Box rolls out big feature upgrade to Android app


Cloud storage and collaboration service Box has rolled out the 1.5 update to its Android application on Thursday, adding three big new features to the mobile app which take advantage of Android's unique capabilities.
First, the application now includes a homescreen widget that shows whenever a file is updated by a collaborator, and it launches files direcly without having to take the additional step of launching the Box app.
Broadcom debuts next WiFi standard at CES 2012


Broadcom says it is using the platform of the Consumer Electronics Show next week to debut fifth generation wireless networking technology, dubbed 802.11ac. The wireless standard promises speeds of up to 1.3Gbps, which would make 802.11ac about three times as fast as 802.11n. It will also be about six times as power efficient, perfect for portable devices.
802.11ac promises greater range than its predecessors. While like previous technologies, top speeds are only attainable less than 10 meters from the transmitter. However, due to the speed bump alone 802.11n speeds are still theoretically attainable 60 meters away. This obviously makes wireless networking more viable in larger spaces.
Logitech Cube might be CES 2012's ugliest product


In a move that looks more like a clever ploy to attract bloggers and journalists to their booth at next week's Consumer Electronics Show than a product with any actual hope of success in the marketplace, Logitech on Thursday introduced the Cube. The rectangular shaped device is a mouse primarily, although it doubles as a presenter.
The square shape sure will take some getting used to, especially considering the design of the mouse has all but been unchanged in its three decades of existence. Why? Because it works. Remember Apple's circular mice that came with the original iMacs? They were derided for one reason -- ergonomics -- and the Cube seems destined for a similar fate.
Barnes and Noble: Nook is doing so well that it can be spun off


National bookstore chain Barnes and Noble announced on Thursday that is considering a spin-off of its digital content business surrounding the Nook e-book software platform and its related hardware. The company says the Nook digital business is expanding so strongly that it could be separated from Barnes and Noble's other business units and operate on its own.
"We see substantial value in what we’ve built with our NOOK business in only two years, and we believe it’s the right time to investigate our options to unlock that value,” William Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble said in a statement on Thursday. “In Nook, we’ve established one of the world’s best retail platforms for the sale of digital copyright content. We have a large and growing installed base of millions of satisfied customers buying digital content from us, and we have a NOOK business that’s growing rapidly year-over-year and should be approximately $1.5 billion in comparable sales this fiscal year. Between continued projected growth in the U.S., and the opportunity for NOOK internationally in the next 12 months, we expect the business to continue to scale rapidly for the foreseeable future.”
Get Linux lets you find and download more than 100 distros


If you want to download a particular Linux distribution you could go online, run a quick search or two, and you’ll probably turn up the necessary links fairly quickly. But a portable Windows tool called Get Linux aims to offer an even simpler solution.
Launch this small program and you’ll see a list of more than 100 Linux distros. Enter the name you need in the Search box, choose whether you’d like the 32 or 64-bit build, click Download, then just wait while Get Linux grabs the necessary ISO for you.
Turn your Android into a second PC monitor


Anyone who has worked with a dual monitor setup will be aware of just what a productivity boost the extra screen space can be. The ability to have more than one application visible in full screen mode enables you to view more information at any one time is incredibly useful and it something that everyone should try. But whether you have a couple of monitors sitting on your desk or not, ScreenSlider enables you to gain a little extra space using your Android device.
The app can be used with either tablets or phones, and while both are useful options, tablet owners undoubtedly get a better deal thanks to their larger screens. ScreenSlider simply requires that you install the free app on your Android device as well as the desktop software on your PC and the software will then automatically detect your phone or tablet over your wireless network from your computer. You can drop any program window onto the display and take advantage of it whilst sat at your desk or move further afield --providing you stay within range of your network.
AIMP 3 adds own sound engine, 7.1-surround sound support


First released back in 2006, AIMP’s lengthy feature list has helped to make it a popular free audio player. It has been out of the news for a while as the developers worked on the latest release, but they’ve finally finished, and now we can all sample AIMP 3′s new features for ourselves.
Top of the list has to be the introduction of the program’s own sound engine, which allows you to output using ASIO, WASAPI or DirectSound (click Preferences > Playback to control this).
Google will debut new Google TV at CES 2012


Semiconductor company Marvell announced on Thursday that the next generation of Google TV will be powered by the Marvell Foresight Platform and its Armada 1500 HD Media system-on-a-chip, and that we'll be getting a first look at it next week at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Marvell has teamed up with Google and effectively picked up where Intel left off when it quit its short run with Google TV, and moving its Digital Home Group engineers over to Ultrabooks, tablets, and smartphones.
Kodak's bankruptcy seems inevitable


