HP's TouchPad tablet: The reviews - Reuters Blogs (blog)

Hewlett-Packard’s decision to enlist funnyman Russell Brand to promote its new TouchPad tablet in a series of online videos seems to have been the right one. People love the ads. Whether consumers will warm to the device itself remains to be seen, though.

HP pitches the TouchPad as a workhorse that’s a boon to productivity and a marvel of multitasking, but which can also hold its own as an entertainment device. The Wi-Fi enabled tablet, which hit U.S. shelves on July 1 (at $500 for 16 GB model, $600 for 32 GB), is up against some serious competition from Apple’s standard-bearing iPad models and a stable of well-regarded Android alternatives.

HP is smart to trumpet the TouchPad’s ability to play Web video and multimedia formats such as Adobe Flash, which Apple has refused to support on its devices despite demands from its own customers. But reviews of the 9.7-inch tablet, which runs on Palm’s webOS mobile software, could so far be characterized as tepid at best. Overall, they seem to suggest that while HP should be praised for some of the TouchPad’s features, it falls short on too many other crucial elements. Here’s a sampling of what’s been said so far:

Walt Mossberg, Wall Street Journal: “Despite its attractive and different user interface, this first version is simply no match for the iPad. It suffers from poor battery life, a paucity of apps and other deficits.”

Computerworld: “The TouchPad is caught in a no-man’s land for tablets. On the plus side, it supports full multitasking, plays Flash and has the best onscreen keyboard around, making typical tablet tasks easier. However, it’s also chunky, overweight and lacks the apps that are needed to compete with the iPad.”

Engadget: “The shortage of apps is a problem, no doubt, but that will change with time. What won’t change is the hardware, and there we’re left a little disappointed. Holding this in one hand and either an iPad 2 or a Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the other leaves you wondering why you’d ever be compelled to buy the HP when you could have the thinner, lighter alternative for the same money. Meanwhile, the performance left us occasionally wanting and, well, what is there to say.”

David Pogue, New York Times: “The WebOS is beautiful . . . It’s graphically coherent, elegant, fluid and satisfying. That, apparently, is the payoff when a single company designs both the hardware and the software.”

“Much of the TouchPad’s promise remains theoretical; all kinds of stuff is “coming soon,” including music or movie stores and a Mac/Windows utility that will copy your computer’s music files to the tablet,” Pogue continued.

CNet: “The TouchPad would have made a great competitor for the original iPad, but its design, features, and speed put it behind today’s crop of tablet heavyweights . . . At the end of the day, the TouchPad feels like a well-orchestrated competitor to the original iPad and not the forward-thinking alternative we had hoped for.”

Boy Genius Report: “Today, the TouchPad is a solid tablet that definitely exhibits what I have come to call tabletitis. It is a jack of all trades, master of none, that shows tons of potential but isn’t quite there yet. The hardware is lacking and the software needs a shot of adrenaline.”

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Smartphone apps: Is your privacy protected? - Computerworld

By Preston Gralla, Al Sacco and Ryan FaasComputerworld - Smartphone apps can do more than provide you with entertainment, information or useful services -- they can also invade your privacy.

Apps can trace your Web habits, look into your contact list, make phone calls without your knowledge, track your location, examine your files and more. They can also automatically send information such as location data to mobile ad networks.

In addition, apps can gather the phone number and the unique ID number of each type of phone: the Unique Device Identifier (UDID) on the iPhone, the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number on the BlackBerry, and (depending on the make) the IMEI or the Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) on an Android phone. Personal information that apps gather about you can be matched to these IDs. That means that ad networks can easily combine various pieces of information collected by multiple apps, build a sophisticated profile about you -- and then legally sell that data to other marketing companies.

It's not as if you weren't warned. Before you download an app, you often get to see the kinds of information that the app will collect about you. On Android, for example, when you tap Install to download and install an app, a screen displays the "permissions" you grant it when you install it. In order to download and install the app, you must tap OK underneath the "Accept permissions" button. BlackBerry phones also cite permissions and Apple monitors all App Store apps for safety.

But do you actually pay attention to what's gathered? Have you ever not downloaded an app based on what information it indicates it's going to harvest about you? What do those notices really mean?

