First look: Microsoft‘s latest OS Windows 8.1

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says the latest update to Windows is a "refined blend" of its older operating system for PCs and its new touch-enabled interface for more modern, mobile devices.  After some hands-on time with it, the update seems to mea patch over an ever-widening chasm.  The issue is that there...

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Google Reader alternatives: Pluses & minuses

NEW YORK: On July 1, we say goodbye to Google Reader, a handy tool for bringing headlines and articles your favorite websites into a single place.  With Reader, I've been able to see at a glancethe updates various news services, blogs and company websites I follow. Although many of these items relate to work, I have added a few...

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HP aims to re-enter the global smartphone race

BEIJING: Technology giant HP is looking at re-entering the smartphone race and is working on launching a new device, which will offer a "differentiated experience" to consumers.  Without giving a timeline, HP Senior Director Consumer PC and Media Tablets Asia Pacific Yam Su Yin told PTI that the company is focusing onsegments including...

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iPhone plastic shell leaks in China

It’s time to get green, it would seem, as a brightly colored back shell of what’s said to be a next-generation iPhone leaks in China. This leak is consistent with several tips and suggestions over the past week involving the so-called “budget” iPhone, including the color similarity to current iPhone bumpers. This device would, if it proves...

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Password fatigue haunts netizens

WASHINGTON: Looking for a safe password? You can give HQbgbiZVu9AWcqoSZmChwgtMYTrM7HE3ObVWGepMeOsJf4iHMyNXMT1BrySA4d7 a try. Good luck memorizing it.  Sixty-three random alpha-numericacters in this case, generated by an online password generator are as good as it gets when it comes to securing your virtual life.  But...

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In Depth: Best office suite for OS X: 6 tested

Best productivity suites for your Mac Aside a browser and an email client, the must-have apps on any Mac are those found in an office suite. TextEdit is fine for tapping out quick notes to the milkman, but you need a more weighty solution for complex business documents. The same can be said of quick sums: Spotlight provides a rudimentary...

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Google white space broadband plans get boost with FCC approval

Google‘s plans to squeeze wireless internet access into the “white space” in-between TV channels – and in turn further prise web control ISP dominance – has received a boost, with its TV bands database system getting the green-light the FCC. Google‘s plans to squeeze wireless internet access into the “white space” in-between TV channels...

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Nokia takes potshots at iPhone 5 in Lumia ad

NEW DELHI: Finnish smartphone giant Nokia has once again taken a jibe at dominant rival Apple in an advertisement for its new smartphone. The latest Lumia 925 ad shows the protagonist walking around at nighthe encounters zombies, who have been apparently transformed into the undead due the extra-bright LED flash of the iPhone 5. The red-eye...

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iPad 5 schematics leak with iPad mini-size sides

The fifth generation full-sized iPad appears to be popping up this week for the first time in schematics – not the average leak vehicle, to be sure.  This device appears – according to the images shared by NWE, to shave off around 1/4 of the thickness that is in the wi-fi edition of the iPad 4 (the current generation machine...

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