News Byte

Groupon Acquires Tech to Enable the Sale of Goods Globally Next Year

Groupon is planning to expand its Goods business worldwide next year following the acquisition of CommerceInterface. Groupon has been using the Salt Lake City company since April to help manage its product sales, including the relationships it has with thousands of vendors. Groupon said CommerceInterface’s other customers will have six months to transition off the platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Start-Ups Emerge as Tech Vendors of Choice

Businesses are getting more comfortable buying technology from start-ups and other small outfits, a shift that could usher in a period of slower growth for tech giants such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Oracle Corp.

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Apple to Crack Down on Newspaper, Magazine App Payments

Developers of magazine and newspaper apps have received notice from Apple Inc. that beginning on March 31, any app that does not take payments through its iTunes store will be rejected.

Intel's Chip Troubles Cause PC Shipping Schedules to Slip [Updated]

The design error found in the latest Intel microprocessor is causing shipment schedules at certain PC makers, including Hewlett-Packard and Dell, to slip. Apple isn’t saying whether its plans are affected.

Pixelmator Co-Founder: Mac App Store's 30 Percent Cut "Definitely Worth It"

Here’s a hell of a developer testimonial for Apple’s new Mac App Store. Image-editing app Pixelmator just hit the million-dollar milestone. And it’s been available in the App Store for only 20 days.

Apple to Dominate Tablet Market Until 2012–At Least

In 2011 tablet revenues will rise to $24.9 billion, and by 2012 they’ll reach $34.1 billion. And Apple will claim the lion’s share of both, according to J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz.

Analyst: Windows Phone 7 Needs to Win Over Smartphone Makers as Well as Buyers

There’s another turf war brewing in the mobile space, and this one isn’t over consumers–it’s over the top smartphone manufacturers.

Going, Going: LimeWire Shutters Online Store, Too

LimeWire, the high-profile file-sharing company, more or less shut down in October, following a federal court ruling. But the last bits of the company seem to be going away: Its online music store will be shuttered at the end of the month, and I’m told that plans to launch a new music service have been shelved.

Analyst: Verizon iPhone Would Have Minimal Impact on Android Vendors

The iPhone’s debut on Verizon next year will clearly cause some suffering over at AT&T, which is losing its long-running exclusive on the device. But there are a few other companies that will feel the pain of that transition as well: HTC, Motorola and Research in Motion.

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Sales of Unbranded Chinese Phones Surge

Sales of low-cost Chinese cellphones helped fuel a global surge in handset shipments in the third quarter, research firm Gartner said, squeezing market leader Nokia Corp. at a time it facing pressure from Apple Inc.’s iPhone and other smartphones.

Intel’s Hardcore Six-Core

Nokia Buy Palm? Riiiiight.

No Christmas in Palm-ville