Daily Tech Briefing: June 5, 2014

Hewlett-Packard has introduced the HP Pro x2 612, a two-in-one laptop and tablet. HP media director Mike Hockey wanted to make it clear that the Pro x2 612 is a notebook first, and that no corners have been cut in the quality and feel of the computer experience.

This new two-in-one runs Intel Core i3 or i5 processors and has 3G and 4G LTE connectivity and features a spill-resistant keyboard that is backlit. It also contains its own battery, which contributes an extra six hours of battery life for a total of just over 14 hours when the Pro x2 612 is being used in the notebook configuration. HP has also expanded its Elite series to include a 700 line of notebooks and desktops for small and medium-sized business users.

According to a new report from Accenture, traditional banks may be getting edged out by mobile companies. The company surveyed over 4,000 retail bank customers and found that many of them are open to switching to branchless banks, as well as to banking with trusted mobile brands.

For instance, 40 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds said they would likely bank with Google if the company offered banking services, and this age group also expressed interest in banking with Amazon, Apple and PayPal.

Intel officials at the Computex 2014 trade show debuted the company’s& upcoming “Broadwell” processor for tablets and 2-in-1 devices, along with a smartphone powered by a SoFIA chip with integrated wireless capabilities.

Intel President Renee Jameson also unveiled the latest Core i5 and i7 chips for PCs. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich has said that Intel’s goal is to prove that if a device computes, it does so best on Intel Architecture. These and other recent Intel offerings seem to be working toward proving that.

More than 30 teams will compete in the U.S. government’s first-ever Cyber Grand Challenge, with the goal of making computer networks and systems self-defending. The contest, organized by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, calls on competitors to design systems that can detect vulnerabilities in a network and fix them before attackers get a chance to exploit them.

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