Reuters Technology Report: October 12, 2016

Click to View in Browser Wednesday, October 12, 2016 Amazon challenges Apple and Spotify with new music streaming service (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday launched a full-fledged music streaming service with subscriptions as low as $3.99 per month for owners of its Amazon Echo speaker, accelerating the industry trend toward more flexible pricing after years of sticking to $9.99 subscriptions. Samsung slashes third quarter profit estimate by a third after pulling plug on Note 7 SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co slashed its quarterly profit estimate by a third on Wednesday, soaking up a $2.3 billion hit from ditching its flagship smartphone in what could be one of the costliest product safety failures in tech history. Sony enters virtual reality race with PlayStation VR headset TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp will join the race for virtual reality (VR) dominance on Thursday with the $399 PlayStation VR, a headset the Japanese electronics group hopes will beat pricier rivals and revive its reputation as a maker of must-have gadgets. Apple to set up R&D center in Shenzhen, bolster China ties HONG KONG (Reuters) - Apple Inc will set up a research and development center in China's manufacturing metropolis Shenzhen, the U.S. tech giant said on Wednesday, as the firm looks to spur growth in the world's second largest economy amid growing competition. Samsung scraps Galaxy Note 7 over fire concerns SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd scrapped its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on Tuesday less than two months after its launch, dealing a huge blow to its reputation and outlook after failing to resolve safety concerns. Civil liberties group urges Verizon to shore up Yahoo user protection SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - An international civil liberties group that has worked with web companies on human rights and surveillance issues is asking Verizon Communications Inc to examine a secret email scanning program run by its acquisition target Yahoo Inc and improve on its user protection record. Samsung's ditching of flagship phone portends Android turf war (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics's abandonment of the Galaxy Note 7 due to safety concerns will likely touch off a turf war among Android smartphone makers, analysts said, presenting them a rare opportunity to gain share but with less room for arch rival Apple Inc. Sprint to raise $3.5 billion through sale, lease-back of airwaves: WSJ (Reuters) - Sprint Corp , the No. 4 U.S. wireless carrier, is preparing to mortgage a little more than 10 percent of its wireless airwaves to raise cash, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Apple-Samsung iPhone patent feud leaves U.S. top court struggling WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The fierce, big-money patent fight between Apple and Samsung left the U.S. Supreme Court groping for a solution on Tuesday, as the justices puzzled over how to discern the value of individual design elements in a complex product like an iPhone. Nokia sets new record for submarine cable capacity as demand jumps FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Nokia's Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) Unit said on Wednesday it has set a new record for cable transmission capacity for communications traffic - doubling its previous levels - as the company responds to booming demand from Internet firms. Related Video Driverless car tested on UK streets Fusion project construction kicks into gear as costs balloon 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