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*Smartphones Reignite the OS Wars*
Smartphones have become the preferred computer of the masses. Sales surpassed
those of personal computers in 2010, having grown over 50% per year for
several years. Nearly 500 million smartphones shipped
in 2011. This radically shifts the terrain in the consumer operating
system competition that was, for years, firmly decided in favor of
Windows. This article analyzes the New OS Wars. Read more on this exclusive OSNews article...
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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Mandriva SA cedes control to Mandriva community
"Just days after the Mandriva community started its own plans for the next release of the French Linux distribution, its commercial sponsor has formally announced that the community will take the lead on all Mandriva Linux development moving forward. In a blog post on the Mandriva SA site, CEO Jean-Manuel Croset ceded control of the Mandriva Linux distribution back to the community at large." Take 'r 'round the shed and put a bullet 'tween 'r eyes already.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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System description: the Apple-II by Stephen Wozniak
"To me, a personal computer should be small, reliable, convenient to use and inexpensive." You'll want to read this: Steve Wozniak's original description of the Apple ][, published in May 1977 in Byte Magazine.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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Creating the Windows 8 user experience
A long - very long - blog post justifying all the ideas and choices behind Windows 8. We've all been here before, but it's nice to have it all summed up once again for easy reference in case we hit another yes/no debate on Windows 8 and keyboard and mouse. Anywho, the most interesting bit is that Microsoft has updated the theme of the traditional desktop, flattening it to achieve a very nice look.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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Windows Phone market share higher than iPhone's in China
"All eyes were on Microsoft's rather important launch of Windows Phone in China earlier this year. Nokia followed up with the Lumia 800c, released on China Telecom. According to Michel van der Bel, COO of Greater China Region at Microsoft, the company has achieved 7% marketshare in the country, overtaking the iPhone (sitting at just 6%)." I'm raising an eyebrow over these figures due to their source, but assuming they're true, we get a good glimpse of how well Windows Phone 7 would handle itself in a market where the competition had less of a head start.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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Open WebOS progress April
"As April draws to a close we are pleased to share more code for Open webOS. This month's scheduled release includes support for Node.js as well as updates to Enyo and Ares. In addition, we are pleased to announce early delivery of the System Manager Bus (which was originally scheduled for July) and a release of three policy components based on our Platform Portability Layer. We're happy to be ahead of schedule in getting this component of the Open webOS platform into your hands." Can't wait for the day I can run an up-to-date WebOS version on my SII.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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HTC ships custom Android builds to the US to avoid Apple patents
So, the new HTC phones are facing delays in the US, and they now ship with a slightly modified US-specific Android build which removes data tapping and sports an altered app associations screen to avoid Apple's patents. This is step one. Step two is companies avoiding the litigious and anti-consumer messes that are the US and German markets altogether. Clearly, IP laws are working to the benefit of the consumer and the market as a whole. Great work guys.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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OpenSignalMaps logs 3997 unique Android devices
An interesting study has been making the rounds across the web these past 24 hours. The creators of OpenSignalMaps have been logging which new devices download their product, and they've collected data on 681900 devices. The results are... Diverse.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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OpenMobile to let Android applications run on Tizen
A company called OpenMobile is demonstrating an application compatibility layer so Tizen can run Android applications, The Handheld Blog reports. "The solution is targeted towards OEMs and not end users. So it's upto the manufacturers of Tizen devices to modify the kernel etc. to bake support in for ACL."
