Oracle reports a terrific quarter; why the new MacBook is worth every penny.
Microsoft unveils Surface tablet to rival iPad [CNNMONEY]
The tablet features many of the now-standard tablet specs, including a 10.6 inch high-definition touchscreen and front and rear facing cameras, which all fit into a 9.3 millimeter, 1.5-pound frame. But Surface also brings some new innovations to the tablet space. The device’s cover, for instance, flips down to become a full keyboard. It features a rigid case built from magnesium, a pen that clicks into the tablet and a built-in kickstand.
EventBrite tops $1 billion gross ticket sales [THE NEXT WEB]
Recently Eventbrite has seen rapid expansion. Last month, Path CEO Dave Morin joined the company board, in February the company issued its 50 millionth ticket and announced £16.5m in UK ticket sales in 2011 alone. The UK HQ opened up shop last year and localized versions in France, Canada and Spain were unleashed at the end of March this year.
Oracle kills it in Q4, buys back $10 billion worth of shares [ALLTHINGSD]
The highlight is that it beat the consensus EPS by four cents, reporting earnings of 82 cents a share versus the street view of 78 cents. Revenue was in line with expectations: $10.9 billion, up 1 percent.
New MacBook Pro: Worth every penny [FORTUNE]
For $2,199, users get a more powerful 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel i7 processor, 8-gigabytes of RAM, a 256 GB solid state drive, two USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, and a Retina Display. But is it what Apple proudly calls, “the most advanced Mac” they’ve ever made? We spent a week with a review unit to find out.
Facebook acquires facial recognition technology company Face.com [ALLTHINGSD]
Though the exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, other outlets have reported the price in the neighborhood of $100 million. However, I’m hearing from two sources familiar with the terms of the deal that Face.com actually sold for a significantly lower amount, approximately $55 to $60 million in cash and stock (though it is unclear if this price is with or without an earnout included).
