iPhone apps: Photo+Map, Mathemagics, Instaviz...

Photo+Map ($2) can combine a map showing the location where a picture was taken and the picture that was taken there. The maps are automatically retrieved and are added as an extension to the image instead of reducing the original size of the image. Users can additionally choose to add a time-stamp along with latitude and longitude information to the image. A recent update includes support for the new 3MP camera used in the iPhone 3GS allowing users to save images at the full 2048 x 2048 resolution.

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Boris Continuum Complete 6 AVX ships for Avid DS...

Boris FX has released its Boris Continuum Complete 6 AVX video effects package for Avid DS. The package consists of approximately 180 filters, including 30 new effects such as Pixel Fixel, DV Fixer, Swish Pan, Cartoon Look, Pencil Sketch, Charcoal Sketch, and Water Color effects. The plug-in also includes such OpenGL-accelerated effects as 3D Extruded Image Shatter, Damaged TV, Glint, Glare, Glitter, LED, Lens Flare, Lightning, Prism, Scanline, and Tile Mosaic.

Babylon translator expands to 33 languages...

Babylon has produced an updated version of self-named app, used to translate a variety of languages. The software now supports both online and offline dictionaries, allowing users to work when missing an Internet connection. The number of supported languages has meanwhile been expanded from 17 to 33; users have access to over 1,400 dictionaries and glossaries, including Oxford, Britannica, Merriam-Webster, Pons and Duden.

Pentax K-7 DSLR camera now shipping...

The Pentax K-7 digital SLR camera introduced at the end of May is now available via online retailer Amazon. Offered as a body-only, with no bundles in sight, the camera is priced at its promised $1,300. The 14.6-megapixel camera is Pentax' flagship, and can capture HD videos in 720p. Unlike other HD-capable cameras in the class, it also has a microphone jack for external input.

Conformalizer 3.1.3 includes AVID Pro Tools 8 support...

Maggot Software has released v3.1.3 of its Conformalizer utility. The application is used during sound editing in video recuts, and can detect VFX changes as cuts evolve. The update includes support for AVID Pro Tools 8, and adds new auto-conform routines, an updated search feature, and improved QuickTime views with better response and restored playback controls.

iPhone 3.0 causing unusually rapid battery drain?...

The iPhone 3.0 firmware is likely responsible for some unusually heavy battery drain on Apple handhelds, claims Aaron Vronko, the CEO of RapidRepair. The group was one of the first to conduct a teardown of the iPhone 3GS. Devices with the v3.0 firmware can sometimes drain "very quickly," Vronko notes, to the extent that they may be unable to make it through a single workday without a recharge. Similar complaints have appeared on Apple's support forums.

DOJ starting AT&T, Verizon antitrust reviews?...

Cellular carriers have been given added pressure on Monday as a new leak claims the US Department of Justice is beginning a review of whether major providers are violating antitrust laws. The government's head for such cases, Christine Varney, is said by Wall Street Journal tipsters to be reviving Sherman antitrust law and checking to see whether AT&T, Verizon and other providers are misusing their dominant positions to stifle competition, particularly with exclusive handset deals. Politicians and DOJ officials have been concerned that AT&T's deal for the iPhone and similar bargains have prevented smaller carriers from offering a fair challenge.

Al Jazeera news network posts English iPhone app...

The Arabic TV news network Al Jazeera has launched a new iPhone application, also compatible with the iPod touch. Users are able to stream the English-language version of the network's news feed, which has attracted controversy both Western and Middle Eastern countries as a result of covering material like statements from Al Qaeda. Video can be streamed in either low or high quality, depending on whether users are on a 3G or Wi-Fi connection.

Intel's mobile Core i7 chips all too thirsty?...

Intel's Core i7 notebook chips may all consume too much power to be used in anything but high-end notebooks, a late leak indicates. Also known as Clarksfield, the 1.6GHz and 1.73GHz quad-core parts were originally thought to use 35W of peak power, suitable for average and some thin-and-light notebooks, but are now estimated to use 45W and would be ruled out for all but larger, desktop replacement notebooks. The flagship 2GHz Core i7 Extreme would be even more demanding at 55W.

Sony to intro TX1, WX1 cameras soon?...

Sony will soon announce the release of a couple of new cameras, the DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1, which are based on its fairly new DSC-HX1, according to a SonyInsider report and listings on Provantage.com. The announcement is expected to come before month's end and the pair will build on the HX1 by replacing its 9-megapixel sensor with a 10-megapixel unit. Both will also be capable of recording 720p HD video, while the HX1 should also support 1080p recordings.

Radiopaq Sound Jacket attemps to boost Nano output...

Accessory maker Radiopaq has begun selling the Sound Jacket, an inline add-on for the fourth-generation iPod nano. The device performs automatic hardware equalization of a Nano's output, in theory compensating for distortion, as well as quality lost during file compression. Radiopaq claims that in some circumstances, quality should be improved by as much as 60 percent.

Apps: FlashVideo Converter, CaptureIt!, Camfrog...

FlashVideo Converter 3.1 ($100) is a tool for converting Flash SWF and FLV files to video files such as MP4, MOV and MPEG. The software has controls which allow users to adjust the codec parameters and to control the size and quality of the output video. Users can also adjust the resolution, quality, and audio settings of the conversion to their specific needs. The new release includes improved fps settings for QuickTime, MPEG, MPEG2, and MP4 files along with an updated preview window. [Download - 16.2MB]

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Adobe plans ColdFusion fix in wake of web attacks...

