Business

Google has unveiled the next version of its popular, budget-priced Nexus 7 tablet computer. The newest Nexus 7 features a 1080p high-definition display, a quad-core processor, and a slightly higher price point. The original Nexus 7 was launched in ... mid-2012. Featuring a 7-inch display (hence the name), Google's Android mobile operating system (OS), and a $199 price tag, it was an instant success. The only thing sticking around from the previous model is the 7-inch screen. Faster Processor, Better Display, Bigger Price Everything else has changed: the price has ballooned to $229 (that's for ... (view more)

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates says he believes the Internet is phasing out the traditional college experience. According to Gates, in this new educational environment downloading lessons and lectures (just as one would download a ... song or movie) will replace attending in-person lectures. Future Students to Download Courses, Gates Suggests Gates made the prediction during his keynote address at Microsoft's recent Research Faculty Summit 2013. The change, which Gates called "profound," could result in students using the Internet to download lessons or even entire courses from ... (view more)

Microsoft's quarterly earnings report has resulted in the company's shares plummeting by 10 per cent. Investors appear to have been spooked by fourth quarter results that revealed a $900 million loss on the company's Surface tablet computer. Last ... week Microsoft slashed the price of its Surface RT tablet by $150, dropping that price from $499 to $349. Recent reports have suggested the firm has sold only a tiny portion of the devices it expected to sell, forcing it to take a loss in order to clear out existing stock. For Microsoft, Mobile Market A Tough Nut to Crack The stock plunge is the ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed that poor sales of its Surface RT tablet computer will cost it $900 million -- making a significant dent in the company's quarterly profits. Earlier this week Microsoft revealed price cuts across the full range of its Surface ... RT devices. That's the type of Surface running Windows RT, a special, slimmed-down version of Windows 8. Microsoft has now published its accounts for the three months ending in June and has included a $900 million writedown for Surface RT "inventory adjustments." (Source: cnet.com ) A writedown is where a company decides one of its assets -- in ... (view more)

Apple says it will fully cooperate with police investigating the suspicious death of an iPhone 5 user. The Chinese woman is believed to have been electrocuted, with the phone charger at the center of the investigation. Ma Ailun of the northwestern ... Chinese region Xingiang recently died while picking up her iPhone as it was being charged. Reports are split as to whether she was making or answering a call. It's reported the deceased had just got out of the bath before using the phone. If she was still wet, that may have affected the danger of electrocution. For some time experts have debated the ... (view more)

New rumors suggest Microsoft is planning to develop its own touchscreen watch employing the 'Surface' brand used by the firm's first tablet computer . The watch would reportedly use a modified version of Microsoft's newest operating system (OS), ... Windows 8. The first rumors about a Microsoft smartwatch emerged earlier this year when The Wall Street Journal reported that the Redmond, Washington-based firm was working with Asian electronics suppliers to secure components for such a device. Surface Watch to Use Extremely Durable Materials Now, technology blog The Verge says it has learned that ... (view more)

First, Microsoft threw in a portable keyboard that previously cost over $100. Now, the firm is trying to persuade consumers to buy the Surface RT tablet computer by cutting the price by $150. The Surface is Microsoft's first tablet computer based on ... the Windows 8 operating system (OS). There are two versions -- the Surface RT, which runs the slimmed-down Windows RT OS, and the Surface Pro, which runs a full-fledged version of Windows 8. Surface RT's Limitations a Problem for Consumers As you might expect, the Surface RT is much cheaper -- roughly $500 compared to the Surface Pro's $1,000 ... (view more)

Microsoft is hoping to increase consumers' trust in its new Windows Store by unveiling a strict policy for uploaded apps. According to the firm, it will remove any applications that it finds may be vulnerable to hackers. Specifically, Microsoft says ... that any apps with critical security vulnerabilities will be placed on probation for 180 days (though Microsoft admits that this window could be extended in special cases). If the app's maker has not fixed the problem within that time period, Microsoft says it will remove the app from the Windows Store. (Source: windowsitpro.com ) In ... (view more)

On Thursday Microsoft unveiled its long-rumored restructuring plan , which will involve breaking Microsoft divisions into two major categories: devices and services. The restructuring plan also involves giving additional powers to a short list of ... talented managers. "Going forward, our strategy will focus on creating a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work and on the go, for the activities they value most," noted Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer in his announcement about the plan. The ... (view more)

It's been five years since Apple launched its popular App Store. To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the Cupertino, California-based firm is giving away free applications and games. Apple's App Store originally launched in 2008 (shortly after the ... release of the iPhone) with roughly five hundred different applications. Today, the App Store is approaching one million apps. Earlier this week Apple unveiled a new section of its App Store displaying five free apps and five free games for the iPhone and the iPad tablet computer. (Source: latimes.com ) Typically each of these apps / games costs a ... (view more)