iPhone 4 FaceTime spurs video sex chat services
Apple may be attempting to keep its devices squeaky clean by banning any kind of sexual content in the App Store, but the FaceTime feature on iPhone 4 is about to start a whole new adult market on the device.
The new video chat feature is perfect for chatting with friends and family while seeing their [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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eMachines introduce Mini-e Home Entertainment Center
eMachines are attempting to shake up the design of nettops with the introduction of the Mini-e Home Entertainment Center.
Positioned on a stand so as to look like a diamond, the Mini-e certainly catches the eye while being a typically very small form factor. It measures just 7.1 x 1.2 x 7.1 inches and weighs 9 [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Verizon: We rule the air and don
Verizon’s top brass reportedly met with employees on Saturday in order to fill them in on the new initiatives, including a massive advertising campaign and the upcoming Droid 2 launch. They also definitely decided not to carry Apple’s iPhone.
The news arrived on the heels of the Droid X introduction last week, the iPhone 4 launch, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Google puts the Android kill switch into effect, but why?
Google has exercised its discretionary right to disable misbehaving Android apps by remotely zapping two programs off users’ devices, although they were not used maliciously and their developer voluntarily removed them from Android Market.
The move came amid the concerns of a growing number of spyware and malware on Android Market. Any app that violates its [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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The Solar Camera Strap
Here’s a great idea for powering your digital camera using the power of the sun. Designer Weng Jie has come up with what he calls the Solar Camera Strap. As the name implies, what makes this camera strap different is the introduction of solar panels across the width of the strap. In addition to the [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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T-Mobile getting Charm from Motorola
T-Mobile is getting some “Charm” and I don’t mean an improvement to their customer service. Engadget has received a tip which includes images of training materials which gives proof that T-Mobile is getting the Motorola Charm. Based on the information from the photos, the smartphone will include Android 2.1 and enhancements to Motorblur, Motorola’s social [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Google rumored to have Facebook killer in works
Kevin Rose, founder of Digg.com, dropped a rumor bomb that has spread to a number of media sites. The rumor is that Google is ramping up to compete with Facebook through a platform called Google Me. Rose tweeted the following on Saturday:
Ok, umm, huge rumor: Google to launch facebook competitor very soon “Google Me”, very [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Sharp develops world
Sharp has this week unveiled the world’s smallest, most compact digital TV tuner yet. Although on it’s own that might not be ground breaking news, it does offer up a couple of benefits consumers will appreciate.
The most obvious of these benefits is the small size allowing for thinner TVs. A digital tuner is now an [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Apple: What antenna gripes? We sold 1.7 million iPhone 4s
Apple announced sales of 1.7 million iPhone 4 units which, according to the official statement, files in Apple’s book as the most successful product launch in its history. Those units have been sold between the June 24 launch through Saturday, June 26, Apple confirmed. The gadget maker thought the achievement deserved a press release and the [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Red Faction downloadable prequel will hit XBLA and PSN months before Armageddon
A downloadable prequel to the upcoming Red Faction: Armageddon will hit Xbox Live Arcade and PSN, THQ VP Danny Bilson told CVG.
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Software fix for the iPhone
The widely reported signal loss occurring when you hold an iPhone 4 in a certain way – dubbed the Death Grip – could be fixed with a firmware update. The problem is said to stem from the iOS 4 tune-ups that enable the phone to utilize the least congested network band, regardless of the actual signal strength.
Wall [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Fan-made King
The Silver Lining, a fan-made sequel of the old adventures series King's Quest, will finally be available for free on July 10, thanks to a non-commercial license from Activision.
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Mozilla fixes Flash crashes with Firefox 3.6.6
Responding to frequent Flash plugin crashes reported across the web, Mozilla updated its Firefox browser ahead of schedule, merely a week after it posted Firefox 3.6.4. Mozilla is urging all users to update to Firefox 3.6.6 in order to fix performance slowdowns and problems with the most recent Adobe Flash plugin version 10.1.63.54, installed as [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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New Crysis 2 trailer builds on impressive E3 showing
The Crysis 2 trailer shown off during E3 was nothing short of impressive. A gritty, rundown New York makes for a nice change to the first game, and the game engine has clearly improved leaps and bounds. This follow-up trailer attempts to build on that, but at the very least reinforces the fact this game [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Verizon says you can
Verizon’s unveiling of the Droid X last Wednesday would have gone down as a routine media event had it not been for an unusual hiccup by their PR staff. When a Silicon Alley Insider journalist attending the press conference pulled out his iPhone 4 for a size comparison with the Droid X, an overzealous PR lady [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Amazon adds Kindle books with audio and video to the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
Amazon has added rich media to several Kindle books readable on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad using its free app. So far, only select Kindle books found on a dedicated page on Amazon’s site have received a multimedia makeover that includes audio and video goodies.
Kindle books with audio and video include Rick Steves’ London [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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iPhone 4 meets end via blender, sniper fire, and microwave
With the introduction of a new iPhone you knew it was only a matter of time before Blendtec would get its hands on it. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, Blendtec, a manufacturer of blending machines, produces a series of videos on YouTube called, “Will it blend?”
In addition to blending an iPhone 3G [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-28
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Russian President visits Apple and tweets about iPhone 4 before meeting with Obama
It doesn’t get any crazier than this. The Russian leader visits Apple and tweets an image of Steve Jobs giving him a private iPhone 4 demo and then goes on to meet with Barack Obama in Washington.
According to media reports, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin’s former Chief of Presidential Staff and now himself the Russian President, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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iPhone 4 has major antenna flaw, Apple is in denial
With the launch of the iPhone 4 yesterday I don’t think anyone expected it to fail. The queues outside Apple stores and the 600,000 pre-orders demonstrated how much people wanted this new handset. But Apple looks to have shipped the device with a major problem–holding the iPhone 4, as you would normally hold any cellphone, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Canadian fan invades Steve Jobs
What would you do if you spotted Steve Jobs at the Apple campus, also known as the Mothership? Resisting the urge to ask Apple’s charismatic head honcho for a photo-op, like any other self-respecting fan would do, a stoked Canadian did what only the most obsessed die-hards would do.
He approached the CEO of Apple from [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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VidMe attempts to be YouTube with strong privacy controls
When a video is uploaded to a service like YouTube there is a way to restrict access to a few people, but the main aim of the site is for video to be shared. Therefore privacy controls are quite basic. The team behind VidMe has realized this and decided to create an alternative video sharing [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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HP buys Melodeo for $30-$35 million
HP has pulled out its checkbook again to buy mobile music streaming company Melodeo for $30 to $35 million. Melodeo’s flagship service, nuTsie, offers what it calls “personalized” Internet radio since the music it offers is served up in terms of playlists.
Subscribers can import their iTunes library’s playlists into the service to have those same [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Guitarist Brian May sparks Guitar Hero: Queen rumor
According to rumors, the classic rock band Queen may soon join the ranks of Metallica, Van Halen and Aerosmith with Guitar Hero: Queen. Guitarist Brian May revealed the news during an interview with Swedish website DN.se earlier this week. While the interview mainly focused on the arrival of the Queen musical "We Will Rock You" in Sweden this fall, Brian May also mentioned that his band will be launching a new version of Guitar Hero next year. After letting the rumor slip, he then said he couldn't reveal more information at the time as it was "a secret."
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Java 4-ever trailer starring Scala Johansson and William Windows
(There is one short scene in this video that is NSFW)
JavaZone is a conference held in Scandinavia for developers to meet up, listen to presentations, and interact with the development community. But the group behind JavaZone have also proved themselves to be pretty good filmmakers, or at least trailer makers.
The trailer you see above is [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Adult sites to get .xxx domain
ICANN, the organization that oversees the administration of the Internet’s domain name system, has approved the hotly-debated .xxx top level domain for adult sites.
ICANN’s board of directors approved the creation of the .xxx domain when the organization met on Friday in Brussels. The move comes ten years after the domain was first proposed, making the [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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iPhone 4, iOS 4, and everything in between
Phew, what a week! Even though Apple put its marketing machinery into overdrive, iPhone 4 and iOS 4 launches will go down in history as a mixed bag of the behind-the-curtain social engineering and innovative PR spoiled with early teething problems and corporate fine print. Here’s our selection of the finest and ugliest moments, spiced up [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Intel to release Android x86 for netbooks this summer
For the moment, Android is popular on smartphones running ARM-based chips. A few tablets are starting to appear with Android as an OS, but expect that to grow significantly now due to the work of Intel.
The chip-giant has been working to port Android so that it runs with x86 processors. What that means is we [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Steam Perils of Summer Sale now on
Valve has decided to kick off a massive game sale on Steam. It’s themed around the perils of summer with the introduction stating:
Each year millions of people are lured outdoors by the long, sun-drenched days of summer. With so many people spending the bulk of their time outside, it dramatically raises their risk of getting [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Glowing Tron controllers for the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360
Classic Tron fans have been waiting patiently for the sequel to the 1982 film starring Jeff Bridges, who is a programmer named Kevin Flynn that gets transported inside the world of a computer. This December, the wait will be over as we return to the digital frontier in order to rescue Flynn in the film [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Cybersecurity bill clears Senate committee and heads to the floor
Earlier this month, we reported that Joe Lieberman, an independent senator from Connecticut, was pushing a bill which would define emergency cyber powers for the President of the United States including the ability to shut down parts of the Internet in the event of a national emergency such as a massive, coordinated cyber attack. An [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Future Nokia N-series phones to run MeeGo
Nokia has decided that future phones in its N-series will no longer use the Symbian operating system. Instead, the mobile phone manufacturer is moving to use the Linux OS MeeGo.
MeeGo is the result of combining Nokia’s Maemo and Intel’s Moblin platforms to create one new operating system capable of being deployed to multiple devices. Although [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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When it
Apple is playing down the antenna issue on iPhone 4, insisting that any cellphone exhibits reception problems when held wrong. Meanwhile, reviewers have confirmed that iPhone 4 in fact drops fewer calls, despite the antenna issue.
Apple praised iPhone 4 as the first handset to integrate the antennas (UMTS, GSM, GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth) into its [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Kinect now available for preview at Microsoft stores
Microsoft's Twitter revealed Thursday that the public can now visit Microsoft stores to try out its new hands-free motion controller, Kinect. While the Twitter account states that Microsoft stores "nationwide" will carry the Kinect demo, there happen to only be four such stores in the entire country. So, if you're lucky enough to live near Scottsdale, Arizona, southern California, or Lone Tree, Colorado, feel free to head down to your nearest Microsoft store, try out the new product, and tell us what you think. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until the product ships this November. The Twitter account also mentions that the stores will be previewing Kinectimals this weekend.
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Test Facetime for iPhone 4 through toll free number
So you got your iPhone 4. Congratulations! Now you are probably wanting to use one of the coolest apps of the phone called Facetime. Facetime drives the new video conferencing that’s enabled through the latest generation of the iPhone. Of course, what do you do if you don’t have any friends with an iPhone 4? [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Original Star Trek video parties with Ke$ha
Being a child of the 70’s I grew up watching the original Star Trek series, so naturally I think that Star Trek series stands out as the best. You can have your Star Trek TNG, Deep Space 9, Voyager, and don’t even get me started on what was wrong with Star Trek Enterprise. Little did [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Halo: Reach to feature increased difficulty for co-op, space flight and gender choice
Bungie has a few new changes in store for its final Halo title, Halo: Reach, set to release this September. According to Kotaku's Stephen Totilo, who recently got a hands-on preview of the upcoming game, Halo: Reach will have a wider range of difficulty. For Halo 3 and last year's Halo 3: ODST, enemies carried the same level of difficulty for one player as it did for four. In other words, players who faced the Covenant on Normal difficulty by themselves would take on the exact same type of Covenant if they chose to play four player co-op instead. However in Reach, enemies will toughen when facing a greater number of players, exhibiting more damage resistance and more intelligence, Bungie's Brian Jarrard explained to Kotaku.
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Nike lets you send personal message to World Cup players
You can make your mark on the World Cup through a new Nike marketing initiative announced this week. Nike Football has installed the largest interactive LED installation in Africa on the 30 story, 128 meter-high Life Center building in Johannesburg. The display is operational between 6pm and 6am daily, supports 12 languages including Chinese, English, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-26
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Tips for keeping your iPhone 4 from shattering and scratching
What, you thought iPhone 4 was indestructible just because its stainless steel alloy is sandwiched between two pieces of chemically strengthened alkali-aluminosilicate thin sheet glass thirty times harder than plastic?
As Apple launches iPhone 4 simultaneously in the US, UK, Japan, Germany, and Italy, customers are advised to take extra care to keep their shiny purchase [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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DC Comics releases iPad app for digital comic viewing
There are some things that just work on a tablet device, and reading comics seems to be one of them. Marvel has already proved that with its own app:
DC Comics has now decided to get on iPad too, and the company has used ComiXology, as did Marvel, to create the app. If you liked Marvel’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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McAfee offers online protection for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
With the invention of Internet-capable devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, there is a need to provide the same level of web content filtering and online protection offered to PC users. Especially as many of these devices are used by children and teenagers.
McAfee originally answered this need for PC users through the introduction of [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Flickr revamps site with bigger images, geo-location maps, keyboard shortcuts and more
The big daddy of all web 2.0 photo sites, Flickr, has just rolled out a big and beautiful revamp that re-envisions existing photo pages to feature larger images, maps and a much cleaner and more intuitive interface.
Here’s what’s changed. For one, the primary image is now much larger, with the longest edge of the image [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Facebook founder confident of reaching 1 billion users
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook, is confident that the social network will eventually reach the 1 billion user mark.
Although Zuckerberg admits there is no chance of hitting 1 billion users this year, he believes that the figure is attainable if Facebook is able to achieve market dominance in four key countries: China, Russia, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Vortex Cannon fires ring of air at 200MPH
All geeks love the Stephen Spielberg film Minority Report, mostly for its sexy but plausible imagining of future technology like holographic multitouch displays. Another bit of tech on display in the Philip K. Dick adaptation was a vortex cannon, which Tom Cruise deploys against some sci-fi precog perbs merely by twirling it around. The cannon [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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420 copies of Windows 7 are sold every minute
25,200 copies an hour, 420 copies a minute, or 7 copies every second. That’s how fast Windows 7 is flying off the shelves. In total Microsoft has managed to sell 150 million copies of Windows 7 since its October launch last year.
Microsoft can now boast that Windows 7 is the fastest selling operating system in [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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iPhone 4 hits stores, but can it keep the buzz alive?
Folks renting their tents, zombies camping out on streets for hours, professional line sitters giving interviews to big media, Steve Wozniak hanging out with fans… It could only mean one thing - Apple is launching an exciting new product.
As promised, Apple began selling iPhone 4 on Thursday at 9 a.m.. For the first time ever, the [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Widely reported iPhone 4 display yellowing should go away after a day or two, says source
The early reports coming in from new iPhone 4 owners have prevalently mentioned a problem with yellowing Retina Displays.
The problem appears to be bad. Earlier today, in a reader poll, Engadget found that over 8,000 of their readers had noticed yellow banding or blotching on their new iPhone 4s. That was 38% of their polled [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Virgin Mobile to offer MiFi router next week
Virgin Mobile plans to offer a Novatel MiFi router next week. Gearlog uncovered plans for the router after it was revealed during a Best Buy summer preview event. If the MiFi router looks a bit familiar, it should, as it’s similar to the models offered by Verizon Wireless and Sprint (which isn’t surprising since Virgin [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Twitter updates Facebook & LinkedIn apps, letting you follow all your contacts with one click
Twitter has just announced their intention to launch some new tools that will make it easy to add your Facebook friends and your LinkedIn connections to the list of people you follow in your timeline… that is, if Facebook will let them.
Theoretically, the way it works is this: if your friends from Facebook or LinkedIn [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Intel: GPUs are only 14x faster than CPUs, not 100x
You might not be aware of it, but there’s a war going on between traditional CPU manufacturers like Intel and GPU makers like NVIDIA, with GPUs increasingly taking over more and more processes on a PC or laptop traditionally delegated to the CPU.
The war probably starts back when NVIDIA first showed off CUDA, turning [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Mercedes brings Kleer wireless audio to E- and S-Class autos
Kleer has been boasting about their patented technology for awhile now, promising that they
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Level 5 and Studio Ghibli release first Ni no Kuni gameplay trailer
Developer Level 5 already has a reputation for producing some of the best RPGs in the world. You only have to mention the name Dragon Quest to turn the heads of millions of fans. And if you thought a new game from Level 5 could not be bettered by outside influence, you’d be wrong. The [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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You
If you’re wiring your house for data in this day and age, you’re probably wiring it up for CAT5 or CAT6, but the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) has an alternative: they want you to network your home using existing coaxial cable in the 1GHz band.
They’re already doing fine work, selling boxes that allow [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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YouTube adds Vuvuzela option to all videos
If you’re watching the World Cup this year, whether you realize it or not, you know what a Vuvuzela is… at least by its loud, blaring tuneless droning.
An inane audio irritant that drowns out the sound of cheers and singing, the Vuvuzela is a plastic trumpet that, when tooted by several thousand World Cup goers, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Swype courting Apple for inclusion in iOS?
Here at Geek, we’ve long been interested in Swype, a fascinating virtual input alternative to hunt-and-pecking on touchscreen smartphones invented by Cliff Kushler, the inventor of the T9 predictive input method.
Here’s how Swype works. Eschewing the idea of individually tapping on each and every letter in a word, Swype instead embraces the concept of swiping, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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SD Association announces new symbols for high-speed devices capable of real-time video recording
Although most of us don’t think too carefully about the secure digital cards we slot into our netbooks and our cameras, there’s actually a lot more going on with them than just their physical storage and the diminutive size. Speed matters: an SD card meant primarily for reading documents or recording photos is not going [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Android project allows slot cars to be controlled via phone
Old school entertainment – meet the new school. Back in the day, kids (like yours truly) didn’t have super sweet gaming consoles and smartphones like we have today. So one method of entertainment for children back then was to race electric slot cars – most of the time launching them across the room with the trigger-style [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Pac-Man creator shows off graph paper with original game design
Since it’s still the world’s most well-known video game, we know a lot about the origins and development of Pac-Man.
We know that Namco employee T
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Nexus One users start seeing Android 2.2 over-the-air updates
Back in May, we reported that Android 2.2 (Froyo) became official and we even provided a list of handsets which were expected to receive the latest Android OS as an update. Those phones included:
Motorola Droid
Google Nexus One
Droid Incredible
HTC Desire
HTC Evo 4G
myTouch Slide
The Android 2.2 party really ramped up this week with the introduction of Droid [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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New Wii system update kills homebrew channels
No company is particularly happy about piracy of their software, and that is doubly true when it comes to consoles. Nintendo, in particular, have had a problem this generation with piracy thanks to the widespread availability of flash cards for the DS and the ease of hacking the Nintendo Wii to run Homebrew.
In a new [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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Netflix and Amazon disagree on the elimination of Saturday mail deliveries
Yesterday, the subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security held a hearing around the future of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) with one of the key topics being the elimination of Saturday deliveries to decrease costs. A number of witnesses appeared to speak on the issue including Paul Misener, Vice [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-25
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SanDisk WORM SD card stores data for up to 100 years
SanDisk is offering the ultimate mobile solution to store and protect images as well as data. The 1GB SanDisk SD “write once read many” (WORM) cards have two major differences compared to a normal SD card. First, once data is written it is unalterable and secure. Second, any images or data written to the card [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-24
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Google staff do community service
Working for Google isn’t all about free food and stock options. Each year, a growing number of staff at Google are taking time out from their cubicles and giving something back to their communities.
The ‘GoogleServe’ idea is a simple one; participating Google staff (a.k.a ‘Googlers’) get time off from their day jobs to participate in [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-24
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E3: Hands-on preview of Super Scribblenauts
When 5th Cell's Scribblenauts launched last September, gamers were ecstatic. We grabbed our copies of the game, giddily typed
Publication date: 2010-06-24
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Linux.com T-Shirt Design Contest has a winner
Back in March The Linux Foundation launched a new store for Linux enthusiasts to buy t-shirts, mugs, hats, stickers etc., carrying designs to support the Linux cause. At the same time a promotion was started called the Linux.com T-Shirt Design Contest. The contest drew over 100 submissions which were whittled down to 6 finalists, and [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-24
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Borders enters e-reader price war with Kobo $20 gift card offer
Earlier this week the e-reader price war began. Barnes & Noble launched the first salvo by announcing it was dropping its traditional Nook model from $259 to $199 in addition to offering a Wi-Fi only model for just $149. Amazon quickly responded the same day by dropping the standard Kindle model from $259 to just [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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iPhone 4 is slower than iPad, benchmarks indicate
Several benchmarks put iPhone 4 in almost the same league as its bigger brother iPad. While the fourth-generation iPhone emerged 31 percent faster in typical processing tasks and CPU computations over the iPhone 3GS, it came in slightly behind iPad.
