The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20111222163425/http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com:80/

  • Microsoft: No more Consumer Electronics Show after 2012

    Robyn Beck / AFP - Getty Images

    People walk past a Microsoft display before the opening of the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), January 6, 2010 in Las Vegas.

    By Suzanne Choney

    Microsoft says next month's 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the world's largest consumer technology trade show, will be its last as both a keynote presenter and exhibitor.

    "We’ll continue to participate in CES as a great place to connect with partners and customers across the PC, phone and entertainment industries, but we won’t have a keynote or booth after this year because our product news milestones generally don’t align with the show’s January timing," said Frank X. Shaw, corporate vice president of Microsoft corporate communications, on the company's blog.

    (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBCUniversal.)

    Traditionally, Microsoft head honcho — in times past, Bill Gates, and now Steve Ballmer — has been the kick-off keynote speaker of the annual event, which drew more than 140,000 attendees last year, and will be held Jan. 9-13.

    In a statement requested by msnbc.com, the Consumer Electronics Association, which puts on CES, made it sound like more of a mutual decision:

    In the fourteen years that we have invited Microsoft to deliver a keynote address at CES, the company has unveiled some great innovations, from operating systems to gaming platforms to mobile technologies,  Both CEA and Microsoft have agreed that the time has come to end this great run, and so Microsoft will not have a keynote at the 2013 CES. 

    When Microsoft talks about not having a "booth," that's not insignificant — in the past, its booth has taken up pretty much an entire exhibit hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where part of CES is held. The company has also previously erected large tents on the convention center grounds as well.

    Shaw said that Microsoft asked whether it was continuing to do the show "because it's the right thing to do, or because 'it's the way we've always done it?'"

    The answer, he said, is, "As we look at all of the new ways we tell our consumer stories — from product momentum disclosures, to exciting events like our Big Windows Phone, to a range of consumer connection points like Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft.com and our retail stores — it feels like the right time to make this transition."

    Steve Jobs made a similar decision for Apple, when he said starting in 2010 the company would no longer participate in the Macworld trade show. (Apple has never participated in CES, although its influence is definitely present.)

    Microsoft, Shaw said, "has enjoyed a close-to-20-year working relationship with the Consumer Electronics Association," and "we look forward to working with CEA for many years to come."

    Said CEA: "Microsoft is an important member of CEA and we wish them all the best as they evolve their plans for new ways to tell consumer stories. "

    Related stories:

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  • Kindle iPad app now offers magazines, textbooks

    By Rosa Golijan

    Amazon

    The Kindle iOS app — which can be used on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch devices — has received a nice little update on Wednesday. One of the most noteworthy changes? On the iPad version, users are now granted access magazines, newspapers, and textbooks — just like Kindle Fire users.

    According to Amazon, all iOS users — iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad — can now sync compatible documents to read on the app, either via iTunes or by emailing files to their Send-to-Kindle addresses. A built-in PDF reader means that you don't have to use a separate app for non-book reading.

    The updated (and free) app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store right now. 

    But on the iPad, the app has even more. It allows users to access over 400 magazines and newspapers — the same ones that are available to Kindle Fire users — including Martha Stewart Living, Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Popular Science, and more. It'll be possible to buy single issues or subscriptions thanks to the Kindle Newsstand feature (not to be confused with the iOS Newsstand, of course).

    Electronic textbooks that preserve the layout and graphics of the original printed versions will also be available for purchase or rental.

    And frankly, the magazine service surprises us a bit. Not that Amazon would bring it to the iPad, but that Apple would allow it in an app. Amazon is blatantly trying to get into magazine subscriptions on the iPad, and Apple has made it clear that it wants to dominate this business — especially on its own turf.

    We've reached out to Apple to see why it let things go, at least for now. I will update if there is any comment.

    Related stories:

    Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

  • Verizon says it fixed network problem

    By Rosa Golijan

    Verizon Wireless

    Updated 6:45 p.m. ET

    Uh oh! It seems that it's not a good day to be a Verizon Wireless user. Based on an overwhelming number of reports in support forums, the cellular provider's customers are experiencing 3G and 4G data outages across the U.S. right now.

    We've reached out to Verizon for more information about the issue and will update this story once we hear back, but in the meantime we're checking on the complaints in Verizon's own support forums. 

    Users are reporting trouble maintaining a steady data connection as well as misleading connectivity statuses (some devices are displaying icons which suggest connectivity, but no actual connection occurs). According to the folks at The Verge — who have been keeping track of the origins of the posts — the reports are coming in from "pretty much everywhere" including California, Rhode Island, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Jersey, and New York.

    Are you a Verizon customer and experiencing issues with your data connection? Please let us know in the comments below.

