To better compete in the mobile space, HP plans to adopt Google’s Android operating system for a number of upcoming mobile devices. According to two sources familiar with the matter, the company’s first scheduled Android device will be a high-end tablet featuring NVIDIA’s new mobile Tegra 4 chip, announced at CES in January. The move marks a significant win for Google, adding a major partner to the Android ecosystem. Continue reading Good News for Google: HP Turns to Android for Mobile Devices

Comcast is acquiring General Electric’s 49 percent stake in NBCUniversal. Teamed with Comcast’s initial 51 percent acquisition two years ago, the new $16.7 billion deal will result in the cable operator’s full ownership of the film and television giant. Comcast is taking a bold gamble, particularly when considering the uncertain direction of the entertainment industry in the midst of digital change and the growing success of services from the likes of Netflix and Amazon. Continue reading Comcast to Buy Rest of NBCUniversal from GE in Early Sale

Tonight’s State of the Union Address will provide citizens with unprecedented access and interactivity. “When the President addresses the nation, the White House will provide something you can’t find anywhere else: an enhanced version of the speech that offers charts, facts and other info as the President speaks,” explains the White House blog. There will also be a wide variety of online streaming options and opportunities for social interaction. Continue reading White House Goes Digital with State of the Union Tonight

Samsung disclosed details this week regarding its planned Silicon Valley innovation center, which will help build partnerships between entrepreneurs and the company’s nine product divisions to develop new product ideas. The center is also expected to encourage expansion of the company’s mergers and acquisitions strategy by determining which companies and emerging technologies can help fill existing product gaps. Continue reading Samsung to Tap Silicon Valley Innovation in Post-PC Era

Sunday’s collection of Super Bowl ads failed to impress advertising columnist Stuart Elliott. “The commercials that CBS broadcast nationally during the game were, by and large, disappointing,” he writes. “They represented a missed opportunity for marketers and agencies to demonstrate that they had at least some understanding of how contemporary consumers think and behave.” Continue reading Super Bowl Ads: Too Much of Vintage Vibe and Tired Tactics?

Early numbers indicate that last night’s Super Bowl between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers broadcast on CBS set new records for number of TV viewers and amount of social activity on Facebook and Twitter. Interestingly, the two events that triggered the greatest number of Tweets did not involve the teams or players, but rather Beyonce’s halftime show and the partial blackout during the third quarter. Continue reading Super Bowl Sets New Records for Viewing and Social Activity

In his review of the new BlackBerry Z10, personal-tech columnist David Pogue reverses his earlier suggestion that Research In Motion’s smartphone was doomed. While the once dominant BlackBerry has dropped to a single-digit percentage of the market and the company’s stock has plummeted, Pogue surprisingly notes that the new phone is “lovely, fast and efficient, bristling with fresh, useful ideas.” Continue reading RIM Changes its Name, Unveils Surprising BlackBerry Z10

Sony is ramping up its efforts to provide 4K content by remastering select productions in the new format and restoring classic movies in 4K. As part of the initiative, Sony Pictures Television will remaster all five seasons of “Breaking Bad” in 4K. We can also expect to see 4K versions of “Groundhog Day,” “Ghostbusters,” “Glory,” “Funny Girl” and “On The Waterfront.” Continue reading Sony 4K Initiative: Studio Remasters Content for Ultra HDTVs

Time Warner Inc. has selected Kevin Tsujihara as the new chief executive of Warner Bros. Entertainment. As president of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group since 2005, Tsujihara has been responsible for the studio’s home video, digital distribution, video game and anti-piracy efforts. The selection was made by Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes and Barry Meyer, chairman of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Continue reading Digital Future: Tsujihara Named Chief Exec of Warner Bros.

AT&T announced it will acquire licenses for Verizon’s 700MHz spectrum, which would allow AT&T to expand its 4G LTE coverage to 42 million people across 18 states in the U.S. The carrier will spend $1.9 billion to acquire the licenses from Verizon. AT&T will also provide licenses of its AWS spectrum to Verizon in markets including Los Angeles, Fresno and Portland in order for Verizon to further deploy its own network. Continue reading AT&T to Expand 4G LTE Network with Verizon Spectrum Deal

Microsoft has been paying $250 million per quarter since 2011 in platform support payments to Nokia for using the Windows Phone brand. While this amount has exceeded what Nokia pays Microsoft to use its software, this is about to change. Nokia recently announced that it plans to pay Microsoft $1 billion in royalties for Windows Phone mobile software usage. Continue reading Windows Phone Usage: Nokia to Pay Microsoft $1B in Royalties

The Sony Entertainment Network debuted on Friday in North America. Available to European territories since December, the new content hub has expanded to Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the U.S. The network collates all of Sony’s media offerings into a single online storefront, featuring full PS3 games, downloadable games, music, movies, TV shows, avatars, add-ons, season passes, special deals and more. Continue reading Sony Entertainment Network Now Available in North America

New York-based interactive entertainment company Atari Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, announcing plans to sell all its assets. The videogame pioneer, with a portfolio of more than 200 games, has filed in an effort to separate from its French parent Atari SA of Paris (formerly Infogrames SA) and secure independent capital. Continue reading Atari Files for Bankruptcy to Separate from Parent Company

Worldwide spending on watching movies last year reached $62.4 billion, up from $61.1 billion in 2011 and $60.1 billion in 2010, according to IHS Screen Digest. The numbers include theatrical releases, disc rentals, pay TV VOD and digital retail purchases and rentals. North America accounted for 41 percent of global movie revenue in 2012, although spending on physical media saw a decline. Continue reading Report: Worldwide Spending on Movies Up $1.3 Billion in 2012

Justin Timberlake released his latest song, “Suit & Tie,” on Myspace last week in order to promote both his new album and the revamped version of Myspace (Timberlake is a minority partner in the group that purchased the social network in 2011). The new Myspace, which lets users listen to music for free in order to help promote artists, has drawn early praise for its functionality and sleek design, but it may have hit a bump in the road as a coalition of indie record labels claims the network is using music from member labels without permission. Continue reading Revamped Myspace Hits Snag with Independent Record Labels