Hasta La Gadget!

Earlier today, we reported that it seemed like the Color app was in the initial stages of being nixed. According to the Venture Beat piece, an email sent to company workers stated that the board had voted – with shareholders agreement – to close down Color Labs. This, obviously, stirred controversy, given that last year the company received $41 million in investments. Now, according to a source over at The Next Web, it seems Apple is acquiring the company instead.

Color Labs is a social network for sharing photos and videos founded by Bill Nguyen, who has been absent for three months due to “intense strain” with the company board. According to TNW, Nguyen designed Color app’s original user interface, and he’s been looking to sell Color Labs for quite some time. He’d demonstrated prototype apps for Apple’s VP of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue, and then abandoned them in favor of a new – and never released – version of Color.

The price Apple (allegedly) paid for Color Labs has not been disclosed. The unnamed sources, however, state that the deal is “done” and that the sum is in the high double digits, but say that nothing has been signed yet. Says TNW, Apple purchased one of Ngugyen’s other startups, Lala, in 2009 for a cool $80 million.

Last year, Color Labs said that it had six pending patents related to battery saving and GPS, among others. Some patents that have been dug up include content share amongst devices and group formation. In addition, Color Labs is known to have been working on a file format for recording high definition video. Assuming the deal happens, any of these could explain why Apple nabbed the seemingly doomed startup, but for the time being, that part remains a mystery.

[via The Next Web]

Color Labs reportedly to be acquired by Apple is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Itching for Nokia’s latest piece of Windows Phone kit, but aren’t ready to saddle up with Ma Bell? Get comfortable: according to a leaked AT&T training video, you’ll have to wait six months for the Lumia 920’s exclusivity contract to expire. The unofficial Windows Phone 8 flagship is due out next month, though mum’s still the word on its actual ship date. The trio of videos also give AT&T employees a brief run down of Nokia City Lens, wireless charging and the handset’s NFC features. If you simply can’t wait until spring, Verizon and T-Mobile are serving up a pair of mid-range alternatives, the Lumia 820 and 822, respectively. Otherwise, head past the break to see the videos for yourself and test your patience.

Continue reading Leaked training videos peg Lumia 920 as AT&T exclusive for six months, shows off City Lens, wireless charging

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Leaked training videos peg Lumia 920 as AT&T exclusive for six months, shows off City Lens, wireless charging originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  My Nokia Blog  | Email this | Comments

Last week, Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE were accused of potentially spying for the Chinese government, with the US House Intelligence Committee recommending that both companies be avoided, and that acquisitions and mergers be blocked in the US. A couple days later, Canada reconsidered using Huawei as part of its upcoming government communications network due to the concerns expressed by US lawmakers. Now, according to a Reuter’s source, a White House review found no evidence that Huawei is spying.

A report by the US House Intelligence Committee states, “China has the means, opportunity, and motive to use telecommunications companies for malicious purposes.” Both companies denied the claims, saying that they were not financed by the Chinese government or military, and that they were not spying for either. Huawei retorted that the accusations were baseless, and that the company “has a well-demonstrated track record of responsibly adhering to local laws and regulations in the markets in which it does business.” ZTE also offered a response, saying that it has “set an unprecedented standard for cooperation by any Chinese company with a congressional investigation.”

Two sources “familiar with the probe” told Reuters that the review had concluded that Huawei’s products were risky due to vulnerabilities that could prove favorable for hackers. What the review didn’t seem to find, however, was evidence that Huawei has engaged in espionage for China. Still, the sources did not say whether these vulnerabilities were intentional.

The White House inquiry involved reviewing reports of suspicious activity, and questioning almost 1,000 telecom equipment buyers. The While House declined commenting on the review. Huawei was a bit more vocal, however, stating that the lack of evidence for spying didn’t surprise the company.

[via Reuters]

White House finds no evidence of Huawei spying, source says is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

You know that at first glance, the extremely slim Razer Blade gaming laptop is one device not to be trifled with. After all, it comes with a 17.3” display and is powered by the latest Intel Core i7 processor alongside an NVIDIA GeForce graphics processor to get your gaming kicks in, and yet the entire shebang measures a mere 0.88” thin while tipping the scales at 6.46 pounds. Well, how do you make something that is already special to be even more special? Enter the Star Wars Razer Blade gaming laptop which is literally a one-of-a-kind laptop, and the Force in your bank account should be strong if you want this considering how it costs a whopping $15,000.

It cannot be bought anywhere though, as only one winner from a sweepstakes will be able to pick up this custom-designed Star Wars: The Old Republic Razer Blade gaming laptop – in this galaxy and the next, of course. Of course, the Star Wars Razer Blade gaming laptop does come with its multi-award-winning Switchblade UI that boasts of a unique integrated LCD display/multi-touch panel as well as 10 dynamic adaptive tactile keys that ensures you are always in control of the game. The thing is, if you lose in a deathmatch while using the Star Wars Razer Blade gaming laptop, don’t blame the hardware, it most probably boils down to your lack of skill. [Press Release]

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Razer Blade part deux unveiled at PAX Prime , Star Wars keyboard with LCD touchpad now on sale,

Ahoy, what do we have here? Users who absolutely love what the official Google Calendar app is able to deliver on the Android-powered platform can now download it from Google Play directly, making it a snap for you to manage your slew of calendars from a single, vantage point – and these will include those from your Google accounts as well as other calendars that have been synchronized to your Android device.

Needless to say, some of the basics including creating, editing, deleting events and responding to invitations are all thrown into the new Google Calendar app, but as an added extra, you will find features which will assist you in managing your time and communication more easily. For instance, you can snooze events straight from a notification should you be tying up some loose ends at the moment and only need to be reminded later. As you can see on the right, predefined messages are there for you to send quick “I’ll be late” updates to your event participants directly from the notifications or the event itself. This is fully customizable as well too, now how about that ? Google Calendar on Google Play is available for devices that are powered by Android 4.0.3+ Ice Cream Sandwich or Android 4.1 Jelly Bean only.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google improves accessibility for Docs, Sites and Calendar, Event Time Zones For Google Calendar,