Journalist, editor, and communications strategist.https://iansherr.com/https://iansherr.com/writing/2022/tesla-drivers-are-getting-fed-up-with-elon-musks-twitter-meltdowns/https://iansherr.com/writing/2022/tesla-drivers-are-getting-fed-up-with-elon-musks-twitter-meltdowns/The last straw for Heather was Elon Musk's attacks on Anthony Fauci, one of the world's most respected immunologists and the outgoing director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. For Logan, it was when Musk ordered employees to stop paying Twitter's bills to vendors for services they'd already rendered. For Tom, Musk's corrosive and unstable leadership of Twitter since he bought the social media site at the end of October was just too much.Mon, 19 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2022/betting-big-on-bad-behavior-to-score-political-points/https://iansherr.com/writing/2022/betting-big-on-bad-behavior-to-score-political-points/All it took was a 30-second video for Eric Greitens to become a trending topic on social media this summer. The Missouri Republican Senate hopeful's ad starts with him walking up to a home, shotgun in hand and pistol on his hip. He says the target "feeds on corruption and is marked by the stripes of cowardice." After a team of men in military fatigues ram the door down, Greitens walks in saying he's acting on behalf of former President Donald Trump's political movement, hunting "RINOs" -- a mocking abbreviation among conservatives, "Republicans In Name Only."Mon, 17 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2022/the-normalizing-of-extreme-politics-is-playing-out-on-twitter/https://iansherr.com/writing/2022/the-normalizing-of-extreme-politics-is-playing-out-on-twitter/A couple of months after Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman had a stroke in May, his Republican opponent and former TV personality Mehmet Oz posted a link to his more than 3 million Twitter followers. "Hoping to make it to a \*Fetterman for Senate\* campaign event? Details are linked below!" The website, paid for by Oz's campaign, depicted Fetterman as an overweight, shirtless and "lazy" "basement bum" as he recovered. Fetterman returned to the campaign trail in mid-August and leads Oz, who's been endorsed by Donald Trump, in the latest polls.Fri, 07 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2022/the-next-iphone-moment-will-arrive-eventually-hurry-up-already/https://iansherr.com/writing/2022/the-next-iphone-moment-will-arrive-eventually-hurry-up-already/Before the iPhone launched on June 29, 2007, Tony Fadell was used to a regular working rhythm at Apple. People would send out emails at the beginning and end of the day, with "action items" based on conversations and other things that had recently happened. Sometimes, emails arrived between meetings too, but it wasn't a lot of them. That all started to change about five months before the iPhone's launch. Suddenly, the frequency of emails increased. The several dozen employees using prototype iPhones around the company's Cupertino, California, offices were sending many more emails throughout the day, including in the middle of meetings, ramping up communication across the company.Wed, 29 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2022/why-johnny-depp-vs-amber-heard-dominated-the-internet/https://iansherr.com/writing/2022/why-johnny-depp-vs-amber-heard-dominated-the-internet/Marc Musso has a habit of writing a silly song about whatever he's doing. Sometimes it's about feeding his cat Malmo, other times it's about playing board games. So it's probably no surprise that as the 27-year-old Texan was watching a live feed of the defamation trial between actor Johnny Depp and actress Amber Heard, he found himself writing a song about the divorced couple.Sun, 15 May 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2022/the-great-resignation-is-changing-work-in-america-and-its-here-to-stay/https://iansherr.com/writing/2022/the-great-resignation-is-changing-work-in-america-and-its-here-to-stay/Like so many other people, Josh Feldman found his work life changing when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Isolation at home with family became the norm, even while he continued working at the job he loved as the vice president of leadership and student experiences at Hillel International, a Jewish nonprofit organization. He adjusted for a while, just as millions of others did. But eventually, the change unexpectedly forced him to confront just how burned out he was.Wed, 05 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2021/people-are-fighting-back-against-gift-card-scammers-heres-how/https://iansherr.com/writing/2021/people-are-fighting-back-against-gift-card-scammers-heres-how/Four years ago, Jim Browning decided he'd had enough. Like so many of us, he gets incessant calls from scammers, disrupting his day with efforts to trick him into giving them money. But instead of just being annoyed and ignoring his phone, Browning chose to fight back. He began to study scammers' tactics and learned that many of them rely on the same script and use most of the same remote control software tools. And he used his skills working on computers by day to program a virtual PC -- think of it like a safe and secure copy of a machine running in an app on his real computer. Once a scammer connected with his virtual PC, thinking they'd found another victim, Browning would pretend to struggle with his internet connection as he quietly took remote control of the scammer's computer.Fri, 26 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2021/gift-card-scams-are-growing-and-were-all-paying-the-price/https://iansherr.com/writing/2021/gift-card-scams-are-growing-and-were-all-paying-the-price/The scams start out innocently enough. Maybe a phone call from someone who says he works for Amazon, claiming he noticed someone hacked into your account. Maybe someone who says she works for Microsoft, offering a refund for a computer security service you bought a few years ago that stopped working.Wed, 24 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2021/how-the-search-for-the-next-steve-jobs-is-ruining-silicon-valley/https://iansherr.com/writing/2021/how-the-search-for-the-next-steve-jobs-is-ruining-silicon-valley/Few people figure in the story of Silicon Valley as prominently as Steve Jobs. After co-founding Apple in 1976, Jobs was famously fired from the company in 1985. In a twist worthy of Shakespeare, he returned a little over a decade later to save Apple from near-bankruptcy, setting it on the path to become one of the world's most highly valued companies. His is one of the great American success stories. Jobs still looms large over the tech world, even now, a decade after he died on Oct. 5, 2011, at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer. His ability to tie emotional stories to his company's products, which he would reveal during splashy product launches that typically ended with "one more thing," is widely emulated by executives at companies big and small. As are his top-down leadership style and obsession with secrecy. Some have even adopted their takes on his trademark uniform: black mock turtleneck, jeans and New Balance sneakers.Mon, 04 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2021/why-your-iphone-may-never-be-made-in-the-usa/https://iansherr.com/writing/2021/why-your-iphone-may-never-be-made-in-the-usa/The 15-minute video begins with upbeat music and a title slide that reads "We Are Manufacturing." It cuts to a shot of the clear blue sky, with three flags ruffling in the breeze. There's the Stars and Stripes, California's Bear Flag and a multicolored Apple logo. The camera pans toward a high-tech-looking building and a narrator tells us we're in Fremont, California, about an hour's drive from the heart of Silicon Valley.Thu, 05 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2021/apples-battle-with-fortnite-could-change-the-iphone-as-we-know-it/https://iansherr.com/writing/2021/apples-battle-with-fortnite-could-change-the-iphone-as-we-know-it/Sherlock and Watson, peanut butter and jelly, Netflix and chill. Since 2008, Apple has created that sort of inextricable link between its iPhones and its App Store. The company's "there's an app for that" ad campaign drew millions of people, who over the years have bought more than a billion iPhones. And since the App Store was the only place to get programs for the iPhone, millions of developers flocked to Apple too. Now the tech giant is confronting questions about whether it's running a monopoly, forced into the topic by Fortnite maker Epic Games and Epic's lawsuit alleging an abuse of power. On Monday, Apple will face off against Epic in a California court over a seemingly benign issue around payment processing and commissions. In short: Apple demands app developers use its payment processing whenever selling in-app digital items, like a new look for a Fortnite character or a celebratory dance move to perform after a win.Sat, 01 May 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2020/apples-new-mac-mini-is-killing-my-hackintosh/https://iansherr.com/writing/2020/apples-new-mac-mini-is-killing-my-hackintosh/One of my favorite nerdy hobbies is ending, whether I want it to or not. And it's Apple's fault. Back in 2016, I was frustrated that Apple hadn't updated its Mac Mini, iMac or Mac Pro computers in at least a year. The company pumped out new iPhones, iPads, AirPods and MacBooks at a regular pace, and I had at least one of each. But the desktop Macs weren't getting the same attention.Wed, 30 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2020/apples-remaking-mac-computers-and-its-taking-control-to-do-it/https://iansherr.com/writing/2020/apples-remaking-mac-computers-and-its-taking-control-to-do-it/Apple has always sold its computers like luxury cars, highlighting sex appeal while promising they can get the job done too. Now, with new innards it custom-built itself, Apple is hoping to kick that appeal into overdrive. This week Apple began preorders for its new $999 MacBook Air and $1,199 MacBook Pro laptops, as well as its revamped $699 Mac Mini no-frills desktop. The company says the new machines can run laps around their previous iterations, hitting benchmarks that, according to Apple, make them among the fastest personal computers in the world. Plus, the company says, they're able to do that while offering better battery life and, in the case of the MacBook Air, without a sometimes noisy fan too.Fri, 13 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2020/tech-firms-face-growing-resentment-toward-parent-employees-during-covid-19/https://iansherr.com/writing/2020/tech-firms-face-growing-resentment-toward-parent-employees-during-covid-19/Silicon Valley had to change the way its employees work when the coronavirus pandemic forced schools to close, businesses to abandon their offices and millions of people to quarantine in their homes across the US starting in March. Among the changes, companies offered flexible schedules and increased time off to help caregivers and employees in their ranks take care of their families. But though the companies said they'd support parents at home with their children, not all managers and co-workers agreed. Over time, an undercurrent of resentment has bubbled up across the tech industry against those splitting time between work and family, and it's spilled out in public on employee message boards, company chat software and on social networks. At Facebook, the pushback has forced COO Sheryl Sandberg, a parent herself, to defend the company's policies.Sun, 06 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2020/us-accuses-supplier-for-amazon-apple-dell-gm-microsoft-of-human-rights-abuses/https://iansherr.com/writing/2020/us-accuses-supplier-for-amazon-apple-dell-gm-microsoft-of-human-rights-abuses/The US Department of Commerce added 11 Chinese companies to its list of firms implicated in human rights violations, including China's reported campaign against Muslim minority groups from an area of the country known as the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. At least one of those companies, Nanchang O-Film Tech, is listed as a supplier or undefined "partner" with nearly two dozen tech and car companies, including Amazon, Apple, Dell, GM and Microsoft. The Commerce Department said the group of 11 companies that supported "mass arbitrary detention, forced labor, involuntary collection of biometric data and genetic analysis" targeted at Uighurs and other minority groups will face restrictions on US products, including technology.Mon, 20 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2020/how-video-of-mlk-rodney-king-and-george-floyd-changed-our-view-of-police/https://iansherr.com/writing/2020/how-video-of-mlk-rodney-king-and-george-floyd-changed-our-view-of-police/Jody Armour remembers the first time he saw a video of Rodney King being beaten by Los Angeles police officers in the spring of 1991. And the second time. And the third time. And many after that. The video of police beating King, an unarmed black man in a parking lot, had saturated the airwaves shortly after it happened on March 3. Newly launched 24-hour cable news networks like CNN played it on a near constant loop.Sat, 13 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2020/sony-resets-ps5-games-event-for-june-11-promises-1-million-to-black-causes/https://iansherr.com/writing/2020/sony-resets-ps5-games-event-for-june-11-promises-1-million-to-black-causes/Last week, Sony postponed a planned event to show off new games for its upcoming PlayStation 5 video game console, due later this year. At the time, the company said it wanted to "allow more important voices to be heard" as people around the world protested police misconduct and the killing of George Floyd. Now Sony has a new date for its event: June 11, at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET. Sony's pretaped event will focus on games, but the company plans to make more announcements ahead of the PS5's launch sometime in the fall.Mon, 08 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2020/silicon-valleys-learning-it-cant-work-tech-employees-to-the-bone-during-coronavirus/https://iansherr.com/writing/2020/silicon-valleys-learning-it-cant-work-tech-employees-to-the-bone-during-coronavirus/The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the world into a mass experiment in working from home. For some companies, self-quarantine for the public good has meant finding new ways to collaborate while navigating spotty internet connections, video conferencing etiquette, new apps and even newer security woes. That's a no-brainer for Silicon Valley, where companies build apps and technologies to help power services used by hundreds of millions of people each day. But with schools and day care centers closed around the country, tech companies, from Apple to Facebook to Google to LinkedIn to Uber, are facing a more challenging test: family. Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged in a March conference call with the press that caring for his two young daughters at home with his wife, Priscilla, a pediatrician, is "a big change."Thu, 23 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2020/this-hospital-is-using-microsoft-video-chat-to-protect-doctors-fighting-coronavirus/https://iansherr.com/writing/2020/this-hospital-is-using-microsoft-video-chat-to-protect-doctors-fighting-coronavirus/You can't walk into the intensive care units at St. Luke's University Health Network because of concerns over spreading the novel coronavirus. But if you did, you'd see something new amid the beds, medical equipment and tubes. It's a device with Microsoft's Teams software running. Over the past couple months, the hospital network -- like so many of us -- has turned to technology to bridge the in-person communication lost due to the threat from the coronavirus. The virus, which was labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization last month, has caused 2 million confirmed cases around the world. Governments have imposed lockdowns, hoping to slow the virus' spread and give hospitals time to treat victims.Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2019/google-stadia-wants-to-be-the-future-of-gaming-so-do-microsoft-sony-and-amazon/https://iansherr.com/writing/2019/google-stadia-wants-to-be-the-future-of-gaming-so-do-microsoft-sony-and-amazon/And then there were four. Google Stadia, the tech titan's new service that lets you play video games like you stream the TV show Stranger Things from Netflix, launched this week with high hopes -- and immediately took flak for having few features, a poor lineup of games and slow response time. Next year, it'll have another issue to contend with: competition. That's because 2020 will mark the beginning of a new generation of video games, powered by Sony's forthcoming PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's next Xbox, both of which are planned for release in the fall. They won't be alone.Tue, 17 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2019/apple-arcade-bets-family-gaming-can-blast-away-subscription-fatigue/https://iansherr.com/writing/2019/apple-arcade-bets-family-gaming-can-blast-away-subscription-fatigue/If you're a hardcore Apple fan, you may start feeling a pull on your wallet, and I'm not just talking about the new iPhone 11 Pro Max introduced last week. In addition to its iCloud storage service and Apple Music, the company is now pitching a new Apple TV Plus video streaming service, the Apple News Plus service and its family-focused Apple Arcade gaming service -- and suggesting that you sign up for the shiny Apple Card to pay all those subscription fees, of course. Welcome to the world of monthly subscriptions, which has been going into overdrive over the past year. Google asks you to pay $20 or more a year for extra storage for your photos, videos and emails. Amazon charges $119 a year for its Prime shipping, video and music service. Hulu, Disney, HBO and even World Wrestling Entertainment are pushing streaming TV services that start as low as $6 a month. And don't forget Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, which offer monthly subscription gaming services too.Mon, 16 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2019/date-night-checklist-dinner-movie-virtual-reality/https://iansherr.com/writing/2019/date-night-checklist-dinner-movie-virtual-reality/I see a floating walkway through the opened door of my spacecraft. I pause a moment to get my bearings, then -- WHOOSH -- I'm hit with the bright light and heat of boiling lava a few feet away. Stormtroopers stand to my right, blaster rifles in hand in case things get messy. Three other people and I had been recruited to help the Rebel Alliance infiltrate an Imperial stronghold and steal something… important. (Isn't it always?)Fri, 05 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2019/livestreaming-on-facebook-twitter-and-youtube-needs-radical-change/https://iansherr.com/writing/2019/livestreaming-on-facebook-twitter-and-youtube-needs-radical-change/There's a lot not to like about Facebook these days. But when one of its core features, livestreaming video, is being used as a tool for terror, simple outrage just isn't enough. The latest evidence that live video needs to change came Friday when, before entering a mosque and committing one of the deadliest mass murders in New Zealand history, the accused gunman began a stream on Facebook Live.Fri, 15 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2019/microsofts-hololens-2-isnt-meant-for-you-but-it-could-change-your-tech-in-the-future/https://iansherr.com/writing/2019/microsofts-hololens-2-isnt-meant-for-you-but-it-could-change-your-tech-in-the-future/Ask me to fix a broken car or motorbike, and you'd be out of luck. But that's exactly what Microsoft wanted me to do. And the tool it gave me was its new mixed reality HoloLens 2 headset.Thu, 28 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/your-kids-hate-your-smartphone-addiction/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/your-kids-hate-your-smartphone-addiction/\[otw\shortcode\dropcap label="I" size="large" border\color\class="otw-no-border-color" square="square"\]\[/otw\shortcode\dropcap\]can't stay off my phone. And I'm afraid it's hurting my 2-year-old son. Sometimes it's a breaking news story that draws me in, other times it's boredom. Whatever it is, this device in my hands — which gives me access to nearly all human knowledge plus all the cat videos I could ever want — is constantly calling for my attention.Thu, 04 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/vrs-missing-link-a-killer-app-that-convinces-us-to-buy-in/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/vrs-missing-link-a-killer-app-that-convinces-us-to-buy-in/Chika Umeadi could be the poster child for what's wrong with virtual reality today. At a glance, he seems like the perfect candidate to buy a VR headset. He's an app developer and techie. He loves video games. He's 30, unmarried and says he has the means to splurge when he wants to.Mon, 24 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/heres-what-happened-to-microsofts-xbox-vr-gaming-headset/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/heres-what-happened-to-microsofts-xbox-vr-gaming-headset/Two months ago, Microsoft said it didn't have specific plans to create an Xbox VR headset. What it didn't say is that it had been working on a device, but put existing VR plans on hold until better technology comes along. Microsoft courted partners over the past couple years to create games for a virtual reality headset designed to work with the Xbox video game console, according to people familiar with the matter. While the physical designs of the device weren't widely known, the screen quality specifications were considered good -- but not as good as those for Facebook's rival Oculus Rift or HTC's Vive headsets, the people said.Mon, 27 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/this-is-not-your-fathers-microsoft/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/this-is-not-your-fathers-microsoft/\[otw\shortcode\dropcap label="S" size="large" border\color\class="otw-no-border-color" square="square"\]\[/otw\shortcode\dropcap\]ix days after sharing Microsoft's blowout earnings with