This is a brief summary of the benchmarks conducted directly on the devices using the $5 [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Gateway
Gateway
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Free Just Cause 2 DLC offers players gun-toting Tuk Tuk
The Tuk Tuk is a three-wheeled car seen in Asian countries and open-world video games where bumbling around 20mph is never quite ideal. Bumbling around 20mph with a giant cannon mounted on top, however, is quite another matter.
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Motion Computing offers up the J3500 rugged tablet PC
Motion Computing has announced the launch of their latest rugged tablet PC. The J3500 Tablet PC comes with a 12.1″ LED backlit widescreen display made using Gorilla glass coupled with an anti-smear coating for visibility. Touchscreen input is catered for through a capacitive dual touch system allowing for digitizer or touch input as well as [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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EA sale reduces 17 iPhone games to $0.99 for the rest of today
EA is having a sale on its iPhone games with the price of each being dropped to just $0.99. The full list of games in the offer includes:
COMMAND & CONQUER RED ALERT (was $6.99)
FIFA 10 (was $4.99)
MADDEN NFL 10 (was $6.99)
Need for Speed Shift (was $6.99)
Need For Speed Undercover (was $4.99)
SimCity (was $2.99)
Dragon
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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26% of iPhones break within two years
With most mobile networks pushing us into having 24 month contracts you’d expect the handset that comes with such a contract to last the full two years. If that phone happens to be an iPhone there’s a good chance it won’t.
SquareTrade Inc. which provides extended warranties for iPhone, has stated that the failure rate of [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Halo: Reach prequel to become graphic novel
Master Chief's indoctrination into the Spartan leagues will be captured in comic book form this September, Marvel announced Tuesday. Marvel Comics and Halo brand watchers 343 Industries will adapt Eric Nylund's bestselling novel, Halo: Fall of Reach, into a graphic fiction.
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Nintendo hasn
About a year ago, Nintendo unveiled the Vitality Sensor, an accessory for the Wii that brought a gamer’s own pulse into the game by ensconcing their finger like a splint. Everybody expected that Nintendo would have released it by now, but E3 2010 came and went, and the Vitality Sensor was nowhere in sight. Had [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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iPhone 4 teardown: Easy battery replacement and less dropped calls
iPhone 4 is the simplest iPhone to replace the battery in, while its intelligent chips and steel frames doubling as antennas should result in less dropped calls.
The iFixIt team is once again the first out of the blocks with their iPhone 4 teardown analysis that confirms pretty much everything Steve Jobs said during his WWDC [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Iwata: Nintendo 3DS could do 3D video chat
If a stray comment by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is anything to go by, Nintendo doesn’t just see their upcoming handheld gaming console the 3DS as a competitor to Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices… they also intend to use it to compete with Apple’s own videochat format, FaceTime.
Talking to Forbes magazine, Iwata said: [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Vizio releases new wireless HD soundbars for home theater setups
Although they started off fairly humbly, audiophonic manufacturer Vizio has come a long way, and the latest expansion of their High-Definition Audio Eco-System is their boldest update yet, bringing wireless HD audio to their product line.
The Vizio VHT210 32″ Home Theater and the VHT510 40″ Home Theater Soundbars with Wireless Subwoofers each boast wireless [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Bringrr alarm plugs into your car
It’s a common enough scenario: you rush bleary-eyed out of the house in the morning, late for work as usual, and pull out of the driveway only to realize you’ve left the house without any pants.
Well, okay, maybe that’s not so common, but bear with us. Quickly running back inside, you manage to cover your [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Apple breaks promises to keep iPhone 4 in the headlines
Did you get your iPhone 4 yet? Apple surprised and delighted folks who reserved their iPhone 4 by promising to deliver the precious purchase to their doorstep today, a day before the original June 24 release. If only all promises were broken this way!
On Monday, Apple tipped customers who reserved the new iPhone that their [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Sega lowers game prices to celebrate Sonic
While Steam may be celebrating the 10th birthday of Deus Ex, Sega of America is recognizing Sonic’s 19th birthday by dropping the price of some downloadable games and content.
Here’s the list of games that will be available at a lower price:
PlayStation Network – June 22 to July 6
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing: Metal Sonic Death [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Adidas advert destroys your home town with the Death Star
Adidas don’t mind spending some cash when it comes to advertising, and their latest advert must have cost quite a bit. The main reason for that is it uses footage from Star Wars.
In a clever online-only advert Adidas uses a combination of your IP address and Google Earth to figure out where the viewer is, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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No white iPhones for at least a month, says Apple
Apple has issued a super-short statement on Wednesday regarding the unusual lack of white iPhone 4. Unfortunately, white iPhones won’t be available until the second half of July because making them white is tough, Apple said:
White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have proven more challenging to manufacture than expected, and as a result they [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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PwnageTool Jailbreak Now Available for iOS 4
The iPhone Dev Team have been carefully guarding the secrets behind their jailbreaking exploits for awhile now, just to make sure that Apple didn’t sniff out and extinguish any iOS 4.0 vulnerabilities. Now
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Jimmy Kimmel Live power outage results in show filmed entirely on MacBook
Here’s the scene: an hour before the curtain rises on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the power at the studious goes out. Because of the way the generators are set, the ABC set has enough juice for lighting, but not enough to drive the studio cameras.
Enter what might be one of the most serendipitous product promotions of [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Europe tells Turkey to lift YouTube ban
Turkey has been petitioned by a major European human rights and security group to reverse its ban on YouTube and other Internet sites as well as to urgently revise the legislation that was used to implement the ban.
Law No. 5651 – a.k.a. The ‘Internet Law’ – was introduced in 2007 and has been used to [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Rent My Tent. Be 1st to get iPhone!
The title of this article is the wording from a listing on airbnb. Some enterprising individuals currently queuing to get the new iPhone tomorrow have decided money is more important than a new phone.
Airbnb is a service that describes itself as the “Ebay for space”. It allows the listing of space so that travellers can [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Source says Microsoft might be losing money on every Kinect sold
After a banner show at E3 and a year of rumor and hype, Microsoft finally priced their would-be Wii killing peripheral for the Xbox 360, the Microsoft Kinect at $149.95. We were skeptical of that price, thinking it far too high and well outside the impulse buy range for a novelty controller, but according to [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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HP unveils new netbook for school kids in the Mini 100e
Although netbooks are pretty neat all around, one market for which the affordable, low-power mini-notebooks is in the classroom. Giving kids cheap-to-replace and resilient laptops preloaded with open source software is obviously better than alternatives, and numerous companies have been competing in the space… most notably the Intel Classmate PC E10 and Classmate PC NL2 [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Deus Ex reaches 10th anniversary, Steam celebrates with 75% discount
June 22, 2000 was the original release date of Deus Ex. Developed by Ion Storm, and boasting a very large fan base, the game was a hit. It’s also hard to believe a decade has passed since that release.
To celebrate the game’s birthday Steam is having a sale where you can pick up Deus Ex: [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Firefox 3.6.4 released featuring plugin crash protection
Checking for updates today in Firefox will more than likely pull down version 3.6.4. The big new feature in this update is the introduction of crash protection for third-party plugins.
Until now, if a plugin like Flash or Silverlight crashed in Firefox it could, and probably would, take your whole browsing session with it. Firefox is [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Nintendo aiming for March 2011 Nintendo 3DS launch
When Nintendo took the stage at E3 and unveiled their new revolutionary handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS, there was something of the whiff of the prototype about the unit. Many of the game demos were conceptual instead of a confirmed product, Nintendo wouldn’t be nailed down on the device’s release date, and they were so [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Toshiba to take on Eye-Fi with new WiFi SDHC card standard
Consider the gauntlet pulled off and metallically smashed across Eye-Fi’s metaphorical mug: Toshiba have just announced their plans to standardize WiFi on all digicam SDHC cards.
Called the Standard Promotion Forum for Memory Cards Embedding Wireless LAN, Toshiba will be collaborating with Trek 2000 to standardize the design of WiFi enabled SDHC cards that would [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Gran Turismo 5 has a track editor
When it was announced that Gran Turismo 5 would have car damage there was a unified cry among gamers of “Finally!”. We were happy, we could race on beautifully rendered tracks crashing into each other and seeing the damage casued. That was enough, right?
Well, Polyphony Digital has a surprise for racers. Not only will you [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Adobe finally releases Flash Player 10.1 for mobile
This is huge: The first-ever fully featured mobile Flash implementation is finally ready for public consumption. It arrives after several delays and amid the heated exchange between Adobe and Apple over the long-term viability of the Flash platform.
While HTML5’s time is yet to come, Flash Player 10.1 for cellphones is here. Nevermind taxing your device’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Trashed iPad and iPhone found thanks to MobileMe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPJSjnizxu4&feature=player_embeddedThrowing your iPhone or iPad in the trash can and having them crushed by the mauling teeth of your neighborhood prowling garbage truck isn’t exactly a likely scenario for most of us, but you’d have to be the most soulless geek to not feel a chill up the spine just thinking about it.
That’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Microsoft now offering Xbox Live Family Pack subscription
As a software company, the way Microsoft has really distinguished itself in the console wars is by their excellent Xbox Live online matchmaking service. In functionality, user base and ease-of-use, it easily trounces equivalent services from Sony and Nintendo, but it comes with a price.
We gamers are mostly used to the subscription overhead of Xbox [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Google Voice now open to everyone in the United States
Google is constantly unveiling new products as betas, but as evidenced by the failure of Google Wave and Google Buzz, they tend to have a fire-and-forget methodology to actually sticking with these products.
Thank goodness that Google’s amazing Google Voice service hasn’t gone the same way as Wave and Buzz. After over a year in beta, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Samsung plans to manufacture Super AMOLED displays for other companies
Although the iPhone 4’s quadruple-density Retina Display is getting all the press these days, Samsung’s own Super AMOLED technology
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Apple reaches 3 million sold, now selling an iPad every two seconds
Another day, another Apple milestone. During the eighty days since its US debut on April 3 and through yesterday, June 21, three million iPads have been sold, Cupertino, California-based Apple reported today.
A statement issued to the media quoting their boss Steve Jobs re-iterated Apple’s plans to bring iPad to Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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HP unveils new all-in-one business PC, the Compaq 6000 Pro
HP is still the world’s largest computer manufacturer, and they’ve just added a new machine to their already intimidating line of desktops: an all-in-one PC targeting enterprice markets called the HP Compaq 600 Pro, which promises to deliver performance and reliability in a compact, space-saving design.
Spec-wise, here’s what we’re looking at. When it comes [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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How to fix iOS 4 upgrade issues
If you followed my guide to a trouble-free iOS 4 upgrade, you probably installed the new iPhone software without a hiccup. Those who did run into issues needn’t worry, here are a few life-saving tips that will help you resolve iOS 4 woes.
As you know, Apple posted iOS 4 for public consumption early Monday. The software is [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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RosettaStone Tablet immortalizes you with smartphone-accessible gravestone wiki
The carven epigram can only say so much about the festering corpse beneath the headstone. If you worry that the works and deeds performed during your mortal coil will rot in the grave with you, here comes the RosettaStone Tablet, a fancy new chip that will allow any of your posthumous visitors to access information [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Dyson supersizes blade-less Air Multiplier fan with two new models
In October last year Dyson released a revolutionary new fan that had no blades. It was called the Air Multiplier (model AM01) and used an amplifying loop to push air out like a normal fan.
The first Air Multiplier was the right size to sit on a desk or table (10″), and would therefore struggle to [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Acer updates TimeLineX series of ultraportable notebooks with Core i3/i5 Processors
Acer has just announced the latest refresh of their TimelineX series of ultra-light, ultra-portable notebooks. Predictably, the refresh imbues the TimelineX series with the latest Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors at very affordable prices starting at just $599.99.
The 13.3-inch 3820T and 14-inch 4820T each boast 4GB of memory, up to 500GB of hard [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Skype unveils SkypeKit API to allow developers to use VoIP and video chat in hardware and software
VOiP and video chat is about to get a lot more transparent. Skype has just announced a new SDK called SkypeKit which is aimed at allowing developers to embed VoIP and video call functionality into their applications and consumer electronics, piggybacking on the Skype network without any requirement for the Skype application to be running.
The [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Star Trek Dustbuster Phaser Replica does not suck
The phaser technology of the Star Trek universe is lusted after by geeks not just because they look dapper hanging from the waist band of a 24th century unitard, but because of its capacity to stun and kill your enemies, whether Borg, Klingon or Tribble.
This prop replica of the famous em>Star Trek: The Next [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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EOS MixTape Watch brings a boombox to your wrist
Back when I was a kid, I had a knock-off Japanese watch shaped just like Soundwave from the Transformers. I loved that watch, mostly because you could snap off the microcassette and transform it into a bloodthirsty robot jaguar. I can’t even begin to tell you how much time that little watch whittled away in [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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VLC 1.1.0 Brings Hardware GPU Decoding To Windows, Linux
If you download or rip a video file these days, you’re more than likely to do so at 1080p, the new standard of high definition. The problem with 1080p, though, is that it can be chunky for a CPU to decode.
Everyone’s favorite video player, VLC, has just released an update to address that problem. With [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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E3: Hands-on with anticipated sequels Crackdown 2, Dead Rising 2 and more
Set to hit retail stores in the coming months, Crackdown 2, Dead Rising 2, and Fable III were just three of the hundreds of games available on the E3 2010 showroom floor. Last week, I visited the expo and tried my hand at each of the three titles.
Publication date: 2010-06-23
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Google redesigns Gmail compose interface for iPad
Google has unveiled an improved web interface for composing Gmail messages on iPad. The new-look Gmail web app now features a full screen compose window, allowing you to completely focus on the message at hand. The previous compose interface would split the screen between your Gmail inbox and the compose view, which felt odd compared [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-22
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Adobe: fourth Snow Leopard update comes with outdated Flash Player
Adobe issued a warning last week to Mac users who installed the Mac OS X 10.6.4 update, saying that Apple shipped an outdated Flash Player with the operating system update. Adobe’s software engineer Wendy Poland wrote in a blog post this past Tuesday that Apple released both the Security Update 2010-004 and Mac OS X [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-22
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Amazon reacts to Nook price drop, Kindle now $189
Earlier today we reported that Barnes & Noble had taken the surprising, yet welcome decision to lower the price of the Nook from $259 to $199. Not only that, but the company also introduced a $149 Wi-Fi only version for those not needing a 3G connection.
The challenge was laid down for Amazon to respond with [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-22
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Specs for Samsung Galaxy S Pro leaked
Android Central seems to have the scoop on the Samsung Galaxy S Pro that has been rumored and finally confirmed via a photo. A tipster gave the website more details around the smartphone which is expected to be offered by at least Sprint in the U.S. Of course, Android Central was quick to point out [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-22
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Toy Story 3 gives Pixar its best opening weekend ever
As if Disney’s Pixar studios needed another hit. Pixar’s latest addition to its movie catalog, Toy Story 3, gave the studio its biggest opening ever with an opening weekend domestic gross of $109 million according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Internationally the movie took in an additional $44.8 million not counting 75% of [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-22
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Details emerge of planned new LimeWire service
It may have lawsuits piling up against it, but P2P file-sharing firm LimeWire is still hoping to re-launch later this year with a brand-new music service, some details of which were exclusively revealed to Digital Music News on Sunday.
According to the DMN article, LimeWire hopes to release the new, legal, service in “late 2010″ in [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-22
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French find email passwords and other incriminating evidence in Google Street View data
According to French data protection agency CNIL, Google’s Street View team may have unlawfully harvested email passwords and other sensitive data travelling over public wireless networks. The BBC reported that the agency is considering prosecuting the search company over the privacy breach.
Acting on an official request, Google handed over the hard drives containing the data [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-22
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Nokia to launch ARM-based tablet in 4Q10
The success of the iPad has led to a desire by other manufacturers to ride on Apple’s success with their own tablets. Digitimes Research is reporting that Nokia is preparing an ARM-based tablet PC of its own. According to the report, 100 engineering samples have been manufactured by Foxconn and are already available for testing. [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-22
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E3: Hands-on preview of Microsoft Kinect
Conflicting views on the Microsoft Kinect have been circulating on the internet even before Microsoft switched the name from Project Natal. Some bloggers say it won't work. Others say, even if it does, it's not worth the $149.99. After trying out the Kinect for myself at E3 2010 last week, I'm less enthused about the so-called functionality of the upcoming motion control hardware than I was before the expo.
Publication date: 2010-06-22
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How to upgrade to iOS 4 the smart way
As you know, Apple has posted iOS 4 for public consumption early Monday. It’s a major brain transplant so don’t rush out and upgrade before you consult our handy guide. Before you begin, familiarize yourself with the iOS 4 features and check out the fine print. Armed with this knowledge, ask yourself these three simple [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-22
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Xbox 360 Slim gets its first case mod
That was fast…
An Xbox 360 Slim was already modded to get a a case window and blue LED lighting. It’s nothing crazy, but this must have been pulled off in just a day or two, which is pretty incredible. How he even managed to get the unit is a bit of a mystery as well–it’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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OWC and NewerTech have afforadable 8GB RAM upgrades for your unibody Mac mini
Apple’s new unibody Mac mini has the removable bottom cover for easy access to its memory modules. In keeping with this Other World Computing (OWC) and Newer Technologies have released affordable Mac mini memory modules with your name on them. Alternatively, you can have Apple outfit your Mac mini with their overpriced modules lacking full lifetime [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Facebook: Like comments, find your Skype friends
Rather then credit friends’ comments on Facebook in your own comments, you can now hit a small Like button next to the comment you want to recommend to others.
Facebook’s Like button, one of the most often used features that allows the site to profile your interests, has began popping up on external sites (Geek.com for [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Google introduces command line tool for online services
Those with advanced abilities when it comes to operating systems understand the power behind the command prompt. With the command prompt actions are possible that aren’t limited to an option being placed in the GUI of an application and even if they are using the command line is usually faster. That’s probably why Google decided [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Toshiba announce dual-touchscreen libretto W100 concept PC
To help mark 25 years of designing laptops Toshiba is celebrating by releasing a limited-edition libretto dual-touchscreen, ultra-mobile concept PC.
The libretto W100 offers a device with dual multitouch displays in a 7.95″ x 4.84″ x 1.2″ case and weighing 1.8 lbs. The full specs of the device includes:
Dual 7.0-inch diagonal multi-touch displays (1024 x 600)
6-mode [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Toshiba Portege R700: the world
Toshiba is appealing to the travellers among us by unveiling a new, ultra-light, ultra-portable 13.3″ laptop.
The Toshiba Portege R700 is being touted as the world’s lightest 13.3″ full-performance, ultra-portable laptop weighing just 3 lbs. Measuing 1″ thick it uses new Airflow Cooling Technology to keep components cool, and manages to squeeze a DVD drive inside [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Check out the iPhone 4 and iPad spoof adverts
Replacing Apple’s lineup of mannequins starring in their product commercials are their not-quite lookalikes with funny names who describe the iPhone 4 and iPad features that Apple doesn’t want you to know about.
Design guru Jonathan Ive, who kicks off most Apple’s adverts these days, is now known as Jonny Five. Scott Forstall, chief of iOS [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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See the Toshiba Libretto W100 in action
The Toshiba Libretto W100 ultra-compact concept PC was unveiled early this morning, but images can only show you so much about a device. Videos are now starting to appear allowing us to have a better look at Toshiba’s latest experiment.
The video above just gives you an overview of what the device looks like and the [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Iomega skins the eGo portable hard drive
At the beginning of June Iomega released a new range of portable hard drives carrying the name eGo. The initial range included a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 version with 500GB storage, a USB 2.0 compact edition with 320GB, 500GB, and 1TB storage options, and a Mac-friendly 1TB eGo BlackBelt Mac Edition.
A nice range of new drives, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Your iPhone 4 has left Chinese docks
If you pre-ordered an iPhone 4, you’ll be delighted to know that the first batch has left Chinese docks and will be arriving in time for the simultaneous June 24 launch in the US, UK, Japan, Germany, and France. A number of Apple-focused sites and their readers have started receiving shipment notifications with tracking numbers [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Mail in iOS 4: Calendar integration, package tracking
Apple’s Mail application in the forthcoming iOS 4 update can automatically parse calendar appointments and track packages.
