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“But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.“ – Robert Frost
This week both Gareth and myself commented on the lack of juicy stories. I know that plenty of things were going on, but nothing that was really grabbing our attention. And if it doesn’t float our boat, it ain’t getting on the show, that’s just the way we roll around here. Tech wise nothing was happening with me. Meanwhile Gareth was busy outfitting his iPhone for an all out assault on April the first. Then it was on to the stories we did find.
I kicked them off this week with…
Google stops censoring search results in China – After all the hoopla which followed Google’s announcement that they were going to stop cooperating with the Chinese authorities. And the claim and counter claim over the hacking attacks which provoked it. The guys in Mountain View actually followed through, and have switched off the filters. Will Beijing shut them down? We shall see. But most amazing of all Google went from announcement to market in 2 months, without the usual 3 years of ‘beta’ in between.
iPad App Store screenshots leaked – So the first screenshots of iPad apps show that, surprise, surprise, they’re going to be more expensive then their iPhone equivalents. Ok maybe that’s not that much of a shock. Given that developers have a whole new environment to code for, and the problems and opportunities that can bring. We should begin to see the software that will prove the iPad is not just a big iPhone. I just hope they don’t start charging by the screen inch, or Photoshop CS6, for my fantasy 50″ multitouch iMac will set me back about 40k.
Security researcher reveals 20 vulnerabilities in Mac OS – Right everybody panic, run screaming for the hills. Windows fanboys flame all you want, we are undone. Charlie Miller veteran hacker / security researcher exposed 20 zero-day security holes in Mac OS X at CanSecWest. So it’s only a matter of time until we see the first virus’ (should it be virus’ or virii, I just don’t know) in the wild. Malware destroying our operating systems on a regular basis. Botnets spewing out spam and DDoS attacks. Human sacrifice, cats and dogs living together….mass hysteria. Oh hang on, apparently he did the same last year, and, nothing, zip, zilch, nada. Seems like the script kiddies really have a hard-on for Windows.
Steve and Eric seen at ‘Central Perk’ – So what gives with the photos of Eric Schmidt and Steve Jobs having coffee together. Are all the stories way off base, Apple and Google aren’t mortal enemies. Did I miss a memo? Have Steve and Eric made-up, is there something big coming. Are they meeting on neutral ground, to set up a rumble. Maybe Steve’s just caught up with him to get the key to the executive bathroom back. Maybe, just maybe they’re friends really. Did you see what I did there, Central Perk, Friends, hilarious. Pardon….what do you mean…..up the dosage?
MS pulls Bing app from international store – Apparently the Bing app was pulled from every store but the US App Store. The reason given by MicroSoft was that the app needed to be ‘localised’ for the various international markets. Not a serious gaffe in and of itself, but I think it raises a shocking, shocking question. Did anyone else know there was a Bing app at all? Let me just Google that.
Tivo reboots its DVR’s – New, from the people that made DVR’s work, the Tivo Premiere and Premiere XL. The latest, all singing, all dancing, HD and network aware DVRs are out. In my part of the world they are like rocking horse pooh, but Gareth, who has owned all three previous versions, assures me they are, to use a bit of slang, the mutts. And if it only it were possible he would sling his u-verse box and install this new one post haste. Yet another case of you damned Yankees, enjoying all the shiny new goodies, and us poor Brits languishing without.
MS loses Word appeal – Having lost the original lawsuit, against the Canadian company i4i, for infringing an XML patent. MS will have to stop selling Word, that cornerstone of the edifice, that is MicroSoft Office. Hurrah, I hear you shout, but not so fast. Redmond have said that nearly all currently available versions will be patched to avoid the injunction. Boo, I hear you shout, but not so fast. On top of they’re legal fees, it’s going to cost MS a cool $240 million in damages. I’ve been following this one for a while, and talking about it on the show, was the first time I’ve used the words MicroSoft and appealing in the same sentence.
