Why Apple needs to retake the core of the iPhone in 2013
Apple’s biggest competitors — Facebook, Google and Amazon — are getting really good at finding ways to systematically insert themselves between Apple and its customers. Read more »
Harper’s publisher doesn’t understand how the internet works, blames Google
photo: Shutterstock / James Steidl
Many publishers are trying to adapt to the way media works in a digital age, but some still see Google and the web as parasites — and Harper’s publisher seems determined to stay in the latter category. Read more at paidContent »
Google should be ashamed for paying carriers to handle its traffic
It turns out that Google, the great proponent of net neutrality, is paying Orange to handle its traffic on the carrier’s mobile networks. That’s an unwelcome development, and here’s why. Read more »
Who’s winning the race in social media? Monthly active users by the numbers [Chart]
Instagram joined the club of social media companies releasing monthly active user stats, a more helpful metric than general registered users. We broke down the metrics from some of the most popular services, taking a look at how long it’s taken each company to get there. Read more »
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 may have a secret weapon against iPad mini
Is the power of the digital pen mightier than the sword? We may find out next month, when Samsung is reportedly launching the Galaxy Note 8.0, an Android 4.2 tablet similar in size to Apple’s iPad mini. Read more »
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The fourth quarter of 2012 in cloud
The last quarter of 2012 saw the rise of cloud-based databases, the cloud awakening of software giants such as HP, and many cloud outages that have left question marks. Enterprises found more IT dollars, and they will focus on the cloud for much of that spending. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
To fight Amazon’s “black box,” iPad publisher Inkling opens its 400 ebooks up to Google
In an effort to aid book discovery and battle Amazon’s dominance, iOS publishing platform Inkling will allow its roughly 400 ebooks to be fully indexed through Google search. The company plans to add a thousand more books this year. Read more at paidContent »
A really tiny explanation of how Facebook’s Graph Search works
Facebook’s Lars Rasmussen and Tom Stocky gave us a brief glimpse into how the new Graph Search works, but kept the lid on details as to how much computing the new search will require. From the looks of it, this is a big infrastructure challenge. Read more »
The fourth quarter of 2012 in mobile
The mobile platform wars heated up in a big way as 2012 came to a close. Among other trends, Microsoft launched Windows Phone 8, Android’s dominant market share grew, and mobile commerce reached record highs during the holidays. Read more »
Why I’m thinking of ditching my precious iPhone for an Android
After several years as a devoted Apple iPhone user, I have been tempted by the dark side — I am considering giving up my beloved iPhone for an Android device, and the main attraction is the openness of the ecosystem that Android takes advantage of. Read more »
The fourth quarter of 2012 in cleantech
The fourth quarter in cleantech saw attention paid to two prominent, publicly traded companies: EV maker Tesla and newly minted public listing SolarCity. It remains a transitional period for the sector as investment declines, with a shift toward those companies able to scale with little additional capital. Read more »
Android this week: Huawei goes big; Vizio’s got phones; Dropbox shares photos
Android was everywhere at the 2013 International CES, but the bigger names didn’t offer much this time. Instead, companies like Huawei, ZTE and Vizio showed off new phones. Meanwhile, Dropbox gets a nice upgrade on Android and I share my favorite new Android device from CES. Read more »
Why crowd funding could disrupt how solar power is created
Will the combination of Kickstarter-style crowd-funding and low risk investing lead to a disruptive new form of financing for the world’s solar projects. With some good execution and marketing, I think so. Read more »
Don’t hold your breath waiting for Amazon to give you Kindle copies of your books
Amazon is offering consumers a free digital copy when they buy a CD. It makes perfect sense to do the same for books — alas, it’s not going to happen. Here’s why. Read more at paidContent »
Amazon gives free digital album to anyone who buys the CD
Good news for anyone who owns CDs — Amazon is now selling music on a two-for-one basis that gives every customer a digital and a physical version of an album. The company just raised the stakes in its fight with Google and Apple over “music lockers.” Read more at paidContent »
Google invests $200M in Texas wind farm, backed a Hoover Dam worth of clean power
Google has now invested in a Hoover Dam’s worth — or 2 GW — of clean power. The latest investment, announced on Wednesday is a $200 million equity stake into a wind farm in Texas. Read more »
The 2013 task management tools market
The task-management market is growing, in part because users need to coordinate with teams via mobile. In this case, heavier-weight solutions like Yammer, IBM Connections, and Podio don’t always suffice. But the demand for digital to-do lists that can be shared across project teams is increasing. Read more »
French government slaps down Free’s anti-Google ad-blocking
The French ISP has been told by French digital economy minister Fleur Pellerin to stop blocking online ads, because she is ‘very attached’ to the open internet. However, she also hinted that she may not be entirely in favor of net neutrality. Read more »
Lenovo adds BlueStacks Android player to Windows 8 PCs
BlueStacks gained a big new partner at CES: Lenovo will be installing the BlueStacks software on Idea-branded PCs. The app player runs Android software within Windows 8, but it’s not just about apps: BlueStacks can sync SMS messages from phone to computer. Read more »
Patent troll sues Apple, Google and everyone else, but BT denies involvement
A U.S. non-practising entity is using an old BT patent to attack Apple, Google, Motorola, HTC, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and others. However, BT denies any connection with the suit, saying it sold away all rights around the broad patent. Read more »
Nvidia’s got game with Shield, a Tegra 4 Android gaming console
Nvidia’s TegraZone for games gains a new platform: Shield, the Android-based gaming console Nvidia debuted at CES. A powerful Tegra 4 sits at the heart of Shield, combined with gaming controls, fast Wi-Fi and support for a wide number of gaming titles; even from a PC. Read more »
