News Archive for Today

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Lensbaby adds 80mm Edge 80 Optic for focus slices

02/14, 10:40am

Edge 80 optic allows for more creative control

Lensbaby has added a new 80mm Edge 80 Optic to its Optic Swap System. It will attach to the company's current SLR lenses including the Composer Pro, Composer, Muse, Scout, and Control Freak lens bodies, effectively turning them into tilt-shift lenses. It can take regular photos when set straight ahead, or be made to emit a selective slice of sharp focus through the image.

HTC may be first after Sony with PlayStation certified badge

02/14, 10:30am

HTC said aiming for PlayStation Cert in 2012

HTC might be the first company outside of Sony itself to get its devices PlayStation certified. A rumor from Pocket-lint sources had them being cleared to use PS1 and PlayStation Suite-specific games sometime this year. The approval would come in the second half of the year, likely ruling out a Mobile World Congress mention in two weeks' time.

Apple confirms plans for Amsterdam Apple Store

02/14, 10:15am

Rumor has opening as soon as February 18th

Apple has confirmed plans to open its first Dutch Apple Store, located in downtown Amsterdam. As expected the shop is being constructed in the Hirsch Building on Leidseplein, which now has orange stickers covering some of its windows, bearing Apple logos and text that translates to "Apple Store, Amsterdam. Opening soon." The shop should span at least two floors; a third floor already hosts Apple's Benelux headquarters.

Cisco: mobile traffic up 133%, devices outrun people by 2016

02/14, 9:50am

Cisco annual report shows mobile data spikes

Cisco in a yearly state-of-affairs report on Tuesday showed both a rapid growth in data and aggressive predictions for the next four years. Mobile data use had grown 133 percent over the course of 2011, which it didn't see slowing down. As mobile viewers got more devices as well as faster connections, video use would become 70 percent of mobile data and lead to 18 times more data used per year in 2016, at 10.8 exabytes every month.

Readability iOS app delayed, Android version complete

02/14, 9:15am

Developer complains of App Store wait

The Readability iOS app is still waiting for approval at the App Store, according to a Twitter post by one of the developers, Geoff Teehan. The delay has been long enough, Teehan remarks, that an Android version of Readability has already been finished in the interim. That app is not yet available on the Android Market.

JPMorgan sees Windows ultrabooks slow as vendors cut prices

02/14, 9:10am

JPMorgan doubt on ultrabooks backed by sales

An investment note from JPMorgan analyst Mike Moskowitz on Tuesday downplaying the likely impact of Windows-based ultrabooks was backed by support from PC resellers. He saw most competitors pursuing the MacBook Air and going for "more of the same" in computers, largely trying to replicate what they'd seen before instead of trying something new. The emulation was ironic for an industry that had initially downplayed the Air, he said, although he saw there being a number of practical competitive issues as well.

Proview trying to ban iPad exports out of China

02/14, 7:50am

Proview hopes to pressure Apple with export ban

Proview's small number of retail iPad seizures were just part of hopes that it could effectively ban the iPad worldwide, the Chinese company argued as part of a report Tuesday. It was hoping not just to stop Chinese sales and imports under the iPad name but also exports, which would nearly ban the sale of the iPad worldwide. Attorney Roger Xie in talking to Bloomberg didn't explain how he thought Proview could enforce its China-only trademark in other countries.

Huawei continues US push, sets up R&D in Silicon Valley

02/14, 7:25am

Huawei eyes bigger slice of US mobile market

Chinese smartphone giant Huawei has continued its push for an increased presence in the US. Currently best known as a relative new comer that has targeted the bottom to middle tier of the Android market, the company has shown it has aspirational tendencies with new high-end devices planned for North American release. The latest sign is news that it is planning on moving its R&D to Silicon Valley, staffed by up to 600 employees.

Fresh rumors surface of Apple testing smaller iPad

02/14, 6:55am

Apple could be prepping 8-inch iPad

A fresh rumor has surfaced suggesting that Apple may be sampling 8-inch tablet displays from AU Optronics and LG Display, according to WSJ . Apple is known to experiment with different displays for its devices, which do not always make it to market. However, while most people opt for 10-inch tablets where the iPad dominates, smaller tablets such as the Amazon Kindle Fire have made significant inroads into the expanding tablet market, costing Apple total market share.

Origin PC EON17-X touts 3.3GHz Core i7, dual GTX 580M

02/14, 5:30am

Origin PC EON17-X notebook offers desktop go

Origin PC has debuted its latest desktop replacement gaming notebook, the EON17-X. The notebook is designed for serious gamers who are looking for a mobile gaming solution that can match or better many desktop gaming solutions. The device is fitted with Intel desktop Core i7 chips, with the fastest of three processor options an Intel Core i7-3960X six-core chip with a 15MB Cache clocked at 3.3 GHz that Turbo Boosts to 3.9GHz and also supports up to 32GB of RAM.

Koingo updates product line en masse

02/14, 2:00am

Bugs fixed, release notes truncated

Over the last week, Mac and Windows utility maker Koingo Software has been updating most of its Mac and Windows product lines, fixing bugs and updating requirements. Almost all programs for the Mac now require OS X 10.5 or later, though in many cases older versions that are compatible with previous OS releases are still available. All are minor upgrades that are free for registered users. The company has been on a tear of updates since February 7th.

Pegatron caught off-guard by Apple audit news

02/14, 12:00am

Fair Labor Association will inspect facilities

Pegatron, a Taiwan-based manufacturer that helps makes Apple's iPhones as well as numerous electronics for other companies, said it had not been informed of any pending inspections of factory work conditions prior to announcements from Apple and the Fair Labor Association (FLA) that it would audit Pegatron and Quanta Computer this spring. The statement by Apple also confirmed that FLA inspections have already begun for its principle supplier Foxconn.