Digital entertainment services firm RealNetworks reported second quarter revenues of $88.9 million, down from $135.7 million a year ago–however, net loss for the quarter was $25.9 million, a significant improvement over losses of $188.3 million reported in the second quarter of 2009. RealNetworks credited the revenue slide to the spinoff of its Rhapsody music service, noting that Rhapsody revenues contributed $40.5 million to the firm’s Q2 2009 haul–compared to the year-ago quarter, Real experienced a 2 percent increase in Media Software and Services revenue to $19.6 million, a 5 percent decrease in Games revenue to $28.1 million and an 11 percent decrease in Technology Products and Solutions revenue to $41.1 million.

Looking ahead at the third quarter of 2010, Real expects overall revenue to dip slightly from Q2, anticipating softness in Games. In related news, the firm named Matt Hulett head of the Games unit, replacing John Barbour–Hulett, formerly chief revenue officer of the Games business, brings with him more than 20 years experience in digital gaming and online services, including executive stints with Expedia and Shockwave.com.

Last month, RealNetworks announced plans to reorganize its business and operational structure, eliminating 85 jobs including about one quarter of its executive ranks. Real consolidated its Technology Products and Solutions and Media Software and Services business units, creating teams focusing on product development, sales and marketing, and service delivery–in addition, the firm reduced office space in Europe, Asia and its Seattle headquarters. According to RealNetworks, the reorg represents the latest step in its ongoing efforts to simplify, restructure and grow.

For more on RealNetworks’ Q2 results:
- read this release
- also check out FierceWireless‘Q2 earnings page

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With the ereader wars continuing to escalate, bookseller chain Barnes & Noble will build a series of in-store boutiques spotlighting its Nook solution, promising sample devices, demonstration tables, video screens and employee advice and instructions. Rolling out in September across all 720 Barnes & Noble locations, the Nook boutiques–each 1,000 square feet in size–leverage the company’s greatest advantage over online rival Amazon.com, giving consumers an in-store, hands-on demonstration of the Nook’s capabilities. “American consumers want to try and hold gadgets before they purchase them,” said Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch in an interview with The New York Times.

Barnes & Noble stores already include small counters where customers can test drive the Nook, but the new boutiques–located near each store’s café–will offer far larger display space as well as designed Nook covers and related accessories. Within each store, customers may also read entire ebooks for free. “We’ve tried to replicate the physical bookstore experience,” Lynch explained, adding that the number of physical books on display in stores will not shrink to accommodate the new Nook boutiques. Instead, Barnes & Noble will slash its music section and arrange books more efficiently.

Earlier this week, Amazon released the latest version of its competing Kindle device, touting a new electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than rival units, a 21 percent smaller body that retains the familiar six-inch reading area and a 20 percent increase in page-turning time. Priced at $189, the Kindle also doubles content storage to roughly 3,500 books, with battery life of up to one month, built-in Wi-Fi, Facebook and Twitter integration, and a graphite color option and more. Amazon additionally introduced the Kindle Wi-Fi, which retails for $139–optimized for readers who don’t want or need the 3G download connectivity of the regular Kindle device, the unit enables consumers to obtain content via WiFi connection.

For more on the Nook boutique promotion:
- read this New York Timesarticle

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Research In Motion released the beta version of its upgraded BlackBerry App World storefront, promising a series of new bells and whistles including improved application discovery, expanded payment options and a new user identification system. First and foremost, BlackBerry App World now supports credit card payments as well as PayPal; RIM adds it is still working to integrate direct operator billing with a host of carrier partners. The store also boasts new tabbed sections for various application lists–users can now horizontally swipe or scroll to view the Top 25 Free Apps, Top 25 Paid Apps and Top 25 Themes, along with checklists spotlighting the Newest Apps and Recently Updated Apps.

The refreshed BlackBerry App World introduces BlackBerry ID, giving users a device-independent user ID tag to enable new payment options as well as seamlessly transfer their personal library of free and premium apps when they upgrade to a new BlackBerry device. Also new: Support for QR barcode scanning.

