Will Windows 8 have an ARM app gap?
It really should have been obvious, but in case you were confused, ARM versions of Windows 8 will not be able to run x86 apps and vice-versa. In fact, Microsoft has said as much in the past. This is a model Microsoft has used unsuccessfully in the past, but are things different now? Will ISVs make more than one binary?
Vague talk about the universal nature of Windows Metro apps led some to assume that such apps will run on any Windows 8 installation, either ARM- or x86-based. This is not the case. Metro apps will be composed either of x86 binary code or ARM binary code, and each can only run on the appropriate CPU.
Say, AT&T, where's Samsung Galaxy S2?
Sprint launched its version, the Epic 4G, on September 16 and AT&T's Galaxy S II was supposed to be available today. Have you seen it? Where is it hiding? What is AT&T doing with it? And if iPhone 5's launch is so close, why wait even one more day?
These are the perplexing questions AT&T is unlikely to answer on a Sunday. So I called my local AT&T store, and a few others, to ask if they're selling the S2 as announced. Nope. One store rep checked AT&T's internal website, where the phone listed as "coming soon". That person expected but couldn't confirm price of "probably one-ninety-nine". Rep at a different store had been briefed on the S2 last week, but not given a selling price. The launch could come in a couple weeks, the rep said. Sprint's S2 is a sweet $199.99 with two-year contract -- and it's available now.
iPhone 5 has a big problem
Apple has been doing a good job covering it up.
As I've so often asserted: In business, perception is everything. Successful companies often create positive perceptions about their brands, products and business practices. But there also is the tactic of misdirection, of controlling perceptions by getting people to look somewhere else so that they miss flaws with the company's products or business strategies. Apple uses "magical" to describe some of its products. Magicians are all about getting people to look over there so they don't see the secret behind the trick over here. Apple's patent assault on Samsung, and even HTC, is very much misdirection, so that eyes turned away from iPhone 5 problems.
17 downloads you may have missed this week
Another week, another slew of software releases and app updates. The undoubted headline stealer is the release of the Developer Preview of Windows 8, but there have been plenty of other releases worthy of investigation for anyone not interested in Microsoft’s up-coming operating system. Available in both 32- and 64-bit varieties, the Microsoft Windows 8 Developer Preview is freely available for anyone to install, not just developers -- although there is also a version available that includes developer tools.
While the successor to Windows 7 is showing great signs of promise, it’s probably not a good idea to use it as your main operating system or use it for handling any mission critical data. But for seasoned users and anyone keep to keep on the cutting edge of software development, the preview gives you a chance to try out the Metro interface and a redesigned Explorer interface.
Seven attorneys general join fight to block AT&T T-Mobile merger
The Justice Department's move to block AT&T's planned merger with T-Mobile gathered steam today with attorneys general from seven states signing on to the effort. An amended complaint was filed Friday, adding California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington as co-plaintiffs.
California was one of the first states to voice its concerns with the deal, and began an investigation in May. Officials in other states have expressed their unease with the combination of the nation's second and fourth biggest wireless carriers, all but ensuring that the deal will need serious alterations if it has any hope of being approved.
Will Windows 8 make security software obsolete?
Security vendors will have an increasingly hard time making a case for expensive subscriptions as Microsoft keeps pushing Windows to be "secure enough" out of the box. Windows 8 adds a number of impressive features that really should make a difference in the "ecosystem".
The main feature chart for security improvements in Windows 8 is described by the ubiquitous Steven Sinofsky of Microsoft in this blog entry entitled "Protecting you from malware".
President Obama signs 'America Invents' patent reform act into law
The America Invents Act, which passed through the final stages of Congressional approval one week ago was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Friday morning.
The Act represents the largest single overhaul to the U.S. patent system in almost 60 years, and is the result of more than a decade of legislation.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 preorder is pricey
In child psychology there's a concept called the middle child syndrome, where the kid in-between feels unloved by the parents or jealous of attention given the older and younger siblings. Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 might just be that middle child. I'm not loving it.
