Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Create amazing presentations on your iPad with Flowboard
Flowboard offers an intuitive app for creating presentations and digital photo books for you to share across the Web.
(Credit: Jason Cipriani/CNET)
The next time you want to create a digital scrapbook, or have to create a presentation, give Flowboard on your iPad a try.
The free app comes with 19 different templates, or an option to create a project from scratch. The templates range from modern and hip to a business-oriented presentation.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET)
You're able to add photos from a long list of services such as Dropbox, Instagram, Box, and even a Google Images search if you can't quite find the right image for a slide.
In addition to photos, you can embed photo galleries, videos, text, and hyperlinks to various content both within the slideshow and on the Web.
After you've taken the time to perfectly craft a photo book to show off your recent vacation, or a killer presentation to land a promotion, you're able to upload it to Flowboard. Once uploaded it will be stored in your account and you'll be given a link to share your work with family, friends, and colleagues. You can share through Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail, or copy the link and share however you see fit. You can still edit the project and upload changes with just a few taps. Furthermore, you can even remove a presentation should you no longer need or want it to be published.
Every free account is allotted 200MB of online storage that resets each week. Premium accounts are allotted 1GB of storage per month, costing $4.99 per month.
While lacking the same power as Keynote or PowerPoint, Flowboard makes up for it in design and ease of use. Adding and adjusting content is straightforward, and sharing is extremely simple. You don't have to worry about file formats and other random variables. If you have an Internet connection and a Web browser, you're able to present.
(Credit: Jason Cipriani/CNET)
The next time you want to create a digital scrapbook, or have to create a presentation, give Flowboard on your iPad a try.
The free app comes with 19 different templates, or an option to create a project from scratch. The templates range from modern and hip to a business-oriented presentation.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET)
You're able to add photos from a long list of services such as Dropbox, Instagram, Box, and even a Google Images search if you can't quite find the right image for a slide.
In addition to photos, you can embed photo galleries, videos, text, and hyperlinks to various content both within the slideshow and on the Web.
After you've taken the time to perfectly craft a photo book to show off your recent vacation, or a killer presentation to land a promotion, you're able to upload it to Flowboard. Once uploaded it will be stored in your account and you'll be given a link to share your work with family, friends, and colleagues. You can share through Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail, or copy the link and share however you see fit. You can still edit the project and upload changes with just a few taps. Furthermore, you can even remove a presentation should you no longer need or want it to be published.
Every free account is allotted 200MB of online storage that resets each week. Premium accounts are allotted 1GB of storage per month, costing $4.99 per month.
While lacking the same power as Keynote or PowerPoint, Flowboard makes up for it in design and ease of use. Adding and adjusting content is straightforward, and sharing is extremely simple. You don't have to worry about file formats and other random variables. If you have an Internet connection and a Web browser, you're able to present.
Man claims exploding Galaxy S4 burned his house down
A man in Hong Kong insists that his Samsung Galaxy S4 emitted flames so great that his house and his Mercedes were destroyed.
The result of the fire, as reported in Hong Kong.
(Credit: XiangGuo Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
Should you keep your cell phone on or near anything flammable?
This question surely will haunt the minds of many once they hear the story told by a certain Mr. Du of Hong Kong.
His claim, as relayed by the fine translators of the Register, is that his Samsung Galaxy S4 exploded and caught fire in his hands.
He allegedly had been playing Love Machine, a game that surely makes heat rise. His instinct, he says, was to toss the phone down when it caught fire, but he instead threw it onto his flammable sofa.
This split-second decision, he bemoans, cost him his house. His Mercedes was damaged too.
The story, originally reported by Xianguo, might, for some, carry a hint of Du-biousness.
Can it really be true that once his sofa caught fire, Mr. Du and his wife were unable to douse the flames before their whole apartment went up in them?
Dangerous cell phone stories do seem to come in bus-like clusters. Recently, an iPhone allegedly electrocuted a man in China -- an incident that may have been caused by a fake charger.
In the Hong Kong case, Samsung Hong Kong says it will be analyzing chemicals from the scene of the fire to see whether any of them could have come from its factory.
There is always the suspicion that rogue parts -- or even rogue repair -- might have been involved.
Last year, an iPhone began smoking on a plane in Australia and an investigation blamed a misplaced screw in the battery cavity. An unauthorized service provider had repaired the phone.
