Technology

Bloomberg Apple Inc. has begun early work on an iPhone with a foldable screen, a potential rival to similar devices from Samsung Electronics Co. and others, though it’s planning only minor changes for this year’s iPhone line. The Cupertino, California-based company has developed prototype foldable screens for internal testing, but hasn’t solidified plans to actually launch a foldable iPhone. The ...

Bloomberg Facebook Inc.’s planned smart glasses will arrive “sooner than later” in 2021, but won’t feature the kind of digital overlay technology that is associated with augmented reality, according to hardware chief Andrew Bosworth. The glasses, which are being built in partnership with Ray-Ban and parent Luxottica Group, will connect to a device — though users won’t be able to ...

Bloomberg BlackBerry Ltd. said it’s settled a dispute with Facebook Inc. over patent royalties for terms that weren’t disclosed. “We have resolved our disputes pursuant to a confidential agreement and have no further comment,” BlackBerry spokeswoman Karen Clyne said in an email. BlackBerry sued Facebook in 2018, claiming the social media giant was using BlackBerry inventions in its popular messaging ...

Bloomberg Equifax Inc. agreed to acquire Kount Inc., which offers fraud protection for e-commerce retailers, for $640 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter, Atlanta-based Equifax said in a statement Friday. Kount’s employees will continue to be based in Boise, Idaho, and will report to Equifax’s US information-solutions unit. The credit-reporting firm has been building out ...

Bloomberg Samsung Electronics Co. shares rise 7.1% to a record high in Seoul amid signs of a rebound in the memory-chip market and off the back of a surge in earnings. South Korea’s biggest company posted a 26% increase in operating income to 9 trillion won ($8.3 billion) for the three months ended December in preliminary results. That compares with ...

Bloomberg Huawei Technologies added Tencent Holdings Ltd.’s games back to its app store after two technologies firms negotiated an agreement. “We will continue to work together to bring better experience and service to Tencent game community,” a spokesperson for Tencent said. The games were removed after Tencent made a “big change” to how the companies work with each other, according ...

Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc. agreed to acquire podcasting company Wondery, as the dominant audiobook purveyor moves to strengthen in another sound-based medium. “This is a pivotal moment to expand the Amazon Music offering beyond music as listener habits evolve,” the Seattle-based retail and media giant said in a statement. Bloomberg News first reported in September that Wondery was exploring a sale, ...

Bloomberg International Business Machines Corp. (IMBM) ought Expertus Technologies Inc., a Canadian financial-technology firm that helps process more than $50 billion in transactions a day, to bolster its electronic-payments capabilities. Closely held Expertus has been added to the IBM Global Business Services unit, the Armonk, New York-based buyer said in a statement. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Banks worldwide ...

Bloomberg Facebook Inc. is building a new video product that will let people pay content creators or celebrities for the chance to interact with them during a live broadcast. The tool, called Super, will let creators, entrepreneurs or celebrities host live, interactive video events. Viewers can tip creators by buying them digital gifts, or pay to “appear” alongside a creator ...

Bloomberg Microsoft Corp. is working on in-house processor designs for use in server computers that run the company’s cloud services, adding to an industrywide effort to reduce reliance on Intel Corp.’s chip technology. The world’s largest software maker is using Arm Ltd. designs to produce a processor that will be used in its data centers, according to people familiar with ...