Latest news

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple is in the midst of updating Safari, QuickTime and Pro apps, each with significant updates.

Reads the full post:

Safari 4.0.5

People familiar with the seedings say one of the primary focuses of Safari 4.0.5 is to fix a regression in the browser's JavaScript engine that manifested with the release of Safari 4.0.4. The maintenance release will also reportedly see certain code blocks, like Move Code, transitioned from the Safari codebase to that of Webkit in order to improve cross platform support.

A short list of other enhancements planned for the Safari 4.0.5 include improved HTML5 Video Playback, quicker loading of the Top Sites panels, faster JavaScript performance, better performance loading YouTube, and an overall reduced memory footprint.

In a strange discovery this weekend, an O2 tariff list reveals that video calling has been added to the "key features" list of the plans for the carriers, and that it will cost as much as the current voice-only plans.

The listing could mean a possible leak into future video chat capabilities of any iPhone, however, current hardware could obviously not allow for such capabilities.

iPhone OS 3.2 beta has shown references to video calling as well.

According to new digging from 9to5Mac, Wikipedia is likely to be added as one of the default search engines for Safari on the iPad as well as upcoming versions of the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The code is seen in the iPhone 3.2 SDK, and will be the third default behind Google and Yahoo.

It is still unclear why Wiki is being added over Bing or other true search engines, especially because Wikipedia has a very popular free app as well, but still interesting.

AndroidAndMe is reporting a new interesting rumor today, that cable company Cox is teaming up with phone maker Kyocera to bring a new Android phone to the market, one that will have TV/DVR capabilities.

Says the article:

"Worked on a quick short-term sub-sub-sub contract where I wrote an app for Android, to be run at a trade show. The hardware I installed on was a Kyocera, but even more interesting was the Cox logo on it. The logos were taped over but quite legible from the bumps nonetheless. There were also some Cox apps included; I think one was either for watching TV or controlling DVR? Not entirely sure. The screen was WVGA800, very nice and sharp, though the hardware wasn’t the fastest. Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to photograph or examine it too closely since I only had about an hour to load and debug."

Cox Wireless is ready to hit three test markets in the next few weeks, and the Android device may be the first on the LTE network, which has seen peak speeds of 25Mpbs.

Disney has blacked out the broadcast channel ABC for Cablevision's 3 million subscribers, the day of the highly-anticipated Academy Awards.

Cablevision says it's willing to restart negotiations with Disney, along with a third-party arbitrator, to end the spat over transmission fees.

The cable company has a decent monopoly over the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and parts of NJ and Connecticut.

"Given the extraordinary public interest in this matter, Senator (John) Kerry and other public officials have suggested that arbitration is appropriate in this highly unusual situation," added Charles Schueler, Cablevision's executive vice president of communications. "Cablevision will agree to binding arbitration and calls upon Disney CEO Bob Iger to immediately return ABC to New YOrk area viewers and join us in binding arbitration to resolve this matter fairly."

ABC says they have put forward a counter-offer this afternoon.

Davenport Lyons, the notorious law firm known for going after alleged file-sharers on behalf of large game publishers such as Atari, is now under investigation for harassment and bullying by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, an industry watchdog, says GI.biz.

The consumer group Which? has been complaining about the firm since 2008, when the law firm first began sending out letters accusing citizens of unauthorized file sharing.

Each letter demanded a payment of £300 or the case would be taken to court. Which? calls the letters as "excessive" and even "bullying" and says "that Davenport Lyons was making incorrect assertions about the nature of copyright infringement and ignoring evidence presented in defence. It added that the letters incorrectly claimed their recipients were legally responsible for ensuring their internet connections were properly secured."

Adds Deborah Prince, head of legal affairs at Which?: "We're pleased to see some action at last from the SRA and hope the tide is finally turning in favour of consumers. We now want to see some decisive action to stop these bully-boy tactics."

According to Electronista, Verizon is setting up for a retail launch of the Google Nexus One, with in-store representatives training to sell it in stores. This is notable because the current models of the device sell only online, via Google's Android store.

Reads the report: We don’t have a whole lot to go on, other than a couple of emails that were bounced around by some curious customers and some rather knowledgeable reps, but it certainly looks to us as if Verizon has begun training — at least some of its employees — on an EV-DO variant of the Google Nexus One. A tentative release date has not yet been communicated trough the chain of command, but apparently this sucker will be sold in Big Red’s retail stores across the country once it’s available. Again, this is about as confirmed (or unconfirmed) as it gets, and we’re merely passing it on to our readers because…well, we love you guys and gals to death. Don’t come kicking in our doors if it doesn’t exactly pan out.

Engadget has posted a full new report on the upcoming Microsoft Courier 'digital journal' tablet.

The report says the device is under an inch thick, weighs about 1.3 pounds, and is about 5x7 when closed. The device is built on the Tegra 2 chip, and will run on Windows CE 6/Windows Phone 7.

The interface will require a stylus for the most part, and will include handwriting recognition. Also included are a camera and headphone jack.

Estimated release date? Holidays 2010.

