Business Articles

The global semiconductor market enjoyed 2016-2017 growth of 21.6%. (Source: VR Zone)

Report places Samsung ahead of Intel in semiconductor market

A press release from research company Gartner has stated that Samsung has overtaken Intel as the world’s largest semiconductor vendor. The figures for 2017 show the South Korean company gaining 14.2% of the global market share whi...

Daniel R Deakin, 24 Apr 2018 22:47

Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 rugged Windows tablet with Intel RealSense 3D camera (Source: NotebookCheck)

Panasonic intros the Toughpad FZ-M1 rugged tablet with Intel RealSense 3D camera

Unveiled back at MWC 2018, the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 is now available in Europe starting at the equivalent of over US$2,500 (without taxes). The highlights of this rugged Windows 10 Pro tablet with a fanless design include a su...

Codrut Nistor, 24 Apr 2018 21:50

Among businesses Cortana is in first place, followed by Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa. (Source: Spiceworks)

Cortana ranked as the most popular virtual assistant for businesses

A member survey of IT professionals done by Spiceworks has found Cortana to be the most widely implemented virtual assistant in North American and European businesses. Siri follows closely behind with Google Assistant and Alexa ha...

Craig Ward, 24 Apr 2018 19:51

The ultra-low voltage Tremont CPUs will come with TDPs lower than 10 W. (Source: Anandtech)

Intel "Tremont" will soon replace "Goldmont Plus" ultra-low voltage SoCs

The Tremont ultra-low voltage SoCs will presumably be manufactured using the 10 nm process and will feature most of the instruction sets that will be integrated in the upcoming Ice Lake desktop CPUs. Intel is making sure that the ...

Bogdan Solca, 24 Apr 2018 19:51

Amazon has not yet disclosed the appearance of Vesta, but the robot cold come in a humanoid form to make it more friendly. (Source: ReporteIndigo)

Amazon's project Vesta aims to launch domestic robots by 2019

Vesta is a more advanced Alexa that can go about houses thanks to advanced cameras and computer vision systems that are currently featured in self-driving cars. Additionally, the domestic robot could come with a pair of robotic ar...

Bogdan Solca, 24 Apr 2018 18:51

Dell Latitude 5491/5591 coming with Coffee Lake-H and GeForce MX130 options

The 5491 and 5591 will target power users who need more performance than what Intel's U-Series of CPUs can offer. Both models will cram in 45 W Coffee Lake-H processors into a chassis design originally meant for 15 W Kaby Lake-R C...

Allen Ngo, 24 Apr 2018 15:00

Dell P2719H 27-inch productivity monitor. (Source: Dell)

A bevy of new Dell productivity monitors that include USB-C connections and 65 W power delivery

Dell has been number one in monitor sales for 17 straight quarters, and they are looking to continue this trend with the announcement of seven new and refreshed monitors. Three of the new models stand out because of their USB-C co...

Craig Ward, 24 Apr 2018 15:00

Dell announces two new OptiPlex 7460 and 7760 AIO with pop-up webcams and a refreshed OptiPlex 5060 Micro

Today Dell has announced three new models in their business and corporate orientated OptiPlex line of desktop computers, which are currently in their 25th year of production. These new models include two All-in-one (AIO) and a mic...

Craig Ward, 24 Apr 2018 15:00

Dell Precision 5530 mobile workstation with Coffee Lake-H and NVIDIA Quadro options (Source: Dell)

Dell Precision 5530 business version of the XPS 9570 now official, Quadro P1000/P2000 graphics in tow

Available in Platinum Silver and Brushed Onyx, the 15.6-inch Dell Precision 5530 is the brand's smallest mobile workstation. Its comprehensive list of hardware options includes 8th generation Intel Core i5, i7, and i9 processors, ...

Codrut Nistor, 24 Apr 2018 15:00

Dell Precision 5530 2-in-1 convertible with Cofee Lake and Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL (Source: Dell)

Dell Precision 5530 2-in-1 is a business version of the XPS 9575, but with Radeon Pro WX graphics

The new Dell Precision 5530 2-in-1 is a less powerful — but convertible — sibling of the 15.6-inch Precision 5530 mobile workstation. Its specs are similar to those of the Dell XPS 9575, but this mobile workstation features Radeon...

Codrut Nistor, 24 Apr 2018 15:00

Precision 7530 & 7730: A redesign, 128 GB RAM and Coffee Lake for Dell's mobile workstations

Today, Dell announced the newest generation of the Precision mobile workstation line. The core of that lineup are the two traditional workstation-models Precision 7530 and Precision 7730, which are being updated with the lastest G...

