Mohawk Industries Becomes Worldwide Leader In Ceramic Tile

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Last week, Mohawk Industries (MHK) finally announced the acquisition of Marazzi Group, the fifth largest producer, in volume, in the ceramic tile industry. The combination of Mohawk's existing ceramic tile division, Dal Tile, and Marazzi Group creates the largest ceramic tile company in the world as far as revenues.

The first rumors about the deal spread out about one month ago, when the Italian financial magazine "Il Mondo" reported that advanced negotiations were in the works (link, in Italian). Seeking Alpha was the first English speaking source to talk about the deal, also supplying added information about the acquisition target, soon followed by Reuters and other news feeds.

The market reacted positively to the acquisition, and the stock gained 4.88% on Friday, on a down day for most securities.

Samsung aims to sell 510 million phones

from www.koreatimes.co.kr:

 >>``Of the 510 million handsets it plans to sell, 390 million are slated as smartphones and 120 million, feature and budget phones,’’ according to an executive from one of Samsung’s key suppliers.

Adding a Sense of Touch to Online Shopping

from WSJ: 

>>The Samsung Galaxy S III has an advanced feature called Auto Haptic that uses vibration to create physical responses such as feeling the sling stretch in Angry Birds. Apple is also researching and applying for patents in haptics.

IBM 5 in 5 2012: Touch

from IBM:

>>Within the next five years, your mobile device will let you touch what you’re shopping for online. It will distinguish fabrics, textures, and weaves so that you can feel a sweater, jacket, or upholstery – right through the screen.

Global touch screen shipments expected to reach 1.75 billion in 2013

from Digitimes: 

>>Global touch screen shipments are expected to reach 1.75 billion in 2013, up 17.2% on year. Of the shipments, approximately 1.28 billion or 73% are estimated to be for handsets, which will be a 14.2% on-year increase. Shipments for touch screens used in tablets meanwhile are expected to reach 230 million units, up 38.2% on year, while touch screens for PCs are expected to reach 26.33 million in 2013, up 251.3% on year, according to Digitimes Research.

Equinix's Journey From IPO To The Nasdaq 100 Through Near Bankruptcy

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>On Friday night, the NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (NDAQ) announced the results of the annual re-ranking of the NASDAQ-100 Index, which will become effective prior to market open on Monday, December 24, 2012. Among the most recent inclusion is Equinix (EQIX), the worldwide leader in the network-neutral colocation business, a company whose birth, survival through the dot-com bubble burst and impressive growth afterwards is one of the most interesting stories in the Telecom sector.

Background

Equinix was founded in 1998 by Jay Adelson and Al Avery, with the aim to provide secure physical connection points where networks, content providers and enterprises could interconnect through a neutral party to avoid the competing interests of telecommunication providers.

Data Center Related Stocks Close Mixed In November And After Q3 Earnings

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Companies under our radar screen in the data center and CDN sector closed mixed in November, after experiencing, as a group, strong declines in October, when all stocks but Telecity Group were in the red.

Post-earnings performance was also mixed, as most data center related stocks closed negatively after announcing Q3 numbers, and four companies only showed some sort of moderate upside.

Q3 2012 post-earnings performance

Here is a quick look at how each individual company performed after announcing Q3 earnings:

Welcome back to the 1980s: Vice City

We’re excited for the release of the mobile version, not only for the amazing soundtrack, but also because this is the latest title from Rockstar Games to incorporate Immersion’s tactile effects to enhance gameplay. So however you choose to tackle Vice City’s criminal element, you’ll be satisfied when you feel the action with Immersion. The best part? Immersion’s low power tactile effects have a minimal impact on battery life, so command your attack helicopter, launch some rockets, and immerse yourself as you rise to power in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

 http://blog.immersion.com/2012/12/vicecity/

Worldwide Smart Connected Device Market, Led by Samsung and Apple, Grew 27.1% in the Third Quarter, According to IDC

 P/R

Looking forward, IDC expects the worldwide smart connected device space will continue to surge well past the strong holiday quarter and predicts shipments to surpass 2.1 billion units in 2016 with a market value of $796.7 billion worldwide. IDC's research clearly shows this to be a multi-device era, although market dynamics are shifting in terms of product category. In 2011, PC's – a combination of desktop and portable PCs – accounted for 39.1% of the smart connected device market. By 2016 it is expected to drop to 19.9%. Smartphones will be the preferred product category with share growing from 53.1% in 2011 to 66.7% in 2016. Tablets will also grow significantly with share growing from 7.7% in 2011 to 13.4% in 2016. The shift in demand from the more expensive PC category to more reasonably priced smartphones and tablets will drive the collective market ASP from $534 in 2011 to $378 in 2016.

Piper Jaffray Reiterates Overweight Rating, $225 PT on Equinix

In a report published Monday, Piper Jaffray & Co. reiterated its Overweight rating and $225.00 price target on Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX [FREE Stock Trend Analysis]).
Piper Jaffray noted, “We believe Equinix will be another top performing stock in '13. While the stock is up 86% over the past 12 months, we believe there are a number of positive fundamental reasons the business will continue to perform. The secular trend to outsourced IT is not changing, enhanced by the cyclical trend to asset-light, and supply/demand trends are favorable. Equinix's conversion to REIT process could act as a catalyst, and we believe the company is set up for continued positive estimate revisions. We are re-iterating our Overweight rating, and consider Equinix to be a top idea within our coverage universe.”

Read more: http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/12/12/3159851/piper-jaffray-reiterates-overweight-rating-225-pt-on-equ##ixzz2EgvwyLmp

Evercore's List Of Tech Picks For 2013

from Forbes: 

>>Telecom and data center services analyst Jonathan Schildkraut picks Equinix, with a target of $245. “The most attractive investment in our coverage universe for CY13, underpinned by strong fundamentals, REIT conversion and an attractive valuation.”

Auto Haptic Widget

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.immersion.android.autohaptic

This widget is designed to address an issue with certain Galaxy S III handsets that have updated to Jellybean. Users who have not upgraded to Jelly Bean do not need to install this application, as the Auto Haptic Feature can be managed through the standard device settings (Settings/Sound/Auto Haptic).

Auto Haptic allows users to automatically incorporate low-power tactile effects in downloaded applications to enhance mobile gaming. With the recent update to Jelly Bean some handsets have lost the “Settings” menu controls for the Auto Haptic feature. This widget is a universal ON/OFF control for Auto Haptic which allows users to enable or disable tactile effects for all downloadable applications. After installing this widget, please reboot your device.

This Auto Haptic widget does not impact the tactile effect settings for other device functionality, such as alerts and keyboard tactile feedback.

It is anticipated that the “Settings” menu will be restored with full functionality to enable Auto Haptic at an application level in a future OS update from carriers. At that time, this widget will no longer be needed.
The widget is not yet available for the recent Jelly Bean update on AT&T. We are currently testing for AT&T, and will provide an update shortly.

Winners And Losers From This Year's Nasdaq-100 Reconstitution

from www.zerohedge.com:

>>This year, we anticipate 8 pairs of Additions to and Deletions from the NASDAQ-100 index.

• 8 Additions: KRFT, REGN, LMCA, ADI, CTRX, EQIX, LBTYA, DISCA
• 8 Deletions: APOL, WCRX, GMCR, EA, FLEX, RIMM, NFLX, MRVL

NLX Leverages Genium Inet, Equinix For Low Latency

from http://low-latency.com/:

>> Nasdaq OMX's planned London-based NLX derivatives exchange will leverage the exchange group's own Genium Inet technology to ensure low-latency matching.  The exchange will base its primary matching engine at Equinix's popular LD4 facility in Slough, west of London, where co-lo facilities will be available.

