News Archive for 09/10/12

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DX4 mount expands internal Mac Pro drive capacity

10/13, 12:00am

Supports up to four drives

Trans International has introduced the DX4, a new drive mount for Mac Pros. The unit fits inside a Pro's case, and supports up to four 2.5-inch SSD or conventional hard drives. Using a third-party SAS/SATA RAID adapter, drives can be connected in RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 or JBOD configurations.

Epson intros PictureMate Charm photo printer

10/13, 12:00am

PictureMate Charm printer has highest resolution

Epson this morning introduced its PictureMate Charm photo printer. The portable printer can produce 4- by 6-inch full color prints and has a 2.5-inch LCD screen as well as a memory card reader that lets user print photos without a PC. It can produce a borderless color photo in just 37 seconds, and gives users the option of producing black and white photos as well as changing the layout options.

HP unveils 42-inch multi-touch display

10/13, 12:00am

HP LD4200tm brings touch and wide view

HP's large-scale introductions on Tuesday brought about one of the largest multi-touch displays available. The LD4200tm produces a 42-inch, 1080p picture but uses a combination of infrared and imaging sensors to recognize two-point gestures such as pinching to zoom. Opting for this approach is less costly than a capacitive touchscreen as it only needs to detect when light is broken rather than wire up the entire display.

Compaq line gets $400 AMD notebook, new desktops

10/13, 12:00am

Compaq outs CQ61, CQ4010, 500B and 505B

HP's sub-label Compaq tonight received three upgraded systems to ready itself for Windows 7. The Presario CQ61z refreshes the familiar 15.6-inch CQ60 with a more modern 2GHz AMD Sempron whose choice helps put the system at a particularly low $400 price (post-rebate) even while brand-new. The refresh further adds Mobility Radeon HD 4200 video in place of the older NVIDIA hardware but still has 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive.

HP rolls Elite 7000 desktop, two AMD-based ProBooks

10/13, 12:00am

HP adds ProBook 6445b, 6545b, Elite 7000

HP on Tuesday centered its pro PC updates for Windows 7 on a new high-end tower and two frugal notebooks. The Elite 7000 desktop is HP's new high-end outside of workstations and runs on Core i5 and i7 processors and has a new black, metal case more suited to a desk than the workmanlike old models; it's also the first desktop in the category for HP that allows SuSE Linux in place of Windows. Graphics have been given a large boost and can scale to as much as either a GeForce GT 230 or a Radeon HD 4650.

HP updates tx2 tablet, intros 9100 all-in-one

10/13, 12:00am

HP TouchSmart tx2 and 9100 made for Win 7

HP in gearing up for Windows 7 added two newer touchscreen PCs to its mix. The TouchSmart tx2 convertible tablet now makes better use of its multi-touch display both in the OS as well as in the new apps specific to HP's TouchSmart front end; users can watch Hulu or Netflix from the touch interface as well as update Twitter or stream Pandora and Rhapsody music. Unlike most such screens, the tx2's input isn't solely finger-oriented and will work with a stylus as well.

HP gives all-in-ones multi-touch, Hulu and Netflix

10/13, 12:00am

HP launches TouchSmart 300 and 600

HP early today is making an aggressive push into touchscreen PCs with two key updates to its TouchSmart home all-in-ones. The TouchSmart 300 and 600 add true multi-touch input and have significantly expanded use for the technology: they can not only use pinch-to-zoom, flicks and other gestures in the general operating system thanks to Windows 7 but in several new touch apps for the systems' custom front end. They can now navigate Hulu or Netflix streaming video, stream Pandora or Rhapsody music, or update and follow Twitter feeds all primarily using touch.

Data Rescue 3 adds new user interface, speed improvements

10/12, 10:25pm

Data Rescue 3 enhances speed and performance

Prosoft Engineering has released Data Rescue 3, an upgrade to its data recovery software. The app is designed to help users retrieve files from a corrupt hard drive, as well as restore files that have been previously deleted. Version 3 delivers several new features including a re-designed interface, an "intelligent" FileIQ function, and improvements to both speed and overall performance. With FileIQ the program can now learn about new file types from samples provided by the user -- to increase the number of supported file types.

Apple acknowledges Snow Leopard data loss bug

10/12, 7:10pm

Guest login could delete data permanently

Apple on Monday admitted that a serious bug in Snow Leopard could cause permanent data loss and said that it is working to find a fix for the problem. The company, responding to a growing number of posts on its discussions forums, confirmed that users can lose data when logging into the guest account on their Mac first and then logging into their regular account. Although the problem is not widespread, the consequences -- especially for those without backups -- could be disastrous: some users are finding all their data to be missing and their accounts completely reset.

Dell offers more looks at its "ultra-thin" Adamo XPS laptop

10/12, 5:45pm

New laptop design takes on Apple's MacBook Air

Dell on Monday offered two new product shots of its upcoming Adamo XPS" ultra-thin laptop. The highly stylized laptop, which was unveiled in early September, is thinner than the Apple's revolutionary MacBook Air--under 10mm thick. Although few details have been disclosed, the ultra-sleek laptop appears to rely on a unique, underside hinge to reach its dimensions.

TRENDnet releases Mini Wireless N Speed USB adapter in US

10/12, 4:40pm

Device provides alternative to wireless G

TRENDnet has released its latest Mini Wireless N Speed USB Adapter, the TEW-649UB, in the US. The adapter connects a users computer to a wireless N network, providing a significantly faster alternative to a wireless G connection. The model TEW-649UB is about 1.3 inches from end-to-end, making it only slightly larger than a US quarter. The device utilizes advanced wireless encryption to protect a users data and Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service, which prioritizes video, audio and gaming traffic data.

BFG enters notebooks with dual GeForce GTX 280M

10/12, 3:50pm

BFG intros Deimos gaming portable

BFG on Monday ventured into mobile computing for the first time with the Deimos, an 18.4-inch desktop replacement notebook meant for gamers. Like the Phobos desktop, video performance is the centerpiece and always has at least dual GeForce GTS 260M graphics; top-end models have twin GeForce GTX 280M chipsets. Unusually, none of the systems use Core i7, capping off at a 2.53GHz Core 2 Extreme, but in return they all have at least two RAID-striped hard drives with the option of a third drive for either a backup or to make 1.5TB of combined space.

BlackBerry Storm 2 to show this week?

10/12, 3:10pm

Storm 2 at Vodafone first, then Verizon

The BlackBerry Storm 2 should finally appear this week and represent RIM's best hope for challenging the iPhone, leaks claim today. British newspaper The Guardian states as a matter of fact that the touchscreen BlackBerry is due to launch this week first through Vodafone as the 9520 and that it will be priced with a plan inexpensive enough to lure iPhone users, as it will only need a £30 ($47) monthly plan to use versus £34 ($54) for Apple's handsets.

Sidekick users allowed to drop contract, switch phones [U2]

10/12, 2:10pm

T-Mobile lets Sidekick user drop contract

(Update #2 with T-Mobile plans) T-Mobile may let Sidekick owners affected by the permanent data loss drop their contracts and move to other phones, one subscriber says today. At least one customer reports to Gizmodo that he has been offered an early exit from his contract as well as having the option of buying a T-Mobile G1 for the same $130 price new or eligible customers would pay. BlackBerries and other smartphone-class devices have also been made options.

Second-gen WD TV Live Media Player now at Best Buy

10/12, 1:10pm

WD ships second-gen TV Live Media Player

Western Digital has updated its WD TV Live Media Player by releasing its successor. Like the original, the new player has a USB 2.0 slot for thumb drives, external drives or PCs, along with an HDMI port to connect it to TVs. New features include DLNA and Bonjour support, letting users access their home networks and stream multimedia via the Ethernet port.

Lufthansa to upgrade in-flight cellular, Wi-Fi

10/12, 1:00pm

Lufthansa intros FlyNet in-flight data service

Airline Lufthansa revealed it will soon offer improved cellphone and Internet services on its long-distance flights, bettering those offered from other airlines. According to a Monday WSJ report (subscription required), the German company will partner with Panasonic to offer the connection services, called FlyNet, on flights between Europe and North America in the next few months before expanding the service to all of its planes and routes.

IDG completes Macworld 2010 preparations with time to spare

10/12, 1:00pm

To offer Snow Leopard, Final Cut training

IDG World Expo has announced that Macworld 2010 programming has already been completed, with all of the speaker slots and content locked down five months prior to the actual event. IDG also states that over 28,000 attendees have pre-registered, roughly two-thirds of the number that normally comes to the expo. This year will be the first in some time that Apple has not officially attended a Macworld.

Sprint adds Motorola Debut i856 push to talk handset

10/12, 12:40pm

Motorola Debut PTT slider arrives at Sprint

Wireless provider Sprint on Monday began shipping its first slider phone that supports its Nextel Direct Connect push-to-talk service, the Motorola Debut i856. The Debut lets users switch from an active push-to-talk call to an interconnect voice call with a dedicated button. The handset also has a built-in MP3 player with dedicated external music controls and a 3D Audio equalizer.

Palm Pre demand on O2 higher than for iPhone?

10/12, 12:35pm

TNS sees Palm pre-launch better than iPhone

The launch of the Palm Pre on O2 could generate more attention than the iPhone did just two years earlier, a TNS study finds today. About 26 percent of 1,000 UK residents polled say they will or probably will buy a Palm Pre for its October 16th British launch; by comparison, only 17 percent planned to get an iPhone when it debuted in fall 2007. Switching is considered just as probable, as 32 percent of those on other UK carriers said they would be willing to switch to O2 to get the Pre.

Syncro Soft intros Oxygen XML Editor, Author 11 updates

10/12, 12:35pm

Editor adds new XQuery debugger

Syncro Soft has released updates to Oxygen XML Editor and XML Author, bringing the versions of both to 11. Editor provides tools for creating basic XML code, as well as handling XML Schema languages and multiple forms of debugging. Author meanwhile contains only the relevant authoring features of XML Editor, and is now available as a standalone app as opposed to simply part of the Oxygen software.

Pavtube MTS Converter 1.4 adds video trim, crop tools

10/12, 12:10pm

Update features watermark capabilities

Pavtube Studio has updated its MTS Converter for Mac, used to transfer MTS video to various editing software including iMovie, Final Cut Express, and Final Cut Pro. The latest version features the ability to merge multiple videos into a single file and add text, image, and video watermarks. The update also features the ability to trim, crop videos while retaining good quality of output audio and video. Version 1.4 includes customized settings for adjusting video resolution, file size, frame rate and bit rate.

Scanner Pro turns iPhones into scanners

10/12, 12:10pm

Uploads PDFs to multiple locations

Readdle has begun selling Scanner Pro, a new iPhone application. Users can scan in paper documents via an iPhone's built-in camera; the images are then converted into multi-page PDF documents, which can be uploaded to several different destinations. These include e-mail addresses, Wi-Fi-connected computers or any WebDAV server, such as a MobileMe iDisk folder.

HP Mini 311 to get full Ion chip, 80GB SSD

10/12, 11:50am

HP Mini 311 docs show Ion, storage boosts

HP's Mini 311 is already slated to get a performance upgrade if the company's own service manual reflects the real product. The current version is limited to the lower-power Ion LE graphics core as well as 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive, but myHPMini has discovered that the manual references the full-power Ion chip as well as configurations with 2GB or 3GB of RAM. Storage would likewise get a boost with an option of a much faster 80GB SSD as well as 250GB or 320GB hard drives.

Levinson resigns from Google board of directors

10/12, 11:35am

May put an end to FTC investigation

Arthur Levinson has resigned from Google's board of directors, according to an official statement. The company is terse on details, noting only that Levinson has been with Google since April 2004, and that the resignation is immediate and amicable. "Art has been a key part of Google's success these past five years, offering unvarnished advice and vital counsel on every big issue and opportunity Google has faced," reads a quote from company CEO Eric Schmidt.

Sony Ericsson Satio, LG GM750, HTC Tattoo reach Vodafone

10/12, 11:25am

Four touchscreen phones hit Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK today added three touchscreen smartphones to its roster that in most cases represent world premieres. The Sony Ericsson Satio is now finally shipping after having been detailed in May and is the handset designer's first Symbian S60 smartphone; besides full third-party app support, it's considered a high-end media phone with a 12-megapixel camera, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, GPS and Wi-Fi. For Sony Ericsson, the phone is a symbolic first as one of its first major devices to use microSDHC cards instead of Memory Stick Micro for storage.

iPhone 3GS being deliberately withheld in Spain?

