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Saturday, 4 January 2014

Microsoft's Surface Pro 2 gets stealth silicon upgrade

Tablet gets a quiet upgrade. Unannounced CPU upgrades are unannounced for a reason: newer CPUs tend to offer better performance

Surface Pro 2: there's new silicon inside after only two months.

(Credit: Brooke Crothers)

The latest Surface Pro 2s are shipping with a new processor -- only two months after the second-generation device was released.

The upgrade is to a 1.9GHz Core i5 4300 from an Intel 1.6GHz Core i5 4200U processor -- the latter shipped in the Surface Pro 2 that was released in October. The news was first reported by WinBeta.

Wells Fargo downgrades Apple stock over market concerns

Wells Fargo analyst Maynard Um decided to keep Apple's shares in the same $536-to-$581 range, however.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Apple's shares might have some trouble growing in 2014, a new analyst report claims.

Wells Fargo analyst Maynard Um on Tuesday issued an Apple stock downgrade, pushing the company's shares from "Outperform" to "Market Perform." The move, however, did not include a change to Um's 12-month prediction on Apple's share price of $536 to $581. Apple is currently trading at $553.

As Chromebooks catch on, 2014 promises more models

Laptops based on Google's Chrome OS will reportedly multiply in 2014. They're cheap and schools have a growing affinity for them

HP Chromebook 14 is priced at $300 on Amazon.

(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)

As Chromebooks gain in popularity, device makers are gearing up for new entries in 2014.

Both Asus and Toshiba will enter the market, according to a report on Friday from Digitimes.

That report is backed by plenty of supporting evidence. The Toshiba Chromebook leaked when a review was posted prematurely. And the Asus Chromebook has been rumored for a while now.

And the list of Chromebooks for sale on Amazon is getting longer every month.

Dell will be offering a Chromebook later this month for the first time.

And a report from the NPD Group last month showed the Google Chrome-based laptops grabbed about one-fifth of sales in commercial laptop channels -- which the report says is largely shipments to educational institutions -- in a 12-month period, up from virtually nothing the year before.How popular are they? Well, Chromebooks, such as the Acer C270 and Samsung offering, seem to be ensconced almost permanently at the top of Amazon's bestselling laptop list.

All of the above is spurring the world's largest PC maker, HP, to put more emphasis on Google's Chrome OS. HP now sells both a 14-inch Chromebook and an 11-inch model.

One reason for their popularity is price. They're typically priced between $200 and $300. In addition, some organizations, like those in education, only need Google services such as Google Docs and Google Drive, according to NPD.

The Dell Chromebook 11 will be available in January

Acer launches 27-inch all-in-one Android PC

The $1,099 monitor packs in a quad-core processor and a 2,560x1,440 touch screen

Acer's new 27-inch all-in-one Android PC.

(Credit: Acer)

Acer's latest all-in-one PC can serve double duty as an Android entertainment center and a high-resolution monitor.

Already shipping around the world, the Acer TA272 HUL offers a 2,560x1,440 WQHD display, four times sharper than conventional high-definition monitors, according to the company. Equipped with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the TA272 includes a 10-point touch screen so you can tap into the wide lineup of available Android apps.

The monitor itself can be tilted anywhere from 30 to 80 degrees depending on your preferred viewing angle. A USB 3.0 port can handle game controllers and other accessories.The system is outfitted with an Nvidia Tegra quad-core processor, 16GB of memory, and dual-band 802.11 abgn wireless connectivity. A 2-megapixel Webcam and two front-facing Dolby surround sound speakers are also part of the package.

The TA272 is also equipped with HDMI and DisplayPort connections, which means it can act as an external monitor for your desktop or laptop. The device is Windows 8 certified, so it can take full advantage of the touch-screen features in Microsoft's latest OS.

Consumers who wouldn't mind spending $1,099 on the TA272 can check Acer's online store orthird-party retailers for availability.

GlobalFoundries' NY chip plant to get up to $10B boost

ATIC says it will invest the money over the next to years, which will aid the factory's expansion to produce 20- and 14-nanometer nodes.

An aerial view of GlobalFoundries' Fab 8 factory in Malta, N.Y.

(Credit: GlobalFoundries)

Abu Dhabi-based Advanced Technology Investment Company plans to drop $10 billion into GlobalFoundries' semiconductor factory in New York, the company has confirmed.

Speaking to Reuters in an interview published on Friday, ATIC CEO Ibrahim Ajami said that the $10 billion investment will be made over a period of two years. The funds will be used to expand the chipmaker's factory and allow for the production of 20- and 14-nanometer nodes. Producing chips with these smaller nodes will allow device makers to build yet smaller products -- like thinner phones and tablets.

GlobalFoundries' New York plant went into full production in Malta, N.Y., in 2012. According to Reuters, the plant can produce 60,000 chip wafers per month. GlobalFoundries has alsoreportedly been in talks to make chips for Apple as the iPhone maker looks to expand its chip partners and decrease its dependency on Samsung.

The area is a high-growth segment of the industry as more companies pass off chip production to companies like GlobalFoundries. Ajami told Reuters that companies in non-traditional markets, like automobiles, are looking to firms like GlobalFoundries for chips, which should help the plant see increased growth.

