News Archive for 08/08/07

Choose an article from the archive listing on this page or refine your selection using the controls in the gray box below.

Error infuriates Gmail users, some down for a day

08/07, 11:25pm

Gmail server downtime

Many Gmail users were unable to access their accounts Wednesday, confronted instead with a "502 server error." Although the problem was a minor inconvenience for some, certain businesses complained of significant setbacks to their overall operation until the problem was fixed. Representatives for Google were reluctant to give a solid time frame for a resolution, but reminded users that they were working diligently toward a solution.

seyDoggy releases Acumen Pro for RapidWeaver

08/07, 11:25pm

New RapidWeaver theme

seyDoggy has released Acumen Pro, a theme for controlling RapidWeaver project development. Acumen Pro is geared toward developing large, extended websites, featuring three layers of navigational control of site architecture. It also offers full color control, width variations, custom header options, and sidebar positioning. Acumen Pro's color options allow for designs that range from creative to professional schemes, with full customization of color, page size, headers fonts and other website elements. It is RWmultitool Lite ready and features downloadable theme styles.

Apps: RiftVault, Searchlight, Scribbles

08/07, 11:00pm

Apps Tidy Up! Odysseus

RiftVault 1.2 ($40) is a program that allows users to store all sensitive data in one, encrypted location. Version 1.2 fixes bugs and adds four of the top requested features, web login autofilling, cryptographically secure password generator, new serial number item type, new wireless key item type. Web login autofilling saves users time and also defeats any keyloggers that may be installed. The new password generator uses OpenSSL to obtain cryptographically secure random data, which is used to generate a password that can't be broken by software that guesses a computers pattern. The new serial number and wireless key item types allow users to store software licensing and WiFi access point information right in RiftVault. [Download - 4.7MB]
Searchlight ($99) allows users to search their Apple computer from all machines at their office or home, and even from iPhones. Searchlight brings the power of Spotlight to an entire network, including Windows and Linux users, through a simple web interface. Searchlight also integrates Quicklook and allows users to preview and file in the browser. The standard version allows users access to their Mac from 2 devices, or the Pro version ($400) gives users unlimited access. [Download - 4.2MB]
Scribbles 1.2.2 ($20) is an easy-to-use drawing tool that utilizes advanced stroke rendering to make sketches look more natural. It also features an intuitive 3D later interface and is capable of exporing to all the most popular graphics formats. [Download - 1.1MB]
Tidy Up! 1.4.4 ($30) allows users to search for duplicate files and packages. It can search by the owner application, content, type, creator, extension, date modified, dare created, name, label, visibility and more. Tidy Up! will then begin to delete duplicate files but features a security system that assures one copy of the file will always be saved. Updated in this version is compatibility with iTunes 7.7.x and other various bug issues. [Download - 8.4MB]
Odysseus 1.0 Beta 2 ($40) is an email client based on Eudora, one of the oldest email applications that ceased development in late 2006. Odysseus has been built from the ground up and looks to recreate the experience and features offered by Eudora. This new release has had several new features added in, such as POP3, IMAP, SMTP, junk filters , signatures, spell checking, searching and signatures. Infinity Data systems is offering a Pre-Registration that ends on August 11th. Users who register before that date will receive a 50 percent discount on the software. [Download - 12.7MB]

Insider: Life at Apple tough, but rewarding

08/07, 10:45pm

Life at Apple is tough

Working for Steve Jobs is commonly perceived as being hard work, but an insider says that "if you can do it, you get to do really great stuff, and that's addictive." The Guardian reveals that Chuq von Rospach – formerly responsible for a large portion of Apple's mailing lists – alludes that working for Apple, and being privileged enough to work alongside Steve Jobs, is a great place to be for most. He supports this, noting that Apple executives are not likely to be "poached" by startups, unlike competitors Google and Yahoo.

Kaleidoscope, Digga, Shake N' Break for iPhone

08/07, 10:00pm

PosiMotion adds 3 Apps

PosiMotion has announced three new Apps on the iTunes Apps Store, Kaleidoscope, Digga and Shake N' Break. Each works with the iPhone and iPod touch. Kaleidoscope creates a Kaleidoscope-effect on the iPhone, starting from any chosen image. The App responds to tilts and rotations of the iPhone and can be set to automatic as well. It can also be frozen, with zoom and screenshot support. Kaleidoscope is $2 at the Apps Store, with a Kaleidoscope Lite available for demo.

Apple NDA too probitive for iPhone developers?

