With the preliminary reports of a possible jury-impasse (regarding any potential ruling on the Oracle vs. Google case) this could be a harbinger for just how complicated / nasty this matter is (and for how convoluted patent litigation laws are as well as how challenging they are to enforce).
(Source) The Washington Post: http://goo.gl/2ALtY
You know that times are rough when a Smartphone maker who is show-piecing their latest iteration generates a response whereas the market analysts / critics are already wondering aloud (e.g., reporting) that it may be too little / too late.
(Source) Sydney Morning Herald: http://goo.gl/Rs99A
Wow; Google was fined a ‘whopping’ $25,000 for violating privacy laws regarding their Street View data collection… just another example of a High Tech firm essentially ‘paying for the cost doing business’ by how they ‘handle’ your data. In other words, this is one in a growing list of firms that have been accused of questionable practices for how they’re handling any given end-user’s information (mostly for the own aims / gains).
When data equals profit(s) would one expect anything less?
(Source) The Guardian: http://goo.gl/Hj4uC
Google’s posting of the FCC report on their (reported) violations of privacy (as per the firm’s Street View functionality) is (perhaps) either: a) an audacious snub to the government’s regulatory powers; and/or: b) just a Public Service gesture? In sum, perhaps there are other points worth considering… which is in all probability something the General Public will never know / find out…
(Source) CSO: http://goo.gl/29jRC
With one-in-four buyers of the iPad being a first-time / new customer; Apple is seriously cashing in / gaining mindshare in both hardware and applications (which are obviously driving some of the record Wall Street numbers they’re posting… quarter over quarter at this juncture).
(Source) Computer World: http://goo.gl/xGMdD
Congrats to Samsung for passing Nokia (as the world’s leading handset manufacturer). Nevertheless, being the largest in units shipped* doesn’t equate to: 1) selling the most units; 2) being the best handset e.g., Smartphone. No offense to Samsung; however, the reality is that the way the firm counts units shipped leads many / some to question if they’re padding the manner in which they’re reporting (as other vendors based their figures on units sold vs. units shipped).
(Source) Forbes: http://goo.gl/fQ8dO
Actually, if Google’s by-laws governing how any given end-user consents regarding how the firm plans to (essentially) mine their data said blog posting / title looks to be anything but a ‘local’ issue (as it’ll in all probability be a global one at that).
(Source) Time: http://goo.gl/VfgUk
Google’s Drive appears to be the next step in their Open Office push for both the firm and what looks to be a continued (general) migration towards Cloud Computing (which interesting enough seems to harken back to the days of Mainframes in and as far as the notion of the importance / power of the network itself). Granted, today’s (Client) computing power is order of magnitudes greater than when the Mainframe held sway; nevertheless, with networking speed(s) and storage capacities continuing to be increase (as prices decrease inversely) the Cloud looks to be an important medium that’s highly likely to become more than simply a niche and/or passing fad/phase.
(Source) The Washington Post: http://goo.gl/dz9h4
Independent of whether Oracle buys RIM and/or how their on-going legal wrangling with Google turns out… the simple reality is this: RIM’s woes are a combination of self-inflicted and the fact that the market has (largely) passed them by.
As for Oracle, their ‘growth-through-acquisition’ strategy is only going to take them so far. Moreover, Google has not only got their hands-full with trying to sort out Motorola but is also dealing with not just Oracle’s lawsuit but their main competition in two other Smartphone heavyweights that are not going to stand pat.
In sum, look for this space to be anything but static over the next several years as it goes through the growth phase into the maturation phase of an inevitable product life-cycle.
(Source) PC World: http://goo.gl/F7AGw
