Kinect belongs to the world; the world belongs to Kinect.
The Daily’s Matt Hickey continues to mine what seems like a loose-lipped source at Microsoft, reporting that Kinect tech may be coming to laptops. (Hickey had previously reported on efforts to bring the Kinect motion sensor to televisions and to set-top boxes.)
Cisco Systems developed its latest enterprise access point with corporate bring-your-own-device policies in mind, aiming to give tablets and smartphones as well as traditional workplace devices strong and consistent performance.
Computerworld News
Why ditch plug-ins such as Flash Player and Silverlight? Microsoft’s list: Battery life, security, privacy, and support for mobile devices.
CNET News
thrill12 writes “The Dutch Supreme Court ruled on January 31st that the taking away of possessions in the game Runescape from a 13-year-old boy was in fact theft because the possessions could be seen as actual goods. The highest court explained this not by arguing it was software that was copied, but by stating that the game data were real goods acquired through ‘effort and time investment,’ and ‘the principal had the actual and exclusive dominion of the goods’ — up until the moment the other guy took them away, that is.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Mozilla today patched eight vulnerabilities in Firefox as it shipped the latest iteration in its rapid release schedule.
Computerworld News
Today the folks at AT&T are doing a little flipping around of heads with several faces now reporting directly to the AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson including John Stankey, Ralph de la Vega, Andy Geisse, and John Donovan. Each of these professionals will be getting a brand new world, with Stephenson expressing his enthusiasm [...]
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Research in Motion said its “Be Bold” cartoon superheroes unveiled in a recent blog infographic were “intended to be a bit of fun” and are not a new ad campaign.
Computerworld News
New submitter Killer Panda sends word that a German Appeals Court has upheld the injunction prohibiting sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany. Apple convinced lower courts to issue and uphold the injunction last year by making the case that Samsung’s devices “slavishly” copied the iPhone and iPad. “Samsung, which is Apple’s supplier as well as a competitor, has been trying to have the German decision overturned while also seeking other means to fight Apple. It redesigned the Galaxy Tab 10.1 for the German market only and named it Galaxy Tab 10.1N to get around the sales ban. Apple challenged the reworked version but a German court last month rejected Apple’s claims in a preliminary judgment.” The European Union announced some more bad news for Samsung: they’ll be investigating the company to see whether its use of patent lawsuits is illegally hindering other companies’ use of standardized 3G technology. “Under EU patent rules, a company that hold patents for standardized products are required to license them out indiscriminately at a fair price.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
An anonymous reader writes “Technology Review reports on a startup with software used by stores to track, count and log people captured by security cameras. Prism Skylab’s technology can produce heatmaps showing where people went and produce other statistics that the company claims offer tracking and analytics like those used online for the real world. One use case is for businesses to correlate online promotions and deals — such as Groupon offers — with real world footfall and in-store behavior.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
In a letter sent to eight members of Congress, Google yesterday defended its move to consolidate its privacy policies and users’ personal information.
Computerworld News
IBM on Tuesday announced plans to buy Worklight, a move that will give it a range of cross-platform mobile application development technologies. Terms of the deal, which is expected to close in the first quarter, were not disclosed.
Computerworld News
President Barack Obama faced perhaps his toughest and most direct question ever on the H-1B program by a Texas woman during an online town hall Monday.
Computerworld News
Research in Motion’s tumultuous year seems to keep getting worse, as ridicule springs up over a company blog post and graphic featuring so-called “Be Bold” superheroes — an apparent attempt to boost the appeal of its RIM Bold smartphones to the youth market.
Computerworld News
Zothecula writes “You don’t need to be an expert in occupational safety to know that worker fatigue is one of the leading causes of workplace accidents — this particularly applies to people who operate heavy machinery or drive for a living. While it would be great if all employees simply took a break when fatigue started setting in, it can sometimes be difficult for people to tell just how tired they really are. That, or they decide that they just want to push through and get the job done, drowsiness be damned. An invention from Australia’s EdanSafe, however, takes the guesswork out of the picture. It’s called the SmartCap, and it measures employee fatigue in real time by monitoring its wearer’s brain waves.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
nk497 writes “Will we soon be upgrading body parts like the components inside our PCs? ‘Human enhancement’ technologies are quickly evolving, making it easier to treat health conditions — and make us more powerful. Neural implants are already being used to restore vision, but in the future it could be used to give us better than 20/20 eyesight. Bionic arms will extend beyond prostheses, and be used to help boost our strength — handy for working in a warehouse and for soldiers. ‘We use tools all the time to enhance our natural functions, and physical interaction is increasingly usurped by the virtual connections afforded by computers, smartphones and the internet,’ said one researcher. ‘So connecting these tools directly from the brain is perhaps not so far-fetched.’”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The HTC Ville has been caught on video ahead of its expected MWC 2012 debut, showing off both its slimline form-factor as well as a glimpse of HTC Sense 4.0. According to the Android 4.0 smartphone’s hardware info page, it runs a 1.5GHz dualcore processor with 1GB of RAM and a 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen. There’s also [...]
