| TRENDING STORIES IN TECH & GADGETS | | | | | | | ALL STORIES IN TECH & GADGETS | | |
| Slimmer PlayStation 3 and Two Other Stories You Need to Know | |  Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. Today, we're looking at three particularly interesting stories. Sony Announces Slimmer PlayStation 3 and More Sony has announced a plethora of news at its Wednesday event at the Tokyo Game Show. Most importantly, the PlayStation 3 will get revamped, with a slimmer body and a new CD tray mechanism. Furthermore, PlayStation Vita owners will be able to enjoy the benefits of the PlayStation Plus premium subscription, including free games, discounts and automatic software updates. Finally, the company announced two new colors for the PS Vita in Japan -- "cosmic red" and "sapphire blue" -- as well as a manga reader app for the Vita, together with a manga store, initially carrying 3,000 titles. iPhone 5 Reviewers Note the Downsides of Apple Maps Though the initial batch of reviews of the new iPhone 5 is mostly positive, one thing many reviewers find sub-par is Apple's new Maps app, which replaces Google Maps. The T3 review notes the app is "hit and miss in terms of finding London locations;" ATD's Walt Mossberg calls it the iPhone 5's "biggest drawback," and Engadget's Tim Stevens claims the app "isn't nearly as comprehensive as Google's offerings on Android." Check out our iPhone 5 review roundup here. ZTE to Launch Firefox-Based Smartphone in Q3 2012 Chinese smartphone giant ZTE is working with Mozilla to launch a Firefox-based smartphone in Q3 2012, Reuters reports. "We are trying to increase our efforts in coming up with our own operating system, while introducing products based on Android," said ZTE spokesman David Dai Shu. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mattjeacock |
| PlayStation Plus Comes to PS Vita in November | |  PlayStation's premium subscription service, PlayStation Plus, will become available to PlayStation Vita owners in November, Sony has announced. The benefits of the subscription for Vita users will be similar to those for PS3 owners -- free games, discounts, cloud storage and automatic software updates as well as trophy synchronization. Users will only need one subscription to enjoy the benefits of PlayStation Plus on both the PS3 and the Vita. At its pre-Tokyo Game Show event Wednesday, Sony has also announced two new colors for the Vita console in Japan: "cosmic red" and "sapphire blue." Japan's manga fans also have something to be joyful about: PS Vita is getting a manga reading app and a Reader Store with 3,000 manga titles available at launch, scheduled for mid-October. Finally, a new, thinner version of the PS3 console has also been announced, with availability slated for Sept. 25. |
| Meet Baxter: A Robot With Common Sense [VIDEO] | |  Baxter is like most reliable employees -- he uses common sense to do his job, and works well with others -- except, he's a robot. To be precise, Baxter robots are a new line of androids that can apply common sense behavior in manufacturing workplaces. Developed by Boston-based Rethink Robotics, Baxter automatically adapts to changing environments through cameras, sensors and software that enable it to "'see' objects, 'feel' forces and 'understand' tasks," according to the company's website. For this reason, Rethink claims that a Baxter robot can safely work alongside humans. It can also be trained like a person, with the robot capable of juggling multiple tasks, and learning a new one in less than 30 minutes (Check out the video above to see them in action). Priced at $22,000 and with no integration required, a Baxter robot is "a fraction of the cost of a traditional industrial robot," according to Rethink. "Baxter was specifically designed to be affordable for mid-size and small manufacturers, companies that have never been able to afford robots before." "Weoffer new hope to the millions of American manufacturers who are looking for innovative ways to compete in our global economy." The android is ready to start work in less than one hour after it hits the factory floor, the company adds. Baxter is a complete, self-contained system with application software that can be updated. Rethink says it plans to offer a software development kit in early 2013 for those who want to make use of the technology. Unveiled Tuesday, the robots are available on pre-order; first product shipments will begin this October. Do you think Baxter robots will foster cooperation or competition? Give us your take in the comments below. |
| Sony Unveils Thinner PlayStation 3 | | Tuesday, September 18, 2012 11:20 PM | Stan Schroeder |
