Steve Jobs recently revealed in an open letter that Apple intends on switching it’s entire computer line to LED backlit monitors until the end of 2007. Besides being more environmental-friendly, these new displays are cooler, consume less energy, and distribute light better than the current LCDs we use today. The only “but” in the story is how fast the industry adopts the technology:
“We plan to introduce our first Macs with LED backlight technology in 2007,” he wrote. “Our ability to completely eliminate fluorescent lamps in all of our displays depends on how fast the LCD industry can transition to LED backlighting for larger displays.”
Hopefully Apple will also introduce new designs for their current computer line like Sony intends to this Summer
Friday, May 11, 2007
Apple reveals new iPod patent
Looks like Apple is starting to enjoy patenting gadgets that have interfaces on their behinds.
First it was a laptop with a CD drive underneath it, and now it’s a new iPod patent that isn’t exactly the touch screen experience people were waiting for but at least delivers a true widescreen, which is something that iPod fans have always asked for.
This patent, as explained by Gizmodo, has a touch-sensitive back which allows you to interface with the front screen without touching it, thus eliminating some of the negative comments regarding the iPhone’s multi-touch-screen.
First it was a laptop with a CD drive underneath it, and now it’s a new iPod patent that isn’t exactly the touch screen experience people were waiting for but at least delivers a true widescreen, which is something that iPod fans have always asked for.
This patent, as explained by Gizmodo, has a touch-sensitive back which allows you to interface with the front screen without touching it, thus eliminating some of the negative comments regarding the iPhone’s multi-touch-screen.
Microsoft shines more light on Silverlight (and happynappy)
Oh, hi! Here's Tuesday's IT Blogwatch: in which Microsoft reveals more details about Silverlight (née WPF/E). Not to mention baby diaper tracking graphs...
Eric Lai reports:
Microsoft Corp. kicked off its Mix07 Web development conference today by announcing that a full portable version of its flagship .Net programming environment will be fused to the next version of its Silverlight 'Flash-killer' rich media technology ... can allow multimedia developers to juice their Silverlight apps with .Net -- even on non-Windows machines....[Microsoft chief software architect, Ray] Ozzie also said that Web and graphic designers and developers will have free use of Microsoft's Windows Live Platform, a Web storage service, to store, run and show off their Silverlight applications and videos. Microsoft also released the alpha of its Silverlight Streaming service, with which developers will be able to store up to 4GB of high-definition video and stream it out to Silverlight users....The beta of Silverlight 1.0, which was known as Windows Presentation Foundation/Everywhere until two weeks ago, was released today. The final version is due sometime this summer
Eric Lai reports:
Microsoft Corp. kicked off its Mix07 Web development conference today by announcing that a full portable version of its flagship .Net programming environment will be fused to the next version of its Silverlight 'Flash-killer' rich media technology ... can allow multimedia developers to juice their Silverlight apps with .Net -- even on non-Windows machines....[Microsoft chief software architect, Ray] Ozzie also said that Web and graphic designers and developers will have free use of Microsoft's Windows Live Platform, a Web storage service, to store, run and show off their Silverlight applications and videos. Microsoft also released the alpha of its Silverlight Streaming service, with which developers will be able to store up to 4GB of high-definition video and stream it out to Silverlight users....The beta of Silverlight 1.0, which was known as Windows Presentation Foundation/Everywhere until two weeks ago, was released today. The final version is due sometime this summer
Dell does Feisty Fawn: Ubuntu Linux preinstall (and more)
No "dude" jokes in Wednesday's IT Blogwatch: in which Dell chooses Ubuntu for its promised PCs with Linux preinstalled. Not to mention 17 must-have free applications for new Ubuntu users...
Todd R. Weiss does the Timewarp:
Only 10 weeks after asking customers what products they'd like to see, Dell Inc. today announced that its upcoming Linux desktop PCs and laptops will be preloaded with Ubuntu Linux. They are slated to be avilable by the end of this month. In postings on Dell's IdeaStorm and Dell2Dell Web sites today, the company said it moved quickly to offer the Linux-based hardware because of customer interest. In February, Dell had set up an "IdeaStorm" Web site to get feedback from customers about what products they wanted. In late March, after hearing from more than 100,000 users who filled out surveys on Linux preferences, Dell said it would start preloading Linux on some of its laptops and desktop PCs....Models, configurations and prices of the Ubuntu-loaded hardware have not been announced. They will run Version 7.04 of Ubuntu Linux and will be available through a dedicated Linux Web page on the Dell.com site where buyers will be able to configure and price their machines.
Todd R. Weiss does the Timewarp:
Only 10 weeks after asking customers what products they'd like to see, Dell Inc. today announced that its upcoming Linux desktop PCs and laptops will be preloaded with Ubuntu Linux. They are slated to be avilable by the end of this month. In postings on Dell's IdeaStorm and Dell2Dell Web sites today, the company said it moved quickly to offer the Linux-based hardware because of customer interest. In February, Dell had set up an "IdeaStorm" Web site to get feedback from customers about what products they wanted. In late March, after hearing from more than 100,000 users who filled out surveys on Linux preferences, Dell said it would start preloading Linux on some of its laptops and desktop PCs....Models, configurations and prices of the Ubuntu-loaded hardware have not been announced. They will run Version 7.04 of Ubuntu Linux and will be available through a dedicated Linux Web page on the Dell.com site where buyers will be able to configure and price their machines.
