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| 1 |  AFP - Microsoft unveils a new mobile phone operating system on Monday in what is being seen as a potentially make-or-break effort by the US software giant to remain a player in the hotly competitive niche. Yahoo! News: Personal Technology » | | 2 |  Digital Trends - Some phone manufacturers have come under heat lately for being lazy when it comes to Android upgrades. Users ГўВЂВ“ especially those who own Samsung devices ГўВЂВ“ have been losing patience waiting for Froyo. But a post on the Android developerГўВЂВ™s blog claims that 50 percent of devices out there are finally running on 2.2. Yahoo! News: Personal Technology » | | 3 | Like any proud parent, Google is touting the success of its offspring, Android. And, as the Android mobile operating system heads toward its third birthday, it's about to get a new nickname -- Ice Cream Sandwich.
The company noted at the Google I/O conference that, at a little more than two years old, Android is now on 100 million devices, representing more than 310 different models, with 400,000 devices activated every day. Google also pointed out that 200,000 free and paid applications are now available through its Android Market, and 4.5 billion apps have been downloaded and installed.
Android@Home for Appliances
Android's versions have long been given nicknames of desserts. For Ice Cream Sandwich, Google has high hopes: A single operating system that works across multiple mobile devices. It's expected to be released by the fourth quarter, and, among other things, is said to include technology for greater software personalization.
Other companies have been moving in the direction of one operating system for many devices. Apple's iOS, for instance, works on its iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and Hewlett-Packard's webOS runs on a similar diversity of form factors.
Google also announced Android Open Accessory, which will help developers create new hardware interaction for Android devices. As one example, Google previewed Android@Home, through which Android apps can work with consumer appliances and other devices.
Music Beta is a new service from the software giant that was unveiled Tuesday. It allows a user to upload a music collection to the cloud, and then stream songs to a computer or Android devices. Playlists are automatically kept in sync between devices, and a feature called Instant Mix can create a playlist of songs that sound right together. Music can also be played offline, since the music most recently heard gets automatically stored on an Android device.
Tungsten, Movies
Project Tungsten is... newsfactor.com » | | 4 | A computer that's all about the browser. That's Google's newest vision for enterprises as it unveiled this week two new Chromebooks that will soon be on the market.
The machines were shown at the Google I/O developers conference, currently taking place in San Francisco. Samsung and Acer are each releasing a model next month based on Google's cloud-oriented Chrome operating system.
Boot Time, Updates, Security
Google pointed out that Chromebooks can boot "in eight seconds and resume instantly," are always connected via Wi-Fi and 3G, and provide the same experience regardless of which Chromebook you use. This is because all apps, documents and settings are stored in the cloud.
The company said other advantages include automatic updates, and "the first consumer operating system designed from the ground up to defend against the ongoing threat of malware and viruses."
At the conference, Senior Vice President of Chrome Sundar Pichai called the operating system "a new model of computing that I don't think was possible previously, even a few years ago." That model means forgetting about storing files or apps on your computer, since everything is in the cloud.
Google sees a key market for Chromebooks in businesses that emphasize managed computing. Beginning June 15, when the models will be sold in the U.S. and several European countries, businesses can rent Chromebooks for $28 per user per month. This includes the computer, administration over the web, enterprise support, warranty and hardware replacement when the subscription is up.
'Emptying the Guts'
A comparable subscription model is available to schools and governments for $20 per user per month. Google Apps would be extra. Purchase prices, from Amazon.com or Best Buy, start at $349 for Acer's model and $429 for Samsung's.
Industry observers have mixed reactions to the idea of cloud-only computing. Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst with industry research firm Forrester, said that,... newsfactor.com » | | 5 | More than a year after Apple Inc. released the iPad, the search for a credible challenger to the market-changing tablet computer is still on.
Devices running Microsoft's Windows haven't found much interest. Nor, surprisingly, have gadgets running Google's Android software, even though that operating system now leads the smartphone market. And Hewlett-Packard's TouchPad has yet to hit store shelves.
