Sony’s newest Aibo robot targeted at 24-45-year-old males is making break from Lotte models of past. ERS-220 ($1,500) has sensors on back that make it look like remote, with digital camera in head to deliver JPEG photo, and continues use of Memory Stick to expand voice commands to 75 words from 50. It also has wireless LAN capability to allow it to be controlled through PC at distances up to 300’ and will have additional tails, heads and wheels to allow user to create other robots. Also available is optional Aibo Life 2 software ($90) that enables user to choreograph robot to music.
Special treat for Star Wars fans comes Fri., said distributor 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Tues. On Nov. 9, owners of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace DVD will be able to use disc’s PC link to see previews of forthcoming Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. Preview is locked on DVD and needs PC connection to Internet to unlock it for viewing. Studio said preview was different from trailers in theaters, with never-before-seen footage.
Family Friendly value-priced computer game maker eGames said it entered into new bank agreement with Fleet to pay off outstanding balance owed over 22 months. Langhorne, Pa., game maker said agreement also provided that, despite its defaults under loan documents that previously provided company with $2 million secured line of credit, bank wouldn’t enforce its rights and remedies under those loan documents as long as eGames remained in compliance with terms of new agreement. Under new deal, remaining outstanding balance owed under credit facility will be repaid in monthly installments with interest at prime plus 3%. EGames also issued warrants to bank for purchase of 750,000 shares of company’s common stock exercisable until Oct. 31, 2006, at exercise price of 9? per share.
Acclaim Sports starts shipping its first title for GameCube -- All-Star Baseball 2002 -- later this week at $49.99. Title was developed by Glen Cove, N.Y., game maker Acclaim Entertainment’s Acclaim Studios Austin under license from Major League Baseball Properties and Major League Baseball Players Assn. Acclaim said it planned to ship 4 other GameCube titles through holiday season -- Crazy Taxi, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2, NFL QB Club 2002, XG3 Extreme G Racing.
Salt Lake City professional services company SBI was tapped by Microsoft to design Xbox packaging. Microsoft also requested that SBI create online and offline brand usage guides. Microsoft Brand Mktg. Dir. Don Coyner said company picked SBI because its “designs most accurately captured the performance and power of the Xbox videogame system… SBI so thoroughly tapped into the power of the Xbox brand and the gamer mentality that we asked them to develop an Xbox brand guide that would ensure that all our internal and external communication stayed true to the Xbox brand.”
Rayovac said 4th quarter profit narrowed to $6.5 million from $12.7 million year as battery maker took $5.7 million charge to cover restructuring and write-down of receivables owed by bankrupt retailers. Revenue declined to $187.6 million from $191.5 million. Rayovac recorded $3.5 million charge in quarter that partly covered shutdown of 90,000-sq.-ft. factory in Wonewoc, Wis., that produced lighting products. It also trimmed 500 jobs, move it expected would generate $12-$13 million in annual savings. In addition to closing plants, work forces at Mexico City and Tegucigalpa, Honduras, which manufactured zinc carbon batteries, also were reduced. Rayovac had 3,300 employees Dec. 2000. General and administrative expenses rose to $14.4 million from $12.1 million as company took $2.7 million charge to write off receivables from retailers Ames and Pharmor, both of which are operating under bankruptcy protection. As result, accounts receivable rose to $190 million from $154 million despite decline in inventory to $91 million from $100 million. Sales in N. America declined to $143.1 million from $150.3 million year earlier, while revenue from Latin America and Europe increased 4% and 18% to $30.2 and $14.3 million, respectively. Rechargeable battery sales were up 27% but heavy-duty batteries fell $4 million. Earnings also suffered from “intense promotional environment” led by Gillette’s Duracell brand, which priced 12-pack of AA batteries at Wal-Mart at $7.97, CEO David Jones said. At Wal-Mart, Rayovac has secured coveted check-out line placement for holiday season, spot it will share with mass merchant’s private label brand, Jones said. Rayovac also signed distribution agreement with Best Buy to carry its one-hour nickel metal hydride rechargeable system, first product battery maker has sold through CE dealer. Battery sales growth is expected to slow in 2002 to 3-4% from traditional 5-7% as result of slowdown in worldwide economy, Jones said.
SRS Labs announced release Tues. of step-up TruSurround “XT” technology. Upgrade adds 3 audio enhancement techniques to basic TruSurround, which processes Dolby Digital or DTS signal through 2-speaker audio systems or headphones. New features of XT include dialog clarity and deep bass enrichment functions. XT also adds SRS’s “WOW” technology, which is said to reproduce wider and taller sound image field.
Electronic Arts began shipping E-rated (Everyone) videogame FIFA Soccer 2002: Major League Soccer for PC ($39.99), PlayStation ($49.99), PlayStation 2 ($59.99). Videogame maker in Redwood City, Cal., said it expected to ship version for GameCube later this month.
Faced with continuing losses from operations, flat-panel speaker maker NXT is rethinking applications for its technology - - and its practice of filing extensive and expensive patent applications. Executives briefed us on new outlook in recent visit to company’s hq in Huntingdon, England, near Cambridge
Growing interest in telematics products and services was evident in 2 deals announced Tues. MobileAria will partner with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications to support and market Sony Ericsson’s Bluetooth-enabled phones with its True Hand Free service to be introduced at year-end. Service will work with consumer’s PC and MobileAria-provided cellphone, “devices people carry with them throughout the day,” and will be marketed independent of automaker, company said. Using MobileAria’s Bluetooth cellphone and telematics service, drivers can use voice commands to: (1) Read, file, reply, delete or prioritize e-mail. (2) Dial phone saying numbers or contact name. (3) Navigate through voice mail and customer service prompts. (4) Answer or hang up phone. (5) Listen to personalized headlines, sports, financial and entertainment news. Company later will roll out more services such as real-time traffic information, business location finder and real time weather, it said. MobileAria investors include Delphia Automotive, Mayfield and Palm. Separately, Ford and Qualcomm joint venture Wingcast said it would use Sun Microsystems Open Net Environment as backbone of telematics delivery network. To be unveiled in model year 2003, telematics offering will be based on Java language and will run on Sun Fire servers, company said. Sun and Wingfire will work together to create network architecture and “relevant applications.” Computer maker also will promote Wingfire services to domestic employees and “develop purchase incentive programs to help ignite industry demand,” Sun said. IDC research firm recently estimated telematics market to grow to $42 billion by 2010 from $1 billion in 1998.