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Thursday, March 10, 2011

As competitors pop up, iPad keeps price advantage (AP) : Technet

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As competitors pop up, iPad keeps price advantage (AP) : Technet

As competitors pop up, iPad keeps price advantage (AP)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 10:08 AM PST

By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer Peter Svensson, Ap Technology Writer – Thu Mar 10, 1:08 pm ET

NEW YORK – The new iPad model hitting stores Friday comes with several improvements over the original version but the same price tag, hobbling efforts by rivals at breaking Apple Inc.'s hold on the emerging market for tablet computers.

Competitors such as Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. can't seem to match the iPad's starting price of $499. Tablets that are comparable to the iPad in features cost hundreds of dollars more, while cheaper tablets are inferior to the iPad in quality.

This is highly unusual in the gadget business, where early products, such as the first Blu-ray players or digital cameras, are expensive. Competition then gradually brings prices down. With the iPad, the reverse is happening.

It looks as if this is a result of Apple's strategy. The company appears to have chosen, right from the start, to make less of a profit from its iPads than it does from iPods and iPhones. The move is particularly odd for a company that isn't known for cheap products.

Apple's profit margin on the $499 entry-level iPad model is about 25 percent, according to an estimate by Toni Sacconaghi at Bernstein Research.

By contrast, the company's profit margin for all products, before corporate overhead, was 38.5 percent in the most recent quarter. He and other analysts estimate the margin for the iPhone 4 is 50 percent to 60 percent. (Apple charges about $600 for it, though it's cheaper in stores because wireless carriers subsidize it.)

Apple is telling investors to expect overall margins to keep declining, meaning competitors can't expect much of a reprieve.

There are cheaper tablet computers available, but they don't perform as well. They have poor screens, poor touch sensitivity and poor software, and they are slow. For example, Archos sells a tablet that's roughly iPad-sized for $370. Reviewers at CNET and Laptop Magazine say its screen washes out unless you're right in front of it, and it has problems sensing touch.

A tablet that can match the iPad 2 in quality and features costs much more. For example, Motorola's Xoom sells for $800, or $600 if the buyer agrees to a two-year data service contract with Verizon Wireless. The iPad 2 with the same amount of memory — 32 gigabytes — and cellular data capability on AT&T's or Verizon's network costs $729, no contract required.

The Galaxy Tab from Samsung Electronics Co. is half the size of the iPad, yet costs $500. And that price is only available if the buyer pays an activation fee and signs up for at least one month of data service from Verizon, at a minimum total cost of $55. The tablet can be had for as little as $300, but that requires two years of data service, or hundreds of dollars in fees.

Some 100 different models of tablet computers have already gone on sale or are on the way. Gartner Inc. project that 65 million tablets will be sold worldwide this year, and analysts expect the bulk of them will be iPads. Apple sold 15 million of the original iPad in its first nine months on sale. Research firm IDC says three-quarters of all tablets sold in the last three months of 2010 were iPads.

J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz believes there's a "bubble" building in tablets, with supply potentially outstripping demand by 36 percent this year. That could put additional pressure on tablet prices, though Moskowitz believes manufacturers will be hurt less than suppliers of components, which are able to command higher prices now because tablet makers are eager to secure displays and other parts.

Samsung, Motorola and other tablet makers will have to rely on other products they have to cushion the blow.

Analysts say Apple has a couple of advantages that let it sell an iPad profitably at a price that would put another manufacturer at break-even, or at a loss.

Apple sells about a third of iPads in its own stores and from its website. By cutting out the middleman, Apple is able to keep more of the slim profit margin for itself.

Also, the iPad uses many of the same chips as iPhone and iPods. That means Apple is able to buy them in huge quantities, bringing down costs. Wayne Lam at research firm IHS iSuppli estimates that Apple alone buys 20 percent to 25 percent of the world's production of flash memory chips, which go into phones, iPods, memory cards and the iPad.

Lam also speculates that Apple is using its clout and its cash to ensure supplies of another crucial component: touch-screen displays, which make up a large share of the tablet's cost.

Apple said in January that it had spent $3.9 billion on long-term contracts to secure supplies for the next two years of a "very strategic" component it wouldn't name. If Apple is indeed tying up a lot of the production capacity, competitors could have difficulties getting screens at a reasonable price. Apple did not return messages to comment on that or its overall pricing strategy. Motorola had no comment.

Apple also designs its own processing chips to run iPad and the iPhone, based on blueprints it licenses from ARM Holdings Inc. For the Xoom, Motorola buys its main processing chip from Nvidia Corp., meaning there's one more vendor to pay.

One other factor is the software powering the tablet. The Xoom and other rivals generally use Google Inc.'s Android system, which Lam says demands more memory, raising the cost of the product. Apple's iPad software isn't as ambitious about "multitasking," or the ability to run more than one application at the same time, so it doesn't need as much memory.

