Technology News
Hackers mull physical attacks on a networked world
AP - Fri Aug 8, 4:57 PM ET
LAS VEGAS - Want to break into the computer network in an ultra-secure building? Ship a hacked iPhone there to a nonexistent employee and hope the device sits in the mailroom, scanning for nearby wireless connections.
Internet News
IFC expands music programming with Pitchfork pact Reuters - Fri Aug 8, 8:45 PM ET
NEW YORK (Billboard) - This fall, the Independent Film Channel will be running more music-related programming -- on-air and online -- than at any time in its 14-year history.
'Cloud computing' trend heightens privacy risks AFP - Fri Aug 8, 8:27 PM ET
LAS VEGAS (AFP) - A US military computer science professor has warned that a trend to push software into the "clouds" exacerbates privacy risks as people trust information to the Internet.
TV Tidbits: Notes of Interest Mediaweek.com - Fri Aug 8, 7:48 PM ET
Disney will re-brand its Toon Disney television network and online platforms into Disney XD, which will be targeted more towards boys and �the fundamental values of accomplishment, learning, discovery and growth.� Disney XD will feature Disney-branded live action movies, animation and original programming developed with ESPN. ...
Personal Technology News
Moneydance 2008r2 finance software released Macworld.com - Sat Aug 9, 4:45 AM ET
The Infinite Kind has announced the release of Moneydance 2008r2, an update to their personal finance management software for Mac OS X. It costs $39.99, and the update is free for registered users.
Hackers mull physical attacks on a networked world AP - Fri Aug 8, 8:05 PM ET
LAS VEGAS - Want to break into the computer network in an ultra-secure building? Ship a hacked iPhone there to a nonexistent employee and hope the device sits in the mailroom, scanning for nearby wireless connections.
JaJah Service Translates Languages Via Phone NewsFactor - Fri Aug 8, 4:51 PM ET
Your cell phone might become your personal translator if one of the new services from Internet telephone company JaJah catches on -- a free, real-time, machine translation service.
Video Games
'Dark Knight' reigns not in video game AP - Thu Aug 7, 2:50 PM ET
LOS ANGELES - It's a puzzle worthy of The Riddler: Why is there no video game based on "The Dark Knight"?
Wal-Mart's US sales chill in July AFP - Thu Aug 7, 1:00 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Global retail giant Wal-Mart said Thursday its US sales chilled in July as bargain-hunting consumers focused on food and entertainment items like flat-screen televisions and video games.
Athletes play video games as Olympics go virtual Reuters - Thu Aug 7, 10:44 AM ET
RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - If 24-hour coverage of the Olympic Games in China isn't enough for fans, Sega has rolled out the official video game of the 2008 events in Beijing for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and mobile phones.
Digital Audio/Video
IFC expands music programming with Pitchfork pact Reuters - Fri Aug 8, 8:45 PM ET
NEW YORK (Billboard) - This fall, the Independent Film Channel will be running more music-related programming -- on-air and online -- than at any time in its 14-year history.
Libraries step into the age of iPod Reuters - Thu Aug 7, 1:56 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - It may be about time to dig out that old library card. Hoping to draw back readers, libraries have vastly expanded their lists of digital books, music, and movies that can be downloaded by their patrons to a computer or MP3 player -- and it doesn't cost a cent, unlike, say, media from Apple Inc'siTunes or Amazon.com Inc.
Online Music Sales Muddle Royalties, Lawyers Say PC Magazine - Thu Aug 7, 11:04 AM ET
The current system for getting royalty payments to musicians in the United States is seriously hampering the introduction of new, innovative music distribution models, and that problem is not going to get any better in the era of the digital download, leading music experts said Thursday.
Security
Hackers mull physical attacks on a networked world AP - Fri Aug 8, 8:05 PM ET
LAS VEGAS - Want to break into the computer network in an ultra-secure building? Ship a hacked iPhone there to a nonexistent employee and hope the device sits in the mailroom, scanning for nearby wireless connections.
French reporters booted from US computer security conference AFP - Fri Aug 8, 2:14 PM ET
LAS VEGAS (AFP) - Reporters from an online French magazine were booted from the world's premier computer security conference Thursday after reportedly hacking a press room network and stealing peers' passwords.
Get Panda Internet Security for Free After Rebate PC Magazine - Fri Aug 8, 7:40 AM ET
A three-user license for Panda Internet Security 2008 is now available from Newegg.com for free, after rebate.
Apple/Macintosh News
Moneydance 2008r2 finance software released Macworld.com - Sat Aug 9, 4:45 AM ET
The Infinite Kind has announced the release of Moneydance 2008r2, an update to their personal finance management software for Mac OS X. It costs $39.99, and the update is free for registered users.
Hackers mull physical attacks on a networked world AP - Fri Aug 8, 8:05 PM ET
LAS VEGAS - Want to break into the computer network in an ultra-secure building? Ship a hacked iPhone there to a nonexistent employee and hope the device sits in the mailroom, scanning for nearby wireless connections.
IBM Ready To Connect and Secure Mobile Devices NewsFactor - Fri Aug 8, 4:49 PM ET
IBM announced new software and services for mobile workers Friday, including applications for the iPhone and Blackberry devices. The Armonk, N.Y.-based company cited a surge in mobile devices as an important new market for traditional desktop, storage and server vendors.
