News
-
Internet Criticism Pushes China to Act on Pollution27 January 2012, 4:50 pm
Under popular pressure, Chinese officials have begun to track the most pernicious measure of urban air pollution and promise to set new health standards and publish data on air pollution.
...
-
Obama to Link Aid for Colleges to Affordability27 January 2012, 4:38 pm
President Obama is proposing a financial aid overhaul that would tie colleges’ eligibility for campus-based aid programs to the institutions’ success in improving affordability and value for students.
...
-
U.S. Recovery Slowly Gained Speed in Late ’11, Data Show27 January 2012, 4:25 pm
The American economy picked up steam last quarter, with output growing at an annualized rate of 2.8 percent, a faster rate than the 1.8 percent of the third quarter.
...
-
City Kitchen: Spicy Chicken Wings for the Super Bowl or Chinese New Year27 January 2012, 4:21 pm
Spicy chicken wings, crisp and succulent, work for both the Super Bowl or the Chinese New Year.
...
-
The Long Run: The Long Run: Gingrich Stuck to Caustic Path in Ethics Battles27 January 2012, 4:08 pm
Newt Gingrich used ethics issues to make political gains from the beginning of his career, but in the end ethics issues helped topple him from power in the House.
...
-
For $2 a Star, a Retailer Gets 5-Star Reviews27 January 2012, 4:07 pm
Agencies like the Federal Trade Commission have been trying to crack down on online product reviews that do not disclose the connection between a merchant and the person doling out the praise.
...
-
Pakistani Military Academy, Near Bin Laden Hide-Out, Is Hit By Rockets27 January 2012, 3:59 pm
Unidentified assailants rained rockets on Pakistan’s elite military academy on Friday in an unusual outburst near the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed.
...
-
As Primary Nears, Florida Poll Favors Romney27 January 2012, 3:53 pm
The former governor of Massachusetts moves past his rival, Newt Gingrich, heading into the final weekend before the vote.
...
-
Israelis See Iran’s Threats of Retaliation as Bluff27 January 2012, 3:52 pm
As Israel’s political and military leaders weigh options to stop Iran’s nuclear program, many are guided by an assessment that an attack is unlikely to set off widespread conflict.
...
-
In Syria, Arab League Monitors Face Severe Limits27 January 2012, 3:50 pm
The visit, truncated by worries about volatile areas, revealed the limitations of the Arab League’s mission as the conflict shifted to clashes between armed groups and government security forces.
...
-
Italy ship survivors to get compensation27 January 2012, 4:48 pm
Passengers on the wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship are expected to receive a compensation lump sum of 11,000 euros ($14,400) each, the Italian Association of Tour Operators said in a statement Friday.
...
-
Connecticut home invasion killer gets death sentence27 January 2012, 4:43 pm
A judge in Connecticut sentenced 31-year-old Joshua Komisarjevsky to death today for his role in a home invasion that killed a woman and her two daughters in 2007.
...
-
'Stomping the Worm' in 8 countries27 January 2012, 4:26 pm
For his efforts to protect Haitian children from parasites, Aaron Jackson was honored as a CNN Hero in 2007.
...
-
Obama promotes college affordability27 January 2012, 4:00 pm
College affordability takes center stage Friday for President Barack Obama as he makes the final stop on his road trip highlighting themes from the State of the Union address this week.
...
-
Car bomb kills dozens in Baghdad27 January 2012, 2:55 pm
A suicide car bomber targeted a Shiite funeral procession in the Iraqi capital Friday, killing 31 people and wounding 60 others, two police officials said.
...
-
VP Marco Rubio? The man in demand27 January 2012, 2:33 pm
Will he or won't he? And would it matter?
...
-
Opinion: Can immigrants save us?27 January 2012, 2:32 pm
For the last 20 years, what name is always in the top 100 most popular baby names given to boys in the United States? Jesus (pronounced hey-seus). And among 4,500 boys names in England in 2009, what was the No. 1 most popular baby name? Mohammed. In Brussels? Mohammed. Oslo? Mohammed. Amsterdam? Mohammed. And what do babies and their names have to do with the global economy? Everything.
