Best Buy is reported to be planning a new "buy back" program aimed at keeping users who constantly upgrade their smartphones off-cycle, and who buy from Best Buy Mobile. The program reportedly will cost $59.99 at the time of handset purchase. Between months one and six of handset ownership, users can then trade-in their device to Best Buy Mobile for 50 percent of the phones full retail value.
Between months six and 12 the device can be turned in for 40 percent of its original value. Between months 19 to 25, users can get back 20 percent of the original retail value.
The offering likely will appeal to users who purchase new smartphones long before their two-year commitments have expired.
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Monday, January 3, 2011
Best Buy to Launch "Buy Back" Program?
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
28% Say They Plan to Buy a Kindle
Some 28 percent of Internet users surveyed by J.P. Morgan in December say they either own a Kindle or plan to buy one in the next year. That's a significant number, even if actual behavior doesn't exactly track expectations.
The survey also bolsters the claim of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos that iPad owners are buying Kindles: 40 percent of iPad users surveyed already own one, and 23 percent plan to buy one in the next year.
The Kindle is already Amazon's top-selling product, with an estimated more than five million sold since August, and with that kind of buyer intent, the e-reader will continue to be a hot item in 2011.
The survey also bolsters the claim of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos that iPad owners are buying Kindles: 40 percent of iPad users surveyed already own one, and 23 percent plan to buy one in the next year.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Is Media Industry at a Crossroads?
When investment capital floods into any industry, you can be sure it is because of expectations of major growth. Conversely, when such capital does not get deployed, you can be equally sure that investors are skeptical about outsize returns.
So it might be said that a lack of fresh investment in "Hollywood" ventures signals lack of expectations. Still, many would argue that the entertainment industry remains at a critical inflection point.
That game-changer is already here in the form of technological innovation: new media, web-based streaming and the hardware that is catching up to these virtual-era breakthroughs. But all of those developments might lead investors to conclude that fresh capital is better deployed in companies that try to harness new media, not the legacy content creators.
That game-changer is already here in the form of technological innovation: new media, web-based streaming and the hardware that is catching up to these virtual-era breakthroughs. But all of those developments might lead investors to conclude that fresh capital is better deployed in companies that try to harness new media, not the legacy content creators.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
TV apps will be key focus at CES 2011 - Lost Remote
While new tablets, smartphones and 3D television sets will grab much of the attention at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show, perhaps another important theme will be the surge of internet-connected sets and TV apps.
“TV manufacturers see the opportunity to provide that content built in,” says Jason Oxman, senior vice president of the Consumer Electronics Association.
“TV manufacturers see the opportunity to provide that content built in,” says Jason Oxman, senior vice president of the Consumer Electronics Association.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Apple Leads Smartphone Installed Base, Android Leads in Share
But despite its surge among recent acquirers, when it comes to overall installed base of users, Android OS (25.8 percent) is still behind Apple iOS (28.6 percent). RIM Blackberry’s position is less clear: Its share (26.1 percent) puts it within the margin of error of both Apple iOS and Android.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
10 Huge Companies That Facebook Is Now Worth More Than
Facebook's recent investment from Goldman Sachs gives it a valuation of $50 billion, which makes it bigger, in terms of valuation, than Starbucks.
Facebook is worth more than United, American, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest Airlines combined (About $32 billion combined market cap.
Facebook is worth more than United, American, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest Airlines combined (About $32 billion combined market cap.
Valuations are what they are. But comparisons like this remind me of the Internet bubble at the turn of the century. Scary.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Facebook Worth $50 Billion?
Facebook has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and a Russian investor in a deal that values the company at $50 billion, according to the New York Times.
The deal makes Facebook now worth more than companies like eBay, Yahoo and Time Warner.
The deal makes Facebook now worth more than companies like eBay, Yahoo and Time Warner.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
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