Tag Archives: Facebook Home

Comparing Smartphones in 2013

By Doug Ehrman, The Motley Fool

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Though making a meaningful smartphone comparison used to involve pitting Apple against Google in a duopoly, the other players in the market have become increasingly important to understanding the landscape. Microsoft‘s Windows Phones have gained traction, BlackBerry refuses to go away, and Samsung has carved out its own niche unlike any other. Any meaningful smartphone comparison now includes multiple devices across multiple operating systems, not to mention a look at the markets in which they compete.

Confusing the matter further is the recent release of Facebook Home, which brings a brand-new market segment to the forefront. Where this development will lead remains to be seen. In the video below, Fool.com contributor Doug Ehrman discusses the most important elements of a smartphone comparison and which names to watch heading into the summer.

There’s no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology’s largest revolution ever, and that longtime shareholders have been handsomely rewarded with over 1,000% gains. However, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. The Motley Fool’s senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, is prepared to fill you in on both reasons to buy and reasons to sell Apple, and what opportunities are left for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, simply click here now.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Will Apple Tumble Below $400?

By Doug Ehrman, The Motley Fool

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At the end of January, I predicted that Apple would touch $400 per share before it crossed $500 again. While the stock made a valiant run to $480 in an effort to prove me wrong, it has since shown significant weakness that brought shares within less than a dollar of recent lows during last Friday’s trading session. Still trading with a P/E below 10 and looking like a real value, investors are beginning to ask themselves whether the stock will tumble, soar, or stagnate. While there seem to be several catalysts lurking in the shadows, none has pushed to the forefront to take control of the stock‘s future.

Potential positives
While there is little evidence that either product is imminent, the release of either the iWatch or iTV has been widely rumored and is drawing attention from investors. News of the next-generation iPhone, as well as the release of a cheaper version that will allow the company to make a significant push into the emerging markets, could likewise serve as a positive, but the timing of each of these events is not likely to drive the stock at present. There’s also some concern that the iPhone 5S — if Apple follows its regular pattern — could be a letdown.

The most plausible positive is an announcement from Cupertino of an initiative to put more cash back into the hands of Apple shareholders. Ever since the shareholder lawsuit leading up to the last shareholder meeting, the issue has been on the minds of many investors. Apple’s reported $137 billion in cash could make shares more attractive if some of that amount began to flow.

Stumbling blocks
Unfortunately for Apple, the number of potential negative catalysts is probably longer than the positive ones. Facebook‘s announcement of Facebook Home has the potential to pressure Apple sales, as the platform exists solely on Google Android devices. In addition to integrating the Facebook experience more fully into the phone, Facebook Home apparently streamlines the operation of Android in such a way as to make it more user-friendly, an area Apple has historically commanded. If evidence emerges that Facebook Home is gaining traction, expect to see further concerns for Apple.

Another Android based threat is the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S4. The new smartphone from the world’s largest manufacturer of wireless phones is definitely likely to put pressure on Apple. While Apple reclaimed the top spot over the Galaxy S III after the iPhone 5 was released, Samsung had temporarily beaten Apple on its home turf. Samsung continues to make inroads, taking aim at Apple in various ways — another new development is the new retail locations that Samsung is introducing.

Probably the biggest risk factor for Apple shares is the direction of the overall market. While each of the major indexes has been flirting with progressively higher all-time highs, a correction could easily pull Apple …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Is Facebook Home a Threat to Google?

By Doug Ehrman, The Motley Fool

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With the release of Facebook‘s new meta app, Facebook Home, the company may finally be able to monetize its impressive base of users. Built on the Android OS, the interaction between Facebook and Google has potential ramifications for mobile advertising options. This is one of the most critical growth areas left in the sector and the race to convert users to cash is fierce.

In the following video, Fool.com contributor Doug Ehrman discusses how Facebook Home works and why it has the potential to threaten Google’s dominance in mobile advertising.

It’s more important than ever to understand each piece of Google’s sprawling empire. In The Motley Fool’s new premium research report on Google, we break down the risks and potential rewards for Google investors. Simply click here now to unlock your copy of this invaluable resource.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Not Even Facebook Can Save This Smartphone Maker

By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

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It’s been a rough couple of years for Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC. Once upon a time, it was the cream of the Android crop. Nowadays, South Korean rival Samsung has supplanted the company, primarily with advantages in distribution and marketing. With marketing being one of its biggest weaknesses, the company has realized that the whole “Quietly Brilliant” motto wasn’t working so well, promising to take a louder approach going forward.

HTC is also partnering with Facebook to launch the HTC First, which will be the first device to feature Facebook Home. Pairing up with the social network will certainly appeal to avid Facebookers looking to get their hands on the first real Facebook Phone, but ultimately the First is a mid-range device that won’t be able to turn the tables. That job is up to the HTC One.

Unfortunately for HTC, suppliers no longer consider it a “tier-one” smartphone maker, so it has been having trouble getting all the ingredients it needs. Cameras, in particular, are bottlenecking production, and HTC was forced to delay the global launch of its One device. The One delays have contributed to HTC posting its lowest profits on record.

HTC‘s bottom line in the first quarter was just $2.8 million. Revenue was down 37% to $1.4 billion, below even the low end of its guidance. In February, HTC guided to first-quarter sales of $1.7 billion to $2 billion.

A recent Chipworks teardown showed that HTC is sourcing cameras from STMicroelectronics and OmniVision . STMicroelectronics is providing the primary rear camera, which is a 4-megapixel shooter that HTC is hoping will dispel the megapixel myth in the smartphone camera wars. OmniVision is supplying the front-facing 2-megapixel sensor.

The primary sensor is the first backside-illuminated sensor that Chipworks has seen from STMicroelectronics, a technology in which OmniVision used to enjoy first-mover advantage. That’s notable because OmniVIsion offers a sensor with identical specs, yet STM was still able to score the design win. However, it’s also possible that HTC is dual sourcing (Chipworks only tore down one unit), but that implied commoditization isn’t necessarily a good thing, either. It’s not clear which of these companies is the supply chain culprit that’s holding back the One.

Everything is quite literally riding on the One. The flagship launches domestically this month, barely beating Samsung’s Galaxy S4 to market. Still, Samsung’s same advantages will still apply. For example, the Galaxy S4 will be available on all four major U.S. carriers, while HTC said the One won’t reach Verizon Wireless (the biggest of the four). AllThingsD reports that the One will indeed make its way to Big Red‘s network eventually, so perhaps HTC was playing coy.

For HTC, the One will make or break the company in 2013.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

5 Things to Watch This Week

By Rick Aristotle Munarriz

Filed under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Alamy

From an established homebuilder going public to the leading used car retailer slamming on the brakes long enough to announce quarterly results, there will be plenty of news waiting to break in the coming days. Let’s go over some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.

1. Home IPO, Sweet Home IPO: Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you’re probably aware that residential real estate has bounced back in a major way. Prices are inching higher, and available inventory is thinning out.

If you are sleeping under said rock, by the way, at least make sure it has central air, indoor plumbing, and room for a pool.

As homebuilders see their financials and share prices improve, privately held developers now want in on the action. TRI Point Homes (TPH) went public earlier this year, and this week it will be Taylor Morrison Home hanging the “Open House” sign on its IPO.

Taylor Morrison Home is hoping to raise roughly $500 million as it offers 23.8 million shares priced at $20 to $22 apiece. The stock should price on Tuesday for this developer that happens to be one of country’s 10 largest homebuilders. Taylor Morrison Home should then begin trading on Wednesday.

2. Facebook Calls an Audible: Facebook (FB) unveiled a new platform for Android devices last week, and Facebook Home makes its debut on Friday.

The new program will run on some of the latest Android wireless devices, aiming to make the smartphone experience more about people than apps.

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Phones with Facebook Home installed will boost up to a screen where Facebook notifications are front and center with the latest photos uploaded by friends serving as a background. It’s more impressive than it sounds, and more importantly it’s reversible — it’s just a matter of uninstalling the program.

A bolder move by Facebook — HTC First — will also hit the market Friday. This is what many in the media are now calling the Facebook Phone since it’s optimized for the new application. Even if the phone itself doesn’t sell well, the future of Facebook Home can still be bright.

3. Good Buy, Ruby Tuesday?: The climate for casual dining is challenging. The end of the payroll tax stimulus is giving diners less money to eat out. It’s certainly not helping that hungry customers are choosing “fast casual” places that provide quality food quickly at lower price points and without the tipping rite.

Ruby Tuesday (RT) has been a laggard, and a new CEO was brought in late last year to attempt a turnaround. The new helmsman has shed …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Five Reviews Of The HTC First, With Facebook Home

By Ewan Spence, Contributor

Alongside the software download of Facebook Home, the other announcement from Facebook was that HTC would be launching the HTC First on AT&T in the US, with availability in other territories to follow in the near future. A number of reviewers have been able to look over the handset, and here is a quick summary of their thoughts, and links to the full reviews. …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Facebook Answers Questions About "Home" and Privacy

By Kevin Chen, The Motley Fool

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After recently launching Facebook Home, Facebook  released a statement answering questions that Facebook and Android users had about the new product:

  • It won’t change users’ privacy settings on Facebook.
  • Its privacy controls work the same as they do on Facebook.
  • Users don’t have to use Home to access Facebook on Android. It’s an option that customers can access by downloading it from the Play Store or by buying a phone with Home preinstalled.
  • It can be used without setting it as a phone’s locked screen, and it can be turned off.
  • It collects information not only from users’ likes, comments, and messages, but also from the apps they use through the Home app launcher. Facebook stores identifying information for 90 days to “improve how [the service] works.”
  • For devices that come with Home preinstalled, Facebook does collect system and app notifications that display on Home, but it doesn’t collect the content of the notification itself. For example, Facebook can see that users have launched a map application, but it won’t see what directions users have searched for, or any other activity within the app itself. Facebook also stores this information in identifiable form for 90 days.
  • Facebook collects location-based information similar to how the current Facebook app does. As with the app, users can turn off location preferences.
  • Facebook-enabled apps, which share app information with Facebook, should notify users of any new privacy updates.

Facebook says users can learn more online by reviewing the company’s Data Use Policy.

The article Facebook Answers Questions About “Home” and Privacy originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Kevin Chen has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Facebook. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Facebook Home: More Disruptive Than You Think

By Elise Ackerman, Contributor

Facebook Home, announced last week, was not the promised Facebook phone. Instead, it was widely described as nothing more than software that takes over the front of your Android phone so that the pictures and messages from your friends are front and center. Commonly used mobile apps like Gmail, GoogleMaps, Twitter, WhatsApp and Evernote are still available on phones with Home but you have to work harder to get to them. …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Facebook Ready To Spend Heavily To Promote A Successful Facebook Home Launch

By Ewan Spence, Contributor

Looks like Facebook is going to bludgeon the public into submission with Facebook Home being advertised absolutely everywhere. It’s unlikely the Facebook Home department will be picking up the invoice for ads on Facebook.com, but blanket coverage on TV – and no doubt printed media and banner ads on other sites – isn’t going to be cheap. …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Facebook's Chat Heads May Eventually Make VoIP Calls

By Elise Ackerman, Contributor

Following Facebook’s Thursday announcement of the Facebook Home software, I reached out to Facebook to find out how it  would be leveraging technologies like Voice over IP (also known as VoIP), which is increasingly supplanting the traditional public switched telephone network. …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Why Facebook Home Is the Perfect Mobile Strategy

By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Last week, Facebook  unveiled its new Home layer of services and features that sits on top of Google  Android. This is the perfect mobile strategy for the social network, since it won’t have to compete directly with primary platforms such as Android and Apple  iOS. Instead, it can ride their success and further engage users by being a secondary platform. Facebook has scored integration within iOS, but Apple’s controlling ways mean it couldn’t get the level of integration that Home offers.

