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Struggling HTC’s Q1 2013: a mere $2.88 million in profits on $1.45 billion in revenue

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97421842 645x250 520x245 Struggling HTCs Q1 2013: a mere $2.88 million in profits on $1.45 billion in revenue

The writing was on the wall when smartphone and tablet maker HTC reported devastating results for February 2013 (and only slightly better ones in March): its consolidated earnings for the first quarter of this year weren’t exactly stellar.

The Taiwanese company reported net income after tax of $2.88 million (NT$85 million) on $1.45 billion (NT$42.8 billion) in total sales for the first quarter of 2013.

That is in line with the unaudited results for 1Q 2013 HTC announced in April.

HTC’s gross margin was 20.3% and the operating margin came in at 0.1 percent. Earnings per share were $0.003 (NT$0.1) for the quarter.

“This was a pivotal quarter for HTC,” said HTC CEO Peter Chou in a canned statement. “In February our teams set a new standard for smartphones, launching the new HTC One. The reviews of fans and critics alike have been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to delivering on the promise of this device.”

In the fourth quarter of 2012, HTC’s earnings were only slightly better: the beleaguered consumer electronics giant brought in a mere $34 million in net income (NT$1 billion), the lowest profits it had recorded since 2004.

Well, that record has now been broken again.

The Q1 2013 numbers indeed paint a bleak picture for HTC, which continues to struggle to compete against Apple, Samsung and others in the ultra-competitive global smart connected devices race.

HTC hopes that the HTC One and the HTC First ‘Facebook phone’ will turn things around, but it’s facing an increasingly uphill battle.

The company’s outlook for the second quarter of 2013 is: revenue of roughly around $2.37 billion (NT$70 billion) and a gross profit margin between 22 percent and 24 percent.

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HTC Watch app to close in Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden by May 31

Hands on with the HTC First and Facebook’s Home launcher for Android

Image credit: Sam Yeh for AFP / Getty Images

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Struggling HTC’s Q1 2013: a mere $2.88 million in profits on $1.45 billion in revenue

Pro tennis player David Ferrer accidentally tweets praise for Samsung Galaxy S4 from an iPhone

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davidferrer 520x245 Pro tennis player David Ferrer accidentally tweets praise for Samsung Galaxy S4 from an iPhone

Oops. We’ve got another celebrity promotion gaffe on our hands after tennis player David Ferrer sent out a tweet praising Samsung’s new Galaxy S4 smartphone from an iPhone, as noted by AppleInsider.

The tweet noted that he was happy with the S4 and was using the new S Health feature to help with his training.

iphone samsung Pro tennis player David Ferrer accidentally tweets praise for Samsung Galaxy S4 from an iPhone

The post was quickly deleted and replaced, but not before the mistake was noticed.

If you’ve been keeping score at home, you’ll remember that Oprah used an iPad last November to tweet praises for Microsoft’s Surface tablet. A similar incident happened in China in March when a group of celebrities complained about Apple on their microblogs as part of a state-sponsored media campaign against the iPhone maker. One of the celebrities forgot to delete the posting instructions from his post, while others sent the complaints from their own iPads and iPhones.

Samsung was recently the target of a Taiwanese government probe into whether the company hired students to post negative reviews of HTC devices on forums. Samsung Taiwan has apologized for the incident.

I’m kind of amazed that this keeps happening, so let’s go over this again. If you’re going to send out awkward encomiums on social media, please, please remember to send it from the device in question. I’m sure your sponsor’s PR team is happy to help if you’re having trouble using it.

Image credits: Lluis Gene / AFP / Getty Images, AppleInsider

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Pro tennis player David Ferrer accidentally tweets praise for Samsung Galaxy S4 from an iPhone

Lululemon Supplier Defends Shipment

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A Taiwanese supplier to Lululemon is bent out of shape after the yoga-clothes retailer blamed it for producing a shipment of pants that were unacceptably see-through.

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Lululemon Supplier Defends Shipment

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Apple’s iPad trademark dispute in China continues after Proview is spared liquidation

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ipad1 520x245 Apples iPad trademark dispute in China continues after Proview is spared liquidation

Apple’s dispute over the iPad trademark in China continues on after Proview, the company that is the legally recognized holder of the term, was spared from liquidation by a court ruling, according to China Daily.

Cash-strapped Proview had been taken to court one of its creditors, Fubon Insurance, in a move made last year that could have had significant bearing on its case with Apple. However, the application to have Proview declared bankrupt was rejected by a court in Shenzhen, which stated: “As it is too early to determine Proview lacks the ability to pay off its debts, the court does not accept Fubon’s request to liquidate Proview.”

It had been suggested that Proview’s financial issues, which saw the Taiwanese LCD maker fall from being a top ten worldwide player in its niche, could halt the case and, despite the ruling, its other creditors may yet have significant influence on future developments with Apple.

Aside from Fubon, other creditors — which include the Bank of China and Minsheng Bank — are said to have been “controlling” Proview since 2009. Owed significant sums by the firm, the banks are believed to be keen on negotiating a settlement with Apple, which could bring a lucrative pay out.

