IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (Digital Trends) 17/04/2013

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

IT News Head Lines (Digital Trends) 17/04/2013

Digital Trends

Dish wraps Sprint in a US flag, but Japan’s Softbank is a better deal for consumers
Dish Network wants to buy Sprint and it's outbid Japanese carrier Softbank to do it. But do we really want another TV company in the wireless business? If you care about low prices, the anser is "No, thank you."

Brother helps Kodak cut some fat, picks up Document Imaging business for $210 million
Brother's acquisition of Kodak's Document Imaging business, pending court approval, will add scanners and scanning software to their portfolio. The sale is part of Kodak's effort to raise cash in order to exit bankruptcy protection.

Fujitsu makes paper interactive with touchscreen interface
Fujitsu Laboratories has come up with a way to bring touch and gesture controls to real-world objects like paper through its touchscreen interface using just a low-res webcam and projector.

Disney banks on more retro remakes with Genesis classic ‘Castle of Illusion’
Disney Interactive is dead set on not making many new games, as evidenced by the closure of studios LucasArts and Junction Point. Who needs new games when you've got classics to remake? Hot on the heels of DuckTales remastered, Disney has announced a remake of Castle of Illusion.

YouTube celebrates the VCR’s 57th birthday with VHS Easter egg
YouTube is having some fun in its celebration of the VCR's 57th birthday by leaving behind an Easter egg that replicates the fuzzy VCR effects on its videos.

Hands On: ‘Sitegeist’ tells you a bunch of random trivia about where you are
If you've ever been curious about the odd little details about the things around you, try out Sitegeist. Learn all the data about the world around you, from historical weather information to the average monthly rental cost of apartments. It's all the invasive information you want without having to ask.

Windows 8.1 could let you skip the Metro Start screen and go straight to desktop
Russian tech site Microsoft Portal found a line of code inside a beta version of Windows 8.1 that may let you bypass the Metro-tiled Start screen, and boot straight to Desktop Mode.

Mini battle: Mercedes-Benz expected to launch new line of luxury small cars
News that Mercedes-Benz will potentially launch a new line of small cars is the latest in a growing trend of luxury carmakers looking to add more entry level vehicles to their line-up.

JVC’s new cam lets you channel your inner Wachowski to shoot bullet time videos
Designed to capture both high-speed and slow motion video, JVC's new SLR-style flagship camcorder is ideal for recording sports. Plus, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity lets you transfer content wirelessly.

Best Websites for Kids
We've scoured the Web to find the most popular, fun, educational, productive and safe sites around to create our list of the Ten Best Websites for Kids. Multiple members of the Digital Trends staff contributed to this list.

‘Need For Speed’ and ‘Burnout’ developer Criterion Games is walking away from racers
Criterion Games has made seventeen games in as many years, and only four of them haven't featured racing of some kind. It's done with racing for the time being, though. Creative Director Alex Ward confirmed that Criterion's next game won't be a Burnout or a Need For Speed.

‘Zinuo:’ Chinese for BMW – well, kind of
BMW has announced a Chinese-only brand called Zinoro. Designed specifically to attract Chinese buyers’ sensibilities and tastes, BMW doesn’t deny plans to take the Chinese-built brand globally in the future.

How my first flying lesson proves that idiot-proof technology makes us idiots
When I climbed in the back of my buddy Phil’s pilot’s lesson, I learned a valuable lesson about how we sometimes rely a little too much on touchscreens and GPS when plain old experience often serves us better.

Check out how many of the Twitter elite’s followers are fake
You and I aren't the only ones plagued by Twitter spambots and fake followers; Twitter's most famous and beloved personalities are also subject to the falsely inflated follower number. Check out how many of your favorite celebrities have (at least) thousands of faux followers.

Could Alfa Romeo’s forthcoming 4C create a new class of sports car?
We very well could be looking at the beginning of the lightweight, mid-engined sports cars renaissance with the Alfa Romeo 4C and the Alpines and Caterhams that will share its structure.

