Plus BlueStacks raises funding to bring Android apps to Windows PCs, and how the UK's average upload speed is slower than that of Zimbabwe
A quick burst of 11 links for you to chew over, as picked by the Technology team
Developers band together to fight Lodsys if necessary
"After Lodsys started sending threatening letters to developers, Apple took some time to issue a statement to developers hit by the notices which seemed to provide cover for them. Unfortunately, nothing in Apple's letter to developers said, 'We'll pick up the tab for any legal costs you incur.' So a band of developers have decided to pool their resources and secure counsel to help defend any legal action should Lodsys actually file suit against any of them."
Smart to be prepared.
Start-Up BlueStacks Raises Cash to Bring Android Apps to Windows PCs - AllThingsD
"[Rosen] Sharma, the company's CEO, told AllThingsD that the company thinks it will find eager customers among PC makers looking to stand out from one another, while reacting to the rise of the iPad and Android."All of them are suffering because the iPad came out," Sharma said. 'They don't really have an answer. The answer most of them come up with is lets make an Android tablet.'
"However, Sharma said he questions how many [of those tablets] they will sell, particularly if they don't have anything to stand out from the pack."
Has $7.6m in venture funding. Our forecast: a pivot in the near future because Windows machines aren't good for touch-driven apps.
Global Broadband Performance >> Google Public Data Explorer
Astonishingly, the UK's average upload speed is lower than that for Zimbabwe. Intriguing data set, fun tools.
Intriguing idea: just as you have WebKit for rendering web pages, why not have "TermKit" for rendering the output of Unix terminal pages in a more user-friendly format?
Revised cookies' law and lack of guidance takes the biscuit >> CRITique
"When we issue email alerts on an imminent change in law that is likely to have a wide impact on normal business activities, we seek to give clear guidance on what steps must be taken for compliance with the new law.
"Regrettably, this is rather difficult to do for the new law on the use of cookies, which comes into effect on 26 May 2011."
This is a horrendous mess.
Misuse of 3-D digital lens leaves 2-D movies in the dark >> The Boston Globe
Wonder why sometimes films at multiplexes seem dark for no obvious reason? "A description of the problem comes from one of several Boston-area projectionists who spoke anonymously due to concerns about his job. We'll call him Deep Focus. He explains that for 3-D showings a special lens is installed in front of a Sony digital projector that rapidly alternates the two polarized images needed for the 3-D effect to work.
"When you're running a 2-D film, that polarization device has to be taken out of the image path. If they're not doing that, it's crazy, because you've got a big polarizer that absorbs 50% of the light.''
Female Magazine Readers Flock to Nook Color >> NYTimes.com
"The Nook Color has surprised publishers of women's magazines like O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan and Women's Health by igniting strong sales that rival -- and in some cases surpass -- sales on the iPad.
"The success was not so easily predictable for a device that has been on the market only since November and faces stiff competition from Apple, Amazon and the Android-based tablets."
Not available in the UK, of course.
Google decides knowledge is power >> I, Cringely
"Microsoft did more than just try to out-search Google. They gave some serious thought to how to make the quest for information on the Internet more productive and useful. Bing struck a chord with users and competitors alike and one result is that Google, too, is becoming more results-centric. That's what is largely behind this perceptual shift from search to knowledge. It was behind Google's Instant Search results, too -- a technically non-trivial effort that lies at the heart of what this particular column is all about. For the moment, Google trading search for knowledge is just posturing, but in the longer run it has really significant meaning. It's a game-changer."
Google decides knowledge is power >> I, Cringely
"Microsoft did more than just try to out-search Google. They gave some serious thought to how to make the quest for information on the Internet more productive and useful. Bing struck a chord with users and competitors alike and one result is that Google, too, is becoming more results-centric. That's what is largely behind this perceptual shift from search to knowledge. It was behind Google's Instant Search results, too -- a technically non-trivial effort that lies at the heart of what this particular column is all about. For the moment, Google trading search for knowledge is just posturing, but in the longer run it has really significant meaning. It's a game-changer."
How to avoid or remove Mac Defender malware >> Apple
"In the coming days, Apple will deliver a Mac OS X software update that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants. The update will also help protect users by providing an explicit warning if they download this malware.
"In the meantime, the Resolution section below provides step-by-step instructions on how to avoid or manually remove this malware."
Going to be interesting to see how much this malware mutates, if at all.
Dell XPS 15z review >> Engadget
Promising a new laptop, says Engadget, "Dell even stated that it would have an 'innovative new form factor' of some sort.
"The company neglected to mention it would look like a MacBook Pro.
"This is the Dell XPS 15z, and we're sorry to say it's not a thin-and-light -- it's actually a few hairs thicker than a 15-inch MacBook Pro, wider, and at 5.54 pounds, it weighs practically the same. It is, however, constructed of aluminum and magnesium alloy and carries some pretty peppy silicon inside, and the base model really does ring up at $999. That's a pretty low price to garner comparisons to Apple's flagship, and yet here we are."
A little later it says: "But let's get this out of the way right now: though the XPS 15z most definitely looks like a MacBook Pro and sports similar materials, you'll wind up disappointed if you're expecting the same exacting attention to detail."
Worth reading the review in full for what it does and doesn't do well.
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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2011/may/25/technology-links-newsbucket
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