Archive for January, 2009
In what could be the first of some bad reports from technology giants, Intel on Wednesday announced preliminary fourth-quarter financial data 
. Revenue was about $8.2 billion, down 20 percent sequentially and 23 percent year over year. That’s even lower than Intel predicted on Nov. 12.Intel blamed weak demand and inventory reductions in the global PC supply chain. Intel’s preliminary estimate of gross margin for the fourth quarter is at the bottom of the previous expectation of 55 percent, plus or minus a couple of points.
It could be that as Intel goes, so goes the PC market, according to Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT Research. King confirmed that Intel’s announcement could be a sign of more bad news to come.
“It looks to me like the demand for its PC chip in particular has really fallen off the cliff, which is not really surprising,” King said. “The market in general for PCs over the last quarter has looked grim leading up into the holiday season, and electronics retailers’ revenue numbers were pretty awful as well.”
Click here to read the rest of my story on NewsFactor.
January 8th, 2009
Sun Microsystems announced Wednesday it has acquired Q-layer, a cloud-computing company that automates the deployment and management of both public and private clouds. Cloud computing brings computer and data resources onto the Web for higher efficiency, massive scalability, and faster and easier software development.Q-layer’s technology meets with Sun’s strategy to help companies build public and private clouds with tools that aim to simplify cloud management and allow users to provision and deploy applications.
“Sun’s open, network-centric approach, coupled with optimized systems, software and services, provides the critical building blocks for private and public cloud offerings,” said David Douglas, senior vice president of cloud computing at Sun. “Q-layer’s technology and expertise will enhance Sun’s offerings, simplifying cloud management and speeding application deployment.”
Click here to read the rest of my story on NewsFactor.
January 8th, 2009
In yet another move to get Apple’s iPhone into more retail outlets, Best Buy on Tuesday became the first retailer to offer refurbished iPhone 3Gs at stores nationwide.The news follows two similar moves in December. That’s when AT&T began offering refurbished iPhone 3Gs even as Wal-Mart inked a deal with Apple to sell brand-new iPhone 3Gs at a $5 discount at its stores.
“The refreshed iPhone is a great example of the depth of our offering, and clear evidence of why Best Buy is the best place to purchase a mobile phone,” said Scott Moore, vice president of marketing for Best Buy Mobile. “Where else can you get everything you need to make sure your phone can be utilized to its fullest?”
Click here to read the rest of my story on NewsFactor.
January 8th, 2009
Twitter, the popular microblogging site, has become the latest target of phishers. The company is warning its members to be careful of messages that redirect them to spoofed Twitter sites in an attempt to steal their user names and passwords.”This particular scam sent out e-mails resembling those you might receive from Twitter if you get e-mail notifications of your Direct Messages. The e-mail says something like, ‘hey! check out this funny blog about you …’ and provides a link,” the company said.
Twitter went on to explain that the link redirects users to a site masquerading as the Twitter front page. Twitter advised its members to look closely at the URL field to see if it has another domain besides Twitter, but looks exactly like the microblogging home page. That, the company said, indicates a fraud.
Click here to read the rest of my story on CIO Today.
January 8th, 2009
Motorola on Tuesday announced two new mobile devices with social responsibility and social connectivity in mind. The Moto W233 Renew is made of plastic from recycled water bottles, while the Motosurf A3100 is a high-speed touch tablet with a customizable home screen. Both devices are debuting at the Consumer Electronics Show.”Increasingly, we are seeing more tech vendors deciding not to talk about things like feeds and speeds but rather about how eco-friendly their devices are,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy for Jupitermedia. “As long as it remains a concern for consumers, we are going to continue to see vendors use it as a marketing tool to differentiate their products.”
Click here to read the rest of my story on NewsFactor.
January 8th, 2009
China is moving to rein in Web sites it deems inappropriate. The Communist nation has targeted Google and Baidu, the two dominant search engines there. The charge is spreading pornography and vulgarity.China’s Ministry of Public Security and six other government agencies launched the campaign on Monday.
The government “decided to launch a nationwide campaign to clean up a vulgar current on the Internet and named and exposed a large number of violating public morality and harming the physical and mental health of youth and young people,” said a report on state television.
Click here to read the rest of my story on NewsFactor.
January 8th, 2009
Freescale Semiconductor is entering the fast-growing netbook market with a solution that promises to make possible portable devices that feature 8.9-inch displays, eight hours of battery life, and prices under $200.Freescale’s solution is based on its new i.MX515 processor featuring ARM Cortex-A8 technology. The solution includes software, components and resources that aim to help OEMs rapidly develop and deploy netbooks.
“We see a huge opportunity in the netbook market as consumers demand more cost-effective and higher-performing solutions,” said Lisa Su, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale’s networking and multimedia group. “Our solution for netbooks will enable OEMs to develop compelling products that feature cell-phone-like battery life at extremely aggressive price points.”
Click here to read the rest of my story on NewsFactor.
January 8th, 2009
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