Office 2013 and Office 365 now available, subscriptions start at $9.99

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; outline: none;"><img alt="microsoft, office, office 365, outlook, excel, word, powerpoint, onenote, office 2013, subscription, publisher, acce" src="http://static.techspot.com/images/teaser/microsoft%20office.jpg" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Microsoft Office 2013 and Office 365 are now available for purchase in retail stores in 162 different countries as well as online at <a href="http://office.com/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">Office.com</a>. Redmond is making a bold decision by moving to a subscription model with Office 365 but with such a heavy focus on cloud computing as of late, Microsoft clearly feels that now is as good a time as any to further explore the emerging market.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Those electing to use the <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/29/3927866/office-2013-pricing-office-365-subscriptions-available-now" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">subscription model</a> will pay $99.99 per year for access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access. This bundle allows the user to install the software on five different systems - Mac and PC are both supported – and there’s even a web portal that allows you to work from a computer that doesn’t have the software installed.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">The subscription also includes 20GB of SkyDrive storage and 60 minutes of Skype calls per month. The same deal can be had for $9.99 per month if the idea of an annual subscription doesn’t appeal to you.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">There’s also the traditional one-time purchase version for $139.99 known as Office Home and Student 2013. This watered down version includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote and can only be installed on a single computer. SkyDrive access isn’t included either so you’ll have to resort to tried and true tactics if you want to take your files with you.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Another big difference between this release and previous Office products is that retail versions in large markets like the US and the UK won’t include a physical DVD. Instead, Microsoft is simply putting product codes inside familiar retail boxes that require users to go online and download / activate the software.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">At the end of the day, you’ll likely want to ask yourself a number of <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-29/new-microsoft-office-takes-to-the-cloud-rich-jaroslovsky.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">questions</a> before deciding on which route is best for you. How many computers do you plan to install Office on? Which components are you likely to use? Does SkyDrive access appeal to you? How do you feel about paying $100 each year for the foreseeable future?</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/51475-office-2013-and-office-365-now-available-subscriptions-start-at-999.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

Office 2013 and Office 365 now available, subscriptions start at $9.99

Microsoft Office 2013 and Office 365 are now available for purchase in retail stores in 162 different countries as well as online at  Office...

Read more »

