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US Cellular to provide home phone service over cellular network

NewsPoster — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:15:56 GMT

US Cellular is planning to provide a home phone service, using a base station that connects to the carrier's wireless network. The system, similar to the Home Phone Connect service provided by Verizon, will allow calls to be placed through a normal corded or cordless home phone attached to one of its two telephone ports, as an alternative to having a home phone line installed.

The base station will offer dual-band support over 800 and 1900MHz CDMA, and while it will be supplied with a charger, it will also have a 1,500mAh NiMH battery capable of providing up to two hours of talk time, and up to 36 hours of standby time, according to information provided to Engadget. As well as being supplied with an antenna, the base station will also notify of any waiting voice mail messages and the strength of the signal.

While a launch date is unknown, it has been revealed that US Cellular will be offering unlimited calls, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, and three-way calling as part of the $20 monthly subscription, but will not provide access to data.

First round of bidding for Hulu ends this week, four bids rumored

NewsPoster — Fri, 24 May 2013 08:22:09 GMT

Four parties have allegedly placed bids to purchase streaming service Hulu, with the first round of bidding apparently due to end this week. Guggenheim Digital Media, DirecTV, and Time Warner Cable are said to be interested in the company, following a bid from former News Corp president Peter Chernin for a reported $500 million.

The Guggenheim Digital Media offer is said by the LA Times to be headed by former Yahoo interim chief executive Ross Levinsohn, with the bid being an attempt for it to expand its current media portfolio, which currently includes Adweek, Billboard, and the Hollywood Reporter. The offer from Guggenheim Digital Media may end up facing extra scrutiny due to Guggenheim Securities advising the sale, despite being a separate legal entity with different owners.

Reuters also reports that DirecTV and Time Warner Cable put in bids, with both likely to want to use Hulu to provide TV programming and other streaming video content to their subscribers, which could be attractive to new customers.

None of the bids from DirecTV, Time Warner Cable, nor Guggenheim Digital Media were disclosed, and it is possible that the apparent $500 million bid from Chernin may end up being far less than Hulu's management hoped to get. In 2011, Hulu expected to receive bids in the $2 billion ballpark, and though Dish offered $1.9 billion and Google bid nearly $4 billion with concessions, Hulu failed to be sold.

Another option for Hulu is for one of its current owners, News Corp and Disney, to buy the other out. Comcast, the third partner in Hulu, cannot take part in sale discussions, due to regulatory restrictions from its acquisition of NBCUniversal.

Box aquires Folders, plans to integrate into own iOS cloud storage app

NewsPoster — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:41:12 GMT

Enterprise-oriented cloud storage firm Box has acquired Folders, an iOS app used to manage files from cloud storage services. The purchase, for an undisclosed amount, will see the technology behind the app rolled into Box's own iOS app, with Folders developer Martin Destagnol being drafted in to help with its integration.

Folders provides users a simplified way to access Box, Google Drive, and Dropbox, and offers the ability to open a variety of files on iOS, including PDFs, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Google Docs. Music streaming, access to photos and videos, and a code viewer with syntax highlighting and line numbers are also included.

While Box does have its own iOS app, vice president of engineering Sam Schillace claims Folders will be an integral part to the next version of the app. "When we saw Folders we saw a beautiful experience and a set of design patterns that we had to bring to Box's users," wrote Schillace on the company blog, promising that Box for iOS "will become cleaner, faster and more beautiful" throughout this year.

Earlier this month, TechCrunch notes Box pocked up Crocodoc, a HTML5-based service for displaying PDFs and Office files in a browser. Both Folders and Crocodoc are "consumer-grade" according to Schillace, due to their "usability, simplicity, speed, and performance," something which he hopes will be a "big win for users and a massive opportunity for Box."

AT&T GoPhone may get iPhone, LTE/HSPA+ support on Friday

NewsPoster — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:35:42 GMT

AT&T's prepaid GoPhone brand is set to get a major upgrade on Friday, MacRumors claims. This includes official support for the iPhone, and access to LTE and HSPA+ networks. People have been able to sign up to GoPhone with an iPhone in the past, but until now had to sacrifice cellular data access.

Three iPhone plans will reportedly be offered, ranging up to a high-end $65-per-month tier with 1GB of data and unlimited calling and texting. The cheaper plans, costing $25 and $50, will require buying data as a bolt-on.

Both new and contract-free iPhones should be supported. Anyone already using an iPhone on GoPhone will reportedly get cellular access by June 21st, if they don't ask to be upgraded manually beforehand. iPhone use should include the full range of AT&T services, such as Visual Voicemail.

Report: Google complicating Facebook Waze purchase with buyout offer

NewsPoster — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:02:29 GMT

Reports have surfaced that Google is considering a competitive bid for map software developer Waze. The move comes after sources indicated that Facebook had held talks to buy Waze. Reportedly, no one company is close to closing the deal, and Waze itself may choose to use venture backing to expand its services rather than seek a buyout.

Waze's first round of funding came from an assortment of investors, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Microsoft. Over $30 million was raised in 2011. The company generates revenue through location-based advertising served to users of its service.

The initial report of Facebook's interest in Waze claim that the discussions have been going on for the last six months, and due diligence is being performed now. The deal is reportedly worth just less than $1 billion. A sticking point in the negotiations with Facebook is reportedly whether Waze should be kept in Israel or moved to the United States.

Dashlane gets 2.0 overhaul; beta signups open for 1Password 4 on Mac

NewsPoster — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:53:26 GMT

Multi-device password management and e-wallet platform Dashlane has deployed a v2.0 upgrade. This includes overhauled designs for the desktop clients, particularly on the Mac. which is now said to be "cutting edge" in its visual elements. The platform as a whole now sports a new Security Dashboard with a security score and tips, and features such as two-step/three-field logins, among various other autofill and auto-login changes. Two-factor authentication via Google Authenticator can be used for the desktop and mobile apps.

Future updates to the desktop clients will now be delivered silently and automatically. Android users have meanwhile gained in-app browsing, including auto-login and autofill support, and the ability to run their app on any screen size, up through tablets. Dashlane has dropped any gamification from the platform, citing "experience and feedback."

Separately, developer AgileBits has started taking beta signups for the Mac release of another password manager, 1Password 4. The finished software is due later this year, and will presumably carry over features from the iOS release of v4, which arrived last December.

Brazilian email may back Apple performing in-house repairs

NewsPoster — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:04:48 GMT

An allegedly official Apple email sent to Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) in Brazil may support rumors that Apple is planning to do its own repairs of iOS devices, according to AppleInsider. At the moment, a person bringing a broken iPhone, iPod, or iPad to Apple is more likely to have the device swapped out for a refurbished unit, to which a person has to resync their data using iCloud or iTunes. It can often be cheaper and/or faster for the company than conducting a true repair, which requires having a supply of spare parts on hand.

The previous rumors hinted that Apple was planning to overhaul its repair services, specifically at Apple Stores. If authentic, the Brazilian memo indicates that Apple may soon, for example, start repairing iPad glass. The display is believed to be the most expensive part of an iPad, which could make it more cost-effective for Apple to simply replace panels whenever possible.

The email message is attributed to a John Meneghel, said to be Apple's Technical Assistance manager in Brazil. Changes to Apple's repair program will supposedly start taking effect in June.

iOS 6 Flyover coverage expands to more of California

NewsPoster — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:21:17 GMT

Apple has expanded its 3D Flyover coverage in iOS 6 Maps to more of California, AppleInsider notes. Flyover has long been available for cities like San Francisco, but now covers areas such as Anaheim, San Bernardino, Santa Monica, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, and Moreno Valley. Some significant pieces of scenery include Disneyland and the Santa Monica pier.

Because Apple can roll out Flyover terrain without updating iOS, it's unknown if any other regions have been enhanced this week. The company has been periodically adding more 3D since iOS 6's debut. Earlier this month, for instance, it extended Flyover to Paris and surrounding areas.

Sears to repurpose closed locations for data centers, wireless towers

NewsPoster — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:19:19 GMT

Faced with the prospect of tens of millions of idle retail square footage from closures and relocations, Sears Holdings has generated a new division to market closed Sears and Kmart stores as a home for data centers, wireless tower locations, and disaster recovery locations. The new initiative leverages the nearly seventy percent of US citizens that live within 10 miles of a Sears or Kmart location to make the locations appealing to big data, wireless carriers, and industry.

"It's an amazing real estate portfolio," said Sears Holdings' Ubiquity Critical Environments Chief Operating Officer Sean Farney. "The goal is not to sell off properties. It's to reposition the assets of this iconic brand. The big idea is that you have a technology platform laid atop a retail footprint, creating the possibility for a product with a very different look to it."

The first repurposing effort is an ex-Sears location on the south side of Chicago. The 127,000 square foot location closes in June, and will be built out after closing as a data center. The first client has committed to the location. "It's a building that's lit very well, from both a fiber and power perspective," said Farney. "It's going to be great data center building." The location being repurposed can utilize up to 5 MW of power.

"There are compelling reasons why this is a great model," explained the CEO. "The customer has evolved to the point where they want a sexier location, where they can have access to a Starbucks and other retail, because it's possible they may be there for weeks or months. Sears and Kmart stores are located in just such retail locations in major malls."

Ubiquity is looking at renting rooftops to cell providers for towers and other broadcast hardware, given the proximity of the locations to dense residential areas. "These rooftops have proximity to the greatest mass of consumers available. As wireless users grow, the size of the cell is shrinking, creating holes in coverage. Having rooftop access to the cars and pedestrians around the malls is important. The Sears portfolio can capture that."

WTB: iPhone 5 screen and digitizer white

Rumor — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:01:38 GMT

Anyone have one for sale?

Report: US FTC considering additional Google antitrust investigation

NewsPoster — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:30:20 GMT

According to sources discovered by both Reuters and Bloomberg, US regulators are looking into the possibility of a new antitrust probe against Google. This new action would investigate complaints that the search engine breaks laws in how it markets and sells some advertising across the Internet.

The new inquiry allegedly involves tools that Google is using after it acquired display ad company DoubleClick. Other firms with the same services as the absorbed display ad company are reportedly complaining to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that Google is using its position as the leading search engine to influence purchasers and hurt competing businesses. Additionally, Google is using the sale of banner ads to push purchasers into using more of its other services, which is a practice illegal under antitrust laws.

The sources say that the (FTC) has not sent out civil investigative demands yet, which would be the bellwether of an investigation actually in progress. Google and the FTC have not commented on the matter. Google currently owns 47 percent of the US Internet advertising market.

Google posts Chrome 28 beta, integrates services into search results

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:33:46 GMT

Google has released a beta version of Chrome 28 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. The most significant change is in the Windows release, where a native notification center for apps and extensions has been turned on. These can include not only text and images, but optional actions such as making a phone call or sending email. Notifications can appear even when Chrome is closed. Google is promising Mac notifications "soon."

The Android beta incorporates a new Google Translate bar, more mobile-friendly error pages, and fullscreen support on tablets. Phone users should now see a "+" button in the toolbar for creating more tabs. When using the app's data compression option, a new graph shows estimated bandwidth savings.

Separate of Chrome, Google has integrated more of its own services into search results. When using the main Google search tool, people can now look for photos they and their friends have uploaded to Google+ by adding "my photos" or "____'s photos" in front of a query. Image recognition is used to identify photos with relevant content; Google suggests trying keywords like "food," "flowers," and "sunsets" to see working examples.

US Gmail users should soon be able to see Calendar events and Google Drive files when searching from within Gmail. The option has actually been available in test form for months, but is finally being rolled out to the public "over the coming week," according to Google.

Motorola versus Microsoft Xbox ITC complaint complete, MS victorious

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:55:26 GMT

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has completed its patent infringement investigation against Microsoft. The ITC has declined to review a final initial remand determination issued by the presiding judge, ending the case in Microsoft's favor. Today's move was primarily administrative, with the actual ruling having happened earlier this year.

On March 22, Judge David Shaw reversed his own previous decision made in April 2012, where he declared that Microsoft had infringed four patents and did not infringe a fifth.

Motorola's lawsuits and ITC filings against Microsoft have primarily been seen as attempts to keep Microsoft at bay from its attempt to push it and every other Android device manufacturer into paying a royalty for Microsoft patents allegedly used in the Google-coded operating system.

Motorola's H.264 (and the previously included Wi-Fi) patents are considered standards-essential, and licensing for these patents must be attempted on a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) basis by law. Motorola was on the losing end of statements given to the ITC by industry magnates in support of both Apple and Microsoft's use of Motorola's standards-essential patents. As a result of the 2.25 percent request and other issues, both Motorola and parent company Google were under investigation by the FTC for FRAND patent abuse, with a light reprimand issued to parent company Google.

Google in 'holding pattern' with Apple for All Access iOS app

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:48:18 GMT

Google wants to submit an All Access app for iOS, but is still working to find something Apple will accept at the App Store, say 9to5Mac sources. What disputes the companies might have are unmentioned, but they could conceivably involve things like the revenue split from in-app purchases, and/or features that may violate App Store guidelines.

In the meantime, one of the most popular third-party Google Music clients for iOS -- gMusic -- has added All Access support. That includes the ability to both create and play stations, and add music to a library from within the app. Users must still have a paid All Access subscription.

Apple could in theory be hesitant to allow All Access because of plans for its own streaming music service, and its increasingly hostile stance towards Google. At the same time, though, streaming services like Spotify, Rdio, and Pandora are already on the App Store, which could make it difficult for Apple to defend rejecting Google. The latter also has other titles on the App Store that compete with Apple, such as Chrome and Google Maps.

