• Uncategorized

    HP’s Hurd Is Out, Lesjak Interim CEO

    August 8, 2010 /

    By now, most of you have read that there has been a leadership change over at HP.  Mark Hurd, amid a sexual harassment suit, was essentially forced to resign because he submitted and was reimbursed for improper company expenses.

    When the news broke, we all a hear “Hurd,” “resigned,” and “sexual harassment.” If you want to go beyond the headline grabbing blurbs, you need to read the New York Times article on the subject.

    “Mark V. Hurd, who turned Hewlett-Packard into the world’s largest technology company on the back of fierce fiscal discipline, has been ousted from his post for the lowliest of corporate offenses — fudging his expenses.”

    Ouch!  Not cool.  I find it totally amazing that someone so well respected, who has a lot of money in today’s economy would lose such an amazing job just because they wanted to cut some corners and save some personal cash.  If it’s business, OK fine, expense the dinner or whatever.  If it isn’t, and if there is a chance it can come back to bite you in the end, they just pay for it yourself.  Mr. Hurd reportedly filed expense reports that inaccurately contained reimbursements “from $1,000 to $20,000, according to a person close to Mr. Hurd who was briefed on the situation but was not authorized to speak publicly.”

    The good news for Mr. Hurd, which should allow him to get another senior management job in the near future, according to the Times article is “that the sexual harassment charge was unsubstantiated.”

    With Hurd’s departure, HP’s Board of Directors has appointed Cathie Lesjak (seen above in the inset) as the interim CEO.  Ms. Lesjak is a 24-year veteran of HP and will retain her responsibilities as CFO while acting as the interim CEO.

    Mr. Hurd will be leaving HP with a $12,224,693 severance package.  Not too bad for only violating HPs Standards of Business Conduct policy.

    You can read the full article on the New York Times website.  Friday’s press release can be read on the HP website.

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  • apple,  blackberry,  clie,  foleo,  iphone,  lifedrive,  palm os,  storm,  t5,  tx

    Remembering the Palm TX, T5, and LifeDrive

    August 7, 2010 /

    I just moved my Palm TX, T5, and LifeDrive into storage.  They had been local residents on my desk since I acquired them and I have enjoyed playing and working with them for many years.  Today was the day they they moved into my storage crate with all of my other decommissioned smartphones and PDAs.

    My Palm Pre, Apple iPhone 2G, BlackBerry Storm2, HTC Droid Eris, and Palm Foleo just got more room to spread out.

    If you want to take a walk down memory lane, check out the PDA Museum where you can find write ups on many of the Palm/pa1mOne and Sony Clie Palm OS devices.

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  • adobe,  android,  google,  motorola,  verizon

    Has Verizon and Motorola Suspended Android FroYo 2.2 Updates?

    August 7, 2010 /

    Has Motorola and Big Red suspended all OTA updates of Google Android 2.2 to their Android smartphones?

    If MyDroidWorld and Droid-Life (link 1, link 2) are correct, there seems to be problems between the new Android OS and Adobe’s Flash Player, and Pandora.

    MyDroidWorld writes:

    “Motorola and Verizon are pulling all FRG Froyo builds and ceasing any current plans to update to Froyo. Seems there is a problem between Google and Adobe concerning flash, rights, and royalties. This comes as quite a surprise to us as it will others.”

    Personally, I’m a little bit skeptical of that statement.  You would think that Google and Adobe would have there ducks, and lawyers, in a row before the software goes out the door.  I quick Google search, ya, I should have used Bing this time out, finds an article from Examiner.com that seems to backup the Google/Verizon/Adobe claims until you start checking the links and see that they reference MyDroidLife too.

    So how about it Droid Nation on Big Red; are you getting your FroYo on? Drop us a line and let us know.

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  • android,  facebook,  google

    Facebook for Android Updated, Fixes Battery Drain Issue

    August 6, 2010 /

    Facebook has released version 1.3.1 of their Android client that corrects a battery drain issue.

    Recently, the Facebook client for Android devices received a major upgrade from the previous release in the form of the 1.3 update.  However, there was a bug in the background notification system that kept the phone from going to sleep and drained the battery very quickly.

    Hit up the Market Place application to get your weekend update action on!

    [Via Androinica.com…]

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  iphone

    Apple: Fixes On the Way for iOS Vulnerabilities

    August 5, 2010 /

    According to an article on AppleInsider.com, Apple had developed a fix for the current vulnerabilities that allow you to “jailbreak” or install and run unauthorized software on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod over the web.

    “Apple confirmed Wednesday that it has developed a fix for the two security vulnerabilities that allow jailbreaking of their iOS software.

    An Apple spokeswoman said in a statement, “We’re aware of this reported issue, we have already developed a fix and it will be available to customers in an upcoming software update.” No release date was given for the update.

    Previously, Apple had announced it was “investigating” the issue.”

    [Via AppleInsider.com…]

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  • att,  blackberry,  blackberry os,  rim

    ComputerWorld Torch Round Up

    August 4, 2010 /

    ComputerWorld has a good round up of reviews for the new BlackBerry Torch 9800, which launches on AT&T August 12.  The Torch will be the first BlackBerry to ship with the new BlackBerry 6 operating system.

