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The announcement of Google’s ultimatum to China regarding Internet censorship generated much fanfare across the Web, about the purity of the values that Google fought for and represented.  Now it seems Google is backing its threat, and bidding a final farewell to the world’s most populated country.

The delay so far was due to negotiations between Google and China, to see if any sort of resolution could be developed to keep the controversial Google.cn up and running.  However, the Chinese government has publicly declared it would not revoke its current internet censorship policy simply for Google’s sake. This coupled with the apparent inability of talks to lead towards results has made Google adamant about leaving.

Google now says it is “99.9 percent” certain it will close down its main Chinese operations and Google.cn.  It wishes to maintain other projects it had there, before Google.cn’s conception, but it is now unlikely that Google will have a place in China at all.  Still, much of Google’s base in the Western world will have a sense of newfound pride in its search engine overlords.

Via Financial Times

ComScore, a market research firm, recently reported share holdings from September to January in the smartphone industry.  The results are mostly positive for Android, which has posted significant gains, and has finally overtaken Palm. Android now holds roughly 10% of the market, while Palm continues to steadily dip.  WinMo’s prospects don’t look much better either; after capping at 20% in October, it has also begun a major plummet.

Meanwhile, the iPhone has remained strong throughout Q4 ‘09, keeping its number 2 spot.  It now commands a strong 25.1% of the market, and seems to be going up.  The possibility of an iPhone OS 4.0 could bring new converts to the House of Apple, but they will have much to do before they can eclipse the Covenant of RIM.  Blackberry stands still as the premier smartphone, at a massive 43%, and has survived despite the lack of hype or interest tech blogs have had on RIM products.

Via Ars Technica

The iPhone is a wonderful little ditty that is a pillar in Apple products. The device is unbelievably useful, and part of that can be attributed to the almost limitless capabilities of applications one can find through the App store. In fact, what apps can achieve is only limited by the imagination of the third party developer.

Apps themselves have created a new market which Google is now taking charge in. Businesses from every corner have began to use Google apps, which leads to the use of more Google services. Many of the apps created by third party developers already exist in one form or another, but by selling them through Google, they can easily be synced to other Google tools like Gmail and Google Calendar. For those who run and manage their life with Google (read: netbook users) it’s only going to get easier.

The fact that all of these different services can now work together under the Google umbrella is fantastic, but what does that say about the market? It’s as clear now as it ever was that as new niches (such as apps) enter the market, giants like Google will immediately try to soak them up, Microsoft-style. It’s hard to say if that’s a good thing or not.

Via PCWorld, image via ThePilver.

Twitter just got a bit too personal by introducing a new feature today that allows users to automatically share their location with their tweets. Make no mistake: I’m not anti-Twitter or anything. I have Twitter and I use it. I think it’s very fun and quite useful for sharing links and the like. But location sharing on the Internet, is, in my opinion, going way too far.

At least Twitter is handling the whole situation properly. When I logged in today, I was asked if I wanted to turn on the location sharing feature or not and was given the opportunity to learn more about the feature if I wanted to. Of course, I did not opt to turn it on. I do commend Twitter for handling this new feature a lot better than Google handled their new Google Buzz back when they introduced it.

Twitter is responding to the recent trend of location sharing over the Internet. Many other Internet services have adopted location-sharing features, and Facebook is expected to join them soon. Twitter’s new feature works with Chrome and Firefox 3.5. For it to work in Internet Explorer, a download of extra software is required.

Via The Associated Press, image via Twitter.

The next iPad competitor?

Dell, with some help from Amazon and Google, may be releasing an iPad competitor called the Dell Streak. The Streak will be a tablet that will have access to all of the e-books in Amazon’s Kindle store and everything in Amazon’s MP3 download store, which includes songs as well as TV shows and movies. This is a comparable to what the iTunes store offers.

The Streak allegedly will have a five-inch screen, which would put it between the iPhone and iPad in size. It is supposed to offer access to the Kindle store through 3G with no extra fees. This is an advantage over the iPad, which requires a data plan for 3G access. The Streak is supposed to be Android-based.

