Wednesday, April 24, 2013

IT News Head Lines (Engadget) 25/04/2013






AMD details $999 Radeon HD 7990 graphics card, says it handles all top games at 4K
AMD details Radeon HD 7990 any game at 4K resolution for $999
We've seen plenty of the Radeon HD 7990 in action with Battlefield 4, but it's taken AMD a little while to furnish us with full specs and pricing. Now that all the info is here, in the run-up to commercial availability in two week's time, it's finally possible to judge the pros and cons of what is arguably a very niche product. Read on past the break and we'll do just that.
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Samsung Galaxy S 4 review
Samsung Galaxy S 4 review
This is the story of a little smartphone series that grows up and, three years later, positions itself to take over the world. The device in question, the newest addition to that lineup, doesn't really need much of an introduction thanks to some of the most successful marketing campaigns in the world. We'll be happy to give it anyway: pictured atop this very text sits the Samsung Galaxy S 4, the latest and greatest flagship out of Korea. This is the hero, the device chosen to lead the charge for Samsung as it ventures deeper into 2013, and it's fitted with the best of everything: a 1080p Super AMOLED display, 1.9GHz quad-core (or 1.6GHz Exynos 5 Octa 5410, depending on market) chipset, Android 4.2, 13MP camera and a wide assortment of brand-new firmware amenities, to name just a few.
Despite the fact that its predecessor sold millions upon millions of units in the past year, the Galaxy S 4 isn't alone in its quest for global Android domination this time. HTC, the underdog of the fight, has launched the One, a flagship that rivals the GS 4 in almost every way and does so in a physically attractive package complete with a solid aluminum build. Where do these two devices stand in comparison to each other? Does the GS 4 reign supreme? Will its onslaught of new software features send the phone to the top of the pack? These answers and more await you after the break.

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Swype 1.5 drops the beta tag, hits Google Play for 99 cents
Swype 1.5 drops the beta tag, hits Google Play for 99 cents
We joke that Gmail holds the record for the most drawn-out test phase, but Swype comes close: the keyboard replacement has been considered a work in progress on various platforms since before Android devices hit the streets, and well after it started shipping with phones. The developers at Nuance are a little braver as of today, as they're launching Swype 1.5 for Android without any kind of beta label attached -- they really, truly consider it done. Mind you, there won't be a huge difference versus recent betas. The 1.5 update adds a quick shortcut to Dragon Mobile Assistant for those who have it installed, expands Living Language to 20 dialects, adds two new themes and refines both Smart Touch and Smart Reselect.
It's where you can get Swype 1.5 that may be the biggest change. For the first time, Swype is launching as a straightforward Google Play download that should support the same easy installs and upgrades as most Android releases. Unfortunately, that also means a price tag for the store edition. Nuance is charging 99 cents on Google Play for a "limited time" before a price increase, so we'll have to shell out if we want to take the easier path. The beta program remains intact, however -- and when Swype is at least temporarily undercutting SwiftKey on pricing, we'd at least consider spending some cash.
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Source: Swype


