LeWeb ?10 Program Revealed ? With A Whole Lot Of TechCrunch

About a month ago, we noted that LeWeb would be getting a bit more TechCrunch flavor this year. For the seventh iteration of the popular tech conference based in Paris, France, organizers�Geraldine and Loic Le Meur decided to make their startup competition a bit more like a mini-TechCrunch Disrupt. That is, of the 16 startups launching, 3 will get time on the big stage to present in front of everyone and a winner will be chosen. And that won't be the only TechCrunch influence felt. As you can see on the just-released program for LeWeb '10, TechCrunch names are all over the agenda.�A group of us are slated to interview some of the big names in tech on stage during the two-day conference, which takes place on December 8 and 9 this year. And there seem to be a range of other interesting talks and panels as well.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Fw-DssMCPQo/

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HP Tablet News, Celebs Try Microsoft's Kinect, and More

How HTML5 Spells ?Pleasure?

This site-in-a-single-page lets you browse through and view content collected from various design-focused feeds, organized in a chronological cascade down the screen, all at once or filtered according to type?videos, photos, or tweets.

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:01:00 -0700

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Review: T-Mobile�G2

Like the Nexus One, the G2 is a unified Google experience, and it excels because of that. The vaunted HSPA+ is fast as hell and there is very little to criticize from start to finish. That said, it's also a brick and the form factor isn't for everyone. Read on for our full review of Google's latest flagship handset.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/7m9ECJbeilk/

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Twitter Added 30 Million Users In The Past Two Months

In a New York Times profile on Twitter co-founder Evan Williams, the company revealed a few interesting stats showing the growth trajectory of the network. Twitter now has 175 million registered users, which is up from 145 million users in September. That means the startup added around 30 million users in just under two months. And Twitter has added 70 million users since April. This is impressive growth considering that Twitter had a total of 58 million users in 2009 (and 503,000 users three years ago). That's a 200 percent increase from 2009 to 2010 in terms of users. And the year isn't over?it's conceivable that at the rate Twitter is growing, the company could be ringing in the New Year with 200 million users. So what's contributing to this massive growth?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/A_7I2ltn5oA/

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CrystalRoc Galaxy Tab: 5,700 Swarovski crystals, zero shame

We can only assume that Stuart Hughes will eventually one-up it with a gold-plated, diamond-encrusted model of its own but, for the time being, it looks like this new CrystalRoc Galaxy Tab is the most "exclusive" Android tablet around. While there's no word on a price (we assume it's on a need to know basis), CrystalRoc does proudly boast that the tablet packs 5,700 Swarosvski bright crystals, not to mention a custom logo to match. Head on past the break for a quick video, and look for this one to show up exclusively at Harrods in London on Monday, November 1st.

Continue reading CrystalRoc Galaxy Tab: 5,700 Swarovski crystals, zero shame

CrystalRoc Galaxy Tab: 5,700 Swarovski crystals, zero shame originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/crystalroc-galaxy-tab-5-700-swarovski-crystals-zero-shame/

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Microsoft loosens up, enables Windows Phone 7 apps to run beneath screen lock

We felt that Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 was a product that would be perpetually evaluated, tweaked and overhauled as time went on, and sure enough, we're already seeing those winds of change blow yonder. Reportedly, Microsoft has now removed the restriction that prevented developers from writing applications that would continue to operate behind a locked screen (without a user's explicit permission, anyway), enabling a whole host of apps to breathe in a manner in which they simply should. Audio apps, for example, will now be able to run in the background without yet another layer of pointless Vista-esque permissions, and Microsoft's Charlie Kindel said in an interview at its Professional Developer Conference that this move "is an example of us continuing to listen to customers." Frankly, it's just more fair -- Microsoft's own ingrained applications could already do this sans user permission (email, Zune playback, downloads, etc.), so it makes sense to give loyal developers that same opportunity. Of course, devs will have to prove that background apps won't burn up an absurd amount of battery life, but that's definitely not an unexpected qualification.

