I Tech Logs

Will Google Drop a Chromlet on Black Friday?

2010-08-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

Months ago, Google promised a mini-computer running the Chrome operating system would hit the market by the 2010 holiday season, and the Download Squad may have uncovered new details about the device. It will supposedly be a tablet with 2 GB of RAM and 3G abilities. However, Google's other OS, Android, is the one with the app momentum, and both are under the cloud of Oracle's litigation.

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) will launch a Chrome OS tablet on the Verizon network Nov. 26, know to retailers as "Black Friday," according to the Download Squad.
The device is being built by HTC, a company that's made several Android devices in the past.

If true, the move will fulfill Google's announcement earlier this year that it would launch Chrome OS tablets in time for the holiday season.

However, it's not yet clear how Chrome OS tablets will coexist with those running the Android operating system, which is also offered by Google. Will they be targeted at different markets?

Also, could Oracle's (Nasdaq: ORCL) lawsuit against Google hamper sales of Chrome tablets?
Suggested Chrome Tablet Specs

The rumored Chrome OS tablet will likely be based on Nvidia's (Nasdaq: NVDA) Tegra 2 platform, Download Squad speculated.

The Tegra is Nvidia's low-power HD processor for mobile devices. It has eight separate processors, including an ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY) CPU and separate graphics and HD video processors.

The Chrome OS tablet will reportedly have a 1,280-by-720 multitouch display, 2 GB of RAM, at least a 32 GB solid state drive, GPS, a webcam and possibly expandable storage through a multi-card reader. For connectivity, it will reportedly have WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G capabilities.

Back in December 2009, IBTimes listed the specs of a Google Chrome netbook it said was in the works. This would have a 10.1-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) multitouch display which would be HD-ready, a 64 GB solid state drive, 2 GB of RAM, a webcam, a multi-card reader and WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth and Ethernet capabilities as well as USB ports, according to IBTimes.

Speculation was that this netbook would be offered at less than US$300.

"I expect the product to be very raw, more of a late beta than a true final product for some time, but for some, and I'm likely in that group myself, that can actually be OK, given that we like being the first to try stuff out," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told TechNewsWorld.

"This is a taste of a product that won't really be ready until mid-2011," Enderle added.

"It would be better if Google launched the tablet earlier, but people are buying later now than they did in the past, so Google could still do well as long as the tablet's available for shipping after the launch," Maribel Lopez, principal analyst and founder of Lopez Research, told TechNewsWorld.
Keeping Promises

Google first announced plans to build a netbook running the Chrome OS back in November of 2009 when it opened the source code for the operating system to developers.

At that time, Sunder Pichai, vice president of product management of Google, said the Internet giant would have these netbooks ready for the 2010 holiday season.

The first batch of these netbooks would be offered as companions to users' existing PCs, and would focus on entertainment. Pichai said owners would be able to play videos and games on them, as well as read books.

At that time, Pichai also said the Chrome OS would be tweaked before it was put on devices going to retailers' shelves.

Last week, Google tweaked the Chrome OS twice. On Aug. 11, it unveiled a beta release that included new features such as Autofill and the ability to let users sync Chrome extensions and Autofill data through their Google accounts.

Google also tweaked the Chrome browsers user interface. The new beta release is faster than its predecessor, Google said.

On Aug. 12, Google announced a new Chrome to Phone extension that lets users send the current Web page, map, YouTube videos, selected phone numbers or text from their PCs to mobile devices running Android 2.2, also known as "Froyo."

Google declined to elaborate on the reports of an upcoming Chrome tablet launch.

"We do not comment on rumor or speculation," spokesperson Gina Weakley told TechNewsWorld.
But What About Android?

Manufacturers are racing ahead with Android-based tablets. For example, Samsung will reportedly show off the P1000 Galaxy Tab Android tablet at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin next month.

Dell's (Nasdaq: DELL) Android-based Streak tablet hit retail shelves Aug. 13, and Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) announced its Cius Android tablet back in June. Archos has offered an Android tablet, the Archos 7, since March.

LG has announced plans to release an Android tablet in the fourth quarter of this year, and several other manufacturers have plans to release Android tablets.

What will happen to Android tablets now that Google is offering Chrome devices?

"I'm not sure about the difference between Android and Chrome and how they intersect," Andrew Eisner, director of community and content at Retrevo, told TechNewsWorld. "Will Android apps run on Chrome?"

Apps are the key to success in the mobile market, and Chrome's compatibility with Android apps is a make-or-break issue, he said.

"Android seems set to get a critical mass of apps, and that makes Android smartphones very attractive," Eisner pointed out.
To Have and Have Not

More Chrome and Android tablets are likely to hit the market. However, that market may be roiled by the shadow of Oracle's lawsuit, which hangs heavy over tablets running Android and Chrome. Oracle is suing Google claiming that the Java engine used in Android infringes on the patents it picked up in its acquisition of Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: JAVA).

"Be aware that, just like Android, Chrome is likely to infringe on Oracle's patents and that could prove problematic," Enderle warned.

Bogus Dislike Button Plagues Hapless Facebook Users

2010-08-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

Facebook users are on the horns of a dilemma: Blindly give away their personal information to any third-party app that interests them, or hoard their personal information and steer clear of all third-party apps. Facebook either can't or won't tell users which apps are safe and which are scams, so it's apparently a case of Networker Beware.

How many times have we all seen comments like this on a Facebook status update: "Not like, but dislike," or "I'd press Dislike if there was a button." It's a common complaint about the social networking site's comment options; one can press the "Like" button to give a thumbs-up to a friend's post, but there is no analogous "Dislike" button.
Now, enterprising scammers have taken advantage of that desire and built a Facebook app that not only lures users with the prospect of adding a Dislike button, but also gleans personal information and even uses a fake survey to add a US$5-per-month surcharge to unsuspecting users' mobile phone bills.

The app eventually links to the apparently innocuous and legitimate Firefox add-on Dislike button distributed by FaceMod. For its part, FaceMod says that it has no part of the survey or mobile phone surcharge scam.
Charging for Free Add-On

The app, one of the many termed "rogue" by the security community, uses the temptation of exclusive or eye-popping content to trick Facebook users into permitting access to their profile data. It then posts a spam status update to the user's page advertising the scam, with this wording: "I just got the Dislike button, so now I can dislike all of your dumb posts lol!!"

Before that post appears, though, users are asked to fill out a marketing survey with seemingly legitimate questions, such as what they like to do for fun. They then are given the opportunity to provide a mobile phone number. If they don't read the very fine print, they are then slapped with that $5 charge per month for the app.

Many don't know that the FaceMod Dislike button app actually is available for free through the Mozilla add-on tool.
Who's at Fault?

The question for many is what Facebook chooses to do when such scams take the viral route through its user community -- and why. A post to the Facebook Security page states, "beware of the fake Facebook 'dislike' button. As always, we advise you not to click on suspicious links on Facebook."

Of course, it can be difficult to determine what exactly is a suspicious link when experts at malicious social engineering go to great lengths to make such links appear to be on the up-and-up.

"Facebook's primary concern has not been protecting users," Jennifer Golbeck, assistant professor of information studies at the University of Maryland, told TechNewsWorld.

While people who venture onto social networking sites need to be more aware of privacy issues and how to monitor who has access to their information, she noted, it can be very difficult in the context of a site such as Facebook that itself changes privacy settings frequently.

For example, the recent switch to the "Like" button for groups, versus joining a particular group, exposed a great deal of information about people's personal interests by displaying those groups on a person's "Like" list automatically, she pointed out.

However, Facebook may be doing the best it can without creating a bottleneck in app development, Beth Jones, senior security analyst with Sophos, told TechNewsWorld.

"In my opinion, it seems a bit of a no-win situation for Facebook," Jones explained. "If they started checking every application's code, they would get extremely bogged down, and they would lose their competitive edge. Apps would be very slow to roll out, and users would get frustrated and leave."
We Have the Technology

Still, Facebook does have -- and always has had -- the ability to block third-party applications from its site. It takes a strong stand against some particularly egregious efforts to glean information, such as the data torrent that security consultant Ron Bowes aggregated from Facebook profiles recently.

"Though I'm not an engineer, I can imagine the site can guard against large-scale efforts to capture user data," Greg Sterling, founder and principal of Sterling Market Intelligence, told TechNewsWorld.

In fact, Facebook published very specific policies for app developers earlier this year. Its "Developer Principles and Policies" document was modified in March to specifically restrict apps from publishing a story to a user's Feed without that user's explicit consent, through a checkbox, that indicates that content will be shared.

The spam message that virally advertises the "Dislike" button appears to be in direct violation of Facebook's app policies.

Google Gets Playful With Facebook Rivalry

2010-08-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

Facebook has taken on the sheen of invulnerability with its half a billion strong membership, but one company that could possibly mount a challenge is Google -- and it appears to be doing just that. Although unconfirmed, word is out that Google is in serious talks with social gaming companies to collaborate on an ambitious new social networking service.

Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) "Facebook killer" came a step closer to reality Wednesday, when it was revealed that the company has been talking with game makers for potential inclusion of their wares on a new social network.
Originally brought to light by a tweet last month from Digg Founder Kevin Rose, the new "Google Me" offering could include games from Playdom, Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS)' Playfish, and Zynga Game Network, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, which cited "people familiar with the matter."

No information was available as to when Google would launch the new initiative, and Google declined TechNewsWorld's request for comment, noting simply that the company does not comment on rumor or speculation.
'They Need New Ad Revenue'

"This is all about ad revenues, nothing else," Lon Safko, social media entrepreneur, consultant and coauthor of The Social Media Bible, told TechNewsWorld.

Facebook claims 500 million members, after all, and "that's a lot of missed ad rev" for Google, Safko pointed out.

"Facebook has figured it out," he explained. "Get the traffic, sell the ads and even-split the ad rev with its members. It's what Google has been doing on the public side."

Google, in fact, recently disappointed Wall Street with below-estimated profits for its last quarter, Safko added. "They need to find a large source of new ad revenue. Where better than to try to tap into the [500 million] member base at Facebook?"
'He Doesn't Need Google'

"If I were Google, I would try to build a strategic alliance with Zuckerberg and provide the ad engine for Facebook," Safko suggested. "Do what each does best: Facebook, build membership; and Google, sell advertising."

On the other hand, "I am sure that Zuckerberg already has a good handle on ad sell implementation, so he doesn't need Google," he added. "If all that is true, then Google has no choice but go head-to-head with Facebook and re-invent the Facebook wheel and directly compete."

To date, however, "Google hasn't been effective at bringing copycat products successfully to market," Safko noted. "Unless Google can offer something astonishing that isn't available at Facebook, then I don't see Google's venture succeeding."
Going Beyond Buzz

Indeed, Google is not exactly a stranger to the world of social networking. Its Buzz product, for example, launched earlier this year, only to be deflated early on by a raft of privacy concerns.

Then, too, there's Orkut, which has gained significant popularity in India and Brazil.

The new social-networking service would "incorporate and go beyond Buzz," The Wall Street Journal reported.
'Project Management Leader, Games'

A heavy emphasis on games, meanwhile, would make developers less dependent on Facebook for reaching the growing masses of interested consumers, the publication noted.

Though it hasn't been announced officially, Google recently invested more than US$100 million in Zynga, maker of the widely popular Farmville game, TechCrunch reported earlier this month.

It also recently advertised a job opening for a "Project Management Leader, Games."
'Maybe Very Smart'

"The report and rumors that surfaced before the WSJ article suggest that games will be a way into a competitive social offering for Google," Greg Sterling, founder and principal with Sterling Market Intelligence, told TechNewsWorld. "That's very interesting and maybe very smart, depending on its execution."

Gaming will not, however, "define the full scope of Google's social ambitions," Sterling opined.
'More on the White Board'

"Google has several social initiatives living side by side, and the company, if it is to succeed, will need to figure out how to integrate or consolidate some of them and where to put emphasis," he explained. "One of the areas of vulnerability identified for Facebook (by Google) was the inability to regulate exposure according to trust circles or groups -- family vs. friends vs. co-workers.

"This 'hierarchy of trust' wouldn't likely be expressed fully in a gaming environment," Sterling pointed out, "so I suspect Google has a good deal more on the white board."

UltraViolet: Light at the End of the DRM Tunnel?

2010-08-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

A new streaming standard will allow consumers to access films and television shows stored online for use on a variety of devices, while protecting copyrights in the content. Dozens of producers and tech companies are collaborating in the effort, dubbed "UltraViolet," but Disney and Apple are so far not on board.

The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, a consortium of cable, entertainment and technology companies, has announced more details about a concept that would ultimately give consumers the ability to legally access the digital content of a slew of providers for use on multiple devices -- from smartphones to personal computers to Web-enabled television sets.
The crux of this concept, which DECE has dubbed "UltraViolet," is a cloud-based, account-system digital locker. Consumers would buy the content, register their various devices, and manage their accounts. The content would be protected through a proprietary digital rights management system.

Testing is the next step to realizing this concept, Mark Teitell, general manager of DECE, told TechNewsWorld. By the end of the year, the consortium expects to have delivered a package of tech specifications and licensing agreements for the implementers -- that is, retailers and manufacturers that are supporting the platform.

"We will also make available to them an account authentication hub and rights locker," said Teitell -- what the consumer will think of as a personal account management system.

By Q1 2010, it is likely that some of the early DECE implementers will have introduced their own consumer-facing applications, he added.
Who's In and Who's Not

There are some 60 companies that belong to DECE, including Adobe, Best Buy, CinemaNow, Cisco, Comcast, Cox Communications, Fox Entertainment, HP, IBM, Intel, LG, Lionsgate, Microsoft, Motorola, NBC Universal, Netflix, Nokia, Panasonic, Paramount, Philips, the RIAA, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and Warner Bros.

Notably missing are Disney, which is developing its own content management system, called "Keychest," and Apple, whose successful introduction of iTunes helped convince the music industry that consumers would pay for content -- and not download it illegally -- if it were made easily available to them.
Key Requirement

Ease of use will be essential for the successful launch of UltraViolet, Miles Feldman, an IP litigator with Liner Grode Stein, told TechNewsWorld.

"What has been most successful in the past in combating piracy is when consumers have been given a great platform that provides great value -- like with iTunes," he said.

It needs to be convenient and be priced fairly, Feldman continued, and the consumer shouldn't feel limited by when or how or how long the content will be available.

Based on the way UltraViolet is being portrayed, "I think it will be a huge step forward in combating piracy," Feldman remarked.
Any Device, Any Content

How the UltraViolet system will work won't be completely clear until the implementing companies build their consumer-facing ends to integrate with the technology DECE is now developing. Everything, in other words, will depend on execution by the participants.

In theory, the hub that consumers will see will give them controls for family members -- allowing or restricting access to certain content by children, for example. It will also allow the consumer to purchase content from any retailer participating in the network. The hub's registry system will allow users to easily access the UtraViolet-branded content they have purchased for use on a variety of devices. Once those devices are registered, they appear as icons on the hub. From there the content can be dragged to the device icon.

As participating companies get used to the system -- and as more consumers become aware of the UltraViolet logo and understand what it means -- there could be all kinds of integrated purchases, Teitell said.

For instance, a person could use an UltraViolet account to buy content from Best Buy and then buy a television set from the retailer. At checkout, the customer could be prompted to have the television automatically registered as well. The customer could then begin accessing UltraViolet content on the TV.

"It can be that easy," said Teitell.

Droid X Screen Problems Nipped in Bud

2010-08-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

Reports of Droid X display problems may have triggered some alarm, having come on the heels of Apple's 'Antennagate' debacle, but there's little similarity between the two. In particular, Motorola and Verizon didn't drag their heels either in addressing or correcting the problem. Apple has taken sharp criticism for its slow, somewhat grudging response.

Even as Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) suffers the continuing pains of its iPhone 4 "Antennagate" brouhaha, it appears at least one competing device is now facing problems of its own: Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and Verizon on Tuesday acknowledged faulty screens on some Droid X handsets and offered affected consumers a free replacement device.

"We are aware of a very small number of Droid X units that have experienced a flickering or banding display," Motorola spokesperson Juli Burda told TechNewsWorld. "The exposure of devices is limited to less than one-tenth of a percent."

Motorola has already resolved the issue, Burda said, and it continues to ship the product.

"Any consumer who experiences a flickering or banding display should contact Motorola's customer support center or Verizon Wireless for a replacement," she added.

Those experiencing issues "will have their phones replaced in a timely manner," Verizon Wireless spokesperson Marquett Smith told TechNewsWorld.
'Most Will Be Pleased'

The Android-based Droid X just hit the stores last week after considerable fanfare, particularly given the iPhone 4's ongoing problems.

Many affected users apparently found the device worked fine at first, and then problems began to crop up, according to reports, in some cases rendering the display useless. At least one user posted a YouTube video demonstrating the problem.

Whereas Apple has suffered sharp criticism for taking too long to respond to the iPhone 4's antenna issues, the quick response from Motorola and Verizon should come as a pleasant surprise, Alex Spektor, a wireless analyst with Strategy Analytics, told TechNewsWorld.

"For those consumers who are suffering from the problem, it can certainly be a frustrating experience, but I think most will be pleased with Verizon's almost immediate offer to replace the device," Spektor explained.

Of course, the alacrity of that response is not too surprising, given that the device is not only still under warranty but within the 30-day return period, he noted. "It would make sense for Verizon to keep those consumers as happy as possible."
'The Best Way to Do It'

Indeed, the companies' response has been "very good," agreed Chris Hazelton, research director for mobile and wireless with the 451 Group.

"In today's terms, with all the other issues out there, they reacted very swiftly," Hazelton told TechNewsWorld.

"I'm not comparing this with the iPhone's antenna issues, but the fact that Motorola and Verizon acknowledged the problem right away and reacted with a solution -- that's the best way to do it," he added. "Acknowledge it, disclose how big the impact is, and offer a resolution."
'There Will Be Devices in the Channel'

Though there were reports as early as last weekend that the Droid X had already sold out online, there are typically always devices in the channel that can be accessed for priority needs such as this replacement program, Hazelton pointed out.

"With the retail channel control that Motorola and Verizon have, there will be devices in the channel that they can prioritize and that may be easily accessible," he explained.

Although this particular problem affects just a very small proportion of buyers, it still "speaks to the pressure that smartphone vendors are under right now to get their devices to market on time," Spektor noted.

"There's a lot of competition for Motorola from Samsung, Apple and HTC," he concluded. "As we've seen with the iPhone antenna issue, and as we've seen with component shortages for other vendors, there's a lot of pressure to get these devices onto the market as quickly as possible in order to remain competitive."

Seagate's Hybrid Drive Shoots for Quick-Draw Data Access

2010-06-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

Seagate's new Momentus XT internal hard drives are designed to offer some of the benefits of internal SSDs without as much added cost. A standard-sized HDD is accompanied by 4GB of flash memory that provides fast access. Seagate's own software determines what data the user accesses most frequently and divides the work accordingly.

Seagate Monday began shipping its second-generation hybrid solid state/hard disk drive to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and its sales channels.

The Seagate Momentus XT is priced much lower than full solid-state drives.

The device spins at 7,200 RPMs and comes in capacities of 250 GB, 320 GB and 500 GB.
Tech Specs of the Momentus XT

All Momentus XT models come with not only a standard hard disc drive, but also a 4GB solid state flash memory drive.

The drive comes with Seagate's Adaptive Memory Technology software that memorizes users' file access patterns and stores the most-loaded files onto the SSD. Together with the higher spindle speed and the NCQ technology, this speeds up data access.

Seagate has aimed the offering at gamers and other users who need high disk speeds. On Wednesday, Seagate and Asus will unveil the new Asus ROG G73JH system, which is equipped with two Momentus XT drives.

"We could add more Flash memory, but it really isn't worth the trade-off," Seagate spokesperson Michael Hall told TechNewsWorld. "We began with 8 GB of Flash memory but found it doesn't buy you appreciably more performance."

The device has 32 MB of cache and a 3GB/second SATA interface with Native Command Queuing (NCQ). The NCQ technology increases the performance of SATA haRd disks by letting them internally optimize the order in which they execute read/write commands.

The Momentus XT is operating system-independent, so the drive will work with Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

"This is a drive you can install in any laptop," Hall remarked. "We thought we needed to create our own algorithm and embed it in the drive."

Seagate launched its first-generation hybrid drive, the Momentus 5400 PSD, or Power Savings Drive, in the fall of 2007 to work with Windows Vista. That drive failed to sell well.

"One of the points with the PSD was that it depended on Microsoft ReadyDrive for Vista to write data to the hard drive," Hall explained. "We were dependent on the operating system, and that was one of the limiting factors of the drive."

ReadyDrive was a technology Microsoft introduced in Windows Vista to give PCs fitted with a hybrid hard disk longer battery life, greater reliability, and better performance.
Pegging Down Prices

SSDs are more reliable and faster than traditional hard drives because they have no moving parts. The technology has been available in laptop drives for years, but due to their high prices, laptop SSDs remain niche products.

Some 250 GB internal SSDs are offered at between US$644 and $1,234 at Newegg.com, for example.

"SSDs' extremely low acceptance can be traced back to their significant cost premium -- the cost/benefit ratio simply doesn't appeal to most consumers," Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, told TechNewsWorld.

The Momentus XT drives carry an MSRP of $113 for the 250 GB device, $132 for the 320 GB version, and $156 for the 500 GB one.

Seagate's pricing strategy might work.

"Since a hybrid approach is very likely to bring users 80 to 90 percent of the advantages of an SSD for less than 20 percent of the price premium, this will become the norm for PCs of the future," Handy said. He expects more vendors to offer hybrid drives within the next year or two.
Looking at Tomorrow

Hybrid drives may have a good ride for the next couple of years.

"We don't anticipate SSD becoming really affordable for mainstream use in notebooks before early 2012," Leslie Fiering, a research vice president at Gartner (NYSE: IT), told TechNewsWorld.

Demand for hard drives won't be affected by the storm of Internet-based netbooks that's expected to hit the market soon, led by Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), Fiering opined.

"I think it's going to be a while before people will trust their secrets to the Web," she explained. "Think about it for a second -- what about all the security breaches we've seen and the vacillation of social networking sites in terms of security policies? Further, can you guarantee that you can get a high-speed connection to the Internet when you need your information?"

"From a business standpoint, designing the Momentus XT so it doesn't depend on support from someone else, as the Momentus 5400 did, is a better recipe for success for Seagate," Objective Analysis' Handy said.

WiGig Aims to Widen the Wireless Road

2010-06-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

The WiFi Alliance has entered an agreement with the WiGig Alliance, an outfit that aims to make 7 gigabit-per-second data transmissions on wireless home networks a reality. PCs, mobile handsets, television sets, Blu-ray disc players and digital cameras are some of the devices that may benefit from the technology. The agreement could pose mounting competition for the Wireless HD Consortium.

TV viewers may soon be able to watch videos without interruption over wireless networks as they move from their television sets to their PCs to their handheld devices, with the signing of an agreement Monday between the Wireless Gigabit (WiGig) Alliance, the WiFi Alliance and semiconductor developer SiBeam.

The WiGig Alliance's specifications enable data transmission rates of up to 7 Gbps, more than 10 times faster than the highest speed offered by the 802.11 standard.

"WiFi is a very successful technology and has a wide variety of devices, and we want to leverage that success and extend it into the 60 GHz range," Bruce Montag, a board member of the WiGig Alliance, told the E-Commerce Times.
A Marriage Made in Heaven?

The WiGig Alliance was formed in May 2009 to promote the adoption and use of 60 GHz wireless technology worldwide. It completed its unified wireless specification, which enables high-performance wireless video and audio, in December of 2009.

That standard extends WiFi technology into the 60 GHz range but retains backward compatibility with existing WiFi devices. It can be used on PCs, mobile handsets, television sets, Blu-ray disc players and digital cameras.

Many members of the WiGig Alliance are also members of the WiFi Alliance, which makes the teaming up of the two a fairly straightforward deal. It will also boost adoption of the WiGig Alliance's standard.

The WiGig Alliance will be able to leverage the WiFi Alliance's certification program, which has been place since 2000.

"The partnership will let the Wireless Gigabit Alliance leverage all the tools and structure for industry participation that's available to WiFi and extend that to 60 GHz," the WiGig Alliance's Montag said. "The idea is to bring multi-gigabit wireless capability to a wide variety of devices like PCs, netbooks, cellphones and consumer electronic devices -- everywhere that WiFi is available today."

SiBeam's inclusion in the partnership will further boost the WiGig Alliance's efforts. This company is a fabless semiconductor company that develops high-speed wireless communication platforms.

"Support from SiBeam adds momentum to what appears to be the industry-supported standard," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told TechNewsWorld.
WiGig Version 1.0 specs

The WiGig Alliance on Monday published its specs, which were completed in December 2009.

In addition to supporting data transmission rates of up to 7 Gbps, the specs supplement and extend the 802.11 Media Access Control (MAC) layer and are backward-compatible with IEEE 802.11.

The physical layer enables both low-power and high-performance WiGig devices to ensure interoperability and communication at gigabit rates between the two.

The standards support beamforming, thus enabling robust communications at distances beyond 10 meters.

Beamforming is a signal processing technique used in sensor arrays for directional signal transmission or reception. There are two types of beamforming techniques in the cellular industry: Passive mode and active mode. Passive mode is for WCDMA transmissions, while active mode solutions are for 2G, 3G, 3G evolution standards such as LTE, and 4G and other standards beyond 3G.
Implications of the WiGig Announcement

With its announcement of a team-up with the WiFi Alliance and SiBeam, the WiGig Alliance has ratcheted up pressure on another 60 Hz standard, from the Wireless HD Consortium.

The consortium offers a 60 GHz wireless standard that it says will eliminate the need for HDMI cables. It announced the second generation of its standard back in January of this year.

This latest spec will let high-definition TV sets, Blu-ray disc players, PCs and portable devices transmit, share and display content and let users instantaneously transfer multi-gigabyte media files among various devices.

The WiGig Alliance's goals appear to overlap many of the Wireless HD Consortium's.

"WiGig is networking; WirelessHD is more of an HDMI cable wireless replacement," Enderle pointed out. "They could both coexist for different reasons, but I expect that WiGig may be able to encompass Wireless HD's capability, rending WirelessHD prematurely obsolete."

In addition, SiBeam's joining up with the WiGig Alliance could make things more difficult for the WirelessHD Consortium, of which it was an early backer.
Living Together in Harmony for Now

Right now, however, the two standards may be able to coexist.

SiBeam on Monday announced the availability of the world's first solution that leverages both the WirelessHD Consortium's and the WiGig Alliance's standards. This is the SiBeam sb8110 WirelessHD/WiGig RF transceiver and the associated SK8100 software development kit.

"Upon review of the WiGig specification, we believe that WirelessHD will continue to provide the best solution for wireless video area networking; WiGig can potentially serve as a good platform for support of data and wireless local area network applications," said John LeMoncheck, SiBeam's CEO.

In the long run, the WiGig Alliance's specs may win out.

"WiGig could encompass what WirelessHD does, rendering it redundant," Enderle explained. "It's similar to the fight between printers and scanners -- eventually scanners became part of printers even though the two didn't really overlap."

Anything Good on Google Tonight?

2010-06-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Google is pushing its way into the living room, partnering with an assortment of hardware manufacturers and software developers to deliver Google TV. The idea is to give users a way to search and play content from a variety of sources, both on and offline, along with full Web-browsing capability. Skeptics question how many people really want to browse the Web on a TV, however.

In its continuing bid to become the one-stop information company for the world, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) announced this week at its I/O conference that it will launch Google TV in the fall of 2010.

In partnership with Sony (NYSE: SNE), Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and Logitech (Nasdaq: LOGI), the Internet giant will market televisions, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes with an array of software functions designed to let users search for and play videos, along with TV shows and movies, directly on their big screens.

Google TV will also come with a fully functional version of the Google Chrome browser, allowing consumers to browse the Internet through their televisions.

This may be where the company is marketing to a nonexistent demand, according to Carl Howe, a director with the Yankee Group.

"It's yet to be proven that consumers actually want to browse the Web on their TVs," Howe told the E-Commerce Times. "It's really not the right mode for that device."
What's New?

With its edge in the search engine realm, Google is leading with the fact that combined search will allow Google TV users to find TV shows on channels to which they already subscribe or through Internet video sources such as Hulu and YouTube or direct-from-network offerings. This does address a constant complaint of those wanting to access the rapidly expanding sources of video content on the Web. This aggregation, though, is not new, noted Howe.

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has its own proprietary box in the form of Apple TV. While it may be limited to iTunes TV episodes and movies, it is a product already on the market, explained Howe, and that gives it an edge.

Although Google has promised availability of Google TV in time for the 2010 holiday season, retailers are making their stocking plans now, he stressed, and they are hard-pressed to make room for a product that doesn't yet exist.
Competitors or Collaborators?

Perhaps the most exiting aspect of the new offering is that it will be based on Android and Google will invite third-party developers to create apps for Google TV. That makes other media content providers and the software makers working on providing access to them potential collaborators rather than competitors, an angle that Apple has not tried.

One such potential collaborator is Boxee, maker of media content aggregation software and set-top boxes of its own. Avner Ronen, CEO of Boxee, posted Thursday to his Twitter feed that the company "should start working on [a] Boxee Android App" for the device.

"We think that it would be great to see an open OS such as Android gain market share in the living room," Boxee Vice President of Marketing Andrew Klippen told the E-Commerce Times.

Boxee is, in fact, planning to build that Android-based app, he added.

However, Klippen also questioned whether that fully functional browser will in fact see use.