...
-
Secret Service to probe bullet-ridden Obama image27 January 2012, 4:24 pm
A photograph showing a group of men with guns posing with a bullet-ridden image of Barack Obama's face is to be investigated by the Secret Service, a spokesman told NBC News.
...
-
Brewer releases copy of letter to Obama27 January 2012, 3:46 pm
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, R, sustained a controversy stemming from her confrontation of President Obama on an airport tarmac by releasing a copy of the letter she handed to the president on Phoenix.
...
-
Spinner of romantic lies, 'Rockefeller' set for murder trial27 January 2012, 3:37 pm
"Dateline NBC" details the the latest development in the 1985 murder of John Sohus allegedly committed by Christian Gerhartsreiter, a con-artist who invented multiple aristrocratic personalities for himself.
...
-
Djokovic tops Murray; to face Nadal in final27 January 2012, 3:19 pm
Defending champion Novak Djokovic moved into an Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal after edging Andy Murray in a five-set, almost five-hour semifinal late Friday night.
...
-
At least 11 hurt in collapse at casino site27 January 2012, 3:18 pm
A partial collapse at a casino construction site early Friday in Cincinnati has left at least 11 people injured, some seriously, according to news reports.
...
-
Economy picked up pace as 2011 ended27 January 2012, 2:30 pm
U.S. economic growth picked up speed in the final three months of 2011, expanding at the fastest pace in 1-1/2 years, according to new data released Friday.
...
-
UN to world: Don't ignore Syria's dying children27 January 2012, 2:29 pm
At least 384 children have been killed during Syria's 10-month uprising and virtually the same number have been jailed, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
...
-
Sponsored By:27 January 2012, 1:57 pm
...
-
That boot was made for talking; school bans 'em27 January 2012, 1:57 pm
A suburban Philadelphia middle school's ban on a popular type of fur-lined boots isn't about fashion, it's about cellphones.
...
-
Flu faux pas: The etiquette of being sick27 January 2012, 1:40 pm
You know "that guy," the one who still goes to work and sees friends even when he's sick? Anna Post of the Emily Post Institute has some tips for him. Find out the "do's" and "don't" of being sick.
...
Gadgets
-
Jon Rubinstein leaves Hewlett Packard27 January 2012, 3:56 pm
We're hearing news that former Palm chief Jon Rubinstein has decided to leave Hewlett Packard. According to AllThingsD, it comes at the end of his 24-month commitment period to remain at the company after its disastrous acquisition of Palm. HP's Mylene Mangalidan is reported to say that "Jon has fulfilled his commitment and we wish him well." Rubinstein rose to fame as a hardware guru at NeXT before joining Apple after the company was purchased in 1996. He was instrumental in developing the i...
-
Toshiba announces color e-reader in Japan, hopes people buy more e-books from its store27 January 2012, 3:22 pm
If you're gonna be late to a party, you should at least be fashionably late. That's the mindset behind Toshiba's entry into the dedicated e-reader space with its new 7-inch BookPlace DB50. Toshiba hopes adding an e-reader alongside its existing AT200 and Thrive tablets will push more eyeballs towards the 100,000 or so titles in its BookPlace online bookstore. The ¥22,000 ($284) BookPlace DB50 sports a TFT-LCD screen with an LED backlight, a 1GHz Freescale i.MX535 processor, 8GB of internal ...
-
World's longest lab experiment still going strong, via webcam27 January 2012, 2:55 pm
In 1927, a physics professor named Thomas Parnell launched an experiment on viscous liquids. 85 years later, we're still waiting for his results. It all began with a funnel, a beaker, and some melted tar pitch. Parnell, a professor at the University of Queensland in Australia, was hoping to demonstrate that brittle tar pitch actually behaves as a liquid when kept at room temperature. To prove this, he melted some tar pitch, let it cool for three years, and placed it within the funnel, held ove...
