Startup founder Chad Whitacre caused a fuss recently when he suggested that a reporter do an “open interview” that would be available to everyone — but why is that approach seen as such a threat by some media outlets? Read more at paidContent »
Dave Winer is the father of RSS and a blogging pioneer, so it’s worth paying attention to him when he comes up with something new — which he has, in the form of a browser-based note-taking and blogging tool. Read more »
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 United Nations may not be trying to take over the internet, but its telecom arm is discussing proposals that could seriously threaten the openness of the network, according to people like Vint Cerf — and could also change the way we pay for it. Read more »
The growth of public and private cloud services places new demands on the IT organization, particularly when it comes to the scale, agility and management of the data center. SDNs are a response to those demands, providing opportunities for IT managers to improve their network operations. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The reaction to Twitter’s restrictions on its API has focused mostly on whether the moves are unfair to third-party developers and apps. But what about the impact they will have on users? Twitter seems to care more about monetizing its network than what users want. Read more »
The software-defined networking (SDN) market is expected to soar in size to $2 billion by 2016, according to IDC. Growth this fast may very well signify that SDN is the third epoch of computer networking, creating vendor discontinuities and a new IT order. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The way Facebook and Twitter have been controlling and/or closing down their platforms to outsiders may have parallels to the way other technology leaders have behaved in the past, but both companies need to be careful that they don’t ruin their platforms in the process. Read more »
Facebook’s shutdown of the Face.com API and Twitter’s increasing clampdown on its API reinforce the lesson that “open” APIs can be very appealing, but they can also become a lot less open over time — and developers and users can get trapped in the middle. Read more »
Debates over apps vs. the web and the value of Google’s new personalized search features are just part of the larger battle between the open web vs. walled gardens and closed platforms — but what if users don’t care? What does that mean for the web? Read more »
Representative Darrell Issa has called a Jan. 18 hearing that will bring more voices from the technology industry to Washington D.C,. to discuss how legislation such as the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) would affect the Internet. Read more »
A bi-partisan group of senators and congressmen is proposing an alternative to the widely-criticized Stop Online Piracy Act. The new bill, known as OPEN, has already won some support from opponents of SOPA, who say OPEN’s approach to piracy is much less damaging to the web. Read more »
The benefits of building apps for Apple’s iOS are pretty obvious — among other things, access to a huge base of users. But iFlowReader’s experience shows there are some significant downsides as well: the company says Apple’s 30-percent transaction fees have forced it out of business. Read more »
The recent launch of a series of new products and services shows that Google clearly wants to be the champion of the “open” model and defend it against proprietary offerings. For the most part, that means going head-to-head with ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Facebook’s new features are designed to extend the network’s “social graph” and connect it to virtually any website. It’s good news for Facebook, but not all agree a single company should control the way recommendations work on the web, and so far, Google appears to be ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The hoopla around Google’s Android mobile OS, and the resulting apps in the Android Market, is pretty strong. It’s laid on thick and fast. You know the drill; it’s “open” so it’ll be free from all the constraints imposed by The Man, etc. Oops, maybe not. […] Read more »
The latest version of Open Office, released today, has been in development for the past three years. As one of the most popular open source competitors to Microsoft Office, the release has been anticipated for some time (the launch even warranted a party!). Open Office comprises […] Read more »