| To: Mohan Marette who started this subject | 1/10/2002 8:28:29 AM | | From: Souze | | | | Audible.com Spoken Word Content to be Featured in the PhatNoise In-Car Digital Audio System
LAS VEGAS, Jan 10, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Award-Winning PhatNoise System to Offer Audible.com's(R) Downloadable Audiobooks, Audio Periodicals, Radio Programs and Original Shows
Audible, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADBL chart, msgs) and PhatNoise, Inc. announced today that the companies have agreed to integrate Audible's(R) Internet audio service into the award-winning PhatNoise Car Audio System(TM) (CAS), the first high-capacity media jukebox designed specifically for automobiles.
AudibleReady(TM) PhatNoise CAS, which will provide users with hours of popular spoken audiobooks, periodicals, radio programs and more out of the box, will be available beginning in mid-2002.
Today, the PhatNoise CAS is available as a special limited edition which consumers can purchase directly from the PhatNoise website (www.phatnoise.com) for starting at $799.99 (20GB memory configuration), as well as through high-performance distributors. Upon availability of the Audible service, consumers who previously purchased PhatNoise CAS units will be offered a free software download via the PhatNoise website that will enable playback of content downloaded from audible.com(R).
"Our new partners at PhatNoise clearly grasp the power of the Audible service and feature sets to offer value to their listeners, and they will be able to articulate these benefits to the many high-end car stereo manufacturers with whom they will partner," said Guy Story, chief scientist at Audible, Inc. "We look forward to welcoming the much-lauded PhatNoise Car Audio System to the constantly growing number of product lines that are compatible with the audible.com Internet audio service."
"PhatNoise is continuously searching for services that will enhance the listening experience for consumers," said Sharon Graves, CEO of PhatNoise, Inc. "Audible's service, featuring premium spoken word content, is the perfect match for our car audio system and one that we're sure PhatNoise customers will truly enjoy."
About Audible.com:
Audible.com offers more than 32,000 hours of valuable spoken word audio for download. The site features daily audio editions of The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, available on a subscription basis in time for the morning drive to work each day as well as The Economist, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American and C-SPAN. Audible.com also offers a powerful collection of audiobook best sellers and classics by authors such as Stephen King, John Grisham, Frank McCourt, Jon Krakauer, Scott Adams, Mary Higgins Clark, James Redfield, James Patterson, William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson and Jane Austen. There are also speeches, lectures, and on-demand radio programs including Marketplace, All Things Considered, Car Talk, Fresh Air and This American Life. All of the programs at audible.com are available for PC-based playback and on-the-go listening using numerous AudibleReady(TM) portable digital audio players offered by leading consumer electronics and computer manufacturers.
About The PhatNoise Car Audio System:
The PhatNoise CAS creates an entirely new in-car entertainment experience by seamlessly integrating new media technology with current car stereos. The desktop-to-driveway solution provides everything needed to enjoy an entire music or downloadable audiobook collection at home, work and in the car without the hassle of burning CDs, dealing with messy adaptor cords or replacing the car stereo system.
To use the PhatNoise CAS, the user starts with PhatNoise Music Manager PC software, which dynamically organizes their music or digital audio collections into custom playlists and converts existing CDs into digital music files using MP3, Windows Media Audio files (WMA) and other popular formats. The user then synchronizes their PC with the included 20 gig removable, digital media storage (DMS) cartridge using the provided USB docking station. The palm-sized DMS cartridge is capable of holding up to 6,000 music or digital audio tracks or approximately 500 CDs in MP3 format and even greater capacity in WMA format. Next, the DMS cartridge is inserted into the PhatBox(TM) in-car digital audio player, which is installed in the trunk of their car, under a passenger seat or in the center console and connects like a typical CD changer to the user's own in-dash, compatible car stereo system. Using familiar CD changer controls, the user can then easily access their digital music or Audible spoken audio selections and enjoy them while on the road.
About Audible, Inc.