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Sony's Digital Recording Binoculars score a huge boost with $2,000 DEV-50V
Sony's Digital Recording Binoculars score a huge boost with $2,000 DEV50V
Who, you say, might be the target customer for Sony's Digital Recording Binoculars? Your guess is as good as ours, but regardless of the device's audience, Sony's improvements are sure to boost that base by a bit. Like its predecessor, the DEV-5V, the DEV-50V captures stills and video, and will retail for $2,000, though the similarities end there. These binoculars are suited for far more than birdwatching -- the dual-sensor design is ideal for shooting 3D, and with dual 2.4M-dot XGA OLED viewfinders, previewing and playing back three-dimensional content apparently feels quite natural. There's a 0.8-25x zoom ratio (36.3-2,007mm 35mm equivalent), giving you quite a bit of range for viewing and recording just about any scene. The active optical SteadyShot offers twice the stability of its predecessor, and at 1 pound, 14 ounces, representing a 30-percent reduction, you'll be holding the binocs with a bit less discomfort, too.
Curiously, the previous-generation product wasn't rain-proof, but that's been resolved now -- a new water- and dust-resistant housing is designed to let water flow through the eyepieces without accumulation. Dual Exmor R CMOS sensors enable 20.4-megapixel still image and 1080/60p video capture, while a two-channel internal mic and audio input (and headphone) jack make it possible to add in your own audio -- quite useful, considering that the source of your footage may be hundreds of feet away. Sony's DEV-50V Digital Recording Binoculars are expected in stores for $2,000 come June. Will they be going home with you?
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Sony introduces Cyber-shot HX50V, a small and light 30x superzoom
DNP Sony shrinks the superzoom with 30x lensequipped Cybershot HX50V
There exists a type of photographer who can't quite get by with a pocketable compact, but also hesitates to commit to a full-size (and pricey) DSLR rig. This shooter is all too familiar with the superzoom -- and Sony's latest 30x model may just offer the perfect excuse for an upgrade. The 9.6-ounce device has earned the title of "world's smallest and lightest 30x optical zoom camera," which, judging by its spec sheet, is quite an achievement. There's a 24-720mm SteadyShot-equipped optical zoom lens, a 20.4-megapixel 1/2.3-inch Exmor R CMOS sensor, a 921k-dot 3-inch LCD, 1080/60p video capture, a top sensitivity of ISO 12,800 and a battery that's rated for up to 400 shots. As you may have noticed from the image above, there's also a dedicated mode dial, exposure-compensation control and a full-size hot shoe. You can pick up Sony's Cyber-shot HX50V next month for $449, or check it out right now in the gallery just below.
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Huawei has lost interest in US market for its network gear after inquiries
In recent months scrutiny has intensified over the involvement of Chinese companies in US networking infrastructure, and as a result Huawei announced it's through trying to crack the market. Financial Times quotes VP Eric Xu saying that it is "not interested in the US market anymore" after years of efforts to count US operators among its customers. Ranked as the world's #2 telecom equipment maker, it's now recalibrating sales expectations for the next few years down to $10 billion by 2017 from the $15 billion it projected in more optimistic times. Reuters reports Xu didn't answer questions about any expansion of its handset business, so while Europe may be looking forward to new phones, we doubt the A199 is coming over here.
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Source: FT, Reuters


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ZTE licenses Microsoft's Android-related patents
ZTE licenses Microsoft's Android-related patents
Just last week Microsoft added Foxconn's parent company to its growing list of licensees for patents it asserts are key to Android, and now ZTE has inked a deal with Ballmer and Co. as well. Now that the pact is in place, Microsoft says it's struck patent accords with roughly 20 hardware makers, and that 60 percent of phones sold with Google's open source OS are covered by such licenses. With HTC and LG already paying Redmond royalties for devices using Android, that leaves the likes of Google, Motorola and Huawei as the odd manufacturers out. If Motorola has its way, however, that won't change.
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Source: Reuters


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BlackBerry Q10 review
DNP BlackBerry Q10 review
You can't please everybody all the time, and if there's a company who knows this better than the rest, it's BlackBerry. At the showy launch for BlackBerry 10, the company finally unveiled its new stable of smartphones with which it would fight the likes of Apple, Samsung, HTC, Microsoft, Nokia and Google. No simple task, that, and so BlackBerry rolled out not one, but two weapons: the all-touch Z10 and the portrait-QWERTY Q10.
But there was a catch: only one would launch at a time. It was a staged attack, with the Z10 forming the initial volley. This, many said, was a mistake, and that the Q10 and its familiar physical keyboard should have gone first, paving the way for the more radical, all-touch Z10. After what seems like an eternity, the $249 BlackBerry Q10 is finally ready for duty, so let's put it through its paces and see which of these fraternal twins is truly the flagship.
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BlackBerry 10.1 official with HDR camera mode, expansions to Hub and notifications
BlackBerry Q10 and Z10
Never mind that a few developers spoiled the surprise last week: BlackBerry 10.1, BB10's first major OS update, is official today. The release arrives chiefly to support the BlackBerry Q10's hardware keyboard and smaller OLED screen, but it brings a swath of extra improvements that should please Z10 owners in equal measure. An HDR camera mode, which should fill out highlights and shadows in some photos, is just the start. The Hub now supports contact suggestions, PIN-to-PIN messaging and email with attached messages; notifications are more refined as well, with per-account message notifications joining options to define sound volumes and vibrations for each contact. Dive deeper and you'll also notice more granular text selection, better calendar viewing on the Z10 and the ability to copy phone numbers into (or from) the dialer. Do be patient if you're not bent on picking up a Q10, however -- the Z10 doesn't get its update until sometime in the weeks following the release of its keyboarded cousin.
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Source: BlackBerry


