Thursday, September 27, 2012

RIM surprises with cash boost and resilient sales; shares surge

RIM surprises with cash boost and resilient sales; shares surge

RIM surprises with cash boost and resilient sales; shares surge

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 06:17 PM PDT

Research in Motion (RIM) BlackBerry smartphone handsets are pictured in this illustration picture taken in LavignyTORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd reported a narrower-than-expected loss on Thursday and the struggling BlackBerry maker bolstered its cash reserves, sparking optimism ahead of the launch of its make-or-break line of next-generation smartphones. Shares of RIM surged 20 percent in after-hours trade on indications the company will have plenty of cash to ramp up production of its new BlackBerry 10 devices and mount a robust marketing campaign for the revamped line, due in early 2013. ...

Google obeys Brazilian court order, blocks YouTube political video

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:18 PM PDT

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The Brazilian unit of Google, the world's No. 1 Internet search engine, said on Thursday it had obeyed a court order to remove a video attacking a candidate in Brazilian municipal elections from its YouTube service after legal appeals were exhausted. ...

Real gifts sold on Facebook as site taps commerce potential

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 02:25 PM PDT

The Facebook logo is shown at Facebook headquarters in Palo AltoMENLO PARK, California (Reuters) - Facebook Inc is taking a small step toward becoming an e-commerce platform by launching a feature for users to buy and send real gifts worth as much as hundreds of dollars. As of Thursday, users can purchase and ship products from more than a hundred "Facebook Gifts" vendors with a few clicks on the company's website. The products include eyeglasses by Warby Parker, Starbucks coffee, and pastries from New York-based Magnolia Bakery. ...

New art-house app lets you take just one picture, ever

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 05:29 PM PDT

There are a lot of terrific camera apps out there. Most people prefer Instagram for its filters and ability to share your photos with others, while some prefer the more powerful set of tools Snapseed offers. One of the newest … Continue reading →

Congresswoman wants to protect you from silly internet laws

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 05:26 PM PDT

Remember that one time when our internet freedom was about to be severely stifled by the government, but then pretty much the entire internet rallied against it? House Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) remembers, and she wants to make sure the … Continue reading →

Camera+ Arrives on the iPad

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:26 PM PDT

Camera+ Arrives on the iPadCamera+ -- one of the most popular photo apps for the iPhone -- is now available for the iPad.

RIM posts big loss but not as bad as expected

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 05:03 PM PDT

FILE - In a Thursday June 21, 2012 file photo, Tim Neil, Research In Motion Ltd.'s Canadian Operating Director of Operations, Platforms and Tools, speaks about the Blackberry 10 architecture during the RIM Blackberry 10 Jam World Tour in Toronto. BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion posted another large loss in the second quarter but not as bad as analysts expected. Shares surged nearly 18 percent in after-hours trading. The Canadian company reported Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, that it lost $235 million, or 45 cents a share, in its fiscal second quarter, which ended Sept 1. That compares with a profit of $419 million, or 80 cents per share, a year ago. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Aaron Vincent Elkaim, File)BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion posted another large quarterly loss on Thursday, but the hemorrhaging was not as bad expected.

Gates: New Windows 8 system is 'very exciting'

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 11:15 AM PDT

Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates speaks to the media during an interview regarding his efforts to eliminate polio, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, in New York. Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Thursday called the new Windows 8 operating system scheduled for release next month "a very exciting new product" and "a very big deal" for the world's largest software maker. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Thursday called the new Windows 8 operating system scheduled for release next month "a very exciting new product" and "a very big deal" for the world's largest software maker.

Facebook launches service to send real-life gifts

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 02:31 PM PDT

This undated image provided by Facebook shows a new service called Gifts which, as its name suggests, lets users send chocolate, coffee, socks and other real-life presents to one another. Facebook Gifts will be available Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, to a subset of users in the U.S. and will roll out to more over the coming months as people begin to send gifts to each other. (AP Photo/Facebook)Facebook is rolling out a service called Gifts which, as its name suggests, lets users send chocolate, coffee, socks and other real-life presents to one another.

