Skype Launches App Store - Yawn

So today I read that Skype is launching a third-party app directory on their website. Unless, I'm missing something, you can already install add-ons into Skype. Interestingly, within Skype, clicking Tools, Extras is now greyed out/disabled and I cannot install any new add-ons. Does this mean I have to go to the Skype app directory now to install apps/add-ons?

I suppose the ability to comment on apps via the online directory is nice. You can see which apps have the most buzz and read comments on any possible issues. Still, other than recording, and maybe desktop sharing, I just don't see a need for Skype apps. Seems everyone is jumping on the app store and social media (comments in this case) bandwagon, but excuse me while I yawn over this news.

Acer Aspire 3951 photos leaked, new Ultrabooks to launch in September

We don't mind eyeballing a few impossibly clean renders when we get wind of a new toy, but there's nothing like the real McCoy. Today's bones slipped out of a (now pulled) HDblog hands-on of the Acer Aspire 3951 Ultrabook, possibly leaked ahead of an IFA 2011 embargo. The genuine article looks nearly identical to its rendered counterpart, albeit a bit thicker and more plasticky. The unveiled 13.3-inchMacBook Air competitor reportedly sports a second generation Intel Core processor, boots from sleep in under two seconds, and is only 13mm thick. The price? While there is no official word on this exactmodel, Acer head-honcho JT Wang mentioned last week that the outfit was prepping to launch a new Ultrabook in September for about $800. Lines up nicely with the Acer 3951's rumored $770-960 price range, doesn't it?

Irene hits power, web infrastructure; Cell networks struggling to cope

As Irene is downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm as she works her way through New York City and Massachusetts, over four million are without power, and critical infrastructure is struggling to cope with flood waters.

With downed power lines and Internet connections struggling to remain connected, many are turning to an already overflowing cell network to keep up to date with news and the latest on the storm.

Power outages widespread

As four million homes are struggling with electricity, CBS New York reports that downed telephone and electricity wires are a “major issue” — with many power lines still live.

Much of the focus has been on New York City, in particular Manhattan — the home of the New York Stock Exchange — where the impact of Irene will no doubt be reflected in the stock markets come Monday.

According to Jason Perlow, there are nearly one million people in the New York metropolitan area without power — and many hundreds of thousands without Internet connections.

Mary Jo Foley noted that Queens has greater problems with infrastructure than Manhattan; while Battery Park City was struggling with a storm surge, as sea levels reached a peak of five feet above normal levels.

As assessments are yet to begin, it is not clear whether the closed New York City Subway has suffered any damage in the flooding, and how bad the electricity supply was affected long-term.

Con Ed, a major supplier of power in the New York City area, told the BBC’s New York correspondent Laura Trevelyan that the flooding was “not as bad as was feared”, noting that it did not have to turn off the grid.

700,000 people in the Manhattan area are without power and broadband.

Because cable, fiber and DSL connections are hooked into the power grid, many have suffered with outages in Internet access. It is estimated that over 3.5 million users across the eastern seaboard have been cut off from the web in the midst of Irene’s passing.

How cell networks are coping

Cell networks have suffered significantly, with many worried that cell service would be cut as the hurricane moved from Florida northwards across the eastern seaboard.

The earthquake, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, tested the cell networks in preparation of the impending storm, flooding the carriers with tweets, social media updates, text messages and phone calls.

AT&T, Sprint and Verizon were all preparing to ensure that as much service as possible remained amid the storm, putting in additional power generators near cell sites and mobile towers rolled in to deploy in case of an outage.

Heavy network congestion, known as the “9/11 effect”, is the one cause of disruption to many, as thousands turn to the cell networks and laptop tethering to counter dropped landline connections cut off by downed power supplies.

But on the most part, cell coverage continued. Though, for many, the connections for many have been slow, they have not crumbled under the additional stresses put on the networks by increased activity and storm-damaged cell towers.

Underground cabling assessment

Meanwhile, FEMA, the government agency responsible for emergency planning, has said that flooding is “definitely the biggest issue” for many.

But while correspondents have said that the waters are receding and storm drains are returning to normal levels, the lasting damage of underground cabling, running underneath the streets of Manhattan, remains unclear until formal assessments are undertaken.

As low-lying areas of Manhattan were ordered to evacuate, Battery Park City was hit with localised flooding from rising seawaters.

Nearby is Wall Street, home of the financial district and the New York Stock Exchange, has backup generators powering the self-running set of systems, according to a spokesperson.

While it will open on Monday, it is not clear whether any damage to underground cabling will hinder stock trading efforts.

