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AfterDawn: News

Sony announces PS3 surround sound system

Written by James Delahunty @ 16 Jun 2010 8:38

Sony announces PS3 surround sound system Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) has announced that it will release an "all-in-one" surround sound system for the PlayStation 3 (SP3) console. The surround sound system consists of just one central speaker, with the subwoofer built in.

The system will be released in fall 2010 in North America, Europe (and other PAL territories) and Japan for US$199, €199 and 19,800 yen, respectively.

The system uses Sony's S-Force PRO Front Surround Sound, generates rich realistic surround sound over just one front speaker. Bringing in SCE's expertise in both entertainment and technology acquired from developing games, four sound fields of the speaker system have been designed with the help of SCE's expert game sound designers, to optimize the cinematic experience of all forms of entertainment.

The system features two audio inputs; an optic audio input for connecting the PlayStation 3 and an analogue input for other sources, including Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP).

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Google unveils YouTube video editor

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Jun 2010 5:15

Google unveils YouTube video editor Google has unveiled a new video editor this week, one that will allow users to create new videos from clips of videos they have already uploaded.

Additionally, you can add a music track from the AudioSwap licensed song library, but some will have advertisements.

The feature has been rolled out today, in batches, with all users getting it by the end of the day.

So far, the editor is very basic, but should cover most of the needs of average users who want to create montages or other simple editing jobs.

Adds Rushabh Doshi of YouTube: "We wanted something really, really easy for our users to use."

Check it here: http://www.youtube.com/editor?popart=681928




AfterDawn: News

T-Mobile launches HSPA+ network to 15 new cities

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Jun 2010 3:37

T-Mobile launches HSPA+ network to 15 new cities T-Mobile has announced the launch of the HSPA+ network in 15 new cities this week, giving users speeds faster than that of Sprint's 4G.

The network has already been available in New York, Philadelphia, Memphis and a few other cities for some time, but now T-Mobile subscribers in Atlanta, Houston, Seattle, Tampa, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, New Orleans, and Charleston can use the very fast data network on their smartphones and netbooks.

Important to note, however, is that not all phones can use the HSPA+ network, and the phones that work are pictured below. Most are Android devices like the myTouch series and the HTC HD2.

Additionally, the fourth largest carrier in the U.S. is now also offering a HSPA+-friendly USB dongle, dubbed the webConnect Rocket, for netbook users wanting the fast connection.

T-Mobile's "3.5G" HSPA+ network promises speeds of up to 21 Mbps.




AfterDawn: News

Goatse Security hacker arrested on drug charges

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Jun 2010 2:57

Goatse Security hacker arrested on drug charges A lead hacker for Goatse Security, the group now notorious for posting 114,000 email addresses of iPad owners after exploiting the AT&T website, has been arrested today, charged with felony drug possession.

Andrew "Escher" Auernheimer, 24, of Arkansas, was arrested after the FBI searched his home, although it is unclear whether the warrant is in connection with the recent hacking episode.

Escher now faces four felony charges of "possession of a controlled substance" as he was found with LSD, cocaine, ecstasy and other over-the-counter drugs.

The hacker was arrested once before in March for giving a false name to police after he was pulled over.

Earlier in the week, the same group exposed another security hole in the iPad, using the same ICC-IDs given out by using a script on the AT&T Website and determining the locations of iPad owners.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Apple sells out of iPhone 4 in one day

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Jun 2010 2:35

Apple sells out of iPhone 4 in one day Apple has announced today that despite glitches on the AT&T website, the iPhone 4 has seen 600,000 units pre-ordered, a one-day record for the company.

The number was much higher than expected, and the company apologized to anyone who tried to pre-order but could not because of technical difficulties.

In all five countries the device is available there were reports of delays, system malfunctions and server breakdowns and AT&T in the U.S. even had to suspend all pre-orders while a "special team" was brought in to manually look through the orders.

For comparison's sake, the iPhone 3GS sold almost 70,000 via pre-order in its first day of availability.

Says Apple: "Yesterday Apple and its carrier partners took pre-orders for more than 600,000 of Apple's new iPhone 4. It was the largest number of pre-orders Apple has ever taken in a single day and was far higher than we anticipated, resulting in many order and approval system malfunctions. Many customers were turned away or abandoned the process in frustration. We apologize to everyone who encountered difficulties, and hope that they will try again or visit an Apple or carrier store once the iPhone 4 is in stock."




AfterDawn: News

AOL loses almost 99 percent on Bebo investment

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Jun 2010 2:16

AOL loses almost 99 percent on Bebo investment AOL, infamous for terrible investments, announced in April that they were planning to either sell or shut down the social networking site Bebo, which they bought for $850 million in 2008.