AT&T Wireless adds $0.61 per month administrative fee to all users

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:23:41 GMT

AT&T Wireless has started billing customers $0.61 per month as a mobility "administrative fee." The new charge came into effect May 1, and has been applied to all consumer bills, in addition to business accounts where the user pays the amount due. The new fee will add nearly $500 million to AT&T's coffers in a year.

AT&T claims the fee is "consistent with similar fees charged by other carriers" and will "cover certain expenses, such as interconnection and cell site rents and maintenance." Other carriers have similar charges. Sprint charges nearly $1.00 per line, with Verizon just above AT&T at around $0.77 per user. T-Mobile bundles administrative fees in a regulatory charge line item, so no information on the carrier's charge is available.

Verizon brings Verizon Cloud to iOS, more Android phones

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:01:38 GMT

Verizon has officially launched Verizon Cloud for iOS devices, as well as a broader slate of Android phones. The iOS app is designed primarily for the iPhone, but can still be run on the iPad and iPod touch. Newly-supported Android phones include devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC Droid DNA.

The Verizon Cloud service lets users up back up contacts, photos, videos, and documents. For iOS users these functions are relatively limited, mainly letting people access and/or share content they uploaded to Cloud via Verizon's desktop software. On Android backup is more comprehensive, for instance expanding data types to include things like call logs and text messages. iOS restrictions normally prevent third-party apps from reaching that data.

The service comes with 500MB of storage for free; 25GB costs $3 per month, and 75GB is $6 per month. The peak option is a $10 plan that provides 125GB.

Report claims details of iPhone 5S, fifth-gen iPad, low-cost iPhone

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:13:36 GMT

A new Macotakara report claims to have learned details about several upcoming Apple products, beginning with the rumored low-cost iPhone. The site says it has heard conflicting views from two sources on colors; one alleges that the phone will come in navy, white, gray, and gold orange tones, while another mentions white, pink, green, blue, and yellow orange. In both cases, black is omitted.

The device is expected to go into test production in June, and shift into full production in July, with the aim of a September launch. While more consistent with other rumors, it does conflict with previous Macotakara suggestions that the phone would only arrive in 2014.

Regarding the iPhone 5S, the site says that it will also come in several colors. Aside from the standard black and white, it may also come in gold and green. Otherwise external design will reportedly be similar to the iPhone 5, but with a dual-LED flash, and a circular rear microphone instead of a pill-shaped one, placed between the camera lens and the flash.

The fifth-generation iPad, meanwhile, is predicted to have a hole for an additional microphone. That sort of hole has appeared in prototype cases for the iPad mini and the fifth-gen iPad, but isn't reflected in the shipping Mini hardware.

Pioneer debuts third generation AppRadio in-dash entertainment system

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:58:45 GMT

Pioneer Electronics has deployed two new smartphone connectivity options for the car with two versions of its next generation AppRadio 3 smartphone connected in-dash receiver -- the SPH-DA210 and the SPH-DA110. Both AppRadio 3 models feature compatibility with MirrorLink enabled smartphones in addition to the current AppRadio compatibility with both iOS and select Android smartphones.

Additional features are also integrated into each model for enhanced smartphone control and added convenience, including voice control for Siri Eyes Free and Google Voice Recognition, a revised graphical user interface, and Bluetooth audio streaming.

Both AppRadio 3 models feature a built-in AM/FM tuner with RDS text information display (when available), MOSFET 50 Watts X 4 power, and dual preamp outputs. In addition, the SPH-DA210 model also includes a CD/DVD mechanism for playback of conventional media.

Pioneer's SPH-DA110 and SPH-DA210 AppRadio 3 models will be available in July with suggested prices of $399 and $499 respectively. The smartphone connectivity cables range in suggested prices from $30 to $60.

Font on the US Penny?

subego — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:51:54 GMT

Okay designers, answer that zinger.

Apple cites FRAND ruling to ITC, calls Samsung behavior 'egregious'

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:24:30 GMT

Apple has wasted no time filing with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) regarding the landmark ruling from May 22 enjoining a standards essential patent holder from enforcing a potential ITC-ordered sales embargo. Apple's filing with the court summarizes Judge White's decision, and calls Samsung's conduct "even more egregious" than that of the cited case's patent holder.

Apple said in the filing with the ITC that "the Realtek case is strikingly similar to the instant case. Samsung brought an ITC complaint before making any offer specific to its declared-essential patents, let alone a FRAND-compliant offer. Just as in Realtek, when Apple responded to the ITC complaint by requesting that Samsung provide FRAND terms for the specific asserted patents, Samsung responded by making a non-FRAND demand based on the total price of the accused Apple products--rather than the cost of the relevant accused components."

"Indeed, Samsung's conduct here is even more egregious," Apple concludes, adding "in short, just as in Realtek, Samsung's pursuit of an ITC exclusion order directly conflicts with its FRAND commitments."

Patent analyst Florian Mueller believes that the quoted case's patent owner refusing to make any licensing offer was key to the previous decision, making the judge decide that "this attempt to seek to gain unfair leverage must be thwarted." Apple never sought a fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) determination action like the alleged patent abuser did in the quoted case after Samsung's high patent license offer, which may be problematic to Apple's case.

The ITC ruling is expected on May 31. The landmark ruling is the second item this week that the ITC has to consider in a relatiely last-minute fashion, with the other item being the letter by US senators reminding the ITC of FRAND patent value to the US.

13-05-22 Apple Notice of New Authority and Facts in ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-794

iAd gets Media Ratings Council aaccreditation

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:09:29 GMT

The Media Ratings Council has awarded full accreditation to Apple's iAd, the first mobile ad platform to achieve that status, says Advertising Age. The accreditation reflects iAd's compliance with standards set by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Mobile Marketing Association. That includes accurate reporting of data such as taps, visits, views, impressions, conversations, and average time spent.

"We were favorably impressed with the range of metrics that iAd provides and their quality," an MRC executive is quoted as saying. "It gives the buy and the sell side confidence that the measurements are accurate and can be relied upon as currency."

MRC accreditation is an expensive prospect, costing $100,000. Only a relatively small group of ad networks are currently trying for it, including Google's DoubleClick. For Apple the approval may be important in convincing more advertisers to accept iAd, which has been problematic since the network's launch in 2010. Apple originally demanded a $1 million minimum buy, but tepid response led the company to cut the minimum to $500,000, $300,000, and eventually $100,000. It even boosted the developer revenue slice from 60 percent to 70. Since then, Apple hasn't talked much publicly about iAd's performance.

Microsoft updating Kinect for Windows motion sensor next year

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:03:51 GMT

Microsoft will be releasing an updated version of its Kinect for Windows sensor next year. Following on from the launch of the Xbox One and its inclusion of a new Kinect interface, the add-on for computers will have a number of matching improvements and a new software development kit, thanks to its shared technology set with the console version.

The new sensor will use a high-definition color camera, according to a company blog post, which when combined with Microsoft's Time-of-Flight technology for measuring the return time of rebounding light photons to the sensor, is said to provide higher accuracy and precision. It will be capable of recognizing slight rotations of the wrist and wrinkles in clothing, while its improved skeletal tracking will monitor more points on the body than before, as well as tracking six skeletons at the same time.

It will also have an expanded field of view for the camera, in order to accommodate a wider array of room sizes, and an active-IR system will allow it to work in most lighting conditions. The built-in microphone array will be able to isolate noise and filter ambient sounds, improving its ability to pick up and understand voice commands, and is claimed to be able to do so in crowded rooms.

While a date for release has not been revealed by Microsoft, more details will be revealed during its Build 2013 developer event in June.

Weather Weapons

besson3c — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:35:55 GMT

Apparently Alex Jones thinks the government might have weather weapons:

Alex Jones pushes tornado truther theory: ‘There’s weather weapon stuff going on’ | The Raw Story

I'm fascinated by this world. It seems like a path to madness in imagining things that might be conspiracies and then looking for evidence to back this up (or else simply embracing shaky evidence). I'm sure there are conspiracy theorists of all kinds (e.g. 9/11 being a hoax) so let's not make this into a liberals or conservatives rah rah meow meow thread, but have any of you guys sort of looked at these sorts of conspiracy theories and were tempted to buy into them? Does buying into one sort of lead you into buying into other things? How do people come up with this stuff? Or, is it just an attention getting gimmick?

What groups should qualify for tax-exempt status?

andi*pandi — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:30:27 GMT

A question I had, but didn't want to bog down the other thread... we can agree that singling one group out to follow the rules but not others is wrong.

However, what groups deserve to be tax-exempt? I've not heard much talk on this. Do political groups in general, no matter the party, deserve it? Why?

ProDesk3D color 3D printer open to pre-order, blue option added

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:23:00 GMT

BotObjects, the creators of the ProDesk3D printer, has opened it up for pre-orders. Billed as the world's first full-color 3D desktop printer, the ProDesk3D is going on sale in two different versions, one in orange and a limited edition version with blue coloring and extra equipment, with the first shipments due to be sent by the first of October.

The redesigned company website has also been updated to show off items printed off the ProDesk3D. It has a build platform capable of creating 300x275x275mm objects (11.8x10.8x10.8 inches) at a resolution as high as 25 microns per layer, and to demonstrate this, it has been used to print multicolored instruments, a robot, and a vase.

The standard edition, with orange trim and window, will cost $2,849 with a $400 discount for an early order, and is supplied with one starter 5-color cartridge set and 1 support material cartridge. The blue version will cost $3,349, also discounted, and will come with triple the amount of cartridges. Extra cartridges will cost $49.95 per set.

Apple: WWDC keynote coming Monday, June 10

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:03:00 GMT

Apple has formally announced that the Worldwide Developers Conference will begin with the traditional keynote address, set for the first day of the conference: Monday, June 10. Unusually this year, the company has pre-announced that the convention (and presumably the keynote) will focus on the forthcoming OS X 10.9 and iOS 7. Though not included in the announcement, CEO Tim Cook is expected to headline the presentation.

The program was expected, but was only confirmed on Thursday morning, AllThingsD reports. The conference will be held once again at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA. Apple, naturally, did not reveal any specifics of the keynote. The conference will be held June 10-14 with more than 1,000 Apple engineers in attendance. Tickets sold out almost instantly when they were made available on April 25, but all the technical sessions (as well as the keynote) should be available for registered developers to stream online.

In addition to the first look at the next major OS upgrades from Apple, speculation has it that at least one member of the MacBook family -- the MacBook Air -- is likely to have a refreshed model announced at the conference. The availability of Intel's low-power "Haswell" chip has sparked the rumor that the company may refresh the entire MacBook line with the new processors.

Reinforcing the rumor is news that Amazon is sold out of the current MacBook Air models with 64GB of storage and a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5, though small numbers of used and refurbished models are still available. Other models are also in short supply.

Brother MFC-9000 series digital all-in-ones include color touchscreens

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:30:54 GMT

Brother has rolled out a new range of digital color all-in-one devices aimed at small business users. The MFC-9000 series of printers all use a 3.7-inch color touchscreen display with WebConnect and offer Wi-Fi connectivity, with the MFC-9340CDW flagship model providing a print rate of 22 pages per minute for both mono and color documents.

The MFC-9130CW, the cheapest of the three models being unveiled, is capable of printing at up to 19 pages per minute, and uses Brother's LED print technology to create images at up to 600x2400 dpi. The touchscreen is able to connect to Facebook, Picasa, Flickr, Evernote, Dropbox, Skydrive, or a Box account to pull documents or images for printing, while its Wi-Fi connection allows users to print from a mobile device using AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, the Brother iPrint&Scan app, and Wi-Fi direct. It also has a 35-page auto document feeder, and a deep sleep mode that uses less than two Watts when not in use.

Adding to the base model, the MFC-9330CDW can print at up to 23 pages per minute, with automatic duplex printing also available. It provides an extra Ethernet interface, and can print from and save files to a USB flash drive. The MFC-9340CDW adds in single-pass duplex scanning and copying, with automatic duplex printing, copying, scanning, and faxing.

The MFC-9000 range is available now, with the MFC-9130CW priced at $400, while both the MFC-9330CDW and the MFC-9340CDW have a street price of $450.

NINJA EFFECTS - MacBook Air 13" Sleeve with Ninja Techniques

sushishibuya — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:19:33 GMT

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Giveaway: Waterfield Designs Finn wallet

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:53:07 GMT

Just in time for Father's Day, WaterField Designs has unveiled their new fine leather Finn wallet. This is the ultimate wallet for securely carrying cash, credit cards and even a cell phone. Electronista has two to give away, read on to learn more about this wallet, and how you can enter to win.

The Finn wallet is constructed with naturally deer-tanned leather in six color choices and two sizes: a compact version for cash and cards as well as a slightly longer version sized to fit an iPhone 5 or similar-sized smartphone. Inside there are two pouches for holding ID or credit cards as well as a stack of bills, while self-locking zippers secure the contents. It is designed to fit easily into men's pants pockets without causing a "wallet bulge."

Currently the Finn is offered in two different sizes. Size 25 comfortably holds 20 or more credit cards and a nice wad of bills while size 27 fits a protected iPhone (or similar sized smartphone) along with up to 15 credit cards and a sizeable stash of cash. Color options include black, camel, grey, red, forest green, and cowboy brown. It retails for $35 from Sfbags.com.