Though Mr. Du and his wife suffered no serious injuries after their blaze, Mr. Du insists that his phone and charger were both legitimate Samsung products.
The result of the fire, as reported in Hong Kong.
(Credit: XiangGuo Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
Should you keep your cell phone on or near anything flammable?
This question surely will haunt the minds of many once they hear the story told by a certain Mr. Du of Hong Kong.
His claim, as relayed by the fine translators of the Register, is that his Samsung Galaxy S4 exploded and caught fire in his hands.
He allegedly had been playing Love Machine, a game that surely makes heat rise. His instinct, he says, was to toss the phone down when it caught fire, but he instead threw it onto his flammable sofa.
This split-second decision, he bemoans, cost him his house. His Mercedes was damaged too.
The story, originally reported by Xianguo, might, for some, carry a hint of Du-biousness.
Can it really be true that once his sofa caught fire, Mr. Du and his wife were unable to douse the flames before their whole apartment went up in them?
Dangerous cell phone stories do seem to come in bus-like clusters. Recently, an iPhone allegedly electrocuted a man in China -- an incident that may have been caused by a fake charger.
In the Hong Kong case, Samsung Hong Kong says it will be analyzing chemicals from the scene of the fire to see whether any of them could have come from its factory.
There is always the suspicion that rogue parts -- or even rogue repair -- might have been involved.
Last year, an iPhone began smoking on a plane in Australia and an investigation blamed a misplaced screw in the battery cavity. An unauthorized service provider had repaired the phone.
Though Mr. Du and his wife suffered no serious injuries after their blaze, Mr. Du insists that his phone and charger were both legitimate Samsung products.
Jupiter cake crafted from deliciously accurate layers
A cake maker creates a structurally accurate edible model of Jupiter that reveals the planet's layers with every slice.
Take a bite out of Jupiter.
(Credit: Cakecrumbs)
First, there was Earth cake. Then, Cakecrumbs created Jupiter cake, a treat designed to match our theoretical knowledge of the massive planet's structure. It's yummy and educational.
Building the gas giant out of cake batter, fondant, and edible ink turned out to be a challenge. Just painting in all the details and storms on the outside took 8 hours. Cakecrumbs used reference photos in an attempt to be as accurate as possible. Cutting open the cake reveals a round core covered by two layers representing liquid metallic hydrogen and molecular hydrogen.
We know what Jupiter looks like, but what does Jupiter taste like? The outer layer is marshmallow fondant. Inside, the core is mudcake. Next, comes a layer of almond butter cake. The blue outer layer is vanilla Madeira sponge cake. A planet may never taste so good again.
Cakecrumbs is planning to post a making-of tutorial for the cake, should you want to try your hand at building a gas giant of your very own. What would be truly spectacular would be eating your way through cake models of our entire solar system. If Jupiter deserves a full-size cake, I suppose Pluto might rate a cupcake.
Take a bite out of Jupiter.
(Credit: Cakecrumbs)
First, there was Earth cake. Then, Cakecrumbs created Jupiter cake, a treat designed to match our theoretical knowledge of the massive planet's structure. It's yummy and educational.
Building the gas giant out of cake batter, fondant, and edible ink turned out to be a challenge. Just painting in all the details and storms on the outside took 8 hours. Cakecrumbs used reference photos in an attempt to be as accurate as possible. Cutting open the cake reveals a round core covered by two layers representing liquid metallic hydrogen and molecular hydrogen.
We know what Jupiter looks like, but what does Jupiter taste like? The outer layer is marshmallow fondant. Inside, the core is mudcake. Next, comes a layer of almond butter cake. The blue outer layer is vanilla Madeira sponge cake. A planet may never taste so good again.
Cakecrumbs is planning to post a making-of tutorial for the cake, should you want to try your hand at building a gas giant of your very own. What would be truly spectacular would be eating your way through cake models of our entire solar system. If Jupiter deserves a full-size cake, I suppose Pluto might rate a cupcake.
Xbox zings Comedy Central stand-up app directly to TV
Following the iOS version, the cable comedy network isn't worried that bringing its app of thousands of comedy clips to television will steal the spotlight from its normal programming.