In this article, we'll detail the kind of privacy threats you face when using mobile apps, offer advice on ways you can protect yourself, and take a look at possible legislation that may -- or may not -- help.

Researchers warn that a surprisingly high percentage of smartphone apps may threaten your privacy. In October 2010, joint research by Intel Labs, Penn State and Duke University found that 15 out of 30 Android apps analyzed sent geographic information to remote ad servers without users' knowledge. Seven of them also sent the unique phone identifier; in some cases, the actual phone number and serial number were sent to app vendors. This can enable app vendors and/or advertisers to create comprehensive profiles about your likes and dislikes, the places you visit when you carry your phone, your Web surfing habits and more. They can then use those profiles however they want or sell them to others.

Meanwhile, in June 2010, security vendor SMobile Systems found that 20% of Android apps allowed third parties (that is, companies other than the app vendors themselves) to get access to private or sensitive information. In addition, the report warned, 5% of the apps could make phone calls by themselves without user intervention and 2% could send an SMS text message to a premium, for-pay number -- again without the user making the call.

Apple's iOS is not immune to such threats. In January, a class-action suit filed in San Jose charged Apple, the music-streaming service Pandora and others with "transmitting [users'] personal, identifying information to advertising networks without obtaining their consent." The suit also charged that "some apps are also selling additional information to ad networks, including users' location, age, gender, income, ethnicity, sexual orientation and political views." The case is still winding its way through the courts.

This issue is enough of a worry that federal prosecutors are currently investigating whether iOS and Android apps obtain or transmit information about users without properly disclosing what they are doing, according to the Wall Street Journal. Pandora has already received a subpoena in the probe, according to the Journal.

The most comprehensive investigation into the kind of information that smartphone apps gather and how they use it may be one conducted by the Wall Street Journal itself. The Journal examined 101 popular iOS and Android apps and found that "56 transmitted the phone's unique device ID to other companies without users' awareness or consent. Forty-seven apps transmitted the phone's location in some way. Five sent age, gender and other personal details to outsiders."

For example, the Journal found that that Pandora "sent age, gender, location and phone identifiers to various ad networks." The iOS and Android versions of a game called Paper Toss "sent the phone's ID number to at least five ad companies." The list goes on.

The Journal also found that, as a general rule, iOS apps sent more personal data than did Android apps, but the newspaper also noted that "because of the test's size, it's not known if the pattern holds among the hundreds of thousands of apps available."

This independent paper from senior analyst Jon Collins at FreeForm Dynamics considers how Web-based security threats are evolving, within the context of IT trends including mobile, home computing and other forms of remote access that could potentially increase the attack surface of the companies. It defines the scale and types of threat, what to look for in a corporate web security solution and compares the different types of technological approach available to companies and the processes that need to be considered for effective protection.

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Security is not an option. This KnowledgeVault Series offers professional advice how to be proactive in the fight against cybercrimes and multi-layered security threats; how to adopt a holistic approach to protecting and managing data; and how to hire a qualified security assessor. Make security your Number 1 priority.

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To date, small businesses have been unable to cost justify an IP-based communications system. This paper provides organizations with fewer than 250 employees a way to meet unique voice and data communications needs even with a limited budget and small IT staff.

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Apps for travellers - The West Australian

Services, airlines, travel agents and tech developers continue to come out with new ways to help travellers. Here are some recent developments.

SWISS International Airlines

Following the success of Apps designed for iPhone, Blackberry and Windows 7, SWISS International Airlines has launched the apps for Android and Nokia smartphones.

As with the existing SWISS travel applications for the iPhone, Blackberry and Windows format, the new SWISS Android and Nokia Apps make travel bookings and information access easier while on the go.

SWISS customers can access flight information and consult timetables, book flights, create a profile and store flight details, use the smartphone check in function and consult information about baggage allowances.

The app also includes details about in-flight entertainment and has a Twitter feed link.

The online boarding pass is also available with the SWISS App, allowing travellers to receive a digital boarding pass as soon as they have checked in.

The app also allows travellers to choose a seat then call up the boarding pass by shaking the phone.

For more information about SWISS Apps and the free downloads visit www.swiss.com/mobile.

Find a park

Travellers can find the best caravan parks in Australia, thanks to the new iPhone app, Find A Park.

Following a 31.7 per cent increase in the number of caravans manufactured over the past year, the app is designed for travellers using road vehicles for their getaway and eliminates the need for maps and brochures that take up valuable caravan space.

The Find A Park App enables travellers to find caravan parks by state, town or park name and uses the built in GPS to locate the closest park.

The App also allows travellers to phone ahead to the park for a reservation, with the click of a button and shows step by step instructions on how to get there.

READ MORE ABOUT FIND A PARK AND ITS TOP SPOTS

Principal strategist of Find A Park's app developer, Brighthouse David Holland said the market demands facilitated the development of the app.

"The Australian RV market is now dominated by those 30-49 year olds who are technologically savvy. The group wants up to the minute information in the palm of their hand which Find A Park can give them," he said.

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Pixofactor Entertainment gets Michigan tax break for Ben Hogan golf app - The Detroit News

Last Updated: July 09. 2011 1:00AM

A Royal Oak company received a $78,440 digital media tax incentive for a golf instructional and interactive application for mobile phones, the state said Friday.

Pixofactor Entertainment's "Ben Hogan Lessons Mobile Application" got the state money based on a proposed $196,100 of spending in the state, according to the Michigan Film Office. The app is adapted from golfer Hogan's book "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf."

The app will be developed for smartphones such as the iPhone and Android, and will demonstrate golf fundamentals with interactive animation.

"We could see something in the store by 60 to 90 days," Pixofactor CEO Sean Hurwitz said, adding that the app will have a gradual launch and be updated.

"Michigan is home to some of the best golf courses in the nation as well as a growing digital media sector, making the state an ideal fit for this project," Film Office Director Carrie Jones said in a statement.

The team developing the project will consist of eight to 10 workers, the company said.

The digital media incentive is the 13th project approved for incentives. About $19.6 million in cash rebates have been awarded so far, leaving $5.4 million under the state's $25 million cap.

Pixofactor moved to Michigan from Florida in 2009 to take advantage of the film and digital media tax incentives.

Pixofactor is building its business in part around projects based on Ben Hogan, considered one of the best golfers of the 20th century. The state previously approved incentives for the "Ben Hogan Five Lessons" Wii game and the website Ben Hogan Five Lessons Interactive Experience.

The website and Wii game were the first interactive website and video game to be approved for state tax incentives. The "Ben Hogan Mobile Application" is the first phone application incentive.

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The INQ Cloud Touch is now available from TELUS and Koodo Mobile - DigitalJournal.com (press release)

Today, July 11th, marks the 16th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre where over 8,000 Bosniak men lost their lives in the biggest mass murder since the second World War.

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Magazines Battling with Apple for Customer Information - Morningstar.com

Independent. Insightful. Trusted. Morningstar provides stock market analysis; equity, mutual fund, and ETF research, ratings, and picks; portfolio tools; and option, hedge fund, IRA, 401k, and 529 plan research. Our reliable data and analysis can help both experienced enthusiasts and newcomers.

© Copyright 2011 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Please read our Terms of Useand Privacy Policy.Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Morningstar Index (Market Barometer) quotes are real-time.

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Mobile Gaming Stocks: Will Cheap Games Hurt the Video Game Industry? - Business Insider

Kapitall is an online investing platform that combines the world's friendliest investing experience with powerful yet simple tools to build your skills - and maybe even your net worth.

If you're a child of the 1980s, then there's a good chance that Nintendo's inaugural video game console topped your Christmas or Hannukah wishlist when the first-generation system debuted. Back then, saving the pixelated princess was the easy part--the real challenge was just getting the game to load, involving shaking, blowing on and sometimes even smacking the temperamental cartridge around.

Hard to believe that today, game play is as easy as simply turning on your phone.  

Mobile gaming is on the rise, and revolutionizing the gaming industry--according to a recent study by Nielsen, the average iPhone user spends about 15 hours a month playing games on their smartphones.

Android users clocked in slightly above the overall average smartphone user, at 9.3 hours compared with 7.8 hours over a 30-day period. 64% of downloaders have loaded a new game onto their phone within the last 30 days, making games the most popular, and lucrative, category of smartphone applications.