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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Windows 8 Release Preview to include multi-monitor improvements
"Microsoft has greatly improved its Windows 8 multiple monitor support in the Consumer Preview version of the operating system, but the company has fine tuned this even more with the upcoming Release Preview. Mark Yalovsky, a member of Microsoft's User Experience team, has taken to the company's Building Windows 8 blog to detail a number of important improvements in the Release Preview, including improved mouse targeting on shared edges and the ability to launch Metro apps on any monitor. Although the post in question has been mysteriously removed by Microsoft, we managed to secure the details thanks to a Google cached version." Very welcome.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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WSJ: Apple moves toward larger iPhone screens
"Production is set to begin next month for the screens, which measure at least 4 inches diagonally compared with 3.5 inches on the iPhone 4S, the latest phone from Apple, the people said." Cue the usual suspects twisting and turning to change the very fabric of space-time so that instead of 3.5" being the optimal size, 4.0" will be the optimal size. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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Google to expand Nexus program
"Google plans to give multiple mobile-device makers early access to new releases of Android and to sell those devices directly to consumers, said people familiar with the matter. [...] The expansion of direct sales marks a bid to exert more control over key features and apps that run on Android-powered phones and tablets, thus reducing the influence of wireless carriers over such devices, these people said. Wireless carriers typically handle marketing and sales of devices and thus can exert some control over the services that run on them." So, an expanded Nexus program that includes several smartphones and tablets without crapware. Sounds good.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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Alsup: "I've written [...] code like rangeCheck a hundred times before"
A bit of a fascinating little surprise in the Oracle vs. Google proceedings yesterday. As it turns out, judge Alsup... Has done, and still does, a lot of programming, and hence, he knows just how silly the whole rangeChek issue is. Addressing Oracle's lawyer, Alsup notes: "I couldn't have told you the first thing about Java before this problem. I have done, and still do, a significant amount of programming in other languages. I've written blocks of code like rangeCheck a hundred times before. I could do it, you could do it. The idea that someone would copy that when they could do it themselves just as fast, it was an accident. There's no way you could say that was speeding them along to the marketplace. You're one of the best lawyers in America, how could you even make that kind of argument?" Ouch.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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Register for the HP Discover Conference
OSNews sponsor Hewlett-Packard is extending an offer to OSNews readers who register for the upcoming HP Discover conference: "This is HP's largest global conference for customers and partners attracting 10,000 IT executives, managers, architects, engineers, and solution experts from around the world. Join them to network and explore pivotal technology developments, best practices, and strategies." Readers can get a $300 discount on registration by using this link and using the discount code: "BLOG."
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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If you can copyright an API, what else can you copyright?
"If Judge William Alsup rules that APIs are subject to copyrights, he would overturn common wisdom in programming circles, potentially exposing many companies and developers who have built software platforms that openly mimic existing APIs. But that's not all. Such a ruling could shake things up for many other companies across the programming world and beyond." The fact we even have to worry about this speaks volumes about the state of the industry.
OSNews
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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NewsBone.com
Suggest a feed to syndicate here, or check out what I'm doing over at freshtao.
~Created Sun May 20 12:42:59 2012
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Facebook shares see modest debut
Facebook shares end a volatile first day of trading at $38.23, barely above the company's initial pricing, having initially jumped more than 10%.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Met Police to extract phone data
Mobile phone data of suspects in police custody is to be extracted and retained, regardless of whether charges are brought, the BBC has learned.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Silicon trick for next-gen memory
Researchers reveal details of a promising way to make a fundamentally different kind of computer memory chip.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Twitter backs web privacy effort
Micro-blogging service Twitter will support an initiative that lets people browse the web without being monitored.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Anonymous attacks Indian websites
Hacker group Anonymous has carried out a series of attacks against government and political websites in India.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Computer game for stroke patients
Newcastle University helps to develop a computer game to help those who have suffered strokes.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Government to miss cookie cut-off
Most government websites will miss the UK's deadline for complying with EU regulations over cookies, the Cabinet Office tells the BBC.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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China Mobile in talks with Apple
China Mobile, the main mobile service provider in China and the largest in the world by users, could soon offer its customers Apple's iPhone.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Government may miss cloud targets
The Government may miss its cloud computing targets because of a lack of enthusiasm from public sector IT staff, a report suggests.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Japan launches S Korea satellite
Japan completes its first successful commercial launch of a foreign-made satellite early on Friday, marking its entry into the launch business.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Privacy watchdog to meet Google
The French privacy watchdog, acting on behalf of the EU, is to meet Google to scrutinise its controversial privacy policy changes.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Google makes search 'more human'
Google revamps its search engine in an attempt to offer instant answers to search questions with a new function, the Knowledge Graph.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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The Pirate Bay hit by hack attack
File-sharing website The Pirate Bay appears to have been hit by a coordinated hack attack.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Virgin Atlantic allows air calls
Passengers flying Virgin Atlantic from London to New York will soon be able to make in-flight phone calls using personal devices.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Google patents Project Glass design
Search giant Google patents the design of its augmented reality glasses, known as Project Glass.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Jury out in Google Oracle dispute
A jury has retired to consider claims that Google wilfully infringed patents belonging to Java developer Oracle.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Prosthetic retina in development
Scottish scientists are working on a device to restore sight in people with a form of age related blindness.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Iran 'to sue Google' over Gulf
Google is facing legal action for not labelling the body of water separating Iran and neighbouring Arab Gulf states on its map service.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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VIDEO: Why do gadgets keep on breaking?
An investigation into why devices stop working without anything seeming to be wrong with them
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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VIDEO: Does web privacy have a price?