Digg users are revolting (and 09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0)
Tut-tut. Tis Thursday's IT Blogwatch: in which Digg melts down over the HD-DVD "processing key". Not to mention what every geek will be wearing this summer...
Heather Havenstein reports:
Digg.com, the popular site where users determine the placement of new stories by voting, yesterday found itself in the center of what some are calling a test case for the power of user-generated content on social networking sites.
The brouhaha erupted when executives at Digg began removing posts that contained a [master] key needed to crack the encryption used to limit copying of HD-DVD ... discs. Digg, which began removing the posts after it got a cease-and-desist letter from another company asserting that the posts violated its intellectual property rights, also began deleting user accounts of those posting the key.
That move outraged many Digg users, who repeatedly posted the key until founder Kevin Rose relented last night and stopped the deletions. Stories about the key received tens of thousands of "Diggs," or online approvals from the community and by this afternoon, Digg's top two stories -- both about the keys and user response to them -- had received approximately 35,000 Diggs.
Heather Havenstein reports:
Digg.com, the popular site where users determine the placement of new stories by voting, yesterday found itself in the center of what some are calling a test case for the power of user-generated content on social networking sites.
The brouhaha erupted when executives at Digg began removing posts that contained a [master] key needed to crack the encryption used to limit copying of HD-DVD ... discs. Digg, which began removing the posts after it got a cease-and-desist letter from another company asserting that the posts violated its intellectual property rights, also began deleting user accounts of those posting the key.
That move outraged many Digg users, who repeatedly posted the key until founder Kevin Rose relented last night and stopped the deletions. Stories about the key received tens of thousands of "Diggs," or online approvals from the community and by this afternoon, Digg's top two stories -- both about the keys and user response to them -- had received approximately 35,000 Diggs.
Do we need a security industry? (and eliminating uncertainty)
Thank the flying spaghetti monster, it's Friday's IT Blogwatch: in which we ponder the fate of the security industry. Not to mention deterministic programming gone mad...
Bruce Schneier asks, "Do We Really Need a Security Industry?":
What [does] it mean for the IT industry that there are thousands of dedicated security products on the market: some good, more lousy, many difficult even to describe. Why aren't IT products and services naturally secure, and what would it mean for the industry if they were?...The primary reason the IT security industry exists is because IT products and services aren't naturally secure ... Aftermarket security is actually a very inefficient way to spend our security dollars ... Fold security into the underlying products, and the companies marketing those products will have an incentive to invest in security upfront, to avoid having to spend more cash obviating the problems later.
I know this is a utopian vision that I probably won't see in my lifetime, but the IT services market is pushing us in this direction. As IT becomes more of a utility, users are going to buy a whole lot more services than products. And by nature, services are more about results than technologies.
Bruce Schneier asks, "Do We Really Need a Security Industry?":
What [does] it mean for the IT industry that there are thousands of dedicated security products on the market: some good, more lousy, many difficult even to describe. Why aren't IT products and services naturally secure, and what would it mean for the industry if they were?...The primary reason the IT security industry exists is because IT products and services aren't naturally secure ... Aftermarket security is actually a very inefficient way to spend our security dollars ... Fold security into the underlying products, and the companies marketing those products will have an incentive to invest in security upfront, to avoid having to spend more cash obviating the problems later.
I know this is a utopian vision that I probably won't see in my lifetime, but the IT services market is pushing us in this direction. As IT becomes more of a utility, users are going to buy a whole lot more services than products. And by nature, services are more about results than technologies.
Yahoo!/Microsoft! merger! talks! fail! (and game over)
Mercy! It's Monday's IT Blogwatch: in which Microsoft is merging with Yahoo! Isn't. Is. Isn't. Is too. Not to mention what happens when Mario leaves the Mushroom Kingdom and returns to Brooklyn as a mushroom addict deadbeat plumber...
John Blau reports::
Reports that Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. are in talks over a possible acquisition or merger have come as anything but a surprise to analysts who question not if, but when, a deal will happen. Microsoft and Yahoo, which have held informal merger talks in the past, are at the negotiating table again, driven largely by the rising dominance of Google Inc. in the online advertising market...The possible early-stage negotiations over an acquisition, a merger or some other type of deal come on the heels of Google's move last month to snatch up online advertising powerhouse DoubleClick Inc. for $3.1 billion.
John Blau reports::
Reports that Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. are in talks over a possible acquisition or merger have come as anything but a surprise to analysts who question not if, but when, a deal will happen. Microsoft and Yahoo, which have held informal merger talks in the past, are at the negotiating table again, driven largely by the rising dominance of Google Inc. in the online advertising market...The possible early-stage negotiations over an acquisition, a merger or some other type of deal come on the heels of Google's move last month to snatch up online advertising powerhouse DoubleClick Inc. for $3.1 billion.
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