Newsfactor Technology
Main
Technology
Army TechnologyCyberwars
Military Technology
Newsfactor Technology
Technology World
Yahoo Technology
Random Feeds
Archives
| Feb 2012 | Jan 2012 | Dec 2011 | Nov 2011 | Oct 2011 | Sep 2011 | Aug 2011 | Jul 2011 | Jun 2011 | May 2011 | Apr 2011 | Mar 2011 | Feb 2011 | Jan 2011 | Dec 2010 | Nov 2010 | Oct 2010 | Sep 2010 | Aug 2010 | Jul 2010 | Jun 2010 | May 2010 | Apr 2010 | Mar 2010 | Feb 2010 | Jan 2010 | Dec 2009 | Nov 2009 | Oct 2009 | Sep 2009 | Aug 2009 | Jul 2009 | Jun 2009 | May 2009 | Apr 2009 | Mar 2009 | Feb 2009 | Jan 2009 | Dec 2008 | Nov 2008 | Oct 2008 | Sep 2008 | Aug 2008 | Jul 2008 | Jun 2008 | May 2008 | Apr 2008 | Mar 2008 | Feb 2008 | Jan 2008 | Dec 2007 | Nov 2007 |Thu, 30 Sep 10
DOT Chief Blasts Report That Calls Texting Bans Pointless
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75392
The U.S. secretary of transportation is blasting an insurance industry report that says state bans on texting while driving are pointless, calling the report's assertion that drivers will find other distractions "ridiculous." The report by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) was released Tuesday.
Another report by its parent, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, looked at accident reports in some of the 30 states (in addition to the District of Columbia and the territory of Guam) that ban texting behind the wheel. It found no reductions in crashes after the laws took effect.
But Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in his official blog, the Fast Lane, responded that the report proves nothing.
"There are numerous flaws with this 'study,' but the most obvious is that they have created a cause and effect that simply doesn't exist," he wrote. He noted previous data from the same group that found people who use handheld devices while driving are four times more likely to injure themselves.
Laws against texting while driving were enacted in California in January 2009; in Louisiana in July 2008; in Minnesota in August 2008, and in Washington state in January 2008. In conducting the study, the HLDI calculated the rate of collision claims for vehicles up to nine years old during the months immediately before and after the laws passed. It then collected comparable data in nearby states without bans. The data was adjusted to control for possible changes in claim rates unrelated to the bans, such as longer commutes and seasonal travel.
"Texting bans haven't reduced crashes at all," said Adrian Lund, president of both HLDI and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "In a perverse twist, crashes increased in three of the four states we studied after bans were enacted. It's an indication that texting bans might even...
Thu, 30 Sep 10
RIM's PlayBook Will Offer Business Features Not on iPad
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75391
Research In Motion has previewed a new PlayBook web tablet that represents the biggest potential challenge yet to Apple's red-hot iPad. The mobile device will offer support for capabilities unavailable on the iPad today, including enterprise-friendly features such as two-way video conferencing and the seamless pairing of the new tablet with BlackBerry smartphones, as well as providing access to web-based Adobe Flash and AIR multimedia.
The PlayBook will be equipped with a one-gigahertz dual-core processor and powered by the QNX Neutrino operating system that the BlackBerry maker acquired earlier this year. Though the tablet won't become available for purchase until early 2011, its feature set "looks to be strong relative to what the market will have in that time frame," said Al Hilwa, director of applications software development at IDC.
Beyond appealing to consumers, RIM thinks the PlayBook will gain traction in the enterprise space because of its out-of-box compatibility with BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which provides mobile workers at many companies with secure access to corporate data. The tablet also has two cameras for two-way business videoconferencing: A three-megapixel front-facing camera and a five-megapixel rear camera.
Both cameras will be capable of recording high-definition video at a maximum resolution of 1080p, while Apple's iPad does not have a camera. Additionally, the PlayBook will sport an HDMI output for connecting to external high-definition displays and recorders.
By pairing the PlayBook with BlackBerry smartphones, users will be able to access work documents, calendars, spreadsheets and other sensitive files over a secure Bluetooth connection. The link also will enable the PlayBook to serve as a bigger monitor for small-screen BlackBerry phones.
This would give BlackBerry users a far better reading and browsing experience when surfing the web or accessing e-mail, documents and other files, Hilwa observed. Additionally, BlackBerry owners will be able to use...
Thu, 30 Sep 10
Facebook-Skype Tie-Up Would Offer Enterprise Value
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75390
Facebook is close to inking a deal with Skype to integrate the VoIP service onto its platform. All Things D first reported the tie-up, which would allow Facebook users to log onto Skype through their Facebook accounts to text, call and video chat with their social-networking friends.
The rumors emerged on the day Avaya inked its own deal with Skype, giving the reports more credibility. On Wednesday, Avaya and Skype announced a strategic agreement to deliver real-time communications and collaboration solutions to their clients.
In the Avaya deal, customers would have access to Skype Connect, which adds Skype calling to IP-based enterprise communications systems. The tie-up would provide a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) communications channel between Avaya communications systems and Skype.
"Skype is looking to monetize its substantial user base to find links to other opportunities," said Brad Shimmin, an analyst at Current Analysis. "In this case, any enterprise that's using Avaya PBX can find value. In the case of Facebook, it's really to tie the two communities together to create a more holistic solution."
Skype had 124 million average monthly connected users during the second quarter. The deal with Facebook would allow the social network to broaden the services it offers to its 500 million-plus members. It also could potentially ward off a threat from Google.
Google launched a Gmail calling feature in August. Google's service allows users to make telephone calls from the Gmail interface. Calls to the U.S. and Canada are free for at least the rest of the year. Google promised to add international calling at low rates in the near future. At 175 million, Gmail has more users than Skype.
With the new service, Google is competing with Skype, and Skype is moving quickly to establish itself on new platforms. Google may also begin competing with Facebook on...
Thu, 30 Sep 10
U.S. Sets Deadlines for Federal Agencies To Use IPv6
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75389
U.S. agencies are to switch their public-facing networks to IPv6 by Sept. 30, 2012, although they will continue to support IPv4 to avoid compatibility issues. Internally, the agencies can use IPv4 until Sept. 30, 2014.
White House CIO Vivek Kundra announced the deadlines Tuesday at a Washington, D.C., workshop hosted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) also issued a memo with the compliance dates for the government's e-mail, domain name, and Internet servers.
The current 32-bit IPv4 network standard dates back to 1980 and is running out of unique addresses, possibly as early as the end of next year. IPv4 provides nearly 4.5 billion addresses, but only about six percent of those are left for new devices.
IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, and Dave Evans, Cisco Systems' chief technologist in its Internet business solutions group, has estimated that translates to "50 thousand trillion trillion addresses per person."
Federal agencies were also directed to appoint an IPv6 transition manager by Oct. 30. In addition, they must test their systems for IPv6 compatibility.
Kundra said the transition will support the federal agencies' modernization efforts and set the stage for security in federal computer systems. The OMB will work with the National Institute for Standards and Technology on the IPv6 transition, and a federal task force will be formed to work with the agencies.
In addition to the trillions of new addresses, IPv6 is expected to bring other improvements, including in routing, network auto-configuration, and better handling of 3G mobile networks.
As we previously reported, an IPv6 summit in Ireland last May issued a warning about the consequences of running out of Internet addresses. Unless IPv6 is implemented, a task force said, "new startup businesses wishing to offer services on the Internet will find it very difficult or prohibitively expensive to secure...
Thu, 30 Sep 10
Netflix Battle Escalates as Hulu Plus Moves To TiVo, Roku
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75388
Hulu is making strong competitive moves against Netflix with its Hulu Plus service. The company inked deals to deliver its content to TiVo and Roku boxes. The service will debut on both platforms in the coming months.
"This is a game changer. This shows that the media landscape is not going to be the same with regard to Internet delivery to TV sets," said Richard Doherty, senior analyst at Envisioneering Group. "We are way beyond people getting Internet TV for YouTube and Flickr."
Indeed, Hulu Plus offers one of the largest online catalogs of current TV shows available for streaming, including every episode of more than 45 hit programs like Grey's Anatomy, Family Guy, and The Office and classic series like Law and Order: SVU, The X-Files, and Miami Vice.
Pete Distad, vice president of content distribution at Hulu, said the company's goal with Hulu Plus is to provide as much consumer choice as possible. He added, "Hulu Plus on TiVo's Premiere DVR offering is a compelling way for us to drive our mission forward."
Hulu Plus also adds a new dimension to TiVo. Tara Maitra, vice president and general manager of content services and ad sales at TiVo, said, "Adding Hulu Plus to TiVo's content offering was really the key missing piece to the programming portfolio that TiVo needed in order to deliver a truly comprehensive advanced television offering on the market today."
Hulu Plus is a few steps behind Netflix in platforms. The Netflix service is already streaming on both TiVo and Roku. A Netflix subscription costs a dollar less each month than the Hulu Plus offering, but Hulu Plus has a larger catalog of current television shows. Netflix is fighting back with premium cable content that Hulu Plus doesn't offer, at least not yet.
Meanwhile, Apple TV is looming around...
Thu, 30 Sep 10
Supreme Court Takes Case on Corporate Privacy
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75387
The Supreme Court is getting involved in an unusual freedom of information dispute over whether corporations may assert personal privacy interests to prevent the government from releasing documents about them.
The court on Tuesday agreed to a request from the Obama administration to take up a case involving claims made by telecommunications giant AT&T to keep secret the information gathered by the Federal Communications Commission during an investigation.
The administration wants the high court to rule that corporations may not claim a personal privacy exception contained in the federal Freedom of Information Act.
The exception may be used only by individuals, the administration said in a brief signed by Elena Kagan, the newest justice who served in the Justice Department until last month.
Kagan will not take part in the case, which will be argued early next year.
AT&T wants the FCC to keep secret all the information it gathered from the company during an investigation into its participation in the federal E-Rate program, which helps schools and libraries get Internet access.
The FCC had released some of the information under an open records request, but withheld some, citing FOIA exemptions that cover trade secrets and humans' right to privacy.
A federal appeals court sided with AT&T.
COMPTEL, a trade group representing some AT&T competitors, filed the FOIA request that led to the court ruling. The trade association and several groups that support transparency in government backed the administration's plea to the court to hear the case.
The case is FCC v. AT&T, 09-1279.
Thu, 30 Sep 10
Nintendo Cuts Profit, Says 3DS Not Ready for Christmas
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75374
Nintendo slashed its earnings forecast by more than half Wednesday after announcing that its 3DS game machine, packed with glasses-free 3-D technology, won't be ready to go on sale for Christmas.
Nintendo now expects 90 billion yen ($1 billion) in profit for the year through March 2011, down from an initial projection of 200 billion yen ($2.4 billion) profit.
The 3DS will go on sale in February in Japan, and March in Europe and the U.S., missing the year-end shopping season which is a critical time for all game-makers to rake in profits.
Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. had promised the 3DS for sometime before April next year, and so the announcement is not technically a delay. But its forecasts had assumed the machine would on be on sale sooner.
Nintendo said the strong yen, which reduces profits from overseas sales when brought back to Japan, and the timing of the 3DS launch were behind its decision to lower projections for the fiscal year.
For the year through March 2011, Nintendo expects to sell 23.5 million DS machines, including 4 million 3DS, down from its earlier forecast for 30 million. It sold 27 million DS machines the previous fiscal year.
The latest revision shows that even Nintendo, which has stood up fairly well among Japanese exporters in hard times, is getting battered by the surging yen. Nintendo had counted dollar trading near 85 yen. The dollar has recently dived below 85 yen.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said 3DS will cost 25,000 yen ($300) in Japan, where it will hit stores Feb. 26. Overseas prices and specific dates will be announced later.
Hirokazu Hamamura, president of Enterbrain Inc., a major Tokyo game-industry publisher, said he was surprised by the release date because of widespread rumors the 3DS would hit stores in time for year-end and New Year's -- a booming shopping...
Thu, 30 Sep 10
Facebook and Twitter See More Spam Attacks
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75362
Facebook and Twitter users take heed: Expect those surges of spam you've been experiencing to recur. Hackers and spammers have staked out new turf for attacking the popular social networks, and it'll take the good guys some time to shore up defenses, cybersecurity experts say.
Here's what's happening: Hackers are aggressively probing Twitter and Facebook for security holes, especially ones they can use to tap into mechanisms for rapidly disseminating content to millions of users. On discovering a fresh vulnerability, an attacker will usually disperse a test posting that spreads in wormlike fashion, proving his skill.
Next, alert spamming gangs move into action. They stand ready to blast high volumes of spam through the new hole for as long as it stays unpatched. Often, such spam comes from "clickjackers" who make money by getting users to click to a webpage full of ads, or to an advertising-related survey. They get paid up to $1 a click from advertisers, and can make hundreds of thousands of dollars a day.
Facebook and Twitter "are the new toy everybody wants to attack to get visibility and also to make a little money," says Catalin Cosoi, research director at anti-virus firm BitDefender.
Spammers pounced all over a flaw recently uncovered in Twitter's mouse-over feature. Anyone who simply moused over a corrupted microposting, or tweet, caused an identical tainted tweet to be sent to all of his or her followers. Each subsequent click spread the attack exponentially.
Twitter devotes 23 of its 250 employees to security, trust and safety issues, says Twitter security director Bob Lord. The team reacted quickly to users tweeting about the spam surge in progress and patched the hole over the course of six hours. "We work very hard to protect our users, which is at the core of what we do," says Lord.
Attackers also recently...
Thu, 30 Sep 10
Stuxnet Stumps Computer Security Specialists
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75357
As in real warfare, even the most carefully aimed weapon in computer warfare leaves collateral damage.
The Stuxnet worm was no different.
The most striking aspect of the fast-spreading malicious computer program -- which has turned up in industrial programs around the world and which Iran said had appeared in the computers of workers in its nuclear project -- may not have been how sophisticated it was, but rather how sloppy its creators were in letting a specifically aimed attack scatter randomly around the globe.
The malware was so skillfully designed that computer security specialists who have examined it were almost certain it had been created by a government, making it a prime example of clandestine digital warfare. While there have been suspicions of other government uses of computer worms and viruses, Stuxnet is the first to go after industrial systems. But unlike those other attacks, this bit of malware did not stay invisible.
If Stuxnet is the latest example of what a government organization can do, it contains some glaring shortcomings. The program was splattered on thousands of computer systems around the world, and much of its impact has been on those systems, rather than on what appears to have been its intended target, Iranian equipment. Computer security specialists are also puzzled by why it was created to spread so widely.
Global alarm over the deadly computer worm has come many months after the program was suspected of stealthily entering an Iranian nuclear enrichment plant, perhaps carried on a U.S.B. memory drive containing the malware.
Computer security specialists have speculated that once inside the factory and within the software that controls equipment, the worm reprogrammed centrifuges made by a specific company, Siemens, to make them fail in a way that would be virtually undetectable. Whether the program achieved its goal is not known.
The timing is...
Thu, 30 Sep 10
Microsoft Ditches Live Spaces for WordPress.com
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75352
Microsoft Corp. is giving up on its own blog network and, in a new partnership, will start sending new Windows Live users to a competing platform instead.
Microsoft said Monday that people who sign up for a Windows Live account -- necessary to use the free Hotmail e-mail system, the Xbox Live site and other services -- can get a free blog from WordPress.com.
They'll no longer be given a "space" on Microsoft's own blogging system, Windows Live Spaces.
Current Windows Live Spaces bloggers can use the existing system until the end of the year. If they want to update their blog after that, they have until March 2011 to switch to WordPress. They can also download the content from their existing blog to their PCs.
Microsoft said it will make sure existing text, photos, videos, comments and links transfer over to the new blog.
Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft added MSN Spaces, later renamed Windows Live Spaces, to its array of free online services in 2004. For several years, the software maker seemed committed to the idea of building its own version of competitors' products, from online photo management and event invitation to blogging and social-networking software.
Microsoft has since shifted its strategy, providing tools and services that mesh better with competitors' programs. For example, people can use the Windows Live Photo Gallery program to publish pictures to Yahoo Inc.'s Flickr site, or connect feeds from social networks Facebook and LinkedIn with Messenger accounts and Windows Live profile pages.
In a blog post, Microsoft said giving its customers access to WordPress.com was a better move than continuing to invest in its own service. That may be because Windows Live Spaces gets a fraction of the traffic its competitors do, at least in the U.S.
Microsoft says Windows Live Spaces has 30 million "active" users, or people who logged in...
Thu, 30 Sep 10
Retrial Starts in Pirate Bay File-Sharing Case
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75350
One of the four defendants failed to show up in court Tuesday at the start of the second round in the battle between file-sharing Web site The Pirate Bay and the entertainment industry.
Defense lawyer Ola Salomonsson said he had received text messages from Gottfrid Svartholm Warg's mother, saying her son had fallen ill in Cambodia and wouldn't appear in front of the Svea Court of Appeal.
A lower court last year convicted Svartholm Warg, along with Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Carl Lundstrom, of assisting to copyright infringement by helping millions of Pirate Bay users illegally download music, movies and computer games.
They were sentenced to one year in prison each and ordered to pay 30 million kronor ($4.4 million) in damages to entertainment industry groups, including Warner Bros., Sony Music Entertainment, EMI and Columbia Pictures.
The Pirate Bay, however, remains in operation.
All four defendants have denied the charges, and their defense lawyers argue they should be acquitted because The Pirate Bay doesn't actually host any copyright-protected material itself. Instead, it provides a forum for its users to download content through so-called torrent files. The technology allows users to transfer parts of a large file from several different users, increasing download speeds.
The appeals court gave Svartholm Warg until Oct. 7 to produce a doctor's certificate and have his case tested in a separate hearing. If he fails to meet the deadline, the district court ruling against him will stand.
"He has told me all along that he wants to be here. That's what makes me believe that this is a medical condition," Salomonsson said.
Sunde said he felt assured the previous verdict would be overturned.
"I think our chances are good. It will be difficult to make a similar judgment this time," he said. "I don't see Pirate Bay as something illegal at all."
Prosecutor Hakan Roswall...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
Video-Ad Platform 5min Media Acquired by AOL
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75367
AOL said Tuesday that it has acquired video-content provider 5min Media under undisclosed terms. According to 5min Media, the provider's delivery platform lets online advertisers reach a targeted audience of tens of millions in specific categories by making a single buy across consistent video content.
AOL expects the deal to significantly expand the global content network's appeal to advertisers while further enhancing the distribution and monetization of AOL-produced original video content throughout the web, noted AOL CEO Tim Armstrong.
"5min Media is the perfect complement to our powerful video capabilities," Armstrong said. "It provides a missing piece in the AOL value chain that completes our end-to-end video offering from content creation through syndication and distribution to the consumer experience."
The 5min Media acquisition complements the StudioNow platform AOL acquired in January, giving the company the ability to create and distribute video online in a cost-effective and scalable way -- both for AOL as well as third-party publishers.
"Our acquisition of 5min Media is the latest in a number of steps we have taken this year to better position AOL to capture the growing video opportunity on the web," Armstrong said. "We are building a video ecosystem for the next decade."
Though AOL already had a commercial agreement with 5min Media for the network's sites to integrate 5min content, Armstrong noted that the acquisition will let the company add even more videos to its web pages. "Importantly, we'll also be able to identify video content holes among our sites, tap our StudioNow capabilities to fill those needs, and create a truly 'demand informed' video library," Armstrong said.
According to 5min Media, its video-syndication platform was generating more than 160 million unique video views per month before AOL's acquisition. However, this pales in comparison to the nearly 3.6 billion video ads that Americans...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
OpenOffice.org Volunteers Cut Ties with Oracle
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75366
LibreOffice. That's the possible new name of OpenOffice.org. The volunteers that develop and promote the free office software severed ties with Oracle on Tuesday and formed an independent group called The Document Foundation.
OpenOffice.org successfully grew under the Sun Microsystems banner for a decade, but the volunteers believe a new ecosystem will generate more competition and choice for customers, as well as drive innovation in office-productivity software. The group also hopes to lower the barrier of adoption for users and developers. In essence, the group wasn't happy under Oracle.
Oracle acquired the OpenOffice.org assets along with its acquisition of Sun. The Document Foundation has invited Oracle to become a member of the new foundation, and has asked the tech giant to donate the brand name. Until Oracle responds, the group is using the name LibreOffice. The break has been widely lauded by software companies large and small.
Chris DiBona, open-source programs manager at Google, called The Document Foundation a great step forward in encouraging further development of open-source office suites. "Having a level playing field for all contributors is fundamental in creating a broad and active community around an open-source software project," DiBona said.
Red Hat's Jan Wildeboer and Canonical's Mark Shuttleworthy, among many others, also offered support for the project. And Guy Lunardi, product management director at Novell, made a bold statement: "Viva la LibreOffice. Ultimately, we envision LibreOffice will do for the office-productivity market what Mozilla Firefox has done for browsers."
The Document Foundation vowed to build on the work of OpenOffice.org. The founders noted that the group was created in the belief that an independent foundation is the best fit to the community's core values of openness, transparency and valuing people for their contributions.
Oracle has released two stable versions of the open-source software since the...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
Office for Mac 2011 Resembles Windows Office 2010
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75365
Office for Mac 2011 will be launched on Oct. 26, Microsoft announced on Tuesday. The launch date had been rumored for several weeks, and pre-orders begin now.
This is the first major revision for the Mac office suite since early 2008, and the productivity package has been retooled to largely resemble Windows Office 2010. Some of the new features include a full-screen view in Word and a Dynamic Reorder feature that allows layers in a document or presentation to be moved around.
In a video posted on Microsoft's Mactopia site, Mac Senior Evangelist Kurt Schmucker said something users will "notice right away in Office 2011 is the launch speed of each of the apps." He also pointed to improvements in charting, which he said is much faster in the new Excel. Schmucker recalled that one tester described the new Word and Excel as "light because they are so much faster."
Full Screen actually offers two views -- one designed for writing, and one for reading. When in the full-screen view for writing, the user interface disappears. A formatting toolbar appears when the mouse is moved to the top of the screen. In the same video on Mactopia, Senior User Experience Manager Han-Yi Shaw said that, when a user is in this view, you "almost forget you're in Word because all you see is the page."
Shaw said the company has "long had this idea to, in one swoop, dynamically reorder all the layers in a presentation or document." He described Dynamic Reorder as "exciting" and "futuristic," helping to make a Word document or a presentation "enjoyable and intuitive at the same time."
Other new features include a view of multiple e-mail accounts within Outlook, access to Microsoft's SkyDrive file-sharing service, and reportedly complete compatibility with...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
New OS for PlayBook Could Bring RIM's Mojo Back
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75364
While some manufacturers are still talking about rolling out an iPad killer, Research in Motion is making a bold move into the tablet market with the BlackBerry PlayBook, featuring the BlackBerry Tablet OS. RIM hopes its seven-inch touchscreen tablet with features like web browsing, multitasking, high-performance multimedia, security, enterprise support, and a new development platform will draw consumers and business users.
Mike Lazaridis, RIM's president and co-CEO, said the company set out to "engineer the best professional-grade tablet in the industry." The PlayBook features a one-gigahertz
dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, dual HD cameras, video and audio playback, HDMI video output, both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and support for a wide range of software. But analysts doubt it's an iPad killer any more than the BlackBerry is an iPhone killer.
The PlayBook is less than half an inch thick and weighs less than a pound. RIM keeps pushing the "true multitasking" button. Some users have complained that Apple's iOS 4 still does not offer this capability. RIM isn't relying on its handset operating system for the PlayBook, but instead turned to the QNX Neutrino microkernel architecture to support the BlackBerry Tablet OS.
Neutrino is used to support applications in everything from planes, trains and automobiles to medical equipment and the largest core routers that run the Internet. RIM figures it's secure enough for a professional-grade tablet. Developers can build applications in Adobe Mobile AIR and the BlackBerry WebWorks app platform RIM announced Monday. The tablet also supports Java-based apps.
"RIM didn't show off the user interface at all. They didn't talk about what software or services would come with the device. They didn't talk about pricing," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. "What they did talk about was the operating system. That is actually the most interesting part because RIM has been criticized...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
Amazon Puts E-Books Everywhere with Kindle for the Web
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75361
E-books are beginning their march to the web. On Tuesday, Amazon.com announced the release of a beta version of Kindle for the Web to let readers sample new book titles. The new application requires no installation or downloading, and works in any recent browser.
Amazon said it is inviting bloggers and web-site owners who are members of its associates program to embed book samples on their sites and receive referral fees when users click and buy books.
Visitors to an Amazon book-product page can click on the "read first chapter free" button, and it will open in a web page. Some control is offered within the browser, including changing font size, line spacing, background color, or sharing book samples with friends over Facebook, Twitter or e-mail.
Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for consumer technology at the NPD Group, pointed out that Amazon isn't the first to offer e-books on the web. E-book seller Kobo had that distinction, although Amazon, with its category-leading Kindle e-reader and a U.S. Kindle Store offering more than 700,000 e-books, is the 800-pound gorilla in this space.
Rubin said there would "seem to be the conditions for a web-based platform" for e-books, especially with the increasing use of HTML5, which offers embedded functionality for off-line tasks, for syncing with other readers, and other benefits. But, he noted, "it appears that Amazon is simply using this as a marketing tool" to sell e-books, at least for now.
Although it's pushing its Kindle e-reader, Amazon is clearly pursuing an all-platform strategy. It's also showing nimbleness in doing so, such as announcing a new, free app for BlackBerry's PlayBook tablet on Monday, the same day Research In Motion announced the device. In addition to reading an Amazon book on a Kindle, Kindle 3G, or Kindle DX,...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
Air Force Says GPS Concerns Are 'Pessimistic'
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75340
A government report raising questions about the future reliability of the Global Positioning System satellite network is "overly pessimistic," Air Force commanders said Friday.
A report from the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, said the latest GPS satellite was launched almost 3 1/2 years behind schedule, and further delays could leave the system with fewer than the 24 orbiting satellites it needs as older models wear out and quit working.
Col. David Buckman of the Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., said the report's facts were correct, but "we think it draws overly pessimistic conclusions based on those facts."
Buckman said satellites currently in the design or construction phase are on schedule and the Air Force has 31 healthy, operational satellites in orbit.
Even if the count did drop below 24 -- which Buckman said was unlikely -- most users, including some military applications, wouldn't be affected, he said.
GPS has become nearly indispensable, with untold numbers of receivers in everything from cars and cell phones to military weapons. The receivers can determine their position, their path and the time of day using signals from the satellites, which are launched and operated by the Air Force.
Col. Bernard Gruber, commander of the GPS Wing at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., estimated that there are 750 million GPS users worldwide.
A May 2009 GAO report cast doubt on whether the Air Force could acquire new satellites in time to prevent an interruption in service as older satellites die.
A follow-up report released Sept. 15 credited the Air Force with making improvements but warned that a delay in launching one of the next-generation satellites could still drop the number of operational orbiting satellites to less than 24.
In a conference call with reporters Friday, Buckman and Gruber acknowledged that the Air Force has...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
Will Easier Internet Wiretaps Fight Cyberterrorism?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75331
Broad new regulations being drafted by the Obama administration would make it easier for law enforcement and national security officials to eavesdrop on Internet and e-mail communications like social networking Web sites and BlackBerries, The New York Times reported Monday.
The newspaper said the White House plans to submit a bill next year that would require all online services that enable communications to be technically equipped to comply with a wiretap order. That would include providers of encrypted e-mail, such as BlackBerry, networking sites like Facebook and direct communication services like Skype.
Federal law enforcement and national security officials say new the regulations are needed because terrorists and criminals are increasingly giving up their phones to communicate online.
"We're talking about lawfully authorized intercepts," said FBI lawyer Valerie E. Caproni. "We're not talking about expanding authority. We're talking about preserving our ability to execute our existing authority in order to protect the public safety and national security."
The White House plans to submit the proposed legislation to Congress next year.
The new regulations would raise new questions about protecting people's privacy while balancing national security concerns.
James Dempsey, the vice president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, an Internet policy group, said the new regulations would have "huge implications."
"They basically want to turn back the clock and make Internet services function the way that the telephone system used to function," he told the Times.
The Times said the Obama proposal would likely include several requires:
-Any service that provides encrypted messages must be capable of unscrambling them.
-Any foreign communications providers that do business in the U.S. would have to have an office in the United States that's capable of providing intercepts.
-Software developers of peer-to-peer communications services would be required to redesign their products to allow interception.
The Times said that some privacy and technology advocates say the regulations...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
Improve Windows 7's Startup and Shutdown Times
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75327
Windows 7 is faster overall than Vista. But startup and shutdown times can still be frustrating. If you shut down your computer once a day -- or more -- those minutes waiting for a usable Windows 7 desktop can seem to drag on forever.
The same can go for shutting down. The good news: There are steps you can take to shave seconds, even minutes, off of both processes.
Windows 7 is the first version of the operating system that can use all processor cores to speed bootup. There's just one problem: the feature is not active by default.
You can change that, though. Open Windows 7's Start menu, type "msconfig," and click the msconfig.exe entry that appears. The System Configuration dialog box opens.
From there, click the Boot tab, and then click the Advanced Options button. From the resulting BOOT Advanced Options dialog box, select the checkbox labeled "Number of processors," and then from the drop-down list box underneath, select the number of "cores" that your computer has.
Typically, just select the highest number offered in the drop-down box, Click OK, and you're done.
Fonts in Windows 7 -- and all previous versions of Windows -- load at startup. So to cut down on startup time, pare your font collection to only those typefaces that you need and use.
Visit the Fonts dialog box by opening the Start menu and typing Fonts. Select the Fonts entry that appears and, from the resulting dialog box, delete any fonts you don't use.
To save those fonts for later use, try a font management program, such as FontFrenzy or Suitcase, which makes it easy to uninstall fonts without removing the underlying files.
Often what holds up the Windows shutdown routine is the operating system waiting for background and foreground processes to close. Microsoft has tried to alleviate...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
Nokia's Biggest Challenge Is Within
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75322
A few years before Apple introduced the iPhone in early 2007, the prototype of an Internet-ready, touch-screen handset with a large display made the rounds among upper management at Nokia, the largest maker of mobile phones in the world.
The prototype developed by Nokia's research centers in Finland was seen as a potential breakthrough by its engineers that would have given the company a powerful advantage in the fast-growing smartphone market. But instead of putting the device into production, Nokia waited, deeming the interface too immature and risky.
The decision, which has not been previously reported, allowed Apple; Research in Motion of Canada, the maker of BlackBerry phones; Samsung and LG of South Korea; and others to steal a beat in a main battle for the industry's future.
"We had it all in place; everything was ready to go," said Kai Nyman, who at the time was Nokia's chief architect for the unit responsible for Internet services. "We couldn't get it through the organization."
As Nokia -- which has just hired its first non-Finnish chief executive -- attempts to turn its troubled high-end lineup around, the company faces an obstacle almost as formidable, according to three former executives, as its rivals: its stifling bureaucracy.
In interviews, the now-departed veterans portrayed an organization so swollen by its early success that it grew complacent and slow moving and removed from customers. As a result, it lost the lead in several vital areas by failing to put its designs for touch- screens, software applications and 3-D interfaces on a fast track.
The task of remaking Nokia, which has fallen far behind in the United States and has so far failed to develop a convincing response to the iPhone, has been given to Stephen Elop, a 46-year-old Canadian who ran Microsoft's business software division.
Mr. Elop began work last Tuesday. He...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
Facebook Offers New Coin for the Digital Realm
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75321
For all its success, Google is often criticized as being a one-trick pony. After 12 years, the Internet search company is still struggling to find a significant new revenue source to supplement its lucrative text advertising business.
Facebook, the social networking giant that more than any other company aspires to seize Google's dominant place on the Internet, hopes to avoid that problem. Already on the path to becoming an advertising powerhouse, Facebook is laying the groundwork for its second act: a virtual currency system that someday could turn into a multibillion-dollar business.
Facebook began testing its virtual currency, called Credits, more than a year ago with some popular games on Facebook. This month, Credits passed a milestone when it became the exclusive payment method for most of the games created by Zynga, the No.1 developer of Facebook applications.
Zynga is expected to have $500 million in revenue this year, according to the Inside Network, which tracks Facebook applications, as millions of users pay real money to buy virtual goods on games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars. Through Credits, Facebook will take a 30 percent cut.
By the end of the year, Facebook expects Credits to be used to buy the majority of virtual goods sold on Facebook. The fast-growing market is expected to reach $835 million on Facebook this year, according to Inside Network. To bolster that market, Facebook started selling Credits gift cards at stores of the retailing chain Target across the United States this month.
For now, Facebook says it simply wants Credits to help foster the growth of virtual goods transactions. But Mark E. Zuckerberg, the chief executive, said recently that the company might choose to do "a lot more" with Credits in the future. Over time, the company plans to turn Credits into a system for micropayments that could be open...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
Guardians of Open-Source Code Seek Violations
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75320
Armijn Hemel, 32, lives with his parents in Tiel, a town in the middle of the Netherlands. He works as a technology consultant but spends several hours a week on his avocation: pestering some of the most powerful consumer electronics and technology companies in the world.
Mr. Hemel serves as a volunteer watchman for free, open-source software like the Linux operating system, which competes with Microsoft Windows. The use of free software has exploded, particularly in gadgets as varied as exercise bikes, energy meters and smartphones. Companies like Google and Sony often choose to piggyback on the work of others, rather than go through the ordeal of building all of the software for their products from scratch.
The problem that Mr. Hemel and others have stumbled upon is that some companies, even some technology-savvy ones, may be violating the rather easy-to-follow requirements associated with free software licenses. Typically, violations include tweaked versions of a free software product made available to the public or a failure to give credit to the original developers.
Last month, for example, Dell found itself in trouble. The company received a cease-and-desist letter from Mr. Hemel for shipping its new Streak tablet without providing the underlying open- source software code. Dell representatives acknowledged the issue and put the code on a Web site. "We are committed to fulfilling all of our obligations when using open-source code in our product," a Dell spokesman said in a company blog.
Mr. Hemel says companies should make sure they know the ins and outs of everything they sell. "If we all play by the rules, we can make some really good stuff," he said.
Quite often, companies that fail to live up to these requirements do so out of ignorance about the rules of engagement. Nonetheless, they become exposed to lawsuits.
For the moment, companies with...
Wed, 29 Sep 10
Grant Will Fund Web Browser Security Research
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75319
A Syracuse University (SU) professor will use a three-year, $472,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study ways to improve the security of Web browsers.
The ultimate goal is for industry to adopt researchers' findings, says Wenliang Du, the grant recipient and a professor of computer science in SU's L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science. Du says he and his fellow researchers have already been in touch with companies like Google and Mozilla about their work.
He adds that some of his students are in the running for jobs at some of the major browser players.
"That could certainly help us," he says.
Much of the current work done on browser security focuses on fixing problems after they emerge, Du says. Someone finds a hole potential security threats could exploit and programmers then race to close it.
Those approaches don't address the fundamental, underlying security problem that browsers share, Du explains. The security model they use was designed 10 or 15 years ago, even though the Web has changed dramatically since then.
"That security model was adequate for earlier days," Du says. "Now, with Web 2.0 and so much dynamic content, this model is not adequate."
If the basic design of the model is flawed, Du says, it doesn't matter what you do. The system will eventually run into problems.
He compares it to bridge design: someone could look at a bridge and see the weak points that need to be strengthened. But the flaws could be even more evident if the basic design and blueprint are examined.
Du wants to change that blueprint -- the security engine at the heart of a Web browser's ability to protect itself.
"The ultimate goal is to get Microsoft and Google and Mozilla to adopt this engine," he says.
Of course, actually getting a new engine adopted as a standard...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
Twitter Rolling Out Promoted Tweets for Up To $100,000
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75347
When Twitter announced Promoted Tweets in April, the micro-blogging service hinted that third-party ads would soon follow. According to news reports, Twitter is gearing up to roll out the service on its new design, and prices are running as high as $100,000 for the text ads.
Promoted Tweets, and soon third-party Promoted Tweets on services like TweetDeck, aim to transform Twitter from a social-media phenomenon to a profitable company. Promoted Tweets are ordinary tweets that advertisers want to highlight to a wider group of users. Promoted Tweets are very similar to the Google paid-search model.
"Twitter has a massive third-party 'distribution network' among all its client-software apps," said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. "It flips a switch and becomes a huge global ad network that will immediately provide huge scale to Promoted Tweets. The partners and client apps will have no choice but to take the ads as part of the API terms of service."
The first phase of Promoted Tweets launched with a handful of advertising partners, including Best Buy, Bravo, Red Bull, Sony Pictures, Starbucks and Virgin America. Twitter users see Tweets promoted by advertisers called out at the top of some Twitter.com search-results pages.
Now that Twitter has determined that its advertising vehicle is resonating well with its members and offering value to advertisers, Ad Age reports the company is fulfilling its promise to allow Promoted Tweets to be shown by Twitter clients and other ecosystem partners and to expand beyond Twitter search.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, some brands that initially tried Promoted Tweets, including PepsiCo and Best Buy, didn't make new ad buys. But with comScore reporting 130 million searches on Twitter in August, the platform still has advertiser attention.
The Journal reports Twitter, which didn't charge for the test run,...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
IBM Plans to Acquire Blade Network Technologies
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75346
IBM has agreed to purchase privately held Blade Network Technologies in a transaction expected to close before the end of the year under undisclosed financial terms. With the move, IBM hopes to capitalize on high growth in the blade-server market with the world's second-largest switching vendor for data-center network deployments.
Blade Network Technologies is expected to help IBM better integrate its systems in corporate networks by optimizing them for workloads that require high-speed and low-latency performance, such as cloud computing and business analytics, noted Brian Truskowski, general manager of IBM System Storage and Networking.
"For example, faster data transport enables faster decisions important for analytics workloads," Truskowski said. "Blade will increase IBM's system networking development, sales, support, skills and awareness and help IBM build smarter systems that are optimized for client requirements."
During the June-ending quarter, revenue in the blade-server market rose nearly 31 percent year over year to $1.5 billion, according to IDC. Blade servers are popular purchases because they can help larger organizations optimize their IT environments to keep pace with ever-changing business demands, noted IDC Research Manager Jed Scaramella.
"Blades accounted for the largest portion of total server revenue since the form factor came to market," Scaramella said. "As vendors continue to build out their blade offerings through enhanced virtualization, management and I/O capabilities, customers are leveraging these technologies as part of converged systems that are a building block to future internal cloud infrastructures."
The switches and software that Blade Network and its rivals produce are designed to connect new data-center products to the network. According to Blade Network CEO Vikram Mehta in a recent blog, the switch maker expects to surpass 10 million data-center ports in production deployment before Christmas.
For IBM, the blade-server market is one of the sweet spots where the industry giant...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
Cisco Launches New Small-Business Products
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75344
Cisco Systems is launching new products and services for small businesses. The offerings from the San Jose, Calif.-based company include switches for creating a small-business network, new IP phones, and video-monitoring equipment and software.
In all, eight new products or technologies are being launched, with the Small Business 300 Series Managed Switches being one of the centerpieces. The switches offer network traffic control with such features as quality of service, Layer 3 static routing, and support for IPv6. Browser-based tools are used for setup and management, and the company said the switches are optimized for energy efficiency.
Also being released are the new SPA 300 Series of IP phones, entry-level devices that can be connected directly to an Internet telephone service provider, an IP PBX system, or an IP Centrex system. HD voice, or wide-band audio, is available on all of the phones, and the devices are supported with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series and SPA9000 Voice System.
The SPA 525G2 IP Phone is a full-featured, wireless IP device and features Mobile Link. Mobile Link allows calls and contact lists to be transferred back and forth with a mobile phone. The 525G2 is Bluetooth-enabled and has a USB port for charging a mobile phone.
A new desktop administration tool, Office Manager, allows a small-business administrator or an IT person to manage the Cisco Smart Business Communications System.
On the video-monitoring front, the company is offering three new products. The Advanced Video Monitoring System software provides monitoring and control, with analytics, for surveillance departments with up to 64 cameras. The system supports such features as motion detection, alerts if items change, and integration of video cameras with point-of-sale equipment.
The new VC 220 Dome IP Video Camera is designed for both bright and low lighting conditions, and the VC 240 Bullet IP Video...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
Sharp's Galapagos Could Be the Future for Tablets
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75343
In some Japanese homes, the thump of the morning paper on the doorstep may soon be replaced by automatic daily downloads to a tablet computer. And U.S. homes may not be far behind.
Sharp on Monday announced the December launch in Japan of Galapagos, a media cloud system that will offer a selection of 30,000 books, magazines and newspapers for the two Android-based readers it announced in July, with a fee-based "Automatic Scheduled Delivery Service" for the latest editions of newspapers and magazines. The service also provides free trial versions of recommended e-book content that can then be easily purchased.
"You could say Galapagos is a suggestion of the shape of things to come," said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.
Galapagos is an odd choice of monikers since, in addition to not rolling easily off the tongue like iPad or nook, the term has been used derogatorily in the high-tech world to describe Japanese technology that is impressive at home but unseen in other parts of the world, like the unique animals on the Pacific archipelago visited by Charles Darwin in 1835.
"Galapagos was chosen as the name for Sharp's cloud-based media service business as a symbol of the 'evolution' of services and terminal devices that constantly bring fresh, new experiences to the user," Sharp said. "The observations Darwin made while on the islands played a key role in the formulation of his theory of evolution."
Using the name may be a way for Sharp to thumb its nose at critics who say Japanese technology can't drive evolution in other markets.
The two Wi-Fi-equipped devices come with a 5.5-inch (for the "mobile type") or 10.8-inch (for the "home-style") liquid-crystal displays at 1024x800 pixels or 1366x800 pixels, respectively. Sharp hasn't announced pricing for the two units or which version of Android they will run. It...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
Windows Phone 7 Is Coming -- But When and Where?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75341
Microsoft is on the verge of releasing its new Windows Phone 7 Series platform -- although the exact date is still unclear. Some reports indicate a press conference in London on Oct. 11 will unveil the product, while others say the conference will also -- or instead -- take place in New York.
Other reports pin a U.S. release to Nov. 8, or predict a launch of various Windows Phone 7 devices throughout Europe on Oct. 21. Microsoft hasn't yet announced its plans.
Whenever it happens, the Phone 7 launch will come not a moment too soon for the software giant. Where Microsoft was once a major player in mobile operating systems, it has dropped the ball. Its worldwide market share has dropped from nine percent last year to five percent in 2010, and is now in fifth place behind Symbian, Research In Motion, Google's Android, and Apple's iOS.
Leading hardware manufacturers that once were focused on Windows Mobile, such as HTC, LG and Samsung, are now putting their biggest energies into Android. Some observers expect Nokia, the world's largest handset maker, whose Symbian platform is number one in market share, will also release a Phone 7 product.
Microsoft had an embarrassing experience recently with its KIN smartphone, which it launched in April as "the next generation of the social phone." By early summer, the device was pulled from the market because of disappointing sales. To pump up demand for Phone 7 devices, the software giant is expected to have a worldwide marketing campaign of at least $400 million.
