What's new on SlashGear.com |
- China Takes Aim at Internet Phone Services to Protect State-Owned Telephone Companies
- LG Tablet Running Android to be Shown Off at CES 2011
- Zap Cane Hides a Flashlight & One Million Volt Charge
- Mobius Strip Lamp Concept Design Aims to Streamline the Clutter
- Man Tries to Recreate Frogger with Real Traffic, Hits Real SUV
- THKR-4 Humanoid Robot will Rub Your Shoulders, Pour You a Drink [Video]
- Hopewell Culture and Design Aims at Apple, Others in Double-Click Lawsuit
- Human Touch Invites Publishers to Massage Chair Event
- Samsung Mobile Display to Showcase 19-Inch qFHD Transparent AMOLED at CES 2011
- Facebook Visited More Than Google in 2010, Traffic Analyst Firm Says
- Sprint Branded 3G/4G MiFi 4082 Image Appears Online
- HP dv7 Laptop with Intel’s Sandy Bridge Inside Purchased, Photographed
- HTC Scribe tablet trademark tips slate intentions
- B&N NOOKcolor took retailer’s top spot; almost 1m ebooks sold on Dec 25 [Updated]
- “Apple will totally do a 7-inch device” insists lead Android advocate
- The importance of CES and what to expect in 2011
- Sanyo GOPAN rice-bread machine is crazy sales success in Japan [Video]
- SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: December 30 2010
- Apple Ping-style shopping network app detailed in patent application
- Kindle ebook loans now available
- LucidLogix Virtu dynamic GPU system for Intel Sandy Bridge revealed
- Google carrier ambitions the “nuclear option” says analyst
- Skype iPhone video calls could eat AT&T data plan in under an hour
- Apple should buy Netflix says analyst as iTunes rentals surge
- RIM deny Indian BlackBerry monitoring claims
- Phoenix Gold to show OEM integration i-Series car amp at CES 2011
- Smart TV could overwhelm the internet warns analyst
- Watch a Leica M9 get built on video!
- Inderes estimates Nokia shipped 3.5 to 4M Nokia N8 smartphones in Q4
- fail0verflow hacker group discovers epic PS3 security bypass
| China Takes Aim at Internet Phone Services to Protect State-Owned Telephone Companies Posted: 30 Dec 2010 01:19 PM PST Protecting state-owned bodies, especially high-profile entities in any particular market, is a high priority for China. That’s why it’s not surprising to see that China has declared a warning on Thursday to VoIP providers like Skype. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has made a bold statement, saying plainly that they will seek out “illegal Internet phone services.” However, the Ministry did not clarify as to which ones, exactly, they would be targeting.
China may be looking to completely shut out services like Skype, as well as the other, smaller companies offering the same features. Additionally, this could mean that Google’s Google Voice may not be able to find a way into China, either. Officials in the Chinese government have argued in the past that only government-backed have any right to to effectively connect Internet to the phone networks they use. With China’s 450 million Internet users, it would make sense that the government would want to create tighter restrictions, and perhaps even outline which services Internet users can use, while forcing out others. According to Kan Kaili the Director of China VoIP & Digital Telecom Inc., China’s government “is actually protecting the telecoms’ traditional voice services,” by releasing the notice. He goes on to add that it is “obviously a wrong thing, absolutely wrong.” If China does go through with this, then it would seem that many of the hundreds of smaller companies offering VoIP services would be forced to stop. [via Yahoo! News]
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| LG Tablet Running Android to be Shown Off at CES 2011 Posted: 30 Dec 2010 12:54 PM PST Tablets are going to be a big part of 2011′s Consumer Electronics Show, and it looks like LG is ready to go ahead and throw their hat into the pool, too. According to the Korea Times, sources in the area are reporting that LG is aiming to keep up with Samsung, but look to be aiming a bit higher in the tablet department, as their version of the Android-based device will feature an 8.9-inch display.
Word about a tablet from LG isn’t new, as earlier in the year we heard that the company was planning on releasing one. However, the company decided to wait for a newer, more tablet-friendly mobile Operating System before they released it. Now that Honeycomb is on the horizon, it’s no surprise that “industry sources” would be hearing LG talk about their tablet desire more and more. Especially with CES 2011 right around the corner. If that’s not enough for your LG news regarding CES, the company is also planning on showing off auto-stereoscopic 3D mobile displays, which would make it possible for those moving at high speeds to continue to enjoy their 3D entertainment. [via TechRadar]
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| Zap Cane Hides a Flashlight & One Million Volt Charge Posted: 30 Dec 2010 12:45 PM PST Canes have been a good way to conceal weapons for a long time. Usually, though, it’s a blade of some kind in there. Or, maybe the cane itself is your weapon of choice. Either way, it’s a trick that’s been tested, and proven effective. The Zap Cane, though, may take things a bit too far. And not because it has a flashlight built-in, either.
The Zap Cane does indeed have two secrets in store for those who purchase it (or find themselves on the receiving end of a good strike). The first is a flashlight that’s positioned in front of the cane’s handle. A good place for it, surely, as it should mean it will be a bit easier for those using it to find what they’re looking for, without having to put the cane in awkward positions. But, it’s the second secret that actually means the Zap Cane is illegal in several states. Finding yourself in a precarious situation, the Zap Cane will give you a quick and easy way to get out of it. Just lift the case, put the end of it against an attacker’s body, and fire. The result? A million-volt charge sent through the attacker’s body. As we mentioned above, the Zap Cane is illegal for someone to own in 8 states: HA, MI, MA, NJ, NY, RI, WI, and PA. However, if you’re not in one of those states, then the Zap Cane will cost about $103. [via Gadget Lab]
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| Mobius Strip Lamp Concept Design Aims to Streamline the Clutter Posted: 30 Dec 2010 12:21 PM PST We haven’t really noticed it, but apparently the current design for street lights, along with the way that we tell pedestrians its safe to walk across the street, is cluttered. Designer Kisung Lee looks to change all of that with the latest concept design for a street light. This one is called the Mobius Strip Lamp, and it’s meant to bring all of the necessary aspects of a street light into one, streamlined design.
The design is implemented as an all-in-one idea. You have the traffic signal at the top, which is placed after a twist in the pole itself. The display is horizontal, but what looks like LEDs would be used to display either red, yellow, or green along the entirety of its face. The number seems to point that it would be counting down until the next light transition. However, with the design, we can’t help but think that those with a vision impairment like color blindness may not be able to actually use these lights very effectively. Following the twist in the other direction, you have a regular street light, which will help light up the area during the night. Along the main part of the body of the Mobius Strip Lamp, you’ll find a large area much like the main street signal part, this time positioned vertically. Green means that it is safe for pedestrians to walk, with another digit to show the time remaining before the signal changes. The Mobius Strip Lamp is another winner of the Red Dot Concept Design award. [via Yanko Design]  
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| Man Tries to Recreate Frogger with Real Traffic, Hits Real SUV Posted: 30 Dec 2010 11:53 AM PST Recreating your favorite videogame may seem like a good idea, but there’s not many out there that would translate to the real world with the best of results. Even if Frogger seems like a pretty simple idea, you are just a frog getting from one point to another after all, it’s not advisable to actually do that. After all, the cars, semi-trucks, and SUVs that populate our world are very real, and can actually kill you. That, and you don’t get an extra life.
In South Carolina, a 23-year-old man was standing on the side of busy highway-123 in Anderson, when he decided to recreate Frogger, and dash across the lanes of traffic. Unfortunately, the young man was unable to judge the distance from him to the nearest SUV, and he was struck down. The event took place on Monday. Police responded to a 911 call, and arrived on the scene to see the man on the ground, after being struck by a driver of an SUV. According to witnesses of the event, the man waited until he yelled out, “Go!” before he dashed across the highway. According to the police, the similarities aren’t a coincidence. The man was indeed recreating Frogger, a popular videogame produced by Konami, the house of the Metal Gear Solid series. The man didn’t die, though, thankfully, but he did sustain several head injuries. [via Gather]
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| THKR-4 Humanoid Robot will Rub Your Shoulders, Pour You a Drink [Video] Posted: 30 Dec 2010 11:21 AM PST Depending on the day, sometimes you just don’t want to have to get up to get something, even when it’s a drink out of the refrigerator. Completely understandable, and that’s why humanoid “helper” robots are still the one thing that many people want in their homes. In Japan, home robots aren’t in every home, but there’s plenty of them in development. The one big difference between them and this ‘bot, designated THKR-4, is that this one was designed with just off-the-shelf parts.
While it may not be the best, or most advanced humanoid robot out there, considering its origins, along with the fact that it’s still capable of doing some pretty complicated tasks, the THKR-4 is still impressive. During an event in Yokohama, Japan, recently, the THKR-4 was filmed doing some of its more gratuitous tasks. For example, the robot is able to open the refrigerator, pull out a bottle, and pour a drink. There’s even a party favor being shown off. But, the best part is the shoulder massage that the robot’s owner receives. Check out the video below to see THKR-4 in action. [via Robots-Dreams]
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| Hopewell Culture and Design Aims at Apple, Others in Double-Click Lawsuit Posted: 30 Dec 2010 10:47 AM PST If it weren’t for the technology industry, there’d probably be a lot of downtime for some of the major courts around the United States. This time around, several companies are being targeted by plaintiff Hopwell Culture and Design. Of those companies, Apple, HTC, Adobe, and Samsung are being named. According to the plaintiff, these companies are violating a patent entitled Double-Clicking a Point-and-Click User Interface Apparatus to Enable a New Interaction with Content represented by an Active Visual Display Element.
