Thieves net $1.3 million in Paris Apple heist

PARIS – Masked and armed thieves used the New Year’s Eve fete to rob the flagship Apple store in Paris.

The French press reported that up to $1.3 million in goods were stolen at the store selling products such as Apple’s iPhones and iPads behind the Paris Opera house, a figure police would not immediately confirm.

Police said Tuesday the theft occurred about 9 p.m. Monday, three hours after closing, while police were deployed around the famed Champs-Elysees Avenue where revelers traditionally gather on New Year’s Eve.

Christophe Crepin of the Unsa police union said the “well-prepared” operation was carried out by four masked and armed individuals.

The daily Le Parisien reported the thieves entered the store by threatening a security guard at a back entrance.

Starbucks plans to add tea bars to Teavana

SEATTLE – Starbucks Corp. said Monday it completed its $620 million purchase of Teavana Holdings Inc., which sells high-end loose-leaf teas.

Teavana has locations in about 300 shopping malls, and Starbucks plans to set up stand-alone stores around the world and add tea bars where customers can buy hot and cold drinks. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said the company would “do for tea what it did for coffee.”

Starbucks agreed to buy the Atlanta company on Nov. 14, valuing Teavana at $15.50 per share. That was a 53-percent premium to the latest closing price of Teavana stock.

Starbucks says Teavana will add a penny per share to its fiscal 2013 earnings.

On Monday Starbucks shares rose 99 cents to $53.63, and Teavana shares gained a penny to close at $15.50.

Krikorian resigns from Amazon board

Silicon Valley executive Blake Krikorian, known for developing a way to watch TV on computers, has resigned from Amazon.com’s board of directors.

In a regulatory filing Friday, Amazon said only that Krikorian’s departure was effective immediately.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that Microsoft, Google and Apple were considering buying Krikorian’s home-automation startup, id8 Group R2 Studios. The buyer has not yet been announced, and Krikorian said he was not authorized to talk about the deal.

Krikorian joined Amazon’s 10-member board in September 2011. At the time, his background in digital media content was seen as a key asset for Amazon as it prepared to introduce its own line of tablet computers and expanded its Prime video streaming service.

Krikorian co-founded Sling Media, which created the Slingbox for watching TV on computers and was sold to EchoStar in 2007.