Articles by Alexandra Burlacu
Windows 8 Dumps 'Metro' Branding, Microsoft Confirms – Why?
Microsoft will ditch the "Metro" moniker it has been using for over a year to describe its clean, tile-based user interface found in both Windows 8 and Windows RT, the company confirmed Friday, Aug. 3.
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RIM to Launch 4G LTE PlayBook Aug. 9 – Could This Turn Things Around?
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) announced on Thursday, Aug. 2, that it is finally launching a new PlayBook tablet, this time with built-in support for cellular networks - a vital feature its poor selling initial models lacked.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Coming Aug. 29 – Your Move, Apple
Samsung has caught the media attention again on Thursday, Aug.2, after it sent out rather cryptic invitations for an Aug. 29 event. The invites featured a mysterious box and an object resembling a magic wand, most likely depicting a stylus pen. As it turns out, Samsung has now confirmed it will launch the sequel to its huge Galaxy Note at the end of the month.
HTC vs. Apple vs. Samsung: HTC Going Down Amid Intensifying Competition
Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp. reported on Friday, Aug. 3, a 58 percent decline in second quarter profit year on year, marking its third consecutive quarterly decline amidst increasingly tougher competition from Apple and Samsung Electronics.
Apple Seeks 'Emergency Sanctions' Against Samsung over Leaked Evidence
As the high-profile ongoing Apple versus Samsung patent trial is closely monitored, Samsung has managed to anger both Apple and U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh by leaking rejected evidence to the press. Koh demanded that Samsung explain why it provided the press with evidence that had been ruled inadmissible in court and Apple has asked her to issue sanctions against the South Korean company for trying to use the media for influencing the jury.
Lenovo to Launch Tablet Trio in September – What We Know So Far
While upcoming product launches are usually preceded by all sorts of leaks, rumors, and speculations galore, Lenovo took a head start and decided to make three of its upcoming gadgets official, way ahead of their public unveiling.
Android Holds 81% of Chinese Smartphone Shipments, Nokia Struggles as Others Rise
Research firm Canalys has released its numbers on global smartphone sales in the second quarter on Thursday, August 2, reporting "stellar growth". Unlike Strategy Analytics and IDC, Canalys has focused on sales by platforms rather than OEMs. Google's Android platform was the clear winner, accounting for 81 percent of all smartphone shipments in China in the quarter.
Galaxy S3 Finally Gets Samsung Music Hub – 30-day Free Trial!
Samsung's Music Hub service has finally launched in the U.S. as well, bringing "the first completely integrated, all-in-one mobile music service" to Galaxy S3 handsets. Music Hub allows users to push their music collection to the cloud, stream and purchase new music, or listen to personalized radio stations.
Dropbox Accounts Hacked, but Safe Now – New Security Features En Route
A couple of weeks ago, a few hundred Dropbox users started to report that they were receiving lots of spam e-mails to do with gambling, online casinos, and what not. Dropbox investigated these attacks with the help of a third-party company and it has now given the first update on the progress: some accounts were indeed hacked. Giving a clean chit to the current issue, Dropbox assured users that increased security features to counter further issues were en route.
Lenovo ThinkPad X131e for Students – Powerful, Rugged New Laptop for Intensive Use
Lenovo is coming up with a brand new laptop model this week, specifically designed for the student community. The ThinkPad X131e will pack all the relevant technologies to enhance modern classroom experience. It will also sport a rugged design to withstand the rigors of everyday use and transportation.
Galaxy Note Hits T-Mobile Aug. 8 – Plans, Prices, Specs & Features
Although there has been a lot of hype recently surrounding the rumored Samsung Galaxy Note 2, the original Galaxy Note still has some sparks left of its own. If you were waiting for wider availability, you’re in luck. T-Mobile USA announced on Monday, July 30, that the 5.4-inch device will be available on its network starting Aug. 8 and will cost $249.99, after a rebate with a two-year service plan.
Microsoft Surface Release Date: Windows 8 Oct. 26 Launch – What to Expect
Microsoft Surface tablets will go on sale Oct. 26, the same day Windows 8 goes live, the company disclosed in a 10-K report filed a few days ago with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While this is not exactly a ground-breaking revelation, it is the official confirmation we’ve all been waiting for.
Gmail Video Chat Gets Cool New Features: Google Hangouts Take Over
Gmail users will soon get a taste of the same video chat technology found on Google+, the search giant’s social network, as Google is ditching the current Gmail video chat function and replacing it with Hangouts. The company began rolling out the newer Google+ Hangouts functionality to Gmail on Monday, July 30.
Windows 8 Tablets & Laptops Get New Hardware: 4 New Mice and Keyboards
Microsoft announced some exciting new hardware on Monday, July 30: four new keyboards and mice optimized for tablets and laptops running the company's latest operating system, Windows 8. The new hardware includes the Wedge Touch Mouse and the Wedge Touch Keyboard, along with the Sculpt Touch Mouse and Sculpt Touch Keyboard.
