“The bottom line is the world has changed and we’re expanding our business model to serve markets that we historically could not serve,” Huang said. “This opportunity simply didn’t exist several years ago because there was really just one computing device – the PC. But the swirling universe of new computing devices provides new opportunities to license our GPU core or visual computing portfolio.”

Nvidia in recent years has established itself in the fast-growing mobile market, creating processors for tablets that take advantage of its graphics expertise.

But Nvidia has faced tough competition from the much larger Qualcomm and Samsung, limiting its success.

The move will put Nvidia into direct competition with UK-based Imagination Technologies, whose graphics technology is used in Apple’s iPhone, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 smartphone and other devices. Apple and Intel own stakes in Imagination.

Nvidia will also be competing against UK-based ARM, which licenses processor technology to chipmakers including Nvidia and is increasingly targeting graphics as well.

Nvidia is integrating Long Term Evolution (LTE) features on upcoming versions of its Tegra chips to aid in the battle to be used in smartphones and tablet than losing out to Qualcomm.

But this not fully new business model for Nvidia.  Nvidia licened earlier GPU core to Sony for the Playstation 3.  Plus it has received more than $250 million a year from Intel as a license fee for the use of visual computing patents.

The post Nvidia Will No Longer Just Sell Chips, But License Graphics Technology as Well appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Yahoo is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire Qwiki, the makers of a popular iOS app that turns photos, sound and video clips into short movies.

That’s according to AllThingsD, which says the deal could go for as much as $50 million.

Qwiki fits in well with Yahoo’s recent acquisition history: It’s a mobile-first startup priced under $100 million. Yahoo has acquired more than a dozen startups fitting this description, shutting down their respective apps and diverting engineering resources to Yahoo’s expanding portfolio of mobile apps.

The big exception to that trend was Tumblr, which Yahoo acquired last month for north of $1 billion and promises to run as a separate business.

The post Yahoo Wants to Buy Qwiki for $50 Million appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Last week, the special action committee evaluating Dish’s proposal for Clearwire recommended that the board accept Dish’s offer rather than Sprint’s. Sprint contends that Dish’s offer violates both Delaware law, as well as the rights of both Sprint’s and Clearwire’s investors. Sprint also calls the offer “structurally and actionably coercive.”

Sprint points out that the offer cannot be accepted without approval from 75% of Clearwire’s investors, including both Sprint and Comcast specifically. Sprint goes on to accuse Dish of attempting to fool Clearwire’s shareholders and obstruct Sprint’s attempt to acquire the portion of Clearwire that it does not already own.

Sprint wants portions of the tender offer to be rescinded, and is also seeking declaratory, injunctive, and compensatory relief.

The post Sprint Sues to Stop Dish’s Tender Offer for Clearwire appeared first on Takes On Tech.

An earlier agreement between the two companies has Netflix airing Turbo F.A.S.T. in December, a series picking up from where upcoming film Turbo leaves off, while the new programming in the agreement could use characters from current DreamWorks franchises. Properties from Classic Media’s catalog, which the company bought in July last year for $155 million, are also available to use, which includes characters such as Lassie and Casper the Friendly Ghost.

The new programming will begin to be aired next year, and will be available in all territories Netflix currently operates in, though shows could air in the US first before appearing in other markets. Netflix also signed an exclusivity deal to bring Dreamworks Animation feature films to the service in the US and Latin America, which will bring films such as The Croods and Mr. Peabody and Sherman to Netflix from next year onwards.

The extra 300 hours of animated programs will help Netflix bolster its shows aimed at children, and will add on top of current original content efforts by the service, which currently consists of Arrested Development, House of Cards, and the upcoming science-fiction series Sense8.

The post Netflix Signs Multi-Year DreamWorks Animation appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The project hopes to fly balloons at twice the altitude of commercial planes, while still allowing for base stations at homes and businesses to connect. The fleet of balloons will navigate around the world using solar power and stratospheric winds, with the final project using software algorithms to work out how high to fly to drift in the right direction, and therefore keep the network connected.

While the project is said by Google to be in its “early days,” it could have been working on it for some time. A report in 2008 suggested that the search giant was working with a balloon wireless firm to see if it could create a wide-area Internet network.

A pilot program is starting up in New Zealand, with 50 testers attempting to connect to 30 Project Loon balloons over the course of a week, and it is looking towards setting up similar tests in other countries in the same latitude.