Wall Street in July, Satya Nadella stops to listen to a few of the more than 23,500 employees taking part in a three-day hackathon the company is hosting at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. One team shows him digital tattoos made of gold leaf that's embedded with sensors. Apply these wearables to your skin and, with a tap, you one day might be able to turn on the house lights or play a tune on your digital piano. Another team tells him about a feature for the company's Seeing AI app that uses your phones' camera as an optical character recognition device, speaking menus and other text so the visually impaired can play video games.Mon, 20 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/the-answer-to-facebook-twitter-and-youtubes-problems-with-infowars-transparency/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/the-answer-to-facebook-twitter-and-youtubes-problems-with-infowars-transparency/It's time to pull back the curtains. Big time. Over the past two years, the tech industry has found itself in the middle of so many world-changing events, it's hard to keep track. We've seen privacy leaks like the one centered on Cambridge Analytica, Russian interference in our elections, endless harassment, hate speech, the rise of white supremacists and threats of all-out nuclear war, to name just a few.Thu, 16 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/microsofts-new-xbox-adaptive-controller-puts-disabled-players-back-in-the-game/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/microsofts-new-xbox-adaptive-controller-puts-disabled-players-back-in-the-game/Mike Luckett is a lifelong gamer. He started at the age of 5 nearly three decades ago, joining his older brother who was playing the original Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Within a few years, he was playing games like Id Software's 1992 Nazi prison break shooter, Wolfenstein 3D, and the followup sci-fi hit Doom.Wed, 25 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/fortnite-is-changing-the-video-game-landscape-at-e3-2018-but-its-also-kinda-not/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/fortnite-is-changing-the-video-game-landscape-at-e3-2018-but-its-also-kinda-not/Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of Fortnite: Battle Royale, the video game that's taken the world by storm. Here's how it works: You and 99 other players are dropped out of a flying bus (not a typo) onto an island. You land with nothing but your wits and a pickax. As the game starts, there's usually space between you and the next person, which gives you time to scrounge up supplies and weapons -- and use your pickax to take apart walls, furniture and anything else you can find nearby. As the game goes on, the landscape effectively shrinks, forcing players closer together and into combat. It's them or you -- so everyone starts to pick each other off, Hunger Games-style, until there's a winner.Thu, 14 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/microsofts-obsession-with-windows-is-ending-and-i-couldnt-be-happier/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/microsofts-obsession-with-windows-is-ending-and-i-couldnt-be-happier/A little over two and a half hours into Microsoft's Build conference this week in Seattle, I tuned out the live coding session, taking place on stage in a downtown convention center crammed with 6,000 software developers, and started playing a game in my head. It was sort of like Where's Waldo. Except I was thinking "Where's Windows?"Fri, 11 May 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/mark-zuckerberg-apologized-now-he-has-to-fix-facebook-for-real/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/mark-zuckerberg-apologized-now-he-has-to-fix-facebook-for-real/Mark Zuckerberg pretty much invented modern social networking from his dorm room at Harvard 14 years ago. Then it turned into a monster. He's not the only genius whose inventions changed the world, only to watch in horror as their idealistic visions were destroyed. There's J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who helped invent the atomic bomb and then devoted his life to nuclear arms control after he saw its destructive power. Orville Wright saw the airplane as a tool of peace, not a purveyor of war. And of course there's the fictional Dr. Frankenstein.Fri, 04 May 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/congress-isnt-ready-to-regulate-facebook-but-it-wants-to/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/congress-isnt-ready-to-regulate-facebook-but-it-wants-to/Mark Zuckerberg walked into the Senate a tense man. It didn't take long for him to relax. The Facebook CEO had been summoned to Washington after The New York Times and The Guardian's Observer newspaper reported a political consultancy had improperly accessed the personal data of about 87 million Facebook users. The consultancy, Cambridge Analytica, was affiliated with the Trump campaign, and that raised questions about whether the 33-year-old billionaire's social network had been used to manipulate voters. Worse, Facebook had known about the data leak  three years ago but hadn't bothered to tell anyone.Wed, 18 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/zuckerberg-takes-facebook-data-apology-tour-to-washington/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/zuckerberg-takes-facebook-data-apology-tour-to-washington/Mark Zuckerberg's lived his adult life spreading the gospel of Facebook: "Bringing the world closer together." And in the 14 years since Facebook was founded, he's largely succeeded. More than 2 billion people use his service each month, making it the biggest social media network on the planet. It's the largest photo site on the web. It's now home to powerful social movements, an outlet for political dissidents and, yes, the place where you share baby photos and what you had for lunch. Most of us know more people who use Facebook than those who don't.Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/trumps-national-anthem-twitter-feud-with-the-nfl-changed-the-game/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/trumps-national-anthem-twitter-feud-with-the-nfl-changed-the-game/When the Super Bowl begins on Sunday, expect the normal pomp and circumstance we've seen for the past half century. Excited fans, over-the-top commentary and wacky commercials will be on display. And it all will start with the national anthem. There will also be the unseen presence of Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL football player who took center stage in the debate about the line between patriotism and protest.Sun, 04 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2018/recycled-guns-give-these-headphones-heft-and-a-cause/https://iansherr.com/writing/2018/recycled-guns-give-these-headphones-heft-and-a-cause/A Swedish company, Yevo Labs, is building its latest headphones with material from an improbable source: guns. The headphones themselves are pretty standard Bluetooth earbuds, based on the company's previously released Yevo 1 design. It's around the edges that things get interesting. The accent metal is less polished than the mirror-finish chrome-like plating you'd find on its onyx-, ivory- or jet black-colored $249 headphones.Sat, 13 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/baby-tech-makers-please-figure-out-what-parents-actually-need/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/baby-tech-makers-please-figure-out-what-parents-actually-need/For the past 19 months, my wife and I have been living with another human. He can get cranky, and he's sometimes a picky eater. But he can also flash a smile that melts your heart.Mon, 18 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/sorry-not-sorry-my-iphone-x-means-more-photos-of-my-kid/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/sorry-not-sorry-my-iphone-x-means-more-photos-of-my-kid/Everyone has that photo: The first time they realized their phone's camera was more than just a toy. For me, it came not long after the release of the original iPhone in 2007. Laura, my then-girlfriend-now-wife, and I stayed up to buy "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" on release day before we started off on a journey to New Jersey from DC.Thu, 02 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/vr-promised-us-the-future-too-bad-were-stuck-in-the-present/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/vr-promised-us-the-future-too-bad-were-stuck-in-the-present/Are you going to buy a virtual reality headset? I'm not the only one who wants to know. The VR industry is having an awkward moment. Though headset makers have spent years and billions of dollars promising world-changing technology, relatively few of us have actually lined up to buy them.Tue, 10 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/digital-detoxing-is-a-thing-really/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/digital-detoxing-is-a-thing-really/What started with my wife and me looking for an escape from digital overload has completely changed the way we take vacations. I'd been pulling all-nighters. Endless calls with my colleagues made me late for dinners with friends, tied me to my phone nearly all hours of the day and left me frazzled.Mon, 09 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/dropboxs-quest-to-win-your-heart-and-wall-streets-too/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/dropboxs-quest-to-win-your-heart-and-wall-streets-too/What do you do when Steve Jobs says you're destined to fail? That's what Dropbox co-founder Drew Houston had to answer after meeting Apple's co-founder seven years ago.Tue, 03 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/twitter-what-the-hell-with-all-the-harassment/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/twitter-what-the-hell-with-all-the-harassment/Hey @jack. Can we talk? This past weekend was the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, when we ask forgiveness for our transgressions and forgive others for theirs.Mon, 02 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/chicago-maps-its-underground-maze/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/chicago-maps-its-underground-maze/\[otw\shortcode\dropcap label="J" size="large" border\color\class="otw-no-border-color" square="square"\]\[/otw\shortcode\dropcap\]ames Jackson has a problem: He doesn't know what he's getting into. Every time a construction crew begins digging in Chicago, there's a chance they'll hit something they didn't know was there. It might be an old water line, abandoned long ago and forgotten. Or perhaps a gas pipe, still in use but poorly documented.Fri, 11 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/these-smart-cities-in-italy-put-silicon-valley-to-shame/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/these-smart-cities-in-italy-put-silicon-valley-to-shame/\[otw\shortcode\dropcap label="A" size="large" border\color\class="otw-no-border-color" square="square"\]\[/otw\shortcode\dropcap\] little after 2 p.m. on an impossibly muggy summer day in June, I squeeze my sweaty, 6-foot-1-inch body into the passenger seat of Antonio Puliafito's shiny black Maserati. As excited as I am about speeding along the Italian coast in a luxury convertible, Puliafito isn't showing off what his nifty '90s-era, 6-cylinder Italian sports car can do. He isn't even particularly interested in the ride, though we both relish the breeze after a punishing day in the heat.Wed, 09 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/how-to-scrub-hate-off-facebook-twitter-and-the-internet/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/how-to-scrub-hate-off-facebook-twitter-and-the-internet/\[caption id="attachment\2138" align="aligncenter" width="687"\] Peter Strain (for CNET Magazine)\[/caption\] Brittan Heller doesn't know quite what caused it.Sun, 09 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/just-admit-it-we-love-game-sequels/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/just-admit-it-we-love-game-sequels/It was around the time I was looking at the 19th Assassin's Creed adventure game that it struck me: There sure are a lot of sequels. I don't mean just a few. It isn't like there are merely a handful of standout franchises worthy of a follow-up, like Sony's zombie apocalypse drama The Last of Us 2. Or even industry-defining standbys, like Nintendo's Super Mario Odyssey action game, the 32nd major title for that particular character.Sun, 18 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/gamergate-to-trump-how-video-game-culture-blew-everything-up/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/gamergate-to-trump-how-video-game-culture-blew-everything-up/\[caption id="attachment\_2145" align="aligncenter" width="687"\] Aaron Robinson/CNET\[/caption\] When it first happened, many of us were a little dismissive. After all, people on the internet are always mad about something.Wed, 14 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/a-mind-blowing-vr-arcade-won-me-over-itll-get-you-too/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/a-mind-blowing-vr-arcade-won-me-over-itll-get-you-too/Virtual reality has turned me into a globe-trotting adventurer. I've scuba-dived massive undersea shipwrecks, coming face-to-face with a blue whale. I've fought off hordes of oncoming zombies with nothing but a shotgun, an ax and my wits to stay alive. And I've piloted a spaceship in an epic dogfight against -- does it even matter?Tue, 13 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/wikileaks-cia-docs-show-its-not-2017-its-1984-now-what/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/wikileaks-cia-docs-show-its-not-2017-its-1984-now-what/This past week, we learned what's in the new health care law being crafted by Congress, we found out IBM can cram a lot of data onto a single atom, and... what else? Oh yeah, your TV could be spying on you.Sat, 11 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/nintendo-hooked-me-as-a-kid-can-the-switch-win-over-my-son/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/nintendo-hooked-me-as-a-kid-can-the-switch-win-over-my-son/I vividly remember the first Nintendo game I played. It wasn't long after the 1985 debut of the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. I was around five years old and at my babysitter's house in Fremont, California. It was a sunny summer day, and we were calming down after playing outside.Fri, 03 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/theres-a-dating-site-called-trumpsingles-its-not-fake/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/theres-a-dating-site-called-trumpsingles-its-not-fake/David Goss was at a Southern California bar on election night 2016, scribbling down ideas to rename TrumpSingles.com, his nascent dating site. Since Donald Trump was about to lose the presidential election, Goss decided his site needed a new figurehead. Or at least a new name.Wed, 15 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/heres-why-tech-has-taken-over-our-relationships/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/heres-why-tech-has-taken-over-our-relationships/If you had to explain dating in 2017 to a time traveler from the 1950s, what would you say? "I would explain texting first, and how it takes five minutes now for people to decide they want to hook up," says comedian Nikki Glaser. "I would tell women, 'Buckle up, bitch, this is not going to be a fun ride.'"Fri, 10 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2017/millennials-arent-going-gaga-for-baby-tech/https://iansherr.com/writing/2017/millennials-arent-going-gaga-for-baby-tech/In a few years, you'll wear a smartwatch measuring your heart rate, a belt buckle tracking your eating habits and glasses displaying the news while recording what you do in your self-driving car. But what's Silicon Valley got in mind for your kids?Mon, 02 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/death-to-apples-mac-mini-i-made-a-hackintosh/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/death-to-apples-mac-mini-i-made-a-hackintosh/If you ask me what type of tech I have at home, you'd think I live in an Apple Store. We have iPhones, iPods, iPads, Apple TVs and Mac laptops. There isn't a PC in sight.Mon, 26 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/can-tech-help-alzheimers-sufferers/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/can-tech-help-alzheimers-sufferers/My mother was a brilliant woman. She earned three bachelor's degrees and a master's, and could have become a doctor if not for the rampant sexism she faced in college in the early '60s. Instead, she worked for a major airline, where she applied her math smarts calculating a cargo load's weight and balance that would allow a plane to safely take off.Sat, 17 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-how-gates-mcfadden-kept-her-son-from-confusing-her-with-dr-crusher/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-how-gates-mcfadden-kept-her-son-from-confusing-her-with-dr-crusher/As part of CNET's coverage of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, I chatted with a dozen cast members from across the franchise about everything from Star Trek's inclusive message to how to play a fake doctor in the future. Gates McFadden didn't watch much TV before she landed a role on the Star Trek revival "The Next Generation." And when she admitted to friends she had almost no Trekkie knowledge, they were horrified.Thu, 08 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-deep-space-nine-star-nana-visitor-had-one-wish-as-nerys/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-deep-space-nine-star-nana-visitor-had-one-wish-as-nerys/As part of CNET's coverage of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, I chatted with a dozen cast members from across the franchise about everything from Star Trek's inclusive message to whether the ships are actually real. If Nana Visitor could have done one thing on Star Trek, she would have been captain.Thu, 08 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-can-you-imagine-an-alien-that-squawks-john-billingsley-did/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-can-you-imagine-an-alien-that-squawks-john-billingsley-did/As part of CNET's coverage of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, I chatted with a dozen cast members from across the franchise about everything from Star Trek's inclusive message to how to convincingly play an alien. If John Billingsley had his way, you'd have heard him squawk like a bird in the middle of his lines.Wed, 07 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-robert-beltran-says-the-prime-directive-is-fascist-crap/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-robert-beltran-says-the-prime-directive-is-fascist-crap/As part of CNET's coverage of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, I talked with a dozen cast members from across the franchise about everything from Star Trek's inclusive message to how they really felt about their characters. Robert Beltran is known for two things in the Star Trek universe: playing Commander Chakotay in "Star Trek: Voyager" from 1995-2001, and complaining about it to the press.Wed, 07 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-dont-call-tim-russ-a-trekkie/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-dont-call-tim-russ-a-trekkie/As part of CNET's coverage of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, we talked with a dozen cast members from across the franchise about everything from Star Trek's inclusive message to how actors show emotion when their character has none. Tim Russ may be among the most-cast actors in Star Trek shows and movies, but don't call him a Trekkie.Tue, 06 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-the-show-turned-robert-picardo-into-a-giant-science-nerd/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-the-show-turned-robert-picardo-into-a-giant-science-nerd/As part of CNET's coverage of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, we talked with a dozen cast members from across the franchise about everything from Star Trek's inclusive message to whether Siri can replace the ship's computer. Robert Picardo thought he'd just landed the most boring role in the Star Trek universe.Tue, 06 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-how-the-cosmos-forced-dominic-keating-to-watch-reruns/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-how-the-cosmos-forced-dominic-keating-to-watch-reruns/As part of CNET's coverage of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, I talked with nearly a dozen cast members from across the franchise about everything from Star Trek's inclusive message to their favorite characters. Dominic Keating watched the original series religiously as a child growing up in the UK, but he didn't keep up with Star Trek after that.Mon, 05 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-poking-fun-at-trekkies-made-this-questarian-value-them-more/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-poking-fun-at-trekkies-made-this-questarian-value-them-more/As part of CNET's coverage of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, I talked with a dozen cast members from across the franchise about everything from Star Trek's inclusive message to how best to lampoon the Trek universe. What if TV broadcasts of Star Trek were intercepted by a technologically advanced but naive race of aliens?Mon, 05 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-jeri-ryan-reaaaaally-wants-a-transporter/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-jeri-ryan-reaaaaally-wants-a-transporter/As part of CNET's coverage of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, I talked with a dozen cast members from across the franchise about everything from Star Trek's inclusive message to how it feels to be a sex symbol to nerds. Jeri Ryan didn't want the role at first.Sun, 04 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-worf-wasnt-a-wuss-thanks-to-michael-dorn/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-50th-anniversary-worf-wasnt-a-wuss-thanks-to-michael-dorn/As part of CNET's coverage of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, I talked to a dozen cast members from across the franchise about everything from