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• Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent settle decade-old patent spat
• Film camera measures 35-feet long, makes photojournalists keel over in worship / pain (video)
• Sony schedules PSN maintenance today, wants you to know this time it's on purpose
• The Nike+ FuelBand measures activity in NikeFuel, ready for your NikeLife
• Apple's iBooks Author hands-on
• iBooks 2 lets authors set textbook prices in exchange for Apple exclusivity
• Apple's iBooks 2 e-textbooks pack tons of info, take up tons of your iPad's memory
• Apple iTunes U hands-on (video)
• Card.io reaches out to devs, offers up credit card payment accounts to Joe normal
• Apple iBooks 2 textbook hands-on (video)
• Intel offers overclocking protection plan, takes Cash4CPUs
• One-quarter of South Korean phone owners have a Galaxy S II, according to Samsung
• Apple revamps iTunes U and intros dedicated app (video)
• Apple announces free iBooks Author OS X app for publishing books to the App Store
• Apple launches iBooks 2 e-Textbook platform (video)
• Live from Apple's education event!
• Hack breaks Hulu Plus free from supported device chains, embraces Androids of every shape and color
• Shogun Bros. Ballista MK-1 Gaming Mouse totes new sniping system, looks like it'll hit the spot
• Genius DX-ECO wireless mouse has no battery, charges in three minutes anyway
• Virgin Mobile targets March 23rd to throttle data, take candy from children
• Prada Phone by LG 3.0 arriving on T-Mobile UK next month
• TSMC profits down 22.5 percent, still able to afford a new yacht
• Sing hello to the iRig PRE, turns iOS devices into on-the-fly mic preamps
• ZTE Tania arrives in the UK: a budget phone for budget buyers
• Microsoft spoiling Canadians, Germans as Xbox Live gets more local stations
• Sony Ericsson swallows $317 million pre-tax loss as end draws near
• GM teams with Future Lab on interactive Windows of Opportunity, MI:4 tech lives on
• Transformer Prime quietly gets GPS update, root killer
• Kodak files Chapter 11 bankruptcy, expects to complete restructuring by 2013
• Behringer outs three iPad-housing USB mixers
• China wants microbloggers to register with the government, hand over real identity
• iPads replaced with clay, sold to unsuspecting Canadians
• Facebook launches Timeline Apps platform, socialites rejoice
• SnapStream TV monitoring now lets OS X users keep tabs on amusing video-blunders
• RIM and Turkcell partner to bring NFC payments to Bold 9900, Turkish pazars
• Adlink launches fanless quad-core Intel Core i7 computers, keeps its cool with mobile connectivity

Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent settle decade-old patent spat Posted: 19 Jan 2012 09:59 AM PST It's no secret that Alcatel-Lucent and Microsoft have a long and somewhat litigious relationship, but today the two companies are letting bygones be bygones. CNET is reporting that A-L and MS have reached a "confidential settlement" in a patent dispute dating all the way back to 2002. Originally targeting Dell and Gateway, then-Alcatel alleged that information entry techniques used by Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Money and Windows Mobile violated a portion of its patent portfolio. Microsoft stepped in on the OEMs' behalf, and in a 2008 ruling, a court granted the newly formed Alcatel-Lucent over $350 million in damages -- subsequently reduced to $70 million in July of 2011 and further reduced to just over $23 million upon appeal. The final settlement is, as we said, unknown, but a Microsoft spokesperson was quoted as saying the deal is "to the satisfaction of both parties." No word on when the two will file their next multimillion dollar blockbuster lawsuit, but apparently both counsels will be sleeping easy tonight.

Film camera measures 35-feet long, makes photojournalists keel over in worship / pain (video) Posted: 19 Jan 2012 09:38 AM PST To all photographers who measure their talent by the size of their equipment, it's time to give up the race. Folks, step right up and meet the Eye of America: a 35-foot long film camera that captures negatives measuring six by four and a half freaking feet. Currently in the possession of Dennis Manarchy, the retro-styled rig is said to barely fit into a truck, and yet can deliver images 1,000 times greater than the average negative. When Manarchy's not capturing stills for exhibitions that stand two stories tall, he uses the gigantic contraption to teach average folk about how cameras work. Then again, most negatives don't need to be inspected through windows rigged with LED lights. Frankly, we didn't think any piece of kit could strike fear into the Maxback -- but, that was yesterday. As for a damage deposit on the Eye of America? Well, if you need to ask, you can safely assume you've just priced yourself out of the market.

Sony schedules PSN maintenance today, wants you to know this time it's on purpose Posted: 19 Jan 2012 09:17 AM PST Sony knows you're likely scarred for life after its many security snafus, so it's doing all it can to keep you in the loop in regards to its PSN. The network will be experiencing a temporary outage today to make room for "routine scheduled maintenance" starting at 11AM ET and ending at approximately midnight. As usual in these scenarios, you won't have access to any PlayStation services on your PS3 or PSP, including PlayStation Home and Sony's Music and Video Unlimited offerings. That said, if you were shootin' and slashin' fools before the downtime, you should have no hassle continuing with your current session -- though access to any of the aforementioned services is still out of the question. Desperate to know exactly when the PSN will be back up and running? Keep it locked on the Playstation Twitter feed to find out.

The Nike+ FuelBand measures activity in NikeFuel, ready for your NikeLife Posted: 19 Jan 2012 08:57 AM PST While Nike might have beat competitors like the MotoACTV and Jawbone Up to the active bracelet market over two years ago, its original endeavor, the Nike+ SportBand, was getting long in the tooth. That changes today with the introduction of the far sleeker Nike+ FuelBand. It's much in the vein of the original, except boasts a more attractive 20 LED dot-matrix display and can measure activity in a new unit the company calls NikeFuel. That latter bit is a normalized score that unlike calories "awards equal points for the same activity regardless of physical makeup." We'll have to see about that, but we're definitively smitten with its design and that row of colorful LEDs that progressively fills as one gets closer to reaching their intended goal. The $149 pre-orders go live on the company's online store at 5PM ET, but those interested ought to peep the PR and video after the break. Show full PR text NIKE Announces New NIKE+ FuelBand –Measuring Movement to Make Life A Sport New York, New York (January 19, 2012) – NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) announced today the NIKE+ FuelBand, an innovative wristband that tracks and measures everyday movement to motivate and inspire people to be more active. Activities can now be measured through a new metric called NikeFuel: the more active you are, the more NikeFuel you earn. NIKE, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker unveiled NIKE+ FuelBand at an event in New York attended by seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, Oklahoma City scoring champion and all-star Kevin Durant and 2011 IAAF women's 100-meter World Champion Carmelita Jeter. "The NIKE+ FuelBand is a way for Nike to further evolve the exciting possibilities of merging the physical and digital worlds," said Parker. "Nike has always been about inspiring athletes, and the NIKE+ FuelBand will help motivate them in a simple, fun and intuitive way." Designed to be worn throughout the day, the ergonomic, user-friendly NIKE+ FuelBand uses accelerometry to provide information about different activities through movement of the wrist via a LED dot matrix display. Four metrics are available: Time, Calories, Steps and NikeFuel. Unlike calorie counts, which vary based on someone's gender and body type, NikeFuel is a normalized score that awards equal points for the same activity regardless of physical makeup. Users set a daily goal of how active they want to be, and how much NikeFuel they want to achieve. The NIKE+ FuelBand displays a series of 20 LED lights that go from red-to-green as the user gets closer to their goal. The FuelBand syncs with the Nike+ website through a built-in USB, or wirelessly through Bluetooth to a free iPhone app, to record activity and track progress every day. The app interface also provides encouragement and motivation as goals are achieved. Armstrong said, "What's great about the idea of NikeFuel and the FuelBand is the way it provides real information and numbers to show how much people are doing all day, every day. That's what will get people challenging themselves to do more and better their own scores. It's a tool to get people more active." "NikeFuel means everyone can get recognition for activities they do," said Durant. "It provides a scoreboard for your day and gets everyone moving." Jeter said, "You don't have to be an elite athlete to appreciate how NikeFuel can motivate you. It's an easy way to get credit for activities and compare how you do with others, even if you take part in different sports. The Nike+ Fuelband will be available for preorder starting January 19th in the US at Nikestore.com for a suggested retail price of $149 (US). To use Nike+ FuelBand, the following is needed: • A Macintosh or PC with built-in USB. Mac OS v 10.4 or later, Windows 7 or Windows Vista (SP2) or Windows XP (SP2) • Internet access. Broadband is recommended. • Optional mobile app available in the iTunes App store; for updates on compatible mobile devices, visit Nikeplus.com About NIKE, Inc. NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.nikeinc.com and follow @Nike.

