Modern Media Mom » operating-system

Headlines for May 12th, 2010

[modern media mom] — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:03:32 +0000

Faster Forward – Progress, and a problem for Android – Google's Android smartphone operating system is doing well, just not quite as good as you might think from headlines like "Android overtakes Apple in US smartphone market."
Last chance to spot shuttle Atlantis in night sky – Space.com- msnbc.com – "Skywatchers across the continental United States will get a fine opportunity this weekend to watch as the space shuttle Atlantis — on its final scheduled mission into space — chases and ultimately docks with the International Space Station."
Firefox lends security hand to rival browsers – Computerworld – "Mozilla yesterday launched a tool that lets users of rival browsers, including Internet Explorer (IE), Chrome, Safari and Opera, determine whether important add-ons may be vulnerable to attack. The Web-based tool — an extension of plug-in checking that Mozilla began adding to Firefox 3 last year — was originally slated for a late March debut, but Mozilla delayed its release in order to beef up the list of plug-ins the service scans."
With >$1 million raised, Humble Bundle games go open source – "It was a simple idea: take a collection of independent games, offer them with no DRM, and allow people to pay whatever they'd like. The result? 123,182 people have paid for the bundle so far, and the total raised is now an incredible $1,126,563. That generosity will be rewarded. "As of 5/11/10, Aquaria, Gish, Lugaru HD, and Penumbra Overture pledge to go open source," the developers blogged. "We are preparing the sources right now and will be releasing them ASAP." The sale was a huge success, began many conversations, and it provided insight into the behavior of gamers."
Microsoft Launches New Office, Battles Google Online – ABC News – "Microsoft Corp launched an updated version of its Office software on Wednesday, aiming to keep its grip on the hugely profitable business application market while countering the challenge of free online alternatives from Google Inc."
Microsoft Predicts Fastest-Ever Adoption of Office – BusinessWeek – "Microsoft Corp. expects customers to adopt the new version of Office at the fastest pace in the software’s 20-year history, helping reverse a sales slump and fend off competition from Google Inc.’s Web-based programs."
FCC looking to prevent cell phone "bill shock" – "The FCC appears to be following in the footsteps of the European Union in wanting to help consumers avoid "bill shock", the surprise one feels at finding their cell phone bill is much higher than expected due to overage charges. The FCC is considering having carriers enact some sort of system that will warn consumers, possibly via text message, that they are about to incur overage fees due to excessive data or voice use."

Headlines for April 14th, 2010

[modern media mom] — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:55:34 +0000

Microsoft acts to avoid Windows blue screen repeat – “Microsoft took steps Tuesday to avoid repeating the debacle two months ago that left Windows XP users staring at the notorious “Blue Screen of Death” error message after they applied a patch.
In February, a security update that fixed two flaws in the Windows kernel — the operating system’s most important component — wreaked havoc when it was applied by users, who almost immediately flooded Microsoft’s support forum with reports of crippled computers.”

Revamped Facebook Safety Center: Teach Your Users Well – “Facebook Tuesday launched a redesigned version of its online Safety Center to make it not only more user-friendly but also to include advice targeted to specific groups of Facebook users. The Facebook Safety Center now includes content from various safety organizations as well as specific resources for parents, teachers, law enforcement officials and teenagers.”

Google Optimizes Search App for iPad – “Google has tweaked its iPhone Google Mobile App for the iPad, optimizing it for the device’s larger screen.
The revamped app, at its core, is the same as the existing iPhone Google Mobile App that offers mobile search tools such as search by voice and search by My Location, which uses your device’s location for local business searches. The big iPad optimization takes place with Web apps like Gmail, Google Reader, Maps, and Buzz.”

Apple Delays International Release of iPad until May – “Responding to strong demand in the United States for its iPad, Apple said Wednesday that it would delay the worldwide release of the tablet computer for a month.”