The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday reported that 131-year old photography and imaging technology company Eastman Kodak is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after more than four straight years of unprofitability.
Last September, Eastman Kodak began restructuring under law firm Jones Day, and in November sold off its Image Sensor Solutions business to private equity firm Platinum Equity for an undisclosed sum.
Steve Ballmer caption contest winner


Last week, we asked you to put a caption to the photo above -- for a chance to win an HP TouchPad -- and, whoa, did you ever. We received about 300 responses in comments and by email. Many of the best caption contenders came by mail, while many others came too late to qualify; deadline was December 28, 2011 at 11:59:59 pm ET. Actually, among the late-comers there were some well-deserving contest considerations. :(
We reduced the number of candidates to 15; originally we planned 10 but there were so many good entries. We used a polyhedral dice from my old Dungeons & Dragons game -- yes, there was role playing before the Internet and Xbox 360 -- to cut the contenders to 12, nine, six and three. Then one -- so the winner was randomly chosen from among the top 15.
Google reduces Chrome browser search PageRank for 60 days


Microsoft and Mozilla simply couldn't ask for a better situation. At a time when usage share for their respective browsers sinks, the world's No. 1 search engine has effectively stripped up-and-comer Chrome from meaningful search ranking. Google demoted Chrome, following a sponsored-link scandal that violates its own policies about paid links. If you Google "browsers" today, unlike yesterday, Chrome won't appear among top results and is buried pages below.
From one perspective, Google did the right thing, treating itself and its own product like any of its search customers. Throughout 2011, Google was on a tear to purify search rankings of shenanigans like this one. But from another viewpoint, Google had no other choice. Its business is about trust, and the company can't be doing what it prohibits others from doing. Then there's that pesky antitrust investigation and allegations Google favors its own stuff in searches.
Windows Phone partners will spend $100M, not $200M, launching Nokia Ace


I was right and stand by my reporting.
Following BetaNews' report of Microsoft and its partners $100 million ad bonanza surrounding the launch of the the Nokia Ace in March, additional misinformation has surfaced about the Redmond, Wash.-based company's plans to push Windows Phone to the forefront after languishing for so long at the back of the pack -- that the number is higher.
Roku Smart Stick: smallest 'set-top box' ever


Just six months after debuting its tiny 3" x 3" x 1" Roku 2 streaming set top box, over-the-top video company Roku on Wednesday announced it had gone even smaller, and put its entire streaming set top box into a package the size of a USB stick which connects to a TV's HDMI port and communicates using the new Mobile High Definition Link (MHL) interface standard.
The Roku Streaming Stick, as it is called, will require no separate power supply, and will be controlled by the television's own remote control. Televisions that support MHL will be able to integrate Roku's streaming TV platform simply by plugging in the stick. With the stick docked, it will be just like having the Roku set-top box: it adds the Roku interface (and the 400+ channels it offers), Wi-Fi connectivity, and local storage to the TV it is used on.
Scott Thompson is Yahoo's new CEO


Four months after unceremoniously firing Carol Bartz over the phone, Yahoo's board today named PayPal president Scott Thompson as chief executive. Thompson will assume the new role on January 9, when he also joins Yahoo's board of directors.
Thompson comes to Yahoo amid great turmoil. The company is undergoing something of an identity crisis as it struggles to reinvent itself. Right now, Yahoo's strongest asset is a commanding brand, but its identity is increasingly amorphous, and the company considers unloading web properties in markets where its products are best known, such as Asia. Many challenges face Thompson, none the least convincing shareholders he can bring focus back to the struggling Internet giant. Yahoo shares nudged down about 3 percent in early trading -- $15.84, off the $16.11 opening and $16.25 close yesterday.
Dolphin Browser HD 7 for Android mini-review


Whatever operating system you look at, it is fair to say that most people fall out of love with the default web browser pretty quickly. Windows users will find that they migrate away from Internet Explorer, while Mac owners are likely to adopt an alternative to Safari. The same is true for mobile platforms and when it comes to Android devices there is no shortage of web browsers to choose from. Dolphin Browser HD is one alternative browser that has gained an impressive following not only on iOS devices, but also on Android.
This is a mobile web browser that got off to something of a slow start. When it was first released it was an interesting alternative to the likes of mobile Safari and Opera Mini but it has developed over a relatively short period of time into some seriously impressive. Being designed for touchscreen devices means that the browser takes advantage of gestures to make it easier to perform common operations such as moving back and forwards between pages. Support for gestures means not only that web navigation is made a great deal easier, it also frees up screen space that would otherwise have been occupied by a toolbar full of buttons.
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