Hi tech gadgets | Gadget review

Apple Fans Mourn Steve Jobs’s Death, Hold IPhone-Lit Vigils

2011-10-06T15:27:00.001+07:00

Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. fans worldwide mourned the death of co-founder Steve Jobs, paying tribute to the man who changed the way they listen to music, use their mobile phones and play on their computers. At Apple’s headquarters -- located at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California -- flags flew at half-staff and bagpipes sounded to the tune of “Amazing Grace” as people placed flowers

RIM says remains committed to PlayBook tablet

2011-10-02T13:32:00.003+07:00

(Reuters) - BlackBerry maker Research In Motion brushed off suggestions on Thursday that it would discontinue production of its PlayBook computer tablet as "pure fiction" after an analyst said the company may be considering an exit from the market. "Rumors suggesting that the BlackBerry PlayBook is being discontinued are pure fiction," RIM spokeswoman Marisa Conway said in an emailed statement. "

Samsung Galaxy S II now available on AT&T for $200

2011-10-02T13:32:00.001+07:00

October 2nd. Boy, the date sure creeped up on us, but it's here regardless -- the Samsung Galaxy S II has finally debuted on AT&T. Many of you who've been waiting several months for a subsidized GSM model in the US may find it hard to believe that you're able to head on over to the carrier's site and purchase one for a couple C-notes. Rest assured, we've checked it out ourselves and it's really,

Playing with 'Fire,' Amazon joins competitive tablet market

2011-10-02T13:31:00.001+07:00

Amazon has jumped into the crowded and challenging tablet computer market with four new Kindles, and the prices will raise your eyebrows. I was expecting something around $250 for Amazon's new tablet, but $200 for the Kindle Fire, the new top-of-the-line model, is quite impressive. These new Kindles will be affordable for a lot of people who didn't have or didn't want to pay $500-plus for a

With Deaths of Forests, a Loss of Key Climate Protectors

2011-10-02T13:30:00.001+07:00

WISE RIVER, Mont. — The trees spanning many of the mountainsides of western Montana glow an earthy red, like a broadleaf forest at the beginning of autumn. But these trees are not supposed to turn red. They are evergreens, falling victim to beetles that used to be controlled in part by bitterly cold winters. As the climate warms, scientists say, that control is no longer happening. Across

Google buys more than 1,000 patents from IBM

2011-07-30T14:49:00.001+07:00

Reporting from San Francisco— Google Inc. has purchased more than 1,000 patents from IBM to defend itself from an onslaught of patent litigation.The Internet search giant is taking part in what has become an arms race for patents. Its anemic intellectual property portfolio has made it vulnerable to legal assault, said technology patent valuation specialist Alexander Poltorak, chief executive of

Facebook to Hackers: Find Bugs and Get Paid

2011-07-30T14:48:00.001+07:00

Good news for hackers. Social networking giant Facebook has announced a bug bounty program, in which it will pay hackers for finding and reporting security flaws on its Web site. People who can figure out significant problems with the site will get paid a hefty amount, starting at a base rate of $500. The amount will go up as per the significance of the flaws found."If you believe you've found a

Google Acquires 1,000 IBM Patents

2011-07-30T14:45:00.001+07:00

Google has purchased more than 1,000 patents from IBM in an effort to build up its intellectual property portfolio, possibly with an eye to fending off the increasing number of IP lawsuits the search giant faces from competitors such as Microsoft.The 1,030 patents cover a wide range of technologies, including "the fabrication and architecture of memory and microprocessing chips," according to the

Facebook offers bounty to bug hunters

2011-07-30T14:44:00.001+07:00

Facebook wants you to crush the bugs plaguing its online infrastructure – and it is willing to pay you a substantial amount of cash if you can. In an open letter published today, Facebook repsinvited researchers to pick through its site, and look for errors that "could compromise the integrity or privacy of Facebook user data," including scripting flaws and "remote code injections." Your reward?

Nokia slips in smartphone market as Apple and Samsung overtake

2011-07-30T14:36:00.003+07:00

Nokia had been number one but slipped to third in the second quarter of this year with a 15 per cent share of the global market. Apple has a 19 per cent share and Samsung has 18 per cent, according to analysts Strategy Analytics.Similar reports from ABI Research and IDC confirmed Strategy Analytics’ findings. Apple entered the smartphone market just four years ago so its rise is impressive.

