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Friday, January 14, 2011

JFK library opens 1st online presidential archive (AP) : Technet

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JFK library opens 1st online presidential archive (AP) : Technet

JFK library opens 1st online presidential archive (AP)

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 02:32 PM PST

By BRETT ZONGKER, Associated Press Brett Zongker, Associated Press – Thu Jan 13, 5:32 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Caroline Kennedy unveiled the nation's first online presidential archive Thursday, a $10 million project to digitize the most important papers, photographs and recordings of President John F. Kennedy's days in office.

Users can sort through the drafts of Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you," speech and see how he tinkered with the words of that most famous line from his inauguration. Or they can listen to his personal phone calls and read his letters.

In advance of the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's inauguration Jan. 20, Caroline Kennedy visited the National Archives, saying it reminded her the nation was built on words and ideas — and that her father's call to service was more relevant than ever.

"His time is becoming part of history, not living memory, and we need to reach across the generations in new ways," Caroline Kennedy said, noting many young people are disillusioned with politics. "He inspired a generation who inspired their children. They transformed America, and that's why 50 years later, his legacy still resonates."

Kennedy himself broached the idea of making his records available to the masses in 1961.

At a news conference, a reporter asked if he would consider putting his papers in Washington, rather than his hometown, to make them more accessible to scholars.

"Through scientific means of reproduction ... and this will certainly be increased as time goes on, we will find it possible to reproduce the key documents so that they will be commonly available," the president responded.

After four years of work, the Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston has made that a reality. Archivists digitized over 200,000 pages, 1,200 recordings and 300 museum artifacts, as well as reels of film and hundreds of photographs.

Library Director Tom Putnam said they started with all of Kennedy's Oval Office files — everything that went across his desk — along with his personal papers, official White House photos, audio of all his public remarks, video of his famous speeches, and home movies. Archivists knew the most requested items in their research room in Boston and used them as a guide.

Private partners — including AT&T, EMC Corp., Raytheon Co. and Iron Mountain Corp. — contributed $6.5 million in equipment and technical services to digitize thousands of records. Iron Mountain will store backup copies of all the digital files about 200 feet below ground at its facility in western Pennsylvania.

Original files will remain accessible at the Kennedy Library, Putnam said. The digital records, though, will help preserve the originals because they will be handled less frequently, he said.

The library will continue digitizing about 100,000 pages a year, along with thousands of photos and recordings. At that rate, it would still take more than 100 years to digitize all records from the Kennedy administration.

For students across the country, the online archive will mean access to primary documents for school research. They could examine Kennedy's correspondence with Martin Luther King Jr. from the time they first met to the time King was jailed in Birmingham, Ala.

Drafts of Kennedy's speeches show how he was writing and editing along with speechwriter Theodore Sorensen, giving people a sense of the president's power as a writer, Putnam said.

"It truly democratizes history," Putnam said. "We're really hopeful it can work both for a young person and for the most serious scholar."

Also Thursday, cable carrier Comcast announced it will offer free on-demand video of Kennedy's speeches, debates, campaign commercials, documentaries and films to mark the 50th anniversary of his inauguration. That content, in partnership with the Kennedy Library, will be available beginning Friday through Feb. 25.

Only the George W. Bush and William J. Clinton presidential libraries have extensive records that were "born digital" in the computer age. The Kennedy Library's archive will be the largest collection available online to the public.

David Ferriero, archivist of the United States, said it will serve as a prototype for other presidential libraries.

"In the past 50 years since President Kennedy took office, the scope and scale of presidential records has escalated, as have expectations of access to those records," he said. "For students today, if it isn't online, it doesn't exist."

___

Online:

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: http://www.jfklibrary.org/

Calif. man used Facebook to hack women's e-mails (AP)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 06:19 PM PST

By DON THOMPSON, Associated Press Don Thompson, Associated Press – Fri Jan 14, 9:19 pm ET

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In a cautionary tale for users of social-networking sites, a California man has admitted using personal information he gleaned from Facebook to hack into women's e-mail accounts, then send nude pictures of them to everyone in their address book.

The California attorney general's office said Friday that George Bronk, 23, commandeered the e-mail accounts of dozens of women in the U.S. and England. He then scanned the women's "sent" folders for nude and seminude photos and videos, and forwarded any he found to all the women's contacts, prosecutors said.

Bronk coerced one woman into sending him more explicit photographs by threatening to distribute the pictures he already had. One victim told authorities the intrusion felt like "virtual rape."

Bronk, who lives in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights, pleaded guilty Thursday to seven felonies in Sacramento County Superior Court, including computer intrusion, false impersonation and possession of child pornography.

Prosecutors are seeking a six-year prison term when Bronk returns for a sentencing evaluation March 10.

His attorney, Monica Lynch of Roseville, called her client a "23-year-old boy going on 15."

"He's accepted full responsibility. It's a tragic situation," she said.

Lynch said she will argue for less than a six-year sentence.

Prosecutors said Bronk would scan women's Facebook accounts looking for those who posted their e-mail addresses. He would then study their Facebook postings to learn the answers to common security questions like their favorite color or father's middle name.

He contacted the women's e-mail providers and used the information to gain control of their accounts. He also often gained control of their Facebook accounts by hijacking their passwords, then posted compromising photographs on their Facebook pages and other Internet sites.

"This case highlights the fact that anyone with an e-mail account is vulnerable to identity theft," Attorney General Kamala Harris said in a statement announcing Bronk's guilty plea.

Investigators found 172 e-mail files containing explicit photographs of women when they searched Bronk's computer in September, according to a court affidavit. They were able to track his victims to England, Washington, D.C., and 17 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

"He is a sick individual," said 22-year-old Danielle Piscak of Parkland, Wash., one of Bronk's victims.

Piscak said one of her friends alerted her that nude photographs she had sent privately to her husband were posted on her Facebook page last fall. Facebook removed the photos the next day.

"I have a network of like 1,500 people, so they all saw my pictures. So my graduating class of 2007 saw that. I'm in the military, so all my army friends saw that," Piscak said. She had to explain the embarrassing situation to her family and husband, from whom she is separated.

Piscak used a different e-mail account to contact the person who had hacked her page.

"I said, 'Why are you doing this?' and he said, 'Because it's funny,'" Piscak said in a telephone interview. The Associated Press does not identify victims in sex cases as a matter of policy, but Piscak gave permission for her name to be used. She also said she has agreed to tell her story on a nationally televised talk show.

