Facebook Holding Special Mobile Event This Wednesday

Facebook has just sent us an invitation to a special event that's happening this Wednesday. The theme? Mobile. We don't know what Facebook is planning to launch (though we'll do our best to find out beforehand), but we have a few guesses. The most obvious is the company's long-awaited iPad application (it still doesn't have an official app). It could also include more features that involve Places ? Facebook has recently been testing a Deals service that's connected to Places, and mobile is obviously the best place for users to access those.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/J-qTRRgZ1w4/

DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES DIODES INORATED

Fox blackout on Cablevision ends after 14 day standoff, glaring contest continues on

Evidently missing the first two games of the World Series was about all Cablevision thought it subscribers could take, as news just hit the wire: the fourteen-day standoff is over and both tonight's game three of the World Series and tomorrow's Jets vs Packers game are available to subscribers. While these carriage disputes are pretty common, it is very rare for channels to be pulled and downright unheard of for a channel as popular as Fox. It came to this because Cablevision was very unhappy about News Corp's new terms and after many pleas to the FCC and politicians to intervene, an advertising campaign, and eventually an unaccepted offer to match the price that Time Warner Cable pays, a deal has finally been done. Not exactly all's well that ends well, though, as Cablevision released the following statement: "In the absence of any meaningful action from the FCC, Cablevision has agreed to pay Fox an unfair price for multiple channels of its programming including many in which our customers have little or no interest." Talk about sour grapes. Well at least we can hope that Cablevision's efforts paid off a little bit and your cable bill won't go up as much as it would've if the outage never occurred to begin with. We can hope.

Continue reading Fox blackout on Cablevision ends after 14 day standoff, glaring contest continues on

Fox blackout on Cablevision ends after 14 day standoff, glaring contest continues on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/mKFlwjcIyqY/

NOKIA NVIDIA

Microsoft Security Essentials now offered via Windows Update

Filed under: Security, Microsoft

We're big fans of Microsoft Security Essentials -- it's lightweight, free, and offers malware protection that's every bit as good as (if not better than) more recognized names like Norton and McAfee (quit giggling, DS regulars...). Today, Microsoft has begun offering Security Essentials as an optional install via Windows Update.

Like Live Essentials and the Windows 7 Language Packs, users can now opt-in to load MSE on their Windows system. The update notification beckons small office users as well, offering a reminder that Security Essentials is free for them to use, too -- as long as they have 10 systems or fewer.

Microsoft Security Essentials now offered via Windows Update originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/10/27/microsoft-security-essentials-now-offered-via-windows-update/

TECHNITROL TAKETWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE

HP Envy 14 Beats Edition no longer available with Dr. Dre endorsed headphones, results in price drop

The differences between the HP Envy 14 Beats Edition and the plain ol' Envy 14 have been primarily aesthetic -- it's got a black Beats branded lid and red backlit keyboard -- but HP's also included that set of Monster Beats Solo headphones you see up there. Sadly, that last differentiator is no longer. We'd heard from a few readers that their Envy 14 Beats Edition laptops arrived sans headphones, and HP has confirmed for us that due to "supply constraints" the Dr. Dre Solo from Monster headphones are no longer included with the snazzy black and red laptop. Hopefully those customers that paid full price for the laptop and didn't receive the Solos will get a refund, but we're told by HP that the price has been lowered by $100 since the cans went out of stock -- the starting price was originally $1,249.99 and is now $1,149.99. We're not entirely sure why you'd pay $150 more for the Beats version now, considering you get the same audio experience with the standard $999.99 Envy, but what do we know? There may be tons of diehard Beats Audio fans living amongst us.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

HP Envy 14 Beats Edition no longer available with Dr. Dre endorsed headphones, results in price drop originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 19:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/cHrNnpLRZvU/

EPICOR SOFTWARE EMULEX

Google now taking suggestions for improving Tasks

Filed under: Productivity, Google

Google seems to be aiming at making Tasks into a ubiquitous tasklist, available anywhere and easy to use. This is one of the few niches where a non-Google tool has the upper hand - in this case, Remember the Milk is the leader of the pack, at least for now.

Google's engineers know what they have to do to make Tasks into a smash hit: give users what they want!

To make that happen, they've just announced a Tasks poll for feature requests. Google's post seems to be very new, but the poll already has 720 ideas -- so I'm assuming they're just reminding us it exists. And a worthy reminder it is - go ahead, tell Google what you think and help them make a kick-ass task manager for all of us to use!

Google now taking suggestions for improving Tasks originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/10/26/google-now-taking-suggestions-for-improving-tasks/

INGRAM MICRO INFORMATICA

The Future of Local Commerce = Facebook + Foursquare + Yelp + Groupon

There's been much hype, crazy valuations, and overall market excitement about businesses that promise to unleash the power of the social graph, location, recommendations and group buying.�Facebook's latest valuation�according to SecondMarket is now about $30 billion, Foursquare�raised $20 million at a post-money valuation of $115 million�while still at a pre-revenue stage, Yelp,�short of selling for $550 million to Google, raised over $25 million at an undisclosed but very high valuation, and finally Groupon�raised $135 million at a whopping $1.35 billion valuation. So besides their huge success with the investment community, and their users, what do these companies have in common, and what does all this have to do with disrupting Local Commerce? Editor's note: The following guest post is by David Marcus, founder and CEO of Zong, a mobile payment provider for Facebook Credits, AT&T and hundreds of leading destination websites and mobile applications

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/wIsO7ls0EgY/

INFORMATICA INFOCUS

Skooba Design Introduces the Techlife? Collection

Recently, we told you about the Techlife? Netbook/iPad Messenger from Skooba Design.� Michael Hess, the president of Skooba Design, took the time to let us know that Techlife? is much more than just a single bag.� The collection features a�series of super-lightweight, casual yet sporty bags: the messenger and a neo-skin for the netbook/iPad, a [...]

Filed in categories: Laptop Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Suitcase with laptop sleeve

Skooba Design Introduces the Techlife? Collection originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 27, 2010 at 7:30 am.

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2010/10/27/skooba-design-introduces-the-techlife%e2%84%a2-collection/

HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS GOOGLE

Cloud Computing Startup Nomadesk Raises $7 Million To Support US Expansion

Nomadesk, formerly known as Aventiv, offers one of the most elegant cloud-based data sharing, synchronization and storage solutions on the market, and you've probably never even heard of it. Perhaps this will change in the near future, as the Belgian company has just raised $7 million in Series B financing to support its plans for expansion in North America.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/U8EYPR90MM0/

RF MICRO DEVICES RED HAT

HTC HD7 has hidden microSD slot, user-replacable card?

We thought the Samsung Focus was the only Windows Phone 7 launch device that could replace its external storage, but the HTC HD7 can apparently do the same -- there's an SD card slot under that Windows Phone logo, and The Unwired managed to replace it while dodging the dreaded "There's a storage error" screen. What sort of black magic did the publication cast to make it recognize the new card? They're not quite sure themselves, but several factory resets and physical reinsertion of the chip seemed to do the trick, if only for an 8GB card. If you're in a daring mood, let us know if it works for you in comments below!

HTC HD7 has hidden microSD slot, user-replacable card? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/htc-hd7-has-hidden-microsd-slot-user-replacable-card/

LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS

HTC Trophy review

Why yes, yes it is another Windows Phone 7 device review. Not that we're complaining. It's not everyday that a new mobile operating system this polished arrives at our doorstep. Having already gone in depth with Microsoft's entirely new OS and half dozen or so other WP7 devices, it's now time to dive deep into the life and times of the HTC Trophy. And it's about time. We first saw the words "HTC" and "Trophy" on the same page in a roadmap leak all the way back in 2009. Several of the leaked handsets eventually launched -- but not the 3-inch portrait QWERTY Trophy (codenamed, Spark) running Windows Mobile 6.5. Perhaps that original design was scrapped along with WinMo's relevancy to the consumer smartphone market. We don't know and we may never know. What we can tell you is what it's like to live with a production HTC Trophy for a week -- an average speced touchscreen slate offering anything but a middle-of-the-road experience.

This review is primarily of the HTC Trophy hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS.

Gallery: HTC Trophy review

Continue reading HTC Trophy review

HTC Trophy review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/htc-trophy-review/

SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES SES

WiFi-only Galaxy Tab stops by the FCC for tea

$599 is a bit pricey for a seven-inch tablet, and while you can get $200 off that at some places by signing your life away to a data contract, that really isn't any fun either. Thankfully Samsung appears to have another option with what looks to be the $499, WiFi-only model that showed up in a Best Buy flier earlier this week. That version has now been cleared by the FCC, indeed with only tests for 802.11 and Bluetooth wireless. The absence of 3G looks like it will save you $100 and obviously make the device a little less flexible than its bar-bearing brethren, but whether that modified cost:inconvenience ratio works out in your favor depends largely on the value of your income:restlessness factor.

