What might be the probable repercussions of Google-Motorola deal in the mobile OS arena? Will Samsung continuously associate with Microsoft? Will HTC reinvigorate its buried own OS dream?

Of course, things are going to have some turnarounds in the smartphone market with the Google’s celebrated acquisition of Motorola for $12 million. Samsung, the leading Android product maker, has gone on to build a tablet PC for the upcoming Windows 8. And, HTC has evidently taken a step forward in its plan either to buy an existing operating system or to develop a fresh one.

Google took over Motorola in a mostly unexpected move a couple of months back. Google, the Android developer, has been the ‘mother’ of all Andorid hardware manufactures in their battle against Apple, the leading smartphone maker. Google has now adopted a new boy, who has also been a key Andorid device maker since the OS’ birth. The development has forced analysts to think that Google might focus on Moto products in next months.

Can Google become an evil?

I think this question is entirely pointless. Google can never become an evil like Apple or Microsoft. The Mountain View firm will never personalize its world-famous Android OS for the hardware products from Motorola. However, it looks like that Google’s takeover of Motorola is enough a reason for other Android makers to be anxious about. Adding fuel into the mess, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, a former Microsoft executive, said Google’s purchase of Motorola is a warning knell for other Android hardware makers.

Whatever it is, a deal between a prominent mobile OS maker and hardware builder is to make some repercussions in the mobile industry. In fact, we have already witnessed some aftereffects of such a move. Let us see what they are in detail.

Samsung’s tie-up with Microsoft

As per reports, Samsung is going to roll out the first tablet on Microsoft’s much-frenzied tablet-customized Windows 8. Until now we know Samsung as a leading hardware maker on Android. Truly, it was the South Korean company that launched a host of real iPhone and iPad rivals thanks to its Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S series. The company is now to support Windows 8 with a tablet PC. Evidently, as some analysts pointed out, it is a move from Samsung in fear of losing its market dominance as an Android hardware provider. Microsoft, in the meanwhile, aims to deepen its roots into the smartphone market.

HTC’s Operating System Possibilities

Soon after the news of Google-Motorola agreement, HTC chairwoman Cher Wang commented that the company was to rethink about its former plan to launch its own operating system. The Taiwan-based technology maker is arguably the second biggest Android hardware builder at the moment. It seems that HTC has also foreseen a possible threat for its market presence as an Android hardware maker.

The wrap-up

In fact, Google has not yet openly announced why it acquired Motorola. Through such a deal, Google has, in fact, owned thousands of patents, which is a great thing in time of brewing patent wars between the technology makers. It is not clear whether Google will consider Motorola as an arm to produce hardware solutions for Android to defy Apple and Microsoft that recently made a strategic agreement with Nokia for, what it said, a new ecosystem in mobile industry.

Do You Need a Digital Camera Now?

It seems like and obvious question but only you can decide on the right time to buy one; maybe you’re going on a trip or there’s a wedding coming up or you are about to have a baby or whatever it might be. Technology changes every few months so if you feel you need a digital camera then buy it.

Is Price a Major Factor?

If so, then you might be more interested in getting a good deal.  If price is what you’re more interested in than shopping around the holiday season is an option. There are a lot of great sales online also. I’ve seen some real discounting happen around the web.

Both of these questions were a factor in my decision. We were about to have a baby but I did not want to spend an outrageous amount of money on a hobby I knew very little about. Here is what I found out in my research and experience as a novice photographer:

1.     There are two leading brands when it comes to digital cameras and they are Nikon and Canon.

2.     For starters out there, Nikon D3000 or Canon EOS Rebel are good camera that are well under $1000

3.     Determine what and where you are going to be taking pictures. If you are going to be indoors most of the time then a wide angle lens would be a worthwhile investment. For outdoors you might want to consider zoom lens.

4.     Flash definitely helps but try plays with the angles of the flash as light bounces off objects. It’s a trial and error process.

Taking photos is a relaxing and rewarding hobby so have fun and make a lot of great memories. I hope my tips were helpful.

