Well I'm on Page 3 of today's paper and it's already worth my 80 cents. Apparently Apple has hit back at UnCreative with a retaliatory lawsuit.
Extract from the paper:
Apple's counterstrike also appeared to have caught money-losing Creative off-guard.
Nothing really surprising there. UnCreative obviously doesn't plan ahead.
Let's bring them down, Apple!
20 May 2006
17 May 2006
UnCreative 2
Came across this nice article on Yahoo saying how the Apple suit is seen hurting Creative in long run. An extract:
"The lawsuit will be a long process, and even if they win, any damages awarded will be a one-off gain. This does not change Creative's business fundamentals and the fact that there is nothing much to look forward to on the operations front."
Kim Eng Securities analyst Gregory Yap said Apple was unlikely to give up its lucrative iPod business without a long, expensive fight -- time and money that loss-making Creative cannot afford to waste.
"Creative's suit against Apple may bring relief to the share price in the short term, but in the long term, it will distract and divert management attention and company resources when both are needed to turn around the ailing business," he said.
Earlier this month, Creative swung to a larger-than-expected quarterly net loss of $114.3 million in its fiscal third quarter ended March, compared with a $15.9 million profit a year ago, after a plunge in music player prices squeezed margins and forced it to write down its inventory.
Let's hope this whole thing hastens the demise of UnCreative.
"The lawsuit will be a long process, and even if they win, any damages awarded will be a one-off gain. This does not change Creative's business fundamentals and the fact that there is nothing much to look forward to on the operations front."
Kim Eng Securities analyst Gregory Yap said Apple was unlikely to give up its lucrative iPod business without a long, expensive fight -- time and money that loss-making Creative cannot afford to waste.
"Creative's suit against Apple may bring relief to the share price in the short term, but in the long term, it will distract and divert management attention and company resources when both are needed to turn around the ailing business," he said.
Earlier this month, Creative swung to a larger-than-expected quarterly net loss of $114.3 million in its fiscal third quarter ended March, compared with a $15.9 million profit a year ago, after a plunge in music player prices squeezed margins and forced it to write down its inventory.
Let's hope this whole thing hastens the demise of UnCreative.
UnCreative
Extract from an article in the Straits Times today:
SINGAPORE'S Creative Technology has taken its fight with its rival Apple Computer over the MP3 music player market to a new level - by seeking a legal ban on Apple's sale of its best-selling iPod in the United States.
Creative, whose line of Zen MP3 players remains a distant No. 2 in the vital US market, and elsewhere, has taken twin-pronged legal action against Apple in the US.
On Monday, it filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, claiming Apple's iPods breached a patent it holds over a technology used in iPods. It has also filed a lawsuit in California against the US giant on similar grounds, seeking financial damages, along with a halt to US iPod sales.
The move could give Creative a chance to reverse its fortunes, observers said yesterday, if the court bars Apple from selling iPods, which account for about three in four MP3 players sold in the US. But legal experts say the more probable pay-off Creative can hope for is damages.
Creative Technology should change its name to Uncreative Technology. Their products are no longer innovative, they started up in the MP3 player business but yet got caught by Apple, Samsung and so many others.
They can no longer compete - just have a look at the 50 colours or so that Creative's MP3 players come in these days. This means they have pretty much given up on trying to figure out what the customers might want. Instead they just dump their players in every single colour in their palette in the hopes that someone somewhere will find them to their fancy.
The only reason they still sell any MP3 players these days is that their prices are among the lowest. And even in that category, we now have brands like Le-Mon and others cutting in on their share.
And now, in order to salvage some $$, they are reduced to filing stupid little lawsuits like this one. Apple should sue UnCreative back for trying to copy the sleekness of its iPod players in their Zen range.
UnCreative should just cut its losses and get out of the MP3 player business.
SINGAPORE'S Creative Technology has taken its fight with its rival Apple Computer over the MP3 music player market to a new level - by seeking a legal ban on Apple's sale of its best-selling iPod in the United States.
Creative, whose line of Zen MP3 players remains a distant No. 2 in the vital US market, and elsewhere, has taken twin-pronged legal action against Apple in the US.
On Monday, it filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, claiming Apple's iPods breached a patent it holds over a technology used in iPods. It has also filed a lawsuit in California against the US giant on similar grounds, seeking financial damages, along with a halt to US iPod sales.
The move could give Creative a chance to reverse its fortunes, observers said yesterday, if the court bars Apple from selling iPods, which account for about three in four MP3 players sold in the US. But legal experts say the more probable pay-off Creative can hope for is damages.
Creative Technology should change its name to Uncreative Technology. Their products are no longer innovative, they started up in the MP3 player business but yet got caught by Apple, Samsung and so many others.
They can no longer compete - just have a look at the 50 colours or so that Creative's MP3 players come in these days. This means they have pretty much given up on trying to figure out what the customers might want. Instead they just dump their players in every single colour in their palette in the hopes that someone somewhere will find them to their fancy.
The only reason they still sell any MP3 players these days is that their prices are among the lowest. And even in that category, we now have brands like Le-Mon and others cutting in on their share.
And now, in order to salvage some $$, they are reduced to filing stupid little lawsuits like this one. Apple should sue UnCreative back for trying to copy the sleekness of its iPod players in their Zen range.
UnCreative should just cut its losses and get out of the MP3 player business.
12 May 2006
Bad Parents Being Stupid
Came across this article on Yahoo News.
This type of thing really pisses me off. Bad parents trying to shift the blame to some other party for their own bloody failures. Who let the kid play 36 hours straight, huh? It sure wasn't the Warcraft distributor.
