|
AP Technology NewsBrief at 6:29 p.m. EDT
(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Where's the next boom? Maybe in `cleantech'SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Our economy sure could use the Next Big Thing. Something on the scale of railroads, automobiles or the Internet _ the kind of breakthrough that emerges every so often and builds industries, generates jobs and mints fortunes. Silicon Valley investors are pointing to something called cleantech _ alternative energy, more efficient power distribution and new ways to store electricity, all with minimal impact to the environment _ as a candidate for the next boom.
3 Americans share Nobel physics prizeNEW YORK (AP) _ The next time you snap a digital photo and post it to Facebook, you can probably thank the three men who won the Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday. They helped develop fiber-optic cable and invented the "eye" in digital cameras _ technology that has given rise to film-free photography and high-speed Internet service, revolutionized communications and science, and utterly transformed the way we live, work and amuse ourselves.
Verizon Wireless, Google to hunker down on phonesNEW YORK (AP) _ Verizon Wireless and Google Inc. are teaming up to tackle the challenge posed by the iPhone, saying they will collaborate closely to create wireless devices that use Google's software. Verizon Wireless, the largest cellular carrier in the U.S., had already said it would sell phones with Google's Android software. But it put a lot more weight behind that Tuesday, pledging to commit "substantial resources" to developing and selling Android phones.
Big Japanese brands readying 3-D flat-screen TVsCHIBA, Japan (AP) _ Japan's big-name electronic manufacturers are readying flat-screen TVs that can show high-definition movies and video games in 3-D for launch next year. At the country's biggest consumer electronics show, which opened Tuesday just outside of Tokyo, all the major makers had large 3-D prototypes on display. Visitors to company booths at the CEATEC show donned special electronic glasses and watched as soccer balls flew toward them in sports clips and virtual heroes dodged deep into the background of video games.
Ask.com mines online coupons with new aggregatorSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Ask.com hopes to persuade consumers that are fond of discount Web sites to bring their bargain hunts to its search engine. On Tuesday, Ask is rolling out Ask Deals, a service that will let visitors search for online coupons and bargains that it indexes from several dozen popular coupon Web sites, along with retail Web sites, message boards and blogs.
FTC: Bloggers, testimonials need better disclosureThe Federal Trade Commission on Monday took steps to make product information and online reviews more accurate for consumers, regulating blogging for the first time and mandating that testimonials reflect typical results. The FTC will require that writers on the Web clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products. The commission also said advertisers featuring testimonials that claim dramatic results cannot hide behind disclaimers that the results aren't typical.
Another use for your phone: `augmented reality'SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ You're walking down the street, looking for a good place to eat. You hold up your cell phone and use it like the viewfinder on a camera, so the screen shows what's in front of you. But it also shows things you couldn't see before: Brightly colored markers indicating nearby restaurants and bars. Turn a corner, and the markers reflect the new scene. Click a marker for a restaurant, and you can see customer reviews and price information. Decide you'd rather be sightseeing? The indicators are easily changed to give information about the buildings you're passing.
US online ads fell for second quarter in a rowSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Internet advertising in the United States slipped 5 percent in the second quarter as the recession extended the first slump in online marketing since 2002. The $5.4 billion spent on Internet ads during the three months ending in June compared with $5.7 billion at the same time last year, according to data released Monday by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Net neutrality rules face mounting GOP oppositionWASHINGTON (AP) _ Republican opposition is mounting as federal regulators prepare to vote this month on so-called "network neutrality" rules, which would prohibit broadband providers from favoring or discriminating against certain types of Internet traffic flowing over their lines. Twenty House Republicans _ including most of the Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee _ sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski on Monday urging him to delay the Oct. 22 vote on his net neutrality plan.
Vonage releases calling app for iPhone, BlackBerryNEW YORK (AP) _ Vonage Holdings Corp., a pioneer in Internet-based home phone service, is launching applications for the iPhone and BlackBerry that undercut the international calling rates of major wireless carriers. The free programs let users place calls that are routed over Vonage's network, at least for the international leg.
(c) 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[ Back Hosted VoIP Global Community's Homepage ]
|
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Activate Email 
TMCnet LOGIN
