SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: August 17, 2012

Friday has come and gone, which means that the weekend is here once again. The latest iPhone 5 rumors have propelled Apple’s stock to its highest point ever, and it turns out the company’s funds will go toward helping tap a recently-discovered underground river in Crook County, Oregon. Earlier today we saw a picture of what was reported to be the Samsung Galaxy Note II, but later on in the day Daniel YU informed everyone that it was just his mock-up used without his permission. That’s disappointing, but his mock-up looks great, so be sure to check that out.


According to Lenovo, Windows RT tablets could cost $300 less than Windows 8 tablets, and it appears that Yahoo is on the lookout for a new COO. After discovering a glitch with digital signatures earlier in the week, Microsoft is once again publishing Windows Phone apps, and Twitter’s new API update restricts some third-party apps, so watch out for that. UK retailer Clove is reporting that the black Samsung Galaxy S III will be out in October, and a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 bundle comes packed with bonuses that students are going to find hard to resist.

There’s a particularly nasty Trojan dubbed “Shamoon” that’s making the rounds, and in some rather surprising news from the day, it seems that OnLive is shutting down today. OnLive executives said throughout the day that everything with the company is fine, but later, more evidence that supports such a shutdown surfaced. Not good. Both models of the Nexus 7 are now in stock again on the Google Play store, and third parties were right there to begin pushing all sorts of accessories for it, while we’re hearing rumors that claim Apple’s set-top box will come with cloud DVR and a simple UI.

The beta for Steam’s upcoming Big Picture Mode will be kicking off at the beginning of next month, and HP is getting serious about tackling the consumer tablet division (or at least trying to again). The iPad Mini – and future iPad iterations for that matter – will apparently be getting a special ITO film, and Warren Spector is really pushing for Epic Mickey on the Xbox 360 and PS3, but he needs your help in convincing Disney.

Finally tonight, we have a number of original articles for you to peruse. Don Reisinger asks if there will one day be a universal gaming console, Ben Kersey has SlashGear’s review of The Expendables 2, and Chris Burns has a hands-on with the Motorola PHOTON Q. Enjoy your weekend, folks!


SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: August 17, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


OnLive hits reset after being dragged down by expensive servers, confirms service will continue

OnLive has finally issued an official statement after rumors of mass layoffs first leaked out earlier today, confirming that its assets have been acquired into a newly-formed company with what it claims is “substantial” financial backing. The big news for users is that the OnLive Game and Desktop services will remain operational and continue to be supported. The release also claims a “large percentage” of OnLive staff is being hired into the new company with plans to hire more over time, while PR informs us the leadership team remains intact. Check the words straight from the source after the break.

We’ve heard from some of the people present for the meeting where the new plan was revealed today, confirming the company is going through a process known as Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC). A faster alternative to bankruptcy that doesn’t involve the courts, it allows OnLive to deal with some of the issues it was facing, most notably an oversupply of servers for the number of users it had signed up. The ABC process allows OnLive to be unshackled from the expensive server contracts and bring in a new source of venture capital. Oh and that other major cost, the employees? Not all of the information is known yet, but beyond the loss of jobs, it turns out the stock they owned was in a company that no longer exists. We’re hearing their benefits will end after August, however there are offers of contracts to answer questions about important topics like “where things are,” in exchange for special form stock in the new venture.

Update: Joystiq has more information from a former employee, who estimated the average number of peak concurrent OnLive users at around 1,800 or so, and the amount of retained staff in the range of 20 percent. One other tidbit? The source expects OnLive to go after recent Sony acquisition Gaikai for infringement of a game streaming patent, so stay tuned.

Continue reading OnLive hits reset after being dragged down by expensive servers, confirms service will continue

Filed under: ,

OnLive hits reset after being dragged down by expensive servers, confirms service will continue originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Joe Walsh Congress Battle With Tammy Duckworth Is Democratic Litmus Test

WASHINGTON — Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) and Democrat Tammy Duckworth are battling it out for Illinois’ 8th District in the Chicago suburbs. Walsh’s heated language has led to many Republican facepalms and has kept Democratic trackers glued to their computer screens.

