Windows 8 is no better than Microsoft's much-maligned Windows Vista, at least in the eyes of Samsung memory chip division president Jun Dong-soo.

''The global PC industry is steadily shrinking despite the launch of Windows 8," said the senior Samsung executive today at the COEX InterContinental Hotel in Seoul.

"I think the Windows 8 system is no better than the previous Windows Vista platform."

Jun laid the blame for stagnant PC sales at Microsoft's doorstep and said that the PC industry would gradually phase out, in a grim forecast picked up by The Korea Times on Friday.

Not exactly putting the Win in Windows 8

Samsung is heavily cutting production of PC memory chips, according to Jun, who sees the market as volatile and cyclical.

That feelings are backed up by data from research firm IDC, which recently reestimated PC shipments for 2013 from 2.8 percent growth to 1.3 percent growth.

With just 345.8 million PC shipments projected by this IDC data, the firm echoed Jun's comments, citing "underwhelming reception to Windows 8" as well as tablets undercutting PC sales.

Not even the vast marketing effort by Microsoft has been enough for its new operating system.

The company committed up to $1.8 billion (about £1.2 billion, AUD$1.76 billion) to promote Windows 8, but has seen "little life" since the Oct. 26 launch.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has said that its Windows 8 sales on "on par" with those of Windows 7 during its first three months of availability.

The future of Samsung

Taking all of this into account, Samsung will be focusing on mobile memory for tablets and smartphones.

''The market will see a supply-and demand balance in the second quarter and Samsung expects more demand in the latter half for mobile DRAMs, which are more profitable than conventional chips,'' Jun told The Korea Times.

However, the even-handed executive said that Samsung is waiting to check consumer demand even for smartphones and tablets before it finalizes its investment plans in more facilities.

''Sony, Taiwan's HTC, Nokia and LG Electronics are very aggressive in their smartphone businesses, increasing the demand for mobile DRAM chips," he said, calling out some of Samsung's biggest rivals.

"But we should check out whether the demand is real or false. That's why Samsung is hesitating to finalize this year's investment.''

One smartphone that my spur that "real" consumer demand for the industry is the Galaxy S4, a phone from none other than Samsung.

That Samsung Galaxy S4 is expected to be the company's next big announcement scheduled for next week, Thursday, March 14.

Lenovo only recently unveiled its K900 smartphone, with an expectation it would arrive in China in the coming months.

Among other features, the Android-powered 5.5-inch phone is slated to come packing the processing prowess of the Intel's new Z2580 dual-core processor.

While all eyes are on the impressive K900 - a phone that is yet to arrive on shelves - it appears Lenovo has been busy crafting some additional smartphones with similar specifications.

Curiously enough, this leaked duo of devices share almost as much in common with several HTC designs as they do with Lenovo's own device.

HTCopycat

The two leaked Lenovo phones, the S920 and S820, were spotted by MyDrivers, which revealed not just the first images, but also the first details on specifications.

Both of the phones are expected to include the quad-core MediaTek MT6589 processor, and run Lenovo's modified version of Android 4.2: Jelly Bean.

The S920 will feature an admittedly mondo 5.3-inch screen, with a centered camera with single flash plashed to the right of the lens.

If you look closely at the image, you can find some definitive inspiration from the HTC One X present, as the backs of the two devices are, besides the color, eerily identical.

The same could be said of the S820, which has fewer details available, but with it's rear panel has a startlingly coincidental appearance to the HTC One S. That bright orange gets us thinking about HTC's Windows Phone 8 offerings, namely the 8S and 8X.

Ladies love Lenovo

Very few other concrete facts about either of Lenovo's devices exist at the moment, though the manufacturer clearly has a market in mind for the S820.

According to MyDrivers, the S820 is going to be marketed as the next fashion phone for women.

Both smartphones are slated to release in China first, and there's are no guarantees either device will make it to other markets. It gets a little harry when there's a chance your devices could be confused for a competitors product. Just ask Samsung.

Interested in playing a city building game that isn’t weighed down by always-on DRM, a lack of modding and a lack of terraforming? Turns out, you aren’t the only one as a group of ragtag developers that have worked on games like Borderlands 2, Darksiders 2, F.E.A.R. and Quake 4 feel the same way. They have banded together to develop a new city building game called Civitas and have taken to Kickstarter for funding.

