Computers

Business
March 29, 2012
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Best Buy posts mixed Q4 earnings, plans to close 50 U.S. stores

By on March 29, 2012 at 8:21 AM.

Best Buy posts mixed Q4 earnings, plans to close 50 U.S. stores

Best Buy on Thursday reported results for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2012. The nationwide retail giant had missed Wall Street’s estimates in both the second and third fiscal quarters, and it posted mixed results in the fourth quarter. Revenue came in at $16.6 billion compared to analysts’ consensus of $17.15 billion, and non-GAAP earnings of $2.47 per share, up 25% from the same quarter in fiscal 2011, beating the Street’s $2.15 EPS consensus. ”In order to help make technology work for every one of our customers and transform our business as the consumer electronics industry continues to evolve, we are taking major actions to improve our operating performance,” said Best Buy CEO Brian J. Dunn. ”As part of our multi-channel strategy, we intend to strengthen our portfolio of store formats and footprints — closing some big box stores, modifying others to our enhanced Connected Store format, and adding Best Buy Mobile stand-alone locations — all to provide a better shopping environment for our customers across multiple channels while increasing points of presence, and to improve performance and profitability.” After jumping more than 3% in pre-market trading, shares of Best Buy stock were down 7% shortly after the market opened on Thursday. The company’s full press release follows below. More →

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3D
March 28, 2012
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See-through 3D computer with gesture controls gives us a glimpse of the future [video]

By on March 28, 2012 at 10:40 AM.

See-through 3D computer with gesture controls gives us a glimpse of the future [video]

Some believe a future full of massive, gesture-controlled computer displays like the ones seen in Twentieth Century Fox’s Minority Report are an inevitability, and a prototype PC designed by an intern with the Microsoft Applied Sciences Group may be among the first steps in making that future a reality. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Ph.D student and MIT Media Lab research assistant Jinha Lee recently set out to change the way we interact with desktop computers. While progress has been made with 3D display technology, 3D has not yet proliferated in the personal computing space and Lee wants to change that. The end result of his work is a fascinating desktop computer with a transparent 3D display and a unique gesture-based interface that could change the way we use computers. More →

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Computers
March 26, 2012
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ARM support may be coming to Chrome OS

By on March 26, 2012 at 8:30 PM.

ARM support may be coming to Chrome OS

Users who are interested in a Google-powered Chromebook only have two options, Acer’s AC700 or Samsung’s Series 5 Chromebook. Both laptops are powered by an Intel Atom processor, the only chip the platform currently supports. Recent rumors have suggest that Chrome OS may soon support ARM-based processors, however, opening up a number of new doors for the platform. According to the Chromium OS issue tracker, a new product code-named “Daisy” is mentioned numerous times, equipped a Samsung Exynos 5250 chip. Samsung’s 32nm chip will feature an ARM Cortex-A15 design and will be capable of running at speeds up to 2GHz — all while using less power than ARM Cortex-A9 chips and Intel Atom processors. The Chromium project is open-source, with user contributions playing a large roll in development. As such, the “Daisy” appearances do not necessarily mean Google is directly involved with the development.

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Computers
March 14, 2012
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Apple to launch 15-inch MacBook Air in April, report claims

By on March 14, 2012 at 11:45 AM.

Apple to launch 15-inch MacBook Air in April, report claims

Apple is reportedly planning to launch a new 15-inch MacBook Air notebook PC in April. The report from Electricpig cites a “premium Mac accessory maker,” who claims a new 15-inch model will feature ports on both sides, with no optical drive or Ethernet port. A 15-inch Air model has been rumored before — DigiTimes previously reported that a 15-inch model was slated to launch in the first quarter of 2012 alongside a new 11-inch and 13-inch model. The Taiwanese publication, however, has also reported that an ultra-thin 15-inch MacBook with Air-like features would launch in the second quarter this year. More →

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Computers
February 29, 2012
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Live from Microsoft’s Windows 8 press conference at MWC!

By on February 29, 2012 at 8:48 AM.

Live from Microsoft’s Windows 8 press conference at MWC!