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Huawei outlines plan to regain its share of European smartphone market
Huawei Device CMO Shao Yang shows off his Ascend Mate to journalists.
Last year, Huawei's Device Business Group set an ambitious goal of shipping 60 million smartphones, but managed only 32 million, keeping it out of IDC's top five smartphone vendors in 2012. That said, for Q4 that same year Huawei did finally break into top three, but it didn't change the fact that it had been a tough period for Huawei's smartphone division, especially for its CMO Shao Yang (pictured above with his 6.1-inch Ascend Mate). At the 2013 Huawei Global Analyst Summit in Shenzhen yesterday, the exec was kind enough to share his side of the story about the hurdles his team faced last year -- the period when Huawei was transforming from an original design manufacturer (ODM) to serve others, to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in order to build devices according to its own specifications.
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Magazine slips in a free T-Mobile WiFi hotspot, courtesy of Microsoft (video)
Magazine comes stuffed with a free TMobile WiFi hotspot, courtesy of Microsoft video
Microsoft has tried more than a few publicity stunts to get us using Office 365, including WiFi hotspots in UK park benches. A magazine with a hotspot, however, is fresh -- and might just get us to notice the ads we normally skip. Americans who've received a special issue of Forbes have flipped past the articles to discover a fully functional (if stripped down) T-Mobile router tucked into a cardboard insert. Once activated, it dishes out 15 days of free WiFi for up to five devices at once, at up to three hours per charge. Microsoft is naturally hoping that we'll see the value of always being in the cloud and pony up for an Office 365 subscription, but we're sure that many will just relish having an access point while they're reading on the train home -- it sure beats settling for a Twitter feed.

[Thanks, Britton]
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Source: Slickdeals


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Online sales of T-Mobile's Galaxy S 4 delayed, set for April 29th
Online sales of T-Mobile's Galaxy S 4 delayed, set for April 29th
Folks hoping to get their mitts on Samsung's Galaxy S 4 have had a long wait, and those angling to snag the device from Magenta's online store will have to wait a tad longer. The Uncarrier sent word tonight that the handset won't be available online on April 24th as originally planned thanks to an unexpected delay with inventory deliveries. Instead, online sales of Samsung's smartphone wunderkind will be pushed back to Monday, April 29th. Of course, folks who want to hitch a Galaxy S 4 to a T-Mobile plan can always waltz into one of the firm's brick-and-mortar shops starting May 1st. Head past the break to take a gander at the carrier's full statement.
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Engadget HD Podcast 346 - 04.23.13
Engadget HD Podcast 346 - 04.23.13
New remotes from Logitech and a slew of streaming video news from Netflix, Amazon and Microsoft lead off the podcast this week. Netflix finally has more customers than HBO in the US, so we'll dig into its Q4 numbers and see what's next for the streaming company. Cox, time Warner Cable and Sky all had updates for their mobile apps this week, which presents the question of Android vs. iOS for video streaming. Finally, another city is getting Google Fiber, and once again it's a place neither of us live in -- hopefully the NFL Draft will go better.
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
Producer: James Trew (@itstrew)
Hear the podcast

