Is the Surface slowly starting to pay off for Microsoft?

The first-generation Surface RT was a notorious bomb but Microsoft has diligently kept refining its Surface tablet models and has seen some impressive sales growth over the past year. According to Microsoft's Q1 2015 earnings report that it released on Thursday, the company generated $908 million in Surface revenue, which is more than twice the $400 million in Surface revenue Microsoft reported in Q1 2014 and a sequential improvement from the $409 million in Surface revenue that the company posted in Q4 2014.

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Posted in 2014 at 08:34PM, October 23

Apple Reports Q3 2014 Results: $7.7 Billion Profit on Record $37.4 Billion in Revenue

Apple today announced financial results for the second calendar quarter and third fiscal quarter of 2014. For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $37.4 billion and net quarterly profit of $7.7 billion, or $1.28 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $35.3 billion and net quarterly profit of $6.9 billion, or $1.07 per diluted share in the year-ago quarter.



Gross margin for the quarter was 39.4 percent compared to 36.9 percent in the year-ago quarter, with international sales accounting for 59 percent of revenue. Apple also declared an upcoming dividend payment of $3.29 per share, payable on August 14 to shareholders of record as of August 11. The company currently holds $164.5 billion in cash and marketable securities.





Quarterly iPhone unit sales reached 35.2 million, up from 31.2 million in the year-ago quarter, and the company sold 13.3 million iPads, down from 14.6 million in the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 4.4 million Macs, up from 3.8 million in the year-ago period.

“Our record June quarter revenue was fueled by strong sales of iPhone and Mac and the continued growth of revenue from the Apple ecosystem, driving our highest EPS growth rate in seven quarters,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are incredibly excited about the upcoming releases of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as well as other new products and services that we can’t wait to introduce.”

Apple's guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 includes expected revenue of $37-40 billion and gross margin between 37 and 38 percent.





Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q3 2014 financial results conference call at 2:00 PM Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.

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Posted in 2014 at 08:34PM, July 22

Apple Recruiting Pro Athletes to Test iWatch's Fitness Capabilities

Apple's iWatch is currently being tested by professional athletes from the MLB, NHL, and NBA to measure its fitness capabilities in rigorous training environments, reports 9to5Mac , citing a source with knowledge of the testing. Apple has reportedly invited several athletes, like LA Lakers player Kobe Bryant, to its Cupertino campus to discuss the iWatch.

Apple is said to be working with Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Kings right winger Dustin Brown, and a few other star athletes, including a player from the Boston Red Sox, on the testing project. The athletes are said to have signed non-disclosure-agreements regarding the existence of the upcoming Apple wearable device.

Kobe Bryant was seen on the Apple campus back in May and is said to have met with Apple's chief designer Jony Ive, who has a leading role developing the iWatch. The athletes are likely testing out the multitude of health and fitness sensors built into the device, said to measure everything from sleep quality to heart rate to provide an overall picture of health.




Kobe Bryant at the Apple campus in May, image via 9to5Mac


The source also reiterates that Apple's iWatch will be "positioned as a fashion accessory," which is in line with previous reports from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo has predicted that Apple will release the iWatch at multiple price points and in a variety of materials, competing with low and high-end watches alike. At the higher end, the iWatch could retail for thousands of dollars.



Both former Yves. St. Laurent CEO Paul Deneve, who serves as a vice president, and Angela Ahrendts, in charge of retail stores, are said to be involved in marketing and strategies for selling fashion products at Apple locations.



According to recent reports from reputable news outlets, the iWatch will come in at least two sizes, with one device having a screen size of 2.5 inches. The design is said to feature a slightly rectangular face that protrudes slightly from a band to create an arch shape around the wrist. The iWatch, which may launch at an October event, is also said to include a sapphire crystal display, a touch interface, integration with existing iOS devices, and wireless charging capabilities.

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Posted in 2014 at 08:34PM, June 20

Apple Announces $3 Billion Beats Acquisition, Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre Joining the Company

Apple is buying Beats Electronics and the Beats Music streaming service for a total of $3 billion. The acquisition is the largest in Apple's history and is the largest move by CEO Tim Cook since he took the reigns from Steve Jobs several years ago.

“Music is such an important part of all of our lives and holds a special place within our hearts at Apple,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “That’s why we have kept investing in music and are bringing together these extraordinary teams so we can continue to create the most innovative music products and services in the world.”



“I’ve always known in my heart that Beats belonged with Apple,” said Jimmy Iovine. “The idea when we started the company was inspired by Apple’s unmatched ability to marry culture and technology. Apple’s deep commitment to music fans, artists, songwriters and the music industry is something special.”

Apple expects the transaction to close sometime next quarter.

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Posted in 2014 at 08:34PM, May 28

Mac Pro Shipping Estimates Improve to 3 to 5 Weeks [Mac Blog]

Apple’s Mac Pro is now shipping within three to five weeks in the United States, a slight improvement from its previous shipping estimate of four to five weeks.



Both stock and custom configurations list the same shipping estimates, indicating that Apple is slowly making its way towards achieving supply/demand balance on the professional desktop computers.





In early April, shipping estimates were as high as five to six weeks and back in early 2014, shipping estimates were as high as eight weeks, with Apple giving estimates of "March" or "April" for computers ordered in January or February.



Apple’s Mac Pro has been in short supply since its December launch, selling out of stock configurations in a matter of hours. While some early buyers received their machines as early as December 24, buyers who ordered custom configurations had to wait much longer to receive their machines, as did purchasers who ordered after December 19.



"Demand for the all new Mac Pro is great," said an Apple spokesperson in December. "It will take time before supply catches up with demand."

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Posted in 2014 at 08:34PM, April 24

Microsoft comes under even greater pressure to release Office for iPad

Why Microsoft has held out for so long on releasing its Office suite for the iPad is anyone's guess but Reuters reports that the company is coming under even greater pressure to bring it to market because many businesses who use tablets are finding other ways to get productivity software. Reuters cites the example of "Artivest Holdings Inc, a New York-based financial services startup that sells alternative investment products" and that uses tablet-tailored app Quip to meet its word processing needs.

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Posted in 2014 at 08:34PM, March 13