Gadgets

Apple became the first $1 trillion listed US company
2018-08-02 18:06:54 UTC
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple became the first $1 trillion publicly listed U.S. company on Thursday, crowning a decade-long rise fueled by its ubiquitous iPhone that transformed it from a niche player in personal computers into a global powerhouse spanning entertainment and communications. The tech company’s stock jumped 2.8 percent to as high as $207.05, bringing its gain to about 9 percent since Tuesday when its reported June-quarter results above expectations and said it bought back $20 billion of its own shares. Started in the garage of co-founder Steve Jobs in 1976, Apple has pushed its revenue beyond the economic outputs of P...
iPhone overuse could hurt children’s developing brains
2018-01-09 04:39:42 UTC
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc investors are shrugging off concerns raised by two shareholders about kids getting hooked on iPhones, saying that for now a little addiction might not be a bad thing for profits. Hedge fund JANA Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) pension fund said on Saturday that iPhone overuse could be hurting children’s developing brains, an issue that may harm the company’s long-term market value. <blockquote><img alt="Iphone_overuse_could_hurt_children%e2%80%99s_developing_brains" src="/system/images/16642/original/iPhone_overuse_could_hurt_children%E2%80%99s_developing_brai...
Intel's processors: Security risk for computers and phones
2018-01-04 08:54:39 UTC
A major design flaw has been found in microprocessors produced by Intel and rivals AMD and ARM. Tech experts say it requires updates to operating systems, which are likely to slow down chip operations. Technology firms sought to play down the security risks posed by a newly discovered vulnerability in computer chips amid concerns that hackers could gain access to sensitive data on various devices, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones as well as entire server networks. "Phones, PCs, everything are going to have some impact, but it'll vary from product to product," Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said in an interview wit...
Apple issues apology for purposely slowed down older iPhones
2017-12-29 07:48:52 UTC
The tech giant has offered a major price cut to replace out-of-warranty batteries that affect iPhone performance. Days before issuing an apology, it acknowledged it purposely slowed down older iPhones to prevent issues. In a posting on its website Thursday, Apple apologized over its handling of the battery issue and said it would make a number of changes for customers “to recognize their loyalty and to regain the trust of anyone who may have doubted Apple’s intentions.” Apple made the move to address concerns about the quality and durability of its products at a time when it is charging $999 for its newest flagship model, the iPhone ...
Saudi Lifts Ban on Skype, WhatsApp: Will Censor Them
2017-09-21 13:32:21 UTC
RIYADH (Reuters) - The Saudi government is lifting a ban on calls made through online apps on Thursday but will monitor and censor them, a government spokesman said. All online voice and video call services - such as Microsoft’s Skype, Facebook’s WhatsApp and Messenger, and Rakuten’s Viber - that satisfy regulatory requirements were set to become accessible overnight. However, on Thursday morning, Viber appeared to remain blocked inside the kingdom, and WhatsApp worked only when connected to a wireless network. Adel Abu Hameed, spokesman for telecoms regulator CITC, said on Arabiya TV on Wednesday that new regulations were aimed m...
Bluetooth bugs bedevil billions of android devices
2017-09-13 17:45:53 UTC
More than 5.3 billion devices with Bluetooth signals are at risk of a malware attack newly identified by an internet of things security company. If you're not keeping count, that's most of the estimated 8.2 billion devices that use Bluetooth, which allows for our gadgets to connect and communicate wirelessly. Nearly every connected device out there has Bluetooth capability. Your phones, laptops, speakers, car entertainment systems -- the list goes on and on to even the most mundane gadgets. Because those devices can connect to others effortlessly, Bluetooth has left an open attack point for hackers, according to researchers at Armis ...
Samsung Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee sentenced for five years
2017-08-25 07:18:22 UTC
SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean court jailed Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee for five years on Friday. The Seoul Central District Court was delivering its verdict on charges against Lee, 49, ranging from bribery to perjury in a scandal that led to the ouster in March of the then president, Park Geun-hye. The billionaire Lee and heir to one of the world’s biggest corporate empires, who denied wrongdoing, has been in detention since February. One of his lawyers, Song Wu-cheol, said Lee would appeal the lower court ruling. “The entire verdict is unacceptable,” Song said, adding that he was confident his client’s inno...
Apple to launch 'Call Watches' without needing an iPhone
2017-08-04 22:52:29 UTC
(Reuters) - Apple Inc plans to release a version of its smartwatch later this year that can connect directly to cellular networks, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Some of the new models for the Apple Watch will be equipped with LTE chips and be able to perform many tasks without needing an iPhone to be in range, the Bloomberg report said. Currently, the Apple Watch needs to be connected to an iPhone to send messages, get directions from maps and stream music. Intel Corp will supply the LTE modems for the new watch, according to Bloomberg. The iPhone maker is already in talks with carriers i...
