T-Mobile Launches HSPA+ in 7 New Cities

<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="196" src="http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/6200/tmocities540x326.png" width="324" /></p><br/>Late last night T-Mobile announced the myTouch 4G Slide and inside the press release were a few details regarding HSPA+ that is now being noticed. The cities might not be large or huge markets but upgrades are always welcome and I think I speak for everyone on that.<br/><p style="text-align: left;">It is good to see carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon updating so fast and trying to get as much speed to their users as possible. I think a few other carriers should start taking notice, or just stand around and buy T-Mobile — that works too I guess. It isn’t a big list but it is a list indeed so here you go.</p><br/>-Barnstable, Massachusetts<br/>-Chico, California<br/>-Lancaster, Pennsylvania<br/>-Ogden, Utah,<br/>-Redding, California<br/>-Vineland, New Jersey<br/>-Winchester, Virginia<br/><br/>I’m sure more will be announced soon as they are planning on bringing several new markets up to 4G HSPA+ speeds this summer. And if you’re lucky enough to live in Ogden, Utah or even Chico, California then start shouting for joy because you just got a speed boost. I could have used those HSPA+ speeds while traveling through Utah last week but it’s cool, no hard feelings T-Mo.<br/><br/>[<a href="http://www.tmonews.com/2011/06/t-mobile-announces-7-additional-hspa-cities/">via</a> TmoNews]

T-Mobile Launches HSPA+ in 7 New Cities

Late last night T-Mobile announced the myTouch 4G Slide and inside the press release were a few details regarding HSPA+ that is now being no...

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Xtreamer's Prodigy media streamer gets upgraded internals, shoots 3D video to your screen for €149

<div><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="168" src="http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1511/youtubextreamerprodigya.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="360" /></div><br/>Last time we saw the Xtreamer Prodigy, it was shaping up to be quite the slick little media streamer with a Realtek 1185 chipset running at 500MHz, a plethora of supported codecs, and a fancy flash-based GUI with Android underpinnings. In the months since, the Prodigy hit the gym and now packs Realtek's 1186 silicon clocked at 750MHz and HDMI 1.4 for pumping out video in three dee. There's also Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi, and support for up to a 3TB HDD in its 3.5-inch bay, so you can source your videos from home or abroad with the greatest of ease. Currently up for pre-order, this digital media distributing dandy will cost €149 (that's $213 here in the States), but won't ship until September.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/xtreamers-prodigy-media-streamer-gets-upgraded-internals-shoot/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>

Xtreamer's Prodigy media streamer gets upgraded internals, shoots 3D video to your screen for €149

Last time we saw the Xtreamer Prodigy, it was shaping up to be quite the slick little media streamer with a Realtek 1185 chipset running at ...

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Facebook Likes, hires iPhone jailbreaker 'Geohot'

<div><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="103" src="http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2553/geohotfacebooklike1.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="268" /></div><br/>He's jailbroken the iPhone and been sued by Sony over alleged hacks, and now George "Geohot" Hotz is grappling with the biggest challenge of his young career: social networking. After about a week's worth of rumors surrounding his new employment arrangements, Facebook confirmed that it has indeed added the infamous young hacker to its payroll. No word on what Hotz will be doing at the site, but we expect big things, just so long as he doesn't come within 100 feet of a PS3.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/facebook-likes-hires-iphone-jailbreaker-geohot/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>

Facebook Likes, hires iPhone jailbreaker 'Geohot'

He's jailbroken the iPhone and been sued by Sony over alleged hacks, and now George "Geohot" Hotz is grappling with the bigges...

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Silver-ink pen freestyles handmade circuitry, paves way for flexible displays

<div><img alt="" border="1" class="aligncenter" height="269" hspace="4" src="http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/5104/silverpen062811.gif" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="360" /></div><br/>We've never been the type to appreciate luxury pens, but if said pen was packing a silver-based ink solution that left behind a trail of conductivity... well, our pocket-protector would be <em>very much</em> at its disposal. Announced today, this evolution in penmanship tech has two great University of Illinois minds to thank -- Professors Jennifer Lewis and Jennifer Bernhard. That's right, the two Jennifers schemed up a desktop solution that could see flexible displays and disposable devices coming soon to your pocket (or garbage pail). By eschewing pricey inkjet printers for a low-cost hand-crafted approach, the creators hope future multimedia artists and the engineering-inclined will try their hand at innovative uses. We always knew the pen was mightier than the sword, but now it's just plain Mighty.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/silver-ink-pen-freestyles-handmade-circuitry-paves-way-for-flex/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>

Silver-ink pen freestyles handmade circuitry, paves way for flexible displays

We've never been the type to appreciate luxury pens, but if said pen was packing a silver-based ink solution that left behind a trail of...

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Office 365 ditches the beta tag, ready to take on Google Apps

<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="Office 365" class="aligncenter" height="122" src="http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/4114/6282011office365.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="147" />We know what you're thinking -- you like the idea of Google Apps, but the Mountain View crew kind of creeps you out. Well, don't worry, Microsoft has your back. After making its beta debut last year, Office 365 is officially ready to spread its wings and offer its productivity web app wares to the business-minded masses. For $6 per-user, per-month small businesses get access to Microsoft Office Web Apps, Exchange, SharePoint and Lync video conferencing and can take advantage of the suite's integration with WP7 once Mango lands. Larger, enterprise plans start at $10 per user while adding support for desktop Office products and Lync VoIP solutions as you climb the pricing ladder. Really there's not much more to say except, check out the full PR after the break.</p><br/><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/29/office-365-ditches-the-beta-tag-ready-to-take-on-google-apps/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>

Office 365 ditches the beta tag, ready to take on Google Apps

We know what you're thinking -- you like the idea of Google Apps, but the Mountain View crew kind of creeps you out. Well, don't wor...