Today, reports are circulating that AOL has found a buyer for the service, Criterion Capital Partners, who will buy Bebo for $10 million USD, leaving AOL with a 98.8 percent loss on their original investment.

Despite that outstanding loss, the sale will give AOL the ability to write off the original purchase for tax purposes, saving over $300 million in corporate taxes in the process.

At the time of the acquisition, AOL was still part of Time Warner, part of a merger that many have called the worst deal of all-time. (AOL had to take a $99 billion dollar loss in 2002.)

Bebo saw less than 5 million unique visitors last month, compared to 120 million for Facebook, and Bebo continues to see declining traffic every month.




AfterDawn: News

Google Video: What is Google TV?

Written by James Delahunty @ 16 Jun 2010 1:21

Google Video: What is Google TV? Google Inc. uploaded a video to YouTube yesterday explaining what Google TV hopes to bring to the living room. The video is only 2:21 long and is very easy to understand. It contains little on the technical side and just focuses on the features that Google TV aims to bring to the living room.

The video shows how Google TV can be used to search and view television channels and programming, browse the web on your television, play games, browse photos and more.



Google TV seems like something to keep an eye on.




AfterDawn: News

T-Mobile giving all phones away free on Father's Day

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Jun 2010 12:11

T-Mobile giving all phones away free on Father's Day T-Mobile, the fourth largest carrier in the United States has announced today that it will run a huge Father's Day promotion, this Saturday, June 19th.

As long as you have a family plan, or decide to purchase one, every phone in any T-Mobile store across the nation is free.

If you already have a family plan, to get the deal you need to add another line to your plan, which can cost as low as $5 extra per month.

The deal can be incredible, as it includes literally all phones, even brand new ones like the myTouch 3G Slide, the HTC HD2, and the Garminfone, all of which are over $350 to purchase without contract.

T-Mobile is starting the promotion at 8 a.m. on Saturday.




AfterDawn: News

U.S. business groups slam Chinese indigenous innovation proposals

Written by James Delahunty @ 15 Jun 2010 11:56

U.S. business groups slam Chinese indigenous innovation proposals Business groups in the United States on Tuesday criticized the Chinese government over policy proposals that they say will discriminate against U.S. and other international companies in the market. The companies represented work with software, clean energy and computer technology, but one proposal in China would encourage government agencies to deal with companies that have produced technology in the country.

The proposal is part of a bunch of policies dubbed "indigenous innovation" that are meant to encourage more technological development in the country. Jeremie Waterman, a senior director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, testified before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).

He argued that the policies are being proposed to provide advantages to domestic companies and products, to "force technology transfer if foreign players choose to participate." In April, China allowed foreign companies to compete for government business following pressure from Washington.

Not everyone agrees that the Chinese proposals will be bad for U.S. or other foreign companies however. Lee Branstetter, an economics professor at Carnegie Mellon University, points out that none of the policies are even in place yet and may not turn out to be as harmful to U.S. companies as they think.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

NVIDIA pushing '3D PC' spec

Written by James Delahunty @ 15 Jun 2010 11:53

NVIDIA pushing '3D PC' spec While Sony is showing off 3D features of the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console today at E3, NVIDIA with support of many big names in the PC industry is trying to push the "3D PC" to consumers. Using the popularity of movies like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, and the selection of PC games that be displayed in 3D with right hardware, NVIDIA argues that a 3D PC offers the broadest solution for enjoying 3D entertainment at home.

What is a 3D PC? A 3D PC is technically a PC or a notebook on the market that meet the following minimum requirements...

  • Includes a pair of 3D active-shutter glasses.
  • A 120Hz 3D-capable display in the form of a desktop LCD monitor, a 3D projector, a 3D TV, or a notebook PC with an integrated 3D-capable LCD.
  • A discrete graphics processor that is capable of delivering high definition imagery to the 3D display
Among the partners NVIDIA has enlisted in pushing 3D PCs are Alienware, Asus, Dell, Microsoft, Toshiba and more to offer the products. Additionally, web stores are also adding 3D PC categories to sell products that meet the three requirements. NVIDIA argues that with a 3D PC you can have access to 3D Hollywood movies through Blu-ray hardware and compatible software such as Cyberlink's line-up.

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AfterDawn: News

Criminals target unpatched Windows XP bug

Written by James Delahunty @ 15 Jun 2010 10:43

Criminals target unpatched Windows XP bug A few days ago, we reported about a controversial disclosure of an exploitable vulnerability that affects Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Google engineer Tavis Ormandy had alerted Microsoft of the problem and then just five days later published an advisory detailing the bug, even though no patch had been distributed by Microsoft for the problem.

