HTC reveals Q2 2012 financial results: 57.8 percent net profit drop blamed on customs issues and weak sales

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/06/htc-q2-2012-results-57-8-percent-fall-in-net-profit/

HTC has reported a substantial drop in its quarterly profits, with unaudited results for Q2 2012 totaling T$7.4 billion ($250 million), down from T$17.52 billion this time last year. While it marks an improvement compared to the company's dire first quarter of this year, HTC's been troubled by weaker-than-expected European sales, while customs issues have hampered US sales for high-end devices like the One X. Despite the continued global roll-out of the One series, sales continue to stall, with consolidated sales for last month totaled T$30 billion, unchanged from May and 33.4 percent less than June 2011.

HTC reveals Q2 2012 financial results: 57.8 percent net profit drop blamed on customs issues and weak sales originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 04:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reuters cooks up remote camera rigs for 2012 Olympics, mounts them where humans can't tread

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/06/reuters-develops-remote-cameras-for-2012-olympics/

Sure, the 2012 Olympics may be gearing up for HD, 3D and even Super Hi-Vision broadcasts, but that doesn't mean still photography has lost its appeal. In fact, Reuters photographers Fabrizio Bensch and Pawel Kopczynski are taking Olympic photography to the next level, perching remote-controlled camera rigs in stadium rafters. The system, which the duo has been developing since 2009, can turn, adjust focus and receive commands wirelessly. Once stills are snapped, they're sent to an editing system and then off to distribution. The team is spending more than 12 hours a day installing the cams at different Olympic venues before the games kick off on July 27th. In the meantime, you can sprint to the source for photos of the setup.

Reuters cooks up remote camera rigs for 2012 Olympics, mounts them where humans can't tread originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 05:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Constellation Lampshade Projects the Starry Sky Across Your Ceiling [Wish You Were Here]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5923692/constellation-lampshade-projects-the-starry-sky-across-your-ceiling

If you live in a big city with enough streetlights to drown out the stars for miles in all directions, you can still catch a glimpse of the cosmos in the comfort of your own home with Anna Farkas' 2500 Watt lampshade.

The artist has painstakingly drilled holes in the shade for all of the major stars we can see in the night sky that make up the constellations—and a few others for added atmosphere. And if you're having trouble spotting which is which, the inside of the shade features connect-the-dot hints letting you distinguish Leo from Cancer. We'd say you'll need to bring your own lighting hardware and bulb, but it's a moot point since this looks like a one-off piece that Anna seemingly has no intentions of putting into production. Unless, somehow, the stars align. Sorry.

[Anagraphric via Notcot]

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Olympus announces MEG4.0 wearable display prototype, skips the skydive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/05/olympus-announces-meg4-0-wearable-display-prototype-skips-the-s/

While Google may have grabbed headlines for its recent wearable tech, Olympus is doggedly forging ahead with its own prototypes, seven years on. Unlike Project Glass, the MEG4.0 isn't a standalone structure and needs a glasses frame to hang on, although the sub-30g unit shouldn't tax it too much. The QVGA (320 x 240) display can connect to devices through Bluetooth 2.1, with Olympus pointing to a smartphone hook-up to provide both the processing power and internet connectivity -- which sounds different to what we're expecting from Google's effort. The current prototype can squeeze out eight hours of intermittent use, or two hours of non-stop projection. While the device is being pitched at everyday users, Olympus aren't offering any suggestion at launch dates or pricing, but you can check on what the company is willing to share in the (Google-translated) press release below.

Continue reading Olympus announces MEG4.0 wearable display prototype, skips the skydive

Olympus announces MEG4.0 wearable display prototype, skips the skydive originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Parrot Zik launching in August for $399, free app included for iOS and Android

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/05/parrot-zik-launching-in-august-for-399-free-app-included-for-i/

Remember those cool-looking Parrot Zik wireless headphones we saw back at CES? Well, now we have a date and a price for you Philippe Starck fans out there. Announced at the Hong Kong launch event earlier today, these NFC-enabled, active noise cancelling Bluetooth cans will be available globally in August, with the US getting a price tag of $399 before tax (and for those who care, you'll be able to nab one in Hong Kong for HK$3,399 or US$440). During our brief ears-on, we certainly enjoyed the Zik's great audio quality, noise isolation and the intuitiveness of its swipe gesture input. While the battery is swappable, note that this expensive package only comes with one cell (accessible under the magnetic cover on the left can) that typically lasts for around five hours, so road warriors will need to chip in about $30 for a spare one. Alternatively, product manager Theodore Sean (whom we had the pleasure to interview at CES) pointed out a unique and handy feature that sort of bypasses this problem: you can still use the Zik as a pair of passive headphones using the included 3.5mm audio cable, but without any battery juice left, you obviously won't be able to enjoy the noise cancellation function (on a plane, for instance) or even make phone calls.

Gallery: Parrot Zik launching globally in July with iOS app, Android to follow in August

Continue reading Parrot Zik launching in August for $399, free app included for iOS and Android

Parrot Zik launching in August for $399, free app included for iOS and Android originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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