Samsung must innovate 'non-stop,' chairman urges

The company has to ditch age-old business plans and ideas to remain competitive, Chairman Lee Kun-hee says.

What does Samsung have up its very large sleeve for 2014?

(Credit: CNET)

Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee is calling for the firm to ditch old business plans and pump up research and development to remain competitive against modern-day competitors and the fast-paced electronics market.

Within the executive's annual speech, Lee highlighted Thursday how the last year has been tough thanks to rising competition from rivals, and as a result, Samsung must turn its back on old ideas and methodologies to remain one of the key players in the electronics and mobile markets.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Lee said: "Research and development center(s) should work around the clock, non-stop."

In addition, Lee said Samsung must "get rid of business models and strategies from five, ten years ago and hardware-focused ways."

Although perhaps not as expressive as previous speeches, the statement does bring to mind the 71-year-old's continual desire to improve and reinvigorate the firm. Decades ago, the chairman urged executives to "change everything except for your wife and children." However, contrary to this, the firm has often been criticized for jumping on the back of other companies and their products -- producing alternatives in the market and add-ons for software rather than producing original features for consumers itself.

Samsung is the world's largest producer of mobile devices, televisions, and semiconductors, but boosting its reputation in the software department is a must if the company is going to hold its own against firms such as Apple and Google -- both of which have made a number of acquisitions to improve the software they offer.For example, while the Galaxy S4 smartphone is a good-looking piece of hardware, software has not been the company's strong point. The device has a useful array of gesture-based controls and bolt-ons for its Android operating system. But in comparison to rival products such as the Apple iPhone's fingerprint recognition system, other firms are presenting innovative software with the potential to go further far more often than Samsung.

In November, the iPad and iPhone maker confirmed the acquisition of PrimeSense, an Israeli chipmaker focused on 3D technology, which powers Microsoft's gesture control within the Kinect gaming system. During Apple's fourth-quarter earnings call, CEO Tim Cook confirmed the recent "strategic acquisition" of 15 firms, including ones that can improve the iOS mapping system.

Google spent over a billion on acquisitions last year, mainly due to the purchase of Waze, another mapping software development firm.

In comparison, Samsung has spent roughly a billion dollars on acquisitions since 2010. Still, Samsung Chief Financial Officer Lee Sang Hoon said last November that the South Korean firm will become more aggressive in the search to secure valuable startups and small to midsize businesses that could improve its own products.

If this promise holds merit, this may improve the confidence of investors, who have seen Samsung's market cap drop by over $6 billion this week. Some analysts believe that profit will drop this year due to a lack of innovation and stiff competition provided by rival firms.

This story was published originally as "Samsung's reinvention? Innovation 'around the clock'" on ZDNet.

Temptation: AT&T offers T-Mobile users $450 to switch

The fight is on. AT&T is offering T-Mobile customers up to $250 for a trade-in and $200 per line to transfer their wireless service.

(Credit: CNET)

Once upon a time, AT&T wanted to own T-Mobile. Now it wants to destroy its competitor.

AT&T will offer T-Mobile customers up to $450 per line to switch their service to its network, the company announced Friday. It will give customers $200 credit for every line they transfer from T-Mobile. That credit will be available only to those customers who switch and choose an AT&T Next plan and either activate a phone or buy a new one at full retail price.

In addition, AT&T said that it'll give customers a promotion card of up to $250 for every smartphone trade-in they bring to the table. The actual promotion card amount is based on the type of device, its age, and quality. AT&T didn't say what devices might reach the $250 mark. The company also pointed out that its promotion cards can only be used "toward purchases of eligible AT&T products & services or to pay your wireless bill."

That AT&T has fired a pre-emptive shot at T-Mobile could perhaps say something about the pressure it's feeling from its smaller competitor. However, in an e-mailed statement to CNET, AT&T representative said that the new deal is simply a standard maneuver in an already competitive industry.AT&T's move reflects an increasingly believable rumor suggesting that T-Mobile will announce at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next week that it will offer a similar offer for AT&T customers looking to switch to its network. T-Mobile might also offer the switch deal for other carriers, as well.

"Wireless has always been a very competitive industry and a move like this should not be unexpected," the representative said. "As you know, there are handset promotions all the time."

The AT&T rep went on to tell CNET that "while this promotion is targeted to T-Mobile customers, Sprint and Verizon customers can get a minimum $100 trade-in when they choose Next, plus pay only $25 per smartphone on Mobile Share Value plans."

Still, AT&T's hard line regarding T-Mobile says a lot. It's arguably easier for smartphone users to switch between those two carriers than with Sprint or Verizon because their networks run on the same technology. T-Mobile has also clearly made it a priority to challenge its competitors. This week, in fact, T-Mobile CEO John Legere posted an image of his company's resolutions for 2014. His last item said to "give AT&T a break...or not."

That the two carriers are at such odds today stands in stark contrast to their position not so very long ago when AT&T announced plans to acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 billion. After months of intense lobbying and suffering through critics' complaints, AT&T abandoned its bid to acquire T-Mobile at the end of 2011. The breakup forced AT&T to pay T-Mobile $3 billion in cash for its trouble.

CNET has contacted T-Mobile for comment on the AT&T move. We will update this story when we have more information.