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AfterDawn-com

Samsung Galaxy S III reaches 9 million pre-orders, already

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 12:54am MDT

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Samsung has noted that the company has seen 9 million pre-orders for its upcoming Galaxy S III smartphone.

The orders have come in from over 100 global carriers, making the device a massive success even a month before launch in most places. The device goes on sale in Germany first on May 29th.

Furthermore, the company's smartphone factory in South Korea was said to be running at full capacity of 5 million units per month.

The device has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a powerful 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor and an 8MP camera, all of which are high-end but not leaps and bounds better than previous generation devices.

However, what should differentiate the phone from others in the market is its software, which Samsung has customized and tweaked to the point where it does not feel too much like the stock "vanilla" Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich you may be accustomed to.

The phone will have an emphasis on "natural interaction," says the company. First off, a feature called "Smart Stay" uses the front-facing camera to monitor your eyes and keep a "bright display for continued viewing pleasure." Even if you have your phone set to go to sleep with inactivity, Smart Stay will keep it on if you are staring at the screen, reading, or otherwise. When your eyes are no longer staring at the screen, the display dims to save battery life, as well.

Secondly, the device will include "S Voice," a voice recognition system designed to work similarly to Apple's Siri. As an example, the company says you can simply say "snooze" to snooze your alarm in the mornings and many other uses include adjusting the volume, taking a picture, open your calendar and ask for the weather.

"S Beam" is another new feature included with the phone. The software is an enhanced version of Android Beam, which allows large files to be transferred between Android 4.0 devices. Samsung says a 1GB file can be transferred in as little as 3 minutes.

Finally, "Pop Up Play" will give owners a chance to watch a video on the screen while also continuing to use other apps. As an example, Samsung says the feature should be great for those who get a video attachment in their email and want to watch while replying.

Overall, these new features sound like excellent additions to Android and matched with a powerful phone it looks like Samsung has another major hit on their hands.
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Simon & Schuster settle in ebook price fixing case

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 12:47am MDT

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Simon & Schuster have settled their long standing ebook price fixing case.

Earlier in the year, the US Department of Justice filed an antitrust suit against Simon & Schuster and four other major publishers, as well as Apple over the alleged price fixing.

Additionally, 15 states and Puerto Rico filed their own suits. HarperCollins and Hachette quickly reached agreements to avoid court while S&S needed to "discuss" their settlement. Penguin and Apple are fighting the charges.

As of today, however, US District Court Judge Denise Cote agreed to dismiss S&S from the suit as the settlement was reached with the states and the fed.

The case stretches back to 2010 with the debut of the first iPad from Apple. The tablet quickly became a competitor for Amazon's Kindle line of e-readers. Amazon had been charging low prices ($9.99 for new releases) in order to push up purchases of its electronic readers.

Publishers were concerned about Amazon selling e-books at such low prices (often sold for less than Amazon paid for them) because consumers might become accustomed to the lower prices. Also, publishers feared being in the same situation as record labels were in when iTunes picked up stream, but Apple insisted on keeping single song costs at 99c. Amazon offering consistently steep discounts might discourage other traditional retail partners from offering e-books altogether, alleged the suit.

Apple decided that it would put more power into the publishers hands by going with an agency model, in which publishers set the price and Apple took a 30 percent cut. However, Apple also made a deal that the publishers could not allow rival retailers, such as Amazon, sell the e-books at a lower price than through its own platforms.
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Iran threatens to sue Google over Google Maps

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 12:01am MDT

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Earlier today, Iran's Foreign Ministry threatened to sue Google after the search giant removed the name "Persian Gulf" from its Google Maps service.

Says a Ministry spokesperson: "One of the seditionist acts taken as part of the soft war against the Iranian nation has been Google's shameless act to drop the name 'Persian Gulf' which is ... against historical documents. We have put on our agenda to make an official complaint against Google."

The Gulf itself has long been a controversial topic, with Iran calling it the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Iraq calling it the Arabian Gulf. Different descriptions offend the rival parties and it looks like Google likely just removed the name to remove a potentially offensive adjective.

