October 9, 2008
04:43 pm | 1 recommendation | Be the first to comment
Adding to its already-formidable AdSense product-line this week, Google [GOOG] announced AdSense for online Flash games. Comscore says that up to 25% of Web surfers worldwide play these games, so Google might be tapping a sizable market: 200 million computer-users.
AdSense’s new gaming platform will allow game-writers to incorporate text, image or video advertisements within their games, likely with a similar content-related algorithm that drives regular text-based AdSense to make sure you’re getting relevant ads.
Only a portion of the games online will be eligible, however. Google is requiring that games be Flash-based, have over half a million plays per diem, have the majority of its users come from the US or UK, and other nit-picky restrictions. It’s always possible, however, that once they float the program, they’ll expand it to include games that are outside the fovea of their target audience; rumors of allowing games with only 150,000 plays per day are afloat, too.
In more Google news, the company has just successfully tested its GeoEye1 satellite -- yes, that’s a space-borne aerial camera -- build by GeoEye, a “geospatial information company.” The space-cam was launched September 6th, and after extensive calibration, will send back high-definition images of earth’s surface. That will bring a whole new level of privacy-invading specificity to Google Earth, but OMG will it look cool. The first image taken was of a small college town in Pennsylvania.
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October 9, 2008
04:28 pm | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
LG [LGERF.PK] looks as if it’s prepared to challenge Nokia [NOK] and Sony [SNE] for the title of most camera-capable mobile phone. First came the KC920, nicknamed the Renoir, and now a new little-brother model: the just-announced KC780.
At 13.9mm thin, the KC780 shares a slim form-factor with the Renoir, and boasts a sizable 2.4-inch LCD on its face. The Schneider lens on the opposite side will deliver 8-megapixel images, and will be augmented by some standard point-and-shoot features that aren’t usually found on camera-phones, like a face enhancer. That feature identifies human faces and can detect smiles, so that if you switch on “beauty mode,” the camera will automatically smooth out blemishes without any user input. Whether or not that will end up making your kid sister look acne-free or melting your grandma’s eyebrow into her nose has yet to be seen.
Talking film speeds, the device sports 200-1600 ISO and a built-in image stabilizer, so it should make for pretty decent low-light bar candids. It also has a flash, but as with most camera phones, it’ll likely be ineffectual past a few feet. The phone also takes video at 640x480 resolution, and can -- this is cool -- be paired via Bluetooth with your PC to act as a webcam. No prices or US availability yet, but if you’re still using a web-cam-less laptop and you’re a Skype fan, congrats: a solution is coming.
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October 9, 2008
04:24 pm | 1 recommendation | Be the first to comment
Not much to add to the already-reported rumors of new Apple [AAPL] MacBooks on their way in 5 days, but Apple has finally acknowledged the event by sending out an invitation to special media folks. The event will start at 10AM PST on the 14th of October, and will be held at Apple's Cupertino, California headquarters.
They haven't specified that this is a MacBook release event, but the invitation has a dimly-lit photo of a MacBook Pro shell on it, so this blogger has used his intrepid skills of deduction to come to the above conclusion.
If you're not privvy to the rumors, Apple is said to be announcing new laptops that whose cases will be machined from single bricks of aluminum to increase strength and decrease weight, as well as to save on production costs. There's also a rumor of an $800 laptop circulating, and early photos -- though unverified -- show spyshots of new MacBook Pros with beveled edges, ala MacBook Air, and a funky LCD touchpad.
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October 9, 2008
12:32 am | 3 recommendations | Be the first to comment
It’s been years since YouTube became the jewel in Google’s [GOOG] crown in terms of usership, but it’s never made the company a dime. Now it seems the search giant is figuring out effective ways to monetize their video site, according to announcements made Monday.
The company says YouTube will begin to include e-commerce links beside every YouTube partner video, allowing viewers to click through and purchase products associated with the videos they’re watching. The site’s partner program allows advertising to be controlled with content, so that advertisers don’t end up with their brand emblazoned above a video of some teenager jumping off a roof.
A good example of how the process will work can be seen in music videos. A partner record company can upload an official version of a given video, and YouTube will incorporate links into the video page that will allow viewers to buy albums through Amazon [AMZN] or Apple’s [AAPL] iTunes. YouTube will receive a commission on every sale it generates, but the company didn’t announce how much.
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October 9, 2008
12:30 am | 1 recommendation | Be the first to comment
Now that Sprint [S] has announced its big WiMAX launch in Baltimore, bunches of companies are scurrying to announce products that will incorporate the wireless broadband technology.
As of this week, the XOHM network in Baltimore (and a handful of other cities nationwide; the list is growing) will have a new notebook to welcome: the WiMAX-ready Toshiba [TOSBF] Satellite notebook.
The U405-ST550W, as it’s known by model name, not only has a Sony-like [SNE] unwieldy name, but also packs what Toshiba calls the “first ever” WiFi and WiMAX combined wireless module for all flavors of internets.
The module, which is codenamed “Echo Peak,” arrives inside the 13.3-inch notebook alongside 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard disk. It should be available shortly, but Toshiba has yet to announce suggested retail prices.
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October 9, 2008
12:25 am | 1 recommendation | Be the first to comment
It’s the scourge of the new generation of computer-users. The ubiquity of electronic communications is so pervasive that sometimes you have access to the world when your brain has lost access to your fingers. Under those circumstances -- drunk as hell, or perhaps just high on life after seeing The Eagles -- you open up your laptop and scratch out an idiotic email that you invariably regret the next morning.
