Techpedia

Steve Jobs Resigns as Apple CEO

Parker — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:33:15 +0000

Today, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced his resignation from the position at the Cupertino-centered corporation. In his letter of resignation, he pulled a Bill Gates and requested to serve as Chairman of the Board, as well as suggesting the appointment of COO Tim Cook as his replacement. Click here to view his letter of resignation.

HP TouchPad Fire Sale/Android Dominates Q2 Smartphone Sales

Parker — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 03:28:52 +0000

HP recently announced their decision to ditch their TouchPad line of tablets and in are now selling them for a very inexpensive price of $99 (as opposed to the previous price of $399). Due to this decision, many consumers are making off like bandits with this great deal and are rapidly purchasing the remaining TouchPad tablets. However, this decision will most likely prove disastrous for HP in the long run. Basically, Apple reports the sale of millions of iPads each quarter, so the sale of several hundred thousand TouchPads at most will likely not damage Apple too much, but instead damage both HP’s reputation both with the public and retailers. For example, after HP ceases to offer technical support for its TouchPad tablets, retailers such as Best Buy will soon discover their customer service booths packed with unsatisfied consumers. And furthermore, of course, the disintegration of HP’s line of tablets does not look promising for its ego, and personally I don’t envy HP’s current PR representatives.

In other tech news, a recent study has shown Android OS has surpassed that of iOS in terms of the number of smartphones it operates on. It has been reported by NPD that as of the 2nd quarter Google’s Android OS is running on 52% of smartphones, with iOS occupying 29% of the market, BlackBerry OS with 11% of the market, and Windows Phone 7 and WebOS with less than 5% each.

Google Acquires Motorola Mobility

Parker — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 22:51:21 +0000

Google has recently announced their major acquisition of Motorola Mobility, the division of the former Motorola, Inc. that specializes in the production of smartphones and mobile devices. The multi-billion dollar silicon valley corporation purchased Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. In doing so, Google can take a more active role in the development of hardware as well as software of Android-based devices and therefore compete more effectively with Apple.

Apple’s New Futuristic Campus

Parker — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 22:41:39 +0000

Ever since last June, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been talking about plans for a new futuristic and spaceship-like headquarters in Cupertino, California. It has been reported that Jobs is currently pitching his plans to the Cupertino city council (http://is.gd/3qmW38) and it is very likely he will see his latest vision become a reality in the near future. The plans for the renovated Apple headquarters depict the main facility as portraying a spaceship-like shape with a courtyard in the middle of the building as a cut-out in the circular shape (from a bird’s-eye point of view). The campus will also include a fitness center, research and development facilities, auditorium, energy center, and parking structure. Click below to be redirected to pictures of the proposed revamped campus.

http://news.cnet.com/2300-27076_3-10008118.html

Say Hello to Heello

Parker — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:00:32 +0000

Today, Noah Everett, the founder of Twitpic, launched his own new start-up social networking website called Heello. I have been able to take a first look at this new site, and so far have seen little difference in functionality and form between Heello and Twitter. The user-interface is much similar to that of Twitter with its timeline, replies, and messages. In the world of Heello, pings are tweets and echoes are retweets. Instead of following people, with Heello you “listen” to people. I have created my own Heello account (@parkernewton), so please listen to my pings if you’d like to. However, in its present form I see little opportunity for Heello to become attractive to the general public.

Back in the Bay Area

Parker — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 02:57:28 +0000

I have just returned from a summer science program called COSMOS at the University of California, San Diego. COSMOS was truly a wonderful life experience as it gave me a preview of college life. At COSMOS, I participated in a program called Computers in Everyday Life, in which I learned much about computer architecture, network infrastructure, and programming. More specifically, I studied Python in detail and got a taste of C and Java. My next major task for the summer will be to gain a greater understanding of C.

As far as recent technews, the NASA space shuttle program was recently grounded and Apple has released their newest version of OS X, which they call OS X Lion. The new operating system is available for download for $29.99. Also, the Cupertino-based company introduced to the world their latest monitor, called Thunderbolt, and updated models of their MacBook Mini and MacBook Air. Today, the general manager of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, Charlie Kindel, left the company to create his own start-up.

I hope you all are having a great summer and enjoying the warm weather.

Happy Fourth of July

Parker — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:36:51 +0000

235 years ago, the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress, convened by the British Colonies in America. Less than a decade later and after a significant war with Great Britain, the United States would receive full political recognition under the Treaty of Paris (1783). The example of individual liberties and popular sovereignty established by the Americans would serve to have repercussions around the world, such as in contributing to revolutions in France (1789) and present-day Haiti (1791). So today take some time to consider just how much was sacrificed for Americans to enjoy all the liberties they exercise and just how much influence the American example has had around the world. Well there’s your history lessons for today, and Techpedia wishes you all a very happy Fourth of July!

Top 5 iPad Apps

Parker — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:58:20 +0000

Today I’ve decided to review my top favorite iPad apps, all of which can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store.

