2013年3月30日 星期六

Google and Microsoft as makers of personal computers/Google街景拍攝 徒步北極圈/flexible display panel

iPhone環繞顯示器 申請專利

〔編譯俞智敏/綜合報導〕蘋果公司正替使用環繞式顯示裝置的新iPhone設計申請專利,這種環繞式顯示器包覆住整支手機外緣,不但使顯示面積大幅增加,更除去了所有實體按鍵。
蘋果公司提出這項專利申請,顯示該公司正考慮研發利用新一代顯示技術的手機,這些顯示裝置的外型不再像目前的液晶螢幕那樣扁平、死板。
根據這項專利申請內容顯示,新手機可能使用環繞式顯示器,取消按鍵裝置,裝在「透明外殼」內的可撓性顯示面板(flexible display panel)能從手機各處顯示內容。
這種手機可能包括兩個主動矩陣有機發光二極體(AMOLED),反應速度比有機發光二極體(OLED)更快。使用主動矩陣有機發光二極體和圓錐狀的可撓式顯示面板,還可提供使用者一種「模仿3D經驗的景深幻覺」。
顯示面積增加 去除實體按鍵
此外,專利申請書中還提到可能使用臉部辨識技術來偵測使用者身分。
申請書中指出,新設計的目的是要利用傳統手機的「未使用空間」,擴大手機背面及側邊的功能性,因此,蘋果公司可能考慮使用曲面螢幕及可撓式顯示器,並以觸控完全取代按鍵。
蘋果公司這項專利申請早在2011年9月即已提出,但美國專利暨商標局直到本月27日才公布專利內容。蘋果跟其他科技公司一樣,經常提出日後從未正式生產的產品設計專利申請。
根 據富比世(Forbes)網站指出,這項專利凸顯出蘋果似乎有意朝OLED面板發展。富比世說,雖然蘋果執行長庫克已多次公開讚揚蘋果使用的視網膜顯示器 優於OLED,但是據OLED-Info.com網站報導,蘋果已聘請前樂金集團(LG)一名精研OLED科技的研究人員,加入其顯示器部門。


Google街景拍攝 徒步北極圈

〔編譯張沛元/綜合報導〕已深入北韓與日本福島核災區呈現當地景象的Google街景小組,如今又派出穿戴厚重衣物對抗低溫與北極熊的成員,以徒步方式拍攝、記錄位於北極圈內巴芬島上的小鎮街景。
Google 街景小組成員過去是把攝影機架在車上拍攝街景,但如今在位於北極圈內的加拿大努納武特領地首府伊魁特拍攝街景時,則改由小組成員以徒步方式,揹著重達18 公斤的伸縮攝影機四處走透透。這群徒步客面對的是荒涼的景色,更別提還有遭北極熊攻擊之虞,甚至還要踏上若干鮮為人知的步道,包括長15公里、被稱為「烏 有路」的一條死路。
巴芬島入鏡 可望吸引觀光
街景團隊花了4天時間探索野外與記錄影像,以便在今年7月將人口僅7000的伊魁特街景呈現於世人眼前。事實上,伊魁特的街景除了能讓外界一窺北極圈內的景致,當地人也能受惠;該鎮希望能利用街景服務吸引外來者造訪,甚至定居,也希望街景服務能加速該鎮的城市計畫。
街景團隊的第一個挑戰是,蒐集到足夠資料來填補現有衛星地圖照片的不足。他們發現,衛星照片儘管十分準確,但卻趕不上這座近年來因礦業發達而變化快速小鎮的腳步;像是一條去年為採礦而新闢的路,在地圖照片上就沒有。
第 二個挑戰則是,如何正確地在地圖上顯示商店和住家的位置。這些商家因為都把郵件地址寫在當地郵局,因此在地圖上就變成以鎮中心的郵局為核心,四周都是商店 和住家。所幸靠著30名當地熱心人士的協助,街景團隊發給他們一人一台筆記型電腦,教導他們如何正確登錄地址,花了一個晚上終於解決問題。
其實,為了這次計畫,Google去年起就在離伊魁特有1700公里遠的另一個小鎮,進行類似徒步拍攝工作,並分析可能遇到的困難。計畫領導人布林戴爾說,他們還沒挑選好下一個要記錄的北極圈城鎮,但他希望3、5年後,人們就可以看到十分不一樣的加拿大北極圈景色。