Microsoft loosens up, enables Windows Phone 7 apps to run beneath screen lock originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/microsoft-loosens-up-enables-windows-phone-7-apps-to-run-beneat/

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Windows Phone 7 Ads Should Attack Apple, Google

So Microsoft's ads for its upcoming Windows Phone 7 are adrift on the Intertubes again, and the company doesn't seem to be yanking them down. The theme: "It's time for a phone to save us from our phones." Take a look:

Then there's this one:

In other words, Windows Phone 7 will save you from joining the zombie-like hordes of people glued to their Android device or iPhone. But here's the problem: I don't think any of those zombies you see on the street every day seem particularly unhappy obsessing over their devices--so it seems a little strange that Microsoft's positioning it as an ill to be cured.

If Microsoft wants to make a more substantial impact with its marketing dollar, I would suggest it take a page from Apple. Back in 2006, Cupertino started its "Get A Mac" campaign, starring John Hodgman as PC and Justin Long as Mac. Never mind that "Who is Justin Long?" is the $800 answer to the Jeopardy category, "Celebrities So Annoying We Want to Drop Them Down an Elevator Shaft"--the ads were devilishly effective at casting Windows PCs as the stogy, vulnerable, downright backwards choice.

Those ads played a significant part in increasing the Mac's public profile--and probably more than a few unit sales--at a time when Microsoft was reeling from the whole Vista debacle. In fact, Microsoft wasn't able to formulate an effective response until its "Laptop Hunters" campaign, which hit Apple right in its soft underbelly: price.

For better or worse (probably worse, from an ethical point of view), directly attacking your opponent often yields results. If Microsoft creates an ad campaign for Windows Phone 7 that pokes amusing holes in the iPhone and Google Android, it could help sway those smartphone buyers who want to know why they should buy a Microsoft device over a rival one.

But humor is key here. Microsoft does not want to come off as bitter--especially when it has so much market share to gain back against entrenched and effective competitors.

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/0wb_52iAcqo/windows_phone_7_ads_should_attack_apple_google.html

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Top 30 Android Apps Of All Time

With the ubiquitous media coverage surrounding the iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) app market, it's important to remember that Android also is making huge headway. More than 100,000 apps are now available in the Android Market. Within the last six months, Android devices have reigned supreme, comprising 32 percent of all new smartphone purchases. There is finally a larger selection of models being manufactured and more carriers offering them. When the first Android device launched, I predicted that the OS would surpass iPhone in the coming years. While this looks to be true, those of us involved in the app industry are concerned with something more specific: Who will have the most active app marketplace? Currently, iOS is still the definitive winner. There is not enough app interest on the Android consumer front to warrant a mass exodus just yet. I have a pretty simple metric for determining the potential of an app market: Is PopCap involved? If the answer is no, then the market is still too green. While PopCap has yet to enter the Android space, they have noted plans to port some of their game titles in the coming months. This supports the notion that Android has big potential, but it's still too early. Nevertheless, Android does have serious potential, and there are some fantastic apps already available! Without further ado, here are my top all-time picks for the Android platform, broken down by top free apps, top paid apps, and top games

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/rfTXa-OyesQ/

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Microsoft's Ballmer Sounds Off on Windows Phone 7

Exactly one week before Microsoft launches Windows Phone 7 at a high-profile New York event, CEO Steve Ballmer is sounding off to The Wall Street Journal about the upcoming smartphones. The interview covers many of the usual talking points: Ballmer repeats his mea culpa for Microsoft's mobile market share slide, emphasizes the role of manufacturing partners in the release (instead of his company following Google down the Nexus One route), and suggests the smartphone market is still relatively young and subject to change.

One interesting part: Ballmer defending Microsoft's decision to charge a license fee for Windows Phone 7 software--by attacking Google's decision to give Android to manufacturers for (ostensibly) free.