In short, using Android forces iPad competitors to produce more expensive machines, Lam said. They might be able to bring component costs down by working closely with Google to optimize the software, but meeting the needs of a range of devices and companies is difficult. Because Apple controls its own software, it's a better position to tailor it to its own devices.

That adds up to very difficult math for competitors.

AOL cuts 900 jobs worldwide, 20 pct of work force (AP)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 10:43 AM PST

By RACHEL METZ and BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Technology Writers Rachel Metz And Barbara Ortutay, Ap Technology Writers – Thu Mar 10, 1:43 pm ET

NEW YORK – AOL said Thursday it will slash 900 jobs worldwide, or nearly 20 percent of its work force, partly to eliminate overlap that stems from its recent purchase of The Huffington Post.

About 200 of the cuts are from AOL's content and technology departments in the U.S. The remaining 700 are at AOL's offices in India, which mainly provide back-office support to the U.S. But AOL spokesman Graham James said 300 of those will move to other companies, which are taking over support functions.

Thursday's cuts leave AOL with 3,500 employees in the U.S. and about 500 overseas. The total work force is a fifth of what the company had at its peak in 2004, when its staff numbered more than 20,000. The company pared thousands of workers in the years leading up to its separation from Time Warner Inc. in late 2009. After the companies broke up, AOL cut about 2,300 of its then-6,900 employees — or about a third of its work force — through layoffs and buyouts.

In the '90s, AOL was the king of dial-up Internet access, known for its ubiquitous CD-ROMs and "You've got mail" greeting in its inboxes. The company even managed to buy Time Warner at the height of the dot-com boom in 2001. But the companies never successfully melded, and as consumers moved to faster Internet services from cable and phone companies, AOL's main source of revenue dwindled.

Over the past several years, AOL has struggled to reinvent itself as a company focused on advertising and content, operating a variety of websites such as the popular tech blog Engadget. Since CEO Tim Armstrong was lured from Google Inc. to take the helm of AOL in April 2009, AOL has focused increasingly on the market for local content, helped by the purchase and expansion of its network of Patch local news sites.

The company has continued to acquire sites, too: Most recently, it paid $315 million for The Huffington Post as part of its efforts to become a go-to source for news and other content. That deal closed Monday.

Armstrong, speaking at a conference in New York, said the company has no immediate plans for further layoffs. But he added, "in our situation we don't have the luxury of long-term planning."

Armstrong said AOL will hire this year and will try to have more full-time journalists in its ranks to rely less on freelancers. He said about half the employees now have content-producing roles, and he wants to increase that to 70 percent.

Armstrong maintained his confidence about AOL's prospects for a comeback.

"AOL will turn around," he said. "No doubt about that."

But AOL's revenue is contributing less and less to the overall online advertising market in the U.S., eMarketer Inc. analyst David Hallerman said.

"If they're going to succeed, they're going to be succeeding as a smaller company," he said. "Therefore their success won't be as big."

Although Hallerman said he sees promise in the company's efforts to establish itself as a local content provider, he said the ads that run on these sites bring in less revenue than those on its more popular websites. That means AOL will have to make that up by drawing a lot of traffic.

Clayton Moran, an analyst with The Benchmark Co., said that the changes made since Armstrong took control are sensible and probably the best route the company could take.

But he said the changes "haven't shown a lot of financial progress. It's taking time for the changes to have an impact."

Shares of AOL fell 4 cents to $19.30 in afternoon trading Thursday.

___

Rachel Metz reported from San Francisco. AP Technology Writer Peter Svensson contributed to this report.

Where — and when — to get an iPad 2 (Ben Patterson)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 09:31 AM PST

By Ben Patterson ben Patterson – Thu Mar 10, 12:31 pm ET

Want an iPad 2 on Day One? Then you'll have to wait in line Friday afternoon, or you can order one online starting early—very early—in the morning.

The revamped iPad 2 (get the details here, and check out the early reviews here) goes on sale tomorrow, March 11—and unlike last year's launch of the original iPad, you won't be able to place a pre-order online.

That means if you absolutely, positively must have an iPad 2 on launch day, you'll have to go stand in line with thousands of other eager (or fanatical, some would say) tech geeks.

In-store sales for the new iPad will begin at 5 p.m. local time, Apple said, just in time for the afternoon rush hour. The good news, however, is that there will be many more stores selling the iPad 2 this yearâ€"which could mean shorter lines at any given location.

In addition to the 230-odd Apple stores, the iPad 2 will also be on sale at Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, as well as AT&T and Verizon Wireless outlets. So yes … many more choices this time around, although you'll have to go to an Apple store if you want one-on-one help setting up your e-mail and apps.

If you'd rather avoid the crowds and don't mind waiting a day or two for an iPad 2 to arrive on your doorstep, you can always try ordering one online, although you'll have to stay up late—or wake up really early—to beat the rush.

Apple says it'll start taking online orders for the iPad 2 at 1 a.m. PT Friday, or 4 a.m. Eastern, and it's promising "fast, free shipping."

