Both Tablets and cellsphones are rumored.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/cell-phones/what-will-hp-reveal-at-their-webos-event-on-february-9th/5209?

Personally I welcome another choice for smartphone OS that is not tied to Google or Microsoft.  The problem HP has is they need to launch a lot more hardware variations than just the Palm Pre 2  http://www.palm.com/us/products/phones/pre2/  because the slide out keyboard isn't going to appeal to touchscreen keyboard users.

On tablets: proprietary lock-in by either Apple, Google/Android, or the Telecom always seems to be a worry.  If HP can show that they are more open, and have less spyware I think that is a big plus.

Per CNN Google has all the pieces, just has not put them together.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/30/technology/google_wireless_carrier/

Resistance is futile...

A lot has happened over the last 10 years:
http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/the-decade-in-search.html

It's called iExterminate (heh):
http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2010/12/21/birmingham-man-invents-dalek-iphone-app-97319-27859021/?

/geek

Wireless carriers are considering charging customers per service: they want to charge  for Facebook use, YouTube, Skype etc.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/19/wireless-carriers-openly-considering-charging-per-service/

And Mr. Tickle is involved too:
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/british_library_maps_evolution_of_english_contribu.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+readwriteweb+%28ReadWriteWeb%29

Kinda cool you can contribute to the project.

Summary:
1. The wireless telco's have failed to live up to their promises.
2. Sprint might be on to something with it's rollout of wimax (aka Sprint 4G)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rethinking-the-mobile-internet-2010-12-03?siteid=rss&rss=1

Is Dvorak right or is this moose p##p?

QuoteUniversity of Newcastle building scientists have developed a means of repairing damaged or deteriorated concrete using a genetically engineered strain of a common soil bacteria

http://www.ecogeek.org/weird-stuff/3350-using-bacteria-to-heal-cracked-concrete?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EcoGeek+%28EcoGeek%29

72% of Brits social network in bed, instead of doing...other things...
http://www.techdigest.tv/2010/12/72_of_brits_soc.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8166017/Big-cat-blamed-for-string-of-livestock-attacks-in-Wales.html

Okay I can understand this in the US where big cats have been increasing their range moving back into areas they were wiped out from 125+ years ago.  But in the UK?  How does a big cat like a puma go missing in the UK and not get reported?

http://us.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/11/30/fcc.net.neutrality/index.html?

Accountancy: Rising Regulation to Cut Bank Profitability
http://www.accountancymagazine.com/croner/jsp/Editorial.do?channelId=-305535&contentId=1732340

To me this means the banks are not going to lend money any time soon. I expect very slow economic recovery for bricks n mortar.  Will that actually help online sales?

Added: Staying away from politics please.

I'm starting my research early, my ATT smartphone contract won't come up until June but I'm trying to get a feel for the other telecom companies in the US.  I have been unable to travel for the last 4 years so I could not really test my cellphone and data reception outside of my little patch.

So for the American users here: how has been your experience with your telecom carrier: Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon or ATT both with data and voice? Also how has the company been to deal with for support, billing etc.?

The gist of the article is that if the US gov't can seize a bit torrent search engine, why can't/won't they seize Google or Bing which can produce the same search results?

http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/101127-010659?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sewblog+%28Search+Engine+Watch+Blog%29

They at least got a proper court order to seize same first.

One thing about teh Internets is people can drop in and out of contact very quickly.  Being here and seeing so many forum nicks has brought some others MIA to mind.

Anyone know what happened to:

Black Knight: I didn't know him but always enjoyed his posts, back when.

Bob Massa: I actually know Bob from my directory days. He used to surface and then goes dark every few years.  Had moved to India last I heard.

There were a few others but many of you are here. Heh.

Feel free to list your own MIA's

If you have a forum and want to move into the mobile space you might want to look at Tapatalk.  The iPhone and Android apps convert a forum with the Tapatalk plugin into a very touch screen friendly interface.  Best touch interface I've seen so far for forum.  I belong to a motorbike forum (SMF) that uses it and it gives me a better way to interact from my phone.  Helps make forums relevant to mobile.
http://www.tapatalk.com/

Not sure it would work for the Core because it looks like forums become automatically listed in the Tapatalk directory, probably not wise for a forum flying under the radar.  I'm not 100% sure about that so there may be a workaround.