Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Barnes & Noble unveils its first hi-definition tablets

Barnes & Noble unveils its first hi-definition tablets

Barnes & Noble unveils its first hi-definition tablets

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 12:53 PM PDT

The NOOK HD+ in an image courtesy of Barnes & Noble. REUTERS/HandoutNEW YORK (Reuters) - Barnes & Noble Inc's first hi-definition tablets, unveiled on Wednesday, were well received by analysts who said the devices keep the bookseller in the fight with Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc and Google Inc - for now. The largest U.S. bookstore chain introduced a $199 7-inch Nook HD tablet that will go up against similar, recently launched products by Google and Amazon.com this holiday season. The company also unveiled a $269 9-inch Nook HD+ tablet that will compete with the Apple iPad. ...

Amazon seeks to throw out Apple "app store" advertising claim

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:37 PM PDT

A box from Amazon.com is pictured on the porch of a house in Golden(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc has asked a federal judge to throw out Apple Inc's false advertising claim in a lawsuit challenging the online retailer's use of the "app store" name. The claim is part of a March 2011 trademark lawsuit in which Apple, which this year became the world's largest company ever by market value, accused Amazon of misusing its "App Store" name to solicit developers for a mobile software download service. ...

Google exec questioned over Brazil election video

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:59 PM PDT

File photo of Google Inc's logoSAO PAULO (Reuters) - Google Inc's most senior executive in Brazil was questioned by police and released on Wednesday after the company failed to take down a YouTube video attacking a mayoral candidate in alleged violation of electoral law. Google is appealing the charges against Fábio José Silva Coelho, who was brought in by federal police in São Paulo and released after he agreed to cooperate with the case, according to a police statement. "Google is providing clarification to legal authorities," a spokesman for the company in São Paulo said on Wednesday. ...

Comet due in 2013 could be brighter than the full moon

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:48 PM PDT

Late next year, there will be a new object in the night sky nearly 10 times brighter than the full moon. This temporary attraction, called C/2012 S1, is a comet that has likely never passed through our inner solar system … Continue reading →

Google president arrested in Brazil over YouTube videos

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:46 PM PDT

Here in the United States, Google's YouTube has taken up arms in defense of the First Amendment, refusing to take down a highly controversial anti-Muslim video in the name of free speech. In countries where free speech does not apply, … Continue reading →

Breaking Up With Overly Attached Girlfriend is Hard to Do [VIDEO]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:42 PM PDT

Breaking up is hard to do -- especially if you're dating Overly Attached Girlfriend.

Barnes & Noble launches new Nook HD

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:45 AM PDT

This undated image provided by Barnes & Noble shows one of the two new Nook tablets the company will be releasing in the fall of 2012. The company said Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, that its new Nook HD will come in two sizes, one with a screen 7-inches wide diagonally, the same size as past Nooks, starting at $199, and one with a new 9-inch diagonal screen, called the Nook HD+, starting at $269. In addition to the new HD screen and a lighter body, Barnes & Noble is also increasing the services the Nook offers. It is adding a video purchase and rental service, allowing user profiles and making it easier to browse titles in its book and magazine stores. (AP Photo/Barnes & Noble)Barnes & Noble is rolling out two new versions of its Nook tablet with sleek new hardware and a sharper high-definition screen. The bookseller's move heightens the already intense tablet wars heading into the holiday season.

Glance: A look at how the Nook HD stacks up

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:47 AM PDT

A look at some of the hardware specs for Barnes & Noble's new Nook HD and HD+ tablets, compared with Amazon.com's new Kindle Fire and Apple's iPad3.

Cisco CEO's pay package dipped 9 pct in past year

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:29 PM PDT

Cisco Systems Inc. trimmed CEO John Chambers' pay package for the past fiscal year by 9 percent as concerns about growth at the maker of computer networking equipment weighed on the company's stock.

Yahoo replaces CFO as CEO draws up turnaround plan

Posted: 25 Sep 2012 04:54 PM PDT

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is casting aside a cost-cutting specialist and bringing in software industry veteran Ken Goldman to be chief financial officer as the Internet company's management orchestrates a potentially expensive turnaround attempt.

Developing Minds Want to Know: Q&A with Kristin George, Director of Product at TuneIn

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:26 PM PDT

TuneIn Radio (and TuneIn Radio Pro) is one of the best ways to listen to over 70,000 different radio stations and millions of on-demand shows from all around the world, whether you want to hear music, current affairs, sports, local stations and much more. It's one of our favorite Android offerings, and was recently featured in a curated app list by Appolicious Advisor, Larry Sullivan.

Bank of America tests technology to pay with phones

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:01 PM PDT

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp is testing a technology that allows a customer to pay at a store register by simply scanning an image with a smartphone, such as Apple Inc's iPhone or Google Inc's Android devices. The pilot program is being tested in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the second-largest U.S. bank is headquartered, and marks the latest effort by a financial institution to come out on top in the race to determine how people will pay for things in the future. ...

Televisions now used to watch online videos more than computers

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:35 PM PDT

Televisions now used to watch online videos more than computersTech companies' vision of transforming the television set into yet another device that streams content from the Internet may finally be becoming a reality. The NPD Group on Wednesday reported that televisions are now the "primary screen for viewing paid and free video streamed from the Web," beating out personal computers for the first time. According to NPD's latest survey, 45% of American consumers are using the television as their primary screen for watching online video content, while just 31% of consumers said they primarily used their PCs to watch online content.  These numbers are an almost perfect reversal from a year ago when NPD found that 48% of American consumers primarily used PCs for online videos while just 33%

New Zealand agency illegally spied on Kim Dotcom

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:03 PM PDT

A New Zealand spying agency apologizes after acknowledging it broke the law by spying on Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom.

Google’s driverless car now permitted on California roadways

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:30 PM PDT

Google's driverless car now permitted on California roadwaysCalifornia Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law on Tuesday that will allow autonomous vehicles such as Google's (GOOG) to be tested on California roads, the Associated Press reported. As a precautionary measure, the law requires a licensed individual to be in the driver's seat at all times to take over control if need be. "Today we're looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality — the self-driving car," Brown said while signing the bill at Google's Mountain View headquarters. "Anyone who gets inside a car and finds out the car is driving will be a little skittish, but they'll get over it." Google received its first license to test its autonomous vehicles on public roadways in Nevada earlier this

Google Play celebrates 25 billion app downloads with 25-cent app sale

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:15 PM PDT

Google Play celebrates 25 billion app downloads with 25-cent app saleYes, people still like mobile apps. Google (GOOG) on Wednesday announced that its Google Play store had now served up more than 25 billion total app downloads, an impressive figure for a store that launched just four years ago. To celebrate this milestone, Google has slashed prices on many of its apps and games to just 25 cents, including offerings from Gameloft, Electronic Arts, Rovio, Runtastic and Full Fat. The store is also offering other "25″-related deals, including "25 movies you must own, 25 banned books, 25 albums that changed the world and our 25 top-selling magazines, all at special prices." Read

Sharp may close Europe, U.S. solar units to secure financing: sources

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:54 PM PDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Sharp Corp has offered to shut its solar panel businesses in Europe and the United States as a further cost cutting measure to persuade banks to extend $2.7 billion of the fresh financing it needs to stay in business. Lenders led by Mizuho Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group are likely to approve a new batch of loans to prop up the ailing display maker as early as Thursday, sources earlier told Reuters. That 210 billion yen of lending will be on top of 150 billion yen ($1. ...

News Summary Cisco CEO's pay package dipped 9 pct

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:53 PM PDT

PAY TRIMMED: Cisco Systems Inc. trimmed CEO John Chambers' pay package for the past fiscal year by 9 percent to $11.7 million as concerns about growth at the maker of computer networking equipment weighed on the company's stock.

Amazon seeks to throw out Apple "app store" advertising claim

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:37 PM PDT

A box from Amazon.com is pictured on the porch of a house in Golden(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc has asked a federal judge to throw out Apple Inc's false advertising claim in a lawsuit challenging the online retailer's use of the "app store" name. The claim is part of a March 2011 trademark lawsuit in which Apple, which this year became the world's largest company ever by market value, accused Amazon of misusing its "App Store" name to solicit developers for a mobile software download service. ...

Redbox Instant from Verizon set to challenge Netflix and Amazon this holiday season

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:30 PM PDT

Redbox Instant from Verizon set to challenge Netflix and Amazon this holiday seasonAfter months of speculation, Verizon (VZ) and Coinstar (CSTR) earlier this year announced a joint video streaming service to compete with Netflix (NFLX) and Amazon (AMZN) Instant Video. The service, called Redbox Instant by Verizon, is being tested in the homes of roughly 500 Verizon employees and is set to become available by the end of the year. Eric Bruno, Verizon's vice president of strategy and planning for consumer and mass business markets, said that Redbox Instant will initially focus on newer movies, Bloomberg reported. The service will require a monthly subscription and — along with online streaming, rental and purchasing — will offer customers access to DVDs from Coinstar's 40,000 Redbox kiosks. Bruno revealed Redbox Instant by Verizon will launch "between

Cisco CEO's pay package dipped 9 pct in past year

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:29 PM PDT

Cisco Systems Inc. trimmed CEO John Chambers' pay package for the past fiscal year by 9 percent as concerns about growth at the maker of computer networking equipment weighed on the company's stock.

