Tech 101 - Episode 1

CourseCast of the Week

Episode 0083, 01/10/2009

Title/Description: Macworld, CES, Stimulus, and News Briefs

Welcome to Course Technology's CourseCast of the week, Episode 83, recorded January 10th, 2009. This is Ken Baldauf bringing you this week's technology news and information. This CourseCast is brought to you by Course Technology. Check out www.cengage.com/coursetechnology for innovative textbooks and creative electronic learning solutions.

Story 1 - Tech Shows

There is no shortage of tech news this week thanks to two big Tech Industry shows that drew thousands of tech analysts and enthusiasts to San Francisco and Las Vegas this past week: MacWorld and the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES.

It was at Macworld that Steve Jobs made headlines with his introduction of the iPhone two years ago, and again with the unveiling of the Macbook Air last year. This year, Steve canceled due to health problems, and his replacement Phil Schiller had no major news to announce, according to most journalists. The news that was announced included new versions of ilife and iwork, a new 17" Macbook Pro that utilizes Apple’s new unibody construction technique that includes a long-lived battery, and at long last, the retirement of DRM from iTunes music altogether, and a variable pricing scheme.

MacWorld was overshadowed by new innovations unveiled at CES in Las Vegas. As expected there were all kinds of new television technologies demonstrated including super-thin OLED televisions, and 3-D televisions. There were many, many new netbooks at the show. The one that created the most buzz was the Sony Vaio P, a very stylish netbook that fits in a purse or large jacket pocket. It includes a large keyboard and a display with a wide-screen aspect ratio perfect for movies and media. Thin and sleek was also in style at this show, stealing perhaps from the Macbook Air. Dell's Adamo and MSI's X-Slim fall into this category. LG gets the prize for novelty, with its new wrist watch phone that includes a media player and text messaging capabilities.

Microsoft's Steve Balmer used his time as Keynote speaker to sing the praises of the soon-to-come Windows 7. The Beta was released to developers this last Friday, and will soon be available to a million users to try out as well. The company that got the most notoriety from CES this year was Palm. Yes, Palm, the company that many analysts had written off, unveiled an impressive new smart phone and new operating system. The Palm Pre includes a multi-touch display like the iPhone, plus a slide out QWERTY keyboard, the Palm WebOS that runs on it includes all of the iPhone features and then some. Reviewers are very impressed and excited about this handset which will soon be available on Sprint's network. For photos and reviews of the Palm Pre and many of the other technologies unveiled at CES, check out the show notes.

Apple unveils new MacBook Pro, iLife/iWork suites at Macworld [Computerworld]
Jobs may have Type 1-like diabetes, says endocrinologist [Computerworld]
Apple's Music Deal Could Mean the End of DRM [NewsFactor]
Elgan: Palm and Sony out-Apple Apple [Computerworld]
Sony VAIO P hands-on [Engadget]
Sony gets official with VAIO P: world's lightest 8-inch netbook [Engadget]
CES: Palm Pre features touch screen, new OS [Computerworld]
Palm Pre / webOS launch roundup [Engadget]
Palm Pre interface tour [Engadget]
CES: Acer also releases Windows Home Server [Computerworld]
FAQ: How to get the Windows 7 beta [Computerworld]
Cisco down to business with gear for digital home [Computerworld]
LG debuts wristwatch phone at CES [Computerworld]
Video: LG Watch Phone hands-on [Engadget]
Asus debuts S121 netbook with Windows 7 and 512GB SSD [Computerworld]
HP Mini 2140 reviewed, very loved [Engadget]
CES: HP says new netbook can run for up to 8 hours between charges [Computerworld]
Dell's ultra-thin Adamo laptop set free [Engadget]
MSI X-Slim 320 vs MacBook Air... fight! [Engadget]
Eyes on with LG's near-production 15-inch OLED TV: come on summer [Engadget]
3D coming around again, in your home [Reuters]
Microsoft releases Window 7 public beta [Reuters]

Story 2 - Economic Tech Stimulus

Speaking of unveilings, President-elect Barack Obama unveiled a huge economic stimulus package this week that he is pressing Congress to push through as quickly as possible. The package could cost close to $1 trillion and includes significant benefits to the Tech industry. The package includes a call for

U.S. medical records to be computerized within five years,
rolling out broadband to unserved and underserved areas,
updating the U.S. energy grid with smart technologies, and
more computers and new technologies in schools

Obama includes broadband, smart grid in stimulus package [Computerworld]
Stimulus could create thousands of IT jobs [InfoWorld]
Stimulus math: $30B in spending equals 950k tech jobs [Computerworld]

And that brings us to News Briefs.

Microsoft has begun testing Web-based versions of its Office software that combined with its Office Live Workspace social applications, will provide users with all they need from one online source.
Microsoft testing a better rival to Google Docs [Computerworld]
Facebook has announced that it has just passed 150 million users, half of whom use the site on a daily basis.
Facebook hits milestone -- 150 million users [Computerworld]
Clearwire and Sprint have launched their WiMAX broadband wireless service in Portland, making it the second city after Baltimore to benefit from 4G wireless service. Washington, Chicago and other large cities are slated to get the service in 2009.
Clearwire launches WiMax service in Portland [Computerworld]
A number of high-profile Twitter accounts were hacked this past week including Barack Obama's and Brittney Spears’. Twitter has also been the target of a recent phishing scam. Apparently the service has become popular enough to draw the attention of the hacker community.
Hackers hijack Obama's, Britney's Twitter accounts [Computerworld]
The retirement of Analog over-the-air television is drawing near. Some individuals and groups including president-elect Barack Obama are requesting that the February 17 deadline be extended to provide individuals with more time to prepare.
Obama's Request To Delay DTV Stirs Controversy [NewsFactor]

That's it for this week's CourseCast. Links to this week's stories and many more news and information resources are provided at the CourseCast Web site at coursecasts.course.com. E-mail us with your suggestions for the show at course.coursecasts@cengage.com. Until next time, have a great week and be sure to take advantage of the Power -- of Technology!