The different blog

Article: Explosion Rocks Apple’s iPad 2 Production Plant

2011-05-20T21:58:00.001+03:00

Explosion Rocks Apple's iPad 2 Production Plant
http://mashable.com/2011/05/20/ipad-plant-explosion/

Mark Zuckerberg meets the fake Mark Zuckerbergs on Saturday Night Live

2011-01-30T11:36:00.000+02:00

Mark Zuckerberg, the man who invented poking and the subject of a major motion picture in 2010 just met his nemeses on the set of Saturday Night Live. No, not the Winklevoss twins, we're talking Jesse Eisenberg, the man nominated for an Academy Award after playing Zuckerberg in The Social Network. Toss in Andy Samberg and we've got a comically uncomfortable situation from the web 2.0's very personification of awkward. All hail the Zuck!

Android Gains While iPhone, BlackBerry Lose Share

2010-09-18T08:49:00.002+03:00

The Most Powerful Colors on the Web

2010-09-18T08:34:00.002+03:00

These are the top 100 web brands—from computer companies to search engines to socialweb sites to porn sites—ordered by color. Apparently, the "top brands within categories tend to use similar color palettes."

FarmVille vs. Real Farms

2010-09-12T11:09:00.002+03:00

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

2010-09-12T10:21:00.002+03:00

Nielsen survey shows high interest in 3DTV, low interest in paying for it right now

2010-09-12T10:15:00.000+03:00

This year's hot new feature in HDTVs is 3D, but just as fast as the products have rolled out, complaints have come in the form of comments and editorials, citing the glasses, dearth of content and lack of interoperability between different manufacturer's TVs and glasses. Nielsen and the Cable & Television Association for Marketing have completed what they claim is the first comprehensive study including exposure to 3DTV content with qualitative focus groups and a quantitative study. Analyst wordplay aside, what Frank Stagliano, Nielsen general manager of TV Primary Research calls a "marketing challenge" becomes apparent with the numbers of consumers saying they are likely to buy a 3DTV in the next year dropping after they experience it and consider the additional cost and limited content, with 57% taking issue with the necessary glasses. Though the same number of people said 3DTV made them feel like part of the action, those kinds of responses explain the hype over glasses free technology, despite its significant limitations. While more people than ever will get the chance to get their eyes on 3D football, tennis and movies this weekend, manufacturers and retailers should prepare for a hard time coaxing consumers to buy in immediately (exclusive content is not helping) with the possible exception of videogamers -- 71% of hardcore and regular gamers were interested in playing in 3D.

iLoveHandles Turns Your Nano iPods Into Beautiful Watches

2010-09-12T10:12:00.002+03:00

Apple has recently launched new nano iPod that very small looking like your watch. And if you don’t want to bring both iPod and watch once time, then check out the new gadget from iLoveHandles that help you turn your nano iPod into a beautiful watch.

It will cost you $19.99 for the gadget and easy to make it transform into the analog watch face with a lock screen of nano iPod. What do you think ?

App Review: Angry Birds (Android)

2010-09-04T12:05:00.000+03:00

What does it take to make an addictive game? Not much -- just throw in some super simple controls, cute graphics, and basic physics. Rovio Mobile's Angry Birds is one such game that includes all these elements, and today the studio's just released a public Android beta to cater those without an iOS, webOSor Ovi-enabled device. In case you're not already familiar with the popular title, the backstory is that a gang of hungry pigs snatched away some eggs from the birds, forcing the feathered creatures to embark on a rescue mission for the sake of their survival. The gameplay on the Android version is just as simple as before: in each level you use a fixed slingshot to fling the birds -- one at a time -- into the forts, in order to kill all the pigs inside. As a secondary challenge, you must also attempt to get a three-star rating depending on the amount of structural material you destroy, so the key is to perfect your shooting angle.

At the beginning you're only given one type of bird that does nothing more than just headbutting, but throughout the game you'll come across six more birds, each possessing one special power: multiply, explode, accelerate, dropping egg bombs, boomerang, and extra strength. Don't worry, the instructions are pretty clear when you first meet these enhanced kamikaze birds -- most involve just a single tap anywhere to trigger their special abilities mid-flight. Once you get the hang of it, you'll soon be wanting to try out all sorts of trajectories to take vengeance on those cheeky green hogs. Seriously, the pigs really do laugh at you when your birds miss them.

While we're not familiar with the Ovi Store and webOS versions of Angry Birds, we've definitely spent a fair amount of time on the iOS flavor. Sadly, since the latter's still running on a low 480 x 320 resolution, the blurred graphics on the notoriously sharp retina display does no justice to the game. On the other hand, the Android version looks a lot prettier on our Nexus One, Dell Streak and HTC Desire, as it runs on their native resolution of 800 x 480. That said, overall the Android beta didn't feel as well-oiled as its iOS counterpart -- we've noticed the occasional light hiccups while panning across the scene, so here's hoping that this will be fixed in the final release. Regardless of this minor flaw, we'd still highly recommend Android users to check out this free Angry Birds beta in the market -- go grab it while it's hot!

Huawei Ideos hands-on

2010-09-04T11:58:00.000+03:00

Chinese telecom giant Huawei -- which has been playing the Android game with major carriers around the world for some time now -- has selected IFA to debut the Ideos, a new entry-level model runningFroyo in a variety of colors. Huawei's press release calls the Ideos "the world's first affordable smartphone" -- which seems like a bit of an overstatement (okay, a huge overstatement) to us -- but really underscores the fact that this thing is going to be launching for somewhere between $100 and $200 unsubsidized in Europe, Asia, and both North and Latin America. It's got 3G, WiFi, mobile hotspot capability for up to eight devices, and was apparently developed in direct partnership with Google, a sign that Mountain View is serious about taking Android 2.2 across the entire price spectrum.

We checked out the Ideos today and were pretty impressed; clearly, you're not going to mistake it for anEVO, a Droid X, or a Defy, but Huawei has definitely put some effort into engineering this thing so that they were able to make it cheaply without making it feel like it would come apart in your hands. The company is quick to note that 2.8-inch capacitive displays aren't very common -- and though we could've definitely used HVGA instead of the Ideos' QVGA, we were pleased with the responsiveness, both from a processor performance perspective and a touch sensitivity one. Add in the support for 7.2Mbps HSDPA and the stylish colors (black, yellow, blue, and purple) and Huawei might just have a winner here. More on this one when launch carriers start to come out of the woodwork.

Adam Lambert - What do you want from me

2010-09-04T11:57:00.000+03:00

Apple's Ping gains a million users in first two days

2010-09-04T11:54:00.000+03:00

We're still trying to figure out exactly what Apple's new Ping social network is good for, but apparently quite a few people are curious about it: it's already racked up a million users in its first two days. That's just a third of the people who've downloaded iTunes 10, so we're sure the numbers are will grow even faster as more people snag iTunes and the network effect starts to kick in -- and things will get really crazy if Apple and Facebook ever work out their little tiff. Just remember: it's a social network... for music.

Ubuntu 10.10 Beta Adds New Photo Manager, Improves Multimedia Experience

2010-09-04T11:46:00.002+03:00

An early look at the next release of Ubuntu's Linux desktop hit the web late yesterday. What's in 10.10, or "Maverick Meerkat," for desktop users? Besides app updates, there's a new photo manager, improved multimedia controls, better Ubuntu One syncing, and more.

The full list of changes and new things is listed at the beta page, but what strikes us in a quick look at a live-booting beta (for which we recommend Unetbootin and a USB thumb drive) are the changes to Ubuntu One, the Dropbox-like syncing service that ties in Music Store purchases, personal files, settings, and other user data. There's now a single, easier sign-on for Ubuntu One, and the look and feel are much improved. Same with the Ubuntu Software Center, which makes it easier to see the apps you've installed from the Center, as well as peek at popular and recommended apps.

As expected, Shotwell has replaced Fspot as the default photo manager, and it's a step forward, if not exactly Picasa for Linux. The volume control in the system panel now has music player controls, too, and Rhythmbox and all the other default apps have seen their normal version upgrades and bug fixes.

Ubuntu 10.10 Beta is a free download that should install on most any system, though Macs require a bit of extra work. Tell us what you think of the early-stage Maverick Meerkat in the comments.

iOS 4.1 confirmed for September 8th on Apple's UK website

2010-09-04T11:45:00.002+03:00

According to Apple's UK website, iOS 4.1 will hit on Wednesday, September 8th. The US website still displays the non-commital "Coming Soon" message, so we'll have to keep our eyes peeled. We're going to go ahead and guess that all those shiny new iPods will come to retail that day too... but don't hold us to that one. Like we said, it's only a guess.

Google Brings Voice Calling to Gmail

2010-08-25T23:32:00.001+03:00

Google is bringing Gmail and Google Voice together with the launch of phone call integration within Google Chat and Gmail.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Gets Official Teaser Video

2010-08-25T23:29:00.000+03:00

Samsung today just confirmed about their first Android tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab with a official introduction video on their website.

According to the video, we have got Android 2.2 running on a 7-inch display, video calling, Swype,HD movie playback, Flash support, GPS navigation, an e-reader, and plenty more. And they will official introduce about this at IFA in Berlin on September 2nd.

