Reuters Technology Report: February 22, 2016

Click to View in Browser Monday, February 22, 2016 U.S. government, Apple take encryption case to court of public opinion (Reuters) - Apple Inc on Monday urged the creation of a government panel on encryption, the latest salvo in a standoff over a locked iPhone linked to the San Bernardino shooting that has escalated into a public relations battle between the revered technology company and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. AT&T says has edge over Verizon in 5G thanks to DIRECTV lines BARCELONA (Reuters) - AT&T's $48.5 billion purchase of DIRECTV will give it the edge over U.S. rival Verizon in the roll-out of the next generation of cellular technology, AT&T's strategy chief said on Monday. AT&T, Ericsson set deals with automakers on Internet-connected cars (Reuters) - AT&T Inc has entered into a multiyear contract to help Porsche, the luxury sports division of Volkswagen AG , provide Internet connectivity in its cars in the United States, beginning with some 2017 models, the companies announced on Monday. Western Digital investor Alken pushes to cancel SanDisk deal (Reuters) - Alken Asset Management, one of the biggest shareholders of hard-disk drive maker Western Digital Corp, has asked the company to consider cancelling its deal to buy SanDisk Corp, citing a high purchase price. Amazon raises free shipping minimum for most orders to $49 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc has raised its free-shipping threshold for orders from non-Prime customers to $49 from $35 in the United States. IBM inks deal with VMWare, tries to bolster cloud credentials SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Computing giant IBM has expanded its partnership with VMWare , one of several initiatives it plans to announce Monday as it works to carve out a bigger role in the fast-growing field of cloud computing. Samsung, LG unveil new devices in bid for smartphone recovery BARCELONA (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and LG Electronics Inc unveiled their latest smartphones at the Mobile World Congress industry show in Barcelona on Sunday, seeking to buck the slowdown in industry growth. Vodafone CEO talks up benefits of going Dutch with Liberty BARCELONA (Reuters) - The chief executive of Vodafone underlined the benefits of the company's plan to work with Liberty Global in the Netherlands, an arrangement being closely watched by analysts and investors who hope the two firms will one day reach a wider deal. Ericsson forms alliance with Amazon Web Services for telcos BARCELONA (Reuters) - Ericsson and Amazon's web services division (AWS) said on Monday they have agreed a deal that allows Ericsson, the world's leading maker of mobile network gear, to act as a bridge for its telecom operator customers to use public cloud services. Verizon to buy XO Communications' fiber-optic business (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc, the No.1 U.S. wireless service provider, said it would buy Carl Icahn-owned XO Communications' fiber-optic network business for about $1.8 billion. Related Video Latest in smart textiles - a musical tablecloth Ibuprofen patch heralds side effect free drug future Mediafile How about Hightail-ing it? On Twitter, dubious health claims from e-cigarette bots A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today A quick-fix on the day's news delivered when you want it. Register Today » » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2016 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add newsletters@email.reuters.com to your address book. Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook