GDC11: Unity Android goes on sale

March 2nd, 2011, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster

New game engine add-on to support Xperia Play and Tegra tablets, and enable porting of iOS titles

Unity has used GDC 2011 to release the Unity Android and Unity Android Pro versions of its popular game engine.
As well as offering support for a number of upcoming Android devices including Tegra Tablets and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, thanks to Unity's single authoring environment the new version of the engine allows developers to port their iOS titles to Android.

"We're amazed of how easy and fast it was to port our latest iOS game Stupid Zombies to Android," said Marc Andreoli, Partner at GameResort. "It took us less than two days to fully port the game and do some fine tuning."
"We were very impressed with how simple it was to port our iPhone game Drift Mania Championship to Android. The complete process took less than a week, which consisted of minor graphic adjustments and some fine tuning," added Pat Toulouse, president of Ratrod Studio. "Because of Unity's cross-platform feature, we're able to reach a much larger audience which multiplies our chances for continued success. Unity is the ultimate game development swiss army knife for developers."
Unity Android comes as an add-on to the free version of Unity and costs $400. Meanwhile Unity Android Pro is an add-on to Unity Pro and available for $1500.
"It's awesome to be doing the full launch of our Android support. Our Pro-only pre-release version has already been a huge success in its first half year," added Nicholas Francis, chief creative officer at Unity.
"Now we're doing the full launch of our product and can't wait to see what kind of amazing things people will develop. I think getting Unity out to the Android developer base will vastly improve the range of quality games on the platform.
As detailed in a press statement from Unity issued at GDC 2011, Unity Android includes the following features:
• Integrated Editor – Users can deploy a single project to multiple platforms, including Android, using a one-click solution that just works. Porting a game from iOS to Android can be as simple as changing the target platform and clicking 'Build'.
• Support for upcoming Android devices, including Tegra Tablets and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Smartphone – Users can be among the first to benefit from releasing games on the exciting range of Android-based gaming platforms.
• Highly Optimised Graphics Pipeline for OpenGL ES 2.0 – Unity Technologies has been working directly with hardware manufacturers such as Nvidia and Qualcomm to get every last bit of performance out of Android so that users can create stunning games without worrying about the subtle difference between devices.
• Android Remote – Developers can use their actual Android phone as an input device to view and test their game directly within the authoring tool.
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http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...d-goes-on-sale

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PopCap: Mobile handsets now top gaming device

March 2nd, 2011, 02:02 Posted By: wraggster

A new survey commissioned by PopCap Games has suggested that one third of U.S. and UK adults play video games on their mobile phones, as the use of consoles and computers for games is surpassed amongst smartphone owners.
The survey, conducted by Information Solutions Group, found that amongst mobile phone gamers, the mobile phone was their primary gaming device of choice. Predictably smartphone owners were found to be the most enthusiastic of all mobile gamers.
Of the 2,425 consumers polled 52 per cent said they had played a mobile phone at some point in the past, with 73 per cent of UK consumers saying they had played at least once and 44 per cent of U.S. residents.
A total of 33.6 per cent of all adults in the two countries had played mobile games in the past month - the criteria by which they were identified as 'mobile phone gamers'. A total of 24.6 per cent had played in the past week, making them 'avid mobile phone gamers' in the eyes of the survey. This total rose to 83 per cent for those who owned a smartphone.
PopCap Games commissioned a similar survey purely for AT&T customers in the U.S. in 2009, the results of which have now been released in full. The developer of games such as Bejeweled and Plants Vs. Zombies now derives almost a third of all revenues from mobile sales.
When compared against other gaming formats 44 per cent of mobile gamers preferred to play on their phones, compared to 30 per cent for computers and 21 per cent for consoles. The preference for mobile games rose to 55 percent for smartphone and 51 per cent for avid mobile gamers. In 2009 just 17 percent of mobile gamers said their handset was their format of choice.
As many as 49 per cent of smartphone gamers and 43 per cent of all mobile gamers said they had upgraded a free trial game to a paid-for version in the last year. A total of 27 per cent of mobile gamers and 34 per cent of smartphone gamers had bought downloadable content in the same period.
In 2010 smartphone owners bought an average of 5.4 games, compared to other mobile users who purchased 2.9 titles. Smartphone owners also spent more on average on games, at $25.57 versus $15.70.
Over a third (37 per cent) of smartphone owners said they had played a social networking game on their phone at least once a week, a total that fell to 19 per cent for mobile gamers.
As many as 84 per cent of all mobile gamers admitted to playing games on their phone at least once a week and 35 per cent daily. This rose to 97 per cent with smartphone owners, 45 per cent of who said they played daily. In 2009 only 13 percent of mobile gamers played daily and 40 per cent weekly.
Exactly half of mobile games said the amount of time they had spent playing games on their phone had increased in the last year, with 63 per cent of smartphone owners indicating the same. In 2009 the figure was only 20 per cent.
As a result 78 per cent of mobile gamers and 84 per cent of smartphone owners said playing mobile games had become a regular part of their weekly routine. A total of 59 per cent of mobile gamers and 68 per cent of smartphone owners said it had become a daily routine.
In total 23 per cent of all mobile phone usage, not including phone calls, was found to be devoted to games.
"Mobile games are, along with social games, the hottest sector of the video game industry by far," said Dennis Ryan, executive vice president of worldwide publishing at PopCap.
"As more people purchase smartphones and the entire process of finding, purchasing and playing mobile games becomes as simple as browsing the internet, the mobile games market is going to accelerate even more," he added.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ce-says-survey

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Google's Nexus S, A Look At Gingerbread

March 2nd, 2011, 02:07 Posted By: wraggster

Google's Nexus S smartphone has a lot of interesting features, but the one that attracts the most attention is the fact that it ships with the latest version of the Android smartphone operating system, version 2.3. Otherwise known as Gingerbread, this OS is said to be the fastest version of Android yet. In addition to Gingerbread, the Nexus S touts a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, and 16GB of internal memory. Its network performance numbers turned out to be relatively impressive as well."http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/...At-Gingerbread

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Infected Androids Run Up Big Texting Bills

March 2nd, 2011, 02:12 Posted By: wraggster

Computerworld reports that a rogue Android app is hijacking smartphones and running up big texting bills to premium rate numbers before the owner knows it. Chinese hackers grabbed a copy of Steamy Windows, a free program, added a backdoor Trojan horse to the app's code, then placed the reworked app on unsanctioned third-party "app stores" where unsuspecting or careless Android smartphones find it, download it and install it.http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/03/0...-Texting-Bills

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Saab shows off Android-based IQon in-car infotainment system

March 2nd, 2011, 02:26 Posted By: wraggster

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Apple's Tim Cook hints at cheaper iPhone, prepaid possibilities to come?

March 2nd, 2011, 02:34 Posted By: wraggster

Apple COO Tim Cook got all buddy-buddy with Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi this week, talking about Apple's business strategy -- nothing out of the ordinary there -- but this morning, that analyst decided to publicly paraphrase an intriguing part of the interview. Guess what? It sounds like a cheaper iPhone may indeed be in the cards:

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Verizon to Drop Unlimited Data Plans for iPhone

March 2nd, 2011, 11:25 Posted By: wraggster

In a move that many feared would come true sooner rather than later, Verizon Chief Financial Officer Francis Shammo suggested on Tuesday at an investors conference that Verizon will soon end unlimited data plans for its recently acquired iPhone. The demise of unlimited plans may transpire as soon as this summer.


Quote:
Verizon Wireless allows unlimited Web-surfing for $30 a month for users of its version of the popular Apple phone. But this will change in the coming months.
Released just weeks ago on the Verizon network, the iPhone, Shammo says, simply had to be introduced with an unlimited data plan on the table. Why? Because Verizon "didn't want to put up a barrier" to potential iPhone buyers interested...
http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news...ns-iphone.html

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Apple Tinkering with Scratch Resistant Metal Device Coating

March 2nd, 2011, 11:30 Posted By: wraggster

With scratches and dings more than just commonplace in iDevice ownership, Apple may be tinkering with newtechnologies that will reduce the unsightly blemishes that adorn our ubiquitous mobile gadgets. According to information made public this week, The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded ownership of a "scratch resistant metal device coating" to Apple.

U.S. Patent No. 7896981 is described as "Nitriding stainless steel for consumer electronic products." According to the patent's "abstract" summary, the coating represents a "cost effective system, method and apparatus adapted to provide a nitride layer on stainless steel used for the manufacture of consumer electronic products."

http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news...e-coating.html

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iPhone-based universal IR remote

March 2nd, 2011, 13:47 Posted By: wraggster


If you have a reasonable home theater setup in your living room, odds are you have up to half a dozen remotes sitting around. Short of trying to get your cable receiver’s remote to control everything or laying down some cash for a Harmony remote, what’s a hacker to do?
[Andrey] decided he wanted to use his iPhone as a universal IR remote, but he didn’t want to pay very much to do so. Instead of buying a dongle at the store, he soldered some IR LEDs to an old headphone plug, creating a mini IR dongle to control his equipment. After studying IR signaling a bit, he got to work encoding IR remote commands into wav files using Python. The files are then played on his iPhone, allowing him to submit certain commands to his TV set.
Unfortunately, the process of manually converting IR codes to audio files doesn’t quite seem like the most efficient way of doing things. There are other IR dongles currently on the market that utilize the headphone jack, most of which provide pretty robust software for free. These might make a good alternative to manually creating audio files for each IR command. We honestly haven’t seen any teardowns of these retail IR dongles posted online, but it would be interesting to see how they compare to what [Andrey] has put together.

http://hackaday.com/2011/03/01/iphon...sal-ir-remote/

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iPad 2 launches same day as 3DS in UK

March 2nd, 2011, 23:43 Posted By: wraggster

New device is thinner and faster, features HDMI output; '2011 is year of iPad 2,' says Jobs

The second generation of iPad will launch in the UK on the same day as Nintendo's 3DS.
Apple confirmed the news today during one of its customary spring press conferences in San Francisco.

iPad 2 lands in the UK and a number of other countries two weeks after a March 11th USA roll-out.
The device is 33 per cent thinner than the previous model and is built on a new chip, the A5. It's a dual core processor, making it twice as fast on CPU performance as the A4 chip found in the iPad and iPhone 4. Its graphics capabilities are nine times faster than previous models.
iPad 2 also now features built in front and back cameras, and better motion-sensors. It also retains the original's 10 hours battery life - despite the added features and smaller form factor - and even offers HDMI output with a special dongle.



Apple said the device would be priced in the exact same tier of pricing as the original iPad.
"Add all these features up, and we think 2011 is going to be the year of iPad 2," said CEO Steve Jobs, who took a break from his personal leave to host the event.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/43305/iPad...y-as-3DS-in-UK

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iPad 2 set for release this month

March 2nd, 2011, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster

Apple boss Steve Jobs has announced the iPad 2 as a press event taking place in San Francisco.
Coming in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions and with prices starting at $499, there will also be 3G models at an extra $130.
The new device will be released March 11 in the US and from March 25 in other countries.
Like the original iPad the battery life will be around 10 hours and come with data plans in the US from AT&T and Verizon.
The design is 33 per cent thinner than the original iPad, and at 8.8mm thick is thinner than the iPhone 4. It will feature an A5 dual core chip - purportedly nine times as powerful as in the original iPad
As well as a front and rear-facing cameras it boasts a gyroscope and comes in black and white models. A HDMI accessory will allow users to connect to bigger displays.
Jobs also revealed that there are 200 million iTunes accounts with registered credit cards and more accounts with one click purchasing than anywhere else on the internet, including Amazon.
To date, the App Store has paid out $2 billion to developers. Apple has a 90 per cent share of the tablet market, said Jobs, and in 2010 sold 15 million iPads. The company has now also sold its 100 millionth iPhone

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ase-this-month

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Google Pulls 21 Malware Apps From Android Market

March 3rd, 2011, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster

CNN reports that Google has pulled 21 free apps from the Android Market that, according to the company, are aimed at gaining root access to the user's device, gathering a wide range of available data, and downloading more code without the user's knowledge. Unfortunately although Google has moved swiftly to remove the apps, they have already been downloaded by at least 50,000 Android users. The apps are all pirated versions of popular games and utilities which once downloaded, root the user's device using a method like rageagainstthecage, then use an Android executable file (APK) to nab user and device data, such as your mobile provider and user ID, and finally act as a wide-open backdoor for your device to quietly download more malicious code. "If you've downloaded one of these apps, it might be best to take your device to your carrier and exchange it for a new one, since you can't be sure that your device and user information is truly secure," writes Jolie O'Dell. "Considering how much we do on our phones — shopping and mobile banking included — it's better to take precautions.""http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/03/0...Android-Market

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If App Store's Trademark Is Generic, So Is Windows'

March 3rd, 2011, 00:34 Posted By: wraggster

In response to Microsoft's attempt to dismiss Apple's 'App Store' trademark application, Apple references Microsoft's claim to the Windows trademark. 'Having itself faced a decades-long genericness challenge to its claimed WINDOWS mark, Microsoft should be well aware that the focus in evaluating genericness is on the mark as a whole and requires a fact-intensive assessment of the primary significance of the term to a substantial majority of the relevant public.'"http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...-So-Is-Windows

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Apple releases iTunes 10.2

March 3rd, 2011, 00:55 Posted By: wraggster

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Apple slashes original iPad price to $399, iPad 2 not up for pre-order yet

March 3rd, 2011, 00:58 Posted By: wraggster

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Apple iOS 4.3 coming March 11 with iPad 2, includes new AirPlay features and FaceTime

March 3rd, 2011, 01:42 Posted By: wraggster

Along with the iPad 2, Apple's releasing the final version of iOS 4.3, which features the Nitro Javscript engine from Safari on OS X, new iTunes Home Sharing features that let you play content from desktop iTunes over WiFi, and the updated suite of AirPlay features from the betas -- including the ability for App Store apps to share audio and video. Apple's also finalizing the new option that lets you assign the side switch to either rotation lock or mute, and it's adding Personal Hotspot support. There's also thoserumored iOS versions of Photo Booth and FaceTime for the new cameras. It'll be a free download for all iPads, the GSM iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS and the third- and fourth-gen iPod touch when it's released on March 11. When will it hit the Verizon iPhone 4? We don't know yet.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/a...3-with-ipad-2/

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iPad 2 gets a Smart Cover

March 3rd, 2011, 01:43 Posted By: wraggster

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Steve Jobs Returns to Introduce Apple iPad 2

March 3rd, 2011, 01:52 Posted By: wraggster

A little more than one year ago, Apple unveiled the long awaited and once mythical tablet that promised to change mobile computing as we knew it. Since then, 15 million iPads have been sold. And on Wednesday morning at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California, Apple CEO Steve Jobs returned from medical leave (at least for today) to introduce his company's second generation iPad. "We've been working on this product for a while, and I didn't want to miss today," Jobs said.

Not before taking a slight but effective jab at competing tablets (especially Samsung and Android products ) or critics who initially contended that the iPad was "too expensive," Steve Jobs walked us through the evolution of post-PC products leading up to the iPad. "Many have said this is the most successful consumer product ever launched," Jobs boasted, "Over 90% market share. Our competitors were flummoxed." After rolling footage of what amounted to the iPad's... [Read More]

http://modmyi.com/forums/ipad-news/7...-ipad-2-a.html

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Epic: iPad 2 "fantastic for gaming"

March 4th, 2011, 00:19 Posted By: wraggster

The iPad 2 is "already is a portable games console" according to Epic Games' Mark Rein, who enthused about the newly announced device to website VentureBeat.
"As they keep improving this thing. If they can do this every single year with iPad it's not too many years before they'll be able to power that next generation demo we've been showing off at GDC," said Rein in reference to the company's new technology demonstration.
The iPad 2 was officially announced last night at a series of events around the world. It will be released on 11th March in the U.S. but on 25th March in Europe - the same day as the Nintendo 3DS.
Apple describes the device's new graphics chip and dual-core A5 processor as having "nine times" the power of the original iPad, as well as being thinner, lighter and featuring an HDMI output for output to televisions and monitors.
"The technical specs are phenomenal but then to have it lighter, to have a video camera, no raise in price. I mean Apple just blows us away every single time," commented Rein.
"This is something I talked about where you'd walk around with your game console and when you get in a room with a TV you'll see it on your TV. Now well now Apple's made that a reality."
"More CPU means potentially more physics, more enemies on the screen, a wider view of the environment. It's just really fantastic. And our engine is uniquely sorted to go from everything from iPhone 3GS to all the way beyond anything you can build today," he added.
"That's what we're showing at our both at GDC, our next generation proposal, what we think that next giant leap should be. The way Apple's going they will be part of that story down the road, as they keep improving this thing."
Rather than the power of the device the greatest barrier to creating games on iOS formats is generally seen as the lack of physical buttons and controls, which Rein also addressed.
"It doesn't have the same control scheme but it has something that's different in an interesting way. Infinity Blade isn't really a game we'd make for a console you'd play with your thumbs it's designed for the touch experience."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...pics-mark-rein

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Hands On With Apple IPad 2

March 4th, 2011, 00:35 Posted By: wraggster

Yesterday's announcement of the second-generation iPad showed exactly why there was so much excitment around the device. As the video hands on shows, iPad 2 makes up for all the things lacking in the original iPad. The 1GHz dual-core A5 chip does justice to apps like Photo Booth and over all user experience. Moreover, while the screen carries the same resolution, Apple was able to pack it in a noticably thinner iPad 2. Infact its dimensions, 13.4 mm to 8.8mm thick, make it 33% thinner than iPhone 4. Also while the cameras aren't HD, the inclusion itself provides an opportuntiy for Facetime, which is actually more interactive than what we've seen so far on other Apple devices."http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...h-Apple-IPad-2

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Apple iOS 4.3 GM available now to developers

March 4th, 2011, 00:48 Posted By: wraggster

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iPad 2: are you buying one?

March 4th, 2011, 00:50 Posted By: wraggster

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Angry Birds passes 30 million downloads on Android

March 4th, 2011, 00:53 Posted By: wraggster

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iPad 2 specs: A to Z

March 4th, 2011, 02:29 Posted By: wraggster

We've sliced open the iPad 2's belly, heaved its guts out and labelled each part.
What follows are the complete specs of the Wi-Fi only iPad 2.
These come from the Apple website. We've left some of the less interesting bits out.

• Size: 9.5 inches high, 7.31 inches wide, 0.34 inches deep
• Weight: 1.33 pounds / 601 grams (3G model imperceptibly heavier)
• Storage: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
• Wireless: Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
• Screen: 9.7 inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen multi-touch with IPS technology, 1024x768 resolution at 132 pixels per inch, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Processor: custom 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 chip
• Back camera: video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still camera with 5x digital zoom
• Front camera: video recording, VGA up to 30 frames per second with audio; VGA-quality still camera
• Battery: rechargeable 25-watt-hour lithium polymer batter (lasts 10 hours web browsing, watching video, listening to music), plug and USB charger
• Ports: 30-pin dock connector port, 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack
• Sound: built-in spearker, microphone, frequency response from 20Hz to 20,000Hz, user-configurable maximum volume, Dobly Digital 5.1 surround sound with Apple Digital AV Adapter
• Sensors: three-axis gyro, accelerometer, ambient light sensor
• Video: up to 1080p with Apple Digital AV Adapter or Apple VGA Adapter (cables sold separately)
• Digital compass
• Dock Connector to USB Cable
• 10W USB Power Adapter
• http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...2-specs-a-to-z

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Disgruntled Android developer sounds battle cry, rallies troops, demands Market tweak

March 4th, 2011, 02:32 Posted By: wraggster

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Apple confirms $100 refund for those who recently purchased an original iPad

March 5th, 2011, 00:09 Posted By: wraggster

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Apple Negotiates For Unlimited iTunes Downloads

March 5th, 2011, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster

Bloomberg reports that Apple is in talks with record companies including Vivendi SA (VIV)'s Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) and EMI Group Ltd. to give iTunes music buyers easier access to their songs on multiple devices. The deal would provide iTunes customers with a permanent backup of music purchases if the originals are damaged or lost and would allow downloads to iPad, iPod and iPhone devices linked to the same iTunes account. The negotiations come as iTunes is facing competition from new Web-based services such as Spotify Ltd., Rdio Inc. and MOG Inc. that focus on letting customers listen to songs from anywhere with an online connection, instead of downloading tracks to a hard drive. 'Long-time iTunes users know that one of the more obnoxious differences between music and app downloads on the iTunes Store is the fact that apps can be re-downloaded a seemingly infinite number of times,' writes Jacqui Cheng. 'In contrast, users can only download music tracks once — if you find yourself without backups and your music disappears, you must beseech the iTunes gods to let you re-download all your music—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, should they hear your prayers.http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...unes-Downloads

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N64oid brings Nintendo 64 emulation to Android devices

March 5th, 2011, 23:56 Posted By: wraggster

There's not exactly a shortage of video game emulators for Android devices, but there has been one notable, 64-bit exception. That's finally been rectified with the just-released N64oid application, however, which finally brings emulation of Nintendo 64 games to the platform -- and, like the other emulators from developer Yongzh, it's conveniently available right in the Android Market (for $5.99). As you might expect, there are a few glitches and hiccups to be found even on high-end phones like the Nexus S, but it does seem to run remarkably well for an initial release and, as Download Squad points out, you can also use a separate, freely-available app to add some Wiimote controls to the proceedings. Also, it means you can play Goldeneye on your phone.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/n...droid-devices/

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iPad 2 Has 512 MB Memory: Report

March 6th, 2011, 02:48 Posted By: wraggster

Probably the most significant new feature of the iPad 2 (except, I guess, for those planning on carrying it around like a very big camera) is the new A5 processor. Apple's claiming twice the performance and up to nine times the graphics power. As usual, though, they were mum on the details of what's inside the chip. A (so far unsubstantiated) report out today, though, says that not only has Apple included the same 512 MB of memory in the iPad 2 as the iPhone4, but also that it's faster LPDDR2 RAM.

During the iPad 2 announcement, Apple gave only the vaguest idea of what's under the hood. They did refer to a dual-core 1GHz ARM processor and a faster graphics chip. Apple habitually refrains from publishing specs on iPad and iPhone internals, preferring to focus on performance claims (10 hours of battery life, twice as fast, etc). They've never said how much RAM is in any of their devices:

http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news...ry-report.html

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Spark 360 critical fix release

March 6th, 2011, 03:01 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://0xff.akop.org/2011/03/05/spar...l-fix-release/

I’m a day late posting this, but Spark 360 had another critical fix release yesterday, to keep up with recent Xbox Live changes. Version 3.21 fixes a profile update bug, which manifests itself as a popup dialog with a “JS object parsing error”.
Download

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Is Apple Turning Into the Next "Evil Empire"?

March 6th, 2011, 19:58 Posted By: wraggster

'You may think you own your iPad or iPhone but in reality an invisible string links it back to Apple HQ' writes John Naughton. He adds: 'Umberto Eco once wrote a memorable essay arguing that the Apple Mac was a Catholic device, while the IBM PC was a Protestant one. His reasoning was that, like the Roman church, Apple offered a guaranteed route to salvation – the Apple Way – provided one stuck to it. PC users, on the other hand, had to take personal responsibility for working out their own routes to heaven.'"http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...xt-Evil-Empire

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Google flips Android kill switch, destroys a batch of malicious apps

March 6th, 2011, 20:24 Posted By: wraggster

When 21 rogue apps started siphoning off identifying information from Android phones and installing security holes, Google yanked the lot from Android Market, and called the authorities to boot. But what of the 50,000 copies already downloaded by unwitting users? That's what Google's dealing with this week, by utilizing Android's remote kill switch to delete them over the air. But that's not all, because this time the company isn't just removing offending packages, but also installing new code. The "Android Market Security Tool March 2011" will be remotely added to affected handsets to undo the exploit and keep it from sending your data out, as well as make you wonder just how much remote control Google has over our phones. Yes, we welcome our new Search Engine overlords and all that, so long as they've got our best interests at heart, but there's a certain irony in Google removing a backdoor exploit by using a backdoor exploit of its own -- even one that (in this case) will email you to report what it's done.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/06/g...-of-malicious/

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iPad 2 3G is "World-Mode"

March 6th, 2011, 22:04 Posted By: wraggster

One little-noticed upgrade to the AT&T iPad2's 3G radio will make a big difference to many users outside the US and international travelers: the refreshed tablet now supports quad-band UMTS, like the iPhone 4. The original iPad, as well as the iPhone 3G/3GS, only had tri-band UMTS, omitting support for the 900 MHz band common in Asia and parts of Europe. The Verizon model's CDMA radio, on the other hand, is compatible with very few carriers' networks worldwide, making it a poor choice for globetrotters.

One of the complaints about the iPhone3G, and its successor the 3GS, was that it supported only AT&T's 850 and 1900 MHz UMTS bands, and the 2100 MHZ band used in Europe and Asia. Many carriers in Australasia, however, use the 900 MHz band, especially in rural areas, and since the... [Read More]

http://modmyi.com/forums/ipad-news/7...orld-mode.html

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Bloomberg: Microsoft to pay Nokia 'more than $1 billion' to make Windows Phones

March 7th, 2011, 23:04 Posted By: wraggster

Though neither Nokia nor CEO Stephen Elop ever said there was an exchange of billions of dollars as a part of the company's tie-up with Microsoft for the Windows Phone platform, Bloomberg is sourcing "two people with knowledge of the terms" in saying that something in excess of $1 billion is flowing from Redmond to Espoo. Though the deal isn't yet finalized -- Elop said as much back at MWC -- it'd apparently call for Microsoft to pay out at least some of the cash upfront with Nokia sending cash in the other direction for device licenses. Interestingly, the deal is said to give Microsoft access to parts of Nokia's expansive patent portfolio -- and they'll have it for quite some time, too: the contract's apparently going to be good for "more than five years." That's more than most marriages, it seems (and roughly as expensive).
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/07/b...llion-to-make/

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Championship Manager 1980s Legends

March 7th, 2011, 23:32 Posted By: wraggster

Square Enix will follow-up the launch ofChampionship Manager 1970s Legends with, wait for it, a 1980s edition.
You get the chance to change history by managing some of the biggest teams of the decade, reads the official blurb.
The database is home to thousands of players from the decade. Match of the Day maestro Gary Lineker and ex-England manager Glenn Hoddle are mentioned.
It features illustrated news stories from throughout the decade, adding authenticity.
"It's almost like the 1980's never went away - Kylie Minogue is still releasing songs, there's another royal wedding, talent shows are on prime time television and King Kenny's back at Liverpool. It's like we never left the decade behind," said general manager Roy Meredith.
"1980s Legends lets you take that revival one step further and manage some of the greatest names in football, back in a decade when football was about mullets and mud. With 1980s styled visuals you really will immerse yourself in the era."
Championship Manager 1980s launches this month.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-1980s-legends

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Critical fix week continues in full swing

March 8th, 2011, 02:10 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://0xff.akop.org/2011/03/06/crit...in-full-swing/

Spark Trophies has been updated to version 1.72. It’s a critical fix release, but it also includes a handful of bug fixes – please update now.
Spark Trophies Preview will be updated shortly as well.
UPDATE
Spark Trophies Preview has been updated as well. It features the same blue theme as Trophies, and includes the same bug fixes
Download

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Rumor: Apple Considering Aluminum Back for iPhone 5

March 8th, 2011, 02:29 Posted By: wraggster

Apple is believed to be weighing its options with regard to dumping the present iPhone4 glass back design in favor of an aluminum back reminiscent of the very first iPhone that debuted almost four years ago. If the change takes place, it will likely happen ahead of the anticipated iPhone 5 launch this summer.

Based on the information possessed by the folks at Taiwan's Economic Daily News, Apple is pushing ahead with an iPhone 5 design that is remarkably similar to the iPod touch. Rumors aside, logic would suggest that Apple may dump their use of glass in favor of aluminum to reduce both the weight of the iPhone 5 and to increase its resistance to scratches. As we've been reading extensively in recent weeks, Apple is apparently taking "scratch resistant" surfaces and coatings very seriously. Consequently, the iPhone 5 will probably be the most scratch-proof handset in the five generation existence of the iPhone.

http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news...phone-5-a.html

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iPad 2 Forces Samsung To Reevaluate Galaxy Tab

March 8th, 2011, 02:36 Posted By: wraggster

"Apple's iPad competitors are still spec-obsessed, and Apple's next-gen iPad coupled with the same price point is forcing Samsung to rethink its tablet strategy and pricing methodology altogether. The South Korean Yonhap News Agency relays a quote from Lee Don-joo, executive VP of Samsung's mobile division, about Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Tab 10.1 compared to the new iPad. 'We will have to improve the parts that are inadequate,' Don-joo said. 'Apple made it very thin.' Features aside, Samsung also finds itself in a bind price-wise. The upcoming Galaxy Tab model, complete with a 10.1-inch screen and Android 3.0, was initially going to be priced higher than the current 7-inch Galaxy Tab. Apple's iPad 2, however, is forcing Samsung to 'think that over.'"http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...ate-Galaxy-Tab

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Android sales up 1580% year on year

March 9th, 2011, 00:45 Posted By: wraggster

Google's Android has the largest share of the US smartphone market, according to a new survey from ComScore.
Android has 31.2 per cent of the market as of January 2011, up from 23.5 per cent in October 2010.
This means it has displaced RIM and its Blackberry handsets as king of the hill. RIM dropped from a 35.8 to 30.4 per cent share.
Apple held relatively steady, remaining in third place with a 0.1 per cent gain to 24.7 per cent, while Microsoft saw its share decline from 9.7 to 8.0 per cent. Palm rounded out the top five at 3.2 per cent.
Claimed ComScore's MobiLens division, "65.8 million people in the US owned smartphones during the three months ending in January 2011, up 8 per cent from the preceding three-month period."
ComScore's estimates held that 234 million Americans ages 13 and older used mobile devices, with 23.7 per cent playing games on their handsets.
In addition, stats from IDC European Mobile Phone Tracker (seen by Mobile Magazine) claim that Android's European sales grew from 470,000 units in the last quarter of 2009 to 7.9 million for the same period in 2010. This constitutes a 1580 per cent boost.
By comparison, iOS-baed phones grew 66 per cent. Commented Francisco Jeronimo, European mobile devices research manager at IDC: "The last quarter of 2010 clearly shows the trends for the coming years in Western Europe. The Western European mobile phone market will be dominated by smartphones and Android will be king of the hill."
IDC also estimated that that Android's install base will grow by around 37 per cent per year between 2010 and 2015 in Europe.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...t-year-on-year

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Hawkins: Apple and Nintendo changed business, for worse

March 9th, 2011, 00:52 Posted By: wraggster

Trip Hawkins, founder of EA and CEO of Digital Chocolate, took digs at both Apple and Nintendo during his a session at GDC last week, telling listeners that Apple was over-stimulating supply to the App Store and bemoaning the introduction of development licences by Nintendo.
The rant was part of a 'Social Developers Rant Back' session at the San Francisco event, which also featured luminaries Brenda Brathwaite, Scott Jon Siegel and Chris Hecker.
During his ten minute section, Hawkins rounded on Apple for over-crowding the market place, effectively dis-encouraging quality development for the platform by not helping to promote good titles well enough.
"A few months ago the local newspaper here had a story about what an incredible job Apple was doing, and isn't Apple amazing - they generate a billion dollars in revenue for developers," Hawkins recalled.
"They do such a great job for developers! And that's not all, Apple customers are happy because they have 250,000 applications to choose from, isn't that incredible?
"C'mon. If you're a self respecting journalist, how can you go to sleep without bothering to do the math? You take a billion dollars, you divide it by a quarter million you get... $4000 dollars each. Do you see the problem with that? That doesn't even pay for a really good Fussball table!
"So we have these platforms where there's too much supply, and then everybody wonders why there's a discovery problem but they can't leverage that because there's no curation. How is anyone supposed to find out what's good? How are they supposed to find it? How is anybody supposed to be able to scale?"
The session was a largely light hearted affair with some serious messages behind it, but Hawkins was the only speaker to address the concrete issues of the supply chain for social and mobile developers.
"Some of these platforms are really tough, for a whole variety of reasons. If you can't figure out how to make a healthy eco-system, it's not going to be a great business for developers to be employed in," Hawkins continued.
"This is what we need to be concerned about if we want to deliver great experiences for the public and be able to unleash our creativity."
Apple wasn't the only target for Hawkins' anger, either. The executive also berated Nintendo for its introduction, many years ago, of the concept of development licences for hardware, which Hawkins believes put the nail in the coffin of free and open development.
"We used to have a free and open games business, and then Nintendo came along and introduced a thing called a licence agreement. There's a whole lot of companies these days that have basically copied that model. How's that going for us? Well, let's take a look.
"It might be okay if the markets are really growing. There are, for example, a lot of Android devices being sold, but how about revenue on the platform, how much is that growing? Not very much.
"Some of these platforms are actually shrinking in terms of customer activity and revenue, and that's really concerning. So if we're gonna get involved in a community ourselves and chose a platform, these platforms have a tremendous responsibility to grow their market fast enough to justify our support."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ness-for-worse

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Android Devices Are Hives of License Violations

March 9th, 2011, 01:00 Posted By: wraggster

Android developers are paying little attention to Free/Open Source software licenses and have a 71% violation rate. Come on folks, FOSS licenses are easy to comply with, certainly easier than proprietary software licenses, and less punitive. But it seems even the tiny hoops that FOSS requires are too much for devs eager to cash in.http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/...nse-Violations

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The9, OpenFeint open Android development fund

March 10th, 2011, 00:12 Posted By: wraggster

Mobile gaming network OpenFeint and Chinese publisher The9 have partnered for a fund intended to encourage iOS developers to move to Android.
The pair is now accepting applications from developers hoping to access an as-yet unspecified portion of the $100 million warchest The9 has setup to fund mobile software.
"There's a treasure trove of great games on iOS waiting for the rest of the world to discover," said OpenFeint marketing VP Eros Resmini. "This fund will help make that possible for indie game developers."
The9 invested $4 million in cross-platform network OpenFeint, which claims to have 68 million registered players, last Summer.
"Our partnership with OpenFeint is a great first step," said Chris Shen, vice president at The9. "We are excited to see some great games on Android devices in China soon."
The pair will also select several of the successful applications to be localised for the burgeoning Chinese market. Interested developers should apply to this address.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...velopment-fund

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Microsoft France pegs Windows Phone 7's copy and paste update for second half of Marc

March 10th, 2011, 00:23 Posted By: wraggster

We'd heard "early March" being thrown around for the so-called NoDo update to Windows Phone 7 that includes support for copy and paste (along with performance tweaks and a CDMA stack that'll allow Sprint's HTC Arrive to go about its business) back at MWC, but it looks like that may have slipped a tad: Microsoft France's official PR blog is now trumpeting the second half of this month, which means you can probably stop checking your phone for updates every 15 minutes and regain some semblance of sanity and normalcy in your life for a few days. Legendary Microsoft insider Mary Jo Foley says her sources are telling her that the week of March 21st is looking likely -- conveniently the week of CTIA and the Arrive's launch -- so that would make some sense.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/09/m...ste-update-fo/

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Peel universal remote adapter for iOS now available, $99 buys you expensive Fruit

March 10th, 2011, 00:24 Posted By: wraggster

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Palm Pre 2 gets official webOS 2.1 update, Classic emulator hacked to work on it

March 10th, 2011, 00:25 Posted By: wraggster

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Apple releases iOS 4.3

March 10th, 2011, 00:28 Posted By: wraggster

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64GB iPhone 4 prototype spotted in China? (Updated)

March 10th, 2011, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster

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Apple's A5: Two Cortex-A8s Under the Hood?

March 10th, 2011, 01:33 Posted By: wraggster

The new A5 system-on-a-chip in the iPad 2 has been said to have a "dual-core" processor with "up to 2x" the power of its predecessor, the A4. However, if you review the actual words Steve Jobs used when announcing the new iPad, you'll note that he says "two processors inside" right after he reads "dual-core processors" off the slide. It's a meaningful distinction, because if "dual-core" meant a Cortex-A9 CPU, that would give the iPad 2 much more than "up to twice as fast on CPU performance." Given the low power draw of the new SoC, it's reasonable to speculate that what they've done is cram two low-power Cortex-A8s in there, rather than a single Cortex-A9.

The graphics chip inside the A5 is widely... [Read More]

http://modmyi.com/forums/ipad-news/7...nder-hood.html

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New Attack Can Disable Phones Via SMS

March 11th, 2011, 00:08 Posted By: wraggster

A pair of security researchers from Germany demonstrated several techniques at the CanSecWest conference here Wednesday that enable them to remotely reboot, shut down or even completely disable many popular mobile phones with SMS messages. The technique that Nico Golde and Collin Mulliner discussed relies on setting up a GSM network and sending specially crafted SMS messages to handsets. The pair showed a video demonstration of phones from a wide range of manufacturers, including LG, Sony Ericsson, Nokia and others rebooting, freezing and generally acting flaky after receiving the crafted SMS messages they sent."http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/...Phones-Via-SMS

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EA slashes iPad 2 game prices

March 12th, 2011, 22:42 Posted By: wraggster

Third price-cut since Christmas as the publisher pushes forward on mobile

Electronic Arts is once again demonstrating its willingness to muscle out the App Store competition, this time by cutting its iPad games by 70 per cent.
The discount offer applies to “every EA game optimized for iPad”, the publisher said, and will only last over the weekend.





EA has planned for its discount deal to run during the first weekend the iPad 2 goes on sale. Apple today launched its second-generation iPad in the US.
The discount deal will be seen as another assault on the increasingly lucrative mobile games market.
It is the same tactic EA employed in the run up to Christmas 2010, where the increasingly digital publisher slashed iPhone game prices to $0.99.
That got EA closer than any other company to holding a monopoly on the App Store charts. Days before Christmas EA had seven of its titles ranked in the Paid Games Top Ten. Only Angry Birds had a similar presence on Apple’s games chart.
The fierce cost-cutting has angered a number of indie game developers competing in the space, some of which believe a low price-point once distinguished them favourably from the publishing giants.
Ray Sharma, founder of Canadian mobile developer XMG Studio, recently said at a panel discussion; “I think Electronic Arts really screwed the industry at Christmas time, and it's unfortunate, because of what Apple did to support them.”
EA continues to talk up the importance of digital entertainment for the future of the business. The firm recently reported losses of $322 million for the final three months of 2010, though its mobile division generated $59 million.
http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/309...-2-game-prices

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Chair: iPad 2 is "a game-changer"

March 13th, 2011, 22:20 Posted By: wraggster

The iPad 2, which launches in the US today, is "a game-changer", according to Infinity Blade developer Chair Entertainment.
"I think it is a game changer," said creative director Donald Mustard when asked by Eurogamer whether he thought the second iteration of Apple's tablet technology represented a significant step forward for core gaming on iOS devices.
"They've significantly increased the processing power of the iPad 2 and also added a lot more memory. Now having 512 megs of memory, the new processing power and increased screen resolution allows us to throw so much more processing at the applications.
"With Infinity Blade we felt we were really pushing at the edge of what can be done. We think this is another leap. It's significant."
A new update for Chair's acclaimed, Unreal-powered iOS slash 'em up Infinity Blade launches today to take advantage of the iPad 2's additional oomph.
"We've really cranked up the textures," Mustard promised. "We've added super, super hi-res bump maps and specular maps to all the characters. And we were even able to turn on full-screen anti-aliasing. It runs butter-smooth at 30 frames per second."
Mustard added that although Chair, whose previous titles include Xbox Live Arcade efforts Shadow Complex and Undertow, had future plans for Apple's touch screen devices, it would also be returning to console development at some point.
"We're definitely not iOS-only, but we're also definitely 'yes to iOS'," he explained.
"Infinity Blade really opened our eyes not just to the market place on iOS but really what could be done with these devices. So I think we'll definitely be supporting the iOS and the more mobile platforms for the foreseeable future.
"However, we're also working on some other things not specific to those devices. We're really platform agnostic at Chair. We just want to make really, really awesome stuff. We want to make games that make sense for the right devices, so we'll continue to pursue that."
Following its US roll-out today, the iPad 2 hits UK shelves on 25th March, the same day as the Nintendo 3DS.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...a-game-changer

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IPad 2 Teardown Shows Tablet's Guts

March 13th, 2011, 22:24 Posted By: wraggster

"Apple's iPad 2 tablet, which became available Friday, boasts a big battery, tiny speakers, an ample 512MB of RAM and a glass front that's tricky for tinkerers to take off. That's the upshot froman initial teardown of the new Apple tablet by iFixit, which specializes in Apple product repair. IFixit warns that those who dare to peer into the insides of the iPad 2 on their own risk cracking the glass front panel, which is thinner than that from the original iPad (0.62 mm vs. 0.85 mm) and glued on rather than attached via tabs. A heat gun was needed by iFixit to disassemble the device."http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...s-Tablets-Guts

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Game Maker Says 40% of iTunes In-App Buys Are Fraud

March 13th, 2011, 22:31 Posted By: wraggster

Hong Kong-based Lakoo, maker of the Empire Online game, says that 4 in 10 in-application purchases by users of the iOS version of its MMORPG are fraudulent, and made through compromised iTunes accounts. But Apple has turned a deaf ear to its requests for help to stop the bogus activity."http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...Buys-Are-Fraud

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Smartphone Device Detects Cancer In an Hour

March 13th, 2011, 22:40 Posted By: wraggster

Scientists at the Center for Systems Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital have integrated a microNMR device that accurately detects cancer cells and integrates with a smartphone(abstract). Though just a prototype, this device enables a clinician to extract small amounts of cells from a mass inside of a patient, analyze the sample on the spot, acquire the results in an hour, and pass the results to other clinicians and into medical records rapidly. How much does the device cost to make? $200. Seriously, smartphones just got their own Samuel L. Jackson-esque wallet."Reader Stoobalou points out other cancer-related news that Norwegian researchers have found a group of genes that increase a person's risk to develop lung cancer.

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/...cer-In-an-Hour

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iPad 2 shipping estimates now three to four weeks, retail availability hit and miss

March 13th, 2011, 22:45 Posted By: wraggster

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iPad 2 installed in Ford F-150 truck, does FaceTime while you roll over stuff

March 13th, 2011, 22:46 Posted By: wraggster

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iPad 2 specs discerned, 900MHz dual-core ARM CPU and PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU blow away

March 13th, 2011, 22:48 Posted By: wraggster

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Windows Phone 7 Marketplace hits 10,000 apps,

March 13th, 2011, 22:49 Posted By: wraggster

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Apple Taking Donations via iTunes to Help Earthquake Victims in Japan

March 14th, 2011, 00:09 Posted By: wraggster

Apple has begun taking donations through iTunes, to help the victims of the devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit Japan on Friday. 100% of the donations will go directly to the American Red Cross and Apple is waiving its usual 30% fee. Apple is accepting donations through the iTunes store in various denominations ranging from $5-$200. Unfortunately, you can't use iTunes store credit to make donations.

Apple has also posted a message on the AppleStore website in Japan that reads: ”To those who have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami, we send sympathies from our heart. In this deep sadness, we are praying for the victims and their families.”

Apple has the largest credit card database of any retailer on the internet. By having all donations go through iTunes, it gives people a quick and easy... [Read More]

http://modmyi.com/forums/mac-news/75...ims-japan.html

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Apple Expected to Sell at Least 500,000 iPad 2s This Weekend

March 14th, 2011, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster

As the MMi crew and company join the broad Apple customer base today in anticipation of the iPad 2's arrival later today, there's no shortage of interesting projections emerging this afternoon with regard to just how big this debut weekend could be for Apple's second generation tablet.

Watching the stock ticker above my office door, shares of Apple are presently trading $4.49 higher @ $351.16 as both hype for Apple's new product and Wall Street expectations are certainly lighting a fire beneath the stock. Analyst Brian Marshall of Gleacher & Co. tells Bloomberg that more than 500,000 units of the iPad 2 will be sold this weekend, on its way to out-selling the original iPad, which only moved a relatively paltry 300,000 units in its debut one year ago.

Prominent Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster - who happens to have a largely positive track record predicting Apple product sales and subsequent earnings - says Apple will sell between 5 and 6 million iPad 2s during the... [Read More]

http://modmyi.com/forums/ipad-news/7...s-weekend.html

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iPad 2 sells out

March 14th, 2011, 19:26 Posted By: wraggster

Analysts have stated that Apple’s iPad 2 has sold out in its first weekend, claiming sales of around 500,000.
According to Fortune, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster conducted a survey of 236 potential buyers, as well as various retailers, including Target, Best Buy and Apple Stores.
The findings indicate that the sales of the new devices have already outstripped sales of the first iPad in a comparable timeframe, and that stocks of the iPad 2 were depleted by Saturday. In addition the analyst also claims that 70 per cent of iPad 2 buyers were new customers to the device.
“We believe this shows Apple is expanding its base of iPad users, which is critical to maintaining its early lead in the growing tablet market,” commented Munster.
However, some caution should be advised regarding these figures as the same analystmassively overestimated sales of the first iPad, claiming sales in excess of 700,000 when actual sales were closer to 300,000.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/35957/iPad-2-sells-out

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iPad 2 jailbroken after three days

March 14th, 2011, 19:35 Posted By: wraggster

A hacker claims to have "jailbroken" the iPad 2 just three days after its US release, allowing users to run unauthorised software and programs other than those provided by the App Store/iTunes.
A hacker calling himself Comex began boasting of his feat on Twitter, before posting video evidence of his achievement.
The video shows a white iPad 2 running Cydia - an application used to find and download other apps for iOS devices. If the iPad 2 has been jailbroken it should theoretically be able to run any compatible software.
"Would've had it yesterday if I didn't have to spend 1.5 days looking for a replacement exploit (which came from a most unexpected place...)," said Comex on Twitter.
Three days is actually one of the longest waiting periods for an iOS device to be hacked, with Apple having removed some of the more obvious vulnerabilities with the release of the new iOS 4.3.
The iPad 2 is not released in Europe until March 25, the same days the 3DS. Nintendo's device has also reportedly fallen prey to hackers, with a variant of the R4 cartridge apparently already in use.
The company has warned that it will release firmware updates to immobilise (or "brick") any console found to be using pirated software.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ter-three-days

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Apple's iPhone / iPod touch daylight saving time woes continue

March 14th, 2011, 20:47 Posted By: wraggster

If a broken clock is right twice a day, Apple's is off twice a yearthese days -- once each time Daylight Savings Time needs to be calculated in territories that depend on it. iPhone and iPod touch users are reporting on Twitter and the official Apple forums that the Clock app is been demonstrating all kinds of erratic behavior -- regardless of phone model or AT&T / Verizon pedigree -- with some alarms going off early, others late, and plenty of others working perfectly. Amusingly, still others report that DST adjustments occurred in places that don't recognize DST at all: "My iPhone 4 had the wrong time this morning - in Phoenix," reports user M Gnu, "We don't do DST, but iPhone apparently thinks otherwise."

Since DST went into effect on Sunday in the US, many didn't notice issues until this morning, but even eagle-eyed iPhone owners could have a nasty surprise as one Engadget reader reports: "My iPhone 3GS changed time correctly yesterday, but for some reason over night it reverted back an hour, thus leaving me an hour late for work." There doesn't seem to be a single easy fix, but affected users report a variety of ideas might work -- restarting the device, changing the Time and Date setting away from Automatic, calling the iPhone with another phone, or turning on and off Airplane Mode.

How's your iDevice hanging? Let us know below.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/14/i...woes-continue/

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iPhone 5 won't have NFC, say insiders at UK carriers

March 14th, 2011, 20:50 Posted By: wraggster

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Spark 360 News

March 15th, 2011, 00:16 Posted By: wraggster

News from http://0xff.akop.org/2011/03/14/how-...-us-have-them/

Version 3.30 of Spark 360 is now on Android Marketplace, and adds several Friends-related features:

• Search friends – you can now search all friends from inside and outside Spark. To enable searching friends from your home screen, check “Spark 360″ in “Search settings”
• Find a friend – you can now view an Xbox Live profile prior to sending a friend request, as well as send messages and compare achievements (note that both are subject to the user’s privacy settings, however)

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Android's Market closing on App Store

March 16th, 2011, 00:33 Posted By: wraggster

Android Market is growing at a faster rate than its Apple counterpart, the App Store.
Business Insider research revealed Apple currently has 350,000 apps for sale in the App store, compared to Google’s 250,000.
Market was offering 100,000 apps in Octobe, so that's an impressive growth of 150 per cent in just 6 months.
The increase is thanks to Android becoming the world’s most popular smartphone platform. Developers will naturally flock to the busiest market, and although Android is not yet that, at the current rate Google will see its app offering match Apple’s within the next few months.
Anroid popularity is on an upward curve. The smartphones are outselling all competitors in the US, and with avalanche of Market-based Honeycomb tablets due to land soon, the Google model looks likely to take the lead.
The App Store has been a key USP for iOS devices, but with parity on the way, Apple's smartphone market share will continue dwindle as consumer heads are turned.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/35967...g-on-App-Store

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iPad 2 sales close to 1m in first weekend

March 16th, 2011, 01:08 Posted By: wraggster

Apple has sold almost 1 million units of the iPad 2 in its opening weekend, according to analysts.
A report by Reuters points out that the original iPad reached 1 million sold after 28 days on store shelves.
"Our field checks over the weekend indicate that the iPad 2 sold out at every Apple and non-Apple store we contacted," said Brian White of Ticonderoga Securities.
iPad 2 launches in the UK and Europe on March 25

"In fact, all the stores had worked through iPad 2 inventory by Saturday afternoon, and there were no new iPad 2 deliveries on Sunday."
The iPad 2 went on sale in the US on Friday and is due for launch in the UK and Europe on March 25 - the same day as Nintendo's new 3DS hardware.
"We would not be surprised to see Apple sell closer to 1 million iPad 2's in the opening weekend," Wedbush Morgan's Scott Sutherland told Reuters.
According to the report, US retail giant Best Buy reported it had sold out of the latest iOS device within 10 minutes of putting the iPad 2 on sale.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-first-weekend

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Apple Handcuffs Web Apps On iPhone Home Screen

March 16th, 2011, 01:19 Posted By: wraggster

On Apple's iOS 4.3, HTML5 and JavaScript apps are running significantly slower when they're run from the iPhone or iPad home screen rather than Safari, and the OS is hindering the performance of these apps in other ways. The end result is that it's harder for web apps to compete with native iOS app sold through the App Store, where Apple takes a 30 per cent of sales."http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...ne-Home-Screen

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RoboTouch brings a wired NES controller to a wireless iPad

March 16th, 2011, 01:31 Posted By: wraggster

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iPad 2 International Launch Delay Now Seems 'Inevitable'

March 16th, 2011, 02:27 Posted By: wraggster

On April 14th 2010 Apple released a statement announcing what we had all pretty much expected to hear by that time. Given the "higher than predicted" initial demand for the first generation iPad, the tablet's international launch was delayed from the end of April to the end of May. Not surprisingly, many are wondering today if Apple will be forced to similarly delay the presently scheduled March 25th iPad 2 international launch.

On Tuesday, following word that delivery estimates for online iPad 2 orders now stand at 4 to 5 weeks, John Paczkowski of Digital Daily addressed the pink elephant in the living room by openly speculating that the iPad 2 international launch may be delayed. Although Paczkowski suggests that domestic product shortages could be evidence of Apple's plan to continue with the March 25th global roll out as scheduled, it seems much more likely that Apple's supply is simply being drained by unbridled demand.

http://modmyi.com/forums/ipad-news/7...nevitable.html

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Snes9x EX (SNES emu with iCP support)

March 16th, 2011, 02:45 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://boards.openpandora.org/index....h-icp-support/

Hey everyone, Snes9x EX has just been posted to the Android Market. Cydia and Palm App Catalog versions will be sent off for approval soon. Here is a list of features already in Snes9x EX that will be in the next update for NES.emu and PCE.emu:

• Separate Menu/Game orientation options
• Customizable in-game controls for all supported input devices
• Page-up/Page-down shortcuts for menu navigation using iCP or Wiimotes
• More Android keycodes recognized, including game controls from the new Xperia phone
• iOS version automatically corrects permissions on directories created as root so the config file and save games work

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Apple Moves To Stop Kids Racking Up iTunes Bills

March 16th, 2011, 23:42 Posted By: wraggster

Apple Inc. has changed how purchases inside iPhone and iPad games are authorized after customers complained that their kids were racking up hundreds of dollars worth of charges. The issue was that after a user entered his or her iTunes password on a device, the device didn't prompt for the password again for 15 minutes. Any purchases, whether in the iTunes store or inside kid-friendly games such as 'The Smurf's Village,' went through without a new password prompt. This meant that parents who handed over their iPhones or iPads to their kids were sometimes shocked by large purchases of 'Smurfberries' and other virtual bling."http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...p-iTunes-Bills

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Web apps found to be lacking Safari's speed bump in iOS 4.3

March 16th, 2011, 23:54 Posted By: wraggster

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Nexus S Beats iPhone 4 In 'Real World' Web Browsing Tests

March 17th, 2011, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster

"In a series of measured real-world web load tests, the Android-based Nexus S phone spanked the iPhone 4. The Android phone and iPhone 4 median load times were 2.144s and 3.254s respectively. The sample size was 45,000 page loads, across 1000 web sites. It also follows rumors that Apple is intentionally slowing down web apps to make their native apps more favorable."http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/...Browsing-Tests

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Does Android Have a Linux Copyright Problem?

March 17th, 2011, 23:52 Posted By: wraggster

TheRegister says Google's attempt to purge copyright from header files has put mobile developers at risk of being forced to reveal their own source code, according to legal experts. This time it's not patents or Android's reinterpretation of Java that's causing problems, but the Linux code that compiles down into Android itself. The discussion started with a Huffington Post article by IP lawyer Edward Naughton, who has serious doubts about Google's approach to the Linux kernel header files. He in turn links to copyright law professor Ray Nimmer's blog post on disclosure risks on copyleft platforms. And IP blogger Florian Mueller believes Google faces a serious Linux copyright issue."http://linux.slashdot.org/story/11/0...yright-Problem

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Android 2.2 is now the dominant version of Google's OS with 61.3 percent

March 18th, 2011, 00:12 Posted By: wraggster

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iPhone Personal Hotspot transmitting GPS information to tethered iPads?

