Vic Pacor is leaving his role as CEO of D&M Holdings after only two months in the position. Pacor's decision to leave was his own and he will be pursuing other entrepreneurial opportunities. Yvonne Hao, an executive from Bain Capital which acquired D&M last year, will replace Pacor as CEO. Pioneer is exiting the plasma TV business and will focus more on audio products, relying more heavily on independent dealers and specialty retailers for sales. Pioneer halted plasma TV production this month and will sell through remaining inventory over the next 6-7 months.
Sony cut prices on select LCD TVs by up to $500 and launched new scan down promotions to close the gap with rivals like Samsung. Specific models saw price cuts of $200 to $500, and some TVs were paired with $100 to $300 scan down promotions running through early August. Sony appears to be most aggressively promoting its Z5100 TV series, which are paired with $300 scan downs in July reducing to $200 in August. The moves aim to make Sony more competitive against manufacturers such as Samsung.
CDON Group Road Show Presentation December 2010CDON Group AB
This document provides an overview of CDON Group, a leading Nordic online retailer, in advance of a potential distribution of the company. It outlines CDON's market-leading positions in entertainment, fashion, and sports & health e-commerce across the Nordic region, with a track record of profitable growth. The presentation reviews CDON's brand portfolio and business areas, financial performance and position, and attractive market dynamics supporting continued expansion. It is intended to assist analysis for the potential distribution but does not constitute an offer to purchase securities.
1) Nelly.com is an international online fashion retailer that started in Sweden in 2004 and has since expanded across Europe.
2) The company prides itself on understanding trends, having a personal relationship with customers, and being receptive to changes in fashion.
3) Two employees, Sofia Karlsson and Peter Lindholm, discuss Nelly.com's success which they attribute to factors like daring designs, listening to customers, and constantly innovating.
The document summarizes the results of an annual survey of 670 local media executives on banner advertising CPM rates. It finds that while CPM is commonly used to price traditional media ads, it applies less to niche Internet ads, which are often priced on flat rates or response. Many survey participants said their banner ads sold at CPMs are their lowest-end product. The document also presents trends in CPM rates for local, national, and remnant banners as well as adherence to rate cards and sell-out rates.
La Universidad Fermín Toro, Escuela de Comunicación Social, Núcleo Portuguesa, emite un certificado a nombre de Pedro Pérez con número de cédula 24.320.074 en el mes de mayo de 2015.
La antorcha humana. horacio german garciaRobertoOtazu
Jonathan Storm, también conocido como la Antorcha Humana, obtuvo poderes sobrehumanos después de una exposición a la radiación cósmica junto con su hermana Sue, su novio Reed Richards y Ben Grimm. Esto los convirtió en los 4 Fantásticos, donde Storm puede volar y proyectar fuego. Aunque era un superhéroe famoso, también asistía a la escuela secundaria y lidiaba con problemas adolescentes normales. Participó en muchas grandes aventuras con los 4 Fantásticos y otros héroes contra villanos como Abraxas.
Capitanes américa. horacio german garciaRobertoOtazu
Este documento resume las diferentes personas que han asumido la identidad de Capitán América a lo largo de los cómics, incluyendo tres sucesores originales (William Naslund, Jeffrey Mace y William Burnside) y otros como Roscoe, John Walker y Bucky Barnes. Cada uno de estos personajes portó brevemente el uniforme del Capitán América antes de que Steve Rogers recuperara su identidad como el auténtico y original Capitán América.
Sony cut prices on select LCD TVs by up to $500 and launched new scan down promotions to close the gap with rivals like Samsung. Specific models saw price cuts of $200 to $500, and some TVs were paired with $100 to $300 scan down promotions running through early August. Sony appears to be most aggressively promoting its Z5100 TV series, which are paired with $300 scan downs in July reducing to $200 in August. The moves aim to make Sony more competitive against manufacturers such as Samsung.
CDON Group Road Show Presentation December 2010CDON Group AB
This document provides an overview of CDON Group, a leading Nordic online retailer, in advance of a potential distribution of the company. It outlines CDON's market-leading positions in entertainment, fashion, and sports & health e-commerce across the Nordic region, with a track record of profitable growth. The presentation reviews CDON's brand portfolio and business areas, financial performance and position, and attractive market dynamics supporting continued expansion. It is intended to assist analysis for the potential distribution but does not constitute an offer to purchase securities.
1) Nelly.com is an international online fashion retailer that started in Sweden in 2004 and has since expanded across Europe.
2) The company prides itself on understanding trends, having a personal relationship with customers, and being receptive to changes in fashion.
3) Two employees, Sofia Karlsson and Peter Lindholm, discuss Nelly.com's success which they attribute to factors like daring designs, listening to customers, and constantly innovating.
The document summarizes the results of an annual survey of 670 local media executives on banner advertising CPM rates. It finds that while CPM is commonly used to price traditional media ads, it applies less to niche Internet ads, which are often priced on flat rates or response. Many survey participants said their banner ads sold at CPMs are their lowest-end product. The document also presents trends in CPM rates for local, national, and remnant banners as well as adherence to rate cards and sell-out rates.
La Universidad Fermín Toro, Escuela de Comunicación Social, Núcleo Portuguesa, emite un certificado a nombre de Pedro Pérez con número de cédula 24.320.074 en el mes de mayo de 2015.
La antorcha humana. horacio german garciaRobertoOtazu
Jonathan Storm, también conocido como la Antorcha Humana, obtuvo poderes sobrehumanos después de una exposición a la radiación cósmica junto con su hermana Sue, su novio Reed Richards y Ben Grimm. Esto los convirtió en los 4 Fantásticos, donde Storm puede volar y proyectar fuego. Aunque era un superhéroe famoso, también asistía a la escuela secundaria y lidiaba con problemas adolescentes normales. Participó en muchas grandes aventuras con los 4 Fantásticos y otros héroes contra villanos como Abraxas.
Capitanes américa. horacio german garciaRobertoOtazu
Este documento resume las diferentes personas que han asumido la identidad de Capitán América a lo largo de los cómics, incluyendo tres sucesores originales (William Naslund, Jeffrey Mace y William Burnside) y otros como Roscoe, John Walker y Bucky Barnes. Cada uno de estos personajes portó brevemente el uniforme del Capitán América antes de que Steve Rogers recuperara su identidad como el auténtico y original Capitán América.