Why Did Mark Zuckerberg Make Himself Unblockable on Facebook?

2010-08-23T21:49:00.000+03:00

What do you do if you're the CEO of a company faced with persistent privacy concerns? If you're Mark Zuckerberg, you make it so users of your service can't block you. Mark Zuckerberg recently, mysteriously, became unblockable on Facebook.

TechCrunch highlights a funny single-serve website, blockzuck.com. Its only purpose: to point out that if you try to block Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook, thus hiding your profile from him, you are greeted with a "general block failed error." You can block anyone else on Facebook—you just can't block the Zuck!

US Senators uneasy over possible Huawei equipment deal for Sprint

2010-08-23T21:45:00.002+03:00

Chinese telecom giant Huawei already has a pretty big (and growing) presence in North America, having previously signed deals with regional carriers like Leap (better known by its Cricketbrand) and MetroPCS -- but apparently, a bid to supply one of the Big Four with equipment is hitting a little too close to home for some legislators. A group of eight US Senators has filed a letter with the Treasury Department expressing concern over Huawei's alleged ties with everything from Saddam Hussein's Iraq to present-day Iran to China's own People's Liberation Army, saying that such a company "should not be able to do business" in the country. Of course, similar concerns ended up dooming Huawei's attempted buyout of 3Com not long ago -- and considering the political climate in US-China relations, this is the kind of lukewarm response Huawei and other major Chinese firms might need to keep dealing with as they try to grow their Western presence.

by engadget

ViewSonic to show 10-inch dual-boot Windows tablet

2010-08-23T21:44:00.000+03:00

ViewSonic will show off a 7-inch Android tablet at IFA called the ViewPad 7, alongside an Intel-based 10-inch tablet that will dual-boot Windows and Android.

The Californian manufacturer is keen to resurrect the ViewPad brand, which was operating as far back as 2002, and hopes that its latest offerings can impress when they are shown off at IFA.

"The ViewPad 7, a 7" Android tablet with 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, access to thousands of applications and front and back-facing cameras will be previewed for the first time in Europe," said ViewSonic's release.

Specs

"The ViewPad 7 also features assisted GPS, a Micro SD card slot, Bluetooth, G-Sensor and USB connectivity, making the device a compact lightweight companion that has a lot to offer," it continued.

Although intriguing, this product sounds very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which is also making its debut at IFA, but the next line of ViewSonic's release teases another tablet.

10-incher

"ViewSonic will also be previewing a new Intel-based 10-inch tablet with dual boot Microsoft and Android operating systems."

Although dual-boot is not a new idea, the prospect of a 10-inch tablet with both Windows and Android is an intriguing one, with the assumption that the Microsoft OS will be Windows 7 rather than CE or the forthcoming Windows Phone 7.

IFA, we hope, will reveal much more.

CineXPlayer app for iPad surprisingly gets the Apple green signal

2010-08-23T21:43:00.000+03:00

Usually Apple won’t show friendliness when it comes to applications that offer video compatibility (in your terms the so called video conversion) and when it comes to not so cool apps then video compatibility permissions from Apple is just not happening. You just can’t help it, Apple is after all Apple – super cool and highly egoistic.

But somehow it seems Steve’s army has decided to let one of the many enter their arsenal and be a part of their team. This surely looks to be an experimental opening in the Apple world and henceforth is free as of now. Grab it before it is lost.

iPad is one awesome touchpad with just overly awesome screen for watching videos and with Apple permitting CineXPlayer compatibility with iPad you must understand that flood gates for some rockstar videos (in any format) will now run in your iPad without any issues.

Some of the exciting features of CineXPlayer are:

You can transfer your Xvid movies to your device without any sort of conversions.

You can play your movies anytime without any Internet connection as you can go offline once you have the videos stored with your device.

The perfectly awesome quality of iPad screen will surely mesmerize you.

Enjoy swipe to delete feature so as to manage different movies without any confusions.

Not sure how Apple is happily supporting some of the most popular formats but they are and one must take the advantage

Google Tests New Feature: Search As You Type

2010-08-22T10:04:00.000+03:00

Google is testing a feature that displays live-updating search results as you type your search query, no keystroke on “Enter” or “Return” required.

When you start typing, the search box is relocated to the top of the site. Results are changed to match what you type as you go, kind of like a Firefox page search, Spotlight on the Mac, or Windows 7’s “Search programs and files” field in the start menu.

These live search results are not available to the public at large. Google regularly tests new features with very small selections of users. Some of those features never see a public launch, but some do. Google releases new search features to the public all the time; just last week it launched Google Apps Search, which searches Google’s Gmail, Docs and Sites web apps.

Google makes its money by displaying contextual ads based on your searches. You’d think this would make that more challenging, but as far as we can tell from the video, those ads are updated live along with your search results.

Blogger Rob Ousbey discovered the feature (others have confirmed it) and wrote about it. He also recorded a video of the feature in action; we’ve embedded that below.

by mashable

Eminem ft. Rihanna - Love The Way You Lie

2010-08-20T20:38:00.002+03:00

Intel acquires McAfee for $7.68 billion

2010-08-19T17:05:00.000+03:00

Intel has agreed to acquire anti-virus giant McAfee for $7.68 billion (£4.9bn).
The PC security market is in a strange place following the decision of Microsoft to offer free security software, but Intel have nevertheless decided that McAfee is ripe for purchase.
The chip giant will buy all of McAfee's stock at $48 per share in cash.
The deal has been apparently been approved by both companies' boards of directors but needs to be approved by McAfee shareholders and government regulators for it to become final.
Whispers of a deal meant that McAfees's stock rose hugely in pre-business trading.
It remains to be seen if Intel will offer security software under the McAfee brand for free or if it has plans to continue the paid-for model.

Facebook unveils location-sharing feature 'Places'

2010-08-19T17:02:00.000+03:00

Facebook has announced Facebook Places – an app that enables you to post location-specific information to Facebook.

Sadly, it's only available in the US for the moment, though we're sure it won't be too long until it rolls out to the UK – and the Facebook iPhone app has already been updated on the UK App Store.

So does this mean the end of Foursquare? Perhaps, Facebook is even using Foursquare's check in terminology to describe the action of, er, checking in.

The social networking site has issued a full 3.2 update to its iPhone app, while touch.facebook.com also supports Facebook Places on other handsets – providing your browser is HTML5 compatible.

A button in the mobile apps (see image above) enables you to check in, and the workings are extremely similar to Foursquare, as you'll be presented with a list of nearby places to select from (or add your own).

In the UK, the iPhone app has the Places button in place, but tap it and you're told it isn't yet available here.

"You have the option to share your location by checking in to that place and letting friends know where you are. You can easily see if any of your friends have also chosen to check in nearby," says Michael Sharon, Facebook product manager for Places, in a blog post.

After checking in, your check-in will create a story in your friends' News Feeds, and show up in the Recent Activity section on the page for that place.

"Like tagging you in a photo"

"When you check in, you can also tag friends who are with you, just as you can tag a friend in a status update or photo," continues Sharon. "You can post an update along with your check-in to tell people more about what you are doing. In the 'People Here Now' section, you can see others who are checked in with you at that place." You're also able to see who has been to a location before.

Only your friends will be able to see when you visit or are tagged at a place, unless you have specifically set your master privacy control to Everyone. You also have the choice to set more restrictive customised settings. When a friend tags you through Places, you will receive a notification on Facebook and on your mobile device.

"The first time this happens, you'll be given the choice to allow your friends to check you in to places. When your friends check you in, it is as if you have checked in at that place yourself. You can always remove any Places check-in or tag using your mobile device or on the web. It's like removing yourself from a photo tag." You can also choose for friends to not be able to check you in.

Duffy - Stepping Stone (Later With Jools)

2010-08-18T12:12:00.002+03:00

WiMax 2 standard gets date for approval

2010-08-17T20:07:00.002+03:00

The WiMax 2 high-speed wireless technology, which is expected to boost download speeds for mobile devices, is set to become a standard by early next year, according to an industry group.

On Monday, the WiMax Forum said that 802.16m, the key technology within WiMax 2, is expected to be standardized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in November. Formal approval by the IEEE Standards Association is scheduled for the first quarter of 2011, with device certification coming in late 2011.

The 802.16m update should help WiMax 2 deliver download speeds of up to 120Mbps and provide lower latency than the first version of WiMax.

Qualcomm Shipping 1.5GHz Snapdragons in Q4

2010-08-17T19:58:00.002+03:00

After many delays, Today, Qualcomm will start shipping their own fastest Snapdragon dual-core chip for smartphones and tablets in the fourth quarter for the devices in the end of this year, according to the company said on Monday. It’s mean we will have many devices with Qualcomm 1.5GHz Snapdragons processor in this year or first quarter of next year.

The Qualcomm 1.5GHz Snapdragons is runs at up to 1.5GHz and follow up to the dual-coreMSM8660 Snapdragon chip. It also has a faster processor than 8660 and based on an ARM design and will be manufactured using the 45-nanometer process.

The chip is similar to the 8660 design with a raft of improvements compared to its previous single-core chips.