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Judge dismisses lawsuit against NYC taxi-hailing app pilot
Judge dismisses lawsuit against NYC taxi-hailing app pilot
Taxi hailing apps have had a rough time getting started in the Big Apple. After the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) put the kibosh on Uber and subsequently blessed e-hailing apps with a 12-month test, the TLC faced a setback of its own: a lawsuit. Filed in March by 10 livery (black car) service outfits against the TLC and New York City, the suit packed seven complaints and temporarily put the pilot on hold. Among the claims were concerns that the program clouds the legal distinction between black cars and yellow medallion taxis, that it puts the elderly at a disadvantage and would enable cab drivers to discriminate by refusing service to certain passengers. Today, a judge dismissed the suit and lifted the order, clearing the way for the year-long trial to progress. There's no word on just when Uber and the likes of other e-hailing apps will be allowed to operate, but with legal hurdles out of the way, that should happen fairly soon.
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Via: The Washington Post
Source: City of New York


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BlackBerry Q10 priced at $249 on two-year contract in US
BlackBerry Q10 priced at $249 on twoyear contract in US
BlackBerry just confirmed to us the target pricing of its upcoming QWERTY smartphone in the US, and the quick takeaway is that keyboards don't come cheap. According to company representatives, the Q10 is intended to be sold for $249 on a two-year contract, which positions it as more expensive than the Galaxy S 4, iPhone 5, One and Z10. Now, the one hiccup in this equation is that carriers may turn around and do whatever pricing shenanigans they please, but outside of special promotions, you can rightfully expect the Q10 to be one of the most expensive on-contract smartphones of the day. With so few compelling QWERTY handsets on the market, however, it seems that BlackBerry is hoping you'll value a keyboard more than your hard-earned dollar. If it the company's correct, that'll mean a lot more profit. If not, well... you know the rest.
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Source: Bloomberg


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The Daily Roundup for 04.23.2013
DNP The Daily RoundUp
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Verizon expanding San Francisco Innovation Center, currently working on cross-carrier HD Voice support
Verizon expanding San Francisco Innovation Center, currently working on crosscarrier HD Voice support
2011 sure doesn't feel like that long ago, but it's evidently long enough for Verizon to realize that demand for innovation is booming in Silicon Valley. Not quite two years after the company cracked open the doors to its San Francisco-based Innovation Center, it's already looking to expand. During a briefing today at its other Innovation Center -- the one located just outside of Boston -- we were told that plans are underway to expand the SF facility. Presently, the Waltham, Mass. center is the vaster of the two, and it's Verizon's goal to stretch the California edition to (roughly) match the original location.
We were also told that the company has looked at a variety of other cities where potential Innovation Centers could be planted, and while "three to four" undisclosed metropolises are in play, the company wants to nail the execution of its first two before hastily expanding into new locales. According to Praveen Atreya, director of Verizon's Innovation Program, there's just too much involved in the incubation and launch process to not devote the proper amount of manpower to it. In other words, there's more to launching a product than just design and manufacturing; a lot of TLC goes on in order to make something have a successful shelf life.
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Tim Cook downplays possibility of larger iPhone, cites quality and app trade-offs
With the sudden rush of 5-inch (and larger) smartphones hitting the market -- to varying degrees of success -- one may wonder if Apple plans to introduce one of its own. In response to a question on today's Q2 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook maintained his stance against such a move because of necessary tradeoffs in areas like resolution, white balance, quality, app compatibility and more. He stated specifically that Apple would not ship a larger phone "while such trade-offs exist," leaving just enough wiggle room for a future announcement where it can claim all those issues have been eradicated. Apple shipped the iPhone 5 with extended screen area and introduced a smaller iPad mini after Steve Jobs criticized other company's products in those categories -- we wouldn't be surprised if Cook is readying a similar move himself.
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German court dismisses Nokia patent claim against HTC, HTC 'delighted'
In HTC and Nokia's ongoing patent litigation, one patent infringement claim against HTC was dismissed today by the District Court of Mannheim, Germany. The patent in question -- regarding "a communication network terminal for accessing internet" -- describes a "terminal" that can access the internet.
As FOSS Patents points out, today's dismissal was part of an ongoing collaboration between Google and Android phone makers who've been targeted by Nokia over claims against the Google Play store. "Nokia had alleged that Android's app architecture centered around the Google Play store infringes the '016 patent because of the way it allows third-party app developers to provide data to the end-user devices on which their programs run via a Google-operated server," the site notes. In that regard, today's dismissal marked a victory for Google beyond HTC -- though HTC issued a statement this afternoon exclaiming its "delight" over the court's ruling. Nokia has yet to return our request for comment.
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Source: FOSS Patents


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App Store hits 45 billion total downloads, iCloud notches 300 million users
App Store hits 45 billion total downloads, iCloud notches 300 million users
After cluing us in on the state of its ever-stuffed coffers, Apple's given us a quick progress report on its App Store, noting that it's reached a total of 45 billion downloads -- a 5 billion jump since the end of its last quarter. Cook's crew also divulged that they've doled out $9 billion to developers who've sold their wares on the digital storefront, and they're paying out $1 billion every quarter. Cupertino gave a quick nod to iCloud too, revealing that the service now has 300 million users under its belt, 50 million more than it claimed at the end of the firm's last quarter. By the sounds of it, Apple's data centers are being put to good use.
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Olympus teases new flagship PEN camera, tours it around China on May 11th
Olympus China teases a new flagship PEN camera
Last year, Olympus' release schedule danced around the E-P3: the camera maker launched the semi-pro OM-D E-M5 and refreshed its smaller PEN bodies, but didn't touch its original mirrorless form factor. We know the company won't be forgetting its roots this year, as its Chinese branch has posted a teaser for a next-generation, flagship PEN camera. There are no official details beyond superlatives about "classic" textures and "unprecedented control," but rumors suggest it will be called the E-P5 (E-P4 skipped due to superstitions) and might be joined by the mid-tier E-PL6. We won't have long to learn the full story when Olympus is showing off its new PEN in four Chinese cities between May 11th and June 1st -- in-person demos require more than just a silhouette, after all.
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Via: 4/3 Rumors
Source: Olympus (translated)


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Sprint brings Data Link and Static IP to its LTE network
Sprint brings Data Link and Static IP to its LTE network
Most of the hullabaloo around Sprint's nascent LTE network has focused on the consumer. But, don't worry, the carrier hasn't forgotten about its precious business customers. Today it announced that Data Link and Static IP would be coming to its latest iteration of 4G. For those of you not familiar, Data Link carries a guarantee of 99.9 percent availability -- something craved by enterprise types. And it covers not just handsets and hotspots, but kiosks, sales terminals and can even serve as a backup plan for wired service. The ability to assign a static IP address will also be welcomed by IT departments that need to tightly manage wireless devices. And, just in case you're not covered by the Now Network's LTE just yet, both services are available on 3G as well. For more, check out the PR after the break.
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Apple posts $9.5 billion net profit in Q2 2013: sells 19.5 million iPads, 37.4 million iPhones
Apple posts Q2 2013 Earnings
Apple has been on a roll for, well, almost as long as we can remember. Basically since the debut of the iMac, the company has been riding a rocketship back from the brink of irrelevance. The iPod, iPhone and iPad have all led it to post record quarter, after record quarter, after record quarter. Now we're in the second quarter of financial year 2013 and it doesn't appear to be slowing down much. The company posted $43.6 billion in revenue during the quarter and net itself a handsome profit of $9.5 billion. While those numbers do represent the slowest rate of growth Cupertino has seen in years, it's hardly the fall from grace that some analysts were predicting. Compared to the same time last year, revenues are up from $39.2 billion though net income has dropped from the Q2 2012 mark of $11.6 billion. Still, the company managed to move more iPhones and iPads than it did during that quarter, and the drop from Q1's holiday-boosted numbers isn't particularly alarming. In total it moved 19.5 million iPads and 37.4 million iPhones during the three months ending on March 30th, 2013. In Q1 those numbers were an admitedly more impressive 22.9 milion and 47.8 million, respectively. But, compared to Q2 of 2012, things are still looking up from the 35.1 million iPhones and 11.8 million iPads shipped.
Things are a little less rosy around its non-iOS departments, but we'd hardly say the company was in dire straights. Mac sales were more or less flat both sequentially and year-over-year, falling just under four million units. Meanwhile, the iPod continued its steady decline, moving only 5.6 million units. That's not only more than a 50 percent drop from last quarter, but a 27 percent drop from the same period last year. The biggest contributor to Apple's revenue stream continues to be the iPhone, but the iPad is gaining fast and income from iTunes and its other software offerings continues to grow at an impressive rate.
While the first year-over-year drop in profits in almost a decade might give some investors pause, there's little cause for concern for the future of the company. Cupertino's healthy war chest now sits at $145 billion in cash, up from the $121 billion and change it had at the end of Q4 2012. We'll be listening in to the conference call at 5 PM and we'll update with any juicy tidbits after the break.
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Source: Apple


