Thursday, October 16, 2008
Entertainment
iTunes Now Has TV Downloads in HD From All Four Major Networks
11:30PM Matt Buchanan | Just about a month after launching TV shows in high def on iTunes with NBC leading the charge, iTunes now offers shows in HD from every major network: ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. So pretty much every major primetime show that matters is now in HD on iTunes, which is great if you don’t wanna settle for Hulu. AU: Note that in Australia, we still don’t have HD TV shows, and probably won’t until our broadband situation improves… [Pocket Lint] More »
Games
Sony PSP 3000 Sliced and Diced
11:07PM Jesus Diaz | Impress got the new Sony PSP 3000 and decided to disassemble it to see if it was really running thanks to little people from China inside–turning little lightbulbs on an off very quickly–or maybe it was actually a living mammal–like Lego minifigs and gummy bears–full of real brains, cartilaginous tissue, and blood vessels. Unfortunately, their extensive gallery shows it’s full of the usual circuits, but has a lot of little re-designed details. More »
Networks
AT&T and Verizon Built Special Cell Towers at John McCain’s House to Fix His Reception
10:40PM Matt Buchanan | Mobile reception sucks an elephant dong at John McCain’s Arizona ranch. Or it did, until Cindy McCain “embarked on an expensive public process” for Verizon Wireless to build a permanent cell tower at their ranch, reports the Washington Post. That got scrapped, but Verizon did see fit to “navigate a lengthy county regulatory process that hit a snag on environmental concerns” in order to get the McCains setup with at least a portable tower, absolutely free of charge, after a Secret Service request. AT&T caught word of this, and brought in one of their own towers, also free. Wouldn’t ya know, there’s a laundry list of ethical concerns? Update: Verizon has responded to the Post’s story, their statement below.
Software
Google Has a Remote Kill Switch For Android Apps
9:15PM John Herrman | Just after the dust finished settling on Apple’s controversial admission that the iPhone has a remotely activated kill switch for applications, Google has plainly stated in their Android Market terms of service that they’ve got one too. Like Apple’s solution, Google’s remote kill switch is ostensibly intended to protect users in cases of malicious apps or privacy violations, but will undoubtedly draw fire from users who want — and in the case of Android were pretty much promised — ultimate control over what applications they keep on their phones.
Gadgets
HP Planning Touchscreen Laptops, New Netbooks and a Touch Phone, Like, Now
8:31PM John Herrman | HP does pretty well for itself nowadays, consistently leading the market in notebook sales. According to the Wall Street Journal, though, they want to diversify. A lot. In a scattershot semi-announcement, the company said it is working in three new directions. Long-rumoured touchscreen notebooks, likely to feature HP’s second-gen TouchSmart interface, are due before the holidays. In addition, HP is planning to build it’s own 10-inch netbook this year, joining the ranks of just about every other company that has made a computer, ever. Buried at the bottom of the article, though, is a potential bombshell: a new touchscreen phone. More »
Science
Hubble’s 486 Backup Computer Wakes Up For the First Time Since 1990
7:51PM John Herrman | Prospects were starting to look pretty grim for the venerable Hubble telescope. Following a communications breakdown, the Hubble team postponed their scheduled repair mission from October 14th until this coming February, at the earliest. Until then, the Hubble’s usable data transmission abilities would depend on one thing: the successfully booting of a 486 backup system, last powered on before the Hubble Launch over 18 years ago. Well, the Hubble team has just reported that the dusty old computer seems like it’s working just fine. More »
Music
iPod Knockoff Maker Hires Knockoff Lawyers, Files Monopoly Suit Against Apple
6:55PM John Herrman | Apparently emboldened by a minor, years-old success against Apple’s lawyers in Taiwan, iPod knockoff manufacturer Luxpro has decided to sue Apple, claiming that the company has monopolised the MP3 player market with a variety of unfair “schemes.” Some of their arguments are somewhat compelling, namely when they bring up Apple’s attempt to countersue Creative after their initial interface infringement suit, a move which notably backfired. More »
Computers
Cnet Columnist Says Asus Screwed Eee Brand Because It’s From Taiwan
5:30PM Gizmodo US Edition | Jonathan Gardner of Cnet Asia had an interesting take on Asus’ over-stretching of the Eee brand, blaming it on the company’s inability to change their local, “Confucian” corporate culture. Gardner, a columnist who apparently knows people, declared that “Asus will not be the next Samsung,” mainly because they’re following the path of a “typical” Taiwan business story. So, by interesting, I mean arguably incorrect and also kind of racist.
Phones
T-Mobile Probably Did Not Sell 1.5 Million G1 Pre-Orders
4:45PM Gizmodo US Edition | Did the announcement that T-Mobile sold 1.5 million G1 pre-orders sound a little too fantastic to be true? Information Week thought so and talked to the guy behind the astronomical number–a mathematician at The Motley Fool. Turns out that some iffy multiplication may have been involved and the number of pre-orders sold is probably closer to 200,000 to 300,000. Big, but not crazy big. More »
Online