-
Strategy Analytics: Nokia tops global handset shipments, Apple sees quarterly surge27 January 2012, 2:27 pm
Fresh off the publication of its latest tablet report, Strategy Analytics has come out with a new batch of statistics on the global mobile market. In a report published yesterday, the research firm crowned Apple as the world's largest smartphone vendor by volume, on the strength of the 37 million iPhones it shipped during Q4 2011 -- good for 23.9 percent of the market. Samsung wasn't too far behind, though, with 36.5 million smartphones shipped during the quarter, comprising 23.5 percent of the...
-
Engadget Podcast 278 - 01.26.201227 January 2012, 2:00 pm
Sometimes we like to tell ourselves it's not, but in the end, it's all about the Benjamins. We tried to get someone named Benjamin on this podcast to underscore this point, but, you know, he had other plans. Tune in for this special Rich Dad, Poor Dad edition of the Engadget Podcast: we'll let you decide which dad is which.Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater, Dana WollmanProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Longview01:14 - RIM's Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis are out, new CEO Thorsten Heins may license Bl...
-
With new privacy controls onboard, Google+ opens up to teens27 January 2012, 1:41 pm
The world's teenage population can pontificate from a new digital platform, now that Google+ has decided to open its doors to high schoolers. Google+ VP Bradley Horowitz made the announcement yesterday, confirming that anyone old enough to own a Google account can now join the social network. In most countries, that applies to anyone older than 13 (previously, Google+ had been restricted to the 18-and-over crowd). This expansion also introduces a new set of privacy controls for younger users, ...
-
Distro Issue 25: Ultrabook overload, Snap Analysis and Gina Trapani27 January 2012, 1:15 pm
Distro is 25... weeks old, today! And to celebrate we're debuting a new page that puts you, our readers, front and center. We've been sending out questions over various social networking channels and collecting your answers for the inaugural run of Snap Analysis. Among other things, you weighed in on RIM's CEO switch up, as did our own Darren Murph in his editorial, "RIM's New CEO Isn't the Shakeup It Needed." We have more editorializing coming your way from the desk of Donald Melanson, who's t...
-
RIM CEO Thorsten Heins clarifies comments on change, rejects Android speculation27 January 2012, 12:49 pm
Freshly anointed RIM CEO Thorsten Heins sat down with Crackberry this week to discuss his vision for the future of BlackBerry, his thoughts on Android and, most strikingly, his recent comments about maintaining the status quo. Shortly after his appointment, Heins issued a video address in which he implicitly claimed that RIM doesn't need an overhaul. "If we continue doing well what we're doing, I see no problems with us being in the top three players worldwide in the next years in wireless," th...
-
Hawaii's proposed online tracking law comes under fire from ISPs, civil libertarians27 January 2012, 12:15 pm
There may be some trouble brewing in paradise, thanks to a seemingly draconian law currently under consideration in Hawaii's state legislature. If passed, H.B. 2288 would require all ISPs within the state to track and store information on their customers, including details on every website they visit, as well as their own names and addresses. The measure, introduced on Friday, also calls for this information to be recorded on each customer's digital file and stored for a full two years. Perhap...
-
Google Music now lets you download your entire library27 January 2012, 11:27 am
Computer meltdown? No backup? Well, at least your tunes are safe. Google Music just gained a new feature that lets you to download your entire library including purchased songs. A simple click in the Music Manager is all it takes to restore your entire collection -- or just your purchased music -- from the cloud. In addition, the web interface now allows you to select and copy multiple tracks to your device of choice. While there are no limitations when using the Music Manager, purchased items ...
-
The Ultimate Urban Winter Jacket [Video]27 January 2012, 5:00 pm
Usually, when winter is not being a cowardly little bitch, you need a warm jacket to keep from freezing to death. But if you live in a city, like more than half the world's population, you need something something more versatile—and stylish—than just a sealskin or a pillow with sleeves. More »
...
-
Jon Rubinstein Is Leaving HP [Hp]27 January 2012, 4:56 pm
Jon Rubinstein, the former Apple exec, godfather of webOS and ex-CEO of Palm, has left HP, reports AllThingsD. The move isn't too surprising as the writing has been on the wall since he left HP's Palm unit last summer to move to a lesser role at HP's Personal Systems Group. [AllThingsD] More »
...