Headlines for January 18th, 2010

[modern media mom] — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:00:06 +0000

Mobile Apps To Make Over $7 Bill This Year – "Think mobile apps are a nickel-and-dimes market? Well, according to new Gartner research, consumers will spend $6.2 billion in mobile application stores this year while advertising revenue is expected to generate $0.6 billion worldwide. Overall, analysts say mobile application stores will exceed 4.5 billion downloads this year — eight out of ten of which will be free to end users."
BarMax iPhone app retails for $1,000, but who’s buying? – "How much would you pay for an iPhone application? For most iPhone users, the answer lies somewhere in the $3 to $5 range. (Although this blogger was not particularly adverse to shelling out 7 bucks for "Civilization Revolution," one of the most absorbing games to be released for a mobile device in the past year.) How about $1,000? That's the price tag affixed to BarMax, a new application developed by BarMax LLC."
AT&T Offers $30 Price Cut for Unlimited Plans – "AT&T lowered the price for its smartphone unlimited voice and data plans on Monday by US$30. The price reduction is also available to current customers with unlimited smartphone plans."
After Google hack, Microsoft asks users to abandon IE6, XP – "Microsoft is using a widely publicized flaw in Internet Explorer as a way to push users to upgrade both their browsers and operating systems."
Apple officially announces January 27 event – "Whether the company will open the curtains on a tablet, slate, big iPod Touch, or a bit of all three, invited guests will find out for sure at the 10 a.m. event to be held at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater.
With the invite teasing people to "Come see our latest creation," no one knows for sure exactly what Apple has up its sleeve. But the rumor mill has been busy speculating on some type of tablet device that would let people surf the Net, watch movies, read e-books, and probably perform other tricks conjured up by the mind of Steve Jobs."

Headlines for December 17th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:00:38 +0000

Shut Down “Fake Steve Jobs” Not AT&T – “I am asking readers not to take part in this silly protest. Why? Because to the extent it hurts anyone, it won’t hurt AT&T. The actual damage will be done to customers–businesses especially–running critical wireless apps during the protest hours.”
New phones could send computers to the trash – “You may soon start feeling nostalgic about your computer, thinking of it as an archaic throwback, akin to a turntable or an eight-track tape.The recent disclosures about a Google phone may be a turning point in the history of the personal computer. PCs had their heyday, and it was yesterday. Now is the moment for the phone.”
Check your Facebook privacy settings. Now! – “If Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg can’t figure out his social networking site’s privacy settings after they were ripped open earlier this month, what hope is there for the rest of us?”
Is Google building a netbook? – “A few days ago a contact tipped me off to the possibility that Google might not just be developing an operating system for netbooks, but that the company could actually be involved in building a netbook that it would sell under the Google brand name. You know, sort of like it’s expected to do with the Google Nexus One cellphone soon.”
Bing for iPhone Shows Microsoft Getting Smart About Search – “The fact that Microsoft’s Bing search engine is now an Apple iPhone app might be a sign of new friendship between Microsoft and Apple. But more than likely, it means Microsoft is getting savvy about where and when to place Bing. The iPhone is one of the most visible of mobile platforms, the App Store is exploding in popularity, and Microsoft is in need of new ways to pump up Bing’s profile.”
The Year Marketing Dies… – Marketing’s been under attack for some time, but in 2009 we witnessed the most profound evolution the marketing world has seen in fifty years or more. The pace of change is not going to lessen in 2010. Core elements that have driven marketing practices for decades–such as messaging strategy, mass media, PR, advertising, and others–will continue to change rapidly.

Headlines for December 14th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:00:23 +0000