MSI GX60 Gaming Notebook Review

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img alt="MSI GX60 Gaming Notebook Review" height="236" src="http://static.techspot.com/articles-info/632/images/msi-gx60-review.jpg" width="640" /><br /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Some time ago I had the opportunity to look at Maingear’s Titan 17 notebook, a system described as a high performance desktop replacement by the boutique PC builder. The portable certainly lived up to the hype as it <a href="http://www.techspot.com/review/413-maingear-titan-17/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;">decimated every benchmark</a> we threw at it, chewing through games on its way to earning the title of the most powerful notebook we had ever reviewed.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">The harsh reality, however, is that most people can’t afford to spend a few thousand on a notebook computer, even if it's on a solid gaming machine that doubles as a desktop replacement. To that end, today we'll be checking out a portable from MSI that aims to deliver a similarly solid gaming experience without breaking the bank.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"></div><center style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1658461837330835216" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;"><img border="0" src="http://static.techspot.com/articles-info/632/images/8p.jpg" style="border: 0px; outline: none;" /></a></center><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">The <a href="http://www.msimobile.com/gaming/Level2_productpage.aspx?id=18" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">MSI GX60</a> is the latest entry in the company's Gaming Series of notebooks. The unit we tested arrived with a quad-core AMD A10-4600M CPU clocked at 2.3GHz alongside AMD Radeon HD 7970M discrete graphics with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, a 15.6-inch non-glare display operating at 1920x1080, 8GB of DDR3 memory in a 4GBx2 configuration, 128GB of flash storage used as the OS drive and a 750GB 7200RPM disk drive for storage.</div><div style="background-color: white; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 20px 10px; outline: none; width: 350px;"><span style="font-weight: bold; margin-left: 25px; outline: none;">MSI GX60 - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Series-GX60-1AC-021US-15-6-Inch/dp/B009H8OA0C" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">$1,199 - 1,420</a>(w/wo SSD)</span><ul style="outline: none;"><li style="outline: none;">15.6" 1920x1080 matte display</li><li style="outline: none;">AMD A10 Processor (2.3 GHz)</li><li style="outline: none;">AMD Radeon HD 7970M, 2GB discrete</li><li style="outline: none;">8GB of DDR3 RAM</li><li style="outline: none;">128GB SSD, 750GB HDD (7200RPM)</li><li style="outline: none;">Blu-ray drive</li><li style="outline: none;">1 x HDMI, 1 x Mini-DisplayPort, 1 x VGA</li><li style="outline: none;">SD/MMC card reader (left)</li><li style="outline: none;">4 Audio jacks (right)</li><li style="outline: none;">3 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0</li><li style="outline: none;">Killer NIC 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth</li><li style="outline: none;">1.3-megapixel (1280x1024) webcam</li><li style="outline: none;">Steelseries keyboard</li><li style="outline: none;">15.6 x 10.5 x 2.2 inches, 7.7 pounds</li></ul></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">It doesn’t stop there, however, as MSI has implemented a couple of gamer-specific features designed to boost the system’s overall appeal. It starts with an upgraded keyboard provided by SteelSeries that’s said to offer a number of benefits such as simultaneous multi-key presses and a secure tactical feel. MSI even includes a wired gaming mouse as part of the package.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">The GX60 also represents the first time that MSI has incorporated Killer Intelligent Networking (aka <a href="http://www.killergaming.com/solutions/Embedded_Ethernet" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">Killer NIC</a>) into a notebook, specifically the E2200 platform. According to Killer, the solution is able to automatically detect and accelerate game traffic ahead of other network traffic for smoother, stutter-free in-game performance which could lead to a competitive edge.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">When first looking at the GX60, it’s immediately clear that this system will never be mistaken for an Ultrabook. Simply put, at 15.6 x 10.5 x 2.2 inches and weighing in at 7.7 pounds, it’s pretty hefty. It’s not as massive as the aforementioned Titan 17, but in today’s market, a 7.7-pound computer is heavy.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"></div><center style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1658461837330835216" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;"><img border="0" src="http://static.techspot.com/articles-info/632/images/13p.jpg" style="border: 0px; outline: none;" /></a></center><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Having said that, the GX60 is more aesthetically pleasing than other barebones gaming systems we've seen. The outer lid is mostly glossy with a raised design in the middle that terminates at the MSI logo. The right edge of the system is home to four audio jacks, a USB 2.0 port and a Blu-ray drive. Around back is a locking slot, the power jack, Ethernet jack, VGA connector, DisplayPort connection and an HDMI connector. It’s worth pointing out that the trio of video outputs support AMD Eyefinity Multi-Display Technology, allowing you to output to three displays simultaneously. On the left side of the GX60 are three USB 3.0 ports and a card reader.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Opening the lid reveals a spacious keyboard deck complete with number pad. Above the matte screen is the prototypical 720p HD webcam and microphone. The bezel surrounding the display is pretty thick but it seems to blend in well enough with the overall theme of the notebook.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"></div><center style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1658461837330835216" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;"><img border="0" src="http://static.techspot.com/articles-info/632/images/3p.jpg" style="border: 0px; outline: none;" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1658461837330835216" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;"><img border="0" src="http://static.techspot.com/articles-info/632/images/9p.jpg" style="border: 0px; outline: none;" /></a></center><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Stereo speakers flank the power button and various touch-sensitive controls that lie just above the keyboard. We’re also told that the system includes a subwoofer although it isn’t readily visible. One of the more interesting buttons here is the ability to manually control the system’s cooling fan – simply touch the icon and the internal fans come to life. This is the first time I’ve seen such a feature on a notebook of any kind. Other touch buttons allow you to control the system’s wireless connection, eject the optical tray and shut down the computer’s display.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">MSI says the SteelSeries keyboard is more rigid than the typical notebook board. I’d somewhat agree with this although it’s not perfectly rigid by any stretch of the imagination. I noticed there is no Windows key to the left side of the spacebar like normal, I imagine to save space and fit the numpad cleanly. I didn’t find anything to complain about with the SteelSeries board.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"></div><center style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1658461837330835216" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;"><img border="0" src="http://static.techspot.com/articles-info/632/images/14p.jpg" style="border: 0px; outline: none;" /></a></center><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">The touchpad is off-centered to the left because of the numpad, but still centered in respect to the actual keyboard like usual. The touchpad is recessed and features a separate one-piece button for the left and right click functions. There isn’t a ton of surface area with this touchpad but odds are, serious gamers will use a mouse when playing anyway. Five LED indicators adorn the bottom of the touchpad, giving status updates to things like hard drive activity and battery life.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">The wrist rest and surrounding area look to be built of a brushed aluminum, while the keyboard deck uses a contrasting glossy black plastic that matches the upper half of the system near the speakers. The majority of the screen bezel is also glossy in nature which will no doubt attract fingerprints over time.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/review/632-msi-gx60/" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

