SlashGear

Vodafone Spain Admits to Having 3,000 Malware Infected HTC Magics

Evan Selleck — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:01:56 +0000

There’s no hiding the fact that when you get something new, the first thing you want to do is open up the box, pop in the battery (if it needs a battery), and then turn that thing on and start going about your business. What you don’t want, is to turn on that said device, and find out that you’ve got some information-jacking malware botnet program running on it. That’s a bad day. That’s exactly what happened to several thousand folks who had recently picked up a Vodafone Spain HTC Magic, the wireless carrier has recently admitted.

The Mariposa botnet agent has officially infected somewhere in the ballpark of 3,000 handsets, the company affirmed to Spanish media on Thursday. The company had met with their Iberian branch, along with representatives from Panda Security, who actually caught the malware infraction right from the start. Vodafone Spain provided an HTC Magic to a representative from the company to test, and that’s when all this trouble first started, back at the beginning of March. While Mariposa is the big name being tossed around right now, it seems that other strains of malware were also found on many of the HTC Magics. How was the information-stealing program finding its way onto the phones? Through the SD cards. A second infection was also confirmed before the announcement earlier this week, when a handset found its way to a security consultant with S21Sec.

Vodafone Spain is now in the works of replacing 3,000 MicroSD cards. Not because they think it’s a precautionary measure, but because they’ve fully admitted that 3,000 devices are more than likely infected. Thankfully, Vodafone itself is investigating the situation, and so far has found that the event is a “localized” one, and not spreading across other Vodafone Europe handsets. This is definitely shocking news, but we’re glad that the wireless carrier is admitting to the problem, and doing what they need to do to fix the situation. Hopefully they can root out the source, and prevent anything like this happening again.

[via The Register]

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Apple iPad Now Accepting Applications for April 3rd Launch

Evan Selleck — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:38:29 +0000

While the iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta has been out since the official announcement of Apple’s iPad, developers haven’t been able to actually submit their applications anywhere. Apple has given them plenty of time to make the best applications they can, for the specific reason that they don’t want buggy software marring the release of their legendary tablet device. This is a sound strategy, but now the floodgates are open, and developers can officially submit their applications to the App Store.

The kicker is, is that if you want to have your application ready to go for the April 3rd launch, you need to have your application submitted to the App Store by March 27th. That’s not a big difference from the official launch, so Apple must be cracking down on the application approval process, as well as vetting which applications are actually worth launching. We’re hoping that we see a healthy number of iPad applications ready to go for launch, because as much as we love to play with those 150,000 other applications, we want to see what the iPad is really capable of. (Even if that will take some time to actually see.)

If you’re a developer, then you got the email telling you the good news. Hopefully you’ve got the next best app, as we all know that making it to that coveted number one spot in the App Store is one of those lofty goals that all developers make for themselves. May we suggest a groundbreaking game that takes full advantage of the hardware specifications of the iPad? While we’re perfectly excited about that first iPad game shown off, we are very excited to see the potential shown off by the developers out there.

[via Apple]

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Sky Announces Sky 3D TV Launching in April

Evan Selleck — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:24:03 +0000

The push for 3D TV is definitely going full force, and therefore seeing an announcement like this is only a little bit surprising. We are a bit shocked to see it happening so soon, especially considering that 3D TVs aren’t really that common yet, but apparently Sky thinks it’s perfect timing. In fact, they’ve got April 3rd pegged for the official unveiling of their 3D service, which lines up with a pretty big football match on the same day.

Sky 3D is exactly as it sounds. It’s Europe’s first 3D TV channel, designed specifically to watch 3D entertainment. That’s the meaning of its entire existence, in fact. So what’s got Sky so amped for the upcoming 3D revolution? Football, naturally. They’ve got the official hard launch of the 3D TV service lined up with the Manchester United vs Chelsea Barclays Premiere League match, which should see quite a few viewers(/sarcasm). Sky is offering the service a little bit before April 3rd, so customers can add it to their service at no extra cost to their already paid-for top channels. They also want you to get used to the 3D experience, by offering viewers some free preview content.

Luckily, Sky 3D is compatible with all new 3D TVs, and it even works with both “passive” and “active” 3D formats. After the initial Man United vs Chelsea match, Sky will offer up an additional 5 Premiere League matches; which will then be followed up by some documentaries, and a full range of movies, sports, and entertainment pieces. They’re obviously pushing for the 3D revolution, and as long as they’ve got the content to support it, this is not a bad thing. Just remember, you need a 3D TV, along with Sky+ HD service to really take advantage of it.

[via HD TV Lounge]

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Maid Trains in Japan Force Geeks From Their Dwellings

Evan Selleck — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:09:12 +0000

It’s a pretty common belief that geeks all over the world have these crazy, intricate fantasies and fetishes. After all, they don’t get out much, right? And Japan is a hotbed for those kinds of antics, as we clearly see in this little story here. It made us laugh a little, and we can’t help but praise the fact that some companies out there are willing to do just about anything to raise whatever it is they need to raise.

In the case of the Hitachinaka Seaside Railway Co. and the Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo Co. train lines, we get maids. Yes, you read that correctly. Maids, in full “maid attire,” for an entire weekend! The Ibaraki prefecture trains are doing this, simply put, because they need more riders. They’re hoping that the inclusion of “traditional maid service,” with the full get-up and what not, will do just that. This isn’t the first time that maids have been featured in a ruse such as this. In fact, Maid Taxis were a big hit, until the crazy amount of Otaku (people with an obsessive interest in something. Like maids.) rendered the service unusable.

