johnjyork.com

So let’s raise a glass–shaken, not stirred, of course–to Q and the rest of the team. Happy birthday, Mr. Fleming. the man whose imagination contributed mightily to popular thinking about all those cool high-tech toys.

Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, was born 100 years ago Wednesday in London.

While that historical footnote passed with hardly any mention in Silicon Valley, Fleming’s spy novels deserve a place on the shelf in the section titled “history of technology.” Fleming, who rose to the rank of commander in the British Admiralty during the World War II, introduced Bond in 1953 with the publication of Casino Royale. The subsequent Bond books and films brought to public notice everything from luminous watches to
car phones and pagers–long before they became commonplace commodities in contemporary society.

(Credit:
IanFlemingCentre.com)

We also can thank Fleming for the popular phrase, a “James Bond gadget.” For a look back, take a look at the list compiled on Wikipedia.

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Hewlett-Packard)

HP 2230s business notebook starts at 4 pounds.

Other specifications include three USB ports, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a 4-cell lithium-ion battery, and a Marvell Ethernet (10/100/1000) network connection.

A model priced at $1,449 comes with a P8600 (2.4GHz) processor, 2GB of memory, and a 250GB hard disk drive.

Models start at $999 with a T5670 (1.80GHz) Core 2 Duo processor and range up to $1,649 for a model with a T9400 (2.53GHz) processor, 3GB of memory, a 320GB hard disk drive, 802.11n wireless, DVD+/-RW drive, and Intel’s 4500MHD graphics.

The 12.1-inch HP-Compaq 2230s series packs Centrino 2 processors and Intel’s newest GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics, which HP lists as “Microsoft DirectX 10 capable.”

The weight is listed as starting at 4.07 pounds. By comparison, the Via processor-based HP 2133 Mini-Note (8.9-inch screen) is listed at 2.63 pounds.

HP lists other available processors, including the P9500 (2.53GHz) and P8400 (2.26GHz). The “P” prefix indicates a thermal envelope of only 25 watts, compared with the 35 watts spec’d for mainstream Intel mobile processors to date.

An HP spokesperson confirmed the upcoming product line.

Hewlett-Packard will launch a 4-pound “ultralight” business notebook line based on Intel’s Centrino 2 silicon this month.

Ozzie may have made an oblique reference to that challenge in his Mix keynote: “And then there’s Yahoo…I can say it’s already added some interesting twists to what promises to be a really, really exciting year,” he said.

Last week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that the company would likely keep some of the open-source PHP applications that Yahoo relies on for its services and attempt to mix-and-match them with Microsoft’s platforms. “We should not have two of everything. We’ll have to sort some of that through,” he said.

At last week’s Mix ’08 conference in Las Vegas, Ozzie talked about Microsoft’s efforts to build a “seamless mesh” computing infrastructure that will be more aware of mobile devices and online applications.

As our own Dan Farber put it last week, reporting from Ozzie’s Mix keynote: “Ultimately, the ‘mesh’ requires an overhaul of the back end to support utility computing on a grand scale. In addition, applications need to be ‘refactored,’ Ozzie said.”

“Technology companies, if they dive in and just smash things together for smashing-them-together’s sake, it’s reckless, it’s just simply reckless,” Ozzie told the FT in a story published on Sunday.

Ray Ozzie, Microsoft’s chief software architect, told the Financial Times that the company would take a long, hard look before attempting any integration of technologies.

Microsoft may have already begun to help itself in this integration challenge. Last month, the company launched a broad interoperability strategy to better link to open-source software and other non-Microsoft technologies.

That refactoring may need to extend to a range of open source-based applications within Yahoo that Microsoft will need to tackle before it can fully realize the benefits of any merger.

Microsoft may be in a hurry to acquire Yahoo’s advertising revenue, but it won’t rush to merge its computing systems with Yahoo’s after a potential merger, according to a top executive.

News.com’s Stephen Shankland underlined the significance of that move, in light of the Yahoo bid. “The third, and perhaps strongest reason, is that open-source software has become a powerful force in the software industry and customer sites–and even at Yahoo, the Internet company Microsoft is trying to acquire for $44.6 billion in part because of its engineering expertise.”

