consumers

Fri
29
Sep
John Lister's picture

Amazon Faces Antitrust Case

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed an antitrust lawsuit accusing Amazon of "illegally maintaining monopoly power." Critics argue the lawsuit is too vague, while redacted sections make it hard to assess in full. The FTC has filed the ... complaint alongside 17 state attorneys. It says Amazon "violates the law not because it is big, but because it engages in a course of exclusionary conduct that prevents current competitors from growing and new competitors from emerging." It also alleges that Amazon acts illegally to "wield monopoly power to inflate prices, degrade quality, and stifle ... (view more)

Tue
27
Nov
John Lister's picture

iPhone App Prices Spark Supreme Court Battle

A seven-year-old case into Apple app pricing is heading to the Supreme Court. It's a technical case that centers on the percentage Apple takes from every iPhone or iPad app sale. The case isn't about the royalty itself, which is 30 percent of every ... sale through the iTunes store. Various legal and technical measures mean that's the only way developers can distribute iOS apps, so there's no way around paying the royalty. Instead, the legal question is whether or not consumers have the right to take legal action against Apple over the system. Such lawsuits, of which several have been proposed, ... (view more)

Wed
13
Jun
John Lister's picture

Consumer Group Claims Win10 Problems 'Widespread'

A consumer group is demanding compensation for users who've spent time and money fixing computer problems caused by Windows 10. It also wants updates and tech support to be improved. The call comes from "Which?", an independent organization in the ... United Kingdom that's similar to the US Consumer Reports group. It's brought up Windows 10 in the past: two years ago it revealed that more than 1,000 of its members had complained about the system. Now Which? says it's continuing to receive complaints and carried out a survey of members. It questioned more than 1,100 members who use ... (view more)

Thu
04
Dec
Brandon Dimmel's picture

Windows 10 Could Bolster 600 Million PC Upgrades

Dell President Renee James says Windows 10's impact on the struggling PC market will be huge, with the release of Microsoft's next operating system (OS) leading to an estimated 600 million PC upgrades. James, who recently spoke at the Credit Suisse ... Technology Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, says there are hundreds of millions of PCs out there that are four years old or older. James says that many of the owners of these aging PCs have been putting off an upgrade because they simply weren't wowed by Microsoft's last operating system, Windows 8. Microsoft Being " ... (view more)

Mon
07
Jul
Brandon Dimmel's picture

Report: Windows 8 Doomed; Win9 Beta Preview in Fall

A new report suggests that when it comes to Windows 8, consumers continue to be very hesitant about upgrading to Microsoft's latest operating system - even two years after its release. That has led some experts to suggest that there's no hope left ... for Windows 8, leaving Windows 9 to carry the slack (reportedly due in the spring of 2015). Windows 8 was released amid some controversy in the summer and fall of 2012. Perhaps the most debatable part of the operating system was its tile-based Metro user interface (now called "Modern"), which embraces touchscreen technology. It was part of ... (view more)

Tue
25
Feb
Brandon Dimmel's picture

Windows 8 Update Makes Using Keyboard, Mouse Easier

Microsoft has announced that it plans to release its first major update for Windows 8.1 this spring, and it's called "Update 1". The biggest improvement, according to the firm, is that Windows 8.1 will become easier to use with a mouse and keyboard. ... Microsoft's first significant update to Windows 8 was Windows 8.1, which was released last fall. Windows 8.1 Update 1 expands upon that, and has been rumored for a spring 2014 release for some time. To date, however, Microsoft has said very little about what's included in the package. Windows 8.1 Update 1: Easier for Mouse, ... (view more)

Wed
21
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Samsung 'Smartwatch' Coming Soon: Report

Samsung, maker of the extremely popular 'Galaxy' smartphone, is reportedly planning to announce its very own 'smartwatch'. In fact, that announcement could come as early as this September. South Korea-based Samsung is planning to reveal details for ... its new smartwatch at a Wednesday, September 4, 2013 event, reports Bloomberg News. A likely setting for such an unveiling: Germany's IFA consumer electronics trade show. Like the Galaxy smartphones, the rumored smartwatch device will feature a special version of Google's very popular Android operating system. It's also been suggested that the new ... (view more)

Mon
06
May
Dennis Faas's picture

Analysts Blame Retailers for Windows 8's Failure

In a new report, tech industry analysts suggest that the world's major electronics retailers have contributed to slow sales of Microsoft's newest operating system (OS), Windows 8 . The problem: retailers didn't make Windows 8's changes clear to ... consumers or do enough to try and help those consumers understand the OS' new user interface. "Windows 8 brought a brand new UI [user interface] that had not fundamentally changed since DOS," noted Moor Insights & Strategy analyst, Patrick Moorhead. "[So] how did big-box retail respond? The same way they have for the last 20 years." "Massive ... (view more)

Fri
26
Apr
Dennis Faas's picture

HP Slate 7: Super-Cheap Tablet Computer

Prominent hardware manufacturer Hewlett-Packard (HP) is looking to put the TouchPad disaster behind it with the new, $169 Slate 7. You may recall that the TouchPad, which ran a unique operating system called WebOS, was first released in 2011. After ... consumers showed little interest in the device, HP slashed its price to a paltry $99 . That kicked off a consumer frenzy at electronics retailers like Best Buy. Slate 7 Cheaper Than Google Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Tab Back in 2011 $99 was considered insanely cheap for a tablet computer. But HP's new Slate 7 isn't that much more expensive. It will ... (view more)

Tue
08
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

'Ultra HDTV' Hyped at Consumer Electronics Show

Think the image projected by current high-definition televisions (HDTVs) is as sharp as it can get? Think again. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, experts expect Ultra HDTVs will push other TV display systems off center ... stage. Sony's new 4K television, for example, utilizes 4,000 pixels across the width of the TV screen. This effectively doubles the pixel density, compared with most 1080p displays currently on the market. Sony currently delivers its Ultra HDTV technology in the form of an 84-inch television set, which it sells for just over $24,000. As reported ... (view more)

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