Residents of southeast Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba are coping with another blast of winter with heavy wet snow wreaking havoc for travellers in both provinces.
Shocker! Microsoft commands 79 percent of worldwide OS revenue (update)
Everyone knows that Windows is installed on the vast majority of computers, but it’s always interesting to be reminded of what a cash cow the OS has been for Redmond. According to Gartner, Microsoft owned 78.6 percent of the global market revenue share for desktop operating systems at the end of 2010 — revenue up almost 9 percent from 2009. That means, of the $30.4 billion in revenue that various companies generated, $23.8 billion lined Microsoft’s coffers. But while Windows remains the kingpin, Mac OS X and — wait for it — Red Hat, posted more substantial gains. Apple’s market revenue shot up almost 16 percent to 1.7 percent, Red Hat surged 18 percent, while dark horse Oracle leaped from ninth place to fourth, with a 7,683 percent growth in income — no small thanks to its 2009 acquisition of Sun Microsystems. Only one question remains, then — who’s the loser here?
Update: Looks like we got this one wrong, folks, as it’s not market share that’s being measured here, but rather revenue share — how much money each company made from its operating systems relative to one another. That means companies that price their operating systems cheaper will be at a disadvantage in the rankings, not to mention those organizations that charge nothing at all — Ubuntu, anyone? Oh, and as some of you have pointed out in comments, there are both desktop and server operating systems in the chart above.
Continue reading Shocker! Microsoft commands 79 percent of worldwide OS revenue (update)
Shocker! Microsoft commands 79 percent of worldwide OS revenue (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Friday Ratings: ‘Fringe’ Rises; ‘Friday Night Lights,’ ‘Shark Tank’ Dip
Philiana Ng albruno3: boosted2zz: Hmmmm damn sexiest ninja Every gamers’…
Plex plays nice with your Honeycomb slate after app update
We’ve praised Plex in the past for delivering us box-free XMBC and for it’s prodigious media streaming proficiency. Problem is, its app wasn’t optimized for the Honeycomb OS and the upsized screen real estate of Android slates — until now. With the updated code comes tablet-friendly layouts and fast-scrolling in all grid and list views so you can zip through your large local media library. It also includes direct play and internet streaming sans-transcoding (just like the recently revised iOS app) for sating those right now vid cravings. The improvements serve smaller Android devices as well, which makes the newly egalitarian app more enticing than ever before. Best of all, it’s still only five bucks.
[Thanks, Andrew]
Plex plays nice with your Honeycomb slate after app update originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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What we know…
Toshiba’s ET100/WT100 Honeycomb tablet clears the FCC
Toshiba’s forthcoming Honeycomb tablet is already headed to Japanese stores as the Regza AT300, but it’s been a bit slower in arriving stateside. Now it seems the company could be close to shipping a real, working product here in the US. The still unnamed slate — dubbed the ET100/WT100 for now — has won FCC approval for its 802.11n and Bluetooth radios. To recap, the slate will have a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) display, run on NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 platform, and sport dual cameras, HDMI and USB ports, an SD card reader, and, possibly, a removable battery. We say, bring it on.
Toshiba’s ET100/WT100 Honeycomb tablet clears the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 03:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
BlackBerry Bold Touch makes brief appearance on RIM’s website
As you may have been able to discern from the multitude of leaks that have surfaced over the past few months, RIM is apparently getting set to debut a new touchscreen-equipped BlackBerry Bold at BlackBerry World next week. While still not completely official, that’s now been all but confirmed by RIM itself, which briefly featured the teaser pictured above on its website before pulling it for reasons unknown. As you can see, RIM apparently couldn’t help itself and promised that it will be a “bold step ahead,” and it appears that the phone is unsurprisingly running BlackBerry 7, which until recently was better known as OS 6.1. Of course, that’s hardly the only news we’re expecting to hear at BlackBerry World, and you can be sure we’ll be there to brave the puns and bring it all to you.
[Thanks, Matt]
BlackBerry Bold Touch makes brief appearance on RIM’s website originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Intel’s Cedar Trail gets some specs, combines CPU and GPU on a single chip
That new processor smell has barely started to fade from Oak Trail and we’re already getting some tantalizing details about the next generation of Atom chips — Cedar Trail. As expected, Intel has moved to 32nm, which allows it to cram the GPU and the CPU onto the same sliver of silicon. The first two models, the D2500 and D2700, will be dual-core, sport 1MB of L2 cache, and have a miserly TDP of 10w — 3w lower than current dual-core Atoms. The former will be clocked at 1.86GHz with Hyper-Threading turned off, while the D2700 flips the switch on those two extra threads and kicks it up a notch to 2.13GHz. The new integrated graphics will boast better HD decoding and support for Blu-ray playback which, when combined with the taunts of fanless designs and WiDi, make Cedar Trail a natural fit for the living room.
Intel’s Cedar Trail gets some specs, combines CPU and GPU on a single chip originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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SaskTel bringing 42 Mbps speeds to Regina and Saskatoon this Summer
SaskTel announced today that they have expanded their “4G” wireless network into 16 more locations… but more important news is that they’ll be bringing peak download speeds of 42 Mbps (megabits per second) this summer in Regina and Saskatoon. This means they’ll be launching a device than can handle the potential speeds… so be on […]
Related posts:
- SaskTel continues to expand 3G+ coverage… now reaches 17 new locations
- SaskTel 3G+ coverage expands to cover 26 new locations
- SaskTel expands “4G” coverage to 12 new locations
Firefighters rescue man from submerged van in Swift Current Creek (Video)
A rubber boot full of water, some quick-thinking neighbours, and speedy work by a water rescue team came together to save a man’s life — just seconds before the surging Swift Current Creek washed away his vehicle.