Several video commercials from that upcoming campaign have been leaked on web sites. One, an homage to a scene in Lawrence of Arabia, uses the tagline "The revolution is coming." In another, multiple users use their smartphone when they should be...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
Silicon Valley Companies Settle DOJ Hiring Inquiry
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75339
The Justice Department has reached an agreement with six major Silicon Valley companies to settle allegations that they colluded to stifle competition for employees by restricting the way they could poach workers from each other.
The settlement, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia late Friday, names Google Inc., Apple Inc., Intel Corp., Adobe Systems Inc., Intuit Inc. and Walt Disney Corp.'s Pixar Animation Studios.
The Justice Department had been investigating whether the companies pledged not to use "cold calls" to recruit each other's employees, as part of partnership agreements. The government was concerned that such promises amounted to a form of collusion to avoid bidding wars for employees with specialized skills, and in turn hold down payroll expenses.
These agreements, the Justice Department said, "eliminated a significant form of competition to attract highly skilled employees," depriving employees of access to better job opportunities.
The settlement bars the companies from entering into such "no-solicitation agreements" for employees for a period of five years.
In court documents, the Justice Department cited various partnership agreements among the companies from 2005 through 2007 in which both sides agreed not to make unsolicited job offers to computer scientists, engineers and other workers with specialized skills.
Although the companies argued the restrictions had little effect on their hiring practices, they evidently believed the rules helped them retain employees.
For instance, in February 2006 and again in March 2007, Apple complained to Google about apparent breaches of their mutual cold-calling restrictions, the Justice Department alleged in court documents. Google CEO Eric Schmidt joined Apple's board in August 2006 and remained a director until last year when he stepped down because of escalating competition between the companies.
Friday's court filing didn't elaborate on how Google resolved Apple's complaint.
Apple also forged a no cold-calling agreement in 2007 with Pixar, a company formerly...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
Worm Hits Computers of Staff at Iranian Nuclear Plant
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75335
A complex computer worm capable of seizing control of industrial plants has affected the personal computers of staff working at Iran's first nuclear power station weeks before the facility is to go online, the official news agency reported Sunday.
The project manager at the Bushehr nuclear plant, Mahmoud Jafari, said a team is trying to remove the malware from several affected computers, though it "has not caused any damage to major systems of the plant," the IRNA news agency reported.
It was the first sign that the malicious computer code, dubbed Stuxnet, which has spread to many industries in Iran, has also affected equipment linked to the country's nuclear program, which is at the core of the dispute between Tehran and Western powers like the United States.
Experts in Germany discovered the worm in July, and it has since shown up in a number of attacks -- primarily in Iran, Indonesia, India and the U.S.
The malware is capable of taking over systems that control the inner workings of industrial plants.
In a sign of the high-level concern in Iran, experts from the country's nuclear agency met last week to discuss ways of fighting the worm.
The infection of several computers belonging to workers at Bushehr will not affect plans to bring the plant online in October, Jafari was quoted as saying.
The Russian-built plant will be internationally supervised, but world powers are concerned that Iran wants to use other aspects of its civil nuclear power program as a cover for making weapons. Of highest concern to world powers is Iran's main uranium enrichment facility in the city of Natanz.
Iran, which denies having any nuclear weapons ambitions, says it only wants to enrich uranium to the lower levels needed for producing fuel for power plants. At higher levels of processing, the material can also be used in...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
Report: Poor Science Education Impairs U.S. Economy
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75310
Stagnant scientific education imperils U.S. economic leadership, says a report by leading business and science figures.
Released Thursday at a congressional briefing attended by senators and Congress members of both parties, the report updates a 2005 science education report that led to moves to double federal research funding.
Nevertheless, the Rising Above the Gathering Storm review finds little improvement in U.S. elementary and secondary technical education since then.
"Our nation's outlook has worsened," concludes the report panel headed by former Lockheed Martin chief Norman Augustine. The report "paints a daunting outlook for America if it were to continue on the perilous path it has been following":
*U.S. K-12 education in mathematics and science ranks 48th worldwide.
*49 percent of U.S. adults don't know how long it takes for the Earth to circle the sun.
*China has replaced the United States as the world's top high-technology exporter.
Although U.S. school achievement scores have stagnated, harming the economy as employers look elsewhere for competent workers, the report says that other nations have made gains.
If the USA's students matched Finland's, for example, analysis suggests the U.S. economy would grow 9 percent-16 percent. "The real point is that we have to have a well-educated workforce to create opportunities for young people," says Charles Vest, head of the National Academy of Engineering, a report sponsor. "Otherwise, we don't have a chance."
"The current economic crisis makes the link between education and employment very clear," says Steven Newton of the National Center for Science Education in Oakland.
In 2007, however, an analysis led by B. Lindsay Lowell of Georgetown University found that worries about U.S. science education were overblown. It saw three times more science and engineering college graduates than job openings each year. Other reports have found top science and engineering students migrating to better-paying jobs in finance, law and medicine since the 1990s.
Tue, 28 Sep 10
Turning To Twitter To Resolve Restaurant Complaints
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75308
When Tony Bosco saw mostly negative reviews about the restaurant Wow Bao, he Tweeted: "Going to 'business' dinner (at)Wow Bao. Can any1 tell me if it's going to suck as much reviews suggest."
And almost immediately he got a response from an unexpected source -- BaoMouth, the official Twitter feed of Wow Bao, an upscale fast food place in Chicago. The restaurant offered him a coupon to find out for himself, on the house.
Wow Bao sent Bosco two $15 gift cards via an iPhone app, and Bosco went the next night, posting pictures of the food on Twitter.
"I would say it made it a little more exciting," said Bosco, 34. "That immediate interaction.
Conversations about food that once only happened between friends are now public thanks to the Internet. And the microblogging site Twitter has only sped up the conversation. Whether it's reviews before the meal or the service afterward, opinions are voiced freely -- and restaurants are taking notice.
Many eateries have been tweeting about specials or other events for a while. But recently restaurants -- locals and chains -- have started Twitter conversations with customers. Chains like Chipotle and Pei Wei even have full-time social media employees.
Previously corporate-sounding restaurant Twitter feeds now are filled with streams of replies directly to diners, in some cases performing nearly instantaneous customer service.
Geoff Alexander, managing partner of Wow Bao, explained his company's Twitter commitment like this: If somebody has 1,000 followers and writes a negative Tweet about Wow Bao, then 1,000 people could think the restaurant is bad. But if Wow Bao publicly responds to that Tweet, 1,000 people may see the issue is being handled.
"We created this entity to talk to people," Alexander said. "BaoMouth can do whatever it takes to enhance the guest's experience."
Chipotle, based in Denver, Colo., also has responded to customer...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
AMD Slashes Guidance, Blaming Weak Consumer Sales
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75307
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has lowered its third-quarter outlook, supplying fresh evidence that consumers' penny-pinching on personal computers has led to a painful back-to-school shopping season for some technology companies.
AMD is the world's No. 2 maker of PC microprocessors, the "brains" of those machines.
Its announcement Thursday reinforces a message the computer industry has been sending for the past month: stubborn unemployment and worries that the global economic recovery is sputtering have caused many consumers to close their wallets when it comes time to buy a new PC.
That's a reversal from the worst of the recession, when consumers' clamoring for "netbooks" and other inexpensive computers helped the industry tread water while corporations choked off spending on new technologies. The sides have now flipped: flush with sizable cash hoards, corporations have freed up their budgets and are spending again, while many consumers are girding for prolonged unemployment and are being more cautious about the technology they buy.
AMD said after the market closed that its revenue should fall 1 percent to 4 percent from the second quarter's $1.65 billion. That translates to a range of $1.58 billion to $1.63 billion. Analysts expected $1.71 billion, on average, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.
The company, based in Sunnyvale, California, blamed weaker-than-expected demand, particularly in consumer laptops in Western Europe and North America. Austerity measures that were implemented in response to Europe's debt crisis, and shaky economic signals out of the U.S., are two reasons why PC sales in those regions have been hit hardest.
AMD didn't provide further details. The company said in a statement that it would elaborate when it reports its full results for the quarter on Oct. 14.
AMD joins a chorus of other technology companies in cautioning about bumps in back-to-school shopping. The end-of-summer shopping season is one of the most important...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
Review: Civilization V Rules the PC Game World
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75304
When legendary designer Sid Meier and his Firaxis Games studio produced a console version of their PC classic "Civilization" in 2008, purists howled: How dare they take one of the brainiest, most challenging games out there and dumb it down for joystick-wielding Neanderthals?
As it turns out, "Civ Lite" (or, to use its actual title, "Civilization Revolution") was the best thing that could have happened to the 20-year-old franchise. Those who had never played got a solid, newbie-friendly introduction. Those who no longer had 10 hours to spare for a proper "Civ" game could get a fix in about two hours.
Most important, however, is that lessons learned from the streamlining of "Civ Rev" have been applied to the new PC installment, "Civilization V" (2K Games, for PC, $49.99). If you liked the look and feel of the console version, you'll feel right at home here.
The goal remains the same: Build a civilization that will dominate the planet. You pick one of 18 historic leaders, from familiar names like Napoleon and George Washington to others, like Askia of the West African Songhai empire, who are new to the series. Each culture has a few unique abilities -- Germany, for example, can build Panzers -- but they will have marginal effect on your overall strategy.
You start with a small parcel of land and two groups of followers, settlers and warriors. The settlers stay home and build your capital city, while the warriors venture forth and explore the space nearby. You then assign workers to cultivate your land, and train ever-more powerful troops to attack or defend against your neighbors.
There are many, many other ways to expand your empire. Starting with simple technology like pottery and animal husbandry, you can work your way up to nuclear power and space travel. Social policies aid growth...
Tue, 28 Sep 10
What's Happening With Your Google Search Engine?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75209
Google originally wowed Internet users with its refreshing simplicity. The search engine's spartan, easy-to-use interface won over legions of Internet users at a time when other search engines -- or "portals" -- had become cluttered and confusing.
Google still has a flair for the understated, but the search engine giant has also been tinkering a lot lately with new search features and interface enhancements that many feel border on distracting. Here's a rundown of what's happened to your Google search page recently, along with some tips on how you can get back the simplicity you might miss.
If you start typing into Google, and the search field suddenly flies up to the top of your browser window, you know you're dealing with the new feature that Google calls Instant. In essence, Instant attempts to update search results in real-time, as you type. So, for example, if you're searching for "ms word templates," the search results will be updated with each few characters.
Eventually, Instant figures out what you're searching for based upon what others have searched for, and this usually happens a few characters before you finish typing. At that point, you can stop typing and simply select the best search result from those presented.
You might find Instant's constant screen redrawing more distracting than helpful. If so, you can turn Instant off by searching for the faint "Instant is on" drop-down arrow to the right of the search field and selecting Off. You have to start typing, however, before that drop-down appears.
In an effort to make search results more personalized, Google introduced its Star rating system earlier this year. As a result, if you have a Google account and are signed in to the search engine, you'll note that each item in a list of search results now includes a hollow...
Sat, 25 Sep 10
Verizon Confirms Move To Tiered Mobile Data Plans
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75318
Verizon told investors Thursday that it expects to launch new mobile data plans within the next four to six months that will set pricing tiers based on how much data subscribers consume. "We do agree with tier pricing and we do think we have to monetize the investments we make," said Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg.
Though wireless rival AT&T moved to metered mobile data plans earlier this year, Verizon may elect to implement somewhat different tiers and bundles based on the considerably improved data experience it expects to offer after the deployment of next-generation Long Term Evolution technology in about 30 U.S. metropolitan markets by the end of this year. "When we layer in 4G, the experience is going to be very good," Seidenberg said.
Moreover, Seidenberg said Verizon will be rolling LTE into additional markets each month thereafter for two years. "By the end of 2012 and as we head into 2013, we will have 4G coverage in 90 percent to 94 percent of the country," Seidenberg promised.
The CEO said he doesn't think Verizon would be wise to match its tiered data pricing to what is going on now with 3G. "We are going to feather in our pricing over the next couple of months as we introduce new services, new products, and try to get that value proposition to fit the added excitement and added capabilities that we are going to offer into the marketplace," he told investors.
Seidenberg also noted that AT&T currently offers a lot more smartphones than Verizon does, but the amount of data traffic that both national networks carry is not that far off from each other. "Remember, we have kind of owned the air-card market for a long time, so we have the a lot more of that," Seidenberg explained.
Lisa...
Sat, 25 Sep 10
Netflix Expands NBC Universal Streaming Deal
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75317
On the heels of Blockbuster's bankruptcy filing -- and Netflix's entry into Canada with its movie and TV show streaming service -- the mail-order DVD rental pioneer is making yet another move to grab new customers in an increasingly competitive market. On Friday, Netflix announced an expanded license agreement with NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.
The multiyear deal lets Netflix members instantly watch broadcast series from the NBC television network. The deal includes content from some of NBC Universal's popular cable channels, a first for Netflix.
The NBC agreement adds more value to Netflix's 15 million-plus members, who pay $8.99 in the U.S. for unlimited DVD rentals and streaming content. It also positions Netflix as stronger against any potential rebound Blockbuster has planned as it remakes its beleaguered business model.
With the expanded NBC deal, Netflix customers can now watch episodes from every season of Saturday Night Live, including day-after broadcasts of the upcoming 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons plus hundreds of episodes from the first 35 years of the comedy show.
Netflix members can also watch every episode from the last season of the multiple Emmy Award-winning series 30 Rock, The Office, and Law & Order: SVU, as well as earlier seasons of those shows renewed for streaming.
Also included in the new content deal are all prior seasons -- and eventually next year's final season -- of Friday Night Lights, as well as all prior seasons of USA Network hits Psych, the drama In Plain Sight, and Monk. Prior seasons of all three shows are available to watch instantly at Netflix for the first time.
NBC is also throwing into the Netflix content mix more than 75 prior-season episodes of Syfy's mainstay Battlestar Galactica, as well as prior seasons of the network's popular Destination Truth and Eureka.
"We are very...
Sat, 25 Sep 10
iPhone Tops in Smartphone Customer Satisfaction
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75316
Traditional wireless cell-phone owners are keeping their devices longer than ever before, and Apple's iPhone is the number-one smartphone in customer satisfaction. Those are some of the conclusions of new studies released Thursday by J.D. Power and Associates measuring customer satisfaction for both traditional mobile phones and smartphones.
Customers are keeping their mobile devices an average of 20.5 months, the longest period since the study began in 1999. The length depends on the brand, with the longest average period at 27.8 months, and the shortest at 17.5 months.
Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power, said one possible reason customers are postponing upgrading a device is simply due to the economic downturn. He added that the additional expense could include a new, more expensive service plan, and customers are thinking more carefully about whether the additional expense is worth the benefit.
The average monthly wireless service plan is now $78, including taxes and fees, compared to $69 three years ago. The increases are due to data services and additional usages, such as texting. But while service costs are increasing, device costs are dropping. The survey found the average price of a traditional wireless phone is now $76, down from an average of $81 at the beginning of last year. Nearly half of all respondents said they received a free mobile phone from their carrier as a result of subscribing to the service.
When measuring satisfaction, the survey found that the key factors for smartphones are ease of operation for 26 percent of customers, operating system for 24 percent, physical design for 23 percent, features for 19 percent, and battery function for eight percent.
On a 1,000-point scale for satisfaction, Apple's devices rank 800 and took first place for the fourth straight survey. Second place was taken by Motorola at 791,...
Sat, 25 Sep 10
Automated Feedback Loop Takes Out Facebook
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75315
If you kept trying to access your Facebook page Thursday and got an error message, you weren't alone. Millions of Facebook users around the world got the same message during a 2.5-hour blackout that will go down in the social-networking giant's four-year history as the worst-ever outage.
Facebook was quick to apologize and offer an explanation to its more than 500 million users. The story is one of technical glitches and lessons learned for the young company, which is the focus of a feature film to be released Oct. 1 called The Social Network.
As Facebook's Robert Johnson explained it, the key flaw that caused the outage to be so severe boiled down to the "unfortunate handling of an error condition." Essentially, an automated system for verifying configuration values ended up causing much more damage than it fixed.
"The intent of the automated system is to check for configuration values that are invalid in the cache and replace them with updated values from the persistent store," Johnson said. "This works well for a transient problem with the cache, but it doesn't work when the persistent store is invalid."
Facebook got its social network back online by making a change to the persistent copy of a configuration value that was interpreted as invalid. With the invalid configuration value, every single client saw the invalid value and attempted to fix it. Because the fix involves making a query to a cluster of databases, that cluster was quickly overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of queries a second.
"To make matters worse, every time a client got an error attempting to query one of the databases, it interpreted it as an invalid value and deleted the corresponding cache key. This meant that even after the original problem had been fixed, the stream of queries continued," Johnson said....
Sat, 25 Sep 10
Zuckerberg Gives Newark $100 Million as Movie Opens
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75314
Can a $100 million donation counter a hit movie? That question is being asked in the wake of news that Facebook cofounder Mark Zuckerberg has given a huge gift to Newark public schools -- just before the release of The Social Network movie.
The donation was to be announced on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Friday with appearances by Zuckerberg, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. On Friday night, The Social Network, which reportedly presents a somewhat unflattering portrait of Zuckerberg as he was founding the giant social-networking site in college, was to open the New York Film Festival. It's scheduled for release into theaters on Oct. 1.
The donation, the largest ever received by the Newark school system, comes amid reports that Zuckerberg, 26, has a net worth of $6.9 billion and is now No. 35 on Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest Americans. The donation is made with the intention that a match will be found. Together, the $200 million would constitute more than 20 percent of the school system's total budget.
Many observers are suggesting that the timing of the gift is more than coincidental. Facebook has not commented, but USA Today reports that, according to a source "familiar with the situation," the company knew the timing would look suspicious but decided to go ahead anyway. The key reason was the date planned for the Winfrey appearance, and the premiere of a new dramatic/documentary film from the director of An Inconvenient Truth, Davis Guggenheim. That film, Waiting for Superman, addresses the state of public education in the U.S. and opens Friday.
Brad Shimmin, an analyst with Current Analysis who covers social networking, said he doesn't expect the movie to adversely affect, or the donation to positively affect, Facebook. But, he added, the donation...
Sat, 25 Sep 10
Target To Start Carrying Apple's iPad in October
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75301
Target Corp. says it will begin carrying six models of Apple Inc.'s iPad, starting at $499.
The nation's second-largest discount chain says it will start selling touchscreen tablet computer Oct. 3. The iPad will be covered under the retailer's 5 percent discount for store credit-card holders, which rolls out Oct. 17. Target hopes the combination of the hit device and the discount will bring in shoppers during the holidays.
Target will be the largest retail chain to carry the iPad. Its shares rose $1.20, or 2.2 percent, to $54.97.
The models include 16-, 32-, and 64-gigabyte versions of both the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models.
The announcement was made at Target's media conference in Minneapolis, where it is based.
In addition, Troy Risch, executive vice president of stores, told the gathering that Target is on track to have 450 general merchandise stores with its expanded grocery format by end of the month. Risch reiterated that Target plans to remodel 400 more stores in 2011.
Target operates 1,743 stores nationwide, including 240 Super Targets.
Sat, 25 Sep 10
Behind-the-Scenes Drama Complicates Video Rentals
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75290
Apple CEO Steve Jobs sang a familiar tune this month when he described a big selling point for his newly revamped Apple TV. The device, which connects TV sets to the Internet, will make it "really simple" for people to rent movies on demand, he said.
Maybe it will be simple. But the cascade of new products, policies and pricing schemes for watching movies at home is making one of the USA's most popular pastimes "quite baffling to consumers," says Tom Adams, president of research firm Screen Digest.
Media, tech and retail companies are jockeying to control home video as the curtain falls on the 25-year era when the business was dominated by bricks-and-mortar video stores led by Blockbuster.
Instead of visiting a store to rent a new film on DVD -- which began to replace VHS tapes in the late 1990s -- consumers can obtain discs from mail-delivered subscription services and vending-machine kiosks. And there's an explosion of new opportunities to watch movies on demand via a cable, satellite or Internet service.
The pace of these changes mystifies some consumers. Hollywood studios are adding to the confusion by upending their patterns for releasing movies. They're experimenting with strategies that will encourage people to continue to spend $15 or so to buy a disc -- or pay $5 or so to rent a DVD or to watch a film via VOD.
There's a lot at stake. Home video sales and rentals account for about 68% of the $38.4 billion that U.S. consumers will spend on movies this year, consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates.
Yet the home video maze may get crazier before it becomes simple again.
"There are a few years (left) of sorting out the winners and the losers" in the new home video era, says Bo Andersen, CEO of the Entertainment Merchants Association, a trade group...
Sat, 25 Sep 10
Twitter Attack Triggered by 'Helpful' Japanese Hacker
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75284
This week's Twitter attack that caused a widespread headache for the micro-blogging service appears to have been triggered by a Japanese computer hacker who says he was only trying to help.
The attack, which emerged and was shut down within hours Tuesday morning, involved a "cross-site scripting" flaw that allowed users to run JavaScript programs on other computers.
The originator is believed to be someone who uses the name "Masato Kinugawa" in cyberspace and acknowledges creating the Twitter account "RainbowTwtr" that demonstrated the vulnerability.
Through his Twitter account and personal blog, Kinugawa regularly tracks down possible computer security loopholes and notifies companies of their existence. Earlier this year, he pointed out several scripting problems to Japanese Internet company Livedoor, which thanked him with a 15,000 yen ($177) gift certificate.
Kinugawa says he contacted Twitter about the weakness on Aug. 14 -- but in vain.
"Twitter had not fixed this critical issue long after it had been notified," Kinugawa tweeted. "Twitter left this vulnerability exposed, and its recognition of this problem was low. Rather than have someone maliciously abuse this under the radar, I decided it would be better to urgently expose this as a serious problem and have it be addressed."
The account, which displayed messages in colors of the rainbow, spurred others like Australian teenager Pearce Delphin of Melbourne to spread the word about the vulnerability. "RainbowTwtr" has since been suspended.
In an e-mail to The Associated Press on Thursday, Delphin said he analyzed the code within the "rainbow tweets" and realized it could be tweaked to make a pop-up window appear just by moving a cursor over a message. Other users quickly picked up on Delphin's discovery and made their own changes, infecting unsuspecting accounts around the world.
San Francisco-based Twitter said it does not believe that any user information was compromised and that the "vast...
Sat, 25 Sep 10
'Secure Zone' Suggested To Counter Computer Threat
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75281
The commander of the military's computer operations says the government should create a "secure zone" for federal agencies, financial networks and critical infrastructure.
Gen. Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency, says that must be done carefully so it doesn't affect the millions of people in the U.S. who use the Internet every day.
Finding a way to meet both goals will take time and debate, but is necessary to protect vital systems from the growing threat of attacks from other countries and criminals.
The White House, Congress and industry leaders are at loggerheads over any hint of government control, regulation or influence over the Internet. They are struggling to come up with a solution that protects national security without appearing to limit or monitor people's online activities.
Alexander told a small group of reporters Wednesday evening that federal officials are hashing out how best to conduct cyberwarfare and how to respond to an attack that knocks out banking systems, shuts off electricity or takes control of a nuclear power plant.
"You could come up with what I would call a secure zone, a protected zone, that you want government and critical infrastructure to work in that part," said Alexander, who also testified Thursday before the House Armed Services Committee. "At some point it's going to be on the table. The question is how are we going to do it."
He added that setting up such a system "technically is fairly straightforward. The hard part is working through making sure everyone is satisfied with what we're going to do," and explaining it to the public.
Federal and commercial computer networks are scanned and attacked millions of times a day by hackers, criminals and other countries. Their goals are to steal money, ferret out sensitive data or disrupt and destroy critical operations.
Alexander said the administration's internal discussions...
Sat, 25 Sep 10
Stuxnet Cyberworm May Target Iranian Nuclear Plant
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75273
A piece of computer malware may be harming a specific target, possibly Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, a German expert says.
"Until a few days ago, people did not believe a directed attack like this was possible," Ralph Langner, a German cyber-security researcher, told the Christian Science Monitor. "What (the cyber worm) Stuxnet represents is a future in which people with the funds will be able to buy an attack like this on the black market. This is now a valid concern."
Langner was scheduled to present his findings in Rockville, Md., Tuesday at a closed-door conference of industrial control system security experts.
U.S. experts back up Langner's concerns, the Monitor said.
Some top cyber-security experts say Stuxnet represents a new threat -- a cyber weapon created to cross into the physical world from the digital world to destroy something, the Monitor said.
The report said the encrypted, complex worm has not been immediately understood, and it employs new maneuvers, such as taking control of a computer system without the user taking any action or clicking any link, just inserting an infected memory stick.
The United States and Israel are two countries that could engineer such a threat, the report said.
Canadian expert Eric Byres told the Monitor Stuxnet so far has infected at least 45,000 industrial control systems around the world, without blowing them up, with most of the victim computers in Iran, Pakistan, India and Indonesia. Langner said once inside, Stuxnet waits, checking every five seconds to see if its exact parameters are met by the system -- then is programmed to activate a sequence that causes the industrial process to self-destruct.
Langner told the Monitor his views on Stuxnet's target is speculation based on threads he has seen in the media, but he suspects that the Bushehr plant may already have been wrecked. Bushehr's expected...
Sat, 25 Sep 10
JetBlue Signs Deal for Onboard Satellite Wi-Fi
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75261
JetBlue said Wednesday it signed a deal to install satellite broadband Internet and TV service on its fleet of 160 planes.
The airline is partnering with telecommunications company ViaSat Inc. to begin installing the service by the end of 2012. The system must be tested and certified by the Federal Aviation Administration before the airline can roll it out on all of its planes.
JetBlue didn't say how much the new system would cost. Airline Wi-Fi expert Michael Planey estimates hardware and infrastructure will cost about $15 to $20 million.
JetBlue currently has TV on its flights but does not offer Wi-Fi.
AirTran and Virgin America already have Wi-Fi on their planes. Delta Air Lines Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. expect to have fleet-wide Wi-Fi by the time the first JetBlue aircraft has it.
JetBlue's system could eventually allow the airline to keep passengers more informed of changes on the ground, and possibly reroute them while they're still in the air if there are delays or other issues. It also opens the door for more selling opportunities onboard, through a passengers personal TV screen, smartphone or laptop.
So far wireless Internet service on airlines hasn't caught on with a large number of passengers, mostly because of the price, which ranges from $4.95 to $12.95 depending on the airline and length of the flight. Travelers are saving their Web surfing for solid ground, where some airport "hot spots" offer the service free.
Fri, 24 Sep 10
Microsoft Says Windows 7 SP1 Needed for IE9 Beta
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75298
It seems Microsoft may have gotten ahead of itself with the release of its Internet Explorer 9 beta. In a FAQ on the company's web site, Microsoft is urging companies to deploy Windows 7 with Internet Explorer 8 and wait for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 before deploying IE9. For Windows Vista users, SP2 is needed for IE9.
The catch is that Windows 7 SP1 hasn't been been released and isn't expected until early in 2011. The final version of IE9 is expected next April, so that's not a lot of time to test the latest version of Microsoft's browser that has been losing market share.
Installing IE9 also requires four current Windows 7 updates, KB2028551, KB2028560, KB2120976 and KB2259539, which is also for Windows Server 2008 R2. The requirement for SP1 seems odd since Microsoft has indicated that SP1 will be a collection of already released patches.
Question one in Microsoft's IE9 FAQ says, "Microsoft recommends that organizations do not disrupt ongoing deployment projects but continue deploying Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8. Investments made in this effort will carry forward when they deploy Windows 7 SP1 and Internet Explorer 9 at a later date. With Internet Explorer 8 in place, they will be in a good position to roll out Windows 7 SP1 and Internet Explorer 9 with minimal effort."
Just in case that's not clear, question 11 says, "Internet Explorer 9 will require Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1). Therefore, organizations must plan, pilot and deploy Internet Explorer 9 as part of or after a Windows 7 SP1 deployment."
So it seems Microsoft wants everyone to continue buying and installing Windows 7 now, but hold off on IE9 until SP1 is out. That does keep the revenue coming in by not disrupting current deployment projects, as question one urges.
On the plus side,...
Fri, 24 Sep 10
Cisco AnyConnect Mobile Boosts iPhone Security
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75297
Cisco Systems unleashed a secure mobile client for the iPhone Thursday that is now available for download at Apple's Apps Store. Targeted at enterprise users, the new app is designed to give mobile workers direct access to business-critical data residing behind corporate firewalls while remaining in compliance with company security policies.
AnyConnect Mobile supports the iPhone, iPod touch, and Windows Mobile today, noted Cisco spokesperson David Oro. "We also include ... laptops running traditional PC operating systems," Oro said.
Cisco has also announced plans for Android support, with the first platform being the upcoming Cisco Cius tablet, Oro observed. "Numerous other mobile platforms are under development, but Cisco has not publicly announced details yet," he said.
When corporate workers initially pushed their organizations for access to business apps on the iPhone, many IT enterprise managers objected due to security concerns. But more than 80 percent of Fortune 100 companies were either deploying or piloting the iPhone by July this year, noted Apple COO Tim Cook.
"We also see that over 60 percent of the Fortune 500 are deploying or piloting iPhone" as well as "around 400 higher-education institutions that have included the iPhone for faculty, staff and students," Cook told investors this summer.
Apple helped pave the way for wide-scale enterprise adoption by launching improved iPhone security and management capabilities, along with higher connectivity speeds, noted IDC Vice President Christian Christiansen. "With these improvements, iPhone is becoming increasingly secure and suitable for enterprise use," he observed.
Now Cisco wants to boost the iPhone comfort factor even further by giving IT administrators the tools they need to enable corporate resource access on a per-user or a per-group basis as well as the ability to revoke access privileges for lost or stolen devices. Moreover, Cisco's new iPhone client offers DTLS...
Fri, 24 Sep 10
Blockbuster Takes Bankruptcy To Reduce $1B Debt
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75296
Slow to move with the digital revolution, Blockbuster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The move was widely expected as competitors like Netflix continue gaining momentum with streaming television and movie services.
On Thursday, Blockbuster announced an agreement with a group of bondholders that have about 80 percent of the company's stock to recapitalize its balance sheet so it can remake its failing brick-and-mortar business model. If successful, Blockbuster's recapitalization plan would substantially reduce the company's debt from nearly $1 billion to about $100 million or less.
"It's tough to say if Blockbuster can emerge from bankruptcy," said Keith Nissen, principal analyst at In-Stat. "If they can get rid of the debt, a lot of options open up for Blockbuster. Their future may be getting acquired rather than trying to emulate Netflix or Redbox."
Jim Keyes, chairman and CEO of Blockbuster, said the bankruptcy filing is the best path to recapitalizing the company and positioning for the future. He used phrases such as "transform our business model" and "meet the evolving needs of our customers." He also took the opportunity to reinforce Blockbuster's strengths.
"The recapitalized Blockbuster will move forward better able to leverage its strong strategic position, including a well-established brand name, an exceptional library of more than 125,000 titles, and our position as the only operator that provides access across multiple delivery channels -- stores, kiosks, by mail, and digital," Keyes said.
Blockbuster's operations will remain opening during the voluntary bankruptcy process, and the bankruptcy doesn't include franchises or international stores. But there may be fewer Blockbuster brick-and-mortar facilities after the reorganization. The company said it's evaluating its 3,000 U.S. stores with a "view toward enhancing overall profitability."
It's not clear how Blockbuster aims to compete with Netflix, Apple's iTunes Store, Redbox, Hulu and the growing number of digital...
Fri, 24 Sep 10
More Insiders Are Expecting a Facebook Phone
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75294
Facebook denies it's working on a smartphone, but new reports indicate the social-networking giant may be following in the footsteps of Google and Microsoft with a social phone that could debut on AT&T. Bloomberg reports that Facebook is partnering with INQ Mobile, a handset maker best known for its social-networking-oriented phones. Bloomberg cites not one, but three people familiar with the negotiations.
The rumored devices would feature Facebook and run on Google's Android operating system. But even though Facebook reportedly has a hand in the development, people familiar with the matter say the social-networking company may not put its brand name on the phone.
"INQ Mobile put out a couple of phones last year that prominently featured Facebook, but not exclusively among social networks. Clearly the handset maker gets more marketing mileage out of 'Facebook phone' than 'INQ phone'," said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence.
As Sterling sees it, a single deeply integrated handset isn't the beginning and end of Facebook's vision. The company wants to be deeply integrated into multiple mobile operating systems and aspires to play an expansive role in the mobile ecosystem as a social platform or layer across applications, he said.
"This phone, assuming it appears, could be very much like the Google Nexus One, a quasi-branded device closely aligned with Facebook," Sterling said. "But clearly this is not Facebook's only initiative in the fast-growing mobile market."
Facebook's motivations for going mobile, then, may be similar to Google's. According to Borrell Associates, advertising within mobile apps will reach more than $305 million in 2010 and more than double to an estimated $685 million in 2011 in the U.S. alone. The firm expects that number to grow to $8 billion by 2015. And that's just in-app advertising.
But Facebook's biggest competitor on this front may not...
Fri, 24 Sep 10
Dell Plans A New Streak Tablet, in Hot Seven-Inch Size
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75293
Another day, another tablet in the category now dominated by Apple's iPad. On Wednesday, Dell CEO Michael Dell said his company will offer a second tablet, a seven-inch version of its Streak device.
The company's deeper investment in tablets joins its already-released five-inch Streak. Both tablets are based on Google's open-source Android operating system, although the current Streak, which is part smartphone, launched with the older 1.6 version.
Dell showed the newest tablet at the Oracle conference currently under way in San Francisco, Calif., but declined to provide further details. He did say that the five-inch Streak will soon be offered through Best Buy stores.
The seven-inch form factor could become "the sweet spot for tablets," said Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst with industry research firm Forrester. She said the iPad's size, with a 9.7-inch display, "is great for display and reading, but seems not the best size for human ergonomics." By contrast, she said, a seven-inch tablet can be held with one hand.
Epps said the five-inch tablet is "too small to type with two hands, and too wide to use your thumbs."
Samsung's Galaxy Tab, which will be released in the U.S. through the four biggest wireless carriers, is a seven-incher, and there have been reports that Apple is currently manufacturing a seven-inch version of its iPad, possibly for release as early as the first quarter of 2011.
Setting size aside, Epps noted "several problems" with Dell's growing Streak product line. The five-inch Streak, she pointed out, does not use the most recent version of Android, which means, among other things, that it doesn't support Adobe Flash.
In general, she said, the user experience of the current Streak "is a little too stripped down," and it "almost feels like a mini-Dell computer." But the tablet category is...
Fri, 24 Sep 10
New 'Super Wi-Fi' Era Dawns with White Spaces Approval
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75292
A new era in high-speed wireless dawned Thursday as the Federal Communications Commission approved rules for using "white spaces." Those are additional spectrums between TV-station transmissions, left over from the digital-to-analog transition made by TV stations, each of which now requires less bandwidth.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said the 5-0 vote opens "a new platform for American innovation." The low-frequency white spaces, like TV signals, can travel farther and have better penetration of walls than normal cellular signals at speeds as high as 20 megabits per second.
Some observers have described transmission over white spaces as "Wi-Fi on steroids," and the FCC has described it as "super Wi-Fi." In fact, there is speculation that the move could mean the end of Wi-Fi hot spots if coverage becomes widespread.
Transmission over the white spaces will not need a FCC license, as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth do not, which could speed the development of new applications and devices. This is the first move to allow unlicensed spectrum in the U.S. in a quarter century.
Studies have indicated that transmission over white spaces could result in more than $7 billion in new business annually, and a variety of major companies -- including Microsoft, Motorola, Sprint Nextel, and others -- are ready to begin using them. The additional bandwidth could also dramatically improve high-speed wireless coverage in rural areas and spur the development of new industries, including traffic sensors, remote monitoring of homes and appliances, telemedicine and more.
Genachowski has told news media that he expects the first deployments will most likely be broadband wireless networks covering university or corporate campuses.
Although TV stations completed the transition to digital in June 2009, there has been heavy push-back from some industries because of possible interference. The FCC actually voted to allow transmission over white spaces almost two years...
Fri, 24 Sep 10
Intel's New Idea: Buy the PC, Then Pay for More Speed
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75274
What if you bought a house and were told there's a secret rooftop deck you'll have to pay extra to access? If you're shopping for a personal computer this holiday season, you might get that kind of proposition from an unlikely source: Intel Corp., the world's biggest maker of personal computer processors.
Intel is including Pentium chips that are better than advertised in some low-end desktop computers. But to unlock their full power, buyers will need to pay an extra fee.
The company says the program will enable people who have bought inexpensive PCs to upgrade them cheaply, through the Internet.
It's only a test so far, with the goal of gathering feedback.
News of the test has slipped onto technology blogs, and has rankled some hardcore techies because it asks people to pay extra for things the chips are already capable of doing.
"Intel is exploring a way to give customers the flexibility to determine the level of performance they want in their processor, without having to change hardware," Intel said in a statement.
People upgrade lots of things on their computers, but most typically won't swap out the microprocessor, which acts as a PC's "brain." For Intel, the business model it could provide an extra revenue stream , and it costs it very little to include a better chip.
But Intel needs to please not just consumers, but PC makers. They might not like the prospect of one of their most important suppliers helping PC buyers not buy a new PC.
Fri, 24 Sep 10
FCC Seeks More Bang for Schools' Broadband Buck
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75270
The Federal Communications Commission wants to get more bang from the federal dollars that subsidize Internet access in schools and libraries by lifting some of the restrictions that come with the funds.
The FCC plans to let schools open their doors to the public after hours so that people can use subsidized Internet connections after students go home. It also plans to launch a pilot program that would let schools use the money to pay for wireless connections for electronic reading devices that can download textbooks.
The FCC will vote on the proposals for the E-Rate program on Thursday.
The agency also plans to allow schools and libraries to tap E-Rate funding to lease unused optical fiber or pay for access over existing local and regional fiber networks for faster Internet connections. Roughly half of all schools and libraries in the E-rate program have Internet speeds of just 1.5 megabits per second, according to the commission.
E-Rate is one of four programs that make up the Universal Service Fund, the $8-billion-a-year government fund that subsidizes Internet access in poor and rural communities through a surcharge on phone bills.
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said broadband can improve the quality of education by giving students in far-flung locations access to top teachers and tutors and other valuable learning resources. Schools also need to be able to equip their students with the "digital literacy" skills that are so critical in today's economy, Genachowski said.
Fri, 24 Sep 10
Free Antivirus Software Spurs More Robust Options
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75260
With cyberattacks saturating the Internet, a dramatic shift is underway in the $7 billion-a-year anti-virus industry -- and it's all good news for consumers.
There's no excuse anymore not to have anti-virus protection on your PC. You can get basic free protection from Microsoft with few hassles. Or you can opt for more robust protection -- also at no cost -- from a half-dozen reputable anti-virus makers. You need only endure marketing pitches to upgrade to their respective flagship products.
Spend a few pennies a day and you can step up to a very powerful anti-virus suite, available from a slew of established software security companies. Spurred by the rise of no-cost alternatives, Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro and others are revving up their AV software suites, making them stronger, smarter and less demanding of your PC's resources.
"We're seeing a wonderful thing," says Jay Foley, executive director of the non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center. "More companies are coming out with free software, and at the same time the established players are coming out with more vibrant products that give the home user or small-business owner greater protections."
No-cost basic protection is fast catching on. A recent Morgan Stanley survey of 2,500 U.S. consumers showed 46% of the respondents used free anti-virus products. This trend is expected to continue as more frugal-minded consumers in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world recognize the need to protect their Internet-connected PCs.
Over time, this trend seems sure to dampen cybercriminals' ready access to PCs that have no protection at all, cybersecurity experts say. Today, an estimated 40 percent to 60 percent of PCs go unprotected. These are the easiest fresh machines for cybergangs to infect, steal data from and use to carry out online scams.
"The immediate benefit of free consumer offerings is that more network-connected machines worldwide are...
Fri, 24 Sep 10
Tech Firms Anticipate Enterprise Spending Boom
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75259
Acquisition fever at Oracle, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and IBM probably won't cool down anytime soon; not with corporations, big government and large organizations -- the so-called enterprise sector -- poised to spend trillions on the next generation of digital systems.
Tech research firm Gartner this week forecast that enterprises worldwide will spend $232 billion on software alone this year, up 4.5 percent from 2009.
Meanwhile, overall spending for hardware, software and IT services should hit $3.4 trillion this year and $3.5 trillion in 2011.
The tech giants are anticipating that enterprises will build out new, cutting-edge networks tuned to extract valuable insights from the massive caches of data they've amassed.
Growth will come to those organizations that productively use this new intelligence in near-real-time, on PCs, smartphones and mobile devices.
Intel CEO Paul Otellini used a descriptor for this movement at Intel's Developers Forum in San Francisco two weeks ago.
He called it "pervasive computing."
Otellini described a world where enterprises routinely access not just raw data, but valuable business intelligence applied to that data, "anywhere, any time and in any way," says Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.
Oracle, Intel, IBM and HP are in the race to assemble lower-cost, more streamlined hardware and software components that mesh well and can deliver business intelligence in near-real-time.
The tech rivals are striving to "integrate and control the correct pieces" and be the most successful at "providing functionalities that work in concert, so that it's like a symphony," says Mike Workman, CEO of data storage company Pillar Data Systems.
The projected beneficiaries: airlines, utilities, health care companies, retailers or any business in possession of lots of data.
IBM on Monday announced that it is buying business intelligence software and hardware maker Netezza for $1.7 billion.
That follows HP's acquisition of storage company 3Par and tech-security firm ArcSight; Intel's acquisition of anti-virus supplier McAfee and...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
MetroPCS Gains Edge Over Bigger Rivals With 4G
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75280
MetroPCS is hoping that what happens in Las Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas. The fifth-largest wireless carrier in America, known for its no-contract, flat-rate plans, activated a 4G Long Term Evolution CDMA network in the Nevada gambling mecca this week, with plans to do the same in other major markets. That puts the company ahead of larger rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T in moving beyond the current 3G standard.
Only Sprint Nextel and its subsidiary, Clearwire, has a 4G network, known as WiMAX, which is already online with two phones that utilize it. Verizon expects to offer its LTE, which is currently in the testing stages, in 30 major markets by the end of the year, while AT&T hopes to move to 4G in the middle of next year.
MetroPCS, which has about seven million subscribers, is marketing the Samsung Craft as the first smartphone to use an LTE network for faster data speeds, although the company didn't specify the expected upload or download speeds for the network. Samsung Mobile partnered with MetroPCS to set up the Las Vegas network, which could help the small company increase its share of the burgeoning smartphone market, which is increasingly driven by high-volume data.
"What they have done is pretty intriguing, mainly because of the location they have chosen," said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. "Given the number of high-tech conferences that choose Las Vegas every year, I think it's a great venue for the company, which is essentially a mini-player player in the wireless operator space compared to Verizon Wireless and AT&T."
