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2005-2006 iPod Nanos Blamed for Fires in Japan
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, after two years of speculating fires in Japan involved iPod nanos, confirmed Tuesday that the fires were caused by Apple's music players.

Ministry officials said public-safety investigators examining the fires believe lithium-ion batteries may have caused the iPod nanos to overheat. The ministry said Apple is aware of 14 additional cases in Japan of iPod batteries overheating.

"We are not in the position to speculate on the outcome of the investigation," Hiroyuki Yoshitsune, a Ministry official, told Agence France Press. "But after several incidents like these, it would be appropriate for Apple to take some measures to raise the public's awareness."

Lithium-ion batteries, found in many computers and mobile phones, have a higher power density than nickel-based batteries, according to Apple. This higher power provides a longer battery life. Apple warns on its Web site that iPod owners should keep the music players out of the sun or a hot car because heat will degrade the battery's performance.

Investigating the Cause

It is not clear whether the iPod nanos believed to have caused the fires were basking in the sun. Short-circuiting a lithium-ion battery can cause it to ignite or explode.

Officials have pointed to four specific models as the cause of the incidents -- MA004J/A, MA005J/A, MA009J/A and MA107J/A. More than 1.8 million of these players were sold in Japan between September 2005 and September 2006, according to published reports.

Quasi-government safety officials and Apple, according to published reports, will work together to find the specific cause of the overheating. Ministry officials are also asking Apple to improve its technology to avoid any additional fires.

Batteries a Cause for Concern

Lithium-Ion batteries have been the core problem behind many technological recalls in recent years.

In late 2006 Sony Energy Device Corp. in Japan recalled all its lithium-ion batteries...

Apple Offers 60 More Days of Free MobileMe Service
MobileMe. It could go down in Apple's history as "Woe is me."

MobileMe is a subscriber service that delivers push e-mail, push contacts and push calendars into the "cloud" of native applications for the iPhone, iPod touch, Macs and PCs. The goal is to keep them all synchronized, but MobileMe saw major outages and lost customer e-mails, leaving many users angry.

Even after a leadership change and promises to fix the issues, MobileMe is still plagued with problems. In the latest chapter, Apple is offering MobileMe subscribers a 60-day extension of the service for free. The running total of giveaway usage is now up to three months for a service that is just more than a month old.

A Sketchy E-Mail

Apple sent an e-mail to users late Monday night saying it had made "many improvements" to the problematic service. The e-mail read:

"To recognize our users' patience, we are giving every MobileMe subscriber as of today a free 60-day extension. This is in addition to the one-month extension most subscribers have already received. We are working very hard to make MobileMe a great service we can all be proud of. We know that MobileMe's launch has not been our finest hour, and we truly appreciate your patience as we turn this around. Read this article for more details."

The article merely offers more information about the free 60-day extension to MobileMe subscribers. A Q&A on the page dives into the "why" Apple is granting the extension and who is eligible for the extension and under what conditions. No further details were given about the root of the problems with MobileMe.

Beyond MobileMe

"Apple is not the superman its PR and its cult members say they are," said Bill Ho, a wireless analyst at Current Analysis. However, he added, reports of Android-based devices as iPhone-killers are premature. As...

Google Releases Android SDK, Version 0.9
A new beta software development kit is out for Android, the open-source mobile operating system backed by Google. Version 0.9 of the SDK was announced Monday on the Android Developers Blog.

An early version was released in November and, although some developers praised it, many said they found it buggy.

First Step Toward 1.0

The goal with the early version, wrote Google Developer Advocate Dan Morrill on the Android Developers Blog, was "to give developers insight into the platform as early on as possible, and to get some initial feedback." Since that release, he added, Google has been working with the Open Handset Alliance to utilize developers' feedback and get ready for the release of the first devices, now expected in the fourth quarter.

The beta SDK, he said, is another step toward an Android 1.0 release. Morrill added that it is "pretty stable and we don't expect any major changes."

But there are changes from the first release. A new home screen, along with various user-interface changes, are included in the beta. New applications include an alarm clock, a calculator, a camera, a music player, a picture viewer, and SMS/MMS text messaging.

