IT News
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Twitter Tuesday - this week's Twitter news, apps and more9 March 2010, 1:00 pm
Filed under: Features, Web services, web 2.0, Microblogging
Ladies and gentlemen, it's Tuesday! You know what that means: you've survived another weekend and made it through Monday, and now it's time to talk Twitter. We've got plenty of interesting news and apps for you this week, as well as a new celebrity twitterer who's actually worth following. I'll tell you all about it in this week's Twitter Tuesday.
Let's go!
Conan O'Brien had a TV show, and then he had another TV show. Now, the former ...
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Essential apps and utilities for PC, Mac and console gamers8 March 2010, 1:00 pm
Filed under: Games, Features, Windows, Macintosh Never, in the entirety of history, has there been so much gaming to be done. You can hardly finish a game without the Next Great Game appearing in your mailbox or on your hard disk -- because you pre-ordered it on Amazon or Steam, of course.
Believe it or not, we actually have too many good games at the moment. Until recently, gamers could dedicate themselves to a single stand-out game -- Myst, Quake, Counter-Strike, Baldur's Gate -- for months, ...
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How to create a US iTunes App Store account when you're not in the US5 March 2010, 12:00 pm
Filed under: Features, Apple, How-Tos, iPhone
Anyone that writes about iPhone applications that isn't based in the United States has it rough; iTunes promo codes only work for US App Store accounts. That can make it tough to review iPhone and iPod touch software if you're not based in the US.
Creating an account for the US App Store when you're not based in the US is against Apple's terms and conditions, so I'm not recommending that you do it. But if, for journalistic reasons, you want or need t...
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Twitter Tuesday - this week's Twitter news, apps and more2 March 2010, 1:00 pm
Filed under: Features, Social Software, Microblogging
Welcome to the first Twitter Tuesday of March! There's plenty to talk about this week, including the big news that Twitter is finally ready to slip a little advertising into your stream. If you've been wondering when the Big T was going to start chasing a profit, you're about to get an answer. We'll talk about that, plus new apps, Twitter tools and rumors in this edition of Twitter Tuesday.
Let's do it!
Okay, let's get right to the juicy st...
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Firefox Friday Five26 February 2010, 2:00 pm
Filed under: Internet, Features, Mozilla, BrowsersI'm back! I had to fend off Jay with my rusty saber -- and when that didn't work, I threatened to drop his iPhone on the ground (a very effective tactic if there's a Mac zealot that you're trying to coerce, incidentally). Anyway, British rules of engagement stipulate that I thank Jay for his help, offer him a cup of tea, and move swiftly along.
So: Firefox! It's been another quiet week with no significant releases. Any moment now there'll be a f...
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Google Nexus One Review23 February 2010, 2:00 pm
Filed under: Features, Hardware, Mobile, Android
Google first unveiled its Android operating system for smartphones in 2007. But the Google Nexus One, which was launched last month is the first phone with the Google name attached to the hardware. Google sells the phone through its web site and handles tech support for the smartphone, although mobile service is provided by T-Mobile (and soon Verizon) in the US.
The Nexus One has a faster processor than almost any phone on the market, which make...
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Top 10 Tips and Tools for Commuters [Lifehacker Top 10]6 March 2010, 11:00 am
U.S. commuters spend an average of 50 minutes in their car each day, and that leaves a lot of room for improvement. Make the most of your commute with these 10 tips.Photo by mattlemmon.
10. Adjust Your Mirrors for Better Vision
Most people set up their car's mirrors in a way that keeps the edge of their own car in their vision, mostly to provide a sense of perspective. This limits the amount of "blind spot" coverage provided by your mirrors. Car and Driver suggests a new alignment technique supp...
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What's the Best Way to (and Why Should I) Create a Home Inventory? [Ask Lifehacker]5 March 2010, 3:00 pm
Dear Lifehacker,
In light of all the natural disasters wreaking havoc across the globe, I've realized I should take a home inventory to document everything I own for insurance purposes. What's the best way to do this?
Signed,
Happy HomeownerHi Happy,
You're smart to want to document your possessions in case of burglary, damage, or fire. The short answer to your question: The best tool for the job is the one you'll actually use.