    “As expected, Research In Motion launched its BlackBerry Torch (aka 9800) on Tuesday morning. Exclusively on AT&T in the U.S., this small slider offers overhauled software and a few unique features. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers can’t decide if it’s an iPhone killer or if it’s too little too late.”

    You can read the Torch review round up on the ComputerWorld website.

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  • att,  blackberry,  blackberry os,  rim,  torch

    RIM Introduces the New BlackBerry Torch 9800

    August 4, 2010 /

    Dallas and Waterloo, ON – Joining forces to offer the first smartphone to feature the highly anticipated BlackBerry® 6 exclusively on the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T and Research In Motion (RIM) today introduced the new BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 smartphone. Adept for socially connected consumers and packed with the tools business customers love, the new handset is the world’s first smartphone to combine a BlackBerry® keyboard with a full touch screen experience. Whether users choose to type out messages on the capacitive touch screen or easy-to-use BlackBerry keyboard, browse the Internet using pinch to zoom or fluidly navigate with the optical trackpad, the BlackBerry Torch allows them to communicate any way they want. 

    “We were the first to launch the BlackBerry solution in 1999 and have a rich history of innovation and collaboration with Research In Motion,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “The two companies that brought the first BlackBerry smartphones to market have teamed up again with the new BlackBerry Torch, creating a true generational shift in hardware and operating system for this enormously popular service.”

    “This is one of the most significant launches in RIM’s history and we are proud to introduce the new BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry 6 together with AT&T,” said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-ceo, Research In Motion. “With a new user interface, new browser and new handset design, the highly anticipated BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry 6 deliver integrated and uncompromising capabilities for consumers and business professionals that preserve the industry-leading strengths of the BlackBerry platform while adding exciting new dimensions.”

    BlackBerry 6
    The BlackBerry Torch is the first BlackBerry smartphone to launch with BlackBerry 6, a new operating system that retains the familiar and trusted features that distinguish the BlackBerry brand while delivering a fresh, approachable and engaging experience that’s powerful and easy to use.

    BlackBerry 6 features a redesigned interface that seamlessly works with the touch screen and trackpad, includes expanded messaging capabilities with intuitive features to simplify the management of social networking and RSS feeds (Social Feeds), and provides integrated access to the BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™), Facebook®, Twitter™, MySpace™ and various instant messaging applications available on the BlackBerry Torch smartphone. Its enhanced multimedia experience rivals the best in the industry and includes a dedicated YouTube app and Podcasts app.

    BlackBerry 6 also integrates a new and rich WebKit-based browser on BlackBerry Torch that renders HTML web pages (as well as HTML email) quickly and beautifully for a great browsing experience. It features tabs for accessing multiple sites simultaneously, pinch to zoom for easy navigation and an auto-wrap text zoom feature that can intelligently wrap text in a column while maintaining the placement of a page’s key elements (simply double-tap on the BlackBerry Torch).

    Universal search, always accessible from the Home Screen, allows users to search through email, messages, contacts, music, videos and more on the smartphone, as well as extend search to the Internet or to discover applications on BlackBerry App World™.

    BlackBerry Torch Smartphone Features

    • Elegant styling, measuring approx. 4.4″ (5.8″ open) x 2.4″ x .57″ and weighing 5.68 ounces
    • 3.2″ 360×480 capacitive touch screen display
    • 35 key full QWERTY backlit slide-out keyboard, designed to feel optimally balanced when opened for typing
    • Optical trackpad that makes navigation fast and smooth
    • Powerful 624 Mhz processor with 512 MB Flash memory
    • 4 GB built-in memory storage plus a microSD/SDHD memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB cards; a 4 GB card is included giving users 8 GB of storage out-of-the-box
    • 5 MP camera with flash, continuous auto focus, image stabilization, scene modes, geo-tagging and zoom, as well as video recording at up to 640×480 resolution
    • Built-in GPS for location-based applications and geo-tagging
    • Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g/n); qualifying smartphone customers can enjoy seamless connectivity to over 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots at no additional cost
    • 3.5mm stereo headset jack
    • Premium phone features, including voice activated dialing, speakerphone and Bluetooth® (2.1) with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits (including systems that support the Bluetooth Message Access Profile standard) and other Bluetooth accessories
    • New BlackBerry® Desktop Software 6 with integrated media sync for easily syncing music, photos and videos
    • Tri-band HSDPA (3G) and quad-band EDGE support for the option of voice service in more than 220 countries, data service in more than 195 countries and 3G connectivity in more than 125 countries, including Japan and South Korea
    • Removable, rechargeable 1300 mAhr battery that provides approximately 5.8 hours of talk time on 3G networks or 30 hours of audio playback or 6 hours of video playback

    Pricing and Availability
    The BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone will be available only for AT&T customers on August 12 in AT&T company owned retail stores and online at www.att.com/blackberrytorch, as well as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and RadioShack stores.

    The BlackBerry Torch 9800 will be available for $199.99 with 2-year service agreement on a qualifying rate plan and smartphone data plan required.  New smartphone customers may choose from two AT&T monthly data plan options, $15 for 200 MB of wireless data or $25 for 2 GB.  Enterprise and small business customers should contact their account representative for pricing details.

    You can read today’s full BlackBerry Torch 9800 press release on the RIM website.

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  • blackberry,  blackberry os,  bold,  pearl,  rim

    Research in Motion Introduces BlackBerry OS 6

    August 4, 2010 /

    BlackBerry smartphone maker, Research in Motion, has unveiled the next version of their BlackBerry operating system.

    Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced BlackBerry® 6, a new operating system for BlackBerry® smartphones that retains the trusted features that distinguish the BlackBerry brand while delivering a fresh, approachable and engaging experience that is both powerful and easy to use. BlackBerry 6 features a redesigned interface that seamlessly works with a touch screen and trackpad, expanded messaging capabilities that simplify managing social media and RSS feeds, an advanced multimedia experience that rivals the best in the industry, a convenient new Universal Search tool, and a new and efficient WebKit-based browser that renders web pages quickly and beautifully for a great browsing experience.

    “BlackBerry 6 is the outcome of RIM’s ongoing passion to deliver a powerful, simplified and optimized user experience for both touch screen and keyboard fans,” said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-ceo, Research In Motion.  “Following extensive research and development to address consumer needs and wants, we are delivering a communications, browsing and multimedia experience that we think users will love, and we are thrilled to debut BlackBerry 6 on the amazing new BlackBerry Torch smartphone.”

    In today’s press release, RIM talked up four marquee features:

    • Visual, Fluid Interface
    • Fast Rich Web Browsing
    • Social Feeds and Text Messaging
    • Engaging Multimedia Experience

    RIM will be working with their carrier partners to develop upgrades for the BlackBerry Bold 9700, the BlackBerry Bold 9650, and the BlackBerry Pearl 3G.  If you are a new BlackBerry Storm2 owner like me, or you have a BlackBerry Storm, it looks like we are going to be out of luck.  RIM stayed quite on upgrades for us.  The new BlackBerry Torch 9800, announced today, will ship with BlackBerry OS 6 pre-installed.

    You can read the full press release on the RIM website.

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  touch

    Safari Jailbreak Can Compromise Your iOS Device

    August 4, 2010 /

    Remember that jailbreaking website I told you about yesterday?  Seems like it might not be a great idea after all.  Turns out the browser exploit that the jailbreakers are using opens the iDevice up to attack from “bad guys” too.

    “Sean Sullivan, security advisor with F-Secure Corporation, revealed on Tuesday the technical details of the jailbreak process, which is done entirely in the Mobile Safari browser. The jailbreakme.com site includes 20 separate PDFs for different combinations of hardware and firmware.”

    “While the jailbreakme.com URL itself is not intended for malicious purposes, the PDF exploit it uses could be utilized by hackers to more nefarious ends. Miller said that with this method, a hacker does not need physical access to an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad — they just simply need to have the user visit a vulnerable website.”

    The bottom line here?  Think twice before you jailbreak your brand new iPhone 4 or other iDevice boys and girls.

    [Via AppleInsider.com…]

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  • amazon,  apple,  connecticut,  ipad,  iphone,  kindle

    Connecticut AG Probing Apple, Amazon on EBook Agreements

    August 3, 2010 /

    Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is investigating agreements between the country’s largest e-book publishers and two of the largest sellers — Amazon.com, Inc. and Apple, Inc. — that may block competitors from offering cheaper e-book prices.

    Both Amazon and Apple have reached agreements with the largest e-book publishers that ensure both will receive the best prices for e-books over any competitors — contract provisions known as “most favored nation” (MFN) clauses.

    In letters to Amazon.Com and Apple, Blumenthal is calling on the companies to meet with his office to address these concerns. Publishers that have reached such agreements with Amazon and Apple include Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, HarperCollins and Penguin.

    These agreements appear to deter certain publishers from offering discounts to Amazon and Apple’s competitors — because they must offer the same to Amazon and Apple. This restriction blocks cheaper and competitive prices for consumers.

    After a preliminary review, Blumenthal’s office has already found that e-book prices offered by Amazon, Apple, Borders and Barnes & Noble for several New York Times Bestseller books were identical among all four sellers.

    “These agreements among publishers, Amazon and Apple appear to have already resulted in uniform prices for many of the most popular e-books — potentially depriving consumers of competitive prices,” Blumenthal said. “The e-book market is set to explode — with analysts predicting that e-book readers will be among the holiday season’s biggest electronic gifts — warranting prompt review of the potential anti-consumer impacts.

    “Amazon and Apple combined will likely command the greatest share of the retail e-book market, allowing their most-favored-nation clauses to effectively set the floor prices for the most popular e-books. Such agreements — especially when offered to two of the largest e-book retail competitors in the United States — threaten to encourage coordinated pricing and discourage discounting.”

    You can read and download a PDF copy of Mr. Blumentha’s letter to Apple and Amazon on the CT.gov website.  A copy of today’s press release is also available online.

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