Tuesday, January 29, 2013
How the "Shopping Cart" Patent Almost Ruined Online Shopping—And How Newegg Beat It
How the "Shopping Cart" Patent Almost Ruined Online Shopping—And How Newegg Beat It:
Newegg just took out one of the biggest patent trolls on the web. A troll so pervasive, it threatened to put out a mafioso lawsuit-insurance tax on basically every online retailer on the internet. Here's how it happened, as told in a great writeup over at Ars Technica. More »
Monday, January 28, 2013
Lego Was First Patented 55 Years Ago Today
Lego Was First Patented 55 Years Ago Today:
On January 28th 1958, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen patented the humble Lego brick. His company had existed, making other toys, since 1930—but it was 55 years ago today that the infamous studded plastic brick was officially born. More »
Monday, January 21, 2013
Linux Now Has "Double" the Market Share of Windows
Linux Now Has "Double" the Market Share of Windows: 
Statistics are a matter of your viewpoint.
Statistics are a matter of your viewpoint.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Netflix shows off how it does Hadoop in the cloud
Netflix shows off how it does Hadoop in the cloud:
Netflix is the undeniable king of computing in the cloud — running almost entirely on the Amazon Web Services platform — and its reign expands into big data workloads, too. In a Thursday evening blog post, the company shared the details of its AWS-based Hadoop architecture and a homemade Hadoop Plaform as a Service that it calls Genie.
That Netflix is a heavy Hadoop user is hardly news, though. In June, I explained just how much data Netflix collects about users and some the methods it uses to analyze that data. Hadoop is the storage and processing engine for much of this work.
As blog post author Sriram Krishnan points out, however, Hadoop is more than a platform on which data scientists and business analysts can do their work. Aside from their 500-plus-nod cluster of Elastic MapReduce instances, there’s another equally sized cluster for extract-transform-load (ETL) workloads — essentially, taking data from other sources and making it easy to analyze within Hadoop. Netflix also deploys various “development” clusters as needed, presumably for ad hoc experimental jobs.
And while Netflix’s data-analysis efforts are pretty interesting, the cloud makes its Hadoop architecture pretty interesting, too. For starters, Krishnan explains how using S3 as the storage layer instead of the Hadoop Distributed File System means, among other things, that Netflix can run all of its clusters separately while sharing the same data set. It does, however, use HDFS at some points in the computation process to make up for the inherently slower method of accessing data via S3.
Netflix also built its own PaaS-like layer for Amazon Elastic MapReduce, which it called Genie. This lets engineers submit jobs via a REST API and without having to know the specifics of the underlying infrastructure. This is important because it means Hadoop users can submit jobs to whatever clusters happen to be available at any given time (Krishnan goes into some detail about the resource-management aspects of Genie) and without worrying about the sometimes-transient nature of cloud resources.
We’ve long been pushing the intersection of big data and cloud computing, although the reality is that there aren’t really a lot of commercial options that mix user-friendliness and heavy-duty Hadoop workload management. There’ll no doubt be more offerings in the future — Infochimps and Continuuity are certainly working in this direction, and Amazon is also pushing its big data offerings forward — but, for now, leave it to Netflix to build its own. (And if you’re interested in custom-built Hadoop tools, check out our recent coverage of Facebook’s latest effort.)
Netflix is the undeniable king of computing in the cloud — running almost entirely on the Amazon Web Services platform — and its reign expands into big data workloads, too. In a Thursday evening blog post, the company shared the details of its AWS-based Hadoop architecture and a homemade Hadoop Plaform as a Service that it calls Genie.
That Netflix is a heavy Hadoop user is hardly news, though. In June, I explained just how much data Netflix collects about users and some the methods it uses to analyze that data. Hadoop is the storage and processing engine for much of this work.
As blog post author Sriram Krishnan points out, however, Hadoop is more than a platform on which data scientists and business analysts can do their work. Aside from their 500-plus-nod cluster of Elastic MapReduce instances, there’s another equally sized cluster for extract-transform-load (ETL) workloads — essentially, taking data from other sources and making it easy to analyze within Hadoop. Netflix also deploys various “development” clusters as needed, presumably for ad hoc experimental jobs.And while Netflix’s data-analysis efforts are pretty interesting, the cloud makes its Hadoop architecture pretty interesting, too. For starters, Krishnan explains how using S3 as the storage layer instead of the Hadoop Distributed File System means, among other things, that Netflix can run all of its clusters separately while sharing the same data set. It does, however, use HDFS at some points in the computation process to make up for the inherently slower method of accessing data via S3.
