Articles by Alexandra Burlacu
Microsoft is gearing up to release its next-generation operating system, Windows 8, and PC vendors have already started to announce products designed to take full advantage of the touch interface on the new OS. HP has joined the bandwagon and unveiled Envy x2, a laptop/tablet hybrid similar in concept to the Asus Transformer.
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Lenovo, the tech company mainly known for its laptops, has quietly released the IdeaPad A2109 at Best Buy, aiming at the low-end price range of the tablet market. Available for $299.99 at Best Buy, the IdeaPad A2109 is just slightly more expensive than the comparable 16GB Nexus 7, one of the hottest Android devices currently on the market.
Next week will be a busy one for tech fans, with several exciting releases promising to shake up the gadget market. Amazon has an event planned on Aug. 6, when it is expected to unveil its new line of Kindles, while Nokia and Motorola will be going head to head, as both have launch events scheduled for Aug. 5.
Nokia and Microsoft are looking to increase U.S. sales of smartphones by joining forces to produce Nokia Windows Phones. The team may finally get a much-needed boost in the wake of the Samsung - Apple legal battle. As Samsung Electronics products face a possible U.S. ban, handset makers may have to consider alternatives to Google's Android software.
Google's new Nexus 7 continues its conquest of the European tablet market, as the widely favored Android tablet is finally widening its reach and becoming available in more European countries. The 7-inch slate running on Google’s latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is now available in France, Germany, and Spain, via Google’s online storefront.
LG Electronics has finally offered more details about its upcoming Optimus G smartphone, which expected to be unveiled at the end of August at the IFA consumer electronics tradeshow in Berlin. According to the press release, the new Optimus G will sport top component technology from sister companies, including battery, panel and touch technology from LG Chem, LG Display, and LG Innotek, respectively.
A U.S. jury's conclusion on Friday, Aug. 24, that Samsung ripped off the innovative technology Apple used to create its iPhone and iPad, marks a resounding victory for Apple, but it may have far wider consequences. According to analysts, the ruling could also result in fewer smartphone options for consumers, and raises a big red flag to other companies manufacturing similar devices.
With two major devices expected this fall, Apple is surrounded by increasingly more hype and speculation. According to a new report, however, the tech giant will hold two separate events to unveil its next-generation iPhone and its cheaper, smaller iPad Mini.
Nokia is expected to pull the wraps off its new lineup of Windows 8-powered Lumia phones on Sept. 5, one week before Apple’s expected unveiling of its next-generation iPhone. The event is less than two weeks away, but Nokia is been very vague regarding what it plans to show off. Some new information, however, might shed some light on the Finnish company’s hardware plans.
Samsung has released a new video touting a forthcoming Windows 8 machine, but focused more on the “evolution of technology” than the device itself. “The time is near for the big reveal! Take a look at this video for a glimpse into our newest Windows 8-ready innovation,” reads the video description. Exactly what the new product will be, however, is still a mystery.
Smartphones play a big role in our everyday lives here on Earth, but as it turns out they can also be quite useful in orbit. Though much of the recent media attention on NASA has focused on the Curiosity rover on Mars, the agency has other exciting experiments in the works as well. A team at NASA's Ames Research center in Moffet Field, California, is currently working on miniature satellites built with Android-powered Nexus One handsets.
After a year of tough and closely-watched litigation between tech giants Apple and Samsung, a jury finally decided on Friday, Aug. 24, that Samsung ripped off the innovative technology Apple used to create its iPhone and iPad. Consequently, Samsung may have to put off introducing new mobile devices until it makes design changes that do not infringe on Apple’s patents.
With the highly-anticipated iPhone 5 release date just weeks away, carriers nationwide are gearing up to prepare for the incoming avalanche of users expected in the days after the new Apple gadget is released. According a Computer World report on Aug. 24, however, the next-generation iPhone may in fact crash LTE networks because of FaceTime and other data-hogging apps.
The global market for tablet computers continues its upward trend and will likely top 100 million in 2012, according to ABI Research. The April-June quarter set a new record with tablet shipments of nearly 25 million units, marking a 36 percent growth sequentially and a 77 percent growth year-over-year, the report shows.
T-Mobile is looking to make it easier than ever for customers to purchase a contract-free Android smartphone, and on Thursday, Aug. 23, it unveiled the Concord, and affordable Android device aimed at people looking to buy their first smartphone.
For the first time since 1987, Microsoft has changed its ubiquitous logo, heralding major changes in the company's strategy. The new Microsoft logo first popped up on a blog post by Jeff Hansen, Microsoft's general manager of brand strategy.
Facebook Inc. finally launched a faster mobile version of its popular social networking site on Thursday, Aug. 23, appeasing users unsatisfied with the Facebook app for iPhones and iPads. The social giant said it rebuilt the application from the ground up rather than adding a set of new features, thus making it speedier and less clunky.
Online retail giant Amazon is planning a big event on Sept. 6, summoning the media but staying mum on details. "Please join us for an Amazon Press Conference," reads the full text of the invite sent out to the media. The event will take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, where the timing seems perfect for a new line of Kindles, including a new Kindle Fire tablet.
Google's Nexus-branded devices theoretically should get Android updates before anyone else, yet Verizon and Sprint Galaxy subscribers are still waiting for the latest Android software even though Jelly Bean was introduced nearly two months ago.
Two new Android devices launched on Tuesday, Aug. 21, bringing Google's Ice Cream Sandwich to gadgets other than smartphones and tablets. The first device will hit the UK as a touchscreen-based laptop/netbook for students, while the other will launch in the U.S. as a USB stick-shaped mini PC.
Boost Mobile fans received very good news on Wednesday, Aug. 22, when the carrier announced a slew of Samsung devices coming this fall. The biggest of the three handsets the carrier unveiled at its media event in New York is the Samsung Galaxy S2 4G, which will retail for $369.99 without a contract when it is released on Sept. 6.
Google reached a settlement last week with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the bypassing of Safari privacy and security settings, and now the search giant is looking to create a "red team" of experts to eliminate privacy bugs and risks in its products.
Verizon Wireless is reportedly ready to give Windows Phone another shot this year. According to a Bloomberg report citing an unnamed source, Verizon plans to sell a new Nokia Oyj phone with Microsoft's latest Windows 8 software. Should this prove to be true, it would be the first time the carrier has released a Windows device since May 2011.
Dell, Inc. reported sluggish second-quarter profits and warned of more trouble ahead, as revenue from cloud computing fails to counter slumping PC sales. Dell is mid-transition from its original business selling PCs, re-shaping itself into an enterprise and cloud-computing company.
Japanese company Nikon has released the first mainstream digital camera to run on Google's popular Android operating system. The company's point-and-shoot Coolpix S800c model is powered by Android 2.3.3 with Google Services and is being marketed as a "social imaging device."
Microsoft is gearing up for the lucrative back-to-school season with an exciting offer that may soften the blow of another summer over and a school year taking its place. Students who buy a new PC will get a free Xbox 360 console and a $14.99 upgrade to the upcoming Windows 8 operating system, courtesy of Microsoft.
BlackBerry's downward spiral has been good news for its competition, especially Microsoft, as Windows Phone is now set to take over BlackBerry's spot as the third-ranked mobile operating system.