Linux/Open Source News
EIC Squared: Olympics, LinuxWorld, and Google cookies CNET - Fri Aug 8, 4:56 PM ET
On this week's EIC Squared podcast, ZDNet's Larry Dignan and I talk about the big story of this month--the Olympics.
HTC Android Phones May Be Delayed Until 2009 NewsFactor - Fri Aug 8, 4:51 PM ET
According to a Web report, there may be some problems with integrating the Google-led open-source mobile platform Android into devices, delaying the release of an Android phone until early next year.
Netbooks A Linux Stronghold? Investor's Business Daily - Thu Aug 7, 6:01 PM ET
Petite laptops with small screens and even tinier price tags may do more than shake up the computer hardware industry: They might loosen Microsoft's grip on the computer operating system.
Most Popular Technology News
Libraries step into the age of iPod Reuters - Thu Aug 7, 1:56 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - It may be about time to dig out that old library card. Hoping to draw back readers, libraries have vastly expanded their lists of digital books, music, and movies that can be downloaded by their patrons to a computer or MP3 player -- and it doesn't cost a cent, unlike, say, media from Apple Inc's iTunes or Amazon.com Inc .
Material bends, stretches and conducts electricity? Reuters - Thu Aug 7, 7:01 PM ET
CHICAGO (Reuters) - In the latest twist on electronics, Japanese scientists said on Thursday they have developed a rubbery material that conducts electricity, a finding that could be used to make devices that bend and stretch.
Even computer security pros vulnerable to scams AP - Thu Aug 7, 5:03 PM ET
LAS VEGAS - Computer security professionals tend to be a highly paranoid bunch, seeing potential threats everywhere. It turns out that some aren't cautious enough, though.
COMPUTING
Apple Bloggers Pay Pretty Penny for Macs, Ponder Porcine iPhone Update, Pray for Perfect Products
Friday - August 8, 2008There's been lots of activity in the Apple-focused blogosphere this week -- and that's no surprise, what with the screaming success Apple's been having with its Mac and iPhone sales. For example, TechCrunch reported that Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer that produces the iPhone for Apple, has ramped up production to 800,000 units a week. With that kind of production, Apple is on a lot of people's brains these days. A few of the more interesting stories this week include the high price of the Mac and the iPhone 3G's bug-fixing update. [More...]
What Does Apple Have Up Its Sleeve?
Thursday - August 7, 2008When Apple announced last month that it anticipated higher development costs in coming months, analysts cringed and the stock dropped. But tech heads rejoiced. Such a message often means new products are coming from the company. Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer told analysts that a "future product transition" will lower gross margins from nearly 35 to about 30 percent in 2009. [More...]
IBM's Homeward Bound Linux PC Push
Tuesday - August 5, 2008IBM fired the opening salvo at this year's LinuxWorld Conference and Expo, and to the surprise of no one, it was aimed squarely at Microsoft. Sure, it was the low-hanging fruit -- Microsoft's an easy target. It's kind of like taking pot shots at John McCain at an Obama fund-raiser. But here, the ammunition was more notable than the target. [More...]
PC Upkeep for Average Joes
Tuesday - August 5, 2008Firing up a brand-new PC is a magic moment that can never be recaptured. The flawless performance, the lightning-fast speeds, the uncluttered desktop -- they're a thing of beauty. In time, though, just about all PC users will have to cope with their share of problems, from sluggish download speeds to out-and-out system failures. [More...]
Will the Next MacBook Touchpad Look Like an iPhone?
Thursday - July 31, 2008On the heels of Apple's third quarter financial report, in which Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer hinted at new products that would put pressure on Apple's relatively high margins, the Apple rumor mill is running rampant with speculation. Further teasing along the guessing game, Apple CEO Steve Jobs opaquely noted, "We're busy finishing several more wonderful new products to launch in the coming months." [More...]
Tarot Cards, Palm Reading and Apple Patents
Thursday - July 31, 2008Apple's success in products like the iPhone and iPod has industry analysts and competitors, as well as faithful followers, speculating on what's to come in future product introductions. It also has them wondering and guessing about where the company is headed from a broader perspective. Public patent filings are one source of information that happens to gather a lot of attention in this regard. [More...]
Portugal Rings Up Big Order for Intel's Classmate PCs
Wednesday - July 30, 2008Intel's low-cost laptop initiative is set to get a boost Wednesday from Portugal's government, which is pledging to provide elementary school students with 500,000 computers based on the chipmaker's Classmate PC design. The announcement brings Intel's rivalry with the One Laptop Per Child organization into the spotlight once again. [More...]
Rumor Mill Has Apple Slicing and Dicing Intel Chipsets
Tuesday - July 29, 2008Is Apple's line of MacBook and MacBook Pro notebook computers due for a redesign -- or at least a refresh? The MacBook Air's relatively fresh form factor will likely remain the same for a while, but new aluminum cases for the other MacBooks in Apple's menagerie -- ones that will key off of the Air's thinner, slightly rounded design -- might be on the way. [More...]
