Joseph De Avila

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New York City Sets Deal With Microsoft

Joseph De Avila, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on October 20, 2010 at 8:12 am PT

Microsoft Corp. and New York City announced an agreement on Wednesday that will provide the city’s agencies with an array of computer services, including web-based programs and traditional desktop software. The five-year deal consolidates previous agency-by-agency agreements under one contract with the tech giant. The new agreement is expected to save New York $50 million over the next five years.

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The Unused Cellphone App: "Calling"

Joseph De Avila, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on February 24, 2010 at 12:00 am PT

Harvard University senior Drew Robb is so attached to his cellphone that he keeps it by his bedside at night and in his front jeans pocket every day. He uses the Apple iPhone to check email, text his friends and play games, pretty much for everything–except phone calls.

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Your iPhone Just Called: Your Blood-Sugar Is High

Joseph De Avila, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on December 22, 2009 at 1:00 am PT

Earlier this year, Mike Dionne signed up for Polka, a smart-phone application that lets him use his iPhone to keep tabs on the health of his elderly father, who lives 80 miles away. It tracks his dad’s numerous doctors’ appointments, his insulin and medication schedule and other health information.

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On the Internet, Everyone's a Critic but They're Not Very Critical

Geoffrey A. Fowler and Joseph De Avila, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal in News on October 5, 2009 at 1:10 am PT

The Web can be a mean-spirited place. But when it comes to online reviews, the Internet is a village where the books are strong, YouTube clips are good-looking and the dog food is above average. One of the Web’s little secrets is that when consumers write online reviews, they tend to leave positive ratings: The average grade for things online is about 4.3 stars out of five.

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Smart Phone Keyboards Seem Dumb to People of Their Type

Joseph De Avila, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on September 30, 2009 at 1:00 am PT

When the iPhone first came out, Richard Kasperowski wanted one. But there was a problem. The keypad on the phone’s touch screen uses the traditional keyboard configuration, called “qwerty.”

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What Sports Would You Pay to Watch Online?

Joseph De Avila, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on March 10, 2009 at 4:15 pm PT

In the online world, where sites like Hulu and TV.com give free access to content, sports video is somewhat of an anomaly. The leagues, networks and other rights-holders that stream live games are among the few mainstream businesses that have been successful at charging people for Web content.