Headline Feeds|
Pandora Fights Fees with Terrestrial Acquisition June 13, 2013 
In an effort to manage acquisition fees, Pandora Radio has acquired a terrestrial radio station based in Rapid City, S.D. The move enables Pandora to be subject to licensing fees and royalties for broadcast radio stations rather than streaming stations. Internet radio services such as Pandora, Spotify, Rhapsody and Last.fm have struggled for years to balance acquisition costs with revenues.
|
X2 Marks the Spot for Comcast's Cloud TV Initiative June 13, 2013 
Comcast's new set-top box software opens a window into how cable TV companies hope to retain customers tempted to move their eyeballs to online-only alternatives. Comcast X2 blends cable offerings like on-demand movies, program guides and digital video recording with online-only content and social media. It's an example of where the cable industry is going with its services.
|
|
Tech Titans Speak Out for More PRISM Transparency June 12, 2013 
After initially denying involvement in the U.S. National Security Agency's highly controversial PRISM program revealed last week, Google and other tech giants that were named as participants now admit their involvement and are calling for greater transparency. Google, for instance, is requesting that it be allowed to publish more data about the NSA requests it receives.
|
Google's Waze Grab Is About a Lot More Than Defense June 12, 2013 
Google has finalized its acquisition of Waze, developer of a crowdsourced mapping app, with the goal of expanding its location-based and social maps offerings while providing users with a way to outsmart traffic. Waze has a worldwide user base of about 50 million people who log in to access or submit real-time navigational data. Google reportedly paid about $1.3 billion for the startup.
|
|
WWDC 2013: All About Managing Expectations June 12, 2013 
There was no shortage of news coming out of Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference this week, including a glimpse at the next generation of iOS. On the hardware front, meanwhile, the company revealed it will launch a new desktop computer and a refreshed MacBook Air line. Then, of course, there was its new streaming radio application.
|
Iceland Won't Grant Snowden Asylum - Until He Gets There June 12, 2013 
As far as Iceland goes, Edward Snowden may be left out in the cold. Snowden, the whistleblower who made international headlines after leaking secrets about the U.S. National Security Agency's PRISM program, is believed to currently be in Hong Kong. Given Hong Kong's history of extraditing people to the United States, speculation has turned to where Snowden might go after Hong Kong.
|
|
IT Companies Back Federal Plans to Battle Patent Trolls June 12, 2013 
Major IT companies want to seize the moment in an effort to restrain what they consider to be an abuse of intellectual property rights by so-called patent trolls. In a recent flurry of activity, lawmakers and the Obama administration have taken steps to support large IT companies seeking patent claim reforms. The big IT companies claim that current law overwhelmingly favors the patent trolls.
|
Comcast to Pepper Neighborhoods With WiFi Hotspots June 11, 2013 
Comcast is rolling out a neighborhood WiFi initiative designed to allow its Xfinity Internet subscribers to log in to nearby wireless hotspots outside of their home. Subscribers to the service will essentially be the hosts for two separate WiFi networks. One will be their private, secure home connection. The other signal, which Comcast would provide for free, would serve as a neighborhood signal.
|
|
EC Mulls Potential US Threat to Europeans' Privacy June 11, 2013 
The European Commission is concerned that U.S. data collection practices such as PRISM may pose a threat to Europeans' privacy rights. Commission Vice President Viviane Reding, who is in charge of justice, plans to raise the issue at an EU-U.S. meeting later this week in Dublin. That announcement comes after last week's revelation of the headline-grabbing PRISM program.
|
Sprint Leans Toward Sweeter Softbank Offer June 11, 2013 
Softbank and Sprint late Monday announced changes to the merger agreement awaiting shareholders' approval. The new deal increases the amount of cash that would go to stockholders by reallocating funds that had been earmarked for direct investment in Sprint. SoftBank will acquire shares from current Sprint shareholders for $7.65, up from the $7.30 per share in the original bid.
|
|
SAP Pulls Hybris Into Its Stable June 11, 2013 
SAP acquired Switzerland-based enterprise resource planning company Hybris last week in order to add cloud-based, next-generation e-commerce capabilities to its offerings.
Hybris has developed an omnichannel commerce platform that allows businesses to incorporate Web, mobile, call center and store actions in their efforts to track and respond to customer activity.
|
Samsung Stock Plummets in Wake of Analyst Report June 10, 2013 
Samsung stockholders went scurrying for the exit on Friday when a research note from J.P. Morgan predicted that third-quarter shipments of the Galaxy S4 would be disappointing. The company lost about $12 billion in market value that day and edged further down on Monday. Other investment firms have also either downgraded the company's ratings or commented on its diminished prospects in recent days.
|
|
Microsoft's Uncanny Transformation June 10, 2013 
For much of the last decade, Microsoft has set an example more of doing things wrong than right, but at TechEd last week, Microsoft suddenly was showcasing a number of really smart decisions and best practices. It almost felt like an event from a different company -- or the company I remember from the 1990s, before it got arrogant; when it was younger, more vital and a bit more fun.
|
Spreading Your E-Commerce Wings June 10, 2013 
Much has been said of the opportunities that lie in emerging retail markets, especially in countries or regions that have been less affected by recession. For many Western companies, however, a lack of confidence and basic local knowledge is stifling opportunity for international expansion. There are two key markets that I consider to be low-hanging fruit for U.S. merchants: Russia and China.
|
|
Tech Industry Could Pay Stiff Price for PRISM June 07, 2013 
Technology firms in the United States might be impacted adversely by the National Security Agency's controversial PRISM program. Classified documents about the program leaked to The Washington Post and The Guardian indicate that major U.S. high-tech companies provide it data. This data is the major source of raw intelligence for the NSA's analytical reports, according to the agency.
|
FreedomPop Calls for Mobile Revolution June 07, 2013 
Homing in on consumers' frustration with the escalating costs of wireless services, FreedomPop this week announced a mobile plan that offers voice, text and data -- for free. The FreedomPop service utilizes mobile VoIP on Sprint's cellular network. The company will offer a number of Android phones for purchase, or subscribers can use their own compatible phones.
|
|
Amazon Polishes Apple's case at E-Book Trial June 07, 2013 
The antitrust trial pitting the DoJ against Apple over fixing e-book prices began this week, and it didn't take long for the company's lawyers to poke a hole in the government's case. On Wednesday, they showed through questioning that a key element of the DoJ's case had less to do with Apple colluding with publishers to hike e-book prices than with standard business practices.
|
Government Prying Into Verizon Customer Records Exposed June 06, 2013 
The National Security Agency reportedly has been collecting the phone records of millions of Verizon users in the United States under a secret court order. Specifically, Verizon has been required to provide an ongoing account of all telephone calls on its systems, including those inside the U.S. and between the U.S. and other countries.
|
|
ITC Slaps Apple in Samsung Infringement Case June 06, 2013 
The U.S. International Trade Commission has partially reversed an earlier ruling and found that Apple infringed one of Samsung's patents after all, leading it to ban the import of certain older iPhones and iPads. The ban includes such products as the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, original iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G. The iPhone 5 and the fourth-generation iPad remain unaffected.
|
Obama Takes a Swing at Patent Trolls June 05, 2013 
The Obama administration on Tuesday targeted patent trolls with a number of initiatives aimed at curbing activity it blames for stymieing innovation in America. The initiatives include five executive orders and seven legislative recommendations. Patent trolls have been accused of abusing the system to squeeze money from just about anyone using technology containing their intellectual property.
|
See More Articles in Business Section >>
