Business Articles

An example of a home theater in a box. (Source: Lifewire)

The home theater market could be worth US$13.4 billion by 2025

Home theaters brought in a total of US$7.7 billion last year. However, this market value is thought to be capable of growing by up to $5.7 billion more over the next 6 years. The sound bar sector may grow at the greatest rate over...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Nov 2019 22:44

These icons are few and far between for some Pokémon GO players. (Source: Bulbapedia)

Niantic is addressing its current Pokéstop deficiency in Pokémon GO

Pokémon GO remains one of the world's most popular augmented-reality (AR) mobile games. However, it has a persistent discrepancy as a title in this ecosystem, which is a lack of Pokéstops, particularly in more isolated regions. Th...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Nov 2019 19:35

The Vivo Z5i leaks via its own carrier

Vivo is now slated to release a new phone called the Z5i. This has not been officially announced by the OEM; however, this device has shown up on China Telecom's website despite not having even launched yet. It is powered by the S...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Nov 2019 18:37

Dynabook Portégé A30-E in review: Great display, unstable case

A lot of light but also shadow: The Dynabook Portégé A30-E

Dynabook's 13.3-inch business laptop pleases with a bright, contrast-rich IPS display, an NVMe SSD and long battery life.

Sascha Mölck, 08 Nov 2019 18:35

Globalization, rapid console generation transition, and ease of coding should help the PlayStation 5 match its predecessor's success

In a revealing interview, the current president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Jim Ryan, has been discussing PlayStation 5 business. The executive feels globalization is a vital concept behind future PlayStation succes...

Daniel R Deakin, 08 Nov 2019 02:13

Dynabook Tecra X50: Killer style, weak battery

Our recent review of the Tecra X50 from Dynabook showed the sleek business Ultrabook to be quite the looker with little substance. Disappointing performance topped off with poor battery life leaves the Dynabook Tecra X50 wanting. ...

Sam Medley, 08 Nov 2019 00:00

The new ZTE Blade 10 Prime. (Source: GSMArena)

ZTE releases 3 new phones: the Blade 10, Blade 10 Prime and A7 Prime

3 new Blade-series phones are now live on the ZTE website. 2 of these - the Blade 10 Prime and A7 Prime - are available through the carrier Visible. The Blade 10, on the other hand, is an unlocked device sold by the OEM itself.

Deirdre O Donnell, 07 Nov 2019 21:36

Qualcomm has posted its fourth-quarter results for 2019. (Source: Qualcomm)

Qualcomm reveals its 2019 fiscal-year performance

Qualcomm has announced the results for its fiscal year, which ended on September 29, 2019. Its revenues came in at US$24.3 billion, or 7% more year-on-year (YoY). The company also made a total of $4.8 billion in the last quarter o...

Deirdre O Donnell, 07 Nov 2019 19:59

Lisa Su has been CEO of AMD since 2014. (Image source: CGMagazine)

AMD moves on from 2019 as Zen 3, PS5, Scarlett, Samsung, and 7nm mobile await 2020

It can be easily argued that 2019 has been a standout year for AMD. Zen 2 Ryzen 3000 desktop processors have been shaking up benchmarks all over the place and the long-awaited Radeon RX 5000 series (“Navi”) has introduced RDNA arc...

Daniel R Deakin, 07 Nov 2019 03:15

A handful of the 100+ devices that have had their Google AUEs altered. (Source: AndroidPolice)

Google extends the EOL of 140 different Chrome OS devices by up to a year each

Google provides hardware that runs its own OS with automatic updates for a fixed period of time after their release. This software policy applies to a range of devices, from Chromebooks to Chromebits, the end-of-life (EOL) of whic...

Deirdre O Donnell, 06 Nov 2019 19:46

A possible merger between Xerox and HP could focus more on the printing business rather than the PC system market. (Source: MirrorReview)

Xerox could take over HP, report reveals

Xerox is having an excellent year, as its shares are up 84% since late 2018, and the company is now considering buying HP for more than US$27 billion. All this in spite of HP being almost 3 times larger and netting a profit more t...

Bogdan Solca, 06 Nov 2019 16:45

The Snapdragon 730G-powered Mi Note 10 Pro costs €649.

Xiaomi launches the Mi Note 10 and Mi Note 10 Pro, but they won't come cheap

Xiaomi has just unveiled its newest devices in Europe, the Mi Note 10 and Mi Note 10 Pro. Sadly, both devices are unlikely to be as attractive as fans of the company expected. For one, both feature mid-range SoCs, while being rath...

Ricci Rox, 06 Nov 2019 13:02

The AOPEN Chromebox Commercial 2. (Source: AOPEN)

AOPEN releases a tough enterprise-grade Chromebox

AOPEN calls its new Chrome OS PC the "Commercial 2" as it asserts it is ready for demanding business environments. Besides its fanless, solid-state design, it is rated to withstand temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius. It can ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 05 Nov 2019 17:45

Microsoft and Warner Bros. managed to store the 1978 Superman movie on a quartz glass sheet the size of a drink coaster. (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft develops ultra-durable quartz glass data storage system

The advantages over current magnetic tape storage media include greatly increased durability and longevity, since quartz glass can withstand extreme temperatures and does not react to water. Additionally, the glass sheets offer im...

Bogdan Solca, 05 Nov 2019 17:03

The 'Phase One' agreement should reset all trade tariffs, making computer parts more affordable. (Source: South China Morning Post)

Incoming U.S.-China 'Phase One' trade deal could lift the Huawei bans

The imminent trade agreement between the U.S. and China should reset all trade tariffs and allow for reduced prices on many electronic goods including computer parts, smartphones, displays etc. The agreement will most likely benef...

Bogdan Solca, 05 Nov 2019 16:36

The investigation was spearheaded by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. (Source: FlipBoard)

Chinese app TikTok under investigation by US government panel over censorship and security concerns

Popular video app TikTok was purchased by Chinese company ByteDance Technology Co. in 2017 and has since accumulated over 500 million active users. However, ByteDance has recently been placed under investigation by the Committee o...

Douglas Black, 05 Nov 2019 06:50

Dell's latest UltraSharp 4K monitor makes calibration a snap with its pop-up colorimeter

Dell announced a new professional grade monitor. The Dell UltraSharp 27 4K PremierColor Monitor features a 4K resolution at 27-inches, full AdobeRGB color coverage, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a pop-up colorimeter. The monitors w...

Sam Medley, 05 Nov 2019 00:02

The new Chromium-based Edge browser is set to launch January 15th

The new Chromium-based Edge is coming January 15th, per Microsoft's blog. In addition to a snazzy new logo, the updated Edge will be based on Chromium to improve website compatibility and security. Bing is also getting a few tweak...

Sam Medley, 04 Nov 2019 23:05

Microsoft's effort to raise 2019 Black Friday hype. (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft offers a preview of its Black Friday discount event

Microsoft has posted something for consumers to think about prior to their Black Friday shopping this year. It includes some details on its Surface deals for that period, including up to US$230 off the new Pro 7. There is also a l...

Deirdre O Donnell, 03 Nov 2019 18:20

The S10 Lite will apparently have an even bigger battery than the S10+. (Source: Trusted Reviews)

Not quite light: New Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite leak paints an interesting picture

The past few weeks have seen the influx of rumors pertaining to the supposed Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite. A "Lite" phone sounds great, since we all want more capable, no-nonsense premium phones. The problem with all of this, however, ...

Ricci Rox, 03 Nov 2019 13:25

What do you think Zen 3 will bring? (Image source: AMD)

Core architecture improvements are AMD's greatest leverage for Zen 3 and beyond, according to CEO Lisa Su

Zen 3 is likely to arrive next year, but CEO Lisa Su has already weighed in on what AMD will bring to is next-generation processors. While switching to 7 nm represented the largest change for Zen 2, AMD has other plans for Zen 3 o...

Alex Alderson, 01 Nov 2019 20:25

Fitbit is to be acquired by Google for just over US$2 billion

Google has released a statement on its agreement to buy the wearables company Fitbit at a price of US$2.1 billion. The Mountain View may intend to use this acquisition to boost Wear OS. This deal may see the 2 companies collaborat...

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Nov 2019 19:25

Some Canalys figures on the smartphone market in 3Q2019. (Source: Canalys)

Samsung still leads the global smartphone market in the third quarter of 2019

Canalys and Strategy Analytics have just released their findings for the worldwide smartphone market's third-quarter performance for this year (3Q2019). The 2 groups have reported slightly different sets of statistics. However, th...