This is not the first time Iran has pulled such a stunt. In 2010, the nation tried to ban any airline from its airspace if it did not call the waterway the Persian Gulf.
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Amazon to sell ads on Kindle Fire's welcome screen

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 10:16pm MDT

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Amazon is looking to add advertisements to the welcome screen of the popular Amazon Kindle Fire tablet.

The news comes via an executive at an ad agency who says Amazon approached them. The ads will not come cheap, however, with an agency needing to spend at least $600,000 for any package on the tablet.

Each ad campaign will run for two months and also include inventory from the "Special Offers" product. The Special Offers section leads tablet owners to product pages for items.

For a cool $1 million, advertisers get even more ad inventory, are added to Amazon's public-relations push, and get the special offers page.

Amazon is expected to release a larger, updated model of the Kindle Fire later in the summer.
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Apple iTunes Store no longer censoring word 'jailbreak'

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 9:39pm MDT

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Earlier today, Apple began censoring the word "jailbreak" in any content seen in the iTunes Store.

For example, the Thin Lizzy song "Jailbreak" was censored to read "J*******k," which is complete nonsense. Other artists got the same treatment, as well.

The issue has since been rectified.

Jailbreaking of course also references that processing of rooting an iOS device to allow custom software and the Cydia store of apps. The store rivals the official iOS App Store, and includes free and paid apps, themes and more.

The process of jailbreaking is not illegal, but doing so will void your Apple warranty.

Pic via AI:

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T-Mobile selling new off-contract data plans

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 8:46pm MDT

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T-Mobile USA has begun selling new off-contract mobile broadband plans for users who only occasionally need data.

For $15, you can get a 1-week pass and 300MB of data. For $25 you get 1.5GB and a 1-month pass. Jumping up to $35, you get one month and 3.5GB while $50 will buy you 5GB.

You get access to T-Mobile's 3G and 4G HSPA+ networks.

Starting May 20th, users can purchase the new plans anywhere, although the 3.5GB and 5GB plans are exclusively at Wal-Mart until July 20th.
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HP to let 25,000 people go

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 8:17pm MDT

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HP is considering eliminating 25,000 jobs, say sources.

The company is looking to slash costs, and 25,000 would be a full 7 percent of its workforce.

Up to 15,000 of the job cuts will come from the enterprise services group, the group that sells information technology services.

The job cuts will not be straight firings, however, and instead will come as an early-retirement package. By reducing 25,000 jobs, the company could save $2 billion per year.

HP has seen its earnings fall as consumers move away from PCs and move to mobile devices like tablets. The company recently went through a management change, making Meg Whitman CEO and removing Leo Apotheker who tried his best to ruin the company.
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Spotify valued at $4 billion

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 7:53pm MDT

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Spotify, the popular social music service, has just been valued at $4 billion.

The company is starting to raise money this week in a new "mega funding" round, say multiple sources, although Spotify itself would not comment.

Goldman Sachs will participate in the new funding round, and account for the first $100 million. Other firms are in discussions and the total funding could reach $220 million.

The news comes on the heels of Facebook's $16 billion IPO today, which values the company at $104 billion. The social networking giant's shares will sell to the public tomorrow, and could end much higher than the current value.

Spotify currently has 10 million registered users around the globe, 30 percent of which are paying subscribers, a significant figure.
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Wikipedia: If you see ads, you're infected!

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 6:52pm MDT

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Wikipedia does not display ads at all.

The Wikimedia Foundation is warning users that if they see ads on the mega-popular encyclopedia, then the ads are likely being provided by malicious software. Wikipedia is funded by over one million donors, most of whom give $30 or less a year, and it does not show advertisements, ever.

It was responding to growing numbers of reports that ads have been showing up on pages throughout Wikipedia. It named one culprit as a Google Chrome extension called "I want this". You can easily remove the extension in Chrome through Settings.

It has suggested the use of HTTPS Everywhere to ensure that all connections to Wikipedia are made through [HTTPS,] which will kill off some of the advertisements that users are seeing. Still, simply using [HTTPS] Everywhere will not fix the underlying problem, and so Wikimedia is suggesting that users install anti-malware solutions on their systems.