Ormandy was heavily criticized for not waiting until the Redmond software giant had pushed out an update for the bug, which affects the Windows Help and Support Center. His affiliation with Google also fueled some speculation of his motivation for publishing the advisory early. However, Ormandy has consistently defended himself, indicating this is probably the only way to ensure that Microsoft will release a patch.

The flaw was disclosed only last Thursday, but anti-virus provider Sophos has already found that the vulnerability is being targeted by criminal hackers. The bug could potentially allow an attacker to execute code on a victims computer using specially crafted webpages or crafted links in e-mail messages.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

E3 2010: PlayStation Plus premium PSN access revealed, 50 million PSN accounts

Written by James Delahunty @ 15 Jun 2010 6:35

E3 2010: PlayStation Plus premium PSN access revealed, 50 million PSN accounts Sony revealed details on Tuesday about a premium subscription service package for the PlayStation Network, called PlayStation Plus. The company also revealed that there are now 50 million PSN accounts in 58 different countries, making the PS3 the most connected games console in the world.

Users of PSN will be able to pay a fee for access to exclusive content and functionality. Sony stressed however that the existing elements of PSN would remain free, including multi-player gaming.

Three months subscription will cost £17.99 while a full year subscription costs $49.99. For the fee, a user will be able to include full access to certain PS3 downloadable content and PSN titles, such as the PSone archives and Minis, and be able to play them for as long as the PlayStation Plus membership is valid. Some games will only be playable for a certain amount of time on a trial basis before needing to be purchased.

An extra feature that PlayStation Plus provides is the ability to schedule the PS3 console to switch on and automatically retrieve demos, patches or updates at certain times.




AfterDawn: News

E3 2010: PlayStation Move dated and priced

Written by James Delahunty @ 15 Jun 2010 5:24

E3 2010: PlayStation Move dated and priced At the Sony E3 Press Conference, the launch date and price information for the awaited Move motion control system were revealed. PlayStation Move will launch in Europe on September 15, in North America on September 19 and in Japan on September 21.

The controller itself will cost $49.99, whereas the navigation controller is sold separately for $29.99. A bundle including the PlayStation Move controller, the Sports Champions game and the PlayStation Eye will cost $99. Those three items will also be sold in a bundle with a PS3 for $399.99 (the bundle does not include the navigation controller).

About 20 Move compatible games are promised by the end of March 2011. At the conference, the first games that were shown controlled by Move were Sorcery and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11.

Before those games were even demoed though, we did learn that Killzone 3 (due out in February 2011 for PS3) and a SOCOM 4 title will be controllable with Move too.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Team that posted iPad email details finds new exploit, in Safari

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Jun 2010 5:13

Team that posted iPad email details finds new exploit, in Safari Last week, AT&T confirmed that 114,067 iPad 3G owners had their email information leaked to the Web, with the data being stolen and exposed by a group called Goatse Security.

AT&T went as far as to call Goatse "malicious hackers" who attacked AT&T's servers, and the group is now under investigation by the FBI.

Today, the same group has exposed another security hole in the iPad, using the same ICC-IDs given out by using a script on the AT&T Website and determining the locations of iPad owners.

Additionally, the group says an unpatched Safari browser exploit will allow for targeted attacks on iPads. The exploit, reads DailyTech, "uses an integer overflow exploit, which gives access to proxy connections over banned ports, allowing all sorts of ill purposes including spewing spam and malware deliveries to locally networked machines."

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Apple offering unlocked iPhone 4 units in Europe, Canada

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Jun 2010 3:06

Apple offering unlocked iPhone 4 units in Europe, Canada Apple has confirmed that it will sell unlocked iPhone 4 devices in Europe and Canada, with buyers being able to use the smartphone on their choice of provider, including GSM providers in other countries.

The confirmation comes from a new Apple FAQ, which has many more interesting tidbits about the device.

Says the FAQ:
Does iPhone work with any SIM card or carrier worldwide?

iPhone 3GS works with SIM cards and iPhone 4 works with micro-SIM cards from compatible carriers, including prepaid cards. Non-GSM carrier networks do not support iPhone. Availability of 3G data depends on carrier support for the radio frequencies used by iPhone.

Do I need to commit to a long-term contract for my iPhone?
Buying a commitment-free iPhone from the Apple Online Store allows you choose your own carrier and change carriers at any time. iPhone may also be available at a reduced initial price with a contract directly from your wireless carrier.

Additionally, the iPhone 4 will support tethering, reads the FAQ.

Read more...



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