11/20, 4:25pm
Firmware update to give PS3 3D capabilitiy: Sony
Sony recently announced to its investors that it will add 3D stereoscopic capability to the games on its PS3 gaming console via a future firmware update. The presentation (pdf) contains the line "all PS3 units will be firmware-upgradeable to 3D," and that the company plans to lead the 3D market, though no timelines were revealed. There was, however, an indication that Sony will offer 3D-specific tools to developers of its games.
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11/20, 4:20pm
Coders must be careful to avoid tripping flags
A new automatic screening technique Apple is using for the App Store appears to be backfiring, claims developer Rogue Sheep. The screening is believed to be aimed at catching unauthorized APIs, blocked under Apple's submission rules. A number of the apps trapped so far are allegedly ones using Three20, an Objective-C library. Rogue Sheep's Postage has in the past relied on some Three20 code, and so private API calls were removed from the software before submitting a recent update.
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11/20, 4:10pm
MS refutes talk of NSA-made security hole
Microsoft in a response late Thursday rejected assertions that it has put in a security "backdoor" at the request of the National Security Agency. The denial comes after the NSA's information assurance lead, Richard Schaeffer, told a US Senate terrorism subcommittee that the agency had worked with Microsoft to improve Windows 7's "security guide" and sparked fears that the government had deliberately left a secret window the NSA could use to spy on users.
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11/20, 2:20pm
YouTube API now only on some devices
YouTube drew controversy with word this week that it has begun limiting the use of its native video API on devices. Reflecting new terms of service, any device that connects to a TV must have a license from YouTube to get fully native video support. The move will ban smaller-scale devices like the Popcorn Hour C-200 from directly accessing YouTube videos, although it will still allow them access using Flash.
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11/20, 1:15pm
Ten percent of Chinese 3G in three years
China Unicom has set high targets for iPhone sales in its native country, according to China Daily. One senior executive tells the newspaper that within two to three years, the iPhone is expected to represent 10 percent of all 3G devices in China. The carrier's chairman, Chang Xiaobing, has meanwhile suggested that the product will eventually become the nation's most popular smartphone.
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11/20, 12:45pm
AbingtonIP launhces class action MS lawsuit
Texas-based law firm AbingtonIP has launched a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft for its large-scale ban of Xbox 360 users from the Xbox Live online gaming community who have illegally modified their consoles. The firm acknowledges that modification of the consoles is against the terms of use for Xbox Live, but argues that the timing of the bans generated Xbox Live revenues, thanks to the release of popular online titles such as Halo 3: ODST and the more recent Modern Warfare 2.
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11/20, 11:40am
T-Mobile deal may be with MetroPCS, others
T-Mobile's US branch may land a deal with another carrier to grow its network much more rapidly, a rumor maintained on Friday. Sources for the German paper Handelsblatt claimed that Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile's parent, is in the "early stages" of looking for a partner that would help it build out the network through a cash infusion. The top candidates so far include budget carrier MetroPCS, WiMAX-based Clearwire and even AT&T, any of whom could get a small stake in T-Mobile in return for the investment.
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11/20, 10:50am
Cedar Trail Atom to go 32nm, DX10
Initial information has surfaced of Intel's sequel to its imminent Pine Trail platform for the Atom processor. Appropriately codenamed Cedar Trail, the 2011 update should be the first built on a 32 nanometer process and will take advantage of this through a new integrated graphics core. The new version will support DirectX 10-level 3D as well as HD video decoding. It should additionally bring dual digital outputs that recognize DisplayPort and HDMI as well as older formats.
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11/20, 10:00am
Nokia cuts 2 percent of research force
Nokia on Friday said it would cut 330 jobs in its research and development group. The reductions are spread between an office in Oulu, in Nokia's native Finland, as well as in Copenhagen. Nokia isn't specific as to the nature of the layoffs and says only that they're meant to reflect the company's "focused portfolio of future products."
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11/20, 8:30am
Gameloft cutting back Android game work
Gameloft today revealed that it has scaled back development of games for Android phones. The French software house made the move as just a fraction of its sales come from the Google platform: it sells 400 times more iPhone games than Android titles, the company's financial head Alexandre de Rochefort said.
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11/19, 7:15pm
Service to compete with iTunes
Sony on Thursday introduced plans to launch an online portal for music, movies, books, and other content such as applications, according to BusinessWeek. The market, named Sony Online Service, is expected to fulfill CEO Howard Stringer's goals and help the company compete against alternatives such as iTunes.
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11/19, 5:55pm
Twitter apps get location awareness
Twitter today added its promised geolocation feature for tweets. The addition gives any app using the API, but not the Twitter site itself, the option of tagging posts with a location as well as to automatically draw on the location for position-based features, such as finding tweets in a certain area. It isn't exclusive to GPS-equipped devices and will work with Wi-Fi and other methods that can generate the relevant data.
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11/19, 5:00pm
Palm Pixi now at $25, Pre at $80
The recently launched Palm Pixi handset is now selling for just $25 at Amazon, or about $75 less than it did at launch, though it still requires a two-year contract with Sprint. It's not known why the price cut has been made just days after the phone's release.
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11/19, 4:45pm
MS shareholder meeting shows share worries
Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer today warned at a yearly shareholders' meeting that the company needed to improve the standing of Windows in the future. The executive was emphatic that Microsoft was still in a comfortable position with "96 out of 100" choosing Windows worldwide but acknowledged that Apple had cut into Microsoft's share in the past year. He downplayed the amount, labeling it a "a couple of tenths of a percent" but added that even the claimed amount was significant and worth fighting for.
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11/19, 4:30pm
Telus sues Rogers over alleged false ads
Canadian wireless provider Telus is suing competitor Rogers over ads that say Telus' wireless voice and data network is less reliable than its own. Such claims can no longer be made, Telus argues, as it recently launched a 21Mbps HSPA+ network that is on par with Rogers' in terms of speeds. Telus claims requests made to Rogers to stop airing these inaccurate ads were ignored, resulting in the lawsuit filed through the British Columbia Supreme Court.
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11/19, 2:20pm
Coverage of Google desktop OS unveiling
Google provided its first public details of Chrome OS at a special event today. Electronista supplied coverage of the just-ended even; all updates are listed in reverse chronological order. Among the news unveiled are the first public view of the OS, that there will be no beta today and that the platform is being open-sourced early as Chromium OS a year ahead of its planned late 2010 release.
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11/19, 1:55pm
Sony in talks with Mozilla on new PS3 browser?
Sony's PS3 gaming console may soon benefit for the Mozilla Firefox web browser, according to a rumor in a Wednesday PSInsider report. The source is said to be close to Sony, and indicates the two companies have been in talks regarding the matter. Whether a deal has been reached in the negotiations is not known, the source points out.
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11/19, 1:00pm
Criticizes dev for responding to legal threat
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has chastised a Mac developer in response to a letter regarding a name change, reports say. The CEO of Little App Factory, John Devor, says he was recently served a notice by Apple lawfirm Baker & McKenzie, asking him to change the name of iPodRip, a program used to transfer content from an iPod or iPhone back to a Mac. Devor decided to plead his case with Jobs directly, writing an elaborate e-mail message.
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11/19, 12:20pm
32nm Celeron to start at 1.86GHz
Intel's first Celeron processor based on its 32 nanometer Arrandale design should ship this spring, a leak says today. The P4500 will clock in at just 1.86GHz but should be a dual-core example and have 2MB of Level 2 cache and perform faster than an older 45nm Celeron. Both Hyperthreading and Turbo Boost will reportedly be disabled, as with the Core i3, to keep the price down and differentiate from faster Core i5 and i7 models.
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11/19, 7:35am
Second Apple tablet would have new screen
Apple may have delayed the launch of its repeatedly rumored tablet line to incorporate newer parts that could include an OLED touchscreen, a purported leak claims today. While an often mentioned 10.6-inch version with an LCD is still deemed on tap, the entire line may have been moved to the second half of 2010 to accommodate a 9.7-inch OLED from LG Display. The company may be delaying the launch to wait for OLED prices to fall, as a panel costs $500 today where Apple could save $200 to $300 just by waiting several months.
