Techno-News Blog

by Alex Wilhelm, the Next Web

Everyone knows that the fastest browser in town is Chrome. It screams along, cutting load times around the internet, making browsing a whole new experience. Today, Chrome is dropping a new beta release that is somehow even faster than before. According to Google, the new beta version represents a 30 to 35% rise in performance across the two of the most important browser benchmarks, the V8 Benchmark Suite and the SunSpider Benchmark. Chrome has increased its speed with every release, usually by a significant percentages.

http://bit.ly/aYOoLR

By Joshua Brustein, New York Times

Ning, a company that allows users to build their own social networks, says it has signed a letter of intent with a major educational publisher to keep its service free for educators, several weeks after causing an outcry among nonprofit groups by announcing that it would end its popular free service. Ning did not give any more information about the deal, which it disclosed as it outlined its plans to begin charging subscription fees to all of its users.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/ning-planning-to-remain-free-for-teachers/

by Don Reisinger, eWeek

Microsoft is in a strange position. The company, which once dominated almost every facet of the IT industry, is now feeling pressure from Google, Apple and several other smaller firms, such as Zoho, that are quietly encroaching on its operation. At the same time, Microsoft isn’t doing much to help its own cause. The company has had some trouble regaining its footing after the disaster that was Windows Vista. Internet Explorer, once the only major player in the browser space, is now being cut down by Google’s Chrome browser, Firefox and others.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/10-Products-Microsoft-Should-Fear-264984/?kc=rss

by Nicholas Kolakowski, eWeek

Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system now occupies about 14.8 percent of the operating system market, according to analytics company Janco, putting it ahead of Windows Vista. However, Janco’s numbers contrast with those produced by other analytics companies, which suggest that Windows 7’s market share is growing but still lags behind Vista and Windows XP. Microsoft has seen an increase in revenues thanks to consumer spending on Windows 7, for which it has sold 90 million licenses between the October 2009 release and March 2010.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Windows-7-Passes-Vista-But-Opinions-Differ-664220/?kc=rss

by: Michelle Maisto, eWeek

It took Apple less than a month to sell 1 million iPads. According to the company, the milestone was reached April 30, the same day that its iPad 3G launched, and 28 days after the first iPad models went on sale. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster reported that the 3G models were sold out in 49 of the 50 Apple retail stores he contacted.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Apple-iPad-Sales-Reach-1-Million-814397/?kc=rss

by Clint Boulton, eWeek

Google’s Chrome Web browser ascended to 6.7 percent market share through April, said Net Applications. The growth comes after Google cracked 6.1 percent share through March. Chrome needs only to gain a percentage point of share every two months to top 10 percent by December, which is all but a certainty given the browser’s current growth pace. Microsoft Internet Explorer grabbed 59.95 percent, falling below the 60 percent mark for the first time in years. Mozilla Firefox gained a bit to 24.59 percent from 24.52 percent in March.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Google-Chrome-Share-Hits-67-Through-April-766664/?kc=rss

by Nicholas Kolakowski, eWeek

Apple could find itself the target of either a Department of Justice or Federal Trade Commission investigation, according to an unnamed source in the New York Post, over its development-tool policies that exclude products built by companies such as Adobe. A clause in the developer agreement for the recently unveiled iPhone OS 4 requires that applications be originally written in Objective-C, C++ or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine. The unnamed source offered no timetable for when the federal government might announce such an investigation is underway.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Apple-May-Be-Hit-With-Antitrust-Investigation-363528/?kc=rss

by STEVE LOHR, NY Times

Privacy advocates have had an impact on Madison Avenue after all, according to a new study. Among marketers, privacy groups are often portrayed as scare mongers out of touch with ordinary consumers, who overstate the privacy perils of data collection online. Still, the privacy advocates seem to be making a difference. Privacy issues have prompted marketers to use online behavioral advertising — based on tracking a user’s Web browsing habits — 75 percent less than they would otherwise, according to a report by the Ponemon Institute, a privacy research group.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/privacy-concerns-limit-online-ads-study-says/

by Michelle Maisto, eWeek

Hewlett-Packard, following its acquisition of Palm, is expected to use WebOS to gain new leverage in the tablet market, even though it would leave HP without the investment and marketing backing of longtime partner Microsoft.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/HP-Expected-to-Pursue-Tablets-with-Palm-WebOS-sans-Microsoft-754228/?kc=rss

by Cable Green, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

This webinar will explore open-access textbooks, an increasingly popular solution that can help reduce costs dramatically. Open textbooks are textbooks offered free online, affordable in print, and licensed to be more flexible for students and faculty. Although open texts aren’t yet available for every course, they are rapidly gaining momentum in the marketplace. Join this presentation to hear more about open textbooks, where to find them, and how you can help get them into students’ hands.

When: Wednesday, May 12th, 10:00 AM (Pacific) / 1:00 PM (Eastern)

Where: Elluminate:

https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2008170&password=M.0DEEEB8B6C0EAFD7993367D2D9948A

http://blog.oer.sbctc.edu/2010/05/webinar-in-search-of-affordable.html

by Chris Matyszczyk, CNet news.com

I have barely come to terms with the idea that someone at a school thought it appropriate, wise, or even sane to spy on kids via Webcams on school-issued laptops. Has technology really taken over human thought processes quite so much? So I temporarily lost the ability to spell my own name when I was confronted with the rather heartening news that a school principal has asked parents to get their kids away from Facebook and any other social-networking site.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20003912-71.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

by Ina Fried, CNet news.com

Windows 7 has been relatively well-received since its launch, but one of the key questions has been whether it will help Microsoft gain share against Apple, particularly in the U.S. consumer market. Microsoft says that last quarter’s results show that is starting to happen.

“It was a key goal and a key accomplishment for the quarter…to gain share against Apple,” Reller said. “Clearly we made some inroads with those key audiences.”

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20003916-56.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

by Martin LaMonica, CNet news.com

But even though technology is evolving faster and faster in all fields, getting regulatory approval and business and acceptance is at least a big a challenge as technical issues, Kamen said on Friday during a talk here at the Better World conference, hosted by the MIT Enterprise Forum at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20003885-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

by BBC

This nominated idea is to create a satellite symphony for the iPhone. An idea to allow people to create their own “satellite symphony” through an iPhone app has been shortlisted for a new music prize. Another entry is based on the rotation of stars around the celestial North Pole to make new “stellar” sounds. The winner of the £50,000 prize offered by the PRS for Music Foundation (PRSF)will be announced on 16 September at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The winning idea will then be developed and make its debut next year.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8643847.stm

by BBC

The first floppy disk was introduced in 1971 by IBM.  Sony has signalled what could be the final end of the venerable floppy disk. The electronics giant has said it will stop selling the 30-year-old storage media in Japan from March 2011. Earlier this year Sony stopped selling the disks in most international markets due to dwindling demand and competition from other storage formats.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8643844.stm

by BBC Magazine

Floppy disks: headed for the museum, or treasured home for your data? When Sony said this week it was halting the production of floppy disks, the Magazine set out to discover who still buys and uses this anachronistic computer storage medium. Would you believe floppies keep many jet airplanes in the air? More than 1,000 readers e-mailed in response to the Magazine’s request to explain their attachment to the once universally popular 3.5″ diskettes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8651750.stm

by Bill Thompson, BBC

Imagine a school where a student could sketch out an idea for a new design of bicycle and not only draw it in 3D using a computer-aided design package but actually create a scale-model and test it out, using inexpensive materials and a special printer that they can build themselves in the classroom.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10089419.stm

by BBC

E-mail this to a friend Printable version Adobe has repeated a desire to “move away” from Apple products. Adobe has posted a short response to the letter Apple boss Steve Jobs has written about Flash technology. In it, Adobe said the legal terms Apple imposed on software developers had led it to shift its focus away from Apple. Mr Jobs used the open letter to defend Apple’s decision not to allow Flash on many of the firm’s products. In it he criticised Flash, saying it was not fit for an era of smartphones and touchscreen devices.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10093314.stm

by BBC

The memory reads and writes data faster than existing technologies Smartphones could have their battery life extended by up to 20% by changing what type of memory they use. Samsung has announced plans to produce memory modules built of what is known as a phase change material. These modules are built of a substance that records or erases data when it is heated and typically use far less power than existing equivalents.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10093528.stm

By Nicholas Kolakowski, eWeek

Palm, largely credited with making the PDA a must-have device for many business users during the 1990s, has made news several times during its long history—most recently on April 28, when Hewlett-Packard announced that it would purchase the mobile technology company for $1.2 billion. Although Palm found its smartphone market share under assault in recent years due to the rise of the Apple iPhone and other devices, Palm made a high-profile attempt to get back in the game with the innovative Palm Pre and Palm Pixi smartphones, only to find itself again confronted with lackluster sales. How its acquisition by HP will change the fate of the Palm brand remains to be seen. But as the following presentation demonstrates, Palm has experienced enough successes and setbacks in the past 18 years to fill four or five tech companies’ corporate histories.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/From-Pilot-and-Pre-to-HP-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Palm-744491/?kc=rss

by Nathan Eddy, eWeek

 A survey finds nearly one in two Americans (48 percent) who use technology in their everyday jobs say that they are now required to do more work with fewer resources due to the current economic climate. As an example, nearly one third (30 percent) feel that they need to stay connected to work 24/7, even during weekends, breaks or holidays.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Midmarket/Workers-Feel-Need-to-Stay-Constantly-Connected-Survey-Finds-682917/?kc=rss