In the following video, Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, discusses how important Facebook Home is.

After the world’s most-hyped IPO turned out to be a dud, most investors probably don’t even want to think about shares of Facebook. But there are things every investor needs to know about this company. We’ve outlined them in our newest premium research report. There’s a lot more to Facebook than meets the eye, so read up on whether there is anything to “like” about it today, and we’ll tell you whether we think Facebook deserves a place in your portfolio. Access your report by clicking here.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

The Dow's Top 3 Stocks This Week

By Travis Hoium, The Motley Fool

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If you’d only read the headlines, you’d think it was a rough week on Wall Street. Employment numbers were terrible and the housing market may be slowing a bit, but stocks moved sideways once again. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell just 0.09% this week, and the S&P 500 lost only 1%. Despite the declines overall, there were a few big winners on the Dow this week.

UnitedHealth Group jumped 8.5%, boosted by a surprise increase in Medicare Advantage reimbursements. The government initially proposed a 2.2% cut in rates, but after much lobbying from the industry, it did a 180 and decided to increase reimbursements by 3.3%. Across the board, insurers loved the news, and UnitedHealth won’t be under the same margin pressure some had feared in 2014.

AT&T was second on the Dow, climbing 3.6% for the week. Investors cheered when Facebook announced that the first Facebook Home-specific device, made by HTC, will be exclusive to AT&T. The pop on Thursday was probably overdone, though, because Home will be available on most Android phones and there doesn’t appear to be any long-term advantage for AT&T with Home. Friday was also the last day to own AT&T before getting a $0.45-per-share dividend, so that may have boosted the stock slightly late in the week.

Merck rounds out the top three this week, climbing 2.1%. Aside from a lawsuit against India’s Glenmark Pharmaceuticals over the potential infringement on two diabetes drugs, it was a fairly quiet week for Merck. The company got a bit of a boost when the Medicare Advantage reimbursement news came out, probably because investors are hoping margins won’t be squeezed further down the medical value chain. If insurers are generating less revenue, they’ll push for lower prices from pharmaceutical companies, so the higher rates may be an incremental positive for the company. Investors are also looking forward to earnings, which Merck will release on May 1.

Can Merck beat the patent cliff?
This titan of the pharmaceutical industry stumbled into 2013 and continues to battle patent expirations and pipeline problems. Is Merck still a solid dividend play, or should investors be looking elsewhere? In a new premium research report on Merck, the Fool tackles all of the company’s moving parts, its major market opportunities, and reasons to both buy and sell. To find out more click here to claim your copy today.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; FoolAnalyticsData.push({ …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Facebook weighs in on Home's privacy implications

Facebook has posted a Q&A on its website about the privacy implications of its new Facebook Home software for Android phones, though it was unclear if it has addressed all the concerns raised.

In a blog post Friday, the company said it had received “a few questions about how Home works with privacy.” It then posed several questions to itself about Home and privacy and answered them.

Home is essentially a software wrapper for Android smartphones that modifies the home screen, among other things, to put Facebook photos and messages front and center. It was announced on Thursday.

The post on privacy starts out by noting that users don’t have to use Home in order to use Facebook, and that users can turn off Home if they install it and then decide they don’t want to use it.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

Facebook Doesn't Want People To Freak Out About 'Home' Privacy

By Kashmir Hill, Forbes Staff

Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Facebook was developing a “smartphone application that will track the location of users… scheduled for release by mid-March… designed to help users find nearby friends and would run even when the program isn’t open on a handset.” People freaked out when the report came out, but it seemed to have been forgotten this week when the app that was likely the rumored one at the center of Bloomberg’s report came out. That’s because those who presented Facebook “Home” made no mention of their release having the power to alert you to your friends’ proximity — though it seems like an obvious add-on at a later date. …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

