Author: Serkadis

It was like two weeks in one. The first half had a lot of interesting news pop up. Then came CES and the air of excitement surrounding Palm’s trio of announcements. Our own Dieter Bohn had feet on the floor in Vegas, providing wall-to-wall coverage. Lots of good news too!

• AT&T and Verizon will be carrying webOS devices
• Pre Plus includes tethering
• webOS 1.4 coming in February
• PreCentral webOS App Gallery brings the App Catalog to your desktop browser

 

• Flash 10.1 coming soon to a Palm near you
• Video recording coming to webOS

The above is a mere glimpse of what happened at the back end.  So let’s rewind and talk about the first half of the week:

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Adult film “actress” Sasha Grey rarely needs an excuse to take off her clothes, but the star of This Ain’t The Brady Bunch XXX is disrobing for a good cause as part of PETA’s latest Animal Birth Control (ABC) ad.

The porn darling has starred in hundreds of adult films and recently starred in Academy Award–winning director Steven Soderbergh’s film The Girlfriend Experience. Now the self-professed “sexpert” is encouraging pet owners to spay and neuter their animals in her new campaign for the animal rights group. Sasha’s PETA ad was revealed at the Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas on Sunday.

“I think spaying and neutering is incredibly important. … [I]t keeps the animals out of the shelters, and there’s too many unwanted animals out there already,” Sasha explains.

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Hardware, Retail, Mac Pro

While researching MacBook Pros, the folks at cmyplay produced an infographic charting the relative prices of MacBook Pros around the world. The variation is amazing.

The lowest cost was found in the US … mostly. Certain models cost less in Hong Kong, but as the author notes, that could be due to exchange rate fluctuations. Prices were significantly higher in South Africa. For example, an entry-level 13″ MacBook Pro 2.26GHz in South Africa retails for about the same prices as a mid-level 15″ MacBook Pro (2.53GHz) in the US. Note that Apple does not have official representation in South Africa.

However, the highest prices were found in Brazil (where Apple does have official representation). As cmyplay notes, “For the amount to purchase a top-of-the-line MacBook Pro 2.8GHz in Brazil, a person could buy two of the same machine in the US.” One Brazilian commenter noted that Brazil’s import duties and sales tax, especially on electronics, is very high.

Good work, cmyplay! Your graphic is beautiful and offers a perspective we might not otherwise have considered. Make sure you visit the post to see the full image.

[Via Gizmodo]

TUAWMacBook prices around the world originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The American Dialect Society (ADS) has named google – the verb – as its Word of the Decade. According to the ADS, the verb google (meaning to “search the Internet”) won out over blog, which, according to Grant Barrett, the chair of the ADS’s New Word Committee, “just sounds ugly.” Tweet was named the top word of the year for 2009. Fail – “a noun or interjection used when something is egregiously unsuccessful” – was 2009’s most useful word.

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The ADS’s members include linguists, grammarians, etymologists, writers, editors and university students. The ADS was founded in 1889.

Twitter and other social networks have clearly captured the imagination of many language societies. Twitter was the top word of in the Global Language Monitor’s survey, and unfriend was the New Oxford American Dictionary’s 2009 Word of the year. To represent the 1990s, the ADS picked Web as the top word of the decade.

Do You Agree?

What do you think? Do you think google deserves to be the one word that represents the last decade? Or is this just another example of how Google is succeeding in its slow takeover of our culture?

Discuss

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The federal judge presiding over RealNetworks’ (RNWK) legal battle with Hollywood has confirmed what even the company’s attornies have likely known all along: there was no chance whatsover that the company would prevail in its claims against the film industry and the plight in which it now finds itself is entirely its own doing. On Friday, Judge Marilyn Patel — who in 2000 issued the injunction that shut Napster down — dismissed Real’s antitrust claims against Disney and the other movie studios over their alleged collusion to block RealDVD, its “legal” DVD ripper.

The studios and the DVD Copy Control Association, she found, were well within their rights to band together to prevent what they believed to be the illegal copying of their content. Real was foolish to think otherwise and its claim that it has suffered significant losses because of its inability to sell a product of questionable legality is, in a word, ludicrous.

Which is not to say that consumers shouldn’t have the right to copy and backup films they have legally purchased, just that the courts have never looked favorably on those who have claimed that right through a technology that bypasses DVD copy protection and consequently violates the DMC.

“Real’s purported injury stems from its own decision to manufacture and traffic in a device that is almost certainly illegal under the DMCA,” Patel wrote. “In the circumstances of this case, there is no allegation Real could make that would give it antitrust standing,”

PREVIOUSLY:

• RealNetworks Still Barred From the DVD Backup Business. Why Does RealNetworks Want to Be in the DVD Backup Business?
• RealDVD Launch Buffering … Buffering …
• Rent. Rip. Restraining Order.
• StealDVD? Well, You Were Asking for It…
• Sue. Rent. Rip. Return.
• Rent. Rip. Return.

