News Archive for 09/10/26
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Sony Ericcson has launched a teaser site for its upcoming Rachael smartphone. Although the site does not directly name Rachael, se-blog.com blogger Michell Bak noticed that several references to the project's codename are contained in the page's source code. Sony Ericsson South Africa later confirmed the association between the teaser page and the upcoming device.
A report originating from the Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei claims that Nintendo is readying an updated DSi featuring a 4-inch display. If true, the revamped device would exceed the current model's screen by ¾ of an inch. The company is reportedly making the adjustment in response to user feedback, while accommodating older users who have complained of problems using the smaller size.
The BlackBerry Curve 8530 has surfaced in a hands-on look ahead of its launch on Verizon. The smartphone represents RIM's CDMA counterpart to the Curve 8520, although the latest model offers a few extras. The pre-release device, obtained by CrackBerry, was contained in a box labeled Curve 2, although it remains unknown if the company will use the moniker with official marketing.
Microsoft in a sudden reversal today exited its sponsorship of a Family Guy episode due to air in just under two weeks. The company had originally signed on to tie Windows 7 to an uninterrupted half-hour episode of the show known as Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show that airs November 8th but now says the material it saw in an early cut is "not a fit with the Windows brand" and will leave any Windows 7 advertising to a 12-week Family Guy-related tour. It's believed the humor was considered too controversial for the software developer.
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski in a talk published today warned that mobile data is facing a "spectrum gap" that could significantly damage Internet access on cellphones. He considers the iPhone a leader in a wave of devices that are straining 3G networks enough to create severe accessibility problems and that the FCC is considering "more creative" steps to solve the problem. Among these steps may include exploiting unlicensed spectrum or even allowing second licenses that have two companies share the same frequency.
Tilera on Monday unveiled a new processor it hopes will unseat Intel from its overall lead in performance. The TILE-Gx100 counts on a massively parallel, 100-core architecture to handle many tasks at once and reportedly overcomes some of the problems of scaling inherent to many-core designs. Instead of using a data bus, the grid is treated as a mesh network with switches on each core to route data smoothly. The approach lets Tilera reach the core count without it stalling or without the added space dictated by the bus architecture.
Regen recently introduced its ReNu modular solar panel. The device will charge its built-in battery using the sun and in turn power a number of optional bases. ReNu's panel plugs into a speaker dock for docking iPods and iPhones, or iPod charging base and an LED desk lamp add-on. If sunlight is at a premium, users can also plug it into a conventional wall socket for power.
Intel today posted a crucial firmware update for its current-generation 34 nanometer solid-state drives that promises a major lift to their performance. The X25-M series now supports the Trim, or ATA Data Set Management Command, to more efficiently write to the drive. By better recognizing and shuffling which data blocks aren't used, Trim avoids unnecessarily rewriting to the disk and speeds up its overall transfer speed.
Korea-based MPIO is once again returning to multimedia players with the V7. The device sports a 3-inch color touchscreen with 400x240 pixel resolution and will be available in 4, 8 and 16GB capacities. The MPIO V7 has a built-in text reader, voice recorder, and FM tuner and transmitter.
Sony is being subpoenaed by the US Justice Department regarding its US optical drive division, says a Monday WSJ report (subscription required). The company's Optiarc America division, which sells optical discs and drives for computers, is now under investigation for antitrust concerns. While not many specifics were revealed, Sony did say both the Justice Department and other, unidentified agencies outside of the US are "investigating competition in optical disk drives."
Verizon today reported mixed results for its summer quarter and reiterated its invitation to Apple. The carrier said its operating revenue grew year-over-year by more than 10 percent to $27.3 billion but that its actual earnings per shared dropped a sharp 30.5 percent from 59 cents per share a year ago to 41 cents today, or $2.88 billion. Most of the growth came about from added cellphone and FiOS customers.
A prototype tablet PC from NEC has been spotted recently, though little information is known about the device, according to a Nikkei report (subscription required). The device will be close to a mobile Internet device (MID) in shape as it's is expected to sport a touchscreen sized at between 7 and 8 inches, but it should have functionality that is said to more closely mimic that of a full-fledged PC. No technical specs are available, however.
Lenovo today sparked life in its IdeaCentre desktops and IdeaPad notebooks by refreshing them for Windows 7 and adding a few completely new models. The IdeaCentre B500 is one of the few all-in-one PCs built for gamers and high-end media use with both a Core 2 Quad, unnamed but dedicated graphics and a built-in JBL speaker system. It also brings a 23-inch 1080p display, 1TB of disk space and a motion remote for an unspecified price.
Korea's LG has recently shown off its first netbook with Intel's Core i7 quad-core processor, the 15.6-inch XNOTE R590. Two models will be available, one with a 1.73GHz i7 and the other sporting a 1.6GHz version. Either version will ship with Windows 7 Home Premium and NVIDIA's GeForce GT 230M graphics chipset with 1GB of dedicated RAM.
A Nokia patent lawsuit could cost Apple as much as $1 billion in back payments, argues Strategy Analytics' Neil Mawston. The analyst tells Reuters that because of the over 34 million iPhones Apple has shipped to date, the company could owe anywhere between $200 million and $1 billion, depending on the terms of a settlement. Pund-IT analyst Charles King suggests that a $400 million figure more likely, assuming a 2 percent royalty scheme.
Novatel's MiFi 2200 has recently benefitted from a firmware update that has upgraded much of its functions. The device connects to either Sprint's or Verizon's EVDO Revision A Internet connection and shares with up to five compatible devices across an 802.11g Wi-Fi network. Most notably, the new software allows the modem to never enter hibernation mode when it is plugged into a wall outlet instead of running off its built-in battery, and is now compatible with the Nintendo DS and BlackBerry Curve.
Apple's often-rumored tablet may need to come in well below the rumored $800 price if it hopes to attract Windows users, a study shows today. While Retrevo believes 68 percent of Mac users are willing to opt for the large multi-touch device if it costs over $600, only 36 percent of Windows users asked would agree to the same terms. The difference is similarly wide at $800 where 41 percent of Mac users would pay $800 or more while just 20 percent of Windows users would agree to the same terms.
As reported earlier, Sony Ericsson will begin shipping its Equinox flip phone to wireless provider T-Mobile on October 28th, the company announced on Monday. Full specs of the device have also been revealed, and include 3G network support, a built-in GPS sensor and a unique lightning effect that pulsates when a call or message comes in, the color of which can be customized for each specific caller.
Kingston today catered to a specific segment of the storage crowd with the SSDNow V 40GB Boot Drive. The 2.5-inch SATA drive isn't intended as primary storage but rather as a system drive that speeds up the operating system as well as key apps. It's billed as inexpensive enough that it can be mated with a second, much larger rotating hard drive that would handle less critical apps and storage.
Quickly following up on recent leaks, Allerta today unveiled the inPulse BlackBerry smartwatch. Made as a companion for BlackBerry smartphones, the watch pairs over Bluetooth and provides caller ID and e-mail headers in real-time on an OLED display to save users the trouble of checking the phone. It can also recognize SMS notices, RSS news feeds and even Twitter updates.
Samsung has recently shown off its Needle Slim LED-backlit HDTV, which manages to be just over a tenth of an inch (3mm) thick thin while offering a 40-inch screen size. The set otherwise has 1080p resolution and a 120Hz panel. Its contrast ratio is its only sacrifice and reaches a 5,000:1 static ratio.
Sprint today set final launch details for the Palm Pixi on its network. The smartphone will ship to the carrier's stores on November 15th and cost $100 on contract after both a $50 immediate discount and a $100 mail-in rebate. It's also now known to work with the Touchstone inductive charging dock but needs both the $80 add-on as well as a $20 back shell to charge without using wires.
HTC today began its first ever large-scale marketing campaign aimed at boosting its market share. The "You" promos will include TV ads (viewable below), billboards and other spots and is ultimately expected to reach 95 percent of US cellphone users as many as 36 times before the end of the year. The 10 largest markets, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City and Seattle, will receive particularly heavy advertising.
Demand has been high enough for Nokia's Booklet 3G netbook that the company is moving ahead with a second model next year, a leak to Taiwan's Economic Daily News newspaper claims. Nokia's contractor in the area, Compal, is reportedly working "overtime" to meet demand for the Atom-based portable and that it's likely to receive orders for a 2010 model as well. Details of the system are unknown, including whether or not it's an upgrade to the existing system or an entirely new configuration.
Telus on Monday revealed that both its HSPA+ network and its iPhone launch will kick off on November 5th and has provided device pricing for its version of the Apple handset. Its pricing will match the Rogers version and see 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS units cost $200 and $300 respectively on three-year contracts. Contract-free versions will sell for $700 and $800. The 8GB iPhone 3G will sell for $100 on contract or $600 contract-free.
Apple's plans to launch a tablet in coming months may have gained credence today through a pair of possible leaks. New York Times executive editor Bill Keller in a speech at Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab last week included the "impending Apple slate" as one of the platforms he hopes to have carry the newspaper's content, alongside desktop, mobile web and iPhone apps. It's unclear if Keller has advance knowledge or is just acting on rumors, although it's been claimed that Apple is negotiating with publishers for content delivery through iTunes in advance of a tablet.
After waiting nearly two weeks past the original launch, Verizon today unveiled its own version of the BlackBerry Storm2. Its version adds CDMA and EVDO Revision A for its own phone and 3G networks; quad-band GSM/EDGE and single-band 2,100MHz HSPA 3G give it roaming in most other areas. The US carrier also includes a 16GB microSDHC card in the box to put it more on par with the 16GB iPhone 3GS.
Netflix this morning broke its once-exclusive Xbox 360 deal with Microsoft by offering Netflix for PlayStation 3. The link will let any US-based PS3 owner with a Netflix subscription stream movies and TV shows online; they can also add movies to the queue and rate titles. Early on, the service will depend on customers owning a free Blu-ray disc that draws on BD-Live for Internet access, but the service should eventually be integrated into the PS3's firmware.
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