The new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite double-underscores all of the reasons why the Kindle is a great book reader . . . and all of the reasons why so many people prefer a Kindle to an iPad or even a small tablet like the Google Nexus 7 or Amazon's own Kindle Fire HD.

Sharp is widening the scope of its restructuring, from televisions - a business increasingly consigned to Japanese manufacturing's past - to an area that the company hopes will play a big part in its future: solar energy.

Qualcomm has announced the addition of two new Snapdragon S4 mobile processors: the MSM8225Q and MSM8625Q. Both are members of the Snapdragon S4 Play processor tier, optimized specifically for a broad range of smartphone users seeking faster applications and better user experiences.

Texas Instruments said it will shift its wireless investment focus from products like smartphones to a broader market including industrial clients like carmakers where it is hoping for a more profitable and stable business.

Sharp has unveiled plans to apply for delisting of its common stock on the Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo bourses in Japan.

The humble stylus may be getting a radical makeover, with powerful touch and other sensors built into the tablet and smartphone accessory, according to a Microsoft patent recently approved by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

EU ProSun, headed by SolarWorld AG, has filed a second official complaint to the European Commission, this time accusing China-based solar manufacturers of receiving illegal subsidies.

For the first quarter of fiscal year 2013 Infineon expects a revenue decline of up to 10% relative to the fourth quarter of the 2012 fiscal year. The management board will define and implement measures to improve profitability beyond the first quarter of the 2013 fiscal year.

"Samsung's 2013 semiconductor capex will be conducted in a very conservative way. Opinions are gathering into a significant cut in facility investment next year," a senior official at Samsung was quoted as saying.

Over in India there's an extremely cheap Android tablet being deployed by the government to families, schools and more.

Many companies including Nokia and Research in Motion have been struggling to compete with Apple and manufacturers of devices running Google's Android software. That shows in some of the earnings reports released so far for the latest quarter.

Google started selling its Nexus 7 tablet in Japan, deepening the competition with Sony, the Japanese hardware maker whose tablets also run on the world's number one search engine's operating system.

AU Optronics (AUO), one of Taiwan's leading flat panel makers, is expected to incur NT$1.28 (US$0.04) in losses per share for the third quarter, as the company will have to make provisions to cover a financial penalty in a price-fixing case, according to Daiwa Securities.

Struggling Sharp plans to slash a total of 10,966 employees in Japan and overseas, while selling its assets to generate JPY213.1 billion by the end of March next year, according to the company's restructuring plan obtained by Kyodo News on Tuesday.

The Delhi environment department has identified 25 government schools and 10 government hospitals that will get independent solar power systems.

A tiny solar company named SoloPower will flip the switch on production at a US.= factory Thursday, a major step toward allowing it to tap a US$197 million government loan guarantee awarded under the same controversial program that supported failed panel maker Solyndra.