News Archive for 09/07/02

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TeamViewer releases add-on database tool

07/02, 11:10pm

TeamViewer Manager

TeamViewer has released its add-on database tool, TeamViewer Manager for Mac, geared for large companies or call centers. The software provides tools to help users manage their partners in an arranged database, while storing client information in files and folders. The database can also be shared over a network with other supporters. For future reference, users can record and save the start and finish times for each session, along with information detailing which supporters completed the sessions.

Samsill announces Altego Clear Laptop Sleeves

07/02, 10:15pm

Clear Laptop Sleeve

Samsill Corporation has announced the Clear Laptop Sleeve, its latest laptop accessory under the Altego brand. The new cases feature a transparent front panel with Air Cushion technology to help protect the laptop from shock, impact and vibration, and a back panel that consists of a water resistant neoprene with Molded EVA Cushion Cell lining, to protect against bumps. Each sleeve consists of independent air capsules to prevent the laptop from being damaged if one were to break, and are checkpoint friendly.

Canto announces single-user edition of Cumulus

07/02, 10:00pm

Canto Single User

Canto has announced Canto Single User, the return of its Canto-branded digital asset management (DAM). Based on Cumulus 8 technologies, the software provides an interface for cataloging and organizing any type of digital file. Canto is designed for both professionals and hobbyist’s and enables users to manage files stored on local drives, CDs and DVDs, networked computers and networked attached devices. Users can also share their files with other people through the web or e-mail.

Trend Micro intros Smart Surfing for Mac 1.5 beta

07/02, 9:50pm

Smart Surfing for Mac 1.5

Trend Micro has announced the beta release of Smart Surfing for Mac 1.5, a new version of its identity and data protection software for Mac OS X. The new beta is designed to help test the updated software, while enabling the company to make improvements based on feedback given by users. Trend Micro is offering beta participants a chance to win prizes including an 8GB iPod nano or iPod shuffle, while the first 200 users receive a free one-year license.

PasswordWallet 4.4.7 improves voice-over, auto-typing

07/02, 9:05pm

PasswordWallet 4.4.7 ships

Selznick Scientific has released Password Wallet 4.4.7, an update to its password-management software for Mac OS X and the iPhone. PasswordWallet can organize passwords into different categories, allowing groupings such as website logins, credit card passwords, credentials and others. The application can export to text, Safari bookmarks, encrypted web pages and text-to-iPod. It works using a master password and retrieves, synchronizes and copies passwords, with support for auto-type across multiple web pages. PasswordWallet utilizes BlowFish encryption algorithms with 448-bit keys, while users can keep the master password in the OS X Keychain.

Abilene Christian University freshmen get iPhone 3GS

07/02, 8:40pm

ACU buys iPhone 3GS

Abilene Christian University has expanded its Mobile Learning program to include the new iPhone 3GS. As part of the university's orientation session, all of the incoming freshman have been outfitted with Apple's handsets. Although the students will not fully utilize the devices on campus until the fall, they will have a chance over the summer to familiarize themselves with the technology.

Apple issues heat warning for iPhone 3G and 3GS

07/02, 7:45pm

iPhone heat guidelines

Apple has provided a set of guidelines to help prevent users from overheating their iPhone 3G and 3GS handsets. Although the support page does not directly acknowledge the widespread reports of excessive heat with the new 3GS model, the company suggests the handsets should be operated in temperatures below 95℉ (35℃) and stored in areas that do not exceed 113℉ (45℃).

QuickerTek launches Apple Juicz iPhone, iPod battery

07/02, 7:25pm

Apple Juicz battery ships

QuickerTek has launched a new external battery, the Apple Juicz, for iPhones, the iPod touch and other iPods. The 2200 mAh polymerized Lithium-ion battery measures 1.75- x 2.5- x .375-inch and connects through the data port and offers roughly three times the battery life of the iPhone internal battery. The Apple Juicz is rated for an additional 30 hours of music, six additional hours of video or three extra hours of talk time when used with an iPhone. the battery charges via the iPhone's USB charging cable, taking about three hours to fully charge. It has a built-in LED battery level indicator.

ExactScan 2 Pro adds OCR, barcode scanning, more

07/02, 7:20pm

ExactScan 2 Pro ships

ExactCODE GmbH has released ExactScan 2 Pro, adding a professional version of its ExactScan 2 software for scanning or converting documents to PDF files. ExactScan's professional version adds optical character recognition (OCR) and barcode scanning, and can produce searchable PDF files, in addition to standard PDF and Tiff files. The pro version can also handle multi-page PDFs. The latest version of both pro and standard ExactScan, v2.7, can autoscan on paper placement, automatically crops on flatbed source and realigns paper sizes on source changes.

Jammie Thomas plans to appeal $2m RIAA ruling

07/02, 6:25pm

RIAA defendant to appeal

Jammie Thomas-Rasset plans to appeal the recent court decision ordering her to pay $1.92 million in a case involving the RIAA. The legal battle has followed several twists, with the initial filing only leading to damages totaling $222,000 before the decision was thrown out. The federal jury present for the retrial, however, tacked on another $1.7 million.

Indie Developer Pavilion comes to Macworld SF 2010

07/02, 5:00pm

IDG Indie Dev. Pavilion

IDG World Expo has announced the Independent Developer Pavilion, a new floor area dedicated exclusively to independent Mac software developers. Available for Macworld 2010, the area is intended to attract attention from media, shoppers, industry and potential investors. When taking part in the Pavilion, developers are asked simply to bring a notebook and their product, as IDG will provide the remaining services and equipment.

MCS Music sues Microsoft, Yahoo, Real Networks

07/02, 4:50pm

MCS sues MS, Yahoo, Real

MCS Music America has filed a lawsuit against Real Networks, Yahoo and Microsoft over alleged music copyright infringements earlier this week. The copyright administration company claims the defendants breached copyright on several pieces of music and their artists. MCS represents a large number of other plaintiffs and says streaming music services such as Rhapsody, Zune and Yahoo Music allow users to retain the copyrighted tracks for an extended period of time, saying the defendants are required to obtain the rights for such a form of distribution.

Digital Vision intros GiGo Freeview TV recorder

07/02, 4:30pm

GiGo digital TV recorder

Digital Vision on Thursday announced the upcoming launch of its GiGo Digital TV Recorder, which allows users to record Freeview digital transmissions straight onto a USB thumb drive in MPEG2 format. There is no built-in hard drive, as with other DVR products, and the GiGo is meant to appeal to users who miss their VCR rather than avid home theater enthusiasts.

iPresentee announces iWeb Intros add-on

07/02, 4:30pm

iPresentee iWeb Intros

iPresentee has announced iWeb Intros, a set of Flash welcome clips meant for Apple's iWeb design tool. The templates can either stand on their own, or be incorporated into an existing static template. Arrangements in the initial package include Desert, Groove, Paint, Splatter, Dreamy Intro and Multilingual Greetings.

Facebook iPhone app to get image zoom, uploads

07/02, 4:25pm

Facebook iPhone app

Facebook is preparing an update to its popular iPhone app, with several features designed to take advantage of the latest firmware, according to Inside Facebook. Facebook 3.0 integrates a new menu selection for news feeds, along with a section for organizing events or sending RSVPs. Users can create new photo albums, view profile picture albums or upload content, while image viewing supports zoom.

Nokia 6790 Surge due at AT&T in mid July

07/02, 4:15pm

Nokia 6780 AT&T in July

First spotted just over a month ago, the Nokia 6790 Surge got a one-month delay in its launch date at wireless provider AT&T. While an exact date is not announced, sources believe the phone, which used to go by the codename Mako, will appear sometime in mid-July. Some preliminary specs of the sliding QWERTY handset include a 2.4-inch, 240x320 display, and quad-band GSM and dual-band HSDPA support. The Surge is also one of a handful of mid-range Nokia phones equipped with the smartphone-grade Symbian S60 operating system.

Packard Bell updates imedia desktop PCs

07/02, 4:05pm

Packard Bell imedia update

Packard Bell has recently updated its imedia series of desktops with a 60 percent smaller footprint and a matte chassis and soft curves along with a glowing blue power button. Buyers can pick from a range of processors, including Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom II X4 quad-core chips, and option up to 8GB of RAM. Storage space can be as large as 1TB, and there is an optional Blu-ray drive.

TurningPoint AnyWhere 2.0 upgrades interface

07/02, 3:55pm

TurningPoint AnyWhere 2.0

Turning Technologies has launched a new version of its poll creation and sharing software, TurningPoint Anywhere 2.0. The software features a floating toolbar, which allows users to poll in any application and receive a display of both questions and results. Version 2.0 delivers an improved interface, a function for creating and storing questions in advance, and dynamic charts for real-time results during polling.

Toshiba TG01 coming to Orange UK

07/02, 3:50pm

Toshiba TG-01 at Orange UK

While it was reported just yesterday that Toshiba's first full touchscreen smartphone, the TG01, will be officially unveiled at a launch event in London on July 9th, it is now known the handset will make its debut in the UK at provider Orange on the same date. The wireless provider already has a product page up for the device; pricing is unknown but may be unveiled at the July 9th launch event.

China's Inkia outs two Atom-powered MIDs

07/02, 3:40pm

Inkia shows Atom MIDs

Chinese electronics maker Inkia has recently launched a pair of nameless Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) powered by 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPUs, with both 7-inch and 5-inch versions. Each is equipped with an 800x480 resolution touchscreen, 1GB of RAM and solid state drive storage up to 32GB. The preloaded operating system is either Linux or Windows XP. Other features common to either system include 3G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.

Broken iPhone screens now replaceable at retail

07/02, 3:35pm

Retail iPhone screen swaps

Owners of an iPhone with a broken screen can now have the display replaced at an Apple Store, reports say. Apple has typically kept most of its iPhone repairs out of retail, instead relying on central facilities to have a device fixed if it is not simply swapped. Replacing a display involves a special machine, which removes the old one using suction, allowing a new one to be attached with minimum struggle.

Sony: disc-free PSP planned from the start

07/02, 3:25pm

Sony Planned Disc Free PSP

Sony's PlayStation product planning head Naoya Matsui today told Japanese publication GameBusiness that the company had always planned a version of the PSP without the UMD drive. He claims that the company had wanted downloadable games from the handheld's launch in 2004 but that it wasn't feasible until the PSP Go due to infrastructure. It was necessary to have not just simple download to the system itself but a means of getting games from a PS3 to the PSP as well as an easier sync process for loading games, movies and music.

Sprint plans 3G femtocell before AT&T

07/02, 2:55pm

Sprint 3G Femtocell Soon

Sprint this week staked its ground and claimed it would be the first US carrier to have a 3G femtocell. The company was already the first American firm to have any kind of femtocell in the Samsung Airave but now says to Unstrung that it should beat AT&T to having a device that can share 3G data with the home, improving reception for some smartphones and other devices that don't have their own Wi-Fi. Most current femtocells only boost voice service by creating a miniature cellular signal that pipes all data through a home Internet link.

Microsoft to sell Windows 7 family packs

07/02, 2:15pm

Windows 7 Fam Pack Leak

An investigation of Microsoft's licensing for Windows 7 has revealed today that the company plans to introduce a Family Pack bundle for the new OS when it ships in October. Kristan Kenney has found installation rights for "qualified" Family Pack owners that give owners of that special copy the option of installing it on two extra PCs without encountering activation problems. The Family Pack only appears for the Home Premium edition's license and not for Professional or Ultimate.

Public irate at lack of Windows 7 Ultimate upgrade

07/02, 1:50pm

No cheap Win 7 Ultimate?