Deirdre O Donnell, 31 Oct 2019 23:44

Orbita believes AI assistants can do a lot for healthcare. (Source: Orbita)

New research asserts many adults want smart assistants to help look after their health

Orbita, a company that makes a personal assistant-like AI platform focused on healthcare, has published the results of a study that shows this is what the US adults recruited to it want from their voice-controlled searches. It app...

Deirdre O Donnell, 31 Oct 2019 18:53

SiriusXM content will become playable on Google Nest products soon. (Source: SiriusXM)

The Google Assistant will start integrating SiriusXM soon

Google and SiriusXM have partnered in order to enable streaming of the latter on smart speakers from the former. In addition, the content provider's subscribers will be able to activate and control their channels by asking the Ass...

Deirdre O Donnell, 31 Oct 2019 15:33

Nokia's new employees will focus on 5G products. (Source: ECNews)

Nokia hires 350 extra workers for its 5G project

Nokia has reportedly hired nearly 400 new staff members to build its latest 5G-focused team. These employees are to be based in the company's native Finland. 240 of them will start on equipment pitched at carriers, whereas some of...

Deirdre O Donnell, 30 Oct 2019 23:10

A sizeable proportion of eligible consumers are still wary about smart-home products. (Source: Parks Associates)

Research finds privacy concerns put US consumers off buying smart home products

A recent publication has reported that 52% of all US households with high-speed internet would rather not buy into the smart-home concept. 25% of this group nominated worries about data security and privacy as their reasons to rem...

Deirdre O Donnell, 30 Oct 2019 22:21

The Lenovo ThinkPad L590 is a Whiskey Lake upgrade of the L580. (Image source: Notebookcheck)

Lenovo ThinkPad L590: A budget business laptop that falls short of expectations

The Lenovo ThinkPad L590 is a solid business laptop at just under $1,000, but it is not without its problems. The 15.6-inch laptop appears to offer plenty on paper, with Lenovo including a quad-core Core i5 Whiskey Lake CPU, 16 GB...

Alex Alderson, 30 Oct 2019 22:19

The SHIELD TV Pro and its remote. (Source: The Verge)

The new SHIELD TV remote has a Netflix-branded button, but it can be re-assigned or disabled

The new NVIDIA SHIELD TV and TV Pro have been released, and they come with an interestingly-shaped new remote. The manufacturer has partnered with Netflix to include a button that summons this app directly on it. However, Reddit u...

Deirdre O Donnell, 30 Oct 2019 21:43

All ADB use might be wireless one day. (Source: Home Assistant Community)

Google may be working on improved wireless ADB for a future version of Android

The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is an almost mandatory tool for developers, as well as those who simply like to modify their non-Apple phones in any kind of advanced way. It is traditionally dependent on wired connections, however....

Deirdre O Donnell, 30 Oct 2019 21:09

PlayStation 4 becomes second best-selling console of all time

Sony's PlayStation 4 catapulted past the original PlayStation and Nintendo Wii in sales this quarter. To date, the console has sold 102.8 million units, making it the second best-selling home console in history. Sony's PlayStation...

Sam Medley, 30 Oct 2019 15:48

A render based on Essential's new patent. (Source: LetsGoDigital)

Essential allegedly files an under-display camera patent

It seems Essential Products truly has no plans to go away yet. A recent patent apparently filed in this company's name has been discovered. This claim is for its take on the under-display selfie camera.

Deirdre O Donnell, 29 Oct 2019 23:13

Deutsche Telekom's nuSIM platform moves these functions off a PCB and onto a chipset. (Source: Deutsche Telekom)

Qualcomm will incorporate a new kind of SIM into its next-gen modem for IoT devices

Qualcomm has announced the 9205 LTE modem, a new component destined for internet-of-things (IoT) devices that will connect using this kind of mobile data. However, it will not require a conventional SIM to do so. The OEM has integ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 29 Oct 2019 19:35

Old Toshiba Tecra A40 gets a facelift to the new Dynabook Tecra A40

Dynabook is promising up to 13 hours of battery life and an optional Dynabook USB-C Dock when the redesigned Tecra A40 becomes available in the coming weeks.

