Joystiq: Resident Evil 6 announced by Capcom, arriving November 20 on 360/PS3 with PC version later
January 20, 2012
January 19, 2012
Microsoft’s ‘Entertainment and Devices Devision’
Microsoft Q2 2012 (October 2011-December 2011) Earnings Report
The Entertainment & Devices Division posted revenue of $4.24 billion, an increase of 15% from the prior period. The Xbox 360 installed base now totals approximately 66 million consoles and 18 million Kinect sensors. Xbox LIVE now has 40 million members worldwide, an increase of 33% from the prior year period.
Walt Mossberg on the Nokia Lumia 710
Walt Mossberg: Talk Is Cheap and Reliable on Nokia’s $50 Phone
After a week of testing the Lumia 710, my verdict is that it’s a good value for the money, and a good choice for people moving up to their first smartphone, or those looking for an alternative to Android and Apple. It has some notable weaknesses and drawbacks, and it doesn’t compare with the iPhone 4S or elite Android models like the Samsung Galaxy S II. But it’s a decent phone that gets the most common smartphone tasks done.
Mossberg is an admitted lover of Apple products; it’ll be interesting to see what he thinks of the higher-end Nokia Lumia 900 in a few months.
January 18, 2012
The Oatmeal and SOPA
Just great.
January 14, 2012
PC sales saw a slump in 2011
All Things D: 2011 Was the Second-Worst Year for U.S. PC Sales in History, Except at Apple
Year-over-year shipments (IDC)
- HP: -5 percent
- Dell: -8 percent
- Acer: -30 percent
- Toshiba: +1 percent
- Apple: +16 percent
January 13, 2012
Xbox sees big 2011
All Things D: Xbox Accounted for 40 Percent of All Videogame Sales in 2011
According to NPD data released today, about $6.7 billion, or 40 percent of consumer retail spending, was spent on the Xbox, breaking down into two categories: $2.1 billion on consoles and $4.6 billion on games.
iPad 3 to have higher-res display, LTE connectivity
Bloomberg: iPad 3 Said to Have High-Def Screen, LTE
Bloomberg claims that the iPad 3 will have a quad-core CPU and a resolution with “more pixels on its screen than some high- definition televisions” with production ramping up in February. The source goes on to add that the iPad 3 is likely to have LTE connectivity, adding credence to the LTE iPhone rumors.
Congressman violates his own SOPA bill
Boing Boing: Congressman who wrote SOPA is a copyright violator
I do not see anywhere on the screen capture that you have provided that the image was attributed to the source (me). So my conclusion would be that Lamar Smith’s organization did improperly use my image. So according to the SOPA bill, should it pass, maybe I could petition the court to take action against www.texansforlamarsmith.com.
Oh, the irony.
January 12, 2012
Android isn’t free
More than 70 percent of all Android smartphones sold in the U.S. are now receiving coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio.
By my rough calculations, Microsoft is making a lot of money from Android.
January 09, 2012
The Nokia Lumia 900
Engadget: Nokia Lumia 900 official: 4.3-inch ClearBlack AMOLED, 4G LTE, exclusive to AT&T
The Europe-only Nokia Lumia 800 has been getting overwhelmingly positive reviews, and the Lumia 900 looks to do nothing less but carry on where its predecessor left off. Frankly, I’m very excited to get my hands on one.
The Motorola path to Android 4.0
Ice Cream Sandwich Update
DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX are powered by the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network and run on Android™ 2.3.5 Gingerbread, to be upgraded to Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The DROID XYBOARD tablets will also be upgraded to Android 4.0. Both DROID smartphones will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com in the coming weeks.
In other words, the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade is going to be available a really long time from now.
Sprint Galaxy Nexus comes with Google Wallet
The Verge: Sprint LTE Galaxy Nexus now official… with Google Wallet
The Sprint Galaxy Nexus coming with Google Wallet in tow puts more credence to the rumors of Verizon strong-arming Goog into removing it.
Netflix gets original programming starting February
Netflix becoming a legit original content provider is an attractive hypothetical.
January 05, 2012
What to do with your new BlackBerry
If you got a shiny new BlackBerry for Christmas, Intomobile ran a pretty in-depth post on what to do with it. Now, you can go ahead and read the 3500 words in that post, or… well, can you find out if you can exchange it? Also, you should really find out why the person who gave you said BlackBerry doesn’t love you.
