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Posts Tagged ‘computer’

With the Folio 13, HP arrives both a bit late and a bit heavy to the ultrabook party.

While the Folio looks quite svelte, it is technically over the weight limit Intel has set for ultrabooks. The official limit is 3.1 lbs, and the Folio tips the scales at 3.3 lbs, so it’s a stretch to use that term as a descriptive. It’s hardly back-breaking, but compared to featherweight machines like the 2.4-pound Toshiba Portege Z835, it’s absolutely huge.

Apart from heft, you’ll find its feature set to be typical of ultrabooks: 1.6GHz Core i5, 4GB … [Read More...]

Okay everyone, Path is really sorry that they did something really creepy and didn’t think tot ell anyone first. The mobile start up is attempting to talk its way out of the outrage stepping from a discovery recently that user address books were being uploaded to the Path servers without any notification. CEO Dave Morin has posted a lengthy apology on the Path blog explaining what the company has done to smooth things over.

According to Morin, Path was using the address books to help improve the functionality of the “Add Friends” feature. Path would also use the stored data … [Read More...]

If you’ve been reading the blog lately, you know that I’m trying to bring back Valentine’s Day as a cool hip holiday. It’s not my fault; really, I’m just a sucker for a love note. The best thing about a Valentine’s Day card, to be honest, isn’t the words (they are always cheesy) – it’s the thought. With that thought in mind, we headed to the wilderness to create this card for you.

You can find behind the scenes shots on the Windows Facebook page or the whole album on our Pinterest page or on SkyDrive below.

On April 3rd of this very year, we know exactly where you can find the droids you’re looking for. Microsoft is releasing a special edition Xbox 360 console done up to look like the iconic droids from the Star Wars movies. The system was first teased at last year’s Comic Con. The bundle comes with the system and a few Kinect-related extras for $449.

Buyers will get a 320GB console painted to resemble R2-D2, and a controller with a C-3PO gold finish. The box also includes a Kinect sensor and two games; Star Wars Kinect and Kinect Adventures. The latter … [Read More...]

The long anticipated D800 from Nikon has arrived, and while it’s not quite a D4 in a D700 body like many were hoping for, it does sport a humongous 36.3-megapixel full-frame (FX) sensor (15.4 megapixels in DX format). Nikon says it’s the world’s highest effective pixel count among interchangeable lens DSLR cameras equipped with image sensors conforming to the 35-mm film size, and we won’t argue the claim.

Low-light photographers will want to temper their enthusiasm. Nikon limited the standard ISO range from 100-6,400 with additional support for equivalents of ISO 50-25,600 in Hi2 extended mode, enough to the job … [Read More...]

Last month, there were rumors that Samsung was going to unveil the successor to the hugely successful Galaxy S2 smartphone at this month’s Mobile World Congress event. But last week the South Korean electronics giant nipped all such rumors in the bud when it confirmed to our sister site TechRadar that the Galaxy S3 “will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year” and not during MWC 2012 in Barcelona. The company may have put that particular rumor to rest with its timely statement, but it’s very difficult, if not entirely impossible, to keep … [Read More...]

What does a girl want? Fashionable goods. What does a girl need? Ultimate accessories. In recognition of that and an epic Christina Aguilera song (get it?), we are focusing today’s #win7tech chat on Fashion Week, Fashionable PCs, and the hottest fashion and tech accessories for Spring. Erin Flynn, the voice behind Reality Chic and a Windows Champion, will be joining #win7tech Tech Tuesday today to lend her expert fashionista advice to the conversation.

Curious about Erin? Well here are 3 things you might find interesting: she grew up in a small town like Mayberry with a Town Marshal and no … [Read More...]

When it’s time to shop for a new laptop, everybody wants an ultrabook. But few remain quite so excited when they see the often-limited performance and inflated price tags.

Samsung’s solution: Jam a standard, 14-inch laptop into what is essentially an ultrabook case, giving you (in theory) the best of both worlds.

The 14-inch Series 7 Chronos does look like just another ultrabook. Its footprint (12.8 inches x 8.8 inches) is actually smaller than the 13-inch MacBook Air’s (at 12.8 x 9.0 inches). But thanks to its super-skinny bezel, Samsung has squeezed a full 14-inch LCD into that space. The … [Read More...]

Will this new class of slim, trim, relatively affordable portables be the Next Big Thing?

