More Alien Concepts

The story about Alien Technology and it's postponed IPO just gets curiouser and curiouser. Here, for example, in a stunning exchange captured once again by Evan Schuman at ZiffDavis, you can witness a corporate sopkesperson mid train wreck. I'm thinking the only explanation for this sort of performance with the press has to be the wicked heat wave affecting the country.

Linda Prosser, Alien's corporate marketing vice president, said the company had always been slated to launch its IPO July 28 and that the decision to move it to day-by-day status—where the company is not saying that it will go public on any particular day but is awaiting better market conditions—was not related to anything about Alien's financial health or product status and that the only influences were "geopolitical events."

Geopolitical events? More like Gee, oh, ridicule events such as when an IDC industry analyst noted in his opinion the company is hemorrhaging money, getting yields in the 15 percent range, and selling readers to Wal-Mart at $200 below manufacturing cost... This was Ms. Prosser's chance to set the record straight. In fact, her varying answers will stand your hair straight on end.

For example: Prosser took exception to the Wal-Mart reference, dismissing it as an old rumor that has never been confirmed. Asked if it's indeed incorrect, she said that it was not completely accurate as it was phrased, but that she couldn't clarify because pricing information about customers is strictly confidential.

Credible?