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Vegas Tech Start Up Questionable LLC Launches Questionable Friends iPhone App
23 May 2012 4:53 PM | No Commentsvar AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF'; var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000'; var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF'; var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC'; var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000'; try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';} document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=2053203&zs=3436385f3630&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62)); LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Questionable™ today introduced Questionable Friends™ for iPhone®. Questionable Friends lets you send questions to your...
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Sidecar Revolutionizes Phone Calls by Bringing “Smart Calling” to Smartphones
22 May 2012 12:00 PM | No CommentsSAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Launching today, Sidecar (www.sidecar.me) is a new mobile app that brings Smart Calling to smartphones. Smart Calling allows people to share live See What I See video, brilliant ...
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TransCore Launches Mobile iPad App for TransSuite Traffic Management System
21 May 2012 12:00 PM | No CommentsWASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Intelligent Transportation Society of America Annual Meeting – TransCore brings the ease of mobile computing to its TransSuite® advanced traffic management system (ATMS), launching its iPad® ...
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Cellfish Marvel’s The Avengers Live Wallpaper Android App Reaches 1.3 Million Downloads
16 May 2012 2:05 PM | No CommentsNEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Marvel’s The Avengers Live Wallpaper Android personalization app, created by Cellfish, has been downloaded 1.3 million times, driven by the massive success of Marvel Studios’ blockbuster movie. ...
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Kodak Introduces ESP 3.2 All-in-One Printer and New Pic Flick HD App for iPad
16 May 2012 12:30 PM | No CommentsROCHESTER, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Continuing to offer consumers a no-compromise choice in home printers, Kodak today introduced its new KODAK ESP 3.2 All-in-One Printer combining advanced features, quality, and ...
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BreakingNews Archive
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iPhone 4 announced, launching June 24 for $199 with new FaceTime video chat
Posted on June 7, 2010 | No Comments
Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 4 after a couple wild, unprecedented months of leaks. Sure, it looks exactly like we expected it to (Steve compares it to an old Leica camera), with a glass front and back, but it's what's on the inside that counts, kids. The stainless steel band that goes around the phone is an antenna system, while also providing the main structure of the phone, though it's plugged into the same old GSM / UMTS radio you all know and love -- there's a reason they didn't call it the iPhone 4G. There's also of course that front facing camera we were all anticipating, a rear camera with LED flash, and a new high resolution display that doubles the pixels in each direction (960 x 640) for a 4X overall pixel count increase -- Apple calls it a "Retina Display." It's rated at 326ppi, which Apple claims is beyond the human eye's limit of distinction. Check out an example of the new screen up against the iPhone 3G after the break. Similar to the iPad, it's an IPS display, offering 800:1 contrast. Naturally, it's still the same old 3.5-inch size. Under the hood is the A4 processor that runs the iPad. Despite the new engine (and the 25% thinner chassis), Apple managed to make the battery slightly larger, and the new handset is rated at 7 hours of 3G talk, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video, and 40 hours of music. Oh, and that WiFi? It's 802.11n now. The camera has been bumped to 5 megapixels, with 5X digital zoom and a "backside illuminated sensor," which now can also record HD video at 720p / 30fps.
On the software front, applications will automatically get high resolution text and buttons as part of iOS 4 (the OS previously known as iPhone OS 4), and with "a little bit of work" developers can make their entire app compatible with the new resolution display. Developers will also get access to a new gyroscope, giving devs "six axis" motion control between the gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass, with a new "Core Motion" API to deal with it all. Users won't be left out in the cold, however: they can mess around with that new HD video using a brand new iMovie app, if they shell out $4.99 for it. If anyone's feeling particularly frisky, iOS 4 even lets you switch your default search provider to Bing. Last but certainly not least, that new front camera is enabled for video chat using the new "FaceTime" feature. It's a WiFi-only (for now) video calling feature that works from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 with "no setup" involved, and can flip over to the rear camera if your grandparents get tired of your face.
The phone will be available in white or black, retailing at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for 32GB. They go on sale June 24th, and AT&T will be giving some extra grace upgrade timing -- up to six months early. The 3GS will be dropped to $99 and the 3G will disappear completely. Pre-orders start in a week, with 5 countries at launch (US, France, Germany, UK, Japan), with 18 more following in July. Apple will also be selling a first party case for $29, and a dock for the same price.
Continue reading iPhone 4 announced, launching June 24 for $199 with new FaceTime video chat
iPhone 4 announced, launching June 24 for $199 with new FaceTime video chat originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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FaceTime video calling added to iPhone 4… and it’s WiFi-only
Posted on June 7, 2010 | No Comments
That front-facing camera on the new iPhone 4 and a flood of leaks were a dead giveaway -- the new FaceTime app brings video calling to the iPhone. Unfortunately, it's WiFi-only at the moment, as Steve says Apple needs to work with carriers to support it on 3G. The FaceTime app is pretty cool -- you can flip the image between the front and rear cameras and between portrait and landscape orientation, and the video call system is built on open standards like SIP, H.264, and AAC so it'll work with other video calling apps as well.
