The Daily Slash: February 10, 2011
First get your giggle on in a column by yours truly over on Android Community by the name of Waves of Impact and No Lines for Verizon’s iPhone. Next, if you haven’t already, grab the Angry Birds Seasons update for the Valentine’s Day levels, OR check out the Full Spoiler Post [including secret Facebook levels]. Get a confirmed release date on the HTC ThunderBolt. Have a good time transforming into an LG Optimus Pad. Hope for the best as a Nokia Windows Phone 7 deal is tipped by insiders. Blast off into outer space with speed as the LG VL600 LTE Modem for Verizon is now Mac-Compatible. Check out a column by Don Reisinger by the name of Google TV is Dying, and an Apple TV with Apps will Finish it Off. Place your eyeballs on an On Time Analysis by Ben Bajarin by the title of Is the Market too Crowded for webOS to be Successful? Know the truth in a review of the Nokia E7 by Chris Davies. And check out all the REST of the content we’ve got flying around here on The Daily Slash!
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Editor’s Choice
7-year-old boy wins eBay auction for Harrier jet, dad not happy
Obama: “Connecting Every Corner of America to the Digital Age”
M16 golf ball launcher is Mr. Driving Range Ball Picker Upper’s worst nightmare
Stabucks mobile payment app easily scammed by simple screengrab
Verizon Gifts Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers with a Replacement iPhone 4
SlashPhone
Palm Pre 2 Pre-order Available Via Verizon Wireless on Feb 10th
MetroPCS Launches Samsung Galaxy Indulge 4G Android Smartphone
Google Release Native Google Translate Software for iPhone
Android Community
Alltel Samsung Gem offers Android on a budget
Sonos Controller for Android to land in March
National Trust offers cool app that helps you find places to visit in the UK
App for strawberry lovers hits Android
HTC adding Facebook button to social networking phone?
Broadcom BCM21654 Android chip provides advanced graphics and a good price
Honeycomb Renderscript Detailed [The Balls]
Motorola Bee Concept Phone Runs Honeycomb, Trumps ATRIX
Waves of Impact and No Lines for Verizon’s iPhone [FEATURED]
Samsung Galaxy Tab Maintenance Update EA24
LG Optimus Pad aka G-Slate Destroyed by Transformers [VIDEO]
HTC ThunderBolt Release Date Confirmed by BGR
Angry Birds Hogs and Kisses [FULL SPOILER] [Including FB Levels] [FEATURED]
HTC Wildfire 2 Caught on HTC Innovation Ad
HALO Reach Bootscreen for you Master Chief Android Fans
Froyo for Motorola Milestone XT720 Today
Motorola XOOM WiFi clears FCC
SlashGear
Amazon App for Windows Phone 7 released
Sonos Controller for Android due March with voice control [Video]
Nokia CEO: “It’s not just differentiation but sustainable differentiation”
Scythe Gouriki 3 PSU breaks cover
7-year-old boy wins eBay auction for Harrier jet, dad not happy
M16 golf ball launcher is Mr. Driving Range Ball Picker Upper’s worst nightmare
Stabucks mobile payment app easily scammed by simple screengrab
dB Logic EP-100 earphones ship with SPL2 Healthy-Listening tech
Qualcomm’s HP Touchpad-powering Snapdragon APQ8060 detailed
Mophie juice pack air for Verizon iPhone 4 pre-ordering now
Verizon iPhone 4 in stores now
Nokia eyeing boutique developers for halo apps; in Adobe dev-tool talks?
Club3D unveils new Radeon HD 6950 video card
HTC Facebook phone with dedicated shortcut key at MWC tips source
Broadcom’s new BCM21654 baseband processor for Android debuts
iChair iPhone 4 cases work for AT&T and Verizon smartphones
Verbatim color-tunable OLED lighting debuts
Activision ends Guitar Hero and True Crime franchises
iPad 3 this fall tips latest batch of frantic Apple refresh rumors
Nokia close to Windows Phone 7 deal report insiders
Opera Mini Coming to the iPad
Apple Preparing iPhone Nano For $200 Sans Contract?
Immersion Announces MOTIV Haptics Development Platform
Opening iPad Numbers Crush iPod and iPhone
Onkyo Debuts Two Affordable Home Theater Systems
New 3D Network To Launch On DirecTV
Google Bulks Up Sign-In Security
LG VL600 LTE Modem for Verizon is now Mac-Compatible
Verizon Gifts Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers with a Replacement iPhone 4
Verizon iPhone 4 Cheaper for Apple to Build
iPhone Password Broken In 6 Minutes
Google Closing In On Next New Networks
Google TV is Dying, and an Apple TV with Apps will Finish it Off [COLUMN]
Obama: “Connecting Every Corner of America to the Digital Age”
No kidding? Skull Implanted Camera Gives Professor a Headache
Yahoo Announces LiveStand Digital Newstand
Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 RC Released
Only Modest Lines for Verizon iPhone 4
Apple TV to Support Gaming?