Android this week: More Jelly Beans; free magazines; Galaxy S4 pops up
For the first time since passing the 50 percent market, less than half of all Android devices are running version 2.3. Instead, nearly 40 percent use Android 4.x. It’s easier to get digital magazines in Google Play and a pic of the Galaxy S4 popped up. Read more »
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How to compete with Facebook in 2013
Specialist networks cater to diverse consumer segments, but Facebook’s sheer ubiquity means 94 percent of all social networkers use it. The bottom line: If any generalist network is going to gain mass-market traction, it will be at the expense of Facebook, not in addition to it. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Microsoft takes heat — on its own blog — for Google pushback
photo: Flickr / ToddABishop
Microsoft isn’t getting much — if any — sympathy for its complaints over the Federal Trade Commission’s recent settlement with Google over its business practices. Read more »
Mobile designers no longer see Apple on the forefront of iOS design
As the iOS App Store nears the half-decade mark, one of the biggest changes we’re witnessing is how app developers are beginning to go their own way in terms of design. Some of the most forward-thinking designers are bucking Apple’s traditional look for cleaner, simpler interfaces. Read more »
Google wins: a plain English guide to the FTC’s big ruling
photo: Kzenon via Shutterstock
After a two-year investigation into Google’s search business, the feds finally issued a decision. The outcome is a clear win for Google — here’s an easy Q&A about what happened and what it means. Read more »
Search stays the same: feds and Google settle antitrust issues
photo: google
The FTC finally concluded its two-year investigation into whether Google’s treatment of its competitors broke antitrust laws. The result is a minor change to the way Google uses patents but that does little to change the company’s search listings. Read more »
YouTube sucks on French ISP Free, and French regulators want to know why
photo: 20th Century Fox
After users complained about bad online video experiences, France’s telecom regulator launched an investigation trying to figure out if a local ISP was blocking YouTube or if it was just underinvesting in its network. A decision is expected soon, and could have worldwide repercussions. Read more »
Here’s the secret success sauce in Ubuntu’s phone platform
One of the most popular Linux distributions will arrive on smartphones this year: Canonical is bringing Ubuntu to the small screen. But this isn’t a special version of Ubuntu; it’s the actual desktop software platform with touch-friendly mobile interface that could be a disruptor. Read more »
AirDroid: The free app every Android owner should install in 2013
My pick for Android app of the year? AirDroid, which provides wireless management of your Android phone or tablet from any browser on the same Wi-Fi network. You can manage files, videos, music, ringtones and more on any computer, making for a great free companion application. Read more »
Google’s Project Glass in NYC to watch the ball drop?
An image of someone wearing Google’s Project Glass prototype in New York City was snapped yesterday, just in time for the big New Year’s Eve bash on Times Square this evening. Even more exciting: this prototype supports lenses that could be used for prescription eyewear. Read more »
MobileTechRoundup podcast 286: CES previewed
2012 wraps with a year-end mobile tech podcast that looks both forward and back. With hardware cycles advancing rapidly, neither host is expecting blockbuster news out of the Consumer Electronics Show. Matt is looking deeper into uses for NFC, while Kevin is addicted to TuneIn Radio. Read more »
This year in cloud: Amazon-almost-all-the-time and the other 5 top stories of 2012
photo: Flickr / karindalziel
Last year, AWS saw big success and big snafus; Superstorm Sandy prompted worry about data center location; legacy IT giants bought their way into SaaS; VMware regroups; the OpenStack crowd got their clouds off the ground; and Europe starts to buy into cloud. Read more »
Google’s big push to make better iOS apps than Apple
By creating a bevy of new iOS apps, what Google has been up to is becoming more obvious. It’s made it its mission to not just compete with Apple with the Android platform and Nexus mobile devices, but battle Apple on its own platform. Read more »
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos gets more kudos, but challenges loom
photo: Amazon
Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon 16 years ago, is the second-best CEO on the planet, according to Harvard Business Review’s latest rankings. Last month Fortune named him its Business Person of the Year. Read more »
Video of Huawei’s 6.1-inch smartphone: Small pockets needn’t apply
One expected debut for next month’s Consumer Electronics Show happened a little early as a Huawei exect showed off the company’s newest smartphone. The device has a whopping 6.1-inch display which is great for most mobile activities, but won’t likely fit in a front pants pocket. Read more »
Android this week: Google X phone; Flipboard goes big; Galaxy gets Grand
Perhaps in fear of Samsung forking Android for its own use, Google is reportedly working with its Motorola resources on an “X Phone” with unique features. Flipboard finally debuts on Android tablets while Samsung continues to leverage large phone screens with its Galaxy Grand. Read more »
Grading 2012 mobile predictions: mostly hits but a few misses
As the year comes to a close, its time to look back at predictions for 2012. I made 16 of them last December and while I got a fair number right, there were a few clunkers. It’s time to dust off the crystal ball for 2013. Read more »
Google’s legal and privacy chiefs have sentences overturned by Italian court
photo: Flickr / davekellam
David Drummond and Peter Fleischer, as well as former CFO George Reyes, had all been convicted over privacy offences relating to a bullying video. Their convictions have now been overturned on appeal. Read more »
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What to watch in mobile in 2013
The year 2013 may bring real disruption to the mobile industry. Upstart carriers are embracing noncellular technologies to provide cut-rate services, third-party developers are gaining traction with cheap (or free) alternatives to SMS, and a major U.S. operator is preparing to drop handset subsidies. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