Nokia slips from 1 to 3 in smartphone sales

2011-07-30T14:36:00.001+07:00

(Reuters) - Apple and Samsung Electronics ended struggling Nokia's 15-year reign at the top of the smartphone sales rankings in the second quarter, researchers said on Friday.Nokia has dominated the smartphone market ever since its 1996 launch of the Communicator model, but competition from its two nearest rivals and a slump in its own sales sent it straight from first to third place in the three

AT&T Data Plan Scareware: Beyond Our Comfort Level

2011-07-30T14:35:00.001+07:00

AT&T announced service throttling for the heaviest users of its unlimited mobile data plans on Friday, saying the only way to truly solve its bandwidth crunch is for regulators to approve its merger with T-Mobile USA Starting Oct. 1, heavy data users may see their downstream connections slow down after their usage reaches the point where they are in the top 5 percent of users in a given billing

How to downgrade from Lion to Snow Leopard

2011-07-27T19:58:00.001+07:00

Mac OS X Lion has been out for a few days now, and I’m quite happy using it on all my machines. But judging by questions I’ve been asked, that’s not a universal experience. A few folks have asked me how to go about stepping back to Snow Leopard. It’s possible, but unfortunately, you may not be able to easily take your current apps and documents with you. There’s a method that does restore your

AdSense For Images Pixazza Rebrands As Luminate, Launches Platform For In-Image Apps

2011-07-27T19:45:00.001+07:00

Pixazza, a Google Ventures-backed photo tagging service that has been compared to an “AdSense for Images,” is rebranding as Luminate today, and debuting a new platform for in-image apps.As we’ve written in the past, Pixazza allows publishers to identify, tag and match products found within online images on their sites and then link them back to the inventories of Pixazza’s network of advertisers.

With big picture in mind, Pixazza rebrands as Luminate

2011-07-27T19:44:00.003+07:00

Pixazza, a digital ad platform that embeds e-commerce links to items within online photos, has renamed itself Luminate. The newly branded company is also broadening its services, turning into a platform for apps that generate in-photo links for a wider array of categories beyond clothing and accessories.Since its inception in February 2008, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company now known as

Luminate aims to make photos more interactive

2011-07-27T19:44:00.001+07:00

LOS ANGELES — Bob Lisbonne is out to change the way we look at online photos.Jefferson Graham, USA TODAYBob Lisbonne, CEO of Luminate.EnlargeJefferson Graham, USA TODAYBob Lisbonne, CEO of Luminate.He is the CEO of Luminate, which today unveils a new name and a platform that turns online images from a static view into one with tabs for annotation and shopping information, and offers a way to

Morning Tech Wrap: Microsoft, Amazon, Mozilla

2011-07-27T19:42:00.001+07:00

Microsoft has released its Windows Phone Mango update to manufacturing. Ahead of its official release in the autumn, Tuesday morning saw the Windows Phone development team sign off on the release to manufacturing of Mango, according to the Windows Team Blog.The feature list of Mango is long, including a new email conversation view, ‘threads’ that bring together text, IMs and Facebook chat, and of

Microsoft releases WP7 Mango to smartphone vendors

2011-07-27T19:41:00.003+07:00

SOFTWARE HOUSE Microsoft has handed over the final build of its Windows Phone 7 (WP7) Mango operating system (OS) to smartphone vendors and mobile operators. The first phones to feature the next version of Microsoft's mobile OS were unveiled in Tokyo, and apparently Mango handsets will be out in the next few months with 'hundreds of new features'. The Windows Phone Blog said, adding, "Earlier

Microsoft pushes Windows Phone Mango out to Japan

2011-07-27T19:41:00.001+07:00

The next version of Windows Phone, codenamed Mango, is with device manufacturers and looks like it will hit Japanese shelves in September, with the rest of the world having to wait a little longer.Version 7.5 of Windows Phone is being touted as a proper version 1, a grown-up version that finally brings multi-tasking to the platform as well as some interface improvements and integrated services.