King said it's difficult to assess the growth potential for MetroPCS and how 4G networks could change the wireless landscape.
"At this point it still pays to call 4G an emerging technology," he said. "What they are trying to do here...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
Mobile Gmail Updates Won't Wait for Android Updates
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75279
Google unleashed a new version of its mobile Gmail app in the Android Market on Tuesday, and said its mobile Gmail updates will no longer be tied to Android updates. The goal, Google said, is to enable smartphone users to receive the latest Gmail enhancements without having to wait for system updates to hit their phones.
The latest app improvements include enhancements that streamline Gmail replies. As users scroll through a conversation, their most important message actions "will now stick to the top of the screen -- one click away -- no matter how long the e-mail is," noted Gmail for Android team members Simon Arscott and Paul Westbrook.
If users can't remember what prompted the most recent e-mail in a thread, they can now "view previous message content more easily -- just like in the desktop version of Gmail," Arscott and Westbrook wrote in a blog. "Tap 'Show quoted text' to reveal the previous message."
Designed for smartphones powered by Android 2.2, also known as Froyo, the software update integrates limited support for Priority Inbox -- an experimental way of taking on information overload in Gmail that Google introduced for desktop PCs last month. With Priority Inbox, Google has found a way to minimize the inbox clutter caused by mail that isn't outright junk but isn't very important, noted Google software engineer Doug Aberdeen.
Google has evolved Gmail's filter to help separate the wheat from the chaff by splitting the user's inbox into three sections labeled 'important and unread,' 'starred' and 'everything else,' Aberdeen wrote in a blog. "In a way, Priority Inbox is like your personal assistant, helping you focus on the messages that matter without requiring you to set up complex rules," he explained.
Android handset users now have access to the same Google technology for desktop PCs, which...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
Netflix Launches Streaming Video Into Canadian Homes
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75278
Netflix is expanding its borders -- literally. The Internet movie subscription service just launched its service in Canada. This is the first time Netflix has offered streaming video outside the United States.
Netflix is getting off on the right foot in Canada. The company has new license agreements with leading motion-picture studios, including Lionsgate, MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, and Universal Pictures.
The monthly subscription is only $7.99 a month, a dollar less than its U.S. service. Consumers can also download the iPhone app for mobile streaming of thousands of movies and TV episodes. Like the U.S. subscription service, Canadian consumers will have unlimited viewing on demand.
"The future is moving to a digital model of delivery on a flat rate so that people don't have to buy each movie every time they want to watch one," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. "Netflix is moving into a new market in a new way -- exclusively digital. Given that Netflix is the predominant player in the DVD subscription rentals suggests that we are about to turn the page."
Canadians can tap into a wide variety of programming tailored to the market, including feature films like Superbad, The Pursuit of Happyness, A Beautiful Mind, The Notebook, Elizabeth and Slumdog Millionaire. In Canada, Running Wilde will stream from Netflix on the same day the show airs on network television in the U.S.
The first five seasons of the Canadian Showcase Network's hit "mockumentary" series Trailer Park Boys, director Mike Clattenburg's creation about the misadventures of a group of trailer-park residents in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is also streaming on Netflix.
Prior season episodes of the TV series Mad Men and the hit dramas Leverage, Rescue Me, and Monk are streaming on Netflix, along with popular shows from the...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
Customer Satisfaction with PCs Hits All-Time High
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75277
Customer satisfaction with personal computers is at an all-time high, which could help lead to increased demand. That's the takeaway from a new survey released Tuesday by the American Consumer Satisfaction Index.
Claes Fornell, ACSI's founder, said that, for demand to rebound, consumers must have both the "increased desire to spend and have the means to do so." He noted that the desire is met "in the form of higher customer satisfaction," although the means will depend on positive movement for jobs, wages and access to credit.
Satisfaction with PCs is now at 78 on the ACSI 0-to-100 scale, an increase of four percent since the last survey. Apple is again the leader in satisfaction, including both its Mac and iPad product lines. This is the seventh straight year the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has occupied that position, and its current score is an increase of two points to an all-time high of 86.
ACSI attributes Apple's satisfaction success to innovation, product diversification, and strong customer service.
The second-place position -- shared by Dell, Acer, Hewlett-Packard, and a group of smaller makers like Sony and Toshiba -- is nine points down from Apple's, at 77. This is the largest gap between the leader and the second position in ACSI's survey history.
These second-place Windows makers have all enjoyed small increases since the last survey. Dell has increased by three percent; Acer, the maker of Gateway and eMachines; and the smaller computer makers are up by four percent. The Compaq division at HP, still at the bottom with an unchanged score of 74, was the only major manufacturer that did not increase.
Part of the reason for the increase in satisfaction for Windows machines, Fornell said, is that they "appear to have recovered from the problems associated with the Windows Vista software." Less...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
Chatter 2 from Salesforce.com Uses Social Networking
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75276
Salesforce.com on Thursday rolled out Chatter 2, the second iteration of its enterprise social-collaboration software. Chatter 2 taps into social-networking features a la Facebook, Google and Twitter to drive productivity.
Dell has deployed Chatter in its sales and marketing departments. Employees are now actively using profiles, status updates, and real-time feeds to collaborate around documents, follow people, business processes, and application data. Dell employees also use Chatter to get insight into the company's upcoming programs, projects people, customers, cases and documents.
"Our sales and marketing programs must evolve quickly to meet customer and market demand," said John Miles, vice president of business information organization at Dell. "With Chatter, we're now able to quickly and easily collaborate around documents and information like sales opportunities and marketing campaign leads. Salesforce Chatter helps us to be more responsive to customer needs and opportunities."
Dell isn't the only success story. Since launching Chatter three months ago, more than 20,000 companies, including Hitachi, Misys, Reed Exhibitions, and SoftBank have deployed the software. Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff said this is "proof that the feed is the new desktop."
With Chatter 2, Salesforce.com re-architected its apps to use the social, mobile and real-time capabilities of Chatter. New features include Filters, Topics, Recommendations, Desktop, Analytics and Files.
Chatter Filters filters the Chatter Feed by groups, people and records. Chatter Topics lets users associate their updates with other posts and comments on the same topic by using a hash tag. Combined with Chatter Search, employees can find updates and comments that match any Chatter topic.
With Chatter Recommendations, employees receive automatic suggestions of colleagues to follow and groups to join, while Chatter Desktop allows employees to post updates, comments, files and links without opening a web browser, and displays pop-up alerts to instantly notify employees of important updates. Chatter 2 also offers analytics,...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
RIM Readies Launch of BlackBerry-Linked BlackPad
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75275
Get ready for the BlackPad. That's Research In Motion's working name for its tablet computer, which is reported to be ready for unveiling as early as next week.
According to Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, the BlackBerry maker will launch the tablet in the fourth quarter. It will have a seven-inch touchscreen, at least one and possibly two built-in cameras, and Bluetooth. It will also feature an entirely new operating system, and will only be able to connect to cell networks through an accompanying BlackBerry smartphone.
The operating system is expected to be a new platform from QNX Software Systems, a company that makes embedded OSes. RIM, which has sustained criticism about the performance of the BlackBerry OS, acquired QNX earlier this year. There has been some speculation that the QNX platform will eventually replace the BlackBerry OS.
The Journal, citing "people familiar with RIM's plans," said the tablet will be manufactured by Taiwan's Quanta Computer and will use chips from the Santa Clara, Calif.-based Marvell Technology Group.
RIM has been expected to make some dramatic moves to shore up its smartphone position, which has been eroded by gains from Apple's iPhones and devices based on Google's Android platform.
One question is whether a move into the tablet category, currently dominated by Apple's iPad but with other competing devices steadily appearing, is a good move. Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for consumer technology at the NPD Group, said RIM "doesn't have to get into the tablet market."
The move could be defensive, directed at maintaining its position in the enterprise market. This would help explain the approach of offering connectivity only through an accompanying BlackBerry. Since RIM is strong in that market, the tablet could become an added value to its user base.
The idea of a device having connectivity only through...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
Czechs Halt Google's Street View on Privacy Concerns
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75264
The Czech Republic has refused to grant Google permission to expand its "Street View" because the mapping feature invades peoples' privacy, the government's privacy watchdog said Wednesday.
The Czech Office for Personal Data Protection has been investigating the issue since April, and last week it did not give Google Inc. the necessary registration for "Street View" in the eastern European country but did not explain why.
Google at the time considered it a temporary decision. On Wednesday, the U.S. Internet giant said it was closely cooperating with the Czech government agency and providing all the details required to be allowed to continue in collecting data.
"Thanks to the ongoing cooperation, most conditions ... have been met," Google said in a statement.
But office head Igor Nemec said Google, while gathering the data, uses technology that "disproportionately invades citizens' privacy."
"Street View" provides Internet users with panoramic views and photographs of neighborhoods along many streets across the globe. It is popular but has been controversial in Germany, South Korea and other countries amid fears that people -- filmed without their consent -- could be seen doing things they want to keep private or being in places where they don't want to be seen.
Google also lost the trust of many in Europe this spring when it had to acknowledge that the technology used by its "Street View" cars had also vacuumed up fragments of people's online activities broadcast over public Wi-Fi networks for the past four years.
Nemec, the Czech official, said the 'Street View' cameras are placed too high -- 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall -- which allow them to see "over the fence" and into people's homes.
He said his office has received dozens of complaints from citizens. In one of them, a person claimed that a picture of his home be studied by a burglar, Nemec...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
AT&T Offers TerreStar Satellite-Cellular Smartphone
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75258
After months of delay, AT&T and TerreStar Networks have introduced a hybrid smartphone that can uplink to a satellite if it cannot connect with cellular service. The TerreStar Genus is intended for business customers -- particularly government, energy, disaster responders, maritime or transportation employees and small businesses -- and carries a $799 price tag that would be prohibitive to ordinary consumers.
A voice, text and data plan is required, with the additional satellite coverage available for $25 per month and 65 cents per minute. Satellite text messages are only 40 cents, but the cost of web surfing is high: $5 per megabyte.
"This is focused on vertical markets where cellular coverage isn't available," said wireless industry analyst Gerry Purdy of MobilTrax. A consumer version of the phone is planned down the road, and TerreStar's web site is now collecting information from those who want to be kept up to date.
But Purdy said the idea isn't likely to catch on among consumers "unless someone lives in a place that is not covered by a cell phone." Sprint Nextel and AirTouch, a predecessor of Verizon Wireless, have previously tried to sell satellite phones, but could not find a market for them.
The TerreStar Genus is powered by Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5, has a touchscreen as well as a wired QWERTY keyboard, and is equipped with standard cell-phone features such as a 2.0-megapixel camera, GPS and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability.
The service can be useful for those who travel offshore or in areas where there are few or no cellular towers, but TerreStar warns that the device will only connect if there are no impediments, such as trees or buildings, in the way of the transmission. Dallas, Texas-based TerreStar launched its own satellite for this purpose, the 65-foot TerreStar 1, in July, the largest commercial...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
Kodak's Kiosks Create Photo Collage in Seconds
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75250
Eastman Kodak Co. has a new trick for its retailer kiosks: a hassle-free way to create photo collages that fit various frames with precut cardboard mats.
The picture-taking pioneer has been scrambling to counter eroding profits from photo processing over the last decade by reeling in custom-photo customers via retail channels. In typical fashion, its PYNK Smart Print system will try to catch the eye of the hustling masses.
"We're opening up a whole new print-to-fit category," said Rowan Lawson, a marketing director in Kodak's consumer digital group. "It goes back to Kodak's DNA: 'You press the button, we do the rest.'
"With the advent of digital photography, nobody has properly solved putting multiple photos together at the press of one button. If you don't make it that simple, it's not going to happen."
Kodak unveiled the new kiosk software Monday on the eve of Photokina, the world's largest photo-products trade show held annually in Cologne, Germany. The company has installed 100,000 self-service kiosks at retail businesses worldwide since 1993 and will roll out the collage option beginning Dec. 1 at 5,000 CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide.
The patented technology automatically enlarges, shrinks, crops, aligns and arranges as many as 13 images on one print.
The catch? The system is packaged to pull in a tidy profit. Aside from the collage, customers must also purchase a mat with anywhere from two to 13 slots for photos of various sizes, or a frame with a mat. A 6-by-8-inch print plus an 8-by-10 frame will retail for $17; an 8-by-10-inch print and mat will cost $11.
"I would not balk at the price," said Barbara Koff, a cosmetics sales consultant in White Plains, N.Y., who bought a framed collage as a surprise gift for her niece during a three-month Kodak trial run this summer at 32 drugstores in Westchester County, near...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
Location-Based Services Are Going Places
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75249
Are location-based mobile services going Places because of Facebook's new feature?
It's been available for less than a month, but Facebook Places -- which lets you share your physical location online -- appears to have put trendy location-based services and check-in apps on the map, industry analysts say.
With Facebook's 500 million members as its potential audience, Places could entice smartphone-wielding consumers, many of whom are unfamiliar with check-in apps, to use such services to connect with friends face-to-face, find discounts on the move and get neighborhood news. Facebook has not disclosed user data, but tech industry investors and analysts say the new app could be a catalyst as businesses look to cash in on the use of social media by a growing mobile audience.
Indeed, location services may prove to be the most "social" of social-networking services, says Sam Altman, CEO of leading vendor Loopt.
For now, Facebook says it isn't monetizing Places, which lets you "check in" and provides information about millions of businesses via an iPhone app or a Web site (touch.facebook.com). Search heavyweight Google also has its eye on location services. In April it unveiled Google Places, a database of Web pages for more than 50 million places optimized for mobile phones. The service, which doesn't have a check-in component but lists everything from store hours to customer reviews, originally launched as Google Local Business Center in 2005.
As competition intensifies, the allure of mobile riches even has Facebook exploring the idea of producing a mobile phone, according to published reports over the weekend.
Facebook denied the story, by blog TechCrunch, but would not say if it is considering marketing a Facebook-branded phone made by a third-party hardware company that would integrate Facebook's features.
"Facebook is not building a phone," company spokeswoman Meredith Chin says. "Our approach has always been to...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
Yahoo Opens 'Computing Coop' Data Center
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75242
Yahoo Inc. picked a cool and breezy spot in upstate New York to build the new data center it opened Monday and put the elements to work to keep it cool.
The long and narrow "chicken coop" design of three server buildings and their placement downwind of Lake Ontario will let California-based Yahoo save on energy costs by using outdoor air, prevailing winds and low-cost hydropower to remove heat.
"It doesn't get that hot in New York so we're always bringing in outside air and re-circulating it," Scott Noteboom, vice president of data center operations, said in advance of the opening in Lockport, 30 miles north of Buffalo.
The "Yahoo Computing Coop" design earned a $9.9 million sustainability grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. An average of less than 1 cent of every dollar spent on electricity will go toward cooling, Yahoo officials said as they formally opened the Niagara County site.
A fourth building in the complex houses an operations center which will monitor the network around the world and a customer care center to field calls, said Yahoo executives, who see the efficiency-driven, multifunction project as the future of Internet data centers.
"The data center really does have to transition from being this niche facility into a real efficient factory, just like any other manufacturing facility," Noteboom said. "We're manufacturing bits versus other industries that may manufacture cars or electricity."
Overall, the center uses at least 40 percent less energy and 95 percent less water than conventional data centers, Yahoo said.
The 155,000-square-foot center will employ 100 people at first, with the potential for expansion and more hires later, the company said.
Based in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo has been expanding its number of data centers around the country.
Thu, 23 Sep 10
Google Bolsters E-Mail and Online Service Security
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75241
Google Inc. is making it tougher for computer hackers and other imposters to break into e-mail accounts and other password-protected services.
An additional security measure introduced Monday will require typing a six-digit code after an accountholder's Google password is entered. The codes will be sent to people's mobile phones.
The two-step process means it will take more than a password to get into an account, at least the first time that an attempted login is made from a particular computer. After logging in, users can ask Google to remember that their identity has been verified on that device and security codes won't be required to get into the account again.
The system is similar to that employed by some banks for online account access. The extra protection initially will be offered to companies and government agencies subscribing to a Google service that provides e-mail and other office applications. Google also is offering the added security to schools that rely on Google to run their e-mail systems.
People using Google's free Gmail service will have the option of making the security codes a part of their login process within the next few months. That could turn the security codes into a mainstream staple, given that Gmail had more than 185 million active accountholders worldwide in July, according to the most recent data from the research firm comScore Inc.
To make it easier to get the codes, Google has created a free security application for Apple's Inc.'s iPhone, Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry and phones running Google's own Android software.
Google wants more companies, government agencies and consumers to feel comfortable about "cloud computing," -- which involves storing vital information on remote servers reached through the Internet.
Many people pick simple passwords, which makes it easier for hackers to break into an account. Requiring a security code that's only...
Thu, 23 Sep 10
Charity Auction Lets You Buy Celeb Twitter Friends
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75237
If you've ever wished celebrities like actress Demi Moore or skateboarder Tony Hawk would follow you on short-messaging site Twitter, now's your chance -- but you'll have to cough up some cash for the privilege.
EBay Inc. is hosting a charity auction called TwitChange, through which people can bid to have celebrities follow them, retweet their posts or tweet their username on Twitter for three months.
Money raised from the auction, which started last week and runs through Saturday, will go to aHomeInHaiti.org and its efforts to rebuild the Miriam Center, which is based in Haiti and houses and serves special-needs children.
Atlanta-based pastor Shaun King founded aHomeInHaiti after the massive earthquake in Haiti in January. He also came up with the idea for the celebrity Twitter auction as a fundraiser.
More than 180 celebrities are involved in the auction, ranging from Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine to actor Zachary Levi. As of late Monday, Dana White, president of mixed-martial arts group Ultimate Fighting Championship, was in the lead with $15,6000 after 86 bids. Levi, who plays a computer nerd implanted with spy secrets on NBC show "Chuck," was behind him with $14,900 raised after 135 bids.
Both auctions offer to follow the winner on Twitter for at least 90 days, repost one of the winner's own Twitter postings and broadcast the winner's Twitter username to the celebrity's list of Twitter followers.
There were also plenty of celebrity Twitter opportunities below $100: A listing for comedian, talk-show host and actor George Lopez to retweet a message from the winner was going for $38 after 19 bids. A listing for rapper Snoop Dogg to do the same rose to $67.55 after 7 bids.
King said the auction had collected $200,000 in bids so far, and he's cautiously optimistic that his group will raise even more.
Wed, 22 Sep 10
Google Details Government Requests for User Data
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75257
A new online transparency report introduced by Google on Tuesday shines the spotlight on the actions that governments around the world have been taking to control the flow of information. Among other things, the report delineates the number of government inquiries for information about users as well as the number of requests that Google has received pertaining to the removal of specific web content.
Google said it believes its responsibilities include ensuring that the company maximizes transparency around the flow of information related to Google tools and services. "We hope this step toward greater transparency will help in ongoing discussions about the appropriate scope and authority of government requests" as well as "help facilitate studies about service outages and disruptions," Google said.
According to Google, the United States ranked number one during the first half of 2010 among nations requesting information about individual web surfers. The search giant said it complied with nearly 83 percent of the more than 4,200 data requests issued by U.S. courts.
Ranking second, Brazil issued 2,435 requests for data concerning individual Internet users during the first six months of this year. The other top nations requesting user data were India (1,430), the United Kingdom (1,343), and France (1,017).
One glaring omission in Google's transparency report is the lack of any data on user-information requests from China. "Chinese officials consider censorship demands as state secrets, so we cannot disclose that information at this time," Google explained.
When it comes to court orders asking Google to remove specific content from its web properties, Brazil led the field by submitting nearly 400 requests covering the removal of nearly 20,000 content items. Libya (149) ranks second after Brazil, followed by the United States (128), Germany (124), and Italy (69).
Google said its biggest removal-request generator involves complaints pertaining to...
Wed, 22 Sep 10
onMouseOver Hack Catches Twitter with 'Pants Down'
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75256
The onMouseOver incident. It's not a twisted technology murder mystery. It's the name Twitter is giving the latest attack on its just-redesigned micro-blogging site.
On Tuesday morning, Twitter was flooded with posts that tapped into a flaw in the site's programming to dispatch pornography and spread worms to innocent tweeters. The attack was launched against Twitter's old user interface rather than the new design the company is in the process of rolling out.
Here's Twitter's account of the breach: "This morning at 2:54 a.m. PDT Twitter was notified of a security exploit that surfaced about a half hour before that, and we immediately went to work on fixing it. By 7:00 a.m. PDT, the primary issue was solved. And, by 9:15 a.m. PDT, a more minor but related issue tied to hovercards was also fixed."
Behind the scenes, the security exploit was created by cross-site scripting, or XSS. Cross-site scripting is the practice of placing code from an untrusted web site into another one. In this case, Twitter explained, users submitted JavaScript code as plain text into a Tweet that could be executed in the browser of another user. Twitter discovered and patched this issue last month. However, a recent site update -- one that was unrelated to the new Twitter rollout -- unknowingly reopened it.
"Early this morning, a user noticed the security hole and took advantage of it on Twitter.com. First, someone created an account that exploited the issue by turning tweets different colors and causing a pop-up box with text to appear when someone hovered over the link in the Tweet," Twitter said in its blog. "This is why folks are referring to this an 'onMouseOver' flaw -- the exploit occurred when someone moused over a link."
As Twitter explained it, other users took this one step further and...
Wed, 22 Sep 10
Samsung Craft Debuts with MetroPCS 4G LTE Service
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75255
LTE next-generation wireless is here. On Tuesday, Samsung announced the launch of the first 4G LTE handset, the Craft, and MetroPCS Communications became the first mobile carrier to launch commercial LTE service, in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Craft works on both CDMA and LTE networks. It features a 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a built-in 3.2-megapixel camera with flash, a camcorder with autofocus, Wi-Fi and stereo Bluetooth, and a music player. A 2GB microSD card comes preloaded with the recent Star Trek movie, and the handset can handle microSD cards up to 32GB.
Samsung supplied the LTE infrastructure for MetroPCS's Las Vegas launch. The company said its products leverage years of experience with 4G orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) commercial networks in the 1.4- to 20-MHz range. The network infrastructure supports a variety of rack types, remote radio heads, picocells, femtocells and distributed-antenna-system hosts.
The Dallas, Texas-based MetroPCS said it will expand its no-contract LTE service to other cities it covers throughout this year and next. Two service plans are offered, priced at $55 and $60 monthly. To take advantage of the additional speed, the carrier is offering several new applications and features, including the RealNetworks-powered MetroSTUDIO, which gives access to full-track downloads, ringtones and ring-back tones, and premium video content from NBC Universal, Black Entertainment Television, and Univision.
A new social-networking and IM aggregation application from MetroPCS combines notifications, friends and content from Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, as well as from AIM, MSN and Yahoo IM clients, into a single interface. An updated MetroNavigator has voice-activated GPS and turn-by-turn directions.
MetroPCS COO Tom Keys said the new LTE phone and service offers customers "a desktop-like web experience."
Unlike other carriers, MetroPCS chose to skip 3G and move directly to LTE. While it's the first to offer commercial LTE,...
Wed, 22 Sep 10
HP Drops Hurd Suit To Preserve Oracle Partnership
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75253
Hewlett-Packard and Oracle are burying the Mark Hurd hatchet after a two-week drama that could have led to a long court battle. On Monday, the tech giants reaffirmed their long-term strategic partnership and HP dropped the lawsuit over its ex-president and CEO's decision to sign on as co-president of Oracle.
As tech-industry history has it, HP filed a lawsuit seeking to block Hurd from joining Oracle's executive ranks after the PC maker forced his resignation in August in the wake of sexual-harassment allegations. HP claimed Hurd's hiring breached an exit agreement and put the company's trade secrets at risk.
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison rapidly fired back at HP with what sounded to some like a threat to withdraw cooperative efforts. Now it seems that's all water under the bridge. The companies may have a vested interest in jointly battling a common enemy: IBM.
"HP and Oracle have been important partners for more than 20 years and are committed to working together to provide exceptional products and service to our customers," said Cathie Lesjak, CFO and interim CEO of HP. "We look forward to collaborating with Oracle in the future."
HP seems satisfied with Hurd's pledge that he will protect HP's confidential information while fulfilling his responsibilities at Oracle. A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission reveals that Hurd gave up about half the compensation HP owed him. Hurd willingly walked away from the right to 330,177 performance-based restricted stock shares, a well as 15,853 time-based restricted stocks.
HP's motive for dropping the suit -- a suit many legal analysts predicted HP would lose anyway -- may be deeper than avoiding strife with common customers. Although it's clear that it didn't benefit either company to battle over Hurd in court (to do so would risk worrying common customers who rely...
Wed, 22 Sep 10
Fuze Meeting Advances iPad as a Key Business Tool
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75252
You're waiting to board your plane and have just enough time to conduct a quick remote meeting with your business colleagues -- through your iPad. That vision of leading meetings anywhere with Apple's hit tablet is behind the release Tuesday of Fuze Meeting, and it's only the latest indication of the iPad's progress in becoming a business tool.
The software is a web-conferencing tool designed specifically for the iPad. Unlike other such products for the iPad, Fuze Meeting allows a meeting to be initiated and run from the iPad rather than just attended. The San Francisco, Calif.-based Fuze is touting its new app for conducting sales presentations, demonstrating products, training, remote team management, and telecommuting from home.
Fuze Meeting, which joins similar products from the same company for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry platforms, and for desktops within a browser, includes access to Fuze Cloud for sharing, managing and presenting content.
In the app, a finger can become a virtual laser pointer, and there is voice communication through VoIP. However, video chat, live video presentations, and collaborative whiteboarding or workspaces are not yet available, although they are planned. Instant messaging can be conducted through AIM, Yahoo, Google, OCS and other clients.
Fuze Meeting is "yet another indication that the iPad is being used more and more as a mainstream business tool," said Laura DiDio, an analyst with industry research firm Information Technology Intelligence Corp.
She noted that the iPad is already making inroads into companies beyond what Apple's iPhone and Mac products have been able to do. A survey by her company indicated that "83 percent of the people who have iPads are using them for both business and consumer needs," DiDio said.
The impact on businesses can only increase if iPads continue to sell as...
Wed, 22 Sep 10
Tech Firms Seek Truce with DOJ Over Hiring Inquiry
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75220
Several major Silicon Valley employers are trying to settle a government investigation focused on whether they colluded to hold down their payroll expenses by restricting the recruitment of each other's employees.
Google Inc., Apple Inc., Intel Corp., Adobe Systems Inc., Intuit Inc. and Walt Disney Corp.'s Pixar Animation Studios are among the companies seeking a truce with the Department of Justice, people with knowledge of the discussions said Friday. These people didn't want to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the talks.
The negotiations could still break down, catapulting the issue into court.
Even as they try to avoid a high-profile court battle, the Justice Department and the targeted companies differ on how the limitations on their hiring practices affected employee wages and the competitive landscape.
The dispute revolves around promises made as part of partnerships among the companies under investigation.
To alleviate fears that the alliances would lead to payroll poaching, the companies agreed not to court their partners' employees if those workers hadn't already expressed interest in getting another job. Reaching out to workers who aren't actively seeking other employment is commonly known as "cold calling."
The government is looking into whether this cold-calling prohibition helped employers lower their labor costs by stifling possible job offers that might have prompted them to offer raises to retain top employee. If the restrictions had that effect, it could be interpreted to be a form of price-fixing collusion that violates antitrust laws. Regulators also are assessing whether the agreements diminished competition by limiting rivals 'ability to benefit from the knowledge and skills of elite workers.
The employers argue the cold-calling ban fostered innovation and economic growth because it enabled top tech companies to work together on key projects and initiatives. These alliances are less likely to occur, the companies contend,...
Wed, 22 Sep 10
Verizon Taps Wireless Chief as New COO
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75215
Verizon Communications Inc. has named the head of its wireless division, Lowell C. McAdam, as its chief operating officer, setting him up as a successor to the CEO.
The move announced Monday clarifies the succession at Verizon after it said a week ago that chief financial officer John Killian plans to retire at the end of the year. He has been at the job for a year and a half.
CEO Ivan Seidenberg, 63, has led the company for the past decade. McAdam, 56, starts in his new job Oct. 1.
Verizon shares slipped 4 cents to $31.64 in morning trading Monday after rising to a 52-week high of $31.92 earlier in the session.
McAdam became head of Verizon Wireless in 2007. Before that, he was chief operating officer of the venture since it was founded in 2000. During McAdam's tenure as CEO, the company executed an acquisition -- that of Alltel Corp. in 2009 -- that made it the largest carrier in the industry.
McAdam has also struggled with the surging popularity of the iPhone. It has led to a close relationship between Verizon Wireless and Google Inc., which provides its Android software to phones that compete with Apple Inc.'s phone, and close personal contact between McAdam and Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
Daniel S. Mead will take over as head of Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between Verizon Communications and Britain's Vodafone Group PLC. He was previously the venture's chief operating officer.
Verizon Communications said Monday it is also promoting Francis J. Shammo, head of Verizon Telecom and Business, to succeed Killian in the job of chief financial officer beginning Nov. 1.
Wed, 22 Sep 10
For Deaf, Wireless Devices Are a New Portal to World
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75214
Quietly over the last decade, phones that make text messaging easy have changed life profoundly for millions of deaf people.
Gone are the days of a deaf person driving to someone's house just to see if they are home. Wives text their deaf husbands in the basement, just as a hearing wife might yell down the stairs. Deaf teens blend in with the mall crowd since they're constantly texting, like everyone else in high school.
Visit the Alabama School for the Deaf, and it's impossible to miss the signs of a revolution that many hearing people simply never noticed. Most everyone at the school in Talladega has at least one handheld texting device, and some have two. At lunch, deaf diners order burgers and fries by text: Punch in the order and show it at the counter.
For the first time, a generation of deaf people can communicate with the world on its terms, using cell phones, BlackBerrys or iPhones, of which some 260 million are in use in the United States.
Matt Kochie, who is deaf, has been texting his entire adult life and has a hard time imagining a day without it.
"We'd have to go back to pen and paper," said Kochie, 29, a teacher at the school. "We'd have to write back and forth to communicate."
Without his handheld, Walter Ripley said he would be back to relying on others for even basic communication. And texting is less work, said Ripley, 54.
"I don't have to depend on hearing people. It makes me a lot more independent. I don't have to ask people to call for me. Asking for people to call can be very frustrating," said Ripley, the school's athletic director.
Kochie and Ripley both used sign language and interpreters during interviews, and deaf people still generally favor signing when talking face-to-face. It's...
Wed, 22 Sep 10
Mutual Fund Companies Embrace Twitter
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75212
Fund companies are tweeting and finding it's not easy -- but does have its benefits.
Fidelity, Vanguard, Putnam and Charles Schwab are among those using Twitter for customer service and corporate marketing. "We view it as another tool in the chest, and a very important tool," says Richard Blunck, executive vice president at Fidelity. Fidelity began tweeting in October, and has about 3,000 followers, Blunck says.
Vanguard, the largest U.S. fund company, has a half-dozen authorized tweeters from different divisions, says Amy Dobra, principal at the Valley Forge, Pa.-based company. The goal: to avoid just tweeting things already on Vanguard's Web site.
"We went to the approach, 'Who are people who have something to say, or who have interesting knowledge about, say, what's going on in Washington as it pertains to investing,' " Dobra says. "We connect them to like-minded investors."
Pimco, the San Diego-based bond giant, has about 5,000 followers on Twitter. The company uses Twitter to announce new online articles as well as television and radio interviews with its managers, such as Bill Gross, company founder.
"Bill Gross came to me and asked if I knew what Twitter and Facebook were," says Mark Porterfield, Pimco's head of media relations. "I said yes, and he said, 'The folks that use these platforms are our current and future clients -- and they are comfortable with it -- so we need to learn how to communicate with them today rather than 10 years from now.' "
USAA has one of the largest Twitter presences, claiming more than 10,000 followers since it started in September 2008. USAA markets mainly to the military, whose audience skews younger and is comfortable with technology.
But some companies haven't uttered a single tweet. Capital Management and Research, which manages the American funds, doesn't do Twitter or Facebook. Neither does T. Rowe Price.
Twittering isn't...
Wed, 22 Sep 10
The New iPod Touch: Almost a Smartphone
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75210
Apple has reloaded the iPod. The world's most watched gadget maker can now legitimately claim that the new version of the iPod touch is more than just an MP3 player.
Most notably, the device now includes the "Face Time" video conferencing service, allowing users to telephone over the Internet.
The iPod touch, the flagship of Apple's MP3 player line, always looked similar to an iPhone. All that was missing was the cellular service component. The fourth generation of the music player, now hitting the market, remains something less than a full-featured smartphone, yet now it too can use the Internet to make phone calls. And the device, measuring in at just 7.2 millimeters in thickness, supports "Face Time" videoconferencing -- the same wow factor introduced by Apple for the iPhone 4.
At the same time as the fourth generation of the iPod touch hits the stores, Apple is also releasing completely reworked versions of the smaller iPod nano and iPod Shuffle models. "Anyone who claimed that the iPod has reached the end of its life cycle was completely wrong," said market watcher Michael Gartenberg after seeing the iPod presentation from Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
The features list for the fourth generation of the iPod touch resembles that of its bigger brother, the iPhone. It starts on the inside, with the A4 chip developed by Apple. The unit now features the "retina display" (960 x 640 pixels) that has earned the iPhone 4 a healthy dose of praise as well.
Only the camera in the new iPod touch lags a bit behind, unable to match the fine optics of the iPhone. That said, the iPod touch matches the iPhone 4 in the ability to take HDR (High Dynamic Range) photos. To do so, the device shoots three photos in quick succession under different lighting settings, and...
Wed, 22 Sep 10
Hackers Find New Ways To Assume Identities
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75208
Brent Sweitzer was stuck in London, robbed of his money, phone and passport, his friends were informed in e-mails. The Atlanta man urgently needed their financial assistance, they were told.
Except Sweitzer, 35, didn't send those e-mails. He was home in Cabbagetown.
His friends had become targets of sophisticated hackers who rerouted Sweitzer's Yahoo account so any responses were forwarded to them. In this elaborate hoax, Sweitzer's father called the London hotel where his son supposedly was staying, and a man confirmed Sweitzer was registered but "had stepped away." Sweitzer had all of his e-mails and contact addresses disappear from his account moments after sending out warning messages.
No one sent money to these online thieves, but Sweitzer learned a tough lesson: It's easy to become a victim of cyber crime.
Identity theft is nothing new. The Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Sentinel Network received 1.3 million fraud complaints in 2009 alone, with 21 percent reporting identity theft. Sixty-two percent of people said the Internet, largely through e-mail, was the source of initial contact.
In 2009 alone, identity fraud totaled $54 billion from money taken, legal fees, work hours lost and general time spent rectifying things, according to one group. Georgia was particularly hard hit: It ranked seventh in identity theft complaints nationwide, with nearly 10,000 people saying they were victimized.
Now, identity theft experts are watching the evolution of a new intrusion as more people bare all on social networking sites and download risky mobile phone applications.
"We're starting to see the convergence of social networking giving thieves the tools to break into other accounts," said John Sileo, identity theft expert and author of "Privacy Means Profit."
By sharing seemingly mundane personal details and preferences, people might be giving the bad guys clues about their security codes.
For example, by revealing your dog's name, hometown and date of birth...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
AT&T Introduces Pay-As-You Go Mobile Data Service
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75230
In a move to peddle more netbooks, including three new devices, AT&T rolled out new pay-as-you-go mobile data plans on Monday. The DataConnect Pass doesn't require a long-term contract, a first-ever move from AT&T for netbooks and notebooks.
The Acer Aspire AS1830 notebook, the Acer Aspire One 532h netbook, and the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 HD netbook, along with the other devices in AT&T's lineup, can tap into daily, weekly or monthly data plan packages.
"Demand for high-functioning, lightweight, mobile computing devices remains strong among consumers and small-business customers who want access to the Internet while on the go," said David Haight, vice president of product development for AT&T emerging devices.
Haight said DataConnect Pass plans offer customers value, choice and flexibility. Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis, agrees. As he sees it, consumers -- even small-business owners -- aren't always willing to sign up in advance for a data plan that they may or may not use.
"Pre-paid gives consumers a lot more flexibility, and that should help this category, which has not performed as well as carriers would have liked when they started launching subsidized netbooks," Greengart said. "This plan gives you some a la carte options that are much more granular."
DataConnect Pass options include the DataConnect Day Pass, which offers 100MB for $15, the DataConnect Week Pass, which offers 300MB for $30 a month, and the DataConnect Month Pass, which offers 1GB for $50.
"What AT&T is doing both with the pre-paid and post-paid mobile netbooks side makes sense," Greengart said. "There are a lot of options to digest, but there should be something to meet your needs. You don't have to figure it out in advance. You can buy the device with these capabilities and then adjust either your usage or your billing accordingly."
Consumers willing...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
Facebook Denies Plans To Build a Smartphone
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75229
Facebook is not building its own branded smartphone, the company insisted Monday in response to a weekend story about the social-networking giant's supposed plans on a technology blog. But that doesn't mean the end of the story.
When a service claims to have 500 million users and the mobile Internet dominates technology news, the intersection of the two amounts to a shock wave in the tech industry.
"The story, which originated in TechCrunch, is not accurate. Facebook is not building a phone," said Facebook spokesperson Jaime Schopflin. "Our approach has always been to make phones and apps more social. Current projects include everything from an HTML5 version of the site to apps on major platforms to full Connect support with SDKs to deeper integrations with some manufacturers."
The original story mentioned Facebook engineers Joe Hewitt and Matthew Papakipos as behind the Facebook-branded phone. Hewitt designed Facebook's iPhone app and Papakipos was formerly in charge of developing Google's Chrome operating system.
The story has been greeted with widespread skepticism, with many observers and analysts recalling Google's infamous Nexus One project in which the search giant commissioned hardware from Taiwan-based HTC and marketed it only through its web store and T-Mobile stores.
Although that phone essentially crashed at liftoff and was discontinued after six months (it's still available for developers), it was considered a success in driving interest in Google's Android mobile operating system.
"The issue with Google's original plan to sell the Nexus One was the high price, lack of distribution, and the activation process," said Kirk Parsons, an analyst at JD Power and Associates. "Facebook does not have the resources to sell its own phone the right way. They should expand their brand by integrating it into smartphone and upscale feature devices as Google is doing with the Android software."
That's what Facebook...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
New HP Printer Includes a Detachable Web Tablet
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75228
Hewlett-Packard unveiled an innovative line of printers Monday that includes a new model with a detachable touchscreen control that can double as a wireless web tablet and e-reader. Called the Photosmart eStation, the new machine is compatible with HP's ePrint technology, which stores the user's documents in the cloud so they can be printed without the need for an intervening PC.
HP's ePrint-enabled printers allow web-connected devices -- such as Apple's iPhone and iPad, as well as netbooks and other mobile gear -- to print files remotely, noted HP Executive Vice President Vyomesh Joshi.
"HP is unleashing innovation, and has once again made the future a reality," Joshi said at the HP Innovation Summit in New York on Monday. "We have transformed the flow of content for all customers, letting them access, share, print and manage content virtually anytime or anywhere in the world."
The HP Photosmart eStation is designed to print files, photos and other content, as well as scan or copy documents. Slated to become available later this year for $399, the all-in-one machine is also capable of sending and receiving faxes, said HP spokesperson Cherie Britt.
Featuring a monthly duty cycle of up to 1,250 pages, the HP Photosmart eStation offers a print resolution of 600x600 dpi for black ink, and up to 9600x2400-optimized dpi when printing in color on selected HP photo papers from files delivering an input of 1,200 dpi. Moreover, the scan resolution for documents ranges up to a maximum of 1200x2400 dpi.
According to Britt, the new machine's seven-inch color touchscreen, which serves as a wireless control panel for remote printing, runs a modified version of the Android operating system. The detachable device is also capable of functioning independently as a portable e-reader, giving users convenient access to the latest e-book bestsellers and a...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
Smaller iPad Expected as Laptop Sales Decline
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75226
With Apple intent on maintaining its lead in the tablet category, a report says the company is getting ready to release an iPad with a seven-inch screen and cameras on both front and back. At the same time, there is push-back on the idea that drops in sales for laptops are due to the iPad.
According to a Monday report by Rodman analyst Ashok Kumar, the smaller iPad may be released as early as the first quarter of next year. Kumar said he based his conclusions on conversations with Apple suppliers. A tablet of that size to complement the existing 9.7-inch iPad could help Apple head off competition from the most visible new tablet rival, Samsung's Galaxy Tab.
Samsung said last week that the Tab, running Google's open-source Android operating system, will be released in the U.S. through the Big Four wireless carriers -- AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, and T-Mobile. This distribution immediately gives the product a major leg up against any other emerging tablets.
The iPad's huge success -- 3.3 million iPads were sold in 10 countries through the end of Apple's last quarter in June -- has led to speculation that it is impacting PC sales. Among others, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn told The Wall Street Journal earlier this month that his company's internal analysis indicated the iPad had cannibalized sales of laptops, including netbooks, by as much as 50 percent.
But in a statement released Friday, Dunn dialed back that assessment. "The reports of the demise of these devices are grossly exaggerated," he said. "In fact, we see some shifts in consumption patterns, with tablet sales being an incremental opportunity." Dunn added that Best Buy expects notebook and netbook sales "will remain a very popular gift this holiday" because of the benefits they offer.
In a post...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
Netezza Bolsters IBM's Business-Intelligence Arsenal
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75224
In its second analytics acquisition in as many weeks, IBM on Monday announced it has agreed to buy Netezza in a cash transaction valued at $1.7 billion, or $27 a share. Netezza will expand Big Blue's business-analytics portfolio and set the stage for the next business intelligence battle.
Best known for high-performance analytics in a data-warehousing appliance that can handle complex analytic queries, Netezza empowers business users in every department of an organization to drive actionable insights. Netezza brings 350 clients to IBM's fold, including Time Warner, Nationwide Insurance, and Virgin Media.
"IBM is bringing analytics to the masses," said Steve Mills, senior vice president and group executive of IBM Software and Systems. "We continue to evolve our capabilities for systems integration, bringing together optimized hardware and software, in response to increasing demand for technology that delivers true business value. Netezza is a perfect example of this approach."
Big Blue is betting the combined strengths of its existing business-analytics portfolio and Netezza's intellectual property will differentiate its offering. IBM and Netezza had a pre-acquisition relationship that could make the integration smoother.
Netezza designs and develops its appliances on IBM systems. Strategic partners for many years, the companies have focused on workload-optimized systems that deliver integrated systems, software and storage for analyzing vast amounts of complex data quickly with minimal IT skills.
"It's no longer just the CIO -- every single department from finance to marketing professionals is tapping into the capabilities of analytics to draw meaningful insights," said Arvind Krishna, general manager of IBM's Information Management group. "The addition of Netezza will reinforce IBM's focus in understanding clients' needs by providing them a broader set of analytics capabilities and bringing the power of analytics right into the hands of business users at every level within an organization."
