Microsoft stuns with profit miss, job cuts

Microsoft Corp stunned Wall Street with disappointing results that included plans to slash up to 5,000 jobs and a warning that profit and revenue will almost certainly drop over the next two quarters.
The news from the world’s largest software maker, which had not been expected to report results until after the close of trading on Thursday, sent shock [...]

Apple beats Street in holiday quarter; shares soar

U.S. consumers may have stayed home this holiday season, but no matter for Apple, which managed to turn a profit in the last quarter as people elsewhere stocked up on iPods, Macbooks and other goodies.
Apple Inc. posted a 2 percent bump in earnings to beat Wall Street’s expectations, sending shares up $7.87, or 9.5 percent, to [...]

Apple sells used products for less in China

Apple Inc said on Tuesday it had launched an online shop selling second-hand Apple products in China, offering discounts of up to 22 percent, as it looks to beef up its business in the country. These are products that were previously sold and returned to Apple and have undergone quality tests, the company’s website [...]

Asia computer sales drop for first time in 10 years: study

Sales of computers in the Asia Pacific regionoutside Japan fell for the first time in a decade during the fourth quarter, as the global meltdown hit consumer spending, a study said Monday.
Preliminary figures showed 17.2 million desktop computers and laptops were sold in the December quarter, down 14 percent from the previous quarter and five percent lower than a year ago, global market [...]

Virus spreads quickly, but may be a dud

A computer virus that may leave Microsoft Windows users vulnerable to digital hijacking is spreading through companies in the U.S., Europe and Asia, already infecting close to 9 million machines, according to a private online security firm.
Fortunately, however, it may be a dud.
Though computer bugs have become a common affliction, Finland-based F-Secure says a virus it has been tracking [...]

Pope to have own Google channel with video

The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI is getting his own channel on Google.
It says the Vatican TV Center and Vatican Radio are collaborating with Google on the project.
The Vatican’s press office said Saturday that texts and video of the pope’s speeches as well as news about the pontiff would be posted directly onto the channel.
It says more information will be [...]

AMD to cut 1,100 workers, 9 pct of staff

 Advanced Micro Devices Inc. plans to cut 1,100 jobs, 9 percent of its global staff, and slash the remaining employees’ pay as the chip maker hopes its third round of layoffs in a year can help it get through a brutal market for computer sales.
The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company said Friday that 900 workers will have [...]

Intel sees more hard times in 2009

The chip maker reported Thursday that profit plunged 90 percent and sales slipped 23 percent during the last three months of the year, matching analysts’ subdued estimates.
Wall Street was braced for the bad news: Intel had lowered its fourth-quarter guidance twice, including once just last week, warning that weaker-than-expected PC demand was hammering down demand for its microprocessors.
So what about [...]

NAMM: McDSP unveils the Retro Pack audio plug-ins

Plug-in-maker McDSP released a new plug-in pack that allows users to mix and master their recorded music.
The vintage Retro Pack is designed to give users the sound of some of the most sought after sounds in audio mixing. The bundle includes the 4020 Retro EQ, the 4030 Retro Compressor and the 4040 Retro Limiter.
The Retro [...]

Steve Jobs takes medical leave

Apple chief and tech visionary Steve Jobs will take a leave of absence till end-June because of health problems “more complex” than thought, backtracking on reassurances, stunning investors and sending its shares skidding 10 percent on Wednesday.
Jobs, a pancreatic cancer survivor, dropped his bombshell in a cryptic announcement on Wednesday — only nine days after he soothed jumpy investors somewhat [...]