Archive for the ‘Tech News’ Category
On Call: Welcome to 4G by Kent German
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
It wasn’t so long ago that the cell phone world was just transitioning to 3G technology. But now, just as we’re getting settled, the ever-restless industry is moving on again. Fourth-generation technology, or 4G, is gaining traction and carriers are promising even faster data speeds.
So what is 4G?
To start, think of wireless technology as a family that gets faster with each generation. Second-generation (2G) networks were faster than the original first-generation wireless technology; third-generation (3G) is faster than 2G; and 4G is faster than 3G. Speed is important for data transmission (not so much for voice) because a faster network lets you do more with your phone. The 3G networks that we use today allow us to stream video, download music tracks and other large files, and surf the Web on full HTML browsers. Think of it like moving from a dial-up Internet connection to cable or DSL–suddenly you could do more with your computer and do it faster. (more…)
Posted in Opinion, Tech News | 1 Comment »
They did it: Opera Mini lands on iPhone by Jessica Dolcourt
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
Fewer than three weeks ago, we wondered aloud if Opera Software’s bid to get its Opera Mini Web browser into Apple’s iPhone App Store was pure folly, or if it was a gamble that Opera could actually win. Late Monday, Opera, and Apple, proved doubters and naysayers–like me–wrong when it approved Opera Mini for iPhone.
Apple’s acceptance of a Web browser app may not seem like a big to-do, until one looks at Apple’s notoriously stringent interpretation of the rules it created to keep competing software off the iPhone. Mobile Web browsers that compete with the iPhone’s Safari browser do exist, but they’re all based on the same WebKit browser engine used to power Safari. In contrast, Opera has coded Opera Mini using a combination of programming languages, without adopting WebKit. Apple has certainly denied apps for less. (more…)
Posted in Opinion, Reviews, Tech News | 1 Comment »
Sprint’s Bold Play on a 4G Network By Cliff Edwards and Olga Kharif
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Sprint Nextel, the nation’s third-largest cell-phone carrier, is betting big on 4G. The company has spent several billion dollars in recent years to build wireless broadband service capacity to try to leapfrog larger rivals by offering consumers and businesses fast connections for smartphones, laptops, and other devices.
The advent of 4G networks could present a do-or-die situation for Sprint. Investors are pessimistic about the company’s long-term prospects. Sprint is losing more than 2% of its highest-paying wireless subscribers each year, nearly double the rate of competitors AT&T and Verizon Wireless, according to a Mar. 21 report from Barclays Capital analyst James M. Ratcliffe, who has a “neutral” rating on Sprint’s shares.
Sprint bet on Palm’s Pre smartphone, which launched to great fanfare in 2009, but which hasn’t come close to matching AT&T’s sales of Apple’s iPhone. Verizon, T-Mobile USA, and AT&T are taking steps to blunt any advantage Sprint might gain as it rolls out its faster network. (more…)
Posted in Tech News | 2 Comments »
Microsoft modernizes Web ambitions with IE9 by Stephen Shankland
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
For those who doubted that Microsoft was serious in its effort to re-engage with the Web, it’s time to put the skepticism aside.
At its Mix conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Microsoft gave programmers, Web developers, and the world at large a taste of things to come with its Web browser. Specifically, Microsoft released what it’s calling the Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview, a prototype that’s designed to show off the company’s effort to improve how the browser deals with the Web as it exists today and, just as important, to add support for new Web technologies that are coming right now.
The new software is only a framework, raw enough that it’s still missing a “back” button. But with “a few” updated preview versions set to arrive at eight-week intervals, the project will develop into a beta, a release candidate, and eventually the full-fledged product IE9, said Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of Internet Explorer and the executive who’ll describe the project at Mix. (more…)
Posted in Tech News | 1 Comment »
U.S. regulators will announce a major Internet policy this week to revolutionize how Americans communicate and play, proposing a dramatic increase in broadband speeds that could let people download a high-definition film in minutes instead of hours.
