Nokia sells Qt software and 500 patents August 9, 2012 STRUGGLING cellphone giant Nokia said yesterday it will sell some 500 wireless patents to US firm Vringo and divest its Qt software business to Finnish IT services firm Digia Oyj to bolster its fast-shrinking cash reserves. Nokia is fighting for survival after losing out in the smartphone war to Apple and Samsung. The world’s second-largest [...]
Poor reception for some of the Samsung stars August 7, 2012 IT WAS the victory that saw Great Britain break its all-time record of 20 golds in a single Olympic Games, but track cyclist Laura Trott’s omnium triumph yesterday must have been celebrated with particular gusto at Samsung Towers. The electronics giant has spent megabucks on its association with London 2012, splashing out for the privilege [...]
Samsung is on top for mobile sales in Europe August 6, 2012 SAMSUNG has become the dominant player in Europe’s mobile phone market, grabbing almost half of sales in the last three months, according to data from market research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. The Korean firm’s sales have been buoyed by the release of its flagship Galaxy S3 handset and the increasing popularity of Google’s Android software, [...]
Sony forced to trim forecasts as demand for its devices plunges August 2, 2012 SONY yesterday slashed its forecast for 2012/13 operating profit and lowered its sales expectations for key products including its handheld PSP and PS Vita devices as new boss Kazuo Hirai battles to revive the fortunes of the electronics giant. Sony reported yesterday that operating profit for April to June fell a much steeper-than-expected 77 per [...]
Sharp to slash 5,000 jobs for first time since end of World War II August 2, 2012 SHARP yesterday announced a 94bn yen operating loss for the June quarter and revealed plans for its first job cuts in more than 60 years as Japan’s electronics industry scrambles to keep up with foreign competitors. Sharp said it would cut 5,000 jobs – around 10 per cent of its workforce – as it attempts [...]
Wolfson Micro reports loss July 31, 2012 Edinburgh chipmaker Wolfson Microelectronics, whose technology is used in the Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone, expect to return to profit in the second half after it reported an underlying loss of $1.3m (£800,000) in the second quarter, better than the $2.9m loss in the same period last year. Revenue rose five per cent year on year [...]
Apple, Samsung patent trial set to kick off in US July 30, 2012 Jury selection is due to begin on Monday in the US in a high stakes patent battle between Apple and Samsung Electronics, the culmination of over a year of pre-trial jousting with billions of dollars in the balance. Apple and Samsung, the world’s largest consumer electronics corporations, are waging legal war around the world, accusing [...]
Patent cases treble in a year as downturn bites July 30, 2012 THE NUMBER of patent disputes lodged in Britain has almost trebled over the last year, as firms desperately vie to protect their market share in a dismal economic climate, research released today shows. Law firm EMW says the High Court in London saw 183 patent and design cases last year, compared with 65 in 2010. [...]
Smartphones power record $5.9bn Samsung profit July 27, 2012 Samsung Electronics, the world’s top technology firm by revenue, reported on Friday a record operating profit of $5.9bn (£3.7bn) for the June quarter, as rampant Galaxy S handset sales helped stretch its lead over Apple. September quarter mobile profits are expected to forge further ahead as the latest Galaxy model enjoys a sales boom before [...]
BEST of the BROKERS July 25, 2012 JULIUS BAER UBS has downgraded the Swiss bank from “buy” to “neutral” with a target price of SwFr36 after decent first half results, and lifted its earnings per share forecast by five per cent for 2012. LANCASHIRE HOLDINGS Numis has moved the insurer from “hold” to “add” after second quarter profits came in ahead of [...]