H-P Confirms Studying Android For PCs, Smartphones

March 31, 2009
H-P is testing Googles Android as a future system for its computers/netbooks and smartphones

H-P is testing Google's Android as a future system for its computers, netbooks and smartphones, confirms H-P's marketing executive, Satjuv Chahil.

This evening, H-P confirmed to TechPulse360 that it is looking at Google’s Android to power its future PCs and smartphones.

Currently, the world’s largest PC maker offers Windows and Linux
on its PCs, laptops and netbooks and runs Windows Mobile on its line of handhelds and smartphones.

“As the world’s leading computer company, we want to understand all the OS choices in the marketplace that may be used by its competitors or potentially even deployed by us to meet customer needs,” confirms Satjiv Chahil, the senior vice president of global marketing for HP’s Personal Systems Group.

Google’s Android operating system could first appear in H-P’s smartphones, instead of Windows Mobile; a product line that so far has gain little traction in the marketplace.

“So we’re studying Android’s capabilities for potential use in the computer and communications industries,” adds Chahil.

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Posted by TechPulse 360

[ESC'09] Openmoko Is The Anti-iPhone; Runs Google Android, But Still No 3G

March 31, 2009
Openmoko is not a cell phone, its a development platform

Openmoko is not a cell phone, it's a development platform

The maker of the world’s first totally open mobile phone has a long way to go before it can compete with Apple, RIM or Nokia.

At a special session during the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) today in San Jose, Calif., Openmoko CEO Sean Moss-Pultz discussed how developers could use its FreeRunner to create mobile products.

The device is targeted at developers – not consumers – who then can totally change everything, from its physical aspect and hardware components to the operating system, installing Google Android or Debian Linux, for example.

The ultimate open source phone: Openmoko+Google Android

The ultimate open source smartphone: Openmoko+Google Android

“If you want to write applications, buy an iPhone. But if you want to transform the way the physical product looks, then buy a FreeRunner,” said Moss-Pultz. “I don’t think Apple will let you resell their products with a different operator, with a different market, with a different software stack. But we can.”

Moss-Pultz also argued that at $299 (the show’s special for 30 days), the FreeRunner is unbelievably cheap. “It has all the things you will find on a $3,000 development board [...] You have all the major RF components you want to do real development.”

Openmoko doesn’t do 3G because of “monstrous patents issues”

“The moment we try to do a design with 3G, the cost of this device goes up by $200. And then you have serious issues with documentation, etc.

So we decided that for the first version – to get this concept out there – the free networks like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth were more important for development early on than 3G.

Our stand on 3G is that it is something that at some point we will make. But really, we use this device first to see what markets are interesting out there. And then based on those markets, someone will come back to us and say “I want to place an order for 50,000 of these things with 3G.” And we’ll make it.

That would be for a specific project that they would not care about the openness of the mobile part.”

Here’s a video excerpt of Moss-Pultz presentation at ESC’09:

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Posted by TechPulse 360

[ESC'09] Phoenix Technologies Shows A PC Booting In 73 Milliseconds

March 31, 2009
Its possible to boot a PC in less time than snapping a finger!

It's possible to boot a PC in less time than snapping a finger!

The BIOS is the main culprit for endless PC boot time; even before Microsoft Windows kicks in.

But today at the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose, Calif., Phoenix Technologies showed that it shouldn’t be that way.

The Milpitas, Calif.-company demonstrated a VIA-based PC that boots up in only 73 milliseconds, less than the time it takes to snap your fingers; from a power-off situation to the beginning of loading Windows.

“Clearly, if it’s possible for us to boot a PC in 73 milliseconds, it is possible for all BIOS manufacturers to do that. Although today they don’t all do that, mostly because there’s a time to market issue; you have to actually do work to fine tune the BIOS to achieve that,” explains Steve Jones, chief scientist at Phoenix Technologies.

I just can’t imagine the time, the energy and the money the world could save, if only the PC manufacturers took a little bit more time to optimize their BIOS!

In a related news, Phoenix showed off for the first time their HyperSpace quick boot software running on an ARM-based PC.

Here’s a short video excerpt of my conversation with Phoenix Technologies Steve Jones:

The Phoenix Technologies’ boot time demo:

And the HyperSpace demo running on an ARM-based PC:

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Posted by TechPulse 360

Software Startup Sees A Pick Up In Business

March 31, 2009

The end of 2008 was bad for business. So was January.

Business is back to the levels of August and September, says Rob Walling

Business is back to the levels of August and September, says Rob Walling

But the bite of the downturn has been less severe in February and March, says Rob Walling, owner of the small-business invoicing software company DotNetInvoice.

“In February, (business) started picking back up,” Walling said Tuesday. “Now we’re at our levels of August and September last year.”

DotNetInvoice is not alone. Other startups say they, too, are seeing steadier business conditions in a positive sign for Silicon Valley.

Part of the explanation for DotNetInvoice’s improving sales is the new software it rolled out in late February. The new version of its invoicing product allows the use of additional credit card processors and lets developers add custom features in the C# programming language.

But that isn’t the whole story. The business climate is simply better. And for Walling, that translates into opportunity.

As bigger competitors cut back on staff to save money, Walling is betting he can work longer hours and pick up market share. “Now is the time to gain ground,” he says. “When it comes back…I want to be moving at full speed.”

Walling also calculates he has a couple aces up his sleeve. The next version of DotNetInvoice is expected in May and will integrate with Intuit’s QuickBooks, a big step. Another release is anticipated this summer and will turn DotNetInvoice into a software-on-demand service.

Maybe now is the time for startups to step on the gas.

1 Comment | economy, news, software | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

Google Ventures Targets Early-Stage Startups With $100 Million Initial Fund

March 31, 2009
Google launches its own private venture capital fund

Google launches its own private venture capital fund

It’s a great time to start a… venture fund!

