Nov 30
Nov 30
Brian Williams, the go to newsman for any sane American, recently interviewed Tim Cook about Apple and all things going on at Cupertino. It’s the first interview “of its kind” and will be shown next week on Thursday. But that’s not why we care! What’s hilarious is that Brian Williams says no one recognizes the Apple CEO. More »
Nov 30
Consider it a trend: Verizon’s wireless charging 8X variant will work out of the box with U.S. GSM networks. According to Windows Phone Central, users have reported success swapping in AT&T and T-Mobile micro-SIMs, indicating that the devices are shipping unlocked. And it’s not just hearsay either, as we’ve confirmed on our own review unit that this does indeed work. In fact, with the network openness afforded by recent additions like the Droid DNA and iPhone 5, this is quickly becoming more rule for the carrier than exception. Certainly we can all agree that it’s a welcome break from Big Red’s stodgy past.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
Source: Windows Phone Central
Nov 30
BitTorrent, the company responsible for developing the innovative technology that delivers gargantuan files across the Internet, is heading into a new direction. BitTorrent Executive Director for Marketing, Matt Mason, says that the company is planning to “align itself with the entertainment industry and legally distribute movies, music, and books online.” Apparently BitTorrent wants to prove that it can go beyond offering free downloads by generating more sales. So far, the company already has over 160 million users of its two software clients – BitTorrent and μTorrent. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: YouTube Auto-Captions Now Supports 6 European Languages, TED Talks reaches 1 billion views,
Nov 30
Zynga and Facebook aren’t the bosom buddies they used to be, and as a result, Zynga’s shares are down 7-percent. This comes after a regulatory filing revealed the contract between the two companies has loosened their ties quite a bit. Among other things, Facebook will be able to start producing its own games for the social network next year, something it previously was not able to.
Zynga is no longer contractually bound to exclusively provide its games on Facebook, nor to give Facebook any exclusive games. Likewise, the company is no longer required to have Facebook advertisements on its properties. For Facebook’s part in this, although the social network is now allowed to produce its own games, it stated the it does not have plans to do so.
This, of course, boots Zynga from the Facebook pedestal upon which it perched, wherein it previously had a special status with the social network. While the company has been taking steps to become more independent, it garners most of its revenue from Facebook, making this move a bit precarious. The relationship is symbiotic, however, with Facebook also making a decent amount of revenue from Zynga, although the amount has dropped almost 50-percent in the last year.
Zynga has been under fire lately for its quiet layoff that took place during Apple’s event last month. Employees were backhanded, given only two hours to pack up their stuff and get out. This came after reports that the company experienced a $23 million loss in the second quarter of this year.
[via Wired]
Zynga loses Facebook’s favor, shares drop 7% is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Nov 30
Can you imagine the conversation you would have with a child, hell, a tween, about this coffee table? “You see, son. Before the cloud and usb sticks. Before hard drives and iPhones and Androids. Before the iPod and even before the CD player, there was something called the floppy disk. And it stored 1.44MB. Yeah, I know. You sext bigger files than that. But the thing is, people actually used the floppy disk like we use flash drives today!” More »
Nov 30
Federal Judge blocks Xbox ban, grants motion to dismiss Motorola request for injunctive relief
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Motorola’s hopes of enforcing a German-won sales injunction against the Xbox 360, Windows 7 and other products have yet again been dashed — a Federal judge has taken Microsoft’s side. Judge James L. Robart granted a motion declaring that Motorola Mobility isn’t entitled to injunctive relief, effectively blocking bans based on the firm’s H.264 streaming and (previously dropped) WiFi patent complaints. The court had been sitting on the motion for nearly a year, but for Microsoft, the final word is worth the wait: Motorola “has not shown it has suffered an irreparable injury or that remedies available at law are inadequate to compensate for its injury,” the court said, noting that Microsoft “will pay royalties under any license agreement from the time of infringement within the statute of limitations.” Basically, Motorola will recoup all the scratch it’s complaining it lost anyway, so no harm, no foul. Just a giant legal headache.
Via: FOSS Patents, Seattle Times
Source: Court Order (PDF)
Nov 30
It looks like ASUS is getting into the Google TV market with the ASUS Qube, which has popped up over at the FCC. The Qube with be a dongle that can be plugged into a device via USB to offer Google TV functionality. While details are sparse at the moment, some Google Play apps hint at how the Qube will work.
As notes Engadget, the O!Mobile Control Center and Remote mobile app listings on Google Play indicate a few things about the Qube. One, it may utilize Marvell Armada processors, which are used in current Google TV settops. And two, it may offer more extensive remote control via mobile devices than the remote app from Google.
Google TV has more than its share of critics, but it has been plugging along, and seems to be picking up momentum. Google recently rolled out an update for the service that added voice search, as well as the new section PrimeTime that is the movies and TV shows category. LG’s G2 TVs, which are Google TV-equipped, were the first to see the new update.
Google TV provides users with access to all sorts of video content, including Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and, of course, the Google Play Store, where users can choose from thousands of TV shows and flicks. As for the ASUS Qube, we’ll have to wait for more details to pop up. When, where, and how the device will be made available is yet to be seen.
[via Engadget]
ASUS Qube arrives at the FCC, offers Google TV is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Nov 30
Hong Kong-based battery manufacturer, Mugen, is known for its brand of extended batteries for mobile devices and laptops. After launching a 5400mAh battery for the Samsung Galaxy Note and a 4,000mAh battery for the Galaxy Nexus, Mugen is now introducing its latest battery for the Galaxy Note 2 “phablet.” Mugen’s HLI-N7100XL Mugen Power extended battery packs 6400mAh of power for the Galaxy Note 2.
Mugen says that its 6400mAh battery will last roughly 2.06 times long. As you already know, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is outfitted with a 3100 mAh battery. And similar to other Mugen batteries, the HLI-N7100XL Mugen Power extended battery also features a mini stand for landscape viewing mode. If you’re looking for more power on your Galaxy Note 2, you can get the battery at the special price of $98.95. Shipments will commence on December 21st. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Verizon Droid RAZR HD & Droid RAZR MAXX HD Getting Jelly Bean Next Week, Nokia Launches PhotoBeamer For Lumia 920 & Lumia 820,
Nov 30
Leila Ahmed, Harvard Divinity School Muslim Scholar, Wins Prestigious Grawemeyer Award
Posted in: Today's Chili(RNS) For the first time, the University of Louisville’s prestigious Grawemeyer Award in Religion, a $100,000 cash prize, will go to a female Muslim scholar.
Leila Ahmed, a Harvard Divinity School professor specializing in women and Islam, will receive the 2013 Grawemeyer religion award for her 2011 book, “A Quiet Revolution: The Veil’s Resurgence, from the Middle East to America.” The book explores why a growing number of Muslim women are wearing religious headscarves.
Ahmed, 72, was born and raised in Cairo at a time when few women wore religious headscarves, yet considered themselves observant Muslims. Why, she wanted to know, has the hijab enjoyed such a comeback?
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