Both Amazon and Dell refused to confirm if this rumor is true or not. No one has speculated about the ship date or price of this unannounced product. A tablet processor manufacturer has said that it expects over fifty iPad competitors to be released this year.

Via Wired, image via Wired.

Good old Steve

I really never thought I’d see the day that Steve Ballmer said nice things about Apple. After all, Ballmer is the CEO of Microsoft, and aren’t Apple and Microsoft supposed to be mortal enemies? We must recall that Ballmer completely dismissed the threat the iPhone would have to the smartphone market and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system. Three years later, Ballmer has been proved wrong, as proved by the runaway success of the iPhone and the App Store.

Ballmer knows he was wrong. At a recent speaking engagement, he actually praised the App Store, saying, “Apple’s done a very nice job that allows people to monetize and commercialize their intellectual property.” The comment may appear to be insignificant at first glance, but when we consider the history between Microsoft and Apple, as well as the possibility that Apple may be replacing Google as the default search engine with Microsoft’s Bing, Ballmer’s words take on a new meaning.

Could Apple be prepared to team up with Microsoft to defeat a common rival, Google? I’m not sure how I feel about this idea: I’m an avid Mac user and I’m also rather fond of Google products (I have an interest bordering on obsession with Gmail), but I don’t like Microsoft at all. I’d rather see Apple and Google teaming up against Microsoft.

Of course, it may be too early to make any predictions. After all, Microsoft is still planing to compete with Apple by releasing a new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7.

Via DailyTech, image via DailyTech.

A recent news story about Sony published in the Wall Street Journal has caused a lot of speculation about Sony’s plans for mobile devices. Though Sony is not officially confirming anything, it is thought to be developing products and services to compete with Apple.

Sony is reportedly ready to launch an online media platform called “Sony Online Services” that is intended to compete with iTunes. It is also releasing a mobile phone with the Android operating system soon. The phone is going to be called Xperia X10. Currently, Sony makes an e-reader that is a competitor to Amazon’s Kindle.

If Sony is intending to directly compete with Apple, it may want to prepare itself for potential lawsuits. Apple is currently engaged in a lawsuit against HTC for patent infringement relating to the iPhone, which many people are interpreting as an indirect against Google.

Via Digital East Asia.

I reported last month that Microsoft would, starting on March 1, be offering browser choices to its European users as a result of an agreement between Microsoft and the EU.

Microsoft has started offering browser choices, as they promised. But according to a web designer, users are not getting as much of a choice as they think they are, due to the fact that a lot of the browsers offered are basically clones of Internet Explorer. Many of the lesser-known browsers offered use the same rendering engine, Trident, that Microsoft’s Internet Explorer uses.

Of the twelve browsers offered, five use Trident, three use Mozilla’s Gecko, two use WebKit, and one uses Opera’s Presto. One of the twelve browsers can use either Trident or Gecko. Most web designers do not like Trident because it does not conform to rendering standards. Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Opera are the browsers that adhere to rendering standards best.

Via BBC News, image via Microsoft.

Apple’s legal action against HTC, the first manufacturer to use Android in its phones, could have larger implications for other companies using Android on their phones. In the case, Apple alleges 20 patent infringements, and this case could be the first of many.

Apple hasn’t specifically named Google in the lawsuit, but many of the patents relate to operating system processes. Google has declared its support for HTC. Due to the increase in competition between Google and Apple, some analysts have speculated that Apple is attacking Google indirectly through this lawsuit. Therefore, the lawsuit could have implications for other companies later.

Apple asserts that HTC has infringed on 20 patents owned by Apple that are used in the iPhone. Apple wants an injunction that would bar HTC from selling phones that use the patents in the United States.

Via BBC News, image via BBC News.

Android’s beauty as an open-source operating system is that it allows any random manufacturer to develop a product and slap Android on top of it.  This does, however, allow for some issues in terms of legitimacy of manufacturers.  Case and point: The Haleron iLet Mini HAL.