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Continue reading McAfee updates Mobile Security to 2.0, keeps you protected on the go (video)
McAfee updates Mobile Security to 2.0, keeps you protected on the go (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mobile app marketing company Fiksu just released new data revealing the impact the holiday season had on iOS app downloads and user acquisition costs. According to the company’s App Store Competitive Index, a measurement of the average aggregate download volume of the top 200 free U.S. applications, December saw 6.04 million daily app downloads. That’s a nearly 7% increase from November’s 5.65 million, and a clear indication of how many folks were unwrapping new smartphones during the holiday season.
The organization says that it will investigate whether Samsung licensed “essential patents” in fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms.
CNET News
The company says the Dixons CEO will be taking over as retail chief in April.
CNET News
judgecorp writes “Two Dutch ISPs have complied with a demand to block the Pirate Bay, but KPN and T-Mobile are refusing to block the site.”
Torrent Freak has a bit more info. T-Mobile at least seems to imply they would respond to a court order, and are merely refusing to take down sites at the request of a private entity.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Sumo Logic, a startup focused on enterprise log management and analytics, has raised $ 15 million in Series B funding round led by Sutter Hill Ventures, with participation from previous investors Greylock Partners and angel investor Shlomo Kramer. The new funding brings the startup’s total venture capital backing to $ 20.5 million.
Today, Sumo Logic emerged from stealth to unveil its log management and analytics platform, aiming to help companies to uncover operational and security insights buried in enterprise log files. The startup was founded by ArcSight veterans Christian Beedgen and Kumar Saurabh in 2009, to provide a cloud based system for managing the massive amounts of enterprise log data.
TechCrunch
The chief executive of the luxury consumer electronics maker talks about the company’s new soon-to-be-released Beolit 12 speaker for iPhones, the first product from its B&O Play sub-brand.
CNET News
cylonlover writes with an excerpt from a Gizmag article: “The cell membrane is one of the most important components of a cell because it separates the interior from the environment and controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell. In a move that brings mankind another step closer to being able to create artificial life forms from scratch, chemists from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and Harvard University have created artificial self-assembling cell membranes using a novel chemical reaction. The chemists hope their creation will help shed light on the origins of life.”
The full paper is available in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (behind a paywall).
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Information technology means we can rethink transportation
The connected car has finally arrived. Our smart phones sync up with our dashboards, and soon vehicle-to-vehicle communication could make car crashes a thing of the past. Ford recently announced it’s working on a “smart seat” that will detect when a driver is having a heart attack. What could be better?
It’s been over fifteen years since MasterCard, Visa and Europay developed EMV technology to make your credit cards more secure, but it has yet to really catch on here in the US. However, MasterCard has created a master plan to help usher in the EMV era and sound the death knell for the magnetic strip. Why? The EMV infrastructure is far more fraud-resistant because each transaction is authenticated dynamically using cryptographic algorithms and a user-specific PIN. That’s why MasterCard plans to help build out the EMV POS infrastructure by April of next year and have its secure e-payment system functioning at ATMs, online and with its myriad mobile payment options as well. For now, the nuts and bolts of how the credit card firm plans to bring its plan to fruition are few, but more details will be forthcoming, and there’s a bit more info at the source and PR below.
MasterCard reveals roadmap for our electronic payment future: EMV in, magnetic strips out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
NEC did it again: about 11 months after unveiling the world’s slimmest smartphone at that time, the company is ready to release another super-thin Android phone with a set of impressive specs (via Japan’s biggest mobile carrier NTT Docomo). Dubbed MEDIAS ES N-05D [JP], the handset will hit Japanese stores in February or March this year.
NEC rolled out quite a few Medias-branded Android phones in recent months, but this model is just 6.7mm thin and has the best specs.