Is the Market too Crowded for webOS to be Successful?
Symbian Still Number One Smartphone Platform According to Gartner
webOS 3.0 ENYO SDK Released to Developers
iPad Mini in the Works?
Nokia E7 [REVIEW]
IDAPT i1 Eco charges your gadgets while saving the world
To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]
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Verizon iPhone 4 Launch At Mall of America – Embarrassing Video
We mentioned earlier today just how underwhelming the over hyped Verizon iPhone 4 launch turned out to be. But saying the lines were modest is really being nice now that we’ve seen a video of what took place at the Apple Store inside Mall of America in Bloomington, Minneapolis. Watch the video for yourself after the jump.
The video opens with loud applause and we see an Apple Store packed with maybe 50 staff. Flanking the entrance, the staff continue applauding and cheering as one woman and perhaps her daughter walk in from the empty mall. An older gentleman then jogs by in his sweats. It’s truly a sight to behold.
We can only assume that everyone’s snowed in there in Minneapolis and decided to pre-order online instead. Perhaps AT&T didn’t have to worry so much after all.
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Opera Mini Coming to the iPad
For many iPad users this is welcome news. Opera is planning to introduce a iPad specific version of its popular Opera Mini browser at the Mobile World Congress next week. Opera Mini has been available for iOS devices for awhile now, but this will be Opera’s first step into the tablet world. Expect Opera to use every inch of the iPads larger screen size.
“Our developers have been hard at work building the mobile browser of the future for both consumers and mobile operators,” said Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software. The Opera Mini has been a popular alternative to Apple’s Safari and many of company’s browsers are popular for other smartphones as well as Nintendo’s Wii and DSi.
Opera is also planning on introducing new versions of Opera Mini on the iPhone as well as on the Android, Blackberry, J2ME, and Symbian platforms. The browser has been immensely popular since it gained Apple’s approval early last year with 1 million downloads in the first 24 hours. Opera says that more than 100 million people use its browsers every month, mostly the Opera Mini.
[Via MacWorld]
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Apple Preparing iPhone Nano For $200 Sans Contract?
A report has come out from Bloomberg saying Apple is preparing a smaller version of its popular iPhone for $200 without contract. Its speculated that the price cut would be made possible from using older and cheaper components while the overall size of the device would be 1/3rd smaller than the current iPhone 4. This rumor has stirred the imaginations of folks all over the internet and we’ve found some rather amusing images of what this device may look like. See them after the break.
According to Bloomberg, the proposed move is to stem the wave of Android smartphones hitting the market now. Google’s Android platform swelled to 32.9% market share, beating Apple’s 16% in this last quarter. Bloomberg also says that Apple wants to make the diminutive iPhone dual-mode, making it a world phone capable of hopping between GSM and CDMA networks.
They also said that Apple is looking into a universal SIM feature, which would let the user switch between networks without having to switch SIM cards. This would be a definite game-changer because customers would no longer be restricted to certain carriers and could freely use whichever service they liked–putting a dent in carriers profits.
Apple has a history of downsizing their products like the iPod to the iPod mini, then from the iPod mini to the even smaller iPod nano. If the iPhone nano as speculated is true, it could help Apple become a major competitor in the lower-priced phone markets where Apple is currently absent.
[Via Bloomberg]
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- Rumor – Apple to announce new iPods at event on September 5th
Immersion Announces MOTIV Haptics Development Platform
Haptics has become an integral part of UI design when it comes to mobile devices. Those little vibrations and buzzes a user feels when they press a button or stroke a chord in a guitar app, all come together to create a rich interaction between user and device. Immersion, the leading company in this arena, has announced today that they will be releasing a new haptics development platform called MOTIV that will simplify the process of integrating haptics for both OEM manufacturers and app developers.
MOTIV includes several modules targeting different needs. The UI module makes it super easy to integrate haptics into Android OS user interface while the Theme Manager Module allows OEMs to select from a list of themes that can be applied. The Reverb Module allows for haptic feedback effects to be automatically generated based on audio data in an existing application.
The platform will make it easier for developers and OEMs to more quickly integrate haptics into both Android operating systems as well as individual applications for smartphones and tablets. The platform will be officially announced at the Mobile World Conference next week but will not be available until March.
