poor

Early chip engineer Victor Poor dies at 79

Victor Poor, one of the founding fathers of early computer innovation, died Friday at the age of 79. He was one of the handful of engineers who helped develop Intel's first single chip microprocessor -- the 4004. Poor continued to be instrumental in microprocessor and computer advancement throughout his life.

According to the New York Times, Poor died of pancreatic cancer in Palm Bay, Fla.

Poor, who was a self-taught engineer, began working with Intel in 1969 when he met with well-known engineer Stanley Mazor to discuss the idea of building a processor for a programmable terminal, according to … Read more

Nokia sinks deeper into junk status with new S&P downgrade

The bad news just keeps coming for Nokia.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services today announced that it has downgraded Nokia's long-term corporate credit rating from BB+ to BB-. Although both ratings are considered "junk status," BB- is a lower rating, indicating that the company "faces major ongoing uncertainties to adverse business, financial, and economic conditions." S&P has affirmed an even worse B rating on Nokia's short-term credit.

"The rating actions reflect a downward revision of our estimates of revenues and profitability for Nokia's smartphone operations in 2012 and 2013,&… Read more

A kinder, gentler Apple? Don't bet on it.

You may have heard by now that the New York Times wrote an article called "In China, human costs are built into the iPad" that takes a look at the dark side of producing Apple's products in China.

It's not the first time the Times and other publications have written about the "punishing" work conditions at Foxconn, the contract manufacturing behemoth that also makes products for loads of other companies, not just Apple.

Foxconn--headquarted in Taiwan, but (according to Reuters) the largest private employer in mainland China--has been frequently in the news for fires and explosions at its factories along with a spate of worker suicides. But coming on the heels of Apple's jaw-dropping earnings and news that it had $98 billion squirreled away in cash, the article seems to have really touched a nerve, the "Occupy Apple" kind.

I don't think anybody's faulting Apple for wanting to make a good profit on its products or trying to keep up with demand. But what seems to be the big friction point is how much profit Apple is making and how it continues to squeeze its suppliers and manufacturing partners to the Nth degree. … Read more

Will Verizon unlock my iPhone 4S?

Swapping out your SIM card on your iPhone 4S when you travel abroad is a good way to avoid expensive roaming charges. But whether you can do it, and on which carrier it's allowed, can be confusing.

In this edition of Ask Maggie I answer what should be a simple and straight-forward question about whether a Verizon Wireless iPhone 4S can be used overseas on a foreign carrier's network. I also offer some advice to another reader looking for voice-only service with a smartphone on T-Mobile's prepaid plans.

Confusion around unlocked iPhones

Hi Maggie, I love your … Read more

S&P downgrades Google stock on Motorola deal plans

Google stock and the federal government now have something in common: they've both been downgraded by Standard & Poor's.

Of course, being downgraded by the ratings agency that famously whiffed on highly questionable real estate bonds might be considered a badge of honor in some circles. But the move by S&P does point to considerable market fears about Google's gutsy decision to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. Shares of Google were down more than 3 percent today to $539.

S&P equity researchers downgraded Google stock today to a "sell" … Read more

AT&T iPhone app collects complaints about poor service

Would you like to let AT&T know when your iPhone has dropped a call? Well, now there is an app for that.

AT&T on Monday released a new application called "Mark the Spot," which lets iPhone users submit complaints about dropped calls, poor service coverage, and less-than-perfect voice quality.

The application is free and available in the iTunes App Store. It uses GPS technology in the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS to pin point where the user is when experiencing the problems. For first generation iPhones, it uses cell tower-triangulation to get a … Read more

Should contraception qualify for climate funds?

Contraception would be the cheapest and most effective way to reduce carbon emissions worldwide between 2010 and 2050, according to a study by the London School of Economics.

The report, "Fewer Emitters, Lower Emissions, Less Cost," (PDF) determined that if contraception was made widely available between 2010 and 2050 to women and men around the world who wished to use it, the reduction in unwanted births could result in saving 34 gigatonnes (one billion tonnes) of carbon emissions. That's roughly 60 years worth of U.K. emissions or 6 years worth of U.S. emissions.

The cost … Read more

iPhone OS 2.2.1: Battery Drain

Dozens of users have reported dramatically reduced battery life under iPhone OS 2.1.1. A sampling of iPhone Atlas readers:

"Ever since I upgraded to 2.2.1 I have noticed that the battery life of my iPhone has significantly diminished. For example, my phone might have full/near-full battery charge at night, but in the morning it is down to 10%. Before the upgrade there would be almost no battery loss over night. I'm finding that I have to recharge it 2-3 times a day even with little use." "Now the battery indicator never … Read more

Get all your gadgets stoned

Seeing yesterday's $10,000 phone reminded us (unfortunately) of the leopard-spotted diamond Krzr from the same designer, as well as a perfectly matching mouse from Saks. It then occurred to us: These fancy designers aren't the only ones who can come up with audaciously ugly phones and mice.

Textually.org, for example, notes that Amosu.com will "customize your cell phone with diamonds, gold or white gold or make one unique piece according to your specification." And for your bejeweled mouse, Gadget Candy suggests U.K.-based The Crystal Chick, which will create "Brit-born babies&… Read more

Christmas tree as a supercomputer

This is just sick. If you're this much into computers, you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a Christmas tree.

Newlaunches has posted photos of a 17-foot-tall tree decorated with 2,000 processors in the Akihabara District of Tokyo, the electronics capital of Japan. The gawdy display is sponsored by Intel, so it naturally features some of the latest Core 2 Duo chips. We just hope no one tries to overclock this beast.