Business

Google's Makani Buy Could Take Wind Energy to Higher Levels
May 23, 2013

Google X Labs, the not-so-secret-but-secretive facility that works on cutting edge projects, has bought airborne wind turbine developer Makani Power, which announced the news on its website. Makani uses tethered aircraft that fly in figure 8s to generate power. The purchase formalizes a long and productive relationship between the two companies.

HTC's Exec Exodus Prompts Questions About Company's Future
May 23, 2013

Top executives are leaving HTC as the smartphone company's market share dwindles rapidly, according to published reports. The latest to depart is HTC Asia CEO Lennard Hoornik, who joins at least five other senior executives. Those include product strategy manager Eric Lin, who issued a tweet urging colleagues to leave the company.

Senators Piling on Apple's Taxes Are Missing the Point
May 23, 2013

So is Apple a tax-dodging evil company with a dark heart? No. The answer is no. However, Apple is certainly a corporation, and all corporations are driven first and foremost by profit -- no matter what the company says about the joy of making great products. Astoundingly passionate and driven individuals, who sometimes run corporations, might be driven by the joy of creation.

When Customers Get the Shaft, Companies Are the Biggest Losers
May 23, 2013

Do you ever wonder why some companies flourish and grow while others struggle? Why you love doing business with some but not others? It all has to do with how they interact with customers. Hilton Head Island in South Carolina has become my family's favorite vacation destination. There are two big brand name hotels there, and we've experienced a big difference in the way they treat customers.

JLo, Verizon Partner on Wireless Stores Targeting Latinos
May 22, 2013

Actress, singer, dancer and fashion designer Jennifer Lopez can now add wireless industry mogul to her resumé. JLo is the big name behind Viva Movil, a new mobile phone retailer that addresses the growing Latino market. Lopez is the founder of Viva Movil, as well as a majority shareholder and its chief creative officer.

Clearwire Board Gives Nod to Sweeter Sprint Bid
May 22, 2013

Clearwire's special committee and its board of directors recommended that shareholders approve Sprint's increased offer to buy the remaining half of the company. Sprint already owns about 50 percent of Clearwire. It upped its bid to purchase the remaining stake by 14 percent Tuesday, offering $3.40 per share. That offer values Clearwire at $10.7 billion.

Amid Threats From Anonymous, Guantanamo WiFi Shut Down
May 22, 2013

Despite cries from the Left, the Guantanamo Bay detention camp is still up and running. The same, however, can't be said for Guantanamo's WiFi. The U.S. military turned off wireless Internet service at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base amid threats from the hacker collective Anonymous. Officials have also nixed access to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, a spokesperson for the prison said.

Intel Puts Its Chips on 'New Devices'
May 22, 2013

Intel's new CEO Brian Krzanich showed Tuesday he's ready to put his stamp on the chipmaking giant by announcing a company reorganization that includes a division for new devices. The division, headed by former mobile unit chief Mike Bell, will reportedly focus on emerging product trends. It will be a key component in Intel's attempt to boost its performance where it has lagged rivals.

White House Pulls Back the Curtains on Big Data Project
May 22, 2013

The U.S. government is awash in data that is collected, stored and disseminated by federal agencies to fulfill their public service missions. However, the existence of huge amounts of information within the government presents a major profit-making opportunity for commercial firms. The Obama administration has now launched a program to make federal data resources much more available.

Cook Plays Defense Against Senators Over Apple's Taxes
May 22, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook defended his company's tax policies in Congress Tuesday, after the Senate released a report that condemned it for tax policies that used global subsidiaries to avoid paying billions in U.S. taxes. Apple dodged taxes on as much as $44 billion in foreign income from 2009 to 2012, the report alleges.

GrubHub, Seamless Merge to Boost Restaurant Delivery Chops
May 21, 2013

Two well-known restaurant delivery services -- GrubHub and Seamless -- announced plans to merge on Monday. The services enable users to search local restaurants that deliver by ZIP code and food specialty. Combined, the companies' footprint will cover 500 cities and connect users to more than 20,000 establishments.

New Chair Puts Spectrum, Access High on FCC's Priority List
May 21, 2013

During her keynote address at the opening session of the CTIA 2013 wireless industry trade show in Las Vegas, acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn spoke of continuing the work of her predecessor -- with a slight shift from focusing on rural communities to addressing the needs of the underprivileged. Clyburn, in her second day in office, stepped in as a late addition to the keynote lineup.

Dish Eyes LightSquared's Wireless Spectrum
May 21, 2013

Dish Network is offering $2 billion for some of LightSquared's spectrum in a move that could help the company expand its services beyond pay TV. The offer would add spectrum to Dish's growing supply of airwaves and allow it to expand into wireless solutions. LightSquared, the bankrupt wireless network company, would use the capital to pay off debt.

Congressional Investigation Scopes Apple's Web of Tax Havens
May 21, 2013

A series of subsidiaries spanning numerous countries have helped Apple avoid billions in United States taxes, congressional investigators reported Monday. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., head of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which is looking into Apple's suspected transgressions, said that Apple "sought the holy grail of tax avoidance."

Neo Technology's Emil Eifrem: 'Cloud Is the New Open Source'
May 21, 2013

Graphs are everywhere. You find them on websites adding social capabilities. Telecommunications companies use graphs to personalize customer services. Innovative bioinformatics researchers, and other organizations are adopting graph databases to model and query connected data. Neo Technology has pioneered graph databases since 2000.

Yahoo's Too Uncool for Some Tumblr Bloggers
May 20, 2013

Yahoo confirmed on Monday that it was acquiring Tumblr for US$1.1 billion -- perhaps further propelling the flight of Tumblr bloggers that began when rumors of the sale intensified last week. While the deal has implications on many levels and for many players, at least one group appears to have weighed the transaction and come to a conclusion about its merits.

Marketing, Big Data Tech IPOs Get Rousing Market Welcome
May 20, 2013

Marketo and Tableau Software are having strong launches as public companies, indicating investors are excited about the growth in enterprise software markets that target niches such as Big Data and marketing automation. Tableau Software, which designs data visualization software that helps businesses manage information, trades under the appropriate ticker symbol DATA.

Virtual Testing Trims Real World Costs and Delivery Times
May 20, 2013

When you're a top Internet service provider in Turkey, and you deploy scores of applications each year, you have to find an efficient testing method that ensures the apps are working properly across all infrastructures. TTNET, with six million subscribers, found that service virtualization was the best solution.

Yahoo's 2013 Shopping Spree May Include Tumblr
May 18, 2013

Yahoo is reportedly looking to purchase microblogging platform and social networking website Tumblr for $1 billion. Tumblr is considered one of the coolest companies on the Internet because of its appeal to younger users -- the very demographic that Yahoo, which recently characterized its users as aging, is now attempting to reach.

Nintendo Scoops E3 With Previews of Upcoming Titles
May 17, 2013

Nintendo has once again gone straight to gamers with its latest Nintendo Direct video to generate hype for its latest offerings. The video game console maker and game publisher announced Friday that popular characters will arrive for the Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS handheld system. The latest Nintendo Direct primarily focused on games coming out this summer.