devices

Leading security firm Sophos has revealed that Google's Android operating system (OS) -- and not Microsoft's Windows -- is now the favorite operating system for hackers to target. Sophos revealed that finding in its newly released 2013 Security ... Threat Report. The firm says that during a three-month time frame, one in every ten Android-based devices was the target of some kind of malware attack. By comparison, only six per cent of Windows devices were targeted by hackers and other purveyors of malware. (Source: forbes.com ) This is the first time since the 1990s that Windows has not been the ... (view more)

Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer says businesses are reacting well to the Windows 8 operating system (OS). He also suggested that the company's Surface tablet won't be its last home-grown hardware device. Speaking at a business and ... technology event at the Churchill Club in California, Ballmer said that's he's been surprised by how well business users have reacted to the way Windows 8 focuses on touchscreen users. Before Microsoft released the new operating system, many analysts argued that businesses would be frustrated and angry with the its new interface, tailored to ... (view more)

One of the more controversial aspects of Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS) is the absence of a Start button. Windows users have become accustomed to this point of reference, which can be used to quickly launch applications, find ... files, and access various control menus within the OS. Reviewers have made a lot of noise lamenting the missing Start button in Windows 8. Now, Samsung appears ready to appease buyers of its own Windows 8 PCs by offering them what Microsoft won't: a Start button. Samsung Unveils Wide Range of Windows 8 Devices This week Samsung has taken to the web ... (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)

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)

Microsoft has acknowledged that its decision to build its very own tablet computer, Surface, could upset the companies that produce Windows PCs. The firm has also admitted that the rise of tablet devices could dramatically impact the traditional PC ... market. Both comments come in Microsoft's latest Form 10-K, which publicly traded companies must submit to the Securities and Exchange Commission as an annual report on the company's activity. The form contains a section where companies must detail any potential risks to their business. This helps existing and would-be stockholders to make more ... (view more)

Rumors of a rampant Android-based botnet that is spamming individuals around the world are now proving to be unfounded. Instead, experts have discovered that Yahoo Mail may have been compromised. Rumors of an Android-based botnet first began ... circulating last week. Reportedly, the botnet was sending out waves of pharmacy, penny stock, and e-card spam emails. Terry Zink, a program manager for Microsoft's Forefront security product team, added credibility to the rumors by claiming, "a spammer has control of a botnet that lives on Android devices. These devices login to user's Yahoo Mail account ... (view more)

PC hardware companies Dell and Asus have doubled-down on their enthusiasm for Microsoft's upcoming operating system (OS), Windows 8. Both firms recently revealed plans for new devices running the much anticipated OS. In a recent presentation at ... research firm Gartner's annual security and risk management conference, Dell chief executive officer Michael Dell expressed serious excitement about Windows 8. He made clear that Dell will have a number of Windows 8 devices ready when the new Microsoft OS launches later in 2012. Dell "Super Excited" Over Windows 8 Dell told the crowd that he ... (view more)

According to a new report, by the end of this year consumers should be able to choose from more than thirty different tablet computers running Windows 8, with a wide variety of form factors and capabilities, and prices ranging from $300 to $1,000. ... Taiwanese technology blog 'Digitimes' reports that tablet makers Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Asus, and Toshiba should be offering some thirty-two different Windows 8 tablets by the 2012 holiday shopping season. (Source: informationweek.com ) ARM-Based Tablets to Wait Until 2013 Digitimes doesn't name its sources, but claims that every ... (view more)

A major microprocessor company has designed a new chip that requires far less energy to work than more conventional chip designs. The breakthrough could allow millions of non-computing devices to benefit from an Internet connection. The new design ... comes from British-based firm ARM Holdings, which builds the processors used in most smartphones. While PC chips generally require so much power from batteries that they are limited to only a few hours of portable operation, the new ARMchip allows smartphones to run for several days without recharging. Cheap and Tiny 'Flycatcher' Chip Uses One-Third ... (view more)