Global Tech: Zombie Gadgets, Where Robots Rule, Google's Loss

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GLOBALTECH TODAY Covering the 57 million square miles outside Silicon Valley.

January 9, 2015 For more, visit Bloomberg.com/global-tech >>

Six Gadgets You Thought Were Dead Are New Again at CES By Mark Milian The Consumer Electronics Show is the tech industry's annual celebration of what's new. Walk the show floor in Las Vegas this week and you'll find rows of curved phones, curved televisions and curved virtual-reality goggles. Why curved? Because we can. Caught up in the rush to create the future, tech companies often dip into the past for inspiration. This approach has led to breakthroughs, including the Nintendo NES, Microsoft Windows and just about everything Apple has created in recent history. But some of these new things can feel old and irrelevant even before they're available in stores. This year's CES has served as the comeback event for several technologies and brands that probably should have stayed in the past. For example, did you know that Palm is coming back thanks to China's TCL? The company didn't say what products it will sell. (Hopefully a PDA!) In the meantime, here are six products at CES that refuse to die. Read the rest of this story. Related:  CES Pro Tip -- Breathe at Your Own Risk CES.

BEST OF BWEST The Future of Robots Is Not at CES  Is the robot revolution upon us? Perhaps, but it's taking place behind the scenes: in factories, distribution centers and other industrial locations. But that hasn't stopped a bevy of robotics startups at CES from showing off consumer robots to help us in our homes. Watch the video >>

GET SMART Google Loses Most Search Share Since 2009 While Yahoo GainsGoogle's dominance of the U.S. Internet search market slipped last month in the biggest drop since 2009 while Yahoo! posted its largest share gain, as the companies grappled with the fallout of a search deal on Firefox browsers.  Sony Hack Prompts U.S. Review of Public Role in Company Security The hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment has U.S. officials reassessing when and how the government should help private companies defend against digital assaults, National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers said. MasterCard Claims Nike Plotted to Steal Cyber TalentNike was accused by a MasterCard unit of conspiring to steal scarce technology talent by encouraging two top cyber-security managers to break their contracts with the credit card company as worries of hacking and breaches of customer privacy deepen. Samsung Returns to Roots in Components as Phones Stall Samsung Electronics is relying on a 40-year-old memory-chip unit for earnings growth as sales of its Galaxy smartphones are eclipsed by Apple and Xiaomi. Texas Hold'em Mastered by Computer With No Wrong MovesA breakthrough in artificial intelligence has allowed a computer to master the simplest two-person version of the poker game, working through every possible variation of play to make the perfect move every time.  Read more news at Bloomberg Global Tech >>

BIG DATUM $42B How big the driverless-car market may be by 2025.

INSIDE THE VALLEY The Heat is On Activist investor Starboard Value intensified pressure on Yahoo to disclose plans for assets such as a stake in Alibaba Group. Starboard CEO Jeffrey Smith said his firm had become "increasingly concerned" by reports that the Web portal is looking to make major acquisitions. Read the full story >>

GLOBALTECH is brought to you from the desk of: Marcus Chan Technology Editor for Bloomberg.com mchan239@bloomberg.net @mchan Mark Milian Technology Writer/Editor for Bloomberg.com mmilian@bloomberg.net @markmilian Jordan Robertson Technology Reporter for Bloomberg.com jrobertson40@bloomberg.net @jordanr1000