Stopping websites from using tracking software could have serious consequences on the users themselves
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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VIDEO: Facebook founder's new status
The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, updates his status on his own Facebook page to announce he has married long-time girlfriend Priscilla Chan.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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VIDEO: The low-cost tablets battling Apple
LJ Rich takes a look at the low-cost tablets battling Apple's dominance in India.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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VIDEO: Facebook shares see modest debut
Facebook shares ended their first day of trading at $38.23, barely above the company's initial pricing of $38.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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VIDEO: Technology and texting tips for MPs
MPs have had their fingers burned by texting and technology, and may have regretted the odd text or tweet.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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VIDEO: Electric unicycles and other tech news
Honda Motors unveils a new auto-balancing unicycle that can be controlled hands free - and other technology news stories.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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VIDEO: Creative brains imagine a smarter tomorrow
The creative brains studying at the Interactive Telecommunications Program in New York are showcasing their ideas for a smarter tomorrow.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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AUDIO: Taxman targets online traders
HMRC is targetting people who use sites such as eBay and Amazon to sell items online at a profit.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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AUDIO: Tweeting to a planet near you
Why is an artist about to sent tweets into space? Nathaniel Stern, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, and Anu Ojha, Director of the National Space Academy in Leicester, explain.
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Facebook's first female engineer
How the social network’s first female engineer beat old-fashioned views in Silicon Valley
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Asian trading heads for online
The social networks breaking Asia's stock market traditions
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Can Facebook crack China?
Can Facebook crack the Chinese market?
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Tidal power gets a stormy birth
Scotland's latest bid for tidal power
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Is social media changing how we complain?
Has social media shifted balance when making complaints?
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Robotic arm controlled by thought
Paralysed patients control a robotic arm only with their thoughts
BBC News - Technology
~Created Sun May 20 10:00:43 2012
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Claire Hunsaker - The African Laptop Killer: Android And The Developing World
No infrastructure, no electricity. No electricity, no cable lines. No cable lines, no coaxial Internet connection. No coaxial Internet connection, no problem, because this is how, on the continent of Africa, Android and cell phones become the solution, according to Claire Hunsaker. Her mission is to cultivate consumer market within poverty-stricken areas of Kenya by focusing on access to practical data, developing payment systems, and efficient networking utilizing Google's Android operating system.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Martin Taylor - Ubiquitous Voice Over Broadband
Introducing his topic as broadband's ubiquitousness as it applies to telephony, Martin Taylor explores the telephony landscape in the future, as well as the differences between fixed and mobile broadband. He also presents several fundamental elements of phone service, including phone numbers, network applications, and the relationship between the provider and the user; Taylor then explains how these key factors will what providers will successfully grow in the upcoming years.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Shel Israel - ePublishing
Author and tech consultant Shel Israel discusses the issues of publishing in an electronic format. He reviews how he went through the process of preparing his most recent book, Stellar Presentations, for the Amazon Kindle and other devices. In addition, to describing the overall ePublishing concept, he also discusses the various steps necessary to help make an electronic book successful.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Cindy Finnecy - Go Inside the Minds of Over 1,700 CMOs
The position of CMO - Chief Marketing Officer - is a relatively new C-level position that until recently had a reputation as the "hired gun" with a brief tenure. Lately, more rationality and analytics have been brought in to steady the corporate hand. Cindy Finnecy of IBM introduces a study of CMOs' future challenges. CMOs are looking for help in handling data proliferation, social engagement, device choices, shifting demographics, and other factors.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Will Marshall - Android in Space
Can a phone function as a satellite? This is the thoughtfully revolutionary question expounded upon by Will Marshall. Cell phone technology seems to have everything necessary to function successfully in earth orbit but what are the drawbacks, and vulnerabilities? Will Marshall, Staff Scientist at USRA/NASA, talks about them.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Bryan Sykes - A Genetic Biography of America
Dr. Moira Gunn talks with author and geneticist, Bryan Sykes from Oxford University about his working combining history, science, and experience of what it means to be an American.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Bernard Pécoul and Yves Ribeill - The End of Sleep Sickness
Dr. Moira Gunn talks with sleep experts, Bernard Pécoul Executive Director at DNDi and Yves Ribeill, CEO for Scynexis, about their work and the development of a drug for sleeping sickness.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Mark Madsen - The Mythology of Big Data