To enter, click here, agree to our terms and conditions, and answer one skill-testing question. Mailing list signup is required to be selected, if you have already signed up for a mailing list, please place a check in the box next to the list you have signed up for. Giveaway is open to US residents and closes on May 31, 2013.

Briefly: Mailbox for iPad, iOS Rhapsody

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:43:14 GMT

Mailbox (free), an alternative GMail client for iOS, has released a new version that fixes a few bugs and is also now optimized for iPad as well as the iPhone. The app offers features not found on the default iOS mail client, such as gestures to prioritize incoming mail and the ability to reschedule a message to reappear later.

The development team, now supported by Dropbox, is also working on a desktop and Android version of the program but says those options are on a "longer-term roadmap." The team are also considering adding support for other IMAP-based email services such as iCloud.

Rhapsody iPhone app gets redesign, adds full-screen player

Subscription streaming and download music service Rhapsody (free) has redesigned its existing Rhapsody iPhone app to version 3.4, offering a new visually rich home screen, personalized organization, upgraded album and artist pages, a full-screen player and pop-up menus for things like easily adding tracks to a queue or favorite, among other functions.

Apple gains patents for double-sided touch panel, push-to-talk system

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:27:14 GMT

Apple has been granted 26 new patents this week, two of which could end up being used in a future iteration of the iPhone. The filings from the US Patent and Trademark Office show Apple as owning patents for a push-to-talk (PTT) system, as well as one for a double-sided touch panel that could help the company make an even thinner smartphone.

Patent 8,447,381 for a "Push-to-talk telecommunications system utilizing a voice-over-IP network" builds upon existing methods for a digital two-way radio, according to Apple Insider, with the patent employing a "wireless packet data telecommunications network." Transmissions would go through a packet data network that uses at least one mobile station, a radio access network, a server used for location, a registrar, a database server, and a PTT server in order to connect PTT users.

Currently, a number of apps for iOS and other platforms do provide PTT communications, but the patent suggests that Apple may have looked at how it could employ PTT in the iPhone, but has yet to do so.

The patent for a "Double-sided touch sensitive panel and flex circuit bonding," patent number 8,446,386, is for the creation of a sensor that uses two substrates printed onto two different sides of a thin dielectric material, at a 90-degree angle to each other.

Such a design of a touch panel could be thinner than existing versions, allowing for thinner iPhones in future, or possibly even using it in conjunction with another patent, published in February, which could allow for the creation of a smartwatch with a flexible display. The touch panel patent could theoretically be used with the flexible screen, along with its flex circuit bonding, in order to allow the wrap-around screen to be touch sensitive.

Patents for "gesture control of multimedia editing applications," "techniques for versioning file systems," and a "touch pad for handheld device" were also granted to Apple.

Briefly: Evernote gains reminders, Microsoft offers two new mice

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:52:43 GMT

Evernote has added one of the most requested features to its iOS, Mac and Web apps, reminders. Available for all Evernote customers, the new option is represented with an alarm clock icon in the top-right corner of the web and Mac interfaces, and at the bottom of a note in the iOS apps. Reminders saved within the app will provide users with in-app alarms, as well as optional e-mail alerts when a reminder is due. Additionally, notes with reminders are automatically sorted into a new section at the top of the Note list, and can be reorganized by simply dragging them up or down.

Microsoft outs two new mice with Windows-dedictated functions

Two new mice, the Sculpt Comfort Mouse and Sculpt Mobile Mouse, optimized for use with Windows have been released by Microsoft. The Sculpt Comfort Mouse is the first mouse to feature the new Windows touch tab, a touch-sensitive strip for navigating through Windows 8. Tapping the center of the tab will switch users between their current app and the Start screen, while swiping up or down can be used to manage open apps. Meanwhile, the Sculpt Mobile Mouse features a dedicated Windows button for quick access to the Start screen. Both mice are available from Microsoft's online store for $40 and $30 respectively.

Briefly: Pandora adds Facebook integration, OmniPresence syncing

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:09:58 GMT

Pandora has updated its iOS app with Facebook Open Graph support, allowing users to share their listening activity directly on the social network. A new "Publish" option has been added to the settings of the iOS app and the web-based player, allowing users to share music from wherever they are. Users are also provided with a number of controls that let them customize what information is shared. Finally, the update also offers an enhanced track menu that can be used to create a new station, as well as share, purchase, and bookmark music.

OmniGroup outs new document syncing service

OmniPresence, a new syncing service that uses the same underlying document coordination as Versions, has been released by OmniGroup. The new architecture lets a supported app know when a document has been changed on another device, and then double-checks to make sure it always syncs a current and complete copy of any documents that are being edited. OmniPresence has also been designed to support document syncing within teams and is built on top of open web server standards allowing it to be implemented on a personal web server. As the company isn't sure how much extra traffic will be generated by OmniPresence, it is slowly being rolled out to customers. Anyone who has checked the "I am brave" box at sync.omnigroup.com should already have access, and anyone else who checks that box will be given priority access.

Apple to double spending on Washington lobbying

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:03:22 GMT

On the heels of Apple CEO Tim Cook's testimony in Washington on the subject of tax policy, Apple is being seen as doubling its spending on lobbying in Washington -- though it would still be a minor player when it comes to tech companies and money flowing to Congressional representatives. According to Reuters, Apple will boost spending to $4 million, about the same as what Facebook spends on lobbying.

The iPhone maker has found itself more and more in the focus of the government and Congress as it engages in a costly war over patents, fights the Department of Justice over alleged e-book price fixing, and addresses the controversy of its "tax avoidance" policy, the latter of which is no different than any other large corporation except for Apple's sheer scale. Like Google, Cisco, Yahoo and others, Apple takes advantage of every available loophole and legal strategy to keep its tax bill across the many countries in which it operates as low as possible.

Cook addressed the issue in a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, defending the company's methods as being completely legal and above-board, and gently pointing out that Congress both created the problem and could fix it if it chose to do so. He also put forth a proposal for compromise on America's current corporate tax rate, which (barring deductions and credits) is one of the highest in the world at 35 percent.

Under Cook's proposal, the tax rate would be lowered to somewhere in the "mid-twenties" in terms of rate, but would also remove some of the deductions and credits. Similar in nature to a proposal from the Obama administration, Cook believes that the reform would incentivize at least some companies into "repatriating" foreign profits currently held outside the US into bringing them into the economy, resulting in a significant revenue and tax boost. He also admitted that under his proposal, Apple would likely pay more in taxes than it does currently.

Without some kind of reform, he added, neither he nor most multinational corporations are particularly interested in bringing those profits home to the US, given that the money has already been taxed once in the countries in which they were earned and that it would be subject to a further 35 percent tax. Cook acknowledged that it was actually cheaper for Apple to borrow money in the US at the current historically-low interest rate for things like dividends and buyback programs than it would have been to bring in foreign profits to pay for those programs.

He stressed, however, that Apple pays taxes on 100 percent of its sales in the Americas at US tax rates, does not stash US profits in offshore havens as many other US corporations do. Apple's effective tax rate in the US is about 30 percent, and accounts for 1 out of every 46 dollars collected in corporate income tax.

The $4 million Apple will spend on lobbying this year pales in comparison to some tech companies. Oracle, for example, spends around $6 million a year on lobbying, while Microsoft's total is more than $8 million. Leader of the pack so far as been Google, which spent $18.2 million on influencing legislation and legislators in 2012.

Despite a serial list of bad behaviors, the Android maker has thus far been treated with kid gloves in most matters on the federal level: the DOJ refuses, for example, to look into charges that the company engaged in monopoly abuse through predatory pricing of e-books prior to Apple's entry into the market, and a recent consent decree signed by Google with the FTC to get it to stop seeking injunctions on SEP-based patents has proven all but worthless.

As part of its renewed lobbying effort, Apple has hired Capitol Tax Partners, the Glover Park Group, Franklin Square Group, and Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock -- firms with experience in taxes, broadband, electronic waste and spectrum issues, reports AppleInsider. Given Cook's comments, the company will likely want to lobby Congress on environmental and corporate tax issues, along with intellectual property and patent reform issues.

Lenovo full year results claim record $34B annual sales revenue

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:59:16 GMT

Lenovo has managed to reach new records in annual sales and annual pre-tax income over the last year, according to its latest quarterly financial update. The computer producer reports annual sales of $34 billion for the entire year, an increase of 15 percent compared to last year, and a 38-percent increase on taxable income to $801 million.

Thanks to its record income for the year, its earnings are also up 34-percent to $635 million. The company reports its market share for PCs as 15.5 percent, another claimed record, while its "Smart Connected Devices" share reached 5.9 percent, granting Lenovo third place in global rankings for the market.

Continuing from the previous quarter's results, Lenovo managed to receive revenues of $7.8 billion for the quarter, an improvement of four percent, and a pre-tax income of $166 million said to be 63-percent higher on the same period last year. Quarterly gross profit grew 20-percent year-on-year to $963 million, while operating profit grew 67 percent to $169 million.

Revenues in China grew 74-percent for the year, providing a revenue contribution of 21-percent, thanks to it increasing its PC market share to 31.7-percent in the country. In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, shipments rose 11 percent, giving it an 11.8-percent market share, while shipments in North America also rose by 9.8-percent, despite the market continuing to drop for the industry as a whole. Even so, Lenovo notes that its desktop PC shipments remained static globally during the fourth quarter.

HTC First pre-orders cancelled in UK after poor sales on AT&T

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:25:05 GMT

HTC has pulled its impending launch of the HTC First in the United Kingdom, after enduring a poor reception in the United States. The Android smartphone, preloaded with the Facebook Home launcher, has failed to take off in the US, despite AT&T's attempts to revive the device by selling it on-contract for $1 instead of its original $99 price.

Sources of Mobile News claimed the carrier had pulled the device on Facebook's command, and that customers of EE would be informed that pre-orders for the HTC First will not be fulfilled. This has since been confirmed in a statement by EE to Engadget, stating "Following customer feedback, Facebook has decided to focus on adding new customization features to Facebook Home over the coming months. While they are working to make a better Facebook Home experience, they have recommended holding off launching the HTC first in the UK."

The HTC First was the first to launch with Facebook Home already installed, and though it had a 4.3-inch display, a dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor and Android 4.1 at its core, it hasn't attracted enough of an audience for any carrier to really stock the device.

The Facebook Home launcher, downloadable to a number of Android devices, replaces the home screen and app launcher typically associated with Android with more sociable versions. The home screen, titled Cover Feed, shows updates from a user's Facebook feed, while the Chat Heads contact system combines messages from various sources for the same contact into a single icon, one which hovers above all other applications. Currently, it sits between 1 million and 5 million downloads on Google Play, with an average rating of two and a half stars from almost 18,000 reviews.

Kinect on the XBOX One: The Commercial embodiment of 1984?

The Final Dakar — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:21:54 GMT

Hyperbole, perhaps, but given its mandatory nature on the system it got me thinking. I haven't seen details yet, but in order for it to function, it has to listen to you at all times.

Then, I thought, with the TV passthrough it can likely log what you're watching while collecting info on keywords spoken and heart rate. Is MS going to use this to create its own Facebook like database of info to sell? (I say yes).

I haven't heard about privacy limitations yet, and they do allude to 'safeguards' for those wary about a live camera being trained on them 24 hours a day. But I wouldn't be surprised if it later comes out that this thing takes regular notes on certain audio/visual parameters then strips out personal info and sends it to Redmond (My guess is once a day).

Corning: Gorilla Glass 3 stronger, better, cheaper, more eco-friendly

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:22:31 GMT

A new test video, along with explanation and question period, shows Corning firing back at rumors that Apple and other clients may switch to using a sapphire glass cover in future products. In addition to showing that Corning's Gorilla Glass 3 is stronger and more resistant to damage, the US-based glass company says that their product is more eco-friendly, cheaper to make, and more flexible for designing products.

Apple, along with other companies, uses manufactured sapphire as a material for things like the covering of the lens on the iPhone 5, noting that it is exceptionally resistant to scratches. A recent rumor has suggested that Apple could switch to that material for other parts of the next iPhone, including the home button (in the event that Apple adds a fingerprint sensor to it).

Corning officials point out that Gorilla Glass 3 is about three times less likely to break under force than sapphire, weighs about half as much, requires 99 percent less energy to make, provides for brighter displays and costs one-tenth the price of sapphire glass. The report by Corning seems aimed more at companies other than Apple, which doesn't appear to be planning any move to more sapphire for the overall covering of future mobile devices.

The company also says that it has now reformulated Gorilla Glass to the point where it is thin enough to be used in curved displays -- which could be a key advantage if rumors of an Apple smart watch turn out to be true. Corning says it is also working on variations that can reduce reflection and thus make it easier to use in bright sunlight. The glass also incorporates anti-microbial technology, which could lead to the products' further expansion into medical equipment and other related products.

Currently, around 1.5 billion devices in circulation use some form of Gorilla Glass. The glass is strengthened with an alkali-aluminosilicate and used in some 1,000 products across 33 different companies. The Kentucky-based company has a special relationship with Apple, however, as co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was the man who persuaded Corning to bring Gorilla Glass out of "retirement" for the original iPhone. The product has since gone on to earn Corning billions and become one of its most recognizable brands.

An executive for Corning summarized the video's findings by saying that in "one one of our commonly accepted strength tests, sapphire breaks more easily than Gorilla Glass after the same simulated use" and that sapphire's cost and environmental impact were "huge issues" compared to Gorilla Glass 3, which was introduced in January.

