Selasa, 29 Maret 2011

What's new on SlashGear.com

What's new on SlashGear.com

EA Takedown Orders Sent to Ultima IV Servers Preceding 2011 Reboot

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 02:59 PM PDT

Are you familiar with the game Ultima? It’s one of the most insanely popular video game series of all time. It has several games in several different genres of gameplay, including a game by the name of Ultima Online – one of the longest running and most successful MMORPGs in the time MMORPGs have been in existence. There’ve been no new Ultima Games since 1994, but it appears that one of the earlier versions: Ultima IV (1985) is still available and running relatively strong (considering its a 26 year old game) on two dedicated servers – and EA has just now asked them to cease and desist.

A bit more info on how this game is still being played: when a game reaches its apex, especially a game where you can interact with other players and collect and trade items, a game where you’re participating in essentially the original universe of RPG gameplay, there’s a chance that this game will never ever fade. This has happened with more than one Ultima game, this one, number 4, in two places – the browser-based Ultima IV Sega Master System emulation at Master System 8 and the IBM-PC port at Phi Psi Software. Both of these places have been sent letters to stop all hosting by Electronic Arts, the current IP holder of the Ultima franchise.

It’s apparently widely known that everyone had assumed that a group by the name of Ultima Dragons had been allowed to distribute Ultima IV freely by the then-owners of the Ultima brand, Origin, way back in 1997. Everyone assumed wrong, EA is saying now, and this takedown is being asked so that a brand new REBOOT of the game Ultima IV by Bioware Mythic can occur unhindered.

Now, even if you’ve got no idea what Ultima is about – you should still be able to look at this from a legal standpoint. Assuming the distribution of this fourth Ultima game was done illegally in 1997, does EA have the right to come down upon the groups hosting the servers for people to play the game on now?

What do you think?

Then of course there’s the hidden gem in all of this: a brand NEW ULTIMA GAME IN THE WORKS! Will it be better than Diablo III? My heart says no, but my excitement says YES!

[via SlashDot]

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Fancy De Bethune pocket watchcase mixes old school and high-tech

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 02:07 PM PDT

I long ago stopped wearing a watch on my wrist when the iPhone became my go to timepiece. If you like your iPhone and want an old school pocket watch to boot, we have the case for you. This fancy case has what appears to be crocodile skin leather and a fancy watch on the back.

That pocket watch movement on the back of the case is certainly the big feature here. The watch is a De Bethune DB 1024 movement nestled on the on the back of the case. It’ looks pretty cool actually, but with the way my iPhone cases tend to get scratched I don't even want to think what this case would look like in a few months.

I also don't even want to think about what would happen to that fancy watch or my iPhone if I dropped the thing. There is no word on pricing, but considering the fancy nature and style I am betting it’s not cheap at all.

[via CrunchGear

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Nintendo 3DS Sets One Day Sales Record

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 01:35 PM PDT

Nintendo has said that the new 3DS handheld game system has set a day-one sales record. Specifically, the company said day one sales were “the highest of any Nintendo hand-held system in our history.” They have not provided specific sales figures at this time, saying they reveal first-week sales figures for the system on April 14th. The 3DS seems to be avoiding the shortages which occurred with the Wii, and there are plenty of 3DS handhelds in stock at Toys R Us, Target, and other retailers.


The company said they “worked hard to get as much product as possible to retailers on day one to meet demand, and we will continue with these efforts moving forward.” So even if you didn’t have the foresight to pre-order a 3DS, you can probably just pick one up at your local store with no problem. The glasses-free 3D system has a lineup of 3D games available now as well, and a Toys R Us representative said that Super Street Fighter IV, Pilotwings Resort, and Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars were all selling well, especially with the retailer’s “buy one, get one half off” offer.

For more on the 3DS, be sure to check out our full review. Have you tried it out yet? What do you think?

[via Game Stop]

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Verizon USB551L 4G LTE Modem Available March 31st

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 01:11 PM PDT

The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE USB modem, made by Novatel Wireless, which the company states is “the smallest LTE USB modem available today”, will be available in Verizon stores and online this Thursday, March 31st. According to Verizon, the device is up to fifty percent smaller than competing products.


The USB551L has download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps, and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps. The modem supports Windows XP 32-bit, Vista 32/64-bit (SP2), Windows 7 32/64-bit, and Mac 10.4 or higher.

It will be $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, and that price comes with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan, which start at $50 a month for 5GB.

Corporate quote: “The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE modem is a high-performing USB modem with a
compact design and industry-leading flexibility, convenience and reliability.”

The full press release is below:

THE VERIZON USB551L 4G LTE MODEM LANDS ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS NETWORK MARCH
31ST

Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless today announced that the Verizon USB551L made by Novatel Wireless will be available to order on March 31st in Verizon Wireless
Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com. The USB551L
give customers expected download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of
2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage area in a portable device,
small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE modem is a high-performing USB modem with a
compact design and industry-leading flexibility, convenience and
reliability. The USB551L modem is designed to provide connectivity to check
email, download rich multimedia content and stay connected to family,
friends and coworkers. Customers who travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage
area, will stay connected on the Verizon Wireless 3G network.

