A software platform developed for TVs by the Meego open-source community, expected next month, will allow service providers to combine pay TV, app stores and consumer home content in one set-top box.
The platform, called MeeGo Smart TV 1.2, is based on the MeeGo 1.2 release that came out last week. It is being reviewed now by the task group for Meego TV and should be released by the end of next month, though final tweaks might push it back a few weeks, said MeeGo TV Architect Dominique Le Foll.
MeeGo TV may succeed where earlier fusions of TV and the Web have failed, because it is open to applications from a wide variety of developers, which won't even need to be certified by the service provider, Le Foll said in an interview at the MeeGo Conference in San Francisco on Monday.
Some older TV-Web hybrids took the wrong path, Le Foll said.
"What people don't want is a browser on their TV," Le Foll said. Instead, just as on a mobile phone, consumers prefer to use apps that are optimized for the device, he said.
The MeeGo team is not alone in recognizing this. Even TV manufacturers, including Sony and Vizio, are trying to build up stores of apps and widgets that can be used on their sets. But MeeGo's openness gives it advantages over other options for connected TVs, Le Foll said. Previous TV-Web systems have been based on set-top boxes with traditional embedded operating systems, which are difficult and expensive for service providers to update and maintain. By contrast, MeeGo TV is maintained by a community of developers, organized on the model of the Linux community and managed by the Linux Foundation.
MeeGo TV already exists in the form of a platform based on MeeGo 1.0, which Telecom Italia has used for a service that combines traditional broadcast and Web-based TV, Le Foll said. MeeGo TV 1.2 will extend those capabilities. It is designed to let service providers deliver their own paid, protected TV programming along with third-party apps and online video through a single set-top box. Service providers won't have to worry about qualifying the apps, nor about the security of the OS or their own content, Le Foll said. The MeeGo Smart TV Working Group will maintain the software, including security patches, and provide continual updates that are easy to implement, Le Foll said.
An open application store for MeeGo TV might let service providers tap into a broad community of developers, he said. In addition, service providers can place their own brand and customized "feel" on a MeeGo TV system, because like Linux, the platform has no defined user interface.
So far, MeeGo TV's reach is limited to devices based on silicon from Intel, because that is the only company that has ported the software to its chip architecture, Le Foll said. But other chip vendors, including MIPS and Sigma Designs, are involved in the TV working group, he added.
Though several TV-Web hybrids have flopped in the past, analyst Kurt Scherf of Parks Communications thinks specific interactive TV features, such as apps for news, weather and traffic that viewers can customize, will eventually catch on. But adopting MeeGo would be a significant departure for most broadband providers and cable operators, because they overwhelmingly use in-house software development for their set-top boxes, he said.
"It seems like it could be advantageous to allow the operators to more quickly take advantage of extremely rapid development in deploying their video services, as well as the interactive features that we know are going to be a part of their TV services," Scherf said. "But if I'm an operator, I would be very concerned about how my apps get developed."
However, the free software and community-based support might appeal to smaller providers such as SuddenLink or Frontier Communications, Scherf said.
This week's conference focused on a broader range of uses for MeeGo beyond mobile phones, after Nokia's decision to drop the platform it co-developed with Intel in favor of Windows Phone 7. MeeGo is suited to more types of devices than is Google's Android, because it isn't an operating system so much as a set of coordinated modules, said Le Foll, who has been guiding the MeeGo TV architecture for some time and recently joined Intel's payroll. Whereas Android has certain defined user interfaces that can only be adapted to a certain extent for new types of hardware, MeeGo is as flexible as Linux, he said. And like Linux, MeeGo soon may be sold in the form of distributions, with free software and a contract for ongoing support, he said.
Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's e-mail address is stephen_lawson@idg.com
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Nokia's MeeGo Device Still Coming Out Soon
Nokia is passionate about Windows Phone 7, but it's still flirting with MeeGo.
"You're going to see the first MeeGo device soon," Nokia's executive vice president of smart devices, Jo Harlow said in an interview on Wednesday.
Intel's MeeGo OS, which was developed as a joint project between Intel and Nokia's previous administration, was one of the losers when new Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said the company was switching to Windows Phone 7 in February. But, at the time, Elop said the company would use MeeGo for some cutting edge devices.
Since then, rumors about Nokia's MeeGo device have been flying around the Internet; it might be called the N9 or the N950, it might run an Intel Atom processor, and it might or might not have a QWERTY keyboard. There are even YouTube videos purporting to show the device, but none of them are verifiable.
"I'm not going to comment on what's been floating around the Internet," Harlow said. "It'll be more of a high-end device that certainly will attract the early-adopter geek. I think there's some innovation there that we believe captures the imagination."
Without Nokia, MeeGo has been drifting in the market. I was unimpressed with MeeGo tablets and laptops I saw at Mobile World Congress in February. Recent announcements by Red Flag and other Chinese software companies, though, show that the OS may have a chance in that market.
Windows Phone 7 is triumphant at Nokia, but Harlow had some kind words for the platform that could have been, and left the door open to more MeeGo devices in the future.
"We made the decision not to continue to develop the MeeGo platform simply because it wasn't mature enough yet to build a whole portfolio around," she said.
"You're going to see the first MeeGo device soon," Nokia's executive vice president of smart devices, Jo Harlow said in an interview on Wednesday.
Intel's MeeGo OS, which was developed as a joint project between Intel and Nokia's previous administration, was one of the losers when new Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said the company was switching to Windows Phone 7 in February. But, at the time, Elop said the company would use MeeGo for some cutting edge devices.
Since then, rumors about Nokia's MeeGo device have been flying around the Internet; it might be called the N9 or the N950, it might run an Intel Atom processor, and it might or might not have a QWERTY keyboard. There are even YouTube videos purporting to show the device, but none of them are verifiable.
"I'm not going to comment on what's been floating around the Internet," Harlow said. "It'll be more of a high-end device that certainly will attract the early-adopter geek. I think there's some innovation there that we believe captures the imagination."
Without Nokia, MeeGo has been drifting in the market. I was unimpressed with MeeGo tablets and laptops I saw at Mobile World Congress in February. Recent announcements by Red Flag and other Chinese software companies, though, show that the OS may have a chance in that market.
Windows Phone 7 is triumphant at Nokia, but Harlow had some kind words for the platform that could have been, and left the door open to more MeeGo devices in the future.
"We made the decision not to continue to develop the MeeGo platform simply because it wasn't mature enough yet to build a whole portfolio around," she said.
Battle of the Mobile Tech Titans: Apple, Nokia and Research In Motion
Apple (AAPL), Nokia (NOK) and Research In Motion (RIMM) are among the largest technology and telecommunication companies in the world. Their business areas are well-diversified and segmented into different sectors. However, they are best-known for their primary focus: Manufacturing mobile communication and media devices. These mobile device producers are among the biggest rivals in the smart phone market. Apple’s flagship iPhone, Nokia’s smart phones, and Research in Motion’s BlackBerry dominate 56.9% of the Western smart phone market as of first quarter 2011. From an investment perspective, it is essential to look at the key ratios and fundamentals of the big three. Here is a brief analysis of three mobile communication giants: (Data from finviz.com)
Apple is the largest high tech company in earth, manufacturing and selling computer software, personal computers and computer electronics. Apple’s best known hardware products can be listed as Mac Book, iPod, iPhone and iPad. In addition to the hardware business, Apple is the developer of the Mac OS operating system. Apple is famous with products having aesthetic design and distinctive advertising campaigns led by CEO Steve Jobs. In the smart phone market, Apple replaced Nokia as the worldwide market leader by the first quarter of 2011. iPhone has a market share above 20% worldwide. However, until 2011, the iPhone was second to RIM’s BlackBerry. Looking at the key ratios of Apple, the first notable thing is the outstanding market cap. Apple has a market cap of $307.19 billion. This market cap makes Apple the biggest technology company in the world. In the last five years, EPS growth was 57.78%, and for the following five years, analysts estimate an EPS growth of 20.50%. The trailing P/E ratio is 15.83, while forward P/E ratio decreases to 11.67. Apple has a beta value of 1.34. Insiders own 0.04% of the company. On May 25, 2011 Wedbush upgraded Apple with a target price of $450. Apple does not pay dividends, yet. Current price of $336 is way below the analyst average target price of $448.78.
Nokia is a Finnish multinational telecommunications company established in Espoo, Finland. Nokia is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones: its global device market share was 31% in the fourth quarter 2010. Nokia has the second place position in the smart phone market share with 19.8%, recently topped by Apple’s iPhone. However, in the U.S. market, Nokia has a relatively low market share of 8% in smart phones. This makes Nokia the fifth biggest smart phone producer in the U.S. market. On 11 February 2011, Nokia announced a new alliance with Microsoft (MSFT). The company will replace Symbian with Windows Mobile Phone 7. Soon after this announcement, Nokia's share price decreased by 14%; its biggest drop since July 2009. Nokia has a market cap of $30.89 billion. It's trading with a low P/E ratio of 11.61, and forward P/E ratio is 10.84. Nokia also has a high beta value of 1.58. EPS decreased by 9.64% annually, in the previous five years. However, in the next five years, Nokia is estimated to have an EPS growth of 5.63%. Nokia is an outstanding dividend payer in the market. Current dividend yield is 6.71%. On April 1, 2011, RBC Capital Mkts downgraded Nokia shares to $12, still keeping the outperform status. However, the stock is a screaming buy with an average target price of $9.86. Current price level of $8.14 is 26% below the 52-week high.
Research in Motion is an Ontario, Canada, based telecommunications and wireless device company. RIMM’s best known product is the BlackBerry smart phone. BlackBerry has a market share of 16.5% in the worldwide smart phone sector. That makes RIMM the third biggest smart phone producer worldwide. However, in the U.S. market, RIMM is the leading smart phone supplier with a market share of more than 30%. In 2009, soon after the financial crisis, Fortune named RIM fastest growing company in the world, with an EPS growth of 84%. Research in Motion has the smallest market cap among these three companies with a market cap of $22.5 billion. However, its P/E ratio is the lowest of all. Its trailing P/E ratio is 6.79, and forward P/E ratio is estimated to be 6.25. RIM experienced an EPS growth of 58.34% in the past five years. Furthermore, in the next five years, EPS growth is expected to be 10.25%. RIMM’s beta of 1.88 is the highest among others. Insiders own 10.62% of shares, which is incredibly high compared to Apple. On May 24, Wunderlich downgraded RIM shares dramatically, from $76 to $46. According to Wunderlich, RIMM will not be able to recover and participate in mainstream smart phone industry growth. When looking at the chart from a technical perspective, I observe significant downward gaps, which is expected to be filled sooner or later in the first upward movement.
Apple is the largest high tech company in earth, manufacturing and selling computer software, personal computers and computer electronics. Apple’s best known hardware products can be listed as Mac Book, iPod, iPhone and iPad. In addition to the hardware business, Apple is the developer of the Mac OS operating system. Apple is famous with products having aesthetic design and distinctive advertising campaigns led by CEO Steve Jobs. In the smart phone market, Apple replaced Nokia as the worldwide market leader by the first quarter of 2011. iPhone has a market share above 20% worldwide. However, until 2011, the iPhone was second to RIM’s BlackBerry. Looking at the key ratios of Apple, the first notable thing is the outstanding market cap. Apple has a market cap of $307.19 billion. This market cap makes Apple the biggest technology company in the world. In the last five years, EPS growth was 57.78%, and for the following five years, analysts estimate an EPS growth of 20.50%. The trailing P/E ratio is 15.83, while forward P/E ratio decreases to 11.67. Apple has a beta value of 1.34. Insiders own 0.04% of the company. On May 25, 2011 Wedbush upgraded Apple with a target price of $450. Apple does not pay dividends, yet. Current price of $336 is way below the analyst average target price of $448.78.
Nokia is a Finnish multinational telecommunications company established in Espoo, Finland. Nokia is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones: its global device market share was 31% in the fourth quarter 2010. Nokia has the second place position in the smart phone market share with 19.8%, recently topped by Apple’s iPhone. However, in the U.S. market, Nokia has a relatively low market share of 8% in smart phones. This makes Nokia the fifth biggest smart phone producer in the U.S. market. On 11 February 2011, Nokia announced a new alliance with Microsoft (MSFT). The company will replace Symbian with Windows Mobile Phone 7. Soon after this announcement, Nokia's share price decreased by 14%; its biggest drop since July 2009. Nokia has a market cap of $30.89 billion. It's trading with a low P/E ratio of 11.61, and forward P/E ratio is 10.84. Nokia also has a high beta value of 1.58. EPS decreased by 9.64% annually, in the previous five years. However, in the next five years, Nokia is estimated to have an EPS growth of 5.63%. Nokia is an outstanding dividend payer in the market. Current dividend yield is 6.71%. On April 1, 2011, RBC Capital Mkts downgraded Nokia shares to $12, still keeping the outperform status. However, the stock is a screaming buy with an average target price of $9.86. Current price level of $8.14 is 26% below the 52-week high.
Research in Motion is an Ontario, Canada, based telecommunications and wireless device company. RIMM’s best known product is the BlackBerry smart phone. BlackBerry has a market share of 16.5% in the worldwide smart phone sector. That makes RIMM the third biggest smart phone producer worldwide. However, in the U.S. market, RIMM is the leading smart phone supplier with a market share of more than 30%. In 2009, soon after the financial crisis, Fortune named RIM fastest growing company in the world, with an EPS growth of 84%. Research in Motion has the smallest market cap among these three companies with a market cap of $22.5 billion. However, its P/E ratio is the lowest of all. Its trailing P/E ratio is 6.79, and forward P/E ratio is estimated to be 6.25. RIM experienced an EPS growth of 58.34% in the past five years. Furthermore, in the next five years, EPS growth is expected to be 10.25%. RIMM’s beta of 1.88 is the highest among others. Insiders own 10.62% of shares, which is incredibly high compared to Apple. On May 24, Wunderlich downgraded RIM shares dramatically, from $76 to $46. According to Wunderlich, RIMM will not be able to recover and participate in mainstream smart phone industry growth. When looking at the chart from a technical perspective, I observe significant downward gaps, which is expected to be filled sooner or later in the first upward movement.
Mark Zuckerberg: children should be allowed to use Facebook
The under-13s should be allowed to use Facebook, the social network’s founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has said.
Speaking at a summit on innovation in schools and teaching in Newark, New Jersey, Mr Zuckerberg said that the current age limit would be challenged “at some point”.
Claire Perry, Conservative MP for Devizes, who has campaigned for online safety, said that ““I would be very uncomfortable about extending this and I think it’s very, very irresponsible of Facebook to be suggesting it.”
“With close parental supervision all of these social networking sites can be interesting and enjoyable. But I know from my own experience it is all too easy for a young child to get involved in situations that I think are really uncomfortable,” she said.
Facebook’s usual 13-and over age limit elsewhere is dictated by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which became Federal Law in America in 1998. Current UK legislation does not, however, preclude Facebook from being used by under-13s but the site’s own terms and conditions do. The US is currently reviewing its COPPA legislation. In Spain, only those children 14-and-over are permitted to use Facebook because of national legislation.
Speaking at a summit on innovation in schools and teaching in Newark, New Jersey, Mr Zuckerberg said that the current age limit would be challenged “at some point”.
Claire Perry, Conservative MP for Devizes, who has campaigned for online safety, said that ““I would be very uncomfortable about extending this and I think it’s very, very irresponsible of Facebook to be suggesting it.”
“With close parental supervision all of these social networking sites can be interesting and enjoyable. But I know from my own experience it is all too easy for a young child to get involved in situations that I think are really uncomfortable,” she said.
Facebook’s usual 13-and over age limit elsewhere is dictated by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which became Federal Law in America in 1998. Current UK legislation does not, however, preclude Facebook from being used by under-13s but the site’s own terms and conditions do. The US is currently reviewing its COPPA legislation. In Spain, only those children 14-and-over are permitted to use Facebook because of national legislation.
Data Breach at Security Firm Linked to Attack on Lockheed
Lockheed Martin, the nation’s largest military contractor, has battled disruptions in its computer networks this week that might be tied to a hacking attack on a vendor that supplies coded security tokens to millions of users, security officials said on Friday.
The SecurID electronic tokens, which are used to gain access to computer networks by corporate employees and government officials from outside their offices, are supplied by the RSA Security division of the EMC Corporation.
RSA acknowledged in March that it had sustained a data breach that could have compromised some of its security products. Executives in the military industry said Friday that Lockheed’s problems appeared to stem from that data breach and could be the first public signs of damage from it.
The March intrusion reverberated through the computer security community. The RSA technology is used by most Fortune 500 companies and federal agencies to provide an extra layer of security when employees use their networks from customer offices, hotels or their homes.
Many of RSA’s customers have taken extra measures since the intrusion was discovered, either by adding security measures, finding alternative solutions or simply shutting off remote access. Security experts said it was possible that companies other than Lockheed had faced attacks, whether they realized it or not.
“The issue is whether all of the security controls are compromised,” said James A. Lewis, a senior fellow and a specialist in computer security issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a policy group in Washington. “That’s the assumption people are making.”
Neither RSA, which is based in Bedford, Mass., nor Lockheed would discuss the problems on Friday.
Officials in the military industry, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter, said Lockheed had detected an intruder trying to break into its networks last Sunday. It shut down much of its remote access and has been providing new tokens and passwords to many workers, company employees said.
Lockheed makes fighter planes, spy satellites and other confidential equipment. It also sells cybersecurity services to military and intelligence agencies, and some experts said its failure to take greater precautions with its own systems could be embarrassing.