TechCrunch
1sockchuck writes “The first phase of the Facebook data center in Oregon uses 28 megawatts of utility power, local officials said this week. That’s not extraordinary for a facility of that size in most data center hubs. But it stands out in Crook County, Oregon where all the homes and business other than Facebook use 30 megawatts of power. The economics of Facebook’s presence in Oregon are outlined in a new study, which asserts that the Prineville facility has brought tens of millions of dollars into the local economy. The second phase of the Facebook project is now underway, and the local utility grid is being expanded to add capacity.”
The study claiming economic benefits was commissioned by Facebook (reader beware).
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Apple has revealed its new retail chief, grabbing John Browett from European tech chain Dixons as its new Senior Vice President of Retail. Browett, who has been Dixons CEO since 2007, will join Apple in April, and helm the company’s global retail strategy as well as organizing the expansion of Apple’s retail stores. “Our retail stores [...]
SlashGear
While Samsung was more than willing to redesign its flagship tablet in the face of the German court’s ruling last year, the higher regional court in Dusseldorf maintains that the original still can’t be sold within its borders. As Samsung and Apple continue their legal fisticuffs worldwide, the claim from Cupertino that the 10.1-inch Android tablet is too similar to its own iPad has seen more attention than most. Samsung returned the favor by counter-suing over mobile technology patents, although it’s been just as unfortunate here, losing two out of the three infringement claims. The final case will be ruled on in early March. Today’s decision will also encompass the Galaxy Tab 8.9, although given that this ruling is based on Germany’s own unfair competition law, it makes it unlikely to be replicated elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab 10.1N remains on shelves — and very desperate tablet fans just a short drive away from neighboring countries still able to sell the original.
German court upholds ban on original Galaxy Tab 10.1 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
UK pay TV service Sky has just announced its quarterly results, and despite adding 100,000 subscribers as well as notching its “highest ever first-half adjusted operating profit” it will launch a new internet TV service, available to anyone in the country with a broadband connection. Sky describes the new over the top (OTT) service as being aimed at the 13 million UK households who don’t currently subscribe to pay TV, with access available via “PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone, games console or connected TV.” Initially, it will offer Sky Movies on demand joined by sports and entertainment options later, with access based on either monthly unlimited subscription or “pay-as-you-go” pricing. As far as the company’s basic services, it will continue to develop its existing Sky Go product for standard pay-TV subscribers and zeebox iPad companion app, although this seems to initially be a worth competitor for things like Lovefilm and recent UK entrant Netflix. We have plenty of questions about what it will offer cord-cutters and cord-nevers in the UK when it launches in the first half of this year, we should find out more on the earnings call shortly. Until then, hit the PDF link for more detailed financial breakdowns, or check out the IPTV service press release after the break.
Continue reading Sky will launch an internet based TV service in the UK in the first half of 2012
Sky will launch an internet based TV service in the UK in the first half of 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Last September, Salesforce bought social customer service SaaS startup Assistly for $ 50 million-plus to help expand its service cloud offerings to small businesses. Today, Salesforce is debuting a brand new Assistly-inspired social and mobile customer service platform for small businesses, called Desk.com.
As you may remember, Assistly helped companies collect and organize all of their customer conversations into a prioritized actionable list and equips support staff with the tools to respond to customers. The application allows businesses to filter conversations, access customer histories, automate processes and even tap into social media conversations on Facebook, Twitter and other sites. And Assistly provides users with key metrics and analytics, such as case volume, interaction volume by channel, response time, service levels, agent performance and more.
The phone may begin selling on China’s third largest carrier as early as late February or early March, the company says in a press release cited by China Daily.
CNET News
ArrayPower says its “sequenced inverter” will cut the cost of solar by more than 10 percent.
As solar panel manufacturers try to harvest more of the sun’s energy for less, they face increasingly diminishing returns. At roughly $ 1 per watt, the cost of solar modules now represents less than a third of the total cost of commercial solar installations. To cut the total cost of solar power—currently $ 3.00 to $ 3.50 per watt—bigger gains will have to come from improvements in the power electronics, wiring, and mounting systems required for solar installations.
There aren’t many mobile phone games from the 1990s that are really worth taking a second look. In fact, the entire market of vintage cell phone games is sorely uninspiring, but there is one that has and always will stand out from its monochromatic brethren. If you had a Nokia phone back in the day, [...]