Now BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. is throwing its hat in the ring in the form of a 7-inch tablet called the PlayBook.
The PlayBook represents a major departure for RIM. The device is one of the first produced by the company that's not a handset. What's more, the PlayBook's user interface and operating system are completely different from those running on its BlackBerrys. And, at least right now, the PlayBook can't run any of the apps designed for those devices.
These changes are largely positive ones. The BlackBerry operating system feels like yesteryear's technology compared with Android and Apple's iOS. It was designed for devices with keyboards running text-centric applications such as email and messaging, not for touch-screen devices running video or the multimedia apps that many consumers use on smartphones these days.
In contrast, the PlayBook operating system feels much sleeker. It's made for a touch-screen device, allowing users to easily scroll Web pages, launch apps and switch between applications with the swipe of a finger.
The PlayBook's flat, rectangular shape and plastic back won't win any design awards. But the design is utilitarian, slender and largely functional, making the device much more compelling than most recent BlackBerrys.
But its power button is so tiny it's hard to depress with normal-size fingers.
The PlayBook has a beautiful, high-resolution screen that contains almost as many pixels as the iPad's, even though it's more than 2 inches shorter on the diagonal. Videos looked great on it.
Apple CEO Steve... newsfactor.com » | | 6 | Earthquakes. PlayStation hacks. Call it a double whammy -- and it's wreaking havoc on Sony's expected earnings. In a year when Sony thought it would perform strong, the Japanese consumer electronics maker is suddenly facing losses.
Sony on Monday revised its consolidated results forecast for the fiscal year ended March 31. The good news is that Sony expects sales, operating revenue, and operating income to be in line with its February forecast despite the impact of the earthquake in Japan. The bad news is that Sony will bleed $3.2 billion of operating profit and miss its annual earnings forecast in the wake of the earthquake.
"The earnings drop preannouncement seems oversized and really highlights the exposure that cloud services have to hacker proclivities," said Al Hilwa, a program manager at IDC. "We have seen that viruses in the past have seriously impacted licensed software, but the impact on revenues is typically long-term and much less acute compared to these network outages."
Supply-Chain Interruptions
Sony also expects to take a hit on incremental expenses related to the earthquake, including restoration costs for sites damaged by the disaster. Sony figures it will spend 11 billion yen, or $134 million, to fix buildings, machinery and equipment as well as inventories. However, insurance should cover most of those costs.
"Our supply chain was significantly damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. In addition to direct damages, component-procurement conditions and power outages are also affecting our operation," said Masaru Kato, executive vice president and CFO of Sony.
"We have spent the time until last week investigating the conditions of recovery from this damage and reviewing our business plan whilst taking our new forecast into account, which has resulted in today's announcement. It has taken some time to reevaluate our business plan to include the impact of the earthquake, and this is one... newsfactor.com » | | 7 | Just a few years ago, getting email on your mobile phone was a special trick of the Blackberry, a device/status symbol reserved for high-powered executives.
Nowadays any smartphone can pull in email messages. Apple's iPhone and smartphones running Google's Android operating system are now the biggest players on the market. Yet many people still gladly give BlackBerry their business. "The company's been written off as finished numerous times, but it's positioned itself perfectly in its niche," says mobile phone expert Mark Waechter.
Not unlike Apple, BlackBerry's maker -- the Canadian firm RIM (Research in Motion) -- offers hardware and software from one source. "By developing both the hardware and software, we can ensure that device and software work together as efficiently and as trouble-free as possible," says Chris Coppess, RIM's director of technical development.
BlackBerry's operating system is built on the Java platform. The software was originally designed solely for input using a keyboard and a trackball as a mouse substitute. When the latest version of the operating system, BlackBerry OS6, was released last year, it added support for multi-touch screens. The company released several devices that are touch sensitive and can be controlled using multiple fingers.
BlackBerry continues gingerly to make adjustments to the touchscreen world. The switch is still a work in progress, warns Carolina Milanesi, the mobile phone expert for market research consultants Gartner. RIM is avoiding an overly rapid change of course so that it doesn't alienate its existing customers.