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Oregon engineers roll out cheaper, less wasteful solar cells with inkjet printer

<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="Oregon engineers roll out cheaper, less wasteful solar cells with inkjet printer " class="aligncenter" height="121" src="http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/7829/inkjetsolarcellcigs.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="144" />It looks like the push to turn the inkjet printer into the next great manufacturer of solar cells has found another proponent in a team of engineers at Oregon State University. That group of resourceful researchers claims to have created the world's first "CIGS solar devices with inkjet printing," thus giving birth to a new production process that reduces raw material waste by 90 percent. CIGS (an acronym for copper, indium, gallium, and selenium) is a highly absorbent and efficient compound, especially suited to creating thin-film solar cells. The team has used inkjet technology to pump out a CIGS ink with an efficiency of five percent, and a potential efficiency of 12 percent; apparently enough to produce a "commercially viable solar cell." Unfortunately, the group has yet to announce plans to bring the ink to our desktop printer -- so much for that backyard solar farm. Full PR after the break.</p>

Oregon engineers roll out cheaper, less wasteful solar cells with inkjet printer

It looks like the push to turn the inkjet printer into the next great manufacturer of solar cells has found another proponent in a team of e...

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Google unveils Swiffy: turns high maintenance Flash animations into HTML5

<div><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="230" src="http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/975/screenshot20110628at114.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="360" /></div><br/>Still hanging on to those sweet site loaders hoping they'd be of use again someday? Perhaps the time has come -- for some ads and animations, that is. Google Labs has cooked up Swiffy, which takes an antediluvian SWF file and creates an HTML5 version that will run in most current browsers (Chrome and Safari, for example). The converted file is pretty close in size to the original; however, the company warns that the project is fresh out of the oven, so it won't convert your entire Flash library just yet. Even still, software that makes existing animations useful without starting from scratch? Sign us up! Check out the source link for the FAQs and some of Swiffy's handiwork, then test drive this bad boy yourself.

Google unveils Swiffy: turns high maintenance Flash animations into HTML5

Still hanging on to those sweet site loaders hoping they'd be of use again someday? Perhaps the time has come -- for some ads and animat...

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Skype gets Congressional approval, will help Representatives stay in touch with the common people

<div><img alt="" border="1" class="aligncenter" height="228" hspace="4" src="http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6407/11x06290742b73v.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="360" /></div><br/>Look, Capitol Hill is a nice place to be, okay? There are interns eager to please, lobbyists keen to buy you dinner, why would you ever want to leave? Unfortunately for US Congressmen and women, the schleps who elected them insist on getting face time with their supposed representatives, which means a regular schedule of commuting getting in the way of some critically important foot massages and aromatherapy treatments. Never fear, though, Skype has come to the rescue. Microsoft's latest acquisition has scored a stamp of approval from the House of Representatives, permitting Congresspersons to use it to interact with constituents, attend virtual town hall meetings, and collaborate with other members of the House. All fun-making of lawmakers aside, this strikes us as a step in the right direction and Skype promises that it's done its homework on keeping communications secure. Let's hope so.

Skype gets Congressional approval, will help Representatives stay in touch with the common people

Look, Capitol Hill is a nice place to be, okay? There are interns eager to please, lobbyists keen to buy you dinner, why would you ever want...

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Angry Birds lands on Windows Phone 7, ready to explore the third ecosystem

<div><img alt="" border="1" class="aligncenter" height="204" hspace="4" src="http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/2232/11x0623dv32ts.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="360" /></div><br/>Nowadays, you can't really claim to have a mobile OS worthy of the title if your users can't run <em>Angry Birds</em> on it. Good news from Microsoft, then, as Windows Phone 7 can finally be admitted at the grown-up table now that it has released its port of Rovio's epic bird-launching experience. $2.99 is the Marketplace price for the full version, though there's also the option to try out the first few levels for free. Because, you know, there might still be people out there who haven't yet been exposed to the charms of this perniciously addictive little game.

Angry Birds lands on Windows Phone 7, ready to explore the third ecosystem

Nowadays, you can't really claim to have a mobile OS worthy of the title if your users can't run Angry Birds on it. Good news from ...

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Razer trots out Transformers 3 Edition DeathAdder, Vespula and laptop case

<div><img alt="" border="1" class="aligncenter" height="88" hspace="4" src="http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/8519/razermice.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="360" /></div><br/>After what we're guessing was a fruitful tie-up with Tron, the fine folks at Razer are back at a similar well; this time, the company's dishing out a limited run of gear that's been splashed with color and branding from the upcoming Michael Bay <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">train wreck</span> blockbuster, Transformers 3. Outside of being doused with red, yellow, silver and purple paint, the special edition DeathAdder mice ($69.99 a pop) are identical to the version already on the market. If that's just not enough, there's also a dual-sided Vespula mouse mat ($44.99) to commemorate the film, not to mention a foursome of colored laptop sleeves ($49.99 each) that'll make public your infatuation. Curiously absent? A handwritten letter of congratulations from Shia LaBeouf.

Razer trots out Transformers 3 Edition DeathAdder, Vespula and laptop case

After what we're guessing was a fruitful tie-up with Tron, the fine folks at Razer are back at a similar well; this time, the company...

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Kaz Hirai to become Sony Computer Entertainment Chairman, leave Andrew House with tough CEO gig

<div><img alt="" border="1" class="aligncenter" height="180" hspace="4" src="http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/9141/11x02038n1kazhirai.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="360" /></div><br/>When you've had to deal out as many public apologies as Sony has had to perform over its protracted PSN hacking saga, the typical expectation is that someone somewhere will be getting fired or "reshuffled" into a new post. No firings at PlayStation headquarters, however our old pal Kaz Hirai is getting a new position as Sony Computer Entertainment Chairman, with Andrew House succeeding him in the CEO hot seat. Mr. House was previously Sony's PlayStation chief in Europe, so he's simply stepping up to be responsible for the company's global operations, but Kaz's new duties are less clearly defined. Both changes will go into effect on September 1st, a day after current Chairman Akira Sato retires, giving both Kaz and Andrew a little time to get accustomed to their new(ish) surroundings before tackling Sony's massively important PS Vita launch at the tail end of the year.

Kaz Hirai to become Sony Computer Entertainment Chairman, leave Andrew House with tough CEO gig

When you've had to deal out as many public apologies as Sony has had to perform over its protracted PSN hacking saga, the typical expect...

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HP tempts webOS early adopters to buy a TouchPad with $50 rebate

<div><img alt="HP TouchPad" class="aligncenter" height="215" src="http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/4448/hptouchpadpre3veer1.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="300" /></div><br/><div>WebOS hopefuls -- especially owners of a Palm Pre, Pixi or their Plus variants -- you there? HP's TouchPad launch is a few days away, and the company's seeking to entice loyalists with a $50 mail-in-rebate on the new slate in the US and Canada. You've got until July 31st to make good on the deal, and all it'll take is proof that you own one of the aforesaid phones. Still need help deciding? We've heard that a visit to Walmart might score you some hands-on time while you're stocking up on bulk toilet paper. Hit that source link below for the full details straight from Ruby and Co.</div>

HP tempts webOS early adopters to buy a TouchPad with $50 rebate

WebOS hopefuls -- especially owners of a Palm Pre, Pixi or their Plus variants -- you there? HP's TouchPad launch is a few days away, an...

