News Archive for 09/12/30

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

Ex-Google exec: Apple tablet has front camera

12/30, 10:40pm

Kai-fu Lee says tablet an oversized iPhone

Former Google China president and now Innovation Works head Kai-fu Lee has stirred attention over Apple's rumored tablet this week with an update to his 163 mini blog claiming knowledge of the device. The executive, who claims an "informed friend," says the tablet has the predicted 10-inch screen and resembles a "large iPhone." While multi-touch and 3D support are expected, he adds that the tablet has a front camera for video chats, making it a first of the sort for any Apple handheld.

Scosche set to launch new iPhone and iPod accessories at CES

12/30, 9:45pm

IDR655m noise-isolating earphones with mic

Scosche has announced its CES 2010 product line-up of new iPhone and iPod accessories, consisting of the reviveLITE II, a new tapSTICK model, flipSYNC, and IDR655m earphones. reviveLITE II is an improved version of the company’s previously released reviveLITE iPhone and iPod charger, complete with an additional USB charging port that can be used to simultaneously charge any USB-powered device. Similar to the original, it features a cordless charging design and includes an integrated LED nightlight.

Owen intros E1 e-book reader

12/30, 8:55pm

Books presented on 5" e-ink display

Owen has introduced a new e-book reader, the E1, featuring rounded lines and a form factor that appears to be slightly smaller than the Kindle. The device integrates a 5-inch e-ink display which supports 20 lines of text and 30 characters per line. Along with e-books, users can also view pictures or play audio tracks in MP3, MWA, and OGG file formats.

Google Nexus One already rooted before official launch

12/30, 7:35pm

Hack affects Android 2.1

Google's Nexus One smartphone has already been rooted, despite its limited availability ahead of an official launch. MoDaCo member Paul claims to have created Superboot, a boot.img file that automatically roots the Android 2.1 operating system the first time it is booted.

TiVo Premiere DVR to surface at CES next week?

12/30, 6:35pm

TiVo accidentally shows new DVR in guide

TiVo may have inadvertently spoiled its plans for an upgrade to its video recorders by shipping a manual for the TiVo Premiere (PDF) and its Premiere XL cousin. Packaged in with a TiVo HD, the paperwork shows a device unlike any existing TiVo DVR and would be the first to include a multi-stream CableCARD slot that would let it record more than one TV show without a second card. As a result of the upgrade, TiVo appears to have scrapped the second slot found on devices like the Series 3.

Verizon now forcing Bing app on BlackBerry users

12/30, 6:20pm

Bing shortcut on BlackBerries can't be pulled

Verizon has stepped up its tie-in with Microsoft by installing a Bing icon on subscribers' BlackBerries without their consent. While just a shortcut to install an app, the carrier prevents customers from removing the link and so far has only provided help moving the icon as well as a guide to installing alternative apps from Google or bookmarking search pages.

Radioshift 1.5 adds automatic restart, support for Airfoil

12/30, 5:55pm

Update supports QuickTime and WM Pro streams

Rogue Amoeba on Wednesday introduced Radioshift 1.5, an update to its Internet radio player and recorder. The latest version adds support for hundreds of new streams in Windows Media Pro and QuickTime formats. Streaming reliability is said to be improved, with automatic restart or switching to back-up streams if the feed encounters an error.

Mophie readies iPhone credit card reader

12/30, 5:45pm

Mophie reader may challenge Square

Mophie today broadcast its intent to get into mobile payment by unveiling early details of a credit card reader for the iPhone. The peripheral when attached will let owners "complete financial transactions on the go" and will come with its own companion iPhone app to handle the payments themselves. Unlike some add-ons, the Mophie entry is designed to remain attached for long periods and rests flush with the iPhone case; it doesn't appear to support the iPod touch.

Sprint to get Sierra 4G-to-Wi-Fi mobile hotspot

12/30, 5:15pm

Sierra Overdrive gives WiMAX a MiFi parallel

Sprint's WiMAX-based 4G service will get its first pocket router early next year as a leak of training material today has revealed the carrier's plans. A mobile hotspot from Sierra Wireless, the Overdrive, should supply up to five users with the up to 6Mbps Internet access with 3G as a fallback. In a unique twist, it will have an SD card slot for storage and will treat this as a network-attached drive for everyone using the same hotspot.

A-DATA intros flash drive with USB 3.0 and SATA II

12/30, 4:50pm

A-DATA intros USB 3.0 and SATA II flash drive

A-DATA this week introduced the first flash drive in the industry to use both a USB 3.0 and SATA II interface. The drive, N002, uses 8-channel architecture and is said to be capable of 200MBps sequential read and 170MBps write speeds. Until the USB 3.0 standard becomes more commonly adopted, the drive is backwards compatible with the USB 2.0 interface.

Jan 26th Apple event on "mobile products" -- report

12/30, 4:45pm

Fox source confirms "big" event by Apple

An inside source at Apple has confirmed a "big" press event for sometime in January, according to Fox News. The source has provided little other detail, other than to suggest the event will focus on mobile products, possibly related to the realm of the iPhone and iPod touch. The event may indeed be used to announce the long-rumored Apple tablet, Fox proposes.

USBfever, Koyono announce new iPhone 3G cases

12/30, 4:40pm

New protective leather case with 4-in-1 stylus

USBfever and Koyono have both expanded their collections of iPhone and iPod accessories with the addition of several new protective cases. USBfever’s JOGJACKET is designed for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, as well as all three versions of the iPod touch. It is built from neoprene that wraps around the mobile device, while a transparent LCD protector enables full control over the touchscreen. The case also supports the Nike iPod Sports Kit and features a detachable armband which can be adjusted to fit up to 10 different sizes.

Polaroid name revived, new products due next month

12/30, 4:40pm

Polaroid due for a comeback thanks to PLR

The famed Polaroid name has been purchased by a new company, PLR IP Holdings, after the brand's previous new owners declared bankruptcy in late 2008. PLR has drawn up new licensing agreements that will give its licensees rights to the Polaroid name, and promises to bring new products from the Polaroid brand in 2010, with some reaching shelves as early as January. The new owners will expand Polaroid's traditional offerings that included photo printers and digital cameras to include PC products and game consoles, as well as cellphones and AV peripherals. Cleaning products for electronics will also be part of the revised lineup.

DataJack to offer $40 unlimited 3G data

12/30, 4:30pm

New entrant vows no 3G cap, contracts

DataJack has promised heated competition in wide-area wireless with the launch of its own 3G service. The provider promises to be the first in years to drop the 5GB bandwidth cap imposed at rivals like AT&T and Verizon and will offer true unlimited access, making it useful as a regular and not just part-time Internet connection. Contracts also aren't required and should let customers jump to another provider at any time without a penalty.

Pantech touchscreen slider shows at FCC, to hit AT&T

12/30, 4:20pm

Pantech P9020 handset shown at FCC, due at AT&T

An upcoming Pantech handset has been spotted on the FCC website, revealing it will support GSM 850 and 1,900MHz bands and the same bands of the WCDMA network. Documents in the filing reveal the device, the P9020, will support AT&T services like Music and Navigator and thus that it's bound for the US carrier.

ITC to investigate claims BlackBerries violated patent

12/30, 4:00pm

RIM under investigation by ITC over patent

Prism Technologies has filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) recently, accusing BlackBerry phone maker Research In Motion of violating its patents. The ITC on Tuesday announced it has agreed to investigate the complaint, which is the second time Prism officially complained against RIM. Prism, which says it specializes in Internet Security Technology Management and Licensing, maintains RIM violated its patent as it relates to authentication systems.

Apple victory survives appeal in iPod volume lawsuit

12/30, 3:55pm

Plaintiffs argued for danger of hearing loss

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a 2008 district court ruling, taking the side of Apple in a class action lawsuit over iPod volume, says Reuters. Plaintiffs Joseph Birdsong and Bruce Waggoner earlier argued that iPods present an unreasonable risk of hearing loss, as they can raise their volume up to 115dB, while lacking any volume meters or noise isolation properties. Designing the stock earbuds to be placed deep in the ear canal has only exacerbated the problem, the plaintiffs alleged.

HP's Airlife, Zeen trademarks hint phones and players

12/30, 3:45pm

HP hints at major mobile push in filings

HP has filed for a pair of US trademarks that hint at a major return to handheld devices. One, for the term "Airlife," would apply to handheld computers, PDAs and phones as well as computers. The other, "Zeen," would apply to a handheld that can play images, sound and text as well as the software needed to do the same. Both trademarks were requested within five weeks of each other and, given differences, that the two are complementary rather than alternate names for each other or for existing products.

Apple may miss deadline for Boot Camp Windows 7 support

12/30, 2:55pm

Promise not kept

Unless an update is delivered by the end of Thursday, Apple will miss a deadline for adding official Windows 7 support to Snow Leopard's Boot Camp, reports note. For some time Apple has hosted a page on its website, promising that the support would be coming "before the end of the year." Windows 7 has been commercially available since October 22nd, and still earlier in the form of public betas and release candidates.

Pine Trail-powered Eee PC 1001P due January 6th

12/30, 2:50pm

ASUS Eee PC 1001P coming January 6th in Germany

The second EeePC from ASUS after the 1005p to use Intel's new-generation Pine Trail platform will soon be available, as indicated by a German Amazon listing. The 10.1-inch netbook uses the 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, but other specs are similar to earlier Eee PCs. This means a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM and Windows XP in a package that weighs 2.4lbs. In contrast, the Eee PC 1005P ships with Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Korea clears flash memory makers of price fixing

12/30, 2:45pm

Korea FTC finds NAND producers innocent

Korea's Fair Trade Commission on Wednesday cleared four major memory producers of charges of price fixing. The regulators said their investigations, begun in January of 2007, found no evidence that the unnamed companies were colluding to keep flash and RAM prices high. Agency officials added that the closure of a US investigation in August also supported their decision to end the case.

Kindle, Eee PC 1005HA top 2009 Amazon bestsellers

12/30, 1:55pm

Amazon and ASUS trump Apple in charts

Amazon today revealed bestsellers across all its categories for 2009. The Internet retailer said that its own Kindle reader was not only the top-selling electronic device for the whole year but that it was also the top product wished for as well as given as a gift in the same category. In computers, the ASUS Eee PC 1005HA netbook achieved a similar effect as it led its respective bestseller, most wished for and most gifted charts.

Orange to get self-designed Android phone?

12/30, 1:20pm

Orange contracted Foxconn for Android phone?

UK wireless provider Orange may become the first carrier to contract the manufacture of its own Android phone, if a Wednesday report from Digitimes proves true. Unnamed industry sources indicate that Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) has received orders from Orange to build an Android-powered handset that would also contain a Qualcomm 3G chipset. While no other technical details were revealed, the handset is expected to ship to Orange this spring.

Moyea debuts new MOD video conversion utility

12/30, 1:05pm

Converts MOD files for use in QuickTime

Moyea has announced a new conversion utility for camcorder users, the Moyea MOD Converter. The software converts MOD files generated by JVC, Canon or Panasonic digital camcorders to QuickTime, as well as other popular video formats including AVI, DV or MPEG. The results can be played on most Apple hardware, and edited in iMovie, Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.

All issues of National Geographic available on hard drive

12/30, 12:55pm

National Geographic digitizes 120 years of issues

National Geographic has released its entire magazine collection, or 120 years' worth, all on a 160GB hard drive. The Complete National Geographic on the hard drive includes the maps, stories and high-resolution photos found in the print magazine. All of this content only takes up 60GB of the space on the hard drive, leaving room for other documents or content.

iWork '09 sales figures beat '08 by 50 percent

12/30, 12:50pm

Mac Box Set sales also high

iWork '09 has managed to outperform its predecessor this year, according to data collected by the NPD Group. Sales during the first 11 months of the suite's existence, between January and November, are said to have been 50 percent higher that those for iWork '08. By contrast, iLife '09 sales are said to be roughly on par with those for iLife '08.

HTC: only HD2 will get Windows Mobile 7 upgrade

12/30, 12:10pm

HTC leaves Diamond2, Touch2 out of WM7

HTC in a briefly available Twitter update (currently inactive) has said that only the HD2 will support an update to Windows Mobile 7. The Russian division of the company doesn't explain the reasoning, though the HD2 is the only Windows Mobile smartphone from HTC to support capacitive touch and also its fastest, with a 1GHz processor. Both qualities are likely necessary as Microsoft's rumored Windows Mobile 7 specs would require a fast, multi-touch capable device just to run.

Soundboard 1.0.5 adds performance improvements, bugfixes

12/30, 11:50am

Fixes issue with Intel-based notebooks

Ambrosia Software has released Soundboard 1.0.5, a new version of its audio playback app. The title lets users create libraries of their favorite clips, which can then be triggered using designated hotkeys. A range of non-destructive editing and filtering tools are included, such as ones for fading and cropping. The v1.0.5 update increases performance, for instance decreasing the latency of the playback engine.