Toyota Prius Hybrid

Type: Compact sedan

Base model price: $23,050

Highway MPG: 48

City MPG: 51

Combined EPA rating: 49.6 mpg

HP:  98 hp @ 5200 rpm

Gas burned in 15,000 miles: 302 gal.

Cost per 15,000-mile year at $3.52/gal.: $1,064

Cost per $15,000-mile year at $5/gal.: $1,512

Annual Fuel Cost: $927

Annual CO2 Produced: 3.8 tons

Nissan Leaf Electric

Type: Compact sedan

Base model price: $25,280 (after federal tax credit of $7,500)

Highway MPG: 99 (equivalent)

City MPG: 99 (equivalent)

HP: 110 hp (equivalent)

Annual Fuel Cost: $561

Annual CO2 Produced: 0

Chevrolet Volt

Type: Compact sedan

Base model price: $33,000 (after federal tax credit of $7,500)

Combined EPA rating: 37.1 mpg*

HP: 150 hp

Gas burned in 15,000 miles: 404 gal.

Cost per 15,000-mile year at $3.52/gal.: $1,424

Cost per $15,000-mile year at $5/gal.: $2,022

For the first 35 miles it will get infinite mpg, because no gas will be burned. When the generator starts, the car will get 37  mpg (35 mpg city/40 mpg highway)

Hyundai Elantra

Type: Compact sedan

Base model price: $15,550

Highway MPG: 40

City MPG: 29

Combined EPA rating: 33.1 mpg

HP: 148 hp @ 6500 rpm

Gas burned in 15,000 miles: 453 gal.

Cost per 15,000-mile year at $3.52/gal.: $1,595

Cost per $15,000-mile year at $5/gal.: $2,266

Ford Fiesta

Type: Compact four-door sedan

Price: $14,390

Highway MPG: 38

City MPG: 29

Combined EPA rating: 33 mpg

HP: 120 hp @ 6350 rpm

Annual Fuel Cost: $1,404

Annual CO2 Produced: 5.7 tons

Honda CR-Z

Type: Sub-compact two-door sedan

Base model price: $19,200

Highway MPG: 39

City MPG: 35

Combined EPA rating: 33.4 mpg

HP: 111 hp @ 6000 rpm

Annual Fuel Cost: $1,251

Annual CO2 Produced: 5.1 tons

Gas burned in 15,000 miles: 449 gal.

Cost per 15,000-mile year at $3.52/gal.: $1,579

Cost per $15,000-mile year at $5/gal.: $2,243

Honda Civic Hybrid

Type: Compact sedan

Base model price: $23,950

Highway MPG: 43

City MPG: 40

Combined EPA rating: 41.3

HP: 110 hp @ 5500 rpm

Gas burned in 15,000 miles: 363 gal.

Cost per 15,000-mile year at $3.52/gal.: $1,279

Cost per $15,000-mile year at $5/gal.: $1,816

Annual Fuel Cost: $1,131

Annual CO2 Produced: 4.6 tons

Honda Insight Hybrid

Type: Compact sedan

Base model price: $18,200

Highway MPG: 43

City MPG: 40

Combined EPA rating: 41.3 mpg

HP: 98 hp @ 5,800 rpm

Gas burned in 15,000 miles: 363 gal.

Cost per 15,000-mile year at $3.52/gal.: $1,279

Cost per $15,000-mile year at $5/gal.: $1,816

Annual Fuel Cost: $1,131

Annual CO2 Produced: 4.6 tons

Ford Fusion Hybrid

Type: Luxury mid-size sedan

Base model price: $28,400

Highway MPG: 36

City MPG: 41

Combined EPA rating: 38.6 mpg

HP: 175 hp @ 6000 rpm

Gas burned in 15,000 miles: 389 gal.

Cost per 15,000-mile year at $3.52/gal.: $1,368

Cost per $15,000-mile year at $5/gal.: $1,944

Annual Fuel Cost: $1,187

Annual CO2 Produced: 4.8 tons

Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

Type: Luxury mid-size sedan

Base model sticker price: $35,455

Highway MPG: 36

City MPG: 41

Combined EPA rating: 38.6 mpg

HP: 263 hp @ 6250 rpm

Gas burned in 15,000 miles: 389 gal.