Piscak said she fears the postings could harm her future in the military and her plans for a career in criminal justice, though most people who saw the photos were understanding.

A second victim, Stephanie, 24, of Los Angeles, said she, the FBI and other authorities tried for seven hours to remove an album of 10 photographs that Bronk posted on her account before Facebook took it down.

"Then he wrote just crass, racist, disgusting comments on people's walls that I was friends with," said Stephanie, who did not want her last name used for fear the story could harm her career. She said she felt violated, "kind of a rape-like situation."

Stephanie said she originally had sent the private photos to a boyfriend, only to have them seen by her college professors and co-workers.

Both of the victims, along with Bronk's attorney, said Facebook should have caught Bronk's activities more quickly. Facebook spokesmen did not return telephone or e-mail messages Friday.

Bronk began his hacking in December 2009, prosecutors said. He will have to register as a sex offender because of his guilty plea.

Investigators caught on after a victim called Connecticut State Police, which referred the complaint to the California Highway Patrol. They used information from Bronk's confiscated computer to e-mail questionnaires to 3,200 of his Internet contacts, asking if they had been victimized.

Forty-six women said they had. Bronk was arrested in October and remains jailed on $500,000 bond.

The attorney general's office advised those using e-mail and social-networking sites to pick security questions and answers that aren't posted on public sites, or to add numbers or other characters to common security answers. Additional safety tips are on the California attorney general's website.

Are 28-day delays for new releases hurting Redbox? (Ben Patterson)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 11:39 AM PST

By Ben Patterson ben Patterson – Fri Jan 14, 2:39 pm ET

The high-flying, buck-a-night DVD-kiosk company hit a speed bump Thursday, with Redbox parent Coinstar warning surprised investors that its fourth-quarter results will be taking a turn for the worse. What happened? Weaker-than-expected Blu-ray rentals, for starters, but especially those annoying 28-day delays for new-release DVDs.

That's according to Coinstar, at least, which said Thursday that its revenue for the fourth quarter of 2010 will probably hit about $391 million — up 31 percent compared with Q4 of 2009 but well shy of the $415 million to $440 million Coinstar had previously predicted, news that's sure to disappoint Wall Street and give concerned investors pause.

Coinstar CEO Paul Davis laid the blame directly on Redbox, noting that the $1.50-a-night Blu-ray rentals hadn't taken off as the company had expected, while a new (and unexpectedly popular) "rent and return anywhere" policy that allows Redbox users to return their discs to any kiosk led to "temporary imbalances" in inventory, presumably leaving some kiosks high and dry.

First and foremost, though, Davis noted that this past holiday season was Redbox's first with 28-day delays for new releases from the likes of Universal, Warner Brothers, and 20th Century Fox, meaning (as Home Media Magazine notes) that such just-released titles as "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," "The Town," "Machete," "The American," and "Inception" — especially "Inception," one of the biggest movies of last summer — weren't available via Redbox kiosks in December.

Mind you, not all of the big Hollywood studios are imposing a 28-day delay on Redbox (and on Netflix and NCR-operated Blockbuster Express, for that matter) for their latest titles. Disney, Paramount, and Sony continue to serve up their latest discs to Redbox the moment they arrive in stores.

That said, Universal, Fox, and Warner Brothers seem to be pretty happy with their kiosk embargoes, arguing that the delays have kept bargain-priced kiosk rentals from undermining DVD and Blu-ray sales — and indeed, movie execs are so happy with the results that they've been hinting at extending the new-release window to as long as 90 days.

Now, whenever I blog about whether 28-day release windows for DVD kiosks like Redbox have an impact on the habits of renters, I invariably get the same answer: no way!

With so many options available — you know, video on demand, Netflix streaming, and our mammoth Netflix queues stuffed with a backlog of movies — most viewers say they hardly notice that they have to wait a month for "Inception" to arrive in their local Redbox kiosks. No need to run out and buy "Inception" — and no apparent interest in renting it day-one at Blockbuster, which still stocks all the latest rentals. And besides, why waste money on the stinkers that Hollywood's been making lately? (Or so the argument goes.)

But what people say and what they do are often two very different things, and I wonder if there is, in fact, a sizable contingent of disappointed Redbox users who've decamped to Blockbuster or even Best Buy when they couldn't find "Inception" or "The American" sitting in their neighborhood kiosks.

Or … maybe not, and it's those underperforming Blu-ray rentals that are to blame for Redbox's disappointing quarter, or those out-of-whack Redbox kiosk inventories.

Anyway, here's a question for you Redbox users: Have you ever decided to rent at Blockbuster or even pay for a retail copy when you couldn't find a new release in your local kiosk?

Or are you more frustrated by the spotty selection of new and older discs  — or by un-rented Blu-ray discs hogging kiosk space?

Related:
Coinstar: 28-Day Delayed Titles, Blu-ray Underperformed for Redbox in Q4 [Home Media Magazine]

— Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.

Follow me on Twitter!

Another unlimited mobile broadband plan bites the dust (Ben Patterson)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 09:18 AM PST

By Ben Patterson ben Patterson – Fri Jan 14, 12:18 pm ET

Now that Virgin Mobile has decided to start capping its once-unlimited 3G mobile broadband plan, there's only one national U.S. carrier left that's offering true, all-you-can-eat broadband data. For now.

Virgin Mobile's $40-a-month, unlimited 3G broadband plan instantly became one of the best deals in wireless when it was announced last August, especially given that you could use it with a $150 portable MiFi hotspot on a no-contract basis.

But now comes word from Wired's Gadget Lab that starting February 15, Virgin will begin throttling its "Unlimited Broadband2Go" users if they bust over 5GB of data a month.

How much slower will your downloads be? Virgin Mobile isn't saying, but given that mobile 3G data can be poky even under the best of circumstances, don't expect to be streaming any Netflix videos once you get throttled. (Incidentally, Wired reports that Virgin will be keep using the "Unlimited Broadband2Go" name, despite the new 5GB cap.)

So, given that Virgin Mobile's unlimited 3G broadband plan will, as of next month, become quite limited, U.S. road warriors will soon be left with precious few options — well, one option, really — when it comes to true all-you-can-eat mobile broadband data from a national carrier, and even this last remaining option is starting to look shaky. (Just to be clear, I'm referring to mobile broadband plans for USB modems and mobile hotspots, not smartphone plans — although more and more smartphone data plans are capped, too.)

