Latest federal ‘shared services’ strategy is actually SOA redux
Summary: SOA is all about not having to reinvent the wheel. So why is the federal government trying to reinvent the wheel to reinstate what already has been learned and developed through SOA over the past decade? Many people used to say that service oriented architecture was CORBA and object-oriented programming in a new bottle. [...]
Whitney Houston laid to rest in N.J.
(CBS/AP) WESTFIELD, N.J. – Whitney Houston is being laid to rest at a private ceremony in New Jersey. Houston died Feb. 11 in California at age 48. No cause of death has been determined. She is being buried Sunday at the cemetery in Westfield where her father was interred in 2003. Whitney Houston’s voice still [...]
Dreamliner: Flying the friendlier skies
(CBS News) The Boeing Stratoliner was an iconic aircraft that practically called out COME FLY WITH ME. So can this new Boeing 787, the Dreamliner, really bring back the good old days of air travel? Our Cover Story is reported now by Barry Petersen: If you believe the old TV commercials, airline travel used to [...]
Facebook storefonts fail, but f-commerce isn’t a failure
Summary: Retailers are opening Facebook storefronts only to be forced to shut them down soon after. Is this Facebook’s fault or are the companies not taking the right approach? Over the past year, GameStop, Gap, JCPenney, Nordstrom, and other retailers have opened a store on Facebook to generate sales from their Facebook Pages with millions [...]
HP: Stop the FUD and show us the real webOS source.
Summary: HP’s CEO Meg Whitman has expressed her concerns about Android going “closed source” post Google’s acquisition of Motorola. But is this legitimate concern or simply FUD? Over the last several months, we’ve seen indications of a good faith effort by Hewlett-Packard to become a positive contributor to the open source software development community, in [...]
Judge tosses law barring sex offenders from Facebook
A federal judge says the Louisiana law meant to keep registered sex offenders from networking with minors online includes too many types of Web sites in its restrictions. Over the past few years, many people have asked whether sex offenders should be able to use social-media sites like Facebook and MySpace. This week, a federal [...]
What problem does Windows 8 solve?
Summary: Windows 8 is intended to be Microsoft’s platform that does everything for everyone. The problem is it doesn’t solve anyone’s problems, so who will need it? As Microsoft gets Windows 8 ready for the Consumer Preview coming shortly I am spending a lot of time thinking about the next OS from Redmond. There is [...]
A final goodbye for Whitney Houston
Story behind alleged plot to bomb Capitol An illegal immigrant from Morocco is acused of plotting a suicide bombing in the Capitol Building but, says the FBI, was being watched by agents the entire time. Seth Doane speaks with John Miller about the investigation. Source – http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsMain/~3/O61HtRNERnA/
Privacy brouhaha reveals Google’s split personality
Latest Google Internet controversy highlights conflict between privacy protection and advertising demands. When it comes to privacy, is the Googleplex speaking with one voice? A new Google privacy controversy has revealed conflicting messages and actions between two different factions within the company: those working to protect consumer privacy on the one hand, and those seeking [...]
Facebook, the Timeline, and the difference between consuming and creating
An update to the otherwise great Pixable photo viewing app illustrates that not all Timeline verbs should be streamed into the Timeline. Oversharing. Thanks for nothing, Pixable. (Credit: Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET) I have been meaning to write about Pixable, an excellent mobile app for keeping up with Facebook images on your iPhone or iPad. [...]
What’s the best portable gaming system?
Which portable gaming system provides the overall best value and experience? Let’s take a look. Yes, it’s a loaded question, but a necessary one with the PlayStation Vita finally making its U.S. release. There’s no denying that platforms like iOS and Android have changed the face of portable gaming forever, but do they provide the [...]
Mozilla: Firefox can be hacked via booby-trapped images
Summary: For the second time in a week, Mozilla patches a “critical” vulnerability that could be remotely exploitable and can lead to arbitrary code execution. For the second time this week, Mozilla has rushed out a Firefox security update to fix a dangerous security vulnerability. The latest vulnerability, which was discovered and reported by representatives [...]
“The Simpsons” hits a milestone
(CBS News) “The Simpsons” is celebrating a major milestone this weekend, airing its 500th episode. The cultural phenomenon is the longest-running comedy series in U.S. TV history, and it’s on TV somewhere in the world, every half-hour of every single day. In the real world, Bart Simpson would be in his 30′s by now. Instead, [...]
Saavn partners with Facebook to serve South Asian music in your feed
Summary: Indian music streaming service Saavn.com has adopted Facebook’s open graph to offer Rdio like Music integration in Facebook. Within months of launching in the US, Spotify and Facebook unveiled their social integration plans. The partnership was what Spotify needed to find a strong foothold in the already competitive and cut throat music streaming market. [...]
1 dead in Calif. federal building shooting
(CBS/AP) Updated Feb. 17, 2012, 12:34 AM ET LONG BEACH, Calif. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that one agent was fatally shot and one was wounded Thursday at its office in the Glenn M. Anderson Federal Building in downtown Long Beach. ICE released a statement about the incident: “At approximately 5:30 (Pacific) this [...]
Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake rolls out Pinwheel
She did Flickr. Then Hunch. Now she’s launching Pinwheel. Caterina Fake is launching a company called Pinwheel. The co-founder of Flickr and Hunch is out with her latest startup, called Pinwheel. Caterina Fake just launched it in private beta, and the site–and its name–at first glance seems similar to Pinterest, one of the fastest-growing sites [...]
Could an 8-inch iPad be in the works?
Summary: Along with the iPad 3 with Retina Display, we may see a category creating 8-inch iPad mini The other day I wrote about some of the rumors around the iPad 3, and even a possible iPad mini. At the time I stated that Apple might be playing around with building a 7″ iPad. Well, [...]
Patio table shifts for dining
The Outdoor Convertible Coffee to Dining Table is adaptable to the situation. It features hinged panels that elevate as well as a center cutout that can be used for a fire or for use as an ice bin. Outdoor dining that can change on a whim. (Credit: Hammacher Schlemmer) A party on the patio is [...]
Android 5.0 ‘Jelly Bean’ launching in Q2? Eh, maybe
The often-unreliable Digitimes says the new operating system will be optimized for tablets, and work alongside Windows 8. Digitimes is at it again, and this time, the publication says it knows when Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) will be launching. The often-unreliable blog says it has talked to Taiwan-based supply chain vendors who claim Google is [...]
Tesco Twitter PR crisis over ‘slave labour’ claims
Summary: Tesco ‘Twitter-bods’ complain to Tesco Customer Care about unfair working practices and slave labour after ‘wage free’ job is advertised. The UK supermarket giant Tesco is facing a backlash today as ‘Twitter-bods’ complain to Tesco Customer Care account about unfair working practices and slave labour after ‘wage free’ job is advertised. The UK Tesco [...]