Jumat, 25 Februari 2011

What's new on SlashGear.com

What's new on SlashGear.com

World’s First Flexible Organic Microprocessor

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 02:58 PM PST

At the International Solid-State Circuits Conference this week, European researches unveiled the world’s first flexible microprocessor made with organic semiconductors. Although the processing power is equivalent to a 1970′s era silicon model, the advantage of this development is that it can bend. This could lead the way towards cheaper flexible displays and sensors used for clothing, construction, or food and pharmaceutical labeling.

Scientists have not been able to achieve an organic microprocessor till now because of how difficult it is to make organic transistors all have a consistent switch-on threshold. The Belgian research team behind the successful organic chip had to build an extra gate for controlling the electric field in the semiconductor to avoid accidental switching.

The featured organic chip contains 4000 transistors compared to the hundreds of millions found in today’s silicon chips. Some scientists believe that organic chips will never achieve much on its own, but rather will remain the “dim-witted sidekick” for silicon processors. An example of this would be when shopping for a pair of pants, you could use your smartphone to communicate directly with the organic chip inside the garment. The data communicated could let you virtually try on the pants by telling you whether or not it would fit your entered measurements.

[via PopSci]

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Announcement Near

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 02:47 PM PST

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 could be taking over the life of a gamer near you very soon. A new teaser site has popped up online that some believe may be linked to the series. “Findmakarov.com” takes you to a website with a brief audio clip and a counter, with roughly five days left on it, counting down to zero. Vladimir Makarov was a major villain in the last CoD game.

If this counter is ticking down to a game announcement, it could come at the end of next week’s Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco. The last Call of Duty was launched in November of 2009. It has a 94% score on Metacritic, and over twenty million copies have sold worldwide. It remains one of the finest ways to have your parentage insulted by a fourteen year old yet devised by man.

The last game in the series shocked easily shocked people worldwide with its brutal display of a massacre at an airport. Money guesses on what horrible thing Infinity Ward will show us next include: the bathroom in a freshman male dorm on March 18, a fire-fight in the world’s largest orphanage, and Steve Buschemi’s basement.

[Via USA Today]

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Google Changes Search Algorithm to Combat Content Farms

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 02:18 PM PST

You may notice that Google is functioning a little differently today. The search engine recently made a major change to their search algorithms in order to strike back at so-called “content farms”. These sites, which feature large amounts of mass-produced content angled to rank high on Google, have been accused of reducing the overall quality of search results. Demand Media, owners of eHow, are perhaps the best-known content farm.

Google expects these changes to affect roughly 12% of search results. 84% of the top dozen blocked domains on Google Chrome were included in the sweep. Since this is a blanket change, there is some fear that it could cause issues for legitimate sites. Sorting the good sites from the bad ones is complicated by the fact that many content farms also have legitimate arms. For example, Demand Media also owns Cracked.com, which is very definitely not a ‘farmed’ site.

Demand responded to these changes earlier today. Their EVP of Media and Operations noted that some of their properties rose and some fell due to the move. He did state that “at this time” Demand has not seen a material impact on their business from the change.

While every piece of analysis you’ll find on this change will mention the phrase “content farms”, Google has avoided using that term. Matt Cutts, of Google’s spam fighting team, told Search Engine Land that “I think people will get the idea of the types of sites we’re talking about.”

[Via Google Blog]

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Angry Farm: New Game For BlackBerry, More Animal Catapulting

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 02:11 PM PST

BlackBerry users don’t have many options for games, but today’s new addition should bring joy for some while making others cringe. Smarter Apps has developed Angry Farms, a knock-off of the enormously popular Angry Birds game.

You guessed it, different farm animals are now getting catapulted at some other type of animal invader to collapse structures on them. This time, the farmers are away, and a group of marauding foxes have invaded the farm. Chickens, pigs, goats, and cows, each with different trajectory characteristics, must be flung at the invaders. The game has 30 levels total.

The graphics and overall game play doesn’t look as smooth, but with the limited selection of games out there for BlackBerry, I suppose Angry Farm is better off than absolutely no animal flinging fun. The game is available now for $4.99.

[via MobileSyrup]

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Hong Kong’s First Apple Store To Open This Year

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 01:14 PM PST

Hong Kong will be getting its first Apple Store later this year. The South China Morning Post reported that the 15,000 square-foot location will be in the International Finance Center (IFC) Mall in the central district of Hong Kong Island. A second Apple Store in Hong Kong is planned for 2012 to be a 20,000 square-foot location in Hysan Place in Causeway Bay.

Apple reportedly has negotiated a 10-year lease for the IFC Mall location and will be spending roughly $20 million for construction and up to $9.2 million a year for rent. This Apple Store should resemble the other high-profile locations in London, Paris, and Shanghai.

Situated near a soon to be Four Seasons Hotel, and surrounded by about 200 shops featuring 100 different international brands, this new Apple Store should attract a tremendous amount of visitors. Apple’s four Apple Stores in China–two in Beijing and two in Shanghai–each get over 40,000 visitors a day. This is four times the average traffic of US stores.

[via MacNN]

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Nintendo Unveils Two Limited Edition Pokemon DSi Bundles

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 01:01 PM PST

This generation of Pokemon titles kicks off with a bang as Pokemon Black and Pokemon White land in North America, Europe, and Australia in March. To coincide with the popular titles, Nintendo is bringing out two special limited edition DSi bundles for fans on March 6th.

The sets will come with a custom Nintendo DSi carrying case and each DSi will have the new legendary Pokemons Reshiram and Zekrom etched on the casing. Both of the new legendary Pokemons are among the more than 150 new Pokemons in Pokemon Black and Pokemon White. The retail price will be $179.99. You can bet the bundles will be snatched up quick so you better get there fast if you want one.