Two unlikely PC makers emerge: Google, Microsoft
CNET (blog)
Here's a disruptive technology trend: Google and Microsoft as makers of personal computers. If I had tried to predict in 2010 that these two companies would make branded PCs -- using PC in the generic sense -- I can imagine the response. "You're an ...
See all stories on this topic »
Google Begins Same-Day Delivery Service in San Francisco
eWeek
The new delivery service is being piloted by Google to collect customer reaction and see how it works on a small scale to start, according to a March 28 post on the Google Commerce blog by Tom Fallows, product management director for the project.
See all stories on this topic »

eWeek
Newt Gingrich among those who will get Google Glass
CNET
You might wonder whether Google, aware of the publicity this might bring, overlooked Gingrich's rather pedestrian reason to use Glass on his application: "#ifihadglass i would take it on tours of zoos and museums to share the animals and fossils ...
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Google to Make Glasses with Foxconn
Indiatimes.com
Google co-founder Sergey Brin is touting the device, dubbed Project Glass, as the future of mobile computing after describing smartphones as "emasculating." Fashion designers, skydivers, acrobats and pilots have been used by Google to demonstrate the ...
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Indiatimes.com
Google Nexus 5 Features - The Rumours So Far
Tapscape
google nexus 5 features Google Nexus 5 Features The Rumours So Far In May 2013, Google are set to unveil their latest flagship smartphone, the Google Nexus 5, at the annual Google I/O meeting. As the successor to the Google's widely popular Nexus 4, ...
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Tapscape
Google Removes Ad Blocking Apps From Play Store, Developer Fires Back
Tapscape
Email. Print. In an unexpected move, Google has removed all apps that block ads on your Android powered device. No worries, Android malware remains available for download. No Ad Blocking for You no android ads 300x187 Google Removes Ad Blocking ...
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Tapscape
Google launches Play store movies in India, Mexico
Hindustan Times
Google announced this week that movies on Google Play will soon have information cards that will use facial recognition technology to help users identify individual actors, so now when watching a movie with friends any dispute over what else a ...
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Hindustan Times
Google Glass - Everything You Need to Know
Tapscape
As technology has become lighter, thinner and more portable a distinct trend towards wearable technology has begun to emerge. Both Apple and Google are preparing to release their first pieces of wearable tech in 2013, with Apple's iWatch and Google's ...
See all stories on this topic »

Tapscape
Top 5 Google Reader Alternatives
Tapscape
Today is indeed a very sad day for all of the Internet as Google has decided to get rid of Google Reader as part of their “spring cleaning” on July 1, 2013. While this is incredibly surprising, since I personally know that the majority of my colleagues ...
See all stories on this topic »

Tapscape
Google's Andy Ruben steps down as head of Android
Tapscape
Google has just announced that the head of the Android department Andy Ruben as stepped down from his position and will be replaced by Sundar Pichai, who is currently the VP of Chrome and Apps, but will also retain his current roles and responsibilities.
See all stories on this topic »

Tapscape

2013年3月29日 星期五

Facebook, Google,...

What We Know About the 'Facebook Phone'

Facebook Preparing More Visible Embrace of Android

 Facebook Teases New Phone, and More

 

 

 

