Say what you want about Americans, about their being loud, opinionated, and blessed or cursed as a people with a messianic complex, they are among the most interesting people the planet has ever seen. At the risk of sounding patronizing, I believe that Americans remain unsurpassed when it comes to innovation and stick-to-it-ness.

Not only are they citizens of the world’s sole remaining superpower, as a people, they are among the world’s most productive and entrepreneurial. It is unsurprising then that their country accounts for more billionaires than other countries do.

But it is not only in creating wealth that Americans excel. It seems that some, or at least a good number, of American billionaires are more than ready to let go of at least half of their wealth and donate their money to charity (see http://givingpledge.org).

If only our local rich people were as generous.

Android Virus

According to mobile security provider Lookout, a Movie Player application is infecting Android-powered phones in Russia with a virus that sends budget-busting text messages. Russian antivirus company Kaspersky Lab discovered the Trojan code hidden in the media player app.

The malware has so far affected only smartphones running the Android OS in Russia. The media player program asks users to authorize mobile services that are expensive. The security firm advises users to refuse to grant permission.

Seems that while the iPhone 4 has its antenna issues, Android phones have this virus.

Fiery iPods

Apple’s business unit in Japan offers to replace first-generation iPod nano music players that fall prey to overheating, a rather unlikely incident according to the Cupertino company.

Apple, nevertheless, confirmed a few cases of overheating affecting the batteries of iPod nanos sold in the country between September 2005 and December 2006. The Japanese government has criticized the company, something that might have pressured Apple to acknowledge the problem.

Liquid Metal

This sounds like science fiction stuff. But it does not mean it is not true.

It seems that Apple has gotten hold of an exotic metallic material that can be made into shiny and super-tough casings for phones and computers. Liquidmetal Technologies Inc. has granted the Cupertino company an exclusive and eternal license to use its materials technology in consumer electronics.

The liquidmetal material is a mix of molten metal alloys that, when cooled, have a structure that looks like glass.

This means that, in the future, Apple can further extend its products’ aesthetic lead over rival products.
That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.