News Archive for 09/02/11

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Report: Sirius XM approaches Liberty Media, DirecTV

02/11, 11:05pm

Sirius takeover talks

Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin has reportedly established talks with DirecTV Group and Liberty Media, in what is viewed as a last ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy or a loss of control, according to Reuters. The satellite-radio provider has held preliminary talks with Liberty Media, while another report suggests the executives asked DirecTV to purchase the company. Liberty Entertainment, a division of Liberty Media, holds a controlling interest in DirecTV Group.

VMware Fusion 2.0.2 adds OS X 10.5.6 support

02/11, 10:00pm

VMware Fusion update

VMware has released Fusion 2.0.2, adding support for Mac OS X 10.5.6 as a hosting system or OS X Server 10.5.6 as a guest operating system. Users can now import Windows virtual machines from Parallels Desktop 4.0 and Parallels Server for Mac, or mount unencrypted .dmg and .iso file formats as CD or DVD disc images. Ubuntu 8.10 is supported as a guest operating system, with features including VMware Tools. The company claims that the update offers improved performance when browsing mirrored folders and shared folders in Windows virtual machines.

MobileMe users victimized in another phishing scam

02/11, 9:15pm

Another MobileMe scam

MobileMe users have been victimized in another phishing scam designed to steal their credit card information, according to Macworld. The criminals followed a similar plan to the scams reported in August and September of last year, distributing an e-mail disguised as genuine communication from Apple. The recent e-mail told readers their annual subscription was up for renewal, but that "attempts to charge your credit card have failed." The provided link then navigated to a malicious site that asked for credit card information.

Miro 2.0 adds new interface, external video window

02/11, 8:15pm

Miro media player update

The Participatory Culture Foundation (PCF) has released an update to its media player, Miro 2.0. A fresh widget-based interface has been added, with an option to play any video in an external window. The developers claim that the update is faster, more responsive and uses less system memory than the previous version. Users can add streaming sites such as Hulu to the sidebar, along with download sites including Archive.org and legaltorrents.com. Playlists, list views and audio support have also been improved.

Speakal unveils 'spooky' iBoo iPod dock

02/11, 7:15pm

iBoo iPod dock

Speakal has released its latest iPod accessory, the iBoo dock featuring a 'spooky' design. The two eyes serve as mid- and high-range speakers, while the smiling mouth offers an infrared sensor for remote control input. Along with the two smaller speakers, the housing also contains a nine-watt subwoofer that brings the total output power to 15 watts. A variety of iPod cradles are included, along with a 3.5mm input jack for connecting other devices.

Adobe eBook protected content coming to Stanza

02/11, 6:35pm

Stanza adds Adobe content

Lexcycle has announced an agreement with Adobe that will add protected-content eBook support to its Stanza app for the iPhone. The agreement expands Stanza support into a large variety of commercially published eBooks from major publishers. As part of the the partnership, Stanza will be compatible with PDF and EPUB rendering technologies from Adobe along with the eBook content protection technology.

Apps: ScreenCap, ProjectForum, Exibia

02/11, 6:25pm

BetterHandles, Invoices

ScreenCap 2.0 ($40) allows users to capture videos, single screenshots or timed screenshot series from their Mac desktop. The software can be defined to capture the whole screen or only a specific location. ScreenCap can also capture all the audio from the computer or be set to just record through the computers microphone. The 2.0 release includes a new user guide and has fixed the cursor position for video capturing. [Download - 10.7MB]

Foxmarks synchronizes IE, Safari, Firefox bookmarks

02/11, 5:55pm

Foxmarks update

Foxmarks, Inc. has released several variants of its browser add-on, Foxmarks, that can now be used to synchronize bookmarks between Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. The add-ons automatically back up any bookmarks to the company's servers every time a change is made. Users can also view, add, edit and delete bookmarks directly from the Foxmarks website if using a borrowed or public computer, or visit a mobile version of the site to access content from any web-enabled handset.

IBM study ranks Mac as most vulernable OS [u]

02/11, 5:15pm

Mac OS vulnerabilities

IBM's security research and development group, X-Force, has released an annual report that suggests Mac is the most vulnerable operating system. The percentage of patched vulnerabilities compared to the total number of disclosed vulnerabilities was used for the rankings, with Mac OS X and OS X Server each leaving 14.3 percent of the problems unresolved. IBM gave the highest score to its own AIX platform, claiming to have fixed over 96 percent of the vulnerabilities, while Microsoft failed to patch between 5.5 percent and 4.1 percent of the reported issues for its Windows operating systems.

Ericsson to demo 42Mbps HSPA+ at MWC

02/11, 5:15pm

Ericsson to demo 42Mbps

Ericsson on Wednesday announced it will perform the first demonstration of the second implementation of its HSPA+ multi-carrier technology that allows for maximum download rates of 42Mbps at the Mobile World Congress next week in Barcelona, Spain. The multi-carrier technology lets users receive data on two frequency channels at the same time, thereby doubling the user data rate in HSPA network coverage areas. Australia's Telstra, Ericsson's partner, uses an early HSPA+ network that allows for up to 21Mbps downloads.

Mozilla releases Fennec browser test for Touch Pro

02/11, 5:05pm

Fennec browser outed

Mozilla's Firefox Mobile browser, Fennec, has been released on Tuesday for the HTC Touch Pro handset, albeit in an as yet unfinished Milestone Release, or pre-alpha build, says a Wednesday WMExperts report. The limited release of the software is lacking certain features, chief among them the automatic updates. Also, the HTC Touch Pro's virtual keyboard will not be usable with the browser, as there is no soft keyboard support in this version. Users will have to use the device's QWERTY keyboard to enter data. Plug-in support is also disabled in this version.

NVIDIA SLI tech comes to Intel X58-based mainboards

02/11, 4:45pm

NVIDIA SLI in Intel boards

NVIDIA on Wednesday announced that Intel has licensed and will make SLI graphics technology available on its DX58SO mainboard for Core i7 processor. Combinations of NVIDIA's GeForce GPUs, including quad SLI, can now be equipped on X58-based mainboards with Core i7 CPUs. At the same time, NVIDIA SLI technology will also be made available for Intel's Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo processors as well as AMD's Phenom II CPU.

DealNN: 1TB GreenDrive, iGroove, iPod touch, more

02/11, 4:35pm

DealNN: 1TB GreenDrive,

Today's DealNN deals include discount prices on digital cameras, iPod docking stations, external hard drives and more. Our top pick for today is on the FD GreenDrive external hard drive. This hard drive features the latest advances in power saving technology and offers 1TB of storage space for files, music, movies and more. It is currently priced at $119.99, which is $27.96 off the original price of $147.95 and for a limited time take advantage of two mail in rebate offers that drop the price down to $79.99 at OnSale.com.

CSR buys GPS chipmaker SiRF for $136m

02/11, 4:30pm

CSR buys SiRF for $136M

England's Bluetooth chip group CSR on Tuesday announced it is buying California-based GPS chip specialistSiRF for $136 million. The deal is expected to complete in the second quarter, after approval by SiRF and CSR shareholders as well as government approval. The buy-out sum represents a 91-percent premium on SiRF's shares after Monday's markets closed.

Marketplace runs, sorts searches in Craigslist

02/11, 4:25pm

Marketplace search engine

After six months as a public beta, Marketplace has been formally released, with a series of new features. The Mac app is designed to simplify the search and viewing of information provided on Craigslist. Users can search by region or category, and display detailed results within a single window. To run more specific searches, users can customize a variety of filters. Also available is a favourites feature, which saves any searches for later viewing.

VIZIO to back out of plasma TVs

02/11, 4:15pm

VIZIO Backs Out of Plasma

VIZIO today said that it would phase out plasma TVs entirely. Speaking to the New York Times, company executive Laynie Newsome justifies the move by noting that LCDs sell much more quickly than plasma. The difference is attributed to the perceived quality in-store: although plasmas often have deeper blacks, the brighter store lights tend to favor the lower-contrast LCD sets. In exchange, VIZIO plans to improve the features of the LCDs themselves, which lately have gained the same 240Hz and LED backlights as on high-end rivals.

Mitsubishi temporarily halts LaserVue TV production

02/11, 4:10pm

Mitsu halts LaserVue HDTVs

Electronics maker Mitsubishi has temporarily halted production of its flagship line of LaserVue HDTVs, a Wednesday Engadget report maintains. Mitsubishi says the delay is due to a problem with the manufacturing equipment used in the build of the HDTVs, though does not give any additional details. The company is, however, making all the efforts to resume production of the high-end TVs and is taking steps to ensure quality of the products and their reliability are not negatively affected.

PocketMac Backup for SalesForce saves data on Mac

02/11, 4:05pm

P.Mac Backup SalesForce

Information Appliance Associates has announced PocketMac Backup for SalesForce, an application used to backup a user's SalesForce data. The program is able to automatically grab contacts from a SalesForce account, and save them to Address Book every 15 minutes. This ensures access to SalesForce information without an Internet connection.

iPhone apps: iFeltThat, MobileMix, SKOUT

02/11, 4:00pm

Cylon Detector, iSpeak

iFeltThat ($3) provides iPhone and iPod touch users with up-to-the-second details and integrated maps of earthquake activity in 16 regions around the world. The program uses Location Services to reveal how far away and in which direction the selected seismic event occurred. Users can customize four regions that can be accessed with a single tap and also set the magnitude threshold for the list of earthquakes in each region independently.

Proposed Italian law may block access to Facebook

02/11, 4:00pm

Italy may ban Facebook

A proposed Italian law may block user access to websites such as Facebook if they incite or justify criminal behavior, Bloomberg reports on Wednesday. The law is under consideration after Facebook groups dedicated to convicted Sicilian Mafia heads Bernardo Provenzano and Salvatore Riina were suspected of sending coded messages to the mobsters.

"Ghastly" conditions at HP, MS, Lenovo factories

02/11, 3:50pm

China factory conditions

The Meitai keyboard factory in Dongguan City in China that produces peripherals for HP, Microsoft, Lenovo and others has been found to offer ghastly working conditions, with employees facing firings for missing three days of work, among other restrictions. The country's National Labor Council found that other alleged infractions can leave employees charged with fines that equal 1.5 days' worth of wages (the equivalent of about $7.20) include being more than an hour late, riding the elevator without permission and chatting at their workstations during work hours, among others.

Howling Moon debuts ScribBall 2 for Macs

02/11, 3:45pm

ScribBall 2 puzzle game

Howling Moon has released ScribBall 2, a sequel to the company’s earlier puzzle game for the Mac. ScribBall 2 offers the same basic concept of its predecessor, in which players click on balls in the playing field until they connect groups of four. Matched balls pop, triggering another group of balls that fall into the playing field. ScribBall 2 divides gameplay into Classic, Overflow and Injection modes; other additions include a color-blind mode, more badges to earn, and several new themes including Watercolor, 8-bit Monet, Da Vinci and Crayon.

Palm Pre, BlackBerry "Niagara" to hit Bell in spring

02/11, 3:40pm

Palm Pre and Niagara Bell

Bell Canada may be one of the first North American carriers outside of Sprint to pick up the Palm Pre, a roadmap leaked to Mobile Syrup shows. The first webOS smartphone is reportedly scheduled to arrive on the carrier in late spring or early summer and would arrive just slightly after the likely Sprint release in June. Whether there will be any software differences between versions of the multi-touch phone isn't known.

iTunes to offer instant video streaming?

02/11, 3:25pm

iTunes video streaming?

Apple is preparing an instant streaming option for video at the iTunes Store, a report claims. Said to be named iTunes Replay, the service would be similar in concept to Netflix's "Watch Instantly" option, which allows people to stream material that has already been paid for in a different medium. In the case of Replay, users would be able to watch movies and TV shows that have already been bought in download form.

Novatel intros HSPA USB, embedded modems

02/11, 3:15pm

Novatel intros new devices

Novatel Wireless on Wednesday introduced three new products, including the Ovation MC995D USB modem as well as the Expedite E970D and E960D embedded mini card modules meant for OEM devices such as notebooks. All three devices have integrated GPS capabilities and access to high-speed HSPA networks, allowing them to reach 7.2Mbps download rates and up to 5.7Mbps upload speeds, with the MC995D and E970D made to work with Europe's, the Middle East's and Asia's 900MHz, 1,900MHz and 2,100MHz bands.

Intel to ship high-speed 64GB SSD this month

02/11, 3:05pm

Intel X-25E 64GB Feb 22

A leak from an Austrian online reseller today reveals Intel is about to launch a new, mid-grade version of its fastest solid-state drives. A 64GB version of the X-25E will use the same single-level cell (SLC) flash storage as other Extreme models and should have the same fast performance as the 32GB and 80GB versions. Read speeds are more than twice as fast as most rotating hard drives at 250MB per second and are much faster in writes than most SSDs at 170MB per second.

i-mate readying its first rugged smartphone

02/11, 2:25pm

i-mate intros rugged phone

i-mate today said it will release one of its first hardened devices. The i-mate 810-F is named after the US military specification, MIL-810-F, which the handset meets. The company has tested the phone to withstand temperature extremes ranging from 14°F to 140°F, as well as being able to withstand various levels of exposure to water, dust, humidity and shock resistance. It also includes a QWERTY keyboard and an impact-resistant touchscreen.

modu announces initial modular phone lineup

02/11, 2:00pm

modu readies 1st products

modu, the Israel-based maker of the first modular cellphone, is getting ready to launch some of its first true products at next week's Mobile World Congress in Spain. On Wednesday, the company followed up last year's teaser with formal details of the core phone and the modular shells for it, called "jackets," that imbue the phone with different abilities. The phone by itself has a seven-button keypad allowing it to perform basic functions and is a standalone music player with 2GB of onboard memory.

BlackBerry Curve 8900 now available at T-Mobile

02/11, 1:35pm

T-Mobile gets Curve 8900

As promised late last month, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone is now available for purchase at T-Mobile. With a two-year contract and a $100 mail-in rebate, the handset is priced at $199, with T-Mobile giving users the option to buy itcontract-free for $499. Unofficial reports say T-Mobile stores are only receiving five examples of the new handset per location, making them scarce initially, though more handsets are due to ship to stores later this week.

Canon ready to announce rugged camera at PMA?

02/11, 1:10pm

Rugged Canon cam at PMA?

Circulating tips suggest that Canon will announce a ruggedized compact camera at next month's PMA expo in Las Vegas. Canon is not typically associated with rugged gear, as even its professional-level DSLRs (such as the EOS-1D Mk. III) are at most weather-resistant. The unnamed compact is expected to be waterproof to a depth of 26 feet however, and shock-resistant to drops as far as six feet. It would face competition chiefly from rivals such as the Olympus 1030 SW.

Palm: "no issues with Apple" over patents

02/11, 1:00pm

Palm at Thomas Weisel Conf

Palm doesn't expect there to be any disputes with Apple over patents for multi-touch technology in webOS or the Pre smartphone, company chief Ed Colligan said today at the Thomas Weisel Technology & Telecom Conference. The executive believes there are "no issues with Apple" iPhone patents and says that Palm is "very respectful" of other companies' intellectual property, preferring to dodge around conflicts altogether rather than setting itself up for a challenge. Palm has about 1,500 patents that Colligan is confident gives his company a safe foundation.

Sierra launches first HSPA+ USB modems

02/11, 12:25pm

Sierra HSPA Plus USB Modem

Sierra Wireless today claimed a spot as the first company ever to release USB modems that support the new HSPA+ standard for 3G. The USB 306 and 307 both download at up to 21Mbps, or about three times the speed of regular HSPA; they also upload as quickly as the best HSPA devices, or about 5.8Mbps. The extra speed gives notebooks a wide-area wireless speed closer to a landline connection and is deemed especially useful for music and video streaming.

QuickTime, QuickTime Pro to merge in Snow Leopard?

02/11, 12:15pm

One QuickTime for all?