But as assessments are underway, state and local governments have begun to calculate the cost of the damage. In New Jersey alone, governor Chris Christie suggested that the costs could reach “if not tens of billions of dollars”.

Steve Jobs' health is a private matter

Now that he's no longer Apple CEO, it is.

During Jobs' two medical leaves, starting in early 2009 and 2011, I argued that his health was not a private matter. Apple is a public company, majorly owned by shareholders -- not Jobs, the company's board or any other executive or employee. In Jobs' role as chief executive, and as someone so closely identified with Apple, health impacted his ability to perform daily duties and, therefore, could affect Apple operations and financial performance. Jobs is no longer chief executive. He remains an Apple employee, according to a recent 8-K filing but in unspecified role, and is Chairman of the Board. But he is no longer directly responsible for Apple operations.

I took lots of flack from the Apple Fanclub regarding my previous "health is a public matter" position. I wholly stand by it. The president of the United States gets a yearly checkup and discloses the state of his health (maybe someday "her", depending who wins some future election). It's part of the president's responsibility serving the public. CEOs serve the shareholders, who are any public company's real owners. I don't suggest chief executives should get yearly checkups and disclose health information -- although considering their high salaries, there is good argument for it. They should disclose anything that might jeopardize their ability to perform their duties, particularly compromised health.

Apple fanclubbers rallied against such position when I stated it more than two years ago, with some saying the US Securities and Exchange Commission doesn't require such disclosure (Or does it under the new law passed last year, and I don't know about it; please correct me in comments if there is a change). The recent financial reform law does put a CEO to a shareholder vote, and state of health is information that should be available to them. Emphasized: CEOs work for shareholders, not boards of directors.

To Repeat, and Again...

Since Jobs is no longer Apple's chief executive, he should be regarded as a private citizen again. That makes his health a private matter. Jobs' health is none of your damn business, nor paparazzi stalking him. Assuming that Jobs is fighting off cancer again, or the effects from it, he has enough emotional stress -- and that includes resigning as CEO last week. Paparazzi photos make matters worse.

On Friday, TMZ published a photo of a gaunt Jobs in a parking lot, presumably outside some medical treatment facility. The photo's legitimacy has been disputed, which is immaterial to whether or not any should be published. If Steve Jobs is a public figure, he's fair game for paparazzi, which rely on the First Amendment to protect them.

Does being Apple's cofounder make Jobs a public figure? I say no, particularly how private he keeps his personal life and how is public appearances typically, but not exclusively, have been Apple related. CEO of the world's largest company, by valuation at Friday's market close, is a public figure. That's Tim Cook's role.

The legal nuances about privacy rights of public figures vs private citizens are beyond my scope of expertise. I am not a lawyer. But I am an editor and long-time journalist. Most reputable news organizations refrain from publishing paparazzi photos of private citizens for ethical reasons (yeah, we have some) and also to avoid civil lawsuits.

California is unique in the public-vs-private issue because of Hollywood celebrities. The distinction between public figure and private citizen doesn't necessarily matter, under the law. California Civil Code Section 1708.8 states:

"A person is liable for constructive invasion of privacy when the defendant attempts to capture, in a manner that is offensive to a reasonable person, any type of visual image, sound recording, or other physical impression of the plaintiff engaging in a personal or familial activity under circumstances in which the plaintiff had a reasonable expectation of privacy, through the use of a visual or auditory enhancing device, regardless of whether there is a physical trespass, if this image, sound recording, or other physical impression could not have been achieved without a trespass unless the visual or auditory enhancing device was used".

It seems to me that a private citizen undergoing cancer or cancer-related treatment meets this legal definition. Health privacy is cherished in the United States and firmly protected under HIPAA.

Legal issues aside, give Jobs a break, and some dignity as he fights for his life. C`mon do you think he would have resigned from Apple otherwise?

Nichicon lays claim to the world's smallest EV chargers with NGQ-202, NGQ-203 models

Although it'll still be hard to misplace in your pile of electronics, a company called Nichicon has launched what it says is the world's smallest chargers for electric vehicles, the NGQ-A202 and the NGQ-A302. By using what the company calls advanced module technology, it was able to shrink its EV charger down by 50 percent to around 59 x 13.8 x 23.6 inches, also reducing the weight by up to 66 percent. Compatible with the ChAdeMO standard, these 20-30kW chargers will work with electric vehicles likeMitsubishi's i-MiEV and the Nissan Leaf, taking between 35 and 60 minutes to fully power your whip. Charging doesn't come cheap, however, as the batteries are said to retail between $24,600 and $27,000 when they launch sometime in October. Next step -- cutting the cord and going wireless, perhaps? Check out the full PR after the break