Sony announces ‘my Xperia’ service for finding your lost Xperia device

Sony has announced a new service for their range of Xperia smartphones, called my Xperia. The beta version of the service will roll out to a few devices initially before it is available to all Xperia devices out there.

my Xperia works similar to Apple’s Find My iPhone and all other similar services out there. Once it’s available on your device, you log on to the service by visiting myxperia.sonymobile.com and logging in with your Google account. Once logged in, if your device gets misplaced, you can look for it on a map, sound an alert, which works even if the phone is in Silent mode, remote lock the phone and display contact information or remote wipe the internal and external memories on the phone as a last resort.

The beta version of my Xperia will be rolling out in Nordic regions on select 2012 Xperia smartphones, starting with the Xperia Acro S, with new devices to be supported later. For more information, visit the source link below.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Sony holding a PlayStation event on February 20 to announce the PS4

Sony has released a teaser video for the PlayStation event that they will be holding later this month on Wednesday, February 20.

It won’t be much of a teaser if it revealed everything, so as you can imagine the video does not show much other than the four PlayStation button icons swirling around on the screen with the big date being displayed towards the end that doesn’t allude to anything. But according to The Wall Street Journal, the event is definitely about the PlayStation 4, or whatever Sony decides to call it.

The Journal also says that although the console will be unveiled on February 20, it won’t go on sale until later this year, probably around the holiday season. The new console will still have an optical disc drive and probably be based on AMD processors, which could mean no backwards compatibility with current PS3 games.

You can watch the teaser video below.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Report: HBO GO application is headed to the Apple TV

Possibly good news to Apple fans that are paying for cable or satellite television, the HBO GO streaming video app may be headed to the Apple TV this year.

Covered by Bloomberg earlier today, Apple and Time Warner have been reported to be taking part in closed negotiations in regards to the addition of HBO’s streaming video application on Apple’s set-top box. While the negotiations are currently private, the addition of the HBO GO application on Apple TV hardware will mean subscribers of premium television programming will be able to access HBO’s large library of content on all versions of the Apple TV. Assuming the application does become available during mid-2013, that would be the first Apple TV application that requires authentication through a cable or satellite service. 

Apple has been particularly slow in adding new applications to the Apple TV device in comparison to other competitors. For instance, Roku added support for the HBO GO streaming video app more than a year ago and Microsoft added the HBO application to the Xbox 360 during March 2012.

Apple also lagged behind many competitors in adding the Hulu Plus streaming video application to the set-top box. While apps for HBO GO, Hulu Plus and other streaming video applications launch fairly expediently for Apple’s line of mobile devices, development for the Apple TV continues to take a back seat to support for other products. 

However, Apple has had more success in selling the Apple TV set-top box over competitors selling a similar product. For instance, Apple has sold over ten million Apple TV devices over the past few years. Comparatively, Roku is getting close to five million devices sold according to a recent post on the official company blog. It’s likely that both companies will launch updated versions of the set-top box during 2013. According to recent FCC filings, the new version of the Apple TV will contain component changes. Apple hasn’t specified what hardware will be upgraded within the set-top box, but the company could announce changes to the device during a press event later this year.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Is Sony Announcing the PlayStation 4 on February 20?

Handout/Sony

Something big is afoot in the world of the Sony PlayStation. In a post on the PlayStation blog entitled “See the Future,” Sony has embedded this video, which teases a “PlayStation Meeting” on February 20.

Industry journalists received an email today touting a 6 p.m. EST event in New York on that date. ABC News Tech will be there at that time, but until then speculation runs rampant. With Nintendo’s introduction of the Wii U last fall and leaked documents pointing to the next Xbox sometime on the horizon, gamers have speculated that this year’s E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) might finally see Playstation 4 or Xbox 720 hardware. Playstation is not ready to reveal its hand yet.

Game culture blog Kotaku spotted this post by Sony President Shuhei Yoshida, adding another tease to the mix: !?

Sony’s suggested hashtag for the event, #PlayStation2013, went into immediate use in the gaming community, with over 3,000 tweets utilizing the tag in just two hours, according to a Topsy.com report.

The February 20 announcement could be the start of the next great console war.