The original patent was filed in 2002 by Actify, it seems that Hopwell Culture and Design are chiming in now because previously, double-clicking had not been used to any effect for the user input while in a Web browser, corresponding to the unique double-click input. Adobe’s been marked due to their PDF Reader software. Apple, on the other hand (and not surprisingly) is being targeted in a more sweeping motion, with mention of the iPhone and iPad. But, it’s HTC that’s certainly seeing a lot of attention, too, with device names like the Droid Incredible, Droid Eris, Hero, and EVO 4G being specifically pointed out. Nokia is also being blamed, with devices like the N900 and N97. Other companies include LG, Motorola, Quickoffice, Palm, and Opera. Hopewell Culture and Design is hoping that they can receive “adequate” payment from damages, from each of the companies. The lawsuit was filed with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. If that district sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a pretty well known place for plaintiffs to get what they want, especially in patent disputes. [via Electronista]
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| Human Touch Invites Publishers to Massage Chair Event Posted: 30 Dec 2010 10:34 AM PST Woo! There’s nothing we love better than a full body massage while writing a post about some cellphones. That’s right. And now here we have an invite to an event all about the brand spanking new AcuTouch™ 9500 Massage Chairs featuring HT-Connect™ that’ll be introduced by Human Touch. This event will take place January 5 and will be taking place at CES 2011 – right where we’ll be anyway! They’re gonna have a couple chairs there for everyone to sit on and fall asleep in – dangerous!
At the event there’ll be a few Human Touch executives including Andrew Corkill, Director of Marketing, David Wood, CEO and David Potter, Vice President of Design. Right in the center of Ceasar’s Palace! And what’s this? This chair is the first massage chair to offer a completely personalized experience by connecting via Bluetooth to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. This is done with HT-Connet, a free app you can download from and Apple app store, allowing you to connect to the chair and work with it with customized options! Check out the full press release and invite / alert below:
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| Samsung Mobile Display to Showcase 19-Inch qFHD Transparent AMOLED at CES 2011 Posted: 30 Dec 2010 10:21 AM PST Looks like Samsung is planning on changing up the game when it comes to AMOLED and TVs. The company is apparently getting ready to show off their qFHD Transparent AMOLED display technology at CES 2011. Samsung plans on making the transparent AMOLED displays ready to go some time in the near future for not only TVs, but also monitors.
Samsung Mobile Display will be on hand at next year’s Consumer Electronics Show, where they will be showing off the world’s first large transparent AMOLED display, which the company says is being produced to work in either TVs, or PC monitors. Samsung is proud of the technology therein, as it doesn’t matter whether the display is turned on or off — it will retain 30% transparency. That’s compared to the standard 10 percent transparency in other units, from other companies. Samsung also says that the transparent AMOLED they plan on showing off will have the highest resolution of any transparent AMOLED display so far, at least on displays that are 19-inches or larger. The technology could be used for people to surf the Internet and watch TV in a whole new way, or even display images on other objects, like the back of a seat in a car. And, if that’s not enough, Samsung will also be showing off a 14-inch version of the same technology, which they plan on using for notebook displays. [via OLED-Display; thanks, Erik!]
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| Facebook Visited More Than Google in 2010, Traffic Analyst Firm Says Posted: 30 Dec 2010 09:59 AM PST To be “bigger than Google” in the tech world is a pretty big feat. But for Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, it’s something that he can officially mark off of his “to-do” list, if he’s got one. According to Hitwise, a traffic analyst firm, the social networking site has officially surpassed the search giant as the most visited website in 2010, and by a pretty significant margin, no less. These numbers, though, reflect traffic based in the United States only, though.
Hitwise has reported that Facebook accounted for a total of 8.93 percent of all Web visits in the United States, between the months of January and November. Google on the other hand, which is still ranked high on the chart at number 2, obviously, managed to nab “only” 7.19 percent of the US’ total Web visits between the same period. There’s a few honorable mentions to go around, though. For one, Yahoo! took two spots on the rankings, with Yahoo! Mail grabbing the number three spot. Yahoo!’s main search engine snatch the fourth spot. And finally, happy to have a spot in the top 10 (we’re sure), is Microsoft’s decision engine, Bing. After winning Person of the Year, and now this, Zuckerberg certainly has quite a bit to celebrate going into 2011. You can read the full press release below for more information, including more details about most searched-about products and people. Press Release
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| Sprint Branded 3G/4G MiFi 4082 Image Appears Online Posted: 30 Dec 2010 09:40 AM PST It’s not official, other than the fact that the device cleared the FCC a couple of weeks ago, but it looks like the very first press image of the 3G/4G MiFi from Novatel has managed to find its way onto the Internet. It’s not an official release by any means, and the image comes from the SprintUser forums, from member r0fl. And if you look hard enough, you can indeed see that r0fl marked this little MiFi with his moniker, but that doesn’t mean that this isn’t the real deal.
