Items tagged with product
Here's something you don't see every single day: Apple apologizing. Back when the iPhone 4's "Antennagate" scandal took off, it really boiled down to users "holding it wrong." But these days we have a new Apple, and the company obviously willing to say when it's made a misstep. Bob Mansfield, the company's outgoing (retirement) Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, has published a letter on the company's site regarding its recent decision to pull products from EPEAT's certification list. In part, the letter reads: "We’ve recently heard from many loyal Apple customers who were disappointed to learn that we had removed our products from the EPEAT rating system. I recognize that this...
Read more...
It's half awesome, half scary. There's a line where helpful because downright invasive, and Google seems to always be creeping up on it. First came Buzz, a new social network that many found too invasive due to the auto-add feature and the extremely small "disable" button at the bottom of Gmail. Now, mobile Google searches for products can actually find where you're at and look for those items at nearby stores.The "In Stock Nearby" link now shows up on mobile product searches within Google, and it'll use your phone's GPS/data line in order to find out your location and then hit up nearby stores to see if the product you're hunting for is in stock. We love the idea, and we actually aren't bothered...
Read more...
Imagine being able to take a picture of a CD, DVD, book, or video game on your cell phone and then receive ratings and pricing information within just a few seconds. Now, with the new SnapTell Explorer application for the iPhone, you can do just that. This free application is now available from the AppStore. Jason Kincaid over at TechCrunch put this app through its paces and was pretty impressed, claiming the app correctly identified nearly everything he threw at it, including Xbox games, Pocketbook O’Reilly manuals, The Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Wisdom, Kurt Vonegut novels, and a number of obscure books. What’s more, the app even IDed a copy of Civilization 4 even though it was covered with...
Read more...
Malware writers sobbed Tuesday as Microsoft announced that it will cease sales of its security product, Windows Live OneCare, as of June 30th, 2009. Instead, Microsoft announced that it would begin shipping a free product, codenamed "Morro," in the second half of 2009. The new offering will be less of a resource hog, according to the press release, which would obviously enable Microsoft to protect PCs in developing nations more effectively. In other words, they want to make sure they have some sort of product covering all the security holes in their OSes. But seriously, let's face it, the product never really gained a large market share, as it was buggy and performed poorly in various antivirus...
Read more...
BOLD NEW DELL (PRODUCT)RED ARTWORK FOR STUDIO LAPTOPS EXPRESS PASSION FOR ART, DESIRE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Dell expands the palette of its Art House series with three exclusive (PRODUCT)RED designs Dell spotlights (RED)-inspired artists and their visions in global gallery on Dell.com For each Dell (PRODUCT)RED design purchased , Dell will contribute $20 to the Global Fund, helping to save lives and eliminate AIDS in Africa ROUND ROCK, Texas, Nov. 11, 2008 –Dell continues to celebrate a season of design and discovery with the unveiling of the (PRODUCT)RED artwork for the Dell Studio laptops. This artwork exemplifies the unique visions of artists passionate about fighting AIDS in Africa....
Read more...
Cisco releases new Linksys by Cisco Powerline product portfolioNew Linksys by Cisco Powerline AV and Powerline Turbo products offer space saving design and enhanced connectivityIrvine, Calif. – October 20, 2008 – Cisco today revealed its renewed line-up of Linksys by Cisco Powerline adapters that are designed to allow consumers to extend their existing wired or wireless network throughout the home leveraging existing electrical wiring. With these Powerline adapters, any wall socket can be transformed into a network connection to connect devices such as game consoles, TVs or computers to the home network. The new space saving design makes the adapters easy to use and won’t hinder the use of the...
Read more...
In July, Symantec opened its 2009 security products to public beta, promising that they would no longer be the performance hogs they have been in the past. You may know that Symantec's latest versions of their security products have been criticized over their memory footprint and CPU usage. Of course, there's also the activation issue (the software must be activated), but that's another point of contention. So this year Symantec focused on speed and resources, calling it a "zero-impact" performance goal. And on Tuesday Symantec announced the launch of its 2009 line, highlighting the following bullet points in a press release: Light on Resources: As we said this is one of the biggest complaints...
Read more...
