Microsoft officially announces its “magic mouse”, the Arc Touch
by Justin Horn on Sep 1st, 2010 @ 12:02 pm
Debbie Uttecht from Microsoft Hardware Blog:
After much anticipation, we are excited to announce the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse! You might have seen the teases we shared on Twitter –we were trying to get you thinking about things that were flat and when you see this mouse you’ll know why. Some of the creative responses we got surprised us!
You’ll remember just a couple weeks ago we reported on the rumored new device, which Neowin correctly guessed was a new Arc Touch mouse. Also, arctouchmouse.com now takes you to the product website instead of a Bing search. Pre-orders are open today for a release sometime in December.
The big difference, compared to Apple’s touch mouse, is only the silver strip is “touchable”. Also, the gestures are pretty basic when compared to Apple’s multi-touch capabilities. The rest of the mouse just works like a regular mouse. Microsoft’s selling point is that you can flatten the mouse for easy transport and then arc it for more traditional comfort. I can see a market for this, but if they try to get more than $30 for it, I think it’s going to be a hard sell.
UPDATE Here’s the link to the announcement on the main website: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2010/sep10/09-1ArcTouchPR.mspx
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Sony jumps into the movie and music streaming business (Updated)
by Justin Horn on Sep 1st, 2010 @ 11:51 amUPDATE Official announcement on Sony website
On the same day Apple is believed to announce a new iTunes streaming service, Sony has jumped into the game.
Stuart Miles from Pocket-lint:
Today at the IFA 2010 show in Berlin, Sony announced that “Video On Demand powered by Qriocity”, a premium streaming video service, will be available this autumn in five European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K.
…
But it’s not just about video, Sony has said that will also launch a music cloud base service too.
Netflix…uh oh.
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Kindle and iPad screen, under the microscrope
by Justin Horn on Aug 16th, 2010 @ 3:30 pm
iPad (left) vs Kindle (right) at 26x
Keith from BIT-101 compared the iPad, Kindle, Newsprint, and magazine all under the microscope for our viewing pleasure. You can really see the difference in pixel based LCDs vs the electronic paper display of the Kindle, which tries to mimic real paper. Remember this is compared to the standard screen, not the new retina display seen on the iPhone 4. Check out the BIT-101 link for all the photos, some at 375x!
(via iClarified)
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Android “open” Market really making Apple’s garden bloom
by Justin Horn on Aug 13th, 2010 @ 4:30 pmTweetDeck official Twitter account:
Someone has uploaded a “TweetDeck” app to the Android Market and is charging for it. THIS IS NOT THE OFFICIAL APP. Do NOT download.
Remember kids, curation is a bad thing.
UPDATE Click here to view the listing on DoubleTwist website (via DaringFireball)
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Camera+ finally gets the boot from app store
by Justin Horn on Aug 12th, 2010 @ 9:23 am
It was revealed a couple days ago that you could enable VolumeSnap on the Camera+ app through an easter egg, a direct violation of the app store rules. So I’ve been checking a few times a day, wondering how long it would take for Apple to remove it. Gave it a check again this morning and it’s no longer listed. Usually trying to circumvent the Apple store rules would not only get the app pulled, but earn the developer a complete ban or suspension. With TapTapTap being one of the most prominent iOS developers it will be interesting to see what happens next.
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Android Trojan virus, I think I’ll keep playing in Apple’s garden
by Justin Horn on Aug 10th, 2010 @ 10:37 amPurporting to be a harmless media player application, the Trojan, once installed, actually sends out SMS text messages without the users’ knowledge or consent.
The Trojan penetrates Android-based smartphones disguised as an ordinary application, says Kaspersky. Users are prompted to install a small file of around 13 KB that has the standard Android extension .APK. But once the “app” is installed on the device, the Trojan bundled with it begins texting premium rate phone numbers (those that charge). The criminals are actually the ones operating these numbers, so they end up collecting the money via charges to the victims’ accounts.
Yes, some of the drawbacks of Apple’s walled garden do suck, but I think the positives far outweigh the negatives. As mobile phones and devices act more and more like our old school desktop, the risk for virus increases. This is only going to get worse.
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