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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MSI reveals Intel 'Haswell' gaming notebook ahead of Computex

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hands on: Nokia Lumia 925 for T-Mobile

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Tablet Wars thread?

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

I think Microsoft has thrown down the gauntlet:

Windows 8: Less talking, more doing - YouTube

Chopsticks, anyone?

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

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

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

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

The Acer Iconia almost has these problems licked:

Samsung ships 10 million Galaxy S4 handsets, launches new colors

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

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

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

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

Yelp fires back at critics claiming review manipulation by sales staff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Google starts deprecating downloads for projects on Google Code

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crazy London Thread

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

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

Quote

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

WTF?

Congressional leaders remind ITC of standards-essential patents value

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

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

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

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

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

Casemaker OtterBox buys out rival LifeProof

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

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

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

HP posts quarterly earnings beating estimates, Wall Street unimpressed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

chasg — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:55:19 GMT

Hi All,

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

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

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

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

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Cheers!

Chas

Ex-Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg takes marketing job at Apple

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

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

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

No "no thread" thread?

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

You guys are slacking.

Irish finance minister takes umbrage to US tax shelter accusations

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

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

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

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

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

Need help finding a YouTube video...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Autodesk Smoke Extension 1 to ship on May 29th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verizon targets Latino customers with Viva Movil brand, Jennifer Lopez

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

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

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

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

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

Samsung to add LoJack theft recovery software to Galaxy S4 firmware

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

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

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

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

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

Apple Germany now allowing online store payments via PayPal

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

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

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

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

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

Obama Gets It Right

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple files amendment, adds Galaxy S4 to Samsung patent suit

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

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

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

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

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

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

Printer Issues 10.8.3 - Xante Screen Writer 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple launches Father's Day promotions, cleaner look

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

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

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

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

Samsung beats Apple by wide margin in Rescuecom reliability report

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

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

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

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

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

Ultimate Ears brings out 'social' Bluetooth speaker

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qualcomm demonstrates Mirasol display with 2,560x1,440 resolution

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

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

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

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

HTC struggles continue as it bleeds executives

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

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

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

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

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

Samsung acquires 10 percent stake in Pantech for $47.6M

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

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

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

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

Zagg debuts ZaggKeys Cover, Folio for iPad mini

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

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

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

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

Hands on: Kyocera Hydro Xtrm

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

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

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

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

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

Convertible Sofa

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

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

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

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

For Buying online you can visit The Spam Store

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grandfathered Flickr Pro codified by Yahoo, most benefits retained

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

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

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

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

Unity makes mobile game development tools free for small developers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ConceptDraw Project 6.4 gets new resource types, custom filters

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

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

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

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

No Pope Francis thread?

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

The pope and the devil: Is Francis an exorcist?

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

Hell, I can barely believe a Jesuit is Pope.

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

Flame Painter 2.0 expands brush, layer options

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple maintains top spot in 2013 BrandZ brand rankings

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

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

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

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

Intel creates new products division, selects Mike Bell to lead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watson technology being adopted for customer service, data mining

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple shares executives' opening statements from US Senate testimony

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

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

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

Calendar: sometimes posting does not snap into place

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

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

MSI debuts AMD Richland processors in new gaming laptop line

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

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

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

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

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

iOS 7 to get Flickr, Vimeo integration, source says

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cook pushes for US IP law changes during Senate testimony

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

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

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

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

Cook: US-made Mac will be assembled in Texas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.