Weekly Highlights: Surface Pro 3, Rackspace M&A Speculation And More

Microsoft's long-awaited tablet event did not contain the highly anticipated Surface Mini.

Rather, Microsoft used the event to introduce the third-generation Surface Pro.

Featuring a 12-inch ClearType Full HD display, an innovative stylus, a new touch pad (for the new Type Cover), and three processor options from Intel, Surface Pro 3 might be the best new tablet of 2014.

But not everyone is convinced that it will reign supreme.

"They are going back to their roots -- try again and try again and try again," Trip Chowdhry, the Managing Director of Equity Research at Global Equities Research, told Benzinga. "Hopefully they will get it right. But I don't think Surface Pro 3 will hit the mark yet."

Does Google's market share count for anything?

The search engine giant is the global leader in smartphone adaption (thanks to Android), but Apple continually leads in the area of branding.

That leadership has come to an end -- for one study, at least. After three years at the top, Apple is now the second most valuable brand, according to Millward Brown.

Google is now listed as the most valuable global brand.

Now that Rackspace is evaluating its strategic alternatives, analysts are sharing their thoughts on who could or should acquire the company.

Ivan Feinseth, the Chief Investment Officer of Tigress Financial Partners, thinks that IBM (NYSE: IBM) or Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) are the most likely suitors.

"The benefit of a hardware manufacturer buying them is that they have an additional hardware customer and it gives the hardware maker a cloud platform," Feinseth, who has a Strong Buy on Rackspace, told Benzinga. "So that's why I say it's either HP or IBM."

Chinese officials will no longer use Windows 8 on government computers.

The nation reportedly banned Windows 8 to counter Microsoft's decision to stop supporting Windows XP.

Windows XP is said to be used by 50 percent of China's desktop market.

IBM could soon offer virtual assistants that communicate with people by using various (relatable) personalities.

The company acquired Cognea, an artificial intelligence startup, to assist in this effort.

"We believe this focus on creating depth of personality, when combined with an understanding of the users' personalities will create a new level of interaction that is far beyond today's 'talking' smartphones," Mike Rhodin, Senior VP for IBM's Watson Group, wrote in a blog post.

The year is only half over, but Ubisoft has already announced that its newest game, Watch Dogs, is the most pre-ordered new IP of 2014.

It may not hold onto that record for long, however.

With a plethora of games slated to be announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June (which may include new franchises from Ubisoft), Watch Dogs is sure to get a lot of competition.

Could the next Netflix be destroyed by broadband Internet providers that impose data caps?

Todd O'Boyle, Program Director for the Media and Democracy Reform Initiative at Common Cause, fears that it could.

"If you're out there developing the next great Netflix or the next great Pandora or you name it, it's hard to connect with your consumers if they're constantly worried about whether they're about to trip over their data cap or not," O'Boyle told Benzinga.

Domestic viewers watch an average of 103 minutes of Netflix content every day.

That's equal to nearly five half-hour sitcoms (which are roughly 22 minutes in length without commercials) or two one-hour dramas (which are about 44 minutes in length without commercials).

Netflix originals are longer, but viewers could still watch a handful of Arrested Development episodes before hitting the daily average.

The preceding slideshow was just the beginning. Check out these other hot stories right here on Benzinga.

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