In praise of reading

Amid all the talk about the "death of print" and the ill effects of multitasking and our shrinking attention spans, we have overlooked the fundamental truth that storytelling will never die.

There's so much jawboning lately about e-readers and tablets and e-ink and pay walls. The debate rages. Will Apple's (AAPL) iPad flatten everyone else? Is Amazon's (AMZN) Kindle franchise fading? What about Sony (SNE) and Barnes & Noble (BN)? MORE

How many iPhones did Apple just sell?

Despite Tuesday's pre-order meltdowns, the first batch was gone by 4:30 p.m.

iPhone 4 queue in Tokyo. Source: IDG

Technically, Apple (AAPL) hasn't sold any iPhone 4s yet -- the first sales won't be recorded until next week. But judging from the pre-orders recorded on Tuesday, it's heading for its best iPhone launch ever.

According to AT&T (T), Tuesday was "the busiest online sales day in AT&T history." Despite widely publicized MORE

GoogleTV finally explained (Video)

I don't know how many times I've been asked to explain GoogleTV.

Finally, Google has done the job for me.

There you go.  Any questions?

Along with some other analysts, Forrester yesterday said they think GoogleTV will be a hit even though some, like Apple CEO Steve Jobs, have panned it.

The original video from Google I/O is pasted below.

Next Generation of Droid to be revealed next week

OK, it wasn't a surprise to find this in my email today, there were plenty of signs.  But it is interesting for a number of reasons.  One: Adobe is coming.  That means these phones will likely feature Flash.  Therefore, Android 2.2 may be included on these phones, because it includes the ability to play Adobe's Flash.   At least I am assuming so - even though current test MORE

Japan avoids an iPhone 4 meltdown

The servers slowed but didn't crash in Tokyo Tuesday as customers queued up for hours

An iPhone 4 queue in Tokyo. Source: IDG

For reasons that aren't immediately clear, Japan didn't suffer the nationwide meltdowns that brought Apple's (AAPL) and AT&T's (T) servers to their knees Tuesday, the first day of pre-orders for the iPhone 4 that goes on sale June 24.

There were glitches that slowed the computers at MORE

Update your company's data

Companies are dealing with much more data than they were twenty years ago, so why are they still storing it the same way?

By Charlie Silver

Based on some estimates, our current growth pace of data is setting mankind on a course to produce nearly 10 trillion gigabytes - or 10 "Zettabytes" - of data by 2015, enough to store over one quintillion pages of text or almost 70 trillion MORE

Verizon flagship Droid set for July 19 debut?

The next flagship Android phone might be coming to Verizon in just one month. According to one blog, we'll get the details next week.

The blog Droid-Life.com has been a PR machine for the upcoming Motorola (MOT) Droid X, which will be carried on Verizon (VZ).  It has posted pictures, specs, and even videos. Today, they announced a launch date of July 19 and promise that Verizon will say something next MORE

Chrome woos three PC titans from Windows

If you really want to make a splash in the PC industry, it helps if you have the three biggest players signed up.

According to some files located inside of the latest ChromeOS, Google is readying builds of its OS for three different hardware makers.  HP (with reservation), Dell, and Acer.

If those names sound familiar, it is because they are the world's three leading PC manufacturers according to IDC and MORE

Apple needs to cool its rhetoric

No longer an industry underdog, the company must tread more carefully, says an analyst

In a note to clients issued Tuesday, Barclays Capital's Ben Reitzes has added his voice to the chorus of commentators with free advice for Apple's (AAPL) executive team, now that it's caught the eye of federal regulators.

The Federal Trade Commission has reportedly won the toss and is looking into two possible antitrust issues: Adobe's (ADBE) complaint MORE

Can Microsoft beat Google at its own (free) game?

Stephen Elop, president of Microsoft's Business Division, has pushed for the latest version of Office to fully embrace the cloud. Photo: Microsoft.

Despite impressive efforts from several rivals, Microsoft Office still rules the roost when it comes to office software. But can it hang on for much longer?

Let's set the record straight: Windows may have heft. Facebook may have buzz. But there is still no bigger name in the pantheon MORE