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Andrew138, Thanks for constacting Lis186.
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Clawmann, Cool! I wonder why lis186 posted Paperclick on Flickr?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lis186/27685025/in/set-626280/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lis186/
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No one responded to Banks post of PP's Blog regarding Yahoo and Flickr so I am posting it again as I believe it is one of the more important blogs he has written. If you read before, I would suggest reading it again this weekend without the distractions of following pps action or keeping the bashers at bay.
http://theponderingprimate.blogspot.com/2006/05/yahoo-and-flickr-create-mobile_02.html#comments
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Yahoo And Flickr Create Mobile Marketing Powerhouse
Last week Yahoo quietly became a mobile marketing powerhouse, did you see it?
Nokia, Yahoo and Flickr announced the platform for a mobile marketing powerhouse. Yahoo already has a short code 92466 (YAHOO) for text messages.
Nokia, the world leader in mobile communications, and Yahoo!, the number one Internet destination, announced that they are making it easy for mobile photographers to upload and add comments to photos directly from their Nokia Nseries multimedia computers to Flickr, the largest online photo sharing community on the Web.
Yes, this is for uploading photos, but with a little innovation, they can access that same user/advertiser created image database and download content too.
The biggest problem the physical world connection companies PWC face, is how to getting their "platform", or scanning application on the phone.
This is only a problem because they are focusing on what's best for the advertiser, not the consumer. Google didn't create Adsense, then build their search engine.
With Flicker, you have a consumer application, that utilizes a camera phone, and an extraordinary viral marketing possibility.
How does it work?
Yahoo/Nokia adds an optical character recognition application (image/code reader or they could let the Flickr server resolve it) and then all of the uploaded codes/images in/on the Flickr database become physical world hyperlinks .
These , these , and these become physical world hyperlinks.
Advertisers can then start uploading their own magazines and DVD covers. The Chanel ad gets uploaded so a mobile user can connect in ANY magazine. Don't have your own logo? There are a dozen sites that will create 2D code for you.
What is the biggest problem it solves? It puts all of the different codes, created by all of the different physical world connection players, in one database.
In my opinion, this is how mobile marketing will implement a physical world hyperlink.
Budweiser uploads their logo and a 2D code to the Flickr database. They won't care who creates the 2D code, because the Flickr community is larger than the population of all PWC company users right now.
As of Dec 2005, Flickr had over 2 million users with over 100m photos. How many registered users does Yahoo have? The number of camera phone users is only growing and the potential physical world hyperlinks is endless.
Not only will Yahoo generate revenues by "turning on" specific images for advertisers AND consumers, but they will build an analytical database to use for mobile marketing purposes later.
Google could offer the same service utlizing their Image database, but they need to create some kind of image creating/recognition application for the phone.
Until the carriers decide on which 2D code scanning platform(s) they will put on the phones, or until one of the PWC has a campaign that has enough creativity to get users to download their application to the phone, this is the platform that will kickstart physical world connection mobile marketing.
Look at what is developing.
Microsoft owns Corbis and a mobile OS. They just announced their Phone2Search than can comb 6,000 images in 3 seconds.
Google has Google Images, a terrific image database and the leading Internet advertiser, but no application that utilizes/controls the camera on the phone yet.
Getty Images has teamed up with Cingular and Sprint.
ActiveSymbols is using the Corbis database for its mobile service .
Yahoo owns Flickr and has the the leverage of 2 social communities for adoption.
In many ways the PWC can learn a lot from Google. They created a great consumer application, and found a way to include advertising. Looks familar doesn't it?
As I have been saying for a while now to PWC companies, open up your code, and let the consumer decide what scanning applications will be desired.
Looks like Yahoo and Flickr will let consumers decide what applications THEY want.
Comments?
posted by Scott Shaffer @ 5:48 AM
3 Comments:
At 8:59 AM, May 02, 2006, Anonymous said…
One problem your approach doesn't deal with is the inconvenience introduced into any application that depends on decoding codes (or, for that matter, classifying images) from images that must be uploaded to a server from a client phone before ANY decoding or classifying can take place. Since it is only too easy to take pictures that are poorly illuminated, or in poor focus, or have motion blur, there's little guarantee that the first photo sent will do the job -- and if the user has to take the photo under very precise conditions, that makes it inconvenient and annoying by itself.
This introduces considerable delay and unreliability into any such application, making it a far less convenient application than it can be if it's going to get wide adoption.
The only way to get ease-of-use is to do the decoding on the client phone itself. That's how all the current bar code reading phones in Asia work, and there's a reason for that.
