AT&T says people still don’t want the Web on TV

November 6th, 2009 12:31am

Top wired telecom provider AT&T is clearly doing something right with U-verse TV, its cable-like service delivering more than 100 high-definition television channels over internet pipes to what are now more than 1.8m living rooms.

On Thursday, AT&T Chief Technology Officer John Donovan and others came to San Francisco to show off what may be coming improvements to U-verse, among other things, from the research labs that claim 8 Nobel Prizes. Continue reading "AT&T says people still don’t want the Web on TV"

Android Market remains baffling bazaar

November 4th, 2009 10:41pm

Backers of the Android mobile operating system today acknowledged they needed to do more to promote applications, as Apple extended its lead with the iPhone to more than 100,000 apps now available in its App Store.

That’s 15,000 more than the last update of 85,000…and the growth is more than the total number of Android apps - 12,000 - created in the past year.

At the Open Mobile Summit in San Francisco today, Cole Brodman, T-Mobile chief technology officer, said discoverability of apps on Android represented a challenge for consumers. Continue reading "Android Market remains baffling bazaar"

Ribbit Mobile offers Google Voice alternative

November 3rd, 2009 11:00pm

Ribbit, the software-based Silicon Valley phone company, has launched Ribbit Mobile, a Google Voice-type service with some useful extras thrown in.

The start-up,  which was bought by BT of the UK last year, adds “social address book” features to its service and allows users to keep their own mobile number. Continue reading "Ribbit Mobile offers Google Voice alternative"

Valley View: Google’s Android in the oven

November 3rd, 2009 7:55pm

From this week’s Digital Business edition:

The arrival of a giant chocolate eclair on the front lawn at Google last month had an extra significance, other than as the latest example of outlandish artwork installed at the headquarters of the world’s biggest internet company.

It joined a huge cupcake and a well-rounded doughnut, both sitting under the watchful eye of a large green robot.

Continue reading View from the Valley

User-generated Wi-Fi hotspots

October 25th, 2009 9:02pm

Finding that elusive open Wi-Fi connection just got easier this week with the launch of a new application that is building a world Wi-Fi map from its users connections.

Devicescape, a Silicon Valley startup, had previously offered a simple program called Easy Wifi that enabled automatic logons to Wi-Fi networks - walk into a Starbucks and the iPhone app would immediately connect you to the AT&T hotspot there. Continue reading "User-generated Wi-Fi hotspots"

Nvidia cloud graphics offer reality check

October 20th, 2009 11:53pm

Nvidia today launched a “GPU computing in the cloud” service that will allow designers to manipulate and check photo-realistic environments in a fraction of the normal time it takes on a PC workstation.

The graphics chipmaker is combining “iray” rendering technology, from its mental images acquisition, with its high-end Tesla chips in a new RealityServer platform. It expects cloud computing providers to offer services based on the platform to designers of cars, aircraft, clothes, homes and office buildings. Continue reading "Nvidia cloud graphics offer reality check"

Google to take on iPhone with own phone - analyst

October 20th, 2009 6:03pm

Google is expected to launch its own self-branded smartphone before the year is out, according to Ashok Kumar, Northeast Securities analyst

It will follow up with a series of phones running its Android operating system, as well as launching a branded netbook running its new Chrome operating system early next year, the analyst told me. Continue reading "Google to take on iPhone with own phone - analyst"

Beatles beat Guitar Hero, PS3 finally hits No 1

October 20th, 2009 12:00am

The Beatles: Rock Band outsold Guitar Hero 5 in September in the US, while Sony’s PS3 console beat its rivals’ sales figures for the first time, according to the latest figures from the NPD research firm.

The “Battle of the Bands” was a key focus as the two titles were released at the same time, but both were outsold by the latest release in the Halo franchise - Halo 3: ODST - and Madden NFL 10. Continue reading "Beatles beat Guitar Hero, PS3 finally hits No 1"

FT techtalk - Your lucky number is Seven

October 16th, 2009 4:44am

Seven days in tech, seven days (counting today) till Windows 7 launches. In this edition of FT techtalk, the San Francisco bureau looked back on a week of recession-busting earnings from the likes of Google and Intel and forward to the next booster for the tech industry.

Find out what Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer thinks is the best thing about Windows 7 and why his chum over at Yahoo, Carol Bartz, is in the hot seat next week, in our transcript of the conversation after the jump.

And don’t forget to join us live for FT techtalk, a multimedia chat with the FT’s tech correspondents, at the same time - 0800 Pacific (1500GMT, 1600BST) next Friday. Continue reading "FT techtalk - Your lucky number is Seven"

FT techtalk - Invasion of the data snatchers

October 9th, 2009 3:16am

Android phones loomed large at the CTIA show in San Diego this week, while the FCC chairman made the trip to the West Coast to warn the wireless industry’s convention of a looming spectrum crisis.

AT&T and others blamed heavy-duty data users and smartphones like the iPhone for a 5,000 per cent increase in data traffic over three years.

It has also been a big week for antitrust cases, as Europe finally ended its battle with Microsoft and the US began one with IBM.

We discussed all of this and more in our weekly FT techtalk - a live, multimedia chat with the FT’s tech correspondents. Read the transcript below and  join us again next week - at 0800 Pacific time (1500GMT, 1600BST) here on Friday. Continue reading "FT techtalk - Invasion of the data snatchers"