Information Technology

Apple wields iPhone for greater tech power

30 Apr 2010

Boss Steve Jobs has ticked off the reasons why he won't allow Adobe's Flash software on iPhones and iPads. Some sound reasonable. But his real goal may be to force small apps developers to choose sides in the mobile device wars. Despite Apple's momentum, it's a risky ploy.

Apple manages to find yet another gear

21 Apr 2010

The gadget king is now the third biggest company in America by market capitalization. The latest results show why sales rose 49 percent. With its iPhone business hitting on all cylinders and iPad sales just kicking in, Apple's climb may not be done.

Twitter takes small step to becoming a business

13 Apr 2010

The microblogging site for the attention deficit disordered is carefully rolling out advertising. Ads will be limited and those that don't generate favorable response pulled. It's a sensible first step in Twitter's need to generate revenue without annoying users. More are needed.

IPad rearranges world to fit its screen

1 Apr 2010

Apple s new electronic tablet doesn't hit the shelves until Saturday. It s not even clear if consumers will adopt it en masse. Yet venture capitalists, entertainment companies and rivals are already scrambling to adapt. This suggests Apple's already half way to a hit.

Cisco’s hype can’t live up to Apple’s

9 Mar 2010

The network equipment maker promised an innovation that would forever change the Internet. It turned out to be a faster router. The unsexy advancement probably will end up more widely useful than a music player. But Cisco could learn a little about buzz from the iPod maker.

Michael Dell could make his mark in finance, too

17 Feb 2010

MSD Capital, the firm that manages $10 blnplus of the computer billionaire's money, is opening a $500 mln fund to outside investors. It's a philosophical shift. If investors buy in, MSD is already big enough to be a readymade alternative investment powerhouse.

Google-China fight is about more than freedom

27 Jan 2010

The search giant and the U.S. government fear electronic espionage while the Chinese think the U.S. suffers from moral overreach an unjustified assumption it is always right. Beijing might soothe tensions with trade concessions, but the struggle of world views is just starting.

Apple’s iPad beauty spells trouble for operators

27 Jan 2010

Unsurprisingly, the tech supremo's new tablet is a gorgeous device that does everything but make your breakfast. Over time, more apps will be added and its price will drop, making it even more desirable. And that's a problem for already strained carriers like AT&T.

Apple turns in sparkling results as warm-up act

25 Jan 2010

The U.S. tech group has shown an impressive ability to generate profit from designing iconic devices. This quarter was no different. Free cash flow rose nearly 50 pct. Now for the next difficult trick: unveiling a tablet in two days that meets the hopes of users and investors.

Egypt plays fast and loose in telecom battle

14 Jan 2010

The fight over the ownership of the country's largest mobile operator has reached a new low. Locallybased Orascom can't afford to make an offer but doesn't want its partner France Telecom to do so either. Egypt appears to be protecting its own; minorities are the big losers.

Ditching China could be good for Google

13 Jan 2010

The search giant cites a vendetta against free speech as the reason it may pull out of China. But commercial factors probably play a role too. Google now has a chance to regain ethical credentials it compromised at China's behest, and earn valuable political goodwill elsewhere.

France’s wrong-headed Google tax will backfire

8 Jan 2010

Nicolas Sarkozy wants to tax Google on its French business, while an official report suggests the tax could help subsidize content industries. If enacted, the proposals will mostly hamper the growth of Internet advertising, and hurt its supposed beneficiaries.

Googlephone’s influence more important than sales

14 Dec 2009

The search giant is escalating its effort to upend the mobile market by introducing its own phone. Google's interest in selling it without subsidies means the device probably won't be a huge hit. But the handset is an important showpiece for the company's mobile operating system.

Tech giants no longer respect business borders

11 Nov 2009

HP s $2.7bn purchase of 3Com puts it squarely into Cisco s realm. But Cisco s already gunning after HP in servers. As OracleSun, DellPerot and other deals suggest the traditional frontiers in technology no longer apply. The battlefield is wide open.

Dollar might yet take bite out of Apple

19 Oct 2009

The US tech company s dominance of the market for digital music devices is clear in its sparkling results. More surprisingly, Apple says the dollar's weakness didn't cause any real benefit. That's good, but a strengthening dollar could hurt.

Wynn’s first-day win looks a little thin

9 Oct 2009

Some new issues in Hong Kong have tumbled, but shares in Steve Wynn s Asian gaming empire rose 13% in their first day s trading. But there s not much of a jackpot. The shares were priced last week, and the firstday bounce was just catching up with the peers gains since then.

Xerox has tough sell with $6.4bn ACS deal

28 Sep 2009

The US office equipment company is the latest to try and snap up a business services firm. It will have to convince its shareholders that this isn t a case of metoo corporate strategy. That may be difficult. The purchase price is high and the synergies are unconvincing.

Dell pays through nose in search for direction

21 Sep 2009

The US computer maker is acquiring Perot Systems for $3.9bn, a whopping 68% premium. It's a muffled echo of rival HP s purchase of EDS. Add in the high price and it seems like a bet that doing more IT services can somehow end Dell's floundering. That's wishful thinking.

Amazon spends about $1bn on clever apparel push

23 Jul 2009

The internet retailing giant has snapped up Zappos.com a firm best known for selling shoes on the web. Few think of Amazon as a place to buy clothing. So buying fast growing Zappos and keeping the brand may be the best way forward in the $220bn US market.

Silicon Valley may be too clubby for Obama

4 Jun 2009

The recent probe into the hiring practices of tech heavies like Apple, Google and Yahoo suggests as much. The place is cliquey. But the competition for talent is fierce. This is more likely shot off the bow from competition authorities.