Is HTC finally, at long, long last, going to get a decent marketing campaign? The Wall Street Journal reports that HTC has officially brought on Paul Golden, Samsung’s former U.S. marketing chief, to be a consultant to HTC chairwoman Cher Wang. During his time at Samsung from 2008 through 2012, Golden was instrumental in establishing the company’s Galaxy brand as the main alternative to Apple’s iPhone through a series of first-rate ads that often took humorous shots at Apple fans’ expense. What this means for HTC’s future marketing efforts is unclear but we can bet that there won’t be any more horrendous Robert Downey Jr. spots or ads about Hipster Troll Car Washes going forward.
Apple’s stock has been stuck in the doldrums for some time now, as people lament the death of Steve Jobs, the supposed lack of innovation, and concerns that the company just isn’t the same as what it used to be. However, if one key indicator proves to be a tell, now may be the time to buy. More →
Sorry, Bitcoin fans: You’re never, ever, ever getting all your precious pieces of cryptocurrency back from Mt. Gox. The Wall Street Journal reports that Mt. Gox, the one-time Magic Card trading website that transformed itself into the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange before it collapsed earlier this year, has filed for liquidation. More →
This past quarter hasn’t been the most eventful one in Google’s history but analysts were still expecting it to be a profitable one with a consensus earnings estimate of $6.40 per share on about $15.5 billion in revenue. The company on Wednesday missed those expectations by posting a first-quarter profit of $6.27 per share on $15.4 billion in sales. More →
It’s way too early to declare BlackBerry on the comeback trail, but Wired nonetheless finds a lot to like in the company’s recent investment in health tech startup NantHealth, a move that the publication calls BlackBerry’s “first good idea in years.” Why is this particular investment such a good idea? As Wired explains, it’s a sign that BlackBerry has really and truly thrown in the towel trying to compete with Apple and Google and is instead focussing on niche markets where its core strengths are actually valued. More →
Google Glass. Self-driving cars. Weather balloons that deliver Internet connectivity. These are just some of the wild and crazy projects that have come out of Google X over the past five years. For those who don’t know, Google X is Google’s top-secret lab where teams of engineers are tasked with thinking way, way, way outside the box for solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. Not coincidentally, many of these projects also have the potential to boost Google’s bottom line but there’s certainly no guarantee they’ll do so. In fact, as a new profile of Google X in FastCompany makes clear, there’s a very good chance they’ll crash and burn. More →
Scroogled, we hardly knew ye. Or actually, it seems that we knew ye pretty well and just didn’t like ye. ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley reads the tea leaves surrounding recent Microsoft statements on its little-loved “Scroogled” campaign and concludes that the company has decided to give it the axe. More →
Google announced on Monday that it would be acquiring Titan Aerospace, a startup that develops high-altitude, solar-powered drones. Titan Aerospace was previously courted by Facebook for a reported $60 million buyout, but it appears that Google struck first. The Wall Street Journal reports that Google did not divulge the price of the acquisition, but the search giant did say that the 20 or so employees of Titan will remain in their New Mexico location. CEO Vern Raburn will also continue to run the company. More →
Apple’s iconic co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was essential to the company’s successes, both in its early days and especially after he was hired back to steer it away from dark waters. The company has been responsible for reshaping various industries, including the computer, music, smartphone and tablet businesses, with Jobs at the helm — and the CEO was always ready to share his opinions on everything having something to do with the company. More →
Sprint and T-Mobile may constantly trade barbs with one another but there is a case to be made that they’d be better off coming together as one happy Framily. FierceWireless flags a new research note written by analysts at New Street Research claiming that Sprint and T-Mobile simply stand no chance of competing with AT&T and Verizon over the long haul if they don’t merger into a larger carrier that has the spectrum and financial resources to build a first-rate nationwide LTE network.
Hollywood Reporter quotes a stunning claim made by the CEO of Publicis, which handles the international marketing for Samsung. According to Maurice Levy, the famous Oscar selfie snapped by Ellen DeGeneres is worth somewhere between $800 million and $1 billion.
Mr. Levy is riding high right now, with the back-to-back, high-impact selfie stories: “This is something we did for Samsung. It’s us. The two selfies that are so famous — the one with all the actors at the Oscars and the second with President Obama — the two were done by our team.” More →
