Fickle Americans sure return lots of tech devices
Smartphone is the most commonly returned consumer electronics device, according to a new NPD study. The category accounts for 10 percent of all returns or exchanges, followed by PCs. More broadly, 18 million Americans took back or sent back some CE device during the previous 12 months. We are a fickle lot, indeed.
If you ever wondered why Apple, Google and other companies post so many how-to videos, preventing returns or exchanges is one reason. While 57 percent of returnees cite defective product as reason, the real numbers can't be that high. People are dissatisfied, often because they don't understand how the device works.
HP focuses on business with ElitePad 900 Windows 8 tablet
After Intel and its OEM partners announced the new Windows 8 Pro-based tablets running on the new Atom Z2760 processor, codenamed Clover Trail, Hewlett-Packard introduced the ElitePad 900 which the company labels as "a True Tablet for Business" and government, with accessories that crowd the spotlight.
Hewlett-Packard on Monday did not give much away in terms of technical specifications, but a few details were provided. The ElitePad 900 is known to come with a 16:10 10.1-inch display, a 9.2mm thickness and 1.5lbs weight without any accessories. CNC-machined aluminum is used on the tablet, with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protecting the display. The processor used is "next-generation Intel mobile" and together with "x86 compatibility" it is likely to come with the new Intel Atom Z2760 SoC, that was previously announced. There is an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash as well as a 1080p forward-facing camera, with the latter a standout feature among tablets and smartphones which still hang around the 720p mark.
PortableApps.com Platform 11 improves app store
Rare Ideas LLC has released PortableApps.com Platform 11.01, a major new release of its portable application management software. PortableApps.com Platform provides a centralised interface for accessing and managing portable applications installed on a USB drive or external hard drive for ease of use.
Version 11.01 adds improved platform accessibility and keyboard navigation of the main program interface. It also provides an enhanced app store, support for incremental platform updates and improved display options.
AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4 now available
A week after the Android Open Kang Project team announced the implementation of a new release schedule, they delivered on their promise by releasing AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4, providing along with it a number of interesting statistics.
Since June, the Android distribution reached a little over 180,000 official installations worldwide, and that is impressive for what is basically a small team of developers. The number of custom Android distributions based on AOKP code reached almost 430,000. The focus is still on AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4 that is based on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean build number JRO03R, so what does it bring to the table?
Open webOS ported to Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Soon after HP announced the availability of Open webOS 1.0 Edition, the WebOS Ports team made a new announcement of their own -- the porting of the open-source operating system to the Samsung/Google Galaxy Nexus. They did not waste any time...
The port is in the early stages of development, and accordingly it's a work in progress. Hardware acceleration is not yet implemented, but according to The Open webOS Project Blog the team is working on correcting the issue. A video has been posted detailing a functioning Open webOS running on the Samsung/Google Galaxy Nexus without any apparent issues aside from hardware acceleration, a good sign considering the narrow time-frame since HP released it.
Can iPhone 5 survive a coffee spill?
Waterproofing is one of the hottest trends in tech, as manufacturers release more devices resistant to spills and dunks. But this isn't a feature Apple touts for recently-released iPhone 5. Still, with all that aluminium and glass casing, you've got to wonder: Can iPhone 5 take a spill and survive? Android Authority puts the handset to the test.
Darcy LaCouvee is back, from Hong Kong, with the same iPhone 5 used in last week's drop test that left Samsung Galaxy S III shattered and Apple's mobile merely scuffed. The good folks at Android Authority sent me a link to the video on Friday, but I waited to post, seeing it as good Sunday fare. Three tests: Coffee spill, coins and keys scratching and full water immersion for 15 seconds.
Intel Clover Trail to make mid-range Windows 8 Pro tablets attractive
In the consumer market, Intel is best known for making chips that go into PCs of various design, and with the newly announced Intel Atom Z2760 processor, codenamed Clover Trail, the Santa Clara, California-based corporation is looking to make a dent in the mobile tablet market as well, where its presence can be considered abysmal at best.
The new Intel processor is designed to fill the gap between Windows RT-based tablets running on ARM chips and full Windows 8 Pro-based tablets on Intel Core i processors. Intel looks to be planting its Clover Trail flag in the middle ground, offering compatibility with desktop applications and improved mobility through good battery life and a compact package.
CHENGDU Yiwo releases EaseUS CleanGenius Free 3.0.5 for Windows
Chinese software developer CHENGDU Yiwo has released EaseUS CleanGenius Free 3.0.5. Despite the version number, this is actually the first release of CleanGenius on the PC platform, and follows in the wake of the paid-for EaseUS CleanGenius for Mac.
Despite sharing the name, CleanGenius is a very different beast on the PC, combining more than 20 disparate cleanup, optimization and privacy tools in a single program. While the vast majority of these are free, some features -- including scheduling options and automatic optimisation -- are restricted to a paid-for Pro license.