This document provides information about consumer electronics companies Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic. It discusses Samsung's founding and position as South Korea's largest company. It also summarizes key details about Sony and Panasonic, including their founding dates, headquarters locations, revenues, product lines, and marketing strategies. Brand positioning and target segments are compared for Sony and Samsung in the Indian LCD TV market. The document also reviews Panasonic's performance and restructuring efforts in 2009-2010, as well as its strategies for capturing overseas markets.
BARCO’S INTRODUCTION
PRODUCT LINE STRATEGY BARCO
MEANING OF STATEMENT
DECISION OF SONY ON REJECTION OF BARCOS DECISION
SONY’S OBJECTIVES
MISTAKES BY BARCO
BARCO’S NEXT STEP TOWARDS PRICE & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PLAN ?
Qualcomm is seeing strong demand from device makers for its new Snapdragon 805 Ultra HD mobile processor. Several manufacturers have already committed to using the new processor in 2014. Qualcomm sees growth opportunities in Ultra HD displays and wearable devices like smart watches. While Qualcomm plans to sell its Toq smart watch, its ultimate goal is to sell smart watch components to other manufacturers.
The document advertises the 2nd Annual Thin Film Solar Summit U.S. conference happening on December 1-2, 2009 in San Francisco. It promotes the many benefits attendees will receive such as learning how to secure financing, reduce costs through new technologies and scaling up production, and identify the most promising market opportunities in thin-film solar. Experts from organizations like the DOE, First Solar, and Solyndra will present on various topics. Attendees can also network with over 250 other thin-film industry experts. The summit aims to provide attendees with the information and connections needed to strengthen their business and ensure success in the growing thin-film solar market.
P.C. Richard & Son plans to continue opening new stores, even as it waits for the economy to improve. It recently opened two more stores, including one in a former Circuit City location. P.C. Richard also renovated its existing stores and expanded its product offerings, such as video games, which have been very successful. The company's president said opportunities from Circuit City's exit allowed them to enter new markets. He is hopeful supplies of popular products will be adequate for the holidays.
Creative Media BTEC- Unit 7 – The Media Sector (Television)Brandon Boyd
Lionsgate Entertainment is a public service media organization that generates income through its television revenue and diverse programming, including reality shows and entertainment shows. While Lionsgate's revenue decreased in 2007, by 2012 it had increased to over $1.59 billion. Lionsgate's organizational objectives include acquisitions to boost distribution and library content. It licenses its video distribution and owns a film library from acquired companies. Its main competitors are AMC Entertainment, Bona Film Group, DreamWorks Animation, and RLJ Entertainment.
Padix Company Ltd is a leading manufacturer of gaming controllers established in 1983. They created the Rockfire brand in 1991 to provide innovative, affordable gaming controllers, consoles, and accessories. The company has over 350 employees in their China factory and 18 in their Taiwan headquarters. They strive for quality and service, maintaining ISO 9002 certification since 1995. Padix has manufacturing sites in Taiwan and China and sells their Rockfire products globally in markets like Europe, North America, and Asia.
- The document is the transcript from Eastman Kodak's fourth quarter 2007 earnings call.
- Kodak achieved all of its key strategic goals for 2007, including 8% digital revenue growth. Net cash generation was $333 million, above its $200 million goal.
- All of Kodak's major business segments - Graphic Communication Group, Film Products Group, and Consumer Digital Imaging Group - met or exceeded their financial targets for the quarter and year. Kodak has now completed its large corporate restructuring and established a sustainable business model.
Eastman Kodak Company is a technology company focused on imaging products and services. Founded in 1880, Kodak pioneered technologies in photographic film and digital imaging. In recent decades, Kodak transitioned to digital as film demand declined. It now provides digital cameras, printers, software, and online/mobile services. Kodak has made numerous acquisitions to expand its product lines and divested some business units to focus on core operations. The company continues transforming its business model to address trends in digital and mobile imaging.
Barco Projection Systems (BPS) is a division of Barco N.V. that was founded in 1934 and initially focused on electronics and television receivers. By the 1970s, BPS redefined itself to focus on industrial markets like projection systems. BPS pursues a niche market strategy with high-end products and relies heavily on R&D. Recently, Sony successfully executed a bypass strategy by introducing the 1270 projector with a new scan rate of 75 kHz at a lower price than BPS's offerings. This document discusses BPS's product development approach, the market structure, and competitive dynamics as well as options for how BPS should respond to Sony's bypass strategy.
This document provides an overview and agenda for strengthening the Poly business plan. It discusses industry trends towards remote work and hybrid models. It outlines Poly's product portfolio and competitive advantages in areas like ease of use, security, and low bandwidth needs. The document performs a SWOT analysis and discusses the video conferencing market size and key partners. It proposes strategies to increase partners and capture opportunities through training, marketing, and targeting large deals.
This document provides an overview of Paramount Global's business segments and competitive landscape. It discusses Paramount's financial struggles, especially in its direct-to-consumer segment. The document indicates that Paramount Global's controlling shareholder is open to a potential merger or sale. Recent discussions have involved Skydance Media and Redbird Capital acquiring Paramount Global's parent company National Amusements.
The document provides an overview of the consumer electronics industry outlook according to NPD analyst Stephen Baker. While there are challenges in 2010, Baker says there are more reasons for hope than despair, including growing demand for 3D TVs and digital SLR cameras. Baker notes opportunities for CE retailers in the shift to large-screen TVs, importance of knowledgeable salespeople, and ability to sell accessories and peripherals through multimedia devices. However, consumer confidence remains weak and many consumers are waiting for lower prices before purchasing new products.
The document is a feasibility report for launching a new TV model for LG Company. It provides an overview of LG Company's sales growth over the past 5 years. It then outlines 10 steps for how to launch the new "Classic" TV model, including design, production numbers, models, warranty, packaging, promotion, distribution channels, pricing, discount policies, and credit facilities. The report recommends that LG Company launch the new TV model based on expected demand and the company's success in recent years.
[Case Study] And The Winner is Sony's Blu-ray : The High Definition DVD Forma...Riri Kusumarani
This is our group discussion project about DVD Format War between Sony and Toshiba. Interesting case study and what it makes me curious is until now the war is still on going ..
Group members consist of : Olusola, Meshingo Jack and Riri Kusumarani. Course offered by Professor Munkee Choi in ITTP,KAIST
This is the PowerPoint presentation of a Marketing/Business Plan me and four of my classmates made for Sony\'s consumer electronics market for our Marketing Management class.
