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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, IRIScan Book 3 executiv

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.

Calandar: 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.

Committee attacks Apple for tax loopholes, admits rate issue

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:43:25 GMT

During Tim Cook's appearance on Tuesday before the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (which is presently looking into the tax code), Chairman Carl Levin (D-Michigan) accused Apple of "exploiting an absurdity [in US tax laws] that we have not seen other corporations use," referring to a loophole he believes should be closed. Cook maintained that Apple pays US taxes on its US profits as it should.

It is tempting to point out that the "absurdity" in US tax code -- which taxes companies based only on where they are physically located rather than where they are actually controlled or managed -- was enshrined into law by members of the US Congress such as Senator Levin, and that that body is the only one that can change the law to close the loophole. Apple, however, used the opportunity to push its own proposals for corporate tax reform and defend its current practices as being entirely legal. Cook also mentioned, and committee members agree, that the corporate tax rate in the US -- at 35 percent before deductions and credits -- was among the highest in the world.

At the conclusion of the interrogation of Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer and Head of Tax Operations Phillip Bullock, it became obvious that Levin and other questioners were criticizing their own previous actions as much as Apple's taking advantage of those actions. While angry that Apple had engaged in a "strategy of tax avoidance," Levin seemed unaware both that all other corporations actively engage in trying to pay as little tax as possible, and that the problem was not Apple's talent at doing so but that Congress itself had created the foundation of such strategies.

For its part, Apple -- Cook in particular -- vigorously denied charges that Apple had set up "ghost" corporations for the sole purpose of hiding profits. Cook specifically pointed out to the senators that Apple did not send any US profits overseas, paid all taxes on sales throughout the Americas at the US tax rate, and repeatedly reminded them that Apple set up the Irish corporation that handles its European sales in 1980 -- long before bad economies or the current corporate tax situation -- and that it operates essentially unchanged from then.

Apple's perspective is that the Ireland-based European corporation is an "arm's length" entity that exists to centralize sales, operations and manage profits (and pay taxes) on Apple sales in Europe, and that the Irish corporation just happens to enjoy a lower corporate tax rate. Because of a deal signed with Ireland in 1980 when it was recruiting tech companies, Apple's effective tax rate there is around two percent.

Levin was quick to praise Apple, admit he used their products ("my granddaughter even knows how to work it!") and repeatedly pointed out that Apple had done nothing illegal, but frequently inferred that Apple had some sort of moral duty not to be so good at working the US tax system to their advantage. Bullock, Oppenheimer and Cook all repeatedly objected that Levin was ignoring important context that would have made it clear that Apple's maneuvers were not solely to avoid taxes.

The questioning was not entirely adversarial. Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Alaska) and Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire) probed Cook for suggestions on improvements to the tax code, including what repatriation rate would be appropriate and how the intellectual property protections of the US could be enhanced. Cook surprised Ayotte by saying that "we require much more work on IP in this country" after she and other senators had spent much time praising the US protection of IP as one of its competitive advantages over other countries.

"The U.S. court system is currently structured in such a way," Cook said, "that it's currently difficult to get the protections a technology company needs, because the cycle is very long." He added that the US should look for a way to settle IP disputes far faster, as technology companies can go through "several cycles" before a dispute even comes to trial.

On the issue of corporate tax rate, Cook restated his long-held position (which has been echoed by the Obama administration) that Apple is against "tax holidays" of the sort that have periodically happened since the 1980s and more in favor of a permanently-lowered US corporate tax rate of "something in the mid-twenties" in terms of percentage, along with the removal of some current corporate deductions -- which Cook said would be enough to convince other companies to bring in some of their foreign capital to the United States.

Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) said the entire hearing was a sham and a waste of time, since the problems originated and could be fixed by Congress, reflecting his view that corporations are entitled to take advantage of every opening to reduce their tax burden. In addition to calling for a near-elimination of corporate taxes, Rand also said the committee should apologize to Apple for hauling it before Congress, and praised the company for creating American jobs.

Finally, in response to a question asking hypothetically if Apple would ever consider leaving California (or the US generally) if the tax rate didn't become more favorable. "I have a pretty wild imagination," Cook replied in a firm dismissal of the notion, "and that [idea] is beyond it."

Going to buy a next-gen system?

The Final Dakar — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:24:11 GMT

I don't know how this question slipped by me, but now we have minimal specs on the new Sony and MS boxes, I think we're definitely ready.

So who's in? Myself, I'm tired of this crap, and the promise of a 64 player BF4 might be too much to pass up. The only way for me to be dissuaded right now is if the pricing is terrible.

Microsoft debuts Xbox One game console with TV, media focus

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:44:08 GMT

Microsoft has revealed its latest iteration of its Xbox game console at a media event. The Xbox One, codenamed Durango during its development, is billed as an all-in-one system for the living room, with a greater focus on allowing users to watch live television and other media, along with heavier Kinect integration, Skype calling, and gaming improvements.

The new console is able to switch between media sources quickly from vocal commands, switching between live TV, music, a game, and Internet Explorer with little in the way of loading time. The new interface uses Kinect voice commands as well as gestures to navigate the modified Metro-style menu. Notifications found in Windows 8 also appear on the screen, such as from Skype calls or news updates about individual players in a sport. A command to "Snap" an app will put it into a narrow bar on the side, something that is also possible in Windows 8.

A new Xbox One Guide will show television listings, along with options for "Trending" programs, favorite shows, and saved "My Channels," with the guide also showing content available on-demand as well as on broadcast channels.

The main console itself uses 5 billion transistors on its 8-core CPU, and 8GB of RAM. A 500GB hard disk and Blu-ray drive are also included, along with HDMI-in and out, USB 3.0, and Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct. On the front is an improved Kinect sensor with a 1080p wide-angle camera that is able to read a heartbeat, note shifts in weight, and also includes improved joint detection. The new controller is claimed to have over 40 changes to its design, including dynamic impulse triggers with feedback, and a Wi-Fi Direct radio stack. SmartGlass is also retained in the Xbox One.

Core to the system, the Xbox One architecture, is said to be three operating systems in one. The Xbox OS deals with the gaming side, the second is the Windows kernel, and a third joins the two sides, allowing for quick switching between the two.

Xbox Live has been reworked specially for the Xbox One. Using the same subscription as currently offered, the service will jump from 15,000 servers being used currently to over 300,000 later this year. A dedicated game DVR will record gameplay footage for later sharing, as well as improved multiplayer matchmaking and queuing, including the option to play another title while waiting for a multiplayer match to start.

After showcasing a few games that will appear on the platform, Microsoft went on to talk about how the Xbox will help personalize TV viewing, including providing feedback to broadcasters. A live-action Halo TV show was announced, which will have the involvement of Steven Spielberg, while the NFL will be able to use SmartGlass apps and the "Snap" feature to view game stats, organize fantasy football rosters, and other "exclusive and interactive content."

The Xbox One is slated to ship around the world later this year, with more details to be provided at E3.

Broadcom 802.11ac chipset spotted, may be used in new Macs

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:43:31 GMT

A new Broadcom chipset spotted on a Chinese website may be a component of future Mac updates, bringing 802.11ac (known as "Gigabit Wi-Fi") and Bluetooth 4.0 to new models on a single chipset. Not only will the chip handle all wireless communication for future Mac models, but the new chip appears -- at first glance -- to be backward compatible with similar parts in recent models, opening up the possibility of aftermarket upgrades.

The board goes under the name of Broadcom BCM94260CD PCI-E, a mini combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Assuming the connectors are exactly the same, the chip would fit in many recent and current MacBook and iMac models and would make it possible for third-party sellers to offer advanced Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities to some older Macs.

Code supporting 802.11ac has been seen in betas of 10.8.4, the next update to Mountain Lion. The discovery suggests that Apple expects to release updated Macs that support 802.11ac before either the release of 10.8.5 or any future version of OS X. This falls into line with speculation that Apple plans to update the MacBook line on or around the time of the Worldwide Developer Conference.

The 802.11ac standard, which has not yet been ratified but is in a finalized form, offers backward compatibility with previous 802.11 standards while offering better capacity, wider coverage and better power efficiency. The new protocol offers speeds up to 1.3Gbps across three antennas, offering a substantial increase compared to 802.11n's maximum speed of 450Mbps. This in turn would make protocols like AirPlay and AirDrop ubiquitous, and make inter-device communications far faster for purposes like syncing and transfer of files.

Forums: iOS Remote App features and more

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:41:25 GMT

Yesterday in the MacNN forums, Mac Elite "abbaZaba" started a thread discussing a few new features they believed would be beneficial to add to the iOS Remote app. Senior User "RobOnTheCape" is looking for suggestions for good tripods to use when taking HDR pictures with an iPhone.

One Fresh-Faced Recruit has turned to the forums in search of the best iPad case and stand for their new iPad. Professional Poster "mattyb" is looking for a way to install software from an old DVD onto their new 27-inch iMac that doesn't have an optical drive. In the thread titled "Additional strange issues with Macbok Air su2012," forum members try to assist one Senior User with troubleshooting their Mac problems.

Apple deals: five MBAs for $1,099 or less

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:40:32 GMT

At Apple's online store, take advantage of low prices on refurbished MacBook Air models. Save $300 on the 13.3-inch MacBook Air with a 1.7GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage, now $1,099. For $1,059 is the refurbished 11.6-inch MacBook Air with a 1.8GHz Intel dual-core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage.

The refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air with a 1.8GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage has been reduced to only $999 after a $200 price break. A $190 discount is offered on the 11.6-inch MacBook Air with a 1.7GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage, now $909. For $849, after a $150 discount, is the 11.6-inch MacBook Air with a 1.7GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of flash storage, now only $849.

Find the lowest prices on brand new MacBook Air models with AppleInsider.com's Mac Price Guide. Currently at Amazon, save $60 on the 11.6-inch MBA with a 1.7GHz Intel core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. A $100 discount is offered on the 13.3-inch MBA with a 2.0GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 255GB SSD.

DealNN: $25 off Mac mini

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:39:37 GMT

Newegg.com is celebrating Memorial Day with price cuts on a wide selection of items. Included in that list is the Mac mini which retails for $799. Until the 27th, use coupon code 'MEMRDAY22' at checkout to drop the price to $774. That earns it the title of lowest price by $4. The Mac mini features a 2.3GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive along with HDMI port, built-in speaker and support for iPhone headset with speaker. A one-year warranty on parts and labor is included from Apple.

Save $60 on the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC25 quietpoint active noise-cancelling headphones, they were $100, but are now $40 at BuyDig.com. The Brother MFC-J425W wireless inkjet all-in-one printer with auto document feeder has been reduced by 56 percent at Rakuten.com, bringing the cost down from $150 to $65 with free budget shipping.

At Walmart.com's Memorial Day sale, save 25 percent on the LG 47-inch 1080p LED HDTV, it was $799, but has been reduced to $598. Newegg.com has reduced the cost of the Acer 23-inch LED monitor from $200 down to $140, a savings of $60, with free shipping available.

Live: Microsoft's Xbox reveal event

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:58:47 GMT

Microsoft is set to begin its Xbox event in Redmond, Washington. "A New Generation Revealed" is the theme for the gathering, suggesting the company will finally show its next-generation gaming console. Check out our live page at 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern, for images and updates from the event.

