Gartner believes that software and hardware companies do better in 2013 than last year. I hope so this happens, it would be good for the industry. Gartner Says Worldwide IT Spending Forecast to Reach $3.7 Trillion in 2013. That would be 4.2 percent increase from 2012 spending. At the moment uncertainties surrounding prospects for an upturn in global economic growth are the major retardants to IT growth. According to the IT market research form Forrester IT market will grow globally by 3.3 per cent this year in U.S. dollar terms. Europe continues to decline (except Nordic countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), and growth is slower in Japan and India.
Worldwide IT spending increases were pretty anemic as IT and telecom services spending were seriously curtailed last year. Gartner believes that this uncertainty is nearing resolution and thus Earth’s anemic IT budgets to bounce back in 2013. Wall Street Beat: 2013 IT Spending Forecasts Look Upbeat article mentions that fiscal cliff deal will help unlock spending on mobility, analytics, collaboration and security technology.
According to the EPA, the average office worker uses about 10,000 sheets of paper each year. There is again a Campaign To Remove Paper From Offices. A campaign started by HelloFax, Google, Expensify, and others has challenged businesses to get rid of physical paper from their office environment in 2013. The Paperless 2013 project wants to move all documents online. The digital tools that are available today. The paperless office technology is here – we just need to use it more than our printers.
Intel x86 and ARM duopoly will continue to dominate this year. Both of the processor will sell well on their own main application fields, and they try to push to each others territories. This means that ARM tries to push to servers and x86 is trying to push more heavily to mobile devices.
Software manufacturers aim to hardware business: Microsoft, Valve, Google etc..
Still IT buyers expect too much from software they buy. This has happened earlier for long time and I expect that to continue. IT systems are easier to develop than user brains, but still system that are hard to learn are pushed to users.
IT service companies sill “sell air”. It is a good business to sell promises first and then when you get money try to do make the promised product with it. And are you sure that the backups your service provider makes can really be restored?
This year will not be a year for Linux on desktop. The fact that currently Amazon’s top selling laptop runs on Linux does not change that. Linux is more heading to smart phones and tablets that to win normal desktop.
Gaming on Linux gets boost. Valve released Steam gaming system for LinuxUbuntu users have run to use Steam game service (at the moment 0.8% of Steam users use Ubuntu, the service was started to as beta on December 2012). Valve will release this year it’s own Linux based Steam Box gaming console. Exclusive interview: Valve’s Gabe Newell on Steam Box, biometrics, and the future of gaming.
Windows 8 slow start continues. Windows 8 sales are well below projections. Computer sales dropped after release of Windows 8. U.S. consumers hesitant to make switch to Windows 8. Uncertainty could turn Windows 8 into the next Vista. Independent report says that Windows 8 Even Less Popular Than Vista and Microsoft voice says that its new OS are chugging along quite nicely, thank you very much, in much the same fashion as Windows 7 before it. Who to believe? Let’s wait and see what happens. I expect that some users will get Significant booting challenges on EFI systems when upgrading to Windows 8.
Interest in Java will decrease compared to other languages for various reasons, recent security issues playing part on that. C Beats Java As Number One Language According To TIOBE Index. It happened already.
Software optimization becomes again talked about when CPU usage on cloud system is easily measured and costs money. Cost-Aware Architectures will be talked bout. Keeping control over cost, architecturally, is just plain hard. Usually engineers we are remarkably badly trained in thinking about cost, but corporate bean counters can now start to ask how we save cost in running the software in cloud. Pinterest Cut Costs from $54 to $20 Per Hour by Automatically Shutting Down Systems.
The world of smart connected devices (desktops, notebook, tabs and smartphones) is becoming bigger and bigger on the expense of traditional PC manufacturers. At the end of 2012 HP is still top of PC league, but trailing fourth in all-devices rankings. Samsung leads the pack in terms of device shipments and Apple is next. Lenovo is the third biggest shifter of devices on the planet. The bets for increased sales are being placed behind smartphones and tablets.
It’s deja vu all over again. You see the phrase “any time, any place, anywhere” in relation to mobile access. Mobile devices bring back that old client-server feeling. The realization dawned that client-server brought with it as many problems as it solved. Following a period of re-centralisation using Web-based architectures, it looks as if we are beginning to come full circle. When the next generation is getting all excited about using mobile apps as front-ends for accessing services across the network, we can’t help noticing parallels with the past. Are HTML5 and cross-platform development and execution environments are now with us to save us? In the real world, the fast and reliable connectivity upon which this model depends just isn’t there in most countries at the moment.
End of netbooks as we know it. Netbook sales go to zero. All major manufacturers in this category has ended making netbooks. They have been replaced with booming tablet sales.
Tablet PC shipments are expected to reach more than 240 million units worldwide in 2013, easily exceeding the 207 million notebook PCs that are projected to ship, according to NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report. The market that has been dominated by one major player, Apple, but Android tablets are quickly getting more market share.
Thin client devices seem to be popping up here and there. Dell introduces HDMI stick that turns any screen into a thin client PC. And so will several other small stick computers coming. Raspberry Pi pocket computer is selling like hot pies (nears one million milestone).
Directly soldered to board CPUs are already norm on smart phone, tablets and some laptops. There will be more and more questions when manufacturers start to drop CPU sockets on the computers. Rumors about Intel Corp.’s plan to abandon microprocessor sockets in the future has been flowing and official response has been:
Intel to Support CPU Sockets for Foreseeable Future. AMD Vows Not to Drop Microprocessor Sockets in Next Two Years. Question is still when transition to BGA starts to happen on desktop PCs.
USB speed will increase again this year. So there is again a new USB version. The future of USB 3.0 coming mid-year with data speeds doubling to 10Gbps. USB 3.0 speed to DOUBLE in 2013 article tells that USB 3.0 – aka SuperSpeed USB – is set to become 10 gigabits per second super-speedy, with a new specification scheduled for a mid-2013 release. The aim is to brings USB closer to the class-leading Thunderbolt standard. It is expected that the new specification ends to consumer hardware a year later.
Higher resolutions will become commonplace. Earlier full HD was a target. Now high end devices are aiming to “retina” and 4K resolutions. Panasonic shows off 20-inch Windows 8 tablet with insane 4K resolution Qualcomm outs Snapdragon 800 and 600: up to 2.3GHz quad-core, 4K video, due by mid 2013.
