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AfterDawn: News

Dell Aero, Mini 5 devices to launch for AT&T in June?

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Apr 2010 3:17

Dell Aero, Mini 5 devices to launch for AT&T in June? According to new reports, AT&T will launch the Aero smartphone and the Mini 5 tablet in June.

Both will run some iterations of the Android operating system but that is where the comparisons end.

The Aero, Dell's first American smartphone since the death of their Axim line in 2007, features a 3.5" nHD display with 360x640resolution, a 5MP camera, Flash Lite for better Internet video support and full GPS.

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AfterDawn: News

141,000 DSi XL units sold in U.S.

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Apr 2010 2:36

141,000 DSi XL units sold in U.S. The new, larger iteration of the DS handheld series, the DSi XL had a strong debut month in March says video game analyst Michael Pachter.

Although it was only available for four days in March, Nintendo still sold 141,000 units, with the full line (DS Lite, DSi and the XL) selling 701,000 units for the month.

If accurate, the number is very high considering the XL sells for $190, a premium price from the DS Lite (MSRP $130) and DSi (MSRP $170).

The screen of the XL is 93 percent bigger than the DSi, and Nintendo has said it is aimed at users that want to use the Internet more, making the text easier to read.

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AfterDawn: News

Verizon launches HTC Incredible Android device

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Apr 2010 2:07

Verizon launches HTC Incredible Android device Verizon has finally launched the much-hyped HTC Incredible, an Android smartphone dubbed as the latest in a long line of "iPhone killers."

The phone has a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, an 8MP camera with dual-LED flashes, Android 2.1 built-in and the latest HTC Sense UI.

Additionally, the phone has a 3.7-inch multi-touch 800x480 screen, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G and is seen as the sequel to the popular Desire smartphone.

The Incredible will go on sale on April 29th, with pre-orders starting on the 19th.

The smartphone will sell for $200 with contract, the same price as the Droid initially cost when it launched last November.




AfterDawn: News

iPhone launch confirmed for June?

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Apr 2010 1:30

iPhone launch confirmed for June? For the third year in a row, BGR is reporting that they have confirmed with AT&T insider sources that employee vacations have been blocked in June, almost confirming that a new iPhone launch is imminent this summer, in either June or early July.

This fourth generation iPhone has been a device of rumor for some time now, with most claiming it will be called the iPhone HD.

In March, the WSJ reported that a new iPhone was coming this summer, but they offered very few details other than saying it would be thinner and include a more powerful processor.

DaringFireball, as reported here, added some more fuel to the fire, saying that the iPhone HD will include an A4-family CPU system-on-a-chip, a 960 × 640 double-resolution display, a front facing camera in addition to the standard camera, as well as iPhone OS 4.0 built-in, with multitasking.

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AfterDawn: News

Popbox SDK released, still no launch

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Apr 2010 1:09

Popbox SDK released, still no launch The much-anticipated Popbox launch is on its way, says parent company Syabas, but for the time being the company has released the popbox SDK 1.0, allowing developers to create Flash applications that use the popbox API.

When launched, the new interface includes "infopops" which show off the weather, Twitter feeds, and other data. The interface also includes a cover-flow-esque visual thumbnails selection for videos, music and other data, as well as universal search.

More notably, the interface can handle Flash, Java and QT meaning Netflix is now available. Also available is Hulu, CBS and ABC content, which can now include the in-video ads required for playback. Facebook, Twitter, Shoutcast MP3, Revision3 and other Popcorn Hour content will rollover to the new box.

For video, full 1080p at 100Mbps is now supported, along with the standard MPEG formats, H.264, VC-1, WMV, MKV, XviD and other containers. The player can also support most subtitle files, including Microsoft's proprietary one. For streaming, the Popbox can recognize iTunes via Bonjour, and DLNA and UPnP sources.

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AfterDawn: News

Nook 'Lite' and Nook 2 e-readers coming soon

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Apr 2010 3:15

Nook 'Lite' and Nook 2 e-readers coming soon Gizmodo has posted today that a "tipster" has sent them credible information that Barnes & Noble will be releasing two new e-reader devices this year, a Nook 'Lite' and the Nook 2.

Additionally, the book company is releasing an firmware update for the original Nook that will add a full browser.

The Nook Lite will have Wi-Fi only, stripping the "free" 3G support. It is unclear what will be new in the Nook 2.