Netflix also built its own PaaS-like layer for Amazon Elastic MapReduce, which it called Genie. This lets engineers submit jobs via a REST API and without having to know the specifics of the underlying infrastructure. This is important because it means Hadoop users can submit jobs to whatever clusters happen to be available at any given time (Krishnan goes into some detail about the resource-management aspects of Genie) and without worrying about the sometimes-transient nature of cloud resources.
We’ve long been pushing the intersection of big data and cloud computing, although the reality is that there aren’t really a lot of commercial options that mix user-friendliness and heavy-duty Hadoop workload management. There’ll no doubt be more offerings in the future — Infochimps and Continuuity are certainly working in this direction, and Amazon is also pushing its big data offerings forward — but, for now, leave it to Netflix to build its own. (And if you’re interested in custom-built Hadoop tools, check out our recent coverage of Facebook’s latest effort.)
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Thursday, January 10, 2013
Valve Pledges to Enter Videogame Console Wars With "Steam Box"
Valve Pledges to Enter Videogame Console Wars With "Steam Box":
Valve’s co-founder Gabe Newell is grabbing big headlines at this year’s CES — without even trying.
The former Microsoft exec turned gaming entrepreneur didn’t rent out a hotel ballroom or hire Big Bird or Maroon 5 to get the attention of the press. In fact, as far as we know, Valve’s only presence at the show was a small private booth for meetings, and an interview with The Verge.
But since many covet Newell and his quirky company, when he speaks, everyone listens as if it were videogame gospel.
Valve is popular for producing mega hits like Half-Life and the Portal game series. It also gets huge props for Steam, its consumer-focused PC games-distribution platform (referred to by the rest of us as an app store).
This preamble is to help you better understand why it was a big deal when Newell said yesterday that Valve is building its own hardware that will essentially be a gaming and media hub for your whole house.
This isn’t some half-baked Kickstarter idea. With an estimated valuation of $3 billion, and more than 50 million users (in comparison, Xbox Live has 40 million), Valve has the money, the distribution system and the clout to try something outrageous.
And what Newell described to The Verge yesterday is a little out there.
He confirmed that the company is building a “Steam Box,” which will be a game and entertainment server for the home that can be used by eight TVs and eight controllers at one time.
For the average consumer who likes to stream Netflix to their TV, this will come off as pretty abstract stuff, especially when you hear more details.
First, it’s going to be built on the Linux OS, which is not exactly mainstream. Second, if not done absolutely correctly, hooking it up to multiple TVs sounds like a networking nightmare. Third, Valve says it will be inventing new types of controllers “that use a lot of biometric data.”
In July, Newell was interviewed onstage in Seattle, where he elaborated on this topic. He said touchscreens are “short-term,” and that your tongue is one of the best mechanical systems to your brain. “I don’t think tongue input will happen, but I do think we will have bands on our wrists, and you’ll be doing something with your hands, which are really expensive.”
In other words, we’re talking really sci-fi stuff here.
Generally, what’s interesting about Newell’s desire to build something on Linux is that he believes it is a hedge against Windows 8. Increasingly, operating systems have become locked down, where the OS maker, like Apple, owns the software distribution on the device, like the iPhone and the App Store. That’s happening on laptops and computers, as well, which is a threat to Steam.
On multiple occasions, the former Microsoft executive has disclosed his disdain for the software giant’s new operating system.
In the interview with The Verge, Newell put it bluntly: “Windows 8 was like this giant sadness. It just hurts everybody in the PC business … When I started using it I was like ‘oh my god …’ I find [Windows 8] unusable.”
Newell can say pretty much whatever he wants. Valve is a privately held company with few or no investors, so there’s no pressure for a public offering or a sale. Clearly, if he wants to preannounce something, he will.
In addition to laying out some of the Steam Box’s specs and confirming its existence, he also discussed pricing. The boxes, which will be built by partners in some cases, will have three tiers, he said. The low-end device will start at $99. A midrange device could cost around $300, and the high-end device could be even pricier.
But when a Steam Box will be released remains a mystery. Presumably, to be competitive with the next generation of consoles from Microsoft and Sony, it would be expected around the end of this year.
To get some feedback on what Valve’s plans mean, I asked Pete Hawley, co-founder and chief product officer of Red Robot Labs, what he thinks. Although he’s creating a location-based games platform today, he previously worked at PlayStation, and just a month ago told me during a conversation that he thinks Valve will win the next console war.
“I think this news is huge,” he said. “Gabe and Valve are building something amazing here.”
Hawley also said that while the experience Newell describes today sounds futuristic, he could easily imagine the box appealing to a wide audience, ranging from everyday users who want to stream movies through a browser to the most hardcore gamers.