About what? Well, just the contention that

You’ve already seen it on Slashdot. ZDNet also has a great write-up. But for the real meat go to the source, Tom Kemp’s blog.

commentary

…[o]f the 125 protocols posted on MSDN for Windows Server, 99 of the 125 protocols have no US patents associated with them, meaning 80 percent of the Windows server protocols do not have US patents associated with them.

If, in fact, 80 percent of Microsoft’s Windows Server code is not patented, where does it get off pointing the finger at Linux? Or do all 235 of its unsubstantiated patent claims relate to the 20 percent of Windows that is actually patented? It’s possible, of course, but Microsoft’s patent emperor keeps getting more and more naked, and it’s not a pretty sight.

Jason Perlow rightly asks if Samba got anything real from its patent deal with Microsoft. But perhaps we should stretch this further:

Update 10:30 a.m. PDT: Yahoo plans to unseal its court filing Monday.

While the motion to oppose setting a trial date was temporarily filed under seal, Yahoo’s motion to dismiss the shareholder amended lawsuit–also filed Monday–was not, according to the Delaware Chancery Court, where both filings were submitted.

Yahoo’s brief seeks to oppose a motion made in a shareholder lawsuit, which asks the court to hold a trial to invalidate the company’s employees severance plans and to hold the trial before Yahoo’s annual shareholders’ meeting August 1.

Yahoo investors who are hoping to get a glimpse into the company’s legal brief filed Monday to oppose holding a trial to remove its controversial employee severance plan will have to wait for an hour or so, according to a source familiar with the filing.

Yahoo’s employee severance plan has been called a defacto “poison pill” by the plaintiffs, who allege it was put in place to make Microsoft’s earlier unsolicited buyout efforts more expensive, a claim Yahoo has previously rejected. The Internet company characterized the plan as an employee retention effort.

Yahoo had unsuccessfully sought to keep the shareholder amended complaint under seal. The recently unsealed documents created a firestorm of controversy for the Internet search pioneer. The amended complaint contained e-mails and information from outside compensation consultants Yahoo had hired, who raised questions regarding the breadth of the severance packages that would be awarded to all full-time employees in the event of a change of control of Yahoo should employees depart the company or their duties or responsibilities change.

That’s it. I’m going home. I have to rest my “reload” finger for tomorrow.

If someone knows more, though, I’ll be checking my e-mail–ina DOT fried AT cnet DOT com.

Citing sources close to the matter, the Journal said an announcement is expected “later in the week.”

The Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday that Microsoft’s directors failed to decide on a next step for the software maker amid Yahoo’s unwillingness to negotiate a deal. The software maker is said to be weighing whether to go directly to Yahoo shareholders and at what price, whether to just nominate its own slate of directors, or whether to walk away from its bid.

Faced with the same options it has been facing for some time, Microsoft’s board apparently just couldn’t choose one of the options.

According to Symbian Freak, the Tube (real name TBD) will come with 3G, Wi-Fi, and GPS chips and use a screen sized between 3 inches and 3.5 inches. The site’s report compared the size of the Tube to a Nokia N73, but perhaps a bit wider. There’s a built-in camera that can also support geotagging of photos taken with the camera, the report says.

More details about Nokia’s upcoming Tube phone have surfaced, days after its existence leaked out at a developer conference.

Nokia’s apparent answer to the iPhone will arrive in the second half of this year, according to Symbian Freak. A Nokia spokesman confirmed the timing to Computerworld but didn’t offer any further details other than the obvious notion that the “Tube” will use Symbian’s S60 operating system. Nokia owns a large stake in Symbian.

This is Nokia's answer to the iPhone, and it's expected later this year.

The
iPhone will probably be available in a 3G version by the time the Tube makes an appearance. It’s not totally clear what type of touch-screen interface Nokia will be using for this phone. The report says that the Tube won’t use “multitouch,” but will have “tactility feedback.”

