News Archive for 12/11/08

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

Apple engineer seeks to extend Bonjour network protocol

11/08, 11:10pm

Proposal given to form a governing body for mDNS, ZeroConf

During a meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in Atlanta, GA this week, Apple engineer Stuart Cheshire has proposed extending existing multicast DNS -- and by association Apple's Bonjour technology -- to better handle more complex network setups. The proposal is in response from complaints from colleges and universities regarding the networking protocol requesting that it function better with less bandwidth consumed on college campuses and other enterprise networks.

Apple updates firmware for June Macs, LTE iPad lineup

11/08, 10:00pm

Suggests LTE iPad mini, fourth-gen iPad shipping soon

Late on Thursday, Apple issued updates to its MacBook models from June 2012, and made the iOS 6.0.1 firmware available to its LTE-compatible versions of the fourth-generation iPad and the iPad mini, suggesting the latter two devices will be shipping in the near future. The update for the MacBook Pro and Air models includes "graphics performance and reliability enhancements" as well as improving compatibility with some USB devices. The iOS 6.0.1 update issued today is only for LTE-compatible iPad models.

Briefly: T-Mobile and Halo 4; AT&T $100 off tablet promo

11/08, 9:30pm

Walmart and T-Mobile team offer Halo promotion to PAYG customers

In conjunction with Microsoft's Halo 4 launch on the Xbox 360, Walmart and T-Mobile are offering fans of the game an exclusive promotional offer. Between November 6 and December 31, customers who purchase a T-Mobile pay-as-you-go unlimited talk and text plan valued at $30 per month or more will receive an exclusive in-game Halo 4 Spartan emblem. The T-Mobile Walmart portal has more information on the promotion.

Nvidia beats analyst estimates, posts $1.2B in revenue

11/08, 8:02pm

Nvidia earns $209.1 million as tablet orders surge

Nvidia reported its fiscal third quarter earnings today, beating analysts' estimates on the back of growing tablet sales. The graphics processor maker claimed $1.2 billion in revenue for the third quarter, up 13 percent year-over-year, about what analysts had expected. The company's net income in the period, though, rose to $209.1 million, or 33 cents per share, where analysts had expected 30 cents per share.

Humble Bundle, Indie Royale each launch new gaming bundles

11/08, 7:22pm

Both bundles are pay what you want, percentage to benefit charity

Two bundles launched today, providing an assortment of indie-developed, DRM-free games for a low bundled price. The Humble Bundle for Android 4 brings up to six games for Android, Macintosh OS X, Windows, and Linux. Indie Royale's Harvest Bundle includes four titles with one of the four being a compilation of Avernum adventure games.

News app Pulse sees upgrade to version 3.0

11/08, 7:17pm

Android, iOS update brings new sidebar to Pulse

News aggregation app Pulse saw an update to version 3.0 today on both its iOS and Android versions. The update brings navigation improvements and changes to the app's user interface. It's available as a free download in both the iTunes App Store and Google's Play Store.

Adobe adds HiDPI support to Lightroom, updates Camera Raw

11/08, 7:00pm

Adds support for 13 new camera models, fixes Book bugs

Adobe Labs has updated its betas of Lightroom 4.3 and Camera Raw 7.3 to "release candidate" status, and added support for 13 new digital cameras to both programs. In addition, the Lightroom RC now includes support for HiDPI displays such as Apple's Retina display devices, and also corrects a number of issues. New cameras supported in both programs include three PowerShot models from Canon; two Casio Exilim cameras; new full support for the Nikon D600, and models from Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax.

Microsoft: $1.2 million owed to Motorola for FRAND patents

11/08, 6:21pm

Number declared in pre-trial briefs, magnitude lower than demanded

On Wednesday evening, Microsoft and Motorola Mobility filed trial briefs before the trial over fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) negotiations. Motorola believes that it's 2.25 percent demand as the "logical starting point." Microsoft believes that the rates set by the MPEG LA patent pool for Wi-Fi related patents are a better indicator of what a reasonable demand for Motorola's standards-essential patents should be.

Priceline buys Kayak for $1.8 billion

11/08, 6:10pm

Kayak's earnings up 29 percent before acquisition

Travel website Priceline has purchased Kayak.com for $40 per share, it was announced today. The deal amounts to about $1.8 billion, with the Priceline Group paying about $500 million of that in cash and the rest coming in equity and assumed stock options. The deal is expected to close during the first quarter of 2013.

Made-for-i makers to be held to Apple code of conduct

11/08, 5:10pm

Enforcement could be complicated prospect

The manufacturers of Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad accessories will soon be held to the same code of conduct Apple expects of its suppliers, claims a TUAW source at this week's Made for i conference in Shenzhen. Although critics have complained about lax Apple enforcement, the code is meant to ensure that suppliers like Foxconn maintain reasonable working conditions and environmental standards. Under the new terms, meeting the code will be a condition of obtaining an MFi license.

Borderlands 2 to land on the Mac November 20

11/08, 5:02pm

Aspyr port of Gearbox hit lands in late November

Mac game developer Aspyr announced today that it would be bringing a port of the popular PC shooter Borderlands 2 to the Mac platform later this month. Borderlands 2 arrives on the Mac just over two months after it was released to PCs and consoles to overwhelmingly positive reception. The Mature-rated shooter will be available in both digital and boxed formats.

AT&T opens cellular FaceTime to non-Mobile Share devices

11/08, 4:13pm

Still restricted to tiered-plan, LTE-equipped devices

AT&T has changed its mind and will allow FaceTime calls over cellular without a Mobile Share plan, according to an announcement. The option will still be relatively restricted however, limited to LTE-equipped devices on tiered data plans. This excludes people with grandfathered unlimited data, as well as owners of any Apple hardware older than the third-generation iPad; exceptions are being made for people on special plans for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Cellular FaceTime should open up within the next eight to 10 weeks.

Qualcomm's market cap pulls even with Intel

11/08, 3:54pm

Mobile processor maker briefly surpasses Intel

Qualcomm, manufacturer of many of the ARM-based chipsets powering some of the most popular mobile gadgets in the world, has pulled about even with processor giant Intel in terms of market cap. Shares of the San Diego-based system-on-a-chip manufacturer have gone as high as $61.99 in trading today, giving the mobile chipmaker a market capitalization of $105.5 billion. As of 3:28 PM EST, Qualcomm shares are up $2.49 on the day for a total market cap of $103.32 billion. Intel's shares, meanwhile, are nearly flat on the day, giving the traditional chip market leader a market cap of $104.16 billion.

Apple restores exact shipping dates for 4G iPad mini orders

11/08, 3:13pm

November 21st may be main target

Apple has reversed course on the delivery dates quoted for early online orders of the 4G iPad mini, buyers say. When the tablet first went up for preorder, people were quoted dates of November 21 or the 23. Apple then switched the dates to a more generic "mid-November" timeframe, perhaps signalling that it wasn't sure it could meet its goals.

Parallels 8 gains Windows 8 gestures, better USB 3.0

11/08, 2:35pm

Virtual machine limits loosened

Parallels has released an important update for Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac, its virtualization software. The code notably supports tablet gestures in Windows 8, and adds a tile to the Windows 8 interface, letting people access shared Mac apps. It also provides full and faster USB 3.0 support, and easier settings for Retina displays.

Briefly: QuickTime security update, LaCie PetiteKey

11/08, 2:03pm

QuickTime for Windows security patch

Apple has released a new security update for the Windows version of QuickTime. The update resolves several issues that could lead to an unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution when viewing a maliciously crafted PICT file, website, TeXML file, or Targa file. The updated version of QuickTime can be downloaded from Apple's website.

Major Apple suppliers see sales grow 29 percent in October

11/08, 1:28pm

Credit goes to series of new Apple products released this fall

A group of major Apple suppliers in Taiwan collectively saw sales grow 29 percent year-over-year in October, says Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White. The figure is said to beat an average two percent growth during the last seven October reports, and a one percent decrease for the month of September. The achievement is credited to the sheer number of products Apple has launched recently, including the iPhone 5, the iPad mini, new iPods, new Macs, and a fourth-generation iPad.

Lumia 822, Windows Phone 8X come to Verizon Nov. 9

11/08, 1:21pm

Windows Phone 8 handsets to debut on Verizon

An announcement from Verizon today tipped customers off to the availability of Windows Phone 8 handsets on the nation's largest carrier, with the Lumia 822 from Nokia and HTC's Windows Phone 8X going up for pre-order November 9 at 1 a.m. EST. The two new smartphones will be the first Windows Phone 8 models to appear on the nation's largest carrier. They'll both come with a number of built-in Verizon apps, such as VZ Navigator, Backup Assistant Plus, and a number of sports apps.

AT&T to offer Galaxy Express, Liberate hotspot on Nov. 16

11/08, 1:09pm

The phone will cost $100, the hotspot $50, either with a two-year contract

AT&T is not done making new product announcements this week, now revealing the ship date and pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Express that was introduced at the end of September. The MiFi Liberate hotspot announced at about the same time will also come to the carrier, with both arriving on November 16. Either is affordably priced though it requires a two-year commitment to get AT&T's subsidized pricing.

Cray XC30 supercomputer scales to over 100 petaflops

11/08, 12:03pm

Intel Xeon processor use allows for over 1 million cores

Cray has launched its new supercomputing creation, the Cray XC30, codenamed Cascade. The new system combines Intel Xeon processors with the Aries interconnect, new cooling and power technologies and Cray's integrated software environment, to create a supercomputer capable of workloads higher than 100 petaflops.

Evernote 5.0 now available for iOS

11/08, 11:51am

New Evernote version sees UI redesign

The iOS version of popular note-taking service Evernote has just received an update today. The new update brings a number of UI improvements and a focus on ease of use. The update to version 5.0 is compatible with iPhones, iPods, and iPads running iOS 5.0 or later.

Foxconn rumored to be bringing manufacturing to US

11/08, 11:50am

Plants not expected to build Apple hardware

Foxconn is considering establishing its first manufacturing plants in the US, according to "market watchers" cited by DigiTimes. Locations in cities like Detroit and Los Angeles are currently said to be under evaluation. Foxconn is based in based in Taiwan, and does most of its manufacturing in China, exploiting the cheap labor costs there.

Google launches Free Zone for feature phones in Philippines

11/08, 11:38am

Service lets basic phones access Google services for free

Google has started a new service, with an initial rollout in the Philippines, that will allow users of basic cell phones to access Google services such as search, e-mail, Google+, and others for free. Called Free Zone, it is being launched at Globe Telecom. Sites that are returned via a Google search can be free to access without a data plan, while inputting specific sites would ask them to pay for a data plan.

Velocity Micro shows Vector Holiday Edition PC, DVD hub

11/08, 10:48am

Velocity Micro introduces customizable Vector Holiday Edition PC

Custom PC maker Velocity Micro just introduced its latest desktop, the Vector Holiday Edition. Named so because of its release in time for the Christmas holidays, the PC's pricing starts at $599. It uses an aluminum chassis, 3.6GHz AMD A6-5400K dual-core processor, and 8GB of RAM.

Clear to-do list app comes to Mac; iOS title gets update

11/08, 9:51am

Lists now syncing across iCloud

Realmac has released a promised Mac version of Clear, its formerly iOS-only to-do list app. The software relies on a minimalist design, encouraging users to simply start typing to create lists or notes. The Mac edition supports mouse, keyboard, or trackpad control, and viewing lists in multiple windows, which enables dragging items from one list to another.