The team says their game will cover a number aspects including terraforming the land, zoning the land for your city, building structures that make up your city and managing all aspects of the city. The latter includes things like transportation, utilities, emergency management, natural resources and commerce. The game will also include a full-featured day / night system for added realism.

The developers claim they want to build a community as well as an amazing game and will be asking for feedback from beta users through the entire development cycle.

A pledge of just $15 guarantees you one digital download copy of the first release version of Civitas. You’ll also have your name put on the game’s website and in the title’s credits as a contributor. A $25 donation gets you into the game’s beta program will full access to all updates and revisions as well as the above mentioned perks. Estimated delivery of the game is currently set for November 2013.

Civitas needs to meet a goal of $250,000 in order for the game to reach production. As of writing, nearly 1,400 backers have pledged more than $40,000 and with 24 days to go, things are looking hopeful for the budding city simulator.

While some phone makers are chopping prices to make devices more affordable, BlackBerry has no desire to compete in the budget phone arena, CEO Thorsten Heins said this week.

At a conference in Waterloo, Ontario, Heins bluntly addressed the fact that BlackBerry has no current plans to release phones costing $50 to $60 (UK£33 to £40, AU$49 to $58) or lower.

"This is not BlackBerry," he declared, as reported by Bloomberg.

That said, the Canadian phone maker will launch cheaper devices for developing markets like India, where it sells the BlackBerry Z10 for $800 (UK£530, AU$780). The newly-renamed fruity firm just won't dip quite as low as phones from Asian rivals like ZTE and Huawei.

To reiterate

Heins's pronouncement adds to a point made by BlackBerry European MD Stephen Bates to TechRadar in February.

"We've brought out these high-end devices as a statement of intent - to demonstrate vividly the new BlackBerry," Bates said. "But we don't see us getting to the entry level tier for some time; certainly not this year."

Indeed, BlackBerry's focus has been locked on high-end smartphones since the launch of BlackBerry 10.

Compare that to Nokia: the high-end market not being what it had hoped, Nokia recently announced several more affordable phones, including the Lumia 520.

Heins reported that the expensive Z10 sold out in India after just two days, so maybe BlackBerry won't have the same problem there.

The Z10 is still making its way out across the globe, with a U.S. release date rumored for March 22. We'll know soon enough whether BlackBerry's higher-price strategy pans out or not.

Crysis 3 hasn't even been on shelves for a month, but it's already available with a 33% discount ($39.99) via GameStop as well as 30% off directly through EA, including the Digital Deluxe Edition which includes Crysis 2: Maximum Edition for $55.99. Meanwhile, Steam has Max Payne 3 for $13.59, Origin offers the Mass Effect trilogy for $25, GameFly knocks half off various Call of Duty titles and Green Man Gaming has a "limited" offer of Dishonored for $32.99 as well as War of the Roses, Killing Floor and Red Orchestra 2 for $4.99 each.

Steam
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76 Arma II: Complete Collection $19.99 (50% off)
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Primal Carnage $4.99 (67% off)
Max Payne 1 & 2 $5.09 (66% off)
Syberia Bundle $3.74 (75% off)
Gatling Gears $2.49 (75% off)
Miasmata $5.10 (66% off)
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Red Faction II $4.99 (50% off)
Red Faction $4.99 (50% off)
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81  The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut $2.50 (75% off)
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Sword of the Stars Complete Collection $6.23 (75% off)
Tryst $8.50 (66% off)
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Green Man Gaming
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Dwarfs!? $2.49 (75% off)
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War of the Roses $4.99 (75% off -- ends Sat.)
20% off via coupon code "GMG20-P4DLK-FKYRS"
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GOG
50% off select strategy titles

While some phone makers are making devices more and more affordable, BlackBerry has no wishes to compete in the budget phone arena, CEO Thorsten Heins said this week.

At a conference in Waterloo, Ontario, Heins reiterated the fact that BlackBerry has no current plans to release phones at $50 to $60 (UK£33 to £40, AU$49 to $58) or below.

"This is not BlackBerry," he reportedly said.

That said, the Canadian phone maker will launch cheaper devices for developing markets like India, where the $800 (UK£530, AU$780) BlackBerry Z10 is currently available, said Bloomberg on Thursday. They just won't dip quite as low as phones from Asian rivals like ZTE and Huawei.

To reiterate

Heins was adding to a point that BlackBerry European MD Stephen Bates told TechRadar in February.

"We've brought out these high-end devices as a statement of intent - to demonstrate vividly the new BlackBerry," Bates said. "But we don't see us getting to the entry level tier for some time; certainly not this year."

Indeed, BlackBerry has focused on high-end smartphones since the launch of BlackBerry 10.

Compare that to what Finnish company Nokia is doing: the high-end market not being what it had hoped, Nokia announced several more affordable phones, including the Lumia 520.

Heins reported that the expensive Z10 sold out in India after just two days, so maybe BlackBerry won't have the same problem.

Fresh rumors about Samsung's Galaxy S4 hint at new screen technology and floating touch input for the flagship Android phone.

According to SamMobile, an inside source is saying that the Galaxy S4 will use green PHOLED technology for its display.

PHOLED uses phosphorescence instead of fluorescent light like traditional OLED displays, making it significantly more energy efficient.

The technology has so far been implemented in displays that use PHOLED for one or two of the red, green or blue light spectrums.

The green PHOLED would cover the green-yellow spectrum, lowering the display's power needs.

Look and don't touch

While the rumors suggest that the Galaxy S4's screen will be more energy efficient, there are also hints that users will be touching the screen a whole lot less.

The same inside source indicated that Samsung will use floating touch technology in the Galaxy S4, letting users hover their finger over the screen to for actions like previewing emails and thumbnails without tapping to open them.

Samsung used similar technology in the Galaxy Note 2, which used the S Pen to hover over the screen for the Air View feature.

Floating touch joins eye control through the Smart screen suite as a rumored new interface for the Galaxy S4.

Samsung is expected to fully reveal the Galaxy S4 at the Unpacked event, scheduled for March 14, and TechRadar will be there to bring you all the details on Samsung's new flagship smartphone.

Google confirmed plans to lay off another 1,200 Motorola staff as it desperately seeks a return to profitability for its multi-billion dollar acquisition.

The cutbacks, which will affect staff in the United States, China and India, are in addition to the 4,000 job losses the Silicon Valley giant announced last summer.

Google paid $12.5bn (UK£8.3bn, AUD$12.1bn) for the hardware manufacturer in a deal rubber-stamped last May, partly to boost its Android operating system, but also to acquire Moto's vast locker of 17,000 patents.

In an internal email leaked to the Wall Street Journal, Motorola told staff: "Our costs are too high, we're operating in markets where we're not competitive and we're losing money."

Positive hopes

Google is currently working through the cycle of products Motorola already had in motion at the time of purchase and announced an operating loss of $152m for Q4 of 2012, back in January.

The company said it has "lots of positive hopes" for many of the new smartphones and tablets in the pipeline and assured that it "was not in the business of losing money" with Motorola.

That will be no consolation for the workers who won't be part of this transition. The number of job losses now surpasses 5,000, which is around a quarter of all employees on the books before the buyout.

"These cuts are a continuation of the reductions we announced last summer," confirmed Google spokeswoman Niki Fenwick.

"It's obviously very hard for the employees concerned, and we are committed to helping them through this difficult transition."

Google has confirmed plans to lay off another 1,200 Motorola staff as it desperately seeks a return to profitability for its multi-billion dollar mobile acquisition.

The cutbacks, which will affect staff in the United States, China and India, are in addition to the 4,000 job losses the Silicon Valley giant announced last summer.

Google paid $12.5bn (UK£8.3, AUD$12.1) for the hardware manufacturer in a deal rubber-stamped last May, partly to boost its Android operating system, but also to acquire Moto's vast locker of 17,000 patents.

In an internal email leaked to the Wall Street Journal, Motorola told staff: "Our costs are too high, we're operating in markets where we're not competitive and we're losing money."

Positive hopes

Google is currently working through the cycle of products Motorola already had in motion at the time of purchase and announced an operating loss of $152m for Q4 of 2012, back in January.

The company said it has "lots of positive hopes" for many of the new smartphones and tablets in the pipeline and assured that it "was not in the business of losing money" with Motorola.

That will be no consolation for the workers who won't be part of this transition. The number of job losses now surpasses 5,000, which is around a quarter of all employees on the books before the buyout.

"These cuts are a continuation of the reductions we announced last summer," confirmed Google spokeswoman Niki Fenwick.

"It's obviously very hard for the employees concerned, and we are committed to helping them through this difficult transition."

No browser was left standing at this year's Pwn2Own hacking contest. The latest versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Google's Chrome, and Mozilla's Firefox all succumbed to exploits on day one, with hackers targeting a variety of zero-day vulnerabilities on each browser and Windows to hijack the underlying computer. By the end of the event at least $420,000 of the $560,000 prize fund was claimed -- almost a clean sweep.

French security firm Vupen -- which has been criticized in the past for selling exploits to governemnts -- took down IE10 on a Surface Pro tablet running Windows 8 as well as Firefox on Windows 7. The first is said to have required the most effort as it involved two separate zero-days and a full sandbox bypass, netting them an impressive $100,000. Meanwhile, Firefox fell to a zero day exploit that bypassed the browser's Address Space Layout Randomisation and the Data Execution Prevention protection in Windows for another $60,000.

In contrast with last year due to a change in the contest's rules, Vupen disclosed all the details about how they were able to exploit the vulnerabilities to each software house so they could be fixed.

Day 1 also saw Chrome 25 yield to a couple of researchers from MWR Labs, who exploited a flaw in the browser to gain code execution in the context of the sandboxed renderer process, and a kernel vulnerability in Windows 7 to gain system priviles for executing code on the machine. That was another $100,000. Interestingly, Google had pushed out fixes for 10 vulnerabilities in Chrome just before the event launched.

There was actually one browser that left the contest unscathed but that's not necessarily a reflection of its security. No researchers picked Safari on OS X as their target. It should be noted that in previous years Apple's browser has been among the first to fall, and this year there was a sizeable $65,000 bounty for an exploit, so it's inclear if there was simply no interest or if no one came up with a working hack.

Day two of Pwn2Own saw George Hotz take down Adobe Reader for $70,000, Vupen exploiting Flash for another $70,000, and not one but three Java exploits from different firms amounting to $20,000 each.

Chrome OS survives Pwnium

At the same CanSec West security conference Google also hosted its third Pwnium hacking competition from March 6 - 8, but this year the focus was on Chrome OS instead of its browser. The company promised more than $3 million in rewards and individual prizes in two different levels: $110,000 for browser or system level compromise in guest mode or as a logged-in user, delivered via a web page, and $150,000 for a compromise with device persistence (guest to guest with interim reboot) delivered via a web page.

A Google spokesperson today confirmed the Pwnium 3 hacking contest completed without a winning entry, although  partial credit was may be due to those with incomplete or unreliable exploits.

Insiders have tipped the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the iPhone 5S as the bringers of wireless charging to the masses, with HTC also thought to be implementing wireless charging later this year.

The reports come from Digitimes' industry insiders who say that Samsung will adopt Qi wireless charging in the Galaxy S4 (it's not the first time that rumour has surfaced and we'll find out for sure next week).

Just as the January speculation proposed, it sounds as though wireless charging might be more of an added extra than a built-in S4 feature, with users having to buy replacement back covers and a charging pad before they do away with the wires.

Apple juice

Apple, meanwhile, is thought to be making its own in-house wireless charger that will only work with its own products.

That'll mess up plans for a global wireless charging standard (just as Apple did with the whole microUSB charger thing) - Samsung, Nokia, HTC, LG, Motorola and Sony are all members of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) which is likely to adopt a standard, possibly the Qi approach.

Of course, Digitimes is not the world's most reliable of sources, and we have no way of verifying its industry insiders so we wouldn't go putting your life savings on the fact that the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S will come sans wires.

But wireless charging has been waiting in the wings for some years, with the likes of Powermat and Nokia leading the good if slightly inconvenient fight - plus the likes of LG have more recently joined the race. Let's face it, it's about time it went mainstream.