Say someone wrote in an email message they will meet you tomorrow at 2am. Mail in iOS 4 scans email messages for such appointment-related snippets and turns them into special links. Simply tap the “tomorrow at 2am” link to bring [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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OnLive pricing announced, and it
Last week we found out that a basic OnLive subscription would cost $4.99 a month, but that just got you access to the service, community features, and free demos. Now we can tell you the real cost of using the service.
As OnLive is a rental service you technically can’t buy a game as you need [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Verizon CFO hints at eliminating unlimited data plans
Say it ain’t so Verizon. In the wake of AT&T’s announcement earlier this month that it was eliminating unlimited data plans it looks like Verizon Wireless may follow suit. That concern is based on a comment made by Verizon’s CFO, John Killian, during an interview with Bloomberg.
In his interview, Killian is quoted as saying:
We will [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Nook price drops to $199, new $149 Wi-Fi model appears
Barnes & Noble has announced a significant price drop for its Nook e-reader along with the introduction of a lower cost Wi-Fi only model. Customers will now be able to purchase the original Nook model, which features both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, for only $199. That’s a $60 price drop from the original price of [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Facebook finally streams video to your iPhone
A maintenance update to the Facebook for iPhone app emerged on the App Store over the weekend. The release sports Facebook video streaming, larger image uploads, half a dozen bug fixes, and more. The free Facebook 3.1.3 update for iOS devices finally enabled Facebook video streaming over either WiFi or 3G.
Simply tap on any video link [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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iOS 4: What you didn
iOS 4, the biggest update to the mobile operating system that runs on Apple’s mobile devices, is due later today, a few days before the scheduled launch of the iPhone 4 on Thursday. Here’s what you didn’t know about it.
You’ve already heard a lot about multitasking, app folders, unified inbox, app gifting, custom wallpapers, the [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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The end of free news: Is Google prepping a paid newspaper service?
How about paying a few cents to read newspaper articles listed in Google search and Google News? Alright, it’s a rhetorical question because premium news content looks like it will soon be exclusively accessible only to those willing to pay for it anyway.
The word on the street is that Google is testing out a new [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Dell is discussing Chrome OS with Google
The release window for Chrome OS is fast approaching, and Google will surely be working hard to get manufacturers on board to start shipping hardware running its OS instead of Windows or Linux. Although Dell isn’t number one anymore it still ships a lot of machines and now it looks as though Chrome OS may [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Opportunistic thief stealing iPads five at a time
No one can argue against the fact Apple’s iPad is very popular. So popular in fact that release dates outside the U.S. had to be put back and long queues formed to buy one on release day.
But as with all very popular, but hard to get gadgets, they also capture the interest of thieves. We’ve [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Quick look: Find My iPhone for iOS
New software from Apple lets you locate your lost or stolen iPhone using – well, an iPhone. Joking aside, the free Find My iPhone app, released as part of the MobileMe overhaul, lets you pinpoint the exact geographical location of your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
The native app works on any iOS device and provides [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-21
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Mortal Kombat: Rebirth short film is mysterious, awesome
Where it came from, who’s behind it and what purpose it serves is yet unknown, but the Mortal Kombat: Rebirth short film, released today via YouTube, is worth seven and a half minutes of your day. Living up to its subtitle, its goal is to seemingly reinvent the entire universe set by the past 15 [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Waterbobble: eco-friendly filtered water bottle
Bottled water is advertised as better than tap and full of minerals that keep us healthy. But bottles water is inherently wasteful due to the plastic bottles it comes in. You might be eco-friendly and recycle your bottles, but chances are the majority of people don’t and those bottles end up in the rubbish.
There may [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Google Calendar stuck in infinite redirecting loop
Having trouble with Google Calendar today? You’re not the only one. Twitter is filling up with reports of Calendar either being down, or worse, stuck in an infinite redirecting loop.
Checking the Apps Status Dashboard shows no signs of a problem being identified, but there is clearly something not right as the #googlecalendar feed on Twitter [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Crysis 2 E3 gameplay trailer appears on YouTube
Crytek has already proven it knows how to put together a great game engine. Crysis set the standard when it first got released, but all eyes are now on Crysis 2 which isn’t going to disappoint based on the latest video released.
The trailer you see above is footage of Crysis 2 that will be shown [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Square Enix and Obsidian work together to create Dungeon Siege 3
Square Enix and Obsidian Entertainment have come together to create Dungeon Siege 3, Square announced in a press release Monday. As developer, Obsidian will receive input from the franchise’s original developer, Gas Powered Games. Dungeon Siege 3 will be the franchise’s debut on high-def home consoles when it releases on the PC, Xbox 360, and [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Alienware M11x gets Core i5/i7 performance boost and Optimus
In a not-so-surprising move this morning Dell officially announced that the M11x ultraportable gaming computer would be getting new performance options. These upgrades come in the way of new processor options and the introduction of Nvidia’s Optimus dynamic graphics switching technology.
The system original shipped with the Intel Pentium SU4100 1.3GHz (2MB Cache) or the Intel [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Motorola Milestone XT720: thinnest Android 2.1 phone yet + Xenon flash
The iPhone 4 announcement may still be fresh in our minds, but that hasn’t stopped Motorola unveiling an impressive new Android smartphone.
The Motorola Milestone XT720 can claim to be the thinnest Android 2.1 smartphone on the market for the time being, measuring just 10.9 mm thick. Not only that, but it is the first smartphone [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Adobe Lightroom 3 released, available
While the excitement still hasn’t died down from the release of Adobe’s CS5 (many of us are still finding features), Lightroom 3 has just been announced and made available. The photography workflow and post-production software is no longer in beta and is currently available for purchase ($299) or as a free 30-day trial. Lightroom 2 [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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BP buying search engine phrases to control oil spill information, rebuild public image
BP may be a company dedicated to the extraction of oil from the Earth, but that doesn’t mean it’s not on the ball when it comes to manipulating the results you see on search engines.
It’s safe to say BP has suffered a lot of bad press over the past few weeks due to the Gulf [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Apple licensed iOS name from Cisco
Apple is pretty good about coming up with names for its hardware or applications that begin with an “i”. The only problem is that sometimes those names are already taken. Take the iPhone for example. Great name for Apple’s first mobile phone when launched. The only problem at the time was the iPhone was already [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Dragon Age anime now in development
Bioware and Funimation, the leading publisher of Japanese anime in North America, have signed a deal to produce an anime movie based on Bioware's action-RPG Dragon Age. According to Monday's press release, the companies are slated to begin production this month and intend to release the film directly to DVD next year.
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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10 things you
Jamie Thomson, a Microsoft MVP and tech blogger, has detailed what he believes to be 10 surprises or little enhancements which aren’t obvious at first from Windows Live Wave 4. If you are a big user of Windows Live services like Messenger, Hotmail or Photo Gallery you will want to check it out.
Here’s a single [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Microsoft: Switch to a PC
The Windows maker is in full swing and ready to renew its anti-Apple marketing talk. Just like before, Microsoft is painting Apple as a rip off. This time around, the war involves digital lifestyle suites: Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Live Wave 4 versus Apple’s iLife.
As Brian explained, Windows Live Wave 4 – to be released “soon” – files [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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F.E.A.R. 3 E3 trailer released early
The F.E.A.R. 3 trailer meant to show the game off at E3 has been released early.
The third game in the series was first announced back in April with the gameplay explained as follows:
Gamers participate in single player or co-op modes as Point Man, a genetically enhanced super soldier originally introduced in F.E.A.R., or they can [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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CESA: 5 years of handheld game piracy cost $41.6 billion in lost sales
The Japanese Computer Entertainment Suppliers Association (CESA) has been doing some very speculative calculations when it comes to game piracy. Specifically, CESA has calculated that over the 2004-2009 period handheld game piracy cost the games industry $41.6 billion worldwide.
So how did it get to that huge figure? CESA took the figure it actually knew for [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Stevenote is live: Watch livebloggers bring the iPhone 4 presentation to a halt
Apple has posted the WWDC 2010 keynote address late yesterday. The stream, available on their homepage and YouTube, provides fans with ninety minutes of uninterrupted Steve Jobs. Wait a second, he was interrupted. Things couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start for Apple’s boss when a technical fault interrupted his live iPhone 4 presentation [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Microsoft launches Office Web Apps on SkyDrive
SkyDrive is Microsoft’s file storage and sharing service which allows users to store data on the cloud. Now the service is getting a major enhancement. In addition to being able to upload multiple files at once, using Silverlight, users will now be able to create Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote documents within the browser and [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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You won
If you’re looking for mobile porn don’t look to the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace for it.
Ars Technica is reporting that new policies covering the marketplace will prevent applications containing porn or sexually suggestive content from being offered. All applications being offered will need to pass certain application certification requirements similar to what Apple has for [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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What happened to Apple
Did the short sellers plant fake shots of Apple’s rumored multitouch trackpad yesterday in order to drive the stock up in the hype absence due to Gizmodo’s surprising revelation of iPhone 4? Why didn’t Steve Jobs reveal the Magic Trackpad during his keynote speech at the WWDC 2010?
A few blurry shots from an obscure Chinese [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 service packs coming next month
If you’ve been holding off deploying Windows 7 into your enterprise until it receives its first service pack it seems that time is just around the corner. Microsoft announced during the kickoff of its TechED conference yesterday that a public beta of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is slated to be available next month. The [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Apple readying iTunes 9.2: App folders, e-books, and PDF management
Apple is busy putting finishing touches on an incremental iTunes update that will accompany iPhone 4 and iOS 4, to be launched later this month. According to the reports based on a developer build of the software, iTunes 9.2 will feature support for Apple’s new iPhone hardware, as well as the capabilities of the upcoming [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Social networking security vendor transfers the FaceTime name to Apple
Apart from licensing the iOS trademark from Cisco for its mobile operating system formerly known as iPhone OS, we’ve just learned that Apple also bought the FaceTime name from the firm of the same name that makes the social networking security software.
FaceTime is Apple’s new mobile video conferencing technology that made a debut in San [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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In the future trains won
Trains are one of the fastest forms of transport we have across land, but what slows down the journey for everyone is the stops that need to be made at platforms for passengers to get off and new passengers to get on.
A new Chinese concept train looks to remove the need for a train to [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Twitter introducing t.co URL shortener
Twitter has decided to introduce its own URL shortening service to be used in tweets effectively removing the need for services like bit.ly. The URL will be t.co.
In a blog post made late today, Twitter’s Sean Garrett explained why this is needed:
If you want to share a link through Twitter, there currently isn’t a way [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-09
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Farmville coming to the iPhone
Planting virtual crops is soon to go mobile. During his keynote speech at Apple's WWDC 2010 event, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus announced Farmville for the iPhone.
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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Adobe issues warning over new vulnerability
Adobe has just giving Apple a club to beat it with when it comes to reasons why Flash should not be on the iPad and iPhone. Last week, Adobe issued a critical security advisory covering Adobe Flash Player 10.0.45.2 and earlier versions for Windows, Mac and Solaris. Also covered is Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x for [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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Watch the Minority Report interface we
Our interaction with computers hasn’t changed that much since the first graphical user interfaces were introduced some 25 years ago. While game consoles are pushing forward by introducing motion controls, computer interaction remains a combination of mouse, keyboard, pen, and touch. If you ask someone for their vision of the future of computer interaction then [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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Apple finally launches the next iPhone, calls it iPhone 4
It’s everything you’ve been hoping for – and then some more. Steve Jobs has personally took the wraps off a fourth-generation iPhone dubbed the iPhone 4. Kicking off the annual developer conference at the Moscone West in San Francisco with a keynote speech, the CEO allocated a significant portion of the presentation to the new iPhone that [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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WWDC 2010: iOS 4.0
The iPhone hardware might get the majority of the attention, but the upcoming release of iOS 4 (iPhone OS 4) is just as important, if not more so. After all, changes to the OS don’t just affect the new iPhone, they mean changes for huge number of iPhone 3GS handsets on the market as well [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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Buzz vs. bulge
Check out this awesome infographic that charts calories against caffeine. It’s all about getting your beverage-based buzz on while being mindful of your sugar intake.
The left of the chart has a few food items for reference but the chart is all about beverages, specifically what we go for when we are in need of a [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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157 year-old woman discovered alive by Indonesian Census takers
Around the globe, census taking is an important tool to help determine the need to improve infrastructure and services to countries with growing populations. In one census conducted in Indonesia, however, census takers may have quite possibly discovered, the oldest woman in the world.
Sill alive and kicking for over 157 years, a South Sumatran villager known only [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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iPhone 4 FaceTime demo
Slashgear has posted a video of Steven Jobs’ video conference call during his WWDC keynote. The call worked well (over WiFi) but after a few words they cut to a comercial that showed a bit more of an idealized view of FaceTime in action.
So you need WiFi, but hey, it’s video chat on what will [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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The $50K Android smartphone
Do you have some spare change lying around for a new Android phone? If so, you may want to check out the new Ulysse Nardin Chairman being covered by CrunchGear. The Android 2.1 phone will only set you back a mere $50,000. You don’t have that? Just steal it from your kid’s college fund.
The smartphone [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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Watch Apple talk up FaceTime video calling, Retina Display, and manufacturing of its glass-made iPhone 4
Apple posted two new iPhone 4 videos on both their homepage and the official YouTube channel, showcasing how cool it is to video chat Star Trek-style and highlighting other aspects of the device, such as the new high-resolution, LED backlit, 326ppi Retina Display with IPS technology, a five-megapixel camera with LED flash that records 720p [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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Apple takes down its own press release describing Safari 5 with extensions
Forgetting about Safari 5 because of all the hype surrounding the new iPhone is OK, but putting out the official press release and then pulling it back at the last second is definitely not cool. That’s exactly what Apple did with Safari 5, one of the rumored software updates that should have earned a slot [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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Apple could be prepping iWork apps for iPhone 4
iBooks and iMovie may not be the only apps making their way to the just-released iPhone 4. A high-profile screenshot leak indicates that the shipping version of iOS 4 might include the ability to open iWork presentations directly in the Keynote app. Knowing that the iWork apps run only on Macs and iPad, we can [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-08
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Volition and THQ announce Red Faction: Armageddon
THQ and Volition have officially unveiled Red Faction: Armageddon, a sequel to 2009
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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Safari 5 to accelerate web apps, add Bing, tweak the address bar, and more
A major update to Apple’s Safari browser could debut at the WWDC 2010 conference today, bringing a plethora of improvements, a French site MacGeneration reported this past Saturday. Citing release notes allegedly accompanying a developer build of the browser, the publication has discovered a bunch of goodies and new features. Safari 5 will sport 25 percent [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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WWDC 2010: Where did the Mac go?
Banners are up at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Apple’s chief Steve Jobs is scheduled to kick off the annual developer conference in a few hours. Passers-by could be easily fooled into thinking that a mobile company is hosting the event – all WWDC signage and huge banners that went up yesterday focus [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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WWDC 2010: Apple
Even the rumor mill missed this one: looks like Apple will debut a multitouch trackpad dubbed the Magic Trackpad at its developer conference later today. According to Engadget’s editor Joshua Topolsky, Steve Jobs will probably mention the new device during his keynote speech at 10 am Pacific Time, 1 pm Eastern Time.
Fake Steve Jobs first [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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Stephen Colbert: A $600 iPad-fitting suit was my idea!
The world’s first iPad suit that made the news last week got an American political satirist joking that it was his idea to begin with.
The bloggosphere buzzed a lot about the iPad suit last week. Basically a $600 suit jacket with a built-in oversized pocket to keep your 1.5 pound iPad inside, the iPad suite [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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White Knights Chronicles 2 requires first game completion to play
PS3 fantasy RPG White Knight Chronicles got middling reviews from the gaming press, but generally positive reviews from gamers, so a follow-up game was inevitable. However, developer Level 5 is not making it easy to play the second game.
When White Knight Chronicles 2 (WKC2) sees a release it will have the first game bundled with [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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10
Last week Samsung gave a hint to its future plans to offer tablet devices by revealing a picture of a 7″ device called the Galaxy Tab via Twitter. Effectively a big version of the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone, a 7″ version seemed like a nice middle-ground between phone and iPad form factors.
Samsung’s plans don’t stop [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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Watch the full, uncut Steve Jobs interview at D8 now
As Apple fans count the remaining hours before Steve Jobs’ trademark keynote presentation at Apple’s developer conference that should reveal the new iPhone and other goodies, the full version of the interview he gave to Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the D8 conference became available for streaming.
The Wall Street Journal, which organized the tech [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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AT&T is reportedly improving upgrade eligibility ahead of the new iPhone launch
AT&T is reportedly moving up upgrade eligibility to allow iPhone customers that aren’t eligible for an upgrade to buy the unannounced new iPhone without paying an early termination fee.
As you know, you’re not eligible for an upgrade if your service agreement with AT&T isn’t nearing its end. As a result, AT&T subscribers eyeing the forthcoming iPhone [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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Nintendo 3DS does not use Nvidia technology
In October last year, before we knew of the Nintendo 3DS, it was suggested that Nintendo had awarded Nvidia the contract to supply the graphics technology contained in its next handheld. Since then we have heard numerous details about the 3DS, but little on the actual hardware it uses to achieve the 3D effect without [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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Sony developing eye-tracking, lifelogging glasses
Gadget manufacturers have always responded to our need to capture snapshots of our daily lives, be that through images or video. Most phones you buy today have image and video capture features built in. Most digital cameras also have a video record option. But there is a niche in the market apparently, for lifelogging.
Lifelogging is [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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Steve Jobs
As a crowd flocks to the Moscone West in San Francisco to see Apple boss Steve Jobs perform his magic, anticipation is reaching a fever pitch. The five-day WWDC 2010 conference sold out in eight days, even though Gizmodo stole the element of surprise by exposing what Apple later confirmed as an iPhone prototype. Nevertheless, Jobs promised [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-07
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ServersMan HD, a free iPad app for wireless file sharing, debuts
This free software from Japan turns your iPad into a wireless web server so you can upload and download stuff onto it from anywhere in the world. FreeBit Co Ltd, the firm behind ServersMan HD, describes the app as a “personal cloud in your life” that lets you access contents of your iPad wirelessly, via [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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RC car is hacked to be driven with an Xbox 360 controller
It’s awesome that we have people out there that can’t leave well enough alone when it comes to toys and other gizmos. They have to tweak them to do more than what they were designed for. What’s even better, is when these people they show off their hacked creations with instructions so that it inspires [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Firefox add-on game
You ever have one of those days? Server meltdown? Failed hard drive? Smoke coming from your PSU? When nothing seems to be going your way might I suggest a little app that will help you relax a little and take out some of your frustrations on the Internet itself.
This Firefox add-on installs a menacing little [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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New Mac minis with faster processor, graphics, and an HDMI port arriving at WWDC 2010?
Checks with multiple retailers suggest that Apple’s Mac mini is in an increasingly short supply. As any avid Apple fan could tell you, Apple stopping filling the channel is usually a tell-tale sign of them clearing up stocks ahead of new hardware introduction. AppleInsider has been able to independently confirm this with multiple retailers, adding [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Microsoft demos Windows Embedded Compact 7
Like everyone else, Microsoft wants to take advantage of the hype over tablet computers by positioning itself to offer an operating system for them. While Microsoft’s rival Apple is happy to offer the OS and hardware for its iPad, Microsoft is content to offer the operating system while letting someone else figure out what it [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Sony believes more e-books than real books will be sold within 5 years
Sony has a vested interest in the growing e-book market due to its range of Sony Reader devices. But one prediction the company has made may or may not surprise you. Within five years Sony believes more e-books will be bought than print books.
The prediction comes from Steve Harber, president of Sony’s digital reading business [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Bill Gates: The iPad
During an appearance on Larry King Live on CNN last night, Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates said that while he liked Apple’s iPad, it’s “not quite there yet.”
Huh? How’s that? Said Gates:
We
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Minimum PC requirements released for All Points Bulletin MMO
If you’ve been following the progress of Realtime Worlds’ online game All Points Bulletin (APB) with anticipation, today you can find out whether your PC will actually ba capable of running it.
Realtime has released the minimum specification you will need for APB, which includes:
Core 2 Duo 2Ghz or equivalent
2GB RAM (3GB for Vista64 / [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Adobe bringing AIR to Android, run Flash as an app
Adobe’s main focus may still be Flash 10.1 for mobile devices, but work is being done to bring another platform to smartphones: AIR.
For those who don’t know, AIR is Adobe’s solution to allowing Flash/Flex programs to run as applications rather than just in a browser. So you can take a Flash game, for example, recompile [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Stanza e-reading app updated for iPad, now includes comic support
When Amazon bought the amazing iPhone e-reading app Stanza, they promised they weren’t absorbing it just to kill it as a competitor to the Kindle. We were starting to doubt their word, especially after they dragged their heels on a native iPad version.
