News Archive for 08/11/24

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Black Friday: Mac Office 2008 Media Edition 75% off

11/24, 7:50pm

Office Black Friday deal

Microsoft's Mac Business Unit has announced 75-percent-off pricing for Office 2008 for Mac: Special Media Edition during the Black Friday sales period that kicks off the holiday shopping season. The discount will be available online during Thursday and Friday only from Apple, Amazon.com and BestBuy Online. Apple will also offer the deal at its retail stores on Friday. For customers that miss the Black Friday sale, the software will be sold at 50-percent-off retail prices through the end of the year.

Safari 3.2.1 update claims stability improvements

11/24, 5:45pm

Safari 3 2 1 update

Apple has already released an update to its browser software, Safari 3.2.1. The latest version is claimed to offer stability improvements. Although the 3.2 update last week offered enhanced security through phishing protection and additional validation, many users have reported frequent crashes and other errors. It is unknown if the problems were related to the new WebKit engine and security changes, or if third-party plug-ins such as PithHelmet were to blame.

iPhone targeted in patent infringement case

11/24, 5:20pm

iPhone patent infringement

Apple is involved in yet another patent infringement lawsuit targeted at the iPhone. The plaintiff, EMG Technology, accuses the the company of violating a patent that relates to Internet navigation and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). The claim involves the presentation of content changed from HTML to XML format, a technology utilized by the iPhone. The patent also allegedly covers technology for manipulating regions of a screen, including zoom and scroll functions that the iPhone uses.

DRO launches carbon fiber case for iPhone 3G

11/24, 5:05pm

Carbon Fiber case shipping

For iPhone owners looking for a strong but light case to protect their phones, DRO says it has launched its Carbon Fiber iPhone 3G Case. The case uses a two-layer system, with a neoprene liner to cushion the iPhone and prevent scratches, which is in turn attached to a carbon fiber external shell. The case features cutouts for port connections, and is available in carbon or silver colors, with a high-gloss scratch-resistant finish.

HANNspree intros two new digital picture frames

11/24, 4:45pm

HANNspree photo frames

On Monday, HANNspree North America announced the launch of two digital picture frames that have a host of multimedia features. The 7-inch SD7021 has 8MB of internal memory and a 3-in-1 memory card reader, along with a USB 2.0 port to transfer images from computers. The frame is only available in black and will rotate images as needed to ensure they are always right side up, while a slideshow function displays the content.

Acer set to sell Core i7-based desktop PC

11/24, 4:45pm

Acer Core i7-based desktop

Acer announced on Monday it will begin selling its first Intel Core i7-powered desktop, the Aspire M7720, in its home country of Taiwan at IT Month 2008, starting on November 29th. The M7720 will use Intel's quad-core 2.66GHz Core i7 920 processor, matching it with 3GB of RAM that's expandable to 12GB. The desktop will also sport ATI's Radeon HD 4850 graphics card with its own 1GB of memory for boosting in-game processing. Rounding out the key hardware specs is a 750GB hard drive.

Porsche Design P’9522 approved by FCC

11/24, 4:45pm

Porsche Design P'9522

The Porsche Design P'9522 handset was recently approved by the FCC and is expected to be available for sale in North America shortly. The quad-band GSM handset is manufactured by France's Sagem, and its specs include a 2.8-inch touchscreen with a 400x240 resolution. Conspicuously missing is 3G data network support, at least for North America, as this particular version of the P'9522 only has GPRS and EDGE radios.

Black Friday deals: computer accessories $9.99 and up

11/24, 4:35pm

Black Friday deals: $9.99

Retailers have begun to post Black Friday deals in preparation for this coming weekend. A brief selection of deals on computer accessories starting at $9.99 are as follows. CircuitCity.com is offering the Logitech QuickCam Communicate Deluxe (model no. 960000247) for $79.99. On November 28th save $70 for a final price of $9.99. Features include fun video effects, glass optics, noisce cancelling mic, and 1.3MP sensor. Next up is the Gigaware wireless laser mouse with ultra-compact dongle (model no. 26-990) for $49.99 at RadioShack.com. On November 28th the price will be reduced by $35 for a final price of $14.99. This wireless laser mouse is both PC and Mac compatible. The ultra-compact dongle may be stored in the mouse or left in your PC's USB port.

R10Cipher attemps to simplify text encryption

11/24, 4:35pm

R10Cipher released

Arten Science has posted R10Cipher, a new encryption utility. The app is claimed to simplify encryption, mainly in relation to public key systems; R10 is focused exclusively on e-mail text, and makes use of a 128-bit version of the Blowfish encryption scheme. In delivering a message, the sender inputs text into the software, which then saves the output as a message body or an attachment. The recipient must then decipher the e-mail with R10 and a shared key.

Scientists develop 'true blue' for OLED screens

11/24, 4:25pm

Blue for OLED screens

South Korean scientists say they have developed a new material they call "true blue" that should speed up the development of organic light-emitting displays (OLEDs), according to a weekend report. The announcement comes from a chemistry professor at Pusan National University, Jin Sung-Ho, who led the state-funded project, which was performed in conjunction with engineers at Seoul National University. Up until now, scientists had trouble developing efficient blue lights for the application. OLEDs require green, red and blue lights in their screens for proper color reproduction.

First look at TomTom Eclipse AVN4430

11/24, 4:15pm

TomTom Eclipse AVN4430

While it has not yet officially been revealed to the public, a new car stereo and navigation system combination developed in collaboration with TomTom and Eclipse has been spotted thanks to an award the device will win at the 2009 CES show. While no official specifications on the AVN4430 have been revealed, it is likely to share many with the current ACN2210p unit. One visible upgrade is the larger 4.3-inch widescreen of the removable TomTom personal navigation unit compared to the current one's 3.5-inch screen as well as a slightly revised control layout on the host Eclipse unit's face plate.

Macworld Expo details 2009 seminar plans

11/24, 3:55pm

Macworld 2009 seminars

The organizers of the 2009 Macworld Cconference and Expo have announced details on some of the educational seminars scheduled for the event, which will run from January 5th to the 9th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. A number of influential presenters are expected to speak, including David Pogue, Chris Breen, Andy Ihnatko and others. Seminars should also be divided into six main programs: the Users Conference, MacIT Conferences, Power Tools, Hands-On MacLabs, Market Symposiums and the Creative Safari.

New PS3 holiday bundle launches on Black Friday

11/24, 3:55pm

New PS3 holiday bundle

A photo released on Monday suggests Sony and Best Buy are set to release the newest PlayStation 3 bundle, timed just right for the holiday season. The bundle consists of an 80GB PlayStation 3 system, one DualShock 3 controller, the Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction gaming title and Casino Royale movie on Blu-ray disc. The system is due for a November 28th release, more commonly known as Black Friday and may be a Best Buy exclusive. Priced at just shy of $400, the bundle effectively adds the game and movie for free, as the 80GB system by itself up until now was priced identically.

Samsung: cellphone market plunge in 2009

11/24, 3:50pm

Samsung Warns Cell Plunge

Samsung today warned that the cellphone market is likely to have slowed down in 2008 and to potentially shrink in 2009 due to the global recession. The Korean electronics giant had originally predicted that the total number of cellphones shipped in 2008 would grow by 9 percent but now says this is likely to be reduced given a sudden chilling effect from market conditions. This growth could slow further or even reverse in 2009, company representative James Chung says.

iPhone apps: StretchZ, Fit Phone, iStayFit

11/24, 3:50pm

iPump Yoga, A Sound Sleep

StretchZ ($2) gives users access to the stretching routines included in MacBreakZ Personal Ergonomic Assistant directly on their iPhone or iPod touch. This allows users to keep track of a regular stretching routine in an environment where software can't be installed on a work computer. A regular routine helps relieve muscular tension, neck, shoulder and backache and and also reduces mouse and keyboard-related injuries, eye strain and tension headaches.

Micron to ship 256GB home SSD in March

11/24, 3:10pm

Micron C200 256GB in March

Micron on Monday said to CNET that it would start mass-producing its long-promised RealSSD C200 256GB solid-state drive in March of next year. The timeframe pushes back the drive from its original fall launch and limits the current lineup to the 128GB drives common in the industry. The 2.5-inch SSD has been touted as a potential leader through its combination both of the large amount of space as well as its extremely high read speed, which matches Intel's at 250MB per second.

Tiggits for iPhone searches events, purchases tickets

11/24, 3:00pm

Tiggits for iPhone posted

FurrySoft has released Tiggits for iPhone, a ticket search and purchasing app focused on concert, sports and theater events. The new app gives users access to shows across North America via TicketNetwork, which is partnering with Tiggits and will provide secure transactions for user purchases. Users have four screens to work from: the Featured screen displays popular events with long runs, like Broadway shows or a concert series, while the Top 25 tab lists the most popular shows, concerts, etc. currently playing. The Search tab allows users to find more specific events, segregated by actor, performer, venue or city, while the fourth tab -- Info -- gives users options like tips on use, customer service contacts and support numbers.

MS chief to testify in Vista Capable lawsuit

11/24, 2:40pm

Ballmer in Vista Lawsuit

Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer will be asked to testify as to what he knows in the lawsuit over misleading Vista Capable logos, US Federal District Court Judge Martha Pechman has ruled. The decision will ask Ballmer to make statements to the plaintiff's lawyers for a maximum of three hours to determine whether he had any role in the company's deliberate lowering of the requirements for the Vista Capable logo in 2006, which let Intel's GMA 915 chipset qualify and later drew complaints of unacceptable performance when Vista ultimately shipped.

Nextar intros Q4-series portable GPS system

11/24, 1:40pm

New Nextar Q4 GPS units

Nextar recently added the Q4-01 and Q4-02 to its Q-series line-up of portable navigation devices. Both devices are simpler, less expensive versions of the previously unveiled Q4-MD that features MSN Direct access over wireless data networks. Both new devices have a 4.3-inch touchscreen and deliver voice-guided directions via their NAVTEQ maps.

HANNspree lays claim to 28-inch 1080p LCD

11/24, 1:25pm

First 28-inch 1080p LCD

TV builder HANNspree has announced the HT09, a new LCD TV set. The display is claimed to be first 28-inch model in the world capable of 1080p, a resolution normally reserved for TVs measuring 40 inches or larger, with some exceptions. The difference between 1080p and 720p is normally said to be indistinguishable below that size, but may make the HT09 usable as a computer monitor.

RIM may fall short of sales targets post-Storm

11/24, 12:40pm

RIM Falling Short in Q3 08

Research in Motion's heavily promoted BlackBerry Storm launch this Friday may not have been enough to save the company from a poor financial quarter, according to a new research note by Citi analyst Jim Suva. Although the Storm sold out at many Verizon stores since launch, Suva supports claims of a software-based delay and notes that many stores actually received significantly less units than expected, forcing many customers to wait as late as December 15th to get devices they would otherwise have had on launch.

iScrapbook 2.0 adds iScrapKits, 15 new features

11/24, 12:30pm

iScrapbook 2.0 ships

Chronos LC has released iScrapbook 2.0, with over 15 new features for its digital scrapbook management software. The software now bundles art elements into "iScrapKits," with a browser for quickly locating specific elements. The app also produces two-page spreads and has a two-page column view, allowing people to see pages side-by-side for preview of final book output. Six new shapes for cropping photos are included, specially geared towards using custom photo corners; multiple objects can now be resized without being grouped, and pages can be previewed with "trim to page," hiding elements that go off-page.

TunesBar 2.0 allows custom track display

11/24, 11:55am

TunesBar 2.0 released

Thoughtful Tree has published the second version of TunesBar, an extension for the Mac edition of iTunes. The app integrates into the Mac OS X Menu Bar, and displays the artist, album and song information for whichever track is currently playing. This eliminates the need to switch to iTunes to identify music, and can help reduce desktop clutter.

Motorola Atila and QA30 slider handsets spied

11/24, 11:40am

Moto Atila and QA30 spied

A couple of Monday reports have brought an update and a few photos of two new Motorola handsets, the previously previewed Atila and QA30. The former is billed as an iPhone competitor thanks to its 2.8-inch, 240x320 touchscreen and 3G data network support. The quad-band handset will reportedly use Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro. Photos of the Atila were revealed in a Hong Kong-based cellphone forum, though it should be noted that a custom iPhone-like interface is a third-party add-on that will not make it to the standard, production version of the handset.

Microsoft building Tegra-based smartphone?