There are also new development tools, including a graphical preview for XML layouts for users of Eclipse, plus new APIs and what Morrill described as "tons" of bug fixes.

He also pointed to the Android Developer Roadmap, "a living document" that is continually updated with achieved and upcoming milestones. Its time line, which includes Monday's release, points to additional, pre-1.0 SDK releases in September, and the 1.0 release in the third or fourth quarter.

'In a Big Rush'

The time line includes other milestones for the fourth quarter, including the first availability at retail of Android 1.0 devices, a release of source code, and a "key announcement" on Android Developer Challenge II.

Al Hilwa,...

Apple's iPhone 3G Firmware Update Bombs
After lots of complaints about iPhone 3G connection issues, Apple released a firmware update Monday with hopes it would fix the issues. But early reports suggest it didn't work as planned.

Complaints have included dropped calls, abrupt network switches, poor reception, and service interruptions.

The glitches were reportedly related to a chip inside Apple's music-playing cell phone. BusinessWeek reported last week that Apple was working on a remedy through a software upgrade.

Fix Causes More Problems

Apple declined to offer details about its iPhone 2.0.1 update, other than saying it included "bug fixes." However, comments in Apple's support forum say plenty about the latest attempt to rectify poor user experiences. In fact, the update seems to be causing new issues, apparently interfering with the GPS function, among others.

"The first thing I noticed was the really jerky scrolling in applications like looking at photos and e-mail lists. Anything that had long lists didn't like to scroll, but on the previous firmware it was very, very fast!" Demlotcrew wrote in the Apple support forum.

Other iPhone users reported having no issues with the original firmware, but now having problems with Monday's fix. One user reported the firmware turned the iPhone into a virtual brick. Many users are trying to reinstall the original firmware to avoid the new issues, opting for what they see as the lesser of two evils.

Still Looking for the Root

Richard Windsor, a financial analyst at Nomura Securities, could be right after all. In a research paper released last week, he pointed to similar complaints with 3G phones launched in Europe five years ago and speculated the culprit could be the chipset inside the iPhone 3G. The handset runs on an Infineon 3G chipset.

"We believe that these issues are typical of an immature chipset and radio protocol stack where we are almost certain that...

ThinkPad X301 Mirrors Business Notebook Trends
Lenovo has taken the wraps off a new ultrathin, lightweight notebook for enterprise workers that analysts are already calling a worthy successor to the company's ThinkPad X300. Leslie Fiering doesn't usually discuss spot product announcements, but the Gartner Research vice president was willing to make an exception Monday because, she said, the X301 exemplifies where the notebook market is heading.

It's all too easy these days for road warriors to pick up a notebook to shed a few extra pounds, Fiering noted. "It's only when they get on the road that they realize all the compromises they've had to make," she said.

"The ThinkPad X301 manages to follow the industry trend of thin and lighter for traveling workers who don't want to carry any extra weight, while at the same time be able to carry their full office environment anywhere around the world," Fiering added.

The Move to SSD

Housed in an inch-thick case, the X301 weighs less than three pounds. Though the machine has shed weight, Fiering noted, its 13.3-inch screen is a very workable size in comparison to the 12-inch screens on competing models.

The X301 does not employ conventional hard-disk technology. Instead, it features the user's choice of a 64GB or 128GB solid-state drive (SSD), which Fiering says is at the high end of what ultraportable notebook manufacturers now offer.

Though SSD technology adds to the overall cost, Fiering thinks it's worthwhile for certain classes of users. By eliminating the hard drive, "they've taken out a mechanical part that has a high failure rate," she explained.

Underneath the Hood

Featuring a 13.3-inch LED backlit display and ultrathin DVR, the ThinkPad X301 mates an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with DDR3 memory (512MB, 1GB or 2GB) -- a combo that achieves nearly a 20 percent improvement in performance over the ThinkPad X300, Lenovo...

