BusinessWeek Online -- Tech Beat

Show of Hands: Love or Hate the New Microsoft Ad?

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:19:57 -0500

The new Microsoft ad with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates has sure stirred up a blogstorm today. People either sort of like it or hate it. Mostly the latter, it would seem. I dunno, I sorta like it. And...

Comcast Appeals the FCC Decision

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:51:14 -0500

In a long-expected move, cable services provider Comcast appealed Federal Communications Commission's recent decision today with the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. In a Sept. 4 statement explaining the brief filing, Comcast claims that "the Commission's action was legally inappropriate and its findings were not justified by the record."

iPhone 3G vs. Samsung Instinct

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:21:58 -0500

There's an interesting section dominating the top of Sprint Nextel's Web site. It offers users a comparison between Samsung's best-selling Samsung Instinct and AT&T and Apple's legendary iPhone 3G. According to Sprint, the Instinct often comes out on top.

3 Makes Mobile E-Mail More Affordable

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:34:18 -0500

Ask anyone what the wireless killer apps are, and they'll tell you: voice and e-mail. Well, for years now, mobile e-mail has been the prerogative of the well-to-do: You had to buy a BlackBerry or another expensive smartphone and an expensive data plan to use it. Well, that's about to change.

VIDEO: Sergey Brin on Why Google's Launching a Browser

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:28:57 -0500

Google's Chrome browser is now officially available here. I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to try it, though I hope to a little later; meantime, here's an early review from Walt Mossberg of the Journal, who has had a...

LIVE from the Googleplex: Chrome Browser Launches

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:00:00 -0500

Google's about to brief a gazillion of us reporters about its much-discussed Chrome Web browser, now ready for download here. I wrote my initial thoughts yesterday, and you can get the basics with a nifty comic book that explains Chrome...

New iPods on Sept. 9?

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:27:02 -0500

Apple has just sent out email invitations for a media event next Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Art in San Francisco. And since September is the traditional month for iPod announcements, and because the invitation...

Google to Release Web Browser Tuesday; Should Microsoft Worry, or Mozilla?

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:38:52 -0500

In its latest bid to remain ascendant on the Internet, Google is about to release its own Web browser, long a key online battleground. It just announced its plans for the browser, dubbed Chrome, briefly on its official blog, so...

Comcast's Usage Cap: What Does It Mean?

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:58:58 -0500

Comcast has posted a change to its broadband user policy today. It's now limiting subscribers to 250 Gigabytes of monthly usage, which can include e-mailing friends or uploading photos. Is this a big deal? Yes.

Will U.S. Appliances Go Green?

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:34:57 -0500

I spent some time today checking out home appliances at the "white goods" pavilions at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. The main thing that struck me, other than the fact that European major appliances are a lot smaller...

Android Developer Challenge Results in Some Mighty Cool Apps

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:28:20 -0500

The Android Developer Challenge, in which software programmers competed for cash awards to see who will create the coolest applications for upcoming Android-based cell phones, has ended. Reading the list of winners, I was pleasantly surprised: Many of these applications are nothing like what other cell phones -- yes, even the iPhone -- offer.

3D TV: Not So Fast

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:09:28 -0500

LG Electronics has become the latest consumer electronics firm to show off a 3D display, only to show off again that the technology is nowhere close to ready for for consumer use. Unlike a display that Sharp actually put into...

PDA Inventor Jonah Klausner Is At It Again.....

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:18:57 -0500

It's amazing how much power a single patent owner can wield in the telecom industry. Just consider Klausner Technologies. The company, which is headed by PDA and electronic organizer inventor Judah Klausner, is currently suing Verizon Wireless, Google, LG and others claiming that their visual voicemail feature infringes on Klausner's patents.

Mozilla Ubiquity: Back to the Command Line

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:13:34 -0500

Ubiquity, a new Firefox plugin from Mozilla Labs offers a really nifty way to get a variety of Web services from any page. Unfortunately, its text based interface will probably limit its appeal to people comfortable working with a command...

tuitalk: Ads-Supported VoIP Calls

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:45:59 -0500

I just heard about an interesting new service, tuitalk, which, if successful, could potentially alter Skype's business model. The service allows anyone with a computer to call phone numbers in many countries around the world for free. (Remember, Skype charges for this feature, which it calls Skype Out). The catch is, the caller has to view a 30-second ad from the likes of BMW or IMAX.