Nope, we're not talking Verizon Wireless, which caps its 3G mobile broadband plans at 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, and 10GB a month (for $20, $35, $50, and $80, respectively), with its 4G LTE plans capped at 5GB ($50 a month) and 10GB ($80/month).

T-Mobile's best broadband plan is relatively cheap at $40 a month, but you only get 5GB of speedy data — after that, get ready to be throttled.

AT&T has two broadband data plans, both capped: one at 200MB, for $35 a month, the other at 5GB, for $60/month.

And yes, that leaves us with Sprint, which caps its $60-a-month 3G broadband plan at 5GB a month but — but! — offers unlimited 4G data, no caps, no throttling. (Sprint's 3G/4G broadband plan costs the same as its 3G-only plan, $60/month, while its 4G-only plan goes for $50 a month.)

For now.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has been quietly hedging about the carrier's unlimited offerings in recent weeks and months, telling an audience at a tech confab back in September that Sprint will continue to be generous with data "as long as it's reasonable," and adding that "if you run an all-you-can-eat buffet, but you have the New England Patriots come in and the whole team spends a whole day there, I can't afford to do that anymore."

And earlier this month, Hesse told investors that since "[data] usage is increasing at such a rapid rate, something's got to give."

The good news is that Hesse didn't mention anything about data caps. The bad news: Pricing for Sprint's plans could change, and "the tendency will be to move those up," Hesse said (as reported by Wireless Week).

For the moment, at least, Sprint is sticking with its unlimited 4G (and 3G smartphone) plans, although that hasn't stopped some users from complaining that they're being throttled anyway. Indeed, there's a clause in Sprint's user agreement that allows the carrier to "limit, suspend or constrain any heavy, continuous data usage that adversely impacts our network performance or hinders access to our network."

I happen to be a Sprint customer who's pretty happy with his (new) Overdrive 4G personal hotspot, which performed in an impressively speedy manner while I was in Las Vegas covering CES — and I loved that I didn't have to worry about how much data I was using.

I can't help but wonder, however, how long Sprint's all-you-can-eat 4G WiMax party will last.

Related:
Virgin Caps 'Unlimited' MiFi Data Plan at 5GB [Wired]

— Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.

Follow me on Twitter!

eSports Update: Q&A with Jinro, Patch 1.2, CES 2011 (PC World)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 05:19 PM PST

Patrick Miller Patrick Miller – Fri Jan 14, 8:19 pm ET

Welcome back to the PCWorld eSports Update! Read up on our CES 2011 impressions, a quick Q&A with Jonathan "Jinro" Walsh from Team Liquid, and catch our first thoughts on Patch 1.2 while we catch up on a few weeks' worth of GSL games.

eSports at CES 2011

If you're too busy trying to figure out when eSports has "made it", you might miss out on the moment it actually does. There wasn't much in the way of pro gaming at CES 2011, but it was there--if you knew where to look.

In order to get the word out about their high-end server line, Super Micro decided to hold a few Starcraft 2 tournaments with Sean "Day[9]" Plott announcing the action live from the booth. "But what do servers have to do with Starcraft 2?" you may ask. About as much as John Madden has to do with athlete's foot--but that didn't stop him from plugging Tough Actin' Tinactin. Either the Super Micro guys just wanted an excuse to hang out with Day[9], or (more likely) they realized that the kind of people who watch the Day[9] Daily are the kind of people they want to know about their products. If Greg "IdrA" Fields gets tapped to do an ad spot series for Oakley sunglasses, that's a good thing for eSports.

Gaming gear companies were also there, with the Razer Switchblade mini-gaming-PC hogging the spotlight and SteelSeries spreading the world about their 2011 offerings. Razer is certainly bringing flash to their 2011 lineup--besides the Switchblade, they're also dipping their toes in the motion gaming market with the Hydra motion controller that is getting a set of exclusive Portal 2 levels for it. We did get a quick peek at the updated Razer Naga, which adds wireless support and features removable plates for an adjustable grip.

On the other hand, Denmark-based SteelSeries was a bit more mum about their future plans, though they did announce their high-end Xbox 360 headset, the Spectrum 7xb. Between their WoW-themed gear and their upcoming Diablo III mousepad, they're rubbing up against Razer's own Blizzard-licensed products, so 2011 should be interesting, to say the least.

Initial Thoughts on Patch 1.2

Patch 1.2 added a handful of gameplay tweaks and improvements that, frankly, should have been included in the initial release, like Editable Hotkeys, Stalemate Detection, and Battle.net chat channels.

Compared to earlier patches, the balance tweaks seem relatively minor. Terran SCVs are now assigned the same "threat priority" as whatever they're repairing, so it should be easier to take on Thors and Planetary Fortresses now, even if they're mobbed by SCVs, since you can count on your units to auto-target the SCVs. Meanwhile, Protoss got a few buffs: Hallucination takes 80 seconds to research (down from 110), Observers cost 25/75 instead of 50/100, Phoenixes take 35 seconds to build instead of 45, and Void Rays do 20% more damage to Massive units (Ultralisks, Thors, Colossi, Brood Lords, Carriers, Battlecruisers) but have lost the Flux Vanes speed upgrade.

These Protoss changes were likely made to solve a few issues with current Protoss play: Most successful openings either stick to a Gateway-heavy composition (the classic 4-gate push, for example) or get a Robotics Facility early on (usually after the first two Gateways are up). This is because the 4-Gate push relies less on scouting your opponent's build and more on producing on overwhelming power at a particular timing, and an early Robotics Facility allows the Protoss player to scout with an Observer and adjust their strategy accordingly. Protoss players opening with an early Stargate or Twilight Council, on the other hand, are comparatively rare because they aren't as flexible as the 2-gate Robo or 4-Gate push.

Now, Protoss players can build a larger Phoenix army up in less time, giving them more early game harassment options against Zerg players (by attacking Overlords and picking off Queens). If they want to stick with a Gateway army, they can still use Hallucinated Phoenixes to scout while they tech up to early Dark Templar or Blink Stalkers. Hopefully, this will introduce some much-needed variety into Protoss play--especially in Protoss vs. Protoss matches, which need it the most.

