BlackBerry?s Black Friday: Company sheds billions in market value as comeback hopes fade

BlackBerry Subscriber Loss Analysis

All of the optimistic signs we?ve seen from BlackBerry over the past few months all but went up in smoke on Friday after it issued a disappointing earnings report that sent shares tumbling more than 25%, stripping billions from the company?s market value. The $84 million net loss on the quarter was certainly bad enough but the number that should truly scare BlackBerry executives was the 4 million subscribers it lost despite the fact that it had just launched new devices for the first time in over a year. To make matters worse, the 4 million lost subscribers cannot be dismissed as a fluke because it?s become a trend that has only accelerated over the past three quarters.

[More from BGR: Galaxy S4 takes the crown for fastest phone with best battery life]

To put things into perspective, consider that BlackBerry was still adding subscribers even during the dark days of mid-2012, when it was racking up quarterly losses in the range of hundreds of millions of dollars. But in its third fiscal quarter last year, the company?s subscriber base shrank by 1 million. In the next quarter the losses grew to 3 million and in the past quarter they swelled further to 4 million.

[More from BGR: BlueStacks unveils second Android game console before its first one even launches]

All told, then, BlackBerry has lost 8 million subscribers in the past three quarters. It goes without saying that this is not a sustainable trend if BlackBerry ever hopes to regain its status in the mobile world. The best-case scenario laid out by many analysts is that BlackBerry would evolve into a niche player that profitably delivered a small number of products to an adoring fan base that would never consider leaving the company for iOS or Android.

This scenario is predicated, however, on BlackBerry?s fan base either growing or at least remaining roughly the same size. The rapid loss in subscribers over the past 9 months suggests that a sizable portion of BlackBerry?s user base was itching to get out of its two-year service agreements for BlackBerry models they bought in the 2010-2011 timeframe and switch to other devices. What?s more, it doesn?t seem as though any of the company?s newest launches will draw in people who aren?t already BlackBerry diehards since both the Q10 and the Q5 were designed for smartphone users who don?t want to abandon physical keyboards.

So things look very grim for BlackBerry at the moment and investors will be looking for a big turnaround next quarter to stop the bleeding. Personally speaking, I hope that this happens because the company means so much to its millions of users and has been such an innovative force in the smartphone industry for so many years. But such a comeback will be impossible if it keeps posting awful quarters like this.

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-black-friday-company-sheds-billions-market-value-174534778.html

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Debt Relief Network

This is a legal wrestling match with creditors that uses basic contract law principles. When creditors lend credit card money, the contract includes an offer to lend money, the terms for using the money and an implied acceptance by the use of the card. These same three factors are about to be used against the lender; so when the client gets his next set of credit card statements, the minimum payment plus the forty three dollars and the bill is sent to the debt relief network. When the network passes along this minimum payment, deliberately late, included is a statement that says that on the cashing of the 2% check the new minimum payment is ten dollars a month and that no interest, no late fees and no negative reports on credit histories can be assigned to the consumer. It also says that the network will assume responsibility for all the debts and the cashing of the minimum payment check is acceptance of the new agreement. In addition, the cashing of the check also means acceptance that any late payment fees or any other demands will result in penalties to them of between five hundred and twenty five hundred dollars. With the forty three dollars, the debt relief network will continue to send about four months of ten dollar payments for that particular account.

Of course it's not hard to see the gigantic collision that's about to happen. Instead of agreeing to the contract, which the lenders always legally do by cashing the 2% check, they begin violating the terms by adding interest and tacking on late fees. Each lender occurrence of violating the agreement is costing the lender big penalties. The debt relief network will pay the debt at ten dollars a month for as long as the lender follows the agreement, but they never do. Within months the credit card company owes more in penalties than what it was owed on the original account. Then the network asks for relief of the debt or it will go after the lender for the penalties. God reminds us that there is an awful for our sin when the bible declares, "The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

It a lot of ways, the debt relief network plan is genius. And when it comes to getting back at lenders who have practiced high powered usury for years, a person wants to stand up and cheer. The incredible toll that year after year of debt can exact on individuals is staggering, including violence, health issues and divorce. But there are dilemmas for those who see this strategy as an unbiblical abandonment of responsibilities. Much of the discussion comes down to whether a person should be subjected to ungodly and anti-scriptural usury. The Old Testament would appear to limit the lender to no more than seven years of a business relationship with a borrower and the interest had to be fair and not punitive. If anyone would say with authority that this plan is right or wrong, the authority would have to come into question, for the quandary may be more about self-inflicted guilt than a definitive biblical answer.