MSI GX60 Gaming Notebook Review

Some time ago I had the opportunity to look at Maingear’s Titan 17 notebook, a system described as a high performance desktop replacement by...

Read more »

UPnP flaws place millions of networks in danger

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; outline: none;"><img alt="internet, hacking, firmware, wireless, networking, exploits, networks, routers, security flaws, security researchers, utilities, vulnerabilities, research firms, gateways, switches, soap, upnp, udp, port forwarding, security research, rapi" src="http://static.techspot.com/images/teaser/rapid7%20upnp%20flaws.jpg" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Several security vulnerabilities found within common UPnP implementations have prompted experts at Rapid 7 to<a href="https://community.rapid7.com/community/infosec/blog/2013/01/29/security-flaws-in-universal-plug-and-play-unplug-dont-play#" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;">recommend the public disable UPnP entirely</a>. Research spanning several months in 2012 revealed that over 2 percent -- or about 50 million -- of all IPv4 accessible networks suffer from one of just three flaws <a href="https://community.rapid7.com/docs/DOC-2150" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;">outlined in the paper</a>(there are eight flaws in total). These vulnerabilities enable hackers to remotely access networks or even execute code. In fact, one remote code execution bug affects 23 million networks and can be triggered by the transmission of a single UDP packet.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">UPnP is a zero-config technology that allows software and devices to automagically trigger the opening and forwarding of ports on managed network equipment (e.g. gateway, router, commercial switches). At home, UPnP is particularly useful for game servers, file sharing and P2P applications -- essentially any service that depends on incoming connections but doesn't utilize a mediation server. Without UPnP, users must manually configure port forwarding and IP address assignment via their router and firewall administration utilities.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">According to security researchers, 81 million unique IPv4 addresses responded to remote UPnP discovery requests. Of those 81 million, about 20 percent allowed SOAP access -- an unsettling result when you consider this allowance can permit hackers remote access to networked devices behind a router. Possible exploits include stack overflows, remote code execution and unauthorized access to network management interfaces and even the networks themselves.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Portable UPnP, one of the four major UPnP libraries affected, released a patch today which resolves these troublesome exploits. However, it's up to equipment vendors (e.g. D-Link, Linksys etc..) to incorporate such security fixes into their firmware and distribute it to their users. For this reason, many devices that are no longer supported will remain unprotected indefinitely.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Not sure if your equipment is affected by one of the flaws? Rapid7 is <a href="http://www.rapid7.com/resources/free-security-software-downloads/universal-plug-and-play-jan-2013.jsp" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">offering a free utility</a> to verify the safety of your network's UPnP implementation. There have been numerous complaints about downloading, installing and running this scanner though: your mileage may vary until they get the bugs worked out. If you're unsure or don't want to take any chances, disabling UPnP is probably the way to go.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/51472-upnp-flaws-place-millions-of-networks-in-danger.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

UPnP flaws place millions of networks in danger

Several security vulnerabilities found within common UPnP implementations have prompted experts at Rapid 7 to recommend the public disable U...

