Author: Navneet Alang

Unlike other ‘old media’ establishments like newspapers or the music industry, the movie business has been hit less dramatically by the rise of the web – despite the fact that piracy is rampant. Even though revenues from DVD sales have continued to decline, box office receipts have, at the very least, kept up with inflation. Unlike the catastrophic losses at places like Universal Music, people who make films are still doing relatively okay. But that’s not to say there isn’t trouble ahead. In fact, as Paidcontent reports a recent study put out by PriceWaterhouseCooper suggests the movie biz might…

Though WebOS never really got much traction, HP/Palm are looking to change that with today’s announcement of a new tablet based on their OS. Called the Touchpad, it seems HP/Palm are emphasizing the superiority of their interface more than any particular hardware features. That said, the specs for the device look impressive: Dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor 9.7″ display, at 1024×768 Full flash support Video calling with a front-facing camera Gyro/accelerometer and a compass 16GB/32GB storage 1.6 pounds, 13.7 mm thick From what we’ve seen so far, the device looks fast. And full flash…

Oh, Sony. The venerable old company – who have actually done some smart things lately – have gone and shot themselves in the foot. First, they have demanded that Google hand over the IP addresses of anyone who commented on or like a private YouTube video detailing how to hack the PS3. They are also asking the same of Twitter for anyone who linked to the page. Sony will sue anyone who links to or spreads the hack. First, let’s keep in mind that the PS3 hack came about because of a glaring mistake in Sony’s security, and stemmed from an attempt to put back a feature Sony removed. Second, since when it is a crime…

In the grand, glorious world that we call ‘Apple Rumors’, we have become accustomed to certain rules. For example, when the Wall Street Journal reports something, it’s usually a little more credible and believable than your run-of-the-mill rumor. So you’ll perhaps be pleased to learn that the WSJ is reporting the iPad 2 is in production, “according to people familiar with the matter” (ah, that old gem). The new iPad is said to be lighter, thinner, faster – but will have not, as many have reported, have the so-called ‘retina display’, an Apple marketing term for a screen on which the resolution is…

Those of you who have ever found yourself wishing you could merge the simplicity of a social networking tool like Facebook with the needs of business now have one more option with Teamlab, a robust and impressive online collaboration and project management tool from Ascensio Systems. Similar in many ways to ubiquitous software Basecamp, Teamlab is a free, web-based system that allows you to manage projects and communicate with other employees using a simple, well-designed interface. The newest version of Teamlab adds a couple of main features, and is now broken down into 3 main parts: TM Community,…

Groupon’s Superbowl ads have already generated a firestorm of controversy. The spots, which variously made light of endangered whales, rainforest depletion or the brutal Chinese oppression of Tibet, are being criticized for not only dismissively treating some pretty serious issues, but doing so to sell… discount coupons. But it would be a mistake to look at these ads as a little blip in an otherwise smoothly functioning world. Instead, these Groupon ads are a sign of how the tech world functions and thinks. And what’s clear is that there is something seriously wrong with that mentality….

So, once again, we are hearing about the end of blogging. This time in comes in the form of a New York Observer article. Among others, the piece quotes Gawker’s Nick Denton whose massive blog empire is undergoing a very non-blog redesign. It essentially argues that the blog is toast because people have other outlets for oversharing, and the cult of personality – in which people read blogs for or about specific people – has been overtaken by social media. Fair enough. None of this, however, means that the blog is dead. Instead, what it means is that the role of the blog has changed. Yes, its importance…

The recent events in Egypt have, among other things, been inspiring, terrifying and remarkable. But though the political situation is obviously the story here, this hasn’t stopped many from commenting on the role the internet and social media have played. Of course, we also know that Egypt very successfully – and very scarily – almost shut down their entire internet. The response from commentators around the web has been predictable: that censorship and repression are wrong and that no country should ever engage in such practices. It has been accompanied by calls for international companies…

It has become fashionable to bash 3D. Most recently, Roger Ebert came out and said that the case is over: 3D film is no good and never will be. There are many good reasons to call out 3D as a technology. Having to wear glasses is both annoying and expensive. Standards are yet to be fixed. And in the cinema, 3D dulls the picture. But for all its flaws, once 3D’s technical hurdles are overcome, it will flourish. The reason for that is that 3D is the right technology for the 21st century. But before we get to why, a little background. The History of Art Forms Each age in history develops forms of entertainment…

It is now all but certain that Sony will announce their next handheld video game system, the successor to the Playstation Portable, later this week at the ‘Playstation Meeting’. Regardless of what they say on Thursday, Sony will have an uphill battle. When the first PSP was released, the world was a different place. Sony, riding high on the massive success of  the PS1, hoped the PSP would become the Walkman of the new generation. That of course did not happen. Not only did the innovative, accessible controls of the Nintendo DS outshine the PSP, the subsequent rise of the smartphone made the bulky,…