Is This the Second-Screen TV App That Finally Goes Mainstream?

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:00 PM PDT

Is This the Second-Screen TV App That Finally Goes Mainstream?Everyone knows people love to use a "second screen" -- be it smartphone, tablet or laptop -- while they watch TV, but no one has created an app or experience that's become the go-to place for live shows. In short, the second screen doesn't yet have its Facebook.

Google exec questioned over Brazil election video

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:59 PM PDT

File photo of Google Inc's logoSAO PAULO (Reuters) - Google Inc's most senior executive in Brazil was questioned by police and released on Wednesday after the company failed to take down a YouTube video attacking a mayoral candidate in alleged violation of electoral law. Google is appealing the charges against Fábio José Silva Coelho, who was brought in by federal police in São Paulo and released after he agreed to cooperate with the case, according to a police statement. "Google is providing clarification to legal authorities," a spokesman for the company in São Paulo said on Wednesday. ...

Google runs Maps victory lap, adds underwater panorama shots of coral reefs [video]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:45 PM PDT

Google runs Maps victory lap, adds underwater panorama shots of coral reefs [video]As if Google (GOOG) needed to do anything more to show that its Maps application runs circles around Apple's (AAPL), the company on Wednesday unveiled a new Maps feature that incorporates underwater panorama shots of several coral reefs in Australia, the Philippines and Hawaii. The new underwater Maps pictures were shot with the help of the Catlin Seaview Survey, a scientific project dedicated to studying coral reefs and bringing the public "unprecedented accessibility to our oceans through 'virtual diving.'" A video of Google's underwater Maps project is posted below. Read

Correction: Spaceport-Will They Come? story

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:28 PM PDT

In a story Sept. 22 about Spaceport America, The Associated Press reported erroneously the cost of the project to taxpayers. The cost was $209 million, not $209 billion.

Sharp may withdraw solar panel unit from Europe, U.S. : sources

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:27 PM PDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Sharp Corp may pull its solar panel business out of Europe and the United States and as the cash-strapped company looks for ways to withdraw from money-losing businesses and cut costs, two sources told Reuters. The proposal to shrink the solar panel business is part of a business contingency plan the maker of Aquos televisions has submitted to banks in a bid to secure loans it needs to stay in business, the sources said on condition they were not identified. ...

Kim Dotcom teases Megaupload sequel ‘Megabox’ [video]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:10 PM PDT

Kim Dotcom teases Megaupload sequel 'Megabox' [video]Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has put out a new video teasing his new project dubbed Megabox, which is purportedly legal. The video mostly shows coders building and doing tests on the new music download site and gives a glimpse of what Megabox's user interface will look like. No launch date was announced but the video does say that the site is "coming soon" and will give users access to their music collections "anywhere and anytime." Dotcom earlier this month said that he was working with his lawyers to make sure that the new Megabox site had ironclad legal protection and would be free of the legal controversies that dogged its predecessor.  Ars Technica has reported on some new details about how Megabox

Breaking Up With Overly Attached Girlfriend is Hard to Do [VIDEO]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:42 PM PDT

Breaking up is hard to do -- especially if you're dating Overly Attached Girlfriend.

Google's Brazil chief detained in YouTube case

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:40 PM PDT

In this Nov. 22, 2011 photo, Google executive Fabio Jose Silva Coelho poses for a portrait in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Google Inc.'s head of operations in Brazil was detained by the country's federal police Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012 after the company failed to heed a judge's order to take down YouTube videos that the court ruled violate Brazilian electoral law. The detention came as another court ordered YouTube to remove clips of an anti-Islam film that has been blamed for deadly protests by Muslims around the globe, both joining a spate of court-ordered content-removal cases against Google's video-sharing website in Brazil. (AP Photo/Carol Carquejeiro, Agencia O Globo)Google Inc.'s head of operations in Brazil was detained by the country's federal police Wednesday after the company failed to heed a judge's order to take down YouTube videos that the court ruled violate Brazilian electoral law.

Assembling an Avenger - Inside the Brain of Iron Man

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:36 PM PDT

Assembling an Avenger - Inside the Brain of Iron Man

Intel: Windows 8 will be half baked at launch

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:35 PM PDT

Intel: Windows 8 will be half baked at launch [updated]Intel's (INTC) chief executive officer Paul Otellini has some harsh words for one of the company's closest partners. According to a report from Bloomberg, Otellini told employees that Microsoft (MSFT) is planning to release its Windows 8 operating system before it is fully ready. The executive reportedly believes that the software still needs improvements before it is ready for public consumption. A number of analysts have echoed these concerns, noting that the Microsoft's partners haven't had enough time to work out the operating system's various kinks. "We are concerned at the level of bugs and fine tuning that appears necessary to get the beta systems we demoed ready for prime time," Alex Gauna, an analyst at JMP Securities, said in

News Summary: Myspace revamp under way

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:25 PM PDT

BACK AGAIN? MySpace, the once-mighty social network turned entertainment site, is trying to stage yet another comeback with the help of Justin Timberlake, an investor.

