Microsoft Has A Problem With The Public's Expectation Of The Surface - Forbes

Some big questions about Windows RT

"That looks set to catch many people out… while Office is bundled with the first Surface tablets, there is no Microsoft Outlook. Looking to put Firefox or Chrome on the hardware as an alternative web browser? You can’t.
How many people who have already bought a Surface with Windows RT are aware of this issue? Even assuming that the majority of people are switched on and understand what they are buying into (and that they are going to be happy with their purchase), that leaves a lot of people who are picking up the Surface RT tablet the day after Windows 8 is launched, in the face of a huge yet generic marketing campaign around ‘Windows’. Will they understand that the Surface RT is a limited version of Windows 8?"

Microsoft Has A Problem With The Public's Expectation Of The Surface - Forbes

Zuckerberg admits: If I wasn’t the CEO of Facebook, I’d be at Microsoft | VentureBeat

Excerpt from an overview of a wide-ranging interview

"It was a shock to hear that if Facebook hadn’t worked out, Zuckerberg would have joined a tech giant, rather than a startup. “I probably would have taken an engineering job…[and] always had a lot of respect for Microsoft,” he said. “A lot of people from Harvard went to work there.”"

Zuckerberg admits: If I wasn’t the CEO of Facebook, I’d be at Microsoft | VentureBeat

Microsoft Reports Dip in Quarterly Profits and Revenues [Windows IT Pro]

Excerpt from a Paul Thurrott review of Microsoft's latest quarter

"The most interesting trend, however, is the widening gap between Office, which is actually Microsoft’s biggest business, and Windows, which most view as the soul of the company. But Windows isn’t even number two anymore: The Business division that sells Office contributed $5.5 billion in revenues to the quarter, far above the Windows figure. And even Server & Tools outperformed Windows, raking in $4.5 billion in revenues.
These figures make one wonder why the Windows division is given such control within the company. After all, both Server and Office were prepping major updates in the previous quarter, too. But both of those businesses continued to perform strongly."

Microsoft Reports Dip in Quarterly Profits and Revenues

Official Google Enterprise Blog: The new Chromebook, for every student

Interesting to see Amazon, Apple, and Google all focusing on the education market

"At only 2.5 pounds and 0.8 inches thick, the new Chromebook zips along, booting in under 10 seconds and playing high resolution video beautifully. It automatically receives the latest security updates from Google and doesn’t require any manual IT set-up, so additional devices won’t mean skyrocketing support costs. A recent IDC sponsored white paper showed that Chromebooks for Education require 69 percent less labor to install and 92 percent less labor to support, delivering big cost savings by reducing the need to hire additional IT staff."

Official Google Enterprise Blog: The new Chromebook, for every student

New Samsung Chromebook also available with 3G for $329.99 | The Verge

Priced to move...

"The 3G Chromebook comes with 2 years of up to 100MB of free data per month from Verizon (like previous Chromebooks) and costs $329.99 — an $80 premium over the $249.99 Wi-Fi-only model. Otherwise, all looks to be the same as the ARM-based Chrome OS laptop we saw for ourselves yesterday."

New Samsung Chromebook also available with 3G for $329.99 | The Verge

iCloud: Sharing done wrong | Macworld

Excerpt from a timely iCloud reality check

"Looking at iCloud in particular, it seems that Apple's approach to sharing is almost antithetical to the concept itself. The online service rigidly defines what you can share and how you can share it; its primary directive often seems to be to keep you inside Apple’s ecosystem.
Indeed, Apple’s idea of making all of your files accessible to you from anywhere through iCloud overlooks two specific user needs: Sometimes you want to open files in multiple programs, and sometimes more than one person needs access to a file."

iCloud: Sharing done wrong | Macworld

Filing Reports With S.E.C. Too Soon Can be Costly - NYTimes.com

"... to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful" -- sometimes a bit earlier than expected

"On Thursday, Google said its filing agent, R. R. Donnelley & Sons, released its earnings several hours earlier than planned. The company’s stock dropped by nearly 10 percent, and trades were frozen for several hours.
Donnelley responded, “We are fully engaged in an investigation to determine how this event took place and are pursuing our first obligation — which is to serve our valued customer.”"

Filing Reports With S.E.C. Too Soon Can be Costly - NYTimes.com:
'via Blog this'

Google Shares Drop After Earnings Disappoint - NYTimes.com

Still searching for a mobile advertising solution

"But the explosion of mobile users and ads has presented difficulties. Google has 55 percent market share in mobile ad revenue, and 95 percent for mobile search ads, according to eMarketer, the digital advertising research firm. Yet the ads cost less in large part because advertisers are not yet convinced that they are as effective as desktop ads.
People click on ads on smartphones more often than they do on desktop computers, 5.1 percent compared with 2.4 percent of the time, according to Marin Software, which makes technology for advertisers to use to buy ads on Google, Bing, Facebook and other sites.
That is because ads take up more space on cellphone screens and are more likely to answer the kinds of immediate questions asked on mobile devices, like “Where is a bar near the ballpark?” said Gagan Kanwar, director of research and partnerships at Marin."

Google Shares Drop After Earnings Disappoint - NYTimes.com

Airtime, a Pedigreed Start-Up, Is Tested - NYTimes.com

A rather lonely journey, apparently

"Bing Gordon, a board member at Airtime and a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, one of the venture capital firms that backed the company, said users tended to be fickle, impatient and difficult to dazzle.
“The average life cycle of an app is way down,” Mr. Gordon said. “People are always ready to move on to the next thing.”
In the case of Airtime, Mr. Gordon said he believed two-way video would become a more important medium over time, because it conveys emotions that a text or phone call cannot capture.
He said Mr. Parker and his team would just have to keep trying until they got it right: “They are on that journey.”"

Airtime, a Pedigreed Start-Up, Is Tested - NYTimes.com

Google Introduces $249 Samsung Chromebook - Bonnie Cha - Product News - AllThingsD

If at first you don't succeed...  Also see Buy a new Chromebook for $249, but get $269 in service value from Gogo and Google Drive (ZDNet)

"When families need an additional computer for the household, Google is hoping they will turn to its new Samsung Chromebook as the answer. How will it do that? With a really cheap price point.
Today, Google introduced its new Samsung Chromebook, which will cost just $249. The companies’ previous Chromebooks cost between $300 and $550."

Google Introduces $249 Samsung Chromebook - Bonnie Cha - Product News - AllThingsD

Microsoft Surface: RT vs. Pro, a Specifications Comparison [Supersite for Windows]

Paul Thurrott clarifies some Surface distinctions (apparently lots of confusion in this context; e.g., see With Surface looming, Microsoft fails to explain Windows 8 vs. Windows RT to consumers (The Verge))

"Yesterday, I published the specifications for Microsoft’s Surface for Windows RT device. But with the specifications for the coming Windows 8 version of the device, called Surface for Windows 8 Pro, now available, it’s possible to compare the two more easily. And there are some surprising differences between the devices … not to mention some surprising omissions from both."

Microsoft Surface: RT vs. Pro, a Specifications Comparison

Amazon making moves to displace iPads in schools | 9to5Mac

Check the full post for a snapshot of Amazon Whispercast

"We know Apple has had a lot of success pushing iPads in education, and during Apple’s Q3 conference call, CEO Tim Cook said the company would continue to be “very aggressive”. Apple’s iPad 2 sales in the K-12 market doubled y-o-y in Q3 thanks to a price drop to $399. In Q2, Apple said it sold about a million iPad units to the United States education market. With Apple’s upcoming iPad mini announcement possibly bringing an even lower price point for iPads in education, Amazon is announcing its plans today to get Kindle tablets into schools."

Amazon making moves to displace iPads in schools | 9to5Mac

Inside Foxconn - James Fallows - The Atlantic

A preliminary perspective from James Fallows; on a related note, see How Obama or Romney Should Have Answered the iPad Question (AllThingsD)

"By chance, I watched that debate a few miles from where many of those iPads, Macs, and iPhones are made in southern China. The following day -- today, Thursday, China time -- I was inside the most famous of these outsourcing centers. This is the Foxconn "campus" in the Longhua area of Shenzhen, north of Hong Kong. Some 220,000 people work there; about a quarter of them live on site; and several thousand new employees are recruited, trained, and brought onto staff each week, because turnover at Foxconn and many of these Chinese manufacturing centers is so high. Foxconn has been controversial over the years because of allegations of sweatshop operation and of militaristic surveillance and discipline, plus a wave of worker suicides in 2010. I'll have more to say on the current state of Chinese manufacturing at Foxconn and elsewhere very soon, with a now-very-much-overdue article in the magazine. "

Inside Foxconn - James Fallows - The Atlantic

IE10 on Windows 7 available in November - IEBlog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

Apparently no extreme Windows 8 "strategy tax" for IE10, but check the post comments for some lively discussion

"As we approach general availability of Windows 8, we want to provide an update on IE10 for Windows 7. We will release a preview of IE10 on Windows 7 in mid-November, with final availability to follow as we collect developer and customer feedback."

IE10 on Windows 7 available in November - IEBlog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

Best Buy's Homegrown Tablet - Businessweek

Unclear if Best Buy will sell many of these, but it may help to shift the ~10" tablet price elasticity curve a bit

"My Bloomberg News colleague, Bryan Gruley, has confirmed that the electronics retailer will be selling a tablet with a 9.7-inch display running Google’s Android operating system starting Nov. 11. The tablet will run a dual-core, 1-megahertz processor and have 10 hours of battery life. Reuters has reported, and Best Buy confirms, that it will be sold as the Insignia Flex and will have a price of around $250."

Best Buy's Homegrown Tablet - Businessweek

Where Google Ventures Is Searching Now - WSJ.com

Another dimension of Google aiming high

"WSJ: What investment areas are you interested in right now?
Mr. Maris [managing partner of Google Ventures]: I'm interested in the ideas that sound a little crazy, such as radical life extension, curing cancer, being able to create a simulation of the human brain and map every neuron. Nest is a company that wanted to build a new kind of thermostat, and initially that didn't seem important to me. But then I learned…that it's not really about the thermostat. The thermostat knows when you're home and when you're not [and adjusts the temperature accordingly]. They're trying to save the world a lot of energy."

Where Google Ventures Is Searching Now - WSJ.com

As Pay-Per-Click Ad Costs Rise, Small Businesses Search for Alternatives - NYTimes.com

Accelerating advertising innovation -- and information quality

"While about 96 percent of pay-per-click advertisers spend less than $10,000 a month, according to AdGooroo, a research firm that studies the pay-per-click market, big-budget advertisers spend hundreds of times more. In the first half of 2012, Amazon reportedly spent $54 million, and the University of Phoenix $37.9 million. “AdWords can bleed many a small business dry,” said Sharon Geltner, an analyst at the Small Business Development Center at Palm Beach State College in Boca Raton, Fla.
“The only way for smaller advertisers to get an edge is to spend a lot of time improving the quality and relevance of their ads,” said Richard Stokes, author of “Ultimate Guide to Pay-Per-Click Advertising” and the founder of AdGooroo. “The problem is that everyone else is doing that as well.”"

As Pay-Per-Click Ad Costs Rise, Small Businesses Search for Alternatives - NYTimes.com

Apple Loses Tablet Copyright Appeal Against Samsung - NYTimes.com

tbd if this British court ruling is a leading indicator

"The Court of Appeal upheld its judgment that despite some similarities, Samsung did not infringe Apple's design, in part because its products were "not as cool" as the iPad.
The U.S. company was instructed to run ads saying the Korean company did not copy the iPad, both on its website and in selected newspapers."

Apple Loses Tablet Copyright Appeal Against Samsung - NYTimes.com

Google Schedules October 29 Android Event in New York - Ina Fried - Mobile - AllThingsD

10/23: Apple; 10/26: Microsoft; 10/29: Google -- a busy week for new device introductions

"The company has been reportedly prepping a number of Nexus devices, including tablets and phones from various Android device makers such as Sony, Samsung and LG."

Google Schedules October 29 Android Event in New York - Ina Fried - Mobile - AllThingsD

Google Throws Open Doors to Its Top-Secret Data Center | Wired Enterprise | Wired.com

Steven Levy goes for an in-depth Google data center tour

"This is what makes Google Google: its physical network, its thousands of fiber miles, and those many thousands of servers that, in aggregate, add up to the mother of all clouds. This multibillion-dollar infrastructure allows the company to index 20 billion web pages a day. To handle more than 3 billion daily search queries. To conduct millions of ad auctions in real time. To offer free email storage to 425 million Gmail users. To zip millions of YouTube videos to users every day. To deliver search results before the user has finished typing the query. In the near future, when Google releases the wearable computing platform called Glass, this infrastructure will power its visual search results."

Google Throws Open Doors to Its Top-Secret Data Center | Wired Enterprise | Wired.com

Can Microsoft's $499 Surface tablet lure you away from iPad? | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times

The deeper Surface competitive landscape

"Though the Surface aims to be a different tool — more productivity-oriented — than the smaller and less expensive 7-inch tablets such as Kindle Fire and the expected iPad Mini, it still will compete with the companies that produce them.
That's because the larger battle now is not merely between devices. Those devices are simply ways for consumers to access the large array of services the companies provide and a way for those companies to keep selling services to customers.
"It's not iPad vs. Surface vs. Nexus," Gartenberg said. "It's the Microsoft ecosystem vs. the Google ecosystem vs. the Apple ecosystem.""

Can Microsoft's $499 Surface tablet lure you away from iPad? | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times

Amazon's Next Big Business Is Selling You | Wired Business | Wired.com

An Amazon advertising ambition assessment

"Facebook knows who your friends are. Google knows what you’re interested in finding on the internet. Amazon knows what you’ve bought, and has a pretty good idea of what you might want to buy next.
If you were an advertiser, which company’s data sounds most valuable to you? If you had a product you wanted to sell, which of those things would you most want to know?"

Amazon's Next Big Business Is Selling You | Wired Business | Wired.com

Steven Sinofsky Turn Surface Tablet Into a Skateboard - Ina Fried - Mobile - AllThingsD

Another creative option, if the Surface doesn't work out as a percussion instrument

"Steven Sinofsky is apparently not only unsure whether to classify Surface as laptop or tablet. He also fancies it a skateboard.
The Windows unit president was spotted Tuesday riding on one of the slates (mounted on skateboard wheels) through the lobby of Studio B, the home of Surface on Microsoft’s campus."

Steven Sinofsky Turn Surface Tablet Into a Skateboard - Ina Fried - Mobile - AllThingsD

Windows 8 Review - Walt Mossberg - Personal Technology - AllThingsD

Final paragraph of a lengthy Walt Mossberg Windows 8 review

"Microsoft deserves credit for giving Windows a new, modern face. And the company will surely please existing users by maintaining the old one and the ability to run older apps. But the combination will requiring re-learning the most familiar computing system on the planet."

Windows 8 Review - Walt Mossberg - Personal Technology - AllThingsD

Is the Surface Tablet Too Pricey? - Technology Review

Check the article link for a round-up of pricing perspectives

"In truth, though, the Surface pricing is pretty reasonable, for what you’re getting. There seems to have been an unreasonable expectation set by the launch of the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet that any newcomer to the tablet market should be priced under $200. (Indeed, there was some--far-fetched--speculation that maybe Microsoft would price the Surface that low.) As Time’s Harry McCracken puts it smartly, “Good products rarely die purely because they’re too pricey; bad ones don’t become landmarks simply because they’re affordable.”"

Is the Surface Tablet Too Pricey? - Technology Review

Online Advertising Poised to Finally Surpass Print - Technology Review

A major media milestone

"It looks like this is the year that Internet advertising revenue finally surpasses ad revenue in print media.
In the first half of the year, U.S. Internet sites collected $17 billion in ad revenue, a 14 percent increase over the same period of 2011, according to a new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau. In the second half of last year, websites had $16.8 billion in ad revenue. So even if growth were to slow in the second half, digital media this year could exceed the $35.8 billion that U.S. print magazines and newspapers garnered in ad revenue in 2011."

Online Advertising Poised to Finally Surpass Print - Technology Review

Advertising Microsoft Surface [Supersite for Windows]

Apparently Surface can be used as a percussion instrument (see the link below for the first Surface TV commercial)

"On the eve of the pricing and availability announcement for its Surface, Microsoft launches the first ads for the tablet devices. As I exclusively revealed earlier in the day on Twitter, these ads debuted Monday night on national TV.
But you don’t need to watch Monday Night Football or Dancing with the Stars to see the new ad. It’s available now on YouTube."

Advertising Microsoft Surface

Salesforce Hires to Go Open Source - NYTimes.com

It's going to take a while, but Oracle is apparently losing a very big Oracle Database customer

"On Friday, Salesforce started looking for engineers skilled in an open source database called PostgreSQL. In a job posting, Salesforce says it needs five engineers now, and 40 to 50 more people next year, for “a huge PostgreSQL project” that would involve “implementing core technology that runs Salesforce.com.”"

Salesforce Hires to Go Open Source - NYTimes.com

Seeking a Magic Tool for Personal Productivity - NYTimes.com

Getting Things Done with Intentional Software?  (Speaking of getting things done, this NYT article had a couple incomplete sentences when I viewed it, including the final sentence quoted below...)

"The partnership, said Mr. Anderson, will design software that sits on top of a person’s digital calendar and communications including e-mail, text messages, Facebook and Twitter feeds. Then, the software will automatically apply the G.T.D. principles of capturing, clarifying, organizing, reviewing and prioritizing the various channels of information in a person’s life.
“This could be as transformative to the way people work as Microsoft Office has been,” Mr. Anderson."

Seeking a Magic Tool for Personal Productivity - NYTimes.com

Quick, Hide the BlackBerry, It’s Too Uncool - NYTimes.com

Another stark RIM reality check

"The BlackBerry was once proudly carried by the high-powered and the elite, but those who still hold one today say the device has become a magnet for mockery and derision from those with iPhones and the latest Android phones. Research in Motion may still be successful selling BlackBerrys in countries like India and Indonesia, but in the United States the company is clinging to less than 5 percent of the smartphone market — down from a dominating 50 percent just three years ago. "

Quick, Hide the BlackBerry, It’s Too Uncool - NYTimes.com

Can Xbox Music Outdo Spotify? - Technology Review

Excerpt from a happy Spotify user's perspective on Xbox Music

"I understand that the Xbox is only one element of Xbox Music, but it’s the device on which the service first goes live, and it’s the device that has leant its name to the service. Microsoft has a hard sell, from my perspective, on why the living room, the Xbox, and the television should be cornerstones of your music experience.
Microsoft is offering a compelling package--free streaming with advertisements, or a $10-a-month option that lets you take music to the cloud and enjoy without ads. But I frankly don’t see how this adds a significant amount of value over what Spotify is offering."

Can Xbox Music Outdo Spotify? - Technology Review

Find your stuff faster in Gmail and Search | Official Gmail Blog

Evernote Simultaneous Search is another option for having your personal content appear in search results (from Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others); also see Google Amps Up Personal Search to Combine Gmail, Calendar, Drive and More (AllThingsD)

"So starting today, you can sign up for a new and expanded field trial that makes it easier to find your stuff across Google, whether you’re searching on Google.com or searching in Gmail.
[...]
Similarly, when you search on Google.com, your results will include relevant information and messages from Gmail (something familiar to those who joined the original field trial) and now -- new in this field trial -- also files, documents, spreadsheets and more from Google Drive"

Find your stuff faster in Gmail and Search | Official Gmail Blog

Apple Hires Amazon A9 Exec Stasior to Run Siri - Kara Swisher - Mobile - AllThingsD

Small world

"Apple has hired major Amazon exec and prominent search technologist William Stasior to run its Siri unit, according to sources.
At the online retail giant, Stasior has been in charge of A9, Amazon’s search and search advertising unit. The former AltaVista exec co-founded the independent company and has run it since Udi Manber left for Google."

Apple Hires Amazon A9 Exec Stasior to Run Siri - Kara Swisher - Mobile - AllThingsD

Surprise! There May Be a Business in Google Apps - Businessweek [Gizmodo]

Excerpt from a Google Apps market reality check

"There’s a lack of objective numbers on sales of Google Apps and rival Microsoft Office 365, but one thing is clear: Companies don’t want to pay a ton for productivity applications—a market dominated by Microsoft Office for years before coming under attack from less expensive (and less feature-rich) software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings like Google Apps."

Surprise! There May Be a Business in Google Apps - Businessweek

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display confirmed for Apple event | 9to5Mac

More Apple downsizing ahead?...

"Alongside the smaller iPad, Apple will debut a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, according to a consistently reliable source at a high-profile U.S. retailer.
This new 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina Display is said to pick up the thinner and lighter enclosure of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display that was released in June."

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display confirmed for Apple event | 9to5Mac

Radio Is Alive, Clear Channel's Bob Pittman Says - WSJ.com

In other music news

"After almost a decade of self-imposed corporate exile, Mr. Pittman is back in the corporate saddle and on a mission. In his new role heading Clear Channel, the MTV founder and high-profile AOL alum has a grandiose goal: to reinvent radio, a business many have left for dead."

Radio Is Alive, Clear Channel's Bob Pittman Says - WSJ.com

Xbox Music Leads Microsoft’s New Push to Challenge iTunes - NYTimes.com

Music is one of several domains in which perhaps Microsoft should have partnered with Amazon, rather than going it alone

"Analysts say the success of Xbox Music will depend on far more than whether the service itself is any good, since the strategy is to have it enhance the appeal of Microsoft-powered gadgets that have much broader functions. “This is not going to matter if no one wants the devices,” said Richard Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG Research. “You need to have a killer device.”
That will be tricky on phones. The first smartphones on which the service will be available are those running a new version of Microsoft’s mobile operating system, Windows Phone, which has struggled to gain traction."

Xbox Music Leads Microsoft’s New Push to Challenge iTunes - NYTimes.com

Felix Baumgartner Space Parachute Jump Shatters Live Web Video Record - Peter Kafka - Media - AllThingsD

A multifaceted record-setting event

"Meantime, I believe that Baumgartner, his sponsor Red Bull and YouTube have already set a record: By YouTube’s count, there are more than two million livestreams of the event going out around the world. (Update: The audience for this one kept climbing as Baumgartner did. Latest total: 8 million) The previous record for a single Web video service: Around 500,000 concurrent streams, which Google served up during the Olympics this summer."

Felix Baumgartner Space Parachute Jump Shatters Live Web Video Record - Peter Kafka - Media - AllThingsD

Microsoft Hits the Restart Button With Xbox Music - Tricia Duryee - Commerce - AllThingsD

It'll be interesting to see if players such as Spotify and Pandora are impacted

"Xbox Music will be familiar to consumers who use other streaming music services, like Spoitfy and rdio. From the start, it will have access to more than 30 million songs globally and 18 million in the U.S. It’s launching in 15 countries.
A free ad-supported version will allow users to manage their entire music catalog from their PC and supplement it with an online catalog that is streamed over the Internet. Users will be able to skip from track to track, create playlists or listen to an album without restrictions (at least for the first six months). A premium version will cost $10 a month and will work across PCs, the game console and Windows 8 phones."

Microsoft Hits the Restart Button With Xbox Music - Tricia Duryee - Commerce - AllThingsD

Iran’s Hand Is Suspected in Computer Attacks - NYTimes.com

Conjuring memories of Dr. Strangelove...  Tangentially, on a cautiously optimistic note, see Iran says it’s willing to work with West (AP/Boston Globe)

"One senior intelligence official described a debate inside the Obama administration over the pros and cons of openly admitting that the United States has deployed a new cyber weapon, and could use it in response to an attack, or pre-emptively.
For now, officials have decided to hold back. “The countries who need to know we have it already know,” the senior intelligence official said."

Iran’s Hand Is Suspected in Computer Attacks - NYTimes.com

Do-Not-Track Movement Is Drawing Advertisers’ Fire - NYTimes.com

A snapshot from a deep, dynamic, and divisive digital dilemma domain

"But what is really at stake here is the future of the surveillance economy.
The advent of Do Not Track threatens the barter system wherein consumers allow sites and third-party ad networks to collect information about their online activities in exchange for open access to maps, e-mail, games, music, social networks and whatnot. Marketers have been fighting to preserve this arrangement, saying that collecting consumer data powers effective advertising tailored to a user’s tastes. In turn, according to this argument, those tailored ads enable smaller sites to thrive and provide rich content."

Do-Not-Track Movement Is Drawing Advertisers’ Fire - NYTimes.com

Two-Step Verification Is Inconvenient, but More Secure - NYTimes.com

You're implicitly placing an increasingly bad bet, if you don't use two-factor authentication with services for which it's readily available

"Users of Gmail and other Google services, for example, can elect to have a two-step verification system to protect their accounts. When the system is activated, the user fills in the boxes for user name and password, as usual, but then is sent to another page where a verification code must be typed in. Users may choose to have this arrive as a text message, or they can obtain it by using an app on their smartphone. There’s a backup method, too, in case their smartphone is lost or stolen.
PayPal and Dropbox also offer their users the option of requiring two-step verification for added peace of mind. Many corporate networks have long used this security model, too."

Two-Step Verification Is Inconvenient, but More Secure - NYTimes.com

Kindle Users Get Refunds And Lower Prices on E-Books After Settlement - Arik Hesseldahl - News - AllThingsD

Perhaps the final chapter in this e-book publisher price-fixing story (see the full article for more details and links to related resources)

"Collectively the three publishers agreed to pay $69 million to settle charges that they were fixing prices on electronic books. The settlement must still be approved by the court, and a final hearing is scheduled for February of next year.
This all came about when the US Department of Justice decided to sue Apple and several publishers in a federal court in New York alleging that they colluded to inflate prices on electronic books as part of a plan to fight back against Amazon’s dominance of the e-book business. There’s a lot of detail in the original complaint via The Wall Street Journal here, and it’s worth reading The Journal’s story covering the initial filing of the suit from April."

Kindle Users Get Refunds And Lower Prices on E-Books After Settlement - Arik Hesseldahl - News - AllThingsD

Workday Shares Rise 75 Percent in IPO Debut - Arik Hesseldahl - News - AllThingsD

Dave Duffield's third HR/ERP-centric hit

"Appetite was strong for shares of Workday, the cloud-based human capital management software company, as it debuted for trading on the New York Stock Exchange today.
The stock priced yesterday at $28 a share, valuing the company at north of $5 billion, and shares opened at $47.05. In late trading, they were around $49, a 75 percent increase."

Workday Shares Rise 75 Percent in IPO Debut - Arik Hesseldahl - News - AllThingsD

‘This Machine Kills Secrets,’ by Andy Greenberg - NYTimes.com

Excerpt from a Evgeny Morozov review

"Greenberg, a writer for Forbes, has produced an exhaustive prequel to the never-ending WikiLeaks saga. Unlike some recent books on the subject, this one adopts a decidedly historical perspective and situates the ideas behind WikiLeaks in the heady debates about computing, privacy and civil liberties that have dominated many an online conversation in the last three decades. And, as if this challenge were not grand enough, Greenberg also tries to explain the highly complex technologies that have made a project like WikiLeaks possible, introducing such hidden gems of geek cuisine as “salt hashing” and “onion routing.” By and large, he succeeds, and the resulting dish is delicious and not at all too technical."

‘This Machine Kills Secrets,’ by Andy Greenberg - NYTimes.com

iPhone 5 Buyers Don't Care About Maps Fiasco - John Paczkowski - Mobile - AllThingsD

Cancel red alert; see the article for survey details

"More importantly, survey respondents with devices running iOS 6 say that, for the most part, Maps hasn’t been a major issue for them. Among those polled, just 3 percent said iOS 6 Maps are a “very big problem”; 6 percent said the issue is “somewhat of a problem”; and 90 percent reported “no problem at all.”
Which is not to say that Apple’s new Maps app wasn’t an embarrassing misstep for the company — clearly, it was. It’s just that it doesn’t seem to matter much to consumers."

iPhone 5 Buyers Don't Care About Maps Fiasco - John Paczkowski - Mobile - AllThingsD

Futurist Ray Kurzweil Wants to Move Your Brain Into the Cloud [PC Magazine]

Ray Kurzweil's latest book will be released 20121113

"In the long run, he doesn't think we'll have hardware implants in our brains, but rather biological devices that live in our bloodstream and will give us more capabilities. These will eventually be able to functionally recreate the pattern recognition ability of the brain. This, he believes, will lead to a qualitative leap in understanding, similar to the jump between apes and humans with the expansion of the neocortex. 
This might be 25 years off, he said, but already there are a number of medical devices that can be put into the blood. In the meantime, we'll all have more intelligence from our devices, even if they are not physically inside our bodies."

Futurist Ray Kurzweil Wants to Move Your Brain Into the Cloud

RockMelt Thinks You're Ready for a Modern Mobile Browser | Wired Business | Wired.com

From a Steven Levy RockMelt profile

"Now, he says, the web is mobile. It’s “about images, social and streams.” And so, says the original browser boy, it’s time for a new take. Thus, Andreessen is a major funder — and cheerleader — of RockMelt, a company releasing an eponymous app today that it calls the first true mobile browser.
[...]
Still, whether it’s with RockMelt or an eventual rethinking of Explorer, Chrome, Safari and the rest, this much is clear: We’re going to get browsers that reflect the way we use tablets and phones.
As Andreessen says, “Computing is going to vanish into panes of glass. In the future you’re going to just assume that every pane of glass is a touch computer and it’s connected to broadband. If it’s not active, you’ll assume it’s broken.” And he’s betting that when we reach this world of panes, we’ll be accessing the web via RockMelt."

RockMelt Thinks You're Ready for a Modern Mobile Browser | Wired Business | Wired.com:
'via Blog this'

Office News - Office Reaches RTM!

Unclear why Microsoft is going with a "preview version" of Office 2013 in Windows RT, at this point

"This is the most ambitious release of Office we've ever done. It spans the full family of Office applications, servers and cloud services. The new Office has a fresh, touch friendly design that works beautifully on Windows 8 and unlocks modern scenarios in social, reading, note-taking, meetings and communications. We are proud to achieve this milestone and are eager to deliver this exciting release to our customers.
General availability is planned for the first quarter of 2013. Starting October 19, customers purchasing Office 2010 from local retailers or resellers will receive the new Office for free upon availability. Customers will also see a preview version of the new Office on Windows RT devices, beginning with the Windows 8 launch on October 26. "

Office News - Office Reaches RTM!

Panetta Warns of Dire Threat of Cyberattack on U.S. - NYTimes.com

Also see The Dangers of Allowing an Adversary Access to a Network

"In August, a cybersecurity bill that had been one of the administration’s national security priorities was blocked by a group of Republicans, led by Senator John McCain of Arizona, who took the side of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and said it would be too burdensome for corporations.
The most destructive possibilities, Mr. Panetta said, involve “cyber-actors launching several attacks on our critical infrastructure at one time, in combination with a physical attack.” He described the collective result as a “cyber-Pearl Harbor that would cause physical destruction and the loss of life, an attack that would paralyze and shock the nation and create a profound new sense of vulnerability.”"

Panetta Warns of Dire Threat of Cyberattack on U.S. - NYTimes.com

Microsoft and Its Allies Prepare Windows 8 Marketing Blitz - WSJ.com

The Windows 8 rolling-thunder campaign builds momentum

"According to people briefed on the marketing efforts, Microsoft's ads beginning this weekend will coincide with pre-orders of some computers and tablet devices powered by Windows 8. Those devices are slated to go on sale widely on Oct. 26.
It's no small push. People with knowledge of the marketing efforts said Microsoft and its hardware allies will have blankets of ads with a cumulative price tag of hundreds of millions of dollars."

Microsoft and Its Allies Prepare Windows 8 Marketing Blitz - WSJ.com

Sony Unveils Vaio Tap 20, Duo 11 Windows 8 PCs - Bonnie Cha - Product News - AllThingsD

An innovative Sony hybrid

"The Sony Vaio Tap 20 is probably one of the most exciting Windows 8 products I’ve seen yet, and to be amped up over an all-in-one PC is saying something.
The Vaio Tap 20 features a tilting 20-inch, 1,600 by 900-pixel IPS touchscreen than can be laid flat on a table, and isn’t bound by wires since it has a built-in battery. It reminded me of a mini Microsoft Surface (not this Surface, but that Surface) — one that doesn’t cost a fortune (prices start at $880) and actually has practical use in the home."

Sony Unveils Vaio Tap 20, Duo 11 Windows 8 PCs - Bonnie Cha - Product News - AllThingsD

PC Sales Go Into a Tailspin - WSJ.com

A stark snapshot for Microsoft and its PC hardware partners

"Researchers IDC and Gartner Inc. IT said PC shipments in the third quarter fell more than 8% from a year earlier, the steepest drop since at least 2001. A third report, from IHS iSuppli, projected PC shipments for the full year would decline for the first time in 11 years.
"This is definitively a crossroads" for the computer industry, said David Daoud, an analyst at IDC. "It could be a make or break moment."" 

PC Sales Go Into a Tailspin - WSJ.com

RockMelt Dives Into Mobile Browsing -- iPad First - Mike Isaac - Social - AllThingsD

RockMelt redefines itself

"It’s nothing like your grandpa’s Safari. RockMelt for iPad caters to the shifting attitudes we have in the way we experience content on tablets. The result is an attractive mish-mash of an interface design that borrows heavily from Facebook’s Timeline, Pinterest’s tiles and Twitter’s ever-flowing stream."

RockMelt Dives Into Mobile Browsing -- iPad First - Mike Isaac - Social - AllThingsD

Eric Schmidt Says Android-Apple Is the Defining Fight in the Industry - Liz Gannes - Mobile - AllThingsD

Excerpt from an Eric Schmidt interview

"Schmidt said he still believes there to be a “Gang of Four” technology platform leaders — Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook — as he first proposed in an interview with Walt and Kara a couple years ago.
Besides Apple and Google, he said, “Facebook is attempting to become the world’s communications hub, and Amazon is attempting to become the world’s largest store.”
Shouldn’t Microsoft be included in there, Mossberg asked? No, Schmidt said. “It’s a well-run company,” he said, “but they don’t make state-of-the-art products.”"

Eric Schmidt Says Android-Apple Is the Defining Fight in the Industry - Liz Gannes - Mobile - AllThingsD

Steve Ballmer asks customers, partners and shareholders to believe in Microsoft [BetaNews]

Joe Wilcox on Microsoft's metamorphosis

"I can't emphasize enough what the next product release cycle means to Microsoft, and that includes Office System 2013 software coming next year. The Redmond, Wash.-based company is attempting to preserve and recover computing relevance during a massive move to anytime, anywhere, on-anything computing that threatens the longevity of the Office-Windows-Windows Server applications stack. That understanding is important context for reading Ballmer's letter. He's not just blowing marketing smoke -- kissing up to the parties he writes to. He means every word."

Steve Ballmer asks customers, partners and shareholders to believe in Microsoft

Exclusive: Assets of Palo Alto gaming company OnLive were sold off for just $4.8 million - San Jose Mercury News

OnLifeSupport

"OnLive, which had previously raised more than $40 million from AT&T, HTC and other major investors, had been exploring a sale or another investment for a "substantial period of time," noted Joel Weinberg, the CEO of Insolvency Services Group, which is handing OnLive's bankruptcy-like process, in the letter. Running out of cash, the company decided to liquidate its assets through an assignment for the benefit of creditors, a bankruptcy alternative that operates under state law."

Exclusive: Assets of Palo Alto gaming company OnLive were sold off for just $4.8 million - San Jose Mercury News

iPhone Usage Among U.S. Teens Hits 40% as iPad Continues to Gain Traction - Mac Rumors

tbd if this is a leading indicator of a broader trend

"Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster today released a report outlining the results of his semi-annual survey of U.S. teenagers, revealing that iPhone and iPad usage continues to surge among the demographic. The survey of over 7,700 teenagers shows that 40% of respondents currently use an iPhone, up from 34% in the last survey conducted just six months ago.
'We believe it is a positive sign for the power of the iPhone among younger users that Apple was able to expand its market share with teens despite no new product launches between our Spring and Fall 2012 surveys.'
Apple also appears well-positioned with teenagers going forward, with 62% of survey respondents stating that they plan to obtain an iPhone as their next phone. "

iPhone Usage Among U.S. Teens Hits 40% as iPad Continues to Gain Traction - Mac Rumors

iPod Touch: Hands-on with the almost-iPhone - MP3 players - CNET Reviews

The iPad mini mini?...

"The iPod Touch is incredibly thin, very light, extremely pocketable, and highly versatile. It’s a near-5 in terms of function, the fastest Touch that’s ever been made, and the first Touch you’d seriously use as a camera. It’s a multiuse device, and it could even be your phone of sorts for FaceTime calls and Skype. At $299 without a contract, it’s a very attractive deal, but it's also an expensive device that starts with 32GB of storage (a 64GB version costs $399). You could also choose to buy the fourth-gen iPod Touch. For many people, that might make more sense as a basic, more affordable option, although that Touch is two years old."

iPod Touch: Hands-on with the almost-iPhone - MP3 players - CNET Reviews

Open vs. Closed: The Cloud Wars - NYTimes.com

Thinking outside the Box

"On the other side, the cloud storage company Box announced Tuesday a service that enables customers of several specialized cloud software companies to share their data broadly among these companies. The idea is that customers of SugarCRM, a maker of sales management software, could collaborate internally and externally (with permissions and controls) by sharing select data onto the software of Jive Software, which is used in corporate communications. Others in the partnership include Concur, Cornerstone OnDemand, DocuSign, Eloqua, FuzeBox, NetSuite, Zendesk – and Oracle, but probably just for its databases, which are used widely in the cloud."

Open vs. Closed: The Cloud Wars - NYTimes.com

IPhone 5 Shortage Spooks Apple Investors - NYTimes.com

Apple as an effectively one-product company, from investors' perspectives?...

"The scarcity of iPhone 5s is the main reason Apple’s shares, after bursting through the $700 mark in late September, have tumbled nearly 10 percent over the last several weeks, analysts say. On Tuesday, Apple’s stock closed at $635.85.
Although it’s better for Apple that it appears to be suffering problems of supply rather than demand, both situations result in lost or delayed sales. Analysts who have poked around in Apple’s supply chain believe that the holdup could be the result of a shortage of the new displays that Apple is using in the iPhone 5."

IPhone 5 Shortage Spooks Apple Investors - NYTimes.com

Widening Scrutiny of Google’s Smartphone Patents - NYTimes.com

It'll be interesting to see if/how Motorola Mobility's intellectual property-related policies change, as a Google subsidiary

"Google owns patents covering communications and data-handling technologies that are crucial for the basic operation of smartphones and tablets — what are known as standard-essential patents. The investigators are scrutinizing the company’s policies for licensing these patents and suing other companies that it claims are infringing on them, said these people, who spoke on the condition that they not be identified.
Google’s Motorola unit pledged to technology standards organizations that it would license the patents to others on “fair and reasonable” terms to stimulate the growth of the industry, benefiting all companies."

Widening Scrutiny of Google’s Smartphone Patents - NYTimes.com

Lenovo Unveils IdeaPad Yoga 11, IdeaTab Lynx, ThinkPad Twist - Bonnie Cha - Product News - AllThingsD

Some intriguing Lenovo innovation, but I believe pricing is likely to be an issue, for people considering hybrid tablets

"Twist, bend, flip, turn. No, these aren’t the moves to the latest dance craze. They’re just some of the latest tricks offered by Lenovo’s upcoming Windows 8 devices.
Today, the company unveiled four new convertibles running Microsoft’s latest operating system, aimed at both consumers and business users: The IdeaPad Yoga 13, IdeaPad Yoga 11, IdeaTab Lynx and ThinkPad Twist."

Lenovo Unveils IdeaPad Yoga 11, IdeaTab Lynx, ThinkPad Twist - Bonnie Cha - Product News - AllThingsD

Microsoft Helps W3C Create Single Site for Web Standards [Microsoft PressPass]

tbd if this initiative will have a sustainable information-value-add proposition relative to other resources; also see a related Google post (from the Chromium Blog)

"Enter Web Platform Docs, a new centralized community resource for Web developers who use HTML5, CSS and other open Web standards to build websites. Web Platform Docs is the culmination of collaboration among the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Microsoft and other technology companies, including browser-makers Mozilla, Google and Opera, as well as Nokia, HP, Adobe and Facebook.

The site serves as a central repository that provides Web developers with accurate and timely information on the technologies and standards that are crucial to their work. Most importantly, the documentation on Web Platform Docs is comprehensive. It includes information about a browser’s implementation of different Web technologies and best practices on a given feature’s interoperability. "

Microsoft Helps W3C Create Single Site for Web Standards

Google to co-brand 10-inch Nexus tablet with Samsung | Mobile - CNET News

Samsung synergy scenario speculation

"A co-branded tablet with Samsung would be a significant broadening of Google's relationship with Samsung. Google already cobrands the Galaxy Nexus Samsung smartphone.
Shim characterized his information about the 10.1-inch Nexus as "supply chain indications," which typically indicates a high likelihood that the product will come to fruition, according to Shim."

Google to co-brand 10-inch Nexus tablet with Samsung | Mobile - CNET News

Art.sy Is Mapping the World of Art on the Web - NYTimes.com

From an article surveying the "genomes" of art and music

"Enter Art.sy, a start-up whose public version went live on Monday. An extensive free repository of fine-art images and an online art appreciation guide, it is predicated on the idea that audiences comfortable with image-driven Web sites like Tumblr and Pinterest are now primed to spend hours browsing through canvases and sculpture on their monitors and tablets, especially with one-click help."

Art.sy Is Mapping the World of Art on the Web - NYTimes.com

A Google Book Deal Is Good for Everyone—Except Maybe Amazon - Businessweek [GigaOM]

The rest of the story, perhaps -- from the second page of the article

"In fact, the Google deal appears to benefit just about everyone (even authors, although the Guild doesn’t want to admit it). Readers get to search for and buy books more easily, and Google gets more content that could bring in users and keep them searching, which pays the bills. The only one who probably doesn’t benefit is Amazon, because the deal increases the supply of digital copies Amazon doesn’t control or get a share of the revenue from. And it may help publishers become better at selling their own digital content—instead of relying on the digital-book giant to do so."

A Google Book Deal Is Good for Everyone—Except Maybe Amazon - Businessweek

Evernote: keyboard shortcut to open a linked note in a new window

Semi-random Evernote tip of the day: if you're an Evernote user and prefer to work with multiple note windows, you can open a link-referenced note by using shift + click (Windows) or command + click (Mac OS).

The shortcut is in the right-click/context menu in the Evernote Windows client, but it hasn't shown up in the Mac Evernote client context menu yet.

iPhone 5 review: Marveling at the existence of the greatest phone ever made. - Slate Magazine

Slate's Farhad Manjoo radically revises his earlier iPhone 5 perspective

"I’ll go even further: When I pick up the iPhone 5 and examine it closely, I find it difficult to believe that this device actually exists. The iPhone 5 does not feel like a product that was mass produced. In a strange way, it doesn’t feel like it was built at all. This is a gadget that seems as if it fell into the box fully formed."

iPhone 5 review: Marveling at the existence of the greatest phone ever made. - Slate Magazine

Silicon Valley pioneer thrives on challenges | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times

Excerpt from a Larry Ellison profile

"Ellison, who just turned 68 and is among the planet’s most recognizable billionaires, has plenty besides work to keep himself busy, including his fast cars, jets, yacht racing and a newly purchased Hawaiian island. But given his ambitious goals for the corporation — and the tough competition it faces — industry observers say he’s unlikely to call it quits.
“He’s kind of like the Last of the Mohicans,” said Richard Davis, an analyst with investment bank Canaccord Genuity, noting that Ellison is one of the few original Silicon Valley entrepreneurs still running the firms they founded. “He relishes a challenge. I think he’s the happiest when the sabers are crossing.”"

Silicon Valley pioneer thrives on challenges | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times

Motorola confirms death of Webtop, laptop accessories | Mobile - CNET News

It got further than the Palm Foleo, but apparently not much further

"Motorola Mobility's Webtop concept, which enabled its phones to act as the brains of a laptop or television entertainment hub, has quietly been killed off, the company confirmed to CNET today.
Webtop was software that allowed a Motorola smartphone, such as the Atrix 4G for AT&T, to be docked into a special laptop accessory and run with some computer functionality such as the browser. When it was unveiled, many had called it the future of mobile computing."

Motorola confirms death of Webtop, laptop accessories | Mobile - CNET News

In Technology Wars, Using the Patent as a Sword - NYTimes.com

A sign of the litigious times

"In the smartphone industry alone, according to a Stanford University analysis, as much as $20 billion was spent on patent litigation and patent purchases in the last two years — an amount equal to eight Mars rover missions. Last year, for the first time, spending by Apple and Google on patent lawsuits and unusually big-dollar patent purchases exceeded spending on research and development of new products, according to public filings."

In Technology Wars, Using the Patent as a Sword - NYTimes.com

There’s no app for answering deep questions - The Boston Globe

Excerpt from a Howard Gardner interview

"You maintain that the emergence of digital media has been as transformative as the invention of the printing press, a fundamental shift in the way the world works.
The printing press brought written material into the hands of everyone who could read, and it made knowledge accessible to the masses. The digital media present information of all sorts in a variety of symbolic modes — not just words but sounds, pictures, music. They allow instant transmission of content all over the world. And most important, they allow each of us to create content and share it with anyone else with access to a digital platform. It is as if everyone had a printing press and everyone could author books and share them with people across the globe. And also songs and photos and videos."

There’s no app for answering deep questions - The Boston Globe

3 Products Will Be Crushed by the iPad Mini | Cult of Mac

I agree the "iPad mini" appears poised to be very compelling to schools (and parents), although I think the products most likely to be "crushed" by the smaller iPad will include the Nook and the Nexus 7, not so much the Kindle Fire HD or Apple iPad touch (as suggested later in the article; the third to-be-crushed device listed is the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, but I think RIM managed to crush that one on its own)

"I believe Apple will spend the first half of the new year on a full-court press to convince school boards, school districts, teachers and textbook publishers to embrace the iPad Mini as the all-purpose education appliance that every student needs.
By this time next year, I predict, the iPad Mini will be by far the biggest selling tablet in the world, bigger even than the regular iPad.
The iPad Mini will be great news for Apple investors, and bad news for the competition."

3 Products Will Be Crushed by the iPad Mini | Cult of Mac

Twitter, PayPal reveal database performance - Software - Technology - News - iTnews.com.au

A timely NoSQL reality check

"Engineers at Twitter, Paypal have joined Facebook in offering a look under the hood of the massive MySQL deployments that drive their web services.
Database and application engineers at both of the web giants provided intimate details of how they use MySQL open source relational databases to run globally-distributed, highly available and consistent web applications. [...] 

The engineers used sessions at this week's MySQL Connect in San Francisco conference to dispute commonly-held assertions around the limitations of relational database technology to solve what is commonly referred to as 'Big Data' problems."

Twitter, PayPal reveal database performance - Software - Technology - News - iTnews.com.au

Apple CEO Tim Cook remembers Steve Jobs on first anniversary of death | 9to5Mac

Touching; today is also the anniversary of Seymour Cray's death

"Today is the one-year anniversary of Jobs’ death, so Apple updated its front page with a video montage of Jobs in remembrance of his life and passing. The video features pictures and quotes from Jobs during his time as Apple’s CEO and it ends with the following brief message: “His spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.” "

Apple CEO Tim Cook remembers Steve Jobs on first anniversary of death | 9to5Mac

Google Deal Gives Publishers a Choice - Digitize or Not - NYTimes.com

The final chapter in a long-running dispute

"The deal allows publishers to choose whether to allow Google to digitize their out-of-print books that are still under copyright protection. If Google does so, it will also provide them with a digital copy for their own use, perhaps to sell on their Web sites.
For books that it has digitized, Google allows people to read 20 percent of them online and purchase the entire books from the Google Play store, and it shares revenue with the publishers. The two parties did not disclose additional financial terms of the agreement, but the publishers had not asked for monetary damages."

Google Deal Gives Publishers a Choice - Digitize or Not - NYTimes.com

Nokia's Lumia 920 and 820 Windows Phones Headed to AT&T - Lauren Goode - Mobile - AllThingsD

I wonder if this is creative spin control and if Verizon simply opted out

"AT&T announced today that Nokia’s new flagship phone, the Lumia 920, will be available exclusively through the wireless carrier. AT&T will offer the midrange 820 Lumia, as well. Both 4G LTE-compatible phones are expected to hit the market in November; pricing for the devices is still unknown."

Nokia's Lumia 920 and 820 Windows Phones Headed to AT&T - Lauren Goode - Mobile - AllThingsD

New Kindle offers light reading - Business - The Boston Globe

Final paragraph of a Hiawatha Bray review

"If you’re still interested in buying a Nook, go right ahead. You won’t regret it. But now that the leading maker of e-readers has entered the glow-in-the-dark market with an excellent offering, the Nook’s long-term future seems a bit dimmer."

New Kindle offers light reading - Business - The Boston Globe

Oracle on path to become the Apple of the enterprise | ZDNet

Interesting analogy and analysis, but it misses an important dimension: Oracle also wants to be the enterprise back-end (and enterprise cloud) for people using Apple client devices (don't expect to see a resurrected Network Computer anytime soon).

"With its plans for a proprietary cloud along with its encouragement of customers to use its software on its engineered systems, the database giant is looking more and more like it wants to become the Apple of the enterprise."

Oracle on path to become the Apple of the enterprise | ZDNet

One Billion People on Facebook - Facebook Newsroom

Mark Zuckerberg on a Facebook milestone

"This morning, there are more than one billion people using Facebook actively each month.
If you're reading this: thank you for giving me and my little team the honor of serving you.
Helping a billion people connect is amazing, humbling and by far the thing I am most proud of in my life."

Other stats from a fact sheet referenced in the post:

"Since Facebook launched, we’ve seen:
• Over 1.13 trillion likes since launch in February 2009
• 140.3 billion friend connections
• 219 billion photos uploaded" 

One Billion People on Facebook - Facebook Newsroom

O'Brien: With Oracle vulnerable, CEO Larry Ellison embarks on final battle to shape his legacy - San Jose Mercury News

A timely Oracle/Salesforce.com reality check

"OpenWorld comes just a couple of weeks after cloud-computing rival Salesforce.com held its Dreamforce gathering. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Ellison have a well-known rivalry, and Benioff has long taunted Ellison for being slow to get with the cloud trend.
Dreamforce attracted 90,000 attendees. This year, OpenWorld had an estimated 50,000 attendees. Aside from the ego bump of having the title of largest tech conference in the world, you have to wonder if users are starting to vote with both their feet and their IT budget dollars.
Oracle as underdog? Probably not. But then, this is just the type of dogfight Ellison has always relished. And the stakes for him and the company are both big and dramatic."

O'Brien: With Oracle vulnerable, CEO Larry Ellison embarks on final battle to shape his legacy - San Jose Mercury News

H.P. Shares Fall as Chief Sees Trouble - NYTimes.com

Oops; also see Don't Bet on a Hewlett-Packard Comeback (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

"While the news was not completely unexpected, the vehemence of Ms. Whitman’s message drove shareholders to the exits. H.P.’s stock dropped about 8 percent while she was speaking and ended the day at $14.91 a share, down nearly 13 percent on unusually high trading volume. The stock had not been that low in a decade."

H.P. Shares Fall as Chief Sees Trouble - NYTimes.com

Siri Will Give You Her Snarky Opinion When You Ask About Robot Movies [Image] | Cult of Mac

A simple matter of perspective

"We asked Siri what 2001: A Space Odyssey is about and she told us that “it’s about an assistant named HAL who tries to make contact with a higher intelligence. These two guys get in the way and mess it all up.”"

Siri Will Give You Her Snarky Opinion When You Ask About Robot Movies [Image] | Cult of Mac

Idea Man - Paul’s take on Windows 8 [Paul Allen blog]

Concluding paragraphs of a detailed Windows 8 review by Microsoft's co-founder

"I'm particularly excited about the prospects for Windows 8 on a tablet. The tablet interface is elegant, responsive, and stacks up nicely with other tablets on the market. And with its capability to optionally switch to desktop view right on the tablet, Windows 8 extends to mobile users the flexibility to run traditional applications and become more efficient and productive while on the go.
Touch seems a natural progression in the evolution of operating systems, and I'm confident that Windows 8 offers the best of legacy Windows features with an eye toward a very promising future. "

Idea Man - Paul’s take on Windows 8:
'via Blog this'

Google Play Books Review - Software - CNET Reviews

A review for those willing to live and e-read on Planet Google

"The good: Google Play Books now comes with integrated Google Translate, Wikipedia, Maps, and other resources.
The bad: You can only use Play Books to read books bought through Google Play.
The bottom line: Google Play Books can handle all of your basic e-reading needs and then some. Just don't expect it to be capable of importing books from third-party sources."

Google Play Books Review - Software - CNET Reviews

Mapping a Path Out of Steve Job's Shadow - Businessweek

A very good year for Apple and Tim Cook

"Apple stock is up 75 percent since Jobs’ death, driving its market capitalization past $600 billion and making it the most valuable company on the planet. Revenue, earnings, and margins have all expanded as well, and the company continues to hit its product release dates with the precision and consistency of a metronome. Much about the company’s direction and even its products still reflects Jobs’s decisions and design preferences—the iPhone 5 was the last model to receive detailed input from Jobs, say two people familiar with the phone’s development. The company has yet to release any products Jobs didn’t personally bless. But Cook has executed Jobs’s plan even better than expected."

Mapping a Path Out of Steve Job's Shadow - Businessweek

E-Reader Review: A Little Night Reading With Light-Up Devices - WSJ.com

Final paragraphs of an enlightening review

"As is expected, the battery life for both devices is affected by the lights, but is still very good. Amazon estimates the Kindle Paperwhite will last eight weeks with its light on. Barnes & Noble says the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight will last for a month with its light on and two months with the light off. Both companies tested battery life for a half-hour of daily reading with Wi-Fi off.
If you still can't decide, some of Amazon's extra features may sell you. Certain titles from the bookselling giant include a feature called X-ray, which displays extra details about the book. And the Kindle Paperwhite can receive library books via Wi-Fi, while the Nook uses a clumsy transferring technique that requires a USB cord."

E-Reader Review: A Little Night Reading With Light-Up Devices - WSJ.com

Google Moves Ahead of Apple in Fight to Dominate the Map Apps - Walt Mossberg - Personal Technology - AllThingsD

Excerpt from a Walt Mossberg map app flap reality check

"I found the Android version of Google Maps to be not only better than Apple Maps, but also better than the iPhone version of Google Maps that Apple dropped. The biggest advantage over the former iPhone version, and the straw that apparently broke the camel’s back for Apple, was that the Android version of Google Maps, but not the old iPhone version, has long included free, voice-prompting, automatic turn-by-turn navigation. Apple added that ability to its Maps app."

Google Moves Ahead of Apple in Fight to Dominate the Map Apps - Walt Mossberg - Personal Technology - AllThingsD

Review: Vizio Co-Star Media Streamer for Google TV [Wired]

Google TV: not dead yet

"After being unceremoniously abandoned by key hardware partner Logitech last fall, the Google TV platform seems to have found a worthy replacement in Vizio.
The Co-Star is Vizio’s first venture into the set-top box space. It offers the full Google-curated complement of streaming options, plus live TV integration, the ability to install apps from Google Play, and compatibility with Bluetooth accessories and other peripherals. The little $100 box packs enough might to handle 1080p HD streams and files, but content options in Google TV are lacking, and the Co-Star can’t compete with more full-grown streaming set-ups like those from Apple and Roku. If you’re sold on Google TV, however, Vizio’s device is half the price of the other Google box on the market, the $200 Sony NSZ-GS7, and it’s a great cost-saving alternative."

Review: Vizio Co-Star Media Streamer for Google TV

New Study Suggests E-ink is NOT Better for Your Eyes Than LCDs - The Digital Reader

Now all we need is a lightweight "iPad mini" with a Retina display...

"If you’ve been reading ebooks for any length of time then you’ve probably heard about how E-ink screens are nicer on the eyes than LCD screens. It’s simply common sense that not having a light shine in your face must be better for you, and that is why E-ink Corp wants everyone to switch their reading over to devices with its screens.
But like some common sense assumptions, this one doesn’t stand up to scientific scrutiny. A paper published in Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics last month reveals a fascinating study which suggests that it’s the resolution more than the screen tech which has a harmful effect."

New Study Suggests E-ink is NOT Better for Your Eyes Than LCDs - The Digital Reader

The New York Times debuts an HTML5 iPad web app to complement its native apps » Nieman Journalism Lab

Check the full post for a detailed review (but don't bother to try to download if you only have a basic NYT digital subscription; the HTML5 app is “available exclusively to NYTimes.com + Tablet subscribers, All Digital Access subscribers and Home Delivery subscribers.”)

"It makes sense for the Times to build an HTML5 platform; at a minimum, it can eventually fill in the gaps for platforms that it doesn’t want to develop native experiences for. (A particular issue as tablet sizes metastasize from 5-inch to 10-inch and beyond.) But I wouldn’t read this as writing off a native-app strategy just yet; this app seems to be more a supplement than a replacement. A good HTML5 app can obviate the need for a native app — but the Times already has a pretty darned good native app on the iPad, one that’s better in most ways than what debuted today."

The New York Times debuts an HTML5 iPad web app to complement its native apps » Nieman Journalism Lab

Apple says iPhone 5 purple camera halo is totally normal | Apple - CNET News

In fewer words: "You're aiming it wrong"

""Our engineering team just gave me this information and we recommend that you angle the camera away from the bright light source when taking pictures," AppleCare rep Debby writes in an e-mail. "The purple flare in the image provided is considered normal behavior for iPhone 5's camera.""

Apple says iPhone 5 purple camera halo is totally normal | Apple - CNET News

Google Now More Valuable Than Microsoft, Showing Mobile's Might | Wired Business | Wired.com

Another major Microsoft milestone; also see Google Leapfrogs Microsoft in Market Value (NYT)

"As the markets closed Monday, fast-rising Google (GOOG) shares finally put the search giant’s value ($249.1 billion) higher than Microsoft’s ($247.2 billion). This milestone comes despite Microsoft’s healthy performance over the past year, in which shares are up nearly 20 percent even though the company reported its first-ever quarterly loss since going public.
But investors over the past three months have turned seriously bullish on Google. Shares are up more than 30 percent since the end of June, while Microsoft (MSFT) has stayed flat. (Ten-ton gorilla Apple is the only tech company worth more, with a value greater than that of Google and Microsoft combined.)"

Google Now More Valuable Than Microsoft, Showing Mobile's Might | Wired Business | Wired.com

Microsoft Previews New JavaScript-Like Programming Language TypeScript | TechCrunch

Check the full article for more TypeScript features; see Anders Hejlsberg: Introducing TypeScript (MSDN) for an intro/overview video and a lively discussion thread

"TypeScript has a syntax that is very similar to JavaScript but adds features, such as optional static typing, that Microsoft programming language guru Anders Hejlsberg says will make it easier for developers to build larger applications. It attempts to address some of the same issues that Google’s Dart programming language does, but without a radical departure from JavaScript."

Microsoft Previews New JavaScript-Like Programming Language TypeScript | TechCrunch

iPhone 5 WiFi Issue for Verizon Customers Is Now Fixed [eWeek]

A smart customer service move

""This carrier settings update resolves an issue in which, under certain circumstances, iPhone 5 may use Verizon cellular data while the phone is connected to a WiFi network," Apple said on its Support site, offering instructions for installing the update.
Verizon Wireless spokesperson Torod Neptune said in statement, "Verizon Wireless customers will not be charged for any unwarranted cellular data usage.""

iPhone 5 WiFi Issue for Verizon Customers Is Now Fixed

Apple rolls out fix for iPhone 5 Wi-Fi network data bug | Apple - CNET News

Perhaps related to the iPhone 5 iTunes download bug

"Today the company released a fix for a bug that allowed some devices on Verizon Wireless' network to consume cellular data while connected to a Wi-Fi network, unnecessarily depleting users' precious data minutes."

Apple rolls out fix for iPhone 5 Wi-Fi network data bug | Apple - CNET News

Oracle's New Cloud Computing Bets - NYTimes.com

An expanding data management market opportunity

"For another, the companies are going further down the food chain than ever before. At these prices, Oracle sees its cloud offerings as good products for small and medium-sized businesses. That is probably true, and it means that thousands, perhaps millions, of businesses will soon be in the cloud in some form, generating and analyzing data in very large volumes. If that is so, a lot of now-exotic business practices, from mobile computing strategies to Big Data analysis, will soon be commonplace."

Oracle's New Cloud Computing Bets - NYTimes.com

Why Amazon and Salesforce are pulling away from the cloud pack — Cloud Computing News [GigaOM]

From a timely cloud market reality check

"Yes, I believe Microsoft has some competitive capability, but it is, for now, focused on  features and services it can sell to developers piecemeal. Amazon started this way, but I believe James Hamilton and others helped Amazon determine early on that the real financial market in cloud happens in operations, not development. Amazon’s spot and reserved instance markets are examples. Microsoft doesn’t seem to have grasped it … yet.
Google, too, has the scale to compete with Amazon, but I don’t see it scrambling to address operational needs. Where is the unified console for operating and monitoring all the Google services an IT team is using? How about additional services around application deployment, configuration and monitoring? Google has promise, but it also has a way to go."

Why Amazon and Salesforce are pulling away from the cloud pack — Cloud Computing News

Oracle's Ellison Stakes Out Territory in the Cloud - Arik Hesseldahl - News - AllThingsD

Excerpt from an overview of the Oracle OpenWorld 2012 opening keynote

"Ellison disclosed four new Oracle products and services, including a new version of its database software dubbed 12c — the C is for “cloud” — that he said is tuned for the kind multi-tenant environments common in the cloud computing world where software runs not only across several machines, but different physical locations.
Ellison also announced a new version of Oracle’s ExaData database machine, one which loads numerous databases that a company might use into a single machine. Ellison said the machine is designed to run databases “in memory” meaning that they rely less on conventional hard drives and more on huge banks of flash memory chips. "

Oracle's Ellison Stakes Out Territory in the Cloud - Arik Hesseldahl - News - AllThingsD