Dell Debuts Diminutive Desktop
Tuesday - July 29, 2008Dell rolled out its entry in the emerging ultra-small PC category Tuesday. The Dell Studio Hybrid is the computer maker's smallest and most environmentally responsible consumer PC offering. The desktop joins other systems in the category, including the Apple Mac mini and HP's Slimline series. [More...]
Does Linux Need a Little Tough Love?
Monday - July 28, 2008Well, last week started out with a bang thanks to Monday's announcement of the new, Debian-powered CherryPal PC. That the low-power machine runs Linux is, of course, good news. The twist is that users won't even see it, because the entire user interface is presented through Firefox. Slashdot and LXer immediately picked up the news. [More...]
Can Apple Break Through China's Great Wall of Counterfeits?
Monday - July 28, 2008Apple may be making a lot of noise lately with its new iPhone 3G, but when it comes to fighting software pirates, Steve Jobs' company prefers to speak softly and carry a big stick -- the stick, of course, being legal action like its recent lawsuit against computer maker Psystar for producing machines that can run Apple software. [More...]
Consoles Sell Like Hotcakes, Yahoo Cuts a Deal, Sysadmin Caves
Friday - July 25, 2008As much as I love zombie movies, I really don't care to count how many times I've been invited to BECOME a zombie on Facebook. Yeah, you know the one I'm talking about. That's what you get when you open your platform to developers with all sorts of agendas -- you get a handful of good stuff, and you get oceans of crap -- spammy, garbagey applications -- the software equivalent of Cracker Jack prizes. [More...]
Friday - August 8, 2008There's been lots of activity in the Apple-focused blogosphere this week -- and that's no surprise, what with the screaming success Apple's been having with its Mac and iPhone sales. For example, TechCrunch reported that Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer that produces the iPhone for Apple, has ramped up production to 800,000 units a week. With that kind of production, Apple is on a lot of people's brains these days. A few of the more interesting stories this week include the high price of the Mac and the iPhone 3G's bug-fixing update. [More...]
What Does Apple Have Up Its Sleeve?
Thursday - August 7, 2008When Apple announced last month that it anticipated higher development costs in coming months, analysts cringed and the stock dropped. But tech heads rejoiced. Such a message often means new products are coming from the company. Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer told analysts that a "future product transition" will lower gross margins from nearly 35 to about 30 percent in 2009. [More...]
IBM's Homeward Bound Linux PC Push
Tuesday - August 5, 2008IBM fired the opening salvo at this year's LinuxWorld Conference and Expo, and to the surprise of no one, it was aimed squarely at Microsoft. Sure, it was the low-hanging fruit -- Microsoft's an easy target. It's kind of like taking pot shots at John McCain at an Obama fund-raiser. But here, the ammunition was more notable than the target. [More...]
PC Upkeep for Average Joes
Tuesday - August 5, 2008Firing up a brand-new PC is a magic moment that can never be recaptured. The flawless performance, the lightning-fast speeds, the uncluttered desktop -- they're a thing of beauty. In time, though, just about all PC users will have to cope with their share of problems, from sluggish download speeds to out-and-out system failures. [More...]
Will the Next MacBook Touchpad Look Like an iPhone?
Thursday - July 31, 2008On the heels of Apple's third quarter financial report, in which Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer hinted at new products that would put pressure on Apple's relatively high margins, the Apple rumor mill is running rampant with speculation. Further teasing along the guessing game, Apple CEO Steve Jobs opaquely noted, "We're busy finishing several more wonderful new products to launch in the coming months." [More...]
Tarot Cards, Palm Reading and Apple Patents
Thursday - July 31, 2008Apple's success in products like the iPhone and iPod has industry analysts and competitors, as well as faithful followers, speculating on what's to come in future product introductions. It also has them wondering and guessing about where the company is headed from a broader perspective. Public patent filings are one source of information that happens to gather a lot of attention in this regard. [More...]
Portugal Rings Up Big Order for Intel's Classmate PCs
Wednesday - July 30, 2008Intel's low-cost laptop initiative is set to get a boost Wednesday from Portugal's government, which is pledging to provide elementary school students with 500,000 computers based on the chipmaker's Classmate PC design. The announcement brings Intel's rivalry with the One Laptop Per Child organization into the spotlight once again. [More...]
Rumor Mill Has Apple Slicing and Dicing Intel Chipsets
Tuesday - July 29, 2008Is Apple's line of MacBook and MacBook Pro notebook computers due for a redesign -- or at least a refresh? The MacBook Air's relatively fresh form factor will likely remain the same for a while, but new aluminum cases for the other MacBooks in Apple's menagerie -- ones that will key off of the Air's thinner, slightly rounded design -- might be on the way. [More...]
Dell Debuts Diminutive Desktop
Tuesday - July 29, 2008Dell rolled out its entry in the emerging ultra-small PC category Tuesday. The Dell Studio Hybrid is the computer maker's smallest and most environmentally responsible consumer PC offering. The desktop joins other systems in the category, including the Apple Mac mini and HP's Slimline series. [More...]
Does Linux Need a Little Tough Love?
Monday - July 28, 2008Well, last week started out with a bang thanks to Monday's announcement of the new, Debian-powered CherryPal PC. That the low-power machine runs Linux is, of course, good news. The twist is that users won't even see it, because the entire user interface is presented through Firefox. Slashdot and LXer immediately picked up the news. [More...]
