Android 4.2 Jelly Bean comes to ASUS Transformer Pad TF300
ASUS Transformer Pad owners are in for a treat, the latest treat in the candy jar in fact -- the Taiwanese manufacturer has announced that it will upgrade the popular tablet to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
On its Facebook page, ASUS revealed that the Transformer Pad, in TF300 trim, is set to receive an update to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean this month, although there's no exact date as to when the roll-out will begin. According to the company, the Transformer Pad is the first non-Nexus device to receive the upgrade to the newest iteration of the popular green droid operating system.
Xbox Live premieres its first movie
In tough economic times, raising the money and getting a movie made without any major stars in it can be more than a little challenging for independent film makers. Getting it distributed is even harder.
So instead of trying to get their movie into cinemas, releasing it straight to DVD, or even putting it out on YouTube, the makers of Pulp are distributing their low-budget British comedy via an alternative method -- Xbox Live.
Accidental Empires, Part 11 -- Role Models (Chapter 5)
Eleventh in a series. The next installment of Robert X. Cringely's 1991 tech-industry classic Accidental Empires is highly appropriate for the industry today. He discusses concepts like "look and feel", how pioneers freely copied ideas and where attitudes began to change. There's something prescient, with respect to aggressive patent litigation by Apple and some other companies today.
This chapter also explores the incredible contribution one research lab, Xerox PARC, made to personal computing as we know it --germinator of graphical user interface, mouse, Ethernet and laser printer, among others. Photo is of the Alto, arguably the first computer workstation and one of many, many products conceived but not marketed.
Evernote is hacked, claims user data 'should' be safe
I am sure I am not alone when I say that Evernote is one of my favorite services. It makes life so much easier -- I can write a note on my PC and then see it on my phone when I am out. I can add an item to a shopping list and it appears on my wife's phone while she is in the store. There are all sorts of cool possibilities. But, if you visit the service today then you may be in for a bit of a surprise.
When you try to log into the site you will be taken to a prompt that asks you to please change your password -- no you did not enter your login credentials wrong. The service announced this morning that it was hacked. Dave Engberg of Evernote posted the bad news, while also trying to reassure customers that there is really nothing to worry about and that the password change is simply precautionary.
Can Guy Kawasaki save Google from Samsung?
Google is a hardware company now, something that is too often overlooked. Last week, the search and information company launched its first computer, Chromebook Pixel, which I reviewed overnight yesterday. In August 2011, Google bought Motorola, one of the most iconic American brands and inventor of the cell phone, for $12.5 billion; the deal closed in May 2012. Moto makes handsets and tablets, among other things.
But Motorola is a brand in decline, and one Google should want to reinvigorate if the plan is to release more-compelling, more-innovative Androids. Why should ASUS, LG and Samsung manufacture Nexus devices when Google has a huge hardware subsidiary? Meanwhile, one of the three is a partner out of control. Samsung threatens to fracture the broader Android ecosystem -- a problem I sternly warned about in April 2012 post "Google has lost control of Android". A resurgent Motorola could bring unity back to the Force, as the saying goes. Google bets that Guy Kawasaki can help make that happen.
Google shows off 'How Search Works'
We all use it everyday. Be it Google, Bing or another alternative, we search for things without even really thinking about it. Google, however, wants to show you a little bit about what all goes into this seemingly simple activity. Friday, the company unveiled a new web site called 'How Search Works' that gives a rather in-depth look behind the scenes.
Google has, for sometime now, run an "Inside Search" blog that provides a bit of information on updates to the company's core service, but this one really lifts the curtain, though you still will not find any real trade secrets revealed -- though there is a 43-page document explaining how Google evaluates results. It is an interesting look at what really goes on when you type that innocent "funny cat videos" term into the little box. Yesterday Jake Hubert, a Google Product Manager, took to that blog to announce the new web site.
Is it next year already? Bitdefender releases Total Security 2014 beta
Bitdefender has released the first public beta of Bitdefender Total Security 2014, its high-end security suite. And while the new edition doesn’t offer any revolutionary changes, there are enough additions and enhancements to make it interesting.
Bitdefender themselves are highlighting the suite’s “adaptive scanning technology”, which apparently “visibly improves speed and performance in a matter of hours by gradually molding to your PC”. The new Wallet fills a gap in the previous editions by storing your user names and passwords, then automatically filling them in for you.
Judge denies Apple request to increase damages against Samsung, cuts them by 40 percent instead
Apple's patent case against Samsung took an unexpected turn today. Judge Lucy Koh cut the damages, citing jury errors, removing some devices previously found to infringe the fruit-logo company's patents. Jurors had awarded about $1.05 billion in damages, which now are just $600 million (rounded up slightly). The South Korean electronics giant isn't off the hook by any means. More than a dozen devices remain infringers.