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ThinkPad Tablet shown off with keyboard-laden folio cover, could ship within a month

<div><img alt="" border="1" class="aligncenter" height="248" hspace="4" src="http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/60/thinkpadtablet2.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="279" /></div><br/>Well, lookie here! Seems that ThinkPad Tablet's getting more real by the hour. For what it's worth, Lenovo hasn't exactly done a laudatory job keeping its next major Honeycomb tablet under wraps, but flaunting it in public? Now that's just asking for it. According to <em>ZTOP</em>, the enterprise-centric Tablet will arrive within three to four weeks boasting Tegra 2 silicon, a 10.1-inch display (1280 x 800) and an optional folio / cover that might just steal the show. According to the report, it's a leather-wrapped case that contains a full-on keyboard and optical tracking sensor, presumably using a USB connector to make the magic happen. Think Clamcase, but tailored for Lenovo. There's no mention of a price on that one, but we're guessing it ain't gonna be tossed in gratis. Tap the source for one more look, and expect to hear more on the whole kit and kaboodle as July draws closer.

ThinkPad Tablet shown off with keyboard-laden folio cover, could ship within a month

Well, lookie here! Seems that ThinkPad Tablet's getting more real by the hour. For what it's worth, Lenovo hasn't exactly done a...

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The Elliptical Machine Office Desk: putting the 'commute' back in 'telecommuting'

<div><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="239" src="http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/7096/hammacherdesk062911.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="279" /></div><br/>Quite frankly, you've got it just a bit <em>too</em> easy. You rise 98 seconds before you're scheduled to clock in, you mash a power button, and suddenly, you're at work. PJs still caked to your legs, mouth still steaming from a lack of brushing. You're a telecommuter, and you're the envy of the working world. In fact, it'd be just stellar if you'd do us all a solid and add a sliver of complexity to your workday -- you know, like swapping out your OfficeMax special for an elliptical machine. And maybe, just maybe, you can convert your laptop into one that's pedal-powered, forcing you to keep churning for fear of dropping from the virtual office. And no, you can't ask for donations to cover the $8,000 price tag -- your fuel savings from last week alone should just about cover it. Harrumph.

The Elliptical Machine Office Desk: putting the 'commute' back in 'telecommuting'

Quite frankly, you've got it just a bit too easy. You rise 98 seconds before you're scheduled to clock in, you mash a power button,...

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OCZ's RevoDrive 3 X2 review roundup: SSD melts faces with 1.5GBps read and 1.2GBps write speeds

<div><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="189" src="http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/2608/oczrevodrive3reviewvf29.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="270" /></div><br/>Did our footage of OCZ's new RevoDrive 3 X2 whet your appetite for more info on the super speedy SSD? Well, your wish is the web's command, and we've got a full roundup of reviews that'll tell you all you need to know. After putting OCZ's latest through its paces, the consensus is that the SSD is <em>seriously</em> quick in remembering and retrieving data. According to <em>Tom's Hardware</em>, the RevoDrive 3 X2 -- with its max 1.5GBps read and 1.2GBps write speeds -- "smokes everything" they've had pass through their lab. However, <em>AnandTech</em> noted that such capacious bandwidth is "simply overkill" for most users, as the drive only really flexes its muscles once the queue depth increases from enterprise-level workloads. Several sites noted that the drive's lack of TRIM support was also a concern, and that more cost effective (albeit slower) storage solutions can be had with a DIY RAID array of SATA SSDs. Of course, you don't have to take our word for it, get down to the nitty gritty in the links below.

OCZ's RevoDrive 3 X2 review roundup: SSD melts faces with 1.5GBps read and 1.2GBps write speeds

Did our footage of OCZ's new RevoDrive 3 X2 whet your appetite for more info on the super speedy SSD? Well, your wish is the web's c...

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NC State discovery finds optimal connections 10,000 times more quickly, ResNet admins do a double take

<div><img alt="" border="1" class="aligncenter" height="215" hspace="4" src="http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/7228/71207fastinternet.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="261" /></div><br/>Ever wondered how just one message in an average Chatroulette session finds its way to whatever destination fate may deem suitable? Sure you have. As it stands, every single pulse from your Ethernet socket starts its initial journey by hunting for an optimal connection path; in some cases, that involves routing through massive ring networks crossing over untold miles of fiber optic cabling. Using traditional techniques, nailing down an optimal solution for a ring can take eons (or days, whichever you prefer), but there's a new methodology coming out of NC State's den that could enable the same type of scenario to reach its natural conclusion <em>10,000</em> times faster. Dr. George Rouskas, a computer science professor and proud Wolfpacker, has just published a new paper describing the scheme, with the focal point being a "mathematical model that identifies the exact optimal routes and wavelengths for ring network designers." More technobabble surrounding the discovery can be found in the source link below, but unfortunately, there's no telling how long it'll take your impending click to be addressed using conventional means. Here's to the future, eh?

NC State discovery finds optimal connections 10,000 times more quickly, ResNet admins do a double take

Ever wondered how just one message in an average Chatroulette session finds its way to whatever destination fate may deem suitable? Sure you...

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Apple's Asia-Pacific profits reportedly soaring

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="217" src="http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/9225/applechinastore.jpg" width="279" /></p><br/>Apple might be growing in the US thanks to brisk sales of the MacBook Air and the expansion of the iPhone 4 to Verizon Wireless, but in Asia-Pacific, the Cupertino company is exploding. Over the past five years, Apple's revenue has climbed from US$14 billion in 2005 to $64 billion in 2010. During that time, international revenue grew a staggering 727%, while US revenue grew 268%. Profit showed a similar trend with Asia-Pacific increasing by a whopping 2,991% in the last five years. US profit also grew, but only at a comparatively small rate of 682%.<br/><br/>This upward trend is expected to continue in the current 2011 fiscal year. Last year, Apple reported $8.25 billion in sales to the Asia-Pacific region. We are half way through this year and Apple has already reached $5 billion in sales. Its sales are expected to quadruple year-over-year, and Apple hasn't even tapped into China's lucrative mobile phone market.<br/><br/>Apple sells the iPhone through China Unicom, which has 170 million subscribers (a number that pales in comparison with 600 million subscribers on China Mobile). Overall, China has over 900 million mobile phone users. If Apple could produce an iPhone for China Mobile and China Telecom, its resulting revenue and profits could go off the charts.

