Tech Buzz

North Korea's 3G Experiment Might Be Over
March 27, 2013

North Korea's Internet liberation has hit a snag -- it's still North Korea. One month after announcing that it would grant tourists and visitors 3G Internet access, North Korea appears to have revoked its 3G services. Tourists reportedly no longer have 3G access. There is a chance that the 3G service is merely busted, but given North Korea's history, the consensus at the moment is that the plug has been pulled.

Nothing but Windows Blue Skies From Now On?
March 25, 2013

Rumors about Windows Blue, the next iteration of Microsoft's flagship operating system, have been juiced up with the release of leaked screen shots and videos over the weekend. The new system lets users personalize the screen from the side and swipe in from any edge. Windows Blue offers a variety of color choices for the screen background and includes several new apps.

The Fall of Apple and the Return of BlackBerry
March 25, 2013

We tend to be slow to see change. If a company is on top, like Apple was, it takes a lot for us to see its fortunes have changed, as they clearly have post-Jobs. If a company is on the bottom, like BlackBerry was, it may be even tougher to see it on the rebound. We simply don't like the change in our worldview, and this isn't just with regard to companies but people as well.

Smartwatch Wars: Samsung Fires Shot Across Apple's Bow
March 20, 2013

Samsung has had a smartwatch in the works for a long time, according to Lee Young Hee, EVP for the company's mobile business, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. He didn't say what exactly the wearable wrist device might offer feature-wise, but the public acknowledgment suggests this could be the next highly contested arena for new gizmos.

RIP Android: Google Loses Its Steve Jobs
March 18, 2013

Andy Rubin was Google's Steve Jobs, and with him now booted off the Android product, that platform in its current form will pass. It is kind of funny to see the spin on this, which suggests this was Andy's decision. Yeah right, and I'll be buying that bridge in Brooklyn shortly.

iPad May Run Away From Home a Lot Longer
March 15, 2013

Wireless charging may be in the works for iPad owners if Apple follows through on a patent awarded to it by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Thursday. The tablet cover described in the patent would include "an inductive power transmitter arranged to wirelessly pass power to a corresponding inductive power receiver unit disposed within the tablet device by inductively coupling."

Mystery Motorola-Google Phone Dials Up Web Speculation
March 13, 2013

A video and photos of what could be the first Motorola-Google smartphone have appeared on the Web, showing a standard Android phone with a Motorola logo at the top left of the device's screen and the words "Motorola Confidential Property" along the screen's bottom edge. The Vietnamese website hosting the images, Tinhte, lists the mystery phone as having a 720p 4.65-inch AMOLED 320 ppi screen.

Yahoo Could Take Zynga Under Its Wing
March 13, 2013

It appears Yahoo may be interested in acquiring Zynga. Both companies have been through rough patches in recent times, but Zynga's stock actually spiked 10 percent following speculation in an analyst's research note. While some things have been looking up at Yahoo since Marissa Mayer took over as CEO, the same can't be said of Zynga, which seems caught in a downward spiral.

The Employee Heroes at HP: Making an Impossible Turnaround
March 11, 2013

It is very difficult to pull off a turnaround. This is because you typically start with a company that is unprofitable and lacking the resources to compete. You have employees who are still on the job only because they haven't been able to find another one, and you're selling products that few want to buy. To successfully execute a turnaround, you need heroic employees who are willing to step up despite the problems.

HTC May Be Taking Another Swipe at a Facebook Phone
March 09, 2013

A day after Facebook announced a mobile-centric makeover of its News Feed, rumors have resurfaced that HTC may be working on a phone that features special integration with the social network. The spark for speculation is the Friday publication on the Web of the device's specifications.

Google May Take a Whack at Same-Day Delivery
March 06, 2013

Google reportedly is planning to broaden its reach into the e-commerce space with Google Shopping Express, a service similar to Amazon Prime. The subscription fee would be $10-$15 cheaper, and another draw would be same-day shipping from brick-and-mortar stores. However, it's not clear what Google stands to gain from such an initiative.

Rumored Specs, Tantalizing Ad Fuel Galaxy S IV Launch Excitement
March 04, 2013

Samsung is poised to introduce the next generation of its flagship Galaxy smartphone next week in New York City. It will be the first U.S. launch of a Galaxy handset in three years, and Samsung is heralding it with a "Samsung Unpacked" advertising blitz. It's official that Samsung will debut the Galaxy S IV, but apart from the name, all the details circulating are still rumor.

IBM: Giving Open a Smarter Strategic Advantage
March 04, 2013

IBM just announced SmartCloud Orchestrator -- a massive open source initiative designed to help companies better balance public and private cloud resources and even switch vendors. This is in sharp contrast to the lock-in strategy that IBM used to found the technology segment -- largely because IBM learned the hard way that lock-in, while tactically sound, is strategically stupid.

Week of Weird: Sony Jumps the Gun, Google Luxury-Prices Its Yugo
February 25, 2013

This really has been an entire month of the strange. We had Boeing's Dreamliner sidelined for batteries that catch fire. We had Tesla locking horns with the NYT. We had Sony announce its new game system nearly nine months before it would be available -- but not actually show it. Biggest of all, despite Chromebooks failing to sell in the $250 range, we had Google offer a refresh priced at $1,500.

Sony's PS4 Launch: Too Little Too Soon?
February 22, 2013

Sony unveiled its PlayStation 4 video game system this week -- sort of. It didn't display the console itself or reveal its physical dimensions and form factor. It also left unanswered a raft of questions about its capabilities. How compatible -- or incompatible -- will the PS4 be with Sony's current-generation PlayStation 3 system, for example, which was launched in November of 2006?

iWatch-y Patent Greases the Gears of Concept Designers
February 22, 2013

After revolutionizing the world of portable music with its iPod and creating the need for apps for just about everything with its iPhone, Apple could be looking to make time with an iWatch. While the device won't likely change the way people interact with the Earth's rotation, it could put numerous functions on the wearer's wrist. Or it might just be some old vaporware.

Google May Set Up Shop Around the Corner
February 20, 2013

Google may be planning to launch an ambitious brick-and-mortar retail operation to show off its consumer products. It will open standalone retail stores across the U.S. in time for the holidays, according to the latest rumor, to showcase its Nexus tablets, Chromebooks, Glass and other products.

Linux, Microsoft and the Juicy Office Rumor
February 19, 2013

Rumors are not exactly an uncommon phenomenon here in the Linux community, but every once in a while one comes along that is so compelling, such a deliciously tantalizing prospect, that bloggers just can't leave it alone, no matter how far-fetched it may be. Case in point? Oh, it's a juicy one: "Microsoft is having a 'meaningful look' at a full Linux port of Office ... .

Killing Tesla Slowly: Horse vs. Gas vs. Electric and 1 Foolish CEO
February 18, 2013

I watched in horror last week as Tesla's CEO Elon Musk attempted to turn a New York Times reporter into the next Ralph Nader and kill his company. It brought back memories of the Chevrolet Corvair that died as a result of GM's decision to fight what turned out to be false allegations instead of just making the car better.

HP's Mobile Revival May Include Android
February 15, 2013

HP is reportedly working on a series of Android devices, the first of which could be a high-end tablet powered by Nvidia's Tegra 4 processor. The move is a sensitive one for HP, which tried to crack the mobile market in 2010 by purchasing Palm for $1.2 billion, but saw that investment go down the drain.