Silly us. Amazon was being truthful, and today, Stanza was updated to version [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Lord of the Rings Online dropping subscription charge
If you haven’t played the Lord of the Rings Online MMO yet, but were considering signing up, wait a few more months as it is about to transition to free-to-play.
Lord of the Rings Online is operated by online gaming company Turbine who were acquired in April by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. The decision to [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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New bike helmet technology stinks when it is damaged
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials have come up with an ingenious way to tell you when your bicycle helmet has invisible cracks in it that make it no longer safe: make it smell so bad you want to throw up.
The idea here is elegant. Because bike helmets can become structurally weakened [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Welcome to Chatroulette without the naked men
When Chatroulette was launched it caused a bit of sensation. Armed with a webcam you could chat with anyone or choose to pass them by for the next willing face on camera. The problem with a video format, though, is the interesting people to chat with are few and far between. Most of the time [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Sprint EVO 4G, first 3G/4G phone in the US, is available for purchase
Sprint has a feather to put in its cap. It has become the first U.S. wireless carrier to offer a 3G/4G phone. The HTC EVO 4G is now available at RadioShack, Best Buy, Walmart, Sprint retail stores and through the Sprint website. The phone will retail for $199.99 with a 2-year service agreement and after [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Review: Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex external hard drive
Seagate’s GoFlex is a modular external storage system. You start off with a base piece, like a 2.5-inch external hard drive and then you snap on the connection you want–USB 2.0, USB 3.0, eSATA, and so on. It’s a simple solution to the problem of data connectivity. The design makes connections upgradeable and can extend [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Another blow to Flash: Apple shows off HTML5 in action
Building up its case against Flash, Apple has posted a number of interesting HTML5 demos showcasing what can be achieved with a little bit of coding. Developers needn’t resort to proprietary technologies to spice up their web apps with eye-candy, cool features, and multimedia, the consumer electronics powerhouse argued.
Instead, Apple wrote, they should use technologies [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Opinion: When Google/Apple war simplify media syncing consumers win
Sick tired of managing your media locally? Is tethered syncing of your music, photo, and movie libraries between your tablets and phones driving you nuts? Soon there’ll be a better way and you’ll thank a growing rivalry between Apple and Google for that.
What, you didn’t hear that the search firm revealed its music plans? If [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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United announces availability of Zune Inflight Audio
United Airlines is bringing Microsoft’s Zune to all of its aircraft… just don’t expect to find a Zune media player anywhere near your seat though. The new in-flight audio service is simply the addition of up to 21 new audio playlists which have been programmed by Microsoft’s Zune entertainment service. New playlists being offered include Soundtracks, Electronic Dance, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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inFamous 2 is official by way of Game Informer
Sony
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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ForceTek to offer exoskeleton for gamers
ForceTek has the goal of immersing players in video games through the use of advanced exoskeleton technology. This is the same technology that has been used in sports training and physical rehabilitation. The technology will provide the appropriate response based on body position and speed of movement along with other data sensed by the exoskeleton.
The [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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SMK Link Notebook USB Audio Station is a laptop stand with bass
Most laptop docking stations are little more than USB keyboards with a kickstand to keep your laptop conveniently tiled at eye level. They’re designed to do just two things: allow you to use your laptop more like a desktop, and consolidate cables and connections.
The SMK Link Notebook USB Audio Station seems pretty unique, then. It [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Bing Destination Maps adds cool
Microsoft’s Bing search engine has been being smart about competing with Google: they realize they might not necessarily have the smartest search algorithms, but they can present their own results in unique ways that Google isn’t doing.
Bing’s latest addition applies this strategy in a wonderfully cool way. In an attempt to pare down a street [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Next
We’ve been excited about Activision’s forthcoming action game, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, for awhile now. The title promises to take the eponymous web crawler through three separate parallel universes, with one parallel Spidey already revealed: a Shadow-esque, Depression-era vigilante dressed in black leather, packing a pistol and christened Spider-Man Noir.
The next parallel Spidey hasn’t yet been [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-05
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Carcassonne brings more German board gaming to iPhone
If the following statement doesn’t get your juices flowing, you might want to rectify it: Carcassonne is now available for your iPhone and iPod Touch (the iPad version is coming soon). German board games were, until the Xbox Live Arcade release of Catan, a relatively niche subset of gaming. Hardcore enthusiasts lived for the skill-centric [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Second 1:1 Scale Gundam construction under way
Back in March on Geek.com, we mentioned that a brand new life-sized Gundam would be built in 2010 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Bandai’s release of their Gundam plastic model series. Similar to a 1:1 scale Gundam replica that was assembled in Japan just a year ago, the new exhibit would feature a Gundam RX-78-2 with similar [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Hands-On Video With Intel
One of the more interesting wares on display at this week’s Computex expo was Intel’s new Canoe Lake innovation platform for netbooks, a sort of reference design that improves cooling and shrinks the chassis girth of dual-core Atom-based netbooks by up to fifty percent.
The end result? The wonderfully svelte prototype netbook above. It’s only [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Field Test: Olympus 9-18mm f/4.0-5/6 lens and SEMA-1 stereo microphone kit
Olympus’ PEN cameras are generally seen with either the 17mm pancake lens or the 14-42mm f/3.5 kit lens. In my review of the E-PL1 (as well as the E-P1) I focused on the 14-42mm as it’s versatile, lightweight, and collapsible, making it a great lens for use with the Micro Four-Thirds body. Since the release [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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The Kno: a dual-screen 14
Apple has started a tablet revolution and other manufacturers are scrambling to compete with the 9.6″ iPad. But while many competitors are creating a similar single-screen device, one project is doubling up and attempting to cater for the student market.
The Kno is a dual 14″ screen tablet which was demonstrated at D8 yesterday. The reason [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Microsoft shows off Project Natal at D8
Microsoft has used the D8 conference this week as another opportunity to give us a preview of Project Natal.
The demonstration starts with Microsoft’s director of marketing communications for the Xbox team, Molly O’Donnell, having her movements tracked with a special demo. This is followed by the much-used ball-hitting demo which shows improved on-screen responsiveness, but [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Mark Zuckerberg sweats over Facebook privacy talk at D8
Guilty as charged, that’s what Mark Zuckerberg’s body language was screaming aloud in spite his effort to keep a cool posture. But who can blame him? Facebook’s overtly relaxed approach to privacy has angered a lot of users who’ve been wondering if the social networking leader is making privacy settings too complex on purpose, in order [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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20 Optimus laptops and netbooks on display at Computex 2010
Nvidia’s Optimus technology promised the best of both worlds when it was first announced. Automatic switching between a low power graphics processor for typical desktop applications, and a high-end GPU when you load up a game or other graphical intensive application.
Well it seems as though Computex 2010 is the launching ground for many an Optimus-enabled [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Toshiba shows 3D display with no glasses required
You’ve probably seen a commercial for the 3D LCD televisions that are now available for the home. Of course, the disadvantage to most 3D solutions is that you have to wear glasses while watching the screen. Tech-On!’s coverage of a new, prototype 2D/3D LCD panel by Toshiba shows that not all 3D solutions involve the [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Quick review: Assault Squadron, an iPhone shooter with jaw-dropping visuals
Assault Squadron, a visually stunning iPhone shooter published by the red hot UK publisher Chillingo, has just landed on the iPhone and iPod touch. First impressions are very positive. In my opinion, this lavish, Amiga-like shoot-’em-up is definitely a sight to behold. I was impressed with its every facet, although I must say I expected [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Quanta and 3M team up for more sensitive touchscreen solution
When it comes to selecting a touchscreen for a new device manufacturers currently have two clear choices: resistive or capacitive. Resistive relies on pressure being applied to the screen and usually works best with pen-based input. Capacitive is the choice of smartphones and uses the body’s electrostatic field measured through a change in capacitance to [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Intel delays USB 3.0 chipset until 2012
Intel has this week angered PC vendors and manufacturers by deciding to delay the release of its USB 3.0 chipset to 2012.
The chip giant has given no reason for the delay, but some are speculating that it may be in a bid to give its alternative high speed data transfer technology Light Peak a chance [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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C&C creators release Highborn, the first turn-based social strategy for the iPhone
This interesting strategy game has generated quite a stir, partly because it was created by former Westwood people behind the original Command & Conquer games. Filed as a turn-based strategy game with a social twist, Highborn offers a casual tactical experience rather than frenetic RTS play for die-hards. Based on the classic good-versus-evil formula, the [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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ARM, IBM and other industry leaders form Linaro to speed roll-out of Linux-based devices
ARM, Freescale, IBM, Samsung, ST-Ericsson and Texas Instruments have joined forces and created a not-for-profit company called Linaro. The aims of the new company are simple:
To invest resources in open source projects for Android, LiMo, MeeGo, Ubuntu and webOS
To provide stable, optimized tools, kernel, and middleware software on a six-month update cycle
To help cut time-to-market [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Nokia announces bicycle charger for mobile phones
There is one obvious challenge to offering mobile phones in emerging markets: the availability of electricity to charge a mobile phone. You can’t expect people to be driving around cars with chargers when most in the market might be riding bicycles.
That’s one reason that Nokia has announced the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit. The kit not [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Mozilla unveils sudosocial.me, a stream publishing platform for profile pages
Mozilla announced sudosocial.me on Tuesday as a new experiment in the Mozilla Labs Concept Series. The service is aimed at helping you create your own profile page on the web that aggregates your feeds and information from other places, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other service that sends information via RSS feeds. Put [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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AT&T apologizes to Giorgio for cease and desist threat
Earlier today we reported on AT&T customer Giorgio Galante who after just two e-mails to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson got the following included in a voicemail response:
Going forward, we need to warn you that if you continue to send e-mails to Randall Stephenson a cease and desist letter may be sent to you.
Many of you [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Hulu to be added to Xbox Dashboard, source says
With E3 just around the corner, rumors about the show and possible reveals have been flying around faster than ever. The most recent addition to the rumor mill is Microsoft's latest Xbox Live service: Hulu.
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Red Dead Redemption patch to fix glitches next week
Since its release on May 18, Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption has suffered from many bugs and glitches both on and offline. While some glitches are rather comical - from the infamous donkey lady to the bizarre bird people - many of the game's issues can just be downright frustrating, such as the invisibility glitch. To address the issue, Rockstar is releasing a title update before the end of next week.
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Call of Duty: Black Ops to include several
According to Treyarch head Mark Lamia, Call of Duty: Black Ops will feature several co-operative modes while nixing the co-operative campaign. MTV Multiplayer sat down with Lamia this week to discuss Treyarch's newest title. As the developers behind Call of Duty: World at War, the Treyarch team has decided to split from its path of co-operative campaigns and (possibly) Nazi zombies. Instead, Black Ops will feature a campaign that is strictly a solo experience. However, the game will also include several co-op modes.
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Hey insomniacs, Zeo opens up its wireless sleep device to developers
Zeo Inc., the company behind a $200 Zeo Personal Sleep Coach wireless sleep device, plans to open its API so other people can build hardware add-ons and write apps for the gizmo. Since it’ll be the first consumer sleep product with an API, the news should come as a minor relief for the folks suffering from [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Dell Streak shows its stripes before launch
“The largest screen that can fit into a man’s shirt pocket.” That’s how Dell executive Ron Garriques described the Streak which was showcased at the D: All Things Digital conference according to a CNet report. The Deal Streak falls into a new device category as its 5-inch screen is bigger then a smartphone, but smaller [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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Get Red Dead Redemption co-op DLC for free on June 22
Rockstar teased Red Dead Redemption owners with a co-op mission pack when the game released, and that vague slip of paper inside each box has finally been detailed and dated. The “Outlaws to the End” mission pack, which features six cooperative missions, will be available to download for free on Xbox Live and the PlayStation [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-04
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AMD shows Fusion processor running Aliens vs Predator at Computex 2010
AMD has used Computex 2010 to introduce its Fusion advanced processing unit (APU) which combines CPU and GPU capabilities on a single die processor.
The USTREAM video you see above covers a number of areas, and presents a number of partners supporting AMD Fusion, but the highlight has to be the demonstration of Aliens vs. Preadtor [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Qualcomm shipping dual-core Snapdragon processors
Qualcomm is reminding manufacturers of its dominance in the mobile market through their shipment of two new dual-core Snapdragon chips with each core running at up to 1.2 GHz. The processor incorporates a GPU with 3D/2D acceleration engines, a low power audio engine, low power GPS, and are capable of 1080p video encoding and decoding.
The two new [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Review: 100 Rogues for iPhone
If are looking for a new App Store time-killer your search is over. 100 Rogues is a modern day rogue-like that combines the gameplay fundamentals of something like NetHack and adds in the level of polish that you’d expect to see in a top App store seller. It’s $4.99, it’s available now, and you should [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Lego felt tip printer is rebuildable and incredible
People make some pretty cool things out of Lego blocks these days, especially when using advanced tools like the Mindstorms kit. In the video above a dedicated Lego hacker put together a DIY inkjet printer using a custom Lego kit and a Mac computer. The ink is handled by a standard felt-tip marker, which means [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Nintendo DSi gets 20% price cut June 19 across Japan
Nintendo’s set price for selling the DS and DSi XL in Japan currently sits at 18,900 yen (US$205) and 20,000 yen (US$217) respectively. Both price points are more expensive than the equivalent hardware sells for in the U.S. But Nintendo is about to cut pricing on the DSi and DSi LL as it’s named in [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Quick Review: Beats by Dr. Dre Solo headphones
Beats by Dr. Dre’s more affordable headphone offering is the $199 Solo. These are smaller than the Studio headphones and, like the more expensive model, they are foldable, making for easier portability. Considering the size and price of the battery-powered Studio headphones the Solo is going to be a much more practical purchase for most [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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What you need to know about Steve Jobs
Apple has no interest in search, Adobe’s Flash is the next floppy drive, and Apple’s chief would rather quit than let Gizmodo get away with buying a stolen iPhone prototype – these are but a few of the many interesting highlights of the D8 conference that kicked off yesterday with a Steve Jobs interview that everyone’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Roll Out, Bulkypix
Bulkypix, the up and coming mobile publisher which recently announced eleven iPad games, offered us a sneak peek at their new iPhone puzzler dubbed Roll Out that will be rolling out (no pun intended) to the App Store this coming Friday.
I know, not another iPhone puzzler, but bear with me because you may not want [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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SanDisk announces new G4 and P4 SSD
SanDisk has introduced two new SSD lines at Computex 2010 this week. These are fourth generation solid-state drives meant to cater for desktop PCS, laptops, and ultra-thin devices.
The first new range of drives is called the SanDisk G4 SSD. It is meant as a replacement for desktop hard drives offering read speeds of 220MB/s and [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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iPhone tethering and capped data plans go into effect June 7, AT&T says
According to the official press release, AT&T tweaked its data plan offerings Wednesday morning, replacing the $30 a month unlimited 3G data plan with two new offerings that include either 200MB or 2GB of data for $15 or $25 a month, respectively. The change should relieve the strain on AT&T’s network ahead of the iPhone HD [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Sega Genesis classics now on Steam for $2.99
If you are looking for a legal way to play some classic Sega Genesis games on your PC then Steam now has the answer.
Eleven Sega Genesis titles are now available to buy through Steam, with ten of the eleven costing $2.99. The remaining game, Sonic 3D Blast, costs $4.99.
The full list of available games includes:
Altered [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Target takes Kindle nationwide
Back in April, Target began offering Amazon’s Kindle in select stores. The locations included its flagship store in downtown Minneapolis and 102 stores in Florida. After Target announced it would carry the Kindle it also set the expectation that it would soon offer it nationwide. Well, now it seems Target is ready to do just [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Review: Pzizz Sleep and Pzizz Energizer for iPhone, the software cure for insomnia and exhaustion
So, how about an app that helps fix your sleeping-related problems and boost your energy? If you’re thinking this doesn’t work, you’d be wrong. Unlike virtually every relaxation app on the iPhone, the two Pzizz apps (sold separately) combine dynamically changing instrumental music, voices, and ambient sounds to either gradually tranquilize your mind into a deep [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Disney allows Facebook users to buy Toy Story 3 tickets online
Last month we reported that a partnership between Alvenda and Time Inc.’s Synapse will allow Facebook users to subscribe to publications without leaving the Facebook website. By allowing users to remain on Facebook, it is believed they will be more likely to subscribe to publications through the social network. Now it seems that Disney shares [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Google homepage can now be personalized with an image
Has Google got some Bing envy? As of today you can carry out searches on the Google homepage with an image in the background. But this is no random image, it’s one you can choose to have there just like your desktop background image.
Posting on the Google Blog, Marissa Mayer, VP Search Products & User [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Mass Effect Citadel constructed out of LEGOs
Space stuff is cool and so are video games. But let
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Samsung S8500 Wave phones shipped with malware
It’s always a good idea to be careful about what you put on your mobile phone or associated memory card to avoid infecting your devices. Of course, if one of those ship with malware already on it then you are off to a bad start. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened when Samsung shipped some of [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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What does your e-mail address say about your computer skills?
You ever wonder what your e-mail address says about your computer knowledge? Well if you listen to the folks over at The Oatmeal, your e-mail address can say plenty about your computer skills, specifically the domain name. So in order to spell things out, they put together this simple chart to let you know how well [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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The iPad reportedly being tested at Verizon Wireless
As we are hearing rumors of a possible iPhone coming to Verizon Wireless later this year, if what we are hearing today is also true, the iPhone may not be the only hot Apple gadget that could make its way to the mobile phone carrier.
According to an insider as reported by Boy Genius Report (BGR), [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-03
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Intel unveils dual-core Atom CPUs for netbooks, as well as ultra-slim
It’s certainly taken awhile, but two years after Intel unveiled the first Atom netbooks at Taipei’s Computex show, they’ve come back to bring us the first dual-core Atom processors for the netbook category.
Not that this is terribly exciting. Improvements in Atom CPUs tend to be very marginally incremental, and Intel’s new dual-core Atom processors [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Asus hits Computex with two tablets: the EeePad and e-reading Eee Tablet
When Steve Jobs took the stage and announced the iPad, he basically soothsayed the inevitable product line-up of knock-offs at this year’s Computex expo in Taipei: tablets, tablets and more tablets. If anyone was going to quickly counter the iPad, though, it was going to be netbook-manufacturers Asus, who have been sinisterly teasing their own [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Security concerns push Google to ditch Windows
If you are lucky enough to get a job working at Google expect a surprise on your first day. Your PC will have the option of running Mac OS or Linux, but not Windows.
There has been no official word from Google on this, but several employees at the search giant have confirmed that Google is [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Pixel Qi show off latest displays outdoors with touchscreen
At the end of April Pixel Qi announced that their low-power displays were near ready for production. A little over a month later and CTO Mary Lou Jepsen is standing outside at Computex 2010 in very bright sunlight showing off three laptops with Pixel QI displays.
The beauty of these displays is they have a backlight [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Hitachi Travelstar Z offers 320GB in 7mm 2.5
Hitachi has pushed the boundaries of hard drive storage once again by managing to squeeze 320GB into a drive just 7mm high.
The Travelstar Z not only offers a lot of storage, it is also the world’s first 7,200rpm 7mm 2.5″ drive. Data transfer maxes out at 1,334Mbps, the drive has a 16MB cache, is [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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iPad + Velcro = awesome
Talk about taking Apple’s iPad to the places their engineers never thought of. With industrial-strength adhesive, some loop fasteners, and tons of imagination anything is possible. Put together by Jesse Rosten, this amusing video teaches us how the Velcro adhesive and iPad can make love so you can use your shiny multitouch computer just about anywhere [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Google Buzz plays a catch-up with Twitter
Google thought long and hard about naming a new feature that lets you repost someone’s buzz post with not one, but two clicks (more on that later).
After mulling over several choices, Google opted for a simple “reshare” that people “tend to say naturally,” as they put it. Rebuzz sounded “kinda lame” and the search firm [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Canon 1Ds Mk IV details revealed?
Canon’s current DSLR flagship, the EOS-1D Mark IV, looks to be set to get some competition from the 1Ds Mk IV. This camera is still in the rumor phase of its life, but we’ve been hearing about it enough that we can be relatively sure it’s coming and we have some pretty solid information on [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Intel unveils Knights Corner 50 core server chip
Consumers may now have a choice between two, four, or even six core processors, but Intel has announced a new 50 core chip aimed at the server market.
It is called Knights Corner and combines standard x86 cores with specialized cores to comfortably produce over 500 gigaflops of performance.
Intel announced the new processor as part of [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Sony announces first 3 PS3 games to get 3D update on June 10th
Sony has announced 3 games that will be the first to receive an update with 3D visuals for the PS3. They are:
Wipeout HD
Super Stardust HD
Pain
Both Wipeout HD and Super Stardust HD will receive the updates free, but Pain will require an additional payment of $3.20 to get the enahnced visuals.
