For this week’s TIME.com Technologizer column, I took a look at personalized-magazine apps–Flipboard, Taptu, and Zite (all for the iPad) and Genieo (for Windows PCs and Macs). Each one is a bit different in its technology and emphasis, but the core notion is similar: They grab stories from all over the Web that are likely to interest …
With Tech, Everything is the New Everything Else
Over at TIME.com, my Technologizer column this week is about growing debate over the question of whether Google’s dominance of the search engine market raises antitrust concerns. It’s reminiscent of the debate that went on for most of the 1990s whether Microsoft was a monopolist–a debate that eventually led to the court case known as …
GameStop Mulls a Tablet, Will Soon Buy Yours
This article has been cross-posted from our partner site, Technologizer.
When a brick-and-mortar retailer decides to go digital, one possible strategy goes something like this: Buy a smaller digital company or two, and hope to make them big.
That’s what GameStop did last week when it acquired Stardock’s Impulse game download …
I’m Sorry, the Future of Phones is Unknowable
This article has been cross-posted from our partner site, Technologizer.
Research firm IDC–a sister company of my former employer, PCWorld–has released its latest estimates of the current and future marketshare of major smartphone operating systems. The headline news: It’s predicting that Android will continue to boom and that …
Samsung’s Fake Galaxy Tab Interviews: Hey, Those Words Sound Familiar!
This article has been cross-posted from our partner site, Technologizer.
When I watched the video interviews with three “true-life” Galaxy Tab users that Samsung showed at its CTIA event, I was observant enough to figure out (with the help of about six minutes of Google research) that two of the users were actors and the other one …
Is Samsung’s New Galaxy Tab Fibbing About Its Figure?
This article has been cross-posted from our partner site, Technologizer.
At CTIA Wireless earlier this week, Samsung announced a new 10.1″ Galaxy Tab tablet–one which it said was thinner and lighter than the iPad 2, with the same starting price of $499. After the press event, I scurried over to the Samsung booth in hopes of …
Rumors of Firefox’s Death are Greatly Exaggerated
This article has been cross-posted from our partner site, Technologizer.
There’s misguided analysis out there this week (see here,here, and to some extent here for examples) on how supposedly Firefox is dead or in trouble. Better stop the presses: it sure isn’t happening yet. In the first 24 hours following the browser’s …
Four Ways to Make Gmail Better
For this week’s TIME.com Technologizer column, I wrote about Gmail–a service which I find both indispensable and frustrating. In that story, I didn’t account for all of Gmail’s pros and cons, though. And one major pro is that there are an array of third-party tools that teach Gmail new tricks.
Here are four of my favorites:
1. …
China Denies Google Claims of Beijing Gmail Frame-Up
This article has been cross-posted from our partner site, Technologizer.
The tension’s definitely ratcheting up as Google and China trade accusations and denials over who’s responsible for weeks of sluggish Gmail service.
Google recently claimed no foul and blamed China for turning the country’s version of Gmail into a
…
Wi-Fi Alliance To Certify Hotspots
This article has been cross-posted from our partner site, Technologizer.
How many hotspots do you use on a regular or semi-regular basis? At this point in my wanderings I’ve amassed so many Wi-Fi hotspot log-ins that I don’t really remember them all–to the point where I try to create new accounts for services that I already have …
Is Internet Explorer’s Reputation Repairable?
My TIME.com column this week is about the golden age of Web browsers we’re currently living in–and especially the release this week of Internet Explorer 9. The browser, which debuted on Monday at the South by Southwest Interactive geekfest in Austin, is the best new Microsoft browser in eons. It’s on a par with other major browsers in …
Zediva’s Movie Rentals Are 50% Cheaper Than iTunes
This article has been cross-posted from our partner site, Technologizer.
Movie studios are skittish about giving their new releases to bargain rental services like Netflix and Redbox, but that’s not a concern for streaming video startup Zediva.
The service, which moves out of beta today, streams new movie releases for $2 a piece — …