Does a cell phone's name spell its success?
While Motorola's RAZR launched an industry movement into "cooler" names, the now financially ailing manufacturer was soon outdone by names such as the Samsung Blackjack and LG Chocolate, a new study says.
"Better cell phone names equal better marketplace performance." That's the key finding of a new report from analyst firm Strategic Name Development.
Microsoft offers clarifications on Windows 7 SKU issues
A number of key details surrounding Microsoft's announcement yesterday on Windows 7 versions were left up in the air, and now spokespersons are working to bring them down to earth.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to Betanews this afternoon that Windows 7 Home Basic -- the version of the operating system that would have reduced "experience" features, comparable to Vista Home Basic -- will not be available to retail customers in the US, Canada, and Western Europe. But Win7 Starter Edition -- which was at one time touted as the company's emerging markets version -- will be available through retail channels.
California waits for Delaware in Rambus patent infringement suit
California's Federal District Court placed an indefinite delay on Rambus' coordinated SDRAM patent infringement suit against Micron, Hynix, Samsung, and Nanya yesterday.
District court Judge Ronald M. Whyte based his ruling on the January 9 Delaware District Court decision by Judge Sue L. Robinson that Rambus' patents are unenforceable due to conflicting views of the two courts.
LG rumored to be readying Arena and AT&T Neon phones
With the texting-friendly LG KS 360 now looking likely to morph into the AT&T Neon, LG is also reportedly prepping an iPhone-like device dubbed the Arena.
Photos depicting the LG KS 360 branded with an AT&T logo have now shown up on a number of blogs. Previously, the KS 360 was available on the Orange and O2 networks in Europe, for instance.
Yahoo unwraps a Search Pad
Despite the real possibility that your desk actually is composed of nothing but sticky notes and scraps of random paper, Yahoo's testing a new tool that could help you dismiss some of the daily data debris.
The search engine's testing a Search Pad, an online app that the company envisions as your virtual scratch pad, or maybe your virtual monitor bezel -- if you're the sort that sticks notes and printouts all around your monitor in hopes of not losing track of sites in your delicious list, bookmarks, or tab forest. (Apparently keeping 75 tabs open at once is not an effective research strategy. Or so I've heard claimed.)
Some smart thoughts on why some gear IS selling
We all know that plenty of gear isn't selling right now. What can we learn from pondering the gear that is? A variety of companies are still enticing consumers into the stores, and as you navigate your Wednesday, it may be edifying to think about who and why.
To start you off, Paul Resnikoff at Digital Music News has a nice editorial comment today on what the continued success of the iPod tells us about where we are at the moment.
RIM settlement in backdating scandal to be heard tomorrow
Research in Motion announced that it has reached an agreement with the Staff of the Ontario Securities Commission in the investigation of the company's backdating practices.
RIM came under investigation nearly two years ago for granting backdated options to employees without reporting their value as a charge against the company's income. Backdating options is fully recognized by law, but improperly filing them with securities agencies is an illegal practice which put the Canadian company in considerably hot water.
RFID bag tag tests underway in Windy City
A pilot program in Chicago would allow some flyers to check in their luggage with RFID tags that would speed travelers' passage through the security process. United Airlines is testing the system at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.
To blithe but harried travelers it must sound like a nice time-saver: Drop off your RFID-tagged bag on a reader-enabled counter, where an airline employee compares the ID information broadcast by the tag to the passenger's ID. The passenger goes onward to the gate; the bag gets another scan and goes onward to its usual screening process.
Amazon launches games site beta with three free downloads
Less than four months after buying games distribution and development specialist Reflexive Entertainment, Amazon rolled into beta with its own casual games download site on Tuesday, celebrating the occasion with a one-week trial offer.
The games available for free download from February 3 - 10 include Jewel Quest 2, The Scruffs, and Built A Lot.
Google Maps launches location-sensitive Latitude interface
This morning, Google announced the availability of Latitude, a social location tool for Google Maps accessible through BlackBerry, Windows Mobile 5.0+, and Symbian S60 devices or the corresponding iGoogle gadget.
Users with Latitude turned on show up as an icon on their buddies' Map, which acts as an interface to launch SMS, Google Talk, or GMail communications. Similar to mobile social network Brightkite, Google Latitude's locations are granular and can be as specific as a user's GPS coordinates, or as vague as his hemisphere.
House votes to delay DTV transition, President likely to sign
By a vote of 264 - 158 at 4:12 pm ET, with official time to vote having been closed, it appears Congress has moved to extend the transition date for the DTV transition to June 12.
The final legislative hurdle came at about 3:30, when Rep. Joe Barton (R - Texas) offered a motion to recommit -- a move to have the bill sent back to the Energy and Commerce Committee. There, it would have considered an amendment compelling broadcasters to vacate the VHF/UHF spectrum anyway, if police, fire, or other public safety officials in their broadcast area had expressed plans to use the vacated spectrum for their own purposes.
Explanation for Windows 7 'clear choices' for SKUs murkier than ever
There will be a client version of Windows 7 geared for everyday consumers, and another client version for businesses other than those that would normally purchase volume licenses. The reasons why are growing fewer in number.
The official explanation for Microsoft's choice of product SKUs for Windows 7 later this year -- which follows an almost identical pattern to the current breakdown for Windows Vista -- could be more befuddling than the existing explanation for Vista. Yesterday's prepared Q&A with Windows General Manager Mike Ybarra states in great detail that his company's choices give consumers a broad array of choices, while at the same time acknowledging that there's only one choice they should make anyway.
In-Stat: Blu-ray will create more 'connected homes'
In-Stat released a study today that measured the penetration of permanently connected electronics devices in the consumer home. The analysis firm has been doing these studies for years, and it always seems like the public lags behind what experts predicted. With the advent of 802.11b in 2002, the group predicted that "You'll mass-market smart home networks five years down the road." Things still aren't what they expected as it turns out, but video game consoles have provided the best inroad so far.
Joyce Putscher, In-Stat analyst said, "The primary reasons that more devices are not connected to home networks are: consumer awareness/knowledge, availability of network-capable CE products on retail shelves, prices of network-capable CE products, competition with non-network-capable CE products (like docking stations), and lack of perceived need by some consumers."
Ericsson completes ST-NXP joint venture
Ericsson and STMicroelectronics have completed their mobile platform merger agreement and will be combining Ericsson Mobile Platforms with mobile semiconductor company ST-NXP Wireless into a 50/50 joint venture. Hardware from the two companies is used in nearly 80% of all handsets globally, and the joint venture will be a supplier to four of the five largest mobile phone companies in the world. These are two companies that have also pledged support for LTE as the next generation communications protocol.
Paul's Boutique returns in lossless audio
20 years later, Paul's Boutique is still breaking ground. The album that secured The Beastie Boys a position in the pantheon of "credible" musicians has been re-released in a method that's unconventional even by today's music standards. Sure, it could have been remastered and put up for sale on the front page of iTunes, or be used to launch a viral video campaign, but that just wouldn't seem befitting.
With the help of Topspin and Prod4ever, Paul's Boutique has been made available as a 1.6GB download, remastered in both DRM-free 320Kbps .MP3, and the user's choice of FLAC or Apple Lossless. It comes with interactive 3D digital album art, five music videos, and a full album video commentary track with the Beastie Boys themselves. This package costs $15.99, less than (just randomly selecting something from the iTunes front page) the The Fray's self-titled album "deluxe edition" which was released yesterday for $16.99.
Most Commented Stories
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.