The debt relief network does have some caveats to share with their potential customers. First, creditors may shower the former owner of the accounts with bill collectors. The network says it can get those stopped. The network also warns that the credit report will take a nose dive, a direct violation of the agreement that the creditor made with the relief agency. When the final agreement is reached between network and who are now their creditors, the erasure of all negative remarks and their effects will be completed.

Whether the decision is to use this debt relief network plan or to use credit counseling which is another possible abandoning of obligations, or to work three jobs to pare down the principle, each one has negative drawbacks. With recent days being filled with news of possible depression-like conditions on the horizon, the possibility of greed and power finally being addressed may become a reality. But the fact remains that those who have great riches will always have usurped power over the not so rich. If a person sees this strategy as the chance for the little guy to strike a blow for the whole gang, take time to really investigate the plan. Look for critics, search for legal loopholes and pray for guidance on this most interesting option for credit elimination.

Source: http://www.christianet.com/debtrelief/debtreliefnetwork.htm

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Cambridge Audio's Minx Air 200 Earns The Crown For Best Home AirPlay Speaker

If you're a high-end audio fan, you've probably heard of Cambridge Audio, the London-based firm that makes some of the best equipment in the business. The brand is currently undergoing some changes that involve targeting the growing number of users who are looking for wireless in-home and portable speaker solutions. Hence the new Minx line of devices, which borrows its name from Cambridge's affordable home theatre speaker range, but adds in goodies like AirPlay and Bluetooth.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/BA6H7QE_z38/

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Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition hands-on (video)

It's probably not a huge stretch to say that Samsung's Galaxy S 4 running stock Android was the biggest surprise to come out of Google I/O last month. The handset -- officially called Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition -- is now on sale in the Play store for $649 alongside a special version of the HTC One. Spec-wise, the phone is identical to AT&T's 16GB model and supports the same bands (including LTE). It's powered by Qualcomm's 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor with 2GB or RAM and features a 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, 13-megapixel camera with flash, removable 2600mAh Li-ion battery and microSD expansion. While we briefly handled the phone at I/O, it wasn't until yesterday that we got to spend some quality time with it. Hit the break for our first impressions and hands-on video.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Google

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Yr0vuIjWReU/

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HTC 8XT with Windows Phone and BoomSound launching on Sprint this summer

HTC's bone-shaking BoomSound front facing speakers are making their way to Windows Phone later this year. The 8XT, which appears to be a slightly tweaked variant of last year's 8S, will launch on Sprint's 4G LTE network for $99.99 with a two-year contract -- after a $50 rebate card. Powered by a 1.4 GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor paired up with 1GB of RAM, we want to say the 8XT has the same 4.3 inch 720p screen as its older cousin, but the spec sheet in our hands merely says "crisp". The front of the phone has a 1.6-megapixel camera, while the rear has an 8-megapixel shooter. You'll also have to make do with 8GB of memory for your music, but microSD expansion means you can easily make room for more.

Update: We can now confirm the 8XT has a 800 x 480 pixel resolution screen.

Gallery: HTC 8XT press images

Filed under: Cellphones, HTC

Comments

Source: Sprint, HTC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/26/htc-8xt-sprint/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Final Free 2014 Workshop Announced - Register Today - Scotland ...

All eyes are on Scotland in 2014 ? Following the success of Innovation Workshops in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, don?t miss the upcoming workshop in Dundee on 27th June.

Date:

Thu, 20 Jun 2013

Source:

2014 Food & Drink

All eyes are on Scotland in 2014 ? let?s show the world what we have to offer.

2014 will be an exceptional year for Scotland when it hosts the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and the second edition of Homecoming, a year long celebration of the country?s food & drink, culture, heritage and natural resources. This presents a fantastic opportunity for Scotland to show its superb larder to the world and for food and drink companies to take advantage of the business opportunities the year will bring.?

Up to 45,000 visitors are expected daily at the Ryder Cup event and 1 million tickets are up for grabs at the Games alone.?

It?s anticipated that visitors to Scotland in 2014 will spend almost ?33m on food & drink and Scottish Enterprise research shows that visitors want to taste traditional Scottish dishes, regional specialities and fresh, locally sourced produce during their time in the country.?