The train services need more riders, and we get that, so using something as a maid service to get the extra money isn’t bad. We’re just hoping they’ve got the train lines ready for the extra bodies, because surely the Otaku are going to come out in droves. Of course, they probably need some sun and fresh air, so this is probably a great thing for them, just as much as it is for the train lines. We’ll have to wait and see if this goes beyond just a weekend service.

[via Inventor Spot]

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Dumbing down: the price of a good UX?

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:15:25 +0000

Microsoft has caught some grief this past week over the latest stage of the copy & paste debacle, a meme that began when Apple omitted the functionality from the iPhone (and took two years to add it in) and was resurrected upon the admission that Windows Phone 7 series wouldn’t ship with the ability to snip text from one app and paste it into another. In fact, copy & paste is just one example of Microsoft locking down their new smartphone experience, slicing a great deal of OEM and user customisation out in the process. They’re not the only firm to do so, however; merely the latest to seemingly decide that users want delineated – perhaps even prescriptive – experiences rather than flexibility.

Poster-child, in fact, for this sort of tightly reined UX is the iPhone, and we can only imagine that there’s some snickering going on at Cupertino over their rival’s change of approach. Windows Mobile used to be the go-to guy for flexibility in smartphones: yes, it didn’t look that hot in its native state, but if you wanted to whip up an app that accessed – or merely wanted to play with – the core elements of the device then Microsoft made little attempt to stand in your way. It’s become a hotbed of ROM tinkering and modification, everything from changing LED blink patterns to completely reworked builds that streamline just about every element of the phone; the sort of things Android modders are doing now, their Windows Mobile counterparts were doing for years before.

Another good example is the iPad. As we’ve commented before, listening to the media reception of Apple’s imminent tablet, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the first such device in the world, not the latest touchscreen device in a segment that goes back years. What seems to have commentators – and, judging by pre-sale estimates, would-be owners – excited is the though of what Apple can do to turn “another computer to maintain” into a headache-free appliance. If you already have a main computer – whether desktop or notebook – and maybe a netbook as well, the last thing you want is to add in another machine to look after, take care of with software updates and anti-spyware scans, coddle as anything more than, yes, an oversized iPod touch.

On the other side of the apparent divide are devices like Nokia’s N900, a handset that – out of the box – can border on the frustrating. The N900 lacks the instant-reward of other recent handsets, which bend over backward to offer the extent of their functionality within a finger’s reach. Instead, the Nokia is making a name for itself among those who want to experiment with their mobile devices, loading up non-standard platforms, hooking up unusual hardware and generally carrying across some of that desktop tinkering paradigm to the mobile space.

Of course, you can’t blame manufacturers for wanting to control their user experience. For all the good work HTC and others have done with modifying the Windows Mobile 6.x UI, Microsoft still catch grief from reviewers and owners alike for encouraging UX fragmentation. With Apple storming ahead in the smartphone segment it’s hard to criticise Microsoft for not following their example and locking down some of the areas which have previously turned round and bit them. Meanwhile the so-called flexible – challenging? – devices like the N900 are never expected to be a dramatic sales success.

There’s a common misconception that the tech-aware – the sort of people who read this site and who keep up with cutting-edge developments; the early-adopters, perhaps – are the audience for complex devices, simultaneously blinkered to the demands of the mainstream. It’s a false distinction: everyone is “guilty” of wanting a device that “just works”. Yes, some users might also want an extra degree of flexibility – to modify, tweak or generally step outside of the manufacturer’s expectations of what the device might be useful for – but there’s an assumption nonetheless that the core functionality will be rock solid.

Has that expectation forced devices to dumb-down? Perhaps – it’s certainly one way of ensuring the basics are addressed – but to be fair that seems to be the way many consumers prefer it. An application store packed with titles is all well and good, until one of them goes wrong and wipes out your address book. Developers are having to become cleverer at dealing with more rigid third-party software guidelines; sometimes that’s for good reasons, like sandboxing apps to prevent one crash bringing down the whole system, and sometimes for not so great reasons, like blanket limitations on background processes. There’s dumbed-down and there’s just plain dumb; it remains to be seen whether asking for a stable user experience has in fact left us with less choice overall.

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IllyClock squeezes color-changing time into coffee can [Video]

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:09:12 +0000

While showing admirable recycling motivation, sticking a clock inside an old coffee can isn’t enough to impress us; Instructables member florinc makes the grade because his DIY IllyClock adds in some color magic too. Based on a Wiseduino – an Arduino clone with an integrated real-time clock – and an LED shield, the clock lights up its numerals in different shades depending on the time of day.

Video demo after the cut

Three hours before the alarm is set to go off, the numerals change from green to orange. Then, an hour before it’s due, they switch to red. The idea is that you can squint at the alarm clock in the night and tell roughly how much time you have left in bed without actually needing to decipher the actual time.

If you’re short-sighted then that could be a particularly handy feature. The Instructable is seemingly based on this previous IllyClock, as shown in the video below.

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Tendril Vision home energy monitor predicts the future

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:51:55 +0000

Will people use energy more thoughtfully if they’re able to monitor it via a familiar device? That’s what nergy management technology provider Tendril reckon; they’ve borrowed style inspiration from a digital clock for their Vision energy monitor, which can not only show real-time usage but predict future patterns.