Benjamin Herzig, 24 Apr 2018 15:00

YouTube was founded in 2005. The site was bought by Google in 2006 for US$1.65 billion. (Source: YouTube)

8.28 million videos removed by YouTube in final quarter of 2017

YouTube has released a Community Guidelines enforcement report that states the video-sharing website removed over 8.28 million videos from the platform during the last quarter of 2017. The majority of these videos, 6.68 million of...

Daniel R Deakin, 24 Apr 2018 09:39

The LAX Nightclub at the Luxor Las Vegas hotel was converted into an esports arena. (Source: Las Vegas Review)

Tencent and PUBG boost the esports sector

The esports industry is enjoying further rapid growth according to a report produced by The Esports Observer. Apparently, nearly US$2 billion has been invested in this gaming sector for the first quarter of 2018, with Tencent cont...

Daniel R Deakin, 24 Apr 2018 00:24

Screenshot of the product page on Lenovo's european site.

New IdeaPad 530s surfaces on Lenovo's European website

A new listing for the IdeaPad 530s has just appeared on Lenovo's European site. The mid-range device can be configured with up to an 8th gen Intel Core i7, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of NVMe storage. The 530s can also pack up to an ...

Sam Medley, 23 Apr 2018 23:21

SmugMug acquires Flickr

In an email to the users, Flickr unveiled that it was acquired by the photography platform for visual storytellers SmugMug. Those who choose not to delete their accounts by May 25, 2018, will have all their content transferred to ...

Codrut Nistor, 23 Apr 2018 16:50

Xiaomi is set to bring Android One to the budget Redmi line

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has confirmed that the company will launch Android One Redmi devices in the near future. The company's Redmi line is widely regarded as offering excellent value for money, and the allure of stock Android on its ...

Ricci Rox, 22 Apr 2018 17:20

Deal | The Razer Phone is now available for just $600

The Razer Phone is now available for slightly cheaper than it cost at launch. The device launched with an MSRP of US$700 but potential buyers can now get it for $100 less. The deal has been on for the past two days but will end on...

Ricci Rox, 21 Apr 2018 13:54

It is believed China will now be speeding up the development of its chip-making industry. (Source: ExtremeTech)

ZTE ban could boost Chinese chip-making plans

Reuters has recently published an article stating that China will be ramping up efforts to greatly enhance its chip-making industry. The hefty seven-year ban on buying parts from US manufacturers that has been placed on Chinese te...

Daniel R Deakin, 21 Apr 2018 13:51

The Microsoft Store only sells Android smartphones

The last two Windows 10 Mobile handset available in the Microsoft Store, namely the HP Elite x3 and the Alcatel Idol 4S, are no longer in stock. This can be considered the final nail in the coffin of Windows for smartphones and ph...

Codrut Nistor, 21 Apr 2018 01:20

Now $350 | The Essential PH-1 sees a price slash to $400

The PH-1 is currently available on Amazon for US$400. This is the lowest the device has been officially sold at since it was launched but it's already a last-gen flagship for the most part, so it really shouldn't come as a surpris...

Ricci Rox, 20 Apr 2018 18:12

Daisy's robotic arm is able to tear down up to 200 handsets per hour. (Source: Apple)

Apple presents Daisy, the iPhone recycling robot

Daisy can dismantle up to 200 handsets per hour while salvaging a variety of materials that can be reused in future devices. This is part of Apple's GiveBack program that incentivizes users to turn in their old models for dismantl...

Bogdan Solca, 20 Apr 2018 15:43

Ripple was initially released in 2012 and has a supply limit of 100 billion XRP. (Source: Express)

Get off the Bitcoin bandwagon, Ripple is on the rise

The cryptocurrency Ripple (XRP) has been performing well lately and may hit a price of US$1.00 in the near future. Like many virtual currencies, it has dropped in value over the last few weeks, reaching a low of US$0.48 as recentl...

Daniel R Deakin, 20 Apr 2018 09:53

Fortnite has the potential to reach hundreds of millions of gamers in China. (Source: Twitter)

China is on Fortnite's agenda

A message on the official Twitter account for Fortnite has shown an image of a passport with a stamp for China on it. The words “The Battle Bus is taking off! Destination, China” are also part of the mysterious tweet. While many c...