Mr. Sexy Back tries to bring Myspace back

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:43 PM PDT

FILE -- In a May 7, 2012 file photo Justin Timberlake arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala benefit, in New York. Myspace is trying to stage yet another comeback with the help of investor Justin Timberlake. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)"Who am I to say I want you back? When you were never mine to give away."

Apex Launcher update tops Android Apps of the Week

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 03:00 PM PDT

As Google Play hits 25 billion app downloads (and celebrates by offering a great selection of titles for a mere 25¢ a pop) here are a selection of new apps and updates that caught our eye this week. Apex Launcher got a big update which brings it more in line with the features of Jelly Bean, and Vellamo Benchmark received a facelift and some nice additions. We've also got a sporting goods retailer, a vacation rental finder and even a fun, throwaway app to coincide with the release of the iPhone 5.

Banks stake $4.6 billion on Sharp bailout to recoup money

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 09:22 PM PDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Sharp Corp confirmed it had won a $4.6 billion bailout led by Mizuho Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, a deal that ends Sharp's immediate debt crisis but fails to resolve doubts about its future. Sharp said it has signed syndicated loan agreements with Mizuho and Mitsubishi UFJ for a 180 billion yen ($2.32 billion) term loan and a loan facility of an equal amount. The two banks will invite other lenders to join a syndicate to spread the risk, with life insurer Resona Holdings likely to join, a banking source told Reuters on condition of anonymity. ...

Nokia’s Lumia 920 priced higher than rivals, available mid-November in Europe

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 08:30 PM PDT

Nokia's Lumia 920 priced higher than rivals, available mid-November in EuropeEarlier this month, Nokia (NOK) unveiled the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 at a press event in New York City, but the Finnish vendor failed to announce pricing and launch information. While we continue to wait for U.S. launch details, three of the company's subsidiaries have revealed additional information regarding the phones' pricing and releases. Nokia Russia on Tuesday began accepting pre-orders for both devices, while Nokia Germany and Nokia Italy announced that the company's flagship Windows Phone 8 handset will launch in mid-November for $835 and $771, respectively, before taxes and subsidies. The lower-end Lumia 820 will be offered for an unsubsidized price of $643. By comparison, the Galaxy S III is available in Europe for roughly $680. BGR reported earlier

The cost of charging your iPhone 5 for a year is just 41 cents

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 07:35 PM PDT

The cost of charging your iPhone 5 for a year is just 41 centsGood news: The iPhone 5 doesn't just feel light in your hand, it will also feel light in your electric bill. The energy-consumption researchers at Opower on Thursday released a study showing that Apple's (AAPL) newest smartphone costs just $0.41 per year to charge, or $0.12 less than the Samsung (005930) Galaxy S III. In fact, Opower says that the only big-name consumer device to suck up less power than the iPhone 5 was the iPhone 4, which cost just $0.38 to charge per year. By comparison, Opower says that an Xbox 360 costs an average of $40.24 to power per year while a laptop PC costs around $8.31. [Via MacRumors] Read

Intel previews tablets powered by its new chip

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 06:58 PM PDT

Tom Butler, Director of Lenovo ThinkPad Marketing, speaks while holding a Lenovo tablet Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, in San Francisco. Intel previewed a wave of tablet computers powered by a microprocessor that the company redesigned to make a bigger dent in the rapidly growing mobile market. An assortment of major computer vendor made the tablets previewed Thursday in San Francisco. All the devices depend on Intel Corp.'s new processor and Windows 8, a dramatic overhaul of the widely used operating system made by Microsoft Corp. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)Intel previewed a wave of tablet computers powered by a microprocessor that the company redesigned to make a bigger dent in the rapidly growing mobile market.