"BlackBerry is trying to do a tight-rope walk between its old positioning in the business world and the desires of the new smartphone clientele," explains Waechter, who serves as director of the working group on mobile phones for the German Association of the Digital Economy.
There are currently more than 25,000 applications in the BlackBerry App World -- compared with more than... newsfactor.com » | | 8 |  TAIPEI/PALOS VERDES, California (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp showed off a version of its next operating system at technology conferences in the United States and Taipei, as some PC makers grumbled over restrictions on their involvement in the development of the system.
Reuters: Internet News » | | 9 | TAIPEI/PALOS VERDES, California (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp showed off a version of its next operating system at technology conferences in the United States and Taipei, as some PC makers grumbled over restrictions on their involvement in the development of the system.
Reuters: Internet News » | | 10 | Google took two years to work out the concept for its Chrome operating system. Now the first Chromebook -- from Samsung -- is out. It's fast and secure, but it doesn't offer all the functions of today's laptops -- and it can do next to nothing without Internet access.
But there are bright spots too. For instance: boot-up time. A Windows laptop can take two or three minutes until it's ready to run. It's a whole different story with the Samsung Chromebook: it takes nine seconds from pressing the start button until the login window pops up. Only two more seconds elapse after the password is entered.
It takes about the same amount of time for the netbook to make a wi-fi Internet connection, pulling up the web-based user interface.
Things go even faster -- a total of three seconds -- when it's time for the Chromebook to wake up from standby and re-establish its wi-fi connection. That's a feat so far only mastered by laptops like the MacBook Air, which has an SSD hard drive. But those SSD-enabled laptops usually cost twice the 400 euros (561 dollars) asked for the Samsung device.
The operating system is key to the speed. Most laptops using either a Windows or Mac OS system open multiple layers of the system, as well as components and programs during start up, creating the impression that the process takes an eternity.
Meanwhile, the Chromebook, at its core, is just a Linux operating system and the Chrome browser. Programs like email clients, word processors, spreadsheets, games or photo processing programs are not stored on the computer, but accessed via the browser as web services.
For working while online, Google has made available its reliable suite of web applications, including Gmail, Calendar and a series of apps like Google Docs. But users are not... newsfactor.com » | | 11 | Apple released the fifth beta iteration of its upcoming iOS 5 to developers during the weekend. Like the fourth version, the latest beta operating system is available as an over-the-air download.
But the big question is how are the features progressing? Some reports suggest there is not much new compared to the fourth beta, except for a new Hearing Aid Mode that's designed into the accessibility options of the mobile OS. Mostly, it's just fixes and refinements.
"Apple already gave us the broad outline for iOS 5 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. It's a big operating system update. Apple does a major overhaul of its OS once a year," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. "Apple showed off 10 major features and claimed there were hundreds of additional features hidden away. I am sure we are going to be seeing more about that ahead."
iOS 5 Preview
Indeed, Apple's iOS 5 will include more than 200 new features for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users when it rolls out this fall. Some are speculating that the new operating system will debut on the iPhone 5 in September, but Apple hasn't confirmed that.
Some of the features Apple announced in June include Notification Center, a new way to view and manage notifications in one place, and iMessage, a new messaging service that lets users send text messages, photos and videos between iOS devices.
With digital publishing in mind, iOS 5 will also offer a feature called Newsstand, a new way to purchase and organize newspaper and magazine subscriptions. And with the new PC Free feature, iOS 5 users can activate and set up an iOS device right out of the box and get software updates over the air with no computer required.
There are also, of course, cloud features. With iOS 5 and... newsfactor.com » | | 12 | Experienced Macintosh users are already used to it -- every two years Apple updates its Mac OS X operating system. But whereas the Mac OS X Snow Leopard in 2009 was really just a maintenance update without any spectacular changes, the company has taken a big step forward with Mac OS X Lion.
