DailyDose of tech news from around the world. In today’s edition: Facebook launches Graph Search. Demand For Samsung Smartphones Jumps To 23%. Boku Co-Founder Hirson Eyes Next Mobile Startup. IBM Granted Most U.S. Patents for 20th Straight Year and more.
Facebook launches Graph Search
Social networking giant Facebook has launched Graph Search, a new feature with which users can search for what they are looking for on Facebooks massive database powered by more than a billion users.
Graph Search is available now in a very limited beta program for English (US) audiences. You can now sign up to join a waiting list to try out the feature here. The search engine is powered by Microsoft’s Bing.
Read How Facebook’s Graph Search Just Replaced A Major Chunk Of Google here.
IBM Exec Husband of Aaron Swartz Prosecutor Takes to Twitter to Defend His Wife
The prosecutor in Aaron Swartz case– Ms. Ortiz has a defendant on Twitter. Her husband, an IBM executive named Tom Dolan, has taken to Twitter to defend his wife’s actions in the prosecution of Mr. Swartz. More here.
Demand For Samsung Smartphones Jumps To 23% For Early 2013, iPhone Interest Down 21 Points From Last Quarter, reports TechCrunch. ChangeWave has released its quarterly consumer smartphone report, which tracks North American demand for devices and satisfaction with handsets. The survey covers planned purchases during the next 90 days, and indicates that Samsung sales could see strong early gains in 2013, while interest in Apple’s iPhone takes a hit. Samsung’s Galaxy Note II in particular made a promising showing, meaning consumers are eager to wrap their hands around gigantic devices. More here.
Apple Retail VP Jerry McDougal Resigns
Jerry McDougal, Apple’s vice president of Retail and a potential candidate for the company’s now-vacant SVP of Retail position, has left the company, Apple confirmed to AllThingsD. McDougal, who resigned earlier this month, is to be replaced by Jim Bean, formerly Apple VP of Finance. While it’s not clear if this is an exec-for-exec swap, Bean has exactly the sort of operational acumen that would lend itself to the position McDougal’s departure leaves open. Bean will retain his VP title, though “of Finance” may change to “of Retail.” [Source]
Boku Co-Founder Hirson Eyes Next Mobile Startup
Boku President Ron Hirson is leaving the mobile payments provider he co-founded about four years ago to start working on his next gig. Hirson has signed on with Khosla Ventures and Mayfield Fund as an entrepreneur in residence, where he’ll get office space on Menlo Park’s Sand Hill Road and advise some of the firms’ portfolio companies. [Source]
IBM Granted Most U.S. Patents for 20th Straight Year
International Business Machines Corp. racked up more U.S. patents than any other company for the 20th straight year, helped by increasing contributions from its researchers in other countries. IBM’s 6,478 patents in 2012 mark a record for the company, research firm IFI Claims Patent Services said in a statement. South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co and Tokyo-based Canon Inc. (7751) ranked second and third. Google Inc. took a spot in the top 50 for the first time, with 15 more patents than Apple (AAPL) Inc. [Source]