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Yahoo is set to announce the sale of its Zimbra open-source email unit to VMware tomorrow, said sources, for a figure that is north of $100 million, but below the $350 million it paid for the unit in late 2007.

A week ago, BoomTown reported the sale of the unit was likely.

Sources said there is a large employee retention element to the sale, so Zimbra’s talent will move to VMware, as well as full retention of intellectual property by Yahoo of technology used in its email products. There will be ongoing IP giveback to VMware (VMW) over a period of time.

In addition, other sources said that Yahoo (YHOO) is about to consider bids it has solicited for its small business unit, which it has also been trying to sell for some months.

Sources added that Yahoo will not sell the unit if it can’t get a decent price of the division, which is estimated to be worth many hundreds of millions of dollars.

BoomTown reported in late September that Zimbra was for sale by Yahoo, which has been targeting assets for “de-acquisition” that are not central to the strategies of its new management.

Late last year when announcing its new $100 million marketing campaign, Bartz said at a media briefing: “Most of our assets are very core to the company. Those that aren’t, where it makes sense we will sell and where it makes sense we will shut down.”

Yahoo has done that with several properties, such its JumpCut video editing service.

But Zimbra, as well as its small business and jobs sites have been on the block.

One source noted that the reason that VMware was interested in nabbing Zimbra was that its execs want to
expand “up the stack” from the Silicon Valley software company’s position in virtualization.

And Yahoo is now not interested in running Zimbra’s white-label, open-source email commercial product, which serves the university and ISP markets. There, its main rival has been Google (GOOG).

Yahoo declined to comment, and VMware has not replied to an email query.

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

We’ve been friendly with the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class since its introduction. As much as we liked the sedan, we enjoyed the Coupes even more so. That stated, it would figure that we’re going to really dig the new 2010 E-Class Convertible. Of course, here in the D, we just get to look at the latest Benz drop top and listen to the Daimler folks make the car’s case. If we did nothing but listen to them, the E-Class Convertible is literally the most exciting thing since bagels got holes.

In reality, this is a pretty sharp looking car, especially with the top down. Turns out that the best way to remedy the awkward looking chunky C-Pillar is just to remove it altogether. Replacing the CLK as MB’s mass-market convertible, the new E-Class rag top has to be many things to many people. As such, Mercedes-Benz has equipped the E-Class Convertible with a couple of features that will allow the car to be driven with the top down year round.

The biggie is the new AirCap, a small 2.4-inch wind deflecting device that, in conjunction with a baffle between the rear headrests, keeps things quiet in the open cabin at speeds up to 100 mph. Sunstroke aside, not being able to talk to the person 13 inches away from you is one of the big drags of convertible ownership. If they’re to be believed, Mercedes claims that AirCap solves the problem. That’s a great thing, should you opt for the 382 horsepower, 391 pound-feet of torque E550 Convertible as opposed to the V6-powered 268-hp, 258 lb-ft of torque E350 Convertible.

There’s also a new Airscarf, a system that blows hot air at the necks of the people seated up front. Hence, short of hail, falling snow and rain, you could conceivably drive the E-Class Convertible year round. Unless you’re seated in the back seat… And even with AirCap and Airscarf, we’d be hesitant to drive the new E-Class ‘Vert in Detroit in early January. Just sayin’. Like what you’re seeing? Well, the new E-Class Convertible will go on sale in May of this year.

Detroit 2010: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible promises four-season topless motoring originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

While sucking down one of our favorite stimulants in the frigid air outside Cobo Hall, we heard a lone voice across the street scream, “Screw the tea-baggers!” Naturally, we had to investigate.

Unlike the Tea Party protesters assembling outside General Motors’ Renaissance Center to voice their criticisms about the government’s bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, this ragtag militia of union officials and automaker employees assembled to support the Fed’s financial infusion.

“We’re here to thank Barack Obama for his support of the automakers,” George Hardy, the vice president of UAW Local 174 told us, going on to say that the cash injection has helped him and his members retain their jobs in one of the worst employment environments in 30 years.

Hardy was adamant that the government’s detractors refused to see the benefits of the bailouts, simply saying “The Tea Party has it wrong.”

Detroit 2010: Anti-Tea Party Protesters make their voices heard in the cold originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cannondale Bicycles and Analog Devices are showing off of a new breed of bicycle suspension this week. Called Simon, Cannondale’s new front suspension monitors the terrain with internal sensors and adjusts the damping rate accordingly. For racers, this could mean faster times. For the weekend warrior, it means that your bike just got a lot more comfortable and easier to use.