Apple based their new system on some of the ideas from the successful iOS mobile system from the iPad. Similarly to the iPad, Mac users can now navigate with a series of gestures. The new operating system also adopted the iOS methods for easy saving of files and dealing with emails. The German Press Agency dpa took a look at the new operating system.
Apple took a new approach starting straight away with the installation of the system onto a Mac with the previous OS Snow Leopard. The new Lion system can be purchased for just under 24 euro (34 dollars) in the Mac App Store. Apple allows installation onto as many Macs as desired in one household. Those who do not have a broadband Internet connection to comfortably download the 3.6 GB file can purchase a USB stick featuring the Lion OS from Apple for 59 euro.
A second major change is clear shortly after the installation as Apple has switched the scrolling direction. Until now, window contents are shifted up by pulling the scroll bar in a downward motion or pulling the scrolling wheel towards your hand. It is just the opposite with Lion -- similar to the logic used with the iPad. But you get used to the new logical movements quickly. Traditionalists or users who also work with a Windows PC and do not want to continually re-think their actions between the two systems can change the settings in Lion to work in the usual manner.
Apple... newsfactor.com » | | 13 | Microsoft is rolling out the digital red carpet for the full Windows 8 unveiling next month the company's developer conference.
Windows boss Steven Sinofsky recently posted the first item in the "Building Windows 8" blog (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/), where his team will "begin an open dialog" with beta testers who will start using the software in the coming months.
Sinofsky said the new operating system "reimagines Windows for a new generation of computing devices, and will be the very best operating system for hundreds of millions of PCs, new and old, used by well over a billion people globally."
He didn't reveal much about the company's new flagship product but promised to share more details about its features "in the next few weeks."
The timing disclosed in the blog is the biggest news -- the feature disclosures indicate the new operating system is nearly done, and the beta testing comment tracks with expectations that a test version will be released at or shortly after the Build Windows conference starting Sept. 13 in Anaheim.
The blog is an updated version of the one Sinofsky produced ahead of the Windows 7 release (it began on Aug. 17, 2008). This time there's also a companion Twitter feed -- @BuildWindows8.
The new blog is apparently also intended to address frustration with the slow dribble of information about the software that will be the cornerstone of the PC industry for much of the next decade.
Sinofsky explained the approach to disclosure:
"We've heard people express frustration over how little we've communicated so far about Windows 8. We've certainly learned lessons over the years about the perils of talking about features before we have a solid understanding of our ability to execute.
"Our intent with this pre-release blog is to make sure that we have a reasonable degree of confidence in what we talk about, before we... newsfactor.com » | | 14 | Since Google announced its plans to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion on Monday, analysts, stockholders and developers have been discussing the implications, and the talk hasn't slowed as the weekend nears. Speculation has included the winners and losers in the deal; a closed Android operating system; and how the deal ultimately helps Microsoft.
Let's start with Google's motives for the purchase. While many analysts point to Moto's patent portfolio, Tina Teng, a senior wireless analyst at IHS, suggested Motorola's product-development capabilities may have made it an attractive target for Google.
"Motorola has been closely following Google Android's operating-system release schedule," Teng said. "Whenever Google releases a new version of Android, Motorola almost immediately has a device ready with the latest revision of the software, reflecting the company's prodigious product-development capabilities."
Beyond Smartphones
Teng noted how Google previously has used new HTC and Samsung products to demonstrate the latest capabilities of the Android operating system. For example, the HTC MyTouch and Samsung Nexus S served to show off the operating systems' capabilities so other OEMs could follow the example. If the Federal Trade Commission approves the acquisition, Motorola will become the company to set the example.
"Motorola can serve as Google's product R&D department as Android spreads into new markets," Teng added. "Motorola has engineering expertise in a wide range of products where Android will be used, including set-top boxes and televisions. The addition of Motorola's engineering and intellectual property will accelerate Android's time-to-market in these areas and potentially revitalize the Google TV business, which so far has met with little success."
Indeed, Google CEO Larry Page hinted at possibilities beyond smartphones in his Monday blog posting. Specifically, he noted how Motorola is a market leader in the home-devices and video-solutions businesses.
