Global Affairs

What's Android thinking?

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:56:11 +0000

What’s holding up “Android” from upgrading the phones they select to the ICS OS? They are cutting their financial throat. They are even still issuing new phones with the old OS.

Sometime this year, likely in the summer but possibly as soon as next month the iPhone 5 is going to come out. In terms of sales of new phones it is going to blow all of the Android phones combined out of the water and continue to do so for months to come. You can take that to the bank. The single biggest real world practical feature that SELLS the buyer on Android over the iPhone is the OS and from what I’ve read the Android ICS OS is really quite superior to the older OS version.

What’s the deal? I am a neophyte on Smartphones but some things seem obvious even to a neophyte. What am I missing?

ADDENDUM: Because a big sales selling point for upgrading your phone to a new Android with the new ICS, Apple should consider beating them to the top of the hill. The impact of ICS would be dramatically greater for sales if it precedes the iPhone 5 than if the iPhone 5 is released before ICS. The iPhone would steal the ICS's thunder so to speak.

Discovery or invention?

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:26:01 +0000

Or, as the article asks, should a company be able to patent your genes?

Quote

Myriad Genetics aquired a patent for the BRCA1 breast cancer genetic mutation in 1994, based on the terms that could be considered an ‘invention’:

“Removing it from the body changed it chemically, structurally and functionally.”

Myriad Genetics reportedly tested ‘thousands and thousands’ of people in order to identify the mutation within a cell genome, and the case hinged on the key point that once the isolated nucleic acid is removed from a body, then its chemical construction is different. Therefore, once removed, it can be considered an invention rather than a natural body chemical.

I think this will be a huge stretch and the patent will be struck down. Especially if it can be shown that the underlying genetic structure does not change at all.

Definitely provides some food for thought. I tend to think that such patents SHOULD be struck down, if just to allow as many research facilities as possible to find a cure.

AT&T socks it to their CEO

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:50:36 +0000

We all know how badly AT&T fumbled the ball in trying to acquire T-Mobile. The total cost to AT&T was about 4 billion dollars in losses. As a result of bungling the deal so badly AT&T has come down hard on its Chief Executive, Randall Stephenson. He was recently dealt a harsh punitive blow. Good for AT&T! It’s about time corporations acted responsibly and cowboyed up. Way to go AT&T! We know that Stephenson will never recover from his harsh punishment and is unlikely to act so irresponsibly in the future.

Quote

AT&T said its board cut Stephenson's combined short- and long-term incentive payout by more than $2 million, due in part to the implosion of the deal, which the company walked away from in December amid regulatory resistance. Combined with a reduction in his stock option awards and the value of his pension and deferred compensation, Stephenson's total pay package fell to $22.02 million last year, from $27.34 million a year earlier.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2012/02/21/atts-stephenson-pays-price-for-t-mobile-deal-failure/?test=bizsolutions

Your Health

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:25:07 +0000

No startling revelations, state secrets, or rocket science here, just a fresh presentation about the single most important thing that you can do for your health.

The main message is delivered by the 2:30 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aUaInS6HIGo

Mass Effect 3: Look at all the voice actors

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:12:06 +0000

They had me with Strahovksy. But wait, Tricia Helfer? YES! And over course the legendary Jennifer Hale. Damn, awesome cast..