Investors.com

Apple's iOS 7 shaping up to be its Windows 8

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:58:00 GMT

Apple's (AAPL) iOS 7 is shaping up to be like Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows 8 -- a disliked new operating system that has faithful users pining for the look and feel of the previous release.

Negative reviews continue to flow in from designers complaining about iOS 7, a major revamp of the mobile operating system that runs Apple's iPhone and iPad. While the latest OS also is getting many positive reviews, critics say iOS 7 uses harsh colors that are hard on the eyes and has ugly control overlays, as well as confusing and inconsistent icons.

Ian Storm Taylor, co-founder of Segment.io, chimed in with a blog post on Friday titled "What's Wrong with the iOS 7 Icons?" that provides a detailed takedown of the operating system's icons.

Taylor says many of the icons presented in the iOS 7 unveiling at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10 felt rushed, "like the …

Malone Cable M&A Seen Spanning U.S., Europe

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:40:00 GMT

John Malone's European offensive took a new turn as his Liberty Global reportedly bid for Germany's No. 1 cable TV firm, amid speculation U.S. cable firms Charter Communications -- part-owned by a Malone company -- and Time Warner Cable might merge. Malone-controlled Liberty Global (LBTYA) on Monday topped U.K.-based Vodafone's (VOD) offer for Germany's Kabel Deutschland, according to reports. Liberty Global reportedly bid $10 billion vs. Vodafone's

Adobe Systems Rises With Cloud, Beats Street Views

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:40:00 GMT

Adobe Systems shares jumped 4.5% in after-hours trading Tuesday after the graphic design software maker reported better-than-expected results for the start of its transition into all-cloud mode. The San Jose, Calif.-based company earned 36 cents a share excluding items, on sales of $1.011 billion for its fiscal second quarter ended May 31. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected Adobe (ADBE) to earn 33 cents on sales of $1.008 billion.

Small Businesses Say Technology Is Saving Them Money

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:36:00 GMT

Small businesses that embrace technology are saving some money with it, a new survey finds. While done by a tech vendor with software to sell -- Symantec (SYMC) -- the study came up with some broadly noteworthy observations on how firms become technology-oriented or not. Symantec polled about 2,500 small and midsize businesses worldwide -- firms with 10 to 250 employees. A lot of the tech focus tended to come from founders, the survey results

EBay CEO Confident Of Getting PayPal China License

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:42:00 GMT

EBay (EBAY) CEO John Donahoe predicted at a technology conference in San Francisco late Monday that the company's PayPal unit will become the first foreign player to receive a payments license in China. "I am confident that PayPal will be the first non-domestic company to get a payments license in China. That could be in three months or five years," Donahoe said at the Reuters Global Technology Summit. EBay shares were up nearly 1.5% in late

Yahoo Joins Google In Fight Over FISA Data Details

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:12:00 GMT

Yahoo (YHOO) says it received more than 12,000 data requests from government agencies in the six months ended May 31, as it became the latest of the largest Internet companies to report such information. Yahoo's move follows similar disclosures from Facebook (FB), Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL). The Internet leaders have been reacting to documents leaked to the Guardian and the Washington Post that reportedly show federal investigators can

Amazon Adds New Kids Content to Kindle FreeTime

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:43:00 GMT

Amazon.com (AMZN) said Tuesday that it's added more than 1,000 books, games, educational apps, movies and TV shows to Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, the paid content service for kids that it launched six months ago. Kindle FreeTime Unlimited is a subscriber-based optional extension to Kindle FreeTime, a free feature for Kindle Fire tablet owners. The new offerings include kids' titles from The Walt Disney Co. (DIS), Time Warner's (TWX) Warner Bros.

3D Systems 2013 Update Receives Upbeat Analyst Views

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:43:00 GMT

Two analysts reiterated buy ratings on 3D Systems (DDD) on Tuesday, a day after the maker of 3D printers held an upbeat analyst day in New York. 3D Systems maintained its 2013 guidance and provided additional details on new products during which CEO Avi Reichental said the company was "in the midst of an incredible growth period that is benefiting substantially from our innovative strategy," according the a transcript of the event held in New

