T-Mobile, the fourth largest carrier in the United States has announced today that it will run a huge Father's Day promotion, this Saturday, June 19th.

As long as you have a family plan, or decide to purchase one, every phone in any T-Mobile store across the nation is free.

If you already have a family plan, to get the deal you need to add another line to your plan, which can cost as low as $5 extra per month.

The deal can be incredible, as it includes literally all phones, even brand new ones like the myTouch 3G Slide, the HTC HD2, and the Garminfone, all of which are over $350 to purchase without contract.

T-Mobile is starting the promotion at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

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Business groups in the United States on Tuesday criticized the Chinese government over policy proposals that they say will discriminate against U.S. and other international companies in the market. The companies represented work with software, clean energy and computer technology, but one proposal in China would encourage government agencies to deal with companies that have produced technology in the country.

The proposal is part of a bunch of policies dubbed "indigenous innovation" that are meant to encourage more technological development in the country. Jeremie Waterman, a senior director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, testified before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).

He argued that the policies are being proposed to provide advantages to domestic companies and products, to "force technology transfer if foreign players choose to participate." In April, China allowed foreign companies to compete for government business following pressure from Washington.

Not everyone agrees that the Chinese proposals will be bad for U.S. or other foreign companies however. Lee Branstetter, an economics professor at Carnegie Mellon University, points out that none of the policies are even in place yet and may not turn out to be as harmful to U.S. companies as they think.

Instead, he argues that some of the proposals, such as increasing support for Chinese universities, encouraging venture capital and underwriting joint research programs with foreign companies and Universities may benefit U.S. companies in the market.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has raised the issue during high-level talks in Beijing, and told the Senate Finance Committee that China agreed to discuss the issue over the coming weeks and months.

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While Sony is showing off 3D features of the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console today at E3, NVIDIA with support of many big names in the PC industry is trying to push the "3D PC" to consumers. Using the popularity of movies like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, and the selection of PC games that be displayed in 3D with right hardware, NVIDIA argues that a 3D PC offers the broadest solution for enjoying 3D entertainment at home.

What is a 3D PC? A 3D PC is technically a PC or a notebook on the market that meet the following minimum requirements...

• Includes a pair of 3D active-shutter glasses.
• A 120Hz 3D-capable display in the form of a desktop LCD monitor, a 3D projector, a 3D TV, or a notebook PC with an integrated 3D-capable LCD.
• A discrete graphics processor that is capable of delivering high definition imagery to the 3D display

Among the partners NVIDIA has enlisted in pushing 3D PCs are Alienware, Asus, Dell, Microsoft, Toshiba and more to offer the products. Additionally, web stores are also adding 3D PC categories to sell products that meet the three requirements. NVIDIA argues that with a 3D PC you can have access to 3D Hollywood movies through Blu-ray hardware and compatible software such as Cyberlink's line-up.

It pointed out that the recent Masters golf tournament was the first major sporting event to stream live 3D over the Internet, as well as the 1,000 or so 3D videos on YouTube. NVIDIA is working with Adobe and Microsoft to enable better live streaming of 3D video.

Camera manufacturers including Sony and Fujifilm are bringing 3D digital consumer cameras to the market, which you could view and edit on a 3D PC too, NIVIDIA points out.

And of course, who could forget 3D gaming. NVIDIA cites more than 425 PC games that work "beautifully" with NVIDIA 3D Vision technology. Of course, there have also been many official and unofficial modifications to recently released PC games to enable 3D gaming.

"ASUS has a strong track record of pioneering new categories of PCs, as we did with the netbook," said Jerry Shen, CEO of ASUS. "Now ASUS is very bullish on developing the 3D PC category by shipping notebooks, desktops and an all-in-one PC equipped with NVIDIA 3D Vision. We believe that all entertainment-based PCs will become 3D capable within a few years."

"People wondering where the cool 3D content is, need to look no further than a 3D PC," said Hidehito Murato, Chief Marketing Executive at Toshiba. "We embrace the advent of 3D Vision-based notebooks which allows users to go 3D 'on the go'. This is by far, one of the most captivating technologies ever introduced on the PC and has uses for practically every type of digital entertainment. The era of 3D is upon us!"