The 8672 chip has individual voltage scaling so each CPU can be clocked independently from the other. For example, when one CPU core is idle, the other will be able to operate at full speed. It has 1080p video playback and notebook like interfaces to it, integrated HDMI and DDR2, DDR3 memory.

iPhone and iPad Software Update Addresses Security Exploit

2010-08-16T20:31:00.000+03:00

Apple has just released iOS 4.0.2 for the iPhone and iOS 3.2.2 for the iPad, officially addressing the security exploit that was uncovered by the userland iOS jailbreak.

Aside from the security patches, it appears as if no other changes have been pushed out to either version of iOS. Apple’s security documents for the iPhone and iPad further detail the changes.

Inspired Cartoon Maps the World’s Social Networks

2010-08-16T20:30:00.002+03:00

This cartoon map shows the relative sizes of social networks based on real 2010 user data, and does so in a quirky and amusing way.

Pictures: Kindle and iPad Screens Under Microscope

2010-08-16T20:28:00.000+03:00

Keith, of tech blog BIT-101, got himself a new USB-microscope. And like any nerd with a new toy, he started pointing it at things around the house. Happily for us, Keith avoided magnifying the dog’s fleas and instead turned his high-powered eye on the screens of his twin tablets, Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad. As you see in the photos, the closer you get, the more interesting things become.

Above are pictures snapped at “about 26x” (the Kindle is on the left). So far, so expected, right? The Kindle’s e-ink display looks almost the same as it does to the naked eye, although one surprise is just how well the iPad’s anti-aliasing works to keep the text smooth, even though the pixels are clearly visible as jagged squares.

Jack things up to 400x and it gets a whole lot weirder. On the left again is the Kindle (400x). It resembles a bowl of sugar, or at least like some ink spattered on gray paper. As Keith says, it “looks almost organic”. Compare that to the iPad’s display at 375x, whose sharp edges and primary colors look more like a 1970s arcade game:

George Lucas Announces Star Wars on Blu-Ray at Celebration V

2010-08-15T11:01:00.004+03:00

The Star Wars saga will at long last be released in a high-definition home video format as all six movies come to Blu-Ray in a Box Set in Fall 2011, as announced by George Lucas this morning at Celebration V. At the fan convention's Main Event, thousands of Star Wars fans braved the muggy heat of an Orlando morning to queue for a one-time only stage session between George Lucas and The Daily Show's Jon Stewart. Stewart asked Lucas questions submitted from the fan community, and one of the most frequently asked questions submitted online prior to the Main Event was about the saga's release on Blu-Ray.

"I wish I could say it was coming out this year," said Lucas, "but it will come out next year."

The set will feature all six live-action Star Wars feature films, with the highest picture and audio quality, along with extensive special features.

Star Wars fans were treated to a glimpse of bonus material, in the form of a long-lost deleted scene from Return of the Jedi. The scene has long been talked about online -- a sequence that depicts Luke Skywalker assembling his new, green-bladed lightsaber prior to infiltrating Jabba the Hutt's palace. After completing the Jedi weapon, Luke stashes it in R2-D2's dome. What makes the Jedi deleted clip so remarkable is that it made it all the way to postproduction before it was cut, so it is a rare example of a cut scene with completed visual effects and music.

Actor Mark Hamill came out to describe the scene, remarking that once again his original introduction in a Star Wars film was cut out (his Anchorhead introduction was, of course, cut from A New Hope). Luke's intro is purposely played as ominous, with his face cowled in shadows and his intentions unclear."I had the black cloak, the glove, and I thought, wow, this time around I get to be the antagonist. Little did I know I was predicting the path of the prequels," said Hamill, noting the similarities to Luke in this scene and Anakin Skywalker's appearance.

Source: StarWars.com

iPhone Users Have More Sexual Partners According to Dating Site

2010-08-12T10:24:00.000+03:00

Online dating site OK Cupid had released the results of its 9,785-person survey of its users, revealing that iPhone users have on average more sex partners by age 30 than users of competing smartphone handsets, and also that the Apple designed smartphone helps in taking more attractive pictures than phones on other platforms.

30-year-old male iPhone users had on average 10 sexual partners, compared to 8.1 sex partners for BlackBerry male users and 6 partners for Android users of the same age. For women, iPhone users fared an average of 12.3 sexual partners, well ahead of 8.8 for BlackBerry female owners, and 6.1 for Android women of the same age. Beyond the 30-year-old age group, male and female iPhone owners have more sex partners than users of the competing Android and BlackBerry platforms.

Firefox 4 beta 3 adds support for multitouch on Windows 7

2010-08-12T10:21:00.000+03:00

Mozilla just pushed the Firefox 4 beta 3 today and available for download and testing in more than 30 languages, adding 10 new languages. This update includes multitouch support for Windows 7and new JavaScript values to experience faster and smoother graphics.

Multi-touch

Firefox 4 Beta now has multitouch support for Windows 7 to enable people to

interact with Web content with their hands naturally. Developers can use multitouchcapabilities to leverage touch-enabled devices and provide people with an intuitive and fun browsing experience.

New JavaScript Values

Changes to the C++ representation of JavaScript enable Firefox to execute heavy, numeric code more efficiently. This sort of code is used to produce smooth, streamlined graphics in modern Web applications.

For more detail about this version, check out here.

The first Trojan was discovered on Android by Kaspersky

2010-08-12T10:19:00.002+03:00

According to the report of Kaspersky via Hello Android News that they are just found the first Trojan on Android handsets with name: Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a.

The malware is disguised as a harmless media player application and prompts users to install a seemingly standard .APK file that weighs just over 13KB. Once installed, the Trojan sends SMSs to premium rate numbers that charge much money on your balance without the owner’s knowledge, allowing the criminals to collect money from charges to the victim’s account.

Also, Kaspersky confirms the sign of this malware already listed on their database. If you worryabout this malware can take your phone down, you might try their Mobile Antivirus product.

Saudi Arabia and BlackBerry agree deal to avert a ban on the smartphone

2010-08-09T10:42:00.000+03:00

Saudi Arabia and the makers of the BlackBerry smartphone have reached a deal on accessing users' data that will avert a ban on the phone's messenger service, a Saudi official said today.

The agreement involves placing a BlackBerry server inside Saudi Arabia to allow the government to monitor messages and allay official fears the service could be used for criminal purposes, the official said.

The deal could have wide-ranging implications for several other countries, including India and the United Arab Emirates, which have expressed similar concerns over how BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd, handles data.

The Saudi official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he had not been authorised to discuss the details of the deal, said tests were under way to determine how to install a BlackBerry server inside the country.

The reported agreement raised questions about how it would affect Saudi access to messages sent over BlackBerrys, but the Saudi official would provide no more details. RIM says its technology does not allow it – or any third party – to read encrypted emails sent by corporate BlackBerry users. The consumer version has a lower level of security.

Canada's international trade minister Peter Van Loan confirmed on Friday that Canadian officials were in talks with the Canada-based maker and Saudi officials in a bid to avert the ban. RIM has declined to comment on the talks.

The kingdom is one of a number of countries expressing concern that the device is a security threat because encrypted information sent on the phones is routed through overseas computers making it impossible for local governments to monitor.

However, critics maintain that Saudi Arabia and other countries are motivated more by the wish to further curb freedom of expression and strengthen controls over the media than by a fear of terrorism.

The United Arab Emirates has announced it will ban BlackBerry email, messaging and Web browsing from October, and Indonesia and India are also demanding greater control over the data.

Analysts say RIM's expansion into fast-growing emerging markets is threatening to set off a wave of regulatory challenges, as its commitment to keep corporate emails secure rubs up against the desires of local law enforcement.

Saudi Arabia's telecommunications regulator, known as the Communications and Information Technology Commission, announced the imminent ban on Tuesday, saying the BlackBerry service "in its present state does not meet regulatory requirements", according to the state news agency SPA.

Saudi security officials fear the service could be used by militant groups. The kingdom has been waging a crackdown for years against extremists linked to al-Qaida.

Saudi Arabia also enforces heavy policing of the internet, blocking sites both for political content and for obscenities.

BlackBerry phones are known to be popular in the business world and among young people in the kingdom, where local media estimate there are some 750,000 BlackBerry users, who see the phones' relatively secure communication features as a way to avoid attention from the authorities.

HTC Introduces SLCD Display

2010-08-08T21:31:00.000+03:00

HTC Corporation, a global manufacturer of smartphones, announces the introduction ofSuper LCD-based screens (SLCD) for a number of terminals of the portfolio, of which Nexus HTC Desire and One – implementation will take place later this summer. SLCD screens offer a special palette, natural and balanced, clear contrast, wide viewing angles and improved efficiency in terms of energy consumption.

Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation: “HTC has registered a great demand for many of its phones, especially those with screens of 3.7 inches. New technology screens SLCD will allow us to increase production quickly to cope with demand so great. SLCD screens give consumers a visual experience comparable to that of 3.7-inch screens used by HTC but also offers the benefit of low power consumption. “

SLCD represents the newest generation of LCD technology, which offers improved performance over previous LCD, one of the main benefits being the energy consumption of about five times more efficient. SLCD screens also offer a superior experience of visuality, with larger viewing angles, feature made possible by new technology Sony VSPEC III.

