Thursday, July 8, 2010

IT News HeadLines (HotHardware) 08/07/2010


HotHardware
Firefox 4 Goes Beta, Looks Like Chrome
There's a new beta browser in town, and its name is Firefox 4. Previously available in "Candidate" form, this latest release is a bit more polished and ready for anyone comfortable playing with beta software, which may or may not prove stable (been running fine for us so far). If Firefox 4 looks eerily familiar, then you must have logged some time with Google's Chrome browser. Mozilla appears to have taken a few design cues from Chrome, with Firefox 4's UI now sporting tabs at the top, a new Firefox button that
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Intel Terminates Game Development, Sweeps Project Offset Off The Table
When we last checked in on Project Offset, the visually impressive game was facing an uncertain future. Intel recently released an update on PO's development status, but unfortunately it's not what we were hoping for. Having completely abandoned Larrabee as a GPU product, Intel saw no further reason to keep the dev team around. When queried, Intel told BigDownload the following: Intel purchased Offset Software to improve our game development knowledge-base and to further Intel's visual computing technology development
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QNAP Allow Remote Media Streaming To iPad, iPod Touch And iPhone
Have you been in the market for a new NAS drive? Can't figure out which one would suit you best? We know it's a crowded market out there, but QNAP has just dropped a bomb on the whole place. If you're an iPad, iPod touch or iPhone user, QNAP has a new offer that may be too good to refuse. They have developed a new QNAP QMobile app that allows iPad, iPod touch and iPhones to remotely stream music, photos and videos from their QNAP NAS server, and we're not just talking about in-home, but anywhere with an Internet
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AppleCare Says SW Will Not Fix iPhone 4
Apple's CS reps have their talking points, but those talking points apparently don't cover what to say if someone asks if the upcoming software fix will resolve the iPhone 4's reception issues. The answer that AppleCare gives if you call, is no: the update will not fix the issues. As most people know, at issue is the iPhone 4's external antenna system. Particularly if you hold the device in your left hand and bridge the gap between antennas (shown), and you lose signal strength, data transfer speed, and
Read More ...


Okoro Debuts 2010 GX HTPC Line: USB 3.0, iPad Bundle, More
Now here's an idea. In order to draw more attention to your gear, just bundle an iPad with it! In seriousness, this actually isn't a bad plan, particularly when the company in question is Okoro Media Systems and the product is an HTPC. HTPC control is a huge issue; do you use your keyboard and mouse from the couch? Do you attempt to program a huge universal remote? What's the best way? Apple's iPad has opened up a new avenue for control, and the decision to ship this tablet with their Media Center PCs is a smart
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Hitachi's LifeStudio External Hard Drive Family Goes Stylish
It seems that the whole world is trying out new external HDD designs. We know that's not true at all, but being in this business, it sure feels like it. Western Digital has their My Book line, and even Seagate has recently produced some rather striking external designs. Now, it's Hitachi's turn. They're attempting to "redefine external storage" with their new LifeStudio Drive family, which are said to make it easier to organize, protect and relive life's greatest moments. Sort of touching, don't you think? Aside
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Sony Quietly Trims Its E-Reader Prices As Market Heats Up
Last week, Amazon trimmed the price and improved the features of its flagship Kindle DX product and now it's apparently Sony's turn. As of today, the Reader Pocket Edition is $149 (down from $169), the Touch Edition is $169 (down from $199) and the Sony Daily Edition (the DX's primary competitor) is now $299, down from $349. That's quite a bit cheaper than even the Kindle DX's new pricetag of $379, and it tells us everything we need to know about Sony's position in the e-reader market:  It's losing. Look!
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Prince Declares The Internet Over, Outdated, and Bad For Your Health
On Sunday July 11, the artist formerly known as currently known as Prince will release his new album, 20TEN in the UK. Prince agreed to be interviewed by the Daily Mirror, where he explained why his new album would only be released via CD, with no accompanying launch online, no partnership with iTunes or Amazon, and no digital downloads. Prince starts off by explaining how he "really believes in finding new ways to distribute my [his] music." Then he drops a bombshell. The internet's completely over. I don't
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USA.gov Revamps, Adds Mobile Apps
The federal government has released a slew of mobile apps for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, in an effort to close the customer service gap between the public and private sectors. Getting the most attention is the Product Recalls app, which is available only on Android, and collates recall and safety information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture. But that’s just one of the new available
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HTC Selling Smartphones Like Crazy, Posts Big Profit
You have to hand it to HTC, the handset maker who has found a way to be profitable by bombarding mobile phone market with a near-endless stream of smartphone models. The strategy is paying off, and quite handsomely -- HTC on Tuesday said its second quarter net profit jumped by 33 percent, The Wall Street Journal reports. It's nothing but obscene numbers across the board. Take revenue, for example, which ballooned by 58 percent in the second quarter, rising from NT$38.20 billion to a record NT$60.35 billion.
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IBM Flips IE the Finger, Fist Bumps Firefox Instead
For compatibility reasons, many corporations still insist on deploying Internet Explorer across their workforce, no matter how much the end-user complains. It's not that IE is more standards compliant than other browsers -- in most cases, the opposite is true -- but Microsoft's longstanding dominance in browser market share has forced Web developers to code their pages with IE in mind, even at the expense of sticking to proper Web code. In addition, some applications only work (or only work properly) with IE,
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Dell Precision Workstations Get ATI FirePro Graphics Cards
Select Dell Precision workstations are now offering ATI FirePro V7800, ATI FirePro V5800 and ATI FirePro V4800 professional graphics cards. With these cards, users are able to power up to three independent 30-inch displays at one time using ATI Eyefinity technology. The cards support Microsoft DirectX11, OpenGL 4.0, and OpenCL. The ATI FirePro V7800, ATI FirePro V5800, and ATI FirePro V4800 cards are available on a number of Dell Precision Workstations including models from the R5400, T1500, T3500, T5500, and
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TweetUp Acquires Twitroid, Will Pre-Install New App On Android Phones
This sure is interesting. A few months after Twitter released an official application for Android, there looks to be another major Twitter competitor coming to challenge it. TweetUp has revealed today that they have acquired Twitroid, which is widely viewed as the best Twitter app on the Android platform, even above the official one. So, why is this at all interesting? Well, for starters Twitroid will be renamed Twidroyd "in order to ensure minimal confusion with products from Lucas Films, trademark owner of
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Android 2.2 Review: A Deep, Delicious Dive Into Froyo
Android 2.2 was introduced at Google's I/O conference in San Francisco this past May. It promised to add a number of much-wanted changes and additions to the mobile OS, and even a few things that Apple's iOS does not offer. We've recently acquired the final gold build of Android 2.2, or "Froyo," on our in-house Nexus One, and we'll be detailing the changes and performance tweaks in the pages ahead. Join us as we take a deep dive into the world of Android 2.2, Google's latest and greatest mobile OS... Android
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NEC Adds 46- and 55-Inch Displays For Cost-Conscious Users
NEC is adding two new models to its entry-grade E Series with the announcement of the new 46-inch E461 and 55-inch E551. With these two new models, NEC's affordable line of professional displays now spans a range of sizes from 32-inch to 55-inch displays. The two new models offer full high-definition 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Other features include a built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner, four HDMI inputs, up to 5000:1 typical contrast ratio, 12W stereo speakers, and a detachable swivel stand. The E461
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Android 2.2 Review: A Deep, Delicious Dive Into Froyo
Google's Android mobile operating system originally launched back in 2008 with the introduction of the industry's first "Google-phone," the T-Mobile G1. The G1 was built by HTC, and at the time, it was fairly cutting edge. It wasn't the most exciting piece of hardware the world had ever seen, but it offered consumers with a very real alternative to the iPhone OS. Up until that point, Apple basically held the entire smartphone world in their hands. BlackBerry loyalists stuck with
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AppleCare Says SW Will Not Fix iPhone 4
Apple's CS reps have their talking points, but those talking points apparently don't cover what to say if someone asks if the upcoming software fix will resolve the iPhone 4's reception issues. The answer that AppleCare gives if you call, is no: the update will not fix the issues.