Solid state storage becomes cheaper and cheaper. You can get ssd-storage at as low as less than one dollar per gigabyte. Moore’s Law may not be running out of steam in memory as we have an insatiable appetite for memory these days. Nowadays our tastes are changing from DRAM to nonvolatile flash memory used in SSD device. For example Kingston just unveiled the world’s first 1TB USB stick and SSD drives are also getting bigger every day. We are already encountering floating-gate scaling problems for NAND flash and answer to the scaling problem appears to be growing devices “up”.
2013 in storage is dominated by flash and file systems. We will finally see some all-flash arrays starting to ship from the big boys – and this will bring credibility to some of the smaller players. Management tools are going to be big again. Expect a lot of pain as infrastructure teams try to make things just work.
1,455 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
FreeBSD celebrated 20th Birthday last week:
Happy 20th Birthday, FreeBSD
http://bsd.slashdot.org/story/13/06/22/0130244/happy-20th-birthday-freebsd?sdsrc=rel
” On 19 June 1993, David Greenman, Jordan Hubbard and Rod Grimes announced the creation of their new fork of the BSD 4.3 operating system, and its new name: FreeBSD.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
PlayStation 4 Will Be Running Modified FreeBSD
http://games.slashdot.org/story/13/06/24/000250/playstation-4-will-be-running-modified-freebsd
“The operating system powering the PlayStation 4 is Orbis OS, which is a Sony spin of FreeBSD 9.0. It’s not a huge surprise FreeBSD is being used over Linux, in part due to the more liberal licensing. The PlayStation 4 is x86-64 based now”
Comments:
Its good to see a BSD release picking up another major instance of commercial use. One of the obstacles the BSDs have faced is mindshare. Linux has had such an overpowering presence in the free/open world that it often overshadows the BSDs. That plays out in the commercial software that is available. If you look at high end vendor software, such as Oracle or other databases, or CAD tools, it is pretty rare to see much released for anything except Red Hat, or maybe Suse Linux.
This will also probably also be good for FreeBSD in terms of its codebase as well. I expect Sony will probably be feeding back some patches.
It is much less expensive to allow the patches to be integrated into the parent project then it is to patch the project after every update. In addition, others will be able to test/verify that changes don’t break the patches if they are given access to them. So it makes sense to feed back as many patches as they can as it greatly reduces the effort required to maintain their port.
Apple has contributed lots of patches back to BSD. Juniper has contributed much to BSD, etc.
In general, people that use BSD contribute patches back because it is in their best financial interest to do so. Not because the license says they must, but because they want to. This generally leads to better quality patches too, in my experience.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5 Ways to Avoid BYOD Nightmares
http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/06/byod-trend-productivity-security.html
Ten or 15 years ago, managing your information technology was simpler in one sense. A company decided on its computing environment -– its designated operating system, devices and software –- and that’s what employees used. Period.
But then along came the BYOD trend.
BYOD Trend Challenges for Small Businesses
So, What Can You Do?
A lot, actually. The most important thing is: do not turn a blind eye to BYOD devices.
Recognize that the IT environment is very different today. It calls for new policies, employee education, adoption of up-to-date best practices, and last but not least, implementing device management tools and other technology solutions designed for a BYOD environment.
Here are 5 steps to take to operate in a BYOD environment
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Apple obstacle for serious games
http://www.polygon.com/2013/6/21/4449770/the-apple-obstacle-for-serious-games
Making a serious game for iOS devices is not as easy as you’d think
When the iPhone launched in 2007, it changed the video game landscape in a way that no one could have predicted. Where gaming was once confined to PCs and consoles, millions of people — self-identified gamers or not — now had a device in their hands that could play games.
In the years since the device’s launch, the mobile app market has become saturated with games. The iTunes App Store charts are increasingly dominated by established studios, from large publishers like Disney and Electronic Arts to independent studios that experienced freakish success on the App Store like Rovio (Angry Birds) and HalfBrick (Fruit Ninja) and have been on a roll ever since. It’s a tougher market to be in, but the widely held belief is any developer, no matter how big or small, can still participate.
Except, that isn’t true.
In recent years, a number of “serious games” (games designed for a primary purpose other than to entertain) have been removed or outright rejected from Apple’s App Store for falling foul of its guidelines — guidelines that the developers we spoke to described as vague and subjectively applied.
Most people who use iOS devices aren’t privy to Apple’s curation process for its App Store, and very few are aware of the rejections that have taken place.
Apple’s guidelines for app developers seem straightforward on the surface.
According to the email, Apple found that the app “contain[ed] content or features that include people from a specific race, culture, government, corporation, or other real entity as enemies in the context of the game, which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.
“Specifically, we noticed your app includes a simulation with specific targeted enemies within Syria.”
“The guideline we broke was about how you’re not allowed to make apps that make specific groups the enemy, but that’s open to interpretation. You can see for example that an app about the second World War with Nazis as the enemy could theoretically be rejected, but some of those games are passed.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tablet shipments to jump 68%, PCs to slip 10%, says Gartner
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57590658-94/tablet-shipments-to-jump-68-pcs-to-slip-10-says-gartner/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title
Overall in 2013, shipments of tablets, smartphones, and PCs will increase 6 percent, despite the drag from traditional desktops and laptops, according to Gartner.
Global shipments of PCs, tablets, and mobile phones will rise by 5.9 percent this year, reaching 2.35 billion, research firm Gartner predicted on Monday.
Though PC shipments continue to nosedive, the technology industry is getting a shot in the arm from tablets and smartphones.
Worldwide PC shipments, which include desktops and notebooks, are expected to drop by 10.6 percent this year to 305 million, Gartner said. Tablet shipments are pegged to jump by 67.9 percent, hitting 202 million. And shipments of mobile phones are forecast to grow by 4.3 percent to more than 1.8 billion across the globe.
“Consumers want anytime-anywhere computing that allows them to consume and create content with ease, but also share and access that content from a different portfolio of products. Mobility is paramount in both mature and emerging markets,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Now it’s Microsoft’s turn to rally developers
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57590543-75/now-its-microsofts-turn-to-rally-developers/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title
At its Build conference, which begins Wednesday in San Francisco, Microsoft will unveil Windows 8.1, hoping to get developers excited about updates to the new operating system that’s been met with tepid demand.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows RT Facing Same Fate as webOS?