|  Sony announced a slimmer version of its gaming console, the PlayStation 3, at the Tokyo Game Show Wednesday. Due to be launched this fall, the new PlayStation will keep the same name as its two predecessors, but will be 20% smaller and 25% lighter than the second-generation model, Sony says. It will available in two versions: black and white, with either 250GB or 500GB of storage memory. As far as physical differences from the previous model, the new PS3 will be thinner; it will also have a disc tray (instead of a slide-in disc mechanism) and a grooved design on top. The "charcoal black" model should hit the market on Sept. 25, while the "classic white" should arrive Nov. 22 in Japan. All the pricing details have not yet been announced, but a limited edition bundle, featuring the 250GB black PS3, UNCHARTED 3: Drake's Deception Game of the Year Edition and a voucher for more than $30 worth of bonus content for multiplayer shooter DUST 514, will be available Sept. 25 for $269.99. |
| AT&T's FaceTime Blocking Leads to FCC Complaint | | Tuesday, September 18, 2012 10:19 PM | Kate Abbott |
|  Three interest groups announced their intent to file a complaint with the FCC against AT&T, after the carrier said it would block Apple's FaceTime from its cellular data service unless customers signed up for a particular plan. Free Press, Public Knowledge, and the New America Foundation's Open Technology notified (PDF) AT&T Tuesday of their intent to file a complaint with the FCC about "AT&T Inc.'s decision to block certain users from accessing the FaceTime application over AT&T's mobile networks," which the groups allege is a violation of Net Neutrality laws. FCC rules require notification of intent 10 days prior to the actual filing of a complaint. "AT&T's decision to block FaceTime unless a customer pays for voice and text minutes she doesn't need is a clear violation of the FCC's Open Internet rules," Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood said in a statement. SEE ALSO: AT&T Customers Could Face More Fees for Using FaceTime Currently, the iPhone FaceTime app can only be used over Wi-Fi, though there are plans to expand this feature to cellular networks when iOS 6 is released -- which will naturally increase data usage. AT&T announced in August that a Mobile Share plan, which offers monthly tiered plans for data use across devices, would be required to use FaceTime on its cellular data service. Bob Quinn, AT&T's senior vice president of regulatory affairs, responded to complaints made by Free Press last month over FaceTime blocking by saying the groups "rushed to judgment." AT&T has not returned a request for comment. |
| iPhone 5's Lightning Connector Means Headaches for Businesses | | Tuesday, September 18, 2012 9:04 PM | Anita Li |
|  While Apple fanboys and girls anxiously await the latest iPhone, some businesses aren't so excited. Unlike its predecessors, the iPhone 5 will come with the "Lightning," an eight-pin, all-digital connector. The Lightning is reversible, and reportedly more durable and 80% smaller than the original. But the updates are causing headaches for hotels and gyms outfitted to accommodate Apple's old 30-pin connector, according to the Wall Street Journal. SEE ALSO: Apple's Lightning Connector: What We Know, What We Don't Michael Mueller, chief executive of Dallas-based hotel chain NYLO Hotels LLC, for example, told the Wall Street Journal that he bought clock radios that have iPhone docks -- at $115 each -- for all 600 of his hotel rooms. Mueller must now decide whether to replace the radios, and whether he should order the new or old dock connectors for the more than 400 rooms he has under construction. Apple is selling an adapter to connect the iPhone 5 to new connectors. At $29 each, it's a costly option for Mueller. "It's going to be a problem," Mueller told the WSJ. "We're going to have to decide if we stock those or if people with iPhones just sort of over time end up throwing one in their briefcase and knowing when they'll need it." Is Apple's rapid-fire switch to Lightning a mistake? Give us your take in the comments. |
| iPhone 5 Review Roundup: Apple's New Baby Makes a Big First Impression | | Tuesday, September 18, 2012 5:33 PM | Emily Price |