At 9:46 AM, May 02, 2006, Mobile Maven said…
If you want to see a company that is actually enhancing user generated content and cross device usability take a look at www.juicecaster.com
At 6:55 PM, May 02, 2006, Scott Shaffer said…
I'm not saying that camera phones will provide clear images to decode.
The key point here is Yahoo found a way to get their image platform/ community on the mobile phone.
That allows users to not only contribute to the Flickr database, but also access images that could also be in the their database (not necessarily from camera phones).
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Personalizit, excellent find...Gavitec's presentation is impressive...exciting stuff!
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OT Happy Birthday, Personalizit. Wishing you many more to come.
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DD Microsoft plays mobile search 'wild card'
http://www.kashar.net/complete.asp?id=3494
Microsoft is preparing a technology that will allow users to enter search queries by using only a few characters.
The technology, dubbed 'Wild Thing', comes out of the Microsoft Research group and was demonstrated on Tuesday at the Microsoft Research Silicon Valley Road Show at the company's Mountain View, California office.
Wild Thing uses 'wild cards' to limit the number of characters that users have to enter on a mobile device. The software assumes that a 'space' or 'asterisk' can be replaced with any number of random characters.
A search for 'c rice', for instance, will give 'Condoleezza Rice' as the top result, and 'ar s*w m' will result in 'Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies'.
Microsoft also demonstrated a local search option that lets users look for cinemas in a specific city by using only a few characters.
Although the wild card search can be used on desktop PCs as well as mobile devices, the technology is most beneficial on the move, argued Microsoft researcher Bo Thiesson. "Typing is a pain in the neck on a mobile phone," he told vnunet.com.
The wild card search option is linked to the MSN Search index and ranking algorithms, and lists only the most popular results. A search for a popular page will therefore require fewer characters than a more obscure query.
"The more popular search you have, the fewer characters you need," said Thiesson.
The technology has been patented and Microsoft is currently in the process of transferring it to its MSN Search, MSN Mobile and MSN Virtual Earth products.
Thiesson said that he expects it to be launched within the next six months.
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DD Here's an interesting article from Laura Marriott of the MMA that breaks down the ground rules and best practices of mobile marketing.
Mobile Marketing Best Practices: Understanding the Rules
By Laura Marriott
May 4, 2006
http://www.clickz.com/experts/ad/mobile/print.php/3603551
What role do standards or best practices play in the mobile marketing industry, and how do we create the best practices by which our industry adheres?
A best practice is a technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result. Once best practices are determined, commitment is the key to ensuring success in overall adoption and support. Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) members and the mobile industry at large have developed and adhere to the MMA Consumer Best Practices Guidelines (PDF file download) to ensure that as the mobile content market develops, consumers not only have a positive mobile experience but are also treated fairly by all in the value chain.
This column will focus on a case study around the MMA Consumer Best Practices (CBP), which have become the baseline set of rules for the North American mobile marketing industry.
Who are the players? Most important in establishing best practices is ensuring appropriate representation from the companies and individuals in the ecosystem. Representation is important for knowledge and awareness and to ensure adoption of the guidelines once they're published. In our latest review of the MMA CBP, development was led by the MMA CBP Committee, chaired by David Oberholzer of Verizon Wireless and composed of 14 member companies from across the value chain. We also held an industry forum (in January 2006) attended by over 80 individuals representing approximately 50 different companies, members and non-members alike. An industry forum was key to ensuring all issues and concerns were addressed. The participants providing feedback represented companies from across North America, including wireless operators, agencies, brands, content providers, aggregators, and technology vendors. Collaboration across industry participants has been an important to the success of the CBP.
How are best practices prioritized? The March 2006 CBP document features new best practices around chat and affiliate marketing and modified rules for interactive TV. Why these new additions and changes? Bottom line, best practices are focused around industry needs; need from a consumer perspective, carrier communications, or a general area of industry concern. The CBP Committee maintains an ever-growing list of issues to be addressed in the next review.
How often should guidelines be updated? It's important to continually evaluate best practices, really a living document, to ensure accuracy and that all industry needs and issues are addressed. The CBP guidelines are reassessed and launched every six months, given the fast pace of growth in the mobile industry. An iterative best practices development process, which progresses in incremental stages, helps maintain focus on manageable additions while ensuring earlier modifications are successful before later stages are launched.
What happens once the guidelines are published? Once the CBP are published to the industry, each company in the value chain implements them among its staffers. Communication also occurs between each company and its respective vendors to ensure all are advised of guideline changes. Communication is critical to adoption. The best practices are also included in carrier and aggregator contracts and enforced by significant business penalties.
What role do best practices play in shaping the industry? Best practices help all industry participants know and understand the baseline set of rules that, in turn, ensure consumers are treated fairly and have a positive user experience. All this will ultimately grow the mobile platform as a new business channel.