CBOE Moves To Equinix's NY4 Data Center: It's All About Location, Network Availability, Proximity

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Equinix (EQIX) today announced that CBOE Holdings (CBOE) - home of the largest and oldest U.S. options exchange ― moved its CBOE Command trading engine platform to Equinix's NY4 data center in the New York metro area.
The decision follows a similar move made in July 2011 and related mainly to the CBOE Stock Exchange [CBSX].
The transition happened during the weekend, as explained in CBOE's Information Circular IC12-103:

Apple Reveals Haptic Alert Upgrade for iPhone

from www.patentlyapple.com/


>> Apple's patent application describes a newly designed vibrator that's to be integrated into a future iPhone as part of a haptic alert system. The haptic device is noted as having a linear electric motor that is coupled to actively drive a moveable weight in back-and-forth directions to produce the desired vibration. A lock mechanism has a restraining member that is biased into a lock position, which prevents the moveable weight from moving in the back-and-forth directions when the vibrator is inactive.

Dougherty & Co Sees More Upside for Immersion (IMMR) after Google/Motorola Deal

from www.streetinsider.com:

>> "We view Google/Motorola's decision to license Immersion’s haptics technology (ahead of an early 2013 patent infringement trial) as a seminal moment in Immersion's history," analyst Charlie Anderson comments. "Even though the stock moved up 35% on the news Tuesday, we believe the shares at $6 are significantly discounting the impact of this event."

Immersion Settles With Google And Motorola: Basic Haptics Become A Revenue Stream

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Immersion Corporation (IMMR) announced it entered into a settlement and license agreement with Google (GOOG) and Motorola Mobility LLC, so resolving the patent infringement litigation pending between Immersion and Motorola.

The settlement validates the value of Immersion's IP portfolio

The settlement represents a key step for the company in the mobility sector, for several reasons.
First of all, it allows Immersion to favorably conclude a court case, which is always a risky, lengthy, expensive and often distracting process for any company.

NYSE Is Looking To Increase Data Center Returns

from www.datacenterjournal.com:

>>The transatlantic exchanges operator, NYSE Euronext, is looking at enhancing the returns from its data center near London. It is achieving this goal by monetizing space by allowing rival data centers and other investment groups to operate spare capacity. NYSE Euronext has also initiated conversations with Equinix for filling up unused space.

The Cadillac CUE system

from www.detroitnews.com:

The Cadillac CUE system debuted in the XTS and ATS sedans that GM introduced this year and is spreading throughout the brand's lineup. The world's largest automaker equipped its touch controls with haptic feedback — meaning that the car's buttons vibrate when touched — in an effort to outdo Ford's systems.
"The haptic feedback is nice, but we found that you still have to take your eyes off the road to make sure you're tapping the right spot," Jim Travers, a Consumer Reports associate editor, wrote in a June 22 review of the XTS. "Having to relearn how to use a button just for the sake of looking 'high tech' — as there are no functional advantages to these flush controls — is misplaced progress."
The CUE system's buttons are "fussy" and flipping through screens is a "chore," Tom Mutchler, a Consumer Reports engineer, said in an Oct. 19 review of the ATS. "That's really something of a shame, because the annoying controls detract from what otherwise is a really rewarding car to drive."
GM is taking a different approach from Cadillac for Chevrolet, its high-volume brand, with a system branded as MyLink, and for Buick and GMC with IntelliLink. With MyLink, GM uses a concept it calls "smart phone, dumb radio," in which the in-car system embeds features from the phone and amplifies them over a display, said Scott Fosgard, a GM spokesman.
"If you set CUE aside, GM's got a system in the Sonic and the Spark th


From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121125/AUTO01/211250308#ixzz2DLQIU5Jt

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121125/AUTO01/211250308#ixzz2DLPhxpng

The Cadillac CUE system debuted in the XTS and ATS sedans that GM introduced this year and is spreading throughout the brand's lineup. The world's largest automaker equipped its touch controls with haptic feedback — meaning that the car's buttons vibrate when touched — in an effort to outdo Ford's systems.
"The haptic feedback is nice, but we found that you still have to take your eyes off the road to make sure you're tapping the right spot," Jim Travers, a Consumer Reports associate editor, wrote in a June 22 review of the XTS. "Having to relearn how to use a button just for the sake of looking 'high tech' — as there are no functional advantages to these flush controls — is misplaced progress."
The CUE system's buttons are "fussy" and flipping through screens is a "chore," Tom Mutchler, a Consumer Reports engineer, said in an Oct. 19 review of the ATS. "That's really something of a shame, because the annoying controls detract from what otherwise is a really rewarding car to drive."
GM is taking a different approach from Cadillac for Chevrolet, its high-volume brand, with a system branded as MyLink, and for Buick and GMC with IntelliLink. With MyLink, GM uses a concept it calls "smart phone, dumb radio," in which the in-car system embeds features from the phone and amplifies them over a display, said Scott Fosgard, a GM spokesman.
"If you set CUE aside, GM's got a system in the Sonic and the Spark that's pretty competitive," said AutoPacific's Sullivan, referring to MyLink.


From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121125/AUTO01/211250308#ixzz2DLPhxpng

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121125/AUTO01/211250308#ixzz2DLPhxpng

The Cadillac CUE system debuted in the XTS and ATS sedans that GM introduced this year and is spreading throughout the brand's lineup. The world's largest automaker equipped its touch controls with haptic feedback — meaning that the car's buttons vibrate when touched — in an effort to outdo Ford's systems.
"The haptic feedback is nice, but we found that you still have to take your eyes off the road to make sure you're tapping the right spot," Jim Travers, a Consumer Reports associate editor, wrote in a June 22 review of the XTS. "Having to relearn how to use a button just for the sake of looking 'high tech' — as there are no functional advantages to these flush controls — is misplaced progress."
The CUE system's buttons are "fussy" and flipping through screens is a "chore," Tom Mutchler, a Consumer Reports engineer, said in an Oct. 19 review of the ATS. "That's really something of a shame, because the annoying controls detract from what otherwise is a really rewarding car to drive."
GM is taking a different approach from Cadillac for Chevrolet, its high-volume brand, with a system branded as MyLink, and for Buick and GMC with IntelliLink. With MyLink, GM uses a concept it calls "smart phone, dumb radio," in which the in-car system embeds features from the phone and amplifies them over a display, said Scott Fosgard, a GM spokesman.
"If you set CUE aside, GM's got a system in the Sonic and the Spark that's pretty competitive," said AutoPacific's Sullivan, referring to MyLink.


From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121125/AUTO01/211250308#ixzz2DLPhxpng

Sony tries to patent stylus with friction-based haptic feedback

from Engadget: 

>>The various filings outline some potential benefits of this stylus-based haptic feedback, including being able to feel yourself "carving and molding" 3D objects in a design application, or understanding your character is "fatigued or damaged" while playing a game.