Eastman Kodak Company reported financial results for the fourth quarter of 2008. The global economic downturn significantly impacted results. However, Kodak was able to generate $472 million in cash during the quarter through a focus on improving working capital. Looking ahead, Kodak will reduce costs through job cuts of 3,500 to 4,500 positions in 2009 in order to lower expenses by $300-350 million annually. The company will also rationalize its product portfolio to focus resources on core growth opportunities.
Sony owns dozens of recent patents on 3-D technology covering auto-stereoscopic displays that don't require glasses as well as those that do. Sony's work includes screens that use piezoelectric drivers or switch light sources to create parallax effects for glasses-free 3D. Other patents describe 3D projection systems and a way to deliver stereoscopic images to the PSP handheld device.
The document discusses issues surrounding the digital television transition that were raised at an FCC meeting. Commissioners expressed concerns about potential reception problems as analog and digital coverage areas diverge for some viewers. While the early February analog shutoffs went smoothly overall, some viewers may lose stations and need to adjust antennas or take other steps. The FCC and NTIA will focus outreach efforts on the estimated 5 million households that remain unprepared.
This document provides information about consumer electronics companies Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic. It discusses Samsung's founding and position as South Korea's largest company. It also summarizes key details about Sony and Panasonic, including their founding dates, headquarters locations, revenues, product lines, and marketing strategies. Brand positioning and target segments are compared for Sony and Samsung in the Indian LCD TV market. The document also reviews Panasonic's performance and restructuring efforts in 2009-2010, as well as its strategies for capturing overseas markets.
BARCO’S INTRODUCTION
PRODUCT LINE STRATEGY BARCO
MEANING OF STATEMENT
DECISION OF SONY ON REJECTION OF BARCOS DECISION
SONY’S OBJECTIVES
MISTAKES BY BARCO
BARCO’S NEXT STEP TOWARDS PRICE & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PLAN ?
Qualcomm is seeing strong demand from device makers for its new Snapdragon 805 Ultra HD mobile processor. Several manufacturers have already committed to using the new processor in 2014. Qualcomm sees growth opportunities in Ultra HD displays and wearable devices like smart watches. While Qualcomm plans to sell its Toq smart watch, its ultimate goal is to sell smart watch components to other manufacturers.
The document advertises the 2nd Annual Thin Film Solar Summit U.S. conference happening on December 1-2, 2009 in San Francisco. It promotes the many benefits attendees will receive such as learning how to secure financing, reduce costs through new technologies and scaling up production, and identify the most promising market opportunities in thin-film solar. Experts from organizations like the DOE, First Solar, and Solyndra will present on various topics. Attendees can also network with over 250 other thin-film industry experts. The summit aims to provide attendees with the information and connections needed to strengthen their business and ensure success in the growing thin-film solar market.
P.C. Richard & Son plans to continue opening new stores, even as it waits for the economy to improve. It recently opened two more stores, including one in a former Circuit City location. P.C. Richard also renovated its existing stores and expanded its product offerings, such as video games, which have been very successful. The company's president said opportunities from Circuit City's exit allowed them to enter new markets. He is hopeful supplies of popular products will be adequate for the holidays.
Creative Media BTEC- Unit 7 – The Media Sector (Television)Brandon Boyd
Lionsgate Entertainment is a public service media organization that generates income through its television revenue and diverse programming, including reality shows and entertainment shows. While Lionsgate's revenue decreased in 2007, by 2012 it had increased to over $1.59 billion. Lionsgate's organizational objectives include acquisitions to boost distribution and library content. It licenses its video distribution and owns a film library from acquired companies. Its main competitors are AMC Entertainment, Bona Film Group, DreamWorks Animation, and RLJ Entertainment.
Padix Company Ltd is a leading manufacturer of gaming controllers established in 1983. They created the Rockfire brand in 1991 to provide innovative, affordable gaming controllers, consoles, and accessories. The company has over 350 employees in their China factory and 18 in their Taiwan headquarters. They strive for quality and service, maintaining ISO 9002 certification since 1995. Padix has manufacturing sites in Taiwan and China and sells their Rockfire products globally in markets like Europe, North America, and Asia.
- The document is the transcript from Eastman Kodak's fourth quarter 2007 earnings call.
- Kodak achieved all of its key strategic goals for 2007, including 8% digital revenue growth. Net cash generation was $333 million, above its $200 million goal.
- All of Kodak's major business segments - Graphic Communication Group, Film Products Group, and Consumer Digital Imaging Group - met or exceeded their financial targets for the quarter and year. Kodak has now completed its large corporate restructuring and established a sustainable business model.
Eastman Kodak Company is a technology company focused on imaging products and services. Founded in 1880, Kodak pioneered technologies in photographic film and digital imaging. In recent decades, Kodak transitioned to digital as film demand declined. It now provides digital cameras, printers, software, and online/mobile services. Kodak has made numerous acquisitions to expand its product lines and divested some business units to focus on core operations. The company continues transforming its business model to address trends in digital and mobile imaging.
Barco Projection Systems (BPS) is a division of Barco N.V. that was founded in 1934 and initially focused on electronics and television receivers. By the 1970s, BPS redefined itself to focus on industrial markets like projection systems. BPS pursues a niche market strategy with high-end products and relies heavily on R&D. Recently, Sony successfully executed a bypass strategy by introducing the 1270 projector with a new scan rate of 75 kHz at a lower price than BPS's offerings. This document discusses BPS's product development approach, the market structure, and competitive dynamics as well as options for how BPS should respond to Sony's bypass strategy.
This document provides an overview and agenda for strengthening the Poly business plan. It discusses industry trends towards remote work and hybrid models. It outlines Poly's product portfolio and competitive advantages in areas like ease of use, security, and low bandwidth needs. The document performs a SWOT analysis and discusses the video conferencing market size and key partners. It proposes strategies to increase partners and capture opportunities through training, marketing, and targeting large deals.
This document provides an overview of Paramount Global's business segments and competitive landscape. It discusses Paramount's financial struggles, especially in its direct-to-consumer segment. The document indicates that Paramount Global's controlling shareholder is open to a potential merger or sale. Recent discussions have involved Skydance Media and Redbird Capital acquiring Paramount Global's parent company National Amusements.