Today, Microsoft Hardware introduced NINE innovative new products – all designed with the theme of “Hardware Anywhere.” It's not just about the office. People are using webcams at the coffee shop down the street and laptops on the kitchen counter, and Microsoft is making that experience easier than ever before. Leading the new lineup is a groundbreaking new mouse technology: BlueTrack Technology. This new tracking technology – available only from Microsoft – lets consumers use a mouse almost anywhere and work with confidence on more surfaces than ever before. BlueTrack Technology is better than optical, better than laser, and it allows consumers to mouse on virtually any surface – from a granite...
Read more...
If there is any doubt that Solid State Drives (SSDs) are the next medium for laptop storage, then don't tell the folks over at Samsung. They probably won't have time to take your call anyway, because they're busy ramping up production of Samsung's 128GB SSDs in both 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch form factors. This is in addition to the 64GB SSDs that Samsung ramped up production on only a few days earlier. The Samsung SSDs use Multi-Level Cell (MLC) technology, which according to Wikipedia is:"MLC NAND flash is a flash memory technology using multiple levels per cell to allow more bits to be stored as opposed to SLC NAND flash technologies, which uses a single level per cell. Currently, most MLC NAND...
Read more...
Dell today introduced “Studio,” a new consumer product line designed for self-expression and creative living. Studio products are highly expressive and personalized - inside and out – combining aesthetics and technology into a fresh approach to hi-def mobile lifestyles.“People seeking stunning design, brilliant colors, and innovative new technology find inspiration in Dell’s new Studio brand,” said Michael Tatelman, vice president of Dell consumer sales and marketing worldwide. “These products are built for today’s digital nomad based on the millions of conversations we have every year on dell.com, Ideastorm and community forums. With Dell Studio we’re answering the call for personalization,...
Read more...
The results of a recently published study of workers' instant messaging (IM) use shows that IM can actually improve workplace productivity. This contradicts a widely held belief that IM in the workplace is a hindrance to productivity. IM is often perceived as an interruption, and as such, "it can significantly hinder productivity by disrupting thought processes and work flows, causing individuals to take longer to complete tasks."Researchers at Ohio State University and the University of California, Irvine conducted a telephone study by randomly surveying individuals employed full-time who use computers in an office environment at least five hours per week. They netted 912 respondents, of which...
Read more...
Grab your tinfoil hats people, the conspiracy theories are about to start flying. The FBI just recently finished conducting an investigation into the networking components being used by the government."Operation Cisco Raider uncovered 3,500 counterfeit Cisco network components, with an estimated value of $3.5 million. According to the FBI’s briefing of the Office of Management and Budget, the counterfeit equipment could allow the remote jamming of networks thought to be secure and possibly could allow access to networks remotely."The FBI is understandably concerned that counterfeit components would allow unwanted users to access secure networks. The question would be whether or not the people...
Read more...
NVIDIA’s VP of Content Business Development, Roy Taylor, recently commented on plans to simplify the company’s product range."It is a challenge that we're looking at right now. There is a need to simplify it for consumers, there's no question," Taylor explained."We think that the people who understand and know GeForce today, they're okay with it - they understand it. But if we're going to widen our appeal, there's no doubt that we have to solve that problem," he added.Will AMD follow suit and simplify their product offerings? Only time will tell....
Read more...
Two days ago we reported on Intel's alleged shortage of Atom processors. When we contacted Intel to confirm the story, an Intel spokesperson refused to comment. Perhaps we had the wrong person on the wrong day, because it would appear that today Intel is coming clean about the Atom shortage with Computerworld: "The new chip, code-named Diamondville, won't be officially released until June, but Intel Corp. has already been inundated with demands for early shipments, said company spokesman Bill Calder. He added that several PC makers plan to announce in June that they're working on Diamondville-based products. Many of the products announced in June should ship in the third and fourth quarters of...
Read more...
Anyone jonesing to get their hands on an Intel Atom-based product, just might have to keep waiting a little longer than planned. According to electronista, Intel is meeting less than 40 percent of Atom orders. This is sure to impact the expected rollout of Atom-based products--some of which are expected as early as June. Either product ship dates will get pushed back, or far fewer of a particular product will be available at launch. The rumor mill strongly hints that Apple is one of the manufacturers integrating the Atom processor into a yet-to-be divulged handheld device. (iPhone 2.0 perhaps?) Considering Apple's strong relationship with Intel of late, it wouldn't be suspiring if Apple is first...