A number of prospective buyers are upset at the absence of a cheaper upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate, accounts suggest. While those moving to Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional may be eligible for Microsoft's discount program, a copy of Ultimate is currently only available at the full $220 price, even if a person already owns Vista Ultimate. "Vista Ultimate owners have already been ripped off once in paying for basically worthless 'Extras,'" says corporate IT worker Lindsey Mundy. "Now to rub salt in the wound, MS is leaving them out...for some reason best only known to them, when offering a reasonable upgrade price for Windows 7."

Bridgestone shows fast e-paper display

07/02, 1:40pm

Bridgestone e-paper screen

With the introduction of its latest A4-sized electronic paper display, Bridgestone recently announced it will begin supplying e-book makers with the product. At the same time, Bridgestone will offer a development kit to help developers create prototypes of new devices using the Bridgestone e-paper technology. The latest e-paper display from Bridgestone is ten times faster than the company's previous effort, with a 0.8-second rewrite speed for the 8.3 by 11.7-inch display.

T-Mobile's Touch Pro2 delayed to August 12th?

07/02, 12:40pm

T-Mo Touch Pro2 Aug 12

T-Mobile's version of the HTC Touch Pro2 may ship later than originally expected if sources are truthful. Initially assumed to ship on the 22nd, the phone may now not show until August 12th based on TmoNews' information. Why the delay exists isn't known, but the date would follow a week after the expected August 5th ship date for the myTouch 3G and may be tailored to keep the Pro2 from undermining the Android phone's bigger launch.

iPhone 3GS behind AT&T's 'best-ever sales day?'

07/02, 12:35pm

iPhone 3GS launch record?

The iPhone 3GS launch on June 19th produced a "best-ever sales day" for AT&T's retail stores, a leaked memo is said to claim. The carrier similarly notes that it experienced its second-largest amount of one-day foot traffic, and the most transactions and upgrade eligibilities it has ever had to process. This comes despite also recording the largest-ever number of phone and feature orders through the AT&T website.

EU scraps plan to tax phones with GPS, TV

07/02, 12:20pm

EU gives up on phone taxes

In some good news for local cell phone manufacturers, the European Union's plan to introduce new taxes for handsets sold throughout Europe has been scrapped, says a Wednesday report. The new taxes would have raised prices customers pay for new phones and most likely lowered the sales numbers of an already falling market. The decision came from Sweden, which hosts the rotating presidency of the EU, and will mean the Customs Code Committee will continue to treat cell phones as duty-free items.

HTC Hero shows at FCC with AT&T-ready 3G

07/02, 12:10pm

HTC Hero at FCC

HTC's Hero is likely bound for AT&T if an FCC filing is indicative of plans. The test entries show the phone using both the 850MHz and 1,900MHz bands that would be necessary for HSPA-based 3G on AT&T's network and which aren't present in the current version, which only recognizes Asia- and Europe-friendly 900MHz and 2,100MHz frequencies.

Palm Pre demand has 'settled'

07/02, 11:55am

JPMorgan on Pre Demand

Sales of the Palm Pre have cooled off to where supply is keeping up with demand, JPMorgan analyst Paul Coster said in an investment note today. He believes that about 270,000 Pres will have shipped in the first month of sales but that waiting lists have largely been reduced, revealing a near-ideal balance in what Palm ships each day. About 40,000 of the smartphones are estimated to now ship each week through Sprint directly, while more should also arrive through Best Buy and Radio Shack.

Apple aims for patents on iPhone RFID, haptics

07/02, 11:35am

iPhone RFID, haptics

A variety of Apple patent applications have been newly published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, exposing possibilities the company has been considering for the iPhone and iPod touch. Unusual filings include one for an RFID tag reader, which would be embedded within a handheld's touchscreen, allowing users to scan an RFID tag simply by passing the device over top. An iPod or iPhone could alternately be made to operate as a tag itself, quickly transmitting information such as personal identification.

LG prepping Black Label iPhone challenger, more

07/02, 11:10am

LG Black Label vs iPhone

LG is developing a new designer phone that would specifically target the iPhone, the company's wireless chief Ahn Seung-kwon told Korea's Yonhap today. Only providing a teaser, he says the future device would ship in the fall and come within Black Label series that has so far been reserved for LG's best non-smartphones, such as the Arena and Viewty.

Archos brings Win 7 tablet to US, dates Android

07/02, 10:20am

Archos 9 Coming to US

Archos on Thursday confirmed that it would port its Archos 9 PCtablet to the US. The ultra-mobile PC is due to arrive Stateside in the fall and is one of the first systems known to ship with Windows 7. Adding the OS both gives it reasonable performance with its 1.2GHz Atom chip as well as fuller support for the touchscreen features essential to the design.

AMD Radeon HD 4200 to fight NVIDIA's 9400?

07/02, 9:45am

Radeon HD 4200 Leak

AMD is developing an integrated graphics chipset for budget PCs that could take the performance crown in the category, a leaked roadmap shows. Codenamed RS880 but likely to be badged Radeon HD 4200 when it ships, the design will have a new graphics core that should run about 15 percent faster than "anything comparable" on the market, implying that NVIDIA's GeForce 9400 or 9400M may be the primary targets. The Inquirer adds that it should support AMD's Stream general-purpose computing technology and, by extension, would eventually support OpenCL.

Apple working to patch iPhone SMS vulnerability

07/02, 9:35am

Apple patching iPhone SMS

Apple is working to fix a critical vulnerability in the iPhone's text messaging function, says security researcher Charlie Miller. Presenting at the SyScan conference in Singapore, Miller explains that while he has agreed with Apple to avoid details -- at least until the next Black Hat USA meeting -- he can say that the vulnerability might allow a hacker to run exploits on a remote phone, using code sent through SMS. In theory an affected phone could be used to track a person's location, or listen in on ambient conversations; alternately, it could be made to participate in a botnet or a denial-of-service attack.

Samsung intros first phone with night vision camera

07/02, 9:20am

Samsung infrared cam phone

Samsung on Thursday announced the release of the SCH-W760, the first handset in the industry equipped with an infrared camera that allows users to hold video conference calls in low-light environments. The slider also has a traditional, rear-facing 3-megapixel camera and otherwise features a 2.8-inch AMOLED display with 240x400 resolution. There is also 8GB of internal memory and a microSD memory card slot for adding even more storage space.

Current CULV notebooks too cheaply built

07/02, 9:05am

CULV NBs Too Cheaply Made

Many of the Windows PC makers building ultraportable notebooks based on Intel's low-cost CULV platform are learning first-hand that their cheaper case designs aren't enough to sustain the systems, a research note from AmTech analyst Doug Freedman says. Many of the companies design the systems with plastic shells to keep their prices down but are discovering that the cases are cracking, often forcing major replacements. Which companies are affected aren't mentioned, but Lenovo and MSI are some of the first making systems in the category with the IdeaPad U350 and X-Slim line respectively.

MSI details colorful, CULV-based X400 ultraportable

07/02, 7:50am

MSI X-Slim X400 Detailed

MSI today rounded out the hardware specs for the last of the current wave of X-Slim ultraportables. The 14-inch X400 will be the more colorful model of the group with "personalized" color bezels around the lip of the frame and its trackpad. It's also billed as one of the thinnest, lightest systems at its screen size at under an inch thick and 3.3 pounds.

Sonos readying touchscreen controller

07/02, 7:15am

Sonos CR200 Leak

Sonos is poised to update its veteran home audio controller with its first touchscreen model as a leak has shown this morning. Where the existing controller depends on button controls and a small screen to steer the wireless audio system, the CR200 spotted by Automated Home would have a much smaller overall profile but a larger touchscreen as its near-exclusive interface. All the multi-room audio selection and track queuing of the current model appear to carry over, as would a charging cradle for power.