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Metrics Mavens: Vista Gets Dumped From One-Third of New Enterprise PCs
An independent software development company claims to have statistics showing that one out of three new enterprise PCs purchased are running Windows XP, not Windows Vista. The numbers from Devil Mountain Software, based on a study of more than 3,000 machines, found that enterprises are purchasing new machines with Vista pre-installed and downgrading them to Windows XP.
Japan Demands Probe Into Cause of Nano Flameouts
There have been at least two recent incidents in Japan in which iPod nanos overheated and caused minor fires, prompting the country's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to issue a warning about the popular portable music player. In all, there have been 14 such incidents in the country.
The Growing Trend Toward Shrinking Devices
It's not every day you hear scores of men arguing over whose is the smallest. But in the modern world of mobile computing, it's a conversation that's becoming increasingly common. The nature of today's business environment means needing to stay connected wherever you are. From ultraslim notebooks to ultramobile PCs and smartphones, the options to have high-tech tools in the pocket of your pants are growing by the month.
Google Goes Grassroots in FCC Lobbying Push
Call it a digital land rush; a stampede along the broadcast spectrum, the invisible areas of the air where TV signals, phone calls, wireless Web access and emergency alert frequencies roam. Google has its sights on some potentially lucrative tracts of the spectrum, so it's asking YouTube users to help sway the Federal Communications Commission.
Did Software Update Cure iPhone's 3G Sniffles?
After weeks of criticism lodged by a small but vocal group of users who claim the iPhone 3G drops calls and picks up weak signals when trying to connect to 3G networks, a software update recently issued by Apple may help nurse some devices back to health. The computer maker said its latest update improves the device's 3G abilities.
Do Second-Hand Apples Taste as Sweet?
Just because the iPhone 3G is storming the marketplace, don't expect the first-generation iPhone to disappear. Quite the contrary. Used iPhones, and iPods as well, are finding a ready market for refurbished Apple products. But it really is an Apple marketplace. "I don't see any other brand being able to build that kind of market in refurbished products," In-Stat analyst Stephanie Ethier told MacNewsWorld.
Google Gives Android Devs a Kit to Tinker With
Google is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with its long-awaited and much-hyped Android phone platform. This week has seen two significant developments: the first Android-powered device officially being approved by the FCC, and the beta version of the Android software development kit being released by Google.
Patent Office Casts Shadow on Dell's Claim to 'Cloud Computing'
To the surprise of few, Dell is losing its preliminary approval to trademark the phrase "cloud computing." The Patent and Trademark Office has sent the company a "non-final" refusal of its application to own the term. Dell has six months to submit counter-arguments or the PTO will abandon the application.
Google Tries Milking Mobile YouTube for Ad Money
Search engine giant Google has begun testing video ads on its mobile version of YouTube in the U.S. and Japan. The move is an attempt by the Mountain View, Calif.-based search engine to monetize YouTube's video ad potential. Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in October 2006.
Ubuntu Sponsor Canonical Falls In With Linux Foundation Crowd
Canonical, the commercial sponsor of the Ubuntu Linux distribution, is now a member of the Linux Foundation. The foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting the accelerated growth of Linux, announced Canonical's membership on Tuesday. Ubuntu community members have been active participants in a variety of workgroups at LF, including the Linux Standard Base, Desktop Architects and Driver Backporting groups.
Obama Shifts Gears, Endorses $2B NASA Funding Boost
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's position on space exploration continued to evolve Sunday as the Illinois Democrat endorsed a congressional plan to add $2 billion to NASA's budget and agreed to back at least one more space shuttle mission. His goal is to "minimize the gap" between the end of the shuttle program and the beginning of future manned missions.
US Consumers Buying Fewer but Fancier Phones
U.S. consumers have been buying significantly fewer cell phones but paying higher prices for them, according to a research firm. The NPD Group said in a report Tuesday that 28 million cell phones were sold in the United States in the second quarter, a decline of 13 percent from the same period a year ago. It was the third quarter in a row with a year-over-year decline.
Apple Gives MobileMe Users 60 More Days, Pleads for Patience
Apple took another step to acknowledge the issues surrounding MobileMe reliability by extending current subscriber memberships an additional 60 days. The company previously extended memberships 30 days, which means qualifying subscriber renewal dates have been extended 90 days.

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Archos TV+ WiFi-enabled DVR gets official

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Don't act surprised -- you knew good and well this thing was a-comin', and it seems launch day has finally arrived. Highlighted now on the firm's website, the TV+ DVR still rocks that WiFi goodness we knew would be included, with options for an 80GB or 250GB hard drive and the ability to schedule, record and stream content at will. Additionally, you can sync your recorded shows with your Archos PMP, flip through songs / photos and even view PDFs. You know by now if this one is still lingering on your must-have list, and if so, you can snag one for $229 (80GB) or $349 (250GB).

 

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Gefen’s CES lineup: switchers, PVRs, scalers, cables and more

Filed under: CES, HDTV, Peripherals

We've seen Gefen get all riled up and unleash a barrage of new kit all at once, and sure enough, the outfit is doing just that once more. For starters, we've got the TV Switcher, which enables consumers to connect and access four HDMI sources from a single HDTV. Next up is the TV Splitter, which allows users to channel a single HDMI source to four displays -- and yeah, both of the aforementioned units play nice with HDMI v1.3a. Moving right along, we've got a pair of updates to the PVR lineup; the HD PVR records in MPEG4 and can store material on the 80GB HDD or an SD card, while the SD PVR records content onto USB storage devices. Over on the sound side, the Gefen TV Audio Processor takes a single HDMI source and delivers it to a display and an external audio receiver; furthermore, it reportedly "decodes the HDMI signal to provide an audio signal along with six discrete RCA connectors." Lastly, the firm is doling out v1.3 / Simplay HD-certified HDMI cables in 6-, 10- and 15-foot lengths, but unfortunately, it didn't bother handing out price tags for any of the goods here.

 

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Dell’s Crystal 22-inch fashion LCD now official

Filed under: CES, Displays

Well, at least we didn't have to wait long. After a bit of a premature showing on Dell's website in the AM, the Crystal is back for realsies. Obviously the notable thing here is the design statement Dell is making with all that glass and metal -- these days it's almost like they've started paying their designers or something -- but the good news is that beauty isn't only skin deep here, since this 22-inch LCD has a 1680 x 1050 resolution, 98% color gamut, 2ms response time, 2000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and a built-in 2 megapixel webcam. There are also built-in speakers, and fancy touch controls across the base of the monitor, all wired along the glass with style. Connections include DVI and HDMI with HDCP and DisplayPort. Perhaps the best news is that you don't have to wait until CES to pick this thing up: it's available now for $1,199.

[Via Direct2Dell]

 

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Samsung’s P2 gets certified for Vongo

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

It's not like we haven't seen PMPs certified for Vongo before, but considering just how sexy the P2 really is, we think the aforementioned video provider did itself a favor by teaming up with Samsung. As of today, P2 owners can surf on over to Vongo's website and begin using the subscription-based service for $9.99 per month, and for P2 owners to-be, you can look forward to a "trial membership" with an unspecified length. Huzzah!

 

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Intel steps down from OLPC board

Filed under: Laptops

Not entirely surprising given their own efforts to democratize low cost computers and history of anti-OLPC vitriol, but Intel has stepped down from its position on the board at OLPC, which it's occupied all of six months or so. Apparently Negroponte was after Intel to cut its own Classmate PC program, but Intel wasn't having any of that funny business. It also didn't help that the OLPC is based on AMD hardware -- for now, anyway. We can't help but wonder what might have been with the hardware Intel was supposedly developing for the next version(s), but, you know, strange bedfellows sometimes part ways. [Warning: sub req'd for read link]

 

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Guitar Wizard: Guitar Hero with a real guitar

Filed under: CES, Misc. Gadgets

Nothing ruins a Guitar Hero or Rock Band party faster than that one guy who's constantly asking why everyone doesn't just learn to play a real instrument, but a company called Music Wizard Group is getting ready to change that with a new teaching tool called Guitar Wizard. The package comes with a real Washburn guitar, MIDI pickup and the Guitar Wizard software -- which is the same app used in Mattel's popular I Can Play Guitar toy -- and the company claims players will be rocking out and reading music in just minutes. Of course, since we've been shredding since we were just small change, we'll let the haters get their fret buzz on while we keep jamming with our modded Strat Guitar Hero controllers.

 

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Asus bringing GPS-packing P527 smartphone to US this year

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS

We've always sort of enjoyed the form factor of Asus' P527 GPS-enabled WinMo 6 smartphone, and now it looks like we'll be able to get our hot little hands on one when Asus officially launches the unit in North America sometime early this year. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Asus thinks its first North American handset deserves 3G, so we're still stuck at quadband EDGE, but the built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, and Google Earth GPS integration kinda sorta make up for it -- but we're wait for pricing info to hit before we go looking for our wallets.

 

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Xbox Live outage, day 13: still up and down, still preventing fun from being had

Filed under: Gaming

To all those who've been tipping us like crazy about Xbox Live going back down again: yeah, we heard, and we know you're not happy. If you're having problems (or even if you're not), feel free to let us know in comments. Almost two weeks of outages, yeesh.

To all those sick of hearing about Xbox Live being up and down: feel free to stop reading here, there will be another news story along in a few minutes. But do remember that Xbox Live is possibly the most widely used paid gaming service in the world, so forgive us for keeping close tabs on this story. Mwah!

 

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Yup, here’s Garmin’s CES lineup

Filed under: CES, GPS

Whoa, Nelly! Garmin just did the deed and loosed a swarm of details on its jam-packed CES 2008 lineup, and sure enough, there aren't too many surprises. We'll let the new nüvi lineup get us started. First up, we figured you Americans should know that the previously Euro-only pink nüvi 200 is headed your way in Q1 for $249.99. Next up is the currently unpriced nüvi 260W, which looks to boast the exact same features as the nüvi 260 save for that luscious 4.3-inch touchscreen that this one is rockin'. Right on cue, it's the nüvi 5000 ($799.99), which you can catch more on -- along with the now official nüvi 780 / 880 (pictured above) -- right over here. Hungry for more? Head on past the break.

Continue reading Yup, here's Garmin's CES lineup

 

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