Asia
CEO says Sony is on track for comeback
January 18, 2013 11:14 am | by YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsSony Corp., the struggling Japanese electronics and entertainment company, is headed in the right direction although its comeback is not yet complete, its chief executive said Thursday. Kazuo Hirai told reporters that Sony is now more nimble and focused under his leadership which began nine months ago.
Sony looking to boost sales of LCD televisions in India
January 17, 2013 10:26 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSony Corp.'s president said Thursday that the company is aiming to boost sales of liquid crystal display televisions in emerging markets such as India and Brazil, as strong replacement demand is expected in the countries.
Sharp in talks with Lenovo on LCD TV business tie-up
January 17, 2013 10:20 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsStruggling electronics maker Sharp Corp. is in talks with Lenovo Group Ltd. of China to form an alliance in the liquid crystal display television business, sources close to the matter said Thursday.
Battery in 787 swollen from overheating
January 17, 2013 10:00 am | by ELAINE KURTENBACH, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe main battery beneath the cockpit of the Boeing 787 forced to make an emergency landing in Japan was swollen from overheating, a safety official said Thursday, as aviation regulators worldwide joined the U.S. and Japan in grounding the technologically advanced aircraft because of fire risk.
Boeing 787 update
January 16, 2013 9:32 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet operated by All Nippon Airways Co. made an emergency landing Wednesday morning at Takamatsu Airport in western Japan due to smoke in the cockpit, with the transport ministry suspecting a problem related to the aircraft's main battery may have caused the incident.
Softbank update
January 14, 2013 10:59 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSoftbank Corp. is considering selling about a 67 percent stake in smaller Japanese mobile phone service provider eAccess Ltd. to Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea and 10 other companies as early as this month, sources familiar with the situation said Saturday.
Panasonic to close plasma TV assembly plant in Shanghai
January 11, 2013 9:35 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPanasonic Corp. will shut down its assembly plant for plasma display panel televisions in Shanghai as part of efforts to streamline its flagging TV business, company officials said Friday. Panasonic, which plans to end development of plasma display panels for TVs, will liquidate its manufacturing subsidiary...
Rikei, Singapore to sell power supply modules
January 11, 2013 9:31 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsRikei Corp. said Friday it will begin selling power supply modules made by Singapore's Recom Asia Pte Ltd. The Tokyo-based electronics parts supplier will target Recom products at corporate customers particularly in the industrial machinery, telecommunications and medical sectors.
Tokyo Electric to accept compensation claims
January 10, 2013 11:37 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsTokyo Electric Power Co. said Thursday that it intends to accept compensation claims over the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster beyond the three-year legal time limit for seeking compensation.
Sony to sell office buildings in Tokyo, New York
January 10, 2013 11:31 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSony Corp. plans to sell its office buildings in Tokyo and New York to improve its financial standing, company sources said Thursday. Potential buyers for the buildings in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward and New York's Manhattan include an investment fund and a real estate company, the sources said.
Japanese firms exhibit high-end TVs at U.S. electronics show
January 9, 2013 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJapanese electronics firms are exhibiting high-end televisions with better profitability at the world's top electronics show which started in the United States on Tuesday, aiming to shore up their slumping operations amid fierce price competition especially for smaller models.
Panasonic update
January 9, 2013 10:02 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPanasonic Corp. President Kazuhiro Tsuga said Tuesday his company has concluded business alliances with General Motors Co. and IBM Corp. as he outlined its strategy to turn itself around by focusing on services for major global enterprises.
Sharp to withdraw from solar power battery business in Italy
January 3, 2013 9:56 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsStruggling Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp. is considering pulling out of the solar power battery business in Italy to streamline its operations amid slumping demand in Europe, sources close to the matter said Sunday.
Nissan hopes for better Japan-China relations
January 3, 2013 9:52 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsNissan Motor Co. President and Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn expressed hope that the recent change in leadership in both Japan and China will bring about an improvement in strained bilateral economic relations and a recovery of auto sales in China.
LG beats rivals in race to sell new OLED TVs as it starts taking South Korean orders
January 2, 2013 10:37 am | by YOUKYUNG LEE AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsLG Electronics Inc. started taking pre-orders on Wednesday for the world's first big TVs that use an advanced display technology promising startlingly clear images on wafer-thin screens. The South Korean company said the 55-inch TVs, which use a technology called "OLED"
Foxconn invests $200M in U.S. camera maker
December 21, 2012 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsHon Hai Precision Industry Co., the Taiwanese contract electronics manufacturer known as Foxconn, is buying an 8.88 percent stake in Woodman Labs Inc., the maker of the GoPro line of camcorders for surfing and other sports, for $200 million.
Yamaha to set up sales company in Myanmar
December 21, 2012 9:36 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsYamaha Motor Co. will set up a company in Myanmar soon to sell its motorbikes there, president Hiroyuki Yanagi said Friday, amid expectations for the country's strong economic growth. "Myanmar is a country very friendly to Japan and we think it is a suitable place to promote Japanese brands," Yanagi said during an interview with Kyodo News.
China tells U.S. it will improve intellectual property protection
December 20, 2012 12:13 pm | News | CommentsChina told U.S. trade negotiators in Washington on Wednesday that Beijing would do more to protect intellectual property rights and combat piracy by promoting the use of legal software, China's commerce minister told reporters.
European Commission wades into global tech patents war
December 20, 2012 12:10 pm | by Ethan Bilby, Reuters | News | CommentsEU regulators are poised to accuse Samsung of breaking competition rules in filing patent lawsuits against rival Apple, in the EU's first formal challenge to the consumer electronic industry's patent wars. "We will issue a statement of objections very soon," the European Union's competition chief Joaquin Almunia said on Thursday, referring to the Commission's charge sheet.
Taiwanese exec guilty of LCD screen price fixing
December 19, 2012 11:38 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal jury in San Francisco has convicted a former executive at a Taiwanese company of participating in a global LCD screen price-fixing conspiracy. The U.S. Department of Justice says Shiu Lung Leung could face up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for his role in illegally fixing computer screen prices in the U.S.
Fingerprint Cards Wins Third Design Award in Japan
December 18, 2012 11:37 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFingerprint Cards has received its third design win for its swipe sensor technology from one of Japan’s leading and most innovative mobile phone manufacturers. The first model launch is scheduled for Q3 2013. Due to the competitive situation, the mobile phone manufacturer wants to remain anonymous...
Fuji Xerox expands cloud service to Australia, Singapore
December 18, 2012 11:22 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFuji Xerox Co. launched Tuesday a cloud computing business communication support service in Australia and Singapore, the company said. The service, which was available only in Japan, facilitates online communications inside a company as well as interaction between different firms, according to Fuji Xerox.
Panasonic starts solar panel production in Malaysia
December 13, 2012 11:29 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPanasonic Corp. started manufacturing solar panels Thursday at a newly built plant in Malaysia, boosting the global production capacity of its cutting-edge solar batteries to 900 megawatts per year from the current 600 megawatts.
Hitachi holds 1st board meeting in India
December 13, 2012 11:24 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsHitachi Ltd. on Thursday held a board of directors' meeting in the Indian capital New Delhi, the first time it has held such a meeting outside Japan since the company's founding in 1910. All 13 company executives including Chairman Takashi Kawamura and President Hiroaki Nakanishi attended the meeting.
Regulatory body: Radiation spread projection full of errors
December 13, 2012 11:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJapan's nuclear regulatory authority said Thursday it found errors in its radiation spread projections in the event of a severe accident for all the country's nuclear power plants after thoroughly reviewing its previous already mistake-plagued results.