“The openness and ‘hackability’ is there for those core users that are more heavily engaged — the creators. I think you’ll see some users that absorb content, plugged into the TV like a traditional console,” Hawley said. “Others will run servers, create content, have their own store, push to multiple screens, etc., etc. I think its flexibility in that sense is really interesting.”
One daunting challenge, which Newell acknowledged in the interview, was getting Steam’s current content to work on Linux. This summer, Newell mentioned wanting to make it as easy as possible for the 2,500 games on Steam to run on Linux. Valve will also have to work on a way to get the content to work with a game controller. Since most of the titles today run on PCs, they use a mouse and a keyboard. As Newell told The Verge, “the problem to solve is how to interact with a Web browser, how to get all the games to support controllers, and how to make it all seamless.”
In the meantime, Valve has developed a feature called Big Picture, which allows you to connect Steam to your TV. Big Picture is designed to be used with a traditional game controller, but also supports a keyboard and mouse.
Here’s Valve’s video explaining Big Picture, which may also provide a sense of how Steam Box will eventually work:
Valve’s co-founder Gabe Newell is grabbing big headlines at this year’s CES — without even trying.
The former Microsoft exec turned gaming entrepreneur didn’t rent out a hotel ballroom or hire Big Bird or Maroon 5 to get the attention of the press. In fact, as far as we know, Valve’s only presence at the show was a small private booth for meetings, and an interview with The Verge.But since many covet Newell and his quirky company, when he speaks, everyone listens as if it were videogame gospel.
Valve is popular for producing mega hits like Half-Life and the Portal game series. It also gets huge props for Steam, its consumer-focused PC games-distribution platform (referred to by the rest of us as an app store).
This preamble is to help you better understand why it was a big deal when Newell said yesterday that Valve is building its own hardware that will essentially be a gaming and media hub for your whole house.
This isn’t some half-baked Kickstarter idea. With an estimated valuation of $3 billion, and more than 50 million users (in comparison, Xbox Live has 40 million), Valve has the money, the distribution system and the clout to try something outrageous.
And what Newell described to The Verge yesterday is a little out there.
He confirmed that the company is building a “Steam Box,” which will be a game and entertainment server for the home that can be used by eight TVs and eight controllers at one time.
For the average consumer who likes to stream Netflix to their TV, this will come off as pretty abstract stuff, especially when you hear more details.
First, it’s going to be built on the Linux OS, which is not exactly mainstream. Second, if not done absolutely correctly, hooking it up to multiple TVs sounds like a networking nightmare. Third, Valve says it will be inventing new types of controllers “that use a lot of biometric data.”
In July, Newell was interviewed onstage in Seattle, where he elaborated on this topic. He said touchscreens are “short-term,” and that your tongue is one of the best mechanical systems to your brain. “I don’t think tongue input will happen, but I do think we will have bands on our wrists, and you’ll be doing something with your hands, which are really expensive.”
In other words, we’re talking really sci-fi stuff here.
Generally, what’s interesting about Newell’s desire to build something on Linux is that he believes it is a hedge against Windows 8. Increasingly, operating systems have become locked down, where the OS maker, like Apple, owns the software distribution on the device, like the iPhone and the App Store. That’s happening on laptops and computers, as well, which is a threat to Steam.
On multiple occasions, the former Microsoft executive has disclosed his disdain for the software giant’s new operating system.
In the interview with The Verge, Newell put it bluntly: “Windows 8 was like this giant sadness. It just hurts everybody in the PC business … When I started using it I was like ‘oh my god …’ I find [Windows 8] unusable.”
Newell can say pretty much whatever he wants. Valve is a privately held company with few or no investors, so there’s no pressure for a public offering or a sale. Clearly, if he wants to preannounce something, he will.
In addition to laying out some of the Steam Box’s specs and confirming its existence, he also discussed pricing. The boxes, which will be built by partners in some cases, will have three tiers, he said. The low-end device will start at $99. A midrange device could cost around $300, and the high-end device could be even pricier.
But when a Steam Box will be released remains a mystery. Presumably, to be competitive with the next generation of consoles from Microsoft and Sony, it would be expected around the end of this year.
To get some feedback on what Valve’s plans mean, I asked Pete Hawley, co-founder and chief product officer of Red Robot Labs, what he thinks. Although he’s creating a location-based games platform today, he previously worked at PlayStation, and just a month ago told me during a conversation that he thinks Valve will win the next console war.
“I think this news is huge,” he said. “Gabe and Valve are building something amazing here.”
Hawley also said that while the experience Newell describes today sounds futuristic, he could easily imagine the box appealing to a wide audience, ranging from everyday users who want to stream movies through a browser to the most hardcore gamers.
“The openness and ‘hackability’ is there for those core users that are more heavily engaged — the creators. I think you’ll see some users that absorb content, plugged into the TV like a traditional console,” Hawley said. “Others will run servers, create content, have their own store, push to multiple screens, etc., etc. I think its flexibility in that sense is really interesting.”
One daunting challenge, which Newell acknowledged in the interview, was getting Steam’s current content to work on Linux. This summer, Newell mentioned wanting to make it as easy as possible for the 2,500 games on Steam to run on Linux. Valve will also have to work on a way to get the content to work with a game controller. Since most of the titles today run on PCs, they use a mouse and a keyboard. As Newell told The Verge, “the problem to solve is how to interact with a Web browser, how to get all the games to support controllers, and how to make it all seamless.”
In the meantime, Valve has developed a feature called Big Picture, which allows you to connect Steam to your TV. Big Picture is designed to be used with a traditional game controller, but also supports a keyboard and mouse.
Here’s Valve’s video explaining Big Picture, which may also provide a sense of how Steam Box will eventually work:
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The USS Zumwalt Deck Looks Like a Part of an Imperial Star Destroyer
The USS Zumwalt Deck Looks Like a Part of an Imperial Star Destroyer:
This image is so unreal that it feels like a sci-fi illustration more than a photo. It looks like part of a spaceship—perhaps some structure from an Imperial Star Destroyer—instead of the 1,000-ton deckhouse of the new destroyer USS Zumwalt. More »
Friday, January 4, 2013
This Is Why the US Navy Is the Most Formidable Naval Force In the World
This Is Why the US Navy Is the Most Formidable Naval Force In the World:
Here's a rare sight: four out of the ten Nimitz-class aircraft carriers—the largest warships ever built—plus an Enterprise-class carrier docked together. They are resting at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, which coincidentally is the largest naval base in the world. Look at all that engineering and firepower. And it's only half of the Nimitz fleet! More »
USPTO planning two roundtable discussions with developers about software patents
USPTO planning two roundtable discussions with developers about software patents:
We know, we know: the patent system is broken. But what exactly should the US Patent and Trademark Office do to reform itself, particularly where nebulous software claims are concerned? If you ask the developers themselves, they might tell you code was never meant to be patented. Obviously, an outright ban might not sit well with USPTO officials, so the agency is instead taking a different tack: it's hosting two roundtable events with the developer community to discuss the future of software patents.
These discussions, which will take place in February in New York and in the Silicon Valley, will focus on the the terms used to define a patent's scope, among other topics. For those of you interested in attending, you'll need to register by February 4th by sending an email to [email protected] (you'll also need to list various credentials, which are outlined in the Groklaw post linked at the bottom of this post). Even then, seating is limited and entry is first-come, first-serve. If you can't attend, the events will both be webcast, and the USPTO is inviting developers to send in written comments (the deadline for that is March 15th). Consider this your FYI and if you really do intend to go, comment or even host a presentation at one of the events, you'll want to hit up the links below for more details.
Filed under: Software
Comments
Via: Groklaw
Source: USPTO
We know, we know: the patent system is broken. But what exactly should the US Patent and Trademark Office do to reform itself, particularly where nebulous software claims are concerned? If you ask the developers themselves, they might tell you code was never meant to be patented. Obviously, an outright ban might not sit well with USPTO officials, so the agency is instead taking a different tack: it's hosting two roundtable events with the developer community to discuss the future of software patents.These discussions, which will take place in February in New York and in the Silicon Valley, will focus on the the terms used to define a patent's scope, among other topics. For those of you interested in attending, you'll need to register by February 4th by sending an email to [email protected] (you'll also need to list various credentials, which are outlined in the Groklaw post linked at the bottom of this post). Even then, seating is limited and entry is first-come, first-serve. If you can't attend, the events will both be webcast, and the USPTO is inviting developers to send in written comments (the deadline for that is March 15th). Consider this your FYI and if you really do intend to go, comment or even host a presentation at one of the events, you'll want to hit up the links below for more details.
Filed under: Software
Comments
Via: Groklaw
Source: USPTO
Do Transformers have souls? The answer may surprise (and irritate) you!