“We don’t know what they went after at Lockheed,” Mr. Lewis said, referring to the hackers behind the intrusion attempt. “One possibility is that it’s a state actor, but it could also be criminals who are trying to exploit the company’s customers.”
Industry officials said military contractors, who are bombarded daily by hacking attempts, typically do not keep classified data on computers that can be entered remotely. Federal authorities have said that China, Russia and other countries sponsor hackers trying to ferret out American military and corporate secrets.
Raytheon, another large military contractor, issued a statement on Friday saying that it took “immediate companywide actions” when the RSA breach was disclosed in March. “As a result of these actions,” the company said, “we prevented a widespread disruption of our network.”
General Dynamics said it had not had any problems related to the breach. Other giant military contractors, like Northrop Grumman and Boeing, declined to comment.
Jeffery Adams, a spokesman for Lockheed, said the company would not publicly discuss specific threats or its responses.
“However, to counter any threats, we regularly take actions to increase the security of our systems and to protect our employee, customer and program data,” he said in a statement. “We have policies and procedures in place to mitigate the cyberthreats to our business, and we remain confident in the integrity of our robust, multilayered information systems security.”
Security experts said companies in many industries had increased network monitoring or changed passwords and PINs for the tokens since the RSA breach.
But some of the specialists said that until more details were known, it remained possible that the attempted intrusion at Lockheed was not tied to the RSA breach.
The RSA tokens provide security beyond a user name or password by requiring users to append a unique number generated by the token each time they connect to their corporate or government networks.
Soon after the breach in March, RSA’s chairman, Art Coviello, said the company’s investigation had revealed that the intruder successfully stole digital information from the company that was related to RSA’s SecurID products.
He did not give precise details about the nature of the information but said it could potentially reduce the effectiveness of the system in the face of a “broader attack.” The company said then that there was no indication that the information had been used to attack its customers.
Some computer security specialists said at the time that the compromised information was a file of master keys — long numbers — that are a part of the RSA encryption system. If the intruder did gain those numbers, it would make it possible to fashion an attack based on independently generating the keys used by individual customers.
RSA officials have said that the intrusion was only partly successful.
Mr. Lewis, the security specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the intruders had been detected as they were trying to transfer data by security software provided by the NetWitness Corporation, a company that provides network monitoring software. In April, NetWitness was acquired by RSA’s parent company, EMC.
The SecurID electronic tokens, which are used to gain access to computer networks by corporate employees and government officials from outside their offices, are supplied by the RSA Security division of the EMC Corporation.
RSA acknowledged in March that it had sustained a data breach that could have compromised some of its security products. Executives in the military industry said Friday that Lockheed’s problems appeared to stem from that data breach and could be the first public signs of damage from it.
The March intrusion reverberated through the computer security community. The RSA technology is used by most Fortune 500 companies and federal agencies to provide an extra layer of security when employees use their networks from customer offices, hotels or their homes.
Many of RSA’s customers have taken extra measures since the intrusion was discovered, either by adding security measures, finding alternative solutions or simply shutting off remote access. Security experts said it was possible that companies other than Lockheed had faced attacks, whether they realized it or not.
“The issue is whether all of the security controls are compromised,” said James A. Lewis, a senior fellow and a specialist in computer security issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a policy group in Washington. “That’s the assumption people are making.”
Neither RSA, which is based in Bedford, Mass., nor Lockheed would discuss the problems on Friday.
Officials in the military industry, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter, said Lockheed had detected an intruder trying to break into its networks last Sunday. It shut down much of its remote access and has been providing new tokens and passwords to many workers, company employees said.
Lockheed makes fighter planes, spy satellites and other confidential equipment. It also sells cybersecurity services to military and intelligence agencies, and some experts said its failure to take greater precautions with its own systems could be embarrassing.
“We don’t know what they went after at Lockheed,” Mr. Lewis said, referring to the hackers behind the intrusion attempt. “One possibility is that it’s a state actor, but it could also be criminals who are trying to exploit the company’s customers.”
Industry officials said military contractors, who are bombarded daily by hacking attempts, typically do not keep classified data on computers that can be entered remotely. Federal authorities have said that China, Russia and other countries sponsor hackers trying to ferret out American military and corporate secrets.
Raytheon, another large military contractor, issued a statement on Friday saying that it took “immediate companywide actions” when the RSA breach was disclosed in March. “As a result of these actions,” the company said, “we prevented a widespread disruption of our network.”
General Dynamics said it had not had any problems related to the breach. Other giant military contractors, like Northrop Grumman and Boeing, declined to comment.
Jeffery Adams, a spokesman for Lockheed, said the company would not publicly discuss specific threats or its responses.
“However, to counter any threats, we regularly take actions to increase the security of our systems and to protect our employee, customer and program data,” he said in a statement. “We have policies and procedures in place to mitigate the cyberthreats to our business, and we remain confident in the integrity of our robust, multilayered information systems security.”
Security experts said companies in many industries had increased network monitoring or changed passwords and PINs for the tokens since the RSA breach.
But some of the specialists said that until more details were known, it remained possible that the attempted intrusion at Lockheed was not tied to the RSA breach.
The RSA tokens provide security beyond a user name or password by requiring users to append a unique number generated by the token each time they connect to their corporate or government networks.
Soon after the breach in March, RSA’s chairman, Art Coviello, said the company’s investigation had revealed that the intruder successfully stole digital information from the company that was related to RSA’s SecurID products.
He did not give precise details about the nature of the information but said it could potentially reduce the effectiveness of the system in the face of a “broader attack.” The company said then that there was no indication that the information had been used to attack its customers.
Some computer security specialists said at the time that the compromised information was a file of master keys — long numbers — that are a part of the RSA encryption system. If the intruder did gain those numbers, it would make it possible to fashion an attack based on independently generating the keys used by individual customers.
RSA officials have said that the intrusion was only partly successful.
Mr. Lewis, the security specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the intruders had been detected as they were trying to transfer data by security software provided by the NetWitness Corporation, a company that provides network monitoring software. In April, NetWitness was acquired by RSA’s parent company, EMC.
Google to Unveil Mobile Payments Platform
Google Inc. is expected to disclose details about how consumers will be able to make store purchases, redeem coupons, and get loyalty points by waving smartphones in front of a small reader at the checkout counter, said people familiar with the matter.
At an event Thursday in New York, the Web-search company is planning to show off the technology, called near field communication, which is embedded in newer smartphones powered by Google's Android software and that can help turn the devices into a kind of electronic wallet, these people said.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066504576343613260587314.html#ixzz1NdpNdcqc
At an event Thursday in New York, the Web-search company is planning to show off the technology, called near field communication, which is embedded in newer smartphones powered by Google's Android software and that can help turn the devices into a kind of electronic wallet, these people said.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066504576343613260587314.html#ixzz1NdpNdcqc
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
iPhone 5 will be smaller and bigger
Fresh Apple [AAPL] iPhone 5 rumors: the iPhone 3GS won't be supported by iOS 5; the fifth-generation model will be smaller, lighter and thinner, and that 8-megapixel camera seems certain, as Apple begins agreeing component supply deals for its next smartphone, expected for introduction in September.
Smaller, lighter, bigger
Speaking to AllThingsD, Orange CEO Stephane Richard (49) talked about the smaller-sized SIM card Apple and its carriers are developing for future mobile devices. Apple had wanted to get rid of the SIM, but bowed to carriers who told the firm it was a "critical piece of the security and authentication process."
[This story is from Computerworld's Apple Holic blog. Follow on Twitter or subscribe via RSS to make sure you don't miss a beat.]
That small SIM means the new iPhone will be smaller and thinner, Richard revealed, it will also be lighter and equipped with an edge-to-edge touchscreen, which makes it bigger (in a way). I think Apple may dispense with the physical Home button in favor of a synaptic version to increase display size.
Richard also said good things about Apple, "They just created smartphones with the iPhone. Everybody should be grateful to them to have put such a product in our market."
Smaller, lighter, bigger
Speaking to AllThingsD, Orange CEO Stephane Richard (49) talked about the smaller-sized SIM card Apple and its carriers are developing for future mobile devices. Apple had wanted to get rid of the SIM, but bowed to carriers who told the firm it was a "critical piece of the security and authentication process."
[This story is from Computerworld's Apple Holic blog. Follow on Twitter or subscribe via RSS to make sure you don't miss a beat.]
That small SIM means the new iPhone will be smaller and thinner, Richard revealed, it will also be lighter and equipped with an edge-to-edge touchscreen, which makes it bigger (in a way). I think Apple may dispense with the physical Home button in favor of a synaptic version to increase display size.
Richard also said good things about Apple, "They just created smartphones with the iPhone. Everybody should be grateful to them to have put such a product in our market."
Yandex IPO Biggest For Internet Company Since Google
Russian search engine Yandex went public today, opening at $25 and closing at $38.84 giving the company over $1.3 billion from their IPO, setting the record for the biggest IPO for an internet company since Google (who raised $1.67 billion in 2004).
Yandex is one of the few search engines that controls a larger share of a country's search market than Google - in this case Russia. Yandex has a dominant share of the Russian market - about 64% of all searches done in Russia - similar to Google's dominance in the USA and most other contries. Google has about 22% of the Russian market - like Yahoo did before their partnership with Microsoft.
In this year's first quarter, Yandex's "net income rose 62% to $29 million, and in 2010 it increased 90% to $134 million," the Wall Street Journal reported. The stock is trading on NASDAQ under the terms YNDX.
Yandex CEO and main founder sold about $96 million from his over 40 million shares - at close his stock were worth over $1.5 billion.
Founded in 1997, Yandex is slightly older then Google. The company had announced earlier it was expanding into other markets and languages.
"Yandex has picked a great time for an initial public offering for a tech company," said Anthony Moro at Bank of New York Mellon. "For the longer term, they're in the right spot. They're the Google of Russia."
Yandex is one of the few search engines that controls a larger share of a country's search market than Google - in this case Russia. Yandex has a dominant share of the Russian market - about 64% of all searches done in Russia - similar to Google's dominance in the USA and most other contries. Google has about 22% of the Russian market - like Yahoo did before their partnership with Microsoft.
In this year's first quarter, Yandex's "net income rose 62% to $29 million, and in 2010 it increased 90% to $134 million," the Wall Street Journal reported. The stock is trading on NASDAQ under the terms YNDX.
Yandex CEO and main founder sold about $96 million from his over 40 million shares - at close his stock were worth over $1.5 billion.
Founded in 1997, Yandex is slightly older then Google. The company had announced earlier it was expanding into other markets and languages.
"Yandex has picked a great time for an initial public offering for a tech company," said Anthony Moro at Bank of New York Mellon. "For the longer term, they're in the right spot. They're the Google of Russia."
NASA picks Orion-type capsule for deep space missions
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.--A version of the Bush administration's Orion moon capsule, written off by the Obama administration and then resurrected as a space station lifeboat, will be developed instead for use in future manned flights to deep space targets beyond Earth orbit, the agency announced today.
Douglas Cooke, associate administrator of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, told reporters the Orion concept, described by former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin as "Apollo on steroids," is the most capable spacecraft currently on the drawing board for meeting the Obama administration's "flexible path" approach to deep space exploration.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-19514_3-20065857-239.html#ixzz1NKU6aNkV
Douglas Cooke, associate administrator of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, told reporters the Orion concept, described by former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin as "Apollo on steroids," is the most capable spacecraft currently on the drawing board for meeting the Obama administration's "flexible path" approach to deep space exploration.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-19514_3-20065857-239.html#ixzz1NKU6aNkV
Google Expected to Introduce a Wireless Payment System
Google is expected to introduce on Thursday a mobile payment system that will let shoppers wave their phones to pay instead of pulling out a credit card, according to people briefed on the announcement.
Google will offer mobile payments with MasterCard and Citibank, according to one of the people, as well as with cellphone carriers, hardware manufacturers and retailers.
Initially, the mobile wallets will be available only on Google’s Nexus S phone and will use a Citibank-issued MasterCard credit card number and a virtual Google MasterCard prepaid card. Consumers will be able to make payments at any of the 124,000 merchants that have MasterCard’s PayPass terminals, which accept contactless payments, a person briefed on the deal said.
The people familiar with the deal were not authorized to speak until the deal was publicly announced. The news of the announcement was first reported by Bloomberg News.
The three companies have also teamed up with a few retailers — Macy’s, American Eagle Outfitters and Subway, a person familiar with the deal said. After these retailers upgrade their terminals — at first, only retailers in New York and San Francisco will participate — consumers will also be able to redeem discounts and participate in loyalty programs.
While several companies have been working on mobile wallets for years, they have not yet been widely adopted because all of those involved need to agree on how the wallets will take shape and how the various stakeholders will get paid. Mobile phone carriers, banks, credit card issuers payment networks and technology companies have been battling over their roles.
“Google is dipping their toe into the water and it will accelerate other efforts from other providers,” said Rick Oglesby, a senior analyst at the Aite Group, a research and advisory firm focused on the financial services industry.
Google plans to use a technology called near-field communication, or N.F.C., which is incorporated into a chip in mobile phones to make payments, redeem coupons, earn loyalty points and receive special offers. When a phone is waved in front of a credit card reader, it wirelessly sends an encrypted signal with a person’s credit card information. After that, the transaction is processed like a normal credit card transaction at a store.
Google’s announcement has been expected since it introduced the latest version of its Android mobile phone software, which has the capacity for N.F.C., and its Nexus S phone, which includes an N.F.C. chip.
Representatives for Google, MasterCard, Citigroup and Sprint, a carrier for Google’s Nexus phones, declined to comment.
Google will offer mobile payments with MasterCard and Citibank, according to one of the people, as well as with cellphone carriers, hardware manufacturers and retailers.
Initially, the mobile wallets will be available only on Google’s Nexus S phone and will use a Citibank-issued MasterCard credit card number and a virtual Google MasterCard prepaid card. Consumers will be able to make payments at any of the 124,000 merchants that have MasterCard’s PayPass terminals, which accept contactless payments, a person briefed on the deal said.
The people familiar with the deal were not authorized to speak until the deal was publicly announced. The news of the announcement was first reported by Bloomberg News.
The three companies have also teamed up with a few retailers — Macy’s, American Eagle Outfitters and Subway, a person familiar with the deal said. After these retailers upgrade their terminals — at first, only retailers in New York and San Francisco will participate — consumers will also be able to redeem discounts and participate in loyalty programs.
While several companies have been working on mobile wallets for years, they have not yet been widely adopted because all of those involved need to agree on how the wallets will take shape and how the various stakeholders will get paid. Mobile phone carriers, banks, credit card issuers payment networks and technology companies have been battling over their roles.
“Google is dipping their toe into the water and it will accelerate other efforts from other providers,” said Rick Oglesby, a senior analyst at the Aite Group, a research and advisory firm focused on the financial services industry.
Google plans to use a technology called near-field communication, or N.F.C., which is incorporated into a chip in mobile phones to make payments, redeem coupons, earn loyalty points and receive special offers. When a phone is waved in front of a credit card reader, it wirelessly sends an encrypted signal with a person’s credit card information. After that, the transaction is processed like a normal credit card transaction at a store.
Google’s announcement has been expected since it introduced the latest version of its Android mobile phone software, which has the capacity for N.F.C., and its Nexus S phone, which includes an N.F.C. chip.
Representatives for Google, MasterCard, Citigroup and Sprint, a carrier for Google’s Nexus phones, declined to comment.
Apple admits Mac scareware infections, promises cleaning tool
Computerworld - Apple on Tuesday promised an update for Mac OS X that will find and delete the MacDefender fake security software, and warn still-unaffected users when they download the bogus program.
The announcement -- part of a new support document that the company posted late Tuesday -- was the company's first public recognition of the threat posed by what security experts call "scareware" or "rogueware."
"In the coming days, Apple will deliver a Mac OS X software update that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants," Apple said in the document. "The update will also help protect users by providing an explicit warning if they download this malware."
Apple also outlined steps that users with infected Macs can take to remove the scareware.
Andrew Storms, director of security operations with nCircle Security, was surprised that Apple said it would embed a malware cleaning tool in Mac OS X.
"That's new ground for Apple," Storms said, pointing out that the move is a first for the company, which until now has only offered a bare-bones malware detection mechanism in Mac OS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard, and then only populated it with a handful of signatures.
"Not only is Apple going to help customers remove [Mac Defender], but by doing so, they're also admitting that there are security problems with Mac OS," Storms said.
MacDefender -- which also goes by names such as MacProtector and MacSecurity -- first popped up earlier this month when French security company Intego said it had found the scareware in the wild.
Scareware and rogueware are terms for bogus security software that claims a personal computer is heavily infected with worms, viruses and other malware. Once installed, such software nags users with pervasive pop-ups and fake alerts until they fork over a fee to purchase the worthless program.
MacDefender was the first piece of professional-looking scareware to target Macs.
Last week, Microsoft said it had found evidence in MacDefender that the fake program was created by the same group responsible for a fast-growing scareware family aimed at Windows users.
"That shouldn't have surprised anyone," Storms said today. "Why should the hackers reinvent the wheel?"
Apple has taken criticism for not publicly responding to the MacDefender threat.
In several posts over the last week, ZDNet blogger Ed Bott -- who usually covers Microsoft and Windows topics -- laid out information he had received from insiders at Apple support.
Those tech support representatives told Bott, and provided documents, that said Apple had told them not to help Mac users who had been duped into downloading and installing MacDefender.
Both Intego and U.K.-based Sophos have used the information Bott has published and his estimates of the number of Macs infected to also take Apple to task.