Last week, IBM...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
New Oracle Exalogic Offers an Elastic Cloud in a Box
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75223
Oracle is hoping to take cloud computing to, let's say, new heights. On Sunday at its OpenWorld 2010 conference in San Francisco, Calif., the rapidly expanding company announced its new Exalogic Elastic Cloud, which it described as a "Java consolidation platform" that can handle enterprise workloads ranging from applications for a small department to mainframe apps. At the same time, Oracle announced a new generation of business apps called Fusion Applications.
Oracle called the Exalogic "the world's first integrated middleware machine," designed to provide a "complete cloud application infrastructure." The product runs on 64-bit x86 processors, combining 30 servers, each with two processors, and with each socket having six cores, for 360 cores in a single box. It's all connected by InfiniBand-based I/O networking and includes the Oracle WebLogic Server and Exalogic software.
The system is so powerful, CEO Larry Ellison said, that Facebook would only need two of them to run its entire service for its half-billion users.
The company said the I/O fabric helps the machine deliver performance 10 times better than a standard application server configuration. Oracle reported the product has demonstrated, in internal testing, the ability to handle more than a million HTTP requests per second.
Intended for large-scale deployments, the Exalogic Elastic Cloud can support thousands of apps, each with differing requirements for performance, security or reliability. The Exalogic is optimized to accelerate performance from other Oracle products, including the Fusion product portfolio and Oracle Database 11g. The company's E-Business Suite, Siebel CRM, PeopleSoft Enterprises, JD Edwards, and industry-specific apps can run on the Exalogic without modifications.
The new Fusion Applications are delivered as a suite of modular apps that can enhance current applications, with which they run side by side. Fusion, which the company said is 100 percent open-standards-based, has more than 100 modules...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
RIM CEO Optimistic on Resolving BlackBerry Disputes
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75202
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. believes it will successfully resolve disputes with India, the United Arab Emirates and other countries over data security and avert their threats to ban services, the company's co-CEO said Thursday.
Jim Balsillie's remarks came as the company said its second-quarter net income jumped 68 percent as it added new BlackBerry subscribers and beat analysts expectations at a time many have started to write the company off.
Balsillie said RIM is continuing discussions with governments and service providers, and "they believe we have made good progress in those discussions."
"I'm optimistic that a positive and constructive outcome can be achieved," he added during a conference call with analysts to discuss the latest financial results.
RIM shares rose more than 4 percent in after-hours trading. The stock initially jumped 8 percent in extended trading.
BlackBerry second-quarter shipments climbed 45 percent to 12.1 million from a year ago. That comes amid concerns that RIM is losing ground to Apple Inc.'s iPhone and devices using Google Inc.'s Android software.
"International markets continue to be a strong driver of growth," Balsillie said.
He said about 52 percent of revenue came from outside the United States, and more than 45 percent of BlackBerry subscribers are outside North America.
The company posted net income of $796.7 million, or $1.46 per share, in the three months ended Aug. 28. That's up from $475.6 million, or 83 cents per share, a year earlier.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of $1.35 per share, on average.
Revenue rose 31 percent to $4.62 billion, better than the $4.47 billion expected by analysts.
For the quarter ending in November, the company projected earnings of $1.62 to $1.70 per share on revenue of $5.3 billion to $5.55 billion. Analysts were looking for $1.39 per share and revenue of $4.83 billion.
Shares of RIM, which is based in Waterloo,...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
Can Sony's Move Satisfy Hardcore Gamers?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75196
The launch lineup for Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Move features all the types of games that have been popular on Nintendo's Wii: bowling; tennis; golf; even exercise.
That might be great for some, but hardcore gamers want more. The PlayStation 3 is more technologically sophisticated than the Wii. Will Move games follow suit?
"Can you imagine a real-time strategy game on this?" Sony's Richard Marks said during a Move demonstration last month. He had been asked about the possibility of using the technology to play a complex strategy game such as "Civilization." He responded by calling up a 3D map, zooming toward and away from it, flying over and under it, and finally folding it up.
Marks, manager of special projects in Sony's research and development unit, said the Move controller "is a great input device for 3D." It's so precise, he said, "it's like a really good mouse."
"You'll be able to truly reach into a virtual world and interact in 3D with what is there, in so many different ways," he added. You could "pick up a rock and hurl it at the legs of a charging monster, or cast a fireball into a crowd, or build a barricade to take cover behind."
Some of these projects are already in the works for next year. The role-playing game "Sorcery" will let you wield the controller as a magic wand. Shooters such as "Killzone 3" and "SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs" turn it into a machine gun or sniper rifle. And the PS3's high-definition graphics make the sense of immersion even stronger.
But I'm particularly looking forward to "Echochrome II," the sequel to Sony's innovative 2008 maze game. This time, platforms hang in front of a white wall. You use the controller like a flashlight, angling it so the shadow of the platforms creates a cohesive...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
Dell Makes $100 Billion Bet on China
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75192
Dell Inc. is making a $100 billion bet that China will remain one of the fastest-growing markets for personal computers over the next decade.
Dell said Thursday it plans to open a manufacturing, sales and service center in Chengdu in 2011 that could eventually employ more than 3,000 workers. The new operations center is a response to rapid growth in business in Western China, Dell said.
China has been courting foreign investors for projects in its western regions as a matter of policy for more than a decade. Dell would not say what sort of incentives it was offered to construct new facilities in Chengdu.
Round Rock, Texas-based Dell already employs about 6,000 people in China, spread among manufacturing plants and other operations in the southeastern city of Xiamen, a product design and engineering center in Shanghai and a service center in Dalian, a city east of Beijing. It also contracts with electronics manufacturers in the country.
Over the next decade, the company said it expects to spend about $100 billion on China operations. It spent $23 billion in China in 2009.
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province and an economic center of Western China, and is already home to manufacturing plants run by such high-tech global companies as Intel Corp., IBM Corp. and Nokia Corp.
Dell's expansion into Western China comes as the company continues to fight back increasingly fierce competition from Asian computer makers. It's locked in a battle with Taiwan's Acer Inc. for the title of second-largest PC maker, behind global leader Hewlett-Packard Co.; China's Lenovo is hot on their heels.
Demand for PCs in China helped boost PC makers' steady comeback after a recession-battered first half of 2009. China is Dell's second-largest source of revenue after the U.S., and in Dell's most recent quarter, revenue from its China business grew 52 percent...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
The Best of the Hot-Selling iPad Apps
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75181
The Apple iPad gets big attention for e-reading and Web browsing, but its gaming prowess is what often keeps users tied to the tablet computer for hours a day. The iPad's innovative touch-screen and accelerometer, which allows users to turn and tilt it to control game play, make it a uniquely immersive gaming experience. Those features have been quietly keeping iPad users -- this columnist included -- up at night since the iPad's April release. We took 25 of the top-selling paid games for a spin. Here are the nine best.
This beautifully simple game asks players to find objects that are grouped together to form a larger picture. Inside the dog, for example, you might be asked to find the eight pairs of scissors. Developed by a sheep farm resident in the Australian Outback, some of this game's items are lost a bit in translation. For instance it turns out a Q-tip is also called a cotton bud. But this app gives hours of rewarding play as you work toward putting together a larger puzzle.
Cost: $2.99
In this game you're building sandwiches for hungry, demanding customers. Challenges arise when customers have to wait too long or the ingredients aren't available in the right order. As you build profits, you can buy more equipment and ingredients to offer more expensive sandwiches. A free version is also available.
Cost: $4.99
This has been the top-selling paid iPad app almost daily since its release. Here, you use a slingshot to shoot birds into stacks of wood and glass that contain pigs. The goal is to get the perfect trajectory to knock down the structure and kill the pigs. The best part is the near-endless gaming that is possible. Even when all the levels are accomplished, playing them again to get even...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
Review: How the iPad Won Over a Skeptic
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75177
At first glance, the iPad looked like a heavy, overgrown iPod Touch. After just a few months of use, however, this iPad skeptic realized that it's so much more -- it's one of those devices I've always needed. Those don't come around very often.
Most things get less interesting the more examples you see of them. If you've never seen a computer before, the first one is a revelation, but each successive model gets less and less remarkable.
Apple Inc.'s iPad is the other way around. It looks more impressive in light of what's come before it. I've seen many tablet computers of different stripes since 2002, when Microsoft introduced Windows XP Tablet Edition. The quality has varied, but they've all been failures, even the recent ones. They're a Stonehenge's worth of near-useless slabs.
The iPad finally fulfills the promise of the tablet computer when it came out in April.
It cuts the mouse and keyboard out of the equation, giving us a straight, tactile connection. While the iPad builds on the iPhone, it feels like a bigger achievement. The first iPhone was a great phone, driven by far-thinking new ideas. But other people had made good phones before. Before the iPad, no one had made a good tablet computer. Even Apple failed with its first attempt, the Newton, back in the 90s.
When I first got my hands on an iPad for a review, I played games on it for about a month. My favorite strategy game, "Battle for Wesnoth," was written for the PC, but actually works better on the iPad, thanks to the immediacy of the touch interface. Several other games conspired to suck away my productivity, so it took me a while to realize that the iPad actually fulfills a long-time tablet vision as well: It's like a sheet of paper,...
Tue, 21 Sep 10
External Hard Drives: Which One Is Right for You?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75120
It's a familiar problem for many computer users: the hard drive is full. Gigabyte after gigabyte of music, images and videos add up.
The solution, however, is clear: an external hard drive, even if it's only for data backups. After all, nobody wants to be the one who loses his entire music collection or vacation photos in one fell swoop.
A visit to the electronics store can be confusing, though, with dozens of devices on the shelves. How can you choose the right one?
First, a rule of thumb: the bigger the hard drive capacity, the cheaper each unit of storage space. A recent study by Germany's Computer Bild magazine found that for a 500 gigabyte hard drive, each gigabyte costs 16 cents; for a 1,500 or 2,000 gigabyte hard drive, that same gigabyte costs only 8 cents.
Normal users will have a hard time filling up hard drives with a terabyte (1000 gigabytes) of memory. After all, a terabyte can hold around 250,000 photos, 400,000 songs or 385 hours of standard video, the German consumer testing organization Stiftung Warentest notes.
The most popular types of drive at the moment are 2.5-inch hard drives with 500 gigabytes of storage capacity and 3.5-inch drives with 1,000 gigabytes. Choosing between them is a matter of priorities.
"You should generally consider whether you want to have the freedom of mobility or whether you want cheap storage," says Michael Schmidt, the technology editor at Computer Bild.
The 2.5-inch drives are significantly smaller and more robust, making them better suited for transport than their bigger 3.5-inch brothers.
"The large hard drives are better suited for large volumes of data, but should remain protected at home," says Falk Murko from Stiftung Warentest.
The test magazine recently found that most of the smaller drives survived a drop test, while the 3.5-inch drives didn't.
An additional mobility benefit...
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Chinese Form Lines Outside Apple Stores for iPad
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75206
The iPad is big in Beijing, and a smash in Shanghai. Apple's hit tablet computer went on sale in China Friday and, just as it did in the U.S., the device packed eager fans outside Apple stores to get their hands on the Wi-Fi version, with the 16-gigabyte model selling for about $593, a bit higher than the $499 basic-model price in the U.S.
The 64-gigabyte version sells for about $826, compared to $699 in the U.S. The 3G cellular-capable version is not yet available.
Customers waited as long as three days, according to one report, and, in Beijing, braved the rain to get an iPad. Apple employees reportedly handed out umbrellas, water and coffee to the crowd.
Also Friday, China Unicom, the country's second-largest mobile operator, began taking pre-orders for Apple's iPhone 4, which will sell for a whopping $875, far more than the $200 U.S. cost, with a two-year contract in both cases.
Apple products have fared well in China, although the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has had to make some changes to adapt to Chinese technology.
"Apple products are very much aspirational, or marquis, products that seem to be doing well in China," said Michael Gartenberg of the Altimeter Group. "The iPhone did very well there, so I think we're going to see a success for Apple in that space."
Apple recently opened its second Chinese store, in Shanghai, with 25 more due in China in the near future.
Apple's COO Tim Cook said in an earnings call with analysts last April that revenue in China increased in Apple's second quarter by 200 percent from last year.
"If you look at greater China, which we define as mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, the iPhone units were up year over year over nine times," Cook was reported as saying. "We added...
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Oracle Leads 'What Recession?' Tech Stocks Rally
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75205
Despite continued talk of a recession, tech companies are rebounding -- and even breaking records. Oracle's shares leaped to a nine-year high Friday on news of its quarterly earnings. The strong earnings from Oracle and Research In Motion, along with Hewlett-Packard's multibillion-dollar spending spree and other strong economic indicators, set off a tech-stock rally on Wall Street.
Oracle's results for the first fiscal quarter of 2011 saw revenues soar 48 percent to $7.5 billion. Operating income was up 10 percent to $1.9 billion, and net income was up 20 percent to $1.4 billion. That led to a 20 percent rise in earnings per share compared to the year-ago period.
Oracle CFO Jeff Epstein said the company executed better than expected on both the top and bottom lines for the quarter. Oracle President Safra Catz added that the software business saw strong growth in all regions, with new license sales up 25 percent. The hardware business also saw an unexpected surge, with Sun Solaris servers and Exadata leading the charge.
Oracle brought in ex-HP CEO Mark Hurd to serve as co-president and integrate Sun into the Oracle lineup. Hurd and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison both pushed the Sun and Exadata expectations for the coming quarters. Exadata's pipeline now exceeds $1.5 billion for the full fiscal year. But many analysts insist Sun needs some attention.
"Next week at Oracle OpenWorld, we will announce two new high-end systems that combine Sun hardware with Oracle software," Hurd said. "We will invest over $4 billion in research and development this year, so our already-robust product portfolio is only going to get stronger."
Despite the fact that RIM is losing market share, the BlackBerry maker's earnings also helped spur a Wall Street rally. RIM's second-quarter revenue was $4.62 billion, up nine percent from the year-ago period....
Sat, 18 Sep 10
AT&T, Verizon Prepare To Compete in 4G Service
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75204
The 4G wireless wars are in full swing. On Thursday, Verizon Wireless said its LTE network will be in place in 30 U.S. cities by the end of 2010, and an AT&T executive recently said its 4G LTE network will be launched by the middle of next year. Sprint Nextel has also been building out its 4G network, using the rival WiMAX technology.
According to news reports, enterprise IT managers at a meeting in Maryland were told by Verizon senior sales executive Bernie McMonagle that his company intends to have its 4G wireless network in place in 30 National Football League cities, with the rest of the country by 2013. AT&T Operations CEO John Stankey recently told a communications conference that his company is getting its LTE network ready for launch. AT&T trials are currently under way in Baltimore and Dallas.
In the initial rollout, Verizon's 4G network is expected to have download speeds of five to 12 megabits per second, upload speeds of two to five Mbps, and very low latency. In a later phase, those speeds are expected to be increased. AT&T's network is expected to have comparable performance.
4G, with its very-high-speed transmission, will allow wireless devices to more easily handle bandwidth-intensive files and apps, including movies, medical imagery, and collaborative games. There's also discussion that this jump in bandwidth could provide a similar boost to nascent technologies such as traffic sensors, appliances with embedded intelligence, and smart electrical grids.
At the Maryland meeting on Sept. 15, Verizon presented a live demo of seven simultaneous, broadcast-quality video feeds running wirelessly on one laptop, with switching between feeds. But real-world network performance, with a huge number of devices and concurrent transmissions, will be another story.
The Verizon rollout utilizes the 700-MHz spectrum it licensed in the auction conducted by the Federal...
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Windows Phone 7 Tools Out as MS Woos Developers
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75203
Microsoft released its Windows Phone 7 developer tools to the web on Thursday, just two weeks after the release of Windows Phone 7 Series to manufacturing. To avoid making the same mistake as Apple -- which soured its relations with developers by imposing strict app guidelines last April -- Microsoft said it won't introduce arbitrary restrictions on the apps that developers can submit to the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace.
"The developer platform is really all about enabling developers to build whatever they can dream up," wrote Microsoft blogger Brandon Watson. "The unique capabilities built into the application platform, manifesting in distinctive UI and great user experiences, mean that developers can take a fresh start and rethink the experiences they are delivering to the mobile screen."
The development environment is shaping up to be Microsoft's biggest differentiator, noted Al Hilwa, director of applications development software at IDC. "They appear to have made things simple, transparent and effective for some five million Microsoft developers to jump into the mobile fray," Hilwa said.
Although Microsoft's release of the new tools give developers scant time to prepare their apps for the official launch of Windows Phone 7 Marketplace early next month, it will take time for Microsoft's mobile partners to finalize the integration of Windows Phone 7 with their own hardware, software and networks. Still, Gartner expects the first Samsung-branded Windows Phone 7 devices to launch before this year's holiday shopping season.
Microsoft reportedly intends to spend $500 million on its Windows Phone 7 media campaign, but gaining support from mobile software developers is also crucial. "We believe that market share in the OS space will consolidate around a few key OS providers that have the most support from communications service providers and developers and strong brand awareness with consumer and enterprise customers,"...
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Big Four Carriers Will Offer Samsung's Galaxy Tab
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75201
A tablet that could be the first major competitor to Apple's iPad is now in the game. On Thursday, Samsung announced that its Galaxy Tab will be available through the four largest U.S. carriers -- AT&T, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
The first tablet from the electronics giant, the Tab has a TFT seven-inch screen with 1024x600 SVGA resolution, 3G/Wi-Fi, a one-gigahertz Hummingbird Application processor that supports 3-D graphics, a 1.3-megapixel camera on front for video chatting, and a three-megapixel camera on the back for picture taking.
It supports Android 2.2, Flash Player 10.1, video chat clients Qik and Fring, Google Maps, Google's visual-search tool Goggles, and Samsung's Social Hub app.
There's also the new Samsung Media Hub content service, which offers movies and TV shows. A built-in speakerphone and Bluetooth for a headset allow the device to provide that quaint feature wireless carriers used to specialize in -- voice.
Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung Mobile, pointed out the key use cases for the Tab. He said it is "as comfortable to use standing on a crowded train as it is relaxing on the couch at home." While there are productivity tools, Khan emphasized that the Tab "is perfect for watching a movie, reading an e-book, or catching up with your favorite TV shows or chatting with an old friend."
The built-in productivity apps are designed for this specific form factor. A virtual keyboard can be thumb-typed, or the user can employ the device's Swype technology to type with one hand. Swype allows typing with a single, continuous finger motion on the keyboard, rather than individual key tapping.
The e-mail, calendar and contacts apps rotate with the tablet orientation, an accelerator-based feature that is becoming increasingly common on mobile devices. The Tab runs the more than...
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Yahoo Boosts Features, Focuses Search on Entertainment
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75200
Yahoo has been promising to invest in search innovation. The Internet giant on Thursday appears to be making good on its promise with new search features due to roll out this fall.
Yahoo Chief Product Officer Blake Irving unveiled a three-year vision for the company at an event at Yahoo's headquarters. The vision positions Yahoo as an "innovative technology company with the largest digital-media content and communications business in the world." The focus is clearly shifting toward entertainment.
But Blake didn't offer much to back up that vision, leaving some to wonder how the company is going to stem the tide of search-market share loss. Microsoft's Bing just surpassed Yahoo as the number-two search engine in the U.S. Google remains the overwhelming market leader.
"Yahoo demo'd a number of interesting and useful improvements to its products yesterday. There was no single, major announcement -- although I saw a very nice iPad app for Yahoo.com and a FaceTime-like PC-to-mobile video chat feature," said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. "In general, however, the company seems to finally be improving some important but long-neglected properties, including Mail and Groups."
One of Yahoo's promises is an update to its search engine that offers "new experiences" on the results page across its network, which boasts 600 million users. At the event, Yahoo offered a sneak peak of the coming updates, which include searches for music, movies and news, as well as more visually compelling results that help searchers discover information while also being entertained.
"The new Yahoo Search experience for entertainment-related searches will provide richer content results whether you're searching for movies, music artists, or celebrities by combining images, news articles, videos, tweets, events and ratings," said a post on Yahoo's blog.
News searches, meanwhile, will be better organized with videos, images, articles and tweets...
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Got an iPhone App Idea? There's a Fund for That!
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75183
Silicon Valley investor Matt Murphy is out to find the next great opportunity in mobile consumer technology. And he has $200 million at his disposal to pay for it.
Murphy is the managing partner of the iFund, an investment capital fund devoted to apps for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad at venture-capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers. Murphy spends each day scouring the Internet, networking and keeping his radar on alert for any cool new app that just might do for mobile what Google and Amazon (two earlier Kleiner investments) have done for the Web.
Launched in March 2008, the iFund's success so far is "way beyond" original projections, Murphy says.
There are 14 companies in the portfolio, including Flipboard, the "social magazine" for the iPad, and Shopkick, an app that offers up instant discounts when you walk into retailers including Best Buy and Macy's. Five companies in the fund are profitable, Murphy says, and total revenue generated so far in 2010 exceeds $100 million. That figure does not include the iFund's Zynga, maker of the game FarmVille, which generates most of its revenue from Facebook. (The iFund invested in Zynga for mobile.)
"The iFund was started to say, 'There's this new platform in mobile, and it's going to be a really big deal,' " Murphy says. "There's a ready-made financial ecosystem, and we're convinced we'll make a lot of money from it."
None of his companies has hit the jackpot in terms of a big buyout by a bigger company, often the goal for start-ups and their investors. But Disney's recent purchase of appmaker Tapulous for an undisclosed sum is proof that big firms have their eyes on mobile, Murphy says.
"I'd be surprised if we don't sell one in the next few months," he says. "At the same time, if you project...
Sat, 18 Sep 10
NATO Urged To Make Cyberwarfare a Priority
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75182
NATO leaders should agree to make cyber warfare -- the protection of networked computer systems -- one of the alliance's priorities when they hold a summit in Lisbon in November, the deputy head of the US Defense Department said Wednesday.
NATO is currently drawing up a new strategic doctrine to cover its defense planning over the next decade. Until now, debate had largely focused on questions of nuclear policy and missile defense, but Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn's speech widened that debate.
"It is a critical element for NATO to embrace cyber security" as one of its key missions in the 21st century, Lynn said at the Security and Defense Agenda think tank in Brussels.
"I think at Lisbon we will see a high-level commitment to cyber defense and security," he said.
NATO members already have individual systems to protect their military and government computer networks from attack. The alliance itself has a cyber-defense center dedicated to protecting NATO computers from hackers.
But those various national and NATO systems have not yet been brought together through formal, alliance-wide cooperation.
"We have to recognize cyberspace as the next domain of warfare," Lynn stressed.
NATO should make it a priority to improve cooperation and coordination between the various national systems, Lynn said. That would not initially mean linking all the systems directly, but rather sharing information on threats, attacks and defense methods, he said.
Cyber defense shot up the NATO agenda in 2007, after pro-Russian hackers launched a massive but chaotic attack on Estonian government computer systems.
In 2008, an infected flash drive caused a breach of US Defense Department systems in what Lynn called "the most significant breach of US military computers ever."
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Apple To Launch iPad Newspaper Subscriptions?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75180
Apple is expected to announce soon a new subscription plan for newspapers, which hope that tablets like the iPad will eventually provide a new source of profit as media companies struggle with declining print circulation and advertising revenue.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment. But Roger Fidler, head of digital publishing at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute in Columbia, Mo., said Apple probably will take a 30 percent cut of all subscriptions sold through the company's online App Store, and as much as 40 percent of the advertising revenue from publications' apps.
The Cupertino, Calif., company has agreed to provide an opt-in function for subscribers to allow Apple to share with publishers their information, which includes vital data that news organizations use to attract advertisers, industry sources say.
Publishers "want the data of their customers so they can integrate it into their circulation database so they know who their customers are," said Fidler, who works with many newspapers.
While a handful of national papers already offer app subscriptions to iPad users, major metropolitan papers across the country are getting ready to roll out their own publication apps and have been in discussions with Apple. Industry leaders hope tablet devices and subscription-based digital editions can help newspapers stem, if not reverse, losses incurred after they began offering content online for free years ago.
"Newspapers are seriously trying to re-create the traditional print model in digital editions for tablets and e-readers," Fidler said.
Publishers wanted to pay Apple a fee rather than a cut of subscription and advertising revenue and are not happy with Apple's terms, he said. They had hoped to offer app editions as part of subscription bundles that include print versions of the paper. Instead, they must use Apple as an intermediary with subscribers.
While the leap into the digital tablet market...
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Craigslist Will Not Resume Adult Services Section
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75176
A Craigslist official told U.S. lawmakers Wednesday that the classified ad Web site has no plans to resume its adult services section and defended the company's efforts to stop the sexual exploitation of minors.
But William Clinton Powell also told a House Judiciary Committee panel that people seeking to advertise adult -- or sexual -- services will now simply migrate to other Internet sites.
He said the decision by Craigslist earlier this month to shut down the adult services section "may be a step backward in terms of addressing the core causes of the issue."
Craigslist was responding to demands from state attorneys general and anti-child trafficking organizations to end adult services because it had become a favorite conduit for illegal ads.
"I have not had a girl who was not marketed online and most of them were marketed on Craigslist," said Linda Smith, a former member of Congress who heads Shared Hope International, a group that rescues women and children trapped by sex traffickers.
Rep. Christopher Smith, a Republican, agreed that "the Internet has opened a whole new front in the war on trafficking, allowing demand to run free without practical obstacles."
Powell, director of law enforcement relations for the largest US classified advertising service, said Craigslist has been aggressive in working to stop child exploitation. He said the company encourages users to report suspected trafficking, features law enforcement and reporting hotlines, participates in the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipline and manually reviewed every adult service ad prior to posting.
"Craigslist has been virtually alone among the many advertising venues carrying adult ads in vigorously combating exploitation and trafficking," he said.
Ernie Allen, head of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, agreed that the focus must now be broadened beyond Craigslist. "The goal is to destroy the business model for those who...
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Apple's New iPad, iPhone Software Due in November
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75175
Apple Inc.'s iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch can handle many tasks that people once turned to personal computers to complete, from checking e-mail and surfing the Web to editing photos and composing documents.
The gadgets can connect with computers to transfer files, but Apple's critics have still dinged the company for hobbling its mobile devices by making them without ports for connecting with printers or USB drives.
Apple is on its way toward solving one of those complaints. At a media event this month, Apple CEO Steve Jobs mentioned an upcoming software update for the iPad and its smaller siblings that would include a way for people to wirelessly print documents.
On Wednesday, Apple said it has released a "beta" test version of AirPrint to software developers who make iPad and iPhone apps.
AirPrint is designed to find printers on home networks, then send text, photos or graphics directly to the printer over Wi-Fi. To start, iPads, iPhones or iPods with AirPrint will only work directly with certain Hewlett-Packard Co. printers. Apple, which is based in Cupertino, Calif., would not comment on future printer partners.
People who don't have one of HP's ePrint-enabled printers can still print wirelessly. AirPrint can send files through computers connected physically or wirelessly to a printer.
Apple said AirPrint, which is part of the bigger iOS 4.2 update for iPads, iPhones and the iPod Touch, will be available in November.
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Psychic Phones? The Technology Is Evolving
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75174
How smart do you want your smart phone to actually be? Do you want it to read your mind, even a little bit?
Intel Corp.'s research chief, Justin Rattner, says that technology has advanced to the point that "context-aware computing," an idea that's been around for two decades, is becoming more of a reality with the rise of mobile devices.
That could lead to phones that act as psychics in your pocket. Rather than simply amass secrets about you, the devices could be doing things with that information, such as predicting what you might do next and offering suggestions.
Rattner showed a few examples during his keynote speech Wednesday at Intel's annual developer conference in San Francisco.
Among them: a prototype application Intel worked on with Fodor's Travel. It learns what types of foods you like to eat and what types of attractions you like to visit, based on searches you type into the phone or locations identified using GPS. The software makes similar recommendations when you visit a new city.
Tech companies are already working to predict what people want, but only in pieces.
Search engine Google Inc., movie-rental service Netflix Inc. and online radio service Pandora try to anticipate what people want even before they know they want it.
Stringing those types of functions together with the wealth of other information that phones collect about people could pave the way for even more helpful electronics, Rattner said.
A challenge is training computers to analyze data from "hard sensors" (which measure location, motion, voice patterns, temperature and the like) and combining those findings with data from "soft sensors" (such as calendar appointments and Web browsing history).
For example, your phone could detect that you've just left work and seem to be on your way home -- a location it might know from your address book. It could then...
Sat, 18 Sep 10
Sony Embraces 3-D, Gets Motion-Controller Wand
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75171
Sony's PlayStation 3 game console will work as a Blu-ray disc player for 3-D movies and music videos, not just 3-D games, with a software update download starting Sept. 21.
The free-of-charge update for movies and other content had been promised for later this year. But the date is being moved up to ride on the momentum of 3-D popularity, Sony executive Hiroshi Kawano said at the Tokyo Game Show Thursday.
The annual event in this Tokyo suburb features game machines and the latest offerings from game-software makers. It opens over the weekend for the public. A preview event was held Thursday for reporters and business officials.
"The appeal and impact of games will be definitely enhanced with 3-D technology," Kawano said during a two-hour presentation at the Sony booth.
The 3-D capabilities for the PlayStation 3 will not be as thorough as they are for 3-D Blu-ray disc players. The game machine will have no problem playing 3-D movies, but some parts of the menu and other minor portions of some DVDs will play only in 2-D, Sony said.
Sony also showed a motion-controller wand for the PlayStation 3 called Move, similar to the one already on sale from rival Nintendo Co.'s Wii. Sony said Move will go on sale Sept. 19 in the U.S. and Oct. 21 in Japan.
A 5,980 yen ($70) "starter kit" for the Move comes with software called "Beat Sketch!" which allows people to make computer-graphic paintings on the TV screen using the motion-controller stick.
A similar kit for the U.S., with a different game, costs $99.99, and the wand by itself costs $49.99.
Move is cheaper than Microsoft Corp.'s Kinect, which sells for $150 in the U.S. and 14,800 yen in Japan.
Kinect is a system to control gaming motion without a wand. It doesn't require the player to push any buttons,...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
Microsoft Rolls Out Dynamic CRM Beta Release
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75189
With one eye on the cloud and the other on customer service, Microsoft has rolled out the beta release of its new product for cloud-based and on-premise deployments of its CRM product. The new online service is expected to come to market as Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011.
"Microsoft is showcasing that it is not just a hardware platform play -- that it can do cloud services as well if not better than anyone else. This is an important test point for Microsoft," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. "Microsoft has put an awful lot of effort here. When [CEO] Steve Ballmer took over, one of the things he wanted to do was showcase that he could successfully take the company in this different direction. This is his stamp on Microsoft, and that's why it's so critical to the firm."
The beta version of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online service is available in eight languages and 36 markets. Customers around the world have already started downloading the software to build solutions. The final version will be available by the end of 2010 in 40 markets and 41 languages.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 promises to make the enterprise more productive through familiar, connected and intelligent experiences for users inside and outside an organization. The software offers native Microsoft Outlook client, Microsoft Office contextual CRM Ribbon, RoleTailored design, and user personalization.
"Microsoft Dynamics CRM has tremendous momentum around the world, and we're glad to bring an exciting new wave of technology to our customers and partners," said Brad Wilson, general manager of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. "Our new beta release for cloud-based and on-premises deployments allows customers and partners to try the product and see the benefits from the investments that we've been making."
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 also offers what the...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
Motorola Will Take Its Time To Create A Tablet
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75188
Motorola will sell no tablet computer before its time. That was the message from company co-CEO Sanjay Jha at the Deutsche Bank Technology investor's conference Wednesday, when he said the company best known for cell phones and other communication equipment will produce a tablet computer early next year. But only if Motorola, based in Schaumburg, Ill., develops just the right device, with the right operating system.
"We want to make sure that any tablet that we deliver is competitive in the marketplace, and I think all of us will make sure that we will only deliver that when that occurs," Jha said. "Hopefully, that's early next year."
A Motorola Android-powered tablet had been rumored to be in the works for the holiday season.
Samsung has already introduced a tablet, the Galaxy Tab, that runs Google's Android 2.2 with a seven-inch screen, smaller than most tablets. Dell also sells the Android-based Streak with a five-inch screen.
But Jha said at the conference that Google doesn't think Android is suitable for a tablet -- apparently some apps don't work properly on the larger screen and therefore won't download from the Android Market. That indicates Motorola may be waiting for another version or another system entirely.
The next versions of Android, nicknamed Gingerbread and Honeycomb are expected to be more tablet friendly.
The tablet market is expected to boom in the wake of Apple's highly successful iPad, which passed the three million mark in sales in just a few short months. In addition to Samsung, Sharp, Hewlett-Packard, Sony and Dell are all planning new models.
Devices expected to run Android include the ARCHOS 7, Cisco Cius, Dell Streak, the Notion Ink Adam, ICD Ultra, Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet, LG Tablet, Pandigital Novel, and NEC Life Touch, as well as a tablet made by Google itself...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
Yahoo CEO Says 'Total Control' Will Hurt Apple's iAd
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75187
Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz thinks Apple's iAd initiative will "fall apart," Reuters reported Thursday. In an interview, Bartz pointed to Apple's "total control" over ads for its new advertising platform.
Apple launched the iAd service this summer to deliver ads to its iPhone and iPad. The advertising platform began with Apple's acquisition of Quattro Wireless earlier this year. Apple plans to shutter Quattro on Sept. 30.
Advertising on the iPhone must be done through iAd or pure-play mobile networks such as Jumptap and Millennial Media. That blocks ads from Google's AdMob and other advertising companies. Apple is reportedly asking for $1 million commitments to run iAd campaigns and is said to be requiring some creative control over advertising content.
"That's going to fall apart for them," Bartz said. "Advertisers are not going to have that type of control over them. Apple wants total control over those ads."
A key feature of iAd is interactivity, which is intended to keep ad viewers within apps from Apple's App Store and generate revenue for third-party developers. Apple takes 40 percent of the advertising revenue and some advertisers, including Nissan, have reported much higher click-through rates than other mobile ads.
Bartz also said Yahoo's transition to Microsoft's Bing search engine should be complete next month. The companies have agreed on a 10-year partnership to take on search market leader Google.
She predicted that online advertising will pick up in 2011. "After the transition, I think we'll see a dip for a while just because it will be inefficient for a while, but by mid-next year I think we'll see the [revenue per search] come up on the site," Bartz said. She added that demand for Yahoo video ads remains strong.
Yahoo owns 39 percent of Chinese Internet company Alibaba Group and has no interest...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
Android Is Growing Fast -- But Are Comparisons Fair?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75186
Android is stealing market share left and right. Left from Research In Motion and right from Apple's iOS. So says a new report from comScore that chronicles the growth of Google's mobile operating system during May, June and July compared to the preceding three-month period.
comScore's MobiLens service ranked mobile operating systems in the U.S. based on market share among mobile subscribers age 13 and older. comScore also reviewed the most popular activities and content accessed on the devices.
The July report ranked Samsung as the top handset manufacturer with a 23.1 percent market share. LG ranked second with 21.1 percent, followed by Motorola with 19.8 percent, RIM with nine percent, and Nokia with 7.8 percent. But the story shifts when you drill down to the smartphone market. RIM leads in smartphones with 39.9 percent for the BlackBerry maker.
More than 53 million people in the U.S. use smartphones. Although RIM leads the charge, Apple is gaining ground with a 23.8 percent share. But Google's Android is the real growth story, gaining five percentage points in the three-month period to wind up with 17 percent of all smartphone subscribers.
However, Michael Disabato, managing vice president of network and telecom at Gartner, is slower to declare Android the victor.
"How many of those Android devices really compete against iPhone and how much of it looks like another clamshell phone? When people start making these specious remarks, they better start breaking down what market segment they are looking at," Disabato said. "Apple doesn't go to the clamshell-candy-bar-stick-it-in-your-pocket-and-just-make-phone-calls market. It's a computer that just happens to have a lot of radios in it."
A more accurate comparison to Apple would be to look at smartphones that are running Android 2.2, Disabato said. Part of the reason Android is capturing market share is because it's on a...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
IE9 Beta Warns of Malware, Problems with Add-Ons
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75185
Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 beta release, which became available for download Wednesday, integrates several new features that improve security and privacy and give PC users greater control over the browser's impact on PC performance. On the security side, for example, IE9 delivers significant new protections against malicious and poorly written web sites that threaten the online safety and privacy of PC users.
With IE9, appropriately signed executable files that are frequently downloaded from the web will run without a warning prompt. However, if the selected executable file is not a commonly downloaded program, IE9 will notify the user that it could be harmful, noted Internet Explorer General Manager Dean Hachamovitch.
"IE9's download manager is like an early warning system against malware that is based on application reputation," Hachamovitch said Wednesday. "That's a nice way to say stranger danger for downloads."
Like other web browsers, the IE9 beta features a combined address bar where users can type web addresses as well as start searches -- but with one notable difference, Hachamovitch observed. "IE9 respects your privacy and doesn't send your keystrokes to search services by default," he said. "But it's under my control and I can very easily, with one click, turn that on, and I'll get suggestions."
For PC performance, IE9 beta notifies PC users when add-ons are slowing their browsing sessions. "Add-ons cause 75 percent of all crashes in Internet Explorer," Hachamovitch said. IE9 makes it very clear what's going on so that the user can decide whether to disable add-ons that are less useful or too slow, he added.
By pinning favorite web sites to the PC task bar, users will be able to speed up web interactions by accessing frequently visited pages directly from the desktop without first opening the browser. Moreover, the web site's...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
Nokia Chairman Expected To Stay Until 2012
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75165
Nokia Corp. said Tuesday that board chairman Jorma Ollila has signaled readiness to stay on at the helm of the world's leading handset maker until 2012.
Nokia spokeswoman Arja Suominen said that no announcement had been made but that Ollila has said he would be "at the disposal of the company" until the annual general meeting of the company in spring 2012.
Last week, Nokia said that CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo will be replaced by Stephen Elop, who heads Microsoft's business division, as president and chief executive on Sept. 21.
At a news conference introducing Elop, Ollila said the board had asked him to stay on as chairman for a transitionary period.
"The board did want me to continue because this is a particularly difficult time. My time will be up soonest," Ollila told reporters on Sept. 10, but added that "no time set."
Nokia's announcement Friday came after its stock had continued to plunge -- down more than 20 percent this year after two profit warnings -- and the company's management had come under increasing pressure.
On Tuesday, Nokia presented new telephones and applications for its handsets, hoping to get back into the high-end smart phone race.
"Today our fight back to smart phone leadership shifts into high gear," said Niklas Savander, executive vice president of Nokia's markets unit said at the Nokia World event in London. "Despite new competition, Symbian remains the most widely used smart phone platform in the world."
The company unveiled three new smart phones -- the C6, C7 and E7 -- with price tags ranging from (EURO)260 to (EURO)495.
But markets were not impressed, and Nokia stock closed down more than 3 percent in Helsinki at (EURO)7.64 ($9.82).
Neil Mawston, from Strategy Analytics in London said the new handsets meant a "step forward, rather than a leap" for the Finnish company.
"They are not iPhone killers...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
Amazon Gets Feisty About iPad in New Kindle Ad
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75164
Amazon.com Inc. is rolling up its sleeves in its fight to convince consumers that its Kindle electronic reader is better than competing devices such as Apple's iPad, unveiling more aggressive advertising that is accentuating a growing rivalry.
In a Kindle commercial aired on TV and uploaded Monday to Amazon's Kindle channel on YouTube, the online retailer shows a man and a woman lounging beside a pool in the sun. The man, dressed in a white T-shirt and gray shorts, looks vexedly at a thin, dark, unlabeled tablet device -- presumably an iPad -- while trying to shield its shiny screen from the sun.
The man asks the woman, who is clad in a black bikini and sunglasses and reading on a Kindle, how she's able to read in such bright sunlight. Presumably his tablet has an LCD screen, which is tougher to read in the sun than an e-ink screen like that on Amazon's e-reader.
Smiling, the woman answers, "It's a Kindle -- $139. I actually paid more for these sunglasses."
Amazon sells a $139 a version of the device that can wirelessly download books over Wi-Fi; a version with 3G and Wi-Fi costs $189.
Still smiling, she returns to her reading, while the man looks somewhat dejectedly at his tablet device.
The commercial marks a tactical change for Amazon, whose earlier Kindle commercials often featured cheerful indie tunes and stop-motion camera work, with no references to competing products such as tablet computers or other e-readers.
While the Kindle is meant mainly for reading, Apple Inc.'s popular iPad, which starts at $499, is a touch-screen-enabled multimedia device that can be used to read e-books (such as those purchased from Apple's iBookstore), surf the web and more. Though more expensive than the Kindle, the iPad's versatility has drawn in many consumers.
But the iPad's success can also be good...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
Burger Joint Offers Social Networking on the Side
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75163
Ever chow down at a restaurant and think, "I could do better?" A new burger joint is giving you the chance to prove it.
At 4food, a recently opened burger shop in Manhattan, you are not restricted to the menu on the digital screen. Customers are encouraged to mix and match ingredients, actually add their creations to the menu, then share them with friends on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
What's the incentive, you ask, other than the satisfaction of (maybe) watching your culinary creation be devoured by the masses? If someone orders your dish, you get a 25-cent credit.
And you can build your better burger online or onsite.
In the store, you can be guided by a staffer, called a hawker because they "swoop in and help when needed," said one. Or, you can go at your own pace on one of the bolted-down iPads. When you get to your table, you can continue dreaming up great creations; there is free Wi-Fi for browsing the Web while eating. You also see Foursquare check-ins and tweets about the experience on their 240-square-foot (22-square-meter) LED monitor, if that is your thing.
And if it is all just too confusing, prebuilt burgers also are available.
Adam Kidrom, the man behind 4food, says his goal was simply to provide fast, nutritious, customizable foods made of all-natural, local ingredients.
But sorry, no French fries.
Something else that may jar the average customer: the burger patties have holes in the center. That's right, they look like beef doughnuts.
The cooks fill that hole with the customer's choice of 25 different mixtures called VeggieScoops, such as avocado chili mango or edamame with sea salt.
The scoop "transforms the taste and nutritional profile of the burger," said Kidron.
They call it the (W)holeBurger. Get it?
Kidron does not like the way the average fast food burger ends...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
Twitter Tweaks Site To Showcase Photos, Video
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75160
Twitter is turning its text-messaging Web site into a multimedia showcase by adding a new pane that will make it easier for its 160 million users to check out photos and video.
The redesign unveiled Tuesday may compel people to linger on Twitter's Web site for longer periods and come back more frequently, making it a more attractive advertising vehicle.
"We are still figuring out all the new possibilities," Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said in an interview.
The face-lift, expected to roll out around the world in the next few days, splits the Web site into two panes. One is devoted to the 90 million messages, or "tweets," posted on Twitter each day, and the other features the images contained within the text. Until now, most links to photos and video have been displayed on other Web sites or browser tabs.