    Update: Verizon Wireless responded to us with a brief note stating that things should be getting back to normal:

    Verizon Wireless 4G LTE service is returning to normal this morning after company engineers worked to resolve an issue with the 4G network during the early morning hours today. Throughout this time, 4G LTE customers were able to make voice calls and send and receive text messages. The 3G data network operated normally. 

    Wireless analyst Jeff Kagan chimed in to point out that it's not particularly surprising that an outage like this occurred in the first place. "As the wireless world becomes more about wireless data we can experience more of these outages," he says. He also offers some words of warning:

    Expect wireless data traffic to explode during the holidays starting this week with Chanukah, then Christmas and the weeks following. We should brace for impact of all those users gobbling all that wireless data. Sounds like the right atmosphere for outages and slowdowns.  

    Updated at 6:45 p.m. ET: Verizon Wireless said it has fixed the data service problem, the second high-profile service problem this month for the company. The carrier said the problem with its 4G network was resolved by 2 p.m. ET, with data service restored for all customers of the 4G network late in the day. Verizon did not explain the cause of the problem. While some customers had complained online of problems with the older 3G service on Wednesday, company spokesman Tom Pica said 3G devices had not been affected. Verizon Wireless said that voice and text services had not stopped working — Reuters

    Related stories:

    Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

  • Amazon Kindle Fire software update now available

    By Rosa Golijan

    Amazon

    Good news if you own a Kindle Fire: Amazon has issued a software update for the device. It'll take a bit of time to download and install, but it's worth it thanks to a pile of performance and bug fixes.

    According to Amazon, you can either grab the update manually or directly over-the-air. No matter which option you choose though, make sure your device is fully charged before going through the update process. (Oh, and don't forget about making sure you're connected to Wi-Fi if updating over-the-air, of course.)

    If you prefer to grab the software update — which is version 6.2.1, by the way — over-the-air, you just need to reach for your Kindle Fire, tap the "Quick Settings" icon in the upper right corner, press "Sync" and wait. The update will be automatically downloaded in the background and installed afterwards (while the device is asleep).

    The manual approach to the update is a bit messier, but Amazon's got detailed instructions to get you through the process. All you're basically doing is downloading the new software to your computer and then transferring it to your device. (Keep in mind that the micro-USB cable you'll need to do this is sold separately from the Kindle Fire, but is conveniently the same cable that comes with most non-iPhones these days.)

    Once you're done updating your device — whether manually or over-the-air — you should be left with enhanced fluidity and performance, improved touch navigation responsiveness, the option to choose which items are displayed on your Kindle Fire's carousel, and the ability to add a password lock on Wi-Fi access.

    Related stories:

    Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

  • Hall & Oates hotline built to show off phone tech

    By Suzanne Choney

    You really have to have a hankering for Hall & Oates to do this, but if you do, it's OK, you're forgiven! Just call 719-26-OATES, and you'll reach "Callin' Oates: Your Emergency Hall & Oates Hotline."

    Wha? Yes, you'll be offered up a choice of four songs by the '70s duo: Press 1 to hear "One on One," press 2 to hear "Rich Girl," press 3 to hear "Maneater," and 4 for "Private Eyes."

    All of it is apparently a "very viral" test of a new service from Twilio, according to The Atlantic Wire. Twilio describes itself as "providing infrastructure APIs for businesses to build scalable, reliable voice and text messaging apps."

    "It's unclear if it was intended to be a marketing effort, but based on a new but very active Twitter account, @CallinOates, we're pretty sure it is," says Atlantic Wire.

    Related stories:

    Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

  • Timehop takes you back to your old posts

    Timehop

    By Suzanne Choney

    Remember what you said a year ago today on Facebook? Twitter? Instagram? Foursquare? No? Timehop will help you recall your witty (or not-so) postings from 365 days ago with its new, free service that gives you a daily email "that brings it all back to you."

    Timehop co-founders Benny Wong and Jonathan Wegener told Mashable they came up with the idea at a Foursquare hackathon last year, but it was met with a "meh" response. That changed once attendees got the emails and "had nostalgic emotional experiences," Wegener told the website. "Then they tweeted and talked about it, and we had several thousand users in a short time."

    There's no real business plan for how Timehop will make money. But that's never stopped anyone from starting something (ahem: Twitter, which is now finally starting to bring in dough.)

    Folks at TheNextWeb think Timehop "is a brilliant service. After all, what’s the sense in documenting our lives on social networks if we never see that information again? Timehop’s email is a web logger’s dream come true."

    Whether it's navel-gazing or nostalgia (or both), you decide. To use Timehop, you'll need to give permission for the site to access your social media accounts. And be patient: You'll need to wait until the next morning to get your first email.

    Related stories:

    Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

  • Don't panic! You can still get gifts delivered by Christmas

    By Rosa Golijan

    Mark Lennihan/AP

    The clock's ticking! Christmas is in five days and Hanukkah kicks off tonight. But don't panic if you've been slacking and procrastinating, because there are still retailers who will deliver even the latest of orders in time for Santa's visit, or the tail end of the eight crazy nights.

