Kill Trolls On The Go With The Disqus Mobile Moderator Apps

One thing I love about Disqus is their mobile commenting abilities. Traditionally, commenting on mobile devices has been awful, but Disqus makes it pretty on the small screen. That said, it's still a pain to moderate Disqus comments while on the go. So Disqus has a new product to take care of that. The commenting start-up (which we use here at TechCrunch) is releasing a set of mobile applications to handle comment moderation when you're away from your desk. The Android, iPhone, and webOS platforms will all be getting this app. It's out today for Android, and will be out shortly on the other two platforms, Disqus notes (they're in review).

NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

Apperian Names Patrick CEO

Previously Xkoto CEO, David Patrick will replace founder Chuck Goldman at the helm of the iPhone application developer.

STANDARD MICROSYSTEMS

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ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR ENGINEERING

HP Completes Cisco Rip And Replace In 6 Data Centers

Proclaiming its six data centers are now "Cisco-free," Hewlett-Packard said its six totally revamped data centers are running the $130-billion company's operations with networking technologies supplied exclusively by HP Networking.

SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES

Apple mobile ads taking share from Google, Microsoft

The new iAds system for iPhone app advertising is estimated to end the year with 21 percent of mobile ads.

Originally posted at Circuit Breaker

LSI

Microsoft releases SteadyState documents for Windows 7

Last week I wrote in Tech Watch about Microsoft discontinuing support for Windows SteadyState -- a blow to admins who have to kee

NII HOLDINGS

Month at the Museum Finalist: Felix Jung

Which of the five finalists do you think is the right one to spending a Month at the Museum? Read bios, watch videos and get to know them: http://monthathemuseum.org

IRON MOUNTAIN INORATED

AMD pressures Intel with inexpensive desktop chips

AMD announced on Tuesday inexpensive desktop microprocessors with up to six cores to put pricing pressure on rival Intel.

AMD's new chips include the fastest AMD Phenom II X6 1075T six-core processor, which is priced "under $250" for 1,000 units, AMD said. AMD also introduced a range of dual-core and quad-core Athlon II and Phenom II desktop microprocessors priced between $76 and $185.

MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES

For better security, ditch the automatic tools

I'm often paid to run expensive vulnerability scanning tools against hundreds or thousands of computers. Whereas vulnerability scanning has much value, I find that my manual reviews of those same assets usually reveals things that the automated scans do not.

CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR

Latest iPod Nano's Materials Cost Just $43.73, Half What the First Nano Cost [Apple]

Six generations on, and the cost of materials has decreased dramatically from the first-ever iPod Nano, which cost $89.97—for just 2GB. The 8GB version that came out recently has parts totaling $43.73. More »

UNISYS

Keep your kids iSafe with an alarm enabled backpack

Designed for kids ages 8 and up, the iSafe backpack has a built in security system, which is powered by batteries and can be activated by the wearer pulling on a cord. Once the cord is pulled, the bag sounds off as loud as a car alarm and can run up to 2 continuous hours [...]

Filed in categories: Kid Gadgets, News, Spotlight Gadgets

Tagged: Backpack, Kids, Security

Keep your kids iSafe with an alarm enabled backpack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 25, 2010 at 9:03 pm.

FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR INTERNATIONAL

HP's Bradley: HP isn't trying to be Apple, will sell 15 million webOS printers next year

It's no secret that HP's Todd Bradley is one of the leading candidates to succeed ousted CEO Mark Hurd, and it doesn't look like he was doing much to dissuade that notion at the now happening TechCrunch Disrupt conference. In addition to addressing a question about whether it's ethically wrong to charge so much for ink by responding "ask me next year, if I take the [CEO] position," Bradley also sounded more than a little like a CEO throughout, and made a fair bit of news in the process. That includes a confirmation that HP won't be licensing webOS to other companies, and the attention-grabber of a statement that "emulating Apple is not part of our strategy." As if that wasn't enough, Bradley also made the rather bold promise that HP will sell 15 million webOS-based printers next year alone, and he predicted that tablets will become a $40 billion market within the next few years -- a market that HP plans to enter in a "big way." Head on past the break for a video of the interview.

Continue reading HP's Bradley: HP isn't trying to be Apple, will sell 15 million webOS printers next year

HP's Bradley: HP isn't trying to be Apple, will sell 15 million webOS printers next year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMAZONCOM

'Ask an Iraqi leader,' courtesy of YouTube

Filed under: Internet, Google, web 2.0

YouTube, often considered the 'Wild West' of Google's operation, has launched a new series of interviews called 'Iraq Looks Forward.'

Conducted by Arabic-language television network Al Arabiya, these interviews will draw from a pool of questions that have been submitted by you and I. You can go ahead and submit a question now -- and vote on other questions! Voting is, as you'd expect, pretty contentious -- but for some reason, even neutral questions like 'When will the new government be formed?', which has 23 thumbs-up votes, has 10 thumbs-down votes. In fact, almost all of the questions have a lot of thumbs-downing...

These questions will be posed to the sitting Prime Minister of Iraq, the Prime Minister of Kurdistan and 'others,' so if you have something important to ask... ask! The deadline is next Monday, September 27.

'Ask an Iraqi leader,' courtesy of YouTube originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

MICROSEMI

Iran's Advanced Weapons of Mass Hilarity [Weapons]

Their nuclear potential and missiles—despite the dumb Photoshops—are nothing to laugh about. But these images of Iran's ridiculous "advanced" weapons—shown at their Sacred Defense Week 2010 Military Parade—are hilarious. More »

MICROSOFT

Super Techy

I knew this would be a great idea. Keep up the good work and keep on rocking!

Adobe acts quickly to patch latest Flash vulnerability

Filed under: Security, AdobeThanks to F-Secure, we have just learned that Adobe has responded quickly to the most recent critical security flaw in Flash, which Lee reported on a week ago. According to Adobe:

Chrome users are already protected! Versions above 6.0.472.62 are patched. This version number refers to the Stable channel, but the latest Beta channel update also has the same update (with a different version number).
Patches for all other operating systems (including Android) are to be available today.
Adobe Reader isn't protected yet - the patch is due around October 4. On the plus side, there isn't a known exploit in the wild for this vulnerability in Reader.

[Photo: acoustickyy)Adobe acts quickly to patch latest Flash vulnerability originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

F5 NETWORKS

Intel prices fresh Core i5 and i7 mobile parts

We'd say Intel is delivering its new chips like clockwork, but then our favorite timepieces don't usually leak anywhere near as often as Chipzilla's roadmaps. The now well known 2.66GHz Core i5-580M has finally been made official, costing $266, alongside an identically clocked family mate in the Core i5-560M, which will set bulk buyers back $225 a piece. From what we know of those two, the major difference is that the 580M can Turbo Boost its way to 3.33GHz whereas the 560M maxes out at a humbler 3.2GHz. Both are overshadowed, however, by the new i7-640M colossus, which runs at 2.8GHz by default and will reach 3.4GHz when called upon -- yours for only $346. Of course, should the 35W TDPs of those chips seem too gaudy for you, Intel's wisely dropping a pair of 18W parts as well: the Core i5-560UM slinks along at 1.33GHz and asks for $250, while the Core i7-680UM raises those numbers to 1.46GHz and $317, respectively. Finally, for the perfect balance of power and efficiency, the i7-660LM matches 2.26GHz (or 3.06GHz in Turbo mode) to a 25W thermal envelope. Perfect, but for the $346 unit price. All these CPUs sport a pair 32nm cores alongside a 45nm integrated graphics unit and there are absolutely no Performance Upgrade Card in sight!Intel prices fresh Core i5 and i7 mobile parts originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 04:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink CNET  |  CPU World, Tech Connect  | Email this | Comments

ORACLE

The Science That Came From Prohibition [Alcohol]

Pop Sci took a look at its archives back when Prohibition was around and highlighted the kind of science people used to fight it. It includes creative bootlegging methods, smart smuggling strategies, and PopSci's own guide to homebrewing in 1921. More »

INTEL

Like The Ping Sidebar, iLike Founder Hopes Apple Copies Mission Of Helping Small Artists

If the new Ping sidebar that was launched today as a part of iTunes 10.0.1 looks familiar, perhaps it's because you've been using the iLike Sidebar -- an iTunes (and Windows Media Player) plug-in that does pretty much the same thing. We know at least one person finds the two very similar: Ali Partovi, the co-founder of iLike.

"I just hope Apple also copies iLike's mission of democratizing music by empowering artists, especially the little guys. With Ping's restrictions so far on artist signup, the major labels are the winners, not artists, and that breaks my heart," Partovi told us today when asked about Ping's newest feature.

F5 NETWORKS

Amarok-based Clementine gets massive upgrade

Filed under: Audio, Open Source
Clementine is a great little audio player for Windows, and the recent update to version .5 has brought a lengthy list of new features. Not least among them is support for USB-connected MP3 players -- including iPods and iPhones!

My iPod touch 3G was recognized, but I couldn't get Clementine to establish a connection. My wife's little Sony E344, on the other hand, worked flawlessly.

What else has been added? There are better library control, organization, and sorting tools, automatic transcoding for connected MP3 players, and the ability to drag-and-drop songs between playlists. Want more? How about the ability to use a Wiimote to control Clementine?

Clementine's best new feature, however, has to be the All Glory to the Hypnotoad plug-in. Take the jump to see what it looks like, but don't stare too long -- lest you fall victim to the awesome powers of the Hypnotoad!

Pay a visit to the Clementine changelog for more details about what's new. Clementine runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux and is well worth a download.

Amarok-based Clementine gets massive upgrade originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EPICOR SOFTWARE

102 Year-Old Lens on Canon 5D MkII

Timur Civan is a director of photography for movies, and a photographer. He’s also a tinkerer, and he got his hands on an old Wollensak 35mm F5.0 Cine-Velostigmat, a hand cranked movie-camera lens from 1908. You see it above, wedded to his Canon 5D MkII. But where did it come from?
Civan got a call from [...]

ORACLE

Android-based AlessiTab home tablet gets November release, higher price

Eager to get your hands on that Stefana Giovannoni-designed AlessiTab home tablet first announced back in April? Then it looks like you'll have to wait a bit longer, and shell out a bit more cash than first expected. According to Design Boom, the device is now set to roll out in Italy sometime in November (instead of this month), and it will run €399, or about $535 (a full hundred euros than previously expected). Otherwise, the Android 2.1-based tablet looks to be the same as we've seen before, including a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, a DVB-T digital TV tuner, built-in WiFi, and a webcam for video calls. Notably absent, however, is access to the Android Market, but Alessi promises it'll provide a selection of its own apps specifically designed for the home environment. Android-based AlessiTab home tablet gets November release, higher price originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 20:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink SlashGear  |  Design Boom  | Email this | Comments

AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING

Direct3D 10 and 11 API now natively supported by Linux via Gallium3D

Filed under: Developer, Games, Linux, MicrosoftIn one fell swoop, it seems like proper, contemporary 3D gaming could be coming to a Linux distro near you.

Unlike Wine, this implementation of Direct3D under Gallium3D is an actual, native port of the DirectX APIs. There's no emulation involved -- Gallium3D just acts as a 'very thin wrapper,' allowing developers easy access to Direct3D's goodies.

Luca Barbieri, the developer behind this new code commit, has a lot to say about Direct3D versus OpenGL, which might pain some open source advocates: "Thanks to a very clean and well-though design done from scratch, the Direct3D 10/11 APIs are vastly better than OpenGL and can be supported with orders of magnitude less code and development time."

Then speaking about why Direct3D will be the graphics API of choice, when developing for Linux, Luca continued the barrage: "A mature Direct3D 10/11 implementation is intrinsically going to be faster and more reliable than an OpenGL implementation, thanks to the dramatically smaller API and the segregation of all nontrivial work to object creation that the application must perform ahead of time."

As I understand it, Wine can't yet take advantage of this new development -- but as it stands, you can now leap right in and start programming a 3D Linux application using Mesa and the Direct3D state tracker. Direct3D 10 and 11 API now natively supported by Linux via Gallium3D originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

DIEBOLD

Verizon CEO confirms plans for tiered data pricing

We told you so. The Wall Street Journal has updated its recent article detailing disclosures from Verizon Wireless chief Ivan Seidenberg, and the latest news is as bad as it is predictable: VZW plans to consign unlimited data plans to the annals of history over the next four to six months, to be replaced by tiered, consumption-based pricing. Seidenberg says Verizon's prices will surely differ from what AT&T recently introduced, noting that his company values data differently to the competition -- though he wouldn't say whether that means costs will be higher or lower. Either way, Droidsters, enjoy your last few months in the unlimited sun.

[Thanks, Tyler]Verizon CEO confirms plans for tiered data pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

SIEMENS

Why Do Humans Love Spicy Self-Torture? [Taste Test]

Only food prudes are afraid to dabble with a little hot sauce occasionally. But why do any of us enjoy it at all? Capsaicin, the chemical behind hotness, causes your brain to literally think your tongue is on fire. More »

HCL TECHNOLOGIES

Twitter Will Sell No Wine Before Its Time ? It?s Finally Time

Just about a year ago, Twitter revealed a project called The Fledgling Initiative. No, it wasn't some new secret Twitter feature, instead it was a project that would see Twitter make its own wine. Yes, wine. But for a good cause -- Room to Read, the non-profit that's all about extending literacy and the education of children around the world. But at the time, Twitter warned it would be quite a while before the wine was ready to sell. Well, a year later, it finally is.

In a post today on their blog, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone notes that this weekend the wine will be available. People who pre-ordered should get their shipments shortly. Meanwhile, there are still bottles and cases to be bought here.

HEWLETTPACKARD

Awesome Note Syncs Your Notes and To-dos with Evernote and Google Docs [Downloads]

iOS: Simplenote's a Lifehacker favorite for doing one thing remarkably well, but if you're looking for a more feature-rich notes application, Awesome Note's got you covered. More »

ACCENTURE

Chrome Web Store preview adds Google Checkout payments, recommendations

Filed under: Google, Browsers
Google will be throwing open the doors to the Chrome Web Store some time in the coming months, and they're currently preparing for a whirlwind global tour to sing the praises of HTML5 and Chrome. On the tour, the Web Store will be a frequent topic of discussion and they've recently announced a couple important additions to the Store's developer preview.

Google Checkout payments are now supported, and developers can sign up for a merchant account on their dashboard page. Page previews have now been added -- so you can see how your app will look in the Store prior to publishing. Pages can be customized with header images and Google is also allowing devs to upload their own promotional banners (they'll be displayed when your app is feature in the store).