March 18th, 2011, 00:18 Posted By: wraggster

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Android Game Devs Worry Over Ease of Copying

March 18th, 2011, 22:42 Posted By: wraggster

The Guardian reports on problems faced by game makers on Android Market. Some independent developers are finding that their games are too easily copied and sold by competitors, and they say Google isn't reacting quickly enough to reports of infringement. Quoting:"One of my customers emailed me three weeks ago, and informed me that another company was selling a version of my app – pirated and uploaded as their own. Of course I contacted Google right away. It took Google two days to take the app down. This publisher was also selling other versions of pirated games. I contacted the original developers of those games but they were still being sold a week later. You'd think [Google] might have a hotline for things like that! I would also note that the publisher selling the pirated games is still trading on the Android Market. They didn't even get their account suspended. ... Why are these accounts still allowed to be trading? It's negligent as far as I'm concerned."http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/0...ase-of-Copying

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Japanese disaster may disrupt iPad 2 manufacturing

March 18th, 2011, 22:43 Posted By: wraggster

The Japanese earthquake and tsunami could have a disruptive effect on the manufacture of the iPad 2, as several key components originate in areas affected by the disaster.
According to analysis of the iPad 2 hardware by research firm iSuppi, five key components are manufactured in Japan: NAND flash memory from Toshiba, DRAM from Elpida Memory, an electronic compass from AKM Semiconductor, the touchscreen overlay glass from Asahi Glass and the system battery from Apple Japan.
Other components could potentially be sourced from Japan, but according to iSuppli their country of origin cannot be confirmed.
Structural damage of facilities in Japan is less of a problem than transportation, of both raw materials and finished products - as well as employees unable to reliably get to work. Electricity supply is also a concern given the country's rolling blackouts.
Semiconductor manufacture is particularly susceptible to power supply interruption and cannot recommence until aftershocks have completely stopped.
Although characterised in the press as only a minor upgrade from the original version demand for the iPad 2 has been greater than expected, leading Apple to ramp up production, but also delay shipments from the Apple Store by a week.
Although some components can be sourced from other companies, iSuppli suggests that the compass and glass could be particularly difficult to replace at short notice.
The iPad 2 officially launched in the US on March 11 and is due to launch in other major markets, including Europe on March 25 - the same day as the Nintendo 3DS.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-ipad-2-launch

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Apple's App Store Accepts 'Gay Cure' App

March 20th, 2011, 02:02 Posted By: wraggster

"Apple is under fire for approving a controversial app created by a religious organization — Exodus International. The app seeks to help gay individuals become heterosexual. It received a '4' rating from Apple, which indicates the company considered the app to contain 'no objectionable material.' The new smartphone app was released last week and is now available through iTunes. Exodus International claims to be 'the world's largest ministry to individuals and families impacted by homosexuality.' A petition has been launched by Truth Wins Out, which describes itself as a non-profit organisation that fights anti-gay religious extremism on the change.org website, asking Steve Jobs to intervene to remove the app."http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...s-Gay-Cure-App

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Apple Disputes Browser Speed Findings, Says Mobile Safari's the True Contender

March 20th, 2011, 02:06 Posted By: wraggster

"Apple has hit back over claims that the browser shipped with its iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices is significantly slower than Android's equivalent, calling the independent testing 'flawed.' 'They didn't actually test the Safari browser on the iPhone,' Apple's Kerris argues. 'Instead they only tested their own proprietary app, which uses an embedded Web viewer that doesn't actually take advantage of Safari's Web performance optimisations.' This, claims testing firm Blaze.io, is news to the world. 'Embedded browsers are expected to behave, for the most part, the same as the regular browser,' the company stated, defending its methodology. 'However, Apple is now stating that their embedded browser, called UIWebView, does not share the same optimisations MobileSafari does.http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...True-Contender

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webOS 2.1 SDK now available to all comers, teases 'big push' for Veer launch

March 20th, 2011, 02:20 Posted By: wraggster

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Chinese Phone Maker ZTE Turns Down WP7

March 20th, 2011, 17:47 Posted By: wraggster

Chinese smartphone maker ZTE, fifth largest in the world, has publicly criticized Microsoft for the lackluster market reaction to its Windows Phone 7 operating system and said that ZTE has no plans to develop a WP7-powered phone. That's bad news for Microsoft for its well-regarded but not well-received mobile OS.http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/...Turns-Down-WP7

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iPad 2 on track for Mega Friday

March 21st, 2011, 15:53 Posted By: wraggster

Talk of overwhelming demand and component shortages wide of the mark as retail prepares for blockbuster sales day

iPad 2 platform holder Apple has insisted that the UK launch of the new tablet Mac will take places this Friday (March 25th) as planned.
The confirmation rounds off what should be an incredible day for technology and games retailers that could well bring about a record-breaking week of sales.

There had been rumours last week that the combined effects of both huge US demand and possible component shortages stemming from the disruption in Japan could force Apple to postpone the iPad 2's launch.
Not the case, it seems.
"Everything that is on the website still holds true," a spokesperson told TechRadar. "The website says March 25th and that's when it'll be."
This Friday will be a big day at retail. As well as the launch of both the iPad and Nintendo's 3DS, EA is also releasing hotly tipped console and PC shooter Crysis 2.
Other titles hitting shelves include LEGO Star Wars III, The Sims Medieval, PlayStation Move Heroes, Tomb Raider Trilogy, Zumba Fitness (on PS3) as well as host of 3DS games including Nintendogs + Cats, Pilotwings Resort, Ridge Racer 3D, PES 2011, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/43581/iPad...or-Mega-Friday

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UK iPad 2 launch delayed

March 21st, 2011, 20:28 Posted By: wraggster

Latest device will arrive on March 25th – but not till 5pm

The UK launch of Apple’s iPad 2 will be delayed on Friday due to an error in shipping the device to its UK stores.
Although Apple has denied rumours of a delay, insisting that “the website says 25 March and that’s when it’ll be”, it would seem that any Apple fans who queue up on Friday morning might be disappointed.
According to Robert Peckham, former executive director of the Mac Technology Association reseller group, a mistake in shipments means that UK Apple Stores will not receive stock in time for the anticipated launch time on Friday morning.
As a result, the US vendor has ordered its UK resellers – including PC World – to delay selling the devices until 5pm on Friday evening, forcing them to make a number of last minute changes to their preparations for the launch and in spite of the fact that many of them have already received their allocated shipments.
“It’s upset quite a few people,” Peckham told PCR. “They’ve now got to squeeze an entire day of sales in to one or two hours on a Friday evening.”
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/36000...launch-delayed

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Microsoft Continues Android Legal Assault

March 21st, 2011, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster

According to an article on AllThingsD, Microsoft is continuing its legal assault on Android. On Monday the company sued Barnes & Noble, Foxconn International and Inventec over the company's Nook e-reader, alleging patent infringement. To quote Microsoft deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez, 'The Android platform infringes a number of Microsoft's patents, and companies manufacturing and shipping Android devices must respect our intellectual property rights. Their refusals to take licenses leave us no choice but to bring legal action.http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/03/...-Legal-Assault

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Eclipse Novus - Dual SIM Android 2.2 Smartphone with Capacitive Touchscreen

March 22nd, 2011, 10:44 Posted By: wraggster

News via Gaming & Gadgets.com

Newly released at Hong Kong Gadget site Chinavision:


The famous and much-loved Eclipse smartphone has been improved once again! Now, you get Android 2.2, dual SIM card slots, and a brand new capacitive touchscreen!

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iPad 2: Wife said no, Apple said yes

March 23rd, 2011, 00:34 Posted By: wraggster

Apple sends man new iPad 2 after he returned it

Mac Rumors reported on case of a returned iPad 2 to an Apple store in the US, returned by a man after his wife apparently disapproved of the purchase.
Citing an "individual close to Apple," Mac Rumors said that Apple's focus had been on troubleshooting iPad 2s returned by customers.
"One iPad came back with a post it note on it that said: Wife said no," according to the Apple insider.
The amusing development was apparently escalated within Apple's returns process but gained the attention of management.
"They sent the guy an iPad 2 with a note on it that said: Apple said yes."
Presumably, as Mac Rumors points out, the man's wife has no such objection to a free iPad 2.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/36006...Apple-said-yes

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Data-Only Android For Development?

March 23rd, 2011, 00:42 Posted By: wraggster

UrbanaMan writes"I am about to start developing Air and Flex apps for Android and need a smartphone to use for debugging. I want to be able to carry on working in the UK as well as in the US. I don't need to use the phone, so I am looking for an unlocked phone that can be used on pay-as-you-go data plans on both sides of the Atlantic. For app testing I need Flash Player (plus a processer pwerfull enough to support flash), a reasonable amount of memory, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, camera and USB (inc charging) and Android 2.3 or later. Are there any such phones/deals available for non millionaires?"http://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/03/...or-Development

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NVIDIA: Room for premium content on Android

March 23rd, 2011, 00:47 Posted By: wraggster

As graphical power continues to increase on smartphones and tablets, developers will find a growing demand for higher budget mobile game offerings amongst a customer base willing to pay for them.
That is according to hardware manufacturer NVIDIA, whose senior corporate manager Bea Longworth spoke to GamesIndustry.biz about its increasing focus on mobile chipsets in an interview published yesterday.
Speaking about the latest Tegra series chipsets for Android phones - which the company believes can soon eclipse the current console generation in terms of graphical power - Longworth was keen to stress that there is room for much more than just cheap and free-to-play titles in the mobile market place.
People are willing to pay a bit more for games which have added goodness on a higher-end platform. That has to be an absolutely beacon for developers

Bea Longworth, NVIDIA

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Apple slinging iPad 2 to 25 more countries this Friday, even more next month

March 23rd, 2011, 02:26 Posted By: wraggster

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37 Android Patent Lawsuits

March 23rd, 2011, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster

37 lawsuits have been filed against Android in a little more than a year, the latest one of them being Microsoft's lawsuit against Barnes & Noble, Foxconn and Inventec. ReadWriteWeb says 'the number of patent lawsuits related to the Android operating system is unprecedented' and shows an infographic that is also available on Twitpic and as a PDF file, on Scribd. The first two suits were filed in March 2010 by Apple and MobileMedia against HTC. The original source of the chart, the FOSS Patents blog, says that Android's market share is only one factor, other reasons being that Google's patent portfolio is 'far too weak for what's undertaken in connection with Android'; that Google doesn't do 'inbound licensing' from trolls; and that Google tends to ignore patent issues because Google itself is rarely sued: in most of these cases, Android device makers are under attack."http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/03/...atent-Lawsuits

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Apple Removes Gay Cure App From App Store

March 23rd, 2011, 23:37 Posted By: wraggster

Apple has removed the Gay Cure app after the pressure on Apple to remove the app started to snowball, culminating in an online petition initiated by Change.org which collected over 140,000 online signatures from people who wanted the app removed. Searching for the app now yields zero search results and Exodus International President Alan Chambers tweeted the following on Tuesday night. 'It's official, the @ExodusInl App is no longer in the @AppStore. Incredibly disappointing. Watch out, it could happen to you. #freedom' Gay Cure isn't the first app Apple has removed for touting an anti-homosexual philosophy. Apple back in November removed an app called the Manhattan Declaration which advocated the dignity of marriage as the union of one man and one woman."I don't think Apple should have banned it: they should have just packaged it with an app to cure bigotry.

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...From-App-Store

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Valve's Gabe Newell hints at possible Steam port to iOS / Android, may be blowing hot

March 23rd, 2011, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster

We'd recommend taking this all with a healthy grain of salt for now, but according to a fortunate Steam Powered forum member who scored a trip by Valve's headquarters, the company's considering an iOS / Android port of Steam. Yeah, Steam -- you know, that wildly popular game distribution service that's doing its darnedest to kill off boxed video game sales. As the story goes, Political Gamer was able to sit down with Valve's own Gabe Newell for a tick, and while the topics of conversation were obviously varied, one point in particular piqued our interest. Purportedly, Gabe confirmed that the company is "looking into the iOS / Android platform for possible expansions with Steam," which makes absolute sense given just how well-received the iPod touch and iPhone have been by gamers. To boot, Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play is just around the bend, and if Amazon's able to launch its own app store, why not push out a game-centric one from a name that people already know and trust? Of course, pondering the possibility is far different than investing resources into a new product, so until we hear that the latter is definitely happening, we'll be doing our best to suppress our expectations. Call it self-preservation.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/23/v...to-ios-androi/

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PSN and the US server

March 24th, 2011, 01:15 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://0xff.akop.org/2011/03/21/psn-and-the-us-server/

PSN US’s recent changes (around March 20, 2011) have made PSN US account support in Spark Trophies all but useless. Because trophy data is now in the form of images, Spark Trophies must make several round-trips to the server to pull trophy counts from your account. This is most dramatically noticeable when viewing the friends list – the original (pre-March 21st) implementation made n+1 roundtrips to gather friend information (1 for the full friend list, 1 for detailed data on each friend). Now it must make n*2 + 1 (one for the full friend list, two for each friend, one to pull status information, one to pull trophy data).
So with that in mind, I’d like to refer you to PSN’s considerably more competently designed European server, which requires a single trip to pull your Friends list statistics. As of right now, I no longer recommend using the US server; although if you’ve never used eu.playstation.com before, you may have to migrate your web account first (if you’re a US user, this is a one-time deal, and you can do this easily by logging on to http://eu.playstation.com/. Once your account has been migrated, delete your account in Trophies, and re-add it, using PSN EU in the Server Region selection. As an added bonus, you will also be able to see the last time your friends signed on.

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Trophy counts “fixed”, new Spark Trophies release out

March 24th, 2011, 01:17 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://0xff.akop.org/2011/03/22/trop...s-release-out/

First and foremost, if you haven’t read this already, please do. It describes the “fix” put in place in the latest version to re-enable trophy count support in Spark Trophies. With that said, a new version (1.80) of Spark Trophies is now out on Marketplace, which adds better Android integration, and specifically:

• The trophy count issue affecting US accounts is fixed
• Friends list can now be searched from inside and outside Spark Trophies. To enable friend searching from your home screen, check “Spark Trophies″ in “Search settings”
• You can now place direct shortcut to specific accounts and friends on your home screen – to create one, longpress on your home screen, and select Shortcuts, then PSN friend, or PSN account
• Various bugs are fixed
• Price for new purchases is now $1.25 (please note that if you’ve already purchased yours, you do not have to pay more for additional installs)

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Google Delays General Release of Honeycomb Source

March 24th, 2011, 23:42 Posted By: wraggster

BusinessWeek reports that Google will not be releasing the source code for Android Honeycomb 'for the foreseeable future.' Android lead Andy Rubin is quoted, stating that if Google were to release the source for Honeycomb, Google would be unable to prevent it from being installed on mobile phones and "and creating a really bad user experience.""http://developers.slashdot.org/story...neycomb-Source

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IPhone 4 Survives 1,000 Foot Fall From Plane

March 24th, 2011, 23:44 Posted By: wraggster

From the article: 'US Air Force Combat controller Ron Walker had lost his iPhone 4 from his aircraft during flight. He works as a Jump Master, which is where he would ensure the airplane was in the correct position when he sends parachute jumpers out. The plane was moving at 150 mph and while looking out the door of the plane to find necessary ground landmarks his pocket opened and his iPhone flew out. When he noticed his phone fell, he thought all was lost. Upon landing and sharing the story with friends he installed the Find My iPhone app on one of their phones and went looking for his phone. He expected it to be battered from the fall but found the phone to be 100% un-damaged from the fall. The phone was protected by a Griffin Motif TPU iPhone case but it isn't clear whether the case protected the phone from the fall or the fact that it was cushioned by the brush that it hit.'"http://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/03...all-From-Plane

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Gevey SIM provides janky but jailbreak-free unlock for iPhone 4 on iOS 4.3

March 25th, 2011, 00:03 Posted By: wraggster

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US Lawmakers Pressure Apple to Pull DUI Checkpoints App

March 25th, 2011, 00:37 Posted By: wraggster

On Wednesday, four prominent US Senators" Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) joined forces to send a letter expressing "grave concern" to Apple. The four lawmakers are astonished that Apple would continue to permit the downloading of applications designed to notify motorists of where police commonly patrol in search of drunk drivers.

As it turns out, these DUI checkpoint apps are quite popular, and a wide variety are currently available. One application the letter explicitly points to contains a database of DUI checkpoints that is updated in real-time. Another application, with more than 10 million users, let's users alert each other to DUI checkpoints in real time. Naturally, the four senators addressed how these apps make it difficult for police to do protect innocent people from drunk drivers.

http://modmyi.com/forums/mac-news/75...oints-app.html

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iPad 2 Shipping Times Improve on The Eve of International Launch

March 25th, 2011, 00:39 Posted By: wraggster

An optimist sees it as a positive sign of things to come. A pessimist says its the clam before the storm. No matter how you view the new estimated shipping times for iPad2 orders placed online, one thing is for certain. Apple is well aware of the crushing demand for the second generation tablet, and the supply faucet has been turned on full blast. And that's a very promising indication, given the big weekend the iPad 2 is facing.

Today, new signs emerged that the iPad 2 is becoming more readily available. Online orders placed with Apple now return with a 3 to 4 week shipping estimate in the US, which is an improvement over longer shipping times estimated during the previous two weeks. Not bad considering that the iPad 2 inventory was fully depleted the first weekend of availability on March 11th.

Of course, some are cautioning restraint to the optimism that supply concerns are now behind us. This weekend, a new case of iPad 2 fever might break out.

http://modmyi.com/forums/ipad-news/7...al-launch.html

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Antares 3.5 Inch Touch Dual SIM Android 2.2 Quadband Smartphone - CVFD-M177

March 25th, 2011, 01:29 Posted By: wraggster

News via Gaming and Gadgets

Newly released at Hong Kong Gadget site Chinavision:


Android 2.2 OS with the robustness of a dual-SIM quadband GSM phone so you can use globally and brighten up your life with communication and productivity gains you can't even begin to imagine.

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Acer to launch Android and Windows tablets in April

March 25th, 2011, 23:16 Posted By: wraggster

Acer announced that the firm's Android-based Iconia Tab A500 will appear in UK retail on the 8th of April, launching along side the Windows-based Iconia Tab W500.
The A500 device, first seen at Mobile World Congress in February, is a 10.1-inch tablet based on Android 3.0 Honeycomb and Nvidia's dual-core Tegra 2 chipset.
The Wi-Fi only Iconia Tab A500 will cost around £449 while the 3G-equipped Iconia Tab A501 will be priced at £549. £50 more than the Wi-Fi only and 3G-equipped versions of the Apple iPad 2 which launches today.
Interestingly the Windows and AMD Fusion-powered Iconia Tab W500 will launch at the same price but the add-on keyboard is an extra £90 or £529 for a bundle at purchase time.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/36026...blets-in-April

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Android in-app purchases launching next week

March 25th, 2011, 23:21 Posted By: wraggster

A post on the Android developers blog has revealed that a long-awaited in-app billing system is launching on the platform next week, with a developer testing period already underway.
Android Ecosystem representative Eric Chu's post explains that apps using the microtransaction service can be uploaded for assessment, but won't be released to end-users until some point next week.
"In preparation for the launch, we are opening up Android Market for upload and end-to-end testing of your apps that use In-app Billing," wrote Chu.
"You can now upload your apps to the Developer Console, create a catalog of in-app products, and set prices for them. You can then set up accounts to test in-app purchases. During these test transactions, the In-app Billing service interacts with your app exactly as it will for actual users and live transactions.
"Note that although you can upload apps during this test development phase, you won't be able to actually publish the apps to users until the full launch of the service next week."
The service was initially announced in January, and should open new opportunities for app monetisation in a market currently largely led by ad-supported titles.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...hing-next-week

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iPad 2 international launch causes people to line up in line all over again

March 25th, 2011, 23:39 Posted By: wraggster

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Is your iPad 2 experiencing intermittent WiFi connection issues?

March 26th, 2011, 01:13 Posted By: wraggster

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iOS 4.3.1 released, fixes a few bugs

March 26th, 2011, 01:14 Posted By: wraggster

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If Search Is Google's Castle, Android Is the Moat

March 26th, 2011, 23:37 Posted By: wraggster

Warren Buffet once said that the best businesses were economic castles protected by unbreachable moats. Now, Erick Schonfeld writes that if search is Google's economic castle, Android is a moat, Chrome browser is a moat, and Google Apps is a moat — all free products, subsidized by search profits, intended to protect the economic castle that is search. 'Android, as well as Chrome and Chrome OS for that matter, are not "products" in the classic business sense. They have no plan to become their own "economic castles,"' says Benchmark Capital VC Bill Gurley. 'They are not trying to make a profit on Android or Chrome. They want to take any layer that lives between themselves and the consumer and make it free (or even less than free).' So don't measure the success of Google's new businesses by how much revenue or profit they generate directly but measure it by how much they shore up Google's core search business. 'Google is ... scorching the earth for 250 miles around the outside of the castle to ensure no one can approach it. And best I can tell, they are doing a damn good job of it.'"http://search.slashdot.org/story/11/...id-Is-the-Moat

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iPad, iPad 2 get unofficial CF card compatibility

March 26th, 2011, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster

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Google delays widespread open-sourcing of Honeycomb

March 28th, 2011, 21:27 Posted By: wraggster

Google has said that it will withhold the source code of the new Android iteration known as Honeycomb for the time being, telling press that it is not ready to be adapted to new devices yet.
The system was designed to operate on tablets, and large manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC already have their hands on Honeycomb's source code, however, Google says that it's not prepared to release it to companies looking to adapt it to other devices just yet.
"To make our schedule to ship the tablet, we made some design tradeoffs," Google's vp of engineering Andy Rubin told Business Week.
"We didn't want to think about what it would take for the same software to run on phones. It would have required a lot of additional resources and extended our schedule beyond what we thought was reasonable. So we took a shortcut."
Were the code to be adapted, Rubin said, it could well end up "creating a really bad user experience. We have no idea if it will even work on phones."
Previously, when earlier versions of Android were released as open source, many iterations ended up being adapted poorly to devices, giving the sort of poor user experience Rubin mentions.
Google's reputation as one of the biggest voices in the pro open source argument is unlikely to be completely untarnished by the restriction of Honeycomb, but Rubin was keen to point out that the decision doesn't represent a sea-change in policy for the tech giant, either.
"Android is an open-source project," Rubin reassured. "We have not changed our strategy."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...g-of-honeycomb

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Hanwha unleashes HDMI / USB adapter for iPad, iPhone 4, and fourth-gen iPod touch

March 29th, 2011, 00:55 Posted By: wraggster

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IDC says Windows Phone will overtake the iPhone

March 30th, 2011, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster

20.9 per cent market share by 2015 they claim


Market research outfit IDC said the smartphone market is expected to grow 49.2 per cent in 2011 as consumers and businesses drop feature phones and turn to smartphones.
While that hardly seems news, IDC did make the startling prediction that Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 would capture 20.9 per cent of the market by 2015. Currently combined Windows Mobile and Windows Phone 7 is 5.5 per cent of the market.
Predicting that Microsoft OS-powered smartphones would knock Apple's iOS into third place, IDC researcher Ramon Llamas attributed the growth to Microsoft's partnership with Nokia.
"The new alliance brings together Nokia's hardware capabilities and Windows Phone's differentiated platform. We expect the first devices to launch in 2012. By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android," said Llamas.



However Information Weeks's Eric Zeman said that Windows Phone 7 handsets had been on sale for six months but had so far "failed to to set sales on fire."
Zemen derided IDC's 20.9 per cent Windows Phone prediction as "fiddlesticks."
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/36042...ake-the-iPhone

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Firefox for Android released

March 30th, 2011, 00:44 Posted By: wraggster

Claims up to three times faster than stock browser

Following hot on the heels of the release of Firefox 4, Mozilla announced the release of the Firefox 4 browser for Android smartphones.
Mozilla claimed the third-party browser "delivers an intuitive interface, unparalleled customization and support for modern Web technologies," including features such as tabbed browsing and bookmark sync.
The browser developer also said that Firefox is up to three times faster than the default webkit-powered browser on Android smartphones with developer Brad Lassey blogging adetailed performance review showing the mobile browser handily beating the Android stock browser at JavaScript.
The Firefox installer size is 13.8Mb but the developers recently added the ability to be moved to the SD card, reducing usage of valuable internal memory to less than 100kb.
Firefox for Android is currently available in the Android Marketplace for all devices based on ARMv7 processors. It does not currently support Flash.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/36043...droid-released

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Windows Phone 7 getting NFC payments in next update?

March 30th, 2011, 01:21 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 is still catching up to the competition in terms of apps and basic features, but when it comes to mobile payments it might not be left in the dust --Bloomberg has two anonymous sources who say that Microsoft will outfit the next version of Windows Phone 7 with software support for near-field communications, and bake NFC tech into WP7 smartphones as early as this year. As we heard earlier this week, Google's reportedly working on a similar plan, complete with partnerships in the credit card space, RIM may or may not be arguing with carriers over its Bank of America trial, and the general consensus around the water cooler is that Apple won't be pursuing contactless payments this year. Yes, it's an exciting time to work in industries that rely solely on money changing hands.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/29/w...n-next-update/

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iPod Batteries May be in Short Supply Following Quake in Japan

March 30th, 2011, 17:22 Posted By: wraggster

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple may be facing a shortage of lithium polymer batteries that are used in its iPod line of music players. The bottleneck appears to be coming from a relatively obscure Japanese chemical maker that was forced to shutdown following the recent disaster in Japan.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Kureha, which has a 70% share of the global market for a crucial polymer used in lithium-ion batteries, had to shut its factory in Iwaki—near the quake's epicenter—after the March 11 disaster struck. It is the only place where Kureha makes this particular polymer.”

Following the disaster, the company now plans on moving much of its production overseas. The factory appears to have survived the quake relatively undamaged, however, the nearby port wasn't so lucky. Unfortunately, it was severely damaged.

http://modmyi.com/forums/ipod-news/7...ake-japan.html

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Is There an Apple Spy in the JB Community?

March 30th, 2011, 17:24 Posted By: wraggster

[UPDATE: @comex's tweets didn't allege that anyone on the Dev-Team was responsible for the leak, and the suggestion in the original version of this article that he did was an error. I am keeping my graphic, though, cause it's AWESOME]

With iOS 4.3.1 apparently having been specifically released to burn an exploit held in reserve by @comex, he is now publicly speculating that Apple may have a mole on the Dev-Team itself in the jailbreak community. The genius dev behind Spirit and JailbreakMe is acknowledging that he is possibly being "paranoid," but says in a tweet that "it's really hard to explain" the patch of his exploit as "anything but a leak." He did, however, stop short of pointing any fingers at specific people.

In a separate tweet, @comex noted that the exploit that he had been holding in reserve was "actually the kernel exploit used by JailbreakMe 2.0
http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news...community.html

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Improved Voice Command Reportedly Coming with iOS 5

March 30th, 2011, 17:25 Posted By: wraggster

On the heels of Apple's confirmation that the future of its iOS will be on display at the WWDC, which commences this year on June 6th at San Francisco's Moscone West, there is rampant speculation about what the refreshed operating system will serve up. On Tuesday, sources close to the development of iOS 5 say Apple is aiming to drastically improve upon voice commands.

Last year, through the acquisition of Siri, Apple gained access to groundbreaking technologies so intelligent that, if implemented via iDevices, could make our favorite Apple products like the iPhone vastly "smarter" than any previous model. Siri, after all, has pioneered applications that enable users to deliver voice commands that prompt the app to do the research or other legwork required to complete a particular task.

http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news...g-ios-5-a.html

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Tethered Jailbreak for iOS 4.3.1 now available for Mac and Windows

March 30th, 2011, 17:27 Posted By: wraggster

EDIT: Be aware, Sn0wbreeze is not an official Dev Team release, and doesn't include the standard kernel patches and the sandbox issues aren't sorted out. This means certain things could be broken on it (Safari, Cydia, etc). We still recommended you use official Dev Team releases.

Two of the most popular jailbreak tools have been updated so that users who wish to jailbreak their iOS devices on 4.3.1 can now do so. Both PwnageTool, the iPhone Dev-Team's jailbreak solution, and Sn0wbreeze, a windows jailbreak tool developed by @ih8sn0w, now have beta releases that enable a tethered jailbreak for all iOS devices (excluding the iPad 2).

Redmond Pie has already posted a tutorial on how to have a "semi-tethered" jailbreak on iOS 4.3.1 using PwnageTool.

http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news...c-windows.html

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iPad 2 Reportedly Sold Out in Most International Markets

March 30th, 2011, 17:27 Posted By: wraggster

It will come as little surprise to many that Apple has reportedly sold out of the iPad 2 in most of the 25 countries that received the second generation tablet just this past Friday. According to multiple consumer reports and just as many published mainstream media investigations, the tablet was largely sold out by Saturday in almost every market in which it became available just 24 hours earlier.

By 5:00 pm Friday in London, images had surfaced of long lines outside of some stores that likely contained more people than the store contained iPad 2s. Such was the case in Germany, Australia, Canada, and countless other nations that have watched iPad 2 fever grip the US during the past two weeks.

According to Fortune magazine, Apple's Opera Store in Paris sailed through an inventory of better than 3,000 iPad 2s between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Friday alone. By Saturday morning, the long lines greeted the official start of business. And the "shelves were bare" long before

http://modmyi.com/forums/ipad-news/7...l-markets.html

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Breathing new life into a broken iPod

March 30th, 2011, 17:30 Posted By: wraggster


[Craig] had a busted 2nd Gen iPod Nano that was well out of warranty. The play/pause button no longer worked, leaving him unable to play or pause music, nor power off the device. He didn’t want to scrap the iPod, so he figured out a way to add an external play/pause button instead.
He ordered an iPod dock connector from SparkFun and found that it had just enough space inside for the electronic components he would be adding. He consulted some online references for pinout information, then got busy cramming an ATiny13 and a pushbutton into the dock connector.
To minimize the drain on the iPod’s battery, he puts the ATiny into sleep mode when it is not being used. When the button is pressed, it wakes up the microcontroller and sends the proper signal to the iPod. Based on his estimations, it would take nearly 250 years for the ATiny to drain the iPod’s battery completely, so he’s pretty comfortable leaving the dongle attached at all times.
If you have an iPod with similar issues, he has made his source code available so you can save yours from the trash heap as well.

http://hackaday.com/2011/03/28/breat...a-broken-ipod/

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Spark Trophies released, Preview edition out (for now)

March 30th, 2011, 20:36 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://0xff.akop.org/2011/03/28/spar...n-out-for-now/

Latest version of Spark Trophies finally removes the ultra-crapulent US server as source of PSN data, and routes all requests through PSN EU, which is faster, and more accurate. Those of you who still use US server should notice a considerable speed boost, especially when refreshing friend list. If you’re already using PSN EU, you will notice that games are now sorted by play order, and not by title.
I have, for the time being, removed Trophies Preview from Market, pending a proper fix of the free edition – it should be back up sometime this week.
Download
P.S. Look forward to a Spark 360 release near the end of the week, or during the weekend

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iPad 2 sliced up again, this time in the name of radio science

March 31st, 2011, 02:24 Posted By: wraggster

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Altair - 3.5 Inch Touch Screen Dual SIM Android 2.2 Smartphone with WiFi

March 31st, 2011, 02:33 Posted By: wraggster

News via Gaming and Gadgets

Newly released at Hong Kong Gadget site Chinavision:


Introducing the Altair Android smartphone. Featuring Android 2.2, dual SIM card slots, WiFi, a 3.5 inch touch screen

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Eximus - Android 2.1 Tablet with 7 Inch Touchscreen and WiFi (Camera + HDMI)

March 31st, 2011, 02:35 Posted By: wraggster

News via Gaming and Gadgets


Newly released at Hong Kong Gadget site Chinavision:


Meet the Eximus 7 Inch Android Internet Tablet. The latest and smartest tablet solution around comes with Android 2.1, WiFi, a 7 inch touch screen, front facing camera, HDMI output, and powerful...

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Adobe demonstrates legitimate Photoshop capabilities on iPad, deems it but a concept

April 1st, 2011, 00:13 Posted By: wraggster

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Google tightening control of Android, insisting licensees abide by 'non-fragmentation

April 1st, 2011, 00:17 Posted By: wraggster

A storm seems to be brewing over the realm of Android development. Bloomberg's Businessweek spies have received word from "a dozen executives working at key companies in the Android ecosystem" that Google is actively working to gain control and final say over customizations of its popular mobile OS. That might not sound unreasonable, and indeed Google's public position on the matter is that it's seeking to stabilize the platform and ensure quality control, but it does mark a major shift from where Android started -- an open source OS that was also open to manufacturers and carriers to customize as they wish. Not so anymore, we're told, as apparently Mountain View is now demanding that content partnerships and OS tweaks get the blessing of Andy Rubin before proceeding. The alternative, of course, is to not be inside Google's warm and fuzzy early access program, but then, as evidenced by the company recently withholding the Honeycomb source code, you end up far behind those among your competitors who do dance to Google's pipe.

Things have gotten so heated, in fact, that complaints have apparently been made to the US Department of Justice. They may have something to do with allegations of Google holding back Verizon handsets with Microsoft's Bing on board, ostensibly in an effort to trip up its biggest search competitor. Another major dissatisfaction expressed by those working with Android code is that Google needs an advance preview of what is being done in order to give it the green light -- which, as noted by a pair of sources familiar with Facebook's Android customization efforts, isn't sitting well with people at all. Google and Facebook are direct competitors in the online space and it's easily apparent how much one stands to gain from knowing the other's plans early. As to the non-fragmentation clauses in licenses, Andy Rubin has pointed out those have been there from the start, but it's only now that Google is really seeking to use them to establish control. The future of Android, therefore, looks to be a little less open and a little more Googlish -- for better or worse. As Nokia's Stephen Elop puts it:

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Android PlayStation emulator PSX4Droid pulled from Market, timing pointing at Xperia

April 1st, 2011, 00:19 Posted By: wraggster

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