Now Google [GOOG] is testing something they’re calling Google Goggles, which might save you from your worst instincts. The Gmail feature will force users to solve a basic math test before allowing them to send an email at certain times of night, which are specified by the user.
Sound like exactly what you need? Log into Gmail, go to Settings, and then to Labs. Then you can set up the days and times you want to enable Goggles. Most people will pick Friday and Saturday nights, while others (here’s looking at you, Lindsay Lohan) will hopefully have the sense to turn it on 24/7. You have 60 seconds to complete the math problems, which are a mixture of basic arithmetic, multiplication and division, or you’re not allowed to send your message. Believe it or not, it’s not a joke; April 1st is still some months away.
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October 7, 2008
12:58 pm | 1 recommendation | Be the first to comment
All it took was one flimsy product designation, and now Microsoft [MSFT] has a class-action lawsuit on its hands. The suit charges that Microsoft certified certain budget computer models as "Vista Capable" when, in fact, they were only barely so. The machines, which were low-performing CPUs with mediocre hardware, could only run Vista in theory; in practice, they were too slow to be practically usable.
The lawsuit had deposed CEO Steve Ballmer, who failed to apear in court,and issued a statement exonerating himself of any blame for the performance problems. He claimed no knowledge of the certification process, saying:
"I was not involved in establishing the requirements computers must satisfy to qualify for the Windows Vista Capable program."
Of two under-executives that Ballmer says deserve blame, the CEO said:
"I did not direct Mr. Allchin or Mr. Poole to reach any particular business decision. Mr. Allchin and Mr. Poole remained responsible for maintaining and excecuting those decisions."
By putting the blame squarely on his underlings, it's doubtful that Ballmer will acquit himself. What is virtually certain, however, is that this episode will further sour relations between Microsoft and the potential Vista buyers they're so forcefully wooing at present.
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October 7, 2008
12:28 pm | 1 recommendation | Be the first to comment
AMD [AMD] has been struggling to hang with Intel [INTC] for a while now, but a string of buggy chips and unimpressive offerings have made the company nearly moot in the last few years. Now AMD has announced that it will be splitting itself into two separate companies: one that can architect processors, and another that actually manufactures them. That makes Intel the last standing corporation with both in-house design and production capabilities.
The idea behind the secession of the manufacturing portion of the company -- which will now be called The Foundry Company, at least temporarily -- is to allow other customers to come in and use AMD's production facilities, earning them a little more money to throw around. Building new factories for each successive generation of processors is an expensive proposition, so a boost in revenue will be a welcome change. The Foundry Company will continue ownership of AMD to the tune of 44%.
Some tech pundits have expressed concern that with AMD chopped up and struggling, Intel will solidify its position as the number one chipmaker and grow complacent without real competition. Were that to be the case, consumers would suffer, but AMD might gain back a window of competition through which to re-ascend to its position of some years ago, neck-and-neck with the popular Core 2 Duo maker; only time will tell.
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October 7, 2008
12:17 pm | 1 recommendation | Be the first to comment
Today we have the privilege of recognzing two signifcant achievements for RIM [RIMM], the maker of BlackBerry devices. Both are long in coming, much-needed, and potentially dangerous for companies trying to dominate the touchscreen device market (Apple [AAPL] and Google [GOOG], take note).
The first development out of the Canadian smartphone maker is news that it will be drastically improving its Macintosh sync software, finally acknowledging that some BlackBerry owners out there might have Macs. The new software will be similar to the PC program that exists now, but will be fully Mac-ified, allowing users to sync music, photos, videos and iTunes playlists to their favorite device. The company hasn't leaked an official announcement date, but screenshots of the software are available at Boy Genius Report.
The second development is the seemingly imminent launch of the BlackBerry Storm, the first BlackBerry to be touchscreen operable. The rumors are so voluble at this point that even Time.com reported that a formal announcement about the device was expected tomorrow, Wednesday, October 7th. With the combination of Macintosh-friendly syncing and a touch-operable smartphone -- complete with its own applications store, ala Apple -- prospective iPhone buyers finally have a comparable option to weigh against the Apple device.
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October 6, 2008
08:47 pm | 1 recommendation | Be the first to comment
EBay [EBAY] is shaking things up in its corporate offices after making a series of changes to its site to keep usership high. The auction site announced today that as a result of this re-strategizing, it will be cutting 1600 jobs, which amounts to the biggest round of layoffs in the company's history. The cuts will make up 10% of the company's workforce. Only about 1,000 of the jobs will be full-time positions; the other 600 will be part-time and temp positions that will remain unfilled permanently. They will not all be domestic jobs.
The company's CEO, John Donahue, says the cuts are a result of a slumping economy. The company will invest the money it saves in growth areas like PayPal and the newly-acquired BuyItNow consumer credit company.
"This is trying to position our company in the right way for the medium to longer term. I would say it is not a reaction to the short-term macro environment, or short-term pressures," Donahoe said in a statement.
This is the second round of cuts by eBay this year. The company has already alienated much of its seller base by restructuring its fee system in a way that raised listing fees. The news that it will be cutting its workforce while spending money on BuyItNow -- which will cost them about $820 million plus $125 million in options -- could make the company seem insensitive, at a time when it most needs to grow its user base.
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