Q&A With Liquid'Jinro

Team Liquid's Jonathan "Jinro" Walsh (Terran) needs no introduction: He won MLG Dallas, made it to the semi-finals of GSL Season 3, won himself a Code S ranking, and is currently in the round of 16 for the GSL Code S tournament. We got a quick Q&A with him about a day in the life of Jinro, and the back-story to his ever-present hat.

You've been on a tear since moving to Korea, winning MLG Dallas and powering through to the GSL Round of 4. What's your secret? Practice. I practiced a lot before MLG and even more during GSL.

What have you been practicing for in particular while preparing for the GSL? Just whatever matchup I had to play next - I didn't play anything except the matchup at hand. Most days I wouldn't do anything but play non-stop, and everyone on oGs helped me by practicing or finding practice partners.

What's a day in the life of Jonathan Walsh like right now? Do you have a day job? During GSL it is: wake up, eat, play, eat, play, sleep, repeat. No day job, would never have the time - I get paid to play, this is my day job.

What's it like living and playing with the oGs team? It's great, I've learned a lot and gotten to meet a lot of great people.

You're one of the few non-Koreans to reach S-class status. Does this mean you're staying in Korea indefinitely? Yeah, I'm not going anywhere as long as I'm code S, and even if I lose it I'd probably stay for a good while longer.

Tell us about your hat. Doesn't your head overheat while you're wearing it during a game? Hm, not really. My mom made the hat for me and sent it to me a few days before one of my games, so I decided to wear it to say thank you, and everyone told me it looked great so I decided to always wear it =)

Fill in the blank: I can't believe Blizzard hasn't _________. Updated the ladder map pool. Steppes of War is a cruel joke to all Zerg players out there.

Patrick Miller is a Staff Editor for PCWorld. Add him on Twitter or Facebook, or message him on Battle.Net (pattheflip.729) for a game.

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The Week in iPhone 4 cases: CES edition (Macworld)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 11:55 AM PST

David Dahlquist David Dahlquist – Fri Jan 14, 2:55 pm ET

Last week, the formidable International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) ravaged the Las Vegas Convention Center, leaving behind a devastating trail of cutting-edge consumer electronics...and a whole lot of new iPhone 4 cases. Fortunately, we're here to pick up the scattered pieces and neatly arrange them for your convenient digestion. As you can see, there's no shortage of new iPhone 4 cases on the market—and this roundup doesn't even take into account the recent flurry of cases for the Verizon iPhone. (Yes, the Verizon iPhone 4 will require its own version of many cases—we'll cover those in the near future.)

BaseOneLabs

BaseOneLabs's Impactband ($25) is, according to the company, "quite possibly the toughest bumper case available for the iPhone 4." The super-dense, shock-absorbent case features a 360-degree raised lip around the front and back to protect your iPhone from face-down and face-up falls. If you want proof of this case's abilities, check out the company's Website for a video of a guy dropping his Impactband-encased iPhone off a pretty high ledge onto the concrete below.

BioSerie

Bioserie's new iPhone 4 case ($35) is, like the rest of the company's cases, made of biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials—the "bioplastic" is based on plant material. Along with providing impact and scratch protection for your phone, the Bioserie case also boasts a specially designed opening for the phone's flash that claims to prevent hues and unwanted coloring during flash photography.

Bluetrek

Despite it's rather depressing name, Bluetrek's LostDog series of cases ($27 each) sport some rather uplifting graphics. The 1mm-thin, hardshell cases are built from lightweight, "2H Scratch-resistant," recyclable plastic and feature artwork by French artist Aurele, who's responsible for The LostDog's namesake.

Case-Mate

If your idea of a customized case involves more than a custom printed graphic, Case-Mate's iPhone 4 Stacks Case ($35) could help bring out your inner Warhol. The case, designed by industrial designer Erik Arlen, consists of six modular sections that stack together to create a slim, protective shell for your iPhone. While the top and bottom pieces have to stay in their respective places, the four middle pieces can be arranged to your liking. You can also order additional color sets for additional creative flair.

EFO

The EFO iPhone 4 Power Pack ($28) snaps onto the back of your iPhone and doubles your battery time while adding only a few millimeters of thickness. It prioritizes power consumption, drawing power from its Lithium-ion battery first, before using your phone's battery, in order to maximize the life of the iPhone's internal battery.

iChair

iChair's iPhone 4 Case ($34) is a slim, plastic slider case that sports a kickstand that flips out and props up your iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientation. The case is rubber-coated for an easy grip and velvety feel, while a microfiber lining on the inside keeps your iPhone scratch-free. To help keep your iPhone looking as pretty as its case, the iChair iPhone 4 Case comes with front and back screen-protector films, a dust cloth, and a squeegee for applying the film.

InnoPocket

While most cases will protect your iPhone from dust, InnoPocket's Amphibian All Weather Case for iPhone 4 ($30) adds sand and water to the list of conditions it can withstand. The waterproof case boasts a 2-in-1 design, with an inner polycarbonate shell that can be used for standard impact and scratch protection, and a silicon outer "jacket" that adds waterproof protection while still permitting use of your iPhone's touch screen.

Joy Factory

Joy Factory's Valet Suction Mount for iPhone 4 ($50) uses a suction cup to mount itself and your iPhone to your car's windshield, allowing for hands free calling—for the Bluetooth impaired—or easy navigating while on the road. The Suction Mount comes with an iPhone case that doubles as a stand and can quickly snap into the suction mount via Joy Factory's patented Snap-n-Roll design. When mounted, you can easily adjust your viewing angle, or rotate your iPhone for portrait or landscape viewing. You can even remove your iPhone and use the soft inside of the case to clean your screen.

LennTek

Vinyl is alive and well in the 21st century, and Lenntek is here to prove it with the VintageVinyl for iPhone 4 ($35) case. The high-grade polycarbonate case sports finely machined record grooves on its back, complete with three shiny song dividers that are slightly raised to protect the record grooves. You also get two adhesive "record labels" that are ready to write on. Bring the Noise!

OtterBox

The OtterBox Reflex Series Case ($45) draws its design inspiration from the crumple zone of a car. The case—made of polycarbonate molded with TPE rubber—surrounds your iPhone with a cushion of air for extra impact absorption, and features heavily protected "reflex zones" on each of its corners to protect against drops. The bottom half of the case slides off for easy docking, and the case also comes with a self-adhering clear screen protector.