HTC One X Now at Half Price: Just $99.99 with AT&T and Radio Shack
AT&T is halving the price of the HTC One X smartphone from $200 to $100 as part of its back-to-school promotion, which aims to entice more customers into buying the high-end Android device. Radio Shack is also offering the reduced price, along with $50 percent off on other Android smartphones.
Opera Tops 200M Active Mobile Users Per Month – Opera Mini Leads the Way
The number of mobile phone users who use Opera to browse the Web has topped 200 million per month for the first time, the Norwegian company revealed in a report on Monday, July 30. The number of users per month is up 47 percent compared to last year.
Samsung Phones Twice as Hot as Apple iPhones? Twice as Many Units Shipped
According to industry analysts, Samsung's handsets have been more in demand than Apple’s iPhones in the last three months. The South Korean mobile maker shipped nearly twice as many phones as Apple in the last quarter, and is now the world's top phone seller, ahead of the once-undisputed king Nokia.
'The Secret World' MMO Game Goes Free for One Weekend – Try It Out!
While most massively multiplayer online games take place in apocalyptic settings, fantasylands, or sci-fi galaxies, Funcom’s modern day MMO, The Secret World, is refreshingly set in a twisted version of our own world, where X-Files-like scenarios are real. The Secret World has been struggling to gain more subscribers for a month now, and a celebration is set for next week. Meanwhile, Funcom has announced that the game will be free to play from Friday, Aug. 3 at 4 p.m. GMT until Monday, Aug. 6 a...
Facebook Stock Drop Marks Biggest One-Day Loss on Record - Sheds $34B Since IPO
Facebook Inc. has shed about $34 billion in market value since its initial public offering (IPO) in May, as the world’s largest social networking company fails to ease concerns about how it can draw more money from nearly one billion users.
Apple Launches Three Savory Genius Ads – Are You Amused or Offended?
In an effort to promote just how helpful the average Apple Genius can be, the maker of iGadgets has launched three new commercials, debuting before a worldwide audience on the same day London 2012 Olympics kicked off. While the commercials are certainly entertaining, they stirred mixed reactions and a bit of a faux pas, making the average Apple customer seem rather silly.
Windows 8 Ultrabooks & Tablets to Sport New Sensors - Intel
According to an Intel blog post on Friday, July 27, Windows 8 Ultrabooks and convertible tablets will soon boast new sensors, which will give users more options to interact with their devices.
Android, MeeGo Smartphones Hacked, Show NFC Vulnerability
As mobile payment systems are increasingly gaining more momentum, you may not want to stand too close to Charlie Miller or other hackers of his caliber. Just as NFC is emerging as the must-have technology for any major smartphone, a demonstration at the Black Hat USA 2012 security conference showed Samsung and Nokia smartphones were hacked through an NFC vulnerability.
Google StreetView Data Collection Still Cause for Concern – Not All Was Deleted
The great controversy surrounding Google's "accidental" collection of personal data through its Street View mapping service may have cooled off, but has now taken another twist. According to information posted Friday, July 27, by a UK regulator, Google has acknowledged it still retained a "small portion" of the user data collected through unsecured Wi-Fi home networks, even after it was ordered to delete all of it.
Facebook Launches New Recommendations Bar: How It Works and What It Means
Facebook has launched a new feature called the Recommendations Bar, designed to help website owners. More specifically, the new social plug-in allows website owners to tap into the social network's huge database of what users and their friends read, share, and like. For users, it means that you will now easily find new articles based on what your Facebook friends like and share on the same website you're currently browsing.
Microsoft Surface Tablet Prices Will NOT Start at $1,000 – Confusion Explained
The rumor mill went wild Thursday, July 26, after Swedish website Webhallen listed four different models of Microsoft's upcoming Surface tablet, with whopping prices ranging from $1,002 to $2,150. Rest assured, you will not have to burn such a hole in your wallet in order to grab a Surface tablet. As it turns out, the Swedish website's prices were purely speculative.
Apple Considering Stake in Twitter – Top Reasons Why It Makes Sense
Tech giant Apple has been in discussions with social media company Twitter on the possibility of investing in the popular micro-blogging site, The New York Times reported on Friday, July 27.
Motorola XOOM Gets Android Jelly Bean 4.1 Update – U.S. Wi-Fi Models Only
Google’s Nexus 7 is no longer the only Jelly Bean tablet in town, as Motorola has started rolling out the latest Android update for Xoom Wi-Fi tablet owners in the United States. The update is finally rolling out after testing the Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean JRO03H build with members of Motorola Feedback Network. There is no word yet on the Jelly Bean update release in other countries or for 3G and 4G version of the XOOM tablet.
