Big Picture Archive

  • HTC buys Abaxia, gets cozier with carriers in the process

    HTC buys Abaxia, gets cozier with carriers in the process

    Posted on June 8, 2010 | No Comments
    French software firm Abaxia has made a name for itself create white-label modules that help carriers brand phones -- its two flagship products are search and active home screen apps (pictured) -- so the fact that HTC has shelled out €11 million (about $13.1 million) for the company this week should offer you a solid clue where this is all headed. Naturally, HTC isn't talking about exactly how Abaxia will fit into the big picture, but boss Peter Chou says that the acquisition will "deepen and broaden [their] software development capabilities so that [they] can innovate at an even faster pace." Software value-add is becoming even more important for phone manufacturers these days as hardware all converges on a fairly standard full-touch prototype that doesn't offer much opportunity for differentiation -- even as Microsoft is putting the kibosh on serious customization in Windows Phone 7 -- so it'll be interesting to see how this ultimately affects HTC's products, particularly those with carriers' logos silkscreened around back. Follow the break for HTC's full release.

    [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

    Continue reading HTC buys Abaxia, gets cozier with carriers in the process

    HTC buys Abaxia, gets cozier with carriers in the process originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Kim Jong-il caption contest

    Kim Jong-il caption contest

    Posted on March 13, 2010 | No Comments
    Matt: “I see we just got the latest computer monitors. Take that, South Korea.” Devin: “Zerg him, comrade” John: “Our glorious gold farming initiative is the pride of the world.” Dave: “What?? Doug left CrunchGear?” Greg: “Our screens may not be bigger, but they are deeper. Take that, South Korea!” Scott:”I always get sniped on de_dust, too. Don’t let it [...]

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  • Can’t Decide Which Smartphone To Get? Measy Can Help.

    Can’t Decide Which Smartphone To Get? Measy Can Help.

    Posted on December 10, 2009 | No Comments
    With new smartphones hitting the shelves what seems like each and every week, it’s getting harder and harder to figure out which one’s right for you. Sure, you, dear Tech blog reader, probably know exactly what you want 6 months before it even comes out – but for the vast majority of the population, it’s [...]

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  • Robot OS paves the way for army of standardized robo-assassins

    Robot OS paves the way for army of standardized robo-assassins

    Posted on August 11, 2009 | No Comments
    You know how it is: you go down to your secret lair to work on the prototype for your armada of deathbots, and you get paralyzed by the sheer enormity of the project you've undertaken. Not only do you need to find the raw materials, you need to design the bodies and weapons systems, build in failsafes so they don't attack you, and basically write a complete operating system from scratch. That's a lot of work for a busy tyrant-to-be, and frankly such details distract from the big picture of global domination. Thankfully, there's a crew of people working to standardize and abstract robot operating systems to reduce the time-to-market for your electronic henchmen.

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  • Make money on your iPhone 3G

    Make money on your iPhone 3G

    Posted on June 23, 2009 | No Comments
    Every few year or so I update my MacBook(s), as necessary and I'm always able to sell my fairly well maintained laptops for about 3/4 of the actual price, ensuring I essentially get a nice, big discount on a new MBP. Joel "To The" Johnson found out that the iPhone 3G market works quite similarly, selling his abused 16GB 3G for $300.

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