There’s not any real information to go on here, other than the image itself. We can see that it’s going to be able to connect to both 3G and 4G. And, we can say that it does look like a nice device. Shiny, if nothing else. With the device crossing through the FCC not too long ago, it’s certainly possible that Sprint is getting ready to show off the device at CES 2011. If that is the case, then we’ll be sure to give you as much information as we can on the device in just a few days. [via Engadget]
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| HP dv7 Laptop with Intel’s Sandy Bridge Inside Purchased, Photographed Posted: 30 Dec 2010 09:25 AM PST Intel may be waiting patiently to do the official unveiling of their Sandy Bridge processors until CES 2011, but that’s not stopping the name from popping up pretty much everywhere. We first caught glimpse of the new chip in an HP dv6 that was being shown off in an electronics store in Singapore, where you could buy one if you really wanted to. Another HP laptop appeared in Micro Center’s catalogue, and one lucky individual decided that they didn’t want to wait. So, they bought it. And sure enough, Sandy Bridge is on board. Thankfully, photos were taken.
On the inside of the machine, you’ll find a second-generation Intel Core i7-2630QM Processor, clocked at 2GHz. With the Tubo Boost technology thrown in for good measure, it can be bumped up to 2.9GHz. You’ll also find 6GB of RAM inside, along with 1TB 5400RPM HDD. 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6570 GPU should help with the graphics. The display is a 1600 x 900 LED variation, measuring in at 17.3-inches. For a bit of icing on the cake, the buyer also managed to run a few benchmarking tests, of which the laptop managed to come in just under the standard quad-core desktop PCs running Intel’s Core i7. As for the battery life, the lucky individual states that it’s a 9-cell version, and that he’s managed to get just under four hours of usage while running Hulu, and only Hulu. When he did normal web browsing, along with listening to some music, he managed to eek out four and a half hours. It’s not all good news, though. Micro Center has pulled the listing for the HP dv7, and it’s no longer for sale. However, that should change here pretty quickly. [via Notebook Review]  
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| HTC Scribe tablet trademark tips slate intentions Posted: 30 Dec 2010 08:57 AM PST HTC’s tablet intentions have been well raked over in the past few months, and now a potential name for the upcoming slate has been unearthed courtesy of a new trademark filing. The “HTC Scribe” is described as a “handheld wireless device, namely, a tablet computer” in HTC’s submission, while the name itself would seem to suggest some form of stylus.
That could either be a capacitive stylus, as we’ve seen HTC offer for the HD2 smartphone, or – more interestingly – it could involve a dual-mode touchscreen that would have an active digitizer from a company such as Wacom. Such a display would mean far higher accuracy for writing and drawing, together with palm-rejection so that leaning a hand on the display while using the stylus wouldn’t accidentally trigger it in the process. As for the rest of the hardware, a 10-inch 1280 x 720 display is expected, while NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 processor and 2GB of memory is tipped. That’ll be paired with a 32GB microSD card. OS is Android 2.4 Honeycomb, which is expected to arrive sometime before the end of Q1 2011. [via Pocketnow]
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| B&N NOOKcolor took retailer’s top spot; almost 1m ebooks sold on Dec 25 [Updated] Posted: 30 Dec 2010 08:42 AM PST Barnes & Noble has announced that its NOOK range has become the retailer’s biggest selling line in the company’s history, with the NOOKcolor taking the number one spot as the best-selling gift of the holidays. Meanwhile, almost one million B&N ebooks were purchased on Christmas Day, despite widespread reports of server issues plaguing the service for the holiday weekend. Updated with B&N statement on the server outages after the cut
The news follows Amazon’s announcement that the Kindle is now its best-selling product of all time. Neither retailer has publicly confirmed sales figures, however, with B&N only saying that “millions” of NOOK devices – including the original NOOK, its WiFi-only version and the newest NOOKcolor – have been sold. For more on the NOOKcolor, check out our multi-part series on a week with the new color ereader tablet. We’re chasing B&N for an official comment on the outage. Update: Barnes & Noble spokesperson Mary Ellen Keating gave us the following brief statement:
Press Release:
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| “Apple will totally do a 7-inch device” insists lead Android advocate Posted: 30 Dec 2010 08:33 AM PST Steve Jobs minced no words back in October 2010 when he described 7-inch tablets as “dead on arrival”, telling investors that Apple had decided “this size isn't sufficient to create great tablet apps.” Now Android developer advocate Tim Bray has offered up some advice of his own to Jobs, suggesting that “Apple will totally do a 7-inch device” and that when it comes to the validity of so-called “tweeners” the “argument is over.”
