June 22 - 10:30am EDT   Verizon today ramped up FiOS with speed upgrades for all its regular tiers as well as the addition of a new middle tier. A new 35Mbps plan offers a balance between more typical speeds and the 50Mbps maximum tier; it also has the same 20Mbps upload speeds as the previous symmetric 20/20 tier and the 50Mbps service; the speed would let it upload an hour-long 720p HDTV show in 20 minutes. The carrier doesn't say how much this version of its fiber optic service would cost but says it's only available in bundles with TV or phone service. [full story]

May 14 - 5:10pm EDT   HP today issued a US-wide recall through the Consumer Product Safety Commission for 70,000 notebook batteries. The recall affects most Compaq and HP home models sold from August 2007 through March 2008 and is prompted by HP's fears that the lithium-ion pack could overheat, catching fire and potentially burning owners. It cites two incidents in which the battery burst due to internal pressure and caused minor area damage but no injuries. [full story]

April 17 - 2:15pm EDT   Forrester today issued a report on customer experience with computers that gave Apple a significant lead over competitors. The Mac producer received an 80 percent score, or "good," on a combination of ease of use, meeting needs and a pleasurable experience. Its next-closest rival, Gateway, scored just 66 percent, or "okay." Other competitors fared worse, with HP and its sub-label Compaq receiving 64 percent and 63 percent scores that are considered "poor;" Dell has dipped to 58 percent. [full story]

December 22 - 5:30pm EST   HP's Compaq brand has launched a 10.2-inch netbook in Europe, the Compaq Mini 700, which boasts a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU along with integrated GMA950 graphics processor and 1GB of RAM. The Mini 700 also sports a 1024x600 resolution display and a keyboard sized at 92 percent of a full-size computer's in a package that is just under one inch thick. Options include a Wi-Fi module, Bluetooth capabilities and HSDPA network access. The netbook's 1.8-inch, 60GB, 4,200RPM hard disk drive comes pre-loaded with Windows XP home. [full story]

December 11 - 10:50am EST   HP on Thursday broke new ground for itself by introducing its first-ever Linux desktop aimed at small offices and schools. The HP Compaq dc5850 now has the option of SUSE Linux preinstalled rather than having to choose FreeDOS and install the open-source software afterwards. It also comes preloaded with multiple similarly open-source apps such as OpenOffice as well as its web browser, e-mail and IM suites; schools also get access to about 40 educational games and learning tools. [full story]

November 7 - 5:20pm EST   As part of a price drop campaign it is calling Operation Main Street, Walmart on Thursday announced it will cut back prices of many popular products over the next seven weeks, in time for the holidays. The more noteworthy items include a Magnavox Blu-ray player, the NB500MG9, priced at $198, down from its regular price of $229. It is capable of upconverting standard DVD movies and will support Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound formats. A 2GB Sony Walkman MP3 player will be priced at $49. [full story]

October 31 - 8:05am EDT   Sony on Friday said it would back a voluntary recall begun by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission that asks customers to replace over 35,000 lithium-ion notebook batteries included in US systems from Dell, HP and Toshiba, as well as 65,000 worldwide. The Japanese PC builder believes that batteries using 2.15Ah cells made during a production transition between October 2004 and June 2005, as well as some with a change in raw material, carry the risk of overheating and catching fire. At least 40 incidents involving the batteries have surfaced, a small portion of which have resulted in burns and property damage. [full story]

October 8 - 5:15pm EDT   A Circuit City webstore listing is showing a new HP notebook, the 17-inch Compaq Presario CQ70. The previously unannounced notebook PC is part of HP’s expansive CQ70 range, and uses Intel’s Pentium dual core processor rated at 2GHz along with 3GB of DDR2 memory. Graphics for the 1440x900 resolution display come via the integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics processor. [full story]

August 19 - 8:00am EDT   The American Customer Satisfaction Index on Tuesday gave Apple its highest-ever score for pleasing customers of its Macs, giving the firm a record 85 points in the ACSI annual report based on reactions from users to both their opinions on computer quality as well as support after the sale. The award is Apple's fifth consecutive nod in as many years and is partly attributed to the sales success of its computers, which have been gaining marketshare in recent months. [full story]

August 6 - 11:15am EDT   HP has quietly launched a second notebook this week and now caters towards higher-end but still ultramobile users. The HP Compaq 2230s has just a 12-inch screen and weighs just over four pounds but is based entirely on Intel's just-launched Centrino 2 platform, making faster GMA 4500MHD graphics and 802.11n Wi-Fi standard features on every model. Certain trim levels also get matching processors with the faster 1,066MHz bus and range from the lower-power 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo to a full-power 2.53GHz chip. [full story]

July 3 - 4:10pm EDT   HP today became one of the first companies known to be shipping systems based on AMD's new Turion X2 Ultra processors and platform. The 14-inch Compaq 6535b and 15.4-inch Compaq 6735b are HP's flagships for workstations and pros and use the new architecture to support up to 8GB of DDR2 memory (with 64-bit operating systems) as well as give faster integrated graphics through the Mobility Radeon HD 3200. [full story]

June 10 - 4:00am EDT   HP today gave virtually all its notebook line both a cosmetic and performance update, including some of the first Centrino 2-based notebooks. The Pavilion series is now said to have a subtler look with displays that are flush with the bezel, silver-on-silver insides, and a new Imprint finish on the outside. The Intel-based systems use their new notebook platform to supply both faster Core 2 processors as well as faster X4500 graphics on systems that go without dedicated video hardware, while a similar match uses the platform behind the Turion Ultra platform. Improved touch-sensitive media controls and an External SATA port are common across most systems, HP notes. ... [full story]

June 10 - 4:00am EDT   As part of a wide effort, HP today gave its business notebooks a refresh that includes a brand new model. The EliteBook signals one of HP's first rugged notebooks and is designed to survive both cosmetic and internal damage: anodized aluminum on the palm rest and outside shell keep the computer free of scratches, while a magnesium honeycomb cage and an anti-twist 14-inch display prevent impact damage from ruining the system's innards. The casing, shock-resistant hard drive, and spill-proof keyboard help meet US military-grade 810F levels for survivability in extreme temperatures as well as vibrations and very damp environments. [full story]

February 21 - 1:05pm EST   HP's Compaq 2133 ultra-mobile PC may use non-Intel hardware to achieve an exceptionally low price, says an off-hand remark in an article comparing the devices. Although previous leaks have pointed to Intel's Silverthorne forming the backbone of the 8.9-inch miniature notebook, the report claims that at least one version will use a Via processor and sell for $499, putting the computer into the same price .league as the ASUS Eee PC and Everex CloudBook. This is most likely to involve Via's notebook-oriented C7-M processor and should be helped by the use of Linux instead of Windows as the stock operating system. [full story]

February 19 - 2:40pm EST   HP's inaugural UMPC has already been photographed and received its first early details, according to a leak from Engadget. Resembling a compact notebook rather than the handhelds normally associated with the concept, the Compaq-branded UMPC 2133 will run an 8.9-inch, 1366x768 widescreen display and a nearly full-size keyboard that runs edge to edge. Also defying the normal limits of such computers, a full ExpressCard/54 slot should provide expansion for networking, storage, and other peripherals. Storage is built-in and should include the option of a solid-state drive. [full story]