devices

Do you find the process of accessing content stored on USB sticks a tad too slow? Then you may be interested in what Intel is calling the "world's fastest thumb drive." The chip maker recently showed off the 128 gigabyte (GB) device -- which hasn't ... yet been given a formal name and remains in prototype form -- at the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan. The device uses Thunderbolt technology, which allows it to provide unprecedented data transfer speeds. Intel says this is the first data stick to use the Thunderbolt tech. (Source: pcworld.com ) Thunderbolt Thumb Drive: 2X the Speed of USB 3. ... (view more)

The long-running patent dispute between Apple and Samsung took a surprise turn this week when a U.S. federal agency banned earlier models of the iPhone and iPad. However, an appeal court or the White House could block the ban. The order doesn't come ... from a court, but rather the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), a semi-independent federal agency with some legal powers. The ITC's job is to advise the government on trade issues. However, it does have some power to make rulings on unfair trade practices, such as alleged violations of trademarks and patents. This week, the ITC ... (view more)

The rivalry between processor makers Intel and ARM is heating up and that may mean cheaper prices on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. Historically, both firms have been dominant in very different markets. Most laptop PCs use Intel ... processors that are very powerful but drain a battery in just a few hours. Meanwhile, cellphones and smartphones most commonly run processors based on ARM technology. These processors are less powerful, thereby restricting the range of functions available on the device. However, they also place less pressure on a device's battery. The line between these ... (view more)

Google's Android platform continues to establish its dominance over the growing smartphone market. And as sales of Android-based devices rise, Apple's market share is starting to decline. According to analyst firm Gartner, in the first quarter of ... 2013 Android smartphones accounted for 74.4 per cent of global sales. That means more than 150 million devices are now running the mobile operating system (OS). It also means that Android's share of the smartphone market has skyrocketed approximately 20 per cent since last year. (Source: zdnet.com ) Android Up, Apple Down Facing a reverse trend is ... (view more)

A new study by J.D. Power finds that Apple iPad owners are very satisfied with their purchase. In fact, for the second year in a row iPad owners were more satisfied with their buy than purchasers of other tablet devices. J.D. Power's report, which ... is called the "2013 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study," asked just under 2,000 tablet users to score their devices. Apple iPad Performs Well in Every Category Tablet users rated their devices using five different categories, including: Performance Ease of operation Styling and design Features Cost The Apple iPad , which scored high in every one of ... (view more)

Apple has admitted to retaining private personal data collected by services Siri and Dictation for a period of 18 months. The disclosure came after one civil liberties group complained that Apple is not doing enough to inform its customers of their ... privacy rights. In response, Apple has revealed the kind of customer information that is collected and stored. In a recent interview, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller explained how her company performs their data collection. Siri (available on iOS devices) and Dictation (available on both iOS and OS X devices) send speech-to-text messages wirelessly ... (view more)

After weeks of speculation , Microsoft has finally acknowledged that it is currently working on smaller touch screen devices running Windows 8. So far, most critics appear to approve of the move. In a recent statement, Microsoft chief financial ... officer Peter Klein noted that his firm is "working closely with OEMs on a new suite of small touch devices powered by Windows." Klein didn't say what the new tablets would look like or what their specifications would be, but he did note that Microsoft was determined to offer "competitive pricing" for the devices, which will become available "in ... (view more)

Microsoft may very well be the most recognizable name in the technology industry. But a new report suggests that the company could be virtually irrelevant in just four years' time unless a major change is made. The report comes from well-known ... analyst firm Gartner. Specifically, Gartner's report says that by 2017 shipments of Microsoft devices, or devices running Microsoft software (such as Windows and Office), could pale by comparison to shipments of similar goods based on Google properties. Beyond that, the report suggests that Apple hardware and software could be just as prevalent as ... (view more)

One analyst says that Apple is working on several brand new technologies. The most exciting: a 60-inch 'smart' television set that uses features found on the company's popular iPhone and iPad devices. According to Brian White of Topeka Capital ... Markets, Apple plans to start manufacturing its own TV sets. This isn't a new rumor; in fact, previous reports indicated that Steve Jobs was closely involved in such a project before his death in 2011. Based on conversations with a variety of electrical components manufacturers in Asia, White has put together a series of possible features that could ... (view more)

Several manufacturers of Windows RT tablet computers, including Amazon.com, have begun cutting the price of that hardware. But Microsoft is holding firm on the cost of its own tablet, the Surface. The price cuts are for tablet devices running ... Windows RT, an edition of Windows 8 specially designed for ARM processors that can usually be found in smartphones and not desktop or laptop computers. At first glance Windows RT devices look and feel like Windows 8 devices. However, they have a couple of big limitations: you can't switch to the traditional desktop mode used in previous editions of ... (view more)