The games will work with any device on the Nintendo DS system, but if they use the DSi or the DSi XL you can use the games new Xtransceiver device to talk to others in video chats. Up to four players can use Xtransceiver through a local wireless connection, or two players can do the same online through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. If you're playing on an original DS or DS Lite, you can voice chat, and all players can send written messages using the touch screen.

The regular versions of Pokemon White and Pokemon Black will be available in North America on March 6th and will retail for $34.99 each.

[via Nintendo]

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Verizon iPhone 4 Gets Dinged By Consumer Reports

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 12:22 PM PST

When the iPhone 4 first debuted on AT&T users experienced the famous "death grip" as their reception plummeted after holding the phone in a certain way. Consumer Reports has tested the new Verizon version of the iPhone and the reception problem seems to have followed the device to its new network. While complaints rained down on AT&T and Apple when the iPhone launched, complaints have been far fewer for Verizon's iPhone.

Consumer Reports ran the device through the same series of tests as AT&T's iPhone, as well as five other Verizon smartphones: Motorola Droid 2, HTC Droid Incredible, Samsung Fascinate, Motorola Droid X, and the LG Ally. All tests were done in a radio-frequency isolation chamber which blocks outside signals. Sending a signal to the phones, they were then tested by placing a finger on different parts of the phones to see if there was any signal degradation. The only phones who experienced a signal drop were the iPhones.

The drop in reception comes from the design of the iPhone 4. The sleek and stylish design places the antenna on the outer metal band of the phone, and on the lower left is the antenna where the signal loss happens. If you bridge the gap it will result in signal loss, something easily done while holding the phone normally. The design problem is easily alleviated buy putting a case on the iPhone, which lead Apple to hand out their Bumpers for free when the problem first came up. Consumer Reports concludes their test by not including the Verizon iPhone 4 on their recommended smartphone list, despite receiving high marks on their ratings.

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2011/02/verizon-iphone-4-reception-problems-consumer-reports-lab-test.html

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Bank Of America Testing Mobile Wallet With NFC BlackBerry Smartphones

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 12:14 PM PST

The time when you can pay for that Starbucks coffee with the swipe of your BlackBerry may very well be upon us. A source from BGR claims that Bank of America has begun testing out its new Mobile Wallet service that uses NFC technology for mobile payments.

The program has already begun inviting select customers for the trial. Only customers with BlackBerry smartphones will be able to test out the new service. A new battery cover and a microSD card is being sent out to testers to make their existing smartphones NFC-enabled. The following phones are supported: BlackBerry Curve 8520, 8530; BlackBerry Bold 9000, 9650, 9700; and BlackBerry Tour 9630.

Payments using the NFC-enabled BlackBerry phones can be made at any location that accepts Mastercard’s PayPass. The trial program is scheduled to start this Spring.

[via BGR]

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Skype To Go Lets You Make Calls From Any Phone, No Need For Internet

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 11:48 AM PST

Skype announced today their Skype To Go service as a new way to save on calling abroad. This new service lets you enjoy great rates on calls without needing an internet connection or being in an area with 3G coverage. It works on any mobile phone as well as landline phones.

The Skype To Go service works by assigning a unique Skype To Go number to the overseas number that you want to call. Then you simply call the assigned local number whenever you need to dial that overseas number. It’s free to setup Skype To Go numbers, with a limit of up to nine.

You do have to pay for Skype To Go service which can be charged through Skype Credit or via subscription. You get the same low rates you enjoy as when you call with their regular VOIP service, but local operator charges may apply if dialing from a landline and airtime minutes will be used if calling from a mobile phone. Skype’s standard connection fee also applies.

[via Read Write Web]

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Google Getting Strict With Android Market, Pulls VoiceMail App For In-App Payment Issues

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 11:05 AM PST

Google is flexing its muscles with the Android Market as it just pulled one of its most popular and long standing apps, Visual VoiceMail, citing violations of the Developer Content Policy. PhoneFusion, the company behind the app, says the suspension came without warning after more than two years of being on the market and even being a featured app at one time. The company believes that their app, which has been downloaded one million times, may have been targeted for not processing in-app payments via Google Checkout.

When PhoneFusion contacted Google about the suspension, the Android Team replied with an email stating that the company had violated section 3.3 of the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement involving pricing and payments. The sections states: “If you want to collect fees after the free trial expires, you must collect all fees for the full version of the Product through the Payment Processor on the Market. In this Agreement, "free" means there are no charges or fees of any kind for use of the Product. All fees received by Developers for Products distributed via the Market must be processed by the Market's Payment Processor.”

“It looks like they’re pulling an Apple but just for us,” said Jonathan Hollander, EVP of PhoneFusion. "There was no warning that they're going to enforce this, which make it worse than Apple. Even if you disagree with Apple, they gave until June to remove their apps. Here, there's no choice."

The Visual Voicemail app is a free app that generates revenue from premium add-on features purchased through their own website much like how Amazon links to its own site for Kindle purchases. Hollander believes that Visual Voicemail may have been singled out because it directly competes with Google’s Android voicemail system as well as Google Voice. The company says that Google did not give them any other options to rectify the situation except to re-upload a new app. But by doing this, the company would lose its Visual Voicemail name and all previous ratings and comments in the Android Market.

[via Android Community]

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Huawei To US Government: Please Investigate Us

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 10:49 AM PST

Huawei is one of the fastest growing tech companies in the world. They have a brand new line of tablets, new smartphones and a ton of new telecom infastructure coming over the next year. But supposed ties to the Chinese military have lead to trouble in Huawei’s acquisition of certain Motorola technology. So the company has made a statement to the US government: Please investigate us.

"We sincerely hope that the United States government will carry out a formal investigation on any concerns it may have about Huawei."

