- Cisco’s open secret is a secret no more. After weeks of rumours speculating as much, the networking equipment powerhouse is entering the server market, posing a potential threat to IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Sun. Servers are lower-margin products, but analysts say Cisco will be able to charge more by offering bundled products.
- Apple is unveiling new iPhone software on Tuesday. Watchers don’t expect multimedia text messaging, but other desired features, including copy and pasting and integrated contact books, seem likely. Don’t expect an appearance from Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, who remains on medical leave, or the debut of Apple’s rumoured 10-inch touchscreen tablet. Continue reading "techfile 17.3.09"
techfile 17.3.09
March 17th, 2009 6:00am
techfile 11.3.09
March 11th, 2009 6:00am
- They’re still just rumours, but they’ve gotten stronger. A day after leaks from Taiwan suggested Apple might be preparing a touch-screen netbook, sources told Dow Jones Newswire that the new computers, which will be designed primarily for web browsing and mobile computing, will have touch-screens between 9.7 and 10-inches.
- Google’s Gmail has suffered another outage, which it said had affected only a “subset of users”, but comes only two weeks after a major global crash of the service. Gmail’s increasing popularity was highlighted in a Hitwise blog post and charts that showed it overtaking YouTube. Continue reading "techfile 11.3.09"
Microsoft shunning Arm-based netbooks
March 6th, 2009 10:15pm
Look out for a new range of lower-cost netbooks this year using Arm-based processors rather than Intel’s Atom chip…but don’t expect to see any of them running Windows.
Linux, yes, Google’s Android operating system, quite possibly, but Microsoft is not yet supporting the new devices, which is something of an irritation to Warren East, Arm chief executive. Continue reading "Microsoft shunning Arm-based netbooks"
techfile 4.3.09
March 4th, 2009 6:00am
- Waiting for the Pre: Palm’s shares slumped more than 10 per cent in after-market trading after it said sales in the latest quarter were only $85-90m, far below the $160m most analysts had expected. The sky-high hopes for the Pre smartphone are still keeping the Palm story afloat on Wall Street, but the company said it would probably raise more cash - for the second time in little more than two months - to make sure it can get through the current drought as it waits for the Pre.
- There was an end-of-an-era announcement at Qualcomm’s annual meeting. Irwin Jacobs, who co-founded the San Diego company above a pizza place in 1985, is standing down as chairman. Dr Jacobs, 75, set out to exploit in the mobile world the military’s use of Code Division Multiple Access technology. Qualcomm, now led by his son Paul who will add the role of chairman, has become the world’s biggest wireless chipmaker. Shareholders were also informed of a 6 per cent rise in its quarterly dividend to 17 cents a share.
- In a nod to global economic hardships, Apple introduced a revised line of desktop computers that it touted as more affordable, even though all but one model cost more than $1,000.
WiMax’s minimal presence
February 12th, 2009 6:04am
Expect the debate over the future of wireless internet connectivity to become a little more heated over the next few days.
Next week is the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where announcements will emphasise the crossover and convergence in this area. Think 3G netbooks and wi-fi phones. Continue reading "WiMax’s minimal presence"
TV on the radio spectrum widens
January 11th, 2009 10:58pm
@CES, Las Vegas -The Digital TV Transition in the US on February 19 Â will not only produce sharper pictures in the living room but will also boost TV on mobile phones.
Qualcomm, which offers its MediaFLO TV service over cell phones, said this week that the turning off of the analogue TV signals would free up spectrum and allow an expansion of its network. Continue reading "TV on the radio spectrum widens"
More than One Laptop Per Child
January 11th, 2009 10:31pm
@CES, Las Vegas - Non-profit attempts to bring affordable computing to the developing world suffered a setback this week, while there were a couple of steps forward at the Consumer Electronics Show for commercial efforts.
Nicholas Negroponte, founder of One Laptop Per Child, announced a 50 per cent cut in his team and pay cuts for the remaining 32 people. Continue reading "More than One Laptop Per Child"
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