|  The iPhone 5 is set to hit store shelves on Sept. 21. A few lucky reviewers, however, have already gotten the chance to spend a few days with the device and craft their reviews of the latest-generation of the iconic smartphone. So what are they saying? Overall, reviewers are pretty impressed with the update. The phone's hardware has earned accolades from every reviewer across the board -- they love both how the new phone feels and looks. Reviewers also laud the iPhone's new 4-inch screen, although not all are in love with how some current apps -- not yet having been adjusted for its new size -- look on the latest device's screen. The same can be said for Apple's new Lighting connector, which is able to transfer data faster than Apple's previous connector. But the headache of not being able to use some accessories - and lack of support for iPod out, a specification used in many cars - was a problem for many. SEE ALSO: iPhone 5 Compared With Competitors/a> Here are some choice quotes from early reviews: Engadget: "Image quality is still among the best out there for a cameraphone, unimproved but quite impressive in varying conditions. What has improved, though, is the speed. Tap that big ol' thumb as quick as you can and the iPhone 5 will keep up, whereas the iPhone 4S eventually fell behind. It's at least on par with the Galaxy Nexus, which also has a ridiculously quick shooter." CNET: "The iPhone 5 is the iPhone we've wanted since 2010, adding long-overdue upgrades like a larger screen and faster 4G LTE in a razor-sharp new design. This is the iPhone, rebooted." The Loop: "If there is one problem I had with the iPhone, it would be with the apps that weren't designed for the larger screen. We're used to going to the bottom of the screen for the menu, but because the older apps are centered on the screen, the menus aren't there. I tap a few times before I realize I have to move my thumb up a little bit. It's a minor quirk that will go away as soon as the developers update their apps." All Things Digital: "I found the new iPhone screen much easier to hold and manipulate than its larger rivals and preferred it. In my view, Apple's approach makes the phone far more comfortable to use, especially one-handed." Slashgear: "The combination of the sturdy casing and premium materials means the iPhone 5 doesn't feel cheap. In fact, like a good haircut, picking up the new model doesn't feel like a drastic change or departure from what came before. It's familiar enough to be usable, consistent." Pocket lint: "It's the same iPhone, but it's completely different. That's the main takeaway point for the iPhone 5's design. It's something you can't really appreciate until you get up close and personal with the new phone, but when you do, wow, you'll really notice that difference." The Telegraph: "Starting the phone, loading apps, or taking photos - everything is faster on the iPhone 5. Benchmarking with the Geekbench app has shown that the iPhone 5 is not just faster than the iPhone 4S but it also outperforms Samsung's Galaxy S3." Time: "As for the tall-boy screen, it pays off in multiple scenarios. The home screen, for instance, now accommodates an extra row of apps. Other built-in programs, such as Mail and Calendar, also show more information without feeling crammed. And when you flip the phone into landscape mode, it's got a 16:9 display - ideal for wide-screen video." USA Today: "People have always had lofty expectations for the iPhone 5, especially as the competition stiffens. In delivering a fast, attractive, LTE-capable and larger-screen handset, Apple has met those expectations with a gem." New York Times: "If you have an iPhone 4S, getting an iPhone 5 would mean breaking your two-year carrier contract and paying a painful penalty; maybe not worth it for the 5's collection of nips and tucks. But if you've had the discipline to sit out a couple of iPhone generations - wow, are you in for a treat." TechCrunch: "I really do believe this is the best iPhone upgrade that Apple has done yet (besting the iPhone-to-iPhone 3G jump and the iPhone 3GS-to-iPhone 4 jump). As such, it's the best version of the iPhone yet. By far." T3: "Everything feels slightly slicker when navigating the phone. Apps appear to load quicker, video feels a touch smoother, video and image processing is definitely faster." CBC: "Apple says its new A6 dual-core processor has twice the power of the previous A5. In benchmark tests using the PassMark app, that certainly appears to be true. The iPhone 5 does everything - from computations to 3D rendering to opening apps - faster than the 4S, in some cases at double the speed." At its launch event, Apple's vice president Phil Shiller described the iPhone 5 as "the most beautiful product we have ever made." The smartphone improves on the iPhone 4S by offering a larger 4-inch screen, faster processor, improved camera, LTE support, and a new lightning connector. Pre-orders for the phone topped 2 million in its first 24 hours of availability, setting a new record for Apple, and doubling the 1 million in sales done by the iPhone 4S in its first 24 hours of availability. AT&T has announced that the phone is the fastest-selling device in its history, emptying the carrier's virtual store shelves within an hour of being available for pre-order. Do you plan to buy an iPhone 5? What new feature on the phone are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments. |
| Motorola's Droid Razr i Packs Intel Inside | | Tuesday, September 18, 2012 4:21 PM | Emily Price |
|  Motorola announced the Droid Razr i at an event in London Tuesday. Rocking a similar look to the Razr M released this week in the United States, the Razr i is designed for select European and Latin American markets including the U.K., France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. The most interesting feature of the phone is not what it looks like, but what's inside. The Razr i boasts an Intel Intel 2GHz CPU, one of the first phones created from a collaboration between Intel and Motorola. Touted as the "the full-screen phone," the handset has a 4.3-inch edge-to-edge display much like the Razr M, which Motorola says "gives you more screen with less phone." Other specs include 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, and an 8-megapixel camera, likely the same underperforming lens found in the Razr i's U.S. counterpart, the Razr M. The phone will come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but will ultimately be upgradable the newest version of Android, Jelly Bean. SEE ALSO: Motorola's Razr M Packs a Lot in a Small Package/a> "Motorola RAZR i with Intel Inside naturally blends together the value propositions of high performance Intel Architecture and great battery life," said Erik Reid, general manager of Intel's Mobile and Communications Group, in a press release announcing the handset. "Intel's goal is to provide compelling technology options that translate into great user benefits and experiences. RAZR i is a great proof point in the collaboration, and we're thrilled to be working with Motorola to bring this edge-to-edge experience enhanced with Intel Inside to people around the world." Motorola RAZR i will be available in black beginning in October in select European and Latin American markets. Pricing will vary by country, and has yet to be announced. |
| Twitter's New Profile Pages Look Horrible on Android Tablets [REVIEW] | | Tuesday, September 18, 2012 3:24 PM | Pete Pachal |
|  Android is a phenomenal platform in many ways. It's powerful, it's easy to make hardware and develop for, and it's everywhere. It's also super-easy to push out new editions of your app, just as Twitter did this morning with Version 3.4. But it's also suffers from the plague of fragmentation. Since it's so easy to build Android devices, their specs and capabilities vary widely. And so does the experience. This weakness is plainly evident in the new Twitter app. While it displays decently on an Android phone, when you launch it on something with a bigger screen (say, a tablet), things start to get ugly. Looking at my new profile page on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, my cover photo -- while looked fine on my iPhone and the web -- became a down-rezzed mess on the Tab's large display. The page was clearly not designed with big screens in mind, with my profile pic becoming a miniscule postage stamp at the top. The profile text is needlessly put on another screen instead of below the pic like it is on the web. SEE ALSO: Everything You Need to Know About the New Twitter The bigger the screen, the worse it gets, mainly because of the way Twitter down-rezzes your cover photo to a mere 626 x 313 pixels. I don't understand why -- perhaps their image hosting isn't quite as built up as Facebook's, but it really ruins the experience on large-screen Android devices. The photo stream, which is now much more prominent on profile pages, isn't much better. The pics are again pretty low-res, which really isn't even that great on a phone anymore considering the move to HD screens. I also experienced a lag in the photos displaying on the Tab 2, which was slightly less on a Droid Razr M. You also can't pinch to zoom on the pics. Other than the new profile pages and photo stream, Twitter for Android 3.4 doesn't change the app much. The stream still looks good on a phone, becoming a less satisfying stretched-out experience on larger tablet displays. The other minor tweaks -- such as moving the Settings tab to a gear icon under the cover photo -- are barely worth mentioning. There is a way out of the tablet Twitter nightmare, and it's the web version. Simply pointing your Android browser to Twitter.com brings you to the mobile site, which will display your profile in a much more sensible way. You're probably going to take a significant speed hit, though, so make the switch with that in mind. In all, the new Twitter for Android brings the service's newest tricks to the experience, but only phones need apply. For tablets, stick to the web version. Or just tweet manually. |
| What Twitter's New Apps Mean For Developers | | Tuesday, September 18, 2012 2:31 PM | Christina Warren |
|  Twitter didn't just roll out new profile headers today, it also rolled out updated versions of its iOS and Android clients. While the iPad app received some fairly significant changes, the biggest change in the iPhone and Android apps -- header photos aside -- was in how Twitter handles third-party services. As rumored, Twitter has decided to remove the ability to upload images to a third-party service within its official Twitter clients. Even after Twitter unveiled its official photo-uploading service back in June 2011, the company still provided users with an option to upload photos to other services -- including TwitPic, img.ly, yFrog and Mobypicture. That ends today. While Twitter wouldn't respond to our request for comment on the issue, we imagine that it's part of the company's strategy to better control the Twitter experience. Images uploaded using those services will still appear in tweets on Twitter.com and in the official apps, but users won't be able to upload them to those services in the apps themselves. Twitter wants to control the end-to-end experience. For end users, we don't expect the change to have much impact on the way they use Twitter. For third-party developers, however, it provides some color on Twitter's approach in the future. Developers, You've Been Warned Back in August, Twitter unveiled some of the changes to its API. The biggest takeaway from that announcement -- and the subsequent release of the new API was that Twitter wants to discourage developers from creating traditional Twitter clients -- as well as other services that "replicate the core Twitter experience." When it comes to "replicating the core Twitter experience," the biggest violators are third-party Twitter clients such as Twitterrific, Tweetbot and Echofon. It's important to understand, however, that the "core experience" extends beyond just sending and receiving tweets. Twitter sees image uploading as a first-party service. It doesn't matter that from 2006-2011, the service relied on third parties to host images. It doesn't matter that many of those third parties have their own larger ecosystems. Today, Twitter has its own image-uploading service, and that's where it wants to host its images. In its 1.1 API terms, Twitter even makes it clear that third-party clients must default to Twitter as the media uploader -- only the user can change it to use something different. Should Other Services Watch Out? Interestingly, although the ability to choose an image host is now gone in Twitter's iOS clients, users can still choose a service to upload video or to save links for later reading. For the "read later" options, the two most popular services -- Pocket and Instapaper -- are both represented. Instapaper creator Marco Arment had previously expressed concern that Twitter's new API changes would mean that apps could no longer send URLs to a bookmarking or read-later service. Fortunately, those worries appear to be unfounded. But when it comes to video, we have to wonder about services that allow users to upload video clips and then embed on Twitter. Twitter doesn't have a video-uploading option now, but there's no reason to think that the company won't have that option at some point. The lesson, it seems, is that building a service that heavily relies on Twitter for its user base or utility is a bad idea. What's not be part of Twitter's "core experience" today might be part of it tomorrow. That's a tough lesson -- and a virtual 180 from the Twitter of five years ago. More than any other service, Twitter's early success can be traced back to its third-party apps and developers. From image uploads to short URLs to hashtags to @replies to the concept of the retweet, Twitter was built as much by its users as it was by its engineers. Moving forward, however, it's clear that Twitter wants to own and control its experience and the consistency of that experience. That might not impact end users today -- but if developers lose interest in the platform, Twitter might end up being a very different service in the future. |
| |  |  | | | TOP STORIES TODAY TOP TOPICS | |
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق