Top Headlines - part 65
Sony Ericsson On the Move to Stay in the Game
BUSINESS August 1, 2011 | 11:44 AM
- Xperia X10 owners given chance to upgrade to Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- Commitment made to Chinese market with opening of global R&D center in Beijing
- The Swedish-Japanese joint venture reports €50 million losses in Q2 2011, following interruptions to its supply chain as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan
Sony Ericsson has announced that some Xperia X10 owners will finally have the opportunity to upgrade the operating system of their device to Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
In an official statement that accompanied the announcement, Sony Ericsson said that the availability of Gingerbread "is dependent on operator and/or country" and for this reason the company is unable to provide an "exact date for when the update will be available."
Read more »Walmart Announces New Movie Streaming Service
BUSINESS August 1, 2011 | 11:44 AM
- Walmart makes a renewed attempt at breaking into online film market after industry leader Netflix announces a price hike
- Teaming up with recent acquisition Vudu, new service will offer movie titles for rent and purchase with no monthly subscription
- Service is not yet available on iPad or other tablet PC devices
Super retailer Walmart has launched a renewed assault on the online movie industry with the announcement of its new streaming service. Walmart’s website now provides options for streaming and purchasing films online the same day as the DVD release.
All online streaming websites will be watching closely, but the warning bells will sound loudest for the likes of popular movie website Netflix, who just two weeks ago announced a new hike in prices for their rental services.
Read more »BlackBerry 7 Devices - Coming Soon?
BUSINESS August 1, 2011 | 11:11 AM
- Devices running BlackBerry 7 operating system to ship over next few months
- Release of new handsets an attempt to make up for falling sales
- Job cuts and executive reshuffle as Research in Motion tries to cut costs
Research in Motion (RIM) is trying to build expectations ahead of the upcoming launch of several new handsets running BlackBerry 7, the next release of its mobile operating system (OS).
The Canadian phone manufacturer announced late July, via the company's official Twitter page, that "... new #BlackBerry devices are coming w/ our new OS, BlackBerry 7! Check back tmrw 4 deets on #BB7FanNight."
Read more »AT&T to Serve Out New Gingerbread on Android Handsets
BUSINESS August 1, 2011 | 10:52 AM
- AT&T announces update for Google’s smartphone operating system
- 6 Android handsets have access to new Gingerbread platform
- Google promises to work with mobile manufacturers and network operators to guarantee updates for all new Android handsets
Android device users who purchased handsets this year through AT&T will be getting an upgrade to Gingerbread, the latest version of Google’s smartphone operating system.
The US telecommunications giant announced Tuesday that six Android-powered handsets released in 2011 will receive the Android 2.3 platform update that offers users a range of upgrades, including enhanced tactile keyboards, optimized battery life, smoother interfaces, improved copy-and-paste functionality and an overall tweak in smartphone performance.
Read more »UBS to Cut Jobs, Push Back Profit Target
FINANCE July 29, 2011 | 10:45 AM
- UBS to alter or remove its 2014 profit target
- European debt crisis blamed for investment bank losses
- UBS CEO announces plans to reduce costs, cut 5,000 jobs
Switzerland's largest bank UBS has announced plans to cut jobs and push back their 2014 profit target. Net income fell to 1.02 billion Swiss francs ($1.27 billion) in the second quarter.
Analysts overestimated the company's net income by 27 million Swiss francs. One year ago, net income was 2.01 billion Swiss francs, roughly double that of this year's amount. Net profit dropped 49% due to a strong Swiss franc and slow trading in currencies and commodities. UBS stock fell 12% over the past year.
Read more »Electronic Signature Company EchoSign Acquired by Adobe
FINANCE July 29, 2011 | 10:22 AM
- With acquisition of electronic signature firm, Adobe to discontinue its cloud-based electronic signature service
- EchoSign service cuts document signature time to minutes rather than days
- Deal could help improve Adobe's financials following recent downgrade by Goldman Sachs
Adobe has acquired EchoSign, a Palo Alto-based firm that is a leader in the provision of on-demand electronic signature services, for an undisclosed sum.
Adobe will include EchoSign's electronic signature technology in its document exchange services platform, which includes the file transfer service SendNow, the form-creation tool FormsCentral, and CreatePDF, which is used to generate PDF documents online.
Read more »Study: Melanoma Better Detected by Doctors
WORLD July 29, 2011 | 10:11 AM
- Study shows physicians more successful at detecting early-stage melanoma than individuals
- Melanoma predicted to be 5th most-common cancer in men, 7th in women for 2011
- Cancer diagnosis device Aura scans for 21 biomarkers in one second
A report published by the Archives of Dermatology shows that physicians can detect early-stage melanoma more easily than individuals who complete a self-analysis.
Conducted at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City with the oversight of academic dermatologists specialized in skin pigment lesions, the study compared the characteristics and detection patterns in 394 new and current patients over a ten-year span.
Read more »Apple iPad 2 Shipping - Playing Catch Up
BUSINESS July 28, 2011 | 2:33 PM
- Apple shipping iPad 2 to consumers within 1-3 days, compared to potential wait of up to four weeks after launch four months ago
- iPad covers becoming important part of revenue stream, contributing millions to Apple's bottom line
- Rumors on iPad 3 talk of faster processor and possible fall release date
After several months, and what has been called "the mother of all iPad backlogs", Apple has finally succeeded in bringing supply for the device more or less in line with demand.
The Cupertino-based firm is now able to get its device to consumers within 1-3 days, compared to 3-4 weeks when the product was initially launched and a long period when shipping time was around 1-2 weeks.
Read more »The World's First Dual-Screen Laptop
BUSINESS July 27, 2011 | 4:50 PM
- SpaceBook laptop has dual 17-inch display, with 1920 x 1080 resolution for each screen
- Weighs 10 pounds and measures 2 inches thick, giving a whole new meaning to the term "portable computer"
- Attractive for productivity benefits
Over the years, laptop computers have improved considerably in terms of battery life and overall processing power to the point where they can now compete seriously with desktop machines.
One area that has seen little change, however, has been the fact that working with a laptop typically means accepting that you're going to have to live with a limited screen size.
Read more »Fiat and Chrysler Move Closer Toward Merger
FINANCE July 27, 2011 | 11:06 AM
- Fiat regains majority 54% ownership of Chrysler
- Fiat holds option to buy remaining shares by June 2012
- Investor concern over Fiat debt lowers stock value
Fiat has renewed its majority ownership to nearly 54% in Chrysler after buying back 6% from the US Treasury and Canadian Government for $710 million. Fiat aims to up its stake to 59% by the end of 2011, and hopes the final merger will be sealed mid next year, when it has an option to buy the remaining shares.
Fiat lost 10% ownership to the US and Canadian governments following the Chrysler bankruptcy bailout plan in the summer of 2009. The bailout debt was $12.5 billion, of which Fiat has already paid $11.2 billion back to the US Treasury, six months ahead of schedule.
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