News Archive for 12/05/11

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Intel determined to make mobile chips Apple 'can't ignore'

05/11, 11:00pm

Plans to use size, technology to beat rivals, woo Apple

Intel CEO Paul Otellini has made it clear to investors and reporters that the company will continue to angle for more business from Apple in mobile devices, saying his mission was to "ensure our silicon is so compelling [that] they can't ignore us." Intel is already responsible for the chips in all of Apple's desktop and notebook products, but has longed to replace ARM-based processors as the heart of its mobile lineup, Forbes reports.

Apple 'pinch to zoom' patent stayed in German court

05/11, 9:47pm

Third case stayed, more incoming

A third Apple patent suit versus Samsung was stayed today pending the resolution of a separate required proceeding before Germany's Federal Patent Court. The stayed patent in question is a general patent that covers, amongst other things, the basic pinch to zoom interface action as found in OS X and iOS. The court that stayed the trial today is the first of two courts that operate in parallel, but on different timetables. One court is responsible for the scope of the infringement, and the other court is responsible for the validity of the patent.

Seraku shows off interactive, Android-enhanced mirror

05/11, 9:14pm

Mirror hooked to tablet makes heads-up display

A Japanese company named Seraku is showing off an Android-enhanced mirror that essentially gives users an interactive heads-up display. The Verge spent some time looking at the device, revealing a novel (if not immediately commercially applicable) merger of Google's operating system with home decor.

Rumor: GameStop to start selling refurbished MacBooks?

05/11, 9:00pm

Already retails refurbed iOS devices

According a leaked shot of an inventory screen that appears to be authentic, videogame retailer GameStop may soon be expanded the presence of Apple products in its stores. The company may be adding some types of refurbished MacBooks to its lineup if the listings shown in the picture are any indication. GameStop already sells refurbished iPhones, iPods, iPod Touch and iPads, game site Kotaku reports.

Additional infringement charge added in Oracle vs. Google

05/11, 8:15pm

Trial continues, damages phase may start next week

It appears the Google versus Oracle legal skirmish regarding Java patentability is beginning to wind down. At the beginning of today's hearings, Judge William Alsup granted Oracle's request for a judgement as a matter of law (JMOL) in regards to eight files copied directly into Android from Oracle's code base, and awarded an additional copyright infringement to Oracle. The matters of "fair use" and willful violation have yet to be decided.

Tizen 1.0 UI, browser, apps revealed in video

05/11, 7:20pm

Scalable OS feature set shown off in conference video

Since Tizen, an in-house alternative to Android was unveiled by Intel and Samsung last year, speculation has abounded as to the ultimate fate of the fledgling operating system. First, Samsung announced a merger between Tizen and Bada; then Samsung backpedalled on that statement, giving itself room to maneuver. Now a video has emerged from The Handheld Blog, showing version 1.0 of the Tizen OS in action, and running on a Samsung prototype phone.

MacNN/Expercom Giveaway: 13.3-inch MacBook Pro

05/11, 7:14pm

Win a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro!

Who wants a FREE MacBook Pro? Expercom is celebrating their fifteen-year anniversary by giving away one 13.3-inch MacBook Pro. This MacBook Pro includes features like a 2.4GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and comes pre-installed with OS X Lion, read on to find out how you can win.

Apple second to LinkedIn in Forbes' Top 25 tech companies

05/11, 6:40pm

LinkedIn triumphant, Apple climbs; First Solar, Google gone

On May 7, Forbes published its annual list of the top 25 fastest-growing technology companies. Drawn from a pool of more than 5,000 publicly-traded technology companies, listees must have a sales growth of 10 percent or more for each of the last three fiscal years, a minimum revenue of $150 million, and a minimum market value of $500 million. Six companies have gained place on the list, or held steady. There are 15 new entries in the top 25.

Softbank testing blimp-based phone network for emergencies

05/11, 6:40pm

Helium balloons with phone mast tech tested in Japan

Japanese cell network Softbank is testing blimps to determine if the dirigibles could be used for network coverage during natural disasters. If proved successful, the technique could be used to keep communication lines open during events such as last year's earthquake and tsunami.

California passes bill to stop employers demanding logins

05/11, 6:28pm

Passing Facebook passwords to employers being blocked in California

The state of California is close to banning requests from employers to interviewees and the workforce in general for Facebook login details. Assembly Bill 1844, passed yesterday, would protect workers from being asked for their social-network usernames and passwords, minimizing personal liability from disclosing private information.

Arbitration nets Google 763 infringing domain names

05/11, 6:02pm

Defendant's domains contained Google name, linked to porn

Today, the National Arbitration Forum ruled in Google's favor, giving the search giant control of more than 750 domain names deemed to be infringing on trademarks and handing Google a victory in a case Google dubbed "one of the most aggressive campaigns of domain name infringement" the company had ever encountered. The defendant in the case was using domain names containing "Google" to link to a web of pornographic sites.

Finnish TV interview breaks new Rovio Game—Amazing Alex

05/11, 5:54pm

Original title not available on the iOS store pending rerelease

On Finnish television, Rovio CEO Mikael Hed told presenters that Rovio's next game is titled Amazing Alex. The game will feature educational elements and revolve around the titular Alex, a "curious young boy who loves to build things." No release date has been announced.

Adobe rolls out Creative Cloud, Muse 1.0

05/11, 5:30pm

Adobe brings cloud-based content creation, easy website design

Adobe's Creative Cloud has launched according to schedule, bringing cloud-based access to Adobe Creative Suite CS6 to mobile devices, desktops, and notebooks. Adobe is also rolling out Muse 1.0, which allows users to create websites without having to write code, and updating the Adobe Touch Apps for iOS.

Turntable.fm app now out for Android devices

05/11, 4:39pm

Turntable.fm app finally arrives at Google Play

Nearly eight months after it made its debut at the app store, the Turntable.fm app is now available for the Android platform (free, Google Play). It's compatible with Android 2.2 and newer versions of the OS, though Android users are reporting a few issues, including incorrect formatting in the chat function and the tendency to crash when there is a lot of traffic in the chat. Despite the launch, it's already in version 2.0.

Rumor: Color Kindles to arrive in second half of 2012

05/11, 4:16pm

Color e-book readers may be on the way from Amazon

Despite the popularity of Apple's iPad and competing tablets such as the Kindle Fire, some consumers still pine for color e-readers. Amazon, maker of the Kindle, top seller among e-readers, has flirted with the idea, but previously maintained that the technology wasn't ready yet for a quality color reading device. Now, sources tell Digitimes, color E Ink technology may finally have reached a satisfactory level of sophistication, and Amazon is said to be preparing to roll out a color Kindle in the second half of 2012.

Samsung shows off Galaxy S III accessories

05/11, 3:57pm

Galaxy S III accessories shown off by Samsung

Samsung has gone ahead and released official images of the accessories it will offer for its Galaxy S III smartphone. This includes the C-Pen, which looks somewhat thicker than the pen bundled with the Galaxy Note. The soft flip cover is also seen, as is the Wi-Fi Display Hub, which will let users charge the handset while outputting its content over a full-sized HDMI port.

iCloud beta site shows new apps; Apple accepts Dropbox SDK

05/11, 3:28pm

App Store reviewers greenlight revised Dropbox-ready apps

The beta version of iCloud.com is now displaying Reminders and Notes apps, users observe. At the moment, the regular iCloud.com site is limited to Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Find My iPhone, and iWork. 9to5Mac notes that the beta code contains hidden strings asking a person to "first sign in to iCloud with the iOS 6 Beta," which may hint that iOS 6 and an updated iCloud.com will premiere simultaneously, possibly at WWDC in June.

Rumor: Samsung GT-i9500 to have Super AMOLED HD Plus Display

05/11, 3:13pm

Display tech wrongly speculated for Galaxy S III

The previously spotted Samsung GT-i9500 is rumored to carry a Super AMOLED HD Plus display. According to sources of SamMobile, the handset was seen at the Tizen Delopers Conference in San Francisco sporting the display tech, previously speculated to be destined for the Galaxy S III.

Spotify updates desktop app with album radio button, more

05/11, 2:50pm

Spotify details changes to version 0.83 of the desktop app

Spotify on Friday detailed the latest update to its Windows and OS X desktop apps that brings with it a number of improvements. Version 0.83 brings with it the ability to create radio stations based on a playlist or an album thanks to dedicated buttons. Start Playlist Radio and Start Album Radio will launch a stream of similar music based on each respective category.

Nokia brings Lumia Reading app to six European countries

05/11, 2:16pm

Nokia's Reading app now available for Lumia range in key European markets

First introduced at Mobile World Congress, Nokia's Reading app and related e-bookstore for the Windows Phone-powered Lumia range of smartphones will launch in Europe. The two will reach users in France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, and the UK, PaidContent reported. The idea is to bring local-language e-books to markets that haven't yet seen a widespread adoption of the medium.

Asus add Nvidia GeForce, Ivy Bridge to new Zenbooks

05/11, 2:00pm

Asus Zenbook UX32A and UX32Vd gain latest CPUs

Asus is improving the Zenbook lineup with another pair of aluminium-clad notebooks. A Taipei press event was used to show off the Ivy Bridge-powered UX32A and UX32Vd, with the former relying on Intel integrated graphics and the latter a switchable 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT620M graphics card, according to Netbooknews.

Briefly: Sprint Tri-Fi hotspot, Pebble watch sells out

05/11, 1:35pm

Sprint outs Tri-Fi hotspot

Sprint and Sierra Wireless have announced the availability of the first mobile router to combine LTE and WiMAX 4G connections alongside 3G connectivity. The Sierra Wireless 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot will connect to Sprint's 4G network and will become available to customers starting May 18.

China's Baidu to reveal new smartphone partner(s) next week

05/11, 1:23pm

Baidu to name hardware partners for new Baidu Cloud OS next week

Chinese software giant Baidu, which also runs the country's largest search engine, will reveal a new smartphone partner next week, according to a recent report. The phone will run on Baidu's OS, likely to be called Baidu Cloud. The company has previously partnered with Dell to launch a phone running on the current OS, called Baidu Yi.

Apple accuses Samsung of spoiling evidence in Cali. case

05/11, 12:45pm

Claims Samsung has track record of destroying evidence

On May 1st Apple filed a motion through a court for the Northern District of California, claiming "spoilation of evidence" by Samsung, according to NetworkWorld. Apple says that Samsung failed to preserve documents it needed to submit for the discovery process in the companies' ongoing legal battle. In fact, Apple accuses Samsung of spoiling "vast quantities of relevant evidence in blatant disregard of its duty to preserve all such evidence."

TracFone parent acquires Simple Mobile

05/11, 12:40pm

T-Mobile brand Simple Mobile gets bought out by América Móvil's TracFone

Regional wireless provider América Móvil and its TracFone subsidiary and prepaid provider have purchased T-Mobile brand Simple Mobile on Thursday. While the financial details of the sale weren't revealed, TracFone is the largest mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the US, with about 20 million subscribers. Simple Mobile, which sells only SIM cards and service to those with their won smartphones, has about one million subscribers and 2.5 million device activations.

Apple refurbs: Mac minis, MacBook Airs and more

05/11, 12:07pm

Low prices on refurbished Macs

Today at Apple's online store save on Mac minis, MacBook Airs and more. The refurb. Mac mini with a 2.3GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive is now $519 after a $80 price break. Or for $849 is the refurb. Mac mini with Lion Server, a 2.0GHz Intel quad-core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM and dual 500GB hard drives.

Forum roundup: iTunes preview images and more

05/11, 12:05pm

Current forum topics

Today in the MacNN forums, Forum Regular Nassifer has a question about the album artwork that shows in iTunes, read more here. "Is anyone else tired of waiting?" is the question posed by one Fresh-Faced Recruit who want's to see a MacBook Pro update.

Facebook testing paid Highlight feature for promoting posts

05/11, 11:50am

Facebook looking to charge users to highlight posts

Facebook is testing monetizing prioritizing posts in a news feed, Stuff learned during an interview with the social network's Mia Garlick. Called Highlight, a number of price points are being tested, including free. Basically, users will have the option of paying to make their posts more visible on the news feeds of friends when sharing them. The current tests are meant only to gauge user interest, the spokesperson said.

Samsung lines up Windows-based Omnia M for Europe Launch

05/11, 11:24am

Europe gets Samsung Omnia M in lieu of Focus 2

Samsung has mentioned on the company's blog that its Omnia M will be released in Europe soon. The handset, which was announced just days after the US-bound Focus 2, will feature a four-inch Super AMOLED display with a glare-reduction coating, along with Samsung-specific apps and 25GB of SkyDrive cloud storage.

Nintendo wraps up 3D TV service for 3DS in Japan, more

05/11, 11:07am

Nintendo will no longer sell Aqua Blue 3DS

The 3D TV clip service for the 3DS console Nintendo launched last June in Japan will be discontinued on June 20, making its run just under a year. Called Itsu no Ma ni Terebi, it translates to SpotPass TV, and features short, two-minute 3D clips from eight shows. The service was brought out in collaboration with Fuji TV. Nintendo will continue to offer 3D videos intermittently through its Nintendo Video Channel.

Foxconn chairman teases existence of Apple TV set

05/11, 11:03am

Supplier 'making preparations,' no development begun

Asian supplier Foxconn is making preparations for an Apple TV set, but development and manufacturing hasn't begun, according to company chairman Terry Gou. China Daily reports that the executive made the comments in a recent speech. Gou also indicated that a recent deal with Sharp was made with an Apple TV set in mind; in March Foxconn bought a 10 percent stake in Sharp for $808 million, helping out the latter company's finances. Apple has reportedly been interested in using Sharp IGZO panels for iPads, and could conceivably use them in a TV as well.

DealNN roundup: refurb. 2.53GHz MacBook Pro, only $1719

05/11, 10:22am

Deals on MacBook Pros, iPhone cases, and more

Today's deals from DealNN include discounted MacBook Pros, iPhone cases, and more. Apple.com has a wide variety of refurbished MacBook Pros available this week, one of which is the refurb. 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 MacBook Pro, complete with a 17-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, 4GB of RAM, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, and 500GB hard drive. Currently featured at DealNN, this MacBook Pro has now dropped to only $1,719 in price and offers savings of up to $580.

Samsung bringing SHV-E170K smartphone to Korea's KT

05/11, 10:19am

New Samsung phone to support LTE, get Android 4.0.4

Yet another Samsung smartphone has been quietly revealed, this time by carrier KT in South Korea. The device, known thus far only by its SHV-E170K model number, would get an LTE radio and sport a dual-core, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4. It will also ship with Android 4.0.4 onboard, SammyHub reported, but it will have Samsung's TouchWiz custom skin onboard as well.

Sources: iOS 6 dropping Google Maps for native Maps app

05/11, 9:56am

3D mode, new Street View-like tech among features

iOS 6 will make a long-rumored move and drop Google Maps entirely in a new Maps app, claim sources for 9to5Mac. While the app itself has long been Apple's own creation, it has always relied on data and technology from Google. The updated Maps is said to be fairly similar to the one based on Google, but "cleaner, faster, and [a] more reliable experience." In place of the old backend, Apple will rely on technology acquired in buyouts of Placebase, C3 Technologies, and Poly9.

LG LS970 Eclipse 4G LTE with quad-core Snapdragon S4 leaked

05/11, 8:02am

LG quad-core Snapdragon S4 Eclipse 4G LTE leaks out

An LG smartphone with the designation LS970 has been leaked courtesy of an anonymous Brief Mobile source. The ‘Eclipse 4G LTE’ is notable for its horsepower, which could make it most powerful smartphone on the market when it lands. Under the hood, the device packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 ‘Krait’ quad-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz and paired with a generous 2GB of RAM.