Allen Ngo, 29 Oct 2019 19:35

Sharp's alleged schematic for a foldable gaming console. (Source: LetsGoDigital)

Sharp's foldable ambitions may extend beyond phones to smart bands and even hand-held consoles

A tech blog claims to have dug up a number of Japanese-language patents, awarded to Sharp, that show this OEM's plans for its oneday line of foldable electronics. Some show rather slim-line devices that are most likely clam-shell ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 29 Oct 2019 18:52

Dell Latitude 7220 Rugged Extreme promises to be the lightest and most powerful in its size class

The new 1000-nit display will be about two times brighter than the display of the XPS 15. FirstNet integration comes standard with optional Wi-Fi 6 and LTE to aid first responders with critical information.

Allen Ngo, 29 Oct 2019 18:30

The CCMI may finally get RCS on phones in the US. (Source: Pixabay)

The US' "big 4" carriers announce a joint initiative to finally get RCS on more phones

The Rich Communications Service (RCS) standard has been touted as the ultimate messaging platform for some time. Unfortunately, its implementation and adoption worldwide could be described as sluggish at best. Therefore, Verizon, ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 29 Oct 2019 17:24

The new agreement could allow GloFo to complete the development of its 7 nm nodes. (Source: Extreme Tech)

TSMC and GlobalFoundries bury the hatchet with a 10-year cross-license agreement

The two leading foundries unexpectedly dropped any patent infringement claims and struck an agreement that allows both parties to license each other’s existing patents. Additionally, the agreement would also cover any other patent...

Bogdan Solca, 29 Oct 2019 16:41

The Galaxy S10+. (Source: Trusted Reviews)

New Samsung Galaxy S11 leak touts huge performance improvements over the S10

The rumor mill for the Samsung Galaxy S11 phones is starting to pick up, and code in the One UI 2.0 beta has revealed a few major details of the devices. They will be powered by the Exynos 9830 and Snapdragon 865, depending on reg...

Ricci Rox, 29 Oct 2019 08:29

The Mi Note 10 is coming. (Source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi officially announces the Mi Note 10 with five cameras and a 108 MP shooter

Now there are two of them. Just yesterday, we received word of the Mi CC9 Pro, with the upcoming phone confirmed to sport five rear cameras, one of which will be a 108 MP sensor. Xiaomi has now announced yet another device, the Mi...

Ricci Rox, 29 Oct 2019 08:27

Maybe Sony will be inspired by this PS4 concept work for the future PS10 design? (Image source: Coroflot/Tai Chiem)

You could be the proud owner of a Sony PlayStation 10 - in 2050

Sony Interactive Entertainment has been busy registering some important terms with the Japan Patent Office. The trademarks are related to future PlayStation releases beyond the forthcoming PlayStation 5 console. The company has be...

Daniel R Deakin, 29 Oct 2019 07:40

Google Play Music hits five billion downloads

Although it can also be used on iOS-powered devices, Google Play Music has just hit an impressive milestone with the help of its Android users alone — no less than five billion downloads. This music streaming service is available ...

Codrut Nistor, 28 Oct 2019 15:16

Bitcoin plummets after quantum supremacy, rallies to end month higher

Bitcoin had a wild ride this week. After dipping over 6% on Wednesday, the cryptocurrency rallied about 30% to finish the week 18% higher. Bitcoin is up over 50% since last October. The most likely causes of the swings this week i...

Sam Medley, 28 Oct 2019 04:34

The new Apollo Max power bank. (Source: ELECJET)

ELECJET claims that its new graphene-enhanced power bank can charge to full capacity in just 19 minutes

The Apollo Max is a new 10000mAh power bank that, according to its maker ELECJET, integrates the emerging graphene standard as a battery material. This, it is claimed, gives it an "unbeatable charging efficiency of 96%". This new ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 27 Oct 2019 20:46

Redmi has partnered with the Terminator franchise for a special Spanish event. (Source: Redmi)

The new Terminator movie sponsors a special sales event for the Redmi Note 8 Pro in Spain

Redmi has teased a new promotion for the Note 8 Pro that ties in with the movie Terminator: Dark Fate. It will be available via the brand's Spanish division from October 29, 2019, and appears to consist of the offer of an appropri...

Deirdre O Donnell, 27 Oct 2019 18:43