TechBiz

By AnnaMaria Andriotis and Jonnelle Marte

 

Jeff Sica, a financial adviser in Morristown, N.J., for months has been hearing the same request from clients and it isn't about which muni bond looks the most promising these days. It is all about Facebook Inc., and whether regular investors can get in on its coming IPO. But so far Mr. Sica hasn't made any promises, worried that his firm may not receive a single share of the social-media giant, despite being a client of one of the deal's underwriters. "It's just not that easy to get a piece of a hot IPO," he says

 

Across the country, it has become Mission Impossible for countless financial advisers: trying to nab an investment in the most highly anticipated initial public offering in recent memory. But while most clients will be disappointed, financial advisers and planners are looking for ways to soften the blow with at least some indirect ways to be part of the Facebook action.

 

Scientists at Disney Research -- yes, that Disney (DIS) -- have developed a proprietary touch-sensing technology called Touché, which could effectively give everyday objects and substances -- like doorknobs, walls, or even liquid -- advanced touchscreen controls, the basic version of which you typically find on smartphones and tablets. But Touché could give different surfaces the capacity to detect gestures way more complicated than a swipe. The invention is being presented on Monday in Austin, Texas, at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, and has already received a few highly coveted awards.

 

Here, a brief guide to the "mind-blowing" breakthrough.

 

Ever since the Magnavox Odyssey sold for $75 in the 1970s — roughly $230 by today's standards — most video game consoles have been punishingly expensive, says JP Mangalindan at CNN. But now, Microsoft (MSFT) will reportedly turn that tradition on its head by selling its Xbox 360 console bundled with its popular Kinect motion sensor controller for an exceptionally low price of $99. (Kinect alone typically retails for $149, and the console itself often costs hundreds more.) The catch? Any customer who buys in would also have to purchase a two-year Xbox Live Gold online subscription fee for $15 a month. Xbox sales were down 48 percent in the third quarter of 2012, and a lower price tag could have consoles flying off the shelves — and put pressure on competitors Nintendo (NTDOY) and Sony (SNEJF). (Microsoft owns and publishes TechBiz, an MSN Money site.)

Is this deal as good as it sounds? 

Samsung (SSNLF) took the wrapper off the latest gadget in its premiere line of smartphones last Thursday, unveiling the buzzy new Galaxy S III at a headline-grabbing London event. The device, which will be available in Europe May 23 and shortly thereafter in the U.S., is now the Korean manufacturer's flagship handheld. The phone comes equipped with expected spec bumps like a new quad-core processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a high-contrast AMOLED screen. 

 

Here, five things you should know about the new device:

 

By Stephen D. Simpson

 

For as much attention that centers on Apple (AAPL), a curious detail happens to be true of the first quarter -- Korean electronics giant Samsung actually sold more smartphones and sits in the catbird seat in the global cell phone market. Does this mean the end is in sight for Apple's special relationship with Wall Street, and how should investors react to this market reality?

 

Samsung rises to the top

For the first quarter of 2012, Samsung was the top mobile phone company in the world -- knocking long-suffering Nokia (NOK) from the global number one position, but also unseating Apple as the top vendor of smartphones. Although this is not the first time that Samsung has outsold Apple, it is the first time that the margin of such sales (44.5 million versus 35.1 million) was substantial.