The two current versions of Apple's QuickTime software may merge into one come the release of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, new information hints. The latest developer seeding of Snow Leopard is said to enable all features of QuickTime by default, including advanced functions such as sharing and movie creation or capture. Special features have typically been reserved for QuickTime Pro, a $30 package advertised through pop-ups in the regular QuickTime Player.

Nokia to shrink production, R&D as sales tank

02/11, 11:55am

Nokia Scales Back Manufact

Nokia on Wednesday warned that it would significantly scale back its cellphone manufacturing to reflect reduced demand for its phones. The company says it will implement a rotating layoff system that will temporarily drop between 20 and 30 percent of workers at its Salo, Finland plant and thus mirror "reduced market demand" without interrupting production. In a more drastic step, Nokia also plans to gradually scale back and close its research and development office in Jyväskylä by the end of the year. The move will drop about 320 jobs and will shift R&D to existing Finnish locations.

iPhone push notification due with Snow Leopard?

02/11, 11:15am

Push with Snow Leopard?

Apple's long-delayed push notification technology may finally see the light of day with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, a new report suggests. The Push Notification Server software was originally scheduled to launch in September, primarily as a means of allowing iPhone apps to receive background updates without burdening the processor. Although developer tools were released at one point, push notification has yet to go live.

JVC pro HD camera records QuickTime video

02/11, 10:55am

JVC GY-HM700 HD Camera

JVC today rolled out a pro-grade HD camcorder designed explicitly for videographers using Apple's Final Cut Pro editing suite. The GY-HM700 is the only 1080p camera to capture directly in the MOV format used by QuickTime and so lets producers send raw footage directly to Final Cut without the software having to first transcode or otherwise alter the material before it enters the pipeline. Editors can even trim video while it's stored on the camera, JVC notes.

Samsung preps Wireless USB chip for handhelds

02/11, 10:10am

Samsung Wireless USB SoC

Samsung today said it has developed a System-On-Chip that should bring Wireless USB to cellphones, MP3 players and other devices for the first time. A newer CMOS process has let the company build an ARM processor (not pictured) with both the ultra-wideband technology, a wired USB interface, and a memory controller that can transfer data wirelessly roughly as fast as a physical connection. Samsung estimates that a 700MB mobile-sized movie could transfer in one minute.

Time Tagger app records project times

02/11, 9:50am

Time Tagger released

Matterform Media has launched a new time-tracking application, Time Tagger. The software relies on its namesake tag interface, which lets people record time usage by clicking on categories; users can create as many tags as needed. Unlike other tracking apps, Time Tagger omits other management features such as invoicing or address book integration.

Apple updates MobileMe Control Panel to 1.3

02/11, 9:30am

MobileMe Control Panel 1.3

Apple has released version 1.3 of the MobileMe Control Panel for Windows. The panel is a required tool for users wanting to sync and manage MobileMe and iDisk in Windows. In the update, improvements have been made to the speed of contact and calendar sync between MobileMe and Microsoft Outlook.

First NVIDIA Ion system a desktop, due in spring

02/11, 9:25am

NVIDIA Ion Launch Plans

NVIDIA at a press conference in Taiwan today provided early details of launch plans for the first systems based on its Ion platform. The company's mainboard chipset manager Drew Henry says the first system based on the architecture, which integrates the GeForce 9400M with Atom processors, will ship in spring but will be a "very small, affordable" desktop instead of a netbook or other portable. NVIDIA declines to say which company is making the system but says won't have any relation to the black, generic concept desktop used to showcase the design.

New BlackBerry users 20% higher than expected

02/11, 8:05am

BlackBerry Surge in Dec 08

Research in Motion on Wednesday provided a positive surprise with word that it expects its BlackBerry subscriber additions for its financial fourth quarter, which finishes at the end of February, to jump more than 20 percent higher than its originally predicted 2.9 million users. The revision gives RIM at least 3.5 million new BlackBerry users and doesn't include those simply buying the phones without the intention of using RIM's push e-mail, suggesting that the company's sales will ultimately have increased over the past three months despite the ongoing economic crisis.