Social business technologies remain in the foreground of discussions about business transformation, but the events of the first quarter of 2013 raised as many questions as they answered, or more. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
With the new release, OpenStack continues to add features and perks to its cloud infrastructure stack. What it needs to start showing now is real end-user customers outside the tech bubble. Read more »
LED production has grown tremendously, accompanied by a significant fall in prices that will further propel the sale of this energy-efficient digital-lighting technology. But challenges remain on the road to widespread adoption. Figuring out ways to use power efficiently for lighting will be crucial for a future when the world’s population will likely be much larger. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Amazon stock is up, up and away yet again — here’s the latest news and a chart that shows the company’s gravity-defying growth. Read more »
Social media technologies continue to permeate marketing and enterprise collaboration, even if investors felt let down in the third quarter by their consumer-facing businesses like Facebook, Groupon, and Zynga. So B2B technology offerings in support of marketing and collaboration will soon steal all the social tech attention. This quarterly wrap-up analyzes these events, and provides a near-term outlook for trends, technologies and companies to watch in the next 18 to 24 months. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Target and Best Buy are joining Sprint in offering $20 to $50 discounts on iPhones with two-year contracts. Sales on current and older devices is yet another sign pointing to new models being around the corner. Apple is reportedly matching some of these discounts. Read more »
Telcos, cable companies, startups and Internet giants are all looking to make your home smarter — so why not a big box retailer? On Thursday Lowe’s announced that its smart home service Iris, developed in conjunction with U.K. startup AlertMe, is now available for sale. Read more »
Social TV is any application, website or software that allows viewers to interact with television programming and share that interaction with others. Startups in this space hope to combine ubiquitous second-screen technology with well-established audience behavior to drive new value around shows. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
In a huge win for startup Nest, which makes a connected learning thermostat, Apple has now started selling the Nest thermostat through its online store. It could end up being the most important move ever for a next-generation digital thermostat. Read more »
Media issues like advertising and discovery along with commerce dominated the activity in social and real-time Web technologies during the first quarter. Google raised some hackles, Facebook responded to demands from traditional advertisers, and Yahoo got a new chief executive. Read more in the full report. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
This quarter the EV market struggled to find its footing. Meanwhile, the smart-grid sector solidified and low-power technology proved itself important in the data center. Read more to learn what these news pieces and others mean for the larger space over the next few months. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Best Buy will close 50 stores, while also expanding the number of smaller concept stores where customers can go to try devices and talk to expert staff members. The shift in strategy is one that we’ll see across much of retail in the future. Read more »
The emergence of the big data phenomenon is fundamentally changing everything from the way companies operate to the way people interact to how the world deals with outbreaks of infectious diseases. Here we highlight 10 case studies illustrating how big data is changing the world. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Best Buy is offering Apple’s tablet for $50 less this week, and iPad and iPad 2 values are dropping in anticipation of the iPad 3 announcement in March. But with a little bit of effort and searching, you could find a deal that puts extra money in your pocket. Read more »
With new products from a variety of players like Google and Isis comes a potentially confusing year as the term “mobile wallet” gets thrown around repeatedly. What exactly is the “mobile wallet”? Here are some important definitions for those looking to make a move in the space. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Nest has finally publicly commented on being slapped with a patent infringement lawsuit. Nest says it will “vigorously defend itself,” against Honeywell’s lawsuit, and says it has “the resources, support and conviction to do so.” Read more »
If you’re like many of us, you’re already thinking over some New Year’s resolutions that will make you a better “you” in 2012. But how are the tech industries’ thought leaders approaching the new year? We asked 12 of them for their resolutions. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Chasing the post-download digital music opportunity, veteran services are seeking scale to fight dominant newcomers, whilst strangers from o… Read more at paidContent »
Target will soon offer store-within-a-store-type setups in 25 of its locations, the company revealed during a presentation on Thursday. The move backs up a report from last week that suggested Apple may be extending its partnership with the U.S. retail chain. Read more »
Following on the heels of Best Buy making a modest bet on home energy gear, big box retailer Lowe’s announced on Thursday that it will start selling smart energy home gadgets from startup AlertMe. The partnership is also U.K.-based AlertMe’s first move into the U.S. Read more »
