Author Archive | Ed Oswald

Segway, GM Team on "PUMA"

Posted by Ed Oswald on April 7, 2009 at 12:11 pm

Most of us will remember the incredible buzz surrounding the launch of the original Segway. Well the company is at it again, this time teaming with struggling automaker GM on a two-person seated device being dubbed “Project PUMA.”

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While its not the way out of bankruptcy for GM, it certainly shows that the company is continuing to look for innovative ways to advance its business. Teaming with Segway is obviously one way that can be done.

The device is much faster than the Segway HT’s, allowing for a top speed of 25 to 35 mph over a range of up to 35 miles. It is maneuverable in much the same way the HT was, through dynamic stabilization, and produces zero emissions as it runs completely off of an on-board lithium-ion battery.

On-board controls would provide information on speed, battery charge, traffic and other information, which would be detachable in the form of a PDA for off-vehicle use.

In a Jetsons-like move, GM and Segway will also test vehicle-to-vehicle communications and sensors to detect objects and obstacles, allowing for automated driving while the driver can perform other tasks. This would also make it impossible to crash.

While some may ask what GM is doing risking itself on an unproven market, executives told USA Today that the partnership predated the bailouts by about a year and a half.

Still, you can’t fault the company for at least attempting to innovate. No pricing was immediately announced. GM said it hopes to start production on the PUMA in 2012. Tests of the device would first take place in New York City, the two companies said.

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Spybot S&D Claims Other Anti-Malware Providers Playing Dirty

Posted by Ed Oswald on April 7, 2009 at 10:44 am

Independent anti-malware company Spybot Search & Destroy is claiming that bigger companies are picking on them. The company, which has arguably made its name for itself through its listing on Fileforum alone (they claim 67 million downloads), went to Fileforum’s sister news site Betanews to levy some serious charges on its competitors.

SS&D is free, which may bother those in the anti-malware industry trying to make a buck on keeping your PC clean. This may be spurring some to go as far as to actively break or force the uninstall of the application in order to use the for-profit application, claiming “incompatibilities.”

At least three software packages are playing dirty with SS&D, the company claims. They are Trend Micro, Kaspersky Labs, and McAfee Software. The setup applications in these company’s products causes a conflict with SS&D in something called ‘TeaTimer.exe.’ This causes the application to become unstable.

spybot error
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Apple Goes to Variable Pricing, Amazon Now A Better Deal

Posted by Ed Oswald on April 7, 2009 at 9:31 am

ituneslogo Well, it happened. iTunes instituted variable pricing early Tuesday, and the effects are already rippling through the online music store. Five of the top 10, and eight of the top 25 songs now cost $1.29.

One thing we’ve still been unable to locate? Those 69-cent tracks. Nowhere to be found — maybe we’re missing them? But I guess if we’re looking at things overall, the price increase isn’t as widespread as some may have thought.

The price hike certainly opens up the door to Amazon MP3. All songs on that store are still 99 cents, but this could be more a function of a different expiration date on that store’s contract with the record labels. Then again, this could be a veiled trick to push all of us to music stores other than Apple in an attempt to break iTunes dominance.

Record labels have made it no secret that they aren’t happy that Apple is pretty much the only game in town when it comes to digital music.

In any case, Amazon MP3 is showing signs of life. While iTunes had a 87 percent share of the market in 2008, its competitor has managed a 16 percent share, the best showing so far for anybody according to NPD data.

Amazon’s music store is having a good deal of success with the older crowd, so the company may find it prudent to begin targeting this demographic a little heavier in an attempt to gain some more share.

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Blockbuster–R.I.P.?

Posted by Ed Oswald on April 6, 2009 at 9:27 pm

The death knell may be ringing for Blockbuster. Today the video-rental giant admitted that if it cannot complete the financing deals that it is currently working on, there is a good chance the company may be forced to shut its doors. While the company last week said it was in the process of getting a $250 million revolving loan from creditors, that may be in jeopardy.

Why? The loan apparently has some conditions to it, and Blockbuster is now not sure it can meet them. Even worse, whether the loan goes through are not, it is not even sure that would be enough to save the company.

During my days at BetaNews, I always seemed to get the Netflix vs. Blockbuster stories and the pricing war and war of words that went on between the two. I can tell you from what I wrote during that period that Blockbuster’s financial problems stem from that fight.

Neither side was willing to lay off, and both put out lots of money to one up the other through promotions, advertising, and the like. Even more, the pricing war that went on between the two cut into each company’s revenues. While Netflix is still going, it too was bruised financially by the fight.

(It’s probably fair to say Netflix’s lack of overhead is why its wounds were less deep.)

I sure hope that Blockbuster can find a way out of this mess, but it could be a victim of the changing face of how we consume media just like the newspaper industry. I guess time will tell.

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Get a Bunch of Mac Software for $39, Support a Charity

Posted by Ed Oswald on April 6, 2009 at 1:33 pm

Unfortunately, we’ve run across this a bit late but a group called MacHeist — probably a nod to the steal of a deal for the amount of software you get for a rock bottom price — is offering a special deal on Mac software with 25% of all proceeds going to charity.

You’ve got one day to snap it up.

The group got it’s start in December 2006 with the first software bundle, which featured 10 software apps and raised nearly $200,000. Another bundle came a year later with 14 applications, raising over $500,000.

Both times the package was offered, it cost $49. However this year, in what the group has called its own “stimulus package,” the price has dropped to $39. Since the event has reached a certain level of donations, again 14 apps are available for download.