Apple's Asia-Pacific profits reportedly soaring

Apple might be growing in the US thanks to brisk sales of the MacBook Air and the expansion of the iPhone 4 to Verizon Wireless, but in Asia...

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WWDC Interview: FrogPad

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="113" src="http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/5359/tuawmactech2011wwdc.jpg" width="348" /></p><br/>Victor Agreda, Jr. (Editor-in-Chief, The Unofficial Apple Weblog) interviews Linda Marroquin of FrogPad at WWDC 2011. Linda was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward<br/><br/>FrogPad is an intriguing one-handed data entry method, which you can already use with a Magic Trackpad. We'll see if developers utilize it. Meanwhile, the company is hoping to restart manufacturing of physical one-handed keyboards soon.

WWDC Interview: FrogPad

Victor Agreda, Jr. (Editor-in-Chief, The Unofficial Apple Weblog) interviews Linda Marroquin of FrogPad at WWDC 2011. Linda was kind enough ...

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TUAW's Daily Mac App: iFogg

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="iFogg for Mac" class="aligncenter" height="110" src="http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/5707/ifogg.jpg" style="width: 205px; height: 183px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;" width="123" /></p><br/>Apps that help you to focus when using a Mac that's chock-a-block full of distractions can be really helpful. iFogg, a US$0.99 app from the Mac App Store, helps you focus by dimming other windows and leaving only the active window at full brightness.<br/><br/>iFogg sits in your menu bar, like many other programs that do similar tasks, and is active the moment you switch windows. The amount by which the rest of the windows and programs are dimmed is adjustable from full brightness to total black-out using a slider on a drop-down menu. You can also adjust whether the app dims all other windows, just windows from other programs, or just those windows not selected, meaning that you can have two windows from two different programs active at the same time.<br/><br/>Dimmed windows can still be accessed, with drag-and-drop, scrolling and clicking unaffected. iFogg can also be quickly turned on and off from the menu bar icon and supports Spaces just fine.<br/><br/>The odd thing about iFogg is that it'll only cover one monitor, so people with multiple monitors won't benefit from the inactive window dimming. You can also select the dimming overlay in Expose, which shows that it's just putting a colored full-screen window overlay on top of all the rest of the windows that aren't active. Still, it works and is pretty light on resources.<br/><br/>iFogg is available now in the Mac App Store. A demo video is embedded below.

TUAW's Daily Mac App: iFogg

Apps that help you to focus when using a Mac that's chock-a-block full of distractions can be really helpful. iFogg, a US$0.99 app from ...

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Get your YouTube experience organized with VideoHunters

<p style="text-align: center;"><!--CONTENT START--><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="109" src="http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/8116/videohuntersicon.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px;" width="113" /></p><br/>VideoHunters is a very clever iPad app that allows you a good deal of control over how you use YouTube. Of course, YouTube has good search functionality, and at first glance, this app doesn't seem to add much, but VideoHunters goes far deeper and allows you to customize your search, as well as easily share videos with friends.<br/><br/>More compelling, VideoHunters adds a concept of themes to using YouTube. It comes with more than a hundred themes already installed, and you can modify them or create your own. Some example themes include searches, like science and technology, from today that are popular. There are themes for comedy, politics, autos, you name it. The list can be sorted by you, and themes you don't want can be deleted. You also get the usual standbys, like top rated and featured videos. Once a video is playing you can stream via AirPlay. You can save a video to favorites, or share it with friends. Themes can also be sent to other VideoHunters users.<br/><br/>I was easily able to create themes to find some classic old TV shows and some videos on places I plan to travel to this year. YouTube is full of great Photoshop tutorials, so I created a theme for those. Since the themes can be saved, when I started up VideoHunters again, everything was where I left it. The app also contains video tutorials to help you navigate the formidable feature set.<br/><br/>I found using the app mostly intuitive, but I had to watch the tutorials to figure out some of the functionality. Two of the app features, a place to save what's called 'My Videos' and 'My Favorites,' require that you establish a free account. I tested version 1.3, which experienced a few crashes. Yesterday the app was updated to 1.4 and, so far, has been quite stable.<br/><br/>If you are a YouTube zealot, this is one of the best ways I've seen to explore and customize your searches. The videos are crisp on the iPad, and the ability to use AirPlay is a plus. For many, this app will be well worth the US$0.99 price. Check the galleries for some screen shots, and as always, your comments are valued.<br/><div><br/><br/><strong>Gallery: VideoHunters screens</strong><br/><br/><img alt="" height="75" src="http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7793/videohuntersscreen1thum.jpg" width="75" /><img alt="" src="http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/2672/videohuntersscreen2thum.jpg" /><img alt="" src="http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/9643/videohuntersscreen3thum.jpg" /><img alt="" src="http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/7457/videohuntersscreen4thum.jpg" /><img alt="" src="http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/8456/videohuntersscreen5thum.jpg" /><br/><br/></div>

Get your YouTube experience organized with VideoHunters

VideoHunters is a very clever iPad app that allows you a good deal of control over how you use YouTube. Of course, YouTube has good search f...

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Software Update: Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 5, Mac OS X 10.5 Update 10

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="212" src="http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/4034/javaupdate510683.jpg" style="width: 460px; height: 353px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid;" width="276" /></p><br/><br/><br/>Java for Mac OS X 10.6 has just been updated to Update 5, and a visit to Software Update will bring the latest and greatest version of Java to your Mac. If you're still using Leopard, Java for Mac OS X 10.5 is now at Update 10.<br/><br/>According to the release notes, "Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 5 delivers improved reliability, security, and compatibility for Java SE 6. Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 5 supersedes all previous versions of Java for Mac OS X 10.6." The Snow Leopard release is only for Mac OS X 10.6.6 and later. The Leopard updater is available for Mac OS X 10.5.8 and Mac OS X Server 10.5.8.<br/><br/>The security notes for the updates state that the new version fixes "multiple vulnerabilities in Java 1.6.0_24, the most serious of which may allow an untrusted Java applet to execute arbitrary code outside the Java sandbox." The updaters bump Java to version 1.6.0_26.<br/><br/><a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4593">http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4593</a> has more details about the updates.<br/><a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222">http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222</a> will be the location for information about the security content of the updates, although that information had not yet been posted by Apple at the time this article was written.