Source : abcnews[dot]go[dot]com

Samsung Ativ Odyssey made a trip to our office, here is a hands-on

For some reason, Samsung decided not to bring its Ativ S Windows Phone 8 flagship to the United States. Instead, the Korean giant released the Verizon Exclusive, LTE toting, and seriously pocketable Samsung Ativ Odyssey.

The Samsung Ativ Odyssey looks and feels a lot like a mini version of the Ativ S. The handset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset with a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU. There’s a gig of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage, which can be further expanded via microSD card slot. The display is a 4″ Super AMOLED unit with WVGA resolution. A 5MP camera, full connectivity suite and 2100mAh user-replaceable battery complete the highlights of the device’s spec sheet.

Samsung Ativ Odyssey live photos

Traditionally, we’ve prepared a quick hands-on video of the Samsung Ativ Odyssey. See it below.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Where to watch the Super Bowl online for free

With the big game looming, for those looking to watch the Super Bowl online rather than on the TV, we have you covered.

Every first Sunday in February, a sizable chunk of the world stops and turns their collective eyeballs towards the nearest television in order to see who will hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl. It’s a global event now, and even those in countries with little-to-no understanding of the game we Americans have determined is a better heir to the title of “football,” tune in for the pageantry and spectacle, not to mention the possibility of the odd wardrobe malfunction.

The Super Bowl doesn’t quite reach the heights of an event like the Olympics, which tends to get around one billion viewers or more – or roughly one-seventh the planet – but year over year the numbers are incredible. Last year over 111.3 million people tuned in, making it the sixth most watched Super Bowl in history, and the most watched in 26 years. Roughly 70 percent of all TVs in use in America were watching the Giants beat the Patriots.

But not everyone will have the chance to watch the game on a TV. Maybe you are a cord-cutter with a bad air signal, or maybe you are in a location without a TV. Maybe you won’t be in the US during the game, or perhaps you lost the coin toss in your house and your family elected to watch the far less competitive, but infinitely cuter Puppy Bowl (see image on the right and you’ll understand). Whatever the reason, for those looking to watch Super Bowl XLVII online, here are some places to check it out.

CBS Sports

This is an easy one. CBS, the host of the Super Bowl on TV, will be airing the game live and free on its website. You can even head there any time leading up to the game and check out a massive amount of video content, including interviews and analysis. This feed should also include all the national ads that you either love or hate, as well as the halftime show with Beyonce, who totally won’t lip synch this performance (probably). It will also offer multiple camera angles and plenty of extras like stat tracking. You really can’t go wrong with this one, it will be the same experience (if not better) that you find on TV… with one, very important exception.

Those that have tried to use this feed in previous years, or really any online feed, can attest that more people watching means a good likelihood of video freezing from time to time, or at least suffering image degradation. NBC faced this problem repeatedly with the Olympics, as people flooded the servers. There is a very good chance – even a high probability – that this feed will face issues. If that’s the case, and assuming you must watch every single down, there are other sites to fall back on. This should be your first stop though.

First Row Sports

An international site that offers a bit of everything, including American football. The Super Bowl will feature prominently, and it will offer multiple links if one goes down. A good site for anyone, but this is especially solid for people outside of the US looking at ways to keep up on the game. You will have to deal will numerous popups, and it won’t be as slick as CBS’ presentation, but it will offer an online way to watch the CBS TV broadcast at no cost. If you get bored you can also flip through the huge number of feeds and check out something else. 

MyP2P 

Like First Row Sports, this is an international site. It has a huge list of international sporting events, but it will feature multiple Super Bowl streams broadcast from around the world. It’s a good site for people that continue to run into limitations caused by too many people watching the same feed. The interface is almost identical to that of First Row Sports, so again, you will have to watch out for many, many popups, but unless you download something (pro tip: don’t), it’s just a minor hassle and not a risk to your computer.   

Ustream

UStream is a platform that hosts the content that its users put up, so whether or not the Super Bowl is broadcast here will come down to if someone decides to host it. Odds are someone will. Odds are several somebodies will. The quality will also be hit or miss, but it is a good option in a pinch. Plus, you won’t have to deal with the annoying popups, and the user interface is simple and easy to use.  

 

Sites to watch leading up to the Super Bowl

NFL.com

The official site of the NFL actually links to the CBS feed for the game itself, but leading up to it, the video section is absolutely crammed full of commentary, video clips, and live shows. If you are looking for analysis, then this may be the one and only site you need to hit.