"Apple's famous PR savvy apparently doesn't apply to handling security incidents," Chet Wisniewski, a Sophos security researcher, said in a post on his company's blog on Tuesday. "It is genuinely tragic that such a large number of OS X users are falling victim to this scam, and Apple's response is less than helpful."
Intego sells Mac-specific security software, and Sophos offers a free Mac antivirus program.
"What this shows is that nobody is safe," Storms said. "The truth is that the vast majority of malware isn't on the Mac, it's not on the iPhone, it's specifically on Windows."
"I say that's because of Windows market share, but Mac users have long claimed that it's because Mac OS is more secure, or Mac users are more intelligent and don't fall for these ruses," he said. "Well, guess what, this proves the point that it doesn't matter what OS you're using. In the end, it all depends on the user to understand what's malware and what's not."
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at Twitter @gkeizer or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed Keizer RSS. His e-mail address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.
The announcement -- part of a new support document that the company posted late Tuesday -- was the company's first public recognition of the threat posed by what security experts call "scareware" or "rogueware."
"In the coming days, Apple will deliver a Mac OS X software update that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants," Apple said in the document. "The update will also help protect users by providing an explicit warning if they download this malware."
Apple also outlined steps that users with infected Macs can take to remove the scareware.
Andrew Storms, director of security operations with nCircle Security, was surprised that Apple said it would embed a malware cleaning tool in Mac OS X.
"That's new ground for Apple," Storms said, pointing out that the move is a first for the company, which until now has only offered a bare-bones malware detection mechanism in Mac OS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard, and then only populated it with a handful of signatures.
"Not only is Apple going to help customers remove [Mac Defender], but by doing so, they're also admitting that there are security problems with Mac OS," Storms said.
MacDefender -- which also goes by names such as MacProtector and MacSecurity -- first popped up earlier this month when French security company Intego said it had found the scareware in the wild.
Scareware and rogueware are terms for bogus security software that claims a personal computer is heavily infected with worms, viruses and other malware. Once installed, such software nags users with pervasive pop-ups and fake alerts until they fork over a fee to purchase the worthless program.
MacDefender was the first piece of professional-looking scareware to target Macs.
Last week, Microsoft said it had found evidence in MacDefender that the fake program was created by the same group responsible for a fast-growing scareware family aimed at Windows users.
"That shouldn't have surprised anyone," Storms said today. "Why should the hackers reinvent the wheel?"
Apple has taken criticism for not publicly responding to the MacDefender threat.
In several posts over the last week, ZDNet blogger Ed Bott -- who usually covers Microsoft and Windows topics -- laid out information he had received from insiders at Apple support.
Those tech support representatives told Bott, and provided documents, that said Apple had told them not to help Mac users who had been duped into downloading and installing MacDefender.
Both Intego and U.K.-based Sophos have used the information Bott has published and his estimates of the number of Macs infected to also take Apple to task.
"Apple's famous PR savvy apparently doesn't apply to handling security incidents," Chet Wisniewski, a Sophos security researcher, said in a post on his company's blog on Tuesday. "It is genuinely tragic that such a large number of OS X users are falling victim to this scam, and Apple's response is less than helpful."
Intego sells Mac-specific security software, and Sophos offers a free Mac antivirus program.
"What this shows is that nobody is safe," Storms said. "The truth is that the vast majority of malware isn't on the Mac, it's not on the iPhone, it's specifically on Windows."
"I say that's because of Windows market share, but Mac users have long claimed that it's because Mac OS is more secure, or Mac users are more intelligent and don't fall for these ruses," he said. "Well, guess what, this proves the point that it doesn't matter what OS you're using. In the end, it all depends on the user to understand what's malware and what's not."
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at Twitter @gkeizer or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed Keizer RSS. His e-mail address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.
Microsoft's Windows Phone update smooth move
NEW YORK — If Microsoft delivers on the major Windows Phone update it showed off Tuesday, the mobile operating system may finally realize the promise of Microsoft itself, bringing together all the company's brands and products in one coherent whole.
A phone that tries to do everything Microsoft does could have ended up feeling like a multipurpose tool that slices, dices and sits unused in the kitchen drawer. Instead, demonstrations Tuesday of an updated Windows Phone code-named Mango seemed to work together like organs in a body.
"It's not just about the app, it's about integration," said Will Stofega, an analyst at Framingham, Mass., research firm IDC. He was intrigued by how the phone breaks down the wall between search and what's inside the apps.
Andy Lees, president of Microsoft's Mobile Communications business, said at the Tuesday news event the update to the Windows Phone was designed with the user in mind.
"We set about on a new mission to redefine smartphones to make it smarter, and easier, so that people could do more and have more fun," he said at the event, at the Tribeca Grand Hotel.
The update was designed "to put the consumer at the center, and not the operating system, by delivering a set of complete experiences for what people want to do most on their phones, with a delightful interface that required fewer steps, and that was designed to be easier to use. We wanted to provide the customer with less clutter and more clarity," Lees said.
For a long time, Microsoft has attempted to bring together its major products, such as Windows, Office and Xbox. But integrating Microsoft's software and services sometimes seemed like a mirage, so much so that last year some analysts suggested the company should be broken apart into different businesses.
Now, Windows Phone is managing to combine the experiences of Internet Explorer, Bing, Office and Xbox in a phone.
Windows Mobile, the predecessor to Windows Phone, tried for many years to do the same, but critics said it felt like a PC squished into the hand.
In the Mango update Microsoft described Tuesday, the search engine Bing and Web browser Internet Explorer are meshed together with mobile apps themselves. A Bing search results for a book, for instance, can connect to the phone's Kindle app to download the book to be read on the phone.
The contacts directory in the phone blends together Facebook chats, Twitter, LinkedIn, Windows Live instant messaging, voice mail and email. Grouped contacts can be sent group Facebook messages or group work emails.
Bing searches can be done visually with the phone's camera, by voice or by musical sound.
Nongaming apps can use the same 3-D graphics in Xbox games for the phone.
Even for app developers, the tools stem from ones Microsoft developers already know, based on Silverlight and Xbox.
It also seems like the phone may bridge the divide between consumer and business customers.
Microsoft had said for several months it was focused solely on the consumer market with the phone, but Tuesday it began talking up features that could appeal to business customers, such as an Outlook feature that forbids designated email from being forwarded or printed.
The Mango update will be ready in the fall, Microsoft said Tuesday, on new phones and via a software upgrade.
Some Windows Phone users feel burned by Microsoft's earlier NoDo update this year, a small revision that provided basic features such as copy and paste. Many users complained the update was late.
The Mango update is considerably bigger, with more than 500 new features, Microsoft said, although it talked of only a handful Tuesday.
Michael Cherry, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, said: "I would have to think the bigger thing that is hurting them is all this discussion about updating and problems. ... If they can roll out the next incremental improvement — well, if they can do it smoothly — it's the thing people are asking for that could have a driving factor" in sales.
Microsoft General Manager Stephanie Ferguson said phone owners should feel "absolutely" confident that the update will arrive in the fall.
It's not clear how many people have bought Windows Phones, and Microsoft offered no clarity Tuesday.
The last time Microsoft gave a sales report was four months ago, when it said phone makers bought 2 million copies of the Windows Phone software in January. That number is a step removed from how many phones people have bought and are using.
In contrast, Google said last week that 100 million people use smartphones and tablets that run its Android operating system.
The biggest opportunity Microsoft has is through a partnership with Nokia to have Windows Phone as the primary smartphone platform for the world's largest mobile phone maker.
"What's really going to be the big question is how it integrates with Nokia," Stofega said. "Without seeing it and feeling it, it's just a great demo."
Mango will be the release installed on the first Windows Phone devices from Nokia, Microsoft said Tuesday, giving no indication when they'll hit the market.
Sharon Pian Chan: 206-464-2958 or schan@seattletimes.com
A phone that tries to do everything Microsoft does could have ended up feeling like a multipurpose tool that slices, dices and sits unused in the kitchen drawer. Instead, demonstrations Tuesday of an updated Windows Phone code-named Mango seemed to work together like organs in a body.
"It's not just about the app, it's about integration," said Will Stofega, an analyst at Framingham, Mass., research firm IDC. He was intrigued by how the phone breaks down the wall between search and what's inside the apps.
Andy Lees, president of Microsoft's Mobile Communications business, said at the Tuesday news event the update to the Windows Phone was designed with the user in mind.
"We set about on a new mission to redefine smartphones to make it smarter, and easier, so that people could do more and have more fun," he said at the event, at the Tribeca Grand Hotel.
The update was designed "to put the consumer at the center, and not the operating system, by delivering a set of complete experiences for what people want to do most on their phones, with a delightful interface that required fewer steps, and that was designed to be easier to use. We wanted to provide the customer with less clutter and more clarity," Lees said.
For a long time, Microsoft has attempted to bring together its major products, such as Windows, Office and Xbox. But integrating Microsoft's software and services sometimes seemed like a mirage, so much so that last year some analysts suggested the company should be broken apart into different businesses.
Now, Windows Phone is managing to combine the experiences of Internet Explorer, Bing, Office and Xbox in a phone.
Windows Mobile, the predecessor to Windows Phone, tried for many years to do the same, but critics said it felt like a PC squished into the hand.
In the Mango update Microsoft described Tuesday, the search engine Bing and Web browser Internet Explorer are meshed together with mobile apps themselves. A Bing search results for a book, for instance, can connect to the phone's Kindle app to download the book to be read on the phone.
The contacts directory in the phone blends together Facebook chats, Twitter, LinkedIn, Windows Live instant messaging, voice mail and email. Grouped contacts can be sent group Facebook messages or group work emails.
Bing searches can be done visually with the phone's camera, by voice or by musical sound.
Nongaming apps can use the same 3-D graphics in Xbox games for the phone.
Even for app developers, the tools stem from ones Microsoft developers already know, based on Silverlight and Xbox.
It also seems like the phone may bridge the divide between consumer and business customers.
Microsoft had said for several months it was focused solely on the consumer market with the phone, but Tuesday it began talking up features that could appeal to business customers, such as an Outlook feature that forbids designated email from being forwarded or printed.
The Mango update will be ready in the fall, Microsoft said Tuesday, on new phones and via a software upgrade.
Some Windows Phone users feel burned by Microsoft's earlier NoDo update this year, a small revision that provided basic features such as copy and paste. Many users complained the update was late.
The Mango update is considerably bigger, with more than 500 new features, Microsoft said, although it talked of only a handful Tuesday.
Michael Cherry, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, said: "I would have to think the bigger thing that is hurting them is all this discussion about updating and problems. ... If they can roll out the next incremental improvement — well, if they can do it smoothly — it's the thing people are asking for that could have a driving factor" in sales.
Microsoft General Manager Stephanie Ferguson said phone owners should feel "absolutely" confident that the update will arrive in the fall.
It's not clear how many people have bought Windows Phones, and Microsoft offered no clarity Tuesday.
The last time Microsoft gave a sales report was four months ago, when it said phone makers bought 2 million copies of the Windows Phone software in January. That number is a step removed from how many phones people have bought and are using.
In contrast, Google said last week that 100 million people use smartphones and tablets that run its Android operating system.
The biggest opportunity Microsoft has is through a partnership with Nokia to have Windows Phone as the primary smartphone platform for the world's largest mobile phone maker.
"What's really going to be the big question is how it integrates with Nokia," Stofega said. "Without seeing it and feeling it, it's just a great demo."
Mango will be the release installed on the first Windows Phone devices from Nokia, Microsoft said Tuesday, giving no indication when they'll hit the market.
Sharon Pian Chan: 206-464-2958 or schan@seattletimes.com
Amazon and Barnes & Noble battle for e-book lovers
NEW YORK — Online retail titan Amazon.com and bookselling giant Barnes & Noble dueled Tuesday for the devotion of digital book lovers with bargain-priced versions of their popular electronic readers.
Barnes & Noble unveiled a lean new Simple Touch Reader boasting a touch screen, months-long battery life and a price of $139.
The Simple Touch Reader featuring a six-inch, black-and-white touch screen was available for order online at nook.com and was to begin shipping on June 10.
Within hours of the Nook announcement, Amazon released a version of its Kindle 3G e-reader discounted to $164 with the price subsidized by on-screen ads.
Kindle 3G with Special Offers was intended to build on the success of a Wi-Fi only model that has become the hottest-selling Amazon e-reader in the five weeks since it was made available with a $114 price tag.
"In response to customer requests, we're now making these money-saving special offers available for Kindle 3G," said Amazon Kindle director Jay Marine. "Kindle is the bestselling e-reader in the world."
Electronic readers with 3G capabilities can download digital content from anywhere a signal is available, the same way smartphones connect to online data, instead of relying on Internet connections at Wi-Fi hot spots.
The new Nook and the original Kindle with Special Offers feature Wi-Fi connections to get digital material.
"Touch makes it simple to use, and the beautifully compact design makes it the most portable eReader in its class," Barnes & Noble chief executive William Lynch said in a release.
"Add to that an unmatched battery life, the most advanced paper-like touch display on the market and wireless access to the world's largest digital bookstore."
The Nook and Kindle were tailored for readers and not touted as challenges to tablet computers such as iPads, which are platforms for Web browsing, games, videos and more as well as electronic books.
Barnes & Noble claimed to have captured 25 percent of the digital book market since launching the first Nook model about 18 months ago.
Simple Touch Reader weighed in at 7.48 ounces (212 grams), lighter than a typical paperback novel, and was described as easy to fit in a jacket pocket or handbag while being able to hold as many as 1,000 digital books.
The new Nook's debut came five days after the struggling US bookseller said Liberty Media had presented a cash offer to buy the company for $17 a share, valuing the retailer at around $1 billion.
The bid would give the media conglomerate controlled by tycoon John Malone a new business to go with its Starz film channel, QVC shopping network and stakes in the Expedia travel website and other media assets.
Barnes & Noble calls itself the world's largest bookseller, with 705 bookstores in 50 states.
But the book business has been hammered by a shift to electronic books as well as Internet sales.
Borders, the second-largest US bookstore chain, filed for bankruptcy in February, and is still undergoing restructuring.
The Seattle, Washington-based Amazon said it was selling 105 Kindle e-books for every 100 print books, hardcover and paperback combined since April 1.
The company said it had sold more than three times as many Kindle books so far in 2011 as it did during the same period last year.
Amazon began selling print books in July 1995 and introduced the Kindle in November 2007.
The US Kindle store offers more than 950,000 books, including 109 of the 111 New York Times best sellers.
Amazon does not release sales figures for the Kindle e-reader.
Barnes & Noble unveiled a lean new Simple Touch Reader boasting a touch screen, months-long battery life and a price of $139.
The Simple Touch Reader featuring a six-inch, black-and-white touch screen was available for order online at nook.com and was to begin shipping on June 10.
Within hours of the Nook announcement, Amazon released a version of its Kindle 3G e-reader discounted to $164 with the price subsidized by on-screen ads.
Kindle 3G with Special Offers was intended to build on the success of a Wi-Fi only model that has become the hottest-selling Amazon e-reader in the five weeks since it was made available with a $114 price tag.
"In response to customer requests, we're now making these money-saving special offers available for Kindle 3G," said Amazon Kindle director Jay Marine. "Kindle is the bestselling e-reader in the world."
Electronic readers with 3G capabilities can download digital content from anywhere a signal is available, the same way smartphones connect to online data, instead of relying on Internet connections at Wi-Fi hot spots.
The new Nook and the original Kindle with Special Offers feature Wi-Fi connections to get digital material.
"Touch makes it simple to use, and the beautifully compact design makes it the most portable eReader in its class," Barnes & Noble chief executive William Lynch said in a release.
"Add to that an unmatched battery life, the most advanced paper-like touch display on the market and wireless access to the world's largest digital bookstore."
The Nook and Kindle were tailored for readers and not touted as challenges to tablet computers such as iPads, which are platforms for Web browsing, games, videos and more as well as electronic books.
Barnes & Noble claimed to have captured 25 percent of the digital book market since launching the first Nook model about 18 months ago.
Simple Touch Reader weighed in at 7.48 ounces (212 grams), lighter than a typical paperback novel, and was described as easy to fit in a jacket pocket or handbag while being able to hold as many as 1,000 digital books.
The new Nook's debut came five days after the struggling US bookseller said Liberty Media had presented a cash offer to buy the company for $17 a share, valuing the retailer at around $1 billion.
The bid would give the media conglomerate controlled by tycoon John Malone a new business to go with its Starz film channel, QVC shopping network and stakes in the Expedia travel website and other media assets.
Barnes & Noble calls itself the world's largest bookseller, with 705 bookstores in 50 states.
But the book business has been hammered by a shift to electronic books as well as Internet sales.
Borders, the second-largest US bookstore chain, filed for bankruptcy in February, and is still undergoing restructuring.
The Seattle, Washington-based Amazon said it was selling 105 Kindle e-books for every 100 print books, hardcover and paperback combined since April 1.
The company said it had sold more than three times as many Kindle books so far in 2011 as it did during the same period last year.
Amazon began selling print books in July 1995 and introduced the Kindle in November 2007.
The US Kindle store offers more than 950,000 books, including 109 of the 111 New York Times best sellers.
Amazon does not release sales figures for the Kindle e-reader.
MeeGo-Powered Nokia N9 to Be Called Nokia N950
The tweet mentions that the N950 is a touchscreen smartphone, making no reference to the keyboard design that was a hallmark of past rumors surrounding Nokia’s first MeeGo smartphone. The initial rumors suggest that the Nokia N9, or Nokia N950 according to Arguelles, would sport a landscape-oriented keyboard mechanism with a sliding/tilting screen, but since then there were rumors that the hardware wasn’t right and that Nokia may have eliminated the Nokia E7 Communicator-styled keyboard for the final model. If true, then the Arguelles message on Twitter would confirm that with no mention of a keyboard in describing the 4G touchscreen smartphone.
