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Amazon's upcoming tablet to use quad-core Nvidia Tegra Kal-El?

Posted by Harshad

Amazon's upcoming tablet to use quad-core Nvidia Tegra Kal-El?


Amazon's upcoming tablet to use quad-core Nvidia Tegra Kal-El?

Posted: 16 May 2011 08:55 PM PDT

Amazon's upcoming tablet to use quad-core Nvidia Tegra Kal-El?Although only partially confirmed, we reported earlier this week that Amazon is working on a full family of Android devices for the holidays, including a smartphone, a 6-inch tablet and a 10-inch tablet.

There are little other details but today BGR is saying that the larger tablet will be the first to run on Nvidia's "Kal-El" quad-core processor.

Additionally, the smaller entry level tablet will run on the Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, with a higher clock speed than seen in most current tablets.

In terms of pricing, speculation is the 6-inch tablet will match Barnes & Noble's $250 Nook Color, while the larger tablet will sell for $400, which would really put a squeeze on Apple, Samsung and others.

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Couple names their child "Like" because of Facebook

Posted: 16 May 2011 08:41 PM PDT

Couple names their child "Like" because of FacebookAn Israeli couple has named their newborn "Like," thanks to their joint obsession with social networking giant Facebook.

Says the father (via German press):

To me it is important to give my children names that are not used anywhere else, at least not in Israel. If once people gave Biblical names and that was the icon, then today [the Facebook Like] is one of the most famous icons in the world.


Like Adler is the third child from Lior and Vardit Adler. Their other two kids are Dvash ("Honey" in Hebrew) and Pie.

The mother adds: "Like has a nice, international ring to it."

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Sony lists free game compensation available to U.S. PSN gamers

Posted: 16 May 2011 08:28 PM PDT

Sony lists free game compensation available to U.S. PSN gamersSony has listed the titles it will give away for free to gamers affected by the nearly one-month long outage of the PSN.

PS3 owners in the U.S. get to choose 2 of the following 5 games:

Dead Nation
inFAMOUS
LittleBigPlanet
Super Stardust HD
Wipeout HD+ Fury


If you are a PSP owner, the choices are:

LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
ModNation Racers
Pursuit Force
Killzone Liberation


The downloads will be available for 30 days after the PlayStation Store is restored, but Sony has not given a set date for that yet except that it will be before the end of the month.

Additionally, Sony is giving away "Ooblag's Alien Casino" PSN game to all affected users, as well.

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Verizon expanding its 4G network to new cities this week

Posted: 16 May 2011 12:37 PM PDT

Verizon expanding its 4G network to new cities this weekVerizon has announced that it is expanding its 4G LTE network to a few new cities this week.

New cities to get the fast mobile Internet are Pensacola, Mobile, Denver, Montgomery, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Philadelphia, and Fayetteville-Lumberton, NC.

The carrier launched the LTE network in 30 major cities last year and tests have found it to be faster than AT&T and Sprint's rival networks.

Verizon has hopes of rolling out its entire network by the end of 2012.

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Samsung makes it official, Android 2.3 coming to Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab

Posted: 16 May 2011 12:12 PM PDT

Samsung makes it official, Android 2.3 coming to Galaxy S and Galaxy TabSamsung has made it official, Android 2.3 Gingerbread is headed to the Galaxy S, Galaxy Ace/Gio/Fit/Mini and the Galaxy Tab.

Gingerbread brings a few new features, including an updated user interface.

Samsung says 2.3 for the Galaxy devices will bring:


Faster Performance – Multimedia content now has a lower CPU consumption rate, while support for more powerful 3D Graphics enables an enhanced mobile gaming experience.

Upgraded Usability – The user interface has been improved, enabling faster access and control and a more intuitive user experience. Users will also benefit from improved copy-and-paste functionality.


Starting today, the upgrade will roll out to the UK and Nordic countries, moving on to EU, North America, Asia and Africa afterwards.

You will need Kies to install the upgrade.

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1000 RIM PlayBook tablets recalled

Posted: 16 May 2011 09:42 AM PDT

1000 RIM PlayBook tablets recalledRIM has confirmed that it is recalling 1000 BlackBerry Playbooks thanks to a software glitch.

The company says a few of the 16GB models "were shipped with an OS build that may result in the devices being unable to properly load software upon initial set-up."

Most the affected devices are still in the distribution channel, fortunately, but RIM says about 1000 have made it into consumer's hands.