Can you recall what it feels like when an opportunity is exploding, right in front of you? Like the gold rush in the United States in the 1800's, big data appears to be peaking right now. It certainly has gotten a lot of attention lately, but Mark Masden places it in context in this keynote address. Big data is just another phase of computer science and our use of computers to model, capture, and analyze business processes. Mark emphasizes that we avoid collecting data without a clear vision for its potential.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Joe Karaganis - Copy Culture
Do you remember hearing about the massive opposition to SOPA and ACTA? It was a surprising show of unity, and helped temporarily defeat these efforts. Joe Karaganis has been studying global copyright infringement. In a recent report, Joe explains why "piracy" is too easy to stop. He also describes a global problem where less developed countries are prohibited from gaining access to information. In response, he recommends establishing "shadow libraries" to help students everywhere.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Rom Brafman - The Six Principles of High Achievement
Dr. Moira Gunn chats with author and psychologist, Rom Brafman about his new book, Succeeding When You're Supposed to Fail and the 6 principles of high achievement.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Chris Molloy - Personalized Precision Medicine
Dr. Moria Gunn talks about the trend of building a global medical team in order to make better health care decisions with IDBS' Vice President of Corporate Development, Chris Molloy.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Brad Garlinghouse, Tony Conrad, and Jason Shellen - David, Meet Goliath: Infusing Startup Culture
In the early years of the Internet, many of the leading companies were startups. Now they employ thousands of people, but as they've grown, they've become less risky. With growing demands to meet expectations, companies must remain innovative. Two common strategies are: (a) buying a startup with innovative products and people; (b) establishing organizational structures that replicate the culture and attitudes of a technology startup. In this panel discussion, executives from AOL discuss their experiences keeping the startup spirit alive.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Sascha Meinrath - The Battle for Communications Justice: An Open Spectrum Manifesto
Broadband is still relatively cost-prohibitive, and New America Foundation's Sascha Meinrath has a solution. Rather than having carriers provide all bandwidth for customers, the online market is heading towards a model where apps and data are based on free delivery concepts with pre-loaded bandwidth paid for by the advertiser. Describing the hypothetical and, he says, probably inevitable future of apps, Meinrath discusses the possibilities of content providers paying for select bandwidth in order to ensure large-scale access.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Linda Bernardi - Innovation in a Global Culture of Disruption
Dr. Moira Gunn talks with author and entrepreneur, Linda Bernardi about the her new book Provoke, where she discusses new insights on female entrepreneurs and the steps to forgetting the past.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Eric Ries - The Lean Startup: Lessons Learned
Remember what publishing was like before the Internet? Many do; many still wish publishing was like it was before computers. Surely, publishing has irrevocably changed. In Eric Ries' mind, publishing has now joined the leagues of music and film, and become a software industry. In this keynote, Eric shares an analogy where he compares publishing a book to entrepreneurship. Eric describes how he approached the publication of his own book and ends with a lean startup recipe for any content producer.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Joichi Ito - Innovation in Open Networks and the Media Lab
With the vision of making it a center for research in a variety of areas, MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte founded the MIT Media Lab in 1985. Joichi Ito, the new director at the MIT Media Lab, spoke during the recently held Web 2.0 Expo. Ito discusses how 'The power of Pull' is changing the internet world and talks about the diverse set of innovations coming out of the Media Lab.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Brady Forrest - Brady Forrest Opens Where 2012
Has the latest iPhone changed everything? Will Google Maps lose market share to OpenStreetMap? Which social-mobile start-ups will survive? These questions set the stage as the Where 2012 conference starts to cover breakthroughs in social-mobile. Brady Forrest, the Program Chair for O'Reilly's Where 2012 conference in San Francisco, shares how he has seen location-based technology evolve. In this one-on-one interview, Forrest points to anticipated announcements from speakers at power players like Facebook and Google Earth.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Eric Bakkan, Sandra Sassow, Christophe Williams - Need, Speed, and Greed & the UK's Clean and Cool Mission
In these segments, Moira first speaks with Vijay Vaitheeswaran, author of Need, Spped, and Greed, on how the new rules of innovation can transform businesses, propel Nations to greatness, and tame the world's most wicked problems. She then speaks with a delegation from the UK's Clean and Cool Mission.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Mike Riley - Programming Your Home
One of the great benefits of the ability to use mobile devices to accomplish many tasks is the ability to take control of your home. Author and developer Mike Riley discusses his book Programming Your Home. He reviews how one can interact with lighting, remotely monitor home security, and many other actions. He reviews the technical aspects of setting up both the sensors and mobile devices to take advantage of the technology. He also reviews specific examples and reviews how he used the Android in particular for his work.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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Bob Lee - 10 Innovations in 10 Minutes
Presenting ten key features of the Android in less than ten minutes, Square Inc.'s Bob Lee discusses key innovations that Android has had since the beginning. With themes from individual multi-tasking to global corporate use, as well as some background into the creation of the platform, Bob Lee quickly and clearly summarizes the best of what Android has to offer.
IT Conversations
~Created Sun May 20 09:24:34 2012
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