"We have somewhat of a different view of browsing the Web on TV," he explained. "While it was a big part of the Google demo, we believe browsing the Web as-is makes more sense on laptops and mobile devices, due to their personal nature, the screen size, and the input device."
Opening the Door

For its part, Google seems to be inviting such collaborations; it plans to release the specs and APIs soon after the launch of Google TVso that developers can build and distribute applications through its Android Market.

Strategic alliances are in the works, said Google, with companies such as Jinni.com and Rovi. Jinni.com will contribute social features to the Google software, and Rovi is known for its television guide software.

Google TV will be available at Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) stores nationwide in the fall, according to Google.

From Sci-Fi to Reality: Driving With a Mind-Controlled Bionic Arm

2010-06-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

A new type of prosthetic arm has given a double-amputee enough tactile control to pass a driving test. The prostheses, developed by Otto Bock HealthCare, allows Christian Kandlbauer to operate and control the direction indicator lights, horn and all other safety-related devices of his vehicle. The prosthesis is based on targeted muscle reinnervation.

A mind-controlled robotic arm is bringing new independence to an Austrian man who lost his arms, even allowing him to drive a car, the arm's maker announced earlier this week.

Christian Kandlbauer passed his driving test "with flying colors" using a mind-controlled arm prosthesis.

Created by the German firm Otto Bock HealthCare, the arm has allowed 23-year-old Christian Kandlbauer to pass a driving test with flying colors, giving him the freedom to drive the seven kilometers to and from work each day without assistance.

The device is the first mind-controlled arm prosthesis in Europe. After a high-voltage electrical accident struck Kandlbauer back in 2005, both his arms had to be amputated.

His right arm has since been replaced by a myoelectric DynamicArm, which now operates the steering wheel when he drives his specially equipped Subaru Impreza, modified for him by Paravan.

Taking the place of his left arm, however, is the new, seven-jointed prosthetic arm, which he controls in real time using just his thoughts. He now operates that arm to control the direction indicator lights, horn and all other safety-related devices of his vehicle.
Targeted Muscle Reinnervation

The prosthesis is based on targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR), a process by which four key arm nerves are systematically relocated to the surgically segmented chest musculature. Once reinnervation is complete -- it can take several months -- the surface of the chest forms an interface to the patient's brain.

Electric nerve impulses coming from this region can actually be sampled and processed by surface electrodes, according to Otto Bock.

Now, powerful micro-controllers in the prosthesis calculate the motor commands underlying the impulses in real time and generate the equivalent control commands for the arm.

For Kandlbauer, who works in a garage, it's been a dream come true. He obtained his driver's license in October and has been traveling back and forth to work in his own vehicle ever since.
'An Important Extension'

"What's remarkable about the Otto Bock prosthetic technology is the way they have re-engineered the nervous system to make the prosthesis more useful," James Cavuoto, editor of Neurotech Reports, told TechNewsWorld.

"Innovative strategies like this will likely grow the market for motor prostheses in the years ahead," Cavuoto added.

Indeed, following 10 years of pioneering work in TMR, "it is exciting to see this promising new source of command signals being applied to commercial, clinical prostheses," agreed Gerald Loeb, professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California.

It's not clear whether it's truly a case of "mind-control," however, "particularly because other researchers have been working -- with much less success -- on reading out command signals directly from the brain, where the term seems more appropriate," Loeb told TechNewsWorld.

Nevertheless, TMR is "an important extension of the original concept of myoelectric control because it enables users to operate multiple degrees of freedom in a way that is much more natural and intuitive than has been possible before," he explained.

"That sort of command capability is essential to take advantage of the much more sophisticated mechatronic hands and arms that are being developed by several research and commercial groups, including Otto Bock," Loeb added.
A High-Tech Index Finger

Otto Bock is also working on a "high-tech index finger" for Kandlbauer that can sense temperature, identify rough and smooth surfaces and feel the strength of a handshake.

"Micro-sensors that record the temperature, gripping strength and surface characteristics of the object being gripped are integrated into the tip of the index finger on the prosthetic hand," explained Hubert Egger, head of the mind-controlled arm project.

Currently, however, the prosthesis with sensory perception is only a prototype. It will likely take another four years of development before Kandlbauer can use it on a day-to-day basis, Otto Bock said.

Hohm May Keep Electric Car Charging Costs in Check

2010-06-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

Electric cars are coming, and tech companies are already working with car manufacturers and utilities to develop ways to manage power consumption in the interest of saving money and distributing demand. Electric cars are destined to become one of the top residential electricity consumers -- in some cases, more than the summertime power draw of the air conditioner and water heater combined.

Spend a few minutes at Microsoft's Hohm Web site, enter a few details about your house, and it will spit out a series of recommendations about how best you can reduce your energy consumption, and maybe save some money in the process.

Next year, it will be able to help some car owners to manage the power consumption of their vehicles, as well.

Ford and Microsoft are partnering to bring the Hohm application to electric vehicles, beginning with the Ford Focus, the companies announced Wednesday.

While details are sketchy, the companies say Hohm will help owners figure out the cheapest time to recharge. The system should also help utilities concerned about increased demand from the coming generation of plug-in hybrids.

The application's vehicle interface is still under design, but information such as estimated electricity rates, cost to charge and time to charge are the sorts of details likely to be included.

It's unclear whether the application will let users manage the charging process remotely.
Emphasis on Conservation

The announcement comes at a time of increasing focus on getting more electric vehicles on the road in the U.S., as well as increasing focus on using technology to help energy consumers conserve. President Obama has set a goal of having 1 million electric vehicles in use by 2015, and he has championed the idea of a smart grid that allows consumers greater control over their energy consumption.

Applications such as Hohm are on the vanguard of that effort.

Hohm and Google's PowerMeter are energy information display applications that allow homeowners to track their consumption, spot anomalies, and find ways to reduce what they use.

Both offer customers of a select few utilities a way to get automated feeds of their energy usage. More such partnerships are supposed to be on the way.

In Hohm's case, consumers whose providers don't offer automated feeds can enter their monthly consumption manually -- information that Hohm uses to make recommendations on reducing energy use, such as adding insulation and properly configuring computers to use low-power states when not in use.
E-Vehicles Big Power Users

Applications designed to help save money on electricity are popular with consumers, according to Pike Research, which studies green technology issues. Fifty-two percent of survey respondents said they would be interested in applications such as Hohm or PowerMeter, the company found, and 66 percent said they'd be willing to pay for such a service.

Finding ways to wring the most juice of out electric vehicles will be an important consideration for owners and utilities alike.

Owners are likely to pay a premium to purchase electric cars, and they will immediately become one of the top electricity consumers in their homes -- in some cases, more than the summertime power draw of the air conditioner and water heater combined, according to the Electric Power Research Institute, a utility-funded organization.

The upcoming Chevy Volt, for instance, is expected to increase the energy draw of the average U.S. home by 13 percent. The Nissan Leaf comes in at 19 percent, according to EPRI, which didn't provide figures for the Focus.

That would come to an annual cost of between US$190 and $278 to consumers. That compares to $151 to run a refrigerator for the year or $228 to run the air conditioner, according to EPRI figures.
Utilities Have a Stake, Too

Finding ways to delay charging those cars until late at night will be a win for both consumers and power generators, EPRI Senior Project Manager Marcus Alexander told TechNewsWorld.

"You come home at six and want to watch TV but it's not charged up until midnight -- you're not going to be happy," Alexander said. "But the nice thing about electric vehicles, and especially plug-in hybrids, is they don't need to be charged immediately."

That's good for utilities, he said. Charging vehicles late at night will generate demand during what is typically a slack period for power generators, helping them keep expensive plants humming around the clock and potentially reducing electricity costs.

It also could cause problems, though, at least in the long term.

Plug-in vehicles will require lots of energy over a long time -- more than double the peak demand of the average household in summertime San Francisco, according to EPRI. That could result in blown transformers if several neighbors bring home electrics.

It's not likely to tax overall power generation capacity, however, as Microsoft and Ford suggested in announcing the Hohm iniative.

"The demand is widely distributed," said Alexander. "It's not as big of a problem as often stated."

FIFA World Cup Is a Kick on iPad

2010-06-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

If watching the World Cup on TV this month just isn't enough to satisfy your soccer yearnings, EA Sports has released FIFA World Cup for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Passes, 1-2 passes, skill moves and even sliding tackles are all here, but sadly no air attacks. Personalization options include creating your own avatar and your own soundtrack.

EA's FIFA World Cup

With the FIFA World Cup a week away, the timing of EA Sports couldn't be more impeccable. The entertainment giant has just released its latest version of its game based on the tournament for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and it's great fun for fans of "The Beautiful Game."

Although created for all three Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) portable platforms, the game's graphics on the iPad are excellent, not the fuzzy low-res variety found with many iPhone apps when they're displayed in full-screen view on the tablet.

Game play is very realistic. On offense, players can dribble, pass, shoot and perform "skill" moves. You can even perform 1-2 passes, where you pass to a teammate and he immediately passes back to you. But, as in the real game, you must be careful as you approach your opponent's goal lest you pass to a mate who's in an offside position.

On defense, you can perform both standing and sliding tackles on an opponent with the ball, but if you slide too hard into him, you can expect to be "booked" by the referee.

One omission from the game is the air attack. That should hurt teams that depend on their noggins rather than their feet for goals.

Immersive Sound Effects

The sound effects -- music, roaring crowd and play by play announcer -- add an immersive element to play. The sound the ball makes when it hits the back of the net is particularly satisfying.

Another engaging touch is the way a player's name appears on the screen as he comes into contact with the ball. It not only gives the animated footballers a personal flavor, but its good way to familiarize yourself with the players in the tournament.

Given the degree of realism in the game, it should be no surprise that it takes a bit of effort to master. However, the software has a good tutorial mode and a solid help component.

In game mode, the pitch is displayed along with players from two teams. Player motion is controlled by a virtual touchpad surrounded by a ring that appears on the left side of the display.

A player moves in the direction you drag the touchpad. His speed is determined by his proximity to the ring. The closer to the touchpad gets to ring, the faster the player runs.

The player controlled by the touchpad has a red arrow over his head. As he moves down the field, his teammates will appear. A blue arrow over a teammate means you can kick a short pass to him; an orange arrow, you can send a long pass his way.

At the bottom of the screen is an animated thumbnail of a soccer field so you can get a bird's eye view of where you are on the pitch.
Penalty and Free Kicks

On the right side of the screen are buttons for passing, shooting and performing skill moves. Tapping the pass button performs a short pass; holding the button performs a long one. A double tap performs a 1-2 combination.

When taking a shot, the longer you press the shoot button, the more power you place behind your drive -- and the more likely you are to send the ball into the spectators rather than the net. Double tapping shoot will perform a chip shot, a good tool when you're close to the net and the keeper's off his line.

Penalty and free kicks are also awarded in the game. With a penalty kick, you drag a ball to the area in the goal mouth that you want to take the shot. The faster you drag the ball to the target area, the more power your graphic player will put behind the shot. If you're in goal during a penalty kick, you can determine which way you want to dive to block a shot by dragging a pair of hands along the goal mouth.

For free kicks, you select an area for the kick, then drag a ball in the direction you want to kick it. The faster you drag, the more power your on-screen player will have behind the shot.
DE-FENSE, DE-FENSE

When on defense, buttons appear for tackling and slide tackling opponents. Tapping tackle changes the defender you're controlling with the touchpad. resting your finger on that button performs a standing tackle. A tap of the slide button sends a player swooping to the ground to poke the ball away from an opponent.

During a game you can review the statistics of the contest -- shots on goal, corners, bookings, fouls, time of possession and pass completion.

FIFA World Cup can be customized in a variety of ways through its settings menus. You can add your own music from iTunes, for instance, as well as change the language for menus, set the length of a half and pick from four skill levels.

Once you master the basics of the game you can further refine it by creating an avatar of yourself playing for your favorite team. Your skills will increase as you gain "experience points."

For soccer fans who can't make it to South Africa for the world's biggest party next month, EA Sports FIFA World Cup for the iPad ($4.99) is a diverting facsimile for the real thing. What's more, it will help take the edge off the inevitable withdrawal symptoms that set in once the tournament is over.

Apple Didn't Beat Microsoft, Robbie Bach Did: Apple's Secret 5th Column

2010-06-07T05:11:00.000-07:00

Qualcomm Mirasol Display

Is it possible that all the bungling that took place in Microsoft's entertainment and hardware division was actually sabotage? In World War II, Germany sent a secret "fifth column" behind enemy lines to disrupt defenses during its invasions. Corporations have engaged in similar activities, and a series of "mistakes" that were beneficial to Apple has me wondering who's really been calling the shots in Redmond.
Last week, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) passed Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) in market capitalization for a number of reasons. I agree with Gary Marshall, who argues in "Apple beats Microsoft? Not so fast, Fanboys" that the two companies aren't even in the same race. I'd even add that the only reason Apple moved ahead in valuation is because we don't count stock owned by employees, and Bill alone has around US$40 billion of that.

However, I also agree with much of what Geoffrey James says in "Top 10 Reasons Apple Beat Microsoft" -- essentially, that Apple's relative success really has more to do with decisions made at Microsoft than decisions made at Apple. Having said all of that, Microsoft is still the most profitable company in the segment, and as Jobs himself would point out, it is all about profit.

However the one saying I've made famous is that "perception is 100 percent of reality," and the perception is that Apple did and continues to beat Microsoft. The executive Microsoft had positioned against Apple was Robbie Bach, who ran Microsoft's entertainment and hardware division, a division that became a vampire division, and this got me thinking that Apple's greatest strength may be its secret fifth column.

I'll address all of that and close with my product of the week, which is a technology from Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) that could obsolete both the iPad and the Kindle.
Apple's 5th Column

We frequently talk about Apple's fan base, both as an asset and a liability, but one thing we don't talk about is that it often seems Apple's competitors go out of their way to fail. The first time I became aware of what looked like covert activity on Apple's part was when I ran down the background on the HP (NYSE: HPQ) iPod.

In the post mortem on that failed effort, it appeared clear that Steve Jobs initially knew more about this product than HP's own CEO Carly Fiorina did, and Steve used the information to play her so that HP never entered the market with its own product and was effectively locked out until Apple had monopolized that market.

I watched what appeared to be a similar lead on the killed Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) MP3 player. Information got leaked, and Apple's supporters turned perceptions of the product so negative that Dell never released it. There was no hard evidence of Apple's direct involvement -- but when taken on top of the HP event that Apple did directly manipulate, the apparent connection was hard to disregard.

In the case of Palm (Nasdaq: PALM) and the Palm Pre, the firm had largely been rebuilt with ex-Apple employees. The Palm Pre was received with iPhone-like raves, yet it was systematically attacked -- not by Apple, but by Palm employees who crippled every aspect of it. Individually, each item seems random, but collectively and in hindsight, each looks as though it was planned.
The Palm Pre Story

From the moment the Palm Pre was released, the effort began imploding due to a series of mistakes that were textbook stupid.

Apple's weakness was AT&T (NYSE: T); the only carrier less liked was Sprint (NYSE: S), and Palm inked an exclusive with Sprint.

Apple does targeted demand-generation advertising, and it had showcased the strength of head-to-head marketing with the Mac vs. PC campaign, which Verizon emulated successfully with its Droid campaign. High-concept ads have never worked in this segment, and companies like Microsoft and Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) failed with them. (Their joint "Digital Joy" campaign -- and I'm not kidding -- turned out to have the same name as a big European porn site.) Did Palm do solid demand generation? No. It did expensive high concept advertising -- a huge waste of money.

Apple does a targeted review program: Only hand-picked high profile reporters and reviewers who constantly praise Apple products get them early (or at all). Palm gave Palm Pre phones to lots of folks early, but gave those same Apple supporters an earlier disclosure date, assuring initial mediocre reviews and pissing the hell out of everyone else. I've never before seen a situation in which an embargo is enforced after major publications publish on an announcement. (Most everyone else immediately broke their NDAs but were pissed anyway).

One or two mistakes, sure. But when a firm screws up everything -- a firm made up of people from Apple who should have learned from Jobs the right way to do things -- you begin to wonder if there was a plan, and whether Apple was behind it.
What Is a 5th Column?

The term "fifth column" was created in World War II, and it referred to a successful effort by Germany to place loyalists behind enemy lines to disrupt defenses during what became a series of very successful invasions. I first saw what appeared to be the use of this practice in Siemens (NYSE: SI) while I was working there.

At the time, I was working for ROLM, a company that Siemens had purchased from IBM (NYSE: IBM), in the competitive intelligence organization. This is the corporate equivalent of the CIA. One of my highly classified reports concerning our competitive weaknesses showed up at Kaiser Permanente, which was our largest Western account. The head of sales wanted me fired immediately for creating and leaking the report. I'd been arguing that, based on my research, our sales losses to Northern Telecom weren't due to product or pricing failures but rather to intentional sales mistakes.

However, I was also -- as luck would have it -- in charge of security for our division, and I was a sneaky SOB. As a result, I could identify who had received each copy of the report I'd published, and the leaked report was traced back to a guy who worked -- wait for it -- directly for that same sales VP. We couldn't prove it, but it looked like he had actually instigated the leak. He later left the company and became head of a targeted group at Northern Telecom focused on stealing ROLM accounts.

It seemed, in hindsight, that this was a job he had held while working for us as well, and he had effectively been a very powerful competitive insurgent in our midst. In short, he appeared to be part of Northern Telecom's fifth column and likely not the only one.
Microsoft's Entertainment and Hardware Division: An Apple Fifth Column?

Microsoft's model is based on the specialization change that was first emphasized in the Industrial Revolution. Once in place, assuming everyone does their jobs, the older vertical integration model is too inefficient to compete effectively -- yet Apple clearly did.

The division supposedly positioned against Apple was the entertainment and hardware division, but it became Apple's (and Google's) ally inside of Microsoft -- their fifth column, so to speak. Let me explain.

Xbox initially was a hedge against a threat from Sony (NYSE: SNE) that never actually emerged. It siphoned away gaming resources from Windows, pissed off the OEMS (it is seen as basically a Microsoft PC by them) and effectively eliminated the high end of the Windows PC market. Apple now has about 90 percent of the high-end PC market. The effort should have been to obsolete the gaming console concept, not build a better PlayStation. In the '80s, Microsoft didn't try to build a better Mac -- it worked to make the vertical integration concept under the Mac, mainframe and Commodore obsolete. Apple is attacking the concept of horizontal specialization, not just Windows, and it is winning -- with Microsoft's help.

Zune killed off PlaysForSure -- the application of Microsoft's successful horizontal model in the iPod space. After massive spending, it occupies a small fraction of the market today and serves only to allow Apple to argue that it isn't really a monopoly. Zune actually helps Apple more than hurts it, as it faces its own antitrust issues.

Media Center and Media Extenders were failures, but they opened the door for Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) TV and the announced partnerships between Intel, Sony and others to spread Google's platform where Windows technology might otherwise exist. They plowed the field but let Google plant the seeds. (While this sounds like a discord on the theme, realize that Apple moved on this opportunity first with Apple TV but failed to execute.)

While Kin phones haven't yet killed off the Windows Phone platform, they did confuse the effort. (Google tried something similar with the now killed Nexus One, which made me wonder if Apple has folks in Google's camp.) This, coupled with the apparent lack of business tools in Windows Phone 7, removed one of Microsoft's sustaining advantages over Apple, and Microsoft continued to bleed partners. The collective phone moves likely contributed significantly to the decision by HP to buy Palm and step away from Microsoft on emerging platforms.
Wrapping Up: Real Corporate 5th Column or Fiction?

Had I not actually seen Apple and others do the fifth column thing before, I'd probably think -- as you may -- that this is all so much interesting fiction. The odds favor the fiction explanation, but I wonder if there could be intelligent intent behind the apparent foolishness.

In total, that's an impressive number of accidents, which suggests to me they might not be accidents. What do you think? Is Jobs that good? Steve Ballmer has stepped in personally, and as Windows 7's success would indicate, he can do impressive work when focused -- but does Steve Jobs have other folks in Microsoft working to ensure Ballmer fails?

In closing, I've often thought that companies could use an executive in charge of the "don't do stupid stuff" department whose job is -- wait for it -- to make sure firms don't do stupid stuff. At Microsoft, maybe part of that job would be to get rid of folks Steve Jobs or Eric Schmidt should be paying.

Product of the Week: Qualcomm Mirasol Display

Product of the Week I was at the SID conference last week, a display-focused event. I saw some really interesting stuff, like a Microvision pico projector tied to a gaming rifle that could put the game on any wall you were aiming at.

Also on display was the technology that has the greatest chance of changing the Kindle/iPad dynamic (the Kindle is great at reading and sucks at everything else, and the iPad sucks at reading): the Qualcomm Mirasol display.

Qualcomm Mirasol Display
Mirasol offers high-contrast, outdoor-viewable text that's easy on the eyes, like the Kindle's e-paper. Also, it can display multimedia like a regular flat panel, similar to what an iPad can do. It's rumored that the next-generation Kindle will have a display with this or similar capability. It looks very sharp in person, and it has a number of touch and lighting options, so you can use it when it's pitch black out.

As one of the folks at the event pointed out, the iPad sucks when you have a lot of ambient light, and the amount of light it shines in your eyes makes it tiring to use as a reader.

It would be nice to be able to do more with the Kindle than just read. Technologies like the Mirasol display will likely define the next generation of e-book readers and iPad-like devices and, as such, it is perfect for my product of the week.

Is the Space Between Android and Apple Big Enough for a WinPho7 Hit?

2010-06-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

Microsoft is bucking its own trend in giving its hardware partners a more exacting list of tech specs they need to follow in order to make Windows Phone 7 handsets. That set of standards places it in the space between Android, with its wide variety of hardware devices and UI tweaks, and the iPhone, a centralized platform with a single company at the helm. Is there enough room in the middle for a WinPho 7 bonanza?

It has become the PowerPoint slide seen around the world -- or at least the World Wide Web, and specifically those websites and blogs that pay close attention to technology and the smartphone market. A Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) presentation at the ReMIX trade show in France this week boasted a slide showing that tech market research firm IDC predicts 30 million Windows Phone 7 devices sold worldwide by the end of 2011.

Considering it took Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) nearly three years to sell 50 million iPhones, Redmond seemed to be setting its own bar at Olympic-style heights -- especially when you factor in the troubled history of Microsoft's attempts in the mobile phone space. Could the Windows Phone 7 OS really be that good?

Answer: Maybe, but the IDC data Microsoft was quoting includes sales of Windows Mobile 6.x phones, according to the All Things Digital blog. 451 Group research director Chris Hazelton suspected as much. "It's likely a misquote of data. It's got to be for Windows Mobile in general," Hazelton told TechNewsWorld. "That would include Windows Mobile 6 and 6.x. For just Windows Phone 7, that's unlikely to happen. It's not to say that Microsoft can't do that, but it shows how impressive Windows Phone would have to be to reach that goal. For someone to say 30 million devices, they either aren't that familiar with the competition or just how big this market is."

IDC did not respond to a request for comment by press time, but the new Microsoft Kin phones now on the market and the forthcoming first Windows Phone 7 handsets expected to hit stores late this year will likely obliterate sales of existing Windows Mobile 6/6.x phones. So let's rephrase the question: does Windows Phone 7 OS need to be that good? The unqualified answer: yes.
The Challenges for Redmond

Microsoft is preparing to meet these lofty goals as it looks for new leadership in its Entertainment and Devices division, where Windows Phone shares priority with Xbox 360 and Zune. The former division chief, Robbie Bach, announced his retirement this week. Bach's departure comes as Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) rival OS, Android, continues to gather momentum; many of Microsoft's OEM partners are also coming out with Android phones.

"This field is getting crowded fast and hard, and people are really trying to stake out their positions here," ABI Research chief analyst Michael Morgan told TechNewsWorld. "The partners are saying, 'How do we grow our ecosystem?' And Microsoft is saying, 'You'll do it the way we tell you to,'" referring to the restrictions the company has placed on hardware manufacturers using Windows Phone 7, such as a guarantee of at least an 8 megapixel camera in handsets. That's a departure for Redmond from previous Windows Mobile licensing deals.

"That goes against their corporate culture," Yankee Group analyst Carl Howe said. "Microsoft used to tell OEMs 'We don't care what you do with it, just license it and we'll be happy.' So that's a change. The restrictions make a lot of sense because you end up with a much more uniform platform base. For developers, it's easier to write software for that. That's a big justification for the restrictions."

While that might be more appealing to developers than the fragmentation of the Android platform, the perception is that Microsoft is playing from too far behind to make a dent in the consumer market, and that it still faces fierce competition in its traditional enterprise target market. "The growth potential is shrinking. That's why I say [30 million units] is going to be a close call. With Windows Phone 7, they better show me something. They better show the whole industry something," Morgan said.
The Prediction Game

Hazelton is reminded that Microsoft missed its 2008 goal of shipping 20 million Windows Mobile devices by June of that year. "In June 2008 Android was a very nascent OS. Today most of Microsoft's mobile hardware partners are also using Android. And while the total market for smartphones and number of shipments are going up, it hasn't gone up enough for Microsoft."

The company still hasn't proven it can make a popular consumer smartphone. "There are a lot of unknowns. You can't count out Microsoft because they are a very large company. They have the installed base of Exchange Server. But it's a much tougher market today and going forward than it was in 2008," he added.

Email is seen as being so 20th-century by the younger consumer market helping to drive smartphone sales, Howe told TechNewsWorld. "Email is something their parents do. For the younger people, it's all Facebook and IM and texting. The market moved. Enterprise sales don't help you with consumers. Microsoft is much more of a startup and less of an established player in the mobile phone market."

Google Closes the Blinds on Windows

2010-06-07T04:51:00.000-07:00

Google is reportedly putting the kibosh on in-house use of Microsoft's Windows operating system due to security fears. Google's saying very little publicly, but a recent report claims the search giant was spooked by last year's Chinese hack attacks. Meanwhile, its own OS, Chrome, is nearing final release stages.

Claiming it was scared into reality by the Chinese hacking attacks of late last year, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) is phasing out employee usage of the Windows operating system due to security concerns, according to a report in the Financial Times.

At least that's the cover story being provided by unnamed Google employees quoted in the FT article. An official response from the company isn't exactly offering a straight-up denial. "We're always working to improve the efficiency of our business, but we don't comment on specific operational matters," Google spokesperson Jay Nancarrow told TechNewsWorld.

However, a secondary effect provided by technosphere coverage of this story is to send a screaming shot across the bow at rival Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT). Google has its own OS, Chrome, heading for public use soon. Despite the fact that the software flaw that supposedly enabled the China hack was centered on an older version of Internet Explorer, Microsoft's Web browser, and not Windows itself, Google's alleged internal move allows the company to play on the oft-quoted fear of patch-worthy holes in Microsoft's most important product.

The FT story quotes some Google employees as saying increased in-house use of Chrome and other OSes has always been planned, but the China hack hastened the move. Right now employees can choose a range of OS options, including Mac OS X and Linux, for their work, and other staffers profess to being upset about having to give up the Windows option.
High-Tech Gamesmanship?

"Google is reflecting legitimate security concern, but there's also a PR angle here: 'Windows is an insecure platform,'" said Greg Sterling, founder of Sterling Market Intelligence and an editor at SearchEngineLand. "The relationship between this move and Chrome isn't direct, because Chrome machines, which aren't yet out in the market, aren't really a substitute for Windows PCs."

The FT story does indeed put more attention on Chrome, but it ignores the momentum that the Android platform has seen over the last year, especially with smartphones. "Regardless, Google is taking a very public jab at Microsoft," Sterling told TechNewsWorld.

Rob Enderle, founder and principal analyst at Enderle Group, puts the shoe on the other foot for the search company and its own negative publicity issues. "This would be like Microsoft blocking Google search internally because of privacy concerns," Enderle said.

"It was one thing to do a phone OS where everyone is all over the map and Microsoft is weak. It is something else again to go after Microsoft's crown jewels. With Google's own security problems, this may be another reason why folks in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks -- I'd add, especially at people who have rock gardens."

It's all part of the high-stakes competitive nature of the tech industry landscape, Enderle added, with echoes of Sun's abandonment of Windows a few years ago. Dumping a widely used OS will be harder than it looks, and if the policy extends to Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) OS -- threatening the wrath of its internal Google users -- the move could backfire. "We should likely anticipate disparaging that (Mac) platform shortly for 'freedom' reasons, even though the cause will actually be the same as their move from Windows. At some point, Google may realize that trust is an important part of any successful company's makeup, and that it might have been wiser to simply have said they intend to test their own platform internally first rather than using a phony reason as the cause for the move."
A Former Windows Workers' View

For the last 10 years, Michael Cherry has been an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, focusing on Redmond's operating systems. But from 1990 to 2000, Cherry worked on Windows for Microsoft -- from the company's 3.0 days to the delivery of Windows 2000 Professional. He brings an unique perspective to the subject of security concerns, and how guaranteeing safety within an OS can trip up Google down the road.

"An operating system is only as secure as how it's being operated, how it's being used," Cherry told TechNewsWorld. "In the case of Windows, are you running with least privileges? Are you applying all security updates and patches? If you do those things, Windows is a very safe operating system."

It's easy for Google to claim the security high ground now, added Cherry; the Chrome OS is not in wide use yet and users aren't clamoring for Google to add extra features that can open up potential API holes in security, as has happened with Windows. "One of the most dangerous things about Chrome is this concept that it's safe. I'd much rather that Google state that as of now, there are no known attack vectors," he said. "(Security) is an industry-wide problem. This is not something you gloat about or throw in somebody's face, because you don't know when your day is coming."
How Should Microsoft Answer?

Microsoft did not respond by press time to a TechNewsWorld request for comment. Silence, in fact, may be the better part of valor in this situation, said Enderle. "Microsoft should ignore the move, as anything they do in response will just fan the flames, and there is no need for that. With the Chrome OS coming out shortly, it makes sense for Google to start moving to it."

There's been some humorous Twitter activity on the topic from Microsoft employees, Cherry said, but nothing official. "If I was Microsoft, I would just double-down on my efforts quietly," he said. "Just keep making the progress they've been showing to make Windows more secure. Microsoft's come a long way since Code Red. The best answer for them is to just keep doing their job, and people will notice."

Google Street View's Wandering WiFi Eye

2010-06-07T04:33:00.000-07:00

To create its Street View service, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) sends fleets of cars to drive around cities all over the world and take pictures with the 360-degree cameras they have strapped to their roofs. The result is many things to many people: a convenient source of information, a depressing reminder that your home is ugly, an enduring memento of that time you ducked into an alley and thought nobody was looking, etc.

Even though Google's cars stay on public roads, some also consider Street View a huge invasion of privacy. Before last week, those people might have thought they were being violated only photographically, but it turns out that devices inside some of those Google vehicles were spying on WiFi networks as well.

According to the New York Times, Google invited data protection expert Johannes Caspar to its German headquarters to check out the vehicles it uses for Street View. The service was already under the glare of European privacy advocates for its habit of staring at people's houses, but Caspar pulled on a thread that eventually revealed something more troubling. Devices inside those Street View cars were actually sniffing unprotected WiFi networks in the neighborhoods they drove through and saving some of the information -- what sites were visited, what was done there, etc. So far, Google has admitted that it happened in Germany and Ireland, but it was a mistake, they didn't mean to do it, and whatever data was collected is being erased.

But Google's already made something of a target of itself in Europe over privacy issues, and this development just threw another bucket of gasoline on the fire. Officials in Germany, Czech Republic, Italy and the UK are all probing the matter independently, and EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding gave Google her own personal stink-eye.

Stateside, privacy groups have asked the FTC whether it plans to do anything about this, so there may eventually be some action in the U.S., but there's clearly a difference between the way American officials and European officials are reacting to this. Carl Howe at the Yankee Group told us, "The Europeans think we're crazy for being so lax about privacy, and we see them as crazy because they get all upset over privacy issues."

But how private is an open WiFi network, anyway? That's debatable. Google didn't go busting down any password barriers -- not even weak ones. Logging into someone else's unprotected WiFi without permission is a low and intrusive thing to do, but consider that these are wireless signals being broadcast into public space with no attempt made to block unauthorized users. Just because nobody should snoop doesn't mean nobody will.

Encrypting your WiFi network is a lot like shutting your blinds. It's up to you -- but if you don't do it, you're relying on people to not be rude, voyeuristic and generally awful, which is a losing bet, so don't be too shocked if you find out you've been gawked at. And once Google gawks at you, it's not easy to be ungawked.

Hotmail Re-Heated

Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Hotmail has about as many users as the Earth has Americans, but recently the company noticed that the service's design and feature set was beginning to look pretty stale. Some of its features actually hadn't been touched in years, and in that time, rival services like Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) and Gmail have been continuously revamping their message centers, and their user volumes have grown accordingly, especially Google's.

So this summer, Hotmailers will get all sorts of new toys. There'll be a new sorting feature and a window for sending status updates directly from the email app. You'll get new ways to clean up the inbox, including ways to automatically delete marketing items that aren't spam but are still stuff you don't want to read.

Then there's this thing called "Active View." If you get an email with a bunch of photos in it, you can automatically view them as a slideshow instead of downloading them via the browser. Silverlight required.

Hotmail will also have access to Skydrive, where you'll be able to store documents. Skydrive will also let you send massive photo sets -- up to 200 -- by uploading them to Skydrive and then sending a link.
The Hurt Lawsuits

For all its Oscar wins and glowing reviews from critics, the film "The Hurt Locker" didn't really take in all that much money, and for movie producers, it doesn't matter how many thumbs Roger Ebert has or where he's sticking them -- success is determined by revenue, not little statues or stars on newsprint.

That's not to say nobody saw it. In fact, millions of people saw "The Hurt Locker" for free, via file-sharing systems like BitTorrent. Now Voltage Pictures is teaming up with the U.S. Copyright Group in order to sue thousands -- or even tens of thousands -- of people who illegally shared digital copies of that film, plus almost a dozen others.

Presumably, Voltage has made a long list of IP addresses it's observed sharing its films. It will have to subpoena various ISPs to find out whose addresses those are, which the ISPs might or might not be willing to provide. Then a bunch of letters will get sent, and Voltage's lawyers will sit back and wait for the accused to come begging for a settlement. With this many potential defendants, though, we might actually see a few opt to go to trial.

If this tactic sounds familiar, that's because it's similar to what the RIAA used to do a few years ago to people suspected of illegally trading music files. But those kinds of lawsuit-carpet-bombing tactics were pretty damaging in terms of PR because they'd sometimes nail people like struggling single parents or the elderly. So the RIAA scaled way back on suing individuals.

But Voltage is doing this without the involvement of the big movie trade association, the MPAA. Also, according to Randy M. Friedberg at White and Williams, these Voltage lawsuits appear to be about actual damages, whereas the RIAA's suits were all about deterrence. If that's the case -- if Voltage really is going after the money it lost from a guy illegally downloading a movie rather than a punitive sum meant to strike fear in the hearts of other file-sharers -- then what's a fair amount for that? Twenty-five, maybe 30 bucks?
Didn't See It Coming?

Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone release schedule has failed miserably at obeying Greene and Elffers' 17th Law of Power, which is to keep others suspended in terror by cultivating an air of unpredictability. So far, the only air the iPhone's calendar has cultivated is one of entitlement -- it's summertime; where's my new toy? No, Apple has never promised the birth of a new iPhone each summer at Solstice, but in a few short years it's built a foundation of expectation second only to that of Santa Claus.

So that's why I'm kind of perplexed by one of the things an Apple lawyer said to the police in regard to that lost iPhone that Gizmodo reported on last month. Attorney George Riley told a San Mateo detective involved in the case that one of the reasons Apple's been damaged by the leak of that iPhone was that some people may have delayed buying an iPhone 3GS if they found out a newer one was on its way.

Yes, such people exist, and sometimes they're quite intelligent. They just don't read tech sites and blogs all day, everyday. But even if many buyers aren't aware of the iPhone's past release schedule and what it suggests for the future, who in the world thinks that Apple wouldn't have something new in the pipeline for eventual release? That's just the way it works in consumer culture: You get at best a few months worth of honeymooning with a slick new thingy, then a newer model comes along that makes the one you're stuck with look like crap, and you save your money for the next new thingy. Repeat until death.

In fact, that leak may have given Apple a bit of additional build-up buzz it wouldn't otherwise have received. Apple's just not used to buzz that it didn't brew in-house.

On the other hand, the leak did give competitors a sneak-preview of what's inside. And even if this caused current iPhone sales to dip just 1 percent, that could amount to something like $80 million, which is way more than I've got. Still, if you presume that these people -- the ones who heard about the new iPhone and decided to wait -- will buy an iPhone eventually, it's not exactly a lost sale; it's a matter of having that sale now vs. a few months from now. Just figure in interest -- which may also be quite a lot.

If we must go into deeper tea-leaf-reading, I suppose this might also suggests that the iPhone that was lost and reported on by Gizmodo lacks some vital features that the real fourth-gen iPhone will have. If that's so, there might exist someone out there who read about it in Gizmodo, got prematurely disappointed, and decided to move to the forest and give up all high technology forevermore. Or he just figured, to hell with waiting, I'm going to be buy a different phone today. Same result: lost sale for Apple.
Learning What Works, and What Doesn't

Google had some pretty daring ideas for the Nexus One, the Android smartphone nearest and dearest to its heart. Sure, the phone itself is made by HTC, and every Android phone is a Google phone to a certain extent. But Nexus One is special to Google -- Google launched the phone personally at its headquarters, the company gave it its "superphone" nickname, the Nexus bears the Google brand, and most importantly, Google wanted to see if it could give the status quo a little jolt and stick it to the carriers a little by going with a completely unorthodox sales model: online sales only.

Of course, buyers would still need to choose from the same old lineup of wireless carriers for service, but they wouldn't have to buy the phone from one of those carriers' stores. They'd also maybe kind of have to pay through the nose -- no subsidies, unless they went with a T-Mobile contract.

But the Nexus one was a bit of a mulligan as far as sales went. It wasn't a bad phone per se, it's just that the sales model never caught on. People generally want to touch and handle their phones before buying -- this is something that's going to live in your pocket almost every waking hour of the next two or three years, so a little hands-on time is important. Also, Google's customers are typically ad buyers, not phone buyers, so when it came to Nexus One customer and technical support, things got off to a very rough start. Then there was that superphone moniker. That one didn't quite stick. Other new phones with comparable specs hit the market soon after, and the "super" wore off pretty quickly.

So Google's making a clean break from this sales plan and calling it like it is. Said VP Andy Rubin, "While the global adoption of the Android platform has exceeded our expectations, the web store has not. It's remained a niche channel for early adopters, but it's clear that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone, and they also want a wide range of service plans to chose from."

What's next for Nexus One? A more orthodox approach. Google says it's going to work with both retail and operator partners to get going with some traditional distribution lines. There might be something for it at Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) or Radio Shack, according to ABI's Mike Morgan. He told us, "Since the Nexus One came out, the Droid Incredible came out, and Sprint (NYSE: S) has its EVDO 4G device coming out. Suddenly, the Nexus is not that hot of a handset."

So -- failed experiment? Or somewhat of a success in that it demonstrated what doesn't work? Who knows, maybe you'll see a Nexus One sitting next to a bunch of prepaid phones at Radio Shack in a month ... or perhaps you'll see a Nexus Two in a fancy-schmancy Verizon display case next November.

Microsoft Brings Hotmail Into the 21st Century

2010-05-20T04:34:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has announced a major upgrade to its venerable Hotmail service, adding a slew of features that will make it more competitive with Google's fast-growing Gmail offering. The changes take into account the evolution of email. Once primarily a venue for messages transmitted in simple text, email now frequently includes a variety of attachments such as photos, videos, documents and links.

Now close to 15 years old and used by some 360 million people, Microsoft's Hotmail is getting an upgrade. The revamped email service is expected to roll out in July or August.

The elephant in the room, of course, is Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) -- and to a lesser extent, Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO), Laura DiDio, principal of ITIC, told TechNewsWorld.

Google has steadily enriched the feature set of its relatively young Gmail service.

"Microsoft knows it needs to step up Hotmail if it wants to compete with Google," DiDio said.

Some of Hotmail's features have not been touched for years -- a serious shortcoming as Gmail has accumulated users, she noted. "Now Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is taking a different tack -- it wants to let everyone know that Hotmail is not the equivalent of your father's Oldsmobile."

The common theme behind the upgrades is an improved workflow experience, according to Hyun-Yeul Lee, an assistant professor at Boston University. That is, Microsoft has tried to create a seamless experience for sending and opening various types of email content.
Organization Tools

A new sorting feature allows users to divvy up messages based on certain factors. Those originating from a known contact or an email list might appear at the top of the in-box, for example, while messages from, say, a social media service might be found at the bottom.

A bar at the top of the screen lets users send status updates directly from Hotmail.

Users will be able to mark certain messages -- such as spam or even unwanted legitimate marketing campaigns -- with a new "Sweeping" tool that can move them into the trash all at once. Users can also opt for all future messages from a particular sender to immediately be deleted.
Opening Email

Messages that contain multiple photos can be opened and viewed much easier through a new feature called "Active View." This allows users to launch the photos in a slideshow format inside of downloading them in the browser.
CLOSE X
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active view
Active View Preview
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Silverlight is required to enable the full functionality of this feature, which displays the photos either as an overlay on the in-box or on the full screen. It also works with incoming photos that are linked to Flickr or Smug Mug -- but reportedly not with Picasa.

Users can use Skydrive, Microsoft's cloud-based storage offering, to open a Microsoft Word, Excel or a PowerPoint document through integration with the free version of Office Web Apps.
office web apps
Office Web Apps
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Essentially, when a document has an attachment in the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint formats, Hotmail allows the user to open it using Microsoft's Web Apps in order to preview it or make changes. It then auto-generates a link to the new version of the file so the other party can see the changes.

It is similar to what Google has done with Google Docs and Gmail, but more sophisticated, Michael Rosoff, analyst with Directions on Microsoft, told TechNewsWorld.

In general, Microsoft is starting to flex its muscles and leverage the connections among its various applications, DiDio said.

"We are getting closer to what Bill Gates was talking about in 2007, where users can launch multiple applications from a single screen or function," she remarked. Sending Email

The revamped Hotmail will let users send multiple photos -- as many as 200 -- by uploading them to Skydrive and then mailing a link. Recipients can view them in the slideshow format. If an email is registered with a Windows Live ID, users can comment on the photos or add to the collection.
photomail
Photomail
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The enhanced version of Hotmail will give users the option of using HTTPS for email sessions. Also, a new feature called "SmartScreen" helps distinguish between legitimate email messages and spam based on Internet protocol reputations, user reporting, third-party sources, semantics, botnet detection, signature recognition and more.

"This is a very important upgrade because spam is something that drives everyone nuts," said Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group. "Users need more capabilities in terms of adjusting for what is coming in and out."
Smartphone Integration

Microsoft has added support for Exchange ActiveSync to the new Hotmail -- which previously had only basic support for mobile browsers. Users will be able to sync email contacts and calendaring, assuming their handset supports Exchange.

This has the potential to be a powerful function, Sam El Far, owner of PC Medx, a Microsoft partner, told TechNewsWorld.

"Exchange support is significant because it allows you to get all of your email addresses in one in-box -- as well as text and voice mail messages," he said.

For the moment, this functionality just plays catch up to what Google can offer with its smartphone integration to Gmail, noted Enderle.

When Microsoft rolls out Windows Mobile 7, he said, more advanced synergies can be expected.

Will Post-Production Kill the 3-D Movie Star?

2010-05-20T04:30:00.000-07:00

Last December, critics and audiences gave "Avatar" high praise for its sophisticated use of 3-D. Now studios are shoving more action and fantasy movies onto the 3-D bandwagon. For movies not shot from the ground up with specialized 3-D equipment, this means a post-production conversion process that critics say is nowhere near as enjoyable to watch. It may even turn audiences off to 3-D in general, they say.

F. Scott Fitzgerald said there are no second acts in American lives. Would he have changed his mind if The Great Gatsby had received the 3-D IMAX treatment -- with Jay Gatsby as an alien bootlegger and Nick Carraway as avenging Ivy League superhero?

After burning bright and flaming out fast in the 1950s, "3-D: The Sequel" is now enjoying a surprising encore in the American film industry, thanks to the dazzling commercial and critical success of James Cameron's "Avatar." As they say in the movie business, this new technology trend has legs: "Alice in Wonderland," "Clash of the Titans" and "How to Train Your Dragon" have all done well at the box office in their 3-D versions, and the summer blockbuster crop includes "Shrek Forever After," "The Last Airbender," "Step Up 3-D" and "Halloween 3-D."

Yet Cameron's Oscar-nominated film is one of the few movies to appear on screens in the last six months that left the storyboard stage designed to be shot in 3-D. A few more 3-D-shot films are on the way, but other live-action films were converted from 2-D to 3-D in post-production; the decision to super-size "Clash" was made at the last minute, delaying its scheduled release date.

Like the deadly fish seeking blood in the forthcoming "Piranha 3-D," movie studios sense killer profits in the current 3-D-mania. However, couple the conversion craze with potential moviegoer backlash over an expensive 3-D ticket, the discomfort of ill-fitting glasses and less-than-stellar results, and you've got some industry watchers worried that Hollywood will slaughter the goose that laid the golden (digital) egg.

"3-D is a waste of a perfectly good dimension," wrote film critic Roger Ebert in a much-discussed (and linked-to) Newsweek article. "Hollywood's current crazy stampede toward it is suicidal. It adds nothing essential to the movie-going experience. For some, it is an annoying distraction. For others, it creates nausea and headaches. It is driven largely to sell expensive projection equipment and add a (US)$5 to $7.50 surcharge on already expensive movie tickets."

It's not the concept of 3-D, but bad 2-D-to-3-D conversion that had Cameron and "Transformers" director Michael Bay grousing to Deadline Hollywood Daily's Mike Fleming about studios looking to make a quick buck at the expense of both moviegoers and filmmakers. "Now, you've got people quickly converting movies from 2-D to 3-D, which is not what we did," Cameron said. "They're expecting the same result, when in fact they will probably work against the adoption of 3-D because they'll be putting out an inferior product."

Bay, who estimates that converting a film from 2-D to 3-D can cost $120,000-$150,000 per minute (total cost for the third "Transformers" film, due July 2011: $30 million) doesn't like the idea of handing off his special effects-laden child to a conversion house that wasn't a part of his original filmmaking team. "Right now, it looks like fake 3-D, with layers that are very apparent. You go to the screening room, you are hoping to be thrilled, and you're thinking, huh, this kind of sucks," Bay told Deadline Hollywood Daily. "People can say whatever they want about my movies, but they are technically precise, and if this isn't going to be excellent, I don't want to do it."
Fluency in 3-D Language

"Avatar" was still making plenty of money per week when it had to give up some 3-D theaters -- including IMAX screens -- for Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," according to Loren Carpenter, cofounder of Pixar (Nasdaq: PIXR) Animation Studios and its very first chief scientist, who spoke with Cameron recently. "This told me that there still aren't enough 3-D screens," Carpenter told TechNewsWorld. "But you still have to have a good movie, or at least a popular movie."

It's surprising that 3-D is back in vogue, said Carpenter, who helped develop the Oscar-winning Renderman technology that still powers many a Pixar hit like the "Toy Story" franchise, "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles" and "Up." "Not that I have any issue with it, but I'm surprised at the hoopla, if you will. I would have thought it would show up here and show up there, but some folks have decided to throw an awful lot of cash at it."

From now on, all Pixar movies will have a 3-D version, Carpenter said, including this summer's "Toy Story 3." He added that it's easier for animated films to accommodate this technology than live-action features: You can put the camera wherever you want. But it does mean that 3D technicians are involved from the very beginning of the movie development process -- to the point of helping to determine how "camera" placement will impact the storytelling.

Not all studios, he acknowledged, are approaching the process in the same measured way, and even though the industry is shepherding this phenomenon through its second life in theaters following mid-20th century camp classics like "House of Wax" and "Bwana Devil," Carpenter said the technologies are still relatively new toys in the hands of filmmakers and studio heads. "There's a lot of editing that the industry needs to learn -- how to change the perspective and so forth -- so as not to upset the audience, as well as facilitating a well-told story. You may want to change the convergence point (where the eyes land on the screen) and the focus differently as a storytelling point," he said. "This sort of language is still being developed, and right now it's pretty ham-fisted."
The Conversion Process

It's also one of the reasons why DDD, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based film technology company, is focusing on 3-D projects for television presentation rather than movie theaters. 3-D movies "are large projects, and for the most part they have pretty tight deadlines," DDD vice-president of technical operations Jay Wiskerchen told TechNewsWorld. "What we're doing is setting up kind of an assembly line for the content to be converted to television. In that environment, we're better able to control the timing for everything. We want the end result to be as good as it can be."

Is that the issue with 2-D-to-3-D conversions -- a lot of detailed technical work jammed into a few weeks' time? "That's absolutely right," Wiskerchen said. "Hopefully the industry is learning from the whole backlash from 'Clash of the Titans.' Even though it made Warner Brothers a lot of money, there's still some pushback from the consumer; the 3-D just didn't look that good -- why should I have to pay extra? That comes down to studios and the companies producing this content. It's kind of up to them if they want to ensure that 3-D is a long-term success -- to not forgo quality in the short term."

Some of the companies promising quality 2-D-to-3-D conversions are still relying on 20th-century technological developments like rotoscoping. "When you're talking feature films, the companies doing that are still doing it frame-by-frame. When you ask about improvements in technology, it's going to be incremental for theatrical conversions. They're still doing a lot of manual work to outline objects and do some rotoscoping."

This painstaking process can be helped if the filmmakers know in advance that a 3-D version of their movie is planned even if they're shooting it in 2-D, "like Tim Burton did in 'Alice in Wonderland.' He set up the shots to take advantage of 3-D. I thought it looked excellent. There was a decision to make certain parts of the film look more shallow," Wiskerchen said.
The History of 3-D and Film Technologies

The 1955 teen-angst classic "Rebel Without A Cause" is revered for the intense acting of James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo, and Nicholas Ray's expert direction. You might not think it needed any technological enhancements to tell its story and have an impact on audiences. Yet Jennifer Bean, director of cinema studies at the University of Washington, said "Rebel" was Ray's first attempt at shooting a film in Cinemascope -- introduced two years earlier to help compete against television -- and the results are all on the widescreen.

"Ray used Cinemascope, with its incredible capability for horizontal access -- that long line," Bean told TechNewsWorld. "For the interiors of James Dean' home in the movie, you get that sense of teenagers experiencing claustrophobia -- no way out. There's integrity in how he (Ray) is using the particulars of Cinemascope and its spatial dimension to complement and ironize the characters and subjects. That's why we'll watch it again and again and again."

Gregg Toland, Orson Welles' favorite cinematographer, used the latest advances in camera lenses and film stock 14 years earlier in "Citizen Kane." "New shutter speeds would allow Toland to experiment in a more daring way," Bean said.

There may be a history of filmmakers and studios looking to technology to bring in audiences and rake in the box office bucks, but Bean says without compelling stories and characters, 3-D will flame out like it did nearly 50 years ago -- whether the movies were shot in 2-D and converted later, or filmed on 3-D-ready cameras.

"The notion of novelty, which is what I think slapping on 3-D in post-production is, will wear off. And what remains will have to come down to quality filmmaking and engaging stories," Bean said. "For me, that doesn't have to mean some kind of adaptation of a great novel or deep character study. 'Avatar' was a fabulous film, a one-of-a-kind thing that cinema can do, but it's the mix of intrigue and story and characters and the 3-D that make it such a compelling package. The novelty alone won't hold audiences' interests for more than a year or so."

Will Verizon's Gooblet Be a Droiblet or a Chroblet?

2010-05-20T04:28:00.000-07:00

Verizon says it has a tablet of its own in the lab, and its partner on the project is Google. Few details were offered, and one big question is whether the team will opt to use Android or Google's Chrome OS, which could make the tablet behave more like a full-fledged PC. Meanwhile, Android phone sales squeezed out iPhone, Microsoft made its big Office push, and the RIAA juiced LimeWire.

When it became clear that the iPad was seriously going to take off, some very important people at some very large companies made a decision: You are going to buy a tablet computer whether you like it or not. It doesn't have to be an iPad. Might be Windows, Android, webOS, or something not even invented yet, but you'll have one. They're the future. Everyone else wants them, companies are getting ready to make a pantload of them, and nobody wants to be the weird guy. Just do it. End of story.

As with just about any other human endeavor, success in the mobile devices world breeds imitation, and that word comes with zero shame when it means selling products. If you like money, you'd be crazy not to imitate -- just mind those patents. Now that the iPad has some powerful sales numbers behind it, companies that also want in on the tablet frenzy are being a little more revealing about their plans.

Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam just told The Wall Street Journal that his company is getting ready to offer a tablet, and its partner will be none other than Google (Nasdaq: GOOG). He didn't say much else about the project, but when you have the CEO openly talking about it like this, that means it's probably well under way.

That got a lot of people thinking we're going to see an Android tablet -- a "droiblet," perhaps. I Googled that a couple days ago, and I think I just invented a word.

Android has proven to be a worthy adversary to Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) devices when it comes to phones, but would it fare so well in the tablet department? It very well could, especially among people who chafe at the kind of tight control Apple keeps over its products. But one thing Android is not is consistent -- you've got all these different handsets and flavors running around in the phone world; will that work as well in tablets?

IDC's Al Hilwa told us, "There's the risk of fragmentation, because these devices may not look alike. In order to be a serious competitor to what Apple is doing, you'll have to button down these devices and make them look alike. The whole has to be greater than the parts. Every device maker will have its own tweaks to the UI, and that may not be seen as attractive by users."

But Chris Hazelton at the 451 Group has a different idea about what this Google tablet could be -- he's thinking Chrome OS. So it might be a "Chroblet" (that's a new one too). Using Chrome OS rather than Android would make a Google tablet behave more like a full-fledged PC, where you operate with a traditional folder and file structure, rather than a smartphone OS pumped up to a larger screen. It might also make the tablet compatible with a wider variety of peripherals via USB. These are just two ways that would differentiate a Google tablet, or Gooblet, from an iPad, because imitating success is one thing, but you've also got to make yourself stand out somehow.

Office Annex

For all the nooks and crannies of the tech world that Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) has its tentacles in -- the OSes and the phones and the video games and the servers and the search engines and the so forth -- a full quarter of its annual revenue still comes from Office, the software that makes the little keyboard buttons you press appear on the screen.

Perhaps there's more to it than that. Anyway, Microsoft is making its big push with Office 2010. Business customers can get it this week; plebes with no business in business get to wait until June, so start planning those release parties and let's see if we can't top that blowout we all had for Windows 7.

But why should anyone buy a whole new office suite when Office 2007 still makes documents and spreadsheets and presentations and all other manner of officey things? Well you might not have to buy it at all. The June 15 release also includes a free online version accessible through Windows Live. This a response to Web applications like Google Docs, which may not be as slick as Office, but they're free and they're easy to use for collaboration.

Granted, the Live version of Office won't be as slick as the paid version either, so what does the paid version improve on? That seems to depend on who you ask -- some say it's a million tiny upgrades, some say it's a complete overhaul. It's got social media features with the Outlook Social Connector; a refreshed Ribbon, the original version of which you may have just now gotten used to; features for finding documents; new print preview options -- even new ways to paste content.
Rise of the Machines

I guess it was just a matter of time. In the first quarter of the year, more Android phones were sold in the U.S. than iPhones. They snagged 28 percent of sales, while Apple took just over a fifth. RIM's BlackBerry devices still maintained the lead at 36 percent of smartphone unit sales, but it was the first time Androids outscored iPhones, according to NPD data.

Now it's time to decide whether to be surprised or not. I don't know if it's all that big a shocker -- I mean, Android is openly distributed, customizable for individual makes and models, and can be found on all major carriers. iPhone is as proprietary as they come, built by a single company, and in the U.S., you have to bow down to AT&T (NYSE: T) if you want to have one.

Not to mention, every day at sundown, Apple employees pray to Margery, the patron saint of fiscal margins. Discounting products is against their religion. Meanwhile, some carriers will sell you an Android phone for less than the price of the first month's bill. Verizon even went the IHOP route for a while and did twofer offers.

Yeah, I know, BlackBerry is proprietary too, and they're No. 1, but RIM had a years-long head start on the other two. And it may soon be in third place if it doesn't really get something interesting going on for its next big OS update. iPhone and Android, though, were born right around the same time, and they go after very similar sets of users. It's just that Android's accessibility to more manufacturers and more carriers means it's probably the one destined to catch a wider user base eventually.

What was surprising was how soon this happened. Was that the tipping point we just hit -- will Android just keep climbing and never look back? Or are we going to be looking at a back-and-forth, neck-and-neck race for a while before one claims a clear lead?

RIM and Apple likely have new phones and OSes right around the corner that'll give Android a run for its money. On the other hand, maybe now a few key factors are really falling into place for Android that'll make this lead it has more or less permanent. To Azita Arvani of the Arvani Group, the three factors are Verizon, HTC and Motorola (NYSE: MOT), all of which finally started doing something worthwhile in smartphones after Apple lit a fire under them years ago.

She told us, "As a result, there are many Android phone models available to U.S. subscribers in different form factors, from different manufacturers, and through different service providers. So subscribers have a greater choice with Android phones -- and perhaps most importantly, Android phones start at a lower price point. Backflips start at $49, HTC Droid Eris goes for $79.99, while the least expensive iPhone starts at $99."

But what do unit sales really mean, anyway? Android is a very diverse species -- there are lots of different breeds, and when a consumer buys one and pays the monthly bills for it, that money goes to any of several different parties -- maybe HTC, maybe Motorola, or anyone else making an Android phone. The carrier that benefits could be any of the big four. Lots of money going in lots of different directions.

With the iPhone it's more streamlined: The lucre goes to Cupertino and -- if you're a U.S. customer -- AT&T.

For operating systems, though, sometimes it really is nice just to have a big, fat installed base, regardless of how many manufacturers and carriers worked together to make that happen. Lots of users attracts lots of developers, and those devs make your platform more attractive. iPhone got a leg-up early in that game, but Android has proven it can follow close behind.

There's also the matter of mobile advertising. The more eyeballs an OS owns, the more ad opportunities it has, and if Android develops a clear lead over iPhone, it will be the bigger ad player.

But Apple wants to play the ad game the same way it plays its hardware and software game: Be the smaller, premium brand. The price to get into its new iAd platform is apparently quite high.

Let's imagine that Android does grow into becoming this enormous OS family that dwarfs the iPhone clan in terms of user base. It's going to have an ecosystem that's tricky to manage, especially considering the OS is open source and different phonemakers can trick it out as they see fit. You've got carriers at odds with manufacturers, developers at odds with carriers, carriers at odds with each other, and Google in the middle trying to keep it all together. Meanwhile, Apple's running its own show and can whip AT&T into shape with a dirty look.

ABI analyst Michael Morgan told us, "That control that Apple has? I have a feeling that the other guys are getting to be a little bit envious of that. They want to have control over their own smartphone experience that they bring to market."
Steaming Up the Mac

The Mac platform has never really courted the hard-core gaming crowd, or maybe it's the other way around. It's not that Macs aren't capable of pulling the kind of horsepower needed to run a killer round of "Modern Warfare 2," it's just that ... well, I don't know. Two different worlds. I guess porting a big game to a Mac version is pretty expensive, and considering the Mac's market share ... I know, I know, sensitive issue! Cool down!

You can walk into an Apple store and find a quaint little shelf of games, but the selection for Mac users may be getting much bigger soon thanks to Valve, the company that makes Steam.

Steam is a portal for buying, downloading and playing PC games. Users can purchase full titles, both late releases and classics, then play them on their computers without fooling around with game discs. It also inhibits piracy, but as DRM cops go, it's fairly easygoing -- it'll let you download a game you bought to multiple machines for no extra cost.

Now Steam is coming to the Mac platform, which could up the ante on the selection Mac users have in front of them. It may take a while. Steam for Mac launched with a limited number of titles, though Valve promises new ones will pop up each Wednesday.

Some developers are excited about this -- apparently putting your title on Steam for Mac is a whole lot easier than re-engineering the whole game to fit Mac OS X.
Feed Me Till I'm Numb

Back when President Obama won the election, there was much ado about his fight to keep his BlackBerry. Apparently past presidents avoid personal technology like the flu because anything the chief personally types out is a de facto historical document. But he really wanted to keep it, and any other smartphone addict can probably understand why. It'd be like giving up your thumbs.

So it was a little surprising when he spoke this week at a college commencement and advocated against certain kinds of technology -- or at least advocated against being plugged in all the time for the constant consumption of mass media.

When he talked about putting down the iPad or the Xbox once in a while, he was not necessarily advocating a return to grub cuisine, cave-dwelling or arboreal lifestyles. He was just saying that information should be used as an empowering tool. When you spend all your time chowing down on the party mix of truth, lies and slant that you find online, throw in a big slice of crap TV, then wash it down with a couple liters of empty-calorie video games, information becomes a diversion, a form of entertainment. There's a place for that kind of stuff, but go overboard, and it's like your brain is taking all its meals at Burger King.

But Obama did take some criticism -- from people who pay very close attention to these things -- for his choice of exactly which devices to name. Video game consoles sure sound like they fit the bill, but smartphones and tablet computers don't just act as purveyors of intellectual junk food. They do make it very easy to consume media, but they can be tools for creation and communication as well, and if I'm reading Obama's speech right, that's supposed to be a good thing.
Sliced Lime

For the blissfully unaware, Limewire is a descendant of Napster -- an old-school file-sharing system for swapping all the wonderful and horrible things the Web has to offer. It's more centralized than your standard BitTorrent client, but it's still rife with copyrighted material, not to mention malware and other very troublesome stuff.

But even though lots of its users put Limewire to work doing things that could get them sued or worse, LimeWire the company actually has a legit online music store as well that hawks songs for a 99 cents a pop. I do not claim to have a business degree, but the model seems a little shaky.

Anyway, after many years of holding out despite crippling legal blows to cohorts like Napster and Grokster, LimeWire has been torn asunder by the RIAA. A court has ruled that not only is LimeWire liable for copyright infringement, but its creator, Mark Gorton, may be liable as well. Damages haven't been specified.

The RIAA called it, "an extraordinary victory for the entire creative community." With this win in its belt alongside those against Napster, Grokster, Morpheus, ISO Hunt, and the Pirate Bay, yet another mole is whacked. It's like a Chuck-E-Cheese game that you never grow out of.

Firefox 4 Steps Out of the Shadows

2010-05-20T04:19:00.000-07:00

"The Firefox developers seem to be focused on the right things: speed, openness, flexibility and user experience," said Jay Lyman, an analyst for open source with the 451 Group. "This marks a rather dramatic change in open source software development that, over several years of evolution, has transformed the user from an afterthought to the forefront of development and innovation efforts."

Speed, power and user control are Mozilla's top three goals for Firefox 4, according to early product plans released Monday.
Specifically, the browser will be fast -- "super-duper fast," according to Firefox director Mike Beltzner -- while also enabling new open-standard Web technologies such as HTML5 and putting users in full control of their browser and Web experience.

"Usually, software producers don't present these sorts of plans in public until they're finalized, but Mozilla is a little different," Beltzner wrote in a post on his personal blog "We work in the open, socializing our plans early and often to gather feedback and build excitement in our worldwide community."
'Fewer Pixels Between User and Content'

Beltzner also posted slides and video from a presentation he delivered Monday on the topic to the Mozilla community.

Firefox 3.7 was "motivated primarily by out-of-process plugins," Beltzner noted in his slides, adding that the version has now been renamed "Firefox 3.6.4."

Version 4, on the other hand, will likely include a simpler default theme with fewer user interface controls and "fewer pixels between user and content," he explained.
Jetpack-Based Add-Ons

As part of the performance optimizations to the software, version 4 will include no more modal dialogs or interruptions at startup, and updates will apply strictly in the background.

A switch-to-tab feature and dedicated application tabs will help speed navigation, Beltzner added.

Users will be able to install add-ons without restarting the system, and Jetpack-based add-ons will be running out of process.
64-Bit Support

For developers, meanwhile, Firefox 4 will likely offer bidirectionally connected apps, an HTML5 parser, a full-screen API, CSS3 compatibility, and faster 2-D drawing, Beltzner noted.

Also included in the plans are Firebug compatibility, a remote JavaScript debugger, the JagerMonkey JavaScript engine and 64-bit support, among other features.

Of course, "these plans are fluid and are likely to change," Beltzner stressed. "As with past releases, we use dates to set targets for milestones, and then we work together to track to those targets. We always judge each milestone release against our basic criteria of quality, performance and usability, and we only ship when it's ready."

Firefox accounted for 24.59 percent of the browser market worldwide in April, according to researcher Net Applications, surpassed only by Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Internet Explorer, which occupied 59.95 percent. Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) Chrome, in third place, claimed 6.73 percent.
'Focused on the Right Things'

"The Firefox developers seem to be focused on the right things: speed, openness, flexibility and user experience," Jay Lyman, an analyst for open source with the 451 Group, told TechNewsWorld. "This marks a rather dramatic change in open source software development that, over several years of evolution, has transformed the user from an afterthought to the forefront of development and innovation efforts."

Today's browser environment and market are also very different from what they were in earlier years, Lyman noted.

Now, "rather than mostly challenging Explorer and gaining share, Firefox is constantly competing with a number of others, including Explorer, Google's Chrome, Opera and Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) Safari," he pointed out. "This competition is driving faster, more capable browsers, and it will be interesting to see how critical openness becomes."
'One to Watch'

Firefox 4 is "an important release for Mozilla," RedMonk analyst Stephen O'Grady told TechNewsWorld, "but the two areas of focus I'm most interested in are performance and HTML5."

Speed improvements "will be necessary for Firefox to remain competitive with Chrome, a project for which speed is the priority," O'Grady noted. "HTML5, meanwhile, is a key step towards Mozilla's broader mission and mandate of moving the open Web forward.

"For those two reasons alone," he concluded, "Firefox 4 is one to watch."

Lost iPhone Brings Scoundrels, Sharks and Shysters Out of the Woodwork

2010-05-20T04:15:00.000-07:00

There's no shortage of bad behavior in the lost iPhone affair. The guy who found it could have turned it over to the bar's lost and found instead of snooping through it. The police could have stopped short of breaking into a reporter's home and seizing his work materials. And Gizmodo could have decided there wasn't much greater good to be served in dissecting a product we all knew was coming. This wasn't the Pentagon Papers.

Can you still support the First Amendment, the blogging community and all that is holy in journalism, and still think that what Gizmodo did re: the lost iPhone was kind of sleazy? Is Gizmodo's crime one of an ethical/moral nature, or one that is worthy of a police raid by elite members of SWAT -- Seeking Whatever Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) Targets?

And were there any other examples of less-than-stellar behavior on the part of average folks not associated with the media or major technology corporations?

I doubt this audience needs a primer in the Great Lost iPhone Caper of 2010, but here's the story so far, which does indeed begin like a joke in a Catskills lounge:

Apple engineer walks into a bar. Leaves his prototype fourth-generation iPhone (cleverly disguised as a 3GS iPhone) behind on a barstool. Guy sitting next to barstool asks a guy on the other side of the barstool if it's his, and here, why don't you take it and give it back to the guy who left? No one thinks of handing it over to the bartender, especially the guy who ends up with the phone. He turns it on and surfs around. Finds out via a Facebook page open on the phone who it belongs to. Waits for said Facebook user/Apple engineer to come back to bar. Decides to take it home. He wakes up, the phone is bricked/wiped. Guy calls Apple support and is given a ticket number. No one from Apple calls back. Guy discovers the phone is really something different, like from another alternate universe where iPhones have forward-facing cameras. Flirts with tech blog Engadget, ends up selling it to another tech blog, Gizmodo, for US$5,000. Gizmodo tears it apart, shoots pics and video and writes about it, gets tons of traffic -- and a letter from Apple's head lawyer asking for it back.

Does any of that help you determine if Apple's property is lost, stolen, misplaced? You make the call -- just not on a bricked prototype iPhone.
Bring In the Cops

That's enough of a chronological workout -- all this happened over a period of weeks, beginning in with the iPub crawl in mid-March and ending with Gizmodo's recent publication of its findings. But then last weekend the Gizmodo editor who wrote about the prototype iPhone and conducted the video breakdown of it came home to find San Mateo County law enforcement officials raiding his home and confiscating his computers. They had broken in the door to his house. A police officer showed Chen a warrant issued by a judge, saying the officers were looking for evidence that the property had been used in commission of a felony. Chen showed police a letter from the legal counsel of Gawker Media, Gizmodo's parent, stating that a search warrant can't be used to seize a journalist's property. The search continued anyway.

So this is where we are -- the technosphere has been echoing with righteous indignation about the raid. Especially after Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) News dug up information that the special task force conducting the raid, the Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT) has Apple as one of the companies on its steering committee. REACT was formed to help with things like computer fraud and identity theft, but now it apparently has another duty according to Cupertino's critics: serving as Steve Jobs' personal secret police.

This episode had officially made the hyperspace jump from tech blogger fodder to mainstream media story before the police raid happened. But thanks to REACT, "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart sat up and paid attention this week, and the result was a hilarious coring of Apple. Stewart himself admitted he was on shaky ground, since the Apple crowd is his audience, but he thinks (as pointed out in this column last week) that Apple is becoming the Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) of the '90s.

I really wish REACT hadn't shown up. Yes, police raids on homes regarding lost/stolen iPhones are a tad over-the-top, shall we say. But my reason for wishing away the image of police officers kicking in Chen's doors has more to do with how it firmly places Gizmodo in the "victim" category.

Before the police action, the Web meme regarding all this revolved around the journalist-vs.-blogger question, and whether or not paying to take possession -- however temporary -- of a company's unreleased product was somehow up there with receipt of the Pentagon Papers. It's not. No public service is being protected here, folks. No greater good is being served, and so it becomes the Web's version of checkbook journalism/blogging -- paying for celebrity paparazzi shots of a kind, only in this case the "celebrity" is the next-generation iPhone.

The New York Times' David Carr wrote an excellent deconstruction of how Gizmodo is playing moneyball with the new economics of blog traffic in his "Media Equation" column. Forget about slippery slopes; this incline has already been greased by outlets like The National Enquirer, TMZ.com and even broadcast morning shows paying for exclusive interviews with average folks caught in big-time news events with flights to New York and stays in nice hotels. Internet traffic metrics have morphed into Nielsen overnights, with just as much at stake in terms of advertising and job security for those doing the writing.
Ever Hear of Lost and Found?

So once again, it's all about Apple and how the media can't stop chewing on this particular piece of fruit. But the clues dropped along the way in this story point to some signs of slipping ethics overall in this second decade of the 21st century. This tale doesn't get told if some people along the way had remembered some childhood direction about how to treat their fellow human beings, doing unto others, etc.

The biggest clue: I'm sure that bartender at the Silicon Valley-area beer garden where the prototype iPhone was originally lost has three "lost and found" baskets somewhere under the beer taps -- one for car keys, one for wallets/credit cards, and one for iPhones. Why didn't either gentlemen on both sides of that barstool just hand it over to the barkeep, like most decent people would do? We all know that pint after pint of good German beer can make inhibitions, intelligence and clothes disappear. Apparently that whole right/wrong thing vanishes too with certain people. You take an expensive smartphone that's not yours ... home?

The guy who ended up selling the phone to Gizmodo starting playing with somebody else's property while at the bar. I find that a little creepy. Sure, he may have been looking for information as to whoever it belonged to, but he could have found other personal info as well. How deep do you drill into an lost iPhone, anyway, to dig up data that can help you get it back to the rightful owner?

As Gizmodo says, the guy who took the phone home tried to tell Apple about it, and was given a customer service number. So maybe Apple is indeed guilty of not following up on this. But was it pitched to customer service as a potentially lost prototype from their labs? How hard did this gentleman make his case that he had something of Apple's that might be considered very valuable?

Once Gizmodo paid for the iPhone, they set about tearing it up, making sure they had the real thing. You could argue that they could have put the same amount of work into getting it back to its rightful owner(s), but then they don't get their scoop. However, the management could have tried to work out an arrangement with Apple to get some kind of exclusive "official" first look at the new iPhone before June -- or a Gizmodo-only, no-holds-barred interview with Jobs -- by showing what nice people they were to bring the phone back right away and not after milking it for all the Web traffic they could.

Yeah, I know. It sounds a little naive to me too. I guess we all should say "hi" to the year 2010 and the new Web-based situational ethics.

Where Are the Robots Taking Us? Part 2

2010-04-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

If you look to the movies for answers regarding the Western world's attitude toward robots, the results may be confusing. Sometimes they're pudgy, bleeping sidekicks to the hero; other times their high-tech, cybernetic sociopaths. Robots in the real world aren't nearly so sophisticated, but their advancement has already raised a number of ethical questions.

Part 1 of this series explored the market for robots, Japan's robotics program and some of its results, and the love some people have for their robots.

Is it abnormal to love robots? Do people who love robots, adopt them as friends or members of the family, give then names and bring them along on family vacations have an unnatural fixation on robots?

What about soldiers who are prepared to give their lives for their units' bomb detector robots? Is that a symptom of battle fatigue? Of loneliness? Of traumatic stress disorder?

Or are all these people just being human? If babies can anthropomorphize stuffed toys, why can't adults anthropomorphize robots, especially those that seem intelligent or resemble us physically? Remember how everyone loved R2D2 because he was so cute and made humanoid sounds? Do people who feel affectionate towards their robots demonstrate what sociologists call "transference?"

Why the Robot Love?

"I believe we love robots because they're reflections of ourselves," Ken Goldberg, director of the Berkeley Center for New Media at the University of California at Berkeley, told TechNewsWorld.

"Seeing a purely mechanical thing that seems alive has enormous emotional pull on us," Malcolm MacIver, an assistant professor in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University, told TechNewsWorld. "People were entranced by Vaucanson's 1739 mechanical model of a duck, which seemed to digest and eliminate food, for example."

Jacques de Vaucanson, an 18th-Century French artist and inventor is credited with creating the world's first true robots as well as the first completely automated loom. The "Digesting Duck," which is considered his masterpiece, had more than 400 moving parts and could flap its wings, drink water, and appeared to digest ... and defecate.

Boston Dynamics' BigDog

People also tend to attribute intelligence to things that move in a biologically realistic fashion, MacIver said. "This is a strong effect; and that's why it's better to coarsely render a virtual character that moves realistically than to give it a more realistic visual appearance at the cost of unrealistic or jerky movement."
Japan vs the U.S.

Do the Japanese view robots differently than Americans? If so, why?

Robots are seen as friends and partners in Japan, whereas Americans see them as potentially dangerous, MacIver said. "For example, 'Astro Boy' is the story of a robot that Dr. Tenma made to replace his son Tobio after Tobio died in a car accident," he pointed out.

Japan's pro-robo ethos could stem from how technology and industrial robots have been crucial to their post-WW II boom, but it could have earlier roots in Japan's emulation of Western culture, MacIver theorized. "Recent efforts toward personal assistant robots there are sometimes explicitly grounded on concerns about the aging population and the decline of the traditional family structure with built-in care for the elderly," he remarked. "I would say this is less of a factor in their efforts toward humanoid robots than their general pro-robot attitude, however."

Over here in the United States, things are a little more complicated. "Americans are both fascinated and suspicious of robots," MacIver said. "It's unclear to me why almost all the roles of robots in Hollywood are as villains."

This could be because we feel that only a living being can possess characteristics such as empathy, passion and concern, which make up a virtuous person, MacIver speculated. "Without these attributes, what we have is a smart sociopath, inasmuch as such a device mingles in society."

Here's how ambivalent Americans feel toward humanoid robots: "The Terminator" was both the leading hero and villain in a survey of the top 100 heroes and villains in film conducted by Hollywood, Peter Warren Singer, director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institution, pointed out in a keynote speech at the RSA 2010 security conference in San Francisco in early March. "That goes to show the dichotomy of our thinking," he said.

The Three Laws of Robotics

Science fiction author Isaac Asimov came up with the Three Laws of Robotics when he wrote his "Robot" series.

The RobotCub Consortium's iCub

These are as follows: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; a robot must obey orders given to it by humans except where such orders would conflict with the first law; and a robot must protect its own existence so long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second laws.

Should we seek to instill these laws in our robots? Possibly, but there's just a slight snag. "The problem with those three laws is, first, they're fiction; second they're fiction; and third, we're deliberately violating these laws," Singer said, pointing to the battle robots the U.S. employs in Afghanistan as an example. "You don't give a robotic system Manage and monitor your systems with Landscape for Ubuntu. Free 60 day Trial. a 50-caliber machine gun or a Hellfire missile to not hurt people."
Ethics Isn't Just for Squishy Humans

Robots in the home could give third parties such as law enforcement and hackers access to what's going on in people's homes without their knowledge, Ryan Calo, a residential fellow at the Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society, told TechNewsWorld.

"A policeman could get a warrant for a robot's sensory data, or even tap into a robot that's connected to the Internet, as many are," Calo pointed out. "It's more dangerous, potentially than a webcam -- not only could the officer get audio and video, he could move the robot to view what he wants to see."

How will the law apply when it comes to the authorities spying on people through their robots? Are we going to ride rough-shod over people's civil rights by invoking national security regardless whether or not that's warranted? Will our law enforcement agencies be able to resort to warrantless spying?

An early version of what might happen is playing out now in Philadelphia, where a class-action suit has been filed against the Lower Merion School District over remote laptop surveillance. Apparently, school administrators were spying on students through the built-in webcams on the laptops issued to them by the school district.

There are also indications that some commercially available robots can be accessed by hackers, Calo said.

What could happen when a caregiver robot goes wonky and hurts an elderly patient? Hard to tell, Calo said. "There's a lot of players involved -- the manufacturer, the hospital, the patient," he explained. "Further, the machine itself is complicated. Responsibility could lie with the hardware, the software, an operator, or all three."

Here's where lawmakers can do something concrete, Calo said. "If we need a law, I think it's one clarifying under what circumstances the manufacturer will be held liable," he said. "Would you build sophisticated robots capable of performing a wide variety of functions if you were liable for whatever anyone did with them?"
Where Are the Robots Taking Us? Part 1

Where Are the Robots Taking Us? Part 1

2010-04-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

Why are we so fascinated with robots? Are robots the culmination of the vision of freeing humanity from drudge work? And what are the legal implications of using humanoid robots or even robot pets? It's a field that's expected to grow as the technology behind becomes more sophisticated, and as certain populations develop new sets of needs.

Robots haunt our art and our dreams. Science-fiction author Isaac Asimov wrote a whole series of novels around the idea of robotics -- the "Robot" series, one of which was made into the movie "I, Robot." The "Terminator" movies were all big hits, and science-fiction series such as Britain's "Dr. Who" and America's own "Caprica" and "Battlestar Galactica" all have robots, more or less humanoid, in their casts.
On television, the Japanese cartoon characters "Astro Boy," as well as "Transformers" and "Gundam" have been hits.

While we're all familiar with the news clip shots of robotic arms in auto assembly plants, researchers are increasingly focusing on robots for personal and social uses such as in daycare centers or as pets, and that's what this article will explore.

Why are we so fascinated with robots? Do we want impersonal slaves that don't talk back? Are robots the culmination of the vision of freeing humanity from drudge work? Will robots be cost-effective?

Why are the Japanese so interested in humanoid robots and robot toys? Is it because their population is declining so they're running out of human caregivers and older people don't have the time and energy to feed and groom pets and take them for walks? What about Westerners?

What are the legal implications of using humanoid robots or robot pets? If they go awry or don't perform as expected, can their owners sue the manufacturers? What protection will manufacturers need from frivolous lawsuits?

Follow the Money

The market for caregiver robots is potentially huge. The Japan Robot Association predicts the market for consumer robotics will top US$66 billion by 2025. Patrick Cox, editor of the "Breakthrough Technology Alert" newsletter, thinks that number could be even bigger.

The United States' market for elder care personal robots will hit $74 billion in 2011 and $86.6 billion in 2015, according to Martin Spencer, president and CEO of U.S. robot manufacturer GeckoSystems.

GeckoSystems' products include an elder care personal robot and a medical care robot that supplements nurses' services and can change bedpans, give patients their medication and monitor their vital signs.

"Robots that are affordable companions and operate largely independent of the owner could be a huge initial benefit to people who are disabled," Rob Enderle, principal analyst of the Enderle Group, pointed out. "This may turn out to be one of the biggest things this century, much as affordable cars and affordable computers were in the last century," he told TechNewsWorld.

Sushi and Robots

The Japanese have long had robot pet dogs and humanoid robots, and they are investing heavily in robotics to take over mundane chores as they grapple with the problem of an aging population.

"In an effort to address two ongoing problems facing Japanese society, namely the aging of Japanese society and recurrent natural disasters, the Japanese government is hoping to adapt and enhance the country's robotics expertise by developing anthropomorphic robots to assist humans in these situations and others," reads a paper published by the Asian Technology Information Program.

Under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's auspices, Japan launched a Humanoid Robotics Project in 1998 that had two objectives. One was developing a common robot technology platform, and the other was application of this platform to human assistance tasks.

The applications developed included housing and building construction, the operation of industrial vehicles, personal care services and building and home management.

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

Two Honda ASIMOs

Since then, Japanese companies have unveiled a large number of humanoid and pet robots. In 2007, Honda rolled out two humanoid "ASIMO" robots to serve visitors to its headquarters. ASIMO has been a Honda project since the '80s.

Sony (NYSE: SNE) came up with the "QRIO" walking robot which it programmed to dance.

Sony also developed the "AIBO" robot dog.

The Sony AIBO robot dog

In February, Fujisoft released the "Palro" robotic humanoid, which can converse with humans spontaneously. This has an open software platform that comes with various apps which let it perform different functions.
Me and My Robot

Some people get emotionally attached to their robots. During a panel discussion at Stanford University's School of Law on the legal challenges surrounding robotics, Paul Saffo, a technology forecaster and visiting scholar, said some owners of the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner take the devices on vacation and treat them like friends or family members.

Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have reportedly developed such strong bonds with their bomb detector robots that some of them have risked their lives to protect the robots from enemy fire.

What legal issues would arise if someone bonded with a robot and it "died?" With the U.S. being such a litigious society, might the owner sue the manufacturer? If the owner does file suit, what might happen?

Perhaps a lawsuit might be filed, but the outcome would be difficult to predict, Ryan Calo, a residential fellow at the Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society, told TechNewsWorld. "Sometimes the law compensates people for psychological trauma or mere belief; at other times, it may turn a deaf ear," Calo pointed out.

Perhaps a case might be made for emotional distress and loss of services when a personal robot goes to the great robot factory in the sky, but chances are we'll have to wait until someone actually files suit over the issue to find out.
Where Are the Robots Taking Us? Part 2

HTC Incredible: The Name Says It All

2010-04-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

Any company that dubs its smartphone the "Incredible" is certainly making a gutsy move, but in HTC's case, its new handset has the power to back it up. Its design is solid, its processor rips through apps and Web browsing, the 8 MP camera is eye-popping, it's backed by Verizon's network and its Sense UI interface is one of the most attractive and user-friendly things a phonemaker has done with Android yet.

The branding gurus at various tech companies are certainly gamblers at heart; they're always rolling the dice when they choose names for their products. Tech reporters and bloggers clap their hands together in gleeful anticipation when they hear about a forthcoming iPad, ThinkPad, Zune, Vista or Wii -- especially if said products end up sucking royally. They can imagine how much fun they would have with headlines like "ThinkPad? StinkPad!," "Goodnight Zune," "Vista's Lack of Vision," etc.

The HTC Incredible

Whoever is picking the titles for HTC's smartphones is handing a lot of potential ammunition to these wiseacres. Who wouldn't be licking their literary chops over the prospect of a clay-footed Hero, a error-prone Eris, a limp Passion, a barely-there Desire? And when you launch a phone called the "Incredible," as HTC does this week, you damn well better deliver something that approaches smartphone nirvana without actually having to stick a picture of a half-eaten fruit -- the kind that got Adam, Eve and Gizmodo in trouble -- on the back.

Luckily for HTC and Verizon customers, the Incredible comes through with all the panache of a certain Pixar (Nasdaq: PIXR) superhero. A tweaked Sense user interface, a blazing Snapdragon processor and a ready-for-prime-time Android OS 2.1 form the key elements tucked away in a sleek black case that's a lot slimmer than the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid and even slightly thinner than its sister HTC smartphone, the Eris. Because of all this, I'm predicting lots of smartphone envy for Verizon customers who bit on the first round of iPhone-chasing offerings, and a lot of head-turning in the carrier's retail outlets among those ready to make the leap to a new handset.

Incredible Design

I wasn't kidding when I likened this phone to Mr. Incredible from Pixar's "The Incredibles" -- at least when it comes to the case. (Who designed this phone, Edna Mode?) Mr. Incredible wore a mostly red suit with black trimmings; the Incredible's suit is black with some slight red flair at the top earpiece and rimming the camera lens, which moves to slightly off-center on the phone's upper back to accommodate two small LED flashes. In fact, red and darker tones seem to dominate most of the HTC-provided wallpaper settings for the phone.

Gone are the two standalone silver buttons for power and phone functions at the bottom of the Eris, along with the raised trackball. The power button moves to the top edge near the earphone jack, and an optical track circle at the bottom that will take some getting used to compared to the trackball. The idea seems to be to flatten everything out a la iPhone -- the four touch-sensitive buttons for home, menu, back and search remain, but aside from the usual volume up/down buttons on the side, the Incredible goes for touchscreen-button manipulation.

The Camera

That is especially true for the camera functions, and this is where the Incredible may run into some minor roadblocks. Don't get me wrong: An 8-megapixel camera makes this phone a very attractive option for those looking to keep their Sony (NYSE: SNE) Cybershots and other standalone digital cameras at home while on summer vacations. I tested the outdoors capabilities on the front yard of my Seattle-area home on a sunny afternoon. All the colors that pop out to me as I turn into my driveway at this time of year were captured magnificently by the Incredible's optics: the sky-blue shades of our Japanese magnolia tree, the deep rusty reds of our ornamental cherry, the pinkish-reds of our red dogwood and two different shades of green courtesy of various indigenous trees. The pictures looked great on the Incredible's wide (at least for a phone) 3.7-inch WVGA screen, in case you want to share them instantly, and the colors also came through with flying you-know-whats when sent to my Facebook page and as an email attachment.

A photo taken with the Incredible's 8 megapixel camera

However, adjusting the settings for flash, brightness, white balance and the like is done via slide-out menus that will take some practice for those looking to get the picture image just right, so be warned.

The Specs

Who said Qualcomm's (Nasdaq: QCOM) heavy-lifting Snapdragon processor requires an equally-hefty smartphone like the Motorola Droid? The 1 GHz chip in the Incredible dashes through apps and mobile Web screens; it's enough power to make those used to waiting even for a few seconds for their Eris to load Web pages not adjusted for mobile devices feel like they're plonked back in front of a desktop computer in the early '90s during dial-up days. Analysts have told me that Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) is asking handset manufacturers to consider putting more Snapdragons into their products so it can truly unleash the brainpower of the search engine company's mobile developers, as well as the considerable talents of its third-party providers. Now I see why.

The Android 2.1 OS will also make Droid users wonder once again (very loudly) why Google can't come up with a better way to standardize this open source mobile software that has so much potential to take on the iPhone OS. I know my Eris is powered by a less-mighty processor, but can I please enjoy a little bit of the latest Droid OS? Can we make this a little more consistent among handsets? I especially would like access to the new, improved Android Marketplace, a cleaner, brighter space for app shopping on the Incredible and other smartphones running Droid 2.1.

The OS and the HTC Sense UI, as in other HTC Android products, work and play well with each other in the Incredible. In my opinion, Sense offers some of the easiest screen territory to customize and personalize. You get seven, count 'em, seven screens for placement of icons and widgets, along with quick-dials and messaging for family/friends/business contacts. One minor addition is the ability to pinch-and-shrink all seven screens down to one home screen for easier navigation. A major addition? FriendStream, which aggregates social media networking into one icon, much like the Mail and Messaging icons do for those communications functions.