Google Street View captures startling images of tsunami-wrecked Japanese ...
New York Daily News
It's been two years since a tsunami battered Japan's coast, but Namie is still a ghost town. Google Street view cars trundled through the abandoned coastal town, invited in by Namie's mayor, Tamotsu Baba, to capture sweeping 360-degree views of the ...
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New York Daily News
Google, business, & open-source patent protection
ZDNet
Google's Open Patent Non-Assertion (OPN) Pledge in which Google promises "not to sue any user, distributor or developer of open-source software on specified patents, unless first "attacked" sounds good. Indeed, it is good. But, this is far from the ...
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Google's decision to change Gmail 'compose' feature sparks complaints
Los Angeles Times
After announcing a controversial decision to shut down its Reader Web feed aggregator, Google is once again drawing heat -- this time for changing the way users write emails on Gmail. With the change, users now have to compose their email in a new ...
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Google Glass Will Be Made in the USA by Foxconn
TIME
Google's high-tech glasses will be manufactured in California, according to multiple reports, in the latest example of an American tech company choosing to build one of its products in the United States. Google's highly touted computerized spectacles ...
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TIME
Google Adds Offline Mode to Translate for Android
PC Magazine
Historically, some of the biggest technology-driven disruptions have happened quietly, while the rest of the market is focused on more high-profile areas of growth. Such appears to be the case with Google's announcement that it will offer an offline ...
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Google, Mozilla want to turbocharge 3D games in your browser
PCWorld
It remains to be seen, however, if Google will follow the advice of Russell. Mozilla's asm.js promises to perpetuate the life of JavaScript, something Google would clearly like to see go away, as its efforts to popularize a technology called Dart ...
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Google retracts invitations from fans who thought they won a chance to buy new ...
New York Daily News
Google has found itself in the position of having to reject some Google Glass Explore competition entries previously announced as winners. Earlier this week, a triumphant announcement on the official Google Glass Google+ page proclaimed that the 'If I ...
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New York Daily News
Apps Reviews: Icomania, Google Keep
San Jose Mercury News
Google has added a new Web and Android app to its lineup, moving into the growing field of note-taking apps. Google Keep, as the service is called, lets you jot down quick notes, include photos and record voice messages. While it doesn't have the same ...
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Google Nexus 7, Take Two: What To Expect
InformationWeek
Google Nexus 7, Take Two: What To Expect. Start The Discussion | Jeff Bertolucci | March 29, 2013 11:06 AM. Google watchers expect a new version of the 7-inch Nexus tablet to debut soon. Here's what it might look like. Google Nexus 7, Take Two: What To ...
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Beijing Strikes Again at Apple,谷歌涉黃事件推測蘋果事件 Chrome was more important

Beijing Strikes Again at Apple

 

BEIJING—The Chinese Communist Party's main propaganda outlet assailed Apple Inc.'s customer-service practices, the latest indication that China might move to check foreign companies' domination of the country's smartphone market.
The People's Daily newspaper, the party's traditional mouthpiece, in a front-page article on Monday accused the electronics maker of declining journalists' requests for interviews and issuing an "empty and self-praising" response to a recent critical report by China's national television broadcaster. The article was accompanied by a cartoon with a figure representing the company, saying, "Apple statement: empty."
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the article. China is Apple's second-largest ...