Microchip Expands mTouch™ Sensing Portfolio with Turnkey Controllers for Multitouch, Proximity Detection and Haptic Feedback

CHANDLER, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- 

Microchip Technology Inc. (MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller, analog, mixed-signal and Flash-IP solutions, today announced the expansion of its mTouch™ Sensing Solutions portfolio, with four turnkey controllers for multitouch projected-capacitive touchscreens and touchpads, proximity detection, and haptic touch feedback.
The MTCH6301 is a turnkey projected-capacitive touch controller that makes it easy for designers to add popular multitouch and gesture interfaces—eliminating the learning curve and time of creating a design from scratch. This controller’s sophisticated combination of Self and Mutual capacitive scanning for XY touchscreens and touchpads enables a host of features, including: single and dual-touch drawing, the reporting of 11 single-finger gestures and the detection of up to 10 touches. The MTCH6301 supports sensor designs with up to 13 x 18 channels and cover lenses up to 5 mm. Additionally, Microchip offers its free “Projected Capacitive Configuration Utility” with automatic tuning, enabling fast customization for different screen sizes and top-layer thicknesses. Microchip also provides designers with the firmware library, so they can make further customizations.
The MTCH101 and MTCH112 are turnkey controllers in small packages that provide an easy way to add robust proximity detection with a range of up to 8 inches. Additionally, these low-cost controllers maximize battery life with power consumption as low as 5 microamps. The MTCH101/112 also provide advanced noise avoidance and cancelling technology, and can operate standalone or connected to any microcontroller via I²C™, making it easy to add touchless operation or user detection to any design. This is particularly useful for mobile devices that must reduce 3G/4G transmission power in the presence of a user, in order to pass the FCC’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) test. Proximity detection also enables reduced system power consumption, by inducing sleep when no users are present.
The MTCH810 is the first in a family of controllers based on Microchip’s license of Immersion’s TouchSense^® haptic feedback technology. This controller enables the easy addition of haptic tactile feedback to any capacitive-touch button or slider interface. It integrates a single-channel haptic driver output with an industry-standard I²C slave interface that connects to any MCU—all in a small, 8-pin package. Designers can differentiate their products while improving the user experience by utilizing any of the 14 different haptic effects that are pre-programmed into the MTCH810 controller, such as single vibrate and double vibrate.
“We’re pleased to be working with Microchip to support the increasing demand for haptic-enabled touch experiences,” said Immersion’s Sr. Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Dennis Sheehan. “By incorporating Immersion’s tactile feedback technology into Microchip’s touch solutions, OEMs and designers will be able to easily create more intuitive and compelling user interfaces with haptics.”
Pricing & Availability
The MTCH6301 projected-capacitive controller is available in 44-pin QFN and TQFP packages, and pricing starts at $1.86 each, in 10,000-unit quantities. The MTCH101/112 proximity-detection controllers start at $0.25 each, in 10,000-unit quantities. The MTCH101 is offered in a 6-pin, SOT-23 package, while the MTCH112 is packaged in the 8-pin SOIC and DFN. The MTCH810 haptic-feedback controller is available in a 3x3 mm, 8-pin DFN package, and pricing starts at $0.87 each, in 10,000-unit quantities.
All of four of these controllers are available today for sampling, and volume production is expected in December. For additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip’s Web site at http://www.microchip.com/get/LFNJ. To purchase products mentioned in this press release, go to microchipDIRECT or contact one of Microchip’s authorized distribution partners.
Resources
High-res Images Available Through Flickr or Editorial Contact (feel free to publish):

• MTCH6301 Photo: http://www.microchip.com/get/3HRU
• MTCH810 Photo: http://www.microchip.com/get/85BA
• MTCH101/112 Photo: http://www.microchip.com/get/RRU2

Rumor Has It: Is Mohawk Industries Eyeing Marazzi Group?

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>According to an article published over the weekend by the Italian financial magazine "Il Mondo", Mohawk Industries (MHK) is in advanced talks to acquire the Italian based Marazzi Group, one of the world leaders in the design, manufacture and sales of ceramic tiles.

Some background for Marazzi Group and the Italian Ceramic Tile District

Marazzi Ceramiche was established in 1935 in Sassuolo, in the province of Modena, an area that later developed into the Italian ceramic tile district, where roughly 80% of all Italian tiles are produced in a relatively small region including nearby cities of Maranello, Fiorano (more famous as Ferrari is headquartered and has its testing circuit there), Castellarano and Casalgrande.

Deciphering Immersion Corporation's Recent Trading Pattern

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Immersion Corporation (IMMR) has experienced an unusual trading pattern in the last 4/5 weeks, although the share price remained relatively stable if we just look at the historical closing prices on October 9th ($5.44) and November 13th ($5.76).

Here is a quick look at what happened in between these two dates, with some added commentary:

Ideal Occupant Interface

Visteon:

http://www.visteon.com/media/multimedia/hmi_video.html

Android A to Z: Haptic feedback

from www.androidcentral.com:

>>It goes one step further with the addition of things like the Immersion haptic SDK to the mix, where developers have an almost unlimited way to make their applications register with your fingers as well as your eyes and ears. Sometimes, the little things mean a lot.

The Spirit of Vanquish. The Art of Aston Martin.

Once again the One-77 supercar
has provided welcome inspiration,
giving rise to the central ‘waterfall’
design centre console. This flowing,
elegant design houses all the major
controls for the ventilation and
latest generation infotainment
systems. It also incorporates touchsensitive
capacitive switches, which
give haptic feedback – a gentle
vibration - through the smooth
glass surface.

From the sumptuous embrace of
the softest hand-crafted leather
and the fingertip pulse of our
hi-tech ‘haptic’ switches, to the
confidence-inspiring steering feel
that connects you to the road,
Vanquish is a tactile delight.

AMi (Aston Martin infotainment) and the climate
control systems are controlled using new touchsensitive
switches. Taking inspiration from the latest
smart phones and tablet devices, these capacitive
switches are a tactile and technological triumph,
giving ‘haptic feedback’ by delivering a subtle
vibration through the glass surface of the switch
to provide sensory confirmation that the system
recognises your instruction. These haptic switches
are supplemented by a new joystick, which now
includes rotary control as well as up/down/left/right,
ensuring precise control and easy input of
instructions to AMi.

http://cdn.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/brochures/english.pdf?sfvrsn=0

Data Center-Related Stocks Sell Off In October

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Data center-related stocks had their worst monthly performance in the last two years, but most of them still remain a positive investment on a year-to date basis.

Monthly performance

Here is a quick look at how each stock under our radar screen performed in October 2012:

Raymond James Gives Strong-Buy Rating to Equinix (EQIX)

from www.dailypolitical.com:

>>Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX)‘s stock had its “strong-buy” rating reiterated by investment analysts at Raymond James in a note issued to investors on Monday. They currently have a $230.00 target price on the stock.

Barclays Capital Sets Equinix Price Target at $225.00 (EQIX)

from www.dailypolitical.com:

>>Analysts at Barclays Capital lifted their price target on shares of Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) from $185.00 to $225.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock.

Samsung Galaxy S III dethrones iPhone 4S as smartphone sales champ for Q3 2012

from Engadget: 

>>Samsung claimed the pole position by shipping 18 million copies of its flagship handset during the quarter, compared to Cupertino's 16.2 million iPhone 4S units.

Equinix and Capita announce marketing alliance in Europe

from www.fx-mm.com:

>>Equinix, Inc., the global interconnection and data center company, and Capita IT Services, a leading provider of outsourced, managed IT services, today announced a regional marketing alliance to provide European clients with international hosting and data centre support. Through the alliance, Capita’s clients will have the option of deploying into Equinix data centres around the world.

Immersion: Progress In China, Still A Waiting Game

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Last week Immersion Corporation (IMMR) reported Q3 2012 results and updated investors about its latest achievements.

