Business

China Bashes Apple for Tax Evasion
May 13, 2013

China has been having a good go at Apple lately, having slammed the company in March for substandard post-sale service and quickly following that up with charges of copyright infringement. The latest accusation: tax evasion. Oh, and pornography. Apple's online stores in China reportedly are not paying proper import taxes for software sold to Chinese customers.

Joe Tucci's Magic Turnaround Formula
May 13, 2013

I've been focused on and off on turnarounds since I covered IBM's from the inside out in the 1990s, so I don't know how I missed this, but EMC²'s turnaround was clearly a success, and its unique resulting organizational structure is incredibly subtle. The company is actually far more similar in breadth to HP than most folks realize, largely because they mix up EMC and EMC².

Aereo's Audacious Ambitions
May 13, 2013

Aereo -- the lawsuit-embattled company that provides Internet-streamed, live, and recorded over-the-air broadcast television content -- may have started a trend. None other than Time Warner may be considering the redistribution of public broadcast content over the Internet too. What it comes down to is that a bunch of micro-antennas in a Brooklyn warehouse may change everything.

Icahn Leads New Pitch to Win Dell Shareholders
May 11, 2013

Two of Dell's largest stockholders, Carl Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management, have teamed up to propose an alternative to Michael Dell's plans to take his computer company private. The new deal on the table, issued in a letter to board members, involves a leveraged recapitalization that will pay investors and keep them on as shareholders in a public company.

B&N Investors Salivate Over Microsoft Nook Deal
May 10, 2013

Barnes & Noble investors reacted with pure unadulterated joy to the possibility that Microsoft is considering entering the e-book market and will acquire the company's Nook unit for a whopping $1 billion. Shares rose by a dizzying 24 percent on Thursday, when the rumor surfaced. By the close of Friday trading, shares were up another 5.6 percent, at $23.31.

YouTube Tinkers With Subscription Model
May 10, 2013

YouTube unveiled a new subscription plan this week and announced that it will start allowing select channels to charge for monthly viewing plans. It's the first time the online video hub will charge for content. Channels including Jim Henson's TV will show episodes of Sesame Street for subscriptions starting at $2.99 per month.

Facebook's Road Trip May Include a Stop to Buy Waze
May 10, 2013

Rumors that Facebook is deep into the process of purchasing Waze -- maker of a mobile satellite navigation app that leverages crowdsourced mapping and traffic tips -- are making the rounds. Facebook has apparently signed the terms and is conducting due diligence after six months of negotiations.

Groupon Regroups With Q1 Revenue Gains, Mobile Growth
May 09, 2013

Groupon reported a better than expected first quarter thanks to strong North American revenue growth and an uptick in mobile customers. That helped send the daily deal website's stock soaring Wednesday. The company reported revenue of $601.4 million, an 8 percent jump from the $559.3 million during the same time last year.

Huawei Founder Speaks
May 09, 2013

Ren Zhengfei, the founder and CEO of Huawei Technologies, spoke to the media for the first time on Thursday. Ren, formerly a member of the Chinese military, has been the focal point of Western skepticism toward Huawei -- which resulted in the company being barred from a broadband project in Australia, as well as being labeled as untrustworthy in a U.S. House Intelligence report.

T-Mobile Enjoys Strong but Limited iPhone 5 Q1 Bounce
May 08, 2013

T-Mobile sold approximately 500,000 iPhone 5 handsets since their April 12 launch with the carrier, the company announced Tuesday during its Q1 earnings report. T-Mobile -- the last of the major carriers to offer Apple's smartphone -- attributed those sales to a combination of new and existing customers.

Chinese Authorities Net 11 in Piracy Bust
May 08, 2013

Police in Beijing arrested 11 suspects believed to be involved with a major high-definition downloading ring. The website, silu.com, was running what has been called an "unprecedented" operation. It reportedly boasted more than 400,000 registered members and offered under-the-table downloads for nearly 19,000 films and TV series.

Where Your Social Media Accounts Go When You Die
May 08, 2013

One of my childhood friends, who was also a Facebook friend, died in 2009. Yet I still get messages from Facebook encouraging me to connect with his Facebook page. Has that ever happened to you? Or have you ever sent an email to a colleague, only to learn from other sources that the person is deceased? What happens to their digital content?

US Senate Gives States an Internet Tax Collector
May 07, 2013

The U.S. Senate on Monday voted 69-27 to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act, a measure that gives states the tools necessary to collect sales taxes from online retailers that do business in their states but don't have a physical presence there. The bill, lauded in some quarters and decried in others, is now heading to the House of Representatives, specifically the House Judiciary Committee.

Adobe Crowds Its Cloud, Says Buh-Bye to Boxed Software
May 07, 2013

Adobe announced major changes to its business model this week and revealed that from now on, it will sell its software via a monthly subscription plan and forgo boxed software and perpetual licenses. The maker of popular creative software such as Photoshop and InDesign unveiled the new policy at its MAX conference this week.

Taiwanese University Sues Apple... Again
May 07, 2013

National Cheng Kung University may not have a fight song -- but it is definitely willing to fight. For the second time in a year, the Taiwanese university has sued Apple. The most recent suit is for alleged infringement of the university's patents relating to video compression technology in Apple software such as FaceTime and QuickTime.

EC Objects to Motorola Following Letter of German Law
May 07, 2013

The European Commission has lodged a statement of objections against Motorola Mobility, the first formal step in an antitrust action. The EC is objecting to Motorola's attempt to enforce an injunction it won against Apple in Germany over use of its standard-essential patents. The EC contends that Motorola Mobility is harming consumers with its injunction.

Hacking Software Guru Faces the Music in US Court
May 06, 2013

Hamza Bendelladj, an Algerian national known by his alias "Bx1," appeared in an Atlanta court last week, where he faced a 23-count indictment stemming from his alleged participation in the cybercrime consortium responsible for hacking software known as "SpyEye." Bendelladj, 24, was the target of a three-year manhunt that ended in a Bangkok airport in January.

Both Sides Spin Web Sales Tax Ahead of Senate Vote
May 04, 2013

The U.S. Senate is set to vote Monday on the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, which essentially seeks to tax online sales. Supporters and opponents of the Act have turned up the lobbying heat prior to the vote. Arguments have touched on the hot buttons of patriotism, jobs, and the need for a level playing field. Amazon.com, once a fierce opponent, now supports the issue.

LinkedIn's Bright Q1 Dimmed by Weaker Forecast
May 03, 2013

Despite revenue gains that beat expectations for LinkedIn's quarterly earnings report Thursday, investors sent the company's stock falling when the company forecast lower-than-expected guidance. LinkedIn reported revenue of $324.7 million for its most recent quarter, a 72 percent jump from the 188.5 million it brought in a year earlier.

Facebook Revs Its Mobile Ad Engine in Q1
May 02, 2013

Facebook on Wednesday beat analyst expectations for revenue in its first quarter earnings and showed slight growth in the increasingly important mobile advertising space. The world's largest social network reported revenue of $1.46 billion, a 38 percent bump from the same time a year ago. Net income jumped to $219 million, a 6.8 percent increase.