Motorola slashes 4,000 jobs

Motorola has announced plans to cut approximately 4,000 jobs during 2009. The cuts are attributed as a bid to cut costs and a necessary adjustment to counter the weaker demand for mobiles as a result of the global recession. The job cuts, in conjunction with other cost-reduction initiatives, are expected to generate savings of $1.5 billion during 2009.

CBR Mobility

Spammers ride the Obama wave

As the President Elect prepares for his inauguration, an 'explosion of spam' has hit the web, alleging that he has refused to take his office. Sensational subject lines entice readers to an email containing a hyperlink, directing users to a fake website. Accessing the link exposes visitors to malicious bug 'Waledac' which can enable hackers to remotely access information stored on your computer. The site is amongst a number that have appeared in the run-up to today's ceremony.

ITP News

Cisco readying server virtualisation software?

Cisco is preparing to take on software leaders HP and IBM by launching their own line of servers with virtualisation software. The move software has been long-anticipated and a matter of speculation by industry insiders for a number of months. Analysts note that the new offering is likely to target data centres, an area identified by Cisco as one of key growth.

ITPro

IBM adds social networking to Notes

IBM has launched LotusLive, a portfolio of internet-hosted services to facilitate social networking in the workplace. LotusLive's offerings include email collaboration and web conferencing, with Skype providing voice and video capabilities to the service. The move by IBM follows vendors such as Google, Zoho and Microsoft in a bid to offer collaboration and communication tools through the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.

TechWorld

Micro-blogging on the rise

Twitter has become an increasingly popular social networking tool for news organisations, businesses, and even politicians. The social networking and micro-blogging service is also being utilised by many large corporations to announce new developments, squash rumours or for plain PR purposes. But, according to Forbes, European businesses have not caught on to the Twitter craze yet.

Telecom TV

Apple sells used products for less in China

Apple Inc has launched an online shop selling second-hand Apple products in China, offering discounts of up to 22 percent, as it looks to build its business in the country. The refurbished products available on Apple's Chinese website ranged from a 308 yuan ($44) iPod shuffle to an iMac computer costing more than 14,000 yuan ($2,047).

Reuters

Users will say 'no' to mobile apps until they get friendlier

In order to drive up the usage of mobile data services operators and mobile phone vendors have to make phones friendlier and less complex. According to a survey by Mformation, users find applications for mobile data services so difficult many don't bother using them. 95 percent of consumers indicated that they would be more likely to try new mobile services if setup was easier.

Telecom TV

Hyundai wants 5% of the mobile market

Car manufacturer Hyundai is close to finalising a deal with UK mobile telecommunications company Advantage Cellular to start selling mobile phones in Great Britain. The company plans to release 10 to 15 handsets this year and believes to hold three to five per cent of the mobile phone market in the UK. Hyundai Mobile launched in Europe in 2008.

TechRadar

Music industry urged to embrace the Internet

At the international record music publishing and video music market (MIDEM) event in Cannes, executives revealed a sliver of optimism in the fight against piracy, after agreeing retail deals with the likes of Nokia, Amazon and MySpace. After years of trying to protect its content and suing anyone who illegally downloaded it, the industry has moved to forge partnerships with online retailers as sales slump.

Reuters