AfterDawn: Tech news

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AfterDawn: News

Amazon limiting 3G access on new Kindle Touch

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 03 Oct 2011 1:15

Amazon limiting 3G access on new Kindle Touch Just like its rivals, the Kindle Touch 3G will not give full access to 3G networks, limiting the device to shopping in the online Kindle Store and browsing Wikipedia.

The upcoming Kindle Touch, Amazon's first touchscreen e-reader, was announced last week at $99 for Wi-Fi-only and $149 for added free 3G access.

Amazon's Kindle Keyboard 3G, released last year, has unlimited 3G access, including full web browsing.

Reads the full statement (via PCM):

We apologize for the confusion. Our new Kindle Touch 3G enables you to connect to the Kindle Store, download books and periodicals, and access Wikipedia - all over 3G or Wi-Fi. Experimental web browsing (outside of Wikipedia) on Kindle Touch 3G is only available over Wi-Fi. Our Kindle Keyboard 3G will continue to offer experimental web browsing over 3G or Wi-Fi.


Probably not worth the extra $50 now given the wide availability of Wi-Fi hotspots.




AfterDawn: News

'Battlefield 3' beta gets hacked

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 03 Oct 2011 12:14

'Battlefield 3' beta gets hacked The Battlefield 3 limited beta has been hacked, with gamers now able to play all game modes, including the 128-player simultaneous Paris map.

The official beta only allows for 32 players at-a-time in the map, which was originally shown off at E3.

Developer DICE is certainly not happy with the development and has threatened to have users banned if they use the new levels.

Says the DICE rep:

Please avoid temptation and remain on those official servers while we work to have these servers dealt with. Playing on those servers can cause your account to become compromised, stats to be altered or other issues to arise which may lead to having your account banned by EA.

If your account gets banned it does mean any EA game you have your account would also be unavailable.




AfterDawn: News

Wal-Mart, T-Mobile to offer no-contract data phones

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 03 Oct 2011 11:57

Wal-Mart, T-Mobile to offer no-contract data phones Wal-Mart and T-mobile have jointly announced the launch of a new no-contract phone plan for users that need Internet and texting more than minutes.

For $30, users get unlimited Internet access, text messages, and 100 minutes for phone calls. Minutes cost 10 cents a minute after 100.

The deal with the retailer is T-Mobile's first since losing its relationship with RadioShack earlier this year.

T-Mobile will now have six prepaid phones via Wal-Mart, including one 4G device.

As with their contract devices, T-Mobile will throttle your Internet speed after a certain point, which for these phones is 5GB. There are no overages, however, making it a far superior choice to data plans from Verizon or AT&T which cost $50 per month for 5GB and then overages after.




AfterDawn: News

HTC under fire for smartphone privacy vulnerability

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 03 Oct 2011 11:35

HTC under fire for smartphone privacy vulnerability According to researcher Trevor Eckhart, a recent update to HTC Android devices has led to the installation of tools that collect personal info without permission.

The update, which adds android.permission.INTERNET, accesses location history, phone numbers, SMS data and a list of user accounts, but potentially leaks more personal data.

Phones like the EVO 3D now expose network info, including IP addresses; full memory info; active notifications in the notification bar, including notification text; list of installed apps, including permissions used, user ids, versions; and more, says PCM.

HTC, in response, says it "takes our customers' security very seriously, and we are working to investigate this claim as quickly as possible. We will provide an update as soon as we're able to determine the accuracy of the claim and what steps, if any, need to be taken."

If you have a rooted device, you can remove the update "HTCloggers" at /system/app/HtcLoggers.apk.




AfterDawn: News

'Uncharted 3' will use PSN Pass

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 03 Oct 2011 11:03

'Uncharted 3' will use PSN Pass Sony has confirmed this week that the upcoming Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception will require a PSN Pass.

In an interview, Sony Spain Software Manager Juan Jiménez says the PSN Pass will be needed for online play.

The PSN Pass, which means second-hand users need to buy a code from Sony for $10 to be able to play online, was introduced this year with the launch of Resistance 3.

Uncharted 3 is set for release on November 1st.




AfterDawn: News

Did Apple and Facebook have a fight over the HP TouchPad?

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 03 Oct 2011 2:16

Did Apple and Facebook have a fight over the HP TouchPad? According to Mashable, Apple and Facebook had a huge falling out due to the, you guessed it, HP TouchPad.

Around three months ago, before the tablet's demise, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs visited Mark Zuckerberg multiple times to yell at him about the company's connection with the webOS-based HP TouchPad.

Facebook was, at the time, preparing to launch a webOS app for the social network.

HP wanted a native Facebook app first and Apple wanted a native FB app first for the iPad. FB develops their own apps for Android and iOS, while HP was in charge of creating their own webOS app, just like RIM and Microsoft do for their respective platforms.

Acquiescing to Apple, Zuckerberg, despite not being able to block HP's launch, restricted HP?s access to its APIs.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

ACTA would allow copyright holders to veto new technology

Written by Rich Fiscus @ 03 Oct 2011 1:49

ACTA would allow copyright holders to veto new technology The entertainment industry would get veto power over new technology under a provision in ACTA, the intellectual property treaty signed on Saturday in Japan.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a treaty which has been negotiated in secret over the course of nearly five years. It was signed by the US, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, and Morocco.

As various draft versions have been leaked, the language has been watered down significantly, but major problems still remain.

Arguably, none of the text is more troubling than what amounts to a mandate for copyright holders to have the right to veto any new technology which could be used for infringement:

In order to provide the adequate legal protection and effective legal remedies
referred to in paragraph 5, each Party shall provide protection at least against:

(b) the manufacture, importation, or distribution of a device or product, including computer programs, or provision of a service that:

is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing an effective technological measure; or

has only a limited commercially significant purpose other than circumventing an effective technological measure.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

51 percent of gamers don't want 3D consoles

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 02 Oct 2011 11:49

51 percent of gamers don't want 3D consoles According to a survey conducted by Games comparison and marketplace site Playr2.com, 51 percent of gamers don't care for 3D consoles.

The survey of 1001 "self-professed gamers" saw 51 percent vote against the introduction of 3D tech into future console releases while 47 percent said they would welcome the tech. The remaining 2 percent were undecided.

For those that were not in favor, 44 percent called it "unnecessary" and 28 percent said they were unimpressed by previous 3D offerings. The rest felt that the 3D tech would "impair the gaming experience."

Overall, 73 percent of those surveyed called 3DTVs "impractical" in general.

Says Playr (via Gpro):

Rumors are constantly flying around about the next big console releases, so we wanted to see what gamers would think about the possibility of a 3D enabled console. It was surprising to see that the majority were against it, but many seemed to be disappointed by the technology on the Nintendo 3DS and wouldn't like to see the technology spread to other consoles.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Google Maps adds birdseye view

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 02 Oct 2011 11:15

Google Maps adds birdseye view Google has added a helicopter 3D view of the route to their popular Maps GPS service.

The new button gives users a chance to see the 3D birdseye view of the route, an addition to all standard navigation/direction features.

After selecting a start and finish point, hit the "3D" button next to "Driving Directions," says DT.

When 3D is pressed, the map will show off the route via Google Earth view, sending you soaring through the directions.

You can pause at any time.

Google says the rollout is starting this week and will hit all regions eventually.




AfterDawn: News

Microsoft Security Essentials accidentally kills Google Chrome

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 02 Oct 2011 10:22

Microsoft Security Essentials accidentally kills Google Chrome Microsoft has updated its MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) antivirus definitions this weekend after an earlier released update began detecting Google Chrome as malware and deleting it.

The first reported incident came from the Chrome help forums:

This morning, after I started up the PC, a Windows Security box popped up and said I had a Security Problem that needed to be removed. I clicked the Details button and saw that it was 'PWS:Win32/Zbot.' I clicked the Remove button and restarted my PC. Now I do not have Chrome. It has been removed or uninstalled.