Read more...
Apple and Adobe have had a fairly cozy relationship over the years, a few misunderstanding not withstanding. We can’t help but wonder how we’d define their relationship in a year or so when Adobe is shipping 64-bit applications for the Windows platform while OS X users have nothing but 32-bit options. When Mac users begin complaining, they’ll really only have to look to Apple to find the source of their problem."At the WWDC show last June, however, Adobe & other developers learned that Apple had decided to stop their Carbon 64 efforts. This means that 64-bit Mac apps need to be written to use Cocoa (as Lightroom is) instead of Carbon," he explained. "This means that we'll need to rewrite...
Read more...
While everyone is still “oooohing” and “ahhhhing” at the raw power and efficiency provided by 45nm chips such as Intel's Penryn lineup, TSMC was looking forward to the next big thing: 40nm.“Following successful tapeouts and customer announcements of its 45nm process technology in 2007, TSMC has moved forward quickly and developed an enhanced 40LP and 40G process that delivers industry-leading performance with 40nm density. The 45nm node provided double the gate density of 65nm, while the new 40nm node features manufacturing innovations that enable its LP and G processes to deliver a 2.35 raw gate density improvement of the 65nm offering. The transition from 45nm to 40nm low power technology reduces...
Read more...
ASUS Showcases New Concept Bamboo Products at CeBIT 2008 Innovative Design Makes Use of Alternative Materials for Eco-Friendliness Taipei, Taiwan, ASUS – The huge numbers of visitors present at ASUS' booth during CeBIT 2008 were treated to a dazzling display of innovative technology that included the ever-popular Eee PC, the ASUS-Lamborghini PDA handphone, and the exclusive EPU energy saving technology in the motherboard range. In addition to these new product lineups, ASUS has also included new concept products at this year's CeBIT 2008 exhibition. A leading company in the new digital era, ASUS has brought forth a new concept line that focuses on alternative material design aimed at helping...
Read more...
OCZ Technology Group Exhibits New Industry-Leading Innovations at CeBIT 2008 Including the Highly-Anticipated Neural Impulse Actuator Hannover, Germany - March 4, 2008 - OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, computer components, and systems, today unveiled its next generation of pioneering products to the global PC market at CeBIT (Hall 21, Booth 29). Proving its innovative solutions are always ahead of the curve, OCZ will showcase its group of leading-edge products that have been greatly anticipated by the enthusiast community. “This year OCZ is showcasing a myriad of ground-breaking products, designed to improve productivity...
Read more...
If you've been following the development of the Solid State Drive, you have likely been only marginally impressed versus dazzled. It's not hard to see the potential in SSDs, but they've been held back by size, price, and for a reason we're still trying to fathom, PATA to SATA converters that typically eat a fair amount of transfer capacity.A few firms have gotten rid of the converters, but Samsung is doing one better. They're going native SATA II and entering mass production."Due to the inclusion of the SATA II interface on the new refresh, transfer rates on the new 64GB SATA II SSD will increase 60 percent from SATA I versions of the same drive. Instead of the 65 MB/sec read and...
Read more...
Delays, delays and more delays have plagued the OLPC's XO-1 program, but finally --- mass production has begun.Early Tuesday (local time), Taiwan's Quanta Computer started producing the green-and-white computer in its new Changshu manufacturing center, two hours northwest of Shanghai.The commencement of mass production means children in developing nations could have the rugged, open-source laptops in hand starting this month. The OLPC has already announced orders for kids in Uruguay and Mongolia. (Residents of the U.S. and Canada participating in the Give 1 Get 1 program--which donates an XO to a child in a developing nation for every machine sold online--are expected to start getting laptops...
Read more...
Super Talent PICO USB Drives Enter Mass ProductionSlim, Stylish & Smart Mobile StorageSan Jose, California – November 6, 2007 -- Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced that the company’s new PICO series USB Flash drives have moved into mass production.Super Talent’s new PICO series USB drives are manufactured using chip-on-board (COB) technology, meaning the unpackaged Flash die is bonded directly to the printed circuit board (PCB). COB technology enables Super Talent to fit up to 4GB of Flash storage in an incredibly small and slim case. PICO-A drives measure merely 38.7mm x 12.4mm x 3.9mm, and weigh less than 5...
Read more...