You’d have to actively be avoiding the tech media over the past several months not to have heard about Ultrabooks. Their coming has garnered a boatload of buzz, fueled in no small part by Intel’s $300 million fund to get hardware and software makers behind the cause.

Ultrabooks are Intel’s answer to the spread of ARM-based tablets—a way to capture the hearts and minds of the masses with an x86-based portable device (of the Intel persuasion, natch). To that end, Ultrabooks are required to meet … [Read More...]

Mozilla’s rapid release schedule for its Firefox browser means there’s always a new version just around the corner. To wit, almost immediately after rolling out Firefox 10 to the masses, Mozilla has made available the first build of Firefox 11 on its Beta channel. Firefox 11 makes it easier than ever to switch from Chrome, and if that’s what you want to do, Mozilla’s latest build will happily migrate your bookmarks, history, and cookies over from Google’s browser.

The other comparatively major feature addition to Firefox 11 is a new Sync option that will synchronize your add-ons across computers. Most … [Read More...]

Windows Phone has struggled to differentiate itself in the market against established rivals such as Android and iOS, but through it all Brandon Watson was the developer evangelist making sure a lack of apps was never the reason people opted for the competition. His commitment to platform has helped to inspire app development beyond Redmond’s wildest expectations, however ZDnet blogger Mary Jo Foley has just confirmed that Brandon is moving on, and being tasked with leading Amazon’s cross-platform Kindle efforts. 

So far Microsoft hasn’t named any successor for Watson, and did little more than confirm his departure. According to a … [Read More...]

This isn’t the best time to be in charge of a file-sharing site, with authorities around the world  — everywhere from the United States to Middle-earth (or New Zealand as it’s known more popularly) to Sweden — currently on a rampage against online file repositories brimming with unauthorized content. Ukrainian authorities are the latest to crackdown on online file sharing, having taken down popular file-sharing site Ex.ua a couple of days back. But that’s not where the story ends. You know the drill: hit the jump for more.

Usually, such takedowns quickly become a cause célèbre among hacktivists, who flock … [Read More...]

Millennials, Generation Y, Echo Boomers — there are 40 million of us in the workforce now, and we’ve got money to spend. On our friends, our families, and our first car purchases.

Chevrolet is keenly aware of this burgeoning automotive audience, and has zeroed in on the youth of today with its latest offering, the Chevy Sonic. The latest econo-compact from Chevrolet replaces the company’s old Aveo line, and follows hot on the heels of the über-successful, top-selling Cruze. The Chevy Sonic slots in with other sub-$20K subcompacts … [Read More...]

While the uproar over Google’s updated privacy policy has lessened in the U.S., European officials are taking things a step further today. The European Commission has asked Google to delay implementing its new privacy policy so the matter can be fully investigated. The search giant has apparently been taken aback by the proposal.

The Commission is in the process of updating its rules on data protection, and that might account for the new-found interest in Google’s policy. According to Google’s Brussels spokesperson, Google briefed the Commission on the proposed change before it was even announced to the public. He went … [Read More...]

Ah, February. The favorite month of florists the world over… at least anywhere Valentine’s Day is customarily celebrated with gifts of flowers. And of all flowers throughout history, the rose is the most enduring symbol of love. Sadly, although the symbol endures, a real fresh-cut rose doesn’t stay lovely for long. But the roses in our new Windows 7 theme will remain beautiful forever.

And of course love is not limited to humans. in the new Animal Affection theme we published today, affectionate couples of many species nuzzle, kiss, play, groom, and nap together in happy companionship.

The Lovebirds and … [Read More...]

Google’s Android OS often takes a beating from security companies for it’s occasional malware scares. Google has not been silent on the matter in the past, but the OS maker revealed today that it is taking action to combat Android malware. In fact, it has been taking action for the last few months without telling us. Google’s Bouncer project is an automated security scanner that will apparently filter malware from the Market.

Google allows anyone to pay the $25 to become a developer, and start uploading apps to the Android Market. Unlike Apple, Google does not review apps by hand. … [Read More...]

One of these things is not like the other

Media streamers like the Western Digital WD TV Live and Netgear NeoTV make just a little less sense than they did a couple of years ago. In those days, they were the perfect alternative to stuffing a home theater PC into your entertainment center. These days, you can get nearly all the same functionality from a new Blu-ray player or a Smart TV.

On the other hand, the latest incarnations of these two products cost less than a new Blu-ray player, and they’re several orders of magnitude cheaper than a new … [Read More...]