In some cases, ads might not be malicious, but might be placed on all pages if you are using public Wi-Fi or are at an Internet cafe that subsidizes its earnings through the use of ads that show up on all websites.
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UK police to extract, retain suspects' mobile data

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 6:42pm MDT

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Police will retain data, even if suspect is released without charge.

The new system involves the use of terminals at police stations in 16 London boroughs. Police just need to connect a mobile device to the system and it can extract all the data. It will print out some information from the phone, and then store the total data digitally.

The BBC is reporting that police will retain this digital information even if a suspect is not charged with a crime. Predictably, this revelation has unnerved Privacy groups, who say it could infringe on the human rights of suspects.

"We are looking at a possible breach of human rights law," Privacy International spokeswoman Emma Draper said. "It is illegal to indefinitely retain the DNA profiles of individuals after they are acquitted or released without charge, and the communications, photos and location data contained in most people's smartphones is at least as valuable and as personal as DNA."

Police say that the data extraction will only be carried out if there is significant suspicion that the mobile phone may contain data related to a crime. "Mobile phones and other devices are increasingly being used in all levels of criminal activity," said Stephen Kavanagh, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service.

"When a suspect is arrested and found with a mobile phone that we suspect may have been used in crime, traditionally we submit it to our digital forensic laboratory for analysis. Therefore, a solution located within the boroughs that enables trained officers to examine devices and gives immediate access to the data in that handset is welcomed."
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Comcast to charge for over-limit downloading

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 6:35pm MDT

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Comcast will charge excessive downloaders.

It is to begin rolling out a system where those who download more than their monthly allowance will have to pay a fee. Comcast raised its download limit to 300GB after previously setting it at 250GB. Those who download 50GB more than their limit will automatically be charged an extra $10 on top of their monthly bill.

Previously, those who downloaded more than 250GB were sent a warning, threatening them with service suspension if they persisted in breaking their download limit.

Research from Sandvine Corp. shows that only 1.5 percent of the U.S. Internet users download more than 250GB per month, and only 1 percent download more than 300GB.

ISPs say they need to find a way to deter heavy downloaders since they can degrade service for other users on the network.

Comcast's Xfinity TV app for Xbox 360 has brought up some questions however, as the video streaming app does not count toward the monthly limit. Rival Netflix, however, is subject to the monthly download limit, but Comcast rejects claims that it is favoring its own product over Netflix, since Xfinity TV content is not provided through the Internet but from Comcast's own equipment.

Video streaming from Xfinity TV's website does still count toward the monthly data cap.
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Saverin responds to tax dodging allegations

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 6:12pm MDT

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Saverin says he is continuing to pay tax to the U.S. Government.

It was reported last week that Facebook co-founder, Eduardo Saverin, had renounced his United States citizenship, which meant that he could possibly avoid a heft capital gains tax bill from the enormous Facebook IPO.

While Saverin did not appear on the list of Facebook investors who own 5 percent or more the company, his share is still considered substantial, and is expected to profit greatly from Facebook going public. The news of his decision to drop his U.S. citizenship sparked a debate about so called "expatriate tax avoidance."

Saverin has fired back at critics, saying he decided to renounce U.S. citizenship in order to continue working and living in Singapore, where he has been living since 2009.

"I have paid and will continue to pay any taxes due on everything I earned while a U.S. citizen. It is unfortunate that my personal choice has led to a public debate, based not on the facts, but entirely on speculation and misinformation," Saverin said through a spokesman.

"As a native of Brazil who immigrated to the United States, I am very grateful to the U.S. for everything it has given me ... I will continue to invest in U.S. businesses and start-ups, and believe and hope that those investments will create many new jobs in the U.S. and globally."

Two U.S. Senators had blasted Saverin's decision to renounce his U.S. citizenship on Thursday.