Software Update: Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 5, Mac OS X 10.5 Update 10

Java for Mac OS X 10.6 has just been updated to Update 5, and a visit to Software Update will bring the latest and greatest version of Java ...

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First rule of Facebook: Don't quote Fight Club

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="360" src="http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/9987/nymet.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="297" /></p><br/>Have you heard the story of Joe Lipari? In September 2009, Lipari visited an Apple Store trying to get help for an iPhone issue. He claimed he received no assistance, so he went home and posted to Facebook: "Joe Lipari might walk into an Apple store on Fifth Avenue with an Armalite AR-10 gas powered semi-automatic weapon and pump round after round into one of those smug, fruity little concierges," a paraphrased quote from <em>Fight Club</em>.<br/><br/>You can see where this is headed. One of Lipari's Facebook friends reported him to the police. Instead of a Genius Bar appointment, he wound up with two felony charges along with other charges of making terrorist threats and weapons.<br/><br/>The charges were dropped in February, but New York's Metro has run a profile on Lipari featuring shots of Lipari in the aforementioned Fifth Avenue Apple Store with a smirk and what some might think to be a very accurate headline. Your thoughts?<br/><br/>[Hat tip to <a href="http://apple.copydesk.org/2011/06/28/the-stupidest-news-story-youll-enjoy-reading-today/">Charles Apple</a>]

First rule of Facebook: Don't quote Fight Club

Have you heard the story of Joe Lipari? In September 2009, Lipari visited an Apple Store trying to get help for an iPhone issue. He claimed ...

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Trimit reads, simplifies, and condenses web content for social networks

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="68" src="http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9128/screenshot20110628at906.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px;" width="178" /></p><br/>Trimit is a new app that promises to automatically summarize text. The idea is this: You enter a URL, trimit ingests the web page you pointed to, and then it spits back a condensed version at the length you specify.<br/><br/>TUAW had a chance to take an early peek at this app, which is due to launch soon on the App Store. So how did it measure up? All in all, I was impressed by its looks, but not by its functionality.<br/><br/>Trimit is visually lovely. But that loveliness has not been designed around a solid user experience. I did eventually get the hang of using the application, but given the number of steps it took to make things happen, I felt that the app would benefit from hiring a usability designer.<br/><br/>Here are the steps you need to take for the most common use case:<br/><ol><br/> <li> In Safari, find a URL you want to work with and copy it to the system clipboard. The application does not offer a built-in web browser.</li><br/> <li> Tap the link button (it's in the center of the screen, one icon over from the left, looks like a two-link chain).</li><br/> <li> Paste the URL into the "import text source from url:" field.</li><br/> <li> Tap Go and wait. Trimit extracts the content text from the page.</li><br/> <li> Tap on settings. This is the leftmost icon in the middle of the screen. Once tapped, it becomes a keyboard icon. You'll need to use this after picking your destination.</li><br/> <li> Select a destination, like Twitter (which is the top-left of the options). A teeny tiny checkmark appears next to the choice. I could figure out Twitter at a glance, and "f" is probably facebook, but the other options may leave you guessing.<br/><div><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="419" src="http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4442/img07191309290704.png" style="width: 220px; height: 328px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid;" width="279" /></div></li><br/> <li> After tapping on the destination, once again tap on it, but this time tap and hold until the iPhone vibrates. A pop-up appears. Choose whether you want to compress vowels and/or add abbreviations.</li><br/> <li> Tap anywhere but on the destination again. (It took me forever to realize you could not dismiss the pop-up by re-tapping.)</li><br/> <li> Tap on the keyboard icon to leave the destination settings mode.</li><br/> <li> Shake the iPhone <em>strongly</em>. A gentle shake will not do. And *only* shake in the right mode, which seems to be compose mode or something like that, after destination picking. You'll be shaking your arms off otherwise. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure why some massive shakes would work sometimes and others wouldn't.</li><br/> <li> Wait for trimit to compress your message.</li><br/> <li> If needed, further edit the message by hand (so you can add a bit.ly'd source to the summary, for instance).</li><br/> <li> Tap the send button at the top-right corner of the screen. It does not look like a button, just like an arrow, but it <em>is</em> a button. (Other on-screen buttons have shadow effects to show they are tappable buttons that invite interaction.)</li><br/> <li> Select how you want to send the message, e.g., "Twitter it" or "Facebook it" (their phrasing). While these items <em>do</em> explain what each icon means, those same explanations should have been on the destination chooser and should follow the same order. They aren't and they don't.<br/><div><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="419" src="http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8476/img0721.png" style="width: 220px; height: 329px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid;" width="279" /></div></li><br/> <li> Enter credentials, authorize the application, and send.</li><br/> <li> Tap the keyboard to re-enable the link button.</li><br/> <li> Pull down to clear the previous text (otherwise the app will append new material, not replace it) and confirm your deletion.</li><br/></ol><br/>I love the idea of trimit, but the app itself is a big ol' mess. With this high degree of summarizing, not being able to include a source link is incomprehensible. What's more, people seem to do a much better job of summarizing the cool web pages they just read, whether using a basic tweet test or allowing more lax summaries.<br/><br/>For example, consider this Auntie TUAW post. Most people would tweet it like this: "iOS devices are no replacement for Wacom tablets http://aol.it/jx5AvB" 70 characters or so. How does trimit summarize the same material?<br/><br/><em>I am looking for an iPad app that allows it 2 function as a graphics tablet, similar 2 something like a Wacom tablet.</em><br/><br/>No source link, and very little context. Here's another go. Website io9 seemed to like Sunday's <em>True Blood </em>season premiere. What does trimit have to say about their write-up?<br/><br/><em>Con: Sookie is pized that Jason had the audacity 2 sell her (her grandmother's) house, after she's been mizing for over a year.</em><br/><br/>Honestly, do you really want to tweet that out? As if you had written it?<br/><br/>I found trimit more concept than execution. I didn't like the "shake to summarize" -- don't build your apps around shake gestures, people -- I wasn't impressed by the summaries, and I found the user interaction crippling.<br/><br/>Trimit is an app that should have soared. It is a great concept, but the app doesn't deliver on execution. Trimit will be available on App Store for US$0.99 (introductory price), moving to $4.99 once the initial sale concludes.