Can Apple Break Through China's Great Wall of Counterfeits?
Monday - July 28, 2008Apple may be making a lot of noise lately with its new iPhone 3G, but when it comes to fighting software pirates, Steve Jobs' company prefers to speak softly and carry a big stick -- the stick, of course, being legal action like its recent lawsuit against computer maker Psystar for producing machines that can run Apple software. [More...]
Consoles Sell Like Hotcakes, Yahoo Cuts a Deal, Sysadmin Caves
Friday - July 25, 2008As much as I love zombie movies, I really don't care to count how many times I've been invited to BECOME a zombie on Facebook. Yeah, you know the one I'm talking about. That's what you get when you open your platform to developers with all sorts of agendas -- you get a handful of good stuff, and you get oceans of crap -- spammy, garbagey applications -- the software equivalent of Cracker Jack prizes. [More...]
LATEST NEWS
The Steve Jobs Leak: Another Stroke of Brilliance?
Monday - August 4, 2008It's been an interesting week. As if to prove the point of last week's column, Steve Jobs used his impressive skills to trick a New York Times reporter he didn't like into giving him a clean bill of health. This was brilliantly done, and there are some real lessons here that dovetail with last week's piece. The Wall Street Journal got wind of a secret project at Dell to possibly take the music lead away from Apple, but not necessarily the device lead, making it kind of interesting. Finally, Microsoft made public its secret Mojave experiment. [More...]
Freedom of Speech Advocates Torch China, IOC Over Web Censorship
Thursday - July 31, 2008If the Chinese government isn't careful, its forthcoming Beijing Olympics could rival the 1936 and 1968 Summer Games for infamy and a message that ultimately backfires on the host country. That warning comes from human rights groups and Internet free speech advocacy organizations following news this week that Beijing would restrict Internet use for international journalists covering the games. [More...]
Alien-Hunting UK Hacker Coming to America
Wednesday - July 30, 2008The British House of Lords has decided to extradite Gary McKinnon, a British citizen who hacked his way into several U.S. military, defense and NASA computers, to the United States to stand trial. McKinnon has been fighting extradition since the discovery in 2002 that he was the one who broke into the U.S. government's most sensitive networks between 2001 and 2002. [More...]
The iPhone 3G and the Risk of Great Marketing
Monday - July 28, 2008The iPhone 3G's battery life and problems with MobileMe have many favoring the older model, but lines are still forming for the 3G version. This showcases both the amazing capabilities of brilliant marketing and the risks associated with applying it to the wrong product. [More...]
Conjecture About Jobs' Health Weighs Down Apple Stock
Wednesday - July 23, 2008The towering role of Steve Jobs at Apple was underscored this week when concerns about his health contributed to a sudden plunge in the company's stock. Apple shares recovered significantly on Tuesday, but Wall Street's worries spotlight the enormous importance of Jobs to Apple and spur questions about the company's responsibility to address the recurring rumors regarding his health. [More...]
The Power of Balance
Monday - July 21, 2008I like writing about conflict because it gives you more than one dimension to a story, and there were two interesting conflicts that I ran into last week. The first, more near-term, will likely define the direction of the notebook market, and it is important because it implies an ether/or decision when most of us want both. [More...]
The Fall of Google, the Rebirth of Microsoft and the Changing Face of Apple and Linux
Monday - July 14, 2008Sometimes it's the little things that can cause you to rethink how you look at a company. For much of this decade Microsoft has been the "evil empire" with Apple, Linux and Google on the side of the Force. With Microsoft doing some positive things, Apple's decision to raise iPhone prices, Google's attack on single parents and Richard Stallman's attack on Bill Gates' philanthropy, these entities' images may be changing. [More...]
It's OK to Say No to the New iPhone
Monday - July 7, 2008There are many things to admire about Apple, but like every company it has a dark side. One of the things I personally find more than annoying is the Apple fan base that will attack you if you honestly don't want to buy an Apple product and talk about your choice. [More...]
Post-Gates: How Apple and OSS Are Making For a Better Microsoft
Monday - June 30, 2008A lot of us are focused on Microsoft and Bill Gates this month as Bill's last day at the company he founded and ran to dominance passed last Friday. I've met Bill several times but only really once spoken to him. From a personal aspect, he has mostly been cordial and he once personally came to my rescue back when my career as an independent analyst first started, something I'll never forget. [More...]
Cubicle Dweller Makes the Most of It
Tuesday - June 24, 2008Jared Nielsen, an Internet entrepreneur and Julington Creek, Fla., resident, knew he would liven things up in the office when he remodeled his cubicle. What Nielsen didn't anticipate was the Internet celebrity status that followed. He said his coworkers encouraged him to put it up on CNN's iReport.com. [More...]
Learning From Contrasts
Monday - June 23, 2008Last week I was in Japan doing a deep dive on Panasonic, a firm I've observed for decades but never really got to know until recently. I've studied Apple in depth since the '80s and I find the contrasts between the firms and their key founders Konosuke Matsushita -- for whom Panasonic was originally named -- and Steve Jobs fascinating. [More...]