The document provides an overview of the consumer electronics industry outlook according to NPD analyst Stephen Baker. While there are challenges in 2010, Baker says there are more reasons for hope than despair, including growing demand for 3D TVs and digital SLR cameras. Baker notes opportunities for CE retailers in the shift to large-screen TVs, importance of knowledgeable salespeople, and ability to sell accessories and peripherals through multimedia devices. However, consumer confidence remains weak and many consumers are waiting for lower prices before purchasing new products.
The document is a feasibility report for launching a new TV model for LG Company. It provides an overview of LG Company's sales growth over the past 5 years. It then outlines 10 steps for how to launch the new "Classic" TV model, including design, production numbers, models, warranty, packaging, promotion, distribution channels, pricing, discount policies, and credit facilities. The report recommends that LG Company launch the new TV model based on expected demand and the company's success in recent years.
[Case Study] And The Winner is Sony's Blu-ray : The High Definition DVD Forma...Riri Kusumarani
This is our group discussion project about DVD Format War between Sony and Toshiba. Interesting case study and what it makes me curious is until now the war is still on going ..
Group members consist of : Olusola, Meshingo Jack and Riri Kusumarani. Course offered by Professor Munkee Choi in ITTP,KAIST
This is the PowerPoint presentation of a Marketing/Business Plan me and four of my classmates made for Sony\'s consumer electronics market for our Marketing Management class.
Eastman Kodak Company reported financial results for the fourth quarter of 2008. The global economic downturn significantly impacted results. However, Kodak was able to generate $472 million in cash during the quarter through a focus on improving working capital. Looking ahead, Kodak will reduce costs through job cuts of 3,500 to 4,500 positions in 2009 in order to lower expenses by $300-350 million annually. The company will also rationalize its product portfolio to focus resources on core growth opportunities.
Sony owns dozens of recent patents on 3-D technology covering auto-stereoscopic displays that don't require glasses as well as those that do. Sony's work includes screens that use piezoelectric drivers or switch light sources to create parallax effects for glasses-free 3D. Other patents describe 3D projection systems and a way to deliver stereoscopic images to the PSP handheld device.
The document discusses issues surrounding the digital television transition that were raised at an FCC meeting. Commissioners expressed concerns about potential reception problems as analog and digital coverage areas diverge for some viewers. While the early February analog shutoffs went smoothly overall, some viewers may lose stations and need to adjust antennas or take other steps. The FCC and NTIA will focus outreach efforts on the estimated 5 million households that remain unprepared.
Sony announced that all PS3 systems will be upgradeable through firmware updates to play 3D content from 2010 onward. This positions the PS3's 3D compatibility as a key advantage over other consoles. There has been some debate about whether current PS3 and Blu-ray player hardware can handle 3D with just a firmware update. Sony says it can for the PS3, while Panasonic says it's not possible for their Blu-ray players. Sony is looking to establish 3D formats for Blu-ray discs, HDMI and broadcast TV as it rolls out 3D gaming and movie content on the PS3.
Hundreds of consumers turned out for PS4 launch events in New York on Thursday night and Friday morning. GameStop stores had limited quantities of PS4s available for customers who did not pre-order the console, with some stores only having around 100 units. Popular launch games for the PS4 included Killzone: Shadow Fall, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Madden NFL 25, and NBA 2K14. Customer demand was similar for the PS4 and upcoming Xbox One launch, but PS4s tended to have a slight edge in sales at some GameStop locations.
Both sides were upbeat after the Supreme Court oral arguments in the case regarding California's law banning the sale of violent video games to minors. While it was difficult to predict how the court would rule based on the questions and comments from the justices, representatives from both sides felt their attorneys effectively made their cases. The justices raised concerns about the vagueness of the law and whether it could apply to other forms of media. The court will make a ruling in the coming months.
Camera manufacturers are shifting their product mixes away from point-and-shoot cameras towards interchangeable lens cameras like SLRs due to declining point-and-shoot sales driven by smartphone proliferation. They are emphasizing features like long zooms, WiFi connectivity, and weather-sealing in compact cameras to differentiate from smartphones. Canon announced new full-frame DSLRs including the EOS 6D, its lowest priced full-frame model to date, while Pentax is seeing demand for its recently announced K-5 II and K-5 IIs models. Fujifilm is expanding its X-Series mirrorless line.
NATM retailers are surviving but not thriving in 2010 due to a challenging business environment with slow sales, weakening margins, and overuse of scan-down rebates and bundles by manufacturers. While NATM sales increased in 2010 due to members like P.C. Richard joining, overall consumer electronics sales are flat and inventory levels are high. Scan-down deals further reduce retailer margins and bundled items impact profits on goods they normally make good margins on. The introduction of 3D TVs also poses challenges without much 3D content available.
The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of the video game industry, declaring unconstitutional a California law restricting minors' access to violent video games. While the original sponsor sees a possibility of revisiting the issue if the court's composition changes, industry representatives and legal experts believe the decision provides strong precedent and it is unlikely and difficult to envision the issue being revisited in the near future. The decision was seen as a major victory for free speech rights in media.
- Car Toys is considering expanding into new markets but did not specify which ones. It has no current plans to open or close stores in its existing markets.
- E-commerce sales have grown double-digits each year for Car Toys and allow it to reach new customers outside its existing markets.
- Android smartphones are dominating sales at Car Toys currently, with Samsung and HTC models selling particularly well. Car Toys is also looking to enter the tablet category.
NBCUniversal will soon make its TV content available to stream on set-top streaming devices like Apple TV and Roku. Jennifer Pirot of NBCUniversal said they are working to finalize negotiations with set-top box makers and plan to have their content available on devices by the end of the year. Currently, NBCUniversal content is only available via apps on mobile devices. HBO has seen more success in making its content widely available across devices because it started earlier with its HBO Go app and has a larger library of content to choose from compared to broadcast networks like NBC.
Voxx International's first aftermarket mobile DTV tuner for automotive use will be delayed from its planned May launch until at least September due to chipset delays from supplier Mobile Content Venture. The tuner may not launch until December. Voxx CEO Patrick Lavelle remains optimistic that mobile DTV tuners could generate $30 million annually for Voxx once available. Voxx is also incorporating Roku's streaming technology into an over-the-air antenna launching in the third or fourth quarter, allowing both live broadcast TV and access to hundreds of streaming channels.
- Guzu, an electronics recycling company, is focused on growth over profitability for now. It plans to launch an enhanced website with more product categories and move to a larger facility.
