Tech Biz

HTC said an updated version of the One smartphone, its first wearable device and a renewed focus on marketing will help turn around the company this year after two straight annual declines in revenue. “We feel positive and optimistic about 2014 when compared to 2013,” Chang Chialin, chief financial officer and head of global sales Continue Reading →

Twitter managed to eke out an unexpected $0.02 non-GAAP profit in its first quarter as a public company, but its stock fell a dramatic 18 percent in evening trading after the firm reported slowing user growth. In order to combat the new user slump, Twitter appears to be testing a new sign-up process that directs Continue Reading →

Sony has announced that it is laying off 5,000 staff as part of major restructuring plans that will see the Japanese firm sell its Vaio PC business and spin its TV division into its own company. The layoffs will affect 1,500 staff in Japan and a further 3,500 overseas. A mixture of redundancies, early retirement Continue Reading →

Sony Corp is in talks to sell its poorly performing personal computer business to investment fund Japan Industrial Partners for up to 50 billion yen ($490 million), the Nikkei daily reported. Under the plan being discussed, Sony would sell its PC business to a new company to be established by the fund and have a Continue Reading →

Meet Premier, Newegg’s $49 answer to Amazon Prime. With free three-day shipping, discounted expedited shipping, and free returns, it’s a legitimate competitor to Amazon’s proven customer loyalty program. Premier of course lacks the video streaming library found on Prime. Newegg is the second largest e-retailer in the U.S., with 25 million registered users. Second only Continue Reading →

I’ve heard from two of my sources in the past week that Microsoft’s ship target for Windows 8.1 Update 1 has shifted from March 2014 to April 2014. The idea remains to use Patch Tuesday to distribute the coming so-called “Spring” update via Windows Update, my sources said. If that is the case, Windows 8.1 Continue Reading →

Few things give me more “bang for my buck” than Amazon Prime. For $79 a year, I can one-click shop to my heart’s content, and never worry about hitting a Super Saver Shipping minimum or wonder when my stuff will arrive. Free two-day shipping, $4/item overnight shipping, no minimums … it’s hard to complain about Continue Reading →

Google must move its mystery barge from a construction site on an island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay because the permits are not in order, a state official said Monday. The notice came after the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission investigated amid numerous complaints about the construction of the floating, Continue Reading →

Foursquare is getting some help from Microsoft as it seeks to turn its location-based mobile app into a sustainable business. Microsoft has invested $15 million and agreed to a strategic partnership with the New York-based startup, Chief Executive Dennis Crowley said in an interview. The investment will be added to the $35 million investment round Continue Reading →

Satya Nadella, the quiet and self-effacing Microsoft enterprise chief, prevailed over much splashier outside candidates and was named CEO of the software giant on Tuesday. He is only the third CEO since the company’s founding, replacing Steve Ballmer. The first Microsoft CEO, of course, was co-founder and chairman Bill Gates. As part of the changes Continue Reading →