How do you follow up a stunning Q1 where you set record quarterly earnings and issue a sizable dividend to investors? Well, if you're Apple, you just keep on keepin' on, shattering even the wildest expectations with "a record March quarter." Leading up to today's earnings, the outfit's stock was down around two percent, mostly on reports that iPhone activations were something other than mind-blowing. That said, shares have already started to creep back into positive territory in after-hours trading. Wall Street was hoping for around $36.88 billion in revenue (despite lower guidance from Apple itself), with upwards of 30 million iPhones sold and 12 million iPads sold -- galling numbers, no matter how you slice it.

The actuals? Well, we're seeing $12.30 earnings per share, compared to an estimated $10.04 earnings per share. It all adds up to $39.2 billion in revenue and $11.6 billion in pure, unadulterated profit with 35.1 million iPhone units sold alongside 11.8 million iPads. (Of note, the new iPad was only on sale for around a fortnight in this quarter, making that figure even more impressive.) The former represents an 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter, while the latter shows a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Though Mac sales weren't equally astonishing, the four million units sold in the past three months indicates a seven percent uptick compared to Q2 2011. The iPod department, which has been sinking in recent years as iPads and iPhones become the primary music players of consumers, still saw 7.7 million units sold, representing a 15 percent decline from the same quarter last year.

Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010.

Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010. As for CEO Tim Cook's reaction? Aside from grinning from ear-to-ear looking at his growing stash of loot, he stated: "We're thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter. The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you're going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver." Keep on telling us that, Tim, and we'll keep waiting. The conference call kicks off at 5PM ET, and we'll be liveblogging it just after the break!

Continue reading Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion

Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can only skim through so many iPad/iPod/iPhone docks before things start to get predictable, and when a speaker dock stands out, it's usually for a retro design or a little mood lighting. Sony's two newest iOS docks, the CMT-V50iP and the CMT-V75BTiP, may look like your standard options, but they aim to break the mold by using magnetic fluid instead of speaker dampers to move sound. Sony says this technology provides clearer audio with less distortion, and no dampers means a slimmer design. If your music collection extends beyond your iDevice, you can take advantage of the CD player and built-in DAB and DAB+ radio, or -- if you've migrated to the digital age -- stream over Bluetooth on the CMT-V75BTiP or connect via USB on the CMT-V50iP. Sony just announced these yesterday, and pricing info remains MIA, though The Verge reports that both models will drop in the next few months.

New Sony iOS docks promise clearer sound thanks to magnetic fluid originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don't spend a whole lot of time focusing on home theater receivers 'round these parts, but we do like AirPlay, and we're especially fond of audio devices that boast compatibility with the iOS wireless streaming tool out of the box. Yamaha's RX-V573 and RX-V473 are two of the latest mid-range audio mixers to ship with AirPlay integration -- a feature lacking from the company's past offerings -- along with compatibility with the AV Controller app, available for iOS, Android and the Kindle Fire. There's also a nifty 4K video pass-through feature, which won't do you much good at present, but may go a long way to future-proofing both devices. There's not much differentiating the models, save for a $100 gap in price ($450 for the V473, $550 for the V573), and 7.1 channel audio in the pricier model (you'll find 5.1 channels in the bargain offering). Both flavors include front-panel USB ports (also with iOS compatibility), four HDMI inputs and digital audio inputs, and 115 watts per channel. You can pick up either model now, and there's a more detailed list of specifications awaiting your gander in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Yamaha RX-V573 and RX-V473 receivers include AirPlay integration, 4K passthrough

Yamaha RX-V573 and RX-V473 receivers include AirPlay integration, 4K passthrough originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fits of inspiration are usually inopportune -- like when you realized eight years too late that it might've been wise to invest in Google. The same goes for that panicked impulse that strikes somewhere between rocking out to the last dregs of a song as it spills out of the radio and the time it takes for you to locate your phone, unlock it and launch Shazam. Well, for those of you slow on the draw, the company's making its music identification service a whole lot quicker. Now, iPhone and iPod touch users can track down artist info from music or TV in a literal second, courtesy of a software refresh. It's all part of a 5.0 update, available now, for the outfit's trio of apps -- Free, Encore and (RED) -- that also adds a new UI, the ability to comment on tags via social networks, as well as additional language support for South American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and Korean. So the next time you hear a track you swear was your jam in the mid-90's, you'll know in a heartbeat precisely which Dishwalla album to download and secretly cherish. Remember them? Official PR after the break.