Nuu

If you love the iPhone's touchscreen, but still have a hankering for physical keys for typing, Nuu's MiniKey ($69) could give you the best of both worlds. Set for release in February, the Minikey is a plastic case that boasts a slide-out, backlit Bluetooth keyboard. Though the iPhone's virtual keyboard works fine for most users, a physical keyboard can increase typing speed and accuracy for some—and at the very least, it can free up your iPhone's display by eliminating the need for an onscreen keyboard. The keyboard also includes navigation keys, a Shift key, a Command key for copy and pasting, and a Function key for typing a range of commonly used symbols. Finally, a toggle button lets you quickly switch between the MiniKey keyboard and the on-screen keyboard. Combined, these features could make typing and editing on an iPhone much more effective for those, say, migrating from a BlackBerry.

Phojojo

The Photojojo Polaroid iPhone Decal ($6) might not provide any impact protection for your iPhone, but man does it look cool. The retro decal transforms your high tech phone into an old-school, Rainbow OneStep Polaroid Land camera, while also protecting its backside from scratches. The decal is designed to be easy to apply and remove, and it shouldn't leave a sticky residue behind—but really, who would ever want to take one of these off?

Play Hello

Looking for a case that's "unique, stylish, cool or cute!"? Look no further, because Japan-based Play Hello's iShoes ($28) fits the bill—though it probably won't fit your feet. The zany silicone case mimics the look of a sneaker, shoelaces and all. If you really want to get into iPhone shoe fashion, you can purchase several of these cases with different shoe and lace color, and mix and match them to your heart's content.

Proof Cases

Proof Cases's Cliq case ($30) is a polycarbonate shell with soft texture coating that keeps your iPhone scratch-free while in the case. Proof Cases also sells styluses ($9) that can be used to increase your accuracy on your iPhone's touchscreen.

SlickWraps

Skateboard enthusiasts, meet the SlickWraps Skateboard Series case ($20). This hard-plastic case is coated with real skateboard Grip tape that, combined with the case's woodgrain vinyl edge wrap, makes your iPhone resemble a miniature skateboard. SlickWraps does advise you, however, not to slide the case around on furniture or other surfaces you don't mind scratching up—skateboard tape isn't exactly known for its softness, after all.

SmallWorks

SmallWorks's BrickCase for iPhone 4 ($20) let's you "brick" your iPhone the only way anyone would ever want to: with Legos! When it's not busy protecting your iPhone from life's daily hazards, the Lego-compatible, high-impact plastic case functions as a building platform for your Lego creations. Just be sure to turn your phone off of vibrate mode, lest there be an earthquake in Lego land. (Hat tip: John Gruber)

Speck

Speck has had a busy few weeks, adding two new additions to its popular CandyShell case lineup, as well as a handful of other new designs. The CandyShell View ($40) features a spring-loaded retractable kickstand that pops out for hands-free FaceTime and video viewing. The kickstand is designed to add minimal bulk to the case, and can support viewing in both portrait and landscape modes.

The CandyShell Card ($40) sports a side-loading card slot that lets you keep essential cards with you when you want to leave your wallet at home. The case is designed to keep a low profile, and it prevents your cards from slipping out by maintaining constant soft pressure on them. The card slot is also separated from your iPhone to keep your cards from scratching the back of your iphone, and there's a convenient thumb-release slot for easy removal of your cards.

Speck has also released the ToughSkin ($40) and ToughShell ($50) cases, which boast durable plastic and textured rubber designs to provide impact protection and improved grip.

And finally, while the mention of see-through satin might make you think naughty things, Speck's SeeThru SATIN for iPhone 4 ($30) is neither lewd nor lascivious. The suggestively titled polycarbonate case sports an inoffensive minimalist design, while its soft-touch satin coating adds a luxurious in-hand feel.

USBFever

Whoever claims that the iPhone's camera doesn't work with other lenses has clearly never seen USBFever's 12X Telescope with Hard Case ($40). This most uncommon of hardshell cases comes with a detachable 12X telephoto lens that fits over your iPhone's camera. Though the lens's zoom is fixed at 12X, it can be manually focused by turning a ring in front of the scope, and it can also be mounted to a tripod, which ought to yield some of the finest iPhone photos imaginable.

VoBack

Looking to modify your iPhone's appearance without relying on a clunky case? VoBack's replacement back panels ($24-$29) let you do just that. The company sells a variety of panels that you can install on your own using only a Philps #00 screwdriver (included with panel purchase). Though these panels don't actually protect your iPhone, they could be great for replacing cracked backsides, or just for giving your phone a more personal touch.

Wahoo Fitness

If you like to use high-tech gadgetry to help you stay in shape, the XShot iPhone 4 Case ($30) is a hard-plastic case that protects your iPhone from bumps and scratches and features a detachable tripod adapter that lets you mount your iPhone to a standard tripod while in the case. The tripod adapter supports your iPhone in both landscape and portrait mode, and the case even comes with a mini flex tripod—similar to Joby's Gorillamobile—so you can get steadier shots even if you don't own a traditional tripod.

Imagining Windows 8: Embedded Xbox, Kinect, and Surface (Digital Trends)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 09:35 AM PST

Rob Enderle Rob Enderle – Fri Jan 14, 12:35 pm ET

One of the things that appears clear from some of the changes at Microsoft is that Steve Ballmer is pulling down some of the traditional siloes, and forcing groups to work together more closely. On stage at CES, Steve showcased four products, Windows 7 with an ARM future, Windows Phone 7, Xbox Kinect, and Surface. While he didn't specifically talk about the new Windows 8 (the name for the next generation of Windows has not yet been decided), the proximity of these technologies has many of us wondering whether Windows 8 could be the Mother of all Microsoft OS offerings.

This is purely speculative, as none of what we'll be covering has been announced. Let's have some fun thinking about the next version of Windows today.

Embedded Xbox

When the latest version of Xbox first came out, it was a powerhouse of technology, but over the last four years there are relatively low cost PCs that could easy outperform it. Microsoft has a huge virtualized system push, and because the money in a gaming system is in game and accessories subsidies not in selling hardware, you would think that the firm would have created a Virtualized Xbox experience for the PC. In fact, Microsoft does have an Xbox experience Windows Phone 7, and while it doesn't play the same games, the company didn't bring out a dedicated hand held gaming platform. So, might Microsoft not revisit what it did with the PC, and bring it more in line with what it's doing for Windows Phone 7 and the Zune MP3 players?

