News from Official

Soccer-playing engineer (this will not end well)

Nothing wrong with a little soccer ball juggling on the job site, right? Well, at least until the engineer (or is that the architect?) has a go. Then everyone is glad they had their hardhats on. Fake? Maybe, but it’s still funny.
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

Playboy launches

In order to help compete with a plethora of adult oriented websites on the Internet, Playboy is taking an interesting turn and has recently launched a brand new website this week that is directed at more mainstream adults. Surprisingly, though, this website is lacking what Playboy is most famously known for and that is images [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

Panasonic LX5 takes super crisp, super bright 10MP images

When Panasonic released the LX3 a couple of years ago, they did something drastic and, to many consumers, counterintuitive: they decided to shy away from upping the megapixels on the small sensor in favor of increased light sensitivity, and therefore, quality. The LX5’s wisely playing the same game: Panasonic’s remained loyal to the 10MP of the [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

Apple posts the Nokia N97 mini death grip video

Responding publicly to Apple’s claim that nearly any smartphone can lose signal strength if held in a certain way, watchers opined that Nokia’s statement was the most respectful of Apple’s rivals. Maybe that encouraged Apple to post a new death grip video on the antenna section of its site, describing attenuation and signal loss on [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

Canon not interested in micro four-thirds, but will shrink down dSLRs

While many other and less venerable camera companies have embraced the business opportunity of the mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras, Nikon and Canon, up until recently, were staunch holdouts unwilling to join the fray of the micro four-thirds market. That changed earlier this month, when Nikon announced that they would be releasing their own [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

MSI releases low profile ATI Radeon HD 5670

Opting for a powerful graphics card also mean opting for a larger case with the space to fit it in. The top-of-the-line cars can take up a full two-bays and have two large, noisy fans. MSI have realized not everyone can fit such a card in their small PC or HTPC setup, so has decided to [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

HP Slate 500 pops up on company website, still running Windows 7

Without ever having been released, the HP Slate tablet has had a strange and dramatic history with many twists-and-turns. Originally held aloft by no less a personage than Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as the first of many Windows 7 capable tablets ready to do battle with Apple’s iPad, HP then bought Palm for their webOS [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

HP PalmPad to support pressure-sensitive stylus?

In other HP tablet-related news of the day, word on the tech street today is that HP’s forthcoming webOS tablet, rumored to be christened the PalmPad, is slated to be more of an homage to the classic Palm Pilot than you might think: instead of supporting just iPad-style finger input, the PalmPad is now rumored [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

Apple: Free cases for iPhone 4 will set us back $175 million

The free cases Steve Jobs offered as a stopgap measure to help alleviate antenna woes on the iPhone 4 could cost Apple about $175 million. That’s still a small price to pay to fix this Antennagate mess, at least until Apple’s engineers develop a permanent solution. Meanwhile, Apple’s manufacturing partners cannot manufacture enough iPhone 4 units, resulting [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

iPhone social calendar app TwitCal combines tweets and appointments

How about sharing your wedding anniversary with your family on Twitter or adding a friend’s upcoming party to your weekly agenda – all from your phone, using an elegant user interface? That’s what TwitCal does for you… The TwitCal for iOS app (not to be confused with the TwitCal web app) has been around since March, [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

Oh My! Sulu gets his own fragrance

Visitors to the upcoming International Comic-Con in San Diego will have the opportunity to pick-up a special new fragrance from the folks that brought us amusing Star Trek scents like Tiberius, Red Shirt, Pon Farr, and Shirtless Kirk. Now from Genki Wear, comes the scent of a flamboyant, shirtless, foil-wielding, Star Fleet Lieutenant running the halls of the [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

T-Mobile USA is

T-Mobile USA is apparently “very close” to getting the iPhone this year, a company source told a popular Apple publication. According to an exclusive piece by the Cult of Mac editor Leander Kahney, there’s an eighty percent probability that Apple’s smartphone will hit T-Mobile’s US network soon: Talks between Apple and T-Mobile are at an advanced [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

Lexar launches Echo SE 128GB automatic backup flash drive

Performing a backup of your data used to involve buying software, setting it up on every machine you want backed up, buying a secondary storage device, and remembering to schedule backups for when the machine is actually going to be powered on. Things got easier when cloud-based backups appeared. Now we can pay a monthly [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-22 more

Gyroscope enhances augmented reality on iPhone 4

Acrossair has released an augmented reality browser application which supports the embedded gyroscope new to the iPhone 4. The gyroscope offers detection of fine movements compared to the iPhone 3GS which utilizes the compass alone. Add to that the beautiful Retina Display and it makes sense why the iPhone 4 was made for augmented reality. The acrossair app, [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-21 more

iPad and iPhone 4 push Apple

The successful iPad and iPhone 4 launches helped Apple rake in nearly $16 billion of revenue in their third quarter which ended before the nasty side-effects of Antennagate had time to kick in. Apple just posted its fiscal 2010 third quarter ended June 26, 2010 and the results are impressive. In fact, it’s the first quarter [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-21 more

Official Star Trek Website gets new refit

Have you beamed over to the official Star Trek website lately? If you haven’t, you may have noticed things look a little different. That is because the official website for one of the most cherished science fiction series of all times has been given a brand new refit. StarTrek.com has re-launched with a completely new redesign [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-21 more

Hands on: Virgin Mobile

Remember the MiFi? The portable 3G WiFi hotspot that was such a hit before a bunch a phones started to include the same feature? Well, to be fair, it’s still a great product and not that many phones have the feature yet. Now Virgin Mobile is offering up the MiFi 2200 with a prepaid plan. [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-21 more

Asus drops Windows CE, switches 10

Good news Android fans, Asus has decided that its forthcoming 10″ Eee Pad tablet will now run Android instead of Windows CE. The EP101TC and larger 12″ EP121TC were announced by Asus during Computex and the EP101TC was listed as running Windows Embedded Compact 7. Asus has now seen the light though, and made the switch [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-21 more

Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling's 38 and EA has finally titled their upcoming RPG. Touting an open world and fast-paced action combat, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a single-player game, set in a world designed and written by author R.A. Salvatore, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and RPG legend Ken Rolston.
Publication date: 2010-07-21 more

DIY Iron Man Repulsor Rays will blind enemies, but unfortunately not vaporize them

Want Tony Stark’s amazing weaponry without the trade-off of a bum, radioactive ticker? Namely, would you like some of his amazing hand-mounted repulsor beams to blast mobs of armed robots
Publication date: 2010-07-21 more

Review: OWC Mercury Elite AL-Pro mini 1TB external hard drive

OWC’s portable storage solution is capacious and compact, it looks stylish, and is real pleasure to use, be it for file transfers, backups, handling large media libraries, or heavy-duty tasks like digital photography. Other World Computing (OWC), a tech company that has a reputation for quality Mac/PC gear and reliable customer support, was kind enough to [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-21 more

Modern Warfare 2 subscription message

A video circulating the internet resparked rumors that Activision might implement a pay-to-play plan for Call of Duty multiplayer. Uploaded on YouTube, the video shows an Xbox Live message titled "Modern Warfare 2 Membersh[ip]." However, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling quickly squelched the rumor, tweeting that "nobody has to pay to play COD or MW2 multiplayer, nor will they." He then reiterated with a blog post stating that there will never be additional fees to play MW2.
Publication date: 2010-07-21 more