The post Google Debuts High-Altitude Balloon Networking Project appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Rumors emerged earlier this month that a collaboration was in the works between the two, with Jay-Z said to be close to signing a marketing deal in excess of $20 million. The new image confirms the deal, though the financial details are uncertain.

The post Rap Mogul Jay-Z and Samsung Announce Partnership During Game 5 of NBA Finals appeared first on Takes On Tech.

“As a result, some positions are being eliminated,” Hayes continued. “This action is a reflection of our new strategy and organizational simplification initiative announced by Symantec’s executives on January 23, 2013. One of the goals of Symantec’s reorganizational effort is to make the company’s employee reporting structure more efficient and support the company strategy moving forward.”

“There are several stages to the reorganization process, as we define executive and management layers down to all levels of employees. Some notifications are happening this month, as part of this the process. We are communicating with employees directly and do not have more information to share at this time,” the statement concludes.

The company is expected to take a one-time charge of up to $240 million as a result of the reorganization. The employee paring is expected to be completed by the end of this fiscal year for the company, which began March 30. Up to today’s layoffs, the company has taken only $10 million of these charges against the bottom line, implying that there are deeper cuts to come.

The post Symantec Reorganization Drops Nearly 1,800 Jobs appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Obama has for years been seeking ways to free up 500MHz of spectrum that can be turned over to wireless network operators and used for mobile broadband. This latest effort is targeting government use of the country’s airwaves. Sprint and AT&T were quick to laud the Administration’s move.

“Sprint appreciates the steps that President Obama and his Administration have taken today to help ensure that spectrum is used in the most efficient and effective ways possible,” said Vonya B. McCann, senior vice president of Government Affairs at Sprint. “Every day, consumers, businesses, and government are relying more and more on wireless broadband services. A steady supply of new spectrum, along with continued improvements in technology and innovation, are key to providing those services.”

AT&T’s Jim Cicconi, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President, External and Legislative Affairs, said, “We commend the White House for recognizing the enormous progress in U.S. broadband deployment, wireless in particular, and for their commitment to meet the need for more spectrum so these investments can continue.” Other wireless network operators have yet to comment publicly.

The post White House Wants Better Use of Government Spectrum appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Jeffrey Evenson, senior vice president at Corning, told the MIT Technology Review’s Mobile Summit that the use of Gorilla Glass could help reduce the total weight of a car, which can lower its center of mass and potentially boost fuel economy by a few percent, as well as making the inside of the car quieter. He expects at least one car manufacturer to use Gorilla Glass in its vehicles in the next year.

Evenson also advised that a developmental “antimicrobial” glass could be certified by the US Environmental Protection Agency in the coming months, and while it is being targeted to the health care industry due to its ability to destroy bacteria, it could also be used on smartphones. “The number of germs on a smartphone exceeds the number of germs on a public toilet,” claims Evenson. “We think there might be a bigger market.”

The post Corning VP Suggests Gorilla Glass Will Be Used in Autos and Health Care appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Bill Hague, AT&T’s executive vice president of international affairs, said that such agreements would benefit not only consumers, but the network operators, too. “Roaming agreements will increase revenue for everyone, and far more than anyone could do individually,” said Hague while speaking at the Wi-Fi Global Congress this week.

“In much the same way as GSMA standardization secured its international success, so we need to do the same with Wi-Fi.” Specifically, AT&T is looking at the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) and its Passpoint program, which will allow cell phone users roam from cell network to Wi-Fi hotspots seamlessly, even in other countries. Passpoint and the Next Generation Hotspot (Hotspot 2.0) programs require that devices be certifed by the WBA, since a big piece of the puzzle is authentication of the user between the various networks.

The standards are still in progress and the industry has yet to settle on one. Apple’s recently-announced iOS 7 includes support for Hotspot 2.0, as does the Samsung Galaxy S4. The initiative is expected to go live for consumers early next year.

The post AT&T Wants Broader Wi-Fi Roaming Agreements appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The committee believes Clearwire’s full board should shun Sprint’s offer of $3.40 per share in favor of Dish’s offer of $4.40 per share, according to the sources “familiar with the matter.” Until now, Clearwire’s board has endorsed Sprint’s offer for the company. Despite the committee’s recommendation, Sprint still owns more than half of Clearwire. The committee is also recommending that Clearwire postpone a shareholder vote scheduled for Thursday, June 13 until later in the month. Sprint, however, believes Dish’s offer is unactionable and illegal according to Delaware law.