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AT&T Q1 2013 earnings: $3.7 billion income on revenue of $31.4 billion
AT&T Q1 2013 earnings $37 billion income on revenue of $314 billion
AT&T just posted its earnings for the first quarter of 2013, and the market couldn't help but ding the company, which is now trading down in after hours markets. The business as a whole posted a net income of $3.7 billion, which is slightly up from $3.6 billion one year ago. Meanwhile, company revenues took a slight hit, which sit at $31.4 billion -- down 1.4 percent from the previous year. In terms of the company's wireless business, though, there's plenty of reason for optimism. The company was able to snag an additional 296,000 postpaid subscribers and put a solid 1.2 million people on smartphone plans during the quarter. For those keeping track, smartphone sales now account for 88 percent of AT&T's postpaid handsets. Unsurprisingly, the company is making more money than ever off of its data plans, which account for $5.1 billion of the company's business. As for the wireless segment as a whole, income is up 21 percent and AT&T is pulling in revenues of $16.6 billion with a 28 percent profit margin.
Encouraging signs were also revealed for U-verse, as the company's broadband service netted an additional 731,000 internet subscribers and 232,000 television subscribers during the quarter -- its best performance in two years -- for a grand total of 8.7 million subscribers. Naturally, one segment of Ma Bell's business isn't looking too hot, and that's the traditional wireline business, as revenues have fallen 10 percent from the previous year. Given the size of this segment, and the weakening demand for the service, it's easy to understand why investors might be slightly uneasy, even in light of all the encouraging news.
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Source: AT&T


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Apple patent outs system for turning video game choices into comic books, is all about Mass Effect
Apple patent outs system for turning video game choices into comic books, is all about Mass Effect
Commander Shepard is not someone we expected to pop up in an Apple patent from 2009 (granted today), but here we are, staring into his icy visage. He and the rest of the Normandy's crew are used as just one example of a system that Apple patented, which turns game story choices into a unique comic book (nevermind the fact that Mass Effect comics exist on their own). Of course, like with so many of these patents, it's possible this system'll never see the light of day, but we'd like to detail it all the same for the sheer strangeness of its ambition.
Essentially, the results of a player's in-game choices are used to populate a post-game comic book-style story -- progress, character info, settings, dialogue, achievements and screenshots are all pumped into an algorithm alongside the results of said variables, metrics from your playthrough, and your performance therein. The comic could be pushed to the cloud directly from your game console or PC, according to images included with the patent, which could then be pulled back down to a variety of devices (a tablet it shown, as well as standard televisions and PC monitors). Apparently Apple couldn't identify a good storytelling example from its own iTunes App Store, as Commander Shepard and co. are the only example given of a game use case. Again, it's rather unlikely we'll see this stuff pop up in Apple products anytime soon (if ever), but it's quite a concept nonetheless. That watch patent, however ... that's another story.
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Source: USPTO


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