Ballmer: Windows Mobile 6.5 set for H2 2009, so whither WM7?
Developers seeking a complete functionality overhaul for future Windows Mobile-based smartphones may have to wait until late in 2010, as comments from Microsoft's CEO indicate the next WM version is just a refresh.
Last October 30, Motorola Mobile Devices CEO Sanjay Jha made an off-the-cuff remark during Motorola's quarterly conference call, saying his company was planning for Windows Mobile 6.5 in the second half of 2009. Effectively confirming that date, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer last Thursday told analysts attending a conference in Melbourne, Australia, in conjunction with its carrier partner Telstra that the next wave of mobility features will be realized in Windows Mobile 6.5 -- not Windows Mobile 7 -- due in H2 2009.
TeleNav releases Shotgun PND
Picking up where Dash left off, navigation software company TeleNav has released its first connected GPS device, the Shotgun.
Two weeks ago, Personal Navigation Device maker Dash, which made a mobile wireless GPS unit, announced that it would be leaving the device market to shift its business toward pure software solutions, as the PND market's growth has slowed dramatically.
Circuit City files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Just last week, the US' second largest CE retailer announced it will close 155 stores and lay off around 17% of its employees in further attempts to lower operating costs. This morning, the second shoe officially dropped.
Since last week's announcement, Circuit City has said that vendor concerns about its liquidity and ability to pay for its purchases have "escalated considerably."
Panasonic to expand its systems integration network, including VoIP
The time is right for an IP-capable but phone-oriented network approach such as Panasonic's ECS, said an IDC analyst. To support the new system for SMBs, Panasonic will add more outside systems integrators, particularly in VoIP and IT.
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are large in number, and they're looking for solutions that can help them deal with "the overwhelming volume of information for voice, data, IM, e-mail, voice mail, and e-mail," maintained an IDC analyst, speaking at the press launch of Panasonic's new Enhanced Communications Solutions (ECS).
Norway and Apple remain disharmonious over iPod
Norway continues its dispute with Apple on iTunes' incompatibility with competition. Because iTunes does not adhere to Norwegian interoperability guidelines, technically, Apple is engaged in illegal trade there.
After two years of inconclusive squabbling, Norway's Consumer Ombudsman Bjorn Erik Thon said he is taking his government's ongoing dispute with Apple over iTunes' DRM incompatibility issues to Markedsrådet, Norway's state authority on fair market procedures.
Appliance support site takes a tumble at social networking
If any given piece of slang is dead when kids hear their parents using it, it's possible that social networking's stake in the heart is in place now that household appliances are getting into the act.
In a sense the situation's even worse than you'd think from that news. (After days of heavy rain in Seattle, this reporter would be thrilled if her sump pumps would communicate civilly with the storm sewers.) No, Moms Like Us, which Samsung advertises as "a social network for their Washers and Dryers that celebrates 'Life, Laundry and the Pursuit of Cleanliness,'" is demoralizing not because the machines are talking, but because of the view it takes of the humans who are in theory the boss of those machines.
Spammers break BlogSpot CAPTCHA, load up on garbage sites
The weary war against net scum continues, as Google's much-abused BlogSpot service finds its CAPTCHA tech hamstrung and malicious Web sites spread like stinkweed.
The October report from MessageLabs (PDF available here) confirms what blog aficionados had suspected for several weeks: Spammers have figured out a way to get around certain implementations of CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) and thus abuse BlogSpot as well as CAPTCHA-guarded e-mail services such as MobileMe.
Sprint posts a loss: 'We have yet to turn the corner'
The gamble Dan Hesse took when taking the helm of Sprint was to restore value to a brand whose public image had taken a serious pounding. He may be gaining headway in terms of public confidence, but it's at a cost.
The strategy of new Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has been to reconstruct the public image of his company, and to be transparent about the difficulties ahead. It's a commendable strategy, but this morning Hesse found himself paying the price for it anyway, explaining a $326 million net loss for the quarter on 12.2% lower revenue, as having partly derived from decisions he himself made.
Analyst: Blu-ray prices will nosedive for the holidays
Blu-ray vendors will be forced to drop their prices so as to compete with standard DVD, unless they adopt differentiators such as Netflix movie downloads, new research suggests.
Holiday prices for Blu-ray drives could fall further into the $150-to-200 range, especially with new download alternatives available from Microsoft's Xbox 360 and the Roku Netflix player, according to a new report from ABI Research.
Salesforce.com leaves SaaS behind for the clouds
At an event this week described as "the Woodstock of developers conferences," Salesforce.com announced the new Force.com Sites hosted cloud environment and accompanying integration tools for Amazon and Facebook.
After first inventing itself as a premier SaaS (software as a service) practioner, Salesforce.com is now reinventing itself as a "cloud computing" company. This week, it's introducing a "PaaS" (platform as a service) hosted environment called Force.com Sites, along with new developers tools for Facebook front-end and Amazon back-end integration.
MySpace CEO DeWolfe: Branded PMP is possible
In discussing the new service, MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe yesterday said that an MP3 player carrying the MySpace Music brand may be feasible in the future, leading to speculation he could license his brand similarly to Real with Rhapsody.
Because DeWolfe doesn't see iTunes and MySpace Music as competitors, he believes his service actually contributes to iPod sales. "If anything, we'll be accretive to iPod sales unless we develop a device." Reuters quoted DeWolfe as saying.
Deal is on for Panasonic to acquire Sanyo
As the world finally starts taking seriously the move to solar power, Sanyo has been implementing a plan to emerge victorious as the leader in that field. But with the global economic crisis upon us, it may not be able to do that alone.
The Chinese news agency Xinhua is confirming, and Reuters is also reporting this morning, that Panasonic and Sanyo Electric have struck an agreement which will enable Panasonic to acquire a 70% stake in Sanyo from three financial institutions which currently co-own the company, including Goldman Sachs.
Cisco CEO: 'October did slow,' but innovation is coming
Businesses around the world now face "a very challenging environment," and the comeback from the financial crunch will start in the US, said the CEO of Cisco Systems, whose financial results included the bleak month of October.
"September was a bit bumpy, but had nothing that was a big surprise to us. October did slow, and we began to hear from customers on a global basis that their business was slowing as well," said Cisco CEO John Chambers, in delivering company financial results this week that he seemed to regard as somewhat of a litmus test for the world economy. (Our thanks to Seeking Alpha for the transcript.)
Beta testers sought for a social network for outdoorsmen
At this point, there's a social network for everything, and Lifefitter is accepting beta invite requests for no less than nineteen (and counting) action sports-related networks going into private beta testing in December.
Lifefitter's brands include social networks for scuba diving, hunting, skateboarding, surfing, backpacking, motocross, and more. Each sub-site will be treated as a discrete property, but will all sport the same UI, as Lifefitter itself is more of a social network platform.
Panasonic launches Enhanced Communications Solutions (ECS)
"Panasonic is big on SMBs," quipped a Panasonic executive today at a New York City press conference. There, Panasonic introduced a network-savvy voice, data and video access solution which uses phones as a primary user interface.
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- With phones becoming increasingly popular for data and video access as well as voice, Panasonic today rolled out a phone-oriented but IP-capable communications platform for SMBs, geared to integration with products from Panasonic and other vendors for custom vertical solutions.
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