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Samsung to Hang Its Shingle Inside Best Buys April 04, 2013 The latest consumer electronics manufacturer to follow the store-within-a-store trend is Samsung, which announced Thursday that Best Buy will dedicate space within its U.S. showrooms and specialty stores for the Samsung Experience Shop, an area dedicated to the company's products and demonstrations. Best Buy will rollout the Samsung Experience Shop in more than 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores.

Apple Apologizes to Chinese Customers Following Media Beatdown April 02, 2013 Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized Monday to Chinese customers over the company's warranty policy, adding that he would improve customer service in China, which is now Apple's second-biggest market. The apology may be linked to a mid-March television special that aired on "Consumer Rights Day," claiming Apple's Chinese customers were treated worse than their Western counterparts.

Yahoo and Summly: CliffsNotes for the Mobile Era? April 02, 2013 The IT industry is no stranger to youth worship, but Yahoo's multimillion-dollar deal for Summly pushes that notion into cradle-robbing -- well, high school-robbing, anyway -- territory. That's because the punchline beneath the headlines is the age of Summly founder. Nick D'Aloisio, 17, appears to have qualified as the world's youngest VC-backed entrepreneur.

Michael Dell Goes Into Safe Mode April 01, 2013 Michael Dell, CEO of the PC maker that bears his name, may be considering a buyout offer from the Blackstone Group -- a bid that competes with a deal he put together himself -- but only with some serious strings attached. Apparently he not only wants the company to retain the Dell moniker, but also wants to remain in charge.

Amazon Adds Goodreads to Its Library of Social Networks March 29, 2013 Amazon announced Thursday that it had acquired Goodreads, the social networking site for bibliophiles. Goodreads will join Amazon's other online book communities, Shelfari and LibraryThing, as the retailer looks to expand its social insight into what book lovers are buying and sharing. Since its launch seven years ago, Goodreads has grown to include more than 16 million worldwide users.

Apple Takes the Maps Fight Inside March 27, 2013 Apple has slammed the door on WiFiSLAM after acquiring the Android indoor location positioning developer. However, even though it has closed the startup's shop, Apple will likely use its technology to get mapping again. After last fall's humiliation over its bungled outdoor maps app, Apple's acquisition of WiFiSLAM could be an important step in the right direction.

Yahoo Pays Big for Teen Coding Whiz and His App March 26, 2013 Yahoo has paid a reported $30 million for Summly, a newsreader app founded by 17-year-old programming prodigy Nick D'Aloisio. The move makes D'Aloisio, based in London, both an instant multimillionaire and Yahoo's youngest employee. The Summly app, which delivers 400-character summaries of news stories, will be shut down, but the technology will soon appear in Yahoo's mobile products.

US Judge Tosses Censorship Claims Against Baidu, China March 26, 2013 At long last, China and the United States are on the same cyberpage. A U.S. district judge in Manhattan dismissed a lawsuit brought by activists who claimed that Baidu, China's largest search engine, should be punished -- along with China itself -- for censoring them on the Web.

Dropbox Sends a Message to Google With Mailbox Buy March 18, 2013 Dropbox announced Friday it has inked a deal to acquire Orchestra, owner of the popular Mailbox iOS email app that aims to help users with crowded in-boxes simplify their lives. The Mailbox app's 14-person team will join Dropbox, but will continue to develop separately as its own app.

T-Mobile Deal's Fate Now in MetroPCS Investors' Hands March 13, 2013 Following Tuesday's final approval by the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice, the focus now shifts to some MetroPCS shareholders who have raised last-minute objections to their proposed merger with T-Mobile. The wireless carriers announced the deal in October, claiming it would create a "bigger, better, bolder" network that would keep the T-Mobile name.

Yahoo Could Take Zynga Under Its Wing March 13, 2013 It appears Yahoo may be interested in acquiring Zynga. Both companies have been through rough patches in recent times, but Zynga's stock actually spiked 10 percent following speculation in an analyst's research note. While some things have been looking up at Yahoo since Marissa Mayer took over as CEO, the same can't be said of Zynga, which seems caught in a downward spiral.

Lenovo Exec Floats BlackBerry Buyout Trial Balloon March 12, 2013 Lenovo's CEO told a French newspaper this week that the computer maker would be open to exploring a BlackBerry buyout. It is not the first time a Lenovo executive has publicly stated interest in the struggling smartphone company. In January, Chief Financial Officer Won Wai Ming said that his company was exploring a variety of opportunities, including a BlackBerry buyout deal.

Bringing Icahn Into Dell's Henhouse Could Be Foxy Move March 11, 2013 Carl Icahn has been pushing back against Dell's proposal to go private in a $24.4 billion deal. Dell finally gave way -- a little -- and is allowing Icahn to examine the company's confidential information. Dell has been battling shareholders about the proposed leveraged buyout almost since it was unveiled in February.

T-Mobile, MetroPCS Merger Gets More Wind in Its Sails March 07, 2013 The T-Mobile-MetroPCS merger has moved one step closer to the finish line now that the Department of Justice has signaled it doesn't oppose the deal. The department allowed a required waiting period to pass without objection, Deutsche Telekom said Wednesday, bringing the deal to an "important staging post."

Dell's Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Stoke Buyout Debate February 20, 2013 Dell reported another quarter with a drop in sales and profits, but its Q4 earnings Tuesday did beat analyst expectations, thereby putting a hotter spotlight on the computer maker's proposed $24.4 billion leveraged buyout deal. The company reported a net income of $530 million, or 30 cents per share, a 31 percent drop from the same time a year ago.

Yahoo Picks Up Speed With Alike Acquisition February 14, 2013 In case investors have any doubts that Yahoo sees its future in mobile, events of the past few days should dispel them once and for all. News surfaced Tuesday that Yahoo has acquired Alike, a mobile app that guides users to find nearby venues and places to visit. Also on Tuesday, CEO Marissa Mayer sketched out her vision for Yahoo at an investors conference hosted by Goldman Sachs.

Microsoft's Dell Play: Smart Save or Nokia 2.0? February 14, 2013 It's no secret that partnerships involving Microsoft tend to make Linux bloggers nervous, and given the lessons of history, it's not exactly any wonder, either. So FOSS fans will have to be excused for the anxiety with which they've watched the latest developments with Dell. CEO and founder Michael Dell is attempting to take the company private through a leveraged buyout.

Comcast Wants All of NBCUniversal for Must-See Content February 13, 2013 Comcast announced Tuesday it will pay $16.7 billion to acquire General Electric's 49 percent stake in NBCUniversal. Comcast currently controls 51 percent of NBCU, which it picked up from GE in a deal that was finalized in 2011. The agreement was structured to allow Comcast to eventually acquire 100 percent of NBCU, and it decided to accelerate that process.

Disgruntled Investors Could Deep-Six Dell Deal February 12, 2013 Dell's plan to go private in what would be one of the biggest leveraged buyouts in recent years appears to be in jeopardy. Some of the company's largest shareholders have come out against the move. Southeastern Asset Management filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a letter it sent to Dell's board of directors warning them that it will vote against the deal.

Yahoo, Google Buddy Up for Display-Ad Deal February 08, 2013 Yahoo and Google on Wednesday announced a nonexclusive agreement to display ads on various Yahoo properties and certain cobranded sites using Google's AdSense for Content and its AdMob services. Because the agreement is nonexclusive, Yahoo will continue to display ads from other providers, including Microsoft's Bing.