Senators Charles Schumer and Bob Casey said they would propose legislation to crack down on expatriate tax avoidance. "It's infuriating to see someone sell out the country that welcomed him and kept him safe, educated him and helped him become a billionaire ... We plan to put a stop to this tax avoidance scheme," they said.

Their proposal is that expatriates who are found to be renouncing citizenship for nothing other than tax avoidance reasons, would face a 30-percent tax on future investment gains regardless of where they move to. Failure to do so would mean they could never legally re-enter the United States for any purpose.
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Toshiba halts LCD production in Japan

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 5:57pm MDT

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Toshiba aims to double operating profit.

It has decided to halt its domestic production of LCD televisions, aiming to download its operating profit by 2014-2015. Its television business lost 50 billion Yen ($620 million) last year. The strong Yen has caused problems for Japanese manufacturing, with Hitachi making a similar move as Toshiba recently.

"We have shut down our domestic TV production. We are looking at all areas (of the TV business), number of models, numbers of panels, in order to re-strengthen this division," said Toshiba president and chief executive Norio Sasaki speaking to reporters.

It will cut the number of TV models it sells by 60 percent in 2013.

Toshiba's goal is to double its operating profit in three years to $5.6 billion. It is looking to boost sales of electronics devices and to expand its social infrastructure business.

Strong sales of Apple's iPhone models, which use Toshiba flash chips, has boosted the company.
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Blizzard: We didn't prepare well enough for Diablo III

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 5:35pm MDT

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Developer admits it didn't prepare adequately for Diablo III launch.

The launch of the hotly anticipated title was marred somewhat by widespread problems with the game. Since it requires a constant-on Internet connection as an anti-piracy measure, servers became overloaded quickly and many users were given an error message (Error 37) when they tried to login.

"Despite very aggressive projections, our preparations for the launch of the game did not go far enough," the developer admitted.

"We're continuing to monitor performance globally and will be taking further measures as needed to ensure a positive experience for everyone. This includes some maintenance to implement additional improvements for each region."

The developer has also decided to delay the launch of Diablo III's real money auction house beyond its original estimated date of May 22.
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HBO GO available for some Xbox LIVE users

Posted: May 17th, 2012, 5:27pm MDT

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HBO content available to some users.

Time Warner Cable and Bright House customers who have Xbox LIVE Gold membership will be able to view some HBO content on their Xbox 360 consoles, starting from today.

HBO GO on Xbox 360 includes the entire HBO catalogue of live and on demand original content ? that means every episode of every show, from the latest hits like "Game of Thrones," to older favorites like "The Sopranos."

With Kinect, you can voice search the entire HBO catalogue.
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Lenovo previews carbon fibre Ultrabook

Posted: May 15th, 2012, 6:02pm MDT

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Lenovo shows off new Ultrabook.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon was just one of many new products shown by Lenovo at its Accelerate Channel Partner Conference in Las Vegas. The 14-inch (1600x900 screen) next-generation business Ultrabook has a premium carbon fiber rollcage, weighing less than three pounds. Lenovo's previous Ultrabook, the ThinkPad X1 has a 13-inch screen, and weighs more at 3.8 pounds.

It also features embedded 3G connectivity, a RapidCharge feature that can bring the battery to an 80 percent charge in 35 minutes, a backlit keyboard and HD (720p) camera.

"We crafted the ThinkPad X1 Carbon with premium carbon fiber material in order to make it incredibly thin and light, yet durable," said Lu Yan, senior vice president, Think Product Group, Lenovo.

"Our new ThinkPad laptop portfolio embodies much of the innovative thinking exemplified in the X1 Carbon, such as a backlit keyboard, super-bright high definition display, Dolby Home Theatre and rich communications features that balance business performance with personal use."

The exact hardware configuration is not yet known, except for the fact that it will be powered by an Intel Ivy Bridge processor. It will go on sale in the summer (no price information available yet).
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Sony, Panasonic in OLED TV tie-up?

Posted: May 15th, 2012, 5:32pm MDT

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Japanese to take on South Korean counterparts.