Daniel R Deakin, 20 Apr 2018 08:47

ThinkPad models always come with the signature ergonomic keyboard and the red TrackPoint. (Source: Lenovo)

Lenovo ThinkPad E485/E585 with AMD Ryzen Mobile CPUs get detailed specs

The E485 model will feature a 14-inch 1366 x 768 IPS screen, while the E585 will come with a 15.6-inch FHD display. Hardware configurations for both variants are identical and include AMD Ryzen Mobile CPUs all the way up to Ryzen ...

Bogdan Solca, 19 Apr 2018 19:13

The 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen 7 2700X and the Ryzen 5 2600X are here. (Source: AMD)

Rise of the Zen: AMD 2nd generation Ryzens are here to challenge Intel's 'Coffee Lake' desktop offerings

AMD has finally taken wraps off its 2nd generation Ryzen chips. The 2700X and the 2600X are at the helm of the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 series respectively and are made to offer great multi-core and gaming performance in comparison wit...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 19 Apr 2018 16:34

Microsoft Translator app in action with AI-powered translation (Source: Translator)

Microsoft Translator gets AI-driven offline language packs on Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire

Thanks to the optimizations done in the last few months, the Microsoft Translator app can now use AI-powered offline translation packs without the need of a processor with hardware-accelerated AI capabilities. The new packs are 23...

Codrut Nistor, 19 Apr 2018 12:23

The Vaunt smart glasses could deliver simple messages or display route directions. (Source: Liliputing)

Intel's vaunted smart glasses facing the axe

According to a report, Intel is planning on closing down its New Devices Group. This particular division of the chip-making giant was involved in developing wearable projects. One of these projects was called “Superlight” but was ...

Daniel R Deakin, 19 Apr 2018 09:44

In-house Facebook chips could be used in future Oculus Go headsets that currently use a Qualcomm SoC. (Source: ABC)

Facebook expected to start making its own processors

A report from Bloomberg has stated that Facebook is creating a chip-making team. Job listings have appeared on the social-networking site’s careers section that seem to point toward this eventuality. Other tech giants, such as App...

Daniel R Deakin, 19 Apr 2018 03:45

Battlefield 1 was the last release in the series, coming out in 2016. (Source: Origin)

EA DICE may be developing a battle royale mode for Battlefield V

It has been reported that EA Dice is working on a prototype battle royale mode for the upcoming title Battlefield V. The Battlefield series has been a massive success over the years for Electronic Arts, and it makes good business ...

Daniel R Deakin, 19 Apr 2018 02:35

Huawei's decision to keep its Kirin SoCs exclusive leaves ZTE in the lurch

At an event in Shenzhen, China, Huawei has announced that it will not be selling its Kirin SoCs to any third-party OEMs. This comes as bad news for ZTE after the latter was hit with a ban that will see it unable to use components ...

Ricci Rox, 18 Apr 2018 20:26

The NCSC has sent a letter to British telecommunications companies urging them not to use equipment from ZTE due to the national security risk that they pose. (Source: Bluebudgie/Pixabay)

More bad news for ZTE, United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) claims they're a security risk

ZTE's poor fortunes continue, as a British government agency claims the use of ZTE manufactured equipment would cause a national security risk and mitigate measures currently in place to allow the use of equipment from Huawei.

Craig Ward, 18 Apr 2018 19:31

Verge was introduced in 2014 and has the ticker symbol XVG. (Source: Engadget)

Cryptocurrency news: Cambridge Analytica's VC, Verge finds a naughty niche

The New York Times has published an article detailing Cambridge Analytica’s plans to create its own virtual currency (VC). The British consulting firm is now deeply embroiled in the Facebook data breach. In other cryptocurrency ne...

Daniel R Deakin, 18 Apr 2018 09:37

Frank Azor: The Dell XPS 15 9570 could be available by end of April

The Dell XPS 15 9570 could be available by the end of April according to Dell's Frank Azor. Pre-orders seem to be live at the moment but they require a purchase of a pre-order gift card via Cashstar, which has caused quite a flutt...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 18 Apr 2018 08:03

ZTE was founded in 1985 and has extensive international operations. (Source: CNET)

ZTE faces potential Android loss

According to a report from Reuters, ZTE may lose its Android license. As the current seventh-largest Android-based smartphone manufacturer, this would be a massive blow against the Shenzhen-based corporation. Even just losing acce...

Daniel R Deakin, 18 Apr 2018 05:42

The Call of Duty series of games has amassed sales in the region of over 250 million units since 2003. (Source: Wccftech)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 may not have a single-player campaign

There is a rumor that Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will not feature a single-player campaign. This may come as a surprise to the series’ legions of fans as the games have always featured a variety of campaigns for a lone player to ba...