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Windows-RT-Surface-RT-webOS-Windows-Phone-8-Ryan-Lowdermilk,23161.html
The upstream supply chain is chattering to DigiTimes again, this time comparing Microsoft’s Windows RT ARM-based variant of Windows 8 with HP/Palm’s doomed webOS platform. They say that most brand vendors have already stopped developing RT products, leaving Microsoft’s second-generation Surface RT the only tablet in the works based on the struggling OS.
The news arrives after Microsoft confirmed that it plans to sell Surface RT tablets at $199 to K-12 schools and higher-education institutions. The plan was announced prematurely
Microsoft also just recently announced that Outlook 2013 RT will be joining the other Office apps in Windows RT including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. It will be part of the free Windows RT 8.1 “Blue” update planned to be released later this year.
Sources claim that despite these two factors – along with dropping Surface RT prices in Japan – demand for Windows RT products won’t be high.
On the smartphone front, Microsoft is reportedly facing a similar issue. Acer, Asus and ZTE have supposedly started putting their Windows Phone 8 device development on hold, thus making it difficult for Microsoft to gain momentum in the smartphone market. If that weren’t bad enough, Android and Tizen are spilling into the PC market, joining Chrome OS as a popular Windows alternative.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The value of efficiency
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/dave-s-power-trips/4416673/The-value-of-efficiency
This leads me to the 80 plus and the adoption rate for efficient power supply units (PSU). In June of 2012, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) released a very detailed report on the market adoption of 80 plus certified desktops and notebooks.1 The report was generally upbeat, but there were concerns. There was some disagreement about the number of desktops shipped with 80 plus power supplies. Navigant estimated that 48% of desktops were shipped with 80 plus supplies, while IDT estimated the number to be closer to 70%.
The costs of the 80 plus supplies have continued to decline and the incremental costs between levels also have shrunk. For example, the difference between 80 plus Base and 80 plus Bronze has declined to only $10.
There have been many articles, blogs, and discussions concerning what is the value of including 80 Plus power supplies in desktops and servers. A recent example is an analysis performed by Joel Hruska. He addressed the question: “Is it worth investing in a high-efficiency power supply?” The analysis included the purchase price of the power supply and the cost of electricity. He covered 80 Plus ratings up to Platinum. He also covered different energy profiles. His conclusion is that it “could” be a good investment, depending on how much energy you consume.
tomi says:
Samsung denies ‘groundless’ rumor that it is shutting down its PC business
http://thenextweb.com/asia/2013/06/25/samsung-reportedly-shutting-down-desktop-pc-business-amid-declining-demand/
UPDATE: Samsung has denied a report that says it is shutting down its PC business and provided the following statement:
The rumor that Samsung is withdrawing from the PC desktop business is groundless. Samsung will continue to offer diverse PC products according to consumer and market needs.
However, it isn’t surprising at all given that research has been showing bad news for the PC industry. In Q1 2013, PC shipments hit a new low, posting the steepest decline ever seen to date, according to IDC. Worldwide, a total of 76.3 million PC units shipped in the first quarter of 2013, down 13.9 percent compared to the same quarter in 2012. At the same time, IDC said the tablet market grew 142.5 percent year-on-year in Q1 2013 (up from 20.3 million units in Q1 2012), with Samsung growing its share in the tablet industry to 17.9 percent.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Device Shipments Up 6% To 2.4B In 2013, Driven By Android Smartphones, Tablets Amid More PC Decline
http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/24/it-device-sales-to-rise-6-to-2-4b-in-2013-driven-by-android-tablets-smartphones-pcs-continue-decline/
Gartner today has released its latest figures charting its overall predictions for how IT devices — from PCs to mobile handsets — are going to perform this year and in 2014.
As in years before, numbers will continue to climb: in 2013, total shipments will rise 5.9% to 2.35 billion, and will rise again in 2014 to 2.5 billion units, driven by portable, often less expensive, but just as powerful mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android will account for just over one-third of all devices this year, and nearly half in 2014. It’s an Android world after all.
But continuing a trend we have been seeing for some time, personal computers — which kicked off the technology love affair for consumers — will not be the hardware reaping the most benefits from that growth. PC shipments will decline this year to 305 million units, Gartner says, before dropping again in 2014 to below 300 million (289 million).
Mobile devices will continue to replace PCs as consumers’ primary computing device, leading with smartphones, which will continue to be the most popular IT device sold. The 1.8 billion units in smartphones that that Gartner estimates will be shipped this year equates to about six times the number of PCs. And while tablets are still far behind both at only 201 million units, they will be growing the fastest, up some 68% on 2012.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Xfce, LXDE, & GNOME Are Running On Ubuntu XMir
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTM5NDQ
With all of the controversy surrounding the Mir Display Server for Ubuntu Linux on non-Unity desktops, a Canonical engineer sought to find out what Linux desktops would work atop Mir if using the XMir X.Org Server compatibility layer.
XMir is the X.Org Server compatibility component, similar to Wayland’s XWayland for being able to run legacy X.Org/X11 applications atop the modern display server.
Thomas was able to get the GNOME 3 Shell, Xfce, and LXDE running on XMir. With using XMir, the desktop environment’s traditional window manager is running and communicating with XMir as it were an X.Org Server and is then talking to Mir as the system level compositor. The Mir compositor is basically treating the entire XMir/desktop as one child window. This isn’t the most efficient process with in effect two compositors running, but it works, but again is similar to how XWayland works.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oracle and Microsoft have signed a cooperation agreement that will bring Oracle products, such as databases and the Java programming language for Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform.
In addition, the contract will Oracle support Microsoft Windows Server Hyper-V virtualization platform. IT giants reported yesterday on the subject on Monday.
The companies explain that cooperation starts with the customer’s desire and need to get a more adaptable IT systems.
“Cloud era of co-operation behind the scenes is not enough. We want more, from Oracle to be more, “said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/jatit+lyovat+hynttyyt+yhteen++oracle+ja+microsoft+tekevat+tuotteistaan+yhteensopivia/a911177?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-25062013&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 hype has hurt PC makers and distributors – Gartner
Sigh. ‘Bought in too high and too early’… paying cost now
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2013/06/25/garnter_burns_2013_pc_forecast/
Gartner slashed its PC sales forecast yesterday evening amid warnings that a glut of unwanted Windows 8 kit is sitting in warehouses gathering dust.