Read more »

Nintendo president reveals new Mario, Zelda titles headed to Wii U

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Since launching in October 2012, the Nintendo Wii U’s gaming catalog has only seen a handful of new games and even fewer big name titles. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata aimed to change that earlier today as he <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-9020_7-57565391-222/zelda-mario-kart-and-other-hits-coming-to-nintendos-wii-u/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">unveiled</a> a series of new titles in the works featuring some of the company’s biggest franchises.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Iwata’s remarks came during one of the company’s regular <a href="http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct/archive/01-23-2013/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">Nintendo Direct Webcasts</a>. In it, the executive promised two new Mario titles in addition to the 2D side-scrolling New Super Mario Bros Wii U that’s already available.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none; text-align: center;"><img src="http://static.techspot.com/images2/news/bigimage/2013-01-23-image-5.png" style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">One will be a new 3D Mario game in the style of Super Mario Bros. 3D while the second will be a Mario Kart racing title. We expect to see both games on display at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in mid-June. Another Mario spinoff featuring Yoshi is also being planned, we’re told.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">If Mario isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps a couple of new titles under the Zelda franchise will give you something to look forward to.  Iwata pointed out that Nintendo was in the process of remaking the 2003 GameCube game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the Wii U. The game will feature updated HD graphics and should be ready for a fall 2013 release. A second Legend of Zelda game is also in the pipeline but details on it were lacking.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">We also learned that a software update coming this spring will add the Nintendo Virtual Console to the Wii U. This service allows gamers to access classic games from consoles past like the NES and the Super NES. Expect to pay between $5 to $9 for each retro title.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/51424-nintendo-president-reveals-new-mario-zelda-titles-headed-to-wii-u.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

Nintendo president reveals new Mario, Zelda titles headed to Wii U

Since launching in October 2012, the Nintendo Wii U’s gaming catalog has only seen a handful of new games and even fewer big name titles. Ni...

Read more »

AMD chief says company will return to profitability later this year

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; outline: none;"><img alt="amd, rory read, earnings report, profitabili" src="http://static.techspot.com/images2/news/thumbs/2012-10-18-teaser532.jpg" /></div><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">AMD held a conference call following yesterday’s earning results in order to clear up any misunderstandings and field questions from analysts and investors. According to reports, CEO Rory Read outlined AMD’s three-phase restructuring plan with the goal of <a href="http://techreport.com/news/24251/amd-promises-return-to-profitability-in-latter-half-of-2013" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">returning to profitability</a> by the second half of this year.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Read said the turnaround is expected to take several quarter and involves a complete restructuring of how the company runs its business. Furthermore, AMD plans to deliver a new set of powerful products this year and will begin transitioning the company to take advantage of high-growth opportunities in other markets where their intellectual property could provide others with a competitive advantage.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Those other markets include things like servers, custom silicon, the embedded space and ultra-low-power products like gaming consoles. Read told investors that AMD has already scored solid design wins for semi-custom APUs and embedded products and that we can expect to see products using those designs later this year. AMD hopes to collect 20 percent of their revenue from these alternate markets by the end of 2013.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">The executive also touched on spending cuts related to the company’s research and development efforts. Industry watchers have been concerned that AMD is cutting this segment too deep but as Read noted, they are taking expense management steps at all levels of the business. He said the cuts to R&D are designed to help improve efficiency and productivity by doing things like reusing intellectual property and utilizing fewer process technologies.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">If you missed yesterday’s <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/22/amd_q4_2012_financial_results/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">earnings report</a>, AMD posted an operating loss of $422 million and a net loss of $473 million for the fourth quarter when factoring in charges related to ending their wafer supply agreement with Globalfoundries.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/51422-amd-chief-says-company-will-return-to-profitability-later-this-year.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

AMD chief says company will return to profitability later this year

AMD held a conference call following yesterday’s earning results in order to clear up any misunderstandings and field questions from analyst...

