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06 Dec 2011 11:23

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Tech: Verizon blocks Google Wallet on “security” concerns

  • Read: Google’s product is competing with our product. Google Wallet has drawn a lot of attention in recent months for its end-to-end reinvention of the paying experience — one that, if it takes off, could make carrying around credit cards a thing of the past. However… the first phone on Verizon’s network that could support the technology behind Google Wallet, the Galaxy Nexus, has the software disabled. The company says they’ve blocked it in an effort to provide “the best security and user experience.” However… Verizon is working with AT&T and T-Mobile on a competing service, Isis, which has yet to launch. Perhaps that’s it? Yeah, we think so. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Sep 2011 14:58

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Tech: Report: Amazon’s Kindle Fire losing money with every single device

  • $199 the amount the Amazon Kindle Fire, launched earlier this week, costs
  • $209.63 the amount the Amazon Kindle Fire’s parts are estimated to cost source
  • » Loss leader vs. straight-up leader: Amazon knows that the thing that was going to get the Kindle Fire to sell was the price, and it appears that even though the device is going to sell at a $10 loss per unit, they’ll make that back quickly through the sale of music and other stuff. This is a situation unlike that of Apple, which sells its devices at a profit and makes money through the sale of content. But that said, Jeff Bezos is looking particularly Jobsian these days.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Sep 2011 09:58

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Tech: Amazon’s Kindle Fire: What it has and doesn’t have

  • included Amazon’s foray into the whole tablet thing (photo here) will be a totally affordable $199 and based on a slick Android-based interface that’s been face-lifted specifically for this freakin’ tablet.
  • missing It’s only 7 inches — a bit small for you iPad fans — and lacks such amenities as a microphone or camera. On top of this, the device is wifi-only — no 3G. Is no 3G a deal-breaker, guys? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 May 2011 10:39

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Biz: clearXchange: The banking system’s years-late answer to PayPal?

  • what Three of the nation’s largest consumer banks — Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo — have created a system for simple money transfers via phone or e-mail.
  • why The new service, clearXchange, gets around a banking system that takes a really long time, requires a routing number, and has to go though the Federal Reserve’s tubes.
  • threat This model threatens PayPal, the  solution du jour for this problem — which will likely someday make more money than its corporate parent, eBay. Unless this new thing takes off. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Jan 2011 20:44

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Tech: Openleaks is here: Here’s a video explaining what Openleaks does

  • So, to clarify: “Bottlenecks” does not appear to specifically be a euphemism for “Julian Assange.” There appears to have been some sincere thought on how to cleanly decentralize the system. We wish Openleaks the best of luck in their mission. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Nov 2010 11:42

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Politics: Heath Shuler: Terrible quarterback, but Pelosi’s worst nightmare?

  • At this point, no one has come forward, no one in leadership for a long time. It will be very tough. It is probably a race we can’t win. But we need a moderate voice in the Democratic Party.
  • Blue Dog Democrat Rep. Heath Shuler • Suggesting he might challenge Nancy Pelosi for the House leadership. Shuler, known as much for being conservative on social issues as he is for his mediocre NFL career, has been one of Pelosi’s strongest critics in the wake of her planned run for House Minority Leader. Shuler would be an interesting wrench in the whole House Leadership mess, and we bet he’d get a bunch of support simply because he offers a clear alternative to Pelosi, who’s not exactly popular right now. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Sep 2010 23:19

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Tech: Here’s their hard work: The boys of Diaspora show their stuff

  • There it is guys. Diaspora. The Kickstarter project that led to many thousands of dollars in donations now has a code release. It’s now open-source. It’s not a real release yet (that’s coming in October), but it’s definitely off to a good start. Imagine it as Facebook without any of the ads and extra crap that makes Facebook Facebook. Too early to decide if it’s overhyped yet. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink
 

12 Jul 2010 21:18

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Tech: Is Google betting the FarmVille on taking on Facebook?

  • what Apparently, Google’s making another play at taking on Facebook’s market, this time by latching onto FarmVille maker Zynga to make Google Games.
  • why Because people on Facebook play lots of FarmVille and Mafia Wars, and it could be a social networking in for Google, which had its Buzz flop recently. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Jun 2010 11:22

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Tech: A Google music store? Apple’s Lala purchase may haunt them

  • first Google launched a music search feature with a number of providers, including Lala and (the now-closed) iMeem.
  • second Apple bought Lala partly because of this competition, and Google now uses iLike, Rhapsody and Pandora.
  • third Losing their key service, Google said screw it and is now building its own music service. It’s all-out war now. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jun 2010 21:55

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U.S.: The Nook and Kindle are shaking in their boots over the iPad

  • $359 the Amazon Kindle 2’s original sale price a little over a year ago
  • $259 the Barnes & Noble nook’s original price, which matched Amazon’s
  • $199 the updated price of the 3G Barnes & Noble nook
  • $149 the price of the new wi-fi only version of the nook
  • $189 the updated price of the Amazon Kindle 2 source
  • » How did they do do it?: Simple answer: The books are going to cost a heck of a lot more. We said a few months ago that the nook would prove the Kindle’s death knell, but the truth is that the iPad is doing it instead. There’s enough evidence that Apple’s infringing on their territory that they pretty much had to lower the price of the devices. To keep a long-term audience, Amazon’s next Kindle has to knock it out of the park, guys.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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