"With the transition to Internet Protocol, we are excited to work together with Motorola... newsfactor.com » | | 15 | As it struggles to gain ground in the mobile market, Microsoft has apparently reached a milestone of more than 30,000 applications in its Windows Phone Marketplace.
As of Tuesday morning, the website WindowsPhoneAppsList.com, a light version of the French site monsmartphone.com, devoted to Windows Phone, offered 30,133 apps for browsing, with 4,542 apps removed for unspecified reasons by the Marketplace.
Fast Growing
The news comes less than a year after the software giant launched its updated operating system to replace its Windows Mobile platform in October 2010, with the accompanying Marketplace.
The tally still falls far short of Google's Android Market, which has over 250,000 apps, and Apple's App Store, which has more than 300,000.
Microsoft is now betting big on its alliance with Finland-based Nokia to try to stem the domination of Apple's iPhone and Google's Android-based devices in the mobile market.
The first Nokia device powered by Windows Phone 7 is expected to be the Sea Ray, introduced by Nokia CEO Stephen Elop in June, with an unspecified release date later this year. It will run Mango, the most recent update of the operating system.
Surveys have shown apps are one of the most important considerations by customers when choosing a phone. A recent study by Nielsen, for example, found that Android users access the Internet 67 percent of the time through apps, compared with 33 percent of the time using browsers.
But while a rich selection of apps to add practicality and fun to Windows phones is important, it isn't the only ingredient needed to boost the platform.
It's All About the OS
"Regardless of the number of apps, its all about the operating system and how robust, intuitive and easy to use the next generation Microsoft/Nokia devices will be," said wireless analyst Kirk Parsons of J.D. Power and Associates.
The level of developer interest in... newsfactor.com » | | 16 |  Введение
Доброго всем времени суток!
Осваивая в очередной раз просторы Хабра, заметил, что здесь практически нет информации о Robotic Operating System (далее просто ROS). Поспешу исправить эту оплошность и популяризовать замечательный продукт.
Что же это такое? ROS представляет собой надстройку над ОС, которая позволяет легко и просто разрабатывать системы управления роботами. Что это означает и как с этим потом жить — и призвана рассказать серия топиков.
По сути, ROS — это набор из различных широко (и неочень) известных библиотек, таких как:
OpenCV — библиотека, содержащая алгоритмы компьютерного зрения и обработки изображений;
PCL- библиотека для работы с облаками 3D-точек;
Ogre — объектно-ориентированный графический движок с открытым исходным кодом;
Orocos — библиотека для управления роботами (например, расчет кинематики).
Также в ROS входят драйвера для различных манипуляторов и сенсоров (включая MS Kinect). Читать дальше → habrahabr.ru » | | 17 | You won't typically read about a product in this column many months ahead of its presumed launch. But when that product, however early, is the next version of Windows -- and so radically different from the familiar operating system software used by a billion people each day -- it's never too soon to take an inside look.
Microsoft unveiled the developer preview version of Windows 8, the code name for its latest operating system, this week at its Build conference. Though it is way too premature for Microsoft to announce specifics on pricing or availability for Windows 8, I was provided a Samsung test tablet computer loaded with Windows 8, and the touch-friendly software got me jazzed. Even as a fan of Windows 7, I can't remember ever saying that I was jazzed by a Microsoft operating system.
Indeed, my first impressions are so favorable that even Apple should be on alert. But the rosy outlook for Windows 8 comes with all sorts of caveats. First, this isn't a review so much as an early look. There's a lot that has to happen between now and when consumers finally get their hands on Windows 8, probably some time in 2012. And Microsoft by no means revealed everything. I haven't been able to load any of my own software on the test machine or try it with a printer. None of the legacy programs, such as Microsoft Office, were loaded on the computer, though Microsoft insists that all the programs that work on Windows 7 will work even better on Windows 8.