Bray is careful to make it clear that the suggestions are his own and not Google’s official stance, but the high-profile developer will still likely rekindle speculation about the potential of a smaller iPad. He has previously argued that 10-inches is the sweet-spot for sharing content, but 7-inches is better for sustained use; that certainly fits in with our experience of the Galaxy Tab. “I think Apple will sell a ton of devices because they're good, and superbly marketed” Bray concludes, going on to suggest that “a bunch of people will sell a ton of Android devices because they're good and there are so many options for different needs and networks and price-points.” However, the biggest challenge remains input: “they really can't become dominant as work tools until we have a better solution for high-speed low-friction text input” Bray believes. [via SFGate]
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| The importance of CES and what to expect in 2011 Posted: 30 Dec 2010 08:16 AM PST Next week, over 110,000 people from all over the world will head to Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics show, (CES) the largest gadget show in the US. I attended my first CES in 1976 and in those days, this show had everything from watches to refrigerators on display besides TVs, stereos and car audio systems.
Over the years this show has evolved dramatically. For about a 20 year period they even had two shows a year, including a summer show in Chicago that had a heavy focus on digital gaming systems. But, during the heyday of the PC, and especially when PCs took aim at consumers, CES started to decline, the Chicago show was cancelled and the January show's crowds went down. But as the PC industry changed and consumers showed strong demand, and its big show Comdex bit the dust, CES became the only serious place for vendors to show their wares. By 2002, consumer-based PCs became a real interest to CE retail buyers and industry folks. At its height, CES drew over 140,000 to the show in January of 2008, but then the recession hit later that year and the next two shows barely hit 110,000 attendees. But even with the decline in crowds, CES still remains the most important consumer-focused gadget show in the world and has become a key place for companies to show off their new products for the coming year. Interestingly, the timing of the show is actually problematic for a lot of vendors. In the early days of CES, the lead time for showing off a product behind the scenes and actually getting it to market was 9-12 months. So showing products in January that would be available for the holiday season made sense. This way the buyers could put their holiday orders in place at the CES show and expect them in time for the Christmas buying season. But now the cycle for showing a product to getting it to market, because of competition, has decreased dramatically and products shown at CES are now expected to be in the market no later then Q2. That means any products that will hit the market for the holidays are only shown in back room meetings now. Another thing to keep in mind about the show is that it is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association. That means that this is an industry show whose sole purpose is to promote the consumer electronics industry and its members. And its HQ is based in Washington, DC so it is also a lobbying group for the interests of this industry. For example, CEA was a major champion of the analog to digital conversion, since it meant that the industry would benefit greatly because of this transition and now be able to sell millions of new digital TVs to consumers. But in the end, it is the greatest gadget show on the planet. And over the last two years, it has become a most important event for promoting digital mobility. In fact, this year’s major keynote will be by Ivan Seidenberg, the CEO of Verizon and all eyes will be on him as he is expected to say something about a possible Apple iPhone on their network. And of course, Steve Ballmer will open the CES Keynotes Wednesday night and is expected to talk about their tablet plans, a hot topic in the Microsoft blogosphere these days. But while the show itself will showcase all the new advances in TVs, HD audio and other CE devices aimed at making our lives easier and entertaining us, the real stars of this year's show will be mobile computing and communications devices. The hottest product this year will be tablets. We have counted at least 47 new tablets that will be introduced at CES next week. Of course, most of these will be not be from name-brand vendors and all aim to ride Apple's iPad coattails into what is perceived to be a hot market for tablets in 2011. But some of the big players, such as Dell, RIM, Motorola, HTC and Microsoft and some of their partners will use this show to place a stake in the ground in this tablet space. And there will be extra interest in Motorola's tablet since they have sent to the media a teaser suggesting they will have the first tablets based on Android's Honeycomb OS, which is a version of Android optimized for tablets. Also, we believe Motorola has another product they will show off that could be groundbreaking so keep an eye on anything Motorola says, as this struggling tech giant seems to have found new life and could be one of the most powerful players in smartphones and tablets next year. Last year's darling of CES, eBook readers, will also be there in large numbers and in much improved designs and formats. In fact, the NOOKcolor is perhaps the most important of the recent devices since it is really a mini-tablet disguised as an eReader. Current eReaders, like Amazon's Kindle, will still have a place in the market but I think that the NOOKcolor represents the real future of eBooks. Of course, smartphones will also be a key part of CES's major focus. All of the big handset vendors and their partners, such as Motorola, HTC, Samsung, LG, Microsoft, etc will be showing off their newest and greatest smartphones. The one thing we analysts will be focusing on is the advances in high-definition mobile screens, as well as how these new designs utilize their OS and their UIs to make the user experience more powerful. And we will be scrutinizing the role of next generation processors to see how they boost performance and how all of these components and software impact battery life. The big TV vendors will be there showing off the latest and greatest flat panel TVs and advances in 3D TV. However, while 3D TV was hot at last year's CES, the noise around the technology will be toned down this year since consumer interest has been lower then expected. TV vendors now realize that it will be a 3-5 year process to get consumers to really adopt 3D TV in any significant numbers. And IPTV will be of some interest at the show but, due to Google's decision to delay their IPTV program for a few months, the vendors who would have shown products with Google's software will most likely hold back given the circumstances. Since I have been to all but three CES shows since 1976, I have had a chance to see this show develop, grow and change over this time period. While its core products will still be TVs, stereos, audio and mainstream CE products, its focus on mobile computing and communications is starting to make it a most important place for anyone in the mobile space to show off their newest products. It is true that CTIA and the Mobile World Congress will still be the shows most focused on smartphones as mobile computing platforms. However, CES is starting to come into its own as a significant mobile showcase, and if it continues to make mobile products of all types a major focus, its importance as a mobile show will only grow.
