Full story at http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-367939.html
Friday, November 27, 2009
Large Hadron Collider sees first collisions
The world's largest particle accelerator has performed its first collisions, and its first beam acceleration. The world's largest particle accelerator has performed its first collisions, and its first beam acceleration. Progress on the giant experiment has been rapid in the four days since the Large Hadron...
Firefox hopes to one-up IE with fast graphics
Microsoft showed off some browser technology that could help Internet Explorer leapfrog the competition. But Mozilla could be one step ahead. Last week, Microsoft showed off some browser technology that could help Internet Explorer leapfrog the competition. But if Mozilla succeeds in its hope, Microsoft could be playing catch-up...
Full story at http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-367962.html
Review: Apple?s 27-inch iMac and Magic Mouse Make an Excellent Pair
Apple’s new 27-inch iMac is a speed demon, especially the model shipping with the new Core i7 processor. Even better, the latest iMacs ship with the new Magic Mouse, Apple’s first single-button mouse that gets it right thanks to the powers of multitouch.
Wired.com’s Mike Calore is mesmerized with his Core i7-powered iMac. He gave it a rating of 8 out of 10:
Put one of Apple’s new 27-inch Core i7 iMacs on your desk, and you run the risk of alienating yourself from your friends, co-workers and loved ones.
Sure, the sheer speed of the thing is amazing ? the new Core i7 processor is outrageously fast ? but it’s the massive screen that will turn your brain into a gob of HD-saturated jelly. Seriously. The iMac’s screen is so freaking huge, so bright and so crisp, it will render you dumb with child-like glee. You’ll just want to sit there and watch movies all day and night.
And yours truly was a fan of the Magic Mouse. I think it’s the first Apple mouse that doesn’t suck. (I wasn’t a fan of the Mighty Mouse because of its gunk-collecting trackball.) I gave it a 7 out of 10, knocking off a few points because of the lack of Expos� functionality:
The Magic Mouse ditches the lozenge-shaped body and gunk-collecting trackball of its predecessor (the Mighty Mouse) in favor of a curvy wedge shape with a fully touch-sensitive housing. The new form factor fits more naturally in your hand than previous Apple mice ? enough so to erase the painful memories you have of that atrocious hockey-puck mouse from the ’90s.
….
As is often the case, these gains come with loss, too. The Mighty Mouse had a clickable scroll wheel and two squeeze sensors on the side that could each trigger the Expos� and Spaces tools for desktop management. The Magic Mouse doesn’t have any built-in gestures for Expos�, which seems like a wasted opportunity.
Want the full gist? See Mike’s full review of the iMac and my writeup of the Magic Mouse at the Wired Reviews site.
See Also:
Photo: Mike Calore/Wired.com
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/g5RTEQrGIhQ/
iPhone Owners More Likely to Pony Up for Digital Content
Apple has trained iPhone owners to enjoy paying for digital content more than the general online population, a survey suggests.
Media law firm Olswang on Wednesday published its 2009 Convergence Survey, which analyzed e-shopping trends among iPhone owners and general online consumers. Apple enthusiast blog 9to5Mac summarizes the findings regarding the iPhone demographic:
- 73 percent would pay to access online a film just released in cinemas;
- 67 percent would pay for access to a film that will not be on DVD for at least two months;
- 54 percent would pay to access a film which is already on DVD or pay-TV;
- 41 percent of iPhone users would already be willing to take out subscriptions to access their favorite TV shows;
- 42 percent would pay for an online book.
Those numbers are quite high when stacked against the figures from the general online population surveyed:
- 58 percent of people would pay to access online a film just released in cinemas;
- 52 percent would pay for access to a film that will not be on DVD for at least two months;
- 40 percent would pay to access a film which is already on DVD or pay-TV;
- 30 percent would already be willing to take out subscriptions to access their favorite TV shows;
- 30 percent would pay for an online book.
Olswang found these numbers about the iPhone demographic to be “striking,” but they are what you’d expect. The App Store made purchasing apps incredibly easy, and many of the high quality apps are dirt cheap.
Above all, my view is that the App Store, which serves over 100,000 apps, has conditioned us to demand more and more from a single device. In turn we’re evolving into a demographic that craves more from the digital as opposed to the physical.
These numbers are quite striking indeed. And it suggests the rumored Apple touchscreen tablet, which several independent reports have said will focus on e-reader functionality, does have potential to resuscitate the dying publishing industry ? because there would most likely be a large amount of overlap between the iPhone and “iTablet” demographics.
Meanwhile, a recent report from The New York Times cites sources who say a consortium of magazine publishers are jointly planning to build an “online newsstand” ? a “new iTunes for magazines.” It would involve publications repurposing their print content into multiple digital formats to be sold through a new company, sources told NY Times. If that’s the case, today’s survey suggests they’ll find a friendlier reception among iPhone users than among the general population.
See Also:
- In-App Sales and iTablet: The Killer Combo to Save Publishing …
- Video Demonstrates Wired’s Concept iTablet App
- Survey: 22 Percent of Teens Want iPhone
- Apple iPhone too Expensive? The Kids Don’t Think So
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/Wfwep8cknF4/
Hung parliament will nix NGA rollout
Dave Bailey, Computing, Thursday 26 November 2009 at 17:30:00
Party differences will leave investors in a quandry
The differences between the approaches of the Labour and Conservative parties The remarks were addressed to industry experts gathered for the Future of UK Both major parties vying for power have significantly different approaches to "We now have two quite different roadmaps for the future of broadband in the The Conservatives approach is just starting to emerge, said Walker. "I've The two different approaches create quite a bit of uncertainty said Walker. Although the Conservatives are expected to win the next election, the worst "If there's a couple of years of political uncertainty, and no resolution of A general election will have to take place on or before Thursday 3 June 2010.
will have a significatn affect on the outcome of the next-generation access
rollout, the head of the Broadband Stakeholder Group said today.
Broadband debate held in Westminster.
NGA rollouts, pointed out Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) chief executive
Antony Walker.
UK. The incumbent Labour government has an industrial activism strategy
favouring a 'nuts and bolts' approach, and potentially investing directly in
network deployment," said Walker.
termed it a 'market activism' approach, and it's more focused on looking closer
at [private sector] market mechanisms, than direct government investment,"
added Walker.
"We'll have to live with it until the other side of the election," he added.
scenario for NGA networks, would be a hung parliament, pointed out Walker.
the two different road maps, ISPs and investors may hold back on deployments,"
added Walker.
Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2254052/hung-parliament-nix-nga-rollout
Holiday Web shopping looks brighter
Full story at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34164470/ns/business-retail/
Astronauts surprised by holiday turkey dinners
Full story at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34164242/ns/technology_and_science-space/
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