As most people know, at issue is the iPhone 4's external antenna system. Particularly if you hold the device in your left hand and bridge the gap between antennas (shown), and you lose signal strength, data transfer speed, and sometimes even drop calls.



The software update that Apple noted was coming in the next few weeks will only correct the way signal bars are displayed on the phone. This way, apparently, you will accurately know just how much signal strength is lost when you hold the phone.

Gizmodo called AppleCare three times on Tuesday, and got the same answers:
  • When you hold the iPhone 4 in a "certain way," as we noted above, your human body creates an antenna interference problem
  • Possible solutions include holding the phone differently, or some sort of case (including Apple's $30 bumpers) which will prevent your skin from bridging the gap.
  • AppleCare also confirmed that the software update will not fix the antenna problem
We've suggested that Apple start shipping free bumpers inside iPhone 4 boxes. After all, the darn things cost $30.

It's unclear if Apple will say anything in response to this information, or simply tell AppleCare reps to stop answering as above. It is, of course, possible the AppleCare reps are simply "working from bad data."

The assumption, or rather, hope, was that software could somehow fix the issue. After all, anyone who remembers the iPhone 3G signal issues also remember how iPhone OS 2.1 "fixed" (to some extent) the issues on that phone.

Assuming this information is correct, it looks like Apple may have released a seriously flawed product. Now if they would just admit it, and fix it the right way ... it's bad enough that AT&T's network cannot satisfactorily handle much of the traffic generated by the iPhone and other devices, but having to deal with something like this could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

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Sony Japan Introduces White PlayStation 3 Console
Colored game consoles have been around for years now. It didn't take long for companies to realize that consumers would go crazy over a simple "limited run" of colored consoles, and even as far back as the famed black DreamCast, this tactic has shown to work well. For whatever reason, consumers love color choices. Maybe it fits their mood or their style, or maybe it just helps to fit in with their decorations. Either way, Sony has never been one to shy away from colors, and even today there are quite a few PSP color options around the world.

The company's past PlayStation 2 console has also shipped in various colors, and now it's time for the PS3 to follow suit. The original PS3 has since been replaced with a sleeker, smaller model, but up until this point, the only color available has been glossy black. That works for most people, but as we have seen with the demand surrounding the white iPhone 4 (which isn't yet available), people are likely to go wild for a white PS3.


Sony Japan has just introduced a white PlayStation 3 Slim, complete with a 160GB hard drive and a price of nearly $350. Unfortunately for everyone not located in Japan, this white PS3 will remain a Japan exclusive at least for awhile, and there's no clear indication yet of when other countries can expect to see it. In related news, Sony Japan is also introducing a 320GB version of the black PS3 Slim, but again, it's Japan-only for now.

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Intel Terminates Game Development, Sweeps Project Offset Off The Table
When we last checked in on Project Offset, the visually impressive game was facing an uncertain future. Intel recently released an update on PO's development status, but unfortunately it's not what we were hoping for. Having completely abandoned Larrabee as a GPU product, Intel saw no further reason to keep the dev team around.

When queried, Intel told BigDownload the following:
Intel purchased Offset Software to improve our game development knowledge-base and to further Intel's visual computing technology development expertise, helping the company offer robust products, support, and tools to customers. With the recent changes in our product roadmap, some of the resources and technologies from the acquisition are being re-applied to help support new graphics related projects. Additionally, other Offset Software team members have moved onto other external projects outside the company.