10/12, 11:00am

Telefonica may be attempting to clear 3G stock

The iPhone 3GS is essentially unavailable in Spain, reports from the country claim. The device is believed to be in short or non-existent supply from official carrier Telefonica, as well any of the company's associated third-party outlets. Some sources in the region say they have been on multiple waiting lists for weeks or months, in at least once instance going as far back as July.

Dragon Stop Motion 2.0 features redesigned Nav-Line

10/12, 10:55am

Update enhanced camera support, test shot features

D-Zed Software has released v2.0 of its stop motion application, Dragon Stop Motion. The program controls digital still and HD cameras for shooting single frame animation and effects. The latest version adds a newly designed Nav-Line for easier scene navigation and improved time-lapse capabilities. Frame editing is accessible from both the Nav-Line as well as the X-Sheet and the app utilizes 64-bit processing.

Specs leak of ASUS 12-inch Eee PCs with Ion, Win 7

10/12, 10:45am

ASUS Eee PC 1201 models get details

Detailed specs of not one but two 12-inch Eee PC notebooks have been revealed recently. One of the new Eee PCs, the 1201N, was first spotted in Asia last month. Now, the unofficial specs for the 1201N and 1201HA are known and they include a 12.1-inch, 1366x768 resolution display. The specs reportedly come from leaked ASUS documents.

Sidekick pulled; Microsoft may have had no backup

10/12, 10:25am

Microsoft mistake may have cost Sidekick service

A major, avoidable error by Microsoft caused the permanent Sidekick data loss from over a week ago, sources said this weekend. Multiple tips to Hiptop3 claim that Microsoft had no backup of the Storage Area Network (SAN) used to hold Sidekick information and lost the data when Hitachi encountered a failure during an upgrade. The company may now have little choice but to start fresh and have users re-sync data from their Sidekicks once a fresh SAN is ready.

ASUS Eee Keyboard shows in FCC filing

10/12, 9:40am

Eee Keyboard specs revealed at FCC tests

ASUS' Eee Keyboard is nearing production status, as it has been spotted in an FCC filing recently. The Eee PC is a fully functional PC into the form factor of a large wireless keyboard and integrates a 5-inch, 800x480 resolution touchscreen. The PC has already been slated for an October release date as of this summer.

blackra1n jailbreaks iPhone 3.1.2 devices

10/12, 9:30am

Limitations persist

Coder George Hotz has released blackra1n, a new jailbreaking tool. The software is said to jailbreak "all" devices capable of running Apple's iPhone 3.1.2 firmware, including the iPod touch. It is also claimed to be quick, cracking the firmware open for unsanctioned access and applications in approximately 30 seconds.

Study: MIDs to be overwhelmed by smartphones

10/12, 9:20am

Intel's MID platform dwarfed by 2012

Intel's mobile Internet device (MID) platform is unlikely to get any significant traction versus smartphones even years into its life, a study from the Information Network says on Monday. Although Intel has very frequently pushed the category, which usually has a screen between five and eight inches and focuses on basic Internet access, it's only expected to sell a fraction of what smartphones will manage. MID numbers should swell from just over 3.1 million shipped to 37.5 million in 2012 but will be easily eclipsed by their phone rivals, which will jump from 185.3 million units to 365 million over the same period, or nearly ten times more units than MIDs.

QNAP releases faster two-bay NAS for the home

10/12, 8:10am

QNAP TS-210 gets faster CPU, new look

QNAP today upgraded one of its most mainstream network-attached storage servers by launching the two-bay TS-210. A major replacement for the TS-209, it has both a more home-friendly, sleeker look but also jumps from a 500MHz processor to 800MHz. The extra speed better handles intense network traffic, particularly RAID 1 mirroring, without bogging down.

LG reveals solar-powered e-book reader

10/12, 7:40am

LG Solar Cell e-Book lasts an extra day

LG Display today staked out a minor first for e-book readers with a prototype of the Solar Cell e-Book. The 6-inch device has its own solar panel and, since e-paper consumes little power of its own, can significantly extend its battery life even with only a 9.6 percent efficient solar charge. LG estimates another full day of reading if the Solar Cell is exposed to sunlight for four to five hours.