Electric car startup Fisker Automotive unveiled a design prototype of its second extended-range electric car that is now being called the Atlantic (formerly called Project Nina) at an event in New York City on Tuesday night. Read more »
The fourth quarter may have lacked a dominating big-event product announcement like Q3’s Facebook platform extension or Q2’s unveiling of Google+, but the NewNet world continued to buzz along. In the battle for mind share, everyone wanted to be a platform. Meanwhile, consumer and social technologies continued to gain momentum, and new vehicles for content and service discovery presented both challenges and opportunities for NewNet companies. And it is hard to ignore the overcrowded but growing world of daily deals. This quarterly report analyzes these trends and others, and it also provides a near-term outlook of trends, technologies and companies to watch in 2012. Companies mentioned in the report include Amazon, Facebook and Socialcast. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Consumer Reports, which named the iPad the top tablet earlier this year, is now adding subscriptions and free access for print subscribers t… Read more at paidContent »
Apple seems poised for a strong holiday season, at least according to two new surveys. Both those doing the shopping and those writing up their own personal wish lists seem to be in sync about one thing: Apple’s iPad and iPhone are in high demand. Read more »
Apple’s iPhone 4S has secured the coveted Consumer Reports recommendation in its latest round of updated smartphone ratings. That’s something its predecessor could never achieve, thanks to a loss of cellular signal reception that could be unwittingly caused by gripping the phone a certain way. Read more »
More solar panels are sprouting from the rooftops these days, along with an increasing number of equipment models and installers. Yet there is no good consumer guide to help people compare shop and avoid scams. The time has come to create one. Read more »
The way people have been talking about near field communication, digital wallets and carrier billing, you’d think consumers were ready to embrace mobile payments. But Consumer Reports said consumers may not be as excited about paying for goods with their phones, nor should they be. Read more »
Hundreds of solar panel manufacturers are peddling their offerings today – how can project developers and consumers make the right choices? A new program is underway to provide independent product reviews, and the results of the first batch of tests will be published early next year. Read more »
Apple’s newest notebooks, the 11.6- and 13.3-inch MacBook Airs, came in first in their respective categories in the latest Consumer Reports laptop assessment. The MacBook Pro also ranked best in two more notebook categories, giving Apple firs-place ranking nearly across the board. Read more »
Consumer Reports can now come with you on your iPhone as you shop, letting you check products instantly. So, scanning the barcode of the iPhone 4 with its camera will, in theory, reveal CR’s high rating, and its lack of a “Buy” recommendation. In theory. Read more »