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| Sanyo GOPAN rice-bread machine is crazy sales success in Japan [Video] Posted: 30 Dec 2010 08:13 AM PST We generally associate Sanyo with HD camcorders, but Japan is actually going wild for the company’s kitchen appliances instead. The Sanyo GOPAN looks like a regular bread maker, but it actually bakes rice bread from grains of rice rather than pre-milled rice flour. That might not sound like much, but it’s enough to make the $612 GOPAN a massive best-seller in Japan and force the company to freeze sales until April so that production can catch up with demand.
Video demo after the cut
Sanyo has managed it by slotting in a cutting blade as well as the usual dough hook, and adding a second compartment – built into the lid – which dumps the rest of the ingredients into the mixture once the grains have been suitably shredded. The whole process takes about four hours from rice to fresh loaf. There’s something gloriously hypnotic about the grains of rice being ground up into first a fine powder and then a paste in the video below, so we’re glad to hear Sanyo is planning on launching the GOPAN internationally sometime in 2011. [via OhGizmo!]
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| SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: December 30 2010 Posted: 30 Dec 2010 08:12 AM PST Bypass! As a cool group of hackers bypass PS3 security. Discover! What the Japanese already know in early 2011 with Sharp Galapagos Android tablets. Beware! As a virus by the name of Geinimi flies through your Android device via side-loaded apps. Giggle! As a hybrid DIY project iPhone/Android/Game Boy in a geeky mashup. And get TOTALLY PUMPED UP! At our full guide and demo of the totally leaked Android Honeycomb Music Player – everything you need to know to get it working for you! All this and MORE on SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up!
R3 Media Network Editor’s Choice SlashPhone Android Community SlashGear To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]
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| Apple Ping-style shopping network app detailed in patent application Posted: 30 Dec 2010 07:58 AM PST Apple is seemingly considering a Ping-style social networking system for shopping, which would allow users to canvas opinions on potential purchases, rate businesses and product lines, and get gift ideas. A patent application titled “Social Networking in Shopping Environments” describes an in-store kiosk which would offer a stock list to a user’s iPhone; from that list, the shopper could then ask questions from their contacts or other friends lists about individual items or ranges.
The questions could be closed, requesting a simple yes or no response to whether contacts believe a certain item should be bought, or more open-ended. Apple suggests a husband might canvas suggestions on a gift for his wife using the system. Meanwhile, businesses could use the unnamed social networking tool to request ratings on products or general service. Apple wouldn’t be alone in using smartphones to allow shoppers to share opinions; Google’s Hotpot app for Android allows for mobile ratings of stores and restaurants, though lacks the more specific item-by-item approach that Apple seem to be considering. Of course, there’s no telling whether a patent will ever actually spawn a product launch, but given Apple’s apparent interest in NFC and the potential to use an iPhone as a mobile wallet, apps that encourage you to whip your phone out during shopping trips would seem a sensible approach. [via AppleInsider]
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| Kindle ebook loans now available Posted: 30 Dec 2010 07:36 AM PST Amazon has turned on Kindle ebook loans in the US, meaning readers can now share certain titles with their friends for a limited period. Announced back in October 2010, the functionality allows ebooks to be loaned to a single person for up to 14 days, though during that period the original owner will not be able to access it themselves.
