Celebrity gadget notes from all over
Hard to imagine that Apple will be falling over themselves to celebrate this "celebrity" sighting, but a doozy in Al-Jazeera does have interesting implications for understanding how the Taliban has changed since the war started.
The Taliban is, of course, anti-everything worthwhile, and that includes technology. It's one thing for the wild-eyed leadership to have satellite phones and middling-quality videocameras, but overall, modern conveniences have been regarded as corrupting influences, and the general public is forbidden contact.
Android to get GPS navigation through Telenav
T-Mobile's G1 will be getting its first full-featured navigation system on February 24 when Telenav releases its GPS Navigator for Android.
First available directly through Telenav's site, the navigation software will hit the Android market shortly thereafter, when it begins offering for-pay apps.
FCC tells 25% of requesting TV stations they can't switch on 2/17
Claiming that certain areas of the country are less ready than others for the switch to digital broadcast television, the FCC denied 123 termination notices from a list of 491.
"We have now reviewed the 491 termination notices filed by the stations intending to end analog service on February 17, 2009," reads a Federal Communications Commission public notice published yesterday (PDF available here). "We find that 368 of these stations may proceed with their intended termination of analog service on February 17th."
Symbian makes new friends
Don't call it a comeback: Despite a solid year of competitive pressure from Apple, Google, RIM and the like, the world's biggest mobile OS system got bigger again on Thursday with the addition of 14 companies to the Symbian Foundation.
The Nokia-run non-profit foundation, still working toward its goal of an open mobile platform, increases its roster to 78 in just eight months of existence. Members are committed to creating an open-source platform, and have access to Nokia's Symbian software royalty-free.
Mozilla: We're not joining the EC's Microsoft complaint
Though it took several days for it to decide upon the proper language, Mozilla today posted its final explanation about its status with respect to the European Commission's latest Microsoft complaint: an "interested party."
Today's admission from the makers of Firefox incorporates language the organization had been pondering as a response to questions from Betanews and others Tuesday, following uncorroborated blog reports that Mozilla was either suing Microsoft or that it was adding its name to legal action from the EC. Neither is the case, especially since the EC's action is not a lawsuit; and today, Mozilla explained that as carefully as possible.
Garmin-Asus releases more G60 details, adds M20 Windows phone
After last week's rollout of plans to re-launch a line-up of Nuvifone smart phones -- this time together with Eee maker Asus -- GPS specialist Garmin has teamed with its partner on a new Web site for Nuvifone.
In its first week online, the site contains more details, including pictures, on the Nuvifone G60 product mentioned last week, along with an early description of a Windows Mobile-enabled model known as the M20.
One less WMV customer: Verizon V Cast now powered by Real's Helix
RealNetworks announced yesterday that Verizon's V Cast Video service has transitioned over to the Real Helix media delivery system, in a move which puts Real in charge of two major carriers' multimedia platforms.
The short-form video on demand service has transitioned over to the platform upon which Cingular Wireless' Cingular Video was built. That service was later to be renamed "CV" (where "C" now stands for cellular) under the ownership of AT&T.
Report: Apple 'iTunes Replay' service rumored
Apple is rumored to be readying an on-demand video service that would let users stream iTunes Movie and TV show purchases directly from iTunes servers for playback. The speculation springs from a report in Apple Insider, which proposes that such a service would benefit users by eliminating the need for local storage of media files.
According to Apple Insider, Apple is now putting the finishing touches on "iTunes Replay" for inclusion in iTunes 8. But the report also noted that it appears undecided by Apple whether or not it plans to charge for the service. Apple Insider does not cite any sources at Apple as the basis for the report. When Betanews attempted to confirm this information with Apple today, spokespersons were not immediately available for comment.
T-Mobile G1 phones get GoTV music channels
Users of Android-based G1 phones on T-Mobile can now access mobile entertainment channels from GoTV Networks, Inc. The fare includes music performances, events, news, charts, and interviews across musical genres such as rock, country, and hip hop.
