Articles by Christian de Looper
Apple retains top brand ranking. Can you guess who lands a close second?
Interbrand has released its annual Best Global Brands report, showing Apple and Google are the top two most valuable brands in the world. Technology was the most prominent category on the list, with Huawei making the list for the first time.
Icahn pens love letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, but is clearly not happy with stock price
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has written a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook requesting the company buy back more of its stock. According to Icahn, Apple should be valued at $203 per share, compared with the company's actually trading level of around $101 per share.
Snapchat ads on the way, but users can opt out
Snapchat will begin serving ads through the Stories section of its app. Despite this, ads will not be targeted and users will be able to opt-out of advertising whenever they want.
Mood-changing wearable promises to make you Thync
A company called Thync has announced $13 million in funding for a device that is aimed at altering the wearer's mood in the same way that things like caffeine or exercise does. Using electricity and ultrasound, it is supposed to make wearers feel calm or energetic.
EMC, Symantec mulling corporate break-up moves. Is this the latest tech company trend?
Soon after learning that HP and eBay were planning on splitting into two companies, rumors suggest that Symantec and EMC are planning on doing the same. Is this a new trend among Silicon Valley tech companies?
AT&T dealt hefty FTC fine for billing boo-boo
AT&T will pay $105 million to the FTC as a settlement for a case related to mobile cramming, or falsely charging customers for content such as wallpapers and ringtones. Some $80 million of the fine will go to customers in refunds.
Highfive videoconferencing is for the masses thanks to an affordable price point
Highfive has released a new videoconferencing system that is not only intuitive, but is also affordable for small- and medium-sized businesses. Calls begin on a phone and are then beamed to a TV screen using the accompanying app.
Feds expanding access to app aimed at nabbing child predators
An app called Operation Predator, which has been on the Apple App Store since last year, will be released in Spanish versions and on Android. The app posts information about child predators, enabling users of the app to help in the arresting of those predators.
Yahoo data breach was not due to a Shellshock attack but a server flaw
Yahoo has been attacked by hackers who aimed to take advantage of the Shellshock bug. But instead, possibly without knowing it, they took advantage of an unknown flaw in Yahoo's servers.
Bendgate, now #Hairgate as Apple iPhone 6 is literally pulling out users' hair
The iPhone 6 has been the subject of complaints since it was first released. First there was Bendgate, in which users discovered that they should not sit with their phone in a pocket. Now there is Hairgate, in which users are reporting that the iPhone 6 pulls hair out when they take a call.
Micron takes a memory approach in new processor development
Micron has announced availability of its new Automata Processor, which is based on its memory technology but is instead a processor. The processor is low power and will be commercially available starting next year.
AT&T has good news for Motorola fans, Moto G LTE arrives Friday
On Oct. 10, AT&T will begin selling the Moto G LTE, which boasts a number of great features for an even better price. The Moto G has been hailed as one of the best budget smartphones on the market and is Motorola's best-selling smartphone of all time.
'Assassin's Creed' rocks blood, guts and gruesome carnage. Ready to play?
'Assassin's Creed: Unity' promises to be a refreshed game both in terms of storyline and character development. Not only that, but the game is also set to be one of the more political 'Assassin's Creed' games, being set during the controversial French Revolution.
What'sApp costing Facebook extra $3B but social network doesn't bat an eye
The Facebook-WhatsApp acquisition has finally passed in the European Union, with regulators allowing the deal to pass without any problems. Despite that, the deal is now worth an extra $3 billion because of the rise in Facebook's stock.
Sprint to book $160 million charge for October layoffs: Managers will not be spared
Sprint will be cutting an unspecified number of jobs to eventually cut costs. The cuts will cost the company $160 million in severance and other costs.
iPad Air 2 release date tipped as Oct. 16: What to expect
Apple is expected to hold an event Oct. 16 which will likely see the release of products like the upcoming iPad Air 2, as well as a new iMac and OS X Yosemite. It's likely the iPad will include a Touch ID fingerprint scanner.
Apple CarPlay boasts support from a pioneer in car tech
Pioneer has announced a number of its in-car stereo units will be getting an update to support Apple's CarPlay. This will make Pioneer the first company to offer CarPlay support.
Apple iPad unveiling date set, but then again it may be just a rumor
Apple is expected to hold an event Oct. 16 to unveil a number of new products. It will most likely preview refreshed iPads, new iMac computers and the new OS X operating system, Yosemite.
Now Facebook wants in on health care tech. Who's next, Yahoo?
Facebook is reportedly preparing to enter the health care business. Reports suggest it is meeting with health experts and entrepreneurs, as well as setting up a division for testing health-related apps.
Wi-Fi blocking costs big-name hotel chain some big bucks
The Marriott hotel chain will be paying a $600,000 fine to the FCC following an investigation that found the hotel was using Wi-Fi jamming technology to slow down customer's personal hotspots.
Why Google Nexus 6/X is shaping up to be the smartphone to beat
With the release of the next Google Nexus smartphone reportedly just around the corner, many are wondering just what the specs of the device will be. If the rumors turn out to be true, the Nexus 6/X is sure to be the device to beat.
JPMorgan: Lone network hack affected 76M households, 7M businesses
After a report from The New York Times suggested JPMorgan was hacked a second time in the last three months, the bank has come out and said there was just one hack.
Here is one way to stop Facebook's Atlas from tracking your every move
With the announcement of Facebook's new ad network, Atlas, many users are worried that they will not have control over their privacy. For those users, a new tool, called Adblock Plus, may prove useful.
Software for monitoring youngsters' online activity is spyware in disguise, claims report
Computer software that lets parents monitor a child's online activity is being criticized by the Electronic Frontier Foundation as doing more harm than good. The EFF slams the software's keylogger function for storing unencrypted information on the hard drive.
5 reasons to upgrade to Microsoft Windows 10
Microsoft Windows 10 boasts a slew of new features and functions. Here are just five that are compelling enough to endure the upgrade next year.
Why Ello just may prove to be the 'Facebook' you need, or maybe not
A new social network called Ello has been getting a lot of media attention over the past few weeks, largely because of the fact that it does not collect personal information and does not accept advertising. It may give Facebook a run for its money just on that aspect.
Internet of Things gets an OS all its own, thanks to ARM
ARM has announced a new operating system called mbed OS, made specifically for devices that are part of the Internet of Things. This is the first software that aims to tie together all IoT devices.
Hackers hit game vendors, Microsoft and even the U.S. military in sophisticated attacks
A group of hackers has been charged with hacking into the systems of a number of large tech companies as well as the U.S. Army. In doing so, they allegedly stole information relating to a number of upcoming video games, as well as simulator software for the Boeing Apache attack helicopter.
The million dollar question posed by Windows 10: Will there be true interoperability?
With the announcement of Microsoft's Windows 10, many are skeptical as to whether it will be an effective and useful operating system. They're concerned especially as it's a follow-up to Windows 8, which was considered by many to be a flop.
Stalking app creator arrested in first mobile spyware prosecution
In the first case of its kind, the maker of a spying and tracking app called StealthGenie has been arrested. The app allows people to spy on and track someone else's phone calls, texts and more without their knowledge.