Continue reading Shazam 5.0 update identifies audio in a split second, helps tortoise hands become the hare

Shazam 5.0 update identifies audio in a split second, helps tortoise hands become the hare originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Insert Coin: Galileo, the remote control camera from the men behind the Gorillapod

Insert Coin: Galileo, the remote control camera from the men behind the Gorillapod originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple's Sir Jonathan Ive: our competitors have 'completely the wrong goals' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not content with simply doling out free digital comics to fans who favor the tangible page, Marvel is now giving readers a new reason to reach for their tablets: augmented reality. Android and iOS devices will be able to look beyond the page using Marvel AR, an Aurasma-powered app slated to launch alongside Avengers vs. X-Men #1 this April. When pointed at a compatible comic, the app will server up creator commentary videos, extra art and interactive 3D models of Earth's greatest heroes.

Don't worry, your standard Marvel Comics app isn't being replaced -- in fact, it's getting a new line of sequential funnybooks called Marvel Infinite Comics. "Writers and artists now have a whole host of new tools at their disposal to redefine the comic book medium," Marvel Comics Editor in Chief Axel Alonso said at SXSW this week, "Current tablets and smartphones, along with comiXology's Guided View technology, allow us to develop new, full length stories for a different medium that are very much truly comics -- but experienced by readers in a way no other major company has ever executed." The digital-exclusive series kicks off with Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Infinite, which incidentally, will be free to folks who pick up the similarly named physical book. Ready for the revolution ReEvolution? Check out the links below for Marvel's official announcement and CNET's hands-on video.

Marvel announces augmented reality app, exclusive digital comics at SXSW originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With great purchasing power apparently comes great affordability for Marvel Comics fans. Starting this June, folks who purchase any Marvel super hero comic priced at $3.99 will also get a free digital copy for Android or iOS. Examples of Marvel titles that will come with free codes include the Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Mighty Thor and Invincible Iron Man. The new program continues the trend of comic book publishers invading the digital space like famished planet-eaters -- Dark Horse, for instance, recently made a deal with Barnes & Noble. Similarly, DC Comics inked an agreement with Amazon, a move that got some DC titles sent to the Phantom Zone by B&N. Judging from the positive response to digital codes included in the Ultimate Comics line and Avenging Spider-Man, Marvel expects the expanded code program to act like a radioactive spider bite for comic book stores, boosting repeat visits. Feel that tingling? That's your own Spidey sense telling you to swing past the break for Marvel's official PR.

Continue reading Marvel Comics greets true believers with free digital copy for select print titles

Marvel Comics greets true believers with free digital copy for select print titles originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Mar 2012 15:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading NCAA March Madness Live app comes to iOS, Android by tourney tip-off

NCAA March Madness Live app comes to iOS, Android by tourney tip-off originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atari's legendary Pong has captured plenty of hearts and minds over the years. Now, to celebrate its fortieth birthday, the gaming stalwart is offering up $100,000 for you to re-invent it for iOS as part of its Indie Developer Challenge. To be in with a chance of winning the cash, developers are being asked to recreate the time-honored classic in a new and original way. Then, simply submit your idea, or playable demo and keep your paddles crossed. Those creations that make it to the final will get published under the Atari brand as an official release, and you get eternal bragging rights (and the cash). The competition is open now, and you've got until March 31st to be in the game. Feel like a winner? Then bat your eyes down to that source link for the full deets.

Atari's Pong Indie Developer Challenge is a real coin opportunity originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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