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Security Legislation: A Rat’s Nest of Agendas

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

The United States government launched initiatives this past week to enhance cybersecurity, but these efforts may add to the confusion around the issue in federal government circles. One development involves the unveiling of the Promoting and Enhancing Cybersecurity and Information Sharing Effectiveness Act by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Committee. This seeks to give the U.S. Department of Homeland Security the authority to govern cybersecurity efforts.

Apple Gears Up to Create a Star TV

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:14:49 +0000

Apple is holding talks with media executives to discuss the future of television, according to a recent report. It’s also allegedly working on providing wireless streaming capabilities, voice and motion controls, and features that enable the sharing of content across multiple devices. “We believe it’s very likely that Apple’s working on a set-top box or iTV or whatever you’d like to call it, because the TV is the next growth area for Apple, and it’s the only one screen they haven’t conquered yet,” said Jia Wu, a senior analyst at Strategy Analytics.

Google’s Zeitgeist: Don’t Dig Too Deep for Meaning

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:37:05 +0000

If Google’s Zeitgeist 2011 — the company’s 11th annual list of the most popular and fastest-rising Internet searches — truly reflects the spirit of the times, then we must be living in a world of whiffle heads. In a year when the U.S. pulled its troops out of Iraq, the Congress almost brought the government to a financial standstill, and the nation’s sovereign credit was downgraded by Standard & Poor, the top search term was “Rebecca Black.” The Web celeb was the No. 1 fastest-rising query globally.

How Apple Promoted Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Other Weird Tales

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Christmas is coming in a few days, and many of you are kicking back with some eggnog for a well-deserved rest before the day arrives, and you are looking forward to the annual family who-is-the-biggest-ass competition. Yes, this is the time of year when relatives feel the need to overimbibe and tell us how we should live our lives, and we, unfortunately, are likely to do the same. In this holiday spirit, I’ll look at some vendor dysfunction this week — from Apple and American Airlines to the NTSB — just to point out there are companies and groups apparently more screwed-up than our families.

WebOS: Destined to Fail, or Fuel for FLOSS’ Fire?

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

After such a tempestuous year as 2011 has been, it’s hard to imagine a more dramatic way for it to go out with a “bang” than with HP’s recent announcement about webOS. Yes, for those who missed it, HP finally ended months of indecision by announcing that it plans to open-source the Linux-based mobile operating system, thereby giving it a chance at a new life in the hands of the community. Linux software? Open source? Community control? Sounds like a good thing, right? If only it were that clear.

Verizon and Google Enter Holiday Party Late and Sulky

admin — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

The Galaxy Nexus has finally arrived in the United States after showing up in places like Europe and Hong Kong several weeks ago. This is a Samsung smartphone running the very latest and greatest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. And there are no factory-installed tweaks to the OS either — it’s straight Android, no mixer. Obviously this is good news for those who’ve been excited to see the latest Google superphone firsthand, but the timing for this launch is very unusual. It arrived on shelves Thursday — right at the top of holiday shopping crazy season.

Timeline: Pretty Interface, Ugly Rollout