That means you could wait to put on the tumble dryer until a low-power period was predicted, or Vision could highlight when cheaper energy rates were active. There’s also an accompanying website which shows more in-depth data together with allowing for “personal energy use plans” to be created; presumably they then educate the meter to make better predictions.

Vision measures around 8 x 6 inches and weighs under two pounds, and Tendril believe that with continuous use you could see 10 to 15-percent reductions in energy bills. All well and good, but it remains to be seen how expensive Vision turns out to be, who it’s offered to – Tendril work with energy companies, rather than selling products direct to consumers – and whether single-purpose devices like these can hold peoples’ attention.

Press Release:

Tendril’s “Vision”: A Next Generation In-Home Energy Display That Promotes Customer Action

The Tendril “Vision” to be Unveiled at DistribuTECH
Boulder, Colo. – March 18, 2010 – Tendril, a leading energy management technology provider, will debut its next generation in-home display next week at DistribuTECH, the nation’s leading trade show focused on utility energy distribution and efficiency. The Tendril Vision is a revolutionary device that allows people to link directly with their utility to get meaningful, real-time information about their energy use and cost. The results are greater energy efficiency as well as opportunities for utility customers to reduce their consumption by an average of 10 to 15 percent, according to Tendril CEO Adrian Tuck.

“For the first time, people at home can receive real-time information through a highly intuitive device. It allows them to take an active role in how much energy they use in order to change their behavior and see immediate results,” Tuck said. “Utilities realize that they need to engage directly with their customers in order to drive efficiency and energy reduction. Vision provides the means of immediate communication and action that has been missing in consumers’ homes until now.”

Working with design consultant IDEO to develop Vision, Tendril completed extensive research unique to the utility industry and its consumers. This research involved a thorough examination of human behavior and desires, including how people interact with their surrounding environment, how they want their energy providers to communicate with them in their homes, and effective methods for promoting behavioral change. The team also studied behavior economics in order to understand how a simple, but well-designed device can encourage and enable continuous energy savings.

Among the unique features of the Tendril Vision:

It is anchored in a household appliance similar to a digital clock. This promotes active engagement with utility customers because it provides continuous information via a device that is unobtrusive, intuitive and an accepted part of everyday living.
Vision displays upcoming, real-time events so customers can plan accordingly. For example, Vision will display a visual cue for an upcoming demand response event and peak pricing period. Seeing this, a homeowner could wait to run the dishwasher, turn down the thermostat, or leave the house to run errands in order to save money during that time.
The real-time data display is also accompanied by a web portal service that allows customers to look at detailed information online as well as create, and manage, their own customized energy use plan.
The Tendril Vision is approximately 8 inches by 6 inches and weighs less than two pounds. Vision integrates seamlessly with the Tendril platform, which includes utility applications for Demand Response, Energy Awareness, Load Control, Distributed Generation and Electric Vehicles.

For more information about Vision and the Tendril platform, visit Booth 1803 and 2015 at DistribuTECH March 23 -25, 2010 at the Tampa Convention Center.

[via Treehugger]

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Unlocked Windows Phone 7 emulator gets video demos

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:37:04 +0000

Having been neatly hacked in the early hours of this morning, the Windows Phone 7 emulator has been spilling its secrets ever since. The original source code for unlocking Microsoft’s smartphone SDK may have been taken down, but that hasn’t stopped those who grabbed it early from shooting some video of the less public features of the platform.

Videos after the cut

The videos are the handiwork of Australian tech enthusiast techAU, and go through both an overview of the whole Windows Phone 7 experience together with a more in-depth look at the settings. Of course, part of Microsoft’s reason for hiding some of the functionality could be that they’re planning to change it prior to the first WP7 devices launching, so things could well change in the meantime.

Windows Phone 7 series emulator walkthrough:

Windows Phone 7 series settings:

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Draconian Apple iPad pre-access rules leak

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:12:59 +0000

Locked in a blacked-out room, chained to the ground and nobody knows you’re there… it might sound like the latest torture-porn movie to hit theaters, but it’s actually the miserable life of a pre-release iPad. Apple are well known for giving key developers early access to their hardware in the interest of drumming up some launch-day App Store action, and details of the 10-page agreement those coders must sign have been leaked to BusinessWeek.

According to the sources, in order for Apple to consider sending you an iPad for early access you have to send them photographic proof that you’ve created a “safe” room for it to hide in. That includes blacked-out windows and keeping the tablet “tethered to a fixed object” so that it can’t be removed.

Unsurprisingly Apple aren’t commenting on the leaks, and similarly unsurprisingly developers are lining up to agree to the Cupertino clauses. While firms confirmed to be working with pre-launch hardware aren’t named, some of those who fell short of Apple’s exacting standards have been listed: Evernote, Flixster and Digital Chocolate were all rejected. That’s left Evernote trying to second-guess how users will interact with the tablet; like many eager pre-order customers, they’ve even fabricated their own iPad mock-up so they can gauge usability factors such as where owners naturally rest their hands.

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Samsung tablet to run Android, allow 3G/4G voice calls?

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:49:20 +0000

Having heard straight from the horse’s mouth that Samsung are planning an iPad rival for launch later in 2010, new leaks from the company are beginning to flesh out the details. According to Tweakers’ sources, the Samsung tablet will run Android; that makes it reasonably unlikely that the company will – as execs hinted earlier this week – use an Intel Atom processor.

