The latest on Facebook’s secret smartphone efforts; why the social network’s co-founder Eduardo Saverin doesn’t resent Mark Zuckerberg.
Facebook tries, tries again on a smartphone [THE NEW YORK TIMES]
The company has already hired more than half a dozen former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone, and one who worked on the iPad, the employees and those briefed on the plans said. This would be Facebook’s third effort at building a smartphone, said one person briefed on the plans and one who was recruited.
Facebook shares fall below $30 as US authorities begin investigation into IPO [THE GUARDIAN]
Even as US stock markets bounced back from falls last week, Facebook’s shares slumped over 6% in early trading, to $29.78 — more than $8 below the $38 price set at their IPO earlier this month. The share sale has proved a disaster for Facebook and its bankers. US authorities are investigating allegations that the company gave critical information to some investors and not others.
RIM writedown risked with $1 billion inventory [BLOOMBERG]
Research In Motion Ltd.’s stockpiles of BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook tablets have swollen by two-thirds in the past year because of slumping sales, raising the chances of the company’s third writedown since December.
Facebook co-founder Saverin: I don’t resent Zuckerberg [CNN]
Many observers believe Saverin, who, according to the Facebook origin story was slighted by Zuckerberg as the site grew, was a primary source for the book “The Accidental Billionaires,” on which “Social Network” is based. But the end result was “fantasy,” he said. And, no, he never angrily threw a laptop at Zuckerberg as his Hollywood counterpart, Andrew Garfield, did in the film. It’s a statement Fabio Altman, of magazine Veja, writes is instantly believable given Saverin’s reserved nature.
Google Wallet: one year later [THE VERGE]
While it might not have taken off quite as quickly as Google would have liked, the past year has still been a fairly eventful one for the service — albeit occasionally for reasons the company would prefer you forget — and the next year proves to be even more challenging as the service faces increased competition.
Gartner says worldwide mobile payment transaction value to surpass $171.5 billion [GARTNER]
Worldwide mobile payment transaction values will surpass $171.5 billion in 2012, a 61.9 percent increase from 2011 values of $105.9 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. The number of mobile payment users will reach 212.2 million in 2012, up from 160.5 million in 2011.