TORONTO (AP) -- Struggling BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. said Thursday it will delay the launch of new phones deemed critical to the company's survival and revealed its business is crumbling faster than thought.
The Canadian company posted results for its latest quarter that were worse than analysts had expected. It's cutting 5,000 jobs and unexpectedly delaying the launch of its new phone operating system, BlackBerry 10, until after the holiday shopping season.
After several delays, the first phone with BlackBerry 10 was expected later this year. It will be delayed even longer, to the first quarter of next year, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said.
The delay comes as North Americans are abandoning BlackBerrys for iPhones and Android phones. Analysts have long said the new BlackBerrys will come out too late to reverse RIM's fortunes. RIM was banking its future on the new BlackBerry 10 system, which is meant to offer the multimedia, Internet browsing and apps experience that customers now demand.
Now it will come out months after a new iPhone is expected to be released. Current and previous iPhones have made the BlackBerry look ancient.
Heins had vowed to do everything he could to release BlackBerry 10 this year but he said Thursday that the timetable simply wasn't realistic. He said RIM's top priority remains a successful launch of the new BlackBerrys.
"I will not deliver a product to the market that is not ready to meet the needs of our customers," Heins said on a conference call with analysts. "There will be no compromise on this issue."
The jobs cuts are part of a previously announced initiative to cut $1 billion in annual costs this year. They represent about 30 percent of RIM's workforce of about 16,500.
"It is necessary to change the scale and refocus the company," Heins said. "I fully understand the impact a workforce reduction of this size has on our employees and the communities in which we operate. I assure you that we wouldn't move forward with a change of this size if we didn't think it was critical for our future."
RIM shares tumbled $1.27, or 14 percent, to $7.86 in extended trading, after the release of the results. If they hold that level into regular trading Friday, they will set a nine-year low.
Heins acknowledged that he delivered "a lot of tough news."
"This was a challenging quarter for the company on many fronts," he said. "And I am not satisfied with the financial performance we are reporting today."
He said the company will release fewer models than in the past. He also said RIM will launch a BlackBerry 10 model with a physical keyboard close to the launch of a touch-screen model. RIM earlier said it would come out with the touch-screen model first, but didn't say when it would make one with a physical keyboard, a feature that many people stay with BlackBerrys for.
RIM has hired a team of bankers to help it weigh its options as it loses market share and its business erodes. Heins said they continue to study those options, but he declined to elaborate and said the board would have to approve any changes.
RIM lost $518 million, or 99 cents a share, in its fiscal first quarter, which ended June 2. That compares with a profit of $695 million, or $1.33 per share, a year ago.
Excluding impairment charges, the latest loss was 37 cents per share. Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting a loss of 3 cents.
Revenue fell 43 percent to $2.8 billion, well below analyst expectations at $3.1 billion.
RIM said it shipped just 7.8 million BlackBerry smartphones in the quarter, down 41 percent from 13.2 million a year earlier.
Heins said the company is expecting the next several quarters to be "very challenging." He said RIM is in the midst of a platform transition and faces an increasingly competitive environment. Research firm IDC says BlackBerry's U.S. market share has plummeted from 41.1 percent in 2007 to 3.6 percent in first three months of 2012.
Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC Financial, said the results and news of a BlackBerry 10 delay is far worse than the horrible news he had already expected. He said the worst quarters are still in front of RIM and management is not reducing expenses fast enough to compensate for the revenue decline. He expects this to be the last quarter that RIM will see subscriber growth and said he would not be surprised if RIM announces more layoffs by the end of the year.
"When a technology gets old, it's not a slow fade. It's a sharp cliff," Gillis said. "There is very little market for old technology."
Michael Walkley, an analyst with Canaccord, called the BlackBerry 10 delay dire and problematic in a rapidly changing technology sector.
"The biggest disappointment is the delay of the BlackBerry 10," he said. "It's extremely challenging for them to turn around the business when their new smartphone is launching that late."
Risk factors for breast cancer for women aged 40 to 49 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Ann Intern Med. 2012 May 1;156(9):635-48
Authors: Nelson HD, Zakher B, Cantor A, Fu R, Griffin J, O?Meara ES, Buist DS, Kerlikowske K, van Ravesteyn NT, Trentham-Dietz A, Mandelblatt JS, Miglioretti DL
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Identifying risk factors for breast cancer specific to women in their 40s could inform screening decisions.
