News Archive for 09/11/11

Choose an article from the archive listing on this page or refine your selection using the controls in the gray box below.

Apple policies drive Facebook iPhone app developer to quit

11/11, 11:15pm

Dev "philisophically opposed" to Apple's policies

Developer Joe Hewitt, the driving force behind Facebook's iPhone app, has quit working with Apple's platform to protest the company's review policies, according to TechCrunch. The well-known developer passed off the project to another software engineer, although he will still work with Facebook on projects for other platforms.

MOTU intros UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid FW/USB audio interface

11/11, 10:30pm

Device provides digital/analog inputs, ten outputs

MOTU has introduced its latest device, the UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid audio interface. Musicians can choose from both FireWire and USB 2.0 connection options, while the hardware supports Mac and Windows platforms. The interface provides two mic/instrument inputs, six line-level analog inputs, ten channels of analog output, S/PDIF digital output and a headphone port.

Garmin-Asus updates nüvifone M20 with Windows Mobile 6.5

11/11, 9:30pm

Download also available for current owners

Garmin and Asus have announced that the nüvifone M20 has been updated with Microsoft's latest Windows Mobile 6.5 software. The software provides a revamped home screen, with touch-optimized icons and access to the variety of apps available through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile. Users can also take advantage of Facebook and Microsot's My Phone service.

Screenshot leaks show Facebook, Gamercard colors for PS3

11/11, 8:20pm

Images taken directly from UK PlayStation site

Leaked screenshots show several new features expected in the upcoming PlayStation 3 firmware, including Facebook integration and the ability to change Gamercard colors, according to Scrawl. The images have allegedly been confirmed to originate from the UK PlayStation site, although they were quickly removed.

Psystar claims it cracked Mac OS X on its own

11/11, 7:25pm

Founder denies tech was taken from osx86project

Psystar co-founders and brothers Rudy Kendall and Robert Kendall have shed light on the beginnings of their company, including a claim they cracked Mac OS X on their own, according to an interview with Miami New Times. After growing up in a family that could not afford the early Macs, Robert set out to learn how to run Apple's operating system on cheaper computers.

AMD teases 2010, 2011 processor roadmaps

11/11, 6:10pm

AMD plans unified CPU/GPU by 2011

AMD in its annual analyst event provided details of some of its future processors and platforms. The highlight for the semiconductor firm is "Bulldozer," a major revision for both desktops and notebooks that should be much more efficient at multithreaded codethan existing designs. It will be particularly optimized for pairing with graphics chipsets and will be supplemented by "Bobcat," a variant of Bulldozer tailored to ultraportables.

Apple offers status updates for App Store submissions

11/11, 5:55pm

Change comes after slew of complaints

Apple has unveiled a new system for disclosing the status of App Store submissions, according to Wired. The company's Dev Center website features a chart showing specific dates and times as the app waits for review, reaches the review process, and finally enters the App Store for general availability.

HP buys network firm 3Com for $2.7 billion

11/11, 5:25pm

Gives HP control of networking

HP in a late afternoon update said it had bought 3Com in a cash deal the equivalent of $2.7 billion. The deal is meant to help HP's involvement in the server and networking businesses and turns the PC builder into a near-total source for datacenters and other large-scale server environments. The two partners are still waiting on government approval but hope to complete the deal sometime in the first half of next year.

Safari 4.0.4 boosts performance, stability

11/11, 5:05pm

Also addresses security holes

Apple has released Safari 4.0.4, a minor update to the Mac and Windows web browser. The patch makes relatively few changes, but does boost the performance of JavaScript, as well as Full History Searches in the case of a "large number" of items. Stability fixes have been implemented for the search field and Yahoo! Mail.

InFocus outs two new DLP projectors for classrooms

11/11, 5:00pm

Two new InFocus DLP projectors with LiteBoard

InFocus has released two new DLP projectors meant for the business and educational markets with the IN3902 and IN3904. The main difference between the two is the former's native 1024x768 resolution and the latter's 1280x800 resolution. Shared between the two is compatibility with InFocus' LiteBoard technology, which allows users to interact with the projectors, annotating, appending and highlighting projected content with a wireless remote called the LiteBoard Wand.

iBuyPower adds its first Core i7 notebook

11/11, 4:55pm

iBuyPower W870CU goes quad-core, GTX 280

iBuyPower took its turn at adding a Core i7 notebook to its gaming portable mix. The Batallion 101 W870CU has its pick of every current mobile Core i7 chip, ranging from the 1.6GHz Core i7 to the 2GHz Core i7 Extreme. It also carries a GeForce GTX 280M on all configurations and can run many games smoothly at the 17.3-inch desktop replacement's native 1080p resolution.

SimplicITy PC has simple interface aimed at seniors

11/11, 4:55pm

SimplicITy PC aimed at seniors new to Internet

A UK SimplicITy branded desktop computer is being made for first-time PC and Internet users who are over 60 years old. The simple interface has just six buttons that lead to commonly used tasks or applications such as e-mail, chat, documents, and the Internet in a main screen labeled Square One. There is also an About Me and video tutorial page.

Wells Fargo launches commercial banking iPhone app

11/11, 4:30pm

Handles high-level business transactions

Banking institution Wells Fargo has released CEO Mobile, a new iPhone application. Separate from the company's regular banking app, CEO Mobile is designed to handle corporate and commercial transactions. Users can monitor balances, approve payments and view ongoing account activity.

Second analyst backs CDMA/GSM hybrid iPhone

11/11, 4:25pm

Northeast says Verizon iPhone mid 2010

Rumors of a dual-network iPhone gained fuel on Wednesday with an analyst report from Northeast Securities claiming to know of the device. Pointing to checks within the parts chain, the analyst group expects an iPhone with both CDMA and WCDMA support to be ready by the summer of 2010. The change would let the phone work on Sprint, Verizon, and a handful of other international networks while still having the WCDMA foundations needed for UMTS and HSPA 3G on AT&T and most worldwide cell providers.

Samsung intros 27-inch monitor with TV tuning in Korea

11/11, 4:25pm

Samsung 27-inch monitor doubles as HDTV

Samsung has introduced a new monitor that doubles as a TV on Wednesday with the 27-inch SyncMaster P2770HD. The display is Samsung's largest with an HDTV tuner built-in and can natively display 1080p video. The integrated picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture features let users compute while watching TV.

Walmart to give BlackBerry buyers $100 gift cards

11/11, 4:05pm

Walmart offers limited promotion for BB buyers

Walmart said on Wednesday that it will offer buyers of the BlackBerry smartphones it carries a $100 gift card to use in store for whatever they want. This promotion will only last one week, and will start at 8am on November 14th. The BlackBerry handsets will also need to have two-year contracts attached to them from either AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon.

Firefox most vulnerable browser, Safari close

11/11, 3:50pm

Study says Firefox 44% of web exploits

Despite stereotypes, Mozilla's Firefox is significantly more vulnerable to web attacks than any of its rivals, a Cenzic study (PDF) claimed late yesterday. About 44 percent of the 3,100 exploits tracked by the researchers attacked the open-source browser where only 15 percent of them would work in Internet Explorer. Safari is notably much closer to Firefox in vulnerability as 35 percent of exploits could affect the platform, while Opera's small market share left just 6 percent of attacks putting it at risk.

Windows 7 design takes cues from Mac OS X, says MS manager

11/11, 3:50pm

Continues to feature Vista-based core

The "look and feel" of the Windows 7 interface borrows from Macs, according to a Microsoft partner group manager, Simon Aldous. "One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it's very graphical and easy to use," explains Aldous in an interview. "What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 -- whether it's traditional format or in a touch format -- is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics."

Vimeo converts videos for iPhone, Android

11/11, 2:55pm

Company planning on creating dedicated iPhone app

Vimeo on Wednesday announced plans to extend its movie service onto the iPhone and Android platforms, according to CNET News. All of the site's content from the staff picks and HD video showcase have already been converted to formats optimized for mobile handsets.

Sanyo intros AA-powered Stick Booster charger

11/11, 2:55pm

Sanyo Stick Booster charger uses AA batteries

Sanyo on Wednesday revealed its new Eneloop Stick Booster. The device is a battery pack that can plug into consumer electronics devices with miniUSB or USB ports such as cellphones, portable gaming consoles and MP3 players. What makes this different from other dry-cell chargers is that, thanks to Sanyo's Eneloop batteries, it can charge devices that require a high current for charging, such as an iPhone.

Acer, Apple gain European PC market share

11/11, 2:25pm

Apple makes rare inroads into Euro share

Acer and Apple are the two primary computer makers gaining share in Europe at a time when most are bleeding sales, Gartner revealed in a research note today. Acer extended its lead in the summer to 28.3 percent of the Western European market, or 4.73 million PCs, based primarily on its netbooks and full-size budget PCs. However, Apple was one of the few others to gain significant share and was one of the "biggest winners," along with Samsung, despite being outside of the top five in the region.

Maschine 1.1 update adds MIDI I/O, pattern export

11/11, 1:40pm

Sequencer gains expanded functionality

Native Instruments has released Maschine 1.1, an update to the sequencer half of its hardware/software bundle of the same name. Users are able to generate pattern-based music tracks, founded either on custom samples or those taken from a 5GB library. Effects options include beatmashers, dynamic processors and mastering tools.

T-Mobile ships webConnect Jet 3G modem, Tap phone

11/11, 1:30pm

T-Mobile brings USB 3G modem, Tap phone to stores

T-Mobile on Wednesday started shipping the webConnect Jet modem and its T-Mobile Tap handset, first introduced over a month ago. The USB modem connects to T-Mobile's 3G network and also provides access to T-Mobile's Wi-Fi hotspots. It doubles as a flash drive through a microSD card slot.

Razer unveils simple Abyssus gaming mouse

11/11, 12:50pm

Razer intros wired laser gaming mouse

Gaming peripherals maker Razer has began shipping its Abyssus gaming mouse. Rather than focus on extra buttons, the wired mouse is designed for simplicity first and improves only behind-the-scenes features. The ambidextrous three-button mouse has a 3,500DPI infrared sensor that gives it added precision in different types of games. Users get two switches, allowing them to set the sensitivity and speed of the mouse.

ABBYY updates FineReader Express Edition for Mac

11/11, 12:45pm

Gains Snow Leopard support

ABBYY has announced that FineReader Express Edition for Mac now supports Snow Leopard. The program is an optical character recognition (OCR) tool, which converts scans and camera images into various files such as XLS spreadsheets, PDF documents and HTML pages. It automatically detects tables and reconstructs them, also providing tools for editing the end result.

Project Natal to cost just $80, ship Nov. 2010?

11/11, 12:15pm

Project Natal price, ship targets slip out

Microsoft hopes to price Project Natal low enough that virtually every gamer can add it, a major rumor claimed on Wednesday. Alleged sources of MCV's argue that the Xbox 360 motion controller is being designed with a price target of £50 (about $80) or less with 14 games, presumably mini-games, included in the box. The target is such that Microsoft hopes for "impulse buy" customers and may even drop to £30 ($50).

Griffin, Chilewich debut new iPhone 3GS case

11/11, 12:05pm

Uses woven vinyl in outer layer

Griffin in collaboration with Chilewich has announced a new case for the iPhone 3GS, the Elan Form Chilewich. The case uses a two-layer design, the first being Chilewich's woven vinyl, which covers the outside. The other is a polycarbonate inner shell, which surrounds the back and sides of an iPhone in order to guard against bumps and scratches.

Office 2008 for Mac 12.2.3 fixes stability, security issues

11/11, 11:35am

Also makes tweaks to specific features

Microsoft has posted a fresh update for Office 2008 for Mac, v12.2.3. The patch primarily addresses stability problems, such as one affecting the entire suite which could result in application crashes after a program was opened. Several unique crash scenarios have been fixed in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Document Connection. Security has also been upgraded, closing a hole which could be used to overwrite memory with malicious code.

Win Mobile 7 to test in winter, ship in summer?