Netflix updates its iOS app to support iPhone 5′s wider screen

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 06:50 PM PDT

Netflix updates its iOS app to support iPhone 5′s wider screeniPhone developers may not have had much time to update their apps for the iPhone 5′s larger screen, but that hasn't posed a problem for Netflix (NFLX), which on Thursday released an updated version of its iOS app designed specifically to deliver video to the new iPhone's four-inch display. Netflix also says that the latest version of its app offers "improved browsing, searching and watching experience" and "added support for iOS 6." [Via MacRumors] Read

News Summary: Intel shows tablets with new chip

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 06:47 PM PDT

REDESIGNED CHIP: Intel previewed a wave of tablet computers powered by a microprocessor that the company redesigned to make a bigger dent in the rapidly growing mobile market.

News Summary: RIM's loss not as bad as expected

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 06:37 PM PDT

ANOTHER LOSS: BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion posted another large quarterly loss on Thursday, but the hemorrhaging was not as bad expected.

Arrest of Google Brazil head stirs debate over Web

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 06:34 PM PDT

In this Nov. 22, 2011 photo, Google executive Fabio Jose Silva Coelho poses for a portrait in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Google Inc.'s head of operations in Brazil was detained by the country's federal police Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012 after the company failed to heed a judge's order to take down YouTube videos that the court ruled violate Brazilian electoral law. The detention came as another court ordered YouTube to remove clips of an anti-Islam film that has been blamed for deadly protests by Muslims around the globe, both joining a spate of court-ordered content-removal cases against Google's video-sharing website in Brazil. (AP Photo/Carol Carquejeiro, Agencia O Globo)The arrest of a top Google executive is reviving a debate about Brazilian laws that hold services such as YouTube responsible for the videos posted on them, making the country a hotbed of attempts to stifle digital content.

U.S. cyber warrior accuses China of targeting Pentagon

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 06:23 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Cyber Command's top intelligence officer accused China on Thursday of persistent efforts to pierce Pentagon computer networks and said a proposal was moving forward to boost the cyber command in the U.S. military hierarchy. "Their level of effort against the Department of Defense is constant" while alleged Chinese attempts to steal corporate trade secrets has been growing, Rear Admiral Samuel Cox, the command's director of intelligence, told Reuters after remarks to a forum on the history of cyber threats. ...

RIM surprises with cash boost and resilient sales; shares surge

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 06:17 PM PDT

Research in Motion (RIM) BlackBerry smartphone handsets are pictured in this illustration picture taken in LavignyTORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd reported a narrower-than-expected loss on Thursday and the struggling BlackBerry maker bolstered its cash reserves, sparking optimism ahead of the launch of its make-or-break line of next-generation smartphones. Shares of RIM surged 20 percent in after-hours trade on indications the company will have plenty of cash to ramp up production of its new BlackBerry 10 devices and mount a robust marketing campaign for the revamped line, due in early 2013. ...

Business cards go high-tech with programmable NFC chips [video]

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 06:05 PM PDT

Business cards go high-tech with programmable NFC chips [video]One would think that with the rise of smartphones, business cards would have become a relic already. Unfortunately, that's not the case and business cards are a necessary evil when networking. Moo.com's new business aren't like regular paper cards, however. They've got an NFC chip inside of them that can be assigned to direct to any URL. Basically, they're re-writeable business cards that can highlight a new social network profile or new website without ever having to be reprinted. And like any NFC-enabled label, all that's needed is a smartphone with NFC capabilities like the Galaxy S III or Galaxy Nexus. Exchanging and storing contact information is as easy as tapping the card to the smartphone and starting today, Moo.com

Degradable Electronics Come Closer To Reality

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 05:38 PM PDT

Researchers have created degradable prototype electronics that function for a set time--and then dissolve. Sophie Bushwick reports.

Micron Technologies widens 4Q loss

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 05:22 PM PDT

Memory chip maker Micron Technology Inc. widened its fiscal fourth-quarter loss as lower prices took their toll.

