Supply chain braces for possible merger of Vaio, Toshiba, Fujitsu PC units

Supply chain braces for possible merger of Vaio, Toshiba, Fujitsu PC units: Japan-based PC brand vendors Vaio (previously Sony), Toshiba and Fujitsu reportedly are ready to merge their notebook businesses into a company, a move which will affect Taiwan-based notebook ODMs, particularly Pegatron Technology, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

Hot iPad Air 3 rumor might make you care about tablets again

Hot iPad Air 3 rumor might make you care about tablets again:

When was the last time you really cared about tablets? If you're like me, it was probably around the time that Apple unveiled its third-generation iPad that had a Retina display. That was all the way back in 2012. Ever since then, despite the release of the iPad mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro models, tablets have gotten less and less interesting.

What can Apple do to make us care about the iPad again? One new rumor indicates that its upcoming iPad Air 3 is going to wow us all with a beautiful 4K display.

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Apple’s 2016 MacBook rollout timeline purportedly revealed

Apple’s 2016 MacBook rollout timeline purportedly revealed:

They might not be iPhones, but Apple’s MacBooks and Macs are still relevant players in the PC business. And while Apple may not have anything to announce regarding release plans for this year’s MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, supply chain murmurs have already hit the web and have revealed tentative release dates for this year's MacBook releases.

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Asia Pacific PC market dips 8% in 2015, says IDC

Asia Pacific PC market dips 8% in 2015, says IDC: PC shipments in Asia Pacific (including Japan) totaled 107.6 million units in 2015, according to IDC's preliminary results. This accounted for a 7.7% on-year decrease and a steeper contraction from the 5.7% on-year drop in 2014. In the fourth quarter of 2015, the market declined by 6.5% on year, reaching 26.9 million units, in line with IDC's initial forecasts.

Oversupply to overshadow LCD market in 2016, says IHS

Oversupply to overshadow LCD market in 2016, says IHS: The ongoing issue of LCD oversupply – exacerbated by China's aggressive investment in production capacity as well as high fab utilization – will continue well into 2016. The supply of large-area LCD is expected to be 14% greater than demand in 2016, up from 12% in 2015, according to IHS.

New Vision Display acquires OSD Displays

New Vision Display acquires OSD Displays: New Vision Display (NVD) has announced the completion of its acquisition of Florida-based OSD Displays – a provider of custom OLED, TFT and STN displays. OSDDisplays will continue to support its existing customer base, operating as a division of New Vision Display.

Increasing adoption of Ultra HD panels for notebooks may push down prices

Increasing adoption of Ultra HD panels for notebooks may push down prices: As notebook brand vendors including Asustek Computer, Lenovo, Dell, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Micro-Star International (MSI) have been using Ultra HD panels for their high-end models, the increasing adoption is likely to drive down related panel prices, according to supply chain makers.

Nanowire discovery may lead to better, cheaper solar cells

Nanowire discovery may lead to better, cheaper solar cells:

Scientists have figured out a standardized way to make nanowires out of perovskite, a material that could one day make solar energy cheap and ubiquitous. Just a few years ago, cells made from the relatively inexpensive substances had a solar efficien...

Apple has another record quarter, but iPhone sales growth slows to a halt

Apple has another record quarter, but iPhone sales growth slows to a halt:

It's going to be very interesting to see Apple spin these financials results. The company just announced its Q1 2016 results, and the company posted recored quarterly revenue and profit of $75.9 billion and $18.4 billion, respectively. That sounds gr...

New Balloon-Like Material Could Make Smart Windows Affordable

New Balloon-Like Material Could Make Smart Windows Affordable:

The good minds at MIT have used a rubber-like polymer to predict how much light gets transmitted through a material, depending on its thinness and stretchiness. The material could lead to windows that automatically adjust the amount of light that’s let in.

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New Apple patent details futuristic wrap-around OLED display

New Apple patent details futuristic wrap-around OLED display:

AppleInsider points us to a recently published U.S. patent application from Apple which suggests that Apple may at some point in the future consider a wrap-around OLED display for the iPhone. The patent covers an item called an “electronic device with a wrapped display” and explains how a flexible OLED display "or other flexible display structure may be wrapped around" a device.

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Foxconn trumps Japanese rival in $5.2 billion bid for Sharp

Foxconn trumps Japanese rival in $5.2 billion bid for Sharp:

Sharp may have mounds of debt and falling sales, but it has one thing that China's Foxconn doesn't -- display technology used by Apple and others. That's reportedly why Foxconn has bid 625 billion yen ($5.4 billion) to buy the troubled company, accor...