The CC:Stand-Up app for Xbox 360
(Credit: Comedy Central)
Timing is everything in comedy, and Viacom's Comedy Central network thinks now is the time to bring digital stand-up content to TV.
In a partnership with the Microsoft console, Comedy Central launched its CC:Stand-Up app on Xbox 360 Tuesday, bringing a library of 6,000 videos from more than 700 comedians straight to television for the first time.
The app is available for people with a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription, which typically costs $5 a month with a one-year commitment, although deals on the membership periodically crop up.
Ben Hurst, Viacom Entertainment Group's vice president of mobile and emerging platforms, told CNET that the Xbox app differs from the iPhone and iPad versions Comedy Central already rolled out by focusing more on long-form watching than on discovering new comedians and material.
He also said other devices were on the radar.
"We're looking opportunistically at all these different platforms, moving down the chain from biggest to smallest," he said. "We want to get digitally distributed content everywhere."
As they address viewer desire for online content and on-demand viewing, programmers must walk the tightrope of maintaining an on-air channel audience -- where viewing can be better measured and used to buttress higher ad rates -- while offering viewers the ability to watch content on the device of their choosing.
Hurst said that Comedy Central isn't worried about their latest strategy thwarting audience numbers for the network's on-air shows.
"We've now introduced fans to a new comedian or have gotten them excited to watch the new special. We view this as additive, not cannibalistic," he said.
The Internet is a trove of comedy video clips, though, meaning any new entrant faces a crowded field of competition. Besides popular sites like College Humor, which draws high-profile comedian contributors, and YouTube channels like Jenna Marbles, with more than 10 million subscribers, Comedy Central's own shows are available on Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu.
In the stand-up realm, Spotify Monday rolled out an app that promotes a library of spoken-word comic bits. Pandora set up comedy stations in 2011.
Hurst noted that Comedy Central is aided by its history as a source for stand-up since its founding more than two decades ago. "We are the biggest but also the highest quality out there," he said. "This is high-quality content and premium talent."
Hurst said the company is encouraged that when anyone tunes into clips on its app, they tend to watch many videos each time. "People just want to sit back and watch hours," he said.
An Android version of the CC:Stand-Up app is still in the works, the company said.
Earlier this month, Comedy Central launched a companion site to the stand-up app, called CC:Stand-up Direct, which sells unlimited streams and downloads of uncut, uncensored comic specials for $5 each. It took a page out of Louis C.K.'s book, who produced his "Live at the Beacon Theater" special himself and distributed it online in much the same way, to great success.
The CC:Stand-Up app for Xbox 360
(Credit: Comedy Central)
Timing is everything in comedy, and Viacom's Comedy Central network thinks now is the time to bring digital stand-up content to TV.
In a partnership with the Microsoft console, Comedy Central launched its CC:Stand-Up app on Xbox 360 Tuesday, bringing a library of 6,000 videos from more than 700 comedians straight to television for the first time.
The app is available for people with a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription, which typically costs $5 a month with a one-year commitment, although deals on the membership periodically crop up.
Ben Hurst, Viacom Entertainment Group's vice president of mobile and emerging platforms, told CNET that the Xbox app differs from the iPhone and iPad versions Comedy Central already rolled out by focusing more on long-form watching than on discovering new comedians and material.
He also said other devices were on the radar.
"We're looking opportunistically at all these different platforms, moving down the chain from biggest to smallest," he said. "We want to get digitally distributed content everywhere."
As they address viewer desire for online content and on-demand viewing, programmers must walk the tightrope of maintaining an on-air channel audience -- where viewing can be better measured and used to buttress higher ad rates -- while offering viewers the ability to watch content on the device of their choosing.
Hurst said that Comedy Central isn't worried about their latest strategy thwarting audience numbers for the network's on-air shows.
"We've now introduced fans to a new comedian or have gotten them excited to watch the new special. We view this as additive, not cannibalistic," he said.
The Internet is a trove of comedy video clips, though, meaning any new entrant faces a crowded field of competition. Besides popular sites like College Humor, which draws high-profile comedian contributors, and YouTube channels like Jenna Marbles, with more than 10 million subscribers, Comedy Central's own shows are available on Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu.
In the stand-up realm, Spotify Monday rolled out an app that promotes a library of spoken-word comic bits. Pandora set up comedy stations in 2011.
