News Archive for 09/08/17

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Economy-x Talk intros TwistAWord game for Mac

08/17, 10:55pm

TwistAWord game for Mac

Economy-x Talk has announced TwistAWord, a cross-platform game in which players try to create phrases from a series of words. The game resembles the design of a tack board and delivers a randomly jumbled phrase that must be re-assembled by dragging and dropping the individual words into the correct order. The program also features a variety of sound effects and a help option that provides hints when the player makes a mistake.

ALK releases CoPilot nav app in N. America for $35

08/17, 10:50pm

CoPilot GPS on App Store

ALK Technologies has announced that its CoPilot Live GPS navigation iPhone app is now available for customers in North America. The app saves Canadian and US maps directly on the iPhone, enabling users to receive guidance when outside of cellular coverage and without accruing data fees.

i.TV 2.0 revamps iPhone universal remote app

08/17, 9:45pm

i.TV 2.0 announced

i.TV has introduced v2.0 of its self-titled universal remote utility for the iPhone. The application is used to control a media center, while providing up-to-date local TV or movie listings and a catalog titles available for digital download and DVD rental. The software's framework is included, allowing third-party developers to create their own remote controls for use on the i.TV platform.

Small Tree offers 10Gb Intel Gigabit Ethernet driver

08/17, 9:20pm

Small Tree network driver

Small Tree has announced its latest network driver software, based on the Intel 82599 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller. The driver is compatible with the next generation of Intel's Ethernet 10 Gigabit PCI Express Adapter. The network driver allows applications to interact with the computer hardware and aims to improve 10 gigabit connections.

Apple event slated for Sept. 9, no tablet?

08/17, 9:15pm

Apple Event Sept 9 Rumor

Apple's rumored music event for September has been narrowed down to Wednesday the 9th, a source close to the company says. True to the company's past practices, the event is likely to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and should focus on both Apple's now habitual iPod upgrades as well as a new version of iTunes that the All Things D tipster says may involve a "social element" like the Facebook, Last.fm and Twitter integration recently mentioned in a photo leak.

Apps: Default Folder, Mega Brickbash 3000, Capo

08/17, 8:50pm

App Update

Default Folder 4.3 ($15) provides faster access to favorite folders and open or save dialogs. The software remembers favorite folders, along with recently-used locations and application-specific favorites. The update adds support for Snow Leopard, including 64-bit optimizations, along with a variety of bug fixes. Version 4.3 also features the ability to list items chronologically in hierarchical menus using the Control key, while enabling Save As sheets to be automatically resized to fit the screen when switching between different sizes of computer displays. [Download - 10.5MB]

iPhone apps: Money Diary, Parachute Parade, FMP Ref

08/17, 8:15pm

RainbowNote, HomeValue Pro

Money Diary ($5) is a money management app that provides tools for keeping track of incomes and expenses. Users can do everything from organizing monthly budgets to adding new expense categories as situations arise. The app displays both short- and long-term graphs for comparing days and months, while users can take and store pictures of goods and bills using the iPhone's camera. All stored information can also be backed up to either a Mac or PC.

Spotify developers deny rumors of App Store rejection

08/17, 7:05pm

Spotify denies rejection

In response to a number of rumors allegedly originating with Swedish news outlets, Spotify has denied that its iPhone app has been rejected from the App Store, according to Macworld.co.uk. Separate rumors suggest the app did receive approval, although the developer has clarified that Apple has not yet responded with an official decision in either direction.

Apple's NC data center pointing to cloud computing?

08/17, 6:20pm

Apple data center theories

The gigantic size of Apple's upcoming data center has lead to speculation that the company might be planning a foray into cloud computing, according to Cult of Mac. Apple has not yet divulged its intentions for the facility, although it could also involve the company's MobileMe service or iTunes.

Wireless power nears final spec, testing

08/17, 5:50pm

Wireless Power 0 95 Spec

The Wireless Power Consortium today signaled it was getting closer to a finished release by releasing the 0.95 spec for its standard. The advancement gives members of the recently-formed group enough to help test interoperation between their devices and others, which themselves are getting closer. A first formal test is expected in Eindhoven, The Netherlands at the next meeting of the group, which doesn't have a readily publicized date for the event.

Analyst: Palm Pre sales down, Eos in 2010

08/17, 5:20pm

Morgan Joseph on Palm Eos

Palm could not only be facing cooling sales of its most important phone but a delay in a much-needed budget smartphone, Morgan Joseph analyst Ilya Grozovsky said in a note today. He estimates through checks that sales of the Pre halved from 200,000 during its June launch month to 100,000 in July and that they should fall again this month. If this occurs, it's expected that Palm would prop up the smartphone through a price cut.

Upcoming Nokia handsets appear in photo

08/17, 4:40pm

Nokia handsets spotted

A photo showing a number of upcoming Nokia handsets has reportedly come from a retailer, suggesting these devices are nearly ready for shipping. While no information comes with the image, the D-pad-less N97 mini is clearly visible in the image below the full-size N97, as well as certain other unannounced devices. To the right and in the center of the devices, the chrome-ringed touchscreen device resembles the successor to the 5800 XpressMusic, the 5900 XpressMusic.

iPhones more vulnerable to Internet-based threats?

08/17, 4:40pm

iPhones more vulnerable?

iPhones may be more susceptible to Internet-related threats, a recent Trend Micro survey suggests. The study is based on 1,000 smartphone users 18 years or older, and seeks to shed light on public beliefs about smartphone security. According to the survey, when compared with other smartphone users, iPhone owners generally use their phone's web browser more, and spend more time shopping online, visiting media-sharing websites, and sending and receiving larger quantities of e-mail, which can often involve URLs they click on. Malicious hackers and scammers may be drawn to the iPhone due to this fact, says Trend Micro.

iPhone becomes most-used camera on Flickr

08/17, 4:25pm

iPhone Most Used on Flickr

The iPhone has become the most frequently used camera for Flickr photos, according to the photo site's Camera Finder. While not providing a timeline for when this happened or its percentage of the market, the Yahoo-owned site shows that Apple's smartphone has just recently overtaken the Canon Digital Rebel XTi in overall popularity for submissions. About 12.4 million photos have been identified as coming from some form of iPhone, with an average of 5,017 users uploading photos every day.

Mystery Android-powered MID spotted

08/17, 4:25pm

Android MID spotted

An Android-powered touchscreen mobile Internet Device (MID) is in development if these photos found by >Pocketables are any indication. The photos reveal the device may also have some phone functionality and an external SD memory card slot as the words "SD card & phone storage" are visible on the handset's surface, though a microphone or speaker are not visible. Other than the touchscreen, there are just two controls in the form of hardware buttons on the top of the device.

Early NPD numbers point to Mac growth, iPod decline

08/17, 4:10pm

Piper on Apple Q4 forecast

Mac sales should do well in Apple's fourth financial quarter, says Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. Based on July NPD numbers, which grew 2 percent year-over-year, Munster forecasts that Mac sales will grow 3 to 7 percent during the September quarter as a whole. The figure is said to be roughly on par with Street predictions of 5 percent.

Microsoft intros 720p LifeCam Cinema

08/17, 4:00pm

MS intros 720p LifeCam

Microsoft has introduced what it calls the first true HD consumer web camera for PCs, with its LifeCam Cinema. Capable of taking 720p resolution video at 30 frames per second, the webcam sports a glass lens, autofocus, 4x digital zoom and an integrated noise-canceling microphone. The body of the camera is aluminum, while its stand can grip both desktops and notebooks. A Windows Live call button will fire up the cam for use with Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Movie Maker or Windows Live Photo Gallery.

Garmin prepping nuvi 1690 connected GPS

08/17, 3:45pm

Garmin nuvi 1690 at FCC

Garmin's plans to enter connected GPS units in earnest have been uncovered thanks to an FCC user manual filing (PDF) for its first receiver under the title. First shown only in testing, the nuvi 1690 will have a built-in cellular modem and will use an in-house service known as nuinfo that would let users find information through Google Local Search and receive temperature updates for their current area courtesy of the title bar. The data link will also be useful for live traffic updates and provide a means of searching for fuel prices and flight times.

Sony delaying larger OLED TV until 2010?

08/17, 3:20pm

Sony Large OLED Delayed

A larger Sony OLED TV will now have to wait until 2010 at the earliest, an apparent leak signaled today. Once on track for the end of the year, the set now isn't slated to show until next year at the earliest. Those reportedly passing on the information to the Wall Street Journal have portrayed it as an economic move, as Sony likely can't afford to worsen its losses by selling a TV that has little to no profit, as it does with the 11-inch XEL-1.

AKVIS Sketch 9.0 provides new conversion algorithm

08/17, 3:00pm

AKVIS Sketch 9.0 released

AKVIS has released v9.0 of one of its photo effect utilities, Sketch. The application converts photographs into color or black-and-white pencil drawings, as well as watercolor paintings. The latest version adds a new parameter field for edge definition, and the ability to manipulate the saturation of color pencil drawings. The update also includes the option to use a new conversion algorithm or the original, plus edit the thickness and sharpness of filter outlines.

Sprint's WiMAX live in Atlanta, Portland, Vegas

08/17, 2:55pm

Sprint 4G ATL Port Vegas

Sprint this afternoon switched on its promised WiMAX-based 4G Internet service in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Portland. The wide-area wireless gives users peak download speeds of more than 10Mbps and real-world averages of between 3Mbps and 6Mbps. Subscriptions vary depending on whether the device is static and range from $25 per month for a fixed-in-place connection to $30 for mobile and $50 for both services at once.

HTC Click, Mega due end of summer?

08/17, 2:35pm

HTC Click and Mega Soon

HTC's Click and Mega are both due in roughly two months' time, a Merrill Lynch analyst said on Monday. Without pointing to sources, researcher Laura Chen said the respective Android- and Windows Mobile-based phones would ship in late summer or early fall and that the raw cost of shipping either should sit at $300. Either is likely to cost carriers more, though for any US release the costs would likely be masked by carrier discounts.

iPhone 3.0 Mail security issue surfaces

08/17, 2:35pm

iPhone 3.0 mail security

A potential security issue in the iPhone 3.0 firmware has surfaced via a YouTube video. The bug allows users to view previously-deleted e-mails, by searching for the title of a deleted message. The results screen displays two copies of the message; when either is selected for the first time, Mail crashes. When the messages are selected a second time however, an iPhone will either display the original text, or a warning saying "This message cannot be displayed because of the way it is formatted."

Google's GMail push app arrives on App Store

08/17, 2:20pm

GMail push on App Store

Google's e-mail push app for the iPhone, GPush, has finally arrived on the App Store. The app enables instant notification of new messages that arrive in a GMail inbox. Users can configure a variety of alert methods such as vibrate, ring, automatic presentation of the e-mail on the standby screen, or a count of new messages displayed on the GPush icon.

All carriers being hurt by selling iPhones?

08/17, 2:00pm

Carriers Hurt by iPhone

Despite claims to the contrary, Apple's iPhone is ultimately hurting the carriers that have picked it up, a Strand Consult study says. The analyst group maintains that "not one" provider offering the iPhone has seen a financial or market share boost since adding it to their rosters. In many cases, these companies have either seen reduced profit from the heavy subsidies needed for the iPhone or haven't seen the surge in data revenues they expected from customers moving to more expensive smartphone plans.

Leaks show BlackBerry 9700 coming to AT&T, Bell

08/17, 1:00pm

BB 9700 due at AT&T, Bell

A pair of images of inventory screens from wireless provider AT&T and Canadian provider Bell reveal the BlackBerry Bold 9700 will arrive soon at either. The Bell leak is especially important as it hints that Bell is nearing the activation of its HSPA network, with the Bold 9700 becoming one of the first HSPA-capable 3G phones. Despite the inventory screens, launch dates for the 9700 at either provider remain unknown, as does the pricing.

IBM, CIT build circuit boards using DNA technology

08/17, 12:15pm

DNA-based circuit boards

IBM and the California Institute of Technology say they have devised a new means of assembling circuit boards, based on the use of DNA molecules. The DNA acts as a form "scaffolding," according to IBM, automatically sorting carbon nanotubes into desired patterns through adhesion. In theory, the technology could be scaled up to be used in traditional semiconductor manufacturing, using nanotubes, nanoparticles and/or silicon nanowires.

Microsoft to bump up Xbox 360 prices in the UK

08/17, 12:15pm

MS bumps Xbox 360 prices

Microsoft has told retailers in the UK that it will raise prices for the Arcade version of its Xbox 360 gaming console at the start of September due to the poor pound to Euro exchange rate, according to a recent EuroGamer report. The Xbox 360 Arcade will cost £160 ($261) up from £130 ($212) and will not include five XBLA games. At the same time, Xbox 360 accessories will also be increased by a few pounds.

Samsung's TouchWiz opened up to developers

08/17, 12:10pm

TouchWiz SDK launched

Samsung on Monday announced it will make a Software Development Kit (SDK) available to developers, which will finally lead to the creation of new widgets for the company's TouchWiz user interface. So far, there were just only about 15 applications available preloaded on the cross-platform UI, depending on the OS it's being used for. TouchWiz can be downloaded to Samsung handsets running on Symbian, Windows Mobile, or Samsung's own OS. Registered developers can download the Eclipse-based SDK from the Samsung Mobile Innovator website.

Apple charges Psystar with destroying evidence

08/17, 12:05pm

Psystar destroying proof?

Mac cloner Psystar is guilty of destroying important evidence needed to proceed in an ongoing lawsuit, Apple alleges in recent court documents. The case revolves around the end-user license for Mac OS X Leopard, which expressly forbids installing the software on systems not branded by Apple. Psystar sells PCs with Leopard pre-installed, which Apple suggests is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act due to the need to modify code in the operating system.

