Adobe: Web-Based Photoshop Coming Soon
Adobe has taken the wraps off of Photoshop Express: a free, stripped-down version of its signature image editing software that will be available online.
The company first began development of the product early this year, and envisioned it competing with offerings from other companies such as Google's Picasa. It runs within the browser and is completely Flash-based.
Acer's Growth Hiccups as Lenovo Reclaims World #3 PC Maker Position
We've been using the term "resurgent" in conjunction with Acer so often that you'd begin to think it was a brand name for a new PC model. But in the quarter just ended the surge failed, so to speak, as hardware analysis firm iSuppli reports unit shipments for Acer fell by 10,000 for the first time in several quarters.
For the second quarter of 2007, the "resurgent" tag belongs elsewhere: first to Lenovo, which responded to Acer's first quarter challenge with flying colors. Shipping 22.9% more units in the second quarter than it did in the first, Lenovo pumped out about 4.87 million PCs. In so doing, it bumped Acer in iSuppli's global Top 5 OEM list back down to #4, and took back 1.5% of market share.
DOJ: 'Net Neutrality' Precludes Broadband Investment, Threatens Free Markets
In a filing before the US Federal Communications Commission this morning, the Dept. of Justice's Antitrust Division argued that proponents of "net neutrality" would stifle the natural course of free market innovation in Internet technologies, in the name of leveling the playing field for competitors. Creating different tiers of Internet service, Assistant Attorney General Thomas O. Barnett's team argued, is really no different than the Postal Service charging different rates for shipping varying classes of mail.
"Much of the conduct that some proponents of 'net neutrality' regulation are concerned about can be precompetitive," the ATR team wrote. "Differentiating service levels and pricing, for example, is a common and often efficient way of allocating scarce resources and meeting consumer preferences. The United States Postal Service, for example, allows consumers to send packages with a variety of different delivery guarantees and speeds, from bulk mail to overnight delivery. These differentiated products respond to market demand and expand consumer choice. No one challenges the benefits to society of these differentiated products; nor does anyone seriously propose that the United States Postal Service be banned from charging different fees for next-day delivery than for bulk mailers. Whether or not the same type of differentiated products and services will develop on the Internet should be determined by market forces, not regulatory intervention."
Five Patches On Tap for Tuesday
By recent standards, September's Patch Tuesday will be mild, with only five patches and one being rated "critical."
In the past several months, Microsoft has dealt with more critical errors in its products with four in June, three in July, and six in August. However, this month, the only critical patch will be issued for a remote code execution issue within Windows.
Appeals Court Overturns Dismissal of Qualcomm Antitrust Charges
In what could become a precedent setting finding, a three-judge panel of the US Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday overturned a lower court's dismissal of antitrust complaints raised by Broadcom against Qualcomm. At the heart of the debate is whether the exclusivity rights granted to a patentee corporation should enable it to obtain a legal monopoly over markets the patented technology may create. US District Court in New Jersey said it should, when dismissing Broadcom's claims in August 2006. But the appeals court soundly rejected that basis, and reinstated the case.
"In dismissing Broadcom's claim of monopolization in the WCDMA technology markets," wrote Judge Maryann Trump Barry in her formal opinion Tuesday, "the [N.J. District] Court reasoned that Qualcomm enjoyed a legally-sanctioned monopoly in its patented technology, and that this monopoly conferred the right to exclude competition and set the terms by which that technology was distributed."
Jobs Apologizes, Apple to Give iPhone Customers $100 Credit
Responding to a large amount of negative feedback from existing iPhone customers who felt slighted by Apple's decision to lower the price by a third to $399, CEO Steve Jobs apologized Thursday and said the company will offer a $100 credit for purchases from Apple's retail store or online store.
In an open letter to customers, Jobs said it was the right decision to lower the price because "now it will be affordable by even more customers" in time for the holiday season, adding that in the world of technology there will also be an upcoming price cut or product update. However, he acknowledged that Apple should have done a better job taking care of early adopters. "Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these," Jobs wrote. Details of the credit are still being worked out and will be announced on Apple's Web site next week.