"Android has a patent fee," Ballmer told the Journal. "It's not like Android's free. You do have to license patents. HTC's signed a license with us, and you're going to see license fees clearly for Android as well as for Windows."

Ballmer also defended Windows Phone 7's chances in a consumer market where the Apple iPhone dominates and Android has made great gains in market share over the past few quarters:

"The fact that things have been pretty dynamic means that they're probably still pretty dynamic," Ballmer reportedly said. "There's no doubt that things have changed quickly, and at least in my undergraduate degree in math, that's called an existence proof. We know it's possible, we'll see what happens."

But even with that turbulence, will Windows Phone 7 succeed in the marketplace? As with last year's run-up to the launch of Windows 7, Ballmer seems determined to lower expectations a little bit:

"I don't make forecasts. It's partially how many we can get made. It's partially how much we can--can not only build a great product, but how does the word of mouth work, how effective is the advertising that we'll do?"

Microsoft's initial ad campaign seems determined to play it safe, with 30-second spots devoted mostly to showing how Windows Phone 7's streamlined interface can supposedly simplify your life. That may sell devices to some people, particularly those plunging into the smartphone market for the first time, but overall the ads (at least in my opinion) lack the creative "oomph" that might compel the more technologically addicted to take a second look.

Personally, I like Windows Phone 7's look and feel, at least for the few minutes I've had to play with it--Microsoft has been reluctant to send me a pre-release device. If Deutsche Bank analyst Jonathan Goldberg's August prediction is correct and Microsoft spends $400 million (or more) on the accompanying ad campaign, then I think the platform can make short-term gains. Longer term, though, I have a hard time seeing how Microsoft can create the conditions necessary to surpass Android's or the iPhone's market share--unless either of those two platforms makes some sort of catastrophic mistake.

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/IRJhvwVe72Q/microsofts_ballmer_sounds_off_on_windows_phone_7.html

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Intel, Samsung, Toshiba form consortium aiming for 10nm chips by 2016

There isn't much to say here, so let's just get on with the facts: Intel, Samsung, and Toshiba are joining forces and pooling R&D efforts in a consortium funded in part by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (an expected 50 percent, or 5 billion yen / US $62 million) and the rest from the members. The goal? Semiconductor chips nearing 10nm by 2016. Ten more companies are expected to be invited once things get sorted out, so major chip-related corporations, please keep checking your mailboxes daily.

Intel, Samsung, Toshiba form consortium aiming for 10nm chips by 2016 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/intel-samsung-toshiba-form-consortium-aiming-for-10nm-chips-by/

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Sprint CEO thanks iPad for uptick in Overdrive demand

Well, wouldn't you know it? Seems that tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign may actually be working. Way back in April of this year, Sprint decided it would begin offering its own iPad case, despite the fact that even today the iPad isn't sold in Sprint stores. The reason? It's the perfect opportunity to push the Overdrive, a 4G mobile hotspot that's able to take the iPad (and any other WiFi-enabled device) to 4G speeds where available. In a recent interview with GigaOM, the carrier's CEO (Dan Hesse) confirmed that most iPads being sold are of the WiFi variety, and due to that, "the company has seen an uptick in demand for its Overdrive (3G/4G) wireless-hotspot device, as people use it to connect their iPads to the Internet when on the go." He failed to exaggerate on actual numbers, but it's obvious he's in favor of Apple's darling tablet selling like hotcakes -- after all, how else are you going to get an iDevice into 4G territory?

Sprint CEO thanks iPad for uptick in Overdrive demand originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/sprint-ceo-thanks-ipad-for-uptick-in-overdrive-demand/

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Facebook Holding Special Mobile Event This Wednesday

Facebook has just sent us an invitation to a special event that's happening this Wednesday. The theme? Mobile. We don't know what Facebook is planning to launch (though we'll do our best to find out beforehand), but we have a few guesses. The most obvious is the company's long-awaited iPad application (it still doesn't have an official app). It could also include more features that involve Places ? Facebook has recently been testing a Deals service that's connected to Places, and mobile is obviously the best place for users to access those.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/J-qTRRgZ1w4/

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Which Cellphone Did The Yemeni Terrorists Use?

