Thursday, September 30, 2010
Android gaining ground on iphone.
When last we visited with our friends from market research firm ChangeWave Research, they were reporting on big gains for the iPhone in the smartphone market, in the wake of the iPhone 4’s release. As that excitement has subsided, however, it appears that Android is continuing to make big gains among consumers.
The company’s most recent survey, concluded September 23, talked to 4,000 respondents. Of the ones planning on buying a smartphone in the next 90 days, 37 percent said they would favor an Android unit, up from 30 percent in June.
The iPhone, however, just squeaked into first place with 38 percent saying that Apple’s device would be their choice—and that’s down significantly from 50 percent in June. BlackBerry got a slight bump from 5 percent to 6 percent, while Windows Mobile lost ground from 2 percent to 1 percent, and Palm’s webOS stayed even at a nice round 0 percent.
In terms of satisfaction, ChangeWave’s numbers jibe with recent figures from J.D. Power; 74 percent of iPhone owners say they’re very satisfied with their phone, compared to 65 percent of Android users, 32 percent of webOS users, 31 percent of BlackBerry users and 24 percent of Windows Mobile users.
As manufacturers release more and more Android units, the iPhone is certainly feeling a squeeze, but the drop in purchasing plans seems to be related more to the initial rush of the iPhone 4 cooling off than any issue with the phone—perceived or actual. A previous ChangeWave study showed that the iPhone 4 antenna problem had not been a significant deterrent to iPhone owners.
So while Android may be making gains, the iPhone’s higher customer satisfaction ratings appear to be helping keep it at the top of the heap—at least for now. ChangeWave’s next survey, likely due in December, will tell us more.
MacBook Pro owners eligible for free repair in Nvidia lawsuit settlement
MacBook Pro owners who bought a laptop with an Nvidia graphics processor in 2007 and 2008 may be eligible for free repairs as part of a settlement agreement for a class-action lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in California, had claimed that Nvidia sold defective graphics processing units and media communication processors that affected the performance of some laptops. Symptoms included distorted or scrambled video on the laptop’s monitor or, in some cases, a blank screen even when the computer was turned on. While it’s settling the lawsuit, Nvidia is not admitting any wrongdoing as part of the case.
The affected Mac models include 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros bought between May 2007 and September 2008. Not every laptop sold during that period is eligible for the settlement—the MacBook Pro models have to contain an Nvidia chip and feature an eligible serial number. (You can check on the former using the About This Mac panel, and confirm the latter on this lawsuit settlement page.) The laptop also needs to be experiencing the scrambled video or blank screen issues.
Dell and HP notebooks are also included in the settlement. You can get a full list of affected models on the Website containing all the details of the settlement.
Anyone filing an approved claim will be eligible for free replacement of the Nvidia graphics chips and reimbursement for any repair charges. HP laptop owners may also receive a replacement notebook.
Laptop owners who don’t want to be legally bound by the class action settlement have until November 5 to exclude themselves; that’s also the deadline for filing objections to the settlement. A hearing is slated for December 20 to approve the settlement. The claim filing period will begin after that.
Apple has had its own repair program for the graphics chip problem in place for a couple years.
James' Manager; Race played role in media coverage.
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – LeBron James's manager says he believes race played a factor in how the two-time reigning NBA MVP's decision to join the Miami Heat was covered this summer.
Maverick Carter did not cite specifics when talking to CNN for a story that aired Wednesday night.
Carter tells the cable network that race "definitely played a role in some of the stuff coming out of the media" during coverage of James' free-agent saga.
James turned down a chance to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers and ultimately decided to join the Heat in an oft-criticized televised special that raised $3 million for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
James was expected to talk to the media Thursday and a e-mail to his representatives requesting comment was not immediately answered.
Dollar set for worst quarter since 2002, Fed eyed
The dollar (.DXY) is down 8.3 percent this quarter against a basket of world currencies, its worst quarter in more than eight years, as a sluggish economy and stubbornly high unemployment levels in the United States have fueled expectations of another round of asset buying by the Fed.
Congress Approves Bill for Obama/NASA's New Space Plan
President Obama's new space plan, announced in February, cancelled NASA's moon-oriented Constellation program set forth by former President George W. Bush and called for more ambitious deep space missions to an asteroid and Mars. The Constellation program was responsible for the Orion space capsules and Ares rockets set to follow the shuttle program.
Obama's space plan tasks NASA to draw on commercial space vehicles to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Until those commercial vehicles are available, the U.S. would rely on Russian Soyuz craft to fly humans in space and unmanned Russian, Japanese and European freighters to launch cargo.
It also allows NASA to extend its role in the International Space Station through at least 2020 and sets aside $1.3 billion over three years to support the development of commercial spacecraft, less than half of the $3.3 billion the White House has requested.