Let the porting begin: Open webOS 1.0 launches
It's been ten months since HP open sourced webOS, the attractive Web-based operating system that proved to be the last hurrah for smartphone pioneer Palm. Today, the Open webOS team announced the availability of Open webOS 1.0, the first official build of the open source platform for both desktop and embedded environments.
This release includes support for the Enyo2 core application framework, the Nyx portability layer, support for the latest Qt framework and WebKit engine. It also includes the OpenEmbedded build system for embedded Linux environments, and also a desktop build. It also has the signature webOS "card-based" user experience and core apps (Web browser, email client, calendar and contacts, clocks and memos).
AMC cajoles DISH subscribers with free 'The Walking Dead' streaming event
Welcome to weird news Friday! We went from Apple CEO Tim Cook's iOS 6 maps apology to a Steve Jobs sculpture made from his trash. Now this: AMC launches a bizarre retaliatory campaign against DISH Network. Following a contract disagreement, DISH killed AMC on its service. Now AMC uses hit TV show "The Walking Dead" to kill DISH. Who are the real zombies here?
The only living beings may be AMC marketers, who cleverly disguise payback as promotion. Starting today, DISH customers can sign up to stream the first new zombie episode when it airs October 14. Prominently displayed: "This is a one-time only event for DISH customers. Switch TV providers now to see the rest of Season 3 of The Walking Dead".
Cloud's a highway, but I hit some speed bumps on the post-PC road
Call me a pioneer. Those who have followed my contributions of late will have noted that I'm somewhat of a post-PC fanatic. I've taken it upon myself to blaze a trail into an IT future that features virtually no Microsoft or Intel technologies. Along the way, I've managed to stitch together a fairly functional post-PC solution. However, my journey has not always been a smooth one, and I will forever carry the scars of slings and arrows gone by.
For example, as I write this I'm sitting in the nearly empty family room of the new waterfront condo my wife and I just bought near Manalapan, FL. And as is often the case with a new property, I have yet to set-up any sort of Internet access -- nor do I plan to do so since we'll only be staying in the property for a few days before returning to Mauritius.
MRU-Blaster helps protect your privacy
"Most Recently Used" lists are generally a good feature in applications, as they allow you to reload recent documents without having to remember exactly where they’re stored.
But, of course, there are also privacy implications with doing this. And so if you don’t want other users of your PC to see exactly which documents you’ve been accessing recently, you may want to use a third-party tool, like MRU-Blaster, to wipe them all away.
Sorry, Tim Cook, apology not accepted
Apple's CEO is "extremely sorry" about the "frustration" the company's homegrown maps app "has caused our customers". Sorry isn't good enough because it's directed at the wrong place. Apple replaced Google Maps in the newest version of iOS on September 19, and even Cook admits "we fell short on this commitment" to "make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers". Simply stated: Apple Maps app sucks, but he apologizes about the wrong thing.
Cook's letter of apology should go further and get to the root problem: Why Apple ditched Google Maps in the first place. Before his death, Steve Jobs told his biographer that Google's Android essentially is a stolen product, a copycat: "I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this". Apple bombs Android competitors with patent lawsuits, risking fallout in the form of legal precedents that could hurt all tech companies. Apple's dumping Google Maps, and also YouTube, from iOS are warfare tactics -- and bigger than copying concerns when looking at local search as future ad revenue opportunity. Apple customers are collateral damage from nuclear fallout that is the new mapping app.
Artist steals Steve Jobs' trash, turns it into sculpture, world continues spiral into hell
I'm sorry, guys. I'm sorry. I have to apologize up front for even passing this story across your screens today, but it's one of those things that I just cannot overlook.
Los Angeles art house Cory Allen Contemporary Art announced yesterday that it is "re-pressing" the Steve Jobs figurine that Apple snuffed out of existence two years ago, but this second version adds a new wrinkle: is made out of porcelain and "a recycled resin made up of Steve Job’s residential trash the artist collected from the tech icon’s home several months before his death last year. "
Acer Iconia Tab A700 gets a dose of Jelly Bean
Say goodbye to Ice Cream Sandwich and hello to Jelly Bean! Acer's flagship Android tablet, the quad-core nVidia Tegra 3 Iconia Tab A700 gets an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean adrenaline shot in Europe, with extended availability likely to follow in the near future.
According to XDA Developers members, the Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update for the Acer Iconia Tab A700 tablet is available only in Germany at the moment. The update brings along a few notable changes, the biggest of which obviously is operating system upgrade in itself, but it is reported that Google Chrome as well as Acer Cloud are included in the update among the usual Google Currents, Play Books and Play Music. Allegedly, there is an effect on touch sensitivity as well which, according to the same user that reported the changes, is an improvement over the previous version.
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.