Hong Kong's leader-elect Leung Chun-ying faces scepticism over his political skills to lead the global financial hub, after a divisive election victory at the weekend in which critics dubbed him a closet communist.

Proving that energy-saving products don't easily make a good business, Royal Philips Electronics today reported that third quarter profits in its LED-reliant lighting division tumbled by nearly 50 percent.

Facebook has added a trove of IBM patents to its arsenal on an increasingly lawsuit-strewn technology battlefield.

Apple has indicated it will consider higher investments in China, as chief executive Tim Cook visited Beijing to meet Chinese officials.

Last year Jason Matlof, a partner at Battery Ventures, claimed that 2011 could be the year of the solid state lighting crossover -- when incandescents give way to LEDs. Matlof, like many VCs is an optimistic sort. And while Matlof might be off on the exact year, he's probably accurate with regard to the decade.

A team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a 3D solar module structure that can generate up to twenty times the electricity from a given area compared to normal solar panel layout.

President Obama traveled here to the Nevada desert Wednesday to highlight the future of solar energy - and ridicule Republicans for trimming back federal funding to develop it.

Australia's government has banned Chinese technology giant Huawei from bidding to help build a high-speed Internet network amid concerns about cyber attacks traced to China. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Monday the move was among "prudent decisions" her government had to make to ensure the planned network functions properly.

OLED

Globalfoundres announced that its Fab 1 in Dresden, Germany has shipped a quarter of a million semiconductor wafers based on 32nm High-k Metal Gate (HKMG) technology. The milestone represents a significant lead over other foundries in HKMG manufacturing, it claimed.

Corning has announced that the company's board of directors is expected to elect David L Morse as executive vice president and chief technology officer at its meeting on April 26, 2012. His appointment will be effective May 1, at which time he will also become a member of Corning's management committee.

Memory chipmaker Micron Technology, which rocked in February by the death of its CEO in a plane crash, on Thursday posted a US$224 million net loss in the second quarter as sales fell.

"Why not be a foundry for all the mobile companies?" Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang told a group of reporters Wednesday evening. "There's no shame in that."

The solar industry in the U.S. has been holding its breath over a much-delayed review by the Commerce Department over allegedly unfair trade practices by Chinese solar panel makers.

President Obama touted solar energy as an "industry on the rise" and condemned Republican skeptics of this power source in his first stop on a nationwide energy tour.

Global chipmaker Broadcom has reportedly acquired Israeli startup BroadLight for at least US$200 million, two Israeli newspapers report Tuesday.