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Windows XP: I'm Not Dead Yet(?)

Posted by Ed Oswald on April 6, 2009 at 11:24 am

Well, Microsoft just can’t seem to quit Windows XP. It is now being reported that the company has given HP an extension to continue selling the aging OS until April 10, 2010.

The rumor’s source is fairly dubious — it comes from AppleInsider, which typically only reports on Apple rumors, and even there its accuracy rate has not been the best. In any case, it claims the information comes from a source within HP.

If true, it would mean that Microsoft would essentially offer XP and Windows 7 side by side with at least one manufacturer for possibly as long as six months. While no firm date has been announced for Windows 7’s launch, it is expected to debut later this year.

Support for XP officially from Microsoft will end on April 14, save for important security updates. If this rumor is true, it may be worthwhile to watch Redmond over the next week to see if they go ahead and push the support cut-off for the OS once more.

I always thought Microsoft would end up doing this, especially with the number of netbooks still coming out preloaded with XP.

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NYT: T-Mobile to Use Android in Home Phone, Tablet

Posted by Ed Oswald on April 6, 2009 at 9:47 am

T-Mobile has been one of Google’s biggest supporters in the US when it comes to Android. Confidential documents obtained by the New York Times indicate that the carrier plans to take that partnership even further with at least two new devices due to launch in 2010.

The first of the two would be a home phone unit that would plug into a docking station and would have some type of additional device for data synchronization. It sounds very similar to the Hub that Verizon Wireless has begun selling recently.

As for the tablet, it is said to be a 7-inch device without a keyboard. While it’s exact specs are not known, it would likely act much like the netbooks that have seen increasing popularity in recent months.

Spokesperson Peter Dobrow would not confirm the report, but did share that the company plans to release “several” Android devices in the future. It will be interesting to see if T-Mobile’s gamble on Android pays off, if/when the OS takes off.

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AT&T Averts One Strike, May Have Another

Posted by Ed Oswald on April 3, 2009 at 9:39 pm

Several of our readers have confused our previous coverage of the CWA/AT&T contract ratification with what is going on with another CWA/AT&T spat, this one having to do with wireline workers. It now appears that if a deal cannot be reached here, these workers may strike as early as Sunday.

88 percent of union members have voted to authorize a strike, which would affect AT&T East, AT&T Midwest, AT&T Southwest, AT&T West and AT&T Legacy, a nationwide unit.

Another division, AT&T Southeast, would not strike as their contract expires on August 8. However, the union has lumped negotitations for that contract with the those that are set to expire.

CWA Executive Vice President Annie Hill said that negotiations are ongoing, however prodded AT&T management to “get serious” if they wanted a deal before the expiration date.

Hill pointed to the company’s success even in this recessionary environment as reason enough for it to agree to the union’s demands. At issue are health care cuts, and access to higher-tech jobs for current workers.

While the union is talking bad, let me remind everybody the CWA reps for the AT&T Mobility negotitations were doing the same. So, it very well could be that workers may do business as usual under the old contract while the two sides continue negotiating.

AT&T customers can expect degraded technical support and repair service during any strike, and it may be problematic to start new service. In a strike, typically companies will focus first on existing customers before attempting to take on new ones.

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CWA Ratifies New AT&T Mobility Contract

Posted by Ed Oswald on April 3, 2009 at 11:30 am

I’ve noticed a lot of folks visiting us to discuss the AT&T/CWA contract negotiations. As a service to our readers, I wanted to give you all an update on where things stand. A strike has been averted, as the CWA announced Friday it has ratified a new contract.

The two sides came to a preliminary agreement on March 3, and from that point the deal was put to a vote by the members of the union. 73 percent voted in favor of the new contract.

“AT&T is pleased with the ratification of the new agreement – both in terms of the compensation and workplace opportunities it provides covered employees, and in the flexibility it allows the company to meet increasingly aggressive competition in the marketplace,” the carrier said in a statement.

According to CWA Executive Vice President Annie Hill, the contract is “groundbreaking” as it expands opportunities for career advancement and won important concessions on compensation.

Retail employees would see a pay increase of 8.8 percent over the four year period of the contract, along with a $500 bonus. As a result of this contract, 11,000 retail sales associates could be guaranteed at least $1,000 in comissions if sales goals are met.

500 customer service workers would receive job upgrades and raises, and 50-70 wireless technicians would see similar enhancements.

The new contract goes into effect immediately.

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UK Village Takes On Google Street View Car

Posted by Ed Oswald on April 3, 2009 at 9:49 am

Here’s a way to let Google know you aren’t happy with their efforts to photograph your property: you try to stop them in their tracks. That’s what a bunch of residents in Broughton, Buckinghamshire, England did when they spotting one of Google’s trucks entering their neighboorhood.

According to press reports from both the BBC and Sky News among other outlets, Broughton has been troubled by a spat of burglaries in recent months, so residents have banded together to watch for suspicious vehicles.

The argument is the images taken by Google Street View cameras are an invasion of privacy, and could be used by potential burglars to scope out homes without actually having to enter the neighborhood.

Police were called to the scene, however during that time the Google employee apparently backed off and did not photograph the community. There has been no word whether Google will attempt to photograph the area again in the future.

However, the company mantains it was not breaking the law, and said it does provide a method in which concerned citizens can have themselves or their property removed and/or blurred out in Street View searches.

Click here for a BBC interview with Paul Jacobs, the resident who apparently was the first to take on the Street View car driver. What do you think?

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