Facebook's Menlo Park HQ

Facebook’s IPO filing on Wednesday offers investors, bankers, analysts, journalists and anyone willing to read the massive S-1 document a deeper look at the business and financial side of the world’s largest social network than we’ve ever had before.

Our team of tech and business reporters has been digging into the filing, reporting on the Menlo Park, Calif., company’s $3.7-billion revenue, rivalries with Twitter and Google+, perspective on China, social mission and hacker ethos, Zynga accounting for 12% of Facebook’s revenue, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg’s pay cut from $600,000 in 2012 to $1 in 2013 and even what the IPO could mean for the Winklevoss twins.

But that wasn’t all the S-1 had to say. Here are some other highlights from Facebook’s IPO filing before the company actually goes public in May:

Users: Facebook has an average of 845 million monthly active users, 483 million of whom log into the social network daily.

Workforce: At the end of 2011, Facebook had 3,200 full-time employees, up 50% from 2,127 employees 2010. In 2009, the company had 1,218 employees.

Worldwide: Facebook’s plan, unsurprisingly, is to continue to grow by gaining more users in countries around the world. But the company also said in its S-1 that it plans to grow its workforce worldwide as well. “We plan to continue the international expansion of our business operations and the translation of our products,” Facebook said. Currently, Facebook is offered in more than 70 different languages, and the company has data centers in more than 20 different countries.

Popularity: Facebook said that about 60% of the online population in the U.S. and U.K. is registered on the social network. But Facebook is more popular in Chile, Turkey and Venezuela, where the company has “penetration rates of greater than 80% of Internet users.”

There are more than 2 billion Internet users worldwide and Facebook said its goal is to connect all of them through its social network.

“In countries such as Brazil, Germany, and India we estimate that we have penetration rates of approximately 20-30%; in countries such as Japan, Russia, and South Korea we estimate that we have penetration rates of less than 15%; and in China, where Facebook access is restricted, we have near 0% penetration,” the filing said.

Money in the bank: Facebook said that it had $1.5 billion at its disposal in a mix of “cash and cash equivalents” as of Dec. 31, as well as $2.3 billion in “marketable securities.” In 2010, Facebook had $1.7 billion in cash and cash equivalents and no marketable securities. Total assets on hand amounted to $6.6 billion in 2011, while Facebook had a total of $1.4 billion in liabilities.

R&D: Facebook’s research and development efforts have seen massive growth over the last few years. In 2011, the company spent $388 million, or about 10.5% of its revenue, on R&D. In 2010, Facebook spent less than half that amount, with $144 million going toward R&D. In 2009, the company spend $87 million on R&D, up from $47 million in 2008 and $81 million in 2007.

Patents: Faceook said a major factor in whether or not the company will be able to maintain the huge success it’s had thus far will ride on its ability to “protect our core technology and intellectual property.”

To do that, Facebook will “rely on a combination of patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, including know-how, license agreements, confidentiality procedures, non-disclosure agreements with third parties, employee disclosure and invention assignment agreements, and other contractual rights.” The social media giant ended 2011 with 56 patents and 503 patent applications filed in the U.S., along with 33 corresponding patents and 149 patent applications filed in foreign countries.

RELATED:

Facebook’s S-1 already has a (fake) Twitter account

Facebook IPO: Winklevoss twins could reap big payday

Facebook IPO: Mark Zuckerberg’s salary falling to $1 in 2013

– Nathan Olivarez-Giles

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Facebook.com/nateog

Twitter.com/nateog

Photo: Visitors pose in front of a sign at the entrance of Facebook’s new headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on Wednesday. Credit: Kimihiro Hoshino / AFP/Getty Images

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/02/facebook-ipo-details.html

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braingate2-mind-controlled-robot-arm