One downside for developers hoping to sell their apps in the Web Store is that Google Checkout might be the only payment option. Checkout still isn't available in that many countries, so international devs looking to deliver localized Web apps will have to wait for Google to make good on their expansion promises.

ed note: it's become an expected part of app stores, but as you can see in the screenshot the Chrome Web Store will offer recommendations based on what other users install.Chrome Web Store preview adds Google Checkout payments, recommendations originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

LAND SOFTWARE

Daily Crunch: Retro Launcher Edition

The EPA?s Proposed Vehicle Window Stickers Give Cars A Letter Grade Video: Hello Kitty iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock Now On Sale In Japan: Hand-Knitted Super Mario Sweaters 2-Kilovolt Washer Launcher Makes The Greatest Noise Ever Retro City Rampage Will Have The Sweetest Swag At PAX

TIBCO SOFTWARE

eHolster Front Pocket Wallet ? Holsters aren?t just for Cowboys

eHolster has just introduced a new Front Pocket Wallet with Cell Phone Pouch. It’s a soft leather wallet, with a pocket to hold your phone. It has an ID slot, 2 card slots and a zippered currency slot. It has been designed to be worn in your front pocket – for guys of course It [...] Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, News, Spotlight Gadgets, iPhone, iPad, iPod relatedTagged: Case, WalleteHolster Front Pocket Wallet – Holsters aren’t just for Cowboys originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2010 at 6:34 pm.

LIBERTY GLOBAL

10 Commandments for Large Business and IT Transformation, Part 1

A Fortune 100 company decided to revamp its IT application landscape to improve profitability. It embarked on a business and IT transformation that was a massive undertaking, requiring hundreds of dedicated individuals not only from within the organization but also from external service providers. Everything seemed to go as planned -- until chaos erupted.

GRUPO IUSACELL

Twitter aware of onMouseOver hack for months, claims 17-year-old who exposed it

Filed under: Internet, Social Software, web 2.0
A 17-year-old schoolboy from Australia has taken the blame for the onMouseOver JavaScript Twitter exploit that caused havoc for a few hours on Wednesday.

Disclaiming innocence, Pearce Delphin -- who has the coolest name in the world -- says that he only discovered the vulnerability. "I did it merely to see if it could be done ... that JavaScript really could be executed within a tweet," he told AFP via email. The self-replicating worm came later, with the Guardian reporting that it was originally crafted by Masato Kinugawa and refined by Magnus Holm. Within hours, many mutations appeared -- shortly after, the Twitter offices in San Francisco groggily awoke, and the exploit was swiftly fixed.

Most importantly, however, Pearce says that Twitter knew about the problem for 'months.' It's not clear whether Pearce is talking authoritatively -- he might simply be stealing someone else's thunder -- but I'm sure Twitter will be quick to respond if he's wrong.

Update: Twitter actually fixed the bug last month, but seemingly made another change recently that brought it back.Twitter aware of onMouseOver hack for months, claims 17-year-old who exposed it originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

TELETECH HOLDINGS

This iPad Kissing Game Lets You Go To It, If You Relax [Video]

This iPad game is a wee bit psychic: its headband can sense how hard you're concentrating, rewarding inner calm with a virtual kiss from a model trapped in the screen. And when purchased, it intuits your crushing loneliness. More »

COSMOTE MOBILE TELECOM

Read and Save Web Sites and PDFs with Zotero Everywhere

Zotero started out as a Firefox extension to save and manage web and PDF sources. It was included in part of the special “campus edition” of Firefox, and is integrated into the new UberStudent build of Ubuntu Linux. Today, Dan Cohen from the Center for History and New Media announced Zotero Everywhere, a multi-pronged effort [...]

LAWSON SOFTWARE

TextualAds Brings SMS Marketing To Facebook Fans

Brands and businesses are increasingly setting up Facebook Fan pages, which acts as their social homepage on Facebook where they can interact with customers and hopefully find new ones. These Fan pages can be customized with all sorts of tabs and apps. A new app launching today called TextualAds, in the same space as Textopoly, lets marketers ask for their fans' phone numbers and send them targeted text-messages.

It is SMS marketing meets Facebook. TextualAds may be the first app to use Facebook profile and demographic data to target SMS ads. The SMS messages can be targeted to fans (who opt-in) based on their age, gender, country, city, or exact geo-location. A nightclub or bar could send out free drinks coupons to women under 30, for instance, who are fans of that bar. Or It could send an SMS message to any fan who happens to be walking in the vicinity. A spa having a slow weekend could entice women customers to "Bring in three friends and get 25% off."

