Samsung's (Pinksheets: SNNLF) 'future-proof' voice-controlled television

Tallahassee, FL 1/10/12 (StreetBeat) --A "smart" internet-connected television that has the ability to have its hardware upgraded every year has been unveiled by Samsung (Pinksheets: SNNLF).

The device has a slot which allows new kit to be added to boost processing performance and add new features. The innovation may help reassure shoppers concerned about their screen becoming outdated. The move is aimed at helping the South Korean tech giant retain its lead as the world's best-selling TV maker.

Samsung's president of consumer electronics, Boo-keun Yoon, unveiled the firm's flagship LED television at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas noting that his firm currently sells two televisions every two seconds. In addition to its "smart evolution capability" Samsung has also added gesture, voice and face recognition features to the ES8000 model.

Familiar faces
A built-in camera allows users to browse the internet with a wave of their hand and to change channel by speaking in one of the more than 20 languages that the set can "understand". A facial recognition facility also allows the set to recognise users, pulling up the relevant selection of their favourite apps. The device is the latest in a run of so-called Smart TVs launched by the firm since 2008.

Samsung is on course to hit a milestone of 20 million global TV app downloads before the end of January, said its president of consumer electronics America Tim Baxter. New apps announced at the trade show included Rovio's Angry Birds video game. Samsung also announced its users would be given free access to a new Angry Birds on-demand animated television channel, marking the latest evolution of the hit title.

Smart TV surge
Connected televisions with built-in processors are tipped as one of the hottest trends at this year's CES. Event organizer, the US Consumer Electronics Association, has said it expects that about half of all shipped TVs would have internet capabilities in 2012. By contrast it said the figure was 12% of all units shipped in 2010.

While Samsung pursues its own software solution, its rival LG (NYSE: LPL) has announced a television with built-in Google TV facilities for the US market. The firm's chief technology officer, Scott Ahn, only briefly mentioned the move at his firm's CES press conference saying that the step "will form the basis of a strong future working relationship" with the US search giant. LG also promised voice-recognition via a new remote control.

Left unconnected
Meanwhile, Sony (NYSE: SNE) continues to hedge its bets. Its new HX850 LED TV shares the same connected features as its predecessor including access to the Sony Entertainment Network and its Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited streaming services. However, the firm also unveiled two new devices powered by the revised Google TV - a media streamer and a Blu-ray player.

Panasonic (NYSE: PC) and Haier are among several other companies also showing off new connected TV facilities at CES.

Although sales of internet capable TVs are on the rise, analysts said the trend can be explained by the fact that the facility is offered on most of the biggest and highest quality sets. "It's been the year of connected TV ever since 2008," said James McQuivery, television industry analyst at Forrester. "Every year you see these at CES. However, the manufacturers have struggled with the fact that around half of all people who buy connected TVs never put them on the internet. "So the challenge going forward is getting people to use the new functionality."

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Panasonic Corp. (NYSE: PC) Forecasts Full Year Net Loss

Tallahassee, FL 10/31/2011 (StreetBeat) --Panasonic Corp. (NYSE: PC) stayed in the red in the latest quarter and projected a huge annual loss due to slumping TV sales and a strong yen. The company, which makes consumer electronics such as Viera TVs and Lumix cameras, on Monday reported a loss of 105.8 billion yen ($1.34 billion) for the July-September quarter. Panasonic now expects a loss of 420 billion yen ($5.3 billion) for the fiscal year through March 2012, down sharply from an earlier projection of a 30 billion yen ($380 million) profit.

Panasonic had slumped to a 30.4 billion yen loss in the April-June quarter, hit by damages and lost sales from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan's northern coast and killed nearly 20,000 people.
Despite signs of recovery from the disaster, the company faces new challenges, including the global economic slump, slowing demand in emerging markets and the strong yen. Sales were down in flat panel TVs, auto electronics, cellphones as well as electronics parts and components.

Earlier Monday, Japanese authorities intervened in the currency market to weaken the yen against the dollar and ease pressure on Japanese exporters. That caused the dollar to jump nearly 5 percent to above 79 yen after earlier touching a post World War II-low of 75.32 yen -- a level that is excruciating for exporters.

Panasonic said its sales dropped 6 percent to 2.08 trillion yen ($26.3 billion) during the July-September quarter from a year earlier. The company suffered a loss of 136.2 billion yen ($1.72 billion) during the first six months of the business year, compared to 74.7 billion yen profit a year earlier. Its sales fell by 8 percent to 4 trillion yen ($50.6 billion). Overseas sales fell more than those at home, the company said.

The loss for the half-year period was largely due to restructuring of flat-panel TV operations and other efforts related to cost cutting. In April, Panasonic said it would cut 17,000 jobs and close up to 70 plants. Sources have said it will slash plasma TV panel output and drop plans for a solar panel factory and a battery plant expansion in Japan.

Shares of the company closed 2.1 percent lower before the results. They have fallen 31 percent so far this year, compared with a 13 percent decline in the broader market.

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LargeCap Stocks to Keep an Eye on Today

Tomahawk, WI 8/30/2011 (PennyPayDay) – U.S. regulators rejected NuPathe's migraine patch Zelrix, the company said.

Shares were plummeting 53.3% to $1.89 in premarket trading Tuesday.

Flat panel display materials and technologies developer Universal Display said it has entered a technology license agreement with Panasonic Idemitsu OLED Lighting Co. , a joint venture between Panasonic Electric Works and Idemitsu Kosan.

Universal Display shares were climbing 11.3% to $57.

Discount retailer Dollar General reported second-quarter adjusted earnings 52 cents a share, compared with the average analyst expectation of 48 cents a share.

Shares were spiking 4.2% to $35.20.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based supermarket operator Winn-Dixie Stores forecasted adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of $120 million to $135 million with same-store sales seen rising 2.5% to 3.5% for fiscal 2012 after topping Wall Street's profit expectations for its fiscal fourth-quarter results as same-store sales rose 3.2%.

Australian mining company Macarthur Coal has yielded to a sweetened 4.83 billion Australian dollar ($5.12 billion) offer from coal company Peabody Energy and steel producer ArcelorMittal.

ArcelorMittal shares were down 1.9% to $20.72.

Offshore contract drilling services company Transocean has been downgraded to neutral from outperform by Macquarie. Shares were sliding 1.6% to $54.23.

1-800-Flowers.com posted breakeven fourth-quarter earnings per share vs. the Wall Street consensus target of a penny a share.

Drew Industries, a leading parts supplier for recreational vehicles homes, said its wholly-owned subsidiary, Kinro, bought windows manufacturer Starquest Products for $22.6 million.

Independent oil and gas company Clayton Williams Energy now plans to spend $385 million on exploration and development activities in fiscal 2011, a reduction of $54 million from previous estimates. The company has also lowered its oil and gas production expectations for the remainder of the year.

CoreLogic has hired advisory firm Greenhill & Co. to help the real estate and financial information company explore strategic options, including a possible sale or merger, Reuters reported.

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