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Estimate has Apple selling 120,000 iPads in first day |
posted on
03/13/2010 |
 Apple may have moved nearly 120,000 iPads in just its first day of pre-orders, an estimate by private analysts at the AAPL Sanity board suggests. After excluding the 16,500 average orders on a given day, the collective has used the intervals between order numbers over 19.5 hours to estimate that about 119,987 iPads should have sold during that period. The statistic doesn't include those who simply reserved a unit in-store and potentially puts the actual launch day tally considerably higher.... |
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Review: Avaak's Vue Personal Video Network |
posted on
03/13/2010 |
 If youíre looking for a quick and easy wireless camera system for checking whoís at your front door, monitoring your pets while youíre at work or checking up on your napping baby, Avaak believes it has an inexpensive option. The company's Vue Personal Video Network system, made up of a couple of small wireless cameras and a wireless base station, promises to simplify the experience of keeping track of others. But while it's easy to set up, we'll find out in our full Vue PVN review if it's also a pleasure to use.... |
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FCC to call for 10-year broadband plan, 100Mbps access |
posted on
03/13/2010 |
 The FCC's promised national broadband plan should have its formal unveiling on Tuesday, an early scoop of the details claimed on Saturday. Over the next 10 years, the agency would subsidize broadband Internet access for rural areas, creating a combination Internet and cable set-top box, and a previously hinted at plan to relicense as much as 500MHz of spectrum for wireless Internet access. Speed would be a critical focus as well, as the 100 Squared plan woube part of the proposal and promise 100Mbps Internet access to 100 million homes.... |
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AT&T to use HSPA+ in some areas soon |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 AT&T will still implement 21Mbps 3G on its network on its way to 4G, the company's Mobility chief Ralph de la Vega said in an interview late Thursday. The provider had late last year said it would skip HSPA+ to make a more direct leap, but de la Vega now sees the advanced 3G reaching "certain locations" before 4G becomes widespread. He didn't yet have information for FierceWireless as to which areas would get the faster treatment.... |
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Court upholds judgement against Microsoft in i4i case |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 The Federal Court of Appeals has upheld a jury verdict against Microsoft in the patent infringement case filed by i4i, according to The Inquirer. Despite Microsoft's confidence that it would win the appeal, judges reaffirmed the earlier decision.... |
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iPad arrives at FCC in 3G, Wi-Fi versions |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 In sync with pre-orders, the iPad today was passed through the FCC in both Wi-Fi only and 3G enabled models. The tests don't confirm new features but show that the two are clear to use Wi-Fi in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands as well as AT&T's 850MHz and 1,900MHz HSPA bands for the 3G edition. In a possibly intentional nod to tech enthusiasts, the 3G model carries the model number A1337.... |
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UK to expand 3G frequencies in August |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom has proposed using 3G technologies at 2G frequencies in the UK, with an amended document that should be approved this August. In it, rules are updated to Ultra Wide Band usage, while 3G network technology will be deployed at the 900MHz and 1,800MHz bands which are currently restricted to the 2G GSM network.... |
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Canon DSLRs hacked to use Nintendo DS as control |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 After reportedly trying all of the currently available hacks and attachments for DSLR cameras and founding them wanting, the group of photographers at HDRLabs have created their own. Called the Open Camera Controller (OCC), it's based on an older Nintendo DS portable gaming console that controls the functions of Canon DSLR cameras, as well as Olympus and Sigma shooters. Along with some coding and a new hardware interface, the HDRLabs staffe claim they can make the connected DSLRs do things their manufacturers never intended.... |
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BlackBerry Tour2 to get push-to-talk, ship in May? |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 The upcoming BlackBerry Tour2 will arrive in Verizon stores sometime in May, BGR claimed in a rumor on Friday. At the same time, the device is said to have push-to-talk that would cost $5 per month. The same functionality will reportedly come to the existing Tour 9630 thanks to an OS 5.0 firmware upgrade said to be coming late in March or early in April.... |
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Korea may block Android Market due to game laws |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 South Korea is considering banning access to the Android Marketplace to its residents if Google continues to offer game apps that are not approved by the country's regulator. According to a Thursday report, South Korea's Games Ratings Board officially requested that Google Korea abides by the law, requiring all video games to be rated by the governing body. Google is reviewing the South Korean government's request but has not yet made any decisions public.... |