Audible(R) (www.audible.com(R)) is the Internet's largest, most diverse provider of premium spoken audio services for content download or playback on personal computers or AudibleReady(TM) PC-based mobile devices. Audible has more than 32,000 hours of audio programs and 165 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers. Audible.com is Amazon.com's (www.amazon.com) exclusive provider of spoken word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally, the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc., to pioneer the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible. Among the Company's key business partners are Card Access Inc., Casio Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation, Handspring, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, RealNetworks, Inc., SONICblue Incorporated's Rio Audio Group, Sony Electronics, Texas Instruments and VoiceAge Corp.
About PhatNoise, Inc.
Based in Los Angeles, Calif., PhatNoise, Inc. is a leading-edge, privately-funded developer of next-generation hardware, software and Web integration technologies for digital media. The company's technology takes consumers beyond current concepts in digital music and media by introducing easy and efficient ways to locate, manage, play and interact with digital content across multiple devices and environments. PhatNoise licenses its technology platforms to strategic partners to develop next generation multimedia products. For more information, visit www.phatnoise.com.
Audible and www.audible.com are registered trademarks of Audible, Inc.; AudibleReady is a trademark of Audible, Inc. and all are part of the family of Audible, Inc. trademarks.
Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
This press release contains information about Audible, Inc. that is not historical fact and may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements about the company. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, Audible's limited operating history, history of losses, uncertain market for its services, and its inability to license or produce compelling audio content and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Contact:
Audible
Jonathan Korzen, 973/698-8045
jkorzen@audible.com |
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| To: Mohan Marette who started this subject | 1/18/2002 2:59:34 PM | | From: Souze | | | | Audible, Inc. Fourth Quarter 2001 Conference Call and Webcast Scheduled for February 4
WAYNE, N.J., Jan 18, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Audible, Inc. (NASDAQ NM: ADBL chart, msgs) will host a conference call on Monday, February 4, 2002, at 5:00 P.M. Eastern time to review Fourth Quarter 2001 results and current trends.
Hosting the call will be Chairman and CEO Donald Katz, President Robert Kramer and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Andrew Kaplan. The conference call will be webcast simultaneously on the Internet.
Monday, February 4, 2002, 5:00 P.M. Eastern
For Webcast visit audible.com
Audible will issue its Fourth Quarter 2002 results press release prior to the conference call at 4:00 P.M. Eastern time on Monday, February 4, 2002.
Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the Audible website and download the streaming media software required to listen to the Internet webcast. The call can be accessed for listening in streaming format using RealOne from RealNetworks. The online archive of the webcast will be available within one hour of the live call at the audible.com(R) website.
About Audible, Inc.:
Audible(R) (www.audible.com(R)) is the Internet's largest, most diverse provider of premium spoken audio services for content download or playback on personal computers or AudibleReady(TM) PC-based mobile devices. Audible has more than 32,000 hours of audio programs and 165 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers. Audible.com is Amazon.com's (www.amazon.com) exclusive provider of spoken word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally, the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc., to pioneer the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible. Among the Company's key business partners are Card Access Inc., Casio Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation, Handspring, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, RealNetworks, Inc., SONICblue Incorporated's Rio Audio Group, Sony Electronics, Texas Instruments and VoiceAge Corp.
Audible and www.audible.com are registered trademarks of Audible, Inc.; AudibleReady is a trademark of Audible, Inc. and all are part of the family of Audible, Inc. trademarks.
This press release contains information about Audible, Inc. that is not historical fact and may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements about the company. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, Audible's limited operating history, history of losses, uncertain market for its services, and its inability to license or produce compelling audio content and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Contact:
Audible, Inc., Wayne
Andrew Kaplan, 973/837-2734
akaplan@audible.com
Public Relations:
Jonathan Korzen, 973/837-2718
jkorzen@audible.com |
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| To: Mohan Marette who started this subject | 1/28/2002 8:35:49 AM | | From: Souze | | | | Audible, Inc. Announces $3.5 Million Equity Investment
Company Also Announces It Will Significantly Beat Q4 Cash Burn Guidance
WAYNE, N.J., Jan 28, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Audible, Inc. (NASDAQ NM: ADBL chart, msgs) announced today that it has executed a $3.5 million private equity investment agreement with the New York-based institutional investment firm, Special Situations Funds.