Google terminates Android root app

2010-08-08T21:29:00.000+03:00

Google has unceremoniously removed an "Easy Root" application from its Android marketplace.  

The program - which was coded by Unstable Apps - allows Droid, Droid X and Milestone owners to root their Froyo-powered phones with a single touch of a button.

Although the root utility is no longer available in Google's official Android Market, it can be downloaded from the developer's official website here.

Meanwhile, Easy Root's developer told Android Central he was "surprised" that the app had been pulled.

"I wrote Easy Root for a single purpose, to make it as easy as possible for people to fully use the hardware they had paid for. I am sure that like many others I choose the Android platformfor its commitment to openness and freedom," explained Nathan.

"Now, having said that, I also understand that Google finds themselves between a rock and a hard place. While I am sure they want openness and freedom, they also have to protect users to a certain degree. An application that can root your phone can of course do a lot of other things too."

Nathan added that he would try his best and convince Google to allow the Easy Root app back in the Market.

"[But] if an agreement can't be made, don't worry, [there is] a version that doesn't require the Market at all."  

Apple’s iPhone Executive Leaves After Antennagate

2010-08-08T08:39:00.000+03:00

Mark Papermaster, the senior vice president ultimately responsible for the iPhone’s hardware, has left Apple only a short time after his start date. Neither Papermaster nor Apple will comment on the story behind the departure, but insiders are speculating that he was dropped from the company as a result of the iPhone 4’s “Antennagate” PR disaster.

The New York Times broke the news earlier today, and reported that Senior VP of Macintosh Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield has taken over Papermaster’s duties. Mansfield also worked closely with the iPhone 4’s hardware — specifically the device’s retina display, touch screen and A4 microprocessor.

Since Apple and Papermaster have declined to explain the departure, we don’t know whether he left of his own accord, was fired, or some gray area in between. However, renowned Apple insider John Gruber wrote on his blog Daring Fireball today: “From what I’ve heard, it’s clear he was canned.” Gruber notes that Papermaster was not in attendance at Apple’s damage control press conference (the one at which Steve Jobs announced free iPhone cases), but Mansfield was.

Gruber also says that for weeks Papermaster has been known as “the guy responsible for the antenna” within Apple. Ouch.

Interestingly, Apple fought quite hard to hire Papermaster two years ago. He had worked at IBM for 25 years previously, and IBM sued when Apple tried to hire him, accusing him of exposing inside company secrets. The case was eventually settled, but Papermaster’s start date was delayed until April 2009. Barely a year later, Papermaster’s profile has been removed from the list of executives at Apple’s website.

by Mashable

Schmidt: we can predict where you are going to go

2010-08-07T09:07:00.000+03:00

Google's CEO Eric Schmidt has admitted that his thinks that internet anonymity won't last, with governments looking to maintain visibility over users' online movements.

Speaking at the Techonomy conference in the US, Schmidt said that, in the interests of stopping criminal or anti-social behaviour, governments will demand a more active role:

"The only way to manage this is true transparency and no anonymity. In a world of asynchronous threats, it is too dangerous for there not to be some way to identify you. We need a [verified] name service for people. Governments will demand it."

He also added that the amount of content users are putting online means people need to be ready for a seismic change in the way their data is used, according to ReadWriteWeb:

"If I look at enough of your messaging and your location, and use artificial intelligence we can predict where you are going to go," said Schmidt.

"Show us 14 photos of yourself and we can identify who you are. You think you don't have 14 photos of yourself on the internet? You've got Facebook photos!

"People will find it's very useful to have devices that remember what you want to do, because you forgot... But society isn't ready for questions that will be raised as result of user-generated content."

However, he pointed out that despite the obvious privacy issues users will have to deal with; the sheer volume of information being published online will have fantastic benefits to the lives of nearly everyone:

"In our lifetimes we'll go from a small number of people having access to information, to 5 billion people having all the world's knowledge in their native language."

Say goodbye to Google Wave

2010-08-06T08:20:00.001+03:00

Over the years we have seen many new services from Google and some of them achieved huge success such as Google Analytics or Gmail while others were forgotten soon after their release such as Google Buzz. Besides Google Buzz there’s another service from Google that isn’t gaining any popularity nowadays and that’s Google Wave.

Google Wave had an interesting solution that was boasted as the revolutionary method of communication. Google Wave was a web service that combined several methods of communication including e-mail, instant messaging, wikis, and social networking. While it was only released in May this year, according to the latest news, it seems like Google Wave is near its expiry date very soon.

The news came from Google, saying that Google Wave will be abandoned but the project will be available for usage at least to the end of the current year. Although Google Wave was an innovative idea and it worked great, but somehow it didn’t receive the attention and that’s the reason why Google has decided to abandon it.

Dell Streak

2010-08-06T07:44:00.000+03:00

This modern high-end smartphone boasts 5-inch capacitive touchscreen (800 x 480 resolution), "1GHz Snapdragon core, a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, 850 / 1900MHz 3G and 2GB of internal storage coupled with a bundled and pre-installed 16GB microSDHC card.

The Streak has a 5-megapixel camera on the back and 0.3-megapixel VGA videocam on the front. It can shoot videos up to 720p (1280 x 720 pixels resolution). Sharing photos is easy and should be familiar to most Android phone users; Click on the photo, choose the Share button from the virtual menu and pick Facebook, Twitter or Flickr to upload it to.

Dell also offers an accessory dock, with an HDMI output that can be connected to a TV.

Esmée Denters - Love Dealer ft. Justin Timberlake

2010-08-05T10:54:00.002+03:00

Bill Gates Convinces 40 Billionaires to Give Away Half Their Fortunes

2010-08-05T09:21:00.000+03:00

Our favorite charity-workerBill Gates has successfully signed up 38 billionaires to give away half of their wealth to those less fortunate, in what could be the largest-scale philanthropic work ever.

Together with Warren Buffett, their "The Giving Pledge" project nabbedLarry Ellison (founder of Oracle), George Lucas, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg andBarry Diller from IAC (an internet media company that owns Ask.com, Bloglines, Vimeo, Match.com and others), along with many others.

While they're not legally bound to give away at least 50 per cent of their wealth to charity, it's more of a trust-promise—particularly now that it's been reported all over the media. They're not expected to give their notes to any one charity, but if every single person on the Forbes 400 richest American list signed up to The Giving Pledge, that would mean charities would be $600 billion better off. Presumably some of those charities will be green-focused, considering Gates' obvious passion in that field.

by gizmodo

Google and Verizon in Talks on Web Priority

2010-08-05T09:13:00.000+03:00

Google and Verizon, two leading players in Internet service and content, are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content’s creators are willing to pay for the privilege.

The charges could be paid by companies, like YouTube, owned by Google, for example, to Verizon, one of the nation’s leading Internet service providers, to ensure that its content received priority as it made its way to consumers. The agreement could eventually lead to higher charges for Internet users.

Such an agreement could overthrow a once-sacred tenet of Internet policy known as net neutrality, in which no form of content is favored over another. In its place, consumers could soon see a new, tiered system, which, like cable television, imposes higher costs for premium levels of service.

Any agreement between Verizon and Google could also upend the efforts of the Federal Communications Commission to assert its authority over broadband service, which was severely restricted by a federal appeals court decision in April.

People close to the negotiations who were not authorized to speak publicly about them said an agreement could be reached as soon as next week. If completed, Google, whose Android operating system powers many Verizon wireless phones, would agree not to challenge Verizon’s ability to manage its broadband Internet network as it pleased.

Google Multiple Account Log-In

2010-08-04T09:57:00.000+03:00

Good news for you polyamorous Google account holders: you'll now be able to sign in from multiple accounts in the same browser. It's everything you dreamed it would be, with a few limitations.

To activate the feature, head over to your accounts page and select "multiple log-in." It's in the process of rolling out, so if you don't see it now just hold tight.

Clicking on "Change" enables a drop-down option next to your email email address on the top right of the page, allowing you to switch back and forth with quickness and ease. Simple as that.

Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac coming in October

2010-08-04T09:54:00.002+03:00

Microsoft has just revealed launch details about Office 2011 for Mac, that it will hit stores in 13 languages and coming in October. For the pricing, Home and Student will cost $119 for a single license or $149 for a family pack that supports three installations on different machines.

Meanwhile, Home and Business will run $199 for one license or $279 for two license. This price already decrease less than Office 2008 between 20% and 50%.

If you already purchase Office 2008, you will receive free upgrade to Office 2011 via the MacTechnology Guarantee Program.

BlackBerry Torch 9800 slider with OS6 launched

2010-08-04T09:51:00.000+03:00

BlackBerry has unveiled what it hopes is an answer to the market dominance of Android and Apple, the BlackBerry 9800 Torch Qwerty slider.

The new Berry is the first to sport BlackBerry 6 OS, and also fronts up a 3.2-inch 480x360 touch-based screen, a slide-out keyboard, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB storage and a MicroSD card slot, as well as 802.11 b/g/n wireless networking, Bluetooth, and a 5 megapixel camera with flash.

What Is Microsoft's Mysterious Black Nub?

2010-08-04T09:47:00.000+03:00

Microsoft Hardware has been playing some games on Twitter this week, releasing a pair of images that add up to something flat, black, and thin. Pretty sure it's not a Microsoft eraser, so what are our next-best guesses?