Financial highlights

• Total revenues in Q3 2012 were $7.1 million, an increase of 10% Y/Y;
• Royalty and license revenues of $6.4 million were up 8% from Y/Y;
• Net loss for the third quarter of 2012 was $(3.0) million, or $(0.11) per share;
• Adjusted EBITDA in Q3 was $(1.6) million, as compared to $454,000 in Q3 2011;
• Gross profit was $6.9 million or 96% of revenues;

Equinix Delivers Another Solid Quarter, Completes Sale Of 16 Data Centers, Enjoys Strong Pricing

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Last week Equinix (EQIX) delivered another strong quarter, and set initial guidance for continued growth in 2013.

Here are some of the highlights from Q3 2012:

• Revenues from continuing operations were $488.7 million, a 7% increase Q/Q and a 20% increase Y/Y;
• Cash gross profits were 68% in the quarter;
• Adjusted EBITDA came at $ 228.3 million, or 47% of revenues, a 5% increase Q/Q and a 22% increase Y/Y;
• Net income attributable to Equinix was $28.8 million, or a basic net income per share of $0.60 and a diluted net income per share of $0.58;
• Cash equivalents and investments were $519.8 million at quarter end;
• Churn was 2.9%, an improvement from Q2 2012, but still relatively high, as the company continues, especially in the US, its pro-active churn targeting data center optimization.

Inventure Foods

from Inventure Food Q3 2012: 

>>The Frozen segment net revenues, which includes Jamba® All Natural Smoothies, totaled $22.8 million for the quarter, were up 62.3% over the prior-year period.  Continuing the momentum from the first half of 2012, net revenues for the Frozen segment excluding Jamba® increased 72.7% for the quarter due to continued growth in branded and private label sales to new and existing customers.  Jamba® net revenues for the quarter totaled $4.3 million, an increase of 28.6% compared $3.3 million in the third quarter of 2011.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/01/4953833/inventure-foods-reports-third.html#storylink=cpy

Haptics beyond the iPhone 5

from www.bandt.com.au

>>Advanced haptics, like arrows that feel like they’re rising when they’re not, is complex. So complex it clearly risked adding unwanted bulk to the latest slimline iPhone. Which means haptics needs longer in the labs until its technology is thinner, lighter and more robus—and Apple is clearer about exactly what value it will deliver to consumers, which is always a question with haptics.
But while the more advanced haptics missed its September 14 debut, it is gathering momentum behind the scenes and is something marketers should be aware of.

Equinix Stock Rating Upgraded by Citigroup (EQIX)

from www.jagsreport.com:

>>Citigroup upgraded shares of Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Thursday.
“We are upgrading shares of EQIX to a Buy rating with an unchanged target price of $216 based on its favorable revenue growth prospects heading into 2013, rising returns on gross invested capital, forward valuation metrics that remain at a discount to most of the publicly-traded data centers & tower operators, & potential to improve its tax efficiency by pursuing conversion into a REIT structure.,” Citigroup’s analyst wrote.

A Historical Look At Post-Earnings Performance For Data Center Related Stocks

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Throughout the years, here at Nortia Research we've gathered several data about data center related stocks, including past performances post-earnings.
As Q3 2012 earnings season opens this week, it may be interesting to have a look at some of these data with a slightly different approach, to see if some investing strategies may be implemented in anticipation of repeated patterns.

Past Performance Is Not an Indication of Future Results

Having reminded that past performances are no guarantee for the future, the chart presenting how the companies under our radar screen behaved post-earnings in the last 6 quarters shows some interesting data:

One big cluster: How CloudFlare launched 10 data centers in 30 days

from http://arstechnica.com:

>> As a result, the company's "data centers" are usually at most a few racks of hardware, installed at co-location facilities that are major network exchange points. Prince said that most of his company's data centers are set up at Equinix IBX co-location facilities in the US, including CloudFlare's primary facility in San Jose—a facility also used by Google and other major cloud players as an on-ramp to the Internet.

Hacked Nokias add haptic dimension to calls

from www.wired.co.uk:

>>A pair of hacked Nokia N900 phones are capable of providing an extra sensory dimension to phonecalls by allowing users to send one another touch messages.
The ForcePhone prototypes were built by the Helsinki Institute of Information Technology in collaboration with Nokia Research to investigate haptic communication options. It could also provide users with the option of squeezing the handset during a call to trigger a vibration in the paired receiver, referred to as a "pressure message".

Equinix CTO Lane Patterson joined business and technology journalist Stephen Pritchard

from GigaOM: 

>>According to Equinix CTO Lane Patterson, CIOs are still learning what can and what can’t be done in the cloud. Ultimately, it’s a matter of trust.

New Clustrix Relationship with Equinix Expands Global Reach of its Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) Offerings

First Mission-critical, Scale-Out DBaaS Now on the European Continent

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 16, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ -- Today at GigaOm's Structure Europe, Clustrix, the scale-out SQL database for Big Data applications, announced a new relationship with Equinix, the global interconnection and data center company. Clustrix selected Equinix as a data center provider to meet the growing demand for its MySQL-compatible, scale-out database from its European installed base, new customers, and cloud partners.

Equinix's Amsterdam data center is the ideal venue for Clustrix's Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) debut in Europe. Equinix's co-location data center services and world-class security combined with low-latency access of Clustrix's mission-critical, high-performance DBaaS is an ideal solution for fast growing companies in Europe.
"With more than one-third of our customers and strategic cloud partners located in Europe, the Equinix infrastructure is a natural fit for the deployment and delivery of Clustrix's DBaaS," said Roland Schmidt, Sr. Director of Business Development at Clustrix.
"Equinix is pleased to be working with Clustrix to expand its reach to European customers and cloud partners. By deploying innovative new services from Equinix hubs, Clustrix is taking advantage of a confluence of bandwidth providers and complementary cloud services to meet the needs of European customers, expand its global reach, and scale rapidly in line with growing customer demand," said Lane Patterson, CTO at Equinix.
The Equinix relationship is a foundational element of Clustrix's scale-out SQL solution for Big Data applications around the globe.  As part of the Equinix ecosystem, Europe-based Clustrix customers can scale-out their services while simultaneously reaping the benefits of stable pricing. Amsterdam's emergence as Europe's leading location for hosting, Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and cloud presence facilitates global expansion of Clustrix's customer relationships and strategic partnerships, such as that with GoGrid, which deploys its cloud at Equinix in Amsterdam. This enables Clustrix's DBaaS presence in GoGrid's Amsterdam cloud with the same proximity, low latency, high performance, and superior SLA delivery as in GoGrid's San Francisco-based cloud.
With Equinix's worldwide and world-class data center reach, Clustrix rapidly extends the deployment and delivery of its DBaaS in Amsterdam today and wherever business demand dictates in the future. For mission-critical DBaaS needs on an infrastructure commensurate with the levels of quality, reliability and availability enterprise customers require, visit Clustrix at: http://www.clustrix.com

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/10/16/4339343/new-clustrix-relationship-with.html#storylink=cpy

Equinix scopes Melbourne for next data centre

from www.itnews.com.au:

>>Global data centre operator Equinix has confirmed its staff are actively scouting the Melbourne real estate market for a location to build its next data centre.
The company’s Australian managing director Tony Simonsen told iTnews Melbourne was the most attractive and underserved market in Australia.