Audible is the leading provider of downloadable spoken audio that informs and entertains anywhere and at any time with audio editions of books, newspapers, magazines, radio programs and original shows. Audible expects to close the transaction shortly, subject to standard closing conditions.
In related news, Audible also announced that the company will significantly exceed its stated expectations of reducing cash burn in the 4th quarter. The company will report that it used $2.0 million in cash during Q4 2001, a decrease of $3.6 million, or 64%, as compared to the $5.6 million in cash used during Q3 2001.
"We welcome this new investment and endorsement from Special Situations Funds, as we also welcome this transaction's positive effect on our balance sheet," said Donald Katz, Chairman and CEO of Audible, Inc. "The cash cushion provided by this investment - in concert with increased operating efficiencies and growth levels that have allowed Audible to so dramatically decrease our cash burn - are important elements of our determined march to profitability."
Audible has agreed to sell 4,069,768 shares of common stock in the transaction at a per share price of 86 cents, a 2% discount to the 20 day moving average price of Audible shares on January 14th, when negotiations with Special Situation Funds were completed. In addition, Audible will issue warrants to acquire an additional 1,220,930 shares of common stock, at a per share exercise price of $1.15. The shares and warrants have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 or applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or any state thereof absent registration under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.
Audible also announced that it expects to call a special meeting of its stockholders as soon as practicable at which it will seek approval of an amendment to its certificate of incorporation increasing the authorized number of common shares.
About Audible, Inc.
Audible(R) (www.audible.com(R)) is the Internet's largest, most diverse provider of premium spoken audio services for content download or playback on personal computers or AudibleReady(TM) PC-based mobile devices. Audible has more than 32,000 hours of audio programs and 165 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers. Audible.com is Amazon.com's (www.amazon.com) exclusive provider of spoken word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally, the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc., to pioneer the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible. Among the Company's key business partners are Card Access Inc., Casio Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation, Handspring, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, RealNetworks, Inc., SONICblue Incorporated's Rio Audio Group, Sony Electronics, Texas Instruments and VoiceAge Corp.
Audible and www.audible.com are registered trademarks of Audible, Inc.; AudibleReady is a trademark of Audible, Inc. and all are part of the family of Audible, Inc. trademarks.
Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
This press release contains information about Audible, Inc. that is not historical fact and may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements about the company. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, Audible's limited operating history, history of losses, uncertain market for its services, and its inability to license or produce compelling audio content and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Contact:
Audible, Inc.
Andrew Kaplan, 973/837-2734
akaplan@audible.com
Jonathan Korzen, 973/837 2718
jkorzen@audible.com |
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| To: Mohan Marette who started this subject | 2/21/2002 1:52:59 PM | | From: Souze | | | | Audible Advisor Selected by Handheld Computing Magazine as "Best Audio Product" Springboard(TM) Module for Listening to Audible.com Audio on Handspring(TM) Visors(TM) Awarded Top Honors among Palm-based Products in 2001
WAYNE, N.J., Feb 21, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Audible, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBL chart, msgs), the leading provider of downloadable spoken audio that informs and entertains anywhere and at anytime with audio editions of books, newspapers, magazines, radio programs and original shows, today announced that its Audible Advisor(TM) Springboard(TM) module for Handspring(TM) Visors(TM) was awarded the title of "Best Audio Product" of 2001 by Handheld Computing Magazine, the industry's leading resource for information on Palm OS(R) technologies.
In related news, Handspring and Audible are currently featuring an Audible Giveaway sweepstakes (www.audible.com/contest) through March 12, 2002. Through website exposure and emails to Handspring Visor customers, 25 Audible Advisor modules ($129 value) will be given away and all entrants can download for free and listen to the best selling audiobook "A Beautiful Mind" by Sylvia Nasar.
