News Archive for 09/06/04

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Briefly: CEA Line Show, Beam It! iPhone app, Minigore

06/04, 8:15pm

iPhone game contest

In brief: New York City will be hosting the CEA Line Shows exhibit next week and will include presentations on trends in the technology industry. The event will also play host to a new Mobile Apps Shootout which gives developers a 90 second opportunity to pitch their product. Developers who currently have access to the iPhone 3.0 beta can install a new app from ArcTouch which takes advantage of some of the OS's new features. The application can be downloaded from the companies website now and will become available in the App Store after the official launch of iPhone 3.0. Chillingo has also announced that it will soon be releasing a new application in Apple's App Store. It's new game, Minigore, is nearly finished and should be available in the next couple of weeks. The company is also running a contest to go with the games launch and is offering the winner a chance to become a character in the game.

ShotPut Pro v2.0 includes Bravo-Series Disc publisher

06/04, 7:40pm

ShotPut Pro v2.0 released

Imagine Products has partnered with Primera, integrating the Bravo-Series Disc Publisher into its new version of ShotPut Pro. The application is used to copy files from a video card to a burn folder where Primera's disc publisher can then be used to burn the file to a Blu-ray disc. The burned discs are printed with smudge-proof ink directly onto the disk and includes file information taken from the video card's metadata. The application is also used for custom disc label printing.

Sling Media launches beta Mac version SlingPlayer

06/04, 7:30pm

SlingPlayer beta for Mac

Sling Media has released its beta version of SlingPlayer for Mac OS X. Zatz Not Funny notes that the beta SlingPlayer renders video recorded on the Slingbox attached to a users television, enabling streaming over the Internet. The beta is a web browser plug-in for Safari 3 and Firefox 3, but it only works on Intel-based Macs. The software also only supports Slingbox Solo, Pro and Pro-HD models.

Freeverse announces On The Rocks Productions games

06/04, 7:15pm

Freeverse announces games

Freeverse has announced it will be publishing two games created by On The Rocks Productions. In Thor, players are the aptly-named Thor, who desires honor, glory, and fame. The character accidentally catches a magical hammer named Mjölnir after it is tossed out of Valhalla and goes on a quest to save the world and his father, Odin. The second game, Legion of Amon is an action/adventure RPG in which a group of cultists have unsuccessfully summoned Amon. Player's must battle through both the cultists, and Amon's Legion and defeat Amon himself.

Pharos releases Traveler 137 GPS smartphone

06/04, 5:10pm

Pharos Traveler 137

Pharos has released the its latest GPS smartphone, the Traveler 137, which was originally debuted at CES earlier this year. The device focuses on GPS abilities, with integrated assisted-GPS and hybrid navigation software that can be used without a connection to the carrier network. Users can take advantage of turn-by-turn navigation and voice prompts. The handset is based on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and ready for future upgrades to Version 6.5.

Speck launches CandyShell case for iPod touch 2nd Gen

06/04, 5:05pm

New Touch cases ship

Speck has launched a second-generation iPod touch version of its CandyShell case. The cases combine a hard outer shell with a soft, rubberized inner lining and have access to all ports. The power and volume controls have touch-through covers with contrasting accent colors. The CandyShell comes in two color options, Lemon Drop Liquorice, a high-gloss black shell with bright yellow interior and outer accents, and Cranberry White Truffle, a high-gloss white shell with cranberry red interior and accents.

MakeMusic updates sheet music generator, Finale 2010

06/04, 5:00pm

FInale 2010 released

MakeMusic has released the newest version of Finale 2010, its software used to create sheet music and preview the music with audio synthesizers. The upgrade boasts better percussion instrument notation and the automated creation and sequencing of rehearsal marks. The update also claims simpler chord entry, requiring fewer keystrokes.

Apple posts iLife, Digital Camera Raw updates

06/04, 4:55pm

Apple iLife, RAW updates

Using Mac OS X's Software Update feature, Apple has released updates to several key pieces of software. Among these is Digital Camera Raw 2.6, which extends RAW format support within Aperture 2.x and the '08 and '09 editions of iPhoto. Compatible cameras now include the Nikon D5000 and the Olympus E-30, as well as Canon's EOS-500D, Rebel T1i and EOS Kiss Digital X3.

Jumsoft ships Keynote Themes 8.0, five new themes

06/04, 4:55pm

Keynote Themes 8.0 ships

Jumsoft has introduced five new themes for v8.0 of its Keynote Themes pack: Hot Chocolate, Glacier, Vintage, Purple, and Architecture. Each theme consists of different backgrounds and features up to 30 different layout schemes. Including the five new themes, Keynote Themes 8.0 includes a total 25 themes.

Samsung prepping camera phone with 3X optical zoom?

06/04, 4:50pm

Samsung 3X Zoom Cam Phone

After its Pixon12, Samsung may have a second and even more advanced 12-megapixel camera phone with true zoom, a photo leak purports to show. The M8920 would have a 3X optical zoom lens and, reportedly, both LED and xenon flashes. While not a true smartphone, it would still have 3G, 8GB of built-in storage, GPS and Wi-Fi.

Belkin ships Micra Chex, Fuse cases for Nano 4G

06/04, 4:40pm

Belkin cases for Nano 4G

Belkin has begun shipping several new cases for the fourth-generation iPod nano, the Micra series and Fuse. The Micra cases feature a clear polycarbonate shell with a variety of integrated patterns. Each model adds a different visual effect, but without masking the natural color of the device. The cases include a ClearScreen protective film for the Nano display.

HP to update dv2 with dual-core Athlon Neo

06/04, 4:25pm

HP dv2 Gets Dual Athl Neo

AMD this afternoon confirmed that its new dual-core Athlon Neo should show in a new version of HP's Pavilion dv2 ultraportable next week. The upgraded system is due on June 10th and, according to CNET, should have the same power use as the present-day single-core model but run much faster in multi-threaded tasks. Integrated graphics will also get a lift through the Radeon HD 3200 chipset, though HP's notebook currently uses dedicated Radeon HD 3450 video.

Mobile projectors, file transfers in iPhone future?

06/04, 4:10pm

iPhone tech patents

Even as the expected announcement date for a new iPhone nears, information has emerged on some possible future iPhone technologies. Among other newly-exposed patent applications is one for multiple simultaneous file transfers, which could for instance allow someone in the middle of a video call to transmit a song, image or voicemail recording at the same time. The call interface would be minimized, bringing up a second devoted to media selection.

Russia says Microsoft monopolist in cutting XP sales

06/04, 3:55pm

Russia Says MS Monopolist

The Russian government today accused Microsoft of monopolistic behavior in its treatment of Windows XP. Antitrust officials said they would launch an investigation in the belief that Microsoft was unfairly pulling the older operating system from stores before the market was ready. Although significant demand exists for XP in both public and private sectors, Microsoft has been insisting in some cases that these outlets use Windows Vista instead.

Sans Digital relaunches MN2LP server with new LCD

06/04, 3:45pm

MN2LP NAS server ships

Sans Digital has relaunched its dual-bay RAID network-attached server, the MobileNAS MN2LP - 2 Bay RAID NAS Server, featuring an LCD readout display. The new LCD provides RAID, system info and the IP address. The two-disk server is geared towards file sharing on a home or office network. It offers both RAID 0 striping for better performance or RAID 1 mirroring for redundancy and better backup. It works over Mac networks via Bonjour networking and is compatible with Windows via CIFS as well as Linux via NFS -- it can support all three platforms at once.

News Corp. exec: future Hulu could charge for content

06/04, 3:20pm

Hulu to charge for content

News Corp.'s new chief digital officer, Jonathan Miller, has claimed that he foresees the future of the company's Hulu service to include paid content, according to DailyFinance. Most of the content likely would remain free, although a portion of the TV shows and movies could only be accessible with a subscription.

Nintendo outs black Wii, red DSi for Japan

06/04, 3:05pm

Nintendo Black Wii Red DSi

Nintendo in a late E3 update today added special colors for the Wii and DSi in its home country. Normally only available in white, the Wii will now come in a special black; the DSi has already been available in multiple colors but will get a bright red color trim. Both should sell at the same prices as regular colors.

Palm, Sprint don't expect large Pre lineups

06/04, 2:45pm

Palm Sprint on Lineups

Both Palm and Sprint late Wednesday said that they don't expect, and may want to avoid, long queues for the Pre. The smartphone creator's spokeswoman Lynn Fox admits that Palm expects a slow build-up rather than an immediate rush and thus that crowded stores alone wouldn't work. Palm is "not like Apple" and can't expect to trigger the same behavior, she says.

Fifth Avenue Apple Store posts $440 million in sales

06/04, 2:45pm

Apple Store posts $440M

Apple's flagship store in New York City has proven extremely profitable, reporting sales of approximately $440 million a year, according to the New York Post. Part of this may be attributable to people shopping less in the SoHo area, instead purchasing more goods at Fifth Avenue stores. Such behavior would be odd however, considering that Fifth Avenue stores typically have shorter hours than their SoHo counterparts. The Fifth Avenue Apple Store pulls in at least some extra revenue as a result of being open 24 hours a day.

Apple patent describes file transfer between handsets

06/04, 2:25pm

iPhone media patent

A patent filing submitted by Apple describes technology for transferring media content between mobile devices. While the iPhone is already capable of sending a variety of data, the patent specifically outlines methods to transfer media while the user is still in the middle of a phone call. The technology would eliminate the need for users to end a call to share media with the person on the other end of the connection.

iPhone apps: Penetrator, SlickShopper, Tap Forms

06/04, 2:25pm

Photo Effect, FeedFalls

Penetrator ($1) is a game where players must guide their spaceship through a cave while avoiding obstacles and collecting bonuses. The game features three different environments each with its own physics characteristics. The actual levels are generated in real time meaning that each one will be unique. The game is presented as a 2D side scroller and the controls consist of tapping on the screen to fly upwards and releasing to fly down.

DealNN: Sharp Aquos Blu-ray, unibody MBP, more

06/04, 2:20pm

DealNN: Sharp Aquos Bluray

Today's featured deal of the day from DealNN is on the Sharp Aquos Blu-ray player from OneCall.com. It is regularly priced at $249.95, but has been reduced to $219.95, and a fathers day promo code drops the price again by $20 to $199.95 making this the lowest total price we could find on this Blu-ray player by about $45. The Sharp Blu-ray player features 1080p HD-resolution and provides playback of Blu-ray discs as well as DVDs and CDs with full up-conversion.

Sony to let PSP Go buyers download UMD games

06/04, 1:55pm

PSP Go UMD Good Will Plan

Sony today indicated that it would let new owners of its upcoming PSP Go download digital copies of games they already own on UMD. Hardware marketing director John Koller tells Gizmodo that Sony is developing a "good will" program which would be limited to either when the games or the PSP Go units were purchased. Koller likens it to Blu-ray's Portable Copy, which gives owners of the physical media a free second copy optimized for digital players.

T-Mobile HTC Dash 3G and Touch Pro2 training to begin

06/04, 1:50pm

TMobile HTC training

T-Mobile is allegedly set to begin internal training on the HTC Dash 3G, also known as the Snap, and the Touch Pro2, according to a leaked schedule posted on the Boy Genius Report. The events are scheduled to begin on June 16th and last through July 2nd in the Baltimore area. The carrier is expected to launch the devices shortly after the training is completed, likely sometime later in July.

Pioneer ships Blu-ray player trio to US shelves

06/04, 1:30pm

Pioneer 2009 Blu-ray Ships

Pioneer this afternoon said it had started shipping the three Blu-ray movie players it first introduced at CES this year. The Elite BDP-23FD is its flagship with both expected BD Live support as well as a Precision Quartz Lock System the company says avoids jitter in audio playback; it also has "audiophile-grade" capacitors and better-than-average construction. The BDP-23FD carries 48-bit color, 7.1-channel audio and RS-232 support for its $599 price.

RIM snatching up Dash Navigation?

06/04, 1:10pm

RIM acquiring Dash?

Dash Navigation has been acquired, without fanfare, by BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, according to GPS Business News. The site claims to have learned the information from a trusted source, who also comments that negotiations are essentially finished. Neither RIM nor Dash have spoken up to confirm or deny any talk of acquisition.

Apps: ResizeMe, Mac Shutdown X, ScreenSharingMenulet

06/04, 12:20pm

Presto, Notes

ResizeMe 2.1 ($26) is a batch image and photo editor that can resize, scale, rotate and flip multiple images and photos at once. The application is capable of handling most of the common image formats including JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PDF, JP2, SGI and TGA. The update has added the ability to rename files with the search and replace function, and allows images to be imported by dragging them to the dock icon. Photos can also now be edited in place as opposed to copies being saved in other locations. [Download - 1.2MB]

VUDU first with purchasable Disney HD movies

06/04, 12:10pm

VUDU Disney HD Movies

VUDU today added movies from Disney's various studios to its catalog in a significant expansion of its catalog. The initial roster includes about 60 titles and focuses more on mature titles such as No Country for Old Men but also includes children's titles like High School Musical 3. In a first, the device and video provider also claims to be the first to offer permanent, purchasable versions of these movies in HD. Competitors like iTunes are currently limited to renting in HD and purchasing in standard resolution.

Piper Jaffray holds to doubts on WWDC, iPhone

06/04, 12:10pm

Piper on WWDC doubts

The high expectations for next week's WWDC gathering in San Francisco may result in disappointment for a lot of onlookers, argues Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. Although no longer talking about a postponed iPhone announcement, Munster notes that even if new hardware is announced at WWDC, it may be unlikely to ship until mid-July, much like the iPhone 3G in 2008. Other commentators have also called for a $99 iPhone, but it is thought that a more realistic low end could be $149.

Alltel intros 1-year contracts, same phone prices

06/04, 11:55am

Alltel one year contracts

Alltel Wireless has announced that it will soon offer one-year service contracts for new or renewing subscribers in certain areas. The company claims the phone prices will remain level with the two-year pricing. If true, the carrier would diverge from many of its peers that typically place considerably higher price tags on handsets that are acquired with a shorter contract.

NEC intros 43-inch curved computer display

06/04, 11:40am

NEC CRV43 Display

NEC today claimed the lead as the first mainstream company to ship an extra-wide, continguous desktop display. The CRV43 has a 43-inch, unbroken screen that handles resolutions up to 2880x900. Its 3.2:1 aspect ratio is wide enough to almost completely fill peripheral vision and makes it ideal for simulations, where off-angle views are important, as well as home offices and professional situations where having multiple large windows open is essential.

Patent depicts Classic-like iPod with multi-touch

06/04, 11:15am

Multi-touch iPod classic?

The US Patent and Trademark Office has published a new Apple patent application, depicting an as-yet-unseen form of iPod. Though resembling the Classic, the theoretical player has the notable addition of a taller screen, in keeping with the widescreen ratios now used for the Nano, Touch and iPhone. At the heart of the patent is a multi-touch scrollwheel, which would enable functions more advanced than those possible with the current clickwheel.

Belkin intros TuneCast with iPhone 3.0 app

06/04, 11:05am

Belkin TuneCast Auto Live

Belkin on Thursday became one of the first hardware accessory makers to take advantage of iPhone OS 3.0's support for third-party peripherals. When it ships, the new TuneCast Auto Live will have an iPhone app to let owners pick a clear FM channel for broadcasting the audio from an iPhone or iPod touch to a car's sound system; previous add-ons have had to include their own hardware controls. It will also exploit the iPhone's GPS to find the likeliest clear frequencies based on location.

Analyst: Supplier checks indicate several new iPhones

06/04, 11:00am

Analyst says 2 iPhones

Kaufmann Brothers analyst Shaw Wu has reiterated his claim that Apple is prepared to launch several new iPhone models; a more powerful version and a "junior" model or mid-range device with reduced functionality. The analyst cites supply chain checks that indicate new hardware. AT&T and other iPhone carriers could also allow customers to choose from a wider variety of services and pricing structures.

HTC Hero, Lancaster due at June 24th event?

06/04, 10:40am

HTC Hero at June 24 Event

HTC's teaser for a June 24th event is to introduce its upcoming Hero Android phone and with a twist, Taiwan's Economic Daily News said today. The device shown in videos to date is just one variant and will be supported by a version known as the Memphis with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Its American counterpart will be the Lancaster due for AT&T, the leak claims.

Intel to buy Wind River in mobile push

06/04, 10:10am

Intel to Buy Wind River

Intel on Thursday said it would buy embedded software developer Wind River for $884 million in cash. The deal is mutual and is aimed directly at improving Intel's stance in the mobile space. As the purchaser, Intel expects to improve both its hardware and software in the field; it sees this as especially helpful for smartphones and mobile Internet devices but also anticipates Wind River helping anywhere embedded systems are useful, such as in-car media systems and set-top boxes.

Psystar bankruptcy linked to legal costs

06/04, 9:50am

Psystar bankruptcy cause

Legal costs account for the bulk of Psystar's outside debts, court bankruptcy documents reveal. Having filed for Chapter 11 protection late last month, the company has been forced to disclose what it owes and to whom. While the greatest amount of debt is situated in a $120,000 loan from the company's founder, Rudy Pedraza, another $88,000 is due to Carr & Ferrell, the lawfirm that has represented Psystar in its battles with Apple over Mac cloning. The firm has intellectual property experience and has successfully dueled with Apple in the past.

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 reaches Verizon

06/04, 9:35am

BBerry Pearl Flip at VZW

Verizon today at last made public its version of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230. The carrier's version of the clamshell comes only in silver but adds VZ Navigator for using the built-in GPS in addition to RIM's built-in BlackBerry Maps. It also supports Verizon's Visual Voice Mail app for out-of-order messages.

Palm Pre reviews: closest rival to iPhone

06/04, 9:15am

Palm Pre Review Roundup

Reviews have surfaced today for the Palm Pre that suggest the device is the closest rival to the iPhone but has drawbacks that may limit its scope. The New York Times' David Pogue describes it as the "iPhone remixed" and an "elegant, joyous" device. He praises webOS as very smooth and particularly highlights app multitasking, which isn't possible with iPhones. He also singles out Synergy, which merges offline and online contacts, as well as the native iTunes sync, as strong points.

Sony Ericsson bows eco-friendly GreenHeart phones

06/04, 8:05am

Sony Ericsson GreenHeart

As expected, Sony Ericsson on Thursday pledged itself to an environmentally friendly track with the launch of its GreenHeart line. The C901 GreenHeart and Naite (both links active soon) are both made of at least 50 percent recycled plastic and have ambient light sensors that dim the display to save power. Apps onboard each also encourage non-car transportation with the C901 comparing walking routes versus driving, while the Naite has a carbon footprint calculator for trips.

Mossberg hints new iPhone in Palm Pre review

06/04, 7:25am

Mossberg Hints new iPhone

Veteran columnist Walt Mossberg hinted in his Palm Pre review late yesterday at the release of the next iPhone. The writer is adamant that the new Apple phone is due next week and cautions that some of Palm's equality or superiority in features is likely to be hurt by the new iPhone, which "will have lots of added features." He also expects to see many of the features that have previously been rumored, including a sharper camera with video capture, a faster processor, a magnetometer-based compass and 32GB of internal storage.