Tech

BEIJING — The Kardashian sisters don't sell their clothing and perfume in China, and you can't buy authentic J. Crew khakis here. But both names are already trademarked by Chinese businesspeople looking to profit from American enterprises that want to tap China's booming retail market. Extortion? Nope. It's called "trademark squatting. " And it's legal in China, where trademarks generally are awarded to those who are first to register them with government authorities. If these and other U.S. companies want to use their own names, they probably will have to pay the Chinese holder for the rights.

Wouldn't it be nice to forget your wallet — permanently? That day is coming sooner than you think. In the walletless future there will be no credit cards to lose, no cash to carry and no concert tickets to leave at home. Already, with a few taps on the screen of your smartphone, you can order a meal at a restaurant, loan your friend 20 bucks or even unlock the door to your house (so you can lose the keys too). Nearly half of U.S. consumers own smartphones, and as they have gained popularity the devices have grown to resemble pocket mini-malls, with rows of virtual storefronts where consumers can buy video games, music, books and TV shows.

Google Inc. may be on the verge of closing the biggest deal in its 13-year history — a $12.5-billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility that could greatly escalate its competition with Apple Inc. The deal, which has been approved by U.S. and European antitrust regulators, would bring Google significantly closer to manufacturing phones, tablet computers, home entertainment systems and other consumer devices. Although officials in Washington and Brussels concluded that the Motorola deal would not stifle competition, U.S. and European regulators warned they would monitor to make sure it doesn't.

He has only been on the job for two months, but Yahoo's new chief executive, Scott Thompson, is already preparing a bold plan to turn around the struggling Internet company. Thompson is weighing a significant restructuring of Yahoo that could include thousands of layoffs, according to technology blog All Things D. The moves, the first major ones from the former PayPal president, could be announced as early as this month, Kara Swisher reported, citing anonymous sources. Yahoo recently hired the Boston Consulting Group to focus on the cuts to its products group.

The hacker group known as LulzSec appears to be back after many months of lying low, saying it has obtained email addresses and other information about nearly 171,000 users of MilitarySingles.com, a commercial dating site. The group, which in 2011 went after government agencies and companies including the FBI, CIA, Sony and even PBS, said many of the email addresses include @us.army.mil and other addresses reserved for the military. The website bills itself as "the dating site for single soldiers and those interested in meeting them.

Hewlett-Packard Co. reported a 44% decline in first-quarter profit and its revenue missed expectations, underscoring the tech giant's ongoing challenges as it works to get back on track under Chief Executive Meg Whitman. For its fiscal first quarter ended Jan. 31, the Palo Alto company reported revenue of $30 billion, down 7% from $32.3 billion in the same quarter last year. Analysts had been expecting revenue of $30.7 billion. Profit was $1.5 billion, or 73 cents a share, down from $2.6 billion, or $1.17, a year earlier.

Hewlett-Packard Co. will combine its personal computer and printing units into one business as the tech giant looks for ways to increase profit. The new Printing and Personal Systems Group will be led by Todd Bradley, who has been executive vice president of the company's Personal Systems Group since 2005, the company said Wednesday. As expected, Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president of the Imaging and Printing Group, will retire after 31 years at the Palo Alto company. HP said combining the two units would improve its market strategy, branding, supply chain and customer support.

SAN FRANCISCO - All eyes are on Facebook Inc., which is on the verge of a $100-billion initial public stock offering. But the people to watch are an elite group of former company insiders. Already loaded, or soon to be, thanks to the looming Wall Street payday, these Facebook pals are furiously building the next generation of Silicon Valley companies. And they're doing it together. Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, the world's youngest billionaire at 27, has teamed with Facebook alumnus Justin Rosenstein on Asana, which makes online software that helps people work together more effectively.

Dave Whitby bought his first shares of Apple Inc. stock in 2005 for $52 each. The 64-year-old database consultant has been buying shares ever since. Last year he sold enough for a big down payment on a new home in Altadena. Whitby is one of a fervent band of Apple faithful who for years have been accumulating small stakes in Apple. They bought shares as they bought Apple's popular devices that, like its stock, keep shattering sales records. Now Apple is the world's most valuable company and ranks as one the most profitable investments of the last decade.

Tired of being friended and poked on Facebook? Just not that into your followers on Twitter? Google+ making you feel less than totally happy? Here's how to unplug from three popular social networking sites. Facebook It's the most popular social networking site on the Web with more than 750 million users. There are three ways to tune out or turn off Facebook. •Take a break If there's a chance you might make up with Facebook, this is a good temporary option.