The device is now at the FCC awaiting U.S. regulatory approval. The phone is expected for a summer launch and earlier leaks from a tipster suggests that Nokia may debut the phone to developers first in June, followed by a commercial release.
The last developer-centric smartphone released by Nokia was the Nokia N900, which ran the Maemo 5 operating system. The device offers more power than Symbian^3 and was promoted as being more open than Android. However, after Maemo, Nokia decided to roll that operating system together with Intel’s Moblin OS in the hopes of creating momentum behind the co-developed MeeGo.
The company has since switched strategy again since new CEO Stephen Elop took reigns. Nokia had announced a few months ago that it would choose instead to focus on developing for Windows Phone 7 and wind down Symbian development while evaluating the prospect behind MeeGo.
The device is now at the FCC awaiting U.S. regulatory approval. The phone is expected for a summer launch and earlier leaks from a tipster suggests that Nokia may debut the phone to developers first in June, followed by a commercial release.
The last developer-centric smartphone released by Nokia was the Nokia N900, which ran the Maemo 5 operating system. The device offers more power than Symbian^3 and was promoted as being more open than Android. However, after Maemo, Nokia decided to roll that operating system together with Intel’s Moblin OS in the hopes of creating momentum behind the co-developed MeeGo.
The company has since switched strategy again since new CEO Stephen Elop took reigns. Nokia had announced a few months ago that it would choose instead to focus on developing for Windows Phone 7 and wind down Symbian development while evaluating the prospect behind MeeGo.
Windows Phone 7 To Hit the Verizon Network This Week
Windows Phone 7 this week will come to Verizon, the largest mobile operator in the United States with 104 million "wireless connections," which include 88 million retail customers. (AT&T would be larger if the T-Mobile acquisition goes through.)
Verizon will start selling the HTC Trophy as its first Windows Phone 7 device online on May 26. The device will hit Verizon stores on June 2, according to a post on Microsoft's Windows Phone Blog by Michael Stroh.
The price of the HTC Trophy with a new two-year contract will be $149.99 after a $50 rebate. To highlight Windows Phone 7's unique ability to play mobile games with Xbox Live and sync with Xbox avatars, profiles and scores, Verizon will give away a free Xbox 360 console game to anyone who buys the device before July 15. Available games include Halo: Reach, Kinect Sports and Lode Runner, with a retail value of up to $60. Given the Xbox aspect, and the fact that it doesn't matter to Verizon whether customers buy a Windows Phone 7 device versus an Apple iPhone or Google Android device, I'm guessing Microsoft is chipping in the Xbox game promotion to try to drive some device sales.
According to Verizon's news release, the key features of the HTC Trophy are a WVGA 3.8-inch touchscreen, surround sound through SRS WOW HD, a 5-megapixel camera, 720p HD video capture, 16 GB of on-board storage, Wi-Fi connectivity and that the phone is global-ready.
Verizon also notes that users can "view and edit Microsoft Office documents, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint with the Office Hub and data access on SharePoint servers."
The Trophy has been available in other countries for several months. It joins a stable of about half-a-dozen Windows Phone 7 devices available in the United States on the AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile networks. (See the May in-depth article comparing all the devices.)
The move should lead to an improvement in Microsoft's overall market share. Verizon commands about a third of the U.S. mobile market (although Apple did well enough even when the iPhone was exclusive to AT&T). Getting Windows Phone 7 onto the Verizon network is one more critical piece in Microsoft's long game in the smartphone market.
Verizon will start selling the HTC Trophy as its first Windows Phone 7 device online on May 26. The device will hit Verizon stores on June 2, according to a post on Microsoft's Windows Phone Blog by Michael Stroh.
The price of the HTC Trophy with a new two-year contract will be $149.99 after a $50 rebate. To highlight Windows Phone 7's unique ability to play mobile games with Xbox Live and sync with Xbox avatars, profiles and scores, Verizon will give away a free Xbox 360 console game to anyone who buys the device before July 15. Available games include Halo: Reach, Kinect Sports and Lode Runner, with a retail value of up to $60. Given the Xbox aspect, and the fact that it doesn't matter to Verizon whether customers buy a Windows Phone 7 device versus an Apple iPhone or Google Android device, I'm guessing Microsoft is chipping in the Xbox game promotion to try to drive some device sales.
According to Verizon's news release, the key features of the HTC Trophy are a WVGA 3.8-inch touchscreen, surround sound through SRS WOW HD, a 5-megapixel camera, 720p HD video capture, 16 GB of on-board storage, Wi-Fi connectivity and that the phone is global-ready.
Verizon also notes that users can "view and edit Microsoft Office documents, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint with the Office Hub and data access on SharePoint servers."
The Trophy has been available in other countries for several months. It joins a stable of about half-a-dozen Windows Phone 7 devices available in the United States on the AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile networks. (See the May in-depth article comparing all the devices.)
The move should lead to an improvement in Microsoft's overall market share. Verizon commands about a third of the U.S. mobile market (although Apple did well enough even when the iPhone was exclusive to AT&T). Getting Windows Phone 7 onto the Verizon network is one more critical piece in Microsoft's long game in the smartphone market.
Apple iPhone 5 to be smaller and thinner with new SIM
By IBTimes Staff Reporter | May 23, 2011 11:33 PM EDT
Technology giant Apple has agreed to make the next-generation iPhone even smaller and thinner by using smaller SIM cards instead of an e-SIM, 9TO5Mac reported quoting France Telecom/Orange CEO Stephane Richard.
"All of us told [Apple] it was a bad idea because the SIM card is a critical piece of the security and authentication process," Richard said. "It would be very difficult for a telco or carrier to manage the customer relationship. I think that they understood this point. We had a very constructive exchange and dialogue with them," he said.
According to Richard, a compromise has been reached between Apple and the carriers, resulting in a new SIM card standard even smaller than the micro-SIM used in the iPhone 4. Last week, another executive at Orange indicated that Apple had submitted a new SIM form factor to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, writes Apple Insider.
The person who saw the prototype of the new iPhone said the device was significantly lighter than the iPhone 4 and had an edge-to-edge screen that could be manipulated by touch, as well as a virtual keyboard and voice-based navigation, the report said.
Technology giant Apple has agreed to make the next-generation iPhone even smaller and thinner by using smaller SIM cards instead of an e-SIM, 9TO5Mac reported quoting France Telecom/Orange CEO Stephane Richard.
"All of us told [Apple] it was a bad idea because the SIM card is a critical piece of the security and authentication process," Richard said. "It would be very difficult for a telco or carrier to manage the customer relationship. I think that they understood this point. We had a very constructive exchange and dialogue with them," he said.
According to Richard, a compromise has been reached between Apple and the carriers, resulting in a new SIM card standard even smaller than the micro-SIM used in the iPhone 4. Last week, another executive at Orange indicated that Apple had submitted a new SIM form factor to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, writes Apple Insider.
The person who saw the prototype of the new iPhone said the device was significantly lighter than the iPhone 4 and had an edge-to-edge screen that could be manipulated by touch, as well as a virtual keyboard and voice-based navigation, the report said.
Apple iPhone 5 Will Feature Curved Glass Display: Report
Apple’s iPhone 5 will feature a curved-glass touch-screen display, according to a new DigiTimes report.
“Cover glass makers are reluctant to commit investment to the purchase of glass cutting equipment due to the high capital involved,” according to the May 23 report, citing unnamed sources. “Apple reportedly has purchased 200-300 glass cutting machines to be used by glass cutters.”
Those machines are supposedly stored at various assembly plants in anticipation of covered-glass production ramping to acceptable levels. DigiTimes also hints that Apple is partnering with its suppliers over manufacturing processes such as glass-cutting and lamination.
One of the iPhone’s recent rivals, the Google Nexus S, debuted in December 2010 with a screen curved ever-so-slightly inwards. At the time, Google claimed the display “fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and along the side of your face.” The Dell Venue Pro, a smartphone running Windows Phone 7, also features a curved display—albeit slightly outwards, perhaps in a bid to broaden its range of visibility.
Other rumors have suggested Apple is prepping an edge-to-edge screen for the next iPhone. Those reports stem from an “iPhone 5G” case offered on Chinese manufacturer Kulcase’s Alibaba.com Website, which was noticed by Electronista and subsequently picked up by Apple-centric blogs such as Apple Insider.
Still more scuttlebutt suggests that, no, the next iPhone will feature only incremental upgrades, even as it appears on a broader set of carriers.
“We believe the likelihood of the iPhone 5 launch in September including LTE [Long-Term Evolution] is now remote,” Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek wrote in a May 13 research note. “According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ [Evolved High-Speed Packet Access] support.”
That note also claimed that, based on “industry checks,” Sprint, T-Mobile and China Mobile will be announced as new iPhone carriers in time for the holiday season: “On Apple’s last earnings call, management responded to a question about launching the CDMA [Code Division Multiple Access] iPhone at other carriers as ‘we are constantly looking and adding where it makes sense, and you can keep confidence that we’ll continue to do that.’”
AT&T and Verizon remain the only two U.S. carriers of the iPhone at the moment. Despite AT&T’s plans to acquire T-Mobile for $39 billion in cash and stock, the smaller carrier has denied it will carry the iPhone in the short term.”
As always, Apple’s tight in-house secrecy creates a vacuum in which even the most fanciful rumors can flourish to full live. That being said, the latest surrounding the iPhone 5 should probably be taken with a dump-truck-sized grain of salt until the company makes an official announcement.
“Cover glass makers are reluctant to commit investment to the purchase of glass cutting equipment due to the high capital involved,” according to the May 23 report, citing unnamed sources. “Apple reportedly has purchased 200-300 glass cutting machines to be used by glass cutters.”
Those machines are supposedly stored at various assembly plants in anticipation of covered-glass production ramping to acceptable levels. DigiTimes also hints that Apple is partnering with its suppliers over manufacturing processes such as glass-cutting and lamination.
One of the iPhone’s recent rivals, the Google Nexus S, debuted in December 2010 with a screen curved ever-so-slightly inwards. At the time, Google claimed the display “fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and along the side of your face.” The Dell Venue Pro, a smartphone running Windows Phone 7, also features a curved display—albeit slightly outwards, perhaps in a bid to broaden its range of visibility.
Other rumors have suggested Apple is prepping an edge-to-edge screen for the next iPhone. Those reports stem from an “iPhone 5G” case offered on Chinese manufacturer Kulcase’s Alibaba.com Website, which was noticed by Electronista and subsequently picked up by Apple-centric blogs such as Apple Insider.
Still more scuttlebutt suggests that, no, the next iPhone will feature only incremental upgrades, even as it appears on a broader set of carriers.
“We believe the likelihood of the iPhone 5 launch in September including LTE [Long-Term Evolution] is now remote,” Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek wrote in a May 13 research note. “According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ [Evolved High-Speed Packet Access] support.”
That note also claimed that, based on “industry checks,” Sprint, T-Mobile and China Mobile will be announced as new iPhone carriers in time for the holiday season: “On Apple’s last earnings call, management responded to a question about launching the CDMA [Code Division Multiple Access] iPhone at other carriers as ‘we are constantly looking and adding where it makes sense, and you can keep confidence that we’ll continue to do that.’”
AT&T and Verizon remain the only two U.S. carriers of the iPhone at the moment. Despite AT&T’s plans to acquire T-Mobile for $39 billion in cash and stock, the smaller carrier has denied it will carry the iPhone in the short term.”
As always, Apple’s tight in-house secrecy creates a vacuum in which even the most fanciful rumors can flourish to full live. That being said, the latest surrounding the iPhone 5 should probably be taken with a dump-truck-sized grain of salt until the company makes an official announcement.
Monday, May 23, 2011
MeeGo 1.2 lands for netbooks and tablets, leaves handsets hanging on the telephone
Just because Nokia has done everything short of taping a "Dear John" letter to MeeGo's mirror doesn't mean the OS is dead. In fact, Intel's Linux-based baby just got a refresh to version 1.2. So what's new this go around? Well, primarily it's under the hood stuff, like improved Atom support and bug fixes out the ying yang. New audio and networking stacks have also been added for A2DP streaming and HSPA+ support. The tablet UI that Intel was showing off in February is has arrived, to complement the standard netbook version and the in-car interface. Sadly, the handset edition was left out of this update. Those eager to dip their toes in the MeeGo water can download the latest version at the source link.
MeeGo 1.2 Developer Edition for Nokia N900
Session Summary:
Session will present the MeeGo 1.2 Developer Edition for Nokia N900 (or DE for short): what is it about, what is the scope, why was it created, what is the status now and way forward. Session will cover the initial motivation for the project, the project practicalities and lessons learnt so far. Presentation includes a live demo with the device, showing the current status. The project is executed fully in the open with the community collaboration, so this session also functions as a introduction to get more people involved. Potentially the session can include also brief instructions for the audience on how to get the release onto their N900 devices, or this could be a topic for a later more hands-on session.
Session Abstract:
MeeGo 1.2 Developer Edition for Nokia N900 project targets to make a MeeGo software release for the Nokia N900 device, that is usable both as a primary phone device and a stable environment for further development.
Target audience for the release are developers and hackers, not regular end users. The focus of the project is kept tightly focused on three key use cases: phone calls, SMS and Browser use with WLAN connectivity. These use cases shall be fine-tuned to perfection so that rather than having many features, the non-functional targets such as good performance are met. Putting it the other way, it needs to "look good on the YouTube". The target of using N900 as one's primary device requires the optimization of device HW specific contents, such as power management.
The N900 DE release is based on MeeGo 1.2 trunk content, including the available Handset UX applications. During the project there is a possibility to evaluate different available open source applications, and potentially replace some of the reference applications with new ones, while keeping the non-functional targets the same. In the best scenario there would be many community applications as part of the release, and more to download via MeeGo Apps site. The intent of DE work is to be a well-behaving downstream that contributes any changes back to MeeGo.
Session will present the MeeGo 1.2 Developer Edition for Nokia N900 (or DE for short): what is it about, what is the scope, why was it created, what is the status now and way forward. Session will cover the initial motivation for the project, the project practicalities and lessons learnt so far. Presentation includes a live demo with the device, showing the current status. The project is executed fully in the open with the community collaboration, so this session also functions as a introduction to get more people involved. Potentially the session can include also brief instructions for the audience on how to get the release onto their N900 devices, or this could be a topic for a later more hands-on session.
Session Abstract:
MeeGo 1.2 Developer Edition for Nokia N900 project targets to make a MeeGo software release for the Nokia N900 device, that is usable both as a primary phone device and a stable environment for further development.
Target audience for the release are developers and hackers, not regular end users. The focus of the project is kept tightly focused on three key use cases: phone calls, SMS and Browser use with WLAN connectivity. These use cases shall be fine-tuned to perfection so that rather than having many features, the non-functional targets such as good performance are met. Putting it the other way, it needs to "look good on the YouTube". The target of using N900 as one's primary device requires the optimization of device HW specific contents, such as power management.
The N900 DE release is based on MeeGo 1.2 trunk content, including the available Handset UX applications. During the project there is a possibility to evaluate different available open source applications, and potentially replace some of the reference applications with new ones, while keeping the non-functional targets the same. In the best scenario there would be many community applications as part of the release, and more to download via MeeGo Apps site. The intent of DE work is to be a well-behaving downstream that contributes any changes back to MeeGo.
Sony dips after warning of 3rd straight net loss
May 24 (Reuters) - Shares in Sony Corp dipped in early trade on Tuesday but quickly recovered to rise more than 1 percent to 2,238 yen, after warning the previous day it would post a third straight annual net loss.
It estimated a loss for the year ended March 31 of 260 billion yen ($3.2 billion), which compares with the company's previous forecast of a 70 billion yen profit. [ID:nLDE74M16Q]
Sony is set to announce its results on Thursday. ($1 = 81.955 Japanese Yen) (Reporting by Isabel Reynolds)
It estimated a loss for the year ended March 31 of 260 billion yen ($3.2 billion), which compares with the company's previous forecast of a 70 billion yen profit. [ID:nLDE74M16Q]
Sony is set to announce its results on Thursday. ($1 = 81.955 Japanese Yen) (Reporting by Isabel Reynolds)
Payment Method Bypasses the Wallet
SAN FRANCISCO — Square, the mobile payments start-up, has tried to make cash obsolete by giving small businesses, like farm stands and cafes, a way to turn their cellphones or tablet computers into credit card terminals. Now Square is trying to make wallets obsolete, too, by upending the way that consumers pay for purchases.
On Monday, Jack Dorsey, Square’s co-founder and chief executive, announced a way for shoppers to pay by simply giving their name to the merchant. Mr. Dorsey, who also co-founded Twitter, said customers would use a new feature on Square’s iPhone or Android apps, called Card Case, to make payments. Merchants would use one called Register to ring up and track purchases.
Using cellphones to ease offline purchases is a crowded corner of tech investment. Most companies are tackling one aspect of purchasing, like mobile payments or coupons. But Mr. Dorsey is thinking big. He wants Square to be involved in every step of the transaction process by replacing cash registers, loyalty cards and paper receipts. “We think it should be one system,” he said.
The start-up faces formidable competition. Square’s goal is to replace cash registers and point-of-sale terminals and the companies that make them, like Verifone. Square is also taking on the many start-ups that offer cellphone loyalty cards, like Foursquare, and competing with Google, Apple, PayPal and major credit card companies and banks to provide mobile payments.
Square’s new payment services are available at only 50 merchants in New York, San Francisco, Washington, St. Louis and Los Angeles.
