Consumer Electronics
Microsoft Readies New Mobile Devices
April 19, 2013 8:06 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsMicrosoft is working with manufacturers to produce a line of small touch-screen devices powered by Windows, apparently intended to compete with tablets like the iPad Mini and Amazon Kindle Fire. Microsoft's chief financial officer told investors and analysts on a conference call that the new devices will be available in coming months.
Heck Yeah! The Emerging Everyday Engineer
April 18, 2013 3:51 pm | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | Articles | CommentsArmed with geeky humor, an array of hardware from element14, and his trusty red tweezers (the same pair for 20+ years), this maker-community hero spends each week hacking, modding, and redesigning everything from an Xbox360 to an AVR development board for thousands of viral viewers each week.
Google Glass Distribution Begins This Week
April 18, 2013 11:02 am | News | CommentsGoogle is starting to distribute its new Internet-connected glasses, something seen as the next breakthrough in mobile computing.Google has picked 8,000 people in the U.S. who entered a contest. The winners will have to pay $1,500 apiece for a test version of Google Glass.
ACLU: Slow Smartphone Updates Are Privacy Threat
April 18, 2013 8:36 am | by Raphael Satter, Associated Press | News | CommentsOne of the leading U.S. civil-rights organizations is taking on an unusual cause: spotty smartphone updates. The ACLU says that sluggish fixes have been saddling many smartphone users with software that is out of date and therefore dangerous.
Apple Stock Falls To One-Year Low On Supplier News
April 17, 2013 12:06 pm | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsShares of Apple Inc. are setting a one-year low after news from a supplier hinted at a slowdown in iPhone and iPad production. The stock is down $18.48, or 4.3 percent, at $407.76. The shares hit $403.67 earlier, the lowest level since Dec. 2011.
Taiwan Tech Industry Faces Up To Samsung
April 17, 2013 4:54 am | by Annie Huang, Associated Press | News | CommentsTaiwanese companies have long viewed tech giant Samsung as a major threat and the battle has recently appeared to tilt in favor of the South Korean rival as Taiwan's smartphone, memory chip and display panel makers suffered sagging exports.
HP To Integrate Leap Motion Controllers With PCs
April 16, 2013 9:33 pm | by Barbara Ortutay, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsPlugged into a computer, the 3-inch-long (7.5-centimeter-long) device tracks people's fingers and hand motions as they gesture, swipe and point at their computer screens. Applications developed for it let people control games, work on office tasks, paint pictures or design 3-D objects.
At The Core: Mobility Drives Supply Chain Growth
April 16, 2013 2:36 pm | by Mark Bollinger, Vice President, Marketing, Smith & Associates | Articles | CommentsThis year's focus is noticeably rooted in the significant improvements to chip architectures that are developing as mobile users increasingly demand richer functionality with greater processing power and anywhere, anytime connectivity with longer battery life. The answer to these demands is coming in increasingly complex and compact architectures.
A 90-Year-Old Grandmother Takes VR For A Spin
April 16, 2013 12:15 pm | by Paul Rivot | Videos | CommentsA video game developer by the name of Paul Rivot has uploaded a video of his 90-year-old grandmother using the Oculus Rift, an in-development virtual reality (VR) headset, for a spin. While the system has proven to be a trip even for video game and technology enthusiasts, the charm of Rivot's grandmother shows just how compelling this product could be.
Dell, Icahn Agree On A Share Ownership Cap
April 16, 2013 11:03 am | News | CommentsA special committee of the Dell Inc. board says Carl Icahn has agreed to cap his stake in the personal computer maker while the panel considers competing takeover bids from the billionaire investor, a group led by CEO Michael Dell and buyout specialist Blackstone Group.
Trader Pleads Guilty In $1B Apple Stock Scheme
April 16, 2013 7:52 am | News | CommentsA securities trader has pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme involving the unauthorized purchase of about $1 billion of Apple stock that wound up costing his employer $5 million. Federal prosecutors say 40-year-old David Miller pleaded guilty Monday in Hartford to conspiracy and fraud offenses.
Who’s The Fool? – Profound Discoveries Or Elaborate Pranks
April 15, 2013 7:49 pm | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | Blogs | CommentsApril 1 used to be a day where the bully in school could yell out the hallmark and get away with tripping you in the hallway (kind of), or when you tied a rubber band around the faucet to soak the next poor soul trying to get a drink. In a time of viral marketing, April Fools Day has been rebranded to represent the comical creativity of major corporations and colleges.
Google Clears Another Step In EU Antitrust Case
April 15, 2013 2:06 pm | by Juergen Baetz, Associated Press | News | CommentsGoogle has taken another step toward settling a European antitrust investigation focusing on whether the Internet giant is abusing its dominant position of online search and advertising markets. Google Inc. has submitted a list of remedies in legally binding form to address the concerns voiced by the European Commission.