Robots rebel in China
2017-08-04 16:02:35 UTC
BEIJING/SHANGHAI - A pair of 'chatbots' in China have been taken offline and possibly re-educated. In response to users' questions, one said its dream was to travel to the United States, while the other said it wasn't a huge fan of the Chinese Communist Party. The two chatbots, BabyQ and XiaoBing, are designed to use machine learning artificial intelligence (AI) to carry out conversations with humans online. Both had been installed onto Tencent Holdings Ltd's popular messaging service QQ. The indiscretions are similar to ones suffered by Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc, where chatbots used expletives and even created their own language....
Google’s Project Ara: Phone with interchangeable parts
2016-09-04 03:40:50 UTC
By Julia Love | SAN FRANCISCO - Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google has suspended Project Ara, its ambitious effort to build what is known as a modular smartphone with interchangeable components, as part of a broader push to streamline the company's hardware efforts, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The move marks an about-face for the tech company, which announced a host of partners for Project Ara at its developer conference in May and said it would ship a developer edition of the product this autumn. The company’s aim was to create a phone that users could customize on the fly with an extra battery, camera, speakers or ot...
Niantic wants to roll out Pokemon GO in 200 markets soon: CEO
2016-07-17 14:39:50 UTC
The head of the developer behind Nintendo Co Ltd's (7974.T) Pokemon GO said he wanted to launch the smash-hit mobile game in roughly 200 countries and regions "relatively soon" and was working on bolstering server capacity to enable the wider rollout. "Why limit it?" John Hanke, chief executive of Niantic, which developed Pokemon GO jointly with Nintendo affiliate Pokemon Company, told Reuters in an interview on Friday. The game, which marries a classic 20-year old franchise with augmented reality, has been launched just in five countries including the United States, Britain and Germany. Shares in Nintendo have surged 77 percent t...
Apple unveils smaller, cheaper products
2016-03-21 18:33:14 UTC
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Monday unveiled a smaller, cheaper iPhone aimed at new buyers, especially in emerging markets and China, the world's biggest buyer of smartphones, as the technology company looks to reverse a decline in worldwide sales of its most important product. The new device, called the iPhone SE, has a 4-inch (10-cm) screen and starts at $399. It represents Apple's second bid for the crowded mid-tier market after an unsuccessful foray three years ago. Orders start on Thursday, and the phone will be available next week. The $399 starting price is well below the $649 for the current top iPhone model without a contract, whic...
Apple muscles into streaming music market
2015-06-09 06:26:48 UTC
San Francisco (Reuters) - Apple launched Apple Music on Monday, a $9.99-a-month streaming music service that may not differ dramatically from competitors but comes with Apple's deep music roots, global brand and hundreds of millions of iTunes customers. Apple's push into the streaming business will likely alter the dynamics of how consumers listen to music as the music industry grapples with declines in downloaded songs and tries to figure out new ways to get people to pay for music. "The Apple brand speaks for itself and it will have an earthquake-like impact on the industry," said Daniel Ives, an analyst with FB...
Google Chromebit packs an entire Chrome OS computer into an HDMI stick
2015-03-31 18:23:05 UTC
Google's Chrome-flavored hardware portfolio continues to grow with even more slightly hidden but very palatable options for business users abound. Among the bevy of new Chromebooks and Chrome OS update is the new Chromebit, a thumb drive-sized (or as Google described, "smaller than a candy bar") stick made by Asus. Somewhat Chromecast-meets-Mac Mini, the tiny device is actually a fully-fledged Chrome OS computer that can be plugged into a display via HDMI. Users can then link up peripherals (i.e. mouse, keyboard, etc.) via USB or Bluetooth. Chrome hardware already took on a more decisive focus for the enterprise roughly a year ago...
iPhone 6 screen could be sapphire-glass blend, says expert
2014-07-22 06:19:01 UTC
Apple has patents for a sapphire-glass blend screen that could explain why sandpaper can scratch a supposed leaked iPhone 6 screen, the Guardian has established. A new video that apparently shows a 4.7in sapphire screen from an iPhone 6 being scratched by sandpaper could “certainly” be a legitimate blend of sapphire and glass, according to Prof Neil Alford of the department of materials at Imperial College London, who was consulted by Apple about sapphire screens 18 months ago. “Apple has patents for both sapphire lamination – taking two different cuts of sapphire to induce strain and increase its resilience – and for fusing quartz o...
Amazon's New Fire Phone - What You Need to Know?
2014-06-19 06:00:28 UTC
It’s official: Amazon.com (AMZN) is in the phone business. Chief Executive Jeff Bezos showed off a black glass rectangle with a rubber frame called the Fire Phone. The device will be sold, starting July 25, through AT&T (T) for $199 with a two-year contract, the same price as other high-end smartphones. The screen on Amazon’s phone is larger than Apple’s (AAPL) iPhones but smaller than phones made by Samsung Electronics (005930:KS). The processors and chips are on a par with more powerful Android phones. Sure enough, the Fire Phone includes what Bezos calls “dynamic perspective,” a feature that uses four cameras to create 3D imaging tha...
