Rumor: Barnes & Nobles Going To Windows 8 For Nook

To differentiate itself, will B&N move to Microsoft OS.

The competition for 7 inch tablets continues to escalate. We know that Apple is going to announce the iPad Mini in the next few months. At least that is the rumor which is going around and has been pretty much accepted as fact with a competitive price. Barnes and Noble has been completing against Amazon with the two going up against each other in a great market and price point. The advantage that Barnes and Noble has is the brick and mortar store fronts that Amazon does not have. So what else can they do to have themselves viewed as different from Amazon when it comes to tablets?

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Rumor: Barnes & Nobles Going To Windows 8 For Nook

To differentiate itself, will B&N move to Microsoft OS.

The competition for 7 inch tablets continues to escalate. We know that Apple is going to announce the iPad Mini in the next few months. At least that is the rumor which is going around and has been pretty much accepted as fact with a competitive price. Barnes and Noble has been completing against Amazon with the two going up against each other in a great market and price point. The advantage that Barnes and Noble has is the brick and mortar store fronts that Amazon does not have. So what else can they do to have themselves viewed as different from Amazon when it comes to tablets?

Well, it appear that rumors are circulating of a new OS for the Nook tablet line in the future. At the moment, both companies are relying on versions of the Google Android OS to power their hand held devices. Amazon has heavily modified the version of Android they are running and have locked themselves into the for the future. Barnes and Noble has not done that and as a result, making a change for them would be far easier. And therefore the rumor mill has started with the possibility they are considering a move to use the Windows 8 OS to power their next tablet.

Much of the rumors about Windows 8 running on a future tablet from Barnes and Noble come from the investment of $605 million in the company by Microsoft. It seems logical to move to the next step of Windows 8 running on the Nook Tablet. Rumors are going around that the next Microsoft OS will show up on the next tablet which could be announced towards the end of the month. More than likely, it will be released in October. If it does, it will have an impact on the market and be very positive for Barnes and Noble.

If the Nook tablet does launch after Microsoft releases Windows 8, they are going to be able to tap into all the marketing which will be promoting the launch. And it the rumors are correct, the Nook tablet will take a leap up in its market share in the 7 inch tablet market. A big question we have not seen is how this might be viewed in comparison to Microsoft's coming surface tablet? Microsoft is going to put a lot behind that new tablet.

Given that all of this is a rumor, it is hard to know until things are set in concrete and officially announced. We will have to wait and see.

Would you be more interested in a Nook tablet running Windows 8?

Galaxy S3 Sales Taking Off At Over 20 Million

Ahead of iPhone 5, Samsung reports record sales.

Samsung has been having a great run with the Galaxy S3 and it is continuing. We all know that Apple will be releasing the iPhone 5 this month and will grab headlines for a time. So, ahead of that announcement, Samsung has grabbed the headlines to tout just how well their Galaxy S3 is actually doing. And with that, they are reporting sales of over 20 million phones. This is quite a important milestone for them and looks like it is going to continue.

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Google Fiberhoods Creating Digital Divide In Kansas City

Even with the right intent, the consequences create problems.

Google’s decision to provide fiber to homes was received with great fanfare. For the expectation, initially, was that everyone would have access to fiber to the home in Kansas City. But that is not exactly how things are working out for access to fiber. As you can see above from the Google fiber site, this is a great deal for Kansas City. Pricing and services are excellent and you get great speeds associated with Google fiber. But as they say, the devil is in the details. And the details appear to be creating concern for some. There are even reports that some schools may not get the fiber service because of how this is being handled.

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Google Fiberhoods Creating Digital Divide In Kansas City

Even with the right intent, the consequences create problems.

Google's decision to provide fiber to homes was received with great fanfare. For the expectation, initially, was that everyone would have access to fiber to the home in Kansas City. But that is not exactly how things are working out for access to fiber. As you can see above from the Google fiber site, this is a great deal for Kansas City. Pricing and services are excellent and you get great speeds associated with Google fiber. But as they say, the devil is in the details. And the details appear to be creating concern for some. There are even reports that some schools may not get the fiber service because of how this is being handled.

With the paid Google Fiber services, you get a Google Drive at 1TB included which is a good deal. Why wouldn't everyone want to jump on this and take advantage? This question appears be the heart of the matter. At the moment, it is all about sign ups, or pre-sign ups, at this point. It appears that people have been slow to register as you can see from the Google fiber tracking map. And if there are not enough people signing up, Google will move that neighborhood to the back of the line. And it is that situation which will add to the digital divide.

This divide in Kansas City is pretty much along the richer and poorer neighborhoods. And that is where the digital divide exists in so many cities across the US. As a result, Google is creating neighborhoods with Google fiber and making things worse by create literally classes of people. Those who have and those who have not. Google has even lowered the number of household sign ups in a neighborhood in order to be more inclusive. While that has helped, it still is creating situations where people are not going to be getting Google fiber and the fiberhood.

While there are costs associated with laying fiber in neighborhoods, such as digging trenches, it seems that Google is now focusing on those where they are going to be getting the most return on their investments. That is far different than how it was viewed when first announced. Here we are on the verge of them beginning construction and the realities are starting to show up. If you want to get free Internet, you have to pay the $300 in start up fees. For those who are paying for better services, there are no start up fees. And in that situation lies the problem.

If Google was really willing to provide services, they would wave the start up fees based on income. Foe those in lower income areas, which are not meeting the registration numbers, they can ill afford to pay the $300. It is those kinds of things which are creating this new digital divide in Kansas City.

Google has also agreed to provide connections to Public institutions, which includes the schools in the neighborhoods where they are rolling out their fiberhoods. But, if the lower income neighborhoods are not going to get the fiber to their homes, that means that the schools are not going to be getting the free fiber services as well. We add to the coming digital divide in Kansas City as a result.

Access to the Internet has become an important part of everyone's life. But not everyone has that access. In the US, the cost to families for that connectivity is not cheap and it was hoped that we would see things begin to change across the US with lower prices and faster speed. In Korea, they have blanketed the country with fiber. Here is the US we are just beginning. And is seems that the digital divide is going to continue.

WordPress - 10 Essential Plugins To Meet Your Needs

Updates for WordPress seem to happen with regularity to keep your site secure and performing well. We all apply updates to our WordPress site, or at least you should be applying them if that option is available to you. But what about your plugins? You can update them when you are reminded, but have you recently taken a look at the plugins that you currently are using? What others are out there to take a look at and use on your WordPress site?. There are new ones being added almost daily and you need to periodically do a review of what you are using as compared to what is available.

There are articles which are posted which you can use as a guide to reevaluating the plugins you are using on your WordPress Site. In one provided by ComputerWorld, they have put together a list of the 10 essential WordPress plugins for your reference.

• Blubrry PowerPress - lets you provide audio and video podcasts


• Gravity Forms - commercial plugin with advanced form building abilities


• Jetpack - From Automatic the providers of WordPress with 13 different tools


• JQuery Accordion Menu Widget - Custom navigation menues


• Redirection - handles missing links on your site and redirects to valid location


• Revision Control - controls number of versions for post - essential tool for large site


• Social Media Widget - provides method for readers to communicate with Tweeter, Facebook, etc.


• W3 Total Cache - converts some of your site to static HTML pages for faster display


• WP-Table Reloaded - create tables which can be included in embedded in posts


• WPtouch - creates mobile friendly interface for your site

There are many others to be considered as well, but this is a great starting point. You really should be doing a review of the plugins on your WordPress site at least once a year. And in doing that, you should be looking at what is new and will improve your site. Take some time to read through 10 essential WordPress plugins.

FCC To Begin Study Of Mobile Broadband Performance

We have all heard the numerous claims which wireless carriers have made here in the US about just how great the performance is for their wireless services. And yet it seems that some of the claims are a little hard to accept. And we may be seeing another resource for getting performance measurements for wireless carriers. This is coming care of the FCC in a Press Release today where they are going to start holding hearing on the topic of "Mobile Broadband Performance".

We know of the previous program where the FCC measured the broadband performance needs for homes and it looks like it was a success. You can read the most recent reports from that effort to see the value in what they provided. If they can perform a similar service related to mobile broadband, it will provide an independent analysis for everyone to review.

With the FCC reviewing mobile performance (and speeds) and then reporting their results, we will have a fair comparison between the information they gather and the claims of wireless carriers. For some wireless carriers, they may get a black eye from this exercise. It will be interesting to see the results, but don't expect to see it completed within the next 12 months.

Here is the FCC Press Release.

FCC ANNOUNCES “MEASURING MOBILE AMERICA” PROGRAM TO TEST MOBILE BROADBAND PERFORMANCE

Washington, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission today announced the launch of Measuring Mobile America, the first nationwide mobile broadband performance measurement program. As mobile broadband has become part of our everyday communications infrastructure, it remains difficult for consumers to get detailed information about their mobile broadband performance. The program will expand the FCC’s broadband measurement program to test mobile performance data.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, “We know from experience: transparency on broadband speeds drives improvement in broadband speeds. Our ongoing Measuring Broadband America program has helped improve performance in wired broadband. Our new mobile broadband measurement initiative extends the program to smartphones and other wireless devices. It will empower consumers and encourage improvements in mobile networks and programs, benefitting millions of Americans.”

Building on the model for the FCC’s ongoing Measuring Broadband America program, the first broad-scale study of actual home broadband performance throughout the United States, the FCC will work with wireless carriers, the public interest and research community, and other stakeholders to deliver consumers detailed information about mobile broadband performance.

The Measuring Broadband America program has been proof-of-concept that a public-private partnership designed to promote transparency could yield tangible benefits for millions of American consumers. In the one year between the first and second Measuring Broadband America reports, the FCC saw significant improvements in broadband performance and offerings.

On September 21, 2012, the Federal Communications Commission will hold an open meeting to discuss the new program. The FCC has received commitments to cooperate in this program from major wireless carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, and CTIA—the Wireless Association®. With the launch of this open meeting, the FCC looks forward to the participation of other critical stakeholders, including the public research community. The FCC’s Measuring Mobile America program will continue the agency’s efforts to respond to the recommendations in our National Broadband Plan to improve the availability of information for consumers about their broadband service.