So there you have it. The ball is in our government’s court now. It remains to be seen if any investigation could be thorough enough to ease the Pentagon’s mind, but at least the offer is out there. Huawei has also sparked concern over in the UK, where they recently bid on a telecommunications company named Marconi. In 2008, the Pentagon reported to congress that Huawei had “close ties” to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

The Director of National Intelligence is on record as claiming that the 3Com-Huawei merger would “undermine” U.S. national security. I can personal vouch that the company reps at MWC 2011 had a suspicious number of Android pins. I can only suspect collusion with the Google booth.

[Via Reuters]

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Motorola’s Weird Xoom Ad: Now in English!

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 10:28 AM PST

No habla espanol? Then you’ve come to the right place for a good old fashioned AMERICAN tablet ad. Actually, it’s the same Xoom ad that popped up yesterday in Spanish. Since this is now an English-language ad, the narrator sounds vaguely constipated and the tiniest bit furious. Both ads feature a well-dressed male model who bears absolutely no resemblance to anyone you are likely to find playing on a tablet computer on a pier in the middle of the night.

The ad is pretty much standard Android fare. Boy meets hovering tablet in an unlikely location, boy touches tablet, boy is enveloped by crazy alien pod. The pod appears to be a spacecraft from the new game Vendetta. If that’s the same space shooter Motorola was showing off at MWC 2011, it looks a hell of a lot like Jumpgate made love to Wing Commander.

That’s a positive comment, in case you can’t tell.

Anyway, if you too want the chance to be enveloped by a gigantic metal pod while wearing a fashionable leather flight suit, order a Motorola Xoom today. They’re $600 on contract or just $800 unsubsidised. Yeah “just” may not be the best word for that. But hey, what are your options? Buy another Honeycomb tablet?

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HTC Desire HD, Desire Z, Desire and Incredible S Gingerbread update in Q2

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 09:56 AM PST

HTC has confirmed its next batch of Android updates, with Android Honeycomb coming through the pipe for some of the most popular devices of the past few months. An HTC spokesperson told SlashGear that “We are excited to announce that the Desire HD, Desire Z, Desire and Incredible S will receive the Gingerbread update in Q2.”

The news will come as a relief to HTC Desire owners, who have already seen their handsets updated once before – from the Android 2.1 the smartphone launched with, to Android 2.2 Froyo – and faced the prospect of the phone being left behind after the Desire S announced at MWC 2011 last week. The Desire HD is several months old (as is the Desire Z), and is expected to be replaced later in 2011 with the dual-core smartphone believed to be codenamed the HTC Pyramid.

Finally, the HTC Incredible S was only announced last week, and the only device of HTC’s MWC launch that came with Froyo pre-installed rather than Gingerbread. The HTC-made Google Nexus One is currently being updated to Gingerbread as well.

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Dala Vinyl Player Expands the Vintage Landscape

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 09:41 AM PST

Behold a concept for Vinyl Record playing that should have been brought to the real world years ago. This is the kind of tool that destroys digital music with a single blow. It’s a giant of a device with a teeny tiny knob that pulls out to be a wireless remote. It’s the greatest invention since the vinyl record itself! Inside you’ll find flat membrane speaker technology, each of these speakers (or “fins”) acting as the structure of the device as well, making it essentially look like a giant bird.


And no, not the “Sweet Dee” kind, a big bird for your wall to transmit the lovely scratch sounds of Black Sabbath… or whatever else kind of music the kids are listening to these days. Each of the fins are a different size, each one calculated to work with the scope of the frequencies needed to bring you the sweetest beats you’ve ever heard in your life. Each one of these fins is also followed by an acrylic reflector plate which is tapered in three directions, each of these propagating the sound outward and directly into your face.

Sound from this lovely object is radiated also 180 degrees in both the vertical and horizontal axis, helping you hear the greatest amount of sound no matter where you are in the room. Each one of the elements in this design work together to bring you the best sound, mount, and wall suspension possible. This design was created by Bradley Paulet.

[via SlashGear]

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MacBook Pro early 2011 benchmarks confirm huge performance leap

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 08:56 AM PST

We’ve already been impressed by the quad-core speed boost shown by our early 2011 MacBook Pro review unit, but it seems the performance jolt is across the board with Apple’s refreshed machines. Primate Labs – responsible for the Geekbench tool SlashGear uses to profile notebooks – has pulled together benchmarking results for the new range, and the improvement is dramatic.

The entry-level 13-inch with the 2.3GHz Core i5 CPU scores 5900; the entry-level version from early 2010 managed 3351. The improvement for the 15-inch and 17-inch versions is even more impressive, with the entry-level 15-inch jumping from 4866 last year to 8804 on this year’s quadcore 2.0GHz Core i7. The 17-inch goes from 5837 to 10026 with its new quadcore 2.2GHz Core i7.

As you’d expect, the faster versions of each MacBook Pro do even better; the full graphi is below. It’s worth remembering that Geekbench only tests CPU and memory performance, not graphics card and HDD, so a speedy SSD and potent GPU will make a difference in real-world usage, but from the outset it’s clear the new MacBook Pro line means business.

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HTC Merge gets official: QWERTY Android World Phone due spring

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 08:43 AM PST

HTC has officially announced the HTC Merge, a phone we first heard rumors of so long ago we were beginning to think it had been cancelled. Headed to “multiple North American carriers” in Spring 2011, the Merge has a 3.8-inch WVGA touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera and slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

There’s WiFi, GPS and 720p HD video capture, along with HTC Sense running on top of Android 2.2 Froyo. Although HTC isn’t saying which exact carriers will be picking the Merge up, the fact that it’s a CDMA World Phone – i.e. will operate on EVDO Rev.A networks in the US, and GSM HSPA networks while abroad – does imply that Verizon and Sprint are the likely candidates.

No word on pricing, nor specific availability, but we should find out for sure in a few months time.

