Mobile Miscellany: week of April 23rd, 2012

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, we learned that ZTE intends to release a phablet of its own, and Samsung unseated Nokia as the world's largest supplier of mobile phones. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of April 23rd, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of April 23rd, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of April 23rd, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 22:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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B&N 8-K: Microsoft Paying $180M Advance On Nook For Windows 8, $125M For Content, Tech Acquisition

Microsoft really wants to make sure it can compete against Amazon and Apple in the e-books space -- and it's putting its money where its mouth is. In addition to the $300 million Microsoft is investing for a 17.6 percent stake in Newco, the un-named subsidiary that will now house B&N's Nook and other digital businesses, it looks like it is putting other money towards the venture, according to the 8-K form filed by Barnes & Noble earlier today. A section called "Commercial Agreement" notes that Microsoft will be paying the Barnes & Noble subsidiary $180 million in connection with revenue sharing on the Nook app that B&N will make for the Windows 8 platform. This is nonrefundable, the filing notes. Microsoft is also paying $125 million (equal to $25 million over five years) "for purposes of assisting NewCo in acquiring local digital reading content and technology development." This, too, looks to be nonrefundable.

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Obama roasts himself, Romney (CNN)

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Hundreds of volunteers take part in Clean Sweep (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)

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Switched On: Big kicks not all for starters

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

The end of last week's Switched On left doubt for the future of dedicated devices that tread on the turf of smartphones. After all, funding is key to every major new product initiative and, despite the vast fortunes of many Silicon Valley engineers that have been accumulated via IPOs and acquisitions, few wish to take on the risk of fronting a new consumer device themselves.(In 2007, the handheld FlipStart PC was hatched from FlipStart Labs, funded by Vulcan Ventures, the investment arm of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.)

Most venture capitalists abhor the device business; it is a rare device that makes it to the spotlight of startup debutante balls such as DEMO, TechCrunch Disrupt, or Launch. Even most of the 94 companies at CES' Eureka Park were not developing end-user devices Where, then, can a device entrepreneur go for funding and pick up some publicity in the process?

Continue reading Switched On: Big kicks not all for starters

Switched On: Big kicks not all for starters originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan to Dine at the White House... Together

Fox News is determined to prove the Mayans right.

For reasons that defy comprehension - even more than how Gretchen Carlson still has a job - the network has invited two guests along with it for Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Dinner: Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan. Moreover, they will be seated at the same table.

Yes, readers. Prepare for the Apocalypse.

Sources tell TMZ that Kim and Lindsay actually get along well, so don't expect any fireworks at the event.

But will Kardashian and Lohan actually meet President Obama?!? Will their photo op equate to this amazing one of a bar patron and Obama?

"No way. The President almost never mingles with the guests," an insider says.

Other stars, with actual talent, expected to attend on Saturday include: George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, Viola Davis, Charlize Theron, Eva Longoria and Daniel Day-Lewis.

[Photos: WENN.com]

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18+ Million Users And 17+ Million Tracks Later, Leaked Spotify Recruitment Deck Offers Peek At First Sketch Of UI

Spotify has been busy as of late, launching brand apps, adding more social functionality through a partnership with Turntable.fm competitor Soundrop, overhauling its Android app, adding a Play button, and more. And it seems that the company has hit a few more scaling milestones recently: According to AppData, there are more than 18 million monthly active users now on the Spotify platform. While Spotify CEO Daniel Ek wouldn't confirm the AppData number, he did say that the company was at 17 million tracks and 700 million playlists across the platform.

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Square's feeling good, on pace to take $5 billion in payments per year

Despite growing competition from PayPal, Intuit and Verifone, it appears that Square's business is still going gangbusters. The grandaddy of all smartphone payment systems is set to take $5 billion in payments this year, up from $2 billion a scant six months ago. According to company COO Keith Rabois, such expansive growth has been fostered by the fact that Square makes the cash from transactions available to merchants the next business day -- a feature greatly appreciated by small businesses. Clearly, Huey Lewis was right, and you can see what we mean after the break.

Continue reading Square's feeling good, on pace to take $5 billion in payments per year

Square's feeling good, on pace to take $5 billion in payments per year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Linkin Park, Incubus Prep Their 'Dragon Pants' For Honda Civic Tour

Co-headlining tour kicks off August 11, and Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd is making plans for an Iron Maiden-inspired show.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Kelly Marino

Chester Bennington and Brandon Boyd
Photo: MTV News

Last week, Linkin Park not only announced the title and release date of their new album — it's called Living Things, and it's due June 26, to catch you up — but they revealed plans to co-headline this summer's Honda Civic Tour, alongside Incubus.

The trek kicks off August 11, and, somewhat unbelievably (given both acts' longevity), it'll be the first time the two bands have teamed up — though they've been kicking the idea around for a while now. Or, at least that's how LP's Chester Bennington and Incubus' Brandon Boyd remember it. Though, to be fair, their memories aren't exactly crystal-clear.

"I remember Mike Shinoda had run into Mike [Einziger] from Incubus, and off the cuff said, 'Yeah, we should go out, do a big tour together,' but whether or not that was the beginning phase of doing this, I'm not sure — it could have been eight months ago, I don't know, time to me is kind of weird," Bennington laughed. "But we'd been talking about doing something really great in the U.S. and going out with another really amazing band that does very well on their own, and that's how this came about. And luckily, for the first time in our careers, we'll have the chance to get to know each other. I think a lot of people just sort of assume we all hang out together."

"Yeah, people think rockers just hang out together. Like we meet at 'rock bars' or something," Boyd added. "This tour is just going to be the beginning. We're going to start a comedy troupe next."

