Exclusive: Microsoft's next Xbox will take over your TV, interact with your cable box | The Verge

tbd if Microsoft will have a data-sharing partnership with Facebook, e.g., focused on which TV ads hold your attention...

"Coupled with this TV functionality, Microsoft's next-generation Kinect sensor will also play a role in the company's TV focus. The Verge has learned that the next Kinect will detect multiple people simultaneously, including the ability to detect eye movement to pause content when a viewer turns their head away from a TV. Microsoft is said to be using these capabilities as part of its UI and features for its TV plans."

Exclusive: Microsoft's next Xbox will take over your TV, interact with your cable box | The Verge

A Theory about the Office on iPad Schedule | Office 2013 content from Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows

A classic Microsoft strategy tax case study, if accurate

"But the implications are far more serious for Windows. Imagine what would have happened if Office for iPad had shipped alongside Office 2013 for Windows 8/RT (remembering that these products were originally scheduled for a concurrent release). It’s even worse when you look back and realize how awful the first-gen Windows 8/RT devices were, with PC makers not shipping adequate volume or diversity of tablets and other non-traditional PC devices.
Office for iPad, launched at the same time as Windows 8/RT, would most likely have killed the market for Windows 8 and RT devices."

A Theory about the Office on iPad Schedule | Office 2013 content from Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows

Facebook Refines Ad Targeting - NYTimes.com

Big data is watching you

"Facebook on Wednesday rolled out a long-anticipated and potentially lucrative way to show highly targeted advertisements to its users. What consumers have bought in the past, online and offline, is the best predictor of what they are likely to buy again, marketers say. Facebook has partnered with four data companies that track, to varying degrees, online and offline purchase behavior: Acxiom, Blue Kai, Epsilon, and Datalogix."

Facebook Refines Ad Targeting - NYTimes.com

Google Turns to Big Data to Unmask Human Traffickers - Businessweek

A humanitarian big data application domain

"“Nine months ago, starting with the Google Ideas Summit, we set out to map, expose, and disrupt the workings of illicit networks,” says Jared Cohen, director of Google Ideas. “This includes organized crime, narco-trafficking, organ harvesting. Every single one of these networks involved human trafficking.”
The alliance announced on Tuesday means the three anti-trafficking networks, which operate emergency hotlines in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, will share data on where the emergency phone calls are originating, the ages of the victims, their home countries, and the types of criminal activities they have been forced into. With the help of Salesforce.com, Palantir, and Google, the agencies will be able to crunch data like this in real time to detect crime trends that they can then share with police and policymakers to help protect victims."

Google Turns to Big Data to Unmask Human Traffickers - Businessweek

Google, Andreessen Horowitz & Kleiner Perkins Form "Glass Collective" - Liz Gannes - News - AllThingsD

Goals of those who seek to live in Glass houses

"So what applications are the Glass Collective VCs excited to invest in?

• Andreessen said he’d like to see apps for paramedics, and a live zombie game.
• Google co-founder Sergey Brin said he’d like to use Glass as a viewfinder for his fancy SLR camera, and to stream GoPro action-sports cameras.
• Maris said he’d like scientists in wet labs to be able to conduct hands-free experiments with Glass, and for paralyzed people to be able to more easily text. He also said he enjoyed an early timelapse app that people at Google built.
• Doerr said developers should read David Gelernter’s “Mirror Worlds” to find inspiration, and that he wanted to see Glass used in healthcare and education.
• Asked whether the Glass Collective would be willing to invest in facial recognition applications for Glass, given the privacy issues, Maris didn’t say no."

Google, Andreessen Horowitz & Kleiner Perkins Form "Glass Collective" - Liz Gannes - News - AllThingsD

Office Web Apps - Office Web Viewer: View Office documents in a browser

Check the full post for more details and examples of this application of the Office Web Apps service

"What is the Office Web Viewer?
It's a service that creates Office Web Viewer links.  Office Web Viewer links open Word, PowerPoint or Excel files in the browser that would otherwise be downloaded. You can easily turn a download link into an Office Web Viewer link to use in your website or blog (e.g., recipes, photo slide show, a menu, or a budget template).
Some benefits of the Office Web Viewer include:

• You don't need to convert Office files for the web (e.g., PDF, HTML).
• Anyone can view Office files from your website or blog, even if they don't have Office.
• It keeps eyes on your website or blog, because readers don't need to download the file and they stay in the browser.
• One link will work for computers, tablets, and mobile phones."

Office Web Apps - Office Web Viewer: View Office documents in a browser

IDC: Global PC shipments plunge in worst drop in a generation | ZDNet

Check the full article for more IDC and Gartner PC market-tracking details

"In IDC's own words:
Despite some mild improvement in the economic environment and some new PC models offering Windows 8, PC shipments were down significantly across all regions compared to a year ago. Fading Mini Notebook shipments have taken a big chunk out of the low-end market while tablets and smartphones continue to divert consumer spending. PC industry efforts to offer touch capabilities and ultraslim systems have been hampered by traditional barriers of price and component supply, as well as a weak reception for Windows 8. The PC industry is struggling to identify innovations that differentiate PCs from other products and inspire consumers to buy, and instead is meeting significant resistance to changes perceived as cumbersome or costly."

