Hardware

Bribery Investigation Rumors Haunt ZTE
March 19, 2013

Chinese telecom ZTE may have ended 2012 in the red, but a new report alleges there was enough in the coffers for bribes. ZTE's Mongolia office is being investigated for bribery, according to China's IT Business News. The outlet is also reporting that Mongolian anti-corruption officials have already unearthed proof of bribes doled out for that country's national digital education project.

Dell's XPS 18: Radically Rethinking the Tablet
March 19, 2013

From the first day of the tablet computing revolution -- April 3, 2010, when Apple's iPad became publicly available -- users have willingly traded limitations in computing form/function for innovations in access/interface. In part, that was because Apple maintained a careful line between the iPad and its traditional Macbook and iMac products to avoid self-cannibalization.

Lenovo Thinks Up Thinner ThinkPad With Fatter Price Tag
March 18, 2013

Lenovo on Monday announced a new $950 business ThinkPad, the T431. The company launched the Ultrabook into a market that had a dismal showing in 2012; IHS iSuppli had to slash its Ultrabook estimates for 2013 from 61 million units to 44 million. The device was designed after research conducted over nine months worldwide of the user habits of both people who used ThinkPads and those who didn't.

SimCity Mod Gives Gamers a Glimpse of What Could Have Been
March 14, 2013

Since it was announced months before its official release that SimCity would require an online connection to play, fans of the urban planning game have voiced their frustration. Their angst only intensified after this month's launch, which was plagued by crashes and server connection issues. However, a game modder has just released a demo that suggests the game can be played in an offline setting.

Automatic Link Kicks Your Car's Brain Into High Gear
March 12, 2013

A new smartphone app and plug-in device unveiled Tuesday promises to give cars some of the same tech-based features available only from certain factory models or through services like OnStar. Automatic Labs announced the Automatic Link, a combination iOS app and dongle for automotive diagnostics.

When These Chips Are Down, They Fix Themselves
March 12, 2013

The mean cyborg of Terminator 2 was unstoppable until it was immersed in a vat of molten iron. It might have survived, however, if it had self-healing processors at its core like the ones announced Monday by a team of researchers at the California Institute of Technology. The researchers said they had built tiny power amplifiers for chips that recovered functions even after many of their components had been vaporized in tests.

Bringing Icahn Into Dell's Henhouse Could Be Foxy Move
March 11, 2013

Carl Icahn has been pushing back against Dell's proposal to go private in a $24.4 billion deal. Dell finally gave way -- a little -- and is allowing Icahn to examine the company's confidential information. Dell has been battling shareholders about the proposed leveraged buyout almost since it was unveiled in February.

Swamped Servers Barricade SimCity From Players
March 07, 2013

Virtual city planners faced a crisis this week as a plague of server issues kept SimCity 5 gamers from connecting. This meant that building virtual roads, zoning communities, and all other jobs involved in creating a city in the game couldn't be accomplished. While essentially a single-player game, SimCity 5 requires that players have an Internet connection to play.

The Puzzling Case of the Chromebook Pixel
March 07, 2013

Here in the Linux blogosphere, most fans of FOSS are nothing if not outspoken with their many opinions. Those opinions tend to be unequivocal on matters large and small, so it's always notable when a new technology comes along that leaves bloggers scratching their heads in uncertainty. That's a rarity, needless to say, but just recently a shining example emerged: the Chromebook Pixel.

News Corp. Goes Back to School With a Teacher-Friendly Tablet
March 06, 2013

Amplify, the education subsidiary of News Corp., announced Wednesday a 10-inch Android tablet platform for K-12 schools. The Amplify tablet will run the latest version of Android Jelly Bean, and will be available in WiFi-only and a 4G LTE version running on AT&T's network. The education market "is a more or less open field," said Charles King, principal at Pund-IT.

Open Source's Deep Dive Into the Enterprise
March 06, 2013

Server provisioning and configuration management and automation are the latest examples of where the tech industry is being driven, largely by open source software. The leading open source server and IT infrastructure automation frameworks, Opscode Chef and Puppet Labs' Puppet, sit on the leading edge of significant trends under way in enterprise IT.

IE 10: It's Not Just for Windows 8 Anymore
February 26, 2013

In what could be a boost for Microsoft in the browser wars, the company on Tuesday began offering Internet Explorer 10 to Windows 7 users, giving them the same enhanced Web surfing features previously only available to those who had access to Windows 8. The company will automatically update Windows 7 users' browsers in 95 languages over the next few weeks.

Week of Weird: Sony Jumps the Gun, Google Luxury-Prices Its Yugo
February 25, 2013

This really has been an entire month of the strange. We had Boeing's Dreamliner sidelined for batteries that catch fire. We had Tesla locking horns with the NYT. We had Sony announce its new game system nearly nine months before it would be available -- but not actually show it. Biggest of all, despite Chromebooks failing to sell in the $250 range, we had Google offer a refresh priced at $1,500.

Google Propels Chromebook Pixel Into a Blurry Future
February 21, 2013

Google on Thursday announced the Chromebook Pixel, a branded touchscreen netbook with a price tag that consumers may balk at, considering the cost of rival offerings. The Pixel will be available in WiFi-only and 4G LTE versions, priced at $1,300 and $1,450, respectively.

Intel Chips In With Its Own Web TV Service
February 13, 2013

Intel is getting inside Internet TV. What's been grist for rumor mills for weeks was finally confirmed Tuesday. Intel's TV offering -- which won't be branded with the Intel name -- will be a combination hardware, software and content package designed to "delight" consumers, said Erik Huggers, general manager for Intel Media, during the All Things D Dive Into Media Conference.

Samsung, Linux and the Bothersome Bricking Problem
February 11, 2013

If Linux Girl didn't have to spend such a large proportion of her salary dry-cleaning her cape each week, there's no doubt she would invest those extra fortunes in some of the many purveyors of ibuprofen and other pain-relieving medicines. Why? Because of all the headaches FOSS fans are forced to endure here in the Linux blogosphere.

Nemo, Early Reviews Freeze Out Surface Pro Launch
February 09, 2013

Microsoft scrapped plans for Friday night's launch of its Surface Pro tablet at the Best Buy store in New York City because of an impending blizzard meteorologists have dubbed "Nemo." "Surface Pro launch activities in NYC have been canceled due to weather," said Microsoft spokesperson Dani Reese.

Count the iPad, and Apple Rules PCs
February 08, 2013

Apple lands the top spot among PC makers for the holiday quarter -- as long as the iPad is included in the figures, according to the latest report from Canalys. The market research firm, which includes tablets in its worldwide PC numbers, reported this week that overall PC shipments increased 12 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, with 134 million units shipped during the holiday season.

Google Victorious in 6-Year Aussie Legal Battle
February 06, 2013

A court in Australia has ruled in favor of Google in its lengthy legal fight with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The case, which lasted six years, concerned search results from 2006-07. The Commission claimed that sponsored links published by Google diverted users to rival companies.

Dell Hightails It Into Private Territory
February 05, 2013

After years of diminishing returns amid a slumping PC market, Dell announced Tuesday that it would take itself private in a leveraged buyout estimated at $24.4 billion. Chairman and CEO Michael Dell will buy back the company he founded in a University of Texas dorm room in 1984.