    Thanks to the folks at Lifehacker, we've found that there is even a handy dandy list of holiday shipping deadlines. The list is created by the boys and gals of FreeShipping.org and it breaks down the good news and the bad news.

    The good news is obvious: There are still retailers who'll get your gifts shipped and delivered in time for Christmas or Hanukkah. The bad news is that you'll likely be stuck with some express shipping charges or limited selections, depending on what's in stock.

    FreeShipping.org

    The Go Frugal Blog, part of the FreeShipping.org website, has a list of holiday shipping deadlines which will help you figure out where you can order a last minute gift.

    Even if you shell out for the very fastest shipping option, your luck will almost run out sometime in the middle of Dec. 22. Now, I say that your luck will almost run out at that time because — cue the choir of angels — there's always hope in the form of good ol' Amazon. The Big A will let you order things as late as Dec. 23 and still get them to the right place on time.

    There are several other retailers — such as Bliss, Foot Locker, Jessica London, National Geographic, Pottery Barn, Victoria's Secret, and so on — who will also take care of the worst of procrastinators, but I'd still suggest that you hit up Amazon.

    Why? Because it's my personal favorite, of course!

    I kid. Amazon's known for being rather reliable about its shipping estimates, it offers a large (and varied) product selection, and you can get a decent deal on super-speedy shipping if you've got an Amazon Prime membership. 

    Now why are you still reading this post? You've got orders to place! Hurry up!

    Related stories:

    Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

  • The biggest Web outages of 2011

    Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty Images

    Emma Roberts attends the Missoni for Target Collection launch Sept. 7 in New York City. Online demand was so heavy for the new line that it crashed the site.

    By Suzanne Choney

    Bank of America's website outage, along with those of Netflix, Target and Reddit, were among the biggest Web fails this year, but there's good news: "Though we witnessed a number of minor website outages and performance declines in 2011, we're encouraged to report that there were fewer significant website outages this year than in 2010."

    That's the word from SmartBear Software, which put together the list. Last year's fails — you may well remember these like they were yesterday — included Facebook, Twitter, MasterCard, Visa, JCPenney and Tumblr.

    As for this year's list, the "winners" are:

    Netflix, under fire for its price increases, "had a number of short website interruptions this year, which collectively resulted in prolonged service disruption to millions of Netflix subscribers." The first outage was March 22; "On this day, we tested Netflix's home page 20 times between 6:22 p.m. ET and 7:59 p.m. ET. Of those samples, only two successfully loaded the home page, revealing that the site was unusable for most users during that time frame," says SmartBear.

    Another outage lasted several hours June 19, and the site "also experienced performance issues" July 20 and Aug. 22. (We recall Netflix having some log-in issues with its site in late November, as well.)

    Reddit, Foursquare, Hootsuite, "et al":
    In April, "one of the greatest concerns of cloud patrons was confirmed when Amazon Web Services went down, taking Reddit, Foursquare, Hootsuite, Quora, and a number of other social websites offline with it." AWS serves as the Web hosting and storage center for the sites, and what happened " exemplified the need for cloud customers to do their due diligence and maintain a sense of ownership and responsibility" over their "uptime," says SmartBear.

    Target
    The retail giant's website "came crashing down" Sept. 13 with an "unprecedented number of shoppers" trying to order items from the new Missoni for Target line. "The trouble continued throughout the day with shoppers later greeted, at least, by a customized error page," says SmartBear. "The incident led to a firestorm of criticism and disappointment from shoppers."

    Bank of America
    The bank was "no stranger to website trouble this year, as the company experienced several website outages that make this year's list. On Jan. 14, bankofamerica.com was only 41 percent available and delivered response times in excess of 90 seconds.

    "A month and a half later, the site experienced another brief, though noteworthy, outage," says SmartBear. "On March 1, Bank of America delivered 83.09 percent availability and response times over 15 seconds to users."

    October brought the worst woes for the site, though, with "one of the most extended periods of performance trouble we've witnessed in recent times." Because of that outage, SmartBear ranks it as the biggest Web outage of the year. 

    "For six consecutive days, the site delivered a series of slowdowns and outages, which the bank attributed to a combination of technical issues and higher than anticipated website traffic. The issues began just one day after BofA announced plans to charge a $5 monthly debit card fee," which it rescinded Nov. 1. Coincidence? Perhaps.

    The list from SmartBear, which provides Web load-testing and monitoring tools, does not include website fails caused by hackers, such as Anonymous. Its first widely known denial-of-service attack was launched last December against MasterCard, Visa, PayPal and other financial institutions which disrupted donations to WikiLeaks.

    Related stories:

    Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

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