You might think this was a long shot, but one of the product features at CES was the Origin gaming PC which has an integrated, wait for it, Xbox inside. This is one cool system in that all core components, including the Xbox, are watercooled. They went on for some time about why both gamers and professionals liked the idea of an Xbox and a PC in the same box. It could have been a hint of things to come.

Kinect

Touch on PCs has never been a very good way to interface with them, largely because on a desktop PC, the issue is the separate monitor and the lack of touch-enabled monitors. On laptops, pushing on the screen tends to cause the laptop to tilt back, leaving the most successful use of touch to tablets so far. But Kinect doesn't require you touch anything, and folks are already experimenting with Kinect on PCs for people with disabilities, and making a lot of progress. It would be a relatively inexpensive additional interface, with clear advantages where PCs are used for presentations or gaming. It would be particularly for manipulating 3D objects, like for CAD/CAM, architecture, or hardware design. This interface could prove to be superior to the alternatives.

This may seem like a stretch, but Steve Ballmer actually said this was coming.

Surface

The new Surface product is incredibly cool, and it was one of two products I'm actually going to try to buy this year. I'll let you know how that goes. However the new Surface uses a next-generation LCD screen as both camera and display. Each pixel is also a camera, and the surface of the display is one massive sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass. I got a chance to play with one (which is now why I want to buy it) and chat with the Surface folks. Like any LCD, this panel can be made in any size, and because the interface is camera-driven, not touch-driven, the need to press on the screen is reduced. In addition, the overall touch experience is not only vastly improved, the overall product is vastly more resilient to damage.

This could be the beginning of the touch interface for Microsoft̢۪s answer to the iPad.

Windows Phone 7

That gives us two physical interfaces, but what will the screen look like? Given Microsoft updated the Zune interface for Windows Phone 7, and this new phone interface is getting a substantial amount of positive coverage (both because it doesn't copy Google's copy of iOS and because it is very intuitive), might it not be the baseline for Windows 8's interface? I do think that Microsoft has learned its lesson: An interface that goes from a small screen to a big one and visa versa needs to change dramatically, so I'm not expecting it to be identical.

Given Apple is rumored to be taking design elements from the iPhone and iPad, and driving them into the new version of the MacOS, it seems logical that Microsoft would do the same. This would create an OS with a far flatter architecture, and one that was vastly easier to navigate to both new and old features, and otherwise wouldn't be found or used. If you think this is farfetched, remember that Microsoft did announce it was moving Windows, at least partially, to ARM, and that is the neighborhood where Windows Phone 7 lives.

Wrapping Up

Microsoft hasn't brought out a version of Windows that represented the entire company since Windows 95. After that version, Windows was dropped into a large Microsoft division, and the power of the company behind it was far reduced, even as Microsoft itself became far more powerful. It looks to me like Windows 8 may be able to pull technology from across Microsoft, which could make it the most powerful offering that Microsoft has ever brought to market. It is already breaking a tradition and going to be moving to ARM, which was a huge surprise, and I expect many more over the next few months as we learn about this new OS.

Sprint eyes machine-to-machine benefits in 2 years (Reuters)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 12:41 PM PST

– Fri Jan 14, 3:41 pm ET

DETROIT (Reuters) – Sprint Nextel (S.N) thinks it can make billions of dollars in revenue from wirelessly connecting devices such as in-car safety systems, but does not expect any material gains from doing this for two more years.

Sprint is making a "significant investment" in offering machine-to-machine services, which connects everything from electricity meter readers to health care monitors, the company's chief executive, Dan Hesse, said after a Detroit Economic Club event on Friday.

"We're a $36 billion company. We expect it to be a multi-billion dollar division of the company in a few years, but not yet," Hesse told reporters.

It may be two more years before the segment is big enough to contribute in a significant way to the third-largest U.S. mobile service, Hesse said.

Sprint and its bigger rivals are eyeing wireless data as one of the next ways for them to grow now that 90 percent of Americans own cellphones.

Advanced phones such as Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iPhone are big sources of demand for data services.

Top U.S. mobile service Verizon Wireless earlier this week said it will sell an iPhone that uses the same wireless technology that Sprint uses, laying groundwork for a future Sprint deal with Apple.

Hesse declined to comment on whether Sprint would sell the iPhone. Apple had said the Verizon Wireless agreement was not exclusive. Verizon Wireless is a venture of Verizon Communications (VZ.N) and Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L).

(Reporting by Ben Klayman. Writing by Sinead Carew in New York. Editing by Robert MacMillan)

Search for the Next "Levi's Girl" Kicks Off on Facebook (Mashable)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 11:10 AM PST

Lauren Indvik Lauren Indvik – Fri Jan 14, 2:10 pm ET

After a successful campaign last summer, Levi's is once again turning to Facebook to find the next online face and voice of Levi's womenswear, a.k.a "Levi's Girl."

This time, the search has been extended to the UK as well as the U.S. Interested individuals are asked to submit a short video detailing why they should be chosen for the role, which involves engaging with Levi's fan base on Facebook and Twitter on a day-to-day basis. To qualify, videos must be submitted via the retailer's Facebook Page by February 2.

From the video submissions, Levi's will select five candidates for a public voting round between February 16 and 23, which will test each candidate's ability to mobilize her personal network on her behalf. It's a clever strategy that is sure to win Levi's many more Facebook "Likes", whilst giving existing fans a hand in the selection process.

The winner will be announced on March 7 and receive a six-month paid position at Levi's San Francisco headquarters to work alongside the more permanently situated "Levi's Guy."

What do you think of the contest? Have you ever competed in something to win a job?

Idea ‘theft’ rampant in mobile gaming (Appolicious)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 11:01 AM PST

Mobile doubts weigh on chipmakers Intel, AMD (Reuters)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 02:06 PM PST

By Noel Randewich and Tarmo Virki Noel Randewich And Tarmo Virki – Fri Jan 14, 5:06 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO/HELSKINKI (Reuters) – Fears about Intel Corp's absence in tablets and smartphones are overshadowing the chipmaker's strong earnings and reinforcing the impression that the company no longer sets the direction of the tech industry.

The world's largest semiconductor maker has new chips for mobile devices on the way this year and is boosting spending on research and development, but it remains far behind rival ARM Holdings, whose chip architecture is found in most smartphones and tablets.