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A few days ago, we reported about a controversial disclosure of an exploitable vulnerability that affects Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Google engineer Tavis Ormandy had alerted Microsoft of the problem and then just five days later published an advisory detailing the bug, even though no patch had been distributed by Microsoft for the problem.

Ormandy was heavily criticized for not waiting until the Redmond software giant had pushed out an update for the bug, which affects the Windows Help and Support Center. His affiliation with Google also fueled some speculation of his motivation for publishing the advisory early. However, Ormandy has consistently defended himself, indicating this is probably the only way to ensure that Microsoft will release a patch.

The flaw was disclosed only last Thursday, but anti-virus provider Sophos has already found that the vulnerability is being targeted by criminal hackers. The bug could potentially allow an attacker to execute code on a victims computer using specially crafted webpages or crafted links in e-mail messages.

While the original bug affects Windows Server 2003, Microsoft's analysis found that only Windows XP is vulnerable to the attacks. Currently, the crafted webpages download an execute malware (Troj/Drop-FS) on a victims computer, according to Sophos.

Microsoft amended its own advisory on the bug, adding that the company is aware that limited, targeted active attacks are happening as a result of the issue.

Windows XP users concerned about the bug can use Microsoft's online FixIt application to disable vulnerable features in the Help and Support Center.

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Sony revealed details on Tuesday about a premium subscription service package for the PlayStation Network, called PlayStation Plus. The company also revealed that there are now 50 million PSN accounts in 58 different countries, making the PS3 the most connected games console in the world.

Users of PSN will be able to pay a fee for access to exclusive content and functionality. Sony stressed however that the existing elements of PSN would remain free, including multi-player gaming.

Three months subscription will cost £17.99 while a full year subscription costs $49.99. For the fee, a user will be able to include full access to certain PS3 downloadable content and PSN titles, such as the PSone archives and Minis, and be able to play them for as long as the PlayStation Plus membership is valid. Some games will only be playable for a certain amount of time on a trial basis before needing to be purchased.

An extra feature that PlayStation Plus provides is the ability to schedule the PS3 console to switch on and automatically retrieve demos, patches or updates at certain times.

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At the Sony E3 Press Conference, the launch date and price information for the awaited Move motion control system were revealed. PlayStation Move will launch in Europe on September 15, in North America on September 19 and in Japan on September 21.

The controller itself will cost $49.99, whereas the navigation controller is sold separately for $29.99. A bundle including the PlayStation Move controller, the Sports Champions game and the PlayStation Eye will cost $99. Those three items will also be sold in a bundle with a PS3 for $399.99 (the bundle does not include the navigation controller).

About 20 Move compatible games are promised by the end of March 2011. At the conference, the first games that were shown controlled by Move were Sorcery and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11.

Before those games were even demoed though, we did learn that Killzone 3 (due out in February 2011 for PS3) and a SOCOM 4 title will be controllable with Move too.



The conference didn't miss a chance to take some shots at competitors Microsoft and Nintendo either. Kevin Butler (fictional character in the 'It Only Does Everything' campaign) made some jabs at Kinect during an early montage of PlayStation offerings. SCEA president Jack Tretton then also took a jab at Microsoft's Cirque du Soleil performance for Kinect. "Don't worry I won't spit. You don't need any ponchos," he said.

Later in the conference, the Kevin Butler character walked out on stage and immediately took aim at Microsoft. "So am I crazy or did I see 100 French acrobats prancing around the other night?," he asked. "With PlayStation Move, your mom can make your mom jokes when she schools you at table tennis."



The Tiger Woods title will become Move-compatible through a PSN update when the system is launched in September. It will also be featured on the Move demo disc which presumably comes with the system. After the Tiger Woods demonstration, a new title called Heroes on the Move was also announced, featuring Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, and Sly Cooper.