Press Release:

HTC Introduces the Powerful, Feature-Rich HTC Merge

The HTC Merge™ Smartphone Brings Android™ and HTC Sense™ to HTC’s First CDMA Android World Phone

BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — HTC Corp., a global designer of smartphones, today announced that the new HTC Merge smartphone will be made available through multiple North American carriers beginning in spring 2011. The HTC Merge smartphone combines a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard with the power of Android 2.2, the HTC Sense experience, a large 3.8-inch touch-screen display and a 5 megapixel camera to create a complete mobile experience for those looking for a truly complete smartphone. The HTC Merge is also HTC’s first Android-based CDMA world phone.

“HTC prides itself on creating unique solutions that meet the needs of different customers, and with features like a full keyboard and global 3G roaming, the HTC Merge smartphone is the perfect example of this commitment,” said Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Americas. “Combining the functionality of Android with the HTC Sense experience, the HTC Merge is the perfect device for those customers who are looking for a reliable mobile experience with the features and functionality of a smartphone, whether it’s at home or travelling around the world.”

Customers will appreciate seamless integration with Exchange ActiveSync, enjoy quick and easy access to Flickr® for sharing and viewing pictures, and find new ways to customize their experience with the Android Market™ with more than 100,000 applications. With a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, customers will be able to keep in touch with friends and family no matter where they are, as well as stay in the loop with Flickr, Facebook® and Twitter™ updates through HTC FriendStream™.

In addition, the HTC Merge smartphone has a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash that captures outstanding images, while 3G connectivity makes sharing those special moments with friends and family quick and easy. The HTC Merge smartphone also comes with integrated GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity and even the ability to capture high-definition 720p video.

Availability

HTC Merge is slated to be available from multiple North American operators beginning in spring 2011.

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Gingerbread for Galaxy S in March confirms Samsung

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 08:32 AM PST

Samsung Germany has apparently confirmed that the Galaxy S will get an Android 2.3 Gingerbread update in March 2011. The news was revealed at a Samsung blogger event in Frankfurt today, and tweeted out by Frank Feil according to SmartDroid.

We’re assuming, however, that this refers to the European Galaxy S, likely kicking off with the unlocked versions of the Honeycomb smartphone. US carrier-specific variants will probably have to wait a lot longer; some, like the Captivate on AT&T, have only just got Android 2.2 Froyo after all. Oddly enough, Samsung Italy is only just preparing to release Android 2.2.1 for the localized Galaxy S there.

Of course, Samsung is likely to slap TouchWiz on top of Gingerbread, while we’d much rather the company left well alone and delivered an untampered Android 2.3 experience as is going out OTA for the Nexus S and Nexus One. Also on the horizon is the Galaxy S II, announced back at MWC 2011 last week.

[via Android Community and via Samsung Hub]

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 in March and AMD Radeon HD 6990 in April as high-end graphics heat up

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 08:12 AM PST

NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 590 video card is expected to arrive in mid-March 2011, followed a month later by AMD’s new Radeon HD 6990, with the staggered launch supposedly an intentional strategy AMD is adopting. According to DigiTimes‘ sources at graphics card manufacturers, AMD has decided to delay the HD 6990′s commercial release so that NVIDIA can’t review it and subsequently change its GTX 590 design.

Paranoid perhaps, but the stakes in the graphics card market are apparently higher than ever. According to the sources, dramatically falling sales of entry-level video cards – the market for which has been consumed by new processors which bundle integrated graphics – has left only the mid- and high-tier markets to play for. While sales of high-performance video cards may not be comparatively high, they do grant a halo affect to a brand.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 is expected to use dual GF110 GPU chips, paired with 3GB of GDDR memory. As for the AMD Radeon HD 6990, that’s believed to pair two APUs for a total of 3,840 stream processors.

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MobileMe online-only shift detailed by leaky Genius

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 07:46 AM PST

A leaked screenshot purportedly from Apple’s internal systems has confirmed that MobileMe is transitioning to be available exclusively online. Rumored earlier this week, as part of broad sweeping changes to the Apple backup and remote access service, the information sent by an Apple Genius to 9 to 5 Mac suggests that once the the remaining MobileMe retail boxes have been sold, customers should be directed to the website instead.

Currently, the site only offers a free trial of MobileMe – after which you can pay $99 per year for an individual subscription or $149 per year for a family pack – but we’re expecting that to change as retail packages dwindle. Actual production of those boxes ended yesterday, February 24, though it will likely take some time for the final units to move through the retail chain.

Apple is expected to add geo-tagging, location based check-ins and video-streaming capabilities to MobileMe, in an attempt to make the online service more competitive with social networks and other sites.

[via The Next Web]

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Sony PSP price slashed to $129.99; new bargain games announced

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 07:40 AM PST

Sony has slashed the price of the PSP, with the handheld console going for $129.99 as of Sunday, February 27. Confirmed on the official PlayStation blog, the price cut will also see PSP Entertainment Packs – which bundle the PSP and one or more games – brought down to $159.99.

There’s also a new flood of “Greatest Hits” and “Favorites” games, which are basically Sony’s two budget ranges. The $19.99 “Greatest Hits” line-up now includes:

  • Assassin's Creed Bloodlines (Ubisoft)
  • DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY (Square Enix, Inc.)
  • LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
  • METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.)
  • Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
  • Resistance: Retribution
  • Toy Story 3: The Video Game (Disney Interactive)

As for the PSP “Favorites” range, all at $9.99, that now includes:

  • CRISIS CORE-FINAL FANTASY VII (Square Enix, Inc. )
  • Daxter
  • Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (Capcom)
  • Killzone: Liberation
  • SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fire Team Bravo
  • Tomb Raider Anniversary (Square Enix, Inc.)

Sony expects to replace the PSP in late 2011 with the new Sony NGP.