Sony Shares Surge After Activist Loeb Raises Stake

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:26:00 GMT

Sony (SNE) shares were up 3% in morning trading Tuesday in the wake of reports that activist hedge fund manager Dan Loeb had boosted his stake in the Japanese electronics giant as part of his campaign to pressure Sony's board to spin off part of its entertainment division. In a letter to Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai, Loeb said his hedge fund Third Point currently owns 6.9% of Sony, up by 5 million shares from 6.5% in May. He also restated his proposal to

Red Hat Theme Ahead Of Q1 Earnings Report: Caution

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:23:00 GMT

Caution is the optimum word as Red Hat prepares to report its fiscal first-quarter results after the market close Tuesday. Some analysts aren't expecting more than an in-line quarter from the enterprise software company best known for its market-leading, Linux-based, open-source operating software and middleware software. The company is amid a transition. Red Hat has benefited greatly from companies dropping older Unix-based operating systems in

T-Mobile Upside Seen Limited Without Takeover Bid

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:12:00 GMT

The upside for T-Mobile USA's (TMUS) stock is limited unless Dish Network (DISH) or Japan's SoftBank swoops in to buy the company after their battle for Sprint Nextel (S) and Clearwire (CLWR) is settled, says Canaccord Genuity, which on Tuesday initiated coverage of T-Mobile with a neutral rating. Shares of T-Mobile USA have popped more than 30% since it merged with MetroPCS Communications on May 1, and the stock was up a fraction in morning

Facebook poised to copy Twitter again with Vine rip-off

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:10:00 GMT

Social network leader Facebook (FB) has scheduled a media event for Thursday presumably to show off what a great copycat it is.

TechCrunch reported Monday that Facebook will announce that its Instagram photo-sharing app will allow people to share short videos as well. You know, just like Twitter's popular Vine mobile app. Except that Instagram video sharing might allow for videos of up to 10 seconds in length. Vine videos can be up to six seconds in length, but they replay in a loop just like familiar GIF videos.

Previous speculation was that Facebook would announce a news reader like Google's (GOOG) soon-to-be retired Google Reader and competing RSS services like Feedly. These reports followed an announcement by Facebook last week that it would start using hashtags to let people follow trending topics. You know, just like on Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest.

Oh, and before that, Facebook announced on …

Compuware Looks To Recharge Growth With APM Features

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:56:00 GMT

Compuware has added features to its application performance management (APM) products, looking to recharge growth. The 40-year-old software company, once best known for its software to detect problems in mainframes, has beefed up its network and transaction performance monitoring services vs. CA (CA), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) , IBM (IBM) and others. Compuware (CPWR) says its APM will now check websites for outages and networks for faulty

Apple Follows Facebook, Microsoft In Disclosures

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:56:00 GMT

Apple on Monday became the latest Internet giant to release information about government data requests, aiming to temper customer concerns in the wake of disclosures that the National Security Agency, through a program called Prism, has engaged in wide-ranging surveillance on Internet users. Apple's (AAPL) action followed similar moves late Friday by Facebook (FB) and Microsoft (MSFT), after the companies received permission from

Netflix Targets Kid Viewers With DreamWorks Shows

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:52:00 GMT

Netflix hopes Kung Fu Panda and Shrek can beat the tar out of Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants. Netflix (NFLX) on Monday announced a multiyear original content distribution deal with DreamWorks Animation (DWA), the studio behind the "Shrek," "Madagascar," "Kung Fu Panda" and "How to Train Your Dragon" franchises. Netflix didn't disclose the terms, but said it was "the largest deal for original first-run content in

Online Ad Growth To Decline This Year, Europe Blamed

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:52:00 GMT

There is both good and bad news concerning the health of the online ad market, which is the lifeblood of companies such as Google (GOOG), Yahoo (YHOO) and Facebook (FB). Global online ad revenue will rise just 2.8% this year, down from 2011, but it's expected to bounce back next year, says a report released Monday by research firm e-Marketer. The company blamed the slowdown this year largely on the lack of a major global special event and the

Adobe Systems Q2 Cloud Progress Under Microscope

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:35:00 GMT

In its first quarterly report since announcing plans to go all in on the Internet cloud, Adobe Systems (ADBE) is expected to show a continued slide in sales and earnings as it makes the transition from licensed to subscription software. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the graphic design software firm to earn 33 cents a share excluding items on sales of nearly $1.01 billion for its fiscal second quarter. That would translate to

