My gut instinct is to call Senator Al Franken a well-meaning fool when it comes to his latest outcry — this time against the advent of facial-recognition software — but he actually has a point. Facial-recognition software opens up a whole new class of privacy concerns. Read more »
Google Nexus 7 just launched and already there’s a documented method to get hacking on the small slate. Liliputing offers up a list to root the device, unlock the bootloader so you can install custom software and replace the standard recovery software with a third-party version. Read more »
Text messaging. It’s one of the few functions of a feature phone that graduated to today’s smartphones and continues to be used heavily by people all around the world. Now, in three African countries, it can even be used for Gmail at no extra charge. Read more »
Google today sent out invitations to a “special event” on July 26 which is undoubtedly the launch of its much anticipated fiber-to-the-home network. The invite reads, “We would like to invite you to a special announcement about Google Fiber and the next chapter of the Internet.” Read more »
Apple and Google still dominate the smartphone space, but look out for Microsoft, which finally has some muscle behind its mobile strategy. Meanwhile mobile-browser developers went head-to-head with native apps, and Facebook continued to buy mobile expertise via acquisition. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Former Google executive Marissa Mayer looks to some like the savior Yahoo and its shareholders have been waiting for. But her focus in the past has been on technology and product development, and that may not be what a media company like Yahoo really needs. Read more »
Apple wasn’t the only loser in the ruling. It was ultimately a loss for both parties since the court also disagreed with Motorola’s previous claim that Apple’s iPad design patent was invalid. As a result, both parties have to cover court costs generated by the dispute. Read more »
In cloud and big data, the second quarter of 2012 featured several high-profile deals and product launches that could reshape the marketplace for everyone. Google and Microsoft launched Infrastructure-as-a-Service offerings, software-defined networking took off, and all eyes stayed fixed on the continuing promise of data analytics. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Samsung’s Galaxy Note, the 5.3-inch smartphone (or is it a tablet?) will launch for T-Mobile’s U.S. network in the coming weeks, according to the company, which says 77 percent out of 1,031 surveyed U.S. smartphone owners want a device with a 4.5-inch or larger display. 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 »
As Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer showed off the company’s latest Office software Monday, he hit all the right marks — a touch interface, cloud storage, VoIP integration and social networking tie-ins. They had to. But a very different interface might spook current Office users. Read more »
Yahoo’s drawn-out search for a CEO has taken an unexpected turn with the company stealing away Marissa Mayer, Google’s first female engineer and the head of its location and local services, as its new chief Yahoo. Mayer takes over as president and CEO Tuesday. Read more at paidContent »
Will the Nexus 7 be the “standard” for future tablets smaller than the iPad but bigger than a phone? After using a review unit for nearly two weeks, I think so, even though the Nexus 7 isn’t without a few minor flaws. Overall, I’m impressed. Read more »
A trio of Sony Mobile’s Xperia smartphones are now available in the U.S., but you won’t find them in carrier stores. Instead, the company is selling the full-priced phones directly to consumers through Sony Stores, and various web retailers; a tough sell in the U.S. Read more »
In this week’s audio podcast, Matt and Kevin share hands-on insights with the Galaxy S III, Nexus 7 tablet and Nokia PureView 808 phone. Plus some impressions of Android 4.1, also known as Jelly Bean: It’s sweet! Plus some thoughts on the $99 Motorola Atrix HD. Read more »
The Nexus 7 costs less than you think to make but will Google earn money from it? Maybe not, but it should pressure the future price of small slates. Motorola’s Atrix HD gets a first look video while the Galaxy Note may soon hit T-Mobile. Read more »
Motorola’s Atrix HD for AT&T just arrived for review and I’ve already taken a quick video to give you an idea of what the phone is like. Yes it’s thin and the HD screen impresses; especially for $99 with contract. I particularly like the landscape dock. Read more »
A survey of mobile application developers shows falling confidence in the future of BlackBerry devices. Aside from waning support for RIM’s mobile platform, recently announced to be a late delivery, nearly a third of BlackBerry programmers are shifting to Google Android efforts. Read more »
Apple took Microsoft to school with its iPod, iPhone, iPad trilogy and Microsoft responded with vows to one-up Apple with Surface and Windows phones. But can the Microsoft of the 21st century do what the older Microsoft did in overcoming foes? Skepticism abounds. Read more »
Apple, Google, Facebook and others have chosen a several hundred-mile stretch in North Carolina to build their mega east coast data centers. Check out my 4-part series on the cluster, the resources that go into it, and why some are betting on clean power: Read more »
