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Latest Technological News

Leaked: Intel Atom 'Bay Trail-T' roadmap details next-gen tablet SoC processors - 11/19/2012
Information related to Intel's next-generation Valley View-T platform has leaked, revealing details of the upcoming Bay Trail-T SoC (System-on-a-Chip) that will be at the heart of the new silicon family. Bay Trail-T is the follow-on for Intel's Clover Trail platform, but with a number of improvements. First, it is based on 22-nanometer architecture as opposed to Clover Trail's 32-nanometer architecture, which, according to the roadmap, means half the power consumption. The leaked Intel documents suggest that video battery life is up, from about 9 h »read more
Samsung vs. Apple: Are LTE patents the next battleground? - 9/11/2012
Samsung will reportedly sue Apple should the release of its latest iPhone include Long Term Evolution 4G connectivity. If Samsung delivers on its threats, LTE may become the new intellectual property battleground. According to the Korea Times, Samsung will be watching Apple's launch event on Wednesday very closely. The Korea Times quoted an industry source: It’s true that Samsung Electronics has decided to take immediate legal action against the Cupertino-based Apple. Countries in Europe and even the United States ¯ Apple’s home-turf ¯ are our »read more
Windows 8's delivery date: October 26 - 7/18/2012
The latest tidbit is Windows 8's exact availability date is going to be October 26. (The last we heard at the Microsoft Partner Conference a week ago is it would be in "late October.") October 26 will be the date Windows 8 will be available preloaded on new PCs and also to those purchasing it through one of the upgrade programs Microsoft has announced recently. Based on previous Microsoft statements, it also seems October 26 will be the date that Windows RT-based Surface PCs/tablets from Microsoft will be available via the Microsoft Stores and select »read more
Will EU regulators dump cold water on the Windows 8 launch party? - 7/18/2012
Microsoft announced the official General Availability date for Windows 8 today. The new OS, three years in development, will be available for sale, in retail packages and on new PCs, on October 26, 2012. That would normally be cause for celebration in Redmond, but antitrust regulators in Europe are poised to toss a bucket of cold water on the launch party. A Reuters report today confirmed that the European Commission is investigating Microsoft's decision to block rival browsers from installing on Windows RT, the variant of Windows 8 that runs on »read more
EU antitrust regulators to probe Microsoft over browser choice - 7/17/2012
Microsoft is back under the EU antitrust spotlight after it was accused of failing to give its European customers a choice of Web browser, following the terms of a 2009 settlement. The European Commission said it had received complaints that Microsoft misled EU authorities over its "browser ballot" screen, which was first rolled out to Windows users in February 2010. The software giant may not have provided all customers with a screen where a choice of browser could be selected, the EU's antitrust chief said today. The browser ballot was a mandato »read more
Microsoft defends desktop while moving Office 2013 to the cloud - 7/16/2012
For the past year or so, the team developing the next release of Microsoft Office has been eerily quiet. The few things they did have to say during that time were invariably drowned out by the public discussion of Windows 8. That changes today, as Microsoft officially unveils its consumer preview of Office 2013. What’s most remarkable about this update is not that it unveils a new, Metro-influenced design for Office. That’s expected, as is support for a new generation of touch-enabled devices that should appear later this year with the launch of W »read more
Microsoft Announces Surface: New Family of PCs for Windows
Microsoft Announces Surface: New Family of PCs for Windows - 6/18/2012
June 18, 2012 Microsoft-made hardware to be available starting with release of Windows 8 and Windows RT. LOS ANGELES — June 18, 2012 — Today at an event in Hollywood, Microsoft unveiled Surface: PCs built to be the ultimate stage for Windows. Company executives showed two Windows tablets and accessories that feature significant advances in industrial design and attention to detail. Surface is designed to seamlessly transition between consumption and creation, without compromise. It delivers the power of amazing software with Windows and the »read more
Oracle ignores judge's advice, going after infringed profits - 5/11/2012
Summary: In what the judge described as the “height of ridiculousness,” Oracle turned down statutory damages and is going to try for an infringer’s profit case. SAN FRANCISCO – In a last-ditch effort to save any face (or money) in this trial, Oracle is rolling the dice on obtaining damages from Google — even going so far as to ignore advice from the judge. See also: Oracle might only receive $150,000 in damages from Google Judge William Alsup warned on Thursday that the most Oracle would probably be able to claim on copyright infringement wo »read more
What Microsoft can teach Apple about security response - 5/8/2012
Summary: Microsoft just released seven security updates to fix 23 vulnerabilities in Windows and other products. In February, Apple released a massive update that covered 51 vulnerabilities and also introduced an embarrassing security flaw. The contrast is striking. Security vulnerabilities are a fact of life. Even the best-managed development processes will miss some attack vectors, leaving the software makers responsible for fixing the underlying vulnerabilities. Speed of response is important. But equally important is how a software vendor co »read more
Intel announces Ivy Bridge chips for high-end laptops and desktops - 4/23/2012
Intel finally made Ivy Bridge official today. The announcement of the first 3rd Generation Core processors was widely expected–Intel first began talking about Ivy Bridge about a year ago. Nevertheless Ivy Bridge is big news both as a product, paving the way for faster and thinner PCs, and as a technological feat. The first batch of Ivy Bridge processors consists of 14 quad-core chips, mostly designed for desktops, though there are five high-end mobile processors too. These are primarily designed for workstations and high-end consumer PCs used for 3D »read more
Windows 8 will come in three flavors - 4/17/2012
There will be three versions of the new Windows, Microsoft revealed on Monday while confirming Windows 8 to be the official product name. The Redmond-based company is looking to simplify its product line, cutting the number of editions by more than half since the 2009 release of Windows 7 which came in seven different versions. Windows 8 will arrive in three flavors: Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 RT. “We have worked to make it easier for customers to know what edition will work best for them when they purchase a new Windows 8 PC or upgr »read more
Windows 8 revealed - special report - 3/7/2012
After years of development, Microsoft has taken another step toward making Windows 8 a finished product with the release of its consumer preview. Designed to work on both tablets and PCs, the OS appears to be Microsoft's first step in freeing itself from the desktop - with heavy emphasis on touch and the new 'Metro' style apps. Source: http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-special-report »read more
Windows 8 Consumer Preview: What should testers expect?
