Palm has unveiled its Palm webOS mobile platform, to be constantly connected to the web, and the new Palm Pre, the phone based on the new platform. Palm webOS is a platform invented exclusively for mobile use. It automatically brings your information from the many places it resides - on your phone, at your work or on the web - into one integrated view. webOS leverages several industry-standard technologies, including web technologies such as CSS, XHTML and JavaScript. The new platform was designed to allow an ecosystem of partners, including developers, hardware suppliers, and accessories manufacturers, to develop core solutions to complement the platform and product line. For developers, webOS offers an open development environment. The platform's flexible environment will also allow developers to distribute their applications over-the-air via an on-device Palm application store.
Volante offers a Java-based, wireless point of sale solution for Linux. By using PC notebooks, the entire POS software is loaded on the unit and it runs as a terminal with peer-to-peer, data synching, etc. Volante has evolved its software into the peer-to-peer architecture, and now POS software can be loaded onto a small wireless notebook. Additionally, because Volante POS software is written entirely in Java, it runs seamlessly on Linux.
IGG Software announced the forthcoming release of iBank Mobile, a native iPhone counterpart to iBank 3. Capable of running on both the iPhone and iPod Touch, this new release will be available exclusively for download from the iTunes App Store in the first quarter of this year. Among the new application’s highlights: — iBank Mobile can be run as a stand-alone app. — Existing iBank users can sync iBank data and new transactions from mobile devices using a MobileMe account for continual updating with a WebDAV server; or directly via Wi-Fi to a local machine running iBank.
Vizio has launched the VL and VT Series, enhancing the performance of Full HD 1080p LCD HDTVs with 120Hz Smooth Motion II technology. The VL Series consists of four new models ranging from 32" to 47." The VT Series consists of three new models ranging from 37" to 47." Each model in the VL and VT Series incorporates Vizio's Smooth Motion II technology that refreshes motion picture images at twice the speed of standard 60Hz models, eliminating blur from fast-action movie sequences. Vizio's Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio increases overall contrast ratio and picture quality, especially in brightly lit rooms.
Recursion Software announced the release of Voyager 7.1, a pervasive software platform that now enables Smartphones and other small devices to access OSGi services remotely. OSGi-based architecture is predominantly used in embedded environments, yet the mobile and embedded software landscape continues to merge with products like Voyager and OSGi-enabled hardware, such as Sprint Titan OS-based phones, MIDP 3.0 phones, and internet and telco routers from companies such as Cisco and Eurotech.
Palm took the wraps off its overhauled mobile operating system introducing a touch-screen phone in hopes of winning back customers from rivals like Nokia and Apple. Palm debuted the Palm Web OS, the new operating system created under the watch of former Apple executive Jon Rubenstein, who helped create the iPod. Palm also introduced the Pre smartphone, a touch-screen device enabled with GPS, Wi-Fi, and a slide out full keyboard. It will be available in the first half of 2009.
With its CEO whisked off to VMware to be COO, Borland named CFO Erik Prusch acting president and CEO and then confessed that its Q4 results won’t be anything like it imagined. It looks like it’s suffered a $10 million-$30 million shortfall if, as it now says, it expects to report Q4 revenues of between $38.5 million and $40 million. So it will cut 15% of its full-time staff this quarter, 130 people, describing the layoffs, which should save it $12 million-$14 million a year, as part of a plan to recalibrate its go-to-market strategy.
... Since there was not many new exciting iPhone demos at the MacWorld Keynote, we decided to release some of our own. Check out Cut & Paste from a real PowerPoint doc to Word. It works with Citrix! Let us know what you think of the file navigation application as well. Nothing to announce regarding release date...but we are making good progress.
One Laptop Per Child, the quixotic MIT effort to computerize the children of the third world, has cut its staff and contractors by roughly 50% to keep costs in line. But Negroponte says OLPC will be dedicated to bringing the cost of its laptop down to zero for the least developed countries.
Project Insight has announced the release of version 8.0 with an interactive Gantt chart, an updated interface, and additional shortcuts for navigation. Project Insight helps project teams collaborate on project schedules, share documents and assets, allocate project resources, and run real-time reports from anywhere in the world. As a Certified Microsoft Gold Partner, Metafuse leverages Microsoft's Silverlight technology in the development of its Gantt chart (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyq32Lw8pC4) which incorporates drag and drop functionality. In-line editing has a new 'double-click' ability. The existing right-click is enhanced with context sensitive options.
PremiumSoft's JCODER is a lightweight Java Integrated Development Environment for developers to create, navigate, debug and manage codes quickly and accurately. With JCODER Project Wizard, File Wizard, Class Viewer, Package Viewer, Ant Viewer, Tabbed Documents, JDK profiles, and a customizable user interface, it simplifies the management of Java projects. JCODER is built to provide Java developers with an intelligent tool to reduce their workload on application development. It is written entirely in C++.
Ken Berryman, Symantec's Vice President of Endpoint Virtualization, will be presenting at SYS-CON's 5th International Virtualization Conference & Expo being held in New York City this coming March 30-April 1, 2009. Berryman, who is responsible for driving Symantec’s overall endpoint virtualization business, will be giving delegates his perspective on how virtualization can improve management, increase security, and deliver greater performance and flexibility.