11/24, 11:15am

MS Tegra Phone Rumor

Microsoft is in the later stages of developing a phone of its own that will rely on performance to drive sales, a rumor floated by the Inquirer today claims. The Windows Mobile developer is allegedly developing a phone that would use one of NVIDIA's Tegra processors as its heart. The feature would likely involve the APX 2500 chip and theoretically give the Microsoft device 720p video playback and advanced 3D visuals that are absent on other phones.

Griffin debuts RoadTrip with SmartScan for iPhone 3G

11/24, 11:15am

New RoadTrip for iPhone

Accessory maker Griffin has introduced a new version of its RoadTrip with SmartScan FM transmitter, tailored to the iPhone 3G. The device plugs into a car's 12V power socket, and broadcasts audio from an iPhone or iPod to a frequency set on the car's radio. The SmartScan feature identifies the three clearest frequencies in a given region, and assigns these to available preset buttons.

Samsung concept phone gets folding OLED screen

11/24, 10:30am

Samsung flexible OLED

Samsung concept phone features folding OLED screen At the FPD International show recently held in Japan, Samsung showed off a cellphone with a flexible folding OLED screen that, when opened, is larger than displays from any competitor. The handset features a vertical hinge and opens like a book. Once opened, the OLED display is about 5 inches in size. The unnamed handset also has a more conventional LED display on the front panel. That front panel also sports basic phone buttons, but there is no physical keypad, suggesting the smaller display is touch-sensitive.

LG readying multi-touch LCDs, Apple in mind?

11/24, 10:25am

LG Multi-Touch LCDs

LG is developing full multi-touch screens that may have a specific client in mind, a claim from a Stuff Asian correspondent suggests. On a tour of one of the company's Korean factories, the reporter claims to have caught word that multi-touch capable panels are being made for computers and that Apple is a possible candidate for the display given LG's existing deal to produce LCDs for iMacs.

Second-gen iPod touch critically faster than first

11/24, 10:25am

2G Touch faster than 1G

The second-generation iPod touch is substantially faster than the first, to the point of affecting app design, a game developer notes. Handheld Games observes that in writing TouchSports Tennis, it was forced to reduce polygonal detail on players to 800 in zoomed-out views, and 1,000 in close-ups. This is because the first-gen Touch "chokes" when displaying the constant 1,500 polygons possible for each player with the second-gen model, says Handheld CEO Thomas Fessler.

Intel builds 32Gb, 34 nanometer flash chips

11/24, 9:30am

Intel 34nm 32Gb chip Ships

Intel and its memory making partner Micron today said they have begun mass producing their promised first 34nm NAND flash memory. The smaller manufacturing process lets the two firms build individual chip layers with 32 gigabits (4GB) of data in a standard package and in large batches using regular 300mm wafers. The technology is small enough to allow eight cores per layer and would allow a two-layer stack to carry as much as 64GB without needing entirely separate chips.

Second Trojan poses moderate threat

11/24, 9:30am

OSX.Lamzev.A malware

A second piece of Trojan-like malware is currently threatening Macs, say security vendors. OSX.Lamzev.A, also known as OSX.TrojanKit.Malez, allows hackers to install a backdoor on a victim's computer and thereby assume control of it. The software is said not to be a true Trojan, however, as an attacker must already have access to the target Mac to make use of the code.

HTC sees runaway G1, Touch Diamond sales

11/24, 8:30am

HTC Ups G1 Diamond Ests

HTC has said that it would boost the shipment estimates two of its most popular smartphones based on their popularity. Company chief Peter Chou now says HTC will have shipped about 1 million of T-Mobile's Android-based G1 phones through all of 2008, up substantially from the originally predicted 600,000. The Touch Diamond will also have seen far higher shipments than once thought and is moving from 2 million to 3 million units shipped since its launch in May.

HTC Touch Pro tips up on Verizon

11/24, 7:30am

HTC Touch Pro at Verizon

Verizon today became the late entry among carriers with its own version of the HTC Touch Pro. Similar to the versions from Alltel and Sprint, the touchscreen QWERTY slider phone adds a customized front end with a special Verizon portal for third-party apps, VZ Navigator for the phone's built-in GPS and support for tethering on an appropriate data plan.