Friday, January 25, 2013
Apple applies for shoe-life sensor patent, puts it in hypothetical brogues
Nike's running sensor, a detachable piece of tech that connected to a companion iOS app, is the closest that Ap ... http://p.ost.im/p/da6tJv
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
All signs point to Twitter IPO in 2014, research firm says
Twitter is gearing up for an IPO in 2014, argued a New York analyst firm in a new report that cites the microblogging giant’s recent management moves, its strategic partnerships, its growing mobile revenue, and other factors as evidence for the move.
Twitter’s revenue could top $1 billion in 2014, if analysts from Greencrest Capital are correct. Next year Twitter may go public, the analysts predict. (Credit: Greencrest Capital)
In the report, titled “Twitter, Inc. on flight path to 2014 IPO(Summary, PDF),” Greencrest Capital laid out its theories for why the company might soon go public.
“Is Twitter positioning for an initial public offering (IPO) in 2014? The micro-blogging site has made a number of announcements since our last report, including management changes, site enhancements, global expansion, and new strategic alliances — all supportive of a possible IPO in 2014. Furthermore, the company is seeing strong traction in its monetization platform and continued robust user metrics,” wrote Greencrest analysts Santosh Rao and Max Wolff in the report. “Our core, positive thesis on Twitter is based on four growth opportunities ahead: (i) advertisement-based monetization features that are gaining traction; (ii) strategic alliances with leading companies and brands; (iii) strong mobile uptake of Twitter’s service; and (iv) expanding international footprint.”
Greencrest pegged Twitter’s valuation at between $10.5 billion and $11 billion “by late 2013 or early 2014.” That’s lower than the valuation it offered in another report earlier this month in which Greencrest said that Twitter was likely worth more than $11 billion. It also predicted that Twitter’s 2014 revenue would total $1.028 billion, up from estimates of $605 million in 2013 and $295 million in 2012. And it said that Twitter’s forays into mobile advertising are paying off, with U.S. mobile ad revenue likely to hit $382.8 million in 2014, up from estimates of $248.9 million this year, and $134.9 million last year.
To support its argument for a 2014 IPO, Greencrest cited a shakeup in Twitter’s management ranks that took place just prior to Christmas. Among those changes were Twitter’s former CFO Ali Rowghani taking over the role of COO, and former Zynger Treasurer Mike Gupta being brought on as the new CFO. Those moves, along with Twitter’s hire of former Newsvine CEO Mike Davidson as vice president of design “suggest the company is putting together a team of seasoned executives to guide it successfully through the IPO process,” Greencrest wrote.
Twitter did not respond to a request for comment.
Partnership with Nielsen Media
Another Twitter move that Greencrest offered as evidence of its plans is the company’s recent partnership with Nielsen Media on the so-called Nielsen Twitter TV Rating System. Under this initiative, “[b]oth parties hope to make the Nielsen Twitter Rating metric the new social television standard,” Greencrest wrote. “We believe the partnership is a win-win for both firms. Twitter, in particular, is expected to use the data collected as a means to attract new advertisers and give existing marketers and brands better data in terms of reach and more strategic ad placement.”
Greencrest also cited a recent Twitter partnership with Pinterest — which it said will support Twitter cards — as positive movement for the microblogging company. That arrangement “should play to Twitter’s advantage due to Pinterest’s high traffic referral rates, and the ability for users to tweet pinned photos to their feed,” Rao and Wolff wrote.
The two analysts next lauded Twitter’s recent service improvements, especially those that help make it easier for advertisers to work with. Rao and Wolff cited the launch of Twitter’s new photo tools as a strong step forward in its increasingly bitter competition for users with Instagram. As well, they wrote that Twitter’s promoted tweets advertising program “has become more focused, with promotions directed to users who are more likely to convert to sales (using keyword targeting),” and they praised Twitter’s Certified Products Program, which aims to keep the quality of Twitter-related apps high and secure.
Boosted revenue opportunities
A big part of Greencrest’s bullishness stems from the firm’s evaluation of Twitter’s advertising initiatives. Rao and Wolff said they felt that Twitter’s promoted tweets, promoted trends, and promoted accounts were all “gaining traction,” leading to improved revenue opportunities. Twitter has also been building out its self-service advertising efforts, especially for small businesses, and Greencrest called out American Express’ making the system available to its cardholders as a boost for Twitter’s bottom line.
A look at Greencrest’s compilation of Twitter’s investment rounds. (Credit: Greencrest Capital)
Another big area of improvement for Twitter is mobile, Greencrest wrote. Twitter’s increased mobile ad revenue is a reflection of that, and Rao and Wolff noted that Twitter has had faster growth on mobile (75 percent growth from 2010 to 2011) than rivals Facebook and LinkedIn. However, Twitter’s mobile ad revenue numbers pale compared to those of Google, Facebook, and even Pandora.
Still, the analysts think that Twitter is “relatively early in its monetization potential,” and that it should see significant growth in each of its major revenue generators.
All signs point to Twitter IPO in 2014, research firm says
Apple CEO downplays reports of iPhone component cuts
Apple CEO downplays reports of iPhone component cuts
Apple’s Tim Cook says reports that the company was cutting orders on iPhone displays are short-sighted — but doesn’t actually say they were wrong.
