WD - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• WD will make a record-breaking 14TB hard drive available next year

  Western Digital has developed a monstrous 14TB hard drive that is now shipping for testing to customers.

• The Takeaway: Could Apple's El Capitan arrive sooner than expected?

  The faster pace of developer releases of Apple's next version of OS X -- El Capitan -- indicates that the desktop/laptop operating system upgrade could launch earlier than expected.

• Microsoft rented Elop for 14 months at $1.3M per month

  Microsoft's 14-month rent of former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop cost the firm at least $18 million, or about $1.3 million each month.

• The Takeaway: Elop out as Nadella shakes up Microsoft's executive team

  Microsoft has reshuffled its executive ranks, getting rid of former Nokia chief Stephen Elop and handing more responsibilities to Windows head Terry Myerson. The company also cut back on the number of major engineering divisions it has, moving from four to three.

• The Takeaway: With iOS 9 and El Capitan, Apple embraces hardware compatibility

  Rolling out a new operating system -- whether for the desktop or mobile devices -- can be dicey. Flashy new features often mean that old hardware gets left behind.

• Apple Pay heads across the Pond

  Apple Pay will launch in the U.K. in July, where it will initially work at 250,000 retail locations and the London transit system -- with credit card support from eight major banks, Apple announced Monday.

• Apple, Google and others look to goose mobile payments

  Because of slack buyer interest and other obstacles facing mobile payments in the U.S., Apple and other companies must inject new features and inducements to boost adoption.

• Apple may have a 2-in-1 in the works

  Is Apple planning some variation of a 2-in-1 device that would combine the iPad with a detachable keyboard?

• Microsoft open-sources JavaScript tools

  Continuing its overtures toward open source, Microsoft is unveiling technologies for packaging applications and remotely debugging JavaScript.

• Apple sets WWDC for June 8-12, again uses ticket lottery

  Apple today announced that its annual developers conference will run June 8-12, and like last year it will assign tickets with a random drawing.

• IT workers' voices heard in the Senate, confidentially

  WASHINGTON - A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today on the H-1B visa offered up a stew of policy arguments, positioning and frustration.

• T-Mobile's new Data Stash plan doesn't let workers share data

  T-Mobile today unveiled a monthly data rollover plan for consumers and business customers called "Data Stash," but the plan still won't allow workers to share their data with others in a work group.

• Computer scientists say meme research doesn't threaten free speech

  In a letter to lawmakers Tuesday, five of the nation's top computing research organizations defended a research grant to study how information goes viral. The groups were responding to claims that the government-funded effort could help create a 1984-type surveillance state.

• Safari, Chrome push to mask URLs

  Safari on OS X Yosemite will mask most of a URL in its top-of-window address bar, following in the footsteps of Safari on iOS, and beating Google's Chrome, which is experimenting with the same design, to the desktop.

• Will Apple's Internet of Things vision hurt a beautiful idea?

  Apple's just announced approach to home automation involves Homekit, an iOS 8 framework and network protocol for controlling devices in the home. But will it play nicely with others?