Google Launches 'Free the Airwaves' Campaign
Having organized a coalition to promote open networks to the Federal Communications Commission with some success, Google has launched a new effort in support of "white spaces" called Free the Airwaves.

White spaces are the static between channels. According to Google on a new Web site promoting the Free the Airwaves initiative, more than three-quarters of those airwaves are not being used. Google cofounder Larry Page has described the potential as "Wi-Fi on steroids."

'A Revolution in Wireless Services'

"This vast public resource could offer a revolution in wireless services of all kinds, including universal wireless Internet," the Free the Airwaves site proclaims. It adds that the FCC will soon make a decision about whether this unused spectrum should be made available for public use, and asks visitors to sign its petition and "spread the word."

Supporters of using the white spaces contend that services not offered today, such as universal wireless online access, could be provided. Google's newest effort, like the one in favor of open networks, joins with other companies and with public-interest groups.

The Free the Airwaves consumer effort is now allied in the same cause as the White Space Coalition, an industry group whose members include Google, Microsoft, Dell, HP, Intel, Philips, EarthLink, Samsung and others. The coalition has developed a device that, with "smart" reception that intelligently separates received signals, can utilize white spaces for such goals as 80Mbps download speeds to homes.

Such access could also dramatically affect broadband access in rural and smaller markets. Opponents, such as the TV industry's Association for Maximum Service Television, say that utilizing white spaces will interfere with transmissions by licensees of the channels.

'Clear Business Interest'

Google has had some success this year in lobbying the FCC. After efforts by an alliance led by Google, the FCC required that the auctioned C block of...

Pandora Founder Says Rising Fees Threaten Webcaster
A report has surfaced that Pandora -- the popular music-mix service for computers and mobile devices such as the iPhone -- may have to stop music streaming as royalty fees drain its cash.

In an interview published Saturday by The Washington Post, Pandora founder Tim Westergren said, "We're reaching a pull-the-plug kind of decision. This is like a last stand for Webcasting."

Fees not Equal?

At issue are the royalty fees paid by online, satellite and land radio stations. Each has a separate fee structure, and proponents of Webcasting radio feel the rates for their medium is unfairly targeted.

Satellite radio pays royalties based on the subscriber base -- an easy enough number to determine from week to week, and the fees amount to 1.6 cents per listener per hour, according to some estimates.

Traditional radio stations pay no performance royalty fees. So far, so good.

But the fees imposed on Internet-based radio are byzantine and difficult to track. Under the terms of a 2007 ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), Internet-based services must pay a minimum of $500 per channel of content, plus about 60 cents per user per month. Per-song royalty rates from the CRB ruling were .0008 cents in 2006, .0011 cents in 2007, and .0014 cents this year, rising to .0018 cents in 2009 and .0019 cents in 2010.

Westergren estimated before a Senate subcommittee last month that these fees will amount to 70 percent of Pandora's revenue. And it's about to get worse. Under the 2007 agreement, fees will nearly double by 2010. If that weren't enough, hearings to begin soon will set royalty rates for 2011 and beyond, and many assume those rates will be even higher.

The Copyright Royalty Board is comprised of a three-judge panel, selected by the Librarian of Congress. In essence, the fate of all musical-performance...

AT&T Wants To Exploit Customers' Web Activity
AT&T is mulling over the idea of monitoring its customers' surfing habits for those who use the company as their ISP, according to the New York Times on Thursday. While it has not yet done so, the company pointed to practices by Google in defense of its plans. However, if it does move forward, AT&T said it would do the right thing and require an "opt-in."

The practice is anticipated for customers who use AT&T as their ISP, and no mention of iPhone or other AT&T smartphone web browsers was made. Given Apple's historical concern over customer privacy and location services "opt-in" actions, that may not be on AT&T's radar right away for iPhone users.

The AT&T statements were part of a response to an inquiry from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce after reports that some ISPs, including Charter Communications, was going to sell detailed logs of their customer's Web surfing activities to an advertising company called NebuAd.

