News Archive for 09/11/16

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Verizon: AT&T sued over 3G ads because "the truth hurts"

11/16, 11:30pm

iPhone carrier works to ban 3G maps from TV ads

Verizon has filed a response to AT&T's lawsuit which had sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) to ban the "there's a map for that" ads critical of the latter carrier's 3G coverage. Verizon defends its ad campaign, claiming the coverage maps are accurate and clearly labeled as 3G networks. AT&T argues that the ads mislead customers to believe the comparison includes 2G coverage.

Creative to show Zii smartphone platform in December

11/16, 9:55pm

Device marks Creative's foray into cellular market

Creative subsidiary ZiiLABS has announced that it will unveil the Zii smartphone platform at the upcoming Zii Summit event. The ZMS-05 system-on-a-chip (SOC) components are claimed to be the first to offer 1080p video playback capabilities on a handheld device. The Media Rich Processor also boasts OpenGL ES 3D graphics with acceleration for web browsing, video playback and imaging.

Apple adds new printer, scanner drivers for Snow Leopard

11/16, 8:55pm

New offerings for Canon, Brother, HP, Lexmark

Apple on Monday released a wide range of new printer drivers for Mac OS X Snow Leopard. The drivers add compatibility for many printers and scanners manufactured by Canon, Brother, HP and Lexmark. Users with devices not supported by the drivers included on the original v10.6 installation DVD can use Software Update to automatically check for new drivers after the printer or scanner is connected to the Mac.

SGI intros Nehalem-based Altix UV supercomputers

11/16, 7:50pm

Configurations available with up to 256 sockets

SGI has introduced the Altix UV, a new series of supercomputers geared for large databases or analysis operations. The computers are based on Intel's Nehalem platform, with support for configurations utilizing quad-, six, or eight-core Xeon CPUs. Devices can be scaled to integrate up to 2,048 cores, with architectural provisioning for up to 262,144 cores.

Apple utilizes computer screening for App Store submissions

11/16, 6:45pm

Apps rejected for using private APIs

Apple has allegedly expanded its iPhone app review process to include computerized filtering of submissions, according to Daring Fireball blogger John Gruber. The new "static analysis tools" are designed to catch developers trying to use Apple's private APIs, which the iPhone SDK terms explicitly prohibits.

Mad Catz ships 802.11n Wi-Fi bridge

11/16, 6:05pm

Mad Catz Wireless-N aids X360, PS3, PC

Mad Catz today dipped into networking with its own wireless bridge. Meant as an alternative to the official Xbox adapter, the Wireless-N Gaming Adapter takes the Ethernet connection from an Xbox 360, 20GB PlayStation 3 or any computer and turns it into an 802.11n Wi-Fi signal. The peripheral doesn't reach full 802.11n speeds but can still peak at 150Mbps.

New US carrier promises BYO phone use

11/16, 5:35pm

Simple Mobile launches in US

A new MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) launched today in the US in the form of Simple Mobile. The cell provider has its own pick of phones but emphasizes attaching the SIM card over its own devices; customers are encouraged to bring their own unlocked phones, including smartphones. About 180 phones have already been pre-screened, though it should work with other devices.

Photo Essentials 3 adds 'Make It Cool' module

11/16, 4:45pm

Software attemps to simplify photo processing

onOne has published Photo Essentials 3, an updated version of its extension for Photoshop Elements. The add-on attempts to simplify certain tasks in Adobe's software, such as color correction, framing, enlargements and background removal. The latest edition introduces Make It Cool, a module which applies effects from a list of over 40, including sepia toning and simulated HDR (high dynamic range).

Palm outs webOS 1.3.1 update for Pre

11/16, 4:45pm

Palm releases webOS 1.3.1 for Pre, Pixi

Palm on Friday announced users of the Pre smartphone on both the Sprint network and Bell in Canada will receive an automatic over-the-air software update to webOS 1.3.1. The Palm Pixi, released on Sunday, shipped with the updated operating system as well. A number of new features are made possible with the new OS, and some known issues were resolved. One such new feature is the integration of Yahoo contacts, calendar and messaging into Palm Synergy, along with Outlook EAS, Facebook, Google and LinkedIn accounts. The Yahoo contacts and calendars can also be integrated into the Pre's respective applications, while Yahoo! IM can be used in the webOS Messaging app.

Sleek outs wireless-ready SA1 earphones

11/16, 4:35pm

Sleek SA1 earphones have rosewood body

Sleek Audio on Monday launched its wooden SA1 in-ear headphones which can be tuned and worn either as wired headphones or wirelessly. The SA1 set has 6mm drivers housed in a Siam rosewood body. Thanks to Sleek's optional Kleer wireless system, the wires can be detached and users can listen to music wirelessly. Frayed, pinched or otherwise damaged wires can be replaced anytime.

T-Mobile now shipping BlackBerry Bold 9700

11/16, 4:10pm

BlackBerry Bold 9700 now at T-Mobile

T-Mobile is now shipping the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Its arrival at the provider does not come as a surprise and the touchpad-equipped handset is T-Mobile first RIM device with 3G network access. The handset is equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera with video capture, and has an integrated Wi-Fi module along with Bluetooth.

Windows Marketplace live for Windows Mobile 6.0, 6.1

11/16, 4:00pm

WM 6.0, 6.1 phones get Windows Marketplace

As promised, Microsoft has released the Windows Marketplace app for Windows Mobile handsets running on the older 6.0 and 6.1 build of the OS. Devices equipped with Windows Mobile 6.5 already have Windows Marketplace preloaded. The free-to-download application store is available for both touchscreen and traditional handsets, and will allow users to browse and download apps from the store.

Verizon "very pleased" with early Droid sales

11/16, 3:50pm

VZ won't give Droid tally but is happy

Verizon today responded to predictions for Motorola Droid sales with only a brief statement on their actual results (subscription required). A spokeswoman for the carrier declined to say whether or not a rough estimate of 250,000 Droids sold is accurate but did say the company is "very pleased" with sales in just over a week since the Android phone reached stores. Verizon doesn't normally provide sales breakdowns for phones and doesn't intend one for the Droid, she says.

Rivet 2.3 supports Plex Media Center, Denon receivers

11/16, 3:35pm

Feature tweask include smart sorting

Cynical Peak has released v2.3 of Rivet, its Mac media streaming software. The app shares music, video, photo and podcast content with consoles on a local-area network, namely the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Material can be pulled direclty from Aperture, iPhoto or iTunes libraries, though video can only be streamed from custom folders.

NI intros Sonic Fiction synthesis instrument

11/16, 3:10pm

Samples inspired by science fiction

Native Instruments has released Sonic Fiction, a new Kore instrument featuring "otherworldly" samples. The software provides a variety of field recordings such as volcanic mudpots and television static, among others. Users can select a sample and apply the synthesis and sound processing functionality of Absynth, Kontakt and Kore engines.

Gartner: PC sales bouncing back faster than expected

11/16, 3:10pm

Gartner sees PCs hitting all-time high

Gartner today said the computer industry is recovering much faster than expected. Based on processor sales, the analyst group estimates PCs have turned from double-digit year-over-year declines at the start of the year to slight increases by the end. It still expects processors, flash memory and other chip technology to face an 11.4 percent decline for all of 2009 but also anticipates levels jumping back to an all-time high seen in 2008.

NVIDIA outs Fermi-based Tesla cards

11/16, 2:20pm

NVIDIA 20 series Teslas appear

NVIDIA today provided details of the first official hardware to use its upcoming Fermi architecture. The Tesla 20 series is even more optimized for general-purpose computing standards like OpenCL or NVIDIA's own CUDA and handles complex math that previously hasn't been as practical, such as ISO standard double-precision math and C++ code processing. Unlike past models, though, the card model also has a video output and works as a video card rather than just as a companion device.

Apple working on 'Concierge' iPhone app, Nashua store?

11/16, 1:40pm

App would tie into Apple Store services

Apple is planning to launch a new iPhone app for visitors to its retail stores, several sources claim. So far dubbed "Concierge," the app is expected to mimic the company's web-based reservations system, which lets users schedule Genius Bar and One to One appointments. Users should also be able to monitor various types of membership subscriptions. No date for the app's release has so far been leaked.

Samsung preps 3G UbiCell for CDMA networks

11/16, 1:35pm

Samsung 3G UbiCell to share EVDO

Samsung today confirmed plans to launch a new femtocell for those on CDMA phone networks. The 3G UbiCell still creates a local cell for CDMA phones to make calls over a home Internet connection but also adds EVDO Rev A so that 3G phones without Wi-Fi can still get online when reception would be poor. The UbiCell plugs in through Ethernet and has GPS to provide 911 and other mapping features.

OnLive promises server-based gaming for iPhones

11/16, 12:40pm

May enable more sophisticated games

Gamers should in the future be able to play OnLive titles via an iPhone, the company claims. The forthcoming service takes an alternate approach to processor load, shifting the burden from local devices to OnLive's servers; gamers play via a video stream, making performance more closely tied to bandwidth. Early iPhone support was demonstrated late last week alongside clients for TVs and computers.

Cray supercomputer tops speed records at 1.75 petaflops

11/16, 12:40pm

Cray XT5 supercomputer beats out IBM Roadrunner

IBM's Roadrunner supercomputer has been dethroned from the TOP500 list in terms of computing performance by the Cray XT5 supercomputer, nicknamed Jaguar. The XT5 uses AMD Opteron cores and posted up a 1.75 petaflop/s speed in the Linpack test, outpacing the Roadrunner's 1 petaflop/s performance.

Hitachi offers 2TB SimpleTech external drive

11/16, 12:15pm

New Hitachi 2TB external drives, new SimpleDrive

Hitachi on Monday added a new range of SimpleDrive external desktop hard drives available in up to a 2TB capacity. In addition to the new capacity, the disks have a Turbo USB 2.0 interface that is said to be 25 percent faster than the traditional spec. Hitachi includes its Fabrik backup software, which automatically copies over selected files from the host PC and includes 2GB of free online backup.