 媒體札記:批蘋果英國《金融時報》中文網專欄作家徐達內【作者微博】

二、下一個谷歌
蘋果會成為下一個谷歌嗎?
最有資格預測的莫過於谷歌前大中華區總裁@李開復,已經更多地轉型為“公知”的他,昨天下午貼出3年前央視、人民網、新華網以及環球時報譴責谷歌中國傳播淫穢色情內容的歷史網頁,問了一句“能否從當年的谷歌涉黃事件推測蘋果事件的下一步?”
是自問也是自答。另一位曾經服務於國際IT巨頭中國業務的意見領袖——@謝文,倒還算樂觀:“谷歌和蘋果的區別在於:官員們很少用谷歌,卻多擁有蘋果產品。所以,禁止蘋果產品恐怕很難,畢竟富士康僱著數百萬中國工人。最大的可能是罰款,例如,給每個官員家屬終身贈送全套蘋果產品並終身免費更換和保修。”
這種對中共喉舌持續揭批蘋果的動機推測,代表了互聯網上的多數派。他們也就是環球時報前天在《蘋果為什麼批不得? 》中為之嘆息的那些“起哄”網友,把人民日報的評論說成是“主流媒體堅決要把外國產品批透搞臭,力挺國產奶粉和兩桶油”。
當真是兩個輿論場冰火兩重天。當中共中央機關報會師央視,向蘋果發動一輪又一輪的抨擊時,那些“震驚與憤怒”的消費者在微博論壇上形單影薄,麥克風被反唇相譏央視“8點20分發”的異議者牢牢佔據。
以媒體傳播為研究方向的@張志安昨晚找到李承鵬在“3.15”次日寫就的《CCTV,你再沒資格跟我說道德》,決定要做“遲到的轉發”——而那位擁有近700萬新浪微博關注者的作家,前天起也已經註意到了老對手們的動態:“繼央視,人民日報也狠批蘋果:'西方倨傲的本錢,優越感作祟,資本逐利本性瘋狂'。活像大字報。蘋果並非不可批,315找幾個知名網友發博批也沒什麼問題。問題在於央媒組團梯隊猛批,除聲稱保護國貨為國人維權外,與越來越多用戶使用規避審查的App Store發表作品有何關係?它最在乎這個,但願我多慮了。”
所以,在這些猜忌喉舌遠勝洋企的自由派知識分子看來,昨天門戶首頁那句“人民日報連續3天批蘋果:無與倫比地耀武揚威”的標題,恐怕後半句更像是在描述批評者本身。
這篇匯聚官辦媒體動向的報導,源自昨日新京報。當時,這份媒體還以堪稱國內獨一份的勇氣站在“老大哥”們面前,幫蘋果說了幾句:“若蘋果公司確有涉嫌違法之處,接下來應該出場的是法律。輿論口誅筆伐,質疑其傲慢和霸氣,更像是'道德評價',與此相比,'法律評價'更有力量,也更客觀。”
搜狐和新浪都找到了這篇並不在常規評論版的文章,並作推薦——這或許已能算作是一種打抱不平。及至今天,又有異口同聲的《監管蘋果的利器應是法律而非道德》被刊載,而且,是在身為團中央機關報的中國青年報,頭版。
徐百柯和他的同事們證明了自己能夠保持個人微博言論和媒體公開態度的一致:“必須指出一個讓人稍感不安的事實:針對蘋果公司在中國售後服務的問題,目前的批評有一種泛道德化傾向。作為蘋果產品的用戶,我更願意看到監管機構準確地依據法律,迅速對蘋果公司實施處罰,而不是停留在由網絡和媒體所宣示的那種憤怒上。”
當然,中國青年報在文末還是承認了“蘋果用戶以及更大範圍公眾的憤怒,毫無疑問是有道理的”,只不過,更要強調的是“解決問題不是靠用唾沫淹死一家公司,而是靠用法律監管好一家公司。”
人民日報的同志也上網,也有微博。既然你說要“法律監管”,今天就有:“記者從國家工商總局獲悉:針對'蘋果'在售後維修服務中存在的問題,工商總局向全國工商系統下發《關於加強對蘋果等電子產品企業利用合同格式條款侵害消費者權益行為執法監督的通知》,要求各地加強對'蘋果'等電子產品企業的合同監管,以法律為準繩、以事實為依據,依法查處違法違規行為,營造規範、和諧的市場消費環境。”
唾沫也需要。除了《蘋果稱維修條款已修改,中消協律師點評——只是換湯不換藥》,再加上一篇以讀者來論形式刊發的《用硬規則破“蘋果式傲慢”》:“作為一名普通消費者,在震驚與憤怒之餘更擔心的是,風過之後究竟能不能促動長期痼疾的根本解決……在加大執法查處力度之外,也要看到,與國際上動輒數百億的罰單相比,違法成本低是洋品牌在華屢次'犯險'的主因。因此,抓緊設定更符合國際慣例的懲戒標準,抓緊構建更利於誠信經營的消費環境,才能讓傲慢的企業在'硬規則'面前'軟下心',知恥而後勇地合法分享'中國紅利'。”
進入連續第5天,不知道南方都市報的那些編輯記者們這下還能不能找到吐槽點。紙面上保持冷眼旁觀,但這家向以桀驁不馴著稱的媒體旗下頗有幾個出言無忌的部門微博賬號,最突出的莫過於@南都深度,冷嘲熱諷的力度絕不遜於那些私人賬號:昨天發起“你還會買蘋果嗎”的網絡投票,收穫超過6成的“會,這和愛國毛關係”;展示人民日報、人民網早前那些類似“中國的喬布斯在哪裡”的呼喊,譏笑一聲“蘋果,你的確不能沒有他”;將《人民日報駐美國記者趕赴矽谷與蘋果總部溝通記》全文張貼,奚落“這也算是新聞史上的奇文吧”——在那些信奉新聞專業主義的同行看來,這種只記錄了採訪經過的文章,實在是沒有發表價值。

(注:本文中之點評僅代表作者本人觀點。本文編輯劉波。)





Viewpoint: The Coming Merger of Google Chrome and Android
In August 2011, I outlined why I believed that Chrome was more important to Google than Android. At first blush, this sounds kind of crazy, but when you look at the bigger strategic picture it makes sense

