Technology News: Communications

Palm Beats Itself to a Pulp
March 19, 2010

Palm has issued sales projections that are much worse than expected -- even though expectations were already low -- sending its shares plummeting by 27 percent and prompting discussions about whether the company has any future at all. Palm expects sales of $150 million in Q4; Wall Street analysts expected it to project $305 million.

Will Google Take Over Your Tube?
March 19, 2010

A few weeks ago we heard some chitchat about a few Google engineers taking home a new kind of set-top box to tinker and play around with. Not a big surprise -- Google guys tinker with everything. It's like DARPA combined with Wonka Chocolate combined with Acme from the Looney Toons. But now we're hearing a little more about it from a New York Times article.

Viacom v. YouTube: Finger-Pointing Turns to Mud-Slinging
March 19, 2010

Viacom's billion-dollar copyright-infringement lawsuit against Google's YouTube took a nasty turn Thursday as a series of documents were released to the public. "Fostering and countenancing piracy were central to YouTube's economic business model," Viacom's filings charge. Viacom "overtly and covertly uploaded to YouTube a vast array of their own video clips for marketing purposes," Google wrote.

Amazon Wrangles Publishers as iBookstore Grand Opening Looms
March 19, 2010

With an unwavering focus on Apple's forthcoming iBookstore, Amazon reportedly has begun pressuring e-book publishers to sign three-year contracts that ensure that no competing retailers will get better prices or treatment. The new tactics come hard on the heels of Amazon's conflict with Macmillan earlier this year over the publisher's switch to an agency model.

Google Hatches Plot to Break Into TV
March 18, 2010

Google, Intel and Sony have teamed up to develop a platform called "Google TV" that will bring about a new way to surf the Internet via televisions, according to The New York Times. Logitech, which makes remote controls and computer devices, will reportedly develop peripherals for the platform.

Report: Consumers Will Be Gaga for Mobile Apps by 2012
March 18, 2010

The global market for mobile phone applications is expected to soar to $17.5 billion by 2012, surpassing the total value of CDs sold, new research forecasts. The revenue from mobile apps is expected to increase at a 62 percent compound annual growth rate from $4.1 billion in 2009 to $17.5 billion in 2012, according to a research report by Chetan Sharma Consulting.

'Street Fighter IV' on iPhone: Loud, Dumb and Fun as Ever
March 18, 2010

I can't bring myself to download a first-person shooter game on my iPhone anymore, just because I know I'll get sick of it before the third level. Its icon will sit there on the screen, its data will languish on the drive. Delete it? Can't. Might get stuck in an elevator, beat all the games I actually like, and have nothing left to do but count the minutes.

Anxieties Besiege FCC's Broadband Game Plan
March 17, 2010

The Federal Communication Commission's national broadband plan, formally unveiled this week, certainly has lofty goals: Provide greater access to broadband, increase broadband speeds, help establish a national emergency network, help improve the economy and ensure the U.S. leads the way in digital technology.

AT&T 3G May Not Be Enough to Save Nexus One
March 17, 2010

The Nexus One smartphone is now compatible with AT&T's 3G network in the United States. Though the unlocked device can be used with SIM cards from most GSM operators worldwide, frequency differences meant its 3G compatibility was previously limited to T-Mobile's network in the U.S. The Android-based device also now runs on Rogers Wireless' 3G network in Canada.

FCC Shows How to Make an American Internet Quilt
March 16, 2010

Following the the Federal Communications Commission's release of a detailed plan for giving Americans better access to broadband Internet connections, the blueprint is drawing reactions across a wide range of observers and interested parties. "This may be one of the most important projects the government has undertaken since the national freeway system was constructed," said analyst Rob Enderle.

FCC Begins Long Climb Toward Broadband for All
March 15, 2010

The Federal Communications Commission is set to deliver a much-anticipated report to the U.S. Congress on Thursday. Among other things, "The National Broadband Plan" proposes to have an additional 100 million households connected to high-speed Internet service within the next 10 years.

Analyst: WinPho7 App Tools Likely to Please Devs
March 15, 2010

Microsoft has thrown the doors open to developers interested in working on the upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series platform, announcing new developer tools and offering the deepest look yet at the Silverlight-based architecture. The new tools include updates to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express, Expression Blend and XNA Game Studio.

Report: News Media Running Out of Time to Find a New Model
March 15, 2010

Fewer than one in five U.S. consumers are willing to pay for access to their favorite news site, according to a report from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. Only about one-third of Americans even have a single favorite site, the 2010 State of the News Media report found, though the majority don't roam far: 57 percent use between two and five news Web sites.

Is the Chatroulette Sleazefest Giving Video Chat a Bad Name?
March 15, 2010

It's a good bet that when "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart spends six minutes making uber-ironic fun of a particular trend or topic, it's pretty much arrived as a legitimate Mainstream Media Phenomenon. Such was the case recently with Stewart's hilarious deconstruction of Chatroulette the Web site that facilitates random video chat conversations.

FCC Testing Tool May Out ISPs' Bogus Speed Claims
March 12, 2010

The FCC unveiled a set of digital tools for consumers Friday to figure out the state of national broadband service in the United States. One tool, the Consumer Broadband Test, measures broadband service speed and latency and is available in online fixed and mobile app versions. The other is the Broadband Dead Zone Report.

Can a Clown-Nosed Wand Move the Needle for PS3?
March 12, 2010

Sony put PlayStation 3 fans in a tizzy by whipping out its latest controller, which it calls the "Move." It looks a whole lot like a black version of Nintendo's WiiMote controller, only it's got this big, clown-nose ball on the end of it. That ball actually serves a purpose. The Move's motion is partially registered by a camera PS3 users will set on top of the television.