Shoppers can use the Card Case app to search for those businesses, pay their bill and store receipts. A shopper opens the app, which looks like a brown leather wallet, clicks to open a tab at a store and then gives the merchant his or her name. The shopper’s credit card number is already stored with Square. Merchants see a photo of the Square user so they can confirm it is the same person.
With the Register feature, merchants can appeal to nearby shoppers who have the Square app by posting deals or menus. They can also store receipts digitally and track customer behavior.
Some shoppers said they were uneasy trusting Square with their credit card information when all it takes to pay is a name, not a plastic card.
According to Square, the photos and the fact that people can only pay if they and their phones are nearby adds a level of protection. For purchases more than $50, shoppers also have to enter a personal identification number as they do at an automated teller machine. Mr. Dorsey compared it to Amazon.com and Apple’s iTunes, which store credit card numbers so people can easily make purchases with their e-mail address and password.
Square joins a host of tech companies, phone carriers, banks and credit card issuers that are trying to replace wallets by letting people use their phones to pay. Most of the efforts are in the early testing stages. Unlike Square, most of the others plan to use a technology called near-field communication, or N.F.C., through which phones communicate information like credit card numbers to the merchants.
Initially, the company most in Square’s sights is Verifone, whose point-of-sale terminals and software are in 70 percent of businesses in the United States. In an interview before Square’s announcement, Doug Bergeron, Verifone’s chief executive, said that Square would not catch on for payments because people will prefer N.F.C. technology and have security concerns about using Square.
On Monday, Jack Dorsey, Square’s co-founder and chief executive, announced a way for shoppers to pay by simply giving their name to the merchant. Mr. Dorsey, who also co-founded Twitter, said customers would use a new feature on Square’s iPhone or Android apps, called Card Case, to make payments. Merchants would use one called Register to ring up and track purchases.
Using cellphones to ease offline purchases is a crowded corner of tech investment. Most companies are tackling one aspect of purchasing, like mobile payments or coupons. But Mr. Dorsey is thinking big. He wants Square to be involved in every step of the transaction process by replacing cash registers, loyalty cards and paper receipts. “We think it should be one system,” he said.
The start-up faces formidable competition. Square’s goal is to replace cash registers and point-of-sale terminals and the companies that make them, like Verifone. Square is also taking on the many start-ups that offer cellphone loyalty cards, like Foursquare, and competing with Google, Apple, PayPal and major credit card companies and banks to provide mobile payments.
Square’s new payment services are available at only 50 merchants in New York, San Francisco, Washington, St. Louis and Los Angeles.
Shoppers can use the Card Case app to search for those businesses, pay their bill and store receipts. A shopper opens the app, which looks like a brown leather wallet, clicks to open a tab at a store and then gives the merchant his or her name. The shopper’s credit card number is already stored with Square. Merchants see a photo of the Square user so they can confirm it is the same person.
With the Register feature, merchants can appeal to nearby shoppers who have the Square app by posting deals or menus. They can also store receipts digitally and track customer behavior.
Some shoppers said they were uneasy trusting Square with their credit card information when all it takes to pay is a name, not a plastic card.
According to Square, the photos and the fact that people can only pay if they and their phones are nearby adds a level of protection. For purchases more than $50, shoppers also have to enter a personal identification number as they do at an automated teller machine. Mr. Dorsey compared it to Amazon.com and Apple’s iTunes, which store credit card numbers so people can easily make purchases with their e-mail address and password.
Square joins a host of tech companies, phone carriers, banks and credit card issuers that are trying to replace wallets by letting people use their phones to pay. Most of the efforts are in the early testing stages. Unlike Square, most of the others plan to use a technology called near-field communication, or N.F.C., through which phones communicate information like credit card numbers to the merchants.
Initially, the company most in Square’s sights is Verifone, whose point-of-sale terminals and software are in 70 percent of businesses in the United States. In an interview before Square’s announcement, Doug Bergeron, Verifone’s chief executive, said that Square would not catch on for payments because people will prefer N.F.C. technology and have security concerns about using Square.
Microsoft CEO promises Windows 8 in 2012, 500 new features for Windows Phone 7
Windows 8 for desktop computers and tablets will ship in 2012, and an upcoming Windows Phone 7 update will include 500 new features, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said Monday at a developers conference in Japan.
Ballmer made the announcement in a speech, shortly after expressing his condolences to Japan about the earthquake and tsunami that struck the nation in March.
"It's been 18 months since my last trip in Japan, which in my whole 30 years of working for Microsoft is the longest period of time between visits in Japan," Ballmer said in his speech. "Microsoft is very committed to Japan. We're celebrating 25 years this year, 25 years of Microsoft business in Japan. And to all of the developers in the room, I say: Thank you very much for the support and for the partnership."
Ballmer said that Japan is home to Microsoft's second-largest subsidiary and that Microsoft is looking to Japan to help the company be competitive in areas where it "is committed to investing and innovating and leading."
One of the areas Microsoft wants to lead is "natural user interface" -- using speech, gestures and touch to control computers. Microsoft has had success with its Kinect motion-sensing camera for its Xbox 360 video game console, but it has yet to release a major consumer tablet offering, which would rely on a touch-screen-oriented version of Windows.
Ballmer expressed frustration about having released Windows Phone 7 to the market last fall.
"Another big sort of effort for us in terms of transforming the future of communication is the Windows Phone," he said. "We came to market with Windows Phone about a year later than I wish we had, shame on us.
"But we're moving forward very actively. We launched Windows Phones last November. We've done a set of upgrades. We have a release that will come to market later this year in Japan. Not only is it a new release that is now much more global, but we've added over 500 new features to Windows Phone."
Not long after that, Ballmer turned his attention to what Microsoft is doing on Windows 8.
"Windows 7 PCs will sell over 350 million units this year," Ballmer said. "We've done a lot in Windows 7 to improve customer satisfaction. We have a brand-new user interface. We've added touch and ink and speech. And yet, as we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there's a whole lot more coming. As we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors."
Ballmer made the announcement in a speech, shortly after expressing his condolences to Japan about the earthquake and tsunami that struck the nation in March.
"It's been 18 months since my last trip in Japan, which in my whole 30 years of working for Microsoft is the longest period of time between visits in Japan," Ballmer said in his speech. "Microsoft is very committed to Japan. We're celebrating 25 years this year, 25 years of Microsoft business in Japan. And to all of the developers in the room, I say: Thank you very much for the support and for the partnership."
Ballmer said that Japan is home to Microsoft's second-largest subsidiary and that Microsoft is looking to Japan to help the company be competitive in areas where it "is committed to investing and innovating and leading."
One of the areas Microsoft wants to lead is "natural user interface" -- using speech, gestures and touch to control computers. Microsoft has had success with its Kinect motion-sensing camera for its Xbox 360 video game console, but it has yet to release a major consumer tablet offering, which would rely on a touch-screen-oriented version of Windows.
Ballmer expressed frustration about having released Windows Phone 7 to the market last fall.
"Another big sort of effort for us in terms of transforming the future of communication is the Windows Phone," he said. "We came to market with Windows Phone about a year later than I wish we had, shame on us.
"But we're moving forward very actively. We launched Windows Phones last November. We've done a set of upgrades. We have a release that will come to market later this year in Japan. Not only is it a new release that is now much more global, but we've added over 500 new features to Windows Phone."
Not long after that, Ballmer turned his attention to what Microsoft is doing on Windows 8.
"Windows 7 PCs will sell over 350 million units this year," Ballmer said. "We've done a lot in Windows 7 to improve customer satisfaction. We have a brand-new user interface. We've added touch and ink and speech. And yet, as we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there's a whole lot more coming. As we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors."
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Nokia N9/N950 RM-680 developer device will launch next week ?
Finally. After more then a year of waiting and months of delays, Nokia is about to launch their first Meego device.
And when I’m saying “about to launch”, I mean it will happen real soon. The new Nokia Meego handset with the internal number RM-680 and the trade name of either N950 or N9, will, most likely, be announced next week. And no later then June 24th.
Nokia RM-680 has already received the FCC approval. For now we can only guess that it is the N9/N950 handset we’ve seen leaked last summer. The pictures of the device, it’s user’s manual and some other docs are kept off the FCC site as per Nokia’s request. But Nokia asked for an unusually short 45 day confidentiality period for their RM-680 handset, which expires on June 24th. On that day the device pictures and specs with user’s manual become public, and will certainly spoil the surprise if the new handset is not yet officially announced.
So June 24th should be the latest possible day for the Nokia RM-680launch. And then we have a major MeeGo Conference on May 23-25th in San Francisco. Since we are pretty sure RM-680 is MeeGo device, and it’s almost ready for the announcement – this MeeGo event would be the best place/time to do it.
We are also hearing that the first Nokia MeeGo handset is not actually a mass market device. It’s a developer model and will probably be given to MeeGo San Francisco conference attendees for free.
The commercial Nokia Meego handset should be released few months later.
And when I’m saying “about to launch”, I mean it will happen real soon. The new Nokia Meego handset with the internal number RM-680 and the trade name of either N950 or N9, will, most likely, be announced next week. And no later then June 24th.
Nokia RM-680 has already received the FCC approval. For now we can only guess that it is the N9/N950 handset we’ve seen leaked last summer. The pictures of the device, it’s user’s manual and some other docs are kept off the FCC site as per Nokia’s request. But Nokia asked for an unusually short 45 day confidentiality period for their RM-680 handset, which expires on June 24th. On that day the device pictures and specs with user’s manual become public, and will certainly spoil the surprise if the new handset is not yet officially announced.
So June 24th should be the latest possible day for the Nokia RM-680launch. And then we have a major MeeGo Conference on May 23-25th in San Francisco. Since we are pretty sure RM-680 is MeeGo device, and it’s almost ready for the announcement – this MeeGo event would be the best place/time to do it.
We are also hearing that the first Nokia MeeGo handset is not actually a mass market device. It’s a developer model and will probably be given to MeeGo San Francisco conference attendees for free.
The commercial Nokia Meego handset should be released few months later.
Grand Central Apple Store Seed Planted
By ANDREW GROSSMAN
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is looking for new tenants for a marquee space in Grand Central Terminal, and computer giant Apple Inc. has expressed interest in putting a store there.
The agency is looking for a single renter for two adjacent balconies on the north and east sides of the terminal. It will issue a request for proposals Monday. The current tenant of one of the balconies, celebrity chef Charlie Palmer's Métrazur restaurant, plans to close July 1 even though his lease ran until 2019 and the eatery was doing "quite well," Mr. Palmer said Sunday.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066504576339624222852818.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is looking for new tenants for a marquee space in Grand Central Terminal, and computer giant Apple Inc. has expressed interest in putting a store there.
The agency is looking for a single renter for two adjacent balconies on the north and east sides of the terminal. It will issue a request for proposals Monday. The current tenant of one of the balconies, celebrity chef Charlie Palmer's Métrazur restaurant, plans to close July 1 even though his lease ran until 2019 and the eatery was doing "quite well," Mr. Palmer said Sunday.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066504576339624222852818.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Intel: Android and MeeGo tablets to dominate Computex
Is MeeGo about to make an impact with Intel backing?
Intel has remained fairly quiet during the tablet boom. Most tablets have been turning to Nvidia chips and ARM processors, since they’re better set up for mobile devices than Intel’s PC-based architecture. That may be about to change, though, as the company has hinted that a raft of new devices will be on show at the Computex show later this month.
Read more: http://www.t3.com/news/intel-android-and-meego-tablets-to-dominate-computex?=56557
Intel has remained fairly quiet during the tablet boom. Most tablets have been turning to Nvidia chips and ARM processors, since they’re better set up for mobile devices than Intel’s PC-based architecture. That may be about to change, though, as the company has hinted that a raft of new devices will be on show at the Computex show later this month.
Read more: http://www.t3.com/news/intel-android-and-meego-tablets-to-dominate-computex?=56557
Samsung Galaxy S II: Strong early reviews overseas and in U.S.
By Hayley Tsukayama
The Samsung Galaxy S II has built up a lot of hype, and while it’s not out in the United States yet, it’s been getting rave reviews overseas and from early birds here.
The latest buzz about the phone, Android Police reported, is that it’s getting rebranded with some wacky names when it hits shelves in America: the Within on Sprint, the Attain on AT&T and the Function on Verizon.
But what’s in those names? Here’s what people are saying:
Specs: The Galaxy S II has: a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen, an 8MP rear-facing camera that’s also a camcorder, a 2MP front-facing camera, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot and an NFC chip. The phone is going for about £500 ($826) right now in the UK for an unlocked version. Carriers will likely subsidize the phone when they officially announce it. Business Insider indicates that will likely be sometime in the third quarter of 2011.
Hardware:The super-slim phone stays light because of its plastic body, which felt a bit flimsy and cheap to some of the reviewers — belying its hefty price tag.
But the reviewers can’t say enough about the phone’s display, which Boy Genius Report’s Jonathan S. Geller called “one of the best screens I’ve ever seen.” The screen is supposed to display very sharp colors and save battery life by ditching the backlight and only displaying the pixels in use.
The front-facing camera is functional but not spectacular, reviewers said. The rear-facing camera, on the other hand, got very high marks, and Slashgear’s Chris Davies said it’s “capable of some very impressive, natural looking shots.” The Register’s reviewer, Dave Oliver, also liked the camera’s extra features, such as face recognition.
One feature mentioned in many reviews is the ability to silence the phone by simply turning it face-down on a table.
Software/Performance: “General responsiveness is absolutely exemplary,” said Engadget’s Vlad Savov. The preloaded video and photo editing software got middling reviews.
Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface overlay got mixed reactions from reviewers, many of whom like the standard Android UI or HTC Sense instead. In fact, TouchWiz’s lags and quirks seem to be the only things that hold the phone back.
“It’s an acquired taste, certainly, though has become somewhat more palatable over the course of its various iterations,” Davies said.
Bottom lines: The Register: “While the battery life isn't the greatest, its slim profile, powerful processor, 8Mp camera and (almost) all the latest treats Android has to offer, make it the top dog in its field.”
Slashgear: “Samsung has upped not only its game but the benchmark for smartphones in general.”
Engadget: “ ...if you're asking us what smartphone to buy today, unconstrained by such externalities, the Galaxy S II would be the clear choice. Sometimes it’s just as simple as that.”
Boy Genius Report: “Hands down, the Samsung Galaxy S II is the greatest Android smartphone available on the planet… if you can get past TouchWiz.”
The Samsung Galaxy S II has built up a lot of hype, and while it’s not out in the United States yet, it’s been getting rave reviews overseas and from early birds here.
The latest buzz about the phone, Android Police reported, is that it’s getting rebranded with some wacky names when it hits shelves in America: the Within on Sprint, the Attain on AT&T and the Function on Verizon.
But what’s in those names? Here’s what people are saying:
Specs: The Galaxy S II has: a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen, an 8MP rear-facing camera that’s also a camcorder, a 2MP front-facing camera, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot and an NFC chip. The phone is going for about £500 ($826) right now in the UK for an unlocked version. Carriers will likely subsidize the phone when they officially announce it. Business Insider indicates that will likely be sometime in the third quarter of 2011.
Hardware:The super-slim phone stays light because of its plastic body, which felt a bit flimsy and cheap to some of the reviewers — belying its hefty price tag.
But the reviewers can’t say enough about the phone’s display, which Boy Genius Report’s Jonathan S. Geller called “one of the best screens I’ve ever seen.” The screen is supposed to display very sharp colors and save battery life by ditching the backlight and only displaying the pixels in use.
The front-facing camera is functional but not spectacular, reviewers said. The rear-facing camera, on the other hand, got very high marks, and Slashgear’s Chris Davies said it’s “capable of some very impressive, natural looking shots.” The Register’s reviewer, Dave Oliver, also liked the camera’s extra features, such as face recognition.
One feature mentioned in many reviews is the ability to silence the phone by simply turning it face-down on a table.
Software/Performance: “General responsiveness is absolutely exemplary,” said Engadget’s Vlad Savov. The preloaded video and photo editing software got middling reviews.
Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface overlay got mixed reactions from reviewers, many of whom like the standard Android UI or HTC Sense instead. In fact, TouchWiz’s lags and quirks seem to be the only things that hold the phone back.
“It’s an acquired taste, certainly, though has become somewhat more palatable over the course of its various iterations,” Davies said.
Bottom lines: The Register: “While the battery life isn't the greatest, its slim profile, powerful processor, 8Mp camera and (almost) all the latest treats Android has to offer, make it the top dog in its field.”
Slashgear: “Samsung has upped not only its game but the benchmark for smartphones in general.”
Engadget: “ ...if you're asking us what smartphone to buy today, unconstrained by such externalities, the Galaxy S II would be the clear choice. Sometimes it’s just as simple as that.”
Boy Genius Report: “Hands down, the Samsung Galaxy S II is the greatest Android smartphone available on the planet… if you can get past TouchWiz.”
Samsung Galaxy S2 (S II) vs HTC Sensation Battle: Extended War
Here at OSM we’ve been keeping you informed about two of the most impressive new handsets, the Samsung Galaxy S II (or S2) and the HTC Sensation. Both of these Android smartphones have a lot of good things going for them but in the battle of the Samsung Galaxy S II or the HTC Sensation, which handset will eventually win the extended war?
We’ve posted countless articles on both of these smartphones and recent posts about the Galaxy S II have included a review roundup, some sound and battery accessories, the display compared to the original Galaxy S and also news on name changes for when the phone sees its US release. For the HTC Sensation some recent posts include news of a June release date, an unboxing and a look at the Sensation vs. the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, so hit the links if you want to read more on any of those aspects.
As a brief recap of specs for these two handsets we can tell you that both the Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation run on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, both have a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and both feature an 8-megapixel rear camera. Both also have a 4.3-inch display, the Galaxy S II features a Super AMOLED Plus display while the HTC Sensation has a qHD display. There really are a lot of similarities between these two notable smartphones and Chris Davies over on Slash Gear has looked closely at both and given a comparison.
We’ve posted countless articles on both of these smartphones and recent posts about the Galaxy S II have included a review roundup, some sound and battery accessories, the display compared to the original Galaxy S and also news on name changes for when the phone sees its US release. For the HTC Sensation some recent posts include news of a June release date, an unboxing and a look at the Sensation vs. the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, so hit the links if you want to read more on any of those aspects.
As a brief recap of specs for these two handsets we can tell you that both the Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation run on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, both have a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and both feature an 8-megapixel rear camera. Both also have a 4.3-inch display, the Galaxy S II features a Super AMOLED Plus display while the HTC Sensation has a qHD display. There really are a lot of similarities between these two notable smartphones and Chris Davies over on Slash Gear has looked closely at both and given a comparison.
Confirmed: Australian Samsung Galaxy S II Not Getting NFC
If you were hoping to future proof your phone purchase by grabbing an NFC-enables Samsung Galaxy S II, you’re officially out of luck. Samsung has just confirmed that the version of the phone launching in Australia is the non-NFC handset, making the dream of mobile phone payments at Woolworths a slightly more distant utopia.
Samsung sent us this statement this morning:
Samsung can confirm that the GALAXY S II will not ship with a NFC chip in Australia. The company is closely monitoring local application and demand for NFC technology and is ready to release NFC-enabled handsets into the Australian market at the appropriate time. Globally, Samsung has announced it is working closely with Olympic Games partner, Visa, to deliver NFC mobile phone payments for the London 2012 Olympics.
In reality, we’re quickly approaching the point where NFC is getting set to take off in the country. There are just a couple of pieces left to slot into place, like handsets and mobile payment apps, and once they happen, we should be living in a mobile payment brave new world. While this announcement is disappointing for people hoping to ditch their wallets, it’s not really too big a hurdle for the technologies rollout.
Samsung sent us this statement this morning:
Samsung can confirm that the GALAXY S II will not ship with a NFC chip in Australia. The company is closely monitoring local application and demand for NFC technology and is ready to release NFC-enabled handsets into the Australian market at the appropriate time. Globally, Samsung has announced it is working closely with Olympic Games partner, Visa, to deliver NFC mobile phone payments for the London 2012 Olympics.
In reality, we’re quickly approaching the point where NFC is getting set to take off in the country. There are just a couple of pieces left to slot into place, like handsets and mobile payment apps, and once they happen, we should be living in a mobile payment brave new world. While this announcement is disappointing for people hoping to ditch their wallets, it’s not really too big a hurdle for the technologies rollout.
Video promo of MeeGo powered Nokia N9 / N950 leaked
Gear up MeeGo fans because even in less than a week of FCC approval, first video teaser (below) of MeeGo powered Nokia N9 has leaked online today thanks to pocketnow, showing the handset’s capabilities. The Nokia N9 will be the first MeeGo Smartphone from Nokia, though it also leaked some time ago on the internet as the Nokia N950 but didn’t see any official announcement.
Anyhow the leaked video shows glimpses of a thin, smart looking slider Smartphone complete with a full QWERTY keyboard and nice looking camera, though earlier today it was presumed that it was running on Symbian Anna rather than MeeGo but now Nokia has confirmed through its official facebook page that this Smartphone is indeed running MeeGo operating system rather than Symbian Anna.
The MeeGo conference is set to kick off later this month in San Francisco, but still Nokia haven’t said anything over the existence of this phone neither on its appearance in this conference. But the good news is that LG will reportedly be showcasing both – a MeeGo-powered Smartphone and tablet in this event. Anyhow there are maximum chances that Nokia will unveil at least one device in this event because previously Nokia confirmed that it will be launching one, developer-friendly, MeeGo device in 2011. Stay tuned as more information will be coming soon.
Anyhow the leaked video shows glimpses of a thin, smart looking slider Smartphone complete with a full QWERTY keyboard and nice looking camera, though earlier today it was presumed that it was running on Symbian Anna rather than MeeGo but now Nokia has confirmed through its official facebook page that this Smartphone is indeed running MeeGo operating system rather than Symbian Anna.
The MeeGo conference is set to kick off later this month in San Francisco, but still Nokia haven’t said anything over the existence of this phone neither on its appearance in this conference. But the good news is that LG will reportedly be showcasing both – a MeeGo-powered Smartphone and tablet in this event. Anyhow there are maximum chances that Nokia will unveil at least one device in this event because previously Nokia confirmed that it will be launching one, developer-friendly, MeeGo device in 2011. Stay tuned as more information will be coming soon.
iPhone 5 release date obliterated as factory burns, iPad 2 up in smoke
Whatever chance the iPhone 5 had of seeing a release date in June on the heels of the white iPhone 4, those odds just went up in smoke – literally – in an unfortunate explosion and fire at the factory where Apple has its iOS devices manufactured. As a result, iPad 2 inventory is expected to once again fall behind demand after Apple initially struggled to keep up after the March launch and had just recently caught up to the point where an iPad 2 would ship to a customer a week or two after it was ordered. But while the exact impact on iPad 2 availability remains to be seen, this should put to bed the pipe dream that saw Apple somehow introducing the iPhone 5 a mere six weeks after first shipping the white iPhone 4. The lack of any reports about iPhone 5 manufacturing being underway at such facilities (this kind of news always leaks) already made it clear that Apple wasn’t about to attempt the PR-suicide stunt of ending the iPhone 4 era a month and a half after it launched a new iPhone 4 model. But even if Apple were planning to secretly launch the iPhone 5 in June, those plans would certainly have to be scuttled after the factory damage.
If nothing else, those who’ve been holding out hope a soon-arriving iPhone 5 will now be able to erase any doubt and weigh their actual options: buy an iPhone 4 now or wait for awhile longer before Apple announces what comes next. The cautious among us will likely still opt to wait another two weeks to see what Apple does with its early June WWDC Keynote. But even if there were a surprise iPhone 5 or even iPhone 4S (whatever the heck that’s supposed to be) planned for June 6th, Apple wouldn’t be able to ramp up from zero inventory at this point in time for such a launch; it’ll have a difficult enough time maintaing inventory levels of the already-shipping iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Our revised advice: if you’ve been meaning to pick up an iPad 2 but haven’t gotten around to it yet, hurry before they suddenly get harder to find for awhile. And our iPhone buying advice hasn’t changed: the arrival of the white iPhone 4 made it clear that the iPhone 5 won’t come until late summer or fall, and while either option is defensible, it’s difficult to ask someone to wait for a phone whose release isn’t known beyond the fact that it isn’t soon, and whose features are at this point still a blank slate. Here’s more on the iPhone 5.
If nothing else, those who’ve been holding out hope a soon-arriving iPhone 5 will now be able to erase any doubt and weigh their actual options: buy an iPhone 4 now or wait for awhile longer before Apple announces what comes next. The cautious among us will likely still opt to wait another two weeks to see what Apple does with its early June WWDC Keynote. But even if there were a surprise iPhone 5 or even iPhone 4S (whatever the heck that’s supposed to be) planned for June 6th, Apple wouldn’t be able to ramp up from zero inventory at this point in time for such a launch; it’ll have a difficult enough time maintaing inventory levels of the already-shipping iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Our revised advice: if you’ve been meaning to pick up an iPad 2 but haven’t gotten around to it yet, hurry before they suddenly get harder to find for awhile. And our iPhone buying advice hasn’t changed: the arrival of the white iPhone 4 made it clear that the iPhone 5 won’t come until late summer or fall, and while either option is defensible, it’s difficult to ask someone to wait for a phone whose release isn’t known beyond the fact that it isn’t soon, and whose features are at this point still a blank slate. Here’s more on the iPhone 5.
MeeGo 1.2 Released
Shortly after having been dumped on by Nokia (and Microsoft), the MeeGo developers have made a new release available. Now, I have never been a big fan of MeeGo (to put it mildly), or of Moblin before it, but I sincerely tip my hat to them for this. There are obviously a lot of very talented people working on MeeGo, and they have shown a lot of determination in the face of adversity over the past couple of months. They have done a good job, too - in fact, what I had intended to do was quickly install the new release, verify what had or had not changed, and then write a brief note about it. A funny thing happened along the way, though. The more I looked at it, the more I found myself thinking that it seemed a lot better than their previous releases. So, I have revised my plan, and this is turning out to be somewhat more extensive than I had thought it would be.
So, starting from the beginning... the distribution images can be downloaded from the MeeGo Downloads page, the netbook version comes in two flavors either with or without the Google Chrome browser (and the Chrome End User License Agreement). I chose the version "without". The download is a .IMG file, which can either be burned to a CD or copied directly to a USB flash drive. You can then boot that media, and either run it as a Live CD/USB or go straight to the installer. The installer looks to me like a version of Anaconda with a MeeGo-style GUI stuck on it. The installation is pretty routine, except for one thing. If you're going to multi-boot (i.e. you're not making a MeeGo-only system), you have to set up the partition(s) and file system(s) you want. Unfortunately, MeeGo doesn't support the ext4 filesystem, so you have to choose between btrfs and ext3. The default is btrfs, so that is the "logical" choice... but when you do that it then complains that you can't boot from btrfs. So you either have to set up everything in one ext3 filesystem, or you have to create an ext3 /boot partition and then a btrfs root partition. Sigh. It's really not a big deal, but it is irritating.
Once I got past that, everything seemed to install quite easily and it rebooted to the installed partition on the disk. I got another small surprise when I went to configure the multi-boot setup, though. I always seem to forget that MeeGo doesn't use GRUB, it uses the SysLinux bootloader. So I had to dig around and find the syslinux config files, and remember how to multi-boot that with my various GRUB installations. Once again, not too difficult, but another bit of irritation, so I was muttering under my breath by the time I was finally done with the installation. Of course, the kind of installation that I am making, multi-booting with a bunch of other Linux distributions (and Win7) is certainly not typical for MeeGo. I would think the more usual kinds of embedded or dedicated installations that MeeGo is designed for would be a better match (duh, maybe that's why they designed it this way!).
Once the installation was complete things got considerably more pleasant, thankfully. The main screen looks like this:
So, starting from the beginning... the distribution images can be downloaded from the MeeGo Downloads page, the netbook version comes in two flavors either with or without the Google Chrome browser (and the Chrome End User License Agreement). I chose the version "without". The download is a .IMG file, which can either be burned to a CD or copied directly to a USB flash drive. You can then boot that media, and either run it as a Live CD/USB or go straight to the installer. The installer looks to me like a version of Anaconda with a MeeGo-style GUI stuck on it. The installation is pretty routine, except for one thing. If you're going to multi-boot (i.e. you're not making a MeeGo-only system), you have to set up the partition(s) and file system(s) you want. Unfortunately, MeeGo doesn't support the ext4 filesystem, so you have to choose between btrfs and ext3. The default is btrfs, so that is the "logical" choice... but when you do that it then complains that you can't boot from btrfs. So you either have to set up everything in one ext3 filesystem, or you have to create an ext3 /boot partition and then a btrfs root partition. Sigh. It's really not a big deal, but it is irritating.
Once I got past that, everything seemed to install quite easily and it rebooted to the installed partition on the disk. I got another small surprise when I went to configure the multi-boot setup, though. I always seem to forget that MeeGo doesn't use GRUB, it uses the SysLinux bootloader. So I had to dig around and find the syslinux config files, and remember how to multi-boot that with my various GRUB installations. Once again, not too difficult, but another bit of irritation, so I was muttering under my breath by the time I was finally done with the installation. Of course, the kind of installation that I am making, multi-booting with a bunch of other Linux distributions (and Win7) is certainly not typical for MeeGo. I would think the more usual kinds of embedded or dedicated installations that MeeGo is designed for would be a better match (duh, maybe that's why they designed it this way!).
Once the installation was complete things got considerably more pleasant, thankfully. The main screen looks like this:
Inside Foxconn's fatal iPad factory
"Among the three factories, occupational health and safety issues in Chengdu are alarming."
That passage is from a report (PDF) released by the Hong Kong-based group Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM) two weeks before Friday's explosion at Foxconn's Chengdu plant that killed two workers and injured more than a dozen others.
SACOM researchers visited Foxconn plants in Chengdu, where iPads are produced; in Chongqing, a smaller facility making mostly HP products; and Foxconn's huge campus in Shenzhen, where half a million workers assemble a variety of computers, mobile phones, and additional products for Apple, HP, Nokia, Dell, and others. The researchers claim to have observed a number of problems at the Chengdu facilities in particular:
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/inside-foxconns-fatal-ipad-factory/8301-17938_105-20065005-1.html#ixzz1N440E62T
That passage is from a report (PDF) released by the Hong Kong-based group Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM) two weeks before Friday's explosion at Foxconn's Chengdu plant that killed two workers and injured more than a dozen others.
SACOM researchers visited Foxconn plants in Chengdu, where iPads are produced; in Chongqing, a smaller facility making mostly HP products; and Foxconn's huge campus in Shenzhen, where half a million workers assemble a variety of computers, mobile phones, and additional products for Apple, HP, Nokia, Dell, and others. The researchers claim to have observed a number of problems at the Chengdu facilities in particular:
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/inside-foxconns-fatal-ipad-factory/8301-17938_105-20065005-1.html#ixzz1N440E62T
Apple's Retail Lesson
Apple's retail operation turns 10 today. It's been a good run. The company recently welcomed its billionth visitor to its 325 retail stores. During the quarter that ended in March, it saw a record 71.1 million visitors in its stores, 51% more than the 47 million who visited in the same quarter a year earlier. Apple plans to open 40 more stores this year, most of them outside the U.S.
Much has been said about the advantage Apple has in its tight control of hardware. But Apple's meticulously calibrated retail experience matters just as much.
Offering a superior customer experience may be a goal for any business--many fall short--but there's also a lesson here for corporate IT.
The consumerization of IT, a trend that has reshaped the corporate computing landscape over the past decade, can be seen as flight from a poor customer experience. Leave employees on underpowered hardware running Windows XP, and they're going to seek better computing elsewhere, perhaps on Apple's iPad or maybe even Google's forthcoming Chromebooks.
Read more: http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/mac/229503438
Much has been said about the advantage Apple has in its tight control of hardware. But Apple's meticulously calibrated retail experience matters just as much.
Offering a superior customer experience may be a goal for any business--many fall short--but there's also a lesson here for corporate IT.
The consumerization of IT, a trend that has reshaped the corporate computing landscape over the past decade, can be seen as flight from a poor customer experience. Leave employees on underpowered hardware running Windows XP, and they're going to seek better computing elsewhere, perhaps on Apple's iPad or maybe even Google's forthcoming Chromebooks.
Read more: http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/mac/229503438
Apple enlists iPads for retail signage
Confirming reports from earlier this week, Apple is moving forward on plans to put iPads to work in its retail stores, not just as display models, but as tools to sell its other products.
In Australia and other countries, where it's already Sunday, Apple stores have opened with a new setup that makes use of iPads as informational tools to customers around the store, taking the place of the paper-based informational signs next to the company's products.
As blog Mac Prices Australia has snapped from a local store, and picked up by Macstories, the encased iPads display information about nearby products, such as prices and configurations to let customers compare, and customize models. There's also the option to page a retail employee to come over to provide assistance.
The new configuration gives Apple quite a bit of leeway as far as keeping information updated, no matter what product is nearby. It's also got the potential to let stores run with less staff on the floor, as an employee can be called to answer questions whenever customers alert the company through the app that's running on the iPads.
Apple's plans to give its stores an iPad-centric digital revamp were unearthed earlier this week with multiple reports. Boy Genius Report, posted a story earlier this week noting that Apple store employees could not take off time during the weekend, and were required to attend a training session on Sunday. Following that, Apple Insider snagged photos of a stack of iPads delivered to one Apple store to be used on the sales floor. 9to5mac on Friday briefly posted screenshots of an app that was to be used by employees to run transactions, though those photos were removed shortly thereafter at Apple's request.
The changes come just a few days after the 10th anniversary of Apple's retail stores. Apple has since gone on to open more than 320 locations around the world, with most of those in the U.S. In its most recent quarterly earnings call, and in briefings from the past several years, the company has said that around half of Mac buyers at the company's retail stores are buying a Mac machine for the first time.
Here's a video of what the new system looks like in stores next to various products, via Macotakara:
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20065082-248.html#ixzz1N43Y6wFW
In Australia and other countries, where it's already Sunday, Apple stores have opened with a new setup that makes use of iPads as informational tools to customers around the store, taking the place of the paper-based informational signs next to the company's products.
As blog Mac Prices Australia has snapped from a local store, and picked up by Macstories, the encased iPads display information about nearby products, such as prices and configurations to let customers compare, and customize models. There's also the option to page a retail employee to come over to provide assistance.
The new configuration gives Apple quite a bit of leeway as far as keeping information updated, no matter what product is nearby. It's also got the potential to let stores run with less staff on the floor, as an employee can be called to answer questions whenever customers alert the company through the app that's running on the iPads.
Apple's plans to give its stores an iPad-centric digital revamp were unearthed earlier this week with multiple reports. Boy Genius Report, posted a story earlier this week noting that Apple store employees could not take off time during the weekend, and were required to attend a training session on Sunday. Following that, Apple Insider snagged photos of a stack of iPads delivered to one Apple store to be used on the sales floor. 9to5mac on Friday briefly posted screenshots of an app that was to be used by employees to run transactions, though those photos were removed shortly thereafter at Apple's request.