In August 2011, I outlined why I believed that Chrome was more important to Google than Android. At first blush, this sounds kind of crazy, but when you look at the bigger strategic picture it makes sense. With former Android head Andy Rubin relocating to work on other projects at Google, and Chrome head Sundar Pichai taking over Android, it means that the Android and Chrome teams are now under unified leadership. This, I believe, is the signal that Android and Chrome are on a path to merge.
To understand the business side of things, it is important to remember that Google makes the vast majority of its revenue from search. Google’s web properties generated advertising revenues of $8.8 billion in Q4 2012 alone. Google doesn’t release exactly how much it makes from Android, but I don’t believe they make even close to $8 billion from it annually, let alone in one single quarter (as they do from web-based advertising).
Android has been a relevant strategy to give hardware makers a chance to compete with Apple. But as we can see from various market developments, it appears the hardware vendors now either want to forego Android and minimize their dependence on Google, or create their own solutions entirely. I’m thus convinced that Android as we know it today will look very different — if it exists at all — five years from now.
This is where Chrome and Chome based hardware comes in.
Chrome Hardware
Right now Chromebooks are still in their infancy. They’re rapidly developing and getting better with each generation, but I don’t believe they’re even close to Google’s bigger vision. The Chrome web app solution is getting more apps but not at a level or pace necessary to gain a critical mass relevant for the mass market. This is where Android and future Android app development will play a role.
Google has a large global developer base for Android but not yet for Chrome web apps. Chrome is designed to run only apps developed for the web, where Android is designed to run apps that are installed. Once these two development environments merge, developers will be able to design both Android and Chrome web apps with the same set of tools, consistency and unified application stores. Google, with its expertise in cloud services, could bring a cloud-based virtual Android environment to Chrome, perhaps giving us the ability to run Android in the browser, seamlessly, on all Chrome hardware.
The other benefit Android brings to Chrome is an environment built for touch-friendly applications. Google just released its Chromebook Pixel, which is a touch based Chromebook. The only problem is there aren’t really any touch-based Chrome web apps. Android is built for touch, and those assets will bring value to touch-based Chrome systems down the road.
The Future of Chrome Hardware
What this ultimately leads to is new Chrome-based hardware. Right now, Chrome OS is stuck in a clamshell, PC-like form factor. The merging of Android into the Chrome OS solution could open the door to Chrome OS-based phones and tablets as well. As we know, the Chrome OS solution allows for extremely low-cost hardware because of how light a client it is, which means that a Chrome-based solution for phones and tablets could conceivably lower cost barriers.
This seems hard to imagine now, especially given that in China you can purchase an Android tablet for $45. Regardless, Chrome and Android merging would do more for hardware solutions than if the two remained separate.
The Browser
This merging of Android and Chrome has traditional browser-based value as well. The Chrome browser runs on all Windows PCs (with the exception of Windows RT), Macs and even iOS devices. What if Android — and more, importantly Android apps — could be used from within any Chrome browser on any device? This would drastically increase the potential reach of Google’s services across the computing spectrum.
Since Google makes so much of its revenue from search, they need to make sure their search and web based assets remain front and center on all key hardware platforms. As companies like Samsung, HTC, Sony and even Amazon or Facebook look to take Android further for their own benefits, they take them further from any benefit to Google. Google knows its search being front and center runs the risk of being usurped by those looking to use Android for their own benefit and not necessarily Google’s.
Google must be aware of this, and the merging of Google and Chrome OS will give them more opportunities to keep their services front and center. Google first bought Andy Rubin’s Android, Inc. and used it to drive new growth for themselves and others. I view this merger as if the Chrome team just bought Android and will now use it for further growth.
Bajarin is a principal at Creative Strategies Inc., a technology industry analysis and market-intelligence firm in Silicon Valley. He contributes to the Big Picture opinion column that appears here every week.

SEC批準Facebook IPO故障賠償方案
 美國證券交易委員會週一早間公佈,已批準納斯達克向因Facebook Inc.上市交易而遭受損失的客戶賠償6,200萬美元的方案。

 

 

 

 