PURPOSE: To determine what factors increase risk for breast cancer in women aged 40 to 49 years and the magnitude of risk for each factor.
DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE (January 1996 to the second week of November 2011), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (fourth quarter of 2011), Scopus, reference lists of published studies, and the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium.
STUDY SELECTION: English-language studies and systematic reviews of risk factors for breast cancer in women aged 40 to 49 years. Additional inclusion criteria were applied for each risk factor.
DATA EXTRACTION: Data on participants, study design, analysis, follow-up, and outcomes were abstracted. Study quality was rated by using established criteria, and only studies rated as good or fair were included. Results were summarized by using meta-analysis when sufficient studies were available or from the best evidence based on study quality, size, and applicability when meta-analysis was not possible. Data from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium were analyzed with proportional hazards models by using partly conditional Cox regression. Reference groups for comparisons were set at U.S. population means.
DATA SYNTHESIS: Sixty-six studies provided data for estimates. Extremely dense breasts on mammography or first-degree relatives with breast cancer were associated with at least a 2-fold increase in risk for breast cancer. Prior breast biopsy, second-degree relatives with breast cancer, or heterogeneously dense breasts were associated with a 1.5- to 2.0-fold increased risk; current use of oral contraceptives, nulliparity, and age 30 years or older at first birth were associated with a 1.0- to 1.5-fold increased risk.
LIMITATIONS: Studies varied by measures, reference groups, and adjustment for confounders, which could bias combined estimates. Effects of multiple risk factors were not considered.
CONCLUSION: Extremely dense breasts and first-degree relatives with breast cancer were each associated with at least a 2-fold increase in risk for breast cancer in women aged 40 to 49 years. Identification of these risk factors may be useful for personalized mammography screening.
PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Cancer Institute.
The Baby Registry Finder is a very intelligent shopping website which ensures that parents of babies can make a list of all the products they need and ask their relatives, friends and well wishers to gift the baby products from that list.
The Walmart Baby Registry is also active in this process and makes sure that friends and relatives can handpick from that list and send whatever is needed by the baby. This ensures that the baby does not get any unwanted products and gets only whatever is needed by the baby.
The Target Baby Registry service also makes sure that one product does not reach the baby twice. If a product has already been bought and gifted by someone, it?ll be automatically mentioned in the list so no one else can buy the same product and gift it. This is an amazing service which serves the needs of babies.
At least one National Football League owner is open to the idea of increasing the league's presence overseas to include a team in London full-time. What at first may seem like a novel idea is actually just a disaster waiting to happen.
Since 2007, one regular season game each season has pitted a pair of teams squaring off at Wembley Stadium in London, with this year's matchup in October set to face the St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots.
However, Patriots owner Robert Kraft doesn't necessarily think that one game a season is enough. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Kraft indicated that he feels the time is right for an NFL team in London, although he reiterated that it won't be his franchise.
"I personally think we should have a franchise in London and that is something I am going to push for," Kraft said. I think that would be right for the NFL and this fan base has proven they deserve it. For us to grow the game, we have to expand globally. Having seen the kind of support we have received here in London, it is the intention of the NFL owners to get two games here, starting next year.
"The only bad part of putting a franchise in London is that I can assure you it won't be the Patriots who are moving here."
The thing is, whether you like the "International Series" or not, there's a big difference between playing one game overseas and placing an NFL franchise there full time, and doing so would be fraught with potential problems.
The first, and likely biggest, is the simple fact that London is nearly 3,500 miles from New York City and almost 5,000 miles from Seattle. London is also five hours ahead of the former and seven (or eight, depending on Daylight Savings Time) ahead of the latter, which would make traveling to an away game in the UK problematic to say the least.
The NFL has tried to mitigate the impact of this journey for the annual contests now by giving each team participating in the London Game their bye week following their hop across The Pond.The long flight has still impacted the games in London though, as the quality of play in many of these contests has been choppy at best.
That wouldn't be an option if eight games a season were played in the UK, putting the teams forced to make the trip at a significant competitive disadvantage, not only during their week in London but also the week after as players recover from jet lag.
