In the latest Bulldog roundup of life science and technology news:

  • Hackers attack Sony PlayStation Network;
  • Opinion-Entrepreneurship: Impacting a vital Wilmington;
  • The future of mobile commerce is commerce;
  • Tablets hit tipping point;
  • Why Microsoft needs to reveal Windows 9 sooner than later.

The details:

Hackers attack Sony PlayStation Network

A group of hackers calling themselves “Lizard Squad” has taken down several popular online video game networks and possibly diverted an American Airlines jet carrying a Sony executive. Over the weekend, Blizzard Entertainment, CCP Games, Riot Games and Sony (SNE) have done maintenance to bring their networks back online. The hackers, speaking publicly on Twitter, claimed responsibility for attacking the PlayStation Network and others, disrupting the ability of millions of gamers to play together online.

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Opinion-Entrepreneurship: Impacting a vital Wilmington

The UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is preparing to host the first Coastal Connect Entrepreneur and Capital Conference on September 4th at the Coastline Convention Center in Downtown Wilmington. The question is, who cares?

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The future of mobile commerce is commerce

Retailers, banks, and consumers all want frictionless transactions, and nobody wants to be the tragically unhip company that can’t meet its users on their terms. But let’s put things in perspective: There are countless ways to allow users to transact on their mobile devices, and some are certainly more elegant and efficient than others. Technology, however, is not a strategy, and while a lousy checkout can definitely lose a sale, a good one is rarely the reason a consumer decides to buy.

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Tablets hit tipping point

More than half of US consumers with an internet connection now own a tablet and while demand is starting to slow, the device still remains high on most people’s future tech shopping lists. In fact, when asked, 75% of all consumers quizzed as part of the Consumer Electronics Association’ latest research into the subject said that a new tablet was a planned future purchase. And, while tablet sales are beginning to slow, what shouldn’t be ignored is how incredibly successful the devices have become in such a short time. The original iPad – which received a lukewarm reception from many tech experts – was only launched in 2010, yet 54% of US consumers already have one.

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Why Microsoft needs to reveal Windows 9 sooner than later

Several reports from usually reliable Windows watchers say Microsoft is poised to unveil Windows 9 at the end of September. The new OS will mark the return of the Start menu, the ability to run Metro apps inside desktop windows, and other PC-friendly tweaks. The timing makes ton of sense, in spite of Windows 8’s short run. Why? Because Windows 7.

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