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HP to split into Consumer HP and Enterprise HP

Publié: octobre 5, 2014, 10:15pm CEST par Mark Wilson

HP is on the verge of splitting into two companies. Consumer HP will focus on personal computers and printers, while Enterprise HP's focus will be corporate services and hardware. It's a move that has been talked about for some time now, and it comes just days after eBay Inc revealed that it plans to separate its eBay and PayPal businesses. HP and its investors will be pinning their hopes on the companies performing better as separate entities than as a whole. Similar splits have proved successful as it allows for a more efficient management of resources and a better concentration of efforts.

As part of the split, current CEO Meg Whitman will become chairman of Consumer HP, as well as CEO of Enterprise HP. Consumer HP will gain Dion Weisler as its CEO, while director Patricia Russo will step into the role of chairman of Enterprise HP. Whitman has been widely credited with turning around the fortunes of HP, so all eyes will be on her to see if this latest move proves fruitful.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, HP talked about the possibility of a division back in 2011, but this amounted to nothing. Following the departure of Chief Executive Léo Apotheker it was decided to keep the business running as a single unit, and a restructuring operation followed in 2012. The company remains one of the biggest shippers of PCs, second only to Lenovo.

HP had previously been expected to ditch its consumer arm to focus on the generally more profitable enterprise business. It remains to be seen whether the previous amalgamation of the money-making printer division with the less profitable PC side of the business manages to hold its own as Consumer HP. Shareholders had previously expressed reluctance to accept a switch to focusing on enterprise ventures, so keeping both sides of HP operational is clearly a bid to keep as many people happy as possible, whilst simultaneously propelling the company forward.

Photo credit: Dragan Jovanovic / Shutterstock
HP to split into HP Inc and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise

Publié: octobre 5, 2014, 10:15pm CEST par Mark Wilson

HP is on the verge of splitting into two companies. Consumer HP (or plain HP Inc) will focus on personal computers and printers, while the focus of Enterprise HP (or Hewlett-Packard Enterprise) will be corporate services and hardware. It's a move that has been talked about for some time now, and it comes just days after eBay Inc revealed that it plans to separate its eBay and PayPal businesses. HP and its investors will be pinning their hopes on the companies performing better as separate entities than as a whole. Similar splits have proved successful as it allows for a more efficient management of resources and a better concentration of efforts.

As part of the split, current CEO Meg Whitman will become chairman of HP Inc, as well as CEO of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. HP Inc will gain Dion Weisler as its CEO, while director Patricia Russo will step into the role of chairman of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. Whitman has been widely credited with turning around the fortunes of HP, so all eyes will be on her to see if this latest move proves fruitful.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, HP talked about the possibility of a division back in 2011, but this amounted to nothing. Following the departure of Chief Executive Léo Apotheker it was decided to keep the business running as a single unit, and a restructuring operation followed in 2012. The company remains one of the biggest shippers of PCs, second only to Lenovo.

HP had previously been expected to ditch its consumer arm to focus on the generally more profitable enterprise business. It remains to be seen whether the previous amalgamation of the money-making printer division with the less profitable PC side of the business manages to hold its own as HP Inc. Shareholders had previously expressed reluctance to accept a switch to focusing on enterprise ventures, so keeping both sides of HP operational is clearly a bid to keep as many people happy as possible, whilst simultaneously propelling the company forward.

Photo credit: Dragan Jovanovic / Shutterstock
Braven BRV-1 brings a rugged, waterproof approach to Bluetooth speakers [Review]

Publié: octobre 5, 2014, 3:51pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen these days, as they are convenient and, depending on brand model, can offer very good sound quality. With that in mind, brands set out to separate themselves in a very competitive marketplace by offering certain stand-out feature that get them noticed. That's the case with the Braven BRV-1.

The company touts several interesting features on this model. Some do exist on rival models, but it's enough to set the little speaker apart from others.

The Features

The most prominent draw here is that the speaker is waterproof. This means it actually be submersible, which is different from many that claim water resistant, and can be submerged one meter for up to 30 minutes. I didn't have the nerve to test this claim, however.

All of the plugs are hidden behind a twist-off cap on the back of the speaker. Included is a micro USB port for charging the device, a full size USB port which allows it to be used to charge a phone or tablet -- this makes it a 1,400 mAh emergency battery -- and an audio in jack. There is also a reset button and charging light indicators.

The battery claims to provide up to 12 hours of playback time and top has playback buttons and a power on/off button, as well as the sync control button. It can even take calls, allowing for hands-free use. A shock absorbent exterior, which is rubberized, is shock resistant, and a couple simple drop tests we conducted proved that it is indeed pretty durable.

The Audio

The sound is not the biggest or the best around, though for most people it will be considered just fine. Braven claims three watts of audio output per channel. The company also claims three watts of audio output per channel with a 70mm passive subwoofer.

Despite it now being as powerful as some speakers on the market, it has good sound that will satisfy the average listener without complaints, and volume up and down buttons on the top are easily accessible.

Conclusion

The Braven BRV-1 comes with an audio jack cord for a wired connection, USB to micro USB charging cable and a leash for easily carrying it around.

The Braven website lists an MSRP of $99.99, but if you look around, you can find it a bit cheaper at other online retailers, though it can be ordered direct from the company store, as well.

For outdoor use, this type of Bluetooth speaker is ideal. Unless you're in a noisy environment then the power should suit you fine, and durability can't really be questioned. Sound quality is adequate for most people.
Amazon begins slow roll out of new Fire OS 4 update to its 3rd gen Kindle Fire tablets

Publié: octobre 5, 2014, 2:14am CEST par Alan Buckingham

Amazon just recently announced the launch of new Kindle Fire tablets and Kindle readers. The new tablets will come with version 4 of Fire OS, known as "Sangria" already installed, but it seems last years models will also be shown some love.

Those who turned on their devices today found a surprise -- a letter from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos overlaying the home screen. The announcement is fairly short, but lets customers know that their device will be updated in the coming weeks and also provides a "Learn more" link for the curious.

The online retailer has already detailed information on Sangria, doing so along with the new devices announcement that took place just a couple of weeks ago.

"When we think about Fire OS, we start with what matters to customer -- ease of use and performance,” said Dave Limp, Senior Vice President, Amazon Devices at the time. “Fire OS 4 improves in both of these areas, and deeply integrates software, content, and the Cloud to deliver services that are only available from Amazon, including Family Library, Firefly, and free cloud storage for photos".

Fire OS 4 is based on Android KitKat, though it's a highly customized version of the Google platform, and bares little resemblance to what many Android users expect.

At the time, the company did allude to the fact this would find it's way to the third generation tablets, though didn't state a time-frame. We still don't have one that's concrete, but "coming weeks" is a start, and also could indicate a gradual roll out.