techtonic-shifts

Amazon's New Kindle: Nice, but No iPad

2010-07-28T23:30:00Z

Anyone expecting that Amazon might roll out a new Kindle with a color screen and the ability to play music and movies—in other words, a device like Apple's iPad—will be sorely disappointed in the new version rolled out Wednesday. And that's too bad, because the new model is a pretty slick little device, despite the fact that it still has a black-and-white screen and is only good for reading books and newspapers.

Evaluating Time Magazine's New Online Pay Wall

2010-07-07T00:00:00Z

Like second marriages, Time's new, extra-confusing pay wall is the triumph of hope over experience. For several reasons I think this is destined to, if not fail, to at least not provide, shall we say, the optimal outcome for Time Inc.

Apple's Fix for iPhone Woes

2010-07-02T00:00:00Z

Eight days after CEO Steve Jobs told a customer that it was a “nonissue,” Apple Inc. published a letter to iPhone 4 owners on its Web site acknowledging reception problems on its new models. But the company framed the issue as a matter of how signal strength is displayed, not poor design.

Are Investors Turning the Page on Barnes & Noble?

2010-07-01T00:00:00Z

Stiff competition from Amazon and Apple is one reason for the gloomy income statement the company released this week: Barnes & Noble lost $32 million in the quarter ending May 1, compared with a $2 million loss during the same period last year.

Google News Adds Features to Customize Your News

2010-07-01T00:00:00Z

Yesterday afternoon, between celebrating the first Social Media Day and Amazon’s interesting purchase of Woot, Google launched several new features on its Google News aggregation page—the site's first major redesign since its 2002 launch.

Hulu Unveils Paid Service, Challenging Apple and Netflix

2010-06-30T00:00:00Z

In a long-expected move, Hulu announced a subscription-based plan, costing $9.99 a month. Subscribers will get access to the full current season of most broadcast TV shows.

Google Softens on China's Censorship

2010-06-29T20:00:00Z

Google is willing to compromise, at least a little, if that means it can stay in China. Its latest policy changes will stop automatically redirecting Google China users to the uncensored Hong Kong site in hope of appeasing the Chinese government and its strict Internet censorship laws. China will decide today whether to accept the changes and allow Google to stay.

Is AT&T’s Exclusive Lock on the iPhone Over?

2010-06-29T17:15:00Z

The news, if it's true, could be bigger than Apple’s launch of iPhone 4 itself. According to Bloomberg the iPhone will come to Verizon's network in January.

Twitter Settles With FTC, Gets Cold Shoulder From Facebook

2010-06-25T00:00:00Z

It’s been a rough week for the social-networking site with the avian logo, which faced setbacks from Facebook and the feds.

The New Wireless Health-Care Market

2010-06-24T19:30:00Z

If you're in a hospital and your doctor wants to monitor you without being in the room, there's an app for that. There are also wireless pacemakers that allow doctors to keep track of your health over the Internet, as well as all types of sensors that check your vital signs and can be transmitted to a smart phone or laptop.

Dating Site Creates Online Sperm and Egg Bank

2010-06-21T00:00:00Z

BeautifulPeople.com recently launched a fertility introduction service to help make this a better looking world. The site, with more than 600,000 members around the globe, says their virtual fertility forum will allow attractive donors to find someone who matches their “procreation interests.”

Five Reasons Why Tesla Will Never Make Money, According to Tesla

2010-06-16T18:45:00Z

The SEC filing for Tesla Motors, Inc.’s public offering reads like a laundry list of how and why the company will never make money. Tesla announced Tuesday that it would publicly sell 10 million shares for $14 to $16 a piece on June 29. The “risk factors” section alone clocks in at 42 pages.

Apple iPad and iPhone Set to Outsell Macintosh

2010-06-10T17:15:00Z

Wonder why Steve Jobs has forsaken laptops and desktops in favor of mobile devices? By next year, the iPad and iPhone will generate more than double the revenue of the entire Macintosh product line.

Six Strange iPad Accessories

2010-06-08T21:30:00Z

We’ve been here before: the period right after a major gadget is released when strange doodads—like an entire bed made to complement the iPod—start to pop up.

Drumbeats: The Tech Press Turns on Microsoft's Ballmer

2010-06-08T15:45:00Z

Microsoft has a problem—a big one. The problem is not just that its CEO, Steve Ballmer, has had a disastrous 10-year run. That’s been obvious for a while now, as I first pointed out last October in a piece titled “The Lost Decade—Why Steve Ballmer is no Bill Gates.”

Does Apple's iPhone 4 Signal the Death of the Macintosh?

2010-06-08T14:45:00Z

Not long ago, all Steve Jobs could talk about was Apple's signature line of computers, the Macintosh. Not anymore. Daniel Lyons drafts a "Dear John" letter to the Mac faithful.

Technology: Apple iPhone 4 Versus Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G

2010-06-07T20:15:00Z

Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the new iPhone 4, and it’s a beauty—sleek, slim, with a forward-facing camera for doing video chats, a better screen, and longer battery life. So why is it playing catch-up to a Sprint phone that’s running Google Android?

What Steve Jobs Has Planned for Today's iPhone Unveiling

2010-06-07T00:00:00Z

How do you get the kids excited for Christmas morning when they already know what’s under the tree? Just make sure there are a hell of a lot of presents.

AT&T Axes Unlimited-Data Plan

2010-06-03T00:00:00Z

Struggling to keep up with the pace of smart-phone adoption in the United States, AT&T announced that it will eliminate its unlimited-data plans for the devices and replace them with a two-tiered system.

Yahoo Tries to Avoid Google's Mistakes

2010-06-02T00:00:00Z

In February, Yahoo got to watch with schadenfreude as Google drove its new Buzz social network straight over a cliff with inadequate privacy controls. Now Yahoo has decided it wants to head for pretty much the same cliff, just with a slightly firmer grip on the wheel.