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Nexus One for India to be slimmer, lose features? |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 A downgraded version of Google's Nexus One smartphone may ship to markets in developing countries, including India, according to this week's TechTree report. This handset would be slimmer than the current and only Nexus One and would have less features, though what exactly it would lack has not been disclosed. This will also mean a lower price of entry, but again, no specifics are yet known.... |
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Sony rolls Disney-themed Walkman players |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 Sony Japan on Friday introduced new Disney-themed portable media players. The S740 and S640 devices are available in nine colors and can also now be had with an engraved image of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse or Mickey and Minnie together. All characters are dancing in the image. Along with the images, users can have a one-line, 15-character personalized message engraved on the back of their devices.... |
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Vodafone axes paid GPS following Nokia, Google apps |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 Vodafone today said it has shut down Wayfinder, the company providing its subscription GPS service. The move has cost 90 jobs and is characterized as a direct reaction to the availability of free Ovi Maps on Nokia phones and, to a lesser degree, Google Maps Navigation on Android. The two render Wayfinder redundant as they offer the same or better turn-by-turn but without the monthly rate.... |
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Win Phone 7 to support 320x480 on future phones |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 On his recent blog entry, XNA Game Studio developer Shawn Hargreaves revealed that future versions of Windows Phone 7-based smartphones will support a lower 320x480 resolution rather than the current 480x800, indicating the operating system will be preloaded onto lower-end handsets. Writing from the perspective of a man who integrates games onto mobile platforms, like with Game Studio 4.0, Hargreaves believes the smaller resolution will make it easier for phones to render 3D games at a reasonable frame rate without having a super-fast processor.... |
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Apple TV off main store; iPad retail already dry? |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 Apple's iPad pre-orders have pushed the Apple TV out of the main page, observers have told Electronista and MacNN. The device is still available through Apple's iPod section but has lost the position it has largely occupied since it was launched in 2007. Apple hasn't given a reason for the shift.... |
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Spring Design Alex may ship March 16 |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 The delayed Alex e-book reader from Spring Design may become available from the company's website on March 16th, according to an unnamed source. Previously, the device was due for a February 22nd release as well as another one during the first week in March, which was also missed. SlashGear hasn't heard what triggered the extended delay.... |
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Google may stop censoring China "within weeks" |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 Google may cease its censorship of search results on the web in China over the next few weeks, according to slips from unnamed sources. While contacts for the WSJ claim the search engine giant may try to avoid leaving the Chinese market altogether, they say it would make several individual agreements with numerous Chinese agencies to operate parts of its business while letting it abandon the search site if the government refuses to allow uncensored material. Government officials have insisted that allowing Chinese residents to see the full Internet would break its la... |
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Nokia motions to dismiss Apple's counterclaims |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 Nokia as a response to Apple's countersuit on Thursday put forward a motion to dismiss Apple's claims. The argument insists that Apple's counterclaims are "designed to divert attention" away from the iPhone's alleged violation of Nokia's 3G patents. In the 28-page motion, it maintains that it tried negotiating "fair" royalties with Apple but that the American company doesn't have a right to sue simply because it feels the rates are too steep or the contract harsh.... |
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Verizon Nexus One may get Sense UI |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 The planned Verizon edition of the Nexus One may have HTC's own Sense UI on top when it arrives, the online equipment guide at the carrier showed today. It claims that, in addition to the switch to CDMA, the phone will use HTC's own custom interface and not the plain Android 2.1 foundation. Sense UI for 2.1 brings an all-at-once view of the home screen, new widgets and most notably multi-touch inputs, although a recent Nexus One update added this in multiple key apps.... |
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Sony moves just 17K PSP Gos in Japan |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 Sony has sold just 17,618 PSP Go handhelds in Japan over the past three months, German magazine GameFront and Japanese analyst firm Media Create this week. The Go was not only the poorest-selling model over the period but has seen its sales taper to below levels reserved for previous-generation consoles. At 1,275 units sold in the first week of March, the "premium" PSP has been outsold by the now decade-old PS2.... |
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InstantAction lets developers embed games in websites |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 At the GDC show, InstantAction has shown off a new platform that will enable game developers to embed video games in websites such as Facebook, MySpace or blogs, as well as in e-mails. This means users do not need to download the games, and access them from any web-connected computer that has access to a website or e-mail that hosts their game. The company claims that thanks to a combination of in-browser, thin-client and progressive downloading technologies, embedding even high-end games is as easy and fast as uploading a photo or video.... |
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iPad trivia: screen lock switch, 3rd-party ePub support |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 Apple in its iPad pre-order update today has also revealed a pair of key new facts about the tablet. The company has notably changed the mute switch into a screen rotation lock toggle, addressing one of the most common pre-release complaints: readers can now read the iPad while in bed or otherwise on their sides while keeping the orientation frozen for an e-book or a website.... |
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Piracy up in France despite three strikes law |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 France's three strikes anti-piracy law has actually increased the amount of piracy in the country, a new study has revealed. Despite the threat of being permanently disconnected from the Internet in the country, frequent downloaders increased their activity 3 percent since the law, also known as Hadopi, passed last fall. While BitTorrent use did drop from 17.1 percent to 14.6 percent, any who gave up torrents simply moved to streams or to private hosts using uploaders, which are difficult if not impossible to track with current methods.... |
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Plastic Logic QUE delayed to summer |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 Plastic Logic chief Richard Archuleta sent notice late Thursday to customers that the QUE proReader has been delayed from mid-April to an unspecified point in the summer. The executive didn't specify the exact reasons behind the delay but claimed it was to "fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience." More details are expected to follow within the next month.... |
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Apple begins taking iPad pre-orders |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 As promised, iPad pre-orders have begun at the Apple Store. The campaign lets US customers pre-order the Wi-Fi and 3G versions of the tablet for online shipments. It also lets customers reserve a unit at a retail store in the country.... |
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Xbox 360 tops Wii in rare upset of February sales |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 The Xbox 360 claimed a rare absolute victory in sales last month, according to new NPD data. Microsoft pushed 422,000 Xbox 360s in February compared to a relatively mild 397,900 Nintendo Wiis over the same period. The reversal was rare but was helped by the launch of key games in or shortly before the period, including Bioshock 2 and Mass Effect 2.... |
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Lenovo: mobile Internet to be 80% of sales in five years |
posted on
03/12/2010 |
 The vast majority of Lenovo's sales will come from Internet-capable portable devices in five years, company chief Yang Yuanqing stated on Friday. He observed that ThinkPads and IdeaPads already outweigh desktops but that fully 70 to 80 percent of Lenovo's devices will be mobile Internet devices of some kind within as little as three and no more than five years. Many of these will be smartphones, but they should also include crossover devices such as the IdeaPad U1 notebook/tablet hybrid and the Skylight smartbook.... |
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Boost Mobile offers prepaid SANYO Incognito |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Boost Mobile has launched the QWERTY-based clamshell/flip hybrid phone from SANYO on its prepaid network: the Incognito. Introduced last fall and first available at Best Buy in late January, Boost Mobile expects to expand the distribution of Kyocera's low-cost phone to RadioShack as well as Target and Walmart soon. The handset, which utilizes Boost's outsourced 3G/EVDO network (by Sprint), has a glowing touch-sensitive keypad and OLED display along with flip-open QWERTY keyboard and a larger 2.6-inch, 320x240 screen along with a 2MP camera with VGA camcorder.... |
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Demo shows Unreal Engine 3 playing on webOS |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Palm is currently demonstrating Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 running on a Palm Pre Plus at the Game Developers Conference this week. The company managed to get the engine working on webOS just two weeks after receiving a test version of the Unreal Development Kit, according to CNET. The technology is currently used in PC and console games such as Gears of War 2 and Unreal Tournament III.... |
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iPad pre-orders to start 8:30AM Friday |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Apple tonight confirmed that tomorrow's iPad pre-orders will start on the Apple Store at 8:30AM Eastern. Initial orders are limited to the US and are likely to be limited to the Wi-Fi only version launching in the country on April 3rd.... |
