News Archive for 09/04/24

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Task Timer, Tico

04/24, 8:15pm

Apps: CleanApp, WindowShade X, Pear Note

CleanApp 3 ($13) is an uninstaller and system management tool that allows users to delete cache files, applications and other items wasting drive space. The software looks for all of the files associated with an application, including the caches and .plists that are missed when deleting through the Trash. Version 3.1 comes with a new graphical view that displays disk usage for folders or the whole hard drive along. The update also has improved overall performance and includes new safeguards to protect system files from being deleted. [Download - 8.3MB]

NI Urban Arsenal 2

04/24, 6:10pm

NI releases Urban Arsenal 2 sound collection

Native Instruments has released Urban Arsenal 2, its latest collection of sounds for use in Kore 2 or the free Kore Player software. The library was created in collaboration with urban music producers and sound designers, providing an assortment of groove material and instrument sounds for music styles such as hip-hop. The package builds from the original Urban Arsenal, with over 1,000 sampled drum sounds and 32 drum kits that can be tweaked and transformed to create over 15,000 variations.

ExactScan 2 update

04/24, 5:50pm

ExactScan 2 Pro adds OCR engine, barcode recognition

ExactCODE has released an enhanced version of its scanning software, ExactScan 2 Professional. The Professional version offers the same features of the basic variant, but adds optical character recognition (OCR) and barcode recognition for creating searchable PDF documents. The program integrates with the Spotlight indexing services for document management, with features designed for small offices or home offices.

Nikon D5000 ships April 27

04/24, 5:05pm

Nikon D5000 shipping on April 27th

The recently-introduced 12.3-megapixel Nikon D5000 DSLR camera, with its 720p HD video shooting capabilities and a Nikon-first 2.7-inch swiveling LCD, will be shipping on April 27th. Those initial D5000 orders will include an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens, and there is no word yet on when a body-only version of the camera will be shipping, though it shouldn't be far behind, expected to come to stores about a week later.

Husqvarna Automower

04/24, 4:55pm

Husqvarna launches texting robotic lawnmower

Swedish outdoor equipment maker Husqvarna has recently added the Automower 260 ACX to its line-up of robotic lawnmowers. What differentiates the new product from the current range is its GSM network support that allows the mower to send SMS messages to a preselected cellphone if it needs assistance. Otherwise, the Automower 260 ACX cuts the grass, spreads the clippings as fertilizer and can scare away wildlife that is detrimental to a lawn's health. Husqvarna says the new mower is bigger and faster than its stablemates.

X-mini Happy MP3 prototype

04/24, 4:45pm

XM-I shows X-mini Happy MP3 player prototype

Singapore-based XM-I has released a new product to its range of desktop computer speakers with the X-mini Happy. These speakers get a newfound standalone digital music player that accesses tracks from the equally new SDHC memory card slot. The design otherwise borrows heavily from the company's X-mini II speaker, and includes that product's optional modular buddy jack that lets users daisy-chain together as many speakers as they wish.

HanDBase Plus iPhone sync

04/24, 4:40pm

HanDBase Plus syncs from iPhone databases

DDH Software has released HanDBase Plus, an add-on package for syncing HanDBase databases stored on an iPhone or iPod touch. The new software enables all databases stored on a handheld to be mirrored on the desktop automatically, as soon as users initiate a sync. In using the desktop client, users can also make changes to records that are merged with mobile ones; assorted functions give control over the sync modes of each database, and share content with other mobile devices.

RIAA case held for appeal

04/24, 4:35pm

Appeal court stays RIAA's Albany student lawsuit

A recent lawsuit filed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on behalf of Arista Records against 16 students at the Albany Campus of the State University of New York is being put on hold while an appeals court investigates what happened in the lower courts. An appeal by one of the unnamed 'John Doe' students, identified only as #3, was granted (PDF) by an appeals court on Wednesday, the result of which could set a precedent in the way RIAA performs its ex parte lawsuits on individuals who have no knowledge of being sued until they can no longer file an appeal.

GraphicConverter update

04/24, 4:30pm

GraphicConverter 6.4.1 supports bio-formats, NV12

Lemke Software has released GraphicConverter 6.4.1, an update to its image editing and conversion software. Bio-formats are now supported, while the metadata change in the context menu works with other formats such as TIFF. Users can import NV12 files or images of CWK files. The program also uses threading for large previews, resulting in faster performance. A progress bar has been added to the print dialog for color matching to the print profile.

Terminator Salvation app

04/24, 4:15pm

Terminator Salvation shooter heading to iPhone

Gameloft has announced a new third-person action game for the iPhone, Terminator Salvation. Based on the movie, the title takes players through eight different levels as they assume the role of John Connor, and an unknown character named Marcus whose allegiance to humanity is questionable. Enemies include tanks, motorcycles, attack drones and T-800 terminators.

Samsung Smooth at Verizon

04/24, 3:55pm

Samsung Smooth sneaks into Verizon's lineup

The Samsung Smooth flip phone has quietly appeared at wireless provider Verizon. The entry-level handset has basic features, including a VGA camera with a night shooting mode, a Bluetooth connection and a speakerphone. The dual-band CDMA handset has access to the provider's VZ Navigator service, and is capable of browsing the web, checking e-mail and accessing instant-messaging programs.

OCZ Z-Drive SSD

04/24, 3:45pm

OCZ debuts 510MB/sec, 1TB solid-state drive

OCZ on Friday took its turn at the new class of RAID-striped solid-state drives and launched the Z-Drive. Like offerings from Fusion-io, the Z-Drive ties together four SSDs to a central RAID controller and plugs into a PCI Express slot, eliminating the bottlenecks of SATA and transferring data twice as fast or more than single SSDs. OCZ claims peak read speeds of 510MB per second and peak writes of 480MB per second for its top-end drive.

HyperTranscribe 1.5 update

04/24, 3:45pm

HyperTranscribe 1.5 adds support, enhancements

ResearchWare has released HyperTranscribe 1.5, an update to its application for transcribing audio and video files. The software can load most popular audio and video formats, and provides both graphical and keyboard controls for running, pausing and looping playback. Version 1.5 adds support for more flexible shortcuts, enabling users to insert text with a single keystroke. Also new is enhanced performance, and clickable timecodes, which can be inserted to shift playback to a specific location.

ASUS Express TV Stick

04/24, 3:20pm

ASUS intros Express TV Stick USB 2.0 hybrid tuner

ASUS on Thursday announced the upcoming release of its Express TV Stick USB tuner that allows Windows PC users to receive digital DVB-T and analog TV broadcasts. The device connects to USB 2.0 ports and automatically installs all the necessary software to allow recording or viewing of digital and analog TV programs. The USB stick has 4GB of onboard memory that contains the software and user interface; it also provides space for the TV recordings or any other files users want to put on the stick.

Worms, T. Purs. on iPhone

04/24, 3:15pm

Worms, Trivial Pursuit come to App Store

Two high-profile games have been formerly unveiled for the iPhone and iPod touch. The first is a planned conversion of Worms, the turn-based strategy game by Team17. Players control squads of cartoon worms as they attempt to annihilate each other using mundane weapons, such as shotguns and grenades, as well as more exotic ones including exploding sheep and bananas. The iPhone version is said to be nearing completion, and changed to include features such as pinch zoom.

Inventor Sues Sony

04/24, 3:15pm

Inventor sues Sony over theft of PS3 feedback idea

Virtual Reality Feedback head and inventor Craig Thorner this week sued Sony's PlayStation divisions in Japan and the US, as well as PDP/Electro Source and multiple attorneys, over the alleged theft of intellectual property relating to force feedback technology that would ultimately be used in the DualShock 3 controller for later PlayStation 3 consoles. New Jersey-based Thorner claims that Sony violated trust by failing to defend him and his patents against lawsuits from Immersion.

Infomap Amsterdam, PicCard

04/24, 3:00pm

iPhone apps: iBookie, EatWillGrow, FiRe Recorder

iBookie ($4) is a portable betting application that allows users to place bets on events where participants finish in a ranked order. The program places all bets of a particular type in a pool, and calculates what the payout will be. Users can track amounts bet and won by individual people, and will receive payments rounded to the nearest nickel, dime, or quarter. Race information can be loaded into the program via URL.

Windows 7 RC 7100 build

04/24, 2:10pm

Windows 7 release candidate leaked

Microsoft has already delivered an updated build of Windows 7 to OEM partners and TAP gold customers that is likely to be the release candidate (RC) for the operating system. Build 7100 is an update to the 7077 RC build leaked onto BitTorrent sites and contains roughly 2,000 bug fixes made to the beta version that have been planned for the RC phase. The company has previously said it will have just one RC before the software is finished, hinting at a launch later this year.

Etymotic teams with ACS

04/24, 1:45pm

Etymotic teams with ACS for custom-fit earbuds

Maker of high-end headphones, Etymotic, has recently announced that it has partnered with the UK's Advanced Communications Solutions (ACS) to offer its hf2 headphones with silicon earbuds that are custom-molded to fit the contours of a wearer's ear. This process, performed by ACS, involves pouring a fast-setting compound into a user's ear and then using the mould to produce the earbud. This results in near-perfect isolation from ambient sounds, letting users listen to music at lower volumes and without the conflict of outside sounds. A bonus is a better fit that will keep the earbud in place for longer.

Moody downgrades Nokia

04/24, 1:25pm

Nokia given Moody downgrade following Q1 results

Nokia stock should be avoided, Moody's Investors Service claims. Reuters reports that the firm has changed its rating of Nokia shares from stable to negative, mainly as a result of the cellphone maker's first-quarter financial results. Figures have "confirmed a double-digit rate of decline for the mobile phone market in units and a one third year over year revenue reduction for Nokia in this segment," notes Moody analyst Eric de Bodard.

iPhone at 1 5pc Share

04/24, 1:05pm

iPhone moves up to 1.5% world market share

Regardless of the economy, Apple has managed to claim 1.5 percent of the market in the early part of 2009, according to ABI Research data. The California company's 3.79 million iPhones sold in the first quarter were enough to eke out the amount, which gives Apple an extra 0.4 percent of the total market beyond the 1.1 percent it had just at the end of 2008. The expansion comes at the same time as significant shrinks by market leader Nokia, which dropped to 36.2 percent, and struggling mid-range firm Sony Ericsson's fall to just 5.6 percent.

Pear Note update

04/24, 12:55pm

Pear Note 1.2 adds new playback interface

Useful Fruit has announced Pear Note 1.2, an update to its note-taking utility. The software can now record from multiple video cameras, including DV camcorders or webcams that require third-party drivers. Video can be recorded with resolutions up to 640 by 480. The playback interface has been improved, now highlighting a character at the moment it is typed. As a visual reference, the current word also remains underlined at all times.

S. Lep Server and iPhone

04/24, 12:45pm

Snow Leopard Server to provide iPhone backend

Snow Leopard Server will provide corporate iPhone support previously only available through third-party software, investigation is said to show. The OS has been slated to receive a remote access feature for sometime, but details in a WWDC session preview appear to confirm that a component called the Mobile Access Server will give iPhones the ability to retrieve corporate e-mail, contacts, calendars and web services without a VPN connection. Currently, only Cisco and Microsoft VPN servers are supported for secure access.

Orange offers Vegas phone

04/24, 12:05pm

Orange offers Vegas ultra-budget touch phone

UK-based wireless provider Orange is now offering what it is touting as being the smallest, lightest and least expensive touchscreen device in the country with the Vegas handset. Features of the handset, which looks like an HTC Touch, include a 2.4-inch display, a 1.3-megapixel camera on the rear panel and what looks like a front-facing camera for video calls, though Orange makes no mention of such a capability.

Nintendo Lime DS Lite Soon

04/24, 11:50am

Nintendo preps lime DS Lite bundle with game, case

In spite of the launch of the DSi, Nintendo is near releasing at least one more special edition of the DS Lite. The new bundle appears timed for Mother's Day and will tie in a lime green-colored version of the DS Lite with Personal Training: Cooking. In a relative rarity for DS bundles, it will also have a carrying case with a tropical print.

Photoshop Marketplace open

04/24, 11:35am

Photoshop Marketplace gathers scattered resources

Adobe has opened the Photoshop Marketplace, a website dedicated entirely to its image manipulation software. The site is designed as a central resource for education in using Photoshop, as well as listings of related events, and access to tools and services based on the platform. These include the numerous third-party plug-ins and extensions available.

NVIDIA Ion Netbooks June

04/24, 11:10am

First NVIDIA Ion netbooks tipped for June

The first netbooks set to use NVIDIA's Ion platform are due in June, according to a source within NVIDIA itself. Pocket-lint understands that multiple important companies will announce their first systems with the faster graphics at Taiwan's Computex show in early June. Who and which models aren't illustrated, but in some cases the turnaround would be relatively quick and have the first wave of Ion netbooks ship in July.