TIBCO SOFTWARE

Sony's PlayMemories app brings 3D photos to your PlayStation 3

This wasn't mentioned among the other 3D-related PS3 announcements Sony made during its Tokyo Game Show press conference last week, but it looks like the company has another little bonus in store for those that just can't get enough 3D. It's just announced a new PlayMemories application that will be available as a free download in "late September," and will let you view both 2D and 3D photos captured with a 3D-compatible camera (including Sony's NEX-5/NEX-3, WX5 and TX9). No peek at the app itself just yet, unfortunately, but we're guessing it'll be available any day now -- it is technically late September, after all.Continue reading Sony's PlayMemories app brings 3D photos to your PlayStation 3Sony's PlayMemories app brings 3D photos to your PlayStation 3 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 05:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

DST SYSTEMS

WSJ says BlackBerry tablet could be announced as soon as next week

The Wall Street Journal is saying that RIM's now very close to being ready to show off this long-rumored tablet they've been cooking up -- and the public unveiling could come as early as next week when the company will be holding its Developer Conference in San Francisco. The QNX operating system rumor is apparently correct, as is the talk that the only means of connectivity will be WiFi and tethering through a BlackBerry; in other words, you won't need a dedicated service plan for the tablet and it won't be sold on contract (good call). The manufacturing wizards at Quanta are rumored to be on tap for manufacturing it with some sort of Marvell power under the hood, and even if the tablet ultimately fails Foleo-style, it could still be a huge launch: WSJ's sources are also saying that RIM will end up migrating all of its phones to QNX in the long term.

As for the name? WSJ doesn't seem to know, though it does report that "BlackPad" is being thrown around internally; we're kind of partial to "SurfBook" ourselves, especially since "BlackPad" will make it tough to sell the thing in any color other than black. Seriously, who wants an orange BlackPad? Follow the break to sound off in the poll!Continue reading WSJ says BlackBerry tablet could be announced as soon as next weekWSJ says BlackBerry tablet could be announced as soon as next week originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  WSJ  | Email this | Comments

EMC

Google Busts Out The Ultimate Spam Fighting Tool: The Lawsuit

As an Internet behemoth with properties that get visited a zillion times a day, life battling spammers must be pretty tough for Google. Sure, they invent new technologies to try and stop these jokers. But like parasites, they quickly adapt and come up with new methods to manipulate the system. And when it gets bad enough, it's now clear that Google is willing to throw technology out the window and simply sue the bastards.

As they've announced on the Google Blog today, the search giant is taking a group of rogue pharmacies to court in order to stop them from�continually�bombarding Google's ad ecosystem with their spam. As Google notes, in this case, it's not just that the spammers are annoying users, they're potentially tricking people and offering products that "can be dangerous without the right prescription." So Google felt as if they had to act.

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

Stuff Bounty (But Not Han Solo) in Boba Fett's Jetpack Backpack [Star Wars]

It could be the sartorial choice of the year, and costs a whole lot less than a Louis Vuitton satchel. I'm talking about Boba Fett's jetpack backpack, which has finally gone on sale after months of cruel photo-teasing. More »

QIMONDA

Brave New World With Such Google Transparency In It

In a further step in the direction of transcending all world government, Google has decided to post a Transparency Report or a map of where its services are blocked in different foreign countries, in an effort to discourage "censorship."

For those of you that haven't been following along, Google has had some governmental run-ins lately. Most recently in the news were the�several hundreds of thousands of people who opted out of Google Streetview in Germany. A closer look at the Germany situation would have made it more clear that movements to restrict privacy in this case were actually a win for Google, as the German government came to the conclusion that yeah it'd be great if Google would volunteer to protect data, but the company was not actually party to any governmental regulation.

AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING

PS3 firmware 3.50 is a go, 3D Blu-ray movies suddenly feel more wanted

Right on schedule -- or a day early, depending on your time zone -- Sony has unleashed version 3.50 of its PS3 firmware. And as previously promised, it's got 3D Blu-ray movie playback with it. According to the Official US PlayStation blog, there's also some added Facebook integration and new methods of grief reporting. We're still updating and will let you know what else we might unearth.

Update: Surprise, surprise, it works. We were able to test Blu-ray 3D out and got it running without too much hassle, as long as the HDMI setting is on "Auto" it will detect your 3DTV and switch to the correct mode just like it has for gaming since the update that enabled 3D functionality there. We didn't see any differences in the menus with the Disney Blu-ray 3D demo disc we had on hand, but we'll be checking out how BD-Java functions in 3D later on.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Continue reading PS3 firmware 3.50 is a go, 3D Blu-ray movies suddenly feel more wantedPS3 firmware 3.50 is a go, 3D Blu-ray movies suddenly feel more wanted originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Official PlayStation blog  | Email this | Comments

ORACLE

Engadget's back to school giveaway, part three: win an HP Envy 14 with Beats Audio and much, much more!

We're finishing up our back to school coverage here for the year and we thought we'd end on a high note. The third and final installment of our back to school giveaways is a doozy, people. On offer, we've got a Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 13, a 500GB Skim eGo Portable Hard Drive, a Zeppelin Mini, a BlackBerry Curve, a Slim External DVD writer, an HP Envy 14, a second generation Mickey, a Logitech Z15, and a Logitech Z305. The total value of this giveaway is nearly $2,400, and all you have to do is read the rules below and get commenting.

