Dec 22, 2011 | Wireless
s-420-90.jpg)
Amazon announced this month that it was debuting a new update to the kindle to address some issues on its tablet. The updates are suppose to help with the fluidity and performance of the tablet.
The New kindle Fire 6.2.1 update will allow people to choose which apps are in the devices carousel instead of it just being the last used apps and webpages along with the ability to put a password lock on Wi-Fi access. Although there is are still going to be lingering problems with the Kindle just based on the design, the biggest flaw I see is that there is no volume button. Others have reported issues with the power button being in a poor place but I have yet to have any problems myself.
If you are a Kindle Fire user you can check what software version they are running by selecting the Quick Settings icon, choosing More, and then selecting Device. You must be connected to a Wi-Fi network and the Kindle Fire’s battery must be fully charged in order to update.
To initiate the update, tap “Quick Settings” and then select “Sync.” It will download in the background and be automatically applied once the download is complete and the Kindle Fire is asleep.
If you are having trouble with the over the air download, click here to go to Amazon’s support and download the update via the PC.
Dec 21, 2011 | News
If you woke up this morning and have had trouble accessing the data connection on your Verizon wireless phones this morning you are not the only one. There have been reports that tons of Verizon customers have been having trouble due to a widespread outage across the carrier’s mobile data network. From the VZWsupport Twitter feed it looks as if the 3G and 4G networks have been affected. From what I have read it has been confirmed in California that they are out. Here in Boston so far mine is working. So hopefully it will be fixed in other areas soon.
Dec 20, 2011 | News
The SSRun is a fun fundraising event that started in Boston in 2000. Geek Choice in 2010, helped with the cause. This year the SSRun was for the benefit of the Play Ball Foundation which is an organization that gives middle school students of Boston a chance to play and build friendships and character through the lessons of sport, teamwork, communication and discipline. The SSRun raised $280,975 and Geek Choice is proud to be part of that number.
Dec 19, 2011 | News
Apple has been discussing it’s future on the TV front with many media executives at many large companies. It is also being reported that Apple is working on designing a TV that would rely completely on wireless technology that can access TV shows, movies and other content, according to people that are with this project.
The TV device Apple is working on would use a version of Apple’s wireless-streaming technology AirPlay to allow users to control it from iPhones and iPads, according to people briefed on the matter. When the company plans to start selling such a device and whether it would receive traditional broadcast or cable signals remains unclear, said these people, who say Apple may change its plans.
The technology could allow users to stream video from mobile devices to their televisions, without a set-top box. That process is already possible through its Apple TV set-top box, but it is cumbersome and some media companies, such as Time Warner Inc.’s cable channel HBO, prevent their apps from using the technology because they want closer control of how and where their content appears. An HBO spokesman says it hopes to use AirPlay once it is comfortable with the antipiracy protection.
Apple has worked on technologies for integrating DVR storage and iCloud, its online syncing and storage service, into the device, according to a person briefed on the matter. Such technologies could allow users to watch shows they have saved or purchased on two different devices, like a TV and a computer, without having to buy or record the shows twice.
Other media outlets have reported that Apple is developing a TV. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
Dec 18, 2011 | News
While very few are still buying netbooks, many manufacturers have continued to release the small Intel Atom-powered computers (see Asus, Toshiba, etc.). However, Dell isn’t going to be one of those companies. Dell confirmed that it is no longer making consumer netbooks (the business-aimed Latitude netbooks are still available on Dell.com). Not only are the Inspiron Minis being put in the grave, but the company confirmed that it will not be releasing new netbooks based on Intel’s forthcoming Cedar Trail platform. In other words, it is done with the category.
That said, it did clarify that its netbook / tablet hybrid ? the Inspiron Duo ? continues to sell well, and although it isn’t in stock on Dell.com right now, it would available again before the holidays are over. Of course, Dell is still planning on being a lead player in the mobile laptop space and stressed that it has been spending time developing higher-end, premium laptops like the XPS 14z. Dell’s Marketing Director Alison Gardner was very clear about the strategy: “Thin and powerful is where it is at for us.” Seems like ultrabooks are indeed the new netbooks, now Dell’s just got to impress us with whatever it has up its sleeve.
Dec 17, 2011 | News
The report on RIM’s last quarter actually beat out estimates from many analysts but that would only be true if you don’t count the $485 million hit the company took on unsold playbooks.
It’s been a trying year for RIM. There have been security snafus and subpar product launches and an overwhelming sense of stagnation. All of which is compounded by the company’s blind hubris, be it last year’s ridiculous BlackBerry Torch expectations or today’s claim by co-CEO Mike Lazardis that every day he “[hears] stories… about people saying the BlackBerry Bold is the best communication device in the world today.” If those are the stories you’re hearing, maybe you’re spending too much time in the fiction aisle.
