| The Top 10 tech trends for 2012 Posted: 21 Dec 2011 07:58 AM PST 1. Touch computing New input methods will be the dominant trend of 2012. Tablet computers such as the iPad might seem like a nice alternative to desktop and laptop computers, but I believe they're more than that: They're replacements. Just as the command line (remember that?) gave way to graphical user interfaces, so the mouse will be superseded by touchscreens. The signs are obvious: Windows 8 and Mac OS X Lion, the latest desktop operating systems, borrow heavy from their mobile counterparts. These new interfaces essentially impose a touchscreen-inspired interface over the traditional desktop environment. Over time, this half-step will become a whole one, and mobile operating systems will dominate. The transition won't be complete by the end of 2012, but we'll be much further down the path, and using computer mice much less often. 2. Social gestures In the social media realm, social gestures appear to be the leading trend of 2012. Launched by Facebook in September, this so-called "frictionless sharing" functionality removes the need to click a button to share media with your friends. Instead, everything you listen to, read or watch is automatically posted to your profile once you approve the relevant app. If you've seen apps such as Spotify or Social Reader in your Facebook news feed, you're already aware of these features. The trend makes sense for social networks: With 800 million people already on Facebook, its growth is bound to slow. But if sharing becomes automatic, the volume of content on Facebook will grow at an accelerated pace. There's a big problem, however: Users may be "creeped out" by all this automated sharing of their Web activity and grow suspicious of the apps using it. 3. NFC and mobile payments Next year is likely to be the year when mobile payments blossom. While we've seen a great deal of innovation in mobile payments technology this year -- including the success of Square's iPhone dongle, allowing anyone to accept credit card payments -- 2012 is the year of NFC. What's that, you ask? Near Field Communication essentially lets you replace your credit cards with your phone: Wave an NFC-enabled phone near the credit card reader in a store (or taxi cab), and the money is deducted from your account. By 2013, 1 in 5 cellphones are expected to be NFC-equipped. Early contenders include Google Wallet, Visa Wallet, Serve (by American Express) and ISIS. 4. Beyond the iPad If touch computing is the future, then the iPad is surely king. And yet the iPad came up against serious competition in the latter part of 2011: As I wrote previously, I expect the new Amazon Kindle Fire to outsell the iPad in 2012. Why? Simply put, the iPad costs $499 while the Fire costs $199. Amazon's advantages don't stop at the price point, however: The company owns an entire content store of movies, e-books, TV shows and other media. With tablet devices, the hardware is somewhat important but the content available for the device is absolutely critical: With plenty of media available for the Fire right away, it's an appealing proposition. Why does one device constitute an entire trend? Well, as a true competitor to the iPad emerges, content producers, distributors and even app developers may have an entirely new platform on which to push their wares. (And yes, the Kindle Fire does indeed run Google's Android operating system, but Amazon's version is so unlike other Android tablets that neither users nor app developers will perceive it as "yet another Android device" -- it's a whole new platform.) 5. TV Everywhere So you thought you'd be able to watch all your favorite shows online and get rid of your cable subscription for good? Not so fast! The cable companies have a cunning plan: They'll let you watch live TV, plus on-demand movies and TV shows, on your connected devices if you keep your cable subscription. Dish Network, Time Warner and Comcast are among those offering the service. TV Everywhere has been buzzed about since 2010, of course, and could be a dud -- but the rise of tablet devices would seem to create increased demand for a "TV in your hands." 6. Voice control Here's another trend that's got a moderate chance of taking off in 2012: Voice control.
Siri, the voice-control feature in the iPhone 4S, may spread to other devices. The novelty of Siri on the iPhone 4S -- which allows you to send texts, create reminders, search the Web and much more using just your voice -- may be the start of a new trend in voice controlled devices. Surely voice control has been around for years? Yes, but it wasn't very accurate. Siri and its ilk define a new era in which we talk, and our devices understand -- often on the first attempt. Other device makers will likely follow suit. What's more, Apple may use voice control to replace the TV remote. 7. Spatial gestures Other input methods are gaining traction too: Microsoft's Kinect, for instance, has given rise to interfaces that use spatial gestures. Just like in "Minority Report," your devices can be controlled simply by waving your hands in the air. Thanks to the many innovators who have hacked Kinect to work with other platforms, we may see more devices using this input method next year. 8. Second-screen experiences "Second-screen experiences" is a buzz-phase among TV and movie execs these days. It refers to apps (mainly on the iPad) that listen to the audio output of your TV and display content related to the show or movie you're watching. The chances are that you already use your tablet computer or phone while watching TV, so there's ample opportunity to make the viewing experience a more interactive one. Disney already has second-screen apps for movies such as "The Lion King" and "Bambi," while multiple TV networks have similar offerings: We can expect many, many more to be released in 2012. 9. Flexible screens Personally, I just can't wait for flexible screens: These awesome new bendable interfaces will let you zoom in, zoom out and scroll around a page simply by twisting your phone or tablet. Nokia and Samsung have both hinted they may release phones with bendable displays in 2012. The really exciting stuff, however -- like paper-thin devices that roll up to fit in your pocket -- is still years away. 10. HTML5 Can I squeeze in one more trend? It's HTML5 -- the fifth iteration of the HTML standard -- and it lets developers create richer, more interactive applications than ever. Why does this matter? As developers tire of building applications for every operating system out there -- from Android to iOS to Windows Phone and beyond -- HTML5 offers the opportunity to build an app once and have it work everywhere. The rise of HTML5 is bound to be accelerated by a recent revelation: Adobe is killing off Flash for mobile devices, meaning one of the primary methods of serving videos and rich applications on mobile phones is about to disappear. HTML5 will fill that gap. For us as consumers, that means richer applications and experiences on all our devices. In short, 2012 is all about new ways to interact with our devices through touch and voice control, new lightweight ways to share content, a revolution in mobile payments and a plethora of rich Web applications -- not to mention the hundreds of new innovations that we've yet to dream up. I can't wait. by: cnn
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| Winter Solstice Thursday, December 22,2011 Posted: 21 Dec 2011 12:29 AM PST |
| Monta Ellis Posted: 21 Dec 2011 12:09 AM PST Monta Ellis from the shooting guard for the Golden State Warriors will be sued on Wednesday morning in Oakland, Alameda County Superior Court for sexual harassment of a former employee Warriors.
The press conference will be held shortly after filing a complaint. Applicant and the evidence against Ellis, who is obscene images, will be presented to the media.
I spoke with the alleged victim lawyer, Burton F. Bultuch, on Tuesday evening.
Bultuch claimed that the harassment began in November 2010 and lasted until January 2011. Shortly thereafter, plaintiff escaped from the team.
Asked why the team gave for firing employees, Bultuch said: "The team told her that her services are no longer needed her position was eliminated."
Bultuch says it was no accident. "Since January, the team with a variety of steps to cover this up." He would not elaborate further.
The action comes just a week after the former security director of the NBA, Warren Glover, removed from office. Glover went on record saying that he believes he was fired as advocated in favor of women in the league.
I asked Bultuch if the timing of the process against Monta Ellis was still connected. He replied:
"This applies only to the extent that I think might be culture sports teams to cover male harassment of women."
I ended up a conversation asking if Bultuch images described as "outrageous and graphic" Identify Monta Ellis. He said, verbatim:
"Well, it is not possible, it is not his picture, but was sent from his mobile phone to her."
This paragraph will be updated with additional information after a news conference on Wednesday morning. 
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