Briefly: Vudu iOS content downloading, RE:Match for Nuke and Fusion

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:53:45 GMT

Vudu has launched an update for its iOS video player that adds support for downloading movies for offline viewing. Previously, users were required to stream all of their content from within the app, however, now they may select to download any content at various qualities for offline use. Other changes include closed captioning support for the iPhone, a simplified Player, and numerous bug fixes. VUDU Player is a free Universal app that can be downloaded from the App Store.

RE:Match plug-ins now offered for Nuke and Fusion

RE:Vision Effects has expanded its line of video editing plug-ins with the launch of RE:Match for Nuke and Fusion. RE:Match is a set of plug-ins that are designed to match one view of film to another in order to make it appear as if both were shot with the same camera and settings. For general multicam shoots RE:Match attempts to match one sequence's overall color appearance to that of another. While for stereo pairs, the software can further refine the overall color match by taking into account that the two views are captured at the same time with a relatively small distance between the views. The Nuke and Fusion versions of RE:Match are available in single use licenses for $395, while a floating license costs $593.

Nvidia updates modem in Tegra 4i, adds LTE-Advanced connectivity

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:28:23 GMT

Nvidia has updated its latest mobile chipset with support for Category 4 LTE connectivity. Tegra 4i, similar to Tegra 4 but includes an integrated Nvidia i500 LTE modem, managed to upgrade from Category 3 and its 100Mbps connection to LTE-Advanced and a possible 150Mps speed, without performing any changes to the hardware.

The upgrade was accomplished with changes in software alone. The i500 LTE modem is a software-defined radio that uses Deep Execution Processors, and so was able to be changed without altering anything to it or Tegra 4i at all physically. The use of a software-defined modem also allows it to take up far less space in the chipset itself, allowing more room for other components.

Demonstrations at the CTIA event in Las Vegas shows Tegra 4i working on an LTE-Advanced network at 150Mbps, though emulated due to the lack of live networks using such Category 4 connections. The Phoenix Tegra 4i smartphone is also being demonstrated on a live AT&T LTE network, in order to show off the performance and stability of the software modem when used for voice calls and video streaming.

Sharp to ship 60, 70-inch Aquos UD1 UHD TVs in Japan in June, August

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:33:27 GMT

Sharp is preparing to sell a pair of Ultra HD TVs in Japan, under the Aquos UD1 banner. The LC-60UD1 and LC-70UD1, measuring 60 inches and 70 inches respectively, both take advantage of Sharp's previously-demonstrated "Moth-Eye" technology, which uses a special layer above the LCD panel to significantly reduce glare, internal reflections, and light scattering.

The two televisions will be able to display 4K images at a resolution of 3,840x2,160, and will use the newly developed Aquos 4K-Master Engine Pro for up-scaling and image processing, according to AV Watch. It is also capable of showing 3D footage using optional active shutter glasses, while sound is provided by a 2.1-channel speaker system with a low-vibration woofer dubbed "DuoBass."

The 70-inch model will be released on June 15th in Japan priced at 850,000 yen ($8,300), while the 60-inch variant will arrive on August 10th for 650,000 yen ($6,300). A release date for the UHD TVs in other territories has yet to be announced.

Powermat acquires PowerKiss, extends wireless charging into Europe

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:14:05 GMT

PowerKiss, a wireless charging company based in Helsinki, Finland, has been acquired by Powermat, also a creator of wireless charging systems for mobile devices. The purchase will bring PowerKiss under the Duracell-backed brand, adding its 1,000 wireless charging points in European McDonalds branches and airports to the existing 1,500 Powermat-owned charging spots in the United States.

The deal will also be helpful to the Power Matters Alliance (PMA), a consortium for wireless charging that both companies are members of, along with Starbucks, Google, and AT&T. While PMA and its standard already claims a number of hardware manufacturers as members, the increased coverage of Powermat and the standardization of the technology in both the US and Europe will help PMA compete against the Wireless Power Consortium, which uses the alternate Qi wireless charging standard.

"Our two companies have a remarkably similar vision for wireless power, and have labored in parallel to make it a reality," said PowerKiss CEO Mats Wolontis. "Along the way we made different and incompatible technological choices, and this is exactly the right time to resolve these."

NPD: pre-paid smartphones rising, now one-third of US sales

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:01:40 GMT

Sales of prepaid smartphones in the US consumer market have risen dramatically, doubling in the last year and "continuing a string of more than 12 quarters of triple-digit sales increases" according to a new report from market analysts NPD. Prepaid phones -- defined as either premium smartphones such as the iPhone bought outright to avoid a contract or low-end smartphones aimed at lower-income consumers -- increased 11 percent in year-over-year in the first quarter of 2013.

Smartphone sales of all types increased 42 percent year-over-year as more consumers make the switch from "feature" phones to smartphones, but studies continue to indicate that the lower end of the market continue to use smartphones much like they did feature phones. Such users engage only a bare minimum of features and primarily use the device for calling, texting and light Internet duty such as checking email and social services.

Pre-paid phones now make up approximately one-third of US smartphone sales, a 10-point sequential increase from the last quarter of 2012. Postpaid sales make up the remaining 68 percent of smartphone sales, but that is down from 79 percent a year ago.

NPD says that without brand-new flagship models from Apple or its rivals currently in the system -- the Galaxy S4 being seen as an incremental update of the S III rather than a redesigned new model -- consumers who are in the market for a new phone have "refocused their attention away from the postpaid wars and towards finding the best value for their dollar," according to Vice President of Industry Analysis at NPD Stephan Baker. He added the prepaid consumers happily settle for premium models from a year or two ago, noting that the Galaxy S2 and the iPhone 4S were among the top five choices for prepaid customers.

Though Apple is ranked fifth among prepaid phone sales in the US, the ranking represents a quadrupling of prepaid sales over the last year. LG, ranked second overall, has seen its share in prepaid double in the same time period. Lower-end Android phones tend to be the most popular choices for prepaid phones, with Samsung leading the pack (32 percent share of prepaid), followed by LG (22 percent), Huawei (11 percent), HTC and Apple (tied at eight percent). Together, the top five prepaid sellers made up 80 percent of all prepaid smartphone sales.

Since Q1 of 2012, the places where prepaid customers purchase their phones has also shifted. Most prepaid buyers (47 percent) now get their smartphone from national retailers such as Best Buy and Target rather than directly from wireless carriers (37 percent), a near-exact reversal of the situation from a year ago. "The easy purchase cycle and grab-and-go nature of the product plays into the strength of large-format stores," said Baker, noting that carriers are creating or positioning MVNO service resellers to focus on the pre-paid market, such as AT&T's new "Aio" project.

Photograph of LG Optimus F3 surfaces, heading to Sprint this quarter

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:35:46 GMT

An image allegedly of the LG Optimus F3 has appeared online. The smartphone, following on from the Optimus F5 and Optimus F7 revealed at Mobile World Congress in February, is said to be heading to Sprint later this quarter, alongside the Optimus G Pro, and is expected to be a mid-range offering from the manufacturer and carrier.

The photograph from @evleaks via Phone Arena shows it as having three hardware buttons on the front, and is claimed to have a 4-inch WVGA display, smaller than the 4.3-inch and 4.7-inch versions used by the F5 and F7 models. Though most of the internal hardware is not detailed in the leak, it will apparently have a dual-core processor, run on Android Jelly Bean, and house a 2,460mAh battery.

It is likely that the F3 will retain most of the pre-installed software of its F-series counterparts, which could include the multitasking Qslide for multiple active applications on a screen, live zooming of videos, Qtranslator, and QuickMemo.

The Optimus F3 could be launched by LG in the coming weeks, as part of the manufacturer's 2013 mobile range for Australia. The cost is not specified, except it will be "priced aggressively on contract."

Did Google tease Android 'Key Lime Pie' at Google I/O?

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:26:01 GMT

Although many were expecting Google to announce a new version of Android at Google I/O, it did not materialize. Instead the major product announcement was for a stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S4, which will only be available to US customers. Although the next version of Android is likely to be an incremental 'Jelly Bean' update widely thought to be Android 4.3, the rumored next major revision of Android dubbed 'Key Lime Pie' may have been given a subtle 'hat tip' during its developer conference.

During the developer presentations at Google I/O, a couple of slides made their way into proceedings that did not go unnoticed by some keen observers. One slide shows an Android wearing a top-hat eating what appears to be a lime-flavored pie. A separate slide shows a game offering a range of powers, one of which is labeled Key Lime Pie. Android 4.3 is expected to be released sometime in June, while Key Lime Pie, likely Android 5.0, will not be made available until late this year.

Either way, a new version of Android is imminent, although details about what features it is expected to bring are very scarce. Some websites have noted Android 4.3 appearing in server logs, while a new white version of the Nexus 4 is rumored to hit the Google Play Store on June 10 loaded with Android 4.3 onboard. [via Pocket-lint]

AT&T waiving overage charges for Oklahoma City tornado victims

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:19:50 GMT

In the aftermath of the devastating tornado that cut a path of destruction through Oklahoma City on Monday, wireless carrier AT&T announced that overage charges would be suspended for the area until June 30 as part of an effort to assist victims, many of whom lost everything. Due to high call volumes as friends and family check on their loved ones, the company said it would add additional resources to relieve cell congestion.

In the meantime, an AT&T spokesperson suggested using text messaging rather than voice to reach those they are concerned about in order to help reduce call traffic. The tornado, which was reported to be more than a mile wide, tore through suburbs of the city. The company reminded customers on its website that anyone can donate to the American Red Cross by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999, which will add a $10 donation to the customers' bill.

The storm is responsible for at least 91 fatalities thus far, and flattened whole neighborhoods in its wake. President Obama has already declared a major disaster and ordered federal aid for individuals and business owners, consisting of temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other assistance.

Opera for Android out of beta, touts speed, new features

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:33:33 GMT

Opera for Android has now exited beta, three months after it was first made available to users through the Google Play Store. The official release is free and is available for download now. Opera touts a number of features that users will prefer over other mobile browsers including an 'Off-Road' mode that helps to stabilize web connections when the connections become patchy, while also reducing data consumption.

The Opera browser, which is built on the Webkit engine, also incorporates a new function it calls 'Discover.' It is activated with a swipe to the right of the home screen and offers users a range of categories including Arts, News and Technology, among others, from which users can access new content from websites that they have yet to come across. According to Rikard Gillemyr, EVP of Consumer Products at Opera Software, 'Discover' offers users "a relaxed way of discovering interesting articles and checking them out without any extra effort.

Early user reviews are positive with the app rated 4.5 stars after around 350k downloads. Electronista has given Opera for Android a quick hands-on and we think that it is worth checking out. The 'Discover' function is interesting and is like having StumbleUpon built right into the browser. 'Speed Dial' also looks useful allowing users to keep all their favorite sites as small app-like icons on a home screen for quick access. Subjectively, the browser seems about on par with Chrome for speed. [via TechCrunch]

One in ten notebooks shipped with a touchscreen, claims Displaybank

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:06:08 GMT

Almost one in ten notebook computers shipped in the first quarter of 2013 have touchscreens, according to a market research firm's report. It is claimed by Displaybank that 4.57 million of the notebooks used the displays out of a total shipment figure of 46 million, a rise of 51.8 percent compared to the previous quarter.

While the IHS-owned research company notes the touch-enabled notebook market is still in its initial stage, it still believes "the penetration rate of touch screen notebooks is quite high," reports Digitimes. As a whole, the market is apparently expected to keep its shipments of touchscreen notebooks at around 10-percent, but Displaybank states Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and other brands from the Greater China region are aiming for more than 20-percent.

Though a 20-percent shipment rate of notebooks with touchscreens is possible, computer manufacturers face a bleak year for shipments overall, after both IDC and Gartner last month revealed the worst year-on-year drop in quarterly computer shipments for almost 20 years.

Galaxy S4 stock Android 'Google Edition' to be US-only model

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:29:46 GMT

The 'Google Edition' of the Samsung Galaxy S4 running stock Android will be a US-only model it has been revealed. The long anticipated device is set to go on sale on June 26 for $649 will only be available through the US Google Play Store with no current plans to expand its availability internationally. The news will come as a blow to users who like what the Galaxy S4 hardware offers, but don't like Samsung's TouchWiz version of Google's Android operating system.

International users who want to lose TouchWiz on their Galaxy S4 will be forced to hack the bootloader on their device and install a custom ROM, many of which can result in losing certain aspects of device functionality. However, in reality, a stock version of the device will also lose many of the software enhancements and functions that are only available in Samsung's Android build. The upshot for US buyers is that the 'Google Edition' Galaxy S4 will be stable out of the box and will also have an unlocked bootloader as well.

International customers will still have access to the Nexus 4 made by LG, which retails for just $299 for the 8GB version and $349 for the 16GB model. This is some $300 less than the Galaxy S4 'Google Edition,' highlighting its value proposition. Google is also planning to add a white version of the Nexus 4 to its lineup in the next fortnight with the latest version of Android, v4.3, preinstalled. Presumably this will make it to the current Nexus 4 devices as well as the stock Android version of the Galaxy S4 when it goes on sale. [via Android Authority]

Evolio reveals 10.1-inch, quad-core Quadra tablet for Romanian market

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:17:18 GMT

Romanian hardware producer Evolio has unveiled a new Android tablet for the local market. The Quadra offers a large 10.1-inch, 1280x800 Super IPS display, with the device's name stemming from its use of a quad-core Cortex A9 CPU running at 1.2GHz, which a multi-core Vivante GC1000 GPU used for graphic-intensive tasks.

Inside the Android 4.1 tablet is 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, expandable by microSD, is powered by a 5,000mAh battery, according to Engadget. Though it does offer Wi-Fi connectivity, there is not an option for connecting over 3G without the aid of an external modem.

Complete with its aluminum casing, the Quadra is available to pre-order in the country for 999 Romanian leu ($300) ahead of its release in mid June. It is unlikely to go on sale in other markets.

how to have google index a site without logging in?

OreoCookie — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:57:30 GMT

I have a new website for work and I wanted to have google crawl it. Turns out, you need to be logged in, is there any way around that?

New Adelaide Apple Store to open on May 25

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:48:37 GMT

Apple is preparing to open a new Apple Store in Adelaide, Australia on May 25 at 10AM. The Rundle Place outlet will not only be Apple's first in Adelaide, but also by extension the first in the state of South Australia, which is otherwise sparsely populated. The company has 19 other stores in the country, most of which are in New South Wales or Victoria.

A unique aspect of the store will be its operating hours, due to legal restrictions on shopping hours. From Monday to Thursday it will operate from 9AM to 7PM; only on Friday will those hours extend to 9PM. On weekends, the shop will close at 5PM, while on Sunday Apple is pushing the opening hour to 11AM.

Google killing Google Checkout, migrating some to Google Wallet

NewsPoster — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:28:42 GMT

Today, Google made it known to its array of merchants that it is discontinuing the Google Checkout functionality, and migrating some existing users to Google Wallet. In a blog post announcing the move, Google called the Wallet product "a platform that enables merchants to meet the demands of a multi-screen world where consumers shop in-stores, at their desks and on their mobile devices." Users have six months to find an alternative solution, if not migrated automatically.

Merchants can continue to accept payments with the Checkout service through November 20, 2013. Google has partnered with Braintree, Shopify, and Freshbooks to offer discounted migration options, if needed. Google Play developers, as well as Chrome Web Store and Offers Marketplace will continue to be supported, and will make the transition automatically.

Shoppers can continue to use Google Wallet to make purchases, and are generally unaffected by the move. Google has scheduled a webinar on May 23 at 10AM PST for businesses to learn more.

Samsung shows 4.99, 10.1 and 13.3-inch displays exceeding retina spec

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:21:50 GMT

Samsung Display announced today that it is showcasing several mobile to extra-large-sized display prototypes at the Society for Information Display's Display Week. These include a Full HD 1920�1080 mobile AMOLED 4.99-inch display with the world's broadest color gamut, a 10.1-inch 2560 x 1600 LCD for tablets, and a 13.3-inch 3200 x 1800 LCD for notebooks.

The world's first 4.99-inch Full HD mobile AMOLED display offers the world's broadest color gamut with a 94 percent average rate of reproduction for the Adobe RGB color space. The Adobe RGB standard is about 30 percent broader than general sRGB standards.

The new tablet and notebook screens each can deliver 30 percent greater power-savings than that of existing LCD tablet displays, by decreasing the number of driver circuits and increasing the efficiency of the LED backlight. Both displays exceed the pixels-per-inch (PPI) of Apple's Retina Displays in the iPad, and MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina Display, respectively.

Senators Levin, McCain accuse Apple of exploiting offshore tax havens

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:14:04 GMT

In the wake of Apple's published testimony, US Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ) have released their own joint statement on the work of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. "Apple Inc. has used a complex web of offshore entities -- including three foreign subsidiaries the company claims are not tax resident in any nation -- to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. income taxes," Levin's office writes.

"Apple wasn't satisfied with shifting its profits to a low-tax offshore tax haven," Levin himself is quoted as saying. "Apple sought the Holy Grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars, while claiming to be tax resident nowhere. We intend to highlight that gimmick and other Apple offshore tax avoidance tactics so that American working families who pay their share of taxes understand how offshore tax loopholes raise their tax burden, add to the federal deficit and ought to be closed."

"Apple claims to be the largest U.S. corporate taxpayer," says McCain, "but by sheer size and scale, it is also among America's largest tax avoiders. A company that found remarkable success by harnessing American ingenuity and the opportunities afforded by the U.S. economy should not be shifting its profits overseas to avoid the payment of U.S. tax, purposefully depriving the American people of revenue. It is important to understand Apple's byzantine tax structure so that we can effectively close the loopholes utilized by many U.S. multinational companies, particularly in this era of sequestration. I have long advocated for modernizing our broken and uncompetitive tax code, but that cannot and must not be an excuse for turning a blind eye to the highly questionable tax strategies that corporations like Apple use to avoid paying taxes in America. The proper place for the bulk of Apple's creative energy ought to go into its innovative products and services, not in its tax department."

The statement mentions that on Tuesday, in addition to CEO Tim Cook, other Apple executives giving testimony in front of the Senate will include CFO Peter Oppenheimer and tax operations head Phillip Bullock. Non-Apple witnesses will include Harvard professor Stephen Shay and Villanova professor J. Richard Harvey, as well as Treasury Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy Mark Mazur, and IRS Director of Transfer Pricing Operations Samuel Maruca.

Facebook Share Dialog for iOS ready; Chromium Mac gets app launcher

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:33:18 GMT

Facebook has brought a native Share Dialog for iOS out of beta via an updated SDK, v3.5.1. The change means that third-party iOS 6 apps will be able to share activity to Facebook without always requiring a login first. People should also be able to tag friends from within those apps.

Google, meanwhile, has brought the Chrome OS app launcher to OS X via the latest Mac edition of Chromium. The option has to be turned on using a "-show-app-list" switch, but lets people quickly launch apps downloaded through the Chrome Web Store. The feature has been in the Windows Chrome beta since February, but will likely only be pushed to the final Windows, Mac, and Linux versions of Chrome in v28 or 29.

Remote iOS app could be so much better

abbaZaba — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:41:42 GMT

I've got multiple AirPlay speakers around the house and I use Remote quite often. While it is pretty great, here are two features I would love to see added that would be tremendous:

1) Incorporate the Remote controls into the lockscreen/app switcher controls. I really dislike having to unlock my phone and go into Remote to change a song or pause a track.

2) Add AirTunes receiver ability at a system level, so that instead of using the AWFUL Shared Library in the Music app, your iOS device shows up as a AirPlay option, and you just select that to stream music to it if you want to listen through headphones in bed or something.

#2 is the one I really want to see implemented. Shared Libraries in Music app are incredibly slow and incredibly finnicky. I often get disconnects after playing a certain amount of time, it takes forever to load, and on my iPad it only loads less than 10% of the music in my library. I've got 3 other iOS devices and Shared Library has never, ever been reliable. Just get rid of it, bring an AirPlay receiver into Remote and be done with it. This would be a much better way of handling streaming music/remote control of your library when at home.

Thoughts?

Yahoo debuts new Flickr; 1TB of storage space, new Android app

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:31:23 GMT

Speaking at tonight's Yahoo press event in New York City, Marissa Mayer and Yahoo's Mobile Engineering Senior Vice President and Flickr product manager Adam Cahan revealed the new Flickr and accompanying new Android app, offering users 1TB of photo storage in a "very metro" user interface.

A casualty of the new system is Flickr Pro, which has been excised, as Yahoo wished "everyone to have professional quality photo space and sharing." An additional terabyte of storage can be purchased by users, called "doubler." Double storage sells for $500 per year, and is ad-free.

Flickr is compatible with OS X, Windows XP SP3 and above, iOS, and Android 4.1 and above. The free version is ad-supported, with an ad-free version available for an additional $50 per year.

The new release brings with it a revamped Android app, similar to the iOS application launched in December. CEO Mayer boasts that the new app "maintains your photos' original quality, so every image you take, edit, share, or view on your phone or tablet looks spectacular." The new Flickr is now live.

1.5-inch OLED screens being tested for Apple smartwatch, rumor says

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:19:07 GMT

Apple is testing 1.5-inch OLED touchscreens for use in its upcoming smartwatch, claims Taiwanese publication the Economic Daily News. Apple is in fact said to have tried 1.8-inch screens, but judged that they were too big. The 1.5-inch panels are reportedly being manufactured by Taiwan's RiTdisplay, and use one-glass-solution touch sensors, which should allow Apple to keep the watch thin.

The Daily News adds that Foxconn has already received orders to manufacture an Apple watch, but only for a "small-scale trial production." That initial effort is expected to cap out at 1,000 units. If there are no problems however, it could theoretically be followed by full-scale production, particularly if Apple is aiming to release the watch around September as some rumors have suggested.

Several major technology companies are delving into wearable computing. While Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung are believed to be going the watch route, Google is pursuing heads-up displays through its Glass project. If Apple ships a watch in September, it will still beat Google to market in terms of non-testbed hardware.

Apple India offers promotions on entire iPhone line to boost adoption

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:05:18 GMT

Apple is making some moves to make its iPhone line more affordable in India. Deals sponsored by Apple with partners include credit card rebates, trade-in discounts, subsidies, and modified payment plans. As a result of the plans, analysts expect "significant growth" in the region.

Indian customers who purchase a new iPhone using an American Express credit card will be paid 10 percent of the purchase price back in cash, capped at 6,000 rupees ($111). The American Express deal ends on June 10, and is applicable to the iPhone 4, 4S or 6.

Students who trade in old smartphones no more than three years old will be paid 7,777 rupees ($144). Non-students are given 7000 rupees ($130).

Teen's supercapacitor tech promises to charge phones in 20 seconds

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:32:59 GMT

An 18-year-old student, Eesha Khare, has reportedly developed a new form of energy storage, referred to as a supercapacitor, that promises to recharge a cellphone in 20 to 30 seconds. The research project landed Khare a $50,000 scholarship and an Intel Foundation Young Scientists Award at the Intel-sponsored International Science and Engineering Fair, along with a $5,000 "best of category" award and another $3,000 prize in the chemistry division.

The solid-state supercapacitor is said to be composed of hydrogenated TiO2-polyaniline nanorods, which are claimed to support up to 10,000 recharge cycles, according to a SlashGear report. The prototype device is small enough to fit inside a cellphone, though Khare's tests were limited to illuminating an LED.

Supercapacitors have been considered for a wide range of applications, including electric vehicles. UCLA scientists recently found a way to utilize graphene to create supercapacitors, claiming such technology "does away with" the disadvantages of both batteries and traditional capacitors.

The California teen reportedly plans to continue her energy-storage research, and she expects the $50,000 to help with Harvard tuition. She is said to have been contacted by Google, though she declined to provide more details on any talks with the search giant.

Apple publishes official testimony ahead of Cook Senate appearance

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:58:57 GMT

A day ahead of CEO Tim Cook's planned appearance in front of the US Senate, Apple has published its official testimony (PDF) for the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. In the document, the company lobbies for corporate tax reform, specifically arguing that the government should be "revenue neutral, eliminate all corporate tax expenditures, lower corporate income tax rates; and implement a reasonable tax on foreign earnings that allows free movement of capital back to the US." Apple has roughly $100 billion in overseas cash, which it has refused to repatriate unless it can pay less than the standard 35 percent tax rate.

"As both a pioneer and participant in the American innovation economy, Apple looks forward to working with the Subcommittee on its efforts to encourage comprehensive reform of the US corporate tax system," the company claims. "Apple appreciates the opportunity to appear before the Subcommittee to contribute constructively to this important debate."

The testimony also sees Apple continuing to repeat certain talking points, for instance highlighting its status as one of the US' biggest corporate tax payers, and insisting that it doesn't use any "tax gimmicks" to avoid paying a fair share. "Apple does not move its intellectual property into

offshore tax havens and use it to sell products back into the US in order to avoid US tax; it does not use revolving loans from foreign subsidiaries to fund its domestic operations; it does not hold money on a Caribbean island; and it does not have a bank account in the Cayman Islands. Apple has substantial foreign cash because it sells the majority of its products outside the US. International operations accounted for 61% of Apple's revenue last year and two-thirds of its revenue last quarter," the company states.

The testimony does confirm though that Apple took out debt to finance its cash return program for shareholders because it would cost less than repatriating money. "If Apple had used its overseas cash to fund this return of capital, the funds would have been diminished by the very high corporate US tax rate of 35% (less applicable foreign credits). By contrast, given today's historically low interest rates, issuing debt at a cost of less than 2% is much more advantageous for the Company's shareholders. Because Apple was able to borrow at a cost lower than the cost of its equity, issuing debt lowered Apple's overall cost of capital. Additionally, issuing debt served the interests of Apple's shareholders because [of] the debt's interest."

Cook will likely repeat many of these points when speaking in front of the Senate, but might have more to say in response to questions.

AT&T to restore pre-loaded video chat network access by end of year

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:58:46 GMT

AT&T has made a statement regarding the future of video chat applications on its LTE network. According to the telecom company, all "pre-loaded video chat apps" will be available for all of its wireless customers "regardless of data plan or device" by the end of the year. The move is a turnaround from previous decisions by the company to prohibit use of FaceTime and now Google Hangouts chat on mostly grandfathered unlimited data plans.

Currently, FaceTime is only available on users who have adopted one of the various family share capped data plans. FaceTime was available briefly over one weekend for all, including unlimited users, but access was quickly blocked when AT&T discovered the "problem."

AT&T says in the statement that "for video chat apps that come pre-loaded on devices, we currently give all OS and device makers the ability for those apps to work over cellular for our customers who are on Mobile Share or Tiered plans. Apple, Samsung and BlackBerry have chosen to enable this for their pre-loaded video chat apps. And by mid-June, we'll have enabled those apps over cellular for our unlimited plan customers who have LTE devices from those three manufacturers."

Sack Eric Holder

subego — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:51:22 GMT

I find it nauseating Obama lacks either the desire or the stones to remove him. The FOX journalist is really the last straw.

I'm really pissed off.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active images leak, app mentions Galaxy S4 Mega

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:04:22 GMT

Images reported to be of the rumored Samsung Galaxy S4 Active have surfaced, complete with a ruggedized casing. The leaked photographs come at the same time as a fresh rumor claiming Samsung is creating a Mega version of the Galaxy S4, following on from the Mega devices revealed by the company last month.

The ruggedized Galaxy S4 Active is seen in images obtained by GSMArena as retaining some of the design of the original device. Sporting a red color, the back has two bumpers on the back, to help protect it when dropped, and three hardware buttons on the front. Despite the addition of the bumpers, there appears to be little protecting the front glass if the phone lands either directly face down, or on a front-facing corner. Inside is a quad-core 1.9GHz processor with an Adreno 320GPU, and the rear camera has apparently been tipped to be downgraded from 13 megapixels to an 8-megapixel version.

A release date for the S4 Active remains unknown, but the appearance of leaked photos could be an indication of an upcoming announcement.

The Samsung WatchON app, used as a TV remote control replacement, has been found to apparently name the S4 Mega outright, within an app update on Google Play. Version 5.0.4 mentions "Added support for upcoming S4 Mega, S4 mini and S4 Active," which SamMobile suggests could possibly be a typographical error, considering last month's announcement of thr Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Mega 6.3.

NPD: US Mac sales flat compared to last year

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:51:00 GMT

A new report from market analysts NPD Group indicates that US Mac sales for the month of April were about even with the same month last year, which some analysts see as a positive sign for Apple. However, NPD's data -- which is normally considered reasonably accurate -- only covers US sales, meaning the higher percentage of Mac sales overseas is making meaningful predictions difficult.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said in a note to investors that the fact that Mac sales were flat can be interpreted as a slightly positive sign for the iPhone maker, as he had previously believed that sales would be down as US Mac sales were in March -- about eight percent off a year ago. Overall, Munster still believes worldwide Mac sales will be down five percent year-over-year.

However, while NPD saw US Mac sales down eight percent in March, Apple's later official worldwide numbers showed an increase of seven percent for that month -- suggesting that worldwide sales may make up for some remaining softness in the US market. New models of Macs would assure more growth, but any expected announcements of new or refreshed products will likely come during the Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in mid-June -- too late for the products to have much impact on the June quarter.

Ironically, the biggest factor that is driving down Mac sales is the same factor affecting the PC industry -- consumers' increasing use of the iPad and iPhone to handle day-to-day computer tasks, leaving the "big iron" of a desktop or even a laptop for duties better suited to the horsepower, keyboard and other advantages of a traditional computer. As a result, "real computers" are lasting longer, and buyers are delaying purchases as they are able to stretch the useful life of a given computer.

It now appears likely that a refreshed MacBook Air (and possibly similarly-bumped MacBook Pro models, both with new Haswell processors) will appear at or around the WWDC, and there may even be news of the revamped Mac Pro promised by CEO Tim Cook for sometime this year. Munster has previously said he expects Apple to produce some kind of branded HDTV set this year, though if such a product exists it would likely be positioned for the holiday buying season.

Because the company's profits now mostly come from the iPhone and iPad lines, he also sees the main catalyst for profit growth in Apple for 2013 coming from the long-expected "low cost" iPhone and new regular iPhone model, presumably dubbed the "iPhone 5S."

Briefly: SwitchEasy cocoon for 13-inch rMBP, Gustav Line released

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:56:58 GMT

SwitchEasy is now offering a a version of its cocoon laptop case designed for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. Built form a polycarbonate material, the cocoon is offered in four different colors, black, white, grey and yellow, and features a textured finish for improved grip. The case provides protection to the entire exterior of the laptop and comes with four rubber feet to keep the laptop from sliding around on a desk. The cocoon can be purchased through SwitchEasy's online store for $50.

Gustav Line now available for purchase

Gustav Line, the first expansion for Combat Mission Fortress Italy, is now available for purchase. Building upon the original Fortress Italy campaign, Gustav Line depicts the desperate battle for the Italian mainland, revolving around Salerno, Anzio, and Monte Cassino, and culminating in the capture of Rome on June 4, 1944. The $45 expansion includes various new units, campaigns, maps and scenarios, as well as several brand new features, such as AA Guns, Seasons, and a new "Movie lighting" shader mode.

Apple still king of retail, new study finds

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:54:01 GMT

A new study from Asymco analyst Horace Dediu finds that Apple is continuing to outpace the rest of the retail industry in sales per customer, sales per store and sales per square foot -- more than double the income of the second-place finisher Tiffany & Co and three times the third-place entry, Lululemon Athletica. In addition to retaining the crown of retailers, Dediu found revenues had increased from a year ago.

Apple saw a seven percent growth in visitors and a profit of around $12 per visitor per quarter, Dediu reports. Revenue per visitor was up 10 percent from $51.75 percent to $57.60, an increase of more than 10 percent from the year-ago quarter. The average number of visitors per store was also up, now reaching 250,000 average per month -- an increase from the 170,000 visitors per store per quarter just three years ago.

Dediu attributes the better visitor numbers to Apple's program of expanding and replacing smaller stores with bigger ones, and renovations to freshen up older stores. He added that the number of visitors is unlikely to grow much further, simply due to fire regulations. Average revenue per store per quarter has reached $13 million, with each store now averaging 110 employees. Each employee deals with about 2,000 customers per quarter, or about 33 per working day.

Sony teases PlayStation 4 hardware reveal with YouTube video

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:20:41 GMT

Sony has teased its upcoming game console, via a video uploaded to YouTube. The clip, which alternates between close-up shots and one zooming into what could be presumed to be the impending PlayStation 4, is released the day before Microsoft is due to reveal its future plans for its own replacement for the Xbox 360.

The zoom-in shot of the video appears to show a black square, something that visually matches the outline of a PlayStation 3 if stood on end. The quick close-up images reveal little else about the hardware, except that it is predominantly black or dark gray in color, has air vents, a hard-edged design aesthetic, and the number four recessed into one side.

A previous event saw Sony describe the console as using an Internet connection to stream games before they are downloaded to the system, an eight-core x86-64 CPU, 8GB of GDDR5 RAM, Radeon graphics, a 6x Blu-ray drive, USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and a mandatory PlayStation 4 Eye camera. While the physical console itself was not shown, the Dualshock 4 controller was, complete with a two-point capacitive touchpad, three-axis gyroscope, speaker, and dedicated sharing button.

Sony is expected to provide more details at its E3 keynote on June 10th.

Turkey's Erdogan visits Microsoft, Apple, Google

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:36:00 GMT

The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been touring Silicon Valley companies this week, on the heels of a similar tour by Turkish President Abdullah Gul last month. Both men received VIP tours of facilities at Microsoft and Google, and met privately with officials from Apple. All three companies are hoping to land a contract to supply the country with at least 10.6 million tablets for the country's students.

