TechVirtuoso

Microsoft changing the focus of Silverlight

October 31st, 2010 at 11:37 AM No Comments Michael Stanclift

The web is becoming a little less proprietary and we have Microsoft, of all people, to thank for it. After announcing they’re moving Live Spaces to WordPress and that Outlook 2011 would render in Webkit, they’ve done another 180 and now President Bob Muglia announced in an interview with Mary Jo Foley that their push for Silverlight in browsers is coming to an end.

“Silverlight is our development platform for Windows Phone… our strategy has shifted… HTML is the only true cross platform solution for everything, including (Apple’s) iOS platform.”

Since when has Microsoft ever cared about what Apple was doing? Where is my cut throat it’s the Microsoft way or nothing giant that I’ve loved and worshiped since I was 10 years old?

In all seriousness, Microsoft has really dedicated a lot of resources towards promoting HTML5 and other open technologies in Internet Explorer 9, and that’s a good thing. Something seems to be changing in the culture at Redmond, which honestly is a welcomed theme. As they lose their position as the largest and most powerful technology company on the planet, it’s good to see them deciding to share and play well with others, and maybe realize they don’t have to be compete at everything, and just do a few things really well.

White iPhone fun for your Sunday morning

October 31st, 2010 at 11:20 AM Comments Off Michael Stanclift

If you’re still waiting on the release of the iPhone 4 in white, you better check out this video from *cough* “Apple”.

Warning: If you’re working on a Sunday, don’t crank the volume on this one up too high if your boss doesn’t have a sense of humor.

VMWare developing View client for iPad

October 30th, 2010 at 7:30 PM 1 Comment Michael Stanclift

Proof that the iPad is gaining traction in the enterprise, VMWare is hard at work developing a native version of their View client for the iPad. This will allow users to connect back to a virtual desktop infrastructure through PC over IP, which is the standard connector as of View 4.0.

While the client is only in the internal alpha stages, it will already have competition from a firmly entrenched app from Wyse called PocketCloud. Wyse’s app has been out nearly two years and is fully function on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Wyse’s product, in addition to speaking native to the View infrastructure also can be RDP or VNC back to another non-View or even non-virtual device. They have also ported the PocketCloud app to Android.

Both of these apps are driving mobile devices into a thin client space which I’ve always found exciting.

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Companies begin pushing PCIe SSD drives

October 29th, 2010 at 1:10 PM No Comments Michael Stanclift

In a few years, the solid state drive in your computer may no longer look as it does today. At least, if a coalition of technology vendors have their way. Dell, EMC, IBM, Intel and a variety of others are trying to push out SATA connectivity for drives in favor of PCIe based connections.

While there are already PCIe drives for sale today, they’re typically 2 or 3 times as expensive as a traditional SATA based SSD drive. However, despite the price, they’re attractive because they are typically 5 or 6 times as fast in raw read/write speeds. PCIe is a lower latency connection because it doesn’t require any bridging chips to access the storage.

But while the interface will change to PCIe, the form factor of the current 2.5″ drive will stay the same. The coalition also wants to ensure hot plug capability to allow for faster online servicing and higher availability in server applications.

The group expects drives based on the new interface to be available as early as 2011.

via CRN

Virgin now offering 100Mbps home broadband for $55 per month… in the UK

October 28th, 2010 at 6:40 PM 4 Comments Michael Stanclift

While Verizon here in the United States is playing around with somewhat unrealistic 10Gbps Internet connections they’ll never be able (or willing) to offer to consumers at a reasonable price, Virgin Media in the UK announced that in December their going to begin offering 100Mbps download speeds (with a very respectable 10Mbps upstream) for £35 (roughly $55 USD) per month with a bundle, and £45 ($71 USD) for standalone service.

Virgin claims this is 20x as fast as the average British household. Further more, they intend to expand the service with faster speeds later on. They claim their infrastructure can support up to 400Mbps in the near future. According to Virgin:

… research has shown the service will truly come into its own when more than one person in a household is using the service at the same time. Following trials of 100Mb and 200Mb speeds, the company found internet usage increased exponentially …

Duh.

Virgin is also throwing in an energy efficient modem and wireless-N router to the package. They estimate the service will be available to 13 million homes at launch, with more on the way as they expand the reach of their network.

Meanwhile, after I post this using my AT&T U-Verse connection in the states, which is about a 10th as fast as what Virgin is offering, and about twice as expensive, I’m going to be looking up flights to the UK around the end of this year. Hope my wife is ready to move.