You start to notice the dramatic turn in Windows from the very start -- even before you get to the newly designed Start screen. At your option, you can log in with a picture password, instead of the standard typed password, by... newsfactor.com » | | 18 | Research In Motion just announced two new BlackBerry 7-powered smartphones: the Bold 9790 and the Curve 9380. The phones both offer RIM's latest innovations in communications, multimedia, productivity and social connectivity.
The Bold 9790 takes a hybrid approach with a high-resolution touchscreen and a tactile keyboard. With the Bold 9790, RIM offers a narrow design that aims to make the smartphone easier to carry and comfortable to hold. The phone has a 1 GHz processor for fast loading of web pages and apps. The device also offers 8 GB of onboard memory and a memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage.
The Curve 9380 becomes the first in its family to offer a touch display. The Curve models offer a larger display than other BlackBerry lines. It features a 3.2inch display and a 5-megapixel camera with flash and video recording. Both phones will be available in the coming weeks, but how much of an impact the devices will make on RIM's bottom line is questionable.
OS 7 Not Truly New?
RIM is hoping its BlackBerry 7 operating system will help it regain market share. The new operating system offers improved browsing, voice-activated searches, and support for Augmented Reality and near-field communications (NFC). It also lets users manage personal content separately from corporate content, and comes with a variety of personal and productivity apps out of the box.
"The challenge is that OS 7 really is the same as OS 6 which is really the same as OS 5, which to a large degree is the same as the BlackBerry operating system you had 10 years ago," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. "North American consumers are looking for more than just the ability to have a touchscreen, they are looking for a user interface that was designed from... newsfactor.com » | | 19 | Nokia and Microsoft are both banking on the new Lumia 800 to provide them with a big comeback in the smartphone market, currently dominated by Android devices and Apple's iPhone.
The fact that two global market leaders -- Nokia has seen its market lead cut by Android and Apple, while Microsoft operates the world's premier PC operating system, while failing so far to crack the smartphone market -- have tied up so much hope in one device is reason enough to give it a close look.
Nokia announced in February that it was switching to Windows Phone as the operating system for its smartphones. The Lumia 800 is the first fruit of that partnership.
It is a purely Windows device. Controls and functions are identical to smartphones using the system, like those from HTC or LG. But the Lumia is supposed to get a boost from its design, its camera and Nokia's navigation service.
Nokia will have to deal with the fact that, just this summer, it released its first, and likely last, smartphone using the MeeGo operating system, developed in collaboration with Intel: the N9.
The Lumia 800 looks identical to the N9. It has a seamless polycarbonate housing with rounded corners, meaning it sits better in the user's hand. Connections for earphones and a mini-USB device are hidden under a plastic lid along the top side. Next to that is the dock for a micro SIM.
It comes in classic black, light blue and bright pink. The screen is also slightly arched and merged into the housing, keeping with the overall feel of the device. Measuring 3.7 inches (9.4 centimeters) diagonally, it has a resolution of 800 X 480 pixels.
Despite bright colors, that means the Lumia's display is significantly less defined than the display of the iPhone 4, with its 960 X 640 pixels.
Its... newsfactor.com » | | 20 | The saga of Research In Motion can only be described as a comedy of errors. In the latest installment, a federal judge has ordered the company to change the name of its new BBX operating system.
The preliminary injunction was issued because of a trademark dispute. Basis International Ltd., based in New Mexico, claimed to have had a trademark to BBX software for more than a quarter century. While the federal order applies only to a developers conference taking place this week in Singapore, RIM announced it would go ahead and change the name of BBX, which was first unveiled in October, to BlackBerry 10.
'Same Class of Consumers'
The company said in a statement that it doesn't typically comment on pending litigation, but that it has "unveiled a brand new name for its next generation mobile platform." BlackBerry 10 will now be "the official name of the next generation platform that will power future BlackBerry smartphones."
BlackBerry 10 smartphones will go on sale in 2012, and will be a critical component in the company's attempt to get back on track. Originally scheduled for the early part of next year, the release is now expected for the third or fourth quarter.