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11/18, 10:15pm
Terms said to effectively "kill" plasma TVs in CA
The California Energy Commission has approved a new set of efficiency standards aimed at regulating televisions sold in the state, according to CNET News. The rules apply to displays 58-inches or smaller, requiring retailers to stock TVs with 33 percent less energy consumption by 2011. The terms increase once again for 2013, with mandatory reductions in consumption by an average of 49 percent.
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11/18, 9:10pm
Carrier hires film actor Luke Wilson
AT&T has fired back at Verizon's "there's a map for that" commercials by launching its own critical ad. The carrier hired film actor Luke Wilson, who guides viewers through a chart comparing several aspects of the 3G networks. Wilson credits AT&T with having the fastest network, the ability to simultaneously use voice and Internet, the most popular smartphones and access to over 100,000 apps.
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11/18, 7:40pm
Verizon 3G map ads to run during trial
Judge Timothy Batten Sr. dealt an early setback to AT&T's lawsuit against Verizon over allegedly misleading ads by refusing to grant a requested injunction that would have forced Verizon to take the ads down immediately. The US District Court ruled that the TV spots might be misunderstood but weren't harmfully deceptive, thus leaving no urgent need to change or withdraw the ads ahead of court proceedings. AT&T will have a second chance to persuade Judge Batten at one more hearing on December 16th.
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11/18, 6:15pm
Wired ready for Apple tablet next year
Magazine publisher Condé Nast today revealed that it's taking the unusual step of optimizing its publications with Apple's rumored tablet in mind. The agency doesn't claim to MediaMemo that it's privy to Apple's design but expects Wired, and later its 17 other magazines, to be ready in a format that works with the device by mid-2010. It will allow both actual-size and optimized formats and should include both mixed media and hooks for social networking.
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11/18, 5:35pm
MS accidentally shows Win Mobile 7 shot
Microsoft today inadvertently previewed its next mobile OS through a preview of Office Mobile 2010. Point 5 in a description of the beta shows a screenshot of the productivity suite running in an environment clearly unrelated to Windows Mobile 6.5 and which is consistent with earlier shots that point to a more touchscreen-friendly interface. At the same time, it retains the familiar two-button options at the bottom of the screen and generates touch lists not unlike the current platform.
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11/18, 5:05pm
Intel suit contained mistakes, says ombudsman
The European Ombudsman has reprimanded European Union regulators on Wednesday for mistakes in its antitrust probe of Intel. In his report, ombudsman P. Nikiforos Diamandouros said the Commission failed to make a proper record of its meeting with Dell in relation to the Intel investigation. The note did not conclude whether or not the EU anti-trust body infringed Intel's rights of defense.
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11/18, 4:30pm
Qualcomm mirasol e-book reader coming
Qualcomm today showed off a new implementation of its mirasol technology that could lead to a major advancement in e-book readers. The semiconductor designer has developed an early mockup of an e-book reader that has a 5.7-inch, 1024x768 color e-paper display. While not fully functional, it represents a design that should not only be capable of supporting richer colors than any other reader but also playing video.
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11/18, 4:25pm
T-Mobile Complete prepaid packages introduced
T-Mobile on Wednesday released new T-Mobile Complete prepaid packages that include a choice of handsets smartphone and one month of talk time without an associated contract. With this move, the provider has become the first in the US to offer a prepaid BlackBerry handset, the Curve 8520.
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11/18, 3:30pm
Google phone may actually be data device
Google's frequently rumored self-branded Android phone could skirt around its partners' worries by using only Internet service if a source is true. The still unknown device would primarily be intended for data and would use VoIP for its calls. At least AT&T has expressed interest in supplying the network for the phone and could let customers pay as little as $20 per month for access, although TechCrunch understands that "conditions" may be involved at that price.
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11/18, 2:40pm
Qualcomm in regular talks with Apple
Qualcomm chief Paul Jacobs in an interview today said his company has been talking with Apple about providing chips for the iPhone. He didn't provide specifics but tried to downplay the significance for Bloomberg, explaining that Qualcomm's size means it talks to "everybody." He also pointed out that company "haven't made [a deal] yet" with Apple and didn't say what progress if any had been achieved.
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11/18, 1:55pm
Hulu to add EMI artist music vidoes, profiles
Video on demand service Hulu, which offers the majority of its content for free to US viewers, is adding a dedicated music video section to its site on Wednesday. Together with music label EMI, the first artist's videos will be singer Norah Jones, before more artists' work is featured over time. All of Jones' videos will be on the site, as will footage of four concerts and several of her interviews.
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11/18, 12:50pm
Internet Explorer 9 still early
Microsoft on the second day of its Professional Developers Conference by providing an early look at Internet Explorer 9. The new browser is just three weeks into development but is already expected to significantly outperform its predecessor. The new version will take advantage of hardware acceleration from graphics chipsets that support D2D in DirectX to offload many of the visual elements of browsing, such as maps or sub-pixel rendering. Microsoft's aim is to let the hardware "shine through" in the browser, chief software architect Steven Sinofsky said.
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11/18, 12:25pm
Exclusivity deals now hampering growth
The iPhone could soon become the UK's most popular smartphone, claims a Canalys analyst. Presenting at yesterday's Canalys Mobility Forum event in London, Pete Cunningham observed that the iPhone was the most popular smartphone in France during Q3 2009, a result of the end of an exclusive deal between Apple and regional carrier Orange. The French government ruled that the deal violated competition regulations.
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11/18, 12:00pm
Most Nokia phones to use Maemo by 2012
Nokia will abandon Symbian for all its Nseries services by 2012, the company said at a launch event for the N900. The Maemo-based smartphone is the only one of its type in Nokia's lineup so far, but the company plans to gradually phase out Symbian S60 on all its Nseries devices over time. It should eventually end in relatively mainstream devices and not just high-end flagships like the N900, which itself is considered a "bridge" between the old and new worlds.
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11/18, 10:00am
Sony Ericsson in major cost reductions
Sony Ericsson is in the middle of a surprise, major cost-cutting measure that will close some of its key buildings, an internal memo has revealed today. The cellphone designer is notifying workers that it's closing its Research Triangle Park facility in North Carolina as well as offices in Chennai (India), Kista (Sweden) and Miami. As a result, Engadget hears the company will have to drop 2,000 jobs, or more than four times the 450 jobs it dropped in 2008.
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11/18, 9:15am
Google's own Android phone custom-made
Google's rumored self-developed Android phone is real but has been pushed back, a scoop claimed on late Tuesday. The handset would be built by a third party, most likely LG or Samsung rather than the previously preferred HTC, but would carry only Google's branding and is said by TechCrunch to be designed almost exclusively according to Google's design. It would launch in early 2010 after a delay but would receive heavy marketing as soon as January.
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11/17, 11:30pm
MS' Ozzie claims mobile apps secondary
Mobile apps aren't an important factor in the success of a smartphone platform, Microsoft chief software architect Ray Ozzie claimed today. Interviewed at the company's Professional Developer Conference, the veteran developer tried to downplay apps as a lure and insisted that "all the apps that count" will be available on every smartphone as the time to write and port code is much shorter than on the desktop. Ozzie instead implied that it was the OS itself and its built-in features that would make the difference.
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11/17, 8:40pm
Qualcomm banned from using brand in Germany
German computer maker Smartbook AG has continued to threaten companies, including EE Times, that have been using the term "smartbook." The manufacturer recently sought a restraining order against the chip maker Qualcomm. Although Qualcommm and other companies, such as Freescale, use the term smartbook as a generic reference to portable Internet-ready devices that fall between the typical classifications for netbooks and smartphones, Smartbook AG has argued that it owns the sole rights to the trademark.
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11/17, 5:55pm
Public Chrome OS preview soon
Google's rumored Chrome OS release should primarily center on its first public demo of the platform, a notice tonight. An event is said due on Thursday that should include a "complete overview" of the web-centric OS, including its technical underpinnings as well as demos. It's now thought by TechCrunch that a code release is possible but that a more formal release isn't coming until 2010.