But despite all of the miscues, no matter how many blinders management has on, RIM has still managed to be profitable. Its subscription base hit 75 million this year. It pulls in a billion in cloud revenue on the regular. You’d be tempted to say that RIM was succeeding in spite of itself?if it weren’t for its greatest failure. The PlayBook: it’s RIM’s Gilligan, albatross, and giant self-destruct button all rolled into one. It could be the death of them.
Dec 16, 2011 | News, Wireless
Siri is the iPhone 4S?s most-desired feature, and many non-4S users have been clamoring for hackers to make the voice assistant available on older iOS devices. While Siri ports have been demoed to the public before, it?s been made clear that public distribution is not possible at this time due to legal issues.
Apple has made a Siri port legally possible with today?s iOS 5.0.1 revision by offering wide-open access to system files that were previously encrypted.
MuscleNerd, a prominent figure in the jailbreaking and hacking community, recently tweeted that the iOS 5.0.1 update from today features decrypted ramdisks, making it possible to extract the necessary files for a Siri port without infringing on Apple?s copyright. MuscleNerd said, ?it?s the first public 4S ipsw where the main filesystem keys are obtainable (due to non-encrypted ramdisks).?
There have been multiple methods proposed for running Siri on non-4S hardware in recent weeks, but all of them are either illegal or impractical. To run Siri properly, one would need access to an iPhone 4S unique identifier and that key would need to be switched out every 24 hours to avoid detection. If thousands of devices start calling on Siri from one 4S identifier, Apple will be able to easily spot the activity and kill the port.
Dec 15, 2011 | News
As Microsoft’s Xbox group moves toward launching a successor to the Xbox 360, it will do so without the leadership of Don Coyner, who has guided that strategy since the console’s inception more than a decade ago.
Multiple sources who work for Microsoft say Coyner is no longer leading the design and experience group for Xbox. One of those sources said Coyner was replaced by Emma Williams, who helped guide the just-launched redesign of the Xbox Live interface.
Microsoft declined to confirm or deny the organization changes. “We don’t comment on personnel issues,” a spokesman said.
Coyner is a well-regarded executive at Microsoft, who joined the Xbox team as the company began working on the video game console in 1999. Coyner started as director of marketing for the group. As development of the Xbox 360 gained steam, his role expanded to include user experience. According to journalist Dean Takahashi’s book, “The Xbox 360 Uncloaked,” Coyner championed creating a unified design language for Microsoft’s second stab at console gaming.
“He wanted to whole user experience to be consistent, like an Apple product, where everything from the screen to the package looked like it was designed by just one person,” Takahashi, now lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat, wrote.
That unified design won plaudits for the console at its 2005 debut and helped propel it too much greater success than its predecessor. Sales of the device have continued to grow month-over-month, defying conventional wisdom that console sales should taper after five years or so. Xbox 360 will finish this year as the best-selling console in the United States.
Dec 14, 2011 | Wireless
It has been rumored that Android is making a Siri competitor. According Android and Me, Google has spent much of the year putting in work on a newly revamped Voice Actions software, which they have codenamed Majel. You could consider this their answer to Apple?s Siri and will go far beyond what the current crop of Android Voice Actions can accomplish. The limits of specific commands (navigate to, listen to, etc.) will soon be gone and the times of speaking in natural language may be upon us.
Want to know about the codename? The word Majel comes from the name of the woman who acted as the voice of the Federation Computer on Star Trek for years. And it just so happens that Matias Duarte (the ICS architect) mentioned Star Trek back in October around the time that Android 4.0 was unveiled. He was quoted as saying that their approach to voice actions ?is more like Star Trek, right, starship Enterprise; every piece of computing surface, everything is voice-aware. It?s not that there?s a personality, it doesn?t have a name, it?s just Computer.? Fitting.
Dec 13, 2011 | Wireless
It looks like a good amount of the Microsoft Windows Phone devices suffer from a denial of service attack which allows an attacker to disable the messaging functionality on the device. The flaw is exploited very simply, all it takes is one SMS to a Windows Phone user. It is reported that Windows Phone 7.5 devices will actually reboot and the messaging hub will not open. The attack does not seem device specific and could be an issue with the way the Windows Phone Messaging hub actually handles messages. This bug can also happen if a user sends a Facebook chat message or even a Windows Live message. There are even reports it affects more than just messaging. If a user has pinned a friend as a live tile on their device and the friend posts a particular message on Facebook then the live tile will update and causes the device to lock up. Thankfully there?s a workaround for the live tile issue, at initial boot up you have a small amount of time to get past the lock screen and into the home screen to remove the pinned live tile before it flips over and locks the device. So anyone with a Windows Phone be careful.