Apple's iBooks Author hands-on Posted: 19 Jan 2012 08:36 AM PST Inside every frustrated journalist is an even more frustrated author, and self-publishing is an evil that many of us have succumbed to over the years. Still, much as we may want to resist it, we couldn't help ourselves when it came time to test Apple's iBooks Author app, designed for educators to push out textbooks to students for a fraction of the cost, time and energy it would traditionally take. So, how does it feel when you're working inside the software? Could you use it to prepare seminar materials for the class of 2015 or, more importantly, launch your own career as Stephanie Meyer's successor? Head past the break to find out! Apple iBooks Author hands-on You open into a template-chooser that gives you six different options: Basic, Contemporary, Modern Type (retro-tastic), Classic, Editorial and Craft. You'll instantly notice that the designs scream out from the back of your memory -- you've seen books exactly like this throughout your education, each one packing detailed homages (or pastiches) from the originals. If you've used Apple's Pages (or Word, for that matter), you're going to find the setup here very familiar when inputting text. There's a lot of templates built-into each page, but you can tweak your text with the same level of freedom that you can in those other apps. Apple's attention to detail is at the fore here: the wonderfully observed front cover has shadowing like textured paper -- there's even white scratches in the dye, making this feel a lot more real than a pristine design. On the left-hand side of the main window is an outline of your book. There you can add chapters based on various color templates and pre-designed sections. We noticed however, that there are four "Lorum Ipsum" sub-headers already in the text, no matter what we tried (in our admittedly quick hands-on) we couldn't replace any of them but the first with our own. It's a shame that we found ourselves butting heads with the software after such a short time, but it's not clear how you're meant to customize these pieces, if at all. One of the things we noticed is that you probably won't want to spend too much editing raw text in the app. This is certainly not going to replace your text editor of choice -- the templates are very fussy and require you to have everything ready before you commence. What does impress us is that every part of the layout is customizable. In this regard, it feels as if Apple's tried to anticipate most common tweaks that amateur textbook authors would want to make and provide for them. As you can see, it's also surprisingly easy to insert media into your plain text. Select the relevant widget from the above menu (you can also insert charts, tables, multiple-choice tests, galleries, keynote presentations and HTML) and a placeholder space will appear that you can dynamically move around your text -- here we unceremoniously plonked in an Engadget classic podcast that then shunted everything around and you can access from a tap. It's hard to convey how impressive this is: your average school teacher should have no trouble creating materials for pupils to a similar standard that a publishing house can. Whilst it's unlikely they'll have the resources to build out some of the (dare we say it) fancier options on offer here, we're excited to see that there is a lot of potential into this software that we have yet to see. Apple confirmed to us that you can publish classroom materials for free and that each book will be approved in the same way that the App store approvals process works. Copyrighted works (if you utilize any) will have to be strictly cited and referenced in order to pass muster. You'll be able to publish books for free, all the way up to $14.99: with a fixed profit-share model of 70/30 between yourself and Cupertino. Most importantly of all, any book that you publish must be an exclusive to iBooks. Still, from what we've managed to achieve in our short-time with it, we're feeling pretty darn jealous about the learning materials the kids of tomorrow are going to get to play with -- as we nurse our back injuries from carrying around 20-ton copies of Herring's Criminal Law and Hudson's Equity and Trusts as a student.

iBooks 2 lets authors set textbook prices in exchange for Apple exclusivity Posted: 19 Jan 2012 08:29 AM PST Were you wondering about the economics behind Apple's new e-textbooks? Well, it turns out that Cupertino is giving authors the ability to set their own prices as long as they remain $14.99 or under. In exchange, Apple takes a 30 percent cut, and requires authors take an oath of fealty to Tim Cook -- ok, not really, but any e-textbook author that wants access to the iPad-toting masses must make his or her work an exclusive to iBooks 2. So there you have it folks, if you want to take a gander at these awesome new e-textbooks, you'll have to jump on the iOS bandwagon.

Apple's iBooks 2 e-textbooks pack tons of info, take up tons of your iPad's memory Posted: 19 Jan 2012 08:06 AM PST Apple just got done unveiling its new iBooks 2 platform, letting us in on its plan to revamp education (in part) through its fancy new e-textbooks. These digital volumes look beautiful and come at a relatively meager monetary cost ($14.99), but a quick perusal of the textbooks available in iTunes reveals they'll take a sizable chunk of your iPad's memory. The current lineup of eight texts range in size from 800MB to 2.77GB, so folks looking to grab a full semester's worth of materials may have to carry an extra iPad or three to get the job done. Not an ideal solution, but a few Apple slates are still easier to schlep across campus than those massive texts you're used to, right?

Apple iTunes U hands-on (video) Posted: 19 Jan 2012 08:06 AM PST Would you like to make more money? Sure, we all would, and a great way to do that is to get a better education. There was a time when you had to go to schools or rely on shady mail-order diplomas. Now you can use your iPad and get the same thing with the new iTunes U app. It's an extension of the existing iTunes U service, which has been around for about four years despite few people knowing anything about it. This new apps should change that. Join us for a full exploration of why. Apple iTunes U hands-on in New York City Previously, iTunes U was just educational content in iTunes that you could download. Now, its basically full course materials. We looked into a sample Chemistry course to get a feel. It all starts with an overview of the course, including the description, bio of the teacher, even a complete syllabus. This will help you know whether you want to commit to this course, but realistically that is just the beginning. From there you can dig a little deeper. There's a Posts tab that contains assignments and information sent from the teacher. You get a checklist of assignments from various sources. Let's say the assignment is "Read Chapter 1" in some fancy new interactive textbook that's in the new iBooks. Just tap the assignment and you'll be brought right there to where you need to go. When you're through, you can hop back and tap the checkbox to mark it complete. Keeping tabs on your homework has never been easier, but sadly it's still on you to actually do it. But of course while reading that chapter you'll have taken some notes and highlights that you'll want to collect together, and the iTunes U app helps you do that too. Any notes taken in materials related to the course will be pulled together, and from there you can aggregate them and create handy flipcards to learn your lessons. Finally, iTunes U creates a complete list of all materials used in the course, whether they be iBooks, web links, PDFs, apps, media files in iTunes and so on and so forth. With a tap you're taken right there and, should you need to purchase something, you can do it with one tap -- no hopping from App Store to iTunes and back again. iTunes U has the potential to shake the world of online learning, not only because it's quite impressive but because it is quite free. What happens next, though, is up to the schools and universities across the US. It's now open to K - 12 schools as well as higher level institutions, and we're eager to find out, once and for all, whether we really are smarter than a fifth grader. Darren Murph contributed to this report. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Card.io reaches out to devs, offers up credit card payment accounts to Joe normal Posted: 19 Jan 2012 08:01 AM PST Who needs extra hardware to add mobile payments to iOS and Android? Not Card.io, who's unveiled a new SDK for it's visual card processing system alongside a payment app allowing anyone to accept payments from other users. Having already launched its scanner software development kit last year, the new SDK will open up the company's payment process to third-party developers. The new payment app works across Android and iPhone platforms, with no need to register as a merchant to access the feature. Although there are no registration charges, payments made through either PayPal or your bank account will have an additional 3.5 percent plus 30 cents nudged on top of each transaction. Going dutch has never been more (begrudgingly) easy. Show full PR text card.io Launches Payments App, Mobile Payments SDK San Francisco, Calif. – January 19, 2012 – card.io, a mobile commerce company founded by two former AdMob employees, Mike Mettler and Josh Bleecher Snyder, today announced their first consumer app: Card.io payments app allows anyone to accept a credit card payment simply by using the camera on their phone, with no extra hardware needed. The app experience is simple and clean: download the app (available for both iOS and Android), sign up with card.io, hold a card up to the phone camera, and that's it - there's no swiping or typing. "Most consumers don't have separate hardware to swipe a credit card, so we built this app for them" said Mike Mettler, founder of card.io. Mettler continued, "Whether you're splitting the bill at lunch, paying a friend for gas on a ski trip, or buying a couch on craigslist, card.io payments is the fastest, easiest, and most secure way to accept payment." There are no setup or monthly charges, and you only pay fees on a successful purchase. Pricing is 3.5% plus $0.30 per transaction, and payouts can be made to PayPal or your bank account. Card.io is also announcing the availability of it's Mobile Payments SDK for iOS and Android. Since the company previously launched a Scanning SDK for iOS in June and Android in September, over 160 apps have integrated with card.io. The company's new offering, available for both platforms, allows developers to not just scan a credit card, but to process that card using card.io's one-stop payment solution. "Developers kept asking us to take more friction out of the payment process" said Mettler. "With our new SDK, you don't need to worry about merchant accounts or payment gateways because the Mobile Payments SDK is a full-stack payments solution. Developers sign up with card.io, download the SDK, and start monetizing."

