Week in review: Redbox, Verizon, Amazon take on Netflix

The following is a roundup of my stories from Investor’s Business Daily at Investors.com.

Cadence Design Systems is benefiting from the semiconductor industry’s increased spending on research and development. (Feb. 10, 2012)

Apple is expected to announce iPad 3 in early March. Its latest tablet is predicted to have a faster processor, improved display and bigger battery. (Feb. 9, 2012)

IRobot stock short-circuits as 2012 outlook disappoints. (Feb. 8, 2012)

Amazon.com strikes content deal with Viacom for its streaming video service to take on Netflix. (Feb. 8, 2012)

Medical-records software firm Cerner posts strong fourth-quarter earnings, sales and bookings. (Feb. 8, 2012)

Harman CEO sees opportunity to grow car infotainment systems business. (Feb. 8, 2012)

Redbox movie rental kiosk operator Coinstar announces plans to buy NCR’s DVD kiosk business. (Feb. 6, 2012)

Verizon and Coinstar’s Redbox are teaming up to take on Netflix; Details of their competing offer are skimpy though. (Feb. 6, 2012)

Photo: Netflix on Nintendo’s Wii video game console.

Week in review: Microsoft Kinect hits stores

Microsoft has been getting some good news lately. First, it posted great results for its fiscal first quarter. Then it launched its much-anticipated Kinect motion-controlled video game system for its Xbox 360 console.
The following is a roundup of my recent stories from Investor’s Business Daily at Investors.com and Click, IBD’s Tech Blog.

More smart phones using OLED displays means a revenue boost for Universal Display Corp. UDC expects video on smart phones to drive OLED adoption. (Nov. 4, 2010)

Profile of the Connecticut men who created the Sunfish sailboat. (Nov. 4, 2010)

Universal Electronics stock way up after its purchase of a Chinese remote-control company. (Nov. 4, 2010)

Microsoft needs Kinect to be a big success and spur sales of Xbox 360s and video game software. “Dance Central” from Viacom’s Harmonix unit expected to be killer game title. (Nov. 3, 2010)

Microsoft posts stellar results thanks to Windows and Office. Stock up over 2% today. (Oct. 29, 2010)

Coinstar’s Redbox is taking a cautious approach to streaming video. It’s talking with partners to launch in 2011. (Oct. 29, 2010)

Microsoft can’t seem to get investors interested in its stock no matter what it does. (Oct. 27, 2010)

Sony is moving a lot of PlayStation Move. (Oct. 21, 2010)

Week in review: E3 brings controller-free games

The annual E3 video game conference in Los Angeles this week generated a lot of interesting product news.
The following is a roundup of my stories from Investor’s Business Daily at Investors.com and Click, IBD’s Tech Blog.

Internet-connected Blu-ray Disc players threaten pay TV business. (June 18, 2010)

“Dance Central” from Viacom’s Harmonix looks like the killer app for Microsoft’s Kinect video game system for the Xbox 360. It also could spark a wave of dance video games. (June 18, 2010)

Sony and Nintendo hope to rejuvenate their video game businesses with new hardware. (June 16, 2010)

Potential for Microsoft’s game player-tracking controller called “astounding” by one analyst. (June 15, 2010)

"Dance Central" game demonstrated at Microsoft's E3 press event.