Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category

Microcap Mobile Index Off To Fast Start In 2012: AUGT, ETAK, GLUU, MITK, VELT

Posted 20 Feb 2012 — by Mobile Guru
Category AUGT, ETAK, GLUU, Investing, Market News, MITK, Stocks, Technology, Trading, VELT

By Mobile Guru

Microcap Mobile IndexIn early January, I created a Microcap Mobile Index consisting of stocks that have market capitalizations under $1B and a price over $1 that covered the companies below. Let’s take a look at how the group has performed year to date versus the NASDAQ composite. Impressively, the Mobile index racked up a 32% year to date gain compared to the NASDAQ which is up 13% year to date. Here is a short recap of some specific news items of relevance to the companies that comprise the index.

Stock Dec. 30 2011 Close Current Price Percentage Gain/Loss

  • AUGT          $1.34     $1.94       44.78%
  • ETAK           $2.65    $2.50        -5.66%
  • GLUU          $3.14    $3.76        19.75%
  • MITK           $7.25    $11.20      54.48%
  • VELT           $6.80    $10.09      48.38%
  • NASDAQ     2605      2951         13.28%
  • Index Average          32.35%

Augme Technologies Inc. (OTC:AUGT)

• On February 16th Augme Technologies announced new features and functionality of its AD LIFE mobile marketing and advertising platform. The powerful SaaS-based platform is further optimized for customer ease-of-use while adding a number of key updates to Mobile SiteBuilder and the mobile couponing module. Read More

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Remote Start-from-a-Phone Sales Update

Posted 16 Feb 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

Remote Start - Car - PhoneSales of smartphone-controlled remote start are beginning to make a dent in overall remote start sales.

The In-Car Experts (ICE) marketing/buying group reports that despite a warm winter, sales of remote starters were up for 35 percent of its members. The overwhelming reason, they said is because of increased sales of smartphone-based remote start.

(Still, 41 percent of ICE dealers said remote start sales were down due to the warm winter and 23 percent reported flat sales with last season).*

Directed is now at 1.2 million downloads for its SmartStart app that works with its smartphone-controlled remote start. Read More

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Samsung’s New Galaxy Note Android Smartphone: Video

Samsung Galaxy Note Android smartphone

By Amy Gilroy

One of the more “notable” new smartphones shown at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was the Samsung Galaxy Note, sporting a very large 5.3 HD Super AMOLED screen. Read More

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Motorola’s (NYSE:MMI) Droid Razr Maxx Now Available: Still Skinny

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Posted 27 Jan 2012 — by Lynn Shannon
Category Consumer Electronics, GOOG, Market News, MMI, Stocks, Technology, VZ

Motorola's (NYSE:MMI) Droid Razr Maxx

By Lynn Shannon

If you thought the ultra-thin Motorola Razr (Motorola Mobility Holdings, NYSE:MMI) was cool but a little light on the battery life, then the Motorola Razr Maxx, available as of Thursday through Verizon Wireless (Verizon Communications, NYSE:VZ) may be the next phone for you. Read More

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Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Reports Astounding iPhone Sales

Posted 25 Jan 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category AAPL, Consumer Electronics, Investing, Market News, Stocks, Technology, Trading

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 4S

By Amy Gilroy

Updated. Not long ago, it was a big deal if Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) sold 15 million iPhones over the holiday quarter. On Monday night, Apple announced it sold 37 million iPhones during its recent quarter ended December 31, 2011. Read More

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Charles Sizemore: My Best (NYSE:V) and Worst (NYSE:RIMM) Performing Stocks in 2011

By Charles Sizemore

Charles SizemoreFor all of the gut-wrenching volatility, 2011 was actually a pretty good year if you managed to avoid financials and materials stocks. Defensive stocks—particularly those that pay dividends—actually did quite well.

My best pick of the year, ironically, was a financial stock—credit-card giant Visa (NYSE:V), the winner of InvestorPlace’s “10 Stocks for 2011” contest. Visa was up a full 44 percent for the year, not including dividends.

In Visa, I saw a company supported by powerful macro trends—the shift to a global cashless economy and the rise of the emerging market consumer—whose stock price was temporarily depressed due to regulatory fears. When the heavy hand of government proved to be a little less heavy, Visa exploded to the upside and has yet to slow down.

If only they could all be that way… Read More

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General Motors’ (NYSE:GM) OnStar Sells 20K Retail Mirrors To Date

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Posted 10 Jan 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Auto and Truck Manufacturers, Automotive, Consumer Cyclical, Consumer Electronics, GM, Market News, Stocks, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

General Motors' (NYSE:GM) OnStarGeneral Motors’ (NYSE:GM) OnStar officially answered the question we’ve been asking for months now. It has sold 20,000 retail FMV mirrors to date since the launch this summer. The company is also planning a second version of the mirror that brings OnStar to almost any vehicle, and it plans to expand distribution of the mirror in the next 2-3 months.

Beyond that, OnStar is providing few details on distribution or what the second generation FMV might look like.

The company said it saw a spike in sales around Christmas, and concludes that the mirror is definitely a “gifting item,” said a spokesman. The company also lowered the price of the mirror during the holiday season to about $199, from $299. Read More

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Garmin (NASDAQ:GRMN) Shows Traffic Camera Views on PND

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Posted 10 Jan 2012 — by Lynn Shannon
Category Consumer Electronics, GRMN, Market News, Navigation, Stocks, Technology

By Lynn Shannon

Garmin (NASDAQ:GRMN) Smartphone LinkGarmin (NASDAQ:GRMN) is releasing a new app for Android users that shows live traffic camera views on a nuvi portable navigation device (PND).

By using your Android phone’s wireless connection, you may look up real time photos from traffic cameras across the U.S. and Canada to get a look at traffic and weather conditions–a first for PNDs, says Garmin.

The app is called Garmin Smartphone Link for Android. You connect the phone to the PND via Bluetooth to deliver other services as well, including local search, weather, “myGarmin messaging,” ratings of points of interest and tracking. A paid premium tier of services includes the photo-live traffic cameras, advanced weather, fuel prices and real-time speed and red light camera alerts. Read More

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SolarWinds (NYSE:SWI) Swing Trade Setup

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Posted 10 Jan 2012 — by Jeff Pierce
Category Investing, Market News, QCOR, Software and Programming, Stocks, SWI, Technology, Trading

By Jeff Pierce

SolarWinds (NYSE:SWI)In a lot of ways this next swing trade setup on SolarWinds (NYSE:SWI) is like today’s winning trade in Questcor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:QCOR).

Gap support on a recent momentum winner – buying a pullback when the RSI falls near the 40 level. That level provides support when a stock is in an uptrend.

I like this stock on any pullback near the $28.25 level but I may chase if it moves higher tomorrow. I’ll have to wait and see how it responds today after my buy signal on this stock was triggered. I fully expect this to be back near old highs, and if it does that before Feb 9th (earnings are due then) I would take the profits and run. Read More

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Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) Ripe for Take Over: Bloomberg

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Posted 06 Jan 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category AMZN, BBY, Consumer Electronics, Market News, Retail, Stocks, Technology, WMT

By Amy Gilroy

Best Buy (NYSE:BBY)In the latest of negative reports for Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), analysts say the company is ripe for a buy out.

The big box retailer lost almost a third of its market value last year, but it still has a high cash flow.

“…the world’s largest seller of consumer electronics is now valued at just 3.6 times its free cash flow (BBY), the cheapest of any retailer worth more than $1 billion,” said Bloomberg.

Best Buy still produces more free cash flow than any comparable store and it has more cash than debt, which makes it an attractive LBO target, analysts told Bloomberg. Read More

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