Amazon Milestone: Author Sells 1 Million Copies

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:58:00 GMT

In a milestone that shows the rising popularity of online publishing, Amazon Publishing said Monday that German novelist Oliver Potzsch has become its first author to reach 1 million copies sold. Amazon's (AMZN) publishing unit says the 1 million copies include works by Potzsch in print, audio and Kindle English language editions worldwide. Potzsch is the author of the "Hangman's Daughter," a series of novels inspired by the Kuisls, a famous clan

ViroPharma Stock Jumps On Buyout Rumors

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:58:00 GMT

Shares of ViroPharma (VPHM) spiked 9% and were near 30 in afternoon trading on the stock market Monday, at an eight-month high, on a report that the biotech was attracting "preliminary interest" from several pharmas as a buyout target. Citing unnamed sources, Reuters reported that ViroPharma wasn't looking for a buyer but several companies were interested in its pipeline of orphan drugs. Orphan drugs treat rare diseases that don't have other

Tesla Helping Create New Industry; Rated Outperform

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:46:00 GMT

Shares of Tesla Motors (TSLA), the maker of electric vehicles and components, were up more than 3% in afternoon trading Monday after an analyst initiated coverage on the company with an outperform rating and a price target of 150. Tesla was trading near 104 in the stock market today. The company is known for its all-electric roadster sports car and Model S four-door sedan. A sport utility vehicle is expected to arrive next year. The company has

Google Approves Settlement In Non-Voting Shares Suit

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:03:00 GMT

Google's (GOOG) board on Sunday approved a settlement with a shareholder group that sued over its proposal to create a new non-voting stock class. Google in April 2012 announced it would create non-voting Class C shares as part of a proposed stock split. Under the plan, each holder of Class A shares would get a one-time dividend of the equal amount of Class C shares. Those new non-voting shares also would be used in equity compensation or for

J&J Boosts Its Cancer Drug Efforts With Acquisition

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:54:00 GMT

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) were up 1% in midday trading Monday after the pharmaceutical giant said it has reached an agreement to acquire much of Aragon Pharmaceuticals, a privately held drug discovery company focused on drugs for hormonally driven cancers. Under the terms, Johnson will acquire Aragon's androgen receptor antagonist program. Johnson will pay $650 million in cash upfront and additional payments of up to $350 million based on

Netflix Adding Original Content With DreamWorks Deal

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:35:00 GMT

Shares of Netflix (NFLX) were up 6.5% in morning trading Monday after the Web's leading streaming video service announced a multiyear content licensing agreement with DreamWorks Animation SKG (DWA) that will beef up its menu of original programming. Netflix said it's its largest deal yet for original content. The agreement involves 300 hours of new programming from DreamWorks, the maker of such movies as "Shrek," "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda."

Apple Reveals U.S. Government Demands For User Data

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:27:00 GMT

Following similar disclosures by Facebook (FB) and Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL) early Monday revealed how many requests for customer data it receives from government agencies. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company said it received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement agencies for customer data from Dec. 1, 2012, to May 31. Those requests specified between 9,000 and 10,000 accounts or devices. Not all of those requests were

Supreme Court Revives Actavis 'Pay For Delay' Case

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:59:00 GMT

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a lower court shouldn't have dismissed an FTC complaint that Actavis (ACT) violated antitrust law when it made a "pay for delay" deal with Solvay Pharmaceuticals. But it also said such deals weren't presumptively illegal, so it sent the case back to the lower court. The case goes back to a deal Solvay made with Actavis as it prepared for the 2007 patent expiration of AndroGel, its popular androgen-replacement

Microsoft's Xbox One could lead to next privacy invasion

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 01:04:00 GMT

Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox One video game console with its creepy, always-watching camera eye was a big topic this week at the E3 conference in Los Angeles. The potentially invasive living room device comes as U.S. citizens are still reeling from disclosures that their government has been snooping on cell phone calls and Internet communications.

Those topics gave humorists a lot of material to work with.

Gritty Reboots created a parody video comparing the Xbox One console to the murderous HAL 9000 computer from "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Meanwhile, domestic spying by the National Security Administration continues to make headlines and good satire.

Fake news website The Onion posted a story about the NSA promising more privacy invasions to come. "NSA Assures Americans That PRISM 2.0 Will Be Way More Invasive," the headline says.

LateNightBasement made a funny mash-up video using a commercial for '90s board game "Dream Phone" to show that NSA snooping goes...

