Motorola unleashes salvo of new Android phones
At CTIA Enterprise and Applications 2010 in San Francisco today, mobile phone maker and major Android supporter Motorola unveiled six new Android smartphones that will be available at different points later this year. In typical Motorola fashion, each device offers a unique selling point to make it stand out in the Android marketplace.
Flipside
This QWERTY slider features a unique large trackpad on the front panel beside the 3.1" touchscreen. It runs a 720MHz processor and Android 2.1, and will be available for $99 on AT&T.
Analyst says iPad is fastest adopted consumer electronic device ever
Derided by some at its launch as a device with no market, Apple's iPad has now proven to be one of the most successful consumer electronic device launches ever, according to Bernstein Research retail analyst Colin McGranahan. He expects the device to have a sell through rate to be about 4.5 million units per quarter.
This is far faster than the iPhone, which sold one million units in its initial launch quarter, and far ahead of the 350,000 DVD players sold in its first year, CNBC reported Tuesday. Repeating the statements of some analysts that the iPad would not be a runaway hit, he mused "by any account, the iPad is a runaway success of unprecedented proportion."
AT&T announces first 4G-capable laptop devices
Though AT&T hasn't launched its next generation HSPA+ or LTE networks yet, the carrier Tuesday introduced the first LaptopConnect devices that will support the technologies.
The first LTE-capable device will be the USBConnect Adrenaline from LG, and the first device supporting HSPA+ will be the USBConnect Shockwave from Sierra Wireless.
Android leads RIM, iPhone in US sales, Nielsen says
Android grabbed the top spot in market share among smart phones sold in the past six months ending in August, data from Nielsen released on Tuesday showed. The platform made up 32 percent of all sales in the month, outpacing Apple, who made up 26 percent of sales, and RIM, which had 25 percent.
RIM had held a sizable lead in the survey until June, staying in a range of 31 to 37 percent of the market since January. However, Android had either increased or maintained its share in every month, unlike Apple, who generally fell during the year. Apple's only saving grace was the release of the iPhone 4, it appears.
Will you buy Windows Phone 7?
It's a question I've asked before, but it comes with new urgency. Microsoft will officially launch Windows Phone 7 in six days, on October 11th, with main event in New York City. The analysts give Windows Phone 7 little to no hope of catching rivals. Gartner predicts Microsoft's mobile software will fall below "other" by 2014. But analysts peering into crystal balls, and often seeing fantasy futures, won't be considering a Windows Phone 7 purchase. You will.
So I simply ask: Will you buy a Windows Phone 7 smartphone? But a yes or no answer isn't good enough. I want reasons. Particularly for potential buyers, what are three reasons (more if you like) why you will buy into the Windows Phone 7 cosmos? For regular Betanews readers who are Microsoft fans, this is a great opportunity to rally for your company. But be smart, by being specific. Share what you hope to gain from a Windows Phone 7 smartphone rather than generally congratulate Microsoft or assert that somehow, someway the WP7 stormtroopers will retake the palace. Please answer in comments -- or, better, by email: joewilcox at gmail dot com. I'll compile the best responses into a separate post.
Skype releases Android app to the public: the pros and the cons
Tuesday, popular instant messaging and VoIP chat client Skype officially launched its Skype application for devices running Android 2.1 and up. While Skype is one of the most popular VoIP clients, bringing it to the Android platform has been quite problematic. With this release, we see those problems have persisted.
What it does
Hitachi-LG debuts second generation 'hybrid' optical drives
In the thin-and-light "ultraportable" class of notebooks, one of the first features to be removed as a space-saving measure is the optical drive. But these space limitations can be worked around with consolidated solutions like the so-called "Hybrid Drive" which combines an optical disk drive and SSD in a single drive enclosure.
Today, HLDS (the joint venture between Hitachi and LG) unveiled its second generation of hybrid drive, designed for use in smaller form factor devices such as ultraportable notebooks. It's an evolution of the HyDrive concept that HLDS showed off earlier this year, but with today's announcement, Micron is the supplier of the NAND flash components. The first run of these drives will come with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of memory.
Evan Williams steps down as Twitter CEO, COO Costolo gets nod
Responding to the increasing size of Twitter, and a desire to go back to his roots in development, Evan Williams said Monday that he would be stepping down as Twitter's CEO, handing the company over to current COO Dick Costolo. Williams had served in the position since 2008.
The change would take effect immediately, Williams wrote in a blog post Monday. "Starting today, I'll be completely focused on product strategy," he said. "Building things is my passion, and I've never been more excited or optimistic about what we have to build."
