LITTLE ROCK — New Mac operating system released
NEW YORK - Apple Inc. released its new operating system for Mac computers last week, with features borrowed from mobile devices and a tighter integration with online file storage. Dubbed Mountain Lion, the new software narrows the gap between the PC and phone-software packages, making Mac personal computers work more like iPhones and iPads.
It’s similar to what Microsoft Corp. is doing with its forthcoming Windows 8 system. That system, to be released Oct.
26, will bring the look and user interface of Windows Phone to PCs.
Mountain Lion will cost $20 and will be sold only as a download. Only computers running the two most recent versions of Mac OS, Lion and Snow Leopard, can be upgraded.
Macs bought on or after June 11 can be upgraded for free.
Among the features of Mountain Lion, the new software will have better integration with social networks such as Facebook Inc. It will have built-in features to facilitate sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other services.
A feature called Power Nap keeps a Mac updated even while it’s in power-saving “sleep” mode. It will get e-mail messages, back up files and download software updates automatically.
A new Messages app, copied from Apple’s mobile operating system, will replace iChat. It will allow messages to be sent to other Apple users, whether that person is on a Mac or an Apple mobile device.
Google reveals price of fast Internet
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Google Inc. revealed Thursday what it will charge for its long-awaited, ultrafast Internet service in Kansas City: $70 per month.
The service is intended as a showcase for what’s technically possible and as a test-bed for the development of new ways to use the Internet. Bypassing the local cable and phone companies, Google has spent months and an unknown amount of money pulling its own optical fiber through the two-state Kansas City region.
After vetting many contenders, Google announced last year that the Kansas City metro area would be the first to get its “Fiber for Communities” broadband service.
The $70 monthly fee will pay for “gigabit” Internet service, about 100 times faster than a basic cable modem. For another $50 per month, Google will provide cable-TV-like service over the fiber, too, and a tablet computer that works as a remote.
The $70 fee is more than what cable or phone companies charge for basic Internet service, but the service is also much faster. “Gigabit” speeds, or 1,000 megabits per second, are generally unavailable from other companies. One exception is the city-owned electric utility in Chattanooga, Tenn., which has pulled its own fiber and sells gigabit service for $350 per month.
Tesla losses grow as it shifts gears
LOS ANGELES - Electric car company Tesla Motors Inc.
said last week that revenue fell and losses widened in the second quarter of this year.
The company is in a key transition period, shifting from deriving its revenue from sales of just a few thousand Roadster sports cars and development work for other automakers to manufacturing and selling its Model S, Tesla’s first full-production vehicle.
The automaker just began selling the Model S, an all-electric five-passenger car that has received strong reviews from the automotive press. Chief Executive Elon Musk said the company had been manufacturing just five cars a week but now has doubled production and is “ramping methodically.”
“We are maintaining our revenue guidance of $560 [million to] $600 million and our Model S volume projection of 5,000 units for 2012. We expect to deliver approximately 500 vehicles to customers in Q3 with the balance delivered in Q4,” he said in a letter to shareholders.
The car sells for between $50,000 to more than $100,000 depending on trim level and options. Tesla builds the Model S at a factory in Fremont, Calif.
For the quarter, Tesla said its losses ballooned to $105.6 million, or 89 cents a share, from $58.9 million, or 53 cents, in the same period a year earlier. Revenue dipped to $26.7 million from $58.2 million.
Software maker VMware buys Nicira
PALO ALTO, Calif. - Business-software maker VMware is buying computer-networking specialist Nicira for nearly $1.3 billion.
The deal announced last week will expand VMware’s product line in the rapidly growing field of computer “virtualization.” The term refers to software that lowers the costs of running data centers by enabling a single computer to function like multiple machines.
VMware also reported a 13 percent decline in its second quarter earnings, but the performance still topped analysts’ estimates
Founded in 1998, VMware has parlayed its pioneering role in the virtualization field to build a company that now boasts a market value of $38 billion.
Business, Pages 20 on 07/30/2012