DROID Incredible to get Android 2.2 via August update

If you have a DROID Incredible you may want to check out a tip received by the Boy Genius Report. The DROID Incredible was originally slated to have two updates, including one for Android 2.2 (Froyo). Now it seems the two updates have been slimmed down to just one which includes the latest version of [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-21 more

Designer creates a Pay and Sit park bench

Here is an interesting concept. Say you are a small community and need to generate funds in order to help pay for the upkeep of a local park. One way you can go about raising funds is to use the following rented bench concept created by designer Fabian Brunsing that he calls, the “Pay & [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Droid X handsets shipping with defective screens

Although most of the focus is on problems with iPhone 4 at the moment, it seems Motorola is facing its own difficulties with the Droid X. Videos are appearing on YouTube, and talk is growing in Motorola forums and Droid forums, that the Droid X is defective. More specifically, the screen is showing banding or rapid [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

LG unveils the Xnote R590 3D Notebook

If you want to take that new-fangled “3D vision” that all the young whippersnappers are raving about these days out on the road with you, Korean electronics maker LG had just introduced its very first 3D notebook, the Xnote R590 The 15.6-inch notebook boasts an Intel Core i7 processor and graphics powered by an NVIDIA GeForce [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Amazon: Kindle E-books Now Selling Hardcovers Almost Two to One

After the iPad’s debut, the once venerable Kindle series of e-readers has looked like just so much antiquated tech… but the Kindle as an e-reader platform is still doing extremely well, thanks to a forward thinking strategy initiated by Amazon to get their e-reader software on every device under the sun. The latest metric of the [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Apple has hated working with AT&T since 2007

Long have Apple fans asked, “How can a company as obsessed with perfection as Apple be in bed with a company as garishly inept as AT&T?” The answer, according to a fascinating new piece in the latest issue of Wired, is: grudgingly. So begrudgingly, in fact, that it could best be likened to the loveless marriage [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

73,000 Blogetery blogs were killed by BurstNET after FBI Al-Qaeda probe

On Friday, we posted about Wordpress hosting site Blogetery, which was unceremoniously shut down by United States authorities… along with all 73,000 of its hosted blogs. At the time of our original story, it was not clear why Blogetery was shut down. It was speculated by some that the company was closed because of a crackdown [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Amazon deal: Final Fantasy XIII Limited Edition Xbox 360 bundle for $300

With the release of the new smaller, quieter, “I promise I won’t RDoD” Xbox 360, retailers are desperately trying to get rid of old stock. That translates into a few bargains for those who don’t mind the noisy larger console. Amazon has a great deal on at the moment offering the following bundle: Xbox 360 (White) 250GB HDD 2 [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Review: Magellan eXplorist GC handheld GPS

The eXplorist GC is a handheld GPS unit designed specifically for geocaching. Priced at $199, it should be as affordable as it is easy to operate. Just last week Magellan announced three new eXplorist devices–the 510, 610, and 710–which expand the eXplorist line with these enthusiast-level products. At $350, $450, and $550 they are more expensive [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Forget the duct tape, Antenn-Aid is a band-aid for the iPhone

If you can’t find an official iPhone bumper case (or don’t want to wait for one) then you might be looking for a quick fix for your iPhone 4’s antenna problems. The Antenn-Aid is an adhesive bandage for your phone’s weak spot… yes, the notorious bottom-left corner. For $5 you get six of the “precision [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Intel knocks 48% off Core i7-870 price

At the beginning of this month Digitimes released a list of processor price drops it believed Intel was going to make over the next few months. Today, Intel did both drop prices and discontinue some chips making the Digitimes predictions at least partly correct. The price drops include the following processors: Core i7-870 4-core $294 (was $562) Core [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Lagoa Multiphysics engine is simply stunning

Physics engines. We may not understand most of the maths and skill that goes into developing one, but many of us appreciate their use in the latest games across consoles and PC. While game engines like Unreal, Source, and id Tech 5 may have very capable physics engines built-in, that doesn’t stop new engines appearing, and [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Wall Street Journal: Nokia looking to replace their CEO

How quickly titans fall. Go back a mere five years and take a look at the landscape of the mobile phone industry and while you’ll find the primordial smartphone here or there, the vast majority of phones out there were mere mobiles… and Finnish mobile maker Nokia was the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut selling them all. [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Intel Atom processors will be used as the brain for 1000mph rocketcar

It takes a lot of gas to juice a rocketcar capable of zooming across the desert at one thousand miles per hour… but, as it turns out, not a lot of power. At least in CPU terms. Intel have just announced that they will providing chips to the upcoming Bloodhound rocketcar, but counterintuitively, the Bloodhound’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

DECE announces UltraViolet, cross-platform DRM for the cloud

Although consumers universally hate DRM, the media industry continues to cling onto it as a sort of life preserver against an uncertain digital future in the cloud. Now, the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, or DECE, has just announced their plan to create a cross-platform DRM that would allow digital content (such as movies and music) [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

$199 Xbox 360 arriving in August, Kinect bundle this Fall

Consumers should expect some changes to the Xbox 360 landscape in the near future. The most exciting is a new $199 Xbox 360 Arcade offer. We don’t know all the details yet, but expect to see 4GB of on-board storage, wireless n connectivity, and a matte black finish. This is shaping up to be a [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

MacPaint source code available for download

If you used a Mac in the mid to late 80’s chances are you know about MacPaint, which was first released in 1984.  Though a simple drawing program, history has shown the application to be revolutionary in its first-of-a-kind features which we take for granted in most basic drawing applications today. These features include the lasso [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Dell KACE Secure Browser: a virtualized Firefox

It doesn’t matter how much security you have running on a machine, staying vigilant while surfing the web is a must. The only problem is, while you may know what to look for and avoid, others don’t and we invariably hear cases of virus infections, people paying money for fake antivirus software, and identity theft. Dell [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

33-foot tall Optimus Prime knock-off looks awesome

Japan may have their own 1:1 scale Gundam keeping watch on their country, but China is responding with a robot of its very own, namely a famous Transformer and the leader of the Autobots. This 33-foot tall (10 meter) replica of Optimus Prime is definitely a super heavyweight contender weighing-in at 6 tons and stands vigil [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Apple won

A site discovered that Hewlett-Packard filed for “PalmPad” trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, presumably to be used with an upcoming webOS-powered portable device code-named “Hurricane”. A trademark application reveals the “PalmPad” name and logo you see above. PreCentral pointed to the document and noted it lists the trademark in numerous categories, including [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-20 more

Factron Quattro case now supports iPhone 4, camera lenses optional

The need to buy a case for your iPhone 4 has disappeared since Steve Jobs decided to give every owner a free one on Friday. But if you want your case to do more than allow the antenna to work Factron may have a tempting product. The new Factron Quattro case is designed to house an [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Sharp to ship triple-layer 100GB Blu-ray disc

For entertainment purposes, Blu-ray discs and their 50GB dual layer capacity may be more than enough. No Blu-ray movie or PS3 game has had to be split over two discs as of yet. But Sharp is taking no chances and catering for those of us who want to store a bit more TV, or backup [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

ZVRS uses FaceTime for sign language chat

FaceTime, which supports mobile video chat through the iPhone 4, is revolutionary in its ability to change the way people communicate over mobile devices. It turns out it will also change the way the hearing and hearing impaired communicate through relay services. ZVRS has announced plans to support their relay service using FaceTime making the [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Artist uses stop motion video to showcase Star Wars Toy painting