At US$199 (after $100 mail-in rebate), the Incredible is the best chance yet for Verizon to offer a serious competitor to the current iPhone. (June and Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) Worldwide Developer Conference is right around the corner, I know). I write that with the awareness that the real attraction for many smartphone buyers -- an app store loaded with content -- still puts the advantage in Apple's court with more than 185,000 apps. But this week a Verizon Wireless spokesperson told me that the Android Marketplace hit the 50,000-app mark in a very short period of time when you consider the brief life of the app store segment. Growing acceptance by developers and the continued perception that AT&T's (NYSE: T) network has issues with iPhone service in some areas is marketing fodder for Verizon and HTC, and the Incredible may end up being the real super-Hero in HTC's smartphone lineup.

At the very least, HTC won't have to dial down its trend for handset names -- The HTC So-So or HTC Meh just don't have the same ring to them, you know?

Android 2.2 Goes All the Way With Flash

2010-04-29T06:28:00.000-07:00

Though certain past editions of Android have supported Flash to a degree, Google says that the upcoming "FroYo" version of its mobile platform will feature full support for the Adobe technology. The move underscores Android's rivalry with Apple, which has all but killed any hope of iPhone Flash support in favor of competing technologies.

Android 2.2, code-named "FroYo," will fully support Adobe's (Nasdaq: ADBE) Flash platform, Andy Rubin, Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) vice president of engineering, told The New York Times' Bits blog Tuesday.

Google's show of Flash support came weeks after Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), Android's rival, announced changes that made it more difficult for Flash application developers to create apps for its iPhone. However, Google's promise of full Flash support in an upcoming edition of Android puzzled some HTC Hero smartphone users, whose Android handsets have supported Flash since the device's launch last year.
FroYo's Possible Features

Rumors about the features that Google will include in FroYo are plentiful.

There is speculation that FroYo will have automatic updating so users can choose whether to let installed apps update themselves instead of updating them manually.

Other rumors are that FroYo will feature new application programming interfaces (APIs); will be tweaked so touchscreens respond better to a user's touch; and may offer additional RAM.

Asked whether any of these rumors are correct, Google spokesperson Anthony House declined to comment.
Android and Flash: The Prequel

Last June, HTC announced the Hero, then its third Android smartphone. This was the first Android device to support Adobe Flash ( ).

This followed from Adobe's announcement at last year's Mobile World Congress, held in Barcelona in February 2009, that it would unveil the first full-fledged Flash multimedia player for smartphones by the end of that year.

However, Adobe delayed putting out Flash 10.1, reportedly because it wanted to include some of the APIs from Android 2.1, also known as "Eclair."

It released its second release candidate for Flash Player 10.1 or PCs and netbooks April 19, but has yet to issue a beta version of that platform for Android.

Adobe said Flash Player 10.1 would be released for Android 2.0 and later versions in the first half of 2010.
Full Frontal Flash

Since Android already supports the Flash platform to a certain degree, what could Rubin mean by promising"full support" for Flash?

"There are different Flash platforms set up for mobile devices and PCs, and I think he's saying Android will support Flash on all of them," Chris Hazelton, a research director at the 451 Group, told TechNewsWorld. "[Apple CEO] Steve Jobs' issue with Flash was that he didn't like the mobile version and the full-blown version took up too many processor cycles, and there's nothing in between for Apple."

Or could it be that Android will ensure full compatibility with the Flash standard? "Right now, Android support for Flash isn't consistent," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told TechNewsWorld."For instance, the Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) Streak prototype doesn't yet support it fully."

The Dell Streak is a touchscreen mini-tablet expected to ship later this year. It will reportedly run on Android 2.0 (possibly upgraded later to 2.1), it have a five-inch WVGA screen, and it will be based on Qualcomm's (Nasdaq: QCOM) 1GHz Snapdragon processor.

The problem with the Streak isn't with its hardware but with the software, Enderle said."Some changes in the operating system were needed," he remarked."Those changes are evidently coming."

Jabbing at Jobs?

Perhaps Rubin was also taking a dig at Apple in announcing full support for Flash. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has made no secret of his antipathy to Flash, and Google and Apple appear to have gone from amicable partners to fierce rivals over the last few years due to their competing smartphone platforms.

Rubin has pointed to a mobile metrics report by Admob that stated Android gained market share in March. Google now owns AdMob, a company that Apple was reportedly also quite interested in acquiring.

Meanwhile, Verizon is slated to unveil the much-anticiated HTC Incredible Android smartphone Thursday.

"Google had always intended to do Flash; they're just pushing the fact for competitive advantage now," Enderle said.

Techie Mystery: Why Did Israel Ban the iPad?

2010-04-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

The iPad is shown after it was unveiled at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Not since Adam and Eve has the appearance of an Apple in the Holy Land caused such uproar. Israel is a wonderland of high-tech innovation but it is certainly no Garden of Eden for iPad users, who can expect to have their new Apple tablets confiscated on arrival by Israeli airport customs. El Al stewardess Alona Gur tells TIME she was one of the first people to lose her new iPad and she is furious about it. "I was in New York and I checked with the Israeli customs to see if it was OK to bring one and they said sure, just go through the red channel [that is, declaring it at customs] and pay the taxes," says Gur. "Two days later I arrived at Ben-Gurion and did exactly as they said, but that morning the Ministry of Communications ordered them to confiscate all iPads." "It's crazy," she says, "I feel as though I live in a fourth-world country. And the customs are charging me 45 shekels ($12) a day for storage until I can take it back to America."

The ban by the Israeli Ministry of Communications has left users fuming and techies baffled. Dozens of confiscated Apple tablets are now being stored at Ben-Gurion Airport until their owners collect them on their way out of the country. The ministry says the iPad's Wi-Fi system is configured for the United States and does not conform to the European standards used in Israel, so it operates at higher power levels and is liable to cause interference on the wireless frequency. "A consumer who imports a British car designed to drive on the left knows that in Israel we drive on the right and the car is not suitable for use in Israel," says ministry spokesman Yechiel Shavi. (See pictures of the unveiling of Apple's iPad.)

But others don't quite buy the reasoning. Aviv Eilon, a Tel Aviv attorney specializing in technology law, dismisses the automobile comparison as "demagogic." He says the iPad conforms to the European standards approved in Israel and uses the same Wi-Fi devices as other Apple computers already in use in the country. "This was really annoying. It was a nonsense explanation. I went to the FCC website and saw that the iPad already correlates with the European standards," he says. "Poor old Israel," says Harel Shattenstein, an analyst who blogs on rcrwireless.com and talkingmobile.com. "Even if the Wi-Fi standard is different it won't cause any danger because most of the wireless networks in Israel are private." (Read TIME's review of the iPad.)

Israeli experts say they cannot find any technical reason for the ministry's decision. "I can't understand why they are banning the iPad. I really don't know. It doesn't make sense and it disturbs me as a technology freak," says Dor Zakai, Operating Systems and Hardware Team Leader at John Bryce Training in Israel. "Now it's the iPad. What's next?"

One commentator, Aharon Etengoff, has openly speculated on his blog that the Ministry of Communications is acting to protect the monopoly of iDigital, Apple's sole official Israeli importer, which is owned by Chemi Peres, son of the Israeli president. There was no official comment from iDigital, but company executives there say they are also baffled by the ministry decision. The Ministry of Communications tells TIME it is in discussions with iDigital to determine "how and when the iPad can be allowed for harmless use in Israel at the earliest. The Ministry expects Apple's answers in a few days and believes that this issue will be resolved in satisfactory way very soon." (See the best travel gadgets of 2009.)

Alona Gur says she was told privately by a ministry official that the iPad was banned because it interferes with Israeli military frequencies. There was a similar problem when Bluetooth first came to Israel, forcing the military to release those frequencies for civilian use. But the spokesman for the Ministry of Communications says he had no information about that. "I don't know about the military frequencies," says Shavi.

Meanwhile, leaders of Israel's business community are concerned about the damage to the country's image as a leader in high-tech that has fueled Israel's economic revival. Robert Ilatov, a lawmaker who chairs a parliamentary sub-committee for the advancement of high-tech industries, wants the ban rescinded. "This has not earned us a lot of respect in the high-tech world. I have asked the minister to reconsider his decision because it doesn't seem to make any sense. I don't think they checked it sufficiently," Ilatov tells TIME. (See pictures of vintage computers.)

There has been a firestorm of protest in Israel's high-tech blogosphere, where one anonymous contributor offered the following advice: "The solution is simple. Go through the green channel, don't declare your iPad at customs, and you're sorted. The iPad works perfectly in Israel. I speak from experience. Mine arrived this morning."

Space shuttle Discovery, crew of 7 back on Earth

2010-04-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

Space shuttle Discovery lands

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Shuttle Discovery and its astronauts returned safely to Earth on Tuesday after making a rare flyover of America's heartland to wrap up their 15-day, 6 million-mile journey to the International Space Station.

The touchdown was delayed by rain and fog that dissipated as the sun rose, allowing Mission Control to take advantage of the morning's second landing opportunity.

Shuttle commander Alan Poindexter held a small U.S. flag as he stood in front of Discovery, two hours later, and described the "beautiful entry."

"We got the bonus of coming over the entire United States, and it was just absolutely gorgeous," said Poindexter, flanked by his six crewmates. "The entire entry track took us over the Rockies and over the Midwest and across the Mississippi Delta. It was just a fantastic entry."

Discovery swooped through a hazy sky before landing a day late because of rain. Within a few hours of completing what one NASA manager described as an "unbelievably successful mission," the space agency was announcing delays to its last two shuttle flights.

NASA almost certainly will need to keep the shuttles flying beyond the advertised September retirement date, said Mike Moses, a launch manager. He stressed the intention still is to wrap everything up by year's end. A final launch schedule is expected in the next few weeks.

No matter what, this was Discovery's next-to-last flight. Only one more mission remains for NASA's oldest surviving shuttle. Once removed from the runway, it was going to start undergoing preparations for a fall launch.

Until this week, Discovery was scheduled to make the last shuttle flight in September. But following touchdown, NASA reported a major delay for its next-to-last mission, a space station trip by Endeavour to deliver a particle physics detector. Science teams in Europe want to replace the magnet in the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer so it can operate longer in orbit. Doing so means the instrument will not be ready for a late July liftoff, as initially planned.

Moses said all options are being explored, including swapping the order of the last two flights or changing which shuttle flies what.

For days, NASA had promised a spectacular show, weather permitting, for early risers along Discovery's flight path. The 1 1/2-hour delay Tuesday morning may have made it more difficult to spot the descending shuttle, Moses said.

Discovery zoomed over the North Pacific on its way home before crossing into North America over Vancouver, British Columbia. Then it headed toward the southeast, flying over northeastern Washington, Helena, Mont.; Wyoming; southwestern Nebraska; northeastern Colorado; southwestern Kansas; Oklahoma; Arkansas; Mississippi; Alabama; Georgia and finally Florida east of Gainesville.

A NASA research team captured infrared images of the shuttle zooming over Arkansas. In addition, NASA received reports of sonic booms being heard as far away as Tuskaloosa, Ala.

It was the first time since 2007 that a space shuttle descended over so much of the United States. With the shuttle program winding down, there aren't expected to be any more continental flyovers.

NASA typically prefers bringing a shuttle back home from the southwest, up over the South Pacific, Central America and the Gulf of Mexico. That way, there's minimal flying over heavily populated areas. In 2003, space shuttle Columbia shattered over Texas during re-entry, but no one on the ground was injured by the falling wreckage.

NASA wanted to maximize the crew's work time in orbit, while minimizing fatigue. That resulted in this North American crossing.

Mission Control radioed congratulations as soon as Discovery touched down on the runway.

"It was a great mission. We enjoyed it," Poindexter said. "And we're glad that the International Space Station is stocked up again."

Before leaving the space station Saturday, Poindexter, a Navy captain, and his crew dropped off tons of supplies and equipment. Poindexter is the son of retired Navy Adm. John Poindexter, national security adviser under President Ronald Reagan.

The main delivery was a tank full of ammonia coolant, which took three spacewalks to hook up.

A nitrogen pressure valve refused to open after the tank was installed, and for a day, NASA considered sending the shuttle astronauts out on a fourth spacewalk to fix the problem. But engineers concluded it was not an emergency and that the space station crew or future shuttle fliers could deal with it.

History, meanwhile, was made with the presence of four women in space: three on the shuttle and one at the station.

Discovery returned with a couple tons of trash and discarded space station equipment. Most of that was jammed into a cargo carrier that was launched April 5 with three times that in fresh supply weight. The Italian-built carrier will be outfitted, reflown and installed permanently at the orbiting outpost sometime this fall.

Only three shuttle missions remain for NASA before the fleet is retired after nearly 30 years of operation. Atlantis will carry up a small Russian lab and other equipment next month.

The same bad weather that prevented Discovery from returning to Kennedy Space Center on Monday also stalled Atlantis' trip to the launch pad. The three-mile move from the hangar has been rescheduled for Tuesday night. Liftoff is targeted for May 14.

U.S. Air Force to Launch Boeing’s X-37B This Week

2010-04-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

Early artist's rendition of the X-37

Boeing’s secretive Phantom Works, under the direction of U.S. Air Force, plans to launch the compact X- 37B space plane on April 21. If successful, the plane will be the first robot spacecraft to complete an orbital mission.

According to space.com, the Air Force spokeswoman for the X-37B project Angie Blair said that the first mission will be intended to test out the vehicle’s subsystems, such as thermal retention, power and attitude controls, and power distribution. Blair added that the vehicle is built for carrying out 270-day missions.

Since the ship uses small but powerful electromechanical actuators, much of the weight present in the classic NASA shuttle can be eliminated, said Popular Mechanics. The compact X-37B does not need a crew to operate it, which reduces its weight even more, since it does not need hardware to maintain a pressurized compartment or facilities to carry supplies.

The success of X-37B is still a mystery, but it’s an exciting event for Boeing, NASA, and the Air Force to launch a spacecraft that can be used to spy and reposition satellites and then be able to return to base, said Popular

YouTube's New Look Draws Mostly Cheers

2010-04-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

YouTube's streamlined new design has ruffled a few feathers, particularly among users who prefer the old five-star rating system to the new thumbs-up or thumbs-down options. Still, early impressions seem generally favorable. Playbacks are up, and more people are engaging by supplying comments and ratings.

After months of planning and testing, the Internet's No. 1 video-sharing site, YouTube, launched a new look and received mixed reviews.

The redesign eliminates one of the chief irritants to tubesters: clutter.

youtube redesign

"We heard from users that there are a lot of unnecessary features and clutter that could be cleaned up," YouTube spokesperson Chris Dale told TechNewsWorld.

"Video is the center of our universe, and it's the center of the user's universe, and that is much clearer in this redesign than it has been in the past," he maintained. "We're bringing everything back to centering on the video experience and how the users are engaging in that video."

To avert clutter, the redesign groups all the information about a video in one place, and its detail can be obtained in a consistent way.

The action bar on a video's page has also been cleaned up, and the presentation of controls for sharing, flagging and embedding videos streamlined.

Smarter Discovery

In addition to curbing clutter, the redesign seeks to improve a videophile's ability to find clips of interest. The service's suggestions on what to watch next is "smarter" and based on how a video currently being watched was discovered in the first place.

"I think the redesign is an improvement," Coree Silvera, a YouTube user and founder of Market Like a Chick, told TechNewsWorld.

"I especially like the hover features," she continued. "It's such a pain when you want to look at a video, and you're not sure if it's exactly the right one, and you switch to the page, and it's not the right one, and you have to go back to your search results and do it all over again."

"Now you can hover over it, and it shows you everything right there -- you can see if it's popular or not before you look at it," she added.

Hidden Channels

The way YouTube handles "channels" -- groups of videos uploaded by a user -- has also been tweaked. Both the channel name and subscribe button are on top of the video. What's more, there's a button showing how many videos are in the channel. Clicking that button displays a bar of thumbnails for the videos in the channel that can be scrolled through horizontally.

"You can continue to watch your video while scrolling through all the videos in your channel," YouTube's Dale explained. "That heavily favors partners of ours or users who have channels and uploaded lots of videos to them."

Not all YouTube partners agree with Dale's assessment of the channel redesign, however.

"My goal is to get people to watch more of my videos," Jeff Martin, associate director of search marketing Free Report - Discover the Difference of Email Marketing 2.0! for TouchStorm, told TechNewsWorld. "By putting my videos at the top and closing it by default, the user has to take action just to be exposed to any of my content. Essentially, my content is hidden."

Another redesign issue that's stirred up some controversy among users is the new ratings system Manage and monitor your systems with Landscape for Ubuntu. Free 60 day Trial. adopted by the service.
Trading Stars for Thumbs

Rather than using a star system, similar to the one favored by Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX), YouTube has gone to a simple thumbs-up-thumbs-down scheme, similar to Facebook's.

Much of the hoopla over the ratings change has more to do with an emotional attachment to the old system than its actual value in rating videos, YouTube's Dale argued.

"When we did research, the vast majority of ratings [were] five stars or more," he noted.

"So even though people thought that was a really good indicator of the value of a video, it actually wasn't," Dale continued.

The new rating system is more flexible than the old star system, he asserted. When a user clicks on the "like" button, a drop down menu will appear showing the percentage of people who liked the video compared to those who didn't like it.

"That's a really good indicator of a video's popularity," maintained Dale, "and, frankly, a much better indicator than what five stars was."

YouTube redesign

How video eyeballers comment on YouTube content is also being changed in the redesign. Comments are rated with the "thumb" system and the highest-rated comments are prominently displayed on the page. In addition, comments by the creator of a video are given priority over other commenters.

"Comments were a big user pain point," Dale disclosed. With the new system, more useful comments migrate to the top of the stack. "A video might have 100 people writing 'LOL,'" he observed. "That's great, but it doesn't necessarily tell you much."

How the new redesign integrates advertising into the site has also caused a stir among users and pundits, though Dale discounted much of that criticism.

"I think that's a red herring. At the end of the day, the redesign is based on user experience and user feedback," he declared.

"Without the user, without the community, YouTube has no legs to stand on," he continued. "If we alienate the user, if we do things too much in favor of one constituency or another, the users will leave and the advertisers will leave and the content providers will leave, and the whole site won't do well."

Doing well appears to be what the redesign is doing for the site. Early returns show overall playbacks up by 6 percent and "engagement" -- comments, ratings, etc. -- up 7 percent.

Wait for Slate, Suggests HP Vid

2010-04-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

The iPad may be the first tablet computer to seize the imaginations of a large number of consumers, but HP wants the world to know that competition is on the way. The company has released a video showing its upcoming Slate, which apparently will have a few things the iPad does not, including a camera, Flash functionality, a USB port and a video dock.

HP (NYSE: HPQ) is trying to steal some of the limelight from the iPad.

Less than 48 hours after customers lined up to get their hands on Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) newly released tablet computer, HP unveiled a highly produced video of its yet-to-be released Slate tablet.

The YouTube video shows consumers that the HP tablet device will be heavily focused on multimedia including music, video, camera and video chat, observed Alex Spektor, analyst of wireless device strategies at Strategy Analytics.

Vive la Difference

There is no mention of e-book functionality, gaming or Web-browsing capabilities, noted Spektor, although the Firefox icon appears on the video.

There is also no mention of an operating system Manage and monitor your systems with Landscape for Ubuntu. Free 60 day Trial., although it was previously speculated that the device would be based on Windows 7, giving it a wide range of applications, Spektor told TechNewsWorld.

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the Slate in January at CES 2010, claiming that it would be more powerful than a smartphone and almost as powerful as a PC.

"Features such as the camera, USB port, and video dock are all things on the Slate that the iPad does not have," Spektor said.

The iPad, however, has already captured a lot of consumer attention.

"HP has a strong brand," said Spektor, "but an upcoming tablet-like device will be compared to Apple's product and will face an uphill battle."

Pricing and promotion will be significant factors, Spektor predicted. "Vendors like HP will need to emphasize the features that their products have that the iPads do not, and competitive pricing will help to gain share as the market expands."
No Release Date

HP did not respond to requests from TechNewsWorld for more details about the Slate, nor has it revealed when it plans to make the tablet PC available.

A midsummer release would allow HP to get attention from the back-to-school crowd, Spektor said. "I would certainly expect the device no later than Christmas season this year."

Sooner would be a lot better than later, suggested Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

"Given the significant differences between iPad and Slate, HP would be well advised to get it out on the market as soon as possible," he told TechNewsWorld.

"It is best to get it out there and let the market sort things out," he remarked.

Apple is presenting the iPad as a new computing paradigm and not what people might have conceptualized as a tablet, King said.

In contrast, HP will release what King described as "very much a tablet computer."

While it will be different than anything HP has offered before, "it is still a computing device," he said.
Competition Not Yet Under Way

The iPad hit the market over the weekend, selling more than 300,000 units in the U.S. on the first day.

It has been interesting to note that many of the reviews are going over what was well known before it hit the market, King said. In addition to there being no camera or USB, the iPad does not support Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) Flash.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has gone out of his way to defend the choice not to support the animation software, according to King.

"Apple is insisting that its customers make a break with technology that most people have been using for years," he added.

There has been speculation that the iPad will dominate the tablet market sector, much as Apple has dominated the MP3 market with its iPod music player. What most people seem to forget, King said, is that when the iPod -- and even when the iPhone -- hit the store shelves, the market for MP3 players and smartphones was already a mature one.

"I expect as competitors come to market their products are going to be compared to the iPad," King said. "There is going to be a very big opportunity for vendors to talk about how their products contrast with the iPad, and how that is a good thing."

Twitter's New Flight Plan

2010-04-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

Twitter has decided it's time to leave the nest and take flight with a new ad-centric business model. Can the little microblogging service that could maintain good relations with its developers? Or are new rivals -- or partners -- just around the corner? Meanwhile, the public met Microsoft's next of Kin, the FCC met with Congress, and Apple met devs' wrath.

To their credit, Twitter's executives are self-aware enough to know the company has been living sort of like a trust-fund child well past its metaphorical college days. Every startup needs some time in the cradle, of course, but when you're hosting Manage and monitor your systems with Landscape for Ubuntu. Free 60 day Trial. 50 million messages per day and you still don't have a revenue plan, questions start getting kind of pointed. This is not lost on cofounder Biz Stone. He recently wrote on the company blog, "Believe me, when your name is Biz and you're a cofounder of Twitter, it also means putting yourself at the mercy of folks like Stephen Colbert who hit home runs with lines like, 'So, I assume that 'Biz' in 'Biz Stone' does not stand for 'Business Model.'"

That particular blog post was the announcement of the first piece of what may indeed grow into a real business model for the microblogging service.

Any business in the world has long been able to take a free ride on Twitter -- just make an official profile for your company, and suddenly you can communicate directly with customers and shout your own message to anyone who cares to listen, just as long as you keep it brief. But now businesses will also have the option of buying Promoted Tweets. These are messages associated with a particular search term.

People search out subjects on Twitter all the time -- coffee, cough syrup, thread count, hydroelectricity, digeridoos, literally any word you can think of. If your company buys the rights to that word, your messages gets prime placement on the search results page. Organic results are up there too, but the Promoted Tweet gets the honeymoon suite.

There is a catch. Twitter has spent years getting a feel for the general garbage tolerance of its users, and the company knows that if it starts selling tweet placement, it could easily sell itself out if it isn't careful about it. So here's the rule for Promoted Tweets: They have to get some action. They have to be retweeted, responded to, or otherwise interacted with. If your Promoted Tweet is bland and uninteresting, it's no longer worthy of PT status, and it gets dropped. You can't just buy your way to the top of Twitter; you've got to buy and earn it, it seems.

Of course, this idea of selling search advertisements sounds a lot like what Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) does, only on a much smaller scale. And right as Twitter started its own minor-league version of Google's game, Google announced plans for a new form of Twitter search. This is going to let people not only search what tweeters are saying about any search term; it'll also document how often a particular term was used in the past. So now we'll all have this graphical, hugely crowdsourced data stream to figure out, down to the minute, exactly when any given pop-culture term or phrase started getting overused and tiresome.

So, with Twitter playing the search ad game and Google doing a better job of cleaning out Twitter's closet than Twitter can do, will we soon have a new bitter rivalry to gawk at when Google/Microsoft, Google/Apple, Adobe/Apple, Microsoft/Apple and TiVo/Dish get boring?

Perhaps not -- if anything happens between the companies, it's more likely going to be some sort of cooperation. Google would probably love to buy Twitter if its founders ever decided to drop their ideals about corporate independence in favor of independent wealth. Barring that, perhaps some kind of limited partnership will eventually grow. Twitter's search utility is lame, but it's made a habit of letting other companies do all sorts of creative things with its feed; Google's just following that trend. And Google's own stab at social networking and messaging, Buzz, was the kind of mistake that only a company as strong as Google can afford to make now and then. Author Paul Gillin told us, "Both companies envy each other. Twitter would like to be a search engine and Google would like to be a social network. It makes sense for them to be together at some point."

Fresh Bag o' Chips

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) fans who've been holding out for a new MacBook Pro can finally start breathing again, if any of them are still alive at all after holding their breath so long. When PC laptop makers started shipping computers with Intel's (Nasdaq: INTC) new quad-core laptop processor line last year, everyone knew it was only a matter of time before MacBooks started flaunting some Core i5 and i7 specs as well. Yes, Macs are often a little late to these kinds of parties, but Apple is not about to let some sandblaster from across the Valley dictate its release schedule. Well, now Cupertino's good and ready, and the quad-core MacBook Pros are here.

All models get beefed-up graphics and battery technologies, but the little 13-incher does not get a quad-core option; it's staying with the Core 2 Duo. Call it the MacBook Semi-Pro. Its price stays put at $1,200. The 15-inch model can have a Core i5 or i7 chip (it starts now at $1,800), and the 17-inch Aluminum Lunch Tray sports only the i5. It starts at $2,300.

So why did MacBook users have to languish so long, staring at those hated HPs and Dells happily chugging along with their Core i5s? Perhaps because Apple knows it's going to sell a boatload. Yankee Group's Carl Howe told us, "Apple put quite a strain on Intel. If you're ordering only a few hundred thousand i5 and i7 processors, Intel has no problem filling your order, but Apple sells millions of PCs each quarter."
Compile This!

Apple has given its customers a lot to talk about over the last few weeks. Even after finally serving up the iPad, it didn't rest a whole lot. iPhone OS 4 came along, meaning a new hardware model is probably right around the corner, and then those new MacBooks showed up. Serious addicts are already talking about second mortgages.

But one decision Apple made recently really managed to grind the gears of a lot of the developers that create App Store wares -- the ones whose applications have played a big role in the success Free Report - Discover the Difference of Email Marketing 2.0! of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. In introducing iPhone OS 4, Apple decreed that from now on, all apps must be originally written in any of a handful of languages -- languages like Objective-C, C++ and other words that cause non-developers' eyes to glaze over. Apps that were originally written in other languages -- most notably Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) Flash -- will not receive App Store approval and will not be allowed to go on sale there.

Granted, Flash applications have never gotten along well with the iPhone OS, but there are tools developers can use to translate an application that was originally written in Flash into an iPhone-friendly app. Now, those translations will no longer get the App Store nod. It's like telling Homer, "Look, I don't want my customers reading some other guy's translation of The Iliad. You're gonna have to learn some modern English and rewrite the thing yourself if you want me to put it in the store, OK?"

Some developers are livid over this, calling it a grab for a downright draconian level of control over a platform. What's next -- are developers also going to have to actually speak a particular language verbally if they want in on the App Store? Some have vowed never to write another iPhone app again, and I suppose the ones who have been writing apps in the accepted languages all along are sitting quietly and trying not to make any sudden movements.

There may be several reasons for this. One might be technical -- perhaps translated apps just don't work well with multitasking, one of the main features promised in iPhone OS 4. Another idea, one put forth by the blog InnerDaemon, is that Apple is getting back at Adobe for past slights. Apple had a rough adolescence -- in the '90s, it got picked on a lot, even by companies it wanted to be friends with. It was in with the art crowd, but the company that made some of the best art tools at the time, Adobe, decided it would use Windows as its main development platform. Even when Apple came up with OS X, arguably the company's turnaround point, Adobe still wasn't impressed.

And now that Apple's grown up to be this rich, powerful maker and breaker of worlds, perhaps it's payback time for that little snub. Gonna be a real interesting high school reunion.
Don't Call It a Sidekick

If you've noticed that Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is starting to look a little big around the middle lately, it's because the company is just about ready to give birth to a huge litter of new mobile handsets. Windows Phone 7 Series is the new smartphone platform it's prepping, and for mercy's sake we're going to refer to that as "WinPho 7" from here on out. Lots of hardware manufacturers are climbing onboard, and it may represent the resurgence of Redmond's struggling mobile strategy.

But not all of the phones in the new brood are going to be all that smart. Some will do vicious battle with BlackBerries and Androids and iPhones, but the two in the Kin line aren't really built for all of that heavy app-lifting. The Kin One and Kin Two are basically dumbphones with comprehensive social networking features tied in. They look like they probably have a wide streak of Sidekick in their DNA, but when it unveiled the products, that wasn't something Microsoft was boasting about. Some branches of the family tree you just do not discuss. In fact, the only carrier named so far for the Kin is Verizon -- not T-Mobile, the company that carried the Sidekick back when that unfortunate data incident happened.

The Kin may not be able to handle the kind of apps that full-bodied WinPho 7 phones can take on, but they will be able to handle themselves socially. One feature is called the "Kin Loop" -- a constant, always up-to-date stream of status updates and messages from your various social networks. That requires a cellular data connection, of course, and that's the real clincher. As you can probably tell, the Kin is taking aim at a younger set of users -- teens and early 20-somethings -- and people in that group aren't as likely to have the kind of income that can comfortably afford a full-fledged data plan. So the monthly bills for the Kin will probably be lower than those for true smartphones, but pricing is as-yet undisclosed.
Sweatshops of the 21st Century

Chinese factories aren't usually known for their luxurious facilities and gratuitous employee perks. But conditions at one factory in particular were apparently bad enough to catch the eye of the U.S. National Labor Committee.