IDC: Global PC shipments plunge in worst drop in a generation | ZDNet

Study: percent of consumers logging into sites with Facebook dips as Google gains [Inside Facebook]

An Internet identity duopoly ahead?

“Janrain offers a social login widget that websites can use to give users options for signing in with Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo or more than two dozen other services. Each quarter, the company looks at what consumers are choosing to use on the sites that use its social login product. For the second quarter in a row, Facebook’s lead decreased and Google gained. This does not necessarily mean that fewer users are logging into sites with Facebook, but the overall percentage of users doing so has declined.”

Study: percent of consumers logging into sites with Facebook dips as Google gains

Microsoft assault on Google shows industry shift | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times

Final paragraphs of a Microsoft/Google competition reality check

"Although the attack ads are something new for Microsoft, denigrating the competition isn't. Most notably, Microsoft tried to undermine Web browser pioneer Netscape Communications beginning in the mid-1990s. Most of that sniping remained behind the scenes until a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Microsoft's business practices exposed the cut-throat tactics deployed to overcome Netscape's early lead in the Web browser market.
Given that history, Microsoft's marketing assault on Google isn't that surprising, said Cusumano, who has been following the company for 20 years.
"Nothing is below Microsoft," Cusumano said. "They have been playing dirty for a long time. In this instance, they probably sincerely believe this can give them a little marketing edge and help them capitalize on the growing discomfort with the size and influence of Google.""

Microsoft assault on Google shows industry shift | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times

Facebook Home review: are people more important than apps? | The Verge

From the wrap-up of an extensive Home review

"I don't know if Facebook will reach its target audience with Facebook Home. Although Chat Heads are great, the Home experience itself simplifies app management to a fault. I fully recognize that most people don't give their homescreens much thought and don't invest much time in customization, so it's entirely possible that I'm off the mark and there's enough functionality here for casual smartphone users — but I don't think I am.
That said, I find it very telling that even this infrequent Facebook user found himself interacting with status updates instead of doing other stuff on my phone — Home radically increased my Facebook usage. If Facebook makes good on its promise to release monthly updates and these updates can significantly increase the basic utility of the homescreen, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a lot of people start using it."

Facebook Home review: are people more important than apps? | The Verge

Why Marissa Mayer Bought A $30M Startup - Business Insider

Summarizing Yahoo's interest in Summly SRI International technologies

"Acquiring Summly seems to have been an almost incidental side effect of a deal Yahoo made with SRI for a piece of "summarization technology."
A source tells us that Yahoo has "agreements in place" with SRI for "knowledge transfer," and the acquisition of IP, code, and technology.
Until Yahoo bought it, SRI International held equity in Summly.
SRI once held equity in another startup that was acquired by a big Silicon Valley company.
That was Siri, which was funded by SRI International's venture arm, and was later acquired by Apple.
And indeed, inside Yahoo, Summly is called "Yahoo's Siri.""

Why Marissa Mayer Bought A $30M Startup - Business Insider

Facebook Gets a Hold on Phones with Facebook Home - Walt Mossberg - Personal Technology - AllThingsD

Excerpt from a Walt Mossberg Facebook Home review

"I found Facebook Home to be easy to use, elegantly designed and addictive. Although I’m a regular Facebook user, I found that, with Home, I paid more attention than ever to my news feed, Liked items more often and used Facebook’s Messenger service more often. So, if you are a big Facebook fan, Facebook Home can be a big win.
But I found some downsides. Facebook Home blocks the one-step camera icon some Android phone makers place on their lock screen to allow you to take pictures without first unlocking the phone. It also overlays other lock-screen features some Android phone makers include, such as weather information or favorite app icons. And if you do go to the icon-filled home screen, you’ll find that Facebook Home has taken that over as well, topping the screen with a bar that makes posting to Facebook easier and eliminating the bottom bar of heavily used apps."

Facebook Gets a Hold on Phones with Facebook Home - Walt Mossberg - Personal Technology - AllThingsD

Yahoo, Apple Discuss Deeper iPhone Partnership - WSJ.com

A tangled-Web case study

"Apple, meanwhile, has been looking to partner with companies to help reduce its reliance on Google's mobile services. Apple's desire to extract itself from Google runs deep. Apple, which last year ended partnerships with Google over maps and video, has explored breaking up on search for many years and its representatives recently met with companies that have search expertise, people familiar with the matter said.
But Apple executives including Eddy Cue, a senior vice president in charge of Internet software and services, have said the company isn't willing to sacrifice the quality of search results and that Google's remain the best, these people said."

Yahoo, Apple Discuss Deeper iPhone Partnership - WSJ.com

Facebook’s Grab for Your Phone. What Gives? - NYTimes.com

David Pogue: not a Facebook Home fan; for a more cynical (and satirical) take, see Facebook Unveils New Waste of Time (The New Yorker)

"If it sounds confusing, that’s because it is. In removing the app-launching function from the Home screen, Facebook has wound up having to reinvent the way you open programs on your phone, and the result feels like a hack. The black-background screen to the left lists all of your apps, and scrolls vertically; the nearly identical gray-background screen lists only your favorites, and scrolls horizontally. Got it?"

Facebook’s Grab for Your Phone. What Gives? - NYTimes.com

Be wary of “data scientists” who… well, aren’t | SecurityCurve

Excerpt from a timely data science reality check

"Point #1: it’s about the model.  Point #2: the model is contingent on exploration of the data and bringing in information from external sources.  Which begs the question, if you’re not doing this, are you doing “data science”?  I happen to think the answer is “no”.
Meaning, if you hire a bunch of consultants to come in and “work their magic” on your data set, that is a non-starter if you accept the original premise by which the term (and some might argue, the discipline) came about.  Namely, because you’re ignoring the “complex” part — the “salient part of the analysis”.  Can you do that?  Sure.  Is it a good idea?  I don’t think it is."

Be wary of “data scientists” who… well, aren’t | SecurityCurve

Hey, Tim Cook: We found an executive to run Apple Retail for you — Tech News and Analysis [GigaOM]

Small world

"Ron Johnson is out as CEO of J.C. Penney. After less than two years on the job, it’s not quite clear what the next step would be for him. Luckily for him, it just so happens that Johnson’s former employer, Apple, has an opening for someone with his qualifications: SVP of Retail.
Yes, that’s Johnson’s old job, the one that he held for more than 10 years. And he was really, really good at it. The establishment of Apple Stores in 2001, which he helped implement, ushered in Apple’s greatest era of prosperity. With the physical stores’ minimalist design that perfectly reflected Apple’s ethos and aesthetic appeal, and a tightly curated range of products for sale, Johnson’s Apple Store concept has attracted millions of visitors each year and inspired many imitators, even among the company’s most direct competitors."

Hey, Tim Cook: We found an executive to run Apple Retail for you — Tech News and Analysis

One on One: Jason Merkoski and the View of E-Books From the Inside - NYTimes.com

Excerpt from an interview with a member of the original Kindle team who has written a new (Kindle first...) book about the ebook industry

"Q. Physical books were convenient, cheap, easy to use, attractive, practically indestructible. What will the great advantages of e-books be?
A. In 20 years, the space of one generation, print books will be as rare as vinyl LPs. You’ll still be able to find them in artsy hipster stores, but that’s about it. So the great advantage of e-books is also their curse; e-books will be the only game in town if you want to read a book. It’s sobering, and a bit sad. That said, e-books can do what print books can’t. They’ll allow you to fit an entire library into the space of one book. They’ll allow you to search for anything in an instant, save your thoughts forever, share them with the world, and connect with other readers right there, inside the book. The book of the future will live and breathe."

One on One: Jason Merkoski and the View of E-Books From the Inside - NYTimes.com

Margaret Thatcher Hashtag Confuses Cher Fans - Speakeasy - WSJ

#signofthetimes

"One of the first hashtags to spring up on Twitter on Monday was #nowthatchersdead, created by a website critical of Thatcher.
This spurred confusion among Cher fans, mostly Americans, who read it as “Now that Cher’s dead.” Soon other Twitter users, including comedian Ricky Gervais, started mocking these panicked fans."

Margaret Thatcher Hashtag Confuses Cher Fans - Speakeasy - WSJ

CourseSmart E-Textbooks Track Students’ Progress for Teachers - NYTimes.com

You're reading it wrong...

"Major publishers in higher education have already been collecting data from millions of students who use their digital materials. But CourseSmart goes further by individually packaging for each professor information on all the students in a class — a bold effort that is already beginning to affect how teachers present material and how students respond to it, even as critics question how well it measures learning. The plan is to introduce the program broadly this fall."

CourseSmart E-Textbooks Track Students’ Progress for Teachers - NYTimes.com

Study: tablets become preferred e-reading devices [Ebook Friendly]

Works for me; I retired a Kindle 2 for a Nexus 7 (with the Kindle app) last summer

"The results from a first installment for 2013 report are shocking. For the first time tablets have become consumers’ preferred e-reading devices, overtaking dedicated e-readers. Now, 44% of e-book readers prefer a tablet. It’s 7% up, from 37% last August. At the same time, e-readers are a preferred device for 42% of respondents. In August 2012 it was as much as 49%. "

Study: tablets become preferred e-reading devices [chart]