Tech promises cheap, force-sensitive multi-touch

12/30, 11:35am

Touchco's IFSR multi-touch due in 2010

Young startup Touchco revealed today that it has developed a new touchscreen technology that could add pressure sensitivity to multi-touch even as it drives the cost down. Known as Interpolating Force-Sensitive Resistance (IFSR), it uses embedded resistors that alter the level of capacitance, or stored electric charge, depending on the amount of pressure applied at a given point. The technique would still allow for the light, quick touches of a capacitive touchscreen like the iPhone's but could add extra functions for more deliberate presses.

Kaufman analyst ups AAPL price target to $253

12/30, 11:10am

Cites high forecasts for all product lines

Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu has raised his price target for Apple stock from $235 to $253, citing new Q1 sales forecasts derived from industry and supply chain checks. Apple is expected to record as many as 9.5 million iPhones shipping in the December quarter, well above the consensus estimate of 8.8 million. The figure would set a quarterly record for Apple, and be based largely around the addition of China and South Korea to Asia-Pacific sales, as well as "stronger-than-expected" European performance thanks to multiple carriers and attractive pre-paid options.

Dulin's Books brings $350, 6-inch e-reader to US

12/30, 10:50am

Dulin's Books intros Wi-Fi enabled 6-inch reader

Dulin's Books announced this week that it will soon ship its Boox 60, an e-book reader that has an integrated Wi-Fi connection and a WebKit-based browser. The browser will let users view news, blogs and wiki sites and download content for the reader. The 6-inch Vizplex display has touch capability using Wacom technology, and an included stylus helps users take notes.

AT&T pressing FCC to drop landline requirement

12/30, 10:35am

Carrier asks FCC to phase out land phones

AT&T in an FCC commentary submission has asked the government agency to drop its requirements that it and other phone carriers must offer analog landline service. The carrier points to the sharp drop in landline use, including revenue, and that a full 80 percent of American homes use cellphones or Internet calling either alongside analog landlines or even exclusively. Only the remaining 20 percent uses just a conventional phone line and is likely to see its share shrink in the future, AT&T says.

Apple cooperates in censorship of Dalai Lama apps in China

12/30, 10:10am

Deal struck to enter Chinese market

Apple is blocking several iPhone apps related to the Dalai Lama at the Chinese App Store, a company spokeswoman admits. "We continue to comply with local laws," Trudy Muller tells IDG News. "Not all apps are available in every country." The titles are notably available in most other regions. The Chinese government considers the Dalai Lama an enemy, as a result of his advocating freedom for his former homeland of Tibet. The country was invaded by China in 1950 and remains under foreign control.

OnLive demo shows remote iPhone, web gaming

12/30, 9:50am

OnLive details streaming gaming UI

OnLive at a recent Columbia University demo (viewable below) showed off a functioning example of its streaming gaming technology that included a demo of its iPhone app. The Apple device demo, from about 17 minutes onwards, shows the smartphone being used both for the service's spectator and networking features but also for controlling the multiplayer shooter Crysis Wars. Company chief Steve Perlman describes the control as "funky" due to the use of a touchscreen for a keyboard-heavy game but notes that it's playable with little lag and a fast frame rate, since the computing isn't done on the iPhone itself.

Verizon's Palm lineup to include Pre Plus, Pixi Plus

12/30, 9:00am

Palm's Verizon phones to be monior upgrades

Verizon's lineup of Palm phones will include just two upgraded versions of existing Palm models with familiar names, a source says today. The tip suggests that the Wi-Fi enabled Pixi will reach Verizon as the Pixi Plus and that the Palm Pre Plus is real, though what changes the latter would get aren't evident. Both phones would be physically identical on the outside, but the BGR tip doesn't say if the processor or storage would improve.

Microsoft to integrate Windows Mobile, Xbox Live

12/30, 8:05am

Win Mobile 7 also gets support from LG

Microsoft has committed itself to developing Windows Mobile as a more substantial gaming platform, according to a pair of freshly discovered job listings. A post for a Principal Program Manager is the most significant and would task the recruit with bringing "Xbox Live enabled games" to Windows Mobile phones. The move wouldn't result in Xbox-quality games but instead linking them to the social aspects of the service, including avatars, social elements and "multi-screen experiences."