Technology News

Apple knocks IBM off top of Davis brands list
Apple unseated IBM as the top brand of 2011, according to a new study by Davis Brand Capital. The popular gadget maker came in seventh place in last year's tally.

Microsoft Bing page tips off new Windows 8 Consumer Preview
A special in-the-works Bing page is already providing some pointers to Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 "Consumer Preview" due out this month, though most of the links aren't yet working.

Microsoft removes start button in Windows 8
Leaked screenshots of the latest Windows 8 build show that Microsoft has jettisoned the traditional Windows 8 Start button but tweaked the Charms Bar and other settings.

CEO Appleton reflected Micron's high-risk business
The death of Micron Technology's CEO during a solo flight in a hard-to-handle aircraft symbolizes the risky memory chip market that is the company's bread and butter.

Why Apple's A5 is so big--and iPhone 4 won't get Siri
Noise-reduction technology from a start-up called Audience accounts for the size of the iPhone 4S chip and keeps Siri off the iPhone 4, analyst Linley Gwennap concludes.

Firefox 11 to get add-on sync
Changes are afoot again for Firefox. The beta channel can now sync add-ons, the Aurora channel completes a smoother update process, and work on the faster native UI for Android continues.

Mozilla preps the Web to push
Mozilla's gestating a new project that takes its cues from the mobile world: site-specific push notifications. Could this be a next-generation RSS?

Microsoft withdraws one patent claim against Barnes & Noble
The software giant narrows its claims against Barnes & Noble, saying it hoped to streamline its case before hearings on the dispute begin on Monday.

HP coughs up close to $47 million on CEO change
Hewlett-Packard spent $30.41 million in total compensation for ousted CEO Leo Apotheker, while new chief Meg Whitman landed $16.52 million in total compensation, according to a new filing.

Hardware makers suffer through drive shortages
Here's a tour of how the Thailand flooding and a hard drive shortage affected three tech giants: Sony, Western Digital, and Seagate.