- The CEO said iPhones are currently the most popular items and they offer $80-200 for used ones. Guzu aims to process more consumer orders daily and expand its recycling services nationally within a few years.
Amazon launches new streaming device called Fire TV for $99 that supports streaming video and games. While initial analyst reaction was mixed, several game publishers expressed strong support and said they will provide game titles compatible with Fire TV. Amazon is also offering a dedicated game controller for $39.99 to enhance the gaming experience on Fire TV.
ESPN executive Chuck Pagano says that videogames will be a major driver of 3D TV adoption, as gamers buy 3D TVs to use with game consoles like the PS3. He and Anthony Bailey believe that the need to wear 3D glasses will not deter consumers from buying 3D TVs. DirecTV plans to launch three dedicated 3D channels in June, including one for live sports and concerts, one for movies and documentaries, and one for video-on-demand content like the 2010 MLB All-Star Game in 3D.
Several consumer electronics companies, including RadioShack, Sonos and Microsoft, ran TV ads during the Super Bowl, reminding viewers that CE is about both content and hardware. An analyst said the ads help show that hardware is still important to the CE industry and can help RadioShack update its image. RadioShack's ad featured 1980s celebrities and was meant to position the company as reinvented and focused on today's technology needs.
FilmOn X CEO Alkiviades David says that regardless of the Supreme Court's decision in the Aereo case, FilmOn X's business will survive because only 3% relies on free-to-air TV and most relies on licensed content and social video features. David plans to file a motion for FilmOn X to intervene in the Aereo case to argue their separate position that their technology is more evolved than Aereo's. Experts debate whether Congress anticipated how new technologies could impact terms like "performance" in copyright law, and what the implications may be of the Supreme Court's upcoming decision in the Aereo case.
Wicked Pictures president Steve Orenstein says the company has no plans to produce 3D porn titles as 3D has not gained significant traction in the porn market. He notes several challenges with the 3D format for porn, including whether viewers want to wear glasses for porn viewing and added production costs. Orenstein also says Blu-ray never took off for the porn industry, with Wicked releasing only about 15 Blu-ray titles, and that DVD continues to account for around 50% of Wicked's revenue despite an overall decline in the DVD market.
Human: Thank you for the summary. Can you summarize the following document in 3 sentences or less while maintaining the key details?
[DOCUMENT]:
Bl
Dish Network launched its new satellite-based broadband internet service, dishNET, at Cowboy Maloney's Electric City store in Jackson, Mississippi. dishNET will provide internet speeds of up to 10Mbps download and 2Mbps upload to rural US homes that currently have slow or no broadband access. The service starts at $39.99 per month when bundled with Dish TV packages. Dish aims to close the "digital divide" and bring high-speed internet to the millions of rural US residents who are currently underserved or unserved. Cowboy Maloney's was selected for the launch event due to its role in previous launches of DirecTV and Sirius Satellite Radio.
2. 2—CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DAILY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009
No single factor contributed to his decision to leave, Pacor said, suggesting he had tired of spending so many hours
on airplanes traveling between the U.S. and D&M headquarters in Tokyo.
“We had a great run,” Pacor said of his five-year D&M stint, adding that he plans to move on next to
“something entrepreneurial” because it represents “the logical next chapter” in a long career. Asked whether he
plans a startup in the CE industry, Pacor said it would be in “an adjacent channel.” The “core business” of the
D&M he leaves behind has been “surprisingly resilient” amid the economic turbulence, he said. Still, “I don’t want
to understate anything,” he said. “It’s been a difficult period.”
D&M also planned to announce its choice of Eric Simonsen as its president, the job that Pacor left to be-
come the CEO. Simonsen used to be the chief financial officer at Nokia-Siemens Networks. D&M also has pro-
moted Masao Goto to executive vice president of the company, it will announce Wednesday. Goto, who’ll also be
appointed to the D&M Board, has recently managed the Marantz business in Japan for D&M.
As a company, D&M has “been holding its own” despite the economic crisis and has even picked up mar-
ket share, Weissburg told us. He thinks the CE industry is poised for a turnaround starting midyear, he said. Al-
ready, Weissburg has seen “upticks” in the business, he said. For example, Circuit City in its final weeks moved a
huge volume of product to the consumer, he said. A strong independent retailer must pick up the business left by
Circuit City’s demise, he said. -- Paul Gluckman
Back to Audio Roots
Pioneer Bracing BrandSource Dealers for Life After Plasma
DALLAS -- Pioneer is returning to its audio roots and will rely more heavily on independent dealers and
specialty retailers to sell products as it closes out plasma TVs by fall, Pioneer executives told us at the BrandSource
2009 Summit here Tuesday.
BrandSource's Home Entertainment Source division had a meeting Monday night with Russ Johnston, ex-
ecutive vice president of marketing and product planning at Pioneer, that it closed to the media. But dealers who
attended said Johnston was candid about Pioneer's future without plasma and underscored the company's plans to
remain in the CE business with Blu-ray players, AV receivers and speakers.
What remains to be seen is how many of the 1,200 Elite dealers Pioneer is able to retain, since many of
them conceded they relied on plasma TVs to help sell audio. There were another 200 or so retailers that carried
Pioneer plasma, said Kevin Doyle, who was recently named vice president of sales at Pioneer. "We may lose some
dealers who were just interested in Pioneer plasma TVs, but the reality is we're going to have to start selling audio
again," said Doyle, who has been with Pioneer since 1973. "I was selling audio when we were an audio-only com-
pany so I know what it's like to do this."
In shifting focus to audio, Pioneer will become a smaller company with about half the sales force it previ-
ously employed, Product Specialist Carl Tierney said. Pioneer trimmed the number of product specialists to three
from 20 and will back up three national product trainers, Tierney said. While a large number of product specialists
were once deployed for Best Buy stores -- Tierney was responsible for 32 locations in the Dallas area -- they will
add focus for independent dealers like those that populate HES, he said. Best Buy is expected to continue carrying
Pioneer audio and Blu-ray players, Pioneer executives said.
"Up until about five years ago product specialists provided training and support for local dealers and
then it shifted to Best Buy," said Tierney, who estimated specialists were calling on 30 to 100 Best Buy stores
3. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DAILY—3
depending on the sales territory. "Now with the shift, our jobs are going to be the way they used to be with
training and support for independents."
