Articles by Peter Suciu

Sony officially introduced its long-anticipated PlayStation 4 video game console at a media event in New York City on Wednesday. However, Sony merely showed off its new controller -- it didn't actually unveil the physical console, likely saving that newsworthy moment for the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles in June ...

Canon officially launched its new MREAL System for Mixed Reality on Wednesday. Unlike traditional virtual reality-type systems that essentially block out the real world, this new imaging solution simultaneously merges virtual objects with those of the real world at full scale and in three dimensions ...

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei reportedly said at a briefing on Tuesday that China's military was not involved in any recent cyberhacking. His comments were apparently in response to allegations published by The New York Times on Monday, gleaned from a new report by Mandiant Among many other findings in the report is the existence ...

This story was originally published on Nov. 28, 2012, and is brought to you today as part of our Best of ECT News series. Today, few people are using an IBM desktop computer -- and if they are, the machine could be close to 20 years old. However, back in 1995 when IBM bought Lotus Notes, it was the world's largest software company and still made p...

Microsoft announced on Friday that Skype users will now be able to leave video messages via the Voice over IP service. This new messaging service, which is now undergoing a beta test, will allow users to send video recordings to contacts even if they're offline or on another call What's different about this announcement is that it seems aimed more ...

Europol announced Wednesday the breakup of a gang of cybercriminals who allegedly ran a ransomware scheme to extract money from online users in 30 countries. Spanish police, working alongside Europol's European Cybercrime Center (EC3), made 11 arrests in an action dubbed "Operation Ransom." The cyberthieves are accused of paralyzing computers wit...

Slacker is getting ambitious about drawing in listeners, announcing Wednesday that it has launched the world's most complete music service for the Web, mobile devices and even automobile and consumer electronics platforms The 5-year-old Internet radio station's revamped service promises to give listeners anytime, anywhere access to millions of so...

Those who like to cut the cords but still get the best sounding audio with every note and chord will soon have a new mid-priced option, as Sonos has officially unveiled its long rumored soundbar. The Sonos Playbar, which will be available in March for around US$700, is designed to provide all of a listener's audio needs in a single sleek package that can even be wall-mounted beneath a TV...

The tablet computer craze that has users of all ages launching Angry Birds and making Temple Runs is profoundly influencing toy makers as well "We are moving into a new realm of toys that the industry finds quite exciting," said Jackie Breyer, editor-in-chief of The Toy Book, The Licensing Book and The Toy Insider. "We've seen a big push with what ...

Raytheon has developed software capable of quickly mining social networks for information that can reveal where particular individuals have been and where they may be going, The Guardian reported. The Rapid Information Overly Technology reportedly can track check-in posts and geotagged photos in social media. Further, it can chart social connecti...

HP, one of the top three PC manufacturers, announced Friday that it had directed suppliers in China to limit their use of student labor. The move comes amid growing concerns in the tech community about working conditions in overseas factories The announcement also follows recent efforts by Apple to address problematic labor practices in China.

It could have been game over for Wikipad after a flaw in the initial production run of its gaming tablet forced a launch delay late last year. The company used the extra time, however, to rethink the Wikipad, and this week it said the revised version will debut this spring The new version will be smaller; instead of the previously shown 10-inch mod...

The hactivist collective Anonymous announced via a tweet during last Sunday's Super Bowl that it had published a document dump including publishing private data tied to more than 4,000 U.S. bank executives. It included a spreadsheet containing login information and credentials, along with IP addresses and personal contact information pulled from a...

After years of diminishing returns amid a slumping PC market, Dell announced Tuesday that it would take itself private in a leveraged buyout estimated at US$24.4 billion Chairman and CEO Michael Dell will buy back the company he founded in a University of Texas dorm room in 1984. Dell, partnering with global technology investment firm Silver Lake, ...

After years of being one of Microsoft's biggest supporters in the Windows-based laptop market, HP on Monday officially released its first Chromebook: the Pavilion 14 running Google's Chrome OS. ...

Sony issued an invite Thursday to an event on Feb. 20 that could give gamers their first glimpse at the PlayStation 4, the company's next-generation console to go head-to-head against Nintendo's Wii U and whatever Microsoft unveils later this year Sony had previously hinted that it would provide PS4 details in advance of this year's Electronic Ente...

The calls for gun control in the United States have grown more urgent since the December shooting in Newtown, Conn., and it is likely that legislation will be introduced in Congress this year. Gun control advocates are pushing for more extensive background checks, a ban on high-capacity magazines, and restrictions on semi-automatic firearms Gun ri...

The New York Times reported on Thursday that it was the victim of a four-month cyberattack that originated in China. The intrusions may have been part of a shift by Chinese hackers to apply the same sophisticated infiltration techniques on foreign media that have been used in recent years to steal data from international corporations The attackers ...

Goodbye, Research In Motion -- BlackBerry came out of the smartphone hinterlands on Wednesday with a new name to go with a revamped OS that plays up multitasking, plus two new devices that take their cues from Apple and Android bestsellers. Though aiming to stay relevant in a touchscreen world, the mobile phone pioneer is also trying to keep its established user base happy with a physical keyboard option.

This week's revelation that a pornographic video briefly made the "Editors Picks" recommendations for the new Twitter app Vine is raising questions about whether the ultra-short form video-clip sharing app is at risk for more such content -- and whether this could scare users away from the service The app, now available for iOS devices, was recent...