FreedomPop taking pre-orders for $99 WiMax iPhone case

05/11, 6:56am

FreedomPop 4G iPhone case goes up for pre-order

FreedomPop is now taking pre-orders for its embedded WiMax and LTE iPhone 4/4S case, which first appeared in March. The company is the latest brainchild of Skype founder Niklas Zennstrom and aims to offer users ‘free wireless broadband’ using a freemium service model. Users who put down $99 for a case will get up to 500MB of free data per month in an iPhone accessory that offers users the ability to access 4G speeds, FaceTime video calls, as well as the ability to act as an external battery charger.

Samsung: Galaxy S III uses PenTile AMOLED for longevity

05/11, 5:58am

Samsung says PenTile AMOLED displays offer long-life

The launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S III was met with a muted reception from some sections of the tech community. While its quad-core Exynos processor has been shown to be very fast, some have criticized its extensive use of plastic materials and some its size. However, one detail in its specifications that probably caused the most consternation is its use of a Super AMOLED PenTile pixel array instead of the Super AMOLED Plus technology found on its predecessor, the Galaxy S II which includes a true RGB array without sharing subpixels.

Samsung judge: Apple to re-file later any claims dropped now

05/11, 3:01am

Gives company further leverage over rival

Late Wednesday evening, Judge Lucy Koh of the Northern California Circuit Court filed a decision giving Apple the right to re-file litigation in the future on any of the patent claims it will drop in its current two US cases with Samsung. The decision could have strong strategic importance to Apple, as the company will be free to continue threatening litigation on specific patent claims against Samsung. The trials are schedule to start this summer.

Pocket 4.1 for iOS adds pagination, video support

05/11, 2:15am

Pocket gets better features, Android update soon

The iOS version of Read It Later's Pocket app (free in the App Store) has been updated to version 4.1. The update brings a ground-up redesign, including new reading themes, expanded video support, and an improved user interface.

USPS lithium battery overseas mailing ban begins May 16

05/11, 2:15am

Domestic shipments, UPS, Fedex unaffected

Effective May 16, the United States Postal Service (USPS) regulation prohibits shipping any electronic device with a lithium battery from being mailed to a destination outside the United States. The ban does not apply to private carriers such as DHL, FedEx, and UPS. The ban is in response to improperly packed lithium batteries being involved in two plane crashes since 2006, including a UPS jet in Dubai that caught fire and crashed moments after takeoff.

Apple continues work on face-recognition patents

05/11, 2:06am

Awarded patent on 3D biometric object detection

Apple, which has been working and gaining patents for 3D and face-recognition technologies for several years, was awarded another one yesterday for a novel way of creating 3D models out of two-dimensional data. The work in this area started in earnest when Apple purchased Swedish firm Polar Rose in 2010, and has wide implications for commercial applications. One application could be for future iOS or Mac security logins.

MP3Tunes music locker bankrupt under legal duress

05/11, 1:10am

EMI continues suit, pursues CEO and company

In the latest maneuver during a legal battle with EMI that began in 2007, MP3Tunes has filed for bankruptcy. The move puts the ongoing case on hold, and could prevent a judgement in the matter. EMI isn't abandoning the suit, and as the CEO of MP3Tunes is a co-defendant in the case, he is personally facing liability for the alleged infringements.

Apple said offering Proview $16 million in settlement [U]

05/11, 12:50am

Sum would fall well short of repaying Proview creditors

[Update: Proview said to have rejected the offer] The settlement offer Apple is extending to Proview is valued at $16 million, according to local reports. Earlier this week a Proview lawyer claimed that the two parties were discussing a compensation package, and that Apple had even named an amount, but at the time he declined to provide any more details. If accurate, the $16 million figure will still fall well short of the $63 million Proview owes to creditors as a part of its bankruptcy.