France Dropping Concrete Bombs In Libya
Forget the United States’ low-collateral damage Small Diameter Bomb, France has begun using concrete filled training bombs to literally crush Gadhafi’s tanks without causing massive explosions that can harm nearby civilians.
Apparently, the 660-pound “training bombs” have not been pressed into combat due to a lack of explosive munitions, as was reported earlier this month.
From AFP:
Military spokesman Thierry Burkhard denied rumors the use of the 300-kilogram (660-pound) training devices was prompted by a shortage of real bombs. He said the first such strike crushed an armored vehicle April 26.
“The aim of this munition … is to use the effect of the impact while limiting the risk of collateral damage,” Burkhard said. “It is a very precise strike. There is no, or very little, shrapnel thrown out.”
Concrete bombs have been around for decades (the ones pictured above are from World War II) and are usually used for training. However, a 600-pound piece of concrete dropped from thousands of feet in the air can be pretty darn effective when it hits a relatively small, soft target.
Keep in mind that the bombs, while concrete, are still guided by modern technology like GPS or lasers onto their targets since a near miss with a concrete bomb won’t get you much.
This wouldn’t be the first time such weapons have been used in modern air warfare. The U.S. used laser-guided concrete bombs against Iraqi targets in the late 1990s for the same reason France says it’s using them.
Set Up Google Apps on Your Domain Before May 10 to Avoid a 10-User Limit [In Brief]
If you’ve even briefly considered setting up your own domain with Google Apps, consider that after May 10, any new Apps “Standard Edition” sign-ups are limited to 10 users, requiring a Business Edition purchase to go beyond that limit. Need help getting started? We’ve previously covered how to host your domain with free apps (including Google Apps), and how to further trick out that domain. More »
Friday Fun: Angry Alien
Have you had a long week and need something to make those last few hours more bearable? Then settle back and get ready for a nice bit of fun! In this week’s game your mission is to help the aliens on Moana run the human settlers out and send them packing for home.
Note: Yes, this is an Angry Birds clone, but at least it is a nicely done one.
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| 50+ Tools & Techniques to Remove Image Backgrounds in Photoshop, pt 1 | Geek Rants: Why Do So Many Web Sites Fail to Use Print Stylesheets? | Max Out the Multi-Monitor Magic Under Windows 7 |
Patents Now Included in the Google Search Sidebar [Search]
Remember Google Patent Search? Not many do, but that’s all about to change now that patents are searchable directly from the Google Search sidebar. More »
White iPhone 4 thickness creates issue for case makers, owners
By now you’ve probably seen the latest spectacle to consume the white iPhone 4: it’s thicker than the black model. The image above illustrates the point using a piece of lead from a mechanical pencil. So what, you say, in righteous indignation to a device that shipped ten months late. Well, the size difference creates a potential consumer issue since cases (at least the good ones) are manufactured against the tight tolerances supplied by Apple. We’ve confirmed ourselves, that an Incase slider that fits a black iPhone 4 just fine has to be forced into place on the new white model. Unfortunately, Apple’s own spec page doesn’t highlight the change in thickness (measured at 9.5mm by TiPb). Instead it still shows a 9.3mm depth with a tiny disclaimer stating, “Actual size and weight vary by configuration and manufacturing process.” The result is confusion — will this case fit or won’t it? — which is never a good thing for consumers.
But why is the white iPhone 4 thicker? Phil Schiller mentioned that Apple needed to add extra UV protection among other tweaks, in an attempt to reduce the “unexpected interactions” between the white cover and the internal components. As such, Apple apparently needed to sacrifice some slimness for a better functioning white phone. In the end, we have what looks to be four different size / button configurations that must be considered when purchasing a shrink-wrapped case for your white iPhone 4, black iPhone 4, white Verizon iPhone 4, or black Verizon iPhone 4. Good luck with that.
Additional reporting by Sam Sheffer
[Thanks, Jon]
Filed under: Cellphones
White iPhone 4 thickness creates issue for case makers, owners originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 05:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Rollin’ Justin robot plays catch, makes coffee, aims to replace your dad (video)
With an 80 percent success rate, there’s a pretty good chance that Justin here is better at playing catch than you are. This old German Aerospace Agency-designed robot, which we first saw in 2009, learned a new trick — he can track thrown objects as they approach, calculate their flight path, and snap his cold, soulless hands around them before they hit the ground. Better yet, he can catch two objects at the same time. For his encore, Rollin’ Justin uses his tactile finger sensors to prepare you a cup of coffee, just so you know there’s no hard feelings once’s he’s done schooling you at three flies up. The ‘bot can be controlled via iPad and acts totally grateful when you get him a tie for Christmas, even though it’s not what he really wanted. Video after the break.
Update: Johannes sent us another video of him catching two balls with one hand! It’s after the break.
Continue reading Rollin’ Justin robot plays catch, makes coffee, aims to replace your dad (video)
Rollin’ Justin robot plays catch, makes coffee, aims to replace your dad (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 02:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Budweiser diet: How long can you survive on beer alone?
An Iowa man completed his Lent-long beer fast on Sunday, marking the occasion with a bacon smoothie. During the 46-day feat, J. Wilson consumed only beer and water, emulating a centuries-old tradition once practiced by the Paulaner monks of Munich, Germany. How long could a man survive on beer and water?
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Why Clock Speed Doesn’t Matter Much When Comparing Two Computer Processors [Hardware]
Back in the day, people often compared computer processors by comparing their clock speed. Now, though, that value means very little when comparing two processors of different families. Ars Technica explains why. More »
The first sign that humans are on the verge of evolving into another species [Evolution]
A scientist who studies the small, silver elephantfish may have stumbled on the key to speciation, the process that allows one species to evolve into two or more. And it’s all about developing new sensory perceptions. More »