Key Features:
€ Compact and lightweight USB modem with advanced proprietary antenna
technologies to maximize data throughput and operating range.
€ Supports Windows ® XP 32-bit, Vista® 32/64-bit (SP2) and Windows® 7
32/64-bit, MAC: 10.4 or higher

Pricing and Data Plans
€ The Verizon USB551L will be available for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in
rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan.
€ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans begin at $50 monthly access for 5GB.
Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt,
customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data
usage can be tracked by logging on to My Verizon online at
www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.

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iMobot Intelligent, Reconfigurable Modular Robots

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 12:44 PM PDT

iMobot modular robots, developed by researchers at UC Davis, are small modules that link together like a chain to form larger robotic modules. The modules have two joints at the center which can rotate 180 degrees. The robots have four degrees of freedom, so they can stand themselves up, roll end over end, stack themselves, and inch along like a caterpillar. They can even carry cameras. And the researchers are looking to make them available commercially soon. Read more, and see a video of the iMobot in action after the break.


The researchers propose that the robot could be used for search and rescue operations, as well as robotics research. Another idea is a snake-like robot with a camera that could climb a tree for surveillance. The iMobots have rotating faceplates at each end, which turn continuously so that the robot can roll along like a truck. Creators Graham Ryland and Harry Cheng are planning further research exploring using clusters of iMobots which would work together in larger configurations. The two received a $150,000 National Science Foundation grant to start their company, Barobo Inc. They have applied for a patent, and plan to commercialize the iMobot.

If you think one of these might come in handy, you can find out about the Barobo Inc. early adopter program here. They hope to have the robots available by the end of the year. I know my two year old would love one of these, but it might be a bit out of our price range.

Check out the iMobot in action:

[via PopSci]

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Prediction: Windows Phone 7 to be Number 2 Mobile OS by 2015

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 12:04 PM PDT

Yes, that’s right. According to a new IDC forecast for the smartphone market, Windows Phone 7, now the number 5 mobile OS and holding only a 5% marketshare, will shoot up to the number 2 spot just three years from now. The number one spot, according to the forecast, will be kept by Android. Forgive us if we’re a bit skeptical.


In such a fast growing and rapidly changing market, three years is an eternity. So it is very tough to put much credence in a long term prediction for the smartphone market, which is predicted to grow by 49% this year alone. The prediction is based, in part, on the fact that iOS has plateaued recently. But it is due for a facelift, likely coming soon. And Nokia’s WP7 devices aren’t even due out until 2012, so it is hard to say what the reaction to them will be. And there is also RIM and HP’s WebOS to reckon with.

According to the report: “Up until the launch of Windows Phone 7 last year, Microsoft has steadily lost market share while other operating systems have brought forth new and appealing experiences,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team, “The new alliance brings together Nokia’s hardware capabilities and Windows Phone’s differentiated platform. We expect the first devices to launch in 2012. By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android.”

If the prediction is correct, it will probably be because enterprise widely decides to embrace WP7. And it will also depend on the type of handsets the OS is available on, and how the ongoing relationship with Nokia and Microsoft develops. We will be sure to keep you up to date on new developments, and if WP7 does rocket to the top, SlashGear will be here to report on it.

[via ZDNet]

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Discovr App Offers Interesting Way to Find New Music

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 11:35 AM PDT

There is no shortage of iOS apps to help you find new music; based on friend’s recommendations, or what your friends have downloaded. But what if you are looking for a specific sound? You don’t necessarily want to know what everyone else is listening to, you want to find a certain sound or style. That’s what the Discovr music app hopes to help with.


The app provides a interactive map (kind of like those connection charts you see on LinkedIn) that shows artists that are similar to one you like, and then goes on to show others that are similar to them. Then, you can double tap on the musician’s bubble and go to an artist page where you can hear clips, see videos, and read more about them.

One nice feature is browsing within the app without having to exit. Once you find what you like, you can save your favorites to a folder and also share them in all the usual ways (Facebook, Twitter, email). And of course, and now we come to the whole point of the app, you can buy tracks or albums via iTunes.

Discovr comes from an Australian-based startup, and has been rated the number one app in twelve countries, including Australia and Japan.

The app launched on the iPad, and now is available on the iPhone also. No word on whether they plan to release an Android version. Right now, the startup only consists of three people. Discovr is 99 cents in Apple’s App Store.

[via TheNextWeb]

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Tesla Roadster drives 10 million miles, saves 500K gallons of gas

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 11:32 AM PDT

We have talked about the green and awesome Tesla Roadster a lot in the past. This is easily the coolest of the EVs for me since looks like a sports car, had loads of performance, and promises a long driving range with no stops at the pump. Tesla has announced that its Roadster fleet has hit a major milestone.

Tesla has announced that Roadsters have now driven 10 million miles to date. The cars are in 30 different counties, have altogether saved 500,000 gallons of fuel, and prevented 5.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

Tesla’s little Roadster can hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and promises a driving range of 245 miles on a charge. This is an awesome little car and Tesla has a larger car coming as well called the Model S. The model S is a sedan with more seating for passengers.

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Lady Gaga and “Little Monsters” Donate $1.5 Million to Japan Relief

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 10:48 AM PDT

Lady Gaga, has donated $1.5 million total to the Save the Children's Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund and The American Red Cross. The money was raised through sales of the artist’s Japan Prayer Bracelets. The bracelets sell for $5 each on her website. All proceeds from the purchase of the bracelets go to relief efforts, and buyers can also add an additional donation amount when purchasing.


