The Malaysian Insider :: Technology

Apple slips but still retains smartphone satisfaction crown

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:19:55 GMT

LOS ANGELES, May 22 – The iPhone still scores the highest consumer satisfaction marks but Motorola, Samsung and Nokia are slowly closing the gap. The latest American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report reveals that overall levels of satisfaction towards smartphones has improved by 2.7 per cent over the past 12 months, and that in the US the ...

Canon beats Nikon in accidental damage tests

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:27:50 GMT

NEW YORK, May 22 — Just as an argument has raged for the best part of 30 years between Windows and Mac users as to which operating system is the best, a similar tribal war has raged between professional (and talented amateur) photographers as to whether Nikon or Canon rules the SLR and latterly DSLR roost. Now SquareTrade has waded into the ...

Microsoft unveils Xbox One with Spielberg, Activision tie-up

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:43:41 GMT

REDMOND, May 22 — Microsoft Corp unveiled the “Xbox One” yesterday, its first new gaming console in eight years, and its strongest push so far to dominate consumers’ living rooms with an array of exclusive media content. The Xbox One took four years to develop and will be the launchpad for a “Halo” live-action video series produced by Steven ...

Apple testing 1.5-inch smartwatch screens

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:55:44 GMT

LOS ANGELES, May 21 – Apple is examining the potential of smaller, OLED displays for the upcoming ‘iWatch.’ New reports or even fantastical rumours have been pretty thin on the ground of late surrounding Apple’s potential foray into the smartwatch market. However, Japanese blog Macotakara has stumbled upon a report hailing from the Economic Times ...

Google set to challenge Microsoft Office

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:36:13 GMT

NEW YORK, May 21 — Sources claim the search giant Google is set to roll out a true alternative to the Microsoft Office productivity suite. Google already offers a number of apps, both within its Google apps suite as part of the Chrome browser and within its Google Play app store for smartphones and tablets. However, until now their functionality ...

Sony Xperia Z tablet launches globally

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:50:43 GMT

NEW YORK, May 21 — The world’s thinnest 10-inch and currently world’s most water-and-dust-resistant Android tablet is available to order now for June delivery. Powered by a quad-core processor, the long-awaited tablet — it was unveiled in January but its official launch was initially delayed — boasts 2GB of RAM, a full HD display and a MicroSD ...

Finnish start-up launches smartphone to rival big players

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:19:39 GMT

HELSINKI, May 21 — A group of ex-Nokia employees who quit over the company’s decision to abandon the planned MeeGo operating system in favour of Windows presented their own smartphone yesterday, hoping to rival the sector’s giants. The Jolla smartphone, which is entirely intuitive and has no buttons, is “a strong candidate” on the mid- to ...

Yahoo buying Tumblr for US$1.1b, vows not to screw it up

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:13:02 GMT

NEW YORK, May 20 — Yahoo Inc said it is buying blogging service Tumblr for US$1.1 billion (RM3.3 billion) cash, giving the struggling Internet pioneer a much-needed platform in social media to reach a younger generation of users. The deal, announced today, is a bold bet by Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer to revitalize the company by co-opting ...

New Xbox more than a game console for Microsoft

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:37:15 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, May 19 — Microsoft Corp is set to make a splash this week with the eagerly awaited unveiling of its new Xbox game console, eight years after the last version, as it seeks a larger share of the US$65 billion (RM196 billion) a year global computer gaming industry. But the small device faces some big competition from the PlayStation 4 ...

Google’s wearable Glass gadget: Cool or creepy?

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:28:17 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, May 19 — Google staged four discussions expounding on the finer points of its “Glass” wearable computer during this week’s developer conference. Missing from the agenda, however, was a session on etiquette when using the recording-capable gadget, which some attendees faithfully wore everywhere - including to the crowded ...

Yahoo! sets event amid Tumblr talk

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:36:21 GMT

NEW YORK, May 19 — Yahoo! scheduled a news conference tomorrow amid reports it was in talks on with the popular blogging platform Tumblr about an acquisition or strategic alliance. The California tech giant offered no details of the event, set for New York, but invited reporters to “join us as we share something special.” Tumblr, a fast-growing ...

Samsung announces ‘Google’ version of the Galaxy SIV

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:42:38 GMT

LOS ANGELES, May 18 – Samsung has yet another variation of its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy SIV, on the way. The fifth version of the handset will differ from the others already out there because it does away with all frills and extraneous features in favour of a stock Android operating system. Announced at the Google I/O conference on ...