More credible Chrome OS shots leak

08/17, 11:55am

Chrome OS Shots Again

A new set of shots that have surfaced this weekend claim to show a more accurate early version of Google's Chrome OS. Unlike a set of since-debunked first images, the new images of the supposed 0.1.15 beta appear more substantive than before. They show a Mac-like dock at the top but with a built-in search bar and Google apps as default.

No Android past 1.5 for G1; no Sense for myTouch 3G

08/17, 11:20am

No Android updates for G1

Wireless provider T-Mobile will not release a significant update to the original Android-powered G1 handset, according to a recent, unofficial report. While T-Mobile is saying otherwise when questioned, it is being ambiguous enough that its promise of introducing future software updates could be related only to small security updates or bug fixes, with Donut (possibly Android 1.6) and Éclair (Android 2.0) builds not coming to the device. The 256MB internal storage capacity of the G1, which is split for the OS and apps, eliminates this possibility as the updates are too large.

MySpace to buy iLike?

08/17, 11:10am

MySpace May Buy iLike

MySpace may be close to upending the music market with an acquisition of iLike, a rumor this morning suggests. More than one TechCrunch source has the social network giant buying the music recommendation and playback app for about $20 million in a deal that could be made public later this week. The purported agreement would be separate from the MySpace Music download and streaming service available today.

Apple tries to muffle Times profile of Steve Jobs

08/17, 10:50am

Apple media control effort

Apple tried twice to interfere with the publication of a profile of Steve Jobs in the UK's Sunday Times newspaper, says the article's author, Bryan Appleyard. One PR representative from the company is said to have spoken with Appleyard directly, insisting that Apple wants to "discourage profiles." The company then contacted the editor of the Times, asking to have the article withheld entirely.

Verbatim unveils USB drive with always-on LCD

08/17, 10:20am

Verbatim InSight USB Drive

Verbatim hoped to stand out among external hard drive makers on Monday by launching the InSight. The notebook-sized drives are unique in having an LCD that shows both the drive name and its free space. Even though it's not e-paper, the screen remains on even when the drive isn't attached through USB. The simple addition lets users own multiple drives without having to label them or use a computer to check which ones need to be upgraded or cleared of unwanted files.

iPhone 3GS bestselling phone in Japan

08/17, 9:50am

iPhone 3GS Tops in Japan

Apple's third iPhone generation has ousted Japan's own phone manufacturers for the top sales spot in the country, according to market data from Gfk Japan. The 32GB iPhone 3GS was the most popular phone in Japan during July and outsold even more advanced touchscreen phones from the local market, such as the runner-up Sharp SH-06. Of the top ten, the 16GB iPhone 3GS was the only other non-Japanese phone to make the list, occupying ninth place ahead of the Sharp SH001 camera phone.

TomTom iPhone app reaches North America

08/17, 9:30am

TomTom app in N. America

After a release in other regions this weekend, TomTom at last debuted the North American version of its iPhone GPS app. The title mimics the turn-by-turn navigation of a dedicated GPS unit, displaying directions on a quasi-3D view alongside other information such as the estimated travel times. The North American edition covers "99.9 percent" of the US and Canada, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Logitech intros sim-grade G27 steering wheel

08/17, 9:05am

Logitech intros G27 wheel

Logitech on Monday announced the upcoming launch of its G27 Racing Wheel. Designed as a higher-end controller meant to replicate conventional cars, it replaces the sequential shifter from some previous Logitech wheels with a traditional six-speed H-pattern and a clutch pedal in the pedal box. Moreover, a new shift indicator cluster with LEDs let users know when to up- or downshift.

Sony Ericsson gets new CEO to rescue firm

08/17, 8:40am

Sony Ericsson Gets New CEO

Sony Ericsson this morning set in motion a significant change in its strategy with news that its existing CEO Hideki Komiyama is being replaced. The executive will retire at the end of the year and is being replaced by Ericsson's Bert Nordberg on October 15th. The Swedish official specializes in "business realignment" and was responsible for growing that telecom company's business earlier this decade.

Samsung Instinct S50, Instinct Q get launch leaks

08/17, 8:05am

Sam Instinct S50 Q Dated

Samsung's two new successors for the Instinct line have been given more tangible release dates today through tips from an anonymous source. The claim by Phone Arena has the Instinct S50 shipping in mid-September. It's considered the true successor to the original 2008 Instinct and should have sleeker lines as well as a 5-megapixel camera.

Dell mini3i phone official in China

08/17, 7:25am

Dell mini3i Official China

Dell today entered the cellphone world for the first time with the release of its first handset in China. Supporting leaks, the mini3i is based on China's Open Mobile System variant of Google's Android platform and has an iPhone-like front interface along with a China-specific app portal. Its centerpiece is a 3.5-inch, 640x360 capacitive touchscreen which is both the largest and highest-resolution display of any Android phone.