Erdoğan's first stop was a visit to Microsoft, where he was greeted by CEO Steve Ballmer. He also received briefings on the Google Glass project and test-"drove" Google's driverless cars along with his daughter when he visited the Android maker's HQ. The meeting at Apple was not accompanied by any publicity stunts.

The Prime Minster, like the President before him, was visiting technology companies as part of a proposal by the government of Turkey to lure the tech companies to build some 10.6 million tablets for the students of the country. The project, known as Fatih, would ultimately produce over 13 million tablets under the contract terms.

The government of Turkey and the US technology companies have been discussing details of the proposal for two years, with Turkey requiring that the winning bidder build and maintain at least seven "service centers" throughout the country, and is expected to favor companies that are willing to invest technology resources -- such as assembly centers, research labs and other such investments -- in the country. In addition to the US giants, two Turkish tablet makers are also in the running for the tender on the contract, which could be worth more than $5 billion.

Turkey intends to use the tablets to replace textbooks and blackboards and fully embrace 21st-century educational techniques. The tender is said to be scheduled for May 27. A Chinese company will also submit a bid, but its proposal must be translated first.

Yahoo confirms Tumblr acquisition, Tumblr to remain independent

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:25:48 GMT

Yahoo has confirmed it has bought Tumblr, in a deal noted yesterday to be in the region of $1.1 billion. The search company has already moved its company blog over to the blogging platform, and despite CEO Marissa Mayer saying "We promise not to screw it up," there is reportedly a large jump in the number of users moving from Tumblr to Wordpress.

Mayer's first post on the new company blog states that Tumblr will be operated independently of Yahoo, with David Karp remaining as CEO. No changes will be made to "the product roadmap, their team, their wit and irreverence," according to Mayer, but Yahoo will attempt to help Tumblr "get even better, faster." Tumblr will deploy Yahoo's "personalization technology" and search infrastructure onto the platform, with the two companies also to set to work on improving advertising and revenues. Karp reiterated Tumblr's independence in his own post, confirming "We're not turning purple. Our headquarters isn't moving. Our team isn't changing. Our roadmap isn't changing."

At present, Tumblr has over 300 million monthly unique visitors, and 120,000 accounts created every day. Around 24 billion minutes are spent by visitors viewing the site each month, which also receives 900 posts per second, and more than half of the Tumblr user base own the mobile app version. It is suggested that the acquisition and the two companies working together will increase Yahoo's audience by 50 percent to more than a billion monthly visitors, while traffic will increase by 20 percent.

A blog post by Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Wordpress, claims a sudden jump in the number of users importing blog posts from Tumblr to Wordpress.com after the announcement. Between 400 and 600 blog posts are imported per hour from Tumblr on a Sunday, but shortly after the Yahoo board approval yesterday, it spiked at 72,000. While it is a significant jump, Mullenweg doesn't believe that it is a mass exodus. "For most folks habits overcome Internet-outrage. Even if a million people left, that's just about a week's worth of signups."

Rumor: fifth-gen iPad to enter full-scale production in July

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:03:25 GMT

A report in the Taiwanese trade paper DigiTimes -- which has a mixed track record of accuracy -- claims that Apple will begin large-scale production of the fifth-generation iPad in July, with a possible launch in September. The new model is said to be significantly thinner than the previous full-size model, which was unveiled last September. The report also claims the unit will be a third lighter than the current model.

The new iPad model is said to use a thinner glass substrate for the display, down to 0.2 millimeters and a new touchscreen technology, along with only one LED light bar for backlighting yet retain Retina display quality, reports AppleInsider. The reduction of a LED light bar, if true, might increase battery life -- or simply be a needed sacrifice in order to make the battery light and thin enough to fit into the model. In either case, no loss of battery longevity is expected.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously predicted that the next iPad would resemble the popular iPad mini in styling and feature a 15 percent thinner frame than the current full-size iPad. Panels for the new model are said to be coming from LG, Samsung and Sharp, while other suppliers for various parts such as Radiant Opto-Electronics, Coretronic and Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology and TPK Holding are also named in the report.

Kodak unveils new Mac-oriented scanner model

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:53:56 GMT

Kodak, continuing its journey back from bankruptcy, has introduced a ScanMate i940 scanner specifically aimed at Apple users for the North American and European market. In addition to featuring increase image accuracy and precision capture, the unit now comes bundled with NewSoft software for Macs, including Presto Pagemanager 9 for scanning images and doing OCR on the scanner as well as Presto BizCard Xpress business card-scanning software.

Both programs have been customized to include Kodak's "Perfect Page" technology, allowing users to convert files to searchable PDFs, emails, printed copies, or store documents locally. Scans can also be synced to Google Docs or Evernote.

The i940 itself features simultaneous creation of color or B&W versions of scanned documents, and includes auto-cropping, de-skewing, image rotation, auto-brightness and auto-contrast. The unit can hold up to 20 documents at a time using its automatic document feeder. It can capture images at 20 pages per minute (ppm) or up to 40 ppm in B&W or grayscale mode. The unit can work on USB power only, making it usable as a portable scanner -- but reduces operations to a maximum of 8ppm at 200 dpi.

The US version of the i940 for Mac users is sold as the i940M in North America, and retails for $499. It works with OS X 10.6 and higher. The European version sells for À440 ($565).

Acer website confirms 8.1-inch Iconia W3 with Windows 8 Pro

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:53:11 GMT

The Acer Iconia W3 has been leaked yet again, but this time through Acer itself, and confirming it as having an 8.1-inch 1280x768-resolution display. The company's Finnish website shows the Intel Atom-powered tablet, complete with an optional keyboard dock and Windows 8 Pro pre-installed, after previously being shown by mistake on Amazon before being pulled from view.

The Acer website lists the Icona W3 as having options for 32 or 64Gb of storage, according to Slashgear, with the wide keyboard dock allowing Acer to provide full-sized keys instead of miniaturized versions. It will also have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and USB 2.0 connectivity, a Micro HDMI port, a 2-megapixel front-facing webcam, and a battery claimed to last for 8 hours.

While the Finnish site doesn't confirm a release date or price for the Iconia W3, a company director confirmed it will launch on June 4th.

Teen killed during attempted iPad theft; two men arrested

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:57:16 GMT

Two men have been arrested and charged with open murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery in the death of 15-year-old Marcos Arenas in Las Vegas last week. Jacob Dismont, 18, and Michael Solid, 21, were charged Saturday over the incident. According to police, the two attempted to steal an iPad away from the youth but he refused to let go of it, resulting in his being dragged and run over by the two men.

Arenas, the oldest of 10 children and a student at Bonanza High School, had only had the iPad for less than two months before the incident. His father Ivan was quoted by the Las Vegas Review-Journal as saying "never in my life would I imagine that me buying my kid an iPad for his birthday would end up with him getting run over," adding that the family "never had a lot" and that his son valued everything he had.

"For him to lose his life over an iPad, it's just not fair."

The family released a statement on the arrest of the two suspects, saying that they are "We are very, very relieved and grateful that these men have been apprehended and can't hurt anyone else. We're traumatized. Marcos' loss is something that will be with us forever. He was such an incredible person." The attack occurred about a half-mile from Arenas' school in the late afternoon.

The attack is just the latest high-profile incident in a wave of iOS device thefts that have seen thieves targeting people carrying the popular devices, and has come to be known as "Apple picking." In the wake of Arenas' death, police have been advising people to just let go of the devices during robbery attempts.

The two men did eventually make off with Arenas' iPad, but it has not yet been recovered. Solid is said to have a long arrest record involving crimes such as petty larceny, robbery, assault and stealing cars. Dismont is reported not to have any adult arrest record, and is a high school basketball player.

Leaked Samsung Galaxy S III firmware update shows S4-inspired updates

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:04:03 GMT

A future update for the Samsung Galaxy S III could include a number of features carried over from the Galaxy S4, according to a report. The pre-release ROM using Android 4.2.2 as a base, still undergoing testing by the manufacturer, adds new options to the lock screen, as well as a number of design cues carried over from the Samsung flagship smartphone.

The test firmware, found by SamMobile, introduces a revised water ripple effect, lighting effects, and the ability to add multiple widgets to the lock screen. Auto-brightness is now removable from the notifications pulldown, along with quicker access to Quick Toggles using a two-fingered pulldown. Settings are now held within tabs, just like the S4. A driving mode, a Smart Switch gives quicker access to various voice control modes, and S-Voice has also been overhauled.

As the firmware is still in development, it is possible for Samsung to still add or remove items from it before releasing it to Galaxy S III users, which is said to be sometime in June.

Sony launches Xperia Tablet Z globally, ships from early June

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:40:52 GMT

Sony has announced the belated global availability of its Xperia Tablet Z. First unveiled in January, and finally made available for pre-order in the US in late April, international customers can now also place pre-orders for the device. Shipments of what Sony is calling the 'world's thinnest' 10-inch tablet are expected in early June.

The Xperia Tablet Z is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz, while it centers on a 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels. It has 2GB of system RAM and storage in 16GB or 32GB variants, with support for microSD expansion. On the rear is an 8.1-megapixel camera with Exmor R sensor. The battery packs in 6,000mAh, while wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and NFC. A 4G LTE model is also available.

The Tablet Z is also one of the few 10-inch tablets to weigh under 500grams at 495 grams, while it is also dust-proof and can survive being submerged in water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 3 feet. The Xperia Tablet Z is available in white or black.

Briefly: Samsung updates NFC TecTiles, Field Trip museum tickets

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:04:37 GMT

Samsung has released an updated version of its NFC tagging stickers that will work with the Galaxy S4. TecTiles 2 can be assigned individual on-device functions, like automatically updating Facebook and Twitter with a predefined status or muting all sounds, that are triggered when scanned by an NFC-enabled Samsung smartphone running Android. A pack of five updated TecTile stickers cost $15.

Google Field Trip provides free tickets to 13 US museums

Google Field Trip is offering free access to a number of museums in the US. Museums, including the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Portland Art Museum, and 11 others in six cities will provide free entry to patrons who show the Free Entry card from Field Trip. It was not revealed on the app's Google+ page how many free tickets would be provided to Field Trip users over the course of the promotion.

Jolla reveals first Sailfish OS smartphone, full Android app support

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:55:17 GMT

Jolla has revealed its first smartphone to run its Linux-based Sailfish mobile operating system. If you're wondering how the Finnish company plans to survive in the cutthroat mobile space, things become clearer when Jolla looking at its features, which includes 100 percent app compliance with Android apps. The first handset is set to reach the market "by end of 2013" and will be simply titled "Jolla" (pronounced 'Yo-la') and will retail for 399À.

The Jolla smartphone centers on a 4.5-inch Estrade display and will be powered by an unspecified dual-core processor. Users will have access to 16GB of storage, plus the ability to expand this with support for microSD cards. It will include an 8-megapixel user-replaceable battery and the choice of two colored rear panels. Interestingly, the operating system will detect the color chosen and automatically adjust the OS color theme to match 'The Other Half,' as the company labels the rear cover.

Jolla is offering some Kickstarter-like rewards for users who choose to pre-order the device and help support 'The Movement,' as it is calling its marketing campaign. Backers who put down 100À will have access to priority pre-order status, a limited edition device as well as an exclusive 'Other Half' color. They will also get a T-Shirt and a 100À voucher that will be deducted from the final price of the device. 40À will get the same priority status, T-shirt and limited edition device. There is also the option to get a pre-order number at no cost.

Jolla was born from the axing of Nokia's MeeGo mobile platform following its decision to pursue Windows Phone 7 and then 8. Many engineers from the MeeGo team joined Jolla to create the Sailfish OS, with assistance reportedly provided by Nokia to help the startup get off the ground. [via Engadget]

Samsung prepares to launch 55-, 65-inch UHD TVs in Korea

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:44:43 GMT

Samsung is preparing to launch 55-inch and 65-inch models of its UHD TV sets next month. Starting off in Korea, the new models will go on sale in June, with a view to releasing it in other markets shortly afterwards, with the two differently-sized 4K-capable TVs following the 85-inch S9 the company released in the country at the beginning of this year.

The S9 ships with an imposing large frame, allowing it to stand freely from the floor, but it is not clear if the smaller television sets will have a similar design or have a more conventional form. Just as its larger predecessors, the 55-inch and 65-inch versions will have the same Smart TV functionality and share a number of other features, such as the micro-dimming lighting.

While a price is not currently available, it is likely to cost far less than the $38,000 of the S9. When Sony announced two Ultra HD televisions in the US last month, it priced its 55-inch and 65-inch models at $5,000 and $7,000 respectively, and Samsung's offering may end up being in the same ballpark.

Review: MaxUpgrades MaxConnect Optical Bay for Mac Pro 2006-2008

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:03:52 GMT

Nobody outside of Cupertino's privileged bunch knows the future of the Mac Pro line for sure. Despite Apple's reluctance to tell us what the line holds, there are a large number of machines in service all getting a bit long in the tooth, relatively speaking. As production Mac Pros have been replaced with new iMacs and even the Mac mini, IT departments are looking for creative ways to repurpose some of the older machines to preserve dwindling budgets and continued expansion of needs. Regardless of generation, the Mac Pro makes an excellent server for the home or business, limited only by the drive capacity. Macintosh upgrade purveyors MaxUpgrades has a one-of-a-kind custom engineered solution for the 2006 through 2008 Mac Pro optical bay called the MaxConnect for Mac Pro Optical Bay. Using it, up to four 3.5-inch drives can be installed in the bay, in lieu of lightly-used opticals. Whether or not cramming all these drives in the space is a good idea remains to be seen -- check our review to find out!

Dell to ship thumb-sized Android PC in July

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:55:56 GMT

Computer maker Dell is taking yet another step into the Android device segment, as it prepares to ship Project Ophelia. Ophelia is a thumb-sized USB device that contains hardware that runs Google's mobile operating system, and it plugs into a television to turn any HDTV into a smart device. It should begin shipping in July of this year for a price of $100.

Dell first showed off the device in January at CES, but the company will again demonstrate it at the Citrix Synergy conference in Los Angeles, according to PCWorld. Users of the device will be able to run Android games and apps, as well as stream video content from providers such as Hulu and Netflix.

The device will also come with Wyse's PocketCloud, allowing users to access stored content on PCs, servers, and mobile devices.

The first Ophelia units will ship to developers, and August will see cable companies and telecom providers offering the device with cable and data plans. Thereafter, Dell will begin offering it on its website. The company will also be offering the device - along with IT administrator tools - to enterprises as a thin client computer.

Nintendo to preview Wii U games at Best Buys during E3

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:41:59 GMT

Struggling to drum up consumer interest in its faltering Wii U console, Japanese game maker Nintendo will show off forthcoming games in Best Buy stores while this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo is going on. Nintendo revealed the partnership between the game company and the electronics retailer last week, tipping some of the games that will be shown off in Best Buy stores.

Next month will see Best Buy stores hosting demos of multiple Wii U games. Nintendo didn't specify which titles would be shown off, but upcoming games include Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, New Super Luigi U, and Pikmin 3. These titles may be among those on display, but Nintendo could take the opportunity to show off other games, including titles from its well-respected Mario or Zelda series.

The Wii U has, so far, been a disappointment for Nintendo. The company looked to follow-up to its massively successful Wii console with a touchscreen-enabled, HD-capable device, but consumer interest has flagged, dramatically impacting the firm's bottom line.

Nook Simple Touch eReaders to get web browser, email

NewsPoster — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:18:33 GMT

Owners of Barnes & Noble's Simple Touch eReaders will be getting a couple of new features in the near future, if a memo leaked on Sunday bears out. The bookseller turned electronics manufacturer will be adding email and web browsing features to its eReader TechCrunch has discovered. The capabilities will be added via a software update that will bring the device to version 1.5.0 of its operating system.

Both the Nook Simple Touch and Simple Touch with Glowlight will be getting an over-the-air update starting next month. Barnes & Noble is already bringing compatibility with Google's Play Store to its tablets, but the eReader update marks the first time that bookseller has brought such capabilities to its entry-level devices.

The Nook Simple Touch devices, despite being dedicated to reading, are capable of more complex computing actions, as demonstrated by the forthcoming update. Previously, users have hacked the devices to run full operating systems like Apple's classic Macintosh OS.

Picture supposedly taken with Galaxy Note III shows up online

NewsPoster — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:15:14 GMT

A new image has appeared online that could have been taken by an as yet announced Samsung Galaxy Note III. The image appeared on SmartFan over the weekend, showing nothing of much interest. What was notable was the image's EXIF data, which lists the device taking the picture as GT-N7200.

That product code follows directly from GT-N7100, the code Samsung used for the Galaxy Note II. According to the EXIF data, the device features an f/2.2 lens and a 13MP sensor.

As it is possible to fake EXIF data, it's uncertain whether or not the image came from an actual Galaxy Note III device. With its expected unveiling just months away, though, it is entirely possible that Samsung has test units out and functioning.

The Galaxy Note III will likely be unveiled in the fall at IFA Berlin 2013, where Samsung has revealed previous models in the Note line. Even since the release of the Galaxy Note II, rumors have circulated as to the capabilities of its successor. Earlier rumors centered on the idea of a foldable touchscreen, allowing Samsung to pack more screen real estate into a smaller package. The company has reportedly run into yield issues with its flexible screen technology, though, and the Note III may not feature such capabilities.

The Note III is expected to be larger than the Galaxy Note II, with estimates ranging up to 6.3-inches diagonal for its display. Inside, the device may pack an Exynos Octa CPU clocked at 2GHz and paired with 3GB of RAM.

T-Mobile to get LTE version of Galaxy S III

NewsPoster — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:08:01 GMT

An LTE version of Samsung's Galaxy S III will be showing up on T-Mobile's network even as Samsung has moved on to the next generation of its Galaxy S series. The carrier already supported the Galaxy S III, but T Mobile's network wasn't LTE-compatible until just last month.

As TmoNews notes, the Galaxy SIII LTE features the same internals as the regular Galaxy S III. The only change is the addition of LTE connectivity, granting users faster data speeds.

The S III LTE arrives even as T-Mobile carries the Galaxy S4, Samsung's newest flagship handset. Much as Apple does with its iPhones, Samsung continues to manufacture one-generation-old models of its Galaxy S series in order to provide a lower priced high-end experience.

T-Mobile stores will receive 16GB white models of the Galaxy S III LTE. It's uncertain whether or not they will eventually carry the titanium model.

Is there a 'contact us via iMessage' button for websites?

markw10 — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:30:14 GMT

Hello,

I recently launched a website and in the Contact Us section I have a lot of ways for people to contact me. There are buttons for Skype, Google Talk, MSN, Yahoo, and AIM for example. To complete the contact information I'd like to have a button for people to contact me via iMessage. I know I can simply put something such as "Contact me via iMessage" and then put my ID behind it but I'd like something as simple as a button where they can click on it and then it'll bring up their Messages app on their iOS device or on their Mac so that they can start typing a message to me.

Is there any type of button such as this available?

Report: Yahoo board approves $1.1B Tumblr acquisition

NewsPoster — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:07:47 GMT

In the latest step of CEO Marissa Mayer's plan to turn around popular but stagnating Internet giant Yahoo, the company's board has reportedly approved a $1.1 billion acquisition of the social sharing site Tumblr. The board met on Sunday to discuss the acquisition, which appears to have been a foregone conclusion due to the fact that Yahoo had already scheduled a Monday event on Friday. The company is expected to announce the acquisition at that event.

AllThingsD confirmed the billion-dollar buy on Sunday, noting that Tumblr will retain its current CEO, David Karp, for at least four years. Similarly to how Instagram operates even after being acquired by Facebook, Karp will retain a degree of control over Tumblr, but Yahoo will boost Tumblr's advertising business with its own infrastructure.

While Yahoo's portal draws hundreds of millions of visitors, the company is largely thought to have stagnated in the years since its heyday. Tumblr, by comparison, is considered hip, with U.S. desktop traffic around 37 million for April, roughly equivalent to that of LinkedIn or Twitter. The question remains how Yahoo will monetize Tumblr; the site's users seem resistant to standard advertising, and the questionable content available on some Tumblrs may prove unattractive to advertisers.

Still, the acquisition ranks as the largest Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has made in the time since she took over the company last year. Tumblr, it's said, will be "the stake in the ground of what her strategy is going forward for Yahoo."

Google Glass spotted fitted to prescription frames at Google I/O

NewsPoster — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:36:53 GMT

Google is still working on a version of its head-mounted display for wearers of glasses, it has emerged. A number of Google employees roaming the Google I/0 developer event were said to be wearing the modified version of Google Glass, working with prescription lenses and a different frame to the headband usually provided with the device.

Images picked up by Slashgear shows Glass as having been slightly modified to fit with regular glasses, with the main shell receiving a slight redesign to work with the frames, though the internal hardware used is said to be the same for the standard Explorer edition.

It is noted that Google is only using one set of prescription frames with Glass at the moment, but it is possible for multiple different styles of frame to be made available in the future, if only in a limited range.

iphone photography/tripods - app suggestions.

RobOnTheCape — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:42:11 GMT

Hello all,

I've been doing quite a bit of work using TrueHDR, and Photosynth, but with the 3 shot requirement of TrueHDR I'm sometimes getting ghosts, and I'm thinking a tripod/mount is a must at this point. Does anyone have a setup they really can endorse? Also, Does anyone have an HDR app which can duplicate or beat TrueHDR with less shots? And of course, what photo apps do you most like.

I consistently have been using TrueHDR, combining with Autostitch, and then sometimes running the stitched with Perfectly clear.

Thanks

Mini review: Samsung Galaxy S4 with Exynos 5 Octa SoC

NewsPoster — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:18:14 GMT

We have already published our full review of the Galaxy S4 for the US, which ships with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor. In some international markets, the Galaxy S4 ships with Samsung's own Exynos 5 Octa, an eight-core chip that uses ARM's big.LITTLE architecture. We have been using one for the past week, putting it through its paces, although our focus here is to see whether US customers are missing out on any performance.

Samsung says that the two chips are roughly equivalent in performance, although in reality, there are some differences between the two. The quad-core Snapdragon 600 in the US version of the Galaxy S4 is the latest iteration of Qualcomm's Krait mobile architecture and is clocked at 1.9GHz. It is built on a 28nm process and is at least 40 percent faster than its 2012 performance flagship, the Snapdragon S4 Pro. It is also paired with the latest version of the Adreno 320 GPU, clocked at 500MHz.

The Samsung Exynos 5 Octa, is fabricated using ARM's big.LITTLE architecture integrating four performance Cortex-A15 cores (1.6GHz) with four low power Cortex-A7 cores (1.2GHz) on Samsung's 28nm HKMG process. Although the chip technically has eight-cores, it is for all intents and purposes a quad-core chip as the eight-cores do not function in unison. It uses an Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX544MP3 with a triple-core GPU clocked at 533MHsz. As a side-note, it is interesting to note that Imagination Technologies is 10-percent owned by Apple and Samsung actually switched from ARM's Mali mobile GPUs to PowerVR for this generation of its mobile processors.

In terms of raw performance, both chips are among the fastest mobile processors in any currently shipping device. However, the real-world performance of the chips using Samsung's TouchWiz implementation of Android is far from optimal. As a number of observers have noticed with the US version of the Galaxy S4, even though it runs the latest version of Android 4.2.2 'Jelly Bean,' it is prone to being "janky." This means that when apps launch, they can stutter, while when scrolling through web pages, it can pause briefly. We also noticed the home screen clock and weather widget would sometimes momentarily when returning to the home screen after being in an app.

This is apparent on both the Snapdragon 600-equipped Galaxy S4's as well as the Exynos-equipped versions. Clearly the speed of the processors is not an issue, so we can only put this down to the amount of bloatware on the Galaxy S4 as well as the number of beta 'features' like eye scrolling. It seems that in adding all the additional functionality to TouchWiz, which makes for great marketing opportunities, the stability of the OS has suffered somewhat. However, we fully expect Samsung to issue patches to address this in time.

In objective tests, however, the Galaxy S4 with the Exynos 5 Octa shines. Even though it is clocked 300MHz slower than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600, it produces a Geekbench 2 score higher than the US model. The Exynos 5 produces a score of 3533 against the score of 3238 produced by the Snapdragon 600. The Galaxy S III produces a score of 1764, showing that the in either variant, the Galaxy S4 is much faster. However, it is also clear that the Exynos 5 has a performance edge over the Snapdragon 600 in raw processing performance.

When it comes to the graphics performance of the Adreno 320 against the PowerVR SGX544MP3, the two GPUs perform much more closely. However, in this case, the Adreno 320 has a slight edge over the PowerVR. The Futuremark 3DMark reveals that the Galaxy S4 with Adreno graphics produces a score of 6651, while the Galaxy S4 with PowerVR scores 6545. Both chips produce a prodigious 51 gigaflops of performance, so in real terms little really separates them.

One of the surprise, but welcome, announcements at Google I/O last week was the news that it will start selling a Samsung Galaxy S4 with stock Android from June 26. Although not a Nexus device, it will also benefit from timely updates to its OS, just like Nexus devices. While it will produce very similar performance to the Galaxy S4 in either Snapdragon or Exynos trim, it is quite likely that from the perspective of real-world performance, this will be the version of the Galaxy S4 to get. However, you will be sacrificing numerous software features that are only available in the Samsung TouchWiz version of the Galaxy S4.

It will be very interesting to see which model consumers veer towards. Our preference, thus far, has been to use Google's Nexus range for getting the optimal Android experience. As much as we like the HTC One, we would still opt for a stock Android version of that device if HTC ever released one. Highlighting this is the fact that, even though the quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro in the LG Nexus 4 is outgunned by the newer chips in the Galaxy S4, its Android experience much more seamless and stutter-free that the Galaxy S4 as it currently stands.

The Galaxy S4 is a very powerful smartphone in either Snapdragon 600 or Exynos 5 variants. If Samsung can get on top of the minor, but annoying, software glitches in TouchWiz through a future update, most users will probably not notice any performance difference in using either version of the device. Power users, however, will probably want for every single extra clock cycle of CPU power they can get. In that case, the Exynos 5 version is probably the one to get if you are prepared to pick one up from an importer and hack your choice of ROM on to the device.

By Sanjiv Sathiah

Mini review: Samsung Galaxy S4 with Exynos 5 Octa SoC

NewsPoster — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:15:31 GMT

The Samsung Exynos 5 Octa, is fabricated using ARM's big.LITTLE architecture integrating four performance Cortex-A15 cores (1.6GHz) with four low power Cortex-A7 cores (1.2GHz) on Samsung's 28nm HKMG process. Although the chip technically has eight-cores, it for all intents and purposes a quad-core chip as the eight-cores do not function in unison. It uses an Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX544MP3 with a triple-core GPU clocked at 533MHsz. As a side-note, it is interesting to note that Imagination Technologies is 10-percent owned by Apple and Samsung actually switched from ARM's Mali mobile GPUs to PowerVR for this generation of its mobile processors.

In terms of raw performance, both chips are among the fastest mobile processors in any currently shipping device. However, the real-world performance of the chips using Samsung's TouchWiz implementation of Android is far from optimal. As a number of observers have noticed with the US version of the Galaxy S4, even though it runs the latest version of Android 4.2.2 'Jelly Bean,' it is prone to being "janky." This means that when apps launch, they can stutter, while when scrolling through web pages, it can pause briefly. We also noticed the home screen clock and weather widget would sometimes momentarily when returning to the home screen after being in an app.

One of the surprise, but welcome, announcements at Google I/O last week was the news that it will start selling a Samsung Galaxy S4 with stock Android from June 26. While that will likely produce very similar performance to the Galaxy S4 in either Snapdragon or Exynos trim, it is quite likely that from the perspective of real-world performance, this will be the version of the Galaxy S4 to get. However, you will be sacrificing numerous software features that are only available in the Samsung TouchWiz version of the Galaxy S4.

It will be very interesting to see which model consumers veer towards. Our preference, thus far, has been to use Google's Nexus range for getting the optimal Android experience. As much as we like the HTC One, we would still opt for a stock Android version of that device if HTC ever released one. Highlighting this is the fact that, even though the quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro in the LG Nexus 4 is outgunned by the newer chips in the Galaxy S4, its Android experience much more seamless and stutter-free as it currently stands.

The Galaxy S4 remains a highly attractive smartphone for a number of reasons, not least of which is the power of the processors Samsung has fitted its two variants with. If Samsung can get on top of the minor, but annoying, software glitches in TouchWiz in a future update, most users will probably not notice any performance difference in using the US version or the international versions of the device. Power users, however, will probably want for every single extra clock cycle of CPU power they can get. In that case, the Exynos 5 version is probably the one to get, especially as some importers are already shipping them stateside.

What is the best iPad Case & Stand?

nielpat — Sun, 19 May 2013 02:19:06 GMT

I just got an iPad and am looking for a really nice case that is also a stand, but I need something with more than just 2 or 3 angles plus I need it to be secure in each angle because I will be using my iPad alot in bed and on my lap. Any suggestions?

jQuery TypeError that makes no sense

shifuimam — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:34:50 GMT

I've been tweaking Maclassic.com, trying to stylize all the form elements to look more like OS 9. It's been pretty easy so far, but I've run into problems with a jQuery plugin I'm using for styling select (drop-down list) fields.

MediaWiki and Vanilla use an identical skin that I developed. The JS files loaded are different for each though - they're using what's built in, so I'm wondering if that's the problem.

At any rate, this is my error:

Code:

TypeError: g.addClass(...).on is not a function

http://maclassic.com/common/scripts/jquery.customSelect.min.js

This isn't happening on MediaWiki, as seen in this page: Revision history of "Main Page" - Maclassic

It is, however, happening in Vanilla, as seen here: Sign In - Maclassic Discussion

For those who don't want to register just to see the form, here's what it looks like:

I searched around a bit on the error but can't figure out for the life of me why it's breaking.

This, by the way, is the plugin I'm using for jQuery: https://github.com/adamcoulombe/jquery.customSelect

ETA: Ok so it looks like it was a jQuery version issue. I manually upgraded Vanilla to jQ 1.7.2 and it works. Oddly, though, I couldn't upgrade to 1.9 - that broke the forums.

'Crazy ant' invading Texas, destroying electronics

NewsPoster — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:03:11 GMT

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have discovered that the US fire ant population is being pushed out by "tawny crazy ants," with an affinity to the interior of electronic devices. The ants are capable of nesting in nearly any container, and as they travel, they disrupt other ant populations.

"They nest in electronics and create short circuits, as they create a contact bridge between two points when they get electrocuted they release an alarm pheromone," says UT research assistant Edward LeBrun. "The other ants are attracted to the chemicals that other ants give off. At this point, more ants arrive and create a larger nest."

Some researchers claim that a single nest can contain multiple queens, and normal poisons and baits have little effect on the new species. Without assistance migrating, the species travels approximately 650 feet per year.

The initial name of "Raspberry Crazy Ants" was named after pest control worker Tom Rasberry who first discovered the ant, and reported the population to Texas A&M researchers. The scientific name for the subspecies is Nylanderia fulva.

The Incredible Shrinking Deficit

Dork. — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:19:39 GMT

You might have been too busy worrying about Benghazi, The IRS, or the AP this week to notice, but there's some positive news for a change:

US Budget Deficit Shrinks Far Faster Than Expected
U.S. budget deficit shrinks faster than expected to $642B, CBO says - UPI.com
2013 deficit estimate lowered to $642 billion | Fox News

The CBO has revised it's projected calculations of the budget deficit, slapping $200 billion off of its last projection (made after the Sequester cuts were accounted for). From what I can tell, this comes from three sources:

1) Increased revenue
2) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac doing better generally and being able to repay more of their loans
3) A general reduction in costs for Medicaid (although this has more effect in subsequent years).

You would think that we would be shouting this good news from the rooftops, but for some reason, the story is getting buried everywhere. What gives? Are we really that obsessed with the Scandal Of The Day that we can't acknowledge good news when it happens?

Google planning media streamer, possible Nexus Q refresh in FCC filing

NewsPoster — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:23:03 GMT

A filing at the FCC suggests that Google is not letting go from its television plans, with the appearance of a new device. The item, described in the filing as a "media player," has been submitted for various tests, though there is little in the way of details for the device to be found inside the multiple PDF documents on the FCC website.

The key points inside the reports, found by TechCrunch, includes the fact it will have a 5 volt power supply, Wi-Fi connectivity, has the product name "H840 Device," along with the model number H2G2-42. This model number refers to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a book known for prominently using the number 42. More useful information is likely to appear in 45 days time, due to a confidentiality agreement.

While Google has experimented with products for use on a television, there has been little in the way of progress for the company. Google TV is being used by a number of manufacturers to operate their own set-top streaming media devices, while Google's own device, the Nexus Q, was found to be lacking in a number of areas.

T-Mobile sticks with ISIS, won't support Google Wallet

NewsPoster — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:33:37 GMT

T-Mobile customers wanting to use Google Wallet are out of luck, as the carrier confirmed this week that it's blocking the mobile payment solution. Instead, T-Mobile wants its customers to use ISIS, a carrier-backed standard that is currently only available in two metropolitan areas. The confirmation marks T-Mobile as just the latest of the major carriers to block Google's standard as they prepare to roll out their own.

Twitter user @PoliticalGamez contacted T-Mobile this past week, asking why the carrier was keeping Google Wallet from working on his Galaxy Note 2. Responding, T-Mobile USA essentially confirmed that Google Wallet was blocked in favor of ISIS, a wireless payment solution also supported by AT&T and Verizon. ISIS is currently available in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Austin, Texas.