Of course, no one's forcing you to place an online iPad 2 order the instant the starting gun goes off, but those who wait run the risk of Apple's servers buckling under the strain (remember last summer's iPhone 4 debacle?) or seeing the initial iPad 2 shipments dry up.

The iPad 2 ranges in price from $499 for the 16GB version to $599 for the 32GB model and $699 for the largest, 64GB variety.

You can also get the 3G-embedded version at a $130 premium: think $629 for the 16GB 3G iPad 2, $729 for 32GB, or $829 for 64GB. Those in the market for a 3G-enabled iPad 2 will have to pick a carrier—AT&T or Verizon Wireless—as well as a (no-contract) data plan.

On the AT&T side, you can opt for 250MB of data for $15 a month, or 2GB for $25/month. If you bust over your monthly allotment, you can always pay $15 for another 250MB bucket of data, or $25 for an additional 2GB. You can also go the post-paid way with AT&T's 3G iPad plans, with the charge appearing on your monthly AT&T bill—and in that case, you'll pay $10 for every extra GB on the $25-a-month, 2GB option.

Meanwhile, Verizon offers a quartet of iPad 3G plans: $20 a month for 1GB, $35 for 3GB, $50 for 5GB, or $80 for 10GB. Overage charges include $20 for an extra 1GB on the $20-a-month plan, or $10 per additional GB for the pricier options.

Those looking for a bargain on the original iPad can always check out Apple's (dwindling) supply of refurbished units, with the 32GB Wi-Fi iPad is now $429, compared to $599 for a new 32GB iPad 2.

And if you're skipping the iPad altogether in favor of a competitor, plenty of options are available; check out the makes, models, and specs for the most popular iPad alternatives right here.

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

Follow me on Twitter!

First iPad 2 reviews: “Splendid” and “unbelievably thin,” but with “really bad” cameras (Ben Patterson)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 07:19 AM PST

By Ben Patterson ben Patterson – Thu Mar 10, 10:19 am ET

The early reviews of the iPad 2 are in, and the consensus is that Apple has another winner on its handsâ€"albeit an "evolutionary rather than revolutionary" one. On the downside: still no Flash or SD slot, and what's up with the "bafflingly bad" cameras?

Most of us will have to wait until Friday to check out the new iPad first-hand—me too, actually—but Apple, as always, handed out early test units to a favored few reviewers. So, what's the overall word? Read on.

The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg (who typically gets first crack at Apple's latest toys) calls the iPad 2 an "excellent balance of size, functionality and price," with a thinner design that feels "much airier" and makes its competitors, such as the new Motorola Xoom, "feel bloated" in comparison.

Mossberg also praises the selection of 65,000 iPad apps, as well as the iPad 2's relatively affordable $499 entry-level price point, but slams the "disappointing" cameras ("Apple won't even reveal their megapixel ratings," Mossberg notes) that took "mediocre" still photos. The iPad's new tapered design "makes it harder" to plug in the power cable, Mossberg continues, while battery life—still "very good" at a little over 10 hours of video playback—fell shy of the 11-and-a-half hours of video Walt wrung out of the first iPad. Also missing in action: Flash and 4G data support.

Still, Mossberg "comfortably recommends" the "evolutionary rather than revolutionary" iPad 2—although not for owners of the first iPad, save for those "desperate for the cameras" or anyone "laboring under the greater bulk of the original model."

Next comes David Pogue of the New York Times, who notes that while "on paper, Apple didn't do that much" with the iPad 2, the new model's "improvement in thinness, weight and speed transforms the experience." As with Mossberg, Pogue calls the iPad 2's competition "obese" in comparison—although he also calls out the "bafflingly" low-resolution cameras, as well as the lack of Flash support.

Back on the plus side, Pogue loved the iPad 2's ability to mirror its display on an HDTV using an optional, $40 HDMI adapter, not to mention the new, magnetic "smart covers" that wake the display when they're peeled away. And because the new iPad "actually costs less than its comparably equipped Android rivals," you can "succumb to the iPad mystique" without worrying about a lofty price tag.

USA Today's Ed Baig writes that with the iPad 2, Apple "makes what was already a splendid slab even better, even if the overall upgrade is relatively modest."

While the iPad 2 "doesn't deliver everything on your tablet wish list"—no new, sharper display, no 4G, Flash or SD memory card slot—it does finally offer FaceTime video chat, Baig continues, along with "snappier" performance thanks to Apple's souped-up, dual-core A5 system-on-a-chip. In the end, the iPad 2 "is second to none" in terms of "the ever-evolving state of the art," Baig concludes.

The love-fest continues at Engadget, with Editor-in-Chief Joshua Topolsky noting that the iPad 2 is an "easy tablet to review" because it's "nearly identical" when it comes to the software. But while the "thinner, sleeker, faster" new iPad "may not be breaking lots of new ground," it is "already at the front of the pack," complete with an "unbelievably thin" and "handsome" profile and "noticeably faster" performance.

