HereAndNow

Android, iPhone Ride Rising Tide

Speaking of web browsers, I have not idea what kind of browser Microsoft thinks they put in the Zune HD.

Try the following Acid3 test, on the Zune HD & the iPhone 3GS:

acid3.acidtests.org/

These are the results you should expect:
iPhone 3GS - 100/100
Zune HD - 5/100

Microsoft wants everyone to believe they are back in the game, but they can't even deliver a basic web browser that comes close to supporting open web standards.

Google Prepares to Neutralize the Microsoft Monopoly

Global governments should do their part, to promote open web standards, by requiring all government agencies still utilizing IE to install this plug-in (or alternatively, upgrade to a modern web browser).

This would:
1. Bring government browsers into compliance, with the latest modern web standards.
2. Increase agency workforce efficiency (faster page loading, JavaScript execution, ...).
3. Improve page rendering on websites designed to render best with a standards-compliant browser.
4. Enable web developers to begin utilizing HTML5 (offline mode, video, etc.) on government intra-nets.
5. Set a great example for the global internet community (consumers AND businesses).

Ideally, educational institutions should take the same steps.

Google Has a Solution for Internet Explorer: Turn It into Chrome

This is awesome!

Now companies have no excuse for polluting the internet, with non-standards-compliant browsers.

This should make web developers VERY happy!

MINIMUM...MINIMUM...PC vendors, who insist on shipping their PCs with IE, should install this plug-in, for the benefit of their customers AND the web development community.

Palm Slashes Mobile Platforms: What Exactly Is Its Problem?

If it is not doing so already, Palm should actively participate in the implementation of HTML5 & WebGL in WebKit (upon which the WebOS browser is based).

Virtually all "native" smartphone browsers are WebKit based (Blackberry soon, following RIM's acquisition of Torch Mobile). Extensive HTML5 & WebGL support in WebKit will enable developers to build powerful, cross-platform web apps, with offline support, 3D graphics acceleration, etc. This will, of course, benefit ALL smartphone platforms, but it will be especially beneficial to platforms that currently have fewer apps.

CLIQ: Motorola’s SMART Device Shows Interesting Potential

It's great to see Motorola back in the game!

Both HTC & Motorola are demonstrating just how powerful & flexible Android is, for delivering unique & innovative user experiences. It will be interesting to see how Sony Ericsson's Rachael UI pans out.

Why Did Yahoo's Carol Bartz Use Shareholders' Money to Pay Taxes?

I think Carol Bartz has to go.

1. The deal with Microsoft is crap & will only serve to reduce competition & customer choice. It should be rejected by the DOJ. Should all lessor music services merge, to create a bigger competitor to iTunes? NO, because one will eventually emerge with a strong enough business plan to challenge iTunes (e.g. Spotify?). When there is money to be made, innovative people/companies will try to figure out a way to get some of it.

2. Yahoo will always have a good percentage of search, by virtue of the fact that they have some GREAT internet properties (Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Mail, Flickr, etc.). Plus, Yahoo is in the process of introducing some great native mobile apps for the iPhone, etc. that should have the effect of driving more traffic to their properties (increasing search & search revenue).

Yahoo needs a visionary leader that can recognize the value of Yahoo's assets & leverage them, to get the most out of the REAL revenue generator in their business: Search & display ads.

Mobile Users Not Keen on Clicking Ads

@jmmx

"cruise the web for a purpose"

If this is true, then mobile ads should eventually be more effective than desktop ads.

Why?

If I'm out & about looking to buy a new TV and I see an ad for the TV I'm looking for, at an attractive price, wouldn't I be tempted to click on it?

The same would apply to cars, refrigerators, pizza, ...

Is There a Need for Game Publishers Any More?

Browser technology, like O3D, could also become a significant factor for game publishers.

Check out this demo of Large Animal's Infinite Journey game:
www.youtube.com/watch?...