The changes come just a few days after the 10th anniversary of Apple's retail stores. Apple has since gone on to open more than 320 locations around the world, with most of those in the U.S. In its most recent quarterly earnings call, and in briefings from the past several years, the company has said that around half of Mac buyers at the company's retail stores are buying a Mac machine for the first time.
Here's a video of what the new system looks like in stores next to various products, via Macotakara:
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20065082-248.html#ixzz1N43Y6wFW
Accounts Hacked at Small Sony Unit
TOKYO—So-net Entertainment Corp, an Internet service provider subsidiary of Sony Corp., said an online intruder accessed its customer rewards site earlier this week and stole customers' redeemable gift points worth about $1,225.
The breach at So-net comes several days after Sony resumed service on its PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment online videogame services after a data breach compromised the personal information tied to more than 100 million accounts.
"Although we can't completely rule out the possibility that there is a connection with the PSN issue, the likelihood is low," said Keisuke Watabe, a spokesman at So-net Entertainment. He said it was unlikely because the method of intrusion used was so different.
In a warning to users issued on Thursday, So-net said an intruder tried 10,000 times to access the provider's "So-net" point service, which grants customers reward points that can be exchanged for Sony products and online currency, from the same IP address. So-net said it thinks the intruder had usernames of account holders and then may have used an automated software program to generate passwords until it found the correct one.
So-net, which is about 58% owned by Sony and a Sony financial unit, said the points from 128 customer accounts were redeemed without permission. Another 73 accounts were accessed, but the points were not redeemed. Also, 90 email accounts on the So-net network were compromised.
It said there is no evidence that any personal data such as names, addresses, birth dates or phone numbers were viewed. The company said it discovered the breach on May 18 after receiving complaints from customers. The company discovered that the intrusions took place on May 16 and 17. Once it found out about the breach, the provider said it halted the redemption service.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704904604576334950941283250.html#ixzz1N43MfnOV
The breach at So-net comes several days after Sony resumed service on its PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment online videogame services after a data breach compromised the personal information tied to more than 100 million accounts.
"Although we can't completely rule out the possibility that there is a connection with the PSN issue, the likelihood is low," said Keisuke Watabe, a spokesman at So-net Entertainment. He said it was unlikely because the method of intrusion used was so different.
In a warning to users issued on Thursday, So-net said an intruder tried 10,000 times to access the provider's "So-net" point service, which grants customers reward points that can be exchanged for Sony products and online currency, from the same IP address. So-net said it thinks the intruder had usernames of account holders and then may have used an automated software program to generate passwords until it found the correct one.
So-net, which is about 58% owned by Sony and a Sony financial unit, said the points from 128 customer accounts were redeemed without permission. Another 73 accounts were accessed, but the points were not redeemed. Also, 90 email accounts on the So-net network were compromised.
It said there is no evidence that any personal data such as names, addresses, birth dates or phone numbers were viewed. The company said it discovered the breach on May 18 after receiving complaints from customers. The company discovered that the intrusions took place on May 16 and 17. Once it found out about the breach, the provider said it halted the redemption service.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704904604576334950941283250.html#ixzz1N43MfnOV
Pope blesses Endeavour astronauts by phone
(05-22) 04:00 PDT Cape Canaveral -- Pope Benedict XVI had a direct line to the heavens Saturday, with NASA's help.
Speaking from the Vatican, the pontiff bestowed a historic blessing upon the 12 astronauts circling Earth during the first-ever papal call to space, wishing a swift recovery for the shuttle commander's wounded wife and condolences for a station astronaut mourning his mother's death.
The "extraordinary" conversation, as Benedict described it, occurred after the Endeavour astronauts inspected a small gash in the shuttle's belly, to ensure their safe return to Earth after departing the International Space Station in just over a week. NASA said the gash poses no safety concern.
Seated at a table before a television set tuned to NASA's live broadcast from orbit, Benedict told the space travelers that "you are our representatives spearheading humanity's exploration of new spaces and possibilities for our future." He said he admired their courage, discipline and commitment.
Cmdr. Mark Kelly, who's of Irish-Catholic descent, thanked the pope for his kind words. His wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., had surgery to repair her skull Wednesday, four months after being shot in the head at a political event in Tucson. She was nearly killed, yet managed to attend her husband's launch Monday.
The long-distance papal audience was arranged by the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. NASA provided technical support from Mission Control in Houston.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/21/MNJ11JJA1C.DTL#ixzz1N43AkLv7
Speaking from the Vatican, the pontiff bestowed a historic blessing upon the 12 astronauts circling Earth during the first-ever papal call to space, wishing a swift recovery for the shuttle commander's wounded wife and condolences for a station astronaut mourning his mother's death.
The "extraordinary" conversation, as Benedict described it, occurred after the Endeavour astronauts inspected a small gash in the shuttle's belly, to ensure their safe return to Earth after departing the International Space Station in just over a week. NASA said the gash poses no safety concern.
Seated at a table before a television set tuned to NASA's live broadcast from orbit, Benedict told the space travelers that "you are our representatives spearheading humanity's exploration of new spaces and possibilities for our future." He said he admired their courage, discipline and commitment.
Cmdr. Mark Kelly, who's of Irish-Catholic descent, thanked the pope for his kind words. His wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., had surgery to repair her skull Wednesday, four months after being shot in the head at a political event in Tucson. She was nearly killed, yet managed to attend her husband's launch Monday.
The long-distance papal audience was arranged by the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. NASA provided technical support from Mission Control in Houston.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/21/MNJ11JJA1C.DTL#ixzz1N43AkLv7
Thursday, May 19, 2011
iPhone 5 release imminent as iPhone 4 stocks down?
Reduced Q2 iPhone 4 orders hint at iPhone 5 arrival
Apple’s mooted iPhone 5 could be hear sooner than many expected as new reports claim Apple has lowered second quarter orders of the current iPhone 4 in preparation of its replacements arrival.
Technology blog Digitimes has claimed that “according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers” Apple has lowered its quarterly order of iPhone 4s by more than 2 million units as the Cupertino tech giant lines up the iPhone 5, tipped to be officially called the iPhone 4S, for a June 6th unveiling at the opening of its Worldwide Developers Conference.
With stock levels of the iPhone 4 set to drop in the near future Digitimes, not content with seemingly outing Apple’s iPhone timeline plans, boldly claimed its sources had revealed the iPhone 5 will begin production in August ahead of a September launch whilst “the rear camera will be upgraded to a 8-megapixel resolution model.”
Smartphone retailer Phones4u earlier this week told T3.com that "the iPhone 5 has been delayed until November following an issue with the handset's software.” They later reiterated: “Apple had a software issue with the handset so they are still waiting to fix that up so it will be November when it is coming out.”
When do you think the eagerly awaited iPhone 5 / 4S will land? Let us know your thoughts on the matter via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds.
Apple’s mooted iPhone 5 could be hear sooner than many expected as new reports claim Apple has lowered second quarter orders of the current iPhone 4 in preparation of its replacements arrival.
Technology blog Digitimes has claimed that “according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers” Apple has lowered its quarterly order of iPhone 4s by more than 2 million units as the Cupertino tech giant lines up the iPhone 5, tipped to be officially called the iPhone 4S, for a June 6th unveiling at the opening of its Worldwide Developers Conference.
With stock levels of the iPhone 4 set to drop in the near future Digitimes, not content with seemingly outing Apple’s iPhone timeline plans, boldly claimed its sources had revealed the iPhone 5 will begin production in August ahead of a September launch whilst “the rear camera will be upgraded to a 8-megapixel resolution model.”
Smartphone retailer Phones4u earlier this week told T3.com that "the iPhone 5 has been delayed until November following an issue with the handset's software.” They later reiterated: “Apple had a software issue with the handset so they are still waiting to fix that up so it will be November when it is coming out.”
When do you think the eagerly awaited iPhone 5 / 4S will land? Let us know your thoughts on the matter via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds.
Android 3.1 update coming in June to Acer and Asus
The update to Acer and Asus devices will bring additional support for a variety of USB based peripherals and accessories.
Asus, which will introduce its Eee Pad Transformer tablet in India next month, has announced that it will offer an Android 3.1 update over the air starting this June. It will announce the country-wise schedule in June itself.
EeePad transformer, as the name suggests, is a 10.1 inch tablet that can also become a netbook once attached to its keypad dock. Transformer currently ships with Android 3.0, and is one of the first devices to get the updated version.
Another tablet to get this update in June will be the Acer Iconia A500 tablet, which was launched in India just a couple of weeks ago. However, Acer officials have refused to comment on the expected release of the update for Indian users.
Motorola Xoom, which is yet to be launched in India, is also getting this update. This is important for many in India as the tablet is already available through several e-commerce websites such as Homeshop18.com.
Android 3.1, which is also known as Honeycomb, has user interface improvements that make it faster and more efficient to use. Along with it, UI transitions throughout the system and across standard apps are also improved.
The update will provide additional support for a variety of USB based peripherals and accessories such as keyboards, mice, game controllers and digital cameras.
The browser has undergone a complete overhaul, bringing support for popular web standards such as CSS, 3D animation, and CSS fixed positioning to all sites.
It also adds support for playback of embedded HTML5 video content. Users will now be able to save web pages, including all styling and images, locally for offline viewing.
Asus, which will introduce its Eee Pad Transformer tablet in India next month, has announced that it will offer an Android 3.1 update over the air starting this June. It will announce the country-wise schedule in June itself.
EeePad transformer, as the name suggests, is a 10.1 inch tablet that can also become a netbook once attached to its keypad dock. Transformer currently ships with Android 3.0, and is one of the first devices to get the updated version.
Another tablet to get this update in June will be the Acer Iconia A500 tablet, which was launched in India just a couple of weeks ago. However, Acer officials have refused to comment on the expected release of the update for Indian users.
Motorola Xoom, which is yet to be launched in India, is also getting this update. This is important for many in India as the tablet is already available through several e-commerce websites such as Homeshop18.com.
Android 3.1, which is also known as Honeycomb, has user interface improvements that make it faster and more efficient to use. Along with it, UI transitions throughout the system and across standard apps are also improved.
The update will provide additional support for a variety of USB based peripherals and accessories such as keyboards, mice, game controllers and digital cameras.
The browser has undergone a complete overhaul, bringing support for popular web standards such as CSS, 3D animation, and CSS fixed positioning to all sites.
It also adds support for playback of embedded HTML5 video content. Users will now be able to save web pages, including all styling and images, locally for offline viewing.
Honeycomb 3.1 (first take): Small changes, missed opportunities
When Google announced Android 3.1 Honeycomb was coming to the Xoom last week, I was pretty excited. Honeycomb's already a great tablet OS, so any improvements could only add to its functionality and efficiency. Unfortunately the version 3.1 update was released over the air and was rolled out in spurts. Our Xoom didn't receive its update until earlier this week. Google detailed changes to expect, but I wanted to check and see just how well some of them were implemented.
Browser
Aside from a few annoyances, I thought the Chrome browser in Honeycomb 3.0.1 was well-made, but there's always room for improvement. The biggest change in version 3.1 is the updated Quick Controls feature.
With this enabled, swiping either left or right from the edge of the screen and pressing down will bring up the menu. Through Quick Controls, you can quickly get all the functionality of the normal browser, with the added benefit of being able to preview open tabs before selecting them.
Although I was dubious at first, after using Quick Controls for a few minutes, I actually now prefer it to the normal interface. It makes for a cleaner screen, and you still have quick access to options.
One of the cosmetic differences between Honeycomb and iOS is the smoothness of Web site scrolling and zooming. With version 3.0.1 the Xoom's performance was choppier in comparison. I liken it to watching a game run at 30 frames per second (fps) versus one running at 60fps. The 30fps game looks great, until you see the much smoother 60fps game running next to it. Google has addressed this by improving the smoothness of scrolling and zooming to a level comparable with the iPad 2.
Some sites default to their mobile or Android version, and the only way around this is to access the UA String by typing "about:debug" in the address bar, navigating to Settings>Debug>UAString, and then switching to Desktop. Unfortunately, with Honeycomb 3.1, if you're typing in the address bar, the colon key is unavailable. It's available in other fields, like Google search, however. Our workaround? Type "about:debug" in the search field, then copy it to the address bar. I'm still baffled as to why this particular detail was changed.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20061523-251.html#ixzz1MobbRAfK
Browser
Aside from a few annoyances, I thought the Chrome browser in Honeycomb 3.0.1 was well-made, but there's always room for improvement. The biggest change in version 3.1 is the updated Quick Controls feature.
With this enabled, swiping either left or right from the edge of the screen and pressing down will bring up the menu. Through Quick Controls, you can quickly get all the functionality of the normal browser, with the added benefit of being able to preview open tabs before selecting them.
Although I was dubious at first, after using Quick Controls for a few minutes, I actually now prefer it to the normal interface. It makes for a cleaner screen, and you still have quick access to options.
One of the cosmetic differences between Honeycomb and iOS is the smoothness of Web site scrolling and zooming. With version 3.0.1 the Xoom's performance was choppier in comparison. I liken it to watching a game run at 30 frames per second (fps) versus one running at 60fps. The 30fps game looks great, until you see the much smoother 60fps game running next to it. Google has addressed this by improving the smoothness of scrolling and zooming to a level comparable with the iPad 2.
Some sites default to their mobile or Android version, and the only way around this is to access the UA String by typing "about:debug" in the address bar, navigating to Settings>Debug>UAString, and then switching to Desktop. Unfortunately, with Honeycomb 3.1, if you're typing in the address bar, the colon key is unavailable. It's available in other fields, like Google search, however. Our workaround? Type "about:debug" in the search field, then copy it to the address bar. I'm still baffled as to why this particular detail was changed.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20061523-251.html#ixzz1MobbRAfK
Honeycomb 3.1 (first take): Small changes, missed opportunities
When Google announced Android 3.1 Honeycomb was coming to the Xoom last week, I was pretty excited. Honeycomb's already a great tablet OS, so any improvements could only add to its functionality and efficiency. Unfortunately the version 3.1 update was released over the air and was rolled out in spurts. Our Xoom didn't receive its update until earlier this week. Google detailed changes to expect, but I wanted to check and see just how well some of them were implemented.
Browser
Aside from a few annoyances, I thought the Chrome browser in Honeycomb 3.0.1 was well-made, but there's always room for improvement. The biggest change in version 3.1 is the updated Quick Controls feature.
With this enabled, swiping either left or right from the edge of the screen and pressing down will bring up the menu. Through Quick Controls, you can quickly get all the functionality of the normal browser, with the added benefit of being able to preview open tabs before selecting them.
Although I was dubious at first, after using Quick Controls for a few minutes, I actually now prefer it to the normal interface. It makes for a cleaner screen, and you still have quick access to options.
One of the cosmetic differences between Honeycomb and iOS is the smoothness of Web site scrolling and zooming. With version 3.0.1 the Xoom's performance was choppier in comparison. I liken it to watching a game run at 30 frames per second (fps) versus one running at 60fps. The 30fps game looks great, until you see the much smoother 60fps game running next to it. Google has addressed this by improving the smoothness of scrolling and zooming to a level comparable with the iPad 2.
Some sites default to their mobile or Android version, and the only way around this is to access the UA String by typing "about:debug" in the address bar, navigating to Settings>Debug>UAString, and then switching to Desktop. Unfortunately, with Honeycomb 3.1, if you're typing in the address bar, the colon key is unavailable. It's available in other fields, like Google search, however. Our workaround? Type "about:debug" in the search field, then copy it to the address bar. I'm still baffled as to why this particular detail was changed.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20061523-251.html#ixzz1MobbRAfK
Browser
Aside from a few annoyances, I thought the Chrome browser in Honeycomb 3.0.1 was well-made, but there's always room for improvement. The biggest change in version 3.1 is the updated Quick Controls feature.
With this enabled, swiping either left or right from the edge of the screen and pressing down will bring up the menu. Through Quick Controls, you can quickly get all the functionality of the normal browser, with the added benefit of being able to preview open tabs before selecting them.
Although I was dubious at first, after using Quick Controls for a few minutes, I actually now prefer it to the normal interface. It makes for a cleaner screen, and you still have quick access to options.
One of the cosmetic differences between Honeycomb and iOS is the smoothness of Web site scrolling and zooming. With version 3.0.1 the Xoom's performance was choppier in comparison. I liken it to watching a game run at 30 frames per second (fps) versus one running at 60fps. The 30fps game looks great, until you see the much smoother 60fps game running next to it. Google has addressed this by improving the smoothness of scrolling and zooming to a level comparable with the iPad 2.
Some sites default to their mobile or Android version, and the only way around this is to access the UA String by typing "about:debug" in the address bar, navigating to Settings>Debug>UAString, and then switching to Desktop. Unfortunately, with Honeycomb 3.1, if you're typing in the address bar, the colon key is unavailable. It's available in other fields, like Google search, however. Our workaround? Type "about:debug" in the search field, then copy it to the address bar. I'm still baffled as to why this particular detail was changed.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20061523-251.html#ixzz1MobbRAfK
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Windows Phone 7 Could Beat Android, Analyst Says
Smartphones running Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Phone 7 operating system could surpass those with Google’s Android operating system by 2013, market research firm Pyramid Research said.
Today, Android smartphones are ruling the market, outselling phones running Nokia’s Symbian OS. Apple’s iPhone is third, followed by Research In Motion Ltd.’s Blackberry, and lastly Windows Phone 7 is a distant fifth place.
In its Q1 smartphone forecast, Pyramid Research based its projections on the partnership agreement between Microsoft and Nokia, the world’s biggest maker of mobile phones.
