Intel 4th gen Core chips to slash power consumption
Chip giant will talk about a new series of mainstream chips next week that are much more power efficient than today’s processors. Intel will disclose a new series of ultra-power-efficient chips aimed at tablets and convertibles at the Intel Developer Forum next week. The Intel 4th Generation Core chips, codenamed “Haswell,” will come close to […]
HP launches first version of Open WebOS in beta
Months after Hewlett-Packard originally announced the open-source version of WebOS, the beta version of the platform is on its way out the door. Today’s release includes two environments for developers. The first is the laptop construct, which is alleged to give you the ideal development atmosphere for designing the WebOS user experience with more features […]
Samsung unveils Ativ S, world’s first Windows Phone 8 device
If you’ve been wondering what the first dual-core Windows Phone would look like, this is it. Today, the Korean electronics giant took the wraps off the Samsung Ativ S, the world’s first smartphone running Windows Phone 8. The Ativ S (Ativ is Vita spelled backward) features a slim design, a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, […]
Scientists start hacking minds with cheap EEG gear
Are the deepest secrets of your mind safe? Could thieves trick you into revealing your bank card PIN or computer passwords just by thinking about them? Theoretically, it could happen. Ivan Martinovic of the University of Oxford and colleagues at the University of Geneva and University of California at Berkeley describe research into that question […]
High-tech camouflage could protect soldiers from ballistic heat
Powerful explosives from fires or roadside bombs produce two near-simultaneous blasts: first, a high-pressure blast that can cause internal injuries, and then a thermal blast that produces temps above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and can literally cook skin, according to Robert Lochhead, a professor of polymer science at the University of Southern Mississippi. He labored with […]
Google adds Octane to its benchmark suite
A new browser benchmark suite is cruising down Main Street: Google Octane, which updates the V8 benchmark by adding more tests. Although speed is a major factor in browser choice, many people don’t want to know why their favorite browser is fast — they just care that it is. But the standards and assessments used […]
Ethernet’s future: How fast is fast enough?
Slow network speeds got you down? On Monday, computing experts will announce they’re tackling the next speed bump for the venerable Ethernet standard. But don’t expect to find the new speed option on your next computer’s feature list. The same old, to be produced by way of the Institute of electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), […]
What to expect from Nokia’s next Windows phone
On September 5, Microsoft and Nokia will introduce the world to the its first Windows Phone 8 devices. The form of that signature handset remains a mystery for now, but I’ll venture a guess that from the outside, the next iteration of Nokia’s flagship phone will look very similar to the Nokia Lumia 900 device […]
Microsoft’s SkyDrive gets a fresh coat of paint
SkyDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service, has gotten a ‘more modern’ make-over. Microsoft officials took the wraps off the contemporary update to SkyDrive on August 14, the day before Microsoft is ready to begin rolling out the official home windows 8 RTM bits to builders, IT execs and extent licensees.The changes to SkyDrive.com were detailed in […]
New boss, old tune: Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer reviewing strategy
In an SEC filing, Yahoo’s newly-appointed CEO hints at a restructuring and a new plan for the billions it expects from the company’s stake in Alibaba. Yahoo’s new CEO, Marissa Mayer, says in an SEC filing that she might restructure the business and, as a result, might not give back to shareholders the billions in […]
Microsoft replaces Live Mesh with SkyDrive in Windows bundle
Live Mesh users, read the Windows Essentials 2012 fine print. Microsoft is doing what some had feared in latest services bundle — replacing it with SkyDrive, which still doesn’t offer the same set of features. Microsoft yesterday released a new bundle of free services meant to complement Windows 7 and Windows 8. Now known as […]
Lenovo’s ThinkPad team ‘bullish’ on Windows 8, looks to expand beyond notebooks
Lenovo’s ThinkPad team plans to release more ultrabook models, and remains “bullish” about the upcoming release of Microsoft’s Windows 8, according to company executives, who also said on Monday that the famed PC unit needs to expand further outside its traditional notebook business. “We are going to keep breaking that barrier, to bring the ThinkPad […]
NASA’s futuristic X-48C hybrid wing-body plane takes flight
The design, which is thought to be highly fuel efficient and offer longer range, could someday become the universal standard. But first comes several more years of tests. NASA said today that its experimental X-48C hybrid wing-body airplane took flight for the first time. A remotely powered prototype that’s housed at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research […]
RIM finally unveils 4G LTE tablet, with Aug. 9 launch
The BlackBerry PlayBook will be available to Canadian customers first, the company says. It will be available in the U.S. and other territories “in the coming months.” After a long wait, Research In Motion has unveiled its 4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook. The device will be available to Canadian customers first and come with 32GB of […]
New data center design boasts ‘world’s most efficient cooling system’
A new kind of data center claiming to employ “the world’s most efficient cooling system” turns the traditionally unbearable “hot aisle” between server racks into a rather pleasant air-conditioned hallway, all the while using significantly less energy. Integrated energy technology company Inertech and construction partner Skanska held a tour of their new data center design […]
Microsoft saying good-bye to Hotmail
Microsoft’s new Outlook.com address is pushing out Hotmail, Curiosity will soon meet Mars, and we look at the head-scanning technology used by EA Sports. It’s not often we get a shakeup in the email world, but say hello to Microsoft’s new free email account, Outlook.com. It’ll eventually be replacing Hotmail, but you might want to […]
Microsoft Announces New Hardware for Windows 8
Microsoft on Monday announced new keyboards and mice optimized for tablets and laptops running the Windows 8 operating system. The new devices are lighter and more mobile, and will work with tablets running the latest versions of Windows 8 and RT, which are due for release on October 26. The new mice and keyboards are […]
Flurry launches AppCloud with help from mobile startup Trestle
The mobile app analytics company aims sky-high and launches its new cloud services collection — hooking it into the company’s analytics, which helps developers increase app engagement. Venturing out of its typical terrain Flurry announced today that it is launching a collection of cloud services to “empower developers to build better apps faster.” To accomplish […]
Vizio meets the MacBook
Vizio offers a design that could give buyers pause when considering a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. In the latter case, it’s almost $1,000 cheaper than the lower-end MacBook Pro retina. Vizio is the latest to make a run at Apple’s MacBook. So far, I like what I see. The Irvine, Calif.-based company’s ultrabooks are […]
Microsoft confirms Windows 8’s October launch date
Microsoft has revealed that Windows 8 will be released on 26 October. The declaration was made at the firm’s annual sales meeting and was published on its blog shortly after. The firm has described the update as the most important redesign of its interface in more than a decade. The announcement was made a day […]