Apple iBooks 2 textbook hands-on (video) Posted: 19 Jan 2012 07:51 AM PST We just got our first opportunity to get our hands on one of Apple's new interactive textbooks and we have to say, they're as good as they looked during the live event. We tried a few titles, ranging from steady textbooks to more exotic stuffs, but by far the best is the selection from E.O. Wilson called Life on Earth. Join us for full details and video demonstration of the future of learning after the break. Apple iBooks 2 demo in NYC - 01.19.2012 To launch one of these textbooks you simply go into iBooks like normal, select the title you want with a tap and then wait a few moments. These big textbooks are a bit sluggish to load, but then again many of them have FMV intros -- just like the CD-ROM games of the '90s. Thankfully you can skip past that and get to the meat of the books. And there is a lot of meat. Life on Earth clocks in at 965MB, and that's just two chapters. Pearson's Biology is 2.7GB! Interacting with the books is a generally intuitive combination of tapping, swiping and pinching. You can pinch from any page to get out to the heading of that chapter, then drag along a bar on the bottom to quickly go from one chapter to the next. When you're looking at any page, you can get a closer view of any of the media there by simply pinching it. Tiny picture of an ant? Give it a nudge and it's full-screen. You can then swipe through galleries, play movies and interact with various other widgets that authors can drop in place. The view is awfully flashy and fun and, we must say, a little bit distracting. Maybe that's just because we're used to boring old textbooks, though. If you do want a more streamlined view, just tilt the iPad into portrait view. Here the images and media take a back seat to the text. Taking notes is as easy as long-tapping on any word and then dragging your finger across. The highlight is created and you can then type additional notes on top of that. Once that's done, you can aggregate all your notes together and make flashcards, even have definitions on one side and key terms on the other. We do wonder if the process of writing the 3 x 5-inch cards wasn't part of the learning, but this genuinely makes learning more fun, and that's something. Still, those are minor questions compared to what is a pretty amazing demonstration. These books aren't hugely better than interactive books we've seen before, but they are going to be free to create and may will sell for just $14.99. Major publishers Pearson, McGraw Hill and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are already playing along, releasing textbooks that are used in millions of schools worldwide. It's an impressive launch and, if Apple has anything to say about it, this is only the beginning. Darren Murph contributed to this report. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Intel offers overclocking protection plan, takes Cash4CPUs Posted: 19 Jan 2012 07:37 AM PST For a certain subset of tech geeks, it can be hard to live with the knowledge that raw processing power lies untapped within their machines. And it's typically those users that indulge in a bit of overclocking, pushing their CPUs to the limit, often resulting in unstable performance or even a fried processor. Give a hand, then, to the folks over at Intel, who have heard your nerd pleas and are offering up an extended safety net so you can continue to code dangerously. Dubbed the Performance Tuning Protection Plan, this optional add-on for unlocked processors (ending in X or K) reaches beyond the standard three year warranty to give users a one-time replacement. You'll still have to cough up some cash -- about $20 to $35 depending on what your computer's packing -- but that's still a small price to pay for a second chance at silicon thrills.

One-quarter of South Korean phone owners have a Galaxy S II, according to Samsung Posted: 19 Jan 2012 07:14 AM PST Since going on sale last April, Samsung has moved some five million Galaxy S II units in its native South Korea. According to the company, that number means that roughly one in every four phone owners in the country now rocks the popular handset, enough for the company to unofficially declare it the nation's "national smartphone," a fact that's pretty tough to deny, given that South Korea's total population is somewhere in the ballpark of 49 million. All in all, not a bad haul for a handset that launched around nine months ago.

Apple revamps iTunes U and intros dedicated app (video) Posted: 19 Jan 2012 06:48 AM PST A facelift for iBooks wasn't the only change on Apple's agenda today, as the company's SVP Eddy Cue has just announced an overhaul of iTunes U. The service, mostly used as a means of delivering lectures to college students, has seen over 700 million downloads since its launch and is now gearing up to offer full online courses from the likes of Duke University, Yale, MIT, amongst others. As an example of this new remote method of learning, the company demoed a Chemistry course at its event, showing an overview, syllabus, credits and even the professor's office hours. Tabs are placed along the right side of page with options for Info, Posts, Notes and Materials, allowing teachers to send updates direct to the app and students the ability to jot down important highlights. Wondering about integration? A simple tap on these pushed assignments will transport students direct to iBooks, where their specific coursework lies in wait and, once completed, can be crossed off on the provided task list. The app can even be used for course registration, eliminating the frenzied rush typically associated with such events. It's all available to download on the App Store right now at no cost in 123 countries. So, if you're on Apple's participating list of schools and you're rocking an iPad, go ahead and get to virtually cracking those books. Update: We've got our hands-on video up of the new iTunes U application! iTunes U app Show full PR text Apple Unveils All-New iTunes U App for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch Entire Courses from Top Universities Now Available in One App NEW YORK-January 19, 2012-Apple® today announced an all-new iTunes® U app, giving educators and students everything they need on their iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch® to teach and take entire courses. The all-new iTunes U app lets teachers create and manage courses including essential components such as lectures, assignments, books, quizzes and syllabuses and offer them to millions of iOS users around the world. The iTunes U app gives iOS users access to the world's largest catalog of free educational content from top universities including Cambridge, Duke, Harvard, Oxford and Stanford, and starting today any K-12 school district can offer full courses through the iTunes U app. iTunes U has already become an incredibly popular learning tool for students with over 700 million downloads. "The all-new iTunes U app enables students anywhere to tap into entire courses from the world's most prestigious universities," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. "Never before have educators been able to offer their full courses in such an innovative way, allowing anyone who's interested in a particular topic to learn from anywhere in the world, not just the classroom." Prior to iTunes U, only students in the classroom at that time had access to educational content from top universities. With the iTunes U app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, those barriers no longer exist. Students anywhere can take an entire course with complete access to all course materials right at their fingertips. With the iTunes U app, students are able to access new books right from within the app, and any notes taken in iBooks® are consolidated for easy reviewing. In addition to reading books, viewing presentations, lectures and assignment lists, students can receive push notifications so they always have the latest class information.* The iTunes U app is available today as a free download from the App Store™. Educators can quickly and easily create, manage and share their courses, quizzes and handouts through a web-based tool and utilize content and links from the iTunes U app, the Internet, iBookstore℠ or the App Store as part of their curriculum. They can also upload and distribute their own documents such as Keynote®, Pages®, Numbers® or books made with iBooks Author. *Some content is available only for iPad. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Apple announces free iBooks Author OS X app for publishing books to the App Store Posted: 19 Jan 2012 06:21 AM PST We're here at Apple's education-themed event at the Guggenheim museum in New York City, and the company's just followed up its long-awaited textbook announcement with something unexpected: iBooks Author, a free OS X program for creating books. The intent is really for teachers and other educators to produce educational materials, but Apple says the format can apply to any genre. Aside from the free part, the real story here is ease of use, with the ability to drag and drop photos, videos and even Microsoft Word files into various templates. If you use Apple's own suite of office apps, in particular, you can drag and drop a Keynote presentation into the doc, and it'll live on as an interactive widget. (You can whip up other widgets, too, though you'll need to know Javascript or HTML.) Moving beyond the main text, authors can also arrange glossaries by highlighting and clicking words, and clicking again to add a definition. In a surprise move, Apple also said authors can publish straight to the store, though we're waiting for clarification that textbook writers and other scribes are actually exempt from Cupertino's notorious approval process. In any case, the app is available now in the App Store so by all means, get cracking on that definitive Kurt Vonnegut glossary you never knew you had in you. Update: We've got our hands-on up! Update 2: Apple has confirmed some key approval and revenue-sharing details. First, authors will be subject to the same App Store approval process as developers. Writers can offer their books for free, or for as much as $14.99 -- the same price cap for textbooks sold in the store. And, like developers, authors must agree to a 70/30 revenue split, with writers pocketing 70 percent after Apple takes its share. iBooks Author This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Apple launches iBooks 2 e-Textbook platform (video) Posted: 19 Jan 2012 06:10 AM PST We're here at Apple's education-flavored event at the Guggenheim museum in New York City. Phil Schiller has just taken to the stage and announced the first half of Apple's platform that's going to "reinvent the textbook:" iBooks 2. Saying that there were 1.5 million iPads currently in use in Education (using 20,000 specific apps), the revamped book-stand now includes education-specific features to help the budding students of the world. You'll be able to paw through content, stopping to flick through detailed 3D animated models of elements within, access video and definitions without leaving the page. VP of Productivity Applications, Roger Rosner said that "Clearly, no printed book can compete with this:" given the constantly-updated data available, that's kinda obvious. Still, you'll be able to read in a text-heavy portrait or picture-biased landscape mode and there's also the option to have random pop-quizzes appear to keep you on your toes. Annotations is an integral part of the system: you can add stickies to individual pages and aggregate them into virtual 3 x 5-inch note-cards for revision during finals. You'll also get the same purchase, download and re-download rights you enjoy in the company's other stores. The company's partnered (initially) with textbook makers Pearson, McGraw Hill and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, as the trio are responsible for 90 percent of all textbooks sold -- as well as DK and the E.O. Wilson Foundation. Phil was gushing, saying that he couldn't "overemphasize the importance of these partners working with us." Pearson's High School Science, Biology, DK's Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life, Natural History Insects, Animals and My First ABC as well as the first two chapters of E.O. Wilson's Life on Earth will be available at launch -- the latter is free. You'll be able to download iBooks 2 from the app store free of charge, whilst textbooks themselves will cost $14.99 or less : a far cry from the $80 dead-tree textbooks we shelled out for in college. Update: We've got a hands-on up live from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City! iBooks 2 Show full PR text Apple Reinvents Textbooks with iBooks 2 for iPad New iBooks Author Lets Anyone Create Stunning iBooks Textbooks NEW YORK-January 19, 2012-Apple® today announced iBooks® 2 for iPad®, featuring iBooks textbooks, an entirely new kind of textbook that's dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. iBooks textbooks offer iPad users gorgeous, fullscreen textbooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, unrivaled navigation and much more. iBooks textbooks can be kept up to date, don't weigh down a backpack and never have to be returned. Leading education services companies including Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill and Pearson will deliver educational titles on the iBookstore℠ with most priced at $14.99 or less, and with the new iBooks Author, a free authoring tool available today, anyone with a Mac® can create stunning iBooks textbooks. "Education is deep in Apple's DNA and iPad may be our most exciting education product yet. With 1.5 million iPads already in use in education institutions, including over 1,000 one-to-one deployments, iPad is rapidly being adopted by schools across the US and around the world," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Now with iBooks 2 for iPad, students have a more dynamic, engaging and truly interactive way to read and learn, using the device they already love." The new iBooks 2 app is available today as a free download from the App Store™. With support for great new features including gorgeous, fullscreen books, interactive 3D objects, diagrams, videos and photos, the iBooks 2 app will let students learn about the solar system or the physics of a skyscraper with amazing new interactive textbooks that come to life with just a tap or swipe of the finger. With its fast, fluid navigation, easy highlighting and note-taking, searching and definitions, plus lesson reviews and study cards, the new iBooks 2 app lets students study and learn in more efficient and effective ways than ever before. iBooks Author is also available today as a free download from the Mac App Store and lets anyone with a Mac create stunning iBooks textbooks, cookbooks, history books, picture books and more, and publish them to Apple's iBookstore. Authors and publishers of any size can start creating with Apple-designed templates that feature a wide variety of page layouts. iBooks Author lets you add your own text and images by simply dragging and dropping, and with the Multi-Touch™ widgets you can easily add interactive photo galleries, movies, Keynote® presentations and 3D objects. Apple today also announced an all-new iTunes® U app giving educators and students everything they need on their iPad, iPhone® and iPod touch® to teach and take entire courses. With the new iTunes U app, students using iPads have access to the world's largest catalog of free educational content, along with over 20,000 education apps at their fingertips and hundreds of thousands of books in the iBookstore that can be used in their school curriculum, such as novels for English or Social Studies.* The iTunes U app is available today as a free download from the App Store. *Some content is available only for iPad. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Live from Apple's education event! Posted: 19 Jan 2012 05:50 AM PST

