54728211
submission
zacharye writes:
The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and flexible computer Apple has ever created, and it’s also extremely expensive — or is it? With a price tag that can climb up around $10,000, Apple’s latest enterprise workhorse clearly isn’t cheap. For businesses with a need for all that muscle, however, is that steep price justifiable or is there a premium “Apple tax” that companies will have to pay? Shortly after the new Mac Pro was finally made available for purchase last week, one PC enthusiast set out to answer that question and in order to do so, he asked another one: How much would it cost to build a comparable Windows 8 machine?...
54635977
submission
zacharye writes:
As Google’s share price soars beyond $1,100, it seems like nothing can stop the Internet juggernaut as its land grab strategies continue to win over the eyes of its users and the wallets of its advertising clients. But an analysis published over this past weekend raises an interesting question surrounding a new business model that could someday lead to Google’s downfall. Do we want an erasable Internet?...
54557273
submission
zacharye writes:
Target confirmed earlier this week that approximately 40 million credit card and debit card numbers belonging to patrons who shopped in the company’s stores on or around Black Friday were stolen in a massive security breach that took place between November 27th and December 15th. Now, the reporter who broke the story is back with some more bad news for Target customers: Those stolen credit card numbers and associated data are now available for sale on several black market websites...
54553271
submission
zacharye writes:
Of all of the dramas currently unfolding in the tech world right now, Microsoft’s is undoubtedly among the most intriguing. Years ago, just before Windows Phone was first released, industry watchers warned that unless Microsoft could make serious strides in the smartphone market, it would undoubtedly be doomed. Then the iPad and Android tablets began eating into PC shipments and analysts warned that unless Microsoft launched an immediate and aggressive attack on the tablet market, it would be steamrolled by Apple and Google. Fast forward to today and Microsoft’s global smartphone market share still sits in the low single digits. Microsoft’s new tablet platform, Windows RT, is all but dead. And yet despite all that, Microsoft is still thriving, having racked up a $5.24 billion net profit on more than $18.5 billion in revenue during its most recent quarter. But the Redmond, Washington-based giant is hardly in the clear...
54243869
submission
zacharye writes:
When we reviewed Google’s Nexus 5 early last month, we didn’t mince words. In fact, we called it the only smartphone Android fans should care about this holiday season. But what about Apple fans? Should they care about it as well? There’s a lot to like about the Nexus 5 and with a price tag starting at just $349 off contract, it’s a shockingly good value — perhaps the best there is for the time being. It’s a deal that looks so good, a self-professed “eternal Apple fanboy" couldn’t help but give it a shot...
54102899
submission
zacharye writes:
Are you a cable TV subscriber who might be considering cutting the cord? Did you already take the leap and dump your TV service? Cable TV doesn’t want to see you go, and it wants you back if you’ve already left. And what better way to convey that message than with a nice little campaign put together by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the main trade association for cable operators in the U.S. Behold: The Hole Saga...
53955365
submission
zacharye writes:
AT&T wants subscribers to have a merry Christmas this year. It also wants some of the people who have been fleeing its network in searching of cheaper smartphone plans to stay put. As such, the carrier on Thursday announced a brand new set of service plans that are far more consumer-friendly. AT&T is still making plenty of money on them, of course, but several of the plans offer significant savings compared to the older plans they replace. What’s more, the new plans finally — FINALLY — take smartphone subsidies into account to an extent, and they automatically drop in cost by $15 per month once your phone is paid off. Or, if you bring your own phone or opt for one of the carrier’s AT&T Next plans, your service is $15 cheaper per month from day one...
53069229
submission
zacharye writes:
Nokia, as we know it, is going away. The company itself will remain, of course. It might even be consistently profitable some day. But the face of Nokia that most consumers are familiar with will be a thing of the past. Nokia will soon sell off its devices and services business to Microsoft for about $5 billion as part of a $7.2 billion deal. But in the meantime, the company has a product pipeline to clear and the new Lumia 1520 is certainly one of the more interesting devices Nokia will be launching before the big changing of the guard. The 1520 marks Nokia’s first foray into the increasingly popular phablet category and if not for Apple, Nokia would be the last major smartphone vendor to enter the space. But is the company’s new 1520 just a bigger Lumia phone, or is it also a better Lumia phone that continues moving in the right direction and picks up where the Lumia 1020 left off?...
52955268
submission
zacharye writes:
Companies are trying as hard as they can to convince us that smartphone-based payment systems are the future, but we have seen little thus far to convince us that this new technology will break out anytime soon. Tap-to-pay smartphone solutions require retailers to update their point of sale (POS) terminals, and mobile payment solutions providers are having trouble coming up with a solid system that works across platforms. On top of everything else, people haven’t yet shown that they’re comfortable replacing standard credit cards with a smartphone-based solution. But what if there were a middle ground? What if an innovative solution came along that required no new POS equipment and could instantly be used anywhere credit cards are accepted? What if that solution looked as familiar as a credit card but still let users empty their wallets of all current credit cards, debit cards, gift cards and membership cards? One San Francisco-based startup is now looking to make this seemingly impossible middle ground a reality...
52854245
submission
zacharye writes:
Activision’s smash hit Call of Duty: Ghosts racked up a cool $1 billion in channel sales during its first day of availability alone, approaching Rockstar’s recent Grand Theft Auto V debut and cementing its place in the record books. But not everyone is impressed. In fact, one reviewer thinks the latest addition to Activision’s popular franchise is the clearest evidence yet that modern military shooters have run their course and the entire category needs to be retired...
52689633
submission
zacharye writes:
After months of rumors, leaks and speculation, Google finally took the wraps off of its new Nexus 5 smartphone last week and Android fans were elated. The sleek new handset started selling out in mere minutes and by the end of the day, it would be weeks until new orders of some Nexus 5 builds would be dispatched. Can Google’s new Nexus phone possibly live up to all the hype that has built up over the past few months?...
52285953
submission
zacharye writes:
Poor John Sculley. The man has done plenty before and after he was Apple’s chief executive for a decade beginning in 1983, but he will always be known best for his role in ousting Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and nearly running Apple into the ground. Jobs came back to Apple in the mid-90s and helped the company return to glory as it grew to eventually become the most valuable consumer electronics company on the planet. But in a curious twist of fate, Sculley may soon have the opportunity to try to become BlackBerry’s "Steve Jobs"...
52241149
submission
zacharye writes:
Apple unveiled two new additions to its iPad lineup on Tuesday, just as we all expected. The new fifth-generation iPad Air features a completely new design and the second-generation iPad mini finally includes a high-resolution Retina display, also just like we all expected. Both new tablets bring plenty to the table and Apple’s iPad and iPad mini are each widely believed to be the top-selling tablets in their respective categories by a pretty substantial margin. But they’re far from perfect and there is one important feature in particular that Apple’s new iPads are sorely missing: Multiple account support...
52205329
submission
zacharye writes:
Apple remained silent for most of 2013 and industry watchers panicked as the months rolled by with no major product launches. Well, when it rains it pours. Apple launched the brand new flagship iPhone 5s and the sort-of-new iPhone 5c almost exactly one month ago, and opening-weekend sales absolutely smashed Apple’s earlier iPhone sales records. Now, it’s time for the next few pieces of Apple’s 2013-2014 product puzzle to fall into place. Here's how to watch live streaming video of Apple's big event...
52069649
submission
zacharye writes:
Apple’s iPhone 5s represents the biggest “S” upgrade an iPhone has ever seen. The guts of the phone have been completely overhauled, just as BGR exclusively reported they would be back in May. Beyond the internals, Apple’s new Touch ID fingerprint scanner also makes the 5s the first “S” upgrade ever to include a major new user-facing hardware feature. The processor is better, two of the color options are new, the battery lasts longer, the camera takes better photos and even the display is slightly easier on the eyes thanks to its cooler tone. But as a total package in the context of being an upgrade from last year’s iPhone model, Apple’s iPhone 5s may very well be the least impressive jump to date...