08/07, 9:40pm

Developers dislike NDA

The iPhone development community has seen large growth since the introduction of the SDK. The App Store has seen many great third party applications released but developers are now starting to run into problems while trying to to innovate new functions. All developers who download the iPhone SDK are required to agree to a NDA that does not allow developers to discuss code on forums or through email. This means that if a developer is unsure of how to code a certain function then they have no where to look for assistance.

Web-based Lotus iNotes for iPhone, late-2008 release

08/07, 9:30pm

Lotus iNotes for iPhone

In late January, IBM revealed it was considering the iPhone as a viable platform for its web-based Lotus Notes, and MacNN has revealed that the plans are drawing to a close, with a late 2008 release in mind. While Apple included support for Microsoft Exchange in its latest v2.0 iPhone operating system update, it still lacks several key collaboration features that IBM hopes to supplement through the so-called Lotus iNotes. No specific release date is planned.

Memorex adds 500GB Ultra TravelDrive

08/07, 5:00pm

Memorex Ultra TravelDrive

Memorex on Thursday announced it would add a 500GB version of its portable hard disk drive to its Ultra TravelDrive range, replacing the 320GB drive as the largest capacity offering. At the same time, the company dropped the 80GB and 120GB capacity versions of the drives. The 2.5-inch drive requires only a USB 2.0 connection to both transfer files and power up.

Sharp intros two small AQUOS LCD HDTVs

08/07, 4:50pm

Sharp's new LCD HDTVs

Sharp on Thursday announced the upcoming release of a pair of its newest AQUOS LCD HDTVs, the 20-inch LC-20E5 and 16-inch LC-16E5. Both are capable of displaying 720p (1366x768 resolution) images and feature two HDMI connections for HD sources such as Blu-ray players. While a digital TV tuner is built in, the TVs can double as computer monitors thanks to their necked stands that allow them to swivel from side to side.

IceWarp Server 9.3 adds iPhone web interface

08/07, 4:35pm

IceWarp ships Server 9.3

Developer IceWarp has released v9.3 of its self-named server software. The suite addresses a number of tasks related to corporate communication, including e-mail, groupware and instant messaging. Among other changes in the update is a new iPhone/iPod touch interface for webmail, which lets users more quickly navigate between folders and items, while still retaining functions such as blacklisting and whitelisting.

ASUS intros web-based storage and download services

08/07, 4:25pm

ASUS' online storage

With added competition in the UMPC market that ASUS arguably invented with its Eee PC line-up, the Taiwan-based company is taking steps to make its products more appealing to buyers. According to a Thursday report, ASUS president Jerry Shen announced the company will soon launch an online storage service called Eee Storage as well as Eee Download, which will allow Eee PC owners to download more than the current number of roughly 3,000 software and game titles for free.

Era Gsm adds Polish iPhone plans

08/07, 4:10pm

Poland iPhone plans

According to reports, Era Gsm has announced its new iPhone plans for its Polish customers. iPhone customers in Poland will be able to choose from three different plans, each with a data limit but free access to 400 HotSpots in Poland, which are mainly located in McDonalds. The base plan will cost 195PLN ($45) per month and will offer users 150 minutes of talk time, 500MB of data, while the second plan will run for 195PLN ($93) per month and offer 350 minutes of talk time, and 2GB of data. The final option will cost 345PLN ($165) a month and give users 800 minutes of talk time, 5GB of data.

First Android phone delayed, losing support?

08/07, 4:05pm

HTC Dream Delay Rumor

HTC's first phone based on Google's Android mobile OS has not only been set back but may be part of a greater shift away from the Linux-based platform, says Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry. The Taiwan-area cellphone maker is not only described as encountering "structural problems" adding features Google wants in the phone as a showcase for Android but is allegedly holding up the launch with demands for a minimum payout that Chowdhry interprets as a lack of confidence in Android's success.

Trademark filed for Leopard System Preferences logo

08/07, 4:00pm

Leopard system prefs logo

Apple has applied for a trademark for its System Preferences logo, according to new filings. The US Patent and Trademark Office published Apple's trademark filing #77535337 on August 6. The filing is a TEAS Plus application under Class 009 (computer Software for managing user system settings and preferences). The logo being trademarked is presented below, both in its simplified visual representation and its actual sample forms. The image is used in all recent versions of the Dock in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.

Success of iPhone 3G triggering industry ripples

08/07, 3:55pm

iPhone 3G & cell industry

Sales of the iPhone 3G are already beginning to have an effect on the mobile phone industry, show results from analysts. Trip Chowdhry of Global Equities Research estimates that some 700,000 iPhones were sold to the public in July alone, a number which compares very favorably next to the 1.1 million phones sold during the entirety of Q3 2007. A UBS survey has also discovered that as many as 37 percent of launch-day 3G buyers previously owned a 2.5G phone, representing an extremely quick turnaround in terms of cellphone upgrades. J.D. Power & Associates notes that the average phone upgrade cycle in the US is once every 17.7 months.

FirstSing adds 30+ new iPhone 3G products

08/07, 3:40pm

New products for iPhone 3G

FirstSing, a China-based iPhone Accessories producer, has launched a large group of new products geared for the iPhone 3G. FistSing is offering over 30 products with iPhone 3G compatibility, including FM transmitters, cases, armband, chargers, docks, stylus pens and more. FirstSing is featuring a stylus pen, model FS21902, a new leather case (FS2190) a sports armband (FS21090) and a retractable AV cable and USB charger (FS21089). Pricing on the site requires the user to set up an account, with a valid email address.

SlingPlayer 2.0 Beta released with new features

08/07, 3:20pm

SlingPlayer 2.0 Beta out

Sling Media on Thursday released its long-awaited SlingPlayer 2.0, albeit under the guise of a Public Beta. The new software for Sling Media's Slingbox – a device that brings TV viewing capabilities to users' computers across a network – adds three new features, including a program guide, live video buffer and more comprehensive access to one's account via the Sling Accounts function. The beta program does not include the promised Clip+Sling function, which would let users capture and share TV clips online via Sling.com.

BlackBerry Kickstart now Pearl, intros after Javelin

08/07, 3:15pm

BBerry Kickstart now Pearl

RIM has given the Kickstart a more definitive name and could launch it well ahead of its Javelin, a pair of leaks suggest today. A Rogers product sheet obtained by BlackBerry Cool now appears to confirm the use of Kickstart as only a codename and that the final phone will ship as the Pearl 8220, positioning it as a replacement for the Pearl 8100 series. The tip also confirms support for Rogers' Talkspot Wi-Fi calling and also hints at a lower price of $50 with a three-year plan when the device ships in September for the Canadian carrier.

Nokia N85 passes FCC with NAM version confirmed

08/07, 2:35pm

Nokia N85 Passes FCC

Nokia's N85 slider phone is being tested for a US audience both with and without native 3G, according to two FCC submissions. While both reveal a device that can accept GSM calls and EDGE data in North America, a second filing shows the device also supporting HSDPA-based 3G Internet access for the country and supports the existence of the N85-3 mentioned in one of Nokia's own profiles.

Antec VERIS Multimedia Stations create ad hoc HTPCs

08/07, 2:00pm

Antec VERIS MMedia Station

Antec today served custom PC builders today with a new set of VERIS bundles that turn existing desktops into home theater PCs. The Multimedia Station line is headed by the Premier, which provides a full two-bay front panel with dials, input, and playback controls to navigate content without having to use a mouse or keyboard. It also supplies an add-on IR receiver and a matching remote as part of its $120 price.

Dell ships Ubuntu versions of XPS 1530n, Studio 15n

08/07, 1:40pm

New Dell Ubuntu notebooks

Dell has begun shipping two new Ubuntu Linux variants of existing computers, according to an announcement. The first of these is the Studio 15n, which follows shortly after the release of the standard Studio 15. In its top configuration, the system can be equipped with a 2.56GHz Core 2 Duo, a 1920x1200, 15.4-inch display, 4GB of RAM, and a 200GB hard drive running at 7200rpm. It is limited to integrated graphics, but has a starting price of $700.

DealNN: iPod gear, Mac Pro Quad, Mac Mini

08/07, 1:15pm

DealNN deals iPod gear

Deals at DealNN for today include the Kensington iPod entertainment dock for $25 from NothingButSoftware.com and the H2O Audio waterproof case for iPod video that was reduced from $89.95 to $49.99 at BestBuy.com. Amazon.com has the Altec Lansing inMotion mobile speaker system for iPod for $45 with free shipping. The Mac Mini with 2.0GHz processor, 1GB of memory and 120GB hard drive is $769 after a $25 mail in rebate at OnSale.com. MacConnection.com has the Mac Pro Quad Core for $2299 with free Fusion software after mail in rebate.

Bell Canada to charge sub-providers for bandwidth

08/07, 12:50pm

Bell charging ISPs on use

Some Canadian ISPs may soon be facing extra charges, according to reports. Bell Canada, which delivers ADSL broadband through its Sympatico service, has decided to add usage charges to the bills of smaller ISPs who lease network capacity. These ISPs currently pay only for "aggregation links," representing a fixed bandwidth throughput, such as 1Gbps; the amount of data actually used by customers on that connection has been irrelevant.

iBuyPower intros quad-core PCs for home video editors

08/07, 12:10pm

iBuyPower Video PCs

Stepping away from its usual focus on gamers, iBuyPower today turned to amateur video editors and launched the VideoPC line. The entire line focuses on speeding up video encoding and makes quad-core standard across all three systems rather than higher-clocked dual core chips; each also comes with a 64-bit version of Windows Vista and enough RAM to cache most video in RAM rather than slow down the system through accessing the 1TB+ of hard drive storage. Adobe Premiere Elements and Pinnacle Dazzle are bundled with each system to give newcomers a genuine video editing and DVD authoring tool from the start.

Apple looking to patent remote iTunes streaming?

08/07, 11:55am

Remote iTunes streaming?

Apple handhelds may in the future be able to stream content from a remote iTunes library, a newly-published patent application indicates. Titled Remote access of media items, the filing describes a system in which handheld owners would be able to access audio, video and photos over a network. Unlike the current iTunes sharing scheme, however, people would also be able to access games, and reach everything over the Internet, whether through wired, Wi-Fi or cellular networks.

AMD kicks off FirePro line of workstation graphics

08/07, 11:25am

AMD FirePro V5700 V3700

AMD on Thursday started up its first new graphics card range in years through the FirePro series. The hardware is based on the company's Radeon HD architecture but is optimized primarily for visual content creation, CAD modeling, and other professional 3D apps. The new cards all have a 30-bit pipeline that renders images internally with as many as one billion colors, preserving the accuracy for very visually rich textures.

'iPhone nano' rumor supported by accessory maker?

08/07, 10:40am

'iPhone nano' accessory?

Rumors of an impending "iPhone nano" announcement may have some validity to them, new patent information may suggest. Digital Lifestyle Outfitters, known for its iPod and full-sized iPhone accessories, has recently had a patent application published for a new dock, meant to support a "telephonic portable digital media storage and playback device."

Sirius XM: a la carte needs radio, in-car in 3 years

08/07, 10:30am

Sirius XM on New Radios

Some of the channel technology promised in the wake of the completed Sirius XM merger will require new hardware and in some cases will be years away, company chief Mel Karmazin said today while discussing the combined satellite radio provider's quarterly results during a conference call. The executive notes that the ability to subscribe to individual channels rather than full packages, also known as a la carte, will require a new radio for either the Sirius or XM network. Those devices will be available in the fall, he says.

Canon brings VIXIA HD cam updates to US

08/07, 9:35am

Canon VIXIA HF11 and HG21

Canon has quickly followed up on earlier Japanese releases with North American versions of its new VIXIA HD camcorders. The new models are all Canon's first to record their AVCHD (H.264) video at a full 24Mbps bitrate that produces better detail and color accuracy. Appropriately, the flagship HF11 doubles the capacity of its predecessor with 32GB of built-in flash memory, which is enough to hold two hours and 55 minutes of full-quality 1920x1080 video. It also has an SDHC card slot to potentially double that storage without the extra girth of hard drives or tapes.

iPhone 2.0 hiding built-in kill switch for apps?

08/07, 9:30am

iPhone 2.0 kill switch?

The iPhone 2.0 firmware may contain a means of disabling applications at Apple's behest, investigation reveals. Probing into CoreLocation code has uncovered a reference to an unexpected URL, listed as "https://iphone-services.apple.com/clbl/unauthorizedApps." Visiting the page in a browser like Firefox displays yet more unusual code, containing terms such as "BlackListedApps," "com.mal.icious," "'Description' = 'Being really bad!'" and "Date Revoked."

HP planning 10-inch, Atom-based netbook for October?

08/07, 9:15am

HP 10 inch Atom Leak

HP plans to significantly expand its Mini-Note line in the fall along with a switch in processors, one new leak claims. Although an expansion has already been rumored, the new tip is more specific and alleges that a larger 10-inch model will ship with an Intel Atom processor rather than the VIA C7-M used in the 8.9-inch version. The system will purportedly ship with a solid-state drive and an unusual 1024x576 screen resolution rather than the 1024x600 of the current system.

FlashVideo Convertor 1.9 for SWF-to-video conversion

08/07, 8:35am

FlashVideo updated 1.9

Macvide has announced the release of FlashVideo Convertor 1.9, an update for its Flash-to-video conversion utility for Mac OS X. FlashVideo Converter allows conversion of Adobe Flash SWF and FLV files into video. This version supports conversion from Flash 6, 7, MX, 8 and 9. All of the popular video formats are also supported, including MP4 (iPod video), MOV, 3GP, and MPEG. Different settings allow users to customize the dimensions of the exported video, or the software is capable of automatically determining the appropriate size and length of the video. Macvide FlashVideo converter is available now for $100.