The Handheld Computing awards, which were announced at last week's PalmSource conference in San Jose, Calif., honor the most innovative and noteworthy Palm(R) Powered products in 37 different categories.
"The Audible Advisor offers compelling content, ease of use and the ability to transform Handspring Visors into personalized readers of great spoken audio," said Rita Sharma, business development manager for Handspring. "This award reflects what we've been hearing from customers--the combination of Audible's audio information and entertainment with Visor offers a unique opportunity to make use of those times when people cannot or would prefer not to read."
The nominees for Handheld Computing Magazine's fourth annual Palm Powered Products of the Year Awards represented the best Palm Powered products released in 2001. All 17,000+ Palm-related products available during 2001 were eligible, with the winners and finalists selected based on the votes of Handheld Computing Magazine's editorial staff as well as input from the publication's readers.
With 16MB of storage capacity, the Audible Advisor is capable of storing and playing back more than 4.4 hours of Audible's Internet-delivered audio. Audible.com features daily audio editions of the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times -- available on a subscription basis in time for the morning drive to work each day--as well as The Economist, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American and C-SPAN. The site also offers a powerful collection of audiobook best sellers and classics by authors such as Stephen King, John Grisham, Frank McCourt, Jon Krakauer, Scott Adams, Mary Higgins Clark, James Redfield, James Patterson, William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson and Jane Austen. There are also speeches, lectures, and on-demand radio programs including Marketplace, All Things Considered, Car Talk, Fresh Air and This American Life. All of the programs at audible.com are available for PC-based playback and on-the-go listening using numerous AudibleReady(TM) portable digital audio players offered by leading consumer electronics and computer manufacturers.
"We are very pleased to win this award on behalf of Audible and our hardware design partner, Card Access," said Foy Sperring, senior vice president of strategic alliances. "We are also pleased to further introduce Audible's content to Handspring Visor owners at www.audible.com/handspring."
A feature article on the winners and finalists will appear in Handheld Computing Magazine's issue 5.1, which will be available in March 2002. For more information about the Best Palm Powered Products of 2001 Awards, visit www.hhcmag.com.
About Audible, Inc.
Audible(R) (www.audible.com(R)) is the Internet's largest, most diverse provider of premium spoken audio services for content download or playback on personal computers or AudibleReady(TM) PC-based mobile devices. Audible has more than 32,000 hours of audio programs and 165 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers. Audible.com is Amazon.com's (www.amazon.com) exclusive provider of spoken word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally, the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc., to pioneer the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible. Among the Company's key business partners are Card Access Inc., Casio Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation, Handspring, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, RealNetworks, Inc., SONICblue Incorporated's Rio Audio Group, Sony Electronics, Texas Instruments and VoiceAge Corp.
Audible and www.audible.com are registered trademarks of Audible, Inc.; AudibleReady is a trademark of Audible, Inc. and all are part of the family of Audible, Inc. trademarks.
Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
This press release contains information about Audible, Inc. that is not historical fact and may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements about the company. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, Audible's limited operating history, history of losses, uncertain market for its services, and its inability to license or produce compelling audio content and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Contact:
Press:
Audible.com
Jonathan Korzen, 973/837-2718
jkorzen@audible.com |
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| To: Souze who wrote (148) | 2/23/2002 4:25:00 PM | | From: RobertHChaney | | | | Hi Souze:
I figured you might need some company on this board, since you have been the "lone ranger" poster here for many months.
What do you think of this company currently? I personally love their product, but have had problems with their customer service and have heard many complaints from others about it. Also, they still seem to have a high burn rate, especially given their relatively small amount of working capital.
Look forward to your thoughts.
Regards,
Robert H. Chaney |
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| To: RobertHChaney who wrote (149) | 2/25/2002 12:42:48 PM | | From: Souze | | | | I appreciate your company here. I wish I had something of substance to give you, but I don't. My ADBL position is small, and I've never used their product. I overheard one person at a party talking about his daily use of Audible; he liked it very much, but his comments didn't prompt me to buy more stock.