January 04, 2012
Samsung not upgrading Galaxy S devices to Ice Cream Sandwich
Business Insider: It Looks Like Samsung’s ‘Value Pack’ Update For Galaxy S Phones Won’t Happen
One thing we are sure of is Galaxy S phones, which include several phone models sold in 2010 and much of 2011, will be permanently stuck on the year old version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
Tough cookie.
December 21, 2011
Research in Motion’s sinking stock price
It’s a sad, sad state of affairs to see an early pioneer of the modern day smartphone in such a slump.
Over the past 24 hours, we learned that RIM was in some level of acquisition talks with two parties: Microsoft/Nokia and Amazon. And as is probably apparent by now, both of the acquisition talks petered out.
Above these fine words you’ll find RIM’s falling stock price, starting from when the original iPhone was released until just a few days ago. This is what a downward spiral looks like in two dimensions.
December 13, 2011
Developers choose iOS over Android
According to Flurry Analytics, the iOS platform is chosen over Android about three-to-one.
Surprising? It shouldn’t be.
However, Eric Schmidt feels that this is going to change in six months. Initial reviews of Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 are overwhelmingly positive, so if Google and its partners can find a way to get the latest version of Android onto devices, they could swing things their way. The proof is in the pudding.
December 08, 2011
understatementblog:
The announcement that Nexus One users won’t be getting upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich led some to justifiably question Google’s support of their devices. I look at it a little differently: Nexus One owners are lucky. I’ve been researching the history of OS updates on Android phones…
Very interesting piece by Michael DeGusta. Worth a read if you haven’t done so already.
December 07, 2011
Ice cream sandwiches are tough to deliver
Sony Ericsson and Motorola have both weighed in on the process of getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to their respective devices. The conclusion: it’s going be a while.
1. Merge and adapt the new release for different device hardware architecture(s) and carrier customizations
2. Stabilize and ‘bake’ the result to drive out bugs
3. Submit the upgrade to the carriers for certification
3.5 Perform a Customer pre-release
4. Release the upgrade
What’s even more ridiculous than a step number 3.5 is the amount of work that it takes to get all of the Android devices to the current. Software development is no easy task, but there’s something fundamentally wrong when the majority of devices released can’t keep up with the release schedule.
Google just got screwed by Verizon
Once upon a time, Google fought tooth and nail to keep the 700 MHz spectrum “open,” which has been the company’s mantra since Android’s release, only to be outbid by Verizon. While they didn’t necessarily “win” that auction, they did get the open access they so coveted. The two later got together and released the Droid, which turned out to indisputably solidify Verizon as the premier carrier for Android. So when news breaks that Verizon and Google are planning to sell the Galaxy Nexus without the Google Wallet service, it reeks of an irony so thick not even Archer can overlook. The Galaxy Nexus runs on Verizon’s 700 MHz LTE network — the same 700 MHz network Google tried so hard to keep open.
One of the open access rules that Verizon must abide by states that applications can’t be blocked from being used on the network. For better or for worse, Verizon is in the clear on that one. Dan Frommer states:
But the reality is that even if Verizon technically isn’t blocking the app from being installed, it is using its commercial leverage over Google to prevent Google from distributing it. I’d be willing to bet that Google would rather distribute its new flagship “Nexus” phone with Google Wallet preinstalled than without it. So, in effect, Verizon is using its influence over Google to prevent the app from being distributed. Call it “blocking without blocking”.
That is a problem. Google pretty much needs Verizon. And what’s even worse, Verizon knows that.
Verizon sent out a statement concerning the buzz surrounding the purported lack of Google Wallet.
Recent reports that Verizon is blocking Google Wallet on our devices are false. Verizon does not block applications.
Google Wallet is different from other widely-available m-commerce services. Google Wallet does not simply access the operating system and basic hardware of our phones like thousands of other applications. Instead, in order to work as architected by Google, Google Wallet needs to be integrated into a new, secure and proprietary hardware element in our phones.
“Does not block applications.” That phrasing is interesting. Verizon doesn’t feel like Google Wallet is an “application” but rather something that goes beyond, “integrated into a new, secure and proprietary hardware element.”
The reason as to why Verizon is asking Google not to include the app is still up in the air, but we do know that Verizon is “continuing our commercial discussions with Google on this issue.” I’m hoping I’m wrong, but that’s pretty much code for, it’s probably not coming.
MG Siegler puts it in a few short words:
You get in bed with the devil, the devil fucks you.
Basically.
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