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Motorola XOOM world modem spotted in teardown

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 07:10 AM PST

It’s something of a teardown day, with first the new MacBook Pro getting stripped to basics and now the Motorola XOOM suffering the same. iFixit whipped open the casing – a straightforward process, given Motorola obviously doesn’t want to make things too difficult for its technicians adding in 4G modem support – and discovered that the XOOM actually uses the same hybrid CDMA/GSM modem as found in the Verizon iPhone 4.

That modem – Qualcomm’s MDM6600 – supports both HSPA+ and EVDO Rev.A, though of course both the iPhone 4 and the XOOM only have the latter enabled. It suggests that Motorola may not be swapping out the modem for the GSM versions of the XOOM, the MZ601/MZ603, but simply enabling the HSPA+ support via a firmware change.

Whether that means some bright spark in the hacking community will be able to add GSM support to the Verizon model remains to be seen; it’s not going to be easy, we know that. iFixit also discovered what amounts to a blanking plate saving a space for the XOOM’s 4G modem, implying that will be a new board added in, rather than replacing, the original chip.

[via Android Community]

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Kinect-style motion tracking for smartphones & tablets promises Crunchfish [Video]

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 06:50 AM PST

Kinect-style motion recognition on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones could arrive sooner – and cheaper – than expected, with software developers Crunchfish coming up with a system that can track 3D movements with a single front-facing camera. Working even in low-light conditions, the Crunchfish tech can track individual finger movement, together with click, drag and scroll without any contact with the device itself.

Video demo after the cut

No additional hardware is required, beyond a suitable camera, and the company also reckons it could be used in notebooks and PCs. Crunchfish intend to incorporate the tech into their existing 3D rendering engine, and considering they offer it for both Android and iOS – and both platforms are seeing increasing prevalence of front-facing cameras – that could mean all manner of apps appearing that track movement not touch.

Press Release:

Crunchfish introduce a new UI motion technology for mobile and PC market
 Crunchfish AB – Feb 25, 2011 14:55 CET

Malmö 2011-02-25

Crunchfish, the innovation company releases a new well working motion recognition technology for mobile devices, Pads and PC's.

The Solution can replace touch screen interaction with movement detection only.

The device will need a camera giving the user the opportunity to click, drag and drop and scroll by doing finger movements in front of the camera.

Touch screens has been around for as long as we can remember so Crunchfish decided it was time for the next step in user interaction.

Crunchfish has prototyped its latest cell phone innovation making it possible for users to control their user interface on mobile phones using finger gestures in the air.

Sure, now you do not have to clean your screen from fatty spots from your fingers. But the real advantage is 3D control. What the heck does that mean?

Since the controller responds to your fingers’ position in real space and are not confined to a flat 2D screen anymore, the user can control graphical objects in 3 dimensions.

The applications are endless, from chemical molecule manipulations to interaction with 3D avatar characters.

And the really cool thing is that this comes with no additional hardware need – the solution uses the existing front cam.

A prototype has been showcased in Crunchfish’s research lab.

The next step of the minority report is to integrate the gesture control with Crunchfish’s existing 3D rendering engine for cell phones.

Handset manufacturers can enable new games and UI interaction with 3rd part developers.

You guest it: It also work without any additional hardware.

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T-Mobile USA losing subscribers: 318,000 contract users jumped in Q4

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 06:39 AM PST

T-Mobile USA may have the biggest 4G network in the US, and data ARPUs rising faster than any US rival, but the carrier is still losing users. The carrier saw 33.73m subscribers in Q4 2010, according to new figures released today, down from 33.76m in Q3 2010 and 33.79m year-on-year. The biggest shift has been in contract customers, down a massive 318,000 – over 5x greater than in the previous three month period – while although pre-pay customers are up compared to Q3, they’re still well behind T-Mobile’s figures for 2009.

The carrier blames the competitive mobile market and more intensive credit standards fro the dips, with prepaid churn predominantly responsible for a 3.6-percent blended churn figure in the quarter. Operating Income Before Depreciation And Amortization (OIBDA) actually fell year-on-year – $1.34bn in 2010 versus $1.38bn in 2009 – because of a greater number of users stepping up to smartphones, which cost T-Mobile more in subsidies.

Still, that increased smartphone use helped buoy the carrier’s service revenues, a 0.9-percent rise to $4.69bn. Unfortunately lower device sales meant overall revenues were lower. “High contract churn and significant contract customer losses in the fourth quarter of 2010 indicate that we still have a fair amount of work ahead of us” Philipp Humm, President and CEO of T-Mobile USA says, warning that “any turnaround will take time.”

Press Release:

T-MOBILE USA REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER 2010 RESULTS

Service revenues in the fourth quarter of 2010 at $4.69 billion, up 0.9% compared to the fourth quarter of 2009
Blended data ARPU of $12.80 in the fourth quarter of 2010, up 25.5% from the fourth quarter of 2009
8.2 million customers using 3G/4G smartphones as of the fourth quarter, a net increase of 1 million customers in the fourth quarter of 2010
OIBDA of $1.34 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010 was comparable to $1.38 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009
America's largest 4G network: T-Mobile USA's national HSPA+ network now covers 200 million people delivering 4G speeds

BELLEVUE, Wash., February 25, 2011 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. ("T-Mobile USA") today reported fourth quarter of 2010 results. In the fourth quarter of 2010, T-Mobile USA reported service revenues of $4.69 billion compared to $4.65 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009, and OIBDA of $1.34 billion compared to $1.38 billion reported in the fourth quarter of 2009. The number of customers using smartphones continued to increase significantly during the quarter, driving growth in blended data ARPU. Blended data ARPU in the fourth quarter of 2010 was $12.80, up 25.5% from the fourth quarter of 2009. Net customer losses were 23,000 in the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to 371,000 net customer additions in the fourth quarter of 2009.

