Windows 8 UI is dropping the ‘Start’ button
Microsoft has removed the “Start” menu button from its upcoming Windows 8 operating system, according to a consumer preview released earlier this week.
The Start button. which made its debut in the Windows 95 version of the OS, sits on the far left side of the “Live Bar” (see screenshot above). The Start button was one of the primary methods used for people to navigate to computer settings, applications, stored files, and more. The leaked … Continue Reading
Micron appoints new CEO in wake of Appleton’s death
Micron Technology said yesterday it has appointed D. Mark Durcan to replace chief executive Steve Appleton, who died Friday when the small experimental plane he was piloting crashed at the Boise airport.
Durcan was previously Micron’s president and chief operating officer. While the loss of Appleton, the long time CEO, is devastating, the largest American manufacturer of memory chips has had the advantage of having stable management for a long time. Part of the reason … Continue Reading
A web geek’s round-up for watching the Super Bowl
The NFL’s Super Bowl championship football game is routinely one of the most watched televised events of the year with over 100 million viewers. But increasingly, people don’t just want to watch the game, they want to interact with it. For me, that means keeping my iPhone and iPad open while the television is on. And this year’s game will actually allow me to use both devices for more than just a distraction during the … Continue Reading
Google hires a senior director at Apple for a top secret project (exclusive)
Google has pulled off a coup by hiring an Apple senior director of product integrity for a secret project, VentureBeat has learned.
The recruiting feat is historic since Google has never hired such a senior person away from Apple. The hiring is also interesting because the Department of Justice is investigating Google and Apple for allegedly working out a “no poach” agreement where the companies — along with Pixar, Lucasfilm, Intel and Intuit — allegedly … Continue Reading
The evolution of the businessman (infographic)
Business is so easy, even a caveman could do it – and he did. What was once the business of surviving has evolved over the years, but with one underlying similarity – the best will outlast the rest. The infographic below demonstrates significant eras of business by reintroducing prominent characters throughout history, a skill set for the time, and tools used and created to get the job done. As you journey through the prehistoric man, … Continue Reading
Before “it gets better,” gay youth still need help. Enter AnonyMouse.
“In college, I wanted someone to talk to about being gay and found someone through Craigslist. Clearly a poor decision in retrospect, despite the fact that I did end up finding a mentor who helped me come out.
“However, I don’t want other naive youngsters to be forced to make the same decision and find an unsatisfactory or unsavory result.”
These are the words of Aaron Moy, co-founder of AnonyMouse.
AnonyMouse is a web-based network … Continue Reading
Gamer found dead in internet cafe…nine hours later
23-year-old Chen Jung-yu was found dead at an internet cafe in New Taipei, Taiwan on Tuesday night.
Jung-yu was rigid in his chair with hands on the keyboard and mouse, according to local police. He had been playing the popular online multiplayer game World of Warcraft when he died (though another outlet is suggesting the game may have been League of Legends). Reports state that he had been dead up to nine hours going unnoticed … Continue Reading
The Internet makes you stupid, but this app might make you smarter
Undisputed fact I just made up: The more time we spend online, the dumber and more myopic we get.
Hacker Noah Litvin set out to combat that observable phenomenon with DailyPag.es, an app that works a lot like an online book club.
The app is a simple, email-based system that delivers a chpater of a book to your inbox every so often. Sign yourself into the Art of War group, for example, and you’ll get … Continue Reading
Pauly Shore versus the Internet: Funny man takes on online video (interview)
Comedian Pauly Shore spent the month of January shilling for a web startup, YouToo, by participating in a contest on the site.
We asked him why he thought a partnership with the relatively unknown startup was a good idea.
“People will ask me to do things once in a while,” he said. “This just seemed cool. Anything that’s outside the norm is kind of up my alley.”
Even over the phone, Shore was the picture … Continue Reading
European Playstation Network store broken following maintenance (updated)
Following scheduled maintenance last week, the Playstation Network store in Europe, Australia and New Zealand is no longer working for many users. The problem, reported widely across the European Playstation forums, is that no content can be downloaded from the store, and download lists of previously purchased content are inaccessible.
With so many games requiring online passes to activate multiplayer content, or even to unlock single player elements, this lack of store functionality is a … Continue Reading
VBWeekly: IPO, IP-Schmo.
This week we talk about the IPO heard ’round the world, that of Dutch antivirus outfit AVG.
Wait, that’s the IPO y’all were talking about, right?