Apple posted more revenue than Microsoft last quarter

October 28th, 2010 at 5:03 PM No Comments Michael Stanclift

Propelled by the iPhone 4 and continued success of the iPad, Apple has now surpassed Microsoft in quarterly revenue. While Microsoft posted a very respectable $16.2 billion, Apple managed to rocket past them and hit $20.34 billion.

The previous quarter, Microsoft held a small lead of just around $700 million.

However, as TechCrunch points out:

Naturally, it’s important to note that Microsoft still has a lead in profit — $5.41 billion to $4.31 billion — but that’s because one is mainly a software maker (huge margins), while the other is mainly a hardware maker (lower margins). If this trend continues, that will change soon shortly as well. Remember, it’s the holiday quarter now.

In May of 2010, Apple surpassed Microsoft in market capitalization and continues their $52 billion lead.

Despite Microsoft’s declining financial stature compared to Apple, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates still maintains his personal dominance over Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Jobs’ net worth is only $6.1 billion compared to Gates’ $54 billion.

Intel gets into the news business, the end is near

October 28th, 2010 at 10:47 AM 1 Comment Michael Stanclift

The traditional news media has been dominated by large corporations for a while, and most of the major tech blogs are now owned by some dark lord. So it seems like it was only a matter of time before the tech companies themselves started their own news sites.

Leave it to Intel to be first out of the gate with their site Free Press. Intel is now going to educate us on everything important (Intel) and game changing (Intel) in the tech industry (Intel). From time to time they may provide us with valuable opinions of important (Intel) people.

That’s it, let’s shutdown TechVirtuoso, and all the other independently run sites. We’re done, no need for us to hang around and waste our time, energy and money.

If you can’t see the sarcasm dripping from each and every link, let me make it even clearer. We’re doomed!

Microsoft PDC 2010 kicks off today at 9AM PST

October 28th, 2010 at 9:00 AM No Comments Michael Stanclift

Today must be Steve Ballmer’s favorite day. Today is all about developers, developers, developers. Today kicks off the Professional Developers Conference 2010 at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington.

Ballmer will kick off the event with Bob Muglia during the keynote at 9AM PST today. Those of you not lucky enough to be up there can watch it online from Microsoft’s website.

Most of PDC 2010 will center around Windows Phone 7 development and the Windows Azure cloud, but expect to see some discussion of Internet Explorer 9, if not the release of an updated beta. So the question is, developers, are you as excited as Steve? Ready to chant and watch a slightly overweight man sweat uncomfortably?

Google’s ‘best deal ever’

October 28th, 2010 at 7:58 AM 1 Comment Frank Owen

David Lawee, vice president of corporate development for Google, stated at the 16th annual Stanford Accel Symposium that acquiring Android Inc. was Google’s “best deal ever.” It is hard to argue with him with the rumored acquisition cost of $50 mil, especially with the market share the OS has gained in the last year.

With as many acquisitions that continue to happen at Google it may be a hard statement for Android to keep up with. With Microsoft revamping their Mobile OS, HP brining Palm to the new level, RIM deciding it better get moving and Apple sitting on it’s laurels who knows what will happen in the coming years in the mobile space.

Apple plotting to cut carriers out of the iPhone game?

October 27th, 2010 at 6:31 PM 3 Comments Michael Stanclift

Is it possible Apple is plotting to cut carriers like AT&T out of the iPhone sales process in the next version of the iPhone? GigaOM seems to think so:

Sources inside European carriers have reported that Apple has been working with SIM-card manufacturer Gemalto to create a special SIM card that would allow consumers in Europe to buy a phone via the web or at the Apple Store and get the phones working using Apple’s App Store.

It’s rumored that Apple and Gemalto have created a SIM card, which is typically a chip that carries subscriber identification information for the carriers, that will be integrated into the iPhone itself.

Much like it helped cut operators out of the app store game, Apple could be taking them out of the device retail game. Yes, carriers will still have to allow the phone to operate on their networks, which appears to be why executives from various French carriers have been to Cupertino in recent weeks.

I’m not quite sure I see how this cuts them out, as you’d still need a contract unless everyone is going to start buying an iPhone that costs $700+ again, and the carriers decide to drop the prices of the plans. Yeah, right. Apple is Apple, and they have a lot of power to make people and companies do what they want but I fail to see how this is any kind of huge game changer.

If anything, it creates complications for those who want to unlock their phones. Really, this could be a good thing for the carriers who are locking in customers to their network. Although as exclusivity agreements begin to expire around the world and talk about an iPhone on Verizon in the United States becomes more assured, the market for iPhone unlocking could become less and less popular.

It’s a shame that we’ve come so far towards standardizing things like SIM cards, power chargers, and other technologies for mobile devices yet Apple manages to push everything in a different direction just for the sake of thinking different.

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