Best Buy announced that it is offering refreshed Apple iPhone 3Gs at store locations nationwide, claiming to be the first retailer to do so on a national scale. Three-hundred and fifty Best Buy Mobile stores have begun selling the Refreshed iPhone 3G at $149 for the 8GB model and $249 for the 16G model, with both requiring a two-year service contract. New iPhone 3Gs currently retail for $199 (8G) and $299 (16G) at Best Buy Mobile.
Active Endpoints has announced that it has made available a new learning tool for Java developers in the form of a complete and fully documented service-oriented architecture (SOA) application, written in ActiveVOS. The "Vintage Old Stock" application automates a fictional classic car restoration business and is an ideal scenario to show developers how to leverage web services to create SOA applications.
The reason Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been looking like a wraith is due to a mysterious new hormone imbalance that was hard to diagnose but now it has and Jobs expects to fatten up by summer. Jobs released a statement saying so Monday morning hours ahead of MacWorld opening apparently to head off further distracting speculation that he’s on his deathbed because his 2004 pancreatic cancer is back. It’s something he could have done when Apple suddenly announced last month that he wasn’t going to give his famous keynote at MacWorld, a move – officially attributed to some mumble about it being Apple’s last appearance at the IDG show – that simply fed the speculation and depressed Apple’s fragile stock price.
iHome unveiled the details of its 2009 home audio product line, including a variety of new speaker solutions featuring a wide range of styles, price points and feature sets. iHome’s 2009 line-up includes: iP1 Speaker System for iPod/iPhone, iP71 iPhone/iPod Computer Speaker System with Computer Sync allowing users to hook up their iPhone/iPod to a PC, and the iH15 LED Color Changing Stereo System. Other iHome home audio units include the iP9, iH4, iP41, iH12, iP47 and iH51.
Transparent Language announced the release of its new Byki language-learning application for the iPhoneand iPod touch. Byki for iPhone and iPod touch sells for $9.99 per language – with an early-bird price of only $7.99 during the first 30 days of availability for each language. It currently comes in French and Spanish, with more languages – such as German, Italian, Japanese, and others – in the works.
rPath and WANdisco today announced that WANdisco has selected the rPath rBuilder and rPath Lifecycle Management Platform to build and maintain its Subversion MultiSite solution as a manageable set of application images for delivery in virtualized and cloud-based environments. rPath seeks to reduce the cost and complexity of application delivery, and WANdisco is a provider of distributed software development solutions. As a result of this partnership, WANdisco’s Subversion MultiSite solution will be available as a virtual appliance.
NuageProduction released four applications for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch that help users customize access to thousands of international media sources. The NuageProduction solutions enable users to personalize content index from ever-expanding directories of TV networks, radio stations, print media, RSS feeds, and Web pages. The applications work on 3G, Edge and Wi-Fi networks, and in Airplane Mode with unique streaming and downloading options. Video access requires a Wi-Fi connection.
Soonr has announced the launch of an iPhone application that uses cloud computing to keep users in touch with their documents. A free version is available from the Apple App Store with expanded versions offered through mobile operators and SaaS providers. Soonr makes the documents on a Mac or PC completely mobile. When the computer is online, Soonr automatically and instantly backs up the user’s files in a "personal cloud." iPhone users get a view of all their documents - whether they are Word, Excel, PowerPoint or virtually any other file type.
"As many of you know," Steve Jobs tells the Apple worldwide community in a heart-rendingly frank memo, "I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority." He's gotten a diagnosis, is now undergoing treatment, and intends to continue as Apple's CEO during his recovery.
What is going to happen to technology companies in 2009? If Democrats are good for technology what companies are Republicans good for - that is, what is going to happen to non-technology companies in 2009? Here's a look at some charts that correspond to leadership in the White House and performance of stocks.
SCAN (Schools and Colleges Administrative Network) has announced the addition of Bridgton Academy to its list of Independent Schools using Campus Café, a Java-based single database student information system built specifically for small and mid-sized institutions. “Bridgton Academy was facing issues that are all too common in the Independent School market,” said Joe Stefaniak, President of SCAN. “Many of these schools have different systems in Admissions, Student Services, the Business Office and Advancement. Very few have self-service portals for students and parents. Campus Café will provide a single database architecture for all of these offices.”
Across Systems, the provider of the Across Language Server, and IAI (Institute for Applied Information Science at Saarland University) have expanded their relationship and broadened the integration of their two technologies. The direct connection of the Controlled Language Authoring Tool (CLAT) to the Across component crossAuthor allows companies operating at an international level to create multilingual documents using both rule-based and statistical methods. Across will market the combined solution in the United States in the first quarter of 2009 making it available as an add-on for MS Word, MS PowerPoint, Adobe FrameMaker, Adobe InDesign, PTC Arbortext and MadCap Flare.
ShapeWriter simultaneously announced the launch of its text entry products on Windows Mobile, Android, and Windows XP/Vista with its upgrades to WritingPad 1.0 for the iPhone, now called ShapeWriter 2.0. Rather than “hunting and pecking,” ShapeWriter 2.0 allows users to produce an entire word on a touch keyboard with a few gestures. For example: a stroke that roughly connects the w, o, r and d keys is recognized by ShapeWriter’s algorithms as the word “word.”