Google Offers is expanding in the USA today. Google Offers is the daily deal service from Google that has been hyped up, but doesnt seem to have grown like the other services in the market. Anyways.. Google Offers will soon be available in Charlotte, Kansas City, Milwaukee, San Antonio and Tampa.
You can check all the debut deals for the new cities here and sign for the service over at www.google.com/offers.
Apple is opening the worlds largest Apple store in Grand Central Station in New York. Here is an inside video to see what it is like.
We previously wrote about Apple entering Grand Central about six months ago.
China has started to work on their own space station. Rebuffed from the U.S. led space station, China is launching a module to practice docking at its own station planned for 2020.
The eight-ton module will serve as an orbital testbed for China to practice robotic rendezous and docking techniques, a necessary skill for the assembly and operation of the manned outpost China intends to build around 2020.
via – Discovery
Broadband speed is a funny thing – what gets advertised by Internet service providers isn’t always what ends up being delivered by the copper cable, fiber optic line or wireless signals that make it into your home. ISPs usually find a number of different scapegoats for the differences between advertised speeds and real-world performance, including gems like line quality, signal interference and network congestion, but with the advent of new data transmission technologies that are hitting the market, federal lawmakers are zeroing in on ensuring that providers won’t be able to hide behind these excuses indefinitely.
The reason the U.S. government has gotten involved in the potential regulation of wireless data transfer speeds is because next-generation 4G network providers have become notorious for their inconsistent bandwidth. The term “4G” has unfortunately transformed into a catch-all term that actually encompasses a wide variety of different data standards, with at least three different technologies having been adopted by major players in the American market. This has led to a divergence between the data speeds promised by the international 4G standard and what is actually being labeled as 4G in the United States.
Legislation has been introduced by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo that would force wireless Internet service providers to clearly define the details of what their 4G service packages actually offer consumers. Called the Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act, the guidelines would establish a requirement for clear labeling of transmission speed, network coverage and service reliability with each 4G product. This would eliminate the blanket “4G = fast” marketing mantra that has so far saturated wireless provider advertising. The pending pack of rules would also establish an FCC evaluation of actual data transmission speeds in order to give consumers an impartial yardstick against which to compare their options.
There are some free market advocates who would argue that federal involvement in the wireless data network business is an unwelcome intrusion. However, given the fact that 4G services are positioned as premium products that come with equally premium pricing, it is definitely in the best interests of consumers to have a clear idea of what they are actually paying for.
In many ways, the decision to regulate wireless speeds is similar to government policies which establish standards for the different grades of gasoline at the fuel pump, or the quality of various building and renovation materials – a set of guidelines against which each service provider can be fairly judged, and a tool to help wireless users choose the best ISP for their particular needs.
Author Jason Lancaster writes for InternetServiceProviders.org, a website that helps consumers find internet service in Utah and across the US and Canada.
The Playstation Network is back up in the USA. Sony just flipped the switch and they want you to make sure your passwords are very secure.
This update brings back online gameplay, unlimited music on Qriocity, Netflix/Hulu access, Friends Lists, chat, Trophy comparison and PlayStation Home.
The download and installation is very quick, not taking any longer than 10 minutes. There is still no word on whether this update will be released worldwide this week.
Acer has just launched the Iconia Tab A500 android based tablet. The Acer Iconia Tab A500 features:
If you are looking to buy the Acer Iconia Tab A500 then check out Best Buy in the US and other big retailers.
Nokia has just launched the E7 in the USA. US consumers can now purchase the E7 from all good Nokia retailers. The E7 was released in Europe back in February, but it was held back for US consumers.
The E7 features:
The E7 is available from Amazon.com for $649, or Nokia USA for $679.
[Via Phone Scoop]
It has been reported by AIM (Association of Independent Music) that iTunes, Amazon and Spotify, make up 94.4% of all indie digital revenues in the UK. Thus, the other services arent really worth worrying about at the moment.
Alison Wenham, head of the UK-based consortium, pointed to a lopsided logjam. “There are now a series of monopolies and it is jolly hard for anyone else to get a slice of the market”.
In the US there is still no Spotify presence and it seems as though eMusic is the third largest player, but Im sure they will change when Spotify finally enter the US this year.
via RouteNote
Have you ever wondered how much email circulation there is in a single day? or how many emails are sent in comparison to snail mail letters? Well Pingdom have put together a great infographic that is going to blow your mind.
This is another great infographic from Mashable, which outlines Facebook’s numbers and growth compared to the USA.
