News

• Galaxy S4's U.S. version needs added image processor for eye-tracking

  Samsung has built several different Galaxy S4 smartphones, including a U.S. version running a Snapdragon processor that requires an extra image processor to enable heavily promoted user functions such as eye-movement recognition.

• Galaxy S4 costs $US236 for materials

  The new Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone with HSPA+ costs $US236 for materials, up 15 per cent from the equivalent Galaxy S III, according to a virtual teardown by IHS iSuppli.

• DRAM trends herald a slowdown in PC uptake

  With accelerating growth in tablets and smartphones and a maturing of OSes, PCs are seeing far less growth in DRAM use.

• SSD onslaught: Hard drives poised for double-digit revenue drop

  Booming sales of tablets, smartphones and solid-state drives (SSDs) are taking a toll on hard-disk drive sales, revenue from which is expected to drop by about 12% this year.

• Apple doubles down on iPad by doubling max storage to 128GB

  Apple today doubled the maximum storage space of its fourth-generation iPad to 128GB, and announced it would start selling the new tablet next week.

• LTE subscribers will more than double this year, IHS iSuppli says

  For every person using 4G LTE now, there will be at least one more subscriber by the end of this year, IHS iSuppli says.

• Analyst pegs 'iPhone Mini' price at between $299 and $349

  Apple may be able to build a cut-rate iPhone for $144, which would let it price the device between $299 and $349, hundreds less than the unsubsidized price tag of its flagship smartphone, an analyst said today.

• Big-screen smartphone shipments to surge this year, says iSuppli

  Shipments of smartphones with screens 5 inches or larger will more than double this year, as consumers are increasingly attracted to the large screen sizes offered by the phones, according to a prediction from IHS iSuppli.

• Can Intel save the Ultrabook?

  Ultrabooks made a big splash at last year's CES, but sales over the course of 2012 were disappointing. Intel yesterday made a determined bid to change all that.

• Ultra-hyped ultrabooks ultra-flopped in 2012

  Just 12 months ago, the ultrabook was widely regarded as the PC market's savior. Since then, it's become more of a punch line.

• Apple wins top score for App Store

  Apple's App Store had the top score among mobile application storefronts ranked by ABI Research, but Microsoft's Windows Store narrowly beat the field for its degree of innovation.

• E-reader decline prompts user debate over e-reader vs. tablet

  Reports of the drastic decline of e-readers amidst an explosion in multi-use tablets re-ignited a passionate debate in technology: Is a single-purpose device better and worth the cost, compared to a multi-function device

• Mobile pushes Qualcomm to third place in shaky chip market

  Qualcomm Inc. showed a double-digit increase in sales this year that will make it the world's third-largest chip maker in 2012, according to analytics firm IHS iSuppli.

• Downgraded chip industry may signal tech transition

  The worldwide chip market dropped from being labeled 'stagnant' to 'in a slump' this year, with one analyst firm downgrading its forecast to a level that puts the entire year in a decline.

• Doctors prescribe iPad Mini - a perfect lab coat fit

  In a survey, physicians revealed they're excited about the iPad Mini because the smaller-size device fits into their lab coats, yet retains a familiar interface.