Star Trek's inclusive message to whether they really could speak Klingon. When Michael Dorn was getting ready for his role as Worf on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the showrunners barely told him anything about his character.Sat, 03 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-at-50-cast-members-spill-insider-tales-of-epic-ad-libs-favorite-captains/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/star-trek-at-50-cast-members-spill-insider-tales-of-epic-ad-libs-favorite-captains/Got a Star Trek story? Maybe, like me, you dressed in starship captain uniforms for Halloween and snuck into the family room past your bedtime to watch reruns, no matter how tired you'd be the next day at school.Sat, 03 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/facebook-is-changing-its-news-feed-again-and-youll-never-guess-how/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/facebook-is-changing-its-news-feed-again-and-youll-never-guess-how/Five Reasons You Should Care Facebook Is Changing Again The Inside Scoop On The Latest Change To FacebookThu, 04 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/dating-sites-for-trekkies-vampire-lovers-and-just-about-anyone-else/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/dating-sites-for-trekkies-vampire-lovers-and-just-about-anyone-else/Candice is really, really pretty. She has big, brown eyes; thick, dark hair that flows below her shoulders; cheekbones that could cut glass; and a curvaceous figure that has no trouble attracting guys. Despite that, Candice joined dating site SeekingArrangement.com, where she and 4.5 million other "beautiful, successful people fuel mutually beneficial relationships," according to its website. Too subtle? Then consider its tagline: "12 girls for each guy...spoil them and they spoil you back."Sun, 03 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/alienware-changed-the-game-of-making-pcs/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/alienware-changed-the-game-of-making-pcs/This was the second in a two-part series looking at the PC maker Alienware. You can read the first story: here. Ask any gamer out there about playing games on a PC, and they'll tell you about Alienware.Fri, 10 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/how-alienwares-gaming-pcs-kept-their-cool/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/how-alienwares-gaming-pcs-kept-their-cool/This was the first in a two-part series looking at the PC maker Alienware. You can read the second story: here. Imagine it's 1996, and you just finished watching FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder break out of a Russian gulag in his search for the truth about aliens, government conspiracies and the paranormal.Fri, 10 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/oculus-vr-goggles-could-change-the-future-or-not/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/oculus-vr-goggles-could-change-the-future-or-not/The future of tech is here, and it may not be as much fun as you think. To join in, you'll need to strap a black, 1.5-pound mask to your face so you can have an out-of-body-like experience that might make you queasy. There's also the chance you'll trip on the 13-foot-long cord that connects the device to a PC.Sat, 26 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2016/magic-leap-has-something-better-than-a-product-potential/https://iansherr.com/writing/2016/magic-leap-has-something-better-than-a-product-potential/Magic Leap has an almost magical way of getting money. The secretive startup is working on what it calls "mixed reality" technology. It's different from the virtual reality we've all heard about, which uses goggles to strap a screen to your face and display computer-generated images. In mixed reality, computer-generated images are layered on top of the real world.Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2015/facebook-shuts-down-creative-labs-apps/https://iansherr.com/writing/2015/facebook-shuts-down-creative-labs-apps/Facebook's Slingshot app missed its mark. So did Riff and Rooms. The social-networking giant has quietly curtailed its Creative Labs, the startup-like initiative that encouraged its employees to design innovative and unusual mobile software. Among the first casualties: Slingshot, an ephemeral messaging service that competed with Snapchat, and Rooms, a group messaging service.Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2015/for-disneys-infinity-it-really-is-a-small-world-after-all/https://iansherr.com/writing/2015/for-disneys-infinity-it-really-is-a-small-world-after-all/Darth Maul is ready to strike. The villainous Sith Lord — who predates Darth Vader in the “Star Wars“ chronology —twists like a coiled spring, his black tunic whipping from the motion. He holds a double-bladed lightsaber behind him, ready to slash the deadly weapon at whoever comes near. Maul is a fearsome sight: Red and yellow eyes glare from a red face embellished with black tattoos. Eight small horns sprout from his head.Wed, 04 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2015/john-boyega-the-new-face-of-star-wars/https://iansherr.com/writing/2015/john-boyega-the-new-face-of-star-wars/John Boyega hadn‘t been born when “Star Wars,“ with its cast of relative unknowns, electrified pop culture. The trilogy forever transformed sci-fi filmmaking and made Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher household names. Nearly 40 years later, the relatively unknown Boyega is poised to repeat history. The 23-year-old actor was tapped by “Star Wars“ director J.J. Abrams to help kick-start the next installment of the franchise, “Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens.“Wed, 04 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2015/marvels-contest-of-champions-leaps-from-video-game-to-comic-book/https://iansherr.com/writing/2015/marvels-contest-of-champions-leaps-from-video-game-to-comic-book/ When Marvel Comics was founded in 1939, the very idea of a video game was so foreign that even its futuristic thinkers couldn't imagine such a thing.Mon, 29 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2015/video-game-console-maker-ouya-is-in-negotiations-to-sell-itself-possibly-to-razer-2/https://iansherr.com/writing/2015/video-game-console-maker-ouya-is-in-negotiations-to-sell-itself-possibly-to-razer-2/Ouya, the startup video game console that became a darling of the independent development world, is in negotiations to sell itself. The company is in talks with Razer, the computer and accessories maker popular with gamers. The deal is not yet finalized, a person familiar with the matter has said, but the companies are discussing ways to bring Ouya's staff onboard.Wed, 10 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2015/video-game-console-maker-ouya-is-in-negotiations-to-sell-itself-possibly-to-razer/https://iansherr.com/writing/2015/video-game-console-maker-ouya-is-in-negotiations-to-sell-itself-possibly-to-razer/Ouya, the startup video game console that became a darling of the independent development world, is in negotiations to sell itself. The company is in talks with Razer, the computer and accessories maker popular with gamers. The deal is not yet finalized, a person familiar with the matter has said, but the companies are discussing ways to bring Ouya's staff onboard.Wed, 10 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2015/how-electronic-arts-stopped-being-the-worst-company-in-america/https://iansherr.com/writing/2015/how-electronic-arts-stopped-being-the-worst-company-in-america/ The day before Consumerist.com announced the worst company in America, Larry Probst was already pissed.Tue, 02 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2015/five-ways-electronic-arts-got-back-into-the-game/https://iansherr.com/writing/2015/five-ways-electronic-arts-got-back-into-the-game/Electronic Arts, one of the world's largest makers of video games, has been working on a turnaround over the past two years after being voted the worst company in America two years in a row. Gamers were pretty clear in saying they didn't like the way EA did business -- not releasing new or innovative enough games, charging them for extras and ignoring some player's feedback on how storylines should (and shouldn't unfold).Tue, 02 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2015/virtual-reality-wants-to-rule-video-games-heres-who-will-rule-vr/https://iansherr.com/writing/2015/virtual-reality-wants-to-rule-video-games-heres-who-will-rule-vr/Some of the greatest rivalries have come out of the video game industry: Midway's Space Invaders against Atari's Asteroids. Nintendo's Mario versus Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. Microsoft's Halo against Sony's God of War. Now the next great battle for leadership of the video game industry is starting. And it's between companies most people have never heard of over a technology few have even tried: virtual reality.Fri, 22 May 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2015/the-rise-of-the-internet-police/https://iansherr.com/writing/2015/the-rise-of-the-internet-police/\[caption id="attachment\_1926" align="alignright" width="200"\] Anisha Vora became the victim of "revenge porn" after her ex-boyfriend posted her photos to more than 300 websites.\[/caption\] Anisha Vora remembers when she first realized something was wrong.Wed, 13 May 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/blizzards-big-challenge-duplicating-the-success-of-world-of-warcraft/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/blizzards-big-challenge-duplicating-the-success-of-world-of-warcraft/World of Warcraft is already one of the world's most successful games. Now it's time for a second act. That, at least, is Activision Blizzard's challenge on the eve of BlizzCon, a gathering of its most ardent fans who travel to a convention center in Anaheim, Calif., to celebrate the company's games and get a peek at its upcoming projects. The company has used previous events to announce new initiatives, such as last year's unveiling of Warlords of Draenor, a highly anticipated new storyline for World of Warcraft.Thu, 06 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/its-2014-why-is-my-battery-stuck-in-the-90s/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/its-2014-why-is-my-battery-stuck-in-the-90s/When Apple redesigned the MacBook Pro in 2009, it unveiled a new type of battery that ran a whopping 40 percent longer than the previous model. The laptop lasted as long as seven hours, almost enough time to watch the epic movie "Lawrence of Arabia" -- twice. Phil Schiller, Apple's marketing chief, called the battery "revolutionary." But was it really?Mon, 03 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/ex-playstation-us-chief-says-candy-crush-is-fun-xbox-on-the-right-path/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/ex-playstation-us-chief-says-candy-crush-is-fun-xbox-on-the-right-path/A half-year after Jack Tretton stepped down as head of Sony's PlayStation division in America, he has time to do something he didn't have a chance to before: play Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans. To devout PlayStation fans, this could be considered a form of treason.Tue, 28 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/virtual-reality-and-the-silver-screen-a-match-made-in-heaven/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/virtual-reality-and-the-silver-screen-a-match-made-in-heaven/Virtual reality can transport you to distant space to participate in an epic starship battle, or it can drop you in the ocean, with sharks swimming all around. But its biggest act yet may be showing you a plain old movie.Mon, 13 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/unity-one-gaming-development-platform-to-unite-them-all-up-for-sale/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/unity-one-gaming-development-platform-to-unite-them-all-up-for-sale/When World of Warcraft maker Blizzard set out to make a card game that worked on computers and mobile devices, it used tools made by Unity to help bring it to life. Blizzard created Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, which has become one of its most popular titles. That success is due to how easy it is to use on both PCs and tablets, a big accomplishment for Blizzard since Hearthstone was its first-ever game for mobile devices. Much of the credit goes to Unity's tools, which make it easier to create games that work across devices, said Jason Chayes, who headed up production for Hearthstone.Thu, 09 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/meet-ello-the-social-network-that-wants-to-be-the-anti-facebook/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/meet-ello-the-social-network-that-wants-to-be-the-anti-facebook/Have you ever wanted Facebook to get rid of all those ads? Paul Budnitz went out and did something about it. Budnitz founded Ello, a social network that launched about six weeks ago and pitches itself as an alternative to the world's largest social network. Its biggest selling point is the feature it doesn't have: advertising.Sun, 28 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/how-do-you-make-a-good-virtual-reality-game-oculus-developers-meet-to-find-out/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/how-do-you-make-a-good-virtual-reality-game-oculus-developers-meet-to-find-out/James Iliff's team had hit a wall. He and his team at Survios, a startup Iliff co-founded devoted to virtual reality, were trying to find a way to create a VR game where the movements of a player's hands, feet and body in the real world were mirrored in a digital playground.Fri, 19 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/become-legend-ambitious-destiny-aims-for-gaming-superstar-status/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/become-legend-ambitious-destiny-aims-for-gaming-superstar-status/In Destiny, the newest video game from the creators of the blockbuster Halo franchise, players take the role of a "guardian," a being with other-worldly powers tasked with protecting the last human city. "You are Earth's last hope," a voice says  in a June trailer for the game. "If you fail, everything you know -- everything humans have ever known -- will be gone forever."Mon, 08 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/vexed-in-the-city-working-in-silicon-valley-tech-is-much-more-lucrative-than-you-think/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/vexed-in-the-city-working-in-silicon-valley-tech-is-much-more-lucrative-than-you-think/This story is part of a CNET special report that examines the controversy gripping San Francisco as a massive influx of techies feeds an unprecedented economic boom -- and backlash. Drive around the wine country located about an hour north of San Francisco and you might spot an eerily familiar bus that, if you look carefully enough, seems like one used by Google to shuttle its employees to and from its offices in Silicon Valley.Thu, 21 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/facebooks-oculus-teaming-with-samsung-for-mobile-virtual-reality-push/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/facebooks-oculus-teaming-with-samsung-for-mobile-virtual-reality-push/Oculus VR made its name building high-end virtual reality headsets for the living room, but it's leaving mobile to the other guys. The virtual reality pioneer, which Facebook finished purchasing for $2 billion earlier this week, is working with Samsung Electronics on a headset that uses mobile devices to create a VR experience, people familiar with the matter say.Thu, 24 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/how-we-pay-for-facebook/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/how-we-pay-for-facebook/If you could, would you pay for Facebook? That was one of the underlying questions users weighed in the past few months as they learned the world's largest social-networking service had conducted experiments on nearly 800,000 people in 2012.Tue, 22 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/oculus-to-get-hands-on-with-new-virtual-reality-gear/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/oculus-to-get-hands-on-with-new-virtual-reality-gear/Virtual reality pioneer Oculus VR doesn't just want to get its products on your head, it wants them in your hands as well. The headset maker has been quietly preparing motion controllers -- devices that let you drive the action and manipulate objects in games with hand and body movements -- to complement its forthcoming goggles, people familiar with the development process say. The result: a more immersive experience in video games and other simulations.Thu, 17 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/facebook-conducts-psychological-experiment-in-controversial-study/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/facebook-conducts-psychological-experiment-in-controversial-study/By Seth Rosenblatt and Ian Sherr When news spread over the weekend that Facebook had manipulated its news feed to study how social media posts affect people's emotions, the real surprise was that anyone was that surprised.Mon, 30 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/facebook-learning-the-costs-of-consumer-hardware-with-oculus/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/facebook-learning-the-costs-of-consumer-hardware-with-oculus/Facebook's $2 billion deal to buy virtual reality pioneer Oculus VR brings the promise of new technologies that literally change how people see the world. But the acquisition of the headset maker, expected to be completed in coming weeks, is also giving Facebook some headaches.Thu, 26 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/google-to-turn-on-new-set-top-boxes-with-android-tv-software/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/google-to-turn-on-new-set-top-boxes-with-android-tv-software/, Shara Tibken and Joan E. Solsman Google, after failing to score a hit with its prior TV projects, hasn't given up on the living room just yet.Tue, 24 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/from-skylanders-to-amiibo-video-games-embrace-the-toy/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/from-skylanders-to-amiibo-video-games-embrace-the-toy/LOS ANGELES -- When Noah Tan saw these toys on the shelf, he had to have them. The 4-year-old from a Toronto suburb is collecting a new genre of figurines built by companies like Activision Blizzard and Walt Disney. Like most toys, they're painted with vibrant colors and posed in dramatic positions.Wed, 11 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/for-nintendo-gamepad-this-retry-comes-with-a-toy-story/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/for-nintendo-gamepad-this-retry-comes-with-a-toy-story/Nintendo is amping up its sales pitch for the struggling Wii U by focusing on its GamePad tablet-controller. Once the biggest change in Nintendo's strategy, the GamePad sold alongside the successor to the popular Wii video game console. It has now become a primary focus as the company attempts to turn around its business.Tue, 10 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/kcrw-roundtable-discussion-on-games-and-society/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/kcrw-roundtable-discussion-on-games-and-society/I join KCRW to discuss vidoegames and their impact on society. \[audio:http://www.iansherr.com/writing/videogamesKCRW.mp3\]Thu, 15 May 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/jury-orders-samsung-to-pay-119-million-to-apple-in-patent-case/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/jury-orders-samsung-to-pay-119-million-to-apple-in-patent-case/By Daisuke Wakabayashi and Ian Sherr SAN JOSE, Calif.— Apple Inc. won a small victory in its latest patent dispute with Samsung Electronics Co. , but largely failed in its attempt to slow competitors to its landmark iPhone.Sun, 04 May 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/apple-google-vie-to-offer-exclusive-game-apps/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/apple-google-vie-to-offer-exclusive-game-apps/A long-running battle between Apple Inc. and Google Inc. for mobile dominance is spreading to the most lucrative genre of apps: videogames. The two Silicon Valley giants have been wooing game developers to ensure that top-tier game titles arrive first on devices powered by their respective operating systems, people familiar with the situation said.Mon, 21 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/facebook-to-buy-virtual-reality-firm-oculus-for-2-billion/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/facebook-to-buy-virtual-reality-firm-oculus-for-2-billion/By Reed Albergotti and Ian Sherr Facebook Inc. made its second blockbuster acquisition of the year, agreeing Tuesday to acquire Oculus VR Inc., a 20-month-old maker of virtual-reality goggles, for $2 billion in cash and stock.Wed, 26 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/how-oculus-goggles-became-more-than-a-virtual-reality/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/how-oculus-goggles-became-more-than-a-virtual-reality/Brendan Iribe traces the surprising rise of Oculus VR Inc., FacebookInc.'s second-largest acquisition, to a demonstration in a hotel meeting room two years ago. The videogame-industry executive had traveled to the hotel in Long Beach, Calif., after meeting with Palmer Luckey, a virtual-reality enthusiast who at the time was planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter Inc.'s website for high-tech goggles. His product eventually became "Oculus Rift."Wed, 26 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/3-d-is-in-focus-at-videogame-conference/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/3-d-is-in-focus-at-videogame-conference/Harry Campbell (The Wall Street Journal) Programmers have long tailored videogames for computers, television consoles and mobile devices. Now they are also targeting three-dimensional simulations enabled by special eyewear, a key focus of a conference this week in San Francisco.Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/videogame-makers-duke-it-out-arena-style/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/videogame-makers-duke-it-out-arena-style/Videogame makers have been grappling with many changes in the past few years, from new living-room consoles to the rise of smartphones. Now they face another challenge: arena-style games like "League of Legends." Gamers have flocked by the millions to play the Riot Games Inc. title, which typically pits two teams of five players in battles involving mystical characters called champions. The action is viewed from above—more like a simulated board game than the familiar first-person shooter perspective—and typically played online using PCs rather than consoles.Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/microsoft-quietly-pulls-xbox-two-year-contract-plans/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/microsoft-quietly-pulls-xbox-two-year-contract-plans/This week, Microsoft spokesman David Dennis confirmed the company discontinued the Xbox 360 offer in July. "This program was intended to be a pilot experiment from the start, and Microsoft routinely adjusts the mix of offers available to its customers and this change was simply standard business practice," he said. When the program was launched in May 2012, some analysts speculated Microsoft might be testing the approach to use on the then-unannounced Xbox One. But Lewis Ward, a videogame analyst at IDC, said Microsoft executives last year told analysts the pricing shift had been a way to milk waning sales for the Xbox 360, the console version launched in 2005.Thu, 13 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/for-microsofts-xbox-one-titanfall-could-be-game-changer/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/for-microsofts-xbox-one-titanfall-could-be-game-changer/Videogame fans waited years for a new generation of living-room consoles. Now that the hardware has arrived, Microsoft Corp.'s hopes of keeping pace with the competition may turn on a piece of software. The title is "Titanfall," a combat game for the Xbox One console that goes on sale Tuesday. Microsoft has been promoting the game since last June, hoping to inject new ideas into a familiar genre while providing a strong reason to buy its new hardware.Mon, 10 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/your-phone-has-a-car-engine-update/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/your-phone-has-a-car-engine-update/LAS VEGAS—Technology that monitors a new car's engine performance and sends detailed trouble alerts to an owner's cellphone is now becoming available to owners of older model vehicles using inexpensive add-ons. The idea is to give all car owners access to data generated by the diagnostic port that connects to various sensors built into most vehicles. Mechanics at garages have long used that information to help diagnose a car's problems.Fri, 10 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2014/smartwatches-pop-up-all-over-ces/https://iansherr.com/writing/2014/smartwatches-pop-up-all-over-ces/LAS VEGAS—The trickle of companies putting computing and communications power on people's wrists has turned into a torrent, making it tough for small and newer suppliers to stand out in the crowd. So-called smartwatches are popping up all over the Consumer Electronics Show here this week, with new or recently introduced products from Pebble Technology Corp., Kreyos Inc., Qualcomm Inc., Archos SA, PH Technical Labs Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.Mon, 06 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/videogames-become-a-spectator-sport/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/videogames-become-a-spectator-sport/On any given day, Jayson Love fires up a personal computer from his Billings, Mont., home and starts his job—playing videogames in front of an audience of thousands. The 33-year-old hosts a Web show called "MANvsGAME," in which he broadcasts his live gameplay on the site Twitch. Between advertising and subscribers paying $5 per month to watch his video stream, he says it is possible he'll earn more than $100,000 next year.Sun, 24 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/sony-microsoft-claim-ample-console-supplies/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/sony-microsoft-claim-ample-console-supplies/Sony and Microsoft are gearing up for what they say will be record launch periods for their respective new videogame machines. A key reason: they are churning out big volumes of the new consoles. Jack Tretton, head of Sony Computer Entertainment America, said it successfully met internal expectations for manufacturing PlayStation 4 units weeks before the device‘s debut this Friday. The ramped-up production, Tretton said, was due to efficiency improvements and ample quantities of the PlayStation‘s new microprocessors, which are being supplied by Advanced Micro Devices.Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/in-videogame-aisles-battle-looms/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/in-videogame-aisles-battle-looms/Makers of videogame hardware are preparing for one of the biggest holiday battles in years. But software could be a decisive weapon this time. Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. over the next two weeks are overhauling their popular game consoles for the first time since the mid-2000s. The systems' roughly tenfold boost in computing power is expected to bring much greater accuracy to animated scenes, including simulated clothing that wrinkles and drapes on a warrior's body, vivid skylines, and rooms and landscapes with lifelike colors and textures.Sun, 10 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/small-brain-training-game-maker-getting-bigger/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/small-brain-training-game-maker-getting-bigger/One of the most successful companies in a small but growing videogame niche says it has reached new milestones in revenue and user growth. Lumos Labs says its Lumosity brain-training game service has reached 50 million members, a nearly 43% increase from the 35 million it announced in January. The San Francisco-based company also says its revenue for the year is on track to more than double from the $23.6 million it rang up in 2012.Sun, 10 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apples-ios7-spurs-new-designs-for-apps/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apples-ios7-spurs-new-designs-for-apps/When Apple began updating the software of hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads Wednesday, it also gave a glimpse into the future of apps. The new software, called iOS 7, is the first major design overhaul of the mobile operating system Apple first introduced in 2007 that gave rise to the booming apps economy.Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/electronic-arts-taps-insider-andrew-wilson-as-ceo/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/electronic-arts-taps-insider-andrew-wilson-as-ceo/Electronic Arts Inc. is tapping an insider, Andrew Wilson, as its next chief executive, signaling to investors it plans to stay the course amid a tumultuous period for the industry. Mr. Wilson, 39 and originally from Australia, has worked at EA for 13 years in countries such as Korea and Canada, and has led the company's online games division. Larry Probst, the company's executive chairman, said Tuesday that the board selected Mr. Wilson for his creative skills and business acumen.Wed, 18 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/interview-eas-new-ceo-pledges-to-stay-the-course/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/interview-eas-new-ceo-pledges-to-stay-the-course/Andrew Wilson, an Electronic Arts insider, has been named as the company‘s chief executive. The Australian comes into the job during a period of dramatic transition for the industry, particularly as it looks forward to new videogame consoles being released in November, and the continually rising importance of mobile devices. He spoke with the Wall Street Journal about his plans for the company. Edited excepts follow:Wed, 18 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-new-iphone-not-storing-fingerprints-doesnt-like-sweat/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-new-iphone-not-storing-fingerprints-doesnt-like-sweat/By Danny Yadron and Ian Sherr Apple's new iPhone 5S, which comes with a fingerprint scanner, won‘t store actual images of users‘ fingerprints on the device, a company spokesman confirmed Wednesday, a decision that could ease concerns from privacy hawks.Thu, 12 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/why-apple-has-trouble-keeping-its-secrets/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/why-apple-has-trouble-keeping-its-secrets/In one of his first interviews after becoming Apple‘s chief executive, Tim Cook vowed to double down on secrecy. It seems to be a hard promise to keep. The company‘s product launch Tuesday had the typical Apple flair and flashes of excitement, but there were few surprises associated with the two new iPhones unveiled by Cook and his lieutenants. Keeping product details quiet has always been a challenge for the company and its competitors, but a predictable trickle of leaks turned into a torrent of details about its latest offerings just before the event.Thu, 12 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-plans-to-ship-less-expensive-iphone-to-china-mobile/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-plans-to-ship-less-expensive-iphone-to-china-mobile/By Daisuke Wakabayashi, Lorraine Luk, Ian Sherr and Paul Mozur Apple Inc. is preparing to ship iPhones to China Mobile Ltd. , people familiar with the matter say, an arrangement that would significantly increase Apple's distribution in the world's biggest smartphone market.Sat, 07 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-tests-iphone-screens-as-large-as-six-inches/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-tests-iphone-screens-as-large-as-six-inches/, Eva Dou and Lorraine Luk As Apple Inc. prepares to unveil both a new high-end iPhone and a cheaper version for the first time next week, it is already working on something bigger.Fri, 06 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/roblox-sees-strong-future-for-world-building-games/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/roblox-sees-strong-future-for-world-building-games/Roblox, a videogame company that encourages players to build things, is quantifying its success for the first time. The closely held company, which launched six years ago, estimates that its 2013 revenue will be about $30 million, up from “$20 million-ish“ last year and around $15 million in 2011. The company also said it is “close to break-even“ in terms of profit.Wed, 21 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/supplier-to-ship-two-apple-iphones-in-september-2/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/supplier-to-ship-two-apple-iphones-in-september-2/By Lorraine Luk and Ian Sherr Apple Inc. has asked assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. to begin shipping both a new high-end and low-end iPhone in early September, people familiar with the matter said.Wed, 21 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/supplier-to-ship-two-apple-iphones-in-september/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/supplier-to-ship-two-apple-iphones-in-september/By Lorraine Luk and Ian Sherr Apple Inc. has asked assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. to begin shipping both a new high-end and low-end iPhone in early September, people familiar with the matter said.Wed, 21 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/veto-of-apple-ruling-likely-to-upend-big-patent-battles/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/veto-of-apple-ruling-likely-to-upend-big-patent-battles/The Obama administration's decision to overturn an international trade ruling against Apple Inc. —the first such veto in more than 25 years—promises to upend long-running battles over intellectual property in the smartphone market and change the strategies some of the world's biggest technology companies use to defend their inventions. Increasingly, those companies have been using patents to try to hobble rivals in a mobile-device market expected to top $400 billion this year. In 2012, the number of patent cases filed in the U.S. jumped nearly 30% from a year earlier to 5,189, according to consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.Tue, 06 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-stores-glow-less-brightly/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-stores-glow-less-brightly/Apple Inc.'s search for a new head of its retail stores is dragging into its 10th month, at a time when the stores need extra attention: The company recently reported its first drop in store sales in at least four years. In 2001, Apple changed the retail game when it threw open the doors to the Apple Store's sleek and bright, modern interiors—completely different from electronics warehouses of the day stuffed with accessories and cords. The stores were temples for all things Apple, and destinations for early adopters.Fri, 02 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-tests-larger-screens-for-iphones-ipads/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-tests-larger-screens-for-iphones-ipads/By Lorraine Luk and Ian Sherr Apple Inc. is testing larger screens for its smartphones and tablets as it attempts to answer increasing concerns about its product lineup and competition from Samsung Electronics Co.Tue, 23 Jul 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-samsung-in-renewed-settlement-talks-but-deal-elusive/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-samsung-in-renewed-settlement-talks-but-deal-elusive/Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. have held a series of private negotiations about their patent disputes since last summer when Apple notched a victory in one case, according to legal documents and people familiar with the matter. The negotiations included face-to-face meetings in Seoul, South Korea, in December, one document states. The two companies even appeared to come close to a settlement in February before talks cooled off.Fri, 19 Jul 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/u-s-judge-rules-apple-colluded-on-e-books/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/u-s-judge-rules-apple-colluded-on-e-books/By Chad Bray, Joe Palazzolo and Ian Sherr Apple Inc. colluded with five major U.S. publishers to drive up the prices of e-books, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in a stern rebuke that threatens to limit the technology company's options when negotiating future content deals.Thu, 11 Jul 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/classic-board-games-win-new-fans-on-tablets-and-online/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/classic-board-games-win-new-fans-on-tablets-and-online/Scrabble might want to consider adding iPad to its dictionary of acceptable words. The Hasbro Inc. board game, which was created about three-quarters of a century ago, has found a new audience as one of the most popular games for tablets. It is now the 14th best-selling app ever for Apple Inc.'s iPad.Thu, 04 Jul 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/fans-take-videogame-damsels-out-of-distress-put-them-in-charge/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/fans-take-videogame-damsels-out-of-distress-put-them-in-charge/Playing "Donkey Kong" this spring, Mike Mika's 3-year-old daughter Ellis asked him why it is always the mustached Mario who saves Pauline, the damsel in a pink dress who gets kidnapped by a gorilla. The game has no option for the girl to save the boy. It just works like that, the dad told his daughter. "She was bummed out," he says.Thu, 04 Jul 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-moves-to-embrace-videogame-controllers/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-moves-to-embrace-videogame-controllers/Apple Inc. angling to court makers of sophisticated games and people who play them, is trying to spur the creation of game controllers for its mobile devices and computers. The Silicon Valley tech giant has developed new software specifications to help other companies make game controllers that work with its iPads, iPhones, iPod Touches and Macs, according to documentation sent to developers seen by The Wall Street Journal.Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/ea-crafting-a-used-games-policy-for-xbox-one/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/ea-crafting-a-used-games-policy-for-xbox-one/Microsoft set off shock waves in the videogame industry by saying that software publishers will be able to restrict the sharing and resale of games for its forthcoming Xbox One console Electronic Arts, in response, says it is in the process of creating a policy for used games. Speaking at an investor meeting during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Frank Gibeau, president of the Redwood City, Calif. company‘s games efforts, said his teams are “formulating our policy“ following Microsoft‘s comments.Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/sony-boosts-internal-sales-estimates-for-playstation-4/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/sony-boosts-internal-sales-estimates-for-playstation-4/LOS ANGELES—Sony Corp. is raising internal sales projections for the forthcoming PlayStation 4 videogame console amid positive signs about demand for the device, executives of the Japanese electronics company said Tuesday. Andrew House, global head of Sony's PlayStation videogame business, said the company is shifting its internal projections for the product after favorable reactions to the company's presentation Monday at the Electronics Entertainment Expo here this week. He did not quantify those projections.Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/japans-gungho-finlands-supercell-team-up-on-mobile-game/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/japans-gungho-finlands-supercell-team-up-on-mobile-game/By Mayumi Negishi and Ian Sherr Two of the hottest game makers from opposite sides of the globe are teaming up.Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/pwc-sees-console-game-sales-rising-slowly-despite-new-devices/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/pwc-sees-console-game-sales-rising-slowly-despite-new-devices/Sales of console videogames are expected to rise slowly over the next several years, according to a new study by PwC, despite the expected release of new devices by Sony and Microsoft. The long-ailing videogame industry, which is gathering next week for the E3 show in Los Angeles, has long been expecting a sharp upward bump in console sales following the release later this year of Sony‘s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft‘s Xbox One, both of which have a large base of dedicated customers.Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/ruling-blocks-iphone-sales/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/ruling-blocks-iphone-sales/Samsung Electronics Co. won a significant legal victory against Apple Inc. that threatens to halt the sale of some iPhones and iPads in the U.S. The U.S. International Trade Commission on Tuesday ruled that Apple violated a Samsung patent covering technology used to send information over wireless networks.Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/microsofts-new-xbox-girds-for-a-smartphone-battle/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/microsofts-new-xbox-girds-for-a-smartphone-battle/Microsoft Corp. will unveil its new Xbox on Tuesday. What's underneath the hood of the latest videogame console represents a multiyear odyssey of trying to figure out how to keep the machine "cool" in the age of smartphones and tablets. Since the last Xbox debuted in 2005, Microsoft has produced multiple prototypes for a new console and experimented with different technologies for it, said people familiar with the matter. The company has looked at streaming games from far-away servers to the latest Xbox; sending recorded videos of game exploits on the Web from the console; and including various television technologies, these people said.Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/future-for-microsoft-set-top-box-is-uncertain/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/future-for-microsoft-set-top-box-is-uncertain/As videogame fans await the unveiling of Microsoft Corp.'s next Xbox console, the future of another piece of hardware under development is less clear. Microsoft has been creating designs for a simple set-top device for streaming video and other entertainment options, people familiar with the matter said.Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/microsoft-weighs-ending-sesame-street-tv-game-series/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/microsoft-weighs-ending-sesame-street-tv-game-series/Microsoft may pull the plug on Elmo. People familiar with the matter say the software giant has discussed ending its run of Sesame Street interactive videogames. The titles let children count coconuts out loud with Grover within a tailor-made Sesame Street episode or watch themselves on screen as they play in a forest with Elmo.Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/1266/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/1266/By Ian Sherr and Sharon Terlep Dell Inc.'s Chief Executive Michael Dell met this week with Blackstone Group LP as the private-equity firm pieces together a plan to take control of the computer maker, people familiar with the matter said.Fri, 29 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-on-defense-slams-samsung/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/apple-on-defense-slams-samsung/By Ian Sherr and Jessica E. Lessin Apple Inc. is on the defensive.Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/drive-into-the-future-your-car-knows-a-lot-about-you-and-its-talking/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/drive-into-the-future-your-car-knows-a-lot-about-you-and-its-talking/By Ian Sherr and Mike Ramsey Ford Motor Co. wants to read car buyers' minds.Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/sony-moves-a-step-closer-to-its-game-vision/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/sony-moves-a-step-closer-to-its-game-vision/More than a decade ago, the Sony Corp. executive credited as the "Father of the PlayStation" predicted that one day videogames wouldn't require a console, because the hardware would eventually "melt" into a network that linked players together. All they would need, Ken Kutaragi said, is a display and a controller. As Sony prepares to take the wraps off a new home console, it will take one major step closer to that vision. The Japanese electronics conglomerate's next PlayStation will allow users to play games streamed over the Internet as well as on discs, according to people familiar with Sony's plans.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/next-sony-playstation-to-stream-games/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/next-sony-playstation-to-stream-games/Sony Corp. is planning to offer technology to stream games to its next videogame console, people familiar with the company's plans say, alongside other enhancements to bolster its position in the market. The new technology, to be unveiled Wednesday along with the new console, will allow users to play games delivered over the Internet, these people said. The streaming service, they added, is designed to use current PlayStation 3 titles on the new console; the new device is also expected to play new games stored on optical discs.Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/sony-to-unveil-ps3-successor/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/sony-to-unveil-ps3-successor/Sony Corp. is planning to unveil its next-generation home videogame console during a February event, showing off a successor to its current PlayStation 3 system. The Japanese electronics giant Thursday unveiled plans for a special PlayStation-themed event set for Feb. 20, teasing fans to "see the future" at the event. People familiar with the matter have said the new device will make its debut there, beating Microsoft Corp. to the punch in announcing its own next-generation game machine.Sat, 02 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/has-apple-lost-its-cool-to-samsung/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/has-apple-lost-its-cool-to-samsung/Samsung Electronics Co. is succeeding where other technology companies have tried and failed: closing the coolness gap with Apple Inc. The deep-pocketed Korean company has used a combination of engineering prowess, manufacturing heft and marketing savvy to create smartphones that can rival the iPhone in both sales and appeal.Sun, 27 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/driverless-cars-move-closer-to-reality/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/driverless-cars-move-closer-to-reality/Driverless cars are no longer the domain of science fiction. Auto manufacturers such as Audi AG and Toyota Motor Co. are beginning to roll out advanced prototypes of vehicles that can drive themselves, adopting new technologies like self-parking, lane-departure correction and collision avoidance.Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/hardware-startups-look-to-tap-overseas-markets/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/hardware-startups-look-to-tap-overseas-markets/Bay Area hardware startups are accelerating plans to sell their products overseas, seeking new opportunities for growth after seeing unexpectedly strong international demand. Thermostat maker Nest Labs Inc. and Leap Motion Inc., which makes a motion-control device for computers, are hiring staff to handle sales and administrative functions, such as overseas partnerships, regulatory compliance and customs issues. They are also tailoring their product websites and modifying their software to handle local languages and data.Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/lenovo-aims-higher-in-u-s/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/lenovo-aims-higher-in-u-s/LAS VEGAS—Lenovo Group Ltd. has only just started in the U.S. The Chinese computer maker, which is known for its ThinkPad personal computers, is working its way toward the American consumer market with what it says is a thoughtful, if slow, approach that will culminate in the company's first high-end PCs for U.S. buyers later this year.Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/samsung-to-step-up-efforts-in-u-s-pc-market/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/samsung-to-step-up-efforts-in-u-s-pc-market/Samsung Electronics Co. is known particularly well for its smartphones, tablets and televisions. Raymond Wah, an executive at the company‘s computer division, wants to add PCs to that list. The former Hewlett-Packard Co. executive said Samsung plans to amp up its efforts in the U.S., where it still lags major competitors such as H-P Dell Inc Lenovo Group Ltd. and Apple Inc. in market share.Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/ford-gm-rev-up-rivalry-with-apps/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/ford-gm-rev-up-rivalry-with-apps/LAS VEGAS—Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co., longtime rivals for control of the road, are now beginning a battle to find the right "app." Both auto makers announced Monday they are inviting anyone from software geeks to the everyday driver to develop applications that can be used in their respective vehicles. There are no plans between the two auto makers to share.Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/meet-the-great-tech-busts-of-ces/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/meet-the-great-tech-busts-of-ces/LAS VEGAS--The high-definition DVD, the Palm Pre and Lady Gaga's Polaroid Glasses have one thing in common: They launched at the Consumer Electronics Show to much fanfare, only to disappear from sight or languish as failures on store shelves. The annual trade show, which runs through this week, is the place where many awe-inspiring technologies have launched. The conference has been held for more than three decades and attracts more than 150,000 attendees to its nearly 2 million net square feet of convention facilities each January.Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2013/toyota-audi-prep-self-driving-cars/https://iansherr.com/writing/2013/toyota-audi-prep-self-driving-cars/Toyota Motor Corp. and Audi AG are throwing their hats into the ring of potential suppliers of self-driving vehicles. Both auto makers confirmed on Thursday that they will be demonstrating autonomous-driving features at the Consumer Electronics Show in the coming week, signaling a new effort to raise the technology's profile among consumers.Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/startups-adjust-to-webs-down-cycle/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/startups-adjust-to-webs-down-cycle/By Pui-Wing Tam, Greg Bensinger and Ian Sherr Some companies that were preparing for a public offering after Facebook's May IPO have shelved those plans. Others are distancing their businesses from those of Zynga and Groupon, amid concerns their companies will be tarred by the same brush. And some have watched their user growth trail off and are working to recapture the viral magic they once experienced.Tue, 25 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-campus-helps-hometown-shine/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-campus-helps-hometown-shine/First the personal-computer industry, then the smartphone and then the tablet. The latest area touched by Apple Inc.'s innovation: its hometown of Cupertino. As Apple moves closer to breaking ground on its new campus, Cupertino is experiencing a flurry of economic activity, with commercial rental rates surging and construction projects ramping up.Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/nintendos-wii-u-sells-out-in-first-week-in-u-s-stores/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/nintendos-wii-u-sells-out-in-first-week-in-u-s-stores/In its first week on the U.S. market, Nintendo Co.'s new Wii U game console sold out at retail stores, indicating strong demand for the company's next generation of videogame devices. Nintendo said Monday that it sold more than 400,000 Wii U consoles after its Nov. 18 release, according to internal metrics.Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/game-makers-push-to-make-ratings-consistent-across-all-platforms/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/game-makers-push-to-make-ratings-consistent-across-all-platforms/Videogames have long been rated for violence and sexual imagery, but the situation is different for games played on social networks or mobile devices. Some prominent players are pushing for change—and consistency. John Riccitiello, chief executive of game maker Electronic Arts Inc. and chairman of the Entertainment Software Association, on Wednesday plans to challenge the industry to begin constructing a singular ratings system for games on all mediums.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/start-ups-producers-look-toward-ny-for-next-project/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/start-ups-producers-look-toward-ny-for-next-project/Silicon Valley, eat your heart out. Randi Zuckerberg, sister of Facebook Inc. co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and executive producer of the recently premiered Bravo reality show “Start-Ups: Silicon Valley,“ is looking forward to her next reality show. And this time, she‘s eschewing the sweeping vistas of Palo Alto for the concrete jungle of New York.Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/halo-4-passes-its-first-crucial-test-metacritic/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/halo-4-passes-its-first-crucial-test-metacritic/Microsoft Corp. has a lot riding on its new alien shooting videogame, Halo 4, which is part of the blockbuster Halo franchise and debuts Nov 6. (read “The Big Game Battle“). But there‘s one thing over which Halo 4′s creators can breathe a sigh of relief: the game‘s review score from Metacritic.com. Metacritic, which aggregates videogame reviews from various game publications such as GameStop GME +0.04%‘s Game Informer magazine and AOL‘s Joystiq, gives videogames an averaged score ranging from 1 to 100. The ranking that a game receives is regarded as a barometer for whether a title will sell well, with many game industry veterans and analysts saying a game needs to score in the mid-80s to be a certified hit.Sat, 03 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/the-big-game-battle/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/the-big-game-battle/In a slick two-minute trailer from David Fincher, the director of "The Social Network" and "Fight Club," a young boy is stolen from his home, turned into a surgically enhanced supersoldier known as "Master Chief," then set loose to battle hordes of evil aliens. The splashy preview isn't for Hollywood's latest major motion picture. It's part of the elaborate build up to the release of "Halo 4," the latest installment of Microsoft's blockbuster videogame for the Xbox 360. When it debuts on Tuesday, the game, in development for four years, could easily end up bigger than most movie releases. Its predecessor, "Halo 3" sold $300 million worth of copies in the first week following its 2007 release.Sat, 03 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/william-shatner-joins-the-app-crowd/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/william-shatner-joins-the-app-crowd/Did you ever have something you wanted to say, but didn‘t know how to say it? Now William Shatner has an app for that. The iconic actor of the Star Trek series and performer of spoken word albums is starring in a new role as the voice of a new app, called “Shatoetry.“Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/take-two-builds-civilization-game-for-south-korea/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/take-two-builds-civilization-game-for-south-korea/Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. is developing a new version of "Civilization," one of its most storied franchises, featuring interconnected virtual worlds in which players compete. But it isn't for the U.S., its largest market; this game is being developed for South Korea. The New York company—best known for its "Grand Theft Auto" and "Borderlands" franchises—is the latest of a bevy of large U.S. game companies attempting to embrace the fast-growing Asian markets, where gaming consoles such as Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 barely have a presence. Instead, gamers there typically play on a personal computer at home or in Internet cafes.Sat, 27 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/microsoft-and-its-allies-prepare-windows-8-marketing-blitz/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/microsoft-and-its-allies-prepare-windows-8-marketing-blitz/Microsoft Corp. plans this weekend to start the marketing blitz for Windows 8, the software company's dramatic overhaul of its flagship product to catch up to the rise of mobile devices such as Apple Inc.'s iPad. According to people briefed on the marketing efforts, Microsoft's ads beginning this weekend will coincide with pre-orders of some computers and tablet devices powered by Windows 8. Those devices are slated to go on sale widely on Oct. 26.Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-gave-few-phones-to-other-retailers/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-gave-few-phones-to-other-retailers/Apple Inc.'s new iPhone 5 remained a hot item following the sales kickoff Friday, with customers flocking to stores to buy the new handset. But they seemed to have little luck finding the gadget at the Silicon Valley company's retail partners. While Apple's own stores appeared to be selling the new device in large numbers, other retail chains that offered the device had limited quantities from the outset, according to sales staff in stores and other people familiar with the situation.Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-makes-a-wrong-turn-as-users-blast-map-switch/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-makes-a-wrong-turn-as-users-blast-map-switch/Apple Inc.'s move to replace Google Inc.'s mapping software with its own on its mobile devices sparked a world-wide consumer backlash, marking a rare strategic blunder by a company more accustomed to rave reviews from users. As Apple prepped its stores for the first sales of the iPhone 5 on Friday, the company faced vociferous complaints from consumers over the mapping application it released this week, which replaces the Google maps that have been part of the iPhone since the device's initial 2007 release. The new maps come installed on the iPhone 5 and will be seen by other users who upgrade their iPhones and iPads to the company's latest iOS 6 mobile operating system.Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/boutique-cinemas-veer-toward-the-nonprofit-scene/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/boutique-cinemas-veer-toward-the-nonprofit-scene/Some of San Francisco's boutique movie theaters have found a new way to boost revenue: become a nonprofit or rely on financial support from nonprofit groups. In recent years, the Roxie Theater has become a nonprofit, while the Balboa Theatre and the Vogue Theatre have started using more dollars from a nonprofit organization for maintenance and upgrades. Of the roughly 20 movie theaters in the city, about half aren't part of a theater chain, according to theater executives.Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/manage-your-money-on-mobile/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/manage-your-money-on-mobile/For most of us, there just aren't that many "Wow!" moments in our personal banking. (Unless you count "Wow, how did my balance get so low?") So there's something to be said for the sheer fun of depositing a check in your bank by taking a picture of it with your phone. There's really nothing else quite like it among banking and other money-management apps.Sun, 26 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-retail-chief-admits-staffing-mistake/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-retail-chief-admits-staffing-mistake/SAN FRANCISCO—Apple Inc.'s retail boss told employees the company made mistakes with its staffing levels, leading to news reports that the company was cutting employees, according to two people familiar with the matter. In a communication with store leadership teams, senior vice president of retail, John Browett, who took the reins of Apple's retail stores in April, said the company had been trying a new staffing formula for its retail stores.Fri, 17 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/tech-entrepreneurs-get-a-hand-pairing-up/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/tech-entrepreneurs-get-a-hand-pairing-up/When David Hegarty moved to San Francisco from Seattle in 2009 to start a company, he had a problem: He didn't know anyone he could to team up with. Mr. Hegarty, now 34 years old, was a business guy who knew how to manage sales, make deals and strike partnerships. What he needed was an engineer.Sat, 11 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-stores-to-match-discounts-on-iphones/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-stores-to-match-discounts-on-iphones/The company has begun telling retail employees that they may offer discounts of $49 on the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4 to customers who cite lower prices from other outlets, according to  two people familiar with the matter. The outlets include stores operated by Target Corp., Best Buy Co. and Sprint Nextel Corp., according to Apple‘s communications with employees.Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apples-secrets-revealed-at-trial/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apples-secrets-revealed-at-trial/SAN JOSE, Calif.—Apple Inc., one of the world's most secretive companies, is finding there's a price in pushing its grievances against rival Samsung Electronics Co. in federal court: disclosure. In just the first few days of its patent trial this week, Apple has publicly discussed how it created the iPhone and iPad, showed early designs of the devices and described intimate details about its product team.Sun, 05 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/gaming-vet-pitches-99-android-console-on-kickstarter/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/gaming-vet-pitches-99-android-console-on-kickstarter/A Southern California start-up is attempting to sell a game console to challenge more expensive devices from the likes of Sony Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. Boxer8, founded by game industry veteran Julie Uhrma, has developed Ouya, a console about the size of a Rubik‘s Cube that connects to a television and comes with a controller for playing games. The company hopes to make games less expensive and easier to distribute.Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/videogames-reach-for-the-cloud/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/videogames-reach-for-the-cloud/For decades, consumers have played videogames in arcades, on personal computers or specialized consoles hooked to televisions. Sony Corp. SNE +2.21% is placing a bet on a different approach—technology that streams games to Internet-connected devices. Last week, the Japanese electronics maker announced a $380 million deal to acquire Gaikai Inc., a company that runs games on servers in its data centers. The technology lets gamers play fast-action, visually sophisticated titles through a Web browser—without the need to install specialized game software or buy hardware with special graphics circuitry. Players can use laptops, tablets, smartphones or even some TVs.Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/activision-to-bring-new-free-version-of-call-of-duty-to-china/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/activision-to-bring-new-free-version-of-call-of-duty-to-china/Consumers in the U.S. frequently line up to pay $60 apiece for each year's installment of Activision Blizzard Inc.'s biggest franchise, "Call of Duty." But when the war-simulation shooting game reaches China's shores later this year, Activision will take a different tack: giving it away for free. The Santa Monica, Calif., company is responding to the peculiarities of the fast-growing Chinese market, where game consoles barely have a presence and people typically gather in PC-laden Internet cafes to play free games that are supported by sales of virtual goods.Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/zynga-creates-gamers-hub/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/zynga-creates-gamers-hub/SAN FRANCISCO—Zynga Inc. wants to get many more people playing online games together. The company, known largely for casual games such as "FarmVille" and "Words With Friends," on Tuesday laid out plans to offer a central hub for players of online games.Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/microsoft-pulls-from-apple-playbook-with-surface-tablet/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/microsoft-pulls-from-apple-playbook-with-surface-tablet/Microsoft Corp.'s first personal computer, the Surface tablet, provides further evidence that Apple Inc.'s strategies and success continue to shake up the tech sector. The software giant is for the first time emulating Apple's longtime practice of managing both elements in a computing device—one that will directly compete with products from its biggest customers.Sat, 23 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-raising-pay-for-retail-workers/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-raising-pay-for-retail-workers/Apple Inc. is raising hourly pay for employees at its U.S. retail stores by as much as 25%, following an internal review period earlier this year. Apple employs the equivalent of 36,000 full-time staffers at its more than 350 retail stores around the globe. About two-thirds of the stores are in the U.S. Apple Store workers are typically paid about $9 to $15 an hour at the sales level, and up to about $30 an hour at its "Genius" tech support teams.Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/att-hints-at-charges-for-facetime-users/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/att-hints-at-charges-for-facetime-users/By Thomas Gryta and Ian Sherr Software developers using a pre-release version of Apple Inc.