pcs

Alienware looks poised to launch an affordable gaming desktop.

The PC maker itself has been promoting the reveal on its Alienware Arena Web site. You may also have seen a promotional video around the Web.

Digging further, if you head over to Alienware's Facebook page, you'll find a reference to an Alienware Andromeda system in the comments of this post. Googling "Alienware Andromeda" turns up preorder listings at various online retailers for a system with a 3.8GHz Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive for just over $1,000. Sounds … Read more

Dell is planning to re-enter the tablet market later this year with a consumer-oriented device, according to Reuters.

The company previously tested the tablet waters with its enterprise-focused Dell Streak, an Android-powered device that was met with mixed reviews and that met its demise last month.

But the once-dominant PC maker has learned from the mistakes of other tablet makers and has a better understanding of what consumers want in a tablet, Steve Felice, Dell's chief financial officer, said in an interview at CES.

"We have been taking our time. The general failure of everyone that's tried … Read more

LAS VEGAS--As it goes with these matters, it's one thing to hear about this or that phone's bright screen, and another entirely to see it.

The LG Connect 4G, one of MetroPCS' two new LTE Android phones, has a 4-inch LG Nova display that boasts 70 nits of brightness. Indeed, it's pretty luminous.

There are other decent specs on it, too, like a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 5-megapixel camera, and a VGA front-facing camera.

It's certainly vaulted for the no-contract carrier, which needs to keep unsubsidized costs down, often by offering handsets that pare down … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Earlier this morning, MetroPCS regaled us with a tale of two new 4G LTE phones, which is saying a lot for a company that has only released three LTE phones on a year-old network.

The Galaxy Attain 4G is easily the more humble of the two. However, MetroPCS' strategy seems to be topping up a Samsung phone that's already in its lineup: the Samsung Galaxy Indulge that's stuck in Froyo-land and has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Even though it's got less steam than the Connect 4G in the features department, I actually prefer its physical design, … Read more

MetroPCS and Leap Wireless' growth in the fourth quarter could be summed up with one word: meh.

Both prepaid wireless providers offered up an early look at their customer growth and the results were mixed. Leap Wireless, which sells service under its Cricket Wireless subsidiary, released its figures yesterday and narrowly beat expectations. MetroPCS reported its customer growth today, which fell slightly below analysts' expectations.

The results were neither tragically bad or particularly impressive. But given that the fourth quarter is the largest sales period for the prepaid players, that itself makes the results somewhat disappointing. That MetroPCS and Leap … Read more

MetroPCS said today it is partnering with a consortium of broadcasters to bring live local television to its wireless customers later this year.

The prepaid mobile service provider is working with Mobile Content Venture, a group of companies with a string of local broadcast networks, to bring the content through a service called Dyle Mobile TV. Samsung Electronics will make the first smartphone to use the Dyle app, although the company hasn't divulged the handset's name.

Broadcast companies have long been looking to get into the mobile television business. More importantly, the companies needed a reason to keep … Read more

Granola software does the equivalent of dimming the lights in your PC to save energy.

MiserWare, which developed Granola, will be one of the roughly 80 startup exhibitors at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. After operating quietly since its founding in 2007, the Virginia Tech spin-out is expected to show off its upcoming energy-saving products.

MiserWare's software works in the background on PCs and servers to ratchet down power without affecting the performance, according to CEO and co-founder Kirk Cameron. There's a free consumer version for Windows and Linux that cuts energy by about 35 percent, along … Read more

It's shaping up to be a merry holiday for prepaid wireless service providers MetroPCS and Leap Wireless.

MetroPCS has been successful at drawing in customers with its lower priced family plan promotion, which costs $100 for four lines. Leap, which sells its service under the Cricket Wireless brand, has benefited from its Muve Music service, as well as expanded distribution. Both are expected to exceed expectations, according to Michael Nelson, an analyst at Mizuho Securities.

"Sales appear to be gaining momentum," Nelson said in a research note.

The success of MetroPCS and Leap underscore the shake-up going … Read more

Acer's financial troubles are mounting, but its CEO insists that he knows what will return the company to profitability: ultrabooks

"Ultrabooks will become our key growth driver next year as customers want a lighter, thinner notebook with longer battery life," Acer CEO J.T. Wang told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview published yesterday. "Selling more ultrabooks will also help improve our profit margins as they command higher prices."

At one time, Acer seemed well on its way to becoming the world's largest PC maker, surpassing Dell in 2009 as its shipments soared. Over … Read more