Reuters is citing sources close to Sony Corporation and Panasonic in reporting that the firms are in talks to combine their OLED TV production efforts. Organic-Light Emitting Diode (OLED) televisions provide better images and use less power than their LCD rivals, and are thought to be the next big thing in the declining market.

Both Sony and Panasonic have been hammered in the TV space over recent years, particularly since the start of the downturn in 2008. A strong Yen also works against both the Japanese firms in the global market.

Meanwhile in South Korea, Samsung and LG Electronics are moving way ahead of the Japanese firms in OLED, with both planning to sell 55-inch OLED televisions by the end of the year. The OLED displays are as thin as 4mm.

Sony had been making progress in OLED televisions, debuting its first OLED television in 2007. The global downturn halted Sony's progress in OLED however, and the firm has been scrambling to plug record breaking losses in its TV division, and overall poor performance. Right now, it does still make OLED screens for high-end customers, but they come with price tags around $26,000.

The race in the industry now surrounds making the technology affordable for the masses.

"Japanese makers haven't been able to produce OLED TVs that are as large as Samsung's ... I think there's an element of Japanese pride to this - the fact that Panasonic and Sony will work together to produce OLEDs to beat their Asian rivals. But I do have serious doubts on whether they can catch up," said Masayuki Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan.
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IObit Game Booster to become paid-only application

Posted: May 15th, 2012, 4:58pm MDT

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IObit to stop offering popular application for free.

IObit, a software developer that offers both paid and freeware applications, has warned that its popular Game Booster application for Windows will cease being available as freeware from June 30th, 2012. After this date, users will have to pay to buy a license for Game Booster.

Game Booster is a one-click application that attempts to free up system resources for gameplay. Another single click will relaunch services and other resources that were temporarily halted by Game Booster, later on. It has been downloaded millions of times from IObit and download portals.

"We intend to keep pace with what gamers care about, and improve Game Booster with practical functions to satisfy gamers' demands," says Kevin Zhou, marketing director for IObit, "Gamers ask for high speed and system stability when gaming. They want easy-to-use software rather than complicated programs that could potentially drag a CPU down."

Zhou also hints that more announcements concerning the future of Game Booster will be released as July approaches. Users who have downloaded Game Booster before July will still be able to use it for free.

Download Game Booster from AfterDawn

IObit's other freeware applications include Advanced System Care Free, Smart Defrag, IObit Malware Fighter Free and IObit Uninstaller.
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Is this the end for RapidGator?

Posted: May 15th, 2012, 3:17pm MDT

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RapidGator.net, one of the largest cyberlockers out there, has been shut down.

After January's demise of MegaUpload, RapidGator was the fastest growing of the cyberlockers that vied for the market share left behind.

In four months, the site gained over 5 million users. In Alexa ratings (of traffic), the site exploded from the 100,000th most popular site on the Web to 287th as of last week.

As of today, however, users cannot reach the site, thanks to a dispute with their Web host: "Our hoster have suspended our account. We are working on possible solution."

It is unclear what the issues are, and whether the cyberlocker is looking for a new host. Back in February, the site was blocked by PayPal and they said they were shutting down but instead decided to stay open.
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You wouldn't steal a car: DVD anti-piracy warning gets updated

Posted: May 15th, 2012, 3:08pm MDT

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The federal government, with help from the Hollywood studios, has updated the iconic DVD/Blu-ray anti-piracy warnings seen on all new releases.

Instead of just one logo, the new warnings now have three, including one from IPR and one from Homeland Security (seen below).

The original logo has been around since 2004 on all new home releases, and includes text noting that pirates can face jail time and a large fine if they ever decide to rip a movie, make a backup, or share the files illegally.

In the new version, there is a Homeland Security Investigations "special agent" badge reflecting the power the group has had since 2008 in Web matters and there is a second page for the National Intellectual Property Center.

Both new warnings here (via Wired):

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Rdio rolling out redesign to everyone

Posted: May 14th, 2012, 11:06pm MDT

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The popular streaming music service Rdio has begun rolling out its new redesign to everyone.

Rdio showed off the redesign at SXSW in March, but kept it under wraps for most users until this week.

