Gadgets News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Canada's RIM to cut at least 2000 jobs: report

Sat, 26 May 2012 11:09:53 -0400

TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd is preparing for a major restructuring beginning in the next couple of weeks that will see it eliminate at least 2,000 jobs worldwide, the Globe and Mail reported on Saturday, citing unnamed sources. The Canadian newspaper, citing several people close to the company, reported that the next round is layoffs is said to be planned for around June 1 - a day before the BlackBerry smartphone maker's first quarter ends - but some expect the announcement even earlier. ...

Yahoo kills 'Livestand' just 6 months after debut

Fri, 25 May 2012 17:40:05 -0400

Yahoo has killed Livestand, a tablet magazine, just six months after its debut on the iPad.

Yahoo Shutters Flipboard Competitor After Just 6 Months

Fri, 25 May 2012 15:22:10 -0400

Yahoo has decided to discontinue production of Yahoo Livestand, a newsreading app for the iPad launched just six months ago. The news was announced in a post to Yahoo's corporate blog on Friday, leading up to three-day holiday weekend in the U.S.

Zynga unleashes zombies on smartphones

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:29:02 -0400

Zombies stalked San Francisco streets on Thursday as social game maker Zynga ghoulishly introduced a game that lets iPhone or iPod Touch users slash and hack the undead.

BlackBerry stock falls after sales chief resigns

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:29:13 -0400

TORONTO (Reuters) - Shares in Research In Motion Ltd fell more than 3 percent on Thursday morning after the BlackBerry maker said its global sales chief had resigned. The resignation of Patrick Spence, a 14-year RIM veteran, comes as the Canadian company struggles to sell legacy products and prepares for the make-or-break launch of its new smartphone later this year. London-based Spence had risen steadily through RIM's ranks and was widely credited with building strong sales growth in the Middle East and other emerging markets. ...

Interactive Atlas Puts the Whole World in Your Hand

Thu, 24 May 2012 04:46:09 -0400

Did you ever spin a globe, vowing to travel to the exact place your finger landed on? You can do just that with the Barefoot World Atlas app for iPad.

RIM's head of global sales leaving BlackBerry maker

Wed, 23 May 2012 21:46:00 -0400

TORONTO (Reuters) - The head of global sales at Research In Motion Ltd has resigned to take on a leadership role in another industry, the BlackBerry maker said on Wednesday, a major blow ahead of make-or-break product launches due later this year. Patrick Spence was a 14-year RIM veteran widely considered a rising star. A spokeswoman for RIM said Spence's last day with the company will be June 15. Spence was promoted to the global sales role in July after serving as managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. ...

Yahoo! moves to reclaim Internet search crown

Wed, 23 May 2012 20:57:55 -0400

Yahoo! has set out to reclaim the Internet search crown from Google with the release of software that transforms the way users explore the Web using Apple's coveted gadgets.

Yahoo Axis Shines on iPad, an Afterthought on Desktop [REVIEW]

Wed, 23 May 2012 20:40:14 -0400

It's been a while, but Yahoo just made some noise again in the search business. With the release of Axis, a new search app and add-on for both iOS and desktop browsers, Yahoo aims to make browsing the Web a more visual and convenient experience. And it succeeds -- at least on the iPad.

Sports Illustrated Vault: Amazing Pics Unite Social Media With History

Wed, 23 May 2012 19:02:27 -0400

With a slick weekly iPad edition and robust cross-channel packages including its meg-hit annual swimsuit issue, Sports Illustrated has adapted to the digital age better than many legacy print publications. But social media also plays a key role in kindling nostalgia and engaging younger readers, through the Sports Illustrated vault of photos dating back to the magazine's inception in the 1950s.

For Some Magazine Publishers, Web Still Isn't That Important

Wed, 23 May 2012 18:32:06 -0400

Although magazine publishers have embraced mobile platforms, particularly the iPad, the web is still not all that important, executives at Conde Nast and Meredith Corp. indicated on stage at a paidContent conference in New York Wednesday.

How consumer-electronics makers are faring

Wed, 23 May 2012 18:07:22 -0400

A look at how selected makers of phones and other consumer-electronic gadgets are faring:

Review: OnLive Desktop brings the PC to tablets

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:29:59 -0400

So you love your iPad, but you wish you could work on Microsoft Office software, watch Flash video and generally have more of a PC-like experience? OnLive Desktop is one way you can.

British designer behind Apple iPhone is knighted

Wed, 23 May 2012 11:22:54 -0400

The Briton credited with designing some of Apple's most revolutionary products -- the iPod, iPhone, iPad and iMac computer -- was knighted by Princess Anne Wednesday.

Wearable Tech: Welcome to the Future of Fashion

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:49:41 -0400

Gadgets continue to shrink in size and adapt to free up our hands, making it more convenient than ever for users to multitask.

Wet April sends UK retailers running for cover

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:31:12 -0400

(Reuters) - Shoppers opted for umbrellas instead of summer dresses, and preferred gadgets to gardening tools during Britain's wettest April on record. Last month's soggy weather heaped more misery on a recession-hit high street, which is grappling with rising costs and weak demand as disposable incomes are squeezed by rising prices, muted wage growth and government austerity. Retail sales volumes fell 2.3 percent in April from March, the biggest monthly drop in two years, government data published on Wednesday showed. ...