Trackpads are certainly en vogue lately, so this could be some sort of peripheral along those lines (especially since Microsoft Hardware focuses on keyboards, mice, etc.). And that makes sense in conjunction with another tweet from the same account:

"Don't be so touchy…flat is where it's at."

Without a sense of scale, though, your guess is as good as mine. New Zune HD? It'd be about time. New Windows Phone 7 handset? That seems to merit a bigger reveal than a Twitter account with less than 500 followers. But hey, who knows?

by gizmodo

Gmail Now Lets You Save Attachments to the Desktop via Drag-and-Drop

2010-08-04T09:41:00.000+03:00

Google has added a new feature to Gmail: the ability to save file attachments by simply dragging-and-dropping them onto the desktop. If you hover over the file icon or the “Download” link for any attachment, you’ll notice the new text prompting you to drag the file to your desktop to save.

Facebook for Android updated

2010-08-04T09:32:00.002+03:00

If there’s one app you’ve probably got installed on your smartphone — regardless of platform — it’s Facebook, so when a new version comes out with significant new functionality, it’s usually a pretty big deal. On that note, we’ve got a new build for Android this evening that features a “photo reel” on the home screen giving you live updates from your news feed, integrated video playback,

support for events, and the ability to respond to friend requests without going through the Herculean task of actually leaving the app. The update’s been posted in the Market, so grab it — then make sure your privacy settings are on the up and up, won’t you?

by gadgetcom

Canalys: Android takes Q2 smartphone market share lead in US with 886 percent year-over-year growth

2010-08-03T07:55:00.010+03:00

We knew Android phones were selling like gangbusters -- Google has been none too shy in telling us as much -- but numbers were slightly less clear in a larger context. Well, if a new report by Canalys is to be believed, those numbers are just fine in a larger context. Canalys claims that in Q2 Android was up a whopping 886 percent over last year's sales during this time period (remember, the original Droid didn't come out until November), and those wild sales put it at 34 percent of the US market, compared to RIM's 32 percent and Apple's 21.7 share. Of course, RIM has a big launch on the way, and we're not sure how much of the iPhone 4's heady run this report captures, so things could naturally look different for Q3. Also, it's worth noting that the breakdown of phones actually in use is of course dramatically different. Still, nobody is doing that bad: the smartphone market is up 64 percent year-over-year, and Apple and RIM grew 61 percent and 41 percent, respectively. Oh, and remember Nokia? Yeah, they're still beating the world with a 38 percent market share and 41 percent growth. Check out the press release after the break for all the percentages your heart could ever desire

Twitter: 20 billion posts

2010-08-02T16:00:00.000+03:00

Twitter users have clocked up an impressive 20 billion tweets since its creation in 2006, once again proving the on-going popularity of the micro-blogging site.

A graphic designer from Tokyo (@GGGGGGo_lets_Go) lays claim to the 20 billionth tweet, which translates as: "So that means the barrage might come back later all at once."

We've no idea what this means, but because it's got the URL suffix '20000000000' it's now famous.

JailbreakMe is the First Web-based Jailbreak for iPhone

2010-08-02T15:57:00.002+03:00

The first jailbreak for the iPhone 4 and iOS 4.0 has been released, and it’s available now via mobile Safari.

JailBreakMe 2.0 is a tool for jailbreaking not only the iPhone 4, but any iPhone running iOS 4.0.1 or below and any iPad running iOS 3.2.1 or below. What’s especially unique about this jailbreak is that it can be implemented simply by visiting the JailBreakMe website, making the process far less complicated than most hacks.

As always, we want to remind you that jailbreaking your iPhone will void its warranty, even if it is now legal. Initial reports seem to indicate that JailbreakMe does indeed work properly, if you can get through the website’s currently-slammed severs. However, there are reports that it can break FaceTime and MMS (though the issue can be fixed).

In the end, you Jailbreak at your own risk, but it is the only way to get access to forbidden apps like Cydia.

BlackBerry email, web and messaging banned in UAE due to 'security concerns'

2010-08-02T09:31:00.000+03:00

Looks like those regulators over in the Middle East don't mess about. Following this week's revelation that the United Arab Emirates' telco overseers weren't happy with being unable to monitor how people were using their BlackBerrys, today we're hearing what their solution to the problem will be: an outright ban. Internet access, email and instant messaging on RIM devices will be blocked in the UAE starting this October -- provided, of course, that the Canadian phone maker doesn't do something in the meantime to appease the authorities. Saudi Arabia is similarly peeved with the BBM service, which it intends to shut down later this month. And just in case you were wondering why all this drama is taking place, the BBC cites a Saudi Telecom board member as admitting it's designed to pressure RIM into releasing users' communication data "when needed." Charming.

Unofficial iPhone Dev-Team announces jailbreak for iPhone 4

2010-08-02T09:28:00.000+03:00

The iPhone 4 has finally received its first widely available jailbreak tool, thanks to the unofficial iPhone Dev-Team. Known as JailbreakMe, it will rely on an exploit in Safari to derestrict the phone over the web. Similar to other jailbreaks in the past, this will definitely void your handset's warranty as long as it remains installed, but the advantage that comes from that would be the ability to run unsigned apps as well as the enabling of other features which Apple restricts under normal use. Bear in mind that it will not work with the iPad's 3.2.1 firmware, although that is not the case with older versions of the firmware. You can of course revert to a regular build of iOS by connecting to iTunes and choosing to restore the firmware.

Froyo in HTC Desire

2010-08-01T18:06:00.006+03:00

So the link from HTC is here, and you can update if you don't care about rooting as promised...

But if you do, HTC Desire can be rooted and froyo'd at the same time...

First what you'll need is a linux live image to run from your cd-drive. Preferably Ubuntu.

Download the reflash from http://unrevoked.com/recovery. Untar wherever you want. I recommend in your home directory. Run that, then once you get to the desktop, open up a terminal (Applications, Accessories, terminal) and cd to where you untarrred it, then type sudo ./reflash

Let it do its magic. Once done fire up your phone. Connect it through usb and check mount as usb drive. Put inside this file http://files.bestblog.de/desire/32.43.00.32U_5.09.00.20.zip

Then switch off your phone. Press the power button with the volume down one. Now we are in recovery mode. Press volume down to select (done with power button) the 'recovery' option. Select (done with the trackball) 'install zip from sdcard' and select the above zip file. Let it do its magic. Once done, don't do anything but pressing volume down a few times until it says 'Back button enabled'. Press the back button and select 'reboot system now'. Now you have the latest radio.

Switch on your phone (it will reset itself).

Now download this from the internet http://www.multiupload.com/OZB0KYI3S. This is Froyo without unrooting your device. Put it in the sdcard as update.zip. Then switch-off your desire, switch it on again while pressing pwoer button+volume down. You know the drill (Recovery->'update using zip'->'find zip'). It won;t be long and you will be with a new new FroYo installation, all rooted for your desires to a custom rom.

Obama says presidential BlackBerry ownership is ‘no fun,’ should’ve went with the Sectera Edge

2010-07-30T21:08:00.002+03:00

It’s hard out there for a prez, you know? Hardly anyone knows better than one Barack Obama, who sat down this morning on ABC’s The View in order to talk smack with a few ladies who undoubtedly helped put him in office. If you’ll recall, Obama fought hard early on for the privilege ofmaintaining his prized BlackBerry, and while he eventually won out, we learned today that a grand total of ten individuals are authorized to ping it. Yeah, ten. Needless to say, he described that depressing fact as “no fun,” and even the folks that are cleared to make contact with it won’t send over anything juicy. Why? They know that messages sent to it “will probably be subject to the presidential records act,” so those lucky enough to have the digits are also smart enough to divert their ramblings to Texts From Last Night. But hey, at least hanging in there despite the limitations grants you early access to BlackBerry OS 6, right? Right?

HTC Desire Android 2.2 update coming this weekend

2010-07-30T20:57:00.000+03:00

HTC has just sent us a statement - Android 2.2 is coming to the HTC Desire from this weekend.

Though don't get super-excited just yet - if you've got an operator-locked handset, you won't be getting it straight away.

Why? The update will only initially roll out to unlocked HTC Desire handsets. HTC says "operator specific versions of the update are undergoing testing and we expect to make them available in several weeks' time."

Humph. So unless you paid out for an unlocked Desire, you'll most likely be waiting around for a little while.

"The Android 2.2 (Froyo) update for HTC Desire will start rolling out across Europe this weekend," said HTC in its statement. "As well as including the complete set of Android 2.2 features, the update will contain a few special additions of our own through the latest iteration of HTC Sense."

"The update will provide 720p video capture, HTC's App Share widget, as well as our enhanced HTC Caller ID, and improved multi-language keyboard. Also, though the update, HTC Sync will allow HTC Desire users to sync their music with iTunes."

If you've got an HTC Desire, you'll be notified the over-the-air update is available to download when your phone automatically checks for software updates - again that will depend on your network.

As for the upgrade, HTC says the update won't delete any of your phone's content. Due to the size of the update, the manufactuer also advises using Wi-Fi to download it. You don't say.