The updates are only of use [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Woman files lawsuit against Google after getting struck on a highway
A woman from Park City, Utah by the name of Lauren Rosenberg has recently filed a lawsuit against Google for apparently leading her astray causing her to become injured. You see, Lauren had pulled up walking directions on Google using her Blackberry, which suggested a path for her to follow to get from one side [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Check out how much economic activity Google generated in your state
Google isn’t just a search engine, it’s also an engine for job creation and economic development that impacted the US economy with a cool $54 billion last year, representing the value brought to US businesses, website publishers, and non-profits. Google representatives revealed the figure speaking on Capitol Hill in Washington during the National Small Business [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Learn how to command Android with these secret codes
Like most cellphones, Android devices recognize a bunch of special codes normally used by service technicians to test out various hardware and software functions. Thanks to a poster at NexusOneForum.net who decoded .apk Android files, you can now learn codes that allow you to peek under Android’s hood.
Should you want to control various device aspects [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Apple kills music service Lala a week before WWDC 2010
The Mac maker has discontinued the Lala service on schedule, a week before its annual developer conference in San Francisco where, according to the rumor-mill, Apple could announce cloud iTunes that will store your entire media library on Apple’s servers and stream the content to your iTunes-authorized devices on-demand, eliminating the need for local storage [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Google rolls out real-time polling on YouTube
Video commenting has long been the only way to provide feedback for YouTube videos, but this changed with the launch of YouTube Moderator this past Thursday. It’s a pretty big deal because here we have a crowdsourcing social platform baked right inside the leading video sharing site on the web, allowing anyone to solicit questions on [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Adobe debuts Digital Viewer technology to power platform-agnostic digital magazines
Adobe took the wraps off its new digital publishing technologies Tuesday that it hopes will become the de facto standard for the creation and delivery of platform-agnostic, digital interactive magazines which run on a variety of hardware platforms, including Apple’s iPad. The Flash maker revealed it developed the new publishing software “with input from Condé [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Pulse arrives as the ultimate iPad feed reader
The digital publishing revolution has avoided the old-fashioned RSS feeds altogether, leaving free web news unjustly stuck in the stone age. Not anymore, if Stanford graduates Akshay Kothari and Ankit Gupta have any say about it.
The two grads have revitalized a dull news skimming routine with multitouch and the level of polish you’d expect from an interactive magazine, [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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How to turn your iPad into a scale (don
You’d be forgiven for thinking this one was real. After all, Apple’s iPad packs in an accelerometer sensor that might be somehow able to roughly tell your weight, with a little bit of software trickery.
In addition, its 9.7-inch multitouch display has shown a surprising resilience to beating so it should be able to withstand your [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures coming to the PC
For fans of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network, I have some special news from Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and LucasArts that will be sure to please. SOE and LucasArts have announced today that Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is currently in development for the PC and will bring the adventures [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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Rockstar no longer attending E3
Rockstar Games, the company behind the Grand Theft Auto series and the recently released Red Dead Redemption, will no longer be attending E3 2010.
Publication date: 2010-06-02
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15 things you didn
Yes, it’s an infographic, but it rocks. We all know Steve Jobs is an extroverted tyrant, a tough negotiator, a genius, and the ultimate presenter, but there’s more to Apple’s boss than the little tidbits their marketing machinery is feeding us. Enter the Online School’s excellent infographic that takes you on a ride through Jobs’ [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-01
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Joe Danger looks fantastic, has level editor
From the moment we first saw leaked footage of Joe Danger we knew it was going to be something a bit special. Last week an updated gameplay video appeared on YouTube of what looks to be a finished game. You can see that footage above.
But it gets better than that. Developer Hello Games also uploaded [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-01
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Sculpt and paint for free on your PC with Sculptris
3D modelling can be something done for free using an application like Blender, but that’s more of a general-use modelling package. Sculptris on the other hand, is a new solution aimed specifically at painters and sculptors.
If you’ve ever used Maya, 3D Studio Max, Blender, MudBox, or ZBrush, then I urge you to take a look [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-01
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IGF award-winning Limbo is Xbox 360 exclusive
You may remember a visually stunning platforming game appearing in March going by the name of Limbo. Its unusual black and white graphical style coupled with concept of a brave boy in a hostile world certainly captures your attention. It also struck a chord with judges at the Independent Games Festival which awarded Limbo both [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-01
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Genki Wear to release new Star Trek Fragrance
From the folks that brought you a new line of Star Trek Fragrances last spring comes a brand new cologne for those Star Trek geeks that want to smell like a topless starship captain. From Genki Wear comes a bold new scent called Shirtless Kirk Cologne and it is the fourth in a line of fragrances honoring [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-01
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Take a video tour of the International Space Station
We often see the International Space Station (ISS) appearing in the news, or in the odd film, but the images are usually of the exterior or small sections of the interior. If you want to see a proper tour of the ISS then look no further than YouTube and this gem of a video you [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-01
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The Empire Strikes Back
It is a sad day for the galaxy when the evil Galactic Empire has to start picking on poor defenseless woodland creatures as they increase their grip on peaceful worlds. No, I’m not talking about the Ewoks on the forest moon of Endor here. This time around, it appears the Empire is harassing backyard chipmunks.
In the [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-01
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Apple announces sales of two million iPads in less than 60 days
Apple announced that it sold two million iPads in less than sixty days since its launch on April 3. There are now over five thousand applications written specifically for the device, the company stressed. The demand is outstripping Apple’s current manufacturing output, chief executive Steve Jobs indicated in a statement:
Customers around the world are experiencing [...]
Publication date: 2010-06-01
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AT&T introducing $13.99 iPhone insurance option from June 6th
Not content with being the exclusive provider of the iPhone for the U.S. market, AT&T is trying to squeeze more money out of customers who opt for Apple’s smartphone. For an extra $13.99 a month, or $168 a year, you can have some peace of mind if ever anything were to go wrong with your [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-31
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Motorola strikes promotion-heavy deal with Verizon Wireless
Motorola has struck a deal with Verizon Wireless which cements the carrier’s heavy promotion of upcoming Motorola models. A WSJ article states that Verizon Wireless plans to release two Motorola smartphones in July with one of them expected to be the Motorola Droid Shadow which we reported that an executive left in a corporate gym [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-31
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Pokémon goes Black and White next Spring
Nintendo has officially announced that Pokémon Black and Pokémon White for the Nintendo DS will hit North American shelves in spring 2011. The games are currently scheduled to release in Japan this coming fall.
Publication date: 2010-05-31
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Lenovo ditches Skylight OS to focus on Android devices
The Lenovo Skylight smartbook was originally expected to be released around May this year, but in April Digitimes reported that Lenovo had decided to delay and improve the device. The reason being the launch of the Apple iPad, and what must have been Lenovo’s realization their device just couldn’t compete.
Now there’s been an even bigger [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-31
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Sony considering more remastered PS2 games for PS3
Sony has hinted that it may be considering creating some more remastered collections of PS2 titles for the PS3. The first we saw was God of War Collection which went down well with gamers.
According to a Kotaku reader Sony is gauging interest for further collections. A recent Sony survey he filled in asked the following [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-31
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Rube Goldberg dice roller spares one dungeon master wrist at a time
We’ve been seeing a number of Rube Goldberg machines hitting YouTube these day but this one is definitely the most DIY. Rather than being super slick like OK Go’s or high tech like the RFID touch-less one it is definitely a homebrew, but the point is that it gets the job done.
Sure, setting it up for [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-31
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Rock Band 3 to include keytar and new
Rock Band 3 will feature a keytar, Ars Technica's inside source revealed. Information about the upcoming Rock Band package including a keyboard was teased in the Green Day: Rock Band demo. But rather than a keyboard, Rock Band 3 will be sporting a keytar, a lightweight keyboard supported by a guitar-like strap. According to Ars Technica, the keytar will be the only new instrument in the game.
Publication date: 2010-05-31
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Thinner Kindle expected August, but without color touchscreen
Earlier this month it was speculated that the next Kindle would introduce color, multitouch, games, and apps. But Amazon may actually be taking a more conservative approach in a post-iPad marketplace.
Bloomberg has heard from people familiar with Amazon’s plans that the next version of Kindle will be appearing in August, and little is set to [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-31
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Toshiba creates bendable LCD for easy image zooming
Sony may be leading the field on creating a flexible display, but Toshiba is already looking at ways of associating flexibility with user input.
At SID 2010 Toshiba has demonstrated a new bendable LCD panel which also acts as a type of input. As you can see in the video above, the display is housed in [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-31
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Sony to launch new e-reader in Japan
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony plans to once again release another e-reader in Japan, but this time it will be launched with something it was missing before. Sony has partnered with three local companies including mobile phone carrier KDDI Corp, Toppan Printing Co. and Asahi Shimbun, a major newspaper in Japan, to [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-31
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One in six suffer from mobile phone
An FCC study has found that one in six U.S. mobile phone users have experienced what is being termed as “bill shock”. Bill shock is defined by the FCC as a mobile phone customer who finds a sudden increase in their mobile phone bill without any change to their service plan. The one in six [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-29
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Review: Livio Car Internet Radio app puts car radio on your iPhone
Don’t let the traditional car radio dial fool you – this nifty little radio app lets drivers tune in to thousands of radio stations from all over the world, stream radio broadcasts in the background, and more.
As the name suggests, Livio Car Internet Radio is an Internet radio client created specifically for use while driving. Detroid-based [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-29
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Google removes all Tetris clones from Android Market
As Android is an open platform with no checks required before an app goes live, it means anything and everything can be made available as an app. Although users and developers may prefer this method of deployment some rights holders clearly don’t.
The Tetris Company LLC. has issued DMCA notices against 35 Tetris clones which Google [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-29
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Toshiba AirSwing: gesture input with just a webcam
MIT researchers managed to simplify gesture input to require just a pair of gloves and a camera, but Toshiba has simplified even further requiring only a camera.
The system is known as AirSwing, and installs on a PC for use with a webcam. That means it will work with a media center PC under your large-screen [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-29
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Nike
Not to interrupt your regularly scheduled tech news flow with a Nike ad, but this might be the best video advertisement that I’ve ever seen. Don’t hold its viral-ness against it, this is as good as advertising gets.
The advertisement is for Nike Football (like the soccer kind) and it runs through plays from a few [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-29
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YouTube videos get 50% of their views in 6 days
The half-life of a video posted on YouTube is 6 days according to analytics from TubeMogul. After that, it takes another 20 days for a video to get 75% of its total views. The lifecycle of a YouTube video was the spotlight for Silicon Alley Insider’s (SAI) Chart of the Day which shows the average [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-29
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Grease: The Game to support Wii Balance Board and microphones
It's been 32 years since the movie. Now you can relive the Grease experience at home with the upcoming Grease: The Game for the Nintendo Wii.
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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New study says Bejeweled and Peggle improves cognitive function
A new study shows that casual video games can actually improve short term cognitive function, PopCap Games announced Wednesday.
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Samsung develops 18.5
Samsung has already had some impressive technology on display at the SID 2010 conference. Yesterday we saw the unveiling of a 46″ transparent LCD TV, but today’s device demonstration is even more impressive.
The screen you see above is an 18.5″ Samsung monitor sitting next to a PC. It’s a pretty typical setup, but this monitor [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Review: Belkin Play Max wireless router
The Play Max is Belkin’s new flagship consumer router. It, along with the new Surf, Share, and Play routers, is designed for easy installations and consumer friendliness. As the industry moves to make wireless networking easier Belkin is finally taking some steps forward, making things easier on consumers and trying to reduce the number of [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Opera ad parodies Chrome Speed Tests using a boiling potato
The advert you see above was released by Google at the beginning of May. The aim was to show off just how fast the Chrome browser is by pitting it against a potato being chopped and shot into a pan of boiling fat. Chrome wins, and the unusual ad definitely stays with you.
Opera has outdone [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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MegaHex 6-Propeller RC Chopper takes to the skies with a video camera
If you are looking to have fun this season with cool gadgets in the great outdoors, some people turn to RC vehicles to get their kicks. And if you already happen to be an RC aircraft pilot, you know what a joy it can be taking to the blue skies with your RC plane or [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Apple TV 2.0 to be A4 powered, $99
If Engadget’s anonymous tipsters are to be believed, then the next Apple TV could be as pretty big deal. To date, Apple’s $229 TV solution has been a flop, constantly pointed out as one of the company’s few (albeit minor) blunders. A second generation product could turn things around, especially now that companies like Google [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Japan to establish robot moon base by 2020
Japan is going to the moon, and once there will setup a base controlled by robots. It may sound like the weak premise of a new movie or game, but this is apparently what Japan is intending to do within the next decade.
According to a paper drawn up by the Japanese government, surveys of the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Field test: Leica M9
Few electronic devices are as lusted over as Leica’s cameras. Leica is one of a very small number of companies that has been able to get old-world, handmade craftsmanship and move that over to the digital age. Their eye-popping price tags entice as many people as they turn off, but the amazing shots we see [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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PhD Student gets quadrotor helicopter moving aggressively
Earlier today we got to see an impressive 6-propeller RC Chopper called the MegaHex. Capable of flying for 14 minutes with a heavy payload you can’t help but be impressed by the machine. But some people are experimenting and going past just creating a machine that can fly around and capture nice video footage.
One of [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Natal expected to be called Wave at E3 announcement
Xbox 360 Wave or Xbox Wave, how does that sound to you?
According to NowGamer that’s what Microsoft will announce as the official names for Project Natal at E3. The news comes from a “source close to Microsoft”, so it may still be wrong and we could see my favorite instead: Xbox Motion.
Wave certainly fits the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Foxconn plans wage increase to address suicide attempts
Foxconn, which manufactures electronic components for companies including HP, Dell and Apple, has had to deal with a serious string of suicide attempts by some of its factory workers. Due to its affiliation with Foxconn, the issue has led Apple to launch an investigation of Foxconn facilities to see that any worker issues, which may [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Dr. Who Theme played using Tesla Coils and a Faraday Suit
I love it when musicians push the envelope and think of inventive new ways to produce music using unique objects that most people would not even dare to consider as instruments.
Just take the performance art group ArcAttack, for example. This group uses standard musical instruments like guitars and bass, but what the group is also [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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U.S. man first to leave hospital with artificial heart
Until today I thought you needed a real heart to be able to walk around and survive, but I was wrong. Charles Okeke, a 43-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona, is currently sitting at home with an artificial heart keeping him alive. He is the first person to ever manage to leave hospital without his own heart [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Logitech accessories now available in colorful fantasy patterns
Last week, Microsoft announced the availability of new patterns for their Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 line. Now it seems that Logitech is answering that move with a line of peripherals which are just as artistic. Logitech’s Fantasy Collection will feature keyboards, mice, speakers, webcams, portable lapdesks and even a cooling pad.
Three artistic styles offered include [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Buddy radio let
If you’ve worked in a corporate environment you’ve probably seen the pin-up where a person can let everyone know what mood they are in today. A new device called the Buddy Radio, the brain child of Sidekick Studios, does the same thing, but also connects with social media platforms such as Facebook, IM and Twitter [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-28
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Chrome 5 for Mac and Linux out of beta
Linux and Mac users needn’t look with envy anymore at their PC fellows who have been enjoying stable Chrome version for Windows over the past few months. After over half a year in a perpetual beta, Google has now posted stable Chrome releases for Linux and Mac. As a result, Chrome 5.0 is the first [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Buy a PSPgo in the UK, get 10 free games
UK trade publication MCV has recently conducted an interview with SCE UK sales director Mark Howsen. Although the interview hasn’t been made live yet, some details of what was discussed have.
Top of the pile is news that anyone buying a PSPgo in the UK after April 1st this year will now be entitled to [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Anipov LED system lets bike tires display digital images
If you like to ride your bicycle in the evening it is highly advised that for safety’s sake, you equip your two-wheeled transport with lights so that motorists can see you on the road. But safety aside, wouldn’t it be sweet to have a wheel system on your bike that not only gets you noticed [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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AMtek bringing five new tablets to Computex
AMtek is betting big on tablets, and AMtek has just announced five new tablets they’ll be bringing to Computex next month, ranging from simple tablets boasting an 800MHz Freescale chip to an NVIDIA Tegra 2 powerhouse.
Their lowest end tablet is the AMtek iTablet Ex-Lite II, a 10.1-inch multitouch device with an 800MHz Freescale CPU, 512MB [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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You can jump over the flagpole in Super Mario Bros.
One of the long held myths about the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES has been proven to be fact: You can jump over the flagpole at the end of a level.
In total there are 24 flagpoles in the game, but only one can be cleared without triggering the flag slide. World 3-3 is [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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OLPC teaming up with Marvell to bring XO-3 tablet to market
The One Laptop Per Child project, or OLPC, have long divided technology enthusiasts with their founder Nick Negroponte’s vision to bringing computer systems to developing nations, but philosophies aside, today’s announcement that they will be partnering with Marvell to try to deliver their latest XO-3 tablet design.
That design, in typical OLPC fashion, is probably [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Barnes & Noble releases iPad app that lets you lend e-books to friends
As promised, the book retailer Barnes & Noble released its official e-reading app for iPad that one-upped the offerings from Apple and Amazon with a nice lending feature. Courtesy of Barnes & Nobles’ exclusive LendMe technology, it allows you to share eligible purchases with Nook owners and people who run the BN eReader app on iPad, [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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UK Therapist: Video Gaming gives same high as a line of coke
According to a UK therapist, playing video games for two hours will give you the exact same high as chopping up and snorting a line of coke on a glass tablet at Studio 54.
She is, of course, self-evidently nuts, but it’s all part of a wave of hysteria in the UK, as the media [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Finally you can move the Gmail icon column to the left side
Ever wanted to be able to move those message type icons in Gmail from far right to the leftmost side? Now you can, thanks to a new Gmail Labs project dubbed “Move Icon Column.”
According to a post over at the Gmail blog, you can finally move the icon column to the leftmost side in your [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Mozilla preps Firefox Home, a poor substitute for lack of Firefox on iPhone
Mozilla, the non-profit organization behind the Firefox browser, says it’s working on a new iPhone project designed to provide access to your desktop browsing history, bookmarks, and recently used tabs. Announcing the software dubbed Firefox Home in a blog post, Mozilla called it “your home on the web, wherever you are.” Hold your horses, though, [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Play Gears of War 2 online this weekend and earn triple the experience
Dust off your Gears of War discs. Title Update 6, available now on Xbox Live, introduces a new public multiplayer match feature for Epic Games' Gears of War 2. In celebration, fans who play online this weekend will earn triple experience.
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Acer unveils seven-inch tablet with QWERTY keypad
At a press event in Beijing today, Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci (the bulbously-schnozzed gentleman above, whose physiognomy is so reminiscent of Danny Devito) showed off a new 7-inch color tablet.
According to Lanci, Acer will probably look to offer the device subsidized through mobile phone networks, implying 3G connectivity. The device itself looks like a shrunken [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Acer
While they were busy announcing a new seven-inch tablet to counter the iPad, Acer decided to unveil another touchscreen device to compete with the iPhone and Nexus One: the Acer Stream.
Specs-wise, it’s very Nexusy: inside, it’s got a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, 2GB internal storage (with an 8GB microSD card bundled). Otherwise, the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Distracting Beach Babes video virus strikes Facebook users
Considering the millions of people who use Facebook there’s little wonder why it has become a favorite vehicle by hackers to spread viruses. The latest one being reported by All Facebook is the Distracting Beach Babes Virus. The virus propagates by showing up on a user’s Facebook wall as a video post. The link in [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Shuttle SX58J3 SFF is a mini PC case with lots of possibility
I’ve rarely seen a PC the size of a breadbox that I didn’t like, but with compression usually comes a dip in performance. Shuttle’s latest flagship SFF mini-PC, the Shuttle SX57J3 is capable of packing powerful hardware in a package only 33 x 21.5 x 19 centimeters in size…. but you’ll have to roll your [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Review: JVC Everio GZ-HD620 1080p camcorder
Geek.com recently reviewed an HD camcorder from JVC, the HM300. While it was a great camcorder to use, it had one serious flaw–it shot video at up to 1080i, not the Full HD 1080p that so many people are looking for. If you want that (and you want a JVC) the camera for you is [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Holiday Inn replace room keys with smartphone access
Gaining access to a hotel room used to involve using a key. More recently keys have been replaced with cards you swipe to unlock the door. But an experiment being carried out by Holiday Inn may remove the need for a key or card completely. Instead you’ll use a smartphone.
