racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

Imagine this.  There used to be a day where investors had to turn on a television in order to get stock and commodity future quotes.  Or if a person was really serious, they could call up their broker and get the latest inside scoop on price movement in the S&P Index, the DJIA, gold, silver, or their favorite stock.  In fact, scores of investors used to spread out the financial section of the newspaper on the kitchen table every morning and read through yesterday’s end of day prices for various financial instruments.  The crazy thing is that this incredibly primitive era was just about 10 years ago!!  But oh how things have changed.

In today’s hi-tech world, investors basically have more information in the palm of their hand than the heads of international trading desks had just 10-15 years ago.  With an iPhone, Droid, or similar smart phone, you can set up a cutting-edge, virtual trading desk in the palm of your hand.  Here are a few top apps to get you going.

Nokia has just launched the Lumia 800C in China, and is banking on smartphone sales in this region for a comeback in the smartphone industry. Nokia’s launch of its Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh (formerly “Tango”) smartphone likewise signals the arrival of the WP7 platform for entry-level devices. Will WP7 pose a serious threat to Android and iOS like analysts have been saying?

Perhaps you’d like to review a Nokia Windows Phone handset for yourself. Nokia is offering an opportunity for gadget lovers to take the Lumia 900 (or any other current Nokia device) for a spin. Check out the video below.

Nokia asks what extemes you would go to with your smartphone. I’m not sure if I’ll be jumping off cliffs with my smartphone just yet, although it sounds like a good idea to see how a smartphone peforms under extreme situations.

It’s the post-PC era, as the late Steve Jobs has called it. tablets and smartphones have far overtaken desktops and notebooks in terms of growth. And given the varied price points at which consumers can acquire mobile phones and tablet PCs (what with the cheap China-made Android tablets), computers are becoming cheaper and cheaper. But Microsoft is focusing on a post-post-PC era. Microsoft has already hinted that its upcoming Windows 8 operating system will run on both mobile and desktop platforms.

Will Microsoft merge its mobile and desktop operating systems with Windows 8? Microsoft has reassigned its chief of the Windows Mobile 7 division to a secret project under CEO Steve Ballmer. But whether this means they’re surrendering in the smartphone market, or they’re planning a resurgence through a unified OS, we will know by 2012, when Windows 8 launches.

The mobile industry is in exciting times lately, with news from major players. First is Microsoft’s silent roll-out of its latest Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” update. The update, which will include WiFi tethering, multitasking and improved social networking features, will start rolling out to Window Phone 7 devices starting this week. Availability will depend on carrier and region, though.

Samsung and Intel Launch Tizen OS

The LiMo and Linux foundations have announced a new mobile operating system. “Tizen” will be co-developed by Intel and Samsung, merging their MeeGo and LiMo platforms. Tizen promises an open-source, open-standards approach to mobile operating systems, and will have the support of various networks and handset makers.

iPod Classic and Shuffle on Their Way Out?

Apple is focusing on touchscreen iOS devices, and might discontinue the iPod Classic (with clickwheel) and Shuffle (without screen) soon. The iPod Nano will be their entry-level device. Should I say goodbye to my 5.5th gen iPod?

Barnes & Noble, Amazon to Launch New Tablets

Amazon has just announced their new Kindle Fire tablets. Priced at $199, and with free access to Amazon content, they might just have a winner here. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble is reportedly updating their Nook Color line in time for the holidays, with both a premium and an inexpensive Android tablet.

Microsoft Extorting from Android Manufacturers?

Samsung and Microsoft have recently entered a cross-licensing deal, in which Samsung pays royalties to MS for each Android phone sold. Google says Microsoft is extorting money from Android makers. Microsoft basically says “Shut up and pay up.”

Companies Now Subsidizing Employees for Gadget Purchases

IT departments are losing control over devices, as companies move toward “bring your own device” policies. 41% of surveyed firms actually provide subsidies or co-payment schemes for smartphones, tablets and notebook computers.

In other news: Delicious has been relaunched. Facebook will update profiles with Timeline. Chrome 14 is out, with NaCl support and security updates. Do you have a website? Turn then into iPad HTML5 apps with Pressly. Will Facebook ever release an iPad app?

Mobile devices are gaining popularity as preferred communication and productivity devices in the workplace. In fact, mobile devices are set to overtake wireline access (cable, DSL) in terms of Internet use by 2015. But before you start using your iPad or Android device as your main work device while mobile, consider investing in a few apps, including unified messaging services, virtualization software, document management and cloud storage.

Convert Your Content Into HTML5 Tablet Apps

Meanwhile, if you’re on the other end of the content production business, you might want to consider optimizing your website for tablet computers. Apps like Pressly will turn your website into a format for tablets, which will include support for touch interfaces, gestures, swipes and the like. No need to build an iPad or Android app from scratch, since the service will do the conversion for you.

Chrome 14 On Its Way to Secure Browsing?

Google has just rolled out version 14 of its Chrome Browser, with support for the Native Client or NaCl platform. This is a secure environment for developing applications in C/C++, which can securely run in their own memory space.

SSL No Longer Secure?

But before you think you’re securely accessing your email, bank and other secure websites, consider that SSL/TLS transactions may have already been compromised. Security researchers have found a way to undermine the confidentiality of SSL/TLS, and even encrypted traffic can be viewed.

Mac OS X Lion Also Vulnerable

Aside from SSL potentially being broken, OS X Lion users might also want to watch out for possible intrusions. Security researchers have discovered a serious flaw in OS X Lion that lets any user change passwords with local access, without the need for admin access.

Linux, Android Concerns?

If you’re a fan of free software (meaning free as in speech, not free as in beer) you might want to think about how free Android really is. FSF’s Richard Stallman says Android still severely limits user control over the firmware and hardware. And if you use Linux, the introduction of unified EFI in Windows-8 certified computers might limit your options, as dual-booting or even booting Linux may not be possible.