A ColdFusion 8 security fix is due to be released this week, says Adobe. Targeted in the patch is a problem with FCKEditor, an open-source application that comes bundled with the ColdFusion suite. The software permits file uploads and management, features which are supposed to be disabled on a ColdFusion server; the connectors can sometimes remain active however, creating a vulnerability. Knowledgeable hackers can call up FCKEditor's file manager, and use it to upload files and gain control of a server.

Analyst: Competition for Chinese iPhone continues...

In spite of a recent Merrill Lynch report, no deal has been finalized for a Chinese iPhone, claims Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu. While China Unicom is still considered the frontrunner for a distribution agreement with Apple, the only alternative carrier in the region -- China Mobile -- is said by industry sources to be persisting in negotiations. The company has the distinct advantage of a larger subscriber base, at 488 million.

Cobalt/carbon tech to boost capacity 1,000-fold...

Researches at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, in Dresden, Germany headed up by Ruijuan Xiao say they found a way to increase storage capacity of magnetic data drives by a factor of 1,000. While the finding is simply a theory, the answer lies in tying cobalt molecules to a ring of carbon, as cobalt has the highest magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) of all ferromagnetic elements suitable for storage. The density of data storage depends on the size of magnetic grains, which cannot be shrunk indefinitely.

Apple, Nokia making micro projector devices?...

A number of top smartphone companies may be developing smartphones and other devices with built-in micro projectors, inside reports claim. A Taiwan-area contractor, Foxlink, is understood to have entered the young field and is deemed likely to supply the projectors to Apple, Nokia and Samsung, all of whom are supposedly introducing handhelds with the technology by the end of the year. The projectors' features are unknown as are the device names and features, though Foxlink already has a close tie with Apple through its manufacturing of other components.

Nokia denies Android move...

Nokia on Monday tried to deflect rumors that it's developing an Android smartphone. A company spokesman said that there is "absolutely no truth" to the claim, which would have a touchscreen device appear in September at Nokia World. The representative maintained the company's official choice of Symbian for all its smartphones.

iPhone 3.0 Wi-Fi problems to be fixed in 3.1?...

The public may have to wait for the release of v3.1 firmware to see a fix to current iPhone Wi-Fi issues, accounts suggest. Following the release of the v3.0 update on June 17th, a number of users have been reporting a diminished or total inability to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot, forcing dependence on EDGE or 3G for data. Users can be within feet of a hotspot without gaining a connection, and resetting either an iPhone or a router does not appear to help.

AT&T co-producing 3G e-book reader, more?...

AT&T is in the midst of co-developing a trio of non-phone devices that will take advantage of its 3G network, a leak indicates. The carrier's signature device would be an e-book reader with built-in 3G data access, likely following a similar strategy to the Kindle that lets users download books without needing Wi-Fi or a physical connection. It's not said by the BW source who the manufacturer may be or whether the device's 3G access would be built into the cost like with Amazon's device, but it will reportedly ship by the end of the year.

Samsung intros 5M:1 contrast computer LCD...

Samsung today launched a new desktop LCD considered as its most advanced. The XL2370 measures only 20 inches but is one of the first its size with an LED backlight; making the switch boosts the contrast ratio to an unprecedented 5,000,000:1 and gives it far darker black levels than both some earlier LED-lit LCDs as well as all fluorescent displays. It's also unusually sharp at a native 1080p (versus a more typical 1680x1050) and fast with a 2ms average pixel response time.

Apple ordering cameras for "all" iPods?...

Apple has been ordering enough camera sensors that every iPod except for the shuffle could have a camera with its next update, Asian sources claim. The American company is believed to be ordering cellphone-quality units worth about $10 but in too large numbers to simply apply to iPhone orders. Which models would get the update aren't specified by TechCrunch, but it's speculated that more than one iPod model would have to be covered given the sheer numbers.

Nokia turning to Android for new phone?...

Nokia is breaking from Symbian and about to use Android for one of its next smartphones, according to industry sources. A touchscreen, smartphone-class device is claimed by the Guardian to be later in development and likely to be unveiled at Nokia World in September. Its features are unknown beyond the use of the Google platform.

purplera1n iPhone 3GS jailbreak tool released for Mac...

George Hotz, creator of purplera1n, the first iPhone 3GS jailbreak tool, has announced that a Mac version is now available. In his blog, Hotz explains that he is not familiar with Mac coding and gives credit to AriX and westbaer for the port. The hack is still considered to be in the beta stage and users are reminded to backup any important data before attempting the unlock. The file weighs in at 458 KB and is available on the purplera1n website.

Sony Ericsson's first Android phone leaked...

Sony Ericsson's first Android smartphone will be a very high-end touchscreen device most likely taking the iPhone head on, a Danish scoop shows. Codenamed the "Rachel," the phone would fit into the XPERIA line occupied only by the X1 but would emphasize speed, according to Mobil. Like the Windows Mobile-based Toshiba TG01, it would have a very high-end 1GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon processor at its heart; it may also compete against the iPhone 3GS through "great" 3D graphics capabilities.