Special thanks to all of the companies for donating the gear for us to give away!Continue reading Engadget's back to school giveaway, part three: win an HP Envy 14 with Beats Audio and much, much more!Engadget's back to school giveaway, part three: win an HP Envy 14 with Beats Audio and much, much more! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

ALLTEL

The man behind Foxconn, the largest and most powerful exporter in the world

Filed under: Business, Apple
First, a little trivia. You know that famous Foxconn factory -- the iPhone one, the one with the suicides -- well, it has between 300,000 and 450,000 employees. That's about four times the size of Microsoft and Dell, or ten times the size of Apple. But here's the scary bit: that factory ('Foxconn City') represents less than half of Foxconn's entire 920,000-strong workforce. By 2011, that number will grow to 1.3 million -- and every single one of them is making gadgets for us. Anyone would think that we're a society of consumers...

Bloomberg Businessweek has a fascinating (8-page!) interrogative analysis of Foxconn's owner, Terry Gou. Those million workers have just one boss -- or 'general', as he likes to call himself. As of today, it's speculated that he has a personal fortune of some $6 billion, but to Gou that's seemingly inconsequential: "I am not interested in knowing how much I have. I don't care. I am working not for money at this moment, I am working for society, I am working for my employees."

The story goes on, detailing how Foxconn started small, with Gou using a $7,500 loan from his mother to make plastic knobs for TVs. Soon after he was making connectors for the Atari 2600. Then in the early 1980s he toured the USA to pick up new customers, and the rest is history.

Sadly, a lot of the story is about Foxconn's working conditions -- and the suicides. I guess the allure of writing about death is such that even Bloomberg can't escape it. Nevermind that, even after 13 suicides, the suicide rate is still below the national average. Nevermind that Foxconn is providing jobs (well-paid by Chinese standards!) to the incredibly poor citizens of central China.

Still, if you're interested in finding out how the largest exporter in the world does business, about how Terry Gou goes that extra mile to ensure the happiness of Apple, Dell and other big-hitters, you should read the story.The man behind Foxconn, the largest and most powerful exporter in the world originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 06:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

VEECO INSTRUMENTS

Flip updates UltraHD and MinoHD, rolls out new Designed for Flip accessories

With pocket HD camcorders multiplying by the dozens (most with 1080p functionality), we were starting to think Flip, er Cisco had fallen asleep at the wheel (or the Slide!), but the category pioneer has finally gone and updated its core Flip MinoHD and UltraHD lines with some much-needed features. Starting on the lower end, the 4GB Flip UltraHD is now just $149 --it'll capture one hour of 720p video at 30fps. That's a great price, but it's certainly the least interesting of the bunch -- the more notable additions are baked into the $199.99 8GB UltraHD, which is 20 percent slimmer with a new rubber casing and finally (finally!) gained image stabilization. Flip's still not playing the raw specs game, though -- the 8GB Ultra shoots 720p/60 video, which Cisco says maximizes video quality while keeping file sizes easier to share. Sure -- we don't think a 1080p/30 mode would have overly complicated things, but Flip's all about one-button simplicity, after all.

The 8GB Ultra also sports a new FlipPort expansion port, which is the centerpiece of the "Designed for Flip" accessory program. All kinds of things can plug into the FlipPort; highlights of the launch lineup include a Scoshe wireless microphone, an iGo pico projector, and a SeaGate portable hard drive / storage extender. Cisco tells us the FlipPort will hit the other Flip models over time, and that it's expecting tons of Designed for Flip accessories -- beyond those for the new FlipPort, there will be a Bower magnetic wide angle lens and loads of new cases. It's an interesting sort of complexity to offer on a camera otherwise almost aggressive in its simplicity.

The MinoHD line also nabs the new image stabilizer and 720p/60 video mode -- the new silver 4GB MinoHD will retail for $179.99, while the matte black 8GB MinoHD will run $229.99. All the new models can be ordered on Flip's website today, and if personalization if your thing, each can be customized with different designs or an uploaded picture of your own. We can't say there's a lack of new stuff, and while we're still a bit confused by the absence of 1080p recording and a still shot mode, there's something to be said for the company's studious focus on simplicity. Whether 720p/60 video can hold up to the competition's 1080p is still a giant question mark, but we just got our review models and we'll let you know how things go later this week. Until then, enjoy some of the beauty shots below as well as the full press release after the break. Gallery: Flip UltraHD and MinoHD hands-on Gallery: Flip UltraHD and MinoHD press shotsContinue reading Flip updates UltraHD and MinoHD, rolls out new Designed for Flip accessoriesFlip updates UltraHD and MinoHD, rolls out new Designed for Flip accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

SILICON LABORATORIES

Playboy Goes Non Nude For iPad

Soon the official Playboy iPad App will be revealed but certain other elements won’t be. What we’re trying to say is that in order to follow Apple’s very strict anti-obscenity rules Playboy has agreed to keep their app for the iPad tablet device entirely non-nude and tasteful. With no nudity allowed Playboy may just have [...]

