Articles by Alexandra Burlacu
Apple Surges To All-Time High & Becomes Most Valuable Company In U.S. (But Not In The World)
Apple Inc. edged past Microsoft Corp on Monday, Aug. 20, to become the largest U.S. company ever, in terms of stock-market value, rivaling some of the most powerful companies in U.S. history: General Motors, Microsoft, and IBM.
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Motorola Mobility Files New Patent Claim Against Apple, its First Since Google Acquisition
Google's recently acquired Motorola Mobility unit has filed another claim against Apple with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). This time, Motorola Mobility is claiming that Apple devices including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch infringe patents related to features such as location reminders, email notifications, and media players.
RIM to Introduce Android, Windows Phone Like Features in BlackBerry 10 OS
Research in Motion (RIM) may have passed on a great opportunity when it chose to stick to its QNX-based platform rather than adopting or licensing Android, but it's still drawing inspiration from other platforms for the BlackBerry 10, its next major release of its BlackBerry OS. According to an Information Week report, BlackBerry 10 OS will include a unified approach to displaying contact information.
Oracle Confirms Paying Blogger, Professor Writing About Patent Case; Google Names No One
The court overseeing the patent dispute between Oracle and Google has ordered both companies to disclose names of people they are financially tied to, in an effort to determine whether the people writing about the case have influenced coverage of the trial. Oracle has revealed two names – a patent blogger and a professor. Google said it needed more guidance to reveal names of people who might fall under this category.
iPhone Owners, Beware: Hacker Reveals SMS Spoofing via iOS Security Flaw
A well-known French hacker has revealed a major security flaw that has existed in Apple's iPhone since the very first device launched in 2007. Known publicly only as "pod2g," the French iOS security researcher published details about the vulnerability on Friday, Aug. 17. According to him, the security flaw affects all versions of iOS, including the latest beta release of iOS 6.
Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 Ti GPU Heads to Origin PC Desktops
Origin PC has announced a new weapon of choice for gamers: Nvidia's GeForce GTX 660 Ti GPU will be available in its lineup of desktops for gamers, artists, professionals and enthusiast. According to Origin PC, the new graphics chip from Nvidia is the ultimate "sweet spot" for all enthusiasts looking to upgrade and get the latest graphics cards currently on the market.
Nokia Asha Phones to Get Popular 'Draw Something' and 'Zynga Poker' Soon
Zynga and Nokia are joining forces to bring two hit games to a new range of Nokia devices. On Friday, Aug. 17, Nokia announced on its official blog that its popular games Draw Something and Zynga Poker will be available on the Asha Touch later this year.
Microsoft to Make More than 3 Million Surface Tablets - IDC
Microsoft, the software giant now plunging into the hardware business, is expected to build more than 3 million Surface tablets, market research company IDC told CNET. An IDC analyst also discussed the likelihood of a $199 price tag for the basic version of the tablet.
Microsoft Fixes Windows Phone Marketplace Glitch, Resumes Publishing Apps
Microsoft has resumed publishing apps on its Windows Phone Marketplace after fixing a bug related to digital certificates, which prevented some apps from installing on phones. The company stopped publishing apps on Tuesday, Aug. 14, after discovering the glitch. According to Microsoft, a changeover in the back-end infrastructure for the app store was behind the issue. On Thursday, Aug. 16, Marketplace chief Todd Brix said the "hiccup" has been addressed.
OnLive Not Shutting Down, but Fires Staff & Sells Assets to New Backer
OnLive, the online cloud gaming startup founded by Web pioneer Steve Perlman to bring a console experience to mobile devices, laid off its entire staff on Friday, Aug. 17. The company acknowledged that its assets have been acquired "into a newly formed company" which will provide the necessary funding to keep the service running.
Kenny the Clown Caught with 64GB iPad Lifted from Jobs’ Home
An iPad stolen from the house of the late Steve Jobs ended up as a jukebox in the hands of a clown, literally. Kenny the Clown, who was found in possession of the stolen iPad, said he had no idea the device was lifted from Jobs' home.
Xiaomi MI2: Quad-Core Android Jelly Bean Smartphone with 2GB RAM, 16GB Memory for $350, Contract-Free – Intrigued?
China's smartphone market is booming and is set to overtake the U.S. this year as the world's largest, and host of little-known local companies come armed with cheap, high-end smartphones to dent Apple's market share in the country. Xiaomi Technology unveiled its latest local challenge to the iPhone on Thursday, Aug. 16, launching the MI2 smartphone, the successor to its popular MiOne (MI). The MI2 not only sports better specifications than the iPhone 4S, but it sells for half the price...
Tablet War: Lenovo Beats Microsoft's Surface in Terms of Hardware, Says CEO
Lenovo, one of the world's largest PC makers, said recently that it was not worried about Microsoft's Surface tablets, as Lenovo is confident in its ability to create premium, top-of-the-line products that provide an advanced Windows experience. Microsoft will become a rival, but it will also remain a strategic partner to Lenovo.
