http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704116004575521143661439792.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEFTTopNews
Nintendo plans to release the first system that will play 3D games (without the need for glasses, by the way) in February 2011. The company is trying to get back in competition with xbox and playstation with this new style of gaming. It reported it's first losses last year and expected a steady decline unless a new and innovative product were released. Now they project to sell 4 million systems and 15 million accompanying games by March 31, 2011, which is only 2 months from the release date. There's no word yet on the price, if it will be comparable to the other 2 or be more like the previously released wii that was a bit cheaper. The problem Nintendo has though is the games produced for their system aren't as popular as the ones for its competitors, and until they somehow overcome that it will be difficult for them to compete long term.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Cookies and Privacy
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704416904575502261335698370.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEFTTopNews
Back in 2001 the courts ruled that it was ok for websites to put cookies on an individual's computer to store user names and passwords for that user. Websites quickly took advantage of this though and started using them to track where people were going and what they were searching on the web. While these websites are simply gathering data (so they can better target their advertising in most cases), this seems like a bit of an invasion of privacy. People can delete these cookies, but there's a new thing called Flash Cookies that respawn as soon as they're deleted, which is the main focus of this lawsuit. Congress is also apparently considering creating a "do-not-track" list similar to the do-not-call list that will give individuals the right to opt out of tracking. One problem though is that if these suits hold up and congress were to go to the extreme and outlaw all cookies, websites claim that there's no way they could be free anymore since their income comes from advertisements and advertisers would be less inclined to use them without knowing their effectiveness. Basically it all comes down to whether we prefer privacy or these sites being free...
Back in 2001 the courts ruled that it was ok for websites to put cookies on an individual's computer to store user names and passwords for that user. Websites quickly took advantage of this though and started using them to track where people were going and what they were searching on the web. While these websites are simply gathering data (so they can better target their advertising in most cases), this seems like a bit of an invasion of privacy. People can delete these cookies, but there's a new thing called Flash Cookies that respawn as soon as they're deleted, which is the main focus of this lawsuit. Congress is also apparently considering creating a "do-not-track" list similar to the do-not-call list that will give individuals the right to opt out of tracking. One problem though is that if these suits hold up and congress were to go to the extreme and outlaw all cookies, websites claim that there's no way they could be free anymore since their income comes from advertisements and advertisers would be less inclined to use them without knowing their effectiveness. Basically it all comes down to whether we prefer privacy or these sites being free...
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Google involved in EVERYTHING
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704285104575492440245394392.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEFTTopNews#articleTabs%3Darticle
The main point of this article is that Google had to fire one of its employees for breaching the privacy of one of its clients, who also happened to be underage. The thing I found more interesting though is that Google is making its 3rd attempt at launching a social networking site to compete with Facebook. It seems like Google is trying to get involved in every aspect of technology it can as fast as it can, and that it's starting to stretch a bit thin, which is shown by it's 2 failed attempts at social networking. I think they just need to let this one go.
The main point of this article is that Google had to fire one of its employees for breaching the privacy of one of its clients, who also happened to be underage. The thing I found more interesting though is that Google is making its 3rd attempt at launching a social networking site to compete with Facebook. It seems like Google is trying to get involved in every aspect of technology it can as fast as it can, and that it's starting to stretch a bit thin, which is shown by it's 2 failed attempts at social networking. I think they just need to let this one go.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Do we really have to start over?
I know this may seem a bit trivial, but is blu-ray really going to stick? Are we going to have to restart movie collections all over again. When I was younger I had a decent one going of VHS, and now they'll be worthless once our last remaining VCR dies. I thought DVD's would stick for a while so I started making a valiant effort to regain my collection in those, but blu-ray is a much better picture and seem to be encroaching on DVDs the same way they did on VHSs... And what about 3D? When it boils down to it, is there really any point in buying movies anymore? The success of things like Netflix and Redbox point to the fact that people value owning movies and tv shows less and less, and due to how fast video technology is changing I don't blame them.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Technology and Art
"http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65K37820100621"
This is an article I found about technology radically changing something I don't normally think about when I think about when I think of technology: art. One of my favorite quotes from it is: "Knowledge is more democratized now," which describes how accessible information is now that once was only reserved for the elite and "specialists." The author talks about competition becoming fierce and the number of paintings per day that can be examined being 4 or 5 times what it used to be. He also discovered a Rembrandt self-portrait that was originally attributed to someone else, increasing the painting's worth from 3000 to 40 million. Thank you computers!!
This is an article I found about technology radically changing something I don't normally think about when I think about when I think of technology: art. One of my favorite quotes from it is: "Knowledge is more democratized now," which describes how accessible information is now that once was only reserved for the elite and "specialists." The author talks about competition becoming fierce and the number of paintings per day that can be examined being 4 or 5 times what it used to be. He also discovered a Rembrandt self-portrait that was originally attributed to someone else, increasing the painting's worth from 3000 to 40 million. Thank you computers!!
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