Hardware

From Inside Business column March 13, 2013

It sounded like hubris last week when Nick Hayek, chief executive of Swatch, dismissed out of hand the threat from a potential Apple “smartwatch”. Hadn’t he heard what happens to companies involved in areas of personal technology that come under attack from the creative geniuses of Cupertino, California?

Summoning up images of unwieldy internet watches dating back to Microsoft’s Spot watch of nearly a decade ago, Mr Hayek questioned whether “an interactive terminal on your wrist” would ever catch on. “Personally, I don’t believe this is the next revolution,” he was quoted as saying.

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Posted in Hardware, Personal technology |

Chris Nuttall Dell launches XPS 18 portable All-In-One

March 13, 2013 12:00 pm by Chris Nuttall

Dell has entered the portable All-in-One category with the XPS 18, featuring an 18.4in Full HD screen and up to five hours of battery life.

The XPS 18 is smaller and much lighter with longer battery life than Sony’s 12lb Vaio Tap 20 - the first machine in this new category – and Lenovo’s 27in IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics show in January. Read more

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Posted in Hardware, Personal technology |

Tim Bradshaw Apple investors hope for dividend boost at Wednesday’s annual meeting in Cupertino

February 27, 2013 1:44 am by Tim Bradshaw

Just for a change, Apple investors are jumpy. After ticking about 1 per cent lower throughout Tuesday morning, Apple stock suddenly leapt in high-volume trading just after lunch to close up 1.4 per cent for the day.

The reason for this latest share-price volatility seems to be a fresh bout of speculation circulating on Twitter about what Apple might announce at Wednesday’s annual shareholder meeting. Read more

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Posted in Hardware, Tech, Tech Finance |

Richard Waters The Chromebook Pixel: a luxurious self-indulgence, but is it practical?

February 26, 2013 2:18 am by Richard Waters

Google’s Chromebook laptops have always felt more like demonstrations of the art of the possible than products you necessarily want to use every day. What they do, they do spectacularly well: it’s just that they aren’t quite the finished article.

The new Chromebook Pixel lives up to that track record. Its high-definition screen is a gorgeous bright rectangle you can’t resist reaching out to stroke. But for most users, the love affair will still feel incomplete. Read more

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Posted in Computers, Hardware, Personal technology, Tech |

Tim Bradshaw Samsung teases Galaxy S4 launch event in March

February 25, 2013 7:12 pm by Tim Bradshaw

Samsung’s latest flagship Galaxy smartphone looks set to be unveiled on March 14, according to the company’s postings on Twitter and Facebook, as the Korean giant prepares its latest volley against Apple’s iPhone.

A flyer for the launch event, held in New York and livestreamed on YouTube, invites fans to “come and meet the next Galaxy”, expected to be the S4. The device will be the follow-up to its best-selling Galaxy S3 and is rumoured to include a larger, 5-inch display with full-HD, 1080p resolution. Read more

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Posted in Hardware, Mobile, Tech |

Story of the Week: Sony’s PlayStation 4

February 24, 2013 3:58 pm by Maryam Nabi

Sony teased gamers with details of its next-generation PlayStation 4, expected to launch around Christmas, at an event in New York this week. But with no console to be seen, promises of improved graphics and social gaming features did not appease the concerns of those who worry that the group could be close to losing its last chance at a comeback. Read more

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Posted in Games, Hardware, Tech |

Tim Bradshaw The countdown to an Apple iWatch

February 10, 2013 11:24 pm by Tim Bradshaw

Two reports on Sunday lent credence to the idea that Apple’s next big innovation might be a smart watch.

The idea isn’t new, but the rumour mill is gaining momentum, at a time when some Apple investors are becoming impatient for its next blockbuster product. Read more

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Posted in Hardware, Mobile, Tech |

Tim Bradshaw will.i.am wants to bring hardware manufacturing to the ghetto

February 1, 2013 2:01 am by Tim Bradshaw

The spike in tech investment by celebrities over recent years has been seen by some as another sign that Silicon Valley’s hype is getting ahead of reality. But Ashton Kutcher, soon to appear on screen as Steve Jobs, has made some canny investments, including Skype and Airbnb, while even Justin Bieber got a payday when Marissa Mayer’s Yahoo bought Stamped, a mobile startup he helped finance.

So while it may be easy to mock will.i.am – Black Eyed Peas star, hip hop producer, reality TV show judge and sometime Olympic torchbearer – and his new ₤300 iPhone case, don’t write him off too quickly. Read more

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Posted in Consumer Electronics, Hardware, Mobile, Tech |

Story of the Week: Apple’s fall from stock market grace

January 27, 2013 4:44 pm by Maryam Nabi

Apple lost its crown as the world’s most valuable company this week after its quarterly profits disappointed Wall Street. However, worries of slow growth didn’t discourage some tech observers from rooting for Silicon Valley’s star tech power to bounce back.

Farhad Manjoo at Slate called suggestions that Apple was somehow losing its allure with consumers “totally bogus”. The only thing that held it back, he added, was an inability to keep up with customer demand: “Limited supply, unlike limited demand, is something Apple can fix. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not such a terrible problem.” Read more

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Posted in Hardware, Mobile, Tech, Tech Finance |

Chris Nuttall Apple down 10 per cent as Q1 disappoints

January 23, 2013 9:11 pm by Chris Nuttall

Apple’s shares fell more than 10 per cent in extended trading in New York after the Silicon Valley company reported first-quarter revenues and iPhone sales below Wall Street expectations.

Apple reported $54.5bn in sales compared to an analyst consensus of $54.7bn. along with iPhone sales of 47.8m units, below expectations of around 50m.

Our live blog of the earnings announcement and subsequent conference call is after the jump. Read more

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Posted in Consumer Electronics, Digital media, Hardware, Mobile, Telecoms |
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