Things

Things is a task-management application that is very beautifully designed and quite intuitive to use. One can add tasks to be accomplished today or can schedule a due date for other important tasks. In addition, tasks that need to be accomplished in the near or distant future can be set aside for later. Things makes it easy for users to increase productivity in their personal, academic, and professional lives.

Netflix

Ever since I began my subscription with Netflix, I’ve been completely satisfied and impressed with the reliable service. Now, I can stream movies and TV shows directly to my iPad with the Netflix for iPad app. This app is very stable and allows users to search Netflix’s database for titles, view users’ instant cues, and stream movies and TV shows instantly.

Twitter

Twitter for iPad is a beautifully designed and developed mobile application that allows users access Twitter on the go. All functions users can perform on the full site can be executed with this mobile app. Twitter for iPad truly was very creatively thought-out and developed.

CNN

The CNN for iPad app is another stunningly developed mobile application that allows users to keep up with all the latest local, national, and international news. CNN for iPad even sends breaking news push notifications that one can use without opening the app. The home screen displays a beautiful wall of images with headlines that pertain to the latest news.

The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel has released two versions for the iPad, one paid and one free version. The only noticeable difference between the two is the lack of ads in the paid version. However, as long as one doesn’t mind the ads, the free version works just as well as the paid version. With the app, one can save locations in the app and instantly access weather forecasts for the respective locations. These forecasts include current temperatures that can be broken down on an hourly basis as well as a 10-day forecast. Additionally, a brief daily weather video for major locations can be streamed to the iPad as well as severe weather alerts.

Summer, New Projects

Parker — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:09:15 +0000

Yes, I’m still alive everyone. I apologize for leaving you all hanging again, but I’ve had some pressing matters arise since my last post. But, it’s all good now and in case you haven’t noticed…it’s summer! And of course, that means I have lots of new updates and projects coming up.

So, probably the most exciting piece of news since my last post is that I am now the proud owner of an iPad 2. I’ve been using the new iPad 2 for about 2 months now, and am completely satisfied with it. Personally, i think Apple really hit the ball out of the park with this new iPad model. If you remember, I was previously unsatisfied with the original iPad model, mostly because it was missing some key features I was expecting Apple to incorporate in this model, such as a front and rear-facing camera. I am also enjoying many feature of the redesign such as the reduced weight of the device. However, perhaps my favorite new feature of the iPad 2 is the smart cover. This outstanding piece of technology not only perfectly fits over the display of the iPad 2, but also is secured with strong magnets that make it easy to clip the cover to the iPad and in turn remove it as well. My favorite use of the smrt cover is how it will put the iPad to sleep and wake it up when it’s placed over and lifted up from the iPad display.

I’m sure you’ve all probably heard of the recent iPad 3 rumors circulating. Some of these rumors include speculation about a newer iPad model being released this fall and including resolution up to six times greater than the current model. Although it’s quite possible the next iPad model will indeed include a much more powerful retina display, I’m a bit skeptical about a new iPad model being released this fall. After all, the iPad 2 was just announced four months ago. I think it’s a little more reasonable to assume a new iPhone model will be released for the upcoming holiday season, if any new release assumption is going to be made. Earlier this month at WWDC 2011, iOS 5 was announced with the new iCloud service, which allows users to store up to five gigabytes in the cloud and access said information across all Apple devices. The fall 2011 release date on both iOS 5 and iCloud would, though, coincide with any iPad 3/iPhone 5 rumors.

In other technews, Microsoft continues advertising their Windows Phone 7′s and many Android-based tablets are being rolled out, such as the HP TouchPad, with Google’s Honeycomb operating system developed exclusively for tablets. Google’s new operating system, called Ice Cream Sandwich, has been said to be coming to smartphones and tablets later this year. A few weeks ago, Google announced their new cloud-supported music service called Google Music. Google Music allows users to sync their music library across their PC and all Android-based devices. Still in beta form, I’ve had the opportunity to test this free service and will later post my thoughts about the my experience. Finally, Netflix for Android was released last week for selected Android-based devices.

Finally, I have some other great news. I have accepted the position of a market trend consultant at a non-profit teen start-up organization called SizzleStream. At SizzleStream, we provide free consulting services to smaller parties and third-party developers. So, have a great summer and stay tuned for more technews and updates.

Back to Blogging

Parker — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:32:53 +0000

Happy New Year! Oh wait? I’m a few months late, aren’t I. Well, I do apologize. As many of you know, I’m a high school student. Therefore, by definition I am constantly bogged down with assignments, tests, finals, and papers, as well as summer applications, AP and SAT/ACT prep, and extracurricular activities. As one may imagine, all of those commitments allow little time for blogging. However, I’ve decided that just means I’ll be up until 2 am each morning instead of 1 am . I’m just kidding, and am confident from now on I can find a better balance between all that’s going on on in life and blogging.

Well, enough about me; let’s get down to business. What’s happened since I last posted? One word: iPad…2. Again, I’m a little late to the party, and I truly do apologize. But, I myself recently ordered an iPad 2 and will later make another post explaining my decision to go Apple in regards to tablet computing. I’d like to take a second to thank all of my dedicated readers. Cheers!