Mobile World Congress has been a roller coaster ride so far this year. The week kicked off with a bang on Sunday with both Sony and HTC unveiling their latest and greatest smartphones, and the HTC One X was definitely the star of the show. Things were up and down on Monday and Tuesday however, and the show actually got pretty slow for a while there. Our time in Barcelona isn’t up just yet, however, and Microsoft chose today to unveil the latest version of its next-generation operating system, Windows 8. The technology giant released a preview version of Windows 8 last September, but we’re sure plenty has changed over the past five months. And beyond checking out all the new features Microsoft has undoubtedly baked into its new OS, we might finally get a better idea of when devices carrying the platform will finally launch. Microsoft’s Windows 8 press conference is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. Eastern / 6:00 a.m. Pacific (3:00 p.m. local time in Barcelona), so hit the break for our live coverage of the event!

UPDATE: Don’t forget to check out our full review of Microsoft’s Windows 8 Consumer Preview, which is now live! More →

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Computers
February 17, 2012
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Intel may postpone mass shipments of Ivy Bridge processors

By on February 17, 2012 at 7:15 AM.

Intel may postpone mass shipments of Ivy Bridge processors

Intel recently notified partners of its plans to postpone mass shipments of the company’s Ivy Bridge processors, reports DigiTimes. The company still plans to announce new products that will ship in small volume in April according to the report, although mass shipments are not expect to occur until after June. The supposed delay comes as a number of notebook vendors are seeing weakening sales from the diminishing global economy and other factors. Both vendors and Intel are said to have large inventories of Sandy Bridge processors, so the delay could be seen as a way to minimize the impact of leftover CPUs. More →

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Business
November 1, 2011
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Windows 8 will be huge for Microsoft and PC industry, Acer CEO says

By on November 1, 2011 at 1:05 PM.

Windows 8 will be huge for Microsoft and PC industry, Acer CEO says

Microsoft’s upcoming next-generation operating system will be the driving force behind the company’s triumphant “re-rise” according to Acer chairman and CEO, J.T. Wang. While Microsoft maintained a 91.86% share of the global operating system market in October according to Net Applications — Apple’s OS X was No. 2 with just 6.94% of the market — the company’s mind share is still in decline along with its mobile business. In an interview with DigiTimes, Wang said Windows 8 will reverse this trend while also greatly improving the Windows user experience on PCs. Microsoft is directly addressing consumer demands with Windows 8, Wang said, rather than adding “unnecessary functions” that users openly objected to. The Acer chairman sees Windows 8 as not only a big boost for Microsoft, but also for the PC industry in Taiwan and abroad, which has seen slowed growth in recent quarters. Microsoft said it will release its new PC operating system some time in the second half of 2012. More →

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Breaking
October 27, 2011
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HP will not spin off PC business

By on October 27, 2011 at 4:17 PM.

HP will not spin off PC business

After announcing this past August that it was considering a spin off of its PC business, HP confirmed on Thursday that it would keep its PC division. “HP objectively evaluated the strategic, financial and operational impact of spinning off PSG. It’s clear after our analysis that keeping PSG within HP is right for customers and partners, right for shareholders, and right for employees,” said HP CEO Meg Whitman in a statement. “HP is committed to PSG, and together we are stronger.” The initial announcement, which was delivered alongside news that HP was discontinuing its two-moth-old TouchPad tablet and putting an end to its webOS hardware efforts, caused the company’s stock to tumble. Shares of HP are up 1% in after-hours trading following today’s announcement.

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Business
August 5, 2011
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Acer founder says tablets like iPad are a fad

By on August 5, 2011 at 4:45 PM.

Acer founder says tablets like iPad are a fad

Acer founder Stan Shih on Friday said that tablets like Apple’s iPad and ultrabooks like those in the works from numerous Intel partners — including Acer — are a “short-term phenomena.” Speaking with DigiTimes, Shih urged companies to continue focusing on notebook computers and innovative value-added products. Shih commended Apple for thinking outside the box when bringing the iPad to market, but said personal computers will continue to be requisites for businesses and consumers. When asked if Shih believed Acer’s upcoming low-cost 7-inch tablet would be a success, he noted that consumers indeed want low-cost options. Shih founded Acer, then called Multitech, in 1976 along with his wife. He ran the company until his retirement in 2004. More →

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Computers
July 14, 2011
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Global PC market shows growth in Q2; Lenovo wins globally, Apple wins in U.S.

By on July 14, 2011 at 7:55 PM.

Global PC market shows growth in Q2; Lenovo wins globally, Apple wins in U.S.