It’s taken ten years, and a last leg up by way of an acquisition of a competitor, but Rhapsody says that it has finally reached one million… Read more at paidContent »
If your company has a cloud application with a predictable audience size or one that is costing you more than $25,000 a month to host, you may want to consider maintaining a private cloud. This paper provides an overview of the factors that decision makers who are developing a public-to-private cloud-migration strategy should consider, recognizing that public versus private cloud strategy is not an all-or-nothing proposition. It also details pitfalls that must be avoided along the way and provides a case study of Zynga, a company that has found a way to use both the private and public clouds to create a hybrid solution. Companies mentioned in this report include Akamai, Foursquare, Nimbula and ARM. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek took the stage at Spotify’s first-ever press conference to expand the music streaming service’s Facebook integration t… Read more at paidContent »
The momentum right now in cleantech is as much about connectivity and how it can drive energy efficiency as it is about advancing sources of renewable energy. And as the web and mobile connectivity change our consumer experiences, the opportunities to redefine cleantech are rich, and they are already happening. This research note examines the cleantech space in that context and analyzes the car-sharing, home-energy-management and smart-grid sectors and their relevant companies to see how connectivity will play into their future endeavors. Companies mentioned in this report include RelayRides, Opower, Silver Spring Networks and Nest. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Best Buy’s recently launched Home Energy divisions are an experiment, Kris Bowring, Best Buy’s senior director and home energy platform lead, tells me in an interview. Read more about why Best Buy is highlighting this type of technology that can help consumers curb energy consumption. Read more »
Connectivity changes everything. That’s the credo driving just about every corner of our day-to-day lives. As human beings, we are now connected to one another through not just our social networks but also our cars, the books we read, the albums we download and even our own health and wellness habits (to name just a few areas). With that in mind, GigaOM Pro has singled out certain areas in the technology industry where we see this shift to constant connectivity taking place most drastically. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
A big bump in business for bricks-and-mortar mobile shopping app Shopkick: the company has signed a significant deal with Old Navy clothing… Read more at paidContent »
Here are photos and a review of one of Best Buy’s new Home Energy sections at its stores, which will sell gear to help home owners reduce energy consumption. While the section is waaay at the back, it’s designed to educate shoppers and promote interactivity. Read more »
Best Buy is one of the biggest and most influential retailers of mobile phones and other gadgets in the U.S. — impacting pricing for other… Read more at paidContent »
Retailer giant Best Buy is launching a modest push into home energy products, planning to sell gadgets that can help home owners cut their energy consumption, and lower their energy bills, via dedicated sections of some of its stores and through a new online portal. Read more »
Electric motorcycle maker Brammo says it has scored a deal to supply the Hong Kong government and police force with its electric motorcycles. Brammo says the Hong Kong government will replace its existing gas-powered motorcycles with Brammo’s Enertia (and see my test drive of the Enertia). Read more »
Can gorgeous design, learning algorithms and millions in venture capital funding make a simple home thermostat as coveted as the iPhone? If anyone can achieve such a lofty goal it’s Tony Fadell, the godfather of the iPod and iPhone, who has founded connected thermostat company Nest. Read more »
There were such high hopes for the Motorola (NYSE: MMI) Xoom when it was first unveiled at the beginning of this year: meticulously crafted,… Read more at paidContent »
UltraViolet is Hollywood’s first real effort at breaking the Apple stranglehold. The idea is that by implementing a digital rights locker, the studios involved will enable viewers to purchase a piece of content once and watch it on any device. And it’s finally available now. Read more »
Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has been working hard at promoting its new and improved mobile effort, the Windows Phone 7 platform, in the past year… Read more at paidContent »
Rhapsody yesterday announced the acquisition of long-term rival Napster from U.S. retailer Best Buy. Rhapsody will retire the Napster brand… Read more at paidContent »
It’s time to say good-bye to the cat: The announced acquisition of Napster by Rhapsody means that the Napster brand will cease to exist. Company’s staff will be laid off in December, its offices shuttered, and the future of its international operations is undecided. Read more »
Even without the added pressure of a very inexpensive Kindle Fire tablet from Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN), the tablet market is bound to see some mo… Read more at paidContent »
A look at some of the big stories in mobile today:
» Google has started to quietly distribute its own SIM cards with Nexus S devi… Read more at paidContent »
Cleantech, meet mobile. The intersection between these two industries has grown over the past twelve months as companies increasingly look to use smartphones as a platform to enable their services. This trend will accelerate in the future as more and more companies realize that mobile phones ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