Apple's Sizzling Release, Microsoft's Warm and Fuzzy Fest, HP's Big Bang: The Summer Heats Up
Monday - June 16, 2008I started off the week with dueling events: the Apple WWDC, where they talked about Snow Leopard and the second generation iPhone, HP's massive product announcement, and Microsoft's TechEd, where I learned more about Unlimited Vista. I was taken by the fact that Apple missed with the iPhone with the product coming late, incomplete and blatantly copying Microsoft Mesh. [More...]
Monday - August 4, 2008It's been an interesting week. As if to prove the point of last week's column, Steve Jobs used his impressive skills to trick a New York Times reporter he didn't like into giving him a clean bill of health. This was brilliantly done, and there are some real lessons here that dovetail with last week's piece. The Wall Street Journal got wind of a secret project at Dell to possibly take the music lead away from Apple, but not necessarily the device lead, making it kind of interesting. Finally, Microsoft made public its secret Mojave experiment. [More...]
Freedom of Speech Advocates Torch China, IOC Over Web Censorship
Thursday - July 31, 2008If the Chinese government isn't careful, its forthcoming Beijing Olympics could rival the 1936 and 1968 Summer Games for infamy and a message that ultimately backfires on the host country. That warning comes from human rights groups and Internet free speech advocacy organizations following news this week that Beijing would restrict Internet use for international journalists covering the games. [More...]
Alien-Hunting UK Hacker Coming to America
Wednesday - July 30, 2008The British House of Lords has decided to extradite Gary McKinnon, a British citizen who hacked his way into several U.S. military, defense and NASA computers, to the United States to stand trial. McKinnon has been fighting extradition since the discovery in 2002 that he was the one who broke into the U.S. government's most sensitive networks between 2001 and 2002. [More...]
The iPhone 3G and the Risk of Great Marketing
Monday - July 28, 2008The iPhone 3G's battery life and problems with MobileMe have many favoring the older model, but lines are still forming for the 3G version. This showcases both the amazing capabilities of brilliant marketing and the risks associated with applying it to the wrong product. [More...]
Conjecture About Jobs' Health Weighs Down Apple Stock
Wednesday - July 23, 2008The towering role of Steve Jobs at Apple was underscored this week when concerns about his health contributed to a sudden plunge in the company's stock. Apple shares recovered significantly on Tuesday, but Wall Street's worries spotlight the enormous importance of Jobs to Apple and spur questions about the company's responsibility to address the recurring rumors regarding his health. [More...]
The Power of Balance
Monday - July 21, 2008I like writing about conflict because it gives you more than one dimension to a story, and there were two interesting conflicts that I ran into last week. The first, more near-term, will likely define the direction of the notebook market, and it is important because it implies an ether/or decision when most of us want both. [More...]
The Fall of Google, the Rebirth of Microsoft and the Changing Face of Apple and Linux
Monday - July 14, 2008Sometimes it's the little things that can cause you to rethink how you look at a company. For much of this decade Microsoft has been the "evil empire" with Apple, Linux and Google on the side of the Force. With Microsoft doing some positive things, Apple's decision to raise iPhone prices, Google's attack on single parents and Richard Stallman's attack on Bill Gates' philanthropy, these entities' images may be changing. [More...]
It's OK to Say No to the New iPhone
Monday - July 7, 2008There are many things to admire about Apple, but like every company it has a dark side. One of the things I personally find more than annoying is the Apple fan base that will attack you if you honestly don't want to buy an Apple product and talk about your choice. [More...]
Post-Gates: How Apple and OSS Are Making For a Better Microsoft
Monday - June 30, 2008A lot of us are focused on Microsoft and Bill Gates this month as Bill's last day at the company he founded and ran to dominance passed last Friday. I've met Bill several times but only really once spoken to him. From a personal aspect, he has mostly been cordial and he once personally came to my rescue back when my career as an independent analyst first started, something I'll never forget. [More...]
Cubicle Dweller Makes the Most of It
Tuesday - June 24, 2008Jared Nielsen, an Internet entrepreneur and Julington Creek, Fla., resident, knew he would liven things up in the office when he remodeled his cubicle. What Nielsen didn't anticipate was the Internet celebrity status that followed. He said his coworkers encouraged him to put it up on CNN's iReport.com. [More...]
Learning From Contrasts
Monday - June 23, 2008Last week I was in Japan doing a deep dive on Panasonic, a firm I've observed for decades but never really got to know until recently. I've studied Apple in depth since the '80s and I find the contrasts between the firms and their key founders Konosuke Matsushita -- for whom Panasonic was originally named -- and Steve Jobs fascinating. [More...]
Apple's Sizzling Release, Microsoft's Warm and Fuzzy Fest, HP's Big Bang: The Summer Heats Up
Monday - June 16, 2008I started off the week with dueling events: the Apple WWDC, where they talked about Snow Leopard and the second generation iPhone, HP's massive product announcement, and Microsoft's TechEd, where I learned more about Unlimited Vista. I was taken by the fact that Apple missed with the iPhone with the product coming late, incomplete and blatantly copying Microsoft Mesh. [More...]