-
The First Super Wi-Fi Network Is ALIVE [Super Wi-fi]27 January 2012, 4:54 pm
Remember Super Wi-Fi? The wonderful, wonderful technology that beams internet though the white spaces between TV network transmissions? Well the first real, public network is now active...in Wilmington, North Carolina. More »
...
-
Newt Gingrich's Fantasy Moon Base Is Illegal [Moon]27 January 2012, 4:40 pm
Not only is Newt's plan for lunar statehood completely insane—it's also against the law! Not just any law, but space law, the most powerful of all laws, because it comes from the sky. Sorry, Newt. More »
...
-
Kinect-Powered Windows 8 Laptops Are Definitely in the Works [Laptops]27 January 2012, 4:05 pm
We've known that Kinect for Windows is coming for a while now, but The Daily got its hands on the first computers that have the technology built directly into them: More »
...
-
"For Dummies" Book Implies Facebook and Twitter Gets Seniors Laid [Video]27 January 2012, 4:00 pm
You probably spend a good amount of your time explaining tech problems to old people, or young people who are simply dumb. But those few who are old and dumb? Here's a guide book that will lead their charge onto social media, and if we're reading that video correctly, start having lots of social network-enabled sex with each other. [Amazon via Buzzfeed] More »
...
-
Dear Politicians, Stop Supporting Laws You Don't Even Understand [Internet]27 January 2012, 3:43 pm
Another bill which would have violated the civil liberties of many—Hawaii's H.B. 2288 Internet Dossier bill—has been pulled off the table following public outrage. And for good reason; the law would have tracked every website Hawaiians visited, and liked that browsing history to a name and address. It opened the door to profound first and fourth amendment violations. But worst of all, it was born out of ignorance. That's not okay. ...
-
How Did 30 Pounds of Drugs Get Delivered to the United Nations? [WTFriday]27 January 2012, 3:40 pm
Thirty pounds of cocaine was mysteriously delivered to the United Nations mailroom according to a report. There are no further details available about the incident, but it makes wonder how all of that blow got that far undetected. More »
...
-
Surprise Asteroid Passing Really Close to Earth Right Now (Everyone's OK So Far?) [Space]27 January 2012, 3:15 pm
Astronomers are saying that we shouldn't be concerned about 2012 BX34, the asteroid they were surprised to detect on Wednesday. After all, it's only passing by at less than a fifth of the distance to the moon, "one of the closest approaches ever recorded." More »
...
-
The New RIM CEO Is Already Out of Touch [BlackBerry]27 January 2012, 3:00 pm
Thorsten Heins, the new BlackBerry boss, is tasked with making cool things that people want and will buy. Will it happen? His recent interview with CrackBerry isn't encouraging. But were we really expecting more the guy who spent the last five years overseeing the waning BlackBerry smartphone portfolio? More »
...
-
OmniPlan for iPad to put project management at your fingertips in 201227 January 2012, 5:00 pm
Users who rely on the desktop version of OmniPlan but wish to manage complicated projects and workflows on-the-go will soon be able to pinch and swipe their way to Gantt chart nirvana. According to Omni Group CEO Ken Case, project management app OmniPlan will make its way to the iPad, perhaps as soon as the second quarter of this year. Case was on hand at the Macworld|iWorld 2012 conference in San Francisco to give Ars a sneak peak at an early build of the mobile ver...
-
Apple CEO calls Times supplier report "patently false and offensive"27 January 2012, 3:35 pm
Apple CEO Tim Cook has reportedly called recent reports on Apple's attitude toward its supply chain "patently false and offensive" in a new e-mail sent internally to Apple employees. Cook's remarks came the same day The New York Times published a lengthy feature about the "human cost" of our iPads, iPhones, and other gadgets. That report, based on sources and interviews conducted by the Times, made the assertion that many of Apple's executives are willing to look the other...