Hubble Looks Deep into the Past; Vampire Squid Have Disgusting Diets

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:09 PM PDT

Discovered: Scientists control feeble worm brains with lasers; the earth shook for six days after April's Indian Ocean quake; a view into deep space; vampire squids are gross. 

RIM to report 2Q amid wait for new BlackBerry

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:01 PM PDT

Struggling BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. will release its fiscal second-quarter results after markets close Thursday, coming as the company tries to hang on to its subscriber base while preparing to release its much-delayed new phones next year.

Libratone Zipp is the first and only AirPlay speaker that doesn’t need a Wi-Fi network

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:00 PM PDT

Libratone Zipp is the first and only AirPlay speaker that doesn't need a Wi-Fi networkApple's (AAPL) wireless AirPlay technology beats Bluetooth for two reasons. First, it can stream audio in uncompressed CD-quality. And second, unlike Bluetooth speakers that only work within 30 feet of a paired device, AirPlay speakers work over Wi-Fi, so distance is not a problem. But what happens when a Wi-Fi network is not available? Libratone's 10.2-inch tall and 4.8-inch wide (diameter) battery-powered Zipp AirPlay speaker is here to solve the problem. Instead of using a router-based Wi-Fi network, it connects to any iOS device, Mac or PC by creating a direct Wi-Fi network using Libratone's PlayDirect technology. What about sound quality? The Zipp's 360-degree cylindrical design is supposed to"disperse sound in all directions." The only kicker is that the Zipp

Apple ditched Google Maps over turn-by-turn navigation spat

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:25 PM PDT

Apple ditched Google Maps over turn-by-turn navigation spatBy now everyone knows about the glaring flaws in Apple's (AAPL) homemade maps application. The question, then, is why did Apple decide to launch its own maps app when it still had access to Google (GOOG) Maps for at least another year? Unnamed sources have told AllThingsD that Apple was royally ticked off that Google was holding back on implementing turn-by-turn navigation in the iOS version of Google Maps, especially since the Android version of the app has had that feature for years now. Google's reasoning for holding out on turn-by-turn navigation? According to AllThingsD, Google felt it had invested lots of money into the technology over the years and didn't want to hand it over to a rival software platform. Needless to say,

Taylor & Martin to raise up to $180 million in IPO

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:05 PM PDT

(Reuters) - Taylor & Martin Group Inc, which helps companies cash their excess inventory and assets, said it expects to sell 15 million common shares for $10 to $12 each in an initial public offering, raising up to $180 million. The IPO proceeds will be used to pay down debt and to purchase partner companies, Taylor & Martin said in the filing. After the IPO, the stake of majority shareholder SABA Group LLC, which is controlled by Taylor & Martin's CEO Rod Cutsinger, will get diluted to 27 percent from about 97 percent, the company said in a filing with the U.S. ...

Progress Software profit beats estimates on cost cuts

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:04 PM PDT

(Reuters) - Database management software maker Progress Software Corp reported a third-quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates, helped by cost cuts. The company's net income from continuing operations fell to $5.8 million, or 12 cents per share, from $9.1 million, or 14 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, it earned 31 cents per share. Revenue fell 14 percent to $107.2 million. Analysts expected earnings of 24 cents per share on revenue of $112.3 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. ...

Getting in tune; Samsung to shop for software

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:54 PM PDT

File photo of new Samsung Galaxy Note II tablet device pictured during Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012 event in BerlinSEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics, which has vaulted the value chain on the strength of its hardware, will go out and buy mobile content providers, a senior executive told Reuters, to compete with Apple, Google and Amazon.com in a global digital music market worth nearly $9 billion. The South Korean electronics giant has muscled its way to global leadership in TVs, smartphones, chips and display screens - packing internally sourced state-of-the-art components into consumer gadgets - but software remains a weak link. ...

Students Are Choosing Colleges With Social Media Clout [STUDY]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:51 PM PDT

Students Are Choosing Colleges With Social Media Clout [STUDY]Efforts by higher education institutes to gain Twitter followers, Facebook likes and YouTube views, while connecting with students on blogs and message boards, are paying off.
Posted by Harshad at 9:44 PM

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