If you want a tablet with groundbreaking features or earthshaking specifications, look elsewhere.  If you want a quaint little tablet that does its job, stick around but don’t buy this.  Why? I’ll tell you in a bit.  Here come the somewhat interesting specs:

• VIA ARM Processor 600 MHz
• 7” TFT LCD Touch Screen w/ 800×480 Resolution
• 128 MB RAM
• 2 GB Flash Memory
• Up to 32 GB SDHC
• 16 Hour Active Battery
• Android 1.6, Upgradable to “Windows CE 6.0”

Amazing? Far from it.  But still it’s not a bad tablet per se. And it is a pretty sweet deal given the $200 price tag and March 1st shipping date.  So why did I warn against buying this?  Quite simple. It’s a scam.

Indeed, since the news hit the internet there was some wariness in trusting this random French company named Haleron. One commenter over at Pocketables did some research and couldn’t find much to back up their image as some sort of legitimate tablet maker.  The only picture of the iLet Mini HAL is a render found at some other French forum, and they clearly stated they did not license the design to Haleron.  Other attempts to find copyright information and company registration have ended up dry.  Unless we get any reports stating otherwise, then we will have to assume it is fake.  So  stay safe, and do your research when purchasing.

Via Gizmodo.

Italy’s courts have rendered a highly controversial decision against internet search giant Google.  The case was over a video posted on Google Video of an autistic teenager being bullied.  Under Italian law, this is highly illegal, and the executives in question -  Peter Fleischer, David Drummond, George De Los Reyes, and Arvind Desikan – were originally charged with defamation against the teen.

The presiding judge over the case, Oscar Magi, dropped the charges regarding defamation.  However, all but Desikan recieved six-month sentences for privacy violations.  Drummond is the chief legal officer at Google and has stated he was “outraged” by the verdict.  And he makes a valid point with his full statement:

“I intend to vigorously appeal this dangerous ruling. It sets a chilling precedent… If individuals like myself and my Google colleagues who had nothing to do with the harassing incident, its filming or its uploading onto Google Video can be held criminally liable solely by virtue of our position at Google, every employee of any internet hosting service faces similar liability.”

This blogger wholeheartedly agrees.  Google did the right thing; it provides a relatively open hosting space, but the second the video was brought to its attention, the video was removed.  The very openness of the internet is under attack by this verdict and it creates an impossible standard for content providers to live by.

Via BBC News, image via Google.

While they are at their core small computers, netbooks were made to have a slightly different function than their laptop predecessors. Laptops are frequently being built as substitutes for desktops for many common functions, and some are even advertised as such – remember that category called “desktop replacements”? Netbooks, however, seem to have taken up the niche that laptops used to fill – portable computing.

Like the laptops of old, netbooks tend to be underclocked, and their size generally allow for very limited storage and expansion space. There are programs available, however, that allow you to get just a little bit more utility out of your tiny netbook.

While I will always have fond memories of the Windows OS, I must admit that the Apple side is seductive, and their Dock does a great job of keeping programs I use all the time in such easy reach while keeping my desktop uncluttered. Rocketdock is a free program that adds a dock to any side of a netbook’s screen and adds utility to everyday use.

When I go online, I find that Google’s Chrome browser is a great performer on netbooks. It doesn’t use as much of the netbook’s limited resources, is quite fast, and is constantly being updated. If you have a touchscreen, you might want to look into getting ChromeTouch as well, which is an extension of the Chrome browse and adds touch control to the Chrome browser.

While you’re online, if you find an interesting site and bookmark it, Xmarks will keep your browser bookmark and site passwords in synch among multiple PCs. While there already exist other programs that do this, Xmarks stands out among the rest in that it works across browsers,  keeping Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer all synced among a network. And while many people are firm believers in AVG Free for protection, Microsoft Security Essentials takes away less from your netbook performance while still doing a good job of protecting your computer.

Depending on what you do with your netbook, some of these programs might not be right for you. There are a bunch of other programs out there of course, so with a little effort, I’m sure you can find a solution to whatever problem you have.