Pioneer halted production of plasma TVs this month and is expected to sell off remaining inventory
during the next six to seven months, Doyle said. But some plasma sets are already sold out, company officials
said. The Pioneer Elite Pro 111 50W TV, which was promoted earlier this year with a $1,500 discount, has
sold through and is expected to be followed by the Pioneer Elite Pro 151FD 60W within two to three months,
Doyle said. Pioneer brand 50W and 60W sets are also selling quickly, while supply of Signature Elite series
50W and 60W plasma monitors is expected to last into September, Doyle said. The Signature monitors had
slightly tighter specs than other Elite models and let custom installers run diagnostic tests on the panels and
allowed finer steps of picture adjustment and gamma.
Despite some price moves to help ease closeouts of the plasma sets, Pioneer doesn't expect a firesale at re-
tail since some dealers have relied on them for a profit, Pioneer executives said. Pioneer sets might even fetch a
higher price because they will be available in limited quantities, dealers told us. "These dealers want to make as
much as they can," Tierney said. "On most TVs they make nothing, but with these they make money. These are
profitable for them and that's why they are really upset" about Pioneer getting out of the business.
Pioneer struggled with its plasma business for years. Pioneer bought NEC's plasma-making operations in
2004, but combining the businesses proved more challenging than either company had expected, company officials
have said. Pioneer, which long sought a 10 percent share of the worldwide plasma market, was expected to use part
of the $189 million net proceeds from Sharp's 2007 investment in the company to fund its plasma operations. It
had five plasma manufacturing lines, including one inherited with the NEC asset purchase.
In the rush to expand production, Pioneer "sacrificed" the picture quality and performance of its plasma
TVs, Paul Meyhoefer, vice president of display marketing and product planning, told us in 2007 (CED Oct 12/07
p1). But in launching the Kuro project in 2005, Pioneer refocused on improving its plasma technology and wasn't
worried as much about "where the market was going as far as price was concerned," Meyhoefer said.
Exiting the display business wound up being the major shoe that dropped in February. Pioneers had
signaled the move to skittish retailers when it dropped minimum-advertised-pricing on its Elite products and
began selling plasma TVs through Costco (CED Feb 10 p1). At the same time, Pioneer's global work force
will be cut by 16 percent, or 6,000 jobs, on top of the 5,900 positions it eliminated in 2008, the company said.
"We thought it would work and we gave it our best effort," Tierney said. "It was a success in many ways, but
it just wasn't economically viable."
While Pioneer won't continue with plans for introducing LCD TVs in the U.S. using Sharp-sourced
panels, it hasn't ruled out deploying its Kuro technology in flat-panel TVs in the future, executives said. The
fate of the Kuro technology is "the million dollar question that no one knows the answer to" yet, Tierney said.
For now, Pioneer will concentrate on audio and Blu-ray players, but "if a year from now things are looking
better, maybe we'll be back into" TVs, he said.
With the departure of plasma, Pioneer will shift to promoting about 20 SKUs of CST, Custom and Elite Ex
series speakers priced at $369 to $1,800, company officials said. At the high-end will be the Elite EX S-W1EX 12-
inch reference standard subwoofer and three-way 6.5-inch in-ceiling S-1C691A. Pioneer also expanded its line of
Technical Audio Devices-based speakers with three new in-wall models, including a three-way option and two an-
gled models that can be mounted in a ceiling. The speakers feature CST technology designed to expand a room's
"sweet spot" to provide uniform sound.
In Blu-ray, Pioneer will have an entry-level BDP-120 Blu-ray player ($249) that was jointly developed with
Sharp, Pioneer officials said. The player features BD-Live capability, add-on USB flash memory and an HDMI
4. 4—CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DAILY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009
1.3a output. The device has a Pioneer drive but will be assembled by Sharp in China and use Sharp's decoder soft-
ware, Sharp officials said. The deck anchors a three-model line that also includes the 16-bit color capable BDP-
320 ($399) and the Elite brand BDP-23FD ($600). The line evolved from Sharp's $357 million investment in Pio-
neer in fall 2007 (CED Sept 24/07 p1). -- Mark Seavy.
Focus On 'The Unready'
NTIA Says It's Unlikely to Send Coupons Electronically
Though new rules give the NTIA "additional flexibility" to distribute DTV coupons other than
through the mail, it's doubtful those distribution methods will include sending coupons electronically,
agency officials told a media briefing Tuesday. However, the officials stopped short of saying electronic
coupons were completely off the table.
The rules changes give the NTIA the freedom, for example, to give away coupons to residents of single-
room-occupancy buildings, said Bernadette McGuire-Rivera, associate administrator of the NTIA's Office of Tele-
communications and Information Applications. "We're looking at a lot of alternative means like that," she said.
"Some of them ... are not necessarily, extraordinarily high-tech, but it's very effective."
The NTIA is "putting our focus on the unready households," which Nielsen says now number about 4 mil-
lion (CED March 23 p10), McGuire-Rivera said. "We also know from the Nielsen data that these groups are not
big Internet users," she said. "I know that there are a lot of people who are very interested in having a, quote,
downloadable coupon that someone could go to their computer and get that coupon. Based on our research so far,
that doesn't seem like a mechanism that would be widely used by these groups, so that might not justify whatever
cost it would be to set that up."
The unready are "this last bit of population that is completely unprepared, and we're trying to under-
stand what is underlying the fact that they're unprepared," acting NTIA Administrator Anna Gomez said. The
agency is conducting focus groups "to identify the reasons and try to target our assistance to those folks who
we call the most vulnerable populations," she said. "Those are ongoing right now. Moving forward, our focus
is on what we call our search and rescue, which is to find these populations, find why it is they're unprepared,
and then give them that technical assistance."
The NTIA spent just over $190 million of the $490 million allocated for new DTV coupons in the eco-
nomic stimulus package to clear its backlog of coupon requests and began processing the last orders from its
waiting list last Saturday, Gomez said. "You got to figure that by the end of next week, they should be getting
their coupons.” The $190 million equals about 4.75 million coupons, while the $490 million would pay for
12.25 million extras, bringing the total coupon count to 45.75 million if all were redeemed. That’s worth
about $1.83 billion in total coupon funding.
That the NTIA Tuesday began accepting orders for replacement coupons "is very good news for those who
lost their coupons or weren't able to redeem them before they expired," Gomez said. "It will be very easy for con-
sumers who have expired coupons to now receive another one," McGuire-Rivera said. "Basically they will simply
apply to the program as they did in the past." The NTIA will check to be sure that a household ordering replace-
ments has not previously redeemed coupons, she said. "Say, for example, you're in a situation where you had two
coupons. You were able to use one. You did not use the other one, and it then expired. Your household will only
be eligible to have one coupon reissued."
5. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DAILY—5
Using service "improvements" paid for with economic stimulus money, including upgrading coupon
mailings to first class from standard bulk rate, the NTIA has reduced the average turnaround time for new
coupon orders to nine business days from 21, McGuire-Rivera said. Other service upgrades now enable the
NTIA to "prioritize" coupon orders to favor over-the-air homes "if God forbid we get into another situation
at the end" of again having to backorder applications, should orders surge as they did in early January, she
said. -- Paul Gluckman
Copyright Implications Fuzzy
China-Developed Home Networking System Raises Questions For Hollywood
Hollywood and CE companies were abuzz Tuesday about a China-developed proposal for home networking
of digital AV and PC devices. The key question among studios and others was about copy-protection provisions in
the Digital Interactive Interface for Video and Audio developed by nine Chinese companies.
Although the so-called DiiVA Consortium mentioned copy protection in passing, its proposal seemed to
provide no hard details. Content owners take a hard line on the distribution of copyrighted content even within a
home. Their concern is that premium content, from packaged media or service providers, might escape the home
and get distributed on the Internet or elsewhere without authorization.
The DiiVA Consortium is made up only of Chinese AV and IT companies, including Changhong, Haier,
Hisense, Konka, Panda, Skyworth, SVA, TCL and Synerchip. The consortium invited other companies to take part
in developing DiiVA and said it expects to publish a draft spec for DiiVA late this month.
Although the consortium said some Japanese and Korean CE companies and others had joined its steering
committee as contributing members, we could find none listed on DiiVA’s Web site Tuesday. New members
might be under a nondisclosure agreement, or the site may be outdated. Its latest news release was dated February
23. Still, companies we polled seemed surprised about DiiVA. Although the consortium said the system was an-
nounced at CES in January, any event there seems to have been below the radar.
DiiVA is a high-speed, hard-wired conduit for uncompressed video and audio with a bidirectional data
channel, the consortium said. It has a maximum bandwidth of 13.5 Gbps. Uncompressed signals can be sent
through the network from any DiiVA-enabled source to any DiiVA-enabled TV display. The bidirectional data
channel can send multiple protocols like HD video and audio, USB, Ethernet, commands “and content protection”
at the same time, the consortium said. It didn’t identify the copy protection supported.
DiiVA would use “cost-effective transmitters on source devices such as DVD players, PCs and mobile
phones,” the consortium said. “Display devices will incorporate DiiVA receivers. DiiVA switches can be inte-
grated into AV receivers or source devices to enable DiiVA to work in a daisy chain configuration.” The consor-
tium called DiiVA “a complementary technology to emerging wireless video/data standards such as Wireless High
Definition Interface, which the DiiVA promoters plan to collaborate with in order to bring consumers seamless in-
teroperability between the standards.”
The first DiiVA-enabled products are expected to be released late this year, the consortium said.
How that’s possible without cooperation from content owners and other CE makers wasn’t clear Tuesday. --
Stephen A. Booth
6. 6—CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DAILY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009
EA, Warner Backers
Questions Linger About Perlman’s New OnLive Game Service
SAN FRANCISCO -- Questions lingered at our Tuesday deadline about the new OnLive Game Service un-
veiled by WebTV founder Steve Perlman here Tuesday. They include where Perlman’s company is sourcing the
“MicroConsole” hardware that’s to ship when the service starts next winter.
Game makers planning to support the platform with content include Electronic Arts, Warner Bros. Interac-
tive Entertainment, Take-Two Interactive, THQ, Ubisoft, Epic Games, Atari Interactive and Codemasters, OnLive
said. The platform was developed under the incubator program of Perlman’s company Rearden (CED March 6 p4).
The service was in development for seven years, OnLive said Tuesday. Perlman is CEO of both companies.
The MicroConsole will be as “small as a deck of cards” and “easily connects any TV and home broad-
band connection to the OnLive Game Service,” OnLive said. Operation will be performed by an OnLive wire-
less controller, it said. Not immediately clear was what company will manufacture the controller or if it will
be sold separately. The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. OnLive said only the
service will operate under a monthly subscription plan and be available “in a variety of different pricing pack-
ages and tiers, competitively priced to retail.”
OnLive will be “the most powerful game system in the world,” Perlman said Tuesday. There will be
“no high-end hardware, no upgrades, no endless downloads, no discs, no recalls, no obsolescence,” he said.
The service was “designed for gamers of all skills and ages,” and gamers “can enjoy the same experience on
almost any Internet-connected PC or Mac via a small browser plug-in,” the company said. Multiplayer and
solo gaming will be possible, it said.
The platform “combines the successful components of video games, online distribution and social network-
ing into one affordable, flexible platform that offers a new way for game fans to access and enjoy content,” said
Mike McGarvey, OnLive chief operating officer. “By substantially lowering the barriers between content and con-
sumers, OnLive has created an environment that is highly beneficial for every facet of the videogame ecosystem.”
Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 is compatible with the OnLive platform, so games “leveraging the cutting-edge
technology and versatility of the Unreal Engine will easily run on the OnLive service,” OnLive said. -- Jeff Berman
'Marketing Savvy' Required
Investors Seeking New Game Strategies to Fund, Despite Recession
SAN FRANCISCO -- Venture capitalists are still seeking out new game strategies to back, despite the eco-
nomic downturn, five of them said at the first GamesBeat conference Tuesday. "We're looking for what we always
look for," including "great leaders," companies that can deliver "predictable monetization" and those that can de-
velop a "niche" they can "win in," said Benchmark Capital Partner Mitch Lasky.
There "clearly is money to be made" in the game market despite the recession, Lasky said. Norwest Ven-
tures investors, however, aren't looking to invest in games, but rather game market "disruptions" -- strategies that
7. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DAILY—7
challenge the status quo, said Timothy Chang, a principal at the firm. The panelists agreed that the game market is
"confusing and fragmented." But Lasky said, "That's precisely what makes it so interesting."
It remains important for game companies to introduce high-quality games, because "if your games
suck you will not make any money," Lasky said. But Mayfield Fund Managing Director Janice Roberts said
"marketing savvy" is important now also, because of the growing importance of interacting with players and
online communities.