Apple refurbs: Macs $419+

04/24, 10:45am

Apple refurbs: Mac models starting at $419

Today Apple's online store has a variety of refurbished Mac models starting as low as $419. The 1.83GHz Mac mini has 1GB of memory and 80GB hard drive for $419. A white 2.1GHz MacBook with 1GB of memory, 120GB hard drive and 8x SuperDrive is priced at $849. The 20-inch 2.4GHz iMac with 1GB of RAM and 250GB hard drive is also being offered for $849. For $50 more ($999) is the 2.66GHz, 20-inch iMac with 2GB of memory and 320GB hard drive. Also priced at $999 is the 1.6GHz MacBook Air with 2GB of RAM and 80GB hard drive. The 1.8GHz MacBook Air is available for $100 more ($1099) and has the same memory and hard drive specs as the previously mentioned MBA. A unibody MacBook is also available for $1099 with 2GB of memory, 2.0GHz processor and 160GB hard drive.

Movie Cowboy Media Hub

04/24, 10:45am

Movie Cowboy blends media hub, iPod dock

Digital Cowboy today provided an all-in-one alternative for media hubs in the Media Cowboy DC-MC35ULI. The set-top box takes any 3.5-inch SATA hard drive and will play common audio and video formats up to 720p but also has its own top-mounted Dock Connector to play music and video directly from any click wheel iPod; a remote supports controlling both the Media Cowboy's internally stored content as well as that on Apple players.

CT teen nabs billionth app

04/24, 10:40am

Connecticut teen wins Billion App Countdown

A Connecticut teenager is the winner of Apple's Billion App Countdown contest, the company has announced. Connor Mulcahey -- a 13-year-old from the town of Weston -- is being awarded the grand prize, which includes a MacBook Pro, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule and an iTunes gift card worth $10,000. On the afternoon of April 23rd Mulcahey downloaded Bump, a free app which swaps contact information when two users bump fists.

First LG Crystal vendor

04/24, 10:05am

LG's GD900 coming to Carphone Warehouse first

UK-based cellphone retail chain The Carphone Warehouse said on Friday that it will be the first to offer the LG GD900 Crystal when it is released sometime in mid-May. The handset, shown off at the CTIA show earlier this month, come free of charge when users agree to a contract, though no details, including the partnering carrier, have been revealed. The phone will also be offered on a pay-as-you-go plan but hasn't been given a price.

Joost Selling Itself

04/24, 9:55am

Joost selling itself to TV providers?

Video site Joost is shopping itself around to cable and satellite TV providers as their possible hub for Internet streaming, sources claim. The company has been struggling to gain share in the face of competiton by Hulu and YouTube and is believed by CNET to be looking to a deal to save itself. While it's not certain how likely this may be, metered Internet advocate Time Warner Cable is unusually seen as one of those interested in buying Joost.

Apple loses 1600 at retail

04/24, 9:50am

Apple axes 1,600 full-time retail positions

Apple's increased retail revenue in the second fiscal quarter came at the expensive of many people's jobs, SEC filings reveal. While the company managed to push retail revenue from $1.45 billion in Q208 to $1.47 billion in Q209, documents show that the company employed only 14,000 people in stores full-time. During the first fiscal quarter of the 2009, the company was using 15,600 full-time workers.

Real Facet Prototype

04/24, 9:15am

Real prototyping media hub with DVD ripping

RealNetworks is developing a digital media hub reference design that would let users store protected rips of their own DVD movies, the company's project lead Jeff Albertson revealed late yesterday. Nicknamed Facet, the Linux-based device mentioned to the New York Times would use the same technology as Real's RealDVD software and would let users store copies of DVDs on a hard drive, letting them play movies they own themselves while preserving the CSS copy protection to prevent piracy. An example Facet would hold about 70 movies.

Lenovo ThinkPad Netbook

04/24, 8:10am

Lenovo may launch ThinkPad netbook with CULV

Lenovo is considering making a netbook under the ThinkPad name, the company's Worldwide Competitive Analyst Matthew Kohut said in an interview late Thursday. While nothing is definite, the researcher noted to Australian magazine APC that Lenovo is "exploring" a step up above the IdeaPad netbooks released so far. What this would entail isn't specified, though he explains that pressure exists to create a more business-friendly netbook and that screen sizes may go up.

Duracell USB Charger

04/24, 7:10am

Duracell intros in-car USB charger, connectors

Duracell has announced the latest in its line of accessories for mobile devices, the Duracell USB Charger, and three different connectors for the Duracell My Pocket Charger. The USB Charger provides 5-volts of power, fits into a car's DC outlet, and displays a light blue glow when the device is ready to charge. My Pocket Charger now features three different connectors for mini and micro USB as well as Apple's Dock Connector, which enables it to charge devices such as iPods and iPhones, as well as most cellphones and MP3 players.