And Google’s new venture capital fund could fill the void left by some of the VCs that went under during this downturn.

Announced last night, Google Ventures will focus it’s first $100 million on early stage startups across a diverse range of industries, including consumer Internet, software, clean-tech, bio-tech, health care, etc.

“If anything, we think the current downturn is an ideal time to invest in nascent companies that have the chance to be the “next big thing,” and we’ll be working hard to find them,” said Google Ventures managing partners, Rich Miner (co-founder of Android) and Bill Maris.

Google’s own VC arm will be able to invest amounts ranging from seed funding to tens of millions of dollars.

Last piece of advice before you email your business plan or presentation: limit it to no more than 20 slides or three type-written pages!

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Posted by TechPulse 360

Global Information Technology Spending To Fall 3.8% This Year

March 31, 2009

Spending on information technology is forecast to fall more rapidly this year that in 2001, when the dot-com bubble burst.

Gartner on Tuesday predicted that the worldwide IT market will drop 3.8 percent this year. The decrease will surpass the 2.1 percent decline following the tech collapse of 2001.

Businesses and consumers have reacted to the downturn with remarkable ‘speed and severity,” says Richard Gordon, a research vice president at Gartner.

Buyers are favoring lower price products,, delaying the replacement of older gear and sticking with current service contracts instead of upgrading.

Spending this year should be $3.2 trillion, with computer hardware feeling the brunt of the pull back. Sales should fall 14.9 percent. The software market should grow 0.3 percent while services will contract 1.7 percent.

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Posted by Mark Boslet

If Intel Xeon 5500 (Nehalem) Was An Airplane It Would Be An F15, A Jumbo Jet And A Glider

March 31, 2009

Now that’s a funny and of course a preposterous analogy, courtesy of Intel’s vice president Pat Gelsinger. So, if the Xeon 5500 (Nehalem) server chip was an airplane it would be:

  1. a supersonic plane like an F15;
  2. with carriage capacity equivalent to a jumbo jet that can fly around the globe;
  3. and fuel efficient like a glider!
Nehalem is the ultimate green supersonic jumbo jet!

Nehalem is the ultimate green supersonic jumbo jet!

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Posted by TechPulse 360

Intel Nehalem Is Also A Cash Machine!

March 31, 2009

Speaking yesterday at Intel’s most important server launch ever, vice president Pat Gelsinger said that the latest Xeon 5500 becomes a cash machine for IT after only 8 months of use.

“It’s printing money that allows IT to go focus on innovation and business value [...] The value proposition is so high that even Intel IT is very interested,” added Gelsinger.

However, this “value proposition” becomes reality only if enterprises “refresh” single or dual-core servers with the new quad-core Xeon 5500.

Which is why Gelsinger conveniently pointed to an IDC study revealing that 80% of the world’s 30 millions X86 servers are single or dual-core servers.

Is Nehalem, Intel’s secret bailout plan for shrinking IT budgets? Let’s start printing some money then :)

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Posted by TechPulse 360

Why Intel’s Comparison With Sun SPARC And IBM POWER Is Humorous

March 30, 2009

Xen 5500 (Nehalem) is Intel's new challenge to RISC processors

Time for a quick reality check on Intel’s comparison of the Nehalem server chip – unveiled at a press briefing today – and its RISC-based rivals.

If you believe Intel’s surreal price/performance numbers shown today, you wonder how CIOs today can still keep their jobs and continue buying IBM and Sun RISC-based servers.

  1. Intel Xeon vs. Sun SPARC: 1.7 times the performance for less than half the cost;
  2. Intel Xeon vs. IBM POWER: 2.5 times the performance for 1/10th the cost.

“Enterprises spend 40 percent of their budgets into proprietary environments such as SPARC or POWER RISC-systems. These are expensive, proprietary, evolving more slowly, typically carry higher maintenance costs, software licensing costs, etc [...] Comparing to the IBM POWER environment, its almost humorous,” quipped Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group. “It’s time to start a major refresh out of the proprietary world!”

So I asked chip analyst, Nathan Brookwood, for some explanations. What really happens is that enterprises buy large IBM POWER, Sun SPARC and even Itanium servers for their reliability, scalability, the software they run, etc. Things that Intel’s latest Xeon server chip can’t match.

Along with those very large systems, enterprises also buy smaller SPARC/POWER/Itanium servers, to use in their branch offices. But why?

“Because of compatibility. Enterprises are not buying the small RISC-based for their performance, but because they use the same software than their very large RISC-based systems, which simplifies IT management,” explains Brookwood of analyst firm, Insight64.

So as long as Intel Xeon chips are cantoned at the low-end of the server market, RISC-based chipmakers – like IBM or Sun – have little to worry of the Santa Clara, Calif.-company nibbling on their market.

Unless of course, there’s a renewed effort from Intel behind Itanium!

Here’s a short video excerpt of Gelsinger comparing today the latest Intel Xeon server chip with IBM’s and Sun’s:

And here’s Brookwood’s take on Intel’s RISC comparison:

1 Comment | chips, hardware, news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by TechPulse 360

New Rumors Of Apple Netbook Dismissed

March 30, 2009

AppleBlog and MacWorld are dismissing rumors that Apple is developing a book-sized netbook.

An image of a 10.4-inch MacBook-looking device began spreading on the Web this weekend, apparently traced to a Russian magazine.

Both Web sites claim the image was mostly likely made in Photoshop and is not a real prototype.

Apple has so avoided the low-cost laptop market saying its engineers could not build a quality machine at a netbook price, which is typically under $500.

Image of rumored new Apple product said to be Photoshopped

Image of rumored new Apple product said to be Photoshopped

2 Comments | computers, news | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

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