LG Optimus Vu II announced with faster CPU, more RAM and the same odd 4:3 aspect ratio

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 05:20 PM PDT

LG Optimus Vu II announced with faster CPU, more RAM and the same odd 4:3 aspect ratioLG (O66570) on Tuesday officially announced a followup to its Optimus Vu smartphone. The 5-inch device known as the Optimus Vu II will continue to feature an odd 4:3 aspect ration along with an upgraded 1.5GHz dual-core MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 processor, 2GB of RAM, VoLTE capabilities and a larger 2,150 mAh battery. Similar to its predecessor, the phablet will include a stylus, Android 4.0, 4G LTE connectivity, NFC and an 8-megapixel rear camera. The company also announced an optional "One Key" accessory, which can be placed on a user's key ring and pressed to help locate the phone by generating a loud beep. The Optimus Vu II will be available in Korea for $864 before taxes and subsidies, and LG did

YouTube-Grown Duo Karmin Make the Cover of 'Rolling Stone'

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 05:05 PM PDT

Karmin, whose astronomical success on YouTube lead the pop duo to a record deal in 2011 and a guest performance spot on Saturday Night Live this year, will now grace the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

RIM posts big loss but not as bad as expected

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 05:03 PM PDT

FILE - In a Thursday June 21, 2012 file photo, Tim Neil, Research In Motion Ltd.'s Canadian Operating Director of Operations, Platforms and Tools, speaks about the Blackberry 10 architecture during the RIM Blackberry 10 Jam World Tour in Toronto. BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion posted another large loss in the second quarter but not as bad as analysts expected. Shares surged nearly 18 percent in after-hours trading. The Canadian company reported Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, that it lost $235 million, or 45 cents a share, in its fiscal second quarter, which ended Sept 1. That compares with a profit of $419 million, or 80 cents per share, a year ago. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Aaron Vincent Elkaim, File)BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion posted another large quarterly loss on Thursday, but the hemorrhaging was not as bad expected.

U.S. group studying breach at Schneider unit

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:45 PM PDT

BOSTON (Reuters) - An organization that regulates U.S. electric utilities is looking into a security breach at a Calgary, Alberta-based maker of software that big energy companies use to manage production and distribution of electricity. Calgary-based Telvent, which is owned by France's Schneider Electric SA, quietly warned customers about the sophisticated attack, which affected its operations in the United States, Canada and Spain, the cyber security news site KrebsOnSecurity.com reported on Wednesday. It is the latest in a string of breaches targeting the energy sector. ...

Calif. signs bills to boost social network privacy

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:37 PM PDT

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a pair of privacy bills making it illegal for employers and colleges to demand access to social media accounts.

New Zealand government to Kim Dotcom: Sorry for the illegal spying

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:35 PM PDT

New Zealand government to Kim Dotcom: Sorry for the illegal spyingImagine how embarrassed President Barack Obama would feel if he had to issue a formal apology to Snooki. Well, something very similar has happened in New Zealand, as the The Wall Street Journal reports that Prime Minister John Key has apologized to Megaupload founder and tabloid magnet Kim Dotcom for government security officials who illegally spied on his communications without first obtaining a warrant. The apology to Dotcom comes in the wake of a report released by New Zealand's inspector-general of intelligence and security earlier this week that admitted the government conducted "unlawful interception of communications of certain individuals involved in the Megaupload case." Read

Camera+ Arrives on the iPad

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:26 PM PDT

Camera+ Arrives on the iPadCamera+ -- one of the most popular photo apps for the iPhone -- is now available for the iPad.

Google obeys Brazilian court order, blocks YouTube political video

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:18 PM PDT

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The Brazilian unit of Google, the world's No. 1 Internet search engine, said on Thursday it had obeyed a court order to remove a video attacking a candidate in Brazilian municipal elections from its YouTube service after legal appeals were exhausted. ...

RIM delivers pleasant surprise to investors; shares surge

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:12 PM PDT

Research in Motion (RIM) BlackBerry smartphone handsets are pictured in this illustration picture taken in LavignyTORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd reported a narrower-than-expected loss on Thursday and the struggling BlackBerry maker bolstered its cash reserves, sparking optimism ahead of the launch of its make-or-break line of next-generation smartphones. Shares of the RIM surged 20 percent in after-hours trade on indications the company will have plenty of cash to ramp up production of its new BlackBerry 10 devices and mount a robust marketing campaign for the revamped line, due in early 2013. ...