For Some, Resistance To Google Glass Is Not Futile
NPR (blog)
The time of Google Glass is almost upon us. The tech giant's much touted wearable computer is almost certain to usher in a new era of social and computer interaction, as well as a huge wave of first-person cat videos. It sounds amazing, and almost too ...
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NPR (blog)
Windows 8 app updates nix Google ActiveSync support
CNET
"If you've already connected your Google account to your PC using the Mail, People, or Calendar apps, this change doesn't affect you at all," Microsoft said in a Windows 8 support page. "Your email, calendar, and contacts will continue to sync properly ...
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Google slices price of Nik photo tools
USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — Google bought beloved photo company Nik Software in late 2012, causing many photographers to wonder how professional software fit in with a company whose mission is to organize the world's information. Today, Google, which hasn't ...
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Evernote vs. Google Keep: Which Does More?
Mashable
From the moment Google Keep was accidentally leaked, it looked like Google was building an Evernote clone. In the wake of the official release, its name, announcement video and aspects of the user interface all evoke a certain Evernote-like quality.
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Google Reader could be ending its news feed service because of problematic ...
New York Daily News
Sources told tech blog AllThingsD that Google simply wants to avoid pesky compliance problems when it can. While the company generally keeps a team of attorneys and experts on hand to deal with potential legal complaints, Google Reader didn't have ...
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New York Daily News
Google Adds Trail Maps For 100 Additional Ski Resorts To Google Maps
TechCrunch
Winter is almost over, but that isn't stopping Google from expanding its list of ski runs on Google Maps. Just over a month after its last update, Google today announced that it has added trail maps for another 100 resorts in the U.S. and Canada to ...
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Through a Google Glass, Darkly: Why Most Innovations Tank
Forbes
Google Glass is a bold solution in search of an imaginary problem, that problem being how difficult it is to explore the Internet while walking down the street engaged in a conversation with another person. The only catch is that this sort of solution ...
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The Google Reader Problem With Trusting Google
Forbes
A good point made by The Economist over the death of Google Reader. Yes, OK, so not all that many people used it. And it does seem like the majority of those that did are scribbling somewhere for someone, given the number of pixels that have been used ...
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Google Reader Was A Victim Of Privacy Concerns, Reports AllThingsD
Forbes
After having its hand slapped for information collection and exposure mishaps — from Buzz to, most recently, Wi-Spy — Google is wary of running afoul of regulators over privacy mistakes. Liz Gannes at AllThingsD reports that company sources tell her ...
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Google Discontinues Site-Blocking Service
Wired
The hits just keep getting killed off. Google is shutting down yet another service — the company's domain blocking tool, which allowed logged-in users to block unwanted domains from Google's search results. Google's site-blocking tool was originally ...
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2013年3月28日 星期四

RIM Swings to Black, Sells a Million Z10s. update to Google Maps

Google Begins Public Test of Same-Day Delivery Service

 

RIM Sold 1 Million New BlackBerry Devices in 4Q

 

RIM Swings to Black, Sells a Million Z10s

 

From the Desk of David Pogue
An Easy Way to Capture Live Video of Your iPhone's Screen

An Easy Way to Capture Live Video of Your iPhone's Screen

By DAVID POGUE
A $13 program called Reflector transmits the video image from your iPhone, iPod or iPad to your Macintosh or PC for easy recording or projecting. It's a great help for anyone making videos or trying to conduct a presentation.
State of the Art

Fleeting Thoughts, Captured by Pixels

By DAVID POGUE
Introducing the note pad Google Keep, a combination Web site and app for Android phones. Wait, that sounds like Evernote.