MakerBot late to Amazon, run by investor Jeff Bezos

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:32:00 GMT

With Amazon.com (AMZN) founder and CEO Jeff Bezos as an investor, you'd think MakerBot Industries would be on board Amazon's new 3D printing products store on day one. But that was not the case.

When Amazon launched the store earlier this week, it featured consumer 3D printers mostly from lesser-known manufacturers, including U.S.-based Afinia and Airwolf 3D Printers and China-based FlashForge and Mbot3D. Cube 3D printers from 3D Systems (DDD) were available through a reseller. The only MakerBot 3D printers to be found on the site were pre-owned.

On Friday, MakerBot announced that Amazon will start selling its MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer later this month. MakerBot printers will continue to be sold on MakerBot's own website and through partner distributors, as well.

"We are excited to see Amazon embracing 3D printing and devoting an online store to the technology," MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis said in a statement. "Being …

'Click To Compute' In Cloud Could Boost Tech Stocks

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:37:00 GMT

More moves to the Internet cloud could bolster some tech providers as businesses seek to simplify their IT use, a Pacific Crest Securities study predicts. It sees VMware (VMW) and Microsoft (MSFT) playing larger-than-expected roles in a gradual evolution of cloud computing, with IBM (IBM) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) perhaps having a bigger presence among users of the OpenStack open-source cloud operating system projects than Rackspace (RAX) may.

Facebook Rival Path Seen Chasing $1 Billion Valuation

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:03:00 GMT

Facebook (FB) rival Path, a small-network social app, reportedly is seeking a new venture-funding round that would value it near $1 billion. The company is seeking to raise from $75 million to $100 million, according to TechCrunch, which cites multiple anonymous sources. Path's valuation is still just a fraction of Facebook's, which is about $57 billion. Facebook shares closed down a fraction on the stock market today. The 2.5-year-old app

Tech Museums Offer Educational Slant To Summer Travel

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:49:00 GMT

So, the kids are out of school and it's summer vacation time again. Well, if you want to take advantage of an opportunity to put an educational -- but fun -- spin on their time off, consider a trip to a tech museum. Summer -- with extended museum hours, special exhibits and kids with time on their hands -- is an ideal time to visit tech museums. Museums play a role in helping government and industry boost STEM -- science, technology, engineering, math

Microsoft Makes Mobile Version Of Office For iPhone

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:39:00 GMT

Microsoft (MSFT) made a mobile version of its Office software suite available for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone on Friday, though it's still holding out on one for the iPad. The iPhone app is one feature of Office 365, a cloud-based version of the desktop mainstay available by subscription for $99.99 a year. Subscribers can access Office, which includes such popular apps as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, on up to five Mac and Windows computers. With the

Google Fiber Seen Among Broadband's Top 10 By 2022

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Google's (GOOG) buildout of a superfast, fiber-optic Internet network will cost about $7 billion to pass roughly 8 million U.S. homes by 2022, Evercore Partners forecasts in a new report. Evercore analyst Ken Sena forecasts that Google will grab 3 million subscribers for its Internet service over a 7-9 year period. With 3 million customers, Google would rank ninth among today's broadband service providers. Google in April expanded its fiber-optic

Elan Relents And Goes On Sale; Stock Pops

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Shares of Elan (ELN) gapped up nearly 8% Friday after the drugmaker bowed to shareholder pressure and put itself up for sale. Elan has been engaged in a long battle against a hostile takeover by Royalty Pharma, which announced Thursday that its $13-a-share offer will expire on June 17 if it doesn't get a favorable decision. Later that day, shareholders voted on Elan's restructuring plan, which includes a $340 million offer for Austrian drugmaker

Myriad Stock Slips As Analysts Debate Patent Impact

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:48:00 GMT

Shares of Myriad Genetics (MYGN) were down more than 6% on the stock market Friday after a bevy of analysts offered mostly negative assessments in the wake of Thursday's Supreme Court decision invalidating some of its patents. BofA Merrill Lynch, Leerink Swann and RBC Capital Markets all downgraded the stock to neutral (or the equivalent thereof). RBC analyst Michael Yee noted the sooner-than-expected appearance of competition to Myriad's

Best Buy stores becoming like flea markets

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:52:00 GMT

Best Buy (BBY) stores are starting to look like flea markets with various vendors setting up tables to sell their wares under the retailer's big roof.

