The latest technology and life science news in WRALTechWire’s Bulldog Bulletin roundup:

  • Qualcomm buys Palm patents from Hewlett-Packard

SAN DIEGO – Cell-phone chip maker Qualcomm Inc. has acquired patents once owned by smartphone maker Palm Inc. from Hewlett-Packard for an undisclosed amount.

Qualcomm says the purchase covers 1,400 U.S. patents and about 1,000 more foreign patients for the company’s mobile computing technology.

Hewlett-Packard Co. paid $1 billion for Palm in 2010 as part of its first foray into tablet computers and smartphones, which ran on Palm’s operating system. The effort flopped and HP now sells tablets using Google Inc.’s Android and a recently introduced version of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows. Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP hasn’t re-entered the smartphone market.

The Palm acquisition was one of three major purchases that have haunted HP, along with technology consulting service EDS and business software maker Autonomy. In November of 2012, Hewlett took an $8.8 billion writedown on the Autonomy acquisition, saying it was the victim of a multibillion-dollar fraud at the hands of the British company. Autonomy’s former CEO said HP’s allegations were false.

HP last year sold Palm’s mobile operating system, webOS, to LG Electronics, which now implants the software in Internet-connected TVs.

Qualcomm didn’t elaborate on its plans for the Palm patent portfolio. Big tech companies in recent years have been looking to expand their patent portfolios to help introduce new technology and protect themselves from lawsuits.

The San Diego company last year introduced a smartwatch called Toq to showcase the potential wearable devices that can connect to the Internet.

 

  • Centice expands chemical verification library

MORRISVILLE – Centice Corporation, a company that has developed a product used by law enforcement to verify and identify drugs,has added 14 new drugs to its narcotic library.

The new drugs include Fentanyl (a synthetic opioid), synthetic phenethylamines (psychotic stimulants), cathinones (used in making bath salts), and synthetic cannabinoids (used to manufacture synthetic marijuana commonly referred to as “spice”). The new drugs are available to the narcotic library immediately.

Centice says that one of the biggest trends is toward synthetic or “designer” drugs, including amphetamine-type substances, “bath salts”, and synthetic cannabinoids (“spice”). These cannabinoids are often seen in so-called “fake pot” products that are falsely marketed and sold as “herbal incense” or “potpourri”. Their widely ranging chemical compositions make it challenging for the law to keep up with new variants, both in terms of legislation and identification.

Law enforcement, narcotic squads and drug task forces can use Centice’s MFL-3000 device to quickly and easily perform drug identification in the field without destroying any evidence.

  • Red Hat announces Red Hat Summit agenda

RALEIGH – Open source software company Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) now has details for its open source technology event Red Hat Summit 2014.
The summit is scheduled for April 14 through 17 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

It will feature instructional sessions, customer panels, live demonstrations and hands-on labs designed to appeal to each level of interest and focus within IT. Additionally, a new invitation-only Executive Exchange event will be sponsored by Intel, and developers can now attend DevNation, a new community event that will feature four tracks, including one specific to DevOps. Red Hat said the summit will also offer a focus on emerging technologies like mobile and big data.

For the full agenda, additional details or to register for Red Hat Summit, visit www.redhat.com/summit.

  • RTI opens new Abu Dhabi office

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – RTI International has opened a new office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

RTI opened in the UAE in Dubai in 2004. In 2008, those operations were consolidated in Abu Dhabi. The new office will support existing projects and allow RTI to seek additional strategic partnerships.

RTI provides a range of technical services in the region in environmental management, health, education, energy and technology. The RTI Abu Dhabi office works closely with government organizations, universities and research centers in the UAE to address complex issues in the Arabian Gulf region.