As ‘Fez’ celebrates its first anniversary, Phil Fish talks Xbox Live sales and the future
It took Phil Fish more than five years to make his Indie Game: The Movie star, Fez. One year later, how many people plunked down cash for it? 200,000 on Xbox Live Arcade according to Fish. In May the game will more to Steam, then other platforms later later this year.

How social media has changed what it means to be a celebrity
All the Twitter's a stage, and all the tweeters are potential celebrities ... and paparazzi. The lines between famous people and the rest of us is getting thinner and thinner as the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram being us closer and closer. These tools are both exposing celebrities lives even more while also giving Average Joes the chance at 15 minutes of (social media) fame.

Galaxy S4 launch dates for AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon teased in leaked Staples memo
A possible leaked Staples memo points to a release date as early as April 26 for the Samsung Galaxy S4 on AT&T, with T-Mobile and Verizon trailing behind.

IKEA robot assembly assistant may just save you some blood, sweat, and tears
Italian researchers have decided to end this IKEA furniture building misery by enlisting the help of a robot assistant that can learn how to help without pre-programming needed movements.

2013 New York Audio Show: Spendor SP100R² loudspeakers bring big-room sound with an even bigger price tag
The British are coming, the British are coming. The Spendor SP100R2 loudspeakers invade the New York Audio Show 2013 and leave others in their wake.

EA swallows a $300 mill pill and backs away from Facebook
In 2009, Electronic Arts joined the social gaming rush, spending millions to establish itself as a Zynga competitor. The company spent $300 million purchasing Pet Society studio Playfish. Not even four years later, EA is shutting down all Playfish games, including SimCity Social.

Smart offers battery rental program, price cut for customers suspicious of EV longevity
While other automakers like Nissan are making lower-end, entry-level models in order to attract buyers, Smart goes another…smarter route and slashes nearly $7,000 of the asking price, if buyers choose to rent the battery for around $83 per month.

UCLA scientists turn lowly cell phone camera into lab worthy research microscope
Developing on the cell phone microscope he invented, UCLA professor Dr. Aydogan Ozcan and his team have created a compact, low-cost fluorescent microscope and flow cytometer that will benefit clinics with limited resources.

Asus’ 13-inch Taichi 31 with back-to-back 1080p displays finally goes on sale
After wowing us at its October 2012 launch and at CES 2013, Asus' Taichi 31 convertible Ultrabook with double 13-inch 1080p displays and improved battery life is finally making its way to our shores.

GM and Ford call temporary truce to co-develop 9 and 10-speed automatic transmissions
10-speeds are apparently not just for Schwinns anymore. Defying the Germans, two of the American “big three” aim to push the limits of automatic transmission design and create a 10-speed for future rear-wheel drive cars and trucks.

Want to get Facebook Home on any Android phone? Yes, it’s already possible
The internet found an unofficial workaround after the announcement that Facebook Home would only be officially supported on a paltry five devices.

As ‘Skyrim’ development ends, Bethesda Softworks turns towards the future
After releasing a ton of downloadable content, Bethesda Softworks is finally shutting down development on its role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. What does the future hold for the studio? Signs point to 'Fallout 4' going into full development and an iOS Elder Scrolls.

Hisense aims to transform Smart TV experience, set new standard with VIDAA
HiSense is promising a new industry standard called VIDAA, which the company says will offer a Smart TV experience unlike anything that’s previously come to market. It's set to launch in China this week, but won't hit the U.S. until early 2014.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon DLC gallery
Check out this psychotic new gallery of pics taken from the upcoming Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon DLC

2013 New York Audio Show: Wooing the headphone generation the Woo Audio way
Headphone amplifier manufacturer Woo Audio enticed listeners at the New York Audio Show with two full rooms packed with listening stations outfitted its latest products. We went ears-on with three of them and have the details here.

Available Tags:Brother , Kodak , Fujitsu , YouTube , Windows 8 , Windows , Mercedes-Benz , BMW , Twitter , Xbox , Galaxy , EA , Facebook , GM , Ford , Android , TV ,

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