Viruses That Leave Victims Red in the Facebook – "It used to be that computer viruses attacked only your hard drive. Now they attack your dignity. Malicious programs are rampaging through Web sites like Facebook and Twitter, spreading themselves by taking over people’s accounts and sending out messages to all of their friends and followers. The result is that people are inadvertently telling their co-workers and loved ones how to raise their I.Q.’s or make money instantly, or urging them to watch an awesome new video in which they star."
Google employees testing new mobile device – "Google Inc.'s employees are testing a new mobile device that runs on the company's Android operating system, as the search giant continues its push into the wireless market and toward more direct competition with Apple Inc.'s iPhone."
New TomTom GPS iPhone App Slashes Price – "TomTom sees the writing on the free Google Maps Navigation wall–and has now introduced a U.S.-only version of its $99 iPhone GPS app at half price, four months after the app first hit Apple's App Store."
Microsoft: Windows 7 Leads, But Office 2010 Lags – "Techinciter believes 2010 will be another tough year for Microsoft, though less so than the year that is about to end. Windows 7 will be a hit with business users, but Office 2010 has a lot of convincing to do. Like Windows XP, Office 2007 is proving to be long-lived and hard to displace."
Are AT&T network problems really Apple iPhone component shortcomings? – "The New York Times has taken an in-depth look at Verizon's claims that its network is better than AT&T's and has discovered that the root of AT&T's problem could be Apple's iPhone. Telecommunication researchers at Nielson say that the electronics in the iPhone that connect it to cell towers have shortcomings that affect voice and data connectivity."
Apple Revamps App Store Interface: Bigger Icons, New Layout, More – "Apple began rolling out tweaks to the iTunes App Store's interface over the weekend. The company has changed the way screenshots for iPhone apps are displayed, rearranged the layout of each app's page, and increased the size of both the app's logo and buy button. In addition, the way customer reviews are displayed has been simplified, with large buttons to shift between reviews of the current version and all versions."

Headlines for November 27th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:03:24 +0000

App rejects of the world unite – "A WEBSITE has sprung up offering those Iphone developers who have been refused a place on the Apple App store an outlet for their frustrations.
According to Adam White, who runs a British app developing company and set up the site, apprejections was set up as a place for disgruntled developers to gather together and whinge about Apple's apparent agenda in keeping them out."
Black Friday deals from Amazon – "Why wait in line on Black Friday when you can click, buy, and ship at deep discounts on Amazon?
Amazon's Black Friday page is the central point to find thousands of deals on products that are on sale for a limited time only."
GoldStriker Makes World’s Most Expensive iPhone – "GoldStriker International, the manufacturer of highly exclusive (read: expensive) handsets, has managed to create the most expensive phone ever earlier this week. The modified iPhone 3G that they have managed to create will set you back by a cool 1.92 million pounds!"
Dell Releases Customized Version of Chrome OS – "Dell has just released a customized version of Chromium OS, the open source code behind Google's new operating system called Chrome, in a build designed specifically for Dell Mini computers. According to a blog post on the Dell Community site, several company employees were inspired create this custom version after seeing Engadget's video showing Chrome OS running on a Vostro A860 netbook. After tinkering around with the code, they were able to create their own version of Chromium OS, complete with functional Wi-Fi drivers, and have made the build available for download as a USB key image file from the Direct2Dell blog."
Black Friday Tech Deals: Latest and Greatest – "It's game on for bargain hunters. Black Friday is here, and so are the super sales. If you're wondering what the latest tech deals are Friday, you're in luck. While you've been sleeping off that food hangover, I've scoured the Web for the best and freshest deals."

Headlines for November 20th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:02:02 +0000

10 Things We Want to See in Internet Explorer 9 – "Although its work started just a few weeks ago, Microsoft unveiled some new ideas it's bringing to Internet Explorer 9 this week. The company said that it plans to make the browser more Web- and developer-friendly, while still maintaining the familiar Internet Explorer identity. That sounds nice, but in the end, Microsoft said very little about what it plans to offer in Internet Explorer 9."
YouTube automatic captioning: one more reason GOOG’s not evil – "Google has introduced some more useful YouTube technology: automatic captioning."
Sony planning new online store – "Sony is planning a new online store a la Apple's iTunes, but with a few twists.
Announced at a strategy meeting in Tokyo on Thursday, the new service will hawk music, movies, books, and other downloadable content geared for its various electronics, including TVs, mobile phones, music players, and computers."
Nook sold out for the holidays – "If you were interested in buying the Barnes & Noble Nook as a holiday gift, strike it off your list. The e-reader is now officially sold out through 2009, according to the B&N Web site."
Why Google Should Cool It With Chrome OS – "Sometimes you have to take a step down to step up. That’s what Google should’ve done with its open-source PC operating system Chrome OS, which the corporation demonstrated Thursday.
Instead, Google is positioning Google Chrome OS against Microsoft with a lightweight OS shipping with netbooks next year. Chrome OS will function as a modified browser, enabling netbooks to handle everyday computing with web-based applications. That’s right: No native software, just the web."