The EPOC Game Controller: It's All in Your Head
Tuesday - August 5, 2008Luke Skywalker, eat your heart out. Emotiv's elegant, lightweight EPOC headset is a piece of cutting-edge technology that grants Yoda-like telepathic powers, allowing players of computer games to move items on screen with merely their thoughts. Due for release by year's end, the $299 device will come bundled with an adventure game in which players complete tasks for an Asian sensei. "We're hoping to help evolve the way humans interact with machines," says Tan Le, CEO of Emotiv, an Australian company with researchers in Sydney and an engineering lab here in San Francisco. [More...]
Rotor-Powered 'Jet Pack' May Propel Solo Fliers to New Heights
Wednesday - July 30, 2008Flying isn't just for superheroes anymore. A personal aviation machine that made its debut at an air show in Wisconsin this week is raising the profile of solo flying devices. The machine -- named the "Martin Jet Pack" -- lets you soar into the skies for as long as 30 minutes and reach altitudes of 8,000 feet, its creators say. [More...]
Yahoo, HP, Intel Give Ivory Towers a Stairway to the Cloud
Wednesday - July 30, 2008Yahoo, HP and Intel are collaborating on an ambitious research endeavor called "Cloud Computing Test Bed" -- designed to support cloud computing research and education at universities. Users will be able to develop and test software, data center management, and hardware associated with cloud computing on this large-scale grid. [More...]
Technology and the Aspiring Methuselahs
Friday - July 11, 2008More than 200 scientists and longevity activists gathered at UCLA recently to discuss advancements in repairing humans. New technology is making it possible to imagine a world with ever greater life spans, but old world issues pervaded the discussions. The Methuselah Foundation's Aubrey de Grey organized the event and kicked it off with a theoretical explanation of how human aging might be reversed in the future. [More...]
Tech Firms Team Up to Spark Fuel Cell UMPCs
Thursday - July 10, 2008MTI Micro and NeoSolar, a portable device manufacturer, announced a deal Thursday to develop fuel cells for NeoSolar's portable devices including its ultra mobile personal computers. The two companies will use MTI Micro's Mobion fuel cell technology to ultimately build external Mobion power sources such as chargers and snap-on attachments as well as embedded Mobion power sources for integration into NeoSolar products. [More...]
Meet Motorola's In-House Tech Anthropologist
Sunday - July 6, 2008Crysta Metcalf has eavesdropped on the conversations of strangers, pored over their personal photographs and grilled them on their closest relationships. Such nosiness is all part of her job of studying people and how they communicate. Metcalf is the principal staff anthropologist at Motorola. Her responsibility is to spot long-term trends in how people socialize and interact. [More...]
Former Intel Chair Andy Grove: Energizing the Rollout of Plug-In Cars
Saturday - July 5, 2008Former Intel Chairman Andy Grove has a knack for sensing when circumstances should force changes at a company or an industry -- and how to respond. He even has coined a term for it: the "strategic inflection point." Now the retired chairman of the world's largest computer chip maker thinks the term applies to energy and transportation. [More...]
Genomics Meets Sacramento
Friday - June 27, 2008Personalized medicine is touted as the wave of the future, but recent government action points to problems for Americans looking to join the health revolution. Last week, California's Department of Public Health issued cease-and-desist letters to 13 genetic testing startups, threatening to deny service to consumers curious about their DNA. [More...]
Payment System Uses Voice Print as Signature
Monday - June 23, 2008The Voice Commerce Group has announced the development of a banking system that will enable the use of biometrics-based "voice signatures." "Voice Transact uses a voice biometric to pull together the retail and Internet banking sectors of the market, and will also open up the mobile payments market," VCG chief executive Nick Ogden said. [More...]
Scientists Cook Up Nano Noodles
Thursday - May 29, 2008Japanese scientists say they have used cutting-edge technology to create a noodle bowl so small it can be seen only through a microscope. Mechanical engineering professor Masayuki Nakao said Thursday he and his students at the University of Tokyo used a carbon-based material to produce a noodle bowl with a diameter 1/25,000 of an inch in a project aimed at developing nanotube-processing technology. [More...]
Researchers Sound Nanotube Cancer Alarm
Wednesday - May 21, 2008Nanotechnology may be considered one of the most promising new technologies emerging today, but it's also the source of considerable concern about potential risks to the environment and human health. A new study published Tuesday in Nature Nanotechnology, adds further evidence that there's good reason for that concern. [More...]
Power Suit: Real-Life 'Iron Man' Rig for Peace and War
Friday - May 16, 2008Rex Jameson bikes and swims regularly and plays tennis and skis when time allows. However, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound software engineer is lucky if he presses 200 pounds -- that is, until he steps into an "exoskeleton" of aluminum and electronics that multiplies his strength and endurance as many as 20 times. [More...]
Tuesday - August 5, 2008Luke Skywalker, eat your heart out. Emotiv's elegant, lightweight EPOC headset is a piece of cutting-edge technology that grants Yoda-like telepathic powers, allowing players of computer games to move items on screen with merely their thoughts. Due for release by year's end, the $299 device will come bundled with an adventure game in which players complete tasks for an Asian sensei. "We're hoping to help evolve the way humans interact with machines," says Tan Le, CEO of Emotiv, an Australian company with researchers in Sydney and an engineering lab here in San Francisco. [More...]