Of course, we get into some of the nitty gritty gossip around the Facebook IPO, from what the MySpace CEO had to say about it to how Mr. Mark Zuckerberg used some clever contractual maneuvers to maintain control of the company and its board.
And what would VB Weekly … Continue Reading
GamesBeat weekly news roundup
Here’s some of the stories that ran only on GamesBeat this week. We’re running more stories exclusively on the GamesBeat section of VentureBeat now, particularly when the stories are mainly of interest to game readers. The broader interest stories are running on VentureBeat as well. And please visit the GamesBeat section to catch up on game news. We’re ramping up our game coverage, so you’ll find more and more news at GamesBeat.
Here’s some of … Continue Reading
Anonymous defaces Haditha Massacre lawfirm website, releases e-mails
Anonymous defaced the website of law firm Puckett Faraj this morning and leaked e-mails concerning the sergeant accused of handling 2005′s Haditha Massacre in Iraq.
Sergeant Frank Wuterich was charged with a 2005 US Marine raid in Iraq, which killed 24 unarmed civilians. Wuterich was convicted of negligent dereliction, ending his wait for a homicide trial in a plea bargain. Anonymous released 3GB of e-mails regarding the case and the massacre itself. The group published … Continue Reading
Facebook worth $94B, private market says
Now that Facebook is fast on its way to becoming a public company, and its financials have been laid bare, there’s just one question that remains unanswered: What is Facebook actually worth?
A private market transaction completed Thursday may provide us with best the answer yet.
One hundred thousand Class B common stock shares were sold for $40 a pop on SharesPost, according to information obtained by Bloomberg News and confirmed by the private capital … Continue Reading
What’s Google up to? Search giant is testing an “entertainment device”
Google has asked the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) for permission to use an undisclosed new “entertainment device” in four major cities over the next six months.
The information came from a FCC application Google submitted in December, which was uncovered by Gigaom. The mystery device will connect to the Internet over a home Wi-Fi network and then sync up with other (probably mobile) devices via Bluetooth.
While details of what the actual device is aren’t … Continue Reading
Ouch: Panasonic forecasts staggering $10B annual loss
Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic is projecting it will lose a record $10.2 billion (780 billion yen) in 2012 as it tries to fix its struggling TV business, the company said Friday.
Panasonic will join Japanese rivals Sony and Sharp in trying to revamp and restructure its business to achieve profitability again. Together, those three companies expect to lose around $17 billion. That loss highlights just how battered Japan’s electronics businesses have been by South Korea’s … Continue Reading
AMD aims to undercut Intel Ultrabook chips on price and shred them on performance
Intel will be a formidable competitor this year as it launches new processors and a huge marketing campaign aimed at driving the adoption of thin and powerful computers known as Ultrabooks.
Advanced Micro Devices will compete with the world’s biggest chip maker by coming out with high-performance laptop chips that are a lot less expensive for consumers.
“We like the idea of Ultrabooks as thin and powerful computers, but we think they should be for … Continue Reading
Review: How Final Fantasy XIII-2 saves the franchise…for now
2010’s Final Fantasy XIII may have sold well enough, but the perplexingly bad design decisions quickly made the title a bitter disappointment for many fans. Coupled with the disastrous launch of Final Fantasy XIV, and even publisher/developer Square Enix admitted that its legendary role-playing brand had been severely damaged.
Rather than develop an entirely new game that would typically release in 5-6 years, Square Enix sought to make use of their existing engine and team … Continue Reading
Sequoia takes root in Evernote as early investor gets big exit
In a head-scratching private-market barter, illustrious venture firm Sequoia Capital has managed to secure an even larger chunk of up-and-coming Silicon Valley startup Evernote.
Russian firm Troika Ventures, Evernote’s first institutional investor, sold its stake in the note-taking and note-sharing company at more than ten times its investment.
Troika led a $4.5 million raise in Evernote in January 2009 (the round closed later in the year at $6.5 million), and quickly piled on with new … Continue Reading
No ads here: Tumblr now charging $1 to “highlight” blog posts
Tumblr founder David Karp has always dismissed the idea that Tumblr might put ads on its platform. See here, here, and just about every interview the young founder has ever given. But today, Tumblr rolled out highlighted posts, which allow people to pay Tumblr $1 to attach a digital sticker to their posts.
When pestered about a business model in the past, Karp has always said that Tumblr would find a way to generate revenue … Continue Reading