In a recent outburst, Walsh said “there is a radical strain of Islam in this country,” and it “is much more at home now than it was after 9/11.”

On Thursday, Walsh agreed that he should balance “straight talk” with “responsible talk”. According the Chicago Tribune, Walsh conceded he had gotten “a little ahead of myself with my language” during his notorious town hall meetings.

Read More…
More on Tea Party


‘Glee’ Brings Back Whoopi Goldberg And More Casting News

Glee” is getting back in the habit with Whoopi Goldberg for Season 4.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Goldberg has been tapped to reprise her role as New York Academy of Dramatic Arts dean Carmen Tibideaux in a recurring capacity during the musical dramedy’s fourth season, and will be billed as a “special guest star.”

She was previously seen in a multi-episode arc during Season 3, where she decided the fates of Lea Michele’s Rachel and Chris Colfer’s Kurt — choosing to admit Rachel to the hallowed halls of NYADA but denying Kurt a spot. THR also reports that “Glee Project” Season 1 winners, Samuel Larsen and Alex Newell, will recur next year, along with Season 2 winner Blake Jenner, who makes his debut in Episode 5.

Read More…
More on Video


Thanks For Celebrating Gizmodo Day With Us [Video]

Gizmodo just turned 10 and last night we celebrated with meetups all over the map. And it was a blast and a half. More »

Sexist Vintage Ads: 17 Vintage Ads Targeting Husbands And Wives

Are you boring your husband to death?

There used to be a pill for that.

Click through the slideshow below to see some cringe-worthy vintage ads targeting married couples, then let us know: what would you do if you saw a sexist ad like this today?

Read More…
More on Advertising


LA Officials Consider Hiring Porn Film Condom Cop « CBS Los Angeles

Dust off those resumes, the Los Angeles City Council may soon be looking for a condom cop.

Read More…


Post-acquisition Motorola files fresh ITC complaint against Apple

Motorola RAZR and iPhone 4S

We hope you didn’t think that Motorola would fight a purely defensive patent war against Apple after Google’s acquisition closed. Just days before a final ruling on its initial complaints, the RAZR maker has filed another dispute with the International Trade Commission that accuses Apple of violating patents through some iOS devices and Macs. Exact details of the dispute are under wraps for now; Motorola, as you’d imagine, only contends that it has no choice after Apple’s “unwillingness to work out a license.” While Apple hasn’t said anything about the subject, we already know how much it disagrees with Motorola’s previous licensing strategy — it’s unlikely Apple will just roll over, no matter what’s at stake.

Filed under: , ,

Post-acquisition Motorola files fresh ITC complaint against Apple originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBloomberg  | Email this | Comments

Pussy Riot Members Found Guilty Of Hooliganism, Rallies In NYC Show Support (PHOTOS)

Many of you know by now that three members of the Russian punk band and activist group Pussy Riot were found guilty of hooliganism charges today, with Moscow Judge Marina Syrova announcing a prison sentence of two years for the three women who staged the anti-Putin protest in Russia’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior last February.

Following the guilty verdict’s announcement this morning, small protests were held in dozens of cities across the world, including demonstrations in Barcelona, Paris, Berlin and Washington, D.C.

In New York City, around 40 protestors gathered in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, beginning with a small number of demonstrators playing musical instruments in front of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Manhattan. The group of balaclava-clad supporters then moved to the Russian Consulate, where marchers were met by a mixture of English and Russian-speaking participants, many of whom donned paper masks and held signs that read, “Confront Patriarchy” and “We Are All Hooligans.”

Read More…
More on Pussy Riot


Wood Carved Maps, NYC Rooftop Loft, and More [Most Beautiful Items Of The Week]

Hey stop right there. We have a pletora of pretty things to show you. From an old water tank that has new life as a loft, to a carbon fiber core axe, here are your most beautiful items of the week. More »