Dell today began shipping a new range-topping display teased at CES. The UltraSharp U2711 is one of the first outside of Apple to use the 27-inch LCD found in the iMac and gets the same 2560x1440 resolution as well as its pro-friendly color accuracy. With 12-bit internal processing and an IPS panel, the U2711 can cover 100 percent of the sRGB color space and 96 percent of Adobe RGB.
Apple is seeding a new test build of Mac OS X 10.6.3 to developers, 10D552. The code is said to continue many of the troubleshooting efforts taken with the last two builds, correcting problems with AirPort, OpenGL, graphics drivers and QuickTime X, while improving the performance of 64-bit Logic. Also fixed are some compatibility and reliability issues with third-party printers, and a glitch which causes background message colors to behave badly in Mail.
Fujitsu introduced its latest portable scanner, the ScanSnap S1300. Measuring just under 11.2 inches across and weighing 3.1 pounds, the S1300 is the smallest portable duplex scanner in the Fujitsu lineup and the company's first scanner designed for full cross-platform functionality for Windows PCs and Macs. The S1300 scans up to 8 pages per minute at 300dpi for color or 600dpi for grayscale.
Microsoft this morning confirmed that its CEO, Steve Ballmer, will give the company's Windows Phone keynote at Mobile World Congress next Monday. The firm provides little detail other than what's provided but signals the likely launch of Windows Phone 7 just through Ballmer's presence. Traditionally, the executive has rarely if ever handled such events himself and has instead let those in the Windows Mobile group host any presentations.
Opera says it will show an iPhone web browser, Opera Mini 5, later this month at the Mobile World Congress. While it will not be available through the App Store at the time, journalists should be able to get hands-on experience. The browser's main advantages are claimed to be speed, achieved through compression, and features such as tabs and the Speed Dial thumbnails displayed whenever opening a new page.
Sony today touted a pair of firsts in a new Blu-ray player. The BDP-S470 is its first player explicitly labeled as 3D capable and will show the format in 1080p with a firmware upgrade due to arrive in the summer. It's also one of the first that can be controlled through an iPhone or iPod touch: a recently launched BD Remote app (free, App Store) not only provides basic control but will show related content for a given movie.
Sprint this morning posted a rare surprise gain in its core subscriber base after years of losses. Although its net subscriber base was down 69,000 in fall 2009 due to a large number of customers leaving the push-to-talk iDEN network, it actually gained 3,000 total subscribers to its CDMA phone service. The boost was the first in a year and a half and was helped both by some iDEN users switching to CDMA as well as added business, including the completed takeover of Virgin Mobile.
AT&T today shined extra light on its plans to move to 4G. As part of an extended deal with Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson to upgrade its network, every 3G cell site upgrade in 2010 will also be upgradable to the much faster Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard for 4G, whether it requires add-on hardware, new software or both. The move will let AT&T switch on 4G in these areas more quickly than it could if it had to completely replace the site.
Logitech on Wednesday claimed a first for computer input with the first three-year lifespan in a keyboard and mouse combo. Both of the peripherals in the Wireless Desktop MK710 use a particularly efficient new generation of the company's 2.4GHz RF adapter to get information across much more efficiently and to dynamically shut down the signal more often without taking long to resume. The USB receiver shares the same Unifying technology as other Logitech devices and can handle other peripherals.
Panasonic in a late-night launch extended its 3MOS camcorders with a pair of top-tier models. Together, the HS700 and TM700 both shoot full widescreen 1080p video at 60FPS but carry very high resolution 14.2-megapixel sensors that are useful both for large still images and better motion. In full video mode, the 3MOS sensors cut down on half of the noise in the shot and simultaneously improve sensitivity to detail in low light.
REAL Software has released an update to its development utility, Studio 2010. The software was previously known as REALbasic, although the programming language name remains unchanged. Release 1 adds several new features and improvements, including additional support for ActiveX. Previous versions only offered a limited subset of ActiveX controls, while the latest release is claimed to support most of the controls and all events.
Arten Science has announced that its MonitorMyMac software will now be offered as a free download. The application can be set up to take timed images, which can be stored locally or uploaded to an FTP server or MobileMe account. MonitorMyMac is capable of capturing screenshots of a user's desktop, pictures from the webcam, or simultaneous captures from both sources. By automatically uploading pictures to online storage, users allow themselves to monitor a computer via an iPhone, notebook, or any web-enabled device.
Google on Tuesday released a new version of its Maps utility for mobile phones, less than a week after the previous v3.4 update. Version 4.0 integrates directly with the company's new Buzz service. Users can post live updates tagged with their location, add pictures, or view and comment on Buzz posts from other users. A new layer has been added to the maps interface, allowing the Buzz overlay to be easily enabled or disabled.