Best Buy has started taking preorders for the tablet nestled between Tab 7/7.7 and 10.1 and for surprising price: $469.99 for the 16GB model, or just $30 less than the 10.1. From a price perspective, Best Buy isn't giving buyers much reason to choose Tab 8.9 over 10.1, other than smaller size. But is it really small enough for the price?
Google pushes impressive new features in Chrome 14 stable build
Friday, Google rolled out the stable build of Google Chrome 14 (14.0.835.163) for all platforms, a more or less market-ready version of the beta channel release from August.
With this release, Google is highlighting two technologies that Chrome now supports; and fortunately, they're quite shiny and easy to appreciate.
Scan your brain with Nokia N900 [video]
Oh, why did I sell my Nokia N900 smartphone last year? The N900 can now perform real-time brain scans right in the comfort of my home -- or yours. Seriously, it doesn't get much more geek than this. Watch the video, and you'll see.
I loved the N900. It truly was a pocket computer and shows just how much innovation Nokia can produce -- or did before CEO Stephen Elop killed off what he called the "burning platform". A team from Technical University of Denmark has created what they call the Smartphone Brain Scanner, built around the N900 and wireless 14-channel EEG headset. Arkadiusz Stopczynski, Carsten Stahlhut, Michael Kai Petersen, Jakob Eg Larsen and Lars Kai Hansen developed the scanner, which they promote with clever tagline: "Holding your brain in the palm of your hand".
Investors flee as RIM burns
As if Research in Motion's co-CEOs haven't done enough, shareholders inflicted serious pain overnight and early today. RIM shares plummeted, following yesterday's dire earnings report -- by about 22 percent in after-hours trading.
RIM opened at $22.89 this morning, off yesterday's close of $29.54. The stock is fairing better in mid-morning trading, well if down nearly 19 percent could be called better. Shares are down 66 percent from their February 52-week high.
Cheetah Sync wirelessly connects Android and PC
Synchronizing files between devices usually entails one of two methods. The first involves establishing a physical connection between the two devices so that the contents of folders can be compared, while the second option takes advantage of cloud storage to act as an intermediary store for files. Cheetah Sync for Android eliminates the need for the middleman and allows you to synchronize files over your wireless network.
The app is available free of charge from the Android Market and in order to use it you will also need to download a copy of the desktop software for your Mac or Windows PC. You can then set about the task of configuring folder pairs and Cheetah Sync will take care of the rest for you. If you regularly work with more than one computer, you can choose to synchronize to multiple machines and there are advanced options for controlling filtering and resolving version conflicts.
Few files are out of reach with OpenWith Enhanced
If you discover a file type on your system which you can’t open, then you’ll probably start searching the web for applications that might be able to help. But while this will return plenty of information, it’ll probably take a while to sort through everything to discover your best options. And so a better solution may be to try OpenWith Enhanced, which provides everything you need on your own desktop.
The program replaces the standard Windows “Open With” dialog with an extended version, so it’s easy to use. Just right-click a file type, and select Open With, or Open With > Choose Default Program.
Paragon 11 offers four different recovery modes
Paragon Software has updated its home drive-imaging backup tool, Paragon Backup & Recovery Home to version 11. This new build offers four different recovery environments, adding WinPE 3.0 to existing Linux, Windows and DOS recovery options.
It also updates Paragon Adaptive Restore, which allows the user to restore a backup on to a computer with completely different hardware, to version 3.0, adds support for hard drives larger than 2.2TB, supports MBR>GPT conversion without data loss and allows users to encrypt their backups.
Manage your money with Manilla
Whatever sort of life you lead, there is no avoiding finances. We all have some form of bills to pay each month and bank accounts of one sort or another to keep track of. Keeping on top of what’s coming in and what’s going out and when can be tricky, often meaning having to visit one website after another, each with their own login requirements. Manilla is a great online service that enables you to access details of all your accounts and bills from one place. There are also apps available for iOS and Android devices.
The Manilla website is almost obscenely useful. At its most basic you can use the service to monitor the various bank accounts you have, making it possible to get all of your balances in one place without the need to log into multiple websites. For this reason alone, Manilla is well worth checking out, but the fact that the service could also save you money by helping you to avoid late fees is also a great draw.
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