Author Archives: Guest Post

Smarter Farming: California’s Sun World Transforms Produce Business with IBM Technology

*Reduces use of natural resources, including 20% less energy*  

ARMONK, N.Y. and BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – 21 Jul 2010: IBM today announced that Bakersfield, Calif. based agribusiness Sun World International LLC is harnessing IBM analytics technology to improve crop yields, reduce waste and expand its customer base, while providing more cost effective and energy efficient harvesting practices.

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First-of-Its-Kind Map Details the Height of the Globe’s Forests

WASHINGTON — Using satellite data, scientists have produced a first-of-its kind map that details the height of the world’s forests. Although there are other local- and regional-scale forest canopy maps, the new map is the first that spans the entire globe based on one uniform method.

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Kinect Pricing, All-in-One Bundle Announced

REDMOND, Wash. – July 20, 2010 Microsoft today officially announced the price tag Kinect will have when it hits stores this fall. 

Kinect for Xbox 360, which will include the Kinect Sensor and the video game “Kinect Adventures,” will retail for US$149.99 when it launches Nov. 4 in North America, the company revealed. The Kinect Sensor will work with each of the 40 million Xbox 360s currently in households worldwide.

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Global Model Confirms: Cool Roofs Can Offset Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Mitigate Global Warming

Can light-colored rooftops and roads really curb carbon emissions and combat global climate change?  

The idea has been around for years, but now, a new study by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that is the first to use a global model to study the question has found that implementing cool roofs and cool pavements in cities around the world can not only help cities stay cooler, they can also cool the world, with the potential of canceling the heating effect of up to two years of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.

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Kindle Device Unit Sales Accelerate Each Month in Second Quarter; New $189 Price Results in Tipping Point for Growth

*Amazon.com Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Hardcover Books*

SEATTLE, Jul 19, 2010 — Millions of people are already reading on Kindles and Kindle is the #1 bestselling item on Amazon.com for two years running. It’s also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon.com.  

Today, Amazon.com announced that Kindle device unit sales accelerated each month in the second quarter–both on a sequential month-over-month basis and on a year-over-year basis.

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IBM Reports 2010 Second-Quarter Results

ARMONK, N.Y. – 19 Jul 2010:

  • Diluted earnings per share of $2.61, up 13 percent;
  • 30 consecutive quarters of EPS growth, 12 of last 14 at double digits;
  • Full-year 2010 EPS expectations raised to at least $11.25;
  • Net income of $3.4 billion, up 9 percent;
  • Pre-tax income of $4.6 billion, up 7 percent;
  • Pre-tax margin of 19.3 percent, up 1 point;
  • Revenue of $23.7 billion, up 2 percent, as reported and adjusting for currency;
  • Growth markets revenue up 14 percent; first-half revenue as large as total Euro zone revenue;
  • BRIC countries revenue up 22 percent;
  • Business Analytics revenue up 14 percent;
  • Software revenue up 2 percent, 6 percent excluding divested PLM operations;
  • Systems and Technology revenue up 3 percent;
  • Services revenue up 2 percent;
  • Services backlog of $129 billion, up $1 billion, adjusting for currency.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced second-quarter 2010 diluted earnings of $2.61 per share compared with diluted earnings of $2.32 per share in the second quarter of 2009, an increase of 13 percent.

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