If the information coming from the NLC is accurate, then the KYE factory sounds more like a prison than a place of at-will employment. Workers are paid too little to eke out a living without putting in a great deal of overtime; they're banned from talking while on the job; using the bathroom or drinking water is not permitted outside of a 10-minute break they get every four hours of a 12-hour shift -- unless they get both supervisor permission and a stand-in. Break that rule, and they get bathroom duty. Make a mistake on the factory line, and their punishment is carried out in front of their coworkers for maximum embarrassment. During their few nonworking hours, they sleep in on-site dorms that pack 14 people into a 14-by-23-foot room that does not feature electrical outlets.

So what's actually manufactured at KYE? Well, it makes a lot of things, and it does some business with HP (NYSE: HPQ) and Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), but the factory's single biggest customer happens to be Microsoft. This place makes mice and webcams, and many Microsoft product boxes can be seen in the photos the NLC provided with its report.

Redmond expressed shock when it learned of the report -- its official policy states that its suppliers must treat their workers as Microsoft treats its own employees. Microsoft says it's already dispatched an independent investigation team to take a hard look at KYE.

Microsoft's policy on the matter isn't unique -- most U.S. companies with foreign suppliers have very similar policies; the problem is, they're not often enforced. Analyst Rob Enderle told us, "The companies can apply penalties, but they aren't in a position to do investigative enforcement of labor laws." In fact, he said, sometimes when they do manage to look into things and find a problem, they are likely to be criticized for the problem and not credited with actively trying to eliminate it.

One company that's been there before is Apple. It did a little foreign supplier housecleaning recently, and even severed relations with one factory it was doing business with. Here's a statement from one of its auditing reports: "During most of our audits, suppliers stated that Apple was the only company that had ever audited their facility for supplier responsibility."

Microsoft says its team is looking into the allegations. Perhaps while its investigators are over on that side of the world, they should also pop in unannounced to a few other suppliers in the area -- you know, just a friendly check-in.
High-Five, Anyone? Anyone?

Palm's (Nasdaq: PALM) dream to reclaim its seat as a major player in smartphones -- at least as an independent company -- seem to be a lost cause. It looked like it really was in the running in 2009, with its brand-new webOS and Pre handset. But the market moved too fast. Platforms that were able to grab on were ones like iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and perhaps WinPho 7 -- time will tell on that last one. WebOS couldn't get a grip, and now it looks like Palm's biggest concern isn't who wants to buy its smartphones; it's who's going to buy the company.

Maybe it'll be a PC maker that thinks it has what it takes to make its mark in handhelds. Dell (Nasdaq: DELL), Lenovo and Asus are three standouts in the mind of Yankee Group's Andy Castonguay. Those first two especially have deep enough pockets to make a sale quick and painless, and they have a big manufacturing base to get plenty of products on the market quickly.

Or maybe some handset maker with deep roots in Asia wants a doorway to the U.S. market. On the other hand, maybe a smartphone maker that's already established itself stateside wouldn't mind buying off a has-been rival. Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM) still sells well, but its OS doesn't pack much excitement, and Palm's webOS was pretty well-received by critics, sales performance notwithstanding. Or maybe HTC wants in. It makes good handsets, but it doesn't have an OS of its very own -- instead it usually just puts its own spin on the open source Android OS.

Investors seem to be confident that somebody will step up to the plate soon. On Thursday, private equity firm Harbinger revealed it had snapped up an almost 10 percent passive stake in Palm, and smaller buyers were quick to jump on board too. Palm's shares spiked by more than 2.5 percent by mid-day.
Stay on Target

A few weeks ago, when a federal court sided with Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSK) over the FCC -- effectively un-smackdowning the smackdown that the commission issued many months ago for the cable company's practice of throttling chronic BitTorrent users -- it threw a bucketful of doubt on the FCC's Great Big Broadband Plan. If the commission couldn't prove it had the authority to tell one ISP how it needed to handle a certain type of Internet traffic, what makes it think it has the power to pull off some of the much more ambitious plans it has to turn the U.S. into one big, happy, 4-million-square-mile gigabit hotspot?

But FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has flown the black flag -- no surrender. His message to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee: "Notwithstanding the decision last week in the Comcast case, I am confident that the Commission has the authority it needs to implement the Broadband Plan." He admitted that mistakes were made regarding specific actions and reasoning in the Comcast case specifically, but the overall plan stays in the picture.

How the FCC is going to pull it off remains unclear. In order to get where it wants to go, the FCC obviously needs to make some sort of change to the arguments and legal weapons it has at its disposal. It could wait for Congress to explicitly give it the power it needs, but even if that's successful, it could take years.

Another, possibly quicker, route would be to reclassify what broadband is. Right now, the FCC classifies broadband as an information service. If it was instead a telecom service, the FCC could exercise more power over it under existing rules.

So is that Genachowski's plan? He hedged his answers to that question, and reclassification is certainly not a move the FCC could make lightly. Even some pro-Net-neutrality lawmakers are hesitant about it, and to those who've been against Net neutrality from the get-go, the idea's downright obscene.

Microsoft finalizes Office 2010

2010-04-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

Microsoft said Friday that it has wrapped up development work on the next version of the Office family, including Office 2010, SharePoint 2010, Visio 2010, and Project 2010.

The products were "released to manufacturing," which is the final engineering step. The products are slated to be available for businesses next month and Microsoft is holding a launch event on May 12 in New York.

"RTM is the final engineering milestone of a product release and our engineering team has poured their heart and soul into reaching this milestone," vice president Takeshi Numoto said in a blog posting. "It is also an appropriate time to re-emphasize our sincere gratitude to the more than 5,000 organizations and partners who have worked with us on rapid deployment and testing of the products."

The Office suite, in all its many flavors, will hit store shelves in June and Microsoft is planning a separate Gotham event to mark that occasion. Microsoft is also taking preorders for Office on its online store. Already Microsoft has been promising those buying Office 2007 a free upgrade to Office 2010.

Redmond is also planning to allow PC makers to load a slimmed down Office Starter that users will get for free on new computers.

Among the biggest changes in the new version of Office is the fact that Microsoft will release separate browser-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Businesses will be able to host the Office Web Apps on a SharePoint server, while consumers will be able to get free access as part of Windows Live.

On the desktop side, Microsoft is adding the first 64-bit version of Office as well as other changes including video editing in PowerPoint, photo editing in Word, and an improved "paste preview" function.

Microsoft noted Friday that more than 7.5 million people have been using the beta version of Office 2010.

Microsoft adds repair shop to Windows

2010-04-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Microsoft's Fix it Center, now in beta, consists of both an online service and downloadable software. It's designed to bring some of the diagnostic capabilities built into Windows 7 to older PCs.

Microsoft is testing a new "Fix it Center"--an online and PC-based tool for helping users solve their Windows technical problems.

While a fair amount of diagnostics are built into Windows 7, the free Fix it Center aims to expand on these and also bring similar capabilities to Windows XP and Windows Vista.

The service, which went into beta on Thursday, consists of both a Windows download and an online service.

"Fix it Center finds and fixes many common PC and device problems automatically," Microsoft said on its Web site. "It also helps prevent new problems by proactively checking for known issues and installing updates. Fix it Center helps to consolidate the many steps of diagnosing and repairing a problem into an automated tool that does the work for you."

While the service has around 300 fixes built-in, Microsoft said it can also be useful even if it can't solve an issue on its own.

"If Fix it Center cannot solve a specific issue, customers can still access phone, email or chat support with a Microsoft Support professional who can access their Fix it Center account and get details about the hardware, the problem, and the solutions they have already tried, to ensure faster problem resolution," Microsoft said.

The service works with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, although for XP it requires customers to be using at least Service Pack 3 (or Service Pack 2 of the 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional). It also works with Windows Server 2003 (with Service Pack 2) and Windows Server 2008.

Microsoft is also aiming to make it attractive for small businesses, by allowing a single account to be used for multiple PCs.

The service builds on the "Fix it" brand that Microsoft established as a means for automating Windows problem-solving tasks. Starting in December 2008, Microsoft launched an option on some of its help desk articles that allowed a user to click on a button and have a series of problem-solving steps taken automatically.

Sprint's HTC EVO 4G: 5 Killer Features

2010-03-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

At least on paper, the HTC EVO 4G from Sprint absolutely crushes. It's not just one killer feature that puts the EVO over the top; the spec sheet reads like a wish list for anyone who's owned a touchscreen smartphone. We won't find out until this summer whether Sprint's exclusive 4G phone makes the best of its features, but in the meantime, here are five things to get excited about:

4.3-inch Touch Screen

Only one other Android phone has a screen that comes close, the newly-announced Samsung Galaxy S, which has a 4-inch touch screen. HTC has tried the 4.3-inch format before with the HTC HD2, but that phone loses points for running the soon-to-be outdated Windows Mobile 6.5. Sprints promise of downloading, watching and editing high definition content on the EVO makes the large screen even more enticing.

Two Cameras

It's about time we saw this feature on a high-end smartphone. On the back the EVO is an 8-megapixel camera -- itself an impressive bullet point -- for photos and "HD-capable" video capture. There's also a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, presumably for video chat and self portraits. Please let this become a standard feature on smartphones to come.

"Leap" to Multitask

As you'd expect, HTC layers its Sense user interface on top of Android 2.1, but with a new feature called "Leap." This is a multitasking manager that reveals every open program when you pinch anywhere on the phone's home screen. It's an idea that's begging to copied -- fodder for a future patent lawsuit, perhaps?

The Kickstand

When a phone has a large screen for viewing HD content, it ought to have a kickstand for propping the screen upright on a table or desk, as the EVO does. It may seem insignificant, but long flights are already uncomfortable enough without craning your neck downward to see your phone's screen.

4G, Of Course

The feature that gets top billing in the HTC EVO 4G is the one you're least likely to use for a while. Yes, the phone works over Sprint's budding 4G network, which makes for some impressive download speeds. Unless you're in one of the 27 cities where Sprint has already rolled out the next generation of mobile broadband, or one of the 15 that will come online this year, you'll rely on plain-old 3G instead. But think of it as future-proofing. You'll probably be stuck with a two-year contract anyhow.

Virgin officially announces HSPA+ network with models

2010-02-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

Virgin already went live with their new HSPA+ network on Friday, but today they made it official with a launch party that had Victoria Secret models. Not to shabby! Looks good to be a member of Virgin… just remember that Bell owns Virgin so you’re piggy backing on their network.

Robert Blumenthal, President, Virgin Mobile Canada said “As we boost our lineup with the smartest of smartphones like the BlackBerry Bold and other iconic brands, Virgin Mobile is now a true option for people searching for the best phones, the best experience, the best network and the best monthly plans. Today, Virgin Mobile is transforming itself from being predominantly a pre-paid player to a company that is truly taking on the contract and monthly plan market. With global roaming, a super-fast network and a whole range of exclusive add-ons, this is just the beginning. It’s only going to get better from here with more new, high-tech phones and services to come throughout the year.”

Here is a complete list of new devices that Virgin has released:

Apple iPhone 3G, Apple iPhone 16GB 3GS, Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB, BlackBerry Bold 9700, BlackBerry Curve 8530 (available in Purple or Black), Broadband2Go MC998D, Samsung M330 and the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2372.

Google wants to build 'white spaces' database

2010-01-05T01:43:00.000-08:00

Google has asked the Federal Communications Commission to designate it as one of the administrators of a database for "white space" devices.

For several years, Google has been among the companies urging the FCC to open up the "white spaces"--small amounts of spectrum between broadcast television channels--to unlicensed use. Google joined the White Spaces Database Group in February to help move the project along, since one of the requirements of the white spaces plan is a database that devices can use to figure out which channels are available for use.

At that time, Google's Richard Whitt, Washington telecom and media counsel, said in a blog post that "we don't plan to become a database administrator ourselves, but do want to work with the FCC to make sure that a white spaces database gets up and running." However, Google announced just such a plan Monday evening, revealing its proposal that "the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC" or "Commission") designate Google to be administrator of a TV bands geolocation database."

"Why are we offering to do this?" White wrote in Monday's blog post. "We continue to be big believers in the potential for this spectrum to revolutionize wireless broadband, and we think it's important for us to step forward and offer our assistance to make that vision a reality. Since launching the White Spaces Database Group last February, we've been working with other stakeholders to exchange ideas and perspectives on how to best operate a working database, and we believe we're in a strong position to build and successfully manage one."

There are two types of databases that will be needed for this project: geolocation, which Google has now proposed building, and spectrum-sensing technology. The idea behind the databases is to avoid creating interference with television broadcasts and other wireless technologies.

Annual box office earnings top DVD sales for first time since 2002

2010-01-05T01:41:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles (dpa) - Total receipts at the US box office reached 9.87 billion dollars in 2009 and surpassed total sales of DVDs for the first time since 2002, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, quoting a new study by Adams Media Research.

The box office figure represented a 10-per-cent spike over 2008, as sales of DVD feature films plunged 13 per cent to 8.73 billion dollars, including Blu-ray high-definition discs.

The slowdown in DVD sales comes as families increasingly download movies or rent them from online services like Netflix. Vending machines that charge just one dollar rental per day are further eroding studio profits. While rental transactions rose 5.5 per cent in 2009, rental spending rose less than 1 per cent to 8.15 billion dollars, the study calculated.

Overall, consumers spent 28.38 billion dollars on feature movies last year, slightly down from the 28.47 dollars they spent in 2008. That includes 1.27 billion dollars spent on rentals through cable and satellite services, and 361 million dollars spent renting and buying movies online, both categories that grew considerably in 2009.

"Consumers are still in love with movies," said Tom Adams, president of Adams Media. "In this environment, however, they're seeking the biggest bang for their bucks."

Facebook blocks social network 'suicide' website

2010-01-05T01:40:00.000-08:00

Facebook said Monday that it is blocking a website called "Web 2.0 Suicide Machine" that helps users delete their social network profiles

The number one social network also said it had sent a "cease-and-desist" letter to another website, Seppukoo.com, which also helps you kill off your virtual identity.

The Web 2.0 Suicide Machine site, which features a hangman's noose on its homepage, deletes profiles, friends and other information on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn for users who provide their account information.

"This machine lets you delete all your energy sucking social-networking profiles, kill your fake virtual friends, and completely do away with your Web2.0 alterego," it says.

Facebook, in a statement to AFP, said the suicide site was in violation of Facebook rules.

"Facebook provides the ability for people who no longer want to use the site to either deactivate their account or delete it completely," Facebook said.

"Web 2.0 Suicide Machine collects login credentials, which is a violation of our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (SRR)," it said.

"We've blocked the site's access to Facebook as is our policy for sites that violate our SRR," Facebook said. "We're currently investigating and considering whether to take further action."

Facebook, which claims more than 300 million users, also said it had sent Seppukoo.com "a cease-and-desist letter for similarly violating our policies."

Seppukoo.com urges users to "impress your friends" and "disconnect yourself" by committing online suicide in the manner of Japanese samurai.

Ritual samurai suicide was known as "seppuku."

"As the seppuku restores the samurai's honour as a warrior, seppukoo.com deals with the liberation of the digital body," the site says.

Nokia Takes Apple Patent Battle to the Feds

2010-01-05T01:37:00.000-08:00

Nokia is using the nuclear option in its patent battle with Apple, asking the U.S. ITC to ban import of virtually all Apple products.

It’s a brand new year, and Finland’s Nokia is pulling no punches in its escalating patent battle with Apple: the company has just filed a complaint in federal court alleging that Apple products infringe on a myriad of “implementation patents” involving touchscreens, camera sensors, antennas, and more.

The filing marks Nokia’s third infringement filing against Apple: the first, back in October, was over GSM implemenation in the iPhone; Apple countersued on 13 patent claims of its own in early December. Then at the end of December, Nokia filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Internaional Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that “virtually all” portable Apple products infringed on Nokia patents, and calling for the ITC to ban import of all infringing devices. The new federal filing adds even more fuel to Nokia’s litigation war.

“Nokia has been the leading developer of many key technologies in small electronic devices” said Nokia’s general manager for patent licensing Paul Melin, in a statement. “This [ITC] is about protecting the results of such pioneering development.”

Some of Nokia’s specific infringement claims include the iPod click wheel and the iPhone/iPod touch’s virtual keyboard in which letters become larger during use. Nokia also claims that disabling the iPhone/iPod touch screen during a call so a user’s ear or face doesn’t press the touchscreen UI is a Nokia patented technology, and the company also claims the making phone numbers, Web sites, and email addresses clickable within email and text messages infringes on a Nokia patent. Other Nokia claims center around combining camera functions onto a single chip, mechanisms for reducing power usage in mobile devices, a means of integrating a mobile antenna around a speaker.

Apple has yet to respond publicly to Nokia’s complaints before the ITC or federal court. However, industry watchers expect the company will either retaliate in kind—unleashing a flurry of patent infringement claims against Nokia—or apply significant backroom pressure to the Finland company.

Of the (so far) three sets of complaints against Apple from Nokia, the issues put before the U.S. ITC are likely to be the first to see action: as a regulatory agency, the ITC doesn’t conduct trials, assemble juries, or have any obligation to engage in lengthy jurisprudence, so the ITC can intervene in markets relatively quickly. But given how long some of Nokia’s claims have been standing—for instance, the iPod click wheel goes back to the original iPod, and Nokia’s claimed patent covering it is over nine years old—one has to wonder how much urgency the ITC will attach to Nokia’s claims.

720p Skype video calling coming soon to LG and Panasonic TVs

2010-01-05T01:36:00.000-08:00

Skype has struck a deal with LG and Panasonic that will allow users to call other Skype users or phones via their televisions. Internet-enabled TVs coming in mid-2010 from both LG and Panasonic will support Skype service and all the user needs is an HD webcam. Skype on HDTV will support Skype-to-Skype free video calling, lower call rates to landlines and mobiles, voice conference calls, accept incoming calls via a user’s online Skype number and more.

PC users will also be able to enjoy 720p video calls but will need a newer version of Skype and HD webcam.

iPhone To Remain Flash Free

2010-01-03T12:17:00.001-08:00

Smartshones are about to get just a little bit smarter.

The latest innovation comes from the availability of Flash for these mobile devices. Flash is one of the most commonly used applications, being present on nearly 98 percent of all personal computers. Created by software giant Abode, this application is popular is for its ability to support the viewing of videos online. Currently, nearly 75 percent of all video viewing online is supported by Flash.

Despite this widespread usage on computers, the application has had limited use on smart phones, mostly because it required more system space than most of these devices could afford. To compensate, most smart phones with video capabilities utilized Flash Lite, a stripped down version of the popular application. While this allowed users to watch some video, it still had limited possibilities.

Hoping to capitalize on the growing market of smart phones, Abode announced that its latest version of Flash will be compatible with most of the high end smart phones on the market. This version will be made available by 2010, giving users increased flexibility in watching video from their mobile devices.

This new release will not be available for all smart phones, including some lesser models. However, the biggest omission from the planned upgrade is for iPhone users. The popular iPhone has a huge share of the market when it comes to smart phones, but the latest version of Flash is not supported by Safari, the browser that comes standard on the iPhone.

New Apple Mac Computers on the Horizon?

2010-01-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

Three ads were seen on the Google search engine for the Netherlands, involving the Apple iMac. The ads lend to the idea that the Apple iMac, Macbook, and Mac Mini, will have newer models released soon. Similar ads are popping up on the Italian, German and Austrian Google search engines.

The MacBook ad, translates to thinner, lighter and faster. The iMac ultra thin 20 and 24 inch models and the Mac mini, faster and more affordable than ever. The ads indicate this will be the cheapest Mac, even cheaper. This is perfect timing for those needing a new computer in this depressed economy.

There is still speculation concerning the authenticity of the ads. If the ads are real, this could be exciting news for people looking to purchase one of these Mac computers. The links provided in the ads are supposed to lead back to the Apple website, but they have no information right now.

There has been a shortage on the Macs recently, adding even more excitement that newer models will be released very soon. Apple has told Mac dealers they will be restocked around October 7th or 9th. Retailers are hopeful, they will be stocked with these newer versions.

Apple is expected to make an announcement as early as Tuesday.

Apple's built-in Stocks app not enough? Here are a few iPhone apps that are right on the money

2010-01-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

Three-year-old Vihaan simply did not have the patience to be strapped into his baby seat, while his parents tucked in burgers at a local fast-food joint in Mumbai. Just as the toddler threatened to throw another tantrum, his father whipped out his Apple iPhone and handed it to him.

Swiftly, Vihaan’s experienced fingers navigated their way to the Coloring Book app, which provides an interactive colouring activity, on the phone. Captivated, the little one sat quietly while his parents finished their meal in peace.

Where puzzles, books and analog toys fail, iPhone and similar smartphone platforms have become the latest on-the-go pacifier for new-age and tech-savvy parents. Mobile applications or apps are small portable programmes that run on mobile phones, broadly classified under educational, entertainment, game and music categories.

“Parents with full-time jobs and a household to run sometimes don’t have the luxury to sit down at home and spend quality time with their kids. So, it is good to have some interactive learning through the third screen,” says Vihaan’s father.

Alok Kejriwal, CEO of Games2Win, has no qualms about giving an iPod Touch to his 13-year-old daughter. “As long as I control how much my girls spend on buying apps, which is up to $30 (Rs 1,400) each month, I’m happy to let them download apps, videos or songs,” says the tech-savvy daddy.

Kejriwal’s 10-year-old daughter, too, is hooked to her iPod Touch and other smartphone applications. “My girls are permitted up to four hours a day with their gadgets. They end up spending a major chunk of this on their handheld devices,” he adds.

Yet another tech-savvy daddy, Vishal Gondal, CEO of Indiagames, loves to challenge his kids over a mobile game session. “I have bought several apps for my Nokia smartphones and, frankly, they cost way less than what I would otherwise pay for toys for my boys,” he reasons. With the interest his kids have shown in mobile apps, Gondal’s company is now eagerly exploring business opportunities in distributing mobile games and apps specifically for children on the Nokia Ovi and Apple App Store.

This young breed of parents believes there is no real harm in using the apps as tools of distraction or entertainment for their young ones and, in most cases, prefer mobile apps to a laptop connected to the internet.

For Sridhar Bhat, founder and CEO of iRemedi Corp and an iPhone-owning parent, his kids’ fascination for the device has already borne fruit. He lets on: “I had my nine-year-old daughter test out an application called PicZee — a picture puzzle app — before we launched it officially on the App Store.” Bhat’s company has also introduced Amar Chitra Katha titles for the iPhone, starting at $2, and is now eyeing Nokia’s Ovi platform to launch apps and comics.

When Farroukh Mehrani, a Mumbai-based stock broker, upgraded to the Nokia N97 Mini, he handed down his old Nokia 5800 XpressMusic model to his 10-year-old daughter, Natasha. Today, the doting father has already downloaded mobile apps worth Rs 700 through the Nokia Ovi Store.

“I realised that Natasha can benefit from mobile computing. She now uses her mobile phone during extended travel periods, like the school-to-home commute or during vacations, keeping herself entertained with mobile apps that involve drawing, puzzles and even some simulated games,” Mehrani says. Natasha’s favourite app, BlockGo, cost her father Rs 200 and keeps her happily occupied with 99 challenges and puzzles. Another favourite app of the father-daughter duo is Memory Match, which Mehrani believes can help his daughter sharpen her memory.

Once the child begins to use the apps, parents reason that it is easier to build their interest in apps that encourage interactive learning. “And, these cost just a few hundred rupees, far less than what you would pay otherwise for console games,” Mehrani adds.

So, the next time you see parents handing their pre-schoolers an iPhone or a

Nokia smartphone, leaving the child to draw and doodle on the device like the colouring books of yesteryear, don’t gawk. For, you now know that there’s an app out there for every toddler. Things have certainly changed.

Internet Explorer losing users as other browsers gain

2010-01-03T12:05:00.001-08:00

The browser wars are heating up. Just in the last quarter, Chrome, Safari and Opera have all set new records for browser market share with 4.63, 4.46 and 2.4 percent. The period is also significant because it is the first time Chrome has beaten Safari to third place, and all of the numbers come at the expense of IE, which is losing users at a rate of 0.92 percentage points a month.

Sure, Microsoft’s 62.7 percent slice still looks nice, but projections from Net Applications suggest that it could shrink to below 50 percent by May of 2010. Net Applications monitors incoming traffic to over 40,000 websites to generate a sample size of about 160 million unique visitors per month, so if they say that it’s so, it likely is.

China nabs 5,400 people in online porn crackdown

2010-01-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Associated Press

Chinese authorities caught nearly 5,400 suspects last year in a crackdown on online pornography and have vowed to strengthen Internet policing.

Beijing's pervasive policing of cyberspace and attempts to block the Internet are already among the world's most stringent. In a statement late Thursday, the Ministry of Public Security said the "purification of the Internet" and fighting of online crime are closely tied to the country's stability.

"Lewd and pornographic content seriously pollutes the online environment, depraves social morals and poisons the physical and psychological health of the masses of young people," the statement said. "It must be firmly controlled."

The ministry said nearly 9,000 pornographic Web sites have been deleted from the Internet and 5,394 suspects captured in 2009, although it did not say how many of them were formally arrested or charged.

It said future efforts would focus on China-based operators of overseas-registered Web sites and companies that provide Internet services, or register domain names or rent virtual space to sites with pornographic content. The ministry also offered rewards to members of the public who provide useful information in policing efforts.

The communist government says the main targets of its Web censorship are pornography, gambling and other sites deemed harmful to society. Critics, however, say that often acts as cover for detecting and blocking sensitive political content. Its restrictions of the Internet are often referred to as the "Great Firewall of China."

Many foreign sites have been blocked by China's Internet authorities, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and a host of other media and news Web sites.

Last year, China backed down from a requirement for new computers to be loaded with a controversial Internet-filtering software known as Green Dam Youth escort after a major outcry from Chinese citizens and computer companies. That software had been introduced as a filter against porn.

iPhone to get Credit Card reader add-on

2010-01-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

iPhone users will soon be able to join Apple in turning their phone into a credit card reader thanks to a new gadget about to be launched by Mophie.

The Credit Card Reader will be a combination of a dedicated hardware device that bolts on to your iPhone or iPod touch, and third party app that will allow small businesses the ability to take credit card payments on the go.

The move from mophie, who has so far focused on battery packs to extend the life of the iPhone, pits the company up against newly created company Square, created by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, which also allows iPhone users to take payments on the go.

Palm App Catalog Hits The 1000 App Mark

2010-01-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

It probably hasn’t done so at the pace that Google and Apple have set for their App Stores, but it’s still good to see that Palm has started off 2010 with the news that the App Catalog breached the 1000-app landmark, which is certainly significant. If you want to take into account that the Android Market has about 16,000 apps, and Apple’s App Store even more, but slow and steady (might) win the race, right? We certainly hope that Palm will be able to play catch up with those 2 tech giants.

Acer Aspire One 532h Hops On the Pine Trail Processor

2010-01-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

Acer's new Aspire One 532h netbook offers an Intel Atom N450 CPU, Windows 7, a 10.1-inch screen, and up to 10 hours of battery life.

We weren’t supposed to mention this until next week, but computer maker Acer is hoping on the Pine Trail bandwagon and plans to roll out (surprise!) another new netbook, this time sporting Intel’s latest “Pine trail” Atom N450 processor and Windows 7…and up to 10 hours of battery life for those on-the-go users.

“These new Aspire One netbooks offer mobile users some of the features and performance of a larger notebook, while providing a highly portable, compact design that’s easy to take anywhere,” said Acer America senior product marketing manager Ray Sawall, in a statement. “Consumers can browse the Internet, check email, share photos, enjoy their entertainment applications, and even get work done wherever their travel takes them.”

Hear that? You can “even get work done.” In our experience that might be a first for a netbook.

The Aspire One 532h will be available in a variety of configurations. All will feature a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 processor and a 10.1-inch LED-backlight display (Acer isn’t specifying a resolution, but we’d bet on 1,024 by 600 pixels). The systems will also feature a 160- GB hard drive, start out with a 1 GB of RAM, feature 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi networking, 100Base-T Ethernet, a multi-in-one media card reader, an integrated webcam, three USB 2.0 ports, and a multi-gesture trackpad. The systems will come with Windows 7 Starter Edition pre-installed, and be available in blue, red, and silver cases. The netbooks are barely an inch tall and weigh just 2.76 pounds, so they’re reasonably portable; they also feature a keyboard that’s 93 percent of standard size—thus friendlier on larger hands—and will be available with two types of six-cell batteries: a 5600 mAh unit gives up to 10 hours of use, while a 4400 mAh offers up to 8 hours of usability.

Acer expects the Aspire One 532h’s will be available in January with suggested retail prices starting around $299.99.

Apple wins ruling on alleged iPod hearing loss

2010-01-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

A U.S. federal appeals court has rejected claims that Apple Computer Inc. is responsible for hearing loss among users of its iPod digital music player. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco confirmed a 2008 district court ruling on Wednesday.

The plaintiffs claimed the iPod poses an unreasonable risk of noise-induced hearing loss because the ear buds are designed to be placed deep in the ear canal.

But the appeals court said the plaintiffs — two iPod customers in Louisiana and California — failed to show the devices weren't fit to be sold for listening to music.

"The plaintiffs do not allege the iPods failed to do anything they were designed to do," Judge David Thompson wrote. "Nor do they allege that they, or any others, have suffered or are substantially certain to suffer inevitable hearing loss or other injury from iPod use.

"At most, the plaintiffs plead a potential risk of hearing loss not to themselves but to other unidentified iPod users."

