As the result of a two-pronged campaign coming out of China against Western media and the technology companies that create devices from which the Chinese access news and entertainment, it may become increasingly difficult for outside companies to operate within the country. As part of the ongoing campaign, Chinese state-fun broadcaster CCTV aired a critical documentary last week regarding Apple’s customer service. Continue reading China Campaigns Against Western Media and Tech Firms

Apple, much like Google and Amazon, delivers Web services to hundreds of millions of people, from servers based in enormous data centers. Apple’s iCloud currently serves more than 250 million people, which is beginning to require new hardware and software that are more efficient than what is available in those data centers. Apple and Facebook, among others, have turned to flash-based options from Fusion-io. Continue reading Modern Data Centers Turn to Flash Solutions from Fusion-io

President Obama met with a group of 13 corporate executives at the White House on Wednesday to discuss growing cybersecurity concerns and to enlist support for his proposed legislation to combat the threat of computer warfare and corporate espionage. Among the chief execs were Rex W. Tillerson of Exxon Mobil, Randall L. Stephenson of AT&T, Brian T. Moynihan of Bank of America and Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase. Continue reading Obama Seeks Corporate Support for Cybersecurity Initiative

Amazon and Apple, today’s biggest forces in electronic goods, are separately pursuing a digital marketplace, where items such as e-books, music, movies and software can be bought, sold and exchanged. The Apple system would enable this to happen through file transfers. However, the system would limit the digital copy to one user at any given time. Will content producers eventually see their work devalued in such a marketplace? Continue reading Are We Closer to a Marketplace for Used Digital Content?

Some cybersecurity experts say that Chinese hackers have invaded Hollywood’s computers, much like they did to the systems of Facebook, Apple, The New York Times and many others. The root of the problem, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is China’s contempt for intellectual property. In a country where most video and software is pirated, the culture of copying runs deep. Continue reading China Hacking Hollywood Computers, Say Security Experts

Marvel has launched a new iOS app for comic book fans who want more access to their favorite superheroes. Back issues were previously only available via the Adobe Flash-based reader until Marvel launched an HTML5-based, iPad-compatible reader a few months ago. Now the companion Marvel Unlimited app will provide access to more than 13,000 comic books for a $10 monthly or $60 yearly subscription. Continue reading Marvel Comics Launches New Subscription Service for iPad

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Beats Electronics CEO Jimmy Iovine during a recent visit to Los Angeles, according to three people familiar with the matter. The execs met to discuss the business model and rollout plans of Beats’ Project Daisy, a subscription music service announced in January with little detail. The sources suggest Apple may be interested in a potential partnership. Continue reading Will Apple Team with Beats for Streaming Music Service?

The global market for mobile apps continues to grow, but raises business challenges for those creating new apps. Developers targeting China, the world’s largest smartphone market, face a complex and oft-times confusing process. These app makers are forced to navigate through dozens of app stores with looser rules than in the U.S., fending off cloned apps and steering around regulations and local competition. Continue reading Mobile App Market Grows in China, but Harder to Penetrate

A Chinese government research institute has accused Google of using its Android mobile OS dominance to discriminate against local companies. The report suggests that China is too reliant on the platform and Google has delayed sharing code in recent versions of Android. This serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions between China and Google, after the tech giant said it would not comply with Chinese Internet restrictions three years ago. Continue reading Commercial Discrimination: China Critical of Android OS

Based on numbers from mobile ad network Jumptap, which covers 134 million mobile users in the U.S. and 206 million mobile users worldwide, tablets accounted for 18 percent of all traffic on its network — compared to 78 percent for smartphones and 4 percent for feature phones. With the data from Jumptap’s most recent monthly report and its latest projections, tablets are set to continue this upward trend at a rapid pace. Continue reading Consumers Increasingly Turn to Tablets for Mobile Content

Apple kicked off the mobile apps craze five years ago and the industry continues to gain momentum. App stores run by Apple and Google offer more than 700,000 apps each. Because of the growing range of choices, it is estimated that consumers spend an average of two hours per day with their apps. And they’re spending money on them, too. However, this may only be the beginning. Continue reading App Industry Continues to Boom, Five Years After it Began

In an assessment that might surprise some, Bloomberg writes that the still-in-development Apple wristwatch-style device may prove to be more profitable than the company’s rumored television set. The global watch industry is expected to generate more than $60 billion in sales this year. While that’s smaller than the revenue generated in the TV industry, gross margins on watches are about 60 percent, according to analysis. Continue reading Apple Wristwatch Device Could Be More Profitable Than TV

As Internet users become more aware of online privacy issues, Internet companies are working to prove that consumer data is safe and under control. Some companies are even trying to gain advantage in the market by promoting themselves as more privacy-friendly than their rivals. Mozilla recently took this approach when it announced it would allow users to disable third-party tracking software. Others have taken similar tacts. Continue reading Industry Responds to Upswing in Online Privacy Concerns

Google’s purchase this month of Channel Intelligence, a data management platform for retailer inventory, suggests that Google has plans to become the dominant player in global e-commerce. In the U.S. alone, that market is already worth $186 billion. The $125 million deal will not only impact Google’s ad business, but underscores the company’s strategy to work its way into the retail market, starting with e-commerce websites. Continue reading Google Takes Next Step to Dominate Retail with Acquisition

Samsung and Google continue to compete with Apple’s dominance in the smartphone market. Samsung’s influence is growing — the South Korean company now sells a total of 40 percent of all gadgets using Google’s Android software — and Google is worried that Samsung might flex its muscle to renegotiate its arrangement and adversely affect Google’s successful mobile-ad business. Continue reading Will Samsung Hurt Google Mobile Ad Biz with Android Lead?