Nokia moves quickly into the mobile software development space
Nokia today announced it will acquire Trolltech, a Norwegian company with more than 5,000 customers relying on its commercial- and open source-licensed software used by well-known companies.
Trolltech is best known for its Qt and Qtopia services, widely used in the free and open source software markets. The Qt software package is designed to allow developers to create and update GUIs for mobile phones. It currently can be found in KDE, Opera, Skype, Google Earth, and other programs requiring cross-platform functionality. Nokia plans to promote the Qt technology under the Trolltech banner in the future, in the open source and commercial sectors.
New mobile browser enables Flash video through server-side rendering
While the mobile phone industry scrambles to adopt faster graphics platforms for rendering video, a startup may have bypassed everyone with an approach so simple, you wonder why nobody tried it already.
In a development that could very well turn the whole mobile rendering technology argument on its ear, a startup company founded just last June called Skyfire emerged from stealth mode this morning with a private beta of a Web browser for mobile phones whose graphics are rendered through a proxy located at the company's servers.
New Google policy will combat 'domain name tasting'
A controversial practice enables some domain name registrars to make short-term gains from registering domains that others might want. Now Google -- the vehicle for their revenue -- says it wants to do something about that.
The problem is somewhat serious, though Google is far from the first to point it out: Domain name registrars have displayed a tendency to register DNS names for themselves, based on recent searches conducted by users of their public WHOIS databases. They don't have any intention of keeping these DNS names longer than the typical five-day grace period, but during that time, they can deploy those fake pages that pretend to be search portals.
Halo effect not enough to prevent Xbox 360 sales decline
Even though Microsoft's best selling game came out right before the holiday quarter, sales of the Xbox 360 console dipped slightly year-over-year.
Microsoft said it had shipped 4.3 million consoles during the final calendar quarter of 2007, down 2.3% from the year previous. Halo 3 was released about a week before the quarter began.
Amazon MP3 looks to expand outside of US
The online retailer said over the weekend that it would begin to roll out its music store worldwide during this year in an effort to more broadly compete with market-leader iTunes.
Amazon launched its MP3 store in September of last year, and has since expanded to include music from all four major labels as well as 33,000 independent labels. The company says that it has the broadest DRM-free offering of any service.
Best Buy and Fry's drop 80GB PS3 from online stores
What began as an allegedly leaked internal memo from Best Buy, announcing that the 80GB PlayStation 3 was to be removed from store shelves on January 28, appears to be coming true without official word from either Best Buy or Sony.
Both companies were difficult to reach today, in the wake of the Tuesday news leak to PS3 Fanboy concerning Best Buy's discontinuation of the 80GB PlayStation 3.
US voting moves online in Democratic global primary
The Internet and the voting process are developing a manifold relationship. In February, US voting will actually move to the Web with the Democratic Party's first ever online global primary.
Meanwhile, increasingly, voters of all persuasions also have a number of Web-based resources available to them. But still, one site is cautioning visitors not to send in a voter registration request form by "regular e-mail," for security's sake.
SQL Server 2008 to be delayed anyway despite February launch
In a bizarre and embarrassing development at the same time, Microsoft's server and tools division found itself announcing a delay for the RTM of SQL Server 2008 of up to six months. Despite that, its launch party will go on.
BetaNews had just gotten through saying Microsoft cannot afford another delay, now that its combination launch gala for Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008, and SQL Server 2008 is set for February 27. But just a few hours later, one of its product managers found himself explaining why his product will be a no-show.
Is open source converging with 'proprietary' software?
One analyst says a big chunk of the so-called "open source market" is already made up of leading traditional software vendors such as IBM and Oracle, who are following hybrid open source/propietary business models. And "pure play" vendors aren't necessarily that pure, either.
One senior open source software analyst with whom BetaNews spoke today is
predicting that the business models of companies that deal with open source software are bound to converge with those whose source code is closed off and proprietary.
Warner Music sues MP3 search engine for infringement
One of the big four record labels, which just this week was part of a landmark deal for MP3 access through Last.fm, announced earlier it is suing a completely different firm that offers similar access though without any kind of compensation plan.
In what could essentially be the first case of its kind, as reported by Billboard magazine, Warner Music Group has initiated a lawsuit against a service called SeeqPod that maintains a public index of stored music tracks throughout the Internet. SeeqPod offers a search tool that helps people locate the music they're looking for, but then it also provides them with a player so they can listen to the music.
Best Buy deals with uproar over malicious picture frames
It was recently made public that Best Buy's Insignia brand 10.4" digital picture frames were found to be shipped with a virus, the company is now dealing with complaints individually.
The 10.4" Digital Picture frame model NS-DPF10A has been discontinued and recalled as a result of a large number of units being contaminated with a virus.
Entertainment and devices help Microsoft post more stellar gains
Despite widespread complaints about Windows Vista's performance, it finally turned out to be one of the main drivers behind a stellar quarter for Microsoft. Entertainment turned a page too, but MSN remains the wayward child.
Driven by the new Vista operating system, Microsoft Office 2007, and holiday sales of Xbox consoles and games, Microsoft's revenues soared to $16 billion for the second quarter of the fiscal year, an all-time record.
Netflix keeps its faith in DVDs, but looks ahead to VoD
By-mail movie rental pioneer Netflix posted its fourth quarter earnings, with favorable results. But in its quarterly conference call, the company gave DVD about five more years before it ceases to be the dominant format.
Netflix posted its fourth quarter results, with 9.1% annual growth in revenue, 6.2% growth in net income on lower subscriber-acquisition costs, and 18% increase in subscriptions over the same quarter in 2006.
Vista SP1 'on schedule' for March RTM
With a major launch event next month serving as an unmovable anchor for Microsoft at this point, the ancillary launches for Vista Service Pack 1 and XP SP3 would probably raise suspicion if they were delayed.
A group of 15,000 private beta testers received what's being called "RC Refresh 2" of the release candidate for Windows Vista Service Pack 1, Microsoft confirmed to BetaNews this morning. Numbers for the actual release candidate or the beta number, judging from Microsoft's recent correspondence with us, are no longer being used, which could lead some to believe that this may not be the final "refresh" coming down the pike.
HP and Sony get into the DVD printing business together
It may be the first of a series of content agreements between a prospective technology provider for video rental outlets and a major studio. But what's even more interesting is what the agreeing parties refuse to say about it.
In an unusual partnership between two corporations that, in other markets, are direct competitors, Sony and HP yesterday announced they will be getting into business together in a new and unique way: Sony will be the first studio owner (with Columbia and Tri-Star, and with major stakes in MGM and United Artists) to provide HP with content for what is being described as a "manufactured-on-demand" (MOD) DVD service.
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