-
Bringing galaxy-scale magnetic fields down to size in the lab27 January 2012, 3:00 pm
For a variety of obvious reasons, it's impossible to reproduce the
exact environment in which galaxies form. The lack of direct
experimental tests for a the models astrophysicists use creates a
disconnect between what astronomers observe and theoretical
work. However, that barrier is being broken down by a combination of high-powered lasers and a new understanding of how
lab-scale experiments can be related to vastly larger systems such as
galaxies.
Researchers at...
-
Feature: The Great Disk Drive in the Sky: How Web giants store big—and we mean big—data27 January 2012, 2:00 am
Consider the tech it takes to back the search box on Google's home page: behind the algorithms, the cached search terms, and the other features that spring to life as you type in a query sits a data store that essentially contains a full-text snapshot of most of the Web. While you and thousands of other people are simultaneously submitting searches, that snapshot is constantly being updated with a firehose of changes. At the same time, the data is being processed by...
-
Megaupload case gets weirder with gun charges, flight risks, and an inflatable tank26 January 2012, 10:49 pm
Flight risks, firearms charges and an inflatable tank are just some of the latest wrinkles in the bizzare case of Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom. After his arrest, Dotcom's mansion received delivery of a full-size inflatable replica of a Russian T-72 tank, which is now parked in front of the "Dotcom Mansion" and is busy infuriating the upscale neighbors. The T-72 "Threat Decoy" is similar to those used by the military for field training and intelligence deception, ma...
-
Google already knows you're a 24-year old woman who loves wombats26 January 2012, 9:25 pm
Despite the controversy over Google's new privacy policy, the company already has you wrapped up into a neat little demographic package, as I was reminded yesterday when looking at my Google account settings. How accurate are Google's guesses? We asked the Ars staff to take a look.
Google attempts to guess your rough age and gender, along with several top categories of interest, based on your interactions with Google products like search. You can view these guesses ...
-
Jumping spiders pounce using blurry green images of prey26 January 2012, 7:30 pm
A picture is two-dimensional and yet, when we look at it, we perceive depth. A number of visual cues tip us off to the relative distances of items in a photo. One of them is focus; if something is out-of-focus, we know it's not going to be the same distance away as something that appears sharp. To date, however, no animals were know to use focus as their primary means of estimating depth. But a paper in today's issue of Science provides some compelling evidence t...
-
Forrester: Apple successfully infiltrating the office, executive washroom26 January 2012, 7:07 pm
The topic of Apple in the enterprise can often be a heated one—as we've learned over the years via our forums and story comments. But according to a newly published report from Forrester Research, Apple is indeed "infiltrating the enterprise." Apple products have become a growing presence in many workplaces, and as a result, says Forrester, vendors will need to change the way they deal with their clients.
Forrester surveyed 9,912 workers in 17 countries to ...
-
Current social networks may have been present in the earliest modern humans26 January 2012, 6:30 pm
If you ever sit back and wonder what it might have been like to live in the late Pleistocene, you’re not alone. That's right about when humans emerged from a severe population bottleneck and began to expand globally. But, apparently, life back then might not have been too different than how we live today (that is, without the cars, the written language, and of course, the smartphone). In this week’s Nature, a group of researchers suggest that we share ma...
-
How the next Xbox could stop you from playing used games26 January 2012, 6:10 pm
A recent Kotaku post cites "one reliable industry source" to suggest that the still-unannounced successor to Microsoft's Xbox 360 will somehow prevent used games from being played on the system. The idea remains an unconfirmed rumor, of course, but it's something that members of the game industry have floated repeatedly in the past. It's also a move that would likely find hefty support from publishers looking for a way to stop what they see as erosion of their profit...
iPhone
-
Camera Size Shows You How Bulky or Compact Digital Cameras Really Are [Cameras]27 January 2012, 5:00 pm
If you're in the market for a new camera but still doing your shopping virtually, add Camera Size to your list of helpful webapps. The site places digital cameras side by side so you can easily find which one fits you best. More »
...
