Industry News Headlines - Yahoo! News UK

Germany must 'spread cost of energy shift fairly'

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:30:52 +0100

Germany must shield its consumers from paying too much of the cost of its ambitious switch from nuclear power and fossil fuels towards renewable energy, the International Energy Agency said on Friday.

Google faces new federal antitrust probe - source

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:54:39 +0100

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are in the early stages of an antitrust probe into whether Google Inc, the top player in Web display advertising, breaks antitrust law in how it handles some advertising sales, a source told Reuters on Thursday. The source said that it was unlikely that the Federal Trade Commission had sent out civil investigative demands in relation to the probe, which would be the sign of a formal and more serious investigation. ...

GameStop says 2013 outlook improved after Xbox One news

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:54:14 +0100

By Chandni Doulatramani and Malathi Nayak (Reuters) - GameStop Corp raised the lower end of its full-year earnings forecast on Thursday after beating fourth-quarter estimates, counting on a boost from new gaming consoles due later this year and further growth in digital and mobile sales. The videogame industry, which has struggled with declining sales as gamers migrate to mobile and social media platforms, is hoping for a strong finish to 2013 with the release of new titles like Take-Two Interactive Software's "Grand Theft Auto V" and Electronic Arts Inc's "Battlefield 4. ...

Cockroaches can sense danger in sugar

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:45:08 +0100

Cockroaches will eat anything. Except sugar, that is.

EU pledges 5 billion euros funding for electronics research

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:43:12 +0100

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is pledging 5 billion euros to boost research on semiconductors and other electronics items used in everything from smartphones to cars, in a bid to boost the sector which is lagging U.S. and Asian rivals. Europe's micro- and nano-electronics industry has grown 5 percent annually since 2000, even in the financial downturn. But the sector's level of investment and returns lag those of other regions. ...

China's Lenovo buys and diversifies to outshine PC rivals

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:49:17 +0100

By Lee Chyen Yee and Umesh Desai HONG KONG (Reuters) - Lenovo Group Ltd's bold acquisitions in its flagship PC business, a foray into mobile gadgets, and a relatively light debt load are setting it apart from PC rivals as industry shipments take their steepest fall in decades. Lenovo, a sliver away from unseating Hewlett-Packard Co as the world's top PC maker by shipments, posted on Thursday an estimate-beating 90 percent rise in quarterly profit, its fastest in seven quarters. ...

Dead sea lions found in Peru, poisoning suspected

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:00:27 +0100

Dead sea lions have been discovered on beaches in northern Peru amid suspicions they were poisoned by fishermen, activists and authorities said.

EU leaders pursue shale gas dream in Brussels talks

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:55:21 +0100

By Barbara Lewis and Peter Griffiths BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European leaders discussed the region's reserves of shale gas at a summit on Wednesday, but the prospect of the continent enjoying a U.S.-style shale boom that drastically cuts energy costs remains elusive. Arriving at the summit, British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose government is advancing plans to exploit his country's shale gas deposits, said Europe could not afford to be left behind as the world scrambles to develop the resource. ...

Japan nuclear reactor atop active fault: regulator

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:06:46 +0100

Japan's nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that one reactor was sitting directly above an active tectonic fault, effectively ruling out a restart forever.

EU leaders look to energy for growth boost

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:16:06 +0100

EU leaders, desperate to give growth a boost, target energy policy Wednesday amid concerns a US-led revolution in shale oil and gas development will reshape the global economy and leave Europe far behind.

Sony to assess spin-off plan; cuts targets for cameras, smartphones

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:19:43 +0100

By Tim Kelly TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp cut its sales targets for digital cameras, smartphones and tablets by 13-17 percent for the year to end-March 2015, but said there were "encouraging" signs of a revival in its electronics business. CEO Kazuo Hirai told a press briefing on Wednesday that Sony would assess a proposal from its biggest shareholder, billionaire Daniel Loeb's Third Point LLC hedge fund, that the group should sell up to a fifth of its music and movies business, which includes artists such as Adele and hit franchises like "Spider-Man". ...

