Business

A new report appears to confirm that Apple is working on developing a smaller version of its popular iPad tablet computer. Known as the iPad "Mini," the new device will reportedly be ready for an October, 2012 launch. The report stems from a recent ... blog post by John Gruber, who is considered a reliable technology insider by many industry experts. Gruber recently suggested that an iPad Mini would launch at least a month after the iPhone 5, which analysts believe will ship September 21 . Apple to Pace Product Releases Gruber argues that Apple doesn't want to bombard consumers with two products ... (view more)

Google is looking for elite engineers capable of protecting the privacy of the company's users. The nature of the recruitment ads suggests the engineers will be defending users against all threats, even those posed by Google. The ad is for a "data ... privacy engineer." It says that the successful recruits will join a team of "back-end ninjas: protecting your privacy, ensuring your security and leaving no trace behind." Successful applicants will be required to "identify, research, and help resolve potential privacy risks across all of our products, services, and business processes in place ... (view more)

A U.S. jury has found Samsung Electronics Co. guilty of infringing on several patents owned by Apple. As a result of the judgment, Samsung must pay Apple $1.05 billion in compensation. However, the decision's impact will go far beyond that financial ... penalty. Experts believe it will, in fact, lead to lengthy product development delays that could weaken Samsung's revenue picture for years to come. The jury in the case took just twenty-two hours to deliberate before announcing its decision on Friday, August 24. Jury members found Samsung had infringed on Apple patents , and also rejected claims ... (view more)

A new report indicates that Apple's next version of the iPhone smartphone, the iPhone 5, will hit stores in late September, 2012. Internet blog TechCrunch says it has learned from a "trusted Verizon employee" that the mobile communications firm will ... begin an employee vacation blackout on September 21. The Verizon worker says the firm will prevent employees from taking time off from then until September 30, a period of nine days. Such a blackout is significant because it suggests Verizon will need all hands on deck for the release of a very popular new product. (Source: techcrunch.com ) Short ... (view more)

With consumers moving away from PCs in favor of tablet computers and smartphones, Dell has reported a significant decline in both its revenue and its share price. Dell Inc., for many years a major PC maker, recently made public its second quarter ... earnings. The report shows that the firm's second quarter profits declined 18 per cent, while revenues dipped nearly 8 per cent. Even more concerning may be the company's inability to predict this trend. In May, Dell suggested that revenues would significantly increase, not decrease. Mobile Devices Lure Consumers Away from PCs Dell has blamed its ... (view more)

A "user experience specialist" says Windows 8 suffers from not being designed specifically for desktop and laptop computers. That expert goes so far as to say that performance enhancements associated with the new operating system (OS) might be ... meaningless for most people. Raluca Budiu says the things that are easier to do in Windows 8 aren't the tasks most people will want to do. Budiu, of the user experience consulting firm Nielsen Norman Group, works with clients to measure the ease of using specific websites and operating systems. She made her comments on Windows 8 in an ... (view more)

Cupertino, California-based Apple has become the most valuable firm of all time, as measured by stock market valuation. With each of its shares hitting a price of $664.75, Apple's total market value surpassed the $619 billion record held by ... Microsoft since 1999. Apple's market value has been surging in the past year. When Steve Jobs , its popular and visionary co-founder died in October, 2011, the firm's market value was approximately $378.55. Even without Jobs at the helm, Apple's market value has increased 43 per cent since then, a period of just ten months. New iPad, iPhone Rumors Cause ... (view more)

Microsoft continues to give its products Windows 8-style makeovers as it prepares to release the new operating system in late October, 2012. The latest subject: Microsoft SkyDrive , the software giant's cloud computing service. For those not ... familiar with SkyDrive, it's a cloud storage service that allows users to save important files online and then access them from any Internet-connected device. As with all cloud storage options, SkyDrive offers a great way to back up vital files. However, doing so does involve some risks , too. SkyDrive: Syncs with Office, 7GB Storage Free One of SkyDrive' ... (view more)

The judge in the patent case between Apple and Samsung has suggested an Apple lawyer must be on drugs if he thinks his latest request will be taken seriously. It demonstrates that Judge Lucy Koh is exasperated with the behavior of both sides. The ... case involves several patents. However, the most prominent dispute is about whether or not Samsung copied the design of the iPhone and iPad when designing its own gadgets. Unlike many such disputes, the two sides have failed to reach a settlement and are now in the midst of a full jury trial. Koh had previously warned that the two sides would only be ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that four companies will sell tablet computers running Windows 8 RT, the version of the Windows 8 operating system (OS) designed for portable devices. A fifth company, Toshiba, has dropped out of that market, due to problems ... acquiring necessary components. Virtually all Windows-based computing devices run on one of two types of processor: Intel's x86 chip and ARM. The former is used in almost all desktop, notebook, and netbook PCs, while the latter forms the core of nearly every tablet computer and smartphone. Although less powerful, ARM processors are more energy ... (view more)