Hurst noted that Comedy Central is aided by its history as a source for stand-up since its founding more than two decades ago. "We are the biggest but also the highest quality out there," he said. "This is high-quality content and premium talent."
Hurst said the company is encouraged that when anyone tunes into clips on its app, they tend to watch many videos each time. "People just want to sit back and watch hours," he said.
An Android version of the CC:Stand-Up app is still in the works, the company said.
Earlier this month, Comedy Central launched a companion site to the stand-up app, called CC:Stand-up Direct, which sells unlimited streams and downloads of uncut, uncensored comic specials for $5 each. It took a page out of Louis C.K.'s book, who produced his "Live at the Beacon Theater" special himself and distributed it online in much the same way, to great success.
Skoda's Mega Man-Pram: A manly stroller for manly dads
Skoda Auto has unveiled a giant, high-spec stroller that it's calling "the ultimate accessory for new dads."
Wow! That is one manly dad.
(Credit: Skoda Auto)
Gentlemen, do strollers make you feel like less of a man? Czech-based automotive company Skoda has come up with a solution: the vRS Mega Man-Pram, created to celebrate the launch of the third-generation Octavia vRS family car in the U.K.
The monster 6.5-foot-tall pram comes complete with hydraulic suspension, 20-inch alloy wheels, all-terrain tires, rear-view mirrors, a high-beam headlight, an anti-stress push-bar grip, and high-spec brakes with brake lights. The inside is lined with sports-style upholstery and adjustable lumbar support.
(Credit: Skoda Auto)
According to Skoda, the company surveyed 1,000 British dads to find out what men want when it comes to strollers, and 76 percent responded that they'd be more likely to push the baby around if they had access to a stylish, high-tech pram. The top five most-wanted features were a muscular design, large alloy wheels, hydraulic suspension, high-tech brakes, and rear-view mirrors.
The company also found that 33 percent of the dads surveyed find pushing a pram "embarrassing," while 25 percent refuse to do it at all.
Alas, though, if this was just the baby carriage you were waiting for, Skoda has no plans to bring it to the market. It was created to appear in advertising campaigns for the new car.
Wow! That is one manly dad.
(Credit: Skoda Auto)
Gentlemen, do strollers make you feel like less of a man? Czech-based automotive company Skoda has come up with a solution: the vRS Mega Man-Pram, created to celebrate the launch of the third-generation Octavia vRS family car in the U.K.
The monster 6.5-foot-tall pram comes complete with hydraulic suspension, 20-inch alloy wheels, all-terrain tires, rear-view mirrors, a high-beam headlight, an anti-stress push-bar grip, and high-spec brakes with brake lights. The inside is lined with sports-style upholstery and adjustable lumbar support.
(Credit: Skoda Auto)
According to Skoda, the company surveyed 1,000 British dads to find out what men want when it comes to strollers, and 76 percent responded that they'd be more likely to push the baby around if they had access to a stylish, high-tech pram. The top five most-wanted features were a muscular design, large alloy wheels, hydraulic suspension, high-tech brakes, and rear-view mirrors.
The company also found that 33 percent of the dads surveyed find pushing a pram "embarrassing," while 25 percent refuse to do it at all.
Alas, though, if this was just the baby carriage you were waiting for, Skoda has no plans to bring it to the market. It was created to appear in advertising campaigns for the new car.
New Kindles to triple speed of current lineup, says report
Preliminary benchmark tests show a big boost in performance for new Fire tablets slated to launch this fall, says blog site Boy Genius Report.
Amazon will reportedly launch faster versions of its Kindle Fire this year.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Amazon's next-generation Kindle tablets will easily outrace the current models, according to Boy Genius Report.
Citing information from "multiple trusted sources," BGR cited pre-launch benchmark tests that measured the new lineup's performance as three times faster than that of the existing editions. Assuming the sources are on the money, Amazon is due to release three new Kindle tablets this fall.
Equipped with a 1,920x1,200-pixel display, the new 7-inch Kindle Fire will be outfitted with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, potentially revved up to around 2GHz.
Running Amazon's tweaked version of Android 4.2.2, the new 7-inch Kindle Fire HD will come with 2GB of memory, a front-facing camera, Wi-Fi, and optional cellular access. The screen will display 1,920x1,200 pixels, while the tablet itself will offer a choice of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of built-in storage, BGR said.
