Former eBay CEO and recently hired Hewlett-Packard head Meg Whitman announced on Thursday that HP will keep their $41 billion computer division in place. HP had previously said they were considering spinning off their PC division to focus on the business to business core of their business.

Speaking about the company’s reversal of decision Whitman says an analysis of their operations showed that breaking away from the PC market would be a foolish decision from a business standpoint.

At this time it’s still unclear what will happen to the company’s acquisition of WebOS and HP’s mobile devices business, both of which have failed to grab the mass appeal of Smartphone users who have been picking up millions of Apple and Android OS phones.

Speaking about the important of WebOS Roger Cheng at CNET wrote:

“If the company wants to remain a major player in the consumer technology business, it will need to have a mobile strategy. WebOS remains a viable one, if the company can actually get its act together.”

Do you think holding onto their PC business was a good decision?

Meg Whitman: Hewlett-Packard Will Keep Manufacturing PCs is a post from: The Inquisitr

Former eBay CEO and former California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman may be on deck for the top slot at Hewlett-Packard, if anonymous sources are correct.

The report stems from the tech site AllThingsD, which cites credible individuals close to the matter in a post. The move is not said to be a “done deal” by any stretch of the imagination, but the site says Whitman has been considering transitioning back to a role like the HP CEO spot- and that the company’s board has been trying to reverse its fortunes after a year during which its stock has tanked a scary 43%.

Current CEO Léo Apotheker has been at the post for about a year, but the company has had a run of bad luck in recent months. AllThingsD cites a suit against HP filed earlier this month in US District Court in Central California surrounding the company’s handling of the discontinuation of webOS software:

“HP shareholder named Richard Gammel alleged that comments by CEO Léo Apotheker — concerning the company’s earnings expectations, the importance of its personal computer business and plans to move ahead with devices running the webOS operating system — gave a vastly different indication of actions HP took on Aug. 18, when it killed the webOS hardware business and announced plans to spin off the PC business and spend $10 billion to acquire Autonomy.”

In addition to stock losses and the webOS problems, the company also had to lay off 100,000 workers in the Palm division. Prior to Apotheker’s appointment, former CEO Mark Hurd resigned under pressure after a sexual harassment investigation as well as various accusations about expense reports related to the claim. The board found no evidence to support the harassment claims.

Neither HP nor Whitman have acknowledged or commented upon the rumor.

Meg Whitman Eyed as New Hewlett-Packard CEO is a post from: The Inquisitr

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has officially announced that he’s running for Governor of California after months of speculation.

Newsom, a champion of gay rights and well regarded in the Bay Area tech community, said in a statement that: “I’m running for Governor because California needs a new direction. In San Francisco, we’ve defended people’s civil rights, created a universal health care program, protected teachers from layoffs and enacted a local stimulus plan that will put people back to work and save jobs. And we’ve done it while balancing our budgets and seeing our bond ratings go up.”

The campaign naturally includes social media elements. Along with the official campaign site, Newsom is also encouraging people to link into the campaign via Facebook and Twitter.

The announcement video below. The interesting thing is that while Newsom mentions progressive issues such as universal healthcare and green tech, the overriding theme is one of fiscal responsibility. Given the state of California’s finances this is not surprising, but the polling must be showing that it’s the lead issue for the election given the attention Newsom gives it.

Gavin Newsom officially announces run for Governor of California is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Hills’ Spencer Pratt has decided that once he’s finished with the show he wants to pursue a career in politics, starting with the Mayor of Los Angeles, and then maybe President of the United States after serving a term as Governor of California.

I’m…..struggling…..for………words….

Pratt told PopSugar “Yes. Definitely running. Don’t know if I will be getting elected any time in the next century or so. But definitely going after mayor of L.A. and at least governor, but I’ll probably stop at governor. I mean if people were really pushing for me (to run for president) at that point, I’ll probably have to step into that role. That pressure may be a little much. I’ll start with California, because I love it so much that I could have that passion for my state and my birthplace.”

Notably Pratt is a Republican, which would actually make him a more appealing candidate for Governor of California than former eBay CEO Meg Whitman.

Someone get a gun, Spencer Pratt wants to be a politician is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ex-eBay CEO Meg Whitman has confirmed that she is running for Governor of California.

Whitman took the first formal step today, launching a committee to back her campaign.

“California faces challenges unlike any other time in its history – a weak and faltering economy, massive job losses, and an exploding state budget deficit,” Whitman said in a statement. “I refuse to stand by and watch it fail.”

Whitman also launched her website at megwhitman.com, with a slogan of Meg 2010, and the following opening statement

A New California, simply put, is returning California to the time when it ranked first among the nation in prosperity, education, and quality of life. Meg Whitman believes that, together we can rebuild our Golden State.

Despite its liberal voting base, California has a history of voting for Republican Governors.

(in part via Reuters)

Ex-eBay CEO Meg Whitman confirms California Governor run is a post from: The Inquisitr

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman looks set to announce a run for Governor of California after quitting the corporate boards she sat on.

Whitman has now resigned from the boards of Procter & Gamble, eBay, and Dreamworks Animation. A source quoted in the Wall Street Journal said Whitman could announce her candidacy for governor in the next four to six weeks.

Whitman took a high profile during the 2008 Presidential Election as an advisor to John McCain, and has strong contacts with high profile campaigners in the Republican Party. Her campaign team will consist of Mitt Romney staff according to the report; Whitman backed Romney for the GOP spot until swinging behind McCain.

Whitman will face California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell for the role. Current California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s term expires in January 2011.

Meg Whitman Quits Boards, Prepping for Governor Run is a post from: The Inquisitr