‘s iPhone operating system have hit a roadblock while trying to access the popular video-calling application FaceTime on AT&T Inc.‘s cellular network.Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-adds-online-gaming-options-for-mac-owners/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-adds-online-gaming-options-for-mac-owners/SAN FRANCISCO—Apple Inc. plans to allow users of its mobile devices and Mac computers to play games with one another, stepping up its challenge to videogame console makers. The company told developers this week that the forthcoming Mountain Lion operating system will allow Mac owners to connect their computers to the Apple social network called Game Center, in order to play games with each other over the Internet as well as with owners of the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Game Center had previously been available only for the mobile devices.Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/the-iphone-gives-sonic-the-hedgehog-a-second-chance/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/the-iphone-gives-sonic-the-hedgehog-a-second-chance/LOS ANGELES—Old is the new cool in videogames. Videogame titles that once gathered dust on collectors' shelves have found a new life on mobile devices such as Apple Inc.'s iPhone, giving companies a cheap way to make money while also helping to promote new software.Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/electronic-arts-ups-its-game/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/electronic-arts-ups-its-game/LOS ANGELES—People have many ways to play videogames these days, from computers to mobile devices. Electronic Arts Inc. is placing a costly bet that it can tie them all together. The large game-software company is using the E3 trade show here this week to show the fruits of a plan to develop technology that links multiple versions of a single game played on different hardware—such as videogame consoles, PCs and smartphones—or on online social networks. The new technology means that a user could start a game using a tablet computer and pick up at the same place in the action when later sitting in front of a big-screen TV with a console.Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/microsoft-to-offer-xbox-subscriptions-at-best-buy-gamestop/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/microsoft-to-offer-xbox-subscriptions-at-best-buy-gamestop/Microsoft Corp. plans to boost the number of outlets offering its subscription plan for the Xbox, an effort to attract more users by lowering upfront costs of acquiring the game console. The company, which had previously only made the offer available through 17 of its own stores, plans to extend its $99 offer—which combines a Xbox 360 and Kinect motion sensor with a two-year service contract—to all U.S. Best Buy Co. stores and a "select" grouping of GameStop Corp. stores.Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/sony-rejects-web-based-playstation-console/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/sony-rejects-web-based-playstation-console/Sony Corp. considered but ultimately rejected a download-only plan for its next videogame console, people familiar with the matter said, opting to include an optical disk drive rather than break with decades-old industry practice. The Japanese electronics maker's flirtation with dropping the optical drive underscores the rising importance of online networks in the videogame industry, which allow console users to download games, television shows and music without the need for disks or cartridges.Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/zynga-defends-omgpop-acquisition/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/zynga-defends-omgpop-acquisition/Zynga Inc. has faced plenty of questions after buying the maker of "Draw Something," a mobile game that was released only six weeks earlier and has since lost popularity. Now the social games company is trying to provide some answers. The San Francisco-based company on Thursday plans to announce an agreement with animation studio DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. to place additional advertising in the game. Zynga believes it's the start of new revenue-generating possibilities that will justify the controversial acquisition.Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/activision-reaches-back-to-rev-up/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/activision-reaches-back-to-rev-up/Activision Blizzard Inc., the world's biggest videogame maker by market capitalization, is banking its future on games that go back more than a decade. As it attempts to rev up growth, Activision Blizzard has reached into its game vault and dusted off old titles. On Tuesday, the Santa Monica, Calif., company will debut the latest result of that strategy: "Diablo III," a new version of the dungeon exploration game that last came out in 2000.Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/san-francisco-tries-new-tack-in-preparations-for-americas-cup/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/san-francisco-tries-new-tack-in-preparations-for-americas-cup/San Francisco hoped hosting the 34th America's Cup next year would revitalize parts of its aging waterfront. Now it will have to settle for just keeping things afloat. The regatta had looked like a prime opportunity for the city to fix up some of its piers—particularly Piers 30 and 32, which sit between the Bay Bridge and AT&T Park and are now being used in a limited manner. An initial estimate by the event organizers for making the repairs totaled about $55 million, which was to be borne by the America's Cup and eventually earned back by renting out the renovated area.Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/microsoft-banks-on-mobile-apps/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/microsoft-banks-on-mobile-apps/By Shira Ovide and Ian Sherr Microsoft Corp., struggling to dent the dominance of Apple Inc. and Google Inc. in the smartphone market, is stepping up efforts to court app makers like Hemi Weingarten.Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/when-business-and-personal-combine/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/when-business-and-personal-combine/It used to be an easy call for the IT department when an employee's BlackBerry was lost or stolen: If it contained sensitive information, technology teams at many companies had no qualms about remotely wiping all of the data on the device. Today, however, there has been a flood of personal computing devices into the workplace, in the form of smartphones and tablet computers. Companies have begun installing their email, calendars and apps on devices that often already contain an employee's family photos, music and emails.Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/hospitals-that-mend-the-apple-set-in-this-er-doctors-operate-on-pocket-size-patients/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/hospitals-that-mend-the-apple-set-in-this-er-doctors-operate-on-pocket-size-patients/The patient might have been under water too long. Only a few months old, the victim wasn't responding. A doctor, in green surgical scrubs, rushed to his sparkling clean operating room, hopeful the patient could be saved.Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-offered-licensing-deals-to-patent-foes/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-offered-licensing-deals-to-patent-foes/Apple Inc. is fighting a multi-front patent war against competing makers of mobile devices, demanding injunctions that would block sales of their products. But the company has also indicated a willingness to cut deals with competitors, according to people familiar with the matter. The consumer-electronics company has put forth proposals to Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. to settle some pending litigation in exchange for royalty payments to license its patents, among other terms, these people said.Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/fight-over-ipad-name-spills-into-u-s-court/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/fight-over-ipad-name-spills-into-u-s-court/Proview Electronics Co. has taken its legal battles with Apple Inc. to a U.S. court, claiming the iPhone maker used deception in buying the iPad trademark and shouldn't be allowed to keep it. The lawsuit, which was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California in Santa Clara County on Feb. 17 but previously unreported, claimed that Apple had committed fraud when it used a company set up by one of its law firms, called IP Application Development Ltd., to purchase the iPad trademark from Proview on Dec. 23, 2009 for 35,000 British pounds ($55,000).Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/sony-videogame-chief-high-hopes-for-vitas-u-s-launch/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/sony-videogame-chief-high-hopes-for-vitas-u-s-launch/Sony Corp. and its videogame chief, Andrew House, are hoping their new handheld videogame console can help make the past year a distant memory. Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 outsold Sony's PlayStation 3 in the U.S. last year, and consumers gave a lukewarm response to "Move," Sony's new motion-controlled gaming initiative.Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/amazon-removes-resellers-ipads-from-sale-in-china/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/amazon-removes-resellers-ipads-from-sale-in-china/Apple Inc. pulled its iPad 2 tablet from the websites of some unauthorized merchants in China, including Amazon.com Inc.'s Chinese site, in the latest challenge for the consumer-electronics giant in a key growth market. Apple requested that the iPad 2 be removed from online storefronts because the sites weren't authorized to sell the device, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The people said that the removal wasn't related to a long-running dispute over the iPad trademark in China.Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/price-of-the-ipad-name-55000-to-2-billion/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/price-of-the-ipad-name-55000-to-2-billion/What's in a name like iPad? Apple Inc. agreed to pay Proview International Holdings Ltd. £35,000 ($55,494 at current exchange rates) for the iPad trademark, according to a cache of documents that includes emails and a contract detailing an agreement between the two companies.Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-asked-standards-body-to-set-rules-for-essential-patents/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/apple-asked-standards-body-to-set-rules-for-essential-patents/SAN FRANCISCO—Apple Inc. has asked a telecommunications standards body to set basic principles governing how member companies license their patents, an increasingly contentious topic for rivals in the smartphone industry. In a letter to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, Apple said the telecommunications industry lacks consistent licensing schemes for the many patents necessary to make mobile devices, and offered suggestions for setting appropriate royalty rates that all members would follow.Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/take-zap-tech-geeks-starved-for-more-battery-power-give-themselves-a-charge/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/take-zap-tech-geeks-starved-for-more-battery-power-give-themselves-a-charge/By Geoffrey A. Fowler and Ian Sherr Any geek can tell you that battery life hasn't kept up with gadget innovations. But not to worry: Inventors are figuring out how to turn geeks into batteries.Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/blue-bottle-aims-to-blend-slow-coffee-fast-growth/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/blue-bottle-aims-to-blend-slow-coffee-fast-growth/In an era of fast-food cappuccinos and drive-through coffee shops, Blue Bottle Coffee Co. is banking on slowing things down to help itself grow. Since the Oakland-based coffee company's founding in 2002, its revenue has jumped an average of about 50% annually to between $15 million and $20 million last year, according to James Freeman, founder and chief executive. As the company continues to expand—with plans to enter Manhattan in the next month of so—Blue Bottle could have more than 200 employees by the end of this year, up from about 70 two years ago.Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/cars-pump-up-iq-to-get-edge/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/cars-pump-up-iq-to-get-edge/LAS VEGAS—Auto makers want their cars to be able to drive into the cloud. Manufacturers like General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Daimler AG‘s Mercedes-Benz Cars division are using the Consumer Electronics Show here to show off a set of computer services that operate online, or through the “cloud,“ and allow customers to remotely track their cars, diagnose what‘s wrong with them and potentially avoid collisions.Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2012/vizio-jumps-into-pc-fray/https://iansherr.com/writing/2012/vizio-jumps-into-pc-fray/Vizio Inc., which shook up the market with inexpensive high-definition televisions, now wants to become a computer manufacturer. The Irvine, Calif., company, which ranks as one of the top sellers of televisions in the U.S., plans to show a line of thin laptop computers and all-in-one desktop PCs running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows software next week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/judgment-day-looms-for-apple-htc/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/judgment-day-looms-for-apple-htc/Apple Inc.'s claims that some smartphones running Google Inc.'s Android software copy its inventions are approaching their first big judgment day in the U.S. The International Trade Commission in Washington on Wednesday is expected to rule on whether some phones made by HTC Corp. violate Apple's patents. The ruling could lead to a ban on handsets sold by the Taiwanese company, which uses the Android operating system and had the second-largest share of smartphone subscribers in the U.S. market for the three months ended in October, according to research firm Nielsen.Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apples-hottest-new-product-can-be-thrown-in-the-wash/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apples-hottest-new-product-can-be-thrown-in-the-wash/By Jessica E. Vascellaro and Ian Sherr When thousands of fans line up for Apple Inc.'s opening of its Grand Central Terminal store Friday, many won't be queuing to ogle iPads.Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/hopes-dim-for-a-haight-street-lift/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/hopes-dim-for-a-haight-street-lift/When Whole Foods Market Inc. opened a store in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury early this year, many locals and community leaders hoped it would help improve a grungy corner of their famous neighborhood. Nearly a year later, they're still waiting. Since the upscale market opened in February across from a section of Golden Gate Park known as Alvord Lake, known for attracting drug dealers and homeless people, crime within a 500-foot radius of the store has shot up, according to the San Francisco Police Department. At the same time, Whole Foods hasn't lifted the overall neighborhood's business prospects, sales-tax receipts data from the San Francisco Comptroller's Office show.Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/gamestop-steps-into-tablet-pc-sales/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/gamestop-steps-into-tablet-pc-sales/Videogame retailer GameStop Corp. plans to begin selling tablet-style computers as part of an effort to expand its gaming device offerings. The company plans to begin selling tablets based on Google Inc.'s Android mobile operating system during the holiday season at 200 of its U.S. stores on Friday. GameStop's pilot program will include specialized tablets made by Asustek Computer Inc., Acer Inc. and Samsung Electronics Inc.Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/sony-charts-networks-recovery-with-uncharted/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/sony-charts-networks-recovery-with-uncharted/Sony Corp. is preparing to release its first major game for the PlayStation Network online gaming service since hackers broke in and stole account information from millions of users earlier this year. The game's release marks a milestone for the Japanese electronics giant in its ongoing recovery from the hacking attacks that occurred in mid-April, which compromised the personal information of roughly 77 million accounts in the system.Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-celebrates-steve-jobs-at-memorial/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-celebrates-steve-jobs-at-memorial/By Jessica E. Vascellaro and Ian Sherr Apple Inc. executives and advisers rallied employees to maintain Steve Jobs's legacy on Wednesday, as the celebrations of the Apple co-founder's life continued two weeks after his death.Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/steve-jobs-memorial-held/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/steve-jobs-memorial-held/Apple plans to close some of its retail stores for at least an hour Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the matter, a gesture that coincides with the company‘s planned celebration of co-founder Steve Jobs‘s life at its headquarters. Retail employees were informed that a private company event was scheduled and that the retail stores will temporarily close during that time, according to two people who work for Apple but aren‘t authorized to speak on its behalf. One of the employees said the event would last for up to three hours.Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/steve-jobs-funeral-is-friday/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/steve-jobs-funeral-is-friday/The funeral for Steve Jobs, Apple Inc.'s co-founder, is taking place Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter. The funeral is characterized as a small private gathering, this person said. The person wouldn't say where or when the event was taking place, citing respect for Mr. Jobs and his family's privacy.Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-fights-on-without-its-muse/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-fights-on-without-its-muse/By Don Clark and Ian Sherr Apple Inc. has lost its visionary at a time when the company is headed into battle with its most serious challengers yet—and has shown some rare signs of vulnerability.Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/beyond-the-password/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/beyond-the-password/One day five months ago, Karim Hijazi saw an unusual sight while reading his work email. A message that had been marked as "read" was suddenly marked "unread." What the founder of Unveillance, a computer-network security firm, soon learned was that hackers had broken into his account.Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/losing-207-a-pop-h-p-brings-back-its-ipad-rival/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/losing-207-a-pop-h-p-brings-back-its-ipad-rival/The TouchPad is dead. Long live the TouchPad. Hewlett-Packard Co. said it will temporarily resume manufacturing of its ill-fated tablet computer just 11 days after killing its iPad rival as part of a sweeping corporate overhaul.Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-still-a-buy-says-analysts/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-still-a-buy-says-analysts/Investors may be undervaluing Apple Inc. even as its shares near all-time highs on the strength of hit gadgets like the iPhone and iPad. On Wednesday, investors had a new reason to re-evaluate one of the most popular destinations for equity investments: the resignation of co-founder Steve Jobs as chief executive.Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/h-p-looks-to-kitchens-cars/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/h-p-looks-to-kitchens-cars/Hewlett-Packard Co. wants to persuade appliance and car manufacturers to use its webOS operating system in their products. But the software's late arrival to the market and relatively small footprint are prompting companies to pause before licensing the platform. In June, Leo Apotheker, chief executive of the electronics giant based in Palo Alto, Calif., said his company plans to begin talks with various companies to gauge interest in webOS, which powers H-P's TouchPad tablet computers and Pre smartphones.Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/tablet-war-is-an-apple-rout/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/tablet-war-is-an-apple-rout/People don't have tablet fever; it seems they simply have a mania for iPads. The latest evidence: Hewlett-Packard Co. is dropping the price of its TouchPad tablet by 20% little more than a month after it hit stores, as the computer giant tries to goose sales of its answer to Apple Inc.'s iPad.Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/dell-ads-to-focus-on-human-side-of-technology/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/dell-ads-to-focus-on-human-side-of-technology/A new branding campaign from computer maker Dell Inc. takes a cue from Apple Inc.'s marketing playbook: It doesn't talk about technology. In one spot, a teenage girl talks about how she uses a Dell laptop to video chat with a boy she has a crush on. In another, a grandmother explains how she keeps in touch with her family using a Dell smartphone.Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apples-retail-secret-full-service-stores/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apples-retail-secret-full-service-stores/By Yukari Iwatani Kane and Ian Sherr Steve Jobs turned Apple Inc. into the world's most valuable technology company with high-tech products like the iPad and iPhone. But one anchor of Apple's success is surprisingly low tech: its chain of brick-and-mortar retail stores.Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/sony-revamps-retail-stores/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/sony-revamps-retail-stores/Aiming to take a bite out of Apple Inc., Sony Corp. is revamping its retail stores, integrating the Japanese electronics behemoth's sprawling product line into a sleek and fresh new look. On April 1, Sony opened a self-branded store, in the high-end Westfield Century City Mall in Los Angeles. The store, with hardwood floors and sleek lighting fixtures, echoes Apple's airy retail concept.Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/the-play-by-play-on-sonys-massive-data-breach/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/the-play-by-play-on-sonys-massive-data-breach/On a Tuesday afternoon last month, engineers working for Sony Corp. were baffled when several servers running the company's PlayStation Network suddenly turned themselves off and then back on. At the time, the unexpected rebooting seemed like an odd malfunction. The next day, however, the engineers found the first evidence that an intruder had penetrated Sony's systems, prompting the Japanese company to take what it calls "the almost unprecedented step" of shutting down the popular online gaming network.Sat, 07 May 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/sony-brings-in-high-tech-sleuths/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/sony-brings-in-high-tech-sleuths/New details emerged about Sony Corp.'s investigation into one of the biggest data breaches in history, as the company attempts to piece together who stole personal information from more than 100 million accounts on its online game networks. At least some of the attacks came from a Malaysia-based server, a person familiar with the matter said, though it wasn't clear if any of the hacking was actually done from there, or whether only the server there was used.Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/sony-faces-suits-over-playstation-breach/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/sony-faces-suits-over-playstation-breach/Plaintiffs lawyers are targeting Sony Corp. with class-action suits after a breach of the company's online-game network compromised the personal information of millions of users. In one lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court's Northern District of California, videogame player Kristopher Johns said Sony's security was negligently poor and the company failed to encrypt personal information.Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/hacker-raids-sony-videogame-network/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/hacker-raids-sony-videogame-network/By Nick Wingfield, Ian Sherr and Ben Worthen A hacker stole the names, birth dates and possibly credit-card numbers for 77 million people who play online videogames through Sony Corp.'s PlayStation console, in what could rank among the biggest data breaches in history.Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-sues-samsung-electronics-over-galaxy-phone-tab/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-sues-samsung-electronics-over-galaxy-phone-tab/Apple Inc. filed a lawsuit claiming Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. copied the look and feel of its popular iPhone smartphones and iPad tablet computers, the latest in a series of legal skirmishes that underscore the increasingly high stakes of the mobile computing market. The lawsuit, filed on April 15, alleged that Samsung's smartphones, including the "Galaxy S 4G," "Epic 4G," "Nexus S" and its "Galaxy Tab" touchscreen tablet, violate Apple's intellectual property. The 38-page lawsuit was filed in the U.S. court's northern California district.Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-microsoft-hire-linguists-in-app-feud/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-microsoft-hire-linguists-in-app-feud/Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. have both hired linguists to serve as experts in the tech titan's ongoing battle over whether or not the government can grant a trademark for the term "app store." Microsoft on Tuesday filed its latest argument with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which included the opinions of a linguistic expert who supported the software giant's argument that the term "app store" was generic and shouldn't be trademarked by Apple.Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-to-sell-tech-support-for-small-businesses/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/apple-to-sell-tech-support-for-small-businesses/Apple Inc. is preparing to offer a package of services aimed at small- and mid-sized business that includes expanded support for company computer systems, part of the electronics maker's efforts to appeal to users beyond its core consumer base. Apple Wednesday will unveil "Joint Venture," a $499-a-year service contract that gives companies using Apple's computers, smartphones and tablets priority treatment for technical support, training programs and repairs, according to two Apple employees. The employees asked not to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak about the initiative publicly.Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/linkedin-pushes-ad-tools/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/linkedin-pushes-ad-tools/LinkedIn Corp. is beefing up its advertising technologies, offering marketers more ways to target ads to the social network's users and making it easier for big advertisers to connect to its website. The business-oriented network, which has more than 90 million members, plans to roll out updates for its marketing tools that let advertisers zero in on people based upon job titles, seniority, age and location, people familiar with the matter said.Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/jobss-leave-comes-as-rivals-ramp-up/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/jobss-leave-comes-as-rivals-ramp-up/Steve Jobs' latest medical leave comes at a time when competition to Apple Inc.'s popular iPhone and iPad products is mounting fast. The Cupertino, Calif.-based consumer electronics giant has set the tone for the mobile computing market. Its iPhone usurped Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry for leadership in the U.S. smartphone space and triggered a host of copycat devices that employed its touchscreen interface. Similarly, Apple set off the boom in tablet computing, selling more than 7 million iPads in less a year on the market.Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/car-makers-add-apps-to-their-dashboards/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/car-makers-add-apps-to-their-dashboards/Carmakers are taking apps for a spin. Automakers from General Motors Co. to Hyundai Motor Co. are using the Consumer Electronics Show to announce plans that will transform dashboards into mini-computers running Internet-connected programs.Sun, 09 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/dell-to-unveil-streak-7-tablet-and-venue-phone/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/dell-to-unveil-streak-7-tablet-and-venue-phone/Dell Inc. plans to unveil on Thursday several new tablets and a smartphone, key parts of a strategy to attract more consumers and move beyond its core corporate customer base. The Round Rock, Texas, computer maker plans to introduce a seven-inch tablet, dubbed "Streak 7," at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The new Streak tablet follows a five-inch model Dell launched last summer.Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2011/3-d-tvs-get-cheaper-as-makers-hope-to-spur-buyers/https://iansherr.com/writing/2011/3-d-tvs-get-cheaper-as-makers-hope-to-spur-buyers/Three-dimensional televisions are getting another “D“ — discount. Just a year ago, many 3-D TVs cost $1,000 more than regular sets. But during the recently ended holiday season, the gap halved and is set to shrink further.Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/china-clamps-down-on-web-telephony/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/china-clamps-down-on-web-telephony/Chinese regulators are clamping down on Internet-phone services that aren't provided by the country's state-owned telecommunications companies, according to Chinese media, a move that could make services like Skype SA unavailable in the world's most populous country. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said voice-over-Internet protocol, also known as VoIP, services are illegal on the Chinese mainland unless they are provided by China Telecom Corp. and China Unicom Ltd., according to a report in Shanghai Daily on Thursday. The newspaper said the ministry hadn't determined a timetable for implementing the ruling, which was released earlier this month.Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/tech-behind-hit-games-comes-to-iphone/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/tech-behind-hit-games-comes-to-iphone/The technology behind hit videogames such as “Batman: Arkham Asylum“ and “Gears of War 3″ is coming to iPhone and iPad game developers this week, in another sign that mobile gaming is booming on Apple‘s platforms. Epic Games is planning to release an updated version of its game-development tools, known as the Unreal Development Kit, to the public Thursday. The kit, which is free to download, will include new tools to create high-quality graphics and animations on iOS, effectively simplifying and speeding up the development processes for games. Epic doesn’t charge license fees to tinker with the kit nor to make free games. But, if developers want to sell their apps, they have to pay a $99 licensing fee and 25% royalties after the first $5,000 in sales.Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/for-cyber-shoppers-gadgets-look-hot/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/for-cyber-shoppers-gadgets-look-hot/The holiday shopping season, which starts online Cyber Monday, promises to be very good for Apple Inc. The Cupertino, Calif.-based consumer electronics giant will likely take advantage of the gift-giving season to flex its muscles, grabbing market share for its popular iPod, iPhone and iPad products.Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/lexmark-tries-to-catch-app-fever/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/lexmark-tries-to-catch-app-fever/Lexmark International Inc. is seeking software developers to create applications for some of its business printers, a move the company hopes will increase competition with industry leader Hewlett-Packard Co. Lexmark plans to open an app store and release specialized tools that allow developers to create apps for four of its printers, which have touchscreens and Internet connections. The company says the goal is to expand the capabilities of its devices in the same way other companies have expanded the functionality of cellphones and cars by adding apps.Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/netbook-slump-tests-acers-record-of-growth/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/netbook-slump-tests-acers-record-of-growth/Acer Inc. needs a new ace in the hole. For two years, Acer has relied on netbooks—tiny, stripped-down laptops—to propel growth. The Taiwan-based company's products, especially its Aspire One, proved so popular, Acer vaulted over Dell Inc. to become the world's second-largest computer maker by shipments behind Hewlett-Packard Co.Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/apple-sees-a-ripe-corporate-market/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/apple-sees-a-ripe-corporate-market/Apple Inc. will unveil Wednesday a new version of its computer operating software, a development that comes as the consumer-electronics giant makes a more aggressive move to expand in a market that has historically eluded it: corporate customers. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company will hold an event dubbed "Back to the Mac," a reference to its line of laptop and desktop computers. The event, which comes just two days after Apple's planned fourth-quarter earnings release, will feature new bells and whistles in the software that powers Macs and possibly new computer models.Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/california-high-court-upholds-furlough-plan/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/california-high-court-upholds-furlough-plan/SAN FRANCISCO—California's top court ruled Monday the state has the authority to furlough state workers, potentially clearing one more hurdle to the eventual passage of California's budget. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of California ruled the state's 2010 budget, passed in 2009, gave Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger authority to furlough state workers being paid under that budget. The ruling doesn't directly address furloughs recently enacted by the governor. California is currently operating without a budget.Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/online-coupons-get-smarter/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/online-coupons-get-smarter/When Jennifer London cut a deal with Groupon Inc. to promote her smoothie shop in an email, she wasn't sure how many people would show up for discounted drinks. Thirsty New Yorkers bought more than 1,300 of her online coupons, and "it kind of blew my mind," Ms. London said. People redeemed roughly 900 of the coupons over six months at her small Xoom NYC Inc. shop, including a crush in June, but she was disappointed that few became regular customers.Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/apple-seeks-growth-beyond-consumers/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/apple-seeks-growth-beyond-consumers/Apple Inc. is boosting efforts to appeal to a new type of customer: small businesses. The consumer electronics giant responsible for the iPhone is seeking to hire engineers in as many as a dozen U.S. retail stores to put together Apple-based computer systems for small businesses, according to recent job postings on Apple's website. The employees would implement computer systems for clients and are expected to be proficient in networking hardware and server platforms.Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/dell-puts-hope-in-health-services-unit/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/dell-puts-hope-in-health-services-unit/Dell Inc. hopes customers like Methodist Hospital System will help cure what ails it. Methodist has contracted with Dell's services since December 2009 to help it create and maintain an electronic medical records system. Dell's technicians are also customizing software for Houston-based Methodist's 2,600 doctors so those records can be accessed by staff at any of its four community hospitals.Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/new-iphone-antenna-aims-to-better-hold-calls/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/new-iphone-antenna-aims-to-better-hold-calls/Apple Inc.'s new iPhone might perform a simple task much better than its predecessors: hold a call. Among the most dramatic design changes in the latest iteration of Apple's smartphone, the iPhone 4, is a stainless-steel antenna that wraps around its sides. The new antenna design constitutes a radical departure from previous iPhone models, which buried the antenna under the phone's shell.Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/smartphone-shipments-likely-to-double/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/smartphone-shipments-likely-to-double/Global smartphone shipments will likely more than double in the next four years, signaling dramatic potential growth for market leaders such as Apple Inc.'s iPhone, according to data expected to be released by market tracker iSuppli Corp. early next week. (Published June 4, 2010, in The Wall Street Journal's Dow Jones Newswires.)Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/amd-chips-to-be-in-many-more-pcs-this-summer-sources/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/amd-chips-to-be-in-many-more-pcs-this-summer-sources/(Reuters) - Advanced Micro Devices Inc may make some of its largest inroads into the fast-growing laptop computer market thanks to a new generation of power-efficient chips to be unveiled next week. People familiar with the matter who work for AMD said the company's latest microprocessors are expected to be included in 109 mainstream laptop models in the coming months, the company's best showing during the crucial back-to-school sales season. Last year, AMD's chips were available in 40 laptop models.Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/want-to-see-the-ipad-so-do-apple-store-employees/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/want-to-see-the-ipad-so-do-apple-store-employees/By Gabriel Madway and Ian Sherr SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – As Apple Inc gears up for the crush of customers expected for Saturday's iPad launch, employees who staff its retail stores are just as curious about the tablet as the fans who will line up outside.Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/delving-into-intels-results-try-flying-to-china/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/delving-into-intels-results-try-flying-to-china/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - To get accurate projections for Intel Corp, Wedbush Morgan analyst Patrick Wang often finds himself hopping on a plane to Asia. Wang -- who normally crafts complex mathematical models and pores over financial statements -- finds, in Intel's case, it helps to use his fluent Chinese to gather information directly from its customers: top computer manufacturers in the Orient.Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/apples-ipad-trouble-for-intels-mobile-push/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/apples-ipad-trouble-for-intels-mobile-push/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - ANALYSIS - When Apple Inc unveiled its iPad last month, one crucial detail almost got drowned out in the hoopla: the new tablet computer will be powered by an in-house chip called the A4. While Apple likely will not market the chip publicly, analysts say the new processor underscores how rival chip designs may eventually win out over Intel Corp's designs in the emergent hot category of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/intel-earnings-good-for-sector-despite-selloff/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/intel-earnings-good-for-sector-despite-selloff/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Stellar results from Intel Corp could signal brighter tech earnings results in coming weeks, but analysts warn stocks themselves may be stuck in a short-term correction. Intel shares fell more than 3 percent even after analysts from Credit Suisse, Raymond James and JMP Securities, among others, raised their price targets on the stock. JMP Securities and Thinkequity raised their ratings to "outperform" and "buy" respectively.Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/caution-builds-in-options-arena-ahead-of-intel/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/caution-builds-in-options-arena-ahead-of-intel/SAN FRANCISCO/CHICAGO, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Options investors appear to taking a cautious stance ahead of Intel Corp's quarterly results on Thursday, with some hedging their bets on fears that expectations had risen too far too fast. With half an hour of trade left, Intel option volume was seven times greater than its recent average daily turnover with 419,000 calls and 221,000 puts traded, according to option analytics firm Trade Alert.Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2010/interview-globalfoundries-merging-operations-with-chartered-ceo/https://iansherr.com/writing/2010/interview-globalfoundries-merging-operations-with-chartered-ceo/SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 12 (Reuters) - GlobalFoundries plans to merge its operations with recently acquired Chartered Semiconductor, creating a single contract chipmaker with more than $2 billion of revenue to take on market leaders TSMC and UMC. GlobalFoundries, a joint venture of Advanced Micro Devices Inc and Abu Dhabi-backed Advanced Technology Investment Co, is already beginning to work with suppliers and partners as one company, GlobalFoundries Chief Executive Doug Grose told Reuters in an interview.Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/buy-or-sell-can-nvidia-power-through-fading-product-line/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/buy-or-sell-can-nvidia-power-through-fading-product-line/SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Graphics microchip maker Nvidia Corp is a company in transition. The Santa Clara-based company halted development for one of its largest units in October, raising questions about whether the unit's product sales would slowly tail off or sales would drop off a cliff.Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/lsi/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/lsi/MILPITAS, Calif. (Reuters) - The rapid proliferation of multimedia and Web-ready consumer devices such as smartphones is underpinning a gradual uptick in corporate spending and spurring growth for specialty chipmakers, the top executive at industry player LSI Corp said. The company, which competes with the likes of Marvell Technology Group Ltd to make chips for computer servers and storage devices, wants to continue to hitch a ride on that wave of consumer devices by providing chips for network and data infrastructure, said Chief Executive Abhi Talwalkar.Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/brocades-late-earnings-release-raises-eyebrows/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/brocades-late-earnings-release-raises-eyebrows/SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Brocade Communications Systems Inc has pushed its fourth-quarter earnings release to three hours after the close of market on Monday, an unusual move that surprised some analysts and investors. Most large technology companies report their results and hold their conference calls on the same day.Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/interview-intel-sees-corporate-pc-recovery-in-18-months/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/interview-intel-sees-corporate-pc-recovery-in-18-months/SANTA CLARA, California (Reuters) - Intel Corp's (INTC.O) chief financial officer said the chipmaker is on track to meet its fourth-quarter outlook and said a recovery in corporate spending on PCs could happen in the next 18 months. "I think the ingredients are being put in place that will lead to a PC refresh cycle in large enterprises," Stacy Smith told Reuters on Friday, adding that when the buying starts, it tends to include a lot of demand.Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/it-may-be-byob-as-fewer-firms-plan-holiday-parties/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/it-may-be-byob-as-fewer-firms-plan-holiday-parties/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. economy may have begun to recover in 2009, but holiday office parties are sinking even further into the dumps. Fewer companies plan to break out the bubbly this season than in 2008, at the height of the global financial crisis, according to a survey from Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/like-windows-7-vista-got-good-reviews-too/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/like-windows-7-vista-got-good-reviews-too/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - As Microsoft Corp's Windows 7 release approaches, early reviews are generally positive. But so were reviews for Windows Vista just before its launch. In the months leading up to Windows 7's release this Thursday, publications from ComputerWorld to the New York Times have written favorable assessments, praising, in particular, its increased speed and compatibility with older computers.Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/id-542/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/id-542/San Francisco, CA U.S.A. 415.347.6397 (office)Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/nvidia-changing-direction/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/nvidia-changing-direction/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - ANALYSIS - Nvidia Corp's decision to indefinitely postpone investment in chipsets for Intel Corp's next-generation processors signals a shift in focus to fast-growing mobile devices that could see the company exiting the PC chipset market. Led by Taiwan-born Chief Executive Jen-Hsun Huang, executives at the company that spends up to $1 billion annually on research have been talking up its Tegra mobile chip platform -- which manages power, memory and graphics for devices such as Microsoft Corp's Zune media player.Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/sculptor-plugs-greek-classics-into-ipod-age/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/sculptor-plugs-greek-classics-into-ipod-age/SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — With an iPhone, Zeus could have saved time to call on lightning from the heavens -- so says California-based sculptor Adam Reeder, who seeks to merge classical Greek iconography with 21st century gadgets. "Art is what we use to talk about our time," said the 33-year-old artist, whose unabashed aim is to fuse western civilization's antiquity with its newfound technologies.Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/big-blue-dreams-of-a-big-green-battery/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/big-blue-dreams-of-a-big-green-battery/SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — Spike Narayan watched a Tesla electric sports car rocket from zero to 60 mph (100 kph) in less than four seconds and knew batteries would be the next big thing. "It's hard to understand you're not in a gas powered Porsche," Narayan said as he recalled the demonstration outside IBM's Almaden Research Center in the heart of Silicon Valley.Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/business-books-author-sees-future-for-cloud-companies/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/business-books-author-sees-future-for-cloud-companies/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Twenty years ago, the idea that technology would be at the center of business was still part of the future. Computers were just starting to land on desks as fledgling companies like Microsoft Corp and Apple Inc said their products would change the way we work. Back then, Michael Malone co-authored a book called "The Virtual Corporation," describing the future as adaptive, driven by technology and global in reach.Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/spending-on-u-s-rail-seen-stuck-at-the-station/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/spending-on-u-s-rail-seen-stuck-at-the-station/CHICAGO (Reuters) - ANALYSIS - Major U.S. freight railroads and their advocates have argued for years that government investment is needed in the country's rail system to take freight off congested highways and keep the economy moving. But supporters say rail investments have been largely ignored by Congress, suggesting political support is lacking, despite warnings action must be taken sooner rather than later.Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/hartmarx-sale-price-rises-ceo/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/hartmarx-sale-price-rises-ceo/CHICAGO, July 31 (Reuters) - The sale price for bankrupt Hartmarx, the men's clothing company from which President Obama gets his suits, has risen to about $130 million, Chief Executive Homi Patel said in an interview, adding that he would step down as CEO on Friday. Patel declined to say why the price had risen from $119 million, the price listed in court documents filed last month.Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/lumber-recovery-to-be-dictated-by-housing/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/lumber-recovery-to-be-dictated-by-housing/CHICAGO (Reuters) - ANALYSIS - When the U.S. housing market was booming earlier this decade, lumber prices were too. When the housing market went into a slump so, too, did lumber. Now, with nascent signs of a housing recovery, it's natural to assume lumber prices will follow suit.Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/starbucks-now-most-popular-brand-on-facebook/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/starbucks-now-most-popular-brand-on-facebook/ The popular social networking website has a new champion among its brands: Starbucks.Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/christmas_in_jul/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/christmas_in_jul/CHICAGO (Reuters) - With only 160 shopping days left, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in some stores. After U.S. retailers posted 10 straight months of sales declines, some chains are trying to bring holiday spirit -- and revenue -- to the summer with "Christmas in July" promotions.Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/159/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/159/Santa‘s not getting any rest this year. After U.S. retailers posted the longest running decline in same-store sales in nearly a decade, Sears, Kmart and Toys R Us announced Christmas-themed sales for the month of July. While actual sale dates and locations vary among the three chains, the event has drawn a lot of attention from news media, which had the once-in-a-year joy of headlining a story with “Christmas in July.“Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/u-s-retailers-continue-struggle-with-employee-theft/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/u-s-retailers-continue-struggle-with-employee-theft/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Walking the pharmacy aisle of a Target Corp discount store, shoppers can't miss the many anti-shoplifting measures: locked display cases, alarm cords around boxes of expensive merchandise, display hangers with locks on the end. Those represent only a fraction of the anti-theft advances created over the years to protect stores against shoplifters and organized retail theft gangs.Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/sears-hopes-santa-in-july-will-be-good-for-business/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/sears-hopes-santa-in-july-will-be-good-for-business/CHICAGO, July 9 (Reuters) - U.S. retailer Sears is hoping not only to fulfill every child's dream of Christmas in July, but also its coffers. With only 168 days left before the holiday, Sears Holdings Corp's Sears department stores have put out winter merchandise, trying to get customers to do their holiday shopping early.Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/u-s-olympic-committee-to-launch-tv-network-in-2010/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/u-s-olympic-committee-to-launch-tv-network-in-2010/CHICAGO (Reuters) - The United States Olympic Committee will launch a cable television network devoted to Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, with Comcast Corp agreeing to carry the channel in its cable lineup. The channel's programing will include news reports, commentary, interviews, documentaries, movies, and classic Olympic footage, the USOC said.Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/show-must-go-on-for-organics/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/show-must-go-on-for-organics/This year's All Things Organic conference and expo showcased necessity as the mother of invention. Slumping sales and a weak economy have forced the industry to innovate just to hold onto customers. "In previous years, many consumers were willing to trade up to premium products," the briefing said. "However, more consumers are looking to trade down, as they can no longer afford to even try some premium products, much less purchase them on a regular basis."Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/u-s-hotel-occupancy-rates-down-for-19th-month/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/u-s-hotel-occupancy-rates-down-for-19th-month/CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. hotel occupancy rates likely fell for a 19th straight month in May, industry data suggests, a sign that hotels are struggling amid the economic recession. Numbers for the final day of May won't be available until next week, but STR confirmed that May would show another monthly decline.Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/the-war-over-an-instant/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/the-war-over-an-instant/One can only imagine that is what Nescafe was thinking when they saw Starbucks‘ VIA instant coffee mix arrive in Chicago, Seattle and London. After all, Nescafe is nearly synonymous with instant coffee. So, what is Starbucks thinking?Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/u-s-judge-approves-motion-for-hartmarx-sale/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/u-s-judge-approves-motion-for-hartmarx-sale/CHICAGO, June 2 (Reuters) - A U.S. bankruptcy judge has granted approval on Tuesday for Hartmarx Corp (HTMXQ.PK) to sell itself to private equity firm Emerisque and SKNL North America, paving the way for the sale of the apparel retailer. Chicago Judge Bruce Black granted a motion designating Emerisque and SKNL the so-called "stalking horse" bidders at a June 25 auction for Hartmarx, the maker of Hart Schaffner Marx and Hickey Freeman clothing.Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/dads-gonna-feel-the-recession-this-year/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/dads-gonna-feel-the-recession-this-year/A new survey by the National Retail Federation found that consumers are planning to spend significantly less on Father‘s Day than they did last year. Let‘s not forget that last year, the headline from the NRF survey said “Dad takes a back seat to Gas and Food costs.“ That‘s right, before one of the most dramatic financial meltdowns in generations, Americans still weren‘t planning to spend much on ol‘ pop. Back then, the cost of filling the family‘s stomachs and getting them around town pushed the expected average spending down from $98.34, or $9.9 billion overall.Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/caltrans-and-the-stimulus/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/caltrans-and-the-stimulus/A look at the state approval process as cities prepare to work on "shovel ready" projects. Note, while I was not allowed to voice the piece, I reported, produced and wrote the script.Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/internet-thieves-take-advantage-of-swine-flu-fear/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/internet-thieves-take-advantage-of-swine-flu-fear/SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- As the number of swine flu cases increases and public fear heightens, Internet thieves are taking advantage of the hype by sending out e-mail spam with ads for antiviral drugs and more. Note, while I was not allowed to voice the piece, I reported, produced and wrote the script.Sun, 03 May 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/its-divorce-recession-style/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/its-divorce-recession-style/SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- The estimated $78,000 price tag for a full-fledged court battle has some soon-to-be ex's looking for alternatives. Note, while I was not allowed to voice the piece, I reported, produced and wrote the script.Sun, 03 May 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/kcbs-centennial/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/kcbs-centennial/This project represents the majority of my work while interning at KCBS between January and May of 2009. I organized, produced, edited and implemented this multimedia project from beginning to end. See the full centennial website, here.Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/contact-elation-voices-from-inauguration-week/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/contact-elation-voices-from-inauguration-week/During the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, I was traveling around Washington D.C., one of a swarm of journalists covering the historic event. While I was running around the city working on various projects, I also began talking to people about their lives and what the inauguration meant to them. Below are their stories:Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2009/financial-crisis-a-boon-to-money-management-websites/https://iansherr.com/writing/2009/financial-crisis-a-boon-to-money-management-websites/SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Balancing checkbooks and relying on paper bank statements is so last century. Over the past two years, websites such as Mint, Buxfer, Geezeo and Wesabe are wooing users with powerful online money management tools and the promise of access to their financial information from anywhere in the world.Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/nasa-lands-cosmic-first-with-tweets-from-mars/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/nasa-lands-cosmic-first-with-tweets-from-mars/SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — If the Phoenix Lander comes back to life on Mars, Twitter users could be among the first to know. NASA gave the historic Space Age mission an Internet Age spin by adding a Twitter page, enabling the robotic interplanetary explorer to answer the hot micro-blogging website's trademark query: "What are you doing?"Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/old-fashioned-games-they-really-are/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/old-fashioned-games-they-really-are/"We all have fond memories of playing Monopoly, Scrabble and Connect Four when we were kids.  But when you‘re an adult, it‘s really hard to find people who can dedicate the time to play.  After his friends and family turned him down for a game of Risk, Ian Sherr went in search of more \*worthy\* opponents at Board Games night at Games of Berkeley." Download the file, here.Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/a-tradition-of-home-cooking-from-mom-who-didnt-cook/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/a-tradition-of-home-cooking-from-mom-who-didnt-cook/My father can cook. Or so he says. I grew up hearing stories of how my father wooed my mother by cooking her fabulous dinners and serving them to her over his grand piano in his tiny Washington, D.C. apartment.Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/barack-obama-and-selma-alabama/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/barack-obama-and-selma-alabama/Many factors went into making Barack Obama the man he is today. But had he come of age at any other time, the color of his skin would have dashed any of his hopes. Ian Sherr traveled to Selma, Alabama, to revisit its civil rights legacy and to find out exactly what Barack Obama‘s presidency means to the people who struggled all those years ago.Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/bright-and-love-in-dead-heat-for-votes/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/bright-and-love-in-dead-heat-for-votes/MONTGOMERY, AL - Since Bobby Bright was asking for his vote, Roger Gaither thought this would be the perfect opportunity to ask the Democratic congressional candidate what might be the most important question of the campaign. “People around here talk about how when you were asked if you support Obama, you raised your hand and said ‘yes.‘ Is that true?“Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/homeless-dental-care/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/homeless-dental-care/SAN FRANCISCO (KFOG) -- A story from the Tenderloin of the struggle to keep your teeth healthy when you live on the street. Download the file, here.Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/guerrilla-marketers-use-mobile-billboards-for-surprise-ad-attacks/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/guerrilla-marketers-use-mobile-billboards-for-surprise-ad-attacks/SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - In a world where everything is mobile, even billboards are starting to move in surprising ways. Large advertising messages traditionally fixed to sides of buildings or planted along roadways are being freed by digital projectors and laptop computers to pop up in unexpected places.Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/washington-post-beijing-beat/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/washington-post-beijing-beat/More of china's people wander their country and the world seeking work, love and community. Yet Beijing's new magnetism pulls at them. Watch stories of hustle, stress, and solace on the streets of Beijing and beyond. (Beijing Beat was produced for the Washington Post's "Emerging Voices" project, and published on the front page of the Washington Post website for nearly a week during the Beijing Olympic Games. The entire project is available at the Post's website, here.)Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/skepticism-as-us-hunters-claim-bigfoot-find/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/skepticism-as-us-hunters-claim-bigfoot-find/ PALO ALTO, California (AFP) — Two US men on Friday claimed to have found the body of "Bigfoot," the legendary ape-like creature that has been the subject of decades of hoaxes and dubious sightings.Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/300-dates-in-24-hours-no-sweat/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/300-dates-in-24-hours-no-sweat/SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Francesca Salcido went on 300 dates in 24 hours without breaking a sweat. Her encounters with aspiring beaus happened online at SpeedDate.com, a US start-up built on a belief that it doesn't take more than 90 seconds to find a life partner.Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/schools-eying-virtual-campuses/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/schools-eying-virtual-campuses/SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) –An Internet fantasy universe teeming with faux worlds devoted to socializing and video games is expanding to include virtual classrooms and universities. A new trend in online education involves students acting through animated characters called "avatars" mingling in simulated school settings and even rocketing off, via the Internet, on quests for knowledge.Sat, 31 May 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/the-road-to-beijing/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/the-road-to-beijing/The Beijing Olympic Torch made its only appearance in North America on Wednesday. After protests disrupted the torch relay in Europe, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom changed the planned route without an announcement to the public. \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="350" caption="Click to watch the video"\]\[/caption\]Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2008/count-the-delegates-if-you-can/https://iansherr.com/writing/2008/count-the-delegates-if-you-can/SAN FRANCISCO -- EDITORIAL -- Just when I thought I had figured out why the Democratic Party has superdelegates, Nancy Pelosi comes along and says I have got it all backward. "The superdelegates were established to give many more people at the grassroots level the opportunity to go to the convention and be really the overwhelming majority of who will decide this convention," the House Speaker told CNN's Wolf Blitzer last Thursday.Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2007/san-francisco-supervisors-approve-immigrant-ids/https://iansherr.com/writing/2007/san-francisco-supervisors-approve-immigrant-ids/BERKELEY — Maria is an engineering student at the University of California, Berkeley. She's smart, she's witty, and she's driven. But when her sister disappeared in early September, she feared doing anything. "I can't report things to the police," she said. "I'm afraid to. I'm afraid they would deport me."Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMThttps://iansherr.com/writing/2005/faces-of-the-fallen/https://iansherr.com/writing/2005/faces-of-the-fallen/\[otw\shortcode\dropcap label="T" size="large" border\color\class="otw-no-border-color" square="square"\]\[/otw\shortcode\dropcap\]hey are standing at attention, looking straight ahead and completely silent. The rows of soldiers go on for what seems to be an eternity. And with each corner turned there are even more, just standing there, looking out at the world. Some of them look stern and confident; others are smiling. But every one of them is dead. These are the faces of theSat, 16 Apr 2005 00:00:00 GMT