Google chrome just released an update after the recent updates from Firefox and Opera in the form of Firefox 3.1 Beta and Opera 9.6. Mozilla has concentrated on speed with the latest Firefox update according to most users. Opera, on the other hand, now has even more features under its belt, retaining its position as one of the most feature packed browsers available now off the shelf plus support for three Indian languages in Opera too has been a welcome addition.
Chrome, in the meantime, is now an official browser according to Google. Its beta stage is now over and they are releasing the browser as a full-fledged product.
"In just 100 days, we have reached more than 10 million active users around the world (on all seven continents, no less) and released 14 updates to the product," vice president of product management Sundar Pichai and Linus Upson wrote.
The update will be automatically rolled out in the next few days, Google said.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
PlayStation Home Open Beta
PlayStation Home is finally entering open beta tomorrow, allowing those gamers who weren't invited to the closed beta to figure out what all of the avatar-centric excitement is about.
PlayStation Home is an ambitious idea -- a sort of console-based Second Life, unlike those on Nintendo and Xbox 360, where players can create avatars that can walk around and do stuff.
Although access to Home will be free of charge, prepare to swept up in a sea of advertising and micro transactions. Players will get their own apartment, and activities will include socializing with strangers in themed locales, playing social games, buying your digital self designer clothing, or picking out fancy furniture you couldn't hope to afford in meat space.
PlayStation Home will also be a place to ravine on all sorts of media, with content providers like Hexus TV, Eurogamer, and Paramount providing exclusive programming to watch, with trailers and merchandise from the upcoming film The Watchmen kicking everything off.
But it's still all about the games, right? A Far Cry 2 space will be one of the first available, where you can chat with other players about all things Far Cry.
Uncharted, Warhawk, and Motorstorm spaces are set to follow shortly, and Sony is reportedly working with the likes of EA, Ubisoft, Sega and others to create even more environments for us to frolic in.
Another Yahoo investor seeks Microsoft search deal
A large Yahoo Inc. shareholder has joined a growing chorus urging the beleaguered Internet company to set aside its past differences with Microsoft Corp. and renew negotiations to sell its search operations to the spurned suitor.
In a letter sent Wednesday to Yahoo's board, Ivory Investment Management called upon the directors to make amends for "acting unreasonably" in their earlier talks with Microsoft by quickly closing a deal with the software maker now.
Ivory Investment, which owns a 1.5 percent stake in Yahoo, reasoned the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company could persuade Microsoft to pay $15 billion for its search operations and still emerge with more earning power than it currently has.
The net result: Yahoo could nearly double its current stock price to at least $24, based on the financial assumptions made in Ivory's analysis.
Some of Ivory's math is debatable, but there is little doubt left on Wall Street that a search deal with Microsoft now appears to be Yahoo's best bet, said Stanford Group analyst Clayton Moran.
"It's a very reasonable question for Yahoo shareholders be asking right now: why the company isn't talking to Microsoft right now," Moran said. "The pressure should be mounting for them to talk because there is no good explanation for them not to be doing so at this point."
Investors reacted as if Ivory's cajoling will help bring Yahoo and Microsoft back to the bargaining table. Yahoo shares surged $1.21, or 10 percent, to close at $13.40 while Microsoft shares rose 1 cent to $20.61.
Yahoo spokesman Brad Williams declined to comment on Ivory's letter.
Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but Chief Executive Steve Ballmer reiterated last week that he remains interested in exploring a search deal with Yahoo as he tries to come up with a way to undercut Google Inc.'s dominance of the online advertising market.
Although it trails Google by a wide margin, Yahoo's search engine is the Internet's second most popular, with a U.S. market share of about 20 percent, according to comScore Inc. Microsoft's search engine ranks third at 8.5 percent.
Ballmer has maintained that Microsoft no longer is willing to buy Yahoo in its entirety — an option that was pulled off the table seven months ago when Ballmer withdrew a takeover offer of $47.5 billion, or $33 per share. Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang was holding out for $37 per share.
With Yahoo's stock in the doldrums, other shareholders besides Ivory Investment already have been lobbying for the company to reconcile with Microsoft.
Yahoo director Carl Icahn, who owns 5.5 percent of the company, has been leading the charge, and others, like Mithras Capital, also have thrown their support behind a Microsoft deal.
Last month, Yang said he is ready to talk if Microsoft wants. He made the comments shortly after Google scrapped a planned advertising partnership that Yang had been counting on to boost Yahoo's revenue by as much as $800 million annually.
Yahoo is now searching for a new CEO to replace Yang, who co-founded the company 13 years ago.
As his 18-month stint as CEO winds down, Yang is overseeing layoffs of about 1,500 employees as part of an effort to lower Yahoo's annual expenses by $400 million. Yahoo handed out pink slips to most of the affected U.S. employees Wednesday. The company also might close some of its unprofitable products during the next few weeks and shift other, less popular services into "maintenance mode," Williams said.
Yahoo also has been talking to Time Warner Inc. about a possible purchase of AOL — an idea that Ivory Investment adamantly opposed in its letter.
Ivory Investment, a hedge fund run by Curtis Macnguyen, devoted most of its letter to a detailed breakdown attempting to justify why a $15 billion sale of Yahoo's search engine to Microsoft would pay off for both sides.
The firm estimates Yahoo would lose more than $2 billion of annual revenue from the sale but would gain about $1.6 billion a year in commissions. The analysis assumes Microsoft would be able to leverage the additional search market share it would pick up from Yahoo to boost its Internet revenue by about $1 billion annually.
------------------------------
Source: Yahoo Technology
In a letter sent Wednesday to Yahoo's board, Ivory Investment Management called upon the directors to make amends for "acting unreasonably" in their earlier talks with Microsoft by quickly closing a deal with the software maker now.
Ivory Investment, which owns a 1.5 percent stake in Yahoo, reasoned the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company could persuade Microsoft to pay $15 billion for its search operations and still emerge with more earning power than it currently has.
The net result: Yahoo could nearly double its current stock price to at least $24, based on the financial assumptions made in Ivory's analysis.
Some of Ivory's math is debatable, but there is little doubt left on Wall Street that a search deal with Microsoft now appears to be Yahoo's best bet, said Stanford Group analyst Clayton Moran.
"It's a very reasonable question for Yahoo shareholders be asking right now: why the company isn't talking to Microsoft right now," Moran said. "The pressure should be mounting for them to talk because there is no good explanation for them not to be doing so at this point."
Investors reacted as if Ivory's cajoling will help bring Yahoo and Microsoft back to the bargaining table. Yahoo shares surged $1.21, or 10 percent, to close at $13.40 while Microsoft shares rose 1 cent to $20.61.
Yahoo spokesman Brad Williams declined to comment on Ivory's letter.
Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but Chief Executive Steve Ballmer reiterated last week that he remains interested in exploring a search deal with Yahoo as he tries to come up with a way to undercut Google Inc.'s dominance of the online advertising market.
Although it trails Google by a wide margin, Yahoo's search engine is the Internet's second most popular, with a U.S. market share of about 20 percent, according to comScore Inc. Microsoft's search engine ranks third at 8.5 percent.
Ballmer has maintained that Microsoft no longer is willing to buy Yahoo in its entirety — an option that was pulled off the table seven months ago when Ballmer withdrew a takeover offer of $47.5 billion, or $33 per share. Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang was holding out for $37 per share.
With Yahoo's stock in the doldrums, other shareholders besides Ivory Investment already have been lobbying for the company to reconcile with Microsoft.
Yahoo director Carl Icahn, who owns 5.5 percent of the company, has been leading the charge, and others, like Mithras Capital, also have thrown their support behind a Microsoft deal.
Last month, Yang said he is ready to talk if Microsoft wants. He made the comments shortly after Google scrapped a planned advertising partnership that Yang had been counting on to boost Yahoo's revenue by as much as $800 million annually.
Yahoo is now searching for a new CEO to replace Yang, who co-founded the company 13 years ago.
As his 18-month stint as CEO winds down, Yang is overseeing layoffs of about 1,500 employees as part of an effort to lower Yahoo's annual expenses by $400 million. Yahoo handed out pink slips to most of the affected U.S. employees Wednesday. The company also might close some of its unprofitable products during the next few weeks and shift other, less popular services into "maintenance mode," Williams said.
Yahoo also has been talking to Time Warner Inc. about a possible purchase of AOL — an idea that Ivory Investment adamantly opposed in its letter.
Ivory Investment, a hedge fund run by Curtis Macnguyen, devoted most of its letter to a detailed breakdown attempting to justify why a $15 billion sale of Yahoo's search engine to Microsoft would pay off for both sides.
