Category: News (Page 89 of 130)

      Chrome for Mac releases in beta

      December 9, 2009 /

      Chrome logo.The wait is finally over – Google has released Chrome for Mac in beta and boy is it fast. Being a beta, it’s still missing a few things, like extension support that you get with the Windows version but it’s still a good release.

      The beta release does include support for themes along with the features I’ve come to love. There’s the gallery of recently visited sites, great bookmark support, and the ability to drag tabs off to create new windows. All in all, it’s a very intuitive, very slim browsing experience, which I’m really happy with.

      The release also included a Linux beta as well as the new extension support for both Windows and Linux users. The gallery currently includes more than 300 extensions, and though there’s no Mac support yet, it’s coming soon to developer channels.

      Source: Google Blog

      News

      Print industry collaborates for “Hulu for magazines”

      December 8, 2009 /

      Print ain't dead.The magazine industry has finally announced what people have speculated for months now: several publishers will collaborate to introduce a digital format for existing print magazines. The project includes Time Warner, Hearst, Meredith, Condé Nast, and News Corp. and will exist as its own entity, replete with a full corporate infrastructure, including a new CEO.

      The most glaring problem with this plan is distribution. The unnamed venture hopes to control publishing, something neither Amazon or Apple can possibly like. This new venture has to keep both those companies in mind as it’s their devices this media will release to.

      And then there’s the issue of value. Are people really going to pay for this kind of content? I’d say it’s doubtful at best, and the odds go down if it can’t be tied into an existing Amazon or iTunes account. I’d say the target for this sort of project already has their online subscriptions to sites that offer high value per dollar. Can the same be said for a digital version of Condé Nast Travel? I don’t think so.

      Source: All Things D

      Digital Media, News

      Aardvaark considering an offer from Google

      December 7, 2009 /

      vark.com logo.Aardvark, a social service that allows you to ask friends and other members to answer questions and give advice, is reportedly considering a buyout from Google. There’s no official word on price, but the rumor is that it’s over $30 million. To date the company has raised around $6 million in venture capital.

      As TechCrunch has it, Aardvark isn’t just talking to Google, it’s shopping around. There’s even the option of acquiring more VC for sale of some personal stock from the founders. I was actually surprised to hear that the valuation was so high. Aardvark is a fun way to kill some time and it’s got a great iPhone app, but I’ve asked so many questions that have gone unanswered I lost interest pretty quickly (seriously, no one can tell me the name of that composer). If I were these guys, I’d take the money and never look back.

      Source: TechCrunch

      Apps, News, Websites

      CrunchPad situation is a hot mess

      December 6, 2009 /

      Arrington showing the bird.Arrington is pissed about this CrunchPad situation. So far, it seems pretty justified, but it’s a little strange to see so much information around the nuclear fallout for this thing made public. In a post titled “CrunchPad Litigation Imminent,” Arrington has laid out his next few steps in the legal process.

      Apparently Fusion Garage claims Arrington knew the split was coming and that he and his team at TechCrunch contributed nothing to the device. I’m not sure how that could be, considering the name it bears. I’ll leave the rest of the details for Arrington to share, but suffice it to say he’s none too happy about tomorrow’s Fusion Garage press conference. His post contains emails from Chandra Rathakrishnan, Fusion Garage’s CEO, as well as the letters Arrington’s lawyers sent to the manufacturers regarding the situation. It’s all one big, ugly, entertaining mess.

      Source: TechCrunch

      Computers, News

      Nokia to produce half as many smartphones in 2010

      December 5, 2009 /

      Nokia's Jo Harlow.When Apple beat Nokia’s profits earlier this year selling just one smartphone it sent a very clear message. Nokia has decided to focus its smartphone offering for 2010, cutting back from the 20 sets it released this year to just ten for next. It’s an interesting move, and something that could definitely turn things around for the handset maker.

      “We see … really fierce competition certainly in the high end, but we also see it in the mid to low end of smartphones increasing.” That’s from Jo Harlow, the new chief of Nokia’s smartphone unit. She was appointed to the position after Nokia dropped six percentage points of smartphone market share in the September quarter report.

      “We will defend our position, but we believe we also have tools to play offense as well as defense.” Phones like the N900 come to mind, which for some reason got a really lackluster release this year. The N97, which is pretty lame by comparison, got all of Nokia’s attention. You might have seen earlier this week that Nokia will only release one Maemo phone next year. That could be a problem, especially as Symbian continues to age.

      Source: Reuters

      Apple, Mobile, News

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 Gadget Teaser

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