RealNetworks (NASDAQ: RNWK) is profitable again! The online media company that provides music and other entertainment cut its way into the black, getting rid of the costs that were getting in the way. It wasn't much of a profit, only $1.5 million for the third quarter, not even a full cent per share, but it's a hell of a lot better than the $4.5 million loss it sustained in the third quarter of 2008.

Revenue fell 8% last quarter to $140.3 million, just shy of the analyst average of $140.9 million. This trend is likely to continue through the fourth quarter. Music, technology product and game revenues were down. The profit was instead eked out of the supply chain and headcount.

If the Wii were still cool, Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) wouldn't have had to take a heavy hand to its full-year earnings forecast. The company's profit fell 52% year-over-year for the past quarter, due in large part to a decline in the game's popularity. Demand has slipped, with Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) gaining ground with the core market of zealous gamers. Also, it's seen its position eroded by Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone, which is picking up some momentum as a gaming platform.

Nintendo's Q3 operating profit dropped to JPY64 billion ($709 million), falling far short of the analyst estimate of JPY90 billion. For the year ending March 2010, the company has chopped its forecast to JPY370 billion, far lower than the analyst expectation of JPY442.8 billion.

After dominating the gaming industry for the past three years, Nintendo's Wii gave up its position in the top spot to Sony's PlayStation 3 last month. The company has also been hurt by an increase in the value of the yen, which has hurt all Japanese exporters. Yet, even by local standards, Nintendo isn't measuring up. Its stock price is down 28% this year, compared to a 14% increase in the Nikkei 225.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) issued Q3 data on Monday. According to the press release, the telecommunications entity made, on an adjusted basis, 60 cents per share. Disappointing, since that's six pennies less than last year's comparable number. However, it was a penny ahead of analyst expectations, according to Reuters.

Of course, when discussing Verizon, what tends to receive focus is cash flow. As we all know, the company is a famous dividend play. Many investors consider this angle to be not only valuable, but an added safety element as well.

Where do you tweet? When? More important, what's normal? Are you some kind of freak?

A recent Gadgetology study by Retrovo.com, a consumer electronics shopping site, seeks to ascertain where the line in the sand is in regards to social media use (and overuse). If you're 35 or younger, regular use of sites such as Twitter and Facebook is common (big shock, right?). It looks to Retrovo like a new addiction may be taking root.

Dallas-based AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), the exclusive U.S. carrier for the iPhone, is scheduled to discuss its third quarter 2009 financial results in a conference call Thursday at 10:00 AM ET. You can catch the live webcast of the call on the company's website.

During the three months that ended in September, AT&T revamped many of its retail locations, expanded its global wi-fi presence, and declared a quarterly dividend. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect this leading provider of wireline voice communications services in the U.S. to report that earnings grew 6.0% from a year ago to $0.50 per share. But revenue for the quarter is expected to be 1.5% lower to $30.9 billion.

"Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), a holding on our recommended buy list, delivered another blowout quarter, driven by booming sales of both the iPhone and its Macintosh computers," notes analyst Geoffrey Seiler.

In his BullMarket.com advisory, he suggests, "Overall, Apple's results are nothing short of amazing." Here, he provides an in-depth analysis of the quarter, his outlook, and the reasoning behind the boost to his longer-term price target to $270 a share.

"Apple sold 7.4 million iPhones in the quarter, 7% more than the year-ago quarter, and 3.05 million Macs, a 17% year-over-year increase. The end result was that the company posted a whopping 47% increase in Q4 net income.

If there was one stock you wish you had bought when it was being crushed by the financial crisis along with every entity out there, it's Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). Shares of the company, which counts Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) as rivals, have more than doubled since they hit a 52-week low of around $78 per share. Really, did we think this one wasn't coming back? Hey, I fully admit, I've been a bear on Apple at different points during the downturn. Difficult not to be, with consumer sentiment and all that.

Well, it's hard to be a bear now. Last night, the market welcomed Apple's Q4 earnings with open arms. How could it not? The first paragraph of the press release tells a story of profound growth. Sales increased 25%, and earnings per share soared over 40% to $1.82 per share.

KaChing! KaChing!

It only makes sense to call a company a sound you like to hear. This is exactly what CEO and co-founder Andy Rachleff must have had in mind. His new company -- kaChing, of course -- is backed by Marc Andreesen (a name often associated with that sound) and Jeff Jordan, the CEO of OpenTable (NASDAQ: OPEN), two guys who usually do a solid job of backing winners. But, they've taken on a challenge by backing a company in the financial services industry.

When you smell an IPO coming, look for Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. The Sand Hill Road institution has a knack for sniffing out high-potential deals and putting its venture capital coffers to work. Mobile phone music discovery service Shazam could have a liquidity event coming, according to the Financial Times, which caught Kleiner Perkins' attention. So, the VC company has decided to take a stake in Shazam.

Even for a company the size of Nokia (NYSE: NOK), a quarterly loss of $834 million is still a big deal. And, this is what the company posted for its Q3 report (it's the first net loss since 1996).

OK, the main reason for the red ink was the write-down of a joint venture with Siemens that develops network equipment. No doubt, the business has been brutal. But, Nokia somehow thinks there's potential for growth.

It usually isn't the biggest news in the tech realm when someone introduces a new phone, but the situation is a bit different when the phone uses Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) software and is made for smartphones on the AT&T (NYSE: T) network. The phone will be made by Dell (NASDAQ: DELL), features the Google Android system for its technology, and will be launched in the United States early next year, as reported in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required). This is a notable phone, as it is Dell's first foray into the U.S. cell phone arena.

Dell's offering will feature a touch screen rather than a keypad and will feature a camera -- much like Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone. The Dell offering will be similar to another Dell device that it showed in China back in August, but with a few different features. Google figures in, as its Android technology will run programs like a Web browser, music player, and games for the Dell phone. While many are going to focus on why the phone is good for Google, I'd rather focus on why this phone will be a spectacular failure.