Brand Index: Blackberry’s new model failed to stem its brand decline August 13, 2013 THERE was a spike for BlackBerry on Twitter on Monday with 41 per cent of the UK Twitter population exposed to messages about the brand. They were of course hearing the news that the mobile phone manufacturer is setting up a committee to explore potential business model options, including selling off the company. So what [...]
Facebook snaps up translation and voice recognition company August 13, 2013 FACEBOOK plans to buy the maker of a speech recognition and language translation app, providing technology that could bolster the social networking company’s mobile efforts. Facebook did not disclose the financial terms of its deal for Pittsburgh-based Mobile Technologies. Facebook’s management director Tom Stocky said in a blog post: “Voice technology has become an increasingly [...]
Hon Hai’s second quarter profit tops forecasts but margins tough August 13, 2013 TAIWAN’S Hon Hai Precision Industry is trying to reduce its reliance on Apple, it said yesterday, and is turning its focus to businesses ranging from software development to e-commerce. Hon Hai said its net profit rose 35 per cent to T$16.98bn (£366.7m) last quarter from a year earlier. Margins are still under pressure, however. The [...]
New York Report: Shares lifted by better macro data and Apple August 13, 2013 US STOCKS rose yesterday after strong economic data boosted confidence, while Apple bolstered the Nasdaq after billionaire investor Carl Icahn took to Twitter to reveal a long position in the stock. Rising US retail sales in July, combined with a higher Zew German sentiment index and Eurozone industrial production, painted a rosier picture of the [...]
Blackberry ripe for the picking as it considers sale August 12, 2013 STRUGGLING smartphone maker BlackBerry yesterday opened the door to a multi billion dollar sale of the company as it unveiled a dealmaking committee tasked with reviving the group’s flagging fortunes. The Canadian firm, famed for its email-friendly phones and formerly known as Research In Motion, said US M&A guru Tim Dattels would head an executive [...]
New York Report: BlackBerry and Apple keep US stocks sweet August 12, 2013 THE DOW and the S&P 500 indexes dipped slightly yesterday, extending losses from Wall Street’s worst week since June last week, but Apple and BlackBerry kept the Nasdaq index afloat. Trading volume was light, marking one of the five days this year with fewer than 5bn shares traded over a full session. Many traders are [...]
BlackBerry to explore strategic options – including a possible sale August 12, 2013 BlackBerry has said announced that its board has formed a special committee to explore its strategic alternatives to enhance value and increase scale – including the possibility of a sale (release). Rumours that the phone company was to go private have been circulating for month, and shares jumped last week after sources reportedly said the [...]
Tech blogs names 10 September as date for new iPhone unveiling August 11, 2013 APPLE, the world’s largest technology company, is expected to present its redesigned iPhone in September, according to technology blog AllThingsD. The blog cited unnamed sources as saying that Apple will unveil its next smartphone at a special event on 10 September. The California-based company was not immediately available for comment last night. Apple’s iPhone launches [...]
Keep busy when the sun goes away August 7, 2013 Summer is rubbish for technology releases. Screens don’t work very well outside, and everyone is too busy lounging on the beach or frolicking in fields to appreciate them, anyway. Thankfully we’ve only got a few weeks more before we’ll be holed up in our freezing flats, shivering and pretending the outside world doesn’t exist. And [...]
Review: Ametsa with Arzak Instruction August 6, 2013 The Halkin Hotel, Belgravia, SW1X 7DJ Tel: 020 7333 1234 FOOD Four stars VALUE Three stars ATMOSPHERE One star Cost per person for tasting menu and matched wine: £145 Ametsa With Arzak Instruction; there’s a restaurant that’s just begging to be hated. It’s the first fine-dining export from the Arzak family (the current iteration being [...]