On Thursday, Best Buy said Microsoft (MSFT) is opening store-within-a-store outlets at 500 Best Buy stores in the U.S. and 100 in Canada. The Windows Store locations will range in size from 1,500 to 2,200 square feet and will be destinations for customers to see, try and buy products and accessories, including Windows-based tablets and PCs, Windows Phones, Microsoft Office and Xbox games.

Perhaps Microsoft is realizing that opening its own stand-alone stores wasn't such a swell idea after all. Microsoft currently operates 72 stores in North America with five more locations listed as coming soon.

In April, Best Buy announced a deal with Samsung Electronics to open store-within-a-store kiosks in more than 1,400 of its stores this year. Best Buy already has a …

Myriad Genetics Patent Ruling Leaves Open Questions

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:16:00 GMT

The Supreme Court unanimously agreed that companies can't own natural DNA, but Thursday's ambiguous yet far-reaching ruling also said manipulated genes could be patented. The case, Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics (MYGN), challenged Myriad's patenting of genes it isolated and turned into its BRACAnalysis test, which estimates susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer. The case was closely watched by companies

Video game industry shows misogynistic streak at E3

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:34:00 GMT

The male-centric video game industry displayed a misogynistic streak at this week's E3 video game show in Los Angeles.

On Monday, a Microsoft (MSFT) representative made a rape joke during a demo of the game "Killer Instinct" on the Xbox One console at the company's E3 media event, the Atlantic Wire staff writer Rebecca Greenfield reported.

Microsoft brought out a man and woman to play the new fighting game. As the male player pummeled his female opponent on screen, he said, "Just let it happen. It will be over soon."

That remark, Greenfield wrote, was a reference to rape.

As the male player continued to beat on his opponent, he told the woman, "Wow, you like those."

Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios, later issued an apology for comments he described as offensive.

When Feminist Frequency's Anita Sarkeesian tweeted her disappointment that Microsoft announced "exactly zero games featuring

Obama Budget Proposal Seeks Manufacturing Innovation

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:10:00 GMT

Research and development -- along with science, tech, engineering and math (STEM) education -- would get a funding boost if the Obama administration's $3.77 trillion federal budget for 2014 is approved. The proposed budget for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, which has a long way to go before congressional approval, has a special emphasis on science and tech R&D and on STEM education, according to administration officials. And some in the tech

Microsoft Taking Over Big Sections Of Best Buy

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:35:00 GMT

Microsoft (MSFT) will join Apple (AAPL) and Samsung in having a store-within-a-store at Best Buy (BBY) locations. Microsoft will open its mini stores this month and will feature Windows-based PCs, tablets, Xbox and accessories. Staff will be on hand to explain the products and Windows 8. Samsung opened its store-within-a store in Best Buy earlier this year. Microsoft's section of the store will take up nearly 2,200 square feet of space, making

Google Android Said Eyed By EU Antitrust Regulators

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:00:00 GMT

European Union antitrust regulators reportedly are looking into claims that Google (GOOG) uses anticompetitive practices to get its Android mobile operating system into more hands. An informal probe into the search leader's deals with handset makers is in a "preliminary stage," according to The Financial Times, which cites a leaked document. In April, a group of Google's rivals told EU antitrust regulators that Google uses its Android software as

Amazon joins 3D printing craze, opens online store

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:46:00 GMT

E-commerce leader Amazon.com (AMZN) has opened an online store to sell 3D printers and supplies, providing another proof point that 3D printing technology is going mainstream.

The store features consumer 3D printers mostly from lesser-known manufacturers, including U.S.-based Afinia and Airwolf 3D Printers and China-based FlashForge and Mbot3D. It also is selling Cube 3D printers from 3D Systems (DDD) through a reseller. As of Thursday afternoon, Amazon's 3D printer store also was selling pre-owned MakerBot 3D printers.

The Amazon store also offers 3D printing supplies such as plastic filament, as well as how-to books.

3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, is the process of creating a three-dimensional solid object replica of a digital computer model. The physical object is built one layer at a time with various materials, usually types of plastic.

