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Google Chrome 4: Yes, it's fast, but is it usable?
As Betanews readers have responded to our stories about Chrome's JavaScript superiority...Does that mean we'd actually use this browser? Well...
Verizon Wireless launches new Android, Chocolate, and ruggedized phones
The lower-priced Eris joins the Droid, while the Chocolate gets a touchscreen and more music playback.
Early sales figures for Windows 7 nicely high, but do we know why?
Fans of triple-digit surges in figures quoted by Betanews will love this one, as it appears Microsoft rediscovered how to pull off a software launch.
Myka announces its latest Linux-based 'net top box'
Myka's ION brings Boxee, XMBC, and much more to HDTVs.
What hath Mac wrought? A remembrance after a quarter-century
The reason there's a Macintosh today is not because of some brilliant flash of engineering genius, but because Apple had the audacity to learn from its mistakes.
Early build of Moblin 2.1 improves connectivity, but not device support
The Linux Foundation's Atom-centric OS yesterday received a major overhaul with the project release of Moblin 2.1 for netbooks and nettops.
The iPhone's China syndrome: Sales of 5,000 and climbing
There's actually a country where Apple's device is not a godsend, where sales can be measured in the dozens.
New European counterpart to FCC will ensure 'a more neutral net'
Late Thursday night, the ruling telecom administrators of the EU's member nations signed away their final authority to a new entity overseen by the EC.
Sophos study suggests Windows 7 UAC's default setting is self-defeating
Without any anti-virus installed, a Sophos test showed, User Account Control was only capable of thwarting just one malware package out of ten samples chosen.
Indiscreet tweet trips awareness of Web SSL vulnerability
A group of high-level security engineers had been making progress on thwarting a low-level threat to the Web, until somebody blurted it all out on Twitter.
Comparing cameras: iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S
By Eric Steil on June 19, 2009, 4:50 PM
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Avoiding the lines of dozens upon dozens who showed up at Apple Stores early this morning, our server engineer Eric Steil pre-ordered his new iPhone 3G S. It arrived at 9:54 am EDT -- early enough today for Eric to catch a few rays of fleeting sunlight on this otherwise dreadfully wet day in the northeast, and capture some test images from the backyard and around the house at just before noon.
Click the cat for more iPhone 3G vs 3G S comparison shots.
Continue reading Comparing cameras: iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S...
TiVo Users Love Funny Super Bowl Ads
By Eric Steil on February 6, 2006, 11:32 AM
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TiVo's yearly analysis of the top Super Bowl commercials revealed that Ameriquest's ads "Friendly Skies" and "That Killed Him" were the most commonly replayed ads in TiVo households Sunday. TiVo said that its analysis showed that humorous ads seem to garner the most attention by its customers, with nearly every commercial in the top ten using some kind of humor to deliver the message.
However, in an exception from past years, a play on the field nearly eclipsed replay and rewind activity for the most popular commercials. Two plays earned that distinction -- a controversial second quarter touchdown by Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and the score that clinched the Steelers victory. An analysis of usage showed TiVo users hit replay, pause, or rewind an average of 100 times during the game, and the replay button alone 30 times.
New iMac Makes Paris Debut
By Eric Steil and Nate Mook on August 31, 2004, 4:26 PM
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After months of speculation and rumor, Apple officially unveiled the iMac G5 at Apple Expo in Paris. Designed by the iPod team, the new iMac integrates an entire computer into a single flat-panel display, which Apple touts as the world's thinnest desktop computer.
The iMac G5 is two inches thick, with a 17- or 20-inch widescreen LCD. "Just like the iPod redefined portable digital music players, the new iMac G5 redefines what users expect from a consumer desktop," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "A lot of people will be wondering 'where did the computer go?'"
HP Unveils Branded iPod, Skins
By Eric Steil on August 27, 2004, 3:24 PM
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Friday, HP introduced its branded iPod, along with customizable skins for the audio player called HP Printable Tattoos. Originally announced in January, the "Apple iPod from HP," has identical specs and design as the Apple version, unlike the blue-colored prototype shown in January.
The Apple iPod from HP is available in a 20GB model for $299 USD and a 40GB model for $399 USD - mirroring Apple's own pricing. They will be available at major retailers as well as online.