What are the next steps? Best practices are a first step in building an industry and really reflect its maturity. Next steps? We must monitor against these best practices to ensure the success and integrity of the mobile content business (as well as adherence to the best practices guidelines). Most carriers and aggregators today perform a version of their own monitoring, with enforcement at the discretion of the carrier. Collectively, the industry is also evaluating a new industry-wide monitoring initiative.
Best practices help ensure a level playing field and consistent consumer expectations in all mobile data services. Best practices are important not only to grow the industry but to ensure a positive consumer experience. Understanding and adhering to industry best practices are key to everyone's success. Make sure you understand the rules we play by.
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Curiosity Question
Hi all,
I have been out of town this week and pleased to see the pps reacting positively. I would assume the 2 catalysts were the temporary end of Cornell selling and TS microcap update last night where he gets defensive and pumps up his investors with his 500K share buy, and 40% move prediction.
Anyway, what I am curious about is why does it appear that Cornell was so anxious to exercise selling of the balance of their .20 warrants at a relatively low pps? Why didn't they wait for the pps to eventually rebound to like today's level to enable higher profitability on these warrants? Is there anything significant about them completing these .20 warrants as quickly as they did?
If this has been discussed on the board I apologize as I am not up-to-date on all posts.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
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WilliamFL, Several of us are planning to stay at the Holiday Inn Select in Fort Myers. See attached link:
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/fmyso
Those of us arriving early enough the day prior to the meeting are planning to have dinner at a restaurant near this Holiday Inn.
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beam11, I appreciate the time and effort you put into this analysis of Neom's financial results. Looking forward to your updcoming analysis of Q1 results.
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Beam11, your accounting expertise is an asset to this board. I have you member marked for that reason. Thanks in advance for your continued contributions.
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Actually Inforit1 maybe we should all be listening to your predictions. Your prediction this past January appears to be as accurate as any I have seen in a while. Congratulations!
Posted by: inforit1
In reply to: woogerbear who wrote msg# 52429
Date:1/17/2006 11:23:38 AM
Post #52432of 71435
With all due respect Wooger, nobody can predict anything short term on this stock and be accurate about it. I do think we will rise for real this time, but after what this stock has done in the past I still wouldn't be surprised to be in the .20's before we go to a $1.
Well, no that wouldn't be keeping in line with my last post to you. Although your crystal ball appears to be "right on" for now, I will stick to doing my own DD, making my own assumptions, and making my own predictions. I will share for anyone interested, but I have got to advocate that others predictions should not be relied upon.
Thanks to Success622 for the assist on this post.
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DD Mobiqa - These guys are impressive!
Date: Tuesday 25th April 2006
Mobi-tickets® allow fans into secret Snow Patrol London gig
Mobiqa, in association with Vodafone Live and mobile marketing agency Enpocket, is proud to
announce that its unique mobile ticketing technology is being used to send mobi-tickets to Snow Patrol
fans for an exclusive secret gig in central London on Wednesday 26th April.
Only fans registered with the official Snow Patrol fan club were eligible to win a mobi-ticket, which
allows the ticket-holder plus a guest access to the gig.
Fans receive their tickets as an SMS message straight to their phone. The SMS message contains a
barcode that is simply scanned at the venue.
Mobiqa CEO Iain McCready said: “Mobi-tickets add to the excitement of a secret live music gig
because they are so instant, intuitive and personal. You don’t have to wait for the mail, all you need is
your mobile phone. Another beauty of Mobiqa technology is it offers promoters flexibility and lets them
release information to their audience at very short notice.”
Mobi-tickets are secure, easy to manage, eliminate touting, and make better economic sense than
printing and distributing a limited number of exclusive tickets. Each mobi-ticket is unique and can only
be used once.
Snow Patrol release their new single on Monday 24th April and their new album, which is a contender
for the number one spot, on 1st May.
http://www.mobiqa.com
For more information, please contact Beverley Bruce – beverley.bruce@greatcircle.co.uk, or
telephone +44 (0)131 225 4646.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Mobiqa is the world leader in mobile ticketing and mobile couponing solutions. Its services are based
on the delivery of standard barcodes to mobile phones via SMS and MMS.
Mobiqa’s patented technology ensures that the barcoded tickets/coupons hit virtually all handsets on
the market. The technology is available on six continents and in 28 countries including the USA and
China. It has created a number of ‘world firsts’ in concert and event ticketing as well as multimedia
coupon promotions.
Mobiqa is a private limited company headquartered in Scotland.
