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Broadcom to buy GPS firm for handset location

Broadcom Corp. plans to acquire GPS know-how, products and software by purchasing Global Locate Inc., a privately held firm that currently supplies GPS solutions to handset vendors, the two companies announced.Broadcom will pay $146 million in cash, with up to another $80 million possible...

Court gives ITC two weeks to justify Qualcomm ban

Federal courts have given federal regulators until June 27 to justify a ban on new models of 3G phones powered by Qualcomm Inc.'s chips, while the chip vendor appeals the ban. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has given the United...

Broadcom to buy GPS firm for handset location

Broadcom Corp. plans to acquire GPS know-how, products and software by purchasing Global Locate Inc., a privately held firm that currently supplies GPS solutions to handset vendors, the two companies announced.Broadcom will pay $146 million in cash, with up to another $80 million possible...

ITC orders partial ban on new 3G handsets: Ruling against Qualcomm could’ve been harsher

THE CLOCK IS TICKING as Qualcomm Inc. pursues legal remedies and technical alternatives to counter a decision last week by a federal agency banning future models of 3G handsets containing the vendor's chips from entering the United States. The U.S. International Trade Commission stunned...

Broadcom’s $19.6M jury award could spark cross-licensing pact

To Broadcom Corp., a favorable federal jury verdict last week in a patent infringement lawsuit against arch-rival Qualcomm Inc. was "gratifying." That's understandable, as the decision vindicated Broadcom's position in the case-at least for now-and came with a $19.6 million award, which could...

ETC.

Cellphone dodges bullet An Aurora, Colo., man may have his cellphone to thank for his life. Roger Baxter was shot in the chest during a burglary in his home, but the bullet was slowed by the cellphone he had tucked into his shirt pocket....

Jury awards Broadcom $19.6M

Broadcom Corp. is "pleased" and "gratified" that a federal jury in Santa Ana, Calif., found Qualcomm Inc. willfully infringed on three of its patents and awarded it $19.6 million in damages to cover past infringements.A June 18 hearing has been set to consider Broadcom's...

After lull, Nokia counter-sues Qualcomm

Nokia Corp. responded to Qualcomm Inc.'s April 2 lawsuit filed in Wisconsin, disputing the latter's allegation of patent infringement, and charging the chip vendor with violating six Nokia patents. Nokia's action capped six weeks of relative quiet in the closely watched tug-of-war between the...

Qualcomm Ventures moves into Europe with $135 million fund

Qualcomm Ventures will make $135 million available to innovative European companies working on W-CDMA advances.The San Diego-based chip vendor said its move into Europe is to foster development among small- and medium-sized companies focusing on applications, platform software, handset components and network infrastructure. Qualcomm...

On2 acquires Hantro for video on cellphones

Video-compression technology vendor On2 Technologies Inc. announced it acquired Finland-based Hantro Products Oy, a firm that sells video software to cellphone makers. On2 will pay around $58.5 million for the company, although the number is dependent on a variety of factors, including On2's stock...

‘Discontinuity,’ 3G growth may help chip startup

In what might be billed as "The Natural History of a Startup," tiny, San Diego-based Sequoia Communications is making the rounds, hoping to lure W-CDMA baseband chip vendors into using its newly minted transceiver chip. Sequoia, with 50 employees today and funding through 2008,...

People

AT&TEd Whitacre announced that he will retire as CEO and chairman of the board at AT&T Inc. effective June 3. The 65-year-old executive is the longest-serving CEO in the telecommunications industry, having served as chairman and CEO of Southwestern Bell since 1990. When...

Moto hires new platform chief as board battle rages

Motorola Inc. said it hired a platform technology guru for its mobile devices business, a pragmatic move that reflects the ailing handset giant's efforts to revive its fortunes-albeit one that will take precious time to be felt in the market.Whether that news actually reaches...

Qualcomm upbeat on revenue, profit and forecast

Qualcomm Inc. yesterday reported that revenue and profit in its fiscal second quarter were both up more than 20 percent over the year-ago quarter and raised its forecast for third-quarter revenue. The San Diego-based chipmaker and technology-licensing firm posted revenue of $2.22 billion, an...

Traders seem pleased with TI’s outlook

Texas Instruments Inc. reported revenue of $3.2 billion and net profit of $516 million, down 4 percent and nearly 12 percent, respectively, over the year-ago quarter. The chip vendor said that revenue was impacted by an inventory correction in the market. "We believe the...

Interoperability debate pits software, hardware makers : Pickering latest legislator to take up first-responder public-safety problems

Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) plans to offer a bill mandating a federal standard for interoperable public-safety communications if one cannot be achieved voluntarily. But emerging technological solutions appear to be altering the broader debate over first-responder spectrum and interoperability and disrupting the competitive landscape...

Motorola overhauls operations on expected Q1 losses

Motorola Inc. said its ailing mobile-phone business is faring worse than the company had expected, and as a result the world's No. 2 handset vendor will post a loss for the first quarter. In order to reverse the situation, Motorola's Ed Zander announced an...

Nokia ratchets up legal tussle against Qualcomm with Euro filings

Nokia Corp. is asking European courts to declare Qualcomm Inc.'s patents in Europe "exhausted," freeing the Finnish mobile phone maker to sell handsets in Europe containing chips by Texas Instruments Inc. on which Nokia otherwise would owe royalties to Qualcomm.Nokia cited a patent portfolio...

TI and Qualcomm: Shifting fortunes, many innings ahead

Qualcomm Inc.'s prospects for quarterly revenue and earnings due in April have brightened, while Texas Instruments Inc.'s forecast lacked luster. Although both companies' forecasts pertain to the current quarter only, analysts said the outlook for the rest of the year may look somewhat similar...

Qualcomm upbeat on prospects, despite legal ‘overhang’

Qualcomm Inc. remains positive about its business prospects this quarter, even as it girds for an unprecedented procession of litigation. The chip maker is scheduled to appear in court in late March and regularly through the fall, reflecting battles with rivals and customers over...

Qualcomm up on improved expectations, TI falters

In a routine update of its business outlook for the first quarter, Texas Instruments Inc. narrowed its expected revenue and earnings per share ranges. Investors may have expected a more bullish forecast due to improved outlooks by TI's competitors, however; TI's stock fell 49...

Verizon pension investments holds wireless interests

Want to invest like Verizon? Like any smart investor, Verizon Communications Inc. has its pension fund invested in a diverse array of stocks, from the Cheesecake Factory to Northrop Grumman Corp. The company's $40-plus billion pension portfolio includes hundreds of companies. The Verizon Investment...

Score two for MediaFLO: DVB-H backers say it’s too soon to count them out

The ripples are still making their way across the lake in the wake of Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s surprise announcement that it will offer mobile broadcast TV through Qualcomm Inc.'s MediaFLO USA Inc. network. The nation's largest wireless carrier somewhat stole the thunder from its...

The 3GSM handset party: who’s doing what to whom? : Vendors tout global portfolios, while U.S. awaits CTIA show

At the 3GSM World Congress, as at other major industry confabs, there are gadgets galore. And then there are the market-based strategies and financial plans behind them. Attempting to translate one into the other-reading the gadgets' features for clues to a vendor's strategies or...