Apple’s iPhone 5. (Credit: Apple)
After a week of silence, Apple has weighed in on reports that it cut orders on components for production of future iPhone. As in, it’s not happy about them, but it’s not about to confirm or deny them.
According to chief executive Tim Cook, the company’s supply chain is “complicated,” and so people shouldn’t look too deeply into any one aspect of it to see the bigger picture.
“Even if a particular data point were factual, it would be impossible to interpret the data point for what it means to our overall business,” Cook told analysts during the company’s first quarter earnings conference call this afternoon. “There’s an inordinate long list of things that would make any single data point not a great proxy for what’s going on,” he added.
A pair of stories earlier this month – one from Japan’s Nikkei and another later in the day from the Wall Street Journal — claimed Apple cut its component orders for the iPhone by nearly half in December. The suggestion from both was that demand for Apple’s iPhone 5 had declined, causing Apple to slow down on manufacturing orders for more devices.
Apple played up sales of the iPhone, which were the bright spot in a record quarter that stillcame in below what Wall Street was expecting in revenue and sales of iPads and Macs.
Apple CEO downplays reports of iPhone component cuts
Apple: $7.3 billion in first-quarter sales in China
Chinese Apple staff members cheer in the new Apple Store before it opens in Wangfujing shopping district on October 20, 2012 in Beijing, China.
(Credit: Getty Images)
Whatever disappointment investors may have with Apple’s latest earnings report, nothing could rub away the shine from the company’s strong sales out of China.
Apple’s sales in the “Greater China” region, encompassing China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, were $7.3 billion in the quarter, a 60 percent year-over-year increase, according to CEO Tim Cook, who spoke during a conference call today following the publication of Apple’s fiscal first-quarter numbers.
“This is incredibly high,” he said, adding that the comparison was even stronger than it seems at first blush, as last year’s sales quarter included an extra week. “The underlying growth is higher than that. We saw exceptional growth in iPhones, into the triple digits. We shipped the iPad very late in the quarter in December and despite that, (we) saw very nice growth.”
Apple now has 11 retail outlets in China, and Cook said the company has “many more to open there. In our premium resellers, we went over 400, up from a little over 200 in the previous year. We increased iPhone point of sale from over 7,000 to over 17,000 there. This isn’t nearly what we need; we’re not even close to that, but we’re making great progress.
Apple: $7.3 billion in first-quarter sales in China
Tim Cook dances around the Apple TV question -- again
The CEO pulls out the ol’ “we can continue to pull the string and see where it leads us” line when asked about Apple’s future foray into television.
(Credit: Jason Cipriani/CNET)Apple CEO Tim Cook had a bit of deja vu today when an analyst asked him to expound on Apple’s future contributions to the TV industry.
“There’s a lot we can contribute in this space so we can continue to pull the string and see where it leads us,” he said during Apple’s first quarter earnings call today, after remarking on the growth of sales for the Apple TV device.
The company sold more than 2 million Apple TV devices last quarter, according to Cook. This is up from 1.4 million devices from the same period last year.
Cook’s answer sounds a lot like his response to a similar question from the same analyst, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster, during last year’s call.
Instead of answering the question, which relates to speculation over the possibility of an Apple-built TV, Cook pointed to the success of the Apple TV device. He said the device is favored by a “small niche” of people, a group that has grown. That’s sort of different from “hobby,” right?
Related stories
The company said in October that it sold 5.3 million Apple TV set-top boxes in 2012. The device connects Web videos and other media to the traditional television, but it isn’t a full blown substitute for TV.
Cook previously hinted at a possible Apple-built television. Analysts have gone back and forth on whether this will happen, but many believe that TV is the next industry Apple could enter and revolutionize, just like it’s done with smartphones and tablets.
Tim Cook dances around the Apple TV question -- again
VP Biden to Hangout, talk gun control on Google+
Jumpin’ Joe will be getting his G+ on this week. (Credit: Whitehouse.gov)
President Obama’s “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit drew more than 5 million views, and now Vice President Joe Biden is going to try his hand at a different newfangled social-media real-time electronic telegraph technology.
In an event dubbed a “Fireside Hangout,” the vice president will be hanging out in Google+ starting at 10:45 a.m. PT tomorrow to discuss the recently released White House policy recommendations onreducing gun violence in the wake of a downright awful 2012 that was plagued by a number of mass shootings in the United States.
Joining Biden for the 30-minute Hangout will be social-media gurus Guy Kawasaki and Phil DeFranco, with Hari Sreenivasan from “PBS NewsHour” moderating. Hmm, wonder if Biden really knows what he’s got himself into this time?
You can join the Hangout via the White House Google+ page or YouTube channel. It will also be streamed on Whitehouse.gov.
Related stories
Judging by the agenda for the Hangout, I’m thinking this is not the time to appeal the recent White House response to the popular petition to build a real-life Death Star. Good news is that Google says Fireside Hangouts will continue with other members of the administration, so perhaps save it for the new defense secretary.
VP Biden to Hangout, talk gun control on Google+
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