India is taking Facebook; Google and Yahoo (in no particular order) to task for failing (at this juncture) to remove material deemed offensive by their government. Clearly, the days of the ‘Wild, Wild, Internet’ continue to wind-down the world-over as said medium matures…
(Source) AP: http://goo.gl/UZZMI
Only time will tell if Russia’s failed attempt with the Phobos-Grunt probe (slated to have gone to Mars) is a one-off set-back and/or a continued harbinger for both waning public interest as well as reduced governmental funding for space exploration.
(Source) BBC: http://goo.gl/5ZmxZ
Based on the latest accusation (aside from being found guilty earlier this week of profiting from bogus advertisements) Google’s motto ‘Don’t Be Evil’ is clearly being (either) 1) put to the test; and/or 2) is just nonsense (putting it in a PG manner of speaking).
(Source) Ars Technica: http://goo.gl/QVz1w
Let’s hope that other influential entities (particularly those with a lot of active-users such as Social Networking sites, etc.) join Reddit’s lead in going dark (on 1/18) to protest the controversial ‘Stop Online Piracy Act’ bill (SOPA) that’s currently on what looks to be the fast-track towards getting passed (as it is presently going through the U.S. House of Representatives).
(Source) Computerworld: http://goo.gl/1ROIQ
Microsoft + Nokia = Failure. Okay, perhaps a bit harsh (maybe equals a marginalized player within the Smartphone space is more befitting?) Nevertheless, here’s a quick breakdown:
a) Sub-par Product Designs – Microsoft is / was clearly caught flat-footed and is playing catch-up (as has happened in a number of other computing categories with Redmond).
b) Nokia’s Brand – Their customer loyalty has been declining for quite some time now (save in the low-end, high-volume space within the Developing World).
c) Mobile Trust – Redmond was once the default leader in this space – emphasis, was once.
d) Enterprise Space – It’s unlikely that this duo will gain any significant traction herein.
e) OS – Google and/or Apple offer far greater choices; options; apps, etc.
f) Undercutting Price – Low price oftens equates with lacking features (which is the case here).
g) Marketing – See Apple for (another) reference.
h) A Strong Lead / Story – Nokia’s handsets are anything but compelling / must-have, etc.
i) Fan-Boys – Noticeably absent…
j) Timing – Microsoft / Nokia are simple not capitalizing on CES (via show-piecing their alliance and releasing a can’t wait to buy product thereafter).
(Source) eWeek: http://goo.gl/361T7
So much for Google staying out of (creating an) OS to begin with… as per the claim that Jobs made that they wouldn’t do… Now, it looks like the firm is planning on creating an entire Android ecosystem (akin to Windows might be the best way to describe their intentions)… as per what was reported at (the) CES.
(Source) CNET: http://goo.gl/5fr01
With Redmond officially calling this their last CES appearance the company went out (today) with essentially a whimper stating that ‘we’re still cool’ which begs the question, ‘was Microsoft ever really cool (to begin with?)
(Source) Wired: http://goo.gl/sqnNF
While it seems like a good idea: it’ll be interesting to see if; how and when consumers (en masse) are okay with buying a device (TV in this instance) whereas they can upgrade their hardware yearly?
(Source) BBC: http://goo.gl/ekdpD
Redmond’s latest patent (whilst one could argue might have been filed with the ‘best’ intention) is rife with accusations of discrimination (as well as in all probability lawsuits) due to how the end-user is capable of avoiding any given ‘bad’ neighborhood!?
(Source) Information Week: http://goo.gl/C5BLC
Motorola’s Q4 results demonstrate that Google’s path within the Mobile Space (despite the exponential growth of Android-powered devices) looks to be anything but smooth / linear.
(Source) PC World: http://goo.gl/JkaUE