Need more proof? Social and mobile gaming giant Zynga just filed a $1 billion IPO.

So what does all this mean for console gaming systems? If you ask Peter Vesterbacka, creator of the popular Angry Birds game for mobile phones, their days are numbered.

Quoted at SXSW declaring "consoles are dying," Vesterbacka sees the future of gaming in mobile and social mediums, while traditional companies charging $40 or $50 for a game are heading toward extinction.

But Nintendo president Satoru Iwata makes a compelling counterargument: “Consider this: the number of games available on the big app sites is in the tens of thousands. Game development is drowning. Yes, these games are far less expensive to create, but what revenue will they generate?”

Does the rise of the cheap mobile game signal weaker sales for video game companies that produce more expensive "premium" games for consoles? You be the judge--here's a list of companies with exposure to the trend.

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1. Access a thorough description of all companies mentioned
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List sorted alphabetically.

1. Activision Blizzard, Inc. (ATVI): Market cap of 13.81B. It is engaged in online, personal computer (PC), console, handheld, and mobile game publisher. Activision offers games that operate on the Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (Sony) PlayStation 3 (PS3), Nintendo Co. Ltd. (Nintendo) Wii (Wii), and Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft) Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) console systems; Nintendo Dual Screen (NDS) and Nintendo DSi (DSi) handheld devices; the PC; the Apple iPhone (iPhone), the Apple iPad (iPad) and other mobile devices. Its mobile games include "Tony Hawk: Proving Ground" and "Guitar Hero World Tour Mobile".

2. Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS): Market cap of 8.3B. It develops, markets, publishes and distributes game software and content that can be played by consumers on a variety of video game machines and electronic devices (platforms), including video game consoles; personal computers; mobile phones, such as the Apple iPhone, Google Android compatible phones, and feature phones; tablets and electronic readers, such as the Apple iPad and the Amazon Kindle; and the Internet, including on social networking sites, such as Facebook; and Handheld game players, such as the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo DS and 3DS. Its mobile games include JAMDAT Bowling, SimCity Societies, Skate, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR, Dead Space, Transformers Dark of the Moon, Draw Jump, Medal of Honor, MADDEN NFL, and Bejeweled.

3. Glu Mobile, Inc. (GLUU): Market cap of 300.06M. It is engaged in designing, marketing and selling games for mobile phones. It has developed and published a portfolio of casual and traditional games designed to appeal to a cross section of the subscribers served by its wireless carriers and other distributors, as well as to users of smartphones who purchase its games through direct-to-consumer digital storefronts. Its games include Call of Duty, Deer Hunter, Diner Dash, Guitar Hero 5, Family Feud, Family Guy, The Price Is Right, Transformers, Wedding Dash, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, World Series of Poker, Zuma, Beat It!, Bonsai Blast, Brain Genius, Glyder, Stranded and Super K.O. Boxing.

4. Konami Corp. (KNM): Market cap of 3.48B. It develops, publishes, markets and distributes video game software products globally for stationary consoles, for portable consoles, as well as for use on personal computers and mobile devices. Its mobile games (for the iPhone) include Frogger, Silent Hill: The Escape, Dance Dance Revolution S, and Metal Gear Solid Touch.

5. Rovi Corporation (ROVI): Market cap of 6.62B. It provides advertising, marketing, and other solutions for electronic content developers, including mobile game developers. Its offerings include interactive program guides (IPGs), IPG advertising, embedded licensing technologies (such as recommendations and search capability), media recognition technologies and licensing of its extensive database of descriptive information about television, movie, music, books, and game content, and content protection technologies and services.

6. Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO): Market cap of 1.33B. It is a global publisher, developer and distributor of interactive entertainment software, hardware and accessories. Its publishing business consists of Rockstar Games, 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play publishing labels. The Company develops, markets and publishes software titles for gaming and entertainment hardware platforms and has also begun to develop and publish titles for the iPhone and iPod touch. Its mobile apps include Civilization Revolution and Duke Nukem Forever Soundboard.

Interactive Chart: Press Play to see how analyst ratings have changed for all the stocks mentioned above. Analyst ratings sourced from Zacks Investment Research.

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