Microsoft unveils Xbox One with Spielberg, Activision tie-up

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:27:36 +0100

By Bill Rigby and Malathi Nayak REDMOND, Washington (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp unveiled the "Xbox One" on Tuesday, its first new gaming console in eight years, and its strongest push so far to dominate consumers' living rooms with an array of exclusive media content. The Xbox One took four years to develop and will be the launchpad for a "Halo" live-action video series produced by Steven Spielberg. It will be sold worldwide "later this year," games unit chief Don Mattrick told reporters at an event at the software company's campus near Seattle, without providing details on timing or pricing. ...

China's bird flu outbreak cost $6.5 billion

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:19:27 +0100

By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The H7N9 virus appears to have been brought under control in China largely due to restrictions at bird markets, but caused some $6.5 billion (4.2 billion pounds) in losses to the economy, U.N. experts said on Tuesday. Health authorities worldwide must be on the lookout to detect the virus, the experts said, which could still develop the ability to spread easily among humans and cause a deadly influenza pandemic. ...

Intel CEO shakes up units, creates "new devices" group

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:25:12 +0100

By Noel Randewich SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp's new chief executive, Brian Krzanich, has launched a sweeping company reorganization and created a unit aimed at growing its market share in mobile technology. The shakeup, announced internally just days after the 30-year veteran took the helm, places most of the main product groups of the world's top chipmaker directly under the CEO's supervision and hands its sprawling global manufacturing operation to new president Renee James, said a source close to the company, who declined to be identified. ...

EU and U.S. not coordinating on China solar dispute

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:48:49 +0100

By Daniel Bases and Doug Palmer (Reuters)- NEW YORK/WASHINGTON - Europe and the United States both said on Tuesday they were not holding coordinated talks to negotiate an end to a trade dispute with China over the dumping of solar panels onto their respective markets. The European Union has until June 5 to decide whether to impose duties averaging 47 percent on Chinese manufactured solar panels. The United States has already imposed duties of about 30 percent on Chinese manufacturers. "We do not have a common battle plan. ...

BlackBerry shifting emphasis from smartphones to services

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:53:14 +0100

By Euan Rocha TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry no longer owns the fast-paced, innovative smartphone world but the company, whose email-on-your-hip devices once revolutionized the industry, now aims to run it. The change in focus was hard to miss at the company's well-attended annual conference in Florida last week, even as news of a new smartphone model and its plans to offer the popular BlackBerry Messaging (BBM) instant message service on other platforms grabbed the headlines. ...

IT firm iGate sacks CEO over undisclosed relationship

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:21:19 +0100

By Sumeet Chatterjee and Harichandan Arakali MUMBAI/BANGALORE (Reuters) - IT outsourcing company iGate Corp sacked Chief Executive Phaneesh Murthy after a company sexual harassment investigation revealed that he had not disclosed a relationship with a subordinate. Shares of the company fell 13 percent on the Nasdaq after the removal of Murthy, who led several initiatives to improve the company's performance such as charging clients for business results instead of man hours, the billing method more commonly used by IT outsourcing firms. ...

NGOs denounce Malaysia hydropower meeting

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:48:21 +0100

Three dozen Malaysian NGOs on Tuesday denounced the world hydroelectric industry's decision to hold a conference in a Borneo state where dam projects have uprooted forests and native peoples.

Science funding receives boost

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:01:23 +0100

Efforts to promote science to young people will be backed with a share of £3 million, the Scottish Government has announced.

Hong Kong launches plan to tackle waste crisis

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:39:44 +0100

Hong Kong launched a ten-year plan to reduce waste by 40 percent per person as part of efforts to catch up with other leading Asian cities and avert a looming environmental crisis.