Office supply store Staples (SPLS) announced last month that it would sell the Cube printer from 3D Systems…

EBay's VendorNet Wins Army, Air Force Exchange Deal

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:03:00 GMT

EBay (EBAY) said Thursday that e-commerce solutions provider VendorNet, a unit of eBay's GSI Commerce, has landed a multiyear contract to revamp the aging dropship supply chain technology that backs businesses run by the Army And Air Force Exchange Service. The Defense Department-sponsored Exchange is a multichannel retailer that operates stores, gas stations, restaurants, theaters and other businesses on military installations in 50 U.S. states,

Yahoo Adds Rondee, GhostBird To Mayer's Buying Spree

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:03:00 GMT

Yahoo (YHOO) has bought conference-call company Rondee, following closely on the heels of its acquisition of GhostBird, a photography app-maker. Yahoo in an emailed statement said several employees from both companies will be joining Yahoo in San Francisco. Rondee will be shut down, and GhostBird will stop updating its apps. The acquisitions are just the most recent under Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who's been busy snatching up startups, including a

Clearwire Board Chooses Higher Dish Bid Over Sprint

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:39:00 GMT

Shares of Clearwire (CLWR) rose Thursday after the company's directors late Wednesday recommended shareholders approve a buyout bid from Dish Network (DISH) that's higher than the offer by majority owner Sprint Nextel (S). Sprint's offer comes to about $3.40 a share for the 49% of Clearwire it doesn't own, while the satellite-TV firm's bid is $4.40. Shares of Clearwire were up 1.4%, at 4.43, in midday trading in the stock market today. Dish

Google Owns Mobile Ad Market But Facebook Growing

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:19:00 GMT

Google (GOOG) owns the global mobile ad market, but Facebook (FB) is growing fast, says a report released Thursday by market tracker e-Marketer. Internet search leader Google accounted for $4.61 billion in mobile ads worldwide last year, or 52.3% of the $8.8 billion total, concluded the report. This year, Google, the creator of the popular open-source Android mobile operating system, is expected to boost its mobile ad revenue by 92% to $8.85

Sigma Designs Misses Profit Forecast But Sales Beat

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:18:00 GMT

Shares of Sigma Designs (SIGM) were down 9% in midday trading Thursday after the company reported its first quarter of non-GAAP per-share profit in two years but nonetheless came up short of Wall Street's forecast. Sigma late Wednesday reported a 1-cent per-share profit excluding items for its fiscal Q1 ended April 30, missing the 2-cent forecast of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. The company lost 26 cents per share in the year-earlier period.

Myriad Genetics Stock Jumps On Supreme Court Ruling

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:48:00 GMT

Shares of Myriad Genetics (MYGN) popped nearly 11% to a four-year high in morning trading Thursday after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a mixed ruling on whether its genetic products could be patented. The court ruled on a suit first filed against Myriad in 2009, arguing that the company couldn't patent certain genes it had isolated for a test of women's susceptibility to breast cancer, on the grounds that genes are "products of nature" and

Disney's ESPN deals crushing blow to nascent 3D TV market

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:01:00 GMT

Walt Disney's (DIS) ESPN plans to discontinue its 3D sports television channel by year's end, dealing a crushing blow to the nascent 3D TV market.

ESPN announced the decision in a Twitter post on Wednesday.

"Due to limited viewer adoption of 3D services to the home, ESPN is discontinuing ESPN 3D," ESPN spokeswoman Amanda DeCastro said in a statement. "Nobody knows more about sports in 3D than ESPN, and we will be ready to provide the service to fans if or when 3D does take off."

ESPN is shifting its resources to other services, including experimenting with ultra high-definition or 4K TV, she says.

The sports network launched its ESPN 3D channel three years ago this month, with a live broadcast of the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The flag bearer for 3D television now is 3net, a joint venture of Discovery Communications (DISCA), Imax (IMAX) and …

Tesla Wins New Analyst Favor, As EV Car Rival Kaput

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 22:56:00 GMT

Electric car maker Tesla Motors (TSLA) rose 3.5% Wednesday as new analyst comments lauded its outlook, while firms related to another electric-vehicle startup filed for bankruptcy in an overall tough market for the greenest cars. "The Model S' success coupled with TSLA's cash position allows investors to look ahead to the X and Gen III vehicles. We are more confident in TSLA's ability to hit Gen III production targets," Baird Equity Research

NSA Spying Scandal Yet To Cause Internet User Revolt

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 22:15:00 GMT

For the largest Internet companies, whose executives continue to fight against allegations related to the National Security Agency's Prism "spying" program, what's been the fallout? Well, not much, say observers, as facts trickle out about exactly what the Internet companies -- and government regulators -- do under Prism, which gives the government some information about consumer Internet activities. "I don't think it's a big deal to most people,