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Cellphone inventor switches from iPhone to Droid |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Early cellphone pioneer Marty Cooper has admitted both in a C-SPAN interview (video below) and on Twitter that he has at least temporarily switched from an iPhone to a Motorola Droid. While he admits that he often tries new phones, he has switched his main device to the Motorola phone to try Android. He so far has "favorable results."... |
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Google Reader Play makes RSS iPad-friendly |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Google late Wednesday rolled out an alternate take on Google Reader that superficially makes things simpler but is also ideally suited to tablets. Google Reader Play switches from Reader's usual plain list view to a large-buttoned media browser based on user's "recommended items" feed. The new web app shows any photos or YouTube videos in a large, central area and lets users favorite or share the content they prefer; recommendations also come from fellow users.... |
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AMD planning netbook-class chip for 2011 |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Chipmaker AMD will soon release a Fusion-branded CPU for netbooks meant to compete with Intel's Atom range of CPUs. The Fusion name stems from the integrated graphics processors from ATI, which AMD acquired in 2006. While specs for the chip haven't yet been finalized, it will consume between 10 and 15 watts of power, while its graphics performance will be good enough not to require a separate NVIDIA Ion GPU, according to AMD chief marketing officer Nigel Dessau.... |
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HTC Incredible surfaces again with final Verizon design |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 The HTC Incredible handset has been spotted with its finalized design for Verizon. The newest information reveals that the CDMA phone's Snapdragon CPU is believed to run at a downrated 768MHz clock speed, and there should be 512MB of RAM onboard. Users interface through Android 2.1 with HTC's Sense UI and a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a 480x800 resolution.... |
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Novothink ships solar-powered iPhone, iPod touch cases |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Novothink today put out its promised Solar Surge case for the iPhone and iPod touch. The design acts like a battery sled for Apple's devices and, as its name suggests, is one of the few such cases that can power itself. While slow to charge, a two-hour exposure to daylight can give an iPhone 3G or 3GS enough extra power for 30 more minutes of calls and considerably longer for music.... |
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AT&T's field trial of 100-gigabit Ethernet a success |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Wireless and cable provider AT&T earlier this week announced it has completed successful field trials of its 100-gigabit backbone network technology. The provider used the new Cisco CRS-3 Carrier Routing System for its tests along with matching modules on the client side and artificial traffic generators to simulate conditions. The test was performed over a 560-mile stretch between Louisiana and Florida with optical fiber providing the backbone.... |
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JooJoo tablet tips up at FCC with 3G, NVIDIA Ion |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 The FCC in a filing published Thursday has revealed a number of longstanding mysteries about the JooJoo tablet. Despite Fusion Garage being reluctant to explain the hardware in detail before launch, its pre-release manual shows the device using an NVIDIA Ion chipset. The faster graphics are key to its ability to play 1080p video and will give it hardware-accelerated Flash 10.1 when ready.... |
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China's Hott shows $92, 4.8-inch Android tablet |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Chinese personal electronics maker Hott was showing off a 4.8-inch touchscreen tablet at CeBIT that runs on Android and is powered by an ARM9 Rockchip-based processor. Hott claims comprehensive video playback support, including 720p HD videos, though no HDMI output is present. The screen's resolution of 800x480 cannot support HD resolutions, however, so the unnamed device would need an external display to perform this feat.... |
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Six-core Intel Core i7 tested: fast for creative tasks |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 New tests of Intel's just-launched Core i7-980X is potentially much faster than existing chips but also faces noticeable limits. The first mainstream six-core processor is fastest in creative tasks such as 3D modeling, Photoshop filters and video encoding, many of which are aware of multithreaded code and can use six cores. The performance gap over a quad-core i7 at the same 3.33GHz speed is usually at least 20 percent higher and as much as 70 percent higher.... |
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Dolby extending Axon 3D chat to consoles, Mac |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 At the Game Developer's Conference, Dolby said it will make its Axon 3D voice chat technology available for gamers on the PS3, Xbox 360 and Mac platforms. Thus far, only PC users could benefit from the technology, and the software development kit (SDK) will be made available to game developers in April. It is currently undergoing beta testing with several unnamed software companies.... |
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FTC may oppose Google's AdMob buyout |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 The Federal Trade Commission has signaled that it may at least temporarily block Google's buyout of AdMob, a set of leaks from within the process hinted late Thursday. As part of its investigation, the FTC is reportedly asking "at least two" companies to sign statements that would likely argue that the mobile ad deal abuses Google's web dominance. Such testimonies are usually gathered when FTC agents believe the Commission will block or change a deal, WSU professor Stephen Calkins told Bloomberg.... |
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Sony EVIL camera to use touchscreen |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Screen captures of Sony's EVIL (electronic viewfinder, interchangeable lens) digital camera concept shown off at the PMA show last month reveal some more functionalities of the device. It was already known that the new Alpha will sport an APS-C sized sensor despite its size, but the screen captures reveal that most control will come through a touchscreen. At the same time, the menu shots reveal users will be capable of shooting and saving images in both JPEG and RAW modes, like full DSLR cameras from competitors, and would give both a web-friendly version as well as... |
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HP to recruit Dr. Dre, more for $40m ad blitz [U] |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 (Update: official video below) HP is about to start an estimated eight week long, $40 million corporate advertising campaign, its first in over five years, a source said on Thursday. According to the WSJ, HP aims to show off its broader range of technology through a set of ads to help spread the message. The campaign would include rapper Dr. Dre, whose Beats headphones and software are already on some HP notebooks, as well as stand-up comic and Flight of the Conchords actor Rhys Darby.... |
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Opera Mini 5 reaches Android; hands-on |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Opera recommitted to Android in significant fashion today by launching Opera Mini 5 in beta. The new version brings Speed Dial over from the desktop and lets users visually jump to one of nine favorite sites from the home screen. Tabbed browsing is similarly new and uses a relatively uncommon approach that shows tabs visually without disrupting the main page.... |
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TiVo to revisit UK through Virgin |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 As announced last fall, TiVo will return to the UK market after a seven-year absence. TiVo will partner with the UK's Virgin Media, which will develop the cable firm's next-generation set-top box. While details on the hardware are thin on the ground, TiVo chief executive Tom Rogers said it will be heavily based on the TiVo Premiere slated for other markets and confirmed for the US.... |
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OpenGL 4 specs bring OpenCL hooks, new effects |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 The Khronos Group today outlined the official feature set for OpenGL 4.0. The new graphics standard is the first major update since the launch of OpenCL and better exploits general computing features. It can draw the output of an OpenCL calculation without having to invoke the main processor and potentially frees up the processor even more when video or a similar task is already being offloaded to the graphics core.... |
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Barnes & Noble prepping eReader for iPad |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Barnes & Noble on Thursday said it was developing a version of its eReader app just for the iPad. Unlike the split approach to the regular iPhone feature, which breaks up the reader and storefront, the iPad version should provide both the store and the reader in the same software. As books are tied to an account rather than a device, the feature will even let those who own a Nook migrate all their downloads to Apple's tablet.... |
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Casio G'zOne Brigade official for Verizon |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 The rugged Casio G'zOne Brigade handset introduced by Verizon last fall is now on sale at the carrier. The water-, dust- and shock-resistant phone meets the MIL-STD-810F standard for toughness. The device flips open horizontally to reveal a full QWERTY hardware keyboard and a large 2.9-inch screen with a 480x270 resolution.... |
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Pink Floyd wins ruling, bans single-song downloads |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Pink Floyd in a UK court on Thursday won a key ruling in its case against EMI for allegedly breaking its contract terms. The quick turnaround would prevent the music label from selling any Pink Floyd songs as individual downloads without permission from the band. In his findings, Judge Morritt determined that the key clause preventing per-track sales was meant to "preserve the artistic integrity" regardless of format.... |
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Virgin plans 50Mbps for rural areas over telegraph pole |
posted on
03/11/2010 |
 Virgin Media today outlined plans to test one of the fastest rural Internet services available. The trial, in the UK village of Woolhampton, would use existing telegraph poles to link the area directly to Virgin's fiber optic network. It would give the residents the same 50Mbps access as those in larger towns without having to bury lines or relying on the existing, DSL-only BT network.... |
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