Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO)
At Apple, Tim Cook leads a quiet cultural revolution (ET)
Shortly after signing on as chief operating officer at Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), Sheryl Sandberg was looking to connect with people in a similar role – No. 2 to a brilliant and passionate young founder. She called Tim Cook. “He basically explained nicely that my job was to do the things that Mark (Zuckerberg) did not want to focus on as much,” Sandberg said of the 2007 meeting that lasted several hours with the chief operating officer of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Google’s new phone underwhelms (BostonGlobe)
What exactly is an Android phone? It depends on which brand is in your pocket. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) strictly standardizes the iPhone’s software and hardware, but Android phone makers HTC, Samsung, and LG each serve up starkly different devices. Then last year Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), the creator of Android software, bought Motorola Mobility, the hardware company that invented the cellphone. At last, Google could build the definitive Android phone, a seamless blend of hardware and software. I expected to be happily blown away by the results.
Microsoft offers free Surface tablets to schools making use of Bing (IVCPost)
The move would be a part of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)‘s new program called Bing for Schools, as announced on Wednesday. Microsoft would provide a version of Bing that lacks advertisements and features a strict refinement of adult content. Currently, Microsoft’s discounted school rate is USD249 for each tablet. Signing up for the reward credit program of Bing would also aid a school in getting a free Surface RT tablet. …Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) was recently forced to reduce the price of its tablets. Last month, it reported a USD900 million writedown in Surface inventory in the company’s fourth quarter fiscal statements.
Apple’s grip on China tablet market loosens (ECNS)
Apple’s grip on China’s tablet market has loosened as Asian tech companies increase sales with cheaper Android tablet computers, a market report showed Thursday. Dickie Chang, senior market analyst at research firm IDC, said Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) supplied 28 percent of tablet computers in China during the April-June quarter, down from 49 percent dominance a year earlier. The iPad maker was still the biggest tablet supplier in China, its key growth engine, but its momentum has slowed.
Why Web TV Skeptic Mark Cuban Thinks Google Can Make the NFL Work on the Web (AllThingsD)
If Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) ends up getting the rights to stream NFL games over the Web, could the Web handle it? That is: Is America’s Internet infrastructure capable of letting millions of people watch the same football games, at the same time, while delivering a TV-quality picture? We’ve seen hints that the Web is now up to the challenge, but for now we don’t really have an answer. We won’t know until someone tries. Still, I figured it would be worth asking some folks who know a bit about Web video and TV. So I started with Mark Cuban.
Apple price target raised at UBS (CNBC)
Has Microsoft Finally Become Relevant in the Mobile Market? (CountingPips)
Everyone, myself included, is anxiously waiting for the new “iPhone” by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), slated to be introduced to the market in September. However, I don’t think I would be counting BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) in this group, as the former high-flyer and king of smartphones could soon be a thing of the past. (Read “The Only Way Apple Will Survive the Cutthroat Mobile Market.”) The newest BlackBerry device wasn’t even in the top-five in U.S. sales according to comScore, Inc… But while BlackBerry is now up for sale and waving the white flag, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is only starting to enter the market, trying to regain its title as the top dog in technology.
The Most Gorgeous Apple iWatch Concept We’ve Seen Yet (TaftMidwayDriller)
It’s all but confirmed that Apple’s next big product category will be a wearable wrist computer. The press has dubbed the mythical gadget the iWatch. Don’t get too excited though. It’s very likely the iWatch won’t launch until later in 2014 at the very earliest. But that hasn’t kept some designers from churning out a bunch of concept designs. The latest design comes to us from Federico Ciccarese, a designer who has come up with some great Apple gadget mockups in the past.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Adds More Entertainment And Travel Features To The Android Personal Assistant App (FiscalInsider)
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has put a half dozen new travel and entertainment features to its personalized search app Google Now, to capture the attention of the real-world consumer which includes sports fan watching an NCAA football game, or the recently-landed tourist trying to find their rental car. Company is drawing on a lot of evidence that indicates people are increasingly consuming entertainment while tapping away on mobile devices to get more information and connect with other viewers.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer needs to make a graceful exit (Investors)
A new CEO often can be a catalyst for positive change. He or she can bring a fresh perspective to a company’s business, pursue opportunities previous management wouldn’t and reinvigorate a corporate culture. Investors certainly have applauded the selection of Google (GOOG) veteran Marissa Mayer to run faded Internet giant Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO). That begs the question: Which company or companies would benefit the most from a change in management?