11/11, 11:20am

WM7 to get special test program

Microsoft has sped up the release schedule for Windows Mobile 7 to less than a year after 6.5, a leak hinted today. The company is reportedly set to launch a test program in early 2010, codenamed "Maldives," that will let smartphone makers check the mobile OS against their hardware relatively early. Timing would be such that the OS would reach shipping phones by summer where 6.5 was unveiled this past winter but didn't ship until the fall.

Universal intros dedicated Blu-ray app for iPhones, iPods

11/11, 10:50am

Currently supports handful of movies

Film studio Universal has released a free iPhone application, pocket BLU. The software communicates via Wi-Fi with network-connected Blu-ray players, allowing more advanced control over menus and playback. Users can for instance take advantage of a virtual keyboard, and tilt an Apple handheld into widescreen mode to access a graphical timeline.

Nokia adds three new entry-level CDMA phones in China

11/11, 10:25am

Three new candybar Nokia CDMA phones due in China

Nokia said on Wednesday it will soon bring three new CDMA handsets to its market in China. This includes the Nokia 6316s, Nokia 3806 and Nokia 1506. The 6316s is the most advanced device, sporting support for China Telecom's 3G data network, a built-in GPS receiver and media playback with dedicated controls on top of the slider.

Zune HD's first 3D games go live

11/11, 10:10am

Zune HD gets PGR, other 3D titles

Microsoft today quietly added its promised 3D games to the Zune Marketplace. The new mix brings games that better take advantage of the Zune HD's Tegra graphics chip and are highlighted by Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition, Vans Sk8: Pool Service and AudioSurf Tilt. Other games have also been added to the small catalog, such as Lucky Lane Bowling and Piano.

Memo warns of new malicious iPhone hack

11/11, 9:55am

Again targets jailbroken devices

A new, more serious danger to jailbroken iPhones has emerged, says security firm Intego. The threat, currently labeled "iPhone/Privacy.A," is described as a hacking tool based on the same vulnerability used by the recent Ikee worm. Unlike Ikee however, Privacy.A is not meant as a warning but rather a malicious means of stealing data from an iPhone. Attackers can steal contacts, e-mail, text messages and anything else in an iPhone's storage.

Bang & Olufsen outs upsized BeoVision 7 LCD TV

11/11, 9:35am

Bang & Olufsen adds 120Hz, Blu-ray to flagship

Bang & Olufsen on Wednesday introduced a new addition to its BeoVision 7 HDTV lineup in the form of a 55-inch model. It becomes the largest BeoVision 7 offered, readily beating out the 40-inch set available in North America. Most notably, Bang & Olufsen has doubled the panel's refresh speed to 120Hz but has also added motion compensation. There is also a new LED backlight with progressive scanning and local dimming that improves the contrast ratio.

Nintendo chief doesn't see iPhone, DS as rivals

11/11, 9:20am

Nintendo chief says DS better than Apple

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata in a talk today denied that handhelds like the DSi LL compete with the iPhone and iPod touch. While he uses an iPhone himself, Iwata explained to the Wall Street Journal that comparisons between the DS series and Apple's devices make him "uncomfortable" as he sees the two targeting different audiences. The DS experience considered unique, particularly as games like the Mario series won't be found on other handhelds.

Samsung confirms dropping Symbian in 2010

11/11, 8:20am

Samsung to replace Symbian with bada

Samsung senior VP Don Joo Lee today confirmed rumored plans that it will dismiss Symbian from its smartphones. The executive expects Android and Windows Mobile to remain but will completely phase out Symbian in 2010, replacing it with Samsung's in-house bada. A previous analyst forecast had Samsung scaling back its Symbian use to just a small percentage next year but had only anticipated a complete exit in 2011.

AMEX Digital puts out Mac mini Blu-ray upgrade

11/11, 7:35am

AMEX kit gives new minis BD burning

AMEX Digital today put out an internal Blu-ray drive upgrade kit for owners of current generation Mac minis. The slot-load SATA drive gives the Mac the option of burning Blu-ray discs in apps that support it as well as reading Blu-ray media at up to 4X speeds; although Macs can't yet play Blu-ray movies directly, AMEX suggests using VLC to load the raw video files. Boot Camp gives access to regular movie playback.