RIM: BlackBerry 10 is fine, delays are down to chip ship slip
RIM has strenuously denied that hiccups in development are delaying the launch of phones based on its new OS, citing chip deliveries as the problem.
In an explicit statement RIM's CEO Mike Lazaridis says the Boy Genius Report blog, reporting problems with the upcoming BlackBerry 10* OS, is "inaccurate and uninformed". He then reiterates that delays to the launch of handsets using Blackberry 10 are caused by RIM's decision to wait for a dual-core processor with integrated LTE (4G), rather than any problems getting the software working.
The accusation that things were not well with the software was posted here, citing an inside source from RIM. The blog recognises the seriousness of the accusation, but claims the information comes from "one of our most trusted sources" and that it spells the end for RIM. Read more...
No winner in Android v iPhone 2011 marathon
The wheat is increasingly being separated from the chaff in mobile. Unfortunately, what's not clear yet is which is the wheat, and which is the chaff. In the ongoing war between Apple's iOS and Google's Android, both camps have plenty to cheer about - and to moan about.
Just take a look at recent headlines. In my own news feed, both Apple and Google have cause to declare victory.
On one hand, Erik Sherman figures that Android's 700,000 daily activations adds up to $5bn per year in user revenue for Google, despite giving away the Android to one and all for free. Apple, meanwhile, doesn't break out iOS revenue but its mobile business has been exploding quarter after quarter, which is made even better by the Distimo finding that the App Store revenue is six times that of Android Market.
So who wins? Read more...
FCC approves first white spaces database, device
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has approved the first database of unlicensed wireless spectrum that can be used by new so-called white spaces devices.
The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology on Thursdat also approved a device from KTS (Koos Technical Services) that can operate in the white spaces, which are unused bands in the area of spectrum used by television stations. The KTS device will operate in conjunction with the approved white spaces database, from Spectrum Bridge.
KTS makes a broadband transmitter device designed to operate in the white spaces. Read more...
Can you keep your IT staff in 2012?
IT staff retention is shaping up to be one of the biggest challenges facing CIOs in 2012.
Three trends are bringing this issue to the forefront:
- Corporate IT hiring is on the rise, tempting IT professionals with higher pay and opportunities for advancement if they switch companies.
- Younger techies change jobs frequently, averaging only a year or two in a position before switching
- Baby Boomers are reaching retirement age, with an average of 10,000 U.S. citizens turning 65 on a daily basis for the next 18 years.
IT staff turnover is "probably my most significant issue right now and has been for the past 12 to 15 months," says Louis Trebino, CIO and senior vice president at the Harry Fox Agency (HFA), a New York City-based provider of rights management, licensing and royalty services for the music industry. Read more...
Dropbox optimizes app for Android 4.0
Cloud storage company Dropbox has added offline storage and bulk upload to an redesigned version of its Android application, which has been optimized for Android 4.0.
The favorites feature in version 2.0 allows users to make files available offline by clicking on a star in the menu, while the bulk upload means users no longer need to upload files one at a time. Instead they can select multiple photos and videos and upload them in the background, Dropbox said in a blog post on Thursday.
The bulk upload feature is already available in the iOS version, and is something users have been asking for on Android Market. Read more...
Practical tips for working over the holidays
Our work lives are creeping into our holiday time as mobile devices become an extension of our offices. More than half of office workers are planning to crank out some work over the winter holidays this year, according to a recent survey by presentation app maker SlideRocket. If you're one of them, use these tech tips to keep your life organized away from the office and maintain your sanity.
1. Plan your time in advance
Don't plan to work during certain hours each day, unless you absolutely must be on call. Instead, schedule the time that you need for your tasks, and do them when you can find the time. Family members may want to go shopping, old friends may want to catch up over a coffee, and just about anything else can happen over the holidays. To help you organize your time, Gtask syncs with Google Calendar and brings the power of Gmail Task to Android phones. While pricey compared with similar apps, Omnifocus comes highly recommended for the iPad and iPhone as an extremely useful, task-based productivity app. If you need a ticking clock to help, check out a software timer. Read more...
Go Daddy faces boycott threat from SOPA opponents
Internet domain registrar Go Daddy is facing a boycott threat after it figured in a list of supporters of the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).
Ben Huh, CEO of Cheezburger, which runs humor websites, said in a Twitter message: "We will move our 1,000 domains off @godaddy unless you drop support of SOPA. We love you guys, but #SOPA-is-cancer to the Free Web".
SOPA, which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in late October, would allow the U.S. Department of Justice and copyright holders to seek court orders blocking payment processors and online advertising networks from doing business with foreign sites accused of infringing copyright. Court orders at the request of the DOJ could also bar search engines from linking to the allegedly infringing sites, require domain name registrars to stop resolving queries that direct traffic to those sites, and require Internet service providers to block subscriber access to sites accused of infringing. Read more...
Russia building 10-petaflop supercomputer
T-Platforms, a Moscow-based tech company that has built some of that nation's largest systems, is developing a 10-petaflop supercomputer for M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, the company said this week.
This large system puts it in the ballpark of similarly announced systems being developed in the major supercomputing countries, and may signal Russia's intent to become a major participant in the race to exascale.
Russia is playing catch-up in a rapidly developing race among China, Japan, the U.S. and Europe to build an exascale system in this decade. These are systems which would have 1,000 petaflops of computing power. (A petaflop is a quadrillion floating-point operations per second.)
Building an exascale system will require new approaches in microprocessors, interconnects, memory and storage. If breakthroughs happen outside the U.S., it could seed development of companies that could challenge the U.S. dominance in tech. Read more...
9 hot IT skills for 2012
Slowly but surely, many U.S. companies are loosening their viselike grips on IT hiring and looking to add new staffers to bolster business growth in the year ahead.
That trend is reflected in Computerworld's annual Forecast survey. Nearly 29% of the 353 IT executives polled said they plan to increase IT staffing through next summer. That's up from 23% in the 2010 survey and 20% in the 2009 survey. Altogether, it's a 45% increase in hiring expectations over the past two years.
"We're seeing [strong hiring] across the board," among organizations of all sizes, says Mike McBrierty, chief operations officer for the technology staffing division of Eliassen Group, an IT recruiting firm. He says there has been pent-up demand for infrastructure upgrades and investments that had been shelved over the previous three years.
The Forecast survey also revealed that IT managers may be thinking about innovation, not merely keeping the lights on, as they plan their staffs for 2012. Respondents said these nine skills will be in demand. Read more...
‘Tis the season for ‘ambient hangouts’
In the future, widely distributed consumer technology will enable your family and friends to be right there with you during the holidays, even if they're on the other side of the world.
Technology will open a virtual window from your living room directly into the homes of your loved ones. Everyone will be able to open and close this window whenever they like. Families celebrating Christmas at the same time but in different homes will be able to unite and celebrate together.
Grandparents will watch their grandchildren open presents. Your New Year's Eve Party in San Francisco will feature a virtual window to parties in Chicago and New York as well. Holiday dinners will be shared across continents. People in the military will be able to open a window directly into the homes of their families back home.
When I say "in the future," I mean over the next few days. The technology is here. It's free. In fact, you've already got it. Read more...