Fortune's curated selection of tech stories from the long weekend. Sign up to get the round-up delivered to you each and every day.
* Some analysts have previewed the software update for Research in Motion's PlayBook and aren't impressed. Worse, they believe the update will do little to turn the floundering tablet's sales around. (The New York Times)
Hulu CEO Jason Kilar
* Like Netflix (NFLX), Hulu is upping the ante by offering original content like the show Battleground, which "airs" Feb. 14, and a six-part documentary from School of Rock director Richard Linklater. The company plans to spend $500 million -- some of which will likely come from investors -- towards TV show and movie programming this year. That figure is significantly more than the $300 million originally projected. (Bloomberg)
* Rupert Murdoch isn't happy with the Obama administration's stance on SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, and accused it of being in the employ of "Silicon Valley paymasters." Meanwhile, several web sites like Wikipedia and Reddit will participate in a voluntary blackout tomorrow to protest the bill. (CBS News and CNNMoney)
* Former CBS Interactive exec Neil Ashe will now run Wal-Mart's global online commerce unit as president and CEO. (All Things D)
* Digital marketer Hillel Fuld on why Windows Phone will take off, despite criticisms like a supposedly small app ecosystem. (Business Insider)
* For all it's convenience, the ebook still trails behind traditional print when it comes to borrowing from the local library. (The Washington Post)
* How one iPhone going off at the New York Philharmonic created an uproar. (The New York Times)
* Venture capitalist Fred Wilson argues that the idea of scarcity may have worked well for the film industry in decades past, but now just means lost transactions. (AVC)
* Ex-TechCrunch writer Sarah Lacy launched PandoDaily, a new startup-focused daily tech blog, with $2.5 million of funding from investors like Marc Andreessen, Peter Thiel, and Zappos CEO Tony Hseih. Also onboard as writers: former colleagues Mike Arrington, M.G. Siegler, and Paul Carr. (GigaOm)
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Sony's tablet could be the next to stumble, says another
BlackBerry PlayBook
Wall Street's best and brightest are expressing varying degrees of shock at the news Thursday that Research in Motion (RIMM), which delivered 500,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets in the quarter that ended in May, shipped a dismal 200,000 in the August quarter -- suggesting that most of those first half-million units are still sitting, unsold, on store shelves.
"We believe the MORE
Philip Elmer-DeWitt - Sep 16, 2011 10:31 AM ET
The worldwide tablet market grew 303.8% year over year, and it's mostly Apple's
Worldwide tablet market shares (by shipments). Source: IDC
Since IDC launched its Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker in January, its coverage of the tablet market has been, shall we say, spotty.
Its tracking report for the first quarter of 2011 didn't arrive until July, causing serious confusion among some high-profile tech writers who mistook it for a MORE
Philip Elmer-DeWitt - Sep 15, 2011 9:31 AM ET
A curated selection of the day's most newsworthy tech stories from all over the Web. Sign up to get the newsletter delivered to you everyday.
RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie refuted some criticism that the company may have rushed its PlayBook tablet to market. "I don't think that's fair," he told Bloomberg News. "A lot of the people that want this want a secure and free extension of their BlackBerry." The interview came after a few early MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer-Reporter - Apr 15, 2011 5:52 AM ET
Similar charts have been published, but Engadget's is the best we've seen
Source: Engadget
Apple's (AAPL) edge over Motorola (MOT), Hewlett Packard (HPQ) and Research in Motion (RIMM) would be clearer if Engadget had included price, availability and number of apps.
You can get the original here.
Also on Fortune.com:
iPad 2: The analysts weigh in
Apple posts iPad 2 keynote video
Why aren't there cheaper tablets?
[Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter @philiped]
Philip Elmer-DeWitt - Mar 3, 2011 7:02 AM ET
A curated selection of the day's most newsworthy tech stories from all over the Web.
Steve Ballmer's Kinect avatar shown during his CES keynote. Photo: Robyn Beck/Getty Images
At CES, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed the company's plans to expand its motion-based Xbox 360 Kinect controller, which has already sold more than 8 million units, beyond gaming. Users can expect hands-free navigation of Netflix and (finally) Hulu Plus, as well as body MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer-Reporter - Jan 6, 2011 8:45 AM ET
The move would instantly allow the PlayBook to have access to Android's library of 100,000+ apps.
PlayBook via RIM
Gleacher & Company analyst Mark McKechnie, in a note to clients today said that RIM (RIMM) may be building into its QNX-powered PlayBook tablet the ability to run Google's (GOOG) Android Apps.
Our checks suggest RIMM is planning to offer Android apps compatibility which would be a HUGE win IF it worked properly. We are MORE
Seth Weintraub - Dec 7, 2010 11:48 AM ET
Every day, the Fortune staff spends hours poring over tech stories, posts, and reviews from all over the Web to keep tabs on the companies that matter. We've assembled the day's most newsworthy bits below.
"Who wouldn't aspire to be Google? But we're not a Google, we're Yahoo." -- Carol Bartz, Yahoo CEO. (Third Age)
Bartz took to the stage at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco earlier this week and revealed MORE JP Mangalindan, Writer-Reporter - Nov 17, 2010 4:25 AM ET
It's the PlayBook vs. the iPad in a side-by-side video comparison
Research in Motion (RIMM) has posted a YouTube video in which Apple's (AAPL) iPad compares unfavorably to RIM's new PlayBook tablet in terms of browser speed, HTML5 performance and, duh, Adobe (ADBE) Flash support.
One comparison not mentioned in the video: The iPad has shipped. The PlayBook has not.
Here's the link.
[Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter @philiped]
Philip Elmer-DeWitt - Nov 16, 2010 9:50 AM ET
Every day, the Fortune staff spends hours poring over tech stories, posts, and reviews from all over the Web to keep tabs on the companies that matter. We've assembled the day's most newsworthy bits below.
Effective January 1, Google is giving every one of its 25,000 or so employees a $1,000 bonus and 10% raise. (Fortune) Facebook engineer Mike Vernal openly chastised Google for attempting to block the social network's access to the MORE JP Mangalindan, Writer-Reporter - Nov 10, 2010 8:14 AM ETEvery morning, discover the companies, deals and trends in tech that are moving markets and making headlines. SUBSCRIBE
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| Company | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America Corp... | 7.95 | -0.16 | -1.97% |
| Microsoft Corp | 31.27 | -0.17 | -0.54% |
| Ford Motor Co | 12.28 | -0.25 | -2.00% |
| General Electric Co | 19.39 | 0.17 | 0.88% |
| Citigroup Inc | 32.36 | -1.00 | -3.00% |
| Index | Last | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 12,938.67 | -27.02 | -0.21% |
| Nasdaq | 2,933.17 | -15.40 | -0.52% |
| S&P 500 | 1,357.66 | -4.55 | -0.33% |
| Treasuries | 2.00 | -0.04 | -1.96% |
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