Consumer Electronics
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.
New Samsung Phone To Face Stronger Competition
March 14, 2013 9:55 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe Korean company has rented New York's Radio City Music Hall for an event Thursday evening. The company has hinted that it will reveal the Galaxy S IV phone. Judging by the announcement of the S III in last May, this means the new phone will be available in stores in a month or two.
Google Replaces Exec In Charge Of Android Software
March 13, 2013 2:22 pm | News | CommentsGoogle says the executive in charge of its popular Android software for smartphones and tablet computers is stepping down from the job. The unexpected change announced Wednesday marks the first time that the Android software has been overseen by someone other than Andy Rubin.
Improving Performance And Power With Sensor Hubs
March 13, 2013 1:22 pm | by Bryon Moyer, Convergence Promotions LLC | Articles | CommentsFrom one or two sensors with dedicated functions, mobile platforms have proliferated the number of sensors dramatically and opened up the sensor data to enterprising developers who have dreamed up new things to do. The architects probably never envisioned these applications when they incorporated the sensors.
Dell Rejects Request For Info Leading To Buyout
March 13, 2013 7:49 am | News | CommentsDell has staunchly defended the proposed sale to Michael Dell and Silver Lake as the best deal for the company after evaluating a wide range of other alternatives during a "rigorous" review undertaken by a special committee of four directors that were designated last August after its CEO broached the possibility of a buyout.
New BlackBerry Coming To The U.S. On March 22
March 12, 2013 7:48 am | by Rob Gillies, Associated Press | News | CommentsBlackBerry-maker Research In Motion will begin selling its new touchscreen smartphone to U.S. consumers with AT&T on March 22. The release will come several weeks after RIM launched the much-delayed devices elsewhere. AT&T said Monday that the Z10 will be available for $199.99 with a two-year contract.
The End Of Insight
March 11, 2013 7:36 pm | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | Blogs | CommentsAs we broach the crest of technology that operates upon the barrier between autonomous and thinking, it is easy to see the inevitability of crossing over. Immersing ourselves in a world not far off from Futurama, where robots have personalities and rights (sort of).
Icahn Signs Confidentiality Agreement With Dell
March 11, 2013 9:44 am | by Tom Murphy, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsBillionaire investor Carl Icahn, who is fighting Dell Inc. founder Michael Dell's plan to take the struggling company private, is entering into a confidentiality agreement that would give him access to the computer maker's financial records. Michael Dell is planning a $24.4 billion buyout to take the Round Rock, Texas, company private.
Stringer Leaving Sony In June
March 11, 2013 9:00 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsHoward Stringer, who fought to bring a divided and struggling Sony Corp. together as the Japanese electronics and entertainment company's first foreign president, is retiring as chairman in June. He announced his departure in New York in a speech at the Japan Society on Friday, which was confirmed by Tokyo-based Sony on Sunday.
NYC Pension Funds Seek Ouster Of 2 HP Directors
March 11, 2013 7:59 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsA group of New York City pension funds is joining the effort to oust the longest-serving members on Hewlett-Packard's board of directors for their roles in a series of costly decisions that have battered the company's stock. The brewing rebellion is aimed at HP directors John Hammergren and G. Kennedy Thompson.
AP: Google To Pay $7M To Settle Wi-Fi Case
March 10, 2013 9:23 pm | by Michael Liedtke, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsGoogle will pay a $7 million penalty to settle an investigation into the Internet search leader's collection of emails, passwords and other sensitive information sent over wireless networks several years ago in neighborhoods scattered around America.
Google Cutting 1,200 More Motorola Jobs
March 8, 2013 8:10 am | News | CommentsGoogle says it's cutting an additional 1,200 jobs in its Motorola division as the unprofitable cellphone maker struggles to compete. The latest reductions come on top of the 4,000 Motorola job cuts that Google Inc. announced last summer, and will be in countries including the U.S., China and India.