Trimit reads, simplifies, and condenses web content for social networks

Trimit is a new app that promises to automatically summarize text. The idea is this: You enter a URL, trimit ingests the web page you pointe...

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WWDC Interview: MacTEK Consulting & Training

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="113" src="http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/5359/tuawmactech2011wwdc.jpg" width="348" /></p><br/>Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) interviews Doug Hanley of MacTEK Consulting & Training at WWDC 2011. Doug was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.

WWDC Interview: MacTEK Consulting & Training

Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) interviews Doug Hanley of MacTEK Consulting & Training at WWDC 2011. Doug w...

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Google+ design credited to original Macintosh team member Andy Hertzfeld

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="117" src="http://img807.imageshack.us/img807/9189/googleplusproject.jpg" width="279" /></p><br/><br/><br/>You may have heard about Google+, the hot new sharing product from Google that went official today, and it sounds cool (<em>sounds</em> cool, but remember how cool Wave and Buzz sounded? Let's just say we're reserving excitement so far). But one exciting thing about the new project is how cool and smooth it looks, and TechCrunch has noted the reason for that look, based on Steven Levy's reporting: it's designed in part by Andy Hertzfeld, one of the members of the original Macintosh team back in the 1980s.<br/><br/>Hertzfeld now works for Google, and supposedly he was let free to exercise his creative influence as he liked on the new Google+ system, creating something for the folks in Mountain View that looks like it might have come from the early days of the Cupertino company.<br/><br/>Hertzfeld even credits some of his influence at Google to Apple's own resurgence lately, saying that Apple's sky-high relevance in the tech and mobile industry may have "had a little bit to do" with his chance to help create Google+.<br/><br/>In other words, when you finally get one of those invites that are starting to float around, and finally log in to the system to see what it is and what it's like, take note of any Macintosh-related influences you might see. Odds are, they're Mr. Hertzfeld's work.

Google+ design credited to original Macintosh team member Andy Hertzfeld

You may have heard about Google+, the hot new sharing product from Google that went official today, and it sounds cool ( sounds cool, but r...

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Video App Demo: Plane Finder

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="203" src="http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/6543/planefindermainpic13093.jpg" style="width: 465px; height: 279px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="339" /></p><br/>Plane Finder, made by Pinkfroot, is a cool tool for live tracking of planes. There's a free version to check out, or you can pick up the iPhone version for US$4.99, and the iPad version for $7.99. If boats are more your speed, Pinkfroot has released an app called Ship Finder, too. All of these are available for Android as well. Take a look at the demo below to see how Plane Finder works.

Video App Demo: Plane Finder

Plane Finder, made by Pinkfroot, is a cool tool for live tracking of planes. There's a free version to check out, or you can pick up the...

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Evidence of XML importer found within Final Cut Pro X

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="116" src="http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/9247/finalcutproxmlimporter.jpg" style="width: 465px; height: 193px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="279" /></p><br/>There's been a lot of hemming and hawing about Final Cut Pro X since its release. But now here's at least a little good news: a reference to XML importing has been spotted inside the software by Brazilian site MacMagazine. MacMagazine found the code reference as seen above, and they were able to run the function and get a bare-bones bit of placeholder code for an XML importer.<br/><br/>It looks like Apple either planned to include an XML importer at some point or will be including one in the future. Apple's already promised an update to the XML workflow, so maybe this was implemented but then reserved for a future revamp.<br/><br/>This shows that someone at Apple is thinking about these issues, both during the development of Final Cut Pro X and today. That's probably not a lot of solace to editors who still have issues with the new software, but hopefully Apple will justify all of the changes soon, either with updates to the app that restore functionality, or by introducing replacements for any workflow problems editors are having.

Evidence of XML importer found within Final Cut Pro X

There's been a lot of hemming and hawing about Final Cut Pro X since its release. But now here's at least a little good news: a refe...

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Apple's Q3 2011 financial results call scheduled for July 19

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="180" src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/1281/appleicon41811.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 300px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="180" /></p><br/>Apple has announced that its Q3 2011 financial results conference call will take place at 5 PM Eastern / 2 PM Pacific on Tuesday, July 19. Apple usually releases its financial results to the public a couple hours before the call itself takes place, and we'll be keeping an eye out for that when it happens. We will also likely be liveblogging when the call takes place and relay any insights that we get from the call.

Apple's Q3 2011 financial results call scheduled for July 19

Apple has announced that its Q3 2011 financial results conference call will take place at 5 PM Eastern / 2 PM Pacific on Tuesday, July 19. A...

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Apple posts Final Cut Pro X FAQ

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="69" src="http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/5291/fcpxcjr.jpg" width="279" /></p><br/>In what seems to be an attempt to address the widespread controversy over the recent release of Final Cut Pro X, Apple has posted a FAQ on its site to address some of the concerns that have been raised thus far. Designed to answer the biggest questions that professional editors have raised over Final Cut Pro X, Apple has given very few straightforward "no" answers to questions regarding the video production suite's "missing" features.<br/><br/>One of the few "no" answers regards importing projects from Final Cut Pro 7 to Final Cut Pro X. Apple claims the change in product architecture prevents "translating" projects from the old format into the new one. Many other answers either explain how to accomplish tasks that may have confused users accustomed to the old interface.<br/><br/>A fair number of the FAQ's points address questions by saying, "Not yet." As an example, professional editors have been up in arms over Final Cut Pro X's inability to support multicam editing, but Apple says support for this feature is coming "in the next major release." XML exporting will also be offered soon; Apple will release APIs "in the next few weeks" that will allow third-party developers access to the new XML in Final Cut Pro X.<br/><br/>Final Cut Pro X has been one of the most controversial Apple software products in recent memory. It's unclear at this early stage if this FAQ goes far enough in addressing the concerns of the "pro" community to which the suite is supposedly targeted, but it's at least obvious that Apple is aware of users' concerns and working toward addressing some of them in future updates.

Apple posts Final Cut Pro X FAQ

In what seems to be an attempt to address the widespread controversy over the recent release of Final Cut Pro X, Apple has posted a FAQ on i...