Next Android update scheduled for June 10, report says

Sat, 18 May 2013 03:11:41 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, May 18 — Most tech watchers had confidently predicted that a new version of Android, Google’s smartphone and tablet operating system, would be unveiled as part of the search giant’s keynote speech at the annual developers conference — yet it was conspicuous by its absence. The reason for its omission appears to be because the next ...

The Surface Pro will arrive in Europe and Asia Pacific regions in May

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:53:17 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, May 18 — The wait is over, Microsoft’s post-PC PC is set to go on sale in 23 more countries in time for the summer. The device, which combines the best elements of a tablet with the productivity of a notebook computer will go on sale in France today and in the UK on May 23, before arriving in the remainder of mainland Europe a week ...

Google adds latest Bluetooth support to Android

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:51:59 GMT

NEW YORK, May 17 — Native support for the latest Bluetooth technology will mean that Android device owners will finally be able to sync and connect their phones with virtually any Bluetooth product, from keyboards and headphones to activity trackers and smart watches. It might have been one of the smaller announcements to come out of Google’s I/O ...

Facebook and Twitter jump on Google glasses

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:15:18 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, May 17 — Facebook and Twitter launched applications yesterday for Google glasses as developers rushed to learn more about tailoring software for the Internet-linked eyewear yet to hit the market. “Built by Facebook, this app allows you to upload photos from Google Glass directly to your Facebook timeline,” Erick Tseng, head of ...

Faster iPad Mini coming this year?

Fri, 17 May 2013 03:54:25 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, May 17 — Yet more leaked details point to an iPad Mini with improved screen and camera coming later this year. According to Mobileak’s sources, the next iPad Mini will get an upgraded HD screen boasting 324ppi and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. It will also feature a reduced bezel so that the display will seem to run right to ...

Google adds latest Bluetooth support to Android

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:22:42 GMT

Apple passes the 50 billion app download milestone

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:53:42 GMT

LOS ANGELES, May 16 – Brandon Ashmore of Mentor, Ohio downloaded word game Say the Same Thing from Apple’s App Store and in the process, set a new record and won a US$10,000 gift voucher. The milestone was passed yesterday at 2pm and today, Apple officially confirmed both the achievement and the details of the lucky winner. However, as well as ...

Google launches streaming music service ahead of Apple

Thu, 16 May 2013 03:48:02 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, May 16 — Google Inc launched a music service yesterday that allows users to listen to unlimited songs for US$9.99 (RM30) a month, challenging smaller companies like Pandora and Spotify in the market for streaming music. With its new service, announced at its annual developers’ conference in San Francisco, Google has adopted the ...

HP launches Android notebook

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:28:32 GMT

NEW YORK, May 16 — The HP SlateBook x2 can be used as a portable computer with detachable keyboard or as a standalone tablet and proves that Android can support productivity as well as entertainment. Although the device is essentially a tablet that docks into and out of a keyboard, the way the SlateBook x2 has been conceived and built sets it ...

Microsoft confirms free Windows 8 update is coming

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:19:11 GMT

LOS ANGELES, May 15 – Microsoft has revealed that Windows 8.1 will be coming to consumers as a free download later this year. The announcement, by Tami Reller, Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Officer, was first made at the JP Morgan Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in Boston yesterday before being confirmed by Microsoft in an official blog ...

Windows Phones still struggling to attract apps

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:45:11 GMT

SEATTLE, May 15 — Nokia’s head of smartphone marketing admits that gaps in the app selection are customers’ main complaints. With the launch of its latest flagship device, the Lumia 925, Nokia and Microsoft are continuing to prove that they can compete directly with anything Samsung, Apple or BlackBerry can build in terms of quality, processor ...

Nokia launches upgraded flagship smartphone for Europe

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:37:06 GMT

LONDON, May 14 — The latest Lumia is more of an evolution than a revolution but will be a big hit for smartphone owners that put a premium on photography. A new flagship for both the company and the operating system—Windows Phone 8 -- on which it runs, the Nokia Lumia 925 builds on the foundations of its predecessor, the Lumia 920 (which itself ...

BlackBerry unveils new mid-tier smartphone

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:01:08 GMT

ORLANDO, May 14 — BlackBerry unveiled a new mid-tier smartphone device with a physical keyboard today, the feature that still sets it apart from most rivals, and said its make-or-break new devices had put the company back on “solid ground”. The Canadian company, which hopes new smartphones powered by its BlackBerry 10 operating system will prompt ...