News Archive for 09/08/14

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iPhone apps: My Measures, Anitello, Presenter Pro

08/14, 5:50pm

CBC Radio, Budgeter

My Measures ($6) provides users with a way to store object dimensions on either their iPhone or iPod touch. Simply take a picture of the object, then measure it with a regular tape measure and input the data into the picture. All photos with dimensions can be saved to the mobile phone's photo library or e-mailed to other users. The app supports both portrait and landscape modes.

Palm Pre due for North America in GSM trim

08/14, 5:45pm

Palm Pre N America GSM Inf

Private standards groups today revealed Palm's intention to launch the Pre for North American GSM carriers. A new version known as P100UNA has been listed at the Wi-Fi Alliance, the Bluetooth SIG and TÜVRheinland and, given that a P100UEU version exists for the European GSM launch, confirms that a North American GSM model is enroute. It's assumed this version will have HSPA-based 3G on the 850MHz band used by AT&T and Rogers.

Mad Men chooses Apple distribution instead of TV

08/14, 5:35pm

Mad Men Apple exclusive

The TV drama series Mad Men is set to forgo distribution by its previous broadcasters in Canada, following a deal for exclusive online availability through Apple, according to Media in Canada. Viewers of earlier seasons will have to watch the third through iTunes Canada, or else the American channel AMC.

BenQ intros V-series Eco LED displays

08/14, 5:10pm

BenQ intros V-series LEDs

Electronics maker BenQ has recently introduced two new LED-backlit monitors, the 24-inch V2400 Eco and 21.5-inch V2200 Eco. The V2200 Eco is said to be the world's first widescreen LED monitor of its size. Either has a 1080p resolution, and BenQ claims zero light leakage for both, helping them to achieve a very high 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. The Eco in the name comes from an eco mode that reduces power consumption by 30 percent by managing brightness, power and contrast settings as well as totally mercury-free LED-lit panels.

Euro stores cut PS3s by €100 before slim model

08/14, 5:05pm

Euro PS3 Price Cut

Online retailers in Portugal and Spain today may have spoiled Sony's plans for the gamescom expo next week by cutting the price of the PlayStation 3 by at least €100 to about €300. Both are present-day 80GB models, though the Portugese cut by FNAC also bundles the high profile game Infamous at the same time.

Quake Live for Mac set to arrive on August 18th

08/14, 5:00pm

Quake Live for Mac

Following its promise to expand Quake Live to new platforms, id Software is ready to launch the Mac and Linux versions on August 18th. The game follows the same concept as the first-person shooter Quake III Arena, although played through a browser instead of a dedicated installation. The company admitted in May that the Mac and Linux versions proved to be more difficult than initially expected.

Lenovo recalls some ThinkPad batteries

08/14, 4:40pm

Lenovo recalls batteries

PC maker Lenovo has began recalling certain batteries used in its ThinkPad notebooks, Chinese daily DigiTimes reported on Friday. The possibly affected notebooks include the ThinkPad R60, R61, T60, T61, X60 and X61, though the issue isn't thought to be safety related. Some of the batteries may not be able to be charged or suffer from irreparable damage, Lenovo said. The company has provided users with a downloadable diagnostic tool that will show whether their battery qualifies for a replacement.

T-Mobile, Verizon top cellular support ranks

08/14, 4:35pm

JD Power Cell Support Rank

JD Power gave a rare three-way tie for the top spot in customer support among US cellular carriers this week. Alltel, T-Mobile USA and Verizon all earned the top spot with each receiving a 747-point score out of 1,000 and a full five-star rating. Each scored well in different areas. Alltel fared best with retail support, while T-Mobile was best in getting customers to live phone help and Verizon was the most efficient at solving problems.

Underwater puzzler Jewel of Atlantis comes to Macs

08/14, 4:30pm

Jewel of Atlantis ships

Enkord has ported Jewel of Atlantis 1.91 to the Mac platform. The game is a match-three puzzle title, set underwater; players explore a newly-uncovered ancient continent, searching for valuable treasures and relics. Two game modes are present, as are 19 relics which can be uncovered in over 100 levels.

iBiz 4.1 adds pop-up calendar, bugfixes

08/14, 4:15pm

iBiz 4.1 update released

IGG has released iBiz 4.1, an update of its time-tracking, billing and project management software. The app is geared toward freelancers and small businesses, and handles tasks like generating reports, estimates and invoices. New in v4.1 is a pop-up calendar featuring events, projects and to-dos. In total, the update includes over 20 bugfixes and enhancements. A new quick-start PDF guide is available on the IGG website.

HTC patents stylus for capacitive touchscreens

08/14, 4:05pm

HTC patents new stylus

Phone maker HTC has recently patented a stylus made to interact with capacitive touchscreens such as the ones found on its own Dream and Magic as well as rivals like the iPhone. Currently, styluses are used for resistive touchscreens, which respond to pressure and not pick up the electrical resistance created by the human finger, as do capacitive touchscreens. To give the new stylus more accuracy than a human finger while making it compatible with the capacitive screens, HTC has added a magnetic head.

Second lawsuit challenges iPhone MMS advertising

08/14, 3:50pm

Second iPhone MMS lawsuit

A second class action lawsuit has been filed over Apple and AT&T's lack of MMS messaging support, documents show. Submitted in a US district court for southern Illinois, on behalf of Tim Meeker and other unnamed plaintiffs, the suit accuses Apple and AT&T of having "misrepresented and/or concealed, suppressed, or omitted material facts as to the iPhone having MMS functionality." Representing Meeker's party is the lawfirm of Rosenblum, Schwartz, Rogers, Glass, P.C..

Prototype 3G iPod touch surfaces with camera [U]

08/14, 3:45pm

3G iPod Touch Prototype

(Updated with video) A prototype of a third-generation iPod touch has been spotted today courtesy of images sent by the satellite radio show Covino and Rich. The collection of shots by the Maxim-run program show an opened device that appears near-identical to the current model but with a camera at top center, matching numerous case leaks. It also shows a small hole next to the camera that likely represents a microphone for rumored movie recording.

Cocktail album format to be debuted at Apple event?

08/14, 3:25pm

Cocktail at iPod event

Although Apple has remained silent regarding the exact date and subject of its special event scheduled for the week of September 7th, many believe the company will update its iPod product line. Others speculate that Apple will also introduce the rumored "Cocktail" format that bundles a whole album with additional content such as interactive booklets, sleeve notes, lyric sheets and artwork, according to CNET News.

Verizon testing 4G in Boston, Seattle by year's end

08/14, 3:25pm

Verizon LTE trials in 2009

Verizon Wireless will debut its next-generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G data network in trials in the metropolitan Boston and Seattle areas before year's end, according recent according to recent comments by carrier president Denny Strigl. Beyond that, the carrier plans to bring the ultra high-speed wireless data network standard to as many as 30 markets, Strigl said. By the end of 2013, Verizon hopes to offer the service in all of its markets.

More specs of Nokia 5900 XpressMusic leak

08/14, 3:00pm

Nokia 5900 XM specs

A Friday ElectricPig post has confirmed some previously reported specs for the successor to the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic handset, the 5900 XpressMusic. Other than the higher-resolution 5-megapixel camera (versus 3.2 megapixels), there is also a larger 3.5-inch screen with the same 360x640 resolution and 128MB of RAM, putting it more on par with the higher-end N97.

Sony asking iPhone devs to write for PSP?

08/14, 2:45pm

iPhone Devs Lured to PSP

Sony has been recruiting existing iPhone game developers to build versions of games for the PSP ahead of the launch of the download-only PSP Go, sources said on the Friday ahead of Germany's gamescom expo. While the specific titles haven't been named, Pocket Gamer explained they would all be titles that could port to the slightly smaller resolution display as well as without touch. The move would help bulk up Sony's initial game library for PSN beyond retail-level titles.

PCalc 3.5 adds '2nd' key, new functions

08/14, 2:30pm

PCalc update

TLA Systems has released an update to its calculator application, PCalc. Version 3.5 brings the Mac variant up to speed with the company's iPhone app, with new tools such as a '2nd' key to show additional functions. Users can now perform calculations involving functions such as hyperbolic trig, hypotenuse, gamma, delta percentage, memory/stack clear and last x.

Specs leak of Dell's first smartphone

08/14, 2:10pm

Dell mini3i specs leaked

Full, albeit unofficial specs of Dell's mini3i smartphone have been leaked, answering nearly all questions about its first handset. The Android-powered phone will reportedly be more advanced than most Android phones with a 3.5-inch, 640x360 display as well as one of the first implementations of multi-touch on the Google platform. If so, the launch might come before the formal release of Android 2.0, which is rumored to get official multi-touch support.

China limits plans for web filtering software

08/14, 1:55pm

China holds on web filters

The Chinese government has relented in its plans to impose web filtering software on computers, a statement from the country's industry and technology minister suggests. Li Yizhong claims that the Communist Party will "absolutely not" force installation of Green Dam-Youth Escort on every computer sold in the country, despite the fears of both corporations and political dissenters. Nominally meant to block pornography, critics have claimed that the software could easily be used to extend censorship beyond current network filtering techniques.

Dr. Dre, HP to develop audiophile gear

08/14, 12:50pm

Dre and HP Beats Gear Soon

Interscope Records is enlisting the help of Dr. Dre as well as HP for an initiative that would boost the quality of audio on computers, the combination of a leak as well as some official information. While Interscope head Jimmy Iovine will only acknowledge that the label hopes to improve quality across the "entire chain" from the files themselves to listening devices, CNET hears from music industry contacts that HP will launch high-end notebooks, earphones and software with Dr. Dre's "Beats" label sometime in the fall. Specifics of the arrangement weren't included.

Qik video streaming comes to iPhone 3G S

08/14, 12:45pm

Qik for the iPhone 2G S

Qik has announced its video streaming application is now available to download for the iPhone 3G S. Qik allows users to take videos directly from the iPhone 3G S camera roll, and upload them onto their favourite blog or website. All videos are automatically archived to Qik.com, where they can be shared and posted on websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. When recording a video using the app users also have the ability to frame their footage in either a horizontal or vertical style.

China Unicom denies placing iPhone order

08/14, 12:40pm

Unicom denies iPhone order

China Unicom is again denying reports that it has closed a deal with Apple, according to the Associated Press. "Talks between us and Apple have been going on for some time, but no agreement has been reached yet," says Unicom spokesman Yi Difei. "There are all kinds of possibilities. There is no particular timetable for the talks," he elaborates.

iPhone 3GS owners happier than Palm Pre owners

08/14, 11:50am

iPhone 3GS vs Pre Happines

Those who bought an iPhone 3GS are much more likely to be very happy than those who bought the Palm Pre, a study by ChangeWave and RBC Capital Markets shows. At 99 percent, nearly all Apple smartphone buyers are satisfied on at least a basic level with what they bought. Of those, an extremely high 82 percent are "very" satisfied. By comparison, 87 percent of all Pre buyers are satisfied, but only 45 percent of those are very satisfied.

Apple board set to meet on Schmidt replacement

08/14, 11:35am

AAPL board to talk Schmidt

Apple's board of directors will meet on Tuesday in order to suggest replacements for Google CEO Eric Schmidt, claims a source contacted by the Wall Street Journal. Schmidt resigned from the Apple board earlier this month amidst growing conflicts of interest, which were ultimately capped by the announcement of Chrome OS. The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating links between Apple and Google's boards, which go beyond Schmidt to Genentech chairman Arthur Levinson.

Apple preparing for early Snow Leopard release?

08/14, 10:50am

Early Snow Leopard release

Amid rumors that Apple is preparing to release the Snow Leopard update ahead of schedule, Amazon has changed the ship date of Wiley Publishing's Mac OS X Snow Leopard Bible to August 31st, according to Macworld.co.uk. Apple has not adjusted its initial expectation of a September launch window, however.

Lightroom to join Creative Suite in going Intel-only

08/14, 10:40am

Lightroom going Intel-only

Lightroom, Adobe's workflow tool for photographers, will officially join other programs from the company in going Intel-only. The announcement follows a similar one for the Creative Suite, revealing that its PowerPC support will be phased out in a manner reflecting the switch in Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Apps in the Creative Suite include titles like Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop.

Verizon again clearing BlackBerries via promo

08/14, 10:20am

Verizon BBerry BOGO Again

Verizon has launched a second and more ambitious Buy One Get One promo to help move BlackBerries in what's likely a sign of a new wave of devices, a tip today reveals. Now called BOGA (possibly Buy One Get Anything), the BGR-discovered deal will let anyone buying a BlackBerry get a free device that would normally cost as much or less; unlike the older promo, this can include not only BlackBerries but non-rival devices like 3G modems or subsidized netbooks. It's unclear if this is already active, but the discounts would end October 10th.

Several Apple execs to be deposed in Psystar battle

08/14, 9:55am

Psystar grills Apple execs

A group of Apple executives has begun to answer deposition in the company's ongoing legal dispute with Psystar, the latter party has revealed. People who have already addressed questions relating to Psystar's defense include John Wright, a senior software manager for Mac OS X, and Kevin van Vechten, a software engineering manager. Thursday saw questions directed towards Phil Schiller, Apple's senior VP for worldwide product marketing, and one of the company's most prominent public faces.

HTC Leo leak shows design, capacitive touch

08/14, 9:25am

New HTC Leo photos leaked

A Friday ai.rs rumor has the latest leaked photos of the upcoming HTC Leo handset, which are much different than what was previously believed to be the look of the device. Some of the previously leaked specs also seem to be confirmed by this latest report, including the 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen. The other specs, including a 5-megapixel camera with dual LEDs, 512MB of built-in memory, 320MB of RAM and a microSD slot, are also seemingly confirmed.

MS luring iPhone developers for Zune apps?

08/14, 9:00am

Zune HD 3rd Party App Leak

Microsoft is actively trying to poach iPhone developers to give the Zune HD a true third-party app platform, according to assertions by one developer. The producer of an unnamed Twitter client for the iPhone tells John Gruber that he was asked earlier this year to port his app to a Microsoft platform with the promise of "a bucket of money" in compensation. The Windows firm's plans weren't clear at this early stage, but it's reportedly "certain" this was for the Zune HD rather than just Windows Mobile.

Apple to use two new NVIDIA platforms?

08/14, 8:20am

Apple and MCP89 MCP99

Apple will not only move on to a newer NVIDIA platform for its notebooks but may include a second chipset, insiders claimed on Friday. Those purportedly within the notebook business tell DigiTimes that Macs will use MCP89, the successor to the existing GeForce 9400M (MCP79), but also that the company will use MCP99, a largely unknown second part. Other sources posting today suggest that MCP89 will be used for Core 2 mobile processors while MCP99 would be targeted at Nehalem-based Core i5/i7 processors and their eventual 32 nanometer successors under the future Westmere architecture.