IT News HeadLines (Tech Report) 26/08/2010

Gmail could let you call real phones soon
If there's any truth to the latest story over at CNet News, you might be able to make phone calls directly from Gmail before too long. Although the site doesn't mention a source, it claims to have "learned" of Google's plans, and it has a few screenshots with pixelated...
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Firefox 4.0 beta 4 brings Direct2D acceleration
A new beta release of Firefox 4.0 has hit the web, and this one is a biggie. Alongside browser sync and a cool new tab management feature, the new beta adds support for Direct2D hardware acceleration in Windows—just like in Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9. Mozilla has left the acceleration...
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The TR Podcast 70: Flaming mobos in the City of Angels
In another special TR Podcast, Jordan has a field report from Gigabyte's Open Overclocking 2010 North American Regional Final in Los Angeles.
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AMD's Bulldozer architecture revealed
Today, AMD revealed many specifics about its next-gen Bulldozer microarchitecture, which introduces some radical new concepts in CPU organization.
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Malware could have contributed to plane crash
Malware can hijack your browser settings, slow your entire system, and delete the vast collection of Justin Bieber ringtones that took you months to collect. All of the above are tragedies in their own right, but they pale in comparison to bringing down a flight full of people. According to USA...
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Iomega to offer USB 3.0 for the price of 2.0
Are your principles—and perhaps some online gambling debts—preventing you from coughing up the price premium for a USB 3.0 external hard drive? Well, your steadfast refusal to compromise might pay off. Iomega has announced plans to upgrade all of its portable hard drives to USB 3.0 without increasing prices...
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Ferrari, Lamborghini rivalry revived for premium netbook showdown
Premium netbooks weren't all that alluring with single-core Atom CPUs and Intel integrated graphics. However, new platforms from AMD and Intel are considerably more potent, making the next wave of slightly upscale ultraportables a little more intriguing. According to DigiTimes, Acer and Asus are both prepping "luxurious" netbooks...
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Apple patent hints at touch-screen desktop
Is some convergence underway between the iPad and Apple's iMac desktop computers? A patent filing spotted by AppleInsider certainly suggest so. The filing, which was published in January, describes "transitioning between modes of input" on a device that supports both mouse and touch interfaces—and the illustration almost hints...
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