jenniferleclaire.com » Hot off the Press

Glitches Reported as BlackBerry Storm Nears US Debut

The BlackBerry Storm has been debuting around the world, but rumors are spreading about a possible shortage in the U.S. News reports also indicate Research In Motion discovered a security flaw in the Storm that has left Verizon Wireless scrambling to update the firmware in the final hours before its U.S. release on Friday.Neither RIM nor Verizon were immediately available for comment. The much-anticipated BlackBerry Storm will be available exclusively from Verizon in the U.S.

“The BlackBerry Storm is big deal for Verizon Wireless customers,” said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. “There’s pent-up demand for a touchscreen BlackBerry and there’s pent-up demand for a touchscreen smartphone at Verizon, especially since AT&T has the corner on the iPhone.”

Click here to read the rest of my story on NewsFactor.

Add comment November 24th, 2008

IBM, Partners Aim To Build Brain-Like Computer Systems

IBM , in collaboration with five universities, announced plans Thursday to create computing systems that simulate and emulate the brain’s abilities for sensation, perception, action, interaction and cognition while rivaling its low power consumption and compact size. The goal is to solve the problem of information management.IBM and its collaborators — Stanford University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Cornell University, Columbia University Medical Center, and University of California-Merced — have been awarded $4.9 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for the first phase of DARPA’s Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics (SyNAPSE) initiative.

According to IDC, digital data is growing 60 percent each year, giving businesses access to incredible new streams of information. But without the ability to monitor, analyze and react to this information in real time, most of its value may be lost. Until the data is captured and analyzed, decisions or actions may be delayed.

Cognitive computing offers the promise of systems that can integrate and analyze vast amounts of data from many sources in the blink of an eye, allowing businesses or individuals to make rapid decisions in time to have a significant impact.

Click here to read the rest of my story on NewsFactor.

Add comment November 24th, 2008

Nvidia To Launch Tesla Personal Supercomputer

Nvidia on Tuesday announced a personal supercomputer that delivers the computing power of a cluster at 1/100th of the price and in the form of a standard desktop workstation. It is working with partners to release the GPU-based Tesla Personal Supercomputer.Supercomputers, shared resources that consume hundreds of kilowatts of power and cost millions of dollars to build and maintain, are typically used to carry out scientific research. Nvidia is bringing this power to the desktop.

The Tesla computers are available from a number of vendors, including Dell, Lenovo, Microway, Tycrid, Unitcom, Viglen and Western Scientific.

“We’ve all heard ‘desktop supercomputer’ claims in the past, but this time it’s for real,” said Burton Smith, a Microsoft technical fellow. “Nvidia and its partners will be delivering outstanding performance and broad applicability to the mainstream marketplace. Heterogeneous computing, where GPUs work in tandem with CPUs, is what makes such a breakthrough possible.”

Click here to read the rest of my story on NewsFactor.

November 19th, 2008

National Geographic Launches Video-Game Division

National Geographic on Tuesday announced a new twist for the science and educational organization — video games.National Geographic Games (NGG) will publish and develop games across major gaming console, handheld, online and mobile platforms. National Geographic also said it will work with premier game publishers and developers to create games based on its core themes and media properties.

The goal is to extend National Geographic’s mission of inspiring people to care about the planet and reach a new generation of consumers and families.

“This is a combination of what I call the mainstreamization of video games,” said Michael Cai, a video-game analyst at Parks Associates. “Many different types of media companies and household brands are leveraging video games to a certain degree, whether it’s driving people to their portals or using video games as an advertising vehicle.”

Click here to read the rest of my story on NewsFactor.

Add comment November 19th, 2008

AT&T’s Samsung Eternity Supports Mobile TV

AT&T and Samsung on Monday introduced the Samsung Eternity, yet another touchscreen phone. The differentiator is that the phone supports AT&T Mobile TV, and the wireless carrier is offering a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.The black-and-chrome device has a 3.2-inch touchscreen and haptic support that vibrates to confirm selections on the touchscreen.

Three dedicated keys on the lower portion of the device streamline navigation. The phone also supports an accelerometer that automatically detects the device’s motion and the orientation. That makes it possible for users to tap into capabilities like autorotation of the display, motion-sensing games, and photo scrolling by tilting the device.

“Eternity can provide endless entertainment options for AT&T customers,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of devices for AT&T’s mobility and consumer operations. “Our customers are looking for mobile phones to be a remote control for their life, bringing music, the Internet, GPS navigation, and even TV with them on the go.”

Click here to read the rest of my story on CIOToday.

November 18th, 2008

Consoles Weather Economic Storm

The economy may be slowing, but the video-game industry seems to be wearing its bulletproof vest — with the notable exception of Sony .According to the NPD Group, sales of U.S. video games and hardware rose 18 percent from the year-ago period. Specifically, hardware sales were up five percent to $494.7 million.

“In the U.S., third-quarter total industry unit sales grew eight percent versus 2007, even as the economy showed accelerating signs of recession,” said Anita Frazier, an NPD analyst.

“As would be expected at this point in the console life cycle, games sales are starting to take the spotlight even as the average retail prices of games increased slightly,” she continued. “Heading into the critical fourth quarter, the U.S. game industry is on solid ground.”

Click here to read the rest of my story on Sci-Tech Today.

Add comment November 18th, 2008

Google’s Voice-Search App Is Slow in Arriving

The hype machine was churning Friday when The New York Times and others noted that Google had offered its voice-recognition technology to Apple’s iPhone before its own Android mobile platform.While Google employees even posed for photos showing an iPhone running its voice-search app, the free application the world expected to appear on Apple’s App Store still hadn’t shown up as of Monday morning.

So instead of reviews about Google’s app, there’s speculation about what’s taking Apple so long to get the app posted so iPhone users can begin downloading and using it.

“We’re seeing so much talk about the application not being available partly because Google got so much press,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy at Jupitermedia. “But Google is the one that said it was going to be available on Friday. Apple’s process moves as fast as Apple’s process moves.”

Click here to read the rest of my story in NewsFactor.

Add comment November 18th, 2008

Posts filed under 'Hot off the Press'

Glitches Reported as BlackBerry Storm Nears US Debut

IBM, Partners Aim To Build Brain-Like Computer Systems

Nvidia To Launch Tesla Personal Supercomputer

National Geographic Launches Video-Game Division

AT&T’s Samsung Eternity Supports Mobile TV

Consoles Weather Economic Storm

Google’s Voice-Search App Is Slow in Arriving