Technology news in brief

LITTLE ROCK — Canada keeps eye on tech-firm courting

Canada would closely examine any proposal for a tie-up between Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd. and Black Berry maker Research in Motion Ltd., Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said.

“It’s something that we would look carefully at,” he said in an interview at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday. He also said “absolutely” when asked whether some local technologies are off limits to potential overseas buyers.

Research in Motion, Canada’s largest-listed technology company, rose to the highest in more than a year in Toronto trading Thursday after Beijing-based Lenovo said it was considering a bid among other options for expanding its mobile devices business. Research in Motion has said it’s assessing strategic options after losing market share to Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics.

Canada has previously blocked foreign takeovers of local companies because of security issues. In 2008, it vetoed a $1.33 billion bid from U.S.-based Alliant Techsystems Inc. for MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates Ltd.’s satellite business.

Cnooc Ltd., received approval from the Canadian government for a $15.1 billion acquisition of Nexen Inc., the biggest takeover by a Chinese company, in December.

Lenovo, which bought International Business Machines Corp.’s PC unit in 2005, is considering acquisitions as competition from tablets hampers profit growth. The computer maker has also introduced new products including smart phones.

• Bloomberg News

Sony fined over PlayStation data breach

LONDON - British regulators have fined Sony $396,100 for failing to prevent a 2011 cyber-attack on its PlayStation Network which put millions of users’ personal information - including names, addresses, birth dates and account passwords - at risk.

Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office said Thursday that security measures in place at the time “were simply not good enough.” It said the attack could have been prevented if software had been up to date, while passwords were also not secure.

David Smith, deputy commissioner and director of data protection, acknowledged that the fine for a “serious breach of the Data Protection Act” was “clearly substantial” but said that the office makes “no apologies” for that.

“There’s no disguising that this is a business that should have known better,” he said in a statement. “It is a company that trades on its technical expertise, and there’s no doubt in my mind that they had access to both the technical knowledge and the resources to keep this information safe.”

Smith called the case “one of the most serious ever reported” to the data regulator.

Sony, which has previously apologized for the data breach, said Thursday that it “strongly disagrees” with the ruling and plans to appeal.

David Wilson, a spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., said the company noted that the information commissioner’s office recognized that Sony was the victim of a criminal attack and that there is no evidence payment-card details were accessed.

“Criminal attacks on electronic networks are a real and growing aspect of 21st century life and Sony continually works to strengthen our systems, building in multiple layers of defense and working to make our networks safe, secure and resilient,” he said in a statement.

To lift veil, Apple names assemblers

Apple Inc. named the final assemblers of each of its products as the world’s second-most valuable company boosts the transparency of its global supply chain.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics, was identified as making iPads, iPhones, iPods, Macs and accessories at seven locations globally, including Jundiai in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state. Apple and Quanta Computer Inc. assemble Macs in Ireland and Fremont, Calif., according to the report released Friday.

The decision to publish names and addresses of the top 200 materials, components and final-assembly suppliers expands on Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook’s moves last year to loosen the secrecy surrounding production and conditions linked to the Cupertino, Calif.,-based company. The list was published on Apple’s website as its annual Supplier Responsibility Report outlines moves to raise labor and environmental standards.

Hon Hai, flagship of Terry Gou’s Foxconn Technology Group, assembles Apple devices at six locations in China in addition to iPads and iPhones in Brazil. Pegatron Corp., based in Taipei, makes iPads and iPhones in Shanghai, according to the list.

Quanta, based in Taouyuan, Taiwan, also produces Macs in Shanghai and iPods in Jiangsu, China. Inventec Appliances Corp., based in New Taipei City, makes iPods and accessories in Shanghai.

Apart from Apple’s own facility, the only non-Taiwanese assembler is Cork, Ireland-based PCH International, which makes accessories.

Japan’s Sharp Corp. and Japan Display Inc., Taiwan’s AU Optronics Corp. and Innolux Corp., and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Display Co., each makers of display panels, were on the broader list of materials and components suppliers. The list didn’t specify what products were purchased from each company.