Could your business use this unique year to drive additional sales, engage new customers both at home and abroad, enhance your reputation and raise your profile?

Have you thought about developing new products or redesigning your packaging specifically with 2014 in mind? It could be as simple as changing the colour of your packaging or adding a Saltire. You may wish to develop an innovative new product that will appeal to visitors during 2014 but also in longer-term.?

If you?d like to grab the chance to develop new products or packaging that raise the profile of your business during 2014 and beyond, the 2014 Food & Drink Team would like to help you to achieve that goal.

How can we help?

Any food and drink business operating in Scotland is welcome to book a place at one of our free Innovation Workshops where leading industry experts will describe how to create and develop your ideas for new products or packaging aimed at the market opportunity in 2014 and beyond. These workshop sessions are an excellent way to explore how best to understand consumers? needs and desires for your product and how this translates into effective development of market-ready products or packaging. The workshops will also include topics on marketing and promotional activities to help you to maximise return on your investment. ?

Following the success of Innovation Workshops in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen,? don?t miss the upcoming workshop in Dundee on 27th June. ?Full details here including how to book. Places are limited so early booking is highly recommended.

The final workshop will be held in Inverness on 10th July ?full details and how to book here.?

Our experienced Innovation Specialists will also be on hand at the workshop events to discuss how Scottish Enterprise may be able to offer further advice or assistance to help your project achieve maximum success.?

Why Attend?

The workshop will focus on four key areas you need to be proficient in to develop your new products or packaging:

• Customer Readiness? - Understanding more about consumers? trends and opportunities
• Design Readiness - Using systematic tools to create and develop your ideas for new products or packaging. Developing and selecting the most viable ideas and matching customer needs with what is technically feasible (product, resources, timescales)..
• Business Readiness ? Planning your business case to convert your idea into customer value and market opportunity to reach 2014 visitors both while they are in Scotland and when they return home.
• Promotion Readiness ? Considering new promotion and packaging options to capture the opportunities offered by 2014. Looking at marketing via social media as a means of capitalising on events based opportunities.

You will leave the workshop with an individual action plan of practical steps needed to achieve and commercialise your new development idea.

Our experienced innovation specialists will also be on hand at the workshop events to help your project achieve maximum success.

However, if you have a project in mind but feel the workshop is not for you perhaps, or if you have a question about support for product innovation then please feel free to contact our innovation team directly using our Food and Drink 2014 innovation enquiry form. Both the Innovation Workshops and the Innovation Specialists service are free and open to food & drink companies of all shapes and sizes from anywhere in Scotland.

Routes to market:

Of course, creating a new product or packaging is just the first step. The 2014 Food & Drink Team we can help you tap into services which will assist you to market your new product or repackaged goods in 2014 and beyond.

An innovative marketing and PR programme will take place in the run up to and during 2014 to highlight the role of food & drink within the major events. In addition the 2014 Food & Drink team can help you access services to help you promote your products to key retail and foodservice markets.

Here are just 2 examples of a range of support available:

• Scotland Food & Drink?s Access to Markets programme, for example, is designed to help food & drink companies grow their business across the UK, via activities such as Meet the Buyer events,?Scottish Development International are experts in supporting companies to reach international markets.?
• Event Ready Producers is delivered by Scottish Enterprise to offer food and drink companies expert support to review their readiness to supply events and provides tailored advice on areas such as sales strategies, product and price propositions, marketing and service delivery. Up to 3.5 days business support is available to companies through this initiative. More information can be found here.

This programme forms part of a wider package of support by the 2014 Food & Drink team to help Scottish companies maximise the business opportunities arising from the 2014 events. ? ? ? ? ? ? ??

Source: http://www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org/news/article-info/4296/final-free-2014-workshop-announced---register-today.aspx

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Obama to renew calls for nuclear reductions

BERLIN (AP) ? President Barack Obama will renew his call to reduce the world's nuclear stockpiles during a speech in Berlin Wednesday.

A senior administration official says Obama will propose cutting the U.S. and Russian stockpiles by up to one-third. That would bring the total number of warheads in each country to about 1,000.

Obama is not expected to propose any timeline for achieving those cuts. He discussed nuclear non-proliferation with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting Monday on the sidelines of an international summit in Northern Ireland.

The official says Obama will also renew his call for Congress to ratify a stalled nuclear test ban treaty. The official insisted on anonymity in order to preview the issue before the president's speech.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-renew-calls-nuclear-reductions-052502414.html

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