Daily Marauder

TECHNOLOGY

Senseg.com is a haptic interface company based in Helsinki, Finland. Instead of using vibrating motors, the device surface is completely motionless. Instead, the Senseg system stimulates your fingers or hand with an electrical field to simulate the feeling of friction or texture. (http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/04/28/senseg-amazing-haptic-technology-that-could-come-to-a-device-near-you/ 4/28)

One of the longest running patent battles in the tech space has finally come to an end. Qualcomm agreed to pay rival Broadcom $891 million over four years in a settlement of all their legal disputes. The two chip makers have been fighting for 4+ years across three venues over patent issues related to mobile processing and the battle has significantly slowed the evolution of 3G mobile technology. (Cynopsis 4/28)

Hewlett-Packard hopes the low price and optional Linux-based OS will make its ProBook s-series a worthy replacement to its previous mainstream business notebook — the HP Compaq. The ProBook, which starts shipping today, will be marketed toward users at small and medium-size companies. Reuters (4/28)

After a surge in shipments of set-top boxes during the next few years, the devices will reach a peak point in global sales at 127 million units in 2012, according to a new study from London-based Screen Digest. By 2013, the report forecast, shipments of set-top boxes will fall to 119 million. Home Media Magazine (4/27) , ipTVnews (4/27)

Hurt by falling consumer demand for LCD products and a strong yen, Japanese electronics maker Sharp this week reported its first annual loss since the company was taken public in 1956 as revenue dipped 17%. Still, company executives expect the company to regain its profitability in the next year. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (4/28) , Reuters (4/27)