Finally, the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD will match some of the specs of its smaller cousins -- a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip, 2GB of RAM, a range of internal storage sizes, and an option for a cellular connection. The 8.9-inch model will also add a rear camera to the front-facing one and offer a resolution of 2,560x1,600 pixels.
The new tablets are designed to be lighter and more comfortable than their predecessors. All three tablets are reportedly on track for a fall launch, possibly as early as late September, BGR's sources added.
CNET contacted Amazon for comment and will update the story with any further information. Amazon shook up its Kindle tablet lineup in September of 2012 when it announced the Kindle Fire HD.
Amazon will reportedly launch faster versions of its Kindle Fire this year.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Amazon's next-generation Kindle tablets will easily outrace the current models, according to Boy Genius Report.
Citing information from "multiple trusted sources," BGR cited pre-launch benchmark tests that measured the new lineup's performance as three times faster than that of the existing editions. Assuming the sources are on the money, Amazon is due to release three new Kindle tablets this fall.
Equipped with a 1,920x1,200-pixel display, the new 7-inch Kindle Fire will be outfitted with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, potentially revved up to around 2GHz.
Running Amazon's tweaked version of Android 4.2.2, the new 7-inch Kindle Fire HD will come with 2GB of memory, a front-facing camera, Wi-Fi, and optional cellular access. The screen will display 1,920x1,200 pixels, while the tablet itself will offer a choice of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of built-in storage, BGR said.
Finally, the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD will match some of the specs of its smaller cousins -- a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip, 2GB of RAM, a range of internal storage sizes, and an option for a cellular connection. The 8.9-inch model will also add a rear camera to the front-facing one and offer a resolution of 2,560x1,600 pixels.
The new tablets are designed to be lighter and more comfortable than their predecessors. All three tablets are reportedly on track for a fall launch, possibly as early as late September, BGR's sources added.
CNET contacted Amazon for comment and will update the story with any further information. Amazon shook up its Kindle tablet lineup in September of 2012 when it announced the Kindle Fire HD.
Military judge finds Manning guilty on most charges
Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army solider who became a source for WikiLeaks, was found not guilty of "aiding the enemy." But he could still spend many decades in a military prison.
Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army soldier who faced a court martial for providing documents to WikiLeaks, in a 2012 file photo.
(Credit: Getty Images)
Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army soldier who provided WikiLeaks with hundreds of thousands of classified documents, was found guilty of nearly all the charges filed against him, but not guilty of aiding the enemy.
Col. Denise Lind, the judge presiding over an eight-week court martial in Fort Meade, Md., announced the verdict today, which could mean Manning will spend multiple decades in a military prison with only a slim chance of parole.
Manning's ultimate sentence, however, has not yet been determined, and is likely to be appealed. Manning's attorney, David Coombs, has previously said he planned to call as many as 24 witnesses during the sentencing portion of the proceedings.
Federal prosecutors had sought to portray Manning's decision to provide files to WikiLeaks as tantamount to providing them directly to Al Qaeda and other sworn enemies of the United States. "Worldwide distribution, that was his goal," Major Ashden Fein said during closing arguments last Friday (PDF). "Manning knew the entire world included the enemy... by giving intelligence to WikiLeaks, he was giving it to the enemy and specifically Al Qaeda."
That argument has alarmed First Amendment advocates and angered activists, who showed up outside the main gate at Fort Meade in anticipation of today's verdict.
In an unusual move last fall, Manning offered to plead guilty to a subset of the 22 charges -- the less serious ones -- but not aiding the enemy. That partial guilty plea is permitted under the military's Manual for Courts-Martial (PDF).
Adrian Lamo, the ex-hacker who turned Manning in to military authorities after a series of instant message chats told CNET in 2011 that he has no regrets about his role. "Sometimes you need to consider the good of the many versus the good of the one," said Lamo, who was vilified in the hacker community as a result of his disclosure.
An excerpt from the logs shows Manning wrestling with how to release the files:
(12:15:11 PM) bradass87: hypothetical question: if you had free reign over classified networks for long periods of time...say, 8-9 months...and you saw incredible things, awful things...things that belonged in the public domain, and not on some server stored in a dark room in Washington DC...what would you do?