Intel plans six-core Xeon for supercomputers

11/16, 12:00pm

Intel Nehalem EX coming for HPC systems

Intel today promised a version of its Xeon processor specifically tailored to high performance computing (HPC). The design will share the same architecture as the eight-core Nehalem-EX but drop to six cores in return for greater overall performance. Clock speeds should be higher and will still take advantage of the extra bandwidth of the new platform, making it a better pick for clusters and multi-processor servers.

Sprint 4G goes live in Austin, San Antonio

11/16, 11:40am

Sprint launches 4G in Austin, San Antonio

Sprint on Monday launched its 4G mobile broadband in two Texas cities, Austin, and San Antonio. As before, the WiMAX network promises speeds between 3Mbps to 6Mbps for downloads in real-world use, which should bring VoIP, video and other tasks that are normally too data-intensive for 3G networks. Sprint's 4G mobile broadband network is already available in regions such as Chicago, Dallas and North Carolina.

CrossOver Games 8.1.0 beta 1 adds Left 4 Dead 2 support

11/16, 11:30am

Also intros rough Modern Warfare 2 compatibility

CodeWeavers has posted the first beta of CrossOver Games 8.1.0, a significant update to the company's Mac virtualization software. The program runs Windows games within Mac OS, potentially eliminating the need to use Boot Camp, or even own a copy of Windows. Version 8.1.0 is concentrated on support for Left 2 Dead 2, set to be released November 17th. COG owners should already be able to play the demo.

ASUS to buy Toshiba's notebook business?

11/16, 11:30am

ASUS may buy Toshiba group to move up

ASUS could push its way to near the top of notebook market share by buying out one of its largest competitors, company chairman Jonney Shih reportedly revealed today. He hopes for ASUS to reach the top three in notebook builders by 2011 and says the company has talked to Toshiba about buying its notebook business. Nothing has been finalized, and it remains unclear how close if at all the two may be to a deal.

Bold 9700, Curve 8520, Shine II due at AT&T Nov. 22

11/16, 10:50am

Two BlackBerrys and LG Shine dated for AT&T

AT&T loaded up its phone catalog today with one new BlackBerry, pricing and a ship date for a second, and an updated LG designer phone. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 effectively replaces the 8300 series at the carrier and, like the T-Mobile version, has both GPS and Wi-Fi but keeps the price low by shedding 3G and using a simpler 320x240 display as well as a 2-megapixel camera.

Missing Sync for Android, GoGadget for webOS go live

11/16, 10:45am

Apps sync Mac content with smartphones

Mark/Space has launched two important Mac applications, The Missing Sync for Android and GoGadget for webOS. After a month's delay, the former is now in public beta, and can now sync content such as music, video, contacts, photos, ringtones and miscellaneous files to an Android-based smartphone. Data is pulled from the likes of Address Book, Entourage, iTunes and iPhoto.

Leaks 'confirm' DS, PSP sequels will outrun iPod

11/16, 10:20am

Nintendo DS 2, PSP 2 nay get fast CPUs

Talk of Nintendo using Tegra 2 gained support today through new sources of information that also point to a faster Sony PSP. Detailed explanations given to DigitalFoundry say the sequel to the DSi should use the future NVIDIA processor and not only see a "colossal" jump in speed versus the DS line but could be as fast as the Wii while supporting more visual effects.

Apple considered AdMob purchase, say sources

11/16, 9:40am

Deepening competition between Apple and Google?

Apple took tentative steps towards buying AdMob ahead of the recent Google acquisition, say sources contacted by Bloomberg. Google agreed to pay $750 million in the deal; the combined company will own between 30 and 40 percent of the mobile advertising market. Apple is said to have approached AdMob a few weeks before the Google bid, entering into private negotiations. Both companies have refused to comment publicly on the matter.

Nokia unveils 5330 Mobile TV, ships E72

11/16, 8:50am

Nokia adds DVB TV phone and lands E72

Nokia this morning launched an upgraded version of a key feature phone and shipped its flagship business phone. The 5330 Mobile TV Edition puts a DVB-H mobile TV tuner in Nokia's budget music phone and lets it watch free, digital broadcasts with a programming guide to pick channels. It's optimized for the format as it uses the owner's headphones as the antenna and has long enough battery life to last for six hours of TV.

Casio intros two Exilims with low-light sensors

11/16, 8:20am

Casio Exilim FH25 and FC150 in Japan

Casio on Monday upgraded two of its key Exilim cameras to focus on low-light image quality. The EX-FH25 superzoom and EX-FC150 compact both have backlit CMOS sensors borrowed from the Sony TX1 and can take in more light, improving the detail both for night scenes as well as portraits of backlit subjects. Both cameras accordingly have dedicated scene modes.

Samsung makes Android-based Galaxy Spica official

11/16, 7:35am

Samsung Galaxy Spica runs at 800MHz

Samsung started the week by launching its second Android phone on a world level. The Galaxy Spica, or i5700, sits closer to the mid-range but is one of the fastest Android phones ever with an 800MHz proecssor. Its main sacrifices versus the original Galaxy are the use of a less expensive LCD in place of an OLED and a 3.2-megapixel camera instead of the 5-megapixel example on the higher-end phone.