In its statement, Basis said that, "despite the fact that the two companies are not direct competitors, the parties' respective BBX products are highly related and target the same class of consumers, that is, business application software developers."
BBX was the name RIM gave to the QNX operating system, which it acquired when it bought the developer in 2010. Under pressure to update its operating system to compete with the fast-moving competition offered by Apple's iOS and Google's Android, it launched the QNX-based PlayBook tablet in the spring of this year.
But the PlayBook has not done well. Reportedly, only about 900,000 have been sold,... newsfactor.com » | | 21 | Apple Inc. on Thursday released a developer preview of an update for the Mac operating system, dubbed "Mountain Lion," that will copy more features and apps from the iPhone and iPad to the Mac.
Apple said the new software will be on sale this summer, a year after it released the latest update, "Lion." The preview version will help software developers make products that take advantage of the new features of the operating system.
Mountain Lion will include Game Center, an iPhone app which stores high game scores and helps users find opponents. It will be integrated with iCloud, the new Internet storage service designed for the mobile devices.
The new Messages app, also copied from the mobile operating system, will replace iChat. Lion users can download a preview version of the app for free.
A new Notification Center will show alerts from email and calendar programs, just like on the iPhone.
Apple started the trend of making its Mac operating system more like its phone and tablet operating system, iOS, with the release of Lion. It borrowed phone features like a screen that shows all installed apps, and expanded the range of gestures that can be used to control a MacBook through the touchpad.
The Cupertino, California-based company sells Lion for $30. It didn't say what Mountain Lion would cost.
Apple has been growing Mac sales in a nearly stagnant PC market, but the sales aren't growing as fast as those of the iPhone. In 2010, iPhone sales overtook those of Macs for the first time.
Apple has been using the names of big cats to differentiate its OS versions since 2001.
Microsoft Corp. is set to release Windows 8 later this year, and a preview version is already in developer hands. It, too, will be borrowing features from phone software, and one version of the operating system... newsfactor.com » | | 22 | Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox Web browser, says it wants to take on Google and Apple in the smartphone arena with an operating system it thinks is better.
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the non-profit organization announced it has created a new smartphone platform called "Boot to Gecko."
Major European cellphone carrier Telefonica has already said it wants to sell devices using the operating system, CNN reported.
Between them, Google and Apple hold a combined 77 percent share of the U.S. smartphone market, with other operating systems -- from BlackBerry and Nokia and even Microsoft -- far behind.
Mozilla says what's different about its platform is that it's really not a new platform at all: it's the Web, plain and simple.
"Developers aren't willing to rewrite all their apps for yet another proprietary system," Brendan Eich, Mozilla's chief technology officer, said. "That's why there won't be another successful custom operating system after iOS and Android.
"So the next logical step is to make the Web an OS."
A Web-based OS would offer significant benefits, experts said.
Web apps are platform agnostic, meaning they can run on an iPhone, an Android, a BlackBerry, a Windows Phone, or -- now -- a Boot to Gecko device.
A user switching phones wouldn't lose apps, they would travel with the user apps.
And Web apps are attractive to developers, who can write one version of their program and have it work on every device.
"Everything in Boot to Gecko is optimized for the browser," Todd Simpson, Mozilla's innovation chief, said.
"Boot to Gecko is the first truly open Web platform," he said. newsfactor.com » | | 23 | While the launch of the new iPad is grabbing headlines worldwide this month, its chief software rival, Android by Google, is also undergoing a series of sharp changes that have not been heralded as widely.
Google's strategy -- to develop the same operating system software that every phone and tablet maker could share and create a uniform experience for users -- has largely worked.
Android is quickly becoming one of the most popular operating systems, embraced by some of the largest smartphone makers worldwide.
Samsung, Motorola and HTC, among others, have embraced the Linux-based software for their phones, customizing it a little, adding a few apps and offering competition to the popular iPhone.
But with so many cooks in the kitchen, Android was bound to run into communication hiccups stemming from inevitable changes and upgrades by wireless carriers and manufacturers.