It was a heck of a gorgeous game.

We always knew Intel's acquisition might repurpose Project Offset from a shipping product to a Larrabee tech demo, but we'd hoped an actual title would still see the light of day. Intel's statements cast fresh doubt over that possibility; even if Intel sold the PO engine back to the original developers (who have since launched Fractiv.com), at least some of the programmers are apparently pursuing new careers with Santa Clara. Fractiv has yet to comment on the situation or reveal if it's re-acquired its own software. 

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Okoro Debuts 2010 GX HTPC Line: USB 3.0, iPad Bundle, More
Now here's an idea. In order to draw more attention to your gear, just bundle an iPad with it! In seriousness, this actually isn't a bad plan, particularly when the company in question is Okoro Media Systems and the product is an HTPC. HTPC control is a huge issue; do you use your keyboard and mouse from the couch? Do you attempt to program a huge universal remote? What's the best way?

Apple's iPad has opened up a new avenue for control, and the decision to ship this tablet with their Media Center PCs is a smart move. The iPad will be primarily used for multi-room music control, but with the right dongle, you could easily convert the iPad into a full-on IR remote. And this is all just the beginning. The new 2010 GX lineup is equipped with solid state drives, USB 3.0, 6Gbps SATA interface and the ability to record 4 HD programs at once and play back 7.1 channel audio. Full details (minus a starting price) is listed below; this might just be the most impressive HTPC we've seen to date, so we wouldn't expect it to come cheaply.

Okoro Media Ships iPads with Media Center PCs for Multi-Room Music Control

Rosemont, IL (PRWEB) July 6, 2010 – New 2010 OMS Media PCs ship with Apple iPads for full music playback control in different rooms throughout the home.

Okoro Media Systems™, manufacturer of digital entertainment systems for the high-end, audio/video market, is pleased to announce the availability of the updated 2010 GX Series Media Servers. The new GX series now ships with solid state drives, USB 3.0, next generation 6Gb/s SATA drives and Apple’s iPad device for multi-zone audio control.

With its multi-zone audio control, GX digital entertainment systems can play back internet radio, music stored on the unit, or on an iPod in multiple rooms. It can also perform muti-zone audio functions while simultaneously recording 4 HD programs or playing Blu-ray movies in another room in digital 7.1 True-HD Audio.

Below are features available with the new 2010 GX line of OMS Digital Entertainment Systems:

• Brushed Aluminum Marantz styled A\V Enclosure
• Windows 7 64bit operating system on SSD
• Blu-ray playback with 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
• Recording of HD premium content using Quad CableCARD technology
• Remote configuration/support for customers and authorized dealers
• Apple iPad for Remote Mult-Zone Music control
• Intel Core i7 Processor Technology
• 2-4TB of 6Gb/s SATA Media Storage

OMS Trade-in/Upgrade Program
Okoro Media Systems is now extending the opportunity for existing customers to trade in or upgrade their current system for a next generation machine. The upgrade offer for OMS customers will be available through July 31st, 2010.

For more information about the GX Series or other OMS Digital Entertainment Systems, please visit http://www.okoromedia.com or call (888) 420-1668.

About Okoro Media Systems

Founded in 2004, Okoro Media Systems, Inc. has been a leader in the manufacturing of Digital Entertainment Systems for the high-end, audio/video market. By creating elegant and innovative solutions, OMS Digital Entertainment Systems have been featured in The Robb Report Home Entertainment, Electronic House and Playboy.

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IBM Flips IE the Finger, Fist Bumps Firefox Instead
For compatibility reasons, many corporations still insist on deploying Internet Explorer across their workforce, no matter how much the end-user complains. It's not that IE is more standards compliant than other browsers -- in most cases, the opposite is true -- but Microsoft's longstanding dominance in browser market share has forced Web developers to code their pages with IE in mind, even at the expense of sticking to proper Web code. In addition, some applications only work (or only work properly) with IE, which is especially true in the enterprise.

So why do we mention all this? Well, IBM is going against the corporate grain and telling its employees to blaze a trail with Mozilla's open-source Firefox browser, not Microsoft's close-source Internet Explorer.


"We're officially adding a new piece of software to the list of default common applications we expect employees to use, and that's the Mozilla Firefox browser," Bob Sutor, Vice President of Open Source and Linux at IBM, wrote in a blog post. "Firefox has been around for years, of course. Today we already have thousands of employees using it on Linux, Mac, and Windows laptops and desktops, but we're going to be adding thousands more users to the rolls."

That might not sound like a very big deal, but make no mistake, this is yet another heavy blow to Microsoft, which can ill afford to keep losing ground in the browser wars. And maybe five years ago this wouldn't have been newsworthy, but the landscape is quickly changing.

When Microsoft buried Netscape in the ground, IE quickly found itself without any real competition. And even though Firefox would eventually build a following, for a long while it looked as though nothing could loosen IE's grip on the browser market. In case you haven't been paying attention, it's already happening.

According to Web research firm NetApplications, IE controls 60.32 percent of the browser market, compared to 23.81 percent for Firefox. Chrome is next in line with 7.24 percent, and then Safari and Opera with 4.85 percent and 2.27 percent, respectively.


Net Applications: Browser Market Share, June 2009 - June 2010

Microsoft doesn't have anything to worry about, right? Nothing could be further from the truth. In June 2009, IE's market share was a little over 68, while Firefox stood at 22.43 percent. But the real threat might come from Chrome, which claimed less than 2.5 percent of the market.

Firefox might not be scorching up the market share ladder, but Google's Chrome browser is. Equally important, IE has been steadily sliding backwards, dropping 8 percent in the last year alone. When you look at the bigger picture, it's easy to see why having a corporation like IBM kick IE to the curb is big deal indeed.

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TweetUp Acquires Twitroid, Will Pre-Install New App On Android Phones
This sure is interesting. A few months after Twitter released an official application for Android, there looks to be another major Twitter competitor coming to challenge it. TweetUp has revealed today that they have acquired Twitroid, which is widely viewed as the best Twitter app on the Android platform, even above the official one.

So, why is this at all interesting? Well, for starters Twitroid will be renamed Twidroyd "in order to ensure minimal confusion with products from Lucas Films, trademark owner of the term "droid." In case you didn't know, the actual DROID family of smartphones pays a fee to LucasArts to use that name, but obviously these guys don't have similar plans. But the real kicker is this: it will come "standard on millions of upcoming Android phones from five of the leading handset manufacturers."


You heard that correctly: this new Twitter app will be pre-installed on a variety of Android phones, and not the official Twitter app. That sounds pretty wild to us, but at least Android lets you install as many Twitter apps as you want. The only question now is whether or not users will be able to remove the app without rooting their phone; currently, pre-installed apps can't easily be removed, and if this is the case, it'll certainly set a new precedent.

Either way, we're excited to see what comes of this. Twitroid is a solid app, and we're hoping this only makes it better.

TweetUp Acquires Twidroid, #1 Twitter Client for Android – Renamed Twidroyd, the App Will Be Bundled with Millions of New Phones from 5 Leading Manufacturers

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TweetUp, Inc., announced today that it had acquired Twidroid, creator of the most popular and highest-rated Twitter client for Android phones. Android-powered devices constitute the fastest growing segment of the popular smart-phone market. The company also announced that the application will be renamed Twidroyd in order to ensure minimal confusion with products from Lucas Films, trademark owner of the term "droid," and will come standard on millions of upcoming Android phones from five of the leading handset manufacturers.

"Acquiring Twidroyd provides TweetUp with a number of strategic advantages"

As part of the transaction, TweetUp, Inc. will also acquire popurls®, which aggregates in one location the most popular items from the New York Times, Twitter, Digg, Delicious, Reddit, YouTube, Flickr and other news and social media sites. Combined, Twidroid and popurls will provide TweetUp with a broad distribution network on which to test and refine its platform for finding the world's best tweeters.

"Acquiring Twidroyd provides TweetUp with a number of strategic advantages," said Bill Gross, CEO of TweetUp. "Twidroyd (www.twidroyd.com) is widely considered the best Twitter client for Android phones and it leads in market share, so its growing base of users will be a valuable source of well-informed feedback on TweetUp search on mobile devices. In addition, the popurls website (www.popurls.com), which attracts users looking for a convenient guide to the most popular sites, news, videos and blogs on the Internet, will be a natural spot to display TweetUp search results and gain user feedback. This combination should enable us to more rapidly refine our offerings, generating better user experiences for distribution partners and for users searching for the world's best tweeters regardless of their choice of devices."

In April, TweetUp opened registration for the world's first bidded marketplace for real time search, and in May the company launched its search capabilities at TechCrunch, Topix.com, and Businessinsider.com. TweetUp's core search algorithms, in combination with this marketplace, address the needs of both users and tweeters in a single search mechanism. In addition to algorithms that combine a variety of factors to determine relevance, tweeters will soon be able to bid on keywords in a competitive marketplace very similar to what now occurs at Internet search engines. This sophisticated combination of factors pushes the most relevant tweeters to the top of the results of users' searches, and it enables serious tweeters to expand their following quickly and cost-effectively.

"We are extremely fortunate to have been able to join forces with TweetUp," said Thomas Marban, founder of Twidroyd and popurls. "With their resources and experience along with the bundling deals we have developed with a number of the leading device manufacturers, we believe Twidroyd can widen its lead as the top Android client for Twitter users and aggressively grow our distribution while taking advantage of TweetUp's business model for uncovering the best tweeters on topics of interest to our users."

TweetUp's search results will be available to hundreds of millions of individuals through revenue-sharing agreements with a wide range of partners. These include leading Twitter clients TweetDeck, Seesmic, and Twidroyd; the leading provider of custom browser and desktop toolbars, Conduit; the leading personalization platform for the web, Netvibes; one of the leading sources of tweets, TwitterFeed; one of the leading social media authority and influence ranking systems, Klout; as well as popular web sites including BusinessInsider.com, Answers.com, TechCrunch, Topix.com and popurls. Some sites have already begun to serve search results, and the others will come online over the next few weeks. Together, these clients and web sites will bring TweetUp search results to more than 40 million unique users per month and serve more than 100 million impressions per month.

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Sony Quietly Trims Its E-Reader Prices As Market Heats Up
Last week, Amazon trimmed the price and improved the features of its flagship Kindle DX product and now it's apparently Sony's turn. As of today, the Reader Pocket Edition is $149 (down from $169), the Touch Edition is $169 (down from $199) and the Sony Daily Edition (the DX's primary competitor) is now $299, down from $349. That's quite a bit cheaper than even the Kindle DX's new pricetag of $379, and it tells us everything we need to know about Sony's position in the e-reader market:  It's losing.


Look! It's the E-reader from that...from that other company!

The price cuts on the Pocket Edition and the Touch Edition should keep them competitive against hardware from Barnes and Nobles' Nook (or the Kindle 2), but the fact that Sony is giving ground at the highest end of the market says nothing good about the company's mindshare in the E-Reader market. Products at the high end of any market aren't just there for sale; they serve as ambassadors and symbols of brand strength. When leveraged successfully, the result is a brand like Sony's Triniton technology. Customers come to associate the name with higher quality or a better experience. They're also willing to pay more money for the product, which translates into higher margins for the manufacturer. The last thing you want to do in any field is be forced to compete on price. It works, to some extent, but it's unsustainable in the long run. Either a company runs out of costs to reduce, or it inevitably begins sacrificing quality in the name of keeping a razor-thin margin high enough to stay in business.

The reason Sony isn't talking much about these price changes is because the company doesn't want to admit it's being shoved out of yet another market. It's not clear how Sony ranks compared to Barnes and Noble or some of the other players in the market, but it's safe to bet there's just one company Sony is seriously trying outmaneuver. Amazon, meanwhile, may be facing real competitive pressure for the first time thanks to Apple's iPad, but it'll be a few quarters before we've got evidence on how much the two companies are competiting with each other. There's room, theoretically, for multiple E-book readers at the top of the market, but Sony has yet to demonstrate how it intends to get there. 

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Prince Declares The Internet Over, Outdated, and Bad For Your Health
On Sunday July 11, the artist formerly known as currently known as Prince will release his new album, 20TEN in the UK. Prince agreed to be interviewed by the Daily Mirror, where he explained why his new album would only be released via CD, with no accompanying launch online, no partnership with iTunes or Amazon, and no digital downloads.

Prince starts off by explaining how he "really believes in finding new ways to distribute my [his] music." Then he drops a bombshell.
The internet's completely over. I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it. The internet's like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can't be good for you.


We'll pause a moment to let that sink in, with additional commentary from Jean-Luc Picard.

The Artist Who's Currently Confused

It's ironic that Prince, an entertainer who has lived through the rise and fall of several musical storage formats (8-tracks, LPs, cassette tapes, and now CDs) would label the Internet a 'fad.' His judgment appears to have been heavily impacted by what we can only term wishful thinking. Prince has a reputation for unfriendliness where the Internet is concerned—in the past, he's sued fans for tribute websites, took down his own official site, and refuses to allow so much as a 1980s bad hair day to be shown via YouTube.

It's ironic that a man who considers himself a trendsetter in music distribution views the Internet as nothing more than a fad, and it suggests Prince holds certain views music industry executives would agree with—if this was 1998. Clearly, Prince doesn't have a problem with giving copies of his music away, and there's little to suggest he's hurting for money. More than anything, this appears to be a fight for control regarding how his image, videos, and music are viewed and interpreted.

Prince's reference to MTV may be more apt than he realizes. MTV's broadcast schedule is dominated by reality shows, but music videos—generally unheard of in 1980—continue to be a huge part of an artist's sale strategy and creative expression. An entire generation of youth has grown up, mated, and whelped its own spawn. The Cold War ended. It's nine years after 9/11, the US elected a black president, and Kentucky Fried Chicken became KFC. Despite all these cultural changes, music video remains relevant. The fact that it's now distributed via YouTube as well as TV is, for all intents and purposes, irrelevant.


Come on, Chip. Ignore the fact that I look like a fat, white version of Barret from FFVII. Those microwave ovens won't move themselves.

We're fairly confident that Prince is wrong about the Internet being a fad, either as a platform for music distribution or as...well, itself. As for the dangers of digital gadgets, we submit that unless you happen to be attending a live concert with The Artist on acoustical guitar, the sound is being digitized. Since music couldn't exist without math, and math involves lots of numbers, listening to music seems to be a pretty good idea.

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QNAP Allow Remote Media Streaming To iPad, iPod Touch And iPhone
Have you been in the market for a new NAS drive? Can't figure out which one would suit you best? We know it's a crowded market out there, but QNAP has just dropped a bomb on the whole place. If you're an iPad, iPod touch or iPhone user, QNAP has a new offer that may be too good to refuse. They have developed a new QNAP QMobile app that allows iPad, iPod touch and iPhones to remotely stream music, photos and videos from their QNAP NAS server, and we're not just talking about in-home, but anywhere with an Internet connection.


The app is launching alongside the QNAP v3.3 NAS management utility update, and it enables streaming from NAS-to-iProduct over 3G or Wi-Fi. This reduces or eliminates the need to have the files synchronized and stored physically on the device while providing a simple and convenient way for mobile consumers to access their home content from anywhere. There's even a My Jukebox feature that enables users to remotely browse and select playlists created on the NAS to suit their mood by song title, artist, album, even ID3 tags.This should be a welcome addition to those who aren't fond of iTunes.

This also helps if you've run out of space on your iPhone; so long as your NAS is online and you have a 3G connection, you can just stream your entire jukebox library from home. The app is available now in the App Store as a free download.

New QNAP QMobile App Lets iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch Users Remotely Stream Music, Pictures, and Videos from QNAP NAS Servers Anywhere They Have Internet Access

QMobile App + New V3.3 NAS Update Provides World's First Integrated “All-in-One” Media Player Solution for Today's Mobile Consumers Who Demand Remote Access of Home Content

QNAP QMobileTaipei, Taiwan, July 2010 - QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world class NAS servers, NVR Video Surveillance Systems, and Network-based Video Players announced today the availability of the highly anticipated QMobile app for Apple® iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch devices and the new V3.3 NAS management utility update. The QMobile app, when used in conjunction with a QNAP Turbo NAS server and the V3.3 update, allows users to stream music, digital pictures, and videos from their home NAS server and play directly on the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch from anywhere, using Wi-Fi or 3G networks. This reduces or eliminates the need to have the files synchronized and stored physically on the device while providing a simple and convenient way for mobile consumers to access their home content from anywhere.

QMobile's cool My Jukebox feature lets users remotely browse and select playlists created on the NAS to suit their mood by song title, artist, album, even ID3 tags. The QMobile app lets iPhone users upload individual pictures or entire camera rolls to a QNAP Turbo NAS and showcase pictures stored on the NAS on the mobile device. No more wishing you had added additional songs, videos, or pictures before a trip, so long as you have Internet access, you can play it remotely; it's like having a media center in your pocket!

What's more, the QMobile app can remotely select and play terabytes of compatible multimedia files stored on a QNAP NAS using the new Multimedia Station 2.0, which is included with the new V3.3 firmware. Multimedia files can be easily selected to be copied to an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch using the QMobile app and the selected files will be placed in “My Favorites”. This allows users to play and watch the content offline when they are disconnected from Internet access. The QMobile app will also inform users should any changes are made to their favorite files on the QNAP NAS and let them select whether or not to synchronize the changes to their Apple devices.

In addition to the new QMobile app, QNAP's new V3.3 NAS management software has many new features and enhancements benefitting Mac users, including new support for connecting Mac HFS+ formatted external drives to a QNAP NAS server for networked access and storage expansion, and enhanced support of Apple Time Machine backups, allowing better backup monitoring and management.

"Today's consumers are more mobile than ever before and they want to be able to access their music, pictures, and videos stored on their home networks when they are on the go" said James Wu, Product Manager of QNAP Systems, Inc. "QNAP's new QMobile app is the world's first media player application that allows this content to be easily streamed remotely from a QNAP NAS server directly to an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch anywhere the user has a Wi-Fi or 3G network connection. Users no longer need to be concerned about synching content directly to the device, saving storage space and providing a compelling user experience," Mr. Wu added.

Availability
QNAP's QMobile app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch is currently available for free download in the App store (http://itunes.apple.com/tw/app/qmobile/id355826920?mt=8). The new V3.3 NAS management utility update (required to use QMobile) can be downloaded from the QNAP website at www.qnap.com

For more information on the V3.3 update, please visit http:///www.qnap.com/fw_v3/

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Thermaltake Level 10 Gaming Station Review
Thermaltake Level 10 Gaming Station ReviewComputer cases tend to reveal certain things about their owners. With one glance, your friends can estimate just how serious (or casual) your computer hardware addiction may be. Whether the chassis is a generic, cream-colored throwback from the 90's, a standard mid-tower with a couple of LED fans, or an extravagant full-tower gaming behemoth with see-through side panels and custom graphics, first impressions unavoidably start with the enclosure.

Although the market is loaded with a myriad of attractive cases, one product from Thermaltake caught our attention from the moment we laid eyes on it and it has captivated us ever since. The Level 10 gaming tower is a new over-the-top enclosure made specifically for enthusiasts who want to make a statement without saying a word; or at the very least, appreciate cutting-edge design and absolute precision build quality. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but few can deny the Level 10's eye-catching good looks and extraordinary construction. As you may have heard, this case was created by BMW Group Designworks USA for Thermaltake. The BMW Group designs new concepts for a variety of industries, such as yachts, trains, and aircraft. Let's check out its latest creation made specifically for gamers, to see if it's really as revolutionary and well-built as it looks...

Thermaltake Level 10 Gaming Station Review

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HTC Selling Smartphones Like Crazy, Posts Big Profit
You have to hand it to HTC, the handset maker who has found a way to be profitable by bombarding mobile phone market with a near-endless stream of smartphone models. The strategy is paying off, and quite handsomely -- HTC on Tuesday said its second quarter net profit jumped by 33 percent, The Wall Street Journal reports.

It's nothing but obscene numbers across the board. Take revenue, for example, which ballooned by 58 percent in the second quarter, rising from NT$38.20 billion to a record NT$60.35 billion.


"HTC's second-quarter earnings results is better than its original second-quarter guidance, [as] both June and second-quarter revenues continuously hit record highs," said HTC.

Let the good times roll. Looking ahead, HTC fully expects "the strong momentum to continue in the second half of the year" as the company gets ready to launch another batch of smartphone models. It would appear that, at least for the time being, quantity is the key.

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Hitachi's LifeStudio External Hard Drive Family Goes Stylish
It seems that the whole world is trying out new external HDD designs. We know that's not true at all, but being in this business, it sure feels like it. Western Digital has their My Book line, and even Seagate has recently produced some rather striking external designs. Now, it's Hitachi's turn. They're attempting to "redefine external storage" with their new LifeStudio Drive family, which are said to make it easier to organize, protect and relive life's greatest moments.

Sort of touching, don't you think? Aside from looking fairly awesome, it's the first drive in the industry that automatically pulls together and organizes your photos, videos, music and documents from your computer, any connected USB device or your social media outlets. There's also a unique "3D Navigation" feature that provides a new way of looking at thumbnails and should make it easier to find things. One interface also provides local and online cloud backup options, and while we generally wouldn't expect to find this kind of functionality on a hard drive, this unit will also let users search, filter, watch or subscribe to millions of titles from online content providers with the LifeStudio app.

The new family of drives all use USB 2.0, and they support both Mac and PC platforms. The LifeStudio Mobile is priced starting at $79.99 for a 250GB version, while the Mobile Plus is available from $119.99 in 320GB and 500GB versions. The LifeStudio Desk starts at $99.99 for a 500GB, and the Desk Plus comes in 1TB/2TB starting at $149.99.

 Hitachi GST Redefines External Storage with the LifeStudio™ Drive Family

Meet the Hard Drive Evolved: Going Beyond Simple Design Changes, Storage and Backup, Hitachi LifeStudio Drives are the First and Only All-in-One External Drives that Make it Easier to Organize, Protect and Relive Life’s Greatest Moments

Industry Firsts / Product Highlights

    * Automatic Organization and Easy Sharing: First drive in the industry that automatically pulls together and organizes your photos, videos, music and documents from your computer, any connected USB device or your social media outlets; making them easier to access, view and share. Easily upload, view and interact with photos on Facebook™, Flickr™ and Picasa Web Albums™ without leaving the app.
    * Stunning 3D Navigation: The only external drive that effortlessly displays all your favorite memories on a 3D wall so you no longer need to dig through folders and files to find them.
    * Backup Redefined: Hitachi LifeStudio drives take data protection to the next level, offering both local and online cloud backup in one integrated solution, within one interface – no more downloading and installing two separate programs. All online content is stored in its natural format, so files are available from any Internet browser anywhere in the world, and even from an iPhone® and iPad®.
    * Access to Favorite Premium Content: For the first time within an external drive, users can search, filter, watch or subscribe to millions of titles from online content providers. Catch the latest news, TV shows and music videos, or even play online games all from within the LifeStudio app.
    * Grab n’ Go Flexibility: Pushing design boundaries beyond a hard drive in a box, LifeStudio Plus external drives are the first in the industry that feature an integrated USB key for ultimate flexibility. The USB key easily syncs content for grab n’ go convenience.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Meet the hard drive evolved: the Hitachi LifeStudio external hard drive family. During the last decade, external hard drives have offered little beyond design changes and simple storage and backup. With the new LifeStudio family, launched today by Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST), the company is breaking through the long-established confines of the category and delivering an external drive that combines highly reliable storage and new levels of data protection with content organization, management, socialization and navigation for both local and online content.

    “Personal storage solutions have become an integral part of a consumer's digital life in terms of providing simple storage and backup”

The LifeStudio family, offered in both portable and desktop models, creates an unprecedented solution that seamlessly pulls in, organizes and protects consumers’ priceless stored digital content – photos, videos, music and documents – and unifies them with online digital content from social networks such as Facebook and photo sites such as Flickr and Picasa Web Albums. These important digital memories are laid out on a stunning 3D visual wall, instead of in random and hard-to-find files and folders, creating a comprehensive and organized catalog of the user’s digital life. Redefining backup, consumers receive the benefits of both local and cloud backup within one single application, making it easy to view, download, and share protected cloud content from any web browser, anywhere.

“Our LifeStudio drive starts where others stop,” said Mike Williams, vice president and general manager, Branded Business for Hitachi GST. “These drives aren’t just about interfaces and capacity, or backup. While these elements are important in an external storage solution, the value comes in creating lifestyle solutions that become part of the way we organize and relive digital memories. Our LifeStudio solution connects consumers to their online and local content in a more intimate way than ever before. For the first time, consumers truly have an integrated experience – one solution to find, view, protect and relive their digital memories. This is a huge milestone for our category.”

"Personal storage solutions have become an integral part of a consumer's digital life in terms of providing simple storage and backup," says Liz Conner, senior research analyst at IDC. "Pushing these boundaries, Hitachi's new LifeStudio drive brings an innovative approach to the market, addressing how consumers organize, navigate and relive digital memories, seamlessly across multiple digital devices and online sites. Coupled with Hitachi’s local and cloud backup strategy, end users truly have an all-in-one solution to help manage their digital life.”

Automatic Organization and Easy Sharing on a Stunning 3D Wall

Today it’s not just early adopters using external drives to store and protect their digital lives — it’s a huge segment of the population that are deeply connected to the content they create, collect and share. Hitachi research has shown that organization is one of the most frustrating components of a consumer’s digital life. Often hectic lifestyles lead to a lack of time spent organizing the growing amount of digital content received daily. What’s left is a random storage process, which multiplies a user’s frustration when trying to backup, share, find and relieve memories. Additionally, much of what consumers’ value from a content perspective is online and socialized on dozens or hundreds of sites. Hitachi is cleaning up the “digital mess” with the LifeStudio family of drives because, in the end, it’s about content – protecting it, reliving it and sharing it.

After a quick install of the software, the drive’s innovative technology instantly kicks in. Your content – photos, videos, music and documents stored on your computer, any connected USB storage device or online sites such as Facebook, Flickr and Picasa Web Albums – automatically begins to appear in chronological order on your stunning 3D wall. Music is organized by artist or album. Now all of your most precious digital content is easily available at your finger tips. No more searching through files and folders.

Breakthrough Backup

Revolutionizing the way consumers protect their content, the Hitachi LifeStudio drive is the first to provide local and online cloud backup integrated into one single solution, within one install process. The LifeStudio application gives users multiple ways to easily protect their digital content on site or in the cloud. Every customer receives 3GB of online storage for free and for more storage there is an option to upgrade to a quarter of a terabyte (250GB) for only $49 per year, which includes multiple computer protection.

Hitachi Backup™ is simple and easy-to-use with default options that cover virtually every Mac™ or PC™ users’ backup needs. When using Hitachi’s cloud service, all content is stored in its natural format (no proprietary formatting), so files are protected and easy to view, download and share from any web browser, anywhere, even from an iPhone® and iPad®. Backup runs every 30 minutes or can be scheduled at one’s convenience.

LifeStudio Plus Drives with Integrated USB Keys

Hitachi understands the need to fit into consumers’ fast-paced, increasingly digital lifestyles. The LifeStudio products move beyond a hard drive in a box, into a category all their own. The patent-pending design of the LifeStudio Plus family provides the ultimate in flexibility with an integrated 4GB USB key, which provides a quick way to sync important files and folders for grab n’ go ease.

With the LifeStudio Plus family, the drive’s content management software conveniently allows you to select specific files or folders to sync to the USB key. As a result, users can simply remove the key and take what they need, while leaving the rest of their content safely stored at home. On return, the key docks on the drive to automatically sync everything back together.

Pricing and Availability

Designed for both Mac and PC users, the LifeStudio USB 2.0 external drive family comes in both mobile and desktop solutions. Each comes preloaded with the Hitachi LifeStudio content management app and Hitachi Backup software. Hitachi LifeStudio external drives will be available at retail and online stores in mid-July. 

