Nintendo to Take a Loss on Each 3DS Sold

Nintendo this week dropped the price of the 3DS by a massive amount. So, how is that going to affect business?

Nintendo this week announced that it was cutting the price of its newest portable, the 3DS, by a whopping $80. While that certainly addresses the crowd who thinks Nintendo was crazy to charge $250 for the device in the first place, Bloomberg Japan reports that Nintendo will now be taking a loss on each 3DS is sells.

PS Vita CPU Manufactured by Samsung; RAM Not Cut

Although there's no confirmed amount of RAM despite previous reports and rumors, Samsung is reportedly providing the CPU for Sony's PlayStation Vita.

Andriasang reports that Samsung will provide the CPU for Sony's upcoming handheld gaming platform, the PlayStation Vita. The news first appeared in the electronics industry newspaper The Semiconductor Industry News and reports that the CPU will be manufactured using the 45-nm process.

Google Wants Faster Web With Page Speed Service

Google has launched a service that grabs your website, translates it for optimum performance, and then spits it back out at unknowing web surfers.

Thursday Google engineering manager Ram Ramani announced the launch of its new Page Speed Service which promises to speed up page loads. The launch follows Google's Page Speed browser extension released two years ago and the Page Speed Online API released earlier this year. Google also released an Apache module last year that automatically rewrote web pages to make viewing faster.

Apple ''Leaks'' Image of iPod Touch with 3G

Apple "accidentally" uploaded an image of an iPod Touch with 3G connectivity.

It's like clockwork: the closer we get to a supposed Apple launch date, the more "leaked" materials consumers and press uncover, building hype. We've seen plenty since the beginning of the year regarding the next iPhone and iPod Touch release, and today is no exception.

SanDisk Intros SSD for Retail Consumers

SanDisk is now offering its Ultra SSD to consumers through Newegg.

Previously SanDisk offered its Ultra SSD to the business sector, but on Tuesday the company revealed that it's now offering the drive to consumers. Unfortunately, it's not packed with the SandForce SF-2200 controller or a SATA 6 Gbps interface, so don't expect blazing fast speeds in the 500 MB/s realm. But considering its price, the Ultra SSD offers a cheap way to replace the standard HDD and boost performance without having to sell body parts on the black market.

Microsoft Exec Bets Dilbert-creator $1000 He'll Like WP7

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.

Microsoft has a lot riding on Windows Phone 7 and the company is certainly devoting a lot of time and attention to the mobile OS. Redmond is also sinking an awful lot of cash into WP7. However, it seems at least one executive is personally prepared to put his money where his mouth is. Winrumors reports that Brandon Watson, Senior Director of Windows Phone 7 development at Microsoft, has reached out to Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, with a proposal.

Apple to Release Lion on USB in August

Lion is coming to a USB stick near you.

Apple this week launched the newest version of its OS X operating system, Lion. The software debuted in Apple's Mac App Store and has already racked up a million downloads. However, downloading is not your only option; Apple is also releasing the new iteration of its OS on USB stick next month.

Costing $69, it's a full $40 more than the $29 users are paying for the download. Why is Apple selling the OS on USB and charging more than double the price? We can't say for sure, but we're betting it's got something to do with the fact that OS X Lion is a rather hefty download (almost 4GB) and not everyone has the speed or bandwidth to download it. Still, that doesn't completely excuse charging so much extra (Apple does need to cover costs for materials, shipping, handling, etc., but it can't be that much). Considering the month between digital and USB release, it would seem Apple is doing its best to push people towards the Mac App Store.

Solar Electric Boat Offers Eco-Friendly Cruising

This boat ditches conventional fuel and adapts a solar powered electric engine.

Dubbed the Agua Moura, this eco friendly boat offers users a green way to cruise through the Santa Clara lake of Portugal. Designed by Victor Vicente, the Agua Moura runs on electric power gathered from the sun. The boat runs entirely on electricity, allowing eco-conscious passengers to be at ease and enjoy the wonders of the lake without having the worry about any harmful emissions.

