Business Articles

The cryptocurrency market capitalization value is currently over US$420 billion. (Source: CCN)

Bitcoin bubble burst threat for investors

Financial regulators have issued warnings that a massive price crash involving Bitcoin and other popular virtual currencies (VC) would lead to financial ruin for many investors. The lucrative VC market is currently worth hundreds ...

Daniel R Deakin, 13 Feb 2018 19:55

Huawei new gesture control method for wearables patent (Source: LetsGoDigital)

Huawei patent for new gesture control for wearables surfaces online

Huawei's upcoming smartwatches could be able to detect writing movements performed in mid-air using fingers. This new gesture control method has been described in a patent dated July 2016, so it might become reality pretty soon.

Codrut Nistor, 13 Feb 2018 18:40

LG Vision AI in action (Source: LG Newsroom)

LG reveals upcoming smartphone AI features

In addition to the LG Vision AI and LG Voice AI features, the next-gen LG smartphones will also come with a set of exclusive voice commands for Google Assistant. These technologies will be shown at MWC 2018 starting February 26.

Codrut Nistor, 13 Feb 2018 17:06

Verizon to start locking phones later this year

The only major US carrier that offered completely unlocked devices decided to change its policy due to theft, so Verizon Wireless customers who get a new phone now have to go through a probationary period that lasts from the purch...

Codrut Nistor, 13 Feb 2018 14:05

Fujitsu: Battery recall for some Lifebook and Celsius laptops

The Japanese PC-manufacturer Fujitsu has announced a recall for some laptop batteries used in older Lifebook and Celsius laptops. As in many past cases, fire hazard is the reason for this recall.

Benjamin Herzig, 13 Feb 2018 11:11

Windows Defender ATP will now enable deep security insights for older Windows versions. (Source: Microsoft)

Windows Defender ATP coming to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1

Microsoft has announced support for Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection, a Windows 10 only feature, to Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1. This is to help organizations protect themselves during the transition to Windows 10 fro...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 13 Feb 2018 10:46

Micron plans on releasing SSDs equipped with cheaper QLC memory soon. (Source: Micron)

Micron announces its first SSDs with QLC NAND memory

Micron has announced a lineup of enterprise SSDs using QLC NAND memory and will release the drives soon. These will be among the first available solid state drives using the cheaper QLC technology.

Jonathan Maes, 13 Feb 2018 10:30

How to check if your PC is protected from Meltdown and Spectre

The Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities exposed inherent flaws in hardware and software design, which we've been using for many years. Chip vendors and developers alike are scrambling to quickly release fixes to prevent any damag...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 13 Feb 2018 03:08

Mi India Xiaomi Mi TV teaser still image (Source: @XiaomiIndia)

Xiaomi Mi TV apparently heading for India

While the Redmi Note 5 is headed for India and expected to arrive on February 14, it looks like the Mi TV is going to be introduced locally on the same day.

Codrut Nistor, 12 Feb 2018 21:15

Amazon Alexa was initially released in 2014. (Source: Digital Trends)

Amazon may be creating AI chips for Alexa

There are rumors that Amazon is in the process of developing new artificial intelligence chips to be used in hardware that features the company's virtual assistant, Alexa. The chips could help reduce response times by utilizing sp...

Daniel R Deakin, 12 Feb 2018 19:25

Microsoft Launcher 4.6 Android launcher app (Source: Google Play)

Microsoft Launcher finally gets Cortana support

Microsoft Launcher, the Android app once known as Arrow Launcher, has reached version 4.6 and finally received full Cortana support. This digital assistant can make calls, schedule meetings, change the wallpaper, and more.

Codrut Nistor, 12 Feb 2018 09:48

HTC headquarters, Hsintien, Taiwan. (Source: News4Europe)

HTC's struggles continue as company sees yet another drop in revenue

HTC released its sales numbers for the month of January, with revenue showing a steep decline across the board.

Ricci Rox, 12 Feb 2018 09:00

How to protect critical data from ransomware in Windows 10

With ransomware on the prowl every other day, it has become all the more important to ensure that critical files are protected from being encrypted or altered. The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update includes a new functionality calle...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 12 Feb 2018 04:41

Fujitsu and Microsoft partner to bring palm-vein based authentication to Windows Hello

Fujitsu's PalmSecure authentication sensor technology, built in to their business laptops, is getting full integration with Windows Hello for a contactless login option that doesn't involve facial cameras.