RIM states that more than 30 million BlackBerry smartphone users have now downloaded BlackBerry App World since the store launched in the spring of 2009, with consumers averaging more than a million app downloads each day. Although BlackBerry App World is now available in over 65 countries, the new beta preview is presently limited to customers in the U.S. and Canada.

For more on the BlackBerry App World upgrade:
- read this release

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Cross-platform applications storefront GetJar announced downloads now exceed 3 million per day across operating systems including Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Symbian and Windows Mobile. GetJar now serves consumers spanning more than 200 countries and 2,000 different handset models, noting that clear patterns are beginning to emerge across different geographic and device segments–for example, Indian consumers download more productivity applications than Americans, while religious apps are increasingly popular in the Middle East. GetJar also notes that Google’s Android platform, which wasn’t even part of its business a year ago, is now the second most popular operating system in terms of developer submissions.

As of July 2010, Facebook Mobile is the top GetJar application in terms of overall downloads. The rest of the top five, in descending order: eBuddy Messenger, Nimbuzz, Migg33 and Opera Mini. GetJar receives more visits from U.S. consumers using the Sanyo Incognito than any other handset, followed by Apple’s iPhone, Samsung’s Seek, LG’s Rumor Touch and Samsung’s Impression.

For more on GetJar’s app download growth:
- read this release

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A new CompuWare tracking tool demonstrates that cloud computing service response times vary significantly from operator to operator. Article

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Online retail giant Amazon.com released the latest version of its Kindle ereader device, touting a new electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than rival units, a 21 percent smaller body that retains the familiar six-inch reading area and a 20 percent increase in page-turning time. Priced at $189, the Kindle also doubles content storage to roughly 3,500 books, with battery life of up to one month, built-in Wi-Fi, Facebook and Twitter integration, and a graphite color option and more. Amazon additionally introduced the Kindle Wi-Fi, which retails for $139–optimized for readers who don’t want or need the 3G download connectivity of the regular Kindle device, the unit enables consumers to obtain content via WiFi connection. Amazon said it will offer Kindle customers free access at AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide for shopping and downloading Kindle content, with no registration, sign-in or password required.

The new Kindle models will begin shipping on Aug. 27. Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos tells The Wall Street Journal the Kindle Wi-Fi is critical to the firm’s “mass market” strategy to sell more digital books: “We developed this device for serious readers. At these price points, it may be much broader than that,” he said. “People will buy them for their kids. People won’t share Kindles any more.” According to Bezos, the Kindle is not competing directly with Apple’s hit iPad tablet, contending Amazon’s goal is to offer a single-purpose unit–he adds features like color and touch-screen controls were deliberately left off the new Kindle due to concerns they could compromise the reading experience. “For the vast majority of books, adding video and animation is not going to be helpful,” Bezos explained. “It is distracting rather than enhancing. You are not going to improve Hemingway by adding video snippets.” Nor is Amazon interested in manufacturing its own tablet device: “There are going to be 100 companies making LCD [screen] tablets,” Bezos said. “Why would we want to be 101? I like building a purpose-built reading device. I think that is where we can make a real contribution.”

Amazon’s Kindle Store now offers more than 630,000 books, including New Releases and 109 of 111 New York Times bestsellers–the storefront has added more than 235,000 new books over the last six months. In addition to over 510,000 titles priced at $9.99 or less, the store boasts more than 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 releases are also available to read on Kindle. Books purchased from the Kindle Store can be read across multiple devices, iPhone, BlackBerry and Android-based smartphones.

For more on the new Kindle units:
- read this release

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The new home of the NFL’s New York Jets and New York Giants will enrich the fan experience by introducing mobile applications that work exclusively within the stadium’s confines. Article

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Millions of Android smartphone users have downloaded a malicious wallpaper application that collects their personal data and sends it to a mysterious Chinese website, according to data uncovered by mobile security firm Lookout. Speaking Wednesday at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, Lookout CEO John Hering and CTO Kevin Mahaffey said anywhere from 1.1 million to 4.6 million consumers have downloaded the Jackeey Wallpaper application (the exact number is unknown because Android Market does not supply exact download data)–the app, which features branded wallpapers spotlighting franchises ranging from Star Wars to My Little Pony, collects the user’s browsing history, text messages, SIM card number, subscriber identification and voicemail password, relaying the data to www.imnet.us, a website owned by an unidentified figure in Shenzhen, China.