Twitter under Fire: New API Changes Draw Developer Wrath – What to Expect
Twitter officially announced changes in version 1.1 of its Application Programming Interface (API), sparking outrage from developers and users.
Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 With 4G LTE Hits Verizon Aug. 17 - $350 Contract-Free
Verizon announced that it will be offering a 4G LTE-enabled version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 starting on Aug. 17. Until now, consumers who wanted a 7-inch tablet with LTE capabilities needed to invest a considerable amount of money for the pricier Galaxy Tab 7.7. Verizon will now offer the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for $350, contract-free. At $350 without a contract, the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2 is Verizon's cheapest 4G tablet offering.
Microsoft & Nokia Book NY Windows Phone Event Sept. 5 to Steal Apple's Thunder
Nokia and Microsoft are preparing to showcase Windows 8 products at the Nokia World 2012 event in Helsinki on Sept. 5, but the two companies will also be hosting a joint media event on the same day in New York. Both events come exactly one week ahead of Apple's expected iPhone 5 unveiling on Sept. 12.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Goes on Sale: Digital Stylus, Split Screen to Challenge Apple's Dominance
Samsung is taking yet another shot at Apple’s market-leading iPad with a tablet set to stand out of the crowd. Equipped with a digital pen and a split screen mode, which allows two apps to run simultaneously side-by-side, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 goes on sale in the U.S., the UK and South Korea on Thursday, Aug. 15, in the same price range as the iPad.
Pinterest for Android is Finally Here, Along with New iPad App
Android users who persistently called on Pinterest to make a native Android app finally got their way. On Tuesday, Aug. 14, the rapidly-growing social networking site finally launched a native app for Android devices, as well as an updated app for iOS.
32GB Microsoft Surface Tablet for Windows RT at $199? Could it be True?
When Microsoft unveiled its own-brand Surface tablet in June, tech observers were generally impressed with the device, but the fact that Microsoft offered no details on pricing raised concerns that it would be costly. In the absence of official word on pricing, a new report indicates that Surface may actually be very affordable.
Nokia Sticks with Windows in Smartphone War – Windows Phone 8 Coming Soon
Nokia Chief Executive Stephen Elop said this week that the company is sticking with Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, and promised to unveil a new smartphone using the latest Windows 8 software soon. Nokia's new Windows 8 smartphone may be launched in early September, ahead of rival Apple's expected unveiling of its next-generation iPhone.
Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE Hits Sprint on Aug. 19 – Price, Specs & Features
Sprint announced on Monday, Aug, 13, that the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE smartphone will be available in the U.S. starting in Aug. 19. Announced last month, the smartphone is "the first 4G LTE-enabled smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard and international roaming capabilities," and Motorola's follow-up to last year's Photon 4G.
Microsoft Confirms Windows RT OEMs & Details Collaboration – What to Expect
According to a Microsoft blog post on Monday, Aug. 13, at least four PC makers plan to launch hardware based on Windows RT. The company has confirmed Dell, Lenovo, Samsung and Asus as the first hardware makers to deliver Windows RT devices at launch. The four initial original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will not only deliver several Windows RT tablets, but also PCs with "full keyboard and touchpad solutions, whether removable/dockable or a traditional clamshell."
Google to Slash 4000 Jobs in Reinventing Motorola Mobility - Big Plans Ahead
Google will cut 20 percent of the staff at its recently acquired Motorola Mobility unit, or roughly 4,000 jobs, the company announced on Sunday, Aug. 12. Two-thirds of the job cuts will be outside the United States, Google revealed in a regulatory filing on Monday.
Twitter-Clone App.Net Hits $500K Target – Would You Pay for an Ad-Free Social Service?
San Francisco-based developer Dalton Caldwell, the man behind Twitter-like social media service App.net, announced that the team had reached its funding goal for the App.net alpha project. In a blog post on Sunday, Aug. 11, Caldwell announced the project has hit its $500,000 goal with two days left to go, and has raised more than $644,000 from thousands of backers who have already signed up to be App.net's first users.
Motorola Droid Razr HD & Razr Maxx HD to Launch This October – Report
Rumor has it that Motorola is preparing to launch its next-generation Razr smartphones soon, introducing HD versions of its popular Droid Razr and Razr Maxx handsets. The new phones will reportedly be called Razr HD and Razr Maxx HD, and while the original versions launched three months apart, this time Motorola is expected to unleash both devices at the same time.
Nook Devices Tout 'Lowest Price Ever,' Starting with $149 Nook Color – Learn More
Amid intensifying competition from rival tablets and e-readers, American bookstore chain Barnes & Noble announced its "lowest price ever" for the Nook in a statement on Sunday, Aug. 12. The company is now offering price cuts for three models of its Nook Tablet and Nook Color devices, just in time for the peak of back-to-school shopping season.
Is Apple Losing Its Edge with Youngsters? New Reports Say Yes
Apple has long been seen as the cool and trendy iCompany, the preferred tech outlet for young, hip consumers who just have to have the coolest gadget. Apple itself helped promote that image, but it seems now that its fan club is getting older. Have Apple fanboys finally grown up?
