Hewlett-Packard has announced a $1.2 billion deal with Palm, Inc. that would allow HP, the highly successful technology mega-company to expand further into the smartphone market.

With Apple set to release their iPad 3G on Friday it’s about time that AT&T got in on some of the action and for those eagerly awaiting their iPad the news is actually pretty good.

Sunday is going to be an interesting day for internet giant Amazon.com and retail giant Target. For Amazon it’s an admission that sometimes consumers really do want to touch and feel a product before making a decision and for Target it’s the chance to market a product that has until now only been available from a web retailer, the Amazon Kindle. Personally, this seems like a win-win to me, even if it goes against everything Amazon stands for.

I’ve been thinking for some time now that the biggest changes for the iPhone are going to come from iPad developers, simply because there are things that users will want/need to do on the iPad that I am hopeful will trickle-down to the iPhone – take printing, for example. With Apple’s announcement that they are now accepting iPad apps, I am hopeful that some of these hopes will come to fruition.

Based on what Apple is leaking, applications submitted now will have a shot at being reviewed and approved before the iPad launch next month, but I would expect, since almost all apps have been developed with only the simulator, that many apps will experience problems on day/week one. Only time will tell, but I am hopeful that some good will come out of this and not a new round of fart and beer guzzling parodies.

~geek

In what may prove to be one of the biggest snafus in recent years, ComputerWorld is reporting and TheGeekChannel.com has confirmed that Microsoft is warning Windows Home Server users that the new idiot-proof software that Microsoft marketed to be the answer for people wanting to easily share their files is now corrupting those same files. 

I’m sure that this proved to be a very exciting Christmas bonus for the early adopters, with the only good news being that you might not know what you spent because Quicken, Money and Outlook are on the list of products likely to experience corruption when edited on the Microsoft Home Server share.

~geek

Chalk another one up for the Apple legal team.  A press release was issued from Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret’s publisher today.  It read as follows:

December 20, 2007 – PRESS RELEASE: Apple and Think Secret have settled their lawsuit, reaching an agreement that results in a positive solution for both sides. As part of the confidential settlement, no sources were revealed and Think Secret will no longer be published. Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret’s publisher, said “I’m pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits.”

My thoughts are pretty simple – someone gave him some information that they shouldn’t have and pissed off Apple.  He lost.  Too bad, so sad.

 Geek

Aston Martin and Bang & Olufsen have announced a “creative and strategic partnership” that is set on revolutionizing luxury automobiles. The press release states that designers, engineers and specialists from both companies will be working closely together in the future.

This could mean a variety of things, but I suspect what it means is that B&O will be putting their sound technology and aesthetics into the Aston Martin product line.  Not sure how I feel about this, but it will be be very interesting as both companies are already well known for their high-priced eye-candy.  And, of course, if they would like me to demo and review any of their products, I would be more than happy to do so.

~geek

It’s been a rumor, and now it’s official.  CompUSA has announced that they will shut their doors after the heavily discounted holiday season.  My recommendation: don’t buy any extended warranties.

Sorry to see this group go, but it’s difficult to compete as number three and their advertising, customer service, and management haven’t matched the competition in recent years.

More information at Bloomberg.

~geek

In 1984, CompUSA opened it’s doors and consumers and businesses stormed them to take advantage of value, knowledge and selection.  In recent years, it seems that the company lost it’s edge and quickly lost consumer marketshare to companies like Best Buy and Fry’s Electronics and business marketshare to companies like CDW and Dell.  In February of 2007, they shuttered 126 stores, including a handful in the Silicon Valley.  If a computer store can’t make it here…?

Therein lies the rumor – will CompUSA be closing the rest of their stores and logging out of the marketplace?  I suspect yes, but only time will tell.

~geek

Rumors are now circulating the web thta the iPhone will be getting a 1.1.3 update by the end of this week and with it two new features: voice recording and hard drive storage capabilities.  Nothing too revolutionary, but a great step forward that shows Apple will continue to enhance an already successful product.

Of course, for those of you that have hacked your iPhone… expect the usual problems.

Geek