Tech Security M&A Keeps Hopping Amid Views For More

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:41:00 GMT

Tech-quisitions keep coming, with the latest by one of IBD's highest-ranked security companies, AVG Technologies (AVG). As IBD has reported, security software M&A activity is expected to heat up, with some areas -- such as mobile security, cloud computing and advanced protections -- hotter than others. On Wednesday, Internet security company AVG said that to further delivery of its cloud-based services, it will acquire the business of

Tech Patent Firm Rambus Jumps On A Big Memory Deal

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:56:00 GMT

Shares of technology licensing company Rambus (RMBS), known for patent litigation, were up 4% in afternoon trading Wednesday, at a 16-month high, after word of a $240 million deal -- its second-largest ever -- that settles nearly 13 years of litigation with big computer memory supplier SK Hynix. Hynix memory chips are used in some Apple (AAPL) MacBook products and in the Asus Google (GOOG) Nexus 7 tablets, among other hot tech gear. The South Korean

Bad news for Apple: The iOS 7 backlash has begun

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:43:00 GMT

Apple (AAPL) described the revamped look of its upcoming iOS 7 software as "stunning," with "an elegant color palette" and typography that's been "refined for a cleaner, simpler look."

But a chorus of critics is chiming in with negative reviews of the mobile operating system.

Apple showed off iOS 7 on Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. Many industry watchers quickly praised Apple for finally changing the look of its iPhone software, which has been static since its debut in June 2007. Many still praise the revamp, though some have noted Apple seemed to be taking its design cues from rivals Microsoft (MSFT), BlackBerry (BBRY) and the former Palm's WebOS.

But the tide seems to have turned toward the negative.

The Atlantic reported that some designers were calling Apple's new flat-looking iOS user interface "ugly," "harsh" and "blinding."

Ryan Katkov, a designer for Life360, thinks Apple fell…

First Solar Goes For Big Funding; Solar Stocks Fall

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:50:00 GMT

First Solar (FSLR), the largest company in IBD's No. 1-ranked Energy-Solar industry group, was down 4.5% in afternoon trading Wednesday as the U.S. solar manufacturer issued new stock and planned to perhaps buy some solar projects under development and invest in new ones with partners. Separately, Chinese rivals worried about the impact of European anti-dumping duties on their own businesses. China's Trina Solar (TSL), dropped 1% after slipping

HP Stock Rises On CEO Comments On Turnaround

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:24:00 GMT

Investors are still hopeful about Hewlett-Packard (HPQ). Shares of the troubled computer products and services giant were up 3.7% in early afternoon trading Wednesday, near a 52-week high, after CEO Meg Whitman said, in an interview on CNBC, that the company's five-year turnaround plan is a bit ahead of schedule. She also cautioned, however, that "there's a lot of heavy lifting ahead." HP has struggled with declining revenue in its core PC and

IBM, Hewlett-Packard Lead In High-Performance Servers

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:50:00 GMT

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and IBM (IBM) remain in close competition to lead the global high-performance server market, including supercomputers, says a report issued Wednesday by market tracker IDC. The research firm says HP and IBM each captured 31.5% of overall global revenue share in Q1. Dell (DELL) was No. 3 with 14.3% of revenue worldwide, IDC said. Industrywide, IDC says global factory revenue for high-performance computing (HPC) servers rose

Vodafone German Cable Deal Could Impact Verizon

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:50:00 GMT

Word that U.K. telecom company Vodafone (VOD) might buy a German cable TV operator could have implications for Vodafone's U.S. wireless partner, Verizon Communications (VZ), as well as for Liberty Global (LBTYA). U.S. shares of Vodafone were down 2% in midday trading in the stock market today, after Vodafone confirmed the talks. Reuters reported that Vodafone could pay up to $9.3 billion for Kabel Deutschland, whose pay-TV services compete with

Cisco Launching New Routers For Telecom Customers

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Cisco Systems is sprucing up its roots. The No. 1 maker of networking gear was set on Wednesday to roll out a new line of routers that analysts say gives it a technology lead over rivals. The network routers are geared to the growing needs of telecom service providers, an area where Cisco competes against the likes of Juniper Networks (JNPR), Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and China-based Huawei Technologies and ZTE. Cisco (CSCO) is the largest maker of