The beancounter expects global shipments to reach a little over 305 million PCs this year, a decline of 10.6 per cent versus the previously projected drop of seven per cent.
More Reading
Samsung quits desktop PC biz, will stick to all-in-ones and portablesPC makers REALLY need Windows 8.1 to walk on water – but guess what?HP PCs ‘n’ printers boss steps down, replaced by BritFormer Microsoft Windows chief: I was right to kill the Start buttonAnother Chinese thing you can see from space: Lenovo’s sales
It is not that consumers are spending much less, said Gartner principal analyst Ranjit Atwal, “it’s just that vendors and their channels overplayed demand that did not materialise.
“Over Christmas there was a lot of Windows 8 product that didn’t sell through fast enough and now needs to be moved on,” he told The Channel.
“Ten weeks ago the market was in a much more worrisome state,” one told us, “most manufacturers are in a healthier place. That said we’ve got more Windows 8 than we’d like.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The research firm Gartner predicts that Apple’s platforms, operating equipment sales to skip the Windows hardware sales in 2015.
While last year the Windows devices sold 347 million units in Apple devices 213 million. Gartner estimates that next year, the difference shrinks.
And after two years of Apple to bypass Windows.
Apple has really taken the lead, but only on the consumer side
“They sell more than Windows on this day. Microsoft remains at the forefront of business and professional users, thanks, “Milanesi said
The new market arrangement reflects the change in the use of computers. Desktop computers and laptops have changed to tablet and smart phones.
At the same time, Microsoft has had problems with the Windows Phone 8 to increase the popularity, and the Windows 8 and Windows RT duel has baffled tablet computers buyers.
Two years later, Windows devices are still sold in huge numbers. Windows will be still a major operating system.
Another symbolic change occurs in the current year, the Android operating equipment sales in excess of Apple and Microsoft platforms, devices operating in the total sales volume.
At the moment, Android is already the number one platform. Last year, Android devices sold half a billion copies. This year, the figure rises to 867 million sold in the device, next year, up more than a billion.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/historiallinen+muutos+windowsaikakausi+on+lopuillaan/a911185?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-26062013&
Tomi Engdahl says:
DDR3: A comparative study
http://www.edn.com/design/systems-design/4416627/DDR3–A-comparative-study
Striving to achieve an integrated user experience, today’s devices are getting crammed with loads of features which operate on voluminous data traffic over various interfaces. For efficient processing of these data, faster memories offering high bandwidth are the need of the hour. In spite of availability of many different kinds of memories, Double Data Rate (DDR) memories maintain their dominant position when it comes to offering large amount of dynamic random access storage with high bandwidth data transfer interface. These types of memories are called Double Data Rate as they offer double the performance compared to the Single Data Rate memories by allowing two data transactions per memory clock.
DDR memories require specific power up and initialization sequence prior to their operation. Before any read or write transaction, a particular row of a bank needs to be activated/opened (which essentially activates and amplifies the signals from that row) and after the end of the transaction it is pre-charged/closed if no further access to the row is needed. The DDR memories need to be periodically refreshed so that they don’t lose any of their contents.
The size of pre-fetch buffer is 2n (two datawords per memory access) for DDR memories, 4n (four datawords per memory access) for DDR2 memories and 8n (eight datawords per memory access) for DDR3 memories; where n is the size of IO interface typically 4, 8 or 16.
DDR3 memories provide much improved performance compared to DDR2 memories due to their low power, higher clock frequency operation along with 8n pre-fetch architecture offering significantly higher bandwidth for data transfers. Typically a DDR3 memory operates at 1.5V at 400-800MHz memory clock frequency; thus offering a data rate per pin ranging from 800-1600Mbps.
Like DDR2 memories, DDR3 memories provide power down and self refresh modes to conserve power when not in use. In self refresh mode, DDR3 memory retains data without external clocking while the rest of the system is powered down.
In order to manage various DDR3 memory features and to provide an abstracted, bandwidth efficient and automated way to initialize and use the memory, an efficient DDR3 memory controller is required. The memory controller should not only automatically initialize of the memory based on programmed controller parameters after power-on, but also should include high bandwidth interfaces with queuing, prioritization, arbitration and re-ordering capabilities for efficient, de-coupled access to the memory in case of multiple simultaneous memory accesses.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, it can be clearly seen that DDR3 memories offer significant performance advantages compared to the DDR2 memories; while mandating changes to existing DDR2 memory connection topology and controller feature-set. Currently the DDR3 standard is superseded by DDR4 standard which promises even more efficient operation by reducing the operating voltage and increasing the frequency of memory clock. DDR4 memories have a typical operating voltage of 1.2V, supporting memory clock frequencies from 667MHz- 1.6GHz and memory densities up to 16Gb (which is limited to 8Gb for DDR3 memories); thus offering even higher performance at improved energy economy. While DDR4 is the latest and greatest of the DDR memory standards, DDR3 memories are still being widely used due to the current lower adoption rate of DDR4.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Research company screwed up: Apple does not pass Windows
Research firm Gartner analyst has given incorrect information about operating systems market share for the news service Idgns.
According to Gartner, Apple’s operating systems are by no means skip the Windows appliances sold in terms of number
According to Gartner, Apple’s repair platforms to Windows narrowing the distance between the next two years. After 2015, however, Windows will start again and make up for the increase in popularity.
The most recent estimate of Windows devices sold in 2017, 45 million more than in Apple’s devices.
Microsoft’s dominance in operating systems, however, is a thing of the past. Android now dominates the market, such as Gartner previously reported.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/tutkimusyhtio+mokasi+apple+ei+ohitakaan+windowsia/a911444?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-26062013&
Tomi Engdahl says:
IE 11 Getting WebGL, SPDY/3, New Dev Tools
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/06/26/0144207/ie-11-getting-webgl-spdy3-new-dev-tools
“Microsoft released Windows Server (“Blue”) to MSDN subscribers today, ahead of the BUILD conference later this week in San Francisco. The build provides us a number of clues as to what we will see in the official Windows 8.1 (Blue) preview.”
” Since this is a server build, the score may be a little higher than IE11 on Win 8.1, but this confirms WebGL for IE11.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Latest Firefox boosts video chat, 3D graphics, JavaScript performance
WebRTC and asm.js support enabled by default
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/26/firefox_22/
The Mozilla Foundation has shipped Firefox 22 to the release channel, bringing with it improved support for web-based real-time communications and a significant performance boost for some JavaScript applications, among other features.