If you thought the article about the Star Wars inspired art work looked pretty interesting, wait till you set your eyes on this artwork created by artist Robert Burden. If you are a Star Wars Toy fan, this video will simply blow your mind. Robert set forth to paint a huge 10-foot by 7-foot Star Wars [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Nexus One being discontinued by Google

Google attempted to change the way mobile phones are sold to wireless subscribers with their Nexus One. The handset, which was manufactured by HTC, was announced back in January and it wasn’t nearly as revolutionary as the way Google was trying to sell it. Rather than offering it through carriers, the search giant built a web [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Verizon Wireless 4G SIM card spotted

Some changes are ahead for the Verizon Wireless network with the deployment of their 4G network. Plans for their 4G network deployment, which utilizes LTE technology, include the launch of the 4G LTE network in 25 to 30 markets by late 2010. That is expected to double in 2012 with a full deployment, covering Verizon’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Dell ships a 17

While the average gamer may carry just 2GB of RAM in their machine, Dell is pushing up the amount you can have your laptop shipped with to 32GB. The laptop in question is the Dell Precision M6500, and even without the huge amounts of RAM it’s one of the most powerful 17″ laptops currently available. Just [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Starcraft II development cost over $100 million dollars

Activision had better sell a lot of Starcraft II Collector’s Edition kits, because the WSJ is reporting that the game cost over $100 million to produce. That’s $100,000,000 to make what is bound to be a tremendous seller and the sequel to a game that has sold well for 10 years, netting Activision/Blizzard between $500 [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Tamiya business card converts into a small model kit

Let’s face it. No matter how cool your business card looks, it is still only a business card. Once you’ve copied the contact information on it, it pretty much becomes a useless piece of paper that takes up space and quickly finds itself in the trash or the recycling bin. Not so if you happen to [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Wicked Lasers puts Lucasfilm

The saga of the powerful laser that looked a little too much like a real light saber has taken yet another turn, this one pretty amusing, in fact. For those of you just joining us on this story, a company called Wicked Lasers created a rather wicked and powerful portable laser called the Spyder III Arctic [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Plants vs. Zombies for XBLA getting versus and co-op modes

It seems as though Plants vs. Zombies will be getting a versus mode in addition to some type of co-op. According to Xbox360Achievements, the upcoming version of Plants vs. Zombies for Xbox Live Arcade has 12 Achievements including two that indicate the inclusion of these new gameplay types.
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Peppermint Ice: a faster, lighter cloud-focused Linux OS

In May we heard about a new Linux distribution that took a different approach to the countless other distros out there. Peppermint Linux was different because it focused on using the cloud whenever possible. Peppermint combines a base Linux operating system with cloud-based applications. The advantage of such a setup is a very lightweight distro (407MB) [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Cave previews Do-Don-Pachi Dai-Fukkatsu shmup for iPhone

Legendary Japanese shmup developer Cave both impressed and dismayed iPhone and iPod touch owners earlier this year with the release of Espgaluda II. It was great to see such a well-made shmup appearing on Apple hardware, but at the same time frustrating that it only ran on the latest models of iPhone and iPod touch. [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Steam Hardware Survey now includes Mac

Every month Steam releases the results of a hardware survey showing us what kind of PCs Steam subscribers are using to play games. It’s always an interesting breakdown of what the most popular processor is, how much RAM we use, how the transition to Windows 7 is going, and what graphics cards are in use. For [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

New Stuxnet USB exploit threatens Windows users

Microsoft is warning Windows users about a newly-discovered vulnerability which allows malware to propagate through shortcut links on USB drives. A couple of days ago, security researchers unearthed the Stuxnet family of threats out in the wild. The malware they discovered can propagate and infect new machines by infecting any USB drive that is connected to [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Star Wars inspired artwork looks weird and cool at the same time

As Star Wars is such popular icon in our worldwide society, it isn’t too surprising to occasionally spot elements of George Lucas’ epic science fiction saga in places that may not exactly make sense. Just check out these Star Wars inspired artwork pieces, for example. While some of these Star Wars pictures are amusing and entertaining, [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Kin sales being halted, units returned to Microsoft

Back in late June, we reported that Microsoft’s attempt at a smartphone of their own, the Kin One and Kin Two, was showing signs of trouble after prices for the phones were slashed by Verizon Wireless. Many believed this was the first indication that Microsoft’s Kin phones would have a short life. Based on a [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

In Taiwan, Darth Jobs uses lightsaber to defend iPhone 4

The iPhone 4 news is being reported all around the world as Apple has its products in most markets. While in the West we have a range of reporting styles and coverage from both sides of the arguments over the current iPhone 4 problems. In Taiwain, however, we get the video you see above. The [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-19 more

Valve releasing Alien Swarm for free on Monday

Does anyone reading this remember the Alien Swarm mod for Unreal Tournament 2004? It was a total conversion mod created by Black Cat Games. Here’s the premise of the game as taken from its Wikipedia page: In Alien Swarm, the player assumes the role of a commander in the Interstellar Armed Forces and uses the unique [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-17 more

Damn Vulnerable Linux

Usually, when installing a new operating system the hope is that it’s as up-to-date as possible. After installation there’s bound to be a few updates required, but no more than a few megabytes. Damn Vulnerable Linux is different, it’s shipped in as vulnerable a state as possible. The idea behind DVL is to offer an operating [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-17 more

RIM: Apple drawing us in to self-made antenna debacle is unacceptable

Research In Motion has been quick to react to Apple’s use of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 yesterday during its iPhone 4 press conference. Steve Jobs used the BlackBerry as an example of how other phones had the same dropping bars problem. He also referenced a HTC Droid Eris and Samsung Omnia II. Before the day was [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-17 more

Queen

It’s amazing what you can do with old bits of tech lying around the house, or found cheap at an auction. Take for example James Cochrane, of Toronto, Canada. He managed to create the rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody you see in the video above using the following bits of tech: Atari 800xl and Floppy Drive 3.5 [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-17 more

Apple shows off its dazzling $100 million test chambers

Apple never details the hard-core engineering behind its development process, but today’s iPhone 4 presser was different. First Steve Jobs teased the journalists with a few images of a high-tech lab and now Apple detailed how its scientists test the iPhone’s antenna. If you’ve never seen an antenna lab before, check out these breathtaking images [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-17 more

Activision confirms James Bond video game-exclusive, Blood Stone

This holiday season, gamers will have the chance to play an all-new James Bond experience, Activision announced Friday. Penned by Goldeneye screenwriter Bruce Feirstein, James Bond 007: Blood Stone is a third-person shooter, featuring the likeness and voice talent of Daniel Craig, Judi Dench and leading Bond girl Joss Stone.
Publication date: 2010-07-17 more

100,000 Android apps claim refuted

Not everyone believes that Google’s mobile bazaar for Android software has over 100,000 apps. That figure, floated by a fan site, was refuted when Google published the official numbers yesterday. Engadget pointed to AndroLib’s near-live Android Market data claiming over one billion downloads and over 100,000 applications in Android Market. This compares to five billion downloads [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-17 more

Breach delayed, making time for realistic Hardcore mode

First-person shooter Breach for Xbox Live Arcade has been delayed, Atomic Games announced Friday. Though the game was slated to release this summer, the XBLA schedule is apparently too full to squeeze in Breach until January 2011. According to the press release, the developers are using the extra six months to add a new Hardcore mode as well as other new content.
Publication date: 2010-07-17 more