ESPN

During the Super Bowl, ESPN tends to give up. The networks airs something that is a polar opposite to the Super Bowl brutality of football. In the past it has been things like poker, figure skating, and gymnastics. ESPN is a sports site denied the right to broadcast the biggest annual sporting event in the world. Odds are 99 percent of the people working at ESPN will be tuned in to their competitor on Sunday, but leading up to that, there aren’t many sites that can offer nearly as much pre-game info. Both online and through the Xbox app, ESPN has more video clips and analysis than anyone.

If none of these sites work for you, check out our original list about where to stream NFL games, and if pro football isn’t your thing but you are interested in checking out sports online, hit up our guide about where to watch NCAA games (and more) online. 

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

2014 Chevrolet Cruze diesel set for Chicago Auto Show debut

Can the 2014 Cruze Eco-D end Volkswagen’s diesel dominance?

For those who want to eat up the miles, Volkswagen’s line of TDI diesel cars is hard to beat. Still, what if you want the great mileage of a diesel, but don’t want to buy a VW? Chevrolet has an answer. The 2014 Chevy Cruze diesel is set to debut at the Chicago Auto Show in February.

According to GM Authority, the diesel Cruze will wear an Eco-D badge, and will go on sale in the second quarter of 2013. That means it will be in showrooms sometime between April and June.

Details on the Cruze Eco-D’s engine and fuel economy will be released at the Chicago show, but we do know what its main rival will be: the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The Jetta has a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four with 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, and comes with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

The EPA rates the Jetta TDI at 30 mpg city, 42 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined, with both transmissions. It starts at $23,055.

Chevy will have to match those numbers, and possibly undercut the VW’s price, for the Cruze Eco-D to be a success. However, what Chevy is putting under the hood remains a mystery, because GM doesn’t have any small diesels in its current U.S. lineup.

One possibility is that the Cruze Eco-D will use the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four found in European Cruzes and the Australian Holden Cruze CDX. That engine produces 160 hp and 265 lb-ft, giving it 20 hp and 29 lb-ft more than the Jetta.

The Cruze diesel is rated at 62.7 mpg combined on the European testing cycle, but those numbers tend to be more optimistic than the EPA’s.

Will the Cruze Eco-D be a successful challenge to Volkswagen’s compression-ignition monopoly? We’ll find out when the Chevy debuts in Chicago on February 8.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Critics be damned, the BlackBerry Z10 is a knockout

BlackBerry takes a risk with its latest smartphone design, and breaks some understood conventions of the typical mobile device.

BlackBerry is, and will probably continue to be, a polarizing name in the mobile industry. After a long run as the darling of the business world, BlackBerry became everyone’s favorite punching bag in 2012. Once a status symbol, owning a BlackBerry device like the Bold or Curve is now a source of embarrassment. Those QWERTY devices were stunners though, compared to the so-bad-it-was-offensive BlackBerry Storm or the garish Torch – Frankenstein’s monster of smartphones. But 2013 brings with it a new start for BlackBerry with brand new hardware and a reconstructed operating system, both with a renewed focus on attractive and functional design.

The Hardware

Early reviews have pegged it as bland or boring, but the critics are wrong. The Z10 is a knockout. It looks like it’s been pulled straight out of a science fiction flick. The edge-to-edge screen makes it look positively futuristic while its top competition, the iPhone 5, looks like a half-hearted update to a three-year-old design.

Let’s get down to specifics. BlackBerry has learned from its mistakes. The company has discarded its past love of chrome accents and leather and stripped the Z10 of excess details. By minimalizing the casing, and making it only visible on the top and bottom of the display, it makes the screen even more of a focus as the center of the device. The Z10 is all about the display and BlackBerry captured this truth very well, putting the emphasis where it belongs.

The design is understated, yes, and that’s probably why so many people may find it boring. But it isn’t dull; it is practical, utilitarian, and quite comfortable. There are no bells and whistles, no blinking lights, and no capacitive buttons ever-present at the bottom. The casing reaches down from the top and up from the bottom only to hold the screen together. The back is unadorned, only broken by the iconic BlackBerry logo. It is what a smartphone should look like, no useless embellishments for the sake of “design,” but instead a device meant to handle your virtual life.