In spite of financial problems, a recent letter from Proview aggressively warned Apple partner with legal action of they are found to be selling or transporting iPads in China.

Apple has already released its new, third-generation iPad to two waves of markets worldwide, however China is notably absent from the countries supported. That may, in part, be down to the Proview legal wrangle but Apple is also well known for delaying the launch of products in the country.

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Chinese official when he visited China last week, and it seems likely that the trademark dispute was one topic that was raised. It remains unclear what influence that the discussions and Cook’s trip, which was the first visit to China from a serving Apple CEO, will have on the case with Proview.

As things stand, Apple is awaiting the response from its appeal against a November decision which granted ownership of the trademark to Proview. The result is expected within the next two months.

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Apple’s iPad trademark dispute in China continues after Proview is spared liquidation

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HTC Sense users set to lose data as cloud storage service closes for “renovation”

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htc devices 520x245 HTC Sense users set to lose data as cloud storage service closes for renovation

HTC is temporarily closing its cloud storage service, HTC Sense, while it renovates the service that allows users to sync a range of data from their devices, including contacts, messages, footprints and call history.

Rather than offer a interim solution during the revamp, HTC has strangely decided to erase all user data, giving customers until the end of April to keep hold of the information stored there, as Pocketlint reports.

A notice on the service’s website states that “features previously available on HTCSense.com are no longer available”, urging users to save their data.

htc sense 520x143 HTC Sense users set to lose data as cloud storage service closes for renovation

A fuller explanation comes from correspondence sent to customers. HTC has communicated the changes for users for the service, telling them that the service is undergoing a renovation:

HTCSense.com is undergoing a renovation to improve the services and value we deliver to customers like you. Until the new services are ready, features previously available on HTCSense.com will be shutting down.

If you have been using HTCSense.com to sync your Contacts, Messages, Footprints or Call History, you can download your data through April 30, 2012. After April 30, your data will no longer be accessible and will be deleted.

The correspondence even goes on to advise users to go to Google Play to find an alternative service. Yes, as in with someone else…

The revamp is likely to see HTC increase its integration with Dropbox, after the duo partnered earlier this year. That tie-up sees the Taiwanese firm’s latest smartphones – the One X, One S and One V — come preloaded with 25GB of storage from the online storage specialist, and we can expect more developments.

However, the shutdown will leave a lot of HTC fans disappointed and, most importantly, using other services. If and when the revamped system arrives, many may question whether to return to HTC, given this imminent closure and the erasing of their data.

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HTC Sense users set to lose data as cloud storage service closes for “renovation”

An angry Android kid, a gun and a sixties flashback: Instagram gets the Taiwanese animation treatment

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that free photo sharing app and community Instagram recently hit 27 million users and is preparing the launch of a much-anticipated Android (or is it Google Play?) application.

Nutty Taiwanese video production company Next Media Animation (NMA) covered the news in its own, special, animated way. Without further ado or comment:

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An angry Android kid, a gun and a sixties flashback: Instagram gets the Taiwanese animation treatment

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Chinese banks tell Proview: Your iPad trademarks are belong to us

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5492886880 b5a0388ed1 z 520x245 Chinese banks tell Proview: Your iPad trademarks are belong to us

If you thought Apple’s iPad trademark case in China couldn’t get any weirder, today the story has taken another surprising turn after debt-ridden Taiwanese technology company (and Chinese iPad trademark holder) Proview was told by its creditors that they hold the rights the company’s trademarks.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Bank of China and seven other banks (which make up the rest of Proview’s creditors) have indicated that the dispute is no longer in Proview’s hands, with it now “essentially between Apple and the eight banks.”

Before Proview filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009, the formerly successful computer display vendor was said to have owed more than $400 million to the banks.

Earlier this week, the Chinese banks appealed to the courts for Proview to be put into liquidation, potentionally freezing its case with Apple in accordance with Chinese law. One of its creditors, Fubon Insurance, made the move, seeking to reclaim debts totalling $8.68 million as of November 2010.

Fubon had applied for Proview’s remaining assets to be liquidated in June 2011 after the company has failed to comply with the ruling for six months, so with the deadline on the decision already passed, Fubon’s laywers applied to the court for an expedited ruling on February 20.

The banks said in a statement issued Wednesday that they had seized Proview’s assets, including its iPad trademark registration, nine months before Apple bought the iPad trademarks from one of Proview’s subsidiaries, which included registrations in China.

Proview’s Chinese office has said that its sister company didn’t have the rights to sell the trademarks on its behalf, further complicating matters, especially now that the banks have involved themselves in the legal fight with Apple. It also calls into question whether the other iPad registrations are indeed Apple’s, if they do turn out to have been held by the banks.

Whether this could increase the changes of an early settlement remains to be seen, it could be in the interests of all three sides to hasten a decision either way.

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Chinese banks tell Proview: Your iPad trademarks are belong to us

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HTC revenues climb in February, but still down 36.79% year-on-year

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IMG 1876 520x245 HTC revenues climb in February, but still down 36.79% year on year

HTC’s February financial filing has showed that whilst the Taiwanese smartphone maker’s revenues have climbed between January and February, the company is still on track for a disastrous quarter, as records show revenues are still down compared to last year.