The sources also claim that the Samsung slate will have integrated data connectivity, with 3G confirmed but some talk of 4G potentially being on board as well. As well as allowing for data services, the tablet will also apparently support voice calls, most likely via some sort of wired or wireless headset.

Samsung previously suggested that their slate would have more connectivity options than Apple’s iPad, which makes do with a dock connector and 3.5mm headphone jack. The company claims it will be targeting the tablet at a consumer audience, as opposed to its earlier experiments with UMPCs that focused on enterprise and vertical markets.

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JVC Everio GZ-HM550 Full HD camcorder packs Bluetooth

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:41:22 +0000

JVC have stuffed their latest camcorder with Bluetooth, but while you might automatically assume the short-range wireless functionality was to be used for media transfers, you’d be wrong. In actual fact, the JVC Everio GZ-HM550 uses its Bluetooth for remote control, GPS geotagging and even for sound monitoring using a hands-free headset.

If you’ve ever wanted to remotely control your camcorder from your smartphone, JVC have your back. An include app – no word on what platforms are supported – allows users to control recording, zoom and playback; alternatively you can pair up a Bluetooth GPS puck and use it to geotag movies and images. Footage will automatically sync with Google Earth once you transfer it back over to your computer. Finally, you can pair up a Bluetooth headset, allowing you to either monitor audio being recorded through the GZ-HM550’s microphone, or to overlay a director’s track yourself.

As for the photography specs, the GZ-HM550 has a 10.6-megapixel CMOS which can record in Full HD and grab 9-megapixel stills, saving files to its 32GB of internal storage or to an SD/SDHC card. There’s a 16x Konica Minolta zoom, face detection and time-lapse recording, and you can set the camcorder to automatically trigger when movement is detected.

All of that comes at a price, however; the JVC Everio GZ-HM550 is on sale now, with an MRSP of $799.95.

Press Release:

BLUETOOTH-ENABLED JVC HD EVERIO CAMERA NOW AVAILABLE

New GZ-HM550 features a 10.6 megapixel CMOS sensor; shoots 9 megapixel stills.

WAYNE, NJ, March 19, 2010 – JVC today announced the availability of a new high definition Everio camera with built-in Bluetooth® wireless technology, allowing the camera to work with a variety of other wireless devices. In addition, the new Everio GZ-HM550 features a 10.6 megapixel CMOS sensor for recording high quality Full HD video and nine megapixel digital stills to its internal 32GB flash memory. An SD/SDHC card slot provides the camera with additional storage.

Among the capabilities the camera’s Bluetooth technology offers is control of the camera using a smartphone, geo-tagging of videos and stills and use with a compatible Bluetooth headset.

With the installation of a supplied application, a Bluetooth-equipped smartphone can be used to control the camera remotely, allowing record, zoom and play operations. Use the camera with a GPS device to record location data of where movie and still files were recorded. The data synchronizes with Google Earth™ when viewing the file on a PC using the bundled Everio MediaBrowser software. The camera can also be used with a Bluetooth-equipped headset to monitor the recorded sound or for voice recording.

Aside from offering built-in Bluetooth wireless technology, the GZ-HM550 provides all the quality and convenience features to appeal to consumers who are looking for a high-performance camera in a compact package. Its 10.62 megapixel Back-illuminated CMOS sensor enables shooting of 1920 x 1080 Full HD videos and real nine megapixel digital stills. The KONICA MINOLTA HD LENS is currently one of the world’s smallest and slimmest HD lenses, and offers 16x dynamic zoom without any degradation of picture quality. All this is further supported by new technologies that ramp-up basic image quality, including Super LoLux and Advanced Image Stabilizer. Super LoLux improves low-light sensitivity to capture clear images with precise colors even in low-light environments. The GZ-HM500 is also equipped with both an LED light and a flash for shooting in dark situations. Advanced Image Stabilizer ensures steady images even while walking, and is especially effective when shooting bright scenes from full wide to 5x zoom.

Recorded content is stored on the internal 32GB flash memory, with an SD/SDHC card slot to provide additional storage. And like many other models in the new Everio lineup, the GZ-HM550 offers new advanced shooting functions like time lapse recording and Auto Recording. Time-lapse recording makes it easy to create a sophisticated effect — simply set the camera to record in intervals ranging from one to 80 seconds. When played back, hours-long segments will be reduced to mere seconds. With Auto Record, recording automatically begins when a person enters the picture — a convenient solution for home surveillance, recording wildlife, and more. Also Motor Drive Shooting (nine megapixel stills up to 15fps) and Ultra-Slow Motion Playback by high speed recording (up to 600fps) are available.

Digital files created can be easily shared in a variety of popular formats with the enhanced Everio MediaBrowser software for Windows®, which now provides automatic conversion of HD videos for immediate sharing on YouTube™ at HD or SD resolution. Files also can be directly exported to iTunes® and synced with an iPod® or iPhone®, or burned to DVD, all with just a few mouse clicks using the same Everio MediaBrowser application.

To make it easier for the user to find and play any desired scene, the GZ-HM550 offers Face Flow Thumbnail, a feature that displays thumbnails from a particular section of a video by automatically selecting and zooming into human faces. And to make shooting and carrying easier, the camera has a redesigned grip belt that works in two ways — as a conventional handle-style grip when both ends are snapped in place or as a strap when one end of the belt is released.