Sonos Introduces Play:3 All-in-One Wireless Speaker

2011-07-20T19:41:00.003+07:00

Sonos, manufacturer of high-end wireless audio home systems, today announced a new addition to its lineup: the Play:3. At $299, it's an affordable way to get Sonos in your house, although if you do not have a Sonos set-up already, you'll also need the Sonos Bridge, which connects via Ethernet to your home network and enables the wireless stream of audio throughout the house.The Bridge used to

Roku Introduces Roku 2 Lineup, Complete with Angry Birds

2011-07-20T19:41:00.001+07:00

On Wednesday, Roku announced a revamping of its affordable, Wi-Fi-based, content-streaming lineup of set-top boxes.The manufacturer's new line is called the Roku 2, and like previous Roku lines, it is available in three models, all at different prices under $100. The Roku 2 HD, Roku 2 XD, and Roku 2 XS are smaller than previous designs, feature new remote controls, and are now equipped for casual

Mozilla defends its rapid development release cycle

2011-07-20T19:38:00.001+07:00

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Mozilla has announced an Enterprise User Working Group to calm worries about its quick release schedule for its products. Discussion, fears and problems have arisen over Mozilla's rapid releases of its Firefox web browser. The firm aims to answer questions and aid users with its Enterprise User Working Group. On its blog Mozilla said the group is a "place for enterprise

Google notices will warn search users of malware

2011-07-20T19:37:00.001+07:00

Google has started warning some search users of malware on their computers, after it found unusual search traffic coming through a small number of intermediary servers called proxies.The company said in a post on its online security blog that the particular malware causes infected computers to send traffic to Google through the proxies.Google is putting up a notification at the top of Google web

Teen accused of Anonymous and LulzSec attacks

2011-07-20T19:36:00.003+07:00

He was arrested at an address in south London and remains in custody at a central London police station.Scotland Yard’s specialist cyber crime unit acted in cooperation with the FBI, which arrested 16 people yesterday. Dutch police also made four arrests, the Department of Justice said.All but two of the American suspects have been indicted for involvement in a Denial of Service attack on the

14 arrested in hack attack on Paypal

2011-07-20T19:36:00.001+07:00

NEW YORK — FBI agents raided two Long Island, N.Y., homes and one in Brooklyn Tuesday as part of a nationwide sweep against hacker groups that have taken credit for breaking into corporate websites, the FBI said.Raids around the country resulted in 16 arrests in 10 states — but none in the New York area — and the execution of 32 search warrants, according to a Justice Department news release. The

Links for 2011-07-15 [Digg]

2011-07-16T00:00:00-07:00

Hi tech gadgets | Gadget review: Pentagon to publish strategy for cyberspace wars
Facing escalating risks of cyberattacks by hackers, criminals and other nations, the Pentagon is developing more resilient computer networks so the military can continue to operate if critical systems are breached or taken down.

Links for 2011-01-04 [Digg]

2011-01-05T00:00:00-08:00

Angry Birds for PSP, PS3 This Week
Six weeks back, we reported that Rovio Mobile, the creator of heavily addictive game Angry Birds, had plans to release the game for mainstream game console platforms. As promised,
China Mobile to Begin 4G Network Trials in 6 Cities
China's largest mobile operator has been given the go-ahead to start large-scale tests of its fourth-generation (4G) mobile network technology in six Chinese cities.

Links for 2009-05-05 [Digg]

2009-05-06T00:00:00-07:00

Nikon Coolpix S5 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
Review Nikon Coolpix S5

Links for 2009-03-06 [Digg]

2009-03-07T00:00:00-08:00

Best Buy Offers $99 IPhone to Some Reward Members
If US$99 for an 8GB iPhone sounds too good to be true--well, it kind of is. The latest offering comes from Best Buy, which is selling both the 8GB and 16GB iPhones for $100 off their respective retail prices. And unlike similar past deals from AT

Links for 2009-02-16 [Digg]

2009-02-17T00:00:00-08:00

Xperia X1 gets Skype, CNN panels
A year after it launched its Xperia X1, Sony Ericsson used the 2009 GSMA World Congress in Barcelona to launch launch new panels for the high-end smartphone. All panels will be available for download from Sony Ericsson in mid-March.
Can Asus' touch device give us a taste of the future of Wind
The Eee has evolved again into a neat Apple iMac-like desktop PC, but where the £200 Eee Box offered a barebones approach, the Eee Top is a PC/monitor combo with touchscreen input.