SD Card Turns NOOK Color Into Android Tablet

Here's a way to safely convert the NOOK Color into an Android tablet without having to root the device.

Although we already know that it's possible to turn the NOOK Color into a full-fledged Android tablet by rooting the actual device, there's now an easy way to temporarily convert the tablet without permanently nuking the NOOK Color experience. Essentially users boot from a microSD card that loads either the NOOK OS or Android.

A Folding Farm PC Made of Lego

The ultimate DIY job.

Having a modular, custom built case would be a dream for any DIY-er, which is probably why Mike Schropp decided to build his own server-class case out of Lego. Yes, that’s right, the learning toy from your childhood is used as parts of a case for a folding farm.

HTC Tells Apple to Compete and Stop Complaining

Fightin' words!

Apple has launched a new complaint against HTC, one of the company's competitors that makes a wide range of different smartphones.

Apple went to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) with patent claims of technology used in the iPad and iPhone, and hopes to block the import of HTC products into the United States.

Apple's iCloud Could Dent Flash Demand

There is some speculation that cloud services could potentially have an effect on local storage technologies, especially Flash.

Market research firm IHS said that Apple's iCloud offer may prompt consumers to reconsider their need for more flash memory and decrease the growth of demand over time.

Apple currently buys about 30 percent of all Flash memory currently produced, about 5.2 billion gigabytes of a total of 18.5 billion gigabytes. By 2015, IHS believes Apple's share will be down to about 23.9 percent. 

U.S. Presents Cyber Defense Strategy

The U.S. Depart of Defense has presented its strategy to defend national computer networks in a 13-page paper.

The DoD is considering five "initiatives" in its defense strategy, including (1) training staff and providing resources, (2) develop new defense operating concepts, (3) create partnerships with other U.S. government organizations and the private industry, (4) build relationships with other nations and allies, as well as (5) attracting human talent and the promoting of innovation.

Kinect May Be Coming to Smartphones

Thanks to the acquisition of Canesta Inc, Kinect could be coming to Windows Phone-based smartphones in the near future.

In a Wednesday report about the elimination of the notebook, netbook and tablet in the next ten years, we speculated on what a mobile device would look like in 2021. Would it resemble a watch capable of projecting imagery and following commands based on simple gestures? Looks like Microsoft is already on top of the latter tech to some extent.

Nokia Dream Phone Features Triple OS Booting

Nokia dream phone comes with Windows, Android, MeeGo operating systems.

Designed for the 'My Dream Nokia' series at MyNokiaBlog, the N10 is a slick concept that is perfect for the indecisive individual that can't decide which smartphone OS to go with. Although out of the box it doesn't boot the popular iOS, the N10 is capable of triple booting Android, MeeGo and Windows Phone operating systems.

Google+ May Have Surpassed 10 Million Users

Ancestry.com founder Paul Allen claims that Google+ will reach 20 million users by the weekend.

Over on Google+, Ancestry.com founder Paul Allen claims that by Tuesday, Google's new social website will have surpassed 10 million users, and will likely reach 20 million users by the weekend.

HP Possibly Releasing Ultrabooks This Summer

Reports from Taiwan-based part and component suppliers claim that HP will be the first to hit the market with "ultrabook" notebooks.

While the details are scarce at this point, Taiwan-based part and component suppliers claim that HP will actually be the first to produce a mobile PC based on Intel's "ultrabook" concept, beating the Asus UX21 (seen right) to the market. The HP-branded ultrabooks will be manufactured by Foxconn and may even arrive sometime this summer.

Rumor: Apple Working on iPad 'HD' With Retina

Super clear images coming to an iPad soon?

Apple's made a pretty big deal about its Retina Display for the iPhone 4 when it launched a year ago, but its 300+ dpi (326 dpi on the iPhone 4, to be exact) technology has yet to hit anything else other than the corresponding iPod touch.