(Credit:
Symbian-Freak.com)

One bit Gruber seems off the mark on is how Apple will enforce restrictions on what can and cannot be done on EDGE:

The restrictions are likely based on bandwidth needs, but that seems hard to enforce once an app is out in the wild.

Apple hosts the application for you. You don’t even have to have a web server. Actually, since Apple doesn’t handle your support, it might be even better if you don’t.
Apple charges you zip for marketing. Apple is your MacHeist (no one even knows exactly what those guys charge).
No credit card fees.
Your app gets a storefront with traffic you could only dream of. Think of the impulse buys you’ll get. Leo “I’m Downloading It Right Now!” Laporte alone could probably make this worth your while.
Potential access to iFund, which appears to be something like venture capital funding for iPhone applications. Steve Jobs is your pimp daddy!

So, potential iPhone developer, let’s look at what you get for almost a third of your hard work.

Well, if you can download the SDK, that is. If the way the Apple Developer site is being hit is any indicator, the 70% solution appears not to be bothering anybody.

There is no “in the wild”. These applications will be controlled either through individual vetting or blanket restrictions in the distribution agreement. Indeed, there is a pretty heavy Father Knows Best vibe going on here, Kitten.

Well, the
iPhone SDK speculation is all over but the shouting (see Tom Krazit’s live blog if you missed the news). The Macalope suspects there will be a lot of shouting about Apple taking a 30% cut of application revenue, although probably less from those who are actually likely to develop iPhone applications than the sage members of our silly pundit corps.

Sure you do! So shrug off those nagging doubts and go download the SDK!

As John Gruber noted, the $99 ante is a “no brainer”. Not only does it “keep the bozos out” as Gruber says, it gives you a digital certificate so your application is verified as “trusted”, making the whole system more secure.

Well, that’s nice and all, but is it worth 30%? Eminently debatable. But one thing you can’t deny — it’s certainly worth something.

But, you want to cut yourself a slice of that sweet iPhone pie, don’t you, potential iPhone developer?

Gadgets go greener, thinner, and wireless at Ceatec

In addition to a legacy of adventure and entrepreneurship, Steve Fossett leaves behind a top secret project he’d been working on. He had bought a highly advanced underwater submersible he hoped would take him to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, lower than any point on Earth humans have gone. Reporter Daniel Terdiman joins today’s podcast to talk about the project and where it goes from here.

Also in this podcast, Windows XP gets another lifeline, a date has been set for the Large Hadron Collider to be turned on again, and we look at which gadgets at Ceatec might actually make it into the real world.

Hands on with Sony’s new PRS-700 digital reader

Apple is strongly denying a rumor posted on CNN’s iReport page that Steve Jobs suffered a heart attack this morning. iReport is a citizen journalism section of CNN, where people can submit their own news stories. CNN has removed the post in question, but the report caused a sharp drop in Apple’s stock price before company representatives were able to deny the charge.

Report: New HP smartphone aimed at consumers

Skype: We didn’t know about security issues

Steve Fossett’s unfinished legacy: Deepest ocean exploration

Date set for restart of Large Hadron Collider

Windows XP gets another lifeline

Sony’s ‘David Blaine’ starts 30 days of living in display window

Listen now:

What’s the big deal about WiMax?

Download today’s podcast

Today’s stories:

Jobs heart attack rumor not true, Apple stock swings

Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers is joining the virtual stage with Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore on Wednesday morning to talk about climate change and technology innovation.

Al Gore

Chambers and Gore will use Cisco’s telepresence system to communicate with a live audience at the VoiceCon trade show in in Orlando, Fla. They will discuss how unified communications technology, like the telepresence platform, can play a role in reducing carbon emissions, which are impacting climate change.

John Chambers

They’ll also discuss other ideas for how businesses can reduce greenhouse gas emissions through innovative technologies and how the technology industry can create a sustainable model for addressing climate change.

The event will be Webcast live starting at 11 a.m. EDT/8 a.m. PDT. And anyone interested in tuning in can register at the Cisco Web site to sign up in advance.

My colleague Martin LaMonica, who covers green technology, will be listening to the Webcast. So look for a blog post from him later Wednesday.