It's true: even the leader of the PC business wants out. In a decision that makes competitor IBM look like it really is from a "smarter planet," Hewlett-Packard now confirms it wants to sell off its PC business, the HP Personal Systems Group. If it can't sell HP PSG, it may spin out the division.

Where is that line between being proud and being arrogant? HP is like last year's Prom Queen... It must grate on HP that the pissant Apple now is bigger and has more cash...that IBM looks smarter as it dumped PCs ages ago... and that Google came out of nowhere to become "The Company That Everyone Hates, I Mean Envies." Even Facebook gets more glory these days than the Number One in PCs and peripherals.

HP PSG at $41 billion represents nearly a third of the company’s overall revenue but only 13% of the group’s earnings from operations. Yep, it takes home a pittance from all that work to face Wall Street each quarter and report on the roller coaster known as PC hardware.

The new CEO Léo Apotheker is the ex-CEO of SAP, and never a lover of hardware. His new, announced plan:

• Move HP into higher value, higher margin growth categories
• Sharpen HP’s focus on its strategic priorities of cloud, solutions and software with an emphasis on enterprise, commercial and government markets
• Increase investment in innovation to drive differentiation

This also means HP will kill the WebOS device business. Their announcement says TouchPad and webOS phones are to die, but the implication is  WebOS software may be sold while still alive.

In another strategic move, HP is already in discussions to buy Autonomy Corp., the database search software company.

All these moves would seem to reshape HP into an enterprise software and services company. Just like IBM.

Oddly enough, HP's announcement to get out of hardware will probably add more pressure to Google's decision to acquire Motorola Mobility.

In a move clearly acknowledging Apple's business strategy, Google buys Motorola Mobility and its 24500-strong patent portfolio for $12.5Bn.

Gartner describes the strategy as "vertical integration"-- building both software and hardware in-house from the ground up while owning a vast (not to mention valuable) IP library.

The acquisition means Google is now be able to make a whole variety of devices-- not only smartphones and tablets, but also Bluetooth-based accessories and set top boxes-- a potential Continue reading...

Apple wins a preliminary injunction in Düsseldorf's Regional Court against Samsung, blocking Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales in all EU countries except the Netherlands, the dpa-AFX news service reports.

The injunction involves Apple claiming the Galaxy Tab infringes several of its design-related IP rights (not hardware or software patents)-- describing the Galaxy Tab as an iPad imitation.

Apple already has a separate lawsuit going on in the Netherlands.

Samsung responds by saying it will “take all necessary me Continue reading...

According to DigiTimes, Acer will try shipping its notebook supplies to Europe from China via rail.

DigiTimes says while Acer won't confirm the report, Taiwan-based component makers say 40 containers of Acer notebooks left from its base in Chiongqing City, Western China, to the Europe market via an Asia-Europe railway route.

The international railway route runs more than 11,000 km from Chongqing to Xi'an, Lanzhou and Urumqi in China, Kazakstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland to Duisburg in Germany. Taking Continue reading...

You may remember Laplink who first came to the forefront with its PC migration technology in the '80s. Now Laplink wants to reinvent sync.

Laplink releases its first product based on its new technology, Laplink Switch & Sync, to make it easier to sync multiple PCs and Macs. Also included is a free transfer utility to automatically switch from a PC to a Mac (the only software of its kind, asserts Laplink.)

Laplink's new sync technology will allow users of multiple devices to automatically keep Continue reading...

Qualcomm acquires a number of IP assets and "key engineering resources" from GestureTek, a gesture recognition technology developer.

The purchase is part of Qualcomm's bid for integration of multiple technologies into single-chip solutions-- offerings currently packing Snapdragon processors, Adreno graphics engines, Gobi multi-format radio, Atheros wifi connectivity and GPS.

The company will integrate GestureTek's technology into its current and next-generation Snapdragon processors which will Continue reading...

Will Microsoft unite all its takes on different devices-- smartphones, games consoles, TVs, PCs-- under a "single ecosystem" sharing core technologies in the name of "coherence and consistency"?

That's what This is My Next reports Andy Lees saying at his Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference keynote.

Equally intriguing is sources saying Microsoft also considers "ditching the 'Windows' brand in favour of something new".

Reports suggest Microsoft's post-Windows 8 OS (to hit the market at around Continue reading...

Velocity Micro is the next company to fall foul of Microsoft's IP shakedown, following HTC and General Dynamics Itronix into signing a settlement for the use of unspecified mobile patents.

The Microsoft IP-using devices in question are Velocity's Android-based Cruz tablets-- and Velocity will pay the price through royalty payments.

Analysts believe HTC pays something around $5 for every Android device it sells-- windfalls dwarfing what Microsoft earns through Windows Phone-- and that Microsoft Continue reading...