Following the stir created by ex-Microsoft executive Dick Brass, who recently claimed the company had become an "uncompetitive innovator," attention has returned to internal e-mails that were made public during an antitrust lawsuit several years ago. The legal blog Groklaw has sifted through many of the documents, uncovering a message from 2003 showing Bill Gates' praise for Steve Jobs and iTunes.
Apple on Tuesday released a second beta version of the iPhone 3.2 SDK to developers. The first beta was initially seeded last month following the iPad unveiling. Many of the new features are focused on the iPad, with tools geared for the larger screen resolution. Although the device has yet to be released, developers can view UI layouts and debug apps on an iPad simulator.
HTC may be in the earlier stages of developing an extremely high-end Android smartphone, says a code string reportedly leaked on Tuesday. Possibly to launch as the Scorpion, it would use the dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor teased at CES and would use Android 2.2, which is likely to be the final name for the update Google has so far codenamed Froyo. One line of code also makes reference to WiMAX and suggests it might head to Sprint's 4G network.
Following on the heels of the Aperture 3 introduction, Apple on Tuesday also released maintenance updates for RAW compatibility and a SlideShow bug. Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.0 extends RAW support for Aperture 3 and iPhoto 09 to include several additional cameras and formats such as Canon's PowerShot S90, sRAW, and mRAW; Leica's D-LUX 4; and Panasonic's Lumix DMC-G1, DMC-GH1 and DMC-LX3.
RealNetworks in a surprise move tonight broke off Rhapsody as a separate company. The move has the blessing of Real's partner in the venture, Viacom, and will transfer all the rights to Rhapsody so that its streaming and download music services remain intact. Real will also inject $18 million in cash and promises that Rhapsody will be independent, with no one else holding a majority stake.
Initial impressions of a prototype Adam tablet from Notion Ink, first announced late last year, show that the device has some significant advantages over competitors such as the iPad. Powered by the new NVIDIA Tegra chipset and using a low-power display from Pixel Qi, the pre-production Adam is said to last at least two to three times longer than the 10-hour battery life for the iPad when browsing the web using Wi-Fi or watching video, according to Notion Ink CEO Rohan Shravan.
Zevrix has launched PDF Checkpoint 1.2, updating its PDF preflight and conversion software. The app exports PDFs as images, and splits and reduces the size of PDF files. Hundreds of files can be handled at a time via drag-and-drop batch processing.
Belkin on Tuesday announced it has redesigned its Laptop Cooling Pad to now include a unique AirFlow Wing shape that is more efficient at taking heat away from the computer and a user's lap. At the same time, the design results in the notebook itself being quieter. The fan was repositioned compared to the previous pad and retains its USB power cable.
Siri has launched a public beta of its personal assistant software for the iPhone, Siri Assistant. The program is designed to help with everyday tasks such as booking a restaurant or contacting a taxi service. Its main feature is voice recognition technology, which operates in a question-and-answer style. Over time the app is designed to adapt, and become simpler to use.
Japan's Elecom has launched two new memory card readers with support for SDXC memory cards. The MR-A001BK is a USB thumb reader that can also read nine other types of memory cards, including SD Pro High speed cards. The MR-A002 reader is larger and attaches using a USB cable. It will be available in black or white and supports 32 different types of portable media cards.
Several analysts have expressed conflicting views on AT&T's iPhone exclusivity, and whether or not it will end in 2010 or be extended another year. Craig Moffett of Bernstein Research has raised his Verizon rating from Underperform to Neutral, in part because there may be little future for AT&T even if Verizon does not get the US iPhone. AT&T's growth will "sputter" without the iPhone as a guaranteed draw, says Moffett.
Best known for its work on the MP3 format, Fraunhofer this afternoon said it would use Mobile World Congress next week to formally roll out two new audio formats specially designed for mobile. MPEG Surround can produce as much as 7.2-channel surround sound but has no real effect on the bitrate versus a stereo mix. A smartphone or a networked media hub using MPEG Surround can get the full audio of a movie without needing more space or a faster network connection.
IDC as part of a wave of mobile market share updates has again given the crown to the BlackBerry Curve as the top selling smartphone in the US. Despite the line's relative age, it outsold both the second-place iPhone and third-place Motorola Droid during the fall and was joined in the top ten by four other models: the Pearl, Bold, Storm and Tour occupied the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth place spots respectively. The iPhone 3G, Palm Pre and myTouch 3G filled out the fourth-, eighth- and tenth-place positions.
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