Researchers at the Braingate2 consortium have made a breakthrough that allows people with spinal cord or stroke injuries to control robotic limbs with their minds. The original project allowed subjects with motor cortex-implanted chips to move cursors on a screen with their minds, but they can now command DEKA and DLR mechanical arms to grasp foam balls and sip coffee. Researchers noted that dropped objects and missed drinks were frequent, but improved brain sensors and more practice by subjects should help. To see the power of the mind move perhaps not mountains, but good ol’ java, jump to the video below.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/mind-operated-robot-arm-helps-paralyzed-woman/

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If you are an Apple developer, then chances are you would have been on the receiving end of the OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3, which is actually the pre-release build of the upcoming Mac operating system update. Those who are familiar with the most recent build have identified it as ?12A206J?, and those who are interested can give it a go at the Mac App Store. It seems that Apple did let developers know that the MacBook Pro model which came out in the middle of 2007 (which is a good half a decade ago, when you think about it) will no longer play nice with the new build, which makes perfect sense. We need to move on, after all. Still, Apple plays the sentimental card, and will make it compatible with a future update, so there is no need to shed any tears just yet if you happen to own a 6 year old MacBook Pro.

Of course, this build is not perfect as expected, where there are reports of an error popping up whenever one uses Fast User Switching, where the desktop has a possibility of appearing in white for several seconds. This problem is also touted to remain with the share menu that are related to Mail and Twitter in the pre-release build. Hopefully all kinks will be ironed out before Mountain Lion hits the consumer market this summer.

Related articles:
Apple releases OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2
China Mobile holds talks with Apple
Apple iCloud upgrade to include photo-sharing features

Seen at: appleinsider   Add a Comment   apple mac os x mountain lion 

Source: http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/05/apple-developers-receive-os-x-10-8-mountain-lion-developer-preview-3/

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Couple weeks ago, I wrote up a post with a download to INVERT your Instagram app and many of you clicked in to see what it was all about. I really liked the more blacked out theme because, to me, the regular Instagram app looks to much like that silly OS that is named after a fruit. It was a bit of a relief to see our amazing developers invert the color and get rid of that silly theme.

Well the developers are at it again, and you just knew that this was coming. An ICS themed Instagram turning that much-loved picture social app, into the Holo Theme that we have all come to love. I have actually been rocking the theme on my Instagram for almost a week now and I am truly happy with it. So if you want to tweak out your Instragram with ICS colors, click the link below that leads you to the XDA thread with the APK file. What is awesome too is they seem to be keeping up with the Instagram updates from the Play Store. Let us know how you like it.

XDA Thread

Source: http://androidspin.com/2012/05/16/ics-themed-instagram-available-for-you-to-download-and-it-looks-gorgeous/

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Yesterday, we told you guys about the Samsung Galaxy S3 (and 19 other devices) slated to arrive in the land of the rising sun via Japanese carrier NT Docomo. Normally that wouldn?t be considered very important news to you guys, but get this ? NT Docomo is listing their GS3 with the same dual-core S4 processor that?s been leaked to arrive in the US and, get this ? it will supposedly arrive with 2GB of RAM.

Now, this could be nothing more than a typo from a carrier with more high-end Android devices in their lineup than they know what to do with. But it got me thinking? If Samsung does opt for a slightly less powerful Qualcomm S4 processor for the US (to ensure compatibility with our LTE bands), it could make some sense that they would try to pick up the slack by increasing performance in other areas.

When it comes to marketing, sometimes specs are a purely a numbers game. If Samsung wants to make sure the GS3 makes a big splash here in the US, that extra 1GB of RAM could give them a leg up on the competition (especially when they can?t boast ?extra cores?). Would you guys be happy if Samsung threw us a bone with 1GB of extra RAM to make up for an admittedly, very capable dual-core CPU?

