Consumer Electronics
Apple Apologizes In China After Service Criticism
April 2, 2013 8:01 am | by Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press | News | CommentsA statement Apple posted in Chinese on its website Monday said the complaints had prompted "deep reflection" and persuaded the company of the need to revamp its repair policies, boost communication with Chinese consumers and strengthen oversight of authorized resellers.
The Many Perks Of Working In Silicon Valley Tech
April 1, 2013 9:20 am | by Martha Mendoza, AP National Writer | News | CommentsApple Corp.'s 176-acre campus will be one of the world's largest workplaces. On the outside, many of the new buildings boast striking architectural designs and will collectively be among the most environmentally friendly in the country. Inside, there are walls you can draw on, ping pong tables, Lego stations, gaming arcades and free haircuts.
Virtual Reality, Goggles And All, Attempts Return
March 29, 2013 8:32 am | by Derrik J. Lang, AP Entertainment Writer | News | CommentsThe virtual reality headset, the gizmo that was supposed to seamlessly transport wearers to three-dimensional virtual worlds, has made a remarkable return at this year's Game Developers Conference, an annual gathering of video game makers in San Francisco.
RIM Founder Says Board Asked Him To Stay As CEO
March 29, 2013 7:38 am | by Rob Gillies, Associated Press | News | CommentsResearch In Motion Ltd. co-founder Mike Lazaridis said Thursday as he prepared to leave the company for good that the board had asked him to reconsider his decision to step down as co-CEO. Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie stepped down in January 2012 after several quarters of disappointing results.
Nokia Disputes $368M India Tax Bill
March 28, 2013 12:55 pm | News | CommentsMobile phone manufacturer Nokia says it is disputing a $368 million bill levied by tax authorities in India. The Finnish company's India arm said Thursday it will "defend itself vigorously" and is "in full compliance with local laws as well as the bilaterally negotiated tax treaty between the governments of India and Finland."
NYU To Open Center For Studying Video Games
March 28, 2013 12:42 pm | by Karen Matthews, Associated Press | News | CommentsNew York University is aiming to cement its position as a leader in the young field of video game studies by opening a 40,000-square-foot institute called the Media and Games Network in downtown Brooklyn next fall. The facility called MAGNET will bring together existing NYU programs in fields such as game design, game engineering and games for learning.
RIM Sells 1M BlackBerry 10 Phones In 4Q
March 28, 2013 7:51 am | by Rob Gillies, Associated Press | News | CommentsResearch In Motion says it sold about 1 million of its critically important new BlackBerry 10 devices and returned to profitability in the fourth quarter. The earnings provide a first glimpse of how RIM's new touch-screen Z10 is selling internationally and in Canada since its debut Jan. 31.
Panasonic Stays In TV Business, Chairman Resigning
March 28, 2013 7:06 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsPanasonic's president said Thursday the company will persist with trying to fix its money-losing TV business, characterizing an exit from the fiercely competitive industry as a "final resort." Panasonic also said Fumio Ohtsubo will step down as chairman in June ahead of schedule to take responsibility for the company's string of dismal financial results.
Review: Tablet-PC Hybrids A Study In Trade-Offs
March 27, 2013 1:21 pm | by Ryan Nakashima, Associated Press | News | CommentsSince Windows 8's debut in October, there have been a range of hot-looking devices that try to combine elements of tablets and traditional PCs. These hybrids seem as if they would be great both for relaxing with an e-book and for writing stories when I occasionally need to snap back into work mode.
Seven Ways To Benefit From Mobile, From The Floor To The Field
March 27, 2013 12:45 pm | by Mutual Mobile | Articles | CommentsYes, there’s a place for mobile in manufacturing. Seven, actually. Today’s mobile solutions can help your business run more profitably and predictably, by putting the right tools and information right where they’re needed.
Google Picks 8,000 To Test Net-Connected Glasses
March 27, 2013 7:50 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe winners will have to pay $1,500 apiece if they want a test version of the product, called "Google Glass." They also will have to travel to New York, Los Angeles or the San Francisco Bay area to pick up the device, which isn't expected to be available on the mass market until late this year or early next year.
Apple Buys WiFi-Location Startup
March 26, 2013 8:36 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsApple has bought WiFiSLAM, a startup that has been developing a way to use WiFi hotspots to help smartphones navigate large indoor spaces, like stores, airports and conference centers. The purchase is part of Apple's efforts to bolster its own mapping and location capabilities, after breaking up with Google Inc. last year.