Market research firms Gartner and IDC have both released preliminary data for global PC sales in the second quarter of 2011, and the reports paint a much improved picture compared to the first quarter of the year. Lenovo was the biggest winner globally in terms of growth according to Gartner, having shipped 10.23 million PCs for a 12% share of the market. The China-based vendor’s PC market share grew a whopping 22.5% compared to the same quarter a year prior, and Lenovo now finds itself in the No. 3 spot globally. HP was still the top vendor with shipments totaling 14.89 million units, and Dell remained in the No. 2 spot with 10.62 million units shipped. Acer and ASUS rounded out the top-5 with 9.30 million units and 4.47 million units, respectively. Though Apple’s operating system share continued to climb last month, the firm still doesn’t sell enough units to bump it from the “Others” category on Gartner’s global table. In the U.S., however, Apple showed the biggest market share gains last quarter with 8.5% growth over the same quarter last year. While IDC’s numbers vary compared to Gartner’s, the end results are the same. IDC has Lenovo’s global growth pegged at 22.9% over the second quarter last year, and it shows that Apple grew even faster than Gartner estimates with 14.7% growth in the U.S. compared to the same quarter a year prior. The two firms agree that Acer was the biggest loser globally. Acer’s share of the worldwide PC market was down 20.4% from the second quarter of 2010 according to Gartner, and down a less alarming 10.1% according to IDC. Taiwan-based Acer was the biggest loser in the U.S. as well, as its share was down 22.6% year-over-year according to Gartner and 25.4% according to IDC. Full press releases from both firms follow below. More →

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Business
July 12, 2011
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Microsoft Windows 7 license sales reach 400 million

By on July 12, 2011 at 8:01 AM.

Microsoft Windows 7 license sales reach 400 million

During his Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference keynote on Monday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that the company has now sold 400 million Windows 7 licenses to date. Microsoft’s current operating system was first launched in October 2009, and it was welcomed with open arms as customers were eager to dump Vista following its troubled introduction. Despite an impressive 20 months for Windows 7, it is still far from being the world’s most used operating system. Windows XP’s share was near double Windows 7′s in June, though Microsoft did confirm on Monday that it would stop supporting the operating system 1,000 days from now. According to Net Applications, Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system was used on 27.13% of the world’s personal computing devices as of June 2011. Windows XP still ranked No. 1 with 51.13% and Vista occupied the No. 3 spot with 9.52%.

More →

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Computers
July 5, 2011
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More than 320M PCs, 48M tablets to ship in 2011

By on July 5, 2011 at 11:50 AM.

More than 320M PCs, 48M tablets to ship in 2011

Taiwan-based Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute expects roughly 360 million combined personal computers and media tablets to ship in 2011, Taiwan Economic News reports. MIC sees PC shipments growing 6.6% over 2010 to land at more than 320 million units this year, and it thinks shipments of media tablets like Apple’s iPad 2ill w exceed 48 million units in 2011, up 198% from 2010. MIC senior industry analyst Chris Wei notes that the improving global economy and replacement PC purchases in the enterprise market would be largely responsible for this year’s growth. Needham & Company analyst Charlie Wolf recently estimated that Apple would ship 30 million iPad tablets in 2011, but the company will likely far exceed that figure if tablet shipments are indeed to surpass 48 million units as MIC predicts. More →

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General
June 16, 2011
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Throwback Thursday: IBM

By on June 16, 2011 at 3:45 PM.

Throwback Thursday: IBM

BGR’s Throwback Thursday segment is typically reserved for extinct tech, but this week we make an exception. On June 16th, 1911 — one hundred years ago today — Charles Ranlett Flint merged three companies to form the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company. Headquartered in New York City, CTR manufactured and sold scales, card-punch machines, meat slicers and a variety of other products that have long since been replaced by several generations of improved offerings. CTR changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation, or IBM, on February 14th, 1924, to better align its name with its wide range of products. IBM would hit its stride building tabulating devices, and it was at the forefront of developing the PCs we now take for granted. Now, 100 years later with a market capitalization of just under $200 billion, IBM remains a leader in the technology space, producing software and hardware that will shape the future of computing. Happy 100th, IBM, and here’s to 100 more.

BGR’s Throwback Thursday is a weekly series covering our (and your) favorite gadgets, games, and software of yesterday and yesteryear.

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