Only drastic change can save RIM now January 23, 2012 FEW in the telecoms industry will mourn the departure of Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis. As co-chairmen and co-CEOs of BlackBerry maker RIM, the pair wielded far too much power over the troubled handset maker. It was an open secret that the chief executives of the big network operators found it incredibly hard to do [...]
Kodak snaps and files for bankruptcy January 19, 2012 KODAK’S moment has come to an end, as the company yesterday admitted defeat in the face of an increasingly digital age by filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Citigroup has thrown the dwindling company a $950m (£614m) lifeline to support Kodak through its ongoing operations, which will continue despite the bankruptcy application. Kodak subsidiaries outside [...]
Sony Ericsson plunges into loss January 19, 2012 Sony Ericsson posted a quarterly loss that missed all forecasts after losing in the battle for smartphone sales in the key year-end period, showing the challenge for Sony as it prepares to take full control of the joint venture. The world’s ninth-biggest handset maker, which got left behind in the boom that powered smartphone growth [...]
The good, the bad and the ugly from Las Vegas January 18, 2012 The dust is settling after what turned out to be something of a damp squib at the Consumer Electronics Show. The ultrabook (read: thin laptop) was king, with most manufacturers launching rivals to Apple’s lauded MacBook Air. Mobile had a big presence but hero releases were thin on the ground – perhaps waiting for Mobile [...]
Samsung denies RIM interest January 17, 2012 Samsung said last night it was not interested in taking over Research In Motion, after shares of the BlackBerry maker jumped more than 10 per cent following a report that it was seeking to sell itself to the South Korean firm.
Thomas Cook: The company taking visitors to the Olympics since 1896 January 17, 2012 COUNTDOWN TO THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BRAND’S PRIMARY REASON FOR BEING INVOLVED WITH THE GAMES? A. Thomas Cook actually took customers from Britain to the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, and passengers from all over the UK to the 1908 and 1948 London Olympics, so we’ve got a [...]
Samsung sides with Intel OS January 16, 2012 SAMSUNG is merging its Bada operating system with Tizen, an Intel-backed mobile operating system, in a bid to increase its stake of the smartphone market. The move could be seen as a response to Google’s $12.5bn (£8.2bn) acquisition of Motorola Mobility last year which has hinted that software giants could eventually hold in-house hardware departments. [...]
Samsung open to link-up with troubled Olympus January 12, 2012 SOUTH Korea’s Samsung Electronics is open to forging an alliance with Japan’s troubled Olympus, potentially joining other electronics firms in circling one of the world’s biggest names in medical equipment, sources said. Samsung’s major Japanese rivals, Sony and Panasonic, have already shown interest in Olympus, now in need of capital after being swamped by a [...]
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW ROUND-UP January 11, 2012 DELL LINES UP FIRST TABLET Dell has announced it intends to launch its first tablet in late 2012, marking its entry into a hotly contested and increasingly crowded arena that has already claimed arch-foe Hewlett Packard. The once-dominant firm has seen a growing crop of tablets and smartphones entice consumers away from PCs. Dell says [...]
Chinese dragons fly into the UK’s mobile warzone January 8, 2012 ASK someone to name the first smartphone that comes into their head and most people will say “iPhone”. Some might name a Samsung or even an HTC. Not many will mention Huawei or ZTE. But 2012 could be the year of the dragon, with the Chinese giants preparing to blitz the UK with a massive [...]