Taking a home inventory isn't really hard, it's just time consuming....
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Know How Much Caffeine Is in the Food and Drinks You Love [Health]5 March 2010, 1:00 pm
If you're trying to cut back on or give up caffeine, then you already know to avoid coffee. But the eye-opening stimulant is found in lots of other beverages, and even some food and medications.Photo by emdot.
Life management blog Wise Bread takes a look at where caffeine is hiding in various popular foods and drinks we encounter every day, comparing caffeine levels in various coffees, teas, sodas, energy drinks, foods, and medications. It comes as no surprise that a Starbucks Grande double-brew...
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Learning “Just in Case” versus “Just in Time” [Learning]5 March 2010, 11:00 am
Math professor, programmer, and blogger John Cook discusses the importance of learning "just in case" versus "just in time", and how learning "just in case" is essential when something comes up and you need to learn something "just in time".
Photo by Martineric.
What do you learn just in case you'll need it in the future, and what do you learn just in time when you do need it?
In general, you learn things in school just in case you'll need them later. Then once you get a job, you learn more thin...
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KeeFox Integrates KeePass and Firefox (At Long Last) [Downloads]5 March 2010, 10:30 am
Firefox: KeeFox brings tight integration between the cross-platform, open-source password manager KeePass and Firefox, providing automatic logins, form filling, and more.On Tuesday Kevin sang the praises of LastPass for password management, but a lot of readers are still in love with KeePass and aren't ready to trust their passwords with a third-party service, no matter how secure. Unfortunately, despite some solid plug-ins, KeePass's browser integration isn't close to as tight as LastPass's. Th...
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Score Free AudioBooks at BooksShouldBeFree [Audio Books]5 March 2010, 9:00 am
You can find quite a few free audiobooks online but they're frequently scattered all over. Save yourself the run around by checking out the thousands of free audiobooks cataloged at BooksShouldBeFree.BooksShouldBeFree houses thousands of books in the public domain, available as both MP3s and as iTunes format audiobooks. Each entry for a book includes links to the full text, supplemental text, and reviews.
The reviews are particularly helpful because they are specific to the actual audiobook reco...
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Giant inflatable pig used in recording studios' Washington war with broadcasters10 March 2010, 5:33 pm
By Scott M. Fulton, III, Betanews
The danger with waging a populist political war is in potentially boiling down one's message to such a degree that it ends up insulting and patronizing the very people the message is targeting. The case in point could not be made clearer this afternoon in Washington, DC, as The Hill's Kim Hart first discovered: A handful of otherwise unnoticeable protestors outside the headquarters of the National Association of Broadcasters erected an 18-foot inflatable pig, be...
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Apple's business database for Windows and Mac (you read right) moves forward10 March 2010, 2:54 pm
By Jacqueline Emigh, Betanews
FileMaker Pro 11 left beta testing for general release last Tuesday, adding a host of new capabilities for better productivity in database use, faster database creation, and easy production of eye-catching charts. Now updated for Microsoft's Windows 7 and Apple's Macintosh native Mac OS X "Cocoa" platform, FileMaker Pro is the only software in its category that runs on both Windows and Mac, noted Ryan Rosenberg, vice president, marketing and services for FileMaker, ...
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More 3D TVs launch, this time from Panasonic...but it's still kid's stuff10 March 2010, 2:50 pm
By Tim Conneally, Betanews
Yesterday, Samsung launched its 2010 line of 3D TVs, which includes LED, LCD, and plasma screens between 46" and 65", with prices that start at $1,999 and go up to $6,999. Today, Panasonic added its products into the mix at a launch event in New York City with partners Best Buy, 20th Century Fox, and DirecTV.The event marked the debut of a 3D home theater package that will sell exclusively at Best Buy that includes a 50" Panasonic Viera 3D plasma TV (VT20- $2,499), a P...
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Android picks up more US subscribers as Windows Mobile share plunges10 March 2010, 1:16 pm
By Joe Wilcox, Betanews
Windows Mobile phones continue to bleed US subscribers, with Android devices picking up most of the lost subscriber share. Can you say free falling? Today, ComScore released standard handset and smartphone data for the three-month period of November 2009 to January 2010. ComScore designates the platforms by vendor. Microsoft smartphone subscriber share fell to 15.7 percent from 19.7 percent three months earlier. Meanwhile, Google rose to 7.1 percent from 2.8 percent durin...
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Strongest condemnation yet of anti-counterfeiting, 'three strikes' from EU10 March 2010, 11:51 am
By Scott M. Fulton, III, Betanews
The European Parliament today overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution compelling participants in multi-national negotiations over the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) to report on the status and substance of those negotiations, first to Parliament and eventually to the general public. This after a groundswell of public concern arose in the wake of documents purporting to be official ACTA material, the latest leaked by Wired last November...
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Google Maps now generates bike routes10 March 2010, 9:50 am
By Tim Conneally, Betanews
Different modes of travel often require different routes to be taken. If you're walking somewhere, for example, you're not likely to take a highway to get there, and you have the distinct advantage of being able to go through certain structures that cars cannot. The same goes for biking. When someone is planning to get somewhere by bike, they're going to demand different routes. This is why the Google Maps team today announced that it has added bicycling directions to ...
Gadgets
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More gestures coming in the next iPhone OS?10 March 2010, 4:31 pm
We know, we know, you’re sick of future iPhone OS rumors… but one more couldn’t hurt right? The folks over at 9to5Mac have been exploring the new iPhone 3.2 beta 4 SDK, and have found a few files that could…...
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February search engine market share number are in, more of the same10 March 2010, 2:09 pm
Today, ComScore released its search engine market share numbers for February 2010, and to be honest, there wasn’t much movement. Google and Bing both gained a little ground: Google’s market share rose 0.1 percentage point from 65.4% to 65.5% while…...
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Verizon Wireless touts the benefits of a MiFi-connected Apple iPad10 March 2010, 12:20 pm
A leaked internal memo reveals that the nation’s largest carrier is trying to jump on the Apple bandwagon by encouraging its employees to push its MiFi device as an accessory to the upcoming iPad. The idea itself is worthy of…...
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Google Apps Marketplace open for business(es)10 March 2010, 10:09 am
There are two sides to the proverbial “cloud coin” for small business owners. You can view cloud services, like Google Apps, as a time and money saver, allowing you to focus on your core business as opposed to IT needs.…...
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Verizon Wireless and Skype integration explained through animation10 March 2010, 8:00 am
Last month, Verizon Wireless and Skype announced their exclusive partnership in the U.S., along with their plans to bring Skype’s popular VoIP calling and messaging service to your Verizon cell phone. Now, through the miracle of animation — and the…...
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Cisco dumps its WiMAX base station and modem business10 March 2010, 5:05 am
Clearwire may be optimistic about the growth of WiMAX in 2010 and beyond but network hardware manufacturers are a bit more bearish on the 4G wireless technology. Last month, Alcatel Lucent announced it will be scaling back on its WiMAX…...
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JooJoo tablet updates UI, fully-working Flash support10 March 2010, 11:15 pm
Fusion Garage may have delayed shipping its tablet for another entire month due to issues with its capacitive touchscreen, but the company has apparently made very good use of the extra time. The JooJoo tablet has just been unveiled with a refreshed user interface, as well as fully-implemented Flash support that actually is “fully working”. Oh, and apparently the tablet has also undergone a physical color change, from a basic black to a “champagne-like” hue.
The star...
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Sony officially launches Playstation Move motion controller, available in Fall 201010 March 2010, 10:43 pm
Sony has just officially announced its new motion controller at GDC 2010, and it’s dubbed the Playstation Move (for rather obvious reasons). You’ll be able to acquire a Move in three packaged ways: bundled with a PS3, by itself, or in a starter kit targeted at “under $100″ with the Playstation Eye, a controller, and a game, all slated for a Fall 2010 launch.
Gizmodo has a hands-on, and Editor Jason Chen takes a few looks (or rather, grips) on the Move:
“I just go...
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PS3-level graphics slated for smartphones in three years10 March 2010, 10:29 pm
This comes off as a touch too incredible to say the least, but Imagination Technologies, who makes the PowerVR chip powering smartphones like the iPhone, Droid, and Pre, states that smartphones will be able to have graphics performance on par with a PlayStation 3 console in about three years.