Keeping track of keys and cards [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Flash be damned, wonderful digital Wired magazine arrives on iPad
Nevermind the lack of Adobe’s Flash support on iPad and Apple’s rules of engagement prohibiting use of cross-compilers – publisher Condé Nast has debuted a digital Wired edition. And how did they do it? Easy, they compiled the original Flash project to the iPad-friendly Objective-C language.
Riding on the heels of positive first impressions, the magazine’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Survey shows iPad has cut netbook sales by 30%
Retrevo, a consumer electronics shopping site, released the results of their latest Retrevo Pulse Study which looked at how the iPad has impacted sales of netbooks. It’s clear based on the data that the iPad has had an impact on netbook sales. That impact occurred even before the iPad was released.
When asked, “Did you hold [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Facebook unveils simplified privacy controls
Facebook has acknowledged its complicated privacy settings and will be making changes to help users better control access to their information. Among other things the updated privacy controls will feature a single page that consolidates settings and information into a grid-based dashboard.
Mark Zuckerberg was quoted saying, “We’ve focused on three things: a single control for [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Fleet Week 2010
The last week of May 2010 marks Fleet Week, when part of the United States naval fleet visits New York harbor. The sailors and Marines get a chance to see NYC and civilians get a chance to see some awesome Navy hardware.
I had a chance to helicopter (on a CH-53E) over to the USS Iwo Jima [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Comcast bill details new Extreme 105Mbps broadband service
If you like your Internet speeds to be equivalent to that of an Indy race car taking a hot lap at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, you’ll probably be interested in a new Extreme tier for Internet access soon to be offered by Comcast.
Back in March, we reported about a new 100MBps Internet service Comcast had [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Team ICO Collection on PS3 rumored for 2011
Team ICO has already made a name for itself. Developing ICO, and then following that up with Shadow of the Colossus has many fans waiting eagerly for the release of the team’s next game: The Last Guardian.
If you missed ICO first time round it saw a re-release on PS2. But you may get the chance [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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Boogie Board
With all the publicity around gadgets like the iPad, it’s easy to forget about other devices which offer a specific function with just as much convenience. One case in point is the Boogie Board LCD Writing Tablet.
The gadget is eco-friendly since you will no longer need notepads, paper or pencils to take notes or sketch [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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EyeSeeCam: a camera system that tracks with eye movement
One of the problems you face when trying to film a subject is keeping the object you are focusing on in the frame. Undoubtedly you stop concentrating, relax the hand holding the camera, and get less than perfect footage. The EyeSeeCam is a possible fix for that as it’s a head-mounted eye-tracking camera.
It may in [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-27
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HP Slate will run webOS
When Microsoft unveiled the HP Slate at this year’s CES, it was self-confidently presented by CEO Steve Ballmer as the implied killer of a tablet, the iPad, that wasn’t even announced yet.
Unfortunately, the reality was that any tablet running Windows 7 just wasn’t going to be competitive in the same space as a device [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Opinion: The government must prohibit the carrier
As we reported last Friday, AT&T is jacking up their early termination fee (ETF) to $325 beginning June 1. The move arrives as Verizon’s doubling of their ETF to $350 was dropped for dumbphones following the unwanted attention from the Federal Communications Commission over the exorbitant fee. T-Mobile and Google wanted to slap would-be Nexus One [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Geniuses sue Apple over poor treatment and unpaid wages
If the court sides with Apple’s former Mac experts, better known as Geniuses, the company will be force to grab its checkbook and pay monetary damages, unpaid wages, and penalties to its retail workers for the nearly five-year period since September 2005 through the present. A bunch of Genius staffers employed at Apple’s retail stores [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Bittorrent makes uTP protocol open-source
uTorrent is the best Bittorrent client out there, and now the company behind Bittorrent technology is opening the source code of one of the revolutionary ingredients that makes it so great: the uTorrent Transport Protocol, or uTP.
What’s uTP? It’s a protocol that is designed to reduce network congestion by automatically allowing other non-Bittorrent [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Apple allegedly signs up director Sam Mendez to film the iPhone HD commercial
Sources claim that a Hollywood director Sam Mendez, who won an Oscar for “American Beauty,” landed a deal with Cupertino, California-based Apple to film an alleged iPhone HD commercial that will help sell video calling to couch potatoes. Mendez, 44, is apparently auditioning several actors for the commercial who bragged about it on Twitter.
The same [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Douglas Adams Fans celebrate Towel Day
Don’t panic. Do you know where your towel is?
If you do, then you must be a really hoopy frood.
Today is the day fans around the globe celebrate the works of science-fiction and comedy writer Douglas Adams. Adams was an English author responsible for several best selling titles, but his most well known book is The Hitchhiker’s [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Google TV and iPad run the same graphics
Apple’s iPad tablet and the Google-backed Google TV project are both powered by the same graphics processing unit created by a fables UK-based chip designer called Imagination. Manufactured by Logitech and Sony, Google TVs run an Intel-manufactured system-on-a-chip that contains Imagination’s PowerVR graphics core, Fortune reported. The commonly shared graphics architecture allows both Google and [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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New from ThinkGeek: iPhone projector, Zombie blood, and $10 off
Every fortnight or so our sister site ThinkGeek (what, you didn’t hear?) has some news for all the geeks out there. You know, new products, hot deals, that sort of thing. So what’s looking good this time?
First off, TG is offering 10 bucks off any order of $30 or more if you use product code UNUNDEAD [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Star Trek Art transports over to Microsoft Headquarters
If you are an fan of Star Trek: The Original Series and you happen to be visiting Microsoft Headquarters located in Redmond, Washington, you might find a pleasant surprise as you venture into the Studio D building. In the lobby of Studio D, you will find several pieces of hanging art that make it appear [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Sony concept wrist computer available in 2020
Our need to always be connected has turned our mobile phones into smartphones. So, it’s natural to assume that the next logical leap will be to have computers we can wear around our wrist. That’s the concept behind the Nextep Computer designed by Hiromi Kiriki for Sony which has been earmarked for consumers in 2020.
Some of [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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AT&T opens free outdoor WiFi hotspot in Times Square
AT&T’s network is often dinged for poor service on their 3G network , but on the positive side, they at least have a great WiFi network, thanks to twenty thousand WiFi hotspots spread throughout the country to offload their iPhone-congested network.
Now they’ve added another hotspot to that network. Making the number of WiFi hotspots 20,001 [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Half-Life 2 for Mac released today
The roll out of Steam for Mac earlier this month was made all the sweeter because Valve decided to make Portal free to download for a couple of weeks. With that promotion over Mac gamers have another game to start enjoying.
Today, May 26, will see the release of Half-Life 2 on Steam for Max OS [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Motorola Droid Shadow left in Verizon corporate gym
Considering how much drama and coverage surrounded the prototype iPhone leak, which was lost in a bar, you would think that insiders would be a little more careful with unreleased models they are carrying around. According to Gizmodo, apparently not. It seems the unreleased Motorola Droid Shadow was left in a corporate Verizon gym in [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Sony demonstrates rollable OLED
Flexible displays are something we would all like to have due to their space saving qualities, but we have yet to see a working example that provides the same quality display as those used in high-end smartphones and TVs.
Sony has come one step closer to offering such a display with the rollable OLED demonstrated in [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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LaCie Rugged Safe is the
If the security of data on your mobile hard drive is a top priority then LaCie has just released a new drive that may suit your needs. It’s called the Rugged Safe, and LaCie tout it as the safest mobile hard drive on the market.
The 500GB capacity, bus-powered USB 2.0 and FireWire 800 drive sports [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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CyberCom gets new 4-star general as boss
The new U.S. Cyber Command, CyberCom for short, has a new boss. CNet is reporting that Army General Keith Alexander will lead the new division as a four-star general after his promotion on Friday. The division will be based at Fort Meade, Maryland and will initially consist of 1,000 people.
CyberCom is a subdivision of U.S. [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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British scientist infects himself with computer virus
A British scientist has infected a chip implanted in his hand in an attempt to demonstrate some of the threats we face in the future as technology becomes an integral part of our bodies.
Dr. Mark Gasson of Reading University implanted a RFID chip under his skin last year. It is used to allow him secure [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Ping.fm integrated with Google Buzz and Seesmic on the iPhone and web
Ping.fm, a free service that makes it easy to update all your social statuses and microblogs in one go, has been updated with Google Buzz support, allowing your posts to appear as buzzes as well. In addition, the service has been integrated with the Seesmic for iPhone app and Seesmic web app.
It’s a natural progression [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-26
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Soda machine modified to dispense using iPhone app
Vending machines may be getting more futuristic with the introduction of touchscreens and gender-sensing camera systems, but when it comes to choosing and paying for an item there still needs to be interaction with the machine and money inserted. However, one MIT students has changed that with the creation of an iPhone app that can [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-24
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Last day to get Portal for free
On May 12 Valve made a surprising, but very welcome announcement. To celebrate the launch of Steam for Mac Portal is free to download for a limited period.
That free period ends today, so if you haven’t taken advantage of Valve’s generous offer head on over to the promotional page and get downloading before it’s too [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-24
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Google betas encrypted Google search
Privacy is largely a luxury that all of us have sacrificed in order to be online, as the recent Facebook privacy lapse makes abundantly clear. Still, as bad as social networks and other web sites can be about your privacy, you’re usually most vulnerable on your home network… which is why it’s always somehow [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-24
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Amazon and Asus team up to preload Kindle for PC software on netbooks
Asus and Amazon’s latest deal seems like a good one for both companies: the netbook manufacturer and the world’s largest e-book store are teaming up to deliver Kinddle for PC software on all Asus Eee PC netbooks.
On Amazon’s part, they are simply following their strategy of countering Apple’s iPad and iBooks through ubiquity: the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-24
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Alienware M11x getting processor refresh next month
Dell clearly weren’t happy with already having the most powerful 11″ laptop on the market courtesy of the Alienware M11x, so they are upgrading it.
Confirmed at the Digital Consumer Channel MEA 2010 by Dell’s Pearce Clune in the video you see above, the M11x will receive a processor refresh in June. Better yet, you’ll be [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-24
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HTC Vision: HTC Desire with a QWERTY keyboard
The image you see above is of the already-available HTC Touch Pro2 sporting a QWERTY keyboard, but HTC may have a new phone with keyboard attached in line for a release. It’s called the HTC Vision and clips a QWERTY keyboard on to the back of the HTC Desire.
With the Desire already having such a [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-24
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Review: Skate 3 on Xbox 360
When EA Black Box released Skate for the Xbox 360 and PS3 back in 2007 it was a both a surprise and a reset for what a skateboarding game could be. Provide the player with a big open world to skate around, couple that with a solid set on controls and a simple trick system [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-24
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Zynga to promote at 7-Eleven, get ready for the Farmville Big Gulp
Social gaming company Zynga is set to expand its presence in the real-world through a new promotional deal with 7-Eleven.
Across some 7,000 stores we can expect to see Farmville, Mafia Wars, and YoVille getting heavily promoted with consumers able to claim virtual Zynga goods through certain purchases and redemption codes. Products such as the Big [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-24
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MSI SketchBook laptop flips keyboard to reveal graphics tablet
If you are someone who uses your laptop for producing artwork then there’s probably a graphics tablet sitting in your bag. But that may not be the case for much longer if MSI’s SketchBook concept makes it to market.
The SketchBook looks just like a normal laptop, but it has a hidden feature. Flip the keyboard [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Watch a live feed of the BP oil spill
Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’re probably well aware of the BP oil spill disaster in the gulf as a result of an oil rig explosion on April 20th. That initial explosion led to a fire and a secondary explosion which resulted in the sinking of the platform on April 22nd. Two leaks [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Google: Apple is Big Brother now
Remember how Apple compared IBM to Big Brother in their famed “1984″ Macintosh advert? Google says Apple is Big Brother now. How times change…
Speaking in front of developers at their annual conference in San Francisco earlier this week, Vic Gundotra, Google’s vice president of engineering, compared the Californian consumer electronic powerhouse to Big Brother, throwing [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Facebook account data could be used to predict dating
It’s no secret that Facebook sorts through millions of user accounts in order to determine patterns inside user data that could be used for targeted advertising and other future streams of income. But what may not be well known is that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also experimented in examining user data from time to time, looking [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Tissot helps you choose a new watch with augmented reality software
Watch maker Tissot has a futuristic way for customers to see how a watch looks on them using 3D augmented reality. Using software called Tissot Reality customers will be able to view how the Tissot Touch collection looks on their own wrist. The software works with a webcam and is compatible with Windows and Mac [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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AT&T increasing early termination fee to $325
Considering a new smartphone contract and new phone with AT&T? Well, don’t even think about trying to end your contract early as the Early Termination Fee (ETF) is about to sky rocket.
Currently AT&T charge $175 for ETF, but from June 1 it is being increased to $325 for smartphones regardless of whether you are a [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Prima Strategy Guides get Steam powered
Back in the old SNES days when I was just an earnest gamer sprogling, I would never walk away from the local Electronics Boutique without both a new game and the accompanying strategy guide. Over the years, I ended up with quite a library of them, but eventually, those dog-eared paperbacks seemed like relics of [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Huge breakthrough in quantum teleportation beams data ten miles
Although shows like Star Trek and movies like The Fly have indoctrinated us to think of teleportation as deconstructing matter in one location and then magically recorporealizing it in another, there’s another type of teleportation that rarely gets talked about: quantum teleportation. And it’s already here.
In quantum teleportation, the quantum state of atoms, ions and [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Adobe Photoshop crashes on quit, fills with rage
Over an ManiacalRage there are some funny CS4 Crash Report messages. Adobe opens the door with that text input area and people step right in, sending in the sort of sarcasm that only the software that people use all day long could generate. The one posted above is definitely the best of the bunch though.
I’m [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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HP uses new flexible display technology for US Military watchphones
Watch phones continue to be rather absurd affairs, but HP’s latest conceptual project for the United States Military looks to up the ante on watchphones into the awesome.
Internally called their “Dick Tracy Watch,” HP’s new watch phone actually seems more similar to the PIP-Boy 2000 from the Fallout series of games. Their next-generation watch is [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Expect Android 2.2 update if you have one of these phones
Deciding to go on a two year contract with an Android smartphone certainly gives you a more open OS on which to communicate and use apps than the iPhone does, but the question always remains as to whether your phone will get the latest version of Android as an upgrade in a timely manner?
Android 2.2 [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Tesla Motors and Toyota partner to create electric vehicles
When it comes to developing electric vehicles it seems that Toyota and Tesla Motors won’t be competitors. The companies have announced a partnership to jointly develop electric vehicles and parts. As part of the agreement Toyota will purchase $50 million shares of Tesla’s common stock subsequent to the launch of Tesla’s initial public offering.
Elon Musk, [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Introducing the Machine, a homemade contraption made from scavenged car horns
If you’ve been following American contemporary art, you’ve must have stumbled upon the works of Llyn Foulkes. If not, what better way of familiarizing yourself with the artist’s opus than the Machine, a new kind of a homemade musical instrument that only a twisted mind like Foulkes’ could think of.
A Los Angeles artist and musician, [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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GameCrazy begins its going-out-of-business sale, reducing prices by 20 percent
GameCrazy is officially liquidating its outlets across the US, reducing the price of the remaining inventory by 20 percent.
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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The government gives Google
The stars are definitely aligning for Google. With a huge Android 2.2 splash, Google TV announcement, and a bunch of new stuff that came out of Google’s developers conference now behind us, the news has just reached us that regulators have greenlit the search firm’s $750 million acquisition of AdMob, the leading mobile advertising network. [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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iCushion allows you to take your iPhone to bed
It’s been a long day. You go to put down your iPhone to go to bed and are torn with the notion it won’t be in your hands again until the morning. What you really want to do is snuggle up with it before you go to sleep. Well, now you can.
Freshome.com reports that the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Eclectic Method Music Video shows that robots have rhythm
Eclectic Method is a London group comprised of three music video artists that are well known for their AV sampling/remixing style that often gets them invited to perform to live audiences across the globe. Today -it looks like the group has set their musical sights on one of our favorite geek subjects and that is robots.
The [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Fable III Collector
Lionhead Studios announced Friday that Fable III not only be released on the Xbox 360, but will also be available for the PC later this year. Those who purchase the PC version will get a $10 discount, knocking the price down to $49.99. However, the full-fledged Collector's Edition will only be available for the Xbox 360 for $79.99.
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Seesmic for iPhone launches
Seesmic has finally launched an iPhone version of its popular social networking application. Using the app, iPhone owners will be able to keep track of multiple social network accounts including those from MySpace, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Flickr, Blogger, Twitter, Facebook and Ping.fm. One of the most powerful features of the application is the ability to post [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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cnectd offers alternative to SMS/MMS and IM
If you are looking for an alternative to SMS/MMS and instant messaging cnectd may be your solution. The application, which supports iPhone, Android, Symbian and BlackBerry operates independently of instant and text messaging solutions to allow a user to chat with multiple contacts, share images and location. The solution will even allow you to [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-22
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Apple changes policy, wants your cash now
Earlier this week we learned that Apple store weren’t accepting cash payments for some purchases, specifically for the iPad. This restriction has been overturned though, thanks to the efforts of Diane Campbell, and ABC local news team, and some good, old fashioned public outcry.
The iPad currently has a purchase limit on it (two per customer) [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Intel considering allowing displays greater than 10.2-inches with Atom N-Series
During the recession, Intel was very cagy about allowing their Atom platform of cheap, low-power-sipping CPUs from cannibalizing sales of their bread-and-butter processors like the Core 2 Duo and Core iX line of CPUs.
One of the way they’ve done this is by imposing an arbitrary limitation on the screen display size that manufacturers [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Publish your own ebook with Barnes & Noble PubIt! service
Barnes & Noble is opening up its website and eBookstore to independent publishers and self-publishers. The platform, called PubIt!, will offer books through the widely adopted ePub format which is compatible with a number of readers including Barnes & Noble’s NOOK and BN eReader software which is available for the PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, and [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Make it: DIY iPad stylus
Personally I’d be happy to never use a stylus again but some people just won’t let them die, even with today’s high-end capacitive touchscreens. To be fair a stylus can be useful if you draw or insist on taking notes by hand, but those are both things I’d just as well avoid.
If you want a [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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MacBook teardown reveals a ten-hour battery identical in shape and size to the previous model
Those crazy teardown experts over at iFixit took apart the brand new MacBook that Apple released Tuesday. Peeking inside its white polycarbonate shell, they took a closer look at the new hardware, namely the Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics and a longer-lasting battery. For starters, iFixit noted that the new MacBook has the same model number [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Samsung Becomes Guinness Record Holders for World
Samsung may not have the best smartphone, or television, or stereo, or laptop on the market. But that doesn’t make them losers: far from it. While the iPhone may reign as king, and while Sony might rule the HDTV roost, that’s all just so much finely chopped liver compared to Samsung’s real accomplishment: they are [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Sega to release new Virtual On game for Xbox 360
Sega decided to re-release its Virtual On Oratorio Tangram (VOOT) mecha fighting game on Xbox Live last year. It proved popular, so popular in fact that fans can expect a follow-up game.
This time round Sega has decided to forego the digital download route and instead will release a boxed game. This new game will be [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Google sued for collecting private WiFi data
A couple of days ago, Google came out and admitted that their fleet of Street View cars had been accidentally collecting personal WiFi data. It was the good guy thing to do, and Google immediately set about trying to make amends, not just by immediately going about purging the data but by prompting a third-party [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Moshi Voice Control Alarm Clock allows you to hit snooze with a snore
Gadget bloggers see lots of novelty alarm clocks. Alarm clocks that roll off the bedside table, screaming, until you hunt them down and turn them off. Helicopter alarm clocks that physically fly around the room until you bat them down with a broom.
What’s most amazing about these alarm clocks is how extreme the methods they [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Google I/O Day 2
Yesterday we posted some initial coverage of Google’s I/O developer conference, but it turns out that today, day two of the event, was by far the more exciting part. Here is a brief overview of what we’ve seen so far…
Android 2.2 (Froyo) is official and impressive
This one doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Wiimote with integrated MotionPlus hitting the FCC?
It’s been over a year since Nintendo first unveiled its Wii MotionPlus technology, a snap-on accessory that gives the Wiimote greatly improved accuracy and sensitivity. It’s a worthwhile add-on, but at this point, you’d really expect it to be baked into the Wiimote proper.
Up until now, though, there’s been no word. An FCC filing [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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EU fines nine chip makers for DRAM price fixing
Nine of ten chip makers have received substantial fines from the European Unions over four years of DRAM price fixing.