Craig Ward, 10 Feb 2018 23:54

Sarov is where the terrifying Tsar Bomba hydrogen bomb was made. (Source: Gizmodo)

Russian nuclear scientists in Bitcoin mining arrests

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a group of scientists who attempted to use a supercomputer at a top secret nuclear facility to mine Bitcoin. Security was alerted when the would-be miners tried to connect the c...

Daniel R Deakin, 10 Feb 2018 17:43

Activision Blizzard had net revenue of $6.608 billion in 2016. (Source: King)

Activision nets over $4 billion in microtransactions

Activision Blizzard Inc. has released financial results for 2017 which show over $7 billion in net revenue. A substantial portion of this revenue has been provided by in-game transactions, in part enhanced by the American company'...

Daniel R Deakin, 10 Feb 2018 17:37

Facebook (finally) testing a Downvote button

Although the long-awaited Dislike button is far from arriving, Facebook confirmed they are currently testing a Downvote button that allows users to flag and hide comments.

Codrut Nistor, 09 Feb 2018 11:49

Qualcomm rejects Broadcom's revised offer early February 2018

Qualcomm rejects Broadcom's new offer

Back in November, Qualcomm's Board of Directors rejected Broadcom's US$105 billion acquisition offer. Now, even after an increase to US$121 billion, the negative answer of the board remains unanimous.

Codrut Nistor, 09 Feb 2018 10:44

EMUI 8 rollout schedule for various Honor devices. (Source: Neowin / @Honor_FR)

EMUI 8 rollout schedule for various Honor devices detailed

Honor France has released a timeline for the OTA rollout of EMUI 8 for various Honor devices. The rollout starts from 7th February and continues into Q2 2018 depending on the Honor variant.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 09 Feb 2018 08:39

Google already has the Nexus Player in its hardware line. (Source: Engadget)

Is "Yeti" going to be Google's game-streaming service?

Reported rumors suggest that Google is working on a game-streaming service, codenamed "Yeti." Gamers could potentially access the service and play new games on their TV via the Internet. Is there also a possibility of a new Google...

Daniel R Deakin, 08 Feb 2018 16:22

Dealing with cheats: The latest patch for PUBG is coming. (Source: Bluehole)

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) combats cheats with latest patch

Developers for the massively popular multiplayer online battle royale game PUBG will be introducing a new patch for their product that includes new anti-cheat measures to combat players utilizing hacks and codes. The patch will go...

Daniel R Deakin, 08 Feb 2018 16:10

The ASRock Rack D2100D8UM. (Source: ASRock)

ASRock announces the Rack D2100D8UM — first Xeon D-2100 motherboard

ASRock has announced the Rack D2100D8UM with support for the Intel Xeon D-2100 processor. The motherboard is an integrated platform and can be ordered with any of the newly launched Xeon D-2100 series SoCs.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 08 Feb 2018 13:17

Samsung 256 GB eUFS now in mass production for automotive applications (Source: Samsung Newsroom)

Samsung begins mass production of 256 GB eUFS solutions for the automotive market

The industry's first 256 GB eUFS 2.1 solution for automotive applications that incorporates advanced features of the UFS 3.0 standard can handle a temperature range between -40° C and 105° C and provides a sequential read speed of...

Codrut Nistor, 08 Feb 2018 13:10

Sony headquarters, Toyko, Japan. (Source: Zimbio)

Sony reports strong quarterly financial results, but loses ground in smartphones

Sony's third quarter results for 2017/18 show the company is performing well regarding profitability, with gaming, financial, semiconductor, and music standing out for income contribution. Mobile communication profitability drops ...

Craig Ward, 08 Feb 2018 01:29

Intel Xeon D-2100 processor (Source: Intel Newsroom)

Intel Xeon D-2100 processors now official with up to 18 cores and 36 threads

The new Xeon D-2100 processor architecture allows for up to 18 "Skylake-server" generation cores and was designed to provide lower-power processing to multiple enterprise applications, focusing on the needs of data centers and net...