“Even good apps can be modified to turn bad after a lot of people download it,” Mahaffey said. “Users absolutely have to pay attention to what they download. And developers have to be responsible about the data that they collect and how they use it.”

Lookout discovered the Jackeey Wallpaper in conjunction with the App Genome Project, a study of application behaviors encompassing more than 100,000 free Android and iPhone apps. The App Genome Project indicates that many applications access personal data on a regular basis, typically to support functions like ad serving–roughly 47 percent of Android apps access some kind of third-party code, compared to 23 percent of iPhone apps.

Google cites violations of the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement or Content Policy as the catalysts behind most app removals. In the event a malicious app poses a threat, Google also maintains technologies and processes to remove installed apps from Android devices, adding it sends the user a notification in the event it deletes software from their handset. “In case of an emergency, a dangerous application could be removed from active circulation in a rapid and scalable manner to prevent further exposure to users,” Android Security lead Rich Cannings wrote on the Android Developers Blog in late June. “While we hope to not have to use it, we know that we have the capability to take swift action on behalf of users’ safety when needed.” 

For more on the Lookout app study:
- read this VentureBeatarticle

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Digital lifestyle services provider NewBay Software announced its LifeCache rich media solutions suite will power AT&T’s new Mobile Share media management initiative. LifeCache–which offers integrated services including photo and video albums/blogs, social networking, digital vault, handset and desktop clients, messaging and contacts synchronization–will enable AT&T Mobile Share users to upload, manage, store and share user-generated videos and images across multiple screens, connecting consumers with their contact lists, personal computers, the online AT&T Locker media storage hub and social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Photobucket.

AT&T introduced Mobile Share in mid-March in tandem with other cloud-based data services promising to deliver smartphone-like messaging, video/photo sharing and contacts management experiences across a range of mass-market handsets. Launched in conjunction with four new Quick Messaging devices–the Samsung Strive, the Samsung Sunburst, the Pantech Link and Pantech Pursuit–AT&T Mobile Share offers 50 media transfers per month for $10; subscribers can also pay 35 cents per transfer. The service includes free online storage of 250MB, with an additional 10GB of storage available for $5 more per month.

For more on the AT&T/NewBay deal:
- read this release

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Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) launched iAd for Developers, enabling the iPhone application development community to promote their software inside of other apps. Details on iAd for Developers are scarce–on its website, Apple indicates developers can now purchase iAd inventory to market their applications, adding “It’s easy to get started, contact us today and learn how you can drive more downloads of your app.” A FAQ adds developers can exclude ads from competitors or other unwanted advertisers based on specific keywords, URLs and Apple IDs. Apple also guarantees iAd will optimize campaigns to ensure the right audience is viewing and interacting with ads.

Apple has not disclosed pricing, but according to Business Insider, the computing giant will initially charge developers 25 cents per click, compared to the $2.00 per-click fee for brand advertisers. Apple recommends developers contact the company directly to explore iAd creation options.

Apple officially introduced iAd on July 1. Most marketers are spending a minimum of $1 million to launch on the iAd network, with some paying more than $10 million for levels of exclusivity within their respective industry vertical–for example, Nissan is the sole automaker advertising on iAd, and Citi is the lone bank. Apple is charging $10.00 per thousand impressions for each iAd banner.

iAd could yield developer revenues reaching $825 million this year, according to a research note published by Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi. Estimating that iPhone developers presently generate $1 billion to $1.8 billion in annual App Store sales, Sacconaghi notes that iAd revenues will herald an annual increase between 40 percent and 80 percent. Sacconaghi anticipates Apple will collect about $815 million from iAd this year: $550 million from apps and $265 million from media providers like publishers and television networks. He adds Apple will generate roughly $58 billion in total worldwide sales this year.

For more on iAd for Developers:
- read this Business Insiderarticle

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