Google, which developed Android, released the latest version late last year, somewhat whimsically called Ice Cream Sandwich. (Google names all Android versions after desserts.)
"What plagues the Android ecosystem is the lack of consistency," says Richard Shim of NPD Group's DisplaySearch. "That spells consumer experience that is less than ideal. It's difficult to navigate, and frankly, (something) consumers shouldn't have to deal with."
If you're an Android novice, here are some questions to ponder as you look to update your phone.
Q: What version of the Android operating system is on my phone?
A: If your phone is less than 2 years old, chances are that it's running on an OS called Gingerbread, which was introduced in late 2010. Google says about 60% of Android phones are using Gingerbread.
A much smaller percentage of users also has Froyo or Eclair phones, the versions that preceded Gingerbread.
Less than 2% of the phones currently used run on Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich.
Q: Do Android tablets run on the same... newsfactor.com » | | 24 | Nineteen technology companies have announced plans to become Platinum and Gold members of the new, independent OpenStack Foundation, which will manage and house the OpenStack open-source cloud operating system. The companies include AT&T, Canonical, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, RackSpace, Red Hat, Cisco, Dell and Yahoo.
The members plan on providing technical and financial support to the foundation, as well as supporting the OpenStack concept.
More than 150 Companies
Jonathan Bryce, a member of the OpenStack Project Policy Board and co-founder of the Rackspace Cloud, said in a statement accompanying the announcement that, "in less than two years, we've had five software releases from hundreds of contributors from more than 50 companies." He added that the cloud operating system has grown in that time from two core projects to five, focused on computing, storage, and networking.
The foundation is now in the process of forming a drafting committee to create the bylaws, which will be offered for community review. The intent is to have them ready for ratification by third quarter.
OpenStack is an open-source platform and software for building public and private clouds. It currently has support from more than 150 companies, over 2,600 project participants worldwide, and has been downloaded more than 100,000 times.
It is designed to allow businesses to manage computing, storage and networking resources in the cloud through a self-service portal and APIs that are used on standard hardware, in a massively scalable cloud operating system.
In summer of 2010, hosting provider Rackspace announced it was opening the code for its cloud infrastructure, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said it would provide its Nebula cloud technology to the initiative.
Nebula was an open-source cloud computing project and service for providing an alternative to additional data centers for NASA scientists and engineers. It was first developed in 2008 at the NASA... newsfactor.com » | | 25 | In what deserves recognition as one of the technology trials of the century, Google is maintaining it didn't trespass on Oracle's intellectual property rights when it developed the Android operating system.
Google offered up its defense in a San Francisco federal court on Tuesday during a trial with potentially dramatic implications for the mobile operating system maker. Oracle is charging both copyright and patent infringement and wants Google to shell out $1 billion in damages.
Oracle also wants the court to block Google from distributing the open-source Android operating system without paying Oracle licensing fees. Oracle argued on Monday that Google recognized the need to license Java, which Oracle acquired when it bought Sun in 2010, in order to make Android work. Google vehemently disagrees.
Incriminating E-Mails?
"Google didn't need a license to use the Java language in Android," Bloomberg quoted Robert Van Nest, an attorney for Google, as telling the jury on Tuesday. But Oracle pulled out some potentially incriminating evidence against Google right out of the legal gates on Monday.
Oracle attorney Michael Jacobs showed the jury e-mails that he argued showed clearly how Googlers were working to disclose the fact that they were using Java code to develop Android. The October 2005 e-mail was from Google senior vice president Andy Rubin and said, "My proposal is that we take the license."
Another e-mail from February 2006 featured Google engineer Tim Lindholm explaining that the company was negotiating with Sun for a Java license. But there was a hitch. Google apparently didn't agree to the terms. The e-mail said, "You have to give back to the open source community."
Android's Woes
There's plenty that is not yet known about the facts of the case, and it's rare for two tech titans of this magnitude to actually litigate. We asked Michael Disabato, managing vice president... newsfactor.com » |
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