Monday, March 15th, 2010
Dramatically increasing Internet speeds to 25 times the current average is one of the myriad goals to be unveiled in the National Broadband Plan by the the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday.
The highly anticipated plan will make a series of recommendations to Congress and is aimed at spurring the ever-changing communications industry to bring more and faster online services to Americans as they increasingly turn to the Internet to communicate, pay monthly bills, make travel plans and be entertained by movies and music. (more…)
Posted in Tech News | No Comments »
Nasdaq 5,000: Ten years after the dot-com peak by Declan McCullagh
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Exactly 10 years ago, the Nasdaq reached its all-time high of 5,408.62. It has never recovered.
(Credit: Yahoo.com)
A decade ago, on March 10, 2000, it seemed almost difficult to find someone skeptical about the dazzling future of dot-com stocks.
An undeniably prescient strategist at Warburg Dillon Read, now part of UBS, told the New York Times that “I don’t see the end in sight.” The Los Angeles Times quoted a Banc of America Securities analyst as saying that, before “too long,” the Nasdaq index would double. (more…)
Posted in Tech News | 3 Comments »
IT Expo – INTEROP April 25-29
Friday, March 5th, 2010
See hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest technology products and services for your business. See recent IT innovations firsthand. Exhibitors include:
Posted in How to !, Opinion, Products, Reviews, Tech News | No Comments »
HTC says it uses own technology, not Apple’s by Dan Nystedt
Thursday, March 4th, 2010
Smartphone maker High Tech Computer (HTC) on Wednesday defended itself against accusations of patent infringement by Apple, saying it develops its own technology.
The Taiwanese company, the world’s largest maker of smartphones that use Google’s Android mobile operating system, including the Nexus One, has been building mobile devices including smartphones for 13 years, “and so HTC is not only a mobile technology innovator, [we] also hold a large number of patents,” the company said in a filing to the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
HTC will work with the U.S. justice system to protect its own innovations and rights, it said, adding that it does not believe the Apple lawsuit poses a threat to its business in the short-term. (more…)
Posted in Tech News | No Comments »
Google, please Sync! Posted by Joel Evans
Monday, March 1st, 2010
On Friday I was about to make a phone call using my iPhone when all of the sudden about three-quarters of my contacts disappeared. My calendar and my e-mail were still working great, but Contacts was having some serious issues. I initially chalked it up to an overtaxed iPhone so I rebooted only to find that the Contacts problem still persisted. About ten minutes later the contacts re-appeared and since I hadn’t experienced the problem again, thought it might just be a temporary hiccup.
Well, as luck would have it, I am experiencing the same problem today, but this time there’s an official report behind it. According to Google, the company is experiencing some issues with Google Sync due to an extended problem with one of its datacenters. Apparently the issue has been going on since the weekend but is now getting significantly worse. (more…)
Posted in Opinion, Tech News | 2 Comments »
Microsoft takes off gloves against Google by Tom Krazit
Friday, February 26th, 2010
Microsoft left little doubt Friday that it was one of the companies leading the charge against Google worldwide.
In a blog post entitled “Competition Authorities and Search,” Microsoft Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Dave Heiner said part of the motivation for Microsoft and Yahoo’s search deal was “we are concerned about Google business practices that tend to lock in publishers and advertisers and make it harder for Microsoft to gain search volume.” The post comes at the end of a week in which European authorities asked Google to explain its search algorithms after complaints from competitors–one of which is owned by Microsoft.
“Microsoft would obviously be among the first to say that leading firms should not be punished for their success,” Heiner wrote in one of Microsoft’s strongest public statements regarding Google to date. “Our concerns relate only to Google practices that tend to lock in business partners and content (like Google Books) and exclude competitors, thereby undermining competition more broadly.” (more…)
Posted in Tech News | No Comments »
To find out more about how we can help your business, contact us online or give us a call. We'd love to hear from you.
Phone: (818) 660 - 2800
Fax: (818) 660 - 2808
Email: support@ignaonline.com
Address:
2736 E. Walnut St. Unit F
Pasadena, Los Angeles, CA 91107 
[MAP]