Apple, HTC settle patent battles
Apple and HTC have revealed they have reached a confidential settlement to all their patent lawsuits and signed a 10-year co-licensing agreement. The case marks the first time Apple has granted a patent license to an Android handset maker.
The Pakistani government has reportedly introduced new rules prohibiting mobile number portability, citing concerns MNP is making it harder for authorities to track suspected criminals.
US takes ‘cold war’ approach to Huawei
China’s commerce minister, Chen Deming, says US fears regarding the security of Huawei’s telecoms equipment is like the Cold War, and notes business relations would quickly disintegrate if his country started probing US firms' links to the country’s two main political parties.
Sri Lanka to halve broadband taxes
Sri Lanka's president and ICT minister has revealed plans to halve taxes on broadband services to 10%, in a bid to stimulate development in the nation's ICT ministry.
A Google spokeswoman says access to its services in China failed over the weekend, as the country’s Communist Party Congress got underway. While the staffer declined to say if access is being blocked, she noted there are no technical problems affecting services.
Vietnam to introduce prepaid SIM fee
Vietnam's ICT ministry has ordered operators to next year implement a 25,000 dong ($1.20) SIM allocation fee for new subscribers to prepaid mobile services, in a bid to curb the number of users signing up temporarily only to take advantage of limited-time promotions.
Orascom founder tipped for Telecom Italia stake
The founder of Egyptian telco Orascom, Naguib Sawiris, is refusing to comment on reports he is bidding €5 billion ($6.36 billion) for a minority stake in Telecom Italia. A source claims the Italian operator’s board discussed the offer late last week, around the time it reported net income in 3Q12 fell 13% year-on-year to €681 million.
Microsoft converts spoken English to Chinese
Microsoft research chief, Rick Rashid, says the firm has developed software capable of rapidly translating spoken English into Chinese. Rashid used the software during a presentation in China late October, and says it draws on the way human brains work to make it more accurate.