Microsoft Windows 8 could be great… sure, why not? However, after how many generations of said OS, isn’t it long past time that statement is actually fact versus hyperbole?
(Source) Information Week: http://goo.gl/XUEhk
Nokia (finally) has something to ‘brag’ about (in Q4 the firm became the largest selling Windows Phone 7 handset maker). Okay, before the company breaks out the champagne to celebrate… here are a few qualifiers:
– Only 2.7 million Windows Phone devices (assuming they’re Smartphones were sold globally in Q4)
– In the U.S. the firm shares the bottom 10% of the market with PalmOS and webOS (which doesn’t say much other than this partnership is still clearly in an ‘also-ran’ status).
Granted, these are also not the most discouraging figures; yet, this partnership still has a long way to go before being an actually viable force within the (overall) Smartphone market.
(Source) Information Week: http://goo.gl/LzASB
The could get very interesting (regarding both the precedent as well as in all probability follow-on legal wrangling).
(Source) LA Times: http://goo.gl/vgtTE
Many of the same folks (firms) that caused an uproar regarding (Smartphone) privacy issues have also agreed to partner (now) with the State of California to enforce standards on mobile apps… Is this a PR move; actual compliance and/or a bit of both?
(Source) Mercury News: http://goo.gl/0yuFq
Powered by the Sun and Biogas; Apple’s push to fully utilize alternative fuel resources (for running their U.S. data center) could go a long-way towards spurring other technology (e.g., Fortune 500) firms to do the same (which would be good thing for both the environment and propelling a major commercial push towards non-fossil-based resources).
(Source) Bloomberg: http://goo.gl/8gTgY
As Google continues drawing both the criticism of the press and dissatisfaction of (some of their) end-users, it looks like it won’t be long before they’ll also be subjected to the ire of (the US) Congress. Granted, if they are called before Congress some it will amount to political theater (however bad) in an elect year… Nevertheless, based on what Redmond paid (in bad PR / $) when the DOJ went after them and the firm would be wise to heed caution (at a minimum).
(Source) IT World: http://goo.gl/HVW3h
Quantum computing took another big leap (or… rather perhaps a ‘small‘ one) with scientists creating a one-atom transistor (yes, that is actually working!)
(Source) Forbes: http://goo.gl/xftL7
From the preliminary reports, Apple’s upcoming Mountain Lion OS looks to extend the firms’ strategy on making the cloud central to any given end-user. All of that is fine and well; however, it also looks to be another (Apple) move to exert tighter control on an already heavily walled-garden approach (that they’ve taken over the past several years now post the iPhone release).
(Source) CNET: http://goo.gl/OsT5I
Keeping with (what is becoming a disturbing norm more than the exception) Google is the latest firm under fire for tracking the activities of (of all browsers) Safari users… whether this is intended to gain competitive insight into the minds of Mac users and/or just to further their search dominance – it’s completely uncool that (what should in all probability be kept as private data is being mined with an even finer focus of granularity as the world becomes more ‘tech-interdepdent’).
(Source) USA Today: http://goo.gl/BmscO
According to Cisco, there will be more smartphones (connected) than humans by 2016. Moreover, with mobile data traffic in 2011 being eight times the size of the global Internet (data) in 2000… this leads one to believe that Cisco (and various other networking providers will continue to generate lucrative profits if they manage their technology / positioning and businesses properly…)
(Source) BBC: http://goo.gl/EqpBW