Gizmodo’s chat with the company reveals that future mobile PowerVR graphics cores are in development currently and will not only have much more realistic 3D detail, but will do so at 720p, output v...
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Cisco announcing new Flip cams next month?10 March 2010, 10:12 pm
Well, here’s a good one. After coming off a not so life-changing announcement yesterday, Cisco is rumored to be preparing the new line of Flip videos cam (they purchased the company in 2009) for launch sometime in early April, which happens to be, oh, next month.
The Business Insider reports that Cisco will launch a new set of Flip camcorders around the NAB show, which is slated to run from April 12-15. Flip video cams have been wildly popular (and quite a good deal for the budding ...
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OnLive cloud-based game service to launch June 17th at $15 per month10 March 2010, 9:59 pm
Well, what can we say, but it’s finally here. After almost 8 years of development and millions of lines of code, OnLive, the gaming equivalent of cloud-computing technology is set to take the gaming world by storm on June 17th, coming to both PCs and Macs in the contiguous 48 states at a $14.95 per month base subscription.
The company is partnering in this launch with publishers including Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, 2K Games, THQ and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The games will...
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Microsoft computing pioneer wins Turing Award [Video]10 March 2010, 9:41 pm
Computing pioneer and Microsoft technical fellow Chuck Thacker was honored today with the Turing Award; widely considered as the highest distinction in the field of computing, and dubbed the “Nobel Prize of computing”. The Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) lauded his work in pioneering the networked personal computer, and for his involvement as the co-creator of the Alto personal computer.
“Thacker’s contributions range far and wide. He is co-inventor—with Robert ...
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LG GW370 Shannon shows up somewhere in China10 March 2010, 6:13 pm
Ready for yet another new but unannounced LG phone?
Meet the LG GW370 Shannon, a touchscreen handset that has just appeared on a Chinese website and comes with a full sliding QWERTY keyboard.
The GW370 resembles both the LG KS365 and the LG GW620, and it’s probably a feature phone.
The specs of LG GW370 are a mystery [...]...
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Apple, Samsung, RIM, LG, Motorola, Sanyo and AT&T sued by SmartPhone Technologies10 March 2010, 5:51 pm
SmartPhone Technologies LLC, a Texas-based company that doesn’t even seem to have a website, has sued no less than seven big companies for patent infringements.
The companies sued are Apple, Research In Motion, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sanyo and AT&T.
SmartPhone Technologies claims that a “broad range of patents” that it owns have been infringed by the companies. [...]...
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Re-confirmed: Microsoft, Adobe working to bring Flash to Windows Phone 7 Series10 March 2010, 4:34 pm
When Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7 Series, the company said that the new OS would not support Flash 10.1 at launch.
However, Adobe recently mentioned that Flash support will eventually come to WP7, and now Mike Chambers (Senior Product Manager for Developer Relations at Adobe) has reconfirmed this. According to him, Adobe and Microsoft are “working [...]...
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Samsung Android phones to come with Evernote pre-installed10 March 2010, 3:42 pm
Already available on the Samsung Behold II from T-Mobile USA, the Evernote Android app will be pre-installed on selected upcoming Samsung Android phones.
In case you don’t know yet, Evernote is an application that lets users create notes, record audio, snap photos, track to-dos or clip web pages. Users have the ability to quickly find any [...]...
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LG Cookie Music, Pure, GT405, KS365 and Jacquar 5 unveiled10 March 2010, 2:46 pm
Not long after officially announcing the LG Cookie Fresh GS290, LG has showcased several other new phones in the Netherlands.
The phones are: LG Cookie Music KM570, LG Pure, LG GT405, LG KS365 and LG Jacquar 5.
LG Cookie Music looks a lot like the Rogers-bound LG KM555. However, the Cookie Music has more advanced features: 5MP [...]...
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Google Maps for mobile will feature biking directions10 March 2010, 1:38 pm
Google has just announced the availability of biking directions for the desktop version of Google Maps, saying that it plans to add the new feature to the mobile version, too.
Google mentions that biking directions has been the most requested addition to Google Maps in the US (where there are 57 million bikers) and, well, now [...]...
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