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Opening iPad Numbers Crush iPod and iPhone
This has to make Apple execs happy. A presentation at Google’s thinkmobile event by Mary Meeker, former Wall St. analyst now at Kleiner Perkins, showed just how monstrous the iPad’s numbers are compared to its older siblings the iPod and iPhone.
The first slide shows that through the first three quarters of each device after its initial offering. The original iPod sold 236,000 in 2001. The original iPhone beat it in 2007 with 3.7 million sold. Now the iPad has demolished both of those with 14.8 million sold in the first three quarters of its life. The chart really shows how fast the public is willing to embrace a new Apple product, a result the company as nurtured for many years.
The second slide shows how Apple’s iTunes has vastly changed over the years as well. Remember when people used the program to purchase music and movies only? That was a big deal when the idea was first introduced but it’s second nature to many now. The slide shows that iTunes is all about the App Store now as 624 million songs were sold through iTunes, but a staggering 10 billion apps were downloaded.
Google got some good news as well at its own even when the slide about Android came up showing sky rocket growth in the first nine quarters of Android shipments. Android is now topping 70 million units shipped and has passed Apple’s iPhone shipping numbers as well.
[Via Cult of Mac]
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- Find My iPhone now free for iPad, iPod touch 4G and iPhone 4
Onkyo Debuts Two Affordable Home Theater Systems
Onkyo just announced today the release of two new “home-theater-in-a-box” (HTiB) systems for those wanting to indulge but on a budget. The systems feature the latest HDMI connectivity standard with support for 3D video and lossless audio all built to exacting standards for the ultimate music, movies, and gaming experience in your home.
The higher end model HT-S5400 7.1-channel HTiB offers two extra audio channels for more audio control to enhance movie and gaming ambience. The audio channels can support Dolby Pro Logi IIz along with having superior audio DACs. The model also features a front panel USB port for iPod or iPhone connectivity.
The more affordable 5.1-channel HT-S3400 model omits a few features including the USB port, subwoofer pre-out, and Audyssey 2EQ.
On top of this, Onkyo also announces a new Remote Interactive Dock for iPod/iPhone, the DS-A4, which provides audio, video outputs, charging, and full function remote control.
The Onkyo HT-S5400 is priced at $599, the HT-S3400 at $379, and the DS-A4 at $139. All will be available in April.
[Via Onkyo]
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New 3D Network To Launch On DirecTV
A new 3D channel is setting to premiere this Sunday on DirecTV, making it the third 3D channel on national satellite TV provider. The new network is a collaboration of Discovery Communications, Sony, and IMAX and is called 3net. The network will premiere at 8:00PM EST.
The first night’s lineup will consist of “China Revealed” and “Forgotten Planet”, both one-hour original programs, and IMAX’s “Into the Deep”. 3net will join DirecTV’s other two 3D channels n3D and ESPN3D and like n3D will broadcast content 24/7, ESPN3D starts their 24/7 broadcasting on Valentine’s Day.
The network says they will debut new content every night at 9:00PM and hopes to offer the largest library of native 3D content by 2011. So if you have the a 3D TV, the 3D glasses, and right antenna enjoy the added dimension.
[Via Discovery]
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Google Bulks Up Sign-In Security
If you’ve ever had your account hacked resulting in a deluge of spam bombarding the inboxes of your friends and family addressed from you, then you’ll surely appreciate Google’s new efforts to bulk up sign-in security for all their Gmail and Google Accounts users. However, this new two-step verification process may be more of a nuisance than worthy of celebration.
The two-step verification involves having to enter not only your password each time you sign in but also another code that you receive via a text message on your phone. The new system will be rolled out over the next few days, during which you will notice a new link on your Accounts Settings page. Setup can take up to 15 minutes and you can have several backup devices from which to receive your sign in codes.
Sounds like a major pain in the side? Yes, but Google believes this extra step is worth it to ensure your email accounts and other important data in your Google accounts do not get compromised. If it helps any, they do offer the option to “Remember verification for this computer for 30 days” which will save you from having to retrieve security codes off your phone for a month.
[Via Google Blog]
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LG VL600 LTE Modem for Verizon is now Mac-Compatible
If you have an LG VL600 LTE, rejoice! After being promised an update in early December, LG’s VL600 LTE dongle now has Mac drivers. You can download the new drivers here. Our own Ben Bajarin has already got his modem up and running on his MacBook Air, and getting 3.3 mb download and 3.8 mb upload speeds.
Be sure and check out SlashGear’s full hands-on for the LG VL600 LTE.
[via Engadget]
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