“We believe that Nokia and Microsoft are a very powerful tandem, and that will show in its full force by the end of 2013,” said Senior Analyst Stela Bokun in a research note. “Lower price of the devices will be the crucial prerequisite for the expansion of [Windows Phone] models. Nokia knows it and Microsoft knows it, and I am sure they will act on it quickly.”
Pyramid’s premise is that Nokia will be able to market Windows smartphones in emerging markets at much lower price points than the high-end iPhone and Android devices currently in the market. In addition, smartphone growth will create a much bigger overall market for such devices in Asia and Europe.
Market research firm IDC issued a separate report earlier in the year stating that Windows smartphones will be No. 2 in the market by 2015, also citing the Nokia-Microsoft partnership. But IDC forecasts that Windows will only have a 20.9 percent market share, less than half of Android’s 45.4 percent share.
Some analysts believe that in addition to the Nokia partnership, Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Skype is another way the company plans to attack the mobile market.
“Microsoft's plan to acquire Skype fits in perfectly with its recent partnership with Nokia because both offer incredible reach,” wrote Forrester Research analyst Mike Gualtieri in a note last week.
“Nokia has a huge number of device users even though they lost the smartphone market. There are still hundreds of millions of people to convert to smartphones and tablets.”
But for now, sales of Windows Phone 7 devices still trail the iPhone and Android smartphones on U.S. carriers, by a wide margin.
AT&T Wireless last week slashed the price of two Windows smartphones by half—LQ Quantum and Samsung Focus—to $49.99, their second price cut since debuting at $199 late last year.
Eldar Murtazin, the editor-in-chief of mobile-review.com, which is in Russian, said that Windows Phone 7 sales so far have been dismal, and his analysis of the sales of its devices showed that consumers bought only 674,000 units globally in 2010.
Today, Android smartphones are ruling the market, outselling phones running Nokia’s Symbian OS. Apple’s iPhone is third, followed by Research In Motion Ltd.’s Blackberry, and lastly Windows Phone 7 is a distant fifth place.
In its Q1 smartphone forecast, Pyramid Research based its projections on the partnership agreement between Microsoft and Nokia, the world’s biggest maker of mobile phones.
“We believe that Nokia and Microsoft are a very powerful tandem, and that will show in its full force by the end of 2013,” said Senior Analyst Stela Bokun in a research note. “Lower price of the devices will be the crucial prerequisite for the expansion of [Windows Phone] models. Nokia knows it and Microsoft knows it, and I am sure they will act on it quickly.”
Pyramid’s premise is that Nokia will be able to market Windows smartphones in emerging markets at much lower price points than the high-end iPhone and Android devices currently in the market. In addition, smartphone growth will create a much bigger overall market for such devices in Asia and Europe.
Market research firm IDC issued a separate report earlier in the year stating that Windows smartphones will be No. 2 in the market by 2015, also citing the Nokia-Microsoft partnership. But IDC forecasts that Windows will only have a 20.9 percent market share, less than half of Android’s 45.4 percent share.
Some analysts believe that in addition to the Nokia partnership, Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Skype is another way the company plans to attack the mobile market.
“Microsoft's plan to acquire Skype fits in perfectly with its recent partnership with Nokia because both offer incredible reach,” wrote Forrester Research analyst Mike Gualtieri in a note last week.
“Nokia has a huge number of device users even though they lost the smartphone market. There are still hundreds of millions of people to convert to smartphones and tablets.”
But for now, sales of Windows Phone 7 devices still trail the iPhone and Android smartphones on U.S. carriers, by a wide margin.
AT&T Wireless last week slashed the price of two Windows smartphones by half—LQ Quantum and Samsung Focus—to $49.99, their second price cut since debuting at $199 late last year.
Eldar Murtazin, the editor-in-chief of mobile-review.com, which is in Russian, said that Windows Phone 7 sales so far have been dismal, and his analysis of the sales of its devices showed that consumers bought only 674,000 units globally in 2010.
Here Comes The iPhone 5
ntro
The latest buzz around technology nerds right about now? The iPhone 5, which is supposed to launch in early 2012, is the newest member of the Steve Job’s apple family. The rumor is that this Smartphone will run on both networks (Verizon and AT&T), and run at better trafficking speeds than the others. Here is a look at the rumored specs of the iPhone 5.
Hardware
First of the changes -- and most pronounced -- is the shifting of the Phone’s antenna notches (the little black bands that intersect the frame of the device). On the Verizon version, there are four slits which are symmetrical -- two on the top right and left, and two along the bottom. At one of Apple’s technology conferences in California, Apple's Tim Cook told the crowd that the move is all about making the new CDMA chipset play nice with the antenna design. As you know the iPhone 4’s antenna was badly placed causing it to repeatedly drop calls and aggravate its consumers. Apple has also slightly shifted the mute switch and volume buttons to accommodate the antenna changes, and there's no SIM slot.
Internals
You still have Apple's powerful A4 CPU chugging alongside 512MB of RAM, the incredible 960 x 640 IPS Retina Display. Ram is what makes your phone speed faster or slower depending on the amount you have. Basically the same as the Apple Iphone 4. No major internal changes have been added.
Phone quality and calls
The troubles that AT&T has had with reception and dropped calls on the Iphone are legendary, and even if 100 percent of the issues do not lie with the carrier, there's most definitely a belief that the company's GSM network simply isn't equipped to handle the traffic devices like the iPhone have created. The new location of the antenna on the Iphone 5 makes call clarity and networking traffic much better. You should see a real improvement in the Iphone’s network and call clarity.
Data
Data rates on the Verizon iPhone 4 we tested were dramatically slower than those on its AT&T counterpart. How much slower? Well, even though network speeds fluctuate based on many factors, we didn't see the Verizon device peak much beyond 1.4 Mbps on downloads (and even that high was rare), and it barely hit 0.5 Mbps on upstream. Verizon speeds were more consistent, but the irrefutable fact is that AT&T's network is much, much faster, at least in our neck of the woods. This should still be true for the iPhone 5.
Software
Even though the Verizon iPhone is running iOS 4.2.6, there aren't many significant or noticeable changes save for one new addition: Personal Hotspot. It's a hotspot app that lives in your system preferences, allowing you to connect wirelessly to other devices (over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) to the phone's 3G service.
Battery Life
“On a day of extremely heavy use (lots and lots of phone calls, browsing, email, Twitter, text messaging) we saw well over 24 hours on a single charge.” People jumping from the Iphone 4 should be extremely pleased with this number. The iPhone battery has always killed the Smartphone industry. Its modified lithium-polymer design makes its much more advanced from the iPhone 4.
Pricing
Everyone’s favorite category. How much dough are you willing to shell for the best Smartphone in America? AT&T's tiered plans mean you can pay much less if you don't use much mobile data. If you're willing to live with a 200MB data budget, you can drop down to a $15 a month data plan, which puts you at $74 a month or $888 yearly, and if you further drop texting from that you're down to just $55 per month or $660 yearly.Verizon's unlimited data plans will eventually go away in favor of tiered plans, so if you're looking to get in, you'd better act fast. Compared to AT&T, that's actually a good deal, since AT&T caps its data plans. AT&T offers 2GB of data for $25 a month and the same optional additional $20 surcharge for tethering, and the cheapest combination of voice and unlimited texting plans also offers 450 minutes for $59 a month, so in the end you're spending the same $90 a month or $1,080 yearly for less data, and the same $70 a month or $840 yearly if you drop the texting plan. That means you're looking at $29.99 a month for unlimited data, with an optional additional $20 a month charge for 2GB of tethering data. You'll also need a Nationwide voice plan, of course -- the cheapest with unlimited texting is the $59 plan that offers 450 minutes a month, so you're looking at a minimum of $90 a month (or $1,080 yearly) to keep your Verizon iPhone 4 happy and completely functional. (If you drop the texting it's $70 a month, or $840.)
Jeremy’s Wrap Up
While the Iphone 4 isn't all rainbows and flowers (the data speed issues or the voice / data considerations could be a deal breaker for some), the Iphone 5 will tweak the major problems of the Iphone 4 and it does kind of feel like Apple and Verizon did the impossible: they made the best Smartphone in America just a little bit better
The latest buzz around technology nerds right about now? The iPhone 5, which is supposed to launch in early 2012, is the newest member of the Steve Job’s apple family. The rumor is that this Smartphone will run on both networks (Verizon and AT&T), and run at better trafficking speeds than the others. Here is a look at the rumored specs of the iPhone 5.
Hardware
First of the changes -- and most pronounced -- is the shifting of the Phone’s antenna notches (the little black bands that intersect the frame of the device). On the Verizon version, there are four slits which are symmetrical -- two on the top right and left, and two along the bottom. At one of Apple’s technology conferences in California, Apple's Tim Cook told the crowd that the move is all about making the new CDMA chipset play nice with the antenna design. As you know the iPhone 4’s antenna was badly placed causing it to repeatedly drop calls and aggravate its consumers. Apple has also slightly shifted the mute switch and volume buttons to accommodate the antenna changes, and there's no SIM slot.
Internals
You still have Apple's powerful A4 CPU chugging alongside 512MB of RAM, the incredible 960 x 640 IPS Retina Display. Ram is what makes your phone speed faster or slower depending on the amount you have. Basically the same as the Apple Iphone 4. No major internal changes have been added.
Phone quality and calls
The troubles that AT&T has had with reception and dropped calls on the Iphone are legendary, and even if 100 percent of the issues do not lie with the carrier, there's most definitely a belief that the company's GSM network simply isn't equipped to handle the traffic devices like the iPhone have created. The new location of the antenna on the Iphone 5 makes call clarity and networking traffic much better. You should see a real improvement in the Iphone’s network and call clarity.
Data
Data rates on the Verizon iPhone 4 we tested were dramatically slower than those on its AT&T counterpart. How much slower? Well, even though network speeds fluctuate based on many factors, we didn't see the Verizon device peak much beyond 1.4 Mbps on downloads (and even that high was rare), and it barely hit 0.5 Mbps on upstream. Verizon speeds were more consistent, but the irrefutable fact is that AT&T's network is much, much faster, at least in our neck of the woods. This should still be true for the iPhone 5.
Software
Even though the Verizon iPhone is running iOS 4.2.6, there aren't many significant or noticeable changes save for one new addition: Personal Hotspot. It's a hotspot app that lives in your system preferences, allowing you to connect wirelessly to other devices (over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) to the phone's 3G service.
Battery Life
“On a day of extremely heavy use (lots and lots of phone calls, browsing, email, Twitter, text messaging) we saw well over 24 hours on a single charge.” People jumping from the Iphone 4 should be extremely pleased with this number. The iPhone battery has always killed the Smartphone industry. Its modified lithium-polymer design makes its much more advanced from the iPhone 4.
Pricing
Everyone’s favorite category. How much dough are you willing to shell for the best Smartphone in America? AT&T's tiered plans mean you can pay much less if you don't use much mobile data. If you're willing to live with a 200MB data budget, you can drop down to a $15 a month data plan, which puts you at $74 a month or $888 yearly, and if you further drop texting from that you're down to just $55 per month or $660 yearly.Verizon's unlimited data plans will eventually go away in favor of tiered plans, so if you're looking to get in, you'd better act fast. Compared to AT&T, that's actually a good deal, since AT&T caps its data plans. AT&T offers 2GB of data for $25 a month and the same optional additional $20 surcharge for tethering, and the cheapest combination of voice and unlimited texting plans also offers 450 minutes for $59 a month, so in the end you're spending the same $90 a month or $1,080 yearly for less data, and the same $70 a month or $840 yearly if you drop the texting plan. That means you're looking at $29.99 a month for unlimited data, with an optional additional $20 a month charge for 2GB of tethering data. You'll also need a Nationwide voice plan, of course -- the cheapest with unlimited texting is the $59 plan that offers 450 minutes a month, so you're looking at a minimum of $90 a month (or $1,080 yearly) to keep your Verizon iPhone 4 happy and completely functional. (If you drop the texting it's $70 a month, or $840.)
Jeremy’s Wrap Up
While the Iphone 4 isn't all rainbows and flowers (the data speed issues or the voice / data considerations could be a deal breaker for some), the Iphone 5 will tweak the major problems of the Iphone 4 and it does kind of feel like Apple and Verizon did the impossible: they made the best Smartphone in America just a little bit better
Apple's iPhone 5 Carried by Sprint, T-Mobile: Report
Apple’s next iPhone could feature only incremental upgrades, but appear on a broader set of carriers, according to a new research note from Jefferies & Co.
“We believe the likelihood of the iPhone 5 launch in September including LTE [Long-Term Evolution] is now remote,” Peter Misek wrote in the co-authored research note, issued May 13. “According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ [Evolved High-Speed Packet Access] support.”
The note also claims, based on “industry checks,” that Sprint, T-Mobile and China Mobile will be announced as new iPhone carriers in time for the holiday season: “On Apple’s last earnings call, management responded to a question about launching the CDMA [Code Division Multiple Access] iPhone at other carriers as ‘we are constantly looking and adding where it makes sense, and you can keep confidence that we’ll continue to do that.’”
AT&T and Verizon currently offer the iPhone in the United States. Despite AT&T’s plans to acquire T-Mobile for $39 billion in cash and stock, however, the smaller carrier has been denying imminent support for the iPhone.
“T-Mobile USA remains an independent company,” read a note posted on T-Mobile’s corporate Website in March. “The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting-edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and, coming soon, our new Sidekick 4G.”
That statement made it seem as if T-Mobile customers hungry for an iPhone would need to wait at least a year, until AT&T finishes digesting their carrier. AT&T’s deal is a positive for Apple, at least according to a March 21 research note from Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White: “The company would gain access to T-Mobile’s 34 million subscriber base, versus the 96 million subscribers at AT&T in 4Q10.”
Meanwhile, Sprint remains close-lipped about any potential iPhone deal. When asked about that possibility during the carrier’s most recent earnings call, CEO Dan Hesse suggested he was unable to comment on “potential discussions” with any suppliers, before joking: “What is it, like the fifty-fifth time I’ve been asked that?”
Nonetheless, the presence of the iPhone on Verizon and some combination of T-Mobile and AT&T would make Sprint the odd person out in the domestic smartphone market. Although Sprint offers a line of 4G smartphones with some unique aesthetics and features, the iPhone has proven a massive bestseller—something that no carrier could easily pass up, even if it’s devoted substantial marketing resources and political capital to establishing its own line of products.
Anonymous sources speaking to Reuters April 20 suggested that Apple will ship the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4S) in September, meaning that production for the device will ramp up sometime in either July or August. Sources have also hinted to other publications that the smartphone will hit store shelves sometime closer to the end of 2011.
Current rumors suggest the next iPhone will include the A5 processor, more powerful cameras and, perhaps, NFC (near-field communication) technology, which would allow the smartphone to act as an electronic wallet. All those features would give Apple the capability to compete more heartily against the higher-end Android smartphones, whose hardware and software are becoming increasingly robust. As with all Apple rumors, however, multiple grains of salt should be taken until the company makes an actual announcement.
“We believe the likelihood of the iPhone 5 launch in September including LTE [Long-Term Evolution] is now remote,” Peter Misek wrote in the co-authored research note, issued May 13. “According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ [Evolved High-Speed Packet Access] support.”
The note also claims, based on “industry checks,” that Sprint, T-Mobile and China Mobile will be announced as new iPhone carriers in time for the holiday season: “On Apple’s last earnings call, management responded to a question about launching the CDMA [Code Division Multiple Access] iPhone at other carriers as ‘we are constantly looking and adding where it makes sense, and you can keep confidence that we’ll continue to do that.’”
AT&T and Verizon currently offer the iPhone in the United States. Despite AT&T’s plans to acquire T-Mobile for $39 billion in cash and stock, however, the smaller carrier has been denying imminent support for the iPhone.
“T-Mobile USA remains an independent company,” read a note posted on T-Mobile’s corporate Website in March. “The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting-edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and, coming soon, our new Sidekick 4G.”
That statement made it seem as if T-Mobile customers hungry for an iPhone would need to wait at least a year, until AT&T finishes digesting their carrier. AT&T’s deal is a positive for Apple, at least according to a March 21 research note from Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White: “The company would gain access to T-Mobile’s 34 million subscriber base, versus the 96 million subscribers at AT&T in 4Q10.”
Meanwhile, Sprint remains close-lipped about any potential iPhone deal. When asked about that possibility during the carrier’s most recent earnings call, CEO Dan Hesse suggested he was unable to comment on “potential discussions” with any suppliers, before joking: “What is it, like the fifty-fifth time I’ve been asked that?”
Nonetheless, the presence of the iPhone on Verizon and some combination of T-Mobile and AT&T would make Sprint the odd person out in the domestic smartphone market. Although Sprint offers a line of 4G smartphones with some unique aesthetics and features, the iPhone has proven a massive bestseller—something that no carrier could easily pass up, even if it’s devoted substantial marketing resources and political capital to establishing its own line of products.
Anonymous sources speaking to Reuters April 20 suggested that Apple will ship the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4S) in September, meaning that production for the device will ramp up sometime in either July or August. Sources have also hinted to other publications that the smartphone will hit store shelves sometime closer to the end of 2011.
Current rumors suggest the next iPhone will include the A5 processor, more powerful cameras and, perhaps, NFC (near-field communication) technology, which would allow the smartphone to act as an electronic wallet. All those features would give Apple the capability to compete more heartily against the higher-end Android smartphones, whose hardware and software are becoming increasingly robust. As with all Apple rumors, however, multiple grains of salt should be taken until the company makes an actual announcement.
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