DailyDose, your everyday technology brief is here. In today’s edition: Google Launches Chromebook Pixel & Living Social Valued at $1.5 bn and more.
Google launches The Chromebook Pixel, for what’s next: Google wrote on its blog on Thursday: Today we’re excited to announce our newest laptop—the Chromebook Pixel—which brings together the best in hardware, software and design to inspire the next generation of Chromebooks. With the Pixel, we set out to rethink all elements of a computer in order to design the best laptop possible, especially for power users who have fully embraced the cloud. The philosophy of Chrome has always been to minimize the “chrome” of the browser. In much the same way, the goal of the Pixel is to make the pixels disappear, giving people the best web experience. More here.
Bringing voice recognition to the web: Yesterday’s Chrome Stable release includes support for Web Speech API which developers can use to integrate speech recognition capabilities into their web apps. To see what this might look like, check out this demo on how to compose an email just using your voice. More here.
Apple patent filing points directly to ‘iWatch’ concept with flexible touchscreen display: A patent application discovered by AppleInsider on Thursday reveals Apple is indeed investigating a wearable accessory device that not only boasts a full-length flexible touchscreen display, but conforms to a user’s body through the use of a “slap bracelet” mechanism. More here.
Hedge fund manager Einhorn takes Apple campaign to shareholders: Hedge fund manager David Einhorn, who is battling Apple Inc in court as part of a wider effort to get the iPhone-maker to share more of its cash pile, will now make a direct appeal to the company’s shareholders. More here.
IBM CEO Rometty to Double Investment in Mobile Technologies: International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), the world’s biggest computer-services provider, will double its investment in mobile technology this year, not including acquisitions it could make in the industry. More here.
PayPal Releases Mobile Card Reader Abroad Ahead of Competitors: EBay Inc’s PayPal unit is rolling out a credit-card reader for small businesses outside the U.S., seeking to get a head start on rivals such as Square Inc. and Intuit Inc. while increasing its international presence. More here.
Hewlett-Packard Profit Forecast Tops Estimates: Hewlett-Packard Co, the largest personal-computer maker, forecast fiscal second-quarter profit that exceeded analysts’ estimates, helped by cost-cutting measures and recovering demand for enterprise services. More here.
Tesla Shares Drop 9.7% As It Reports Another Quarterly Loss: Shortly after market opening, Tesla shares dropped 9.68 percent to 34.81 in the wake of yesterday’s earnings. The company disappointed investors as it reported a quarterly loss of $89.9 million, or 79 cents a share, compared with a loss of $81.5 million last year, or 78 cents a share. More here.
Living Social is valued at $1.5 billion: More details have emerged about LivingSocial‘s new $110 million funding round announced yesterday. In response to a blog post characterizing the raise as an emergency round of debt financing, LivingSocial CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy issued a new memo to employees clearing up some misconceptions about the raise. More here.
Zendesk was hacked: The company’s blog says: We feel that it’s important our customers receive an update from us on a recent security situation. We have an investigation underway and do not have the answer to every question. More here.