The Lite will sell for $199, making the device the cheapest of the major e-readers, and significantly cheaper than the $499 "cheap" model of the iPad.

The firmware update, v1.4, should be available next week for download.

The original Nook will begin selling in all Best Buy locations starting tomorrow, the first time the device is available outside of B&N.




AfterDawn: News

Sony cancels development of 'PlayStation Room' on PSP

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Apr 2010 2:46

Sony cancels development of 'PlayStation Room' on PSP Sony Japan has canceled all plans and development for their previously announced PlayStation Room PSP service, the virtual world social network that would have been like the handheld version of the PlayStation Home world currently popular on the PS3.

The company announced the new move on their Japanese language site, saying that following a beta testing period, they have decided to cancel development.

They did not give any particular reason for the cancellation, but poor user feedback may be to blame.

Beta testers of the service owned and customized their own virtual rooms, including 3D avatars, says GI.biz. You could then invite other users to chat rooms, as well as share images.

PlayStation Room would have been free, with some content (like dressing the avatar, and furnishing the room) costing some money.




AfterDawn: News

XPERIA X10 will receive Android 2.1 update in September

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Apr 2010 2:32

XPERIA X10 will receive Android 2.1 update in September According to multiple reports, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 smartphone will finally get the Android 2.1 update this year, however, users will have to wait until September to get it.

Coming with 2.1 will be multi-touch support, which has been one of the X10's biggest criticisms.

Mobile.co.uk says the phone will launch with Android 1.6.

The X10, which will launch this month, features a 4-inch touch screen with 480x854 resolution, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 processor, UMTS HSPA 800/1900/2100 and GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, 8.1MP camera with 16x zoom, image stabilization and flash and an included 8GB memory card. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and 3G are standard as well.







AfterDawn: News

Zune, Zune HD hacked, XNA limitations removed

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Apr 2010 1:42

Zune, Zune HD hacked, XNA limitations removed A ZuneBoards post today has revealed that the Zune and Zune HD media devices have finally been hacked, as of today, meaning all XNA limitations are no longer a problem.

A few of the current XNA limitations are no 3D, no Internet access, and performance peaks that are not very high given the hardware.

The ZuneBoards Development Front, which consists of "itsnotabigtruck", "Netrix" and "Nurta," says that all Zune models, past and present are now hacked and will "for the first time, run applications directly on top of the Zune firmware," giving users and developers full access to the firmware and hardware, without limitations.

Dubbed OpenZDK, the hackers behind it say there have been very few apps written so far, but admittedly OpenZDK is newly released.

That being said, developers can now add emulators, 3D games, port classic games, and also create full-on app stores, like Cydia for jailbroken iPhones.

Read the OpenZDK wiki here: OpenZDK Dev Wiki




AfterDawn: News

China reports millions of Conficker worm infections

Written by James Delahunty @ 16 Apr 2010 4:51

China reports millions of Conficker worm infections An official report in China has shown the reach of a widespread variant of Conficker B in the country as of late last year. The report from the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team (CNCERT) reported 7 million Internet-connected machines in the country infected with the Conficker B in the first half of 2009.

In the second half of the year, the number of Conficker infections in the country varied but only spent one week under 5 million PCs. From the figures, China had up to 28 percent of the worldwide Conficker reach within its borders, depending on the week.

Chinese users are found to be hit more easily by worms that in other areas of the world. About 4 percent of the country's 380 million Internet users run no security software at all, and the higher rates of pirate software also has an impact with services such as Automatic Updates being disabled.

China also had anywhere from 125,000 to over 300,000 IPs infected with Conficker C during the second half of last year, giving it up to 20 percent of the world's infections for that variant.




AfterDawn: News

Irish High Court ruling paves way for Internet connection suspension for pirates

Written by James Delahunty @ 16 Apr 2010 4:32

Irish High Court ruling paves way for Internet connection suspension for pirates A ruling by the High Court in Ireland has paved way for subscribers of Eircom's Internet services to have their service suspended for repeatedly sharing music illegally despite warnings. Eircom is the country's largest ISP, but the ruling is expected to have an effect on other ISPs in Ireland.

In a settlement deal last year, Eircom agreed to implement measures aimed at stopping illegal downloading, including handing over subscribers' identities when they are caught sharing files illegally. The Data Protection Commissioner had concerns about the settlement, questioning whether the measures violated rights of access to the Internet.