-
Stand Up and Stretch Your Legs in This Week's Open Thread [Open Thread]27 January 2012, 4:30 pm
You've had a long week, and let's face it, none of us are too happy having learned how sitting all day is wreaking havoc on our bodies. So here's a reminder: Stand up, walk around, then join your fellow lifehackers in this week's open thread. More »
...
-
Use Google Alerts as an Identity Theft Watchdog [Security]27 January 2012, 4:00 pm
Google Alerts can be a great tool for monitoring any search term you care about—including your own name and other personal information. This means you can use Google Alerts to regularly check if a thief is using your info anywhere online. More »
...
-
Add Keyboard Shortcuts to Netflix's Web Interface [NetFlix]27 January 2012, 3:30 pm
Firefox/Chrome/Safari: Netflix's new interface may not be the most fun to navigate, but you can ease a bit of the pain with a user script that adds Gmail-like keyboard shortcuts to the entire thing. More »
...
-
TextDropApp Edits Text Files in Your Dropbox Account [Dropbox]27 January 2012, 3:00 pm
Storing files in Dropbox is great, but if you need to make quick edits when you're on the go it's not the best tool. TextDropApp is a simple solution that allows you to create or edit plain text files directly in your browser and syncs them automatically with Dropbox. More »
...
-
GNews Is an Unobtrusive Google News Notifier for Chrome [Chrome Extensions]27 January 2012, 2:30 pm
Chrome: Keeping up with the stream of news throughout the day can be difficult. If you're looking for a way to stay updated without heading over to Google News repeatedly, GNews is a Chrome extension that allows you to quickly glance at hot topics and move on with your day. More »
...
-
Cook Instant Oatmeal in the Packet When You Don't Have a Bowl [Macgyver Tips]27 January 2012, 2:00 pm
Have you ever had the realization that you brought along a tasty instant oatmeal snack but didn't bring a bowl to make it in? Reddit user Klacky offers up a simple solution: cook it in the packet it comes in. More »
...
-
Use a Toilet Paper Roll and a Sandwich Bag to Protect Your Ties at Home or On The Road [Clever Uses]27 January 2012, 1:30 pm
Earlier this week, when we mentioned you could use shower hooks as in-closet storage hangers, reader Greg wrote in with an even better way to store your ties without damaging them, whether you keep them in a drawer at home or you're putting them into a suitcase for a trip. The only things you need are an old toilet paper roll and a plastic sandwich bag. More »
...
-
How to Stay Motivated and Avoid Slacking Off While Working From Home [Motivation]27 January 2012, 1:00 pm
If you have the opportunity to telecommute regularly, or even work from home every now and again, the temptation can be strong to just put your feet up and forget about work unless you have to check in occasionally and clear out your inbox or dial in to a meeting. Occasional slacking is fine, but there's no faster way to get your remote work privileges revoked than to keep that up. Here's how to resist the urge and stay motivated, even if there'...
-
Get Your Ideas Out of Your Head and On Paper to Actually Make Progress Towards Your Goals [Productivity]27 January 2012, 12:30 pm
It may seem like common sense that you need to get your ideas out of your head to act on them, but how many of us walk around with an always-updating to-do list in our heads only to forget one of them later? One of the basic principles of GTD and many other productivity systems is that your first step is to get your ideas and to-dos out of your head and on paper or into some system as soon as possible so you have the clarity to actually work on ...
-
Apple Offers Statement on Warranty Disclosures to Italian Customers [Mac Blog]27 January 2012, 3:09 pm
Back in late December, Apple was fined $1.2 million by Italian regulators over allegations that the company promoted its AppleCare extended warranty program to customers without adequately disclosing that many of the program's benefits were already included in the standard two-year warranty required by Italian law.
As noted by @setteBIT, Apple has now added to its Italian online store a prominent link sharing the court decision (PDF). The document outlines the requirement that Apple mo...