The fundraising initiative is spearheaded by Zynga, which has also raised more than $2.5 million for the effort in the last two weeks.

Said Lady Gaga: "I'm inspired that my little monsters banded together to help those affected by the terrible tragedy. What Zynga's players have done for the cause is equally inspiring, and I'm thrilled to partner with them to raise money that will go to Save the Children and the American Red Cross."

Zynga had offered game players the opportunity to donate 100 percent of the purchase price of newly created virtual items to the fundraising effort. “We’ve seen our players show tremendous generosity when presented with opportunities to give back,” said Mark Pincus, CEO and Founder of Zynga. “We’re very happy that Lady Gaga has chosen to donate to our fundraising efforts and hope our players take pride in what they’ve accomplished.”

But Lady Gaga is not finished yet. She has announced a contest in which she will fly one fan who bought a Japan Prayer Bracelet to a show on The Monster Ball Tour. The fan will get to meet Lady Gaga as well. Interested? You can go to her website to find out more. And you can visit the following link directly to help provide disaster relief and support children affected by the disaster in Japan: http://www.savethechildren.org/japanzynga

Also see SlashGear’s suggestions for how to help.
[via Zynga]

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iSuppli offers Nintendo 3DS bill of materials figures

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 10:29 AM PDT

iSuppli routinely takes gadgets that are new and popular and tears them down to see what’s used inside and gives us an idea of how much each of the devices costs to build. The latest gadget on the iSuppli chopping block is the Nintendo 3DS. iSuppli reports that the BOM for the 3DS is $100.71.

That price is for hardware only and doesn’t count the marketing machine behind the portable console, but it still sounds like Nintendo is making some money off the console. When you add in the cost of putting the 3DS together the BOM figure grows to $103.25. The 3DS is notably more expensive to make than the previous Nintendo DSi that had a BOM of $75.58.

The displays are from Sharp, are $33.80 each, and are the most expensive part of the device. The processing chip inside the machine is thought to be about $10 and the camera subsystem is about $4.70 with the memory costing $6.81. The battery is estimates at $3.50.

[via iSuppli

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How Tablets Can Connect the Disconnected

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 10:11 AM PDT

Many of us have heard stories about tablets being more accessible for those who have trouble dealing with PCs. Grandmothers, for example, who have never used a computer, get hold of an iPad and start tapping away like an old pro. What is it about tablets that make them so engaging, and make them so much more appealing than using a PC for some people? Let’s face it, PCs can be complicated. If you know nothing about using one, setting up a PC could be an insurmountable task. You have software to install, inexplicable error messages, antivirus notifications always popping up…

For some people, especially older people, all they want to do is get email, see pictures of family, and maybe do a little shopping. Why do they need to install the Office Suite, or worry about defragmenting?

My mother-in-law, for example, hates going near a computer. She doesn’t know how to use a mouse, and she actually still uses a camera with film. When I tell her that someone emailed me about a family event, she still says things like “Oh, yes, that’s what they do these days, isn’t it? They just email, they don’t need to call.” And she shakes her head, as if it is just so surprising. She was so happy and shocked that we could watch clips from American Idol on YouTube the day after the show aired. “It’s amazing what they can do these days on these computers.” We’ve tried on several occasions to get her hooked up, and signed up for email addresses that are now languishing.

There have been many attempts to make getting email easier for older people especially. And there are special email devices like the Peek, and email printers like Presto, that try and help older people connect with their younger counterparts, who don’t know what a stamp is and don’t print pictures anymore.

But these solutions only address email. What if someone wants to go online and research a product, play a game, watch video, find out more about a health issue, or even go on Facebook? Even using email is too old fashioned for many “kids these days“. If a grandparent really wants to keep up with the grandkids and see the latest photos, he or she is going to need to be on Facebook. So tablets may be the perfect solution for older types that don’t want to bother with a PC, but want more than just email. My mother in law (who is 64), has not tried a tablet, but I could see her taking to it. The touch screen interface is so much easier to deal with than a keyboard, it seems. When there is something you want to see, you just tap it. There is only the screen to deal with, not the screen, the mouse and the keyboard.

David Worthington, on PC World, interviewed his mom about her experience using an iPad, which is her first computer. Her reactions were very interesting. She had never had an email address, and found it really exciting that she could now join the online world:

David: Has your experience made you more eager to delve into it and learn more?

Mom: Yeah. I’m doing more and more of that lately. I’m learning from my mistakes, and beginning to use Google.

David: What do you like about it?

Mom: That I have an e-mail address – you know. 'Cause that’s the first thing [people] ask you: 'What’s your e-mail address?’ So now, that makes me feel that I’m part of something-and then I feel that I can see and do more things now than I did before, because I didn’t have it a computer.

She was even able to update apps without really knowing she was doing it. And checking email was easy: “go just push the e-mail, and then it goes to it real fast.” No web addresses to remember, nothing to type.

Tablets may not be the death of PCs as some people have predicted, but they may just bring in some who have been left behind by PCs, and make the online world more accessible. And that’s a great thing.