How to enable Swype on your Android phone

Just picked up a Droid X and want to give the Swype text input system a try? Or maybe you have another Android phone and you want to try a different input experience? Enabling (and disabling) Swype is quite easy once you have it installed on your phone. Just keep in mind that while Swype comes [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Could this get any worse? David Letterman and Whoopi Goldberg lampoon iPhone 4

Rivals are having a field day over the iPhone 4 antenna-gate, but Apple’s management must be experiencing the collective cardiac arrest seeing their baby ridiculed in mainstream TV shows and late night newscasts. The latest examples include David Letterman and Whoopi Goldberg taking a jab at iPhone 4 and the way Apple is handling the [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Latest Japanese digital billboards detect gender and age as you walk by

The world is slowly being covered in digital billboards instead of the more traditional paper advertising. Although this allows for more adverts to be shown throughout the day, and updates to be a quick data transfer, it also means other technology can be added for more targeted advertising. Two years ago Tokyo started experimenting with a [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Ze Frank raises $500K for games startup

Blogger, video-podcaster and game designer Ze Frank has raised startup capital for a new games-related venture. Details are sketchy as to what gaming experiences the new startup will be working on; even one of the investors claims not to know. However, Ze Frank is known for having an active interest in high-concept social games, as evidenced [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

HD Video Capable Nikon D3100 Details Leaked

Rumors have swirled for awhile about a new entry-level DSLR coming from Nikon to replace their venerable D 3000, but now what-it-says-on-the-tin rumor site Nikon Rumors is reporting that it won’t be called the Nikon D4000, as long rumored, but instead branded the D3100. Don’t let that small numeral bump fool you though, the D3100 has [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Early Windows Phone 7 Review describes Microsoft

Think that Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 7 operating system will put them back in the game on equal footing with the likes of iOS or Android? Infoworld columnist Galen Gruman says think again after attending Microsoft’s in-depth demo at this week’s Mobile Beat conference: “Windows Phone 7 is a waste of time and money. It’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

73,000 Wordpress blogs shut down by U.S. Government

This is alarming. Torrent news site TorrentFreak is now reporting that Wordpress host Blogetery has been shut down by United States authorities… along with all 73,000 Blogetery-hosted blogs. Although details are still very tentative, here’s what we know: Blogetery’s entire site has been taken down, and the company’s ISP is claiming that they had to terminate [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

KDDI Light Pool phone with 22 LED case visualizations

The current obsession with big touchscreens and the choice between Android or iOS is set to continue, but in Japan manufacturers are still experimenting with new handset features that offer something different. One of the latest experimental phones to appear is called the Light Pool from KDDI. The Light Pool is a clam-shell design, but mounted [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

No iPhone 4 recall today: It

There will be no recall of more than two million iPhone 4s that have already shipped because Apple will solve the death grip problem with a software fix, sources insist ahead of the scheduled iPhone 4 news conference at Apple’s headquarters at 10am PDT. The New York Times quoted “a person with direct knowledge of Apple’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Live coverage of Apple

The world is watching at Apple and the  iPhone 4 press conference scheduled to begin at 10am Pacific at Apple’s One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California headquarters. It doesn’t get any more serious than that. The Silicon Valley darling has received incredible beating by its loyal fans, enemies, media, and analysts over the so-called iPhone 4 death [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Watch the EVO 2010 Super Street Fighter IV Grand Final

The EVO 2010 Championship Series event finsihed earlier this week, and as prominent as ever was well-known Street Fighter player Daigo Umehara. Those who follow Street Fighter competitions will know him well, but his skill at playing the game became more widely known about back in 2004 due to an amazing comeback in the EVO Championship [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Xbox 360 Kinect coming soon to a city near you as part of summer road trip

Although it has yet to be officially priced and it won’t be released until November, Microsoft is taking their forthcoming Kinect motion-control accessory for the Xbox 360 on the road this summer to show the public what their new hardware can do. Called the “Kinect Experience Mobile Demo Tour,” the demonstration will give Xbox 360 [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Jobs: Let

Here is a bit of video from today’s iPhone antenna event. In fact it was the high point of the event, when Steve Jobs noted the Consumer Reports study and said every iPhone 4 user is going to get a free case. People that already bought bumpers will get a free refund. The offer lasts until [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Extension.FM turns Google Chrome into an iTunes for MP3 blogs

Have you been reluctant to make the switch to Google’s excellent HTML5-compliant browser, Google Chrome? If you love music and frequent a lot of MP3 blogs, you might want to change your mind: thanks to an amazing new extension, Google Chrome just became your killer app. The extension is called ExtensionFM. Think of it like iTunes [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Trailer for Facebook movie released

When you consider that Facebook has grown to encompass more than 500 million users it is hard to put your mind around the fact that it all started at a Harvard dorm room back in 2004. At that time, the website was billed as an online yearbook for use by other Harvard students. It soon [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Watch Steve Jobs deconstruct Antennagate

That was super-fast: Just minutes following an announcement addressing the iPhone 4 antenna woes, Apple published full video stream of the media conference on its site. Since we normally have to wait up to 24 hours for Apple’s event videos, the urgency accompanying this one speaks volumes about the desire to put this whole ordeal [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Garmin GPSMAP 62 series is available right now

Just a quick PSA: You can buy yourself a new Garmin GPSMAP 62 today. Right now in fact. This alert just my inbox: Featuring a waterproof exterior and a new 65K color 2.6″ sunlight readable screen, GPSMAP 62st is packed with features like a 3-axis tilt-compensated compass and 100K topo mapping. It has up to 20 hours [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Thoughts: Lenovo ThinkPad X201 notebook

Not too long ago the 12-inch ThinkPad received its 2010 refresh. While the T series got a significant update (thus being changed from the T400 to the T410) the X series was simply changed from the X200 to the X201. That means internal components were updated (processor, graphics, etc.) but the chassis is pretty much the same [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

US Senator calls out Steve Jobs over the antenna-gate

Apple’s CEO isn’t the only one writing open letters these days – a US Senator has taken notice of that Consumer Reports post advising against buying an iPhone 4 until Apple fixes its flawed antenna. Riding on that advisory, New York Senator Charles Schumer of the Democratic party sent out an open letter to Apple’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Brother to replace AA & AAA with shake-to-wake batteries

With the introduction of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries many gadgets have moved away from using AA and AAA batteries. But for certain devices e.g. a TV remote, these one use batteries are still the norm. Although rechargeable versions of such batteries exist, most people still rely on using the standard one use versions and throwing them away, [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Big plans for Mass Effect 2 DLC

Despite having already released plenty of new guns, characters and missions, Bioware still has "pretty big plans" for Mass Effect 2 DLC, says BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk.
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Double Fine works on four smaller projects instead of Brutal Legend sequel

Due to the cancellation of a planned Brutal Legend sequel, Tim Schafer's Double Fine Productions will be working on four smaller projects, each headed by a different producer, said Schafer at his keynote presentation at the Developer Conference Thursday morning.
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Warner Bros. and Netflix enter into expanded streaming agreement

Earlier this month, we reported the successful efforts of Netflix to extend their instant movie streaming catalog to include movies from Relativity Media months after their release on DVD during the traditional “pay TV window”. Efforts to expand the catalog have continued, based on the latest news that Netflix has entered into an expanded agreement [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

