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The ISS will replace its 17-year-old printer this week
The printer model aboard the ISS is seventeen years old and more than ready for a replacement. And this afternoon, it's finally going to be getting one. The HP Envy ISS will be heading to the International Space Station aboard the CRS-14 mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket this afternoon. The rocket is scheduled to lift off at 4:08 PM ET from Cape Canaveral. You can watch a live stream here:
HP’s new laser printers are much smaller than previous models (updated)
Today, HP revealed the LaserJet Pro M15 and M28 series, which are the smallest laser printers in their class. These tiny printers are about the height of a No. 2 pencil, yet still are able to print 18–19 pages per minute. These printers are also mobile-optimized; thanks to the HP Smart App, users can control the printer entirely from their smartphones. The printer supports Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, WiFi Direct and is Mopria certified.
HP recalls laptop batteries due to overheating issues
If you've got an HP notebook or mobile workstation computer, you'll want to check out the latest battery recall from the company. Lithium-ion batteries for affected HP laptops were shipped between December 2015 and December 2017. There have been eight reports of the battery packs overheating, melting or charring, three of which include reports of $4,500 in property damage and one report of a first degree burn to a hand.
HP lost key historical archives in California's wildfires
There's no question that California's recent wildfires are ultimately a human tragedy, destroying homes and upturning lives. Please donate if you can. However, they've also represented a loss for technology history. The Press Democrat has learned that fire in Santa Rosa's Fountaingrove region destroyed key archives of HP's namesake founders, William Hewlett and David Packard, earlier in October. The blaze destroyed correspondence, writing and other artifacts held at the headquarters of Keysight Technologies, a company with HP origins that took ownership of the archives in 2014. While a large chunk of HP's archives are stored elsewhere (such as with HP spinoff Agilent), this wiped out a significant amount of irreplaceable personal material.
Symantec refuses Russia request for source code access
Security firm Symantec will no longer allow Russian authorities to inspect its source code, according to Reuters. "It poses a risk to the integrity of our products that we are not willing to accept," the company's Kristen Batch said. The worry is that by allowing the supposedly independent Federal Security Service (FSB) to examine source code, it would give Russia an inside view of potential software vulnerabilities and exploits.
Hewlett Packard will cut another 30,000 jobs during split
As it continues the process of splitting itself into two distinct companies, Hewlett-Packard has announced that it'll fire between 25,000 and 30,000 more employees. That figure is believed to be on top of the 55,000 roles that were earmarked for the door when the plan was announced last October. If you're not caught up on the news, here's the tl:dr version: the ailing hardware maker is becoming two smaller firms in the hope that it can survive in a world that no longer loves the PC. Hewlett Packard Enterprise will produce software, services and servers for the business crowd, much like IBM, while HP will take over the personal computing and printer divisions.
HP won't ship products for almost a week in August
We hope you weren't dead set on getting that shiny new HP laptop in early August. HP is warning partners that it won't ship any orders to customers and resellers between August 1st and August 6th due to a "shipping transition" necessary for its upcoming split into two companies. You can still order whatever you like during that limbo period, but it won't start moving until August 7th at the earliest. It's an unusual gap, to put it mildly, but likely important given that HP is orchestrating one of the biggest tech splits ever. Update: While the transition will affect HP's corporate partners and resellers, a representative told us simple orders from HP.com will ship as normal.
HP's Envy x2 detachable PC returns with a new look and price
The original Envy x2, which was released early last year, had a lot going for it in the portability and looks department -- it was super light and relatively slick. However, its actual real-world performance left a lot to be desired. Fast forward to now, and HP is refreshing its tablet/laptop device with a completely fresh design, one that's very reminiscent of Microsoft's Surface line. In addition to the newly added kickstand, HP's new Envy x2 comes in two different sizes: there are 13-inch and 15.6-inch models, starting at $750 ($100 less than the first-generation).
How would you change HP's Envy Sleekbook 6z?
HP's range of thin-and-light notebooks like the Sleekbook 6z were designed to undercut the Ultrabook with cheaper internals. However, when the base model retails for around $600 and a bone-fide Ultrabook isn't that much more expensive, was there any point to this device? When we reviewed it, we found that the performance was sluggish and there was a finicky touchpad that detracted from its comfortable keyboard and decent battery life. So, let's imagine that Meg Whitman invited you to design the follow-up, tell us, how would you change it?