Do you have anyone who is “computer-phobic” in your family that has tried a tablet? What was their experience?

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iPad 2 StealthArmor Orange and Tungsten Unboxing and Hands-On

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 09:12 AM PDT

We’ve received our very own duo of iPad 2 armors from Fusion of Ideas – that’s right, it’s time again for SteathArmor! What we’ve got here is one skin set from their Colors series with Orange, and one skin set from their Metal series with Tungsten. Both are quite epic, precision cut to fit the iPad 2, and if I may so myself, colored to an absolutely perfect couple of shades of their respective color names. Take a peek here at what these armors, wraps, skins, whatever you’d like to call them as they arrive at our doorstep and yours truly unpacks them.

This is the first time I’ve personally opened a package from StealthArmor, our entire past going to people like Vince. We’ve had a look at the original iPad StealthArmor but as you know, iPad 2 is a whole different bag. Lots more cuts are needed, a much more delicate touch required to apply! And here inside each bag comes not just a back, but a thin clear protective front with cuts for the home button and camera as well – plus a cleaning kit!

Once we’ve got this all unpacked and prepared, we’ll be grabbing our hair dryer just incase we need it to apply the skin around some corners, then it’s straight along our way! Stay tuned for an application of the Orange skin (both apply the same way) unto your humble narrator’s brand new iPad 2 – can you even contain yourself with the excitement you’re feeling waiting to see me mess it up?! No worries, you’re talking to a craftsman.

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Nokia E6-00 leaks in full: Video, Specs, More

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 08:59 AM PDT

We’ve been gradually building a picture of the Nokia E6-00 over the past few months, but the unannounced Symbian smartphone has just seen its biggest leak to-date. A prototype has apparently found its way to the NokioTeca forums and been thoroughly snapped, tested and detailed. On the confirmed list, a VGA resolution capacitive touchscreen, paired with a physical keyboard, and an 8-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording.

Videos after the cut

There’s also a new version of Symbian^3, tweaked to suit the landscape-orientation display, and a microUSB port, along with a 3.5mm headphone socket. No HDMI that we can spot, unlike the N8, and the E6-00 appears to follow the E7 in dropping the traditional 2mm charging socket.

A new Symbian device is perhaps not what we’re really waiting for from Nokia, but the company has built a loyal following of portrait-QWERTY lovers and the E6-00 will likely find a niche among those. Short’n'blurry video demo below.

[via My Nokia Blog]

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Firefox 4 for Android released: 3x faster than stock browser [Video]

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 08:41 AM PDT

Mozilla has released Firefox 4 for Android, with the company promising that the new browser is up to three times faster than the stock Android browser. That’s thanks to new JavaScript engine tweaks, but there’s also support for tabbed browsing, Firefox Sync and add-ons.

Video demo after the cut

Thanks to Firefox Sync, all your desktop bookmarks, browsing history, open tabs, form data and passwords are pulled across into the mobile app, and vice-versa. There’s also the Awesome Bar, Mozilla’s combination search and address bar.

HTML5 support is baked in, but no Flash support at present. Mozilla is also offering Firefox 4 for Maemo. More information at the Mozilla blog.

What's New in Firefox for Android and Maemo:

  • Streamlined Interface
  • Focus on Web content: Features like tabs, one-touch bookmarking and browser controls that stow away when not in use help users focus on the websites they visit
  • Browse More, Type Less
  • Awesome Screen: Type less with easy access to history, bookmarks and open tabs
  • Save to PDF: Capture important websites, like directions or a boarding pass, to view offline
  • Share Page: Share websites via apps like email, Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader and more
  • Add Search Engine: Customize your search engine list
  • Private and Secure Synchronization
  • Firefox Sync: Access Awesome Bar history, bookmarks, open tabs, passwords and form data across multiple computers and mobile devices with secure end-to-end encryption
  • Most Customizable:
  • Firefox offers thousands of ways for users to customize the features, functionality and look of their mobile Web browser with Firefox Add-ons
  • Cutting Edge Tools for Web Developers:
  • Firefox improves existing tools like CSS, Canvas and SVG to enable developers to make exciting Web pages
  • HTML5 support in Firefox for Android and Maemo includes Location-Aware Browsing, device orientation, accelerometer, desktop notifications and more
  • The JavaScript engine incorporates the new JägerMonkey JIT compiler, along with enhancements to the existing TraceMonkey JIT and SpiderMonkey's interpreter for faster page-load speed and better performance of Web apps and games

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JBL OnBeat speaker dock supports iPad 2

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 07:56 AM PDT

JBL‘s latest iPod speaker dock has broken cover, and the JBL OnBeat joins the rare group of those units that support the iPad as well. Thanks to a range of docking clamps – which rotate to support iPhone and iPod touch landscape orientation – the OnBeat will accept your iPad or iPad 2, along with a 3.5mm aux-in for using other PMPs.

As you’d expect, the OnBeat charges your iPod while it’s hooked up, and there’s a USB connection so you can sync it with iTunes as well. There’s also a composite video output, so you can hook up a TV rather than squinting at a 3.5-inch screen.

JBL throw an infra-red remote in the box too, along with all the dock brackets you’ll need, while the speakers use a 2 x 7.5-watt amp with various DSP systems to massage the sound. The OnBeat is available in April, priced at $149.95.