"Our service revenues increased year-on-year in the fourth quarter. Data ARPU growth rates are outperforming our main competitors as we leverage our 4G network and provide rich and compelling smartphones and data plans. However, high contract churn and significant contract customer losses in the fourth quarter of 2010 indicate that we still have a fair amount of work ahead of us and that any turnaround will take time. With the ongoing implementation of our challenger strategy we are laying the foundation for improved performance going forward," said Philipp Humm, President and CEO of T-Mobile USA.

"I am pleased with the increase in smartphone adoption and our ongoing improvement in data ARPU. Data growth in the U.S. mobile market continues to accelerate and with the largest 4G network T-Mobile USA is well-positioned to differentiate itself and grow consumer usage. We are not satisfied with contract churn, but we expect that the measures presented at the T-Mobile USA Investor Day in January will lead to improvements in 2011," said René Obermann, CEO of Deutsche Telekom.

Customers
T-Mobile USA served 33.73 million customers (as defined in Note 3 to the Selected Data, below) at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010, down from 33.76 million at the end of the third quarter of 2010 and 33.79 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2009.
In the fourth quarter of 2010, net customer losses were 23,000, compared to net additions of 137,000 in the third quarter of 2010 and 371,000 in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Contract customers were the primary driver for the sequential and year-on-year change in net customers.
Contract net customer losses were 318,000 in the fourth quarter of 2010, compared to 60,000 net contract customer losses in the third quarter of 2010, and 117,000 net contract customer losses in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Sequentially and year-on-year, the decline in net contract customers was driven primarily by fewer contract gross customer additions. Traditional postpay gross customer additions decreased in the fourth quarter of 2010 driven primarily by revised credit standards and competitive intensity. FlexPaySM contract gross customer additions also decreased related to competitive intensity.
Connected device net customer additions, included within contract customers (as defined in Note 3 to the Selected Data, below), were lower in the fourth quarter of 2010 than in the third quarter of 2010 and now total 1.9 million at December 31, 2010.
Prepaid net customer additions, including MVNO customers (as defined in Note 3 to the Selected Data, below), were 295,000 in the fourth quarter of 2010, compared to 197,000 in the third quarter of 2010 and 488,000 in the fourth quarter of 2009.
MVNO customer additions were the primary driver of prepaid net customer additions. MVNO customers totaled 2.8 million at December 31, 2010.
Year-on-year, FlexPay No-Contract net customer losses were the primary reason for the decrease in prepaid net customer additions.

Churn
Blended churn (as defined in Note 2 to the Selected Data, below), including both contract and prepaid customers, was 3.6% in the fourth quarter of 2010, up from 3.4% in the third quarter of 2010 and 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2009.
The sequential and year-on-year increase was driven primarily by prepaid churn.
Contract churn was 2.5% in the fourth quarter of 2010, up from 2.4% in the third quarter of 2010 and consistent with the fourth quarter of 2009.
The sequential increase in contract churn was due primarily to higher churn of connected devices in the fourth quarter of 2010 and competitive intensity.
Prepaid churn increased in the fourth quarter of 2010 to 7.5% from 7.2% in the third quarter of 2010 and 6.8% in the fourth quarter of 2009.
The sequential and year-on-year increase in prepaid churn was driven primarily by MVNO customers.

OIBDA and Net Income
T-Mobile USA reported OIBDA (as defined in Note 6 to the Selected Data, below) of $1.34 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010, consistent with $1.32 billion in the third quarter of 2010 and $1.38 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Compared to the fourth quarter of 2009, OIBDA decreased slightly due primarily to a higher equipment subsidy loss from more customers upgrading to smartphones (as defined in Note 11 to the Selected Data, below).
OIBDA margin (as defined in Note 7 to the Selected Data, below) was 29% in the fourth quarter of 2010, up from 28% in the third quarter of 2010 but down from 30% in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Net income in the fourth quarter of 2010 was $268 million, compared to $320 million in the third quarter of 2010 and $306 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Revenue
Service revenues (as defined in Note 1 to the Selected Data, below) were $4.69 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010, consistent with $4.71 billion in the third quarter of 2010 and up slightly from $4.65 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Service revenues in the fourth quarter of 2010 were positively impacted by data revenue growth, driven by the adoption of mobile broadband data plans, the revenue contribution from providing handset insurance services, and higher prepaid revenues from the growth of unlimited usage plans. In the fourth quarter of 2010, T-Mobile USA began directly providing handset insurance services which had previously been provided by a third party.
Year-on-year, quarterly service revenues increased due primarily to data revenue growth and from directly providing handset insurance services which more than offset voice revenue declines. The 0.9% increase in quarterly service revenues year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2010 was an improvement from the 0.5% year-on-year decrease in the third quarter of 2010.
Total revenues, including service, equipment, and other revenues were $5.36 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010, consistent with $5.35 billion in the third quarter of 2010 but down slightly from $5.41 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Equipment revenues decreased year-on-year due primarily to lower sales volumes.