After topping the mountain in February when the U.S. passed 50 percent smartphone ownership, It’s all downhill: Nielsen notes 2 of 3 new phone purchases in the U.S. last month were smartphones. Android and iOS continue to pull away from the pack while BlackBerry fades away. Read more »
Google is finally giving users the option to transfer their circles from one Google+ account to another, which is a big relief for anyone with a private Google+ profile and one connected to their Google Apps account. However, the account transfer process is a little tricky. Read more »
DeviceScape’s app for Android gains a new name and additional features: What used to be called DataBooster is now DataSaver. The free software helps users manage their 3G and 4G data usage while making it easier to connect to DeviceScape’s more than 8 million Wi-Fi hotspots. Read more »
Chromebook owners have a new software update that adds Google Drive integration and offline Docs support Google previously announced. The newest Chromebook models also gain a firmware update while the original CR-48 models gain the new Chrome OS user interface and open source touchpad drivers. Read more »
Apple’s new $1 billion data center — one of the highest-profile new data centers in the world — has put the town of Maiden, North Carolina (population: just over 3,000) on the tech map. But it almost didn’t get built. Read more »
Time Warner Cable and I have something in common — we both want to figure out details on Google’s fiber-to-the-home deployment in Kansas City. TWC, which provides broadband access in Kansas City, is fishing for details on the Google deployment and is willing to pay for tips. Read more »
Starbucks continues to show how a brick-and-mortar retailer can offer the convenience of mobile payments. With its updated Android app, the company adds PayPal support and a widget for card balance information and store locations. The app is now supported in the U.K. and Canada. Read more »
That $199 Nexus 7 tablet Google sells directly to consumers costs $151.75 in materials, suggesting that Google is earning a profit on the hardware, supplementing sales of software, ads and services. With a low-cost tablet platform making a profit, others are sure to follow; even Apple. Read more »
As the world demands more clean energy, will North Carolina — and its power that largely comes from coal and nuclear — continue to attract these types of data center deals? Or will areas that can provide more grid-connected clean power win out? Read more »
Google just released a native Google+ app for the iPad, which includes support for Google’s Hangouts group video chats. The video chat service is also coming to the iPhone, and both devices are getting limited support for Google+ Events. Read more »
Another day, another privacy payout. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Federal Trade Commission has assessed Google with a $22.5 million fine to settle claims that it hacked users’ iPhones in order to serve ads to them. Read more »
Steve Ballmer, unbowed by a negative Vanity Fair story that paints Microsoft as a company that no longer competes effectively remains … well, Ballmer. In a recent interview, Ballmer said Microsoft will take the battle to Apple again in tablets, in smartphones, in cloud. Read more »
Cloud-based storage and cross-device syncing of media content are two of the most competitive areas in consumer IT. Apple, Google and Amazon see cloud-based media services both as a way to increase attachment to their platforms and a means to extend and amplify their broader strategic goals. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
After buying a Chromebook four weeks ago, I quickly became a full-time user of the device. Along the way I picked up some tips and tricks that make my Chromebook more productive and fun. Here are ten of those tips for owners of Google’s new Chromebook. Read more »
After escalating for the past two years, there could be relief in sight for the ongoing mobile patent wars, as the International Telecommuncations Union is planning an October meeting in Geneva with handset makers, platform providers and standards boards. It’s about time. Read more »
One day, one tank of gas, and three data centers – those were the terms of a road trip that only a geek would dream up. My destination: a new cluster of cutting-edge, massive data centers north of Charlotte, North Carolina. Read more »
For better or worse, Hadoop has become synonymous with big data. In just a few years it has gone from a fringe technology to the de facto standard. But is the enterprise buying into a technology whose best day has already passed? Read more »
A major limitation of big data is that the technologies used to analyze it are not easy to learn. It doesn’t have to be that way, and technologies like data visualization and cloud-based tools target less-sophisticated users — from business users to receptionists to high school students. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
As part of its continued pursuit of “focus” Google is shutting down five more products. That includes Google Video, iGoogle, Google Mini, Google Talk Chatback and its Symbian Search App, the company announced in a blog post Tuesday afternoon. Read more »
Like it or not, sweeping software bugs are just part and parcel with operating the largest computing systems the world has ever seen. Although Amazon is already fixing the problems that caused its latest outage, this won’t be the last we see. Read more »