The new look further underscores Twitter's emergence as a major communications hub.
In the process, Twitter has evolved from a geeky hangout when it started four years ago to a worldwide phenomenon today.
People are mainly opening accounts now so they can follow the tweets from the friends, family, celebrities, media outlets and lawmakers that interest them. These spectators, or "lurkers," tend to only publish their own thoughts or observations periodically.
Forrester Research analyst Augie Ray said he believes the growing audience of spectators is the main reasons that Twitter had to do something to make it easier to wade through the sea of content cascading through its Web site each day.
"Improving consumption of Twitter-based content is important not just for Twitter, but for interactive marketers as well," Ray wrote in a Tuesday blog post.
Twitter didn't even start allowing advertising within a limited number of tweets until five months ago. The privately held company, based in San Francisco, still gets most of its revenue from a...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
'No-Can-Do' Attitudes Trigger Fliers' Disdain
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75157
Frequent flier Margaret Bowles says she likes Southwest Airlines because it doesn't charge extra to book flights over the phone, change flights or check bags. And, she says, boarding is organized and stress-free.
"Southwest treats customers much better than any other airline I fly and still manages to remain profitable without nickel-and-diming people to death," says the Tampa lawyer. "I can't figure out why all the airlines cannot follow Southwest's blueprint for success."
Those are among the reasons consumers rank Southwest and smaller airlines JetBlue, Hawaiian and Frontier much higher than traditional, big-network airlines, a USA TODAY analysis of 2005-2010 government and consumer survey data shows.
USA TODAY ranked 12 U.S. airlines based on Transportation Department consumer complaint statistics, the Airline Quality Rating system by professors at Wichita State and Purdue universities, and consumer surveys by Zagat Survey and J.D. Power and Associates.
Southwest's high scores are notable because until Delta Air Lines merged recently with Northwest, it was carrying more passengers annually on domestic routes than any other U.S. airline.
"Southwest is built on great customer service, excellent on-time performance, excellent baggage handling and a low rate of customer complaints," says spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger. "We take the rankings seriously and improve on the operations that need work and celebrate those that are positive."
That consumers have positive attitudes toward any airline stands out at a time when few travelers are happy with a financially struggling industry that has begun charging extra for services that used to be included in the price of a ticket, has cut back on flights and suffers from the impression that airlines don't care if customers are delayed or don't get where they planned.
Many of the airlines that rank toward the bottom in the USA TODAY analysis suffer for many or all those reasons. And largely for those reasons, a Gallup...
Fri, 17 Sep 10
Demo Tech Startups Tackle Everyday Hassles
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75156
One company will let you connect with other drivers and retailers through regular license plates, another will help you buy and sell real estate without brokers, a third promises to turn household organic waste into fuel.
At the very least, some of the 70 or so start-ups at the semiannual Demo conference in Silicon Valley over the next few days grab your attention. Here are a few worth watching:
*Bump Network. Perhaps another car is blocking yours as you try to pull out of a parking space. Maybe you left your wallet in a cab. Bump uses license plates and other offline "identifiers" to allow you to connect. Through this Web and mobile-messaging platform, you can send a message to the owner of any license plate in the U.S. -- via e-mail, text or voice. You snap a picture of a license plate, but the would-be recipient must "claim" their plate and register on Bump.com. The company says users will be able to control privacy but concedes it's a bit Little Brotherish. Bump plans to roll out emergency roadside assistance and other services in the coming months. The basic service will be free.
*HomingCloud. This social-networking site is billed as an online matchmaker for real estate. It will connect residential buyers and renters with sellers and landlords. Interested parties can send each other private messages. Sellers can use video to show off properties. The service will be free for one month, after which you'll pay $15 to $20 to list a property or to seek one.
*MicroFueler. Can you really turn dirty diapers into usable fuel? Not exactly. But E-Fuel unveiled the MicroFusion Reactor, which lets folks at home turn all types of organic waste into sugar water, which is then fermented into ethanol. Billed as the "first home ethanol system," the MicroFueler consists...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Internet Explorer 9 Beta Released with Unusual Fanfare
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75169
Microsoft unleashed the first public beta of Internet Explorer 9 with great fanfare at a Beauty of the Web media event in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday. According to Internet Explorer General Manager Dean Hachamovitch, many of the design changes are based on Microsoft's view that the browser should serve as the stage or backdrop for the web, allowing sites to become the real star of the show.
"Similar to the relationship between Windows 7 and Windows applications, people go to the web for sites -- not the browser," Hachamovitch said. "With IE9 we are unboxing the web-browser user experience by using the whole PC to browse and putting sites at the center of your experience."
This involves using everything the PC and its hardware have to offer rather than just relying on the browser itself, Hachamovitch observed. With IE9, for example, "users can pin sites to the [PC] taskbar just as they pin applications, and launch web tasks directly in the same way they launch everything else in Windows," Hachamovitch explained. "Sites can become pinned to the [PC] start bar as well."
With IE9, web sites will also be able to program jump lists and notifications for pinned sites, which will make common browsing tasks a seamless part of the user's desktop experience. Hachamovitch also demonstrated how the hardware-accelerated HTML5 built into IE9 makes sites shine by enabling users to enjoy a faster, more immersive experience using the full power of Windows PCs.
"All indications are that IE9 has some solid performance, thanks to great investment in hardware acceleration," said Al Hilwa, director of application software development at IDC. "And it is good to see Microsoft on board with many HTML5 features at this stage."
The big publicity pitch around IE9's beta release appears to be a policy...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Android-Based HTC Phones Bound for Europe, Asia
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75168
Taiwan-based HTC on Wednesday announced two variants of popular Android-based smartphones sold in the U.S. that are intended for the European and Asian markets. The Desire HD and Desire Z, available next month, are similar to HTC's EVO, distributed by Sprint Nextel, and the HTC G2, distributed by T-Mobile.
The Desire HD has a 4.3-inch LCD display, Dolby Mobile, and SRS virtual sound and is powered by the new one-gigahertz Qualcomm 8255 Snapdragon processor. It also features 720p high-definition video and includes an eight-megapixel camera with dual flash. It has a unibody design sculpted from a block of solid aluminum, a trend in electronics also used by Apple in its latest MacBooks.
The Desire Z, perhaps designed with younger consumers in mind, is being touted by HTC for making it "quick and easy to stay connected with friends on Facebook and Twitter or with colleagues and customers at work." With a "pop hinge" that opens to reveal a QWERTY keyboard, the Desire Z also packs 720p HD video and a five-megapixel camera with automatic flash. The processor is also new, an 800-megahertz Qualcomm 7230.
Both phones are equipped with HTC's Fast Boot, which allows a shorter power-up for making quick calls or checking e-mail.
The Desire Z will be available in North America as well as in Europe and Asia. HTC didn't announce prices for the phones.
HTC's announcement coincided with the Nokia World conference in London, at which the world's biggest handset maker introduced new models.
A Gartner survey last month found Nokia losing global market share, while HTC made its debut in the research firm's top 10 list of manufacturers at number eight, having doubled its volume of shipped units to 1.8 percent of the market.
"HTC was a non-branded player for many years, but only in...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Google Seeks Access To User Data as It Fires Engineer
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75167
Google will be getting deeper into social networking and users' data. That's the word Tuesday from CEO Eric Schmidt -- on the same day that Google announced it had fired a software engineer for improper access to customers' private information.
Schmidt said his company is looking to embed new social-networking functionality throughout its product line, and he is calling on Facebook to provide greater access to members' information, with their permission. Schmidt made the remarks Tuesday at the Google Zeitgeist conference in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Schmidt said that Google hopes to arrange for permission-based access to contact lists of Facebook users, to let them to increase their social network via Google's properties and functions. He noted that Gmail users already have the ability to give Facebook access to their contact list, so they can see which contacts are on both services.
"The best thing that would happen is for Facebook to open its data," he said, according to The Wall Street Journal. He then added, cryptically, that if it is not made accessible, "there are other ways to get that information."
There have been rumors that Google is developing a Facebook competitor whose working title is Google Me. Google's YouTube, in particular, is expected to get more social-networking functionality, such as the ability to notify friends when a given video is popular among a group. The company is also planning for social gaming on its various properties, and is looking to get permission-based access to user data on the photo-sharing site Flickr, owned by Yahoo, and on Twitter.
Even as it moves deeper into social networking, Google is dealing with issues relating to privacy violations. In a statement Tuesday, Google Senior Vice President of Engineering Bill Coughran announced that engineer David Barksdale was dismissed for breaking the company's "strict internal privacy...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
IBM Will Acquire OpenPages To Boost Business Analytics
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75166
IBM on Wednesday agreed to acquire OpenPages, a private company that develops risk-management and compliance software. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Big Blue's latest acquisition beefs up its business-analytics portfolio in a strategic area. Growing volumes of data, disconnected systems, and ever-changing regulatory compliance challenges demand a comprehensive view of risk exposure -- and getting that view demands business analytics.
A recent IBM study of 1,900 global CFOs and senior finance leaders revealed that risk management has risen in priority by 93 percent since 2005. The survey also noted that two out of three companies had encountered material-risk events within the past three years.
"Unforeseen risk can hurt a company's bottom line as well as its brand reputation," said Rob Ashe, general manager of business analytics at IBM. "Integrating risk-management systems across once-divided units and functions is essential to seeing the bigger picture."
IBM expects the acquisition to advance its business-analytics strategy to help businesses address complex enterprise-wide risk management and compliance challenges. Ashe said adding OpenPages to the IBM mix will provide a holistic and consistent approach to risk management that helps companies combine risk-management insight with performance management to drive better decision-making.
Consider the capabilities: OpenPages software helps businesses develop a compliance and risk-management strategy across a variety of domains -- including operational risk, financial-controls management, IT risk, compliance, and internal audits -- so CFOs and CIOs can better understand how risks can impact future performance. OpenPages software also works to highlight inconsistencies in risk and performance goals, giving business leaders a clearer view of the business opportunities and risks associated with various activities.
"OpenPages should be a very good addition to IBM's information-management quiver," said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. "It's a strong company. It's got some large enterprise customers, many of which are already...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Microsoft Patches 11 Holes, Including the Stuxnet Path
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75153
Microsoft issued nine security bulletins on September's Patch Tuesday. The bulletins address 11 vulnerabilities, four of which Microsoft has rated as critical.
"The most dangerous vulnerability is the Print Spooler service impersonation issue," said Joshua Talbot, security intelligence manager for Symantec Security Response. "This vulnerability has been identified by Symantec as one of the attack vectors built into the notorious Stuxnet threat, which targets industrial control systems. This is evidence the vulnerability is already being exploited in the wild."
As Talbot explained it, a remote or local attacker can use this vulnerability to gain system-level access and add malicious code to any file in Windows' core directory where operating-system files are stored when a computer is configured to use a shared printer. System and configuration files in this directory often automatically execute. By overwriting one of these files, he said, the attacker-supplied code would automatically run instead of the legitimate file. The result: The machine is completely compromised.
"This vulnerability allows for a great deal of stealth since no user interaction is required for an attacker to exploit it," Talbot said. "Affected systems run the gamut, but Windows XP is the most vulnerable. An attacker has to be able to send a 'print to file' command as well as other malicious instructions to the machine. XP most readily facilitates this by having a guest account with anonymous access enabled by default."
Beyond Stuxnet, there is a critical bug in the MPEG-4 codec that can be used for drive-by attacks this month. Halo fans watching user-posted content -- and anyone else watching AVI movies -- should be extra careful over the next week or so, or your computer could get "shot up" with malware, according to Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle.
"Hosting providers using IIS servers with PHP will want...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Pew Report Finds Limited Use of Mobile Apps
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75152
Although cell phones have become platforms for a wide variety of applications, only about 24 percent of adults actually use apps. That's the takeaway from a new report released Tuesday by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
"Having apps and using apps are not synonymous," the report says. It found that about 82 percent of adults have cell phones, and, of those, 43 percent have apps on their devices -- or about 35 percent of all adults. This includes both those who have downloaded an app, or who bought a phone that came pre-loaded with apps.
Older cell-phone owners don't use apps often, and about 11 percent of all users aren't even certain if they have applications on their devices. App users tend to be male, younger, more affluent, and more educated than other adults. The study also found that "the apps-using population also skews slightly Hispanic."
But app use isn't the most popular non-voice activity on cell phones. Picture-taking and texting are far in the lead, with 76 percent of cell-phone users snapping photos and 72 percent sending or receiving text messages. Also above app use was accessing the Internet, playing a game, sending or receiving e-mail, shooting video, playing music, and sending or receiving instant messages -- each of which were in the 30 to 38 percent range.
When measured as a percent of cell-phone users, app-using is last at 29 percent.
The results could indicate that the emphasis by major device makers on setting up an app ecosystem with a well-populated store may not be the huge crowd-pleaser it was expected to be. On the other hand, the Pew study could be reflecting app usage at a relatively early moment in their evolution, and, as the population ages, the app-using habits of young people may increasingly become...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Dell Shifts Focus To Reboot Business
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75142
Deep in the heart of Dell headquarters [in Round Rock, Texas], where it is 99 degrees in the shade outside in early September, something else was heating up.
A bidding war with Hewlett-Packard over 3Par, a relatively obscure Silicon Valley data-storage company, had topped $2 billion, and Dell was weighing whether it should up the ante. Dell eventually bowed out after HP agreed to pay about $2.4 billion, but the frenzied pursuit underscores the lengths to which Dell and its rivals are willing to expand beyond their core PC business into more profitable areas such as data storage, services and network equipment.
For Dell, it's part of a "massive refresh cycle" of PCs and data-center services that began in mid-2009 and should energize the company's revenue for several quarters, says Matt Eastwood, an analyst at market researcher IDC.
With the economy in tatters and most of its tech brethren scrambling to branch into more profitable side ventures, Dell continues to reengineer and reposition while it copes with other issues. The PC maker recently reached a $100 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission after an accounting investigationobe. Some analysts are also concerned about a decline in Dell's gross profit margins and whether it is spending enough on research and development.
Indeed, Dell is returning to its roots. The 26-year-old company, whose first customers were companies and universities, is focusing on contracts with large businesses of more than 500 employees, federal and state governments, non-profits and education. To a lesser extent, it is pursuing small business (less than 500 employees) and consumers.
"This is an incredibly exciting time for Dell and for the IT industry," says CEO Michael Dell, who returned as CEO in early 2007 to re-energize the company he founded. "Our current growth strategy is more closely aligned than ever with our customers'...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Microsoft Probes Report of Russian Censorship Collusion
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75140
After a report that Microsoft attorneys in Russia helped suppress political dissent under the guise of anti-piracy efforts, Microsoft says it will investigate and make changes.
The New York Times reported Sunday that environmental-action groups, independent newspapers and political groups in Russia have been raided by the police, who claimed they were searching for pirated Microsoft software. Their computers were confiscated, effectively shutting down their work.
Microsoft said Monday it would investigate the allegations and donate software to nongovernmental organizations, also known as NGOs.
In a statement released Monday, Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith said, "Whatever the circumstances of the particular cases The New York Times described, we want to be clear that we unequivocally abhor any attempt to leverage intellectual-property rights to stifle political advocacy or pursue improper personal gain."
The New York Times report said an environmental group protesting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's decision to open a paper factory near Lake Baikal was later raided by police, who confiscated computers under the pretext of searching for pirated Microsoft software.
The raid was sparked by a complaint made by someone whom the environmental group had never worked with, the report said.
A similar raid on opposition newspapers in Samara was also sparked by a complaint made by someone who had never entered the newspaper offices, the New York Times report said.
In the follow-up investigation of the newspapers, Microsoft's attorneys appeared at court hearings to support the prosecutors, according to the report.
The groups claimed in the article that Russian police falsified evidence that software had been pirated.
Smith said the company will hire an international law firm to conduct an independent investigation and advise the company on new measures.
Microsoft lauded its public-private collaboration in Russia to combat piracy in a report distributed this year, saying it had driven Russian piracy rates down from 80 percent in 2006...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Review: Halo: Reach Full of Multiplayer Mayhem
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75139
When "Halo 3: ODST" was released last year, the once vibrant Halo universe felt exhausted, as though even its creators at Microsoft Corp.'s Bungie Studios were bored with it.
Thankfully, they had one more story in their arsenal. Bungie may be moving on to new worlds, but "Halo: Reach" (Microsoft, for the Xbox 360, $59.99) is a more energetic farewell for the company largely credited with popularizing first-person shooters for video-game consoles.
"Reach" is a prequel. (We all know how well prequels turned out for "Star Wars.") Reach itself is a planet, long mythologized as one of the last human colonies to fall to the alien Covenant before the events of 2001's "Halo: Combat Evolved." Since we already know that things aren't going to end well, there's a sense of futility about this campaign -- although your actions here will have a profound effect on the war between humanity and the Covenant.
You are part of Noble Team, a group of elite Spartan troops whose missions largely involve evacuating humans and sabotaging Covenant installations. Most of the scenarios involve sustained, ground-based firefights against hordes of aliens whose aggressive artificial intelligence will torment even the most experienced "Halo" player. Bungie also throws in a couple of beautifully executed aerial battles -- one over an urban skyline, one in outer space -- that could be the foundations of whatever project the studio tackles next.
Meanwhile, some of the franchise's more exasperating elements remain. Driving a Warthog jeep still feels awkward, like pushing a grocery cart with a broken wheel. Unlike in, say, "Gears of War," there's no reliable way to take cover (other than, well, ducking). And while you go into battle with a whole new crew, they never develop distinctive personalities. The story is more straightforward than previous "Halo" plots, but doesn't match the sophistication...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Buffett, Ballmer Predict Bright Economic Future
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75138
Some of the biggest names in business said Monday that they see a bright future for the economy, with famed investor Warren Buffett declaring the country and world will not fall back into the grips of the recession.
"I am a huge bull on this country. We are not going to have a double-dip recession at all," said Buffett, chairman of Omaha, Neb.-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc. "I see our businesses coming back across the board."
Buffett said the same things that worked for the country through a century of two world wars, a depression and more -- all while increasing the standard of living -- will work again. He said banks are lending money again, businesses are hiring employees and he expects the economy to come back stronger than ever.
"This country works," Buffett said during a question-and-answer session via video at the Montana Economic Development Summit. "The best is yet to come."
The likes of Buffett, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer and General Electric Co. Chairman Jeff Immelt told the nearly 2,000 business leaders, government officials, aspiring entrepreneurs and others at the summit that things are getting better. They also offered some ideas for what needs to be done.
Ballmer said there soon will be more technological advancement and invention than there was during the Internet era. That will help drive business growth, he said.
"I am very enthusiastic what the future holds for our industry and what our industry will mean for growth in other industries," said Ballmer, whose company is based in Seattle.
He envisions new technologies that move beyond the Internet to tie together computers, phones, televisions and data centers to create amazing new products. And the pace of innovation will increase as technology makes workers more productive.
"All areas of science today are moving forward more quickly," Ballmer said. "The speed of scientific...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Chattanooga Offers Lightning-Fast Internet Service
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75136
Chattanooga's city-owned electrical utility has started offering an Internet service that is among the fastest in the world, and it is hoping the move will attract businesses looking to relocate.
The Chattanooga Electric Power Board's new Fiber Optics network will provide a 1 gigabit-per-second Internet service. The utility said the service is more than 200 times faster than the average national download speed today.
At a cost of $350 a month, it's also much more expensive than the typical residential plan. Harold DePriest, the Chattanooga Electric Power Board's president and CEO, said residential customers don't really need that fast a service, but businesses might.
He said the high-speed service won't be costly for EPB to operate, yet it should put the Chattanooga community at the forefront of attracting businesses -- possibly Internet providers -- that can benefit from having it.
"Chattanooga represents the next frontier in communications technology, with limitless potential for new applications for education, entertainment, health care, industrial development and more," DePriest said in a statement.
The Chattanooga utility is working with telecom equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent SA on the project.
DePriest said the fast Internet service is immediately available.
DePriest said providing the high-speed Internet service is part of the utility's $37 million fiber-optic network venture.
EPB provides electricity, television, telephone and Internet service to more than 169,000 residents in a 600 square-mile area in southeastern Tennessee and northwest Georgia.
In a community with a new Volkswagen new assembly plant and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's SimCenter computational engineering lab, Mayor Ron Littlefield said the Internet service announcement has helped put Chattanooga "on the short list of progressive communities in the world."
"It's a great place to imagine the future," Littlefield said at a news conference Monday.
He said Chattanooga would "welcome Google or any other technology company" that would be interested in using such a high-speed Internet...
Thu, 16 Sep 10
Czechs Ban Google from Expanding Street View
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75134
Authorities in the Czech Republic have banned Google Inc. from expanding its mapping feature "Street View" in the eastern European country, an official said Tuesday.
Google Czech Republic said it was not deterred by what it considered a temporary decision, and said the dispute was mostly about technical problems in collecting the photographs used in "Street View" -- which provides Internet users with panoramic views and photographs of neighborhoods from various points along many streets across the globe.
"We will continue to closely cooperate" with the Czech Office for Personal Data Protection, "and hope that the issues will be solved in the near future," Google said in a statement. In the meantime, it said it would collect no new data in the country, but that photos taken previously in Prague and other cities were still available.
The U.S. Internet giant has come under fire across Europe, including in Germany, over concerns that it violated people's privacy while taking shots of city streets.
Google also has acknowledged the technology used by its "Street View" cars has inadvertently recorded fragments of people's online activities broadcast over public Wi-Fi networks for the past four years.
The Czech privacy watchdog office refused Google the necessary registration for "Street View" following an investigation that began in April, spokeswoman Hana Stepankova said without elaborating. She said the office would discuss details of the case next week.
The company, based in Mountain View, California, has said it has broken no laws and never used data inadvertently collected from public Wi-Fi networks in more than 30 countries.
Wed, 15 Sep 10
Wal-Mart Will Offer No-Contract Family Mobile Plan
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75150
The world's largest retailer announced Monday that it will not only sell cell phones, but provide wireless coverage from T-Mobile on some models with a low-cost family plan that doesn't require a contract.
Under the plan, Wal-Mart Family Mobile customers will pay just $45 a month for the first phone and $25 for each additional line for unlimited talk and text and a "WebPak" of 100 megabytes of data free. Additional WebPaks are $10 for 200 megabytes, $25 for 500 megabytes, and $40 for one gigabyte. Users can carry over unused data from month to month.
The plan will be offered in 2,500 Wal-Mart outlets beginning Sept. 20 and will cover a variety of devices from Nokia, Motorola and Samsung, including Android-powered handsets.
There are no cancellation fees and the plan doesn't require monthly prepayment, as with Wal-Mart's Straight Talk cell phones. Sprint also has a prepaid plan with Wal-Mart called Common Cents Mobile that works with prepaid cards of 30 days for $20 or 60 days for $30.
With no fee for upgrades, the Family Mobile plan will encourage users who don't mind paying the handset price to switch devices as often as they like -– something they can't do with major wireless providers -- presenting a potential windfall for both Wal-Mart and manufacturers.
p
Wal-Mart's Family Mobile makes it more affordable to build meaningful relationships with family and friends so that even when budgets are limited, time spent communicating with loved ones isn't, said Greg Hall, Wal-Mart's vice president for U.S. merchandising. This plan provides families with the flexibility to connect with each other without surprise charges and with the added benefit of one of the nation's most trusted wireless network providers.
p
subhead
How Much Marketing?
/subhead
p
Given the considerable muscle the big-box retail giant wields and its powerful brand name in key markets...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
Dell PowerVault DL Uses CommVault Tech in the Cloud
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75149
Dell and CommVault have taken the wraps off a new PowerVault DL appliance that is squarely aimed at businesses looking to use private or public cloud environments to manage and protect their data. Featuring CommVault's Simpana 8 software and a wizard-driven setup and management utility, the new Dell appliance also can be paired across geographically distributed sites to protect remote or branch-office data and applications.
p
Almost everyone these days is shifting to virtualized infrastructures, but the huge shift from physical to virtual is creating a big strain on the management side, noted Jeff Echols, CommVault's senior director of cloud strategy and alliances. Having to protect and access everything in a virtual environment is very challenging, he said.
p
Echols observed that the Simpana 8 software that ships on the PowerVault DL is designed to address these concerns. CommVault is way ahead of our competition about how to protect data in a virtualized environment, Echols said. The Dell DL is a great package that can be dropped into a customer's environment to protect and manage the data that resides in a virtual infrastructure.
p
subhead
Managing Virtualized Servers
/subhead
p
Offering up to 24 terabytes of internal storage capacity as well as scalability to more than 300TB, Dell's backup-to-disk platform offers fast throughput and optimized deduplication in a smaller 2U form factor. To streamline disk-to-tape data protection while increasing disaster recovery capabilities, Dell's PowerVault TL2000, TL4000 or ML6000 tape library can be integrated into the platform.
p
One of the top challenges that enterprises face in managing virtualized server environments is the inability to back up all virtual machines reliably and in a timely manner. CommVault's technology enables the PowerVault DL to restore physical as well as virtual environments -- with both VMware and Hyper-V protection options on tap.
p
Unlike other data-storage vendors that have grown their product lines...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
Microsoft's Bing Overtakes Yahoo in August Searches
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75148
While the tech world continues exploring Google Instant search from every possible angle, Bing is betting on a bright future -- and making progress in the search-engine wars. Microsoft's decision engine has officially clenched the number-two position in the United States. Now only Google stands in its way.
p
Of course, few believe Bing will outpace Google, which remains the undisputed search king with 65 percent of the market in August. That's up slightly from 64.2 percent in July, according to Nielsen. Bing now boasts 13.9 percent of the U.S. search market, up from 13.6 percent in July. Yahoo has dipped from 14.6 percent to 13.1 percent. Ask is in fourth place with 2.1 percent, and AOL comes in fifth with two percent.
p
comScore and Hitwise still show Yahoo as number two, but Bing's trajectory suggests that it could overtake Yahoo at some point in the near future, said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. However, comScore showed Yahoo share growth in July. This should be a wake-up call to Yahoo to step up the pace of user-experience innovation that the company promised when it announced the Microsoft deal.
p
subhead
The 10-Year Run
/subhead
p
Although Yahoo has lost, the pain isn't as acute as it might be if the Internet giant wasn't in cahoots with Bing. Together, Yahoo and Bing have secured nearly 30 percent of the market. That's still less than half Google's market share, but Microsoft and Yahoo plan to keep the full-court press on their common nemesis.
p
Microsoft and Yahoo announced a search deal in July 2009 where Microsoft would start powering Yahoo search while Yahoo became the exclusive worldwide relationship sales force for both companies' premium search advertisers, Nielsen wrote in a blog post. Microsoft Bing officially started powering part of Yahoo searches on Aug. 24, 2010. If we combined Bing-powered search...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
Verizon Launches Cloud-Computing Service for SMBs
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75147
Verizon announced Tuesday that has launched a new cloud-computing service aimed at small and midsize businesses. The company said the new offering, called Computing as a Service, SMB, is tailored to companies that have limited IT resources and do not want to own or manage their IT infrastructure.
p
The key targets are retailers, manufacturers and professional-services firms, in addition to independent IT departments in larger companies.
p
subhead
'More Agile, Productive, Cost Effective'
/subhead
p
Verizon said that, unlike many competing cloud services, its CaaS SMB has built-in security, including virtual private networks, and options for companies to add additional security. Previous computing configurations of data and servers can be maintained when they're moved to the cloud.
p
Carrie Gray, Verizon's executive director of midsize businesses, said the new offering will help SMBs tap cloud technology to be more agile, productive and cost effective in order to compete in a global economy without having to build and maintain a high-capital, high-maintenance infrastructure to meet their IT needs.
p
The service, available immediately, provides a web-based console, which the company said is easy to use without an IT or technical background. There's no minimum commitment or long-term contract, and pricing is only for resources used.
p
Also offered is full backups as well as server cloning for making carbon copies for additional protection, version control, or rapid deployment. Capacity can be shared on the virtual-server farm via hardware load balancing, and Verizon said the CaaS SMB can be used with almost any operating system.
p
No specific programming language is required for the platform, which runs on VMware vCloud Express. Firewall rule sets can be added on demand, and Verizon said it will work with clients to create company-specific security programs as needed.
p
subhead
'Everything as a Service'
/subhead
p
The new SMB-oriented service is part of Verizon's ongoing cloud-computing portfolio. In fact, Gray said Verizon Business is evolving...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
Facebook Movie May Not Be Flattering for Zuckerberg
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75146
Many executives would be thrilled that a major feature film about how they founded their company is about to be released. But for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, an upcoming movie called The Social Network might not exactly become part of his updates to friends.
p
Scheduled for release in movie theaters on Oct. 1, The Social Network follows the young Zuckerberg -- arrogant, socially out of place, and very bright -- through the days at Harvard when he started what is now the world's foremost social-networking giant. As the tagline for the film says, You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.
p
subhead
'Arrogant, Confident, Brilliant'
/subhead
p
The movie is directed by David Fincher, who also helmed The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and it was written by Aaron Sorkin, creator of TV's The West Wing. The role of Zuckerberg is played by Jesse Eisenberg, whose credits include Zombieland, and the film is based on Ben Mezrich's best-selling book, The Accidental Billionaires.
p
Mezrich has told news media that the Zuckerberg character is an antihero who sweats, is arrogant, confident, brilliant. Along the way toward 500 million friends, the Zuckerberg character gets into conflicts with fellow students and the university administration, among others.
p
Facebook and Zuckerberg are taking a low-key approach to the impending release. It's a sign of Facebook's impact, said company spokesperson Larry Yu, that we're the subject of a movie -- even one that's fiction. He added that it's more important for the company to stay focused on what we're building.
p
In an interview last month with Diane Sawyer of ABC-TV, Zuckerberg, now 26, similarly called the movie fiction, and said that the real story is just that we've worked so hard for all this time. He said that a movie about all that hard work would be actually pretty...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
New Smartphones Advance Nokia's Reinvention
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75145
Nokia World saw the release of three new Symbian-powered smartphones. In a move to compete with Apple and Android-powered devices, Nokia has added new Ovi services and apps. Analysts said it's not quite enough to compete with the smartphone leaders, but Nokia is nonetheless making progress in its reinvention.
p
The Finnish company, which is experiencing a major shake-up in its corporate ranks, pressed forward to release the Nokia E7, Nokia C7, and Nokia C6 on Tuesday. The phones, along with the recently introduced N8, use the latest version of the Symbian platform and the latest beta release of Ovi Maps.
p
Today our fight back to smartphone leadership shifts into high gear, said Niklas Savander, executive vice president of markets at Nokia. Despite new competition, Symbian remains the most widely used smartphone platform in the world.
p
subhead
Nokia's Secret Weapon
/subhead
p
Indeed, Symbian may still be the market leader, but Nokia isn't the smartphone leader. The Symbian operating system is found on everything from candy-bar phones to clamshell phones to true smartphones.
p
If you look at Nokia in the smartphone world, they are in fourth place, said Michael Disabato, managing vice president of network and telecom at Gartner. Nokia is ahead of Windows Mobile in that respect, but not by much. Nokia has a lot it could do. They have a very loyal following outside the United States that likes Symbian.
p
One thing Nokia will have to do if it wants to compete is battle the surge from the iPhone and Android, specifically their app stores. Disabato said Apple has created a safe sandbox for users to play in, and Google is going to have to adopt stricter guidelines for Android. Meanwhile Symbian, in its native form, has built-in checks, and Disabato said Nokia needs to wave that flag.
p
subhead
Nokia's New Family
/subhead
p
For now, Nokia is waving the new smartphone...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
SEC Widens Probe of HP Bribery Allegations
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75130
U.S. investigators have widened their probe of alleged kickbacks paid to Russian authorities by employees of a Hewlett-Packard Co. subsidiary in Germany.
p
Authorities in Russia, Germany and the U.S. have been looking into alleged bribes totaling $11 million paid to secure a $44.5 million contract that ran from 2001 until 2006.
p
Now, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is also investigating governmental and quasi-governmental transactions in Russia dating to 2000, according to a quarterly financial statement the computer maker filed Thursday.
p
HP says it is cooperating with the investigation, which so far has not produced any allegations aimed at the company itself.
p
Carly Fiorina, the Republican candidate challenging Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in California, ran the company from mid-1999 to early 2005. On Friday, campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul reiterated Fiorina's previously stated position that she had no knowledge of the alleged bribes.
p
Saul pointed to the company's previous statement saying it would be a mistake to suggest that Fiorina or any other executive at the company's Palo Alto headquarters was aware of the arrangement.
p
The probe is another distraction for a company that just forced out its CEO for allegedly faking expense reports.
p
HP accused Mark Hurd, who led HP for five years before resigning abruptly last month, of trying to hide a relationship with a contractor who ended up suing him for sexual harassment. Hurd has denied making any sexual advances toward the contractor and said he didn't prepare his own expense reports.
p
The story hasn't ended with his departure. HP is suing Hurd to keep him out of a new job with rival Oracle Corp., arguing his knowledge of the company would give Oracle an unfair advantage. Both companies provide corporate servers.
p
The Russian kickback probe came up in April when authorities arrested three people in Germany and Switzerland in connection with the allegations. German prosecutors charged...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
Court Ruling Threatens Used Software Sales
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75129
A federal appeals court has sided with the computer software industry in its effort to squelch sales of second-hand programs covered by widely used licensing agreements.
p
Friday's ruling by the 9th Circuit of Appeals raised worries that it will embolden music labels, movie studios and book publishers to circumvent the so-called first-sale doctrine in an attempt to boost their sagging sales.
p
The doctrine refers to a 102-year-old decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that determined copyright holders can't prevent a buyer from reselling or renting a product after an initial sale, as long as additional copies aren't made.
p
It's a legal principle that allows used book and music stores to operate, as well as DVD subscription services such as Netflix Inc.
p
But a three-judge panel in the 9th Circuit concluded the first-sale doctrine didn't apply to used software programs that online merchant Timothy Vernor peddled in his store on eBay. Vernor had bought the unopened software, made by Autodesk Inc., at garage and office sales, without ever agreeing to the licensing agreement imposed on the original buyer.
p
That contract made it clear the rights to install Autodesk Inc.'s software were being licensed rather than sold, according to the 9th Circuit's interpretation.
p
Without a definitive sale, the first-sale doctrine is moot, the appeals court reasoned in its decision overturning a lower federal court in Washington state.
p
Autodesk, which is based in San Rafael, said it was pleased with the decision. The Software Information Industry Association had filed documents supporting Autodesk's position in the case.
p
The ruling sets the stage for even more legal skirmishes over the definitions of a sale and a license, said Corynne McSherry, an attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group fighting to set the boundaries of digital copyrights.
p
I am sure there are going to be others (in the media) trying to find the...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
Nokia Exec Resigns After New CEO Named
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75125
The head of Nokia Corp.'s mobile solutions business, Anssi Vanjoki, announced Monday he will resign from the company, just three days after the world's biggest handset maker appointed a new CEO in its bid to become more competitive.
p
Vanjoki is a board member and in charge of top-end mobile phones -- an area Nokia is keen on improving as it tries to rival Apple Inc., Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerrys and Google Inc.'s Android software.
p
He remain for a six-month notice period, Nokia said.
p
His departure comes after Nokia announced Friday that it is replacing CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo with Microsoft executive Stephen Elop on Sept. 21.
p
Nokia stock closed up 1.3 percent at euro7.89 ($10.10) on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
p
With Nokia stock down more than 20 percent this year after two profit warnings, the company's management has come under increasing pressure from investors.
p
Nokia has specifically been trailing the market in the high-end smart phone segment and Redeye analyst Greger Johansson said some people within the company have blamed the failures on Vanjoki.
p
He said Vanjoki had previously been seen as a potential successor to outgoing Kallasvuo but drifted away from the top management when the company reshuffled responsibilities earlier this year and Mary McDowell was appointed top chief of the mobile phones business.
p
However, he said the changes were positive.
p
This frees up some space to create change, Johansson said. They are starting to get more people in who have the right competence.
p
Vanjoki, who joined Nokia 20 years ago, has been a board member since 1998. Before his current position he headed the markets division and multimedia group.
p
Nokia has predicted that while global mobile market will grow 10 percent this year, its own growth will remain flat, and its ailing Nokia Siemens unit continues to see revenue fall.
p
The company uses the Symbian operating system for its smart...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
Wal-Mart Debuts Wireless Plan Under Own Brand
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75124
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Monday that it is introducing the first cell phone plan that uses the chain's own branding, further demonstrating its clout in getting special deals from wireless carriers.
p
The Wal-Mart Family Mobile service will run on T-Mobile USA's network. Unlimited calling and texting will cost $45 per month for the first line and $25 for each additional line for the family. The service will be offered starting next week in most of its stores across the nation.
p
Since last year, Wal-Mart has been the exclusive seller of the Straight Talk service, which runs on the Verizon Wireless network. Wal-Mart is also trying out another service from Sprint Nextel Corp. called Common Cents.
p
Those are both prepaid plans, under which customers pay in advance and don't need to sign contracts.
p
Wal-Mart Family Mobile will be postpaid like conventional contract-based plans, so the family bill is paid at the end of the month. But in other ways it works much like prepaid service, and it won't come with a contract requirement or early termination fees. Buyers also won't need to go through credit checks.
p
Greg Hall, vice president of merchandising at Wal-Mart U.S., said there's a perception among customers that prepaid service doesn't offer access to the best phones or the best network quality. He said the postpaid nature of the plan is a way to avoid that.
p
Starting Monday, the chain plans to sell five phones, including a full-blown smart phone, the Motorola Cliq XT, which will cost $249. T-Mobile sells it for $329 without a contract, or gives it away to buyers who sign two-year contracts (with monthly fees that are higher than the no-contract option).
p
The cheapest phone for the service will be a simple Nokia phone for $35.
p
Straight Talk also costs $45 per month for unlimited calls and texting, but doesn't offer...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
oDesk Helps Employers Monitor Freelancers
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75122
For years, computer engineer Odysseas Tsatalos longed to work with his Greek high school classmate Stratis Karamanlakis. But Tsatalos lived in California; Karamanlakis, in Athens.
p
So Tsatalos figured out a way to collaborate with his old friend using a webcam and shared computer screen before such technology was in fashion. Seven years ago, they co-founded a company based on their experience, a venture called oDesk that lets employers manage freelancers across the globe as if they were in the same room. Coincidentally, oDesk's technology allows the 45-year-olds to continue their trans-world partnership. Tsatalos (his full name is pronounced oh-DE-say-us tsa-TAL-os) is oDesk's chief technology officer. Karamanlakis is oDesk's Athens-based vice president of development.
p
Based in Menlo Park, Calif., oDesk has become the world's largest online marketplace for freelancers -- based on monthly hours worked and payroll -- by making it easy for employers to find, oversee and pay contract workers, all on the Web.
p
Colleagues attribute its success to Tsatalos' infectious enthusiasm and uncanny resilience in the face of adversity. A fidgety fast talker with darting brown eyes, an easy smile and a penchant for pacing, he embodies the company's core message of workplace mobility -- an unlikely executive whose nervous energy puts him in near-constant motion. He wears shorts and a T-shirt in the office and can just as easily be found toiling in restaurants, habitually armed with a small device that affords him Wi-Fi anywhere.
p
My personal vision is to see a world that can work from wherever they want, says Tsatalos, who packs big ideas in run-on sentences. People don't have to move to where their job is. They'll move to where their family and friends are.
p
subhead
Distinctive yet Controversial
/subhead
p
ODesk's most distinctive, and controversial, feature takes frequent snapshots of workers' computer screens and records their keystrokes and mouse clicks so employers know...
Wed, 15 Sep 10
Data Harvesting on the Digital Farm
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75119
Millions of people go online every day to harvest fruit and vegetables, buy seeds and tractors, shear their sheep and milk their cows.
p
It's just another standard day on the virtual farm games offered by social networking sites like Facebook. Other people opt to keep virtual aquariums, work as cooks or pretend to be mobsters.
p
But what many players don't know is that while they're busy having fun, others are busy collecting personal data about them. Experts have started to warn about the risks of giving up too much information unintentionally.
p
Social games are free and don't need to be installed on a computer, since they can be played via a browser. Since the games rely on communication and interaction between players, social networks are an ideal platform for them.
p
Thanks to those networks, the games have spread rapidly in very little time. Industry leader Zynga reports that it alone draws about 230 million players a month to play Mafia Wars, Poker or Farmville.
p
The gaming industry sees a lucrative market. A study by the German consulting company of Muecke, Sturm Company found that companies in this industry earn between 680 million and 1.3 billion euros ($872 million and $1.67 billion) a year with social games.
p
But how do they earn that money? Microtransactions are the key. Although the games are free, anyone who wants to get a leg up, have a little extra play money or own especially useful goods can do so by paying out some real money.
p
Less than 5 percent of the players use this opportunity and the individual sales are small. But, with millions of players, that quickly adds up to a lot, says Jens Begemann, director of Wooga, a social gaming company based in Berlin.
p
Data is the second kind of currency in the world of social gaming. As soon as...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
Rumors Have A Camera-Equipped iPad Coming Soon
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75133
Apple's iPhone has two cameras. So does the latest iPod touch and at least one competing tablet computer.
But Apple's hit iPad, which rolled out of the factory into the waiting arms of some three million consumers since its April launch, is still "blind" and unable to capture images or enable video chats, an increasingly common feature for mobile devices.
That could change soon.
A blog that focuses on Apple products is reporting that the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer giant will rush through a FaceTime-capable iPad as soon as this holiday season, breaking its usual pattern of one year between device refreshes. FaceTime is Apple's application, first introduced with iOS 4, that allows video chatting via Wi-Fi, utilizing front- and back-facing cameras.
At the latest, the iPad refresh could be available on shelves and Apple's online store in the first quarter of 2011. The report cites "a person with proven knowledge of Apple's future product plans."
Apple Insider also speculates that Apple is eager to promote widespread adoption of FaceTime on multiple devices so it will become the industry standard for mobile video chat.
But insiders are skeptical. A competing web site, noting that Apple has struggled to keep up with orders for the iPad, called the report "bull," and ABI Research mobile-devices analyst Jeff Orr told us it's all but impossible to manufacture a new iPad version in time for Christmas.
"All products destined for end-of-year holiday 2010 retail shelves are already manufactured," Orr said. "Manufacturing slots, space on manufacturing lines, for the first half of 2011 have already been committed by device vendors. Whatever evolution the iPad will incur -- perhaps a January 2011 CES announcement -- it won't be for this year. Apple has demonstrated a one-year cadence for device introductions [such as] Mac, iPod and iPhone. The same timetable is expected for...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
Intel, AMD Begin Showing Next-Generation Processors
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75132
Archrivals Intel and Advanced Micro Devices are revealing more details about their next-generation processors this week. On Monday, Intel CEO Paul Otellini described new CPU products based on a processor architecture called Sandy Bridge, and AMD is expected to show two new accelerated processing units (APUs) within the next few days.