Lenovo results show record quarterly figures, sales

11/08, 8:53am

PC market share increases to above 15 percent

Lenovo has revealed that its broken a number of its own records in its quarterly results. The company's push to being the top computer manufacturer continues, with Lenovo hitting its highest-ever worldwide market share of 15.6 percent. PC shipments increased 10.3 percent, making this the 14th quarter in a row that the company has grown faster than the PC industry as a whole.

LG releases EA93 21:9 aspect ratio monitor in South Korea

11/08, 6:51am

Ultra-wide 29-inch monitor has 4-screen split mode

LG has revealed details of a new monitor with an aspect ratio of 21:9. The LG EA93 is a 29-inch IPS display that has a wider aspect ratio than the 16:9 usually seen in HDTVs, and is claimed to improve productivity by allowing two-page documents to be read side-by-side easily, and by offering a 4-Screen split that can divide the picture up into two to four customizable segments.

Samsung Galaxy S III takes number one spot in Q3

11/08, 6:42am

Samsung Galaxy S III sells 18 million units during Q3

The Samsung Galaxy S III took the number one position as the top selling smartphone in Q3, according to new research conducted by Strategy Analytics. The company estimated that Samsung sold 18 million Galaxy S III’s during the quarter. The Apple iPhone 4S came in second, with 16.2 million sales, despite strong rumors about the iPhone 5 putting a significant dent in iPhone sales for the quarter.

Blackberry 10 OS gains key US security certification

11/08, 6:03am

RIM scores key win with security certification for BB10 OS

Embattled Canadian handset maker RIM has scored a key win for its BlackBerry 10 OSim, gaining security clearance for use in both US and Canadian government agencies. The FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 certification is awarded to operating systems that meet the standards required for secure and encrypted data storage on devices. When RIM’s BlackBerry 10 handsets go on sale in Q1 2013, they will be permitted for use in sensitive environments immediately, also making them attractive to enterprise markets as well.

T-Mobile Q3 results show customer shift from contracts

11/08, 5:06am

T-Mobile Q3 results show customer shift from contracts

T-Mobile has issued its third quarterly report for the year, which shows a shift in its customer base from contracts to prepaid services. Although the company's customer base shows a total of 160,000 more customers thanks to the iPhone 5 launch, the higher-revenue postpaid customer base has dropped by 492,000. This reduced the Average Revenue Per User to $42.78, over seven percent lower year-on-year.

Angry Birds Star Wars now out on iOS, Mac and Android

11/08, 5:00am

Rovio's latest game already at number 1 on App Store

Rovio’s eagerly anticipated Angry Birds Star Wars is out now on iOS, Mac and Android. The game is available in a standard version for iPhone and iPod ($0.99, App Store), an HD version for iPad ($2.99, App Store), and for Mac ($4.99, Mac App Store. It is also available as an ad-supported version for Android (Free, Google Play) and as an HD premium version ($2.99, Google Play).

Apple Store app adds Siri, email gift card options

11/08, 2:27am

Gift cards to be compatible with Passbook, site now live

Apple has updated its Apple Store iOS app to add compatibility with Siri, and a new online portal for buying gift cards delivered by email and now Passbook compatible. In addition, the app now supports Apple's EasyPay system in Canada, France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany. The changes, implemented to make shopping easier in crowded Apple Stores during the holiday season, allow uses to buy and send Apple Store gift cards (which are distinct and not compatible with iTunes gift cards) to themselves or others.

Report: Apple iPad mini display 'adequate,' not excellent

11/08, 1:22am

Need to support existing resolution, technical limitations forced choice

The monitor specialists at Displaymate have put a new iPad mini through its paces, and have found the display to be "very capable" but a distinct decrease in quality over Apple's Retina display choices as seen in the more recent iPads. Citing the iPad mini's resolution of a lower-than-expected 1024x768, the analysts believe that Apple's choice of panels for the iPad mini was a combination of constraints on display technology, cost minimization, plus a number of "poor choices and compromises."