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Inforit1, no one including insiders can accurately predict what the pps is going to be in the future. Insiders of course have an advantage, but they still can't influence all of the external factors that affects how the market values a company's stock. All we can do on this board is DD and make assumptions based on information available. We can't predict that the company is going to request a lot more shares to be authorized or when insiders are going to sell some stock. Those events reck havoc with any predicted future pps. So don't put too much weight in others predictions. Do your own DD, make your own assumptions, and make your own predictions.
Moreover, if you believe as I do that Neom has the IP, the Management competence and leadership, and products / services that will eventually become part of our daily lives, then you should remain invested in Neom. If you don't believe wholeheartedly in that last statement, then you should sell and find another investment opportunity.
In addition, if you invested in Neom to make a quick buck, I think you are wasting your time. Neom is a long term investment - period!
Have a good weekend.
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Inforit1, I believe the pps will rebound to .40 or higher by the time the 2nd quarter 10Q is issued in the August timeframe. Of course, no one knows for sure but I expect that 10Q to show substantial revenue growth.
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Xtralongtees, I endorse your perspective. Well said.
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Success, great post. You might consider putting it in the board header.
Best regards,
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DD Mobile Communications International Digital Magazine
http://www.cerosmedia.com/launcher.php?reference=dlej0jv27znkrygc4g58xlsk247qzw149
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Clawmann, I am sure the article is referring to mobile web in the US. As we know, Asia and Europe are far ahead in 3G or even the new 4G technology that will help with some of the issues the article highlights. And, it is great that with Neom's recent acquisitions of 12snap, Gavitec and Sponge we are positioned to take advantage of employing mobile marketing in Europe first where it is better received and utilized.
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DD Study: Mobile Web Not Yet Ready For Prime Time
by Wendy Davis, Friday, Apr 28, 2006 6:00 AM EST
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=42755&Nid=20040&p=...
FUTURISTS MIGHT BE PINNING THEIR hopes on mobile media, but the technology doesn't appear to be there yet, according to a new joint Isobar-Yahoo report released Thursday.
"Although the 'mobile Internet' is the future, it is not ready for prime time yet," asserted the 131-page report, "Fluid Lives," which examined the Web's influence on consumers.
For the report, researchers outfitted consumers worldwide with "the latest mobile technology available in their markets," only to observe that many U.S. subjects weren't able to use their phones for anything other than making voice calls or sending text messages.
"Mobile content, such as news, games, music, and video-clips, was considered to take far too long to download," stated the report. "Even those few who did start to get into downloading things to their phone quickly hit a wall, running out of storage capacity."
The study relies on research conducted between October 2005 and February 2006, including in-person questioning of select broadband families, and an Ipsos Insight online survey in February of 341 U.S. broadband users between the ages of 18 and 49.
The study also looked at attitudes on online marketing; one conclusion was that Web users increasingly expect marketers to deliver ads that are relevant to content and to their own interests.
What's more, states the report, ads not perceived as relevant are a source of irritation. "The fact that online advertising is so often irrelevant is seen as almost archaic, as if advertisers have not kept pace with the power of the Internet and the fashion in which other types of online content have evolved."
When researchers specifically asked broadband users how to improve online advertising, 62 percent of U.S. respondents said the ads would gain a boost with greater relevance to content. About the same proportion of U.S. respondents--64 percent--said they only read online ads if they're "relevant and useful" to what they're trying to accomplish at the time.
About one in three U.S. respondents--or 30 percent--said that online advertising would be improved if marketers served ads tailored to people's preferences--much the way Amazon.com sends consumers recommendations based on their prior purchases. But, warns the report, some respondents reported that such ads "would be too much like 'big brother.'"
Thirty-four percent of U.S. respondents also said that Web ads should be funnier and more entertaining, while 12 percent said that Internet ads should be more like TV ads or a short film.
Pop-ups remained in disfavor, with 62 percent of U.S. respondents saying they had installed pop-up blockers. "Nearly everyone we spoke to expressed a vitriolic hatred of pop-ups and other similarly intrusive animated formats," stated the report, which also advised: "Stop using pop-ups or things resembling them."
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OT DD The Cellphone Wars
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/28/opinion/28fri2.html?th&emc=th
Published: April 28, 2006
New York City's parents are understandably upset about the Department of Education's crackdown on cellphones in public schools. The department says a ban is necessary to prevent teenagers from sending and receiving text messages or talking nonstop during the school day, and to short-circuit the gang members and troublemakers who use phones to arrange fights.
These are legitimate concerns. But parents have come to depend on cellphones to keep tabs on their children. They have the right to demand that students be able to communicate with them, and with people who can provide help during emergencies. This fact was vividly underscored during the 9/11 attacks, when the cellphones allowed many hysterical family members to connect with one another across a gridlocked, terror-gripped city.