Once more, the iPad 2's "really bad" cameras get called to the carpet, and there's still no Flash support, Topolsky writes, but the Engadget blogger praises the nearly 10.5 hours of video playback on a single charge, along with a peppier Safari browser that "gets a lot closer to the speed and fluidity you see on your laptop."

Wrapping up, Topolsky says the iPad 2 "isn't just the best tablet on the market, it feels like the only tablet on the market."

The iPad 2 goes on sale Friday at Apple, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless stores, from $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi-only version to $829 for the 64GB 3G + Wi-Fi model. Click here for the announcement details, and here for specs of the iPad 2's leading rivals.

So, will you be snapping up an iPad 2 tomorrow?

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

Follow me on Twitter!

Washington Post Explores the Future of Journalism Via Tumblr (Mashable)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 02:50 PM PST

Meghan Peters Meghan Peters – Thu Mar 10, 5:50 pm ET

Thursday, the Washington Post launched @innovations, a Tumblr blog meant to showcase the news organization's digital features and discuss the changing media landscape.

The blog acknowledges the new ways readers are engaging with Washington Post content (and all news for that matter). "We don't want to just tell you what we think. We want to be transparent as we explore and experiment," writes Social Media and Engagement Editor Amanda Zamora in the blog's inaugural post.

In addition to giving web producers another avenue to connect with online readers, @innovations will explain washingtonpost.com's digital projects.

For example, a post today walked through the creation of the site's Mideast turmoil map from conception to execution. This behind-the-scenes look gives readers a stronger connection with the content.

However, the most striking aspect of @innovations is its design. Though it is indeed hosted on Tumblr, you wouldn't know it. It's fully integrated into washingtonpost.com, retaining the site's masthead, navigation bar and banner ad.

"It's the best example we've seen of a news organization fully integrating a Tumblr blog into its site," wrote Mark Coatney, director/media evangelist at Tumblr and formerly the voice behind Newsweek's Tumblr, on his personal blog.

Though journalism is undeniably undergoing massive changes, many traditional media outlets have turned a blind eye to the digital age. It's nice to see the Washington Post not only recognizing but embracing the emerging methods of gathering and sharing information. @innovations may be one small step for a news organization, but it could be one giant leap for the future of journalism.

Photo courtesy Flickr, M.V. Jantzen

China blogger angered over losing Facebook account (AP)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 07:03 PM PST

By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Tini Tran, Associated Press – 2 hrs 2 mins ago

BEIJING – Chinese blogger and activist Michael Anti wants to know why he is less worthy of a Facebook account than company founder Mark Zuckerberg's dog.

Anti, a popular online commentator whose legal name is Zhao Jing, said in an interview Tuesday that his Facebook account was suddenly canceled in January. Company officials told him by e-mail that Facebook has a strict policy against pseudonyms and that he must use the name issued on his government ID.

Anti argues that his professional identity as Michael Anti has been established for more than a decade, with published articles and essays.

Anti, a former journalist who has won fellowships at both Cambridge University and Harvard University, said he set up his Facebook account in 2007. By locking him out of his account, Facebook has cut him off from a network of more than 1,000 academic and professional contacts who know him as Anti, he said.

"I'm really, really angry. I can't function using my Chinese name. Today, I found out that Zuckerberg's dog has a Facebook account. My journalistic work and academic work is more real than a dog," he said.

Zuckerberg recently set up a Facebook page for "Beast," complete with photos and a profile. Unlike Anti's, however, the page for the puppy doesn't violate Facebook's policies because it's not meant to be a personal profile page. Rather, it's a type of page reserved for businesses and public figures that fans can "like" and receive updates from on their own Facebook pages.

Facebook said it does not comment on individual accounts, but added that it believes a "real name culture" leads to more accountability and a safer and more trusted environment for people who use Facebook.

"This viewpoint has been developed by our own research and in consultation with a number of safety and child protection experts," Debbie Frost, Facebook's director of international communications and Public policy, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Facebook said in an e-mail to Anti that the company has "tried to keep the rule simple and fair by saying personal profiles must always be set up in the real legal name of the individual concerned."

Dissidents in a variety of countries have argued that Facebook's policy can endanger human rights activists and others if their identities become known.

Anti said there is a long tradition in China for writers and journalists to take pen names, partly as protection from retaliation from authorities. If Facebook requires the use of real names, that could potentially put Chinese citizens in danger, he said.

"For my fellow Chinese, this policy could easily help Chinese police identify them," he said.

It's not the first time Anti has had problems with an Internet site. In 2005, his blog on a Microsoft website was shut down by the company following pressure from Chinese officials. Microsoft's action led to a public outcry.

___

Associated Press technology writer Barbara Ortutay in New York contributed to this report.