This is why we should be excited about HTML5, WebGL, WebM, and CSS 3

Although the debate over HTML5 vs. Flash is in my view happening too early, we should be getting excited about new standards appearing in our web browsers. If you want proof of why the future of content in the web browser is a rosy one, you only need watch the video above. It shows the browser [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Woz solution to iPhone 4 antenna gripes: Verizon

Want to hear a really interesting take on the iPhone 4 death grip straight from the mouth of Steve Wozniak, Apple’s co-founder and chief architect behind the original Macintosh? When asked by Dutch journalist Henk Van Ess to weigh in on the iPhone 4 antenna issue, the Woz voiced his concerns by saying that “it’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Magellan announces eXplorist 510, 610, and 710 handheld GPS units

GPS maker Magellan might be getting into the iPhone accessory business, but they haven’t forgotten the handheld GPS market. The company just announced three new additions to their eXplorist line of products, the 510, 610, and 710. Ranging from $350 to $550 they offer an upper range of products above the company’s $200 geocaching focused [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-16 more

Apple schedule press conference for tomorrow, will an iPhone 4 recall be announced?

It looks like Apple has finally decided to face the music concerning the complaints about iPhone 4. Select media outlets are receiving invites from Apple to attend a press conference being held tomorrow morning at 10am PDT. Of course, Apple hasn’t told anyone what the gathering is about other than it is iPhone 4 related, so [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Jailbreaker GeoHot decides to withdraw from the web, goes invite only

GeoHot, or George Hotz to use his real name, has built up quite a following and reputation online. This is mainly due to his antics jailbreaking the iPhone and iPad, and working to re-enable PS3 Linux after Sony removed it with a firmware update. Through Twitter and his blog it was clear to see GeoHot had [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Chatroulette adds channels and local chat

Controversial video-chat phenomenon Chatroulette has launched a couple of major new features. For those who haven’t had the dubious pleasure of experiencing Chatroulette first-hand, the free site offers a no-frills video-chat interface connecting webcam-enabled users with one random stranger for an anonymous impromptu video conference. A chat session between two users lasts until one user decides [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Opera Mini 5.1 for Android released

Opera Software has announced the release of the Opera Mini 5.1 browser for Android. Back in March, we reported on the release of the Opera Mini 5 beta browser for Android which was a long time coming since Opera Mini 5 was first launched in September 2009. The good news is we only had to [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

FaceTime works from a plane and behind firewalls

FaceTime video calling from Apple can be used with in-flight WiFi services and from behind firewalls. A reader of the Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) chatted with the site’s Erica Sadun via FaceTime while on an airplane and recorded a clip to prove it: Loyal TUAW reader Bill G. was kind enough to face chat with us [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

11.6-inch MacBook Air and iPod touch refresh on the way from Apple?

According to Digitimes, Apple has at least two product updates slated for the second half of this year. The first will surprise no one: an iPod touch refresh. The second, an 11.6-inch MacBook Air, is a bit more surprising given Apple’s recent lack of a system this size and the company’s stance against netbooks. To be [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

NTT Docomo demos 3D display for cellphones

Talk of 3D TVs, and publishers embracing 3D in games, is gaining pace. But 3D also looks to be coming to the smaller screens we carry around with us everyday. At the Expo Comm Wireless Japan 2010 conference this week Japanese mobile network company NTT DoCoMo has been showing off a new 3D display for phones [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Keep your HD video camera safe with an inflatable travel bag

If you are a camera man whose job requires you to travel a lot, you know all too well the worry of keeping your expensive professional HD Video Camera equipment safe and sound when taking an airplane trip. You don’t want to chance your equipment with the rest of the stored luggage on a plane, [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

SourceForge 2.0 beta: better tools for open source projects

Our sister site has rolled out the beta of SourceForge 2.0, aimed at offering better tools and an improved experience for anyone developing open source projects. It’s a whole new forge development platform. SourceForge is well-known as a web-based source code repository allowing users to collaborate and develop new and established software projects. Hosting and tools [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Steampunk iPhone Dock adds working retro phone look

Want a cool way to dock your iPhone and add a little Steampunk artistic flair at the same time? Then you don’t need to go any further than to check out this iRetrofone-Steampunk iPhone Dock. Created by Etsy artist Scott Freeland, this Steampunk inspired iPhone dock was hand-sculpted and then cast in half-inch urethane resin creating a detailed [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Chillingo has a free iPad for the best Angry Birds video

UK-based Chillingo, one of the leading downloadable game publishers, has hammered out an interesting contest for all you Angry Birds fans out there. They call it the Angry Birds Squawk contest and it’s meant to celebrate five million copies sold in six months, the achievement that ranks Angry Birds as the #1 item in the [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

iOS 4.1 makes the signal bars taller but doesn

iOS 4.1 SDK beta that went live late Wednesday contains software fixes related to how the operating system displays the signal bars. Beyond that, it has failed to solve the iPhone 4 signal drop that many experts agree stems from a faulty phone design. Apple has updated the iOS software development kit (SDK) for developers late [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

iOS 4.1: FaceTime, Game Center, iPod over Bluetooth, and more

Apple has updated the iOS software development kit (SDK) for developers late yesterday. Early reports revealed several enhancements, including FaceTime and Game Center parental controls, full Bluetooth playback control, a bit more granular system settings, and more. Unfortunately, the updated software hasn’t fixed the dreaded antenna issue. 9to5Mac confirmed that iOS 4.1 is fully AVRCP compatible. [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

HP delays Android slate to focus on killer webOS tablet

Google is not going to like this – Hewlett-Packard has delayed an Android tablet until 2011, presumably in order to focus their energy on perfecting an upcoming device that will be powered by Palm’s resource-savvy webOS software.  Sources “in position to know” told  John Paczkowski of the Wall Street Journal’s Digital Daily blog that HP [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Digital drugs: just say no to i-dosing

In an example of just how out of touch some media outlets are with the digital age, parents are being warned about a new form of drug taking that only requires headphones and an audio file. This so-called i-dosing is apparently a new form of digital drug that are “audio files designed to induce drug-like effects.” [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Apple ships iOS updates to fix signal bar formula and WiFi issues on iPhones and iPads

Like it promised two weeks ago, Apple has finally released iOS updates for both the iPhone and iPad. The two firmware updates sport the more accurate signal bars thanks to an updated reception formula and contain fixes for WiFi connectivity issues, respectively. The iOS 4.0.1 for iPhone update (build 8A306) contains minor bug fixes and [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Apple engineer told Steve Jobs iPhone 4 could drop calls

Apple’s iPhone 4 antenna issue drama must be a nightmare for Steve Jobs and his executive team after a history of home runs around previous iPhone models and the iPad. Unfortunately, the iPhone 4 drama continues to expand with the latest report that a senior antenna expert at Apple had told Jobs, during the early [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

No third season for 1 vs. 100

After pestering Microsoft about 1 vs. 100 yesterday, Kotaku has officially gotten word: There will be no Season 3 for 1 Vs. 100. During the game's beta season, more than 114,000 people played the free Xbox Live trivia show simultaneously. But apparently, its popularity wasn't enough to warrant another season. Instead, Microsoft's 1 Vs. 100 team plans on "focusing their skills and applying the technology used to develop 1 Vs. 100 to new projects that will be unveiled in the future."
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