(12:16:38 PM) bradass87: or Guantanamo, Bagram, Bucca, Taji, VBC for that matter...
(12:17:47 PM) bradass87: things that would have an impact on 6.7 billion people
(12:21:24 PM) bradass87: say...a database of half a million events during the iraq war...from 2004 to 2009...with reports, date time groups, lat-lon locations, casualty figures...? or 260,000 state department cables from embassies and consulates all over the world, explaining how the first world exploits the third, in detail, from an internal perspective?
(12:22:49 PM) bradass87: the air-gap has been penetrated... =L
Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army soldier who faced a court martial for providing documents to WikiLeaks, in a 2012 file photo.
(Credit: Getty Images)
Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army soldier who provided WikiLeaks with hundreds of thousands of classified documents, was found guilty of nearly all the charges filed against him, but not guilty of aiding the enemy.
Col. Denise Lind, the judge presiding over an eight-week court martial in Fort Meade, Md., announced the verdict today, which could mean Manning will spend multiple decades in a military prison with only a slim chance of parole.
Manning's ultimate sentence, however, has not yet been determined, and is likely to be appealed. Manning's attorney, David Coombs, has previously said he planned to call as many as 24 witnesses during the sentencing portion of the proceedings.
Federal prosecutors had sought to portray Manning's decision to provide files to WikiLeaks as tantamount to providing them directly to Al Qaeda and other sworn enemies of the United States. "Worldwide distribution, that was his goal," Major Ashden Fein said during closing arguments last Friday (PDF). "Manning knew the entire world included the enemy... by giving intelligence to WikiLeaks, he was giving it to the enemy and specifically Al Qaeda."
That argument has alarmed First Amendment advocates and angered activists, who showed up outside the main gate at Fort Meade in anticipation of today's verdict.
In an unusual move last fall, Manning offered to plead guilty to a subset of the 22 charges -- the less serious ones -- but not aiding the enemy. That partial guilty plea is permitted under the military's Manual for Courts-Martial (PDF).
Adrian Lamo, the ex-hacker who turned Manning in to military authorities after a series of instant message chats told CNET in 2011 that he has no regrets about his role. "Sometimes you need to consider the good of the many versus the good of the one," said Lamo, who was vilified in the hacker community as a result of his disclosure.
An excerpt from the logs shows Manning wrestling with how to release the files:
(12:15:11 PM) bradass87: hypothetical question: if you had free reign over classified networks for long periods of time...say, 8-9 months...and you saw incredible things, awful things...things that belonged in the public domain, and not on some server stored in a dark room in Washington DC...what would you do?
(12:16:38 PM) bradass87: or Guantanamo, Bagram, Bucca, Taji, VBC for that matter...
(12:17:47 PM) bradass87: things that would have an impact on 6.7 billion people
(12:21:24 PM) bradass87: say...a database of half a million events during the iraq war...from 2004 to 2009...with reports, date time groups, lat-lon locations, casualty figures...? or 260,000 state department cables from embassies and consulates all over the world, explaining how the first world exploits the third, in detail, from an internal perspective?
(12:22:49 PM) bradass87: the air-gap has been penetrated... =L
Sprint posts Q2 loss of $1.6B as 2M subscribers drop off
Sprint saw a massive exodus of customers in its last quarter running the separate Nextel network. The company, now owned by Japanese carrier SoftBank, hopes for a stronger second half.
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse speaks at the Competitive Carriers Association trade show in New Orleans.
(Credit: Maggie Reardon/CNET)
Well, it's only supposed to get better from here.
That's the attitude Sprint is likely taking after posting a net loss of $1.6 billion and net subscriber losses of 2 million. While the numbers look bad, there remains reason to be optimistic.
Sprint was officially acquired by Japanese carrier SoftBank earlier this month, a deal expected to bring capital and expertise to the company. The quarter represented the last one in which Sprint was operating two separate networks, its core Sprint network and a different, incompatible Nextel network. The Nextel service was shut down at the end of last month, eliminating what had been a distraction, financial burden, and primary source of customer defections.
The company reported on late Monday a loss of $1.6 billion, or 53 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $1.37 billion, or 46 cents a share. Results were affected by the Nextel shutdown, which included $430 million in the write-off of Nextel assets, as well as non-cash charges of $623 million.