-
Tim Cook Responds to Report on Working Conditions at Suppliers' Factories27 January 2012, 2:25 pm
In the wake of yesterday's report regarding treatment of workers at the facilities of Apple's suppliers, Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent an email to company employees addressing the situation. As published by 9to5Mac, the email highlights Apple's efforts to oversee compliance with company standards for workers' rights and the transparency with which it has shared that information. From Cook's opening statement:As a company and as individuals, we are defined by our values. Unfortunately some people ...
-
Apple Estimated to Retake Title of World's Largest Smartphone Vendor27 January 2012, 4:13 am
Research firm Strategy Analytics today announced its estimates of the global smartphone market for the fourth quarter of 2011, finding that Apple narrowly squeezed by Samsung to retake the title of world's largest smartphone vendor as measured by unit shipments. According to Strategy Analytics' numbers, Apple's 37 million iPhones narrowly eclipsed Samsung's quarterly smartphone shipments of 36.5 million units.Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “While Apple took t...
-
iWorld 2012: Bottle Opener Cases, Wave Cradle, Nomad Brush, Wallet Case26 January 2012, 10:51 pm
Macworld | iWorld carries the usual collection of iPhone cases and accessories, not all of which are insanely great. But here are a few interesting ones that were on the show floor as I made my way through the masses.
Opena Case and Intoxicase were both showing off iPhone cases with built in bottle openers. Intoxicase's even integrates with an app that counts the number of openings. Not sure the demand for such a thing, but here they are.
WaveCradle is simple aluminum stand that amp...
-
Macworld 2012: WDC Shows Off MyBook Thunderbolt Duo26 January 2012, 9:24 pm
We briefly mentioned WDC's press release that they would be showing their new MyBook Thunderbolt Duo at Macworld. Here are photos from the show floor of the unit. As expected, the new drive shares the same appearance as their previous two drive MyBook hardware.
This new model, however, incorporates two Thunderbolt ports that allows the units to be daisy chained with each other to create a single logical drive.
At the show, WDC was showing 4 devices daisy chained with Thunderbolt in a...
-
Valve Releases Steam Companion App for iPhone [iOS Blog]26 January 2012, 8:41 pm
Valve, the company behind the popular gaming platform Steam, has released a new companion app for iPhone called Steam Mobile as a closed beta. The app allows Steam users to view their Steam friends list, see what games their friends are playing, and chat with players in-game.
Gamers can also browse -- and apparently purchase, though the app descriptions are a little fuzzy on that point -- the Steam library of titles from the iPhone. However, there is no purchasing of iOS games through the app...
-
iPhone Average Selling Price Remains Steady Even With Free 3GS Offer26 January 2012, 7:19 pm
Earlier this week, Apple reported its best quarterly earnings ever, taking in more than $46 billion over three months. 53% of that revenue was from the sale of 37 million iPhones, at an average selling price of nearly $660. This ASP is particularly impressive, considering this is the first quarter that Apple has sold a "free" iPhone in the U.S. -- the iPhone 3GS is available for free to new two-year contract signers on AT&T.
Apple's iPhone ASP has remained fairly consistent, hoverin...
-
Part-Time Apple Employees Now Eligible to Participate in Charitable Matching Program26 January 2012, 6:54 pm
One of Tim Cook's first acts when he became CEO of Apple was to institute a charitable matching program for employees. Under the program, Apple would match employees' personal contributions to 501(c)(3) charitable organizations up to $10,000 per year. However, the program initially only applied to US-based full-time employees.
Now, it seems Apple has expanded the program to include part-time US employees as well, and covering international workers soon, according to a tweet from the Appl...
-
Macworld 2012: 'Clear' To Do App for iOS, WDC MyBook Thunderbolt Duo26 January 2012, 6:36 pm
Macworld | iWorld 2012 kicked off this morning in San Francisco with the opening of the expo show floor. For years, Macworld was the major trade show for Apple to announce their new products. The venue was the launching ground for the first iPhone launch back in 2007.
Since Apple's departure, the show has continued with a focus on 3rd party companies. This year, the show has been rebranded as Macworld | iWorld reflecting the increased importance of iOS in the Apple ecosystem.
Clear...
