Michelle Maisto

On Aug. 11, Apple began offering its 15-inch MacBook Pro with the option of an anti-glare widescreen display-for an extra $50-in addition to a glossy display, Apple Insider first reported.In this it joins the 17-inch MacBook Pro, though the 13-incher still only comes in glossy for now.Approximately two years ago, Apple transitioned its Mac products […]

USAA held a conference call on Aug. 11 to offer more details about the feature it recently added to its iPhone banking application, which now lets users deposit checks by capturing images of the front and back of a check with the iPhone’s camera.During the call, at 2:30 p.m. Central Time, USAA spokesperson Paul Berry […]

Dell on Aug. 11 expanded its Vostro line to include the Vostro 1014, 1015 and 1088. Like the rest of the Vostro line, the new notebook PCs are geared toward small business users, in terms of price and how quickly they can start running out of the box.“Small businesses are a set of customers that […]

The midrange mobile handset market is being squeezed, according to a new report from Juniper Research, which found the strongest growth to be among high-end smartphones and low-cost handsets for emerging markets.These two bookends of the market are expected to account for nearly 79 percent of all new mobile phones by 2014-or just over 1 […]

With the approval of a third-party testing lab, Panasonic has announced that its Toughbook U1, 19 and 30 mobile computers now meet the MIL-STD-810G military specification, which was issued in October 2008 to upgrade and replace the MIL-STD-810F standard.Rugged devices undergo military standard certification testing and emerge with various numbers and letters that identify how […]

Authentec, a popular provider of smart fingerprint solutions, will be introducing a family of hardware and software solutions on Aug. 17. While biometric solutions have primarily focused on the enterprise, this new solution, which Authentec is currently shopping around to manufacturers, is intended for consumers and netbooks.“This significant portfolio expansion gives us a complete offering […]

For Dell, 10-inch screens are the sweet spot for netbooks, and so it is canceling its Inspiron Mini 12 netbook line. The Mini 9, which was retired for a time, is being brought back for a limited engagement.“So, should you read anything into this as far as Dell’s commitment to the netbook space?” Lionel Menchaca […]

Motorola is rumored to have two Google Android smartphones in development for release later in 2009. The Morrison, round-edged and trimmed in blue, is expected to debut on the T-Mobile network Oct. 21, according to PC World, while the slicker and darker Sholes is said to headed for the Verizon network.Android and Me claims to […]

USAA, a privately held bank and insurance company geared primarily toward military personnel and their families, will be updating its Apple iPhone application the week of Aug. 10 to enable account holders to deposit a check by simply photographing both sides with an iPhone, The New York Times is reporting.“We’re essentially taking an image of […]

PC sales may be slumping, but it’s a good time to be a memory supplier to high-end smartphone makers. This trend, according to research company iSuppli, has a lot to do with Apple and the company’s iPhone.iSuppli is expecting global sales of NAND-type flash memory to rise nearly sixfold from 2008 to 2013, as the […]

Demand for smartphones, video capabilities and China’s growing mobile phone market are expected to boost shipments of mobile phone displays, which slipped in the first quarter of 2009, according to a report from forecaster DisplaySearch. Quarter-to-quarter, mobile phone display shipments fell by 11 percent, to 263 million units, though they’re expected to rise to 306 […]

Netbooks have been a bright spot in the fading PC market, which analysts have attributed, in part, to carriers offering netbooks at subsidized prices in combination with service contracts.High-speed Internet provider Qwest Communications has joined these ranks, with the offer of a 10-inch Dell Inspiron Mini Netbook for $199-essentially, a $100 rebate-in combination with a […]