TechNewsWorld : Archives

Friday - May 31, 2013

Google company Motorola has announced a new smartphone that will be designed, engineered and assembled in the United States -- the Moto X. It will be manufactured in a factory in Fort Worth, Texas. "There are more than 130 million smartphones in use in the U.S., but not one of them is made here. That changes with Moto X," said Motorola spokesperson Danielle McNally. "Motorola has more than 50 percent of its sales volume coming from North America, so it makes sense for them to stay close to their customer base," noted iSuppli analyst Wayne Lam. [More...]

How to Get Music Onto Your Smartphone

Friday - May 31, 2013

One of the advantages of carrying a smartphone is that it's an all-arounder, and one of its killer features is that it can function as a personal media player. It's functionality that an iPod or MP3 player would have provided a few years ago -- and Sony Walkman before that. The principal difference between a smartphone and a classic MP3 player is that the smartphone now includes connectivity. [More...]

Win 8.1 Puts a Stop to the No-Start Blues

Thursday - May 30, 2013

Seven months and countless complaints after Microsoft launched Windows 8, it has announced that Windows 8.1, aka "Blue," will restore the much-missed Start button. Microsoft also will deliver a host of new features and functionality in Blue, and make it easier for people to navigate the operating system using a mouse and a keyboard. [More...]

Google Offers a New Bag of Gmail Sorting Tricks

Thursday - May 30, 2013

Google has unveiled a new Gmail design to give users more organizational control over a cluttered in-box.The revamped in-box is an option; users who like the approach can separate their email into four tabs: primary, promotions, social and updates. Primary is for the mail from friends, families or colleagues that a user would want to read and perhaps save. [More...]

TECH TREK
SoftBank, US Forge National Security Deal

Thursday - May 30, 2013

SoftBank has reached a national security agreement with U.S. authorities, perhaps clearing the way for the Japanese company to purchase Sprint Nextel. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about potential ties between SoftBank and Chinese telecommunications firms like Huawei. Chinese telecoms drew the ire of Congress in late 2012, and security rhetoric has recently ratcheted up. [More...]

Facebook Shovels Out Some of the Filth

Thursday - May 30, 2013

Facebook is enmeshed in yet another brouhaha over its advertising policies, but this time it's not the users making a fuss -- it's the advertisers. Major clients such as Nissan and Nationwide recently pulled the plug on their Facebook campaigns after their ads showed up next to objectionable, sometimes downright hateful, content. [More...]

GAME REVIEW
Chrome Games: To Play, You Must Persevere

Wednesday - May 29, 2013

Chrome Experiments has debuted two very innovative games this week, suggesting that Google might be in play to break into the casual game market, even taking on the likes of Nintendo and other portable game developers. At first glance that might be a valid assumption, but the shortcomings of these offerings suggest Google might have something different in mind. [More...]

Chinese Hackers May Have Pinched US Military Designs

Wednesday - May 29, 2013

Chinese hackers were accused of stealing the designs for more than two dozen U.S. military weapons systems in a press account appearing Monday. The system designs reportedly pinched by the hackers were for systems critical to the country's missile defenses and its combat aircraft and war ships. The revelations were based on confidential sections of a government report. [More...]

TECH TREK
China to Conduct Digital War Games

Wednesday - May 29, 2013

President Obama will definitely have something to talk about. Beijing announced that China will conduct its first "digital war games," a proclamation that will likely do nothing to allay United States concerns about China's propensity for hacking and cyberespionage. The timing of the announcement is noteworthy: Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Obama next month to discuss cybersecurity. [More...]

WHICH APPS DO I NEED?
All Things Appy: 5 Best Chrome Real Estate Tools

Wednesday - May 29, 2013

The days of reliance on real estate agents to tell us which homes are available are long gone. The same raw data that the agents used to have an exclusive on is now fed to anyone who wants it. Now all you have to do is choose your source. Here's a look at the top five real estate apps in the Chrome environment. This app also lets you compare mortgages -- including rates, rate trends and lenders. [More...]

Samsung Lights a Match for New Innovation Trail

Tuesday - May 28, 2013

Samsung piqued media interest this week with an invitation to a June 20 event in London, where it is expected to unveil its latest Galaxy smartphones and tablets, along with new entrants in its ATIV lineup of Windows devices. What exactly the company has up its sleeve is speculation at this point. However, there's some consensus as to the likeliest prospects for a big reveal. [More...]

TECH TREK
European Commission Probes Apple's Tactics

Tuesday - May 28, 2013

The European Commission is taking a closer look at whether Apple is engaging in unfair sales practices. The EC, which is the executive branch of the European Union, sent a questionnaire last week to several European mobile network operators probing Apple's distribution terms -- specifically, whether those terms preclude rivals from offering a better sales deal. [More...]

SPOTLIGHT ON SECURITY
'Comment Crew' Back in Action Against US Cybertargets, Says Mandiant

Tuesday - May 28, 2013

China and Iran were accused last week of renewing their cyberattacks on U.S. computer systems after a brief hiatus. A gang of Chinese hackers allegedly affiliated with the country's People's Liberation Army has resumed infiltrating U.S. computer systems after making a strategic withdrawal earlier this year, according to cybersecurity firm Mandiant. [More...]

OPINION
Xbox One vs. Shield: Evolution vs. Revolution

Monday - May 27, 2013

There is an interesting battle forming between the most powerful game console with the most potential, Microsoft's Xbox One, and Nvidia's Shield -- a rebel platform that I think is worth a look. Microsoft is pushing the envelope on the breadth of things a console can support and variety in the user interface, while Nvidia is creating a device focused on gaming in a wide variety of modes. [More...]

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