Google expands emergency alerts to millions of people
USA TODAY
Alerts from police, fire and emergency management agencies will appear on Google maps and search pages beginning Friday as part of a growing Google public alert system. Google has partnered with Nixle, a company that contracts with public safety ...
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Eerie Google images of Japanese ghost town
Fox News
Google Street View is giving people a rare glimpse of Japanese ghost town Namie which was left abandoned after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami sparked a nuclear disaster that has left the area uninhabitable. The eerie images taken by Google's fleet of ...
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Google to deliver goods to online shoppers
USA TODAY
The new service, called Google Shopping Express, will initially provide same-day delivery of food and other products bought online by a small group of consumers in San Francisco and suburbs located south of the city. The company, based in Mountain View ...
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Google Erects Patent Shield For the Open Source Internet
Wired (blog)
All of these web giants rely on Hadoop, an open source software platform for crunching data across hundreds or even thousands of computer servers, and Hadoop is based on technology originally developed at Google. A little less than a decade ago, Google ...
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Wired (blog)
Google's Already Kicking Out Glass Explorers -- Who Didn't Want To Be One ...
Huffington Post
Last month, Google announced it was seeking more early adopters to join its Glass Explorer program and asked people interested in trying the company's forthcoming Glass device to "apply" by sharing on Google+ or Twitter what they'd do "#ifihadglass.
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Google Glass Will Be Made In America
Huffington Post
Google will (at least initially) manufacture Glass in the U.S., The Financial Times reports. Google is working with Foxconn to make Glass in Silicon Valley, near Google headquarters. This gesture is, arguably, one in a long line of brilliant PR moves ...
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Real-time bus, subway times come to Google Maps
NBCNews.com
The latest update to Google Maps makes that dream a reality, if only for a select few in the country for now. NYC's 1-6 subway lines should give live departure times, indicated on the map by a blinking circle. Several Salt Lake City buses and trams ...
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Google to deliver goods quickly to online shoppers
Huffington Post
SAN FRANCISCO — Internet search leader Google is taking another step beyond information retrieval into grocery delivery. The new service, called Google Shopping Express, will initially provide same-day delivery of food and other products bought online ...
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Google, major retailers unite for same-day shopping
Chicago Tribune
Google has been testing the service, called Google Shopping Express, with employees for a few months. The company opened it up to the public on Thursday morning in a limited launch focused on San Francisco residents and others living south of the city ...
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Google Glass: Some Winners of 'If I Had Glass' Contest Disqualified
ABC News (blog)
Back in Feburary, Google began a social media campaign asking Twitter and Google + users what they would do if they had Google Glass, those futuristic, Internet-connected glasses that show digital information right in front of your eyes. Those with the ...
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 http://www.nownews.com/2013/03/29/91-2920251.htm
蘋果剛剛通過了一項專利申請,據專利資料顯示,未來的iPhone可能整個機身就是一個環繞螢幕。
而蘋果在專利申請中寫到:
根據36氪報導,這項發明的重點是可彎曲的環繞螢幕,可能採用鋁、鋁和玻璃或全透明的設計。未來的 iPhone 不會有任何物理按鍵,你只需在螢幕前懸停,便可呼出控制功能表。這項全新的雙顯示屏設計還能製造 3D 視覺效果,這也是蘋果今年最熱門的發明之一。
看上去很牛對吧?但,值得注意的是,蘋果過去也曾有很多硬體以及技術上的專利是他們從未放在產品中的,所以,不難猜測,這種設計只是未來 iPhone 的一個備選,他們要趕在三星之前先註冊上,而至於未來的 iPhone 6&7 會是什麼樣子,還得由蘋果親自揭曉。

2013年3月27日 星期三

Japan Nuclear Zone/ Made in USA/東京櫻花/Samsung/中國:亞馬遜-Facebook


Google Adds Street Views Inside Japan Nuclear Zone
TIME
In this March, 2013 image released March 27, 2013, by Google, showing its camera-equipped vehicle as it moves through Namie town in Japan, a nuclear no-go zone where former residents have been unable to live since they fled from radioactive ...
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TIME

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Starting Political Group

 Managing Technology
Samsung: A Hardware Manufacturer Seeking Its Software Side

Samsung's splashy Radio City Music Hall debut of its Galaxy S4 smartphone marked a coming out party not only for the company's latest flagship device, but also for its ambitions to be an innovative leader in software and an integrator of multiple devices in consumers' lives. Samsung is aiming to become more like Apple, Wharton experts say. The question is, does the Korean electronics giant have the software prowess to accomplish that goal? http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/3221.cfm

谷歌眼镜将为“美国制造”
计划与富士康合作在加州组装生产,显示电子产品制造回归美国


    日本氣象廳在前幾天已經宣布東京櫻花開花宣言,今年比平均早了 10 天,更比去年早 15 天,對許多想趁 4 月春假連續假期前往日本賞櫻的人而言,恐怕是一大缺憾!