Neither Clearwire nor Sprint has commented on the matter. Dish and Sprint have been going back and forth over control for Clearwire since January.

The post Clearwire Committee to Endorse Dish’s Offer appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Vice President of Product Innovation Todd Yellin  confirmed the addition to Engadget at E3, suggesting that a husband and  wife may have drastically different tastes in programming, and that user  profiles on a family account would tailor suggestions further.
A  demonstration of the new system on an iPad showed the profile choice appearing  on-screen after launching the app, with user names and avatars appearing on  separate icons. Profiles can be age locked to prevent unsuitable material being  viewed by younger  users, and can also restrict the profiles used by children to access only the  Netflix Kids Hub, rather than the full catalog of shows.
While it was  not revealed how many profiles can be assigned to an account, nor if Facebook integration will apply to accounts or user profiles,  the limit of two simultaneous streams will still apply

The post Netflix Adding User Profiles, Better Recommendations Soon appeared first on Takes On Tech.

“We are in the midst of the latest battle, in which ASCAP and its members have abruptly shifted away from 100 years of business practice and attempted to create a new right to ‘withdraw’ from ASCAP the right to license certain songs on what is essentially a case-by-case basis,” wrote Pandora assistant general counsel Christopher Harrison in an editoral published in The Hill, a Washington DC-based political newsletter.

Harrison also wrote that Pandora has filed a lawsuit against ASCAP with the New York federal court, alleging that the media rights group has “violated the terms of its antitrust consent decree with the Department of Justice” in discriminatory licensing against solely online music services. ASCAP has long offered different and substantially smaller rates for broadcast radio stations that also stream their programming on the Internet compared to the rate reserved for Internet-only “stations.”

After ASCAP rules were amended to allow individual publishers to selectively withdraw rights from song catalogs available to online streamers, Pandora was forced to negotiate in the dark with Sony/ATV without a list of tracks that were being withdrawn from the service. The negotiations, up against a tight deadline, resulted in increased streaming rates for the company.

“The status quo is a dead end for the vast majority of working musicians, and the Internet is driving a sea change that will fundamentally shift the equation away from big industry players towards a more democratic and inclusive industry for both listeners and artists,” Harrison wrote in the op-ed. “For this to become reality, Internet radio must be embraced – not discriminated against.”

KXMZ is a “hot adult contemporary” station, with a key demographic between 18 and 54 years of age. The station broadcasts at 102.7MHz with 50kW of power, reaching nearly 175,000 listeners terrestrially, and generally another 5,000 on the Internet.

The post Pandora Buys Terrestrial FM Station to Gain Lower Music Rate from ASCAP appeared first on Takes On Tech.

During primetime television alone, there are between 88 and 100 million Americans engaged on Facebook – roughly a Super Bowl-sized audience every single night. The recent “Red Wedding” episode of Game of Thrones, received over 1.5 million mentions on Facebook, representing a significant portion of the 5.2 million people who watched the show. And this year’s Oscars buzz reached an all-time high on Facebook with over 66.5 million interactions, including likes, comments, and posts.

Now you can:

• Search for a specific hashtag from your search bar. For example, #NBAFinals.
• Click on hashtags that originate on other services, such as Instagram.
• Compose posts directly from the hashtag feed and search results.

Facebook said it will make the clickable hashtags available to users in the coming weeks, beginning on Wednesday. Though hashtags haven’t worked on Facebook until now, many people were using them anyway, having grown accustomed to them on Twitter and Instagram.

The post Facebook Now Supports Hashtags appeared first on Takes On Tech.

ACLU legal director Jameel Jaffer said in a statement that “This dragnet program is surely one of the largest surveillance efforts ever launched by a democratic government against its own citizens. It is the equivalent of requiring every American to file a daily report with the government of every location they visited, every person they talked to on the phone, the time of each call, and the length of every conversation. The program goes far beyond even the permissive limits set by the Patriot Act and represents a gross infringement of the freedom of association and the right to privacy.”

