Reuters: Technology News

Europe targets Switzerland in fight against bank secrecy

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:02:40 GMT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe edged closer to lifting banking secrecy on Wednesday after Austria said it was ready to share data on foreign depositors but Vienna's support could fade should efforts to strike a similar deal with Switzerland fail.

Former Yahoo executive Shashi Seth to head Tribune digital

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:56:32 GMT

(Reuters) - Former Yahoo Inc executive Shashi Seth has joined Tribune Co to lead its digital ventures as the newspaper and broadcast company seeks new revenue sources.

Dish uses national security ads to fight SoftBank deal

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:11:51 GMT

(Reuters) - Dish Network Corp has rolled out an advertising campaign suggesting a deal by a Japanese company to acquire Sprint Nextel Corp could threaten U.S. national security, hoping to sway lawmakers and win support for its rival offer.

SAP looks to recruit people with autism as programmers

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:04:46 GMT

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German software company SAP is looking to recruit people with autism as programmers and product testers, drawing on skills that can include a close attention to detail and an ability to solve complex problems.

Ireland feels the heat from Apple tax row

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:38:13 GMT

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland called on Wednesday for an international clampdown on multinationals shifting profits around the world to avoid tax, after criticism that Irish loopholes helped technology giant Apple to shrink its tax bill.

EU leaders talk tough on tackling Amazon, Google over taxes

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:42:21 GMT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain, France and Germany called for stricter rules to stop companies such as Google, Apple and Amazon aggressively avoiding taxes in austerity bitten Europe, while acknowledging they had done nothing unlawful.

Pearson agrees $75 million settlement in U.S. e-books case

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:41:29 GMT

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - British publisher Pearson's Penguin unit said on Wednesday it would pay $75 million in damages plus costs to U.S. states and consumers as part of an agreement over alleged price-fixing in the e-book market.

British opposition leader says Google tax behavior 'wrong'

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:56:16 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Google Inc's tax affairs came under renewed scrutiny in Britain on Wednesday when the leader of the opposition Labour party accused the Internet company of wrongly going to "extraordinary lengths" to avoid paying tax.

Video game maker Atari seeks court approval for sale of assets

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:07:44 GMT

(Reuters) - Video game maker Atari Inc is seeking court approval for the sale of all its assets as it works its way out of bankruptcy protection.

Telefonica cuts handset prices to win back Spanish clients

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:06:33 GMT

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish telecoms operator Telefonica lowered prices on smartphones by between 15 and 30 percent in its domestic market on Wednesday to fight increasing competition in the recession-hit country.

Talks over Vimpelcom's Djezzy at delicate stage: source

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:13:08 GMT

MOSCOW/CAIRO (Reuters) - Russia-focused telecoms firm Vimpelcom's talks to sell a controlling stake in its Algerian mobile business Djezzy to Algeria are at a delicate stage but have not failed, a source with knowledge of the discussions said on Wednesday.

Ireland feels the heat from Apple tax row

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:23:48 GMT

Ireland feels the heat from Apple tax row

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:39:03 GMT

Entertaining change: Sony to look at activist's spin-off idea

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:35:27 GMT

TOKYO (Reuters) - Few foreign activist investors have made much headway in forcing change in Japan, where a conservative corporate culture favors long-standing ties with banks, business partners and workers rather than shareholders seeking value.

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

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:29:20 GMT

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.

Apple CEO makes no apology for company's tax strategy

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:21 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook made no apology on Tuesday for the iPad maker saving billions of dollars in U.S. taxes through Irish subsidiaries and told lawmakers that his company backs corporate tax reform, even though it may end up paying more.

Microsoft unveils Xbox One with Spielberg, Activision tie-up

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:39 GMT

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.

Microsoft unveils Xbox One with Spielberg, Activision tie-up

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:22:34 GMT

UK opposition party leader says Google tax behavior 'wrong'

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:10:08 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Google Inc's tax affairs will come under renewed scrutiny in Britain on Wednesday when the leader of the opposition Labor party accuses the Internet company of wrongly going to "extraordinary lengths" to avoid paying tax.

Is Sony un-Japanese enough to entertain change?

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:04:55 GMT

PayPal to increase marketing this year for offline push

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:49:24 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - PayPal, the online payment operation owned by eBay Inc, will increase marketing spending to support its push into physical stores, President David Marcus said on Tuesday.

Apple CEO makes no apology for company's tax strategy

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:31:45 GMT

Ireland rejects blame for Apple's low tax rate

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:10:36 GMT

CORK/DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland said on Tuesday it was not to blame for Apple Inc's low global tax payments and had no special rate deal with the company after the U.S. Senate said it paid little or no tax on tens of billions of dollars in profits stashed in Irish subsidiaries.

Some U.S. utilities say they're under constant cyber attack

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:47:43 GMT

WASHINGTON/BOSTON (Reuters) - Several power utilities say they face a barrage of cyber attacks on their critical systems, a report by two Democratic lawmakers found echoing warnings from the Obama administration that foreign hackers were trying to bring down the U.S. power grid.

Court revives lawsuit vs Electronic Arts over video game image

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:16:23 GMT

(Reuters) - A divided federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit against Electronic Arts Inc by a former Rutgers University star football quarterback, who accused it of using his image in a video game without permission.