PlayStation Move will also be promoted further through a deal with Coca Cola.

Some other titles that will be Move-compatible at launch include Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition, Time Crisis: Razing Storm, Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, EyePet, Sports Champions and Kung Fu Rider.

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Last week, AT&T confirmed that 114,067 iPad 3G owners had their email information leaked to the Web, with the data being stolen and exposed by a group called Goatse Security.

AT&T went as far as to call Goatse "malicious hackers" who attacked AT&T's servers, and the group is now under investigation by the FBI.

Today, the same group has exposed another security hole in the iPad, using the same ICC-IDs given out by using a script on the AT&T Website and determining the locations of iPad owners.

Additionally, the group says an unpatched Safari browser exploit will allow for targeted attacks on iPads. The exploit, reads DailyTech, "uses an integer overflow exploit, which gives access to proxy connections over banned ports, allowing all sorts of ill purposes including spewing spam and malware deliveries to locally networked machines."

Says Goatse of the new Safari exploit: "The potential for this sort of attack and the number of iPad users on the list we saw who were stewards of major public and commercial infrastructure necessitated our public disclosure. People in critical positions have a right to completely understand the scope of vulnerability immediately. Not days or weeks or months after potential intrusion."

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Apple has confirmed that it will sell unlocked iPhone 4 devices in Europe and Canada, with buyers being able to use the smartphone on their choice of provider, including GSM providers in other countries.

The confirmation comes from a new Apple FAQ, which has many more interesting tidbits about the device.

Says the FAQ:
Does iPhone work with any SIM card or carrier worldwide?

iPhone 3GS works with SIM cards and iPhone 4 works with micro-SIM cards from compatible carriers, including prepaid cards. Non-GSM carrier networks do not support iPhone. Availability of 3G data depends on carrier support for the radio frequencies used by iPhone.

Do I need to commit to a long-term contract for my iPhone?
Buying a commitment-free iPhone from the Apple Online Store allows you choose your own carrier and change carriers at any time. iPhone may also be available at a reduced initial price with a contract directly from your wireless carrier.

Additionally, the iPhone 4 will support tethering, reads the FAQ.

The iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch multi-touchscreen with a 640x960 resolution, runs the iOS 4.0 and has a 1GHz Apple A4 processor. The new OS allows for multitasking.

Additionally, the iPhone 4 has a 5MP standard camera and a 1.5MP front-facing camera for video conferencing.

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According to Cnet, Google is actively creating a digital music store that will compete against Apple's iTunes and Amazon's MP3 Store.

Sources cited by the report say Google could launch the service as early as "the fall," and the service will also be bundled into Android, the popular mobile operating system.

The service will likely be called Google Music.

Cnet adds that Google first pitched the idea to record label execs at the CES in January, in which features such as "tying digital downloads and streaming music to Google's search results," will be standard.

Google is not new to the music business, as they actively helped Google Search users stream music through Lala and iLike. Both sites have since been purchased, however, Lala by Apple and iLike by MySpace and integrated into iTunes and Myspace Music.

iTunes currently controls a massive 72 percent of the digital music market.

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Toshiba has announced the launch of the 3D-capable Satellite A665 this week, powered by Nvidia's Vision tech.

The laptop is not "cheap," but will pack some very impressive specs. The Satellite A665 has a 15.6-inch diagonal TruBrite LED backlit LCD display, a 120Hz refresh rate, a rewriteable Blu-ray Disc drive and integrated stereo Harman/Kardon speakers.



Under the hood is a Intel Core i7 processor with TurboBoost, a Nvidia GeForce GTS 350M, 1GB of GDDR3 video memory and an LED backlit keyboard. Additionally, the device has 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 640GB HDD, runs of Windows 7, has 802.11b/g/n wireless, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR10, an HD impact sensor, a 12-cell battery, one eSATA/USB combo port with USB sleep-and-charge, three USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port and integrated webcam with face recognition.

Bundled with the computer is the Nvidia 3D Vision kit, which is an emitter, wireless active shutter glasses, and 3D playback software.