Shazam app update adds auto-tagging of TV shows, charts to iPad

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:58:20 GMT

Shazam has updated its iPad app [App Store] to automatically recognize and tag songs, TV shows and music in adverts, without the user needing to prompt the app to do so. The background process, though not turned on by default, will add anything it can hear and identify to its home screen carousel, ready to be viewed at a later time by the user.

The redesigned home discovery screen shows what others are listening to at that moment, with users in the US able to see TV shows in the listings as well, along with charts showing the most tagged items. While TV show tagging is usable only in the US and in some cases in the UK, advertisement tagging will still be available in some other countries, and while it is functional on iPad first, it will be put onto the Android version in the next few weeks.

Maps will show the top tracks listened to in a specific country, while zooming down into a region will provide similar charts for individual cities or states. Also included is integration with Rdio, which allows users to listen to a track again or to sign up for an Rdio trial, and an improved Shazam Friends will allow users to comment on others' tags, and to share through Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

MSI reveals Intel 'Haswell' gaming notebook ahead of Computex

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:16:20 GMT

With Computex Taipei just over a week away, MSI has taken the covers off its latest gaming notebooks packing Intel's next-generation 'Haswell' silicon. Heading up the range is the 17.3-inch GT70 Dragon Edition 2 that will feature a quad-core fourth-generation Core i7 processor. Graphics processing is powered by Nvidia's GeForce GTX780M and is good for a 3DMark Vantage score of 36,000.

As with previous G-Series MSI gaming notebooks, the new GT70 Dragon Edition 2 comes with SteelSeries gaming keyboards that can process up to 10 simultaneous hits. Storage its highlighted by SSDs set up in a RAID O array, while the high performance theme is further exemplified by its ability to support up to three external monitors, in addition to its own 16:9 1080p display. The alloy chassis helps to keep the GT70 Dragon Edition 2 down to a respectable 6.3 pounds (2.9kg).

The new GT70 follows yesterday's reveal by MSI of its GX70 and GX60

portable gaming rigs, which sport AMD's latest 'Richland' silicon. They, like the GT70, sport a Blu-ray drive, three USB 3.0 ports, and HDMI 1.4 out, mini DisplayPort, VGA and THX certified speakers. Both the Intel-powered GT70 Dragon Edition 2 and the AMD-powered GX70 and GX60 will be available from June, with pricing details to follow. [via CNET]

HTC One sales near five million, boosting shipments to meet demand

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:19:11 GMT

HTC says it has sold nearly five million units of its HTC One smartphone. Although only around half of the 10 million Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphones sold, the figure is still a strong result. The news will be a morale boost for the Taiwanese company amid reports that it has lost several senior executives following a disastrous first quarter that saw the company return just $2.8 million profit on over just $2 billion is revenue.

An anonymous HTC executive informed spoke to Wall Street Journal, confirming that the One is selling well. "Orders are pretty good so far and are still more than what we can supply," said the executive. "This is partly due to the shortage of components. When the issue is resolved next month, we will have a better idea if it's doing really well or not," the exec added.

The HTC One is a critical device for the company. It's other high-profile handset, the First, which features tight Facebook integration has been struggling to gain any traction following Facebook's decision to make the Facebook Home Android launcher available as a free downloadable app for several leading handsets. The One, however, is where HTC is pinning its hopes of a comeback, with the early signs indicative that it may be seeing some long-awaited success. HTC has previously indicated that it will be in a position to double its supply of the One from the middle of May. [via Android Authority]

HTC Desire 600 revealed for June launch, borrows HTC One features

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:16:30 GMT

HTC is continuing to develop for its Desire range of devices, and has introduced the Desire 600. The mid-range device inherits a number of features found in the HTC One, including the BlinkFeed news and social feed on the homescreen, 30-second video highlights generated from images taken during an event, as well the BoomSound audio processing and speakers.

Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor running at 1.2GHz and supported by 1GB of RAM, a 4.5-inch super LCD2 display with a resolution of 960x540, and dual SIM card slots that can both be active at the same time. On the back is an 8-megapixel camera with an LED flash and the ability to record 720p video, which is paired with a front-facing 1.6-megapixel camera.

While it includes connectivity over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-band HSPA and tri-band GSM/EDGE, it will not include access to LTE networks. NFC, GPS, AGPS, and GLONASS is also included, along with 8GB of storage expandable by microSD, and a 1,860mAh removable battery.

The Desire 600 will go on sale in Russia, the Ukraine, and the Middle-East in early June, with options for black or white casings. Neither details of a wider European or US release, nor pricing, was disclosed.

HP Envy Rove takes on Sony Tap 20, Dell XPS 18

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:33:20 GMT

HP has taken a stab at the fledging mobile desktop market with its new Envy Rove. Like the Sony Vaio Tap 20 and the Dell XPS 18, the Envy Rove does double duty as an all-in-one touchscreen Windows 8 desktop computer, while it also incorporates an in-built battery for mobile use around the house. The Envy Rove is one of three new all-in-ones HP announced today, which also offer a choice of the latest Intel 'Haswell' silicon scheduled for widespread availability in July.

The Envy Rove, despite its size and relative thickness, relies on Intel's HD4000 integrated GPU to render its IPS 1600x900 pixel display. Its integrated battery will deliver up to three hours of use when on the go, which is short of the four hours offered by the Dell XPS 18, but more than the two hours of battery life delivered by the Sony Tap 20. Connectivity includes 802.11ac, three USB ports and Intel's Wi-Di. A 1TB hybrid hard drive is also built, while HP continues its relationship with Beats to power its speakers. It is expected to retail for under $1,000 when it goes on sale next month.

HP also took the covers off a couple of other, but more traditional, all-in-one desktops. These include the 20-inch HP Pavilion Touchsmart 20 and the 23-inch Pavilion Touchsmart 23 that use 5-point multitouch displays. Chips on offer include the latest Intel 'Haswell' fourth-generation Core-series processors as well as the latest processors from AMD. The Touchsmart 20 will be available before the end of the month from $620, while the Touchsmart 23 will be available in early June from $749. [via PC World]

Amazon opens pre-orders for Kindle Fire HD in 170 countries

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:04:46 GMT

Amazon will be putting its Kindle Fire tablets on sale in 170 more countries next month, and has also expanded its Appstore to operate in nearly 200 countries. Pre-orders for the 7-inch and 8.9-inch models of the Kindle Fire HD through Amazon.com, its UK site, France, and Amazon Germany have commenced, with shipments to customers due to start on June 13th.

Previously only on sale in the US, parts of Europe, and Japan, the extended rollout of the Kindle Fire tablet to more countries was hinted at last month. Amazon requested app submissions from developers for distribution in the new Appstore regions, which is also usable on normal Android devices as well as the Kindle Fire.

The Kindle Fire HD 7-inch can be pre-ordered from $214 or the regional equivalent, with the Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch starting from $284. Customers in Ireland and Gibraltar can order from the UK site, Monaco residents can use Amazon France, those in Austria and Luxembourg can order through Amazon Germany, with all other countries able to order from Amazon.com

Hands on: Nokia Lumia 925 for T-Mobile

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Following a formal unveiling last week at a press event in London, Nokia has brought its new Lumia 925 handset to Las Vegas for CTIA's spring expo. Electronista had a chance to try out the T-Mobile edition, which pairs the company's traditional Lumia form and premium camera features with a new aluminum frame.

We liked the feel of the Lumia 900, released last year, along with many of the company's other Lumia handsets. The 925 continues this tradition, with a housing that is both comfortable to hold and nice to look at. We prefer the rounded edges and aluminum band, rather than the all-plastic build and boxy edges of the larger Verizon-bound Lumia 928.

The 925 integrates the same 8.7-megapixel PureView camera as the other 920-series handsets, combined with Carl Zeiss optics and optical image stabilization to maintain an edge over the competition. Pictures taken indoors at the press event looked great, but we didn't try any difficult shots in low light or with moving subjects. Nonetheless, we've been impressed by the photographic capabilities of other PureView-equipped phones, so we expect the 925 to perform similarly.

The Windows Phone interface is presented on a 4.5-inch AMOLED panel, which helps highlight the contrast between Metro tiles and the background, while 1280x768 resolution is high enough to ensure crisp details. There isn't much to say about the 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon chip, which is common to many Windows Phone handsets and does a fine job at most tasks.

T-Mobile will get the Lumia 925 sometime after the international version arrives in Europe and other markets next month, though a specific launch date has yet to be announced..

No Tablet Wars thread?

lpkmckenna — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:32:06 GMT

I think Microsoft has thrown down the gauntlet:

Windows 8: Less talking, more doing - YouTube

Chopsticks, anyone?

I think we can all snort at the price comparison, given the lousy specs of the VivoTab screen. But advertisements aren't about specs. And Microsoft has re-ignited the "Apple products are overpriced" meme with a vengeance.

I'm very curious about the overall direction of the tablet market. Lots of strange and interesting form-factors are being introduced, and lots of tablets are finding unusual ways of integrating a real keyboard and stand into the design. Tablets with fold-up covers are floppy and would never work in your lap (Apple's Smart Cover, VivoTab's Transverse cover), tablets with kickstands barely work in your lap (Microsoft's Surface), and keyboard covers with a slot to hold up your tablet (like the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover) can't fold back behind the tablet. And then there's the fixed-angle problem for all three designs.

I think Microsoft's Surface keyboard covers have the best overall design because they don't require a separate battery, can fold over the front and the back, and are really thin. (Too bad about the crappy trackpad). But because of the kickstand, you can't use this comfortably in your lap.

I hope Apple is working on this problem. A well-integrated keyboard cover with an adjustable viewing angle that can also fold back behind the tablet unobtrusively is really a worthwhile goal.

The Acer Iconia almost has these problems licked:

Samsung ships 10 million Galaxy S4 handsets, launches new colors

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:11:42 GMT

Samsung Electronics has announced that global channel sales of its Galaxy S4 has surpassed 10 million units shipped in less than one month after its commercial debut. Launched globally on April 27, the phone is estimated to be selling at a rate of four units per second. Shipments of the Galaxy S III reached the 10-million mark 50 days after its launch in 2012, while the Galaxy S II took five months and the Galaxy S seven months to reach the same milestone.

"On behalf of Samsung, I would like to thank the millions of customers around the world who have chosen the Samsung Galaxy S4. At Samsung we'll continue to pursue innovation inspired by and for people," said JK Shin, CEO and President of the IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is available in more than 110 countries and will gradually be rolled out to a total of 155 countries in cooperation with 327 partners. As part of this rollout, Samsung is planning to introduce more color variations to meet various consumer tastes and preferences. In addition to the currently available White Mist and Black Forest, new color iterations will be added this summer, including Blue Arctic and Red Aurora, followed by Purple Mirage and Brown Autumn.

Yelp fires back at critics claiming review manipulation by sales staff

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:47:03 GMT

Crowdsourced review service Yelp has come under attack again over reports of business owners complaints that reviews are "too self-centered and not trustworthy" and that the company hides reviews to its own benefit. A blog post by Yelp's Vice President of Communications Vince Sollitto refutes the claims which have been reported to the media, and hopes to clear up the service's reputation.

A Los Angeles Times article points out a case where a tutoring firm wasn't going to advertise on Yelp based on a single one-star review. According to the article "The salesperson claimed she couldn't do anything directly, but would let the relevant department know. Suddenly, the negative review was gone and some positive reviews got through." Despite the report's claim, there is no chain of evidence pointing to manipulation of the system by the sales agent, but the appearance of impropriety is clear.

Sollitto points out that third party research has "debunked the conspiracy" connecting advertising and automated filtering. He says that the misbelief of bias "stems from Yelp's efforts to protect consumers from those who are constantly trying to game the system. Yelp uses automated software to showcase the most helpful and reliable reviews from among the millions submitted. Those that don't make the grade -- about 20 percent -- are posted to a separate "Filtered Review" page. So, in trying to prevent unethical wrongdoing on Yelp, Yelp gets accused of the same."

Yelp's blog post attempts to turn the tables on the journalists pointing out business' first-hand reports. Sollitto says that "Presumably, those reporters in the stories mentioned earlier were seeking to give a voice to the small business owner as the 'little guy,' but in the process seem to have forgotten about another 'little guy': the consumer who is looking for honest assessments of local businesses and not the misdirection of deceptive or biased reviews."

New Windows 8 ad lampoons iPad's price, missing features

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:45:29 GMT

Microsoft is airing a new TV ad for Windows 8 tablets targeting their main competition, the Apple iPad. The spot points out that the iPad is missing equivalents to Windows 8 features like Live Tiles and true multitasking, and that at $449, a 64GB ASUS VivoTab Smart tablet is far cheaper than a comparable 64GB iPad, which is $699. Narrating everything is a Siri-like voice trying to defend Apple.

Microsoft is still fighting to gain marketshare in the tablet world. While the iPad has seen some of its share slip in the past year, most of that shift is believed to be favoring Android-based tablets like the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire. Microsoft's own Surface tablets have seen relatively marginal sales so far.

Google starts deprecating downloads for projects on Google Code

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:11:13 GMT

Google has announced plans to start deprecating most download options for projects hosted on Google Code. Beginning today, both existing and new projects without any downloads will lose the ability to create them. Existing projects that do have downloads will no longer be able to create additional ones as of January 15th. "All existing downloads in these projects will continue to be accessible for the foreseeable future," Google adds.