New Amazon Kindle unveiled

2010-07-29T22:26:00.000+03:00

Today, Amazon announced the newest generation of Kindle, its popular e-reader.

As hardware is wont to do, the newest version of the Kindle has become smaller and lighter while retaining its 6-inch reading area. Contrast on the screen has improved by 50%, and page turns are 20% faster. Storage on the device has doubled, and battery life is up to an entire month. And for you type geeks, new custom fonts and hinting on the device mean that words and letters will be more crisp, clear and natural-looking.

What more consumers will be interested in, however, is the price on the WiFi-only version of Kindle: a cool $139, which undercuts Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-reader by $10.

Panasonic Unveils world's First 3D Camcorder

2010-07-29T21:45:00.000+03:00

Panasonic has recently presented its new device - a camcorder able to record in 3D.

The model is called HDC-SDT750 and in order to film in 3D it makes use of a sophisticated double lens, with the lenses being located side by side.

The spokesman for Panasonic, Barnaby Sykes, mentioned that the camcorder acts similar to a human's brain, converging two images together to make one three-dimensional picture.

No jacket required...

2010-07-28T21:04:00.002+03:00

At Motorola, we believe a customer shouldn't have to dress up their phone for it to work properly. That's why the DROID X comes with a dual antenna design. The kind that allows you to hold the phone any way you like to make crystal clear calls without a bulky phone jacket. For us it's just one of those things that comes as a given when you've been making mobile phones for over 30 years.

Jailbreaking iPhones is legal, says US government

2010-07-27T22:51:00.002+03:00

A change to US copyright law confirms that it is completely legal for users to 'jailbreak' their iPhones or to unlock carrier restrictions and use an alternative mobile phone provider to those favoured by Apple.

The US Library of Congress, in a recent review of copyright rules, has now changed a 1998 position that banned phone owners from bypassing technical locks.

Audi A7 Sportback

2010-07-27T22:48:00.000+03:00

Apple launches Magic Trackpad

2010-07-27T22:40:00.000+03:00

Fans of multitouch-screen smartphones that let you scroll or zoom by flicking or pinching your fingers now will be able to interact with their desktops in the same way.

Apple on Tuesday began selling a Magic Trackpad, a new wireless device that connects via Bluetooth to any Mac computer and allows users to manipulate what's on their screens through gestures.

Like track pads on laptops, the battery-powered gadget can be used instead of a mouse or in conjunction with one. The pad's entire surface is a button that clicks, so that people can use it in place of a mouse.

"Swiping through pages online feels just like flipping through pages in a book or magazine. And inertial scrolling makes moving up and down a page more natural than ever," says Apple on its Magic Trackpad web page.

Some details about the device had already leaked, and its official launch had been expected since it was mentioned at Apple's developers' conference in early June.

The Magic Trackpad is made from glass-covered aluminum and is the same angle and height as a Mac desktop keyboard, which it's designed to sit next to. It comes as a standalone accessory and costs $69.

Apple says the device supports a set of gestures that include two-finger scrolling, pinching to zoom, rotating with your fingertips, three-finger swiping, or switching between applications with four fingers.

"Go from typing to gesturing in one motion, or do both at the same time," Apple says in its product description.

Apple began selling the Magic Trackpad in its stores and on its website Tuesday morning along with an updated line of iMac and Mac Pro computers. Its online store was down for a period of time beforehand, causing the usual fevered web speculation about what the closely watched company might introduce.

Magic Trackpad quickly became a trending topic on Google and Twitter, although not everyone was impressed.

"First of all, bad name again," wrote one Twitter user who goes byClambake01. "Second, what's the big whoop? It's identical to a MacBook trackpad if I'm not mistaken."

LG Can't Meet Apple Demand For iPad Displays

2010-07-26T21:37:00.000+03:00

LG Display's CEO, Kwon Young-soo has indicated that while demand for its LCD TV screens is somewhat soft, it is having trouble with the smaller LEDs for the iPad.

"Demand (from Apple) keeps growing and we can't meet it all," he said. "Apple may have to delay launches of the iPad for some countries due to tight component supplies and strong demand. We are considering increasing production lines for iPad products, but overall supply is likely to remain tight until early next year."

Samsung Galaxy S

2010-07-26T21:33:00.002+03:00

Sharp launches 100GB Blu-ray discs in Japan

2010-07-26T21:22:00.002+03:00

Sharp has become the first manufacturer in the world to release a 100GB Blu-ray disc, which is part of the new BDXL format.Using triple-layer technology, the disc can pack in a mighty 100GB of content, which is double the size of a normal Blu-ray.The discs are a little pricey, at 5,000 yen a pop (£37) but they do mean that you will be able to store around 9 hours of HD content on a single disc.

Super Sharp shooter

Unfortunately the discs can't be used in normal Blu-ray players (well they might work but Sharp isn't guaranteeing it) so you will have to buy equipment supporting the BDXL format – which is mostly made by Sharp at the moment.Although the 100GB disc will be the first BDXL disc on the market, it is soon to be followed by its even bigger brother – the quad-layer 128GB BDXL.It sounds impressive but this will definitely be a format that's for the very early adopter.There's no word if it will come to the UK, either, but if you are Japan-bound then expect to see the BDXL discs in the shops as of 30 July.

Acer's Android-powered Stream confirmed for Expansys-exclusive August 9th launch

2010-07-26T20:54:00.000+03:00

Acer's Android-powered Stream phone already got official way back in May -- and we got our hands on itat Computex in June -- but the company has only just now confirmed a launch date. According to Acer, the Stream will be rolling out on August 9th, and it'll be exclusive to UK-based online retailer Expansys, at least initially. As for the phone itself, you can expect a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 3.7-inch AMOLED screen, Android 2.1 for an OS, a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video recording (no flash, though), an HDMI out port, and full DLNA / UPnP support for media streaming (hence the name). Of course, being exclusive to Expansys also means you won't be getting a subsidized price -- look for this one to set you back £399, or just over $600. Full press release is after the break.

Four Ways IPv6 Will Save the Internet

2010-07-24T20:55:00.000+03:00

To address issues with the current IP protocol in use (IPv4), and to add features to improve the protocol for the future, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has introduced IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6). Let's look at a few ways that IPv6 will come to the rescue and save the Internet.

1. More Addresses. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses rather than the current 32-bit addresses allowing for an exponential increase in the number of available IP addresses. Network routing experts have been aware of the limitations of IPv4 addressing since the 1980's--before most of the world even knew the Internet existed, and before the Web became ubiquitous.

With 32-bits, IPv4 only allows for approximately 4.3 billion IP addresses. Since every Web-connected device--server, desktop, notebook, smartphone, tablet PC, and more--must have an IP address, and since the Web has exploded in countries like China and India, the world is rapidly approaching the end of the available IPv4 addresses.
With 128-bits to use for creating unique addresses, IPv6 is capable of an insane number of IP addresses far exceeding the demands of today's Internet and Web connected devices. Rather than 4.3 billion address limitation of IPv4, IPv6 has enough addresses that every single person on the planet could have billions upon billions assigned to them personally.

2. Backwards Compatible. IPv6 is backwards compatible with IPv4 so that different networks or hardware manufacturers can choose to upgrade at different times without disrupting the current flow of data on the Internet. Given the world's dependence on the Internet and Web for news, commerce, public safety, national security, and more this is an important feature of IPv6.

Eventually, all IPv4 equipment will be replaced by attrition and IPv6 will be the only address protocol in use. But, that could take decades, so backwards compatibility will be crucial for the foreseeable future.

3. Better Security. IPv6 was designed with encryption and authentication in mind. IPsec is an optional security component of IPv4, but in IPv6 it is mandatory. With IPsec each individual data packet is encrypted and authenticated, making many of the malicious attacks plaguing the Internet today impossible--or at least substantially more difficult.

4. Better Performance. Changes have been made to the way IP packets and headers are formed, and to the way IPv6 routers process the packets to improve performance--resulting in fewer missed or dropped packets, and more reliable and efficient connections. With more people and devices sharing the Internet, and higher demands for VoIP (voice over IP) and video streaming, performance will be more critical than ever.

It has been coming for more than two decades, but the IPv4 address crunch is beginning to get very real. Expect to see a spike in IPv6 adoption in the near future

Amazon: E-Books Outsell Hardcovers

2010-07-22T21:29:00.000+03:00

Kindle e-books are outselling hardcover books by almost 50%, according to Amazon. For the past three months, Amazon has sold 143 Kindle books for every 100 dead-tree books. Paperbacks are not included in these figures. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos:

Amazon.com customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books—astonishing when you consider that we’ve been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months.

NICKO - LAST SUMMER

2010-07-22T21:09:00.000+03:00

Skype updated for iOS4, background VoIP

2010-07-22T20:43:00.000+03:00

Well, the iOS 4 for iPhone was pushed to upgrade a time and most feature that people waiting for is multi-task from this firmware. Today, you can now enjoy the multi-task with Skype and background VoIP, ready to go.

A notification window will pop up when you are called or messaged, and also you will able to sliding to unlock and immediately to answer the phone call. Of course these features won’t able to use withiPhone 3G because the multi-task isn’t enable, not enough memory.

