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 »
Tesla is planning a “super charger” station somewhere between LA and San Francisco that can add 150 miles of charge to Tesla cars in 30 minutes and will use fast 90 kW chargers. Read more »
Landis+Gyr is on the auction block, and big smart grid suitors like General Electric, Toshiba and Honeywell ABB are rumored to be interested in paying $2 billlion-plus for the smart meter giant. Strategic buyers could find value by integrating into their own lines of business. Read more »
The television business is on the cusp of the biggest technological upheaval since the introduction of cable TV. The addition of Internet connectivity to living room devices will enable new functionality around programming services, program discovery, social networking, ad targeting and measurement — aspects of the TV viewing experience that have remained largely unchanged for decades. These trends have the potential to become the foundation for new economic models around how viewers pay for video service and how program creation is financed. In this report, we examine the leading contenders’ strategic positioning, relative strengths and weaknesses, and provide the early line on their odds of success. Companies mentioned include Google, Apple, Boxee, Roku, Vudu, Samsung, Microsoft and Sony. To see a full list of companies and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
In the second quarter of 2010, greentech startups scored record venture capital and increased spending despite a weak economy. Solar power retained its lead in greentech venture financing, while global investment for clean energy asset financing fell. China, meanwhile, underscored its rising might in the greentech industry, raising billions of dollars in green energy financing. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Toshiba and Mitsubishi Motors have teamed up to work on battery systems for electric cars, the laptop and electronics giant announced on Friday. But if everyone needs multiple sources, then Toshiba is hardly a shoe-in for a contract to supply Mitsubishi with the battery systems. Read more »
As plug-in hybrid and all-electric cars gradually make their way to dealers’ lots over the next 12 months, we are likely to see more aggressive price cutting and hardcore marketing deals in an attempt to lure consumers away from their good ol’ gasoline vehicles. Read more »
General Motors moved this week to link its upcoming Chevrolet Volt and in-vehicle communications system, OnStar, with Google navigation tools and smartphones based on the search giant’s Android platform. This marks a key intersection in the trajectories of automakers and Internet giants and could pave the way to much more comprehensive partnerships across previously disconnected industries and systems. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Japanese conglomerates that have so far been dabbling in the global smart grid market seem to be looking to ramp up their investments. At least Mitsubishi — which makes everything from clean power equipment to cars to consumer electronics to chemicals — is. Read more »
Tablet PC enthusiasts have long been taking handwritten notes on the computer screen using OneNote from Microsoft. The ability to search handwritten notes in OneNote is powerful. A simple method exists that anyone can use with paper notes to make them searchable. Here’s how. Read more »
