Friday, August 6, 2010

Google CEO Schmidt: "People Aren't Ready for the Technology Revolution"

Some people like the ability to remain anonymous on the Internet, while others are not so sure. Most of the bad behavior that happens on the Internet is "anonymous" in terms of its source.

Given the increased use of the Internet for criminal or anti-social purposes, it isn't too surprising that governments would want some way to track "anonymous" users.

"The only way to manage this is true transparency and no anonymity," says Eric Schmidt, Google CEO. "In a world of asynchronous threats, it is too dangerous for there not to be some way to identify you."

"We need a [verified] name service for people. Governments will demand it," he says. At some level, it is hard to disagree.

LightSquared Gets First Customer

LightSquared, the Harbinger Capital venture planning to build a nationwide wholesale Long Term Evolution network, has found its first customer. Airspan Networks, a provider of connectivity to utilities for their smart grid efforts, says it will resell some of LightSquared spectrum to utilities.

Best Buy to Launch its Own Tablet PC

Best Buy’s CTO Robert Stephens says the firm is going to sell its own branded tablet PC. There are no details about operating system or who the manufacturer is. Some will note that it looks like an HP Slate. That would suggest a nine-inch screen.

Mobile Internet Very Popular in China

For many people in China, the mobile Web is the Web. Not only do many homes in China not have (or need) landlines for voice communications, but also they don’t require hardwired Internet access for their fix of the Web.

With mobile phones, everything they need is in the palm of their hand.

The majority of consumers (54 percent) use their devices for applications including email, gaming and music, while 36 percent used their phones for text, SMS and voice only. Another 10 percent said they used their phones for calls only.

Mobile consumers in China also have surpassed their American counterparts when it comes to using the devices to access the Internet.

About 38 percent of Chinese mobile subscribers access the Internet from their mobiles, compared to 27 percent of American mobile subscribers. That is not so surprising since many Chinese consumers only access the Internet from their mobiles.

Android Making a Breakout Move?


Android devices collectively have done something significant in the smartphone market. Since March 2010, Research in Motion market share has dropped and Android share has exploded.

As RIM supports a family of devices, sold across carriers, as does Android, the comparison is instructive.

Whatever else the results may be, they indicate a fairly-dramatic shift in end user demand from QWERTY keyboards and email centric behavior to touch screens and web activity.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Android Pays For Itself in Additional Search Revenue

Android is helping Google drive more than enough incremental search revenue to pay for its development, and then some, Google CEO Eric Schmidt says.

“Trust me that revenue is large enough to pay for all of the Android activities and a whole bunch more," says Schmidt.

Five Ways Android Will Defeat iPhone and BlackBerry - PCWorld Business Center

You don't have to agree that Android will gain the lion's share of enterprise market share, compared to devices produced by Apple or Research in Motion to agree that Android will, over time, get more popular in the enterprise.

Android 2.2 (Froyo), for example, syncs with Microsoft Exchange and has new security features, such as remote wipe for administrators, lock-screen timeouts, and minimum password settings, that will put enterprise critics of previous Android handsets at ease.

While not everyone will love the Android platform, it will soon become the country's mobile OS of choice, some argue. That might even extend to enterprises, some might argue.

Directv-Dish Merger Fails

Directv’’s termination of its deal to merge with EchoStar, apparently because EchoStar bondholders did not approve, means EchoStar continue...