4899557
submission
ericatcw writes:
Google's Android may enjoy the hype, but an increasing number of key industry players say the mobile OS isn't ready for ARM netbooks, aka smartbooks. Nvidia is the most recent to declare Android unfit for duty, stating its preference for Microsoft's Windows CE, which an Nvidia exec praised for having a "low footprint" and being "rock solid." Nvidia is busy optimizing its multimedia-savvy Tegra system-on-chip for Windows CE. Such improvements won't arrive for at least a year to Android, which has an inflexible UI and poor graphics support for devices larger than a smartphone, says Nvidia. Other firms echoing similar criticism include ARM and Asustek.
4676655
submission
ericatcw writes:
It was reported on Slashdot last week that Microsoft had cut access to its Windows Live Messenger instant messaging service to citizens of 5 countries with whom the U.S. has trade embargoes. Now it turns out that Google and, apparently, AOL have taken similar actions. According to a lawyer quoted by Computerworld, even free downloaded software are viewed as 'exports' by the U.S. government — meaning totally-in-the-cloud services such as e-mail may escape the rules. Either way, there appear to be a number of ways determined citizens of Syria, Iran and Cuba can get around the ban.
4668745
submission
ericatcw writes:
Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang claimed last week that Intel was selling its Atom processor plus its graphics chipset to netbook makers for just $25, versus $45 for the Atom alone. That, Huang argued, was "unfair" and effectively locking Nvidia's competing Ion chipset out of the netbook market, though he also says he has no plans to sue. That's wise, says one anti-trust legal expert, Michael Cooper, who says Intel is not violating any U.S. anti-trust laws with its prices, even if they are "predatory" and less than what it costs Intel to make the chips. According to Cooper, a former anti-trust prosecutor for the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission turned private practice lawyer, "Intel is not obligated" to even sell the Atom chip to Nvidia.
4500157
submission
ericatcw writes:
JavaScript, so ubiquitous on today's AJAX-heavy Web sites, can slows down most popular sites today, says a Google performance guru. Steve Souders, the creator of the popular, free Yslow diagnostic tool, says that too many sites load too many JavaScript files at the beginning, creating a bottleneck, since browsers can't render or download anything else at the same time. New browsers such as Internet Explorer 8 can do "parallel downloads" of JavaScript, but it only partly solves the problem, says Souders, who calls for JavaScript and CSS files to be rewritten.