EARTHLINK

Best of Show: iTunes Icons Redesigned by Wired Readers

Wired.com readers weren’t kidding when they complained that they didn’t like Apple’s new iTunes icon. We received over 100 submissions for our “Redesign Apple’s Ugly iTunes Icon” contest, with a ton of impressive mockups.
We also asked readers to vote for their top picks, and the crowd favorite comes from Ian Houser, whose icon “iTunes Digital [...]

CHINA MOBILE

Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome?

Filed under: Internet, Mozilla, BrowsersHappy Firefox Friday, friends! In the lead up to an exciting winter, things have been heating up at Mozilla.

There's strong competition from all sides. The IE9 beta launches next week and we'll soon see whether Microsoft can transform its excellent developer previews into something which can make the end-user salivate. Chrome's hardware acceleration currently leads the pack, and will presumably find its way to the beta build very soon. Does Firefox 4 have what it takes to hold onto its wavering market share?

This war, kicked off by Google's intent to push Chrome from nerdy obscurity into the mainstream, has forced Mozilla to roll with the blows. After almost completely avoiding innovation with Firefox 3.6 -- yay, Personas! -- we're now seeing a delicious glut of additions rolling out with each and every beta build of Firefox 4.

These past two weeks have been the busiest I've ever seen Mozilla, in terms of bug fixes, new features, and new out-reach and research projects. Let's tuck in!

Firefox debuts new JagerMonkey JavaScript engine, now on the tail of Chrome and IE9

JavaScript has long been a weakness of Firefox -- or rather, it became a sore point after the initial release of Chrome showed the world just how fast JavaScript can be. With JagerMonkey, Firefox 4's JS performance will be very close to the competition.

From conversations with developers at Mozilla, I also get the feeling that raw JavaScript performance isn't their prime concern. Benchmarks are notoriously bad at depicting real-world applications -- and JavaScript can still only perform as fast as the layout engine lets it.

It's safe to say that FF4 will run your JavaScript-intensive games and Web apps just fine.
The outlook of in-the-browser 2D and 3D games is sunny

JavaScript performance certainly isn't the only measure of what a browser can do, but it is very important when it comes to browser games and calculation-intensive Web apps. Which brings me neatly on to this week's release of Mozilla Labs Gaming. Mozilla usually manages to drum up a lot of interest with its competitions and design challenges, but usually these take the form of concept brainstorms, or mock-ups for new browser features. I'm not sure whether the slower-moving and slightly-less-hip-than-it-used-to-be Mozilla can pull off a gaming competition -- but I hope I'm wrong.

Mozilla certainly has plenty of academic ties, and what with it being the start of a new school year, perhaps Open Web Gaming will be on the curriculum? In fact, looking at the sheer number and variety of today's 'open' technologies, you could create an entirely open-source curriculum! Are you listening, universities? Open video, audio, WebGL, JavaScript, SVG, geolocation.


Gamers and developers, you should take a look at Rocket Engine

I intend to do a full write-up of Rocket Engine, but in the meantime here are my initial thoughts: OMG. The website is intentionally vague, but it looks like it's a pure JavaScript games engine with an in-the-browser SDK and editor. Watch the video and have your mind blown.

It should be immediately apparent how potentially awesome a JavaScript games engine is. Rocket Pack (the developer) pulls no punches by showing the same game running on a PC, netbook and iPad -- apparently you can even design games on an iPad.

But that's not the best bit: Rocket Engine can be used to build MMOs like FarmVille. I've seen a few HTML5 and JavaScript game engines, but this is certainly the first to offer such a wide range of features. Just scroll down and have a look at what's on offer -- crazy.

Which reminds me... what's happening to that Mozilla Web App Store?

What can developers do with their games after they write them? Self-publish? Publish their game on Steam?

Everyone and their mother is working on an app store at the moment -- but not Mozilla. All of this talk of building upon Open Web technologies and shunning proprietary platforms like Native Client, yet the only outlet Firefox developers have is AMO! And that's for add-ons!

I'm certain Chrome's Web Store will open first -- not to mention the tie-in it will have with Google TV and Chrome OS installations! -- and Microsoft has spent the last few months pushing developers to write apps for IE9... but Mozilla is still only testing the waters.

If Mozilla built it, game developers would come.


This week's Firefox release round-up

To finish, here are the latest Mozilla releases, along any significant changes:

Firefox 3.6.9 -- the stable build of Firefox received a ton of bug fixes (67!) and patched no less than 14 security vulnerabilities
Firefox 3.5.12 -- yup, tons of people are still running Firefox 3.5. Some security and stability issues were fixed
Firefox 4.0 beta 5 -- and finally, FF4 beta 5 was released this week, with hardware acceleration turned on by default and the inclusion of the new Audio Data API. The hardware acceleration -- if it can be called that -- actually doesn't seem to work right now. I've asked Mozilla about it, but I haven't had a response yet
Thunderbird 3.1.3 -- yes, Thunderbird is still going! This is just a standard point release that fixes some bugs and stability issues
Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

METHODE ELECTRONICS

Cuil Goes Down, And We Hear It?s Down For Good

Cuil, the much maligned search engine that at one time had hopes of toppling Google, has gone offline. And from what we hear from former employees, it's not just a temporary outage, it may be done for good. Those employees who are still with the company apparently weren't paid this week, and they're starting to say they're looking for new jobs.