The companies involved include Micron, Samsung, Hynix, Infineon, NEC, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Elpida, and Naya. Micron is the only company not to be fined because it was the one to step forward and tell the authorities [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Quick look: Sony W Series water-resistant Walkman
Sony’s NWZ-W252 water-resistant Walkman was not immediately a product that made sense to me. In fact it looked like something an elderly person would wear while taking an early morning walk around a mall. Its headphone-free design cuts down on loose parts, but loses major style points along the way. It holds about 400 songs [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Google Storage for Developers beta aims to take on Amazon S3
It’s not the long rumored GDrive, but Google’s recently announced Storage for Developers looks like fitting competition for Amazon S3, offering developers a cheap, scalable way to store data online.
Currently an experimental Google Labs project, Google Storage for Developers is currently available by invitation to U.S. developers. Go to the free sign up page, [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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IPRED anti-piracy law is a failure, needs another law passed to work
When Sweden passed the iPRED law last year it was hailed as a turning point by copyright holders who would now be able to track down pirates much more easily online. However, what those same copyright holders didn’t expect was ISPs to start deleting IP address log data in order to protect their customers from [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Star Wars Fallen AT-AT Wedding Cake makes Imperial defeat taste delicious
For those of you who remember the Dead Tuantaun Wedding Cake, thankfully I have another Star Wars Wedding Cake to show you this week that won’t necessarily creep you out. It may make you feel a little sad though – that is if you are a fan of the Empire.
This fallen Star Wars AT-AT Wedding [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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3FN is shut down by FTC
You’ve probably heard of a rogue person or agent, but how about a rogue ISP? Believe it or not, such an ISP existed and it went by the name 3FN. While most Internet service providers concentrate on providing hosting and connectivity solutions to customers, 3FN had a niche market. They worked with the underbelly of [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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This is what Google TV looks like
We learned all about Google I/O day 2 and Google TV this morning, but details are still coming out about Google’s television solution. We do know that they are working with companies like Sony, Intel, and Logitech on the project though. Logitech just put out some more information, including the picture above of the Logitech [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Pirate Bay makes U.S. Congressional caucus piracy watch list
The Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus has created what it calls its 2010 International Piracy Watch List. The list contains countries that the caucus believe have “serious problems” when it comes to copyright piracy. This includes the countries of China, Russia, Spain and Mexico, but the caucus didn’t stop there.
In addition to naming countries, the caucus [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Apple rolls out iPad App Store internationally
Good news for our overseas friends who purchased their iPad from US friends: Apple has rolled out the iPad mobile bazaar to a bunch of international markets. As a result, international iPad buyers who lack a US iTunes Store account can now purchase and download apps for the device from their localized iPad App Store, [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-21
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Gold Vending Machine premiers in Abu Dhabi
When people are thirsty, they often visit a soda vending machine. When they get hungry and there are no shops around, sometimes a snack vending machine will do in a pinch. But what is a wealthy person to do when they get a hankering to hold some new precious metal in their hand and the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Cash isn
According to an ABC story by Michael Finney, Apple is refusing to accept your hard-earned cash in exchange for an iPad. The last time I checked, paper money was a valid payment method in this country, even though the law doesn’t require retailers to accept dead presidents.
The ABC piece describes the case of Diane Campbell, [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Crystal Dynamics release Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light gameplay trailer
Back in March developer Crystal Dynamics announced that a new Lara Croft game was in development called Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Unlike other games in the series this one drops the Tomb Raider name and will be download only.
This week a gameplay trailer has been released giving us a good idea of [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Palm webOS phones arrive at AT&T
As we were told in January, Palm webOS phones have finally arrived on the nation’s #2 wireless network. Beginning yesterday, Palm fans can walk into an AT&T store or visit their online store and pick a Palm Pre Plus. The Palm Pixi Plus, however, will be available from June 6, the carrier said.
AT&T is advertising [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Nvidia puts Tesla GPUs inside IBM
IBM has struck an important deal with the graphics giant Nvidia that has resulted in the creation of a GPGPU-enabled IBM datacenter. This major milestone helps IBM customers that crunch lots of numbers take advantage of a tremendous horsepower provided by the Nvidia Tesla supercomputing processors.
Dubbed the iDataPlex DX360 M3, this new IBM datacenter server [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Seagate 3.1TB HDD first of many drives to require new BIOS
We’ve known the day was coming for a while now, but with Seagate’s announcement today of the world’s first three terabyte hard drive, the day has finally come when modern hard drives will no longer support DOS or Windows XP.
Known as the Constellation ES, the drive will not only offer the largest storage platter out [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Microsoft previews the new Hotmail experience
Microsoft has revealed a number of new details about its forthcoming update to the Hotmail e-mail service. And this is no small update with Microsoft seeming to rebuild Hotmail from the ground up.
Here’s a list of the major new features touched upon in the video and Windows Blog post:
Sweeps
Microsoft’s answer to the virtual broom. With [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Up next for Kindle: Color e-ink, multitouch, games, apps
According to a Monday piece by the New York Times, Amazon is on a hiring spree, acquiring engineers left and right as it preps the next Kindle. The online retailer appears adamant to get a piece of the iPad action as it’s believed to be adding greater functionality to its e-reader, namely a color screen [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Hulu Plus $10 subscription service delayed
Last month, we reported that Hulu was about to test a $9.95 a month subscription service possibly as soon as May 24th. The new subscription service is expected to offer greater access to Hulu’s catalog while non-paying members will be limited. For example, non-paying members will only be able to access the last five episodes [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Original Disney Parks
It’s a sad day for would-be Rebel X-Wing pilots. Disney Parks fantastic Star Wars themed Star Tours ride is being overhauled this year, and that means that the best ride in all of Disneyland will close its doors on July 27th, with Walt Disney World soon to follow on September 8th.
If you’ve never been on [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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The Pirate Party is now the ISP for the Pirate Bay
Not that any of our honest readers noticed, but yesterday, the world famous Pirate Bay website and torrent tracker went down without notice after a German injunction knocked out their ISP.
It wasn’t a big deal — this has happened to the Pirate Bay countless times — and sure enough, they were back up and [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Nintendo developer says next Zelda game will be
In an interview with German gaming site Gaming Media, Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto discussed the early stages of development for the new Zelda game. According to Miyamoto, Nintendo is "creating a new way to play the game," one that differs from the typical pattern we've come to expect from the Zelda franchise.
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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NTT DoCoMo app generates e-mail from three words on your mobile
Japanses mobile company NTT DoCoMo has developed a new automatic e-mail generation feature for its latest mobile handsets. The system is meant to make it very simple to send e-mail to others by only requiring the user input 1-3 key words or phrases.
So, for example, the user can select the word “late” and phrase “ten [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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EFF: 8 in 10 browsers have unique, trackable signatures
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has discovered that regardless of what measures are taken to protect your privacy online your web browser could allow you to be tracked.
The EFF carried out an experiment which anonymously logged the configuration and version information of users navigating to the panopticlick.eff.org website. Every configuration is different and the EFF [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Quick review: Jabra Extreme Bluetooth headset
The Jabra Extreme is a tiny Bluetooth headset that offers up some of Jabra’s best technology. Selling for about $55 it will be competing with products like the Jawbone Prime and Jabra’s own Stone.
The Extreme isn’t just another tiny Bluetooth headset, it has some nice selling point as well. These include A2DP, MultiUse support for [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Rumor: Sony PlayStation Network to go Premium, offer free games and streaming music service
Although Microsoft’s Xbox Live is a fantastic online service, it does have at least one obvious disadvantage over Sony’s competing PlayStation Network: it costs money to use, and without signing up for a subscription, you can’t even use your Xbox 360 to do basic online stuff like multiplayer gaming. The PlayStation Network, at least, doesn’t [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Google goes real-time with Feed API v2 push updates
Google has offered up video detailing the latest version of its Feed API. Version 2.0 will support real-time PubSubHubbub feeds which will allow new content to appear on a web page without the need for a visitor to reload the site. As shown in the video, an example would be a new blog entry that [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Panasonic Skype Camera available now for Viera HDTVs in the United States
First appearing at this year’s CES in Las Vegas and premiering in Japan a couple months ago, Panasonic’s Skype camera for the company’s Viera line of HDTVs has finally made its way to the United States.
The Skype camera will work on Viera cast enabled Panasonic 2010 HDTVs (namely the Viera VT25, VT20, G25 and G20 [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Tweetie pulled from the App Store ahead of Twitter
Tweetie disappeared from the App Store late yesterday, leading some to suspect that this popular Twitter client for the iPhone has fallen prey of yet another app rejection. However, considering Twitter recently acquired Tweetie’s developer and the app itself, the move most likely signals the imminent release of Twitter’s official client for the iPhone, simply [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Best Buy gets into video on-demand with CinemaNow
Back in November of last year, we reported that Best Buy had teamed up with Sonic Solutions to offer on-demand video content to web-connected televisions, portable media players, PCs, Blu-ray players, set-top boxes and mobile phones. Now it seems the partnership between Sonic and Best Buy is ready to bear fruit with the launch of [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-19
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Gamers, this is not the
Any World of Warcraft player worth their accumulated subscription fees has, at one time or another, dreamt of a smartphone capable of playing WoW. Heck, I’ve wished for one myself: maybe a limited iPhone app that doesn’t let me raid, necessarily, but at least allows me to access my in-game mail, chat and the auction [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-18
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Facebook privacy spurs movement to quit and funding of alternatives
While grumblings over Facebook’s privacy standards continue one website is asking users to take a definitive step to protest. The goal of the website? To get you to quit Facebook on May 31st.
The website, appropriately named Quit Facebook Day, asks for people to add their name with others who plan to quit the social network. [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-18
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Source leaks info on Sony
Online rumors speculate Sony will announce a paid-for-premium PlayStation Network service at E3. According to VG247, an inside source revealed Sony will announce a large-scale monetizing scheme for PSN at the LA expo this June. For "less than
Publication date: 2010-05-18
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Winner of best illusion contest seems to defy laws of gravity
The Best Illusion of the Year Contest is sponsored by the Neural Correlate Society which promotes research into the neural correlates of sensory perception, awareness, and cognitive experience. This year’s contest was narrowed down to the top 10 submissions with the first prize being awarded to an illusion which seems to violate the laws of [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-18
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AT&T doubling 3G data speed to 14.4MBps for 250 million Americans by the year
AT&T is stepping up efforts to bring its high-speed data network to as many Americans as possible, announcing plans to deploy a HSPA+ data network upgrade to more than 250 million US customers by the year’s end. Although AT&T – which recently tweaked its branding in an effort to re-position itself as a lifestyle company – [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-18
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Iron Man 2
It’s pretty safe to assume that if a summer blockbuster was pushing the envelope in any field it would be that of computer graphics. This would be doubly true if the movie was about a man in an indestructible flying robot suit.
It turns out that Iron Man 2’s most impressive feat of technology is not its computer [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-18
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Busted: AT&T doesn
Believe it or not, but Apple’s exclusive US carrier doesn’t know that the App Store is carrying well over 200,000 apps on its virtual store shelves. Worse, they’re advertising the iPhone as having a hundred thousand apps despite the mobile bazaar having crossed that particular milestone well over six months ago. Think I’m making this [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-18
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A new patent reveals insanely great Facebook integration in iPhone OS 4
Apple has fixed an issue with data exchange between incompatible devices and solved the problems related to social sharing between different platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn.
According to the ideas outlined in Apple’s patent application titled “Device-to-device workflows,” iPhone OS 4 could let you perform common actions, including various social networking requests, with a touch of [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-18
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Adjectives introduced in 5th Cell
Prepare to dawn that thinking cap once more. Super Scribblenauts, the sequel to 5th Cell's revolutionary Nintendo DS game, is set to release in autumn 2010, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced Monday.
Publication date: 2010-05-18
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LEGO Keyboard Decals won
As a sentient biomass of pure geekdom, the Internet shows no signs of abating its love for the dimpled, brightly colored plastic bricks of its collective youth: LEGOs. The LEGO company has gleefully taken advantage of our fanaticism even in the realm of consumer electronics: there have been LEGO digicams, even.
But even LEGO hasn’t ever [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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New Ford Fiesta will now tweet your terrible driving
Twitter’s always been full of too much superfluous information, from a middle-aged office manager’s musings on what kind of sandwich she’ll have to lunch to a too-lurid description of a mysterious pustule found upon the backside of a seventeen year old.
Gadgets haven’t helped any: there’s gadgets out there now that will tweet your plant [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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Project Natal Might Cost $150 In The United States
In order to compete with the Nintendo Wii in the casual market, Microsoft’s been working on their long-touted Project Natal motion-sensing accessory for years now, but the big concern has always been price: while the Wii costs just a couple hundred dollars, Project Natal is an additional expense on top of an already expensive Xbox [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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Google grounds Street View fleet after they inadvertently record privacy-breaching public WiFi data
Google’s corporate philosophy is simple: “Don’t be evil.” Last week, though, Google got caught doing something very evil indeed: using their fleet of cars that make the pedestrian-style view in Google Maps possible, Google was probing unprotect WiFi networks that they passed and recording which websites were looking at.
Pretty evil, huh? It sure is. So [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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More iPhone 4G videos leak
Back in the day it was pretty hard to get your hands on an iPhone prototype, just about impossible. Well, something went seriously off the rails with Apple security with this release because another next generation iPhone has hit YouTube. This time the leaks is from Vietnam, just like what we saw last week.
Not a [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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Sylvania MusicLite LED bulbs turns any lamp or light fixture into a wireless speaker
There’s a lot of ways to get your music wirelessly piped into the room of your choice, from expensive, high-end systems like Sonos’ offerings to affordable, Mac-friendly solutions like Apple’s own Airtunes.
One of the wireless music solutions I like best though is the Lightspeaker system Klipsch announced earlier this year, which combined LED bulbs and [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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Royal Companion Arcade Stick turns a typewriter into a joystick
Like many writers, I’ve always been romantically and nostalgically drawn to the venerable typewriter, which, like a bicycle, is pretty much the definition of the perfect analogue gadget, and as both a writer and a gadget lover, I’ve always wanted an old Underwood.
Unfortunately, I’ve always known I would never actually use one: while I [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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Apple vs. media: Steve Jobs and Gawker
To cut a long story short, a Gawker blogger lured Apple’s boss into an email flame war over iPad, the company’s walled garden approach, and recent business decisions. The conversation quickly takes a turn for the worse and a blogger eventually got what was coming to him.
It all started rather benignly, when a Gawker author [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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iPhone HD: E-reading display, iBooks, June launch, 24 million units in 2010
Digitimes reported Monday that Apple’s component suppliers and manufacturing partners are now receiving big iPhone HD orders, the strongest indication to date that the official launch is weeks away.
The publication’s senior analysts Ming-Chi Kuo interviewed sources close to Asian component makers who believe Apple commissioned its favorite contract manufacturer Foxconn to build 24 million iPhone [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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IBM Model M keyboard simulator
Stuck on a crappy rubber membrane keyboard? Forget what it even feels like to type on IBM’s Model M, the king of clickiness? This keyboard simulator will get you half way there.
Basically you type on your keyboard and the site makes the sounds that the Model M would make. So you get the auditory feedback [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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Quick Review: Picross 3D for Nintendo DS
Summary: Picross 3D is Minesweeper for the 21st century. A 3D shape is hidden within a block of cubes. Some of those cubes have numbers on them telling you which blocks need to stay and which need to go. Using the available information you need to reveal the object within as quickly as possible.
Verdict: [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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White MacBooks with faster processor and graphics en route
According to a credible new leak, the white MacBook will receive a minor upgrade to better align Apple’s entry-level notebook offering with the recently refreshed 2010 MacBook Pros.
According to a post, the new MacBook retains the same white polycarbonate plastic enclosure and a 13-inch widescreen display at 1280×800 pixel from the previous upgrade, with a little [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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NVIDIA wants Tegra 2 equipped Android devices to compete with Apple
Apple’s A4 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors are some of the snappiest CPUs in the mobile market, but NVIDIA is now looking to take both of them on, with CEO Jen-Hsun Huang saying that the GPU company is looking to position the second generation Tegra chipset as a multimedia and performance-focused alternative for high-end mobile devices.
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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i-Fairy Robot Marries Japanese Couple, Each Working in Robotics
After a lifetime of indoctrination through sci-fi cinema, I usually spend my time worrying about robots ripping humanity apart with their steel, servo-controlled pinching claws, so it generally warms my heart to see that at least one robot out there is capable of bringing two people together… in matrimony that is.
The story comes from Japan [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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Details leading up to Gizmodo iPhone search warrant released
Unless you have been living under a rock you probably know all about the drama surrounding the lost iPhone prototype that an Apple engineer by the name of Gray Powell lost in a bar that was later found by Brian Hogan (pictured above) who then sold the prototype to Gizmodo. Those series of events led [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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Stallman: Any non-free program is wrong
Mashable was able to line up free software advocate (and geek legend) Richard Stallman for an video interview recently. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth a watch. This is just one part though, more are on the way.
Stallman is, as usually, all about free and open source software. But what does “free” mean? [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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Co-founder of Wikipedia giving up his editing rights
Jimmy Wales, co-founder of the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia, found himself in a public relations hurricane after Fox News reported that Wales had sent an email to the FBI in April with concerns over content posted in two categories of the Wikimedia Commons archive including one on pedophilia and another for Japenese lolicon comics. Wales [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-17
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Bandai to offer Gundam replica that stands 5 feet tall
If you are a big fan of Gundam anime you may want to add this latest replica by Bandai on to your holiday wish list. The replica stands five feet tall and is a 1/12 scale of the RX-78-2 Gundam. It will ship with a beam rifle, beam saber and a shield.
Each replica, which will [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-16
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Got $190,000 laying around? Then grab a Solid Gold iPad
If you are one of the people out there that think the iPad is more costly than practical, just wait until you get a load at this Richie Rich style modded iPad.
Created by the luxury design folks over at Stuart Hughes, this iPad has been tricked out with 53 flawless diamonds in the Apple logo, [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-16
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Student? Text folks for free and read voicemail transcriptions while in class with Google Voice
Google Voice may still be an invite-only affair limited to a few hundred thousand lucky users, but if you’re a US student you can get a Google Voice invite within 24 hours and join the party. All you have to do is visit google.com/voice/students and enter an email address that ends in .edu.
Jason Toff, an [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-16
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AdMob serves up its 200 billionth mobile ad
AdMob announced that it has now served up its 200 billionth (that’s with a b) mobile ad. AdMob is one of the world’s largest mobile ad networks and was first founded back in 2006. Incredibly, the company reached the 100 billionth ad milestone only nine months ago back in August 2009.
Chances are you’ve probably seen [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-16
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Google to pull down Nexus One from web store and sell it exclusively through carriers
Google will stop offering its iPhone-killer Nexus One through the web store because that didn’t work out for them. Instead, the search firm said today, Nexus One will be exclusively sold by the carriers around the world, just like any other handset.
Calling the Nexus One “a beacon of innovation among Android handsets,” Google’s mobility chief [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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The iPhone HD to launch June 21, AT&T may have inadvertently slipped
AT&T, Apple’s exclusive carrier in the US, is allegedly changing upgrade eligibility dates in the system to reflect a rumored June 21 iPhone HD launch. At least one reader informed MobileCrunch of a sudden change in upgrade eligibility date on his AT&T account.
According to the publication, AT&T has moved upgrade eligibility date for this individual five [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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Google vanity lands copywriter a new job
Ever googled your name to see what kind of results they receive? While the task may seem a bit on the narcissistic side, the practice of vanity googling ended up helping a copywriter who was bored with his current gig find a brand new job.
Alec Brownstein, a man determined to elevate himself on the corporate ladder, used the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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Want to see what your coworkers are doing? Raise a cubicle periscope.
You ever get that sensation when working in a cubicle that you feel a little isolated – cut off from the rest of the world or at least the office? Apparently so did flickr account user Ian. To remedy this feeling of dread, though, he took it upon himself to successfully fashion a cubicle periscope [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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GMail cutting into Yahoo
Google may be beating Yahoo when it comes to search engine market share, but Yahoo is still tops when it comes to email according to Silicon Alley Insider (SAI). The website’s chart of the day shows the U.S. unique visitors to each service’s webmail sites. While first impressions of the chart would leave you to [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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The next iPhone could auto-add local business apps to your homescreen
Picture this: You’re travelling on a vacation and the minute you land at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France your iPhone offers an app highlighting the must-see landmarks. Or, you walk in that fancy restaurant that a friend was telling you about the other day and up pops a virtual menu automagically disappears [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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A barcode scanning app RedLaser is big on the iPhone
What do you reckon files as a stellar achievement for an iPhone app? A hundred thousand downloads? A million? How about two million downloads of RedLaser, a barcode reader that costs a buck?
