Technology news from local and global vendors including Google, Apple, HP, Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, IBM, Citrix

Google to sell Nexus smartphones, tablets direct, report says

Google is reportedly moving to more direct sales of its Android smartphones and tablets in a move to wrest control away from wireless carriers that install their own services on Android gear or block Google apps like Google Wallet.Thursday, 17 May, 2012

Microsoft anti-bloatware service to apply to Windows 8 PCs, too

A Microsoft in-store program that scrubs "bloatware" from Windows PCs will also be offered when Windows 8 machines reach the market later this year, a company representative said.Thursday, 17 May, 2012

Juniper to license Radware tech for data center?

Juniper Networks is negotiating a deal with Radware to license application delivery controller technology from the company, according to investment firm Oppenheimer & Co.Thursday, 17 May, 2012

Microsoft to charge US$15 for Windows 8 upgrade deal

Microsoft plans to charge users who buy a new Windows 7 PC US$14.99 for an upgrade to Windows 8. The upgrade program is expected to kick off alongside the delivery of Windows 8 Release Preview in June.Wednesday, 16 May, 2012

Intel looks to cover bases with new server chips

Intel announced three major expansions of its Xeon server processor line this week, adding lower-priced Sandy Bridge options for the two- and four-socket market and the Ivy Bridge architecture to workstation-class devices.Wednesday, 16 May, 2012

New engine to power Xangati's performance monitoring product

The latest version of Cupertino-based Xangati's virtual dashboard product will boast a new performance management engine and the ability to work with eight instances of VMware vCenter, instead of just one.Wednesday, 16 May, 2012

New DDR4 memory to boost tablet, server performance

Although the standard for DDR4 memory won't be finalized until summer, several companies are already preparing to ship modules that will boost performance in data centers and on consumer devicesTuesday, 15 May, 2012

Is November Win 8 tablet release too late?

If Intel-based Windows 8 tablets launch in November, as one informed source expects, Microsoft would face a narrow window to play a role in the important holiday sales period.Tuesday, 15 May, 2012

Blogs: MacBook Pro refreshes may be imminent

Hints that Apple will soon refresh its iMac desktop and MacBook Pro laptop lines accumulated today as several Mac-centric blogs revealed new details gleaned from the Web and unnamed sources.Tuesday, 15 May, 2012

IBM brings Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture to M4 server line

IBM today announced that it will begin rolling out a family of Intel Ivy Bridge-equipped versions of its M4 server expected to reduce data center power costs and offer entry level virtualization servers.Tuesday, 15 May, 2012

Is November Win 8 tablet release too late?

If Intel-based Windows 8 tablets launch in November, as one informed source expects, Microsoft would face a narrow window to play a role in the important holiday sales period.Tuesday, 15 May, 2012 | 1 comment

Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 on sale Sunday in US for US$400

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is set to go on sale at retailers nationwide Sunday for US$399.99, furthering the variety of tablet sizes from the vendor.Saturday, 12 May, 2012 | 7 comments

Microsoft preps Windows 8 upgrade deal for early June debut, says report

Microsoft will reportedly kick off a Windows 8 upgrade program for buyers of Windows 7 PCs in early June.Saturday, 12 May, 2012

Largest Illinois healthcare system uproots Cisco to build $40M private cloud

LAS VEGAS -- A healthcare network in Illinois is investing $40 million in Alcatel-Lucent switches to consolidate data centers into a private cloud.Saturday, 12 May, 2012

Five ways to improve datacentre power efficiency you might not have thought of

While few doubt the importance of maximising the energy efficiency of their corporate data centers, executive vice president of datacentre technology for Las Vegas-based Switch, Mark Thiele's talk at Interop this week showcased just how much companies might still be missing.Friday, 11 May, 2012

MIT business school grapples with virtualisation

MIT's Sloan School of Management has embraced virtualised desktops as a way to meet user needs and streamline operations, but the IT staff accepts that finding just the right mix of hardware and software is an ongoing challenge.Friday, 11 May, 2012

BYOD stirs up legal problems

Does BYOD put your company in murky legal water? You bet. Employees need protections, too.Friday, 11 May, 2012

VMware: Virtualise the rest of the datacentre

The server has been virtualised, now it's time for the rest of the datacentre - including the network - to catch up. That's the message form VMware at this year's Interop, as the company seeks to ensure it remains a major enterprise IT player while the software-defined networking trend continues to gain momentum.Friday, 11 May, 2012

Up next for the cloud: Big data analytics?

In an effort to diversify its cloud offerings, NaviSite - a Time Warner Cable cloud computing and managed hosting company - announced plans to offer storage service for customers in what one analyst says could the beginning of service providers looking to offer big data analysis from the cloud.Friday, 11 May, 2012

Oracle tweaks storage options for virtual desktop infrastructure

Oracle's virtual desktop infrastructure is no longer reliant solely on the company's own storage infrastructure, giving customers a range of new options that won't tie customers into one vendor.Friday, 11 May, 2012

HP has all the ingredients for software defined networking, almost

HP says it has all of the necessary orchestration tools for its software defined networking strategy - the big question is, will it build its own controller?Friday, 11 May, 2012