News Archive for 09/03/27

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Fontcase 1.1 for Mac adds more metadata, support

03/27, 7:40pm

Fontcase 1.1 update

Bohemian Coding on Friday released Fontcase 1.1, the newest version of its font manager application for the Mac OS X. Designed to tag, control and organize font, the software focuses a lot on metadata and allows users to add a variety of metadata for every font and weight. The update provides a versatile plug-in interface to help extend the application, the ability to now analyze the languages a font supports, and additional metadata for when a font was activated and how many times it was activated.

ATTO launches five 6Gbps SAS host adapters for Mac

03/27, 5:25pm

ATTO shipping new SAS HBAs

ATTO has released five 6Gbps SAS host adapters varying mainly on port configurations. The company claims the new devices deliver the fastest SAS/SATA host-bus transfer rates on the market, with the high-end 16-port H60F and H6FO carrying two independent controllers that support a maximum of 512 devices, with 16 lanes of 600MBps connectivity for a throughput of 19.2GBps full duplex.

Recover PDF Password for Mac finds any PDF password

03/27, 4:55pm

Recover PDF Password ships

Eltima has released Recover PDF Password for Mac, software said to recover the passwords of protected PDF documents, even when unusually complicated or long. Successfully unlocked documents are accessible without printing, copying or editing restrictions. Different user-selectable approaches are used, including length, template or exhaustive searches, with the exhaustive option taking the most time.

Hagiwara applies 2.5-inch SSD tech to 1-inch drives

03/27, 4:55pm

Hagiwara outs 1-inch SSDs

Hagiwara Sys-Com has recently announced it has applied the technology from 2.5-inch solid state drives to smaller 1-inch drives, resulting in the HDF10P that is available in up to 8GB capacities, with a 16GB version coming later this year. The company has placed the TrueSSD controller it has developed in-house to the smaller drives, which performs static wear leveling to make the drives last longer by evenly distributing write operations across all cells in the media.

AMD demos Havok physics on GPUs using OpenCL

03/27, 4:40pm

AMD and Havok demo Cloth

At the currently ongoing Game Developers Conference on Thursday, chipmaker AMD was demonstrating Havok's physics middleware on its platforms for the first time, including the premiere display of the first OpenCL-supported Havok Cloth character- and environment-enhancing software. Havok is the latest graphics Software Development Kit to be compatible with ATI Stream technology that uses multi-core architecture to provide faster processing, utilizing both the CPU and GPU for computational tasks related to graphics processing.

FCC hints at America-bound LG handset with TV tuner

03/27, 4:25pm

LG mobile TV phone at FCC

The LG GM630 flip-phone seen here was recently spotted undergoing testing at the FCC, indicating the mobile TV-ready handset is soon coming to a North American carrier. Specifications were not made official, but judging by its appearance, it's an updated version of the LG HB620T phone readily available in Europe. As such, the GM630 should sport the same 240x320 resolution main display along with a smaller external screen, as well as a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and FM radio tuner.

Orb launches live broadcasting via Live Events app

03/27, 4:25pm

Orb Live Events app

Orb has announced Orb Live Events, which allows for the broadcasting of live events to the iPhone. Orb is promising broadcast setups in as little as 24 hours with the new software, delivering live streaming over 3G, EDGE and Wi-Fi networks. The media player also accepts skins for groups' branding purposes.

iPhone apps: Unlike Guide, Health Cubby, HumorDb

03/27, 4:15pm

GrayCard, Cleartune

Unlike Global Guide ($20) includes travel guides for Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Miami, Paris, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Vienna. The guides can point users to places of interest that are close to their current location. To accommodate users that may be traveling the guides are all stored within the application allowing users to access the information even when no internet connection is available.

Dell gearing up Latitude netbooks for school?

03/27, 4:15pm

Dell Latitude 2100 Leak

A leak on Friday hints that Dell is producing netbooks under the Latitude name. Gizmodo understands that the systems will be known as the Latitude 2100 series and will have the same style as full-sized Latitudes. Like the HP Mini-Note, though, its focus would be on the educational market and would involve bright color schemes like "Red Apple" and "School Bus Orange." It may also add a touchscreen that hasn't been present on any previous Dell netbook.

Hitachi outs 3LCD projector for education markets

03/27, 4:15pm

Hitachi CP-X2010 projector

Hitachi on Friday announced the upcoming release of a new 3LCD projector aimed at the educational market, the CP-X2010, which sports a 2,200-lumens brightness rating along with a 500:1 contrast ratio. Native resolution is set at 1024x768, with lamp life rated at 5,000 hours in Eco Mode or 3,000 hours in standard mode. CP-X2010's built-in speakers provide 16W of output, and for the hearing impaired or really loud environments, closed captioning functionality is integrated.

Apple to take 20 percent of Chinese smartphones?

03/27, 4:05pm

BoA on Chinese iPhone

Apple could control as much as 20 percent of the smartphone market in China if it launches the iPhone there, argues Bank of America analyst Scott Craig. The data is said to be based on Apple's own assertions, as exposed through sources in the company's Asian supply chain. Apple feels it can easily meet the 20 percent target, according to Craig, and may even believe it can do better if given the right circumstances.

SlingPlayer Mobile 1.0 for BlackBerry now available

03/27, 3:55pm

SlingPlayer Mobile now out

BlackBerry users in the US can now download the full build of the SlingPlayer Mobile application for their handsets, Sling Media announced recently. The full version follows on the heels of the beta build, which was first released back in December. As expected, there are some new features in the full build, including the ability to add or edit paired Slingboxes and Channel Favorites via the program instead of just SlingPlayer 2.0 for Windows.

Myka to ship BitTorrent media hub April 6

03/27, 3:45pm

Myka Ships April 6

Myka today said it would start shipping its self-titled media hubs shortly after their initial batch is finished production on April 6th. Originally unveiled last year, the set-top box is designed as an open-source alternative to devices like the Apple TV and the VUDU Box that uses BitTorrent as its underlying framework. The feature lets users download commercial and unofficial content without being dependent on any one connection or service. Myka doesn't immediatly have content deals but claims to be in negotiations with "major" providers.

Bell Canada to get Motorola Hint on April 9th

03/27, 3:10pm

Bell to get Motorola Hint

First spotted last winter, Motorola's Hint QA30 slider phone with a full QWERTY keyboard is due to be offered exclusively in Canada by provider Bell Mobility starting on April 9th, says a Thursday MobileSyrup note. Pricing will be nearly $330 CAD (about $266) for the handset without a contract, or $280 ($226), $180 ($145) and $130 ($105) when purchased with 1-year, 2-year and 3-year contracts, respectively.

AT&T extends early upgrades to iPhone 3G

03/27, 3:05pm

Early AT&T iPhone upgrades

At least some AT&T customers can now upgrade to an iPhone before the expiry of their normal contracts, representatives are said to confirm. Though not advertised, a deal has been introduced under which non-iPhone subscribers can upgrade to an iPhone 3G roughly 14 months into a standard two-year contract, at subsidized prices rather than any penalized ones. Some subscribers may be able to switch phones earlier, depending on account history or corporate loyalty.

Intel ups MacBook Air chip speed; CULV in summer

03/27, 2:55pm

Intel C2D S and ULV Monday

Intel is now known to be launching significant updates to its notebook processor line on Monday that should be headlined by an upgrade to the processor line central to Apple's MacBook Air and Lenovo's ThinkPad X301. An update list obtained by CNET has the semiconductor company upgrading its Core 2 Duo S to include a 2.13GHz model, the SL9600. The chip is a significant update over the previous 1.86GHz ceiling but should still preserve an identical 17W of peak thermal power consumption, 6MB of Level 2 cache and the 1,066MHz system bus.

Disney to put ABC shows on Hulu?

03/27, 2:00pm

Disney Hulu Rumor

Multiple sources speaking with paidContent today claim that Disney is in "serious" talks with Hulu to bring TV shows to the web service. The media giant would bring over at least ABC's TV programming, such as Lost, and would potentially involve the Disney Channel and other networks that aren't heavily dependent on cable and satellite TV. In return, Disney would get an equity stake in the primarily NBC- and Fox-run venture.

ASUS to launch first DVD-equipped Eee PC, 1008HA soon

03/27, 1:20pm

ASUS Eee PC with ODD

As part of its constantly expanding Eee PC line-up, Taiwan's ASUS is due to release the first version of the portable PC with an integrated optical drive. To be called the 1004DN, the 10-inch netbook will be powered by the new Intel Atom N280 CPU, retailers say. Other main hardware specs include Intel's HD video-capable GN40 chipset, while storage will come in the form of a 120GB hard drive.

Prices emerge for 2009 Samsung LCDs, plasmas

03/27, 1:15pm

2009 Samsung TV prices

The costs of various 2009 Samsung LCDs have leaked in advance of an official announcement, a site claims. The information is said to have become available because products are now shipping to dealers, and show sometimes wide disparities in pricing. 3 Series sets, measuring between 19 and 32 inches, should cost anywhere from $300 to $550, while the 22- to 32-inch 4 Series sets range between $400 and $650. Prices begin to rise sharply with the 5 Series, which come in models varying from 32 to 52 inches at costs of $800 to $1,800.

Apps: Blackout, SongGenie, JuiceDrop

03/27, 12:55pm

Schreiben, Tags

Blackout 2.0 (free) is a utility that can dim a scree regardless of the monitors current hardware or gamma settings. The application works by placing a transparent window over the desktop. The window provides the dimming effect and passes keystrokes and clicks through to underlying applications. This new version of Blackout provides better integration with Spaces and automatically moves the dimming window to a users current space. [Download - 0.1MB]

Apple contemplating biometric locks for iPhone?

03/27, 12:20pm

Biometric iPhone security?

Apple may be considering integrating some form of biometric security for iPhones, as well as Macs, a newly-published patent application hints. While iPhones and Macs can currently be locked with passcodes and passwords in turn, the patent filing suggests that a more secure option is desirable. Biometrics are the leading candidate, and could potentially come in the form of a fingerprint or finger vein scanner slipped underneath a touchscreen, capable of unlocking a phone in a single step.

NVIDIA rumored buying large batch of VIA shares

03/27, 12:15pm

NVIDIA to buy VIA shares

NVIDIA is today claimed to be in talks with Taiwanese chipmaker VIA Technologies to buy a significant amount of shares from the company in hopes of getting a significant stake in its business. VIA is said planning on selling 300 million new shares by way of a private placement, each priced at between the equivalent of about $0.27 to $0.35. Nothing is official and is likely to remain so until all possible candidates for shares are named after a June 19th shareholder meeting. NVIDIA is maintaining complete silence on the subject.

Charter files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

03/27, 11:45am

Charter Files Chapter 11

Charter today said it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The anticipated move will see the cable and Internet provider restructure itself under a plan that it had already established ahead of the actual filing to recover its operations. Under the efforts, Charter expects to eliminate about $8 billion of debt and won't require that debtors finance the company to keep it running. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen will also maintain his stake in the company.

Public opinion on Apple stock sags, stays healthy

03/27, 11:10am

Piqqem on Apple stock

Public opinion of Apple's stock value dropped substantially in February, but remains good, claims Piqqem. The latter company gathers opinion on stock performance from online subscribers, and notes that Apple stock now sits at a score of 2.68, which is still bullish but below a six-month peak closer to 3.0. The figure began plunging dramatically on February 22nd, though it has since stabilized.