Designed by Analog, the Simon fork uses accelerometers to gauge the terrain at 2 millisecond intervals. If you hucked off a 10-footer (rode your bike off a small cliff, for example), Simon would be dialing in the suspension from the time your front tire hit the ground. It would, in fact, be responding and stiffening the fork while it was compressing on impact. The accelerometer is mounted in the center of the wheel, meaning you can’t just buy the fork. You have to rebuild the front end of your bike in order to bring Simon along.

The hub-mounted accelerometer gives input to a computer, which then directs an Enfield-built electro-hydraulic flow controller that regulates how much shock fluid should move and how quickly. In terms of function, this is the stuff of Formula 1 auto racing. Most automotive applications use magnetic shock oil instead of electromechanical flow controls, however.

Cannondale designs and builds high-end bikes for both mountain and road use. It is also one of the few to build bicycles in the U.S., assembling them in Bedford, Penn. The company boasts first place wins in cyclocross and has had its products ridden to great effect in the Tour de France. Cannondale’s racing pedigree and strong market presence means that Simon is probably going to become mainstream in the future. So far, though, there’s no price tag and no release date.

In the future, real time suspension tuning for the front and rear wheels is going to result in even-faster downhill racing. Cross country riders will enjoy a new sense of confidence with a fork that can adjust itself for longer travel in downhill sections or firm itself up for an uphill climb. Hobby riders will be able to buy a single high-end bike that, if heavy, will still set itself up for the conditions at hand.

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Progress Software, maker of applications used to build the infrastructure of retail, manufacturing, financial or government organizations, has acquired Savvion, a producer of software targeted at business management, for an estimated $49 million, according to Private Equity Hub. Savvion, based in Santa Clara, Calif., was backed by H.I.G. Capital, Redwood Ventures, TransCosmos, Westaim Partners, Walden International and VantagePoint Venture Partners. It had raised about $52 million to date.

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In a faux pas, an executive at telecom firm France Telecom/Orange confirmed that Apple is launching a tablet and the end of January.

The executive, Stephane Richard, is the No. 2 executive at the telecommunications firm. He told French journalist Jean-Pierre Elkabbach that the tablet will include a webcam and that Orange customers would be able to buy it. It’s a little hard to back pedal on this one, since it’s on video (in French).

The confirmation suggests that Apple is lining up a worldwide launch of the tablet, which means that it’s not just an experimental dipping of its toes in the water or something that will launch in the U.S. market only. Apple itself hasn’t commented on the existence of the tablet, which many see as a new generation of computers.

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There’s no fix yet, but Nexus One users are getting a solid first step this week now that T-Mobile is officially investigating the 3G / EDGE fluctuation issues that folks have been reporting. A posting over on T-Mob’s official support forums is now asking for users with verifiable problems to report a few key stats including their location, the nature of the problem (no 3G or 3G / EDGE switching), and whether they’ve got another AWS 3G phone handy that’s performing better. The company says that it hopes “to have more information for you soon,” so, you know, keep that box handy just in case this puppy needs to get exchanged Nokia 5800-style.

T-Mobile makes mention of 3G issues with Nexus One, hopes to have ‘more information’ soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Parks and gardens usually have these very cute trash disposals. I have always been fascinated with these things as a kid. Ever since the concept of recycling came into vogue, I have always wanted to know how these cool things work. Recycly Robot Waste Containers conceptualized by Oomy Design in a way teaches the kids and even the adults how to properly and rightly recycle the waste. These cute looking robots act like the fairytale garden gnomes who stand pretty in the garden and also perform a very important function of recycling waste. These machines detect the type of waste and with the help of color codes it signal the child as to whether or not they have inserted the item in the right receptacle. A very interesting green concept that not only performs a function but also educates!
[Inhabitat]

Industrial employment in Illinois fell 5.7% over the past twelve months according to the 2010 Illinois Manufacturers Directory, an industrial directory published annually since 1912 by Manufacturers’ News, Inc (MNI).

MNI reports Illinois lost 51,925 industrial jobs and 709 manufacturers between November 2008 and November 2009, more than double the loss reported in the year before, and one of the sharpest declines MNI has ever reported in the 98 years it has been tracking the state’s industry.

Manufacturers’ News reports Illinois is now home to 20,079 manufacturers employing 854,081 workers, compared to the 1,104,707 industrial jobs reported by MNI twenty years ago.

“It’s a perfect storm of negative conditions,” says Tom Dubin, President of Manufacturers’ News.

“The country has suffered deep losses in manufacturing employment due to automation and technology, outsourcing and the recession. Combine that with Illinois’ high taxes, deficit spending and generally unfavorable business climate, and it’s easy to see why the state has shed thousands of industrial jobs.”

Employment in the furniture/fixture sector experienced the sharpest decline, down 12.5% over the past twelve months. Employment in wood products fell 11.4%, according to MNI.

MNI reports industrial machinery and equipment remains Illinois’ largest industrial sector by employment with 133,480 jobs, down 6.9% due partially to layoffs at three Caterpillar locations.