The Feminine Pad (A Tablet For Women)
March 25, 2013 2:20 pm | by Melissa Fassbender, Associate Editor, PD&D | Articles | CommentsIt is very likely that these are the apps that a woman would want on their tablet (I myself have a calorie tracker…that I never use) but the issue lies in the fact that the Femme Tablet is telling women that these are the things they should be concerned about, and it is assuming that women are not capable of using a “regular” tablet.
Dell Board Considers 2 New Buyout Offers
March 25, 2013 7:51 am | News | CommentsDell plans to negotiate with Blackstone Group and investor Carl Icahn over new acquisition bids for the computer maker that rival an offer of more than $24 billion from investors led by founder Michael Dell. A special committee of board members has determined the bids could be superior to a proposal from Dell and Silver Lake Partners.
The Cash Register Rings Its Last Sale
March 22, 2013 9:56 am | by Anne D'Innocenzio, AP Retail Writer | News | CommentsThe writing has been on the wall for a long time for the iconic machine, which was created in the late 1800s. The register was essential in nearly every retail location by 1915, but it now seems outdated in a world in which smartphones and tablets increasingly are replacing everything from books to ATMs to cameras.
Deal To Sell Dell May Be About To Face Competition
March 22, 2013 8:22 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsWith the deadline looming, buyout specialist Blackstone Group is emerging as the most likely candidate to trump the current bid of $13.65 per share. Blackstone is so intrigued with the prospect of owning Dell that the firm has been courting former HP CEO Mark Hurd to run Dell if it decides to mount a hostile takeover attempt, according to a source.
BlackBerry CEO: iPhone Is Outdated
March 22, 2013 7:47 am | by Rob Gillies, Associated Press | News | CommentsThorsten Heins made the comment Thursday on the eve of the much-delayed launch of the new touchscreen BlackBerry in the United States. AT&T begins selling the Z10 touchscreen BlackBerry on Friday, more than six weeks after RIM launched the devices elsewhere.
The Learning Thermostat
March 21, 2013 9:40 pm | by Meaghan Ziemba, Editor, WDD | Articles | CommentsPalo Alto, CA-based Nest Labs, has created a thermostat solution that will help reduce energy consumption within households by up to 20 percent. According to the company, energy consumption accounts for 50 percent (or more than $1,000 per year) of the average household utility bill.
HP Rebuffs Attempt To Oust 2 Directors From Board
March 21, 2013 10:03 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsHewlett-Packard Co. on Wednesday barely rebuffed a shareholder rebellion aimed at ousting the two longest-serving directors from personal computer maker's board. Shareholders had sought the board members' ouster as punishment for a series of botched acquisition and other pratfalls that have decimated HP's stock price.
HP Develops Glasses-Free 3-D For Mobile Devices
March 21, 2013 8:01 am | News | CommentsHP's researchers have found a way to make images viewable in 3-D from angles up to 45 degrees from center in any direction — up, down, side-to-side or diagonally. That means viewers can see a person's face with one ear blocked from view, but reveal the ear by swiveling the screen.
HP May Face Testy Shareholders
March 20, 2013 1:56 pm | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsWednesday afternoon's meeting in Mountain View, Calif., might have turned into an even bigger gripe session if not for a recent upturn in HP's stock price. The shares have surged by more than 60 percent so far this year on the hope that the company is starting a gradual turnaround under CEO Meg Whitman.
Engineering Newswire 29: 3D Printers in Vending Machines
March 19, 2013 10:13 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, brought to you by PTC delivering technology solutions that transform the way you create and service your products, we're kick starting low-cost robotics, using a 3D printing vending machine, and having a cup of coffee in the sky.
Ericsson And STMicroelectronics Agree On Strategy For ST-Ericsson
March 18, 2013 11:15 am | News | CommentsEricsson will take on the design, development and sales of the LTE multimode thin modem products, including 2G, 3G and 4G multimode, while ST will take on the existing ST-Ericsson products, other than LTE multimode thin modems, and related business as well as certain assembly and test facilities.
Ericsson, STMicroelectronics To Cut 1,600 Jobs
March 18, 2013 9:55 am | News | CommentsSTMicroelectronics, one of Europe's largest chipmakers, announced in December that it wanted out of ST-Ericsson as it struggled with a downturn in global demand. After months of talks the two companies said Monday they had agreed to end the joint venture.
Review: Tech In Galaxy S 4 Doesn't Come Together
March 15, 2013 12:12 pm | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe Galaxy S 4, Samsung's latest and greatest, has a cute feature we'll probably see in a lot of phones soon: You can shoot both yourself and your surroundings at the same time, using the front- and back-mounted cameras. It's a bit like having a two-camera film crew follow you around.