And if they're really considering going Groundlings once the Honda Civic Tour wraps, well, Incubus are already taking appropriately hilarious steps by tapping into the gaudy, bong-glazed glory of Iron Maiden's set designs. At least, that's if Maiden are willing to play ball.

"We've been trying for many, many years — and I'm actually not joking right now, I'm really serious — to borrow Iron Maiden's set from [the] Seventh Son of a Seventh Son [Tour]," Boyd said. "They always had the coolest, raddest productions, with Stonehenge-type things and giant walking zombies and stairs and pyramids you can climb. They have all that stuff in storage, and our production manager worked with them years ago, so every time before we go do a tour, he asks if we could borrow some of their sets. Imagine coming onto a stage out of one of the Pyramids of Giza, with smoke coming out of it and a giant walking zombie going 'Ha ha ha ... keep rocking, Brandon. Keep on rocking, Chester.' "

"That would be so rad. That makes me excited. I wanna see that," Bennington laughed. "The thought of you running around in, like, dragon pants, or maybe flying like Bruce Dickinson. I'm totally ready for this tour to start now."

Will you check out Linkin Park and Incubus on tour? Let us know in the comments!

Related Artists

• Incubus
• Linkin Park

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Original 'Joe Millionaire' Is Sorry for Being a "Douche"

Remember Evan Marriott, a.k.a. Joe Millionaire? The original star of the 2003 Fox reality hit, Marriott was a very handsome construction worker masquerading as an eligible millionaire; the audience knew his secret, but the women in the Bachelor-style competition did not. After the season ended, Marriott got a little drunk with his newfound fame, telling People that he didn't like any of the girls on the show (including the one he chose) -- and that all he wanted was a "blonde with big boobs, a little waist and a big, thick bubble butt."

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Madonna Nude Photo to Be Auctioned

A literally smoking-hot photograph of a nude Madonna lying seductively on a bed almost two decades ago is set to go to auction in New York next month, MTV reports.

The pic in question was taken by fashion photographer Steven Meisel for her controversial 1992 book Sex, but for whatever reason was never included in it.

Featuring a bleach-blonde Madge, the picture shows the queen of pop wearing nothing but a strategically-placed sheet and holding a cigarette to her lips.

Judith Eurich from the auction house selling the photo suggested that the cigarette was merely for dramatic purposes, telling the UK's Daily Mail:

"Madonna is, by all accounts, a very healthy person and I'd have to imagine the cigarette is just a prop to make her look sexy and sultry."

Indeed, Madonna recently blasted accusations of hypocrisy over her daughter Lourdes' smoking habit and insisted she doesn't even partake.

The latest photo of Madonna nude is expected to fetch more than £5,000 ($7,500 US) when it goes to auction at Bonhams on May 8. Sweet.

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A Closer Look: Facebook?s Operating Margins Decline With Growing Headcount, International Growth

One thing that has been remarkable about Facebook is its willingness to expand in developing markets that many other consumer Internet companies would otherwise write off because they're hard to monetize. But that growth abroad plus the company's increasing headcount and share-based compensation expenses are eating into its operating margins, according to yesterday's earnings numbers from a revised IPO filing. Facebook made $381 million in operating income (or 36 percent of its $1.06 billion in revenue) in the first quarter of this year. That's down from $388 million in operating income (or 53 percent of its $731 million in revenue) from a year ago. Net income is actually down 12 percent year-over-year to $205 million from $233 million a year ago. Here's a closer look at how revenues and costs are changing for the company:

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LG's Q1 2012 earnings show greater profits on strong TV, phone sales

LG has released its Q1 2012 numbers, and there's plenty of good news to go around, with TV profits that nearly doubled and profit from cellphones for the second quarter in a row following six straight quarters of losses. Despite slightly lower sales, more of the units that did sell had higher prices and made more profit. In its press release, the company claimed to have "turned the corner" with a net profit of $215 million, blaming the slower sales of TVs on the European economy and cellphones on declining featurephone sales. We don't have specific numbers, but it called out the popularity of the Optimus LTE and Optimus Vu as part of the reason for increased revenues. Of course, the year is only just getting under way, and the company is expected to introduce its first 55-inch OLED HDTV soon, as well as quad-core smartphones and a new L-style series of phones. Before that however, it will have to deal with the competition from fellow Korean giant Samsung which will report its earnings later this week and has a few high profile releases up its sleeves as well. There's more details in the press release after the break, and PDF linked below.

Continue reading LG's Q1 2012 earnings show greater profits on strong TV, phone sales

LG's Q1 2012 earnings show greater profits on strong TV, phone sales originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deal of the Day: Incipio NGP Semi-Rigid Soft Shell Case for Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX

The April 23 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Incipio NGP Semi-Rigid Soft Shell Case for Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX. This case safeguards your RAZR MAXX with a semi-ridi polymer shell, and features custom-cut holes allowing access to your camera hole and other functions. The NGP material is malleable enough to slip around and snugly hold your RAZR MAXX, but firm enough to withstand impacts and scrapes.

The Incipio NGP Case comes in black, magenta, mercury, and is available for just $12.95 today only, 35% off the regular price.  Grab yours while supplies last!

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Yes, sometimes you do need to kill all the apps in your multitasking dock

A little over a year ago I wrote a rather controversial editorial stating that iOS users don't ever need to kill all the apps in their multitasking dock (fast app switcher). Earlier this year the subject was brought back to the spotlight, with other developers and bloggers reaching pretty much the same conclusion.

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