PC World – It’s been a year since Panasonic debuted the first digital camera that combined the compactness of a point-and-shoot with the flexibility of interchangeable lenses. The Lumix G1 kick-started a new segment in the camera market, which this week saw a new model from Panasonic and the second showing of a prototype camera from Sony.
PC World – Do you want to try a different browser on your Android phone?
AP – SkillSoft PLC, an education software company that has agreed to be taken private, said Thursday its fourth-quarter net income fell 16 percent from a year earlier, when it benefited from a tax windfall.
NewsFactor – Verizon Wireless hopes to debut its first 4G smartphone in the middle of next year, months earlier than planned, a company executive revealed Wednesday. The new handset will debut about three to six months after its Long-Term Evolution network launches, Verizon Wireless CTO Anthony Melone told The Wall Street Journal.
AP – Motorola Inc. said Thursday that it will add Microsoft Corp.’s Bing search and map functions to its smart phones that use Google Inc.’s Android operating software.
NewsFactor – Opera Software launched an Android version of the company’s Opera Mini 5 mobile browser Thursday that promises to significantly improve page loading and speed on compatible smartphones. The beta release continues the company’s campaign to increase the visibility of its browser on a global basis.
AP – Computer networking systems maker 3Com Corp. said Wednesday that it received a three-year contract with the Department of Education and Training in Australia’s Northern Territory to supply schools.
AP – First lady Michelle Obama is challenging software and video game designers to develop games and applications that get kids excited about living healthy.
AFP – Phone giant China Mobile said Wednesday it will pay about 5.8 billion US dollars for a 20 percent stake in Shanghai Pudong Development Bank as part of its bid to enter the wireless banking market.
AFP – Google opened an online shop for business software hosted as services in the Internet “cloud.”