Do Transformers have souls? The answer may surprise (and irritate) you!:
Nostalgia can be a funny thing. It's so easy to look back lovingly on the entertainment of our youth and remember the awesomeness, the happiness and the fun we had, while ignoring that a great deal of what we watched as kids was just absolutely terrible. I've decided to take a look at the worst our childhoods had to offer, beginning with the original Transformers cartoon, and its infamous second season episode titled "B.O.T." More »
Qualcomm Atheros announces StreamBoost technology to improve home networks, router performance
Qualcomm Atheros announces StreamBoost technology to improve home networks, router performance:
Tired of gadgets fighting for bandwidth around your humble abode? Well, the outfit behind the Killer Wireless-N technology that we took a gander at back at E3 is looking to oblige. Qualcomm Atheros has unveiled its StreamBoost router technology with the goal of making in-home streaming experiences all the more enjoyable. By allocating optimum bandwidth to each device and app on a network, StreamBoost shapes and prioritizes the traffic stream to insure that your Netflix viewing of Sons of Anarchy gets ample attention. This also insures that intense gaming sessions won't be interrupted by Hulu Plus or other apps jostling for a download thanks to a constantly updating bandwidth allocation. A user interface offers a hub for monitoring traffic and all of the devices / apps on a given network while a cloud-based service will increase router intelligence on the regular -- automatically sorting new devices as they're added. StreamBoost will be in action next week at CES, where Alienware and D-Link will be showing off the goods with routers built around Qualcomm's VIVE 802.11ac WiFi technology. Until then, the full announcement resides just past the break.
Continue reading Qualcomm Atheros announces StreamBoost technology to improve home networks, router performance
Filed under: Wireless, Networking
Comments
Continue reading Qualcomm Atheros announces StreamBoost technology to improve home networks, router performance
Filed under: Wireless, Networking
Comments
Here's Everything That Was Wrong with Prometheus
Here's Everything That Was Wrong with Prometheus:
Prometheus, another movie I accidentally skipped even though I really wanted to see it, got a lot of mixed reviews when it came out. Some people absolutely hated it. Others were okay. A few were less negative. Maybe everyone who watched it will hate it after seeing all the things wrong with it though. And maybe everyone who skipped it won't feel so bad about it anymore. [CinemaSins] More »
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Canonical announces Ubuntu for smartphones, we go hands-on (video)
Canonical announces Ubuntu for smartphones, we go hands-on (video):
This is no ordinary Galaxy Nexus. Instead of Android, it's running a very different Linux-based OS -- the long-awaited mobile version of Ubuntu -- which comes with a new UI adapted for smaller screens. We've played with the phone briefly and we'll have a proper hands-on video for you shortly, but in the meantime there are a few salient features to report. First and foremost, the UI relies heavily on edge swipes instead of buttons -- much like Windows 8 on a tablet or indeed other mobile OS's like MeeGo, although here each swipe has its own Ubuntu-esque functions. Beyond that, the icons along the top have some interesting features, which will be explained after the break. We're also told that voice control is in attendance, and that an app store is in the works, with a mix of both web apps and native apps -- with the latter type being able to make better use of the hardware.
Speaking of hardware, here's where you might get a twinge of disappointment: there are no immediate plans for actual Ubuntu phones, and no carriers have been signed up yet. Any new phone built for Android with at least a dual Cortex-A9 cores, a gig of RAM and 800 x 400 resolution could run this OS, should a manufacturer see merit in installing Ubuntu instead, and high spec 720p, quad-core phones should do wonders with it. Meanwhile, rather like Ubuntu for Android, this is still an idea looking for a device -- but as ideas go, our initial impression is that it looks like a bright one, especially if you dig Linux and open source. We're told the Galaxy Nexus-compatible build will be available for download within the next few weeks, and Mark Shuttleworth is optimistic that actual devices will ship sometime in early 2014 -- which is quite a ways away. For now, check out the press release, gallery and publicity video after the break.
Update: Our hands-on video with the Benevolent Dictator himself is now live!
Continue reading Canonical announces Ubuntu for smartphones, we go hands-on (video)
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
Comments
Speaking of hardware, here's where you might get a twinge of disappointment: there are no immediate plans for actual Ubuntu phones, and no carriers have been signed up yet. Any new phone built for Android with at least a dual Cortex-A9 cores, a gig of RAM and 800 x 400 resolution could run this OS, should a manufacturer see merit in installing Ubuntu instead, and high spec 720p, quad-core phones should do wonders with it. Meanwhile, rather like Ubuntu for Android, this is still an idea looking for a device -- but as ideas go, our initial impression is that it looks like a bright one, especially if you dig Linux and open source. We're told the Galaxy Nexus-compatible build will be available for download within the next few weeks, and Mark Shuttleworth is optimistic that actual devices will ship sometime in early 2014 -- which is quite a ways away. For now, check out the press release, gallery and publicity video after the break.
Update: Our hands-on video with the Benevolent Dictator himself is now live!
Continue reading Canonical announces Ubuntu for smartphones, we go hands-on (video)
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
Comments
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