The Transition From Legacy IT And Its Potential Consequences On Microsoft

Read the whole post at Seeking Alpha: 

>The transition from Legacy IT (PC-based) to Hybrid IT (PCs + Smartphones + Tablets) is on the way, and, according to some experts, it will soon lead to a new future called Next Gen IT (Smartphones + Tablets mainly).
PC companies have adopted several strategies to deal with this new landscape, including creating new categories like "ultrabooks" and other ultra-thin notebooks to drive sales, or reducing prices to lure more customers. Unfortunately for them, PC shipments are set to decline in 2012 for the first time in 11 years, according to iSuppli, and smartphone sales beat those of PCs for the first time ever in 2011, while recent tweets from Asymco's Horace Dediu seem to paint an even darker picture for PC producers - and Microsoft (MSFT), the absolute leader in PC software sales.
Microsoft and the Gang of Four

Network-Neutral Data Centers Lead Gains Year-To-Date

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Time for an update on the performance of data center related stocks, that include companies operating colocation facilities and CDNs.
As a reminder, we do not track larger companies, like Amazon (AMZN) or Google (GOOG), as their revenue/stock performance is mainly influenced by their retail or advertising platforms, rather than their data center (or cloud computing) operations.
Here is a short summary of how the companies under our radar screen behaved in August and September 2012:

Lightning Round: Equinix

from CNBC: 

>>Equinix: This is a great play on cloud computing, Jim Cramer said, adding he doesn't think the stock is likely to fall any time soon.

Hedge Fund Titan David Einhorn Shares Stock Picks

from Forbes:

>>His new pick is small cap Jamba. The stock, which trades near $2, has all the hallmarks of a good turnaround investing play, Khaner says. It has low debt to capital and a CEO experienced with turnaround. Chief James White was trained by Gillete turnaround guru Jim Kilts. Kilts was also responsible for teaching other savvy turnaround artists that art, men like Campbell’s Doug Conant.
Moreoever, Jamba’s return on invested capital has been improving, an important measure of a turnaround, Khaner says.

Equinix provides Southern Cross Cable Network hook-up from SY1

from www.computerworld.com.au

>> Company’s Sydney data centre, SY1, first in Australia to house a direct link to SCCN which will reduce latency

 Data centre provider, Equinix, has announced that its Sydney 1 (SY1) facility is the first data centre in Australia to house a direct link to the Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN), which provides international bandwidth from Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii to the US.

RBC Capital Boosts Price Target on Equinix (EQIX)

from www.jagsreport.com

>> Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) had its target price increased by RBC Capital from $195.00 to $230.00 in a report issued on Wednesday. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock.

SureHosting Internet Solutions teams with tw telecom to expand connections at Equinix data center in Sunnyvale, Calif.

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 24, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ -- tw telecom inc. (NASDAQ: TWTC), a leading provider of managed services, including Business Ethernet, converged, and IP VPN solutions for enterprise carrier customers throughout the U.S. and globally, announced today that it has teamed with SureHosting Internet Solutions to offer its customers secure, scalable and predictable Business Ethernet connectivity to the Equinix International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center in Sunnyvale, Calif.  
(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080626/LATH527LOGO)
"We are pleased to team with tw telecom to help us deliver our solutions to customers demanding world-class, reliable, and secure bandwidth, while connecting offices directly to their data center assets," said Michael Hendricks, President and CEO of SureHosting Internet Services. "With tw telecom's highly reliable Layer 2 Business Ethernet connectivity across the nation, we have the best path routing available to ensure fast, secure and scalable bandwidth for our customers' applications. Together, we can offer a 'virtual patch cord' that eliminates the need for expensive firewalls, delivering faster and more reliable connections directly to our data center equipment."
As part of the agreement, tw telecom will deliver a 1 Gbps connection that can immediately respond as SureHosting's bandwidth demands increase.

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/09/24/4288068/surehosting-internet-solutions.html#storylink=cpy

Focus Media LBO Offer: Betting On The Timing Rather Than The Outcome Of The Proposed Deal

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Focus Media (FMCN) is the dominant advertising-display agency in China, operating approximately 170,000 flat-panel displays in about 90,000 buildings all over 90 Chinese cities.
The company recently received a $3.1 billion buyout offer backed by the company chairman and several key investors like Citic Capital Partners (a company associated with CITIC Group, synonymous of the Chinese sovereign wealth fund), FountainVest Partners (lead by Frank Tang, who used to head China investments for Temasek, the Singapore Sovereign Wealth Fund) and private-equity giant Carlyle. The company's largest shareholder, Fosun International, seems supportive of the deal.

Equinix price target raised to $230 from $200 at Pacific Crest

from Yahoo: 

>>Pacific Crest increased its target on Equinix as the firm believes that the company deserves a higher multiple after deciding to attempt to convert to a REIT in 2015.

Jamba Juice Café, Corporate Office Slated to Open in Stony Brook

from http://threevillage.patch.com

>>Scott Borland has big plans for the Jamba Juice name on Long Island.

The St. James resident has acquired the franchise rights to Jamba Juice smoothie and juice cafés in all of Suffolk, Nassau, Brooklyn and Queens, and he's starting right here in Stony Brook with a location at 2460 Nesconset Highway.

UPDATE: Goldman Sachs Raises PT to $216 on Equinix on REIT Commitment

From Benzinga: 

>>Goldman Sachs reiterated its Neutral rating on Equinix  but raised its price target from $195 to $216.

Read more: http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/12/09/2914075/update-goldman-sachs-raises-pt-to-216-on-equinix-on-reit##ixzz26k2ANKNs

HTC, Motorola Say Immersion Flouted ITC Definition Deadline

from www.law360.com:

>> HTC Corp. and Motorola Mobility LLC on Tuesday pressed a judge with the U.S. International Trade Commission to bar additional claim definitions from Immersion Corp. in its smartphone patent infringement suit, saying Immersion has flouted a court-ordered deadline by offering at least 41 such ill-timed constructions.

Samsung says Galaxy Note 2 sales could reach 20M, Yonhap reports

from www.theflyonthewall.com

>> Samsung (SSNLF) said sales of its Galaxy Note 2, a smartphone/tablet hybrid, may reach 20M, according to Yonhap, which cited Shin Jong-kyun, the head of Samsung's IT and mobile unit.

Feltl & Co Starts Immersion

From www.streetinsider.com:

>>Feltl & Co initiates coverage on Immersion (NASDAQ: IMMR) with a Hold. PT $5.70.

Apple Researches a New Haptic Option & More

from www.patentlyapple.com

>> In March of this year we posted our first haptics related patent report for 2012 titled "Apple Looking to deliver a little More Buzz to iOS Devices." Then in May we posted another haptics report titled "Apple Reveals Wildly Intelligent Multi-Tiered Haptics System," which was a very detailed and ambitious application. Then in August we posted our third patent report covering haptics that related to a low Z profile linear vibrational motor. Today, in our fourth haptics report of the year we take a quick look at Apple's work on a linear vibrator which provides localized haptic feedback. Obviously Apple is searching for the right haptics solutions for the right devices. In fact, our morning report titled "Apple Advances Work on Virtual Keyboards for iMac & MacBook," is the ideal application for Apple's localized haptic feedback technology.

Samsung says Galaxy S III Sales Top 20 Million

from http://allthingsd.com/

>> Samsung said on Wednesday that sales of its Galaxy S III phone have now surpassed 20 million, the fastest start to any of its devices.

Galaxy S III passes Apple's iPhone 4S, becomes top selling US smartphone

from www.appleinsider.com:

>For the first time since it launched last October, Apple's iPhone 4S was not the top selling smartphone in the U.S., as the newly released Samsung Galaxy S III took the top spot in the month of August.