The new version comes with support for the nascent WebRTC API enabled by default for the first time. Technically still a work in progress at the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C), WebRTC is a proposed standard that enables browser-based voice calling, video chat, and peer-to-peer data sharing.
Other than Firefox 22, only the latest versions of Chrome OS and the desktop Chrome browser support WebRTC so far, but other browsers are expected to incorporate it as the standard matures.
In February, Google and Mozilla showed off a cross-browser video chat session between a beta version of Chrome and a nightly build of Firefox. As of Tuesday, those same capabilities are available in the stable branch of the Firefox browser.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ouya console launches at Amazon and Best Buy, but early backers are still waiting
http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/25/4463192/ouya-console-launches-retail-but-early-backers-still-waiting
The $99 Ouya gaming console was one of the most successful Kickstarter projects of all time, raising over $8.5 million. After a three-week delay, the console launched at a number of retail outlets today, promptly selling out at Amazon and Target. But some early backers are still waiting for results.
When Ouya posted on Facebook to celebrate a Reuters piece about the console, supporters responded in the comments, complaining that they were still waiting on pre-orders or Kickstarter rewards. “It’s available at Best Buy down the street from me but I’m still sitting here waiting for my pre-order,”
As Kotaku reports, a June 8th letter said that because of problems with a shipping partner, approximately 7,500 backers had not yet received their Ouya, and getting them sent out could take weeks. “I am pissed,” wrote CEO Julie Uhrman. “I did not promise to ship to most of you before we hit store shelves. I promised to ship to all of you.”
Unfortunately, the situation is still confusing.
A total of 63,000 people backed the Kickstarter in 2012, and non-backers could pre-order separately
Tomi Engdahl says:
The computer gets the senses
In the coming years the computer learn to interpret the user’s facial expressions and track the movements of his hands. This is called perceptual computing.
Through the senses, the computer learns to talk, listen, and watch. New modes of interaction affect the user interface design and enable new kinds of applications. Initially, techniques are PC-to-use, later also for mobile devices.
Intel has set up a $ 100 million fund to support the development of sensory techniques. Intel’s own perceptual SDK development environment has been downloaded nearly 15 000 times.
Intel demos were shown games that are able to control the movements of the hand using 3D-capable camera.
Infrared and color comparison utilizing the camera can detect up to heart rate.
“The technology enables the game to adapt to the player’s experiences,” Nanduri envisioned.
3d camera also adds face detection reliability, because the camera can not cheat on a person’s photo. The first will go on sale accessory is Creative SENZ3D camera. The second half of next year, Intel will introduce the module, the hardware manufacturers to embed the top of the screen the existing 2D cameras instead.
Source: http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/tietokone_saa_aistit
Tomi Engdahl says:
New wireless technology brings several displays to one big
Intel has introduced a technology that allows a single image or a video showing a number of different on-screen without any cables.
Intel’s technology to build an image so that the pixels are divided into different screens, and each screen will only be sent the necessary pixels WLAN access.
Intel invites you to display your technology as a service, or abbreviated daas. The chip giant has already developed techniques to image can be divided into screens. The newly developed daas differs from previous techniques in that, in theory, the screens can be any number.
Daas also works in reverse. Image may be collected from a number of display on a single screen.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/uusi+langaton+tekniikka+kokoaa+useasta+naytosta+yhden+ison/a911592?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-27062013&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Introducing IE11
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2013/06/26/introducing-ie11-the-best-way-to-experience-the-web-on-modern-touch-devices.aspx
As part of today’s Windows 8.1 Preview, Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) Preview is now also available.
Touch performance continues to be an area of focus, building on the work we did in IE10.
Hardware-accelerated 3D Web graphics. Interoperable WebGL experiences run on all devices, taking advantage of GPU acceleration. IE11 scans for unsafe WebGL content and implements a software-based renderer to complement the GPU.
IE11 supports plugin-free HTML5 video with the latest standards for closed captioning, streaming that adapts to available network bandwidth, and rights management
If you install the Windows 8.1 Release Preview, you can visit Netflix to watch your favorite movies and TV shows using HTML5 without the need to install any plugins.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hands-On With Windows 8.1 Preview
slashdot.org/story/13/06/26/1951212/hands-on-with-windows-81-preview
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft delivers new Visual Studio 2013 and .Net 4.5.1 previews
http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-delivers-new-visual-studio-2013-and-net-4-5-1-previews-7000017336/
Summary: The Windows 8.1 preview bits are not the only new downloadable test builds Microsoft is releasing on Day 1 of its Build 2013 conference. New ‘Blue’ dev tool previews are available, too.
According to Microsoft officials, much of the functionality in the .Net 4.5.1 release is focused on improving debugging and general diagnostics. The update also allows developers to enable Edit and Continue for 64-bit.
The new previews also add support for asynchronous debugging (when using VS 2013 on Windows 8.1, not older Windows releases) for C#, VB, JavaScript and C++ developers. .Net 4.5.1 also adds performance improvements for apps running on multicore machines. And more C++11 standards support, including featues like delegating constructors, raw string literals, explicit conversion operators and variadic templates.
Microsoft also is continuing to add features meant to entice more JavaScript and HTML development for those using Visual Studio to build Windows Store.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft: ‘Metro-Style’ Office not due until 2014
http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-metro-style-office-not-due-until-2014-7000017324/
Summary: The ‘Metro-Style’ versions of Microsoft’s core Office applications won’t be out until 2014, Microsoft officials are confirming.
During the June 26 keynote, Microsoft officials will show an alpha version of the Windows Store version of PowerPoint as a way to demonstrate that developers can build powerful “Metro-Style”/Windows Store business applications. The Metro versions of PowerPoint, Word, Excel and OneNote are codenamed “Gemini,” as I’ve blogged previously.
A Microsoft spokesperson told me this week that the new Gemini apps will be available in the Windows Store in 2014. The word is that delivering these Gemini apps next year has always been the Office team’s “plan of record.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sony Sacrificed the PlayStation 4 Camera to Beat Microsoft on Price
How the camera was cut last minute and left with an uncertain future.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/26/sony-sacrificed-the-playstation-4-camera-to-beat-microsoft-on-price#
Tomi Engdahl says:
PS4 and Xbox One high volumes no problem for AMD
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-06-25-ps4-and-xbox-one-high-volumes-no-problem-for-amd
AMD’s Saeid Moshkelani on his company’s next-gen “clean sweep” and high-end PCs driving innovation
AMD owns the next-generation of consoles. In the past, game consoles were more custom and piecemeal: a little IBM here, some AMD there, a tiny bit of Nvidia. With the reveal of the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U, it’s clear that AMD has put significant legwork into locking its PC competition out of the game console market. At E3 2013, GamesIndustry International spoke with AMD corporate vice president and general manager of Semi-Custom Business Saeid Moshkelani about the milestone and AMD’s place in the game industry.
“It is a very, very proud moment,” replied Moshkelani when asked about AMD’s position in the next generation. “They are very complex projects, very complex designs, and it doesn’t happen overnight. It has been a journey of over two years in development to get to today.”
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have semi-custom AMD Jaguar system-on-a-chips (SoC) at their core, while the Nintendo Wii U has an AMD Radeon graphics processor paired with an IBM PowerPC CPU. Moshkelani explained that all the chips we designed in concert with the platform holders, based on “very different visions and philosophies.”
Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4 are expected to launch this holiday season.
“From a manufacturing perspective, in a year we ship tens of millions of units,” he replied. “So we have a very strong manufacturing base for our APUs and discrete graphics. We leverage the same manufacturing infrastructure to develop for game consoles. So the volumes were not something that actually raised an eyebrow for us, because we’re already in high-volume manufacturing.”
Having a hold on the graphics side of all three consoles puts AMD in a unique position as a bridge between PCs and consoles.
“You look at the PS4 and the Xbox One now being x86-based and you look at where gaming is in the PC industry. So now you have game developers coding for x86, working with the console vendors, working with AMD to optimize their solutions for x86. It helps speed time to market, lowers costs, and now they don’t have to worry about coding for different platforms across console and PC,” added Williams.
Despite the fact that many have repeatedly predicted the death of the PC market with the rise of tablet and smartphone gaming, Moshekelani said that AMD’s discrete GPU division is “thriving and growing.” He and Williams both believe that high-end PC gaming will continue on as a driver of future innovation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Builds a Friendlier Windows 8.1 at Developer Conference
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/06/microsoft-shows-off-a-friendlier-windows-8-1-at-build/
Microsoft’s Build Developer Conference is taking place this morning in San Francisco (you can watch it live here). It’s a showcase for Windows 8.1. It’s about making Windows more productive, more efficient and, in many ways, more fun.
There are also major new features and apps, some of them really really cool and others that are flat out useful. It has built in support for 3D printers now. You can seamlessly sling audio and video to your Xbox. You can use Miracast to connect to all sorts of screens without wires. It has greatly enhanced security features
But the overarching thing Microsoft has done with its 8.1 release is improve the overall end-to-end experience.
This is Microsoft listening, evolving, and growing its next generation operating system. It’s clear that the company has finally realized we’re in a new modality now — one where Microsoft software has to appeal to consumers as much or more than it does IT managers. It’s speeding up its learning curve and release cycle.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft shows off 3D mapping, voice commands for Bing
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57591147-75/microsoft-shows-off-3d-mapping-voice-commands-for-bing/
The company takes aim at Google’s popular mapping app with the addition of 3D imaging capabilities and voice search.
The Windows 8.1 app will now come with 3D imaging, Singh Pall told developers. He then showed how developers can use the 3D imaging and voice command to create new Bing search experiences.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft highlights start button return at Build
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57591127-75/microsoft-highlights-start-button-return-at-build/
The start button will be back in Microsoft’s next Windows release, though it’s not the feature it was before Windows 8.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Split Licensing and the GPL — what does it all mean?
http://support.envato.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/428
On some of the Envato Marketplaces (particularly ThemeForest and CodeCanyon) authors sell a range of items including themes and plugins for open source platforms. These platforms include WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and a number of others, most of which are licensed under the General Public License (GPL).
Themes and plugins sold on the Envato marketplaces are sold under a default split license. This means authors can protect their rights and freedoms to respect (and comply with) the GPL as well as to control their own work.
If an author is releasing a theme or plugin for a platform that is licensed under the GPL, the PHP code and integrated HTML of the theme or plugin must be distributed under the GPL.
So, when a buyer purchases an item from ThemeForest or CodeCanyon, and finds the GPL license text enclosed, this license applies to the item’s PHP code and integrated HTML. Other assets that are a part of the item may not be covered by the GPL – the Read-Me file will explain the separation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A House Divided: WordPress.org, Envato, and GPL Battle
http://wpdaily.co/org-envato/
There has been little secret about the issues between WordPress.org proper and Envato and the various and different interpretations to GPL, licensing, and distribution/ownership rights.
But the battle is beginning to get heated (and personal) as the WordPress Foundation is now requesting that anyone who sells their products on Envato properties (WordPress Themes and Plugins) not speak at, volunteer for, organize or sponsor WordCamps (Thanks Drew for the clarification!).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8.1 Could Become What Windows 8 Should Have Been
http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2521615
Microsoft recently announced some features of the new user experience included in Windows 8.1 including Start button functions, the ability to boot to the desktop and Internet Explorer (IE) 11. Microsoft has not yet disclosed other features, but said that Windows 8.1 will be a free update from Windows 8. Windows 8.1 is expected to ship in time for holiday device sales.
Michael Silver and Steve Kleynhans, vice presidents in Gartner’s client computing team, provide analysis and recommendations on what organizations should look for in the Windows 8.1 update in today’s analyst guest post
After Microsoft unveiled Windows 8, the newly introduced user experience was criticized.
Based on the information currently available, we believe Windows 8.1 features could quiet most of its detractors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Slideshow: PCIe takes on mobile, Thunderbolt, more
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4417533/Slideshow–PCIe-takes-on-mobile–Thunderbolt–more
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Is Developing Android Game Console
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323689204578571992848684764.html
Google Inc. is developing a videogame console and wristwatch powered by its Android operating system, according to people familiar with the matter, as the Internet company seeks to spread the software beyond smartphones and tablets.
Google is also preparing to release a second version of an Android-powered media-streaming device, called Nexus Q, that was unveiled last year but not sold to the public, these people said.
The Internet giant hopes to design and market the devices itself and release at least one of them this fall, they added.
A Google spokeswoman declined to comment.
The hardware plans are the latest sign of Google’s determination to build on the success of Android, the software it launched in 2008 that powered 75% of all smartphones and 57% of tablets shipped globally in the first quarter, according to the research firm IDC.
Games that run on Android software have proved particularly popular, and they are growing more quickly than games made for the big-name consoles supplied by Microsoft Corp., Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co. The appeal of such games has prompted the development of new devices aimed specifically for Android by other hardware companies.
Google has also been watching the efforts of Ouya Inc., a startup that this week began selling a $99 Android-based console and game controller, one of these people said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8.1: ‘It’s good for enterprises, too,’ says Redmond
Maybe this version won’t get you laughed out of the office
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/27/windows_81_enterprise_features/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet Hall of Fame Announces 2013 Inductees
http://internethalloffame.org/press/latest-news/internet-hall-fame-announces-2013-inductees
Tomi says:
Large-scale quantum chip validated
http://scienceblog.com/64278/large-scale-quantum-chip-validated/
A team of scientists at USC has verified that quantum effects are indeed at play in the first commercial quantum optimization processor.
The team demonstrated that the D-Wave processor housed at the USC-Lockheed Martin Quantum Computing Center behaves in a manner that indicates that quantum mechanics has a functional role in the way it works. The demonstration involved a small subset of the chip’s 128 qubits.
In other words, the device appears to be operating as a quantum processor — something that scientists had hoped for but have needed extensive testing to verify.
The quantum processor was purchased from Canadian manufacturer D-Wave nearly two years ago
“Using a specific test problem involving eight qubits, we have verified that the D-Wave processor performs optimization calculations [that is, finds lowest-energy solutions] using a procedure that is consistent with quantum annealing and is inconsistent with the predictions of classical annealing,” said Daniel Lidar, scientific director of the Quantum Computing Center and one of the researchers on the team. Lidar holds joint appointments at USC Viterbi and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
See more at: http://news.usc.edu/#!/article/52818/large-scale-quantum-chip-validated/
Tomi says:
You Will Get DirectX 11.2 Only With Windows 8.1
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/06/29/0347207/you-will-get-directx-112-only-with-windows-81
“Microsoft has just announced the next version of DirectX, 11.2, on its website. But the real ‘problem’ is that it is going to be exclusive to Windows 8.1 and next generation consoles ”
“This is not news, as DirectX 11.1 was exclusive to Windows 8. But is this going to help Microsoft convince people to ugprade or will make them angry?”
Tomi says:
You Will Get DirectX 11.2 Only With Windows 8.1
http://wind8apps.com/direct-x-11-2-windows-8-1/
DirectX 11.2 is the latest version of the popular graphics software.
this is going to be EXCLUSIVE to Windows 8.1 and next-generation consoles. Initially, it was thought that only the Xbox One would’ve get it.
You can read all the details about DirectX 11.2 on Microsoft’s website, if you’re interested in detailed technical specifications. Microsoft’s decision to release DirectX 11.2 exclusively on the Windows 8.1 is obviously a move meant to force users upgrade to Windows 8.1.
Want DirectX 11.2? Get Windows 8.1
Althought it might seem like an incremental update, DirectX 11.2 is actually a big deal, especially for developers and programmers.
Designed to allow a game to use both system RAM and graphics RAM to store textures, Leblond claimed that tiled resources will enable DirectX 11.2 games to vastly improve the resolution of textures displayed in-game.
By way of proof, Leblond showed off a demonstration that used a claimed 9GB of texture data – the majority of which was held in system RAM, rather than graphics RAM.
It’s a clever trick, and one that could help boost the quality of future PC games
Besides tiled resources, DirectX 11.2 also reduces the latency for DirectX applications, allowing for a faster user interface response.
Tomi says:
Intel’s new CEO focused on mobile chips, cautious on TV
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/28/us-intel-ceo-idUSBRE95R0XK20130628
Intel Corp’s new CEO said on Friday he would speed up the rollout of chips for smartphones, tablets and wearable devices as consumers move away from personal computers.
In their first sit-down with reporters since their promotions in May, Krzanich and Intel President Renee James said wearable computing devices would become a key battleground for mobile industry players.
Krzanich, who mentioned he had Google’s Glass wearable device in his knapsack, said computing in the next few years would focus more on items for eyes and ears, as well as wristbands and watches.
The world’s biggest chipmaker dominates the PC industry, but has been slow to adapt its chips to be suitable for smartphones and tablets. Intel is anxious to make sure it does not fall behind in future technology trends.
Krzanich and James said that under their leadership, Intel will give much more priority to its Atom mobile chips. In the past, Intel’s most cutting-edge manufacturing resources were reserved for making powerful PC chips, with Atom chips made on older production lines.
James said Intel would grow its small contract chip manufacturing business, a potentially significant source of revenues. As did his predecessor, Krzanich left open the possibility of opening Intel’s factories to customers making chips designed with architectures that compete against Intel’s own.
Tomi says:
The Big Comparison Of Google Reader RSS Feed Alternatives
http://marketingland.com/the-big-comparison-of-google-reader-rss-feed-alternatives-49723
Google Reader is turning off their feed on July 1st and by now many of you have already switched to a new RSS reader – but, for those of you who have yet to make the jump, keep reading. We wanted to give you a concise chart explaining the features, costs and functionality of some of the larger RSS feed readers on the market.
Tomi says:
Windows 8.1: So it’s, er, half-speed ahead for Microsoft’s Plan A
A desktop failure gambling on slablet success
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/28/windows_8_point_one_review/
Following approximately one year after the release to manufacturing of Windows 8.0, which incorporated some radical changes, based around a new tablet platform running alongside the traditional desktop environment, Windows 8.1 is a critical release.
Most Windows users have not warmed to the platform variously called Metro, Modern or Windows Runtime.
Moves like replacing the familiar Start menu with a Start screen and putting essential features like Shutdown in a somewhat hidden Charms menu were confusing and added little value to users without touch screens.
Neither has the new app platform been a storming success, with a shortage of high quality apps. Desktop users have been puzzled by the chunky, blocky graphics which characterise the Modern platform and which look out of place on large screens controlled by keyboard and mouse.