Cost per 15,000-mile year at $3.52/gal.: $1,368

Cost per $15,000-mile year at $5/gal.: $1,944

Annual Fuel Cost: $1,187

Annual CO2 Produced: 4.8 tons



The notebooks will be available June 15 online via Best Buy and Amazon.com. Samsung will also bring a Chromebox desktop model to market for business settings – for $28 per month per user.

With over 160 million people now using Chrome, it’s not a stretch to imagine a bunch of them buying a Chromebook. Will you?

The main problem is that when the cloud computing hype matured into a buzzword every tech related business tried to fit it into there marketing campaign.  At first I was pretty sure The Cloud was the new term for the internet, the same way Web 2.0 was the slightly more interactive version of the web.  Google invited you to store your documents and photos in The Cloud and you can keep storing your email there too.  Amazon got into it with their S3 which allowed you to backup to The Cloud.  Oh and of course Microsoft, a little late to the game, came out with OfficeLive, which is their version of Google Apps, which was competing with good old Microsoft Office. (anyone else feel like Microsoft always wants the toy the other kid is playing with?)  Anyway, none of these companies are really lying.  All of these services are running on a cloud, and you could say you are storing your documents in a cloud but the terminology defines more the infrastructure their services are running on, not some new version of the internet.  Really what they are selling is Software as a Service (SaaS) which happens to be on a cloud.  The problem is Software as a Service or SaaS isn’t sexy or catchy, although the two a’s are kinda cute to a geek.

Cloud computing uses virtualized servers, storage and networking for quicker allocation of resources, easier deployment and increased efficiency.  This really isn’t as confusing as it sounds.  You may have seen the same technology on a recent switcher’s mac if they just couldn’t live without minefield.  Virtualization allows you to run windows (or any other OS) in a window on another operating system, almost like an application.  Do you remember DOS? Well in DOS you could generally only run one application at a time.  Eventually Windows matured and you could run multiple applications at the same time which was a huge step.  Virtualization is another huge step with which you can run multiple operating systems on the same machine almost as easily as opening an application.  You can also duplicate an operating system and all of its applications almost as easily as copying a file.  The storage that these servers run from and use are a separate, easily expanded entity.  This may not seem all that useful to a normal user but if you are running a datacenter, no matter how small, then this is epic.  It creates more flexibility and less waste.  Instead of having 10 separate servers all with a spare 100 GB of disk space (just in case) that only generally use 10% of their processor (but sometimes need the full 100%) you can now share 1 processor and consolidate all of your disk use to one pool of disks which is easily upgraded in the future.  Instead of every machine having 100 GB spare space you can have maybe 200 GB spare space shared.  This means way less infrastructure and hardware costs.  Since the OS is as easily moved as an application if one of your super servers go down then you can easily move it to a working super server until the other one is repaired or replaced.

Boxee even ties in social networking allowing you to follow other users or share your recommendations with followers using your Boxee account.  Facebook and twitter can also be used for sourcing video content and posting your current favorites.

Now Boxee is still in beta, so if you refused to touch gmail for its first 5 years of life then you might want to wait, but all in all Boxee is pretty stable and unlikely to delete your cherished collection of The Golden Girls.  The interface is fairly well laid out but you will run across annoyances and glitches.  If you aren’t that tech savvy or don’t have a spare computer lying around then there are some great systems preinstalled with Boxee coming out.  Boxee has teamed up with D-Link to bring you the Boxee Box which will be out later this year for under $200 but already out is the Myka ION starting at $379.  My personal favorite, the NUU player will be selling for just under $300 but it has a lot more to offer than the Boxee Box.  Boxee is also trying to get their software into your cable box and really any other computer that’ll have them.  Maybe your next SUV will be able to play DVD’s, satellite radio and Boxee.

For more information I recommend clicking on the corresponding links above.  Also Wikipedia has a great entry on Boxee, I double checked a lot of my info there.  Hats off to the Wikipedia collective!

Reprinted from TeckFace: Reviewing, analyzing, praising, and screaming about technology and interfaces.