The JVC GZ-HM550 Bluetooth enabled camera is available now for $799.95.

JVC Everio GZ-HM550 Feature List

HD Memory Camera
32GB Internal Flash Memory and SD/SDHC card slot
1/2.3” 10.62 Megapixel Back-illuminated CMOS Sensor
9.3 Megapixel Stills with no interpolation
16x Dynamic Zoom† (KONICA MINOLTA HD LENS)
Bluetooth® Wireless Technology
Super LoLux
Advanced Image Stabilizer
Time-Lapse REC & Auto REC
One Touch Export*
One Touch Upload to YouTube™* (HD Compatible)
Direct DVD Creation with SHARE STATION®
Seamless Recording over two media
Face Detection & Face Flow Thumbnail
Auto Flash & Auto Illumi. Light
Laser Touch Operation
2-Way Grip Belt
Everio MediaBrowser
†15x when Advanced Image Stabilizer set to ON

About JVC U.S.A.
JVC U.S.A., headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, is a division of JVC Americas Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Victor Company of Japan Ltd. JVC distributes a complete line of video and audio equipment for the consumer and professional markets. For further product information, visit JVC’s Web site at www.jvc.com or call 1-800-526-5308. Follow JVC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JVC_USA.

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DigiFi Digital Opera S5 Review

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:20:37 +0000

Awareness of the Kleer wireless alternative to Bluetooth A2DP is slowly growing, and the market for entry-level headphones (as opposed to, say, Sleek Audio’s range) is broadening. Into the fray comes DigiFi’s Digital Opera S5’s, intended specifically for iPod owners. Mediocre sound quality let DigiFi’s S2’s down; can the reworked S5’s pick up the slack?

If you the S5 headphones look familiar, that’s because they’re identical in design to DigiFi’s Digital Opera S2 set which we reviewed back in January. The earbuds themselves are tethered to a small receiver/power box, intended to hang at the back of your neck; there’s a USB charging cable to power it up. Where the two sets differ is in the transmitter: while the S2’s came with a generic dongle that plugged into a 3.5mm headphone socket, the S5’s come with an iPod-specific dongle that slots into your Apple PMP’s dock connector.

While that limits the S5’s to an Apple-owning audience, it also means DigiFi can add in some remote control support. Whereas on the S2’s one set of earbud buttons controlled volume and the other toggled the “3D” DSP on and off, the S5 earbuds control volume and track control. Since the dock connector provides power, there’s no internal battery in the transmitter either; that means one less thing to remember to charge up, which we’re always grateful for.

DigiFi supply the transmitter/receiver pre-paired, but there are instructions for associating one or both with other existing Kleer-based kit in the box. Similarly you can pair up to four receivers with a single transmitter, so that multiple people can listen in. If you picked up one of the D&A RX1 iPod speaker-dock adapters we reviewed in February, you could easily cut the cord between your iPod and its speakers, but still leave yourself able to turn on some headphones for private listening.

As we said of the S2’s, Kleer’s selling point is that the audio it transmits is CD-quality (16-bit, 44KHz) rather than the lossier audio you’d get with Bluetooth A2DP. However, that also means you’re at the mercy of the earphones themselves for the eventual sound quality; we went away disappointed with the performance of the Digital Opera S2 set. However, we were told that along with the new iPod functionality, DigiFi had reworked the S5’s to improve audio quality, and official resellers WireFreeHifi bundled a set of Comply ear-tips (which they sell as accessories) which they promised would make a real difference to audio quality.

To be fair, with the regular tips DigiFi provide, the S5’s do sound better than the S2’s. They still lack the richness of bass we’d prefer, and there’s a lack of top-end sparkle, but it’s not quite so muddy as the previous headphones. Swap out the standard flanged rubber tips for the Comply foam buds and things improve again, primarily because more outside noise is removed. They’re also comfier and feel more secure in your ear canals, which made us more confident about jogging and exercising while wearing them.

A single charge of the receiver is rated for up to 10hrs of playback, and we found – when we didn’t attempt to stretch the 10m wireless range – we could manage 8-9hrs of solid use. As with the S2’s you can’t use the S5’s while recharging them, however, a process which takes around 2.5hrs.

While the DigiFi Digital Opera S5’s are obviously narrower in their scope than the S2’s, the improvement in audio quality and the ability to control iPod playback add up to a better experience overall. Priced at £85/$129 they’re not cheap for headphones, and a wired set – at the same cost – will likely give you better audio quality; still, now at least there’s a better balance between performance and the useful freedom of cutting the cord. We can recommend them now, something we couldn’t with the S2’s, just make sure to budget an extra £6.25/$9 for the Comply foam tips.

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Vizit wireless digital photo frame on sale March 23rd

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:40:55 +0000

We keep asking digital photo frame manufacturers to put cellular data connections into their displays, only very few of them seem to listen. One prospect on the near horizon is the Vizit from Isabella Products, a 10.4-inch 800 x 600 touchscreen that can be left freestanding or wall-mounted, and which uses an integrated GSM/GPRS quadband modem to receive images emailed, shared from an online gallery or sent from a cameraphone. Having been up for pre-order for a while now, we now know that Vizit will go on sale March 23rd.

The Vizit’s connection is always-on and photos can not only be sent to the display but from it, too. They go through the company’s VizitMe.com online gallery, which can be fed by direct uploads, RSS feeds or MMS messages from cellphones. Only preset numbers and email addresses can send pictures through, so nothing untoward should frighten your grandmother when it pops up on-screen.