___

Online:

http://www.facebook.com/beast.the.dog

Apple's iPad 2 hits stores on Friday (AFP)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 08:00 PM PST

by Chris Lefkow Chris Lefkow – 1 hr 5 mins ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The new iPad goes on sale at Apple stores across the United States on Friday as the gadget-maker seeks to stay a step ahead of its rivals in the booming market for sleek touchscreen tablet computers.

Apple will be taking online orders for the iPad 2, which was unveiled by chief executive Steve Jobs last week, beginning at 4:00 am (0900 GMT) and the device will be available in the company's 236 US stores starting at 5:00 pm (2200 GMT).

The iPad 2, which is one-third thinner, nearly 15 percent lighter and faster than the model released last April, will go on sale in another two dozen countries on March 25.

Besides the size and weight, the other major improvement to the new iPad is the addition of front- and rear-facing cameras that allow users to take still pictures and video and hold video conversations.

Apple sold 15 million iPads last year, bringing in $10 billion in new revenue and creating an entirely new category of consumer electronics devices.

Dozens of other companies have been scrambling since then to bring their own touchscreen tablets to market, most of them relying on Google's Android software to power the machines.

But with the exception of the Galaxy Tab from South Korea's Samsung, rival tablet-makers have enjoyed little success.

Technology research firm Gartner is forecasting sales of 55 million tablet computers worldwide this year and another research firm, Forrester, said Apple has little to worry about for now.

"Competing tablets to the iPad are poised to fail, which is why we're forecasting that Apple will have at least 80 percent share of the US consumer tablet market in 2011," Forrester said.

The iPad 2 arrives in US stores to mostly glowing reviews from the influential technology columnists of The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

"While it's evolutionary rather than revolutionary like the first model, the changes Apple has made are generally pleasing and positive, and the device worked very well for me," the Journal's Walter Mossberg said.

Mossberg said the iPad 2 "keeps Apple ahead in the tablet race, at least for now." But he was critical of the quality of the photos taken by its still cameras and its inability to play Adobe Flash video.

"This is a deliberate decision by Apple, and puts its devices at a disadvantage for some users when compared with Android tablets, which can play Flash, or say they will soon, albeit not always well," Mossberg said.

While pleased with the iPad 2 overall, Mossberg said it was not a must buy for owners of the old model.

"Unless you are desperate for the cameras or feel you are laboring under the greater bulk of the original model, I don't advise that iPad owners race to get the new version," he said.

David Pogue of the Times said the improvement in thinness, weight and speed "transforms the experience" of using an iPad and the cameras are a "treat."

"The entire screen is your viewfinder," he said.

Pogue also noted the iPad 2's inability to play Flash video but said the device "will still dominate the market, because it dominates in all the most important criteria: thinness, weight, integration, beauty -- and apps."

More than 65,000 applications have been created for the iPad, while there are currently only about 100 crafted for tablets running Google's Android operating system.

Pogue said another factor likely to keep Apple on top is the fact that the iPad 2 costs less than the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Motorola's new Xoom.

Apple is selling the iPad 2 at the same prices as the original iPad, ranging from $499 for the basic 16-gigabyte version to $829 for the top-of-the-line 64-GB model.

The iPad 2 will be available on March 25 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Cell phone jammers beware: The FCC is after you (Digital Trends)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 04:15 PM PST

Molly McHugh Molly Mchugh – Thu Mar 10, 7:15 pm ET

cell phone jammerThey are the hated locales of phone addicts: libraries, movies theatres, school classrooms. Those places where no matter how much you pay for your phones's superior signal, you find yourself trapped in a dead zone. In many cases, cell phone jammers are to blame: Tools that can block cellular-enabled devices from receiving signals from stations.

Cell phone jammers or signal blockers have been illegal for some time now, and while their acceptance is an issue of debate, the FCC's position on them is not. According to Navigadget, the commission decided to increase its efforts to shutdown and fine anyone using the devices. In a press release last month, FCC enforcement bureau chief Michelle Ellison explained the renewed interested in eliminating the mechanisms. "Jamming devices create serious risks. In the coming weeks and months, we'll be intensifying our efforts through partnerships with law enforcement agencies to crack down on those who continue to violate the law. Through education, outreach, and aggressive enforcement, we're tackling this problem head on."

Jammers are used for a variety of situations, generally to keep out unwanted cell phone interruptions in public places. And while uppity restaurant-goers may appreciate their hushed meals, the FCC is more worried about the havoc the devices can create. "While people who use jammers may think they are only silencing disruptive conversations or disabling unwanted GPS capabilities, they could also be preventing a scared teenager from calling 9-1-1, an elderly person from placing an urgent call to a doctor, or a rescue team from homing in on the location of severely injured person. The price for one person's moment of peace or privacy, could be the safety and well-being of others."

Obviously, these are all very ethical reasons to eliminate the use of cell phone jammers. But of course, there are opponents, who mainly argue that places like hospitals, airports, and prisons should be able to block signals to prohibit convicts from making unobserved calls. ComputerWorld's Mike Elgan points to a myriad of examples where dangerous felons have gotten their hands on cell phones and attempted to use them for further illegal activity. For example, one imprisoned Philadelphia gang member was able to organize a rival's murder using a phone.