Sandy Bridge is the successor to Nehalem, the architecture used in Intel's current line of Core processors, and the new chips are expected to be available in four- and eight-core versions by early next year. Intel's announcements were made at its Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Calif.
Intel said the chips are based on its first new, "visibly smart" architecture, manufactured with its 32-nanometer process technology, and using second-generation high-k metal gate transistors.
Dadi Perlmutter, executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Architecture Group, said this "second-generation Intel Core processor family" is the "biggest advance in computing performance and capabilities over any previous generation." He added that the company intends to offer the chips in laptops, as well as in server data centers and embedded computing products.
The chips include a new "ring" architecture in which the built-in graphics engine shares memory and other resources with the core to increase performance and efficiency. There's also an enhanced version of the Intel Turbo Boost technology, which automatically reallocates processing resources, both for core processing and for graphics, so that performance can be increased when required.
The "enhanced visual features" made possible by the graphics in this new generation, the company said, include the ability to handle HD video, 3-D, gaming, multitasking, social networking, and multimedia.
The new products from AMD, called Ontario and Zacate, merge CPU and graphics processing, part of AMD's big Fusion effort. Ontario, which draws nine watts, is designed for very low-power devices, while Zacate is...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
HP Will Buy ArcSight To Move Beyond Perimeter Security
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75131
On the heels of Intel's acquisition of McAfee, Hewlett-Packard has announced plans to acquire another security industry player. HP will pay $1.5 billion, or $43.50 per share, in an all-cash deal for security and compliance firm ArcSight.
This is HP's second security-related acquisition in as many months. In August, HP acquired security assurance company Fortify Software. HP is betting its latest in a string of acquisitions will beef up security, lower the risk, and streamline compliance at a lower cost for its customers. That's a tall promise, but one that HP may be getting closer to with the ArcSight buy.
"From a security perspective, the perimeter of today's enterprise is porous, putting enormous pressure on clients' risk and compliance systems," said Bill Veghte, executive vice president of HP's Software and Solutions business. "The combination of HP and ArcSight will provide clients with the ability to fortify their applications, proactively monitor events, and respond to threats."
As HP sees it, enterprises are facing a challenge that its combined security portfolio can solve: Companies need to give employees, partners and customers more access to applications, services and information amid escalating threats and ever-growing complexity and regulatory challenges.
HP said adding ArcSight to its portfolio gives clients a 360-degree view of IT operations, broader security and compliance tools, the ability to detect threats and risks by correlating both activity and state changes in real time, and a feedback loop between build, manage and monitor to ensure that enterprises remain secure.
Tom Reilly, president and CEO of ArcSight, went so far as to say the acquisition will create a new type of security solution for the modern enterprise. The result of the merger, in his view, is an integrated security platform that goes beyond identifying risks to remediating them. "In a world where perimeter security is...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
YouTube Prepares To Offer Live Streaming of Events
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75116
While some ask what took so long, others are celebrating YouTube's latest move: Live streaming. YouTube is experimenting with live streaming with four media partners in a trial that started Monday and could ripple through the site in the weeks ahead.
Of course, YouTube isn't completely unfamiliar with live streaming. YouTube has streamed some major events live, including broadcasts from U2, the Indian Premier League, the White House, and E3. Now YouTube is offering its viewers a front-row seat at live events that may be (but probably won't be) historic.
"YouTube is seeking to expand its services and content offerings as TV and online video evolve. Live events can be seen in the broader context of YouTube video rentals and the inclusion of Hollywood-produced TV and movies into its content library," said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. "YouTube clearly sees a future partly on the big screen in the living room or family room and wants to offer a broader range of programming to viewers, including longer-form content, professional content -- and maybe live events."
Starting at 8 a.m. Pacific time on Monday, YouTube began what it calls a "limited trial of a new live-streaming platform" with partners Howcast, Next New Networks, Rocketboom and Young Hollywood. The experiment will end Tuesday night, and YouTube will make a decision about how to move forward with live streaming.
"This new platform integrates live streaming directly into YouTube channels. All broadcasters need is a webcam or external USB/FireWire camera," YouTube Product Manager Joshua Siegel and Product Marketing Manager Christopher Hamilton wrote in the official YouTube blog.
YouTube isn't stopping with live streaming. The site is also empowering users to leave real-time comments via a Live Comments module that lets them engage with the broadcaster and the YouTube community. That makes for...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
TV 'White Spaces' Could Yield 'Wi-Fi on Steroids'
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75115
The move to digital TV in the U.S. may give a major boost to the wireless industry. Next week, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to approve the use of wireless devices on the "white spaces" spectrum left over from the TV transition.
Some observers are saying the result could be "Wi-Fi on steroids," because using that bandwidth could dramatically increase broadband wireless coverage areas and possibly eliminate the notion of isolated Wi-Fi hot spots. It could also mean wireless broadband for underserved rural areas, and the emergence of portable devices that can receive and transmit data through walls and over greater distances at speeds as high as 20 megabits per second.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has said that the first deployments using white spaces will likely be broadband wireless networks to cover university or corporate campuses. He also is optimistic that it could lead to a new wave of innovation and entrepreneurship. "There is every chance," he told The New York Times, "of this leading to the development of one or more billion-dollar industries."
White spaces are the unused portions of the TV spectrum left over from the transition to digital, since digital-TV channels require less bandwidth than analog ones. The FCC vote is scheduled for Sept. 23, and there is widespread expectation that the agency will approve the commercial use of the white spaces. Once the white spaces are opened up, transmissions within them would not require regulatory approval, just as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth do not.
TV stations, theaters, karaoke bars, and other companies that use wireless microphones have been concerned that using the white spaces could interfere with their transmissions, but the FCC has developed rules to minimize that interference.
Under the expected rules, mobile wireless devices using white spaces will need to avoid certain frequencies for certain locations, and...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
Android's Fast Growth May Challenge Nokia's Symbian
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75114
Google's red-hot Android mobile operating system is expected to challenge the Symbian OS used by Nokia for global market supremacy by 2014, according to a new Gartner forecast. The research firm predicts Android-based devices will account for 17.6 percent of all smartphones sold this year and 29.6 percent of all shipments in 2014.
IDC likewise expects Android to make global smartphone gains -- growing from a 16.3 percent market share in 2010 to 24.6 percent in 2014. "Phone vendors have been drawn to Android because it allows them to present their own approach to what a smartphone experience can be," said IDC Senior Research Analyst Ramon Llamas. "In addition, users have quickly warmed to Android, comparing it to [Apple's] iOS due to its ease of use and a growing mobile-application storefront."
Gartner analysts attribute Android's dramatic rise to marketing and support from communications service providers. "We believe that market share in the OS space will consolidate around a few key OS providers that have the most support from CSPs and developers and strong brand awareness with consumer and enterprise customers," said Roberta Cozza, a principal research analyst at Gartner.
Gartner forecasts that Apple's share of the smartphone market will fall from 15.4 percent this year to 14.9 percent in 2014. Analysts widely see Apple's decision to relax the guidelines for iOS application developers it announced last April as an attempt to mitigate the growing popularity of Android among software designers.
"Developers reacted passionately when these restrictions were announced, and no doubt their reaction was a major factor in Apple's decision to rescind them," said Al Hilwa, director of application software development at IDC. "Mobile-platform choices are rapidly increasing, and developers are famous for shifting their allegiances if they are unloved."
Though Gartner expects Nokia's Symbian OS to continue to...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
Salesforce.com Takes Chatter Mobile
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75113
In a move analysts have expected for some time, Salesforce.com is taking Chatter to the smartphone world to drive deeper social, mobile and real-time collaboration in the enterprise. Chatter Mobile lets users monitor Chatter feeds, including posts from colleagues and app alerts. Users can also post status updates and comment on conversations from their mobile device.
Salesforce.com did its homework before taking Chatter mobile. The company points to IDC research that reveals mobile devices are becoming the new enterprise desktop for more than 50 percent of the workforce. Chatter Mobile for Apple iPad, iPhone and the new iPod touch, Google Android and RIM BlackBerry devices looks to leverage that trend in effort to woo enterprises to its platform.
"Chatter Mobile means you can know what is happening in your entire enterprise, wherever you are," said Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com. "The combination of devices like the iPad or the new iPod touch with mobile apps like Chatter that push information to you in real-time are making the desktop obsolete."
Chatter Mobile is a Cloud 2 play. Cloud 2 is the next generation of cloud computing, which is more social, more collaborative and real-time. Again pointing to IDC research, Salesforce.com is looking to tap into the more than 500 million people who access the Internet using a mobile device with Chatter Mobile.
"Like a chess game, you know what the first six moves are going to be. Every vendor who has any sort of collaboration platform, particularly those that cater to social networking or anything that has the potential to do geolocation services, has to have a strong mobile platform road map," said Brad Shimmin, an analyst at Current Analysis. "Taking Chatter mobile was an inevitable move."
Salesforce.com is also banking on IDC research that predicts the use of mobile apps...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
Tech Upgrades That Boost PC Speed
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75108
Is your computer too fast? Probably not. In fact, if you're like many PC users, you'll eventually find yourself wishing that you could spend more time using your PC and less time waiting for it. That's when the idea of upgrades comes into play.
p
Component manufacturers stand at the ready, of course, offering you every possible upgrade -- from video card to extra memory to full-fledged processor upgrades. All of these promise to make your computing life less frustrating and more productive. But which upgrades make sense? Read on for some answers.
p
bQ/b: How can I make my Windows Vista computer boot faster?
p
bA/b: Bootup speed of Vista or any other operating system is determined largely by two things: how fast your hard drive is and how much software you have installed that loads automatically at startup.
p
You have some control over both, but let's start first with the no-cost option: reducing the number of software programs that start automatically when your system does.
p
First, uninstall any applications that you do not use regularly. You would be surprised at just how much additional system load is caused by programs installed on your PC, whether they're running or not.
p
Second, perform some optimization of your bootup process. Windows Vista and 7 give you the tool to do this in MSConfig. Open the Start menu, type MSConfig, and press enter.
p
The System Configuration dialog box opens. From there, click the Startup tab and inspect the list of applications there. Each one of those starts when your computer does. De-select anything that you know you don't use or need.
p
Next, in the same dialog box, click the Boot tab, and then click the Advanced Options button. There, you'll see a Number of processors check box, which allows you to specify the number of processors -- or cores -- that Windows should...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
iPhone 4 Takes Mobile Gaming to New Levels
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75107
Gaming has exploded on Apple's iPhone since the first model's arrival in 2007.
p
There are now thousands of games available in the App Store, ranging from casual games like Popcap's Plants vs. Zombies to more in-depth fare such as two entries in Square Enix's Final Fantasy series.
p
Many of the latest games take advantage of the iPhone 4's key new features, as far as gaming is concerned: the high-resolution display, which Apple has dubbed Retina, and the gyroscopic sensor added to the phone.
p
The iPhone 4's 3.5-inch screen has the same dimensions as the iPhone 3GS's, but the resolution is 640 by 960 pixels, compared to the 3GS' 320 by 480 pixels, making individual pixels nearly impossible to distinguish.
p
Thus, games designed to take advantage of the display are sharper and smoother than those which aren't, though games not designed or updated for the new display still look good, if a bit pixelated.
p
The gyroscopic sensor offers more precise motion detection -- for pitch, roll and yaw --than earlier models, allowing for new control methods, a big advantage when playing games on a system that doesn't have any buttons for play control.
p
With these new features in mind, we searched through iTunes' gaming apps list for $50 worth of worthy titles. Here's what we found, in descending order of price:
p
subhead
Street Fighter IV
/subhead
p
Capcom
p
$9.99
p
Street Fighter IV is one of the best-looking fighting games around, and it translates pretty well to the iPhone. It's not quite the same -- the roster of fighters is smaller than the console game's; the game uses high-detailed rendered sprites instead of polygonal models; and the controls have been pared down to a single punch and kick button from the usual three of each, along with focus and special attack buttons. But for all the compromises here, the game looks and plays great, and...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
Hurd's New Oracle Gig: Is Ellison Perk or Problem?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75104
As co-president at Oracle Corp., ousted Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Mark Hurd will have to adapt to a new role playing second fiddle to one of Silicon Valley's most domineering bosses -- Larry Ellison.
p
Although the two men have been pals for several years, working together may test their friendship given that they have both been accustomed to being the top dog. Ellison, in particular, has never left any doubt who's calling the shots at the business software juggernaut that he co-founded 33 years ago.
p
Larry is well-known for his strong personality, and there is always a possibility of a personality clash with Hurd, said Kaushik Roy, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. Friendships are not permanent -- especially not in business.
p
In a high-profile power struggle a decade ago, Ellison ousted a president, Ray Lane, who had played an instrumental role in rebuilding Oracle's sales force after an accounting scandal. Lane resigned after Ellison tightened his grip on the company and stripped Lane of many of his responsibilities. Many other executives have left Oracle after falling out with Ellison or realizing that he would never loosen his reins of power.
p
Hurd, meanwhile, knows how to serve as a subordinate, but he has been a chief executive for the past seven years and could be angling for Oracle's top job when Ellison retires. Hurd is 53; Ellison is 66.
p
Hurd's appointment could mean that Ellison is finally ready to groom a successor. Ellison's track record suggests that he's been cold to the idea before, but in Hurd, Oracle gets a Wall Street darling who's proven he can take a company that is undergoing a massive shift and deliver steady financial results.
p
Consistency is something Ellison will need to protect his legacy at Oracle and his sizable investment in the company -- Ellison is the company's largest stakeholder, controlling...
Tue, 14 Sep 10
Review: R.U.S.E. Brings War Strategy to Consoles
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75069
Video-game wars, like those in Halo or Call of Duty, are usually seen from the grunt's-eye view. If you want to play general, with thousands of troops following your every order, you have to turn on your computer, home to real-time strategy (RTS) epics like StarCraft II and Age of Empires. Developers have produced a handful of Xbox and PlayStation RTS titles, such as Halo Wars and Civilization Revolution, but their more cerebral gameplay may never have the mass appeal of shootouts like Gears of War.
p
R.U.S.E. (Ubisoft, for Microsoft Inc.'s Xbox 360, Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3, $59.99) is the latest attempt to get console gamers hooked on strategy. The setting is all too familiar: the Western battlefields of World War II, as Allied forces push back against Adolf Hitler's seemingly inexorable conquest. Each skirmish, from the shores of northern Africa to the heart of Germany, is presented as a map on a table in a secret war room. From a distance, soldiers and vehicles look like checkers, but you can zoom in close enough to focus on each individual element in your forces.
p
It's a nice effect, with only the occasional graphical hiccup. More important, it answers the most common criticism of console war-games: that the controllers aren't precise enough to allow unit-by-unit attacks. R.U.S.E. lets you switch smoothly and instinctively from maneuvering entire battalions to getting one guy in exactly the right place.
p
Early in the solo campaign you have only a few types of units, such as infantry and light tanks. You have to construct and defend supply depots and other facilities to build up your forces, even as you try to figure out the best way to make inroads against the Nazis. By the end of the campaign you can create a full arsenal of recon vehicles, heavy tanks,...
Sun, 12 Sep 10
Flash Development On Its Way Back to iPhone
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75112
Apple said Thursday that it has lifted restrictions on its third-party developer guidelines for the mobile operating system empowering the company's iPhone and iPad products. Apple's change of heart is all about wireless application neutrality and a welcome détente in the Apple versus Flash brawl, noted Al Hilwa, the director of application software development at IDC.
p
It will be well received by the many developers who are skilled in languages and programming tools other than ObjectiveC -- the native language of the iOS SDK, Hilwa said. There is now hope that other programming languages can be used to bring applications to the iOS platform.
p
subhead
Adobe To Revamp iPhone Tool
/subhead
p
For example, Adobe Systems said is once again working with key industry partners to bring full web browsing with Flash Player 10.1 to a broad range of devices. Adobe's Packager for iPhone -- a feature in the company's Flash Professional CS5 authoring tool -- is available for developers to use today in Flash Professional CS5, and we will now resume development work on this feature for future releases.
p
Developers currently can resurrect Adobe's Packager for iPhone tool and get working with the combinations of AIR and iOS versions that have come out since April, noted Adobe Systems Product Manager Christian Cantrell. Everything still works perfectly -- it only took me about fifteen minutes to get my environment set up again, Cantrell wrote.
p
Currently, however, this workflow is far from ideal -- especially for developers who use Flash Builder. Keep in mind that what you're seeing here represents a very low-level usage of the SDKs, and not what we were ultimately planning on releasing, Cantrell explained.
p
Once Adobe's tool is re-released, developers will potentially be able to bring thousands of Flash apps to the iPhone and the iPad, Hilwa observed. The...
Sun, 12 Sep 10
Nokia Poaches Microsoft for New CEO
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75111
Nokia is drawing from the executive ranks of Microsoft to fill its chief position. Nokia's board has appointed Stephen Elop, head of Microsoft's Business Division, as its new president and CEO. Elop will take the reigns on Sept. 21.
p
In Elop, Nokia sees a fix to its market woes. Elop has a strong diversity of experience in the tech industry. Before joining Microsoft, he held senior executive positions in a number of U.S.-based public companies, including Juniper Networks, Adobe Systems and Macromedia.
p
But it's not clear if he can turn around Nokia's with its Symbian operating system, which has lost market share to Android and Apple. Symbian held 47 percent of the market in 2009, but could dip to 30 percent by 2014, Gartner predicted. In fact, Gartner said Android may run neck and neck with Symbian at 30 percent within four years.
p
subhead
Leading a Turnaround
/subhead
p
Jorma Ollila, Chairman of the Nokia Board of Directors, said the time is right to accelerate the company's renewal, and to bring in new executive leadership with different skills and strengths in order to drive company success.
p
His strong software background and proven record in change management will be valuable assets as we press harder to complete the transformation of the company, Ollila said. We believe that Stephen will be able to drive both innovation and efficient execution of the company strategy in order to deliver increased value to our shareholders.
p
Nokia did not disclose Elop's compensation package yet. It should come out in the regulatory filings next week. But Elop may have been attracted to Nokia by the challenge of the turnaround. He said he is extremely excited to become part of the team that's working to strengthen Nokia's position in the mobile communications industry.
p
Nokia has a unique global position as well as a great brand upon...
Sat, 11 Sep 10
'Here You Have' Virus Exposes Security Holes
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75110
It will go down in the security industry's chronicles as the "Here You have" virus. That's the subject line of an e-mail carrying a worm that wreaked havoc on corporate America on Thursday.
The e-mail offered a link to documents the malware author hoped recipients would click on. But the URL doesn't lead to a document or a movie -- it downloads a worm on to the victim's computer.
Disney, NASA, Proctor & Gamble, AIG, the Florida Department of Transportation and Wells Fargo are among the companies hit with the worm. Once the victim is infected, the worm attempts to send the same malicious message to the victim's e-mail address book recipients. It can also spread through instant messenger.
Graham Cluley, a senior security analyst at Sophos, called the virus a "real throw-back to the viruses of yesteryear." "These days we normally see stealthy Trojan horses so to see such a high profile e-mail worm is a real novelty," Cluley said. "It can also spread via network shares."
The virus is spreading rapidly, but how dangerous is it? According to Cluley, the intention of the attack appears to be to steal information.
"The malware downloads components and other tools which extract passwords from browsers -- Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera -- various e-mail clients, and other applications," he said. "Clearly, sensitive information which you don't want falling into the wrong hands."
At the moment, the virus appears to have run out of steam. Cluley said the links aren't currently pointing to malware, although there may still be e-mails being sent from already infected computers. The question is, why weren't companies prepared for the attack? Cluley said some were.
"Some firms were running proactive defenses which identified the e-mails as being spam, or the malware at the links as being dangerous," Cluley...
Sat, 11 Sep 10
T-Mobile Unleashes Second Google Phone
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75101
It seems an eternity ago when T-Mobile launched the first Google phone. Now, the company has released the successor to the G1, appropriately named the G2 with Google -- and there is a world of difference between the first and second generation devices.
Perhaps the biggest difference is speed. T-Mobile claims the G2 offers downloads at 4G speeds. But analysts are skeptical about that claim because T-Mobile still uses 3G technology. The G2 is equipped with a Snapdragon MSM7230 mobile processor. The processor combines Qualcomm's HSPA+ capabilities and second generation applications processor. The Snapdragon offers an 800 MHz CPU, making it among the fastest smartphones on the market, and a pre-installed 8GB microSD memory card with support for up to 32 GB. But analysts still aren't convinced that the G3 offers 4G download speeds.
T-Mobile was not immediately available for comment.
"T-Mobile is trying to compete with Verizon and AT&T and Verizon is ahead of AT&T with 4G," said Michael Disabato, managing vice president of Network and Telecom at Gartner. "T-Mobile is always two to five years behind the technology that every other carrier has. They are not downloading at 4G speeds because they are not on 4G. It's that simple."
Although the speed is debatable, what is undisputed is the G2's status as the first smartphone specifically designed for T-Mobile's new HSPA+ network. An HTC-manufactured device, T-Mobile is billing the G2 as a "powerful smartphone" with a 3.7-inch screen and a hinge design that opens to offer a full QWERTY keyboard. T-Mobile is making the phone available exclusively to its customers later this month.
Built on Android 2.2, the G2 offers seven customizable home screen panels, including a dedicated panel with one-click access to Google applications such as Android Market, which offers more than 80,000 applications. The G2 is...
Sat, 11 Sep 10
Eye-Fi Memory Card Uploads Photos as You Take Them
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75098
Three years ago, a new kind of memory card went on sale promising to reduce the hassle of transferring photos and video from a camera to your PC or the Web.
The Eye-Fi card has built-in Wi-Fi networking to instantly upload your work. It's still a niche product, although Eye-Fi is getting closer to its dream of enabling wireless uploads as easily as they're performed on smartphones.
Since late 2007, customers have uploaded just over 100 million photos. For now, you can only post images online at photo-sharing sites. You can't e-mail them directly to a friend or yourself. And the card works only in open Wi-Fi hotspots.
But Eye-Fi has formed partnerships with the largest camera manufacturers -- including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax and Sanyo -- to offer on-screen menus for uploads in what Eye-Fi calls "connected cameras." And there are apps available for the iPhone and iPad.
Pricing starts at $49.95 for a 4-gigabyte card, substantially more than a plain vanilla 4-GB card (which can be found for as low as $15). The high end: $149 for a superfast 8-GB Eye-Fi card with geo-tagging and other extras.
CEO Jef Holove argues that the time savings is worth the extra money. "Your friends and family will care a lot more about the photos if they're fresh, and yesterday's event instead of last Christmas."
Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Altimeter Group, calls Eye-Fi a "one-trick pony," that does "one thing and one thing well -- it connects your camera. You get the same benefit you would with a phone, but it's on your camera. That's why they've been able to carve an interesting position in the market."
The bulk of Eye-Fi's sales (Holove won't reveal numbers) have come since Christmas 2009, when the card got wide distribution at Best Buy and other retailers. The 5-year-old company has...
Sat, 11 Sep 10
Review: Ping a Handy iTunes Add-On with Promise
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75092
Apple Inc.'s new music-discovery feature, Ping, is a potentially useful addition to iTunes. With it, you can see what songs your friends are buying and recommend some of your favorites to them.
It's great that Apple is finally incorporating elements of Lala.com, which offered similar social-discovery tools until Apple bought the startup in December and shut it down a few months later. And if people use Ping to honestly discuss music, it could be valuable to me as a consumer and help music sales, too.
Ping is a good start, but I hold out hope for some improvement.
To use Ping, you must install the newly released iTunes 10. It works fine on my Windows XP laptop, but requires Mac users to have at least the Mac OS X 10.5 operating system, or Leopard, which came out in 2007. Upgrading the operating system will cost about $90. It's not likely worth the expense just for Ping, which itself is free, as is the iTunes software.
Ping starts out by having you fill out a simple registration form.
You can have Ping automatically display the music you like based on songs you've already purchased. Or you can choose what to like and display, which is what I did; I put up such artists as Lily Allen, Owl City, Cowboy Junkies and Jewel.
After that, Ping recommended some artists and people that I might be interested in following, which would then allow me to see what they are buying, recommending and commenting on.
I found Ping's suggestions simplistic at best, however. Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, U2, Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews Band came up, as if Ping merely picked the most popular artists, not ones related to music I liked. How about some obscure artists I wouldn't have found on my own?
I tried following a few artists that I...
Sat, 11 Sep 10
A Hacker Attack in the Twitterverse
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75091
The Twitterverse is full of far more mysterious forces than indecipherable trending topics and Lady Gaga.
There are people out there with dark, dastardly intents, as I learned when my account was hacked.
Now, anyone who knows me knows I love Twitter. I am a tweeting fool. I've tweeted from backstage at the Oscars and the red carpet at the Emmys. I've tweeted from baseball games and film festivals. I even tweeted from my hospital bed, sleep-deprived and loopy on pain meds, the day after giving birth to my son.
My husband often teases me: "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your Twittering, or whatever it is you're doing."
So yeah, I like social networking. And it's not all narcissistic nonsense; I've never announced I was on my way to get a mani-pedi, for example.
But as the Associated Press movie critic, I'll always link to my reviews and my colleagues' good work, or I'll retweet something funny from celebrities I follow, such as Jay Mohr ((at)jaymohr37) or Elizabeth Banks ((at)ElizabethBanks). I've made new friends through Twitter, like SportsIllustrated.com baseball writer Joe Lemire ((at)SI-JoeLemire, no relation), and stayed in touch with old ones, such as CNN's Jackie Adams ((at)mochagurl).
So you can imagine how bummed I was last week -- and how violated I felt -- when I discovered someone had nabbed my Twitter feed and fired off about 100 tweets in a matter of minutes. Most of it was gibberish about drug charges, sex, the Galaxy Tab and Stephen Hawking. Some profanity, some weird trending topics. Lots of links, none of which I clicked on. It felt as if someone had broken in and rummaged through my stuff with their grubby little cyber paws.
Thankfully, the folks at the Twitter Trust & Safety Team noticed these uncharacteristic bursts of links and suspended my account even before...
Sat, 11 Sep 10
Left for Dead by MTV, Music Videos Find Life on Web
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75086
It wasn't long ago that the music video was on life support.
MTV -- which will hold its 27th annual Video Music Awards on Sunday -- phased out videos in favor of reality programming and other shows that attracted better ratings. At the same time, the music industry was collapsing and slashed budgets no longer had room for elaborate clips.
But recently, the music video has had a revival. Watching music videos has become central aspect of Internet usage. Music blogs and social media have greased the channels, facilitating the quick, easy spreading of videos, especially those with arresting or controversial visuals. People even buy clips on iTunes.
Lady Gaga and Beyonce go on a scantily clad murderous rampage with the nearly 10-minute "Telephone"; MGMT wanders through the dessert with a digitally created creature in "Congratulations"; Erykah Badu strips while strolling the path of President John Kennedy assassination in "Window Seat"; MIA depicts a war on terror against redheads in "Born Free."
All of these videos exploded on the Internet and became water-cooler moments. Cee-Lo's recent and unprintable hit (titled "Forget Me" for radio) went viral with a video of only its lyrics. And Beyonce's "Single Ladies" became so iconic is spawned countless imitators and even had then President-elect Barack Obama imitating the hand choreography.
"We're entering another golden era for music videos," says Saul Austerlitz, the author of "Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video from the Beatles to the White Stripes. "They've become part of the cultural discourse again in a way that's reminiscent of the heyday of the music video, from the early `80s to the mid `90s."
Today's audiences can be enormous. Shakira, who last year debuted a music video on Facebook, was "blown away" when her video for the official song of the World Cup, "Waka Waka (This One's...
Sat, 11 Sep 10
Lawsuit Decries Suspicionless Mobile Gadget Searches
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75075
Civil rights lawyers sued the government Tuesday to stop authorities from snooping in the laptops, cell phones and cameras of international travelers without probable cause.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn against the Department of Homeland Security as well as U.S. customs and immigration authorities. The government did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
The lawsuit says more than 6,500 people have had their electronic devices searched as they crossed U.S. borders since October 2008. Nearly half of those searched were U.S. citizens.
In May, a graduate student in Islamic Studies at McGill University in Montreal was detained for several hours as his electronic devices were searched, the suit says. The encounter badly frightened the student, according to the suit.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the New York Civil Liberties Union and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed the lawsuit on behalf of the National Press Photographers Association, criminal defense lawyers and the student: Pascal Abidor, a 26-year-old French-American citizen whose laptop computer was confiscated at the Canadian border.
The civil rights groups said photographers regularly travel abroad with cameras, laptops and media storage devices to cover global news stories and rely on their ability to communicate confidentially with sources. They said many of the defense lawyers have similar confidentiality concerns as they travel abroad with laptops, blackberries and cell phones.
The lawsuit says policies adopted by U.S. government agencies permit the search of all electronic devices that "contain information," including laptops, cameras, mobile phones, `smart' phones and data storage devices.
The policies are particularly invasive since electronic devices carry "vast amounts of personal and sensitive information that reveals a vivid picture of travelers' personal and professional lives, including their intimate thoughts, private communications, expressive choices and privileged or confidential work product," the lawsuit says.
ACLU staff attorney Melissa Goodman said...
Fri, 10 Sep 10
And Now... Google Instant Search Mind Reader?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75095
Google has reinvented search, at least its own search platform. On Wednesday, Google unveiled Instant, a new search-as-you-type approach that works to serve up results on the fly with each keystroke.
Google developed Instant based on the idea of searching for partial queries and providing some interactive feedback while searching. Google built demos over the years, but had never cracked the code, or the algorithm as it were, to deliver search-before-you-type results. Google's approach offers results for the most likely search given what has already been entered into the search box. You might call it predictive search.
"As you can imagine, searching even before someone types isn't easy -- which is why we are so excited today to be unveiling Google Instant," said Marissa Mayer, vice president of Search Products & User Experience at Google. "Google Instant is search-before-you-type. Instant takes what you have typed already, predicts the most likely completion and streams results in real-time for those predictions -- yielding a smarter and faster search that is interactive, predictive and powerful."
Mayer explained the technology behind Instant. She said Google needed to develop host of new technologies, such as new caching systems, the ability to adaptively control the rate at which Google show results pages, and an optimization of page-rendering JavaScript to help Web browsers keep up with the rest of the system.
Ultimately, Google was tasked with producing a system that is able to scale while searching as fast as people can type and think without compromising the relevancy of its results. Although Mayer cites many benefits of using Instant, she said the overarching advantage is a time savings.
"Our testing has shown that Google Instant saves the average searcher two to five seconds per search," Mayer said. "That may not seem like a lot at first, but it...
Fri, 10 Sep 10
New iPod Touch Gets a Touch More Like iPhone
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75078
Steve Jobs noted during last week's unveiling of freshly designed iPods that the iPod Touch has been called "an iPhone without the phone," and an "iPhone without a contract." Now that it's even more like the iPhone 4, it's sure to remain the most popular iPod.
Touch is the standout among the trio of new iPods. The squished and square iPod Nano -- $149 for 8 gigabytes and $179 for 16 GB -- is awfully cute. But Apple has given and taken away. In: a multitouch display and a clip for attaching Nano to a sleeve or bag. Out: the click-wheel and video camera.
On the new postage-stamp-size Shuffle ($49, 2 GB), Apple brought back the click-wheel and physical buttons to complement the VoiceOver feature that announces names of songs and playlists.
If there was a disappointment in the new stuff Jobs introduced, it comes with Ping, the music social network inside iTunes 10 software. Ping isn't a complete bust. It just feels incomplete. A closer look at Touch and Ping:
*iPod Touch. The Touch arrives this week with features that bring it even closer to the iPhone 4 it is modeled on. For starters, there are front and rear cameras that let you make FaceTime video calls over a Wi-Fi connection.
Moreover, there's a sweet high-resolution 3.5-inch Retina display that nearly matches the screen on the iPhone 4. Touch doesn't quite have the wide viewing angle of the iPhone 4, which the latter achieves through technology called "in-plane switching." Side by side, the Touch appeared slightly dimmer than the iPhone.
Still, even teeny-tiny text on the Touch is supersharp and readable. And Touch has the same snappy A4 processor that powers iPhone 4. The power-friendly chip will help push battery life for audio up to 40 hours, Apple says.
Touch is thinner than the iPhone and...
Fri, 10 Sep 10
Microsoft Gets Legal Might To Take Down Spam Botnets
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75077
With a judicial assist, Microsoft has perfected a new superweapon to shoot down botnets, the engines cybergangs use to deliver malicious Internet attacks.
The U.S. District Court of Eastern Virginia last week granted a motion that, in effect, gives Microsoft permanent ownership of 276 Web domains once used by the Waledac cybergang to send instructions to hundreds of thousands of spam-spreading PCs.
Cybersleuths and attorneys at Microsoft's digital crimes unit actually decapitated the Waledac botnet in February by persuading District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema to issue a temporary restraining order to take the 276 domains offline.
Brinkema's order was unusual because the owner of the domains could not be reached and thus did not have a day in court to protest, says Microsoft senior attorney Richard Boscovich Sr.
With permanent ownership of the domains, Microsoft now has a proven legal means to take aim at U.S.-registered domains -- including .com, .net, .biz and .org domains -- shown to be conducting criminal activity. "It's open season on botnets," says Boscovich. "The hunting licenses have been handed out, and we're coming back for more."
The Waledac botnet was a major source of spam and PC infections, at its peak in 2009 delivering 1.5 billion spam messages daily. Microsoft added detection and filtering for Waledac infections to its free malicious software removal tool. But cleaning infected PCs one by one did not stop the command PCs.
By December, Microsoft Hotmail accounts were getting swamped with more than 650 million e-mail spam messages sent out by Waledac. That helped motivate the company to pursue a court order to shut down the command domains.
Even after the botnet's command center got knocked out, tens of thousands of infected PCs continued trying to phone home for instructions. Internet service provider Cox Communications has contacted several hundred of its subscribers by phone to guide...
Fri, 10 Sep 10
GM Connects Social Networks to OnStar
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75076
General Motors' OnStar communications business will begin this month to offer in-car connections to Facebook and text messages and will launch advertising to try to match the marketing boost Ford has received from Sync, a person familiar with the plans said.
OnStar will offer subscribers the chance to have their Facebook and text messages read to them. Users will also be able to text and update their Facebook accounts through voice commands, the person said, declining to be identified because the plans aren't public.
OnStar will also launch an ad campaign in mid-September with the tag line "Live On," the source said. GM executives realize Ford's image has benefited from marketing Sync, the person said, and GM wants to catch up.
Launched in 1996, OnStar established itself with such safety services as roadside assistance and communication with ambulance and police services in the event of an accident. Ford launched the Microsoft-powered Sync in 2007 as an infotainment technology that linked vehicles to smart phones.
OnStar has this year explored breaking into infotainment. So far, it has dabbled in smart phone applications that allow consumers to monitor gas or battery-charge levels and control the vehicle's locks, horn and remote start.
OnStar is also considering offering some services to non-subscribers, the source said. OnStar, free on most GM vehicles for the first year, costs $199 annually for safety features and $299 for a package that includes safety and navigation help.
The brand, which already works with Google on its smart phone apps, will also expand its technological partnerships, the person said.
Bloomberg earlier reported OnStar's upcoming new services.
Fri, 10 Sep 10
Taiwan's HTC: iPhone's Quiet Challenger
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75052
East Asia is the world's electronics factory, yet unless they are Japanese, producers are largely anonymous. Now HTC Corp., a Taiwanese maker of smart phones, is moving out of the shadows and trying to establish its own brand name as it competes with Apple's iPhone.
HTC supplies U.S. carriers Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile but says a year ago only one in 10 Americans knew its name. With the help of marketing by cellular carriers and HTC's own television ads during the baseball World Series, HTC says that number is up to 40 percent.
"We want to be one of the leaders," said John Wang, the 13-year-old company's chief marketing officer.
In trying to establish a global brand, HTC is following in the footsteps of another Taiwanese company, Acer Inc., which is battling Dell Inc. for the title of second-largest personal computer maker. Other rising Taiwanese technology names include software producer Trend Micro Inc. and Asustek Computer Inc., a maker of PCs and cell phones.
HTC's path to its own brand has been complicated by U.S. carriers' preference for many years to market its phones under their own brands.
That started to change in 2007, and the "HTC" brand started showing up on phones, as carriers figured that the company had some cachet among early adopters that they could capitalize on. HTC phones on the U.S. market include the Droid Incredible, sold by Verizon Wireless, the HD2, sold by T-Mobile USA, and the Hero, sold by Sprint Nextel Corp.
Even now, HTC is careful to avoid straining ties with carriers by promoting its own identity too aggressively. Such ties are crucial in the United States, Japan and other markets where carriers usually pick which phones to offer. In Europe and elsewhere, customers pick their own phones and buy service separately.
"I don't think it should ever become a...
Thu, 9 Sep 10
Analyst: Business Use of iPad Sends Sales Soaring
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75084
Apple's sales of iPads could reach 28 million units next year, according to one analyst's report this week. As the iPad wave continues, there are indications that the popular tablet is beginning to make entries into enterprises at a rate faster than other Apple products.
UBS Investment Research's Mayard Um said in a note to investors that his sales estimate could be "conservative," adding that the popularity of the device is expected to begin affecting sales of low-end notebooks. At the same time, he added, there is no evidence that it is affecting the sales of Macs.
Um said that "consumers who purchase iPads may be more willing to delay purchases and upgrades of existing PCs." But, he added, because the iPad is not as functional as notebooks, "we are not sold that the iPad is purely cannibalizing PC sales." Um said that, in any case, manufacturers are feeling the need to release tablet competitors as quickly as possible, because of the threat to the lower end of their notebook products.
As iPads compete with other mobile computing devices, evidence is growing that the iPad is steadily moving into the enterprise. In the largest known deployment to date, SAP has distributed 1500 iPads to its employees. CIO Oliver Bussmann has indicated to news media that, within 12 months, there could be as many iPads in the company as there are BlackBerrys -- 17,000.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that a Chicago law firm, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, had previously banned the iPhone, but had pre-ordered 10 iPads prior to that device's release in April. Currently, more than four dozen of the firm's lawyers use an iPad, and more employees are expected to be offered an iPad in lieu of laptops next year.
Apple's Chief Operating...
Thu, 9 Sep 10
RIM Snaps Up Documents To Go App-Maker
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75083
Blackberry-maker Research In Motion has acquired the assets of DataViz for an undisclosed sum. The firm's most popular app, known as Documents To Go, comes pre-loaded on some BlackBerry models, but RIM has not disclosed the fate of the app for other platforms.
Documents To Go is an all-in-one application with support for Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, as well as Adobe PDF, Apple iWork and other files and attachments. Documents To Go also offers a desktop application that makes possible two-way file synchronization, and a version that supports Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox, iDisk and SugarSync.
"RIM has acquired some of the assets of DataViz and hired the majority of its employees to focus on supporting the BlackBerry platform," RIM said in a published statement. Documents To Go is available on the BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod and iPad, as well Windows Mobile and the Android platforms.
Michael Disabato, managing vice president of Network and Telecom at Gartner, is not clear on RIM's motives for acquiring DataViz. As he sees it, Documents To Go works well on the Palm and the iPhone, but BlackBerry screens are so small that using standard desktop apps can be a "painful experience."
"I don't understand how the app is going to work on a screen that small. You need something about the size of an iPhone to make this work," Disabato said. "If I put on my paranoid stifle-the-competition hat, RIM could possibly be taking an application that's very popular away from the iPhone and the iPad."
Of course, Documents To Go isn't the only app of its type on the market. QuickOffice is competing for the same user base. QuickOffice Connect Mobile Suite integrates access to remote cloud services within a full Microsoft Office suite. As with Documents To Go, users can view and edit...
Thu, 9 Sep 10
IDC: Android To Grab Number-Two Spot In 2014
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75082
Adding to a growing chorus of good news for Google, Inc. about its mobile operating system, a new study by the Research firm IDC sees Android shooting past Research in Motion's BlackBerry to seize second place in the global smartphone market by 2014.
IDC sees Android's share growing by more than 50 percent from 16.3 to 24.6 in the next four years, leaving it trailing only Nokia's Symbian in activations on mobile devices. But the firm said Symbian will continue slipping, losing 18 percent of its base with a drop from 40.1 to 32.9 percent.
There's bad news for Apple, too. It's iOS will slip 25 percent from 14.7 percent to 10.9, IDC says. But many analysts note that, considering Apple only sells versions of one device, currently only on one carrier (though that's likely to change), holding onto that kind of market share against rivals with multiple models on several carriers is impressive.
While Windows Mobile would see a 43 percent boost in IDC's projection, it would only be to a slightly less abysmal spot, up from 6.8 to 9.8 percent and still last among the top players.
IDC's research is based on interviews with vendors, proprietary advance information, distribution feeds and other data. The company said a range of new phone introductions had led to a 55 percent increase in the smartphone market over 2009. IDC senior analyst Ramon Llamas said in a statement that Android's design made it increasingly popular to carriers, application developers and users.
"Phone vendors have been drawn to Android because it allows them to present their own approach to what a smartphone experience can be," said Llamas. "In addition, users have quickly warmed to Android, comparing it to iOS due to its ease of use and a growing mobile application storefront. Now that HTC and Motorola have...
Thu, 9 Sep 10
Symantec Unwraps Norton 2011 Suite, Free Tools
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75081
Symantec launched the 2011 editions of Norton Antivirus and Norton Internet Security Wednesday, as the security software maker indicated that 65 percent of consumers worldwide -- and almost three-quarters of U.S. Web surfers -- have already fallen victim to cybercrimes. This makes comprehensive online security protection more important than ever, Symantec executives said.
Available for purchase in the United States through various retailers and Symantec's online store, Symantec's Norton 2011 products feature reputation-based security technology that instantly checks when and where programs originated. The new software offerings also verify that every file users download is safe before allowing it to run on a laptop, netbook or desktop PC.
"Today's cybercriminals are not standing down -- consumers need the very best protection to stay safe online," said Janice Chaffin, the president of Symantec's consumer business unit. "The Norton 2011 products are the highest quality we have ever built and the most comprehensive protection on the market."
Symantec's Norton 2011 software suite incorporates Sonar 3 technology that identifies suspicious software offerings based on their behavior and then automatically makes decisions on behalf of the user. The goal is to provide true "zero-day" protection against new and emerging threats that could otherwise evade other security features, Symantec said.
The new Norton suite has been designed to monitor all running applications as well as proactively issue an alert if any program is overusing system resources, giving users the opportunity to implement changes that improve PC performance. Also on tap is a Norton protection map that visually presents the latest global security threats. Additionally, Norton 2011 products will automatically create a CD, DVD or USB device for booting the user's PC into a safe state in the event that the machine's system ever becomes deeply infected.
Beyond Norton 2011, Symantec has expanded its...