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Android 2.2 Review: A Deep, Delicious Dive Into Froyo
Android 2.2 Review: A Deep, Delicious Dive Into FroyoAndroid 2.2 was introduced at Google's I/O conference in San Francisco this past May. It promised to add a number of much-wanted changes and additions to the mobile OS, and even a few things that Apple's iOS does not offer. We've recently acquired the final gold build of Android 2.2, or "Froyo," on our in-house Nexus One, and we'll be detailing the changes and performance tweaks in the pages ahead. Join us as we take a deep dive into the world of Android 2.2, Google's latest and greatest mobile OS...


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Dell Precision Workstations Get ATI FirePro Graphics Cards
Select Dell Precision workstations are now offering ATI FirePro V7800, ATI FirePro V5800 and ATI FirePro V4800 professional graphics cards. With these cards, users are able to power up to three independent 30-inch displays at one time using ATI Eyefinity technology. The cards support Microsoft DirectX11, OpenGL 4.0, and OpenCL. The ATI FirePro V7800, ATI FirePro V5800, and ATI FirePro V4800 cards are available on a number of Dell Precision Workstations including models from the R5400, T1500, T3500, T5500, and T7500 lines.
ATI FireProâ„¢ 3D Professional Graphics and ATI Eyefinity Technology
Power Dell Precision Workstations
ATI FirePro graphics cards support OpenGL 4.0, DirectX 11, and ATI Eyefinity technology,
driving up to three monitors for maximum productivity
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced that ATI FirePro™ V7800, ATI FirePro™ V5800 and ATI FirePro™ V4800 professional graphics cards power Dell Precision workstations, a product line popular with engineers and digital content creation professionals. AMD helps ensure that its ATI FirePro professional graphics cards maximize application performance and reliability by performing over 90 certifications with leading application providers such as Autodesk and Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks.
“AMD and Dell are working together to offer workstation users a combined solution designed for reliable performance and demanding application support,” said Janet Matsuda, senior director, AMD Professional Graphics. “Our new generation of ATI FirePro professional graphics cards enable Dell to offer workstations that accelerate ATI Stream-enabled software applications and deliver unique features, such as ATI Eyefinity technology, enabling increased productivity by way of expanded screen real estate.”
“Dell, the world’s leading workstation provider, is working with AMD to create technological innovations that empower professionals in engineering and digital content creation fields,” said Greg Weir, Senior Manager, Dell Precision Workstations Product and ISV Marketing. “Dell Precision workstations along with the new generation of ATI FirePro graphics provide our workstation professional customers an excellent balance of performance and value.”
Custom Configurability
ATI FirePro V7800, ATI FirePro V5700 and ATI FirePro V8700 professional graphics cards are immediately available with the Dell Precision R5400, T1500, T3500, T5500 and T7500 Workstations, delivering ultimate performance for workstation class applications. With ATI Eyefinity technology, professionals can drive up to three independent 30” displays at one time from these cards. Each card offers support for Microsoft® DirectX®11, OpenGL® 4.0 and OpenCL™ to better meet the needs of professionals for a wide variety of applications and environments.
  • High-end: With 2GB of GDDR5 memory, the ATI FirePro V7800 offers superior performance capabilities and visual quality in a compact single slot form factor. Its massively parallel architecture can handle computationally or visually demanding applications without negatively impacting performance. ATI FirePro V7800 is available with Dell Precision R5400, T3500, T5500 and T7500 Workstations.
  • Mid-range: The ATI FirePro V5800 is a true workhorse and offers professionals the ideal balance of price and performance. Featuring 1 GB of GDDR5 memory, the ATI FirePro V5800 delivers more than double the performance capability of the previous generation. The ATI FirePro V5800 is available with Dell Precision R5400, T3500, T5500 and T7500 Workstations.
  • Entry-level: The ATI FirePro V4800 features 1GB of GDD5 memory and delivers 1.25X the performance capability compared to the previous generation, with outstanding results for entry-level CAD users, all at value level pricing. ATI FirePro V4800 is available with Dell Precision R5400, T1500, T3500, T5500 and T7500 Workstations.

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USA.gov Revamps, Adds Mobile Apps
The federal government has released a slew of mobile apps for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, in an effort to close the customer service gap between the public and private sectors.

Getting the most attention is the Product Recalls app, which is available only on Android, and collates recall and safety information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture. But that’s just one of the new available apps.


  • My TSA is available as an iPhone app and gives real-time status on flight delays, security wait times and other information at U.S. airports. You can also get information on whether items are allowed in carry-on or checked baggage and even tips for the best way to pack and dress to get through security quickly.
  • The White House iPhone app provides the latest tidbits from the official blog and newsroom.
  • The popular Body Mass Index calculator from National Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute got the iPhone app treatment, also providing links to resources on the NHLBI site.
  • The FBI’s Most Wanted list provides photos of and information on each of the bad guys, as well as missing children, and gives you the ability to submit tips directly to the feds.
  • NASA’s iPhone app isn’t new, but it would be wrong to omit it. It gathers the best photos, videos and other information from the agency.
  • The U.S. Postal Service iPhone app allows users to track packages, find post offices, look up ZIP codes and other such stuff.
  • A UV Index app is available on both Android and BlackBerry, providing information on both the UV index and air quality.
Most of the sites that provide the information for the apps above also were optimized for mobile viewing Sites optimized for mobile viewing: Alternative Fuel Locator, USA.gov, America.gov (like USA.gov, but for an international, rather than national audience), EPA, FEMA, Find Your Embassy, FuelEconomy.gov, Medline Plus (the NIH), My Food-a-pedia (Dept. of Agriculture), Veterans Affairs.

The USA.gov site overall is also much zippier and modern-looking, with a dynamic front page and links to the “most popular” items as well as all the government’s social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). They also provide a way users can suggest sites USA.gov should link out to as well as logos that can be used to illustrate the site and tips on how best to link in to the site.

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