Search the Mossberg Archives
AllThingsD contains an archive of columns by Walt Mossberg and Katherine Boehret from The Wall Street Journal dating back to 2005.
Search: MS
Ten Things About Me
Twenty Things About TaskRabbit Founder Leah Busque
TaskRabbit founder and Chief Product Officer Leah Busque was a software engineer in Boston (with a well-documented B.S. in computer science) when the concept of “service networking” occurred to her.
HP’s Whitman: “We Are in the Early Stages of What We Hope to Achieve Here”
So now the bad news is out. HP will cut about 27,000 jobs over the next two years or so. But CEO Meg Whitman and company are cautiously optimistic about the long haul.
A Perfect Storm: Facebook’s Troubled IPO Enters More Dangerous Waters Over Disclosure
Grab the Dramamine and a life jacket (just in case)!
Hewlett-Packard Scores a Second Quarter Beat; 27,000 Jobs To Be Cut
Good news first. Then come the job cuts.
Larry Page on Tour: Our Big Bets Do Work Out
Google CEO Larry Page is on a public speaking rampage this week.
News Byte
AT&T Taps Samsung Galaxy Appeal as Latest Prepaid Smartphone
Warm up your thumbs, AT&T customers. The carrier just announced the Samsung Galaxy Appeal, the first of its GoPhone prepaid smartphones to have a sliding physical keyboard. The Android device also features a 3.2-inch touchscreen and a three-megapixel camera. It’s also eco-friendly, as the phone’s plastic parts are made of 80 percent recycled materials. The Galaxy Appeal costs $150 and will be available in Walmart stores starting June 5, and in AT&T stores on July 15.As Social Discovery Apps Proliferate, Sonar Aims for Greater Relevance
A small but relevant update to Sonar’s mobile application.
Seagate to Acquire Consumer Hard Drive Maker LaCie
The deal would give Seagate access to LaCie’s retail and distribution footprint, and also control of a brand favored by Mac users.
Despite Bumpy Launch, Activision Sells 3.5 Million Copies of Diablo III in 24 Hours
Activision is claiming to have sold 3.5 million copies of Diablo III in its first 24 hours, setting a record for the fastest-selling PC game ever.
AT&T Shuffles Resources in New York in Push for Faster Data, Fewer Dropped Calls
The company is shifting bandwidth away from its older 2G network and toward its newer networks. Ma Bell is aiming to convince customers on the older network to upgrade their phones.
So Much for the Big Apple-Samsung Summit
Should have held it on the Napa Valley Wine Train.
Voices
For AOL, a Costly Gamble on Local News Draws Trouble
Patch.com, a network of small-town news sites owned by AOL Inc., has emerged at the center of a tug of war over the Internet company’s future.News Byte
Oracle Buys Social Media and Customer Engagement Player Vitrue
Oracle said today that it will acquire Vitrue, a privately held social media engagement platform company, based in Atlanta. The company manages more than 1.3 billion social interactions across more than 500 brands. Its customers include McDonald’s, NBC, Yahoo and Ikea. Financial terms are not being disclosed, but a report on TechCrunch has pegged the price at $300 million.This Was Inevitable: Huffington Post + Oprah Coming
You knew that these two had to join forces at some point.
Microsoft, PC Industry Will Need Windows Upgrade Offer More Than Ever
With Windows 8 arriving as late as November, Microsoft is turning to its old standby — a guaranteed upgrade program.
HP’s Whitman to Shed More Light on the Future, Including Job Cuts, Today
Expect earnings in line with expectations, but also some details about job cuts to come.
iPad Keeps Apple No. 1 in Mobile PC Sales
The mobile PC business is booming, and thanks to exploding iPad sales, Apple remains its undisputed leader.
Now I Wanna Sell This Record Directly to the Fans
What has a record company ever done for me but humiliate and torment and drag me down?
– Iggy Pop, on why he decided to sell his new album himself
Privacy Experts Weigh In on Whether There Is a Cure for “Creepy” (Video)
The Internet is full of identity thieves, stalkers and people generally trying to take advantage of you. In other words, it can be creepy.
Several Other Motorola Executives Join Sanjay Jha in Heading for the Exits
With the Google deal closed, a number of other Motorola executives are leaving the company. For rank-and-filers, though, there were few signs of the takeover on Day 1 as part of the search giant.
Voices
Nasdaq Points Up Regrets in Launching Facebook IPO
A senior Nasdaq Stock Market official told customers Tuesday afternoon that it would have pulled the plug on Facebook Inc.’s initial public offering had it known the full extent of the technical problems that plagued its systems.Socialcam’s User Retention Strategy, Part One: A New Look for the Web Interface
Socialcam has millions of users. So how will it keep them all?
100 Most Valuable Brands: Apple Tops Again; Nokia Disappears
The tech industry dominates Millward Brown’s annual survey.
Kleiner Perkins Partner Ellen Pao Sues Firm for Gender Discrimination Over Sexual Harassment
KPCB partner Ellen Pao has filed a lawsuit against her employer, alleging sexual harassment and a continuing pattern of gender discrimination against her and other women at the firm.
Vidyo Boosts Series D With Investment From Juniper Networks
The networking concern takes a strategic investment. One provision of the deal: Vidyo gets integrated with Juniper gear.