For the time being, it appears that the FCC will continue to fight cell phone jammers, and any dead zones out there may want to rethink operating the devices in lieu of the bureau̢۪s increased attention.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Forbes's Youngest Billionaire: Facebook Co-Founder Dustin Moskovitz Edges Out Mark Zuckerberg (Time.com)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 07:10 PM PST

Check in lately? Foursquare revamps its app (AP)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 07:05 PM PST

By BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Technology Writer Barbara Ortutay, Ap Technology Writer – 1 hr 59 mins ago

NEW YORK – Foursquare, the smart phone service that lets you "check in" to restaurants, bars and wherever else you want to tell friends you're at, is trying to help you discover new places.

A new version of its application will include a new button, "explore," which replaces the current "tips" section.

Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley said the idea is to find things near you, including the unexpected. So Foursquare might recommend a new burrito joint based on your check-in history, or on what your friends like. A new search function, meanwhile, lets you type in keywords such as "margaritas outside" or "date night" and get suggestions for where to go.

The update, available for iPhones and Android phones Wednesday, will also let businesses offer new types of incentives, or "specials."

Businesses can already offer deals or discounts to loyal customers or new visitors. For example, a bar can offer its "mayor" — that is, the person who has checked in the most times — happy-hour prices at all times, a free appetizer or a drink special.

The update brings three new types of specials, bringing the total to seven. "Swarm specials" will let places offer special deals if a ton of people — say, 50 or 500 — check in all at once. "Flash specials" are quick-hit deals — such a free drink to the first 10 people to show up at a restaurant at a certain time. "Friends specials" are just that, deals you get when you bring a few extra guests to a venue.

Foursquare has also revamped its leaderboard, which lets users compete with one another by scoring points for check-ins. The current app has one, but it wasn't easily found and many people simply forgot about it.

The new leaderboard is displayed prominently on your Foursquare profile. Besides competing with friends, it lets you compete against your own high score. The goal is to reward you for checking in, even if you have little chance of becoming the "mayor" of your corner coffee shop. So now you'll get points for all kinds of activities, such as trying out new types of restaurants or visiting a place with a group of friends.

Two-year-old Foursquare has nearly 7.5 million users worldwide and adds about 35,000 new people each day. This has made it more difficult for users, especially those in densely populated areas, to reach the coveted "mayor" title.

____

Online: http://blog.foursquare.com

LinkedIn launches social news product (Reuters)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 04:02 PM PST

WHERE update gets personal, but results still need work (Appolicious)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 12:00 PM PST

Clearwire CEO resigns, 2 top execs leaving (Reuters)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 05:41 PM PST

By Sinead Carew Sinead Carew – Thu Mar 10, 8:41 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O) CEO Bill Morrow has resigned in a wider management shake-up as the wireless operator tries to resolve a dispute with majority owner Sprint Nextel (S.N) and fights to close a funding gap of billions of dollars.

Two other top executives are also leaving and the finance chief is moving to an operational role, Clearwire said on Thursday.

Chairman John Stanton will replace Morrow on an interim basis as the head of Clearwire, which is seeking billions in funding to expand its high-speed wireless network and cutting costs in a push to deliver a profit in 2012.

Morrow, who has been CEO for two years, came to Stanton with personal reasons for resigning but the chairman, in an interview with Reuters, would not elaborate. They also discussed how Morrow's departure might be a good time to make other organizational changes Morrow had been considering, Stanton said.

Morrow did not elaborate when contacted by Reuters.

The company said the changes will not hurt Clearwire's progress in resolving a dispute with 54 percent owner Sprint that has reduced Clearwire revenue in recent quarters.

Stanton said he expects an "imminent" agreement between the pair, which have been arguing about how much Clearwire charges Sprint for renting space on its network. He said it was a very complex issue that requires heavy lawyer involvement.

"It's hard to put a fence around all these pieces and get them all done," he said.

Chief Commercial Officer Mike Sievert and Chief Information Officer Kevin Hart are also leaving to pursue other opportunities, according to Clearwire, which said their duties will go to existing employees.

"With Bill's departure it seemed like a logical transition point for me as well, to tackle a new project I have in mind," Mike Sievert said in an email. He mentioned that he has a history as an entrepreneur and already sold a company to Lenovo before.

Hart did not respond to a request for comment.

The company said it promoted Chief Financial Officer Erik Prusch to the role of Chief Operating Officer and that company treasurer Hope Cochran will become CFO.

Stanton said Clearwire is still looking at all options for raising new funding, including the potential sale of wireless spectrum it does not need.

He declined to comment specifically on other relationships Sprint might be pursuing such as a merger with T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), or a network sharing agreement with Harbinger-backed LightSquared, which is striving to become a rival of Clearwire.

But despite all this the executive said that Clearwire's relationship with Sprint is close.

"We believe that will continue to improve and get strong," said Stanton, who was elected Clearwire chairman in January, replacing company founder Craig McCaw who resigned in late December.

Clearwire shares fell 2.6 percent in late trade to $5.60 after the news, losing some of its gains in the regular trading Nasdaq session where it had closed up 6.9 percent at $5.75.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Ted Kerr, Phil Berlowitz)

Google's YouTube to boost staff by 30 percent in 2011 (Reuters)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 03:03 PM PST

– Thu Mar 10, 6:03 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – YouTube, the popular video site owned by Google Inc, said on Thursday it is adding 200 jobs, boosting its staff by more than 30 percent in its biggest hiring year.

In a blog posting, the company also said more than 35 hours of video are uploaded to its site every minute, with videos viewed over 2 billion times a day.

YouTube, with about 650 employees, said most of the new jobs will be at its San Bruno, California headquarters, but there are also overseas openings in cities including Milan, St. Petersburg, Tokyo and Zurich. The jobs range from advertising sales to engineering.

Google bought YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion but the search giant has never separated out financial data to show whether the video site is contributing meaningfully to Google's profits.

YouTube's push for more staffers comes on the same day as one-time Internet giant AOL Inc planned to cut nearly 20 percent of its workforce following its takeover of Huffington Post.

(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Richard Chang)

As Tablet Shipments Soar, Apple's iPad Faces a Mounting Challenge by Android Army (PC World)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 03:30 PM PST

Melissa J. Perenson Melissa J. Perenson – Thu Mar 10, 6:30 pm ET

Last summer, Apple was far ahead of its would-be competitors: It not only led the tablet pack, it dominated, with 93 percent of the market share for shipments in the third quarter of 2010, according IDC. This summer promises to be a different game, though, with a dramatically different playing field. A flood of competitors to Apple's iPad 2-including the RIM PlayBook, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Motorola Xoom, and HP TouchPad-will be shipping by then. Apple may still retain its leadership position, but it can expect competition.

Already, in the fourth quarter of 2010, Apple's armor showed a few chinks; Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy Tab finally shipped, and according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker report, the Tab pushed Apple's share down to 73 percent. Samsung's debut captured 17 percent of the shipments overall--not shabby for a tablet that wasn't quite a direct competitor.

The RIM PlayBook is another 7-inch tablet, while the Xoom, the forthcoming Galaxy Tab 10.1, and TouchPad due this summer all have comparable screen sizes to the iPad 2. Given how the original Tab has already chipped away at Apple's lead, it seems safe to assume that Apple's market stature will face an even stronger challenge this spring and summer as more tablets hit the market.

The iPad 2 does enough to keep Apple in front for now; the company's lead is too great for anyone else to overcome in the immediate future. However, I Apple needs to do more than just what the iPad 2 offers to solidify its position, pull ahead-and stay ahead.

Yes, Apple has 65,000 tablet apps to Google Android 3.0's 100+. But the hardware needs to stand out, too, and while the changes Apple debuted in its iPad 2 make it more usable in some ways, ultimately they amount to merely an incremental, not monumental, push forward. Steve Jobs had a point about tablets needing to be about the integration of the software and hardware experience, but specs play a role, too-if the camera quality is subpar, for example, that's not going to work in Apple's favor in the long run. Likewise, if Apple's iOS doesn't evolve to better functionally embrace the immediacy and fluidity of the Web-connected world, it will be left behind, no matter how visually attractive and elegant the interface may be.

Some other interesting stats from IDC's report: An estimated 50 million tablets will ship in 2011. IDC defines a media tablet as a device with a color display larger than 5 inches and smaller than 14 inches, and running "lightweight operating systems" such as Apple's iOS and Google's Android and either an x86 or ARM processor. IDC distinguishes its media tablet category from tablet PC, which will run a PC operating system and x86 CPU.

Buying a tablet? Join us on Twitter and tell us what you're planning to get.

US video game sales up 3 percent in February (AP)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 05:07 PM PST

– Thu Mar 10, 8:07 pm ET

SEATTLE – U.S. retail sales of video-game hardware, software and accessories edged up 3 percent in February compared with the same month last year, helped in part by strong sales of Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 game system and Kinect motion-sensing controller.

Market researcher NPD Group said Thursday $1.36 billion was spent on video games, consoles, portable devices and accessories in February, compared with $1.33 billion in February 2010.

In dollars, sales of game consoles and accessories both posted solid increases from a year ago. NPD said the Xbox 360 had its best non-holiday-season month ever, and bundled sales of the Xbox 360 console and Kinect helped push up average selling prices among console hardware. The exception: portable video-game devices, which saw sales plunge 27 percent in February as shoppers anticipate Nintendo's new portable 3DS.

Accessories include add-ons such as the Kinect, but also "points cards" that game players can use to buy new game content or use as virtual currency in games. NPD analyst Anita Frazier said points cards made up 22 percent of accessory sales in February — about $57 million, a 52 percent increase from a year earlier.

