Sony

Eating Apple's dust

Why can't HP, Dell, Sony or Samsung compete with the iPad and MacBook Air?

The old conventional wisdom was that any advantage Apple (AAPL) gained in the marketplace was necessarily short-lived. Competitors licensing widely available operating systems -- from Microsoft (MSFT) or Google (GOOG) -- would soon undercut Apple's premium pricing and steal its market share. Case in point: The army of Android phones that now commands roughly 50% of the MORE

Hacker hunters: Join the cyber security job boom

With hackers running riot on the Internet, here's how you can get paid to stop them.

By Alex Konrad, contributor

FORTUNE -- Don't let the headlines about New Corp.'s (NWSA) recent phone follies give you the wrong idea about hacking: Cyber crime is only getting more complex and dangerous, but it is creating new jobs for people who want to fight it. Recent high-profile hacks of government sites, Citigroup (C), and Sony MORE

Apple takes the patent wars seriously. Google not so much

The Google boys wanted to show off their number theory chops. Steve Jobs needed to win.

Perhaps if it had been Google (GOOG) that was getting hauled into court for patent violations it would have fought harder to win this week's auction for the rich portfolio of intellectual property bequeathed by the bankrupt Nortel Corp.

But it was Google's Android partners -- the HTCs, Motorolas and Samsungs of the world -- that MORE

Consortium led by Apple buys Nortel's patents for $4.5 billion

Google's Android operating system is the big loser as 6,000 patents fall into enemy hands

In the largest exchange of intellectual property rights in the Internet age, a powerhouse consortium led by Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT) has agreed to buy from the bankrupt Nortel Corp. access to more than 6,000 patents covering key telecommunications technologies, from Internet services to wireless data networking.

The consortium, which includes Sony (SE), Research in Motion MORE

A who's who of hackers

It's hard to get a handle on the hacker community, but here's a look at the range of people -- from lone geeks to organized governments -- who could be behind recent security breaches.

FORTUNE -- The recent hacking headlines make it seem like we're in the middle of a cyberwar: In the past few weeks, there have been revelations of security breaches at organizations including Citigroup, Sony, the IMF, and MORE

Yet another hack, yet another delay in reporting it

Citigroup is the latest to report a security breach, but the hack occurred more than a month ago. It's time for companies to open up about exposures to its systems.

FORTUNE -- Given the number of recent, high-profile network security breaches, it might be tempting to call 2011 the Year of the Hack. The danger is that there's a good chance 2012 might be even worse.

The underlying reason for this is MORE

Consumer Reports [hearts] Apple's MacBooks

Apple's notebooks sweep every category in the latest report, despite middling reliability scores

Consumer Reports doesn't always love Apple's (AAPL) products. It still doesn't recommend the iPhone 4 because of problems its testing lab had with the external antenna. But in its survey of the current crop of notebook computers released Tuesday, the magazine gave the MacBook line its highest ratings in every category in which Apple competes, from the 11-inch MORE

Apple inks deals with 2 music labels, 2 more set to sign

Google and Amazon suffer a setback as the music industry, once again, puts its trust in Steve Jobs

CNET's Greg Sandoval, who reported last month that Warner Music (WMG) had signed a deal with Apple (AAPL) to make its content library available on a new music streaming service, broke the news late Thursday that EMI had also come on board and that deals with Sony (SNE) and Universal could be wrapped MORE

Today in Tech: Hackers planning third Sony attack?

A curated selection of the day's most newsworthy tech stories from all over the Web. Sign up to get the newsletter delivered to you everyday.

The attacks on Sony's various web servers may not be over. A group of hackers claims it's planning to hit Sony's Web site this weekend and publish a good chunk of the information they steal: possibly customer names, addresses, and credit card numbers. Should that come to pass, MORE

Today in Tech: Can BlackBerry still cut it?

A curated selection of the weekend's most newsworthy tech stories from all over the Web. Sign up to get the newsletter delivered to you everyday.

"It is not thicker, don't believe all the junk that you read."
-- Apple Senior VP Phil Schiller supposed response to reports that the white iPhone 4 is thicker (9 to 5 Mac)

Some Research In Motion investors reportedly sold shares late last week based on growing general concern that MORE