What's new on SlashGear.com

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• Massive video game collection nets $1.2 million on eBay
• Anonymous picks up litter in latest protest effort
• AT&T 4G LTE hits 47 US markets in newest expansion
• Dyad ultra-colorful indie game hits PlayStation Network on July 17
• Apple Maps spotted for OS X desktop use
• Raytheon granted contract to develop Air Soldier System for US Army
• Surface Sleight of Hand: Microsoft’s big touch distraction
• Internet Doomsday simple fix rundown
• Students build underwater mine-detecting robot from household junk
• Ken Block’s Gymkhana 5 has Ford Fiesta tearing up a real San Francisco
• Bentley EXP 9 F SUV goes (very slightly) off-road on way to showrooms
• Gartner reports global IT spending to reach $3.6 trillion this year
• AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note Premium Suite software upgrade hands-on
• Study reveals space travel may slow ageing process
• Fujitsu announces Stylistic Q702 and LifeBook T902 laptops
• Michael Fassbender signed for Assassin’s Creed movie
• RIM facing lawsuits over broken BlackBerry 10 promises
• SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: July 9th, 2012
• Hometalk offers a social network for home improvement
• Facebook expands App Center in more countries
• Samsung UN55ES8000 55-inch Smart TV Review
• Sharp agrees to pay $198.5M to settle LCD price-fixing lawsuit
• The Dark Knight Rises 13-minute featurette teases story and scale
• Microsoft buys Perceptive Pixel for pen and multitouch expertise
• AT&T pink Lumia 900 drops July 15
• Verizon Galaxy S III sales slip to July 12
• Windows 8 RTM in early August and on shelves in late October
• Canon T4i rubber grips suffering from chemical reaction
• RIM CEO on BlackBerry 10 delay: “I could still see the seams”
• Nuance and BMW partner on Dragon Drive! Messaging
• iPad Mini to borrow iPod touch style tip prototype insiders
• New Kindle Fire expected for Q3 with 1280×800 display
• Death Star ping-pong ball isn’t a moon
• LG working on quad-core smartphone with 10MP camera
• Face.com shutters API support
• BlackBerry app world hits 3 billion downloads
• Samsung tablets no iPad copycats decides UK court
• China planning a nuclear-powered mobile deep-sea mining platform
• Internet goes offline for thousands as DNSChanger cleanup peaks
• Apple cracks down on sites selling access to iOS betas

Massive video game collection nets $1.2 million on eBay Posted: 09 Jul 2012 02:37 PM PDT To most of us, having a ridiculously large video game collection that spans multiple console generations is merely a pipe dream. For one eBay user, not only did that dream became a reality, but it’s now become a source of financial security, as a significant portion of his huge video game collection recently sold for more than $1.2 million on eBay. The seller in question is 32-year-old Andre from south France. The collection he recently posted on eBay is likely the largest video game collection ever to grace the auction site, containing thousands upon thousands of video games from past generations. In fact, whoever purchased this massive collection will be getting every game ever released for Nintendo consoles ranging from the original Famicom all the way up to the Gamecube, along with all of the games released for every Sega system (eat your hearts out, Dreamcast fanboys). To make the deal even sweeter, many of these games are still factory sealed. Andre tells the LA Times that he’s always selling video games on sites like eBay, but this is the biggest collection he’s sold so far. This particular collection took him 15 years to build, he says, and provided he gets his money, it will be taking a trip across the Atlantic to Canada. The cost for such a trip? $1,230.70, which is admittedly chump change considering the buyer already has to shell out $1,230,699.99 for the lot. Here’s hoping that Andre just made a deal with a serious buyer. Story Timeline 7-year-old boy wins eBay auction for Harrier jet, dad not happy eBay Sales of iPad 2 are Brisk Due to Limited Supply iPhone 4 prototype hits eBay; bidding hits $100k MacBook Pro 3G Revealed in eBay Listing Turbine-powered replica 1989 Batmobile hits eBay for $620,000 HP TouchPad fire-sale sells out in minutes, cripples eBay Apple received more online traffic than eBay or Walmart last month Raspberry Pi sub-$35 computer hits eBay for over $2,300 eBay quarterly earnings see PayPal exploding iPad prototype appears on eBay with dual 30-pins Massive video game collection nets $1.2 million on eBay is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Anonymous picks up litter in latest protest effort Posted: 09 Jul 2012 01:50 PM PDT This week it seems that the collective known as Anonymous has taken to picking up trash in the streets in order to push forth as a positive force in the world of activist computer hacking. This protest has been made against a recent revision of Japanese laws against illegal downloads of media on the web. This protest is an effort to show the world that Anonymous is not a terrorist organization, instead representing themselves with an act of public good to show their dissent against what they feel are unfair internet laws. It was a collection of 80 members of the Anonymous conglomeration that hit the street this week in Tokyo, complete with their V for Vendetta Guy Fawkes masks and their iconic black suits as well. They hit Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward and made a quick thing of it, making sure there were plenty of photographers around to capture the event as it went down. The folks in Anonymous have been vocal, for their part, in letting the world know that they feel Japan has not done an adequate job of representing the full truth about the laws they’re protesting and the changes that have been made in Japanese law as of late regarding web downloads. This protest has been called just one of many upcoming “Cleaning Service” protests Anonymous has said they’ll be making, with future litter removal dates planned for the future around the world. Hopefully they’ll be showing up in your local town soon, clean streets as a protest for everyone! Story Timeline Anonymous retaliates, hacks Panda Security's website Anonymous takes down Vatican website Anonymous strikes again: Hacks law enforcement supply website Anonymous OS version 0.1 released and detailed AnonOps claims Anonymous OS is fake PSA: Anonymous 'Internet Blackout' a false lead Anonymous China hacks government websites in protest Anonymous not finished with China - More attacks coming soon Anonymous supplants Pastebin with AnonPaste Anonymous targets music industry with AnonTune [via Japan Daily Press] Anonymous picks up litter in latest protest effort is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

AT&T 4G LTE hits 47 US markets in newest expansion Posted: 09 Jul 2012 01:19 PM PDT This week AT&T has announced that its 4G LTE network has reached a total of 47 markets across the USA, with 7 new markets having been added in this newest update. The new markets opened officially this week include Greensboro-Winston Salem, N.C.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Gainesville, Ga.; Buffalo, NY; Burlington, Vt.; Wichita, Kan; and Cleveland, Ohio. AT&T’s 4G LTE network is now said by the company to cover almost 80 million people nationwide. The AT&T 4G LTE network has been expanded in quite a few areas inside Cleveland, including Hinckley, Hudson, Mentor, Solon, Strongsville, Twinsburg, Wadsworth, Brecksville, Brunswick, and Elyria. Inside North Carolina, the switch has been turned on for U.S. 52 from China Grove to Mooresville, south of Salisbury to the Granite Quarry area, U.S. 601 between Concord and Monroe, N.C., Gastonia, Lake Norman, and N.C. Hwy. 3 from Kannapolis to Mooresville. We’ve had our hands on several devices that can make great use of the AT&T 4G LTE network including the brand new Samsung Galaxy S III and the Nokia Lumia 900 as well as the HTC One X. Have a peek at the timeline below to see other stories about AT&T’s 4G LTE network and be sure to check our our reviews of these 4G LTE devices for the carrier as well: • Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Review • HTC Vivid Review • LG Nitro HD Review • HTC One X Review • Samsung Galaxy S III Review Story Timeline AT&T 4G LTE goes live HTC Holiday visits FCC for AT&T 4G LTE AT&T LTE Strategy Questions and Answers AT&T 4G LTE expanding to 6 new markets on November 20 Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 AT&T LTE Hands-on and Unboxing LG Nitro HD Official, dual-core, AT&T LTE, and 720p display AT&T LTE goes live in NYC, San Francisco and more Samsung Exhilarate touts eco-friendly design and AT&T 4G LTE Nokia Lumia 900 AT&T LTE hands-on NVIDIA hits AT&T 4G LTE with Icera 410 AT&T 4G LTE hits 47 US markets in newest expansion is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Dyad ultra-colorful indie game hits PlayStation Network on July 17 Posted: 09 Jul 2012 01:09 PM PDT If you fancy yourself a gamer, you’re likely dying of boredom as we trudge through the all-too-familiar summer release drought. Most big-time developers and publishers like to slow it down a bit during the summer months, which used to mean that there were almost no notable releases between April and August. Thankfully, these days we have a robust indie gaming scene, and with many triple-A publishers avoiding summer altogether, it gives games like Dyad a chance to truly shine. Today, creator Shawn McGrath announced that Dyad will be arriving on the PlayStation Network on July 17, which is just over a week away. Dyad looks to be reminiscent of games like Rez or Audosurf (with maybe a little bit of Child of Eden thrown in), and comes complete with support for 1080p resolution while running at 60 FPS. Check out the launch trailer for Dyad below. So, if you’re in the mood for a captivating game that puts an emphasis on stimulating your senses, Dyad might be the game you’re looking for. At $14.99, it’s a bit on the expensive side for a downloadable console title, but as long as McGrath can deliver the goods, it should be relatively easy to justify the cost. Story Timeline PlayStation Network rebranded as Sony Entertainment Network Federal government, military can break into Xbox Live, PSN, etc Telltale Games offers The Walking Dead video game on PSN tomorrow PlayStation Vita PS One classics, PSN stuff big at Sony event Sony PSN a more reliable revenue stream than Xbox Live [via PlayStation Blog] Dyad ultra-colorful indie game hits PlayStation Network on July 17 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple Maps spotted for OS X desktop use Posted: 09 Jul 2012 12:48 PM PDT Apple’s next-level GPS mapping and 3D exploration app has been spotted in the code for the beta launch of iOS 6 with an indicator that it’ll be working with OS X soon. This will mean much more than just a mobile-based threat for Google Maps, as we originally suspected, it’ll be Apple attempting to take full control of the very much Google-dominated maps landscape from all angles. Have a peek at some XML right here and see if you can see what the developer sees. What you’re seeing below this paragraph is a glimpse of some XML code directly from the source for Apple’s mobile operating system iOS 6 beta. This release has been made available for developers and those wishing to be developers for Apple’s mobile products in the near future, but is not out for public consumption as of yet. What we’re seeing here is references to “older Intel chipsets that are not known to support shading very well” as developer Cody Cooper tells MacRumors this week, each of them deactivated here so as not to make the maps look terrible. On the other hand, it’s very likely that this code could also mean that Apple is protecting against terrible rendering on computers that are simply testing the iPhone/iPad software out in a simulator environment. In that case, there’s no more evidence that Apple Maps are hitting the desktop than there was before today. Either way, Apple, have a peek at how much interest you’re getting in the possibility of this situation now, and consider it! Have a peek in our timeline below to see all the rest of our Apple Maps posts in the recent past – and get pumped up for this Autumn when the real deal comes forth! Story Timeline Mockup shows potential design for iOS 6 maps Apple reveals new Maps app for iOS 6 Apple and TomTom sign Maps deal Apple using Waze data in new iOS 6 Maps iOS 6 3D maps hacked for iPhone 4 [Video] iOS 6 Maps to feature built-in Yelp check-ins Apple Maps spotted for OS X desktop use is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Raytheon granted contract to develop Air Soldier System for US Army Posted: 09 Jul 2012 12:27 PM PDT Defense technology company Raytheon has announced that it will be helping the US Army design and develop the next generation of the Air Warrior System, dubbed the Air Soldier System. The contract – which is valued at $4.7 million – will see Raytheon developing an ensemble of “wearable electronics that enhance life support and tactical capabilities.” According to the terms of the contract, the company will be responsible for developing three of the six components that make up the Integrated Personal Electronics suite in the Air Soldier System. Perhaps most importantly, this includes the Soldier Computer Module, which serves as the processing unit for the whole system. Also included in Raytheon’s responsibilities are the development of the Personal Display Module and the Mission Display Module, which provide a user interface for the system and mission and navigation information respectively. Raytheon Technical Services Company President John Harris took some time today to comment on the improvements found in this iteration of the Air Soldier System. “Among other developments, the Air Soldier System will be lighter, last longer and provide more integrated controls,” he said. “This translates to enhanced situational awareness that better supports the mission.” Story Timeline Raytheon XOS 2 Exoskeleton Development Complete, Reduces Energy Consumption [Video] Secure Streaming Video on Phones the Future of the U.S. Army Raytheon microwave warhead would fry enemy defenses, not blow them up PETMAN humanoid robot ready for the US Army NeuVax E-75 cancer vaccine halves recurrence rate says US army [via Raytheon] Raytheon granted contract to develop Air Soldier System for US Army is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Surface Sleight of Hand: Microsoft’s big touch distraction Posted: 09 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made sure to mention quite how well the company did in keeping Surface off the radar before launch, and it seems the firm’s next tablet sleight of hand is already underway. The Windows tablet team “did a good job of keeping [Surface] secret” Ballmer boasted on-stage at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference today, going on to subsequently name-check new acquisition Perceptive Pixel. Make no mistake, though; while Ballmer may have shown the most enthusiasm about that company’s vast multitouch screens, it’s Perceptive Pixel’s potential in Surface-style hardware that could give Microsoft its tablet edge against the iPad. Perceptive Pixel’s huge-screen multitouch products are certainly the company’s most eye-catching offerings. Scaling up to the 82-inch point, the wall-mounted panels allow for a practically infinite number of fingers touching, swiping and gesturing on them. It’s a crowd-pleaser, for sure, and Microsoft was keen to point out that the technology had been used by CNN for the 2008 US presidential election, among other things. However, while Perceptive Pixel’s “expertise in both software and hardware will contribute to success in broad scenarios such as collaboration, meetings and presentations” according to Microsoft’s press release, it’s the potential in smaller screens that holds the most promise. The company calls it “Active Stylus“, a system where fingers and digital pens work together simultaneously, and it’s something that could transform future Surface models. Currently, the widest-implemented pen and touch system for tablets uses Wacom technology. Now, we’re talking active stylus here – where the pen communicates with the digitizer layer built into the display, rather than just mimicking a squishy fingertip as with the numerous capacitive styluses we’ve seen released for the iPad – where there’s a far greater degree of accuracy in how much the tablet knows about the position of the nib. Wacom’s digitizer knows if the stylus nib is near to the screen, and so it can turn off a regular, capacitive touchscreen layer so as not to get confused between touches. That also means users can lean on the display while using the stylus, without their hands being mistakenly picked up as touch points. Perceptive Pixel’s system, however, is even more comprehensive. It can not only track the nib up to a half-inch above the display (and even figure out exactly how far it is, the angle it’s being held at, and more) but allow the user to simultaneously use their fingers too. Extra technology differentiates between wrists and palms being rested on the display, too. "Dual pen and touch comes into its own on a tablet-scale device" Those abilities may look great on a touchscreen bigger than most peoples’ TVs, but they really come into their own on a tablet-scale device. Apple has been happy to leave the stylus market to others, and it looks like Microsoft is keep to pick up that baton and run with it as best it can; if it can prove there’s a valid use-case for accurate, agile pen input that legitimately delivers something above and beyond fingers alone, that could be a real differentiator for Windows-based models. “[Microsoft] may need to keep a few more things secret as we move forward” Ballmer said cryptically at the event today. “There’s a real advantage to being able to work [undisturbed].” With the initial response to the company’s own-brand tablets being generally positive, integrating Perceptive Pixel technology into next-gen Surface tablets may well be the follow-up clandestine project Ballmer was so keen to tease us about. Surface Sleight of Hand: Microsoft’s big touch distraction is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Internet Doomsday simple fix rundown Posted: 09 Jul 2012 11:29 AM PDT Believe it or not, this so-called “Internet Doomsday” you’ve heard about over the past week or so is a real situation – but taking care of it on your own computer is not as terrifying as the name of the day suggests. The so-called virus is called DNSChanger, and thought the fear-mongering amongst us would have all collecting water and dry food for the oncoming electrical winter, there’s not actually that much to worry about. In fact, according to several internet service providers across the country, nothing significant has even appeared on their grid as the day has progressed. What you’re going to want to do is two things if you’re fearful that your computer may have been affected by this web devil. First, if you’re reading this article from your computer, you have not been affected at all: the virus shuts your web off. If you still have internet, you’re fine. Second, you’ll want to check out the following video to get a grip on what this situation is all about – it’s all very simple, really: That video comes from the post entitled DNSChanger malware for dummies. There you’ll find a bit more of an explanation, but for those of you really looking to read rather than watch, head to our DNSChanger guide to learn how to find it and how to fix it. For those of you reading this outside the country on your smartphone: remind yourself again that it’s much more likely that your computer back home (wherever that may be) is not infected rather than infected. “Since midnight last night, when the FBI (via the Internet Services Coalition) disconnected the servers associated with this botnet, we’ve only received a miniscule number of calls, but our customer care and security assurance teams are standing by and are ready to help,” – Douglas Charlie Douglas is the Comcast senior director of corporate communications and has assured MSNBC that there’s nothing to worry about. The same is true of Verizon, AT&T, and COX, also speaking today saying that the effect of this situation is minimal and tiny, having little impact overall. Check out the timeline below to learn more about DNSChanger and what it’s done so far! Story Timeline FBI: check for DNS Changer malware before it's too late FBI to kill servers supporting DNSChanger virus victims DNSChanger: How to find it and how to fix it DNSChanger malware for dummies: Sophos video explains it all PSA: Evict DNSChanger now or lose the web Monday Internet goes offline for thousands as DNSChanger cleanup peaks Internet Doomsday simple fix rundown is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Students build underwater mine-detecting robot from household junk Posted: 09 Jul 2012 11:20 AM PDT A group of students from the University of the West of England designed a robot built from recycled materials that that could help detect underwater mines. The robot has been constructed out of household parts, spare car parts and an Internet router. It even features a camera taken from a PlayStation 3, fan guards from a computer and a Land Rover's reversing light. The robot has been entered into an international competition for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles in Italy this week. AUVs generally use sensors and sonar to figure out locations and carry out tasks that have been pre-programmed into them. Team leader Gareth Griffiths said that one of the biggest challenges the team has faced includes building the AUV to be tough enough to work in such hostile environments, like murky deep waters, but advanced enough to be sealed tight for underwater journeys and relatively lightweight at the same time. If everything goes according to plan, the AUV constructed entirely out of recycled junk could work comparably well to real AUVs in detecting mines. AUVs can also be used to inspect oil rigs or to clean the structural bases of sea wind farms and need to have excellent tracking and vision sensors to ensure safe and accurate movement underwater. Story Timeline Robot fish released to the sea to clear pollution Australia to test 'tour guide robot' Japanese robot readied for nuclear reactor Smart Tripod wins Microsoft Robotics @Home Competition Joggobot is your robotic jogging companion Robotic fish is accepted by real fish i-SODOG robotic canine obeys your smartphone Shimi is an Android smartphone-enabled robot that can dance DARPA kickstarts research into robot Viagra Scientists develop most advanced robotic legs yet [via Daily Mail] Students build underwater mine-detecting robot from household junk is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Ken Block’s Gymkhana 5 has Ford Fiesta tearing up a real San Francisco Posted: 09 Jul 2012 11:01 AM PDT The video you’re about to partake in has the driving showman known as Ken Block taking a few fine minutes out of his day to rip up some blocked-off main roads of a major metropolitan area. Right across a major suspension bridge and down into the guts of San Francisco goes Block in his video Gymkhana 5. With his own Ford Fiesta Hybrid Function Hoonage Vehicle (HFHV), Block displays some on-point jumps, drifts, and one whole heck of a lot of speedy driving. You’ll find that this 650 horsepower vehicle that Block drives is more than ready to cruise at unheard-of speeds through the city streets in a collection of ways only otherwise possible in a video game. You’ve got GoPro cameras mounted in the car and on the car, stationary cameras at hundreds of locations along the roadway, and a helicopter cam as well, of course. Once again note that these roads were completely blocked off when this driving was taking place, and that without express permission from the city, none of this would have been even remotely possible. The San Francisco Bay area has never seen something as wild as this on four wheels – and splattered with Monster green and a heavy push for DC shoes, too! Have a peek at the timeline below for the rest of our recent Ford-related stories and get in deep with our Automotive section as well. Story Timeline First Ford dealers get certified to sell the Focus Electric 2012 Ford Focus Electric AT&T MyFord Mobile app hands-on 2013 Ford Fusion touts "unprecedented technology" Ford now taking orders on C-Max Hybrid Ford and Microsoft brag on Focus Electric technology Drivers of Ford Sync equipped vehicles get State Farm insurance discounts Ford unveils 2013 F-150 with MyFord Touch Ford talks Focus ST Overboost engine technology 2013 Ford SVT Raptor to get updates 2013 Ford Taurus gets EPA certified best in class fuel economy Ken Block’s Gymkhana 5 has Ford Fiesta tearing up a real San Francisco is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Bentley EXP 9 F SUV goes (very slightly) off-road on way to showrooms Posted: 09 Jul 2012 10:35 AM PDT Bentley’s EXP 9 F SUV concept has a face only a mother could love, but that hasn’t stopped the Crewe company from aiming its massive grille at showrooms. The pumped-up super luxury off-roader has made a new appearance, complete with a video showing its not-inconsiderable heft being thrown around roads – though it’s perhaps telling that the majority of the “off roading” consists of the rough stuff at the side of the tarmac. When Bentley first showed off the concept, back at the Geneva Motor Show in March, it described it as a “potential” third model-line alongside the company’s existing Mulsanne and Continental ranges. Since then, Volkswagen-owned Bentley has all but ‘fessed up to production plans, detailing a potential choice of three powertrains including a 500 HP twin turbo V8, a plug-in hybrid V6, and a flagship 6L W12 engine. Any of the three would likely be sufficient to smear Mother Nature across the not-inconsiderable hood. Meanwhile, inside there’s more leather, wood and metal, along with bespoke picnic hampers, a pull-out awning and a pair of concealed umbrellas. “The concept's appearance at Goodwood is part of a systematic and comprehensive process of gauging customer and public reaction to the idea of a Bentley SUV” the company says of this latest appearance. “EXP 9 F also highlights Bentley's intent to build the fastest and most luxurious SUV in the world.” Bentley EXP 9 F SUV goes (very slightly) off-road on way to showrooms is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Gartner reports global IT spending to reach $3.6 trillion this year Posted: 09 Jul 2012 10:32 AM PDT Gartner Inc. reported today that organizations will spend over $3.6 trillion worldwide on IT products and services, which is about a three percent increase compared to last year's spending, totaling $3.5 trillion. The report was revised from a previous forecast of a 2.5 percent increase in spending this year on IT products and services. The report said that the largest market for IT will continue to be telecommunication services, which will grow to $1.7 trillion this year—up 1.4 percent from last year. More will also be spent on Internet technology and consumer electronics by businesses in emerging economies. It's expected that IT services will increase by about 2.3 percent this year largely due to demand for consulting services. The cloud is going to be one of the areas that should experience some real significant growth, according to Gartner. Cloud tech spending is expected to grow to $109 billion—a whopping 19 percent this year. That amount is also expected to double by the year 2016. Story Timeline Microsoft Connected Car plans include Kinect, WP8 and the cloud Adobe Lightroom 4 floats into the Creative Cloud Cisco announces Linksys 802.11ac router and Cloud Connect platform Nexus Q demonstrated with cloud music and movies Qualcomm extends Vuforia augmented reality to the cloud Sony grabs Gaikai for cloud gaming and entertainment Cisco responds to Connect Cloud complaints Microsoft reveals Chinese cloud startups in Azure scheme Cisco drops Connect Cloud from default router settings D-Link adds NAS and routers to mydlink Cloud lineup [via Bloomberg] Gartner reports global IT spending to reach $3.6 trillion this year is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note Premium Suite software upgrade hands-on Posted: 09 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT This week AT&T will be pushing the Samsung Galaxy Note Premium Suite upgrade with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, and we’ve got our hands on it right this minute. This upgrade in software brings you several features in S-Note and S-Memo and also brings on Android Beam with NFC as well as facial unlock – the strangest screen unlock of them all! You’ll also gain access to a strange application that’s also out now for the Galaxy S III: Samsung’s My Story app. First have a peek at some of the behind-the-scenes changes, starting with NFC. This device is now able to use Android Beam to send contacts, Web pages from your browser, or addresses from Google maps. Beaming works perfectly well between the Galaxy Note, the Galaxy Nexus, and the Galaxy S III for these small transfers using NFC. You’ll still need to wait for the Galaxy S III’s S-Beam function if you want to transfer files such as photos, video, and other larger media – someday, we hope! Recent Apps can now be pulled up by holding down your Home button. This ability works perfectly well, and closely resembles the vanilla version of the feature. Face unlock has been activated for your lockscreen. This ability also works just as well as it does with the most updated version of Ice Cream Sandwich on the Galaxy Nexus (the only Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Nexus device on the market. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates this feature to be able to work with more than one photo of your face for added security, and this one does as well, but here you’ve only got to hold up a still photo of yourself to make the unlock work. In Jelly Bean, the unlock screen requires that you move your face and head to get in – this being called a Liveness Check – the Note doesn’t quite have that yet. This updated Galaxy Note also comes with better data usage monitoring, now allowing you to add warnings and shutoff for data caps. S-Note Starting with the app S-Note’s new Productivity Tools, Samsung’s suite of note and memo-taking apps has just gotten a bit sweeter. In the Productivity Tools you’ve now got, you can work with Formula Match, Shape Match, Handwriting-to-text, and Knowledge Search. You’ll be using Wolfram Alpha for both formula and knowledge. With Formula Match, you’ve got handwriting recognition that works undeniably well to turn a scribbled down equation into something perfectly legible, first of all. Then once you’ve got that equation – however complicated or simple it may be – sent to Wolfram Alpha to either give you the answer or graph out the system’s findings. In Shape Match you can now draw simple shapes and they’ll be corrected for you. This means that if you draw a wobbly circle, it’ll be turned into a perfect circle. If you draw a three-sided shape that looks kind of like a triangle, it’ll be a perfect straight-edged triangle. You can also make lines. You’ll have Handwriting-to-text working for you, but it’ll take a bit more getting used to than the other features when you use it straight up. Write one word, it’ll be translated into whatever the system thinks it is essentially instantly. After one word, you’ve got to tap the space bar or the next word will be entered right after the first, and so on. It’s a good start, and it’s extremely smart! Then there’s Knowledge Search for when you just don’t want to speak your questions out loud. Here you’ll also be working with handwriting to text (if you want to) or you can straight up type into the app, but in the end you’ve got a sentence and you’ll be entering it into Wolfram Alpha again. Have a peek at each of these four in the hands-on video here: You may now also add a collection of items to a new note in S-Note, including: • Photos from your gallery or a brand new photo • Objects you’ve clipped using your S-Pen • S-Memos • A map of your current location or a map of a location of your choosing You’ll find that PDF Annotations are also now activated inside S-Note. Here you’ll be able to insert and annotate PDF documents to your heart’s delight, share or save a PDF, or print straight from the app. You’ll have to import a PDF before you begin to annotate, and you’ll find your annotated files in the Galaxy Note file directory if you need to access them later from outside the app. There’s an S-Memo Widget that’s brand new as well, here allowing you instant access to the S-Memo app in general as well as shooting you straight to Type, Write/Draw, Add Picture, Voice Recording, or Search. As a bit of a bonus it seems, both the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note have gotten access to a Samsung-promoted app that only works thus far on the two devices themselves. This app is called Samsung’s My Story and it allows you to make greeting cards that can be shared to and from the app to other users also using the app. Inside the app you’re able to add photos, change titles, and generally have an entertaining time fiddling around until you’re ready to send it off to a friend whose also got a Galaxy S III or Galaxy Note. Samsung continues to build a vertically integrated system, piece by piece. Benchmarks As a bit of a bonus, here are a few benchmarks run on the Galaxy Note with this software upgrade installed. Compare these to the original benchmarks we’ve got in the full review of the AT&T Galaxy Note and/or your own AT&T Galaxy Note as it stands here and now. Note that these benchmarks are taken without the device being rooted, it being in its stock state. Software Update Timeframe This Premium Suite software upgrade will be dropping this week – starting on the 10th of July, 2012, and pushing to users throughout the USA across the whole week. You’ll need to use your Samsung Kies desktop software to make this update happen, just as you’ve had to for each other software update for the device. Check out our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T and head down to the timeline below to see all of the most recent Galaxy Note action as well! Story Timeline Pink Samsung Galaxy Note hits Korean shelves Samsung Premium Suite apps on Galaxy Note T-Mobile Galaxy Note pictures spotted in the wild Samsung Galaxy Note Android 4.0 upgrade goes live AT&T Galaxy Note gets more stable Android 4.0 leak Samsung Galaxy S III vs Galaxy Note hands-on Samsung releases Galaxy Note ICS source code T-Mobile customers consider Galaxy S III vs Galaxy Note T-Mobile Galaxy Note slated for August 8th launch Samsung Galaxy Note II tipped for August reveal, 5.5" screen AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note Premium Suite software upgrade hands-on is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Study reveals space travel may slow ageing process Posted: 09 Jul 2012 09:41 AM PDT Researchers may have just cracked the code for living longer. Several Caenorhabditis elegans worms, which surprisingly have a lot in common with humans, were taken onboard an 11-day mission to the International Space Station and brought back to be studied. The C. elegans worm is one of the most studied organisms in the entire world and is frequently used in space travel research due to the similarities they share with humans in the way muscles deteriorate. The study revealed that five genes in the worm showed reduced activity, which actually changed how they aged. When these genes were supressed in Earth-bound worms, longer lifespans would result. University of Nottingham researcher Dr. Nathaniel Szewczyk commented on the study, saying: "It would appear that these genes are involved in how the worm senses the environment and signals changes in metabolism in order to adapt to the environment. Most of us know that muscle tends to shrink in space." The results suggest that the worms' response is adaptive rather than pathological. The worms also experienced changes in muscles that involved decreased production of the polyglutamine aggregates protein, which plays a role in the ageing of the muscle. On that note, Szewczyk also said: "Counter-intuitively, muscle in space may age better than on Earth. It may also be that spaceflight slows the process of ageing." Story Timeline Angry Birds Space hits 100 million downloads SpaceX plans 7-astronaut flight on Dragon next China ready for manned spaceflight in mid-June China to send its first female into space tomorrow Chinese automatic manned space docking completed successfully China's first female astronaut heads to space SpaceX tests new rocket engine Chinese space crew land safely after a successful mission NASA reveals Orion space capsule with first flight set for 2014 First Orion spacecraft arrives at Kennedy Space Center [via BBC] Study reveals space travel may slow ageing process is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Fujitsu announces Stylistic Q702 and LifeBook T902 laptops Posted: 09 Jul 2012 09:35 AM PDT Fujitsu has today unveiled two new laptops in its range. The first is a laptop and tablet hybrid dubbed the Stylistic Q702, while the second is a convertible laptop (remember those?) called the LifeBook T902. The Stylistic Q702 is constructed from a magnesium shell that weighs around 850 grams, doubling as a laptop when inserted into the keyboard dock which also provides extra battery life. It's on the large side at 11.6-inches, but features an LED backlit 1366×768 display and a Core i3 or i5 Ivy Bridge processor. 4GB of RAM comes as standard with the tablet, and you can configure the hard drive up to a 256GB SSD. Graphics are handled by the integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU, and there's USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports as well as HDMI output and an SD card slot. Once you dock the tablet into the keyboard, you get an extra 4-cell battery as well as an Ethernet jack and VGA output. The LifeBook T902, meanwhile, features a 13.3-inch 1600×900 display with Gorilla Glass. Inside is an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5 or Core i7 processor, and up to 16GB of RAM. The default hard drive is a 320GB offering, although you can configure up to a 256GB SSD. The laptop includes two USB 3.0 ports and a single USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, VGA, Ethernet, an SD card slot, and the option for 3G or 4G connectivity depending on the market. A 1080p webcam can also be configured, with battery rated for around 7 hours and 40 minutes. The Stylistic Q702 and LifeBook T902 should both be available sometime in the third quarter, with the Q702 starting from $1,099 and the T902 at $1,899. Both will be running Windows 7 when they ship, but can be upgraded to Windows 8 without any issues. Fujitsu announces Stylistic Q702 and LifeBook T902 laptops is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Michael Fassbender signed for Assassin’s Creed movie Posted: 09 Jul 2012 09:27 AM PDT The undeniably popular video game series Assassin’s Creed has a film adaptation in the works and this week none other than Michael Fassbender has signed on for the full ride. The most recent entry in the Assasin’s Creed video game series features a set of assassins who throughout history have been cutting down England’s Knights Templar, finding themselves once again murdering the lot of them in Revolutionary War – aka the American War of Independence if you’re reading this from the UK. Fassbender will likely be playing Desmond Miles, a modern-day barman sent back in time to live in the role of one of these legendary assassins. The folks at the video game company known as Ubisoft (producers of the game) will be developing the film on their own. The game was previously going to be produced as a film last year with Sony Pictures, but talks quickly disintegrated. The last film Ubisoft was involved in was Prince of Persia with Jake Gyllenhaal and Sir Ben Kingsley. This film did not do so well in the box office, but the game developers have been quite vocal about their apparent lack of creative input on the project. Here the company has begun signing on crew and actors, creating a production package before speaking with major studios about a director and distribution rights. Ubisoft will be using their own in-house production studios for visual effects and has noted that Fassbender will not only be starring in the film, he’ll be co-producing it as well. Michael Fassbender has been part of an interview SlashGear did earlier this year for the film Prometheus and has previously starred in X-Men: First Class and the film Hunger as well. Have a peek at this live-action trailer for the video game due out in October of this year, and get pumped up for the film version also coming soon – we hope! Story Timeline Assassin's Creed: Revelations Gameplay Demo Revealed [Video] Assassin's Creed to hit iPhone and iPad this holiday Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, and Assassin's Creed are lined up for PS Vita Assassin's Creed 3 official cover art released Assassin's Creed 3 screenshots leak Assassin's Creed 3 official trailer released, Wii U version coming Assassin's Creed 3 teases with new video, artwork Ubisoft Assassin's Creed faces lawsuit from novelist Assassin's Creed III gameplay trailer released New Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation trailer uses live actors [via BBC] Michael Fassbender signed for Assassin’s Creed movie is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

RIM facing lawsuits over broken BlackBerry 10 promises Posted: 09 Jul 2012 08:54 AM PDT RIM CEO Thorsten Heins may be confident the decision to delay BlackBerry 10 was sound, but the company’s shareholders may not be so accommodating, with threats of lawsuits over misrepresentation. Under scrutiny is just how much Heins and the rest of the RIM board knew of the potential for delay while still publicly promising it would arrive in late 2012, the NYT reports, with uncertainty over when, exactly, the decision to change the launch timetable was made. “We’re making good progress [on BlackBerry 10], and I’m committed to sharing the progress with everyone right up until the launch later this year” Heins told developers back in May. That confident statement – and others made both by the CEO and other high-ranking RIM executives – is likely to come under the microscope as lawyers investigate whether there is a case to be answered. “When you’ve used language like ‘laser focused on coming in on time,’ you’ve really raised expectations” law professor Richard McLaren of the University of Western Ontario told the newspaper, referring to Heins other comments at the developer event. He also highlighted Canadian companies’ legal responsibilities to declare any “major changes in their operations” immediately. Heins will face shareholders at the RIM annual meeting on Tuesday this week, when he will likely be grilled over the company’s dire last financial quarter. As well as the delay of BlackBerry 10 into early 2013, RIM revealed $518m in losses, not helped by a mere 260,000 in sales of PlayBook tablets. Heins later argued that the company was not in a “death spiral” though it’s unclear how much those assurances will placate investors. The fear is that RIM will face lawsuits over alleged “knowing and willful misrepresentation” and that Heins and the rest of the executive team will be accused of putting on a brave public face while at the same time knowing internally that BlackBerry 10 would miss its release timescale. “RIM is well aware of its disclosure obligations under applicable securities laws and is committed to providing a high level of transparency,” the company said in a statement, “as evidenced by RIM's decision to issue an interim business update on May 29, 2012, to alert shareholders that it expected to report an operating loss.” Story Timeline Do You Trust RIM? RIM to restructure and shed at least 2000 jobs RIM to writedown unsold BlackBerry, PlayBook inventory RIM starts to cut jobs in company restructure RIM confirms first BlackBerry 10 device won't have physical keyboard RIM weighing smartphone split-off: Amazon and Facebook suggested suitors RIM reports dire Q1 2013: $518m loss and BlackBerry 10 delayed So long, RIM, and thanks for all the phones RIM CEO: We're not in a death spiral RIM cash reserves threatened by carrier fee cut demands RIM says no holidays and forces a six-day workweek in BlackBerry 10 push RIM CEO on BlackBerry 10 delay: "I could still see the seams" RIM facing lawsuits over broken BlackBerry 10 promises is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: July 9th, 2012 Posted: 09 Jul 2012 08:40 AM PDT This week we’re jumping right in on the smart TV game with a review of the Samsung UN55ES8000, complete with an ultra-thin body and full 3D action. NASA is getting on board with a lovely new panoramic video of mars for your enjoyment. And for one more completely unrelated piece of news, the folks behind RoboCop 2013 have released a teaser trailer for OmniCorp that you’re just going to love. The terror game known as Resident Evil 6 is hitting the pre-order list for Tesco. We’ve got a tip on a Samsung Windows RT tablet coming down the line with a Qualcomm processor inside. HP will also be releasing some products soon, with the HP ENVY All-in-One hitting on all fours. The operating system known as Meego will be revived by Nokia ex-employees. Don Reisinger has written a column by the name of Third-Party Developers will Make or Break the Wii U. You’ll want to check out the Death Star ping-pong that’s popped up this morning. A high court in the UK has decided that the Samsung Galaxy Tab family are no iPads. Thousands of individuals are knocked offline today as DNSChanger cleanup peaks. The Dark Knight Rises has a brand new 13-minute feature out now that should readily ruin the entire movie for you. Windows 8 RTM coming early august with shelf exposure coming late October. SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: July 9th, 2012 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Hometalk offers a social network for home improvement Posted: 09 Jul 2012 08:39 AM PDT While services like Facebook and Twitter are the bread and butter of social networks, there are more specific communities out there. Hometalk is one such website, offering a social network for those interesting in DIY and home improvement. The site recently relaunched with a new design, boasting a user base of around 100,000 homeowners and professionals all brought together by the promise of tips, guides, and general DIY chitchat. Once you arrive on the site, you'll see that it has a very clean and simple interface. If you start a post on Hometalk you'll be able to share pictures of your project and have people comment on them, a little bit like Pinterest but with a less cluttered layout. As you would expect, anything can be shared out to other networks like Facebook, Twitter, and StumbleUpon. Registered users can also Save and Like posts to view later on. While most users are keen to show off decorations or the ongoing status of projects, there is an "Ask" option that will allow novices to ping others for the best advice. Topics range from just about anything found in the home, from bathrooms to bedrooms, plus more specific areas like windows or air conditioning units. It’s a simple idea, but it’s executed pretty well and clearly has an audience. If you're working on your own home improvement projects, Hometalk may be worth a look. Hometalk offers a social network for home improvement is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Facebook expands App Center in more countries Posted: 09 Jul 2012 08:38 AM PDT Facebook opened up the App Center to more English-speaking countries today, including Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK. In a blog post, Facebook said that users in those countries should be able to find the App Center bookmark located to the left of the Facebook homepage. It can also be found within the Facebook apps section on iOS and Android. Considering about 80 percent of Facebook users are actually outside of the U.S. and Canada, the international expansion of the App Center should encourage more of those people to stick with using Facebook longer and more often. Some of Facebook's most popular games actually come from outside the U.S., like Diamond Dash from Germany and Bubble Witch Saga from the UK. Starting today, Facebook will accept developer submissions with translated apps for the App Center. Apps aiming to be considered for first priority for the new App Center stores must make their submissions by the end of July 13. The global roll out will continue over the next few weeks, so expect to see more Facebook-integrated applications, games and other services start popping up in the future. Story Timeline Facebook yanks controversial Find Friends Nearby Facebook 'Want' button discovered in latest SDK Facebook says e-mail sync issue is a bug and will be fixed GM and Facebook said to be rekindling advertising flame Facebook email bug larger than first expected Reunions in the Time of Facebook Nokia N9 PR1.3 updates Twitter, Mail, Facebook and more SimCity Social kicks off on Facebook Facebook and Yahoo tipped to settle lawsuit Facebook partners with Yahoo in surprise exit from patent battle Facebook expands App Center in more countries is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Samsung UN55ES8000 55-inch Smart TV Review Posted: 09 Jul 2012 08:22 AM PDT Samsung’s D8000 was our TV of choice back in 2011, and the company is hoping to repeat its success with the new 2012 flagship, the Samsung UN55ES8000. A 55-inch behemoth, though with strikingly delicate design, the ES8000 ticks just about every box you’d expect for a modern Smart TV, and then some more after that. It also has a hefty $3,749.99 RRP, so can the quality live up to the cost? Read on for the SlashGear review. Hardware Handsome and imposing: Samsung’s 2012 design language involves plenty of silver metal and narrow bezels, allowing the LED LCD panel to speak for itself. The stand does away with the splayed legs of the last-gen model and replaces them with more discrete curving bars, though the ES8000 is no less stable for it. The screen itself measures – on our review model – 55-inches and runs, unsurprisingly, at 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution. Overall, the set is 1.2-inches thick, excluding the detachable stand (that’s 8.3-inches deep) and stands 30-inches tall and 48.4-inches wide. Even those with multiple external sources to hook up should have no issues connecting the ES8000. The ports are arrayed in an L-shape along the lower left side of the rear of the set, emerging parallel to the back so as to keep things flat and slim. There are three HDMI, a VGA, component, two sets of composite, three USB 2.0, optical digital, DVI and PC audio, and RF inputs, along with ethernet and integrated WiFi. If we were being picky then we’d liked to have seen a fourth HDMI, preferably side-mounted for impromptu use. Samsung bundles four pairs of active shutter 3D glasses. There’s also what Samsung refers to as its “Evolution Kit”, a new addition for 2012 models. In effect a – currently empty – expansion bay, the idea is that as Samsung releases new features it can retroactively upgrade its existing models with the use of plug-in boards. Of course, as a new idea it’s untested, and so we’ll have to wait to see if it addresses upgrade anxiety along the line. For the best results, it’s still sensible to ignore the integrated speakers in any TV and rely on a proper surround sound system – or at the very least a solid 2.1 setup – if you want your ears to be as well-treated as your eyes. Still, the two 10W down-firing speakers on the ES8000 aren’t the worst we’ve heard. There’s also a webcam on the top edge, built into a discrete bump, and flanked by two microphones. Remote Controls Samsung includes not one but two remotes with the ES8000, along with a discrete joystick-nub on the right edge for controlling the set up-close. The regular remote is long and thin, encrusted with buttons for navigating menus and channels, controlling volume, attached DVD/Blu-ray/DVR boxes (via HDMI link) and is backlit for nighttime use. The second “Smart Touch Remote Control” is far more interesting. Shorter than the regular model, it pares back the controls to the bare minimum: there are volume and channel scrolls; power, home, timer and source keys; back, voice control and number shortcuts; all around a trackpad surface. With it, you can swipe your way around menus, but thanks to its integrated microphone you can also give the TV voice commands. We’ve covered that comprehensively in our Samsung Smart TV hands-on. There are also some non-standard options for those who want even more control. The free Android Smart View App runs on phones and tablets, and as long as your ES8000 is on the same network – either wired or wireless, since the TV has both options – you can control it from your touchscreen. There’s also a Samsung wireless keyboard, which gives you full-sized text input as well as media control buttons with a Bluetooth connection, though we did not have that as part of our review package. Samsung Smart TV Voice Gesture and Face Recognition hands-on Performance Samsung’s 2011 D8000 impressed us with its panel quality, and we can see ourselves recycling the hyperbole for the 2012 ES8000. Brightness is generally even, though there’s a little bloom around the edges, but it’s the accuracy of the colors and the detail that particularly wow. The default settings tend toward the over-saturated, as usual, but after spending some time adjusting them we were very pleased with how accurate flesh tones and other hues appeared. Samsung quotes a meaningless dynamic contrast ratio – 30,000,000:1, no less – but the D8000 handles itself with aplomb. Whites are clean and pure, while blacks are almost as inky and saturated as we’re used to from Samsung’s AMOLED phones. There was no blurring in fast-moving scenes or sports. Obviously there’s 3D support as well, using Samsung’s preferred active-shutter technology. That rapidly obscures and opens each lens alternately, matching the TV’s own flicking between frames intended for each eye. It works well, and we were able to watch 3D movies back-to-back without the sort of eye-strain headaches that can often result from poorly-synchronized content. A nice touch is that Samsung charges just $19.99 for each subsequent pair of active-shutter glasses, a far cry from the early days of $50 or more. Of course, few people rely solely on live TV and DVD/Blu-ray for their entertainment these days, and so Samsung has built in multiple options for the internet age. Scroll through the (somewhat busy and intimidating) menu and there are options for VUDU, Hulu Plus, Netflix, MLB.TV, Pandora, Ustream, CinemaNow, MTV Music Meter, YouTube and more, some of which require a subscription to access. You also get a web browser, Facebook and a “Fitness” app that replicates a little of the Wii Fit experience. It’s a mixed bag of usefulness – we can see Netflix and Hulu Plus being of most use to most owners – though the navigation experience itself can be sluggish and frustrating at times. We particularly liked the Skype support, which turns the ES8000 into a huge video conferencing system. Audio quality from the microphones by the webcam proved surprisingly clear, even when we were sat across the room. Samsung offers numerous downloadable apps through its own app-store to augment the Smart TV experience, though as it’s the company’s own system rather than, say, Google TV, it’s questionable how many third-party companies will come onboard. Wrap-Up Samsung’s ES8000 is a worthy update to its predecessor, and the company demonstrates its edge over much of the competition with the Smart TV functionality. Is it worth the humongous RRP? That’s a null point, given retailers are already discounting it by more than $1,250. You’re still paying a lot for a TV, but it’s less than the D8000 was at roughly the same point in its lifecycle, and that strikes us as a comparative bargain. The more unusual control options are mixed in their usefulness, but the core range of streaming and on-demand content choices are hugely impressive and broaden the ES8000′s appeal beyond the usual TV, movies and gaming. Story Timeline Samsung Smart TV Update includes YouTube 3D Video App Samsung Smart TV SDK 3.0 entices developers with paid apps Samsung Smart LED and Plasma TVs get voice, gesture and face control Samsung Smart TVs to get DIRECTV without the set-top box Samsung Smart Touch Control revealed and detailed Samsung 2012 HDTV range priced and detailed Samsung Smart TV SDK 3.5 exposes voice and gesture recognition Samsung UN55ES8000 55-inch Smart TV Review is written by Vincent Nguyen & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Sharp agrees to pay $198.5M to settle LCD price-fixing lawsuit Posted: 09 Jul 2012 07:50 AM PDT Japan's Sharp Corp has agreed to pay Dell and two other companies $198.5 million for an out of court settlement over a lawsuit dealing with fixed LCD panel prices in North America and Europe. It was initially filed in November of 2009 against Sharp and several other companies including Epson, Hitachi and Toshiba. A spokesperson for Sharp said that the company came decide upon the settlement agreement independently from the other companies that are also involved. Just last week, we mentioned that Toshiba was fined $87 million for LDC price fixing, denying the charges with plans to fight the ruling. Sharp, on the other hand, released a company statement saying: “After broadly considering factors such as the U.S. civil lawsuit system and the facts of this case, Sharp has determined that agreeing to a settlement is the best policy.” Sharp said that the company is still figuring out how exactly the settlement will affect earnings, with plans to report a special loss in the end of the 2013 fourth quarter. Display panels on laptops and mobile phones are some of the most expensive components and price-fixing in the LCD panel industry is not all that uncommon. Story Timeline Sharp and LG Display LCDs finally meet new iPad standards Sharp inks Foxconn deal to rescue diving profits Apple Television talk reignites with Sharp patent overlap Sharp's new 32-inch screens possibly for Apple iTV Star Wars: The Old Republic sees sharp player decline Foxconn, Sharp building new iPhone display plant The Sharper Image Compact Computer Desk with Speakers is odd Foxconn to buy more Sharp shares, fueling Apple iTV rumors Sharp's 90-inch Aquos is largest LED TV to date Sharp and frog team for Feel UX Android UI [via Verge] Sharp agrees to pay $198.5M to settle LCD price-fixing lawsuit is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Dark Knight Rises 13-minute featurette teases story and scale Posted: 09 Jul 2012 07:34 AM PDT There's not long to go now until the official release of The Dark Knight Rises. Early feedback surrounding the flick has been overwhelmingly positive, and over the weekend Warner released a 13-minute featurette for fans looking for as much info surrounding the film as possible. If you're worried that it will be filled with spoilers, then you can relax. There's some new footage in in the video to feast your eyes on as well. The cast and crew of the movie detail what audiences should expect from The Dark Knight Rises, including the setup for the movie and the main source of conflict. Most of the footage can already be found in the various teasers and trailers, but there are some new shots to be seen, as well as some behind the scenes footage mixed in for good measure. The most striking thing about the movie just based off this new video is the scale. Christopher Nolan isn't known for heavy use of CGI, using it only when absolutely necessary, and that's reflected in the huge sets that have been built along with the sheer number of extras cast for one specific scene. Needless to say, we're pretty excited about the movie. Make sure to watch the video above if you haven't already, and go book those tickets for the film to ensure you’ll be able to watch it on July 20th. The Dark Knight Rises 13-minute featurette teases story and scale is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft buys Perceptive Pixel for pen and multitouch expertise Posted: 09 Jul 2012 07:34 AM PDT Microsoft has announced it is acquiring Perceptive Pixel, a touchscreen specialist that creates displays capable of simultaneously recognizing pen and finger input. Confirmed at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference 2012 in Toronto today – where Microsoft also announced the Windows 8 release dates - the deal could see Perceptive Pixel’s Active Stylus technology included in future versions of Microsoft Surface Windows tablets. Active Stylus uses Perceptive Pixel’s projected capacitive touchscreens, which can recognize not only points of contact but when the nib is hovering up to half an inch above the display. Windows software can take advantage of latitude/ longitude, distance, time/depth, x/y/z coordinates and other information about the pen tip, before it has even touched the panel. “Work fluidly on screen with both the stylus and your hands without the need to toggle between input modes. Our innovative controller technology flawlessly differentiates styluses from fingers while tracking input from each stylus separately and eliminating false touches. You can easily annotate or draw on screen with one hand while repositioning on-screen objects with your other hand. And you can rest your wrist comfortably on the screen as you write or draw with the active stylus because our devices recognize and reject a palm or forearm touch input” Perceptive Pixel Perceptive Pixel is also responsible for a number of larger multitouch screens, which have taken on Microsoft’s original Surface multitouch table. Back at CES 2012 in January, the company demonstrated an 82-inch version, suitable for wall-mounting, which used Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and is just 6-inches deep overall. Perceptive Pixel 82-inch display demo: There are also more manageable 27- and 55-inch versions of the display, and Perceptive Pixel offers several software tools intended for use with its panels. Terms of the deal have not been announced. Story Timeline Perceptive Pixel's Revolutionary Interface Corning shows off 82" multi-touch display with Gorilla Glass 2 Microsoft buys Perceptive Pixel for pen and multitouch expertise is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

AT&T pink Lumia 900 drops July 15 Posted: 09 Jul 2012 07:21 AM PDT The Nokia Lumia 900 won’t be getting Windows Phone 8, but AT&T is hoping that a special, limited edition pink version will distract you from the OS version. Priced at the same $99.99 (with a new, two-year agreement) as the existing color options, the pink Lumia isn’t a slapdash paint-job but involves Nokia creating an all-new colored casing. That means, even if you scratch it, there’s still pink underneath. Otherwise, this is the same phone we know and – with a few reservations – love. Up front is a 4.3-inch WVGA display, with a 1.4GHz single-core processor inside and an 8-megapixel cameron the back with 720p HD video recording. It’ll also come loaded with a number of exclusive apps, including Nokia Music and Nokia Drive, and the new camera functionality released as part of the Camera Extras pack. Later this year, meanwhile, Microsoft will release Windows Phone 7.8 for the Lumia 900, bringing the refreshed Metro homescreen and some other aesthetic tweaks to the handset. What it won’t get is the true WP8 upgrade, like all other current-gen Windows Phones. The pink (aka magenta) AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 will go on sale in the carrier’s stores from July 15. It’ll also be sold online. Story Timeline Nokia Lumia 900 review AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 on sale now AT&T set to spend $150m on Lumia 900 campaign AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 continues to climb sales charts Nokia Lumia 900 gets hammer and nails stress tested Just 900 Dark Knight Lumia 900s confirms exclusive retailer Nokia rolls out Lumia 900 Camera Extras app AT&T pink Lumia 900 drops July 15 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Verizon Galaxy S III sales slip to July 12 Posted: 09 Jul 2012 07:13 AM PDT Verizon’s LTE version of the Galaxy S III has seen another slight delay, with the Android handset now not expected to ship until July 12. The carrier’s online store has tagged on an extra two days to delivery estimates for the much-anticipated smartphone, having previously pegged the phone as dropping on July 10. No reason for the slight change in schedule has been given, though it’s possible that Samsung’s manufacturing process could have  overstretched itself. The company pushed ahead with an ambitious multi-carrier launch for the third-gen flagship, with intentions to bring it to five carriers in the US almost simultaneously. That hasn’t exactly happened, though the somewhat staggered launch has been faster than with previous devices. Feedback has been positive, too; though the US versions use a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dualcore processor rather than the quadcore Exynos of the European model that preceded them, it’s still one of the fastest phones around. If you’ve been waiting for the Verizon model, it might all be worth it once you see the sort of speeds the smartphone’s LTE connection is capable of. The phone is priced at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement with mandatory voice and data plans. Story Timeline Galaxy S III LTE hits Verizon July 5th Verizon Galaxy S III pre-orders open for early July delivery AT&T and Verizon Galaxy S III ditch 48GB Dropbox promo Galaxy S III hits T-Mobile USA today: AT&T and Verizon must wait Samsung Galaxy S III to hit 10m sales during July Verizon shows off Galaxy S III in new commercial Galaxy S III hits Verizon on July 10 Verizon Galaxy S III hands-on with 4G LTE [via Android Community] Verizon Galaxy S III sales slip to July 12 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Windows 8 RTM in early August and on shelves in late October Posted: 09 Jul 2012 07:04 AM PDT Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 8 will hit RTM (“release to manufacturing”) in the first week of August, with the next-gen OS expected to launch in late October. The news was announced at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference 2012 in Toronto this morning by CFO Tami Reller, the first time the company has officially detailed the OS’ release. “Release To Manufacturing” means that Microsoft’s hardware partners will get their hands on the final version of the software, ready to load onto their new devices. Any subsequent software changes will be released as feature packs or patches, with RTM basically presenting a deadline for Microsoft’s software engineers to stop development work on the market-ready version. Microsoft had aways said to expect Windows 8 in the second half of the year, but had been reluctant to pin the platform down any more than that. This summer, meanwhile, Apple will release its own next-gen OS in the shape of OS X Lion. Sales estimates for Windows 8 machines are in the region of 375m new PCs in the space of the next year, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. He described the OS launch as “the biggest deal” from Microsoft in the past 17 years. Windows 8 RTM in early August and on shelves in late October is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Canon T4i rubber grips suffering from chemical reaction Posted: 09 Jul 2012 06:52 AM PDT The Canon T4i is the latest DSLR into the entry-level market, although a small batch of cameras seem to have been affected by a manufacturing problem. Canon has released a statement saying that the front rubber grips on some cameras may turn white after a short period of time. Canon has looked into the issue and determined that its caused by a reaction to zinc bis after exposure to high temperature or high humidity. The company says that until suffering the issue were manufactured in a 16 day period between May 31st and June 15th. The rubber manufacturer supplying the grips seems to have used a higher rubber accelerator than normal, resulting in the chemical reaction when exposed to high temperatures or humidity. Zinc bis is also deposited on the grips as a result, which may lead to an allergic skin reaction for some users. Canon say that they’ll begin swapping out any units that suffer from the issue. To check if your camera is affected, you'll have to consult your serial number to see if the sixth digit is 1. After you input the full serial number into Canon's online tool, you'll be told whether your camera is affected or not. If it is, the company will send out a free replacement in the next couple of weeks. [via Gizmodo] Canon T4i rubber grips suffering from chemical reaction is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

RIM CEO on BlackBerry 10 delay: “I could still see the seams” Posted: 09 Jul 2012 06:43 AM PDT RIM chief exec Thorsten Heins has again defended the company’s decision to delay BlackBerry 10 devices, saying he was dissatisfied with the remaining flaws in what’s intended to be a “seamless environment.” RIM recently confirmed that phones running BlackBerry 10 would now arrive in early 2013, rather than late 2012 as previously promised; Heins told The Globe and Mail that “the goal of BlackBerry 10 is to bring some of the best technologies in the world together in a seamless environment” and that he was frustrated by how the company’s software engineers hadn’t quite achieved that. “Simply put,” Heins concluded, “I could still see some of the seams.” Nonetheless, the CEO insists that BlackBerry 10 is “ready to go” at its core, and points to third-party developers already working on QNX apps that will be ready in time for the platform’s eventual arrival. “I decided that the way some features worked together and the related software integration needed more attention and refinement … When you're dealing with millions of lines of computer code that will be subjected to daily use by users around the world, fine-tuning can take time – in this case, more than we anticipated. We decided to delay the launch of BlackBerry 10 to give us ample time to integrate software, test, and polish the final product” Thorsten Heins, CEO, RIM Heins also challenged suggestions that RIM should have abandoned its own software plans and adopted Android or Windows Phone 8, arguing that “there is room and demand for an alternative to generic software.” Instead, “BlackBerry 10 is not just a fresh coat of paint on an old operating system” Heins says, “it will be the only completely new mobile platform on the market.” As for BlackBerry being seen as a device for suits and seniors, Heins isn’t willing to see the brand relegated to the retirement home. ”One of the misconceptions about BlackBerry is that it's your parents' smartphone” he said, pointing out that “BlackBerry has a loyal fan base of young people around the world. For example, in South Africa, BlackBerry was recently voted coolest brand.” Unfortunately, that youth appeal hasn’t necessarily helped RIM’s bottom line in the way continued enterprise success might have. In markets where BlackBerry devices are still thriving among young owners, a significant part of that success has been down to inexpensive pricing and bundled data. In the UK, for instance, BlackBerry devices significantly undercut iPhone and Android-based rivals on cheap pre-pay and contract deals, offering bundled data and BBM access for users unlikely to spend significant amounts on service each month and – more damaging to RIM – never likely to require BES service. Meanwhile, the company’s fading star has led to carriers demanding renegotiation of monthly server fees, a prospect that could see one of RIM’s remaining major income streams significantly trimmed. At present, such fees contribute more than a third to RIM’s bottom line, but AT&T and Verizon – among others – are looking to reduce their liability as more competitive deals are required to drive BlackBerry device sales. Story Timeline RIM to writedown unsold BlackBerry, PlayBook inventory RIM starts to cut jobs in company restructure RIM confirms first BlackBerry 10 device won't have physical keyboard RIM reports dire Q1 2013: $518m loss and BlackBerry 10 delayed RIM mulls Windows Phone partnership amid squashed BlackBerry AT&T approached RIM for an iPhone competitor in 2010 So long, RIM, and thanks for all the phones RIM CEO: We're not in a death spiral RIM cash reserves threatened by carrier fee cut demands RIM says no holidays and forces a six-day workweek in BlackBerry 10 push RIM CEO on BlackBerry 10 delay: “I could still see the seams” is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Nuance and BMW partner on Dragon Drive! Messaging Posted: 09 Jul 2012 06:15 AM PDT Is there some kind of application that won't feature Nuance's Dragon voice recognition in the future? The company has announced a partnership with BMW that will see its Dragon Drive! Messaging service used in the 2012 BMW 7 Series, BMW 3 Series Touring, and BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid. The 2012 BMW 7 Series will be the first car to feature the Messaging feature when it hits the market this month. If you don't know what Dragon Drive! Messaging is, you can probably take a guess. Users will be able to talk as normal and have the system transcribe messages and emails. That means hands will remain on the wheel and eyes on the road, reducing distractions and hopefully accidents as a result. There are some finer controls too, so you can speak certain commands to add spacing or shift paragraphs in emails, as well as adding correct punctuation. The service will be free for the first 60 days, and after that you'll have to pay Nuance a yearly subscription fee. Still, there's support for six languages, which includes US and UK English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. BMW also has some of its own voice commands, like calling contacts or pulling up turn-by-turn navigation. Nuance and BMW partner on Dragon Drive! Messaging is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

iPad Mini to borrow iPod touch style tip prototype insiders Posted: 09 Jul 2012 05:59 AM PDT Apple’s iPad Mini takes styling cues from the 4th-gen iPod touch rather than the new iPad, sources supposedly familiar with the latest tablet prototypes have claimed, with production expected to kick off in September. Sales of the slate will begin in time to monopolize the holiday shopping season, Macotakara‘s insiders say, complete with WiFi-only and 3G/4G models. Even at the rumored price premium over the Nexus 7, meanwhile, analysts reckon Apple would have a multi-million seller on their hands by the end of the year. Notorious Apple-enthusiast Gene “Where the heck is my Apple television?!” Munster of Piper Jaffray has informed investors that the iPad Mini could shift as many as 6m units this holiday season, AppleInsider reports. According to the analyst’s latest research note, “Apple could sell 4-6 million smaller iPads in the December quarter, assuming a holiday launch … if the launch occurs in [Q4 2012], we believe the smaller iPad would add about 1-percent to revenue and [earnings per share] in December.” Meanwhile, although Munster concedes that there would likely be some cannibalization of Apple’s existing iPad sales, he believes it would be outweighed by the impact on Android-based tablets. 10-percent of current full-sized iPad sales would likely migrate to iPad Mini sales, the analyst estimates, whereas 30-percent of total Android tablet sales would likely be stolen by the smaller iOS model. Aesthetically, the new iPad Mini is believed to follow in the footsteps of the 3.5-inch iPod touch rather than the new iPad. That could imply a chrome-finish back rather than the brushed aluminum of the 9.7-inch tablet, or it might simply be a reference to the media player’s curved edges rather than the more angular bevel of the iPad’s rear cover. As for thickness, exact numbers are in short supply, but it is supposedly thinner than the current thinnest model; it’s not clear whether that’s a reference to other tablets on the market in general, or the 9.4mm thick new iPad. Previous leaks have indicated a roughly $299 starting price for the iPad Mini. Story Timeline 7.85-inch iPad mini on Apple testbench tips insider Apple testing Nexus Tablet competitor in iPad mini iPad mini in Q3 for $249-300 claim sources iPad Mini orders received in China iPad mini rumors reignite over Nexus 7 iPad mini to take on Nexus 7 at $100 premium this fall claim sources iPad Mini claimed by Bloomberg iPad mini mass-production in September insist insiders Does an iPad Mini add up, Retina style? iPad Mini still missing the killer context iPad Mini at $199 set to decimate pricing ecosystem iPad Mini to borrow iPod touch style tip prototype insiders is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

New Kindle Fire expected for Q3 with 1280×800 display Posted: 09 Jul 2012 05:48 AM PDT Amazon was the first company to bring a low-cost Android tablet to the masses, with the Kindle Fire costing just $199. The margins on the tablet were non-existent, although the going theory is that Amazon recoups the costs thanks to its large content libraries accessible via the Kindle Fire. Google has shaken things up with the introduction of the Nexus 7, a quad-core tablet with the same $199 price point, although rumors indicate that Amazon is preparing its answer to Google‘s tablet with a follow-up to the Kindle Fire. AllThingsD has heard from sources familiar with the matter that Amazon is preparing a Kindle Fire sequel for the second half of this year, with current information indicating a third quarter launch. The tablet will have an improved display with a 1280×800 resolution, and add a front-facing camera for video calls. The tablet is said to be thinner and lighter than the original as well. Developers who have been informed of the new Kindle Fire have been instructed to build their apps to make use of a 1280×800 resolution instead of the 1024×600 found on the current Kindle Fire. The display may be sharper as a result, but it will also have a different aspect ratio – the same as the Nexus 7, in fact. Assuming the size of the Fire remains the same, the pixel density would see a bump to 216 PPI. New Kindle Fire expected for Q3 with 1280×800 display is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Death Star ping-pong ball isn’t a moon Posted: 09 Jul 2012 05:22 AM PDT I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a ping-pong ball that I would look at and think, “that’s pretty cool.” However, a Japanese artist has created what is undeniably the coolest ping-pong ball in the history of ping-pong balls. This thing started as your typical orange table tennis ball before he worked his geek magic and turned it into an incredibly detailed replica of the Death Star from Star Wars. I can only imagine how difficult this would be or how exactly the artist car all these jagged edges out of the thin ping-pong ball. I can only assume it took hours with a really sharp X-Acto knife. The internal structure of the ping-pong ball was created with some sort of plastic board. The internal structure was built and the ping-pong ball was cut to its Death Star shape as separate pieces. I want to know how the internal structure was placed inside the ping-pong ball. I would assume the finished outer ping-pong ball shell was cut in half and placed over the top of the internal structure. [via Inhabitat] Story Timeline WoW considered for iPhone while creators play Star Wars Star Wars: The Old Republic sees sharp player decline Star Wars TOR staff cut as player population falls Star Wars 1313 is LucasArts next big visual powerhouse First real Star Wars 1313 game play footage shown off at E3 Death Star ping-pong ball isn’t a moon is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

LG working on quad-core smartphone with 10MP camera Posted: 09 Jul 2012 05:17 AM PDT LG may just have launched the Optimux 4X HD, but it trailed behind the launches of the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III. The European versions of those phones featured quad-core processors and 8-megapixel cameras just like the 4X HD, but arguably had better construction and software customizations. The company isn't satisfied, with LG's chairman and co-CEO Koo Bon-moo planning a new phone that will feature a 10-megapixel camera. Bon-moo is reportedly frustrated that LG didn't make full use of the technology at its fingertips, and will be feeding direct input into the new device. Not much is known about the handset, except that it will feature a quad-core processor and 10-megapixel camera. The phone will reportedly go on sale in September. LG currently supplies various electronic parts to companies like Apple, with some of the Retina displays in the latest iPad and next-generation MacBook Pro supplied by the South Korean company. Despite the fact that LG is keeping pace with the likes of HTC and Samsung spec-wise, its handsets haven't gained the same kind of traction in the market. The company also recently revealed it would be sidelining tablets and focusing on smartphones in the near future. [via The Next Web] LG working on quad-core smartphone with 10MP camera is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Face.com shutters API support Posted: 09 Jul 2012 05:06 AM PDT Remember when Facebook acquired face.com last month? Face.com reported at the time that it planned to continue to support its developer community. I think most of those developers suspected that wasn’t an accurate statement when it was made, and that inaccuracy has now been confirmed. API support for face.com’s face detection software is going to be ended in early August. The official face.com Kilk app has already been removed from the App Store as well. There are sure to be some angry developers after face.com said about a month ago it would continue to support its developer community only to announce that support is officially ending. Some developers are calling for boycotts, and others are saying that have wasted months of work with the API now been canceled. However, there is one report of a member of the face.com developer community saying he was granted an API extension through October. At least that would give the developer time to figure out an alternative rather than simply scrapping the app. [via Engadget] Story Timeline Face.com API detects age from photos Facebook tipped for Face.com purchase Facebook's Face.com buy confirmed Facebook's $100M Face.com deal official Face.com shutters API support is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

BlackBerry app world hits 3 billion downloads Posted: 09 Jul 2012 04:49 AM PDT I think it’s easy for many of us to give up BlackBerry as a dead platform. Certainly, BlackBerry smartphones are nowhere near as popular as they were in years past. BlackBerry is taking a market share beating at the hands of Android and iOS. RIM has officially announced some interesting news for the BlackBerry App World. According to RIM, there have been 3 billion downloaded apps since the BlackBerry App World launched. Those app downloads include BlackBerry smartphone and PlayBook tablet downloads. To reach that 3 billion app number, BlackBerry App World has an average of 2.5 million downloads each day. The number of downloads is increasing according to RIM. The company says it took 786 days to hit 1 billion downloads, 210 days to reach 2 billion downloads, and 176 days to reach 3 billion downloads. The rate of downloads is increasing according to the numbers. The number of downloads does not include apps downloaded from third-party BlackBerry app stores or those apps sold directly by app makers. Story Timeline RIM reports dire Q1 2013: $518m loss and BlackBerry 10 delayed RIM mulls Windows Phone partnership amid squashed BlackBerry Android BlackBerry could be QWERTY heaven says Google design chief Leaked BlackBerry 10 roadmap reveals 2013 plans RIM says no holidays and forces a six-day workweek in BlackBerry 10 push Motorola DEFY PRO targets bored BlackBerry users BlackBerry app world hits 3 billion downloads is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Samsung tablets no iPad copycats decides UK court Posted: 09 Jul 2012 04:37 AM PDT Various legal battles rage across the world for tech companies, but it looks like Apple isn't having much luck in the UK. Last week, HTC was found not to infringe on Apple's patents, with three being found invalid. Now Samsung has been given the all-clear by the High Court of England and Wales. The court found that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 all have recognizable differences between Apple's iPad, and as a result will remain on sale in the UK. Samsung has given a full statement to Pocket-Lint, detailing how all three tablets have recognizable differences from the iPad. Apple's points of contention included "slightly rounded corners," "a flat transparent surface without any ornamentation," and "a thin profile." The court, however, didn't see the merit of the company’s arguments. They referred to 50 pieces of prior art as well as products that were introduced before 2004, going as far to say that Apple's own design lacked originality. The court also ruled that the differences between Samsung and Apple's tablets could be seen with the naked eye, citing the front panel differences plus the side profiles of the machines. The biggest differences came from the back panels, and that Samsung differentiated its tablets with "visible detailing." Apple, meanwhile, has yet to comment on the ruling. Story Timeline Apple v. Motorola case to be 100% dismissed Apple wins US Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales ban Apple coughs up $2.6m to block Samsung tablet sales Apple granted preliminary sales ban of Galaxy Nexus Samsung demands Apple's Galaxy Nexus ban be frozen Samsung: We're working on an Apple attack with Google Samsung Galaxy Tab ban remains as appeal rejected Apple denied emergency HTC handset ban UK court rules HTC doesn't infringe on Apple's patents HTC is happy about victory over Apple in UK Apple and Samsung further streamline patent case Apple/Motorola case tossing Judge calls litigators "animals" Samsung tablets no iPad copycats decides UK court is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

China planning a nuclear-powered mobile deep-sea mining platform Posted: 09 Jul 2012 04:32 AM PDT This is going to sound like the set up for a deep-sea disaster movie, but it’s not. Wired reports that a Chinese company has proposed an underwater deep-sea mobile mining station powered by a nuclear reactor. The goal is to put the nuclear powered underwater platform at work in the Western Pacific according to reports coming out of China. The company proposing the underwater platform is called China Ship Scientific Research Center. The underwater platform would apparently have gigantic propellers so that it could move around freely in the ocean depths and would have a crew of 33. That crew will be able to remain under the water for two months at a time. The main goal for the underwater platform would be mining on the ocean floor. The platform hopes to look for copper, lead, zinc, silver, gold, and oil. Underwater mining endeavors have run afoul of environmentalists in the past, and I can only imagine environmentalists will have an even bigger problem with a nuclear powered submarine platform floating around in the ocean. The ship is expected to launch sometime around 2030. Before then a smaller craft with a 12-person crew that can stay underwater for 18 days at a time is expected to launch in 2015. It’s not clear if the smaller version of the ship would be powered by nuclear reactor, presumably it would. Another problem with the program for the West is that reports claim the project is being funded by the state 863 Program, which has ties to the military. [via Wired] China planning a nuclear-powered mobile deep-sea mining platform is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Internet goes offline for thousands as DNSChanger cleanup peaks Posted: 09 Jul 2012 04:21 AM PDT Thousands of internet users are waking up to no web connection this morning, with the temporary servers handling those infected by DNSChanger being shut down. ISPs and the FBI had warned surfers that, had their DNS settings been changed by the malware, they would lose access to the workaround fix that had been in operation for the past few months. Estimates of how many people will be impacted today are unclear, with the numbers of those relying on the most active servers last month exceeding 100,000. In fact, according to the DNSChanger Working Group, the team established to handle the fall-out of the malware, back on June 13 there were 135,331 unique IPs accessing the top 25 replacement servers. Since then there has been a sizable outreach campaign as ISPs and others attempt to warn those users affected. In late May, around 330,000 systems were believed to be infected. DNSChanger was a trojan that changed DNS settings – the links to servers which point browsers in the right direction for the sites you request – to alternative, compromised ones. Control of those sites allowed the malware operators to collect user data, show adverts for fake products and otherwise manipulate the internet experience. Thankfully, the method of cleaning up a DNSChanger infection has improved since the early days, when a complete reinstallation of the OS – whether Windows or OS X – was required. Now, there’s a simple set of tools which do it without all of that headache, though it’s still advisable to run a full backup of personal files beforehand, just in case. If you’re reading this (and you’ve not been forced to turn to a smartphone or tablet with your regular computer refusing to load sites) then you’re okay, but stand-by for parents and friends who may have complaints. Story Timeline FBI to kill servers supporting DNSChanger virus victims DNSChanger: How to find it and how to fix it DNSChanger malware for dummies: Sophos video explains it all PSA: Evict DNSChanger now or lose the web Monday Internet goes offline for thousands as DNSChanger cleanup peaks is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple cracks down on sites selling access to iOS betas Posted: 09 Jul 2012 04:12 AM PDT Developers who register with Apple can get an account that allows individual developers to access the beta versions of new iOS software. Typically, this is done to allow the developers to test out new versions of iOS and ensure the applications they’re developing work with the new operating system before it launches. To register a developer account with Apple costs $99 per year and allows the developer to register 100 devices using the UDID of individual iPhones. While most developers use their 100-device allocation for legitimate development needs some smaller companies are actually selling access to iOS betas using the Apple development program. Apple has vowed to crack down on websites selling access to beta versions of its software. According to reports, these rogue developers pay Apple $99 and generally allow beta iOS access to other users for around $10 each. One website that does this is called UDID Activation, and the service claims it has activated over 2300 devices in the last week at $8.99 each for about $20,600 in revenue. That is big money indeed and the company claims they’ve activated over 19,000 devices so far. Mac Stories reports that it reached out to several of these UDID sites that have gone down in recent weeks and heard back from one who said that its provider had taken its site off-line after complaints of copyright infringement by Apple. [via Mac Stories] Story Timeline iCade Mobile Gaming System for iPhone now available iPhone 5 set for quad-core A6 chip Figure iPhone music app graduates to true instrument after v1.1 update Twitter for iPhone 4.3 update changelog leaked Apple cracks down on sites selling access to iOS betas is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

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