Today’s topics include LG’s update of the UX 5.0 user interface for G5 smartphones, NTT Data’s bid to buy Dell Services for more than $3 billion, Acer’s reorganization into two major business groups and the reports that Google is working on a rival to the Amazon Echo voice-activated speaker.
LG will release its latest UX 5.0 user interface software along with its new LG G5 modular smartphone that is due for release to the market on April 1.
The UX 5.0 user interface is designed to provide users with a “more playful and innovative mobile experience” that will also bring new capabilities to the company’s smartphones beyond the G5, according to LG.
Dell executives have been saying they plan to sell off some assets as the company prepares to buy data storage giant EMC for an industry-record $67 billion.
They took a significant step in that direction March 28, when NTT Data announced it was buying Dell’s IT services business reportedly for $3.05 billion.
Officials with NTT Data, the services arm of NTT Group of Japan, said the deal will give the company greater access to the IT services market in the U.S. and abroad. The deal will also will boost NTT Data’s capabilities in IT infrastructure services.
Acer, which continues to get battered by the shrinking global PC market, is restructuring as company officials look to separate the hardware units from Acer’s cloud services and smart devices efforts.
Acer has divided its businesses into two groups, one that will focus on notebooks, desktop PCs and tablets, and the other that will include cloud services and platforms, smartphones and wearable devices along with Internet of things applications.
A reference in an article in The Information this week about a plan by Google to develop a voice recognition system has led to considerable speculation that the company may be planning to release a rival to Amazon’s Echo voice-controlled speaker.
The Information article is based at least partly on an interview with Nest CEO Tony Fadell. The voice recognition system is mentioned in the article among a list of other products that Google is reportedly working on. Google did not respond to a request for comment and additional details on the reported product.