Daniel Ionescu

Studios Bid On Liberating Digital Media ‘Ecosystem’

Daniel — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:15:33 +0000

Hollywood is uniting to challenge Apple’s domination in the digital media distribution market. Major studios are teaming up with leading retailers and electronics companies in a bid to transform the paid movie download in an experience similar to buying DVDs, while combating piracy at the same time, Reuters reports.

BlackBerry Enters Fray to Deliver Mobile Services

Daniel — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:24:45 +0000

Overnight Research In Motion (RIM) has managed to regain some of its competitive edge showing signs it could be a serious player in the battle for mobile search and services. RIM’s BlackBerry devices suddenly seem to have become the most popular kid on the block with major players such as Google and Microsoft now vying for some mobile screen real estate on the BlackBerry’s OS.

Google Mobile Apps Debuts For Blackberry

Daniel — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:45:57 +0000

Google has rolled out Google Mobile Apps for Blackberry, giving owners of the cell phone a comprehensive phone app that bundles many key Google features into one streamlined application. Google Mobile App for Blackberry (a free download) is one of most complete bundled offerings of mobile applications by Google for a major carrier. It comes at a time when Web services are integrating more deeply into mobile devices, giving you the ability to connect wirelessly to advanced “cloud” services.

Facebook’s Facelift Becomes Permanent

Daniel — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:18:08 +0000

Facebook users may be in for a shock logging into their accounts today. That’s because if you haven’t switched to the new Facebook layout, which debuted a few weeks back, your account may be sporting the new Facebook look - whether you like it or not.

Real Makes DVD Ripping Legal: Too Little, Too Late?

Daniel — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:55:28 +0000

Online streaming firm RealNetworks has released new PC-based software product called RealDVD that allows you to rip copy-protected DVDs onto your hard disk, legally. The question I and other critics have is, why now and why Real? Free tools for ripping DVDs (albeit illegal) have flourished online for some time. Video download services such as iTunes and streaming video sites such as Hulu.com seem to serve video-philes adequately as is.

First Seinfeld Vista Ad is Out: And Makes No Sense

Daniel — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:50:58 +0000

You might not be the only one underwhelmed by the new $300 million advertising campaign Microsoft launched last night featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates. The new ad was aired initially during the NFL kickoff game on NBC and is also available now on Windows.com.

Microsoft Office Live Celebrates 1M Users: I’m Still Yawning

Daniel — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:55:42 +0000

Microsoft announced that Office Live Workspace (OLW) Beta has reached 1 million users. The online service launched 6 months ago and is meant to serve as an extension to Micrsoft’s Office suite and is also (as some say) a direct competitor to Google’s Docs and Zoho.

Chrome Browser Review Roundup

Daniel — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:44:49 +0000

Less than 24 hours after Google launched Chrome, the search giant’s foray into the Web browser rumble among IE, Firefox, Opera, and Safari, everyone is talking about how Web heavyweight Google will do. So here’s a roundup of the most interesting comments about Chrome across the Web.

Nokia Unveils Free Unlimited Mobile Music Downloads

Daniel — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:32:15 +0000

Nokia announced today a package called “Comes with Music” that allows new handset buyers to download for free an unlimited number of music tracks. Nokia’s latest move comes as a competitor to Apple’s iPhone popularity and its over-the-air music store, the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store.

Microsoft Readies Windows Mobile App Store

Daniel — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:53:38 +0000

News emerged today that Microsoft is preparing an application marketplace for its Windows Mobile platform, dubbed Skymarket. It seems everybody is keeping an eye on Apple’s marketing strategies these days. With Apple registering 60 million downloaded applications through its AppStore and cashing in over $30 million in sales in just one month, Google has jumped into the same boat as well, unveiling a similar sales concept called Android Market.

Amazon: No New Kindle This Year

Daniel — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:21:20 +0000

If you hoped Amazon would release its much anticipated next-generation Kindle 2.0 e-book reader this year, you are out of luck. Amazon spokesperson Craig Bergman said Amazon will not be introducing a new version of the Kindle in ‘08, adding the debut of the e-book was expected “sometime next year at the earliest.”

Movie About Facebook is in the Works

Daniel — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:26:44 +0000

The Facebook story is coming soon to a cineplex near you. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin confirmed yesterday on a Facebook group that he is writing a movie about the founding of the popular social network.

Nokia’s New N-Series Phones Fail to Wow

Daniel — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:01:15 +0000

Nokia used to market its new phones as part of a “Revolution” of new devices that would change the cell phone industry and the world. Its latest offerings, the N79, N85, and N96, should be branded the “evolution” instead - they are bland and boring.

Hey Nokia, what happened?

Amazon’s Kindle Goes to College

Daniel — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:22:00 +0000

Kindle, Amazon’s e-book reader, is reportedly heading to a college near you, as the book vendor is working on a redesign to accommodate academics’ needs.

Hackers Rob Best Western Hotel Group, Steal 8M Guest Records

Daniel — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:12:23 +0000

The Best Western Hotel Group had more than bathroom towels ripped off over the past year. According to reports over 8 million guest records were nabbed by hackers and, according to authorities, many of the hotel patrons personal information, including home addresses, phone numbers, place of employment and credit card details, are now for sale by the Russian Mafia.

Google Gains in Search at Microsoft, Yahoo Expense

Daniel — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:13:57 +0000

Web site traffic watcher ComScore released figures this week that reveal Google’s dominance is growing, when it comes to search, at the expense of Microsoft’s search destinations and Yahoo, who continue to lose market share.

Comcast to Throttle Bandwidth Hogs For Up to 20 Minutes

Daniel — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:36:16 +0000

A day after the Federal Communications Commission released official sanctions against Comcast for interfering with its customers’ Net traffic speed, the Internet provider is talking up a new plan to slow down traffic for heavy users.

Yahoo Buzz Sets The Bee Free

Daniel — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:39:00 +0000

With so many submitting and rating sites out there, including the mighty Digg, Yahoo Buzz has a few advantages up its sleeve. Besides using the links submitted by contributors, Buzz’s algorithms take into account search engine popularity, feeding the most popular stories to Yahoo’s home page.

Battle of Ultra-Portables Heats Up With Lenovo’s ThinkPad X301

Daniel — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:12:36 +0000

Lenovo gives MacBook Air a run for its money with a skinny new laptop, the ThinkPad X301. This latest Lenovo offering features both a built-in DVD drive and ethernet jack and a fast low-voltage Intel Core 2 Duo ULV 1.2GHz processor that make it a strong contender in the ultra-portable space. This sub-3-pound notebook is a direct successor to Lenovo’s X300 model, delivering improved performance and a hefty price of $2600.

Palm Is Back In The Game: Treo Pro Leaked

Daniel — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:40:16 +0000

Palm leaked a new handset, the Treo Pro, part of the company’s line-up for 2009. Deemed as “the best looking Palm ever,” the Treo Pro will still use Windows Mobile instead of Palm’s long-awaited Nova operating system.

Blackberry Bold, you’re not alone.