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Ommwriter for iPad joins the distraction-free writing fray

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="83" src="http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/6816/ommwriterforiadd.jpg" style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid;" width="135" />The iPad is a writing tool for many. It's something you can pop into a bag, pair with a keyboard and use for composition on-the-go. Most users graduate beyond the Notes app quickly, and that's when a text editor like Ommwriter for iPad (US$4.99) is considered.</p><br/>Ommwriter was born as a "distraction-free" text editor for the Mac ($4.99 in the Mac App Store). Its unique features -- background image, ethereal music and key-press sound effects -- are also on the iPad app, along with a few others. The app's uniqueness is also polarizing. Many people either love it or can't stand it. The short of my review is this: if you like Ommwriter for the Mac, with its New Age music and bony trees, you'll love it on your iPad. If you don't, the iPad app will grate on your very last nerve. Here are the specifics.<br/><div><br/><br/><strong>Gallery: Ommwriter for iPad</strong><br/><br/><img alt="The on-screen keyboard" src="http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/4268/img1276thumbnail.jpg" title="The on-screen keyboard" /><img alt="Landscape orientation" src="http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/7760/img1277thumbnail.jpg" title="Landscape orientation" /><img alt="Ommwriter writing" src="http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/435/img1278thumbnail.jpg" title="Ommwriter writing" /><img alt="Preferences" src="http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6394/img1279thumbnail.jpg" title="Preferences" /><img alt="Choose a background image" src="http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/3554/img1280thumbnail.jpg" title="Choose a background image" /><br/><br/></div><br/><h3>UI</h3><br/>Ommwriter for iPad offers a wintry scene at launch. Barren trees stand in a snowy field as snowflakes fall from a grey sky. A musical arrangement of wind chimes, synthesizers and other electronic bits and bobs can be heard, while a cursor blinks in the upper left-hand corner.<br/><br/>This is your new document.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="1" class="aligncenter" height="209" hspace="4" src="http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/709/ommwriterwritingsized.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="279" /></p><br/>With a Bluetooth keyboard or Apple's iPad Keyboard Dock attached, you're ready to begin typing. Those without a hardware keyboard can use the software keyboard, but it's not what you might expect. It, too, has been "Ommwriter-ified." Tap the "0" at the bottom of the page (that number is a running word count) to summon it forth.<br/><br/>Ommwriter's software keyboard exists in a semi-transparent rectangle with rounded edges and rests on the lower half of the screen (note that the keyboard is only available in the landscape orientation). As you type, three things happen. First, each letter is placed at the cursor, as you'd expect. Each key press also leaves a ghost image on the keyboard itself. A small splotch of dark grey appears at your finger's landing point before fading away over two or three seconds.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="1" class="aligncenter" height="209" hspace="4" src="http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/7153/ommwriterkeyboardsized.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="279" /></p><br/>Finally, the keyboard itself jiggles with each tap, as if it were made of Jell-O. This behavior is in keeping with the app's overall aesthetic, but I found it distracting.<br/><br/>That's it for the app's looks. Now onto the function.<br/><h3>Use</h3><br/>Typing is easy enough, but there are some rough spots. First and foremost is the lack of auto-correct. It's safe to assume that many users will use the software keyboard, as they want the full Ommwriter experience. I typically make the most errors with an on-screen keyboard. In fact, Ommwriter increased the time required to get something written. This is less of a problem with a hardware keyboard (note that key-press sounds are unavailable with a hardware keyboard).<br/><br/>Also, the key-press "ghosting" animation makes the keyboard look muddy once you're typing quickly.<br/><br/>When you're done, you can save your document by tapping the wrench icon on the keyboard's lower left-hand corner to open the preferences window. Tap the second icon from the right (it looks like a sheet of paper) to save it to a list of documents. From there, you can open any document, rename it, duplicate it or share it via email (the default output is .txt; PDF is also available). Finally, you can delete any document from the list.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="1" class="aligncenter" height="209" hspace="4" src="http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/1250/ommwriterdoclist.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border: 1px solid black;" vspace="4" width="279" /></p><br/><br/><h3></h3><br/><h3>Preferences</h3><br/>Ommwriter for iPad offers decent options for its look and feel. Again, tap the wrench icon to produce the preferences screen. You'll find seven settings: type style, type size, background image, "music," key-press sound effect (including silence), save (as described above) and brightness.<br/><br/>You've got four font styles to choose from, from serifs to script to all lower-case (urgh). There are four font size options, with the largest being nice and legible. There are seven background images available, and all but two are very heavy on dreary greys.<br/><br/>There are seven sound effects options, or eight if you include silence. Three are new-agey type music that's heavy on the synths and chimes. Other options include chirping crickets, a noisy office (rustling papers, footsteps walking about, muffled voices, etc.) and finally... breathing plus a vacuum cleaner.<br/><br/>I've no idea what to make of the last audio track. It starts with the sound of halting breathing, and after a few seconds the unmistakable sound of a vacuum cleaner is heard. It runs for a while and then stops. Next, a heart beat begins, followed by what I can only describe as creature-feature mad scientist laboratory sounds. The breathing is constant throughout. It definitely sets a tone.<br/><br/>As I said at the beginning, fans of Ommwriter for Mac will adore the iPad app. It's less of a distraction-free writing environment and more of a mood-generating text editor. There are many people who like to "set the stage" if you will for a writing endeavor. Ommwriter for iPad succeeds at creating a mood. Others concentrate more effectively with a monotonous noise running in the background; something to filter out nearby real-world distractions, like noisy kids or barking dogs. If that's you, give Ommwriter for iPad a try.<br/><br/>Those of you who like quiet and a no-frills text editor should look elsewhere.

Ommwriter for iPad joins the distraction-free writing fray

The iPad is a writing tool for many. It's something you can pop into a bag, pair with a keyboard and use for composition on-the-go. Most...

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TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Legacy: Mystery Mansion

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="188" src="http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/4073/legacymatch3.jpg" width="279" /></p><br/>It's been a while since we've covered a solid match-three game in this space, and Legacy: Mystery Mansion is exactly that. It's similar to Puzzle Quest in that it puts an overarching storyline in the form of a match-three puzzle title, but it's a little tougher than the more casual entries in the genre, putting a hard time limit on each of 25 stages and taking you through recovering missing antiques in a haunted mansion. I was a big fan of Call of Atlantis' match-three mayhem, and Legacy seems very much in that vein, if just a little more difficult.<br/><br/>At any rate, it seems like an excellent match-three puzzler, and at US 99 cents, the price is just right. It'd be nice to have Game Center integration for leaderboards and achievements, but a free zen mode will have to do for now. Legacy: Mystery Mansion is well worth a try for fans of this very traditional puzzle genre.

TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Legacy: Mystery Mansion

It's been a while since we've covered a solid match-three game in this space, and Legacy: Mystery Mansion is exactly that. It's ...

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Review: Acer Aspire 5742G

<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="90" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20152/WLT152.rev3.acer_1-200-200.jpg" width="120" /></p><br/>Acer aims to balance price with performance and the Aspire series has been its mainstay for many years. With the Aspire 5742G, Acer has put everything you need in a starter laptop and wrapped it up in a great-looking package.<br/><br/>Right out of the box the Aspire has enough processing power to handle everything you want in a starter laptop, but on top of that it's also a pleasure to look at. The textured finish on both the lid and internal chassis feels comfortable and won't pick up the grubby fingerprints that curse more reflective designs.<br/><br/>The keyboard doesn't feel quite as sturdy as some (we noticed an obvious flex in the keyboard during typing), but the keys are well spaced and easy to type on. The Aspire 5742G sports Acer's favoured keyboard where keys appear to float above the chassis. This looks great, but you'll find it quickly traps debris underneath the keys.<br/><br/>Whilst not as comfortable as either the Sony or the Packard Bell, this style is certainly good enough for bashing out longer documents. There is also a full-sized numeric keypad, although no dedicated hotkeys. The touchpad is also comfortable to use.<br/><br/>The Acer is built around Intel's Core i3 processor, which provides plenty of power, and is backed up by the 4096MB of memory.<br/><br/>But what really sets the Aspire 5742G apart is the 1024MB of video memory provided by the dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 520M graphics card. As you can see from our benchmark tests, this laptop will be fine running the current crop of gaming titles and will easily handle photo and HD video editing.<br/><br/>Similarly, the massive 620GB of hard drive storage will provide plenty of space for all the family's data.<br/><br/><strong>Benchmarks</strong><br/><br/>Battery life: 278 minutes<br/>MobileMark 2007: 228<br/>3DMark 2003: 11,991<br/><br/><strong>Vibrant screen </strong><br/><br/>The 15.5-inch screen provides a great level of detail and colour vibrancy. The screen is bright and watching movies or playing games is an impressive experience. The HDMI, VGA and three USB 2.0 ports mean you can also hook it up to your HD TV for big-screen viewing.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Acer aspire 5742g" class="aligncenter" height="167" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20152/WLT152.rev3.buildacer_1-420-90.jpg" width="252" /></p><br/>We achieved a very respectable 278 minutes from the battery during our benchmark tests and the chassis is sturdy enough to take a few bumps and knocks should you decide to take it on the road.<br/><br/>We liked the Acer Aspire 5742G. The higher asking price is a bit painful to swallow, but we feel it justifies this with the dedicated graphics card, large storage space and great battery life.<br/><br/>It's likely to future-proof better than some of the other laptops and would make for a worthwhile purchase.

Review: Acer Aspire 5742G

Acer aims to balance price with performance and the Aspire series has been its mainstay for many years. With the Aspire 5742G, Acer has put ...

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Android less secure than iOS, says Symantec

<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="90" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/Mobile%20Phones/iPhone/iphonesecurity-200-200.jpg" width="120" /></p><br/>The Android operating system is less secure than Apple's iOS, according to a new in-depth evaluation conducted by security firm Symantec.<br/><br/>The good news is that both smartphone tribes are more secure than traditional PCs.<br/><br/>The bad news is that neither of is really that secure anyway, with Symantec seeming to conclude that businesses would be wise to keep their data off smartphones altogether.<br/><br/><strong>Data rater</strong><br/><br/>iOS is more robust because Apple's app vetting system is more rigorous, the company found – this means less malware can sneak into your iPhone or iPad via rogue app.<br/><br/>Android, however, is more open and this means more open to attack, including network attacks, nasty malware and misplacing data if the handset is lost or stolen.<br/><br/>Both are also vulnerable when syncing with cloud-based services, which leaves data stored on devices in danger of being compromised.<br/><br/><strong>Mixed bag</strong><br/><br/>Symantec Fellow and chief architect Carey Nachenberg said, "Today's mobile devices are a mixed bag when it comes to security.<br/><br/>"While more secure than traditional PCs, these platforms are still vulnerable to many traditional attacks.<br/><br/>"Moreover, enterprise employees are increasingly using unmanaged, personal devices to access sensitive enterprise resources, and then connecting these devices to 3rd-party services outside of the governance of the enterprise, potentially exposing key assets to attackers."<br/><br/>Obviously this research is talking mainly to the super-paranoid, businesses and super-paranoid businesses – day to day users are probably going to be safe enough, as long as you don't download any dodgy-looking apps.<br/><br/>But with the rise of the mobile wallet and more financial details being stored on our smartphones, handset security is going to become more and more important.

Android less secure than iOS, says Symantec

The Android operating system is less secure than Apple's iOS, according to a new in-depth evaluation conducted by security firm Symantec...

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Tweet marks successful white space trial

<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="90" src="http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8936/tvaerial200200.jpg" width="120" /></p><br/>Trials to use the "white space" frequencies to carry data have been successful in the UK, with Cambridge Consultants confirming that it has sent a tweet in the unused spectrum between TV channels.<br/><br/>The White Space frequency is seen as an area of the spectrum that can be tapped into to help in the struggle to provide rural areas with broadband coverage.<br/><br/>The trial was carried out in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, and as well as showing that social media tools could run, also underlined that this kind of technology can be used without causing interference on television channels.<br/><br/><strong>Pioneering</strong><br/><br/>Richard Traherne, head of wireless at Cambridge Consultants, commented: "We believe that White Space, as a pioneering cognitive radio wireless technology, has the potential to change the way that people communicate, especially in rural areas.<br/><br/>"It has a wide range of applications, from healthcare to home working, and we expect to see these and other exciting applications emerge in the near future."<br/><br/>Apparently the village of Cottenham was picked because of a 'lack of wireless provision and availability of spectrum'.<br/><br/>"The network was tested using a range of social media tools, marking the first time White Space spectrum has been used in this way," added Cambridge Consultants' release.

Tweet marks successful white space trial

Trials to use the "white space" frequencies to carry data have been successful in the UK, with Cambridge Consultants confirming th...

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