Plaintiffs Joseph Birdsong and Bruce Waggoner alleged that iPods play music up to 115 decibels but the devices carry no indication of this volume capability. The user manuals do include a noise warning.

The plaintiffs had sought damages and wanted Apple to improve safety and disclosure, provide better headphones, and test iPod users for hearing loss.

Technology in starring role at NY Fashion Week

2009-09-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Models present creations from the Calvin Klein Spring 2010 collection during New York Fashion Week September 17, 2009.

By Jan Paschal and Martinne Geller
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Internet and advances in technology are transforming fashion, making it easier for designers to create collections and less expensive for them to show and sell their work, experts say.

Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a runway show at New York Fashion Week, some designers presented collections for spring and summer 2010 online, while others are expanding the reach of their brand by making it easier for shoppers to buy their clothes online.

Designer Norma Kamali and Polo Ralph Lauren Corp's Rugby brand both have applications for Apple Inc's iPhone that allows shoppers to buy clothes from their phone.

"This is the technology that's changing our lives," said Kamali, who displayed her spring and summer 2010 collection as well as exclusive lines for eBay Inc and Walmart.com at the Apple store in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood.

Kamali's iPhone application has a "Try Before You Buy" option, which allows clothes to be sent overnight to a customer, who provides her credit card information, so she can try them on at home before committing to buy.

Menswear designer Miguel Antoinne and womenswear designer Marc Bouwer both put on virtual fashion shows, while models at Vivienne Tam's show carried gold "digital clutches" -- a Hewlett-Packard Co netbook adorned with a Tam design.

Mazdack Rassi, co-founder and creative director of Milk Studios, a hip downtown space that showed about 70 collections during New York Fashion Week, said he hopes to broaden the reach of Fashion Week and was considering projecting shows on the side of a building so people at a nearby park could watch.

"It goes back to opening it up to the consumer," Rassi said during a panel discussion on the future of fashion. "That can only be done through technology."

DEMOCRATIC FASHION

With cable television and the Internet, designers know that their shows can be seen by many more people than just the buyers, editors and media who attend, and in some cases, they are designing accordingly.

"Back in the day, shows were squarely aimed at editors and buyers mostly," said Lazaro Hernandez, half of the duo behind the label Proenza Schouler. "Now, when you do a show, you think about the fact that everyone's going to see it on the Internet the next day. It's become much more democratic."

That democracy goes both ways, according to Humberto Leon, co-founder of retailer Opening Ceremony.

"The Internet has really challenged buyers because now information is everywhere ... it's really challenged buyers to buy well," Leon said, noting that e-mail has given Opening Ceremony better access to new designers.

Designers, including those behind Proenza Schouler, are finding that technology can also help the actual design work by allowing artists to explore new ideas and processes.

But Simon Collins, the dean of fashion at Parsons The New School for Design, said even though technology is helpful, there is still no substitute for talent and hard work.

"Absolutely, there'll be people out there that have incredibly successful businesses that don't know the first thing about (draping and construction), just think it up, put it on the computer, fire it off to the factory and it works," Collins said. "But they're the exception, not the rule."

Google says Apple rejected voice app for iPhone

2009-09-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

An Apple iPhone 3GS and an Apple Macbook Pro are shown at the Apple retail store in San Francisco, California July 21, 2009.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google Inc said Apple Inc rejected its Google Voice application for the popular iPhone, contradicting Apple's statement to regulators last month.
The issue prompted the Federal Communications Commission to send letters to the companies and AT&T Inc, the iPhone's exclusive carrier, demanding explanations.

The issue over Google's voice service could have far-reaching implications for the U.S. telecommunications industry. Depending on how the FCC responds, it could either pave the way for new entrants or hinder their ability to use large carriers' phones to offer discount services.

It also represents a quandary for regulators trying to promote the use of broadband among all Americans for communications, healthcare and education as wireless technology changes at such a rate that may outpace current rules.

According to redacted material made public on the FCC's website on Friday, Google said it was told of the rejection by Apple representatives after a series of meetings, telephone calls and emails.

In its response letter in August, Apple said it had not rejected the application and was still studying it because it appears to replace the iPhone's core mobile telephone functionality and user interface with its own system for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail.

Apple maintained that position on Friday. "We do not agree with all of the statements made by Google in their FCC letter," Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said. "Apple has not rejected the Google voice application, and we continue to discuss it with Google."

The letters from the companies were in response to an inquiry launched in July by the FCC, which under new leadership is also taking a fresh look into the state of competition in the wireless industry.

The FCC, chaired by Julius Genachowski, wanted to know why Apple rejected Google Voice and what was discussed among Apple, Google and AT&T.

One quandary regulators face is the fact that Google, which is not regulated by the FCC, has the right to restrict calls or connections.

That has raised the ire of carriers like Verizon Communications Inc, AT&T, Sprint Nextel Corp and Qwest Communications International Inc. The FCC essentially told those companies in 2007 that they could not restrict calls to avoid high fees associated with adult chat lines or free conference calls by companies routing calls through rural carriers aimed at generating fees.

In the 2007 order the FCC said: "All customers will continue to be able to connect with anyone on the network that they so choose."

In the redacted portion, Google said it had no communications with AT&T.

Google said Apple also rejected the Google Latitude application over concerns it would replace preloaded maps applications in the iPhone and create user confusion.

(Reporting by John Poirier in Washington and Gabriel Madway in San Francisco; editing by Steve Orlofsky, Andre Grenon and Lisa Von Ahn)

FCC Expected To Announce Support of Net Neutrality Monday

2009-09-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Federal regulators next week are expected to seek to turn controversial “net neutrality” principles into formal rules intended to give the nation’s computer users the right to use whatever services and devices they like without interference from their ISPs.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is widely expected to announce during a speech on Monday at the Brookings Institution that he will ask the Commission in October to start a formal rule making process. The FCC currently relies on the so-called Broadband Principles dating to 2005 to enforce consumer rights, but those ad-hoc rules are being tested by Comcast in court. Comcast says the rules have no force, and the FCC had no legal power to force it to stop blocking peer-to-peer video transfers. The FCC has also avoided deciding whether the rules apply to wireless services, such as the 3G networks that power smartphones.

The move represents a win for ‘net neutrality’ groups like Public Knowledge which have unsuccessfully pushed for more explicit rules from Congress and the FCC in order to prevent cable companies from discriminating against online video sites or DSL companies from throttling competing net phone calling services.

The news has the wireless industry worried.

“As we’ve said before, we are concerned about the unintended consequences that net neutrality regulation would have on investments from the very industry that’s helping to drive the U.S. economy,” Chris Guttman-McCabe, who is the CTIA-The Wireless Association VP for regulatory affairs, said in a statement. “We believe that this kind of regulation is unnecessary in the competitive wireless space as it would prevent carriers from managing their networks — such as curtailing viruses and other harmful content — to the benefit of their consumers.”

The sentiment was different from Gigi Sohn, the president of Public Knowledge, a D.C. public interest group that has risen to prominence through the long-running net neutrality battle.

“This is a very welcome development, and is years past due. The Internet was created and grew up under strict non-discrimination rules,” Sohn said. “Having rules in place will bring a degree of certainty that will help both carriers and consumers alike. Carriers will know what is allowed and what is not; consumers will be relieved to know they will be able to have access to any content and service on a non-discriminatory basis.”

Skype founders file lawsuit against eBay

2009-09-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO -- A company owned by the founders of Skype has filed a copyright infringement suit against the Internet phone service and parent eBay Inc. -- an action that could crimp eBay's plans to sell Skype for about $2 billion to a group of private investors.

Joltid Ltd., owned by Skype founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, filed the suit in the U.S. District Court of Northern California. The complaint alleges Skype violated an agreement over the use of critical peer-to-peer communication technology that Skype licenses from Joltid for use in its software, which routes phone calls over the Web.

In addition to Skype and eBay, the lawsuit ratchets up the stakes by also naming as defendants all of the private investors who have agreed to buy Skype. The group includes Web browser pioneer and eBay board member Marc Andreessen and former Skype board members Danny Rimer and Mike Volpi, among others.

Joltid is seeking an injunction on Skype's use of the technology as well as damages it estimates could amount to more than $75 million per day.

Friis and Zennstrom sold Skype to eBay for $2.6 billion in 2005 and left the company in 2007. Joltid and Skype have since been involved in a licensing dispute over use of the technology, called global index software. The latest lawsuit comes about six months after Skype asked the English High Court of Justice in London to find that Joltid's efforts to end their licensing deal were invalid and that Skype was not breaching their licensing agreement.

In a counterclaim, Joltid alleged Skype broke their licensing agreement. It has claimed Skype acquired unauthorized versions of the technology's source code, modified it and disclosed the source code to third parties. It terminated Skype's license agreement, but says Skype has continued to use the technology.

A trial on the U.K. claims is currently set for next June.

Joltid spokesman Tim Robertson said in a statement Wednesday that the company will "vigorously enforce its copyrights and other intellectual property rights in all of the technologies it has innovated."

San Jose, Calif.-based online marketplace operator EBay has said it is developing software that may be used to keep running Skype if it can't resolve the dispute with Joltid.

In a statement, eBay spokesman John Pluhowski said that Joltid's allegations and claims "are without merit" and are "founded on fundamental legal and factual errors." He added that eBay is still on track to complete the sale of Skype during the fourth quarter.

But in a Sept. 1 regulatory filing, eBay has acknowledged that the transaction's closing depends upon the investor group agreeing to the terms of any settlement with Joltid. It also is contingent upon no change or development taking place that would materially hurt Skype's business.

Despite posting strong growth -- Skype's revenue rose 25 percent to $170 million in the second quarter -- eBay's history with the company has been rocky. EBay ended up taking a $900 million write-down on Skype in 2007, basically acknowledging it had significantly overvalued it.

EBay earlier this month said that rather than spin off the company through a public stock offering, it would sell 65 percent of Skype to a group of private investment funds for $1.9 billion in cash and $125 million to be paid later. EBay will own the other 35 percent.

Shares of eBay closed earlier up 18 cents at $24.32.

Palm Ditches Windows Mobile

2009-09-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

Palm announced will stop developing new handsets running on Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, in order to concentrate on its own WebOS. But the company is still reporting losses and low sales on its flagship device, the Palm Pre.

Palm Pre (left) and Palm Pixi (right), the only two smartphones running on Palm's WebOS mobile operating system.
Windows Mobile first appeared on Palm devices in 2005, when Palm adopted Microsoft's mobile platform in a bid to reach more business-minded users. Now, Palm says it will instead concentrate on its own operating system, WebOS (found on the Palm Pre and the upcoming Pixi model) -- which is widely seen as superior to Windows Mobile at the moment.

While WebOS may be more well regarded than Windows Mobile, Palm revealed on Thursday during a conference call that it is not doing so well selling its flagship Pre smartphone. Together with Sprint, the exclusive carrier of the Palm Pre, Palm managed to sell only 823,000 devices this quarter, out of which the vast majority were Pre models (around 810,000).

Although the Pre has received a warm welcome from users and media, the sales figures are still a far cry in comparison to Apple's iPhone 3GS, which sold 1 million units within five days of release and 5.2 million in the quarter.

But using WebOS exclusively for its devices could turn Palm's fortunes around. The company will introduce later this yearr the Palm Pixi, a cheaper alternative to the Palm Pre, with a full QWERTY keyboard and a smaller touchscreen, aimed at the mass market.

Palm's App Catalog is also getting more apps added slowly, but steadily, which could aid to the popularity of the platform. However, there is still quite some way to catch up with Apple's App Store, which now has over 75,000 applications.

Google acquires reCAPTCHA

2009-09-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

Google said it would use reCAPTCHA's technology to increase fraud and spam protection for Google products 'but also to improve our books and newspaper scanning process.

WASHINGTON - GOOGLE announced on Wednesday that it has acquired reCAPTCHA, a company that produces the squiggly words used by websites to guard against spam and fraud.

The Mountain View, California-based Internet search and advertising giant did not disclose the terms of the acquisition.

Google said it would use reCAPTCHA's technology to increase fraud and spam protection for Google products 'but also to improve our books and newspaper scanning process.'

Google is scanning millions of books as part of its controversial book project and it said reCAPTCHA's Optical Character Recognition technology 'improves the process that converts scanned images into plain text'.

CAPTCHAs can be read by humans but are difficult for computers to recognise and are used on registration forms by many websites as a security measure. -- AFP

'Next generation' wi-fi approved

2009-09-15T11:45:00.001-07:00

The next-generation of wi-fi technology has finally been approved for use, despite being on sale in laptops and other equipment for several years.

The 802.11n technology, as it is known, was ratified by the IEEE, a body that oversees all wi-fi standards.

It was conceived seven years ago and offers speeds at least six times faster than current approved technology.

Electronics firms have sold PCs and routers using the standard for many years, labelled "802.11n draft".

But without the IEEE's approval, there were no guarantees that future networking equipment would be compatible with the devices.

The IEEE's rubber stamp has changed that.

All existing draft 802.11n wi-fi products will work with the final standard, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, a group that tests wireless products to ensure compliance.

"This was an extraordinarily wide-ranging technical challenge," said Bruce Kraemer of the IEEE.

"When we started in 2002, many of the technologies addressed in 802.11n were university research topics and had not been implemented."

Under ideal conditions, 802.11n technology can offer speeds of 300 megabits per second (Mbps) and above, many times higher than the previous 802.11g, which operates at speeds of up to 54 Mbps.

It is also able to transfer data over distances of 90m (300ft) indoors, double that of previous technologies.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Microsoft hopes to turn it around with Zune HD

2009-09-15T11:39:00.001-07:00

Microsoft will take another swipe at the iPod on Wednesday when it launches the latest version of the Zune media player.

After three years and untold millions spent on the line, Microsoft's hopes of cutting into iPod's big lead are now on the Zune HD, with its 3.3-inch multitouch screen, streaming-music feature, and the ability to playback video, with the help of an HDTV, in 720p. A 16GB Zune HD is available at retailers for $219.99 and a 32GB will cost $289.99.

But at this point in Zune's evolution there's plenty of skepticism that the Zune can close the gap on Apple. A Zune-iPod comparison has for too long resembled a late-round prize fight, the kind where the challenger is cut, swollen-eyed and wobbly legged but refuses to go to the canvas. Zune sales are falling, a top manager has moved on and what's perhaps most worrisome is that the category is becoming passe.

While Apple also tries to kick-start lackluster iPod sales--upgrading Nanos with such features as a video camera and voice recording--CEO Steve Jobs has steered consumer interest away from straight digital music players and into smartphones. Apple has sold more than 30 million iPhones over the past two years and seen more than 1.8 billion iPhone applications downloaded.

Nonetheless, this is still Microsoft, one of the biggest technology companies in the world and well known for its patience.

"You can make the argument this is Microsoft's first real shot to getting it right," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis for The NPD Group. "Remember, the bar doesn't have to be set all that high for them to be successful. Nobody is supposed to unseat iPod...and Microsoft now has a product that they seem to be more confident in."

That confidence may come in part from an upgrade that some have called the best Zune yet. (For more, see CNET's full review of the Zune HD.)

Zune HD features a new OLED (organic light emitting diode) screen and will send high-def video to a HDTV using a new Zune AV dock, sold separately.

"Consumers can buy or rent HD content from the Zune Marketplace," Microsoft said in a statement, "sync that content to a Zune HD and take it with them to play back on a large screen HD TV in the home or on the road."

The 16GB is available in black and the 32GB is available in "platinum" at retail locations. Customers can purchase Zune in red, green, or blue in both capacities from Zuneoriginals.net.

Zune HD will also play games, HD Radio, and offers music-recommendation software, called Smart DJ.

Source: http://news.cnet.com

Windows 7's XP Mode Cripples Malware, Gives Attackers Headaches

2009-09-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

The new version of Windows is stacking up to be the most secure to date

No computer system is completely secure. Inherent insecurities exist in even the most secure systems, be it in the form of exploitable features in the operating system code or the big organic “insecurity” sitting in front of the machine, typing on the keyboard. That said, Windows 7 is shaping up to be much more secure than its predecessors.

You might not hear that widely reported in the press. Windows 7, like OS X, has been carefully scrutinized whenever a flaw sees the light of day. Most recently Microsoft caught a flaw in Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and the Windows 7 Release Candidate. The flaw in the Windows' SMB (Server Message Block) 2 had not yet been exploited, but Microsoft warns, "An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. Most attempts to exploit this vulnerability will cause an affected system to stop responding and restart."

A work-around for the flaw has been released, but Microsoft says the flaw is already fixed in the Windows 7 RTM and Windows Server 2008 R2 versions. It is among the many that Microsoft has caught before it ships Windows 7, thanks to the largest public test of a commercial operating system to date. This unusual openness has earned the company both praise and scorn, but overall it's indicative of progress when it comes to security. And some of Microsoft's best security features in Windows 7 are almost unintentional, and haven't been widely publicized.

A new report by PureWire's Paul Royal, published in SC Magazine, a publication geared towards security professionals, indicates that Windows 7 will be the most secure Windows operating system to date. He concludes that all but the many casual attackers will be frustrated enough to turn to easier routes of attack, such as social engineering schemes.

Windows 7's security is thanks in part to the OS patching routes to inject malicious code into the memory. In previous Windows OS's, such as Vista, memory protections such as DEP and ASLR offered a degree of safety. However, there were routes to get around these protections, relatively easily. With Windows 7 blocking many of these routes and additionally with applications such as IE8, Firefox 3 and their plug-ins (Flash, Acrobat Reader, and QuickTime) at last utilizing these protections, Windows 7 is shaping up to be a very strong fort.

Additionally, Windows 7's XP Mode is likely to cause more headaches for attackers. XP Mode is implemented using hardware virtualization extensions. A common hacker tool -- rootkits -- rely on hardware virtualization and a special privilege level called VMX root mode. With the OS now using hardware virtualization, attempts to gain the privileges necessary to launch the special hardware virtualization support needed by the rootkit tends to crash the OS or provide the user with warnings. For this reason Blue Pill, one common rootkit, doesn't work well in Windows 7.

Many malware programs will also be crippled by XP-Mode. This is because in the past Windows security software has used hardware virtualization extensions to detect malware. It is common practice for malware to be written to not run on machines where hardware-assisted virtualization is detected. However, as all Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate licenses come with XP Mode, this malware won't run on a large portion of Windows 7 installs. Modification is possible, but this will be time consuming and frustrating to attackers.

Again, no system is impenetrable, and surely new attacks and tools for cyber criminals will be developed to assault Windows 7. However, its safe to say that Windows 7 will be the most secure modern Windows OS to date.

In an effort to capitalize on its newfound vigor and support behind Windows 7, Microsoft has already begun to launch new commercials to that showcase the benefits of the operating system.

Accounting rule change could boost Apple revenue

2009-09-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Though not yet a done deal, a tentative change in accounting rules could have a dramatic effect on the earnings reports of tech companies, and in particular, Apple.

Apple stands to gain a lot from a new draft of rules that governs how companies recognize revenue from subscriptions, as Fortune noted. Though it still needs final approval from the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the change could mean that Apple will stop recognizing revenue for its highly successful iPhone over a two-year period, the length of a standard wireless contract, and instead recognize it as soon as a phone is sold.

As Apple showed for the first time in October last year, as successful as the company had been with sales of the iPhone, the current accounting practice was obscuring the true wealth the device is actually generating for the company. For the most recent quarter, adherence to GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) meant that Apple reported $8.34 billion in iPhone and Apple TV revenue (assume the iPhone is a large chunk of that number). In reality the company recorded $9.74 billion in revenue.

Now, flash-forward to today, after a summer in which we saw the most successful iPhone launch of the three since 2007, and it's clear that if the revenue from each device were accounted for all at once, the company's overall earnings would be much higher. And, as Apple Vice President and Controller Betsy Rafael wrote while lobbying for the rule change, the company's stock price would likely see significant gains if investors were able to see how much money the company was actually bringing in every quarter.

In a letter to the FASB last month, Rafael wrote that the current practice "often results in accounting that does not reflect the underlying economics of transactions and can result in financial reporting that lacks the transparency necessary to fully inform users making investment decisions."

The reason Apple recognizes revenue from the iPhone over a two-year period stems from an uproar surrounding an upgrade to the MacBook Pro more than two years ago. Apple had secretly sold those laptops with an 802.11n chip but didn't activate it right away. Because the famously secretive Apple kept the existence of a new 802.11n chip under wraps, and because it recognized all of the revenue from the sale of those notebooks at the time they were sold, accounting experts said Apple had to charge a fee to satisfy accounting regulations that require companies to establish a value for product upgrades.

Apple only applies this practice to the iPhone and Apple TV, but not Macs or iPods, and it's the reason why iPod Touch owners have to pay a fee to upgrade to each new iPhone OS software update, whereas iPhone owners do not.

If the rule were to be approved by the FASB--the next meeting isn't until mid-November--it would mean a far less bewildering method of accounting for all tech companies that adhere to it, but especially Apple and investors who follow the company. And it also means we should be prepared for a bigger than usual jump in results whenever Apple does institute the practice.

LG to launch first Android mobile in Q4

2009-09-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

LG has announced its first Android mobile, the LG-GW620, featuring a three inch touchscreen and slide out QWERTY keypad. Up until now, all LG smartphones have used the Windows Mobile OS.

The company says it's designed to appeal to people 'who use their handsets for email and social networking, keeping them connected to their work or personal communities'. The phone joins the growing list of Android wins, including Motorola's first Android-based smartphone, Cliq, which was announced last week and devices from Samsung and HTC.

The LG-GW620 will appeal to first-time smartphone customers

"The LG-GW620 will appeal to first-time smartphone customers by offering a new and different kind of user experience," said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications. "Our objective is to provide a wide selection of smartphones to satisfy the diverse preferences of today’s consumers. This Android phone is just one of many smartphone models we plan to introduce worldwide in the years ahead."

LG-GW620 to launch in Q4

Few technical details of the new phone were released by the company other than to say full specs will be revealed when the LG-GW620 launches in the fourth quarter of this year in select European markets. Earlier this month, LG announced it plans to introduce a minimum of 13 new smartphones over the next 16 months that will use Microsoft’s Windows Mobile including the new 6.5 version, which launches in October.

Microsoft Updates Bing with 'Visual Search' Feature

2009-09-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

Microsoft's Bing search engine is stepping up its assault on Google with the introduction of a unique beta search and shopping tool called Visual Search. The Visual Search feature offers an alternative to lists of blue links that are often delivered by search engines when researching cars, cameras, or other topics. Visual Search was announced Monday by Yusuf Mehdi, a senior vice president at Microsoft, at Tech Crunch 50, a tech conference being held in San Francisco.

Instead of displaying traditional lists of Web site search results Bing's Visual Search displays rows images of items that can be scrolled through via a slick interface. For example a search on Bing for handbags, Yoga poses, or movie showtimes will deliver traditional results. Now look to the left-hand side of your search resulst and you'll see a "Visualize" the search option. Clicking on this link takes you to the Visual Search page that allows you to scour images - not text links - to help you explore or winnow your search down fast. The tool also offers refinement options to narrow the number of images by criteria such as price, movie theater, or team (when searching for sports).

To preview Visual Search topics visit this Bing page which should be live by the time you read this.

Microsoft says Visual Search will be rolled into Bing over the next few weeks with some customers seeing it before others. By the end of September, it says, the feature will be live to all. The move comes as Microsoft has seen moderate success with Bing. Since its launch in May Microsoft`s Bing search market share in the U.S. grew slightly in July to 9 percent, according ComScore, a market research firm. Google owns 65 percent of the search market compared to Yahoo with 19 percent (Bing and Yahoo's combined market share is 27 percent).

Visual Search: Hands On

With the example of visually searching for cars I started out with 25 images appearing on my Web browser. Using a scroll bar on the right I was able to quickly scroll through hundreds of images of cars. When I hovered my mouse over a picture of a specific car a balloon popped up containing additional vehicle information. Click on the image and you are taken to Bing search results for the make and model of the car you were looking at.

Thanks to a slick user interface kicking virtual tires of cars is loads of fun, but what makes this technology really handy is its ability to winnow down you search. On the left-hand side are tools for narrowing the number of cars by 25 most popular, SUVs, or make and base price. Each time you select a preference the number images is reduced.

Unfortunately, Visual Search limited to 50 topics Microsoft has created Visual Search libraries for. That's right, there is no Bing engine that can create a Visual Search result on-the-fly for just any topic. Microsoft creates them specifically for what it says is popular search results. Search cell phones, Olympic sports, or laptops and no such Visual Search is offered.

I found this an addictive way to explore topics not limited to cars, but also politicians in office, MLB players, and dog breeds.

The number of topics Microsoft says it will expand to depends on how popular the feature is with Bing users.

Shuttle Discovery lands at California air force base

2009-09-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., Sept 11 (Reuters) - The space shuttle Discovery landed at its backup touchdown site in California on Friday after completing a 14-day mission that delivered supplies and laboratory gear to the International Space Station.

The shuttle and its seven-member crew touched down at Edwards Air force Base in the Mojave Desert at 8:53 p.m. EDT on Friday (0053 GMT on Saturday). Stormy weather had kept it from landing at its home base in Florida. (Reporting by Steve Gorman and Irene Klotz; Editing by Pascal Fletcher)

T.J. Maxx Hacker Pleads Guilty, Could Get 25 Years

2009-09-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

A 28-year-old man has pleaded guilty Friday to some of the most notorious computer hacking attacks of recent years, including the T.J. Maxx data breach. Albert Gonzalez of Miami faces up to 25 years in prison for participating in a global hacking operation that may have stolen as many as 40 million credit and debit card numbers, according to UPI.

The T.J. Maxx heist and similar data breaches at BJ's Wholesale Club and OfficeMax (NYSE:OMX) were listed in the 20 charges to which Gonzalez, who used the screen name "segvec" during his hacking exploits, pleaded guilty. On Friday, the computer hacker pleaded guilty to federal charges in New York and Massachusetts, and also faces charges in New Jersey.

It was not clear how Gonzalez's victims would be compensated for damages that could run to the hundreds of millions of dollars. The value of cash and assets that authorities have confiscated from Gonzalez are only worth about $1.6 million, according to reports.

"I have a sinking sensation that the number of victims may exceed the available recovery," said Judge Patti Saris, who presided over Gonzalez's hearing Friday.

New iPod Touch packs Wi-Fi 'n,' FM hardware

2009-09-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

Inside Apple's updated iPod Touch lurks "n" Wi-Fi hardware, the potential for FM transmission, and room for a camera, according to iFixit.

Gadget teardown specialist iFixit on Friday said that during its dissection of the new device, it found a few "unexpected discoveries."

One of the most notable findings was a Broadcom BCM4329 chip that supports 802.11n. "This is a big deal, as even the iPhone 3GS doesn't support 802.11n," said Kyle Wiens of iFixit. The Apple smartphone, which has a very similar look on the outside to the iPod Touch, has a Broadcom BCM4325 wireless chip, only supporting 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi connectivity, according to Wiens.

"We don't know yet if 802.11n will be supported in the iPod Touch software, but at least the hardware's there," he said.

The Broadcom chip also supports FM transmission and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (enhanced data rate), endowing the touch-screen iPod with the potential to stream music to the car stereo. "But that's a lot of ifs," Wiens said.

iFixit also said the internal layout of the iPod appears to leave room for a camera in the top of the device. "There is a 6x6x3-millimeter space between the Broadcom chip and the wireless antenna."

Added Wiens: "There isn't enough depth for an iPhone-style autofocus still camera, but just enough room for the camera that Apple used in the fifth-generation iPod Nano. We did not find any headers on the board for a camera cable."

The fact that the new iPod Nano integrates a video camera and the Touch does not has become a mini scandal, as some observers claim that Steve Jobs may not have reveled the whole story behind a camera-less Touch. Jobs claimed price made a camera prohibitive on the game-oriented Touch, while blogs maintain it was more of a hardware problem.

Hands On: Motorola’s New Android Phone Nails Design, Fumbles Software

2009-09-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Motorola announced its first Android operating system-based device, the Cliq yesterday. The hardware is beautifully designed while the software makes a serious attempt to incorporate social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. But more importantly, the future of Motorola may ride partially on the success of the Cliq.
First off, let’s just say the handset gets a lot of things right: The phone itself is nicely designed and feels impossibly thin (for a slider), the touchscreen is responsive and the social networking options are subtly ingrained into the phone — they don’t come out and slap you in the face.

But let’s also say this that the Cliq suffers from feature overload. The UI is messy and challenging to learn — it attempts to bring together too many mobile features and can be confusing and clogged. We suspect that after a few days with the device, it would become easy to master. But right off the bat, operating the phone left us befuddled.
The Cliq’s coming out party was September 9, and then we got the device behind closed doors. Here are the highlights.

Hardware
The Cliq is lovely to hold. It feels quite slim (about 0.62 inches thick) and light (weighing 5.6 ounces). Comparatively, the Palm Pre is 0.67 inches thick and weighs 4.76 ounces, while the iPhone 3G is 0.48 inches thick and weighs 4.7 ounces. The sliding keyboard on the Cliq is smooth and the physical(!) keypad offers fantastic tactile feedback, making touch-typing a very real possibility. The phone comes in a polished black the company calls “Titanium” and “Winter White.” The 3.1-inch display is bright and easy to read — at least under the florescent lighting where we put the phone through its paces. The screen is touch capable and very, very responsive. It’s certainly on par with the iPhone.