WiFi-only Galaxy Tab stops by the FCC for tea originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/wifi-only-galaxy-tab-stops-by-the-fcc-for-tea/

YAHOO XILINX

Visualize the Game Console Generation Shift

An interactive infographic lets you visualize the videogame console wars in terms of how they've traded market share over the past several years.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/10/console-wars-visualization/

IBASIS HYPERCOM

Skype 5 with Facebook integration sheds beta tag

Filed under: Utilities, Video

Skype has just announced Version 5 for Windows. This version has been in beta for quite some time, and it's now officially out. Amongst the new features:

• Group video - which is still labeled "beta," even though the app itself is final
• Automatically recovering dropped calls - Skype redials the other party; from our experience, it sometimes intentionally drops the call when the connection is really bad, and then it redials to try and get a better connection.
• Facebook integration -- you can call or chat with Facebook friends directly from Skype.

If you've been using the beta version, none of this is overly exciting. But if you're still using Skype 4.0, this is certainly a worthy upgrade.

Skype 5 with Facebook integration sheds beta tag originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/10/27/skype-5-final-is-now-out-facebook-integration-is-out-of-beta/

EMS TECHNOLOGIES EMC

Garmin Approach S1 is the GPS watch for golfers, sends that caddy back to the shack

Pack a lob wedge or extra utility iron? Punch and run or flop and drop? Crush a five iron or hit a three-quarter four? These are just a few of the questions that amateur golfers wish they had to ponder as they instead devote their time to rummaging through the brush trying to find what could be their fourth lost ball in three holes. Maybe Garmin's new Approach S1 watch can help. It's loaded with every hole from over 14,000 golf courses and, from anywhere on the course, will give you precise yardage to the front, back, and middle of the next green -- meaning it won't help your lay-up but could be just the ticket for nailing that approach. Its integrated odometer will even track how many miles you covered through the course of the day and, we're presuming, not tell your significant other whether you spent those drinking in the cart or walking at a brisk pace. The Approach S1 is available now for $249 and is subtle enough that your buddies might not even notice your new wrist-borne advantage.

Update: As a few of you pointed out, the Suunto G9 watch from a few years back also offers GPS, meaning this is, indeed, not the first after all! That's a two-stroke penalty, Garmin.

Continue reading Garmin Approach S1 is the GPS watch for golfers, sends that caddy back to the shack

Garmin Approach S1 is the GPS watch for golfers, sends that caddy back to the shack originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/ibhWtaACerc/

YAHOO XILINX

Google Chrome 8 to hit beta channel by next week

Filed under: Google, Browsers

Google Chrome is all about speed -- even its development cycle. It's only been two weeks since Chromium was bumped to version 8, and they're already trying to close the v7 Beta book and deliver the next version.

Google's Jason Kersey put out a call to the Chromium-dev group for developers to begin wrapping things up. The goal: push Chrome 8 to the beta channel by next week. He goes on to ask the team to zero in on blocker bugs so that they can be resolved quickly.

With the list of release blockers down to less than two dozen, it seems likely that Google Chrome 8 will indeed hit the beta channel next week. Bugs with Hotmail attachment downloading, Facebook uploads, and WAV file playback are among the bugs which need resolving, but the Chrome team has already proven that they're able to keep up with the new schedule.

[via Softpedia]

Google Chrome 8 to hit beta channel by next week originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/10/22/google-chrome-8-to-hit-beta-channel-by-next-week/

SYBASE SUN MICROSYSTEMS

Adonit Writer adds one more option to the iPad folio + keyboard barrage

We weren't too fond of the AIDACASE KeyCase Folio, but we should've known a flood of alternatives would be hitting the market shortly thereafter. Adonit dropped us a line to say that its rival is in the final stages of production and should be ready to order by Christmas, and while the final edition will add a lot of polish, there's a gallery of pre-pro shots just below for your perusal. The Writer iPad folio + keyboard combines a Bluetooth keyboard with a case, and the board itself slides on a magnet for maximum positioning awesomeness. There's also a quick iPad release, auto-keyboard sleep function and an exterior that'll look far sexier than what you're seeing here. Hit the source link to be alerted when it goes on sale, and as for pricing, expect to part ways with $120 or so. Or $420 when combined with a Colorware Grip for iPad.

Gallery: Adonit Writer iPad folio + keyboard

Adonit Writer adds one more option to the iPad folio + keyboard barrage originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/hcEv25166hs/

ACCENTURE ACER