Revenue inched up slightly to $8.88 billion.
Analysts, on average, forecast a per-share loss of 30 cents and revenue of $8.73 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.
Sprint's turnaround comes at a time when larger rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless are looking to widen their leads and smaller rival T-Mobile looks resurgent. With much of the wireless game dependent on the strength of their networks, Sprint has fallen behind, particularly with its 4G LTE deployment.
Why Sprint is taking its sweet time with 4G LTE
Sprint is hoping SoftBank gives it the spark it needs to press forward with its recovery. In addition to relieving itself of the burden of Nextel, it managed to scoop up the wireless spectrum from 4G provider Clearwire, which will help augment and bolster Sprint's LTE network down the line.
Its customers largely came from the Nextel side, where it lost 1.3 million customers. But Sprint's own prepaid and wholesale businesses also suffered losses. Only Sprint's core service remained in the red, adding a net 194,000 customers in the period.
As a result of the Nextel defections, the company's churn, or turnover rate, rose on both the contract and prepaid side.
Sprint did report a gain in average revenue per user. The contract business saw average revenue rise 4.4 percent to $63.59, while prepaid revenue rose 1.6 percent to $27.02.
Sprint also warned that its adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization would fall between $5.1 billion and $5.3 billion, thanks to the impact of the SoftBank and Clearwire deals. It had previously forecast a range of $5.2 billion to $5.5 billion. The company said it would have raised its range had it not before the two transactions.
Sprint also said it expects 2013 capital expenditures of around $8 billion.
The company will hold its investor conference call at 5 a.m. PT, so check back with CNET for additional details and color on its results.
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse speaks at the Competitive Carriers Association trade show in New Orleans.
(Credit: Maggie Reardon/CNET)
Well, it's only supposed to get better from here.
That's the attitude Sprint is likely taking after posting a net loss of $1.6 billion and net subscriber losses of 2 million. While the numbers look bad, there remains reason to be optimistic.
Sprint was officially acquired by Japanese carrier SoftBank earlier this month, a deal expected to bring capital and expertise to the company. The quarter represented the last one in which Sprint was operating two separate networks, its core Sprint network and a different, incompatible Nextel network. The Nextel service was shut down at the end of last month, eliminating what had been a distraction, financial burden, and primary source of customer defections.
The company reported on late Monday a loss of $1.6 billion, or 53 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $1.37 billion, or 46 cents a share. Results were affected by the Nextel shutdown, which included $430 million in the write-off of Nextel assets, as well as non-cash charges of $623 million.
Revenue inched up slightly to $8.88 billion.
Analysts, on average, forecast a per-share loss of 30 cents and revenue of $8.73 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.
Sprint's turnaround comes at a time when larger rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless are looking to widen their leads and smaller rival T-Mobile looks resurgent. With much of the wireless game dependent on the strength of their networks, Sprint has fallen behind, particularly with its 4G LTE deployment.
Why Sprint is taking its sweet time with 4G LTE
Sprint is hoping SoftBank gives it the spark it needs to press forward with its recovery. In addition to relieving itself of the burden of Nextel, it managed to scoop up the wireless spectrum from 4G provider Clearwire, which will help augment and bolster Sprint's LTE network down the line.
Its customers largely came from the Nextel side, where it lost 1.3 million customers. But Sprint's own prepaid and wholesale businesses also suffered losses. Only Sprint's core service remained in the red, adding a net 194,000 customers in the period.
As a result of the Nextel defections, the company's churn, or turnover rate, rose on both the contract and prepaid side.
Sprint did report a gain in average revenue per user. The contract business saw average revenue rise 4.4 percent to $63.59, while prepaid revenue rose 1.6 percent to $27.02.
Sprint also warned that its adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization would fall between $5.1 billion and $5.3 billion, thanks to the impact of the SoftBank and Clearwire deals. It had previously forecast a range of $5.2 billion to $5.5 billion. The company said it would have raised its range had it not before the two transactions.
Sprint also said it expects 2013 capital expenditures of around $8 billion.
The company will hold its investor conference call at 5 a.m. PT, so check back with CNET for additional details and color on its results.
Sprint extends LTE coverage to 41 new markets
New markets in Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., and Oakland, Calif., expand the high-speed wireless network footprint to 151 markets.