With your venture capital background, you probably have a much better sense of Audible's prospects than I do and a much better handle on the numbers, so I won't go there.
My views are largely guesses. Some of those guesses:
o with vacation season approaching, and a likely percentage increase in car travel, there is increased potential market - if ADBL can reach it through advertising or word-of-mouth; also, many vacationers like to just sit, at the beach or wherever - why not have a player handy? especially since an increasing number of hotels offer web access;
o is there recent support in the stock price near $1? it appears to me that there is, but I might be imaging it;
o it's a likely target for acquisition;
o while satellite radio offers some competition, satellite doesn't give the listener control over items available, interrupts with commercials and isn't as portable.
That's it. FWIW. |
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| To: RobertHChaney who wrote (151) | 4/1/2002 1:12:40 AM | | From: William T. Katz | | | | I've updated adbl.org with a financial model of Audible from an accountant. I'm still waiting for the SEC 10K to revise my model with a better understanding of non-cash items.
Robert, what kind of bad things were you hearing about Audible from others? Was it primarily customer service? |
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| To: William T. Katz who wrote (152) | 4/1/2002 11:58:50 PM | | From: RobertHChaney | | | | The customer service issues were based on my own personal experience with the only problem I ever sought their help on, & ones I saw posted on the discussion board on their website. Where, a sizeable number of people had evidently encountered the same basic problem as I did, and many of them were displeased with their attempts to get it fixed in a timely fashion.
Basically, Audible only allows you to connect only a limited # on portable devices (I believe 3) to your PC for downloads, because of the deals they made with copyright owners. This sounds like a workable restriction, but it can be a real problem from a practical standpoint. If your handheld has to be reset several times because of hardware or software problems, or it gets stolen after a few resets, the software will prohibit you from setting-up a portable again. Then, your only recourse is to contact Audible, tell them your sad story, and hope they will make a revision to your control settings on their server, so you can use your portable again. My own experience with their Customer Support was bad, as they did not answer my e-mails. Finally, out of frustration, I surfed their discussion board and eventually found where some company rep was periodically looking at serious problem posts and solving their problem. And, that is how I finally got mine resolved. But, it was a bad experience IMO. And, I saw many posts indicating others had also suffered this poorly designed restriction, and had problems with Customer Service as well.
A few months later, I checked the Audible website, and I believe they had removed the discussion board, and the Customer Service phone #. And, I seem to recall that they had some kind of notice that they would not be able to promptly return Customer Service request e-mails. Not exactly my idea of how to run a customer oriented company. But, this preceded their recent financing, so may have been the result of their overhead cutbacks.
I just now logged on to the site and was pleased to see that the Help Center now looks fairly friendly. And, the phone # & e-mail contact issues seem to have been resolved. So, maybe, they have made a new commitment to good Customer Service. I would be curious to hear about some recent User experiences with their Customer Service dept.
Other than this Customer Service problem, my experience using Audible on my PC, IPAQ and my new OTIS have been fantastic. But, they need to match that the product with their Customer Service, if they want to really build a successful company.
Also, thanks for the updated financial. Very helpful.
Robert |
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| To: RobertHChaney who wrote (153) | 4/2/2002 12:31:04 AM | | From: William T. Katz | | | | Robert,
I also have had problems with customer service, mostly due to their trying to remove direct phone # contacts in favor of e-mail. I sent my comments to mgmt on how I think they could be more user friendly, but no idea whether they adopt my suggestions. They are trying to manage the conflicting problems of serving their customers, managing the burn rate, and not making it easy for customers to walk out. I've got strong feelings that the latter issue has to be handled with more direct lines of communication than they currently employ.
Do take a look at their just released annual report. I've got some other things to do, but will digest it and revise my financial model within a month (hopefully). Oddly, they directly address possible complications for being acquired due to MSFT deal. Wonder if it's already come up. They also say they have 6 patents (+ 5 in pipe) while my scan of USPTO shows 7 patents awarded. Guess we have at least 4 more patents coming out, and that should post some barrier for a portal trying to be a competitor.
Regards,
Bill |
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