The Facebook Phone Shows Microsoft How They Should Have Promoted Windows Phone

By Ewan Spence, Contributor

Following the reveal of Facebook Home as an new ‘user interface layer’ for Android, CEO Mark Zuckerberg focused heavily on the idea that it was a people first approach, and not an app-first approach. Which Microsoft’s VP of corporate communications, Frank Shaw, was quick to point matched up with Windows Phone approach. …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

3 Growth Stocks for Your Roth IRA

By Nicole Seghetti, The Motley Fool

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With little more than one week left before the tax-filing deadline, it’s time to fund that all-important Roth IRA if you haven’t done so already. Let’s briefly look at why a Roth IRA is so essential in saving for your retirement. Then we’ll discuss a few great stocks for a growth investor’s Roth.

Wave goodbye to Uncle Sam
Hands down, the best way to save for retirement is a Roth IRA. You contribute after-tax dollars to a Roth account. In exchange, you can withdraw earnings both tax and penalty free, as long as you’ve owned the Roth IRA for at least five years and have reached age 59½.

If you’ve not made your contribution for 2012, you have until the April 15 tax-filing deadline. So get going already! But, before contributing, be sure to take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with Roth IRA rules and eligibility requirements.

Stock ideas for the growth investor
For investors yearning for growth, there are great stocks trading at good buys in today’s market. I’ve narrowed it down to three companies, which all boast competitive positions and enticing growth prospects.

Google
Google currently generates the overwhelming majority of its revenues from search advertising. But, in order to remain relevant beyond its core search platform, the California-based company is actively diversifying its business. Its YouTube acquisition, Android mobile software, Google Ad Exchange, Google+ social network, and Chrome browser services are evidence of this. Continued acquisitions will likely propel growth for Google.

Panera Bread
Panera has built its rock-solid corporate reputation on its fresh products, relatively healthy menu offerings, and compassion for its customers and community. Its inviting restaurants continue to entice its more affluent customer base. And, unlike competitor Darden Restaurants, which has been focusing on pricing promotions, Panera has been able to command higher prices in conjunction with enhancing its menu.

Apple
Apple has successfully managed a decade of dazzling growth, and gone about it in a fiscally sensible way. But even though Apple is considered a leading innovator, it faces increasing competition from Samsung. And Facebook may pose an eventual threat with its newly announced Facebook Home, a suite of services that are integrated into Google’s Android phones. But look for the second half of this year to likely be filled with new iProducts. Great news for investors, the stock currently trades at an incredibly cheap forward price-to-earnings ratio of nine, which is half that of the overall stock market!

Take action today
Don’t let the upcoming Roth IRA contribution deadline slip past you. Consider these three attractive growth stocks for your contribution dollars today. Take the time to fund a retirement account, and secure your financial future. Years from now, you’ll be so glad you did.

There’s no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology’s largest revolution ever, and that longtime shareholders have been handsomely rewarded with over 1,000% gains. However, there’s a debate raging …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Facebook Home: People First, Mobile Best (video)

By Jean-Baptiste Su, Contributor

At Facebook’s mobile strategy event yesterday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg coined 2 new buzz words that you’ll be hearing a lot from now: People first, not Apps, is about bringing the social aspect front-and-center on the phone i.e. seeing what your ‘friends’ are doing (news feed, notifications) and easily communicate with them through messenging (chat heads) Mobile Best is replacing ‘Mobile First’. A subtle but strategically important change. For Zuckerberg, Facebook on mobile is the best way to access Facebook services. Here are some other interesting sound bites from Zuckerberg’s presentation: The home screen is really the soul of your phone. You look at it about a 100 times a day. It sets the tone for your whole experience and it should be personal Facebook Home is a family of apps, you install it and it becomes the home of your phone With Home you see the world through people, not apps Home is the lock screen and your home screen Smooth interactions, like if it was a system software not a third party app Below is a more complete description of Facebook Home‘s 4 main features. …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest