Friday, November 30, 2012
Staples to offer 3D printing next year, partners with Mcor
Dell's Ubuntu-based XPS 13 goes on sale for $1,449
Dell is graduating its internal "Project Sputnik" program this week with the release of a thin and light XPS 13 laptop powered by Ubuntu Linux. Branded as the XPS 13 Developer Edition, the machine features an Intel Core i7 3517U processor with integrated HD 4000 graphics along with 8GB of DDR3-1600 memory, 1366 x 768 display resolution, a 256GB solid state drive, Ubuntu 12.04LTS "Precise Pangolin" and 1 year of ProSupport.
Twitter in legal spat over data clampdown
(Reuters) - Twitter Inc's steadily tightening grip over the 140-character messages on its network has set off a spirited debate in Silicon Valley over whether a social media company should or should not lay claim over its user-generated content.
Mexican court enters preliminary $2.7 billion judgment against Yahoo
(Reuters) - A civil court in Mexico entered a preliminary $2.7 billion judgment against Yahoo Inc for breach of contract involving a yellow pages listings service, Yahoo said on Friday.
Dad creates video-equipped quadrocopter to walk son to the bus stop
Every weekday morning, Paul Wallich would accompany his young son some 400 meters from their home to the bus stop to make sure he was sent off to school safely. It’s not a terribly long distance to travel on foot but when it’s cold outside during the winter, it can certainly be an inconvenience.
Sources: Xbox 720 will be available in time for Thanksgiving 2013
Project Durango (the codename for the new system) is expected to contain four processing cores, each with four logical cores. The final issue of Xbox World also believes we could see up to 8GB of RAM, directional audio, Kinect 2.0 support as well as Blu-ray capabilities. A new gamepad and augmented reality glasses are also expected at some point as well.
Apple begins selling unlocked iPhone 5 in the US
Apple has finally begun selling factory-unlocked iPhone 5 smartphones in the US. As with previous releases, the move comes roughly two month after carrier locked versions went on sale in the country, whereas Canada and some European nations see both versions launch alogside each other. The unlocked phone starts at $649 for 16GB of storage, with the 32GB and 64GB models adding an extra $100 and $200, respectively.
Latest Humble Bundle offers Saints Row, Darksiders, Metro 2033, more
Previously limited to indie games, the Humble Bundle has teamed up with THQ to offer the ailing publisher's games for a price you can't refuse. Using the familiar pay-what-you-want model we've seen during a dozen other promotions, the Humble Bundle is serving up six THQ titles for as little as a dollar, including Darksiders, Metro 2033, Red Faction: Armageddon, Company of Heroes, CoH: Opposing Fronts and CoH: Tales of Valor.
Sony's PlayStation3 beats Nintendo's Wii U over Black Friday
(Reuters) - Sony Corp sold over 525,000 PlayStation3 consoles in the United States during the week of Black Friday that kicks off the holiday shopping season, surpassing sales of Nintendo's new Wii U.
Syria pulls the plug, Internet traffic comes to a halt
Syria's tether to the digital world appears to have been severed, cutting off Internet access to and from the country entirely. In addition to an apparent Internet blackout, Syrians may also be facing isolated landline and cellular phone service disruptions according to the Associated Press and a growing number of unverified reports
Facebook, Zynga revamp partnership
(Reuters) - Facebook Inc and Zynga Inc severed the cozy ties that once bound the Internet industry's closest couple, revising a years-old partnership between the two companies.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
RIM shares rise 6 percent as Goldman jumps on BB10 bandwagon
(Reuters) - A wave of optimism surrounding the launch of Research In Motion's re-engineered BlackBerry line picked up momentum on Thursday with Goldman Sachs raising its rating on the smartphone maker and setting off a surge in its share price.
Survey names Verizon the best US carrier, AT&T the worst
Consumer Reports has released its annual cellular service report with findings that are similar to last year's. After surveying 63,253 cellular subscribers across 23 metropolitan markets, Consumer Reports determined Verizon Wireless to be the highest-rated provider among the four major US telecoms, scoring relatively well when it comes to voice and data quality, staff knowledge and issue resolution.
