Friday, March 23The Wall Street Journal and Apple TV
Bit Player
Jon Healey blogs about how the Wall Street Journal got a sneak peak at the Apple TV.
“The inability to handle streamed content makes the Apple TV a non-starter in my book, particularly at that price. Besides, I don’t have digital TV. But there’s another issue…”
What’s your opinion?
Lot to read about for Apple TV
Apple Insider
The Apple Insider staff blog about the documentation for Apple TV.
“However, company warns that your very first content sync may be tedious if you’re not on an 802.11n wireless network, as ‘syncing several gigabytes of data over an 802.11b or an 802.11g wireless network can take a long time.’”
What’s your opinion?
Should virtual property be taxed?
Tech Web
Mitch Wagner talks about his colleague and the argument over whether virtual property should be taxed.
“Indiana law professor Leandra Lederman says virtual property should be taxed like fish — when it’s sold, not before.”
What’s your opinion?
Thursday, March 22
The current state of Microsoft’s UMPC
Daily Tech
Brandon Hill’s blog uncovers how far Microsoft has taken UMPC platform from just a year ago.
“There are a number of key reasons why the platform has floundered thus far: high price of entry, high system weight, meager system/video performance and poor battery life. Until these issues are addressed, sales may never take off for the platform.”
What’s your opinion?
EU copyright changes tick off just about everyone
Tech Dirt
Someone named Mike from Tech Dirt does not pull any punches from his blog about the proposed changes to the European Union’s copyright law.
“Not surprisingly, that makes the various copyright lobbies happy. They like being able to go after the big providers, rather than individuals – even if the big service providers haven’t actually done anything wrong. However, the draft law apparently also then clears the way for individual users to download what they want for non-commercial use. Private, non-commercial use of infringed products is allowed – which pisses off those very same copyright lobbies. Effectively, what this really does is take all the liability off of end users, and dumps a fair portion of it on the providers of the tools and services they use. That doesn’t seem fair or reasonable, but apparently someone thought it made for a good regulatory proposal.”
What’s your opinion?
I just blogged to say
The Tech Chronicles
Ellen Lee unveils a way bloggers can be telephone callers.
“Jaxtr, led by former Linkedin co-founder Konstantin Guericke, debuted Tuesday, allowing users to make and receive telephone calls through their blogs, social networks such as MySpace and Facebook or sites such as Craigslist. Post the Jaxtr widget on your blog and your friends (strangers, die-hard fans, etc.) can click on it to call or text message you. It’ll be a local call for them, and they won’t have to know your telephone number. You program whose calls you’re willing to receive or send directly to voice mail, which you can listen to online.”
What’s your opinion?
Wednesday, March 21
Samsung does the Jitterbug
Pink Slip
Maureen Rogers talks about her experiences working in the high tech sector for more than 20 years.
“First off, whatever the product is, what a great name. Second, the product sounds great, too. Jitterbug is a (Samsung) cell phone-cum-service for people who are just looking for, well, a plain old-fashioned, no jive cell phone. Not a video camera. Not a PC. Not an e-mail device. Not a scheduler. Not a walkie-talkie. A cell phone.”
What’s your opinion?
Toshiba resolves patent dispute
Wall Street Journal blogs
Hynix Semiconductor Inc. of South Korea and Japan’s Toshiba Corp. declared an end to their legal battles.
“The two companies have been embroiled in litigation in Japan and the U.S. over NAND flash memory chips, used in digital products such as cameras, music players, personal digital assistants and memory cards.”
What’s your opinion?
Rumour: Nokia or Motorola to buy Palm
Business 2.0
Owen Thomas has sniffed out this little news nugget.
“Palm is on the auction block. Nokia, Motorola and private equity bidders in the hunt. A sale announcement could come as soon as Thursday, when Palm is set to report quarterly earnings. I’m planning to liveblog the earnings call, if they hold one – sometimes companies cancel calls when there’s a deal announced – but until Thursday, here’s my take on the bidders.”
What’s your opinion?
Tuesday, March 20
LCD versus plasma
IT WireThis blog really isn’t about a format war.
“Plasma versus LCD is not really a format war anyway. Unlike Blu-ray and HD DVD, LCD and plasma are not mutually exclusive technologies struggling to become an industry standard. Just like Blu-ray and HD DVD, Sony has launched a major war of words in an effort to trash talk the competition. The LCD vs. plasma debate is over, claimed Sony Australia deputy managing director Carl Rose in a January press release based on figures from market research group GfK. Consumers and retailers alike are showing their increased understanding of which technology is best for a future that’s in high definition. In claiming victory for LCD, Rose conveniently forgot to mention that Sony abandoned the plasma market last year.”
What’s your opinion?
Ballmer calls Google hiring insane
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Todd Bishop’s blog discusses what Steve Ballmer thinks is insane.
“The target of his criticism was, of course, Google, which had 10,674 employees at the end of 2006, up 88 percent from a year earlier, according to the report. ‘They’re going to double in a year. That’s insane, in my opinion,’ Ballmer told the students.”
What’s your opinion?
Take that, China
The Channel Maker
Read all about the U.S. being No. 1 source of online threats in the world.
“The report goes on to say that 31 per cent of all malicious online attacks originate within the United States, with an even higher percentage of credit card fraud originating with Old Glory and Uncle Sam as well. Those stats make me wonder what kind of damage is being to SMBs that the channel might be able to repair. It seems like it must be a matter of storage security being violated and private information is getting stolen by, what I like to call, malcontents. But where does the blame really lie? With the person who can hack into a private network and steal that information? Or does it lie with the company that isn’t keeping that information secure?”
What’s your opinion?
Monday, March 19
Google keeps Steve Ballmer up at night
Wired
Dylan Tweney describing a tough-talking CEO at a Stanford Business School function.
“For all the tough talk, though, Ballmer knows he’s up against a formidable enemy, including Google as well as new open-source software solutions: If somebody came to you and said you have a new competitor that has no price and has no cost structure you might stay up a night or two on that one.”
What’s your opinion?
Mozilla to beta test Firefox security
News.com
Robert Vamosi looks at Firefox Version 2’s security updates.
“According to Mozilla, everyone who participated in the beta process for Firefox 2 will be offered a prerelease version of the next security and stability update within the next 24 hours. Beta builds and release candidates for browsers often receive wide testing and feedback as part of Mozilla’s development community program, so why not pretest its security updates as well. The final release of Firefox 2.0.0.3 is expected to take place shortly after Mozilla completes its testing through this new program.”
What’s your opinion?
Apple and Palms team up
The Infinite Loop
Robin Leach, host of the 80’s TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, is providing information on Apple.
“I found out a few different, interesting things all from one blog entry by none other then Robin Leach. On Leach’s blog, Luxe Life, in an article entitled “Rockin’ and Recording at the Palms,” we learn that this partnership was public knowledge as far back as November 22 of 2006. Apparently the reason that this news is coming to our attention now is because The Pearl is finally open, and its “grand opening” will be happening next month.”
What’s your opinion?