Stories by Jay Alabaster

Sony and Lego collaborating on toy research

Sony and Lego are working together on creating a new generation of products that bridge the gap between toys and video games.

Microsoft boosts Japan Azure offering, adds data centers in two regions

Microsoft will boost its Azure cloud offering in Japan, adding two domestic data centers to speed response times and improve reliability in the face of natural disasters.

Adobe continues social push, acquires mobile app agency

Adobe has acquired Thumb Labs, a small mobile app agency, as part of its broader push to give its new cloud-enabled software offerings a more social flavor.

Sony to stream PlayStation games to non-consoles as part of turnaround

Sony will leverage its streaming technology to bring PlayStation games to devices other than dedicated consoles as part of its ongoing turnaround, but said gaming profits will still suffer and lowered sales targets for its smartphones and cameras.

Toshiba shrinks 64Gbit flash chips, but still lags Samsung

Toshiba said it will soon begin mass producing a new type of 64Gbit NAND flash that is the smallest and fastest in its class, though it still lags rival Samsung Electronics in the development of an even denser flash technology.

Samsung launches $US800,000 app contest for Galaxy S4

Samsung will host a $US800,000 contest for developers that build apps for the Galaxy S4 using the company's peer-to-peer software interface.

Samsung launches $800,000 app contest for Galaxy S4

Samsung will host a US$800,000 contest for developers that build apps for the Galaxy S4 using the company's peer-to-peer software interface.

Yahoo Japan says 22 million user IDs may have been stolen

Yahoo Japan, the country's largest Web portal, said up to 22 million user IDs may have been leaked during a hack that was discovered last week.

Japan warns solar flares could harm GPS, satellites, power lines

A Japanese government institute has warned that satellite transmissions, GPS readings, and power lines could be affected over the next two weeks if a recent spate of solar flares continues.

Ailing Sharp sacks chief, vows turnaround on robots, LCDs

Japan's Sharp booked another huge loss on Tuesday, and unveiled its latest turnaround plan, which includes relying on partnerships with Samsung Electronics and Foxconn Technology Group for business, sacking top management, and expanding into new fields such as robotics.

Japan's DoCoMo to use mobile data to monitor traffic jams

NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest mobile carrier, will use location data from its 61.5 million subscriber devices to build a platform that monitors traffic conditions across the country.

Sony to launch super-thin, flexible e-reader for universities

Sony will soon launch a flexible e-reader device that is less than 7mm thick and weighs 358 grams, targeted for use in university classrooms.

Pioneer to crowdsource car navigation, add augmented reality

Pioneer will soon launch a new car navigation system in Japan that uses dashboard cameras to scan the road ahead for approaching street signs and other cars, and will share images of road conditions with other vehicles.

Sony profitable again, but core electronics still struggling

Sony made good on a promise to return to profitability after offloading a number of valuable assets last year, but its core electronics business is still losing money.

Panasonic creates multi-band M2M chip with 20-year lifespan

Panasonic has developed a tiny, low-power chip for sensor networks and Internet-connected appliances, which it says is the first to support a broad range of frequency bands.