Hack breaks Hulu Plus free from supported device chains, embraces Androids of every shape and color Posted: 19 Jan 2012 05:42 AM PST It's not TV, it's Hulu Plus and it's coming to the Android device of your choosing -- somewhat, unofficially. While the main ad-supported, streaming video site may have failed to seek refuge in the arms of a new owner last year, its subscription mobile offshoot is now finding a home in all Googlefied phones and tablets via a modified .apk created by XDA Developers member Vgeezy. But before you get all hot and bothered, keep in mind this jailbroken app still requires a subscription to work, although you won't need root to install it. So, any users looking for a quick and illicit content fix will have to look elsewhere. For everyone else, there's the source link below.

Shogun Bros. Ballista MK-1 Gaming Mouse totes new sniping system, looks like it'll hit the spot Posted: 19 Jan 2012 05:05 AM PST The latest gaming mouse from Shogun Bros. doesn't double as a gamepad, but it does carry a heady list of extra features for sharpshooting gamers. These include independent X and Y DPi settings to stabilize targeting, thumb selector for speed shooting, 5,700 DPI accuracy and 11,570 frames per second movement tracking -- sidestepping those pesky jumps and stutters when moving that cursor in the midst of a melee. Indicators include X, Y and refresh rate, while you'll find 11 extra macro keys across the rubberized surface. There are 20 customized DPI settings for any game genre you'd care to mention -- oh and a desktop setting, yawn. Expect to shoot the wings off a CGI fly some time in Q2 2012. Show full PR text Shogun Bros. Ballista MK-I Gaming Mouse Shogun Bros. Understand Gamer need a Reliable, Accurate and Simply Operated Killing Device, this is the reason to develop the Ballista MK-1 for all they needs in their battlefield. We use all Top Design, Material and Components to create Best Mouse for them. Features – Precision Sniping System – Independent X and Y DPI setting (Allow User to Set Slow Vertical or Horizontal Movement for Stable Targeting) Thumb Selector for Speed Shoot Mode Change Extreme Accurate 5700 DPI, 1000HZ Polling Rate Extreme Movement Sensation - 11570 Frame Per Second (No Jumping, No Skipping) 4 Level Customized DPI Setting with Active Indicator Independent X, Y and Refresh Rate Indicator 5 Mode Customized Profile Setting with Indicator – Total 20 Customized DPI Setting (Best for FPS, MMO, RPG and Normal Desktop Environment) 11 Macro Keys to Master in the Game 5 Finger Rest and Ergonomic Shape for Long Hours Fight Design - 1. Driver Free Capability (Bring mouse to any PC for Gaming) 2. Rubberized Surface for best grip 3. Special Thick Thumb Rubber for Grip to Move 4. Vacuum Electroplating Button 5. X,Y and Mode DPI Indicator 6. Military Grade Fabric Cable with Interference Cancellation 7. Golden Plated USB Pricing and Availability - Worldwide Available on Q2 2012. System - Windows 95/98/2000/NT/ME/XP/Vista/Win 7/Mac OS X 10.5

Genius DX-ECO wireless mouse has no battery, charges in three minutes anyway Posted: 19 Jan 2012 04:46 AM PST Hip on recharging your wireless rodent every single day? How about if it only takes three minutes? A single day's juice per charge might be unacceptable for most peripherals, but we're ready to make an exception for Genius' DX-ECO wireless mouse. This adjustable 800 / 1600 DPI clicker swaps out a recharge battery for a "gold," or electric double-layer capacitor -- you may know it as a super, or ultracapacitor. A step towards a battery-free existence not enough for you? Fine, bask in the knowledge that the DX-ECO also features a carpet, marble and sofa friendly "BlueEye" sensor. Read on for the official PR. Us? We're off to fantasize about battery free electric vehicles. Show full PR text Fully Recharged within Minutes - Genius DX-ECO - World's First Battery Free Wireless Mouse for PC & Mac Ground-breaking New BlueEye Optical Mouse Now Available in North America January 18, 2012, Taipei, Taiwan – Genius, a leading maker of computer peripherals, announces the world's first battery-free wireless mouse that is recharged within minutes - DX-ECO BlueEye Mouse. Ready for a full day's use after only a three-minute charge, the Genius DX-ECO uses a built-in gold capacitor with a long life of 100,000 recharges instead of outdated, environmentally unfriendly disposable batteries. Consumers no longer need to waste time and money whether on a PC or Mac when using DX-ECO. It's ideal for government and corporations to provide a wireless mouse option that is not only cost-cutting but also hassle-free from controlling and resupplying batteries. The DX-ECO BlueEye sensor technology allows for smooth, uninterrupted pointing and clicking on virtually any surface including dusted glass, marble, or thick carpet. Working wirelessly from a distance of up to 15 meters due to the 2.4GHz USB pico receiver, this innovative battery-free mouse can be used anywhere and everywhere. Even when on-the-go the tiny USB pico receiver can be stored inside the DX-ECO for safe keeping. Featuring 4-way scrolling, adjustable dpi (800/1600 dpi), as well as next/previous page hot keys for more efficient web-surfing, the DX-ECO battery free blue-eye mouse also includes plug and play design and comfortable ergonomic construction. Package Contents: DX-ECO wireless mouse USB pico receiver CD driver Micro USB rechargeable cable Multi-language user's manual

Virgin Mobile targets March 23rd to throttle data, take candy from children Posted: 19 Jan 2012 04:23 AM PST It's been a long time coming, but after much backpedaling, Virgin Mobile is throwing down the gauntlet -- it'll begin throttling data speeds come March 23rd. Like expected, each month that a user exceeds 2.5GB of data usage, he or she will have their downloads capped at 256Kbps for the remainder of the billing cycle. Data hungry users will receive a text message once the governor kicks in, and for those who simply can't stand to be held back, Virgin Mobile will allow subscribers to begin a new month of billing at the drop of a hat -- talk about unbridled generosity. Looking to dig deeper? You'll find a complete rundown of the new contractual terms just after the break. [Candy photo via Shutterstock] Virgin Mobile throttling terms To make sure we can keep offering our Beyond Talk Plans at such great prices, we're putting a data speed reduction in place for anyone who uses over 2.5GB of data in a month. Will it affect me? Based on your activity for your last plan month ending in December, you could be affected by this change. If you continue to use the same amount of data as you did in your last plan month, you may see your data speeds reduced during a plan month when the data speed reduction is implemented on March 23, 2012. You can still use your phone to do everything you currently do, but you may experience slower page loads and file downloads and lags in streaming media. This will not affect your ability to text or make calls with your phone. How will it work? Starting March 23, 2012, if you use over 2.5GB of data in a month on your Beyond Talk Plan: • Data speeds may be reduced to 256Kbps or below for the rest of your month. • If data speeds are reduced, they will return to normal as soon as your next plan month starts. • If you'd rather not wait for your new month to start, you can restart your plan immediately through My Account. How will I know if my data speeds have been reduced? If you reach 2.5GB of data in a month, you will receive a text message letting you know your data speeds will be reduced for the rest of your plan month. By putting this data speed reduction in place, we're making sure we can deliver the same quality service you've come to expect from Virgin Mobile. We hope you understand. *Data usage per activity is based on an average. Bandwidth varies by website, video, email and other Internet application

Prada Phone by LG 3.0 arriving on T-Mobile UK next month Posted: 19 Jan 2012 04:01 AM PST Brits dripping in Prada won't have to wait much longer to get their smartphone fix. The awkwardly-named Prada Phone by LG 3.0 is looking to set sail from its native Korea -- where it's already launched -- and will be available on T-Mobile, half of the Everything Everywhere duo, some time in February. Sidling up to the UK carrier's coming soon page, the salient selling points appear to be that Prada styling and LG's 4.3-inch NOVA plus display. That subtle monochromatic skinning of the Gingerbread OS won't hurt its chances either. No word on a precise launch date or price, but we expect to see a review model pretty soon -- once we're dressed well enough to be seen with it.

TSMC profits down 22.5 percent, still able to afford a new yacht Posted: 19 Jan 2012 03:29 AM PST It's not been a great year for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company: the chip foundry behind Qualcomm and NVIDIA's silicon (amongst others) saw profits slump by 22.5 percent in the last quarter of 2011. Like everything in this world, however, trouble is relative: the business still made a net profit of just over a billion US dollars. CEO Morris Chang pointed a wealthy digit toward customers clearing out old inventory and said that new orders for phone and tablet CPUs would arrive shortly -- thanks to a 28-nanometer factory that opened its doors around the same time. He then casually mentioned that a 20-nanometer facility will open its doors towards the end of this year, followed by a 14-nanometer block by 2014. We've got the report on the financials -- for those with a currency convertor and some spare time to hand -- after the break. Show full PR text TSMC Reports Fourth Quarter EPS of NT$1.22 Issued by: TSMC Issued on: 2012/01/18 Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C., January 18, 2012 -- TSMC today announced consolidated revenue of NT$104.71 billion, net income of NT$31.58 billion, and diluted earnings per share of NT$1.22 (US$0.20 per ADR unit) for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2011. Year-over-year, fourth quarter revenue decreased 4.9% while both net income and diluted EPS decreased 22.5%. Compared to third quarter of 2011, fourth quarter of 2011 results represent a 1.7% decrease in revenue, and a 3.9% increase in both net income and diluted EPS. All figures were prepared in accordance with R.O.C. GAAP on a consolidated basis. In US dollars, fourth quarter revenue decreased 5.4% from the previous quarter and decreased 4.5% year-over-year. Gross margin for the quarter was 44.7%, operating margin was 31.4%, and net margin was 30.2%. 28-nanometer process technology accounted for 2% of total wafer revenues, 40-nanometer was 27%, and 65-nanometer accounted for 30%. These advanced technologies accounted for 59% of total wafer revenues. "Although the outlook of the global economy remains uncertain, we expect the demand for our wafers to be stronger than seasonal for the first quarter," said Lora Ho, SVP and Chief Financial Officer of TSMC. "Based on our current business outlook and exchange rate assumption of 1 US dollar to 30.25 NT dollars, management expects overall performance for first quarter 2012 to be as follows": · Revenue is expected to be between NT$103 billion and NT$105 billion; · Gross profit margin is expected to be between 42.5% and 44.5%; · Operating profit margin is expected to be between 28.5% and 30.5%. TSMC further expects the capital expenditures for 2012 to be about US$6 billion.

Sing hello to the iRig PRE, turns iOS devices into on-the-fly mic preamps Posted: 19 Jan 2012 02:45 AM PST IK Multimedia's never fallen short of giving you some of the better tools for all your on-the-go music-making utilizing your beloved iOS device as the main rig. Now, the peripheral connoisseur's taking the wraps off its iRig PRE, which aims to help you digitally process those glorious vocal chords by allowing you to plug in any XLR mic into it without the need for other adapters or cables. Furthermore, the dongle features a 3.5mm jack for audio monitoring, gain control and can squeeze a runtime of up to 40 hours (dynamic microphones) or 15 hours (phantom powered condenser mics) from a standard 9V battery. The PRE amp will also come included with two of iRig's usual suspect apps (iRig Recorder and VocaLive) to help you get started in your quest to be the next idol. We know you can't wait to get your singing on, but you'll have to wait until "early Q2" to do so, for a moderate price of $39.99 -- perhaps the iRig Mic can get you through the days in the meantime. Show full PR text IK Multimedia presents iRig PRE The universal microphone interface for iPhone/iPod touch/iPad January 2012 – IK Multimedia is proud to present iRig™ PRE, the ultimate solution for connecting any type of microphone – from regular stage microphones to expensive studio models – to any iPhone, iPhone touch or iPad providing access to the widest range of recording applications. iRig PRE is the first high-quality microphone preamp designed specifically for iOS devices that allows musicians to use their favorite high-quality stage or studio mics with their iOS device. The microphone plugs directly into the standard XLR connector of iRig PRE with no need for extra cables or adapters. Its adjustable thumbwheel gain control allows the user to easily make precise level settings. The onboard 9V battery provides the necessary voltage for phantom-powered studio condenser microphones for at least for 15 hours of continuous use. The 3.5mm (1/8") standard stereo headphone output allows monitoring while recording. The lightweight housing sports a convenient cable for iOS device connection and also includes a Velcro strip slot for easy mounting on a mic stand or other stage locations. Like all other IK Multimedia microphones, it includes 2 free apps: iRig Recorder (an easy-to-use recording/editing app) and VocaLive (an effects processing app for singers). And like the entire range of iRig accessories, it's highly portable thanks to its pocket-sized form factor for recording anywhere. iRig PRE features -40 cm (15.75") TRRS cable to connect to any iOS device headset jack -XLR input connector for microphones -Gain control -+48 V phantom power -Headphone output -On/Off switch -Power/Phantom Power provided by 9V battery -Battery life is approximately 40 hours with dynamic microphones and 15 hours with phantom powered condenser studio microphones. Pricing and availability iRig PRE costs only $39.99/€29.99 (excluding taxes) and will be available in early Q2 2012 from electronic and music retailers around the world.

ZTE Tania arrives in the UK: a budget phone for budget buyers Posted: 19 Jan 2012 01:40 AM PST ZTE's showing off its new global ambitions, the OEM-smartphone maker brought a party bus to London and asked Professor Green (everyone's favorite nasally-challenged Grime MC) to spread the word about the Tania. It's a modestly-kitted 4.3-inch WVGA (800 x 480) Windows Phone, erm, phone, that's running Mango on a single-core 1GHz chip, 512MB of RAM and 4GB internal storage. 'Round back there's a five megapixel camera, but sadly nothing up top for impromptu video calling. It'll be available on contract on second-tier operators like Virgin Mobile, Brightpoint and Go Mobile for "around" the £10 - £20 per-month price range, but word on the street is that it'll be available to purchase for a none-too-painful £250 ($390). Show full PR text ZTE Tania with Windows Phone comes to the UK 19 January 2012, London – ZTE Corporation ("ZTE") (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, has announced the availability of its first Windows Phone device in the UK – the ZTE Tania. The ZTE Tania is great for both business and personal use, and makes it easier than ever to connect and share with friends, family and colleagues. With 4GB internal storage and a 4.3 inch touch-screen, the ZTE Tania is smart and stylish with a chassis measuring just 10.7mm in depth. The ZTE Tania comes fully equipped with Microsoft's latest release of Windows Phone. Windows Phone has a wide range of fully integrated functionalities such as a direct link to users' Xbox LIVE accounts, an intuitive and seamless sync for Microsoft Office Mobile, and Zune music streaming. The phone's Live Tile feature brings friend and family groups to life by delivering the latest updates and news from popular social networks, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn directly to the home screen. The 1GHz processor and ultra-sharp cinematic WVGA 800 x 480px screen make responding to emails, editing documents and browsing the internet fast and intuitive. In addition, the device comes with a five megapixel camera with autofocus and flash. The ZTE Tania is the most affordable 4.3" screen Windows Phone on the market and will be sold on contract at tariff points between £10-£20. It will be launched with a number of key channels including Brightpoint, Virgin Media, Go Mobile and a leading specialist retailer. "We're delighted to be working with Microsoft and as a key partner will support the industry forecasted growth on this exciting new platform with both the ZTE Tania and in the future a growing range of devices. Last year, ZTE announced its plans to build market presence with ZTE branded devices with the release of the ZTE Skate, Libra and Tureis. Our first own-brand handset to enter the market in 2012 is the ZTE Tania," said Mr Wu Sa, director of mobile device operations at ZTE UK. "Having ZTE join the Windows Phone family is great news. Their expertise will be crucial in delivering Windows Phone to new and different customers. We look forward to continuing and developing our relationship with ZTE in the future," said Leila Martine, director of Windows Phone UK. Market analyst IDC reported in late 2011 that ZTE had become the fourth-largest mobile phone vendor in the world after it shipped 19.1 million units in the third quarter, ahead of both Apple and RIM. ZTE gained an overall market share of 4.9 percent, up from 3.5 percent a year earlier, and was the only Chinese company in the top five. Additionally, Gartner predicts Microsoft will reach second place in the mobile device operating system rankings by 2015 with 20.3 percent market share.

Microsoft spoiling Canadians, Germans as Xbox Live gets more local stations Posted: 19 Jan 2012 12:42 AM PST Remember when Microsoft couldn't stop dropping names of companies it was partnering up with to bring media to your Xbox 360? Well, days after CES drew to its natural conclusion, Redmond's gaming division is throwing a few more "locally relevant" names out for users in Canada and Germany. If you live in the cold bit to the north of the United States, you can expect to see Astral Media's Disney XD and Real Sports / Maple Leaf Sports rolling up on your console from today, while German gamers will be able to get teutonic mitts on Mediathek/ZDF at the same time. There's more details in the press release after the break, where Microsoft promises that we've not seen the last of its continued entertainment expansions. Show full PR text Hot off the heels of CES, Xbox is kicking off 2012 with a growing community of nearly 40 million Xbox LIVE members, new partnerships, entertainment app launches, and exciting momentum heading into the New Year. Building upon an expansive catalog of live and on-demand TV shows, movies, sports and music and continuing to deliver locally relevant content to Xbox LIVE members around the globe, the following apps will be available* in various regions on Xbox LIVE starting today: · Astral Media's Disney XD (Astral Media). Canada · Mediathek/ZDF (ZDF). Germany · Real Sports (Maple Leaf Sports). Canada At CES, we also announced a new partnership with News Corporation, and will soon bring FOX broadcast programming, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News Channel and IGN to Xbox LIVE. News Corp. apps are scheduled to launch in 2012, so prepare to watch your favorite FOX shows, including "Family Guy," "House," "New Girl" and "Glee," have access to Dow Jones Newswire and MarketWatch from The Wall Street Journal and enjoy game previews, reviews, gameplay videos from IGN, all on-demand. In addition, Xbox was recently honored with IMS Research's TV Innovator of the Year award, which is given to the most innovative product in a group of 14 contenders. The list of all 14 winners, as well as the full press release, can be found here. Lastly, we'd like to share our most recent stats that illustrate the excitement around Xbox 360 becoming more personal, engaging and social through Xbox LIVE: · The hours of video consumed globally on Xbox LIVE increased 140 percent from 2010 to 2011. · In December more than 60 percent of U.S. Xbox LIVE Gold members used entertainment apps on Xbox LIVE – for an average of an hour a day each. · The number of people using entertainment apps on Xbox LIVE increased by nearly 50 percent globally from November to December. We are committed to enhancing and expanding our global entertainment offerings on Xbox LIVE in 2012. Moving forward, you can expect to see more of the world's leading entertainment providers coming to Xbox and a continued rollout of additional entertainment apps.

Sony Ericsson swallows $317 million pre-tax loss as end draws near Posted: 18 Jan 2012 11:58 PM PST Sony Ericsson's tearful breakup continues with more woe as as the venture had to eat a pre-tax loss of €247 million (roughly $317 million). Bosses cited "unfavorable macro-economic conditions" and the Thai flooding as the reasons for the loss. Ericsson probably won't mind having such an unfavorable penultimate quarter with the company, given that it's set to receive €1.05 billion (around $1.9 billion) when Sony buys out its share of the joint telecoms business within the next month. Show full PR text Loss in Sony Ericsson impacts Ericsson's fourth quarter results Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:31am EST Sony Ericsson reports Q4 loss of EUR 247 million before taxes, reflecting intense competition, price erosion and restructuring charges Results impacted by unfavorable macro economic conditions and effects from the flooding in Thailand Ericsson's share in Sony Ericsson's income before taxes amounts to SEK -1.1 b. in the quarter Sony Ericsson, the joint venture in which Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has 50% of the shares and is accounted for according to the equity method, today reports its Q4 and full year 2011 results. Sony Ericsson's loss in the fourth quarter 2011 will impact Ericsson's operating income with SEK -1.1 b. in the quarter. On October 27, 2011, it was announced that Sony will acquire Ericsson's 50% share of Sony Ericsson. The transaction is expected to take place late January to February 2012. As part of the transaction, Ericsson will receive a cash consideration of EUR 1.05 b. Ericsson will present its fourth quarter and full year 2011 report on January 25, 2011, at 07.30am CET.

GM teams with Future Lab on interactive Windows of Opportunity, MI:4 tech lives on Posted: 18 Jan 2012 11:02 PM PST Wishing your vehicle had a better-integrated entertainment system than the iPad you're forced to futz with in the backseat? If GM has its way, you may be in luck. The auto manufacturer has joined forces with the Future Lab at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel to transform boring rear windows into interactive touchscreens. Since there are no plans to work the tech into production models right now, R&D gave the students a blank... er, clear canvas on which to create solutions. The results include apps that allow an animated character to respond to scenery outside the window and finger drawing on window steam. Two other applications enable a look into users' windows worldwide and a music stream-and-share with your mates on the road. "Traditionally, the use of interactive displays in cars has been limited to the driver and front passenger, but we see an opportunity to provide a technology interface designed specifically for rear seat passengers," said Tom Seder, GM R&D lab group manager. Check out the apps in action or the particulars in the PR after the break. GM Windows of Opportunity applications Show full PR text GM Explores Windows of Opportunity University project envisions smart interactive windows for rear passengers 2012-01-18 DETROIT – Got backseat boredom? DVD players and Game Boys are so five years ago, but a new concept in rear seat entertainment technology that uses the windows themselves could replace squirminess and snoozing with interactive scribbling, sweeping and pinching. General Motors Research and Development put that challenge before researchers and students from the FUTURE LAB at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel. The task: Conceptualize new ways to help rear seat passengers, particularly children, have a richer experience on the road. The Windows of Opportunity (WOO) Project was inspired by psychological studies indicating car passengers often feel disconnected from their environment, GM asked the Bezalel students to turn car windows into interactive displays capable of stimulating awareness, nurturing curiosity and encouraging a stronger connection with the world outside the vehicle. "Traditionally, the use of interactive displays in cars has been limited to the driver and front passenger, but we see an opportunity to provide a technology interface designed specifically for rear seat passengers," said Tom Seder, GM R&D lab group manager for human-machine interface. "Advanced windows that are capable of responding to vehicle speed and location could augment real world views with interactive enhancements to provide entertainment and educational value." Since GM has no immediate plans to put interactive display windows into production vehicles, the R&D team gave free reign to the Bezalel students to create applications without concern whether they could be mass produced. Bezalel is Israel's oldest institute of higher education and one of the more prestigious schools of its kind in the world. The apps include: - Otto, an animated character projected over passing scenery that responds to real-time car performance, weather and landscape. With Otto, passengers can learn about their environment in fun, playful ways. - Foofu, an app that allows passengers to create, explore and discover through finger drawing on window steam. - Spindow, an app that provides its users a peek into other users' windows around the globe in real time. - Pond, an app that allows passengers to stream and share music with other cars on the road, downloads favorite tracks, and share messages with other passengers on the road. To demonstrate these apps, the students produced a full scale functional prototype of a rear passenger seat and side window. The students used motion and optical sensor technology developed by EyeClick to turn standard window glass into a multi-touch and gesture sensitive surface. If such interactive windows were put into automotive production they likely would use electronically charged "smart glass" technology, which is capable of variable states of translucence and transparency, and can reflect projected images. Smart glass is increasingly used in architectural and display applications, but outside of movies like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is rarely seen in cars. "Projects like WOO are invaluable, because working with designers and scholars from outside of the automotive industry brings fresh perspective to vehicle technology development," said Omer Tsimhoni, lab group manager for human-machine interface, GM Advanced Technical Center in Israel. "WOO is just one of many projects underway at GM that could reinvent the passenger experience in years to come." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Transformer Prime quietly gets GPS update, root killer Posted: 18 Jan 2012 09:52 PM PST If you're not quite ready to take up ASUS on its refund offer (or if you simply don't live in the UK), you're probably holding out for additional updates to dry your tears. Fortunately, Asus hasn't forgotten about you and your ilk. Early this morning, the Transformer Prime quietly received an OTA update that not only unroots the tablet, but also kicks the slab's GPS version up to 6.9.13. The folks on the XDA developers forums have restored their roots easily enough, and seem to be reaping the benefits of updated GPS drivers, as well. Engadget's own tests lean on the positive side -- lounging indoors, in a spot where GPS reception was previously all-dark, we snagged sight of 12 satellites on a freshly rebooted Prime with WiFi disabled. Although the response seems generally positive on the XDA developers forums, not everybody is seeing our success. Either way, this update certainly didn't make things worse; a step in the right direction to be sure.

