Chinese computer giant Lenovo has launched its own tablet computer at home as it tries to compete for a share of an increasingly crowded market dominated by Apple’s iPad. LePad ? powered by Google’s Android software ? was launched in China on Monday. Lenovo will begin selling LePad directly to Chinese consumers this week through its own retail stores and it will put it on sale outside China by June, spokesman Jay Chen said. The firm said in a statement that it was aggressively pursuing the mobile internet device business and established a special division — the Mobile Internet and Digital Home Business Group — this year to better compete. “The LePad is the first major launch since the business group’s founding, we are confident in it and will continue to enrich its product line with better performing products and a richer selection of styles,” Lenovo said.
Sprint blasts AT&T’s bid to buy T-Mobile USA
Sprint Nextel urged regulators to block AT&T’s $39 billion bid to buy Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA, saying the merger would harm consumers. “This transaction is fundamentally anti-competitive, and you can’t fix that with merger conditions,” Charles McKee, Sprint’s vice-president of government affairs, federal and state regulatory, said. Sprint already faces tough competition from industry leaders AT&T and Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group. Combined, AT&T and T-Mobile USA, the No. 4 US operator, would leapfrog Verizon Wireless as the top carrier. The deal would concentrate 80% of US wireless contract customers in just two companies ? AT&T/T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
New York Times begins charging for digital access
The New York Times began charging Monday for full access to its website and mobile services. The third-largest US newspaper is charging $15 every four weeks, or $195 a year, to read more than 20 articles a month on its website. That fee also covers a subscription on the newspaper’s software for smartphones. Readers who want unlimited access on the website and the software for Apple’s iPad tablet computer have to pay $20 every four weeks, or $260 annually. A digital subscription covering the website and both mobile options costs $35 every four weeks, or $455 annually. The New York Times is charging for digital access because online advertising revenue hasn’t grown fast enough to offset losses in print ads. Print subscribers will keep free online access.
Amazon.com unveils online service to store, play music
Amazon.com said it has unveiled an online service that would enable its customers to securely store and access music through their smartphones and computers. Amazon’s move is a further sign of intensifying competition among top-notch technology firms to deliver entertainment content over the internet. Amazon Cloud Service enables customers to securely store music on the company’s web servers instead of local hard drives ? a type of technology generically known as “cloud computing.” Amazon said early on Tuesday the new service would allow customers to play music on any Android, Windows and Apple devices. The company said customers would initially be provided with 5 gb of free storage, which can eventually be upgraded to 20 gb with the purchase of any MP3 album.