Rotor-Powered 'Jet Pack' May Propel Solo Fliers to New Heights
Wednesday - July 30, 2008Flying isn't just for superheroes anymore. A personal aviation machine that made its debut at an air show in Wisconsin this week is raising the profile of solo flying devices. The machine -- named the "Martin Jet Pack" -- lets you soar into the skies for as long as 30 minutes and reach altitudes of 8,000 feet, its creators say. [More...]
Yahoo, HP, Intel Give Ivory Towers a Stairway to the Cloud
Wednesday - July 30, 2008Yahoo, HP and Intel are collaborating on an ambitious research endeavor called "Cloud Computing Test Bed" -- designed to support cloud computing research and education at universities. Users will be able to develop and test software, data center management, and hardware associated with cloud computing on this large-scale grid. [More...]
Technology and the Aspiring Methuselahs
Friday - July 11, 2008More than 200 scientists and longevity activists gathered at UCLA recently to discuss advancements in repairing humans. New technology is making it possible to imagine a world with ever greater life spans, but old world issues pervaded the discussions. The Methuselah Foundation's Aubrey de Grey organized the event and kicked it off with a theoretical explanation of how human aging might be reversed in the future. [More...]
Tech Firms Team Up to Spark Fuel Cell UMPCs
Thursday - July 10, 2008MTI Micro and NeoSolar, a portable device manufacturer, announced a deal Thursday to develop fuel cells for NeoSolar's portable devices including its ultra mobile personal computers. The two companies will use MTI Micro's Mobion fuel cell technology to ultimately build external Mobion power sources such as chargers and snap-on attachments as well as embedded Mobion power sources for integration into NeoSolar products. [More...]
Meet Motorola's In-House Tech Anthropologist
Sunday - July 6, 2008Crysta Metcalf has eavesdropped on the conversations of strangers, pored over their personal photographs and grilled them on their closest relationships. Such nosiness is all part of her job of studying people and how they communicate. Metcalf is the principal staff anthropologist at Motorola. Her responsibility is to spot long-term trends in how people socialize and interact. [More...]
Former Intel Chair Andy Grove: Energizing the Rollout of Plug-In Cars
Saturday - July 5, 2008Former Intel Chairman Andy Grove has a knack for sensing when circumstances should force changes at a company or an industry -- and how to respond. He even has coined a term for it: the "strategic inflection point." Now the retired chairman of the world's largest computer chip maker thinks the term applies to energy and transportation. [More...]
Genomics Meets Sacramento
Friday - June 27, 2008Personalized medicine is touted as the wave of the future, but recent government action points to problems for Americans looking to join the health revolution. Last week, California's Department of Public Health issued cease-and-desist letters to 13 genetic testing startups, threatening to deny service to consumers curious about their DNA. [More...]
Payment System Uses Voice Print as Signature
Monday - June 23, 2008The Voice Commerce Group has announced the development of a banking system that will enable the use of biometrics-based "voice signatures." "Voice Transact uses a voice biometric to pull together the retail and Internet banking sectors of the market, and will also open up the mobile payments market," VCG chief executive Nick Ogden said. [More...]
Scientists Cook Up Nano Noodles
Thursday - May 29, 2008Japanese scientists say they have used cutting-edge technology to create a noodle bowl so small it can be seen only through a microscope. Mechanical engineering professor Masayuki Nakao said Thursday he and his students at the University of Tokyo used a carbon-based material to produce a noodle bowl with a diameter 1/25,000 of an inch in a project aimed at developing nanotube-processing technology. [More...]
Researchers Sound Nanotube Cancer Alarm
Wednesday - May 21, 2008Nanotechnology may be considered one of the most promising new technologies emerging today, but it's also the source of considerable concern about potential risks to the environment and human health. A new study published Tuesday in Nature Nanotechnology, adds further evidence that there's good reason for that concern. [More...]
Power Suit: Real-Life 'Iron Man' Rig for Peace and War
Friday - May 16, 2008Rex Jameson bikes and swims regularly and plays tennis and skis when time allows. However, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound software engineer is lucky if he presses 200 pounds -- that is, until he steps into an "exoskeleton" of aluminum and electronics that multiplies his strength and endurance as many as 20 times. [More...]
Toshiba Satellite A205-S5831 for $554.99
Toshiba Satellite A205-S5831 for $554.99 WOW
At buy.com they have a toshiba fully loaded for under $555 and FREE SHIPPING
Specs: Intel Pentium Dual-Core T2370 1.73GHz / 15.4 WXGA -/1GB RAM / 160GB / DVD-Writer (DVD-RAM/±R/±RW) /Fast Ethernet, Wi-Fi / Windows Vista Home Premium / Onyx Blue Metallic
here is the link: http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=207533707&SearchEngine=Shopper&SearchTerm=207533707&Type=PE&Category=Comp&Gad=0&dcaid=15889
TODAYS TECH GIZMO
TODAYS TECH GIZMO: THE IPHONE $199 WOw
What are some of the ways iPhone 3G users can maximize their battery life? What do they have to go through when it finally does come time to replacing the battery? And what applications at the App Store will run on an iPod touch rather than an iPhone. Read on for the answers to these questions and more.
Understand and Reduce Virtualization Costs with AcronisDeploying a virtualization project that will deliver both the expected results and ROI, you must not only know the technical challenges, but also learn about the costs involved and the reasons for their increase.