The deprecation is blamed on "increasing misuse." Google doesn't specify what that means, but it could potentially refer to people uploading content like malware or pirated apps. As an alternative to using Code, Google suggests uploading files to Drive and sharing folders and links with appropriate peers.

Twitter for Mac gets Notification Center ties; Rdio updates iOS app

NewsPoster — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:40:55 GMT

Twitter has released a new version of its free Mac client, v2.2.1. While mostly a maintenance update, it also adds OS X Notification Center integration, pushing alerts whenever a mention or direct message is received. Some of the update's fixes solve broken Growl notifications, the account switcher going missing in the composer window, and a bug that prevented un-favoriting tweets.

Music streaming service Rdio has meanwhile released v2.2 of its iOS app. The title now lets people search for friends, artists, and record labels; the first and third options make it easier to follow friends and see the top albums and artists on a label, respectively. Other changes are minimal, but do include a new look for the sliding side navigation.

Crazy London Thread

subego — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:28:18 GMT

Deadly London attack could be act of terror, Cameron says - The Washington Post

Quote

Two assailants hacked a man to death on a busy southeast London street Wednesday afternoon

WTF?

Congressional leaders remind ITC of standards-essential patents value

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:47:11 GMT

An an unusual show of solidarity, leaders of the US Congress intellectual property and antitrust subcommittees submitted a letter to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) reiterating the prior request that "the Commission carefully assess the substantial public interest considerations that exist with regards to this and other cases at the ITC in which SEPs are at issue."

The letter takes no position on the Apple versus Samsung matter before the ITC, but does note that the federal government is taking note of the issue and watching events develop. The Chairman of the ITC is reminded in the letter of the obligations of standards-essential patents have responsibilities to "seek reasonable royalties" and will "not pursue a court order or exclusion order to prevent the imp oration or sale of an implementer's product."

Emphasis in the letter is made on preventing the use of standards-essential patents as "a weapon to block others from distributing products that implement key standards." The timing of the letter is notable, as it comes just days away from the May 31 ITC ruling between Apple and Samsung.

13-05-10 Letter to ITC on SEPs From House of Representatives Subcommittee Leaders

Casemaker OtterBox buys out rival LifeProof

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:53:17 GMT

At an event today at this week's CTIA conference, major casemaker OtterBox announced the acquisition of one of its chief rivals, LifeProof. The former says it will keep LifeProof's San Diego location, and that workers will remain in their current place. "Over the next 30 days, OtterBox will begin incorporating the LifeProof brand into the OtterBox family," an OtterBox statement reads. "More information about product availability and alignment will be determined at the completion of the integration."

Both OtterBox and LifeProof are known for producing impact- and weather-resistant cases, particularly for Apple devices. LifeProof puts a special emphasis on the weather component, claiming that its cases are water-, dirt-, and snow-proof. It's uncertain whether OtterBox will continue to sell LifeProof's existing products and/or incorporate their design into its own lineups.

HP posts quarterly earnings beating estimates, Wall Street unimpressed

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:00:46 GMT

HP today announced financial results for its second fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2013. Second quarter diluted earnings per share was $0.55, down from $0.80 in the prior-year period and above its previously provided outlook of $0.38 to $0.40 per share. For the second quarter, net revenue of $27.6 billion was down 10% year over year.

The company generated $3.6 billion in cash flow from operations in the second quarter, up 44% from the prior-year period. HP's dividend payment of $0.132 per share in the second quarter resulted in cash usage of $283 million. HP also utilized $797 million of cash during the quarter to repurchase approximately 36.3 million shares of common stock in the open market. HP exited the quarter with $13.6 billion in gross cash.

"After returning more than a billion dollars to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends in the quarter, we improved our operating company net debt position for the fifth successive quarter," said HP CEO Meg Whitman. "By the end of fiscal 2013, we expect our operating company net debt to be below pre-Autonomy levels and approaching our goal of approximately zero."

Individual notable segments of the company included Personal Systems revenue was down 20% year over year with a 3.2% operating margin, and Enterprise Group revenue declined 10% year over year with a 15.9% operating margin. Software revenue was down 3% year over year with a 19.1% operating margin, with Printing revenue dropping 1% year over year with a strong operating margin of 15.8%. Total print hardware units fell 11% year over year.

For the third quarter of fiscal 2013, HP estimates diluted EPS to be in the range of $0.84 to $0.87 primarily due to amortization of purchased intangible assets, restructuring charges and acquisition-related charges.

can't connect bluetooth devices to ipad mini after iOS 6.1.3 update

chasg — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:55:19 GMT

Hi All,

I can't connect bluetooth devices to my ipad mini, pretty sure the issue started after I updated to iOS 6.1.3.

The ipad can see bluetooth devices (tried with two keyboards and some headphones), but connection attempts fail with "Pairing Unsuccessful. Make sure 'keyboard/headphones' is turned on, in range, and is ready to pair" (I know that the devices work with other bluetooth connections on my iphone and desktop).

Before this problem started, I used to successfully use all three bluetooth devices with this ipad. I've had a good google around, nothing I've read so far seems to help (I did find one many multi-step process that fixed some other issue people were having after 6.1.3, but it wasn't specific to my problem and seemed to risk data loss).

Any suggestions as to how to solve this problem? I got the ipad and bluetooth keyboard to (mostly) replace my laptop, and I'd really like to get things working again!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Cheers!

Chas

Ex-Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg takes marketing job at Apple

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:51:27 GMT

Former Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg has been hired onto Apple's marketing staff, Forbes sources say. Exactly which position he's filling is unknown, but he's expected to work under Apple's head of worldwide product marketing, Phil Schiller. Gartenberg is well-known amongst analysts; aside from employment at Gartner, he was once an analyst and partner at the Altimeter Group, and a research director at Jupiter Research.

His resume also includes a job as the VP of strategy at Interpret, a one-month stint as a Microsoft evangelist, and a position on the board of directors for the Consumer Electronics Association, best known for the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Apple may want Gartenberg to take size of trends in the electronics industry and help redirect the company's efforts.

No "no thread" thread?

Laminar — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:39:20 GMT

You guys are slacking.

Irish finance minister takes umbrage to US tax shelter accusations

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:27:42 GMT

Following Apple's testimony before the US Senate, Ireland's finance minister Michael Noonan declared that neither he nor his country would be the "whipping boy" for US tax loopholes. The US-led investigation demonstrated that Apple had paid two percent of $74 billion in international income, assisted by Irish tax law -- in particular, one holding company including Apple's retail effort throughout Europe had paid zero tax in five years.

"I do not want to be the whipping boy for some misunderstanding in a hearing in the U.S. congress," Noonan said. A testy response at a parliamentary committee meeting saw Noonan accuse a fellow lawmaker of putting nearly 150,000 foreign-led jobs in the country at risk by parroting the US report. "The central point the committee proceeded to speak of was an Irish special tax rate of two percent or less. The two-percent annual rates are got by dividing the tax charged by branches in Ireland by the entire profit of the companies concerned. This is clearly wrong and misleading," said Noonan.

"In the long run, the US Congress, if they wanted to, could wipe out those 150,000 real jobs, and we don't want to provoke people by over-egging it, by doing things that are clearly upsetting the US," said Irish think-tank Economic and Social Research Institute head John FitzGerald

Minister Richard Bruton, in charge of foreign corporate interests in Ireland told state broadcaster RTE that companies like Apple and Google "play the tax codes one against the other; that is tax planning, and I think we do need international cooperation through the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development) to deal with the aggressive nature of that."

Need help finding a YouTube video...

m021478 — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:59:05 GMT

In search of TV commercials that use home video footage showing people living their lives and enjoying their freedom and happiness (think: kids blowing bubbles, someone blowing out candles at a birthday party, running through a field of wildflowers, hugging/kissing, etc.).

I feel like I've seen a dozen of these Ford, Chevy, Coca-Cola ads over the years that take this approach, but I can't seem to find any such videos on YouTube now that I need a couple for a project I'm in the middle of at work.

Anyone know of such a tv advertisement and can you provide a link to the video on youtube?

Voice search coming to Chrome for iOS in 'coming days'

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:50:12 GMT

A voice search option is being added to the iOS version of Chrome in "the coming days," according to Google. Users will just have to tap a microphone icon and ask the same sort of queries Google supports in Android and the iOS Google Search app. The change should in fact reduce the need to use Search, although that app is still iOS' gateway to Now and various other Google services.

The same Chrome update will implement better cache use, improving page reloading times. It will also enable the option for third-party apps to open links in Chrome, and then return to the original app once a person is finished.

Google is working on making access to voice search more universal. At last week's Google I/O conference the company revealed that voice is even coming to Google.com, although not before the Chrome iOS update is likely to reach the App Store.

Autodesk Smoke Extension 1 to ship on May 29th

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:59:20 GMT

Autodesk has announced that its first major update for Smoke 2013, Extension 1, will go live on May 29th. The update adds two main features, beginning with support for Blackmagic video IO devices including the DeckLink, UltraStudio, and Intensity lines. The other is a new Trim View, accompanied by a set of dynamic trimming tools which should allow for faster editing.

Support has also been added for SonyRAW footage from F5 and F55 cameras. Under the hood Autodesk has improved conform workflow with Final Cut Pro X, providing better translation of speed changes and the ability to conform ARRI Alexa ProRes files. Performance improvements have sped up navigating large data sets in MediaHub, as well as 3D compositing in Action. Finally, enhanced feedback systems should offer improved tracking of background processes, monitor renders, and identify errors.

Extension 1 will be a free download for people with an active Autodesk Subscription. Smoke is typically $3,495 new; Subscription access costs $675. A free 30-day trial of Smoke is also available.

Penguin offers $75 million to settle e-book price fixing suit

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:36:14 GMT

Publisher Penguin and parent company Pearson have proposed a settlement with 33 US State Attorneys General and other plaintiffs for $75 million to resolve its lawsuit accusing it of price fixing in conjunction with Apple and the iBookstore. If accepted by the judge, the settlement resolves all antitrust complaints against Penguin related to the suit on the state level.

Penguin had offered to drop e-book deals with Apple that inflated prices for Amazon and other vendors in April. Penguin is the fifth publisher to settle with the European Union's antitrust agency, joining Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillian, which along with Apple reached a settlement with the Commission in December.

In December, Penguin settled with the US Department of Justice, offering to cease doing business with any e-book seller it is currently doing business with, including Apple. The publisher will also be prohibited from signing new deals with any distributors that limit discounts for a period of two years.

Apple considers the suit "fundamentally flawed" and argues that the suit will harm consumers and return the e-book monopoly to Amazon. Apple has pointed out in the past that Amazon has had to cease "predatory pricing" and still has 60 percent of the nascent market, forcing it to complete more fairly than its previous 90 percent marketshare.

Following the announcement of the proposed deal, the firm representing consumers in this case Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro declared that "This proposed settlement is a powerful demonstration of what is possible when federal, state and private class antitrust enforcement lawyers work together. In this case, the level of cooperation was unprecedented, and the results that we were able to deliver to the states and consumers demonstrate that."

Verizon targets Latino customers with Viva Movil brand, Jennifer Lopez

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:23:19 GMT

Verizon Wireless has announced a partnership with Jennifer Lopez, hoping to woo Latino customers under the new retail brand Viva Movil. The brick-and-mortar stores promise to deliver a unique customer experience, with play areas for children and bilingual sales representatives, though the devices and service plans will reflect Verizon's standard offerings.

Lopez is the majority owner of the venture and her likeness is prominently featured on the website, renderings of the store facade and on the in-store displays. The locations will also feature official "Jennifer Lopez accessories," including phone cases created from faux crocodile and snake hides or genuine ostrich leather.

At a CTIA press conference, Lopez stressed that "[Latinos] do things differently, including how we shop for devices." She also noted that the Latino market has reached past $1 trillion in purchasing power in the US alone.

The first Viva Movil location will open in June in New York, followed by at least 14 more stores in other cities such as Miami and Los Angeles.

Samsung to add LoJack theft recovery software to Galaxy S4 firmware

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:10:53 GMT

Samsung will soon be providing a theft recovery service for its devices, starting with the flagship Galaxy S4. LoJack, created by Absolute Software for securing notebook computers, will be released for Android, with Samsung embedding it into the firmware for future activation, in the event that the phone is stolen from the user.

At first glance, LoJack provides a similar service to other security apps, by remotely locking the device and deleting sensitive data from its memory. CNet notes that the software will be accompanied by a service from the Absolute Theft Recovery Team, which will help locate and return the phone to its rightful owner, or failing that, paying for a replacement phone.

The addition of LoJack to the Galaxy S4's firmware is another part of Samsung Knox, the company's strategy to improve security on devices for corporations and government organizations. As a subscription service, it could be seen by users as a form of insurance, if only for part of what normal mobile phone insurance would cover.

Due later this Summer, LoJack for Android will start from $30 for one year of protection, with four years being the longest subscription available to purchase. It is not clear if LoJack will be made available to other phone manufacturers in the future.

Apple Germany now allowing online store payments via PayPal

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:47:42 GMT

A German Mac enthusiast site has noticed that the Apple online store in Germany is now accepting PayPal as a payment option, a new wrinkle that could appear in the US and other countries over time. While PayPal has been an option for payment in the iTunes App Store and the Mac App Store, it was never previously available for any kind of hardware or online retail purchase from Apple.

The system appears to handle purchases as is normal for other sites to deal with PayPal "pay now" buttons: once clicked, the user is redirected to log in with their existing PayPal credentials and use their verified, linked bank account, PayPal credit or a linked credit card to instantly pay for the purchase. Once complete, users are returned to the normal iTunes page.