Via jkOnTheRun

Starting on March 1, Europeans using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer will have a choice of which browser to use. They will be able to choose to use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple’s Safari, Opera, or continue to use Internet Explorer. Microsoft’s offering this choice is a result of an agreement between Microsoft and the EU. The EU and Microsoft have long had conflicts over anti-trust issues.

The browser choice will arrive via an update for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 users, according to a Microsoft blog post. It is estimated that over half of people who use the Internet use Internet Explorer as their browser. According to analysts, many people never think about which browser they use and now will be forced to make a choice.

The chair of the Mozilla Foundation expressed pleasure at hearing this news.

Via BBC News, image via Microsoft.

The iPad has yet to hit shelves, and yet it has already become clear that a tablet war will likely consume much consumer attention in 2010.  Apple, to much applause, has announced its champion, and Windows will likely respond with an arsenal of 3rd party devices. But who will carry the open source community’s banner into the fray?  Joojoo Tablet has fallen from favor once it became clear it would run a browser-based OS, and the other Android tablets have failed to garner much attention.

Notion Ink’s ADAM appears to be standing ready to fill this hole. It’s a Linux-based tablet that already has set its eye on defeating the iPad, and the spec list does not seem to betray it in that regard:

• 10″ Transflective LCD, Pixel Qi Screen 1024 x 600 with low power mode
• Multitouch capacitive screen
• Dual Core ARM Cortex A9 with NVidia Tegra 2
• HDMI 1080p Out
• 3 USB Ports
• Battery life: 160 hours backlight off, 16 hours video playback
• Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth
• Multitasking
• Rear trackpad
• Adobe Flash Support
• Camera
• SD Card Slot

The truly revolutionary component on this tablet is its screen, which incorporates Pixel Qi technology to give a similar experience as e-Ink when the backlight is off. This gives the tablet its godly battery life,  and allows it to directly challenge the reading experience of eReaders.  It is a powerful tablet, and the device’s multitasking with Flash support is undoubtedly a response to the iPad’s inability to do either.

Still, this thing comes with some weird quirks. It is unclear what the OS shall be on this tablet, as three are listed in the spec sheet (Android, Ubuntu, Chromium). Pricing is  highly variable, $327-800, but still easily competitive with Apple.  All that remains is to see how well Notion Ink will market this and get public support behind it.  For now, it seems like Linux’s best shot to take the mainstream.

Via Gizmodo, image via Notion Ink.

This week, Google rolled out its newest service, a Facebook sort of thing called Google Buzz. Apparently, Google Buzz was only offered initially to a portion of Gmail users (so I suppose I ought to feel lucky that I was offered the opportunity to try it out). Almost immediately, users started complaining about privacy issues concerning Google’s newest creation.

In all honesty, Google Buzz was not initially very well thought out. Buzz contacts were visible by default on public profiles until users edited their settings. Users were up in arms about this and Google responded, bringing changes to Buzz to make it more privacy-oriented. There is now a checkbox in profile setup that says users must acknowledge that the names of the contacts they follow will be displayed on their profiles.

Google also added a block option for users that can be used whether or not a user has a profile set up or not. The previous option only allowed users to block followers if they had set up a public profile.

Despite privacy concerns, Buzz has been having relative success. Many people have checked it out, making millions of posts and over 200 posts per minute with cell phones.

Via eWeek, image via Google.

HP’s Compaq Airlife 100, the company’s first smartbook that was announced on Friday, combines the portability and design of a netbook with the hardware and software often seen in smartphones. The Airlife has a battery life of up to 12 hours, longer than what most netbooks can offer. While the Airlife and iPad are very different in terms of design, they share many similar features such as simplified software interfaces, touch-screens, and ARM processors (most netbooks use Intel processors). The two devices also both make it easy to quickly access the Internet and browse online content.