Big new rocket
Obama's space plan also calls for astronauts to visit an asteroid by 2025 and then aim for a manned Mars mission in the 2030s. A heavy-lift rocket for those missions was slated to begin development in 2015.
Under the spending bill approved Wednesday, NASA would be directed to begin work on that heavy-lift rocket in 2011 – four years earlier than the White House proposal.
"Our future in space is not in low-Earth orbit. We have to go beyond," Olson said during the vote's debate. "A heavy-lift vehicle will enable us to achieve the true mission of the agency ... to explore.
The bill should help NASA and its workforce get on with the transition from its previous Constellation program to the new deep space exploration plan set forth by President Obama, House officials said.
Think about it, this is deep space funding to put us (humans) in deep space. Other planets and worlds. Remember it was Obama that help anchor the human race into deep space. The future is bright and finding life other than ourselves is next. MADONE.
Stem cell treatment for heart attack promising: study
TORONTO (Reuters) – Angiotech Pharmaceuticals and partner Athersys Inc said on Thursday their early-stage clinical trial of a stem cell therapy for heart attack patients showed improved heart function and was well-tolerated at all dosages.
Shares of Vancouver-based Angiotech climbed 10 percent late on Thursday afternoon to 57 Canadian cents on the Toronto Stock Exchange. U.S.-based Athersys was up 0.5 percent at $3.18 on the Nasdaq.
Patients undergoing the MultiStem treatment displayed mild to moderate side effects, Angiotech said.
Data from the early-stage trial suggested that treated patients showed improvements in heart function compared with patients receiving standard care, it said.
The update of the phase I clinical trial was based on four months of post-treatment data.
The companies said they are planning a subsequent clinical study, with trials expected in begin in 2011.
This week, Athersys said MultiStem also received orphan drug status in the United States for the prevention of a condition that causes immunologic attacks in bone-marrow transplant patients.
This is a designation granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to drugs that treat a condition affecting less than 200,000 Americans. It grants the drugmaker marketing exclusivity for seven years in the United States after approval.
Shares of Vancouver-based Angiotech climbed 10 percent late on Thursday afternoon to 57 Canadian cents on the Toronto Stock Exchange. U.S.-based Athersys was up 0.5 percent at $3.18 on the Nasdaq.
Patients undergoing the MultiStem treatment displayed mild to moderate side effects, Angiotech said.
Data from the early-stage trial suggested that treated patients showed improvements in heart function compared with patients receiving standard care, it said.
The update of the phase I clinical trial was based on four months of post-treatment data.
The companies said they are planning a subsequent clinical study, with trials expected in begin in 2011.
This week, Athersys said MultiStem also received orphan drug status in the United States for the prevention of a condition that causes immunologic attacks in bone-marrow transplant patients.
This is a designation granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to drugs that treat a condition affecting less than 200,000 Americans. It grants the drugmaker marketing exclusivity for seven years in the United States after approval.
Lines MLB 9/30/10
AMERICAN LEAGUE | |||||||||||||||||
7:05 PM ET Detroit at Baltimore 
Starting: DET J. Bonderman (R) | BAL J. Guthrie (R) | |||||||||||||||||
8:05 PM ET LA Angels at Texas
Starting: LAA S. Kazmir (L) | TEX C. Lee (L) | |||||||||||||||||
8:10 PM ET Toronto at Minnesota
Starting: TOR S. Hill (R) | MIN F. Liriano (L) | |||||||||||||||||
8:10 PM ET Boston at Chi. White Sox
Starting: BOS J. Lester (L) | CHW J. Danks (L) | |||||||||||||||||
8:10 PM ET Tampa Bay at Kansas City
Starting: TB M. Garza (R) | KC Z. Greinke (R) | |||||||||||||||||
10:10 PM ET Oakland at Seattle
Starting: OAK G. Gonzalez (L) | SEA D. Fister (R) |
NATIONAL LEAGUE | |||||||||||||||||
3:45 PM ET Arizona at San Francisco
Starting: ARI B. Enright (R) | SF M. Bumgarner (L) | |||||||||||||||||
6:35 PM ET Chi. Cubs at San Diego
Starting: CHC T. Gorzelanny (L) | SD J. Garland (R) | |||||||||||||||||
7:10 PM ET Houston at Cincinnati
Starting: HOU B. Myers (R) | CIN B. Arroyo (R) | |||||||||||||||||
7:10 PM ET Pittsburgh at Florida
Starting: PIT Z. Duke (L) | FLA C. Volstad (R) | |||||||||||||||||
7:10 PM ET Milwaukee at NY Mets
Starting: MIL C. Narveson (L) | NYM D. Gee (R) | |||||||||||||||||
8:15 PM ET Colorado at St. Louis
Starting: COL J. Hammel (R) | STL C. Carpenter (R) |
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Billionaires In The Making
Sean Parker
Facebook
Estimated net worth: $920 million
Cofounder of Napster and Plaxo, Parker was the Silicon Valley veteran who joined Facebook in 2004 as its founding president and helped it navigate initial funding. He left in 2005 for venture capital but still has a 4% stake. Justin Timberlake plays Parker in the upcoming film The Social Network.