Daniel R Deakin, 18 Apr 2018 03:24

'Ultra small' 3D NAND produced by Micron for mobile use. (Source: Micron)

Oversupply means NAND flash prices will drop further, says TrendForce

Market analysts are predicting that the slight oversupply of NAND flash for eMMC/UFS and SSD storage seen in the first few months of 2018 will continue through to the middle of the year. Due to a delay in production expansion, thi...

Craig Ward, 17 Apr 2018 13:38

The MSI X470 Gaming M7 AC motherboard. (Source: MSI)

MSI has a slew of new X470 boards lined up for the AMD Ryzen 2 platform

In the wake of AMD making its Ryzen 2 platform official, MSI has released new motherboards based on the new X470 chipset. Features common to all these boards include support for two M.2 slots with support for PCIe 3.0 x4 SSDs, fou...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 17 Apr 2018 09:54

The Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1. (Source: Dell)

Dell silently launches AMD Ryzen 7 2700U-powered Inspiron 13 7000 and Inspiron 15 5000 notebooks

Dell has launched the new Inspiron 13 7000 convertible and Inspiron 15 5000 notebooks powered by AMD Ryzen APUs without much fanfare. Both notebooks come with options of either the Ryzen 5 2500U or the Ryzen 7 2700U APU and are av...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 17 Apr 2018 08:25

The first Watch Dogs title shipped over 10 million units worldwide. (Source: SegmentNext)

Clues point to Watch Dogs 3 development

Three “clues” have been unearthed that all seemingly point toward the development of Watch Dogs 3. Watch Dogs was released by Ubisoft in 2014 and was a huge commercial success. The sequel landed in 2016 and also received favorable...

Daniel R Deakin, 17 Apr 2018 03:28

The #DeleteFacebook movement may be gaining traction. (Source: Hillary Fox)

9% of Facebook users in the US have deleted their accounts over the past few weeks, study claims

A study by Tech.pinion has shown Facebook's ever-dwindling fortunes in the eyes of the public. According to the study, 17% of the population has deleted the app from their smartphones since the details of the recent privacy violat...

Ricci Rox, 16 Apr 2018 20:59

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 4 rugged smartphone

Samsung's rugged Galaxy Xcover 5 shows up online

Although there is no official announcement yet and last year's Galaxy Xcover 4 was only released in Europe and Canada, a Galaxy Xcover 5 was recently discovered on Samsung New Zealand's website. Since the webpage was taken down in...

Codrut Nistor, 16 Apr 2018 20:46

The OnePlus 5T is no longer available in Europe and India

OnePlus' official store in North America ended sales of the OnePlus 5T a few weeks ago, citing a depletion of stock intended for the region. The company's web stores in Europe and India are also saying the same, which could be evi...

Ricci Rox, 16 Apr 2018 20:16

Qualcomm, Dolby, and others banned from selling components to ZTE for 7 years

The United States Department of Commerce has banned all American companies from selling components to Chinese phone manufacturer ZTE. This includes Qualcomm and Dolby, both of whom have made major contributions to previous ZTE pho...

Sam Medley, 16 Apr 2018 19:35

Confidential Mode feature in Gmail (Source: The Verge)

Confidential Mode coming soon to Gmail

The upcoming Gmail design update aims to bring the desktop user experience closer to that provided by the email service on mobile devices. The list of features currently being tested includes smart replies, snooze, a new sidebar, ...

Codrut Nistor, 16 Apr 2018 09:57

EliteBook 840r G4: HP releases a Quad-Core refresh of the older EliteBook-design

With the 2018 EliteBooks, HP has put a focus on premium-features such as a Unibody-design and higher-quality displays – which of course also raises the costs. To bridge the gap compared with its older EliteBooks, HP has released a...

Benjamin Herzig, 15 Apr 2018 21:55

Game designer Yu Suzuki is the director and producer behind all three Shenmue titles. (Source: Sega)

Shenmue I and II coming to the PC this year

Sega has announced its classic adventure games Shenmue and Shenmue II will be made available for the PC sometime this year. Shenmue was originally released for the Dreamcast console in 1999, with a sequel coming out shortly afterw...

Daniel R Deakin, 14 Apr 2018 08:37

It has been 30 years since the release of the original Sega Mega Drive/Genesis console. (Source: Famitsu)

Sega reveals Mega Drive Mini console

The Japanese video-game developer Sega has unveiled a Mega Drive Mini console at the recent Sega Fes 2018 event. The original Sega Mega Drive (known as the Genesis in North America) was released in Japan in 1988, and it ended up b...

Daniel R Deakin, 14 Apr 2018 06:13