Dell and HP Poke Fun At Apple, iPad

Just this week alone, Dell is slamming the iPad while HP is criticizing Apple itself.

What better way to promote your own product than to publicly bash the competitor? Both Dell and HP have reportedly resorted to these tactics, taking major jabs at Apple and its iPad line this week while speaking fondly of their own tablet offerings.

Nokia Hosts Angry Birds Championship

Plenty of people claim to be addicted to Angry Birds, but can you turn your addiction into something to be proud of?

Nokia has just got through hosting what appears to be the first ever Angry Birds Championships. Already home to The World Sauna Championship, The World Mobile Phone Throwing Championship, The World Wife Carrying Championship, and The World Air Guitar Championship, Nokia’s native Finland was the venue of choice for this particular gaming event and it saw 19-year old Jonas Koivula beat 2,599 other hopefuls to the top prize of a trip to Hollywood. 

Sprint David to Stand Up Against AT&T Goliath

Can Sprint really take on AT&T-Mobile?

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told an audience at an industry conference that a combined AT&T/T-Mobile would have "tremendous" power and the two largest wireless carrier would control 79% of the U.S. wireless market, if the merger was approved.

Valve's Steam Coming to Apple iOS and Android?

Could this lead to Valve mobile games?

One lucky member of the Steam forums community got to visit the Valve offices and he walked away with some newsworthy tidbits.

One interesting new feature that will soon be a part of Steam will be a video recorder, which should make it all the easier for gamers to share their best moments. Prepare for lots of YouTube uploads.

Something else that piqued the interest of some was that Gabe Newell said that the company is looking at possibilities in extending Steam to the iOS and Android platforms. A gaming service like Steam has done wonders on the PC and Mac; and with mobile gaming already having solid ground on the phones, PMPs and tablets, it seems only natural.

If Valve were to pursue Steam for mobile platforms, it could likely do so on Android. After all, Amazon just launched its own app store this week. Apple, on the other hand, won't want to give up any of its app selling control, as well let anything threaten its Game Center service.

iPad 2 Launches Internationally as iOS 4.3.1 Hits

Hitting fanatics around the world.

It was iPad 2 day two weeks ago for the U.S., and now Apple's second tablet is hitting 25 international markets today. Like they did the U.S., fans queued for hours, some even going overnight, to be among the first in their country to buy from Apple.

iPad 2 is now available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

Update Schedule for MSFT's WP7 'NoDo' Update

When's your update coming?

On Tuesday, Microsoft began rolling out the Windows Phone 7 ‘NoDo’ update to selected Windows Phone 7 users. The first to get the update were those who had SIM-free, carrier-unbranded devices. However, users with carrier-branded devices are in another boat entirely. Certain carriers, like Telus, admitted that it could take weeks for WP7 users to get the update.

Get Drunk, Exercise On The Cycling Bar Stool

Finally a way to neutralize your beer belly without giving up beer!

Dealing with a surplus of denim supplies in Indonesia, D-bodhi from Singapore has found some innovative ways to reuse, recycle and re-purpose discarded denim fabric into comfortable jean-furniture. One of the notable creations made from D-bodhi is the denim cycling stool that allows patrons to ride while they eat and drink.

Sprint Gets Google Voice Integration, Nexus S 4G

It hasn't been that long since Google and Samsung launched the Nexus S. However, the search giant this morning announced the second iteration of the Nexus S smartphone.

Available on Sprint, the Nexus S 4G is is a CDMA phone that utilizes Sprint’s WiMAX network and packs Android 2.3, AKA Gingerbread. Aside from the change in radios, you’re looking at the same 4-inch display, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, front and rear facing cameras, 16GB of internal memory, and NFC that original Nexus S users are packing. Availability is no more specific than 'the spring' and pricing is set at $199.99.

Flash 10.2 Launched for Android 2.2, 2.3 and 3.0

If you're rocking an Android device, there's no doubt that you're able to enjoy some of the Flash-enabled websites at a different level than those who sport Apple phones.

Today Adobe released Flash Player 10.2 for Android 2.2 (Froyo) and 2.3 (Gingerbread). Today also sees the release of a beta release for Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablets which requires Google's 3.0.1 system update.

Preorder $379 WiFi-only Dell Streak 7 Now

If you've shunned Dell's Streak 7 because you felt $450 was too much to pay for an (off-contract) 7-inch tablet, you'll be pleased to hear that the WiFi version is up for pre-order on Amazon for quite a bit less.

Priced at $379, the 7-inch tablet boasts Nvidia's Tegra 2 chipset, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, a Gorilla Glass-protected screen, 16GB of internal memory and, of course, WiFi. Unfortunately, while popping it onto Amazon for preorder, Dell wasn't kind enough to award us the release date for the Streak 7, so those preordering will be committing to a gadget with an as-yet-unknown arrival date. 

Amazon lists the 'date first available on Amazon' as March 7, 2011, so it looks like this listing has been there a while. Perhaps now that the media has begun to notice it, Dell will spill the beans on the actual release date for this Froyo-based tablet.