Despite better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and guidance posted on Thursday, and a broadly higher market, its shares slipped as investors focused on the company's failure to stake out territory in the mobile market.

Even as Intel's stock fell, shares of other semiconductor companies rose, with ARM rising 6.5 percent to a 10-year high.

The stock market, and sentiment on the wider technology industry, for years moved in tandem with Intel following its earnings report. But in recent quarters they have diverged.

"It's historically been the bellwether, that if you're positive on the (technology) sector you're positive on Intel, but I think that relationship is breaking down," said Craig Berger, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets.

Intel's strategy in the mobile market has been to adapt chips originally designed for personal computers but versions released so far consume more energy than ARM-based chips, making them less suitable for mobile gadgets that are left on for hours at a time.

People are increasingly turning to mobile devices to surf the Web and some investors believe Intel's traditional focus on PCs could begin to lose relevance.

AMD QUANDARY

Intel's struggles are highlighting smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc's lack of strategy in the exploding ultramobile market too.

This week AMD Chief Executive Dirk Meyer left the company following concerns he hadn't done enough to pursue the mobile market. And Silicon Valley rival Nvidia Corp's stock surged for days on high expectations for its new Tegra 2 chips for tablets and smartphones.

"AMD is in a very unenviable position of having arguably one of the worst balance sheets in semiconductors," said Rick Schafer, an analyst at Oppenheimer. "And its sandwiched between Intel and Nvidia, two guys with huge balance sheets, huge cash flows and resource to spend on research and development."

Intel and AMD shares both fell about 1 percent on Friday. Intel's shares are trading at about the same level as a year ago, compared to a 19 percent rise in the Standard & Poor's 500 index since then.

AMD is scheduled to deliver fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday. This week, it said its fourth-quarter revenue increased 2 percent sequentially to $1.65 billion, with a gross profit margin of roughly 45 percent.

WANING BELLWETHER

Investors cited Intel's meager position in growing tech segments like tablets and mobile devices as a reason its status as a go-to proxy for tech shares is waning.

Ralph Shive, the South Bend, Indiana-based manager of the $1.7 billion Wasatch-1st Source Income Equity Fund, said he has added to his Intel holdings in the last year, "but we understand that the momentum group won't be pounding the table to get in here."

Financial analysts' ratings on Intel's stock on average lean toward "buy," according to Thomson Reuters data, and many say it has been punished too much for the company's lag in mobile.

"People are worried that tablets will have an impact and ARM will move up the food chain, and that Intel won't be able to move down the food chain. But I think that's overdone," said Mahesh Sanganeria, an analyst at RBC Capital.

Intel is nearly doubling its capital spending in 2011 to around $9 billion and ramping up production of its next-generation 22-nanometer microprocessors, which will give it a major technological lead against competitors.

Also on Friday, Intel's general manager for Asia-Pacific said he was positive about growth in PC sales in emerging Asia, particularly China and India.

"I look around and travel around and I see the emerging markets continuing to be quite good," Navin Shenoy told Reuters.

Intel was the first major technology company to report fourth-quarter results, and despite worries about the chipmaker's mobile strategy, its upbeat numbers set a positive tone for much of the rest of the sector. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index was up 2.6 percent.

(Additional reporting by Paul Sandle and Atul Prakash in London, Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt, Li Baker in Taipei, Ryan Vlastelica and Chuck Mikolajczak in New York; Editing by Richard Chang)

Mom accused of playing on Facebook while baby died (Reuters)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 02:26 PM PST

YouTube mobile video viewing tops 200 mln a day (AFP)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 11:28 AM PST

– Fri Jan 14, 2:28 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – YouTube has said it is serving up more than 200 million videos daily to smartphones and other Internet-linked mobile devices.

News of the milestone came as the Google-owned video-sharing service began routing Vevo music videos from artists such as Lady Gaga and U2 onto smartphones powered by newer versions of Google-backed Android software.

"As the world goes mobile and more people watch videos on their smart phones, we expect more partners will take advantage of these new mobile advertising capabilities and make more of their content available across more devices," YouTube mobile product manager Andrey Doronichev said in a blog post.

Android smartphones running on "Froyo" or newer versions of the mobile operating software will be able to access Vevo's music video library using a free YouTube application, according to Doronichev.

Vevo music website is a partnership between Google, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media and has deals to feature content from EMI and independent recording labels.

Revenue will be generated from advertisements played prior to music videos starting, according to YouTube.

Remains of the Day: Sadie Hawkins (Macworld)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 05:37 PM PST

Jason Snell Jason Snell – Fri Jan 14, 8:37 pm ET

What, Dan Moren's not available? Where could he be? What could he be doing that's so important, it takes precedence over the Macworld news remainders for Friday, January 14, 2011?

MIT Mystery Hunt (MIT)

Apparently a bunch of geeks get together and solve puzzles over a weekend at this Boston-area event, which kicked off this morning. Shame that it starts on a Friday, though. That precludes a Boston-area person from participating in it, unless they took a personal day… wait a second. Moren!!!

Apple tells newspaper: no free iPad edition for print subscribers (AppleInsider)

Are you a subscriber to some sort of periodical, perhaps a magazine or newspaper, who is wondering why you can't get free access to the iPad edition of that periodical as a part of your subscription? This story might explain things. Several European newspapers are reporting that Apple doesn't want to allow that approach, because it elbows Apple out of its 30-percent cut.

As an employee of a magazine that still publishes on those dead trees, I recuse myself from making any jokes about this one. Sorry.

Sprint CEO offers 'no comment' on possibility of gaining Apple's iPhone (AppleInsider)

Only in the overheated world of Apple stories would an innocuous "no comment" from Sprint's CEO be turned into a six-paragraph story speculating about what it all means. Hey, I'm intrigued by the idea of Sprint getting the iPhone too. But sometimes no evidence is just no evidence.

Verizon iPhone 4: Promising, but likely to be short-lived (Consumer Reports)

Apple's sometime-nemesis, sometime-pal Consumer Reports is back with a blog post that mixes a little bit of cold-water realism with a little bit of persnickety nitpickery. I could deconstruct the post, but there's no point when you can read Bryan Chaffin's analysis of the Consumer Reports analysis over at The Mac Observer.