Apple notes that users can also "pay as a guest" without setting up a PayPal account by using a verifiable credit card that may be accepted by PayPal but not by the native Apple Store. If the order consists of multiple deliveries, the PayPal account will be charged separately for each shipment.

The company, now owed by Ebay, also offers a delayed payment option for some customers, where PayPal pays the bill immediately but does not charge the customer for 21 days. There is no additional fee for this option.

Obama Gets It Right

subego — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:19:50 GMT

Briefly: Google voice search in Chrome, Amazon Cloud Drive in Canada

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:55:52 GMT

Google has updated Chrome to enable voice search, among other additions. Chrome version 27 enables conversational search through the Google homepage, providing a clickable microphone to start it off, and then switching to a larger Google Now-style mic logo. The update, spotted by Searchengineland, also provides a new API for Chrome Store developers, 14 security fixes, and a 5-percent speed boost to page loads.

Amazon rolls out Cloud Drive to Canada, provides 5GB of free cloud storage

Amazon has extended its Cloud Drive service to Canada. The digital locker service, typically used for music and photo storage from desktop and mobile apps, offers Canadian customers the same 5GB free tier as users in the United States and other countries are able to use. Additional storage plans start from $10 per year for an extra 20GB.

Social researcher claims Apple no longer 'hot' to Gen-Y buyers

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:40:25 GMT

In a article that could have been written by Samsung's advertising department, the Sydney Morning Herald has published an article detailing claims from "social researcher" Michael McQueen, who tracks the ever-shifting tastes of the group he calls "Gen-Y" (meaning people who reached their teenage years after 2001). In it, he says that despite wide evidence to the contrary, Apple is "losing its cool" with youth.

McQueen says that Apple has already hit its peak on his "relevance curve" (which tracks a company's importance to its core market), and added that he believed the company could be "largely irrelevant" to people under 30 within five years -- unless, of course, Apple brings out another new product that finds an audience during that time. Painting the Gen-Y crowd as considerably more shallow and fickle than loyalty studies have so far indicated, McQueen claims that Apple is "past the turning point" unless it can "release another game-changing product like they did with the iPhone and iPad. It's been a long time between drinks for them."

Though his statement seemingly ignores the fact that "game-changing products" from tech companies other than Apple that up-end established industries on a similar scale are exceedingly rare, McQueen thinks that "the next 12 months" will be "absolutely critical" for Apple if it wants to maintain its status among younger buyers. "They're not as hot as they were two years ago," he said.

As proof, he points to an annual ranking of innovative companies published by Forbes magazine -- not normally known for its insight into the under-30 crowd -- that listed Apple as the 26th most innovative company, down from fifth place the year before. McQueen claims that the "rising profile" of companies like Samsung is creating a "subtle shift in what's now cool."

Though it is certainly true that the younger end of the "Generation Y" spectrum change their tastes more quickly than older demographics, there remains little evidence to support McQueen's postulations. The iPad and iPhone remain the most wished-for tech items on teens' Christmas lists, and a recent survey of high-schoolers showed declining interest in non-Apple brands of smartphones or tablets. The iPhone 5 and the nearly two-year-old iPhone 4S (and the nearly three-year-old iPhone 4) remain in the top four top-selling individual smartphone brands in the world.

While Apple certainly could lose its cache among young people if it fell seriously behind its competitors, there's again little evidence that this is going to happen. A new, restyled iPad and spec-bumped iPad mini -- along with both a new iPhone "5S" model and a possible low-cost iPhone variant -- are expected this year, as is a refreshed MacBook lineup, a new Mac Pro and potentially all-new Apple products such as the rumored branded HDTV device. Both iOS and OS X are likely to get a refresh and design overhaul this year, and other software is likely to see significant updates as well.

Still, there is a perception -- particularly on Wall Street -- that Apple has slowed its innovation cycle since the death of its visionary co-founder, Steve Jobs. Again, this view ignores the historical record for the company, but the four-year gap between the release of the first iPhone and the first iPad has created the impression that consumers should expect another revolutionary product every four years, which means that another such product is "due" over the course of the next year -- and that Apple will suffer if one does not appear on "schedule."

McQueen does point out that both Sony and BlackBerry were once kings of their own respective hills, but failed to take into account the changing needs of the emerging younger consumers and consequently fell -- and very quickly. BlackBerry had 42.6 percent of the business smartphone market in 2010; today it clings to around five percent. He says that the decay usually starts when management atrophies into groupthink, not bringing in fresh talent to shake things up and keep the company from becoming isolated from its base.

Fortunately, Apple has -- as much as is possible -- a culture of reinvention. Under Jobs, the company would routinely create new versions of products such as iPods that made the older models not just uncool but practically obsolete by looks alone. It embraced a philosophy that it would rather invent the successor to a popular product before someone else does, and Cook has vowed to foster that kind of thinking.

To a significant extent, he has already shown that its possible for Apple to innovate without Jobs. Mountain Lion has many significant new features that put it far ahead of the last couple of OS X releases; the iPhone 5 was a daring redesign that continues to sell like a brand new model seven months after release, and the iPad mini -- a sizing that Jobs famously opposed but accepted in the end -- has likely surpassed its big brother in sales.

With new versions of iOS and OS X ahead and potentially some all-new products, Apple is likely to continue its role as the leading industry innovator for a long time to come. Whether it's enough to satisfy the famously attention-challenged under-30s of today remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: succeed or fail, Apple has no intention of resting on its laurels.

Apple files amendment, adds Galaxy S4 to Samsung patent suit

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:04:34 GMT

Apple has filed its amendment to its ongoing courtroom battle with Samsung, adding the Galaxy S4 to its list of infringing devices, just as it told the US District Court in California last week. The filing specifically names five patents said to be infringed by the Galaxy S4 itself, two of which are apparently infringed by Google Now.

Of the patents, numbers 8,086,604 and 6,846,959, both titled "Universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system," relate to the Siri voice assistant, according to patent analyst Florian Mueller. The remaining patents, "Graphical user interface using historical lists with field classes" under US Patent 5,666,502, "Asynchronous data synchronization amongst devices" under number 7,761,414, and a "System and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data" for 5,946,647. This last patent was used by Apple against HTC at the ITC.

According to the filing, Apple picked up three different Galaxy S4 devices, one each from AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile, leading to believe "the Galaxy S4 product practices many of the same claims already asserted by Apple, and that the Galaxy S4 practices those claims in the same way as the already-accused Samsung devices." As the filing does not list the Galaxy S4 Google Edition, it is possible that Apple is waiting for it to be put on sale, in order to examine it for infringement.

It is also noted in the filing that the "Siri Patents" were originally infringed by the Android Quick Search Box. As Google has replaced it with Google Now, Apple wishes to update its arguments to include the voice-based search system instead.

13-05-21 Apple Motion to Amend Infringement Contentions by Florian_Muelle_439

Printer Issues 10.8.3 - Xante Screen Writer 4

poynter — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:13:54 GMT

Just upgraded to a MBP retina and I have 10.8.3 installed.
I can not get it to recognize my xante screen writer 4.
I have the printers IP set and am using that to set it up like I did in previous versions of OS X.
My older mbp still prints fine to it on the same network.
I have tried ethernet and wifi and neither have worked.
I really need this printer to work without having to use my old machine to print from.

Google, Yahoo, Cisco under scrutiny after Apple tax avoidance hearing

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:35:00 GMT

Large tech firms are coming under scrutiny over their tax avoidance measures, following the testimony of Apple executives to a US Senate Permanent Subcommittee. Google, Yahoo, Cisco, and other multinational corporations have been found to be using an assortment of tax loopholes and off-shoring in order to avoid paying governments in the US and Europe at least $100 billion.

Retired international tax attorney Michael Durst suggested to Bloomberg that the various world governments allowed multinationals to perform these tax maneuvers by funneling cash through other countries, with the result being "eroding public confidence in the fairness of tax systems in the United States and around the world."

Google uses the tax laws in Ireland and the Netherlands, termed a "Double Irish" and "Dutch Sandwich" by tax attorneys, to push cash into accounts located in Bermuda, a country without corporate income tax, in order to avoid around $2 billion in income tax each year. Yahoo uses a Netherlands-based accountant and stores funds in Mauritius and Switzerland, as well as operating an Irish subsidiary that is claimed to be a tax resident of the Cayman Islands. Cisco is alleged to have shifted half of its global profits to a unit in Switzerland, also avoiding billions in taxes.

In order to combat the "stateless income" that large companies have used to avoid taxes, a number of organizations are stepping in to work on the problem. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, at the request of a number of countries, is working on an "action plan" to prevent the loss of tax revenues via profit shifting, with a view to publishing it in July. The US Treasury Department listed a number of global tax loopholes that need to be closed, some of which have failed to close despite legal efforts.

The European Commission is also looking at the tax issue, and the British parliament has already questioned Amazon, Google, and Apple over tax dodging. France is also considering levying a new tax on technology products, partly to cover missing taxes, and to help fund cultural projects.

One possible solution is hinted at by former corporate tax attorney and professor of the University of Southern California Law School Edward Kleinbard. He feels that the subsidiaries external to the United States typically perform little in the way of tasks for the company, except passing money from one place to another -- with decisions for their operation typically made by the corporate office back in the US. "If they are not really competent to make independent decisions to take risks and make contracts on their own behalf, then the structure collapses of its own weight, and the income properly should be taxed to the United States," according to Kleinbard.

Apple launches Father's Day promotions, cleaner look

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:40:49 GMT

As is traditional for the time of year, Apple has updated its main US homepage to promote items from its store in tune with the upcoming Father's Day holiday. In addition to the iPad and iPad mini, such items as iPhone 5, the Nike+Fuel band, the iGrill meat thermometer, the HipKey proximity alarm, the Nest thermostat and other suggestions are highlighted. The page also features a subtly cleaner and more geometric design.

The update to the design of the page is not immediately noticeable, but offers more squared-off corners and a more-clearly tiled design. The layout has been made more elegant, and buttons are also noticeably more rectangular. The look has been extended to the other main pages of the online store.

A link to shipping deadlines is also featured on the Father's Day page so that buyers can be sure to receive their deliveries in time for the holiday, which falls on June 16. Apple is again offering free custom engraving on the iPad as part of the promotion.

Samsung beats Apple by wide margin in Rescuecom reliability report

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:53:03 GMT

A new reliability report from Rescuecom shows Apple placing in second place, beaten by Samsung by a wide margin. The new report for the first quarter of 2013, which now takes into account tablets as well as computers, also puts Apple ahead of Lenovo, Asus, Toshiba, HP, Dell, and Acer, with both Sony and Panasonic dropping out of the rankings entirely.

Statistics provided by Rescuecom put Apple as having 26.2-percent of the market share, when taking into account sales of the iPad, giving it almost a 12-percent lead on its nearest competitor, HP. The percentage of service calls to Rescuecom for Apple issues was 11 percent, the fifth highest of the eight companies listed. In comparison, Samsung is listed, according to the IDC-sourced numbers, as taking up 9.4-percent of shipped devices in the quarter, while Samsung support calls for the period reached 0.8 percent. By Rescuecom's Computer Reliability Score system, Samsung with 1,170 beats Apple's 237.

The figures are a departure from previous Rescuecom reports, due to the inclusion of tablets. CEO David Milman said "Much like the shift from PC desktops to laptops, a shift is happening from PCs to mobile computing, including tablets," citing a shift in calls from computer support to tablet support.

A previous reliability report for the entirety of last year, which covers computers and notebooks without factoring in tablet support, places Apple sixth in the rankings with its 9.7-percent shipment share and 12.7-percent share of support calls. Current leader Samsung also topped that chart, though with a smaller 4.3-percent share of the market and 0.7-percent call volume.

Ultimate Ears brings out 'social' Bluetooth speaker

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:18:48 GMT

Audio accessory maker Ultimate Ears has announced a new wireless Bluetooth portable speaker, the UE Boom. Available in six colors, the mini-speaker is intended to be portable and offers 360-degree sound from all sides of the easy-grip device. The device features an acoustic skin to be water and stain resistant, a long and rechargeable battery life (up to 15 hours) and is easily paired with other UE Boom units.

Because the device can be paired with up to eight source devices and can even utilize two source devices at the same time, the company says it encourages real-world social interaction. It accomplishes this by offering an easy way for friends to swap sources and play each other music, or pair up additional UE Boom speakers in either stereo-to-stereo or traditional left-right channels to create a surrounding wide-stereo effect up to 50 feet away through a free app for iOS or Android, which also allows the cylindrical bar speaker to function as a speakerphone unit.

Ultimate Ears is launching an original web series to promote the speakers, featuring musician Reggie Watts and available on YouTube's Jash channel entitled "The Social Music Experiment." Watts will feature the UE Boom in adult humor sketches, the first of which is available now and will be syndicated beginning May 28 to sites such as CollegeHumor.com, aiming at the twenty-something demographic.

The device offers a sound range of 90Hz-20kHz, and features two 1.5-inch, four-ohm drivers and two two-inch passive radiators. It is NFC (passive) enabled and thus can work with Android devices that have NFC available, and uses a micro-USB port for charging (which takes about 3.5 hours for a full charge). The speaker measures 7.1 inches long with a 2.6-inch diameter, and weighs about 19 ounces.

