IBM news stories on Newser

IBM Thinks Siri Is Spying, Bans It

Kevin Spak — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:53:09 CDT

IBM has banned employees from using Siri on its network, because it doesn't trust the iPhone digital assistant. On Monday, IBM's CIO told the MIT Technology Review that though employees are free to use their personal iPhone at work, it was having problems with apps posing security risks. She said...

IBM's Female CEO to Attend Masters

Matt Cantor — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:35:05 CDT

As the first female CEO of Masters sponsor IBM, Virginia Rometty's name has surfaced over and over this week in arguments about Augusta National Golf Club's policy against admitting women. And while she still hasn't discussed the issue publicly, Rometty will attend the tournament, likely adding more fuel to a...

White House to Augusta: Time to Admit Women

Matt Cantor — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:56:53 CDT

As controversy over the Augusta National Golf Club's men-only policy resurfaces, the White House is taking sides. President Obama "believes women should be admitted," says press secretary Jay Carney. It's "up to the club to decide," but Obama's "personal opinion is that women should be admitted to the club." Meanwhile,...

Teed-Off Ladies Still Barred at Augusta

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:56:00 CDT

The prestigious Augusta National Golf Club, host of the Masters, seems to be sticking to its maddening policy of banning female members. Augusta National Chairman William Porter Payne won't even deign to publicly discuss the issue. Some critics believe it's long past time to extend an invitation to Virginia Rometty,...

Buffett Buys $10.7B in IBM

Kevin Spak — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:13:37 CST

Warren Buffett typically shies away from tech companies, but not this year. In an interview on CNBC this morning, Buffett revealed that he’s bought $10.7 billion worth of IBM stock since March, a purchase that had been kept confidential in Berkshire Hathaway’s recent filings. The buy gives Berkshire a...

IBM Names First Female CEO

Matt Cantor — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:51:05 CDT

IBM, long seen as a slow-moving boys’ club, has named its first female CEO. Global sales head Virginia Rometty will take over from Sam Palmisano in January, making IBM the highest-valued US corporation run by a woman, Reuters reports. Industry and Wall Street observers applauded the decision, which retains Palmisano...

IBM Surpasses Microsoft, Claims No. 2 Tech Spot

Evann Gastaldo — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:41:05 CDT

Microsoft, once the world’s most valuable tech company, has now fallen to third place. IBM surpassed Microsoft yesterday to take the second-place spot, as its market value rose to $214 billion and Microsoft’s fell to $213.2 billion. It marked the first time IBM’s closing prices exceeded Microsoft’s since 1996,...

IBM's Watson Gets a Job

Matt Cantor — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 06:59:52 CDT

Looks like Watson’s Jeopardy appearance was the ticket to a high-profile job. As the health field goes increasingly digital, health insurer WellPoint is teaming up with IBM to use the technology in medical settings. Watson will ultimately help doctors with diagnoses and treatment suggestions, the Wall Street Journal reports. The...

IBM Creates Chip That Works Like Human Brain

Kevin Spak — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:36:05 CDT

IBM has created a prototype chip that mimics the workings of the human brain, simulating synapses, neurons, and axons in the hopes of creating a computer that can learn and think, the company announced today. So far these “cognitive computing chips” have only been put to simple tasks like navigation...