Apple appeals $625.5 million patent verdict over use of Cover Flow
A Tyler County, Texas court slapped Apple with the fourth largest patent judgement in history on Friday, saying its use of Cover Flow infringed on patents held by Mirror Worlds LLC. The company originally sued Apple back in 2008, claiming infringement on three of its patents across the Cupertino company's Mac, iPod and iPhone products.
Tyler County jurists ruled against Apple on all three counts, and let Mirror Worlds collect $208.5 million for each patent. Apple in turn asked for an emergency stay in US District Court of the ruling, arguing that issues remained on the validity of Mirror World's claims, and that allowing it to collect seperately on each patent equates to "triple dipping."
October 11th Windows Phone 7 event marks generational shift for Windows
October 11, one week from today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets CEO Ralph de la Vega will host a press conference in New York City to launch Windows Phone 7.
While It has not been explicitly stated whether the event next week will be an event to unveil the Windows Phone 7 launch devices, or be a ceremony to reveal the final RTM version of the mobile operating system (which was launched to OEMs and developers In mid-September,) the participation of De la Vega suggests it will be the former. Furthermore, it was at this same time last year that Microsoft launched the Windows Phone brand, so the timing of this event also falls in line with Microsoft's mobile development calendar.
Google TV official site goes live, content partners announced, features shown
In advance of the expected launch of Google TV this week, Google on Monday opened up the official Google TV website, which provides the first in-depth look at the Web-on-TV platform since it was unveiled five months ago.
In addition to the deeper look at the Google TV search bar, Chrome Web browser, and Android-based application environment Google TV brings, the company announced a host of partners who have developed Google TV-optimized sites or Google TV apps.
Microsoft brings back Windows 7 Family Pack -- that's three Home Premium licenses for $150
As marketing tactics go, Microsoft's Windows 7 Family Pack revival is shrewdly timed. That's right, Family Pack is back -- and for a limited time. According to Microsoft's Windows Blog, "while supplies last," whatever that means. Microsoft is drumming the public relations ahead of October 22nd global availability, when consumers can grab a box with three Windows 7 Home Premium licenses for about 150 bucks. The software deal already is available in the United States direct from Microsoft or from "select" retailers.
The reasons aren't rocket science for the timing, one of which Microsoft's blog post hints at -- Windows Live Essentials 2011, which officially released late last week. "Upgrading to Windows 7 from Windows XP also lets you take advantage to one of all the benefits of the new Windows Live Essentials 2011," Ashley Brown blogs. "Windows Live Essentials is a free suite of software designed to complete your Windows 7 experience." It's a marketing pitch but also an admission: Windows Live Essentials 2011 requires Windows 7 or Vista. XP users aren't allowed.
Barnes and Noble reveals e-book pricing 'sweet spot' with new self-publishing tool
Book retailer Barnes and Noble on Monday launched its independent e-book publishing platform Pubit! to attract independent and do-it-yourself publishers to the Nook e-reader.
Books released through Pubit! can be priced as low as 99¢ and as high as $199.99, but there's definitely a sweet spot where Barnes and Noble encourages publishers to list their e-books. That spot is between $2.99 and $9.99, where publishers take 65% of the money collected. Titles priced less than $2.98, and more than $10.00 only earn publishers 40% of the list price.
Movie Review: 'The Social Network'
Near the end of David Fincher's movie about Facebook, a young attorney tells CEO Mark Zuckerberg: "You're not an asshole, Mark. You're just trying so hard to be one." It's something of an apology for a movie that makes Zuckerberg appear every bit the asshole.
Early in the movie, Zuckerberg's girlfriend dumps him, saying: "You're going to be successful and rich. But you're going to go through life thinking that girls don't like you because you're a tech geek. I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that won't be true. It'll be because you're an asshole." Her comment and the one later bookends the movie. But there's something about the early asshole characterization that doesn't fit. The movie opens with Zuckerberg talking to the girlfriend (Erica Albright, played by Rooney Mara), and he comes off every bit the stereotypical over-intellectual, socially inept geek. He speaks his mind, to a fault.
Clear's board shakeup a possible sign of T-Mobile deal
In a surprising move said to address antitrust law change concerns, all Sprint executives nominated to Clearwire's board stepped down late Thursday. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, president of strategy and corporate initiatives Keith Cowan, and network operations and wholesale chief Steven Elfman have sat on the board since 2008's merger of Xohm and Clearwire.
Sprint had also nominated four others, but those appointees would keep their board seats. The wireless carrier did however reserve the right to appoint new people to those positions "at a later date." While that may indeed be true, some believe the move could be an effort to clear any concerns over a possible deal with T-Mobile.
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