Business

After the success of the first mobile phone using Google's Android operating system, the tech world is turning its attention to the follow up. So far, there's even a claim that it could involve a touch-screen handset previously pulled from release ... in the United States. Android is an open source system, meaning phone manufacturers are free to use and modify it as they wish. It's a rival to Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Apple's own system used on the iPhone. The first Android phone, T-Mobile's G1, has sold more than half a million so far and is even stocked in Wal-Mart. The first question is ... (view more)

2009 has got off to a great start for a team of iPhone enthusiasts with little regard for Apple's licensing requirements. They've finally figured out a way to get the phone to work with any cell phone carrier (and not just AT ... (view more)

The beta version of Windows 7 has been widely distributed through torrents and other file sharing systems. But now some commentators claim Microsoft deliberately allowed the package to get into the hands of pirates. A beta edition is one which is ... effectively finished: in theory the only changes which would be made before the official release are to solve serious bugs which are found during the beta testing. The beta of Windows 7, the successor to Vista, isn't officially out until later this month (the details will likely be announced at the Consumer Electronics Show which starts on January 7 ... (view more)

As of this past Sunday, Wal-Mart has commenced selling Apple's iPhone 3G in approximately 2,500 of its stores. With two models available for consumers, one of which is under $200, Apple should expect a big boost in sales. Wal-Mart's two iPhone ... versions include an 8 GB edition and a 16 GB model. The smaller version is available for a reasonable $197, while the larger iPhone retails for $297. Tech fans will remember that when the 8 GB originally went on sale in June of last year, it cost the average consumer about $599. In a statement last week, Wal-Mart revealed that every phone sold within ... (view more)

According to market researcher iSuppli, for the first time ever PC makers shipped more portable PCs than desktops. Portable PC shipments rose almost 40 percent in the third quarter of 2008 to 38.6 million compared to a 1.3 percent drop to 38.5 ... million shipments in desktop PCs. Overall, PC sales were up 15.4 percent globally with 79 million PCs shipped. Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Dell benefited from notebook sales as prices on portable PCs declined by targeting sales overseas while U.S. shoppers curbed spending amid the current recession. HP maintained its lead with 18.8 percent of the market ... (view more)

Sarah Palin may have lost her vice-presidential bid, but she has won at least one prize this year by topping Google's list of the most popular search terms. Rather than measuring the raw number of searches for a particular term, the list measures ... how rapidly a term increased in popularity. Google dubs the study 'Zeitgeist' after a German phrase translating as "the spirit of the times". (Source: bbc.co.uk ) 'Sarah Palin' topped the global list with Obama in fifth, which has several possible explanations. First, Obama was relatively well-known at the beginning of the year, while Palin came to ... (view more)

Microsoft has once again given Windows XP a reprieve, reportedly extending the cut-off date to system builders -- smaller shops and computer dealers who build PCs to order -- from January 31, 2009 to May 31, 2009. According to a Microsoft ... spokeswoman, the company will likely increase the cut-off date again. Despite Microsoft's claims that Windows Vista has sold well, consumers are still reacting badly to it and demand for Vista-XP downgrades is still strong. (Source: crn.com ) Downgrading from Windows Vista to Windows XP is still a popular method for users purchasing new systems with the ... (view more)

In a recent InfoPackets article ( iPod Tiny Projector Unveiled: Optoma Pico ) an addition was introduced to the iPod that allowed the device to double as a miniaturized pocket projector. Now a new addition from Alesis, a major manufacturer of ... electronic musical instruments, will transform the iPod into a live digital stereo recorder. The Alesis ProTrack will allow users to record live audio from anywhere in the world. The ProTrack boasts two built-in condenser microphones fixed in XY stereo configuration for stereo field recording. (Source: futuremusic.com ) ProTrack also offers users a pair ... (view more)

Microsoft has reached a deal with a leading security firm that could give corporate users the ability to tighten up their defenses. The benefits could even extend to Windows home users. The deal has been made with EMC Corporation, a firm which ... produces the data storage system used by many large organisations. Microsoft has signed a deal with EMC's security division to licence the forthcoming DLP suite, a package designed to prevent data loss. The package will be used in Microsoft's server products. It allows users to find and monitor data across one or more networks and control who is able to ... (view more)

Some used PCs are reportedly being purchased not for hardware but because people want to get their hands on a copy of Windows XP instead of newer operating system Vista. A recent Gartner study found that about 197 million PCs were discarded because ... Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system created a demand for PCs with greater hardware capabilities. Of those 197 million PCs that were discarded, 44% were put up for sale. David Daoud, research manager at IDC, said that many consumers and businesses prefer used PCs with Windows XP because they still have older copies of software programs that ... (view more)