If you are having issues, the company says: "In the small number of cases where a customer received a PlayBook that is unable to properly load software upon initial set-up, they can contact RIM for assistance."

The recall marks another setback for the tablet, which had good critical reception but has been panned for its lack of native email/calender/contacts apps.

RIM recently showed off the apps, as well as the ability to use Android Market apps with little visual difference than on an Android device.

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Netflix makes new deal with Miramax for streaming content

Posted: 16 May 2011 09:23 AM PDT

Netflix makes new deal with Miramax for streaming contentNetflix has announced it has signed a multi-year agreement with Miramax to bring hundreds of films to its "Watch Instantly" streaming library.

A few of the more recognizable films in the catalog are "Pulp Fiction," "Shakespeare in Love," "The English Patient," "Good Will Hunting," "Bad Santa," "Scream," "Spy Kids," "The Piano" and "Kill Bill."

Starting in June, Miramax will add dozens of titles at a time "on a rotating basis."

The financials were not revealed but Netflix is expected to be paying over $100 million.

Says Netflix COO Ted Sarandos:

Netflix is thrilled to enter into this deal with the new team at Miramax. Existing relationships with management and a shared affinity for these great films make this an important deal for both companies and for our members, who will enjoy instantly watching movies from one of the truly great film libraries for many years to come.


And adds Miramax CEO Mike Lang:

From day one, we've been very clear about the importance of digital and our desire to respond to the significant pent-up demand for our films -- delivering to consumers whenever and wherever they want. This agreement is an important first step in our digital strategy. Netflix has always been a trailblazer, with a tremendous track record of innovation and quality customer service. We're thrilled to now be in business with them as we build and revitalize the proud Miramax brand.

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Nokia denies Microsoft is buying its smartphone unit

Posted: 16 May 2011 09:01 AM PDT

Nokia denies Microsoft is buying its smartphone unitNokia has quickly shot down the rumor that Microsoft is ready to purchase the company's smartphone unit.

The rumor came from questionable Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin, who has hit some homeruns in the past but more recently has come under fire for sensationalist posts that have not come true.

Murtazin says that Microsoft is ready to buy Nokia's smartphone unit next week, with both company's "in a rush" to complete the deal by the end of 2011.

Nokia's Uk Communications Director Mark Squires has crushed the rumor quickly, however:

We typically don't comment on rumors. But we have to say that Eldar's rumors are getting obviously less accurate with every passing moment.


Earlier today, Nokia killed off its Ovi brand, which powered Nokia's app store, Maps, search and more.

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Mozilla will auto-update Firefox 3.5 users next month

Posted: 16 May 2011 08:35 AM PDT

Mozilla will auto-update Firefox 3.5 users next monthMozilla has said today that it will begin auto-updating users of the no-longer-supported Firefox 3.5 next month to 3.6, if users have selected auto-updates.

The company says there are still 12 million users of 3.5, which debuted in early 2009.

Firefox 3.5 is no longer supported, and the last security patch was sent out last month.

Says Christian Legnitto, Firefox release manager:

We are treating the automatic update checkbox enabled as a 'Yes, I want Mozilla to keep me updated. Previously as a courtesy we had people opt-in between major versions due to the potential jarring nature of the update. We feel the difference between 3.5 and 3.6 is not severe and with 3.5 reaching end-of-life 3.6 is the security update for 3.5 users.


The browser company says most users have auto-updates selected.

Mozilla does admit they would prefer that 3.6 users upgrade to Firefox 4, which was launched last month to much fanfare (and many, many downloads).

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Japan blocks Sony from relaunching PSN in nation

Posted: 16 May 2011 07:53 AM PDT

Japan blocks Sony from relaunching PSN in nationThe Japanese government has confirmed that it has blocked Sony from relaunching the PSN in its country, citing security concerns.

Sony launched the PSN, after nearly a one-month absence, in Europe, Australia and North America over the last two days.

Says Kazushige Nobutani, Japan's director of media and content in the country's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry:

As of May 13, Sony was incomplete in exercising measures that they said they will do on the May 1 press conference.


Despite the complaints from Japan, Sony responded (via Cnet) that the PSN has had its security beefed up after the hacking incident led to the compromise of 101 million accounts:

The company has made considerable enhancements to the data security, including updating and adding advanced security technologies; additional software monitoring and penetration and vulnerability testing; and increased levels of encryption and additional firewalls. The company also added a variety of other measures to the network infrastructure, including an early-warning system for unusual activity patterns that could signal an attempt to compromise the network.

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