Jon Rubinstein: Hewlett Packard's purchase of Palm was a waste
Finally, Jon Rubinstein is ready to re-open the wounds sustained from HP's bungled acquisition of Palm. When Fierce Wireless asked the former CEO what he'd do differently, he said that selling the company to Hewlett Packard was "a waste," and that he probably wouldn't do the same again. He also revealed that the company's awkward exclusive relationship with Sprint was caused by last-minute withdrawals from Verizon and Vodafone. If you're curious about Rubinstein's feelings on how webOS has influenced mobile operating systems and his new roles with Amazon and Qualcomm, head on down to the source link.
HP introduces Unreal Engine 4-ready 'turnkey solution' workstations, collaborating with ALT Systems
Hewlett-Packard may not be well-known by consumers for creating the machines that power the industries that power the world we live in, but the company's workstation business does just that. From film to oil drilling to medicine, HP's workstations have their hands in a lot of pies -- and today, that expands more directly to yet another major industry: video games. With its Z1, Z820 and Z620 workstations, HP is collaborating with Epic Games, Autodesk, and ALT Systems to create what they're calling a "turnkey solution" to game development workstation woes. The three aforementioned units can be customized to arrive with a variety of variables, including Unreal Engine 4, Autodesk, and NVIDIA GTX-line GPUs. In so many words, ALT Systems will take the disparate pieces of hardware and software from HP, NVIDIA, Autodesk and Epic Games to provide an all-in-one buying solution for game dev studios. As ALT Systems president Jon Guess laughingly explained, it provides clients "one neck to wring" should things go wrong, rather than dev studios having to suss out hardware issues on their own. The first fruits of the partnership arrive this year in game developer-centric versions of the aforementioned three workstation models. For a full rundown of the various workstation configurations that'll arrive this year, ALT Systems has a site set up just for you.
HP Q1 2013 earnings: $1.2 billion in profit on revenue of $28.4 billion
HP's stock is climbing in after hours trading from news of the company's quarterly financial results. The Palo Alto firm has posted a profit of $1.2 billion for the first quarter, which is based on revenues of $28.4 billion. While the results fared better than HP's previous expectations, both profit and revenue have fallen year-over-year for the Silicon Valley mainstay, down 16 percent and six percent, respectively. With respect to the company's divisions, personal systems, printing, enterprise, services and software have each taken a hit from the previous year, with HP's financial services segment being the only unit to show growth (despite the fact that financing volume is also down). Beyond the sagging numbers, Meg Whitman is offering reason for optimism to investors, saying the company will bring "a number of new programs and disruptive innovations to market in the coming quarters, and we expect the benefits from our restructuring will accelerate through fiscal 2013." For the complete breakdown of HP's financial health, just hit up the source link.
HP tells Chinese factories to stop raiding schools for cheap labor
We know that HP's Chinese sub-contractors enjoy a spot of opera on the production line. What's always been harder to determine though, is who those workers are and what employment rights they have. In an effort to preempt the sort of headlines that have afflicted other brands, HP has issued new guidelines to its Chinese partners -- including Foxconn -- designed to limit the use of students and temporary personnel and give those people more control over their hours. Students often seek work during vacations, but high schools close to factories have also been known to pressure their pupils into taking on shifts during bouts of heavy demand -- even if it's to the detriment of their studies. That won't do for a global manufacturer that needs to be seen as education friendly, so from now on "interns" will only be accepted for work that tallies with their course area, and the School Administrator will just have to find his kickbacks elsewhere.
HP web store leaks 14-inch Chromebook Pavilion, to be unveiled on February 17
Hewlett-Packard didn't have the best 2012, but that's not stopping the US company from getting on the Chromebook bandwagon. The HP Chromebook Pavilion was spotted by Slashgear on HP's own web store, despite the additional information section noting a February 17 "ad embargo" on the information. The little 14-inch Chromebook runs Google's eponymous OS with an Intel Celeron 847 CPU clocked at 1.1GHz, an Intel HD GPU, 2GB of DDR3 SDRAM (expandable up to 4GB), and 16GB of SSD storage space, put to use on the 14-inch HD BrightView LED-backlit display (1366 x 768 resolution). A trio of old-school USB 2.0 slots an HDMI out, and an ethernet jack make up the lion's share of ports, while an SD card slot adds expandable storage options. The 2.55Ah lithium-ion battery included will last up to (approximately) four hours and 15 minutes, though we'd like to put that to the test ourselves before trusting the specs sheet. Of course, it looks like it won't be too long before we hear more and get our hands on the device, given that Feb. 17th date.
