super-terrific, (non_)mathematical-ish analysis of their original purchase of Motorola (from 2012).
http://brandnewgames.tumblr.com/post/26984798194/commuter-tr...
Lenovo to buy Google's Motorola handset division
141–150 of 265 posts
Re: Lenovo to buy Google's Motorola handset division
#142With the sale of Motorola, the intro of Chrome Apps for Mobile, the stepping down of Andy Rubin - is Google losing interest in Android?
When will we see ChromeOS for Mobile?
Re: Lenovo to buy Google's Motorola handset division
#143Better article: http://investor.google.com/releases/2014/0129.html Assuming that google keeps the majority of/important patents then they basically bought the patents for $4.74 billion. They sold the "set top" division for $2.35 billion and now they're selling the mobility division for $2.91 billion. They also kept about $3 billion in cash that Motorolla was holding when they bought them for $13 billion. That's not e…
Curious: why would a deal like that have tax incentives?
Re: Lenovo to buy Google's Motorola handset division
#144Regardless of the Google specifics, we should really have some sympathy for the Motorola employees. I doubt Lenovo will stomach quarterly losses the way Google did while they restructured. My guess is, we're going to see big layoffs.
My guess is, we're going to see big layoffs.
Sometimes, a company sells a division or wholly owned business because it is either that or massive layoffs, and it's better for morale to write down a few billion dollars than to fire thousands of people.
Even if you're working in one of the profitable businesses, a real chill goes around when the pink slip printing press starts hammering.
Re: Lenovo to buy Google's Motorola handset division
#145Huge announcement if true, and if this accounts for the entirety of the Motorola purchase that Google made. That means that in less than two years, Google shredded 85% of the $13bn paid for Motorola. At the time, the high price paid was excused for the patents, because the business itself did not generate nearly enough earnings to justify the price. Now, if it is true that the patents are part of the deal (the articl…
WRT the patents, it depends on the details of the sale, and how/why Google valued them. Speculation was that one reason Google bought Motorola was to keep someone else from getting the patents and being able to use the patents against Google. If that was responsible for a large portion of the valuation, that might still be retained in a sale to Lenovo, depending on how precisely the sale is structured. It's fairly co…
From Google's official announcement[1], undersigned by Larry Page:
"Google will retain the vast majority of Motorola’s patents, which we will continue to use to defend the entire Android ecosystem. "
[1] http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/lenovo-to-acquire-mot...
Re: Lenovo to buy Google's Motorola handset division
#146Re: Lenovo to buy Google's Motorola handset division
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
What are the advantages of Chromecast over something like Apple TV?
Much cheaper, doesn't need to plug into wall, more and more open viewing options. Question should probably be reversed (says this Apple fanatic).
Well it has different viewing options ("more open" for whatever that's worth). Based on Google's own promotions for Chromecast you gain Google Play and Pandora, and lose iTunes. There's a bunch of other tradeoffs I'm sure (I assume, for example, there's a PBS app for Chromecast just as there is for AppleTV. AppleTV supports Amazon video via AirPlay -- which is good but not great; but Amazon video simply won't play on Chromecast.)
Chromecast is more intelligently architected than AppleTV (you hand off to Chromecast rather than remote-controlling it) but I suspect AppleTV will address this shortly. OTOH AppleTV works with any remote, and you can use any iOS device as a remote, and AirPlay is wonderful.
Re: Lenovo to buy Google's Motorola handset division
#148Huge announcement if true, and if this accounts for the entirety of the Motorola purchase that Google made. That means that in less than two years, Google shredded 85% of the $13bn paid for Motorola. At the time, the high price paid was excused for the patents, because the business itself did not generate nearly enough earnings to justify the price. Now, if it is true that the patents are part of the deal (the articl…
It looks like Google used the Motorola patents to get Samsung to tone down its Android skinning: http://recode.net/2014/01/29/after-google-pressure-samsung-w... If this keeps Android from being forked by Samsung, I'd say it's not such a big loss.
Perhaps you can look at it from a different angle: Samsung made it very clear that they would continue to fork Android, unless Google stopped making smartphones and dropped Motorola.
In a way Samsung has much more leverage over Android than Google.
Re: Lenovo to buy Google's Motorola handset division
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, Chromecast is pretty amazing. I bought one and everyone in my family who has been over to see it has purchased one as well.
What are the advantages of Chromecast over something like Apple TV?
I wrote up the differences on my blog a a while ago http://riobard.com/2013/08/23/chromecast-vs-apple-tv/
Re: Lenovo to buy Google's Motorola handset division
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
WRT the patents, it depends on the details of the sale, and how/why Google valued them. Speculation was that one reason Google bought Motorola was to keep someone else from getting the patents and being able to use the patents against Google. If that was responsible for a large portion of the valuation, that might still be retained in a sale to Lenovo, depending on how precisely the sale is structured. It's fairly co…
From Google's official announcement[1], undersigned by Larry Page: "Google will retain the vast majority of Motorola’s patents, which we will continue to use to defend the entire Android ecosystem. " [1] http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/lenovo-to-acquire-mot...
Most of the patents have been pretty worthless so far. They are mostly standards essential patents that need to be licensed on FRAND terms and in the last 3 years they've had zero enforceable injunctions in their favor.
Relevant: https://twitter.com/reckless/status/428653694998298624