If there were any question {complink 379|Apple Inc.} CEO Tim Cook is putting his own imprint on the iconic company, it can be put to rest. Apple is moving some of its manufacturing back to the US, the New York Times reports. Is this an appeasement move toward Apple critics or a sound business decision?…
The US Department of the Treasury has once again declined to label China a currency manipulator, and, in its latest report on international exchange rates, notes that over the past two years China’s currency, the renminbi (RMB), has gained strength against the US dollar. This news brings mixed fortunes for high-tech manufacturers. On the one…
The term “reshoring” is coming into vogue now as the possibility exists that we may see several firms bring back their manufacturing operations to the United States as a result of rising wages in China. Recently, I read an article in the Supply Chain Digest from June 6, 2011 titled “New Study From Boston Consulting…
The US has been trying to get multinationals based in the US to pay taxes on revenue generated outside of the country for years. Now Europe is going after multinationals, as well. The New York Times reports today that several European nations, particularly France and the UK, are pushing to collect taxes from US companies…
A teardown analysis of the iPad mini and the Kindle Fire HD shows that there is very little difference between the bills of material (BOM) for the two tablets. According to IHS iSuppli, the BOM for the $329 iPad mini is about $188; the $199 Kindle Fire HD about $165. Yet Amazon loses money on…
All the buzz about Windows 8 has put an exclamation point on something many in the technology industry already knew: Mobile devices are changing business models. Early reviews of Windows 8 say that the OS is clearly meant for mobile devices, and that PC users are going to have a hard time moving away from…
Google's earnings came out a few hours early last week due to a computer glitch. Some observers are blaming the glitch for a drop in Google's stock price. The fact that the earnings were awful is almost cited as an afterthought: Among the litany of issues, the Internet search giant's profits slid 20% from a…
Electronics and IT companies made a strong showing in the Wall Street Journal's third annual list of top venture capital-backed companies, published in September. By dominating the top of the list and taking 28 of the 50 spots, electronics and IT beat out other categories that had gained prominence in recent years, including Internet and…
Whether you live in Europe or in the United States, bailouts have become a common phenomenon. Banks, countries, pension funds, and auto makers have all gotten cash infusions to keep them afloat. As the economic crisis drags on, high-tech companies are now also seeking public assistance. Just recently, Japan's {complink 4907|Sharp Electronics Corp.} and {complink…
{complink 2565|Infineon Technologies AG} is profitable but only barely so, and current trends in the general economy and within several of its end markets point to major turbulence ahead for the German semiconductor company. After a series of turnaround programs executed over several years, Infineon is still in recovery mode, and it probably will be…