ARPU
Blended Average Revenue Per User ("ARPU" as defined in Note 1 to the Selected Data, below) was $46 in the fourth quarter of 2010, down slightly from $47 in the third quarter of 2010 but consistent with the fourth quarter of 2009.
Contract ARPU was $52 in the fourth quarter of 2010, consistent with the third quarter of 2010 and up slightly from $51 in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Year-on-year contract ARPU increased as data revenue growth and handset insurance revenues more than offset lower voice revenue.
Prepaid ARPU was $19 in the fourth quarter of 2010, consistent with the third quarter of 2010 and up from $18 in the fourth quarter of 2009.
The increase in prepaid ARPU compared to the fourth quarter of 2009 was due primarily to the growth of customers on unlimited usage plans.
Data service revenues (as defined in Note 1 to the Selected Data, below) were $1.29 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010, up 25% from the fourth quarter of 2009. Data service revenues in the fourth quarter of 2010 represented 28% of blended ARPU, or $12.80 per customer, up from 27% of blended ARPU, or $12.40 per customer in the third quarter of 2010, and 22% of blended ARPU, or $10.20 per customer in the fourth quarter of 2009.
8.2 million customers were using smartphones enabled for the T-Mobile USA UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ network (as defined in Note 11 to the Selected Data, below) such as the T-Mobile® myTouch® 4G, T-Mobile G2TM with GoogleTM and the Samsung VibrantTM at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010. This was a net increase of 14% or 1 million customers using smartphones from the third quarter of 2010 and more than double the 3.9 million customers as of the fourth quarter of 2009. 3G/4G smartphone customers now account for 24% of total customers, up from 21% in the third quarter of 2010 and 12% in the fourth quarter of 2009.
While messaging continues to be a significant component of blended data ARPU, the increase in the number of customers using smartphones and the continued upgrade of the network are driving Internet access revenue growth with the increasing adoption of mobile broadband data plans.

CPGA and CCPU
The average cost of acquiring a customer, Cost Per Gross Add ("CPGA" as defined in Note 5 to the Selected Data, below) was $290 in the fourth quarter of 2010, consistent with the third quarter of 2010 but down from $300 in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Year-on-year, CPGA decreased in the fourth quarter of 2010 due primarily to the shift in customer base towards MVNO customers and connected devices.
The average cash cost of serving customers, Cash Cost Per User ("CCPU" as defined in Note 4 to the Selected Data, below), was $24 per customer per month in the fourth quarter of 2010, consistent with the third quarter of 2010 and up from $22 in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Year-on-year, CCPU was higher due primarily to a higher equipment subsidy loss as more customers upgraded to smartphones and the cost of directly providing handset insurance services.

Capital Expenditures
Cash capital expenditures (as defined in Note 8 to the Selected Data, below) were $2.8 billion in 2010, compared to $3.7 billion in 2009.
The primary reason for lower cash capital expenditures relates to the 2009 build-out of the national UMTS/HSPA network. In 2010 cash capital expenditures were driven by continued network investment including coverage expansion and the upgrade to HSPA+.
Cash capital expenditures were $828 million in the fourth quarter of 2010, compared to $643 million in the third quarter of 2010 and $697 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Sequentially, the increase in cash capital expenditures was due primarily to the build out of the network, including new cell sites and the HSPA+-enabled 4G network upgrade (as defined in Note 10 to the Selected Data, below). With the latest expansion, T-Mobile USA's 4G network is available in more than 100 major metropolitan areas, reaching 200 million people at the end of 2010.
Year-on-year, the increase in cash capital expenditures was due primarily to payment timing differences.

T-Mobile USA Recent Highlights
On January 20, 2011 T-Mobile USA and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) revealed the Galaxy S™ 4G. Powered by Android™ 2.2, the Galaxy S 4G is T-Mobile USA's first smartphone capable of delivering theoretical peak download speeds of up to 21 Mbps, delivering rich entertainment experiences on T-Mobile USA's 4G network (previous 4G smartphones, such as the myTouch 4G and the G2, were enabled for 14.4 Mbps). The Samsung Galaxy S 4G is exclusive to T-Mobile USA and went on sale on February 23.
On February 1, 2011 T-Mobile USA announced that it will introduce the T-Mobile Global for BusinessTM plan, a unique approach to international voice and data roaming that reinforces the company's commitment to support multinational corporations, as well as government agencies and U.S. enterprises conducting business internationally.
On February 2, 2011 T-Mobile USA and LG Mobile Phones unveiled their Android™ 3.0 (Honeycomb)-powered tablet, the T-Mobile® G-Slate™ with Google™ by LG. With a brilliant, high-definition (8.9-inch, 3D-capable multi-touch display, the T-Mobile G-Slate delivers a groundbreaking mobile entertainment experience, including the ability to record 3D and full HD video. The tablet is expected to be available this spring. T-Mobile USA's 4G network, America's largest 4G network™, is currently available in more than 100 major metropolitan areas, reaching 200 million people nationwide. With aggressive plans to expand and double the speed of its 4G network in 2011, T-Mobile USA expects that 140 million Americans in 25 major metropolitan areas will have access to increased 4G speeds (HSPA+ 42 Mbps) by mid-year 2011.
On February 3, 2011 T-Mobile USA was awarded the highest ranking for the second consecutive time (and the 11th time in the last 13 surveys) in J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Wireless Customer Care Performance StudySM — Volume 1.
On February 17, 2011 T-Mobile USA continued its streak of recognition for excellence in customer satisfaction with the fourth consecutive highest ranking in J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Wireless Retail Sales Satisfaction StudySM— Volume 1 results. T‑Mobile USA ranked not only highest overall, but the highest in each area for which the study measured customer satisfaction.

T-Mobile USA is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (OTCQX: DTEGY). In order to provide comparability with the results of other US wireless carriers, all financial amounts are in US dollars and are based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). T-Mobile USA results are included in the consolidated results of Deutsche Telekom, but differ from the information contained herein as Deutsche Telekom reports financial results in Euros and in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

This press release includes non-GAAP financial measures. The non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, the information provided in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations from the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are provided below following Selected Data and the financial statements.

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Nikon D4 Thunderbolt rumor suggests high-speed tethered video

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 06:13 AM PST

Intel name-checked a number of storage and A/V companies on board with Thunderbolt and expecting to release products using the new 10Gbps port found on the early 2011 MacBook Pro, but we’re already hearing other rumors about potential adopters currently flying under the radar. According to Nikon Rumors‘s source, the Nikon D4 will be the first DSLR to offer Thunderbolt as a connection option.

