guarantee

Research In Motion is putting its money where its mouth is, when it comes to developers.

The company is guaranteeing that developers will generate at least $10,000 in sales of BlackBerry 10 apps in the first year -- or it will pay the difference, according to The Verge.

It's a risky -- and potentially costly -- bet that the company is reportedly making, as it attempts to stir up developer interest in the new platform. A lack of developer support has been a key weakness in the past, and RIM is looking to rectify the issue with BlackBerry … Read more

True story. A couple weeks ago I purchased a Sigmac LE55ABD 55-inch HDTV from Wal-Mart for $899. That being a particularly good deal on a 55-inch TV with 3D, my intention was to write about it -- but the model has been out of stock since I received it, so I've held off.

Of course, I've been checking Wal-Mart's site almost daily because I'm keen to write my review. (Wal-Mart is currently the only store that stocks this model.) Yesterday, I discovered that the LE55ABD was still unavailable -- but the price had dropped to $549. … Read more

The U.S. Department of Energy today finalized financing for four utility-scale solar projects, capping a week of intense activity amid heightened political scrutiny on the loan guarantee program.

The solar projects are: Project Amp, for the installation of 752 megawatts' worth of solar power on about 750 commercial rooftops; a partial loan guarantee for the 550-megawatt Desert Sunlight project in California; the 230-megawatt Antelope Valley Solar Ranch 1 Project in California; and the 250-megawatt California Valley Solar Ranch project.

Among the four projects, the Department of Energy will guarantee financing worth more than $4.7 billion. Earlier this week, … Read more

Bankrupt solar-panel maker Solyndra said it needed more than the initially expected four weeks to find a buyer to take over its idled operations, which were funded with a controversial $535 million federal loan guarantee.

Solyndra filed for bankruptcy this month with a plan to try to find a buyer by early October who could restart its recently shuttered factory and rehire some of its 1,000 staff.

Republican lawmakers have accused the Obama administration of ignoring signs of financial trouble at the company in its haste to grant the loan guarantee and participate in a groundbreaking of Solyndra's federally backed factory in California. … Read more

It is not uncommon for Microsoft to launch a "technology guarantee" program ahead of a new version of Office or Windows, offering buyers of a product late in one cycle an upgrade to the new version once it comes out. So it's not a shocker that Microsoft has one planned for Office 2010.

That said, Microsoft wasn't quite ready to tell the world about the program. Nonetheless, an employee briefly posted details of the planned upgrade offer on a blog. It was quickly pulled down, but the cat is out of the bag. (The post also … Read more

Ford is backing a federal ban on texting while driving--well, of course they are! Do you need a nanny to hang up the phone for you? GM thinks its cars and technology are good enough for a money back guarantee. And we roll in the Mercedes that looks more expensive than it is.

• Ford backs ban on driving while texting

• Mercedes S500 Plug-in Hybrid

• Frankfurt hottie: Audi R8 Spyder

• Mercedes E550 Coupe review and video

• New iPod Nano gets FM radio

The Senate is expected to vote on a bill on Thursday to extend the Cash for Clunkers car trade-in program, but experts contend there are more cost-effective ways to get environmental benefits.

The government-funded program, where people can get up to $4,500 for trading in a car for a new, more fuel-efficient model, has been so popular that it may run out of funding by the end of the week. The House passed a bill to extend the program with an additional $2 billion which, if the Senate passes its version, would give consumers until Labor Day to trade … Read more

The money to fund an extended Cash for Clunkers program could come at the expense of renewable energy companies.

The House on Friday overwhelmingly passed a bill to extend the program which gives consumers up to $4,500 for trading in old cars for new, fuel-efficient ones with an additional $2 billion. The initial $1 billion set aside is said to be already or nearly exhausted.

The program has been popular with consumers as well as politicians who see it as a way to revive bleak auto sales. However, the House proposed paying for the extension by using $2 billion … Read more

Encryption provider BitArmor on Thursday said it would offer a money-back guarantee to customers whose data is breached, but didn't go so far as to offer to pay for any losses incurred from the breach.

"Our ability to protect data exceeds what anyone else is offering in the marketplace," said Patrick McGregor, BitArmor co-founder and chief executive. "If BitArmor data is protected in a way where our controls or protections are breached and the company has to publicly disclose that breach, we will give the money back."

The offer is valid only with the purchase … Read more