ASUS S101 drops Eee badge, chases Air crowd

08/07, 8:25am

ASUS S101 Details

The S101 notebook that once topped ASUS' Eee PC listings is being refocused against designer ultraportables such as the MacBook Air, based on details provided by company chief Jerry Shen. The 10-inch system will still run a 1.6GHz Atom processor like other netbooks but will lose the Eee PC badge due to its higher-priced and more exotic design; the piano-gloss casing is between just 0.63in and 0.83in thick despite the small screen, Shen notes.

Sony Ericsson pushes ultra-thin T700

08/07, 7:30am

Sony Ericsson T700

Sony Ericsson this morning stepped out with the T700 as its latest designer phone. The bar design is a spiritual successor to the T610 but measures just 0.39in thick through the use of a metal shell. It also finds room for features absent from larger and more expensive devices: a 3.2-megapixel camera is built-in, as are stereo speakers for sharing music without plugging in earphones.

Sony Cyber-shot digicams add 4GB, anti-blink, more

08/07, 1:40am

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T700

Sony on Thursday launched its Cyber-shot DSC-T700 and DSC-T77 digital cameras with what it claims are more "intelligent" shooting functions. The 10-megapixel T77 camera is Sony's thinnest model at less than 5/8 of an inch with a 3-inch, 16x9 touch panel LCD screen. It features updated intelligent scene recognition technology, Smile Shutter and face detection technologies (with child and adult priority), as well as high sensitivity shooting (up to ISO 3200), eleven scene modes, and in-camera image management. The slightly thicker T700 -- measuring just over 5/8 of an inch -- model offers all the features of the T77 unit plus 4GB of internal memory (nearly 1,000 full-resolution photos) along with a larger 3.5-inch, wide touch panel Xtra Fine LCD screen for photo-like viewing (210 pixel-per-inch resolution).

Mysterious 3G error puzzles Canadian iPhone users

08/07, 1:40am

3G error reports in Canada

A number of iPhone 3G users, particularly in Canada, have been reporting a strange error when using Safari at 3G Speeds. Users receive this error message: "kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork error 302." Users on Apple's support pages and a variety of other forums have written about the problem.

Improved apps for iPhone web page, video creators

08/07, 1:30am

iPhone web, video tools

Two developers have come up with new ways to create web pages and streamed video content for the iPhone. DigitalFX International says it has added its Media Vault solution for storing and transcoding videos to its "helloWorld" subscription-based web broadcasting service. Windows users can now send video messages to the iPhone or other newer 3G phones. Another company, Schmap, says it has developed beta version of its Javascript software that allows existing websites to provide map and contact details "perfectly formatted" for iPhone visitors.

Reactor 2.0 brings "radical user interface" to FM

08/07, 1:20am

Reactor 2.0 for Filemaker

Digital Fusion says its Reactor 2.0 "radical user interface plugin" brings a host of new tools to FileMaker Pro. The plug-in comes with ready-made "black-box" controls allowing users to quickly create calendars, Gantt charts or live-filtering. The company says Reactor allows developers to access FileMaker's advanced interface features without HTML or JavaScript expertise.

Stylish 14.5MP Nikon S710 offers DSLR-like functions

08/07, 12:45am

Stylish 14.5MP Nikon S710

Nikon on Thursday also debuted the COOLPIX S710, a premium compact S710 camera that features 14.5 megapixels, a large 3-inch LCD display, a 3.6x Zoom-NIKKOR wide-angle glass lens. The stylish stainless steel camera delivers four specific features to reduce image blur: full-time Optical VR Image Stabilization technology, which compensates for camera shake; a new Motion Detection feature that automatically adjusts the camera to a higher ISO sensitivity setting and shutter speed (for sharper images); Best Shot Selector, which snaps multiple frames and automatically selects the best one; and an ISO range of up to 12,800 for superior low-light performance (only for photos up to 3M).

Nikon P6000 gets geo-tagging, RAW, Ethernet

08/07, 12:40am

Nikon debuts P6000

Nikon on Thursday introduced its newest flagship COOLPIX P6000 compact camera. Offering 13.5 megapixel resolution, the solid Magnesium alloy P6000 includes a new, built-in global positioning system (GPS) unit for geo-tagging photos, RAW file support, my Picturetown connectivity with built-in uploading functions via the built-in Ethernet and Nikon's exclusive EXPEED image processing. The P6000 can record "geotags" of a photo's location with both latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates and users can pinpoint the location via maps available in Nikon ViewNX Software.