At the intersection between technology and economic policy, John Carroll brings years of experience as a software developer to bear on the latest issues affecting the technology industry.
John Carroll has delivered his opinion on ZDNet since the last millennium. Since May 2008, he is no longer a Microsoft employee. He is currently working at a unified messaging-related startup.
Nokia's Lumia 610 faces entrenched opposition in the developed world. But, in developing markets, where the Nokia brand is strong and a decision about which platform to favor has not been made, it is on firmer footing.
Starz decision to end its relationship with Netflix is a sign of the difficulties content companies are having making money through Internet streaming. This should give potential buyers of Hulu pause. Distribution brands like Netflix and Hulu may not be the future.
Oracle's Java-based lawsuit could make things expensive for Google. By missing the chance to own Java, however, Google lost an opportunity to have a platform that could serve as a counter to Microsoft and Apple.
House Republicans' war against net neutrality rules is symptomatic of a gross simplification of economic principles that is typical of today's Tea-flavored Republican party.
Everyone seems to think that Microsoft must rush to release a credible competitor to Apple's iPad. I beg to differ. Getting it right is more important than getting it tomorrow.
Android is expected to have strong growth in 2011. Is that a permanent trend, or a transitory shift in fashion trends?
The FCC is slated to make some decisions on the issue on net neutrality on December 21. Given a looming video-inspired bandwidth crunch, it's important those rules are less about "rights" than economics.
Apple's current success is truly astounding when you consider the state of the company in 2000. Today, they are the company that essentially owns that segment willing to pay most for client device customizations.
$10-$15 handsets are quite typical in African markets. That silver spot on the back of the Chinese-manufacturered device isn’t the lens of a camera…it's paint designed to LOOK like you have a camera.
Microsoft recently shook-up its Entertainment & Devices division in an attempt to jump start its device efforts and pose better competition to Apple and Google. Here are five suggestions as to what they should focus on next.