SlashGear
The pattern of calls and texts between humans reveals how women invest more heavily in their main relationship than men; and how this changes as they age
Various studies have shown that the frequency of contact between individuals is a reliable indicator of the emotional link between them. So it should come as no surprise that the data from mobile phone calls is a potential treasure trove of information about the social lives of humans.
Panasonic has helped lead the market for ruggedized cameras, which have been a hit among adventurous photographers for years, and now the company has two new additions to add to its water/shock/freeze/dustproof cam line. Described as “the optical outdoor companion,” the Lumix DMC-TS4 is Panasonic’s new ruggedized flagship, replacing the TS3 and packing a 12.1 megapixel CCD sensor, 1080/60i HD video capture, a 4.6x 28-128mm optical zoom lens and 2.7-inch LCD. Naturally, it can withstand just about everything you’ll throw its way, considering that it’s waterproof to depths of 40 feet, shockproof to 6.6 feet and freezeproof to temps as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit. The TS4 also includes GPS, compass, altimeter and barometer functionality, logging all this data to supplement your photos with a full weather and location readout. Panasonic has also added full manual control, letting you adjust both aperture and shutter speed when shooting in manual mode.
The TS4 may offer a respectable spec list, but it doesn’t come cheap. The TS20 is an attractive alliterative, however, with a slim profile, 16.1 megapixel sensor, 720p HD shooting, a 4x 25-100mm optically stabilized zoom lens and a 2.7-inch LCD. It’s waterproof to 16 feet, freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit and can survive drops from up to five feet. There’s no manual option on this lower-end model, but it does include Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto mode for more accurate shooting. The TS20 will ship in late-February in orange, blue, black and red for $ 180, while the flagship TS4 will be available in orange, blue, black and silver for $ 400 when it ships in mid-March. You’ll find both press releases after the break.
Gallery: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 and DMC-TS20
Continue reading Panasonic adds Lumix DMC-TS4 and DMC-TS20 to ruggedized camera line
Panasonic adds Lumix DMC-TS4 and DMC-TS20 to ruggedized camera line originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’ve seen Panasonic’s 2012 lineup of ruggedized and entry-level point-and-shoot cameras, but now the Japanese-based manufacturer is unleashing a pair of compact “Traveler Zoom” cams to the 2012 mix. The Lumix DMC-ZS20 and ZS15 include 20x (24-480mm) and 16x (24-384mm) optically stabilized zoom lenses, respectively, 3-inch 460k-pixel LCDs, 1/2.3-inch High Sensitivity MOS sensors and a 10 fps burst shooting mode (5 fps with continuous AF). The higher-end ZS20 features a 14.1 megapixel sensor and 1080/60p video shooting while the ZS15 captures 12.1 megapixel stills and 1080/60i HD clips. Both cameras include 0.1-second “Light Speed Autofocus” and top sensitivity levels of ISO 3200, though you’ll need to opt for the ZS20 to take advantage of GPS with map logging and a noise-canceling stereo mic. The pair will ship in March, with a black, red, white or silver ZS20 running you $ 350, compared with a $ 280 price tag on the black or silver ZS15. As always, you’ll find the full PR after the break.
Continue reading Panasonic introduces Lumix DMC-ZS20 and ZS15 compact superzoom cameras
Panasonic introduces Lumix DMC-ZS20 and ZS15 compact superzoom cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Software mines security footage to help business owners see what people do once they’re inside the store.
The huge success of online shopping and advertising—led by giants like Amazon and Google—is in no small part thanks to software that logs when you visit Web pages and what you click on. Startup Prism Skylabs offers brick-and-mortar businesses the equivalent—counting, logging, and tracking people in a store, coffee shop, or gym with software that works with video from security cameras.
If you tend to play on the magenta network, a leaked document out of T-Mobile may require your attention.
According to TmoNews, the carrier will impose new rules for domestic data roaming on April 5. Instead of the unlimited data goodness you’ve likely grown accustomed to, the carrier will cut you off after you burn through an allotted amount of data. Here’s how it’ll work:
TechCrunch
In a live interview, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo talked about why Twitter announced it would withhold tweets when they violate a country’s local laws.
CNET News
The guys at Harmonix are fairly occupied working on continuous downloadable content for Dance Central, but apparently there is something else in the works for the music game moguls. Brian Chan, who was the senior designer for Rock Band 3, has mentioned on his own public resume that he has begun working on a new [...]
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