Google said to consider making chips
Google Inc. is considering designing its own server processors using technology from ARM Holdings PLC, said a person with knowledge of the matter, a move that could threaten Intel Corp.’s market dominance.
By using its own designs, Google could better manage the interactions between hardware and software, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. Google, among the largest buyers of server processors, has made no decision and plans could change, said the person.
“We are actively engaged in designing the world’s best infrastructure,” said Liz Markman, a spokesman for Google.
“This includes both hardware design [at all levels] and software design.”
Google, based in Mount View, Calif., has been designing its own data centers around the world with servers to power search, video, online communications and other features.
Moving into chip design could take away revenue from Intel, which has counted on Internet companies to help drive processor sales. Google is Intel’s fifth-largest customer, accounting for about 4.3 percent of its revenue, according to Bloomberg supply chain analysis.
ARM-based chips dominate in mobile phones and tablets where companies such as Qualcomm Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. have fended off Intel’s attempts to expand.
Intel controls more than 95 percent of the market for chips for servers that use personal-computer processors, with Advanced Micro Devices Inc. making up the rest.
Mark Miller, a spokesman for Intel, and Phil Hughes, a U.S.-based spokesman for ARM, declined to comment.
Twitter drops ‘block’ change after outcry
Twitter Inc., responding to public protests, scrapped changes to its “block” function that for a short time Thursday had let posters interact with other users on the microblogging site even if they were blocked.
Twitter had introduced a change allowing users who were blocked to maintain interactions with a person’s public information by being able to read, favorite and repost messages. After just one day, the San Francisco-based company reinstated the old policy where blocking a user would restrict them from following a person or receiving notification of their replies, Twitter said in a blog posting.
“We never want to introduce features at the cost of users feeling less safe,” the company said. “Moving forward, we will continue to explore features designed to protect users from abuse and prevent retaliation.”
Twitter has stepped up the pace of development as it seeks to deliver revenue growth in line with a valuation that has doubled since the company’s initial public offering last month. This week, the company enhanced its keyword-based advertising service and added photo capabilities for direct messages sent via the site.
Twitter also started including pictures and videos more prominently in users’ streams in October and introduced enhancements in August to make it easier to track conversations.
- Bloomberg News
S. Korean court rejects Samsung lawsuit
TOKYO - A court in South Korea on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit from Samsung Electronics in which the company had sought to block sales of certain Apple phones and tablet computers in South Korea.
The ruling, by the Seoul Central District Court, is the latest twist in a global patent fight between the two companies, which dominate the smartphone and tablet businesses. For Samsung, the setback on its home turf follows a legal victory last year when the court in Seoul, the South Korean capital, ruled that Apple had infringed on other Samsung patents.
In its ruling, the court said Apple had not infringed on Samsung patents relating to mobile messaging technology. It rejected Samsung’s claim for damages and a ban on sales in South Korea of older iPhone and iPad models.
“We are glad the Korean court joined others around the world in standing up for real innovation and rejecting Samsung’s ridiculous claims,” Apple said in a statement.
Samsung said it would not back down in its disputes with Apple.
“We are disappointed by the court’s decision,” Samsung said in a statement. “As Apple has continued to infringe our patented mobile technologies, we will continue to take the measures necessary to protect our intellectual property rights.”
In a patent case in the United States, a jury in San Jose, Calif., ruled last month that Samsung should pay Apple an additional $290 million in damages, on top of previous awards.
But Samsung has also scored legal victories in some countries, like Germany, where a court in the city of Mannheim dismissed an Apple patent claim against Samsung on Wednesday.
Business, Pages 26 on 12/16/2013