Mark Pincus
ZyngaEstimated net worth: $850 million
Love-him-or-hate-him leader of Internet's most popular gaming site, Zynga, named for his late bulldog. Pincus' fourth startup, it grosses some $500 million from virtual goods and promotions with 7-Eleven, Target, MTV. "FarmVille," "FrontierVille" and "Zynga Poker" are its most popular games.
Jerry Bruckheimer
Movies, TVEstimated net worth: $850 million
The Hollywood producer's blockbuster franchises, like Pirates of the Caribbean and National Treasure, have generated $9 billion at the global box office, with more to come. TV hits include the CSI franchise, Without a Trace and Amazing Race.
Jerry Seinfeld
TelevisionEstimated net worth: $800 million
His TV show about nothing has earned $2.7 billion in 12 years and could take in $200 million more a year, thanks to syndication payments. Seinfeld has spent some of his portion buying up New York real estate and has a four-car garage (in Manhattan!) for his fleet of vintage motors. The cash-rich star may need another hit: The Marriage Ref wasn't it.
Eric Lefkofsky
GrouponEstimated net worth: $750 million
Chicago investor is cofounder and 30% owner of the fastest-growing company ever, Web phenom Groupon, which updates its online audience about deep discounts on products and services. His venture fund, Lightbank, has stakes in 11 companies, including two now public ones: Innerworkings and Echo Global Logistics. As for being outed as an almost-billionaire: "It's a good thing and a bad thing."
Ray R. Irani
Occidental PetroleumEstimated net worth: $700 million
Angrier shareholders will cheer when Irani, the third-highest-paid U.S. CEO of the past decade, sets a future retirement date this fall. He'll still get paid like a prince for years. Irani's $600 million in Oxy shares could benefit from a potential 1-billion-barrel find near Bakersfield, Calif., and high oil prices.
James Cameron
MoviesEstimated net worth: $650 million
Avatar, the 3-D movie he directed, was a giant leap forward in cinematic special effects. It also earned $2.7 billion at the box office and is the bestselling Blu-ray disc of all time. His older films, including Titanic, have earned a combined $3 billion.
Michael Jordan
BasketballEstimated net worth: $500 million
Former Chicago Bulls wonder earned $90 million in salary during his playing career. Most of his fortune now derives from endorsement deals with his biggest sponsor, Nike; he raised his stake in the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats to 80% this year.
Tiger Woods
GolfEstimated net worth: $500 million
Assumes $130 million in career prize money and $900 million in revenue from endorsements, appearance fees and golf course design business since 1996. His agents, the tax man and recently divorced wife Elin Nordegren have all gotten pieces of those earnings. But he will make it to 10 figures if he starts winning again and sponsors return.
Jay-Z
MusicEstimated net worth: $450 million
Jay-Z has elevated hip-hop to rock arenas, packing ballparks with Eminem this summer. If he keeps selling out monster shows money will rain down on all his ventures: the Roc Nation label, a back catalog (ownership reverts to him in 2014), Rocawear clothing royalties, a stake in the New Jersey Nets. He'll score nicely if a suitor buys Carol's Daughter, a hot beauty care line backed by Jay-Z and other celebs. He and wife Beyoncé Knowles may already be music's first billion-dollar couple.
Craig Newmark
CraigslistEstimated net worth: $400 million
Newmark started e-mailing friends a list of San Francisco events in 1995. It became the basis of Craigslist, the Internet's most popular classified ad site. While most of the listings are free, it does charge for job postings in 18 cities and brokered apartments in New York. The site was pressured to shut down its sex ads section, another money-maker, in September. Analysts figure the site, which is available in 70 countries and gets more than 20 billion page views per month, could be worth $3 billion if it charged for postings in all cities, ran ads and cleaned up listings
Tyler Perry
Movies, TVEstimated net worth: $350 million
Perry writes, directs and stars in his work (which has a huge audience with black Americans), owns his two TBS sitcoms (House of Payne and Meet the Browns) and negotiates a cut of his movies' earnings. He opened his own studio in 2008 and recently purchased a 58-acre estate in the Atlanta area for $7.6 million.
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