Thu, 9 Sep 10
Will Hurd Make Sun's Woes Worse?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75080
Now that the 3Par bidding wars between Dell and HP are over, HP has a new drama to play out: a lawsuit with Oracle over the hire of its former president and CEO Mark Hurd. But Oracle's appointment may bring a different brand of drama to the company in the form of poor employee morale as Hurd sets out to make the Sun acquisition pay dividends for the tech giant.
HP filed a lawsuit seeking to block Hurd from joining Oracle's executive ranks after the PC-maker forced his resignation in August in the wake of sexual harassment allegations. HP claims Hurd's hire breaches an exit agreement and puts the company's trade secrets at risk. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison rapidly fired back at HP with what may sound to some like a threat.
"Oracle has long viewed HP as an important partner," said Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. "By filing this vindictive lawsuit against Oracle and Mark Hurd, the HP board is acting with utter disregard for that partnership, our joint customers, and their own shareholders and employees. The HP Board is making it virtually impossible for Oracle and HP to continue to cooperate and work together in the IT marketplace."
While the public drama unfolds, some analysts see an internal drama heating up with the Sun integration. Oracle purchased Sun for $7.4 billion in January. Rob Enderle, principal analyst at The Enderle Group, says Oracle faces a significant problem integrating Sun into its business line.
"The Sun acquisition is a train wreck and they need someone who can come in and fix it before the market figures out that the acquisition is a train wreck and it impacts Oracle stock," Enderle said. "Hurd is probably one of the few people on the planet who, at least on paper, looks like he has...
Thu, 9 Sep 10
Analyst: iPhone 'AntennaGate' Impacted Apple Sales
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75065
Have the antenna problems with the iPhone 4 affected Apple's sales? According to at least one highly visible analyst, the answer is yes.
On Wednesday, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster released the results of a survey his firm conducted of 258 cell phone users in Minneapolis. The survey found that about 69 percent had been aware of quality issues with the iPhone 4, and, of those aware, 20 percent said their purchase decision had been impacted. Muster did not specify what "impacted" means.
Verizon Wireless
But the Piper Jaffray survey found a bigger issue for Apple among the relatively small sample. Three times as many respondents complained -- without prompting -- about the iPhone not being on Verizon Wireless, compared to those who said their purchasing decision had been affected by 'Antennagate.'
For months, rumors have been circulating that Verizon would soon be offering the iPhone as AT&T's exclusive period runs out, but no definite plans have yet been announced. Some industry observers have speculated that AT&T's exclusivity will end later this year or early next year.
Although Munster said that these factors could have a substantial impact on Apple's sales, he also acknowledged that the company is selling iPhone 4s as fast as they can be manufactured.
Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, said his view is that there is "minimal, if any, impact" on Apple's iPhone 4 sales as a result of the antenna issue.
"My understanding is that the main issue for Apple's sales is still availability," he noted. As for whether the prospect of the iPhone being carried by Verizon is dampening or postponing sales, Greengart said that was "a bit harder" to evaluate.
"It's not at all cut and dried," he said, adding that one would need to evaluate whether potential customers' tendency to remain with their...
Thu, 9 Sep 10
Under Pressure, Craigslist Shuts Down Adult Services
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75055
Craigslist appears to have surrendered in a legal fight over erotic ads posted on its Web site, shutting down its adult services section Saturday and replacing it with a black bar that simply says "censored."
The move comes just over a week after a group of state attorneys general said there weren't enough protections against blocking potentially illegal ads promoting prostitution. It's not clear if the closure is permanent, and it appears to only affect ads in the United States.
The listings came under new scrutiny after the jailhouse suicide last month of a former medical student who was awaiting trial in the killing of a masseuse he met through Craigslist, a popular site that lets users post classified ads, often for free.
Craigslist's adult services section carried ads for everything from personal massages to a night's companionship, which critics say veered into prostitution.
Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster said in a May blog posting that the company's ads were no worse than those published by the alternative newspaper chain Village Voice Media. He cited one explicit ad which included the phrase: "anything goes $90."
Craigslist has been caught for years in a murky legal fight that centers on how much responsibility the company bears for its ads, said Jonathan Zittrain, professor of law and computer science at Harvard University.
Prosecutors can argue Craigslist is an "intermediary" to the crime of prostitution, Zittrain said, but such cases are hard to prove. He said prosecutors must essentially prove that Craigslist knew an ad was a solicitation for prostitution; ads on Craigslist are typically worded more vaguely.
Nonetheless, to avoid a legal showdown, the company has tried to keep "inappropriate activity" off its site by screening ads.
It's unclear if Craigslist felt the attorneys general had a good argument, or if it simply got tired of spending time on the issue....
Thu, 9 Sep 10
Google Faces Antitrust Review in Texas
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75053
Google Inc.'s methods for recommending Web sites are being reviewed by Texas' attorney general in an investigation spurred by complaints that the company has abused its power as the Internet's dominant search engine.
The antitrust inquiry disclosed by Google late Friday is just the latest sign of the intensifying scrutiny facing the company as it enters its adolescence. Since its inception in a Silicon Valley garage 12 years ago, Google has gone from a quirky startup to one of the world's most influential businesses with annual revenue approaching $30 billion.
A spokesman for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott confirmed the investigation, but declined further comment.
The review appears to be focused on whether Google is manipulating its search results to stifle competition.
The pecking order of those results can make or break Web sites because Google's search engine processes about two-thirds of the search requests in the U.S. and handles even more volume in some parts of the world.
That dominance means a Web site ranking high on the first page of Google's results will likely attract more traffic and generate more revenue, either from ads or merchandise sales.
On the flip side, being buried in the back pages of the results, or even at the bottom of the first page, can be financially devastating and, in extreme cases, has been blamed for ruining some Internet companies.
European regulators already have been investigating complaints alleging that Google has been favoring its own services in its results instead of rival Web sites.
Several lawsuits filed in the U.S. also have alleged Google's search formula is biased. Google believes Abbott is the first state attorney general to open an antitrust review into the issue.
"We look forward to answering (Abbott's) questions because we're confident that Google operates in the best interests of our users," Don Harrison, Google's deputy general counsel, wrote...
Thu, 9 Sep 10
Alleged Tabloid Phone Hacking May Get U.K. Probe
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75050
British Prime Minister David Cameron's communications director, a former tabloid editor, offered Monday to meet with police as they consider reopening an investigation into claims his newspaper's reporters illegally eavesdropped on scores of politicians and celebrities.
Cameron's PR chief, Andy Coulson, has denied wrongdoing and said he would assist any new inquiry after a New York Times investigation alleged that phone hacking was more extensive among his employees than an initial inquiry had established.
Coulson stepped down as News of the World editor in 2007 after one of his reporters was convicted of hacking. Cameron appointed Coulson to his staff later that year, and said he believed in "giving people a second chance."
The allegations of phone hacking -- sensational even by the knockabout standards of the British press -- have been investigated previously by police and a parliamentary committee, but were stirred anew by the Times report, which was published Sunday.
John Yates, an assistant London police commissioner, said officers would seek any new information in the case and consult prosecutors about whether to carry out a new inquiry if new evidence is uncovered.
Opposition lawmakers called Monday for the government to pressure police to establish how many legislators were been targeted by the newspaper -- and questioned Coulson's position.
Home Secretary Theresa May told the House of Commons that ministers would not interfere in the police department's handling of the issue.
"The Metropolitan Police have indicated that if there is further evidence, they will look at it," she said. "That is the right course of action and it is right for the government to await the outcome."
The tabloid's former royal reporter and a private investigator were sentenced to jail in 2007 for intercepting messages left for royal officials, including some from Princes William and Harry. Police said they had no evidence the illegal behavior at...
Wed, 8 Sep 10
Samsung Unveils New Dual-core Smartphone Chip
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75064
Samsung Electronics unveiled a new dual-core processor in Taipei, Taiwan Tuesday that promises to bring full-blown high definition and 3D video capabilities to next-generation smartphones and tablets. Code-named Orion, the new 1GHz chip is slated to begin sampling before the end of this year and attain mass market availability in the first half of 2011.
Though mobile device rivals will be able to deploy the new chip, Orion is also expected to help the company to build Samsung-branded gadgets while potentially avoiding critical component shortages similar to those that have plagued smartphone makers over the past several months. Just last week, Samsung predicted that it would sell 20 million to 25 million smartphones this year, and is targeting 50 million unit shipments for 2011.
"Mobile device designers need an application processor platform that delivers superb multimedia performance, fast CPU processing speed, and abundant memory bandwidth," said Samsung Electronics Vice President Dojun Rhee. "Samsung's newest dual-core application processor chip is designed specifically to fulfill such stringent performance requirements while maintaining long battery life."
To be manufactured using low-power 45nm process technology, Samsung's Orion chip will be going head to head with the 1.2GHz dual-CPU Snapdragon processor that Qualcomm began sampling in June as well as NVidia's forthcoming Tegra 2 chip. LG Electronics said Tuesday it will launch new Optimus smartphone models before the end of this year that will integrate Tegra 2, which the handset-maker said would feature a dual-core design.
"Taking full advantage of the two speedy 1 GHz processors sharing the workload in Tegra 2, consumers can experience up to 2x faster web browsing and up to 5x faster gaming performance over single core processors running at 1 GHz," LG said.
Like Tegra 2, Samsung's Orion application processor will integrate a pair of 1GHz Cortex A9 cores from ARM....
Wed, 8 Sep 10
Verizon Readies Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75063
Verizon Wireless is beefing up its Android stock with the pending launch of a Samsung Galaxy S phone. Dubbed Fascinate, the smartphone will launch on Verizon's network this week.
The Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate runs the Android 2.1 operating system with support for Google mobile services, including Gmail, YouTube and the Android market. The phone boasts a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird application processor and a four-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display.
"Fascinate has better hardware performance than HTC and Motorola, particularly in terms of graphics -- and it's screen is incredibly bright and colorful," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. "It slots somewhere between the 3.7-inch screen on the Droid Incredible and the 4.3-inch screen on the Droid X. Samsung has a four-inch screen. Some consumers may find that a happy medium."
Fascinate is no iPhone killer, but it may turn the heads of some Verizon Wireless customers, especially those who have been frustrated with smartphone shortages this summer. With Samsung's Galaxy S phones making headlines, the Fascinate could become a quick favorite at Verizon -- especially if Samsung can keep it in stock.
Greengart, for one, is expecting Samsung to do better job with supply chain issues than some of its competitors. That, he said, is because Samsung makes many of its own components. The ability to manufacture displays and other components in house has become a key differentiator in a hot smartphone market.
"Given the scarcity of some of these smartphone components, particularly the displays, we are definitely seeing that simply having the product available for sale has become an actual differentiator," Greengart said. "So if HTC can't get the Droid Incredible in stock and if Motorola can't keep the Droid X in stock, then Samsung may be able to steal sales simply by having a product on the...
Wed, 8 Sep 10
iPod Now Accounts for 40% of iOS Devices
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75062
Steve Jobs called it the iPhone without the phone. And it seems to be giving the iPhone a run for its money.
On the scale of Apple device sales, the iPod touch is seeing its stock rise, with one estimate finding that the digital music player and portable gaming device makes up nearly 40 percent of units running Apple's mobile operating system.
Based on Apple CEO Jobs' declaration on Sept. 1st at the unveiling of the new iPod line in San Francisco that 120 million iOS devices have been sold to date, market research firm Asymco estimated that there were 59.6 million iPhones sold through June, according to the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and that about eight million iPhones and four million iPads were believed sold during August and July.
That indicates the likely total of iPod touches sold is 45.2 million, or 37.7 percent of total iOS units.
So, for all the hype about Apple's growing share of the smartphone market, it could soon be making more money from its products that don't make calls.
"The expansion of iPhone distribution plus the addition of iPad has reduced the platform footprint for the iPod, but it's still a sizable chunk," said the firm on its Web site. "More than one in three iOS units in use are non-cellular devices. As the iPad rolls that number could move toward 50 percent."
At last week's iPod event, Jobs announced that the latest touch unit, which he noted is also "the iPhone without a contract" is equipped for the first time with front and back cameras and the application FaceTime, which allows the unit to be used for video chat via Wi-Fi with other iPod users, iPhone users or anyone with a web cam, which could further increase its appeal. iOS4.0,...
Wed, 8 Sep 10
Yikes! Coming to TV This Fall -- Google And Its Ads
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75061
Google, the company that seems intent on becoming a force in anything that uses electrons, said Tuesday that it expects to expand its Web TV service across the globe. CEO Eric Schmidt said at the big IFA consumer electronics show now in Berlin that he expects other TV set manufacturers to join Sony, which is scheduled to launch Web TV in the U.S. beginning this fall. Samsung has recently said it is considering releasing TV sets with the Google software.
Schmidt said that the Android-based software, which allows the Web to be viewed on a TV, is available free. "You should expect that other TV manufacturers would love to have this product," he told reporters. The U.S. launch is designed for a Sony high-definition TV, a Sony Blu-ray high-definition DVD player, and a Logitech set-top box.
A Google remote control is in the works, which is expected to include a full QWERTY keyboard, a mouse or pointing device, and a variety of TV-related buttons. But there are also plans for users to be able to use a smartphone as a remote control, such as an Android-based phone or Apple's iPhone. This means that voice-recognition commands, through the smartphone, could control your TV.
The Google software is designed to work with Intel chips in the sets, and the service will include video-on-demand from Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, and Google-owned YouTube. YouTube is expected to offer popular feature movies on its service sometime this year, which, in conjunction with Google's TV service, means that the search giant will directly become a competitor on that front with cable systems, other online movie services, and TV networks.
However, the timeline may be delayed. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Google's talks with the major movie studios "did not go as smoothly...
Wed, 8 Sep 10
Oracle Names Shunned HP CEO as President
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75060
In what amounts to an "in your face" move toward HP, Mark Hurd has been named president of Oracle. In August, HP forced Hurd's resignation as CEO and president after an investigation into his relationship with a former actress named Jodie Fisher, who accused him of sexual harassment.
Hurd, who has also been named to Oracle's Board of Directors, will report to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. Ellison blasted HP in a letter to the New York Times, arguing that the tech giant handled the situation in a "cowardly" way." At the time, Ellison said HP made the "worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago."
Ellison has now welcomed Hurd to the number two position at the company, causing the company's shares to climb nearly 8 percent on Tuesday. By contrast, HP shares have lost 14 percent of their value since Hurd left the company. Close friends, Hurd and Ellison represent a dynamic duo on the technology company front.
"Mark did a brilliant job at HP and I expect he'll do even better at Oracle," said Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. "There is no executive in the IT world with more relevant experience than Mark. Oracle's future is engineering complete and integrated hardware and software systems for the enterprise. Mark pioneered the integration of hardware with software when Teradata was a part of NCR."
Hurd replaces Charles Philips, who resigned from Oracle and is existing the board. Ellison credited him with evolving Oracle's field culture toward a more customer-centric organization and improving its top line consistency through a period of tremendous change and growth. Ellison indicated Philips approached him last December with a desire to transition out of the company.
Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT, isn't so sure Philips was planning...
Wed, 8 Sep 10
Exploding Google Logo Means... What?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75043
If the measure of a good logo is that it is memorable, Google is setting new records. On the day after Labor Day, the search giant is featuring a new variation on its well-known name in which the logo breaks up and runs from your cursor -- and people are wondering why.
According to news reports, the new, interactive logo is only available to users in the U.S. and Britain. It shows the Google name in circles of color that disperse away from the tip of your cursor and then, as if on invisible elastic bands, bounce back to form the name when your the cursor is moved away.
The logo also does its thing if you grab the top bar and move the browser window.
Google has a tradition of modifying its logo to reflect a holiday or special occasion, like Halloween, the artist Rene Magritte's birthday, or the launch of the Hubble telescope, but this dynamically interactive version takes the tradition to new dimensions. It is also sparking a great deal of commentary on the Web as to its meaning.
For one thing, the holiday-related logos often lead to an explanation when the logo is clicked, but that is not the case here -- it's literally not possible to click on the dispersing name.
Some commenters are suggesting it is related to Google's date-of-incorporation birthday, which is September 7. The company was founded in 1998.
Others mention that the programming trick is a particle movement simulator, using Javascript. The company has previously honored science-related occasions, such as "doodles" on the logo that honored H.G. Well's The War of the Worlds, on the occasion of his 143rd birthday. Perhaps Google is honoring some as-yet-unrevealed particle-related achievement?
Then there's HTML5, which has become a hot topic because of Apple's refusal to allow Adobe's Flash technology...
Wed, 8 Sep 10
Dell's Data Center Ambitions Remain Undaunted
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75034
Dell Inc. doesn't have to start over in its quest to become a significant purveyor of technology for businesses after losing a multibillion dollar bidding contest for an obscure data-storage maker.
But it won't be easy, either, for Dell to shake its "Dude, you're getting a Dell" image and move into the more profitable business of selling powerful behind-the-scenes technology to other companies.
Dell, which launched the bidding contest for 3Par Inc. on Aug. 16, conceded defeat Thursday and said it won't match the latest offer from its archrival, Hewlett-Packard Co.
HP raised the stakes to $33 per share, or about $2.07 billion -- 83 percent above Dell's first offer and more than three times what 3Par stock was trading at then. Dell's latest offer had been a dollar per share less, or about $2 billion.
Dell was hoping to buy 3Par so it could diversify its business more quickly.
Dell's made-to-order computer business helped make PCs inexpensive and ubiquitous, but other companies including HP found ways to build even cheaper machines using contract manufacturers.
Although HP was able to expand beyond the business of selling computers, Dell has remained very much a computer company, with more than half its revenue coming from PCs last fiscal year. Rising component costs and the PC industry's race to rock-bottom prices, accelerated by the rise of cheap netbooks from competitors such as Acer Inc., combined to sap much of the profit out of Dell's core business.
Through a string of acquisitions, Dell has raced to follow IBM Corp., HP and other high-tech companies into the more lucrative business of selling data-center hardware and consulting services.
And while its servers do not generate as much revenue as its PC business, Dell is a leading maker of x86 servers, a low-end product for companies and data centers. Those servers are seeing a surge...
Wed, 8 Sep 10
News Reporters Turn To Skype for Interviews
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75016
When he wanted to interview a source in Connecticut for a recent "World News" story on technology, ABC reporter Pierre Thomas didn't even leave the office. ABC's cameras showed him sitting in front of a computer screen, talking to Michael Coppolla through Skype.
The video phone service has become an important tool for television news organizations over the past several months. Producers say it enables them to reach many more people for interviews. It also saves money, although its current users insist Skype won't become a crutch.
Skype encourages news organizations to use the service, doesn't charge for it and offers detailed advice on how to best take advantage of the technology. The company asks networks to display its logo or verbally identify Skype.
"It really has changed the way we do business," said Tom Costello, a Washington-based NBC News reporter.
While reporting on a bad egg outbreak a week ago, Costello found an elderly woman in a remote section of Pennsylvania who has lingering stomach problems from a salmonella poisoning five years ago. There was no way to reach her in time with a camera crew for "Nightly News," but Costello was surprised to find she regularly used Skype, and that's how they did the interview.
One of Washington's paralyzing snowstorms last winter left Costello without power and stranded at home, but his wife held up a laptop to take a picture of him thigh-deep in snow in their front yard so Costello could do a live report.
All three broadcast network newscasts use Skype to a certain extent. Fox News Channel interviews people under the banner "Skype gripe." Barbara Walters talked about her heart surgery on "The View" by way of Skype. The "Today" show keeps connected with viewers through Skype.
"This opens the entire country up for us to get to instantaneously," said Jon...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
Verizon Offers Prepaid Data Plans on Top Phones
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75041
In what could be the first phase of a transformation in the way its smartphone users pay for Internet use, the nation's biggest carrier, Verizon Wireless, has introduced prepaid data plans. The no-contract plans, which go into effect Sept. 28, offer unlimited 3G access on select handsets for $30 per month, or $10 per month for 25 megabytes, with a 20-cent charge for each additional megabyte.
Verizon customers can sign up for the plans immediately at Verizon stores or online. Verizon already offered prepaid service for many voice plans.
"These new data offerings will help our prepaid customers experience the full breadth of Verizon Wireless' robust device portfolio and the many engaging, informative and helpful applications that depend on a data plan," said Jim Sullivan, director of marketing for Verizon. "Our prepaid customers will now have the freedom to enjoy all of the capabilities that these phones have to offer, while controlling costs and without being tied to a contract."
The plans are likely intended to increase the appeal of some of Verizon's top-shelf handsets. They are available on a range of models, including the BlackBerry Curve, the Palm Pre and Pixi, all five models of the top-selling Droid (made by Motorola or HTC), the Motorola Devour and LG Ally, as well as multimedia phones such as LG's enV TOUCH and enV3, LG's Chocolate Touch and VX8360, Samsung's Alias 2 and Renown, Nokia's Twist, and Casio's EXILIM.
Prepaid is an emerging sector of the wireless industry, with Sprint Nextel now offering a $25 monthly prepaid calling plan and T-Mobile offering a $50 plan for unlimited voice and text. Clearwire and Virgin Mobile are also expected to roll out prepaid plans.
While Verizon appears to be the first out of the gate with prepaid data, the cost is no cheaper than...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
Samsung Expects Galaxy S To Lead Fast Sales Growth
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75040
Samsung Electronics is predicting it will sell 20 million to 25 million smartphones this year. The company also aims to ship 50 million smartphones in 2011, J.K. Shin, the president of Samsung's mobile communications division, told South Korean media outlet EDaily on Friday.
Shin said Samsung's robust smartphone sales predictions are based on the resounding success of the company's Galaxy S series in the Asia-Pacific and North America regions. More than one million handsets based on the Galaxy S platform shipped to AT&T and T-Mobile subscribers during their first 45 days of availability in the United States, the company said.
Verizon Wireless, U.S. Cellular, and Cellular South are all slated to introduce Galaxy S devices in the United States before Christmas. Moreover, on Aug. 31 Sprint Nextel launched the Samsung Epic 4G, which recorded one of the best first-day sales results for any mobile device on the carrier's network. "As we continue to build out our 4G network, more and more of our customers will realize the benefits of these amazing [Samsung Galaxy S] devices and the realities of life at these blazing-fast speeds," said Sprint Vice President Fared Adib on Friday.
According to IDC, global smartphone sales totaled 63 million units in the second quarter. What's more, Samsung supplanted Motorola as the world's fifth largest smartphone maker by shipping a record number of smartphones. Additionally, the Korea-based handset maker posted its highest smartphone growth rate since the third quarter of 2008, the firm's analysts said.
Nokia led the global smartphone market in the second quarter with a 38.1 percent market share on 24 million unit shipments, IDC's analysts said. Nokia was followed by Research In Motion (17.8 percent, 11.2 million), Apple (13.3 percent, 8.4 million), HTC (7.6 percent, 4.8 million) and Samsung (4.8 percent, three million).
Based on...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
Nvidia Shows New GPUs Offered in Upcoming Laptops
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75039
New notebooks with the Nvidia GeForce 400M series of graphics processing units (GPUs) are being released this fall, and on Friday the chipmaker introduced the new chips at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany. The new series includes the GeForce GTX 470M and GTX 460M for enthusiasts, and the GT 445M, 435M, 425M, 420M, and 415M for performance users.
The notebooks are expected from such leading manufacturers as Acer, ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, Toshiba and others. In particular, Nvidia is emphasizing the use of Optimus and 3D Vision technology in the 400M series computers.
Optimus is intended to allow high-performance users to have their graphics-intensive cake, along with enough battery power to enjoy it. By automatically switching the GPU on and off as needed, the company said "extra-long" battery life is available.
Discrete graphics processors are becoming more popular, as they can provide better performance for games and other multimedia. Optimus utilizes discrete graphics processing for intensive tasks, and integrated graphics for less-demanding efforts, thus saving battery life. The company said this power-conserving approach "has been described by reviewers as among the most important notebook technologies to come to market in recent years."
Nvidia said the GPUs will be about 40 percent faster than the 300M series. The 400M series are the first processors for notebooks using the company's Fermi architecture, and they have been designed "from the ground up" for support of Direct X 11, the latest version of Microsoft's graphics technology.
The chips are also designed for stereo 3-D images, when used with a 3-D display and the company's 3D Vision glasses. Two of the upcoming notebooks supporting 3D Vision will be the Acer Aspire 5745DG, with the GT 425M, and the ASUS G53Jw, with the GTX 460M. Other notebooks can utilize Nvidia's 3DTV Play,...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
Spammers Take Over Apple's New Ping Social Network
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75038
Apple launched iTunes 10 with Ping, a new music-oriented social network, on Wednesday. Within hours, the site fell victim to spammers looking to make a quick buck from Apple's unsuspecting 160 million music lovers exploring the new way to discover what music their friends are listening to.
Ping was heralded as the future of social commerce by some analysts, but Apple will have a near-term challenge of battling identity thieves looking to steal the credit-card numbers of iTunes users. Some Ping posts are attempting to trick users into believing they will receive a free iPhone if they complete online surveys.
Sophos published research earlier this year demonstrating a 70 percent increase in the number of users reporting spam and malware being spread via social networks, a trend that continues to grow. It would appear that Apple missed that report.
Graham Cluley, a senior security consultant at Sophos, is not at all surprised that spammers and scammers have flooded the Ping platform. As he sees it, Apple doesn't appear to have anticipated that spammers and scammers would find the opportunity too good to miss.
"If Apple had implemented some antispam technology, pre-filtering the messages for malicious or fraudulent links, then that might have prevented the problem becoming as big as it is as rapidly as it has," Cluley said. "It also appears to be simple to create fake accounts on the system. For instance, there's more than one 'Mark Zuckerberg' and even 'The Beatles' -- who famously aren't distributed via iTunes- -- claiming to have an account on Ping."
Cluley is used to survey scams like this being spread on sites like Facebook, but he sees the irony in Ping scams focusing on Apple's iPhone. He hopes Apple's security team can block scam messages and malicious links quickly.
Cluley said there is...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
Consumer Watchdog Attacks Google in Times Square
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75037
Consumer Watchdog is attacking Google in a very public way -- with a Jumbotron digital advertisement in New York's Times Square. The missive comes in the form of an animated satirical video that portrays how the group sees Google CEO Eric Schmidt's stance on consumer privacy.
Entitled Don't Be Evil? the avatar-style animation features Schmidt driving an ice-cream truck and secretly spying on children. Consumer Watchdog produced the animated short in hopes of enticing Congress to enact a national Do Not Track Me list.
"We're satirizing Schmidt in the most highly trafficked public square in the nation to make the public aware of how out of touch Schmidt and Google are when it comes to our privacy rights," said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. "America needs a Do Not Track Me list, and Google is Exhibit A in the case for it."
As Consumer Watchdog sees it, Google's recent actions reveal that the Internet giant, whose motto is "Don't be evil," has lost its way. The group argues that Google has collected massive amounts of personal data from Wi-Fi networks through its Street View cars, made private Gmail contacts publicly available on Buzz, and done a complete about-face on Net neutrality, joining with Verizon in calling for toll lanes on the Internet.
"We think there should be another way to protect the public's online privacy: A Do Not Track Me list that prevents Google or any other Internet company from tracking your every move online," said John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog's Inside Google Project.
Consumer Watchdog argues that a Do Not Track Me list would prevent online companies from gathering personal information, just as Congress had the Federal Trade Commission create a Do Not Call list to prevent intrusive telemarketers from invading consumers' privacy.
"This largely...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
Chrome Browser Updated After Two Years of Growth
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75036
Google's Chrome browser is now two years old, and the youngster -- and its proud parent -- are celebrating its steady rise in popularity. According to Net Applications, Chrome had 7.5 percent of the browser market in August -- putting it in third place behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox, and above Apple's Safari.
That market share is a slight rise from the 7.2 percent market share the browser had in July, while IE dropped 0.3 percent from last month and Firefox stayed even. In May, the search giant said Chrome had 70 million users worldwide.
To celebrate, Google is releasing Chrome version 6, which product manager Brian Rakowski described on the company blog as "even faster and more streamlined" than the previous version. Rakowski cited several changes in the new browser, including a "minimalist user interface," the combination of two menus into one, an adjustment of the color scheme, and other modifications.
Looking into the future, he said Google is planning to make the browser faster, to improve graphics performance through hardware acceleration, and to launch later this year The Chrome Web Store, with apps designed for use in standards-based browsers.
Google has indicated that Chrome was designed to be more of a platform for applications than other browsers. Both the browser and Google's in-progress Chrome operating system are derived from the Chromium open-source project.
Jeffrey Hammond, an analyst with industry research firm Forrester, said the relationship between the Chrome browser and the Chromium project "was a bit of a mystery to me," although he suspects the core rendering engine was used in both.
Google is still trying to sort out the Chrome OS positioning against its open-source Android portable operating system, suggested Al Hilwa, program director for application development at industry research firm IDC. Android has enjoyed a huge...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
FCC Rejects Free Wireless Service Proposal
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75020
Federal regulators have shot down a proposal by a startup called M2Z Networks Inc. to build a free, nationwide wireless broadband network using a spare slice of airwaves.
The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday said it has rejected M2Z's request that the agency demand that the winner of an auction for the radio spectrum provide free Internet service to anyone who connects to it.
That condition would have mirrored M2Z's business model of offering free basic wireless broadband access -- with speeds of up to 768 kilobits per second -- that would be supported by advertising in addition to a faster, premium service.
"We gave careful and thorough consideration to the proposal, but ultimately determined that this was not the best policy outcome," Ruth Milkman, head of the FCC's wireless bureau, said in a statement. The FCC did not explain its rejection further.
M2Z's plan had encountered resistance from T-Mobile USA and other big wireless carriers, which warned that it would interfere with their own services.
"A designer allocation auction that would be tailored for one company was not in the public's interest, especially when that company was offering broadband service that is slow by even yesterday's standards," Steve Largent, head of industry trade group CTIA-The Wireless Association, said in a statement.
M2Z was founded in 2005 by John Muleta, a former FCC official who at one time also headed the agency's wireless bureau, and Milo Medin, co-founder and chief technology officer of cable modem pioneer (At)Home. The company's investors include several top Silicon Valley venture capital firms, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Redpoint Ventures.
In a statement, Muleta said "the FCC's decision to delay the use of this valuable spectrum forgoes the consumer welfare and economic stimulus that would result from putting new spectrum into the marketplace."
The FCC is still studying possible uses of...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
New Ads Aim To Showcase Xerox's Service Business
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75019
Xerox Corp. has this message for you: For the last time, we're not just about making copies.
To hammer that home, the company is launching its biggest media blitz in decades, starting next week.
While the Xerox name is still synonymous with copy machines, the company has been branching beyond that line of work for years. Selling toner and paper remains a huge portion of its revenue, but it also makes money helping other companies manage how documents get around on their computer networks, among other services.
And with the $6.4 billion acquisition this year of a company called Affiliated Computer Services, it has tripled the size of its services business, essentially transforming the company more than half a century after putting out its first copy machine. Where less than a quarter of its revenue came from services before the deal, they now account for roughly half of the $22 billion annual total.
Coming out of a recession that put a big dent in corporate technology spending, Xerox is counting on the deal to get revenue growing again.
Xerox, which is headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., expects ACS to help it sell back-office services to its existing clients, which won't require much advertising. But according to Xerox President Jim Firestone, the bigger opportunity is winning new customers, especially abroad, where ACS hasn't had as much of a presence.
Hence the new ads.
"We know that Xerox has moved far from its historic roots," says Firestone. "But the rest of the world doesn't pay quite as close attention as we would like."
It isn't the first time Xerox has tweaked its brand in an effort to shake the copier company label. It redesigned its logo in 2008 with the same goal in mind, dropping the uppercase lettering that was so familiar from its copiers and printers and adding a stylish...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
U.N. Official Calls BlackBerry Data Requests Legitimate
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75017
The chief of the U.N.'s telecommunications agency urged the Canadian manufacturer of the BlackBerry to allow law enforcement agencies access to customer data, saying that governments all over the world had legitimate security concerns which should not be ignored.
The International Telecommunication Union agency's Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure said that all governments engaged in the fight against terrorism had the right to demand access to users' information from the maker of the BlackBerry -- Research in Motion Ltd.
"Those are genuine requests," he told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "There is a need for cooperation between governments and the private sector on security issues."
RIM has said it complies with all legal requests, but is unable to provide anyone with the text of e-mails sent using its corporate service, which is designed from the ground up for secure communications.
The International Telecommunication Union is responsible for coordinating the use of the global radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, and establishing standards for the telecommunications industry. The little-known body also serves as a global forum for discussion of cutting-edge communications issues.
The agency has no independent regulatory power, but Toure's comments are a barometer of sentiment among the agency's 192 member states, who are expected to re-elect him to a second term later this year.
At least five of those members -- India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates -- are already considering banning some BlackBerry services over concerns that the devices' powerful data encryption could be used as a cover for terrorist and criminal activity. Civil libertarians have argued that the controversy is in fact fueled by authoritarian governments' inability to eavesdrop on BlackBerry-using citizens.
Governments in the U.S. and elsewhere have largely made their peace with encryption technology. E-mails can still be obtained through legal channels, for example by obtaining a...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
Google, Skype Targeted in India Security Crackdown
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75015
India has widened its security crackdown, asking all companies that provide encrypted communications -- not just BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion -- to install servers in the country to make it easier for the government to obtain users' data. That would likely affect digital giants like Google and Skype.
"People who operate communication services in India should (install a) server in India as well as make available access to law enforcement agencies," Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters. "That has been made clear to RIM of BlackBerry but also to other companies."
On Monday, India withdrew a threat to ban BlackBerry service for at least two more months after RIM agreed to give security officials "lawful access" to encrypted data.
Indian officials have for some time also been concerned about Google and Skype, neither of which maintains servers in India. Google has an Indian unit, but Gmail is offered by Google Inc., a U.S. company subject to U.S. laws. Luxembourg-based Skype has no India operations.
India began a sweeping information security review after the November 2008 terror attack in Mumbai, which was coordinated with cell phones, satellite phones and Internet calls. Officials are also eager to avoid any trouble at the Commonwealth Games, a major sporting event to be held in New Delhi in October.
At the same time, India seems to be gaining confidence in its own attractiveness as a market, taking a tougher stance with international companies, not just in telecommunications -- where it is the world's fastest-growing major market -- but also in mining and nuclear energy.
"Our stand is firm. We look forward to get access to data," Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters. "There is no uncertainty over it."
The U.N. technology chief expressed support for the Indian demand on Thursday. Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, told The Associated Press...
Sat, 4 Sep 10
New Kindles Are a Hit with Bookworms
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75011
For all the glitz that surrounds first models of high-profile tech products, it often behooves consumers to wait awhile. Exhibit A: the new Kindle e-readers from Amazon.
Compared with previous models (which I liked), new, smaller and lighter Kindles have better battery life, superior glare-free displays and enough storage for up to 3,500 books. What's more, the new entry-level Wi-Fi-only Kindle costs $139 vs. $399 for the original reader three years ago. A step-up model with both Wi-Fi and 3G cellular wireless is also attractively priced at $189. Both models are on back-order at Amazon.com, with new orders expected to ship by Sept. 17.
Add the 670,000 e-books on sale in Amazon's U.S. Kindle Store -- and the fact that you can download them in less than a minute via 3G or, now, Wi-Fi -- and the latest devices reinforce why Kindle is the category leader. Most available e-books still cost $9.99 or less. Prices on others have crept up to around $13.
The new Kindles are by no means perfect. Amazon faces competition from Sony, Barnes & Noble (Nook) and others that use similar paperlike E Ink display technology. Hovering over them is the iPad and its sexy, color touch-screen.
A closer read:
*Kindle vs. iPad. Amazon's devices aren't glamorous. Unlike the iPad, Kindles don't have color touch-screens, pages that curl like a real book or stunning software bookshelves. Reading periodicals on Kindle isn't as appealing. The backlit display on the iPad means you can read in the dark, which is beyond Kindle's capabilities.
Despite all that, I'd still pick Kindle for reading most books where photos and illustrations are scarce. At 8.5 or 8.7 ounces, compared with 1.5 pounds for the iPad, Kindles are lighter and smaller, making them an easy choice when you're in bed or a cramped coach seat. Kindles are a...
Fri, 3 Sep 10
Samsung Unleashes Its Galaxy Tab on Apple's iPad
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75026
Samsung on Thursday introduced the Galaxy Tab, a tablet PC aimed at the heart of Apple's iPad, at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany. Samsung presented the tablet with a pun that cites a "new galaxy of possibilities."
The Galaxy Tab has a seven-inch display and weighs .84 pounds. It comes with 16GB or 32GB of internal storage and a 32GB microSD expansion slot. The iPad competitor also features a touchscreen, Wi-Fi, GPS, 802.11 and Bluetooth.
What the Galaxy Tab has that the first iPad doesn't is back- and front-facing cameras. The front-facing camera allows face-to-face video telephony over 3G. The rear-facing camera captures still images and video that consumers can edit, upload and share.
The Galaxy Tab also acts as a mobile phone. Samsung is billing the device as fit to use as a speakerphone on the desk, or as a mobile phone on the move via a Bluetooth headset.
"The fact that the device makes calls is a definite differentiator, and it also has a front-facing camera, which means you can do video conferencing," said Michael Disabato, managing vice president of network and telecom at Gartner. "I'm expecting to see that in iPad version two next year because Apple was roundly struck in the butt about not having that capability."
The tablet uses Samsung's popular Swype software that promises faster text input. The Tab offers HD movie playback, navigation, augmented reality, e-reading capabilities, and a PC-like browsing experience. The device also runs Adobe Flash, unlike Apple's iPad.
Samsung developed the Reader's Hub, an e-reading application that gives consumers access to a digital library of books. Meanwhile, the Media Hub offers a gateway to films and videos, and the Music Hub gives access to music. The company is using the DivX format, which means no file conversions are...
Fri, 3 Sep 10
HP Wins 3PAR as Dell Declines To Top $2.4 Billion
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75025
Dell declined Thursday to continue its pursuit of 3PAR after Hewlett-Packard increased its bid to $33 per share, or about $2.4 billion. Though Dell had submitted a revised offer of $32 per share just hours earlier, 3PAR's board of directors said it considers HP's final bid the "superior proposal."
Dell's initial cash offer for the storage technology provider, submitted Aug. 16, was $1.15 billion, or $18 per share. However, HP submitted a $1.6 billion counter offer on Aug. 23, which Dell then matched. Though Dell bumped its 3PAR bid to $1.8 million on Aug. 27, HP immediately responded by boosting its offer to $2 billion.
"We took a measured approach throughout the process and have decided to end these discussions," said Dell Senior Vice President Dave Johnson. "We believe our strategy of creating open, affordable and capable solutions resonates well with customers and will enable us to continue to outgrow the industry."
HP said last month that the acquisition of 3PAR's next-generation storage architecture would help the computer giant accelerate its converged-infrastructure strategy, which provides clients with access to a sizable portfolio of intellectual property across storage, server and networking solutions. IDC Vice President Benjamin Woo noted that HP is due for a full refresh for its mid- to high-end storage portfolio.
"3PAR will ultimately have some overlap between the HP EVA and XP product lines," Woo said Thursday. "However, it brings to HP an opportunity to deliver to its clients a high-end scale-out architecture that neither the EVA or XP offers."
The 3PAR acquisition also helps HP with its positioning toward a converged data center, Woo observed. "3PAR's client list is a valuable one for HP," Woo said. "It offers a route for service providers."
Several analysts had expressed concern that Dell's acquisition of 3PAR would...
Fri, 3 Sep 10
Toshiba Will Offer Android-Based Folio 100 Tablet
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75023
The rapidly growing category of tablets has a new family member. On Thursday, Toshiba announced that its Folio 100, a 10.1-inch, Android 2.2-based tablet computer, will be on sale in Europe by the end of October.
The tablet could capture as much as 15 to 20 percent of that market in Europe by the end of next year, according to Gianluca Dianese, Toshiba's head of marketing for digital products in that region. He made the prediction at the IFA 2010 consumer electronics show now taking place in Berlin, Germany.
The Folio, expected to sell for about $500, will come with Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, Bluetooth and 16GB of storage. Toshiba told news media that it will also release a model that plays 3-D video, which is beginning to emerge on portable computing devices. On Wednesday, Sony showed prototypes of VAIO laptops with 3-D.
The Folio can boot up in 30 seconds, runs on a Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU, and features a 1.3-megapixel camera, a display resolution of 1024x600, and battery life up to seven hours. Ports include mini-HDMI, USB and a SD/MMC card reader. As with other new Android devices, it will support Flash 10.1, a competitive advantage against Apple's iPad. Apple is not allowing Flash to run on the iPad, preferring instead the emerging, standards-based HTML5.
The iPad, whose popularity has jump-started the tablet category, is beginning to acquire rivals, although no major competitor has yet emerged. A variety of companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Research In Motion and Google, are expected to release tablets in the next few months. Dell, ASUS and Samsung have already done so.
Apple's iPad success has been largely driven by its ecosystem of a large library of third-party applications that run on the tablet, in addition to the vast number of music and other entertainment offerings in...
Fri, 3 Sep 10
Sony Shows Prototypes of a Planned 3-D VAIO Laptop
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75022
A laptop computer with 3-D video and games. Sony, hoping that could be the Next Big Thing, showed prototypes Wednesday of an upcoming VAIO 3-D laptop at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany, and announced plans to launch a 3-D TV channel.
The laptop, with a 3-D button and active-shutter glasses, will formally debut in the spring, according to Sony CEO Howard Stinger. The prototypes use a frame-sequential technology that alternates between left- and right-eye views, with blank screens between them to keep them separate enough for the mind to create good-quality three dimensions. The video is displayed at 240 frames per second to create 60 fps video.
Sony is moving forward quickly on 3-D across its product line, in addition to TVs. It also announced at IFA that existing Blu-ray HD DVD players and the PlayStation 3 game console will be updated with firmware so they can play 3-D. Stringer demonstrated a variety of 3-D titles, including Major League Baseball, Mortal Kombat, Virtual Tennis 4, Killzone 3, and others.
The company also announced a 3-D video projector and said its 3-D TV channel will focus on natural history, children's programs, science and movies. New 3-D feature films in the works from Sony include The Green Hornet, Resident Evil Afterlife, and new sequels in the Spider-Man and Men in Black franchises.
Richard Shim, an analyst with industry research firm IDC, said the market for 3-D laptops at the moment is restricted to aficionados, and this kind of product -- and 3-D in general -- "has a long ways to go before it will be mainstream."
The presence of 3-D display technology on a laptop raises the possibility of third-party development of 3-D applications. Shim noted that this "chicken and egg problem," where developers will be reluctant to develop for...
Fri, 3 Sep 10
AOL Rejects Bing and Renews Search Ties To Google
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75007
When Microsoft launched its Bing decision engine in 2009, it may have held out hope for an alliance with AOL. In fact, there were even rumors that Microsoft would buy out the struggling Internet service provider. But AOL has shunned Bing in favor of Microsoft's online nemesis, Google.