The problem of wildly inappropriate phone use is clearly at its worst in the high schools, where students obsessed with the phones — many of them now have cameras, recording devices and text-message functions — have turned some classrooms into circuses. But this problem stems less from the new technology than from a lack of clearly defined — and clearly enforced — regulations that determine when phones can and can't be turned on.
The city has gotten the students' attention, especially since cellphones were confiscated in one school this week. A dramatic gesture may have been necessary to make the point. But this can't be the ultimate solution. It would seem more sensible to ban the use of cellphones inside school buildings during class hours. The teachers and administrators are the best judges of what rules would work. But there has to be a way to maintain discipline without severing the communication links between young people and the parents who constantly worry about where they are and what they are doing.
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OT Interesting article: Is Microsoft Preparing Big Attack?
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/28/technology/28soft.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=login&am...
By JOHN MARKOFF
Published: April 28, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, April 27 — Microsoft reported strong third-quarter revenue growth on Thursday, but analysts said the company also telegraphed a significant increase in spending, an indication that it was preparing to take on its big online rivals, Google and Yahoo.
The company reported a 13 percent increase in sales for the quarter, to $10.9 billion, and a 16 percent rise in net income, to $2.98 billion, or 31 cents a share, from $2.56 billion, or 28 cents, in the period a year earlier.
The earnings were 2 cents a share below what analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call had forecast.
The chief financial officer for Microsoft, Chris Liddell, said: "Over all for the quarter, we are very happy with the continued market momentum we're seeing. Revenue is accelerating for the year."
Despite a bullish stance on revenue, Microsoft evidently surprised analysts by predicting significantly higher expenses in the next fiscal year. Its shares, which had gained 15 cents, to $27.25, in regular trading, fell on the expectation of higher expenses, dropping more than 6 percent after hours, to $25.50.
Executives also said they did not see any immediate increase in profit on the horizon even as Microsoft prepared for its largest release of new products in more than five years.
The company said once again that the update for its new operating system software, Windows Vista, would not be available until January.
For the first time, the company offered guidance on the coming year; its 2007 fiscal year starts in July.
Microsoft said revenue for 2007 would be $49.5 billion to $50.5 billion, with earnings expected to be $1.36 to $1.41 a share. Financial analysts were forecasting $1.53 a share. That guidance created some concern among securities analysts in a conference call with Mr. Liddell.
Richard G. Sherlund of Goldman Sachs, in a comment during the conference, said, "There is something really big here that we haven't put our fingers on."
Other analysts were more direct in their assessment.
"It looks like Microsoft is going to war with Google, and trying to get their product development back in track," said Eugene Munster of Piper Jaffray.
According to Mark Stahlman of Caris & Company, the fact that Microsoft plans to spend significantly more in 2007 was an indication of renewed aggressiveness in its competitive strategy and an indication that the company was returning to the kind of actions it exhibited before the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit in the mid- and late 1990's.
"It's pretty clear that Bill is running the company again," Mr. Stahlman said, referring to Bill Gates, "and they are going to remake the business. They are being much more combative and much more strategically managed."
After Microsoft released its report, Mr. Sherlund issued a research note saying it appeared that the company planned to spend $2.4 billion more than he had expected in the 2007 fiscal year. He pointed to the costs of building the new Windows and Office Live online services, both intended to reposition the company to compete against Google and Yahoo.
When confronted with that figure during the question-and-answer session with analysts Thursday, Mr. Liddell only partly disputed the conclusion of several of them that Microsoft had begun preparing to "go to war" with its online search rivals.
"I would characterize it as a broad-based approach," he said. "There are some big numbers there, that is certainly true."
Several other analysts noted that Microsoft's expenses appeared to be running away even before 2007, many of them focusing on what they called "margin compression."
"It looks like a mess," said Brendan Barnicle, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities, "and the big issue is margins and expenses, the big issue is the bottom line. It makes it hard to get very excited about the company's near-term prospects."
During the conference call, Mr. Liddell was optimistic about progress in the introduction of the next-generation Xbox 360 video game player. He said that a significant part of the increased spending this year was related to a push Microsoft is making in an effort to capitalize on a delay in Sony's PlayStation 3.
Microsoft now says it will ship 5 million to 5.5 million of the new Xbox systems in 2006. Sales of Xbox rose 85 percent, to $1.06 billion, in the quarter.
The company also noted that its search ad revenue fell during the quarter as it tried to shift its online advertising away from a service provided by Yahoo to the newly developed MSN Ad Center system.
It also reported that losses widened in its home and entertainment division, the Mobile and Embedded Devices Group, and the MSN service.
Sales of Windows for PC's increased 7.5 percent, to $3.19 billion, in the quarter, while office sales rose 5 percent, to $2.95 billion.