Specifically named as defendants in the suit are Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, Director of the National Security Agency Keith B. Alexander, Secretary of Defense Charles T. Hagel, Attorney General of the US Eric H. Holder, and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III. The ACLU is seeking injunction of the phone monitoring program, purge of plaintiff’s communication records, and a fee award. The various US intelligence agencies named in the suit have yet to publicly respond.

The post ACLU Sues NSA, FBI, US Attorney General Over Phone Monitoring appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The free podcasts are available through the iTunes Store, where users can choose to grab individual keynotes and presentations or subscribe to an automatic feed of them. The streaming version of the WWDC keynote was available live to Mac, Apple TV and iOS users, requiring the Safari browser (version 4.0.2 or later) for the former group during the actual presentation. A streaming repeat of the keynote was available almost immediately afterwards, but the downloadable version only went live earlier on Tuesday. The current stream has altered its requirements to allow Windows machines with QuickTime 7 or later installed to view the broadcast.

The presentation — which introduced refreshed MacBook Airs, gave a breathtaking “sneak preview” of the forthcoming new Mac Pro, and showcased the substantial design changes coming in iOS 7 and further feature integration in OS X Mavericks (10.9) — certainly had the feel of the company getting back on form, perhaps expressing at times even a little pride at what presumably was a long wait to make the major announcements in the face of criticism from impatient pundits (many of whom are still waiting for their pet products to be announced). Presenters took a few shots at rivals, including Android and Windows, even while occasionally highlighting a Google or Microsoft service.

Also mentioned during a discussion of the Mac Pro’s exceptional video output capability — thanks to two workstation-class AMD graphics cards, it can run up to three full 4K displays simultaneously — was that Final Cut Pro X would be updated to handle the functionality. It seems to be a safe bet (though it was not explicitly mentioned) that Apple will eventually produce a 4K-level Thunderbolt Display of its own.

While OS X Mavericks appears to be more of a further refinement of the direction taken since Snow Leopard, the changes in naming and direction do indeed feel, as Sir Jonathan Ive put it, like “a new beginning” in many ways. OS X has reached a sort of plateau that can be built on for the changes to come in the next decade, while iOS 7 enjoys a fuller design overhaul, increased mobile utility and further integration with the Mac. Notably, Craig Federighi’s demos of the two systems showcased that both OSes borrow ideas from each other, and work together better — not, as many had postulated, a merging of the two.

The post WWDC Keynote Now Available on iTunes appeared first on Takes On Tech.

A lot of Waze’s traffic data is generated by a community of users. Google said that it will work with the community, too, to make sure that the app’s data is always current.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The post Google Acquires Waze appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Chiefly, SoftBank is upping the amount of cash it will pay to investors by $4.5 billion to a total of $16.64 billion. The amount of cash being pumped into the front-end of the deal is being offset by a $3 billion reduction in the $4.9 billion investment SoftBank planned to make in New Sprint after the acquisition was completed, as well as new financing on SoftBank’s part. The companies together believe that reworking the finances is a win for Sprint’s shareholders and reflects Sprint’s Network Vision progress and profitability improvements.

However, once the deal is done, Sprint’s current shareholders will have 22% ownership of the company, and SoftBank will have 78%. Under the previous terms, SoftBank would have had a 70% stake in Sprint. Separate from altering the SoftBank transaction terms, Sprint today also announced that its Special Committee evaluating Dish Networks’ proposal has concluded that Dish’s deal is no good. “We have expended substantial time and energy engaging with Dish over the past nine weeks, including an extensive due diligence process, but these efforts did not lead, in the Special Committee’s view, to a proposal that was reasonably likely to lead to a proposal superior to SoftBank’s,” said Sprint.

In light of these changes, Sprint has delayed its planned June 12 shareholder vote to June 25. Most U.S. regulatory bodies, including the Justice Department, SEC, and FBI, have approved SoftBank’s proposed equity acquisition of Sprint. It is now awaiting review from the Federal Communications Commission.

The post Sprint and SoftBank Update Deal Terms – Sprint Disses Dish appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The connectivity is offered at no additional cost to Xfinity Internet residential customers. Comcast’s newest Wireless Gateway broadcasts two discrete WiFi signals. By default, one is securely configured for the private use of the home subscriber. The other creates an extension of the Xfinity WiFi network and will allow visiting Xfinity Internet subscribers to sign in and connect using their own usernames and passwords.