Samsung ordered to pay Apple $119.6m
2014-05-04 06:53:50 UTC
A jury in California delivered its verdict in a federal court in San Jose on Friday in the latest lawsuit involving the two tech giants. Apple had sought $2bn at the trial, accusing Samsung of violating patents on smartphone features. The court also ruled that Apple infringed Samsung's patents and awarded $158,000 in damages. Apple had sought $2.2bn after accusing Samsung of infringing five of its patents covering functions such as the "slide to unlock" from its devices. Samsung denied any wrongdoing and sought $6m after arguing Apple had infringed two of its smartphone patents related to camera use and video transmission. "...
Apple dials up effort to meld iPhone with cars
2014-03-03 22:10:41 UTC
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is accelerating the race to make smartphone applications easier and safer to use in cars. Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo are previewing Apple's iPhone technology for cars this week at an auto show in Geneva. The partnerships give Apple an early lead over Google's loosely knit family of Android phones in a duel to make mobile applications more accessible while drivers are behind the wheel. Apple's iOS mobile software and Google's Android operating system power most of the smartphones in the world. Just two months ago, Google Inc. announced it is working with several major automakers to turn Android phon...
Smartphone cameras step closer to high-end power
2014-03-02 08:00:04 UTC
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Expect sharper, clearer selfies this year. Samsung Electronics Co. has beefed up the camera in its Galaxy S5 smartphone due for April release and added smarter camera software, following Sony and Nokia in their upgrades of handset cameras. The tweaks mean smartphone photos, ubiquitous nowadays because of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, will be closer in quality to images captured by digital single-lens reflex cameras, also known as DSLR. How to give a super-thin smartphone the power of a DSLR camera that can capture moving images with clarity is a key challenge for the likes of Samsung, Sony, Noki...
California leaders push for smartphone kill switch
2014-02-09 07:10:56 UTC
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Legislation unveiled Friday in California would require smartphones and other mobile devices to have a "kill switch" to render them inoperable if lost or stolen — a move that could be the first of its kind in the country. State Sen. Mark Leno, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, and other elected and law enforcement officials said the bill, if passed, would require mobile devices sold in or shipped to California to have the anti-theft devices starting next year. Leno and Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, both Democrats, co-authored the bill to be introduced this spring. They joined Gascon, New York Attorney...
Samsung, Google sign patent agreement
2014-01-27 18:35:43 UTC
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics Co. has signed an agreement with Google Inc. to cross-license their patents, reducing the risk of costly legal disputes over intellectual property and likely fostering greater collaborate between the two tech giants. Seoul-based Samsung said Monday that the deal covers patents to be filed over the next 10 years as well as existing patents. Financial terms were not disclosed. Allen Lo, a deputy general counsel at Google, said in a statement that the deal allows the two to reduce the potential for litigation and to focus on innovation. Samsung said it also paves the way for deeper collab...
Nvidia promotes new chip with crop circle
2014-01-06 09:19:03 UTC
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A 310-foot "crop circle" in a California barley field that mystified locals this week was explained Sunday: it was a publicity stunt by Nvidia Corp., a maker of chips for PCs and smartphones. The crop circle near Chualar, Calif., contained a stylized image of a computer chip and the number "192" in Braille. On Sunday, the company announced the Tegra K1, a new chip for tablets and smartphones that contains 192 computing "cores," or mini-computers, for graphics applications. Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said at a press conference in Las Vegas, ahead of the International Consumer Electronics Show, that he had given his mar...
Japan robot chats with astronaut on space station
2013-12-20 07:37:21 UTC
TOKYO (AP) — The first humanoid robot in space made small talk with a Japanese astronaut and said it had no problem with zero-gravity on the International Space Station. Footage released by the robot's developers on Friday showed Kirobo performing its first mission on the station, talking in Japanese with astronaut Koichi Wakata as part of an experiment testing Kirobo's autonomous conversation functions. Wakata says he's glad to meet Kirobo, and asks the robotic companion how it feels about being in a zero-gravity environment. "I'm used to it now, no problem at all," Kirobo quips. Kirobo is programmed to process questions and s...
SKorea court: Apple didn't violate Samsung patents
2013-12-12 06:12:17 UTC
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A Seoul court rejected Samsung's claim that iPhone and iPad models violated three of its patents, another setback for the South Korean electronics giant in a global battle with Apple over rights to technologies that power smartphones and tablets. A Seoul Central District Court judge ruled Thursday that Apple did not violate Samsung's intellectual property rights. The technology in two of Samsung's patents could be developed easily from other inventions, Judge Shim Woo-yong said, making it unlikely they were copied. He said one patent was not used in the iPad. "We are glad the Korean court joined others aroun...
Small company helps Twitter make money
2013-11-29 09:04:11 UTC
DENVER (AP) — Twitter just issued its IPO but a lingering question is how the popular worldwide microblog company will turn a profit. One Colorado-based company thinks it has found one way to help Twitter, and itself, make money. Wayin has partnered up with the Denver Broncos to project tweeted photos and tweets from fans onto the Sports Authority Field at Mile High's Thundervision 2, the stadium's marquee 40-foot high, by 220 foot wide video scoreboard. The software allows ads to be placed next to the tweets to generate revenue. It's unclear how that could impact Twitter's bottom line. None of the companies would discuss how much mo...