In fact, the only really scary thing is likely to be the price. The Vizit frame itself is $279.99, but you’ll also need to plump for a service plan which Isabella Products are yet to define. Because of that, we can’t see too many people picking up the Vizit. It’s obvious we should’ve been more specific: we want a firm to put together a cellular-enabled display with a user-accessible slot for a pre-paid SIM.

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T-Mobile eyeing Clearwire for 4G network deal

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:11:41 +0000

T-Mobile may not have the biggest network in the US, but they’re considering big plans to work around that fact. According to Robert Dotson, T-Mobile USA’s chief executive, the carrier is considering forming joint ventures with cable companies or WiMAX network Clearwire to boost subscriber access to high-speed connectivity.

However, while Sprint may have been heavily involved in the WiMAX roll-out in the US, that doesn’t mean T-Mobile are looking at it as a potential ally. Despite rumors to the contrary over the past several months, Dotson dismissed the possibility of the two carriers joining forces. ”What you never want to do is take one company that is going through challenges” he told investors, “and take another company going through challenges.”

While the plans seem pretty ambitious, Dotson was keen to keep expectations in context. ”[We're] not looking at how you change the configuration of the US market” he insisted, with the plans – if they pan out – expected to only give T-Mobile subscribers access to 4G speeds.

[via cellular-news]

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BlackBerry OS 6.0 screenshots leak? [Update: maybe not]

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:56:03 +0000

RIM has been a pretty leaky sieve lately, what with all the news and hardware shots of their apparently upcoming slider device spilling out, but has someone accidentally let BlackBerry OS 6.0 out of the bag? According to BBLeaks you’re looking at two screenshots of RIM’s next-gen OS, and one of their best tipsters reckons they’re legitimate.

Screen resolution is in line with a Storm or Storm2 style touchscreen device, and the buttons certainly look to be sized for finger input. That would also fit in with the BlackBerry slider – codenamed “T” or “Talladega” – which is expected to have a large touchscreen along with its pull-out QWERTY ‘board.

RIM also look to be playing with the idea of using homescreen widgets, which would be a significant departure for the company. The BlackBerry faithful are already poring over the two images to see if they a) look real, and b) look suitably enticing, though comments already heard include the fact that the whole thing looks “too busy” for their liking.

Update: BGR are throwing their hat into the virtual ring, and saying that they’ve been told the screenshots are actually mock-ups that RIM had made for their MWC presentation. They’ve also heard that RIM plan to skip BlackBerry OS 5.2 altogether, and jump straight to OS 6.0.

[via Crackberry]

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Integrated 3G to overtake external modems by 2012

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:12:22 +0000

Will flexible data contracts like Apple have negotiated for the iPad – and Spring Design are planning for their Alex ereader – drive adoption of integrated 3G/4G data connections rather than external modems? That’s certainly one interpretation of DigiTime’s latest statistics; they’re quoting industry sources who reckon global sales of built-in 3G modules will exceed sales of external data cards by 2012.

Key players in the segment are Qualcomm, whose dual-mode Gobi chipset – which can be used as a GSM/HSPA modem or a CDMA/EVDO one – has been finding its way into an increasing number of ultraportable devices as manufacturers look to satisfy multiple markets with a single component, and Ericsson, who have apparently been pushing adoption of their modules in embedded devices like ereaders and MIDs. So far the major downside to having integrated cellular wireless connectivity has been the ensuing data tariff, which can cost $60 on a typical laptop with a two-year agreement, something owners have been reluctant to sign up to since they often also have similar bills for their regular cellphone.

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World by Light concept: the iPad has a lot to learn [Video]

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:56:00 +0000

We’ll admit, when we first started watching this World by Light concept video by Matthias Menzel, Lena Edman and Klaus Wasiak of the Umea Institute of Design we thought it was going to detail a prototype e-magazine or tablet UI. That assumption rapidly fell away as the video progresses: the three-person team doesn’t just have the iPad UX in their sights, but airports and even the basics of travel as we know them now.

Video demo after the cut

If you’ve ever wanted to be strapped into a seed-pod style booth – with airline first-class booth seating, naturally – and then fired into the air, then World by Light should satisfy. The idea is that rather than sending you point-to-point horizontally, it makes far more sense to fire you into the early stages of space and then let you tumble directly into a collector on the roof of your hotel.

That way you’re looking at a cross-world trip taking twenty minutes, all the time feeling like you’re sat inside a Philips LivingColor lamp. Of course, the most improbable part of the whole concept isn’t the space travel, or the integrated tablet/brochures, but the ease of check-in at the airport.

[via Recombu]

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Wrapsol Ultra adhesive film claims to protect devices from a 6-foot fall

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:37:34 +0000

Typically, as soon as I buy a new gadget I stat looking for things to keep it safe and scratch free. I have used scratch-resistant films on my iPhone since I got it. A new scratch resistant film called Wrapsol Ultra has been announced that claims to not only protect your iPhone from scratches, but from falls as well.

According to Wrapsol, the new Ultra film protects from falls of up to 6-feet. Shock absorption properties are not something that is normally found in a film. Wrapsol makes films that are pre-cut for the iPhone, iPod, Blackberry, DROID, and Nexus One as well as other devices.