Apple's Jonathan Ive is Now 'Sir Jonathan' to You

Wed, 23 May 2012 06:15:59 -0400

Jonathan Ive, the London-born designer responsible for most of Apple's ultra-sleek gadgets over the past two decades, received knighthood of the United Kingdom in a formal ceremony conducted at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

Cyber crooks cranking out new weapons experts warn

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:33:52 -0400

Cyber criminals are cranking out new weapons at a brisk pace, tailoring malicious software for a spectrum of gadgets including smartphones, tablets, and Macintosh computers, a security firm said.

Dell results disappoint Street, shares dive

Tue, 22 May 2012 18:34:43 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Dell Inc forecast disappointing second-quarter revenue as U.S. and European corporate tech spending weakens and consumer personal computer sales continue to shrink, hammering its shares. Shares in the company, which like rival Hewlett-Packard Co is losing market share to mobile devices such as Apple Inc's iPad, dived more than 11 percent in after hours trade. The world's No. 3 PC maker forecast a 2 to 4 percent revenue gain this fiscal quarter, to $14.7 billion to $15 billion, well short of the $15.4 billion Wall Street had been expecting. ...

Apple still dominates world's top brands: study

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:03:41 -0400

(Reuters) - Apple has maintained its place as the world's most valuable brand over the past year, leading a group of technology-related companies that dominate the top 10, according to a study published on Tuesday. The iPhone and iPad maker has boosted its brand value by 19 percent in the past year to $183 billion, or 37 percent of its market capitalization, according to the annual BrandZ study by leading brands and market-research agency Millward Brown. ...

Kodak patent deemed invalid in fight with Apple-RIM

Tue, 22 May 2012 01:26:08 -0400

A US judge said a Kodak patent allegedly infringed upon by Apple and Blackberry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) was not valid, dealing another blow to the struggling photography pioneer.

Bike Desk Powers Your Gadgets, Meetings, You [VIDEO]

Mon, 21 May 2012 15:33:25 -0400

So you want to keep fit, help the environment, stay on top of your work and make sure your gadgets are always charged. How can you stay productive in business without casting one of these priorities aside?

Apple Goes After Samsung Galaxy Tab in Court [VIDEO]

Sun, 20 May 2012 11:51:22 -0400

Apple filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in the U.S. against Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 on Friday. The district court will determine if the Galaxy Tablet violates Apple's iPad patent. If a recent ruling favoring Apple can tell us anything, it's that the court may rule in favor of the iPad-designing company. The ruling allowed Apple to continue to block U.S. sales of Samsung's tablet.

Apple to use only green power for main data center

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:21:04 -0400

(Reuters) - Apple Inc plans to power its main U.S. data center entirely with renewable energy by the end of this year, taking steps to address longstanding environmental concerns about the rapid expansion of high-consuming computer server farms. The maker of the iPhone and iPad said on Thursday it was buying equipment from SunPower Corp and startup Bloom Energy to build two solar array installations in and around Maiden, North Carolina, near its core data center. Once up, the solar farm will supply 84 million kWh of energy annually. ...

Apple to use only green power for main data center

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:17:27 -0400

UK agency approves BlackBerry 7 OS for government

Thu, 17 May 2012 06:47:11 -0400

(Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd said the UK agency responsible for setting standards for computer security has approved the BlackBerry 7 operating system for government use. This will allow the government employees to use six models of the smart phone including BlackBerry Bold 9900, BlackBerry Torch 9810 and BlackBerry Torch 9860, RIM said. Ministry of defence, central government employees and more than half of the country's police force use BlackBerry smart phones, the company said. (Reporting by Aftab Ahmed in Bangalore; Editing by Joyjeet Das)

Viacom, Time Warner Cable reach iPad views settlement

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:38:44 -0400

(Reuters) - Viacom Inc, the parent of MTV and Comedy Central, has settled lawsuits with Time Warner Cable Inc over whether cable subscribers may watch shows on mobile devices such as Apple Inc's iPad. The accord means Viacom programs such as "Jersey Shore," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "South Park" will become available over the TWC TV app over the next several weeks. ...

Fab.com Shares What Facebook Friends Are Buying

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:36:54 -0400

Ecommerce shop Fab.com is an industry game changer, deeply integrating social media into its unique way of selling tech gadgets, tailored dresses, innovative kitchenware and extraordinary home decor.

Is Total Gadget Immersion Good or Bad for Kids? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:55:30 -0400

Gadgets such as smartphones and tablets are becoming more and more embedded in kids' lives. From middle schoolers with smartphones to babies who are comfortable with an iPad but can't work a magazine, many children today grow up as true digital natives. And parents are catching on that gadgets can help control and distract their little rugrats.

Japan firm unveils gesture controlling device

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:15:27 -0400

Japanese technology titan NEC has unveiled a gadget that allows users to control their TV, mobile phone or tablet computer using a virtual input device.

Thirst App Will Change The Way You View Twitter

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:53:06 -0400

A new iPad application called Thirst might reinvent how you look at your Twitter stream. Using its own natural language processor, Thirst filters, organizes, and presents your Twitter stream in an engaging way, helping you find the tweets you want to read quickly and in context.

Canadian shoppers could have option of paying with cash, credit or BlackBerry

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:27:56 -0400

TORONTO - Within months, Canadian shoppers could have the option of paying for purchases with cash, credit or by BlackBerry.