Via TechnoBuffaloSammyHub | NTDocomo (PDF)

Source: http://phandroid.com/2012/05/16/dual-core-samsung-galaxy-s3-with-2gb-of-ram-headed-to-japan-could-the-us-be-next/

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You Could Own An Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device

// April 2nd, 2012 // toys

Since having a daughter, I?ve noticed that I have a renewed interest in toys. Not for her, of course, but for myself. I?ve also played less video games, which is sad. One of my favorite video games is Portal. If you?re not familiar, Portal is a bit different. There aren?t really any ?bad guys? to battle or anything, but rather it?s a puzzle game. You?re trapped in a science facility and forced to ?test? incessantly. You have to figure out how to get out of various testing rooms using only the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. This ?gun? shoots portals ? openings that you can place on certain surfaces that you can pass through. Here?s a video to somewhat explain it:

In any case, Think Geek is showing a listing to buy an official replica of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. Unfortunately, it doesn?t *really* shoot portals, since it?s a replica, but it?s still awesome, nonetheless.

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While Ricky Cadden is currently employed by RadioShack, Inc, all the thoughts, opinions, and views shared here and elsewhere online are his own and in no way reflect those of RadioShack, Inc. You can read more about Ricky Cadden here, or contact him at Ricky(at)RickyCadden(dot)com.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/symbianguru/posts/~3/_O9U0qFapNc/

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With the Summer season upon us, it?s the mobile world that we once again look to for the most surprises, especially from Apple with it?s upcoming iPhone 5, it being a ?full refresh? season for the smartphone maker. Apple has for the past several years created a complete refresh of an iPhone, then an ?S? version, then a complete refresh once more, this resulting in last year?s iPhone 4S and this year?s big jump into the future: the iPhone 5. What we?re hearing this week is that the production of this next-level smartphone will start with its displays, with orders already placed, so says the WSJ, for a 4-inch screen which will start to roll out this June.

This release for Apple will undoubtedly be a big one, with the time since a full-on refresh of their software and hardware in the mobile realm having been over a year ago with the iPhone 4. The iPad 3 was just about as close as we?ve gotten to a whole new generation of mobile devices with a new Retina-quality display and 4G LTE connectivity, elements we?ve either already got or can expect to be in play with the iPhone 5 come this autumn. This release brings on the sixth generation of the iPhone and could also be coming with the same naming convention of the 3rd generation iPad, that being the complete drop of any extra numbers or letters. No more S for you!

iPhone 4S hands-on:

Inside 2012 you can expect ?The New iPhone? to have a 4-inch display at what Apple calls ?Retina quality? sharpness and brightness as well as such futuristic elements as a 12 or 14 megapixel camera on the back, 5 megapixel camera on the front, and new integration of Apple licensed technologies such as Liquidmetal. This technology is a mix of metals which allow for much better damage protection, this metal set to be ?casing and enclosures? for future Apple products, so tips one of the creators of the original concoction.

Don?t forget super C3 maps as well!

Have a peek at our iPhone 5 timeline below to get a better idea of what this next-generation iPhone will bring to you and don?t forget our ?VS? battles as well ? don?t pick up the wrong phone, it?s a terrifying situation!

Source: http://www.slashgear.com/iphone-5-production-starts-in-june-16228640/

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White Nokia Lumia 900

SUNNYVALE, CA, United States - We believe your phone should be able to handle text messaging, Facebook messages and email so simply you don?t even have to think about it.

This is where the Nokia Lumia 900, Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 truly shine. Using the Messaging application, text messages and chatting all happen in the same application. So, for me, it doesn?t matter if my Mom messages me from inside Facebook on her computer or from her mobile via SMS, it all comes through as ?Mom Harris?. 

Text and Facebook chat messaging, all together
As explained above, I use a variety of messaging methods depending on who is trying to connect with me. When it comes to text messaging or Facebook Chat, Nokia and Windows Phone have It covered.

Using the Messaging application and viewing Threads, you can see conversations split up by the name of the contact you initiated the conversation with.

For example, if you click ?New? in Threads, you?re prompted to put in a name. If you?re signed into Facebook on your phone and Facebook Chat is enabled in Messaging Settings, you?ll be asked how you want to reach that recipient.

I love how, in this situation, Facebook and SMS messages are displayed in one window ? this creates ease in an already hectic life and puts people at my fingertips, no matter where they happen to be. Also, group SMS messages are all handled in one thread, keeping the conversation in context no matter who replies and when they decide to do so.

How do you enable this amazing functionality of Facebook and SMS messages appearing in one place? Be sure you connect your Windows Phone to Facebook by adding your account (more info below on this below). Then, when you receive messages (either Facebook or SMS), if the person is in your phone?s contact list and a Facebook friend, their messages will be visible in one handy spot..

Email to the rescue

Personally, I have three email accounts to keep track of, consisting of a single work account and two personal email accounts. In my case, my work email is Exchange based and my two personal emails are both Gmail accounts. This mix is easily handled by Windows Phone. 

When I set up a new email account, Exchange, Yahoo, Gmail and Windows Live accounts are handled easily with on-screen menus. For those of you who use IMAP or POP, enter your credentials and server information in the Settings -> Accounts configuration menus.

Each account is given its own Live Tile on the homescreen. The email interface in Windows Phone is threaded and shows all essential information including sender name, subject and time the email was sent.

Separate or linked Inboxes
One capability I find very useful is the ability to see unread message counts in the home screen for each individual email account.  Alternatively, Windows Phone users can link inboxes to that all your email is seen in one application in a more easy-to-use scenario.

The buttons and information provided in the inbox view and individual message views are intuitive and occupy the screen with enough information to be useful, but not clutter the screen.

What do you think about messaging on your Nokia Lumia 900 or Lumia 710 so far?

Image Credit: Ed Siasaco

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NokiaConversations-Posts/~3/jdEebMBKwPw/

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Vendors are beginning to accept the idea that women like, need, and use gadgets, too.  While we can use the same gadgets that men do, sometimes we?d like our bags and accessories to be a bit different ? perhaps smaller, maybe a bit more colorful.  knomo London makes ?perfect urban accessories to carry your devices,? like this Aurora Zip Tote.  While they make gear for both men and women, this bag is definitely designed for women to carry a laptop, papers, even a small purse in.  Let?s give it a look.

The Aurora has a lightweight quilted nylon exterior with black Saffiano (faux leather) trim.  The quilted fabric has a silky feel and a sheen.  The bag is available in black or berry quilted fabric.  I obviously received the berry.  The front has a zippered pocket that can hold cards or a cellphone (see top photo).  A silver-toned metal badge in the middle of this pocket displays the knomo name.

There are two carry handles that are attached to the bag with large, silver-toned metal buttons.  These straps have a 4.25? drop to the top of the bag.  They?re made of the faux leather, and they are rounded and cushioned.

The back of the bag is plain, with no pockets.  The bag measures about 15.5? wide X 12? tall.  It weighed about 2 pounds 6 ounces on my digital kitchen scale.

In addition to the attached handles, the Aurora has a removable shoulder strap.  It?s made of 1.5? wide belting.  There are two, large, lobster-claw clips to attach the strap to the silver metal D-rings on the bag.  The strap is adjustable with the metal buckle, seen in the photo, above.  It adjusts from to 29.5? to 52?, including the clips.  You can carry the bag as a shoulder or crossbody bag.  The strap has no padding, but it?s wide enough to spread out the weight of the bag a bit on your shoulder.

The sides and bottom of the Aurora have a black, breakaway zipper that allows the bag to be expanded when you need to carry a larger load.  The zipper has plastic teeth and a metal pull.  When closed the bag is about 1.5? thick.

The bag unzips to about 5? deep.  The zipper breaks open at the top to allow for full expansion.  The sides and bottom of the expanded bag seem to be made of the same material used for the exterior, but it is thinner and not quilted.

There?s a zippered top, shown pull out of the top of the collapsed bag.  It also has a breakaway zipper with plastic teeth and a metal pull, so the top can be completely opened.  The panel pushes down into the collapsed bag, and it keeps the contents of your bag secure.  It doesn?t completely close the length of the bag, so small items could fall out.

The zipper panel is designed to work when the bag is expanded, too.  You can see here that the panel doesn?t completely close off the top.

There?s a stiff panel at the bottom of the bag that flips up out of the way when the bag is collapsed, as seen here.  You push it down into the bottom of the bag to form a sturdy, stable bottom when the bag is expanded.

The interior of the bag I received is a mushroom color.  Its texture is like that of a microfiber cleaning cloth.  The interior fabric has a stain-resistant coating.

The back wall of the bag has a laptop compartment with a snap tab (made from the faux leather) closure.  The front of the compartment is made of a thinly-padded, quilted piece of the interior fabric.  The back of the compartment has no padding other than what?s offered by the exterior wall of the bag.

The compartment will accommodate up to a 15? laptop.  My husband?s 15? MacBook Pro work computer fit into the compartment.  My 13? MBP fit with room to spare.  You can see there are two snaps on the front of the compartment to adjust for the thickness of the computer.  A piece of the faux leather covers the backs of the snaps to protect your laptop from scratches.

There?s a large zippered pocket on the inside front wall.  It?s big enough to hold your wallet, keys, cables, or the like.  You?ll notice a white label inside.  This label is the knomo TRACKER.  The label has a unique ID number (obscured with a blue bar in this photo) and both UK and USA phone numbers.  If you misplace your bag, the finder can call one of these numbers and knomo will be able to trace the bag back to you.  (If you?ve first registered your bag with knomo.)

The knomo London Aurora Zip Tote is a stylish bag without being too trendy.  It?s business-like without being severe.  I like that it?s expandable, so you can zip it down when you need to carry only a laptop and a couple of small accessories.  Or you can expand it to a large tote when you need to throw other things ? shoes, a lunch, a big stack of books or papers ? in with your laptop.  I wish it had a couple more organizer pockets inside, and maybe a couple of pen loops.  The front faux leather pocket could use a couple of changes, too.  It?s not quite big enough to hold an iPhone in a case, and I fear that the metal zipper, while attractive, could scratch my phone?s screen.  Because you can wear it as a crossbody bag to spread out the weight of the loaded bag across your back, the Aurora is pretty comfortable to carry.  All in all, the knomo Aurora is an attractive, useful laptop bag for women.

Product Information

Price: $149.99
Manufacturer: Knomo London
Retailer: Knomo London USA
Pros:
  • Fits up to a 15″ laptop in quilted sleeve
  • Expandable
  • Has a zipped top to protect contents
Cons:
  • Lack of organizational pockets inside
  • Front pocket won’t hold an iPhone in a case

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/05/15/knomo-london-aurora-zip-tote-review/

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Tim Cook Met With U.S. Speaker of the House Today At The Capitol [Photo]

Boehner giving Cook the stanky eye

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner at the U.S. Capitol today. The details of the meeting remain unknown, but Cook was likely sweet talking Boehner to pass the the tax holiday Apple wants so it can bring back billions in offshore cash at a low tax rate.

$74 billion of Apple?s $110 billion in cash assets are held offshore to avoid higher U.S. corporate tax rates, and many businesses based in the states operate the same way. Apple pioneered a technique called ?Double Irish With a Dutch Sandwich? in which it routes its profits through Irish subsidiaries and the Netherlands and then to the Caribbean to sidestep income taxes. (The New York Times recently ran a piece on Apple?s tax evasion that garnered some criticism, if you want to learn more.)

So, what topics do you think Cook and Boehner were talking about today in DC?