Interestingly, the tip supposedly came in “[a] few weeks ago”, so this looks less like someone merely jumping in on the Apple hype. Intel itself expects to see general Thunderbolt computer and peripheral adoption in late 2011, though has confirmed that it isn’t mandatory for manufacturers to hold off and give Apple a window of opportunity. In fact, broader adoption would probably help the MacBook Pro, since right now there’s a dearth of gadgets for new owners to plug the notebook into.

While shuttling data off of a camera at high-speed is the most obvious application for Thunderbolt on the D4, as with the speculation of the port making an appearance on the iPad 2 it’s the processor in the device (either camera or tablet) itself that’s probably the bottleneck there. What a D4 with Thunderbolt could do, however, is high-resolution tethered images and video, recording directly to a MacBook Pro. No word on when the D4 might make an appearance, however.

[Thanks Daniel!]

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Sony super-fast CMOS promises 17.7MP 120fps video capture

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 05:52 AM PST

Sony has apparently developed a super-fast CMOS sensor for use in digital cameras and cellphones, which can process images five times faster than its predecessors. The unnamed sensor, The Nikkei [registration required] reports, is able to “convert multiple pixels into signals simultaneously,” and in the process scythes conversion times by 75-percent.

In fact, Sony is apparently boasting of 34.8 Gbps image processing speeds, while video capture reaches 17.7-megapixels at 120 fps. Although you could expect a high-speed CMOS to also drink power at a similarly rapid rate, Sony has also done work to bring that down to reasonable levels.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on when the new Sony sensors might make it out of the labs and into devices. The image above is of older Sony EXMOR sensors.

[via CrunchGear]

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ASUS Eee Note sub-$200 when it hits US imminently

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 05:28 AM PST

ASUS has confirmed US pricing for the Eee Note EA800 digital note-taking tablet, and if the active stylus input of the HTC Flyer appealed (but the considerable price tag doesn’t) then the Eee Pad could make for a very affordable – albeit monochrome – alternative. Tipped to be “coming soon,” the EA800 will be under $200 in the US, despite packing WiFi b/g, a 2-megapixel camera and a battery good for up to 13.5hrs runtime.

The lengthy battery life – ASUS also reckons up to 10 days of standby – is because the EA800 uses a non-backlit 8-inch LCD screen. That allows it to respond more quickly than an E Ink panel, but use dramatically less power than a regular color, backlit LCD. Inside is 4GB of storage (along with a speaker and headphone jack) and a microSD card slot.

The active Wacom stylus can differentiate between 256 levels of pressure for more accurate note-taking and sketching, and ASUS is firmly convinced that the Eee Note will vanquish paper notebooks from the bags of students and professionals alike. At under $200, it’s certainly a whole lot cheaper than most tablets out there.

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GSLO volt solar charger for iPhone enters mass production

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 05:19 AM PST

We have talked a lot about the GSLO Volt solar charging battery case for the iPhone 4 over the last few months. Earlier this month I mentioned that the company had filed a patent application to protect the technology in the charger as it readied the things for market.

GSLO has announced this week that it has initiated mass production of the Volt chargers. If you haven’t been following this interesting green charger for the iPhone, the device is a case with a 1500mAh battery inside.

On the back of the case is a solar panel to help keep that battery charged up on the go. GSLO isn't offering an exact launch date, but the CEO of the firm says that it will go on sale “soon” and will have a 1-year warranty. You can still pre-order directly from the manufacturers site.

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NEC shows off world’s first contactless hybrid fingerprint/finger vein scanner

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 05:10 AM PST

Years ago I had a notebook that used a fingerprint scanner to log me into the machine rather than having to type. The problem was that the swipe never grabbed the fingerprint the first time out and I always ended up having to swipe repeatedly until I gave up and typed my password. Fingerprint scanners have come a long way since those early offerings and one of the more interesting new fingerprint scanners is the HS100-10.

The scanner is a hybrid because it able to scan fingerprints and finger vein characteristics at the same time without contact with the sensor. The first shipments of the new scanner are set to start in May. By grabbing fingerprint and finger vein information at one time, the sensor is very difficult to fool.

The fact that the sensor doesn’t have to contact the finger means that it will be accurate even if the user’s hands are very wet or dry. NEC says that the sensor works with major software on the market like IBM Tivoli Access manager and Novel SecureLogin.

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Space Shuttle launched yesterday with experiment to boil water in zero-gravity onboard

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 04:59 AM PST

Scientists have been hard at work trying to find safe and easy ways to do things in no gravity in space that are taken for granted here on Earth. One of the things that has been studied is how to boil water safely while in orbit. The space shuttle lifted off yesterday and one of the experiments on board was a system that allows the boiling of water in no gravity.

Boiling water could potentially be used on the ISS and other spacecraft for power generation and other applications. The problem is that it is difficult to design hardware for water boiling that will not overheat and have other issues according to the researchers.

The experiment will be conducted on the ISS and will use two arrays of platinum micro heaters that are bonded to a quartz plate. One array is 7mm across and the other is 2.7mm across. The heaters warm when electricity is applied and the space between the heater lines allow the boiling process to happen. The experiment will boil a refrigerant-like fluid called FC-72 and filmed at high speed with data shot back to Earth for analysis.

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iWatchz Q Series iPod nano watchbands hit Best Buy

Posted: 25 Feb 2011 04:43 AM PST

If you have a 6G iPod nano and you have a hankering to turn the thing into a watch you can wear on your wrist, there is no shortage of watchbands on the market today. There might be a shortage of bands that you can walk into a local retail store and buy though.

iWatchz has announced that as of now its Q series watchbands are available in Best Buy stores all around the country. The Q Collection of bands launched in late December and since then iWatchz has also shown off a couple other band series for users to check out.

The new bands include the Carbon and Jelly lines. Best Buy will be stocking all eight Q collection band colors and they will sell for $24.95 making them affordable.

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