Charter has put it's plans on hold. In its response to the House Committee, the company said it was going to use an "opt-out" approach -- the customer would have to actively ask not to be included. [However, those notifications are seldom put in a single postal letter and sent to the customer. The provision is often simply buried deep in the fine print of a service agreement.]

Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner Cable, and AOL responded to the committee and said that they don't monitor customer activity on sites that they don't run.

Dorothy Attwood, AT&T's senior vice president for public policy, provided a spirited defense of behavioral targeting, and claimed that their potential plans would benefit customers "online experience while protecting their privacy."

Recently, the FCC has been monitoring ISPs, particularly Comcast, for adherence to Net Neutrality principles. Now, the federal government also appears to...

Mobile Search May Soon Find Its Niche
The growth of mobile search has been hindered over the past five years by perceived high data costs and limited handset capability. However, higher bandwidths and the uptake of 2.5G- and 3G-capable handsets by more mainstream consumers means the medium is likely to become a more important driver of both revenue and traffic for brands.

Nokia estimates that by 2015, 5 billion people globally will have access to an always-on mobile Internet connection, and there will be a 100-fold increase in mobile network traffic. What does this mean for brands? First, mobile Internet users will use search in a different way from regular Internet users. While the latter tend to search for several keywords to refine their results, mobile users - particularly because of the small size of their screen -- will look for only a couple. This means that only the biggest brands with the deepest pockets will even appear to consumers in the majority of mobile search listings.

The biggest trend in mobile search, and use of the mobile Internet in general, is for users to venture beyond their operator's designated portal to access that of another brand. Mobile Web advertising is encouraging this practice; click-through rates for mobile Web ads are reportedly five to 10 times higher than those for other forms of online advertising.

Scott Gallacher, director of online and partnerships at Sky, believes that many brands are wary of investing a huge amount of money in mobile search because it has not yet been seen to have sufficient penetration to warrant the spending. "I don't think mobile search is on the radar for most companies because it's just not that important a channel [to them], so why would they invest in it?" he asks. "From a brand perspective, it's slightly different for us because we have a mobile-based...

Laptop Brand Not Important -- It's the Hard Drive, RAM
Last week, a colleague [wrote an article that] offered advice for purchasing a laptop for college. While some of the advice was sound, I feel the need to rebut and offer my perspective as someone who is a few years removed from college.

During my years at Purdue, I used a laptop for the majority of my note taking and paper writing.

As for hardware, the brand does not matter. The hardware differences between a Dell, Toshiba or HP are nonexistent. Each manufacturer uses the same parts and shell to enclose the hardware.

Look for a machine that has at least 2 gigabytes of random-access memory (RAM) and ample hard drive space. The more RAM, the more programs can run concurrently without degrading performance.

If your student is planning to walk the campus with a laptop, steer away from the 17-inch offerings. The typical dorm room desk is small, and space is a premium. Seventeen-inch laptops are also notorious for being heavy and having incredibly poor battery life.

With respect to the choice of XP or Vista on a Windows-based laptop, there is no reason anyone buying a new computer for college should be seeking XP.

XP will be more than a decade old by the time the student finishes a four-year program. Downgrading to XP, if given the option, is irresponsible.

The security improvements in Vista's universal account control (UAC) can be immensely beneficial on a freewheeling dorm room network that is potentially filled with viruses and malware.

UAC can be a bit annoying, with its persistent pop-ups asking you to "Cancel" or "Allow" an action. But given the choice of a few mouse clicks or spending the night reinstalling Windows because your machine has slowed to a crawl with spyware, the answer is obvious.

If you want to avoid the security issues altogether, buy a Mac. It...

Analog TV Shutdown Kills Free Cell-Phone TV
Picture whipping out your cell phone and catching up with "Lost" or "Jeopardy," or watching the local 11 o'clock news, all for free. You can do this with an imported Chinese phone, but you can't with any phone sold in the U.S. -- at least not without monthly charges.

This is one of the reasons the United States is behind several other countries when it comes to making television an attractive option for cell phones. Carrier business models are partly at fault, but choices about TV technology made long ago are largely to blame.