Judge Koh's order is a blow to Apple, but not one that invalidates any real part of its patent victory. The judge found that the jury had inappropriately calculated damages for some products, based in part on their acceptance of arguments made by Apple expert witness Terry Musika.
Microsoft Photosynth finally reaches Windows Phone 8
By now most of you have likely heard of Photosynth, the Microsoft Labs project that made the mainstream, first as a web app and then on mobile. Now the mobile version has finally been ported to Windows Phone 8 devices as version 1.5 lands in the Windows Phone store today.
Photosynth is a panorama app that can take multiple high resolution images and stitch them together into a fantastic picture that users can pan around -- you can see some great examples on the website (it requires Silverlight).
Best Windows 8 apps this week
Eighteenth in a series. The US Windows Store slipped past the 30,000 applications mark this week and is now listing a total of 30,299 free and paid apps to Windows 8 users. While that is certainly a milestone, week-over-week growth of applications has slowed down once again considerably this week.
Only 585 new apps were listed in the store this week, almost a 50-percent drop from last week's 1,049 new applications. Of those, 384 are listed as free in the store, while the remaining 201 are paid applications.
Apple's mini is more popular than iPad, and that's not a good thing
Nearly two months ago, when forecasting that tablets would outsell laptops this year, NPD DisplaySearch dropped dirty data bomb: shipments of slates with 7-7.9-inch screens will eclipse larger ones. Now the analyst firm puts real numbers behind the prediction, and they are grim for Apple. Talk about mixed blessings. iPad mini sizzles, while iPad fizzles. The problem: Higher sales of one takes away from the other, rather than expands demand. As such, margins are lower for the important category, likely biting Macs, too.
Panel shipments reveal the trend, and it is dramatic in just one month. "Shipments of 9.7-inch tablet PC panels collapsed, falling from 7.4 to 1.3 million, while 7-inch and 7.9-inch panel shipments grew rapidly, from 12 to 14 million", David Hsieh, NPD vice president, says. "Shipments of 10.1-inch panels grew only slightly" from December to January. Apple and Sony are the major manufacturers selling 9.7-inch tablets, the overwhelming majority iPad. Starting today, Sony sells the Xperia Tablet Z, in a move to 10.1 inches, but 9.7-inch volumes aren't high enough to account for such a dramatic shift in panel orders.
Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus to receive a software update 'soon'
Two weeks ago my colleague Alan Buckingham expressed his disappointment for the lack of software updates on the Verizon-branded Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Because of it, he even suggests that "Google should NEVER let Verizon sell another Nexus device". Is all hope lost?
On its Twitter account, replying to the post of a disgruntled user, the big red has confirmed that the Galaxy Nexus will receive a software update, presumably to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean or newer. The carrier did not provide an exact release date and only suggested a rough estimate -- "soon".
BlackBerry rolls out a software update for BB10
On Friday, Canadian mobile device manufacturer BlackBerry (the company formerly known as RIM) rolled out an update for the BlackBerry 10 operating system. The latest software iteration touts significant improvements across the board while also delivering a number of bug fixes.
The software update is a bit of a heavyweight, coming in at 150MB in size which is why BlackBerry recommends using a Wi-Fi connection for the download. The OTA (Over-The-Air) update is currently rolling out across the globe, but depending on the carrier it may take up to a couple of weeks to receive it on your Z10 smartphone. But let's see what's in store first.
Zombies, Run! 2 coming to iOS and Android next month
I’m a huge fan of Zombies, Run! The original immersive app, which basically turns a real-world run into a journey through the zombie apocalypse, and helped me get fit and lose weight when it first came out last year.
I’ve been really looking forward to Zombies, Run! 2 since it was announced, and the great news is it’s nearly here. The updated version, which comes as a free upgrade for current players of the game, will arrive on both iOS and Android on 16 April.
HTC One wins best new device at Mobile World Congress
HTC had a reason to celebrate yesterday as the HTC One picked up the Best New Mobile Handset, Device or Tablet at Mobile World Congress 2013, the final award of the 18th Annual Global Mobile Awards.
The main ceremony, hosted by actor, comedian and swimmer David Walliams, was held on Tuesday and saw the Galaxy S III named the best smartphone of 2012, beating out the likes of the Apple iPhone 5, Nokia’s Lumia 920, and HTC’s Droid DNA.
That wasn’t the only upset for Apple as the iPad missed out too, with Google’s Asus-built Nexus 7 scooping the award for Best Tablet of 2012.
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