The confirmation has touched off a minor firestorm, with some users responding to T-Mobile that they are unable to access ISIS, as they don't live in one of the supported areas. Others complain that T-Mobile should let them use the payment app of their choosing.

Verizon has also blocked Google Wallet from functioning on its phones, as the carriers are attempting to ramp up support for ISIS. The carrier, though, says that it has not "blocked" Wallet, per se, but that Google needs to alter its app so as not to access certain secure functions of the hardware.

Use DVD on 'old' iMac to install s/w onto new iMac

mattyb — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:46:36 GMT

I've discovered that some software that I want to install onto my new 27 inch iMac, is only available on DVD. I have an old iMac with a DVD player. Is it possible to use (cross-over ethernet cable or something else?) the DVD in the old iMac to install onto the new iMac?

MetroPCS bows out of Net Neutrality lawsuit against FCC

NewsPoster — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:33:29 GMT

In a court motion filed earlier today, MetroPCS is dropping its net neutrality opposition lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission. The company filed a motion for voluntary dismissal, leaving Verizon to willingly fight the decree and US government on its own.

The carriers claimed that the FCC overstepped its bounds with the new rules, which on wireless networks require allowing any legal app and traffic and also require transparency on any throttling or other network management techniques. Supporters of the rule have noted that they more likely wanted to reserve the right to ban apps and traffic that were competitive with their own businesses. MetroPCS went so far as to make its case even as it was directly violating the rules by blocking Skype and charging extra to access Netflix.

MetroPCS filed the motion for dismissal as to not burden its upcoming merger with T-Mobile with the lawsuit, which would transfer to the combined company, in much the same way that Google acquired Motorola Mobility's smartphone patent lawsuits.

Mozilla delays plans to block third-party tracking cookies in Firefox

NewsPoster — Sat, 18 May 2013 00:51:46 GMT

Mozilla is delaying plans to start blocking third-party tracking cookies in Firefox by default, according to an announcement. The company states that more work is needed for the anti-tracking feature. "The idea is that if you have not visited a site (including the one to which you are navigating currently) and it wants to put a cookie on your computer, the site is likely not one you have heard of or have any relationship with," explains Mozilla's Brendan Eich. "But this is only likely, not always true."

The technology Mozilla is using was developed by a Stanford law student, Jonathan Meyer, and was intended to go into Firefox 22. The possibility of false positives and negatives has postponed launch without a set deadline, but Eich does say a progress update will be delivered sometime in the next six weeks.

Some advertisers have protested Mozilla's security efforts, since third-party cookies are regularly used to track visitors to websites and/or serve custom-tailored advertising. Visiting a number of websites related to cars, for instance, might suddenly shift the ads a person sees towards ones pushing dealerships. That tracking can be considered a violation of privacy though, and some sites use cookies for more malicious purposes.

Yahoo schedules press event for May 20, topic 'something special'

NewsPoster — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:57:58 GMT

Yahoo is holding a "product-related" event on May 20. The New York City event will see CEO Marissa Mayer speaking on an undisclosed topic for about an hour at 5PM EST, which the company calls in an mass email "something special."

Reports of Yahoo spending up to $1 billion for Tumblr are circulating, adding to the high profile portfolio of acquisitions since the new CEO took office. Bloomberg reports that the announcement is an update to the photo repository Flickr's acquisition at the event, but is not ruling out more news reveals at the event.

Amazon axes Zombieland, Browsers TV pilots; picks up two others

NewsPoster — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:35:59 GMT

Amazon has cancelled two television pilots, after poor screenings. The television version of Zombieland will not be made into a series by the internet retailer, nor will Bebe Neuwirth's musical comedy Browsers about interns at a Huffington Post-esque website. Amazon has picked up John Goodman's Washington DC satire Alpha House, and Silicon Valley sitcom Betas.

Zombieland Writer/Producer Rhett Reese tweeted the cancellation, adding that fans of the original insured that there would not be a television continuation. He tweeted that "I'll never understand the vehement hate the pilot received from die-hard Zombieland fans. You guys successfully hated it out of existence."

The push for original and exclusive content by Amazon is the latest move by streaming services to try and entice audiences to subscribe. Main competitor Netflix has seen success with new episodes of Arrested Development and House of Cards, and recently started production on filming a sci-fi series from the creators of The Matrix and Babylon 5.

German judge stays Nokia versus HTC remote management trial

NewsPoster — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:49:17 GMT

The Mannheim Regional Court has stayed one chapter of the ongoing Nokia versus HTC trial in Germnay. Judge Andreas Voss ordered the stay over a feature proving supervisory remote permission management to employees' Android-based phones and tablets. While HTC is infringing on the patent, the court believes the patent itself to be invalid.

Judge Voss didn't discuss the stay, but German courts have more discretion than many other nations' jurists to grant a stay of a patent infringement case. Nokia is in the process of asserting 40 patents against HTC in Germany, the US, and the UK. Most assertions haven't come to trial, as of yet.

HTC has responded to the ruling. A HTC spokesman said "Today, the District Court of Mannheim handed down a judgment staying claims by Nokia that HTC had infringed the German part of patent EP 0879538 entitled 'Mobile Terminal having Network Services Activation through the use of Point-to-Point Short Message Service', because of serious doubts as to the validity of the patent. HTC is naturally delighted with this decision, which serves to confirm its view that the strength of Nokia's patent-portfolio has been greatly exaggerated.

Nokia viewed the ruling and stay somewhat differently. In its statement, it said that "Nokia is pleased that the court has found that HTC infringed our patent and we look forward to demonstrating the validity of this patent. Nokia has also asserted the patent against HTC in the UK. More than 30 further Nokia patents have been asserted against HTC in other actions brought by Nokia in Germany, the US and the UK. HTC has already been found to infringe Nokia's patent EP 0 673 175 and an injunction against infringing devices is already in effect in Germany. HTC must respect our intellectual property and compete using its own innovations."

Apple pulls Bang With Friends app after little over one week

NewsPoster — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:41:33 GMT

Apple has removed a well-publicized iPhone hookup app from the App Store after just one week of it going live, Valleywag notes. Bang With Friends, still accessible via Android and the web, lets people indicate if they'd like to have sex with a Facebook friend. Notifications are sent out only if the feeling is mutual. Since launching in January, the service has already accumulated about 1 million users.

Regarding the App Store takedown, Bang With Friends CEO Colin Hodge says that the company is "waiting to hear more from Apple as to why," and trying to get the app back up. While Apple is typically strict about enforcing App Store guidelines, it's not clear which if any guidelines Bang With Friends might be violating. Other well-known hookup apps, such as Grindr, are still available.

Stitcher for iOS gets Car Mode, other upgrades

NewsPoster — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:54:28 GMT

Podcast and radio streaming service Stitcher has released an important update of its iOS app, v5.3.0. The major addition is a selectable Car Mode for the iPhone, which brings up a simplified interface. The mode works in both portrait and landscape views.

All versions of the app have been given a redesigned front page, as well as an improved search function, which should provide quicker access to shows. When listening to older episodes of a podcast, users now have the option of playing several episodes in a row with either new-to-old or old-to-new progression. The direction can be switched by tapping a playlist order button after selecting Playing Next.

Sleep timer access has been folded into the equalizer menu in the player screen. Other changes include a new wizard for first-time users, and better performance, including faster playback start when resuming shows.

Stitcher is a free download for devices running iOS 5 or later.

Study: tablets, smartphones rule mobile gaming; handhelds wane

NewsPoster — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:09:59 GMT

A report by market analysts App Annie and IDC continue to show that mobile devices such as the iPhone or the Nexus 7 control a clear majority of mobile gaming interest and dollars spent on purchases, with portable handhelds fading rapidly. The first quarter of 2013 saw another milestone achieved for the Android platform, with it seeing more downloads and consumer spending on games than iOS for the first time.

Revenue for game producers from smartphone-oriented was three times that of revenue from handheld consoles, though in part this is because of the seasonality of the portable console space, with sales from such devices peaking during the holidays of last year. Still, the two firms predict that mobile gaming revenues from Google Play will surpass the overall average of handheld game machines by the next quarterly report. Apple's iOS App Store surpassed revenues from handheld gamers quite some time ago.

The combined income from the App Store and Google Play from mobile games did not include advertising revenue; if it had, mobile gaming would far surpass handheld dedicated game devices. Overall, the combined Android platform has pulled slightly ahead of iOS in terms of game downloads, but the App Store still leads significantly on revenue, reinforcing the long-established conventional wisdom that iOS users are more engaged and likely to spend on games than Android users.

Mobile gaming was studied separately from other types of app interaction because the category represents some 40 percent of all downloads across the two platforms. Spending was generally up a few percentage points from the holiday season, a surprising finding that was led by increased spending in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, which includes China, Japan and Korea.

The Google Play store saw significant growth in the APAC region in Q1, particularly in Korea and Japan. Game revenues from the region showed 10.5 percent growth in Q1, with handheld consoles gaining 11.6 percent. App Store revenue was essentially flat.

Overall, the study revealed that while Android has caught up to iOS in terms of the number of mobile gamers, average revenue per user and engagement levels -- two vital analytics that developers depend on -- still belong to Apple.

MacBook Air stock beginning to evaporate ahead of WWDC

NewsPoster — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:36:30 GMT

Third-party vendors are starting to run out of stock of the 13-inch MacBook Air, says AppleInsider. Amazon, B&H, MacConnection, and MacMall are all out of a common configuration, a system with a 1.8GHz processor and a 256GB SSD. Another reseller, J&R, is saying that it only has the configuration at retail stores. Best Buy continues to have some units.

Low third-party inventories are often a sign that Apple is preparing to update hardware. The company could potentially launch new Airs at WWDC, scheduled to start June 10th, especially since Intel should launch its Haswell processors shortly before then. Still uncertain is whether or not Apple is planning to include Retina displays among its upgrades, bringing the Air closer to par with the MacBook Pro.

'iRadio' announcement may miss WWDC, say sources

NewsPoster — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:06:42 GMT

Apple's mired negotiations with the music industry may prevent it from announcing an "iRadio" service at WWDC on June 10th, industry sources tell The Verge. The people note that Apple is having trouble not just with Sony/ATV, but also BMG. At the same time they suggest there's still a lot of "market momentum" behind iRadio, and that major players such as Universal want to see it launch as soon as possible.

The sources suggest that Google was able to launch All Access earlier this week by opting for a more standard music subscription service, similar to rivals like Spotify or Rdio. That meant that terms were mostly already established. Apple is said to be opting for a hybrid web/radio service, similar to Pandora but with some on-demand functions. As a result, iRadio negotiations had to begin at zero.

Google is, moreover, reportedly paying advances to some major copyright holders, whereas Apple allegedly has a history of disliking advances. The sources say that at least initially, it didn't offer any for iRadio, although it is offering a cut of ad revenue, a per-play fee, and a guaranteed minimum.

Another possible issue is that a Spotify-style service is seen as more lucrative to record labels than something like Pandora. If iRadio didn't have some key differences, it may have been a non-starter.

iRadio talks have been ongoing for some time. Previous reports have indicated that Apple may have been in a position to announce the service at several major events, but that talks with record labels have always held things up.