Most phones sold in Japan can tune in to free TV broadcasts, and there are tens of millions of viewers. Cell phones that can tune in to free broadcasts are also available in South Korea, Germany and China.

But only 3 percent of Americans regularly watched video on their cell phones late last year, according to a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. That figure includes people who watched short, downloaded clips rather than broadcast TV.

For starters, you can blame the impending shutdown of all full-power analog TV broadcasts on Feb. 17, a deadline set by the government. That Chinese handset, made by ZTE Corp., can only tune in to analog transmissions. Because most of them are going away, there's no real point in selling phones like that in the United States.

China is keeping its analog broadcasts until 2015, six years longer than the U.S., so the phones are viable there. Ironically, the TV reception chip inside comes from a U.S. company, Telegent Systems Inc., based in Sunnyvale, Calif.

The analog U.S. broadcasts are being replaced by digital broadcasts, but there are no phones anywhere that can tune in to those.

When the U.S. digital TV standard was laid down in the early '90s by the Advanced Television...

Twitter's Business Model Is Starting To Show
Twitter's business model is starting to show. An early sign came in April, when the popular microblogging service launched in Japan and the home page for every Japanese user included a big banner ad in the top right corner.

Then, on Aug. 7, Twitter made another change, this time in the U.S., by limiting the number of people a single user could connect with, or "follow," to about 2,000. Most recently, on Aug. 14, Twitter made the biggest move yet to slash costs. It killed outbound message delivery to mobile phones via short message, or SMS, in all countries except the U.S., Canada, and India.

Taken together, these moves point to the trouble with Twitter. Investors and marketers have been agog over the potential for Twitter -- unlike other social media properties, such as Facebook and MySpace -- to crack the code, finally, on wringing revenue from millions of users. But the optimists better brace for disappointment.

Metcalfe vs. Zipf

To understand the limits of Twitter's value, first look inside. Robert Metcalfe, co-inventor of the Ethernet, noticed that communication networks tend to increase exponentially with each single addition, a logic that today is called Metcalfe's Law. Think of a fax machine sitting alone and unplugged in your office; it has little value by itself. But plug it into a network of fax machines around the world, and suddenly that communications tool has huge potential.

Metcalfe's logic drove a lot of the inflated company valuations of the Internet bubble in the 1990s. And today, investors have the same hopes for a lot of companies that rely on users and their networks, including Yahoo's photo site Flickr, video sharing companies YouTube and Vimeo, and human networks on Facebook, MySpace, Pownce, and Twitter. Just think how delighted marketers would be to lob a single, online message to the...

Online Sharing with Creative Commons
Not long after Joichi Ito uploaded a photo he had taken of Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia last year, he noticed something odd. Most of the Internet luminaries and technology gurus who had write-ups on Wikipedia had poor-quality photos or none at all. It wasn't just that. "I realized that some famous people have no free photos online," says Ito, a U.S.-educated Japanese venture capitalist and co-founder of Digital Garage, a Tokyo Net startup incubator.

Ito decided to do something about it. Last May he started turning his Leica and medium-format cameras on practically anyone he met on his travels. Ito spent half the year crisscrossing the globe for meetings and conferences, and within months he had a trove of thousands of images: from O'Reilly Media founder Tim O'Reilly, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, to film directors George Lucas and J.J. Abrams [of Cloverfield and Mission: Impossible III fame]. There were even shots of Ito's own sister Mizuko and other family members.

Now he plans to publish them in a book, titled Freesoul. But Ito doesn't expect to profit. In September, when the book goes on sale on Amazon, Ito will give away the photos online. Anyone will be able to download, re-use, republish, or remix the photos for free; Ito only asks that they credit him for the originals. He thinks more people will download the photos than buy the book. "If we sell a couple thousand copies [to recoup the costs], that's fine," says the boyish 42-year-old Ito.

Giving it Away on the Internet

Ito isn't just some amateur shutterbug with an altruistic streak. In April he took over as the head of Creative Commons, a nonprofit organization that offers copyright licenses for creative works. Creative Commons is the brainchild of Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig. He started it...

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