Rare working computer one of six known to exist | 05/25, 8:01pm
Auction house Sotheby\'s will be selling two bits of history soon -- one strongly related to Apple, the other less so -- both tied to the late Steve Jobs. On June 15, the company will be auctioning a rare working Apple I motherboard , one of only six known to exist in this state, and expected to fetch more than $180,000. Also being auctioned in a separate lot is a rare handwritten memo and typed report from Jobs from his time at Atari.
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Samsung targets budget Windows Phone market | 05/25, 9:10am
Windows Phone fans currently face a limited selection of new devices, however a few companies, including Samsung, continue to release new offerings powered by Microsoft's mobile OS. Electronista checked out Samsung's Focus 2 earlier this month at CTIA's spring conference for a quick hands-on preview, however our full review takes a closer look at the latest budget-priced Windows Phone offering to arrive at AT&T.
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Google picks more former webOS team members | 05/25, 5:33am
Google is said to have hired the core employees of the webOS Enyo HTML 5 development project team. According to The Verge , the team members were hired individually by Google, but will regroup as a team when they start work with the search giant. Enyo is an HTML5-based application framework for webOS and plays an integral part in HP’s plans to open-source the mobile OS. HP has since issued as statement saying that the staff departures will not impact its planned late 2012 release schedule for Open webOS.
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Apple files for optical stylus patent | 05/24, 8:06am
In a surprise, an Apple patent application for an optical stylus has turned up on the USPTO website. Steve Jobs had derided the stylus as an input method for the iPhone and the iPad once famously saying that ‘If you need a stylus, you’ve already failed.’ However, Jobs was well known for throwing the opposition a curve ball from time to time speaking out against an idea, only to have been developing a concept behind the scenes. One example was when he said that consumers liked having a separate iPod while also carrying their phone, only to reveal the ultimate convergence device in the iPhone a couple of years later.
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iOS app and browser extension offers image-based search | 05/24, 7:41am
Update: Axis was temporarily pulled by Yahoo due to a security vulnerability, but has already been updated. Yahoo has released Axis , which it is calling a 'visual search' application. It has been released as a full mobile browser for iOS and as a cross-platform desktop browser extension that uses page snapshots in live search results instead of text. The iOS app, while having the same tabbed browsing and bookmarking found in Safari, has a user interface focussing on image-heavy search, with cross-device synching possible between iPhone, iPad and the desktop browser extension.
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The rumored Google tablet to start shipping soon | 05/24, 6:55am
Google’s first foray into the hotly contested tablet market is set to reach user’s hands sometime in July. According to Digitimes , the first Google co-branded Android tablet will start shipping out of ASUS’ factories from next month, with an initial volume expected to be around 600,000 units. Originally rumored for a May release, the tablet was said to have been pushed back in order to trim the entry-price by adjusting its specifications so it can tackle the Amazon Kindle Fire head-on at $199.
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Suit alleges insufficient warning on earnings estimate reductions | 05/23, 4:52pm
The imbroglio over Facebook's initial public offering continued today with the announcement of a class-action lawsuit alleging wrongdoing on the part of Facebook and its underwriters. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims that Facebook, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase, among others, misled investors and caused them to lose more than $2.5 billion in the wake of the IPO. As Bloomberg reports , the plaintiffs have yet to specify the amount sought for damages. The case comes in the wake of the revelation yesterday that the Securities and Exchange Commission will be looking into the Facebook IPO to determine whether some investors received privileged information ahead of the opening.
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Legal battle centers around copyright issues | 05/23, 4:10pm
A jury at the US District Court of Northern California has determined that Google has not infringed on six claims contained in two Oracle patents. The unanimous decision is viewed as a partial win for the search giant, however the company still faces potential damages in an earlier verdict that focused on copyright violations for a number of Java APIs.
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Technology considered corporate security threat | 05/23, 10:25am
Siri, the voice command system on the iPhone 4S, is being blocked on IBM\'s internal networks, the company\'s CIO has revealed. Jeanette Horan mentioned the fact in an interview with MIT\'s Technology Review this week. The core issue involves the way Siri translates speech; rather than performing the task on a phone, it uploads recordings to Apple servers, where the speech is deciphered before results are sent back. Accompanying this is user data, such as the names of people in Contacts, since the information is needed to interpret some requests.
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Deal proceeds despite regulator, competitor concerns | 05/22, 10:28am
Google has announced that its proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility has been closed, following necessary approvals from the US Department of Justice, European Union and other international agencies. Current Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha will continue to help complete the transition, however he will step down as chief executive as Google veteran Dennis Woodside takes the leadership role .
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Sixth-gen iPhone prototypes testing 3.95-inch display | 05/22, 8:39am
More details have emerged about the new 4-inch display that Apple is rumored to be testing for the next iPhone with 9to5 Mac claiming its sources have confirmed that Apple is currently testing an iPhone with a 3.95-inch display. The new display is also expected to retain a Retina Display level of pixel density, maintain the same width as the current display (1.94-inches), but be stretched to 16:9 ratio at 3.45-inches tall. If accurate, this would permit a 16:9 movie to play in its native aspect ratio using the full display sans the black bars while even potentially retaining the same overall phone size.
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Evizone keeps confidential correspondence confidential | 05/22, 5:53am
At a time when businesses are exchanging more and more information online, with a corresponding risk of data theft from cyber hackers, Internet security is more critical than it has ever been. Evizone has developed a unique approach enabling the secure exchange of files, view-only copy protected messages and documents so that businesses can be confident that their vital corporate information remains only in the hands of its intended audience. MacNN recently had the opportunity to put some questions to Evizone CEO Andrew Coutts about what sets Evizone apart from the crowd and why businesses that value corporate security should consider it instead of email and other file sharing services.
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Kickstarter runs through June 7 | 05/22, 3:45am
High-quality covers for the iPad are a prevalent accessory. Once relegated to boutique status, they can now be had for a variety of prices ranging from $40 to over $100. The official Apple case for the iPad 2 and current-generation iPad sits at the low end of the range financially. When a new product shows up that's competitively priced with Apple's offering, it's worth a look. An already fully-funded Kickstarter project by Washington DC metro-area Salman Sajid is still underway , and MacNN got an early look at the product that carries both any generation of iPad as well as an Apple Bluetooth keyboard.
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Judgment undermines worth of Kodak patent portfolio | 05/21, 6:12pm
The US International Trade Commission has ruled that a patent involved in Kodak\'s lawsuit against Apple and Research in Motion is invalid, according to AppleInsider . In particular an administrative law judge has quashed the 6,292,218 patent, Method for Live View Display and Digital Camera Using Same , on the basis of claim 15 in the document. Kodak will reportedly appeal the decision to the full commission, a necessary step if it intends to continue suing Apple and RIM for infringing the patent.
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Leap Motion unveils motion control for Macs and PCs | 05/21, 8:46am
Leap Motion has taken the covers off its new motion-tracking device for computer interaction. As the video (embedded below) demonstrates, the device maker shows off how the device could potentially replace a mouse and keyboard in a number of computing and gaming contexts. The size of a small flash drive, the Leap is said to be able to allow users to control a computer in three dimensions, tracking natural hand and finger movements down to 1/100th of a millimeter.
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MacNN goes hands-on with the Fling Joystick for iPad | 05/20, 4:30am
The Fling Joystick for iPad is one of the more interesting accessories available for the iPad and other tablets. With the graphics capabilities of tablets approaching console quality, the biggest hurdle facing in-depth gaming on capacitive touchscreen devices is the lack of physical controls. Similar comments were of course leveled at the iPhone when it first launched back in 2007 without a physical keyboard, but those concerns soon evaporated. However, the volume selling games on both iPhone and iPad tend to be the casual games that rely on simple touch gestures. Yet, there are a number of first person shooters that use virtual single dual stick controls that look appealing, but aren't quite as popular.
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Legal battle focuses on ActiveSync tech | 05/18, 8:25pm
Microsoft has won an International Trade Commission ruling that may result in an import ban on several Motorola devices. The companies are involved in several separate intellectual-property disputes, though the latest ITC ruling focuses on a lawsuit filed by Microsoft over patented Exchange ActiveSync technology.
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Oklahoma, Puerto Rico latest additions | 05/18, 7:30pm
Continuing with a string of recent arrivals on US regional carriers, the iPhone has arrived to two news that cover northwest Oklahoma and Puerto Rico, respectively. Open Mobile , the Puerto Rico carrier, may be the first exclusively no-contract carrier in the US to offer iPhones. Oklahoma-based Pioneer Cellular is carrying only the iPhone 4S, while Open Mobile has both the 4 and 4S at various capacities.
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Plaintiffs contend Facebook improperly tracked users after log-outs | 05/18, 4:37pm
Facebook, having just yesterday completed its initial public offering to the tune of a $106 billion valuation, now faces a $15 billion lawsuit in federal court. The suit, Bloomberg reports , alleges that the social network invaded the privacy of the plaintiffs by tracking their Internet use even after they had logged off of the social network.
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Nokia facing serious financial troubles | 05/18, 7:37am
Nokia is said to be facing critical cash flow issues as it struggles to stem its growing losses in cellphone market share. Just five years ago, the Finnish handset maker had a cash stockpile of over $11 billion, which has now eroded to the point where the company only has $2.7 billion on hand which is shrinking by the day. Compounding matters, the costs of its debts are also rising, while its Lumia Windows 7 smartphones are yet to gain significant market traction making a quick turnaround unlikely.
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Samsung Galaxy S III pre-orders in the millions | 05/18, 6:13am
Samsung is reported to have notched up 9 million pre-orders for its Galaxy S III smartphone ahead of its launch. According to Reuters , the pre-orders have been made from over 100 global carriers, not customers, ahead of its release. Customers will be able to get their hands on the device starting May 29 in Germany, before it begins rolling out across other countries.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 set for quad-core CPU | 05/17, 7:28am
Suggestions that Samsung may have delayed the launch of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in order to leapfrog the dual-core (quad GPU) A5X processor in the new iPad with a quad-core processor have gained momentum with leaked benchmarks spotted . The South Korean company had revealed a version of the forthcoming Galaxy Note 10.1 at the Mobile World Congress in February running the same dual-core processor as its 5.3-inch Galaxy Note stable mate. The leaked benchmarks show a Samsung tablet with a 1280x752 resolution running the 1.4GHz Exynos 4412 quad-core processor paired with Mali-604T graphics.
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Sony intros NEX-F3 with upgraded specs | 05/17, 1:17am
Following a series of leaks , Sony has made the NEX-F3 official. As with the NEX-7 the NEX-F3 includes an in-built pop-up flash, while retaining the option to attach a professional quality flash. In a first for the NEX line, it includes a 180-swivel LCD display allowing for easy self-portrait taking.
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WSJ tips larger 4-inch display for new iPhone | 05/16, 8:20am
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has placed orders for iPhone displays measuring ‘at least 4-inches diagonally’ for its sixth generation iPhone expected in October. Citing ‘people familiar with the situation’ production on the new displays is set to begin next month. Apple is said to be working with LG, Sharp and Japan Display (a newly formed partnership between Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba) on the new screens, which can be expected to be Retina Display-class.
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Samsung and HTC shares suffer at the hands of Apple | 05/16, 7:04am
Samsung and HTC stock have both taken a hit thanks to separate actions instigated by Apple. Samsung’s stock saw $10 billion wiped off its value following a report by DigiTimes indicating that Apple had placed a large order for DRAM from its struggling Japanese competitor Elpida. Separately, HTC’s shares also slumped by over 6 percent following an Apple initiated ITC injunction being enforced by US Customs , stopping the importation of its hotly anticipated One X and EVO 4G LTE handsets.
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Finns take new approach to woo US smartphone buyers | 05/15, 9:57am
Nokia\'s Lumia 900 represents the pinnacle of the company\'s new smartphone strategy, pairing premium components with a unique design and Microsoft\'s Windows Phone operating system. In our full review , we try to determine if the LTE radio, large display and other high-end features will help Nokia and Microsoft fulfill their dream of finally reestablishing themselves in the US smartphone market.
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iMac's screen size may demand significant video hardware | 05/15, 8:41am
Apple is not only working on Retina MacBook Pros , but also Retina-equipped iMacs, says ABC News . The site quotes \"its own sources,\" which also back up the upgraded MacBook Pros, but offer no other details. It\'s generally believed that Apple will introduce one or more upgraded systems at this year\'s WWDC , which starts June 11th.
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Sony revamps VAIO S and Z lines | 05/15, 7:56am
Sony has rolled out revamped VAIO S and Z models with revised internals and external tweaks. The VAIO S is available in two models, a 13- and 15-inch variants. The 15-inch VAIO S is the powerhouse of the two and incorporates an 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3612QM quad-core processor clocked at 2.1GHz matched with 8GB of RAM. The notebook also includes Nvidia’s latest discrete GeForce GT 640M LE GPU that will work in conjunction with the integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU to either boost performance or save power depending on use.
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| 05/15, 6:28am
AMD has formally launched its next-generation Trinity Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). The company says that the improvements in architecture and Piledriver core has resulted in a chip that is twice as efficient per watt as its predecessor the Llano, despite sticking with a 32nm fabrication process. AMD says that based on price, its chips offer superior performance for each dollar spent against Intel’s latest 22nm Ivy Bridge (3rd generation Core series) processors.
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Lenovo reveals slender and light ThinkPad X1 Carbon | 05/15, 5:41am
Lenovo has taken the wraps off what it is calling the ‘world’s lightest 14-inch ultrabook.’ As the name implies, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon utilizes a carbon fiber chassis endowing the ultrabook with exceptional, lightness and torsional rigidity. Powered by the latest 3rd generation Intel Core series processors, the X1 Carbon weighs just 3 pounds and measures just 0.71-inches (18mm) thin at its leading edge.
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