Sony Subpoenas Geohot's PayPal Records

Sony is requesting access to PS3 hacker George Hotz’s PayPal records for the last two years.

It’s been just a couple of weeks since Sony was granted access to the IP address of anyone who visited GeoHot’s website. However, a federal magistrate has now given Sony the green light to subpoena the PayPal records of George Hotz. 

The subpoenas are part of Sony’s battle to have Hotz tried in San Francisco, as opposed to his home state of New Jersey. Sony wants to have the trial in California and if the PayPal records confirm that Hotz accepted monetary donations for the hack from Northern California residents, Sony might get its wish. Hotz, on the other hand, denies accepting any donations.

Apple Postpones Japanese iPad 2 Launch

Apple has postponed the Japanese launch of the iPad 2 as a result of the aftermath of last week’s earthquake and tsunami.

Launched last Friday, the iPad 2 has been flying off U.S. shelves at an alarming rate and was due to launch in 25 more countries next Friday, on March 25. However, Apple has released a statement saying Japan will no longer be partaking in the March 25 launch as a result of the devastation brought on by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Fake Radiation SMS Sending Panic Across Asia

Japan was today hit by another earthquake (6.0 magnitude), and the situation at the Fukushima plant remains unstable. With fears that radiation could lead to contamination of food and water, panic about leaks from the plant is not in short supply. However, an SMS message purporting to come from the BBC is creating yet more panic across Asia.

The SMS has been circulating around Asian countries since Monday and warns recipients that radiation from the Fukushima plant could leak beyond Japan into other countries. It names the Philippines in particular and cautions that the radiation is scheduled to reach the country at "around 4pm today." The message instructs people to stay inside for 24 hours if it rains.

Apple Tweets That White iPhone is Finally Coming

Better late than never... or is it?

With the white iPad 2 a reality, it seems that a white iPhone 4 isn't too far off. In fact, Apple promised last year that the iPhone 4 dressed in white will be here this spring, and we're getting awfully close.

Warid Introduces MircoSIM

After Ufone, Warid has also introduced MicroSIMs, primarily used for iPhone 4 and iPad devices.

Warid says that its MicroSIMs are designed for use in the iPhone4, iPad 1 & iPad 2 and all other Micro SIM compatible devices.

Price:

This 32KB MicroSIM from Warid is priced at Rs. 500, little pricy!

Availability:

• These SIMs are currently available at Warid Business centers in the following cities:
  • Lahore
  • Gujranwala
  • Faisalabad
  • Multan
  • Islamabad
  • Peshawar
  • Karachi
  • Hyderabad
• SIMs are available in limited stock only

Steve Jobs Gave Russian President Locked iPhone

Time to check out some of that ultrasn0w.

Last summer, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Silicon Valley to learn more about one of America's unique tech hotbeds. Part of his trip included a stop at Apple, where he met with Steve Jobs and even got a special gift of an iPhone 4.

It was a nice gesture and a very cool souvenir to take away from Cupertino. Of course, that iPhone 4 is quite useless now in Russia, as Jobs gave Medvedev one that was locked to AT&T.

To be fair, all iPhone 4 models sold in the U.S. are locked to AT&T, even though there are factory unlocked models available just north of the border in Canada. We can only assume that Steve Jobs had one pulled right from the U.S.-specific stock.

A tweet from Medvedev's assistant confirms that the phone worked while in the U.S., but not in Russia. We assume that he's referring to using it on a local SIM card, as AT&T does roam in Russia.

It's time for Medvedev to seek out the local talent to inspect his iPhone's baseband to see if it's unlockable.

Google Letting Users Blocks Sites from Results

Tired of seeing search results from certain websites? Google's got your back.

Google today announced a new feature for Google Search that enables users to block certain sites from appearing in search results. 

"Perhaps the result just wasn’t quite right," say Google's Amay Champaneria and Beverly Yang over on the Google blog. 

"But sometimes you may dislike the site in general, whether it’s offensive, pornographic or of generally low quality."

If that's the case, Google has introduced a link that will appear when you click "back" on your browser to return to the Google results. This new link allows you to block all results from the site you just visited. Google says you can block up to 500 sites, but there's no mention of whether or not you're able to do a one-time-only block for the sake of a specific search. However, you are able to unblock the site later if you wish, so that should serve as a more convoluted work-around for people who want to block sites on a search-by-search basis.

Bill Gates Comes in at No. 2 on Forbes Rich List

Carlos Slim has further widened the gap between himself and the man who occupies second place on Forbes' rich list.

He was robbed of his ‘World’s Richest Man’ title in 2010 by Carlos Slim, a 70-year-old Mexican telecoms mogul who placed third on 2009’s list of the world’s billionaires. However, it seems 2011 was not the year of the comeback for Bill Gates. Forbes just released its annual billionaires list and Bill, with his $56 billion fortune, it still at number two while Slim and his net worth of $74 billion are sitting comfortably at number one.

Sweden Replacing Stamps with SMS System

Sweden is going to replace stamps with handwritten codes that you obtain via SMS.