It was a little disappointing when the iPad 2 featured the same 1024x768 resolution as the original iPad, but now word is that Apple is prepping an iPad "HD" that will feature four times the resolution at 2048 x 1536.

Next iPod Touch May Feature 3G Connectivity

There's talk that the iPod Touch 5 will follow the iPad 2 and support 3G connectivity for downloading apps and media on the go.

Most of the rumors surrounding the next iOS product have centered around the upcoming iPhone 5. But what of its close cousin, the iPod Touch? What will we see in the fifth generation? According to a report by Dutch blog AppleSpot.nl, the "iPhone without a Phone" will contain new antennas and circuitry for supporting 3G data connectivity while retaining its original Wi-Fi capability.

Facebook Working on Music Service ''Vibes?''

A programmer snooping around in the Facebook Video Chat code discovered an unannounced Facebook music service.

Programmer Jeff Rose reportedly went digging around in Facebook's new video chatting app after its launch on Thursday. Specifically, he wanted to know how the new app worked in conjunction with his own Skype installation: did the FacebookvideoCalling.jar file used his pre-installed Skype, did it install a second copy, or was Facebook bundling the Skype protocols in a library? After discovering how the installer worked, he also came across a piece of code that references to a music download app called "Facebook Vibes."

John Carmack Gives Thumbs Up for Wii U

Nintendo's upcoming console shows enough promise that even id Software is taking notice.

In a recent interview with IndustryGamers, id Software technical director John Carmack seemingly gave a thumbs up for the Nintendo Wii U console. In fact, he said it should be a "slam dunk" in bringing the id Tech 5 engine to the upcoming platform. But don't get your hopes up just yet – Wii U support isn't exactly an official deal until Carmack gets his hands on an actual unit.

Power Consumption Solved: Magnetic Processors

All right, let's be optimistic here: it's not going to entirely wipe power-hungry processors and memory off the charts anytime soon.

But there is at least an idea how to reduce the power consumption of semiconductor devices by a factor of 1 million.

The basic idea is to simply eliminate the flow of electrons, the ultimate source of power consumption. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley said that magnetic processors could work without the need of electrons and function near the minimum power limit allowed by the second law of thermodynamics (Landauer limit). The project group estimates that a magnetic chip may only consume 18 millielectron volts of energy per operation at room temperature, which is about 1 million times below today's processors.

HP: TouchPad Isn't Trying to Compete with iPad

HP is taking a different approach in its attempt to break the tablet market.

Every tablet that launches is inevitably compared to Apple's iPad and it's definitely not uncommon to hear hotly-anticipated hardware referred to as 'a potential iPad killer'. However, while most companies are trying to compete with the iPad, HP insists the iPad is not part of its game plan when it comes to its newly-available TouchPad.

Microsoft Merging GFW Marketplace and Xbox.com

Will Xbox.com become the central online source for all Microsoft-sanctioned games?

Friday the Games for Windows website officially announced that Microsoft's digital delivery store for PC games, GFW Marketplace, is merging with Xbox.com. Microsoft doesn't offer up any additional details, only stating that "now you can get all of your gaming needs in one place." The reaction to the merge is curiously calm over on the Xbox.com forum, with many commenters hoping that the merge means more cross-platform compatibility in the future.

Flash Virtualization Software Unveiled

FlashSoft announced that it has secured $3 million in financing and used that opportunity to come out of hiding and provide a few details about its flash virtualization software, called FlashSoft SE.

The company uses software to enable SSDs and PCIe flash memory devices as server-tier read-write cache and accelerate the overall performance of databases and other applications on servers.

The software addresses a general cost and performance problem in data centers. While flash processes data much faster than hard drives, the cost is often prohibitive. However, Flash virtualization can cut the amount of necessary Flash memory significantly, while increasing the application performance by a factor of four to ten, FlashSoft claims.