There are certain brick and mortar outlets that simply refuse to go down without a fight. Barnes & Noble is one of them and they are partnering with a powerful force to help them make up ground with their Nook eBook reader: Microsoft. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="216" caption="Image via CrunchBase"][/caption] As subsidiary that is currently unnamed will see and investment of $300 million coming from Microsoft to help eBook and educational book sales. In return, Microsoft receives 17.6% equity, valuing the company at $1.7 billion. For B&N, it’s an opportunity to have…

Those of us who have owned an iPhone are familiar with the multitouch keyboard and overall interface of Apple’s smartphone. According to ex-Apple executive Tony Fadell, an iPhone with a physical keyboard made the final list of 3 prototypes before getting scrapped just before launch in January, 2007. According to Apple Insider: Fadell, who officially left Apple in 2008 but was kept on the payroll as a special advisor to the late Steve Jobs until 2010, worked on 18 versions of the iPod as well as the iPhone up to the 3GS before leaving to start “smart thermostat” company Nest. Steve Jobs sided with…

The tax system in the United States (and most countries) is broken. Organizations like OccupyWallStreet and their predecessors have been pointing to the corruption of banks, politicians, and rich individuals as a driving force for the financial inequality that exists everywhere. Most tech companies have gone relatively-unscathed for their own practices, but in a world where virtual goods rake in billions in profits for some, should the spotlight be pointed on them as well? [caption id=”" align=”alignright” width=”300″ caption=”"Biggest Little City in the World" arch on…

Recently, Apple announced and showcased their new vision for 64-bit non-linear editors (NLEs). They called it Final Cut Pro X (FCPX). The news of this NLC sent waves through the industry, quickly appearing to be the biggest feature at NAB 2011. Finally, Apple released FCPX. Letting my inner child’s excitement take over, I went online and download it. Many technology review blogs haven’t yet explored this software deeply; I will show you the complete details and user experience of Apple’s Final Cut Pro X. As the software loaded up, I noticed that the process was much faster than it was on…

Courtesy for competitors is a thing of the past as Apple removed Android support from app discovery firm Chomp, a company they purchase just a few months ago. It was a silent kill; no mention or blog post. It simply ceased to exist on their homepage. The battle for mobile domination has been heating up since Google tossed their fighter in the ring. There is an uncomfortable symbiotic relationship between Google and Apple as they still need each other for some components of their programs. Google needs to still be a search option on iPhones and iPads with the rise in mobile search revenue while Apple…

The iPhone world has been getting more crowded over the last year and Sprint has been on the tail end of exposure with the original AT&T and Verizon dominating the iPhone market. Sprint hopes to make a splash with the next variation by continuing to offer unlimited data plans, even if the next iPhone is 4G LTE as expected. “Frankly, it’s a marriage made in heaven,” said CEO Dan Hesse. “We’re clearly attracting customers from our competitors.” It could be the difference between success and failure for the 3rd largest provider of both iPhone service and US mobile service in general. They just released…

It’s hard to tell the difference sometimes. At other times, it’s comically easy. Apple and other companies have fallen victim to many counterfeit technology stores and products in China for years, but it seems as if there has been an influx of activity in recent months that’s been making the news. In a land that is growing into its own in pseudo-capitalism but that’s still shrouded by government-induced mystery, it can be extremely lucrative to sell fake merchandise for a little while, knowing that someday it will likely get busted. Until it does, there’s a yuan to make. This graphic from Charlotte…

Celebrities are often called on by companies to promote their products by inserting their use into their “real” lives, demonstrating to their fans that they use this product or that one. Apple has never really had to do that. Verizon has, and they are doing so again on behalf of Apple’s Siri personal assistant product. In the videos below (which unfortunately have not been released to the Verizon YouTube channel yet), you can see the two movie stars using Siri to make their lives easier. …

Amongst the “big 4″ tech companies that get most of the attention today, Google and Apple are two of the most bitter rivals. Before dying, Steve Jobs expressed an utter contempt for Google that has pretty much boiled over lately into an all-out war. Just because the companies do not get along doesn’t mean that there can’t be a little magic between their products. In this video by Comediva, the “Gmale” and “Siri” characters see through the differences of their kings to form a relationship that would make their human masters (servants?) happy if they weren’t spending so much time making pottery. …

Ashton Kutcher will play Steve Jobs in indie pic Jobs. There is a certain cohesive fit with having Ashton Kutcher play Steve Jobs. He’s smart, has roots in technology and good investments, and made mistakes in his career that have made him stronger. The only real problem is whether or not he has the acting chops to be able to pull off playing a tech icon like Jobs. His mentality is right. The once-king of Twitter has moved on to other endeavors, but he still has a stronger tie to Silicon Valley than most actors. His look and voice simply don’t seem to be a match. The goal is to suspend disbelief when playing…