The same problem would only be magnified for the London team, as they would have to travel stateside several times every year, even if the league tried to schedule their road games in bunches.
The Monarchs (might as well use the old NFL Europe team's moniker for argument's sake) would never be able to get into any kind of rhythm, whether it's due to perpetual jet lag or being stuck on the road, away from their facilities, for weeks at a time.
Second, there's the small matter of which team would be placed there. Sure, there are a number of teams in the National Football League that have threatened relocation in recent years in an attempt to procure a new stadium, but do you really think any of those teams wants to not only follow through on that threat but do so by moving their club to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean?
Lastly, none of the teams in serious danger of relocation are exactly what one would call an "elite" franchise. Sure, attendance has been strong for the NFL games played in London to this point, due in large part to the novelty of the event.
Should the NFL Place a Team in London Full-Time?
Should the NFL Place a Team in London Full-Time?
Yes
No
That novelty will wear off pretty quickly once fans in the UK are treated to the Jacksonville Jaguars eight times a year (settle down Jags fans, it's just an example), and attendance would all but certainly plummet as a result.
We won't even get into the idea of playoff games in London, as odds are the team banished to the UK wouldn't sniff the postseason for some time. As to the Super Bowl being held there? An argument for another day.
And for the record, forget expansion. 32 teams is a nice round number that has allowed the league to group teams into eight tidy divisions of four teams each. It's perfect, so don't mess with it.
I will freely admit that I've never been a fan of playing regular season games overseas. In my opinion it's nothing more than a gimmicky money grab that puts a pair of teams in an unnecessary hole from a competitive standpoint, costing one a home game and throwing a monkey wrench into the routines of both.
Putting a team in London would only magnify that problem tenfold, but since there's money to be made it's all but certain it will happen, logic and reason be damned.
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Elsevier launches new journal: International Journal of Disaster Risk ReductionPublic release date: 25-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Katherine Eve k.eve@elsevier.com 44-186-584-3171 Elsevier
Oxford, June 25, 2012 Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of a new quarterly journal, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction is affiliated with the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos and will be launched officially at the 4th International Disaster and Risk Conference (IDRC) in Davos, Switzerland, August 26-30, 2012.
The combination of the world's growing population, expanding urbanization and globalization and now climate change, has greatly aggravated the risk potential of natural and technological disasters to all communities and nations. There is great demand for an improved understanding, assessment and management of disasters and risks that affect human safety, health, the environment, critical infrastructures, the economy and society at large. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction publishes fundamental and applied research, critical reviews, policy papers and case studies addressing these issues at all geographical scales, and from a multidisciplinary perspective.
Dr. David Alexander of the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos, Editor-in-Chief of the journal said of the launch, "As the founding Editor?in?Chief, my vision for the journal is to create an international and interdisciplinary forum to foster communication and collaboration between researchers, policymakers and practitioners concerned with disaster research, mitigation and risk reduction."
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction publishes research in the following scientific fields: earth sciences in its entirety; environmental sciences; engineering; urban studies; geography; and social sciences.
The first year of the journal's content will be freely available to view online until 31 August 2013 on ScienceDirect; first papers accepted for publication in the journal are now available online.
For more information visit the journal homepage: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-disaster-risk-reduction/. To submit a paper go to: http://ees.elsevier.com/ijdrr/
###
About the Global Risk Forum (GRF)
"From Thoughts to Action" this credo is the basis of all the work of the Global Risk Forum (GRF) Davos, Switzerland. Through its various activities GRF Davos aims to serve as a centre of knowledge and exchange of know-how for the application of contemporary risk management strategies, tools and practical solutions. GRF Davos endorses vulnerability reduction for all types of risks and disasters in order to provide sustainable protection of life, property, the environment and critical infrastructure. The foundation supports on-going efforts to achieve sustainable development through integrative risk management, particularly in the context of climate change, and by actively promoting public-private partnerships.