Yahoo buying Tumblr for $1.1 billion, vows not to screw it up

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:22:31 +0100

By Alexei Oreskovic and Jennifer Saba SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc will buy blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion (721.6 million pounds) cash, giving the Internet pioneer a much-needed social media platform to reach a younger generation of users and breathe new life into its ailing brand. The deal, announced on Monday, is a bold bet by Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer to revitalize the company by co-opting a Web property with strong visitor traffic but little revenue. ...

Former Nokia software team unveils its first smartphone

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:33:52 +0100

HELSINKI (Reuters) - A group of ex-Nokia software developers unveiled its first smartphone on Monday, aiming to prove their former employer wrong by making a success of a technology dropped by the Finnish mobile phone maker. Jolla was founded by Nokia's former MeeGo software team that was shut down after the company decided to switch to Microsoft's Windows Phone software in 2011. With just 70 employees and 11 million euros in venture financing, Jolla joins a handful of boutique operating systems such as Ubuntu which together have less than a one-percent presence in the mobile phone market. ...

AstraZeneca closes in on site for new home in Cambridge

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:28:34 +0100

By Ben Hirschler and Tom Bill LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca is closing in on a site for its new $500 million home in Cambridge, with a biomedical park just south of the English city the most likely site, property industry sources said. Moving research and global headquarters to Cambridge, with minimal disruption, is a key test for new Chief Executive Pascal Soriot as he tries to change the drugmaker's culture and puts ground-breaking science at the centre of its activities. The move to the university city, involving nearly 2,000 jobs, is the centrepiece of a $2. ...

Goldman Sachs to invest in Japan green energy

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:46:50 +0100

US investment banking giant Goldman Sachs said Monday it will start investing in Japanese renewable energy projects, with a reported $2.9 billion outlay over the next five years.

Malaysia hydropower meeting to open amid controversy

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:18:29 +0100

The world hydroelectric industry's decision to meet in a Malaysian state where dams have uprooted rainforests and native peoples is drawing bitter fire from environmental and tribal groups.

Flax plant 'can fight infection'

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:25:13 +0100

A plant first used by prehistoric man 30,000 years BC can help fight infections, according to scientists following a four-year research project.

New Xbox more than a game console for Microsoft

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:11:46 +0100

By Malathi Nayak and Bill Rigby SAN FRANCISCO/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp is set to make a splash this week with the eagerly awaited unveiling of its new Xbox game console, eight years after the last version, as it seeks a larger share of the $65 billion (£42.84 billion) a year global computer gaming industry. But the small device faces some big competition from the PlayStation 4 by Sony Corp and the Wii U by Nintendo Co Ltd in a shifting market. ...

Google's wearable Glass gadget: cool or creepy?

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:02:07 +0100

By Alexei Oreskovic SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google staged four discussions expounding on the finer points of its "Glass" wearable computer during this week's developer conference. Missing from the agenda, however, was a session on etiquette when using the recording-capable gadget, which some attendees faithfully wore everywhere - including to the crowded bathrooms. Google Glass, a cross between a mobile computer and eyeglasses that can both record video and surf the Internet, is now available to a select few but is already among the year's most buzz-worthy new gadgets. ...

Samsung Galaxy S4 performing better than Galaxy S3, to surpass 10 million sales next week

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:30:00 +0100

Samsung CEO JK Shin has revealed that the Galaxy S4 Android phone is performing even better worldwide than its predecessor, the Galaxy S3. He also expects it to go past the 10 million sales target next week, just over three weeks since it first hit stores.

Nintendo will make the money for your YouTube fan videos

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:40:00 +0100

If you fancy posting a video to YouTube of yourself playing Nintendo games, do it for the adulation only; Nintendo will make the cash from it.

Single-pixel device may spot cancer

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:07:40 +0100

A new method of producing 3D images could improve cancer screening tests, scientists have said.

