John Lister

Microsoft has announced that a special "Consumer Preview" edition of Windows 8 will be available from February 29, 2012. It's believed that this version of the upcoming operating system (OS) will boast more features designed for mobile devices. ... Though Microsoft isn't using this term, the release appears to be a beta edition , a version of in-development software that is complete, but not considered ready for final release and still open to revisions. The next stage after that, likely coming in the summer, is a Release Candidate , which is where the developer considers the product finished and ... (view more)

According to a new set of statistics from tech analyst firm Canalys, Apple is now the world's largest manufacturer of computers. But the figures include gadgets such as the iPad tablet device, causing some to wonder exactly what it takes for a ... device to be defined as a computer. The figures cover shipments during the last three months of 2011 . They show that Apple shipped 20 million "personal computing devices," accounting for 17 per cent of the worldwide total. In second place belongs to Hewlett-Packard (HP) with 12.7 per cent, followed by Lenovo at 11.2 per cent, Dell at 9.9 per cent and ... (view more)

Hackers have published source code that could be used to hack computers running Symantec's security program PCAnywhere. The move comes after the security firm refused to meet the hackers' demand for $50,000 in ransom. As we reported last month , the ... code behind a range of Symantec products was originally stolen in 2006. It appears most likely the theft came after Indian military officials demanded access to the code before accepting it for official use. Symantec may have learned of the theft only after hackers revealed they had it, earlier this year. Symantec said in January that several ... (view more)

Microsoft's standing in the smartphone operating system (OS) marketplace may have been seriously hurt by the many delays associated with Windows Phone 7, it's most current offering. But a newly leaked video suggests work on the next Windows Phone ... system is well underway and could make up for several current failings. The video, which was leaked to the Pocket Now website, was produced by Microsoft for Nokia, which now uses Windows Phone 7 in almost all of its new smartphones (one of Microsoft's few mobile success stories in recent years). It's not clear why Microsoft created the video, though ... (view more)

Just when you thought you understood the difference between notebooks, netbooks, tablets and smartphones, Samsung has come up with a totally new device: it's a phone with a 5.3-inch display, which may make it the biggest smartphone ever released. ... The Samsung Galaxy Note bridges the gap between smartphones and tablets. To put its size into perspective, most smartphones have a 3.5-inch screen, most tablet computer screens range from the RIM (Research in Motion) PlayBook's 7-inches to the Apple iPad's 10-inch display. The new "phablet" (phone / tablet) will be sold in the same way as a ... (view more)

For years, analysts have expected Facebook to become publicly traded. Now, the company confirms it will be offering at least $5 billion worth of shares, making the entire company worth as much as $100 billion. It's not yet known when those shares ... will be made available, but Facebook has formally registered the move with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The $5 billion is a preliminary figure put forward to determine the registration fee the company must pay. The actual public offering may vary, depending on whether Facebook's financial advisors believe that setting a higher initial ... (view more)

The law firm that accused Apple of conspiring to fix the prices of electronic books has made new allegations, offering quotes from key Apple executives, including former Apple boss Steve Jobs, as evidence of collusion. Hagens Berman has filed a ... class action suit on behalf of everyone who bought an electronic book during a particular period, alleging that Apple offered two different pricing systems: a 'traditional' and an 'agency' model. The traditional model originated with Amazon for its Kindle books, and copies pricing for printed books: the publisher charges retailers a fixed price, ... (view more)

Despite extremely strong smartphone sales, AT&T says it lost $6.7 billion in the last three months of 2011, which the company blames on government for blocking its proposed takeover of T-Mobile -- a decision which also triggered a hefty penalty. ... Between October and December AT&T sold 9.4 million smartphones, up 60 per cent over the same period last year. The surge was largely driven by the new iPhone 4S. In fact, 80 per cent of all AT&T's sales for the period involved some version of the Apple smartphone. Pension and Subsidy Costs Turn Ink Red With its core business booming, AT ... (view more)

Files on Megaupload, the controversial file-sharing site now under US government control , could be deleted this Thursday (February 2nd). That's caused concern amongst both former owners and for people who used the site for legitimate purposes. The ... proposed deletions won't come though a court order, but rather as an indirect result of the legal crackdown. Megaupload's financial assets have been frozen, meaning the companies it hired to physically host the files are no longer being paid. As a result, they've threatened to begin deleting the files so that they can use the space for other ... (view more)

Microsoft has now revealed the minimum hardware requirements for tablet computers to run Windows 8, another sign the company wants to extend its operating system (OS) to a wider range of devices. Windows 8 is the first Windows operating system ... designed to work on everything from desktop PCs to tablets. Aside from the classic desktop design, it boasts a user interface called 'Metro' that's intended for small touch-screens. Some critics fear Windows 8 might be so focused on tablet compatibility that it offers very little improvement to users of notebook and desktop PCs. Windows 8 Tablet: ... (view more)