addition, Ryder held various positions at General Electric Company in general management and marketing positions, as well as developing digitization strategies and productivity initiatives.

Ryder holds an MBA from the Krannert School of Management, Purdue University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Amazon is an American electronic commerce (e-commerce) company in Seattle, Washington. Amazon was one of the first major companies to sell goods by Internet, and was an iconic “stock in which to invest” of the late 1990s dot-com bubble. After the collapse, the public became skeptical about Amazon’s business model, yet, it turned an annual profit in 2003.

Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com, Inc. in 1994, and launched it online in 1995. Amazon.com started as an on-line bookstore, but soon diversified to product lines of VHS, DVD, music CDs, MP3 format, computer software, video games, electronics, apparel, furniture, food, toys, etc. Amazon has established separate websites in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China, and Japan. It also provides global shipping to certain countries for some of its products.

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