Hardware

HTC Releases Butterfly S Phablet Into the Wild
June 19, 2013

HTC's latest handset has emerged from the proverbial cocoon, but it's no tiny newborn. Rather, the Android-powered Butterfly S has "phablet" proportions, meaning it's larger than the traditional smartphone but smaller than a tablet. Packed with a quad-core 1.9GHz Snapdragon 600 processor and a 3,200mAh battery, the nascent device sports a 5-inch HD screen.

Tech-Hungry 'Crazy Ants'? Not So Fast
June 17, 2013

To read some reports in the tech press lately, one might think there's an electronics-hungry menace from South America on a march of conquest through the Southeastern United States and Texas, leaving a trail of destroyed smartphones and other precious devices in its wake. It's known as the "crazy ant," and recent reports of its arrival derive from an article published in April.

Best Buy Clears Floor Space for New Windows Shops
June 14, 2013

Microsoft is the latest product manufacturer to follow the retail trend of setting up shop within a big box store. Best Buy and Microsoft on Thursday announced plans to open the Windows Store only at Best Buy in 500 retail locations in the U.S. and more than 100 in Canada. The stores will range in size from 1,500 square feet to 2,200 square feet. Microsoft specialists will staff each shop.

Who Will Buy Apple's Shiny New Mac Pro?
June 13, 2013

In an attempt to revive its flagging reputation for introducing innovative products, Apple unveiled a new Mac Pro at its World Wide Developers Conference, being held in San Francisco this week. "Can't innovate any more, my ass," said SVP of Product Marketing Phil Schiller as the Mac Pro made its debut. The futuristic-looking black cylindrical device stands less than 10 inches tall.

Acer's Android Smart Display Pushes Desktop Boundaries
June 13, 2013

Acer's Smart Display DA220HQL is a 21.5-inch all-in-one touchscreen released earlier this year that runs the Android operating system with a wireless keyboard and mouse and has the potential to change your desktop computing habits. The more I use it, the more adept I get at working in a touch and swipe computing environment that I am not holding in my hands.

Apple Brings Back Sexy at WWDC
June 11, 2013

While Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference focuses on developers who create applications and services around Apple's products, the company always reveals something new for everyday consumers, too. At this year's keynote address, Apple delivered a little love for everyone, including a new flat but astoundingly layered iOS 7 and the next version of Mac OS X, aka "Mavericks."

Microsoft's Uncanny Transformation
June 10, 2013

For much of the last decade, Microsoft has set an example more of doing things wrong than right, but at TechEd last week, Microsoft suddenly was showcasing a number of really smart decisions and best practices. It almost felt like an event from a different company -- or the company I remember from the 1990s, before it got arrogant; when it was younger, more vital and a bit more fun.

Bose Gets Tiny and Tinier With Earbuds and Mini-Speaker
June 06, 2013

The world can be a very loud place, and New York City's Grand Central Terminal served as a perfect backdrop for Bose to demonstrate how it can address and even combat that noise. In the famous station's Vanderbilt Hall, the company this week introduced two new audio products, including its first in-ear noise-canceling headphones and a Bluetooth speaker that fits in the palm of the hand.

Microsoft Repairs Windows' Cracks
June 05, 2013

At this week's Computex trade show in Taiwan, Microsoft applied some polish to its beleaguered Windows platform. That included announcing that Outlook will finally arrive on Windows RT as well as making the first public demonstration of its forthcoming Windows 8.1. Also on hand at the show were a variety of new devices decked out to show off Windows' consistent experience across screens.

Sony Woos the Well-Heeled With Vaio Hybrid, Ultrabooks
June 05, 2013

Sony has launched a new Vaio hybrid tablet/laptop and two new Vaio Ultrabooks. All three have premium audio and visual technologies, and they use Intel's Haswell processors, which were designed for low power consumption. At $1,150 to $1,400, they're pricier than the comparable MacBook Air or other Ultrabooks. "They're clearly for premium buyers," said tech analyst Rob Enderle.

