Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)
Samsung, Sony Readying New Devices Ahead of Next IPhone (Bloomberg)
Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) and Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) are said to be unveiling new devices next month as two of Asia’s biggest technology companies try to showcase their products before Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) releases new iPhones and iPads. Samsung’s Galaxy Gear, a wristwatch-like device with features of a smartphone, and Note 3 will be introduced Sept. 4, according to people familiar with the matter. Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)’s latest Xperia handset, featuring imaging sensors used in its TVs and cameras, will be unveiled the same day, two other people said.
Google argues UK privacy laws do not apply to it (Telegraph)
The company is facing a landmark group legal action by Britons angry over the way it circumvented settings on the iPhone to track their web usage. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has already been fined a record $22.5m (£14.4m) by authorities in the United States over the practice. In a submission to the High Court, however, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has argued that as an American company it is not covered by British privacy laws. It said there was “no jurisdiction” for the case to be heard here because its consumer services are provided by Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), based in Silicon Valley, rather than Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) UK.
Microsoft Apologizes for Three- day Outlook Blackout (iDigitalTimes)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has apologized to its customers for the outage of Outlook that lasted for three days. The Windows manufacturer blamed the low signal on the devices that are used to access the Exchange ActiveSync. On poor reception of signals most of the users were receiving error messages on their devices with countless efforts made to reconnect to the server, which resulted in an overwhelming traffic to the server causing the outage. “We want to apologize to our customers who were affected by the outage on Outlook.com this week. This incident was a result of a failure in a caching service that interfaces with devices using Exchange ActiveSync, including most smart phones,” Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) team wrote on its official service site.
Apple teasing Mac Pro trailers in theatres with release slated for ‘Fall 2013’ (Tech2)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has started to tease the video for the upcoming Mac Pro in movie theatres across the US. The workstation, according to the trailer, is set to hit markets in fall this year. The video aired in theatres across the country shows off the device’s curves and highlights the redesign of the product from multiple angles. The device, first announced at WWDC this year, was first set to be slated for a “later this year” release, but it looks like the device will be released earlier than expected, says Macrumours. Now, it is not clear whether the Mac Pro will launch alongside the new iPhone at the rumoured September 10 event or with the refreshed iPad that is rumoured to be released in a month or so.
With balloons and fiber, Google experiments in web access (JSOnline)
From sending solar-powered balloons into the stratosphere to offering free Wi-Fi in parks, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is quietly spending hundreds of millions of dollars on nascent Internet services that may one day challenge the telecom and cable companies. In recent months, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has announced plans to bring free wireless Internet access to 7,000 Starbucks cafes across America, eventually displacing AT&T; it has asked U.S. regulators for broader access to wireless airwaves; and it has launched 30 solar-powered balloons over the South Pacific, designed to beam the Internet to remote regions.