On Thursday, Google announced a five-year renewal and expansion with AOL. Google will continue providing search services to AOL's global content network, including all its properties. In return, AOL will get an undisclosed share of the search advertising revenue. In the new deal, Google will also include mobile search and YouTube.
"This agreement combines Google's expertise in search and advertising with AOL's strength in online content," said Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO of Google. "It's particularly exciting to see our relationship expand into video and mobile. These areas are now at the heart of users' online experiences and at the core of both of our businesses."
The renewed partnership includes new features that aim to improve and expand the Google products and services AOL users can tap into. Of course, it all starts with search products. Google is enhancing its search to improve the consumer experience across AOL's network of sites. On the advertising-products front, Google will provide AOL with ad formats that promise AOL consumers a better, more relevant ad experience.
Over the past 10 years of the Google-AOL relationship, search and video have become hot trends in the search market. The new five-year deal takes those trends into account. As AOL renews its focus on mobile apps and content, the companies said they will work together to expand the alliance to cover mobile search. And AOL and YouTube have agreed to a content partnership that will bring AOL's video content to YouTube.
"Today is another important step in the turnaround of AOL,"...
Fri, 3 Sep 10
Windows Phone 7 Goes to Mobile Device Makers
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75006
Finishing touches complete, Microsoft sent its latest Windows Phone 7 operating system to equipment manufacturers Wednesday, paving the way for a round of Windows-based mobile devices to debut in time for the holiday season.
"While the final integration of Windows Phone 7 with our partners' hardware, software and networks is under way, the work of our internal engineering team is largely complete," wrote Microsoft's Terry Myerson on the company's Windows 7 blog.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled Windows Phone 7 Series in February at the Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona, Spain, promising a fresh approach to phone software and design. The new OS brings together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone. "In a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things, I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience," Ballmer said.
He demonstrated the new system's "live tiles" that show real-time content directly, rather than static icons, and a dedicated hardware button for Bing that allows searches while using applications. Windows Phone 7 devices also feature six hubs for people, pictures, games, music and video, marketplace and the Office suite of productivity software.
"It's a big step forward even from versions as recent as [Windows Mobile] 6.5," said Strategy Analytics wireless-device analyst Alexander Spektor. "Microsoft has revamped the user experience and refocused the way they present information and the types of information they present. They made it more about the social space, the gaming aspect, and the web [browsing] aspect."
Microsoft said in February that the company has Windows Phone 7 commitments from worldwide partners, including AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, Sprint Nextel, Telecom Itali, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone, Dell, HTC, Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and others. But which company will be the first to debut...
Fri, 3 Sep 10
Review: Flipboard Lets You Choose Your Editor
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74999
Most of the articles that show up in your newspaper or magazine are chosen by professional editors. What if they are picked out by a friend from college instead? Or a colleague from work? Or your mom? Anyone you know, really?
That's the concept behind Flipboard, a new application for Apple Inc.'s mega-selling iPad.
It's a marriage of the new media ethos that we've all become news editors for our online contacts and the traditional media's talent for packaging the news in a way that's inviting and cohesive.
Flipboard takes the random links that accumulate on your Facebook or Twitter account -- plus your friends' personal status updates and tweets -- and makes something like a digital magazine out of them.
Blurbs of text and photos recommended by friends become fodder for a continuously updated collage of content. You can also add sections to your magazine compiled from the tweets of just one contact or a specific publication -- Spin magazine, say, or The Huffington Post.
The pages are laid out much like a newspaper or magazine. A swipe of the finger flips open the next page on the iPad's dazzlingly vivid screen.
And you can use the app to post comments to an item on Facebook or e-mail articles to friends.
For a week or so, I've made this hodge-podge my daily reading.
Flipboard comes with enough flaws that I won't be canceling my newspaper or magazine subscriptions just yet.
But I think the app has promise.
As much as the blizzard of Web links that confront me every day have begun to dictate my reading habits, I still want a comprehensive take on the day's events -- something more than a link on a Facebook page. And there's an obvious appeal in keeping tabs on what the people I actually know and care about are interested in reading.
Flipboard...
Fri, 3 Sep 10
China Requires ID To Buy Mobile Phone Numbers
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74994
China began requiring identification on Wednesday from anyone purchasing a new mobile phone number in what it says is a bid to stamp out rampant junk messages but that some say gives the government a new tool for monitoring its citizens.
The rules apply to everyone, including foreigners visiting China for a short stay, the China Daily newspaper reported.
The paper said the regulation was "the latest campaign by the government to curb the global scourge of spam, pornographic messages and fraud on cellular phones."
But some say China is looking for a way to track people who might spontaneously join protests. Users could previously buy low-cost mobile phone SIM cards anonymously with cash at convenience stores and newspaper stands and use them right away.
"I think the government has an eye on Iran where protests were fueled by text messages and Twitter and they are doing this for social stability reasons," said Wang Songlian, research coordinator with the Hong Kong-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders.
She added that the new requirement fits a pattern of tightening government control over new communication technologies.
China censors Internet content it deems politically sensitive and blocks many Web sites, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Following ethnic riots in far western China's Xinjiang, international phone service and the Internet in the region were suspended for months.
The new regulation probably won't impact Chinese dissidents, many of whom already have their phones closely monitored, but it could help police track down ordinary people who take part in protests, Wang said. China has seen a growing number of protests sparked by labor disagreements, anger over pollution or other issues.
The ID requirement is also raising new privacy concerns and will likely upset some customers unwilling to give personal information to vendors and telecom companies for fear it will be resold, said Duncan Clark, managing director...
Fri, 3 Sep 10
Logitech Sees a Future in Television
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74990
Every day, tech gear maker Logitech churns out an average of 376,000 computer mice in every conceivable color, shape and size. If the company is known for any one product, it's the mouse, the little PC navigator that's the hallmark of office desks all over the world.
But now, Logitech wants to be more dominant in the living room, courtesy of Google TV. It's partnering with the search giant on Google's initiative to bring the Web to the TV-viewing experience. A new Logitech set-top box, scheduled for release in the next few weeks, will bring Google and the complete Internet to your set. The idea is to mix in YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, AOL and other Web sites with CBS, NBC and ABC, and use Google search to find out what to watch.
Logitech already makes powerful, pricey TV remotes, and it leads the market for PC webcams. But its core product, the mouse, isn't selling as well as it used to, and the Swiss-based company, which has its U.S. headquarters here, needs a new hit. Hello, Google TV and Logitech Revue.
Much like the mobile Web before the iPhone, TV makers are only beginning to make the Internet available on television sets. The results to date: not good. They're "so lackluster that more than a third of people buy them, bring them home, and then ignore the connected features of the TV altogether," says James McQuivey, an analyst with Forrester Research.
Logitech says Google TV will be different. "This will be the first platform to bring seamless access to the complete Internet on TV," says Gerald Quindlen, Logitech's CEO. He believes consumers will respond to Google TV as they did to the iPhone. Apple's device proved consumers wanted access to the full Internet and wouldn't settle for partial access, he says.
Google TV will be...
Fri, 3 Sep 10
Plan Your Vacation Using Geoservices
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74958
There are a lot of uses for online geoservices. One of the most common is holiday planning.
The first step is scoping out the planned vacation spot to check details, like whether the hotel is as close to the beach as promised in the catalog; or how far away the next town is; or whether a six-lane highway happens to lead right past the hotel.
Even a simple camping trip can be planned via computer. Use Google Maps or Microsoft Bing to input a destination. Seconds later, a map, including surrounding areas, will pop up. A zoom function allows you to get as close or far away as you desire.
Google Maps' satellite views can provide a first feel of the area surrounding a hotel or vacation house. Panorama shots in Google Street View can show more details of the surrounding area, though that's only possible in cities like Paris, where the service is used. Bing also offers a bird's eye view of sites, with plenty of detail.
And then there's Google Earth, which can be used to plan trips away from cities. Its satellite photos show meadows, forests, rivers and lakes. It also displays geographical data for a location. Once that data is put into a navigation device, it can quickly lead a person there.
Thu, 2 Sep 10
Apple Unveils New iPods, iOS, Ping Social Network
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75004
In a jam-packed event full of new product details, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled new versions of all three iPod devices on Wednesday, introduced operating-system updates, and demonstrated a new social-media network designed to encourage more downloading from iTunes. He also unveiled a leaner version of Apple's less-popular Apple TV set-top box.
Apple's Ping is "Facebook and Twitter meets iTunes," said Jobs as he demonstrated a feature of the 10th version of Apple's online music store. The network allows users to "follow" friends as well as artists, just like Twitter, and exchange updates and playlists with them.
Apple streamed the event at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, Calif., live (with a slight delay) via its web site, but the stream was available only to those using iPads, the latest iPods and iPhones, or Mac computers running the most recent Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system.
Jobs announced that Apple has sold 120 million devices that run the Apple portable operating system, now called iOS. "We couldn't be happier about the progress of iOS," said Jobs, in a shot across the bow to Google's fast-spreading Android OS. "There are 230,000 new activations per day."
The newest version, 4.01, will be available next week and will fix a glitch in the iPhone 4 involving the proximity sensor (but not the much-maligned antenna that can encounter signal problems from a user's touch).
The next iOS version, 4.2, which is intended to make the iPad's applications run more like those of the iPhone, is just around the corner in November. That update will also include a feature called AirPlay that allows users to send media to other devices via Wi-Fi. Jobs said Apple customers are downloading 200 apps every second.
But the stars of Wednesday's show were the new iPods. Boasting that the company...
Thu, 2 Sep 10
New VMware Products Advance 'IT as a Service' Vision
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75002
With cloud computing and virtualization growing by leaps and bounds, industry heavyweight VMware announced Tuesday a variety of new cloud-computing products and services to support its "IT as a Service" vision. The announcement was made at its VMworld 2010 event, now taking place in San Francisco, Calif.
The company said it intends to move beyond "IT as cost center." President and CEO Paul Maritz said that, just as the company set out two years ago "a vision to modernize the data center and transform IT," so it will now take steps to "bring this new world of IT as a Service and hybrid cloud computing to reality."
He noted a report from industry research firm IDC that, in 2009, the number of server applications on virtualized infrastructures surpassed the number on physical servers, and that the growth rate for virtual machines is 28 percent annually, worldwide.
IT as a Service is focused on outcomes, such as operational efficiency, competitiveness and rapid response, by using VMware's cloud-infrastructure solutions that span resources. The emphasis, the company said, is to "focus on the features our customers need," rather than focusing on "technologies needed to support IT."
With the new infrastructure model, the company said, IT can produce service in a "self-service model." The new cloud-infrastructure products and service utilize a "hybrid cloud model" that combines aspects of private and public clouds.
vCloud Director enables IT to create "virtual data centers," or VDCs, which are logical pools of resources with specified management policies, service-level agreements, and pricing. IT can then offer the VDCs, along with application services such as virtual appliances, VMs and OS images, to its users through self-service. IT teams, in essence, act as service providers to their own businesses.
Three new products -- vShield Edge, vShield...
Thu, 2 Sep 10
Touchscreen Nano Headlines Apple's New iPod Lineup
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75001
Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs announced a new line of iPods on Wednesday, including a Nano model that has a touch screen and lacks buttons.
Like previous versions, the Nano has a built-in FM tuner and can display photos. But instead of buttons, controls for playing, pausing and selecting music are right on the screen. It will cost $149 for the 8 gigabyte version and $179 for 16 gigabytes.
In a refresh to the iPod Touch, Apple is adding video-chat features similar to the newest iPhone. It has a front-facing camera for conducting video chats with other iPod Touch and iPhone users over Wi-Fi using Apple's FaceTime program. A camera on the back can be used for taking snapshots and recording video. Prices range from $229 to $399.
Jobs also introduced a new iPod Shuffle, the lowest-end music player in Apple's line. Like the past generation, it can speak the names of playlists and songs. But unlike the most recent of the tiny music players, the new $49 device brings back the square shape and buttons of Apple's second-generation Shuffle.
Apple, meanwhile, is adding social features to its iTunes software. Jobs said iTunes 10 brings new ways for people to learn what their friends are listening to. The feature, called Ping, is likely based on the technology Apple acquired with the purchase of Lala.com last year.
The Ping section in iTunes lets people "follow" friends, musicians and others, similar to the way Facebook and Twitter work. Ping builds custom top-10 lists based on what the people someone follows are listening to.
Earlier, Jobs also said iPhone users will be getting a software update that offers the ability to upload high-definition video over Wi-Fi. And when people take photos, the new software will save three slightly different copies that, when combined, make for a sharper image.
The new...
Thu, 2 Sep 10
HP, Hynix Aim To Replace Flash Memory with ReRAM
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=75000
As the 3PAR bidding war rages on, Hewlett-Packard is taking a deep breath and turning its attention to Hynix Semiconductor -- at least for a moment. On Wednesday, HP announced a joint development agreement with the memory supplier for a new circuit element.
Called memristor, the new circuit element will be integrated into a future generation of memory products -- but there is plenty of work to do to develop new materials and process integration technology that will bring memristor technology from the research phase to the commercial market. The result of the partnership is expected to yield resistive random-access memory (ReRAM).
ReRAM is nonvolatile memory with low power consumption that some industry watchers say could be the successor to flash memory in mobile phones and MP3 players. ReRAM could also serve as a universal storage medium because it can behave as flash, DRAM or even a hard drive.
"The memristor has storage-capacity abilities many times greater than what competing technologies offer," said Dr. S.W. Park, executive vice president and CTO at Hynix. "By adopting HP's memristor technology, we can deliver new, energy-efficient products to our customers more quickly."
According to HP, memristors require less energy to operate, are faster than present solid-state storage technologies, and can retain information even when power is off. The memristor, short for "memory resistor," was postulated to be the fourth basic circuit element by Prof. Leon Chua of the University of California at Berkeley in 1971 and was first intentionally reduced to practice by researchers in HP Labs in 2006.
"When you are talking about new-generation memory technology, the opportunities are huge," said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. "We are seeing memory expanding and becoming a critical element across a wide variety of IT products, including servers and storage. Enhancing memory has become an increasingly critical point...
Thu, 2 Sep 10
New Sony E-Readers Have Touchscreens, Higher Prices
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74997
Facing competition from Amazon.com, Apple and Barnes & Noble, Sony on Wednesday released updated models of its of e-readers. But Sony is taking a different approach from its rivals with touchscreen technology on all three of its e-readers, wireless connectivity on only the higher-end model, and prices higher than market leader Amazon for two of the readers.
The new models are the five-inch Pocket Edition PRS-350, the six-inch Touch Edition PRS-650, and the seven-inch Daily Edition PRS-950. The 350 will retail for $179.99, the 650 for $229.99, and the 950 for an estimated $299.99.
Only the 950 has wireless, both 3G and Wi-Fi, which is raising eyebrows among e-reader watchers. Both Amazon's Kindle and the Barnes & Noble nook have models with built-in Wi-Fi and 3G, or just Wi-Fi. To download new books, the two lower-end Sony e-readers connect to a computer via USB.
In addition, the non-wireless Pocket Edition and Touch Edition cost more than the equivalent Kindle model. This also raises eyebrows, since the conventional wisdom has been that e-reader makers were competing to get the lowest cost, with some user surveys indicating the market would really take off when e-readers are available for under $100. The trade-off is the touch technology, with page turning by a finger swipe and a stylus, which all Sony's e-readers now have and which Amazon's do not. The Touch and Daily Edition models featured touchscreens in their earlier incarnations.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has told news media he is wary of capacitive touch technology because it adds another screen layer and increases glare. Sony is using infrared sensors on the edge to avoid adding another layer.
The Pocket Edition PRS-350, weighing 5.64 ounces, has 2GB of built-in memory, which can store up to 1,200 e-books. A single battery charge can handle two...
Thu, 2 Sep 10
Amazon Eyes Move Into Subscription TV and Movies
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74996
Amazon.com is readying a digital subscription service that would let consumers watch television shows and movies online, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Apple is alsolaunching a TV-show rental service, setting the stage for a showdown between the two consumer electronics giants.
According to the Journal, Amazon has been in talks with several major media companies, including NBC Universal, Time Warner, News Corp., and Viacom, about a web-based subscription service that would compete with Apple, Netflix and Google.
Apple announced 99-cent TV-show rentals from ABC and Fox on Wednesday. Apple's model will make new shows available for rent starting the day after the original air date. The rental fee allows unlimited viewing for 48 hours.
The Journal reports Amazon's model is shaping up to look more like Netflix with a catalog of older content. The subscription service would make content viewable via a web browser or through Internet-connected devices, including televisions, Blu-ray players and the Xbox 360 video-game console.
Amazon also would also be competing in the same field as Hulu. In June, Hulu unveiled a subscription service that offers viewers access to full seasons of TV shows on a slew of devices. Dubbed Hulu Plus, consumers can tap into the service for $9.99 a month to watch shows whenever and wherever they want.
Phil Leigh, a senior analyst at Inside Digital Media, called the rumored development significant, particularly when put in the context of statistics released in August that show cable-TV subscribers declined.
According to data from SNL Kagan, cable companies saw a dip in subscribers during the second quarter. The cable-TV industry, which has until now experienced consistent growth, shed 711,000 subscribers in the period. Cable's share of pay TV also dipped from 63.6 percent to 61 percent in the second quarter.
"Although it is tempting...
Thu, 2 Sep 10
Smartphone Apps Keep Transit Riders on Time
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74973
Allen Stern says he had a 40-minute wait between buses when he lived in Manhattan. Using a free mobile app that became available about a year ago, he could tap into the Metropolitan Transit Authority with his cellphone and find out exactly how far away the next bus was from his stop. "If you could stay in your house another 10 minutes because you know the bus isn't here yet, and don't have to stand in freezing rain till it gets there, wouldn't you?"
Cities across the USA are increasingly using the Internet and smartphone technology to help riders make connections with their transit systems, whether the system is bus, rail or tram.
Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Boston are among the cities that have begun test-driving systems within the past eight months. Orlando announced in July that it had given the green light to a project to provide bus schedule information on select routes to riders with smartphones by October.
San Francisco, Washington and Chicago also have apps that allow riders to use their Internet-accessible phones to get real-time information showing when their next bus or train is due.
"It's part of what had to happen in the evolution of transit, bringing technology into it," said Stern, who maintains a public transportation blog called Inside Transit.
Most apps are available for all kinds of phones with Internet access, he said. The apps provided by the municipal transit authority are free. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority relaunched its "Next Bus" program in July 2009 after a trial run in 2007. Next Bus is available on 335 routes with 12,000 stops for no charge.
Apps designed by third-party developers sometimes come with a fee. "Exit Strategy NYC" is $4.99 through iTunes and plots which subway stop is nearest your intended destination. The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid...
Thu, 2 Sep 10
MetroPCS and Leap Take Prepaid Calling Upmarket
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74972
MetroPCS Communications and Leap Wireless International, two of the top sellers of pay-as-you-go wireless calling plans for low-income consumers, are targeting more-affluent users to spur growth.
Leap announced a deal this month to use the network of bigger rival Sprint Nextel. The company is trying to get greater shelf space at big box retailers, including Best Buy. MetroPCS is upgrading its network to deliver faster download speeds. Both companies are ramping up efforts to court business customers and release costlier devices such as smartphones.
The moves are designed to widen the appeal of prepaid calling so Leap and MetroPCS can gain more of the $152.6 billion U.S. market for wireless services. The existing pay-as-you-go audience is almost saturated and new mobile users favor multifeature handsets sold by such top providers as Verizon Wireless and AT&T "Prepaid was always niche, very low-end," says Sam Simon, a scholar at New Millennium Research Council, a Washington-based think tank. "Now what competes with it is the smartphone."
MetroPCS is the third-largest provider of prepaid calling, which generates 10 percent of the industry's revenue, according to IDC, a research firm in Framingham, Mass. This indicates prepaid sales of about $15.3 billion. The market is led by TracFone Wireless, owned by America Movil SAB, Latin America's largest wireless provider. Sprint Nextel, based in Overland Park, Kan,, ranks second, with Leap at No. 6.
Concern about Leap's growth sent its shares to a record low this month and added to pressure to renew merger talks it has sporadically held with MetroPCS for more than three years, says Craig Moffett, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. "The prepaid market is not getting any bigger," says Moffett.
Leap plans to use the Sprint Nextel network to provide coverage nationwide starting mid-2011, compared with 36 markets now....
Thu, 2 Sep 10
Dell Ponders Matching HP's Bid for 3PAR
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74970
The stunning bidding war for 3Par seems poised to continue. Dell on Monday said that it was contemplating whether to match Hewlett-Packard's $2 billion bid to acquire the obscure data-storage company.
"We're assessing what our next step will be," Dell spokesman David Frink says.
Meanwhile, Intel on Monday announced the $1.4 billion acquisition of Infineon Technologies' wireless division. This comes two weeks after Intel announced it will acquire anti-virus provider McAfee for $7.7 billion. The common thread to all these deals: cloud computing.
Dell and HP are hot for 3Par's technology because it supplements the complex systems each sells that enable new services to be delivered, via the Internet cloud, to PCs, mobile devices and smart sensors.
Intel, for its part, hopes to supply the computing chips inside the devices and sensors. These include PCs, netbooks, tablet PCs, smartphones and sensors that can track electricity use, for instance. Intel also wants to supply new Internet-delivered services, akin to how McAfee pushes out security fixes in real time to millions of PCs inside corporate networks.
"These acquisitions reflect the growing importance of cloud computing solutions and strategies," says Charles King, Pund-IT principal analyst. "The opportunities seem almost limitless."
Dell initially bid $1.15 billion, or $18 a share, for 3Par. Several rounds of bidding culminated in HP's $2 billion, $30-a-share bid, conveyed late Friday. That's a 200% premium over 3Par's $10-a-share price prior to Dell's first offer.
3Par fits nicely into both tech giants' plans for boosting sales of cloud computing systems. "If HP is able to rapidly ramp up 3Par's sales, it can certainly justify the price they're offering to pay for it," says Stan Zaffos, research vice president at Gartner.
3Par's closing share price on Monday, $31.82, reflected sentiment that Dell may yet counter HP's standing offer, says Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. "There probably...
Thu, 2 Sep 10
Google Readies Pay-Per-View Movies on YouTube
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74969
Google is planning to launch a pay-per-view movie section on its popular video site YouTube, according to a report Monday in the Financial Times.
The web giant has reportedly been holding talks with the major Hollywood studios in order to snag films for its new service which would compete with existing sites like Netflix, iTunes and Hulu, as well as the rapidly dwindling neighborhood video stores.
Citing studio bosses, the report said that YouTube would charge up to five dollars per film -- roughly the same amount that viewers of cable and satellite TV spend to view pay-per-view movies.
Google first unveiled its online movie ambitions by streaming a handful of titles from the Sundance Film Festival in January. It also announced plans earlier this year for a Google TV service which would be built into televisions and set-top boxes and provide a unique search and content system for TV viewers.
The Financial Times report said that talks have been continuing for "several months" but have "taken on greater urgency in recent weeks," and that the new service could debut before the end of the year.
Hollywood studios are reportedly excited about extending their online reach as they seek to combat the growing problem of pirated movies online and also replace the dwindling revenues from DVD sales.
Thu, 2 Sep 10
Know Your PC's Power-Saving Options
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74959
Computers need power -- and plenty of it. But if you're like many, you have reasons to be concerned about how much power your computer actually uses. You might want to lower your electricity bill or simply reduce the impact that your computing has on the environment. Or, if you frequently find yourself on the road, you no doubt want to reduce the amount of power that your notebook uses so that you can get longer life out of a single battery charge.
When it comes to energy use, the good news is that you have plenty of options available to reduce the power consumption of your PC. The bad news is that it's sometimes difficult to know which power saving options to use in which situation. Read on to find out.
Q: What's the difference between sleep mode and hibernate mode on Windows?
A: These are two power-saving options. Both are designed to allow you to resume work on your PC faster than if you shut your computer down entirely.
You can remember the difference between sleep and hibernate by remembering the difference between the words "sleep" and "hibernate" before computers came along. Essentially, when you sleep, you can wake up again pretty quickly. If you were to hibernate, you'd be unavailable for a bit longer.
The same goes for your Windows computer. Sleep mode shuts down some components of your PC, but everything that is active in memory (RAM) remains alive, so that when you "wake" your computer up by pressing a key or the power button, the machine returns to the state in which you left it almost immediately -- with applications, browser windows, and documents in exactly the same state.
As you might imagine, a computer in sleep mode continues to use some power, since the contents of RAM must be maintained....
Wed, 1 Sep 10
webOS 2.0 Will Switch Between Apps Using Cards
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74985
Details about Palm webOS 2.0 are beginning to emerge. On Tuesday, a software development kit and application programming interfaces were released to developers with some of the new features. The final 2.0 is expected to be released later in 2010.
In one new feature, a multitasking card metaphor will become what Palm is calling "the next generation of multitasking." Fanned-out cards represent different applications that a user is working on simultaneously, and can be switched from one app to another by moving from card to card.
Cards are grouped according to their association. The new webOS will automatically stack cards based on open activities, and a user can move cards from one stack to another.
A new universal search will be called Just Type. Searches can be conducted by typing in the search field, as well as tapping on a search icon. In addition, third-party developers can add Just Type searching into their applications.
Quick Actions can be conducted from the Just Type field. This means that, for instance, a Twitter tweet can be sent from the same search field by typing in Tweet This with the message. E-mails, alarms, to-dos, and text messages can similarly be sent from that field.
Applications will be able to have a dock mode for when the webOS device is in a charger and in "glanceable" mode. Clocks, stock-market watchers, weather reports, and other information widgets will continue to be displayed. Apparently, though, only one such application can be in Exhibition view at a time.
Version 2.0 also opens up webOS' Synergy, which integrated e-mail, social-networking sites, and other activities. Developers will have access to Synergy integration, such as integrating a lesser-known social-networking service, a carrier-based feature, or non-Exchange intranets.
There will also be more support for HTML5 technologies, which Apple in particular has been...
Wed, 1 Sep 10
Droid X Users Cautioned About Unofficial Android Update
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74984
Motorola cautioned Droid X users Monday to refrain from downloading an unofficial Android 2.2 upgrade circulating around the Internet. Installing the leaked upgrade will prevent Droid X smartphone owners from receiving the final version of the mobile OS slated for release in early September, Motorola warned in a support blog.
Motorola's release of Android 2.2 -- also known as Froyo -- will permanently fix some Exchange 2003 e-mail snafus for which Motorola has already been forced to issue temporary workarounds. For example, some Droid X users are currently unable to set up their Microsoft Exchange accounts, while others with e-mail access do not receive any notifications. "Both of these issues will be addressed in the Android 2.2 update," Motorola said.
Motorola's software upgrade for the Droid X promises to give enterprise customers full push-delivery support for Exchange as well as Gmail for business. Also on tap are live widgets for streaming messages to the user's home screen as well as filter widgets for differentiating work and home e-mails.
Among other things, the Froyo release will sport a corporate directory, a global lookup capability, a unified calendar, and security protocols for remotely setting the device's password for all the documents stored in memory. Additionally, Droid X users will finally be able to permanently delete text messages.
Once Android 2.2 becomes officially available for the Droid X, users will be able to download it over the air, Motorola advised. The software upgrade "will either be pushed to you, or you can grab it by going to Menu > Settings > About phone > System updates," Motorola wrote in a support blog.
The smartphone maker is clearly counting on the Flash Player 10.1 software shipping with Android 2.2 to differentiate the Droid X from rival Apple's popular iPhone, which lacks Flash capabilities....
Wed, 1 Sep 10
AutoCAD Returns To Mac, with iPhone and iPad Apps
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74981
After a lapse of 18 years, Autodesk is releasing a new AutoCAD for Mac. The application, widely used by engineers, architects and other professionals, has been developed as a native Mac OS X program. Simultaneously, the San Rafael, Calif.-based company has announced a free AutoCAD WS mobile app for the iPhone, iPad and the iPod touch.
This release, said Autodesk Senior Vice President Amar Hanspal, "marks the return of professional design and engineering software to the Mac platform," and follows a beta program with more than 5,000 testers. He added that making the software available for Apple's popular mobile devices will make it "more accessible for an ever-greater number of people."
AutoCAD for Mac features an interface designed for that platform, including graphical browsing of design files with Cover Flow, the use of multi-touch gestures, and what the software company called a "visual approach to drawing and layout management."
There's also support for native creation and editing of files in the DWG file format, and support for files created in previous versions of AutoCAD. There is also an application programming interface (API) enabling customization for work flows, settings configuration, project-specific adaptations, and other options.
The free AutoCAD WS app for Apple's mobile devices was built specifically for iOS, and it allows AutoCAD users to share and edit files on Apple's portable devices. AutoCAD for Mac is also being offered free to students and teachers.
Laura DiDio, an analyst with Information Technology Intelligence Corp., noted that, "after 18 years, everything old is new again." AutoCAD on the Mac, she said, will find "entire generations of computer users" who haven't used the program.
A key takeaway from Autodesk's decision to develop for Apple platforms again, she said, is the resurgence of Apple's devices in professional settings. "This absolutely validates" the growing popularity of Macs, iPads...
Wed, 1 Sep 10
E-Mail Overload? Gmail's Priority Inbox Will Try To Help
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74976
Google has moved on from bringing the Gmail world free Voice over Internet Protocol calling to tackling another challenge: E-mail overload. Google is moving to de-clutter the Gmail inbox with a new system that prioritizes e-mail.
Google empathizes with people who are overwhelmed by jammed inboxes. Google software engineer Doug Aberdeen said his inbox is slammed with messages from colleagues, from lists, about appointments, and automated mail that's often not important.
Google's Priority Inbox works to figure out what needs to be read and what needs a reply. Aberdeen calls the beta tool an "experimental new way of taking on information overload in Gmail."
"Gmail has always been pretty good at filtering junk mail into the 'spam' folder. But today, in addition to spam, people get a lot of mail that isn't outright junk but isn't very important -- bologna, or 'bacn'," Aberdeen wrote in the Official Google Blog. "So we've evolved Gmail's filter to address this problem and extended it to not only classify outright spam, but also to help users separate this 'bologna' from the important stuff. In a way, Priority Inbox is like your personal assistant, helping you focus on the messages that matter without requiring you to set up complex rules."
Here's how it works: Gmail automatically flags some incoming messages as important, using a variety of signals, including the people you e-mail most. For example, if Gmail users e-mail Bob a lot, the system figures the message from Bob is probably important. Gmail also works to predict priority messages based on which messages you open and reply to, figuring those messages are likely more important than the ones you skip over.
"As you use Gmail, it will get better at categorizing messages for you. You can help it get better by clicking the buttons at the top...
Wed, 1 Sep 10
Verizon Expected To Offer Samsung's Galaxy Tablet
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74975
Jumping into the exploding tablet market with both feet, Verizon Wireless is believed to be on the verge of offering Samsung's Tab, essentially a blown-up version of its successful Galaxy smartphones.
The Galaxy Tab runs Google's Android 2.2 (Froyo) and sports a seven-inch screen, a one-gigahertz ARM Cortex A8 processor, front- and back-facing cameras, and enhanced Swype input for text. It will be equipped with both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. With Skype reportedly developing an app for Android, the Tab could soon enable video chatting with anyone who has a desktop camera, giving the Tab a leg up over Apple's no-camera iPad. The Tab is also Flash-compatible, something Apple has barred on the iPad.
The Tab will likely be unveiled by Samsung Thursday at the IFA Consumer Electronics Conference in Berlin. Verizon did not confirm reports in numerous tech media that the device, seen in leaked photos, will soon be on its shelves. The company did not respond to our requests for comment. But one blog found the device listed on the company's internal computer systems. The Tab is compatible with Verizon's CDMA network.
The Tab will face a crowded tablet market now dominated by Apple's iPad, with new devices planned by Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Sharp and others. Motorola is also expected to have an Android-based tablet on the market through Verizon, and HP has announced separate devices that will run Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 for business users and the Palm webOS for consumers.
Leaked photos of the Tab show a device very similar to the iPad, but with a screen smaller than Apple's 9.7 inches, and with twice as many cameras. The rear-facing Tab camera is said to take shots at 3.2 megapixels, and a slot for microSD memory expansion allows storing and transferring photos.
While AT&T offers service for the...
Wed, 1 Sep 10
Google Buys SocialDeck as Gaming Spree Continues
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74974
Before the rumors even had a chance to die down in the wake of Google's last acquisition, the search giant snapped up yet another company in the social-gaming space. The acquisition of SocialDeck marks Google's fifth buy in August.
"We're super excited to announce that someone found our social games as much fun as you have -- in this case, that 'someone' is Google," SocialDeck wrote on its web site. "We started this company with the goal of connecting friends through social games on all kinds of exciting new mobile devices."
Founded in 2008, SocialDeck's vision is to enable "anywhere, anytime, anyone" gaming. The company has rolled out several social-gaming titles for the iPhone, Facebook and BlackBerry using its gaming platform. Popular titles include Shake & Spell 3D, Color Connect, and Pet Hero Puzzle. The apps are free.
SocialDeck's technology makes possible simultaneous game play across multiple mobile devices and social networks. The technology also facilitates viral content discovery, distribution and monetization. SocialDeck raised its first financing round from the BlackBerry Partners Fund in March 2009. The company was founded by Anish Acharya and Jeson Patel. SocialDeck reached the million-mobile-download milestone in February.
Google purchased Angstro earlier this week. Angstro works to compliment Google's news aggregator services by analyzing a wide breadth of information from multiple data sources to deliver fewer, but more accurate, results. Then there was the Slide acquisition for $182 million. Slide develops apps on social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Its claims to social-gaming fame include SuperPoke!, Pets and Academy of Magic.
Google also recently acquired Jambool, which peddles a virtual economy platform called Social Gold that developers can use to create currency systems and monetize them using in-game payments. Founded by Amazon.com veterans, Social Gold also offers analytics. Social Gold is found in popular Zynga...
Wed, 1 Sep 10
Tablet vs. Netbook: Which Is Right for You?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74957
Computer manufacturers are working hard on their answer to the iPad with models in various sizes and designs expected in the coming months.
Microsoft is leading the charge by working with numerous partners to develop small tablet computers running Windows 7. CEO Steve Ballmer has named Asus, Dell, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, and Lenovo by name, among others. This isn't Microsoft's first try in the tablet computer ring, either. The company's first models back in 2001 were primarily oriented toward business customers.
"It depends entirely on what you want to do with it," says Florian Muessig from German computer magazine c't when asked about the choice between a tablet computer and a netbook. The iPad is better for many computer games than a mini-laptop. Electronic books (eBooks) are also better suited for the tablet computer. The biggest advantage cited by the hardware expert is the fast bootup: "You press the button and it's on."
Netbooks have moved on in recent years beyond their original, limited intended purpose. At prices below $200 -- and thus significantly cheaper than an iPad (starting at $500) -- a netbook offers almost everything a modern PC can do, except with less processing power and lower resolution screens. The next generation will be coming with new double core Atom series processors from Intel. "But I'm not counting on seeing them this year," Muessig says.
With a battery life of up to ten hours, the iPad is built for the long haul, or long plane ride. Netbook batteries have typically maxed out at seven hours. Some of the new models are promising up to ten hours or more, though, and "for netbooks in particular battery life is a crucial factor," says Samsung manager Dirk Neuneier.
There are significant differences in the available storage memory. While netbooks usually have hard drives capable of holding 160...
Wed, 1 Sep 10
Solving Your Annoying Internet Explorer Troubles
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74956
Love it or hate it, Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), by most estimates, still commands the lion's share of the browser market. That means a lot of people spend a lot of their day using the browser, and a lot of people encounter problems they'd like to solve. Here are a few.
Q: Internet Explorer opens up in a different size and position each time I start it. I would like it to open up maximized. How can I do this?
A: Internet Explorer -- and most other web browsers -- remembers the size and position it was last in, and it launches in the exact same size and position when restarted. It's likely that you or some process resized or moved the browser window before closing it. It's important to note that IE and other browsers remember the state of just the last browser window closed, so if you have five browser session open, it's only the last one that is closed that will be stored for the next launch of the browser.
There are a couple of ways you can force IE to open in a maximized state each time, regardless of the size and position it was last in when closed. First, go to your Start menu and locate the Internet Explorer icon. Right-click it, and select Properties from the pop-up menu. From the resulting Internet Explorer Properties dialog box, make sure the Shortcut tab is selected, and then from the Run drop-down list box, select "Maximized." Click Apply and OK.
You could also download and use the free IE New Window Maximizer (http://bit.ly/c6uPXw), which will make it easy to do the same thing. The utility also gives you several other options over how IE launches, including the ability to open a new IE window in the background and to automatically close...
Wed, 1 Sep 10
PC Industry's Woes Could Translate Into Fall Bargains
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74954
If you're looking for bargains on personal computers, bad news from the industry could be good for your pocketbook.
Computer makers are scrambling for ways to goose faltering consumer demand after a weak start to the back-to-school shopping season. That could mean deeper price cuts and other promotions beyond the incentives that the industry dangled in front of shoppers to lure them into stores during the worst of the recession.
The latest sign of trouble came Friday when Intel Corp. lowered its forecast for the third quarter, saying demand for consumer PCs has been weaker than expected.
Because Intel's microprocessors are used in 80 percent of the world's PCs, its forecast essentially speaks for the health of the entire PC industry. Plus, its orders are based on how many computers the world's biggest PC makers expect to make in the coming months, so weak chip sales now could foreshadow weak results to come from those manufacturers.
Even before Intel announced the latest trouble, two leading PC makers -- Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. -- raised red flags last week about what is normally a robust season for sales.
Dell's chief financial officer, Brian Gladden, called the back-to-school shopping season "a little weaker than we would have expected." Todd Bradley, head of HP's PC division, complained of "softness" in consumer laptops and said back-to-school shopping was off to a late start.
Barclays Capital analyst Ben Reitzes said another factor could cause PC makers to cut prices: In the past few months, the prices for parts such as hard disk drives and memory have fallen -- to their lowest levels of the year in August. That gives PC makers the freedom to lower prices while maintaining profit margins.
"This component environment could potentially now allow companies to invest in more aggressive pricing to stimulate demand into next year," he...
Wed, 1 Sep 10
Paul Allen Sues Major Tech Companies
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74953
Microsoft Corp. co-founder and billionaire Paul Allen is suing nearly a dozen major companies, including tech giants Google Inc. and Apple Inc., alleging they infringed on four Web technology patents held by his company Interval Licensing LLC.
Interval said Friday it filed the suit in a U.S. District Court in Seattle against the companies. In addition to Google and Apple, the defendants named in the suit are: Facebook Inc., eBay Inc., Yahoo Inc., Netflix Inc., AOL Inc., Office Depot Inc., OfficeMax Inc., Staples Inc. and Google-owned YouTube LLC.
Interval owns patents from Interval Research, which was a technology research and development company that Allen started with David Liddle in the early '90s.
Interval said that the patents it believes are being violated are key to how e-commerce and search companies work. The patents described in the suit refer to technology used for things such as Web browsing and sending alerts over the Web.
"This lawsuit is necessary to protect our investment in innovation," Allen's spokesman, David Postman, said in a statement.
Interval is seeking unspecified damages for the alleged infringements, and an order that the defendants either stop infringing on its patents or pay royalties for doing so.
Several companies named as defendants did not return requests for comment. Netflix, AOL, Yahoo and Office Depot had no comment.
Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes called the suit "completely without merit," and eBay spokeswoman Johnna Hoff said the company is reviewing the suit.
Google said the suit "reflects an unfortunate trend of people trying to compete in the courtroom instead of the marketplace."
Gerry J. Elman, founder of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania-based Elman Technology Law PC, said the suit looks like one "that has to be taken seriously and not just blown away as a nonstarter."
Still, the products and services offered by the companies named in the suit aren't immediately threatened. Patent cases can...
Wed, 1 Sep 10
3Par Q&A: Why Is the Company Such a Hot Commodity?
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74952
Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. are both trying to buy data-storage provider 3Par Inc. -- whose board has determined that HP's $2 billion, $30-per-share takeover bid is superior to Dell's offer.
3Par also announced an intention to terminate its merger agreement with Dell. However, on Saturday a Dell spokesman said Dell has the right to match HP's offer for three business days and is weighing its options.
Here are some details on 3Par:
Q: What does 3Par do?
A: 3Par makes and sells storage utilities, or groups of specialized computers designed to store data that are frequently updated. The company has technology for what's known as thin provisioning, the ability to dole out only as much storage space as necessary at any given moment, with the ability to quickly scale up or down depending on the conditions.
Q: What makes 3Par so appealing to Dell and HP?
A: Dell and HP have both been trying move into more profitable markets than PCs. As part of that effort, they have embraced cloud computing, in which customers don't buy their own computer servers for certain tasks but instead pay companies such as Dell and HP to sell services that can be accessed via the Internet. With cloud-based storage services, Dell or HP would operate the storage machines on behalf of their customers. The thin provisioning from 3Par would help Dell or HP use expensive storage hardware more efficiently by sharing it among multiple customers.
Q: Who are 3Par's existing customers?
A: The company sells its products to Web companies including Ask.com, IAC, MySpace.com and Priceline.com. Other customers include the U.S. Census Bureau, Credit Suisse and Verizon Business.
Q: How much money does it make?
A: For the most recent fiscal year, which ended March 31, 3Par's revenue was $194.3 million. The company reported a net loss of $3.2 million.
Q: How long has...
Wed, 1 Sep 10
India BlackBerry Ban Averted for 60 More Days
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=74949
India withdrew a threat Monday to ban BlackBerry services for at least two more months after the device's maker, Research In Motion Ltd., said it would give security agencies greater access to corporate e-mail and instant messaging.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement it would review the situation in 60 days after the Department of Telecommunications studies the feasibility of routing BlackBerry services through a server in India.
India wants greater access to encrypted corporate e-mails and instant messaging, though it remains unclear precisely what concessions Research In Motion agreed to in order to avert the ban.
About 1 million BlackBerry users would have been affected in India.
"RIM have made certain proposals for lawful access by law enforcement agencies and these would be operationalized immediately. The feasibility of the solutions offered would be assessed thereafter," the ministry said.
Home Secretary G.K. Pillai met officials from the Department of Telecommunications, the Intelligence Bureau and the National Technical Research Organization -- a cyber intelligence organization -- on Monday to discuss BlackBerry security issues, Home Ministry spokesman Onkar Kedia said.
Research In Motion, a Canadian company, has been reluctant to agree to New Delhi's demands for real-time access to encrypted corporate e-mail, saying previously it is technically impossible to provide.
The decision by Nokia Corp. -- Research In Motion's major competitor in India -- to install a server in the country to facilitate government monitoring may have weakened RIM's bargaining position. Nokia India Managing Director D. Shivakumar told reporters Monday the company will install a server in India in November to ensure government access to data.
RIM is facing widespread concern over its strong data encryption, which is beloved by corporate customers eager to guard secrets, but troublesome for some governments in the Middle East and Asia that worry it could be used by militants to avoid...