In the second quarter of 2010, greentech startups scored record venture capital and increased spending despite a weak economy. Solar power retained its lead in greentech venture financing, while global investment for clean energy asset financing fell. China, meanwhile, underscored its rising might in the greentech industry, raising billions of dollars in green energy financing. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Toshiba and Mitsubishi Motors have teamed up to work on battery systems for electric cars, the laptop and electronics giant announced on Friday. But if everyone needs multiple sources, then Toshiba is hardly a shoe-in for a contract to supply Mitsubishi with the battery systems. Read more »
What do you get when you build a smartbook using the Android OS without touch support? The Toshiba AC100 smartbook. The AC100 is a thin 10-inch notebook running Android 2.1 without touch support that is intended to be an always connected device with long battery life. Read more »
Toshiba is resurrecting the Libretto for its 25th anniversary, in a dual screen model that lacks a physical keyboard. Libretto W100 is only a prototype, but will be sold in limited numbers to enthusiasts wanting to see “what the future of mobile computing” could be. Read more »
What comes next to ensure that compute power continues to increase? Companies like IBM, Hewlett Packard, Samsung and Toshiba, as well as many universities and government labs, are currently investigating the next generation of processors that could push us past Moore’s Law. After almost five decades, ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Mobile computer sales in the first quarter of 2010 grew 43 percent over the same quarter in 2009, but two of the top five vendors enjoyed even higher growth rates. It’s no coincidence that these were also the first two that jumped into the netbook market. Read more »
TV apps — interactive, web-like applications meant to “enhance” the TV viewing experience by supplementing programming content with additional material and activities — are evolving quickly from a novelty feature on some Internet-enabled HDTVs and a few cable systems to a standard capability. Their rise is driven by rapid growth in the number of Internet-connected devices in consumers’ living rooms, growing consumer familiarity with mobile apps and strategic competitive forces that influence video service providers. In this report, we look at the market dynamics, key players, and provide forecasts for the market, including network-connected televisions, embedded app marketplaces, app downloads, paid TV apps, and revenue from the sale of paid apps to consumers, which will grow from $10 million in 2010 to $1.9 billion by 2015. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
In a few years, we’ll look back at 2010 and remember it as the year that LEDs (light emitting diodes) turned a corner and went from a pricey niche lighting technology to a mainstream contender. Read more »
In a few years, we’ll look back at 2010 and remember it as the year that LEDs turned a corner and went from a pricey niche lighting technology to a mainstream contender. Here are three reasons ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
I have been following rumors of a new Toshiba laptop with interest. Not because it is cool — what has me excited is the Super Charge Ion Battery (SCiB) it’s reported to use. These batteries supposedly can be 90% charged in only 10 minutes. Read more »
Having the world’s most famous billionaire tech tycoon in your corner can really open a lot of doors. Nuclear startup TerraPower, which counts Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates as a principal owner and advocate, is reportedly in talks with Japanese giant Toshiba to jointly develop a small […] Read more »
Barack Obama’s $8.3 billion in loan guarantees for new nuclear power plants, announced today, is aimed at building more massive, gigawatt-sized reactors. Still, that same budget request could represent opportunity for startups venturing into the world of nuclear power. Read more »
My favorite convertible Tablet PC of all time was the Toshiba Portégé M205 back in 2004. Fast forward to current day and Toshiba has updates galore including support for touch gestures in Microsoft Windows 7. Read more »
It seems Netflix has already reached a tipping point in the consumer electronics market, as it signed up five more CE manufacturers to enable its streaming services on their devices. Panasonic, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba and Funai (the CE maker behind the Philips, Magnavox, Sylvania and Emerson […] Read more »
Take that, Boxee Box! Take that, Roku Player! Sure, those companies are adding lots of content to their broadband set-top boxes through channels or apps developed by third-party content partners. But while those guys are competing to get more apps delivered to the TV through a […] Read more »
As the year winds to a close, GigaOM Pro’s crack team of contributors takes a look back at what went right, what went wrong, and for ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
For all the hype around Blu-ray lately, the format will deliver only $1. 3 billion in revenue to the studios this year, according to Adams Media Research, barely 14 percent of total disc sales and less than half what DVD brought in at a comparable point ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Last month, I reported the results of a study detailing notebook reliability numbers. Many commenters disagreed with the results of the study by U.S. warranty company SquareTrade, and provided excellent reasons for doing so. Today, another study reinforces the opinion unsurprisingly shared by many of our […] Read more »
Like many web workers, I cut my project management teeth on applications like Microsoft Project and OmniGroup OmniPlan — I respect the role of the Gantt chart. However, project management is no longer just the domain of the project manager — it should involve everyone on […] Read more »
Netbooks, low-cost portable computers optimized for web usage, are continuing to sell at a torrid pace. If you’re in the market for one, here are eight tips to help you make a good buying decision. Read more »
With the recent launch of the iPhone 3GS, many are curious as to exactly what makes up the guts of the new device and what it costs Apple to build it. A recent teardown by industry analyst iSuppli reveals the iPhone 3GS, while at first glance […] Read more »
While light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have long played a role in consumer electronics and displays, solid-state lighting (SSL) is now emerging as a potential technology for everyday commercial and residential lighting applications. As incandescent light bulbs are phased out because they use too much energy, and concerns over mercury affect sales of compact fluorescent bulbs, SSL is receiving increasing attention from consumers and governments seeking to reduce energy costs and lower their carbon footprint. Once LED costs come down, SSL will have a major impact on the global lighting market. While LEDs themselves are not made with silicon, silicon chips are an integral component of SSL fixtures. Thus, the sector represents a significant market opportunity for chip makers. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
There isn’t a huge market for organic light-emitting diode displays right now, with the new technology only available in some small displays and demo models, but Toshiba is setting out to change that, following in the footsteps of at least one big competitor. The company said […] Read more »
Toshiba Delays Fuel Cell Launch: Toshiba said today it will not begin selling its first fuel cell product — a battery charger that produces electricity from a reaction between methanol, water and air — before the end of this month, as planned. The launch is now […] Read more »
Automakers around the world may be feeling the pain of the global credit crunch, but some big car companies and their suppliers are expressing confidence in the future of hybrid and electric vehicles. French auto parts maker Valeo said today it’s teaming up with fellow French […] Read more »