Comcast started a neighborhood hotspot trial last year in parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Northern Virginia and the Greater Washington, DC metro area. Currently, more than 100,000 Xfinity Internet subscribers already regularly use these WiFi access points being offered by other subscribers.

The post Comcast Ships Additional Public SSID to Customer’s Wi-Fi Routers for HotSpot Network appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The activation lock feature completely prevents the use of the phone following theft if the user chooses to disable the handset remotely using the “find my iPhone” set of features. The device is totally locked down until the original user reenters both the registered iCloud user name and password.

In a statement after the iOS 7 feature’s reveal, Attorney General Schneiderman, and District Attorney Gascon stated that “‘Apple Picking’ is a huge epidemic in the United States. We are appreciative of the gesture made by Apple to address smartphone theft. We reserve judgment on the activation lock feature until we can understand its actual functionality. We look forward to having a substantive conversation with Apple and other manufacturers at our Smartphone Summit on Thursday. We are hopeful that the cell phone industry will imbed persistent technology that is free to consumers that will make a phone inoperable once stolen, even if the device is off, the SIM card is removed, or the phone is modified by a thief to avoid detection.”

The topic of discussion will be how to convince mobile hardware and software developers to help stem the tide of cellphone thefts in both cities, often ending in violence. No wireless carriers will be in attendance. The meeting will take place in New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office.

The post iOS 7 Activation Lock Geature Notice by Attorneys Generals of New York City and San Francisco appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Sources close to the negotiations say that Waze’s team was set on keeping its operations based in Israel. Google, which has been growing its operations in that country, agreed to keep Waze’s development there for at least three years. Facebook, which had also been looking to buy Waze, was set on moving Waze into the United States, and this was a point of much conflict in the negotiations between the two firms.

Google also is said to have agreed to pay Waze’s purchase price in cash, whereas Facebook wanted to pay half cash, half stock.

The deal will see more social elements added to Google’s mapping operations. With a user base in excess of 50 million, Waze allows users to get realtime updates on traffic, as well as quick rerouting when the system determines there is a better route depending on traffic conditions. The startup, one of the more successful out of Israel, was considered by some observers to be the best means for companies like Facebook and Apple to quickly improve the standing of their location services compared to Google.

The post Rumors Have Google on the Verge of Buying Social Mapping Service Waze appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The Ford-designed and created made-for-movie Mustang will be featured prominently throughout the film and become part of the mythology of the movie. The Need for Speed Mustang features a custom-designed wide body, unique 22-inch alloy wheels, and larger air intakes to feed the supercharged V8 engine under its classic Mustang twin-nostril hood.

“’Need for Speed’ is rooted in Americana, and when we were casting our hero car for the film, Ford Mustang was the obvious choice,” said Snider. “With its 50-year history in film, the iconic Mustang is the perfect co-star for Aaron Paul. We are privileged to have such an esteemed partner like Ford working with us on this film and look forward to seeing their Mustang up on the big screen next year.”

Ford also provided the production with an F-450 truck known in the film as “The Beast,” as well as another Mustang to serve as a specially designed camera car, which allows the filmmakers to capture car racing action in new and exciting ways.

Need for Speed marks an exciting return to the great car culture films of the 1960s and ’70s, tapping into what makes the American myth of the open road so appealing. The story chronicles a near-impossible cross-country journey for our heroes – one that begins as a mission for revenge but proves to be a journey of redemption.

“Ford Mustang is a symbol of freedom and optimism that allows you to be the person you dream of being, making it the perfect fit for this story,” said Farley. “Ford is excited to partner with DreamWorks and Electronic Arts as they bring the epic gaming franchise of ‘Need For Speed’ to the big screen, allowing us to go further with them as they tell their great story on the global stage.”

The movie is based on Electronic Arts’ popular video game series of the same name. It is one of the most successful racing video game franchises in the world, with more than 140 million games sold. The film stars Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”), Dominic Cooper (Captain America), Imogen Poots (Fright Night) and Michael Keaton (Batman), and is directed by Scott Waugh (Act of Valor). George Gatins and John Gatins developed the story and wrote the screenplay. John Gatins, Patrick O’Brien and Mark Sourian are producing. The Walt Disney Company is distributing the film in the United States and select international territories, while Mister Smith Entertainment is handling distribution in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. DreamWorks’ partner Reliance will distribute the film in India.