-
Former Apple Executives Address Working Conditions in Suppliers' Factories26 January 2012, 5:37 pm
The New York Times today published a lengthy report discussing working conditions at the facilities of Apple's suppliers in China, part of a growing focus on how Apple's popular products are made. While the company is making strides in holding its suppliers accountable to company standards, the report cites former Apple executives who note that the company continues to struggle balancing its desire for better working conditions and workers' rights with its business priorities.Some former Apple ...
-
Giveaway: GelaSkins Skins for Your iPad27 January 2012, 3:00 pm
The folks at GelaSkins emailed us yesterday to let us know that their eReader skins are now shipping in a velvety matte finish. The new skins blend with the page-like screens of eReaders and eliminate glare associated with the signature gloss finish. This is all great news if you have an eReader such as a [...]...
-
How to Interpret the Serial Number of Your iPhone27 January 2012, 2:00 pm
Have you ever wondered what the letters stand for in an iPhone’s serial number? Whether you answered yes or no, the truth is that the code actually contains some pretty interesting information about the handset. The folks over at OSXDaily have just published a legend of sorts that breaks down what each set of letters [...]...
-
Is Apple Unwittingly Exchanging Stolen iPhones?27 January 2012, 1:00 pm
If you’ve ever taken a broken iPhone back to an Apple Store for repair or replacement, then you’ll be well aware at just how easy the company makes it. You take your iPhone in, Apple checks its warranty by referencing its serial number and you walk out with a replacement. But that “customer comes first” approach may [...]...
-
Tim Cook Responds to Supply Chain Workers Mistreatment Allegations27 January 2012, 12:00 pm
Yesterday the New York Times published a comprehensive piece detailing Apple’s failure to effectively pursue safer working conditions in its overseas manufacturing plants. Although the article could apply to virtually every tech company – most of them work with Foxconn – Apple was the main target, probably because it’s a company with such strong values, [...]...
-
Free and Discounted Apps for Thursday, January 2627 January 2012, 12:01 am
The App Store is filled with hundreds of thousands of apps for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. At iDB we keep an eye on the best apps available to see when they’re available for the best price. These apps are currently available for a great discount, and some of them are even totally free. [...]...
-
Steam iPhone Client Now Available in the App Store26 January 2012, 11:40 pm
Folks who use Steam, the popular game distribution platform for the Mac and PC, will be happy to hear that there is now an official iPhone client available in the App Store. Dubbed Steam Mobile, the app will allow users to perform a number of tasks that were previously reserved for the desktop client, including [...]...
-
Crazy Rumor: Apple Television Launch Just a Few Months Away26 January 2012, 10:45 pm
There’s rumors, and then there’s crazy rumors. And this one definitely falls in the latter category. The folks over at TechnoBuffalo are reporting that Apple’s TV set is much closer to launch than we previously thought. Citing a “high-ranking source with a major electronics retailer,” the site is claiming that the Cupertino company is looking [...]...
-
iPad Takes 96% of Tablets Activated in Enterprise, iPhone Takes 53%26 January 2012, 9:55 pm
Apple may appear to be the biggest tablet vendor on the planet with the company selling iPads hand over fist, but it seems that end-users are not the only ones taking a shine to the tablet. According to new figures from enterprise mobile services vendor Good Technology, the iPad made up 96% of the tablets [...]...
-
Patent Shows Apple Working On Universal Touchscreen TV Remote26 January 2012, 8:53 pm
As noted by 9to5Mac, the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) published an interesting patent application today with Apple’s name on it. The filing pertains to a universal touch screen controller, capable of controlling TV sets and a range of other devices, lending at least some credibility to the recent rumors we’ve heard that Apple has [...]...
-
The iPad Made Up 58% of Tablet Shipments During Last Quarter26 January 2012, 8:01 pm
New figures released today by Research firm Strategy Analytics suggest that Apple’s iPad is still very much the top tablet for most, with Android’s share growing thanks to a newcomer to the scene. Releasing figures based on worldwide shipments of tablets during the fourth quarter of 2011, Strategy Analytics shared that 26.8 million tablets were shipped [...]...