Apple iPhone 5 Features: 5 Reasons Why the New Larger Screen Could Be a Game-changer

from /www.booksnreview.com:

>>5) Advanced Haptics: This feature may be a long-shot to make it to the iPhone 5, but if Apple managed to pull this one off, this next iPhone could be the best smartphone experience ever created.
By making the phone's screen process thinner and stronger, Apple could potentially implement one of its patents for a new haptics feedback system, which would allow users to physically interact with their content by touching it -- an experience which would be accomplished with sensors and actuators working simultaneously.
Apple's multi-tiered system is extremely sophisticated: Using several layers of elastic screens stacked on top of each other, Apple's screen can produce 3D buttons or objects to interact with, as well as give texture to images, like topographical maps, but only when they're needed. This technology is currently being explored by another company, Tactus Technology, which created a video to explain how it all works.

Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 and A2107 Hands-On: Haptic Feedback, Great Widgets

from http://blog.laptopmag.com/

>> Our favorite feature of the IdeaTab S2109 is its haptic feedback. Where most Android phones provide a pleasant but optional tactile buzz as you type and hit navigation buttons, most Android tablets lack this functionality. With the IdeaTab 2109, it’s on by default, giving users a better simulation of a real keyboard as they type on a virtual one.

Bob Heubel is a haptic technology evangelist with IMMR

from www.dmwmedia.com

>> Bob Heubel is a haptic technology evangelist with Immersion Corporation. He specializes in helping game developers implement feedback effects that players can literally feel, adding touch to the sights and sounds of gaming on smartphones and tablets. Heubel put his mobile device down just long enough to answer Five Questions.

Direct Edge to Relocate Disaster Recovery Facilities to Equinix CH4 Data Center in Chicago

Build Out to be Completed in the 4th Quarter of 2013

 

 

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Aug 30, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Direct Edge(R), one of the world's leading equities exchange operators, announces it has signed an agreement with Equinix, Inc. EQIX +0.86% , a provider of global data center services, to re-locate the disaster recovery facilities for EDGA Exchange and EDGX Exchange to Equinix's Chicago 4 (CH4) International Business Exchange(TM) (IBX(R)) data center. Scheduled to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2013, Direct Edge anticipates the new site will enhance its business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities by providing geographic diversity in the event of a disruption that impacts its primary facility at the Equinix NY4 data center in Secaucus, New Jersey.

"Continuous operation in even the most difficult of circumstances is a core pillar of investor confidence," said Saro Jahani, Chief Information Officer for Direct Edge. "Not only is the Equinix CH4 site a world-class data center already used by many of our members, its location will complement Direct Edge's primary facility by providing geographic diversity in the event of broad unavailability of our New Jersey facilities. Equinix has been a valued partner of Direct Edge since before the launch of our exchanges in 2010, and we are honored to expand our relationship with them."

"Equinix is pleased to provide Direct Edge with the redundancy, security, and connectivity it requires to deliver the performance and support its members demand," said John Knuff, general manager, global financial services at Equinix. "Direct Edge has access to a rich ecosystem of trading participants and connectivity options inside its primary deployment at NY4, and with its expansion to CH4 market participants in Chicago will have access to Direct Edge locally."

Direct Edge currently uses a data center facility in Clifton, N.J., as the DR site for the backup facilities of the EDGA and EDGX Exchanges. A detailed migration and implementation schedule will be distributed to members and trading participants in due course. 

 http://www.marketwatch.com/story/direct-edge-to-relocate-disaster-recovery-facilities-to-equinix-ch4-data-center-in-chicago-2012-08-30

National Securities - PANL

from Barrons: 

>>Update: In an update to the note, Liu states that for touch-feedback technology maker Immersion (IMMR), “For Immersion, this may be a positive for the company. The Apple-Samsung verdict sends a strong message about patent infringement.”

Nokia patents haptic system to simulate linear motion, assist with navigational route guidance

from Engadget: 

>>Given the company's other research in the field of haptic systems, it seems Nokia's future may be full of good vibrations, indeed.

Data Center Related Stocks Jump On Earnings, But Close A Mixed July

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Data center related stocks closed a mixed month in July 2012, in spite of several positive performances after earnings, as most companies beat analysts' expectations both for revenues and earnings.

July performance

Here is a quick look at how all companies under our radar screen performed in July 2012:

Samsung: 10 million Galaxy Notes have been sold, worldwide

from Engadget: 

>>Samsung's got more reasons to celebrate today than just the release of its latest pen-friendly tablet -- the company also let it be known that it has managed to sell 10 Million Galaxy Note devices, globally.

Paulson & Co. Strong Likes Equinix,

from www.valuewalk.com:

>>New Positions

Paulson initiated two major positions in JPMorgan Chase & Co.(NYSE:JPM) with 4 million shares Equinix Inc (NASDAQ:EQIX) with 1.03 million shares, these holdings now make up 1.19 and 1.49 percent of the portfolio.

Force feedback could be the sequel to the touchscreen craze

from http://venturebeat.com/:

>>Ramstein believes forecasts that predict that 60 percent of smartphones will have advanced haptics by 2015.
By advanced, Ramstein means technology that vibrates in multiple locations, produces localized sounds, is integrated with a sensor, and supports multiple finger touches. It has to bend with a device and be both ultralight and flexible. Ramstein said that his modules have a response time of under 1 millisecond, making them faster, more elastic, and more forceful than competing technologies such as piezoceramic or elastomer. It is less than 50 microns thick (a micron is a millionth of a meter) and weighs less than a gram.

Jamba Juice launches ‘at home’ Greek yogurt smoothies

from http://www.foodbev.com

>> US juice bar business Jamba Juice has launched Jamba ‘At Home’ Smoothies combining non-​fat Greek yogurt with on-​trend super fruits.

HandyGames adds haptic feedback to Bulldozer, Guns'n'Glory WW2, and Farm Invasion

from http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk

>> German studio HandyGames has just added Immersion's Haptic Development Platform to the Android versions of Bulldozer, Guns'n'Glory WW2, and Farm Invasion, which means they now boast touch feedback.

Gartner: Global Mobile Sales Down 2%, Smartphones Surge 43%

from http://techcrunch.com:

>>The picture is different for the world leader: buoyed by its strong sales in smartphones (over half of all devices sold by Samsung) and feature phones, Samsung is playing the game perfectly. It improved its market by nearly five percentage points to 21.6% marketshare, working out to over 90 million units sold. The distance between Samsung/Nokia and the rest of the pack is big at the moment. Apple comes in third but a ways behind with 29 million units. That shows how challenging the mobile market, which needs to operate at scale to be profitable, is at the moment for the majority of the industry.

Equinix Opens New NY5 Facility - Expect Accelerated Revenue Growth

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Equinix (EQIX) is opening its brand new NY5 data center in the New York metro area, a facility that is expected to respond to strong market demand from its financial customers at a time when the other IBX data centers in the region have reached full capacity.
In this article, we'll go through the background of Equinix's presence in the NY area and strength in the financial vertical, as well as examine what the new opening may mean for the company in the long term.

Equinix's Presence in the New York Metro Area

Excluding the new NY5 facility, the company is operating seven data centers in the New York metro area, located both in Manhattan or in the so-called New Jersey doughnut -- a 30 kilometer to 70 kilometer circle around New York.