Codrut Nistor, 07 Feb 2018 21:25

Apple reduced the price for replacement batteries. (Source: BGR)

Apple may offer battery rebate in regard to Batterygate controversy

In a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee chairman, Apple has hinted at possibly offering a rebate to customers who bought replacement batteries at full price because of the "Batterygate" controversy. Apple reduced battery pric...

Daniel R Deakin, 07 Feb 2018 17:24

Enjoy the world's most bubbly cup of coffee while you use your Elitebook 800. (Source: HP)

The HP Elitebook 800 brings more screen real-estate without packing on the pounds

HP has announced upgrades for the top-selling Elitebook 800 series, with the 830 G5, 840 G5, and 850 G5. Side bezels have been shrunk on all three, with the 12.5-inch model now getting a 13.3-inch screen in the same body size. All...

Craig Ward, 07 Feb 2018 09:01

The Dell EMC R7425 server is based on AMD EPYC. (Source: Dell)

Dell EMC PowerEdge servers powered by AMD EPYC CPUs now on sale

Dell has listed new PowerEdge servers powered by AMD EPYC CPUs for order. The EPYC-based servers are available in 1U and 2U rack sizes and can be extensively customized based on the requirements of the enterprise while still offer...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 07 Feb 2018 07:03

Image: Amazon (with edits). Prices may not be reflective of Amazon's new policies.

Amazon to drop lock screen ads from their Prime Exclusive phones

Phones sold through Amazon's Prime Exclusive Phone program will no longer display lock screen ads, according to the retailer. The phones, which which were sold at prices substantially lower than MSRP, will instead feature Amazon-c...

Sam Medley, 06 Feb 2018 23:59

Android Oreo finally breaks the 1 percent barrier

With Android Lollipop usage finally below 25 percent, Android Oreo managed to climb above the 1 percent barrier for the first time in history. Android Nougat usage also grew up by more than 2 percent in February compared to the fi...

Codrut Nistor, 06 Feb 2018 20:40

Life isn't all good for LG as company makes silent exit from Chinese smartphone market

LG's smartphone division has struggled of recent and the company has finally decided to cut its losses in the Chinese smartphone market.

Ricci Rox, 06 Feb 2018 18:55

Concept design of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega+. (Source: Indiegogo.)

Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega+ possibly coming soon

Retro Computers Ltd. has offered a release date for its controversial handheld games console, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega+. The crowdfunded console is based on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, a popular personal home computer that was ...

Daniel R Deakin, 06 Feb 2018 17:50

Apple shipped 13.2 million units in the fourth quarter of 2017 alone.

Apple's iPad is still the world's best-selling tablet

Apple Inc. is still the world's best-selling tablet manufacturer according to recently released figures from IDC. Apple shipped more units in 2017 than both Samsung and Amazon put together.

Daniel R Deakin, 06 Feb 2018 16:15

Loose screws: Partial recall of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017

The Chinese PC manufacturer Lenovo has issued a partial recall of its flagship ThinkPad today. The reason for this recall: A potentially loose screw, which might damage the battery.

Benjamin Herzig, 06 Feb 2018 15:04

A strong quarterly showing from Microsoft as rumors swirl about a potential purchase of EA. (Source: Arquitectonica)

Microsoft's latest quarterly financial results show strong performance, particularly from cloud services

Microsoft's results for Q2 2017/2018 show favourable increases in revenue and income. Cloud services are the standout performers with Office 365 and Azure as two of the main contributors.

Craig Ward, 06 Feb 2018 01:24

The S9+ will likely go for US$950. (Source: GSMArena)

The Samsung Galaxy S9 will set you back $850

The Samsung Galaxy S9 is set for a February 25 launch, and word on the grapevine claims it will be launched with an MSRP of $850, $100 more than its predecessor.

Ricci Rox, 05 Feb 2018 20:50

Samsung Headquarters. (Source: Social Barrel)

Global smartphone sales figures for 2017 released - Samsung still kings, Xiaomi now fifth-largest brand

Reports by Strategy Analytics and IDC have provided data that gives a clearer idea of the state of the global smartphone market over 2017. Samsung rests cozily at the top, Apple follows steadily, and Xiaomi sees incredible growth....

