By Emily Inverso That overstuffed wallet of yours can’t be comfortable to sit on. It’s probably even too clunky to lug around in a purse, too. And with every new bank slip that bulges from the seams, your personal information is getting less and less safe. With just your name and Social Security number, identity thieves can open new credit accounts and make costly purchases in your name. If they…
PC makers better learn to start thinking outside of the box. Computer sales continue to slip, especially closer to home, as companies cautiously watch their spending and consumers flock to “good enough” tablets and smartphones for their basic computing needs. That isn’t just an opinion. Studies back it up, and the earnings reports out of the big PC makers later this month will likely confirm the trend. Industry tracker Gartner…
It was two years ago this week that Hewlett-Packard’s (HPQ) world was turned upside-down. Then-CEO Mark Hurd — who had excelled at improving margins at the PC maker through shrewd cost-cutting and focusing on higher-margin businesses — was unceremoniously dismissed after filing bogus expense reports. Things got ugly quickly after Hurd was gone. An inept CEO took his place, and investors paid the price for HP’s costly acquisitions and blowing…
By Jim Edwards J.C. Penney just had one of its worst quarters ever: Sales declined 23 percent to $3 billion, same-store sales fell 22 percent, and internet sales sank 33 percent to $220 million. It’s all the fault of CEO Ron Johnson, who embarked on a disastrous relaunch of the company in January which confused customers and drove them away from stores. When was the last time you shopped at…
Cash registers could join the ranks of pay phones and typewriters sooner than you think. J.C. Penney (JCP) will say farewell to cash registers, checkout counters and cashiers by 2014, said Ron Johnson, the chain’s CEO, during the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference, reports Time. Penney’s plan evokes Apple’s (AAPL) mostly cash-register free stores — and that comes as little surprise: Johnson was the head of Apple Retail and is considered…
There’s never a dull moment on Wall Street. Let’s go over some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead. 1. Apple Polishing: It’s amazing what being a consumer electronics tastemaker can do for your valuation. A dozen years ago, Apple (AAPL) was a company making cool computers owned by a niche audience. Then came the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Macs are now a small part…
By John C. Abell Aug 23 (Reuters) – In the annals of meaningless milestones, Apple’s (AAPL) latest achievement — surpassing Microsoft (MSFT), circa 1999, as the largest U.S. company ever — is right up there. I mean, how high is up? How big is BIG? What does Apple win, Johnny!? But it did get me to thinking again about the lifespan of successful tech and Internet companies. There seems to…
By Chris Ciaccia Apple (AAPL) reported disappointing third-quarter earnings Tuesday, but investor attention is shifting to the company’s most important product, the iPhone 5. Apple sold 35.1 million and 26 million smartphones, respectively, in its recent fiscal second and third-quarters, and many are predicting this release will be the biggest product launch Apple has ever had. CEO Tim Cook alluded to the coming “fall product transition,” suggesting the iPhone 5…
Parents of America, are you ready for your children’s education to be fair and balanced? News Corp. (NWS) announced Monday that it will collaborate with AT&T (T) to bring digital education services and products to U.S. schools. News Corp.? Yes, News Corp. At first blush, it may seem the company has no business in the education market. However, companies from many different sectors are rushing to get in on the…
Prev1 of 2Next By PAUL ELIAS SAN FRANCISCO — Two tech titans will square off in federal court Monday in a closely watched trial over control of the U.S. smartphone and computer tablet markets. Apple (AAPL) filed a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics last year alleging the world’s largest technology company’s smartphones and computer tablets are illegal knockoffs of its popular iPhone and iPad products. The Cupertino-based company is demanding $2.5…