The UE Boom speaker is available now in the US and Europe, and is expected to debut in select Asian countries in June. It will retail for $200 and comes in either red, black, white, blue, pink or moss green. NFC Android use requires v4.0 (Jelly Bean) or later.

Qualcomm demonstrates Mirasol display with 2560x1440 resolution

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:28:23 GMT

Qualcomm has shown it is still working on Mirasol displays, by demonstrating a prototype screen at SID Display Week in Vancouver, Canada. The 5.1-inch display had a resolution of 2560x1440, giving it a pixel density of 577 pixels per inch, and was accompanied by a 1.5-inch panel used in an "always-on" smartwatch.

The Mirasol technology is a reflective display that relies upon nearby ambient light to be seen instead of a backlight. While Mirasol displays typically lack the brightness of LCD and OLED displays, it does use a sixth of the power, and is an always-on display, making it ideal for mobile devices where power is at a premium, or for e-book readers as a replacement for e-paper technologies.

Though the displays are being demonstrated, Qualcomm is still working on the technology, according to Engadget. The technology is set to undergo research and development for a few more years, and licensees will need to work out how to cut the cost of what has been previously said is an expensive manufacturing process.

HTC struggles continue as it bleeds executives

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:14:25 GMT

HTC's woes seem to have cut into its staff morale with a several senior executives said to be leaving the company, reports The Verge. HTC's Chief Product Officer Kouji Kodera left the Taiwanese smartphone maker last week, joining an exodus that has taken place over the past three months. Other senior execs to leave the embattled company include Jason Gordon (VP Global Communications), Rebecca Rowland (Global Retail Marketing Manager), John Starkweather (Director of Digital Marketing) and Eric Lin (Product Strategy Manager).

A number of those who have left the company were based at its US operations, which is having its planning and strategy teams relocated to Taiwan by Chief Marketing Officer Ben Ho. It could well be that, although the company is struggling, some of the execs who have left might have preferred to remain based in the US. Indeed, John Starweather has taken up a post with AT&T, while Eric Lin and Rebecca Rowland have landed at Microsoft. Lin, however, has taken things one step further urging friends to leave HTC as the will be "much happier."

HTC financial results have been tanking over the past two years, with profit plunging 98 percent from the same time last year to just $2.8 million. Its rapid decline as the leading Android handset maker has been set against the rapid rise of Samsung over the past three years. While Samsung now owns over 40 percent of the Android market, HTC's total global market share sits at just 3.1 percent.

At present, the company's hopes rest on the success or failure of the HTC One. The device has received glowing reviews, with many pundits believing that it holds an edge over the Samsung Galaxy S4, with many commending the device for its software features and stunning aluminum design. The company recently announced that it has doubled production of the One due to high demand, in what is one of the few positives for the company in recent times.

Samsung acquires 10 percent stake in Pantech for $47.6M

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:46:50 GMT

Samsung has bought a 10 percent stake in South Korea-based mobile producer Pantech. The purchase of shares in the country's third-largest smartphone manufacturer, reported to be worth 53 billion won ($47.6 million), will make Samsung the third-largest stake holder, just behind Qualcomm and the state-owned Korea Development Bank.

Talking to the Yonhap news agency, Samsung stated the move "will help further solidify bilateral cooperation in smartphone and other business areas." A later statement passed to The Next Web mentions "Samsung will have no involvement in Pantech's business management in any way or form," along with calling Pantech a "key component customer of Samsung." Pantech is said to have bought 235 billion won ($210 million) in components from Samsung and its affiliates in the last year.

While the company is well known within South Korea and in nearby regions, Pantech struggles to be recognized in other markets, though it has created some notable devices. Earlier this year, it demonstrated the Vega No. 6 phablet with a 5.9-inch full HD display, followed by the Vega Iron with its 2.4mm (0.1-inch) bezel.

Zagg debuts ZaggKeys Cover, Folio for iPad mini

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:03:33 GMT

Zagg has debuted a pair of new iPad mini Bluetooth keyboard accessories at CTIA Las Vegas. The ZaggKeys Cover for the iPad mini (pictured below) is the latest in its iPad line of popular keyboard covers. According to the company, it is the thinnest Bluetooth keyboard accessory for the iPad mini available, measuring just 6.3mm (0.25-inch) thick. It also incorporates backlit keys with seven color options and three lighting levels.

The hinge on the ZaggKeys Cover allows users to position an iPad mini at multiple angles, as well as reverse the iPad mini for one-piece reading or for viewing movies and playing games. The inbuilt battery keeps the cover powered for up to three months of regular use before it needs to be recharged. It will be available in black and silver options for $100.

The ZaggKeys Folio is also aiming for the title of the thinnest folio keyboard cover available, at 6.9mm (0.27 inches) thickness. Like the ZaggKeys Cover, the Folio's hinge also allows an iPad mini to be positioned in a wide range of angles and incorporates the same keyboard backlighting. Its inbuilt battery is also good for three months on a charge while it too will retail for $100 and will be available in black and white, with other colors arriving by fall.

Hands on: Kyocera Hydro Xtrm

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:06:43 GMT

Kyocera is one of several companies to bring new phones to CTIA's spring show in Las Vegas, introducing the Hydro Xtrm. Like most of the company's other handsets the Xtrm is a budget device, however it offers a higher level of ruggedness compared to its predecessor. Electronista had a chance to handle the new phone at a special event following the first show day.

The Xtrm appears to offer a solid build, without requiring the user to slide a physical lock on the battery cover to effectively keep out water-a limitation of the original Hydro. A rubberized finish on the backside provides a comfortable grip and a secure hold.

Specs are decidedly entry-level for an LTE-capable device, including a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a four-inch display with 800x480 resolution, and a 5.0-megapixel primary camera paired with a 1.3-megapixel front-facing shooter. We found the Android 4.1 experience to be decent, without any hiccups when using the browser or flipping through the interface.

As with all budget phones, the big question for many potential buyers comes down to price. Luckily the Xtrm will be sold for $30 starting Thursday at US Cellular, with a new contract.

Convertible Sofa

ramboobest — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:25:07 GMT

Convertible sofa beds are the most versatile piece of furniture that perfectly enhances and compliments your contemporary living space. It is not only very functional but also optimizes functionality of sofa during day and bed at night. This adaptable design and flexibility is the main reason for rising demand of this furniture.

If you have a small home and you don't have much space to keep more furniture, then convertible sofa is the best option for you. Having a convertible sofa keeps you from the worries of suffocation and stuffiness in the room. But that is not all, because there are some sofa beds in the market that are huge, and in complicated shapes. And if your home is too small then only thinking of getting convertible sofa is the solution that you have.

Shopping furniture for you home is a technical task if the space is less. So keeping some points in mind can help you to get a suitable piece for your home that you can conveniently maneuver around your living room or even initially get in inside.

For Buying online you can visit The Spam Store

IRIS launches third-generation IRIScan Book 3, Book 3 executive

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:29:08 GMT

Optical character recognition purveyor IRIS has launched its next-generation IRIScan Book 3 and the IRIScan Book 3 Executive. These portable scanning solutions are battery‐powered, enabling mobile users to easily capture paper documents, receipts, photos and more without the use of a computer.

The cordless IRIScan Book 3 and IRIScan Book 3 Executive scan directly to an included MicroSD card in black/white or color with 300, 600 and 900 dpi scanning resolutions. No driver installation is required, files are transferred by connecting the scanner with the included USB cable or by inserting the MicroSD card into the computer. The IRIScan Book 3 is powered by 3 AAA batteries and comes with Readiris Pro 12 to convert the paper documents, PDFs or image files into editable and searchable digital text.

IRIScan Book 3 Executive is Wi-Fi compatible and using the IRIScan Book app users can easily send PDF or JPEG files to the cloud, smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop. The IRIScan Book app can be downloaded for free for both Android and iOS. The Executive comes with a 1 year subscription of Evernote VIP as well as the latest OCR solution, Readiris Pro 14 PC - Mac, that processes scans and turns them into fully editable and searchable documents.

The IRIScan Book 3 and IRIScan Book 3 Executive are now available for $99 and $129 respectively.

Grandfathered Flickr Pro codified by Yahoo, most benefits retained

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:40:40 GMT

Flickr Pro users have been informed by Yahoo about the future of the once-premium accounts. As long as the user's account is kept in good standing, customers paying $25 per year for unlimited storage will be allowed to keep the plan indefinitely, with no plans for the Pro benefits to be purged.

If users who are on the Pro plan wish, they may receive a pro-rated refund if requested by August 20, 2013. The Pro badge next to the users' names will no longer be shown. Bandwidth limits imposed on free users do not apply to users retaining Pro status. Additionally, Pro members will never be automatically transitioned to an ad-free or Doublr subscription. Pro users will keep the ad-free experience they had before, without having to pay the current $50 per year fee.

Pro subscriptions are no longer available, however, "gift of Pro" codes may be redeemed until August 20.

Unity makes mobile game development tools free for small developers

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:54:49 GMT

Unity has announced that its mobile game development tools are now free to use for smaller developers. The Unity platform is popular amongst iOS and Android developers, but its creator previously charged $800 to publish a game to the App Store or Google Play. Under the new rules, that barrier has been lifted.

Pro packages are still on sale however, and anyone generating over $100,000 per year is required to buy one. The change may nevertheless encourage more developers to start building more complex and/or graphically intense games.

Onkyo fills out network-enabled recievers with two mid-range models

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:45:06 GMT

Onkyo has revealed the full-featured 9.2-channel TX-NR929 Network A/V Receiver, providing nine channel entertainment to the company's mid-range lineup. The new model is positioned between the 7.2-channel TX-NR828 Network A/V Receiver also seeing release today, and the company's existing audiophile-grade flagship products. Onkyo's TX-NR929 and TX-NR828 are both THX Select2 Plus certified.

The TX-NR929 Network A/V Receiver boasts 11.2 multichannel pre-outs and DTS Neo:X upmixing for surround-sound playback through up to 11 channels. If preferred, the user can assign four of the nine available channels to drive audio in Zone 2 and Zone 3 simultaneously. The receiver also has an extra HDMI output for sending high-def video to a second display. Multi-zone entertainment is managed via smartphone app, which encompasses the selection of online streaming services, internet radio channels, and network audio files.

Pre-processing on the TX-NR929 incorporates three 192kHz/24-bit TI Burr-Brown DACs with one stereo DAC per front channel in Differential DAC Mode. Amplification comes from Onkyo's Wide Range Amp Technology and discrete Three-Stage Inverted Darlington Circuitry, preserving high-fidelity musical sound even at high volumes.

Delivering a similarly high power output, but through 7.2 channels, is the TX-NR828 Network A/V Receiver. Along with 4K passthrough and upscaling, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi technology, and THX certification, the receiver has Audyssey DSX upmixing and Audyssey MultEQ room acoustic equalization. A full complement of analog and digital A/V connections-including 7.2 multichannel pre-outs and a phono stage-provide the flexibility for user customization. The receiver offers both Powered Zone 2 outputs and Zone 2/3 line-outs to deliver network audio sources to an existing hi-fi system in third zone.

Like its larger sibling, this A/V receiver is very simple to set up and use, with an icon-based overlaid graphical on-screen display and InstaPrevue video switching technology. Hybrid Standby, preserves a network connection and HDMI passthrough while the home theater sleeps, allowing the use of TV and media players with the receiver powered down.

The TX-NR828 and TX-NR929 network receivers will have suggested retail prices of $1,099 and $1,399 respectively. The TX-NR828 will be available at retail in June while the TX-NR929 will be available in July.

ConceptDraw Project 6.4 gets new resource types, custom filters

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:37:41 GMT

CS Odessa has posted a minor update for ConceptDraw Project, the developer's project management software. The v6.4 release adds new resource types, which should let organizers better describe both resources and resource behavior. Separately, new filters can be used to generate custom views of a project, which in turn can be saved for later use.

Finally, printing options have been expanded, for instance permitting Gantt charts on large-format paper. Multiple projects can now be combined into a single print-out.

Project 6.4 is a free update for users of either Project 6 or ConceptDraw Office 2.

No Pope Francis thread?

lpkmckenna — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:36:01 GMT

The pope and the devil: Is Francis an exorcist?

I'm having a hard time deciding if Pope Francis is good for the Catholic Church (and the world) or will besmirch the reputation of Jesuits for a thousand years.

Hell, I can barely believe a Jesuit is Pope.

Frankly, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Once Francis is bored of lecturing everyone about the evils of capitalism and selfishness, he'll certainly settle into a funk of anti-secular outrage until he drops dead.

Flame Painter 2.0 expands brush, layer options

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:09:08 GMT

Escape Motions has released Flame Painter 2.0, an update of the developer's illustration software. The v2.0 upgrade brings in a host of new features, such as smoother antialiasing, unlimited layers and editable vector layers in the Professional edition. Brush options include new Flame, Follow, and Ribbon brushes; presets; Normal, Lighten, and Darken modes; gradient transitions; and lastly, the ability to drag-and-drop brushes from a website.

The interface sports dockable tabs and a fullscreen mode, and canvases up to 40 megapixels for Pro users. Images can be saved either in a native Flame Painter format or as JPG, TIF, BMP, or PNG files. Alternately, graphics can be shared with an online gallery.

The fully-featured Professional edition of Flame Painter is $60. A Personal edition costs $30, and aside from basic feature differences is limited to three layers and non-commercial use.