To access the GoTV channels, G1 users need to download a GoTV software application from the Google Android Market. The GoTV channels are also available in either streaming or on-demand formats from multiple video Web sites as well as from Apple's iPhone Application Store, AT&T, Boost Mobile, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless (including Alltel, and Virgin Mobile), GoTV said in a statement this week.
Microsoft hires another Yahoo exec for search
With Larry Heck going aboard Microsoft this week, Microsoft has hired yet another Yahoo executive in efforts to make a larger dent in the search engine market versus industry leader Google. At Yahoo, Heck was in charge of a laboratory that developed algorithms for more accurate searches and ad targeting.
Although Microsoft announced 5,000 job cuts a few weeks back, its search arm is still hiring, and at least three of its recent key hires are from Yahoo. Others from Yahoo include Sean Suchter, hired by Microsoft in November, and Dr. Qi Lu, appointed president of Microsoft's online services group in December. In a new job slated to start within the next few weeks, Heck will report to Satya Nadella, a senior VP in Microsoft's online services unit.
Microsoft: No free Win7 yet, but the option is left open
In a statement to Betanews this afternoon, a Microsoft spokesperson refrained from explicitly denying that it would offer Windows 7 as a free upgrade to some Vista owners.
"Microsoft often explores options with our partners to determine product offerings," the Microsoft spokesperson told Betanews. "We are not announcing anything new at this time."
Samsung plans Android phone for second half of 2009
Samsung has reportedly denied a rumored rollout of its first Android phone next week, saying instead that the phone looks likely for release in the second half of this year.
In an interview with the UK-based Guardian newspaper this morning, Younghee Lee, head of marketing for Samsung's mobile device division, reportedly said that, contrary to industry speculation otherwise, Samsung will not unveil a phone based on Google's Android platform at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.
Report: Hybrid movie and game Blu-ray discs coming to PS3
A report from Sony hardware marketing director John Koller yesterday points to the release of "dual format" Blu-ray discs this year. That is, they'll be both a full-length movie, and a complete associated video game title.
John Koller, Director of Hardware Marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment, told Videobusiness yesterday that they are "actively pushing" for combination movie/game Blu-ray discs on the PlayStation 3 console. "There are a lot of developers who say, 'We have this game based on a movie...wouldn't it be great to marry these concepts?' We will definitely see this stuff this year," Koller said. Thanks to the density of the medium, a full-length HD movie and associated PS3 game could easily fit on a single Blu-ray disc.
Analyst: Global economy hits US broadband uptake hardest
It's widely known that the US is playing catch-up with the rest of the world, especially Western Europe and Southeast Asia, in the field of broadband adoption. But a report released by iSuppli yesterday suggests that the rate of US broadband uptake acceleration dropped in 2008 for the first time.
While 6.5 million new broadband subscribers were added in the US during 2007, according to iSuppli principal analyst Steve Rago, only 3.5 million were added in 2008. The entry of telcos, such as Verizon (FiOS) and AT&T (U-verse) to the mix of broadband and TV service providers for many US customers, helped keep that number from falling even further, the firm estimates, but only because customers were investing in the TV service first, and broadband as a piggy-back.
Sprint: Palm Pre to get real MMS, Exchange support
The addition of technical specifications to Sprint's Web site for its upcoming Palm Pre confirms a few features we didn't even see demonstrated at CES last month. One very important feature is support for Microsoft Exchange direct push e-mail, enabling businesses with Exchange Server 2003 or XS 2007 to make their investments in Pre right away.
The other -- which will delight many and maybe even wrinkle some iPhone fans' noses -- is native support for Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). Sure, iPhone users have told us, you can send and receive MMS messages...through an almost Clintonian definition of "can." Almost every time you see a headline proclaiming the iPhone now has MMS, the story boils down to "Kind of..." which assumes you download someone else's app, that your recipient downloads the same app, and that Apple doesn't make you jump through hoops to do it. No hoops from Palm or Sprint, apparently, if these technical specifications just published are accurate.
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