…“Apple bested its own scores from last year’s survey and walloped other brand-name computer manufacturers.” As you can see, now only did Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) come out on top but the company put the rest of the competition to shame. As you can imagine, this is exactly what the Cupertino based company is trying to do.
Microsoft Updates Cloud Agreement For HIPAA Rules (InformationWeek)
Cloud service providers are starting to take notice of the new HIPAA security regulations that define them as “business associates” of HIPAA-covered entities such as healthcare providers and health plans. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has just announced a revised business associate agreement (BAA) for its cloud services that reflects the new HIPAA Omnibus Rule governing data security. Last week, Box, which offers another cloud storage and information sharing platform, made a similar announcement, claiming that its compliance with the latest HIPAA regs distinguishes it from most of its competitors. Among other things, the HIPAA Omnibus Rule, which went into effect March 26, requires covered entities to sign BAAs with business associates that commit the latter to protect personal health information (PHI) when it’s under their control.
BlackBerry CEO Questions Future of Tablets (Businessweek)
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) Chief Executive Officer Thorsten Heins said the popularity of tablet computers may wane, an indication the company may shelve a follow-up to its ill- fated PlayBook device. “In five years I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet anymore,” Heins said in an interview yesterday at the Milken Institute conference in Los Angeles. “Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model.” Heins is rethinking whether to offer larger devices even as the company pushes ahead with fresh smartphones built on the new BlackBerry 10 platform to engineer a sales recovery. The PlayBook, introduced in 2011, was panned by critics for debuting without built-in e-mail, delivering the tablet a near-fatal blow.
Motorola: Google’s $12 Billion Road to Nowhere? (Forbes)
Don’t cry for Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), but it lost another patent battle last week, involving the Motorola patents at the center of last year’s $12.4 billion acquisition. In a case against Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) where Google sought $4 billion in royalties, U.S. District Judge James Robart instead set the amount at $1.8 million. Given that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) valued Motorola’s patents at $5.5 billion when it closed the deal, this is hardly the kind of return on investment it thought it was getting on the once-great developer of mobile phones and related technology. But it’s really been par for the course since the deal closed.