About the International Disaster Risk Conference (IDRC)
The 4th International Disaster and Risk Conference (IDRC) will be held in the beautiful mountain area and renewed conference centre of Davos, Switzerland from 26 30 August 2012. Government officials, experts and practitioners, representatives from NGOs, the private sector, from scientific and academic institutions covering natural-, social-, medical-, legal-, and engineering- science as well as media and the public will discuss new findings and exchange experiences in the broad spectrum of risks societies face today. The unique IDRC Davos format includes plenary and parallel sessions, workshops and training courses, as well as poster exhibitions.
The IDRC Davos 2012 theme "Integrative Risk Management in a changing world - Pathways to a Resilient Society" will further establish and develop the approach of Integrative Risk Management within the following context: tools and instruments in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR); climate change adaptation; environment and disaster risk; agricultural risks; mega disasters and cascading effects; urban risks; critical infrastructure and services; health impacts, medical response; economics of disaster, financial tools for risk management; future humanitarism. http://www.idrc.info/
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult and Mosby's Nursing Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).
Media contact
Katherine Eve
Elsevier
+44 1865 843171
k.eve@elsevier.com
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Elsevier launches new journal: International Journal of Disaster Risk ReductionPublic release date: 25-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Katherine Eve k.eve@elsevier.com 44-186-584-3171 Elsevier
Oxford, June 25, 2012 Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of a new quarterly journal, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction is affiliated with the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos and will be launched officially at the 4th International Disaster and Risk Conference (IDRC) in Davos, Switzerland, August 26-30, 2012.
The combination of the world's growing population, expanding urbanization and globalization and now climate change, has greatly aggravated the risk potential of natural and technological disasters to all communities and nations. There is great demand for an improved understanding, assessment and management of disasters and risks that affect human safety, health, the environment, critical infrastructures, the economy and society at large. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction publishes fundamental and applied research, critical reviews, policy papers and case studies addressing these issues at all geographical scales, and from a multidisciplinary perspective.
Dr. David Alexander of the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos, Editor-in-Chief of the journal said of the launch, "As the founding Editor?in?Chief, my vision for the journal is to create an international and interdisciplinary forum to foster communication and collaboration between researchers, policymakers and practitioners concerned with disaster research, mitigation and risk reduction."
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction publishes research in the following scientific fields: earth sciences in its entirety; environmental sciences; engineering; urban studies; geography; and social sciences.
The first year of the journal's content will be freely available to view online until 31 August 2013 on ScienceDirect; first papers accepted for publication in the journal are now available online.
For more information visit the journal homepage: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-disaster-risk-reduction/. To submit a paper go to: http://ees.elsevier.com/ijdrr/
###
About the Global Risk Forum (GRF)
"From Thoughts to Action" this credo is the basis of all the work of the Global Risk Forum (GRF) Davos, Switzerland. Through its various activities GRF Davos aims to serve as a centre of knowledge and exchange of know-how for the application of contemporary risk management strategies, tools and practical solutions. GRF Davos endorses vulnerability reduction for all types of risks and disasters in order to provide sustainable protection of life, property, the environment and critical infrastructure. The foundation supports on-going efforts to achieve sustainable development through integrative risk management, particularly in the context of climate change, and by actively promoting public-private partnerships.
About the International Disaster Risk Conference (IDRC)
The 4th International Disaster and Risk Conference (IDRC) will be held in the beautiful mountain area and renewed conference centre of Davos, Switzerland from 26 30 August 2012. Government officials, experts and practitioners, representatives from NGOs, the private sector, from scientific and academic institutions covering natural-, social-, medical-, legal-, and engineering- science as well as media and the public will discuss new findings and exchange experiences in the broad spectrum of risks societies face today. The unique IDRC Davos format includes plenary and parallel sessions, workshops and training courses, as well as poster exhibitions.
The IDRC Davos 2012 theme "Integrative Risk Management in a changing world - Pathways to a Resilient Society" will further establish and develop the approach of Integrative Risk Management within the following context: tools and instruments in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR); climate change adaptation; environment and disaster risk; agricultural risks; mega disasters and cascading effects; urban risks; critical infrastructure and services; health impacts, medical response; economics of disaster, financial tools for risk management; future humanitarism. http://www.idrc.info/
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult and Mosby's Nursing Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).
Media contact
Katherine Eve
Elsevier
+44 1865 843171
k.eve@elsevier.com
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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Public release date: 25-Jun-2012
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