Press Release:

HARMAN Brings Entertainment Experience on iPad® to Life with JBL OnBeat™ Speaker Dock

Company whose legendary JBL brand brought the first sound to cinema introduces a new loudspeaker dock, bringing the same dynamic sound to the next wave of technology: iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® devices

STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE:HAR), today announced the release of its new JBL OnBeat™ loudspeaker docking station, a JBL® dock to bring your next-generation entertainment experience to life, delivering realistic, dynamic sound with any iPad®, iPhone® or iPod® device.

"Imagine what moviegoers must have felt when they heard sound paired with film for the first time in history. This is what we hope to accomplish for the next era of entertainment experiences with products such as the JBL OnBeat for the iPad, iPhone and more"
Bringing Netflix® movie streaming, gaming, YouTube clip watching and more to an entirely new level with HARMAN's signature sound quality, the JBL OnBeat dock features dual Phoenix full-range transducers with computer-optimized DSP equalization, creating a richly detailed soundstage. A universal connector that firmly docks an iPad, iPod or iPhone lets you rotate iPod and iPhone screens to portrait or landscape orientation for the best video display, and an infrared remote (IR) puts you in full control of system functions and music navigation from across the room.

Stream action-packed movies and intimate family photos and videos, and share the hottest content on the Web in your living room with family and friends through the addition of an optional composite cable that can send video content from the device directly to your TV.

"Imagine what moviegoers must have felt when they heard sound paired with film for the first time in history. This is what we hope to accomplish for the next era of entertainment experiences with products such as the JBL OnBeat for the iPad, iPhone and more," said David Slump, president, HARMAN Consumer Division. "Our goal is to awaken our senses to the power that great sound and music can have on bringing media to life through the most cutting-edge devices out on the market right now."

The new JBL OnBeat also features a USB connection to sync and charge devices when connected to the iTunes® music library (cable not included), and a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack auxiliary input that connects to virtually all portable media devices (cable not included). The dock features a dynamic JBL Weave design styling that is as sculptural as it is conversation-starting. Brackets to attach the iPod, iPhone and iPad to the dock are included in the package. The JBL OnBeat also serves as a charging station for your iPod or iPhone while it is docked.

Pricing and Availability

The JBL OnBeat loudspeaker dock is available in April in black for $149.95. For additional information or to purchase, visit http://www.jbl.com/onbeat.

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AMD Radeon HD 6790 tipped to bring mid-range battle to GeForce GTX 550 Ti

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 07:32 AM PDT

AMD may have got a spanking with NVIDIA’s GTX 590 – on paper at least – eclipsing their own Radeon HD 6990, but the company isn’t wasting time weeping and applying cooling balm. Instead it’s apparently readying the AMD Radeon HD 6790, according to NordicHardware, set to take on NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 550 Ti in the lucrative mid-range segment, with a Barts LE core based on the GPUs used in the Radeon HD 6800 series.

According to the leak, the HD 6790 will have 10 stream units for a total of 800 processors, an 850MHz GPU frequency, 30 texture units and 32 ROPs, along with a 256-bit memory interface. It will have 1GB of GDDR5 memory and support up to 1.34 TFLOPs performance with a 33.6 Gtexel/s texture fillrate.

That, as the chart below suggests, will slot the HD 6790 in at the low-end under the HD 6850 and HD 6870; it’s also possible that AMD could brand it the Radeon HD 6830. Production cards are likely to drop at around the $150 price point, with a launch expected on April 5.

[via Expreview]

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HP exec slaps Apple for “absurd” philosophy toward partners

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 07:06 AM PDT

We’ve always been told that it’s better to talk up your abilities than criticize those of your rivals, but it seems HP couldn’t bottle up its Apple resentment any longer. HP exec Stephen DeWitt told CRN that Apple’s poor commitment to its partners is their biggest weakness, describing its philosophy as “absurd” and suggesting that HP would be looking to create the equivalent of an “Elite” line in its webOS-based mobility products.

As well as that branding, HP will also open up its purse and shake money in the faces of developers. This will bring new partners to us because we are getting into the application space, which involves muscles that we haven’t exercised in some time,” DeWitt suggested, going on to point out that there would be a phase of re-education for the company. “This is new business for our partners, and its new business for HP, and we’re going to learn where we need to invest.”

CRN musters up an anonymous solution provider who has experience working with both Apple and HP in the past, and who praises the PC company for being “very channel friendly” whereas with its Cupertino rival “it really feels like they’re holding you hostage sometimes.” Whether webOS on every PC and a new focus on the cloud and services are enough to persuade users that HP devices have the same cachet as Apple hardware remains to be seen, however.

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Lenovo ThinkPad W520 on sale now: Quadcore undercuts MBP by $550

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 06:31 AM PDT

Lenovo’s ThinkPad W520 mobile workstation has gone up for sale, with the 15.6-inch notebook priced from $1,449 with an Intel Core-i7 processor. Announced back in February, the W520 starts out with a 2.7GHz Core i7-2620M chip, 4GB of RAM and NVIDIA Quadro 1000M Optimus graphics, but $1,649 gets you the quadcore 2.2GHz Core i7-2720QM processor.

