Creative Technology jumps into the tablet market... too late, too slowly?
Creative Technology - the Singaporean company which five years ago vowed to go after Apple over a patent it had which it reckoned the iPod infringed - has come into the tablet market with a range of tablets, including 2-inch, 7-inch, and 10-inch models, running the Android OS. And what does it bring to the tablet party that's different from what everyone else is doing? Wellll... that's hard to say. It has built its own processors to run the devices (designed at 3D Labs, which Creative Technology owns), and written its own audio drivers which it says means that you'll get far higher audio quality while listening or streaming (via Bluetooth) to compatible devices. But in many other ways, Creative's output looks to be lagging behind many other tablet companies. To begin with, they're all running Android 2.1 - and none of them has 3G. This means that they won't automatically be able to access the Android Marketplace (because Android is a phone OS, and devices which don't have 3G or other phone stuff inside them can't be phones, so they can't access the marketplace for phone apps).
Google and Facebook face new privacy code
Individuals would be able to get redress against internet companies such as Google or Facebook if they feel they have invaded their privacy, under a code of internet conduct being proposed by the culture minister, Ed Vaizey. The code would be an updated and more concise version of the code for privacy online (PDF) which is used by the Information Commissioner's Office. Facebook said of the proposals: "We look forward to hearing more about Mr Vaizey's plans and continuing to work with both him and the ICO." Google declined to comment.
Intel to start making 22nm chips for others
Semiconductor company Achronix is to make field-programmable gate arrays in Intel's latest 22nm chip fabrication plants, in the first instance of Intel manufacturing parts for a third party using a brand new process. On Sunday, Achronix said its Speedster22i field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) would have "significant advantages" — such as 300 percent higher performance, 50 percent less power consumption and 40 percent lower cost — over 28nm-process rivals, because of Intel's 22nm process and Achronix's FPGA technology. The Speedster22i is aimed at telecommunications, networking, industrial and consumer applications.
8Pen Android App to Change the Way We Type
We've all had the problem. You type an email on an onscreen keyboard on a touchscreen phone and end up asking your boss does he want to "neet you ib thr hobel at fibe o'clovk." And those of us not blessed with the most elegant and slim of digits have had particular trouble trying to press the correct button when we are typing quickly. Thankfully for the dexterously-challenged of us out there, 3qubit has come up with a revolutionary new input system which may replace the traditional QWERTY keyboard. The new system is called 8Pen and is available as an Android app on Android 2.2 from later today according to its website. The new system was developed by 3qubit which is a company started by two PhD mathematics students in Cambridge. 8Pen works by placing your finger on a black dot in the middle of a multi-coloured X and then rotating it through four sectors in a variety of ways to produce letters, numbers and symbols.
1m Brits have made PayPal mobile payments
More than one million people in the UK have used PayPal to make a payment or send money from their mobile phones, the company has announced. Month-on-month mobile transactions on the service were up 20% in July and August this year in the UK, too, with customers making an average of five mobile transactions a month. PayPal has already said that it expects to see $700 million of mobile payments go through its system globally this year.
Twitter rolls out 'adverts' in user timelines
Earlier this year, the site, which had famously resisted commercialising the product for four years since its launch, announced its advertising initiative, which would see brands pay to have their sponsored tweets appear throughout the site. However, until now, these advertising messages, have only appeared around Twitter’s search engine and in the ‘Trends’ column. Initially only certain Twitter users who access the site through the HootSuite, a third party Twitter client and social media dashboard, will start to see the adverts appear in their timeline.
EA signs five-year Facebook Credits deal
Mega-publisher Electronic Arts has signed an exclusive five-year deal for its games to use Facebook's virtual Facebook Credits currency for its games hosted on the social network. EA already has a number of popular gaming titles on Facebook, such as Pet Society, Monopoly, and Restaurant City. "Since gaming has emerged as the most popular category of applications on Facebook, the natural next step is for EA to broaden its relationship with Facebook and its 500 million users," said Barry Cottle, senior vice president and general manager for EA Interactive.
Dell buys into the Cloud
The world's number two PC manufacturer, Dell, has signed a deal to acquire cloud-computing specialists Boomi for an undisclosed price. Dell has been looking for ways to help its customers access files and services remotely over the internet, and the Boomi acquisition is a key part of that strategy. Dell hopes that Pennsylvania-based Boomi will allow "businesses [to] reap the full benefits of cloud computing." Steve Felice, president of Dell's consumer and small and medium-sized businesses division said of the deal: "Twenty-six years ago we helped accelerate the move to client-server computing. "Today we'll help drive a similar transformation with customers turning to the cloud to drive costs down and innovation up." TechRadar has contacted Dell UK for further updates on the company's plans to develop cloud-computing technology for British consumers and PC users.
Flash comes to iPhone thanks to Skyfire app
It looks like those of you using iOS will be able to play Flash videos very shortly through the new Skyfire mobile browser, which Fortune has recently detailed. According to 9to5 Mac the app was submitted in August, and has recently been approved by Apple - which if true will make iOS platform a real all-rounder. Skyfire is a full browser built on top of the native Safari browser you'll find on your iDevice, meaning when a messge saying that you "can't view this video" pops up, you'll be able to play the content by way of a handy thumbnail. Saying it plays Flash isn't strictly true, however, as the browser turns Flash into H.264 (a codec for HTML5) video which iOS devices are more than happy to use. Somehow we can't imagine this technicality worrying the end user.
Samsung distances itself from 'Nexus Two' rumours
Manufacturer Samsung has moved to distance itself from growing speculation that it was behind the as yet unconfirmed 'Nexus Two' device from Google. The rumour mill heated up last week with talk from various unnamed sources that Google was set to release another ground-breaking Android device in time for Christmas and that its partner in this venture would be Samsung mobile. Within days, dozens of sources popped-up claiming to have seen, held and used the device but it seems these reports have may been premature as a spokesman for Samsung has shot them down claiming that reports of a Google device were 'simply untrue'.
Subscribe