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11/17, 4:45pm
Swindon, UK residents to get free Wi-Fi access
Swindon Borough Council is planning on offering free Wi-Fi to the entire population of its town by April of next year, says a Tuesday report. The UK town's 186,000 residents will not have to pay any connection charges or subscription fees for the service, due to be called Signal. The project will cost the equivalent of about $1.68 million and is run by newly formed Digital City UK Ltd, 35 percent of which is owned by Swindon's city council.
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11/17, 4:35pm
Barnes & Noble to accept gift cards for ebooks
Barnes & Noble will soon accept its gift cards as payment for purchases made in its eBook store, the book retailer announced on Monday. Not only will both physical and online gift cards be accepted online, but also through Barnes & Noble's own nook e-book reader and other wireless devices compatible with the B&N eReader software.
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11/17, 3:15pm
MS loses lawsuit over Windows fonts
Microsoft today lost a lawsuit that could temporarly block it from selling netbooks and other PCs in China (registration required). A Beijing Intermediary People’s Court determined on Tuesday that two fonts used in Windows 98 SE, 2000, XP and Server 2003 weren't properly licensed from Zhongyi Electronic and that Microsoft must pull sales of any of those releases from the Chinese market. The two companies already had a license agreement but have disagreed over what it covered.
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11/17, 2:30pm
Analysts see Palm at Verizon next year
Palm may prove to be Verizon's best hope if the Droid line doesn't bear fruit, Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu said in a note today. He points to contacts within the cell industry and supply chain that suggest Verizon will carry one or more of Palm's webOS phones, such as the Pre or Pixi, sometime in 2010. Sales of both the Motorola Droid and HTC's Droid Eris have purportedly been "somewhat disappointing" and may lead to Verizon using Palm to bolster its smartphone catalog.
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11/17, 12:00pm
MOTO hopes to bring multi-touch tech to casinos
MOTO Development Group on Tuesday showed off its first round multi-touch casino gaming table prototype at the Global Gaming Expo 2010 in Las Vegas. Similar in concept to the Microsoft Surface, the touch table has Blackjack and Texas Hold ‘Em poker games built into it. The table has one large integrated touchscreen that supports multi-touch inputs from many players.
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11/17, 11:45am
Looking to expand first-party game production?
Apple is looking to hire a new game programmer for its Cupertino headquarters, listings show. The person would specifically hold the title of "game/media software engineer," and work with a small team on various entertainment apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. Requirements include three to four years of game development experience, with knowledge of C, C++, Objective-C and/or iPhone programming. Applicants must also have "at least one AAA title" under their belt, and ideally skills in audio, graphics or network code.
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11/17, 11:45am
Dell Minis to ship in bamboo packaging
Dell today boasted an industry first by becoming the first to ship its computers in bamboo packaging. The Mini 10 and 10v will have boxes made primarily of the more efficient material, which regrows much faster than the trees used for cardboard and is more easily renewable. As it takes as much stress as steel, it even provides more protection and replaces not just cardboard but also the foam normally used to cushion against an impact.
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11/17, 9:35am
Sidekick back on sale with lower price
T-Mobile today restored the Sidekick to its lineup after having pulled it for more than a month after the results of its major data outage. Both the Sidekick 2008 and the newer Sidekick LX 2009 are back on sale and have been price-cut in a bid to renew interest. The LX 2009 has dropped by $25 to $150 on a two-year plan, while the older model now costs just $50 on the same terms.
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11/17, 8:25am
Flash and AIR betas also bring HW decode
Adobe today fulfilled earlier promises and provided betas for both Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2. Both are the first from Adobe to have a Flash layer that supports multi-touch input, including gestures such as pinching to zoom the window. Flash Player specifically gets H.264 hardware decoding through newer video chipsets and, initially for Windows PCs, can significantly reduce the workload on the CPU or a notebook's battery.
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11/17, 7:50am
Reliability study has Apple 4th place
A new study published by SquareTrade revealed that the smaller name brand notebook manufacturers are usually more reliable than their larger rivals. Of the top nine, ASUS has the lowest tracked breakdown rate with fewer than 10 percent of its notebooks failing in the past two years. Toshiba, Sony and Apple also have better-than-average performance and are either just over or under the same figure.
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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.
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