Immersion Disappoints, Hints At Potential Settlements For Basic Haptics

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha

>>Last week on Thursday evening, Immersion Corporation (IMMR) delivered disappointing Q2 2012 results, below consensus and management's expectation as far as revenues. The company widened its guidance for 2012, to incorporate both the possibility of a result inferior to previous expectations, as well as potential upside from Basic Haptics royalty agreements/settlements before year's end.

First, a quick look at some of the highlights from Q2 2012 earnings:

TeleCity Group delivers a solid 1H 2012, acquires Tenue Oy, a Finnish data centre operator

Read the whole post at TR: 

>>Today, TeleCity Group announced its results for the first half of 2012.


In line with expectations, the company delivered solid growth both in revenues and EBITDA.

Here is a quick look at some of the highlights:

What RIM Must Do to Make BlackBerry 10 a Success

from www.techvibes.com:

>>A MOBILE GAMER'S DREAM
The newest Samsung devices can utilize the world leader in haptics technology known as Immersion. Around since 1993, it has Montreal and San Jose offices. Haptic technology allows for “feel” when you press a touchscreen. Samsung's latest models demoed haptic gaming at the latest Google I/O conference in California, making an experience similar to that of the PlayStation controller that vibrates while you play.
RIM must come up with something awesome on the gaming side to attract both developers and more youthful technology oriented consumers. Sony's newest product allowed for PS3 games to be played on the new VITA via a Wi-Fi connection, but was everything except a phone. Immersion has released a mobile SDK.

Trends and shipment forecast for 2H 2012 smartphone market

from DIGITIMES: 

>>Global smartphone shipments will top 630 million units in 2012, representing on-year growth of 35%, which is more more moderate annual growth than seen in previous years. Smartphone shipments in 2010 and 2011 both enjoyed growth of more than 60%. Growth will decelerate in 2012 due to the high base, as well as a slowdown in consumer spending in Western Europe.

In the second half of the year, global smartphone shipments will reach 344 million units and quarterly shipments during 2012 will register sequential growth through the last quarter of the year. The shipment ratio for the first and second halves of 2012 is estimated at 4.5:5.5.

Quarterly shipments during 2012 will manage on-year growth through the last quarter of the year. But the growth will slow at a gradual pace and likely decelerate to 22% in the fourth quarter.

Immersion upgraded to Hold from Sell at Capstone

from www.theflyonthewall.com:

>>Capstone upgraded Immersion based on valuation.

Data Center Related Stocks Halftime Post-Earnings Performance: Solid Uptrend

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Half of the stocks under our coverage in the data center related sector reported earnings last week, including the companies that are considered the bellwethers for the network-neutral, REIT and CDN sub-sectors, Equinix (EQIX), Digital Realty (DLR) and Akamai (AKAM), respectively.
Before reporting the highlights for each of them, here is a short summary of how all companies performed in term of Y/Y growth, and against analysts' expectations:

Equinix, le plus grand datacenter de France

from /www.entreprises.ouest-france.fr: 

>>Le plus grand datacenter de France entre en service, mercredi, à Pantin (93). Equinix, le leader mondial, a relié cette ferme informatique de 12 000 m2 à son centre de Saint-Denis. C’est le repaire des grands noms du web.

Cramer's Six Stocks in 60 Seconds: EQIX

from The Street:

>>He said that data center purveyor Equinix remains the best-performing cloud computing play despite Monday's analyst downgrade.

Equinix downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup

from Yahoo: 

>>Citigroup downgraded Equinix citing valuation and limited revenue growth upside relative to expectations. The firm raised its price target for shares to $200 from $180.

Strong Demand for Smartphones in Second Quarter Continues to Drive the Worldwide Mobile Phone Market, According to IDC

The worldwide mobile phone market grew 1% year over year in the second quarter of 2012 (2Q12), as Samsung and Apple shipped almost half of the world's smartphones. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 406.0 million units in 2Q12 compared to 401.8 million units in the second quarter of 2011.

http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS23624612

Equinix's Journey To $3 Billion Sounds Achievable

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>During its recent analyst day in New York, Equinix's (EQIX) management sounded quite upbeat on the company's long term growth prospects. After a four-fold rise in revenues since 2007, the company is now guiding to reach $3 billion in sales in 2015, almost a double compared to 2011 revenues.
After a quick look at Equinix's past performances, we'll try to break down a few reasons why we believe the company is well positioned to reach this ambitious target.

Equinix Delivers Another Solid Quarter, Expands In Brazil

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Equinix (EQIX) delivered another solid quarter last Wednesday night, and guided above consensus for Q3 and full year 2012.
Let's have a quick look at some of the highlights of the quarter:

• Revenues of $466.3M (+18.1% Y/Y, +3% Q/Q) slightly missed consensus of $ $467.1 million. On an FX-neutral basis, Q2 revenues increased 4% Q/Q and were up 22% over the same quarter of last year. Negative currency trends impacted the quarter for about $3 million, compared to FX guidance rates;
• Q2 EPS of $0.76 beat consensus by $ 0.15 per share;
• The company guided for revenues of $492 million to $498 million in Q3, above consensus of $485.2 million (including $13 million to $15 million of revenue attributed to the Asia Tone and ancotel acquisitions), and increased 2012 guidance to greater than $1,920.0 million;

Nokia's Better-Than-Expected Cash Performance A Trap For Investors?

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Nokia (NOK) recently delivered mixed earnings, which surprised investors, on the positive side, thanks to the company's strong net cash balance of €4.2B ($ 5B) at quarter's end, marginally down from €4.9B ($5.9B) in Q1 2012, in spite of a net loss of €1.41B ($ 1.7B) in the quarter.
The stock bounced on the news, to give back most of its gains the following day.

Equinix Change to REIT Seen Saving $312 Million in Taxes

from Bloomberg: 

>>“Tax efficiency is the most important attribute of being a REIT, so that’s certainly a positive,” said Clayton Moran, an analyst at Delray Beach, Florida-based Benchmark Co., who recommends buying the shares. “REITs are valued at a premium given that they’re highly recurring dividend plays.”

Toshiba REGZA T-02D smartphone launches in Japan

from Engadget: 

>>Confusingly announced by Fujitsu, the Toshiba Regza T-02D will settle into a wall of similarly bright-colored, good-looking smartphones in NTT DoCoMo stores starting this week.

Nomura Securities Starts Equinix (EQIX) at Buy; Strongly Positioned Vs Peers

from www.streetinsider.com

>> PT $210.00.

Analyst, Mike McCormack, said, "Equinix is strongly positioned among peers with what we believe are the most attractive carrier-neutral data center assets. Through acquisitions and organic growth, we believe the company has built the scale and depth to continue taking share in the carrier-neutral data center market. Equinix has some of the world’s largest enterprises, carriers and content providers as customers, thus enabling the company to provide connectivity that we believe is unmatched in the industry. Although not fully insulated from broader macro weakness, the defensive nature of the company’s revenue model should provide investors an added level of comfort."

Nomura Analysts Begin Coverage on Equinix (EQIX)

from www.dailypolitical.com

>> Equities research analysts at Nomura initiated coverage on shares of Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. The firm set a “buy” rating on the stock.

Goldman Sachs Reiterates Neutral on Equinix (EQIX)

from www.dailypolitical.com: 

>>Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX)‘s stock had its “neutral” rating reaffirmed by Goldman Sachs in a research note issued on Tuesday.