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SS9173
OT YJ: Nope. EOM
Success622, Thanks for talking with Chuck Jensen and sharing this useful information with us.
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JP, Excellent post. Thanks for sharing your perspective with the gang. Get well soon!
SS9173
YJ, Thanks. Your point that Cornell sold a lot of shares at much higher pps level is a valid consideration for why they might sell below .20 to raise cash. Hopefully they will wait for the pps to bounce before selling a lot more.
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Goneom, I have heard a lot of theories and your guess is as good as mine as to what is really happening right now. Some believe we have told Cornell we are done with them and they are selling off the remainder of their shares quickly. Others don't believe that is the case.
If I understand correctly, I can't think of a scenario that would be beneficial for Cornell to sell below .20 and my post was just to get affirmation on that point.
I also think there are a substantial amount of shareholders that bought on TS recommendation, and are now panic selling to either prevent further losses or protect whatever original cost basis they have left. This latter scenario could result in a lower than .20 pps.
IMO, there is a lot of fear in the market right now when a startup company like Neom whose financials have been poor to date and we have no official guidance of what the future financial picture could be, and then Management announces they want their shareholders to authorize another 4 billion shares without a real good explanation for that level of share increase. Based on present information disclosed to us, a much lower number of shares would be more palatable to most shareholders.
All of this is having a negative effect on the pps IMO.
Personally, I believe one should not panic now. I would wait for the 1Q-10Q financials due by May 10th, which I anticipate will be a relatively positive story and hopefully will help the pps rebound somewhat. Hopefully more good news will be announced by or at the June 7 shareholder meeting. And, I would anticipate the 2Q-10Q filing to be even more positive when filed in the August 2006 timeframe.
That's my perspective, but just want to get someone knowledgeable to confirm that there is no profitable reason for Cornell to sell below .20 which then should provide somewhat of a base for the pps (excluding the TS related panic selling).
SS9173
Is there any reason for Cornell to sell below .20?
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Sarah / beam11: Thanks for this post. I was very busy with work when all these referenced posts were made and didn't have time to read them closely then. I will go back and reread now.
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YJ, Personalizit or anyone: Can you help me understand better why we are in a situation of default if we do not authorize the increase in shares? Is it purely a mistake in share accounting by Management as they made these acquisitions or is there some other plausible reason? Also, what are the real ramifications if we did go into default? This is not my area of expertise so if you can explain in "layman terms" it would be most appreciated.
Thanks,
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Vines3, that would be an excellent reason if true. I just would prefer that they asked us to approve a lesser amount of shares. Thanks for posting that perspective. Can you summarize quantitatively how the number of shares needed for the acquisitions exceeds the current shares on hand? That would be really helpful.
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Banks, it is dependent on so many factors that it wouldn't be worth making that determination at this point. If Neom starts to aggressively line-up licensing deals that will in time significantly increase revenues, the market will value that at a much higher rate than what their financials would otherwise justify. They also have to figure out a way to get on the AMEX or NASDAQ. That's really what we have to hope for with investing in companies like Neom that are still in their infancy of building the business. Like many have said before the analogy is satellite radio...Neom needs to be perceived as another SIRI or XMSR. The question is when will that happen? And what are the roadblocks / enablers to it happening sooner rather than later?
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YJ, I also agree with your points. I will be going over the 1Q-10Q with a fine tooth comb looking for clues and answers. It should be an interesting report with the inclusion of Mobot, BSDS, Gavitec, 12snap and Sponge. I like the idea that we can now capitalize on Mobile Marketing from many different aspects. Because of Gavitec, 12snap and Sponge, we should be in a better position to take advantage of the opportunity in Europe. I think revenues will grow, but it would sure be great if Neom Management could give us some financial guidance that would make me feel a lot better about their request to authorize 4B additional shares...even if they only plan on using a portion of them in the next 12 to 24 months.
I also still got to believe those leaders of the acquisition companies would not have agreed to take all those shares instead of cash if they didn't think it was going to work out well for them financially within say 3 years time or less.
There are so many positives about Neom right now. I am just hung up on why they decided to ask us to approve this level of shares right now instead of what I would consider a more reasonable and palatable number.
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Inforit1, we don't have enough information to answer that question. I am just speculating that there is something on the horizon that Neom Management decided they needed to have a SHM earlier than normal. Their scheduling of this meeting within only a few months of the December meeting seems to indicate some significant event or possibility is in the wings.
My last post was just highlighting that this event apparently isn't related to a near-term planned acquisition. So what else could it be that would trigger them to issue this proxy filing at this time.
And, if it is just business as usual, then I struggle with authorizing an additional 4 billion shares at this time.
