Last month, Facebook attracted 158.01 million unique visitors in the United States, edging lower from 158.69 million in April and 158.93 million in March, comScore said.
via UPDATE 1-Facebook’s unique visitors slipped in May-comScore | Reuters.
Category Archives: Business
The Amazon Effect
Amazon’s entry into publishing’s traditional casino is a sideshow. More worrisome, at least over the long term, is the success of Amazon’s Kindle Single program, an effort to encourage writers to make an end run around publishers, not only of books but of magazines as well. That program offers writers a chance to publish original e-book essays of no more than 30,000 words (authors agree to a bargain-basement price of no more than $2.99 in exchange for a 70 percent royalty and no advance).
via The Amazon Effect | The Nation.
This article is very long winded but makes a good history reference for amazon.
Tech manufacturing: A disaster waiting to happen
However, they all share the same Achilles heel – their electronic components come from just one region – south-east Asia. And the really worrying bit? Many of the 10 big players in the IT field are not making good profits, and economic pressure could result in the 10 becoming seven.
via Tech manufacturing: A disaster waiting to happen | TechRepublic.
SSD prices in steady, substantial decline
To get a better sense of the SSD picture, we’ve analyzed a mountain of pricing information dating from early 2011 to Tuesday. The folks at Camelegg graciously provided the data, which we’ve sliced, diced, and compiled in pretty graphs. Camelegg tracks prices at Newegg, which should give us a good sense of what’s going on in the overall market.
via SSD prices in steady, substantial decline – The Tech Report – Page 1.
Microsoft own-brand tablet PCs a ploy to drive Windows 8 adoption, says Acer founder
While Microsoft’s unveiling of two own-brand tablet PCs has surprised the supply chain in Taiwan and brought worries on PC vendors, Acer founder Stan Shih has commented that Microsoft has no real intention to sell own-brand tablet PCs and the offering is an ploy to boost adoption of Windows 8.
via Microsoft own-brand tablet PCs a ploy to drive Windows 8 adoption, says Acer founder.
Motorola Buys Psion For $200m
US firm Motorola Solutions is to buy UK tech icon Psion, the inventor of the personal digital assistant (PDA) and source of the one-time leading mobile operating system Symbian.
via Motorola Buys Psion For $200m | | TechWeekEurope UKTechWeekEurope UK.
However, the Psion brand remains best known for its mobile organisers, which developed from its role writing software for Sinclair ZX81 and ZX Spectrum home computers. These consumer devices are seen as the world’s first hand-held computers and prefigured later handheld devices from Palm Computing, RIM and Apple.
Microsoft’s Surface: Windows for a Cloud World
As mentioned above, Surface will be available in two flavors. One tablet will run Windows 8 Pro, and rely on a third-generation Intel Core processor. The other will feature Windows RT and run on an ARM processor. Both will feature 10.6-inch screens along with a kickstand and keyboard, but many of the other internal specs vary wildly:
via Microsoft’s Surface: Windows for a Cloud World.
As a result, she added, “Microsoft and its partners need to articulate a compelling strategy for how they will manage consumer expectations in the channel. Consumers aren’t used to thinking about chipsets.”
Much Ado About Nothing: The Truth Behind Netflix’s API Changes
It’s mainly attempting to stop developers from becoming middlemen that resell its API technology to other companies. So a Fanhattan iPad app sold to consumers is OK, but licensing out its white-label search and discovery platform to a consumer electronics manufacturer is not. That is, unless it doesn’t want to include Netflix titles in the search.
via Much Ado About Nothing: The Truth Behind Netflix’s API Changes | TechCrunch.
Nokia’s Linux-based Meltemi platform melts amid layoffs; Qt still afloat
Meltemi was a Linux-based operating system that was intended to be Nokia’s successor to the S40 feature phone platform. Used in conjunction with the Qt development toolkit, Meltemi was going to be the cornerstone of Nokia’s strategy for connecting the “next billion” smartphone users.
via Nokia’s Linux-based Meltemi platform melts amid layoffs; Qt still afloat | Ars Technica.
It’s worth noting that the Qt toolkit is widely supported by other parties. Nokia’s decision to relicense Qt under the permissive LGPL has made it possible for other smartphone vendors to adopt it as part of their platform. HP was using Qt in webOS and RIM is currently using it as the basis for the development toolkit in its next-generation Blackberry operating system.
AMD Licenses ARM Technology: AMD Leans on ARM for Security
Last year after that particular AFDS, there was much speculation that AMD and ARM would get a whole lot closer. Today we have confirmed that in two ways. The first is that AMD and ARM are founding members of the HSA Foundation. This endeavor is a rather ambitious project that looks to make it much easier for programmers to access the full computer power of a CPU/GPU combo, or as AMD likes to call them, the APU. The second confirmation is one that has been theorized for quite some time, but few people have actually hit upon the actual implementation. This second confirmation is that AMD is licensing ARM cores and actually integrating them into their x86 based APUs.
via AMD Licenses ARM Technology: AMD Leans on ARM for Security | PC Perspective.