Floating touch and energy-saving display tipped for Samsung Galaxy S4

Hover your hand over the screen like magic Fresh rumors about Samsung's Galaxy S4 hint at battery-saving screen technology and floating touch input for the upcoming flagship Android phone.According to SamMobile, an inside source says that the Galaxy S4 will use a new kind of AMOLED display called "green PHOLED," which relies on phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes, hence the acronym. PHOLED uses phosphorescence instead of fluorescent light...

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Google axes another 1,200 Motorola staffers, total job losses top 5,000

Around a quarter of all Moto staff have been cut loose since last summer Google confirmed plans to lay off another 1,200 Motorola staff as it desperately seeks a return to profitability for its multi-billion dollar acquisition.The cutbacks, which will affect staff in the United States, China and India, are in addition to the 4,000 job losses the Silicon Valley giant announced last summer. Google paid $12.5bn (UK£8.3bn, AUD$12.1bn) for the hardware...

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Google Maps refreshes 'thousands of miles' of UK Street View images

Street View continues to chart the globe Google Maps has improved Street View imagery in several major UK cities, while adding areas previously unchartered by its cameras.The globe's pre-eminent mapping service says its Street View cameras have retraced thousands of miles in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow in a bid to improve the service.Alongside the major metropolises, those distinct camera-wielding cars have also been documenting the...

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Review: Updated: Amazon Kindle Fire

Great priceExcellent custom UIGood build qualityGreat new browserNo camerasErratic performanceNo Android MarketOnly 8GB storage without expansionThe $159 (£129) Amazon Kindle Fire was what the the tech fraternity likes to call a "game-changer." A gadget with the potential to irrevocably alter a sector of the market, by bringing something we've never seen before.But, a fully fledged Android tablet with a top-level ecosystem of multimedia content...

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Samsung executive says Windows 8 is 'no better than Windows Vista'

It turns out Windows 8 is no better than Microsoft's much-maligned Windows Vista, at least in the eyes of Jun Dong-soo, Samsung memory chip division president.''The global PC industry is steadily shrinking despite the launch of Windows 8," said the senior Samsung executive today at the COEX InterContinental Hotel in Seoul."I think the Windows 8 system is no better than the previous Windows Vista platform."Jun laid the blame for stagnant PC sales at Microsoft's doorstep and said that the PC industry would gradually phase out, in a grim forecast...

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This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

Another week goes by and another batch of products have been reviewed on TechRadar.This week we have been particularly impressed with Samsung's new 32-inch TV which packs excellent picture quality at a price tag normally owned by Toshiba's budget offerings. It may not come with any internet features but most people just want a decent picture anyway, right?Elsewhere, we've spent enough time with the Chromebook Pixel to deliver a final opinion, and...

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'Tron' made real and a medical breakthrough - 3D thrills this week

Actual implant not pictured What a week for 3D.Dita Von Teese slinked into the world's first 3D printed dress, one form fitted to burlesque dancer's curves and sure to be the envy of many a little black frock, and now we've learned that the tri-dimensional printing process came through in a big way for a man in medical need. According to News.com.au, a U.S. patient had 75 percent of his skull replaced with a custom-made 3D printed implant. A 3D...

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Sequestration primer

Tomorrow is the day for sequestration. And if you still aren’t sure what sequestration is, one of the better features explaining the across-the-board spending cuts comes from Niraj Chokshi of the National Journal.So what is it, you might (or should) ask?Chokshi: “The idea was simple: Schedule automatic cuts for the future that were so harmful to everybody that Congress would be compelled to implement better, smarter cuts before they hit.”Why do so many people hate it?Chokshi: “Make no mistake; a lot of people in both parties want to cut spending....

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Mortgage rates show a slight decline

Posted at 10:12 AM ET, 02/28/2013 Feb 28, 2013 03:12 PM ESTTheWashingtonPost After weeks of edging up, mortgage rates showed a slight decline, according to the latest data released by Freddie Mac on Thursday. The 30-year fixed-rate average dipped for the first time since Jan. 17, falling to 3.51 percent with an average 0.8 point. It was down from 3.56 percent a week ago and 3.90 percent a year ago. The 30-year fixed rate started the year at 3.34 percent and mostly has been steadily increasing since then. The 15-year fixed-rate average also ebbed,...

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