Sales of software — the video games themselves — for consoles, portables and personal computers slipped 8 percent. NPD does not include game downloads in its monthly sales data, so the numbers can show a decline even if more people are playing games.

"Full game and add-on content digital downloads, social network gaming, and consumer purchases of mobile apps are some of the areas where we've seen the greatest percentage growth over last year," Frazier said in a statement.

"Call of Duty: Black Ops" from Activision Blizzard Inc. was the No. 1 game in February, and NPD group calls it the best-selling game ever. "Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds" from Capcom USA, which went on sale in February, was the second-best-selling game, followed by "Just Dance 2" for the Wii, from Ubisoft.

Looking ahead, Frazier noted that Easter falls in late April this year, and she expects to count holiday-related sales in April's report. Last year, Easter was much earlier and holiday-related sales were mostly counted in March.

Vendor benchmarks: Buyers beware (InfoWorld)

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 04:06 AM PST

– Thu Mar 10, 7:06 am ET

San Francisco –

Vendor benchmarks: Buyers beware
Third-party benchmarks from organizations such as SPEC are a great tool for companies shopping around for new IT gear -- in theory. They could provide an unbiased, apples-to-apples comparison of results from identical tests to determine which server or storage array is the best for particular workloads. Not surprisingly, though, the vendors typically don't use them that way.

For example, a casual glance at recently published SPEC benchmark results would suggest that EMC's new VNX storage array is so darn fast that competitors such as NetApp and HP may as well pack up their file servers and go home. But closer scrutiny reveals that although EMC may indeed be pushing the envelope on file-server speeds, companies in the market for new storage gear still have comparison shopping to do.

What's behind the numbers?
According to recent SPECsfs2008_cifs results comparing the performance of storage systems running a CIFS workload, EMC's VNX storage array achieved throughput of 661,951 ops (operations per second) with an ORT (overall response time) of 0.81 millisecond. The next-best results on the list from a non-EMC competitor came from NetApp: Its FAS3140 system, running FCAL disks, managed a throughput of 55,476 ops and an ORT of 1.84 ms. Given only those figures, one might assume that EMC come up with some extraordinarily potent secret storage sauce that will ease Big Data pains worldwide.

But closer inspection suggests there's more than uber EMC technology at play: For starters, EMC ran its test on a VNX VG8 Gateway/EMC VNX5700, with five X-Blades (including one standby). The configuration is composed of 581 disks, 240GB of memory, and a 10GBE network.

By contrast, no other non-EMC array on the list was tested on a 10GBE network; rather, most ran on a variant of 1 GBE. Additionally, the aforementioned NetApp system was configured with 224 disks (less than half the number of the EMC setup) and 9GB of memory.

Thus, the only clear takeaway from these results is that a system with lots of disks and memory running on a network with obese pipes is faster than a system with a modest amount of disks and memory running on a more traditional network.

Appleish-to-appleish comparisons
The SPECsfs2008_nfs.v3 results, which compare performance running NFSv3 workloads, provide slightly more comparable test beds. Still, it's not quite an apples-to-apples comparison.

EMC, HP, and NetApp all listed systems tested on a 10GBE network. EMC's aforementioned VG8 Gateway/EMC VNX5700 combo, with 457 disks and 240GB of memory, achieved a throughput of 497,623 ops with an ORT of 0.96 ms.

By comparison, HP's best score came from its BL860c i2 4-node HA-NFS cluster, loaded with a 1,480 disks and 800GB of memory. That arrangement yielded a throughput of 333,574 ops and an ORT of 1.68 ms.

NetApp, meanwhile, fared best its FAS6240, equipped with 288 disks and 1,128GB of memory. That system managed a throughput of 190,675 ops at an ORT of 1.17 ms.

In this contest, it's tough to attribute EMC's results to an abundance of extra disks, memory, and fat pipes. HP brought far more of each to the party and still fell short compared to EMC. NetApp's entry had fewer disks -- but far more memory -- and its overall scores were considerably lower than EMC's.

Even with somewhat closer system configurations, the picture isn't fully clear. For example, one would certainly want to know how much money each of these setups would cost to purchase and operate, how they might run on a 1GBE network, what features they respectively bring to the table, and so on. Still, these benchmark results might help an IT shop come up with a short -- or shorter -- list of potential candidates for consideration.

Vendors can and will game benchmarks and cherry-pick results. There's no way around it. Still, benchmarks such as SPEC do provide some level of transparency -- particularly compared to secretive "in-house tests" or benchmarks performed by suspicious third parties -- not to mention side-by-side (though not necessarily apples-to-apples) comparisons among competing products. IT buyers just need to remain vigilant when digesting benchmark results.

This story, "Vendor benchmarks: Buyers beware," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Get the first word on what the important tech news really means with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog. For the latest developments in business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.
at 9:18 PM

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