hardware - News, Features, and Slideshows

Features

• Facebook may lure teen users back with virtual reality promise

  With its acquisition of virtual reality gaming company Oculus VR , Facebook may have found a way to lure back younger users to the social network.

• Hands on: Trying a 3D printer -- a beginner's tale

  Learning to use a 3D printer for the first time is not complicated, but learning to do it well comes with a significant learning curve.

• 3D printing is IT's next big challenge

  If your organsation is looking into 3D printing, IT can't afford to sit on the sidelines until it starts to look real.

• 3D printer prices drop, food printers arrive at CES

  The number of 3D printer vendors rose from five last year to more than 20 this year, and prices for their machines have come down dramatically.

• 3 trends that will make life harder for CIOs in 2014

  Robots, 3-D printers and wearable tech are indeed cool, but they should raise red flags for IT leaders. Here's how these emerging technologies will cause operations, privacy and user policy headaches for CIOs in 2014.

• Why HP's successful turnaround Is closer than it looks

  Hewlett-Packard's turnaround effort under CEO Meg Whitman, like an object in the rearview mirror, is closer than it appears. Credit the impending success on strategic partnerships, good hires and a broad view of the future of tech.

• Ballmer's chance of changing Microsoft? Don't bet on it

  Microsoft's attempt to transform its dog-eat-dog corporate culture into a kinder, gentler cooperative climate is likely doomed, an expert in failed business strategies said today.

• With reorg, Microsoft bets big on home-grown hardware

  Microsoft's reorganization is the biggest shot yet fired against the company's core partners, the computer makers who have made the software developer a technology giant, analysts said today.

• Bang & Olufsen shows off first new headphones in 25 years

  Bang & Olufsen has produced its first set of over-the-ear headphones and the first new headphones it's released in more than 25 years. The Danish company is also selling new ear buds that offer good sound reproduction in an understated, but classy, look.

• China likely to become No. 1 in supercomputing this week

  China has produced a supercomputer capable of 54.9 petaflops that will likely be recognized as the world's fastest system this week with the unveiling of a new Top500 list.

• Opinion: iPad vs. PC - sometimes the accepted wisdom is right

  It's clear that hardware makers are experimenting far more with Windows devices than Apple is with the iPad. But that does that herald a revival of the PC?

• Opinion: Does hardware matter anymore?

  Today hardware is often an afterthought in the enterprise, and user preferences count more than IT planning. This all means there will be winners and losers among today's big vendors.

• Dell buyout would free execs from shareholder pressure, distraction

  With buyout talks gaining steam, analysts say Dell Inc. could be looking to free itself from quarterly distractions and shareholder pressures.

• Tech gift ideas: Sortable wish list

  Not finished with your holiday shopping? This easy-to-scan, sortable chart gives you our best tech gift ideas all in one place.

• iPad tips and tricks for creating content

  The iPad is known for consuming content, not creating it. But there are hidden features and short-cuts for the keyboard, within email and in Safari that make creating content on an iPad faster and easier than you think.