Wait, that’s not all. Besides being featured in an iPhone TV commercial, the RedLaser app has maintained nearly a million active users who [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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MONKEYmedia sues Apple for patent infringement using Apple
You’d be forgiven for mistaking MONKEYmedia’s patent infringement lawsuit against Apple for the Mac maker’s legal claim against the handset vendor HTC as the user interface studio’s complaint represents a blatant rip-off of Apple’s argument against HTC. If you ask me, that’s a really bad way to claim an intellectual property theft.
The lawsuit that MONKEYmedia [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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Dell Mini 5 aka
Dell’s long imminent first tablet, the Dell Mini 5 aka “Streak,” is getting closer to release: according to CEO Michael Dell, the Streak will debut in the United States on AT&T in late summer.
The Streak isn’t really iPad-like. Instead, it has more in common in size and form factor with various MIDs, or a larger [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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Quick Thoughts: Adobe Creative Suite 5
By: Josh Korwin and Sal Cangeloso
Right on schedule Adobe has released the newest edition of their industry-standard Creative Suite software package. Creative Suite 5 brings some big changes to the suite, more than users might expect if they were using CS4 as a benchmark. Interestingly (and finally) these changes weren’t just on the features/UI side. [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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Schmidt says Android OS will be
There’s been a lot of back and forth lately about whose on top in the smartphone wars between Apple and Google. The NPD group recently claimed that Android was the biggest smartphone operating system in the United States… a claim loudly contested by Apple, who pointed out that the mobile operating system ecosystem as a [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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Apple Support Will Be Almost Entirely Offline For The Weekend
If you have a problem with your Mac, iPhone or iPod, this is not the weekend to call Apple support: according to an internal Apple memo, all of Apple’s support servers will be offline this weekend, limiting customer support to basic troubleshooting. Don’t expect an Apple Store to even consider fixing your product if you [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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i-Got-Control turns your iPhone or iPad into a universal remote
We all know that besides his dog, another one of man’s best friends is his remote control. But if you happen to own several audio or video devices, keeping track of all their separate remotes can sometimes be a little daunting. What if you could use a device you already carry with you from day to day [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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LimeWire found liable for copyright infringement
LimeWire got some bad news this week. PC Pro reports that Judge Kimba Wood announced her decision in the lawsuit brought against the company by the RIAA back in 2006. The decision found that LimeWire’s parent company as well as its founder, Mark Gorton, were liable for copyright infringement.
LimeWire offers file sharing software which allows [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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MW2 Resurgence DLC screenshots released
We already know that the Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence DLC is landing on the Xbox 360 on June 3, 2010, but how about some pictures? Oh yeah, and some details would be nice too…
There will be 5 maps and Shacknews is reporting that the DLC will sell for $15 (1200 MS points), the same price [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-15
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Upcoming Mass Effect 2 DLC pits Shepard against a rogue human-robot hybrid
Five new level areas and two new Achievements will be available in the upcoming "Overlord" DLC for Mass Effect 2. First revealed at Electronic Arts' European Showcase even in London on Wednesday, the DLC has now been detailed and priced on the official Mass Effect 2 website.
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Smartphones to blame for shrinking voice call margins
With smartphones and data plans getting cheaper by the month and with the rise of alternative ways like Twitter, email, and Facebook to communicate on your phone without touching your minutes, it’s no surprise that the length of the average cell phone call in America is at an all-time low. What is surprising, though, is [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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NPD: Nintendo DS will overtake PlayStation 2 as best-selling console of all time
The PlayStation 2 is the king of all video game consoles. It has sold more units than any other console ever, a deserved distinction: the PS2 was host to some of the best video games ever, and while it wasn’t the most advanced console of the last generation, it was certainly the machine most synonymous [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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1 in 4 U.S. households only have a wireless phone
The National Center for Health Statistics has released the result of a survey which found that 24.5% or 1 in 4 U.S. households only have wireless phones. The stats, from the last half of 2009, show an increase of 1.8% when compared to the first half of 2009. Even more interesting, another 14.9% did have [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Boeing
We usually think of Boeing’s supersonic stealth fighters are enormous mechanical manta rays skating through the stratosphere. Boeing’s latest Phantom Ray aircraft immediately surprises, then, by its small size: it’s only thirty-six feet long from wing to wing. It’s small for a reason, though… there’s no room for a pilot. The Phantom Ray is [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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John Cleese displays British wit in new Fable III documentary
Designer Peter Molyneux and actor John Cleese discuss the upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive Fable III in the latest installment of the "Inside Lionhead" video documentary series.
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Apple eying contactless payments, exploring e-wallet app
Apple is exploring software and hardware technologies that could turn the next iPhone into a payment processing machine, several patents indicate. The latest patent that Apple filed with the US Patent & Trademark Office points to a software program called Transactions designed to handle mobile payments on the handset in conjunction with either a near-field [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Subscribe to publications without leaving Facebook
Facebook users will soon be able to subscribe to their favorite publications without leaving the Facebook website. That’s the goal behind a new partnership between Synapse (part of Time Inc.) and Alvenda, which has built Facebook e-commerce apps for companies including Hallmark and 1-800-Flowers.
The system would allow Facebook users to fully expand blurbs of magazine [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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India looks to jails to help fill outsourcing needs
Many U.S.-based companies have looked to India to outsource IT functions in efforts to find savings. Now it seems Radiant Info Systems has found a way to increase these savings by securing employees from a new source: jails.
The BBC is reporting that Radiant has joined a public-private partnership with the Indian department of jails. The [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Android 2.2 to support tethering and turn your phone into a mobile WiFi hotspot
Whenever Googlers drop an enormous dessert sculpture on their lawn, you can bet a new Android version is about to be released. And while it’s been quiet in the Android camp lately, a frozen yogurt delivered outside Google’s Mountain View headquarters yesterday signaled that the change is coming.
Android 2.2, code-named Froyo, will update Google’s mobile operating [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Apple yanks wireless syncing app out of the App Store
Yet another app rejection, but this one matters.
Apple has red-flagged a cool iPhone app that lets you wirelessly sync your device with iTunes on the grounds that the software collides with App Store boundaries. Meanwhile, Greg Huges, the brains behind the Wi-Fi Sync app, has gone underground and is now selling the program for jailbroken [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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God of War writer to pen Shank for XBLA, PSN
Writer Marianne Krawczyk, best known for her BAFTA award-winning work on the God of War franchise, will be penning the 2D action brawler Shank, Klei Entertainment announced Thursday.
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Hulu: Forget about the iPad
Hulu, one of the internet’s large premium video sites, has announced a new video player and said it has no immediate plans to switch to HTML5-embedded videos that play inside web pages without requiring a browser plugin. According to the company’s blog post, ditching Flash video in favor of HTML5 is easier said than done [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Review: Lost Planet 2 on Xbox 360
Your level of anticipation for finally getting to play Lost Planet 2 will probably come down to how much you enjoyed the first game. However, regardless of your like or dislike for the original, you will be in for a surprise.
Lost Planet 2 may loosely follow the general mechanics of the first title, but it [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Landscape formatting features added to iWork for iPad
Apple has fixed the iWork suite for iPad, the first update since this multitouch Office replacement launched alongside the iPad. All three apps in the suite – Pages, Keynote, and Numbers – addressed several reported issues, including the lack of landscape formatting toolbar in the word processing app Pages. All iWork apps are now fully localized to [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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DC Comics to produce comic series for Kane & Lynch
Kane & Lynch are getting their own comic book series courtesy of DC Comics.
Developer IO Interactive has done a deal with DC’s Wildstorm imprint to create a series based on the past of both characters, which is typically bloody and crime-ridden. They will be written by Ian Eddington (Aliens, Predator, Terminator, Star Wars, Star Trek), [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Enterprise wars: Business software giant SAP snaps up Sybase for $5.25 billion
Business software provider SAP has upped the ante in enterprise wars by acquiring database maker Sybase for $5.25 billion, the New York Times reported. As a result, SAP now has Oracle, but also IBM and Motorola, in its sight. The company will swallow Sybase’s $400 million debt and pay $65 a share for Sybase, a [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Who needs Flash? Asteroids clone in HTML 5
While Adobe continues to put forward arguments as to the reason Flash is still relevant on the Internet and desktop, an enterprising few are starting to experiment with what is widely thought of as the successor to interactive and rich-media content on the web: HTML 5.
One such example has been put together by Doug McInnes, [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Evidence suggests Rockstar used no-CD crack for Max Payne 2 on Steam
When Valve’s digital games service Steam got popular publishers and developers were quick to jump on board. That involved updating older games which had seen a retail disc release so that they were compatible with digital download distribution.
Rockstar was one developer who had a number of games to update, and it now looks as though [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Apple invites you to test-drive a beta of next-gen MobileMe Mail
Apple is inviting people to try out the beta of a retooled MobileMe webmail that sports greater security and better performance, in addition to several new interesting features. According to Apple’s post, the updated MobileMe Mail is a significant upgrade that enables several new capabilities commonly found in rival webmail services.
For instance, the new web [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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German court rules that private unsecured WiFi owners can be fined
Do you have an unsecured WiFi connection in your home? Not only is that a terribly bad idea since your neighbors could be stealing your Internet bandwidth, if you lived in Germany, you could be facing a potential fine.
A recent German court ruling states that if someone downloads illegal movies, music, or other media using [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Google shows off Quake-clone running in Native Client
Google might already be impressing us all with the performance of the Chrome browser, but the search giant is only just getting started with the functionality of its web browser.
Another project that has been slowly gathering pace is called Native Client. In the video above Henry Bridge, product manager for Native Client, sums up the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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iPad arriving at Walmart in 2010
Later this year, you’ll be able to pick up a brand-new iPad while shopping for groceries at Walmart. Putting the multitoch computer on the shelves of the world’s biggest retailers is bound to give Apple’s device a major boost in sales.
According to Bloomberg, select Walmart stores in the US could offer Apple’s multitouch computer later [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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A new iPad commercial copies Apple
Apple aired a new iPad commercial titled “What is iPad” that tells us again how “magical,” “powerful,” and “beautiful” the 9.7-multitouch gizmo really is. It’s yet another highly polished Apple advert that’s a pleasure to watch if you disregard the fact that it takes more than a few cues from the company’s own commercial for [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Boxee secures Vindicia as payment provider
Boxee has announced that it is one step closer toward allowing content providers to offer premium content via pay-per-view or subscription models. One big missing piece of the puzzle has been coming up with a way for providers to receive payment for such content. Boxee has begun to solve that problem by announcing it has [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence Pack arrives June 3rd
Activision and Infinity Ward have today revealed details of the next Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer map pack.
The full title of the new pack is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence Pack and you don’t have to wait long to get it as it will be available on June 3rd through Xbox Live.
The Resurgence Pack [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Hands-on: HTC Evo 4G handset from Sprint
Last night at a Sprint launch event I got some hands-on time with the HTC Evo 4G. This is Sprint’s newest handset as well as the first 4G phone that’s going to be available in the US. It’s a Android-powered superphone that has a 4.3-inch display and will be available for $199 on June 4th [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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New iPhone HD images leak on the web
This time around, a French publication BeGeek discovered a bunch of new images of another iPhone HD prototype. The device looks like an exact replica of the phone that Gizmodo broke to the world.
BeGeek was able to trace those shots back to a Vietnamese forum that recently tore apart an iPhone HD prototype allegedly belonging [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Apple //e and iPad make beautiful music together in video
You have got to love it when old and new technology merge. That’s the theme behind a video on the Panic Blog website. The video involves an old Apple //e, an iPad and source code which was behind a music video for the song Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground) by the band Grandaddy.
What spurred the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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iPhone OS 4 to play nice with Facebook?
According to a “plugged-in source in the mobile industry,” iPhone OS 4 will integrate with Facebook on the system level, with Apple believed to be formally announcing this feature at the upcoming developers conference kicking off June 7.
Furthermore, Apple could also include support for Facebook Connect in the iPhone OS 4 SDK so that developers [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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First Alan Wake DLC lands in July
Alan Wake just arrived this week (check out Geek.com’s review) but you know that DLC is already on everyone’s mind. It was just revealed on Twitter that the first Alan Wake downloadable content will be released on July 28, 2010. This is coming from Daniel Maher, an Xbox Live editor for EMEA.
As for the token [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Philips develops LED bulb to replace your incandescents
CFL bulbs have been making some great progress but the next step in lighting technology is the LED. These have been making rapid advancements in design and color temperature control while seeing price drops. Philips just delivered the bulb that is the next step in LED lighting–a true replacement to the incandescents and CFLs.
This bulb had to [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Acer Chrome OS devices at Computex on June 1st
VentureBeat has heard from several sources that Acer intends to unveil its first Google Chrome OS devices at the Computex Taipai show running June 1-5.
Google has stated that Chrome OS is intended for netbooks, so we have to assume Acer will have either a new model, or even a whole new line of netbooks to [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Air Force supercomputer in jeopardy due to Sony PS3 update
Back in November of last year we reported that the U.S. Air Force planned to buy 2200 (in actuality it turned out to be only 1700) PlayStation 3 consoles in an effort to connect them into a supercomputer. The consoles were updated to run the Linux operating system which would support such a daisy chain [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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Slots.com domain sells for $5.5 million
The Slots.com domain name has sold for a staggering $5.5 million. That’s the most expensive domain name of 2010, and in the top 10 all-time list according to Domain Name Wire.
The auction for the domain was handled by Snapnames, but the sale wasn’t straight forward. At the end of the auction the reserve hadn’t been [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-14
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4-Player Co-Op DLC announced for Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is expanding its multiplayer experience with a 4-player co-operative mode called "Onslaught," DICE announced Wednesday.
Onslaught mode takes up to four players across four multiplayer maps - Valparaiso, Atacama Desert, Isla Inocentes, and Nelson Bay - redesigned with new lighting, time of day, and other effects in addition to added vehicles. Each map has a dedicated gameplay focus. For instance, Atacama Desert requires vehicle warfare while Nelson Bay focuses on infantry assault. Players can compete in squads and check individual progress via the Onslaught leaderboards.
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Mozilla expands Plugin Check to include other browsers
Ensuring you have the latest web browser is not only a matter of preference, but is a security concern as well. Browsers are patched and updated to ensure any identified security holes have been closed. Unfortunately, a browser’s plugins are sometimes missed in the equation.
To help ensure users have the latest plugins the team at [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Cool villa in Thailand comes complete with a 256-foot water slide built-in
Have you ever heard the term, if you are going to be a bear, be a grizzly? Well, if I ever hit one of those mega lotteries dishing out hundreds of millions of dollars, I’m telling you folks right now I’m going eccentric. Not just a little bit strange mind you, but like a Howard [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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HP Labs offers Gloe as geo-tagging experiment
HP Labs has introduced what it calls a “geo-tagging experiment”. The experiment, which has been dubbed Gloe, has the goal of tying web content to a person’s location. HP is showcasing the platform through an app hosted on the Gloe website.
The app, available through a computer or mobile phone browser, will determine a user’s location by [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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New downloadable maps and game mode now available for Bioshock 2
The second installment of post-launch DLC for Bioshock 2 is now available on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, 2K Games announced Wednesday. For 800 MS Points or
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Another seven-inch Android tablet from Asia shames iPad with HD video
If anything, Apple’s iPad has inspired dozens of knock-offs and lookalikes that are being developed by Chinese manufacturers who are falling over each other to profit on the hype surrounding Apple’s device.
One of the promising-looking tablets heading our way is an Android-based Moonse E7001, a tablet-focused publication Shanzai.com reported Wednesday. As you can see from the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Toughbook 31 drops 20 feet, hits aircraft carrier, survives
Yesterday Panasonic launched their newest fully-rugged mobile computer, the Toughbook 31. In celebratrion of the launch they did some extra testing on the system, under slightly more demanding conditions than normal. Standard Mil-Spec 810G shock testing calls for dropping a system 26 times at heights up to 72 inches. It’s a tough test, but the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Gameloft turns 10, gives away free iPhone games
French games publisher Gameloft is celebrating its tenth year in the business and they’re marking the occasion by giving away ten iPhone games to everyone between May 10 through next Friday, May 21. No sign-ups, entry forms, or lottery schemes apply here, just track Gameloft’s daily tweets and download a free game each day within [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Marvell to produce 40nm ARM server chips
Intel may already be facing strong competition from ARM in mobile gadgets sector, but it looks like soon the server market could be another battleground for the chip giant.
Marvell Technology Group has announced that it will start shipping multicore 40nm ARM processors for the server market before the end of 2010. The chips are expected [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Facebook enters arbitration to gain
If you own a domain name with the word “facebook” in it, you can expect that domain will gain the attention of a certain social networking company, right? You bet. In addition – one can equally assume they are going to want that domain name for themselves, correct? Yes, that is also very true.
Take the latest example [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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HTC sues Apple to protect its intellectual property
Back in March Apple filed a lawsuit against HTC for patent infringements relating to iPhone hardware and software. HTC responded by saying it would take Apple head-on as it disagreed with Apple’s actions and would fully defend itself.
Now Apple is getting a taste of its own medicine as HTC has filed a complaint with the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Valve updates Counter-Strike: Source Beta with new features
Valve has announced a major update to the Counter-Strike: Source Beta. If you play the game and aren’t in the beta this should still be of interest as these are the features that will be rolled out to everyone for free very soon.
Here’s the list of new features and updates in this beta release:
144 achievements [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Garminfone to launch in June on T-Mobile for $199
Back in April, we reported that T-Mobile USA announced that it will be the exclusive carrier of the first Android-powered smartphone by Garmin. Unfortunately, few details were available at the time around price and any specific date for launch. Now it looks like our friends at Engadget have not only gotten their hands on the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Portal is free to download until May 24th
Valve has decided to be very generous and started offering its popular game Portal for free.
Until May 24th you can download Portal from Steam for absolutely nothing on both PC and Mac. Visit the promotional page and click the “Get Portal Now” button to be taken to the Steam Store to download.
The message from Valve [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Amazon releases awesome iPad app for shopaholics
Amazon has posted an awesome shopping app for iPad people that lets them explore and shop any item, including products sold by other retailers. It’s the shopaholics’ dream come true.
Optimized specifically for iPad, the app takes advantage of the “generous display size” to show off products in their full glory, including awesome image galleries, detailed [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Google adds unlisted video feature to YouTube
Something strange happened a little over two hours ago when Google blogged about a new feature that lets you unlist YouTube videos. A bit later the company took down the post and the original link now leads nowhere. Furthermore, the advertised feature was missing when we checked it out and sites like CNET that reported on it [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Google suggests upgrading to Google Docs instead of Office 2010
Google, quite obviously, would prefer it if you didn’t upgrade to the just out of beta Microsoft Office 2010. Instead, enterprise customers are encouraged to carry out an upgrade to Google Docs.
In order to show the benefits of why a move to Google services is the right choice the search giant posted the following table [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Gmail now supports drag-and-drop for images
If you’re a Gmail user I am happy to report that inserting photos into email just got a lot easier. Google has introduced a new feature which will allow users to simply drag-and-drop an image from their computer into a message. Once inserted you will even be able to resize the image before it is [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Original Star Wars Saga retold in a Lego movie
One of my kids favorite video games right now on the Wii is Lego Star Wars. Oddly enough, when asked if she would like to see the Star Wars movies so she can see what the video game is based on, she says that she wants to finish the game first. That’s okay though. I [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Sony launch waterproof headset Walkman W
Sony has launched a new Walkman W in Japan carrying the name NWD-W253. What differentiates this Walkman from other W models is the fact it is waterproof.
By adding a moisture barrier Sony hopes the W253 will better suit those users interested in listening to music while participating in sports activities. It can handle sweat, the [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-13
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Mega-preview: Chillingo to unleash four zombie killers on the iPhone
It’s that time of year, again, when the allure of zombies is just too strong to resist, at least when it comes to upcoming iPhone games. Today, we take a look at four zombie killers by the UK-based publisher Chillingo, headed straight for the App Store – you better cover up your brains.
Chillingo recently told [...]
Publication date: 2010-05-12
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Farmville developer Zynga losing members, may leave Facebook
Two weeks ago, Farmville creators Zynga lost 3.1 million monthly active users across it's Facebook gaming empire. Just last week, that number grew to 4.2 million. But even with losses in the millions, Zynga still stands as the leading social game developer with more than 244 million monthly active users total.
Publication date: 2010-05-12
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More stages, new monsters, costumes and
New DLC for the recently released Nier is expected to be available for download Wednesday, May 12 on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. The DLC features a time-traveling scenario, adding 15 new stages and different forms of Shades as well as new costumes for Nier's vulgar female companion Kaine, the cursed boy Emil, and Nier himself.
Publication date: 2010-05-12
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