Next Galaxy Tab May Roll In With Intel's Clover
June 03, 2013

Samsung's rumored selection of Intel's Clover Trail+ mobile system on a chip for at least one version of its upcoming Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 was given fresh strength by a Reuters report last week. The rumor had been floating around for weeks, fueled by the publication online of 3D graphics bench test results of a Samsung "Santos 103" tablet running Android 4.2.2.

Razer Unwraps Sharp New Blade
June 01, 2013

Razer this week unveiled the Blade and Blade Pro, two thin and light notebook computers designed to handle the rigors of video gaming. The 14-inch Blade is actually a slimmed down version of the refreshed 17.3-inch Blade Pro, and it's perhaps the more interesting of the two, due to its diminutive size. It's a mere 0.66-inches thick and packs more power-per-cubic-inch than any laptop available today, says its maker.

Tablets to Demote Laptops to Also-Ran Status This Year
May 28, 2013

Tablets continue to gain momentum in the worldwide marketplace. The category is forecast to grow nearly 60 percent, surpassing laptop shipments this year and all PC categories by 2015, according to two reports released Tuesday by IDC. Lower prices and smaller screen sizes are among the drivers for increased shipments.

Haswell Battery Life Claims Energize Hopes for PC Industry
May 24, 2013

Despite improvements in processing power in recent years, battery life remains an issue with the growth of mobile devices. Intel has looked to address this with a new family of Core processors code-named Haswell, which the company said Thursday will offer up to 50 percent more battery life for laptops than its previous Ivy Bridge chips provided.

AMD Stakes Out Mobile Territory With New Low-Power Chips
May 24, 2013

Perennial Intel competitor AMD on Thursday launched three additions to its 2013 A-Series and E-series mobile accelerated processing unit family. They include the Elite Mobility APU, previously code-named "Temash," and the Mainstream APU, formerly code-named "Kabini."Both are system on a chip solutions based on AMD's "Jaguar" microarchitecture for low-power processors.

Nvidia's GTX 780 Boosts Performance With Less Tweaking
May 23, 2013

With a slew of advanced action games for the PC on deck for release later this year, including Activision's just announced Call of Duty: Ghosts and Electronic Arts' Battlefield 4, Nvidia has introduced a graphics card that will provide top-notch performance for gamers. The GeForce GTX 780 GPU is the latest evolution in Nvidia's line of powerful Kepler-enabled processors.

Intel Puts Its Chips on 'New Devices'
May 22, 2013

Intel's new CEO Brian Krzanich showed Tuesday he's ready to put his stamp on the chipmaking giant by announcing a company reorganization that includes a division for new devices. The division, headed by former mobile unit chief Mike Bell, will reportedly focus on emerging product trends. It will be a key component in Intel's attempt to boost its performance where it has lagged rivals.

Getting the Best Out of IT Partnerships, IBM-SAP Style
May 21, 2013

There's no shortage of partner initiatives at most annual IT vendor events, but that was especially apparent at SAP's recent Sapphire NOW conference in Orlando, Fla. In large part, it's simply the nature of the event beast. Vendors work for weeks or even months on conference-related announcements, hoping to garner the attention of energized, enthusiastic attendees.

Dell's Weak Q1 Earnings Throw Fuel on Buyout Fire
May 17, 2013

Dell's quarterly earnings fell short of Wall Street expectations this week, leading to more questions about whether or not shareholders will accept Michael Dell's buyout offer and regroup as a private company. The PC maker reported a net income of $130 million, or 7 cents per share, during its most recent quarter.

HP Launches Split x2 Win 8 Laptop-Tablet
May 15, 2013

HP on Wednesday announced the Split x2 Windows 8 hybrid laptop-tablet, the second such device in its lineup after the Envy x2, which debuted last year. The Split x2 is a detachable PC, meaning that the screen can be removed and used separately as a tablet. HP also announced the Android-based SlateBook x2 on Wednesday.