The film applies in three steps with no liquid needed in the application process. The company says that the adhesive helps to remove air bubbles as well for a smooth install. The film starts at $24.99.

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chicBuds Sport Headphones are very colorful

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:26:45 +0000

Geeks and geekettes all like music and most of us have a music phone or iPod that we like to listen too on the go or at home. That means most of us want a nice set of headphones. Many women want headphones that look good as well as sound good and a new set of headphones from chicBuds fits the bill.

The headphones are called the DJ Sport Headphones and come in a pink hue bright enough to give the Pink Panther a headache. If the pink just isn’t as bright as you want, the company also makes a multi colored set with day glow colors straight from the 80’s.

The headphones are over-the-head style and sell for $29.99 per pair. They are compatible with the iPhone, iPod, and other music devices using a 3.5mm plug. The headphones fold for storage, have an adjustable headband, and use 44mm drivers. Frequency response is 5Hz to 20Khz.

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O2 UK getting Palm Pre Plus & Pixi Plus in April 2010?

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:22:40 +0000

Could Palm’s attempt to reinvigorate their dreary financial performance include adding the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus to their O2 line-up? That’s the rumor over at Tracy & Matt, who have received an anonymous tip claiming that the two devices will arrive in April 2010. O2 have already been offering the GSM version of the Palm Pre for some months now, but so far the Pixi – which has a smaller display and candybar form-factor – is yet to make an appearance outside of the US.

The Pixi Plus gets 8GB of storage and WiFi (unlike the original Pixi, which lacked WiFi), while the Pre Plus has 16GB of storage and double the RAM of its predecessor. Frankly, while anonymous tips can always be discounted as make-believe, it seems particularly likely that Palm will attempt to turn around their fortunes in the short-term with broader device availability, while simultaneously developing their next generation of hardware.

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HP Slate gets pricing and specs confirmed

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:16:27 +0000

We already know HP is ready to throw its Slate on the market to fight the iPad for the dollars of geeks wanting some tablet computer love. What we didn’t know was how much the Slate would cost and the hardware specs of the machine.

Engadget reports that specs have been uncovered that reportedly come directly from HP. The machine will sell for €400 or about $546 in the US. We will need to wait for official pricing for the US. The thing is expected to be cheaper than similar iPad models so a straight conversion may be off.

The Slate runs Windows 7, supports Flash, offers USB connectivity, a memory card reader, and a webcam. The Slate really sounds like a netbook sans keyboard with its Atom processor running the show according to the report. The Slate is expected to launch in June.

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Wintek fingered as cause of iPad delay

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:05:11 +0000

Waiting for a new gadget to launch that you know is coming that you really want is as bad as waiting for Santa as a kid. Things get worse when the product is delayed and you have to wait longer. Such was the case with the iPad. The thing was originally expected in late March, but unspecificed production problems delayed that launch until April.

The same delays happened with iPad accessories too. The keyboard dock was originally set for late April and has since been pushed further back to May. Lots of us were wondering exactly what the reason for the iPad delay was. Chinese publication Liberty Times is pointing the finger at Wintek for the iPad delay.

According to a report, Wintek is having delays with its touch panel manufacturing process. The delays resulted in fewer panels available for Apple. Wintek filed a statement with the Taiwan Stock Exchange claiming that its production is in line with plans and offered no comment on orders specifically for Apple.

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Details of new AMD “Thuban” CPUs leak

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:54:54 +0000

In the world of tech tit for tat we all knew when Intel dropped the new 6-core processors recently AMD would be following suit quickly. Some details on the new AMD Thuban 6-core processors have leaked in a BIOS update from Gigabyte.

The BIOS was updated to support the AMD X6 1035T 6-core CPU, the 6-core X6 1055T, and the Phenom II X6 1075T. The parts are said to run at 2.6GHz, 2.8GHz, and 3.0GHz respectively.

Odds are recent history will repeat itself with the AMD parts being outperformed by Intel’s offerings. However, AMD’s pricing is typically well under what Intel asks for its high-end chips. A nice 6-core Black Edition AMD processor might be very appealing to geeks on a budget with a 6-core fetish.

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Apple readies 27-inch LED Cinema Display and 6-core Mac Pro

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:45:45 +0000

Pros using Mac products will have a couple new choices starting in June reports AppleInsider. According to sources cited by the publication, Apple is working on its second LED backlit Cinema display and new updates for the Mac Pro desktop.

The new Cinema display is a 27-inch LED backlit unit that is basically a larger version of the 24-inch display the firm already offers. Sources familiar with the new screen says it has been in the Apple labs for a while and is often called the K59. Resolution is said to be 2560 x 1440, very close to the typical 30-inch resolution of 2560 x 1600.

Apple is also reportedly set to launch a 6-core update for the Mac Pro by way of adding the new Intel Xeon 5600 series CPUs to the mix. The updated Mac Pro is also pegged for a June launch and will offer 6-core chips in 2.66, 2.8, 2.93, and 3.33GHz flavors.

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NVIDIA combines core-logic and SoC teams

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:33:21 +0000

For a while NVIDIA and Intel played nice with Intel licensing NVIDIA to develop chipsets for past generation processors. When the new integrated memory controller processors in use today from Intel came to be, a legal battle ensued when NVIDIA started to make chipsets for the new processors only to be denied by Intel.

NVIDIA has now announced that it has combined its core-logic teams and the SoC teams into one development team. The combined team puts lots more developers under the Tegra banner with the exact number pegged at 650 engineers.