Read more »

Samsung overtakes Apple as top semiconductor buyer in 2012

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.techspot.com/images2/news/thumbs/2013-01-09-teaser8e1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="apple, samsung, market share, semiconduct" border="0" height="448" src="http://static.techspot.com/images2/news/thumbs/2013-01-09-teaser8e1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Samsung has vaulted past Apple to become the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2013/01/23/samsung-moves-past-apple-to-be-worlds-no-1-chip-customer/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">world’s biggest buyer of semiconductors</a>, according to new data from Gartner. The two were virtually tied for semiconductor purchases in 2011, but last year the scale tipped slightly to the South Korean firm’s side, which bought 8% of the world’s semiconductors to the tune of $23.9 billion, while Apple’s spending on semiconductors rose to $21.4 billion for a 7.2% share.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Overall semiconductor market sales decreased by 3%, however, and outside of the two post-PC heavyweights six of the top ten chip buyers actually cut spending due to a slowdown in traditional computer sales.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">HP came in as the third largest spender at $14 billion, which was almost 13% lower than the previous year, while fourth-placed Dell cut spending by a similar proportion to $8.6 billion. Sony rose to fifth in the rankings after boosting spending 1.9 percent to $7.9 billion, followed by Lenovo in sixth up by a slight 0.3% to $7.2 billion and Toshiba which reduced semiconductor purchases in 2012 by 17% to $6.5 billion.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Gartner notes “a dramatic change” in consumer demand was contributed significantly to the shift in semiconductor buying. Despite this the PC market still represented the largest sector for chip demand, Gartner notes. But the slowdown caused a substantial decrease in semiconductor demand in 2012, as the semiconductor content of a smartphone or a media tablet is far less than that of a PC.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"><strong style="outline: none;">Top 10 semiconductor design TAM by company, worldwide 2012, preliminary (billions of dollars)</strong></div><table border="1" bordercolor="#ffffff" cellpadding="4" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none; text-align: center; width: 100%px;"><tbody style="outline: none;"><tr style="background-color: #05408f; color: white; outline: none;"><th style="outline: none;">Rank 2011</th><th style="outline: none;">Rank 2012</th><th style="outline: none;">Company</th><th style="outline: none;">2011</th><th style="outline: none;">2012</th><th style="outline: none;">Growth (%)</th><th style="outline: none;">Share (%)</th></tr><tr bgcolor="#EDF4F8" style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;">2</td><td style="outline: none;">1</td><td style="outline: none;">Samsung Electronics</td><td style="outline: none;">18.6</td><td style="outline: none;">23.9</td><td style="outline: none;">28.9</td><td style="outline: none;">8.0</td></tr><tr style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;">1</td><td style="outline: none;">2</td><td style="outline: none;">Apple</td><td style="outline: none;">18.8</td><td style="outline: none;">21.4</td><td style="outline: none;">13.6</td><td style="outline: none;">7.2</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EDF4F8" style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;">3</td><td style="outline: none;">3</td><td style="outline: none;">HP</td><td style="outline: none;">16.0</td><td style="outline: none;">14.0</td><td style="outline: none;">-12.7</td><td style="outline: none;">4.7</td></tr><tr style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;">4</td><td style="outline: none;">4</td><td style="outline: none;">Dell</td><td style="outline: none;">9.9</td><td style="outline: none;">8.6</td><td style="outline: none;">-13.4</td><td style="outline: none;">2.9</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EDF4F8" style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;">5</td><td style="outline: none;">5</td><td style="outline: none;">Sony</td><td style="outline: none;">7.7</td><td style="outline: none;">7.9</td><td style="outline: none;">1.9</td><td style="outline: none;">2.7</td></tr><tr style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;">7</td><td style="outline: none;">6</td><td style="outline: none;">Lenovo</td><td style="outline: none;">7.8</td><td style="outline: none;">7.8</td><td style="outline: none;">0.3</td><td style="outline: none;">2.6</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EDF4F8" style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;">6</td><td style="outline: none;">7</td><td style="outline: none;">Toshiba</td><td style="outline: none;">7.8</td><td style="outline: none;">6.5</td><td style="outline: none;">-17.1</td><td style="outline: none;">2.2</td></tr><tr style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;">9</td><td style="outline: none;">8</td><td style="outline: none;">LG Electronics</td><td style="outline: none;">6.5</td><td style="outline: none;">6.0</td><td style="outline: none;">-6.7</td><td style="outline: none;">2.0</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EDF4F8" style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;">11</td><td style="outline: none;">9</td><td style="outline: none;">Cisco</td><td style="outline: none;">5.4</td><td style="outline: none;">5.4</td><td style="outline: none;">-0.8</td><td style="outline: none;">1.8</td></tr><tr style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;">5</td><td style="outline: none;">10</td><td style="outline: none;">Nokia</td><td style="outline: none;">8.6</td><td style="outline: none;">5.0</td><td style="outline: none;">-42.6</td><td style="outline: none;">1.7</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EDF4F8" style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;"> </td><td style="outline: none;"> </td><td style="outline: none;">Others</td><td style="outline: none;">199.7</td><td style="outline: none;">191.1</td><td style="outline: none;">-4.3</td><td style="outline: none;">64.2</td></tr><tr style="outline: none;"><td style="outline: none;"> </td><td style="outline: none;"> </td><td style="outline: none;"><strong style="outline: none;">Total</strong></td><td style="outline: none;">306.8</td><td style="outline: none;">297.6</td><td style="outline: none;">-3.0</td><td style="outline: none;">100.0</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></div></div>

Samsung overtakes Apple as top semiconductor buyer in 2012

Samsung has vaulted past Apple to become the  world’s biggest buyer of semiconductors , according to new data from Gartner. The two were vir...

Read more »

Nokia is building a WP8 handset with a true PureView image sensor

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Nokia is reportedly working on what is described as a true PureView Windows Phone 8 handset that would ship with a super-high resolution image sensor similar to the 41-megapixel monster found in the <a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/47576-nokia-808-pureview-smartphone-unveiled-with-41mp-camera.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;">808 PureView</a>. The device, which goes by the codename EOS, will be a high-end addition to the Lumia family according to <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/23/3906566/nokia-eos-lumia-windows-phone-details" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">The Verge</a>.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">The publication points out that the phone will be built using lightweight aluminum rather than the usual polycarbonate that recent Lumia Windows Phones have used. The phone will use square edges as well which is said to be part of a fresh design cycle for Lumia handsets.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none; text-align: center;"><img src="http://static.techspot.com/images2/news/bigimage/2013-01-23-image-3.png" style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">There’s reason to believe this rumor as we heard rumblings of a similar Nokia handset earlier this month. Codenamed <a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/51229-nokia-lumia-920-successor-will-be-constructed-of-aluminum.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;">Catwalk</a>, that handset is also expected to use aluminum as a building material. The internal hardware, however, should be in line with the current generation Lumia 920 which means a 4.5-inch display, a dual-core processor, PureView camera technology and 4G LTE connectivity.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">The choice of codename is a bit interesting as it could be taken from Canon’s line of digital cameras considering the EOS will use a high-resolution sensor. Of course, that could be a complete coincidence as well.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;">Either way, we’re told that AT&T will get first dibs on the new Nokia handset sometime later this year. A third mid-range Windows Phone 8 device is expected to debut this summer. With any luck, we could see all three phones on display at Mobile World Congress next month.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/51419-nokia-is-building-a-wp8-handset-with-a-true-pureview-image-sensor.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

Nokia is building a WP8 handset with a true PureView image sensor

Nokia is reportedly working on what is described as a true PureView Windows Phone 8 handset that would ship with a super-high resolution ima...

Read more »