Google is getting ready to launch a brand-new social network called "Google Me," according to a rumor circulated Saturday on Twitter by Digg Founder Kevin Rose. "Ok, umm, huge rumor," Rose wrote in his tweet. "Google to launch facebook competitor very soon 'Google Me,' very credible source." Google did not respond by press time to TechNewsWorld's requests for confirmation and comment. "Any time Kevin Rose speaks, I listen," Lon Safko, social media entrepreneur and coauthor of The Social Media Bible, told TechNewsWorld.
2. Putting hard numbers to the iPhone 4 antenna issue
The discovery that gripping the iPhone 4 in a way that bridges the left and bottom antennas can cause serious signal problems has resulted in—to say the least—a lot of controversy. However, most of the data that either "proves" or "refutes" that existence of said problem has been anecdotal at best.
So AnandTech used a clever hack to get an iPhone 4 to report actual signal strength instead of "bars," giving some quantitative data about how bridging the antennas can negatively affect signal strength. The analysis explains why not all users are affected by the problem, and further investigation also shows that the antenna design does in fact improve reception as long as the left-bottom area isn't bridged when holding the device.
Other mobile handsets definitely have antenna attenuation problems—when cupping an iPhone 3GS or Google Nexus One in the manner that causes problems with the iPhone 4, AnandTech measured 14dBm and 18dBm drops, respectively. However, the problem with the iPhone 4's external antenna is worse; bridging the antennas detunes 3G reception by a full 24dBm.
3. Leaked Slides Provide Sneak Peek at Windows 8
A set of PowerPoint slides that appear to contain details about the next version of Microsoft's Windows operating system surfaced Monday. The slides indicate that Microsoft plans to tackle the long-running problem of Windows' slow start-up time, in addition to placing cutting-edge technology such as facial recognition in the new operating system. Questions remain, however, about the authenticity of the material. The slides, dated April 2010, first surfaced on the Italian Web site Windosette.
4. When GNOME Met KDE: Q and A With GNOME Foundation Director Stormy Peters
The GNOME Project is widely recognized in the world of Linux as a leading developer community of a free and easy-to-use desktop environment. GNOME is part of the GNU/Linux Project. The label "GNU" is a recursive acronym meaning GNU's Not Unix, according to GNU.org. Based in Cambridge, Mass., the GNOME Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the goals of the GNOME project. The Foundation is comprised of a board of directors, the executive director and the members consisting of supporting vendors and individuals.
5. Eclipse project releases major update of open source IDE
The Eclipse project has announced the Helios release train, a major update of the open source Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) and many of its key components.
Due to the modularity of the software and the diversity of its community, Eclipse is developed like a platform. There are a multitude of independently-developed components that supply specific kinds of functionality. The most widely-used components are collected into a set of standard Eclipse packages that are targeted towards specific kinds of development.
6. Skype Aims to Wend Its Way Into Gadgetry With New SDK
The top dog in Internet telephony is set to expand its reach with the release of new development software. SkypeKit is aimed at allowing software writers to integrate the Net phone service into a variety of consumer electronics devices and computer software programs. "For nearly seven years, Skype has revolutionized communications through software that offers not only free voice and video calling, but also low-cost calls to phone numbers anywhere in the world," Skype's General Manager for Platform Business Jonathan Christensen wrote in the company's Developer Zone blog.
7. Ubuntu: Harder to Use, or Just Harder to Spell?
At first glance, it's easy to be taken in by Jeff Hoogland's recent post entitled "Why Ubuntu Is Harder Than Windows." "I use Ubuntu on all my personal computers and I even recommend it to friends," Hoogland began. "I am starting to think maybe I shouldn't though, because it is obvious: Ubuntu is harder to use than Windows." It doesn't take long, however, for the sarcasm to shine through. On the topic of default software, for instance: "Windows offers a fantastic default software install," Hoogland writes.
7. Ubuntu: Harder to Use, or Just Harder to Spell?
At first glance, it's easy to be taken in by Jeff Hoogland's recent post entitled "Why Ubuntu Is Harder Than Windows." "I use Ubuntu on all my personal computers and I even recommend it to friends," Hoogland began. "I am starting to think maybe I shouldn't though, because it is obvious: Ubuntu is harder to use than Windows." It doesn't take long, however, for the sarcasm to shine through. On the topic of default software, for instance: "Windows offers a fantastic default software install," Hoogland writes.
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