Microsoft’s task with Windows 8.1 is to make the operating system more accommodating to users with no interest in Metro, while also improving the tablet side to inject some life into the struggling Modern app ecosystem. Although that seems a big ask, it is worth noting that Windows 8.0 shares the same core code as the well-regarded Windows Server 2012
If Windows 8.1 is judged by its desktop features, it will have failed. Here at Build, it is clear that Microsoft’s strategy remains centered on the Modern platform. You can say I suppose that this is now version 1.1 rather than 1.0, and it is considerably refined.
Delivered as part of Windows 8.1, Internet Explorer 11 supports WebGL, a standard previously opposed by Microsoft on security grounds, enabling hardware accelerated graphics in the browser without a plug-in. DRM support for web video means that sites like Netflix can also deliver content without a plug-in.
An eye-catching addition to Windows 8.1 is integrated support for 3D printers. The effect is that applications will be able to support 3D printing directly, rather than users having to run a dedicated application for each printer.
SkyDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service, is now baked more deeply into Windows. Many settings are stored in SkyDrive and roam to other Windows 8 machines which use the same Microsoft account.
The future of Windows remains hard to predict, but 8.1 is a big improvement and makes the first release feel rough and ready in comparison.
Tomi says:
Web ad giant (Google) makes its own flash? Speak your branes
If the Chocolate Factory bakes its own silicon sweeties, show us the fabs
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/12/google_making_its_own_ssds/
We wondered last week or so how advertising giant Google could appear in a Gartner chart comparing sales in the enterprise flash drive market.
Apparently the web goliath makes its own solid-state drives for its sprawling customised storage systems, and the amounts are big enough to register on Gartner’s market-scanning radar screen.
Google was responsible for almost 9 per cent of enterprise SSD sales in 2012, said Gartner, and fourth after Intel, Fusion-io and Samsung.
Tomi says:
Breaking with your back-up supplier is a sticky business
How to dissolve the glue
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/26/feature_switching_data_backup_providers/
Backup is like software superglue with three sticking points: the backup software installation; its operation; and the longevity of the stored backup data vault, which can be needed for years after the last piece of data has been written to it.
Let’s think of the backup software as a lens through which we can see the data. It knows the format the data is stored in and understands the metadata – the data about the stored data.
Without this lens we cannot make sense of the backed-up data. We can’t see into it and pull out the bits we need to restore, such as files, folders, emails and so on, because the originals have been lost, deleted or corrupted.
The mid-level difficulty is that you probably have to install the new backup software agents on all the servers needing backup.
That means you still have the burden of maintaining and updating backup agent software as the server operating system environment gets patched and updated.
Since you must maintain the original backup software as long as access to the content in its storage vault is needed then you now face even more work in this area, not less.
The comparatively minor issue is that you have to learn how to use the new software.
Where does this leave us? We have an even bigger backup software problem than before and it is long-lived.
Even if we switch all backups to the new product from a start date and use the old backup software only to provide read and restore access to the backup storage vault, we still have to keep the original backup software current. It is probably a mandatory condition for getting support.
So now we are running two different backup environments in parallel.
The implication is that the return on investment (ROI) of a backup software migration and the timescale over which it occurs has to be properly understood.
Tomi says:
Gadgets are NOT the perfect gift for REAL men
Back to golf balls, socks and hankies, I suppose
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/12/something_for_the_weekend_real_men_gifts_and_gadgets/
If you were to ask any sane male (ie, not in the IT industry) to suggest a romantic present for a partner, he would probably come up with something unimaginative but undeniably appropriate and inevitably well-received such as flowers or chocolates.
On that note, I would like to point out that while smartphones are gadgets, of course, effectively so are the apps that run on them.
Tomi says:
Microsoft must change its corporate culture not just structure
Analysis Deep changes are needed
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/feature/2281348/microsoft-must-change-its-corporate-culture-not-just-structure
SOFTWARE GIANT Microsoft’s reorganisation might have shuffled the deck chairs but it gave little clue as to who is likely to succeed Steve Ballmer as CEO.
Microsoft has over the past decade had a number of labels attached to it, most of which are not positive. Yet the firm under Ballmer’s controversial leadership continues to increase revenue and profits and its share price is trading close to a 10-year high.
Ballmer often doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He is often cited as an impressive salesman and in that capacity he has been successful. The problem with Ballmer though is that he doesn’t come across as a visionary or a leading technological thinker, a view that has been reinforced by failed catch-up products such as the Zune and Kin, the Surface tablets and to a lesser extent Bing and Windows Phone.
The firm needs to give researchers the chance to see more of their ideas end up as products and that doesn’t happen simply because there are new signs on the doors.
Tomi says:
Sysadmin Day free give away
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/13/sysadmin_day_free_give_away/
Sysadmin blog It’s that time of year again: Sysadmin Day is upon us! July 26, 2013 is the international day of recognition for all those who toil in datacenter obscurity, fighting off cyber-ninjas so that videos of cats my flow unhindered through the tubes.
As is typical, contests are popping up like weeds to attract the valuable eyeballs of systems administrators.
Tomi says:
One Microsoft: will Ballmer’s big reset mean better products or more broken promises?
http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/12/4516806/one-microsoft-ballmer-reset-windows-windows-phone-xbox
Redmond bets on tearing down the walls between Windows and Xbox
24
inShare
Microsoft has always been a giant castle with many fortresses. Internal battles and power struggles have led individual divisions to focus on their own success to the detriment of collaboration. Over the years, it’s resulted in a number of false starts, delayed products, and departures of key employees.
CEO Steve Ballmer, it seems, has finally reached his breaking point.
Microsoft announced some major management and structural changes on Thursday.
Tomi says:
Building a Better Dell: More R&D, Less PCs
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424127887324694904578599831442327090-lMyQjAxMTAzMDEwMTExNDEyWj.html
Silver Lake is betting it and company founder can restore the computing icon to its former luster.
Silver Lake executives and founder Michael Dell have been discussing turnaround plans for months, according to people close to the group. One person familiar with the investor group’s thinking said they are “taking Michael’s strategy, and cubing it.”
So what exactly is that strategy? From what little information is available, it likely will be a quicker and more ruthless implementation of what Mr. Dell has unsuccessfully put forth as chief executive so far: Boosting sales of back-office computing networks, storage to keep and analyze data, software to protect information on employees’ smartphones from theft, and services to keep companies’ technologies running smoothly together.