RIAA piracy fight costs millions, recovers thousands

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is well known as an organization that targets individuals it believes has committed an act of piracy, and then demanding they pay thousands of dollars to settle. But the business sense of carrying out such action doesn’t seem to exist if you look at the expenditure and income [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

TRENDnet offers PC and laptop upgrade solution for USB 3.0

USB 3.0 drives may be appearing in ever greater numbers, but if you’ve got a laptop or desktop PC more than a few months old chances are it won’t have USB 3.0 ports. Although some of us may see this as an opportunity to build or buy a new machine, the cost-effective way to take advantage [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Bottle-opening robot t-shirt is just in time for summer

ThinkGeek.com’s latest newsletter dropped last night and they might have just outdone themselves. What has our corporate sibling brewed up this time? It’s a t-shirt with a built-in bottle opener. Yes, the Beerbot shirt has a metal bottle opener attached to the front (so try not to walk into any walls while wearing this) and [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Destination Arcade only available during month of Summer of Arcade promotion

After getting consumers excited about the new Xbox Live Arcade UI, Destination Arcade, Microsoft's Major Nelson released a rather stunning update to his original announcement: "I have learned that the Destination Arcade app will only be available for the duration of the Summer of Arcade promotion which ends August 18th." Destination Arcade will also only be available in the United States.
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Day of Defeat: Source now available on Mac

Day of Defeat: Source has been around since 2005 but Valve just released a major update for it. The hit multiplayer first-person shooter is now available on OS X through Steam. We covered the WWII shooter back in September 2005 noting some of its most important features, including the use of HDR lighting and a ground-breaking audio [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Studio Ghibli

Everyone has their own opinion about how good or bad the iPad is as a device. But when well-known people start making comments publicly we all take notice. Hayao Miyazaki, legendary animator and director at Studio Ghibli, has made his opinion of the iPad very clear, and it’s in no way flattering. Talking with Studio Ghibli-published pamphlet [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

DROID 2 makes appearance in Verizon Wireless catalog

Though Verizon Wireless has made no formal announcements about the DROID 2, it looks like it is in the pipeline according to the Boy Genius Report (BGR). According to the article, the Motorola DROID 2 appears in a summer/fall catalog that was leaked to the website via a Verizon Wireless contact. Luckily, the catalog even [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Playing GoW shirtless is more gratifying, says Old Spice

In one of his many responses to various Twitter inquiries, the guy from Old Spice has confirmed to Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski that he not only does commercials shirtless but chainsaws Locusts shirtless as well.
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Microsoft plugs Facebook and Windows Live into Outlook

Two new add-ins enable you to collect your social feeds from Facebook and Windows Live right inside Outlook, in addition to LinkedIn and MySpace add-ins available since last winter. The Outlook Social Connector, a free Outlook add-in that makes it easy to connect your inbox with social networks, has been udated to version 1.1 yesterday. The new version [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Micro SIM Cutter turns your standard SIM card into a micro-SIM

Some folks who plan on buying an iPad or an iPhone 4 complain that their carrier hasn’t yet made a jump to the future and is still offering standard-sized SIM cards. The problem is, both iPad and iPhone 4 sport a miniature tray that only accepts so-called micro-SIM, a miniaturized version of the standard 25mm [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Quick Review: Verizon Droid X (which goes on sale tomorrow!)

If you are in the market for a new mobile phone and you want one that very well might be the best available today (well, tomorrow) then you might want to look into Verizon’s Droid X. Designed by Motorola, the Droid X is the Android superphone flavor-of-the-week, something that can compete head-on with the Sprint [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

LaCie XtremKey: industrial-strength protection for your USB stick

LaCie has decided to offer a USB stick for anyone who works in a hostile environment where water, heat, and cold are a big problem. The XtremKey is a a typical USB storage device encased in a 2mm metal pipe casing. Water resistant screws and a rubber O-ring coupled with the case make this a very [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Play classic SNES games on your iPad with a Wii Remote

Been getting the urge to play some classic video games and you have an iPad and a Wii Remote lying around? That’s no problem if you don’t mind taking a small risk with your Apple tablet. In the example below, you could be playing Nintendo SNES games in no time if you follow the DIY [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Microsoft: iPhone 4 might be Apple

Microsoft’s COO Kevin Turner has been giving a keynote speech at the Worldwide Partner Conference this week, and has taken the opportunity to have a dig at Apple over the iPhone 4. But this isn’t him stating the smartphone isn’t as good as Windows 7 phones, or that it’s just a blip and Microsoft will [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Powerful 7-inch BlackBerry tablet with 1GHz CPU and Flash due in Q4?

Tablet fans from the BlackBerry camp needn’t worry because a tablet project on Research In Motion’s drawing board should materialize by the end of this year. Sources close to RIM are describing the yet unnamed device as a seven-inch tablet powered by a 1GHz processor. It’ll also feature hardware-accelerated support for Adobe Flash. The story published [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Poly9 exposed as Apple

Is Apple building a Google Maps killer? A new report claims Apple most likely added Canadian mapping service Poly9 to its portfolio, the second mapping-related acquisition for Apple over the past twelve months. The news came via Cyberpresse.ca which reported Wednesday that Apple snapped up the Québec-based web mapping company. Although neither Apple nor Poly9’s president and [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Connecticut firm seeks $3.8 billion in damages from eBay

Ebay and its affiliates PayPal, Bill Me Later, Shopping.com and StubHub have been sued by Connecticut based XPRT Ventures over violations of six patents. The patents include technologies used by payment systems such as PayPal. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, seeks $3.8 billion in monetary damages in addition to punitive and other damages based off of the [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Scott Forstall

Who the heck is Scott Forstall, you ask? He is the brains behind Mac OS X and the head honcho responsible for leading the development of iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system. This executive  has apparently created a Twitter profile, seemingly in spite of Apple’s rigorous anti-social (networking) policies. Cult of Mac first spotted Forstall’s profile on [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

Web publishing firm Squarespace raises $38.5 million

Publishing platform Squarespace has received a hefty investment of $35.8 million in a funding round led by Accel Partners and Index Ventures. Squarespace offer fully hosted web publishing services for bloggers and businesses, helping them build professional quality websites without requiring in-depth web development skills. Notable customers include designer Marc Ecko and ABC News Radio. Started in [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-15 more

China pushing for real name use on the Internet

The Chinese government is already renowned for the censorship it continues to push regarding any and all information that flows through the country. That includes attempting to control the Internet, and no target is too big as Google found out earlier this year. Many will think that China has already gone too far with its attempt [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-14 more

ESRB accidentally reveals email addresses of Real ID complaintants

In an ironic twist of fate, the ESRB has accidentally revealed the entire list of email addresses belonging to people who sent complaints concerning Blizzard's brief Real ID implementation. Originally a massive community communication system, Real ID allows players to communicate across various games and forums. However, recently, Blizzard announced that Starcraft II and WoW forum users would also have to display their Real ID names. In other words, users would have to show their real names rather than their account IDs. The system was soon retracted, but not before nearly 1,000 users appealed the issue to the ESA's rating group.
Publication date: 2010-07-14 more

Ark Hippo case adds some cushion to your iPhone

When you are at home the iPhone’s slim form-factor is isn’t the advantage that it is when you are out and about. The phone is hard to use hands-free (between your head and shoulder) and it doesn’t balance in an angled position that’s right for watching a video or gaming without holding it. With the [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-14 more

Microsoft relents: Windows XP downgrades now available until 2020

Microsoft has surprised everyone by extending the option to downgrade from Windows 7 to Windows XP until 2020. Originally Windows XP downgrades from Microsoft’s latest operating system were going to be cut off in April this year, but that was later extended to April 2011. This latest decision is a major shift away from that. Business users [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Apple and AT&T to face the music over monopoly iPhone practices

Add another litigation to the list of class action lawsuits looming over Apple and its exclusive US carrier partner AT&T. ZDNet reported Monday that sales practices by the two firms will be challenged in court because a federal judge in California has greenlighted several class action lawsuits filed against Apple and AT&T since 2007. Those [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Students get Amazon Prime free for a year

If you are a student with a lot of textbooks to buy, then Amazon’s got you covered. Not only can you get discounted prices as usual, but the e-tailer’s two-day shipping service is now free for a year. Amazon is combining free, fast shipping with a chance to bombard students with promotional offers. Sign up to [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Review: Magellan Toughcase iPhone case

One of the best things about today’s smartphones is how good they are getting at consolidating all the gadgets we tend to carry around with us. A smartphone is also a camera, watch, a book, and a handheld GPS. The problem is that while while phones can do all of these they tend to excel [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Facebook faces another lawsuit from man claiming 84% ownership of company

Along comes a successful business and it’s amazing how many people pop-up out of the woodwork to try to get a piece of the pie. That must be how Facebook founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg feels after receiving news of yet another lawsuit from someone who claims to have a stake in the website [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Nemoptic demo fast refresh, video-capable, e-paper display

While most people will know of companies like E-Ink and Pixel Qi, they are not the only players in the low-power and e-paper display markets. Nemoptic is a French company producing its own e-paper technology. Until now it has focused on producing very small and cheap displays to be used instead of paper labels in stores, [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Pakistan hacker forum Pakbugs busted

A prominent Pakistan-based cybercrime forum known as Pakbugs has been shut down after the arrest of 5 suspects. Several other subjects are still wanted by the Pakistanti authorities, including the alleged founder of Pakbugs, Jawad Eshan (a.k.a. ZombiE_Ksa), who is believed to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Pakbugs site was a popular forum for those involved [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

What antenna issue? Apple deletes Consumer Reports forum topics

Consumer Reports’ revised iPhone 4 advisory published Monday seems to have gotten Apple extremely agitated. The company is in visible panic mode, deleting every thread on its support forums that references that report. TUAW and numerous other publications have noticed that the entire threads have disappeared from Apple’s support forums literally overnight. Apple has been known to [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

OCZ introduce 2133MHz 4GB DDR3 RAM modules

OCZ Technology has this today unveiled the world’s fastest 4GB DDR3 memory modules clocked at a frequency of 2133MHz and voltage of 1.65V. The new 4GB modules are being made available across three of OCZ’s four memory lines including Platinum, Reaper HPC and Flex EX. Depending on whether you want value, performance, or overclocking memory OCZ [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Understanding Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports’ revised iPhone 4 advisory is bound to make all of the nightly newscasts as Apple staffers are scrambling to delete user comments referencing the report. How could a well-respected product evaluation agency advise against buying Apple’s baby and at the same time rate iPhone 4 as the best smartphone on the planet? You could [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Etrian Odyssey III: Live and die by your map-making

Here in the US we still have a few months before Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City’s September 21st release date, but fans of the series are already getting excited. And why not? This should be an interesting refresh of Atlus’ dungeon crawler. As pointed out in the image above Drowned City will not support automatic [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Awesome Mario and Luigi papercraft models

This is some of the best Super Smash Bros. papercraft I have ever seen. The Mario model stands 40cm tall, while Luigi is slightly taller at 50cm. They are both the creation of Dan Hilse a.k.a TouchFuzzyGetDizzy on deviantArt with the feedback from the community there being overwhelmingly positive. Dan used models designed by Ignatius on [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

BMW and MINI vehicles to support iOS 4 iPod Out

Last week, BMW announced that they would begin to support a feature within iOS 4, Apple’s new operating system for iPods and iPhones, called iPod Out. The technology allows for the infotainment systems within BMW Group vehicles to display and control the music playback feature in iPhone and iPod touch devices. Access to custom playlists [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Lenovo giving up on the ThinkPad X301, replacing with T series?

Trading Markets just posted what could be some major news for ThinkPad users. The site claims that Lenovo is in the process of discontinuing its flagship ThinkPad, the X300 series, and replacing it with the T410s. While the X300 never has been a big seller for Lenovo is was a hugely important release for the [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

iPhone 4 is officially unlocked!

iPhone 4 hasn’t proved an impossible nut to crack after all. Less than a month after it went on sale, Apple’s new smartphone has been unlocked by the iPhoneDevTeam, the same people that brought you the “ultrasn0w” tool for older iPhone models. Redmond Pie pointed to a recent tweet by iPhoneDevTeam’s MuscleNerd who tweeted about [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Walmart Kinect bundles offers peripheral, launch title and $30 gift certificate

If you don't mind spending the presumed $150 price point on a hands-free motion controller, Walmart has a tasty deal just for you. For $199.99, shoppers who pre-order the Microsoft Kinect will also receive a Kinect launch title in addition to a $30 Walmart eGift card. Launch titles include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One, Dance Central, Joy Ride, Kinectimals, Kinect Sports and Kinect Adventures.
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Facebook and UK

Back in March, the BBC reported that Facebook had turned down a request to install a “panic button” on its main pages at the request of the UK’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection center (CEOP). The idea behind the button was that it could be used to report suspected pedophiles, but Facebook stated it would [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Microsoft offers up Windows Azure appliance, eBay giving it a try

Microsoft announced on Monday, during their Worldwide Partner Conference, the introduction of their Windows Azure platform appliance. Windows Azure is a cloud services operating system, launched in January, that has previously been offered as a hosted solution by Microsoft. The appliance brings much of the same abilities that Microsoft offers through their cloud service to [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-13 more

Google releases Open Spot, a crowdsourced parking spot app for Android

Google released Open Spot this past Friday, an experimental free Android app that enables drivers to locate and share free parking spots in their vicinity. It’s built on Google App Engine and relies on crowdsourced data. In other words, Open Spot users are expected to mark free parking spots rather than Google. Don’t worry, parking data is [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Google Maps gets stunning isometric view

Is Google Maps’ flat imagery in Satellite mode ticking you off? Ever wanted to examine a location from a different angle? Don’t get me wrong, I like Google Maps but its lack of isometric perspective like that in Bing Maps has been a major drawback for me. Not anymore, as Google releases awesome 45-degree aerial [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Google release App Inventor for Android

If you own a smartphone chances are it’s got a growing number of apps on it either paid-for or free. Using apps is great, but producing them has a number of barriers to overcome. On iPhone there’s a $100 developer license, learning to program in Objective-C or using one of a handful of packages that [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

New houses in Japan now come with a rechargeable battery

It was going to happen sooner rather than later, and Japan looks to be first to try moving away from relying solely on power off the grid. New houses being built and sold by the Daiwa House Industry Co. Ltd., called Sma x Eco houses, will be equipped with a rechargeable battery and photovoltaic (PV) [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Spotify Premium now available for Linux