The combining of the two teams is a signal that NVIDIA is not planning to develop chipsets and it throwing more of its resources at developing high-performance GPUs for mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and other small gadgets. That market is probably going to be better for NVIDIA than the chipset business was anyway.

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Scosche shows off new line of gear at CTIA including netBOOK Power and lots more

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:19:55 +0000

Scosche makes all sorts of cool gear to keep our gadgets powered up and operating longer everywhere we go. The company has unveiled a new line of gear that it will be showing off at CTIA. Among the gear are all sorts of devices for notebooks and netbooks. One of the coolest is the netBOOK Power line of inverters.

This little gadgets are power inverters that lets you juice your netbook or notebook up and use it in the car from a DC power source. The netbook Power line includes a 100W inVERT unit, 50W netVOLT unit, and a 40W netVOLT. Scosche also has a cool new skyCASTER wireless RF headphone set that uses USB to transmit sound from your Pc with no cables with up to 100-foot transmission range.

Other products include a netbook connect line of great that offers a low profile Bluetooth USB adapter not much larger than those nano transceivers common on mice today. The thing adds Bluetooth to netbooks and notebooks lacking it.

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iHome iP39SZC iPhone speaker dock and kitchen timer drops

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:04:32 +0000

On more than one occasion I have found myself in the kitchen needing to cook more than one thing and having only one timer. I typically do what any average geek with an iPhone in their pocket would do and set up a timer there. If you often have a similar issue iHome has a cool new iPhone/iPod dock with a kitchen timer built-in.

The thing is called the iP39SZC Kitchen Timer and FM Alarm Clock Radio Speaker System for iPhone/iPod. I hope the thing has a really big box to fit that entire product name. The dock has an integrated alarm clock that can wake you to your iPod or FM radio. It charges and plays music from the device at the same time as well.

You can set dual alarms that allow you to set exactly when they go off by the day of the week. A USB charge port is integrated to allow you to charge an additional USB device at the same time. Two kitchen timers are integrated letting you cook your pizza and chill that beer in the freezer perfectly. The device isn’t available to purchase just yet, but it will sell for $99.99.

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T-Mobile HTC HD2 promo material leaks ahead of launch

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:56:50 +0000

Curious to know how T-Mobile USA will be pushing the HTC HD2 – a phone already available in Europe for several months now, and guaranteed not to get an official Windows Phone 7 update – when it goes on sale come March 24th? Over at Pocketables they’ve a stash of in-store T-Mobile promotional material sent over from an anonymous tipster, and it looks like the carrier will be leaning heavily on the HD2’s media playback abilities.

Given the HD2’s 4.3-inch WVGA display, that doesn’t seem too great a surprise. T-Mobile will be preloading each handset’s bundled 16GB microSD card with a copy of Transformers and Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.

Meanwhile they’ll also be trying to lure buyers into bundle deals, pushing their other recent smartphones – the Android-based Motorola CLIQ XT and the Nokia Nuron – as part of a “smart family”. The HD2 will be priced at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement, or $449.99 outright; you can check out our review of the European version here.

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Steampunk computers look older than grandma

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:53:28 +0000

I admire people who can take a modern working product like a computer, turn it into a steampunk work of art, and still have the device function properly. If I were to disassemble a computer display, I am sure the thing would never work again.

A few sweet steampunk computers have shown up over on Yanko Design. The things use copious amounts of wood, brass, and old-fashioned decorations to turn that plain PC into a working art piece. I particularly like the sign on what appears to be the tower in the photo above that says “The Apple Company.”

The LCD gets a marble base and the keyboard has keys that appear to be straight off an 1800’s cash register. I wonder how comfortable that keyboard is for typing. The mouse pad is cool as well. The attention to detail on these machines is impressive indeed.

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Viacom secretly uploaded own content to YouTube, then demanded take-down?

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:48:00 +0000

Viacom and Google aren’t exactly the best of friends, and that’s because Viacom reckon Google-owned YouTube intentionally encourages copyright infringement. Problem is, in attempting to prove to the world – and, more specifically, the courts – that YouTube is a “rogue enabler of content theft”, it seems Viacom may have covertly uploaded their own video, disguised to make it look like it had been pirated, so they could continue to milk exposure on the site while simultaneously decrying it.

Unfortunately, Viacom’s process apparently didn’t involve keeping an accurate record of which video they’d uploaded and which had been put up by third-parties. That led to embarrassing incidents where Viacom demanded clips be removed, only to request that they be reinstated at a later point.

“For years, Viacom continuously and secretly uploaded its content to YouTube, even while publicly complaining about its presence there. It hired no fewer than 18 different marketing agencies to upload its content to the site. It deliberately “roughed up” the videos to make them look stolen or leaked. It opened YouTube accounts using phony email addresses. It even sent employees to Kinko’s to upload clips from computers that couldn’t be traced to Viacom. And in an effort to promote its own shows, as a matter of company policy Viacom routinely left up clips from shows that had been uploaded to YouTube by ordinary users.” Official YouTube blog

YouTube reckon Viacom expects content sharing sites to magically “know” which clips are legitimately uploaded and which are not, while Viacom are taking the far more direct approach of comparing YouTube to Grokster (despite having attempted to buy the video site at one point). There’s an in-depth analysis of the summary judgement – and links to the raw judgements themselves – here.

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