The Evo 4G LTE is just one of the Sprint phones that can't access LTE in many big cities.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Sprint has expanded the footprint of its 4G LTE coverage with the addition of 41 new markets across the U.S., the wireless carrier announced Monday night.
The carrier, which lags behind Verizon Wireless with its LTE network, added markets such as Philadelphia, Portand, Ore., and Oakland, Calif., bringing the footprint of Sprint's high-speed wireless network up to 151 markets.
While the update brings long-awaited network access to Brooklyn and the Bronx, the rest of New York -- Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island -- is still without coverage. Sprint hasn't said when the rest of the city would get access, only saying the network would grow "in the coming months."
The company started work on building its LTE network later than its rivals, and has also been juggling a full overhaul of its network to modernize the equipment. As a result, many customers who buy Sprint 4G LTE smartphones have had to wait it out until the service comes to their locales.
"Our new 3G and 4G LTE network provides improved wireless service, and is also expected to help Sprint meet its commitment to reduce total energy demand and the company's carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2017," Sprint Vice President Bob Azzi said in a statement.
Here's the list of cities that Sprint announced today:
Baraboo, Wis.; Beaver Dam, Wis.; Brownsville/Harlingen, Texas; Bronx/Brooklyn, N.Y.; Columbus, Miss.; Durham, N.C.; Dyersburg, Tenn.; Faribault/Northfield, Minn.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Fitchburg/Leominster, Mass.; Flint, Mich.; Ft. Lauderdale/Pompano Beach/Deerfield Beach, Fla.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Greenville, N.C.; Greenwood, Miss.; Holland, Mich.; Homosassa Springs, Fla.; Jackson, Tenn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Kokomo, Ind.; Laredo, Texas; Lebanon, Penn.; Morgan City, La.; Nacogdoches, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Oakland, Calif.; Ocala, Fla.; Palm Coast, Fla.; Philadelphia; Ponca City, Okla.; Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; Rocky Mount, N.C.; Saginaw, Mich.; Salinas, Calif.; Springfield, Mass.; Tusla, Okla.; Tupelo, Miss.; Wausau, Wis.; and Wilson, N.C.
The Evo 4G LTE is just one of the Sprint phones that can't access LTE in many big cities.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Sprint has expanded the footprint of its 4G LTE coverage with the addition of 41 new markets across the U.S., the wireless carrier announced Monday night.
The carrier, which lags behind Verizon Wireless with its LTE network, added markets such as Philadelphia, Portand, Ore., and Oakland, Calif., bringing the footprint of Sprint's high-speed wireless network up to 151 markets.
While the update brings long-awaited network access to Brooklyn and the Bronx, the rest of New York -- Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island -- is still without coverage. Sprint hasn't said when the rest of the city would get access, only saying the network would grow "in the coming months."
The company started work on building its LTE network later than its rivals, and has also been juggling a full overhaul of its network to modernize the equipment. As a result, many customers who buy Sprint 4G LTE smartphones have had to wait it out until the service comes to their locales.
"Our new 3G and 4G LTE network provides improved wireless service, and is also expected to help Sprint meet its commitment to reduce total energy demand and the company's carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2017," Sprint Vice President Bob Azzi said in a statement.
Here's the list of cities that Sprint announced today:
Baraboo, Wis.; Beaver Dam, Wis.; Brownsville/Harlingen, Texas; Bronx/Brooklyn, N.Y.; Columbus, Miss.; Durham, N.C.; Dyersburg, Tenn.; Faribault/Northfield, Minn.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Fitchburg/Leominster, Mass.; Flint, Mich.; Ft. Lauderdale/Pompano Beach/Deerfield Beach, Fla.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Greenville, N.C.; Greenwood, Miss.; Holland, Mich.; Homosassa Springs, Fla.; Jackson, Tenn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Kokomo, Ind.; Laredo, Texas; Lebanon, Penn.; Morgan City, La.; Nacogdoches, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Oakland, Calif.; Ocala, Fla.; Palm Coast, Fla.; Philadelphia; Ponca City, Okla.; Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; Rocky Mount, N.C.; Saginaw, Mich.; Salinas, Calif.; Springfield, Mass.; Tusla, Okla.; Tupelo, Miss.; Wausau, Wis.; and Wilson, N.C.
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