Dell's profit dives as billionaire battle rages on

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:07:33 +0100

By Poornima Gupta and Edwin Chan SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Dell Inc, the subject of a takeover battle between activist investor Carl Icahn and the company's billionaire founder, reported a 79 percent slide in profit as personal computer sales continued to shrink. The disappointing results lend weight to Michael Dell's effort. The man who started Dell from a college dorm room wants to take the world's No.3 PC maker private for $24. ...

A stretched Samsung chases rival Apple's suppliers

Thu, 16 May 2013 21:52:28 +0100

By Miyoung Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - Overtaking Apple Inc as the world's leading maker of smartphones has stretched Samsung Electronics Co's in-house supply lines, and the South Korean firm is now courting some of its rival's main parts suppliers. After costly courtroom battles over technology patents, the two gadget giants are now going head-to-head over securing the best supply of parts as they jostle to rule the $253 billion smartphone market. The two took 100 percent of the industry's profit in January-March, Canaccord Genuity data show. ...

New CEO vows Intel will be more responsive in mobile push

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:08:49 +0100

By Noel Randewich SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp's new CEO Brian Krzanich said on Thursday that under his leadership the top chipmaker will be more responsive to customers in an intensified focus on the fast-growing smartphone and tablet market where it lags its rivals. Krzanich took over as chief executive at Intel's annual shareholders meeting, replacing Paul Otellini, who in November unexpectedly announced his plan to retire. Under Otellini, Intel has been sidelined in smartphones and tablets while demand for its PC processors is on the wane. ...

Telus tests Canada's spectrum resolve with Mobilicity bid

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:08:05 +0100

By Alastair Sharp TORONTO (Reuters) - Telus Corp, one of Canada's biggest wireless phone companies, said on Thursday it will pay C$380 million ($370 million) for debt-laden Mobilicity, testing the resolve of a government committed to opening the market to smaller players. The deal, already backed by some Mobilicity debt holders, must now wind its way through a regulatory obstacle course involving several agencies and approval is far from certain. But the two companies suggested the alternative was death for the loss-making upstart. ...

China threatens own trade action if EU opens telecoms case

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:15:39 +0100

By Ethan Bilby BRUSSELS (Reuters) - China threatened on Thursday to retaliate if the European Union formally opens an investigation into alleged anti-competitive behaviour by Chinese mobile telecom equipment companies. European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said on Wednesday he and fellow commissioners had agreed in principle to open an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy case against China, but would first seek to negotiate a solution with Chinese authorities. Although not mentioned in the statement, EU officials told Reuters the primary targets of the investigation would be world No. ...

Google launches streaming music service ahead of Apple

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:13:49 +0100

By Alexei Oreskovic and Edwin Chan SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc launched a music service on Wednesday that allows users to listen to unlimited songs for $9.99 a month, challenging smaller companies like Pandora and Spotify in the market for streaming music. With its new service, announced at its annual developers' conference in San Francisco, Google has adopted the streaming music business model ahead of rival Apple Inc, which pioneered online music purchases with iTunes. ...

Cisco profit beats Street, shares rise on outlook

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:04:25 +0100

By Sinead Carew and Nicola Leske NEW YORK (Reuters) - Network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc posted a higher than expected quarterly profit and said current-quarter revenue could increase, giving some relief to investors who had worried it was being hurt by weak technology spending. Cisco shares rose about 8 percent after Chief Executive John Chambers said the company was seeing some good signs in the United States and that other parts of the world are "encouraging." "We are managing the business to account for a continued slow steady recovery on a global basis," Chambers said. ...

Canada pushes development as it takes over Arctic Council

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:43:24 +0100

Canada said Wednesday it will promote unprecedented industrial development in the far north as it takes over the helm of the Arctic Council, while activists called for a ban on oil drilling.

EU ministers reach deal on fisheries reform

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:32:52 +0100

EU ministers agreed early on Wednesday a reform of the EU's fishing quota system that must now be approved by the European Parliament, where lawmakers are set on curbing overfishing.