Briefly: HTC Shift review

HTC has been a veteran of smartphones but has only just recently ventured into handheld computers, and the Shift represents its first full-fledged attempt at an ultra-mobile PC. The system promises to take all of HTC's experience with handsets and translate it into a full-fledged Windows computer that happens to have the conveniences of a cellphone; but its real challenges may be both to compete with a new wave of notebooks as well as extra-capable cellphones like iPhone 3G. Click through for a full review of HTC's inaugural device.

Gefen intros Ethernet-based HDMI IR Extender...

Gefen on Thursday introduced its newest connectivity product, the HDMI IR Extender. Aimed at custom installations, the HDMI IR Extender will allow users to control their HD source units from another room without having to purchase and run lengthy HDMI cables through their walls. The Sender and Receiver connect via two standard Ethernet (CAT-5) cables, and can deliver 1080p resolution video signals over up to 300 feet or 1080i resolution over up to 150 feet. Audio is likewise transmitted.

Sharity 3.4 improves compatibility, stability...

Objective Development on Thursday unveiled Sharity 3.4, an update to its UNIX platform SMB file system that adds several bug fixes and improved compatibility with NAS devices. Sharity allows users to mount shared volumes from Windows, Samba, and other SMB/CIFS servers onto UNIX-based systems such as Mac OS X, Sun Solaris, and Linux, among others. Sharity 3 is available for evaluation for free, with personal licenses starting at $30, and commercial licenses at $200.

Marware Sportfolio for MacBook Air...

Marware on Thursday unveiled the Sportfolio sleeve for the MacBook Air, offering users a padded neoprene protection solution for their ultraportables. The handle-bearing sleeve has plastic inserts to protect against impact, and includes stretchy exterior pockets, while the interior is concealed with dual, lined zippers. The Sportfolio also comes with a padded, removable shoulderstrap. Marware is selling the Sportfolio for MacBook Air for $50 from its website and select retailers.

HighPoint offers 15K RPM RAID solution for gamers...

Power Mac G5 and Mac Pro gamers have a new high-performance disk system available to them, through HighPoint Technologies' RocketRAID 2640x4, a 4x PCI-E SAS hard drive RAID system. The system offers users 56-percent increased performance over 10,000 RPM SATA drives, with 128MB per-second transfer speeds, offering users lower average latency and lower read/write seek times. The RocketRAID 2640x4 sells for $165 from HighPoint's website.

Past Helio/Sidekick designer reworking Palm...

One of the most prominent phone interface designers is now working for Palm for its next operating system, Engadget confirms in a hunt for new information. Matias Duarte, who designed much of the interface behind the Danger Sidekick and later moved on to Helio's custom interface, is now known through checks with sources and Palm itself to be a Senior Director in Palm's Human Interface and User Experience design group. The new executive quietly left his former post at Helio for the new position nearly two years ago in September 2007.

Maverick Software games set for App Store...

Maverick Software on Thursday announced four new native iPhone applications – Comet Cowboy, Yulan Mahjong Solitaire, Snowglobe, and Blip Solitaire – all of which will be available at the launch of the App Store later this month. Comet Cowboy allows players to explore space in order to mine comets with their virtual lasso. The game boasts sharp graphics, multiple levels, and an automatic quick-save feature for when a call is received or if the user switches apps. Comet Cowboy will sell for $5.

Telia reworks iPhone plans with unlimited option...

After hitting a steep wall of customer resistance, Telia Sweden is buckling to pressure and is offering an unlimited data plan for the iPhone, as well as allowing customers to choose between its existing voice plans. iLounge reveals that the company received an overwhelming amount of complaints after initially offering customers 100, 250, and 1000 minutes, SMS, and data on plans that ranged as high as 859 SEK per month, in addition to handsets costing as much as 3295 SEK.

DataMind ports Jade photo tool to Aperture...

DataMind Srl says it has released Jade Plugin 1.0, the first Aperture add-on version of its stand-alone Jade tool. The software is used to provide automatic enhancements to image batches that normally require fine tuning, whether in Aperture or elsewhere; users simply click the Enhance button, and Jade will make a variety of tweaks to improve color, contrast, and the the appearance of dynamic range.

Apple files for 34 multi-touch patents...

The US Patent and Trademark Office today published approximately 34 applications from Apple, all of which relate to multi-touch technology. Among these are a means of covering necessary hardware from view, to make devices more visually appealing; a means of distinguishing whether a screen is being touched by flesh or other forms of input, such as a fingernail; and in particular, a unique Apple design for a capacitive touch sensor.

Telus gets Touch Diamond first in North America...

Telus today made a surprise announcement that it will be the first North American provider to carry the Touch Diamond, HTC's new flagship touchscreen phone. The news jumps Telus ahead of expected announcements from Sprint and Verizon and makes the Canadian firm the first known to get the CDMA version of the Diamond, which should have advanced 3G access through EVDO Revision A while keeping nearly all other features.

Early photos of Beijing Apple Store emerge...

Some of the first photos of the Beijing Apple Store have made their way online, according to a French site. MacPlus says it has obtained a number of photos of the location, which is on Sanlitun street within the Chaoyang district; the site specifically notes that the store is inside a commercial complex called The Village, also home to companies like Nike and Zara. The district as a whole is being revamped to present an appealing image to foreigners visiting during the Olympics.

fmSpark pulls mailing info from FileMaker...

SeedCode has released fmSpark, an add-on for the FileMaker Pro database suite. When combined with FileMaker databases, fmSpark lets users create various forms of correspondence based on extracted information, such as labels, letters, and "rich" HTML e-mails. Critically, users do not have to leave FileMaker, or enter into its layout mode.

Apple slashes $500 from MB Air SSD price...

Apple on Friday has quietly cut the price on the MacBook Air's solid-state drive by $500, bringing the price of the pre-built 1.8GHz model with the 64GB flash drive to $2,598 from its previous $3,098. The cut also sees Apple drop the price of adding the solid-state drive to a 1.6GHz model to $599 from its original $999 and reduces the price of adding the faster 1.8GHz processor to $200 from its previous $300.

Intel, AMD see gains in first quarter 2008...

Intel gained momentum in the first quarter of 2008, but rival AMD continued to increase marketshare year-over-year, figures from iSuppli show. Intel gained 1.2 percent to reach 79.7 percent of global microprocessor revenue in the first quarter, but was down 0.7 percent from the first quarter of 2007. AMD lost share in between Q4 2007 and Q1 2008, moving from 14.1 percent to 13 percent, but this was still a 2.2 percent increase from the Q1 2007 period.

Forums: iPhone, OS X updates, iPod trouble ...

Forum roundup: With the debut of the new iPhone just days away a poll was started in the MacNN forums to determine how many people are getting the new iPhone within the first week of its release. Earlier this week, users began discussing the new Mac OS X 10.5.4 software update, which is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security.

ECSA fights standardized European music royalties...

The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance has come out against proposed changes to how online music royalties are collected, writes the Associated Press. The conflict stems from an ongoing investigation by the European Commission, aimed at addressing antitrust concerns relating to the lack of Europe-wide royalty schemes. The Commission notes that currently, national copyright agencies have effective monopolies in their respective regions; there is also a need to negotiate as many as 27 separate royalty schemes for an album, something which may be hampering the spread of European music.

Vaja intros four iPhone 3G cases...

Accessory maker Vaja has announced four new high-end cases for the iPhone 3G. All of the cases are made of leather, and must be handcrafted, a process which takes anywhere between 15 and 45 days. Buyers can however pick from dozens of colors, and add customization such as a belt clip and/or custom laser engravings.

Samsung Instinct to reach Canada, rival iPhone...

Bell Canada today said it would be the first carrier outside of Sprint to carry the Samsung Instinct. The touchscreen cellphone will keep the same custom interface designed by the US carrier and will be Bell Canada's most direct answer to the iPhone 3G's appearance on Rogers with similar features. Bell's version of the phone should have the same EVDO Revision A-based 3G Internet access, true GPS, and full HTML web browser as the American model.

Germans upset over iPhone 3G upgrade plan...

German owners of current 2.5G iPhones are angry with T-Mobile, a local publication claims. Wiwo.de notes that even though Germans paid €399 for first-generation iPhones, at least $30 more than American phones before even September price cuts, T-Mobile now expects people to pay €15 for each month remaining in their contracts if they intend to upgrade to an iPhone 3G. For some customers, this could be as much as €240.

Google Talk webapp released for iPhone...

Google has announced the debut of a new version of Google Talk, its instant messaging program, now designed for the iPhone and iPod touch. The web application is said to be virtually unchanged in its new incarnation, but its graphic arrangement has been formatted to match the look and feel of other software on the iPhone. Google already offers a number of iPhone apps such as Gmail and Reader.

Hitachi plans 5TB drives by 2010...

Hitachi expects to offer a hard disk with five terabytes of storage by 2010, the company tells Japan's Nikkei BP (registration required). While some recent developments are nearing one terabit per inch, Hitachi says its CPP-GMR (Current Perpendicular to the Plane Giant Magnetoresistance) technology has improved to where the company will push past 1TB per inch in two years and allow a 5TB, 3.5-inch desktop hard drive in two years.

Apple: App Store submission deadline is July 7th...

The deadline for apps meant to launch with the iTunes App Store is actually this coming Monday, Apple has announced. "To ensure your application can be considered for the exciting launch of the App Store," a message to iPhone developers now reads, "submit your application by 12pm PDT on 7 July." Business publication Silicon Alley Insider earlier cited an anonymous source as saying the date was June 30th, which would have given Apple 10 to 11 days to test and approve software.

Yahoo still looking into AOL deal?...

Yahoo is still entertaining the prospect of a full deal with AOL even in the wake of ending talks with Microsoft, alleged sources tell the Wall Street Journal. Those claimed to be aware of negotiations say AOL's parent company Time Warner is still interested in handing AOL to Yahoo in exchange for a minority stake in the search engine company. The talks aren't said to be as in-depth as when Yahoo still faced the threat of a hostile Microsoft takeover.

Optus reveals iPhone 3G price plans...

Australian mobile carrier Optus on Thursday announced an extensive range of price plans for the iPhone 3G, in preparation for its July 11th launch. Pre-pay deals see the 8GB iPhone 3G marked at $729, and the 16GB model at $849; unlike most countries, there is also an option to fully unlock the device for use on other networks, for an additional $80.

Daylite 3.7.4 works with Pages, Numbers, Keynote...

Marketcircle Inc this week released Daylite 3.7.4, a new update to its established productivity suite. Aimed at easing Windows to Mac transitions -- especially in the small business arena -- this latest version of Daylite offers a host of new features. Boasting a Mac OS X-style interface, version 3.7.4 introduces full integration with Apple's Pages, Numbers and Keynote to ensure professional business correspondence. The software also combines improved Microsoft Word support with established features such as iCal, iSync and Mail integration, time-tracking and sharable schedules -- in an effort to to be a central hub for user's daily workflow.

iSlayer releases Organized OS X widget...

Australian developers iSlayer, this week released Organized, a brand new widget for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Version 1.0 of the widget features a full calender with editable events, multiple world clocks (using their own database), note section and extensive 'to do' list system. Offering full integration with OS X's internal iCal and Mail databases, iSlayer says that information used by Organizer is always up-to-date and 'in sync' on your Mac.

Blue-tec updated Ulysses, Ulysses Core text editors...

Coinciding with its five-year anniversary, Blue-tec this week announced a new version Ulysses 1.6, its Mac OS X-based text editor. Aimed at the creative writing market, version 1.6 includes an innovative 'tabbed' single-window user interface, comprehensive filtering and search system, semantic text editing, and a 'preview as you type' window. The update also offers bug fixes, further improved UI, extended printing capabilities, enhanced search/replace features, and new Hungarian and Portuguese localizations. The software requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later and is priced at €80 for a single-user license. A 30-day free trial is available from blue-tec.com.

Nikon updates D3, D300 firmware for dSLRs...

Only a few days after its D700 announcement (pictured at right), Nikon has released v2.0 firmware for its D3 digital SLR (Windows/Mac), bringing improved autofocus performance, improved Auto White Balance, and an issue that caused the battery indicator to blink, regardless of actual battery charge (which the company claims happened in "rare circumstances"). Nikon says that the firmware update incorporates a number of other fixes, including (1) allowing the aperture setting to be adjusted from the computer when shooting LiveView mode using Camera Control Pro 2 (ver. 2.2.0) or later with a PC-E lens. Other fixes include more "Vignette control" settings and fixes, more world-time options, new options for "Choose image area," and a new "Copyright information" item that has been added to the setup menu.

Microsoft offers iPods as search incentives...

Microsoft is attempting to convince Australian users to use its Live search engine by offering products from industry competitor Apple as bait through a local venture with the Nine Network, Ninemsn. The Brisbane Times reveals that the software giant is offering the iPod nano, Shuffle, and Touch to users who perform searches through Ninemsn. Ninemsn head Alex Parsons said that it would have run the contest using the Zune, but the Microsoft-made player does not currently sell in Australia.

Simultaneous dual-N-band Linksys WRT610N Wi-Fi router...

Just days after announcing Mac OS X-specific support, Linksys has announced its WRT610N Wi-Fi router, which offers wireless connectivity for 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n devices on two separate spectrum bands simultaneously -- effectively doubling available wireless bandwidth. Designed so all types of wireless devices can achieve maximum bandwidth, the "Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router" is packaged in Linksys' new, low-profile glossy black housing and offers Draft N performance on both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz spectrums. Users can connect high-bandwidth 802.11n devices (such as video hubs, media extenders, etc.) to the higher-performance, 20-channel 5GHz band, which coincidently also has less interference from devices such as microwaves, other 802.11g networks, etc. The more crowded 2.4GHz band can be used to connect both devices that don't require as much bandwidth and older 802.11b devices.