If you look closely at this shot of the bombs allegedly sent from Yemen to Chicago you'll notice what looks like a small camera up in the corner. Slide down the side and you see the volume buttons and I suspect the silver area is where the battery holder once stuck to the circuit board. It's clear that this was a phone - probably of modern vintage - so which phone is it?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/J-Uy-1_uR9k/

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Cowon's capacious X7 media player gets the hands-on treatment, longs for WiFi

Cowon's X7 still hasn't made its stateside debut, but apparently it's out and about on the streets of France. This 4.3-inch, HDD-packin' portable media player was recently caught in the wild by Le Journal du Geek, with early impressions noting that the UI is pleasant to use, the weight a bit heavy and the build quality something to admire. For those who've forgotten, it manages a 480 x 272 screen resolution, Bluetooth, TV-out, an inbuilt microphone and compatibility with nearly every file format ever conceived. Still, the omission of WiFi is a touch troubling in today's world of converge-or-go-home, but it's tough to argue with 120GB (€299; $414) or 160GB (€329; $455) of storage space. Hit that source link for lots more eye candy.

Cowon's capacious X7 media player gets the hands-on treatment, longs for WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 08:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/cowons-capacious-x7-media-player-gets-the-hands-on-treatment-l/

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Best Buds: Gmail Creator Joins Facebook Co-Founder, Donates 100K To Legalize Marijuana

It's pretty easy being green if you're a Silicon Valley notable apparently. We just got word that Paul Buchheit, creator of Gmail, Friendfeed and now a Facebook employee, has surpassed Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz's 70K contribution to the�Yes on Prop 19 campaign.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/2UbpwzTnG5E/

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Conan Goes Off the Deep End in Viral Views 7!

While we're all about the Halloween spirit here at the PCWorld (and by extension Viral Views), it doesn?t mean that we are going to ignore the happenings of the net in favor of some ghouls and goblins! The Internet keeps churning out awesome by the shovelful. So sit back, relax, dim the lights a little to set the mood, and get ready for this week?s Viral Views.

Conan Drives a Car off a cliff

Oh Coco, you know the internet loves you. Why do you insist on constantly trying to prove yourself to us? Sometimes you have to wonder if Conan has gone off the deep end.

Slender Man

With Halloween upon us once again, the creepy memes come out to play. The Slender Man is one of the better known ones, spreading terror and fear wherever he appears. Watch it!

Mad World iPhone

Need some depressing, gloomy music to go along with this dark holiday? Grab your iPhone and learn to play that and other http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH6n39Q-_i8&NR=1 songs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMqdcAnBvAI&NR=1 to entertain your Halloween party guests.

Santa takes down a punk

Who says it?s too early for Christmas? When he?s not off delivering presents, he is kicking butt and taking names. Remember, he knows when you are bad or good so be good for goodness sake! Watch it!

Kermit Under Pressure

Still coming off the wave of awesome puppet videos from last week?s Viral Views, we found this little gem of a homeless man singing ?Under Pressure???sort of. It?s just something you have to see for yourself. Watch it!

Creepypasta

While it may sound like a delicious noodle dish, Creepypasta is a collection of terrifying tales written by the darkest and most devilish minds on the Internet. Pull up a chair, turn off the lights, and lock your door. You won?t be getting any sleep tonight. Sorry. See it!

That?s it for this week. We hope you have a happy/fun/safe/mediocre Halloween. Be sure to check out our version of the pumpkin PC http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/001040.html for some ideas on what to do with your old jack o lanterns.

We?re sorry if we scared you. Here is a kitty to make you feel better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqmjuonoYrA.

See you in 7!

