Samsung shifts to new TV tech on LCD spin-off February 20, 2012 SOUTH Korea’s Samsung Electronics, the world’s biggest maker of televisions, officially marked a shift in its focus towards new generation OLED display technology, and said it will spin off its loss-making LCD flat-screen business into an affiliate. The announcement comes after weeks of speculation, with the outlook for liquid crystal display televisions grim as shoppers [...]
Barclays unveils cash-free payment app in bid to poach bank customers February 15, 2012 BARCLAYS has launched a mobile app that could see the bank poach thousands of customers from rivals by giving them the ability to pay without cash. The app, called Pingit, is aimed at boosting Barclays’ brand by linking the lender to a convenient service. It lets users link their mobile number to their bank account [...]
Apple shoots past Samsung to nab top smartphone spot February 15, 2012 APPLE is again the top smartphone vendor in the world after selling 35.5m smartphones in the fourth quarter of last year and growing its market share to 23.8 per cent, according to research from Gartner. Samsung was hot on Apple’s heels, selling 34m out of the total 149m smartphones sold in the quarter. Around 472m [...]
The revolution is now being televised… but will it be 3D? February 15, 2012 If I had a pound for every year I’d been told 3D was going to hit the mainstream, I’d have £3. And that’s not to be sniffed at in these troubled times. Last week George Lucas was the latest big name to throw his weight behind the format, saying the difference between 2D and 3D [...]
Apple iPad rumour mill whirls despite problems in China February 14, 2012 THE HUNGRILY-AWAITED iPad 3 could run on fourth generation networks when released in the US later this year, with top American wireless providers AT&T and Verizon vying for the carrier deal. Apple is expected to announce details of its latest tablet offering in the first week of next month, with some sources pointing specifically to [...]
Sibling rivalry: Samsung boss sued by brother for inheritance sum February 14, 2012 THE CHAIRMAN of Samsung is being sued by his brother for 700bn Korean won (£397m) over an inheritance of company shares from their father. Lee Maeng-Hee, 80, is suing Lee Ken-Hee, the 70 year old chairman of the South Korean electronics company, over eight million shares in Samsung Life Insurance and 20 shares in the [...]
Samsung weighs up future of LCD business February 14, 2012 Samsung Electronics it is considering various options to improve competitiveness of its loss-making LCD flat-screen business but declined to comment on a media report that it may spin off the operation. The potential restructuring comes after it ended its liquid crystal display (LCD) venture with Sony Corp recently and as demand growth for flat-screens weakened [...]
US stocks rise and Apple hits its peak February 13, 2012 US stocks rose yesterday, with the S&P 500 near seven-month highs, after Greece’s parliament approved reforms needed to qualify for a bailout and avoid an unruly default. Apple shares closed above $500 for the first time after a gain of 1.9 per cent, leading the Nasdaq Composite to close at a more than 11-year high. [...]
Olympus forecasts £261m loss February 13, 2012 Olympus Corp, which is trying to recover from an accounting scandal that battered its balance sheet, forecast a 32bn yen (£261m) full-year net loss – dragged down by its ailing camera business. The loss estimate for the financial year ending 31 March, compared with a 3.87bn yen net profit in the previous year, highlights the [...]
Apple seeks Samsung injunction February 12, 2012 Apple has asked a California court to issue a preliminary injunction to block sales of Samsung’s new Galaxy Nexus smartphone, alleging the device infringes four Apple patents. The move marks another escalation of the legal battle between the world’s top two sellers of smartphones, with Apple re-focusing its arguments to account for Samsung’s rising position [...]