MSFT ready for natural computing

[PCW] Ballmer: "We're pioneering technologies that can identify spoken and written words. Interacting with computers will be just like interacting with people: We may still use keyboards and mice when it's more efficient, or you may use a wave of your hand to instruct the computer what you intend."

INTC goes Atomic

[Ars] Intel announced yesterday that its upcoming low-cost/low-power CPUs code-named Silverthorne and Diamondville will be sold under a single brand once the products launch. The MID-centric product family will hereafter be known as "Atom." Consumers are obviously meant to associate the Atom brand with objects of very small size, though Intel "Quark" would have a certain ring to it.

Wikileaks back online

[PCW] In his parting shot on a troubled case Judge White was reported as bemoaning the "definite disconnect between the evolution of our constitutional jurisprudence and modern technology. Maybe that's just the reality of the world that we live in. When this genie gets out of the bottle, that's it," he said.

AAPL falls short on vow to offer 1,000 movies

[Macworld] On my Apple TV I examined the All HD area and found that Apple’s close to the promise of 100 HD movies. The total as of the morning of February 29th is 91 HD movies. Note, however, that not all are offered with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. Choose All Movies on your Apple TV and you’ll find 351 titles for rent.

iPhone talks in China stalled

[AppleInsider] "We have not yet officially begun talks with Apple over the iPhone problem," China Mobile Chief Executive Wang Jianzhou told a group of reporters this week. "As long as our customers want this kind of product, we will keep all options open." In January, Reuters cited a spokesperson for the Chinese carrier as saying that the two firms had "terminated talks," a notion later disputed by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, who insisted that those reports were simply untrue.

Will Apple exert extreme control over iPhone apps?

[SiliconAlleyInsider] Apple will soon be supporting third-party iPhone apps, which we'll hear plenty about during Steve Jobs' iPhone press event this Thursday. The bad news: Apple's stamp of approval could be the most restrictive in the smartphone industry. Most important, Apple will act as a gatekeeper, formally approving or denying all software releases for the iPhone. How does that compare to other smartphone operating systems?