Says Nvidia (via TG): "Consumers are embracing 3D...There is clearly a huge amount of pent-up demand for games, films (like Avatar) and other content. [Now], we at Nvidia want people to get excited about 3D because it is better, not different. And they are - because we are driving PC gaming and entertainment to a whole new level, right now, in 2010."

The laptop will sell with a base price of $1600.

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Nintendo showed off its anticipated 3DS handheld console at its E3 Press Conference today. Identified by Reggie Fils-Aime - President and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America - as probably one of the best features of 3DS: no glasses required, as he doubted gaming on big screen TVs while glasses are still required to get the effect.

"It's the glasses," he said, with a certain disgust in his tone, also talking about the cost of 3D now. Nintendo then gave the audience a history lesson of "3D" before a prolonged unveiling of the Nintendo 3DS itself by Nintendo President and CEO, Satoru Iwata.

He first drew attention to the 3.5-inch widescreen on top, which will show the 3D content and then the slider on the side of the handheld to control the depth of the 3D effect. The bottom screen is only for touch, as Nintendo found that smudges on the screen from touching ruined the 3D effect easily.



Iwata talked about improved graphics capabilities for the 3DS, which he expected would cause excitement among developers and then revealed added gyro and motion sensors in the system.

The handheld comes equipped with not one, but two cameras making it possible for the user to snap and view photos in 3D, which got a great response from attendees. The 3DS is capable of playing 3D movies, and while Nintendo didn't give any "specific details" (his words), logos of Disney, Dreamworks and Warner Bros. movie studios were shown on screen.

Kid Icarus: Uprising was then unveiled as a game designed "specifically for the 3DS," as a result of Project Sora. "We felt such a project deserved to feature a character already familiar to many of you," Iwata said before the trailer was shown. Iwata added that with the 3D effect in the game, it is easier to just distance between players and objects, while giving a better feel of height, width and depth.



The 3DS console is capable of finding WiFi networks automatically, connecting and downloading new stages, quests, and rankings automatically. There is no monthly fee or anything for that.

Iwata then spoke of past hesitance to Nintendo hardware innovation and spoke of Nintendo having to "show the way" with first party software titles. While saying he expected, this time, the biggest third party launch support it has ever received, he teased work going on to develop Nintendogs for 3DS, as well as a game that features cats.



Before Iwata went off stage, a slurry of titles were announced to become available for 3DS, including Professor Layton 3D, Assassin's Creed, Batman, Resident Evil, Saints Row, DJ Hero, Kingdom Hearts, Ridge Racer and Metal Gear Solid. Iwata then left the stage and a video of game developers praising the 3DS was run.

Since Nintendo cannot show the 3D effect on screen, the company ran a video where Iwata is dragged into the 3DS by Mario, then Shigeru Miyamoto is sucked in when he picks it up after hearing a dog barking and later, Fils-Aime picks it up and laughs as he watches both Iwata and Miyamoto run for their lives fleeing Bowser inside the 3DS. Too bad for Fils-Aime, Bowser pops up out of the DS and breathes fires on him, ending the video.



Want to know the prices and launch date? So do we, unfortunately. Hopefully we all find out soon. Some pictures of the Nintendo 3DS handheld are shown in thumbs below, just click on enlarge.

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OnLive, the cloud streaming games service, has finally announced its launch day lineup, with some impressive games being made available.

20 games will be available for launch on June 17th, with blockbuster games like "Assassin's Creed II," "Mass Effect 2" and "Batman: Arkham Asylum" available right from the get-go.

OnLive offers instant, lag-free access to games, allowing for users with old computers to play new games without any need for expensive video cards and processors.

Better yet, the service is free for the first year, thanks to a promotion by AT&T, which is a large investor in OnLive.

After the first year, the monthly subscription price is expected to be under $9.99. Games cost up to $60 USD to purchase, just like their physical counterparts, but the company offers 3-to-5 day rentals for under $10.

Eventually, the service will be available through your HDTV as well.

25,000 users have already pre-registered to try the service.

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