Under The Radar News - Monday

iPhone boosts Google traffic. Internal data from Google (GOOG) shows traffic from Apple's (AAPL) iPhone surpasses that of any other mobile device. Analysts say the iPhone has "taken the frustration out of browsing" on a cellphone.

iGoogle for iPhone. Google (GOOG) is ready to announce a new web interface for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone that will make Gmail, Google Reader, Calendar and other apps faster and more customizable. It will also announce today an optimized iGoogle interface for the iPhone.

Play nicely now. Apple (AAPL) has to improve how it deals with content providers if it wants to continue to thrive, BusinessWeek says. Universal Music Group refused to renew its long-term contract with iTunes, and Apple could suffer more setbacks unless it learns to "play well" with the entertainment industry.

Flash in Apple's basket? Bear Stearns analysts say there is a high probability Apple (AAPL) will launch an new ultra-portable notebook with flash-based storage at MacWorld this week. Diskmakers Seagate (STX) and Western Digital (WDC) could take a hit.

GE going greener. General Electric (GE) will announce plans to double its renewable energy investments to $6B by 2010 as early as today. The renewable energy market is worth up to $60B/year and growing.

New drug for mystery illness. Pfizer's (PFE) Lyrica received FDA approval for treating fibromyalgia, although some doctors continue to dispute the condition's existence. Proponents hope the approval will help legitimize the disease; detractors say FDA approval will result in drugs being taken by millions that don't need them. Eli Lilly (LLY) and Forest Laboratories (FRX) have pipeline fibromyalgia drugs that analysts say may be approved later this year.

Budding deal? Anheuser-Busch (BUD) has approached Scottish & Newcastle with a potential £4.6 billion bid for control of Baltic Beverages Holding. Blackstone (BX) has also talked with S&N, which owns 50% of Baltic Beverages Holding together with Carlsberg.

Intel's new chips. Intel (INTC) will launch its Shelton low-cost notebook platform in Q3. Notebooks will cost between $300 and $500. Next year it will launch a dual-core version.

EMC's blindingly fast flash. EMC (EMC) will introduce flash drives 30-times faster than current drives by March. Rivals IBM (IBM) and Hitachi (HIT) may be left in its wake.

NComputing looks to take bite out of VMWare, Citrix. Terminal computer maker NComputing raised $28M in a second round of funding. Its terminals, bundled with a mouse, monitor and keyboard, hook into a PC. CEO Stephen Dukker says the company will "make a meaningful impact on the Citrix (CTXS) and VMwares (VMW) of the world" this year.

Zagat Survey looks for buyer. The Zagat family has hired Goldman Sachs (GS) to look for a buyer for its restaurant guide. Zagat could be worth $200M. Potential suitors include InterActiveCorp (IACI) and News Corp. (NWS).

GM looks to outsource components. GM (GM) is looking to source auto components worth $1B from India over the next 2-3 years, vs. about $300M last year.

Abu Dhabi hospitality. InterContinental Hotels (IHG) will announce a hotel development deal in Abu Dhabi as early as this week.

Telus may switch network protocols. Telus (TU) is considering changing its network technology, which would make all or part of the company's CDMA network compatible with the GSM-based systems most carriers use. Telus wants a bigger share of lucrative international roaming fees. Changes could cost about $500M.

Rumors. Crocs (CROX) traded up on rumors of a foreign investor. Dendreon (DNDN) is up 3.5% on unconfirmed positive FDA chatter. Usec (USU) is up 5% USU on unconfirmed takeover speculation.

Comments

[sunrises]

Thank you. The synopsis gives a great platform for future investments. In the meantime, may I ask about VMW? Vmw has solid accounts. Do you see the share price returning to 90s baseline anytime soon?