Windows 8 Consumer Preview: What should testers expect? - 2/28/2012
Summary: Microsoft is launching the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 on February 29. Here¡¯s what testers may see once the bits are downloadable. Microsoft is launching the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 on February 29. By going with the ¡°Consumer Preview¡± name rather than the traditional ¡°beta,¡± the Softies are emphasizing that the coming bits are ready for everyday users to try on their x86/x64 PCs and tablets. So what are those who download the Windows 8 CP likely to encounter? Those who already have downloaded and have been testing the earl »read more
Is Microsoft hoping for the best but preparing for the worst with Windows 8? - 2/28/2012
Interesting question from today’s mailbag: I noticed the other day that Microsoft has extended the support period of Windows Vista and Windows 7 to 10 years. Is this an indication that Microsoft hoping for the best with Windows 8, but at the same time preparing for the worst? Good question! On the face of it, it does indeed seem like Microsoft is preparing for Windows Vista and Windows 7 to be around for a long time, and it is putting the groundwork in place for people to be using these platforms until 2017 and 2020 respectively. Maybe »read more
MWC 2012: The Android arms race is heating up
MWC 2012: The Android arms race is heating up - 2/27/2012
Summary: With so much at stake, Android smartphone and tablet manufacturers are releasing devices in a never-ending war of escalating product specs. Who loses? The consumers. Mobile World Congress 2012 has only finished its first day, and already the deluge of Android smartphone and tablet products is so huge that it’s virtually impossible to keep track of all the devices that are due out this year. For the most part, up until now, Android phones and tablets have been commodity, “MOTSS” (More Of The Same Stuff) type of products using virtually the »read more
Intel exec acknowledges delay in rolling out Ivy Bridge processors
Intel exec acknowledges delay in rolling out Ivy Bridge processors - 2/27/2012
If you waiting to update your computer until Intel released its new Ivy Bridge processors, you may need to wait a little longer. An Intel exec has confirmed to the Financial Times that the new chips will be delayed due to manufacturing issues. Sean Maloney, executive vice-president of Intel and chairman of Intel China, says that the April launch date for the first CPUs has been set back roughly 8-10 weeks thanks to adjusting to the new 22nm manufacturing process required for the chips. He now “thinks” the Ivy Bridge launch has been adjusted to June, »read more
The Army goes Android - 12/22/2011
Summary: As does the Air Force, Marines, and Navy–but only with Android 2.2 and only on a handful of Dell devices. Here comes the Android army! The U.S. military stands to be stuck in its way when it comes to technologies. For ages the only smartphone you could use in Department of Defense (DOD) operations was a Blackberry. Now, as first reported by Stars and Stripes, you can use your Android phone and tablet on DOD business and with DOD networks. Don’t get in too much in a hurry to try to connect your new Amazon Kindle Fire or Samsung »read more
Windows 8 tablets will target what market again? - 12/2/2011
Summary: Microsoft is busy getting Windows 8 tablets ready to take the world by storm, but it is not clear exactly who will want one. Forget Android tablets and the iPad, there are a lot of folks waiting for the much ballyhooed Windows 8 tablets due to hit next year. A lot of folks believe a full computer like the Windows 8 tablets will offer lots more utility than the toy tablets currently available. The reality hasn’t hit these folks yet, that these future slates aren’t really aimed at the current tablet market. Microsoft is busy working on Wind »read more
Quickoffice Pro HD 5.0 for Android improves tablet experience (Review) - 12/1/2011
Summary: The new Quickoffice Pro HD 5.0 provides a complete, feature-rich office suite for Android tablets. In the past I included Quickoffice Pro application as one of five essential tools for an Android device. The developer has now released Quickoffice Pro HD for Android, specifically designed for high resolution Android 3.0+ tablets. I liked Quickoffice Pro HD for its simplicity, responsiveness, and ability to sync documents with several cloud services such as Google and Dropbox. However, there were some issues with missing formatting features. »read more
Microsoft to drop Desktop App from Windows 8 ARM tablets? - 12/1/2011
Summary: Microsoft may have done an about-face and decided against offering the Desktop App and thus non-Metro-style apps, on Windows 8 ARM tablets. Back in September, there was controversy as to whether Microsoft planned to allow “Desktop” (non-Metro) apps to run on Windows 8 ARM-based tablets. But I was told they would, and, indeed, the Softies and partners showed off the Desktop app on ARM tablets at the Build conference. However, if my Windows Weekly co-host Paul Thurrott is right, Microsoft has rethought that plan and is leaning toward cutt »read more