Articles by Mark Hawver
Canon Pixma printer fleet has one simple goal
Canon has debuted three new photo printers in its Pixma line that are designed to simplify scanning, editing and printing of photographs. All three printers can be cloud-connected and are compatible with Apple Air Print remote printing functions.
Broadcasters sue FCC over spectrum auction process
The FCC struck a deal with the National Association of Broadcasters to compensate its members for giving up some of their frequency spectrum for an auction that would benefit wireless broadband carriers. Now, though, the group is suing the FCC over possible financial harm to NAB members who don't participate in the auction.
Corvette webcam tracks valet activity, locks glove boxes and infotainment systems
A Valet Mode option in the 2015 Corvette allows the driver to visually and statistically monitor how valets are driving their cars. It also locks glove boxes and storage bins.
Huge Fuhu Android tablet fosters family game play, social learning
Fuhu is introducing its Nabi Big Tab HD tablets with 20-inch and 24-inch touch screens. They are designed and equipped to promote fun learning for children, and to foster family participation in activities.
HP, Microsoft debut $199 Stream, but is it a Chromebook contender?
Microsoft is going after Google's Chromebook series of notebooks by introducing low-cost notebooks running Windows 8.1. The first product to debut will likely be the HP Stream 14, which will retail for $199.
Top stolen cars? Honda Accord, Civics take honors and thieves like the Ford F-150 as well
Honda Accords, Honda Civics and Ford F-150 trucks are three of the most stolen vehicles in America, due mainly to a thriving parts market for these high-volume sellers. But theft rates are shrinking on post-1990s models because of advancements in automobile anti-theft technology.
BlackBerry boasts new tech patent unit for innovative assets
BlackBerry has launched a new business unit to focus on patent protection and acquisition for the company's technological assets. Dr. Sandeep Chennakeshu has been named president of the new structure within BlackBerry.
Best Buy reveals Moto 360 smart watch specs, price
Electronics retailer Best Buy best be more careful in the future, as it prematurely advertised the Motorola Moto 360 smart watch on its website. Motorola will probably not officially announce the availability of the product until Sept. 4.
Apple beefs up leadership diversity with two female VPs
Apple has acted on its pledge to increase the diversity of its executive leadership. The company promoted some nonmale, nonwhite high-level managers to vice president roles.
Google buys itself a Jetpac to boost AI tech capabilities
Google is acquiring Jetpac, a travel guide app that digitally peruses Instagram photos to offer highly personalized search functions into its Jetpac City Guide program. The app's 'deep learning' technology would be a good fit with Google Maps, Google Now and other legacy Google programs.
Ford pulling 83K cars, SUVs for power loss; Volkswagen recalls 151K Tiguans
Ford is recalling 83,000 large sedans and SUVs for a component failure that could cause the loss of power to the drive wheels. Volkswagen is recalling 151,000 Tiguan SUVs for a fuel pump issue.
China Mobile merger with T-Mobile could be a win-win for both telecoms
China's largest wireless carrier, China Mobile, is all cashed up with nowhere to go. Could the acquisition of T-Mobile represent the growth beyond its home market that China Mobile seeks?
Apple housing Chinese user data in China-based storage servers
Apple will be storing data from its Chinese customers on China-based servers. The company claims it is doing so to assure faster and more reliable access to iCloud services for Chinese users, but there are numerous other factors at play.
Facebook ad tracking goes as deep as cross-device reporting
Facebook has successfully implemented advertising in users' News Feeds. Now the company will provide advertisers with information on how many users complete a purchase across multiple devices, from a first view of an ad to a completed transaction.
Android leads smartphone OS race, Windows share shrinks to 2.5 percent
Smartphone sales continue to rocket upwards. Lost in space, though, is Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, which is falling out of orbit especially compared with Android and Apple iOS.
FCC mulls regulating broadband providers just like phone companies
The heated issue of net neutrality finds no one straddling the fence. The FCC commissioner sets off a new round of consternation by indicating that the commission will regulate broadband providers as it does phone companies.
Google executive broke ethics rule in DARPA role, claims report
Dr. Regina Dugan joined Google in 2012 after a leading role as director at the government agency, DARPA. Not so fast, there, doctor - the Department of Defense Inspector General says she committed ethics violations by promoting her own company while at DARPA.
Russian leader's Twitter hacked, resignation news a hoax
A hacker broke into the Twitter account of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, issuing a series of fake tweets. The first spoof tweet had Medvedev announcing his resignation, which officials were quickly required to deny.
Tough choices for Cisco, 6,000 layoffs ahead
Cisco Systems continues to cope with a changing and challenging marketplace through acquisitions of companies and technologies it believes will move the company where it wants to go. That, and by laying off another 6,000 employees.
Apple bans two harmful chemicals in Chinese factory production
Apple is banning the use of two chemicals, benzene and n-hexane, in the final assembly stages of the iPhone, iPad and other products. The chemicals are said to be potentially harmful to the health of factory workers where the products are made.
Land Rover recalling 40K vehicles due to airbag issue
Two Land Rover models, the LR2 and the Range Rover Evoque, are being recalled for a possible front passenger air bag defect that could prevent deployment when needed. The company will recall over 40,000 2010-2015 LR2 models and 2012-2013 Evoque models.
Snowden: U.S. can ignite bot war, I'd return if jailed
Edward Snowden just indicated his willingness to return to the U.S. and go to prison, if it meant that the NSA would clean up its act and that whistle-blowers were no longer prosecuted. He also warned about an NSA bot that could unintentionally trigger a cyber war.
Sprint chief mulling cuts in workforce, customer plans
Sprint's new CEO, Marcelo Claure, is thought to be preparing job cuts, service curtailments and a complete revision of the company's voice and data plans. The bottom line, though, is that Sprint must recover lost subscribers and add new ones if the company is to make a full recovery.
Twitter opens content channel for video in big, brassy ad move
Twitter will soon bring sponsored video advertising to Twitter feeds, a program that is just now entering its beta phase. Fortunately, these video ads will not autoplay as users scroll by, unlike Facebook's more aggressive stance.
Apple big on hiring white men, not so much women or minorities
Apple joins a plethora of tech companies in releasing its workforce diversity figures. It turns out that across almost all of the companies reporting in, the male-female ratio figures are remarkably similar, and remarkably male- and white-oriented.
iPad Air 2 in production, reports cite better display tech
Apple iPad Air sales are softening as phablets continue their encroachment on tablet sales. The next iPad Air may feature an anti-glare display, but it will take more than that to polish Apple's tablet sales again.
T-Mobile chief taps Twitter to share view on Sprint and it's not very nice
T-Mobile CEO John Legere spends some time on Twitter issuing several 'Nah-Nah-Ne-Nah-Nah' barbs at Sprint. Legere lauds T-Mobile for its success while castigating Sprint for its lack thereof.
Federal traffic safety agency chided for slow action on recall requests
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has had a busy 2014 so far, given the record-breaking year for automotive recalls. But there are questions about deadlines the agency has missed in deciding on petitioners' requests for recall campaigns.
Apple is busy, busy, busy and it's not all about the iPhone 6
Apple will be introducing its Health app as part of its HealthKit API next month at the rollout of both iOS 8 and the iPhone 6. The company is in talks with major medical care institutions nationwide about using HealthKit to integrate vital patient information software, storage and sharing systems.
Amazon vs. Disney, Hachette battles rage on
Amazon, in a quest to pump some much-needed profits back into its e-book and DVD sales, is aggressively pursuing concessions from major publishers. Its most recent targets are Hachette Book Group and Walt Disney.