What's new?

A new look and feel - More than just a boring spreadsheet of songs, new Rdio puts music and people front and center.

All in one place - Spend less time navigating. Music, playlists and your network are in one view.

Add entire albums to playlists - One of Rdio's most-requested features is now a reality.

Browse even faster - Find music at lightning speed because pages remember your place. Browse a continuous stream of albums, explore one and easily return to the place you left off.

Listen with your network - From the People Sidebar, see what your network is listening to in real-time and listen along with one-click.

Let your network inspire your listening - Wondering if you'll like an album in the charts or why it appeared in your Heavy Rotation? Under every album, hover over photos to see exactly who listened to it.

Sharing made simple - Drag and drop music into playlists or collection and share with others on Rdio without missing a beat. Music can also be shared on Facebook, Twitter or via email.

Create private playlists - In addition to public and collaborative playlists, now private playlists can be created and shared with just a select few.

Easily discover people to follow - Check out Rdio's latest music influencers in the People Sidebar and find others to follow such as artists, critics, record labels and brands.

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Redsn0w will now let you downgrade all iOS devices to earlier firmware

Posted: May 14th, 2012, 10:11pm MDT

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The iPhone Dev Team has updated the popular jailbreaking tool.

As announced last month, the group has released an updated version of the tool, one that adds a major new feature. Users can now downgrade any current iOS device to an earlier version of the Apple mobile OS.

After opening redsn0w 0.9.11b1, interested users will find a new "restore" option after clicking through "Extras -> Even More."

(Pic via Mobi)

In order to restore the previous OSs, you will have to have backed up your personalized SHSH blobs using either the TinyUmbrella utility or Cydia's own TSS@Home function.
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Foxconn denies Apple iTV production report

Posted: May 14th, 2012, 9:58pm MDT

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Last week, Foxconn chairman Terry Gou revealed in a speech that the company was making preparations to start manufacturing a television from Apple. Development or manufacturing of the device had not stared just yet, but was about to get underway.

Today, the company has rebuffed the original report, saying the CEO did not make any such comments.

Foxconn says Terry Gou "made it very clear that he would neither confirm nor speculate about Foxconn's involvement in the product," and that the company does not talk about current product lines.

"At no time did [Gou] confirm that Foxconn was in development or manufacturing stages for any product for any of its customers," continues Foxconn. "He did say that Foxconn is always prepared to meet the manufacturing needs of customers should they determine that they wish to work with Foxconn in the production of any of their products."

The oft-rumored "iTV" is expected to be a high-end television featuring Siri, FaceTime voice calling, and potentially a la carte cable channels.
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Report: Amazon to release front-lit Kindle in July

Posted: May 14th, 2012, 9:34pm MDT

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According to multiple sources, Amazon will launch a new version of the Kindle e-reader that includes front-lighting similar to the new Nook Simple with GlowLight.

If accurate, the new e-reader will be ready to hit stores by July. The new device will still run on a monochrome E Ink display.

Additionally, the company will also bring a new version of the Kindle Fire to the table in time for the holiday season. The new tablet will be bigger, at 8.9 inches.

Rival Barnes & Noble was first to the market with their glow Nook, but Amazon is never too far behind.

The new device is expected to cost just $10 more than current Kindle prices, which start at $79 with ads.
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Asus shows off PadFone hybrid

Posted: May 14th, 2012, 9:14pm MDT

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Back at the MWC event in February, Asus unveiled its "device-within-a-device," the PadFone.

Today, the company has put together a promotional video for the device, which shows off the impressive unit.

The PadFone runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, is powered by a Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor at 1.5GHz, has a 4.3" Super AMOLED qHD display, an 8MP rear shooter (featuring a 5-element f/2.2 lens) and a stylus that also works as a headset.

On the tablet side, there was not too much info except that it will have a 10.1-inch screen. Between the dock, phone and tablet (check the video) there will be over 14,000mAh of battery power leading to extremely long battery life of up to 102 hours. The device looks very, very intriguing, to say the least.

There was no word on price or availability.

Promo video:

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