Loaned ebooks can be read on Amazon’s dedicated Kindle hardware, as well as through the company’s various mobile and desktop apps for iOS, Android, Mac, PC and other platforms. The recipient receives the loan invitation by email and is required to have an Amazon account in order to access the title. However, only certain ebooks can be loaned out, with the limitations the decision of the rights-holder or publisher. Compatible titles are marked with “Lending: Enabled” in the product description. [via The Digital Reader]
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| LucidLogix Virtu dynamic GPU system for Intel Sandy Bridge revealed Posted: 30 Dec 2010 07:16 AM PST
LucidLogix Virtu will work with all of the new, second-generation Core i3/i5/i7 chips which Intel is expected to officially announced at CES 2011 next week, together with NVIDIA or AMD 3D GPUs. The only requirement is that the display has to be hooked up to the motherboard’s Sandy Bridge display output (whether DVI, HDMI or something else). The system seems similar in concept to NVIDIA’s Optimus, which automatically shifts graphics crunching between integrated graphics and discrete GPUs in certain notebooks and netbooks. However, the LucidLogix virtualization system has the benefit of working with any NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards. Press Release:
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| Google carrier ambitions the “nuclear option” says analyst Posted: 30 Dec 2010 07:02 AM PST Google’s potential carrier ambitions are again being raked over, with suggestions that underwhelming net neutrality rulings, the failure of the Nexus One sales experiment to marginalize carrier control, and growing use of Google Voice are all signs that the search giant might cut out the middle man and run its own network. CNN Money reckons that Google’s intentions are most clearly telegraphed in a September 2010 SEC filing by the company, in which they voice concerns that net neutrality regulations could allow carriers to “degrade, disrupt, or increase the cost of user access” to Google products and services.
While Google was pipped to the post by Verizon in 2008 in the last significant wireless spectrum auction, analysts still believe the search company maintains ambitions in the wireless space. Despite CNN’s enthusiasm, it’s not something that seems likely in the near future, and analysts agree. “While I think Google could become a mobile provider, I’d view it as a nuclear option” Forrester Research’s Jeffrey Hammond claims, while others believe it’s a thinly-veiled threat to keep operators “on their toes.”
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| Skype iPhone video calls could eat AT&T data plan in under an hour Posted: 30 Dec 2010 06:17 AM PST Skype’s new video call functionality in the updated iPhone app works, but it could have a significant impact on your data usage every month. Unlike Apple’s own Face Time video calling, which only works over WiFi connections, the new Skype for iPhone video calls can be made over a 3G connection. However, 9 to 5 Mac found that those cellular video calls churn through a whopping 3.4MB of 3G data per minute.
Over the course of a one minute video call, the iPhone 4 sent 1.3MB and received 2.1MB of data. That means iPhone 4 subscribers on AT&T’s 200MB data plan could make less than an hour of Skype video calls per month over their 3G connection before burning through their allowance. It remains to be seen how well the AT&T network will cope with what’s likely to be considerable extra load as Skype users get to grips with the new software.
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| Apple should buy Netflix says analyst as iTunes rentals surge Posted: 30 Dec 2010 06:05 AM PST iTunes’ rental business has already grown to 10-percent that of Netflix‘s, according to one analyst, and is likely to shift from being a hook for selling more Apple TV hardware and instead become a source of significant revenue in its own right. Gleacher & Co. analyst Brian Marshall suggested that cash-rich Apple’s most sensible option would be to acquire Netflix, pointing out that “Netflix has approximately 150,000 titles, while Apple has just 15,000. Apple has a tremendous opportunity.”
Such a deal, Marshall calculates, could well reach $12bn assuming Apple paid a healthy 20-percent premium over Netflix’s current market price. Still, the company is known to have cash reserves of around $51bn, which would make a Netflix acquisition at least possible, if still the most expensive in Apple’s history. Netflix’s position is particularly strong, the analyst believes, because it is not only a rival to iTunes rentals but a partner on devices like the Apple TV. If Apple could bring that in-house, it would not only instantly boost its catalog of titles, but gain a significant bargaining chip in the growing streaming media market.
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| RIM deny Indian BlackBerry monitoring claims Posted: 30 Dec 2010 05:49 AM PST RIM has denied reports that it has opened backdoor access to the Indian government in its BlackBerry email system, describing the claims as “false and technologically infeasible.” Indian paper The Economic Times had suggested that RIM would install a network data analysis system (NDAS) rendering every email and message readable by government security forces; “intercepted and decoded data will travel between service providers and RIM India” a home ministry note issued by deputy director Arvind Kumar suggested.
That’s certainly not the case, a RIM spokesperson told the Guardian, insisting that “there will be no change to the security model of BlackBerry Enterprise Service.” Instead, the company would follow “lawful access” processes when requests for user information were legal, made no greater demands for BlackBerry services than those of others, that Enterprise customers’ security would not be impacted, and that individual customers would not be made “specific deals.” Those “specific deals” are just what the Indian government has been demanding over the past months, threatening to pull the plug on India’s roughly 400,000 BlackBerry users if RIM didn’t open access to private information. The government’s security agencies had suggested that terrorists and other malcontents could use the encrypted communication technologies to plan attacks and uprisings.
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| Phoenix Gold to show OEM integration i-Series car amp at CES 2011 Posted: 30 Dec 2010 05:33 AM PST There are several aftermarket car audio firms out there that people look to when the factory audio system in their car isn’t meeting their needs. One of those companies is Phoenix Gold and it will be on hand at CES 2011 to show off its new series of amps and enclosures including the new i-Series amps.