Source: http://cultofmac.com.feedsportal.com/c/33797/f/606249/s/1f64837d/l/0L0Scultofmac0N0C1672910Ctim0Ecook0Emet0Ewith0Eu0Es0Espeaker0Eof0Ethe0Ehouse0Etoday0Eat0Ethe0Ecapitol0Ephoto0C/story01.htm

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus

The Galaxy Nexus was Google’s flagship Samsung phone for the Android 4.0 launch.

In support of its upcoming Android 5.0 operating system release, code-named Jelly Bean, Google will deploy the OS on not a single Nexus smartphone per Android tradition, but perhaps on five Nexus phones this fall ? so says a Tuesday report by Wall Street Journal.

The move would be a huge reboot for Google?s Nexus program, which so far has resulted in three phones over the last three years ? the HTC Nexus One, and Samsung?s Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus. Each handset has shipped with a ?pure? version of Google?s Android operating system, free of any third-party skins, bloatware or alterations.

Last month, Google began selling an unlocked variation of the Galaxy Nexus, which runs Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), for $400 via Google Play, the company?s online storefront. If Google rolls with the multiple Nexus phone approach, as the Journal reports, it would sell the phones unlocked in Asia, Europe and the U.S. on both Google Play and through traditional brick-and-mortar retail channels.

We reached out to Google for comment, but hadn?t heard back by press time.

By delivering a flagship phone to every handset manufacturer of relevance, Google could help alleviate fears among OEMs that it will favor Motorola Mobility, which Google hopes to purchase for $12.5 billion. Regulators in the U.S. and the European Union have both signed off on Google?s proposed takeover of Motorola?s consumer gadget arm, but the Chinese government has yet to approve the deal.

A Nexus family of phones could be produced by as many as five different hardware makers, launching in time for Black Friday this November, the Journal reported, adding that a rumored Nexus Tablet from Asus could go on sale around the same time.

If Google could pull of this bold strategy, it could also reduce Android OS fragmentation. Not only would more phones in the ecosystem be running the latest OS ? Android 5.0 ? but each handset manufacturer would have more familiarity and expertise with the new OS, allowing it to more quickly tweak its own custom builds for Android 5.0 on non-Nexus handsets.

Currently, about 64 percent of Android devices run on version 2.3 (Gingerbread). Android 4, better known as Ice Cream Sandwich, runs on only some 5 percent of Android devices, despite launching on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus last November.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/eLnD7csqMvc/

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This is more of a FYI style of post than anything else. It seems Nova Launcher has just updated today adding in a bunch of new stuff. Some new additions for the free version, along with some seriously awesome additions for the Prime version. Both versions now support the use of Go Launcher icon packs, set default screen by dragging the check mark on the preview screen and reverse wallpaper scrolling. That is pretty trippy actually, it makes your wallpaper scroll in the opposite direction that you are.

In the Prime version there is now an Unread counts and a few new gestures, like rotate clockwise and Double-Tap. Check out the full list below.

What?s in this version:

  1. Unread counts via TeslaUnread (Prime)
  2. New Gestures: Rotate Clockwise, Rotate CCW, and Double-tap (Prime)
  3. Support for selecting icon from Go Launcher icon packs
  4. Set default screen by dragging checkmark on preview screen
  5. Hide scroll indicator
  6. ?Reverse? wallpaper scrolling mode
  7. Animation/Scroll speed preferences
  8. Show Recent Apps Nova Action
  9. Support for Cyanogenmod nightlies ?Launcher? setting
  10. Misc fixes

For those of you that don?t know what Nova Launcher is, it is a customized home replacement that was created to give users of Ice Cream Sandwich based devices a great stock launcher with plenty of options. I have been using it for quite a while and have been very pleased with its performance and options. If you have it, hop in the PLay Store and update. If you don?t you may want to snag the free version below and give it a test before buying the full version.

Application: Nova Launcher
Developer: TeslaCoil Software
Cost: FREE

Source: http://androidspin.com/2012/05/15/nova-launcher-updates-go-launcher-icon-packs-and-new-gestures-added-among-others/

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