All Posts (272)

Apple’s iWatch reportedly won’t launch until late next year

Apple’s had previously been rumored to be reading its “iWatch” smart watch for a late 2013 launch, however a new report suggests the device won’t launch until late 2014. In what reeked of a controlled leak earlier this year, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg all issued exclusive reports on the iWatch within days of each other. Details were scarce at the time, but Apple reportedly had a team of more than 100 people working on the smart watch, which it hoped to debut in late 2013. Now, however, KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo claims that Apple won’t launch the iWatch until late next year. In a recent note to clients picked up by AppleInsider, the analyst claims

EU wants big companies to reveal national tax bills

By John O'Donnell BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's top regulatory official is seeking to force large companies to disclose how much tax they pay in each country where they operate, a measure some politicians say could curb tax avoidance. Michel Barnier, the European commissioner in charge of drafting business regulation, said in a speech in Amsterdam that rules which will force banks to report their profits, taxes and subsidies by country from 2015 should be extended to cover other companies. "We will expand these reporting obligations to large companies and groups," he said on Thursday. ...

New iPhone apps worth downloading: FavorSpread, imo messenger update, Combo Crew

Today's first app worth downloading is FavorSpread, an app that encourages users to be good samaritans. It lets you ask for and deliver favors for other users (potentially with some money changing hands) to help you get things done, and to help others. We've also got a big update for voice-over-Internet app imo messenger, which adds a new “Broadcast” feature, and Combo Crew, a game in which players brawl with baddies by swiping at the screen.

Huawei's Middle East revenue rose 18 percent in 2012: executive

By Matt Smith DUBAI (Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies Co's Middle East revenue rose 18 percent to $2.08 billion in 2012 and the roll-out of 4G mobile networks and IT outsourcing will be among its main regional growth drivers, the firm said. The world's second-largest telecom equipment maker also expects Middle East telecom operators to prioritize improving network efficiency, Shi Yaohong, president of Huawei Middle East, told Reuters in an email. "Operators' shift toward software-defined networks, IT outsourcing and adoption of 4G ... ...

Solar plane completes 2nd leg of trip in Texas

DALLAS (AP) — A solar-powered plane has landed in Texas, completing the second leg of a trip across the United States.

HP raises 2013 outlook as Whitman's plan takes hold

By Poornima Gupta SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co raised its 2013 earnings outlook after quarterly results beat low expectations, as CEO Meg Whitman's turnaround plan helped offset shrinking personal computer sales with enterprise computing services. While fiscal second-quarter profit plummeted 32 percent, Wall Street had braced for worse. HP shares gained 14 percent after the company projected full-year earnings per share of $3.50 to $3.60, raising the lower end by 10 cents, and fiscal third-quarter profit that topped analyst estimates. ...

Lenovo says quarterly profit up 90 percent

BEIJING (AP) — Computer maker Lenovo Group said Thursday its latest quarterly profit rose 90 percent as sales of smartphones and mobile computing technology expanded.

China's Lenovo buys and diversifies to outshine PC rivals

By Lee Chyen Yee and Umesh Desai HONG KONG (Reuters) - Lenovo Group Ltd's bold acquisitions in its flagship PC business, a foray into mobile gadgets, and a relatively light debt load are setting it apart from PC rivals as industry shipments take their steepest fall in decades. Lenovo, a sliver away from unseating Hewlett-Packard Co as the world's top PC maker by shipments, posted on Thursday an estimate-beating 90 percent rise in quarterly profit, its fastest in seven quarters. ...

Samsung, LG reportedly rush back to LCD TVs after OLED investments fizzle

OLED television sets are supposed to be the wave of the future, but early OLED adopters LG and Samsung have found that the future can be very expensive. Bloomberg reports that LG and Samsung’s big bets on OLEDs haven’t panned out so far and the two companies “are now pivoting, with plans to boost output of LCD sets to maintain their dominance of the industry.” The issue for both companies has been how to produce OLED TVs at a low enough cost where they become attractive to consumers. Given that LG’s first OLED television released earlier this year costs around $10,000, it’s safe to say that consumers are looking for much lower price points before they buy in. In the

Microsoft confirms indie developers can’t self-publish games on Xbox One

Independent game developers who are excited about selling new games on the Xbox One got some bad news on Wednesday. Microsoft confirmed to ShackNews that independent developers cannot self-publish their own games on Xbox Live Arcade, and are instead required to partner with Microsoft Game Studios or a third-party publisher. The policy is completely different from those employed by Sony and Nintendo. Sony embraces independent developers and welcomes them to create and self-publish content on the PlayStation Network. Microsoft’s upcoming console matches up with Sony’s PlayStation 4 on paper, however there are still some questions that have been left unanswered, such as the ability to play used games.