The company announced unaudited consolidated revenues for February 2012 totaled NT$20,294 million ($687.4 million), down 36.79% from the same period last year, while revenues from January and February combined reached NT$36,910 million ($1.25 billion), down 45.01% year-over-year.

In January, HTC’s revenues fell to NT$16,615 million ($562.8 million), which was down more than 50% on the previous year, but the company has started to slowly recover from the competitive Christmas period, after feeling pressure from increased sales of Apple and Samsung smartphones.

It’s not an unexpected decline for HTC, the company has been budgeting for another quarterly decline, estimating that it could see a 36% drop in revenue compared to the final quarter of 2011.

The company estimates that revenues in Q1 2012 will fall to to $2.20-2.37 billion (T$65 billion – T$70 billion) from $3.44 billion (T$101.42 billion) in the previous quarter, however it believes its issues to be “short term”.

HTC’s believes that by concentrating on ‘hero’ phones, it can reverse its decline and start to compete again in the smartphone market. The company recently introduced its One range of Android smartphones, focusing on impressive hardware and software features rather than a hardware specification bump.

We played with the devices and believe the company may have come “back to form”.

For HTC, it’s all about the long game. The HTC One X, One V and One S will go on sale in April, only then will be be able to see if its strategy has worked out.

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HTC revenues climb in February, but still down 36.79% year-on-year

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Barnes & Noble to host a Nook developers’ event in London. Could a UK launch be imminent?

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BN 520x245 Barnes & Noble to host a Nook developers event in London. Could a UK launch be imminent?

A quick glance around any London bus or underground station will soon reveal that Amazon’s Kindle has well and truly embedded itself in UK eBook-lovers’ psyche.

Despite some competition from the likes of Sony, Kobo and, well, Apple’s iPad (people DO use it as an eReader), there doesn’t seem to be a real contender for Amazon’s Kindle crown. But that could be changing with US bookseller Barnes & Noble hosting a developer workshop in London later this month, reports E-book Magazine.

Barnes & Noble partnered with Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn to create the Nook back in 2009, and whilst this latest announcement isn’t exactly confirmation that it will be launching its Nook eReader in the UK any time soon, it certainly hints that something could be brewin’.

We’ve previously written that the UK bookstore chain Waterstone’s was going to enter the eReader market in 2012, an ambitious but necessary move if it’s to effectively compete in the book space. And an obvious tie-up would be for Barnes & Noble to partner with Waterstone’s, which already has significant traction in the UK book market.

As we’ve seen with Amazon and its Kindle, consumers are becoming increasingly more comfortable with the notion of reading e-books, with the digital experience able to fairly accurately mimic its paper-based equivalent. This is a pretty obvious move for Waterstone’s if it comes to fruition, with Managing Director James Daunt saying at the time:

“We in Waterstones need to offer you a digital reader which is at least as good, and preferably substantially better, than that of our Internet rival, and you will have a much better buying experience purchasing your books through us.”

With the London Book Fair falling just one month after the London developer event, could we at last see the Nook launch in Europe this spring?

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Barnes & Noble to host a Nook developers’ event in London. Could a UK launch be imminent?

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Apple faces wait for iPad trademark decision as Proview fights creditors

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5603070173 84f70da835 z 520x245 Apple faces wait for iPad trademark decision as Proview fights creditors

Apple’s position in the iPad trademark lawsuit is set to become a little more complicated after it was revealed this morning that Chinese creditors have appealed for Taiwanese electronic firm Proview to be put into liquidation, freezing the case in accordance with Chinese law.

WantChinaTimes reports that Proview creditor Fubon Insurance is making the move, as it seeks to reclaim debts totalling $8.68 million as of November 2010.

Fubon had applied for Proview’s remaining assets to be liquidated in June 2011 after the company has failed to comply with the ruling for six months, so with the deadline on the decision already passed, Fubon’s laywers applied to the court for an expedited ruling on February 20.

A decision is expected to be reached soon, and if it is approved, Proview’s lawsuit against Apple will be immediately halted.

Proview has said that it would be able to meet any financial obligations in the future, basing them solely on resulting damages or settlements from the Apple trademark lawsuit. Fubon moved to reject such claims, arguing that Proview could not base its ability to repay on the outcome of a case that has not reached a conclusion.

The company recently upped its claim for the rights to the global ‘iPad’ trademark, after the firm amended the US lawsuit it filed against Apple last week with new information.

The revised suit alleged that Apple purchased the rights to the trademark using fraud and unfair competition when it secured a deal through UK-based shell company IP Application Development Limited, known as IPAD. As such, Proview has sought worldwide rights to the term.

Referring to liquidation reports, Proview lawyer Ma Dongxiao told the AP that “the company believes its financial problems won’t affect the handling of a court case in which Apple is appealing a ruling against its claim to the iPad trademark in China.”

With the chances of a settlement from Apple high, Proview may be forced to pursue talks with the world’s biggest technology company before legal proceedings are halted. Proview is reported to hold debts as high as $2 billion, with just $320 million in assets.

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Apple faces wait for iPad trademark decision as Proview fights creditors