Despite rumors of cancellation, Comdex computer trade show will be held as scheduled Nov. 12-16 in Las Vegas, spokeswoman for organizer key3media told us. Plans for company’s other conventions around world also remain in place, she said. Comdex shows are planned for Tel Aviv in Dec., Norway, Greece and France this winter, Saudi Arabia in April, Egypt in May -- www.key3media.com.
InFocus will cut front-projector line to 11 SKUs from 29 by year-end 2002 as it seeks to sharpen focus on own brand as well as on those acquired in buying Proxima and Ask, Home Entertainment Product Mktg. Mgr. Brian Carskadon said. InFocus and Proxima will be marketed in U.S., while Proxima and Ask are used in Europe, he said. InFocus, which had combined 39 SKUs after buying Proxima in 2000, has struggled for much of year with high inventory and is expected to post 3rd quarter financial results today. InFocus will continue building projectors both in U.S. and at former Ask plant in Norway, but has shifted production of 3 low-end models to Flextronics factory in Malaysia. While Texas Instruments’ Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology continues to account for 56% of InFocus’s projectors, and LCD is in 44%, company is moving toward “a more even balance,” Corp. Mktg. Vp Nelson Platt said. Plasma display panels (PDPs) remain on InFocus’s “radar screen,” Carskadon said. While InFocus hasn’t disclosed product plans, PDP is likely to be smaller than 42W it showed at Infocomm trade show in June, he said. Company also is continuing to pursue liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) microdisplay technology through investments in Three-Five Systems and Zight (formerly Colorado MicroDisplay), Carskadon said. LCoS probably will be deployed as InFocus enters home theater market late this year because of its ability to deliver high resolution. As it restructures brand strategy, InFocus also will expand OEM business, although that will be capped at 20% of annual revenues, Platt said. InFocus’s OEM customers include IBM, Shanghai General Electronics, Toshiba.
Audible.com is offering $50 rebate for new and existing users of Franklin Electronic Publishers’ eBookMan multimedia content device when they sign up for flat-rate AudibleListener Program. Service provides spoken audio downloads. Franklin Worldwide Sales & Mktg. Vp Bob Gartwaite said more than 25% of eBookMan owners have already downloaded audio content from Audible.com, and rebate offer will introduce new eBookMan users to its audio capabilities as well as provide savings on spoken word titles. EBookMan is sold at retailers including Amazon.com, Best Buy, J&R Electronics.
Microsoft was IBeam’s top unsecured creditor at $1 million. Internet broadcaster filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this month, listing $118 million in assets, $41.9 million in debt. Microsoft invested $10 million in IBeam in 1998 in exchange for 5 million shares and Sony added $2 million for 1 million shares. In filing for bankruptcy protection, IBeam agreed to sell assets to Williams Communications for $25 million. Williams received 49% stake in IBeam in June in exchange for $20 million cash, $10 million in services. Williams was 2nd largest creditor at $747,772, followed by Broadwing Communications, $390,000; Tonic 360, $240,075; NEC, $212,390. Netscape Communications, whose parent AOL Time Warner invested $5 million in company, was owed $205,629. IBeam had struggled financially for much of year, posting $380.7 million loss in 4th quarter ended Dec. 31 and freezing hiring as it reduced capital spending for year to $15 million from $55 million. It also was hampered by slow sales from joint ventures with SES Astra in Europe and Pacific Century Cyberworks in Asia.
Video Display Corp.) reported 2nd quarter net income rose to $352,000 from $302,000 on 4.2% gain in net revenue to $18.8 million. VDC, which supplies electronic parts as well as CRTs and LCDs, said acquisition of Christie Digital’s CRT front-projector line would be “slightly beneficial” to 3rd quarter revenue, which will include about month’s worth of sales of Christie’s Marquee models.
Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Hollings (D-S.C.) would like more feedback from CE industry and other affected sectors before introducing his bill to require CE devices to include copyright protection, with technology standards mandated by govt. “The chairman wants to enter into a public dialog” with all parties, his spokesman said Tues., process that could include tentatively scheduled Oct. 25 hearing.
Digital still camera size of Zippo lighter is being marketed in Japan by Nichimen Corp. and NH Japan Holdings. New Che-ez! Spyz camera ($65) has aluminum body and weighs 1- 1/4 oz. excluding batteries and chain. It uses 350,000-pixel CMOS pickup and 4-layer glass lens. Capacity of internal memory is 26 sec. still or 28 sec. of video. Plans for export sales weren’t disclosed.
DVD+RW Alliance has new member: Houston-based Snapstream Media, whose PVS software enables PC to function as hard-disc personal video recorder.
Best Buy is bringing NetFlix DVD rental service to its brick-and-mortar storefronts. Co-branded service will be offered nationally in Best Buy, Sam Goody, Suncoast, On Cue and Media Play outlets. Move follows online rollout last month of co-branded Netflix service on 5 Best Buy Web sites.
Retailers attending PlayDate product showcase in N.Y. expressed confidence Tues. that upcoming holiday shopping season would be strong one, helped in large part by videogame category.