The firm estimates Yahoo would lose more than $2 billion of annual revenue from the sale but would gain about $1.6 billion a year in commissions. The analysis assumes Microsoft would be able to leverage the additional search market share it would pick up from Yahoo to boost its Internet revenue by about $1 billion annually.
------------------------------
Source: Yahoo Technology
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
PlayStation Home Arriving as Open Beta From Thursday
Sony Computer Entertainment will open up its Home online virtual environment to all PlayStation 3 users from Thursday, it said Wednesday.
Home allows users to create their own avatars and participate in a real-time virtual world, something like a cross between the Mii avatars on Nintendo's Wii and the Second Life community. Users can interact with others through voice and text chat and the service also offers mini-games, videos and special events.
The opening up of the beta test, which has been anticipated for sometime, follows several delays for the service. It was first unveiled in July 2007 and initially promised for a global release later that year but was pushed back once to early this year. It was again delayed due to Sony's desire to "refine" the service and rescheduled as a "fall" launch as an open beta.
From Thursday Home will be available to any PlayStation 3 user that has their console hooked-up to a broadband Internet connection. Users will be able to download the software from the PlayStation Network section of the menu.
"We are committed to providing PS3 users with exciting gaming experiences with PlayStation Home and together with our partners and users, expand the new world of interactive entertainment as we move forward," said Kaz Hirai, president and CEO of Sony's gaming unit in a statement.
Some content will vary by region.
In North America virtual environments will be launched for the "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune," "Far Cry 2," "Warhawk Resistance" and "Guitar Hero" games in which users can talk strategy, discuss games and get additional content and clues. Sony said it is working with Activision, Disney Eidos, Electronic Arts, Lucas Arts, THQ and Ubisoft, to develop virtual environments among other content for PlayStation Home.
Commercial tie-ups with companies including drinks-company Red Bull, fashion-house Diesel and furniture-designer Ligne Roset will also bring content to the service.
In Europe and other PAL territories the environments will start with "Far Cry 2" and be joined soon by those for "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune," "Warhawk Resistance," "Motorstorm" and "SOCOM." European tie-ups include Atari, Electronic Arts, Midway, Sega and Ubisoft on the games side. Video content will also be available from Hexus TV and Eurogamer.
In Japan content includes "Namco Museum" and lounges for the "Siren" and "Everybody's Golf" games. Sony also plans special events including a Christmas event and New Year countdown through the service.
Home allows users to create their own avatars and participate in a real-time virtual world, something like a cross between the Mii avatars on Nintendo's Wii and the Second Life community. Users can interact with others through voice and text chat and the service also offers mini-games, videos and special events.
The opening up of the beta test, which has been anticipated for sometime, follows several delays for the service. It was first unveiled in July 2007 and initially promised for a global release later that year but was pushed back once to early this year. It was again delayed due to Sony's desire to "refine" the service and rescheduled as a "fall" launch as an open beta.
From Thursday Home will be available to any PlayStation 3 user that has their console hooked-up to a broadband Internet connection. Users will be able to download the software from the PlayStation Network section of the menu.
"We are committed to providing PS3 users with exciting gaming experiences with PlayStation Home and together with our partners and users, expand the new world of interactive entertainment as we move forward," said Kaz Hirai, president and CEO of Sony's gaming unit in a statement.
Some content will vary by region.
In North America virtual environments will be launched for the "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune," "Far Cry 2," "Warhawk Resistance" and "Guitar Hero" games in which users can talk strategy, discuss games and get additional content and clues. Sony said it is working with Activision, Disney Eidos, Electronic Arts, Lucas Arts, THQ and Ubisoft, to develop virtual environments among other content for PlayStation Home.
Commercial tie-ups with companies including drinks-company Red Bull, fashion-house Diesel and furniture-designer Ligne Roset will also bring content to the service.
In Europe and other PAL territories the environments will start with "Far Cry 2" and be joined soon by those for "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune," "Warhawk Resistance," "Motorstorm" and "SOCOM." European tie-ups include Atari, Electronic Arts, Midway, Sega and Ubisoft on the games side. Video content will also be available from Hexus TV and Eurogamer.
In Japan content includes "Namco Museum" and lounges for the "Siren" and "Everybody's Golf" games. Sony also plans special events including a Christmas event and New Year countdown through the service.
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