Cisco To Set Up Tech Training Centers In Myanmar
March 7, 2013 9:54 am | by Erika Kinetz, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsLevels of cellphone use are lower in Myanmar than in North Korea. The government has made reform of its telecommunications sector, which was long dominated by crony businesses, a priority. Bids from 91 companies from around the world for two nationwide telecom licenses are now under consideration.
Engineering Newswire 27: Hovering Hummingbirds Lead To New UAVs
March 7, 2013 9:41 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, brought to you by PTC, we’re building robotic hands that feel, studying shark suckers to make adhesives, developing flexible electronics that read your brain, and looking at the aerodynamic forces required to power and control flight, as seen in hummingbirds.
Icahn Proposes Alternative To Dell Buyout
March 7, 2013 8:20 am | News | CommentsIcahn says he favors paying a one-time dividend totaling $9 per share in a move that would allow shareholders to keep their stake in the company. He says that would be more valuable to shareholders than selling it as negotiated by a special committee of independent Dell directors to sell the company to an investment group for $13.65 per share.
Dell Committee Defends $24.4B Sale
March 6, 2013 11:50 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsA special committee of independent board members at Dell has unanimously recommended the proposed $24.4 billion sale of the company. At $13.65 per share, the offer represents a 37 percent premium to the company's average stock price "for the 90 days before rumors regarding the transaction surfaced," the company said Wednesday.
Thailand Manufacturing Investments Accelerate In 2013
March 6, 2013 11:32 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | News | CommentsPerhaps the largest new investment in Thailand for 2013 is a new Honda assembly plant worth 17.15 billion Baht ($570 million). The company says the new plant is necessary to keep up with demand for small cars in both the domestic and international markets, and is expected to begin production in April 2015.
EU Fines Microsoft $733M For Breaking Browser Pact
March 6, 2013 8:29 am | by Toby Sterling, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe European Union Commission has fined Microsoft Corp. €561 million ($733 million) for breaking the terms of an earlier agreement to offer users a choice of internet browser. The penalty is a first for Brussels — no company has ever failed to keep its end of a bargain with EU authorities before.
Samsung Invests $112M In Sharp
March 6, 2013 3:15 am | by Youkyung Lee, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSamsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday it will invest 10.4 billion yen ($111.5 million) in Sharp Corp. to secure a supply of large-size LCD panels. The agreement gives Samsung a 3 percent stake in Osaka-based Sharp and a supply of large-size LCD panels for televisions.
Lexmark To Pay $31.5M For 2 Acquisitions
March 5, 2013 2:00 pm | News | CommentsLexmark International Inc. is buying two smaller companies for a total of $31.5 million as part of its effort to reverse a slump brought on by waning demand for computer prints and ink. The deals announced Tuesday mark Lexmark's seventh and eighth acquisitions during the past three years.
Research Firm: PC Sales To Continue Slide In 2013
March 5, 2013 8:31 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSales of personal computers will continue to shrink this year after a grim 2012, as consumers flock toward tablets, research firm IDC said Monday. IDC expects global PC sales to contract 1.3 percent this year after falling 3.7 percent last year.
White House: Cell Phone Unlocking Should Be Legal
March 5, 2013 8:28 am | News | CommentsIn a blog post entitled "It's time to legalize cell phone unlocking," R. David Edelman, White House adviser on Internet, innovation and privacy, responded to a petition about the issue by saying the administration feels consumers should be allowed to unlock their phones without civil or criminal penalties.
Apple Stock Hits Latest 52-Week Low
March 4, 2013 6:57 pm | News | CommentsShares of Apple hit their lowest level in more than a year on Monday, continuing a decline hastened by the company's last quarterly earnings report. Apple Inc. stock touched as low as $419 Monday — its weakest point since January 2012 — before closing down 2.4 percent at $420.05.
Samsung's $1B Bill In Apple Case Reduced
March 4, 2013 7:47 am | by Paul Elias, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe two biggest — and bitterest — rivals in the smartphone market will have to endure another bruising trial after a federal judge ruled that jurors miscalculated nearly half the $1 billion in damages it found Samsung Electronics owed Apple Inc. for patent infringement.