Microsoft Brings Back the Media Center Extender
With a market likely a little more open to the need for online video in the living room than it was three years ago, Microsoft on Thursday reintroduced the Extender line, meant to complement households with Windows Media Center PCs.
Microsoft first announced the Media Center Extender at CES 2004. However, the product line never took off as consumers balked at the need for another set-top box, and the user interface paled in comparison with the actual Media Centers.
Vudu Joins On-Demand Movie Crowd
There's a new entrant in the growing on-demand movie space, but Vudu takes a slightly different take that may spur adoption or spell its doom. Customers will be able to stream movies over the Internet to their living room, but must first shell out $399 USD for the Vudu hardware.
With broadband finally reaching speeds where on-demand movies over the Web is possible, there's no shortage of companies hoping to cash in. Movielink, which was recently acquired by Blockbuster, is the market leader, but Netflix, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon have all joined the race as well.
Lulu.com Sues NBC's Hulu.com
It took News Corp. and NBC Universal five months to figure out a name for their joint online video partnership. It only took a week for them to get sued over it.
Content publishing site Lulu.com said Wednesday that it had filed suit against Hulu.com for trademark infringement, unfair and deceptive trade practices and for federal cyberpiracy. The complaint was filed in the US District Court in Raleigh, NC.
Google-DoubleClick Deal May Come Under Early EU Scrutiny
A story run over the UK wires of Reuters this morning quotes a European Commission spokesperson as confirming that everyday customers of Google - presumably typical working-class folks - have been sent EC questionnaires asking their opinion about the forthcoming merger between Google and display advertising provider DoubleClick.
The two companies have stated they intend to make their initial filings of merger information with EU antitrust regulators later this month. While questionnaires from the EC are not uncommon in everyday merger investigations, there are two unusual elements here.
HD DVD Claims 'Undeniable Momentum'
Despite lagging behind Blu-ray in both sales of discs and overall players, HD DVD still put on a happy face for CEDIA 2007 and pointed to its advantage in price and computer manufacturer support in the next-gen format war.
Four of the five top PC notebook manufacturers support the format, the North American HD DVD Promotional Group said Wednesday. In addition, its third-generation players would lower the bar for entry even further, which it believes will give it momentum into the holidays.
Motorola Begins Selling RAZR 2
While the now $399 Apple iPhone will dominate the news Thursday, Motorola has chimed in to remind everyone that its RAZR 2 is now available through wireless carriers across the United States. But its $299 to $349 price tag won't likely bring out long lines.
The RAZR 2 V9 is offered by AT&T while the CDMA V9m is sold by Verizon, Sprint and Alltel. T-Mobile will likely sell the RAZR 2 V8, but the phone is not yet listed on the carrier's Web site. Motorola is hoping to bring back the glory days of the original RAZR by adding features such as Windows Media Player, 2GB of on-board memory and a full-HTML browser. But the company faces stiff competition from LG, Samsung and now Apple.
Sony's New Blu-ray Players Still Pricey
After making announcements in Europe regarding its Blu-ray disc player lineup late last month, Sony used the backdrop of CEDIA 2007 to announce its two newest players for the North American market.
However here in the states, Sony's Blu-ray players are none the cheaper. The new BDP-S500 will cost approximately $700 USD, while the top-of-the-line BDP-S2000ES will set the consumer back about $1,300 USD. Both are expected to begin shipping this fall.
Early Apple iPhone Adopters Feeling Undercut by At Least One Third
FOR MORE: Jobs Apologizes, Apple to Give iPhone Customers $100 Credit
Yesterday's announcement of a $200 price drop for Apple's 8 GB iPhone, and the cancellation and clearance of the 4 GB edition, was all some investors took away from CEO Steve Jobs' gala rollout. Meanwhile, among the Apple faithful, there emerged clear signs of discord, especially after expressions of disapproval on Apple's forums evidently disappeared.
California Appeals Video Game Law Ruling
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said Wednesday that he had appealed a court decision that struck down the controversial violent video game law in his state. The appeal was filed in federal court for the Northern District of California. The law would have prevented the sale or rental of "ultra-violent" video games to anyone under 18, and would have required clear labeling of such games.
The legislation
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