Moreover, it’s great news when Skype confirms : ” We no longer have plans to charge a supplement to make calls over 3G. ”

Olive Pad VT100, 7-inch Android tablet announced in India

2010-07-22T20:12:00.000+03:00

Olive Telecom has just announced the first 3.5G Android tablet in the Olive Pad VT100. This is a 7-inch slate, get 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, an SD card slot, 512 of internal memory, 3.5mm audio jack, 3 megapixel camera, mini USB and 3,240mAh battery.

It also has front camera for video calls. It will available in India next month with price from $425 to $530, depending on some factors.

OlivePad VT100 Full Specifications:

GSM: 850/900/1800/2100

WCDMA: 900/1900/2100

Chipset: Qualcomm MSM7227

GPRS: Class 12

Dimensions: 179.4(H) * 110(W) * 11.5(T)

Screen: 7 inch TFT Capactitive Touchscreen

Display: 800×480 WVGA Display

Internal Memory: 512 MB+ 512 MB

Memory Card support: upto 32 GB

Phonebook memory: 2000

SMS memory: 500

3.5 mm audio jack: yes

Charging: mini USB

Battery: Li-Po

Capacity: 3240mAh

Standby time: GSM:400h WCDMA : 550h

Talktime: GSM :1200mins WCDMA : 480 mins

Camera: 3 MP Autofocus 4X zoom

Audio formats supported: MIDI, MP3, AMR, AAC AAC+

Speaker: Dual

Video Streaming: yes

Video Formats: 3GP

Bluetooth: v2, AD2P

WiFi: 802.11 b/g

Compass

G-sensor

Amient Light sensor

Email Pull email

MMS, WAP

GPS

PC-sync

Speaker

Vibration

Stopwatch

calendar

calculator

world clock

Over 55 Percent of Android Devices Now Running Version 2.1

2010-07-21T20:41:00.002+03:00

China Is Now the World's Leading Energy Consumer

2010-07-21T20:37:00.000+03:00

In 2000, the US consumed twice the energy of China. But by 2009, China had become the world's leading energy consumer, according to a new International Energy Agency report.

How much energy did China burn through last year? 2,252 million tons of oil equivalent (sources include oil, nuclear power, etc)—only about 4% more than the US, who, in all fairness, still consumes the most energy per capita.

A different metric? Three years ago, China was the world's biggest exporter of coal. Now it's the leading importer. And last year, for the first time ever, Saudi Arabia sold more oil to China than the US.

Given that China's consumption will give them more negotiation power in the world's power market, it may be a good time to buck our trend of a mere 2.5% energy efficiency increase per year.

MOTOROLA CHARM

2010-07-20T21:29:00.000+03:00

Motorola just revealed the Motorola Charm Android phone. The phone has a 2.8 inch portrait style touch screen. If you don’t want to touch the phone using the touch screen then you can flip it around as it has a pad on the back, a lot like the Back Flip. This phone also features a full qwerty keyboard on the front. The phone will run on Android 2.1 with blur. The design is a lot like the previous models were like and nothing like the new Android X skin. A few more of the features include 3.0 megapixel camera, WiFi, and a second microphone which is a noise canceling. T-Mobile will be launching this phone this summer! So you can go pick one up when available, now I’d tell you the availability but that hasn’t been released yet. Motorola has only revealed the phone, we don’t know the price or when it will become available for consumers.

Intel Posts Its Best Quarter Ever

2010-07-20T00:27:00.000+03:00

Technology stocks rose in extended trading Tuesday after a strong second-quarter report from Intel Corp. pointed to improved demand for computers.

Intel, the world's largest chip maker, reported its largest quarterly profit in a decade after Tuesday's market close. Its shares climbed $1.72, or 8.1 percent, to $22.73 in after-hours trading. The stock earlier ended regular trading up 44 cents, or 2.1 percent, at $21.01. It has ranged from $15.90 to $24.36 over the past year.

Meanwhile, shares of fellow chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. rose 43 cents, or 5.7 percent, to $7.95 in aftermarket activity. Microsoft Corp. added 57 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $25.70 while Texas Instruments Inc. gained 49 cents, or 2 percent, to $25.88.

Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. rose 44 cents, or 4 percent, to $11.36 and SanDisk Corp., a maker of flash storage cards, added $1.13, or 2.5 percent, to $46.84.

For the second quarter, Intel posted net income of $2.89 billion, or 51 cents per share. Analysts expected net income of 43 cents per share in the latest period, according to a Thomson Reuters survey.

The last time Intel's quarterly net income topped $2.5 billion was in 2000 during the dot-com boom.

Revenue was $10.77 billion in the latest period, above the $10.25 billion Wall Street expected.

Intel predicted third-quarter revenue of around $11.2 billion to $12 billion. Analysts project $10.9 billion in revenue.

Bandage iPhone 4 Reception Issues with Antenn-aid

2010-07-20T00:16:00.000+03:00

On Friday, Steve Jobs announced that part of Apple’s response to the whole iPhone 4 antenna problem would be to offer free cases for all iPhone 4 owners. However, if you don’t like the idea of having your beautiful phone marred by a bumper or other case, consider this adorable (and inexpensive) option to masking tape or silicon: the Antenn-aid.

Antenn-aids are described by the seller as “custom vinyl sitcker[s] for your iPhone 4.” The Band-Aid for your iDevice is designed to be placed over the lower left corner of the antenna. And while the seller takes great pains to ensure that buyers understand that the Antenna-aid is for entertainment purposes only, chances are, the solution will work at least as well as tape or another type of protective covering.

The bandages are being sold in packs of six for $4.99. Each Antenna-aid is a different color so you can color-coordinate.

How useful (or not) the decals actually are is kind of irrelevant. We’re just really taken by the ingenuity and creativity of such a creation. As much as I love my iPhone 4, I still find the idea of having to have a bandage for the device just to make a phone call (assuming you hold your phone while touching the problem areas) absolutely hysterical.

Microsoft Cofounder Allen To Donate Most of His Billions

2010-07-19T23:47:00.002+03:00

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen pledged Thursday to donate the majority of his 13.5-billion-dollar fortune to charity.

Allen's pledge came just weeks after his former business partner, Bill Gates, and legendary investor Warren Buffet both called on other billionaires to commit to giving away at least half their fortunes.

"I want to announce that my philanthropic efforts will continue after my lifetime," said Allen, who has already given about 1 billion dollars to charity over the years.

"I've planned for many years now that the majority of my estate will be left to philanthropy to continue the work of the foundation and fund non-profit scientific research."

"As our philanthropy continues in the years ahead, we will look for new opportunities to make a difference in the lives of future generations," said Allen, 57, in the statement.

Allen is the 37th richest man in the world, with 13.5 billion dollars in assets, according to Forbes magazine. He founded Microsoft together with Gates in 1975 and left the company in 1983.

Allen was diagnosed in November with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and began chemotherapy.

"Paul has finished his treatments and as of now has no current medical issues," said David Postman, a spokesman for Vulcan Inc, Allen's investment group.

Facebook Will Celebrate 500 Million Users Next Week

2010-07-19T19:25:00.000+03:00

Facebook will finally reach the impressive 500 million user milestone sometime this coming week. To celebrate, it’ll launch “Facebook Stories,” a visual memorial to all the ways the social network has changed people’s lives.

All Things Digital’s BoomTown blog uncovered the details in an interview with Facebook marketing guru Randi Zuckerberg last week. She said that while previous announcements of this nature have been about the numbers, this time the company wants it to be all about the users.

That’d be empty PR-speak on its own, but she’s talking about a real initiative: Facebook Stories will be a website within Facebook that’ll sort actual, submitted user stories by location and theme. Theme examples given included “finding love” and “natural disasters.” Each story will be limited to the same number of characters a Facebook status caps out at: 420.

Facebook has already posted a form through which you can submit your own story. If your story becomes popular — that is, if it gets more “Likes” than most — it could be featured among other popular stories.

Facebook reached 400 million users five months ago. This time last year, it had just reached 200 million, and eight months before that it was at just 100 million. The site launched in February of 2004, and has since become the most popular social site on the web.

RIM, HTC say Steve Jobs is full of it

2010-07-19T19:00:00.000+03:00

If Apple CEO Steve Jobs thought other phone companies would just sit idly by while he attacked them during Friday's press conference, he's got another thing coming.

Last Firday, Jobs held a press conference to try to dispel any qualms that users had about the iPhone 4's design flaw that makes it easier to drop calls than in previous iPhone models. Instead of admitting any real failure, Jobs said the issue was being blown out of proportion and claimed that Apple's newest phone is no worse than other smartphones on the market.

Specifically, Jobs called out Research In Motion's Blackberry Bold and HTC's Droid Eris, saying they were no better than the iPhone 4. Maybe I'm missing something, but I haven't seen any outcry over reception issues with either of these phones. Well, neither have their respective manufacturers, and they're being very vocal with their displeasure about Jobs's statements.

"Apple's attempt to draw RIM into Apple's self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple's

claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple's difficult situation," said RIM in a statement.

The company then attacked the iPhone 4 design, saying, "RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage."

