Hasta La Gadget!

Loans, cuts and mortgages — Sharp is doing everything it can to meet its “profitable by 2014” pledge, and according to the Wall Street Journal, it’s looking to US suitors to lend a hand. Sources close to the company say that it’s offering a stake in Sharp to companies like Dell, Intel and Qualcomm in exchange for a capital investment. So far, all four companies have declined to comment, but investors would reportedly score easy access to Sharp displays, a deal that could be a boon for Dell’s hardware division. The display outfit had originally hoped to bolster its bottom line by selling a capital stake to Hon Hai, but the deal fizzled in August. No official numbers have been announced, but the WSJ is being told that Sharp is hoping to take in ¥20 billion (about $240 million) from both Dell and Intel, and is negotiating a more meager investment with Qualcomm. With any luck, the international agreements will keep Sharp afloat long enough for its IGZO-based LCD panels to put some black ink in the firm’s ledgers.

Filed under: Displays, Misc, Intel, Dell

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Source: Wall Street Journal

There’s a whole host of techy tools that will let you log your 10k personal best, and break down your splits into minute detail, but what about poor old Rover? Fujistu spotted this gap, and created Wandant — a sensor-laden neck tag for dogs complete with cloud-based service for tracking your pooch’s wellbeing. The hardware will log your pet’s footsteps, amount of shivering plus temperature change, and upload it automatically via your smartphone or PC. The software will present you these data over time, with the option of manually inputting further details such as food amount, a diary with photos and — for those with stronger constitutions — stool condition. Like human-focused equivalents, there will also be provisions for sharing your dog’s efforts, but thankfully only with vets and research institutions. There’s no details on hardware pricing just yet, but the online component is free for the first year (JPY 420 / about $5 per month there after). Money no object for your mutt? Sadly only available in Japan for the time being, so you’ll need to include a return ticket in that splurge too.

Filed under: Misc, Wearables

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Source: Fujitsu

Soon after getting V.me past the beta stage, Visa has signed up with old partner RBS for the UK launch of the digital wallet service. RBS and NatWest customers have started playing with the PayPal rival, and a full-blown rollout is aimed for spring 2013. While BBVA is slated to be the first financial institution to bring V.me to Spain, a French outing is planned for later this year. With mobile payments looking up, not least when springing for a cup of latte, it’s yet another step leading towards a cashless world — albeit a world where plastic still rules.

Filed under: Misc

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Via: Pocket-lint

Source: Visa Europe

It’s been less than a month since Doxie introduced us to its newest portable scanner, the Doxie One, and today the company announced its on-the-go apparatus is ready to hit the masses. Available worldwide as of now, the Doxie One’s an easily conveyable add-on that does scans mostly anywhere folks decide to take it, which is made easier by being compatible with both Mac and PCs as well as iPhone, iPad and iPod touch (must be running iOS 6). The Doxie One starts at a not-too-shabby $149, while Doxie also offers a slightly pricier unit in the WiFi-capable Doxie Go for $199. Interested in snagging one for yourself? Then be sure to hit the source link below, where you’ll be able to pick from an array of colors and move on with the checkout process.

Continue reading Doxie One scanner begins shipping, brings on-the-go scans for $149

Filed under: Misc

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Source: Doxie

On the face of it, Samsung’s latest report on working conditions at the factories of its Chinese suppliers follows just the kind of careful, lawyer-scrutinized language we’d expect from a big multinational. It repeats the manufacturer’s earlier insistence that no children have been employed, while at the same time admitting that there have been “several instances of inadequate practices at the facilities” concerning workers being made to do too much overtime, not being given proper contracts, and being fined if they turn up late or are absent — issues which had already been revealed at one supplier, and which Samsung promises to fix by the end of 2014.

Burrow further into the document, however, and Samsung’s list of promised “corrective actions” implies that its internal investigation has uncovered evidence of other serious problems. These include “physical and verbal abuse,” sexual harassment, a lack of first-aid equipment and inadequate safety training. Some information is also conspicuous by its absence — at least in the short report linked below — including clarity on how widespread any of these failings were among the 109 companies (and 65,000 employees) that have now been audited. Did they crop up at just a handful of factories, or were they endemic across China? We have no idea, but given how much data Samsung has now dutifully amassed, it surely does. We’ve asked the company for more detail and will update if we hear back.

Filed under: Misc, Samsung

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Source: Samsung