The company had raised $33 million in venture capital in 2007 and 2008. we first started covering Cuil in late 2007 when it was in stealth. It launched in July 2008 but a month later their VP Product had bailed. By December 2008 it had little traffic and since then things have only gotten stranger.

To be clear, we've confirmed nothing right now except that the site is down, the rest of what we're hearing is from former employees. We'll update as we hear back from the company and/or investors. Meanwhile, it's in the DeadPuil.

ZIONS BAN

Daily Crunch: Home Axe Movie Edition

Extrude the Light: Britons Make 3D ?Holograms? With The iPad Hands-on With The Lumus See-Through Wearable Display: Real 3D, Real Augmented Reality 3M Releases New Pico Projectors And Camcorder-Projector A VHS Skin For Your Notebook, iPhone, & Blackberry Slow Motion Axe Porn? Wait, It?s Not What It Sounds Like

SYBASE

Panasonic GH2 expected to have 16 megapixel sensor, maybe even 1080/60p video

It was almost exactly a year ago that we asked you how you'd change the Panasonic GH1, and the consensus response was that the camera's biggest flaw was its stratospheric price. Well, Panasonic's about to help you out there, as it seems a GH2 successor is all but assured to debut at this year's Photokina exhibition, which is sure to put a little downward pressure on GH1 levies. The new shooter is rumored to be making mostly evolutionary upgrades, with 16 rather than 12 effective megapixels squeezed into its sensor, expanded ISO range up to 12,800, faster autofocus performance with the kit 14-140mm lens, 5fps burst shooting, and 1080/60i video recording at 24Mbps. Where things get interesting is the suggestion that the GH2 will be capable of 1080/60p, but that the AVCHD recording format -- whose current spec doesn't include 60 frames of 1080p goodness -- is forcing it to store data in the 60i mode. That'd be a pretty sweet new addition if true and we're inclined to believe it given the additional rumor of three processing cores inside the GH2. We'll know how much of this is legit by the middle of next week, Photokina isn't a place famed for keeping secrets -- quite the opposite, actually.Panasonic GH2 expected to have 16 megapixel sensor, maybe even 1080/60p video originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  4/3 Rumors  | Email this | Comments

UNITED ONLINE

Walmart The CellPhone Co.

When I first heard this bit of news, I thought, “Please, not another Straight Talk …” Thankfully it is not.� Walmart Family Mobile, Powered by T-Mobile has just thrown its hat into the race with a pretty competitive price point for service. Will it be a deal budget-junkies can’t resist? Or will the handsets being [...] Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News, WirelessTagged: t-mobile, walmart, WirelessWalmart The CellPhone Co. originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 17, 2010 at 9:52 pm.

HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR

tyPad Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard Case for iPad Review

After 5 months I’m still loving my iPad and will be taking it with me on vacation next month instead of my normal traveling companion, my 15″ Macbook Pro. Using the on-screen keyboard isn’t a problem, but for long typing sessions, I prefer a physical keyboard. That’s why I have been considering a small Bluetooth [...] Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Reviews, iPhone, iPad, iPod relatedTagged: Bluetooth Gear, Case, iPad, KeyboardtyPad Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard Case for iPad Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 16, 2010 at 10:00 am.

SCIENTIFIC GAMES

Best Buy leak notwithstanding, don't expect LTE phones this year

  There's this leaked Best Buy document making the rounds today that mentions activation of Verizon LTE devices "coming into the market this fall." That's exciting stuff -- though it'd be a little more exciting if we definitely were talking about Android devices. We've been saying on the Android Central Podcast for weeks now that we're expecting LTE data cards to roll out before we see LTE-capable smartphones. (That said, yes, Verizon started pimping 4G today.) Would we love to see LTE phones by the end of the year? Heck, yeah. Is it reasonable that we'll see them "this fall"? Probably not, folks. And that's what a trusted source is still telling us. Plain and simple, no Verizon LTE phones in 2010. We'll just have to make do with speedy data cards if and when they happen.Posted originally at Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories

FISERV

This Week's Best Apps [Apps]

In this week's rip roarin' round up: Windows, on your iDevice; stop motion animations, created; frogs, cared for; Sims, following their dreams; cooking, made almost easy enough for me to do; Google Voice, on your iPhone, and much more! More »

CDW

Know When it?s Time for Tea with the Boil Buoy Boiling Water Chime

Quirky’s latest community developed product is the Boil Buoy kitchen gadget. Its function is to let you know when your water is boiling on the stove. The Boil Buoy is made from 100% food and heat-safe materials and features a small buoyant chime that sits in your pot and rings when the water starts boiling. [...] Filed in categories: Kitchen Gadgets, Miscellaneous, News, Spotlight GadgetsTagged: Know When it?s Time for Tea with the Boil Buoy Boiling Water Chime originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 17, 2010 at 2:00 pm.

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