HiWave’s haptic touch panels deliver tactile feedback for improved user interaction with aerospace electronic systems

Complete hardware and software platform enhances safety, reduces cost, and increases robustness in cockpit and passenger entertainment systems
Cambridge, UK, July 9, 2012: HiWave Technologies (LSE:HIW), the provider of electronic devices that deliver innovative sound and touch technologies to user interfaces on electronic display systems, announces the launch of a haptics (touch feedback) platform for control panels and touch displays in aerospace applications. The integrated hardware/software platform enables systems designers to replace conventional mechanical buttons with touch switches and brings haptic feedback to panels and displays so that users perceive the positive experience of mechanical movement, even though none is present.
For cockpit electronic systems, HiWave’s Bending Wave touch/haptics provide greatly improved user feedback and safety than existing touch controls. The company’s force-related haptics enable touch detection and tactile sensation from non-moving touch switch arrays, even with gloved hands. As no mechanical movement is present there is no physical wear, reducing maintenance costs. HOTAS (Hands On Stick And Throttle) functions can be contextually mapped onto sensor arrays, and MHDDs (Multi Function Head Down Displays) can have full multi-level touch and gesture recognition with 3D haptic response. Passenger aircraft in-flight entertainment systems benefit similarly from this patented haptic technology.
The evaluation platform incorporates HiWave’s HIHXC14C02-8 or HIHXC09C005-8 haptic actuators, which attach to the touch interface panel or switch array, and a HiWave haptic controller integrated circuit which resolves touch input and delivers the haptic signals to the actuators.
HiWave’s Bending Wave actuators create waveforms across the touch panel or switch to create any of a range of switch sensations such as the feel of a mechanical switch or button. Additionally, if desired, audio cues can be simultaneously overlaid. A significant benefit of HiWave’s combined touch and Bending Wave Haptics is that the panel can be robustly constructed with no moving or separate parts that would be the case with traditional buttons and switches. No physical movement is necessary as bending waves create the tactile sensation locally in the touch panel. This reduces cost, increases ruggedness and product lifetime. As with HiWave’s other haptic platforms, this is achieved with a high level of mechanical efficiency by HiWave’s patented inertial exciters, resulting in crisp tactile sensation with low power consumption.
HiWave’s algorithms processed in its haptic control chip enable feedback responses to be defined by the designer and implemented by HiWave to replicate a wide range of button or key-press press sensations, or textures to convey information to the user. HiWave’s bending wave technology is the only solution that delivers true wideband haptics for the richest tactile sensation, as well up to 15kHz for audio playback. A range of audio feedbacks – from simple pings and clicks to mp3 files containing spoken instructions and music - can also be delivered without additional speakers by using the touch panel as the sound emitter.
James Lewis, CEO of HiWave said:
“Aerospace and defence is an important market, recognising and adopting the very best solutions for user interface to enhance operational effectiveness and flight safety. But the in-flight entertainment systems in passenger jets also need easy to use robust touch and haptic user interface to give passengers the easiest access to information and entertainment, and save cost caused by system failures. Our haptics and touch solutions bring clear advantages in this environment.”
HiWave continues to patent its haptics and touch technology breakthroughs, and will demonstrate its solutions to major aerospace and defence companies at the Farnborough International Airshow, 9-15 July.

 http://www.hi-wave.com/news/tactile_feedback_for_aerospace_electronic_systems.php

Asia Equinix's Highest Growth Market, CEO Says

From Bloomberg:

>>July 10 (Bloomberg) -- Stephen Smith, chief executive officer of Equinix Inc., talks about the demand for services in Asia and the company's growth strategy. He speaks with Susan Li on Bloomberg Television's "Asia Edge."

Major Outage for Salesforce.com

from DCK:

>>Salesforce.com is experiencing a significant outage today, leaving many customers unable to access the company’s services. The downtime was triggered by a power outage at an Equinix data center in Silicon Valley.
..

Equinix, which hosts most of Salesforce.com’s infrastructure,  acknowledged that it had a brief power failure.
“This morning Equinix experienced a power issue that lasted about one minute and affected approximately one quarter of one Silicon Valley data center,” the company said in a statement. “Although our recovery was swift, recovery time for individual customers in our data centers varies considerably, depending upon their specific deployment configurations. We deeply regret the impact and inconvenience this incident caused our customers.”

Equinix Eyes More Acquisitions in India, Korea, Middle East

from WSJ India

>>Chief Executive Steve Smith said in an interview Tuesday the Redwood City, Calif.-based company expects to acquire or open data centers in markets such as India, Korea, Russia and the Middle East once it completes its business development reviews in these markets.

Equinix (EQIX) Initiated At 'Buy' By Deutsche Bank, $225 PT

from www.istockanalyst.com/

>>Feldman said his bullish view is based on two key factors. A positive outlook for global data center demand. As the only truly global provider of retail colocation facilities, EQIX seems well positioned to benefit from an outsourcing trend driven by rapid IP traffic growth, and from favorable pricing due to the deep ecosystems in its IBXs.
Despite EQIX's outperformance year-to-date, current valuation does not appear to price-in any upside from a REIT conversion, which the analyst views as likely in 2014. In other words, he sees attractive upside if EQIX converts and limited downside if it does not.

Apple Reveals Wildly Intelligent Multi-Tiered Haptics System

from www.patentlyapple.com:

>>Tiered Haptics Could be applied to Flexible OLED Displays Including Video Glasses

According to Apple, the display screen noted in FIG. 10 may be any suitable type of display screen which may allow haptic interaction. For example, in some embodiments, the display screen may be a flexible organic light emitting diode screen (OLED), a graphene sheet, or any other suitable flexible display screen or any suitable combinations thereof. In some embodiments, display screen 1002 may be substantially inflexible, and may not form contoured screen surfaces. In some embodiments, display screen 1002 may include a protective cover such as, for example, clear plastic (e.g., Lexan) or any other suitable substantially transparent material. Common usages of Lexan include space and sports helmets, clear high-performance windshields and aircraft canopies, and bullet-resistant windows. 

 Update May 4, 2012: The video below covers the basics of Haptics that may be of interest to some.

Equinix looking closely at REIT conversion

from Reuters

>>Changing a company's capital structure to turn it into a REIT is complex. Equinix would need to get approvals from its shareholders and the Securities and Exchange Commission, apart from a final nod from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
"We are increasingly convinced that a transition is possible based on our discussions with an independent tax and accounting expert," Cowen and Co analyst Colby Synesael said.

Galaxy to power record $5.9 bln profit

from Reuters: 

>>Soaraway sales of the Galaxy smartphone will drive record quarterly profit of $5.9 billion at Samsung Electronics, though the South Korean tech giant is fretting over how Europe's debt crisis is denting demand in its biggest market for televisions and home appliances.

Immersion Hit By A Sell Downgrade: Why It Could Be Misleading

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Last week, Immersion Corporation (IMMR) was was downgraded to sell by Capstone Investments.
Subsequent to this negative recommendation the stock, which was previously trading in the $7 range, lost about 20% of its value in a few days, as shown in the following chart:

Data Center Related Stocks Close A Strong First Half Year

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha: 

>>Dupont Fabros Technologies (DFT) was the best performing data center related stock in June 2012, having gained slightly more than 12% in this month alone.
Network-neutral providers Interxion (INXN) and Equinix (EQIX) come next, with performances of 9% and 8%, respectively.
CDN providers Akamai (AKAM) and Limelight Networks (LLNW) also performed positively in the month, having gained roughly 8%.
Here is a complete review of all stocks under our coverage, which highlights a month relatively positive for the sector: