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News

• LG launching high-fidelity music download service

  LG Electronics is joining the high-quality audio delivery business with the launch of a service that can be used with premium smartphones.

• Lenovo's Motorola business to produce phones at quicker pace, less cost

  In the wake of lackluster earnings, Lenovo said it is working towards pumping out products faster from its newly acquired Motorola Mobility division.

• Struggling Lenovo to cut 3200 jobs, streamline handset business

  Lenovo is laying off 3200 employees and trimming down its smartphone portfolio in response to a slowdown in its PC and handset sales.

• Wearables smothering Swiss watch business, Fossil CEO says

  Wearables are reducing interest in Swiss watches, with those highly regarded timepieces losing some of their luster as technology is incorporated into what people wear on their wrists.

• Samsung bets big on Galaxy Note 5 and S6 edge+

  Samsung Electronics is hosting its second major product launch of the year in New York Thursday, with a lot riding on the expected debut of the large format Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+. Carrying forward designs reminiscent of the existing S6 smartphones, the company is hoping make up for ground it has lost to the iPhone 6 Plus.

• Salesforce showcases enterprise Apple Watch apps

  Salesforce.com has showcased third-party software that uses the Salesforce Wear developer platform and Salesforce clouds to get business information to wearers of the Apple Watch.

• Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 could yield big camera gains

  Qualcomm has teased out some more details about its upcoming Snapdragon 820 processor, including a refreshed GPU and an image processing unit that could lead to big improvements in smartphone cameras.

• HTC's nosedive blamed on scant smartphone innovation, fierce competition

  The financial future of smartphone maker HTC appears dire, analysts say, even as the company has remained upbeat.

• Fitbit caters to corporations, and not just with discounted fitness trackers

  Fitbit is known for selling fitness trackers to consumers, but the company also sees its fortunes in the enterprise market.

• How Japan's Privacy Visor fools face-recognition cameras

  If you're worried about Big Brother monitoring you from security cameras, Japan has developed eyewear that can keep you anonymous.

• Nymi Band uses your heartbeat to secure mobile payments

  You may pay for groceries with your smartphone and a connected credit card, via Apple Pay or Google Wallet. You may have seen some techy-type at your local drug store pay for his toothpaste and toilet paper with an Apple Watch. What you've probably not yet witnessed is someone making a secure payment with a tap of the wrist and biometric, heartbeat authentication. But if Canadian company Nymi has its way, you will.

• Lenovo-backed ZUK brand takes on the smartphone market

  Lenovo's latest smartphone strategy downplays the company name, instead spotlighting a new brand, ZUK.

• OnePlus 2 smartphone arrival in US and Canada delayed

  OnePlus said buyers of its new smartphone in the U.S. and Canada will have to wait longer than originally thought to get their phones.

• Chinese vendors triple smartphone share in India

  Chinese vendors tripled shipments year-on-year in the second quarter in the Indian market, indicating that low-cost vendors are posing a challenge to global players like Apple in a very price-sensitive market.

• Foxconn to invest $5B to set up first of up to 12 factories in India

  As part of its plan to set up to 12 manufacturing facilities in India by 2020, contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group is investing US$5 billion in a factory and other facilities in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.