You can play Infinite Journey here, if you have the O3D plugin (available at code.google.com/apis/o3d/):
blog.largeanimal.com/demo/

Even Disney/ABC has a demo, to show other uses for O3D:
www.youtube.com/watch?...

O3D has enormous potential, to simplify multi-platform game development & distribution.

Sony Makes Google’s Chrome Its Default Browser; Is Chrome OS Next?

I call FAKE on the latest screenshots. The ones posted by Mashable, a couple of weeks back, looked a little more plausible, but they could also be fake.

mashable.com/2009/08/1.../

Re. Chrome on Sony's notebooks, I think it is GREAT move. Chrome would probably be a great default browser, for most/all "netbooks", since it is light & VERY fast.

Google Ropes In Sony

It's a smart move by Sony. Their PCs are likely to be perceived as being much faster than the others, primarily because the browsing experience with Chrome is so much faster than IE (startup, page loading, JavaScript execution, etc).

One of the positive side-effects for web developers is that there will be more users with browsers that fully conform to open web standards.

Note to Google: Disruptive Efforts Don't Always Succeed

Several Android smartphones are in the pipeline, to be rolled out over the next couple of months. The vendors of these devices include HTC, Samsung, Motorola & Sony Ericsson, among others.

Wouldn't it make sense to pass judgment AFTER these devices & anticipated Android OS upgrades have hit the market?

The Commoditization of the 'Dellphone'

If you think of smartphones as mobile computers that happen to make phone calls, then it definitely makes sense for Dell to be in this segment. Besides, mobile operators are likely to want smartbooks, netbooks, tablets, etc. to be able to make cell phone calls, send SMS/MMS, etc., so that they can generate additional revenue, over and above basic data contracts.

The experience Dell gains with Android on smartphones can be applied to building the same Android functionality into their other mobile computers. That is where they can really differentiate their products, from the rest of the smartbook/netbook crowd.

Chrome OS Will Strengthen ARM’s Assault in the Netbook Market

ChromeOS may appear to be a simple browser-based OS, but HTML5, Gears, Ajax, Native Client, etc., allow developers to build VERY sophisticated web apps that look & even perform like desktop applications. Thus, the key difference between a "heavy" desktop OS like Windows and a "light" OS like ChromeOS may be that, instead of bundling apps with a desktop OS or manually installing them after the fact, apps are "installed" automatically, from the cloud and cached locally forever (for offline use)...unless a user needs/wants to "reinstall" them by doing a refresh.

With that in mind, people running ChromeOS AND planning to use sophisticated web apps (think Photoshop or 3D games in the browser), may still want/need the additional horsepower of an x86-based processor. For those than don't, ARM-based systems should do just fine.

Google: Is Android Being Groomed to Take on Windows?

I think Google (& Apple) are causing a kind of technology renaissance, through their vision and leadership.

- How sleepy was the mobile phone industry, before Apple introduced the iPhone?
- How profitable was online music, before iTunes?
- How complacent was Microsoft (Vista?, WinMo?, IE?), until Apple & Google started to encroach on their turf?

Tech is EXCITING again! Hopefully Google & Apple will be successful enough to transform Microsoft from a stifling monopoly into a company that has to compete on quality & innovation...like every other tech company.

Microsoft vs. EU: Will Europe Really Go Browserless This Fall?

This could end up being a major windfall for PC makers. With a browser-less OS, they are left to decide which browser is the default, on their PCs. Their decision is likely to be heavily influenced by financial compensation provided by the browser vendors (Microsoft included).

Perhaps, there should be a mandate for PC makers to limit the installation of any one browser to say 25% of all new machines. This would:

1. prevent browser vendors with deep pockets (Microsoft, Google, ...) from "purchasing" or "finagling" 100% of new PC installs (which would equate to "purchasing" or "finagling" market share).

2. make it easier for smaller browser vendors & future browser startups, to bring their products into the mainstream.