SS9173
Scrambler, you are probably right in that I am only one shareholder, but the outcome of the meeting and the vote could affect my decision on how many shares I continue to hold after the meeting. I am not saying I am ready to sell some or all of my shares, but the possibility of 5 billion shares of dilution is not something to take lightly for a start-up company. I understand that mobile marketing is rapidly expanding, and Neom has huge potential to grow with that market, but also must bear in mind my assessment of the investment risk vs reward ratio considering all factors, including share dilution. I have been running businesses - small and large - public and private -long enough to make an astute decision.
SS9173
Just re-reading the preliminary proxy filing for the June 7th shareholder meeting and want to highlight these statements:
The increase to the number of shares of authorized common stock will allow NeoMedia to continue to pursue strategic acquisitions that are funded through the issuance of common stock. As of the date of this filing, NeoMedia does not have any plans, proposals, or arrangements, written or otherwise, to issue any shares of the newly authorized common stock to acquire additional businesses.
The issuance of authorized but unissued stock could be used to deter a potential takeover of NeoMedia that may otherwise be beneficial to shareholders by diluting the shares held by a potential suitor or issuing shares to a shareholder that will vote in accordance with NeoMedia’s Board of Directors’ desires. A takeover may be beneficial to independent shareholders because, among other reasons, a potential suitor may offer such shareholders a premium for their shares of stock compared to the then-existing market price. NeoMedia does not have any plans or proposals to adopt provisions or enter into agreements that may have material anti-takeover consequences.
Based on the above, it appears to me the primary reason for requesting the additional shares is to deter a takeover possibility.
The million dollar question is are we better off allowing Neom to continue going at this alone or be bought out by a "Big Gorilla" company? Does Neom really have the wherewithall to become the SuperCompany that they desire without an infusion of cash from a Big Gorilla? A takeover would most likely have short term positive effect, while going it alone may be better for all in the long run but we may be living with a low pps for quite some time yet.
These are the important questions going through my mind as the June 7th SHM approaches, and are the driving force for why I decided to attend this meeting.
To be quite honest, I haven't yet decided how I am going to vote on the share increase proposal, and may not make-up my mind until hearing Management's presentation at the meeting (unless of course further explanation is presented to us in the interim).
Presently, I have a lot of faith in Management. But, it will most likely take a much better and more elaborate explanation in order for me to vote "yes" on approving an additional 4B shares of possible dilution. A much lesser number would be much easier for me to justify based on present information available.
Comments?
SS9173
Neomrocket, that is correct. Again, anyone attending that has not already done so, please PM or email me at ss9173@yahoo.com.
Thanks,
SS9173
DD Nokia and MIT Look to the Future of Wireless
Jay Wrolstad, newsfactor.com
Mon Apr 24, 11:16 AM ET
Using simple voice commands to change calendar entries or search the Web on a mobile phone is but one of many research projects now underway by engineers at Nokia and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
At a new facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) are collaborating with Nokia scientists on next-generation communications software and hardware.
While Nokia has partnered with MIT on research efforts for some 20 years, officials said the Cambridge center will allow for the sort of daily interaction necessary to move development efforts forward rapidly and push some of those technologies into Nokia's products more quickly.
Information Ecosystem
Current research projects by the two groups -- each a leader in its respective area -- are seen as integral components of a larger strategy in which mobile devices will play a pivotal role in an information ecosystem.
Applications for the research fall into two basic areas, said James Hicks, director of the Nokia Research Center. The first is creating more user-friendly interfaces for accessing the growing number of rich features available on mobile devices, and the second is providing better connections among handhelds and other products, such as PCs and peripherals.
"One example is helping camera-phone users share their pictures across the network with a home computer or an electronic picture frame, and do that securely," Hicks said.
Focus Areas
Other projects will focus on developing better ways to interact with mobile devices using speech- and handwriting-recognition technology. In addition, the research center plans to develop technology for verifying the interoperability of new wireless Web services and create new designs for high-performance, power-conserving hardware.
Hicks said that, in terms of building more power-efficient mobile phones, the new fuel-cell technologies hold promise in improving battery life but do not address heat-dissipation issues effectively. "The idea is to investigate ways to conserve more energy so that the devices can handle the advanced applications users prefer," he said.
"Not only do we have the opportunity to work on compelling research with Nokia's researchers, but, because of Nokia's leadership in the mobile-communications market, we also have confidence that our joint research will likely be deployed throughout the world, ultimately having a positive impact on the daily lives of millions of people." said professor Rodney Brooks, director of MIT's CSAIL, in a statement.