Compal Electronics to adjust ODM organization into 2 business groups

Compal Electronics to adjust ODM organization into 2 business groups: Compal Electronics will adjust its ODM organization into PC and smart device business groups, with the former to cover notebooks, desktops and servers and the latter tablets, smartphones and LCD TVs, according to the company.

Samsung to provide OLED monitor panels to Dell, say reports

Samsung to provide OLED monitor panels to Dell, say reports: Samsung Display is prepping to produce 30-inch Ultra HD (4K) OLED monitor panels for new high-end Dell products, according to a new Korea-based media report from MT News.

Curved LCD TV panel shipments expected to surpass 10 million in 2016

Curved LCD TV panel shipments expected to surpass 10 million in 2016: Curved LCD TV panel shipments are expected to surpass the 10 million mark in 2016 to approximately 12.5 million due to reduced pricing.

Digitimes Research: Global notebook shipments in 2016 to fall 2.5% on year

Digitimes Research: Global notebook shipments in 2016 to fall 2.5% on year: There were 157.4 million notebooks shipped globally in 2015, decreasing 9% on year, and the shipments will further slip 2.5% to 153.5 million units in 2016, according to Digitimes Research.

Video clip allegedly shows the rumored 4-inch Apple iPhone

Video clip allegedly shows the rumored 4-inch Apple iPhone:

A 40 second video posted on social media just might be giving us the first real look at the upcoming 4-inch Apple iPhone, expected to be unveiled as soon as this quarter. What is the device going to be called? So far, we have heard that it will be known as the iPhone 5e, iPhone 6c or the iPhone 7c. The video doesn't answer that question.



The clip, if legit, kills the rumor that the 4-inch iPhone would copy the design of the Apple iPhone 5c, except with a metal build. The video shows what appears to be a smaller version of the current Apple iPhone 6s. It does appear to contain a metal build ...

Giant Clams Light Up Like Plasma Screens, Only Better

Giant Clams Light Up Like Plasma Screens, Only Better:

I bet you’ve never thought about how giant clams will revolutionize future technology. It’s okay. You probably didn’t know about the incredible way these massive mollusks turn sunlight into power.

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Worldwide IT spending forecast to grow 0.6% in 2016, says Gartner

Worldwide IT spending forecast to grow 0.6% in 2016, says Gartner: Worldwide IT spending is forecast to total US$3.54 trillion in 2016, just a 0.6% increase over 2015 spending of US$3.52 trillion, according to Gartner. 2015 saw the largest US dollar drop in IT spending since Gartner began tracking IT spending. US$216 billion less was spent on IT in 2015 than in 2014 and 2014 spending levels will not be surpassed until 2019.

Digitimes Research: HDR apparent at CES 2016

Digitimes Research: HDR apparent at CES 2016: HDR has the most noticeable push forward from vendors in terms of TV technology at CES 2016 in addition to 8K prototypes, according to Digitimes Research.

Touch pressure sensors to appear in more smartphones during 2016

Touch pressure sensors to appear in more smartphones during 2016: Smartphone vendors in Asia are expected to release more handsets with touch pressure functions similar to that of 3D Touch in iPhone devices in 2016, according to industry sources.

HP's 3D-scanning Sprout Pro PC is built for schools

HP's 3D-scanning Sprout Pro PC is built for schools:

HP originally pitched its 3D-scanning Sprout computer to creatives and hobbyists, but doesn't it seem like an ideal machine for curious classrooms? The company agrees, apparently. It's introducing the Sprout Pro, a version of the unique all-in-one...

Light-activated nanoparticles can kill 90% of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Light-activated nanoparticles can kill 90% of antibiotic-resistant bacteria:

Light-activated therapeutic nanoparticles that are 20,000 times smaller than a human hair may one day be used to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a new study reveals. Called “quantum dots,” the particles resemble semiconductors used in electronics, and they’re able to act directly on the infection without interfering with healthy tissue around it.

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Capacitive touch demand on the rise for most applications

Capacitive touch demand on the rise for most applications: The proportion of capacitive touch is growing in segments including smartphone, tablet, notebook and all-in-one PC applications, due to reduced pricing for the technology.

Digitimes Research: Taiwan LCD monitor shipments decline over 10% in 2015; global shipments down 10%

Digitimes Research: Taiwan LCD monitor shipments decline over 10% in 2015; global shipments down 10%: Taiwan makers' shipments of LCD monitors reached 19.82 million in the fourth quarter of 2015, down 6.2% on quarter and down 10.9% on year, according to Digitimes Research.

$15 screen protector adds an invisible back button to your iPhone

$15 screen protector adds an invisible back button to your iPhone:

This is one you have to see to believe.