User interface

The Cliq runs the Android OS draped in a custom skin from Motorola called Blur. Besides having an idiotic name, the skin collates e-mail, social networking services (Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace) and contacts into a single stream so users don’t have to click through different apps. The phone’s homescreen has three widgets: Social Status, Happenings and Messaging.
Social Status has a text box where you can broadcast your status (eating ice cream or hanging out with friends) and choose the service, such as Facebook, Twitter or MySpace, you want it to be updated to. It’s a neat service and fans of mobile tweeting will appreciate having a feature like this built into their phones.
Messaging can aggregate corporate and personal e-mail accounts and display them on a single screen. You can arrange new messages to pop up in a cardlike view (similar to the Palm Pre) or in an easily scrollable list.
The Happenings widget looks much like a Facebook feed except it brings in information about status updates and photos from other services like Twitter and MySpace too.
Camera
The Cliq has a 5.2-megapixel auto-focus camera. We tested it briefly by shooting some pics in low light and comparing it to photos from the iPhone’s camera. Guess what? The Cliq’s cam captured finer details and offered a brighter picture with true colors. It’s easy to share and upload photos, in the spirit of Cliq fun. The user interface on every photo has four choices: Share, Gallery, Set as Wallpaper and Delete. Clicking on the Share tab means you can post the photo to MySpace, Gmail, Picasa or any other photo-sharing site you have set up such as Flickr.
Phone
Hey, this thing is supposed to make calls, right? The phone sports a dialer similar to the iPhone, and the keypad has additional features, such as a speed dialer and history (a mashup of e-mails, phone calls and status updates). We didn’t get to test the voice quality of this device, which will be available on the T-Mobile network later this year. Motorola and T-Mobile haven’t said how much the phone will cost, but we’re betting under $200.
Overall

The Cliq is a beautiful piece of hardware, but it suffers from features creep. Too many options are jammed into a skin that, quite frankly, can’t handle them. There’s a reason why the iPhone, the Pre and even the G1 have done so well — the user interfaces are simple and elegant, and they can be learned without an instruction manual. Motorola screwed up with Blur — it adds an obtuse layer of functionality to a device that does not need it.
Moto admits the phone can be overwhelming at first, but claims the complete customization of social networking sites like Twitter, MySpace and Facebook are worth it. We disagree. Let people pick and choose what social networking sites they want to use on their phones and download apps that best serve their needs. An additional skin like Blur just over-complicates things.
Motrola, hear us out: You guys are not doing well right now. You make great hardware and crappy software. If you want phone buyers to take you seriously, keep producing excellent handsets like the Cliq, load them with top-notch operating systems (Android FTW!) and let it be. People will start buying your products again.
See more photos of the Cliq.

Facebook's Lite Touch Has Heavy Implications

2009-09-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

Facebook Lite is poised to be a game-changer for the social networking dynamo, considering how it brings Facebook not only to low-bandwidth users but also attracts potential Facebook users who don't want all the main platform's bells and whistles. The only question to Facebook now is, why'd it take so long to, well, let there be Lite?

Facebook Lite, which went live on Thursday in both the U.S. and India has been in beta test for about a month. In mid-August, Facebook mistakenly sent out what its representatives said were too many invitations to test the service, which in look and feel is a bit like Facebook's mobile version and limits functions to comments, writing on users' walls, looking at photos and confirming friend requests.

At the time of its leak, we thought it strange that Facebook wouldn't be forthcoming with a version that opens it up to so many untapped customers, and our opinion hasn't changed. Why would Facebook wait on Lite when so many of its social networking competitors -- including, yes, Twitter -- are growing based on the no-frills ease-of-use of their platforms?

It's hard to say who's "winning" the social networking wars, as much as how to "win" them. Sure, Facebook trampled over once-mighty rivals like MySpace and both Facebook and Twitter have posted impressive growth. To be sure, Facebook Lite will only accelerate that growth, as it'll theoretically attract curious users who don't already use Facebook on a daily basis or have yet to dabble on the social network.

The takeaway, however, is versatility: give users as many options as possible, while keeping them on a single platform. Facebook's certainly demonstrated as much, if this year's redesigns, its recent acquisition of FriendFeed, and now Facebook Lite are any indication.

And it's worth noting, of course, that Facebook users can also tag friends' updates using the "@" symbol -- another tweak that broadens the social network's appeal and gives it a counterpoint to (or, in this case, an exact copy of) attractive Twitter features.

"Friends you tag in your status updates will receive a notification and a Wall post linking them to your post," wrote Facebook engineer Tom Occhino on the Facebook Blog Thursday.

Staying ahead in social networking seems to mean having all bases covered -- is there a Twitter or MySpace trick out there that Facebook has yet to try, to? Drop a note in the ChannelWeb Connect community and let us know.

Monopoly City Streets Launches on Google

2009-09-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hasbro and Google Bring Real-Time, Worldwide Monopoly Game Online
It promises to be the biggest game of Monopoly the world has ever seen.

In a 21st century twist on the popular board game, toymaker Hasbro and tech giant Google have made the game available online, allowing players to compete in a worldwide, real-time version of the game.

Launched today, Monopoly City Streets uses the Google Maps platform to let users "buy" any street in the world. Once players create an online profile, they receive a handsome -- albeit make-believe -- $3 million to purchase, build and trade in neighborhoods close to home or the farthest-flung cities.

The site went live this morning but collapsed under the spike in traffic.

"We did anticipate an opening rush. But it has absolutely surpassed our expectations," said Pat Riso, a Hasbro spokeswoman. She said the company is working to increase the site's firepower and hopes to get the site back up and running smoothly in the next several hours.

Mercedes Resurrects Gullwing Legend with 2011 SLS AMG

2009-09-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

One of those cars you may have bought a poster of when you were 11 is back. But it's quicker than you ever imagined.

There's a new Mercedes-Benz gullwing sports car headed to the market next year - the 2011 SLS AMG, and early reports say it's glorious.

Edmunds Straightline reports, "We've driven it, savored the uncommonly sharp throttle response...and marveled over the handling -- which is more direct and communicative than any other Benz in recent memory." The successor to the epic 300 SL of the early 1950s is now a bonafide supercar - complete with the classic gullwing doors, and long hood/short deck profile of the original.

The car, according to Autoblog, puts out "563 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque funneled to the rear wheels from the front/mid-mounted 6.3-liter AMG V8. Thanks to a lightweight structure molded predominantly from carbon fiber, the SLS AMG will scoot to 60 miles per hour in just 3.7 seconds and on up to a top speed of 197 mph."

CNET adds, "Power flows through a SpeedShift 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox and down an exotic carbon fiber driveshaft before meeting the road at the rear wheels. The gearbox features three driving modes for Comfort, Sport, and Sport plus, as well as an automated manual mode," making the modern version significantly easier to drive than its famous ancestor.

Pricing and production details (you know they'll build a limited number of these -- there is a mystique to protect) will come at the Frankfurt Auto Show later this month.

If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.

Will Windows 7 reboot PC sales?

2009-09-08T00:55:00.000-07:00

For the first time in years, the PC market is starting to draw serious attention from Wall Street.

Dell Computer shares surged after the company beat earnings expectations for the second quarter. The next day, chip giant Intel gave the sector another lift by raising its forecast for PC processor sales. Hopes are building among investors that the industry will see a revival in growth as Microsoft unveils its new operating system, Windows 7, on Oct. 22 to replace its troubled Windows Vista. "I think the uplift is going to be significant," said Brian Blair, an analyst with equity research firm Wedge Partners.

The question is how significant. Before Vista, a new Windows release could set off a corporate and consumer buying binge--not only for PCs, but also printers, mice, and software. Some analysts have pointed out that the Windows pop this time could be especially pronounced, since many people never bothered to buy Vista and some 600 million PCs are running the nine-year-old Windows XP.

But, the tech bulls may be disappointed. Given the weak economy, PC unit sales are expected to rise 6.9 percent worldwide in the fourth quarter, according to research firm IDC. That would be the first quarter-over-quarter increase this year, but far short of the boost from releases such as Windows 95.

"A lot of people are going to have to rethink their assumptions," said IDC analyst David Daoud. The firm expects PC sales to rise 6.1 percent in 2010.

Microsoft declined to comment for this story. But, even the software giant has tried to tamp down expectations for the new operating system. "[The impact is] likely to be elongated over a couple of years, to be honest," Bill Koefoed, the company's investor relations chief, told shareholders in August.

That is not a reflection on Windows 7 itself. In preliminary testing the software has earned largely positive reviews, despite a few complications with installation. Besides delivering bootup speeds and reliability that Vista did not, Windows 7 will help PCs work better with high-speed networks, a key step as companies use more software programs online. Consumers will also be able to more easily view and share even high-definition content, whether it os a TV show on Hulu.com or a home video.

"Windows 7 will put the pizzazz back into PCs," said Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO of graphics chipmaker Nvidia.

The economy is the primary reason for the holdup in near-term PC sales. While some companies are boosting their capital spending, most will make do with their existing computers for now. Kris Kutchera, vice-president for information technology at Alaska Airlines, said she will wait as long as possible to upgrade, maybe until 2012. "There's not a huge value for us to move [to Windows 7]," she said .

Netbook nemesis
Consumers may be more inclined to embrace Windows 7, but they are likely to drive a hard bargain on price. Pinched customers have driven down the average price for a PC to US$680, from US$835, according to analyst Stephen Baker of researcher NPD Group.

Many consumers are opting for small, inexpensive netbooks, a market Microsoft has helped fuel by offering a version of Windows XP for as little as US$15. Microsoft hopes to charge much more for the netbook version of Windows 7, but that may prove difficult. "The whole market is moving to lower price points," said Harvard Business School professor David B. Yoffie. "Microsoft wants to go back to 1995, but the world has changed."

Any sales growth in the PC market will be a welcome change—not just for Microsoft but for the entire PC ecosystem. Chipmakers, for example, slashed capacity during the downturn and now are able to command higher prices because of tight inventories.

"The operating system is great and it gets everyone excited," said NPD's Baker. "But, the heady days of the PC business are long gone."

Google makes concessions to European publishers

2009-09-08T00:38:00.000-07:00

In a move to assuage European publishers' concerns over book digitization, Google on Monday said European books still listed as commercially available will not be included in its online registry of orphaned and out-of-print works--unless rights holders give their express authorization.

The search giant also said it will let two non-U.S. representatives onto the eight-person board of the Books Rights Registry, which was set up to govern the proposed books settlement reached with U.S. publishers and authors who sued Google in 2005. Plaintiffs alleged that the company's digitizing initiative amounted to "massive" copyright infringement.

Google made its conciliatory gestures as the European Commission kicked off a series of discussions aimed at "seeking precise details on the exact scope of the settlement" and "how many European works or publications will potentially be affected."

At a hearing in Brussels Monday, organizations representing various European publishers, libraries, rights holders, and businesses involved in Internet commerce criticized the proposed settlement as it currently stands, saying it would lead to "a de facto monopoly" in the emerging digital books market.

Representing France at the hearing, Nicolas George of the country's Ministry of Culture said the deal presents "a clear and evident risk for cultural diversity," according to The New York Times.

"Google could unilaterally decide no longer to give access or modify access through a ranking scheme," George said, and for "political and ideological considerations."

The debates are expected to continue this week. On the first day of the events, Viviane Reding, the EU's commissioner for information society and media, and Charlie McCreevy, commissioner for the bloc's internal market, said in a joint statement that "it is time for Europe to turn over a new e-leaf on digital books and copyright," and that book digitization such as that being attempted by Google highlights the "need to adapt Europe's still very fragmented copyright legislation."

"The challenge for EU policymakers is to ensure a regulatory framework which paves the way for a rapid roll-out of services, similar to those made possible in the U.S. by the recent settlement, to European consumers and to the European library and research communities," the commissioners said.

Astronauts pack Buzz Lightyear for ride home

2009-09-08T00:37:00.000-07:00

By MARCIA DUNN (AP)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The astronauts aboard the orbiting shuttle and station packed up Buzz Lightyear on Monday for the ride home from "infinity and beyond."

The 12-inch action figure has been at the international space station for more than a year.

Mission Control asked Discovery's crew to do a final check to make certain Buzz was safely stowed on the shuttle, before the hatches between the linked spacecraft were sealed late Monday night. The shuttle will depart Tuesday.

NASA also was tracking another threatening piece of space junk, but did not think the orbiting outpost would have to steer clear.

The Buzz Lightyear toy kept a relatively low profile at the space station following its June 2008 arrival, but was pulled out for extensive filming over the past week. Some of the movie scenes: Buzz going to sleep with an astronaut who lets go, causing the doll to float away and hit a wall, and Buzz flying through a chamber followed by a real spaceman.

NASA said the video will be used in an educational outreach effort for children and have a "Toy Story" movie spin.

As for Buzz, a Walt Disney World spokesman said the toy will take part in "several debriefing sessions" and then a ticker tape parade with Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin at the beginning of October. The spokesman said Buzz has become "the longest serving astronaut in space."

Late Monday, the 13 human astronauts accomplished one last major job together before parting company.

A moving van holding a ton of trash and discarded equipment was moved back aboard Discovery, with the use of a hefty robot arm. The van was delivered by the shuttle, fully loaded with supplies, and moved onto the international space station one week ago.

The two crews — seven on the shuttle and six on the station — hugged and shook hands as they said goodbye. "Have a safe trip and have a safe landing, guys," said the station's skipper, Russian Gennady Padalka.

Meanwhile, the latest piece of menacing space debris is from a Chinese satellite blasted by a missile in a 2007 test. It was expected to fly near the space station early Wednesday.

Flight director Tony Ceccacci did not know the size of the fragment, but he noted that early projections put the closest approach at 15 miles. A massive piece of an old rocket passed less than a mile from the shuttle-station complex Friday, but required no dodging.

In a series of Labor Day interviews, shuttle astronaut Jose Hernandez said his presence in space "means hope for all our people that speak Spanish." He grew up in a migrant worker family from Mexico.

"If you work hard and study hard, any dream can be achieved," Hernandez said in Spanish, "and I am the proof of that because I started (with) very little means."

The space station's new resident, Nicole Stott, said she's looking forward to gazing down at her home state of Florida and the rest of the planet over the next three months. She took up a watercolor kit to paint what she sees.

She said the artwork might not be that good, "but it will certainly be fun for me to try."

Stott flew up on Discovery as the replacement for Timothy Kopra, who has been in orbit since mid-July. Kopra will return to Earth on Thursday, along with the six other shuttle astronauts and, of course, Buzz.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Intel's New Core i7 and Core i5 Processors Explained

2009-09-08T00:34:00.000-07:00

Intel's two new Core i7 CPUs (860 and 870) are mid-range counterparts to its top-of-the-line Core i7 900-series chips, and initial tests (using Intel's new DP55KG motherboard) indicate their performance follows suit. Our early tests also show the new entry-level Core i5 750 is the one to watch when it comes to best bang for your buck.

Intel's full processor breakdown--including the axing of its Core i7 940 processor--includes some potentially confusing differences between the chips. So here's what you need to know.

The existing Core i7 900-series processor lineup, codenamed Bloomfield, now features three separate products: 3.33-GHz Core i7 975, 3.06-GHz Core i7 950, and 2.66-GHz Core i7-920 processors. Between the Core i7-950 and Core i7-920 processors sit the new "Lynnfield" 2.93-GHz Core i7 870 and 2.8-GHz Core i7 860 processors. The brand-new, 2.66-GHz Core i5 750 CPU is a Lynnfield chip as well, but we'll get to that odd duckling further below.

Technology Differences

Intel took a big leap forward in the design department when it launched Core i7 900-series processors last November. Just a few of these included a new triple-channel memory controller integrated into the chip, a new QuickPath Interconnect system to replace (and improve upon) the front-side bus architecture of old, and the return of hyperthreading that split the chip's four physical cores into eight virtual cores for increased system performance. As the Core i7 900-series chips were based on a new Intel X58 chipset and LGA1366 socket, aspiring upgraders had to invest in new motherboards to reap the benefits of the Core i7 900-series platform.

That part still rings true for the new Core i7 800-series and Core i5 CPUs--all three run on Intel's latest P55 chipset and LGA1156 socket, which necessitates a new motherboard purchase for use. What's changed, however, is that the Core i7 800-series and Core i5 CPUs each adopt different permutations of the fanciest of the Core i7 900-series' features.

All three chips have dropped down from a QuickPath Interconnect and triple-channel memory controller to a Direct Media Interface and dual-channel memory controller. But don't freak out; This is more a loss of future-proofing than anything else given the minute performance differences between current dual- and triple-channel memory configurations.

An integrated PCI Express graphics controller on the Lynnfield CPUs can either deliver 16 lanes of bandwidth to a single PCI Express 2.0 videocard or split this connection into two x8 lanes for an SLI or CrossFire setup. Although it's a cut from the full 32 lanes (for a dual 16x or quad-8x configuration) provided by Core i7's X58 chipset, the bandwidth reduction should only affect those crazy enough to SLI or CrossFire dual-GPU videocards on a Lynnfield setup.

Turbo Boost: Automatic Overclocking

The new Core i7 800-series CPUs and the Core i5 750 still support the same automatic overclocking functionality, or Turbo Boost, as the Core i7 900-series processors. However, this feature has been jacked up on the newer chips. Core i7 900-series CPUs will only increase their multipliers to a maximum of two additional steps according to system demands (effectively taking a 3.33-GHz processor to 3.6-GHz depending on how many cores are in use). The new Lynnfield processors are able to jump up five multiplier steps for the 800-series chips (taking a 2.93-GHz processor to 3.6-GHz) and four for the Core i7 750 (2.66-GHz to a maximum 3.2-GHz).
Performance

Both Core i7 800-series processors support hyperthreading the same as their Core i7 900-series brethren. The Core i5 750 does not-its four physical cores are all that will appear in your operating system's task manager. Even so, the CPU's noteworthy performance makes it an excellent value for its roughly $200 price. We only saw a performance difference of 5 percent between the Core i5 750 and the roughly $555 Core i7 870 (based on WorldBench 6 testing of the two CPUs on identical system builds). In fact, the Core i7 750's score of 127 falls right around the scores set by competing Value and Power PCs that use Core i7 920 processors.

Test Bed: Intel DP55KG Motherboard, 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM, ATI Radeon HD 4890 graphics, 2x Seagate ST3750630AS hard disks (Raid 0), Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit Service Pack 2

So where does that leave the Core i7 870? Given that its price is almost identical to that of the high-end 3.06-GHz Core i7 950 CPU, a processor that natively runs faster than the 2.93-GHz Core i7 870, it's difficult to see the compelling reason to pick up this chip. The Turbo Boost feature of the Core i7 870 does ultimately beat the speeds of the Core i7-950's, but for the enthusiast market, the increased memory support and bandwidth for multi-GPU setups might not be worth giving up. The Core i7 860 is more reasonably priced at $285, provided you can make sufficient use of its hyperthreading functionality.

It remains to be seen just how far the Core i7 800-series CPUs will overclock compared to the Core i7 900-series chips-the lower power draws of the 800-series processors could make quite a difference in this area. As for the Core i7 750, this chip looks to be a solid winner for those looking to dip their toes into the Nehalem platform without breaking the bank-given Intel's dramatic price points, that's always a strong possibility.

How to Fix the App Store

2009-09-08T00:27:00.001-07:00

The Google Voice stalemate highlights the problems in Apple's iPhone app approval process. Here are some ways Apple can make the process smoother

Anyone who reads my blog, column, or Tweets—or who calls me for work or any other reason—likely knows by now that I have become an avid user of Google Voice. I tap the Web-based call-management service to handle work and personal voice mail, receive audio messages from readers, and even record interviews with sources while on the road.

Fortunately for us smartphone addicts, Google Voice is available as a downloadable app on Research In Motion's BlackBerry. You can also use it on Apple's iPhone via Web browser. But if you want to download it onto the iPhone, you'll need to await the resolution of a controversy that underscores the increasingly thorny relationship between Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG), as well as the troublesome process whereby applications get reviewed for use on the iPhone.

To recap, while Apple hasn't formally rejected app for distribution via iTunes, it has raised objections about the potential for some Google Voice features to supplant certain iPhone features. Google Voice's mail offerings compete with Apple's visual voice-mail tool, for instance. It also has a dialer that looks a lot like the traditional phone-dialing screen for the iPhone. Plus, the contract that makes AT&T (T) the sole U.S. iPhone carrier forbids applications that connect Internet calls over the cellular data network. Bottom line: There's enough potential overlap to make Apple and AT&T antsy about giving Google free rein.
the fcc also wants to know what the holdup is

Apple has said it "continues to study" the issue, which I take to be code for "our lawyers are talking things over with their lawyers." The Federal Communications Commission also has said it may take a closer look at whether wireless carriers, in deciding which applications run on their networks, are taking steps that inhibit competition.

Meantime, in moves that smack of inconsistency if not a double standard, Apple has given the green light to other calling applications for the iPhone. Vonage (VG), a provider of Internet calling, has announced that its application has been approved and is going through testing. The Vonage app's features aren't known, but Vonage's service has several aspects similar to those found on Google Voice.

Another app, Line2 from Toktumi, has also been approved recently, and RingCentral, which I reviewed recently, has an iPhone app with many features that are nearly identical to those found on Google Voice.

There are compelling reasons why Apple might want to restrict these applications. Contractual restrictions are one. Users of the iPhone are voracious consumers of data services, and it would be unfortunate if a too-popular Internet calling application overwhelmed AT&T's data network. And Google Voice's free text-messaging feature undercuts AT&T's very profitable texting service.
vague and inconsistent

Why do so many other call-management apps get the green light when Google Voice doesn't? Quite possibly it has something to do with the growing potential rivalry between the two companies. Google, for instance, is spearheading the alliance behind Android, a mobile-phone operating system that competes with Apple's.

But the Google Voice controversy is also indicative of the convoluted nature of Apple's application-approval process. A growing number of software developers have made no secret in the blogosphere that they find the process opaque and unpredictable.

Technical problems may delay camera-equipped iPods

2009-09-08T00:26:00.000-07:00

AppleInsider cites a reliable source that has suggested that either camera-equipped iPods won't be shown at the media event on September 9 hosted by Apple, or that they will be unveiled but won't be available to buy for some time. According to the source, Apple has experience technical problems with the cameras hardware.

Pictures of iPod Touch and Nano cases surfaced online in recent months with holes for a camera lens present in them. No pictures showed up of cases designed for the iPod Classic, which is equipped with a traditional HDD instead of flash memory storage.

Reports have suggested that some iPods in the line-up were to be fitted with the same 3.2 megapixel CMOS image sensors that are used with the iPhone 3GS model. The report of technical problems from AppleInsider also mirrored another report published on Monday by Hardmac, the English-language version of French Apple news site Macbidouille.

Forget Apple, Here’s the Real Snow Leopard

2009-09-08T00:24:00.000-07:00

Even as Apple’s newest operating system puts snow leopards on desktops around the world, the real animal fights for survival in the mountain wilderness of Central Asia.

Declared endangered in 1972, between 3,500 and 7,000 cats remain in the wild. Their numbers are thought to be dwindling, though exact figures are hard to come by. Snow leopards are solitary, elusive and perfectly suited to their harsh homelands; researchers who study them can go for years without seeing one.

In 2008, a consortium of scientists and conservation groups launched the first long-term snow leopard study. Using camera traps and GPS-enabled collars, they hope to gather basic information about the animals’ range and behavior, and use this information to better protect them.

Wired.com talked to Tom McCarthy, director of field programs for the Snow Leopard Trust, about their work.

Image: Steve Winter

Asus set to enter ebook market

2009-09-08T00:22:00.000-07:00

Asus is planning to bring two ebook readers to the market to take Amazon and Sony head on, according to reports. Asus is one of the world's biggest consumer electronics companies, and in the last couple of years it played a large part in the rise of the netbook, a low-cost alternative to a laptop. Now Asus is planning to bring affordable ebook readers to the market to undercut the Kindle.

The Times Online quotes Jerry Shen, CEO, as source. The report says that the company is expecting to offer two different devices, a budget ebook reader and a more feature-rich premium ebook reader. The readers will have a hinged spine with two screens to emulate a book, with touchscreen controls to flick through pages.

While other ebook readers are offered with a monochrome screen, Asus' ebook readers could show full color images of the pages. Some other possible uses for the ebook reader that are mentioned are using Skype with an available mic and speaker, or viewing webpages.

"Our ethos is innovation — as our brand is less well known, we have to run faster than the competition to develop new types of products," Asus is reported as saying. "Any such product — including an ereader — has to have the right combination of functionality and price. No one is going to buy one for £1,000."

Of course, nobody would pay anything close to £1000 for an ebook reader. However, the budget version of the readers, dubbed "Eee Reader", is expected to aim for a price tag of around £100.

Russia anti-trust body says Microsoft probe closed

2009-09-08T00:20:00.001-07:00

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's state anti-monopoly service, FAS, said on Monday it has closed its probe against Microsoft over cutbacks in supplies of its Windows XP operating system within Russia.

"The case was closed as signs of violations by Microsoft of the anti-monopoly legislation were not confirmed," the regulator said in a statement on its web site www.fas.gov.ru.

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Dan Lalor)

Smart phones write a new chapter in e-books market

2009-09-08T00:19:00.001-07:00

Kindle ignited a surge in electronic reading, but other devices may find even more fans.

A few weeks ago, Pasquale Castaldo was waiting at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport for a delayed flight when a man sitting across from him pulled out an Amazon Kindle book-reading device.

"Gee, maybe I should think about e-books myself," thought Castaldo, 54.

He didn't have a Kindle, but he did have a BlackBerry. He pulled it out and looked for available applications. Sure enough, Barnes & Noble Inc. had just put up an e-reading program. Castaldo downloaded it, and within a minute, began reading Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."

As others are also discovering, the North Haven, Conn., banker found e-books quite accessible without a Kindle.

"The BlackBerry is always with me," Castaldo said. "Rather than just sitting there, if I can fill that time by reading a good book, I might do that, in addition to doing the other things I might do, like reading e-mail and Twittering."

Thanks to Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle, e-book sales are finally zooming, after more than a decade in the doldrums.

But the pioneering device may not dominate the market for long. As Castaldo found, many phones are now sophisticated enough, and have good enough screens, to be used as e-book reading devices. In addition, e-book reading on computers is already surprisingly popular.

E-book sales reported to the Assn. of American Publishers have been rising sharply since the beginning of 2008, just after the release of the Kindle. It's the best sustained growth the industry has seen since the International Digital Publishing Forum began tracking sales in 2002 -- a sign that e-books finally could be about to break into the mainstream.

U.S. trade e-book sales in the April to June period this year more than tripled from the amount a year ago, as reported by about a dozen publishers.

Total reported sales at wholesale prices were $37.6 million. That's less than 2% of the overall book market, but the number understates e-book sales because not all publishers contribute to the report.

The most well-known dedicated reading devices, the Kindle and Sony Corp.'s Reader, try to emulate the look of the printed page with a display technology known as "electronic ink."

While many find the result pleasant to read, e-ink also imposes limitations on the devices. They can't be backlighted like other screens. They can't show color. They're also slow to update, making them difficult to use for Web browsing or other computer activities.

The Kindle has a wireless connection directly to Amazon's store, meaning users can buy and download books to the device within minutes, much like Castaldo could do on his smart phone. The Reader lacks a wireless capability and thus needs to be connected to a computer to load books.

Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps said that while the Kindle has sparked interest in e-books, downloads of e-reading applications for smart phones have far outnumbered the Kindles sold.

The Stanza app for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, for instance, has been downloaded more than 2 million times since last summer, compared with Rotman Epps' estimate of more than 900,000 Kindles sold through the first quarter of this year.

"There will be a market for dedicated reading devices, but there's potentially an even bigger market for reading on devices that people already own, like smart phones," she said.

Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times

Buy U an iPhone app to sing with T-Pain's Auto-Tune effect

2009-09-08T00:18:00.000-07:00

By Steve Jones, USA TODAY
Fans who want to try out T-Pain's "shawty snappin' " pickup lines can now employ the same studio wizardry that creates his robotic vocal effects.

Despite grumblings within the music industry that use of the technology has gotten out of control — "Good riddance," Jay-Z raps on his new D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)— T-Pain is nonetheless putting it in fans' hands with his just-out I Am T-Pain application for iPhones. The app lets people emulate the singer by creating their own songs and uploading them to MySpace and Facebook.

"You can actually be T-Pain, which already is the most awesome thing in the world," he says, laughing. "You can become a singer just like everybody else and basically be the life of the party."

That's exactly why this app should do well, says Paul Resnikoff, publisher of Digital Music News. "It's an easy party favorite," he says. "If you tell someone to sing into your phone, and all of sudden it switches to Auto-Tune, everyone is going to crowd around and have a great time."

T-Pain, who popularized the technique with his songs Buy U a Drank and Bartender and those he has produced for Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown and others, came up with the $2.99 app with the help of leading iPhone applications developer Smule and Auto-Tune creators Antares Audio Technologies.

I Am T-Pain lets fans use the voice/pitch correction program to create their own freestyles, make karaoke versions of T-Pain songs, e-mail friends and share songs. He says he's a big consumer of apps by other artists but wanted something that would go beyond the usual photos, videos and tour dates.

Resnikoff says that apps are boons to the artists because they build strong connections to fans. He says they're increasingly popular because they offer a level of interactivity that can't be enjoyed with CDs.

"To me, the album is so flat now," he says. "OK, great, I get 16 songs, but where's the rest of the package? I want videos, I want it to speak back to me."

T-Pain figured he could capitalize on the fact that people were already parodying his vocals. YouTube is brimming with T-Pain-style videos made using the Antares vocal toolkit. I Am T-Pain comes bundled with T-Pain tracks and lyrics.

"Now you can use it as many times as you want to be impressive," T-Pain says.