Seagate deploys Video 3.5 HDD high performance DVR, set-top hard drive

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:33:37 GMT

Seagate Technology has announced the new Seagate Video 3.5 HDD -- the industry's first 4TB, 3.5-inch hard disk drive engineered specifically for use in video applications such as digital video recorders, set-top boxes, and surveillance systems. Purpose-built for video solutions, the Video 3.5 HDD can store up to 480 hours of high-definition (HD) content. The drive supports up to 16 simultaneous HD streams or 20 standard-definition streams as well as 24-hour operation capabilities optimizing it for video content applications.

The Video 3.5 HDD has a claimed 0.55 percent annual failure rate enabling hardware to be kept in the field longer while reducing the cost of field deployment. The drive has been specifically engineered for low power consumption and heat emissions. The drive operates below the range of audible sound for the human ear at 2.3 decibels.

The Video 3.5 HDD is available in capacities from 1TB to 4TB, starting at $76 for the 1TB capacity, and up to $339 for a 4TB version.

Apple maintains top spot in 2013 BrandZ brand rankings

NewsPoster — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:23:59 GMT

Apple remains in first place on an annual BrandZ ranking of the world's most valuable brands, notes MarketingWeek. Apple's brand is estimated to be worth $185.071 billion, putting it well ahead of next-closest rivals Google ($113.669 billion) and IBM ($112.536 billion). Other companies in the top 10 include McDonald's, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Microsoft, Marlboro, Visa, and China Mobile.

Although Apple continues to lead, the growth rate of the company's brand value has fallen by 95 percent, something BrandZ links to a drop in stock price and worried investors. Google, meanwhile, has reversed a 3 percent decline it saw in 2012. BrandZ's Peter Walshe observes that at roughly $71.4 billion, the gap between Apple and Google is nearly as much as the value of Coca-Cola.

The BrandZ list is complied by Millward Brown Optimor, and formulated by multiplying a corporation's financial value -- weighed in terms of profits or earnings -- by its brand contribution percentage, something judged by the proportion of financial value generated via a brand's ability to accrue loyalty.

Intel creates new products division, selects Mike Bell to lead

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:29:10 GMT

Intel has noted that it has appointed Mike Bell to lead its emergent technology and product trend group, which includes ultra-mobile products. The new division will be "tasked with turning cool technology and business model innovations into products that shape and lead markets," according to Intel.

Mike Bell previously led Intel's mobile chip business. Prior to Intel, the engineer spent 16 years with Apple, including early work on the iPhone. Just prior to his hire at Intel, Bell helped develop a series of Palm devices.

The move is part of a large Intel internal reorganization by new CEO Brian Krzanich. Bell's co-manager of the mobile chip business, Hermann Eul will be running the group by himself going forward.

Poser, 10, Poser Pro 2014 get subdivision surfaces, live simulations

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:05:23 GMT

Smith Micro has launched Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014, updates of the developer's core 3D rendering and animation tools. Both apps have gained a number of new features, such as subdivision surfaces, which let users set subdivision levels for props, figures, or body parts using Pixar's OpenSubdiv library. The technology should improve aspects like bending accuracy and object smoothness.

A new Bullet Physics tool simulates both rigid- and soft-body dynamics, including hair, which should save work in creating realistic animation. Along those lines Smith Micro has added a Live Simulation mode, enabling real-time animation previews.

A Comic Book Preview Mode lets comic illustrators generate color or black-and-white art, with line controls and shading effects. A Fitting Room meanwhile lets people attach existing clothing and props to a figure and quickly tailor them for differences in the figure's dimensions.

Until June 30th, Poser 10 is $240, and Poser Pro 2014 is $400. After that point pricing for Poser 10 will go up to $300, while Poser Pro will jump to $500.

Watson technology being adopted for customer service, data mining

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:29:43 GMT

Starting this year, IBM's Watson intelligent agent technology will debut as a customer service assistant. Customers of Australia's ANZ Bank, Celcom, The Royal Bank of Canada, and Nielsen can query the system for general questions related to accounts with the companies. IBM claims to have the technology ready for deployment and integrated into consumer apps for computers and smartphones in the second half of 2013.

A report at Forbes points out to IBM noting that a possible 66 percent of the 135 billion failed customer calls could be rectified with better information availability, which the company hopes to provide with the Watson technology. Watson will be provided access to the companies' databases including product catalogs, call center logs, emails, manuals, and other sources of information to give information to customers quicker than the current industry average of six to eight minutes.

Testing by IBM found a 40 percent reduction in the time it took to find key information requested by the consumer. "Watson pulls up stuff that an agent wouldn't because it is looking for semantic links, not just doing text-matching based on keywords," says Manoj Saxena, IBM Watson Solutions general manager.

The first deployments of the technology will be through email, web chats, apps, and SMS requests. Future technology will integrate voice recognition, and allow Watson to simplify phone queues for support or information at the initial testing companies.

Watson's current build is constructed of 90 IBM power 750 servers and associated networking equipment in ten full-size racks containing 2880 3.5GHz POWER7 processor cores and 16TB of RAM. Watson can reportedly process 500GB of information per second.

Apple shares executives' opening statements from US Senate testimony

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:15:36 GMT

Apple has posted the opening statements two of its executives -- CEO Tim Cook (PDF) -- and CFO Peter Oppenheimer (PDF) -- made during their testimony in front of the US Senate earlier today. The documents don't reveal anything new, but do constitute a record of Apple's stance during the Senate hearing. "We pay all of the taxes we owe -- every single dollar. We not only comply with the laws, but we comply with the spirit of the laws," Cook's statement reads.

Apple is accused of setting up "ghost" corporations in Ireland to avoid paying US taxes. The subsidiaries are cost-sharing arrangements, which Apple insists help to fund research and development, and ultimately create new jobs in the US. Politicians have complained that even though such kinds of arrangements are legal, they can deprive the US government and public of badly-needed tax revenue.

Calendar: sometimes posting does not snap into place

jeff k — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:08:30 GMT

Anyone seen this? Sometimes the new event I enter wont snap into places, so the time will be like 11:04 etc. Not sure what this is about.

MSI debuts AMD Richland processors in new gaming laptop line

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:57:55 GMT

Computer manufacturer MSI Computer Corp, products and solutions, unveils the new and refreshed GX70 and GX60, the world's first AMD Richland A10-5750M powered gaming laptops. The new processor also increases battery life and CPU performance in both the 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch models.

Both models are driven by the A10-5750 processor, with 750GB of hard drive space, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a Blu-Ray reader, three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 1.4 out, and THX speakers.

The GX70 3BE-007US is the 17.3-inch model and weighs 8.6 pounds. It boasts a AMD Radeon HD 8970M with 2GB of GDDR5 RAM. Networking is provided by a AW-NB114H combo 802.11b/g/n plus Bluetooth 4.0 chipset. Two USB 2.0 ports are provided in addition to the USB 3.0 ports. The GX70 retails for $1,400.

The GX60 3AE-216US has a 15.6-inch full-HD screen running at 1920x1080. The graphics processor is a dedicated AMD Radeon HD 7970M with 2GB of GDDR5 RAM. A single USB 2.0 port is mounted as well as the USB 3.0 ports. The GX60 weighs 7.7 pounds and retails for $1,300.

iOS 7 to get Flickr, Vimeo integration, source says

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:34:44 GMT

Apple is aiming to integrate Flickr and Vimeo into iOS 7, a source tells 9to5Mac. The integration is expected to work in much the same way as Facebook and Twitter support does in iOS 6, allowing single sign-ins via the Settings menu. In the case of Flickr, at least, signing in may not only add another option to iOS' built-in sharing menus, but also simplify apps with their own hooks for the service, such as Instagram. Flickr is already integrated into OS X Mountain Lion and the iOS edition of iPhoto.

Less is known about Apple's plans for Vimeo, but at a minimum they should permit uploading videos to a service other than YouTube. Apple could conceivably use Vimeo as an excuse to strip out all support for YouTube, continuing the company's trend of removing Google services wherever possible. That would run the risk of upsetting many users though, given YouTube's dominance as a video platform. The only Apple product with Vimeo integration so far has been Mountain Lion.

With the release of iOS 6, Apple stripped out iOS' native YouTube app, and switched Maps over to non-Google content. The latter move created a backlash, with many people complaining about inaccuracies, poorly-rendered 3D terrain, and missing features like public transportation directions. Apple has tried to fix some of these issues, but Google's independent Maps app for iOS 6 continues to be one of the most popular downloads on the App Store.

iOS 7 is scheduled to debut at a WWDC keynote on June 10th. When it will actually ship is unknown, but common rumors suggest a fall release alongside a new iPhone.

Precedent-setting SEP enforcement injunction awarded in Wi-Fi dispute

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:24:25 GMT

A ruling yesterday in the Northern District of California may have repercussions on the smartphone patent battles raging across the US court landscape. A federal judge granted a user of a standards-essential patent a preliminary injunction against enforcement of a possible US International Trade Commission (ITC) sales injunction. This decision by Senior District Judge Ronald Whyte is the first time a US district court is preventing the ITC's only option to combat patent infringers in conjunction with standards-essential patents.

The potential infringer is RealTek Semiconductor. The patent holder is Agere, owned by Taiwanese chipset designer and supplier LSI. Judge Whyte granted the preliminary injunction based on a summary judgment finding in RealTek's favor on the allegation that LSI and Agere breached the fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing obligation for standards-essential patent holders in seeking the ITC exclusion order without previously offering a license on FRAND terms. Agere's previous offer was five percent of the product sale price, generally not considered to be a fair licensing rate.

The injunction does not prevent the ITC from investigating the issue, but it does prevent Agere from enforcing the sales ban, pending a complete FRAND trial, which would result in a rate-setting order, making any injunction moot anyhow.

Future FRAND actions will be affected by the injunction. Rather than assuming a protective order is possible, patent owners will have to point out key differences between running cases and the RealTek/Agere case, and likely these differences will have to be pointed out before an ITC action is started.

Patent analyst Florian Mueller sees an immediate impact on the Apple versus Samsung ITC complaint, due to be ruled upon on May 31. He notes that "There were very strong indications that one Samsung SEP was found valid and infringed by Apple, and the ITC now has to think about remedies in light of FRAND. It came close to having to make similar decisions in other cases, but those were dismissed on their non-FRAND-specific merits, or settled. In the Samsung-Apple case the ITC will have to take a position on FRAND, and the breadth of its questions show that it's really trying to look at this hard from all angles. For institutional reasons the ITC probably won't want to deprive itself of jurisdiction over SEP infringement claims, but with more rulings of the kind Judge Whyte issued yesterday, that's what may inevitably happen over time."

Mueller also notes that Samsung's 2.4 percent patent license fee is expected to come into play with the ITC ruling. Given the high rate, Mueller believes that "There's enough in the record in the Northern District of California to determine quickly that Samsung isn't entitled to injunctive relief in any form, including that of an ITC exclusion and cease-and-desist order. "

Cook pushes for US IP law changes during Senate testimony

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:27:23 GMT

In a brief sidetrack during his Senate testimony today, Apple CEO Tim Cook voiced his opinion on US intellectual property law. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) asked Cook about the IP benefits of running a company in the US versus other countries, but appears to have been surprised when Cook took a critical tone. "I actually think that we require much more work on IP in this country," he said.

"The US court system is currently structured in such a way that it's currently difficult to get the protections a technology company needs, because the cycle is very long," he continued. The quote appears to be a reference to Apple's lengthy ongoing lawsuits against other companies, particularly Samsung. Apple has accused Samsung of violating numerous patents via its use of Android and some hardware designs. Many named Samsung devices were outdated or off the market before a $1.05 billion verdict was rendered against the company last year, however, and the outcome of that and other cases remains in the air.

Samsung has amended its products to avoid future infringements, but has still grown to become Apple's main competition in smartphones, pulling attention for devices like the Galaxy S4 that was once reserved for the iPhone. "For us, our intellectual property is so important to our company," Cook said during today's testimony. "I would love to see the system strengthened to protect it."

Cook: US-made Mac will be assembled in Texas

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:13:19 GMT

During his testimony before the Senate on Apple's tax strategies, CEO Tim Cook restated an earlier promise that a forthcoming Mac model -- not identified -- was going to be built in the United States, and further revealed that it would be assembled in Texas. While the exact site wasn't specified, Apple has established and is expanding an administrative campus in Austin, and manufacturing partner Foxconn has facilities in Houston.

In fact, Apple has already brought some manufacturing back to the US prior to the new Mac announcement. Certain iMac models, AppleInsider reports, are built in California and Tennessee using Quanta as a final assembly partner; however, Quanta only does final assembly on the iMac. In addition to the iMac, some components of the company's iOS devices are made in the US, such as the Gorilla Glass used in iPhones and iPads, along with the A5 and other Apple processors, which are manufactured in Austin.

Components for the unnamed Mac model to be made in the US will also be sourced in the US when possible. Apple said in a statement that parts will come from Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Florida and Kentucky. The company has also been rumored to be looking at further expansions of manufacturing facilities in the US alongside partners like Foxconn.

The Austin campus is being expanded to become an "Americas Operation Center," handling operations and logistics for North, Central and South American Apple partners. The campus will also house an R&D facility where much of the work on Apple's A-class processors is and will continue to be done.

Speculation has put forth the idea that the US-built Mac will be either a revamp or entirely new model of Mac, perhaps the long-awaited new Mac Pro, which Cook promised last year would be unveiled sometime this year. It's also possible that the company will simply shift current Foxconn production on a particular line of Macs from China to Foxconn facilities in Houston or elsewhere in the state.