Technology Report: Sony eyes Vita push, feels Fitch heat

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	12/15/2011
Good afternoon Research In Motion faced renewed calls for a change in its leadership on Thursday, hours ahead of the quarterly results that could fuel criticism over the BlackBerry maker's poor performance and sagging share price. Jaguar Financial, an activist shareholder that has asked the BlackBerry maker to sell itself in whole or parts, once again called on two of RIM's independent directors to push for a separation of the roles of chairman and chief executive. Bloomberg reports that Zynga updated its initial public offering filing to expand on the risks of losing its chief executive officer after Google Chairman Eric Schmidt called him a "a fearsome, strong negotiator." Amazon.com said on Thursday it is selling more than one million Kindle devices a week, an unusual disclosure from the largest Internet retailer that comes in the wake of some negative reviews of its new Kindle Fire tablet. Chris Maxcer of MacNews World has a look at the most momentous moments the past year at Apple. Its iconic cofounder and CEO is gone, but the company managed to change the way people buy software, drive its tablet dominance even deeper, bring revolutionary new features to its OS and introduce a service that has people talking to their phones in a whole new way. Finally, U.S. soldiers facing emotional problems and contemplating suicide may soon be able to use a smart phone application to connect them to help. The Tennessee National Guard, the state's reserve military force, launched a pilot program of the "Guard Your Buddy" app that was spearheaded by Clark Flatt, president and CEO of the Jason Foundation. LATEST NEWS Sony eyes Vita push, feels Fitch heat December 15, 2011 06:21 AM ET TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp, set to report a $1 billion loss this year, is banking on a big slate of new software to drive sales of its new PlayStation Vita handheld games device, even as Fitch downgraded the Japanese electronics giant to a notch above junk. | Full Article Apple to open R&D center in Israel: report December 15, 2011 04:20 AM ET JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Apple will open a research and development center in Israel that will focus on semiconductors, the Globes business daily reported on Thursday. | Full Article Market gains as data overshadows IMF warning December 15, 2011 03:12 PM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Thursday as signs of strength in the economy and higher-than-expected profit at FedEx outweighed a stark warning from the IMF about inaction over Europe's debt crisis. | Full Article ECB chief says euro zone on right track December 15, 2011 01:58 PM ET BERLIN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's top central banker said on Thursday that euro zone governments are on the right track to restore market confidence but reminded them that an emergency program to buy their bonds was "neither eternal nor infinite". | Full Article FedEx profit beats Street, updating Boeing fleet December 15, 2011 11:27 AM ET (Reuters) - FedEx Corp reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit and is updating its fleet with 27 new fuel-efficient Boeing aircraft to cut costs, driving its shares up more than 5 percent. | Full Article BUSINESS NEWS Jobless claims at 3.5 year low, factories mixed December 15, 2011 10:49 AM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits dropped to a 3-1/2-year low last week, suggesting a weak U.S. economy is gradually improving even though factory data proved more mixed. | Full Article Morgan Stanley to cut 1,600 jobs December 15, 2011 02:50 PM ET (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley, the only large Wall Street bank to avoid major job cuts this year, said on Thursday that it would fire 1,600 employees in the first quarter to cut costs as trading and banking revenue show few signs of recovering. | Full Article U.S. military marks end to nearly nine bloody years in Iraq December 15, 2011 01:32 PM ET BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. forces formally ended their nine-year war in Iraq on Thursday with a low key flag ceremony in Baghdad, while to the north flickering violence highlighted ethnic and sectarian strains threatening the country in years ahead. | Full Article Top lawmakers seek to avert government shutdown December 15, 2011 03:04 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top Republican and Democratic lawmakers were renegotiating a $915 billion spending bill to keep the government operating beyond the weekend, a congressional aide said on Thursday. | Full Article Corzine denies he knew customer funds used December 15, 2011 02:26 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former MF Global chief Jon Corzine on Thursday denied an allegation that he knew the now-bankrupt brokerage firm used customer money to lend to a European affiliate. | Full Article U.S. TOP NEWS Olympus ex-CEO attacks Japan investors as comeback bid struggles SEC looking to appeal blocked Citigroup settlement: report Greek man claims for 19 kids-none real, police say Six-pack hunks: more than Singapore can bare? 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