Microsoft, after updating the definitions, acknowledged and apologized for the mistake:

An incorrect detection for PWS:Win32/Zbot was identified and as a result, Google Chrome was inadvertently blocked and in some cases removed from customers PCs. We have already fixed the issue..., but approximately 3,000 customers were impacted.


Google, forced to act on the stupid mistake, placed a large red banner on its support pages reading "Alert: Google Chrome has been incorrectly marked as malware by Microsoft security software."

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Unicom: iPhone 5 will have HSPA+ support

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 02 Oct 2011 9:39

Unicom: iPhone 5 will have HSPA+ support China Unicom says Apple's upcoming iPhone 5 will have support for the HSPA+ 21Mbps network, advertised as 4G although not technically 4G.

The large Chinese carrier revealed the info at the Macworld Asia event this week.

Showing off the evolution of the iPhone, the fifth spot (with a blank picture) showed the iPhone 5 and no other mention except for the HSPA+ network support.

Current model iPhones only have 3G support.

The slide leads credence to the rumors that have flatly stated the iPhone 5 will not have an LTE radio. At least it will have an updated modem.

LTE 4G remains elusive in the U.S. and abroad with Verizon's network available in just a few states, and AT&T's just being rolled out this month.




AfterDawn: News

Group builds hardware mockup of iPhone 5

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 02 Oct 2011 7:43

Group builds hardware mockup of iPhone 5 The creative group of fanboys at BENM.AT have built a hardware mockup of the iPhone 5 which they say has a 98 percent chance of being the real thing.

Showing off the device in the video below, the group took all the rumors, supply chain checks and leaked case designs and created the anticipated smartphone.

Their iPhone 5 is significantly thinner, has a curved design like the iPad 2, a wider form factor, and a larger screen.

Finally, the device will have a rectangular and capacitive home button that can be used for swipe gestures including logging in.

Check the video here:




AfterDawn: News

IE loses market share into August, Chrome flat

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 02 Oct 2011 6:06

IE loses market share into August, Chrome flat According to the latest research report from Chitika Insights, Internet Explorer continues its decline in browser market share.

Share dropped from 56 percent in July to 54 percent in August, alone, while Firefox moved from 19 percent to 20 percent in the same time period.

Apple's Safari moved from 8 percent to 9 percent.

Google's Chrome picked up about half a percentage point, but remains the fastest growing browser. Year-over-year, Chrome jumped from 9 percent to 16 percent, while IE stayed about flat from 56 percent. Firefox took the biggest hit, from 24 percent to 20 percent.

The report expects Internet Explorer to remain flat into the future with the release of Windows 8 and IE 10 next year.




AfterDawn: News

Windows PCs now getting Tango video chat

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 02 Oct 2011 5:01

Windows PCs now getting Tango video chat The popular mobile video chat app Tango is now making its way desktop PCs.

Windows-based computers can now make free video calls to other Tango users, even if they are on tablets or smartphones.

For now, the software is not available to Mac users.

If you already have an account, just download the application for your computer and sync the account, simple as that.

When a video call comes in, both the mobile app and the desktop app will ring, giving the user the choice of where to pick up.

Tango became popular, especially on the iPhone, because Apple only allowed FaceTime to work via Wi-Fi. Tango works on 3G and 4G.




AfterDawn: News

Gears of War 3 sells 3 million copies

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 02 Oct 2011 1:45

Gears of War 3 sells 3 million copies Epic Game's blockbuster title Gears of War 3 has sold 3 million copies in just its first week of sales.

An exclusive for the Xbox 360, the game is the finale of a trilogy that has been massively popular for the console.

Says Microsoft of the milestone:

Gears of War 3 has set the bar as the top game launch of the year, kicking off the biggest holiday in Xbox history with a bang. While we don't share sales projections, we're really happy with the results thus far and are kicking off what promises to be our biggest holiday yet in Xbox history.


The companies will also continue their exclusive relationship into the future, possibly with a Kinect title.

Concludes Microsoft:

We've enjoyed a terrific partnership with Epic Games throughout the 'Gears of War' trilogy, and the success of the franchise is a testament to the strength of that relationship and our work together. We look forward to working with Epic in the future.





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