Stamp collecting is about to get a whole lot more interesting as Sweden has just announced a system that could eliminate the stamp altogether. TIME magazine reports that the Swedish postal service, Posten AB, is looking to launch a system that would see people pay for postage for letters and packages via text message. 

AMD Bulldozer, Llano Launch Dates Leaked

Various sources point to June and July release dates for Bulldozer and Llano.

Based on information gathered by "industrial sources," various reports are indicating that AMD plans to launch its upcoming high-end desktop Bulldozer CPUs sometime during the week of June 20, 2011.

Nintendo Can Remotely Disable New 3DS System

Nintendo can "brick" the 3DS using a system update.

Nintendo reportedly has a kill switch in place to disable the new Nintendo 3DS handheld if users are caught playing illegal games stored on unapproved SD cards. The news arrives by way of Japanese retailer Enterking who warns consumers about the possible 3DS "bricking" by Nintendo itself

iPad 2 Has Samsung Reconsidering 10'' Tab Price

We recoiled when we heard that the 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab was to cost €700 in Portugal. Though tablets do tend to cost more in Europe, we were still a little anxious to hear how much retailers would be charging stateside. However, it seems Samsung is already considering dropping the price of the 10-inch tablet, and it’s all because of Apple.

G.Skill's Phoenix II SSD Using SF-2000 Series

G.Skill is showcasing its new Phoenix II SSD series using the SandForce SF-2200 processor.

Tuesday G.Skill International displayed its new line of SATA 6 Gb/s-based SSDs, the Phoenix II, at CeBIT 2011. Similar to other SSDs recently announced by Patriot Memory and Corsair over the past week, the new Phoenix II uses the SandForce SF-2200 processor to achieve sequential read speeds of 550 MB/s and write speeds of 500 MB/s. Little else is known about the SSDs in regards to capacities and pricing. However, G.Skill said the Phoenix II drives will ship in the middle of Q2 2011.

Havok Tech Coming to PlayStation Phone Games

Xperia PLAY developers will now have access to Havok's middleware.

ZoomIf you thought that the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY would by just another fancy smartphone that can play PlayStation ports and app-sized Android games, then think again. Sony Ericsson and Havok revealed during Game Developers Conference 2011 that the latter company's middleware will now work with the PlayStation-sanctioned Gingerbread-powered smartphone.

"As part of Havok’s overall support for the Android platform, we are very pleased to partner with Sony Ericsson to put the full power of the Havok product line into the hands of Xperia PLAY developers," said Havok managing director David Coghlan. "We were extremely impressed by the performance of the Xperia PLAY and the ease with which we were able to port and optimize our technology to the platform."

For consumers, this means that developers will have access to Havok technology which will create "cinematic, rich 3D immersive games" for Android, especially the Xperia PLAY. According to Havok lead pre-sales engineer Steve Ewart, there's a particular set of hardware instructions on the PlayStation phone that's not on all the Android platforms. Those instructions and the phone's "relative hardware power" convinced the company to bring its middleware to the platform.

Thanks to all that horsepower packed under the hood, Ewart said that players will see more complex games than what's seen on previous mobile devices. "If you're going to have a physics simulation in there, and you're going to have lots of characters dying and piling up on each other – that's the core physics problem – you're going to need extra capabilities [like Havok's middleware] to push that particular scenario,” he told Gamasutra.

Set to launch this month on Verizon Wireless, the Xperia PLAY will arrive with 50 launch titles from Electronic Arts, Gameloft, Glu Mobile, Namco Bandai and numerous other publishers that was designed to make use of the phone's slide-out gamepad. Fifteen of these games will be ports of original PlayStation titles, one of which has already been confirmed to be the original Crash Bandicoot (booga booga).

Current titles which make use of Havok's middleware include Halo: Reach, Fable 3, LEGO Universe, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Just Cause 2, DJ Hero 2, and numerous other games found on the PC and current gaming consoles. Havok tools include Havoc Physics, Havok Script, Havok AI, Havok Behavior, Havok Destruction and others.

Former Apple Exec Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

Back in August of 2010, midlevel Apple manager Paul Devine was accused of taking as much as $1,000,000 in kickbacks from Apple partners....

Back in August of 2010, midlevel Apple manager Paul Devine was accused of taking as much as $1,000,000 in kickbacks from Apple partners. Devine was said to have used his position as a midlevel executive at Apple to gain access to confidential information, which he would then sell on to Apple suppliers. 

White iPad 2 Bezel Leaked?

Leaked iPad 2 bezel may mean a white iPad is on the way.

On Sunday, 9to5Mac posted a photo that may very convincingly be a snapshot of a leaked white iPad 2 bezel.

The photo was taken in Shenzhen City, China, by iFixYouri iPhone repair shop and is believed to be the new thick bezel of the upcoming iPad 2. Judging from the popularity of Apple's white products, it is very possible that a white iPad 2 is also on the way.

Aside from the white color of the bezel, another noticeable feature is the small camera hole at the top of the bezel, which will likely accommodate the iPad 2's forward facing "FaceTime HD" camera. 

Whether or not the bezel is real, we'll let you decide. But until then, we'll just have to wait until March 2nd rolls around for all of the juicy iPad 2 details.