How many times have you wished that there was a physical back button on the bottom of your iPhone? Instead of having to reach up to the top of the screen to tap a software button or pop open the app switcher with a double-tap on the home button, you could just tap a button on the bottom of the phone and move back a screen. It's such a simple concept and Android phones have back buttons, but no such luck if you're an iPhone user... until now.

Meet the Sewell Refract Smart Glass Screen Protector, which costs just $15 on Amazon.

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New Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet with Windows 10 now available to buy in the US

New Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet with Windows 10 now available to buy in the US:

Dell recently introduced a brand new Venue 8 Pro tablet, which is now available to buy in the US, directly from the company's website.



The new Dell slate is, unsurprisingly, more powerful than the older Venue 8 Pro, and it runs Windows 10 out of the box (unlike the old model, which, at launch, ran Windows 8.1).



The Dell Venue 8 Pro with Windows 10 sports an 8-inch display with 1200 x 1920 pixels, and is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom Z8500 processor clocked at 2.24 GHz. There's 4 GB of RAM on board, plus 64 GB of storage space, which can be expanded thanks to the presence of a ...

This color-changing polymer warns of tiny damage you can't see

This color-changing polymer warns of tiny damage you can't see:

Tiny cracks can actually be a big deal when they're forming inside parts of your car or, say, a metal shell that's flying into space. University of Illinois research, led by Professors Nancy Sottos and Scott White, has lead to a polymer coating that...

Robots could replace 5 million jobs by 2020, report claims

Robots could replace 5 million jobs by 2020, report claims:

It's no secret that robots are replacing humans in factories, and both the retail and service industries are set to take a hit, too. Just how bad will things get? Well, the World Economic Forum says its research indicates that over 5 million jobs wil...

What will be the top 10 tech trends for 2016?

What will be the top 10 tech trends for 2016?:

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Always a good read, so we figured we’d flag: tech ‘dealmaker’ GP Bullhound has released its annual report predicting the top 10 technology trends for 2016. The London-born firm has made its research report available online for free, so download the PDF now and check it out.

The report will be presented at roundtables in January and February in Paris, San Francisco, Stockholm, Malmö, Berlin, Munich, London and Manchester. Or you can just read it this weekend.

Also read: Four predictions for the European tech market in 2016

Here’s a sneak peek at GP Bullhound’s findings:

1. Virtual reality becomes reality

2. “Quantified Self” transitions from niche to mainstream

3. Automobile industry ripe for innovation

4. Alternative lending continues to shine brightly in Fintech sector

5. Gaming giants fortify positions in top grossing charts

6. Digital video becomes more measured to keep growing up

7. “Deskless” workers come to forefront in enterprise mobility shift

8. Cybersecurity continues soul searching

9. Drones will fly into headwinds of uncertainty

10. Unicorn hunting now in season

The full report is available here.

The post What will be the top 10 tech trends for 2016? Check out GP Bullhound’s predictions appeared first on Tech.eu. Check out Tech.eu’s newsletter.

This story originally appeared on Tech.eu.

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New Transparent Metal Could Make Smartphones Cheaper

New Transparent Metal Could Make Smartphones Cheaper:

As smartphones get smaller, cheaper and faster, one essential component remains costly: the screen.

Almost 90 percent of smartphone touchscreens utilize a rare and expensive compound called indium tin oxide, which has kept the price of such screens high. Now, researchers at Pennsylvania State University have developed a new material, called strontium vanadate, that shares the transparent and conductive properties of indium tin oxide at a fraction of the cost.

The researchers detailed t

US government announces $4 billion self-driving car program

US government announces $4 billion self-driving car program:

Turns out we're way closer to our self-driving car future than most of us expected. US Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced at the Detroit Auto Show (pdf) Thursday that the Obama administration will have a national blueprint...

Here’s the people, brands, and products that won the attention war at CES 2016

Here’s the people, brands, and products that won the attention war at CES 2016:

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ScribbleLive has figured out which people, brands, products, and categories commanded the most attention at the 2016 International CES, the big tech trade show in Las Vegas last week. The company analyzed data from more than 100 million articles from news, blog, and social media sources to identify what grabbed the most attention.

The CES Influence Report said Apple, Samsung, and Blackberry gathered a lot of attention at the show. Gamers in particular were glued to news about the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. Apple didn’t actually appear at the show (as it never shows up), but it stole some of the attention when Apple executive Phil Schiller announced that the company generated $20 billion in sales in 2015 from the App Store. Samsung scored attention for its 11-inch Chromebook 3, and Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey drew a lot of attention for his comments around the Oculus VR’s launch and pricing.

Here’s the verdict below on the categories that got the most attention. Mobile was the winner, but gaming, cybersecurity, computers, and VR also ranked pretty high.

Above: The product categories that got the most attention at CES 2016.

Image Credit: ScribbleLive

And here’s the rankings on people. Not all of that attention was good. Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR, stirred some controversy when he said the $599 pricing for the Oculus Rift was cheap. He had to backtrack and apologize, as the price was actually above what a lot of people were expecting. Ford CEO Mark Fields came in second. That makes sense, since he opened the show with the first press conference and noted that Ford would launch 13 electric vehicles by 2020.

But Schiller of Apple and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook came in third and fourth, and they weren’t even at the show. Zuckerberg probably scored high for a post he wrote on artificial intelligence and VR.

Above: The people who got the most attention at CES 2016.

Image Credit: ScribbleLive

And here’s the top brands that had the biggest impact. Ford, as we noted, had the first press conference and grabbed a lot of notice from it.

Above: Top brands at CES 2016.

Image Credit: ScribbleLive

As for the top two devices that people want, the winners were the Oculus Rift and the Apple Watch. The latter, again, was not on display at CES 2016.

ScribbleLive said it identified opinions and reactions to the various product categories, people, and brands featured at the event. It calculated a proprietary influence score (the “attention index”) based on the people or entities that reacted to an announcement. This was weighted by their influence on a given theme; the credibility of the outlet where the reaction was published or consumed; and the volume of reactions generated by the opinions within the studied timeframe of January 1-8, 2016.

   

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Scientists develop batteries that won’t explode, using spiky nanoparticles

Scientists develop batteries that won’t explode, using spiky nanoparticles:

We’ve been waiting patiently for a breakthrough in battery technology, but thus far what we’ve gotten is a series of incremental improvements to existing lithium-based cells. We’re packing more power than ever into […]

Lenovo's Making a Consumer Phablet Using Google's Crazy Project Tango Tech

Lenovo's Making a Consumer Phablet Using Google's Crazy Project Tango Tech:

Lenovo and Google have been working together for a year to find a mainstream use for Google’s experimental Project Tango technology. Today we’re getting information about the very first Google Tango device for consumers. They’re actually gonna do it. This is very ambitious.

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Microscopic 3D-Printed Gold Walls Could Make More Sensitive Touchscreens

Microscopic 3D-Printed Gold Walls Could Make More Sensitive Touchscreens:

Touchscreens use a mesh of almost-transparent electronics to detect where they’re being touched. Now, a new microscopic 3D printing technique could provide greater transparency and higher sensitivity than the existing state-of-the-art.

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Gartner: Global PC shipments fell 8.3% in Q4 2015, Apple only company in top 5 to see growth

Gartner: Global PC shipments fell 8.3% in Q4 2015, Apple only company in top 5 to see growth:

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The PC market ended its poor year with another negative quarter. Both Gartner and IDC agree: PC shipments are down globally.

Gartner estimates worldwide PC shipments fell 8.3 percent to 75.7 million units in Q4 2015. The top five vendors were Lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus, and Apple.

As you can see in the chart below, Gartner says Apple was the only company among the top vendors that experienced an increase in PC shipments. Acer saw particularly poor results with double-digit declines.

IDC, meanwhile, estimates worldwide PC shipments dropped 10.6 percent to 71.9 million units in the fourth quarter. The top five vendors in IDC’s results were Lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus, and Apple.

IDC agrees with Gartner that Lenovo, HP, and Dell were down, as well as that Apple was up. However, IDC has Asus with a small bump:

But both agree that Apple outperformed the top PC vendors when it comes to this most recent holiday quarter. This means that every quarter in 2015 was a decline compared to each respective quarter in 2014.

“The fourth quarter of 2015 marked the fifth consecutive quarter of worldwide PC shipment decline,” Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, said in a statement. “Holiday sales did not boost the overall PC shipments, hinting at changes to consumers’ PC purchase behavior. On the business side, Windows 10 generally received positive reviews, but as expected, Windows 10 migration was minor in the fourth quarter as many organizations were just starting their testing period.”

Gartner also added that it was expecting a decline of 1 percent this year compared with 2015, “with the potential for a soft recovery in late 2016.” IDC painted this year in a more positive light.

“The PC market remains competitive and the economic environment weakened further with the recent drop in the Chinese stock market,” IDC Vice President Loren Loverde said in a statement. “However, PC replacements should pick up again in 2016, particularly later in the year. Commercial adoption of Windows 10 is expected to accelerate, and consumer buying should also stabilize by the second half of the year. Most PC users have delayed an upgrade, but can only maintain this for so long before facing security and performance issues. We continue to believe that a majority of these users will purchase another PC, motivated by new products and attractive pricing.”

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