market

New Microsoft search engine Bing had a pretty hot month in June, growing an average rate of 25 per cent each week. At the same time, Google too got bigger, increasing its dominance over the search market from the previous year. Bing was unveiled ... last month amidst plenty of buzz . The new search engine promises more accurate and detailed results than its rivals Google and Yahoo, and clearly many felt Microsoft's promises were genuine. According to reports, Bing owned about 5.25 per cent of the total American online search engine market last month, the first 30 day period of its release. Bing ... (view more)

The company that makes parts for popular electronic reader devices, including the Kindle, is buying out the company behind the technology used in the displays. Though the two firms say it will be good for consumers, there are some claims it might ... limit competition. The deal involves Prime View International of Taiwan, which is set on buying E Ink, based in Massachusetts, for $215 million. Prime View is today responsible for the display screens on both the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader. Electrophoretic Film: Otherwise Known As Electronic Paper E Ink, a company started by Massachusetts ... (view more)

Netbooks are one of the few bright spots in a weakened economy. Surging sales of these devices have resulted in computer makers like Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Acer, and Asus scurrying to rush out new models. And computer makers aren't alone. Mobile ... phone manufacturers like Samsung and LG Electronics view netbooks as extensions of the smartphone. Nokia has also confirmed that it is considering entering the netbook market with a version of its own. (Source: iht.com ) Snagging Control of the Netbook Market Another competition between computer and mobile phone manufacturers is raging behind the ... (view more)

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced today that the new and improved Windows 7 will be made available for netbooks, those tiny laptops currently out-selling conventional PCs. With the current economic crunch, consumers are cutting down on purchases ... of more expensive notebooks and desktops. Ballmer and the rest of the Microsoft family are feeling the strain, since PCs account for one of the largest markets for Windows software. Ballmer has apparently taken note of the surge in netbook popularity and plans to release a full (if somewhat "lighter") version of Windows 7 that will be able to run ... (view more)

Are you a big fan of the plasma flatscreen television? It might be harder to get your sticky hands on one in the future, with recent announcements that two of the most popular plasma TV manufacturers have decided to terminate production. Although ... the plasma market has been struggling for some time, it's hard to ignore the role played by a stagnant U.S. economy in driving down interest in tech products. The most stunning news came earlier in the week when technology giant Pioneer announced it would bow out of the television business altogether. To the average consumer who has in the past ... (view more)

Think you can't afford a laptop this Christmas for that overachieving son or daughter headed to university next year? Think again. The mini-notebook market continues to expand, after news that Hewlett-Packard will release their own version soon. ... Mini-notebooks, or Netbooks, are slightly smaller than the average 15.4" or 14" laptops. They're also much cheaper, sometimes half as expensive as the average big-box store fare. HP's new netbook, the Mini 1000, actually sells for a whole lot less than its name might lead you to believe -- interested consumers can pick one up for just $400, about the ... (view more)

Thus far, Apple has launched the iPhone in 22 new countries with plans for a future Russian launch that could guarantee 1.8 million sales a year. The news has prompted one analyst to forecast the new 3G version of the device will sell 45 million ... units next year. The new markets opened up this week range from Argentina to Venezuela and include several countries in Eastern Europe and Africa. The Philippines was first to receive the phone legally, with reports of sold-out launch parties. Perhaps the most unusual launch came in Greece, where local laws meant the phone had to be sold unlocked. In ... (view more)

Microsoft lawyers will be relieved today after the Chinese government appeared to deny reports that the company could fall foul of new anti-trust laws. The denial follows a report in a government-run newspaper, Shanghai Security News, which said ... officials were investigating large software companies. The report claimed local tech firms might bring legal action under laws which come into force on August 1. The main objection seemed to be that Microsoft has used its dominance in the Chinese market to price Windows (the equivalent of US $145-290) and Microsoft Office ($580-725) so high that the ... (view more)

Evidently, Apple's flashy advertising and sleek product design has attracted customers willing to pay high prices for its products. Over the past few years, Apple climbed to the top of the market on high-end desktop and laptop sales, according to a ... recent report by market research company NPD Group. Of all computers costing more than $1,000 sold in 2007, 70% were Mac desktops and 64% Mac laptops. (Source: arstechnica.com ) An interesting report, indeed. Problem is, it doesn't adequately reflect the realities of the industry. Anyone browsing the Apple website will quickly see that there are ... (view more)

After three decades of year-after-year innovation, it would be hard to remember any company that has had a better fiscal year than Apple in 2007. It seemed that Apple, Inc. just couldn't do anything wrong: not only did they introduce a large string ... of new products and new milestones, but almost everything was buzz-worthy. Let's recap: January: the year started off great. Apple introduced the iPod Shuffle, declared its intentions with the iPhone, announced Apple TV, and the iTunes library hit 2 billion songs. February: a time of peacemaking. Apple makes peace with Apple Corps and Apple and ... (view more)