Options, meanwhile, include up to a 1920 x 1080 display (to replace the standard 1366 x 768 panel), up to 8GB of RAM, up to 500GB of regular hard-drive or up to 160GB of SSD, and both Bluetooth 3.0 and integrated WWAN. The regular model comes with a DVD burner, 6-cell battery and WiFi b/g/n.

The obvious comparison is Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Pro, recently updated with the same quadcore processor. That comes with more hard-drive space as standard, as well as a few other niceties, but also starts from $2,199.

[via Logicbuy]

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LG Smart TV Upgrader ST600 priced/dated; Plex support incoming

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 06:11 AM PDT

LG’s Smart TV Upgrader ST600 is apparently only weeks away from launch, with Amazon taking orders for the internet-enabled STB and suggesting a ship-date in two to five weeks time. Priced at $129.99, the ST600 will turn any TV – and it needn’t be an LG model – into a smart TV, complete with Netflix, VUDU and CinemaNow streaming, a browser, and LG TV Apps. However, there’s also Plex functionality in the pipeline as well.

Plex – which is a media server app for PC or Mac – has confirmed that its system will be supported on the LG Smart TV under the name MediaLink. That will allow streaming of digital content (in addition to real-time transcoding) from a home media server to the ST600 (or, indeed, to your PC/Mac or a smartphone/tablet).

According to Automated Home, Plex support won’t be present on the Smart TV Upgrader out of the box, but will follow on in a free firmware update come Q3 (or potentially earlier). The box supports 1080p HD, integrated WiFi b/g/n and lashings of codec support; more details here.

[youtube 5660INkAGjE]

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Nokia accuses Apple of further patent theft

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 05:27 AM PDT

Nokia has filed a second ITC complaint against Apple, claiming that seven patents it holds are being infringed “in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, tablets and computers.” According to the Finnish company’s patent lawyers, Apple is using Nokia IP in its multi-tasking OSes, data sync technology, positioning, call quality and the Bluetooth accessory systems.

In fact, it means that Nokia now has a whopping 46 patents in suit against Apple, with Paul Melin, Vice President of Intellectual Property at Nokia pointing out that “many [were] filed more than 10 years before Apple made its first iPhone.” The case has not only been filed with the ITC but in the Delaware courts, joining an international portfolio of litigation in which the only happy people are probably the lawyers.

Still, no matter how much Nokia talks about its strong patent position, it doesn’t seem the courts necessarily agree. The ITC recently rejected the company’s claims in a previous patent case against Apple.

Press Release:

Nokia files second ITC complaint against Apple

Published March 29, 2011

Alleges Apple infringes additional Nokia patents in virtually all products

Espoo, Finland – Nokia has filed a further complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that Apple infringes additional Nokia patents in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, tablets and computers.

The seven Nokia patents in the new complaint relate to Nokia’s pioneering innovations that are now being used by Apple to create key features in its products in the areas of multi-tasking operating systems, data synchronization, positioning, call quality and the use of Bluetooth accessories.

This second ITC complaint follows the initial determination in Nokia’s earlier ITC filing, announced by the ITC on Friday, March 25. Nokia does not agree with the ITC’s initial determination that there was no violation of Section 337 in that complaint and is waiting to see the full details of the ruling before deciding on the next steps in that case.

In addition to the two ITC complaints, Nokia has filed cases on the same patents and others in Delaware, US and has further cases proceeding in Mannheim, Dusseldorf and the Federal Patent Court in Germany, the UK High Court in London and the District Court of the Hague in the Netherlands, some of which will come to trial in the next few months.

“Our latest ITC filing means we now have 46 Nokia patents in suit against Apple, many filed more than 10 years before Apple made its first iPhone,” said Paul Melin, Vice President, Intellectual Property at Nokia. “Nokia is a leading innovator in technologies needed to build great mobile products and Apple must stop building its products using Nokia’s proprietary innovation.”

During the last two decades, Nokia has invested approximately EUR 43 billion in research and development and built one of the wireless industry’s strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with over 10,000 patent families. Nokia is a world leader in the development of handheld device and mobile communications technologies, which is also demonstrated by Nokia’s strong patent position.

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Samsung’s WiFi-only Galaxy Tab priced and dated

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 04:58 AM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy Tab P1010 – the WiFi-only version of Samsung’s 7-inch Android 2.2 tablet – has gone up for pre-order at Amazon UK, complete with an estimated ship date of March 31. Priced at £299 ($477), or £100 less than the unlocked 3G-equipped P1000, the new version has the same 1024 x 600 touchscreen, WiFi, single-core 1GHz processor and 16GB of storage.

As for the US market, the last leak suggested Samsung would be offering the P1010 on April 4 with a $399 price tag. There’s no sign of the WiFi-only version on Amazon US as yet, but the timing suggested by the leak and Amazon UK’s schedule do match up. Whether the P1010 is arriving too late to make an impact, especially with Honeycomb models like the XOOM already on sale, will remain to be seen.

[via Android Community]

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Windows Phone number two smartphone OS by 2015 predicts IDC

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 04:14 AM PDT

Android will take the top spot for smartphone OS worldwide in 2011, analysts IDC have predicted, pushing iOS into third place behind Symbian. As for Microsoft, while the Symbian-faithful aren’t entirely convinced by Nokia’s decision to climb aboard the Windows Phone train, IDC is more confident in the two companies’ partnership. “By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android,” senior research analyst Ramon Llamas predicts.

Parallel to that, the expectation is that Symbian market share will dwindle considerably, falling from an expected 20.9-percent in 2011 to just 0.2-percent in 2015. RIM and Apple are both forecast to lose market share, with BlackBerry OS dropping from 14.9-percent to 13.7-percent, and iOS from 15.7-percent to 15.3-percent.

The changes at the top end are all about sheer scale of handset production, with Nokia’s hardware potential and Android’s increasing popularity among OEMs being the key reason for their dominance. Apple, meanwhile, has fewer products running iOS, but the appeal of the platform and the company as a whole keeps them relevant.

Press Release:

IDC Forecasts Worldwide Smartphone Market to Grow by Nearly 50% in 2011

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. March 29, 2011 – The worldwide smartphone market is expected to grow 49.2% in 2011 as more consumers and enterprise users turn in feature phones for smartphones with more advanced features. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, smartphone vendors will ship more than 450 million smartphones in 2011 compared to the 303.4 million units shipped in 2010. Moreover, the smartphone market will grow more than four times faster than the overall mobile phone market.

“Overall market growth in 2010 was exceptional,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. “Last year’s high market growth was due in part to pent-up demand from a challenging 2009, when many buyers held off on mobile phone purchases. The expected market growth for 2011, while still notable, will taper off somewhat from what we saw in 2010.”

To capture the strong consumer demand for smartphones, manufacturers have unleashed a steady stream of new models and features over the past two years. The battle for mind and market share has also resulted in stiff competition among the smartphone operating systems.

“Android is poised to take over as the leading smartphone operating system in 2011 after racing into the number 2 position in 2010,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team. “For the vendors who made Android the cornerstone of their smartphone strategies, 2010 was the coming-out party. This year will see a coronation party as these same vendors broaden and deepen their portfolios to reach more customers, particularly first-time smartphone users.”

Nokia’s recent announcement to shift from Symbian to Windows Phone will have significant implications for the smartphone market going forward. “Up until the launch of Windows Phone 7 last year, Microsoft has steadily lost market share while other operating systems have brought forth new and appealing experiences,” added Llamas. “The new alliance brings together Nokia’s hardware capabilities and Windows Phone’s differentiated platform. We expect the first devices to launch in 2012. By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android.”

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LTE iPhone 5 in time for Holiday 2011: Apple Rumor Roundup

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 03:48 AM PDT

With it looking unlikely that Apple will be bringing the iPhone 5 to WWDC 2011 in early June, speculation has returned to circling how the company’s hardware plans may shape up for the rest of the year. Rather than a June launch, there are suggestions that Apple will release the white iPhone 4 later in the spring and use that to prolong the handset’s shelf-life until a Q4 2011 refresh. That later date might allow for the inclusion of 4G LTE connectivity, in an attempt to better take on what’s expected to be a growing number of LTE-equipped Android devices.

According to Macotakara, Apple is yet to order components for the iPhone 5, and sources claim the fifth-generation smartphone will not contribute to the company’s fiscal 2011; that period ends on September 24. Their sources also claim an early 2012 release for the new phone, though AppleInsider joins several sites in suggesting Apple would be unlikely to bypass the 2011 holiday shopping season.

Meanwhile, as for iOS 5.0, TechCrunch claims that Apple has been hard at work integrating Siri technology into the new version, with the team brought over to Apple following the “virtual personal assistant” startup’s acquisition busy polishing the WWDC demos. It’s also suggested that Apple may open up the voice-control system to third-party developers. Last week an analyst suggested that Apple might use its new data center to run Siri-powered search, LBS and mapping services. Assuming a familiarity period following WWDC to allow developers to ready iOS 5.0 compatible apps and services, that could well mean that the iPhone 5 would launch simultaneously with the updated platform.

Finally, a Q4 2011 iPhone 5 release might allow Apple more flexibility in including LTE functionality, with Qualcomm’s newer-generation 4G chipsets available by that point. Apple claimed that the compromises inherent in first-gen LTE radios led them to bypass the technology in the Verizon iPhone 4; however, Verizon has also been vocal that it was its LTE network that attracted Apple’s attention, and has since said that Apple LTE devices are indeed in the pipeline.

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Popcorn Hour C-200 media player gets iPlayer update

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 03:38 AM PDT

We have talked about the Popcorn Hour C-200 streaming media player a long time ago when the device first launched. The launch of that device was a few years ago now, but Syabas, the market of the Popcorn Hour device hasn't forgot about the owners of the C-200.

The company has announced that it will be adding new features to the C-200. The new features include new apps that provide access to Howcast, Khan Academy, and BBC iPlayer. The device will still support all of the other features it always has like streaming of home video, music, movies, apps, games and a lot more.

The device also has apps for Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Revision 3, and flicker among others. "Popcorn Hour players have been the heart and soul of Syabas' product offerings for years, and has driven the growth of our core user base," said Armando Lopez, VP of Strategic Product Marketing. "Digital media enthusiasts looking for more control and more horsepower in their home entertainment experience will enjoy the Popcorn Hour Media Jukebox and the latest addition of apps we have provided."

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Onkyo and Spotify team up for streaming on home theater receivers

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 03:27 AM PDT

Onkyo is a big name in the home theater and audio world. The company has a wide range of receivers for home theater fans and they run the gamut from affordable entry-level devices up to high-end receivers costing thousands of dollars. Onkyo and Spotify has teamed up for a first in the industry.

Onkyo is now the first brand in the consumer electronics market to offer direct access to Spotify music service via its receivers. The new service allows more than a million Spotify premium subscribers in seven countries to access the service on Onkyo receivers.

Starting today the Spotify service is offered on the TX-NR609 receiver and Onkyo notes that new products offering Spotify access will be coming very soon. The Spotify service on Onkyo receivers will stream at 320kbps bitrate using the Ogg Vorbis codec.

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Fujitsu LifeBook AH572 15.6-inch 3D laptop ships

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 02:43 AM PDT

If you are in the market for a new laptop and like the idea of 3D capability, Fujitsu is now shipping its latest notebook that might pique your interest. The machine is called the LifeBook AH572 and it has some really nice specs. The biggest feature is probably the 3D capability.

It uses passive 3D glasses and the 15.6-inch screen has an Xpol 3D filter on it. The screen resolution is 1366 x 768 and it has 400nits brightness. The notebook uses an Intel Core 15-2410M 2.3GHz CPU and has integrated HD 3000 graphics.

Fujitsu putts 4GB of DDR3 RAM inside the machine and it has 500GB of storage. Power for the rig comes from a 6-cell battery that will power the machine for up to seven hours. The notebook also has a 1.3MP webcam and can record 3D video. The AH572 sells for $999.

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Alienware M14x details surface

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 02:27 AM PDT

Say the name Alienware to me and I automatically think of expensive and big gaming notebooks crammed full of tons of hardware. Alienware is still certainly making machines that fit that image, but the company also has smaller and more portable offerings for the computer user that needs portability.

Specifications of a new Alienware portable notebook have surfaced online and the machine sounds interesting. It’s called the M14x and wit will use an 11-inch screen making it portable. The machine is said to use an 8-cell battery with 63Wh of juice inside. Storage options are pegged to range 250GB to 750GB with SSD options up to 256GB.

RAM will be 1GB to 4GB DDR3 and the little notebook will be offered with Core i3-2310M up to i7-2820QM CPU options. The screen will come in a 1920 x 1080 resolution HD optional and a standard 1366 x 768 screen. There is no word on what GPU will be inside the little rig at this point and pricing isn’t known either.

[via Dell-lab.posterous

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Olympus touchscreen PEN Pro tipped in incoming range refresh

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 02:17 AM PDT

Fans of the Olympus PEN camera range have something to be excited about today. Three new cameras have been tipped for the range. A rumor points to three new camera models set to land. The rumor originated with PhotoRadar and claims that one of the new cams will have a touchscreen on the back.

Along with that touchscreen PEN will also reportedly come a new mid-range camera for the PEN line with a tilting screen and a new PEN camera with flash. The rumors claim the announcement on the new cameras will be made as early as next month.

43rumors reports that its sources say there will be no new cameras landing from Olympus next month. It says that the May/June period is when new cameras are expected. As with all rumors take these with a grain of salt and we will just have to wait and see what pans out to be the correct rumor.

[via 43rumors]

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QNAP unveils TS-X59 Pro II Turbo NAS

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 02:03 AM PDT

QNAP has unveiled a new storage device that is aimed at the business and enterprise user called the TS-559 II Turbo NAS. This device is a storage platform that will work with just about any platform including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix operating systems. It acts as a centralized backup point and allows for printer sharing, FTP download, and video surveillance recording.

The device claims to be the industry’s first business-class NAS deice with next generation tech inside like support for 6Gb/s SATA III ports. The enclosure supports up to five hot swap 3.5″ or 2.5″ SATA HDDs up to 3TB each for a total capacity of 15TB. The device has 1GB of DDR3 RAM inside and that RAM can be updated to 3GB.

The NAS enclosure supports both eSATA and USB 3.0 ports with dual gigabit Ethernet interfaces with load balancing and fail over. It will also support multiple RAID levels including RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 6, 10+hot spare, 5+hot spare, or 6+hot spare. The device also supports virtualization with advanced iSCSI services.

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Samsung SCH-LC11 4G LTE Mobile hotspot now shipping

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 01:49 AM PDT

If you have a bunch of gadgets that you want to get onto a speedy 4G LTE network at the same time what you need is a mobile hotspot like the new Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. This gadget is model number SCH-LC11 and the little device is now shipping directly from Verizon. The hotspot promises to give you 10x the speed of a 3G hotspot.

The LC11 is available right now and will cost you $269.99 at full retail price or $149.99 with a 2-year contract. Verizon will also give you a $50 instant discount if you buy online bringing the price to $99.99 with free shipping. The hotspot can share the 4G speed with up to five other devices using WiFi.

Inside the little black device is a MDM9600 chipset and a 4G SIM card. It is VPN compatible and has autoconnect. WiFi support includes 802.11b/g/n and it has a USB port that is used for charging the internal battery. The device measures 2.32″ x 3.54″ x 0.45″ and weighs 2.7 ounces. It is good for up to 216 minutes of use and nine hours on standby.

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