HTC also piped in, though its comments were far less stinging. It simply wanted to point out that the number of Droid Eris owners who have called in about signal problems represent, "Approximately .016% of customers. We have had very few complaints about signal or antenna problems on the Eris."

It was indeed remarkably bold of Jobs to deflect attention away from his company's very real problem by attacking some of the top-selling competitors' phones, without knowing hardly anything about their design process and dropped call numbers.

There's an easy way to tell the difference between the iPhone 4 and the Blackberry Bold or Droid Eris - only one of those phones has a flaw that is so blatant that the company behind it is now offering free bumper cases to make the phone work properly.

Coming Soon: Sign in to Multiple Google Accounts in the Same Browser

2010-07-16T09:49:00.001+03:00

If you use several Google accounts on a daily basis, you would probably like to be logged in to all of them at the same time. You have to use several different browsers to achieve that currently.

Now, according to Google Operating System, Google is testing a feature that will let users log in to multiple Google accounts in the same web browser. Personally, I have at least four different Gmail accounts open at all times, and this feature is very high on my wish list.

Google services that are currently being tested include Gmail, Reader, Sites, Calendar, Code and Docs. There is one limitation: if you turn on multiple sign-in, you cannot access Gmail in offline mode.

Apple Releases iPhone Update With Signal Bar ‘Fix’

2010-07-15T23:09:00.000+03:00

Apple on Thursday afternoon released a minor software update for iPhones, which changes the appearance of signal bars. Apple has promised that this fix would alleviate the iPhone 4’s widely reported antenna problem — a claim nobody has believed.
The update (version 4.0.1.) is 580-MB large, and the revised signal bar display is the only tweak mentioned in the change log.
In iOS 4.0.1, the reception bars are slightly taller than they were previously (see images above).
Apple said in a press release that the iPhone 4’s reception loss was exaggerated by an inaccurate display of signal strength, and the company said a new software algorithm would alleviate the problem. However, some bloggers and antenna experts agree that the issue is related to hardware — a weak spot in the lower-left corner of the phone — and a software update is unlikely to fix resolve the problem.
From light testing, Wired.com has not seen a substantial difference in performance when the iPhone 4 is gripped covering the antenna gap in the lower-left corner, or less uncovered. We’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, if you’ve installed the update, post your observations in the comments section.
Apple will be holding a press conference Friday morning regarding the iPhone 4. At this point it seems easy to predict that at the conference, Apple will focus on explaining why the software update is an adequate fix. Still, we’re betting the company will issue free bumpers for those claiming they are affected, and perhaps even silently revise the hardware in future shipments of the iPhone 4.

Nigel De Jong vs Xabi Alonso

2010-07-12T19:56:00.002+03:00

New BlackBerry OS 6 Teaser

2010-07-12T19:36:00.002+03:00

YouTube now supports 4k-resolution videos

2010-07-11T09:47:00.000+03:00

YouTube on Friday announced that its player now supports 4k, a standard resolution for films that measures 4096x3072 pixels. As YouTube Engineer Ramesh Sarukkai explained in the announcement on YouTube's official blog, "4K is nearly four times the size of 1080p," and it dwarfs even Imax, which projects films in the slightly smaller 2k format, with its 2048?1080-pixel resolution.

Of course, the proof of 4k's merits is in the pudding, which is why YouTube has a special playlist of five films that can be played back in their original 4k resolution. As Sarukkai warns, viewing these properly requires considerable bandwidth speed, as well as the right gear.

Rox - My Baby Left Me

2010-07-11T09:35:00.002+03:00

The world's biggest online picture

2010-07-11T09:34:00.001+03:00

The world's biggest online picture...
26 Gigapixel

MSI's P55A Fuzion motherboard

2010-07-09T23:33:00.003+03:00

Running more than one graphics card on a motherboard has always been fraught with problems, not least which cards will play nice together, with MSI's Fuzion line though AMD and NVIDIA cards can now make friends.

We've got hold of a pre-production sample of MSI's P55A Fuzion motherboard, and though it's by no means the finished article it does represent what could be a fascinating change in multi-GPU motherboards.

Until Lucid got on the scene with it's multi-GPU chip things had been very much limited to either only running multiple NVIDIA or multiple AMD cards.And within that there were further caveats ensuring that only identical GPUs could actually be used in conjunction with each other.

With the Lucid LT22102 chip that's housed on the P55A Fuzion and it's sister board, the AMD chipset-based 870A Fuzion, you can now use non-identical card together, as well as cross-vendor graphics.

Personally I think it's the non-identical part that could really pay dividends going forward.

Of course the key headline grabber is the ability to use AMD and NVIDIA cards together, but there is a lot of brand loyalty in the graphics card market and many of us will stick with the same vendo's GPUs anyway.

The ability to keep your existing GPU plugged into your system when you come to pick up a brand new card, and have even more power at your disposal than if you were operating with your new card alone, is a no-brainer.

The first Lucid-powered board was MSI's own Big Bang Fuzion, a rather pricey P55 board that unfortunately didn't do a lot for Lucid's cause.

The driver set wasn't mature enough to cope with the demands of multiple graphics cards and so compatibility was a massive issue. MSI is now sure though that Lucid is doing enough work with its driver set, and is releasing new drivers often enough to make it worth having another stab at the market.

There are other motherboard manufacturers, such as Asus, that are interested in the technology too.

If more manufacturers actually begin to release Lucid-powered boards then those drivers really will have to be up to snuff.

Android smartphone market share grows as Apple falls

2010-07-09T22:28:00.001+03:00

Google’s Mobile operating system, Android has increased its share of the US smartphone market in the quarter leading up to May whilst competitors, Apple, Microsoft and BlackBerry’s RIM all saw their percentages fall.

The figures, compiled by research outfit comScore, sees the Google OS come to within just 0.2 per cent of replacing Microsoft as the third most frequently used mobile OS in the America. Apple remain in second behind the dominant RIM despite both manufacturers suffering market loses.

With a 13 per cent share of the market, the Android platform saw a 4 percent rise between February and May of this year as RIM dropped 0.4 per cent to a 41.7 per cent share, Apple lost 1 per cent down to 24.4 and the struggling Microsoft fell 1.9 per cent to control just 13.2 per cent of the market.

Much of the success Android is seeing, success that has seen the platform rise from just a 5 per cent market share back in December, can be attributed to the number of handsets the OS is being installed on. Despite Apple holding almost twice the market share of its Google born competitor, the Apple OS share relates to just the three iPhone handsets (the figures are pre-iPhone 4 release).

If the Android OS continues to rise at its current rate, the Google operating system will not only easily surpass Microsoft's offering but will be challenging fierce rivals Apple in the near future before targeting the previously untouchable BlackBerry makers, RIM.

Gmail Introduces Rich Text Signatures

2010-07-09T22:27:00.000+03:00

As of today you can use a rich text signature in Gmail, meaning that you can add links and images to it, as well as change the text’s format, font and color.

HTC Desire will get 720p video recording in Android 2.2

2010-07-06T22:33:00.002+03:00

When the room Android 2.2 for HTC Desire leaked out, some members of XDA Develops was using it to testing with their HTC Desire handset and discovered that this handset will get 720pvideo recording in Android 2.2.

So, finally,you will able to recording mHD video with your HTC Desire and enjoy it. Just waiting for Android 2.2 official comes to Desire. For review, you can check two 720p testing videos bellow.

Hitler founds that Opera 10.6 is faster than Chrome!

2010-07-06T22:29:00.003+03:00

Sony, LG, Samsung and Valens ready HDBaseT

2010-07-05T23:32:00.003+03:00

A group of consumer electronics manufacturers got together and finalized the specifications of a new A/V cable standard. It's called HDBaseT and is based on standard CAT5e/6—meaning we should wind up paying less for our home theater wiring.

The standard is expected to be adopted by 2011.

Current HDMI 1.4 cables allow sterescopic 3D signals to be sent to a TV as well as normal and high definition content. The HDBaseT is capable of doing the same but also adds the ability to use a 100Mb/sec ethernet connection and up to 100W of charging power.

Renault DeZir

2010-07-05T23:25:00.000+03:00

B.o.B - Nothin' On You ft. Bruno Mars

2010-07-05T21:02:00.000+03:00

World Cup Statistics

2010-07-04T13:05:00.001+03:00

Economic and sales productivity during the world cup ...

Smartphone Comparison

2010-07-04T12:53:00.000+03:00

8 new smartphones. Detailed comparison...

HP Mini 110, 210 HD with new Atom CPUs

2010-07-04T11:00:00.000+03:00

HP has quietly updated two netbooks today, add new Intel Atom chips, 1.66GHz Atom N455 and 1.83GHz N475 processors. With the Mini 110 will come with 1GB of DDR2 RAM and 1GB or 2GB of DDR3 RAM with the Mini 210.

The Mini 110 starts at $280, a 10.1-inch 1020 x 600 LED blacklit display, 160GB or 250GB of storage, webcam and microphone built-in, Wireless N and six cell of battery. You can choose to install Windows XP SP3 or Windows 7 Starter.

The Mini 210 at price $330, it’s adds a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator, a 1366×768 display, an embedded GPS module with HP Navigator software, Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit, and more colors.

Range Rover Evoque

2010-07-04T10:54:00.000+03:00

More photos...