Microsoft Releases Visual Studio 2005 Express Beta
By Eric Steil on June 30, 2004, 1:12 AM
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Apple Unveils Tiger, Displays
By Eric Steil on June 28, 2004, 5:06 PM
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During his keynote address Monday at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced Tiger, the next version of Mac OS X, as well as a new lineup of displays. He previewed a handful of the new features in Tiger, including the Spotlight search technology and updates to iChat. The displays were updated with a new enclosure and a 30-inch model.
The new Cinema Displays range in size from 20 to 30 inches and feature an aluminum enclosure with a thin bezel, dual USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 ports on the display, and use a DVI connection instead of the previous ADC connection. The 20 and 23-inch models may be used on both Mac and Windows systems, while the 30-inch model requires a new graphics card that supports DVI Dual Link and its 2560-by-1600 resolution. All three models have a 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio.
Apple Unveils 20-inch iMac, Dual Power Mac
By Eric Steil on November 18, 2003, 7:05 PM
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Apple has announced a new revision of its iMac consumer desktop system, as well as a new dual Power Mac.
The updated iMac features a whopping 20-inch flat-panel LCD display with a resolution of 1680x1050. It contains a 1.25G Hz PowerPC G4 processor and NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 graphics chip.
Continue reading Apple Unveils 20-inch iMac, Dual Power Mac...
iBook Brought Up to Speed with G4
By Eric Steil and Nate Mook on October 22, 2003, 5:26 PM
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Apple has finally put to rest the sluggish PowerPC G3 processor, introducing new iBooks featuring the same G4 brain found in the PowerBook. The iBook line was also anointed with USB 2.0, and support for Airport Extreme and Bluetooth.
The iBook with G4 processor is pegged as a low-cost portable for the consumer market, offering advanced functionality at a price point 30 percent less than its PowerBook relatives.
Apple Seeds New 'Panther' Beta
By Eric Steil on August 4, 2003, 5:29 PM
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Apple on Saturday released a new beta of Panther, the next version of the company's Mac OS X operating system. The build, labeled 7B21, shows the progress made since the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and is the first release available to developers who did not attend.
Build 7B21 includes extensive bug fixes along with new features and updated versions of bundled applications. The Address Book now allows contacts to be synced with Microsoft Exchange, and Finder now allows the creation of ZIP archives from files and folders.
Red Hat Releases 'Severn' Beta
By Eric Steil on July 24, 2003, 12:14 AM
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On Monday, Red Hat released the first beta of the next version of its Red Hat Linux distribution. Codenamed "Severn," it represents not just a new version but also a major change in the way the distribution is developed.
The beta release includes changes to the installation procedure, as well as enhanced security and notebook support. The kernel includes Exec-shield, which helps limit the severity of buffer overflow exploits, and the ability to prevent loading kernel modules. Along with ACPI support, Severn includes a laptop mode, which allows the hard drive to become idle, increasing battery life.
Linux 2.6 Kernel Test Version Released
By Eric Steil on July 14, 2003, 11:23 PM
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Two weeks after taking leave from chipmaker Transmeta, Linus Torvalds has announced version 2.6.0-test1, a preliminary test of the 2.6 kernel for the Linux operating system.
The test series of kernels allows more widespread testing of the new version. In his release announcement, Torvalds wrote that "the point of the test versions is to make more people realize that they need testing and get some straggling developers realizing that it's too late to worry about the next big feature."
Sony Announces 'PSP' Entertainment Platform
By Eric Steil on May 13, 2003, 11:29 PM
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As E3 gets underway in Los Angeles, Sony has unveiled a new platform for portable gaming and beyond. The device, dubbed "PSP," represents Sony's first foray into a market currently dominated by Nintendo. But Sony's continued lead in the console gaming space and vast reach within home electronics could give the company a distinct advantage over its competitors.
PSP will feature a 480x272 pixel TFT LCD display and utilize a Sony-developed storage format called Universal Media Disc. UMD is comprised of a 60mm optical disc that can hold 1.8GB of data. Akin to Sony's MiniDisc platform, each optical disc will be contained within a cartridge. Sony also plans to support the latest copyright protection to ensure publishers a secure environment for their content.
Continue reading Sony Announces 'PSP' Entertainment Platform...