FaceTime video calling added to iPhone 4... and it's WiFi-only originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone OS 4 renamed iOS 4, launching June 21 with 1500 new features
Posted on June 7, 2010 | No Comments
We knew it had to happen eventually -- iPhone OS has been renamed to iOS with the bump to version 4. Some 1500 new features are coming along with the name change, including biggies like multitasking, a unified inbox, app folders, and data detectors. Although Apple is encouraging devs to tweak their apps for the iPhone 4's new Retina Display, iOS4 will also automatically redraw text and controls for existing apps to make them play nice with the new higher pixel density. Bing search integration has also been added to iOS 4 in addition to Google and Yahoo -- Google is still the default, though. The golden master is available to devs today, and Steve says the 100 millionth iOS device -- that's iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad -- will be sold sometime this month. That's a lot of devices! We found out about most of the features of iOS 4 at the SDK event, so check here for the full rundown.
Apple says iOS 4 will arrive for the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and the iPod touch on June 21 -- and it'll be free to iPod touch owners for the first time, which is nice. Not all features will be supported across all devices: the first-gen touch is left out entirely, and the 3G won't do multitasking, as we heard at the SDK event. We'll see if there are any other limitations and let you know.
Amusingly, an iOS trademark is currently owned by Cisco -- just like the original iPhone trademark -- so we'll see if Apple's lawyers actually called ahead this time around or if they'll have to fake-tussle and make nice again.
iPhone OS 4 renamed iOS 4, launching June 21 with 1500 new features originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone 4 does 720p HD video, iMovie
Posted on June 7, 2010 | No Comments
A backside-illuminated 5 megapixel sensor is about to grace the new iPhone's rear, equipped with an LED flash and 720p / 30fps video recording. Tap to focus will also be rolled out in the iPhone Quattro, and Steve Jobs is keen to impress on us all that although the megapixel count has grown, the quality of images has apparently improved. That's what they all say. The added functionality of iMovie won't come for free, however, with Apple asking a $4.99 tithe for granting access to its more sophisticated video editing options. This is moving things along, to be sure, but why is the upper limit of storage still 32GB? A more generous apportionment of memory would've gone very nicely indeed with that HD video mode.
iPhone 4 does 720p HD video, iMovie originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Motorola Milestone XT720 announced: 8 megapixel cam, 720p video, and Droid heritage (update: video!)
Posted on June 7, 2010 | No CommentsMotorola has just outed a Europe-bound Milestone XT720, a handset intended to grab the attention of camera lovers with an 8 megapixel sensor, 720p / 24fps video and -- a first for Android handsets -- a xenon flash. Speaking of Android, this will come loaded up with version 2.1 when it launches later this month. Plans for 2.2 upgrades are, as usual, not yet formalized and not under discussion. Other specs include a 3.7-inch, 480 x 854 screen, a 550MHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, and a promised 9 hours of talk time and 320 hours of standby time. It looks very much like Moto's selection of Droid-esque handsets that have been prowling the Chinese market, and it seems the company has enjoyed success with the keyboard-less form factor and is pushing it out to Europe. US release plans are also not being discussed -- it might happen and it might not, seems to us like it'll depend on the Euros' reaction. We're just getting to grips with the handset right now, and will furnish you with video of it as soon as we can.
P.S. We're told this handset is closer to the Motoroi than anything else, Motorola describes them as sister devices. We also spotted a network update from Orange on the demo handset, implicating it as a possible carrier for the XT720 in the UK.
Update: We've now got Motorola's full press release plus a promo video after the break, as well as some comparison pics between this new handset and the original Milestone in the second gallery below.
Update 2: And we've just added our hands-on impressions and video, you know where to find them.Motorola Milestone XT720 announced: 8 megapixel cam, 720p video, and Droid heritage (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Evo 4G now for sale at Sprint online
Posted on June 4, 2010 | No Commentsvar digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/Evo_4G_now_for_sale'; It's here! The Evo 4G is now on sale at Sprint's online webstore. The dual-mode 3G/4G handset with 4.3-inch display, 8 megapixel camera, two-way video calling, and personal WiFi hotspot feature all powered by Android 2.1 on a 1GHz Snapdragon is now for sale for $199 on two year contract (after $150 instant savings and $100 mail-in rebate). Oh, sales are limited to five per customer just in case you're planning to go nuts. Now get out of here, the future is waiting.
[Thanks, Tim]Evo 4G now for sale at Sprint online originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Dell Streak: $500 unlocked in US, available next month
Posted on June 2, 2010 | No Commentsdigg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/Dell_Streak_500_unlocked_in_US_available_next_month'; We've just learned at D8 today that Dell will be offering the Streak to US customers direct from its website -- unlocked -- starting next month for $500. That's later than the June 4 date that UK customers will be enjoying, but it's earlier than it could've been -- Dell had merely been giving "later this Summer" guidance previously. More on this as it develops!
Dell Streak: $500 unlocked in US, available next month originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AT&T makes sweeping changes to data plans, iPhone tethering coming at OS 4 launch
Posted on June 2, 2010 | No Comments
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_tethering_and_new_price_plans_coming_to_AT_T_June_7'; You might think that AT&T would hold off for a national HSPA+ deployment or a full-on LTE launch before tweaking its data pricing strategy, but not so much -- the carrier is coming out swinging today with some significant changes that should benefit the overwhelming majority of its smartphone users (and could stand to harm a select few). Let's break down the major points:
DataPlus / DataPro
- The existing $30 fair-use "unlimited" smartphone data plan is being replaced by two new options: $15 per month for 200MB and $25 for 2GB (called "DataPlus" and "DataPro," respectively). Customers currently on the $30 plan are welcome to stay on it, but they can switch at any time without extending their contract.
- AT&T's new overage system is arguably the game changer: on the $15 plan, you'll pay $15 for each additional 200MB, but on the $25 plan, you'll pay $10 for each additional GB. It's simple and straightforward -- but most importantly, it won't bankrupt you if you go over by a gig or three in a month. This compares to $50 per gigabyte of overage on AT&T's 5GB DataConnect plan for laptops.
- The carrier's going to be very flexible about changing between the DataPlus and DataPro plans -- if you're on DataPlus, for example, and you discover that you're blowing past your allotment, you can choose either to start DataPro the following billing cycle, pro-rate it, or apply the higher plan retroactively to the beginning of your current billing cycle. That's pretty wild.
Tethering
- Tethering will be offered as an add-on to the DataPro plan for an additional $20 per month, which means you'll pay a total of $45 a month for 2GB of data shared between your phone and your tethered devices. If you're light on the usage, it's a sweet deal -- but if you scale it up and you're using the data almost exclusively on your laptop, it compares unfavorably to the traditional DataConnect plan: $60 versus $75 for 5GB (and in the unlikely even you've got a webOS device on Verizon, it compares even less favorably). If you're striking a balance of data use between a smartphone and tethered gear, AT&T's new setup is still pretty solid considering that you would've been paying $60 for the USB stick plus $30 for smartphone data before.
- Yes, it's finally happening: AT&T's iPhones will get access to the tethering option, too.
iPad
- iPad users are also affected by the change. The $30 iPad data plan -- lauded for being labeled by AT&T as truly unlimited -- goes away to be replaced by the same $25 / 2GB plan that smartphone users will see, though current subscribers to the $30 plan can continue unaffected.
Continue reading AT&T makes sweeping changes to data plans, iPhone tethering coming at OS 4 launch
AT&T makes sweeping changes to data plans, iPhone tethering coming at OS 4 launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google officially acquires AdMob
Posted on May 27, 2010 | No Comments
It was only a (brief) matter of time once it cleared the FTC's final approval last week (with a special thanks to Apple's iAd): Google is now the proud owner of one AdMob. According to Product Management VP Susan Wojcicki, the company is now integrating all the teams and products together. Full details are at the Official Google Blog, and after the break, check out an email purportedly from AdMob CEO Omar Hamoui.Continue reading Google officially acquires AdMob
Google officially acquires AdMob originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Debunk: Steve Ballmer not speaking at WWDC
Posted on May 27, 2010 | No Commentsdigg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Debunk_Steve_Ballmer_not_speaking_at_WWDC_Engadget'; An analyst named Trip Chowdhry at Global Equities Research set off a firestorm of rumors last night after he claimed that Steve Ballmer would appear onstage with Steve Jobs at WWDC for exactly seven minutes to announce Visual Studio development for the iPhone -- and the maelstrom of crazytalk quickly expanded to include everything from a Bing partnership to Silverlight for the iPhone. Turns out all that chatter was just as insane and untrue as you'd expect, though: Microsoft's official Twitter account just clamped down on the speculation, saying that Ballmer isn't speaking at WWDC, or appearing on Dancing with the Stars. Sorry kids -- looks like we'll have to just hold out hope for next season.
Debunk: Steve Ballmer not speaking at WWDC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Confirmed: Palm’s Matias Duarte joins Google as User Experience Director for Android
Posted on May 27, 2010 | No Commentsdigg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/Palm_s_Matias_Duarte_joins_Google_as_UI_Director'; We'd heard rumors this morning that webOS design guru Matias Duarte had left Palm for Google, but now we've got it straight from Mountain View: Mr. Duarte is the new User Experience Director for Android. If you'll remember, Matias previously worked on Sidekick with Android head Andy Rubin, so it's a reunion of sorts for these two -- we're pretty excited to see where they take Android in the future. As for Palm, well, we're sure HP has plenty of talented designers waiting to lead webOS into the wild world of tablets, netbooks and, uh, printers, so we'll see what happens there -- things could get crazy on both sides of this transition.
Confirmed: Palm's Matias Duarte joins Google as User Experience Director for Android originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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webOS design mastermind Matias Duarte leaves Palm… and could be headed to Google
Posted on May 27, 2010 | No Commentsdigg_url = 'http://digg.com/tech_news/webOS_design_mastermind_Matias_Duarte_exits_Palm_for_Google'; According to a report filed over at All Things D, Matias Duarte -- the man considered to be the driving force behind the user interface of webOS -- has left Palm, and may very well be headed to Google. Duarte held the title of Senior Director of Human Interface and User Experience, and before working his magic at Palm, was one of the hands that touched the Sidekick and Helio UIs. Although Palm has confirmed his departure from the company, they aren't giving up the goods on where he's headed next, though John Paczkowski over at D says "multiple sources" indicate he's on his way to Google, presumably to work on Android.
While Matias was unquestionably a prime mover at Palm, we had heard rumblings that his rigid attitude toward design and control-freak nature sometimes caused conflict amongst the team. Of course, you don't crank out something as groundbreaking as webOS without some hard boundaries. The news that he's headed to Google could signal a major shift for Android towards dealing with the myriad UI issues the mobile OS has, particularly a lack of cohesion in the stock builds -- something HTC has gone to great lengths to shore up with Sense.
Update: And it's confirmed. Matias will be joining Sidekick pal Andy Rubin over at Google as Android's User Experience Director. Watch out HTC... and everyone else for that matter.webOS design mastermind Matias Duarte leaves Palm... and could be headed to Google originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Confirmed: Apple’s next iPhone will have video chat, feature to be shown in ads directed by Sam Mendes
Posted on May 24, 2010 | No Commentsdigg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/American_Beauty_director_at_work_on_iPhone_4G_ads'; Well this can't be tremendously surprising. Apparently American Beauty director Sam Mendes is in the process of putting together a series of commercials for Apple's next iPhone, which according to a tipster is being referred to internally as the Mammoth / N90. Besides that tip (with a handful of juicy details), a trusted source has confirmed to us that the ads will feature at least one spot where a mother and daughter are having a video chat conversation using the new front-facing camera that's been spied on the face of that iPhone floating around Vietnam and Northern California. Adding weight to this story, a cursory search on Twitter revealed that there's at least one actress who is up for a role in the "f***ing apple commercial" in New York, and another fellow who is auditioning for spots in California. We don't know much more than that, but we're fairly confident that this confirms video chat is coming to the next iPhone, and that that said iPhone isn't very far from our grasp. Remember folks, June 7th is just a kiss away.
Confirmed: Apple's next iPhone will have video chat, feature to be shown in ads directed by Sam Mendes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 22:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nokia and Yahoo announce ‘worldwide strategic alliance’ on email, IM, maps, and more
Posted on May 24, 2010 | No CommentsCarol Bartz and Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEOs of Yahoo! and Nokia, respectively, are on stage right now announcing a "strategic relationship" between the two companies on some of their core services. Nokia will be using Yahoo to power its Ovi email and IM services, while Yahoo will be using Nokia / NAVTEQ's competencies for its mapping and navigation services. Both companies see it as a way to grow their respective userbases, with Yahoo hoping to grab onto the 9 million Ovi users out there, while Nokia hopes that Yahoo could provide it a bit of a USA mojo. Interestingly, Olli-Pekka confronted the US problem head on: "We are an unusual global company in the sense that we are clearly a global leader in our industry, and yet we do not lead in the US." Carol was similarly forthcoming, saying that Yahoo had "lost its focus on maps a couple years ago," then correcting herself, saying that they "chose to focus on other areas." The first merged services should launch in the second half of this year.
During Q&A the big answer to everything seemed to be "scale," but we also heard Carol toss in "downstream" at an opportune moment. When asked how this relates to Android, iPhone and so forth, Carol clarified that this doesn't change anything they're doing on those fronts. "It's not exclusive from that point." Each service will be branded as "powered by Yahoo" or "powered by Ovi." Yahoo will be announcing some "social-like" services for its mail and IM soon, but it's unclear if that's specifically related to this announcement. Neither company is talking financial specifics, but Olli-Pekka did make it very clear that a Yahoo-branded device wasn't forthcoming.Nokia and Yahoo announce 'worldwide strategic alliance' on email, IM, maps, and more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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