Second-ranked fabricated metals accounts for 100,626 jobs, down 5.1% over the past twelve months, while third-ranked food products manufacturing accounts for 95,040 industrial jobs, down 2.1%.

All other industrial sectors in Illinois lost jobs within the past year and included transportation equipment, down 9.7%, following layoffs at the Ford Assembly plant in Chicago, the closure of an ETX Transmissions facility in Mundelein, and layoffs at Great Dane Trailers in Kewanee, among others.

Printing/publishing fell 9.5%; textiles/apparel was down 9.2%; electronics down 8.3%; primary metals down 7.4%; rubber/plastics down 6.2%; stone/clay/glass down 5.8% and paper products down 4.4%.

Bright spots over the year included the expansion of Tempel Steel in Chicago and Baldwin Technology Co. in Addison, as well as the opening of German company Vetter’s first domestic facility in Skokie, which will package pharmaceuticals.

In addition, Blackhawk Biofuels opened a new biodiesel plant in Danville, spurring job growth for the East Central region of the state

Manufacturers’ News reports Northeast Illinois accounts for 70% of the state’s industrial employment, with 593,370 jobs, down 6% over the year. Job losses in Cook County represented 41% of the state’s losses, with the region home to 323,736 industrial jobs, down 21,446 or 6.2%.

Declines were also seen in the collar counties with DeKalb County down 13.3%; Kane down 6.3%; Will down 5.2% and Lake 1.5%.

Northwest Illinois accounts for 81,788 jobs, down 5,742 or 6.6%. East Central Illinois is home to 58,219 jobs, down 5.7%, while West Central Illinois is down 7.6% and currently home to 56,137 industrial workers.

Employment in Southwest Illinois fell 6.4% and now accounts for 38,527 jobs, while Southeast Illinois saw a drop of 7.1%, with the region currently home to 28,491 jobs.

MNI’s city data shows industrial jobs in Chicago dropped 8% over the year, with the city now home to 114,092 industrial jobs. Rockford accounts for the second most jobs in the state with 23,355, down 6.9% over the year.

Third-ranked Elk Grove Village accounts for 22,077 jobs, down 6.5%, while Franklin Park is home to 12,556, down 6.4%. Fifth-ranked Decatur is home to 11,444 industrial workers, down 2.2% over the past twelve months.

Detailed profiles of Illinois’ 20,079 manufacturers can be found in the 2010 Illinois Manufacturers Directory, available in print for $199 and on CD-ROM from $282.

Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, Web, e-mail), 61,680 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, number of employees, and more.

Visitors to mnileads.com may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using thirteen different criteria, including area or zip code, county, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more.

Manufacturers’ News, Inc., publisher of manufacturers’ directories since 1912, compiles and produces manufacturing guides, statistics and databases for all 50 states. MNI also maintains IndustryNet.com, an industrial search engine designed specifically for locating manufacturers and suppliers nationwide.

For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100.

Wade Roush wrote:

There’s a new player on the venture scene in Boston. The team behind the U.S. branch of Fidelity Ventures, the venture investing wing of Fidelity Investments, has left Fidelity and relaunched itself under the name Volition Capital, according to an announcement today.

The new firm—in which Fidelity has no ownership stake—says it will invest in “high-potential, founder-owned technology companies” in the United States and Canada, and that it will shun seed-stage investments in favor of “growth equity” support for companies that already boast $5 million to $50 million in revenues and are at or near the break-even point. (”We prefer to invest in companies that don’t need external capital, but can benefit from taking it,” the company says on its new website.)

Former Fidelity partners Larry Cheng, Andy Flaster, Roger Hurwitz, and Rob Ketterson are Volition’s managing partners. Geraldine Alias and Sean Cantwell have come along as principals, and Steve Daley and Dave Gordon are associates. In its announcement, the firm also described venture partner Anne Mitchell and senior vice president of business development Jill Roosevelt as senior members of Volition’s founding team.

Volition partners were not immediately available to comment on the spin-out. The move follows Fidelity’s exit from the private equity businesses last summer, when it announced the shutdown of Fidelity Private Equity Partners. That division had $500 million under management but was reportedly unable to raise new capital amidst the financial crisis.

Volition’s team has brought most of the Fidelity Ventures portfolio with it. The firm says it has formed a “sub-advisory” agreement with Fidelity to continue to manage the 20 U.S. software, Internet, and services companies in which its principals invested at Fidelity, along with six companies from the portfolio of Fidelity Growth Partners Europe. The firm’s U.S. portfolio includes companies like open-source code database provider Black Duck, Postgres database maker, browser maker Flock, and federated identity management company Ping Identity.

Fidelity Biosciences, Fidelity’s Cambridge, MA-based life sciences investing division, isn’t part of the Volition switchover.