Motorola in EC probe for billing Apple and Microsoft too much April 3, 2012 EU regulators are investigating whether phone maker Motorola Mobility breached antitrust rules by allegedly over-charging Microsoft and Apple for use of its patents in their products, the European Commission said yesterday. The EU regulator said it had opened two investigations into Motorola Mobility based on Microsoft’s and Apple’s grievances. The commission will investigate whether Motorola [...]
ARM embarks on joint venture over mobile security services April 3, 2012 BRITISH chip designer ARM Holdings said yesterday it was tying up with Dutch smart card maker Gemalto and German technology firm Giesecke & Devrient to increase security for services running on smartphones and tablets. The companies said the joint venture would drive adoption of a common security standard in mobile devices. ARM’s chief executive Warren [...]
Research in Motion shares tank as Dutch firm sues over patents April 3, 2012 A DUTCH semiconductor company said yesterday it had filed a patent infringement suit against Research In Motion, adding to the BlackBerry maker’s troubles and sending its shares tumbling almost ten per cent. An affiliate of NXP Semiconductors alleges that versions of RIM’s BlackBerry phone and PlayBook tablet infringed on patents issued to it between 1997 [...]
LightSquared fails again on Inmarsat rent April 3, 2012 INMARSAT said yesterday that struggling US telecoms company LightSquared had not made another payment owed to the British satellite firm for licensing part of its spectrum in North America. Cash-strapped LightSquared, which is backed by Philip Falcone’s Harbinger Capital Partners, was scheduled to pay $29.6m (£18.5m) on 31 March, Inmarsat said in a statement. LightSquared [...]
Construction boom adds to growth hopes April 3, 2012 UK CONSTRUCTION sector activity expanded sharply in March as unusually mild weather boosted building orders, data revealed yesterday, raising hopes that Britain avoided a second consecutive quarter of economic contraction. The sector has grown in every month since January 2011, according to Markit’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI). In March the figure hit 56.7, indicating a [...]
Oil prices begin hitting Europe’s fortunes as inflation goes up April 3, 2012 RISING energy prices started to hit firms in the Eurozone in February, official data revealed yesterday, increasing fears that higher oil prices will soon affect consumers and the wider economy. Producer prices climbed 0.6 per cent in the month, taking the annual rise to 3.6 per cent, Eurostat figures showed, compared with a 0.8 per [...]
Lagarde: US would benefit if it bailed out broke euro countries April 3, 2012 THE WORLD’S economic recovery remains weak, and nations should pull together to support struggling nations, International Monetary Fund (IMF) boss Christine Lagarde said yesterday. She called on the US to give more cash to the IMF to prop up indebted European governments. Invoking the rural US tradition of “barn raising”, she explained that “together, the [...]
CITY VIEWS SHOULD THE COALITION REFORM A-LEVELS? April 3, 2012 PAUL KELLY COMMERZBANK The number of people getting top grades does cast some doubts on whether they are highlighting the best candidates, but that shouldn’t mean widespread reform. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. HARRY ELLIS MIZUHO CORPORATE BANK The current system is too target orientated. It’s not about the all round education you [...]
Union calls off Stansted strike April 3, 2012 Baggage handlers at Stansted Airport have called off a strike planned for Good Friday, officials confirmed yesterday. Swissport and the joint trade unions, GMB and Unite, said the strike had been suspended following talks in London, adding that talks would continue later this month.
Australia hints at further easing April 3, 2012 Australia’s central bank opened the door wide for a rate cut in May even as it held rates steady at 4.25 per cent at a review yesterday, saying it wanted to see coming inflation data before deciding whether to ease policy. The Australian dollar slipped as the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) sounded a more [...]