Kodak files Chapter 11 bankruptcy, expects to complete restructuring by 2013 Posted: 18 Jan 2012 08:45 PM PST Apparently suing Samsung (again) wasn't the only pressing business for Kodak today, as it just announced it has -- as expected -- filed for Chapter 11 business reorganization in New York. You can read the details in the press release after the break or at the Kodak Transforms website, where Chairman and CEO Antonio Perez is quoted saying he hopes Kodak will "emerge a lean, world-class, digital imaging and materials science company". The company has obtained $950 million debtor-in-possession financing, which it claims will provide the liquidity needed to continue operations during the restructuring. As far as its recent parade of lawsuits against Samsung, Apple and HTC, Perez comments on "monetizing non-core IP assets" so we'd assume its lawyers will stay busy going forward. Show full PR text January 19, 2012 12:22 AM Eastern Time Eastman Kodak Company and Its U.S. Subsidiaries Commence Voluntary Chapter 11 Business Reorganization Flow of Goods and Services to Customers to Continue Globally in Ordinary Course Non-U.S. Subsidiaries Are Not Included in U.S. Filing and Are Not Subject to Court Supervision Company Secures $950 million in Debtor-in-Possession Financing in U.S. Kodak's Reorganization to Facilitate Emergence as Profitable and Sustainable Enterprise ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eastman Kodak Company ("Kodak" or the "Company") announced today that it and its U.S. subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for chapter 11 business reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. "Our goal is to maximize value for stakeholders, including our employees, retirees, creditors, and pension trustees. We are also committed to working with our valued customers." The business reorganization is intended to bolster liquidity in the U.S. and abroad, monetize non-strategic intellectual property, fairly resolve legacy liabilities, and enable the Company to focus on its most valuable business lines. The Company has made pioneering investments in digital and materials deposition technologies in recent years, generating approximately 75% of its revenue from digital businesses in 2011. Kodak has obtained a fully-committed, $950 million debtor-in-possession credit facility with an 18-month maturity from Citigroup to enhance liquidity and working capital. The credit facility is subject to Court approval and other conditions precedent. The Company believes that it has sufficient liquidity to operate its business during chapter 11, and to continue the flow of goods and services to its customers in the ordinary course. Kodak expects to pay employee wages and benefits and continue customer programs. Subsidiaries outside of the U.S. are not subject to proceedings and will honor all obligations to suppliers, whenever incurred. Kodak and its U.S. subsidiaries will honor all post-petition obligations to suppliers in the ordinary course. "Kodak is taking a significant step toward enabling our enterprise to complete its transformation," said Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "At the same time as we have created our digital business, we have also already effectively exited certain traditional operations, closing 13 manufacturing plants and 130 processing labs, and reducing our workforce by 47,000 since 2003. Now we must complete the transformation by further addressing our cost structure and effectively monetizing non-core IP assets. We look forward to working with our stakeholders to emerge a lean, world-class, digital imaging and materials science company." "After considering the advantages of chapter 11 at this time, the Board of Directors and the entire senior management team unanimously believe that this is a necessary step and the right thing to do for the future of Kodak," Mr. Perez continued. "Our goal is to maximize value for stakeholders, including our employees, retirees, creditors, and pension trustees. We are also committed to working with our valued customers. "Chapter 11 gives us the best opportunities to maximize the value in two critical parts of our technology portfolio: our digital capture patents, which are essential for a wide range of mobile and other consumer electronic devices that capture digital images and have generated over $3 billion of licensing revenues since 2003; and our breakthrough printing and deposition technologies, which give Kodak a competitive advantage in our growing digital businesses." Mr. Perez concluded, "The Board of Directors, the senior management team and I would like to underscore our appreciation for the hard work and loyalty of our employees. Kodak exemplifies a culture of collaboration and innovation. Our employees embody that culture and are essential to our future success." Kodak has taken this step after preliminary discussions with key constituencies and intends to work toward a consensual reorganization in the best interests of its stakeholders. Kodak expects to complete its U.S.-based restructuring during 2013. The Company and its Board of Directors are being advised by Lazard, FTI Consulting Inc. and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. In addition, Dominic DiNapoli, Vice Chairman of FTI Consulting, will serve as Chief Restructuring Officer to support the management team as to restructuring matters during the chapter 11 case. More information about Kodak's Chapter 11 filing is available on the Internet at www.kodaktransforms.com. Information for suppliers and vendors is available at (800) 544-7009 or (585) 724-6100. Kodak will be filing monthly operating reports with the Bankruptcy Court and also plans to post these monthly operating reports on the Investor Relations section of Kodak.com. The Company will continue to file quarterly and annual reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will also be available in the Investor Relations section of Kodak.com.

Behringer outs three iPad-housing USB mixers Posted: 18 Jan 2012 07:43 PM PST When it's not bringing the crazy that is iNuke, Behringer turns out some pretty serious audio gear. The latest offering? Three new mixers that throw an iPad into the EQuation. A dedicated app serves as an interface, while the iPad provides the brains and the power source. They're no dumb terminals though, as you'll also find a dedicated audio interface, mic pre-amps and a new dual-engine KLARK-TEKNIK FX processor, complete with 32 configurable "studio grade" presets (reverb, chorus, flange and so on). The trio comes in three sizes: 16 channels for the iX1642, 24 on the iX2442, and 32 for the big ole iX3242. Behringer's keeping the volume down on pricing and availability right now, but they'll be on display at NAMM this week if you want to have a fiddle. Not going? Then fade-in the press release after the break for more info. Show full PR text Behringer Introduces Revolutionary iPad Mixers XENYX iX3242USB, iX2442USB and iX1642USB Three Premium Small Format Mixers with iPad® Docking Station Expand the Renowned XENYX Series January 18, 2012 Bothell, WA – Just in time for the 2012 NAMM Show, BEHRINGER unveils three small format premium mixers that directly interface with the ever-popular iPad. Drawing on the power of the most ubiquitous mobile digital device, the XENYX iX Series mixers are designed to handle live performance and provide state-of-the-art tools to create professional recordings. Users can also sync performances to video by utilizing the iPad's video out capability. iX1642USB The new XENYX iX Series, which include the XENYX iX3242USB, iX2442USB and iX1642USB, feature a built-in iPad docking station designed to send signal to and from the iPad with a wide range of routing options. The innovative feature set included in the new XENYX iX Series USB mixers makes it possible to record and mix on a professional level thanks to the built-in, stereo USB audio interface. Connect these mixers directly to a PC or Mac computer via a single USB cable to record any signal source connected to the mixer. All iX mixers include the new dual-engine KLARK-TEKNIK FX processor with 32 editable, studio-grade presets such as reverb, chorus, flange, delay, pitch shifter and multi-effects. In addition to literally thousands of apps, the iX mixers use the iPad to control the new KLARK-TEKNIK FX Processor App, enhancing the mix by allowing the user deep control of EQ's, compressors and reverbs and a full spectrum analyzer. iX2442USB The iX series mixers also feature high performance XENYX mic pre amps, which represent a major step in the evolution of audio technology. Comparable to far more expensive, stand-alone mic preamps, XENYX preamps offer a staggering 130 dB of dynamic range, with a bandwidth that extends from below 10 Hz to 200 kHz for transparent, crystal-clear performance. XENYX mixers' 3-band channel EQ is based on the same circuitry used in British consoles that allows users to create signals with incredible warmth and detailed musical character. Additionally, "one-knob" compression is available on all mono channels. Dial in the perfect amount of compression for instruments and vocals, creating powerful mixes with punch and clarity. "The new XENYX iX mixers demonstrate the innovation that stems from our massive investment in Research and Development," says Mark Wilder, VP of Marketing Communications. "These are the first of many more ground-breaking products to be announced at NAMM 2012."

China wants microbloggers to register with the government, hand over real identity Posted: 18 Jan 2012 06:56 PM PST Thought that Facebook's and Google+'s requirements that you use your real name were draconian? Just be thankful you're not a weibo addict in China. The government is planning to expand a program that demands users register their real names and disclose their identity. Wang Chen, China's top internet regulation official, said the eventual goal would be to get all 250 million microbloggers registered, starting first with any new users signing up. The obvious privacy and free speech issues that could arise from such a move shouldn't need to be explained -- especially considering the country's track record of censorship and politically motivated arrests. Sadly, unlike SOPA, putting an end to this troubling law isn't as simple as putting up a black banner or emailing your congressman.

iPads replaced with clay, sold to unsuspecting Canadians Posted: 18 Jan 2012 05:47 PM PST That fuzzy sensation we get when unboxing a new toy gadget is the fuel that keeps us going at Engadget. A feeling a few unlucky Canadian's were deprived of, after buying what they believed to be an iPad 2 actually turned out to be a slab of clay. In a calculated scam, crooks purchased real iPads, replaced them with terra-cotta tablets, then returned them to the store in re-sealed boxes. The fakes then found their way back on to the shelves, and into customer's baskets. It was Mark Sandhu who first reported the incident after gifting his wife something a little too slate-like on Christmas Eve. Initially Future Shop wouldn't refund Sandhu, possibly believing him to be the scammer; it was only after taking the story to CTV, and up to ten other cases coming to light -- including some from Best Buy -- that the retailer took the claim seriously. Future Shop has since issued a refund, and given Mark a real iPad 2 for his troubles. Next time, he might want to try an official retailer -- or not.

Facebook launches Timeline Apps platform, socialites rejoice Posted: 18 Jan 2012 04:46 PM PST Facebook, along with its launch partners, has finally let loose its Timeline Apps platform, setting Open Graph apps free to roam the web. Announced at the company's f8 conference in September, Timeline Apps allow third-parties to build Facebook applications that facilitate information sharing amongst users and their social network. While FB initially focused on the music and movie genre, Zuckerberg & Co. seem to have keyed-in on a variety of markets for today's launch, from travel (TripAdvisor) to cuisine (Foodspotting), and even ticketing companies like ScoreBig, Eventbrite, StubHub, TicketFly and Ticketmaster. So now everyone will know immediately when you scored those backstage passes to Ricky Martin because you're living la vida loca with Timeline. Get the full story from Facebook at the source and PR from ScoreBig awaits after the break. Show full PR text SCOREBIG LAUNCHES FACEBOOK APP® FOR IMPROVED DISCOVERY OF LIVE EVENTS Members Can Add Their ScoreBig Activity To Timeline and Save With Friends LOS ANGELES (January 18, 2012) – ScoreBig (www.scorebig.com), a new members-only site offering guaranteed savings of 10-60 percent and no fees on tickets for sports, concert and theater events, today is among the first companies worldwide to launch a new app for Facebook Timeline that makes it easier for people to discover live events online. Members will now be able to share ScoreBig actions with their Facebook friends that go beyond a simple "like." With the ScoreBig integration, users can highlight the offers they've made on tickets, as well as the deals they scored on their purchases. "The Facebook integration provides an excellent opportunity to improve discovery of live events to their almost one billion members," said Adam Kanner, CEO. "This integration is a major leap in making the event discovery and purchase experience more social." Starting today, new ScoreBig members who connect through Facebook will be able to start sharing their ScoreBig activity with friends as it happens. After a member grants permission, their actions on ScoreBig will appear on Facebook through their Ticker, the News Feed and on their Timeline. People will be able to control how their activity is shared, and will have the option to turn the app on and off, as well as turn off the individual activities that they prefer not to share. To learn more please visit www.scorebig.com.

SnapStream TV monitoring now lets OS X users keep tabs on amusing video-blunders Posted: 18 Jan 2012 04:38 PM PST The Daily Show and Colbert Report famously rely upon SnapStream's high-power Windows DVR software to monitor the insanity at the fringes of America's cable spectrum. The media-monitoring software is also used by news services, educators and shadowy government agencies to keep tabs on the subjects discussed on TV. The latest edition (version five) opens the platform up to OS X users, enabling them to run it in Firefox without messy virtualization. The OS X web player comes with a plugin to watch MPEG-2 streams that'll happily sit on top of Snow Leopard or Lion and will even let you set up customized alerts for whenever inappropriate euphemisms emerge from Oprah's mouth.

RIM and Turkcell partner to bring NFC payments to Bold 9900, Turkish pazars Posted: 18 Jan 2012 03:38 PM PST Turkcell subscribers looking to make a purchase from their favorite Istanbul bazaar now have one extra payment option -- if they're a BlackBerry Bold owners, that is. Research In Motion and Turkcell have announced the availability of touchless NFC payments for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 via Turkcell's Cep-T Cüzdan mobile application. Interested parties can visit their local Turkcell retailer to trade-up to an NFC-compatible SIM, load the Cep-T application and begin swiping their Berry wherever (worldwide) MasterCard PayPass is accepted. Purchases under 35TL (around $20) won't require any additional verification, though procurements over that threshold will require you to enter a PIN on the handset or tender your signature. Hopefully, with MasterCard, Visa and Google all aboard the NFC bandwagon, 2012 will see a major push towards the technology here in the US. Show full PR text First commercially available NFC-based mobile payments for BlackBerry smartphones via MasterCard PayPass™ Waterloo, ON and Istanbul, Turkey - Turkcell and Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the commercial availability of an NFC mobile wallet application, the Turkcell Cep-T Cüzdan, for BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 smartphone customers in Turkey. The power of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 combined with the Turkcell Cep-T Cüzdan application enables Turkcell customers to enjoy making payments in a simple, easy, safe and convenient way by simply tapping their NFC-enabled BlackBerry Bold 9900 against a MasterCard PayPass™ reader in shops, retail outlets, cafes and restaurants across Turkey. In addition, Turkcell customers travelling abroad will also be able make payments in the same way . Alexandra Zagury, Managing Director, Turkey, RIM said, "We are pleased to partner with Turkcell to launch the first commercially available NFC mobile wallet for BlackBerry smartphone customers in Turkey. RIM is committed to supporting the advancement of NFC technology and today's launch marks an exciting milestone for the future of mobile commerce." Cenk Bayrakdar, Turkcell Deputy General Manager, Turkcell said, "Turkey is leading the way internationally in mobile financial services, especially NFC. The Turkcell Cep-T Cüzdan application for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 opens up a new era of shopping, enabling simple, secure and convenient mobile payments at approximately 60000 contactless points of sale across Turkey. The security features of BlackBerry smartphones make RIM the ideal partner for enabling NFC-based mobile payments." From today, Turkcell's BlackBerry Bold 9900 customers can apply for the Turkcell Cep-T Cüzdan service at Turkcell stores. Customers will be provided with a new NFC-enabled SIM and advised on how to download the Turkcell Cep-T Cüzdan application for free. As part of the registration process the customer's MasterCard details will be securely registered by Turkcell to enable payments of up to 35 TL per transaction with no pin or signature, using their BlackBerry Bold 9900. For payments over 35 TL, pin or signature support is also required. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and BlackBerry® Curve™ 9360 smartphones are the world's first SIM-based smartphones to receive MasterCard PayPass handset certification for secure NFC payments: http://press.rim.com/release.jsp?id=5263

Adlink launches fanless quad-core Intel Core i7 computers, keeps its cool with mobile connectivity Posted: 18 Jan 2012 02:20 PM PST Adlink's announced a new series of quad-core computers that laugh in the face of overheating. Apparently forgoing the need for fan installation, its Matrix MXE-5300 line-up covers Intel Core i7, i5, and i3 processor setups and are tweaked especially for wireless optimization with 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. The MXE-5300 is peppered with six USB ports, four serial ports, ethernet, two Mini-PCIe and a single USIM slot. The embedded PCs are geared towards in-vehicle multimedia systems and the ever-so-slightly less interesting likes of factory automation. Well, something has to tell those robots what to do. Show full PR text ADLINK Launches 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor-Based Fanless Embedded Computer ADLINK's MXE-5300 enhances wireless optimization for 3G/WiFi/BT/GPS support, ideal for intelligent transportation and factory automation applications SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ADLINK Technology, Inc., a leading global provider of trusted I/O platforms, announces the release of the new Matrix MXE-5300 series of rugged, quad core, fanless computers, based on the high performance 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 processor and QM67 chipset. The MXE-5300 is the ultimate Matrix fanless embedded computer, featuring top-of-the-line processor performance, outstanding wireless optimization capability, robust mechanical design, and Intel® AMT 7.0 support. The MXE-5300's combined features make it an ideal choice for intelligent transportation, in-vehicle multimedia, and surveillance and factory automation applications. Outstanding Wireless Optimization "We've found that rapid growth in wireless technologies has boosted development of embedded applications, such as more efficient cargo management via reader and wireless relay to control centers," said Kenny Chang, Director of ADLINK's I/O platform product center. "The ADLINK MXE-5300 features wireless optimization. With our optional RF Matching Module, the MXE-5300 provides enhanced wireless performance to support 300m 802.11 a/b/g/n accessibility with a minimum bandwidth of 1Mbps, 100M operating range for Bluetooth 3.0 support, WCDMA for HSDPA CAT.10, HSUPA CAT.6, and reduced GPS cold start time of 25 seconds. The MXE-5300's outstanding wireless optimization capability easily meets and exceeds customer needs." Evolved Mechanical Design The ADLINK's MXE-5300 features performance-enhancing mechanical and thermal design, including customized copper conduits to enhance thermal dissipation efficiency, memory and storage stabilizers to withstand the challenges of high-vibration environments, and an anodized aluminum alloy chassis to prevent corrosion. With industrial SSD storage devices, the MXE-5300 provides an extended market-leading operating temperature range of up to -20 degrees C to 70 degrees C for reliable performance of varied applications in mission-critical and harsh environments. Furthermore, with the MXE-5300's unique thumbscrew design, replacement or swapping of HDD and RAM/mini PCIe modules is easier than ever, lowering maintenance costs and increasing flexibility. Rich I/O Capability The MXE-5300 supports rich I/O interfaces, including 4 serial ports, 6 USB ports (2 USB 3.0), 4 isolated digital I/Os and 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports. In addition, the MXE-5300 provides 2 Mini-PCIe and 1 USIM slots for wireless needs. Intel® AMT 7.0, accommodated on the MXE-5300 enables remote monitoring and control over embedded devices via the Internet, remote system reboot in the event of OS failure, and system disconnect from the web when malicious intrusion is detected, preventing migration to other devices.

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