Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review: 7-plus inches of AMOLED goodness
No, I don’t actually read the New Yorker, but I do read Edge Magazine, which is like the video game equivalent. (Fun Fact Eric) (Credit: Josh Miller/CNET) Don’t overlook this screen. While it doesn’t offer the same pixel density as the new iPad’s Retina Display, it’s still one of the most impressive I’ve encountered, offering [...]
Supply chain wars: Hon Hai’s Sharp investment helps Apple vs. Samsung
Hon Hai’s move to invest $800 million for a 10 percent stake of Sharp sets up an interesting supply chain battle that will benefit Apple and potentially threaten Samsung. Behind the popularity of Apple’s iPad is a supply chain war for components. Apple’s supply chain is second to none and the company uses its cash [...]
Cost of Li-ion batteries in 2020 not enough for mass adoption of EVs: report
Summary: Despite technology improvements and growing industry scale, Li-ion electric vehicle batteries will cost $397/kWh in 2020, falling short of the $150/kWh target needed to reach the mass market, say experts. A report published today by Lux Research suggests that the electric vehicles may be relegated to niche markets for the foreseeable future due to [...]
Gingrich to lay off 1/3rd of staff
Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during a news conference after a visit to the Maryland State House in Annapolis Md., Tuesday, March, 27, 2012. (Credit: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (CBS News) Facing the reality of plummeting poll numbers and dwindling financial resources, Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign announced Tuesday evening it would [...]
Cuban entrepreneurs gaining ground
(CBS News) Pope Benedict XVI began his second day in Cuba with prayers near Santiago, at the shrine of the country’s patron saint. Later, he flew to Havana for a meeting with President Raul Castro, and possibly his brother Fidel, who led the communist revolution. Cuban officials rejected any thought of political reform, but CBS [...]
Was the iPhone worth it for Sprint?
Did Sprint Nextel really need the iPhone? That’s what one Wall Street analyst is asking after looking at the company’s year-end performance, which Sprint disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday. The results show that a bulk of Sprint’s customers would have joined the carrier regardless of whether the iPhone was [...]
Tidemark co-founder moves on
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet’s sister site TechRepublic. He was most recently Executive Editor of News and Blogs at ZDNet. Prior to that he was executive news editor at eWeek and news editor at Baseline. He also served as the East Coast news [...]
Trayvon Martin, Twitter’s birthday and a Romney music video — a week in social media
Credit: Illustration by Connie Sun (@DearConnie) Another week has flown by in social-media land, which means, you–and I–have missed a lot of developments, new products, etc. Most of them, of course, don’t matter, but these Week in Review posts (March 19; March 12; March 5; February 26; February 19) are meant to help you catch up [...]
Mastering SAP shows the way user conferences should be run
Dennis Howlett is committed to maintaining the independent and opinionated stance that his writings are well known for and does not enter into contracts that would limit his freedom of expression in any way. However it is important in the interests of full disclosure to inform readers of those relationships so they can form their [...]
TSA asks congressional panel to uninvite critic Bruce Schneier
Bruce Schneier, security expert and TSA gadfly. (Credit: Ann de Wulf) Bruce Schneier, a vocal critic of security measures used by the Transportation Security Administration, was asked to testify before Congress about TSA’s security screening initiatives but then was “formally uninvited” after the agency complained. “On Friday, at the request of the TSA, I was [...]
FTC privacy report appeals to Congress as critics assail self-regulation
The Federal Trade Commission called on Congress Monday to enact basic privacy legislation and promised to work with legislators on new laws, while at the same time asking private industry to step-up self-regulation. Reaction was mixed from critics who want policies with teeth and less self-regulation, which has not proved to be effective in many [...]
SkyLight smartphone-microscope mount: Let’s get small (video)
It may not be the first smartphone-microscope combo, but creators of the SkyLight adapter say their device is different: it doesn’t use any optics. Attach the base of SkyLight to a microscope and slide in a smartphone–most any smartphone actually, thanks to the mount’s adjustable clips. Users — whether students or scientists — can then [...]
Opscode lands $19.5 million; cloud infrastructure automation
Summary: Cloud infrastructure automation firm Opscode announced this morning that it raised $19.5 million from investors. Seattle-based cloud infrastructure automation firm Opscode announced this morning that it raised $19.5 million from investors. The Series C round was led by Ignition Partners and included Battery Ventures and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. Ignition’s John Connors will join the four-year-old [...]
Why ‘data breach’ isn’t a dirty word anymore
Three years ago one of the largest payment processors in the country reported that hackers had accessed its computer system, exposing millions of credit card numbers in what is believed to be the largest hacking-related security breach ever. Heartland Payment Systems’ CEO said at the time that the breach had occurred in 2008, but had [...]
New BlackBerry 10 developer smartphones set for May debut
I worked briefly with Microsoft UK in 2006 but no longer have any connection with the company. Regardless, I remain impartial and unbiased in my views. I don’t hold any stock or shares, investments or industrial secrets in any company, but have signed confidentiality agreements with a number of UK and U.S. organisations, whose names [...]
Gadgets top distractions for teen drivers
(CBS News) A new study of teen driving behavior has found that the use of electronic devices is the leader among distracted driving behaviors, and that teenage girls are twice as likely as boys to use cell phones or other electronic devices while driving. The findings, from a study of video taken of young drivers, [...]
Sergio Marchionne: Saving Chrysler
In 2009, Chrysler was sputtering toward collapse, with tens of thousands of jobs in jeopardy. But one man bet that he could save the company and make it profitable again. He’s Sergio Marchionne. He’d already turned around Fiat and felt the two companies were a good fit — and clearly he likes a good challenge. [...]
“Hunger Games” hits bullseye: $155M
(AP) LOS ANGELES — “The Hunger Games” has filled fan appetites with a $155 million opening weekend that puts it near the top of the domestic record book. The huge haul marks the third-best debut ever in terms of revenue, behind the $169.2 million opening for last year’s “Harry Potter” finale and the $158.4 million [...]
Alien spaceship awaits to save hippies from apocalypse
Is there a spaceship in there? (Credit: Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET) You’ve probably been a little too busy to have heard, but the world will end on December 21. Some would say this is not before time. However, many might still be unprepared for the event. As part of Technically Incorrect’s public service program, I would [...]
How many tweets does it take to date a porn star?
Twitter is probably the only online tool where people get excited when they are followed by strangers. Apart from the usual news updates, gossip and stalking your friends, it can also be used to make contact with people you have never met, and it is socially acceptable to initiate 140-character conversation. The motives are varied [...]