The i-Series maps are very unique in that they are designed to plug directly into the factory audio system harness to provide more power to speakers in the car. The amp is designed to plug directly into the factory wiring harness after the factory amp in the car is removed. That means that installation is as easy as unplugging a factory amp and installing the new amp, which is a far cry from needing a pro installer and wire cutters for an installation. Other than plugging in the OEM harness to the new amp the user then only needs to run a power and ground wire to the amp. The i-Series amp offers over 800W of power and the thing also interfaces with the line of vehicle specific amps that the company offers like the one pictured here specifically for the 2011 Camaro.
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| Smart TV could overwhelm the internet warns analyst Posted: 30 Dec 2010 05:30 AM PST Analysts have warned that smart TV could well overwhelm broadband infrastructure as the popularity of internet-connected HDTVs and other home entertainment equipment grows. DisplaySearch estimates that 21-percent of TV shipments worldwide in 2010 were of internet-connected models, with numbers expected to climb to over 122 million in 2014. “The looming risk now,” DisplaySearch director Paul Gray suggests, “is what happens if every connected TV gets used.”
Smart TV manufacturers, he believes, are too used to the broadcast model of traditional media distribution – which readily scales to support large numbers of users – to see that IPTV and similar services are not necessarily ready for an explosion in usage. “With Netflix accounting for 20-percent of peak internet traffic in the US, it's reasonable to ask if the infrastructure can cope” Gray suggests. “Set makers need to understand that broadband access does not scale endlessly like broadcast reception.” The issue is only likely to become more pressing, as companies switch to streaming technologies – as with Netflix – versus one-time downloads. The revised Apple TV, for instances shifted Apple’s focus solely to streaming content whereas the first-gen model downloaded video instead; purchased and rented content is stored in the cloud and streamed on-demand.
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| Watch a Leica M9 get built on video! Posted: 30 Dec 2010 05:18 AM PST The Leica M9 Titanium digital camera that we talked about back in September is a very cool and high-end digital camera for the old-school shooter that wants style and performance. The catch is that the M9 is a crazy expensive little camera with the Titanium version pictured below going for 22,000 euro, which works out to something in the area of $29,000. A “standard” camera from Leica will run you in the $6000 – $7000 range.
I think the cameras look really cool, but there is no way that most of us will spend that kind of money on a digital camera. If you are like me as close as you will get to owning one of these high-end cameras will be reading stories about them and watching the two assembly videos below. The gang at the Leica factory made up a couple videos to show off their sweet camera and they are good to watch. Check them both out below and feast your eyes on the camera you won't own.
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| Inderes estimates Nokia shipped 3.5 to 4M Nokia N8 smartphones in Q4 Posted: 30 Dec 2010 05:04 AM PST Research firm Inderes has offered up some insight on the number of Nokia N8 smartphones that Nokia has shipped and compared the sales a bit to the iPhone and other smartphones on the market. The Finnish research firm says that it has been forced to reconsider calling the N8 a failure. The company estimates that in Q4, Nokia supplied as many as 4 million N8 smartphones.
The information is based on the number of N8 chips sold and search volumes rather than any official numbers from Nokia. Some of the charts in the release are in Finnish and the Google translation is sketchy at best, but the company shows how search volumes related to the iPhone and how many of the devices sold to prove a point for its methods. Inderes claims that in the same quarter Apple shipped 6.89 million iPhones. The company also compared the N8 numbers to the shipments for the Samsung Galaxy S and the HTC Desire. The N8 and Desire sold in very similar numbers according to the research firm. One of the key areas for the N8 is India where the iPhone has not sold well. The big selling point of the N8 according to the firm is the 12MP camera.
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| fail0verflow hacker group discovers epic PS3 security bypass Posted: 30 Dec 2010 04:46 AM PST Regardless of what Sony might want you to think, piracy is not the only reason that people want to hack their PS3 to run software that isn’t official. There are lots of folks out there that want to put some homebrew software on their PS3 just for fun and to allow them to do things that are cool and in no way have to do with pirating video games. Sony has a history of plugging up hacks as quickly as possible and the company has even went so far as to seek legal means to prevent hacks from being used on the console as it did with PSJailbreak in Spain.
The Chaos Communication Congress was held in Berlin recently and at the show a small hacker group called fail0verflow announced that they had been able to break the PS3 security in a massive way. Apparently, the group discovered how to calculate the security keys needed to sign off on any piece of software, which essentially makes the keys to the security gate for the PS3 public. This is a far more effective hack than the PSJailbreak that Sony went after so fiercely. This new hack will let users run any software they want be it a pirated game burned to a Blu-ray disc or home brew software. Apparently, the hack works on any PS3 with any version of the firmware as well. Fail0verflow says that its goal with the hack was to allow Linux to be run on any PS3 in response to the loss of the install Other OS feature on older PS3s. Via SonyInsider
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