Technology Report: Microsoft succession speculation focuses on internal candidates

	Click to View in Browser 01/9/2014 Microsoft succession speculation focuses on internal candidates SEATTLE/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Speculation over Microsoft Corp's succession plans refocused on internal choices on Wednesday, a day after the leading outside candidate, Ford Motor Co CEO Alan Mulally, took himself off the list of potential CEOs at the world's largest software maker. Apple, Samsung CEOs agree to mediation in U.S. patent fight SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics have agreed to attend a mediation session to be held on or before February 19, as they prepare to clash in court in March over smartphone patents. Millions of French users flock to 4G mobile services PARIS (Reuters) - France's three biggest mobile operators have signed up 1 million customers each to new superfast mobile services, although a hoped for boost in margins from such 4G technology looks unlikely to materialize because of a price war. Barnes & Noble core retail business stabilized during holidays NEW YORK (Reuters) - Barnes & Noble Inc's mainstay retail business showed signs of stabilizing during the holiday period, renewing the belief on Wall Street that the bookseller's stores remain a viable business. Canon to haul capacity back home as yen continues slide TOKYO (Reuters) - Canon Inc is shifting capacity back to Japan in an apparent vindication of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's yen-weakening policies, which have made it more profitable for some Japanese manufacturers to produce and export from home. IBM to invest $1 billion to create new business unit for Watson (Reuters) - IBM said it will invest more than $1 billion to establish a new business unit for Watson, as the tech giant hopes to get more revenue from the supercomputer system that beat humans on the television quiz show "Jeopardy". France fines Google over data privacy PARIS (Reuters) - France's data protection watchdog has fined Google 150,000 euros after the U.S. search engine ignored a three-month ultimatum to bring its practices on tracking and storing user information in line with local law. Qualcomm CEO says still in the dark on China antitrust probe LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Qualcomm's CEO Paul Jacobs said on Wednesday that the U.S. mobile chipmaker still has not been notified about why it has come under antitrust scrutiny in China since late last year. Sony shares climb to one-month high on report of smartphone push TOKYO (Reuters) - Shares in Sony Corp rose as much as 5.2 percent to a one-month high on Thursday after media reports said the consumer electronics company aimed to double its smartphone sales volume in two years. BlackBerry says Fairfax to buy $250 million more debentures TORONTO (Reuters) - Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd will buy another $250 million worth of BlackBerry Ltd's convertible debentures, the companies said Wednesday, providing the struggling smartphone maker with much-needed cash. Related Video Nano-engineers produce liquid-repellent paper CES: T-Mobile's Legere riffs on rivals' "bullsh*t" Mediafile A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend