Techno-News Blog

By TIERNAN RAY, Barrons

Wall Street is reflecting on the tablet computer and how it has started to devour the personal computer’s lunch. There’s a time of the year when Wall Street waxes philosophical about that shiny New New Thing, the tablet computer. That moment was upon us last week, as a gaggle of research reports predicted further large strides by tablets in replacing the humble personal computer. A 37-page note put out Thursday by Morgan Stanley’s tech analysts noted that the rising use of tablet computers on corporate networks was one of the reasons that fully 37% of tablet purchases last year came at the expense of potential PC shipments, which were either delayed or abandoned. That was higher than the 29% “cannibalization” rate the analysts had been expecting. This year, the cannibalization percentage may be as high as 41%, the team predicted.

http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424053111903964304577422321014297942.html?mod=BOL_twm_col

By RICHARD LARDNER, Associated Press

The Obama administration is warning American businesses about an unusually potent computer virus that infected Iran’s oil industry even as suspicions persist that the United States is responsible for secretly creating and unleashing cyberweapons against foreign countries. The government’s dual roles of alerting U.S. companies about these threats and producing powerful software weapons and eavesdropping tools underscore the risks of an unintended, online boomerang. Unlike a bullet or missile fired at an enemy, a cyberweapon that spreads across the Internet may circle back accidentally to infect computers it was never supposed to target. It’s one of the unusual challenges facing the programmers who build such weapons, and presidents who must decide when to launch them.

http://www.newswest9.com/story/18682583/risks-of-boomerangs-a-reality-in-world-of-cyberwar

by DAVID ZAX, Technology Review

Though I recently diagnosed rumors of a Facebook phone as “overblown,” it appears I was mistaken. Nick Bilton of the New York Times this week reported on Facebook’s interest in entering the hardware business–and the rest of the tech press has piled on saying what a terrible idea it is. Bilton says that Facebook employees “as well as people briefed on Facebook’s plans” say a smart phone from Facebook could be released “by next year.” Reportedly, Facebook has already hired six or so ex-Apple folk who worked on the iPhone, both on the hardware and software side, as well as one person who worked on the iPad. Facebook has been reported to try its hand at the smart phone business time and again.

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/helloworld/27893/?p1=blogs

by Jolie O’Dell, Venture Beat

Twitter wasn’t expected to hit the $1 billion revenue mark until 2016, but new sources are saying that number could come a good two years earlier than expected. Super secret sources for Bloomberg say the microblogging network’s ad sales have led to internal forecasts that reflect a much rosier picture: $1 billion in sweet, sweet ad money by 2014. This makes sense given the startup’s recent expansion into international advertising, which is likely bringing global brands and a very long tail of non-U.S. SMBs into Twitter’s fold. Twitter also launched a self-serve ad platform earlier this year — a nice way for the startup to passively collect long-tail revenue from SMBs, local shops, and mom-and-pop businesses.

http://venturebeat.com/2012/06/01/twitter-revenue-bonkers/

by MG SIEGLER, TechCrunch

There’s been a lot of flirting going on in recent months between Apple and Facebook. In February, Apple CEO Tim Cook told a group of investors that Facebook was “the one company that is closest to being like Apple”. Last week, Apple did a big App Store promotion for Facebook’s new Camera app, and clearly knew about it well beforehand. Then, of course, there were Cook’s comments at the D10 conference earlier this week. ”Facebook is a great company.” “And the relationship is solid.” Not to mention the ever-provocative ”stay tuned.” Now the two sides appear on the brink of formalizing the relationship. After much speculation, Facebook integration will indeed be baked into the latest version of iOS, we’ve learned.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/01/facebook-ios-6-integration/

By Virtual College (UK)

Online learning will result in a revolution in the provision of higher education, it has been said. Writing for the Wall Street Journal, interim chief executive officer of Education Sector John Chubb and professor of political science at Stanford University Terry Moe, who were the joint authors of the book Liberating Learning: Technology, Politics and the Future of American Education, argued the US and the international community are in the “early stages of a historic transformation” in education.. “The coming revolution is essentially about finding a new balance in the way education is organised – a balance in which students still go to school and have face-to-face interactions within a community of scholars, but also do a portion of their work online,” they declared. E-learning will affect the settings and habits of schools and school systems, the way in which students learn and the methods tutors use to teach, they declared.

http://www.virtual-college.co.uk/news/Distance-learning-online-will-revolutionise-higher-education-newsitems-801376302.aspx

by Jennifer Van Grove, Venture Beat

It’s a new generation — of young 20-somethings who tweet from their smartphones. From May 2011 to February 2012, the overall percentage of online adults who use Twitter barely moved the needle, growing by a measly 2 percent to 15 percent, according to research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Today’s youngsters, especially those in the 18 to 24 age range, are another story entirely. Nearly one third, or 31 percent, of 18- to 24-year-old internet users are now Twitter users, Pew found. The figure represents 74 percent growth from May 2011 when just 18 percent of internet users in the 18 to 24 age bracket were Twitter users. Plus, 20 percent of these young adults now use Twitter on a typical day, up from 9 percent in May 2011.

http://venturebeat.com/2012/05/31/generation-tweet/

by ALEX WILHELM, the Next Web

Today Microsoft made available the Windows 8 Release Preview. Of course, the company broke its own embargoes last night be releasing a blog post concerning the software release. So, while this post is not a surprise, consider it a functional offering. A Microsoft ‘Release Preview’ is the same as a release candidate, in software terms. For the laymen, this build is the essential Microsoft vision for Windows 8 in terms of features, minus the very last polish that the code will receive before its final release. However, this is the real dope, and not a partial build that is designed for a single demographic.

http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2012/05/31/microsoft-launches-the-windows-8-release-preview-say-hello-to-whats-next/

by Tom Cheredar, Venture Beat

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz said he’s hopeful that the majority of big companies online will begin offering a “Do Not Track” option to consumers before the end of 2012. Leibowitz, who spoke about consumer privacy at the D10 conference today, said the FTC has made great strides in getting companies on board with the idea that giving consumers more control over their data will translate to dollar signs in the long-term. “I’m hopeful that by the end of the year… the majority of companies will be implementing self-regulatory options that allow customers to control their data,” Leibowitz said, adding that this is possible thanks to modern web browsers like Firefox building in the “Do Not Track” features into their applications. Some companies like Twitter have already decided to take advantage of the Do Not Track option.

http://venturebeat.com/2012/05/31/ftc-do-not-track/

by JORDAN CROOK, TechCrunch

We’re living in a post-PC era, which means you likely have a few laptops/netbooks you’re looking to toss out in exchange for a shiny new mobile device. That said, Amazon’s trade-in program has recently included laptops, notebooks, and netbooks to its eligibility list. The process is pretty simple. Head on over to Amazon.com/tradein and do a search for the products you want to get rid of. Once you’ve chosen the correct model, you’re asked to label the condition of the device: like new, good, or acceptable. From there, you’re given the necessary information to send in the device, and once it’s received by Amazon, you’ll be given the specified amount in store credit, direct to your online account.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/31/its-a-post-pc-world-amazon-adds-laptops-netbooks-to-trade-in-program/

by Seth Weintraub, 9to5 Mac

We have already laid out a lot about the next iPhone. Its 1,136-by-640 display. Its totally redesigned back plate and unibody construction. But what will it have under the hood? 9to5Mac delved deep into a beta version of iOS 6 to find out… The next iPhone will continue to have 1GB of RAM, which seems to do well for the iPhone 4S and the new iPad.  This unit runs 6.0 seed 10A33X with iBoot version iBoot-153x.x (iOS 5.* has an iBoot version of iBoot-12xx.x.x, depending on the device and version). It is also interesting that some prototypes of this device use the older Qualcomm Baseband chips. This unit uses the same type of Qualcomm baseband found in the cellular-enabled ‘new’ iPad 4G units. Our source indicated this might be because he/she does not need access to any new baseband that they might use. Moreover, the battery life is not a concern, because this unit must always stay plugged-in. We expect the final N41AP / iPhone5,1 to carry the latest Gobi chips. These chips should allow low-power voice/data on a variety of mobile networks, including China Mobile’s TD-LTE. We are told Apple is far along in its iOS 6 development, so an October new iPhone deadline should be relatively easy—barring any unforeseen chip, part shortages/labor outages, etc. So ‘easy’, in fact, that an earlier release is possible.

http://9to5mac.com/2012/05/31/hardware-details-of-the-next-iphone-n41ap-iphone51-and-more-on-the-new-maps-app/

by MATTHEW PANZARINO, the Next Web

Google has had a long history of battles in China, where its search engine has been the subject of scrutiny and censorship by the government. Searching for certain terms on Google in China has caused users to lose connection to Google for a minute or more after the search was performed. Google says that these connection errors are ‘out of its control’, but that it has determined which particular Chinese characters are causing the most problems when used in search terms. Now, Google will notify Chinese users if their particular search term is going to trigger this kind of connection interruption, dropping down a notification to warn them ahead of time.

http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/05/31/google-now-warns-chinese-users-if-their-search-terms-will-trigger-connection-blocking/

by DREW OLANOFF, the Next Web

In case you’ve forgotten, Google has its own operating system called Chrome OS, and it has been working closely with Samsung on the hardware. Today, Google announced the next phase of its OS and the focus is simple: speed. In a world where we have two major options, Mac or PC, Google is looking to leverage the cloud to make the next generation desktop experience a more lightweight one. It’s not just a mobile thing anymore, Chrome OS has gone to the desktop. The new Chromebook is something that we’re familiar with, but the new Chromebox is reminiscent of the Apple Mini.

http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/05/29/googles-goal-with-chrome-os-chromebook-and-chromebox-speed-speed-speed/

by Matthew Panzarino, the Next Web

Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke at the All Things D Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. At the conference, Cook repeated his sentiments from earlier in the year when queried about Apple integrating with Facebook, saying to ‘stay tuned’. Cook had this to say after being queried about Facebook integration:  They have their own way of doing things. But people can say that about us as well. But just because you have different views doesn’t mean you can’t work together. We want to provide customers simple, elegant ways to do the things they want to do. And Facebook has hundreds of millions of customers. And anyone with iPhone or iPad wants to have the best experience with Facebook on any device. So stay tuned.

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/05/30/apples-cook-again-says-apple-could-work-more-with-facebook-says-to-stay-tuned/

by JON RUSSELL, the Next Web

Tim Cook has revealed that Apple will launch a set of new features for Siri “in the coming months”, as it looks to build on the “unbelievable potential” that the virtual personal assistant has. Cook teased an audience at the All Things D conference by revealing that Siri users can expect “cool” new things very soon: It’s one of the most popular features of our most popular phone. But there’s more that it can do. And we have a lot of people working on this. And I think you’ll be really pleased with some of the things that you’ll see in the coming months, where the breadth that you’re talking about… we’ve got some cool ideas about what Siri can do. And so we have a lot going on on this. Siri remains in beta, allowing Apple to make regular tweaks and changes to it, and Cook explained that he believes that the company is just scratching the surface of what the voice-activated service can do, now that it has ”moved into the mainstream”.

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/05/30/tim-cook-siri-has-unbelievable-potential-expect-new-features-in-the-coming-months/

By James Kendrick, ZDNet

Summary: Gadgets and the apps that run them have become so powerful it makes me more productive, all of the time. I write for a living and inspiration comes at the oddest times. Mobile technology plays a major role in my work, as it lets me capture ideas when they occur no matter where I am. Gadgets have evolved to be powerful information capture tools and also make content creation easy. The benefit of mobile tech in my work is certainly specific to what I do for a living. Accountants or other professionals may find gadgets don’t play as big a role in their work as I do. It has revolutionized my work, and I consider myself lucky for that.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/being-more-productive-with-mobile-tech/7986?tag=nl.e539

By Adrian Kingsley-Hughesm, ZDNet

Summary: Perhaps Facebook is using the specter of developing its own handset as leverage against Apple to get its service integrated into iOS? A persistent rumor has resurfaced which suggests that Facebook is planning to build a smartphone. The idea that the social network giant should develop its own smartphone makes no more sense now than it did the first time it was rumored back in 2010. According to the New York Times, Facebook “has already hired more than half a dozen former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone, and one who worked on the iPad”. The reason suggested for this move into hardware — relevance.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/why-a-facebook-phone-doesnt-stand-a-chance/20574?tag=nl.e539

By Zack Whittaker, ZDNet

Summary: The world’s “largest cyberattack” has been uncovered. Business and universities — and governments — were the main target of the attack by the data-stealing malware. Security researchers have discovered a new ‘data-vacuuming’ malware which has targeted a number of Middle Eastern countries including Israel and Iran. Kaspersky said it believes “Flame” is larger than its apparent infamous counterparts Stuxnet and Duqu, and has been described as the “most complex threat” ever discovered. Kaspersky’s Alexander Gostev said in an extensive questions and answers SecureList blog post that Flame ”redefines the notion of cyberwar and cyberespionage”. Flame is an attack toolkit — rather than a ‘throwaway’ single-operating piece of malware — like Stuxnet and Duqu — which has the ability to relay back through the “eyes and ears” of a computer.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/flame-most-complex-cyber-attack-ever-discovered/78325?tag=nl.e539

By Dan Rowinski, Read, Write Mobile

The cord cutting revolution is growing. People are ditching their cables boxes in favor of streaming videos through their smartphones, tablets and services like Roku and Apple TV. In reality though, these are not real cord cutters. They still pay bills to the cable companies that deliver broadband Internet access to their homes. That broadband is delivered … by cords. Is it truly possible to live an Internet connected lifestyle and cut all of the cords?

http://www.readwriteweb.com/mobile/2012/05/cutting-all-the-cords-the-feasibility-of-a-100-mobile-lifestyle.php

By MICHAEL WINES, NY Times

One of China’s largest hosts of Twitter-like microblogs decreed new punishments on Monday for users who post comments that its editors — and by extension, China’s government censors — deem inappropriate. The service, Sina Weibo, imposed “user contracts” that award each of its 300 million microbloggers a starting score of 80 points. Points can be deducted for online comments that are judged to be offensive. When a blogger reaches zero, the service stated, a user’s account will be canceled. Users who suffer lesser penalties can restore their 80 points by avoiding violations for two months.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/world/asia/china-cracks-down-on-its-cagey-web-critics.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

by Noah Berger, The New York Times

By some measures, Tony Bates has accomplished a lot at Skype since Microsoft paid $8.5 billion for the Internet calling service. The statistics tell the story. In seven months, the number of people using the service each month has jumped 26 percent to nearly a quarter of a billion, affirming Skype’s status as one of the crown jewels of consumer Internet services. But the deal, the biggest acquisition in Microsoft’s history, will ultimately be judged by whether Microsoft can weave the product deeply into its vast product portfolio, providing a superior Skype experience on products as various as Windows PCs and Xboxes. In that regard, Mr. Bates, who was previously the chief executive of Skype and became president after the deal, and his Microsoft colleagues have not yet delivered.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/technology/microsoft-at-work-on-meshing-its-products-with-skype.html