Until now Spotify, the streaming music service, has only been available to Windows and Mac users. But today Spotify is announcing support for Linux. Linux support has been added based on community feedback, but also through Spotify developers taking the time to push it out during hack days and their spare time after normal working hours. [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Mimo release 10.1

Last year Mimo Monitors impressed us with the launch of a 7″ display powered by a USB cable. It made for a very lightweight, and highly portable second display to use with a laptop. A year later and Mimo is improving on the formula with a new 10.1″ screen. The iMo Mini-Monster Touch 10.1″ display still [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Pegatron Technologies retrieves its lost MacBook orders, sources claim

Pegatron Technologies may have landed manufacturing orders for desktop Macs from Apple, Taiwanese trade publication Digitimes reported. If true, the deal should be viewed as a major win for Pegatron in the light of a revenue drop reported for their second quarter due to declining orders from Asustek. Pegatron assembled 1.5-1.6 million motherboards and desktops [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Pre-order Sonic Colors, get a go-faster Sonic hat

If you’re a big fan of Sonic games, and live in the U.S., then it might be worth pre-ordering the forthcoming Sonic Colors from GameStop. The new game will be available on both Wii and DS, but if you pre-order either there’s a blue Sonic hat up for grabs. We suspect wearing it will make your [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Review: Crackdown 2 for Xbox 360

If you are the type of person who loves Grand Theft Auto simply because it allows you to run around a large, open world, explore, find collectables, blow things up, and create general mayhem then Crackdown 2 is the game for you. Playing as a super cop that evolves over the course of the game [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Ballmer says Win 7 tablets on on the way, landing this year

In his Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference keynote, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made something clear: Windows 7 tablets would be arriving this year. Microsoft is “hardcore” into tablet computing and will be competing in this space before the year is out (and presumably before Apple has completely taken over with its iPad). Current partners for the Win 7 tablet [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Apple recalls faulty 2008 Time Capsules

If your Time Capsule died on you, consider yourself lucky – Apple will definitely replace the faulty wireless appliance free of charge, even if you’ve already paid for a repair or replacement. According to an updated knowledge base document published on Apple’s site, the affected Time Capsules they’re recalling include the units sold between February [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Google courts game developer Zynga with $100 million investment

Google is looking to get into gaming. Well, at least social gaming according to a report by GigaOM. The article states that Google has been courting game developer Zynga which has resulted in a $100 million investment, or more, by Google into the company. You may not recognize the name Zynga, but you probably are [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Consumer Reports changes mind, slams iPhone 4

Consumer Reports said Monday it cannot recommend Apple’s iPhone 4 due to the widely reported antenna issue stemming from the phone’s faulty design. It’s a startling change from their earlier report which concluded there was no reason not to buy the handset in regard to the antenna gripes. Why did the organization change its stance? According [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Google countering iAds with interactive video adverts on the web

Seeing Apple’s iAds popping up in iOS apps, Google reckoned it should take a more aggressive stance in order to protect its not-so-dominant share of display adverts on the web. According to The Wall Street Journal, the search firm is hailing new interactive video adverts that pair rich media with interactive features. Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Secure your BlackBerry with BlackBerry Protect

Research In Motion (RIM), maker of BlackBerry handhelds and software, has kicked off the week with the introduction of a new consumer security application. The security app, called BlackBerry Protect helps users to keep their handheld data backed up and secure while also providing assistance with securing a BlackBerry handheld if its lost or stolen. Features [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

RIM offers more video of BlackBerry 6

Research In Motion (RIM), is offering yet another sneak peek to their upcoming BlackBerry 6 operating system which is expected to be launched by the end of the summer. RIM offered their first look at BlackBerry 6 during the WES 2010 show earlier this year. Now it seems that RIM is looking to pull back [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

PopCap teases Plants vs Zombies sequel

Plants vs. Zombies 2 may be on the way to the iPhone. PopCap sent an email this morning, inviting journalists to an event in San Francisco on August 2. The teaser image, pictured to the right, features a zombie hand from the popular game for the iPhone.
Publication date: 2010-07-12 more

Blizzard listens to gamers, Battle.net forums won

Ealrier this week Blizzard caused a bit of a storm with gamers by announcing the Battle.net forums would require the use of real names. Blizzard explained the introduction of real names was to “contribute to a more positive forum environment, promote constructive conversations.” No anonymity was seen as a way of stopping flame wars and [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-10 more

Conan the Barbarian shows off his singing ability

When you think of movie icon Conan the Barbarian as portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, several words come to mind like; buff, brutal, savage, thief, and great communicator. Okay – maybe Arnold’s version of the powerful Cimmerian isn’t well known for his speaking ability, but surprisingly although Conan is sometimes hard to understand when he speaks, [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-10 more

New telescopic eye implant gets FDA approval

This is not a story about how people will soon be able to purchase a device that will give them vision like Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man. What it is, however, is an amazing new device that will let senior citizens suffering from an eye disease help them see more of the world [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-10 more

New road surface helps cut pollution, cleans itself

While we look to electric cars, renewable energy, and a general move away from using the earth’s raw materials to provide power, some researchers are looking into how we can cut pollution right now, without waiting for new tech to become mainstream. One such piece of research, carried out at the Eindehoven University of Technology, has [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-09 more

Gmail now supports rich text signatures

Users have asked for it and Google has finally delivered. Gmail now supports rich text signatures. This means users will no longer be forced to use boring plain text to end their emails. Now signatures can be different colors and font sizes and can even include images or links. To set your rich text signature you [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-09 more

Yoda records his voice for TomTom Navigation Devices

Back in May, TomTom announced that some classic Star Wars characters would be lending their voices as a purchasable downloads for their navigation devices. First available was none other than the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, Darth Vader. And if you happened to catch the video of Darth Vader recording his voice for TomTom, you probably remember [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-09 more

Facebook to close virtual gift shop

If you want to buy a totally useless virtual puppy on Facebook, you’d better do it quick. Facebook has announced that it will close its Gift Shop – the online store that allows people to buy virtual goods to send to friends – on August 1st. Users who have received gifts purchased in the store will [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-09 more

YouTube Pro: Google

Google joked in a blog post Friday that it was releasing YouTube Pro, a new subscription offering designed specifically for Warren Buffett. It comes with an appropriate $100 million a year price tag. The “news” came after the American billionaire investor confessed during a Huffington Post/Yahoo! News interview at the Allen & Company conference in Sun [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-09 more

Watchdog group claims Google Wi-Spy has national security implications

The Consumer Watchdog organization has put a spotlight on Google for its Wi-Spy activities. Google initially received some heat after it was discovered that some of the company’s Street View cars not only captured pictures of streets, but also scanned and retained information from open wireless networks in the area. Now it has been pointed [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-09 more

YouTube now supports 4K video

Google has announced during VidCon 2010 that YouTube now supports video shot in 4096 x 3072, also known as 4K. 4K is huge. Google states that the perfect screen for 4K video is 25 feet, and that IMAX uses two 2K projectors as a comparison. On YouTube, 4K video will be classed as “Original” on the [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-09 more

A miniature Apple display leaks and gives birth to a silly iWatch rumor

The Taiwanese site Apple.pro has leaked a series of images of a tiny display that only measures 3×3 centimeters. The branding suggests it could be something of Apple origin or at least, as images show, what appears to be a display with the word “Apple” printed on the back of the connection cable. The publication wasn’t [...]
Publication date: 2010-07-09 more