Fleeting Thoughts, Captured by Pixels
New York Times
In many ways, Google Keep is a fairly shameless imitation of Evernote, the beloved free app for Mac, Windows, Android, iPhone/iPad, BlackBerry and Windows Phone. It, too, keeps your notes automatically duplicated across all your gadgets and computers.
See all stories on this topic »
Google Street View Captures Ghost Town in Fukushima's Evacuation Zone
New York Times (blog)
The eerily empty streets of Namie, a town deep in the evacuation zone around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, are featured in the latest images captured by Google for its Street View mapping project. The scene is wrenching: houses ...
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New York Times (blog)
This Entrepreneur Wants Google Glass To Improve Your Health
Forbes
As it happened, there was something else interesting that happened today: Project Glass started sending out tweets to the new members of its Glass Explorers program – those persons who will be among the first to receive a pair of Google Glass of their ...
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9 Likely Winners Of Google's #IfIHadGlass Campaign Who Are Luckier Than You
Huffington Post
Google Glass announced on Tuesday that it had picked the winners of its #ifihadglass campaign -- in which "creative individuals" had to tweet or post on Google+ about what they would do with a pair of the futuristic glasses if they had the opportunity ...
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Google settlement highlights technology's vulnerabilities
Washington Post
BETWEEN 2008 and 2010, Google collected bits of personal data — e-mails, Web sites visited and other sensitive material — from unsecured WiFi networks around the world. All its employees needed to gather it were commercially available antennae and ...
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Google Maps boosts live transit in NYC, DC, and Salt Lake City
CNET
Working to keep an edge on the mapping front, Google announced today that it's boosting Google Maps' live transit feature. Now, users can see several subway and bus live departure times in New York and Salt Lake City and service alerts for Washington, ...
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Why Did Google Fight So Hard To Erase A Swedish Word From An Official List?
Forbes
But Google's IP protection team succeeded in their mission, which was to ensure that the use of 'google' as a verb (or part of a brand new word) was not used as a generic term for search, only for searching using a Google service. If that couldn't be ...
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Google Glass to be made in the USA, but still by Foxconn
CNET
Like so many other popular and much-coveted tech gadgets, Google Glass will be made by China's Foxconn -- but not in China. The Financial Times is reporting that Google's augmented reality specs will be assembled by the Taiwan-based company, also ...
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Use Google Translate offline by downloading language packs
CNET (blog)
Google updated its Google Translate app for Android today to version 2.6. The new version, available for Android 2.3 and up, supports the translation of vertical text in Korean, Japanese, and Chinese with your camera. The big news, however, is that it ...
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Interactive Google Play app dishes up actor details
CNET
Google has made the info card feature available for "hundreds of movies" offered in Google Play, and I'm sure we'll see more context cards for most future releases. Just download the latest version of Google Play Movies & TV app to get started. Also of ...
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 進入中國市場多年、還在低調慢跑的亞馬遜中國,面對本土對手日益激烈的競爭,在如何思索反擊戰略?在本週四“2013易觀電子商務盛會”一場高峰對話中,英國《金融時報》中文網總編張力奮與亞馬遜中國副總裁方淦就電商在中國的生存環境,以及“中國電商為什麼不能形成美國格局”的話題,做了一番深度探討。中國是全球互聯網用戶數最多的國家。大多數投資者認為,中國網絡零售業的繁榮前景可期。 Forrester Research的報告預測,到2015年,中國互聯網零售額將由2010年的488億美元,飆升至1594億美元。隨著大量資金流入,電子商務行業急劇膨脹,行業內競爭也日趨白熱化。各家電商各顯神通,但尷尬的是,當大家談論誰將成為“中國的亞馬遜”的時候,卻幾乎沒有人會提到亞馬遜中國。亞馬遜進入中國後,溫吞水般的發展策略,已使其被甩到行業第三。對此,方淦解釋說:慢跑策略是根據亞馬遜在國外的成功市場經驗而製定的,核心理念在於,要培養消費者的習慣並非一朝一夕。亞馬遜認為對中國市場要保持足夠耐心,重心在於提升客戶對其產品和服務的滿意度。亞馬遜上世紀90年代在美國成立後,飽受多年虧損,上市後經過近10年的不懈努力,才以巨大贏利撫慰了投資者。方淦說,亞馬遜在美國成功的秘訣在於做長線投入而非急功近利,將大筆投資用於建立品牌、完善銷售和物流,讓競爭對手在短期內很難效仿。與中國同行相比,亞馬遜中國的確更注重基礎設施,比如IT系統和倉儲物流的佈局等。它的倉儲物流不僅可以覆蓋一、二線城市,還可以輻射到將近1200個縣級城市。但阿里巴巴、京東等本地競爭對手也已很快意識到物流配送體系的重要,並迅速付諸行動,這使得亞馬遜中國在配送上的優勢被逐漸吞噬。然而,亞馬遜中國面臨的最大挑戰,仍然是本土化,包括決策、運營、團隊等各個方面。業內專家分析認為,無論從對中國市場的重視程度,還是從決策機制的本土化程度上來講,亞馬遜中國都沒有做足。此外,亞馬遜中國錯過了開放平台、社區化商務等創新業務的黃金機會。如果亞馬遜中國不能穩中求變的話,恐怕在電商大戰中很難有大的起色。
 ****



只剩四國已情何以堪,

自己國家等於"其他國家"更是無地自容。


 

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