“’The Need for Speed’ movie will embody everything that fans of action racing films want to see – hot cars, high-stakes street racing and mind-blowing stunts,” said Scott Waugh, director of the “Need for Speed” film. “The adrenaline-fueled story across America will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.”

The next game in the “Need for Speed” franchise, Need for Speed Rivals, will be available Nov. 19, 2013 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The game will launch on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 later this year.

The post DreamWorks and Ford Announce Need for Speed Film Partnership appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Eyes Free is currently supported by many major car brands, including Audi, Mercedes, GM, Land Rover, Jaguar, Toyota, Chrysler, Chevrolet, and Honda. The extent of compatibility can vary considerably through, since in some cases a brand has less than a handful of cars with the option. It remains to be seen how Eyes Free will evolve with iOS 7, due to be revealed next week.

The post All 2014 BMW Autos Will Come with Siri Eyes Free Support appeared first on Takes On Tech.

In its October 2012 filing, TiVo claimed that Motorola Mobility’s set top division may owe it “billions of dollars” based on devices sold to Time Warner Cable alone. The newest settlement may nearly double the $1 billion the company has received from Dish and Verizon from patent royalties.

TiVo stock jumped to $13.71 in after-hours trading on news of the settlement. The stock is now at the highest point it has attained in three years. One more case involving TiVo patents is scheduled for next year against Cisco, also for DVR boxes sold to Time Warner.

Motorola Mobility’s set top division is being sold to the Arris Group. Under the terms of the purchase from Google, Arris is only liable for $50 million of the settlement, with Google shouldering the rest of any payout.

The post Tivo, Motorola Mobility Settle DVR Suit appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The company’s two co-founders will be joining Logitech to help design future smartphone products, with Derek Tarnow joining full time and Zahra Tashakorina offering advice through an ongoing consulting basis. Logitech plans to further develop two of the acquired products, JustMount and TidyTilt+, and release them to customers under the Logitech brand.

Meanwhile, the Logitech JustMount and Logitech TidyTilt are available for pre-order today and will ship to consumers in the coming weeks.

The post Logitech Purchases Kickstarter Funded Startup TT Design Labs appeared first on Takes On Tech.

AT&T traditionally maintains a 9% stake in America Movil, and has two employees on the board. The company said it does not plan to sell its entire stake in America Movil.

Earlier this year, AT&T said it would explore asset sales across its business units.

The post AT&T Sold Off a Portion of Its America Movil Stake appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The SD Association achieved this by adding the Single Wire Protocol (SWP) to the SD card spec, which provides the Secure Element needed to handle NFC for identification and authorization of payments. According to the SD Association, the smartSD spec can be added to the microSD form factor in SD, SDHC, and SDXC capacities.

The SD Association envisions that financial institutions, retailers, transportation companies and others will issue smartSD cards that can be used with NFC-equipped smartphones to enable cashless transactions.

The post SD Association Debuts smartSD Spec with NFC Support appeared first on Takes On Tech.

According to San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, 1.6 million cell phones are stolen each year from Americans. The city officials will meet with Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft on June 13, when they intend to enlist the companies’ help by asking them to devise ways to quickly deactivate stolen devices so they will no longer work. U.S. network operators have already created a registry of stolen cell phones together with the Federal Communications Commission that is used to prevent them from accessing network services.

Last month, New York Senator Charles Schumer reintroduced a bill that would make it illegal for people to alter the IMEI or other identifying numbers of devices. All these steps have been taken in an effort to reduce thefts and robberies of cell phones by drying up the secondary market for the stolen goods.

The post NYC and San Francisco Officials Will Meet with Phone Makers Over Thefts appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The exact meaning of Britt’s statement is unclear, but may imply that the Apple TV and/or  the Xbox One will get live access to channels carried by Time Warner.  Such  work  could also feed into Apple’s plans for a dedicated TV set, but there has  been  little news on the device in recent months.  Apple is thought to be having  problems securing deals with content providers.

The post Time Warner Talking to Apple, MS, Samsung, About Streaming Video Packs appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Apple may appeal the decision with federal courts or ask the White House for a reprieve. Neither company offered a statement on the ruling.

The post Samsung Wins Import Ban Against Apple Devices appeared first on Takes On Tech.