Mr Justice Peter Charleton rejected the concerns, ruling that the anti-piracy measures were lawful and compatible with the data protection legislation. He said that young people are now in the habit of file sharing that they appear to believe they have an entitlement to take what is not theirs.

"The right to be identified with and to reasonably exploit one's own original creative endeavour I regard as a human right," he commented, referring to what he said was a fundamental right to copyright in Irish law.




AfterDawn: News

Samsung guidelines warns about 3D viewing health risks

Written by James Delahunty @ 16 Apr 2010 4:09

Samsung guidelines warns about 3D viewing health risks Samsung has offered some guidelines for 3D television viewing and possible associated health risks and side effects. While most likely being the result of pressure from lawyers, the health warnings would probably take a bit of enthusiasm about 3D away from anybody who reads them.

"Some viewers may experience an epileptic seizure or stroke when exposed to certain flashing images or lights contained in certain television pictures or video games. If you suffer from, or have a family history of epilepsy or strokes, please consult with a medical specialist before using the 3D function," the warnings read.

"Even those without a personal or family history of epilepsy or stroke may have an undiagnosed condition that can cause photosensitive epileptic seizures. Pregnant women, the elderly, sufferers of serious medical conditions, those who are sleep deprived or under the influence of alcohol should avoid utilising the unit’s 3D functionality."

"Viewing 3D television may also cause motion sickness, perceptual after effects, disorientation, eye strain and decreased postural stability. It is recommended that users take frequent breaks to lessen the potential of these effects. If your eyes show signs of fatigue or dryness or if you have any of the above symptoms, immediately discontinue use of this device and do not resume using it for at least thirty minutes after the symptoms have subsided."

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AfterDawn: News

First Sony 3D HDTV to go on sale in June

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Apr 2010 12:17

First Sony 3D HDTV to go on sale in June Sony has announced that their first Bravia 3D HDTV for the UK will go on sale in June and the company will be bundling four 3D games for early adopters.

The TV, the Bravia HX803 has 200Hz high frame rate technology, a "simulated 3D" feature which converts standard 2D pictures into simulated 3D. The TV will also feature 'high speed precision' technology, which reduces the mixing of 3D images assigned to each eye.

The TV will require 3D glasses, and Sony will sell pairs with expected 100 hour battery life.

The four HD games, Wipeout HD, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, PAIN and Super Stardust HD are all PSN games that will be re-released with 3D optimization, says GI.biz.

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AfterDawn: News

Boxee app headed to iPhone, iPad, Android

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Apr 2010 10:45

Boxee app headed to iPhone, iPad, Android According to Boxee CEO Avner Ronen, the company is working on an app for the iPhone,iPad and Android devices.

The iPad app is already in development while the Android app is so far, just a "coming soon." Boxee recently listed a job opening for "lead developer on software for Apple's mobile operating systems."

There is currently an iPhone app, but it serves as little more than a remote control for the desktop software. The new app would allow for users to stream video on their portable devices.

Speaking about the iPad, Ronen says (via LATimes): "It's perfect for video. You can start watching in bed. And then just take it with you."

The company is also looking to add more content providers, better social networking features and to introduce a centralized payment platform.

A recent study showed that 75 percent of all digital companies were actively looking for a strategy for video on the iPad, meaning the tablet may be a little more than a "fad."




AfterDawn: News

Amazon Kindle sales figures released?

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Apr 2010 10:29

Amazon Kindle sales figures released? According to new figures from Display Search, the Amazon Kindle has sold 3.3 million units to date.

So far Amazon has kept sales figures under wraps, normally changing the topic to promoting their e-book business.

The data figures say e-paper displays increased to five million units in 2009, up over 400 percent from the 950,000 units in 2008. E-paper displays are used primarily in e-readers.

"Seeing this growth for a new application, especially in the second half of last year, is a vote of confidence from consumers who seem to have embraced e-books,"
notes Hiroshi Hayase, DisplaySearch director of small- to medium-size displays. "Momentum from e-book popularity last year combined with new, larger-size products hitting the market right now means that this trend will continue, so we will see large shipment volume increases in the first half of 2010."

The Kindle had 66 percent of the e-paper market in 2009, and DisplaySearch says it expects the Amazon device to continue to dominate.

"Boosted by success from e-books thus far, Amazon is expanding its service offering to help customers access more timely books at low cost. We expect to see other service providers increase their presence in the US and expand e-book adoption in Europe and Asia as well," Hayase continued.





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