HP becomes a platinum member of the Linux Foundation
Snagging a first-class upgrade might empty out the contents of your wallet, but be glad you're not trying to buy your way to the Linux Foundation's top table. With a strategic investment of $500,000, Hewlett Packard has just become a platinum member of the body, alongside companies like Intel, Qualcomm and Samsung. In exchange for all that cash, HP gets a seat on the Foundation's board of directors and will have a say in how to advance the foundation's aims -- and hopefully give Open webOS a gentle push, too.
Meg Whitman says HP has to 'offer a smartphone'
HP bet big on the smartphone world when it purchased Palm, but the company fell flat on its face and webOS failed to take off. The reasons for the failure are numerous, but the new CEO Meg Whitman is smart enough to realize it can't simply abandon the market entirely. In an interview with Fox Business, she said that HP "ultimately has to offer a smartphone." Though she was willing to acknowledge that the company is "working on this," she would not divulge too many details about its mobile plans. Whether or not webOS may rise from the ashes as a largely community-powered platform remains to be seen, but we wouldn't be shocked to see HP pivot towards its longtime partner Microsoft, and release a Windows Phone 8 device. Perhaps the best glimmer of hope for the former Palm system was Meg's focus on developing markets. She rightly points out that, in some parts of the world, the first and only "computer" a person may own is a smartphone -- and reaching that audience is essential to Hewlett-Packard's success. Going back to the webOS well (with its open source support) would allow the company to save a few dollars on the cost of a new handset. Check out the video after the break for the full quotes in context.
HP adds another 2,000 to the chopping block, cutting 29,000 jobs by 2014
Looks like May's Hewlett-Packard layoff numbers were about 2,000 short of reality, as the American hardware company adjusted its previous 27,000 estimate to 29,000 in a recent SEC 10-K filing spotted by ZDNet. Those employees represent approximately eight percent of HP's entire workforce, and the restructuring saves the company $3 to $3.5 billion per year -- money it badly needs following last quarter's losses. HP says that 3,800 employees were affected as of July 31, 2012 -- just over 13 percent of the restructuring total. It's unclear how many more will be affected by year's end, if any.
HP exceeds Q3 expectations: rakes $29.7 billion in revenue, still posts a loss
To say that HP is in a bit of a transitional period would probably be an understatement. As expected, the $8 billion hit it took over the EDS purchase severely impacted its bottom line. While revenue was down year-over-year to $29.7 billion, that five percent drop equated to a 568 percent decline in income as the company posted a loss of $8.9 billion. If not for the combined $10.8 billion in charges it was forced to absorb this quarter, the company's net-income would have stood at $2 billion -- which would have been a significant improvement over Q2's $1.6 billion in profit. While such a staggering loss does appear bad, the non-GAAP results should give investors some hope, as the merger and layoff related charges are a one-time deal. Still, the outlook continues to be grim at the Personal Systems Group which has seen revenue drop 10 percent over the last year. The lone bright spot in the company's line up appears to be its software division, where revenue has grown 18 percent year-over-year. CEO Meg Whitman issued a statement alongside the Q3 2012 earnings report looking to assuage nervous investors' fears. "HP is still in the early stages of a multi-year turnaround, and we're making decent progress despite the headwinds," she asserts and assures that better days lie ahead. For more financial fun, check out the PR after the break and all the tables and charts you can handle at the source.
HP creates Mobility division to focus on consumer tablets, taps ex-MeeGo maven Alberto Torres to run it
Despite the culling of Palm's offerings from its product portfolio, HP isn't exiting the tablet space. Far from it. Evidence of a new tablet has been floating around since April, and we've even caught a couple glimpses of the so-called Slate 8. Now, The Verge reports that the company has created a Mobility unit within the Personal Systems Group dedicated to making such consumer hardware. According to a leaked internal memo, it looks like Alberto Torres, formerly chief of MeeGo ops at Nokia, will be the man in charge of the new division. The Mobility group will first focus on tablets, with a "soon-to-be-launched" initial offering, but it plans to expand into other product segments moving forward. The full leaked memo can be found at the source below.
webOS team becomes Gram, isn't heavy on mission statements
HP's webOS team has been keeping busy with its open source project, but it's time for a new challenge in the form of Gram: a fresh HP-funded offshoot focused on "software, user experience, the cloud, engineering, and partnering." We're not quite sure where that list could lead, but webOS, Enyo and cloud services are all expected to play a role in future endeavors. Judging from the fancy flyer after the break, a lot of energy is going into brand-building right now, along with a dose of secrecy, but hopefully some more concrete details will happen along soon.