RIM Wants Probe Into Report On BlackBerry Returns
April 12, 2013 10:16 am | by Rob Gillies, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe maker of the BlackBerry is seeking an investigation by U.S. and Canadian regulators into what it says is a "false and misleading" report by a financial analyst that claims the company's new smartphone is being returned in unusually high numbers.
We All Need Google Fiber
April 12, 2013 9:00 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Blogs | CommentsAlmost a year ago, Google launched its first broadband internet network, Google Fiber, in Kansas City, and is now expanding into Austin, Texas. Meanwhile, the rest of the U.S. languishes with shoddy providers who refuse to innovate. And with Internet a critical part of our business infrastructure, that's just not good enough any more.
Avago Tech Buying CyOptics For About $400M
April 11, 2013 12:13 pm | News | CommentsAvago Technologies Ltd., which makes chips for iPhones and other mobile devices, said Thursday that it reached a deal to buy CyOptics Inc. for about $400 million in cash. CyOptics produces indium phosphide optical chip and component technologies for the data communications and telecommunications markets.
Engineering Newswire 33: Boston Dynamics Tests Mustard Gas & Sarin on PETMAN
April 11, 2013 11:54 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development, PD&D | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, we’re building a bionic dragonfly, fishing with the FrankenDrone, and testing mustard gas on PETMAN. Plus, at mere 50cm tall, this bike-pedaling biped is packed with high performance electronic components including ultrasonic, shock and gyro sensors, Bluetooth modules, and DC-DC converters.
Broadcasters Display Dongles At NAB Show
April 11, 2013 8:13 am | by Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe miniature TV antenna picks up free, mobile broadcast signals. It attaches to iPhone and iPad power ports and extends about 7 inches, allowing users to view live local TV channels at not-quite-high-definition quality. The device scans the airwaves for signals with the help of an app.
Firm: PC Sales Plunge As Windows 8 Flops
April 11, 2013 8:03 am | by Michael Liedtke and Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writers | News | CommentsFirst-quarter shipments of PCs fell 14 percent worldwide from the same time last year, according to International Data Corp. That's the deepest quarterly drop since the firm started tracking the industry in 1994. Another research firm, Gartner Inc., pegged the first-quarter decline at 11 percent.
Court: Motorist Can't Use iPhone Map
April 9, 2013 2:18 pm | by Paul Elias, Associated Press | News | CommentsSteven Spriggs was stopped in a traffic jam near downtown Fresno and thought nothing of whipping out his iPhone 4 and clicking on the map feature to see if there was an alternate route around the construction mess.He was startled when he looked up and saw a California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer ordering him to pull over.
Google Target Of Microsoft-Led Antitrust Complaint
April 9, 2013 8:39 am | by Juergen Baetz, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe "FairSearch" initiative of 17 companies — which includes Microsoft, Nokia, and Oracle —claims Google is acting unfairly by giving away its Android operating system to mobile device companies on the condition that the U.S. online giant's own software applications like YouTube and Google Maps are installed and prominently displayed.
A Digital Strategy For B2B: What's Missing?
April 8, 2013 4:07 pm | by Bob Barr, Senior Vice President, Acquity Group | Articles | CommentsEvery B2B customer is also an experienced B2C customer. No longer can B2B eCommerce consist solely of basic order fulfillment. While the purchase is in different context, they’re still looking for an experience that makes the process more efficient and more akin to the experience they might have shopping on Amazon, or other B2C sites — an experience that encourages more consistent, recurring and even increasing purchase qualities.
Ericsson To Buy Microsoft's TV Software Unit
April 8, 2013 11:12 am | News | CommentsMediaroom gives phone companies a way to provide cable-like TV services over phone lines. Ericsson says it's used in 11 million households. U-Verse accounts for about 4.5 million of those. It's also used by Deutsche Telekom of Germany and by Telus Communications of Canada.
Judge Deals Blow To High-Tech Workers' Lawsuit
April 8, 2013 7:58 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsA federal judge on Friday struck down an effort to form a class action lawsuit to go after Apple, Google and five other technology companies for allegedly forming an illegal cartel to tamp down workers' wages and prevent the loss of their best engineers during a multiyear conspiracy broken up by government regulators.
HP's Chairman Steps Down, 2 Directors To Leave
April 5, 2013 7:59 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe moves announced Thursday comes just two weeks after HP barely rebuffed a shareholder rebellion aimed at Lane, John Hammergren and G. Kennedy Thompson, the two longest-serving members on the board. Shareholders had targeted Hammergren and Thompson primarily because their roles on the board gave them oversight over HP's acquisition strategy.