In a country where you're only allowed to have 1 kid, you'd think they'd pay a bit more attention to his/her welfare.
And why does the suit say this thing about the warning that the game is suitable only for players above age 13? 13-year-olds are above age 13!!
This type of thing really pisses me off. Bad parents trying to shift the blame to some other party for their own bloody failures. Who let the kid play 36 hours straight, huh? It sure wasn't the Warcraft distributor.
In a country where you're only allowed to have 1 kid, you'd think they'd pay a bit more attention to his/her welfare.
And why does the suit say this thing about the warning that the game is suitable only for players above age 13? 13-year-olds are above age 13!!
08 May 2006
05 May 2006
ST's Top Story
Found this "Top Story" picture on the Straits Times homepage.
Lucky they have this small caption to help us out. Otherwise I would have thought Khaw Boon Wan was shaking hands with yet another PAP candidate.
And how about that guy in the middle showing us all his teeth eh? Happy that the vendor's arm was hiding his fat belly? Feeling the pleasure of his right boob in front of everyone?
Good thing tomorrow's Polling Day and we'll soon be rid of all this election non-sense.
Anyway, for this to be considered a top story, I guess nothing is happening in the world today. Has the massacre in Darfur stopped? Nope, BBC's homepage brings us back to reality.
All about keeping the priorities straight eh ST? But I will also give them pops. After refreshing the ST homepage, I got to see this.
Happy Coronation Anniversary, Your Highness.
Lucky they have this small caption to help us out. Otherwise I would have thought Khaw Boon Wan was shaking hands with yet another PAP candidate.
And how about that guy in the middle showing us all his teeth eh? Happy that the vendor's arm was hiding his fat belly? Feeling the pleasure of his right boob in front of everyone?
Good thing tomorrow's Polling Day and we'll soon be rid of all this election non-sense.
Anyway, for this to be considered a top story, I guess nothing is happening in the world today. Has the massacre in Darfur stopped? Nope, BBC's homepage brings us back to reality.
All about keeping the priorities straight eh ST? But I will also give them pops. After refreshing the ST homepage, I got to see this.
Happy Coronation Anniversary, Your Highness.
Wishful Thinking
Here's hoping MI3 bombs and puts a long-overdue end to that short arrogant bastard's career. Won't mention his name cos I don't want to dirty my blog with this type of filth. I won't ever understand how the American people keep supporting this gay's career and yet let the careers of so many other deserving stars peter out.
Also came across this rather funny article on Yahoo Music.
Guess he can't handle a repeat of his situation with Jessica Simpson, i.e. the girl earning more and being more popular than him ... :)
Also came across this rather funny article on Yahoo Music.
Nick Lachey may be single and looking, but he's not giving starlet Lindsay Lohan so much as a passing glance.
According to claims made by the World Entertainment News Network, Lohan has always had a crush on Lachey, and now that he is back on the market, she is hoping to act on her feelings. However, Lachey made it clear in a recent radio interview that he is not at all interested.
This past Monday, the ex-Newlywed appeared on The Ace & TJ morning radio show to promote his new post-Jessica album What's Left Of Me, which comes out next week. When he was asked if there was any chance he would hook up with Lindsay, he quickly made his feelings (or lack thereof) known by replying, "I can safely say that I don't have any interest in Lindsay Lohan...nor do I understand anyone else that does."
Guess he can't handle a repeat of his situation with Jessica Simpson, i.e. the girl earning more and being more popular than him ... :)
04 May 2006
Singapore Car Drivers
Singapore car drivers have got to be among the very worst in the world. Sure they may not honk as much as the drivers in China but they are worse due to their selfishness and their lack of courtesy. Sure the Singapore roads are not nearly as congested as Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok but that's in no way thanks to the drivers.
It's pretty easy to see. They will never ever allow someone else into their lanes even when it's much easier to do so. They'd rather squeeze past the other car and possibly risk an accident than to do the right thing.
They might think this makes them weak and it hurts their egos. Or maybe they think that paying the COE entitles them to be the kings of the road - but guess what? all other car drivers in Singapore have paid the COE too. Watch them in action on the rare roads with two-way traffic or in the HDB carparks and you will see the king-of-the-road attitude again.
It's not like the roads in Singapore are very congested, a simple act of courtesy along their way home would cost them 5 seconds at the most but yet it's not done.
I have been to Bangkok where the jams are world famous and even in all this mayhem, you can see drivers allowing others to switch to their lanes without a fuss or a honk. Which leads me to the conclusion that it's got everything to do with the people's mentality.
Singaporeans need humility. It's too bad the only way they can understand this is when they get involved in accidents, get mugged in Malaysia or when there's a tragedy happening.
It's pretty easy to see. They will never ever allow someone else into their lanes even when it's much easier to do so. They'd rather squeeze past the other car and possibly risk an accident than to do the right thing.
They might think this makes them weak and it hurts their egos. Or maybe they think that paying the COE entitles them to be the kings of the road - but guess what? all other car drivers in Singapore have paid the COE too. Watch them in action on the rare roads with two-way traffic or in the HDB carparks and you will see the king-of-the-road attitude again.
It's not like the roads in Singapore are very congested, a simple act of courtesy along their way home would cost them 5 seconds at the most but yet it's not done.
I have been to Bangkok where the jams are world famous and even in all this mayhem, you can see drivers allowing others to switch to their lanes without a fuss or a honk. Which leads me to the conclusion that it's got everything to do with the people's mentality.
Singaporeans need humility. It's too bad the only way they can understand this is when they get involved in accidents, get mugged in Malaysia or when there's a tragedy happening.
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