Here is a quick comparison of the differences between the smartbook and tablet:

Airlife:
10.1 in touch screen
Wi-fi b/g (optional 3G wireless broadband connectivity)
2.2 lbs
Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (1 GHz)
16 GB internal storage
512 MB flash storage
Android OS
Supports Flash
Folded design

iPad:
9.7 in touch screen
802.11n Wi-fi (optional 3G/Bluetooth)
1.5 lbs
Apple A4 chip (1 GHz)
16, 32, or 64 GB of storage
No Flash support
720p HD video support
On-screen keyboard only

HP is not distributing the Airlife in the US just yet, while the iPad is roughly 50 days away from becoming available worldwide. The company also has not yet released pricing information for the new device.

Via PCWorld image via CNET

Ubuntu Netbook Edition probably is the best shot for a layman’s attempt at Linux on a netbook.  Surprisingly, Ubuntu now appears to be making strange software decisions left and right.  Canonical has announced that UNE 10.04 will not come with OpenOffice, long deemed the open-source Microsoft Office challenger, and will change the default office service to Google Docs.

Now, while the premise and case for Web 3.0 and Cloud Computing seems strong, Google Docs has oft been criticized as an incomplete suite, with limited functionality at best. It does not have the same richness which makes OpenOffice at least comparable to Microsoft Office. Also, this decision comes in stark contrast to Canonical’s move to ditch Google as the primary search engine for Firefox.

Other software changes include the fact that Gimp has been removed from Ubuntu Desktop 10.04 and graphics programs in general from UNE, Tomboy Notes removed from UNE, and gbrainy (a brain teaser game) has been added.  While it’s understood that developers are trying to optimize application selection for netbook users, they run the risk of alienating Linux newcomers by limiting their options.

Via Slashdot.

Google recently published designs for a Chrome OS tablet that would compete directly with Apple’s newly released iPad. The tablet is still under development, but  pictures on Chromium.org give us an idea of what the hardware might look like, and how users might interact with it. Possible features include a 5 to 10 inch screen, on-screen keyboard, and multi-touch capability.

A video demonstrating how users would interact with the tablet is also available for download here.

The tablet is not the first of Google products that aim to rival Apple devices. The Nexus One was launched after the iPhone, and the Chrome OS itself competes with other operating systems -  not just Apple’s, but Microsoft’s as well.

Gartner analyst Robin Simpson says that, while it is debatable whether Google or Apple hardware is superior in quality, Apple definitely has the upper hand in terms of giving users better and easier access to content developed by independent third parties. Google seems to be making small steps in achieving a similar “ecosystem” by considering putting Chrome OS onto other devices, not just netbooks.

Via SMH, image via Wired.

A peculiar announcement came from Ubuntu’s development staff earlier this week.  On Tuesday, Rick Spencer of Canonical posted that it planned on making several minor and ultimately cosmetic changes to Firefox on Ubuntu’s next release.  The first is relatively benign, making the default Firefox homepage be the selected default search engine for Firefox’s search bar. However, the interesting part is that the new default search engine for Ubuntu will no longer be Google, but instead Yahoo!. This also effectively makes Yahoo! the new default home page.

So what’s Canonical’s explanation for this sudden and strange shift? It seems to be that the company has established a new revenue sharing deal with Yahoo! in order to help fund the Ubuntu project.  However, this will undoubtedly be unsavory to much of the original Ubuntu base for a number of reasons.

First of all, it arguably shows  that Canonical is caving into corporatism and losing the puritanical openness it’s known for.  Secondly, Yahoo! is now powered by Bing, which means this effectively becomes a revenue sharing deal between Canonical and Microsoft.

Google already has two distributions of Linux (albeit each is far from traditional distros) in the works -  Android and Chrome OS – and Microsoft has ownership over one of the most major players of Linux, Novell’s SUSE.  Whether or not Microsoft has some sort of interest in Ubuntu is unsure at best, and is probably unlikely.  However one thing is evident: major corporations will play a role in shaping Linux and open-source’s fate, regardless of what its users and adherents would wish.

Via Canonical Development Boards, image via Yahoo!.