Earlier at the conference, Gas Powered Games CEO Chris Taylor said it's encouraging that game in-
dustry sales were up overall in January and February despite "the worst recession in 60 years." He predicted
the next 10 years will be "great" for the industry. Taylor also predicted that "boutique," independent game
companies like his "will be a major force in gaming," despite claims to the contrary from Electronic Arts
when he left that publisher, he said.
But Lars Buttler, CEO of online game maker Trion World Network, offered a darker view of the current
industry. Strip away the successful Wii platform and World of Warcraft, and most of "the rest of the industry looks
pretty dire," he said. Wii and WoW account for "all the growth and all the high-margin in this cycle," he said.
GamesBeat Notebook...
Sony Computer Entertainment has a "10-year vision" for the PS3, and it wasn't part of the firm's strategy to
"come out of the gate kicking and screaming," said Susan Panico, senior director of the PlayStation Network in
North America. The PS3 is making "a lot of progress" in games and Blu-ray movies, she said, noting the Play-
Station Network "plays a huge role." Her comments came in response to a panel moderator's statement that the PS3
is in third place this console cycle, far behind the Wii and Xbox 360 in installed base. More than 60 percent of
PlayStation Network revenue comes from third-party partners, she said.
---
Microtransactions and smartphones are the main areas of growth for the game industry, according to a re-
cent survey of 160 game industry professionals by GamesBeat organizer VentureBeat. More than 66 percent of
respondents cited microtransactions and 61 percent smartphones as the developments that "will have the deepest
impact on the games industry in the coming years," it said. User-generated content trailed at 43 percent, advertising
revenue at 21 percent and voice recognition at 18 percent. Apple's iPhone, singled out by 74 percent of the respon-
dents, was seen as the platform with the greatest potential. Trailing it were social networks with 65 percent, casual
Web-based games at 62 percent and consoles at 57 percent.
---
A public beta test of the game FreeRealms will launch in "the next few weeks," after the current closed
beta, said Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley. The game marks the company's first effort to sig-
nificantly expand the player base of massively multiplayer online role-playing games from adult males to kids and
a family audience, he said. The title's target user base is 10 to 12 year old boys and girls, and "we are going after"
that demographic "in equal numbers," he said, adding that it's unusual for an MMORPG to try to appeal to girls.
---
Ngmoco would like to support Nokia's mobile devices with games, but it has no plans to do that, because
Apple's iPhone is a "better platform," ngmoco CEO Neil Young said. The company is concentrating on games for
the iPhone and iPod Touch.
---
Startups like 38 Studios have greater "agility" in responding to new game trends than large companies do,
said CEO Brett Close. 38 Studios is preparing its first title, an original MMO fantasy game. The firm's founder,
ex-Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, was to speak at the conference about the game after our deadline, one day after
announcing his retirement from Major League Baseball. -- Jeff Berman
8. 8—CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DAILY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009
Formats
Clarification: Any Blu-ray playback device, regardless of where it’s made, is required to include
Dolby Digital Plus and DTS Digital Surround (CED March 24 p4) because they’re mandatory for Blu-ray, a
DTS spokesman said Tuesday.
Ads & Promotions
Sharp, a New York Mets sponsor for over 25 years, will supply 800 Aquos LCD TVs to the team’s new
CitiField stadium, which opens officially April 13, Sharp said Tuesday. The sets will include Sharp's flagship 108-
inch model, to be installed in the facility's main lobby, the company said. Other sets will be installed around the
stadium’s concourses, restaurants, club spaces and concessions, Sharp said. Sharp also will get prominent in-game
branding at the stadium, including rotational signage, permanent signage on the center field scoreboard, in-game
video features and a presence on the team's Mets.com Web site.
Satellite
EchoStar is offering a conversion program targeting SES Americom’s IP Prime subscribers whose 250-
channel service will go dark July 31. SES had 70 small telcos in 31 states signed up to sell the service when it decided in
December to shut it down after gaining less than 10,000 customers (CED Dec 18 p3). About 37 of the telcos were mem-
bers of the NRTC, which worked in recent months to find an alternative service for them to sell, the company has said.
EchoStar IP Prime Conversion Program will provide customers the company’s VIP-TV transport service and replace-
ment receivers. The VIP-TV transport service provides MPEG-4-encoded programming including about 110 standard-
definition feeds and 42 HD channels, EchoStar said. It can provide local TV channel aggregation in the telco's DMA in
both SD and HD formats. EchoStar also will provide repointing of the satellite dish to one of its satellites, most likely at
85 degrees west, a spokesman said. While IP Prime currently uses IDC satellite receivers, EchoStar has the “capability”
to make telco set-tops in the future, a company spokesman said. EchoStar leases capacity on SES Americom’s AMC-16
satellite at 85 degrees west that could be used to deliver IP Prime, an EchoStar spokesman said.
Videogames
Nokia disclosed the countries where its Ovi online-services umbrella will launch, early in May. It will
start at least in the U.S., Australia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Singapore, Spain and the U.K., a company
spokeswoman said. Ovi will encompass the company's current Web efforts, including N-Gage in gaming, and will
advance customers' discovery in mobile commerce by taking into account a user's location and the choices that
friends have made, Tero Ojanpera, Nokia's executive vice president for services, said Tuesday at the GDC Mobile
conference in San Francisco. There are 50 million Nokia handsets suited to the service in the nine countries, he
said. India and other markets may be added for the launch, the spokeswoman said. "There's a long list that are on
the cusp, and it's a local business decision, really." Ovi will be essentially global by year-end, Ojanpera said, with a
potential reach of 250 million devices. "Mashups" making use of various handset capabilities will be a growing
trend, he told the audience of game developers. Nokia is developing a game in which an online map of any place
can be used as the setting for an automobile race track, Ojanpera said, and Dance Fabulous, also in development,
will make use of the cellphone's music-player side. Social networking also will become integral to mobile gaming,
he said. Nokia is the No. 1 maker of mobile devices for Facebook updates from Europe and Asia, Ojanpera said,
citing M:Metrics research. Billing is a challenge for an international mobile-content store because credit cards
aren't a standard way to pay in some countries, he said. "We'll be working around the world" to make carrier bill-
ing a reality, Ojanpera said. N-Gage has seen sales increases up to 80 percent where carrier billing has been intro-
duced, he said. The service has taken orders from 200 countries, the spokeswoman said. -- LT