Question: In your recent review of the new iPhone 3G, you mentioned that it had weaker battery life between charges than the original iPhone, but that you learned various techniques to minimize this problem. Can you elaborate?
Answer: The biggest battery drain is the fast, but power-hungry, 3G cellular network , which lessens battery life on all phones. So, when you are able to use WiFi instead for data, you can turn off 3G reception using a setting Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) provides. You will still be able to make and receive voice calls over older networks that won't drain the battery as fast. The same is true in reverse. If you are using 3G for data, turn off your WiFi capability.
Apple has a Web page with many more battery-saving tips at: Apple.com/batteries/iphone.html. Turning these functions on and off, and worrying about battery life, however, is a pain. So if you hate the thought of learning and using these techniques, and suspect your usage pattern might push the new iPhone's battery to its limits, you shouldn't buy one. At the least, you might want to wait and see whether Apple can tweak its software to squeeze more battery life out of the device.
New Battery
Q: You mention in your article that the iPhone 3G's battery is not replaceable. Does that mean that, when it can no longer hold a charge, I'll have to replace the entire phone?
A: No. Apple has a battery-replacement program for iPhones. If your battery drops to below 50 percent of its original capacity during the 1-year warranty period, the company will replace the battery at no cost. After your warranty expires, Apple will replace the battery for US$86. Of course, in both cases, you will have to do without your phone for however long it takes to complete the battery replacement. More details are at: Apple.com/batteries/replacements.html.
A Touch-Up for Touch
Q: In your column, you never mentioned the iPod touch, which I own and use for e-mail, Web surfing and music. Can the touch be upgraded to the new 2.0 version of the iPhone operating system, and can it use the new third-party applications?
A: Yes, but with some qualifications. First, while the software upgrade is free for owners of the original iPhone, it costs $10 for owners of the iPod touch. This has to do with Apple's interpretation of accounting rules governing the addition of new features to different types of products.
Second, while most of the new iPhone programs available from the App Store will work fine on the touch, some cannot because of hardware differences between the two devices. For instance, voice-recording programs won't work on the touch, because it has no microphone. The App Store indicates which programs are compatible with which device.
Where Am I?
Q: Since the new iPhone 3G includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) chip and a speaker, can it be used as an audible, turn by turn, in-car navigation device?
A: Apple didn't build such a function into the new iPhone, but some third-party companies are rumored to be trying.
What are some of the ways iPhone 3G users can maximize their battery life? What do they have to go through when it finally does come time to replacing the battery? And what applications at the App Store will run on an iPod touch rather than an iPhone. Read on for the answers to these questions and more.
Understand and Reduce Virtualization Costs with AcronisDeploying a virtualization project that will deliver both the expected results and ROI, you must not only know the technical challenges, but also learn about the costs involved and the reasons for their increase.
Question: In your recent review of the new iPhone 3G, you mentioned that it had weaker battery life between charges than the original iPhone, but that you learned various techniques to minimize this problem. Can you elaborate?
Answer: The biggest battery drain is the fast, but power-hungry, 3G cellular network , which lessens battery life on all phones. So, when you are able to use WiFi instead for data, you can turn off 3G reception using a setting Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) provides. You will still be able to make and receive voice calls over older networks that won't drain the battery as fast. The same is true in reverse. If you are using 3G for data, turn off your WiFi capability.
Apple has a Web page with many more battery-saving tips at: Apple.com/batteries/iphone.html. Turning these functions on and off, and worrying about battery life, however, is a pain. So if you hate the thought of learning and using these techniques, and suspect your usage pattern might push the new iPhone's battery to its limits, you shouldn't buy one. At the least, you might want to wait and see whether Apple can tweak its software to squeeze more battery life out of the device.
New Battery
Q: You mention in your article that the iPhone 3G's battery is not replaceable. Does that mean that, when it can no longer hold a charge, I'll have to replace the entire phone?
A: No. Apple has a battery-replacement program for iPhones. If your battery drops to below 50 percent of its original capacity during the 1-year warranty period, the company will replace the battery at no cost. After your warranty expires, Apple will replace the battery for US$86. Of course, in both cases, you will have to do without your phone for however long it takes to complete the battery replacement. More details are at: Apple.com/batteries/replacements.html.
A Touch-Up for Touch
Q: In your column, you never mentioned the iPod touch, which I own and use for e-mail, Web surfing and music. Can the touch be upgraded to the new 2.0 version of the iPhone operating system, and can it use the new third-party applications?
A: Yes, but with some qualifications. First, while the software upgrade is free for owners of the original iPhone, it costs $10 for owners of the iPod touch. This has to do with Apple's interpretation of accounting rules governing the addition of new features to different types of products.
Second, while most of the new iPhone programs available from the App Store will work fine on the touch, some cannot because of hardware differences between the two devices. For instance, voice-recording programs won't work on the touch, because it has no microphone. The App Store indicates which programs are compatible with which device.
Where Am I?
Q: Since the new iPhone 3G includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) chip and a speaker, can it be used as an audible, turn by turn, in-car navigation device?
A: Apple didn't build such a function into the new iPhone, but some third-party companies are rumored to be trying.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