Charlie Rose talks to Verizon CEO Seidenberg (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

In this interview with Verizon CEO Ivan Sidenberg, we learn that Verizon was never really much of an alternative to Cingular/AT&T as a launch partner for the iPhone, because Apple was "more focused on a single technology," namely the GSM technology that works with both AT&T and carriers all over the world. "If you do your job well, then in an industry like this, eventually the right partners are going to end up on the dance floor," Seidenberg said. Aww, and Steve Jobs asked Ivan to dance! Nobody tell Joe Wilcox.

Old Sierra On-Line games now available on iPad via the web (TUAW via Touch Arcade)

Long, long ago, there were a bunch of crazy computer adventure games published by Sierra On-Line. I had King's Quest for my Apple II, and it was the only game I ever saw that took full advantage of its super-high-res graphics mode. Well, now those games are available to be played on the iPad, via your web browser. At least, until the intellectual-property attorneys come knocking. Wait, what am I talking about? Intellectual-property attorneys don't knock. They nuke the site from orbit. Enjoy your King's Quest while you can, iPad users.

Inside a chocolate factory so nerdy it's controlled by an iPhone (Gizmodo via The Feast)

San Francisco chocolate factory Tcho (Technology and Chocolate, y'know) is super high tech, super hip, and super controlled by an iPhone. Insert your own "Willy Wonka" joke here—I'm going home.

The PC Is Dead: Long Live Portable, Pluralistic Computing (PC World)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 11:47 AM PST

Keir Thomas Keir Thomas – Fri Jan 14, 2:47 pm ET

Recent figures from Net Applications show that Windows' operating system market share has consistently dropped since 2007, and is likely to dip below 90 percent when this month's figures are released. Back in November 2007, Windows held just under 96 percent of the share.

Whenever anybody visits a Website, they leave behind a calling card stating what browser and operating system they're running. Net Applications takes these statistics from 40,000 sites in order to measure OS popularity.

Linux isn't stealing the market share. In fact, the figures show the Linux market share held mostly steady during 2009-2010, at between 0.9 and 1.1 percent, after rising steadily from 0.65 percent in November 2007 (no doubt down to the rise in popularity of Ubuntu). So, sadly, the Linux revolution is still somewhat overdue.

Macs are providing a stronger challenge to Windows, with a share of 3.43 percent in November 2007 growing steadily to 5.02 percent at the end of 2010. In other words, five in every 100 computers right now runs Mac OS X--although the Mac share might be even higher, bearing in mind some Mac owners run Windows.

However, the biggest market share thief is mobile devices, in the form of cellphones and tablets, which have seen the fastest growth. iOS, Apple's mobile phone OS that runs on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, grew from 0.24 percent in January 2009, to 1.69 percent in December 2010, and Java Mobile Edition--which powers the browsers in many mobile phones--grew from 0.22 percent to 0.91 percent in the same period

If these trends continue then the future will be a pluralistic computing universe, in which users demand the freedom to work on many different types of computing device. The desktop PC running Windows won't decline in importance; it'll just have to share the stage.

Let's be honest: nobody can complain that the PCs reign has been anything but lengthy and glorious. Few other items of office equipment we used back in the 1980s have had such longevity. Telexing is pretty rare, and faxing is limited to a handful of special situations. And when's the last time you saw somebody flicking through a Rolodex?

The original PC was all about empowerment of the individual: All of a sudden people could type their own letters, for example, without having to rely on a typist. They could work out their complicated figures without having to rely on an accountant (and they didn't have to be good at math either). Creating a presentation could be done without a graphic designer.

However, the PC also came at a price: generations of workers were tied to their desks and spent 90 percent of their working life staring at the same old screen. Laptops were usually only for those who needed them, such as those who travel. Whatever the case, it's only in recent years that laptops have become truly portable.

A new computing revolution is underway. The new generation of workers demands the same amount of empowerment as back in the PC revolution. But this time it has to come through portability and plurality--tablets, smartphones, netbooks, and laptops.

If you don't believe me, visit a lecture theatre on any college campus. Every single student will have a laptop. In other words, the next generation of workers has only ever known a computing landscape of portable devices. They know the advantages and they won't accept being anchored to a desk and a traditional PC. Above all, they realize that kind approach to IT isn't good for business. A smart company is one that realizes this, rather than burying its head in the sand.

Keir Thomas has been writing about computing since the last century, and more recently has written several best-selling books. You can learn more about him at http://keirthomas.com and his Twitter feed is @keirthomas.

IBM may boost tech confidence, services in focus (Reuters)

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST

By Ritsuko Ando Ritsuko Ando – Fri Jan 14, 7:00 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A strong report from IBM Corp, particularly a pick-up in technology services contracts that have been a weak point in the past year, could lift Wall Street's confidence in the technology sector.

While investors on Friday looked at Intel Corp's strong outlook with skepticism, due in part to the chipmaker's reversal of a bullish outlook last year, analysts said a solid report from IBM on Tuesday could encourage them to reconsider.

International Business Machines Corp is expected to report fourth-quarter revenue of $28 billion, up 3.8 percent from a year earlier, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Quarterly earnings per share is expected to rise to $4.08 from $3.59 a year ago.

The Street also expects the company, the world's biggest technology services firm, to give a solid outlook for 2011, signaling improving demand for discretionary spending by global corporations.

Analysts forecast 2011 sales of $103 million, up 4 percent from 2010.

"2011 could be a turnaround year for services as the macro improves, business confidence firms and enterprise IT spending increases accordingly," said RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani.

The key focus for Wall Street will be whether IBM manages to reverse the decline in signings of services contracts, including bookings for outsourcing and other IT projects, which has been a major disappointment in recent quarters.

The weak signings had been seen as a signal of cautious spending among corporate clients and, for IBM, weak revenue growth ahead.

"The key to quarterly results and investor confidence in 2011 will be positive results in the services segment, where we believe that prospects remain healthy," said Joseph Foresi at Janney Capital Markets.

Analysts said rival Accenture's strong revenue and outlook, announced in mid-December, was a sign IBM could also see strong services bookings.

IBM shares have risen just 6 percent in the past 3 months, despite expectations of a recovering U.S. economy, underperforming the S&P's 10 percent rise over the same period.

Analysts also said a strong outlook could make the shares look like an inexpensive bet. They closed on Friday at $150, below 12 times expected earnings, lower than Accenture Public Ltd Co's multiple of 15 and Oracle Corp's 14.

(Reporting by Ritsuko Ando; editing by Andre Grenon)
at 9:56 PM

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