Chi Mei preps 16:9, LED-backlit notebook displays

03/27, 10:50am

Chi Mei 16 9 Notebook LCDs

Taiwan component maker Chi Mei is planning to delve deeper into notebook LCDs with multiple extra-wide, LED-backlit models launching this year, sources for DigiTimes say. A 13.4-inch panel for thin-and-light notebooks is due that would include both the thinner, more energy-efficient LED light along with a relatively vivid 500:1 contrast ratio. It's also being complemented by a 15.6-inch display that would only be marginally larger than taller 16:10 displays but would have a sharper 1600x900 resolution, a 250-nit brightness and a comparatively quick 8ms pixel response time.

Apple confirms unlimited, contract-free iPhones

03/27, 10:05am

Apple lifts iPhone limits

Reiterating facts from circulating reports, Apple has confirmed that shoppers can now pick up an unlimited number of contract-free iPhones from Apple Stores. The shift in policy mirrors one announced by AT&T, except that the carrier limits purchases to one contract-free phone per existing subscriber. Both Apple and AT&T prices are set at $599 for an 8GB phone, and $699 for 16GB. A two-year contract reduces costs to $199 and $299.

ATI intros pro-grade FirePro V7750 GPU

03/27, 10:00am

ATI FirePro V7750 GPU

AMD on Thursday announced the availability of the ATI FirePro V7750 graphics accelerator meant for graphics professionals in the engineering, digital content creation or scientific fields. The 3D graphics accelerator improves on the earlier FireGL V7700 with 1GB of frame buffer memory and OpenGL 3.0 support; it also gets a familiar 128-bit memory controller, a 30-bit display pipeline as well as 320 stream (visual effects) processors. PCI Express 2.0 support gives it more bandwidth on newer mainboards.

Panasonic gives first launch details for Lumix GH1

03/27, 9:35am

Panasonic GH1 Japan Launch

Panasonic today edged closer to a formal launch for the Lumix GH1 by providing details for its Japanese launch. Introduced at PMA, the camera will ship to the country on April 24th and cost the equivalent of $1,535 after both tax and the inclusion of its special 14-140mm lens, which is optimized for the camera's central video recording feature. Colors have changed from the original G1 and will give Japanese owners the choice of gold in place of blue while keeping black and red options.

NVIDIA countersues Intel for contract breach

03/27, 9:00am

NVIDIA Countersues Intel

NVIDIA late Thursday filed a countersuit (PDF) against Intel, accusing the semiconductor firm of a breach of contract. The response follows Intel's earlier formal complaint and accuses Intel of violating a 2004 license for NVIDIA by denying it the rights to build mainboard chipsets for Intel processors that use integrated memory controllers, which includes any Core i7 chip as well as newer Xeon chips like the 3500 and 5500 series. NVIDIA is currently only being allowed to engineer for processors no more advanced than Core 2.

i.TV 1.4 adds U-verse support, speed enhancements

03/27, 8:50am

i.TV 1.4 for iPhone

i.TV has launched version 1.4 of its TV and movie guide for the iPhone and iPod touch. The update provides AT&T U-verse listings for all coverage areas, and more support for Comcast customers, including video-on-demand information and other material. Stability and speed improvements have also been made; the latter cut the start-up time for the app roughly in half, and double active running speed.

HTC Magic shows at FCC with T-Mobile US branding

03/27, 8:00am

HTC Magic at FCC for T-Mob

The FCC has inadvertently confirmed T-Mobile's plans to bring the HTC Magic to the US as its second Android phone. A filing at the US agency shows the phone with T-Mobile's US logo and also points to a feature upgrade. The Americanized version now gets a 5-megapixel camera (up from 3.2) while preserving access to 7.2Mbps 3G, this time on T-Mobile's 1,700MHz band.

Apple Stores reportedly offer no-contract iPhones

03/27, 3:00am

Apple: no-contract iPhones

Some US Apple retail stores have reportedly begun selling iPhone 3Gs without a contract. AppleInsider reports the 8GB model is available for $599 and the 16GB for $699, the standard retail price without AT&T subsidies.