Hasta La Gadget!

Most of us don’t immediately associate post traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) with heart attacks, but when we stop and think about it… a
heart attack is a hell-of-a traumatic event, one which could certainly
induce symptoms of PTSD….

HTC has reportedly axed plans to launch a 12-inch tablet running Windows RT, sources claim, after deciding demand for the slate would be insufficient, though a smaller version is still said to be on the roadmap. The unnamed 12-inch tablet was sidelined over fears that it would be too expensive, Bloomberg reports, with the components required adding up to too great a bill-of-materials to allow a competitive street price.

Meanwhile, the underlying consumer interest in Windows RT has also spooked HTC, the sources familiar with the company’s tablet plans suggests. Microsoft is yet to release sales figures for machines running the platform – which modifies Windows 8 to work on ARM-based processors, rather than the x86 chips more commonly associated with the OS – though figures from IDC suggest less than a quarter of a million were sold in Q1 this year.

HTC seemingly has some lingering interest in Windows RT, however, since it is believed to have a smaller slate running the OS in the pipeline. The 7-inch tablet isn’t due until later in 2013, and will run RT on a chipset from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon stable, just as the 12-inch variant was supposedly going to.

The company will hedge its bets, however, by also offering an Android tablet at roughly the same time as the RT variant. Also expected to be 7-inches in size, the second slate will echo HTC’s split in smartphones, with part of its range running Android while the rest uses Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform.

Even if Windows RT’s lackluster success wasn’t sufficient to sink the large tablet plan, research into the appeal of different form-factor sizes indicates HTC is right to leave the 12-inch segment alone. According to recent predictions, even by 2017 11-inch or above models are only expected to comprise around 6-percent of total tablet sales.

Tablets aren’t the only bigger-screen push HTC is believed to be planning. The company is also tipped to be working on a “phablet”, larger than the HTC One, and potentially headed to Verizon.

HTC reportedly scraps 12″ Windows RT tablet plans (but 7″ still on the way) is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Bitcoin is growing in popularity as a way to make financial transactions in a wonderfully anonymous way. The obvious downside to such a reality is the same thing that ultimately took down Liberty Reserve earlier this week – criminal activities. To help cover itself in the face of such activities, Mt. Gox announced earlier today that users who wish to both deposit and withdraw money in a currency that isn’t Bitcoin will need account verification.

Verification will be accomplished by providing Mt. Gox with some type of identification, such as a passport or driver’s license, or other types such as a utility bill or other similar info. Failure to provide such information will result in an inability to withdraw the cash equivalent of a Bitcoin balance. Such a change will impact a great deal of Bitcoin users, considering it is responsible for at least 50-percent of Bitcoin trades.

In the announcement on its website, Mt. Gox said: “The Bitcoin market continues to evolve, as do regulations and conditions of compliance for Mt. Gox to continue bringing secure services to our customers. It [is] our responsibility to provide a trusted and legal exchange, and that includes making sure that we are operating within strict anti-money laundering rules and preventing other malicious activity.”

The obvious sticking point here for many people is the eradication of one of the features that makes Bitcoin so popular – the end of anonymity. By providing identification, one is no longer an anonymous user. On one hand, it could be argued that those with pure intentions should have no issue offering such identification. On the flip side, others argue that being anonymous should not be a crime, and should not be made unavailable as a means to help prevent such.

For Mt. Gox, the side of the argument it stands on is obvious. This move comes after some scrapings with the US government, such as earlier in May when Mutum Sigullum, its US intermediary, had the Department of Homeland Security seize its accounts. The reason? Failure to register as a money transmitter, according to Forbes. It is no secret the US government is not fond of virtual currencies, and such a move on Mt. Gox’s part is no doubt an effort to avoid too much grief.

SOURCE: Forbes

Mt. Gox adds account verification requirement for non-Bitcoin currencies is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

(Credit: Incipio)

Congrats to Thomas W. of Dayton, N.J., for winning a Boombotix Boombot Rex portable speaker in last week’s giveaway. Got an iPhone 5 that you’d like to take camping or swimming? This week’s prize is for you.

We’re giving away a rugged waterproof Atlas case from Southern California device accessory maker Incipio. The adventure-ready case for iPhone 5 has been engineered with a hard-shell exterior and water-resistant enclosures while maintaining access to all ports, buttons, and controls. It meets U.S. military standards for drop protection and water and dust resistance and is waterproof up to 6.56 feet for an hour.

Normally, an Incipio Atlas for iPhone 5 would run you $89.99, but here’s your chance to get one free in the color combination of your choice — dark gray; light gray/dark gray; black/blue; and white/pink. You’ll also get a free one-year limited warranty that covers accidental water damage to your device.

So how do you try to score an Atlas? There are a few rules, so please get out of the water and read carefully.

• Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the “Join CNET” link to start the registration process. If you’re already registered, there’s no need to register again.
• Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it’s funny or insightful,… [Read more]

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  Crave Ep. 121: Wake up to a dancing iPhone
  Crave Ep. 119: The flexible MorePhone contorts when you get a call
  Bluestacks extends GamePop’s free console giveaway
  Must-see videos from CTIA 2013
  

  

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Apple has filed a $53 million settlement with upset customers over the issue of wet iPhones as well as iPod touch models.

Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It Original content from Ubergizmo.