Tech Buzz

Investors Rattled Ahead of Apple Earnings
January 23, 2013

Investors' eyes are on Apple as the company prepares to announce its quarterly earnings report on Wednesday. The company's recent stock market losses and several analysts' lowered expectations on iPhone sales suggest this quarter might not be as flush as some in its recent past. Investors' pessimism stems in part from the increasingly fierce competition in the smartphone market.

RIM May Scotch BlackBerry Hardware
January 22, 2013

CEO Thorsten Heins has suggested that Research In Motion may one day license its BlackBerry operating system and stop producing handset hardware. Whether such a move would help put the embattled company back on track or be the final step in a march to oblivion -- much like the path Palm took just two years ago -- is the question.

Schmidt Talks North Korea on Google+
January 21, 2013

Google chairman Eric Schmidt took to Google+ to discuss his recent trip to North Korea. Schmidt's post discusses the "very limited" technology available in North Korea. Schmidt said that North Koreans are not allowed to use the Internet without someone watching them, and that it wouldn't be difficult for North Korea to connect its highly restricted networks to the World Wide Web.

Looking Back at CES and Ahead to the Future of Tech
January 21, 2013

Part of the fun after CES is to weave the various announcements and showcases together to get a view of a future that might result from a blend of them. The goal, if you can call it that, is like imagining the cars of the 1950s and '60s, but from a 1920s perspective with then-recent developments such as compact hydraulic pumps and air conditioners in the forefront.

Google Denies Killing Donkey on Street View Expedition
January 17, 2013

Google seems to have had a dustup with a donkey -- literally. Images plucked from Google Street View have raised questions about whether a Google Street View car ran over a donkey in the African nation of Botswana. Images culled from Street View show a donkey lying in the road. One of the images also shows dust hovering over the donkey, possibly suggestive of a recent tumble.

Cnet Reporter Refuses to Work in Shadow of CBS Boot
January 15, 2013

Cnet tech reporter Greg Sandoval resigned Monday, protesting parent company CBS' ban on the publication's planned review of Dish's Hopper DVR service. CBS no doubt found itself in a maddening position: The Dish service is equipped with its Auto Hop ad-skipping technology. CBS and several other broadcasters filed suit against Dish last spring, alleging that the technology infringes their copyrights.

iPhone 5 Owners Are EU's Big Data Consumers
January 14, 2013

A study has tabbed iPhone 5 users as Europe's biggest data-gobblers, consuming -- on average -- more than four times more data than people still using the iPhone 3G. The study, released by data analysis firm Arieso, said that a single iPhone 5 user is equal to about four iPhone 3G users.

CES 2013's Big Untold Stories
January 14, 2013

While the announcements at CES tend to eclipse everything else at the show, including the prior announcements, often the bigger events are going on behind the scenes. This year, Nvidia, Microsoft, Qualcomm, and a bunch of Chinese companies you've never heard about -- and one you have -- were far more interesting than the headliners.

RIM's Best Shot at Redemption May Be Doomed
January 11, 2013

B-day is looming for RIM: On Jan. 30, the BlackBerry maker will debut its new BB10 platform. Over the past several months, it has been steadily revealing information about the OS and the devices that will run it. More information about its strategy came to light at CES, where CMO Frank Boulben gave an interview this week. RIM plans to release at least six BB10 devices in 2013, he said.

Schmidt Concludes N. Korea Trip With Plea to End Internet Ban
January 10, 2013

Speaking to reporters after a four-day jaunt to North Korea, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt called on North Korea to end its ban on Internet access. North Korea's refusal to allow more Web access "is very much going to affect their physical world," Schmidt said, adding that it's time for the nation's totalitarian authorities to loosen their grasp on the Web.

Google's Schmidt Touches Down in North Korea
January 08, 2013

Flanked by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Google chairman Eric Schmidt arrived Monday in North Korea. Richardson, who also is a former UN ambassador, has characterized the trip as a "private humanitarian mission" -- a far more hospitable description than ones coming from the U.S. State Department and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who described the delegation as "useful idiots."

France Thwarts ISP's Ad-Blocking Swipe at Google
January 07, 2013

France reportedly has stymied an Internet service provider's attempt to let users block ads. Free, a French telecommunications company with more than 5 million users, had said it would allow its customers to block online advertising. Google, the world leader in online advertising, was mum about Free's move, which "raised alarm among companies" that subsist off of paid advertisements.

Why CES Will Suck This Year
January 07, 2013

I think CES is the worst show in the technology market. That's not because it is badly run -- on the contrary, it is one of the better-run shows. Nor is it because there aren't any interesting and compelling products there. No, it is because we all just blew out our budgets buying crap, and CES is a showcase of why we should have waited for the improved crap that will be in the market shortly.

10 Things I Hate About CES (but I'm Going Anyway)
January 04, 2013

The 2013 International CES is the must-attend trade show for all things consumer electronics. It is a "must attend" not because it is when many companies will debut new products and introduce new technology, but because so many tech journalists, analysts, insiders and others -- lots of others -- descend on Las Vegas to see those new products and new technologies.

State Dept. in a Snit Over Schmidt's North Korea Trip
January 04, 2013

The U.S. State Department gave a measured but clear rebuke of Google Chairman Eric Schmidt's upcoming trip to North Korea. News broke this week that Schmidt will join former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson on a humanitarian mission to the impoverished nation. "We don't think the timing of this is particularly helpful," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said.

Microsoft May Get Home Advantage
January 03, 2013

Microsoft could be cutting new inroads into the world of home automation, based on rumors that it has purchased id8 Group R2 Studios. This acquisition will reportedly bolster Microsoft's Xbox division, which is likely to introduce a next-generation game console later this year. Aside from an Android application that can control heating and lighting systems, R2 Studios currently does not have any products.

Mr. Schmidt Goes to North Korea
January 03, 2013

Don't expect google.nk anytime soon, but hey, it's a start. Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google, will travel to North Korea for a private, humanitarian mission. The trip, to be led by former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, will mark the first time a top exec from Google has gone to North Korea, which is among the world leaders in backwards Internet policies.

A Few of My Favorite 2012 Things
December 31, 2012

As I look back on 2012, a number of products stand out as memorable. I figured I'd use my last column of the year to take a moment to recall each one and what made it special. For years I wondered why someone didn't use the technology that was used to cool astronauts and race drivers in consumer clothing and beds. This is important to me.

Man Bites Dog: China Fines Apple for Copyright Infringement
December 28, 2012

A Chinese court fined Apple 1 million yuan, or roughly $160,000, because its App Store hosted third-party applications that were peddling pirated e-books. The ruling stems from a suit brought by a group of Chinese authors earlier this year. The group originally was seeking 10 million yuan.

Apple May Soon Let You Talk to the Hand
December 28, 2012

Apple's supply chain has clearly sprung a leak since Steve Jobs' passing: Every few months, it seems, a rumor or report from unnamed sources at this or that supplier makes the rounds. The current rumor is that Apple is hard at work at its next innovation -- and it's not a television set or a smart remote control. Instead, it is a watch.