Headlines for November 13th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:04:33 +0000

Swiss privacy watchdog to sue Google Street View – "Google Inc.'s unstoppable drive to map and photograph the world has run into an immovable object — Switzerland's strict tradition of personal privacy.
The country's privacy watchdog announced Friday that he plans to haul the search engine company before a federal court to force it to make changes to its Street View application."
Clicker’s Cool, But Hates Your TV – "Not to rain on Clicker's parade, but while the guide to Internet television shows is convenient and easy to use, I'm not really interested until it's more functional on an actual TV."
YouTube to Add 1080p Video Next Week – "As long as people find their own cell phone footage compelling up to share with the world, low-quality video will continue to be an integral part of the YouTube experience. The Google-owned video site already attempted to buck that trend once, with the addition of HD video, and now it's taking things a step further, introducing 1080p footage."
Google Chrome OS Launching Next Week? – "Google's much-anticipated operating system, Chrome OS, will be available for download next week, or so goes the latest buzz on the Internet. The latest talk about Google's operating system is courtesy of TechCrunch's Michael Arrington, who says this information comes from a "reliable source." This is the second rumor saying an early release of Chrome OS was imminent."
AT&T Takes Verizon Ad Fight Public – "As if a lawsuit wasn't enough, AT&T is now taking its fight against Verizon's ads to the court of public opinion.
In an unusual statement, AT&T attempted to "set the record straight" with respect to Verizon's ads campaigns, which have focused attention on the networks of the respective companies. Verizon's ads have shown 3G coverage maps from both networks, representing Verizon, naturally, in the most favorable light."
Dell Confirms Android Smartphone – "After years of speculation and "proof of concept" devices, Dell (Dell) officially unveiled its first entry into the smartphone market with an Android-powered device set for China and Brazil.
The Mini 3 smartphone is somewhat reminiscent of Apple's iPhone with a full touchscreen interface, but Dell did not release full specifications for the device. The company did say the handset will be powered by the Google-backed Android operating system, and it will be coming to the carriers China Mobile and Claro."

Headlines for November 10th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:00:05 +0000

Nov. 10, 1983: Computer ‘Virus’ Is Born – "1983: Fred Cohen, a University of Southern California graduate student, gives a prescient peek at the digital future when he demonstrates a computer virus during a security seminar at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. A quarter-century later, computer viruses have become a pandemic for which there’s no inoculation."
LinkedIn and Twitter Partnership: Do’s and Don’ts for Users – "LinkedIn and Twitter announced a partnership on Monday allowing you to push your LinkedIn status updates out to your Twitter account or pull your tweets into your professional profile. Twitter co-founder Biz Stone called it "bringing the peanut butter and the chocolate together to make the perfect combination.""
Say goodbye to sleep: Modern Warfare 2 arrives – "Arguably the most anticipated game of the year, Modern Warfare 2 finally lands today. Following a week of content controversy and broken street dates, Modern Warfare 2 promises to elevate the action and intensity beyond even the classic original game."
Apple’s Snow Leopard Update Zaps Bugs, Kills Hackintosh Netbooks – "On Monday Apple released an update to its Snow Leopard operating system (10.6.2 ) that fixes flaws, including one that wipes out a users' personal data. But along with fixes, Apple's update also kills support for Intel Atom processors, in a bid to stop users from hacking their netbooks and creating "hackintosh" systems."
Google Offers Free Wi-Fi in 47 Airports for Holidays – "One inevitable fact of the holiday season is that airports around the country will be packed. That means that millions of American's will be schlepping through airports on layovers looking for something to do with their time and keep in touch with friends and family.
Google has already given travelers its holiday gift with free Wi-Fi in selected airports. The free Wi-Fi service is available as of today and will remain free through January 15, 2010."