Death in Singapore, US electronics engineer Shane Todd was found hanging in his Singapore apartment $VECO

Death in Singapore, US electronics engineer Shane Todd was found hanging in his Singapore apartment $VECO

Future PCs threat to $AAPL Apple? Yes, says top analyst

Future PCs threat to Apple? Yes, says top analyst

"Apple's "limited innovation" in tablets this year will make it vulnerable to newfangled PCs -- so says a Citibank analyst.

Yes, you heard that right, PCs. While financial analysts write lots of research notes about Apple every week, this one from Citibank analyst Glen Yeung -- sent out early in the week -- got my attention.

 We believe Apple will launch an iPad Mini Retina and a thinner/lighter iPad5 (both likely sporting newer processors) in 3Q13...iPad innovation of this nature is insufficient to reverse share loss.

Whereas we see limited innovation in tablets in 2H13, we see growing innovation in PCs. The growing presence of touch-based, ultrathin, all-day notebooks at improving price points (e.g., Intel requires all Haswell-based Ultrabooks to have touch and envisions price-points as low as $599) could create competition for 10" tablets not fully anticipated by the market.

So, after getting their keisters kicked by the iPad for the last three years, PC makers may finally get some payback.

Citibank, like other analyst groups, is pegging a lot of this prognosticated PC success on new designs based on Intel's upcoming Haswell processor and Intel's stipulation that Haswell-based ultrabooks must have touch screens.

In other words, expect more designs like Microsoft's Surface Pro and Samsung's ATIV Smart PC Pro, but thinner and lighter with better battery life (though I suspect battery life won't approach that of the iPad)."

Facebook hacked ‘in a sophisticated attack’ $FB

Facebook hacked ‘in a sophisticated attack’ $FB

"Facebook Inc. said on Friday it had been the target of an unidentified hacker group, but it found no evidence that user data was compromised.

“Last month, Facebook security discovered that our systems had been targeted in a sophisticated attack,” the company said in a blog post posted on Friday afternoon, just before the three-day Presidents Day weekend. “The attack occurred when a handful of employees visited a mobile developer website that was compromised. The social network, which says it has more than one billion active users worldwide, also said: “Facebook was not alone in this attack. It is clear that others were attacked and infiltrated recently as well.” Facebook declined to comment on the motive or origin of the attack. A security expert at another company with knowledge of the matter said he was told the Facebook attack appeared to have originated in China."

Apple Said to Have Team Developing Wristwatch Computer of 100 Designers $AAPL

Apple Said to Have Team Developing Wristwatch Computer of 100 Designers $AAPL

The team, which has grown in the past year, includes managers, members of the marketing group, and software and hardware engineers who previously worked on the iPhone and iPad, said the people, who asked not to be named because the plans are private. The team’s size suggests Apple is beyond the experimentation phase in its development, said the people.

Vringo $VRNG Profile of New Top Notch Lawyer Joining to Fight $MSFT

 

 

Jason Charkow is of counsel in the firm’s New York office who concentrates his practice in patent law. Mr. Charkow’s practice focuses on patent litigation, client counseling, and patent prosecution.

He has been involved in litigations dealing with pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemicals, telecommunications, and computer networks.

Representative cases include:

• JAJAH, Inc. v. Stanacard, LLC (telephone systems - ND California)
• Stanacard, LLC v. Rebtel AB, et al. (telephone systems - SD New York)
• Level 3 Communications v. Limelight Networks, Inc (content delivery – ED Virginia)
• Voxpath Networks, Inc. v. Verizon, et al. (Internet telephone systems – ED Texas)
• Red River Fiber Optic Corporation v. Verizon, et al. (fiber optic systems – ED Texas)
• Verizon v. Vonage, et al. (Internet telephone systems – ED Virginia)
• C2 Communications v. AT&T, et al. (Internet telephone systems – ED Texas)
• Eli Lilly & Co. v. Barr Laboratories, Inc. (pharmaceuticals - SD Indiana)
• S.O.I.TEC et al. v. MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. (silicon wafers - Delaware)
• MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. v. S.O.I.TEC  et al. (silicon wafers - Delaware)
• Mylan Pharmaceuticals, et al. v. Schwarz Pharma. et al. (pharmaceuticals - Delaware)

Mr. Charkow has also advised clients on a variety of intellectual property issues, including the negotiation and purchase of patents and the patentability of new products.

Mr. Charkow has drafted clearance and invalidity opinions for clients prior to the introduction of new products into the marketplace. He also has prosecuted utility and design patents in the United States and throughout the world pertaining to spinal implants, medical devices, writing instruments, and gemstones.

Activities

Mr. Charkow is a member of the New York State Bar Association and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Education

Mr. Charkow received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1998.  He received a J.D. from Hofstra University in 2002.

5 Things Bill Gates Revealed on Reddit

5 Things Bill Gates Revealed on Reddit

Bill Gates hosted a Reddit AMA ("Ask Me Anything") this afternoon, covering a wide range of topics including his leadership of Microsoft, the activities of his foundation and who his favorite band is (U2, if you were wondering).

While much of the discussion went over old material (Gates at one point defended his and his wife's decision to leave only $10 million to each of their three children), he also revealed a few new insights. Also, the unfiltered nature of a Reddit AMA gave Gates a chance to put both his genius and wit on display to a crowd that consists largely of people just like him: geeks who are passionate about the Internet and technology.

Although he'd never done an AMA before, Gates seemed to "get" the dynamic and how Reddit's commenting system works. His answers were never particularly long, sometimes venturing deep into the comments to respond to an obscure query or observation. He occasionally bordered on talking points when discussing his foundation's work, but answered most questions directly and kept it light when appropriate.

When it was all over, readers walked away knowing the Microsoft co-founder (and current chairman) a little better.

Apple May Not Have A Choice But To Release A Watch $AAPL

Apple May Not Have A Choice But To Release A Watch $AAPL

Apple is reportedly developing a smart watch made from curved glass. Does it really have a choice? With iPhone sales stalling, the Cupertino innovator is in desperate need of another hit product, and not just any product: Apple needs something that consumers will refresh every 12 to 18 months. My editor Dan Lyons has his own thoughts on why these Apple watch rumors are making the rounds. But what if we take them at, pardon the pun, face value?

At Apple's size, the company must be very choosy about its products. While Apple does at times dabble in $100 million "hobbies" like Apple TV, its bread-and-butter depends upon multi-billion dollar breakout successes like the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Apple simply isn't the kind of company that is going to release a horde of SKUs, each designed to reel in a hundred million dollars here and a hundred million dollars there.