Cisco to buy privately held network software company
(Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc said it will buy privately held network traffic-management software maker Cariden Technologies Inc for about $141 million in cash.
Surface Pro pricing revealed: $899 for 64GB and $999 for 128GB
Following the release of the Surface with Windows RT last month, Microsoft has finally announced a release date and pricing details for the Intel-based variant equipped to run the full-fledge version of the operating system. As expected, it won’t be priced to compete with the iPad. Arriving in January, the Surface Pro will be available in 64GB and 128GB flavors, priced at $899 and $999 respectively.
Redesigned, speedier iTunes 11 now available for download
One month after initially planned and with just a day to spare on its second deadline, Apple has finally released iTunes 11. The newest version of the company’s desktop media player and digital storefront has been redesigned from the ground up with a completely new interface and more iCloud-centric features.
VLC launches Kickstarter campaign for Windows 8 app
The team behind the popular open-source media player VLC has announced plans to develop a native app for Windows 8’s Metro UI, and they’re looking to crowdsource funds for the project through Kickstarter. According to the team, although they currently receive donations through the VideoLAN association (a French non-profit) to purchase test devices and pay for servers, the Kickstarter money will allow them to work on the new port full-time while hiring professional designers to rework the user interface for Metro.
Microsoft Security Essentials bombs tests, loses AV-Test certificate
Microsoft Security Essentials was the only entry to fail AV-Test's certification between September and October -- an embarrasing slip for the once well-regarded virus protection solution. MSSE received a total of 10.5 out of 18 possible points, most notably falling short in zero-day malware attacks. As a point of reference, 11 points are required to receive certification. The fallen AV only received 1.5 out of 6.0 for system protection, but fared better when it came to repairing infections and usability: 3.5 and 5.5 out of 6.0, respectively.
Samsung takes aim at Japanese rivals with Android camera
(Reuters) - South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung Electronics Co is taking aim at its Japanese rivals with an Android-powered digital camera that allows users to swiftly and wirelessly upload pictures to social networking sites.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Samsung Galaxy products infringe Apple patent: Dutch court
(Reuters) - A Dutch court ruled on Wednesday that some of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy smartphones and tablets infringe an Apple patent in the latest round of the two firms' worldwide battle.
MSI unveils GT60 Workstation notebook with Quadro, Ivy Bridge
Although MSI has been building high-end notebooks for years, nearly all of them have targeted gamers and few if any have been specifically designed for intensive production. That's about to change as the company has announced plans to enter the mobile workstation market, with its first system expected to ship next month.
Next Windows may be free, yearly upgrades, possible 2013 launch
Tired of using the same operating system for years? Microsoft certainly hopes so. The Redmond-based software maker is hoping "Windows Blue" will change how consumers perceive Windows by introducing frequent, periodic upgrades (e.g. annual releases), akin to Apple's aggressive Mac OS X release schedule.
Microsoft says Google Shopping customers are getting 'Scroogled'
Microsoft has launched a new holiday campaign designed to show Google users how Google Shopping really works. It’s called “Scroogled” and in short, Microsoft aims to point out how the search giant’s shopping portal went from showing relevant results to displaying nothing but paid advertisements.
Sharp unveils 4K 32-inch IGZO LCD monitor, yours for just $5,500
Sharp has unveiled a new monitor powered by their ultra-thin IGZO technology that delivers an incredibly high resolution in a very sleek looking package. The professional-grade 32-inch (when measured diagonally, of course) PN-K321 display features a 4K resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 but you’ll need some pretty deep pockets if you want to bring one home (or, to the office).
Asus delays dual-screen hybrid Taichi ultrabooks until Dec. or later
Asus has reportedly delayed the launch of its upcoming dual-screen Taichi ultrabooks. Unveiled at Computex in June, the hybrid systems were originally due to ship in November, soon after last month's release of Windows 8, but an Asus representative has told PCWorld that units aren't likely to hit US shelves until December or later, though no additional details were provided. Given that news, retailers including Amazon, Newegg and TigerDirect have halted preorders, which have been ongoing since early October.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Amazon Prime users can earn video credit by waiving two-day shipping
Amazon appears to have expanded its no-rush shipping program for the holidays, allowing Prime users to earn more than just digital music credits. No-rush shipping allows Prime customers to waive their free two-day shipping for standard 5-7 day shipping in exchange for credit toward digital purchases.
Bitter struggle over Internet regulation to dominate global summit
(Reuters) - An unprecedented debate over how the global Internet is governed is set to dominate a meeting of officials in Dubai next week, with many countries pushing to give a United Nations body broad regulatory powers even as the United States and others contend such a move could mean the end of the open Internet.
Google hires thousands of humans to rank search results manually
Anyone who thinks Google's results are solely the product of fancy-pants algorithms and clever engineering -- think again. The Register has taken a look into Google's 160-page guidebook which is essentially a reference manual for human "raters" -- yep, that's right: humans -- revealing a definite human component behind the results dished out by Google search.
Chinese chip maker hopes to rival Intel, AMD, ARM with custom CPU
China is preparing to unveil details about an 8-core processor designed and developed entirely within the country. The CPU is expected to eventually challenge powerhouses AMD, ARM and Intel in the PC, server and supercomputer categories.
New, thinner 21.5-inch iMac available this Friday
Earlier this month a rumor surfaced claiming Apple would have to delay the launch of their redesigned iMacs due to an issue with a welding process. Although a second report citing unnamed sources denied those claims, Apple has now come forward with a solid release date for the popular all-in-one.
Firefox 18 beta adds JavaScript improvements, Retina Display support
Mozilla has released a new beta version of Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux that adds a number of new features to the popular web browser. Firefox 18 beta includes, among other things, improvements to make JavaScript web apps and games perform more smoothly thanks to a new compiler called IonMonkey.
Windows Store crack turns trial apps into full versions
A tool of questionable ethical value has surfaced, allowing Windows 8 users to transform trial apps into their full-fledged, paid-for counterparts. Wsservice_crk has actually been available for at least a month -- most notably at the MyDigitalLife forums -- but only recently has the cracking tool garnered much attention from online news outlets.
Next Windows Phone update to include VPN support, various fixes
With the launch of Windows Phone 8 almost exactly a month ago, Microsoft is already looking forward to an interim update for the platform. Codenamed Apollo Plus, the update is said to include wireless and audio improvements, as well as VPN support -- a feature that has been missing since the initial Windows Phone release but was part of previous versions of Windows’ mobile operating system.
JPR: Nvidia weathers turbulent PC market with 20% quarterly growth
Jon Peddie Research (JPR) has published its third quarter statistics for the graphics processor market showing weak seasonal performance with shipments down 1.45% quarter-over-quarter and 10.8% year-over-year. The underwhelming results were largely blamed rocky PC shipments, which stems from factors including ongoing economic woes in the US and abroad as well as the increasing popularity of tablets.
Monday, November 26, 2012
New worm is designed to attack Iran financial institutions
Stuxnet garnered a ton of media attention when it managed to cripple Iran’s nuclear program but a new worm recently detailed by Symantec is attacking the country on a different and perhaps even more damaging level.
Nintendo Wii U sales surpass 400,000 units in first week
Nintendo's next generation Wii U system was greeted with mixed reviews. It’s a capable machine that meets the standards of modern console gaming and doesn't feel like it’s pocked with omissions, the second-screen feature looks promising, and it offers a pretty decent launch lineup of in-house and third-party games. But at the same time many questions remain up in the air regarding the console’s online capabilities and developer support in the long run, not to mention reports of bricked units following a large firmware update on day one.
Galaxy Note II hits 5 million channel sales in two months
Samsung has revealed that its oversized Galaxy Note II smartphone just surpassed 5 million channel sales, less than two months after its launch. The company stopped short of mentioning actual sales to consumers, but the figure still provides an indication of how much demand the so-called ‘phablet’ is seeing, with estimates suggesting it is selling roughly three times faster than its predecessor.