Intel zeroes in on enterprise customers with first tablet wave

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:08 PM PDT

Attendees look over Hewlett-Packard computer tablet that features Intel Corp's latest "Atom" processor and Windows 8 software, in San FranciscoSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp roped in device makers such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Hewlett Packard Co on Thursday to showcase tablets powered by its new "Atom" processor - a chip it hopes will help it biannually break into that crowded market. Intelinitially brushed off any threat from tablets such as Apple Inc's iPad, but now hopes the combination of a low power consuming processor with touch friendly Microsoft Corp Windows 8 software will win over enterprise customers looking to deploy tablets, but keep PC-based software and hardware. ...

Amazon offering loans to its online sellers

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT

A box from Amazon.com is pictured on the porch of a house in GoldenSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc is launching a new business offering loans to some of its online sellers, a move that could boost the growth of its Internet marketplace while exposing it to potential credit risks. The new program is called Amazon Lending and sellers on the company's marketplace have been sent emails offering loans from Amazon Capital Services Inc, a unit of Amazon, according to a merchant who received such an email from the company recently. The merchant did not want to be identified because Amazon has not announced the program publicly. ...

Facebook, Gates Foundation Team Up to Create Apps For Future College Students

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 03:52 PM PDT

Facebook, Gates Foundation Team Up to Create Apps For Future College StudentsFacebook hosted a hackathon in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Thursday, kicking off the foundation's College Knowledge Challenge. That's a $2.5 million investment fund to encourage developers to make apps that meliorate the college process.

Micron misses estimates on weak chip sales

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 03:50 PM PDT

(Reuters) - Micron Technology Inc posted lower-than-expected quarterly results as weak PC sales continue to weigh on its chip business. DRAM (dynamic random access memory) makers such as Micron are heavily dependent on the PC industry, which consumes close to 50 percent of the total output. They are now looking at mobile and server markets to lower their reliance on PC makers. "I think for (DRAM) prices to stabilize we would have to see good demand pull through which we are not seeing. ...

Accenture bets on outsourcing business to drive growth

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 03:46 PM PDT

(Reuters) - Accenture Plc forecast full-year earnings ahead of analyst estimates as it bolsters its outsourcing business to offset a slowdown in consulting, sending its shares up 5 percent in after-market trading. Outsourcing revenue rose 10 percent to $3.1 billion while consulting revenue fell 4 percent to $3.74 billion in the fourth quarter. Accenture, which has about 257,000 employees worldwide, expects revenue growth in its outsourcing business to continue to outpace that of consulting, Chief Financial Officer Pamela Craig said on a conference call. "They're clearly gaining market share ...

Netflix CEO blasts Amazon Prime Videos for being ‘a confusing mess’

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 03:25 PM PDT

Netflix CEO blasts Amazon Prime Videos for being 'a confusing mess'With so much competition in the streaming video business, it's only natural that Netflix (NFLX) is feeling the heat. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings wasted no time in sharing his thoughts on why his company's streaming video is better than Amazon's (AMZN) Prime Video. Besides stating how Netflix has better algorithms in place to deliver recommended content and how the user experience is better because video is its only business, Hastings says that Amazon Prime Video is "a confusing mess" and that consumers don't want lower prices that come at the expense of more available content. "In the U.S., our content budget is about three times [Amazon's], and we've got about three times more content. And what our

A Standalone Dish Streaming Service May Still Cost a Lot

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 03:21 PM PDT

A Standalone Dish Streaming Service May Still Cost a LotHow much would you pay for a standalone streaming service from Dish Network that offers channels like Comedy Central, MTV, and The Food Network? It's worth thinking about since Dish Network is in talks with Viacom to offer a our dream of a standalone streaming television service,  . If these talks end up going anywhere—a big if—Dish would provide some of its channels on the Internet for a fee that is presumably less than what it costs to get all of its channels. ...
Posted by Harshad at 9:41 PM

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