Visit GeekTech every Friday afternoon for more Viral Views; for best results, follow @viral_viewson Twitter (that's with an underscore).

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Ray Ozzie Resigns: Microsoft Brain Drain Continues

Uh-oh.

Microsoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie is leaving the company. The reason? Unknown at this time.

"With our progress in services and the cloud now full speed ahead in all aspects of our business, Ray and I are announcing today Ray's intention to step down from his role as chief software architect," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wrote in a companywide e-mail Oct. 18. "He will remain with the company as he transitions the teams and ongoing strategic projects within his organization."

According to Ballmer, "The CSA [Chief Software Architect] role was unique and I won't refill the role after Ray's departure." (Ozzie's predecessor as CSA was Bill Gates. Just to, you know, give you an idea of the huge shoes that any successor would have needed to fill.)

Ozzie's departure is a potentially troublesome development for Microsoft, for two reasons.

First, it's indicative of an executive "brain drain" within the company. In September, Business Division president Stephen Elop stepped down to take the CEO reins at Nokia. And earlier in the year, a shakeup in the Entertainment & Devices Division saw the departure of that unit's president, Robbie Bach, along with J Allard, its senior vice president of design and development.

A handful of more midlevel executives have also departed in recent months. But Ozzie's departure is maybe the highest-profile exit yet, and that it comes without a clearly defined reason (medical, or whatever) has already sparked chatter about what's going on in Redmond's executive boardrooms.

Second, Ozzie seemed to be one of Microsoft's chief proponents not only of the cloud, but also the company retooling itself as a supple, reactive entity in the era of Google and Microsoft. In October 2009, he announced the creation of FUSE Labs, a unit focused on software related to social connectivity, real-time experiences and rich media.

In an Oct. 8 internal memo so-conveniently leaked to several news outlets, Ozzie wrote that FUSE Labs would bring "more coherence and capability to those advanced development projects where they're already actively collaborating with product groups to help them succeed with 'leapfrog' efforts." Initial Plans for FUSE Labs involved about 80 employees from Microsoft Startup Labs, based in Massachusetts, along with the Creative Systems Group and Rich Media Labs.

One of the products out of FUSE Labs, Docs.com, allows Facebook users to create and share Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents with .PDF support and full-text search.

That wasn't Ozzie's only contribution by far, but it's perhaps as good an example of any of his strategic thinking. Cloud-based initiatives, incorporating social-networking aspects, seem like the way forward for Microsoft--but despite Ballmer writing "the cloud now full speed ahead in all aspects of our business," it's still a rapidly evolving space, and one that has yet to show any substantial monetary profit.

In other words, Microsoft could have continued to benefit from having a thinker like Ozzie onboard. And in his absence, the company will need to find another visionary that can help guide it through the coming paradigm shifts. What's Bill Gates doing these days?

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/o9FNGznl81w/ray_ozzie_resigns_microsoft_brain_drain_continues.html

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HTC Trophy review

Why yes, yes it is another Windows Phone 7 device review. Not that we're complaining. It's not everyday that a new mobile operating system this polished arrives at our doorstep. Having already gone in depth with Microsoft's entirely new OS and half dozen or so other WP7 devices, it's now time to dive deep into the life and times of the HTC Trophy (codenamed, Spark). And it's about time. We first saw the words "HTC" and "Trophy" on the same page in a roadmap leak all the way back in 2009. Several of the leaked handsets eventually launched -- but not the 3-inch portrait QWERTY Trophy running Windows Mobile 6.5. Perhaps that original design was scrapped along with WinMo's relevancy to the consumer smartphone market. We don't know and we may never know. What we can tell you is what it's like to live with a production HTC Trophy for a week -- an average speced touchscreen slate offering anything but a middle-of-the-road experience.

This review is primarily of the HTC Trophy hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS.

Gallery: HTC Trophy review

Continue reading HTC Trophy review

HTC Trophy review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/htc-trophy-review/

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