Psy's 'Gangnam Style' video sets multiple records on YouTube
Korean pop sensation Psy has managed to set a number of new records on YouTube thanks to his hit video Gangnam Style. In less than five months, his music video surpassed Justin Bieber’s Baby to become the most viewed clip on the video sharing site. It’s an impressive feat when you consider that Bieber’s song has been online for nearly three years.
Minecraft 1.5 Redstone Update for PC will arrive in January 2013
Diehard Minecraft fans may want to circle January 2013 on their calendars as this is when we are told that the 1.5 update will arrive for the PC. Known as the Redstone Update, this will be the first of several that focuses on single-feature revisions, themes or fixes, according to a recent post from Gamespot.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Advanced SystemCare Free 6.6.8.170
Last updated: November 14, 2012
File Size: 19.0 MB
OS Support: Windows (all)
License: Adware
Weekend tech reading: Haswell to be Intel's last swappable CPUs?
Intel’s Haswell could be last interchangeable desktop microprocessors As personal computers become smaller, their flexibility is decreasing. According to a media report starting from code-named Broadwell generation of processors, Intel Corp. will only offer mainstream desktop chips in BGA packaging, which will eliminate upgrade options as well as increase risks for PC makers. Both Intel and Advanced Micro Devices supply two different desktop platforms these days, making a very clear difference between mainstream and high-end desktop. X-bit Labs
Professor finds profiling in ads for personal data website
(Reuters) - Dr. Latisha Smith, an expert in decompression sicknesses afflicting deep sea divers, has cleared criminal background checks throughout her medical career. Yet someone searching the Web for the Washington State physician might well come across an Internet ad suggesting she may have an arrest record.
Saudi regulator suspends Mobily from selling SIM cards
(Reuters) - Etihad Etisalat Co (Mobily), Saudi Arabia's second-biggest telecoms operator, has asked to meet the industry regulator after it was suspended from selling pre-paid SIM cards, a company spokesman said, describing the ban as "astonishing".
Nokia imaging chief to quit
(Reuters) - Nokia's long-time imaging chief Damian Dinning has decided to leave the loss-making cellphone maker at the end of this month, the company said in a statement.
Sony at greater risk than Panasonic in electronics downturn: Fitch
(Reuters) - Panasonic Corp has a better chance than rival Sony Corp of surviving Japan's consumer electronics slump because of its unglamorous but stable appliance business of washing machines and fridges, credit rating agency Fitch said Friday.
Autonomy founder says HP allegations don't add up
(Reuters) - Mike Lynch, mathematics whiz and former boss of Autonomy, said he can't see how accusations leveled by Hewlett-Packard Co of dodgy accounting add up to a $5 billion writedown on the software business he sold them last year.
Friday, November 23, 2012
HP says products may have been sold to Syria by others
(Reuters) - Hewlett Packard Co said in a letter made public on Friday that its products could have been delivered to Syria through resellers or distributors, but the world's largest PC maker affirmed it did not sell directly to the country.
Nexus 4 can handle LTE after all, but only in Canada
Google’s latest Nexus 4 smartphone is a great deal at only $300 or $350 for the 8GB or 16GB model, unlocked, and without the nuisance of a contract. But even though its specs are about on par with today's top performing phones, it falls short in one critical aspect: no official support for LTE networks. The key word here is ‘official’, as new videos have popped up showing the phone can actually handle some form of LTE.
Survey: 48% of motorists between 18-29 use Internet while driving
According to a survey performed by State Farm Insurance, as many as 21 percent of smartphone-owning drivers confess to accessing the web while driving -- or webbing -- as the company refers to it. Drivers between the ages of 18 and 29 are by far the most likely demographic to endanger themselves (and others) though for a quick Internet fix with 48 percent admitting to the deed.
Apple's Black Friday sale: $100 off select MacBooks and more
Apple is not particularly known for offering generous discounts during the Black Friday shopping craze. Unfortunately, this year is no different, but if you’ve been mulling over buying one of their products today might be a good day to take the plunge. The company is touting savings of $41 on an iPad, $31 on an iPad 2 and iPod touch, $101 on the new MacBook Pros as well as MacBook Air and $7-$21 on a range of gadgets.
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