Ricci Rox, 05 Feb 2018 19:51

UNICEF seems to have discovered the fundraising potential of blockchain technologies. (Source: UNICEF)

Game Chaingers UNICEF program to raise crypto funds for Syrian children with the aid of PC gamers

Inspired by initial coin offerings (ICOs), UNICEF figured out that cryptocurrencies could facilitate fundraisers for humanitarian scopes. The latest Game Chaingers program is targeting the help of gamers who own beefy GPUs that ca...

Bogdan Solca, 05 Feb 2018 19:17

We could see new Apple devices make their debut starting from March 2018. (Source: MacRumors)

New Apple products could launch starting from March this year

DigiTimes claims that component suppliers are getting increased orders from Apple and that new iOS and MacBook devices are slated for debut starting March 2018.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 05 Feb 2018 17:07

Valve CEO, Gabe Newell. (Source: Pikastar)

Gabe Newell squashes rumors of Valve being acquired by Microsoft

Valve CEO, Gabe Newell, has responded in the negative to recent rumors about a possible acquisition of Valve by Microsoft. Others such as Electronic Arts are yet to confirm or deny the reports.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 05 Feb 2018 12:07

Kazuo Hirai at Mobile World Congress 2013. (Source: Cellanr via flickr)

Kazuo Hirai steps down from Sony CEO role, replaced by man responsible for selling off VAIO

During the presentation of Sony's Q3 2017 financial ressults, they announced the resignation of their current President and CEO, Kazuo Hirai, to be replaced by Kenichiro Yoshida. Hirai's time at the top was defined by a return to ...

Craig Ward, 04 Feb 2018 14:24

Windows 10 adoption is on the rise. (Source: StatCounter)

Windows 10 edges out Windows 7 in global marketshare according to StatCounter

StatCounter's new analytics show Windows 10 overtaking Windows 7 as the Windows OS with the highest desktop market share up till January 2018. Although other analytics firms paint the opposite picture, the numbers are still strong...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 03 Feb 2018 13:37

The company behind the Turing Phone files for bankruptcy. (Source: Turing Robotics Industries)

Company behind Turing Phone has filed for bankruptcy

The company Turing Robotics Industries has filed for bankruptcy in Finland. The company was supposed to start the production of Turing Phones in a factory formerly used by Nokia but wasn’t successful in doing so.

Jonathan Maes, 03 Feb 2018 09:04

A Bitmain AntMiner T9 ASIC. (Source: Crypto Mining Blog)

Samsung Foundry to manufacture ASIC cryptocurrency miners, looks to produce 4nm chips by 2020

Samsung could be bringing some competition into the ASIC crytocurrency miner market as it is looking to produce its own ASICs. The company is also looking to align its fabrication development with TSMC and hopes to complete the 4n...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 03 Feb 2018 09:04

Bad news may have pushed Bitcoin to the lowest prices possible, but this could prove an excellent time to buy some cryptocoins. (Source: Bitcointalkradio.com)

Bitcoin is down ~55% from its December US$20,000 peak

BTC dropped to almost US$8,000 as alarming news put the stability of all cryptocoins in a tight spot.

Bogdan Solca, 02 Feb 2018 21:14

The Honor 7X is a best-seller. (Source: Huawei)

The Honor 7X is now being manufactured locally in India

The Honor 7X, one of our best value picks of 2017, is now being manufactured locally in India, at a Flex manufacturing plant in Chennai.

Ricci Rox, 02 Feb 2018 14:38

Microsoft is making Office 2019 a Windows 10 exclusive. (Source: Redmondmag)

Microsoft details servicing changes to Windows and Office, Office 2019 to be a Windows 10 exclusive

Microsoft has listed out a few servicing changes to Windows and Office keeping in view the deployment requirements of the enterprise. The company also detailed availability and support cadences of Office 2019 and Windows 10 LTSC.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 02 Feb 2018 07:55

OnePlus releases report for 2017, company sees explosive rise in revenue

OnePlus has released a report that points towards a significant growth in its sales numbers, with smartphone shipments seeing a 55% year-on-year growth and revenue said to have doubled.

Ricci Rox, 01 Feb 2018 21:26

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov releases a statement in a short tweet.

Official Telegram apps temporarily removed from the App Store

The popular messaging app Telegram and variant Telegram X have vanished from Apple's App Store due to 'inappropriate content', although founder Pavel Durov claims that the apps are gone because of a minor issue and should resurfac...

Jonathan Maes, 01 Feb 2018 16:56