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DD Update: Microsoft developing next mobile OS
'Crossbow' will incorporate features such as instant messaging and have strong links with Office 2007 and Exchange 12
By Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service
April 24, 2006
Microsoft, which has been carving a larger slice of the mobile device OS market, is developing a new product, code-named "Crossbow," which will incorporate features such as instant messaging, a Microsoft executive confirmed Monday.
Crossbow will have strong links with Office 2007 and Exchange 12, Microsoft's pending new office application suite and e-mail server, said Pieter Knook, senior vice president for the mobile devices and telecoms sector. Crossbow would be the successor to Windows Mobile 5.0, released in May 2005.
Crossbow will take aim at the Symbian and BlackBerry operating systems. The OS will contain a new mobile version of Office Communicator, an Office 2007 enterprise communications application, that includes instant messaging on public and private networks, Knook said.
"As the Office [2007] PC versions of those applications improve, we're tracking that on the Windows Mobile side," Knook said.
Knook said it's premature to say when Crossbow would be released, but that the company plans for an annual mobile OS release. Mobile operating systems are also complex to implement since some operators must adjust their billing systems to accommodate new services, which can mean a six- to 12-month delay after a release, Knook said.
That process is nearly complete for the push e-mail capability of Windows Mobile 5.0, Microsoft's slow assault against BlackBerry e-mail that may now start to bear fruit. The company's new push e-mail capability depended on software upgrades on the telecom operators' side, as well as new versions of Exchange Server 2003 and Windows Mobile 5.0.
Those upgrades are nearly complete, Knook said. "You're getting to the point right now where this quarter is really where the whole offer comes together," he said.
Microsoft is hoping to nudge BlackBerry aside on costs and convenience for administrators. Knook estimates an enterprise deploying mobile e-mail with 20,000 users could save US$1.5 million in software purchases alone, plus additional costs on licensing over BlackBerry, he said.
Microsoft is counting on strong connections with device manufacturers to strengthen its position with those enterprises already using Exchange but with a BlackBerry server. The new push e-mail feature would enable those companies to eliminate the BlackBerry middleware, which also consolidates their support structure, Knook said.
Microsoft is gaining ground with Windows Mobile 5.0, but Symbian is dominant, said Nick Spencer, a research analyst with Canalys.com.
Near the end of 2005, Microsoft held a 16 percent share in the worldwide mobile OS market compared to 63 percent for Symbian, 10 percent for Access Co.'s PalmSource, 7 percent for Research in Motion's BlackBerry and 4.5 percent for others, including Linux-based ones.
BlackBerry, with around 5 million customers, still is favored for push e-mail by large enterprises, Spencer said. Other companies have also allied for hosted services, such as Vodafone Group and Visto, adding more competition, he said.
Microsoft is most likely to have success with small- to medium-size businesses already using Exchange server, Spencer said. But the long run-up to push e-mail -- it was first announced in June 2005 -- wasn't helpful.
"They need to get some momentum quite quickly," Spencer said. "I think that put doubt in people's minds."
Microsoft's market reach will depending on the success of devices such as Motorola's Q, a BlackBerry-like smart phone with a full Qwerty keyboard running on Mobile 5.0, Spencer said.
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DD NamesBeyond Launches dotMobi Registrations for Mobile Industry Members and Trademark Holders
PHILADELPHIA , April 24 /PRNewswire/ -- NamesBeyond, the leader in sponsored top level domain names, today opened registrations in the dotMobi domain to trademark holders and mobile industry association members. The .mobi domain name is reserved for Web sites specifically designed to work with mobile handsets.
"Registrations are now open for Phase 1 of the .mobi Sunrise, with exclusive registrations to members of mobile industry trade associations GSMA, CTIA, MMA, CWTA and MEF," said Uma Murali, President & CEO, NamesBeyond. "Registrations are also open to any trademark holder or applicant for Phase 2 of the .mobi Sunrise , which commences on June 12."
Neil Edwards, CEO of dotMobi (Mobile Top Level Domain [mTLD]), the .mobi registry said, "We are pleased to have NamesBeyond work closely with us to ensure members of participating mobile industry associations and trademark holders can register their names in the .mobi domain. That's because .mobi ensures that the user experience of the Web on a mobile device anywhere in the world is as good as it is on a standard PC. And with four phones being purchased to every one PC, there are a lot of mobile users who are ready for a positive mobile Internet experience."
NamesBeyond offers a complete suite of services to ensure clients get their names in the highly competitive, 'First Come First Serve' .mobi Sunrise process.
"Clients prefer us due to our successful track record with securing their valuable names in prior domain name Sunrise periods," said Uma Murali.
About NamesBeyond
NamesBeyond, founded in 2001, is a leading provider of complete domain name portfolio management, including domain registration, e-mail, Web hosting, DNS and online identity protection services in the major domain names in the world.
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