Earlier this week, the WSJ reported that Sony is finally ready to create a PlayStation-branded smartphone, one that will help it compete against the iPhone, and Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7 line.

Additionally, the company will be creating "a portable device that blurs distinctions among a netbook, an e-reader and a PlayStation Portable, or PSP," one that it hopes will compete against the iPad and net/smartbooks.

The products have a target launch in 2010, but prices are nowhere near finalized.

Today, the company has declined comment on the report, calling it "speculation."

"As already announced, Sony (including SCE) and Sony Ericsson have been strengthening their collaboration in the networked mobile space. However, it is not our strategy to discuss future products or business plan before we make a formal announcement. Any media report that suggests details of the product or business is based on speculation," read the press release.

According to new charts from web analytics firm Quantcast, the Android operating system continues to gain market share in mobile OS share of Web consumption, and at a blistering pace, at the expense of the iPhone OS and the RIM BlackBerry OS.

Despite the growth, the iPhone remains the clear leader, but its share seems to have saturated, with recent trends showing negative growth for share over the last year.

Between February 2009 and February 2010, Android saw 95.3 percent growth, while RIM saw 7.5 percent growth, and the iPhone OS saw -10.2 percent.

China Unicom, the exclusive operator of the Apple iPhone in China, is looking to sell the smartphone with Wi-Fi, which current Chinese models do not sell thanks to government regulations.

"I know that in the market there is hope we will offer an iPhone with Wi-Fi," adds Chang Xiaobing, chairman and CEO of China Unicom, outside an event in Beijing. "We have been holding talks with Apple in this area."

Sales of the iPhone have been rather light in China, and many blame the lack of Wi-Fi support for the slow sales. Many would like to use the iPhone to surf the Web, but also do not want to pay the data plan rates to use 3G.

There was no timetable for the release.

China Unicom, the second largest carrier in the nation, has said it will begin selling Android handsets in China this year, despite Google's ongoing spat with the Chinese government.

In late January, Google postponed two high-profile Android smartphone launches in China, both of which would have been available through Unicom.

"We are open to mobile phone operating systems, and we recognize that Android is a mainstream system," said Unicom Chairman Chang Xiaobing, via Reuters. "We will definitely use Google's Android in our mobile handsets."

The delayed phones were from Motorola and Samsung.

Google has announced its acquisition of DocVerse, a technology company that allows people to edit Microsoft Office in the cloud.

The company paid $25 million for the company, the latest in its long string of acquisitions.

Google will immediately add the service to its Google Docs suite.

Reads the official blog post:

The future of productivity applications is in the cloud. We've always believed the web is the best platform for creating and sharing information, and Google Docs has already helped millions of people become more productive. But we recognize that many people are still accustomed to desktop software. So as we continue to improve Google Docs and Google Sites as rich collaboration tools, we’re also making it easier for people to transition to the cloud, and interoperate with desktop applications like Microsoft Office.
​
For example, we recently made it possible to use Google Docs to store and share any type of file that you have on your computer, not just the ones you create online. Today we’re excited to announce another step towards seamless interoperability: we have acquired DocVerse.

In March of last year, Microsoft apologized for the banning of an Xbox Live user who self-identified herself as lesbian in her Xbox Live profile, noting that "the expression of relationship preference in Gamertag profiles and tags, whether that's heterosexual or other," was not allowed.

Today, the software giant has updated the Xbox Live "Code of Conduct" to include for the allowance of sexual orientation, race, religion, and nationality in Gamertags and profiles.

"Under our previous policy, some of these expressions of self-identification were not allowed in Gamertags or profiles to prevent the use of these terms as insults or slurs," adds Xbox Live General Manager Marc Whitten.

Although some terms will still not be tolerated, the use of "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Straight" are okay, says Destructoid's Jim Sterling.

"Microsoft had been working with GLAAD and [its own] LGBT community to narrow down the terms. Use of those words in an insulting manner won't be tolerated either, so it seems as if Microsoft has retracted its scorched earth policy and will now be reviewing the use of these words on a case-by-case basis. It may not seem like a big deal to many of you, but it was certainly a big deal to some, and it's very cool that Microsoft has taken the stick out of its arse and decided to judge the use of these words on their own merits. Microsoft doesn't do everything right, but this was definitely a good thing. Well done!," concludes Sterling, via TGDaily.

Livestream, the live video streaming startup company, has just hit their biggest partnership yet, a one-year deal with the AP to stream all of the AP's live video needs, starting with the Oscars red carpet festivities in two days.

The videos will stream at http://www.livestream.com/aplive, and users can log in with Facebook or Twitter IDs, or register for new accounts.

The AP and Livestream will share revenue from APLive, and revenues will come from licensing deals and advertising. Adds TechCrunch: "Revenues can come from licensing (AP-affiliated publishers can embed the video on their news sites) or advertising (partners can embed the video for free with the APLive branding, which comes with pre-roll plus overlay ads sold by the AP and Livestream jointly)."

Livestream currently has deals with ESPN, NPR, Fox, Scripps, and National Geographic.