This approach to design is refreshing. To compare it to bigger players out there, Nokia’s Lumia 920 puts huge emphasis on hardware flourishes that can be distracting. The 920 is bulky and features a heavily promoted camera. It is difficult to interact with the device without being distracted by its physical features. It is the same with cheaper-feeling devices like the Galaxy S3 with its plastic body detracting from the software experience, a glossy exterior that shines with greasy fingerprints.

We refuse to praise the Q10 with attached keyboard because it is more of the same from the company and feels like a compulsory device rather than an exciting one. We will say that the Q10 is a welcome update to the once-great BlackBerry Bold, but it’s no more than a slicker version of what has come before. Just download SwiftKey and be done with it already.

The Software

Never in a million billion years would we have expected to be impressed with BlackBerry 10 enough to mention it in an article applauding design. But the Canadian smartphone-maker has done something new here, pushing the reliance on touch gestures for navigation to a whole new level while challenging some conventions in the industry.

For starters, the homescreen for BB10 is a 4×4 grid of your recent apps, breaking from the tradition of first showing users a list of installed apps. Touch an app to open it up and swipe up from the bottom to return home – there is no main button to do that for you. And there doesn’t need to be. From the recent apps, you can swipe from the left or right to access different functions. Swipe to the right and you’ll see the expected, seemingly unavoidable, app grid with all of the apps you’ve downloaded from BlackBerry World, which already has 70,000 apps on it. Swipe to the left and you’ll find the Hub, BlackBerry’s answer to the notification center, and it does the job well. The Hub keeps a time-sensitive list of actions you’ve performed, pulling in BBM, text messaging, email, Twitter, etc., to catch you up. A context menu, usually depicting quick settings, can be pulled down from the top of the screen. There is also an interesting, though gimmicky, feature called Peek that literally lets you glance at what you were doing previously.

The touch-centric user interface is how we’ve always wanted smartphones to work. Using capacitive buttons is cheap, buying into archaic remnants of a time when fingers and screens hadn’t met yet. Reaching the homescreen by flicking upwards is a succinct gesture that also reflects a real world action like you are tossing the app off the screen or pushing it off your virtual desk. The remaining gestures are equally simple, reminiscent of Windows 8, with swipes from each edge of the screen doing something specific. Questions of stability and speed aside, BB 10 has implemented compelling work here.

Of course, we still haven’t done a full review – but that doesn’t change the solid ideas being presented. Whether or not BB10 succeeds in revamping the dying brand, we can’t say BlackBerry didn’t give it 100 percent. The BlackBerry Z10 is gorgeous and a bold (not “Bold”) step forward for the company now known simply as BlackBerry.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Vineit turns Vine and Tumblr into a match made in heaven

Vine? Meet Tumblr. In a move that should have been stunningly obvious, one developer has crafted a new browser plugin to let you share the Vines you see online on your Tumblr.

The last week thoroughly introduced us to Vine and, naturally, Vine porn. Now, as we continue our tumble down the rabbit hole, the Internet has seen fit to match the best of Vine with the power of Tumblr, thanks to Vineit. Face it Tumblrcore, Vine’s war on the GIF has reached a new height.

Vineit is a simple browser bookmarklet that allows you to lift Vine videos – both your own and those of complete strangers – from the Web and share them on Tumblr. It was developed by Dwolla developer evangelist Michael Schonfeld, the same coder behind the incredible InstaTwit Chrome extension that came after Instagram’s very public falling out with Twitter. All you have to do is drag the plugin to your bookmarks bar and click when you discover an eminently shareable Vine video. After a few clicks, it’s on Tumblr ready to reblog. Easy.

According to Schonfeld, the idea initially came up over drinks. “I was talking to one of [a friend's] coworkers about Vine,” he said, “and we exchanged a few creative vines we had both found throughout the week. We both felt like there should be a ‘most creatives vines’ Tumblr. That’s when I realized there’s a missing link there.”

Vineit’s only limitation seems to be that it can’t detect embedded Vines from other sites, so you’ll need to go to the source link each time. However, trolling through third party sites like Vinepeek has turned into an even more addictive experience because you’re suddenly trapped trying to find the most interesting videos to share before the next clip comes along.

Tumblr, image-centric as it is, has long been the bastion for all things GIF. Seeing a union between the two could be… well, maybe not a game-changer, but it’s a nice addition. For Schonfeld’s part, he still sees GIFs as having certain “vintage” properties, like their being lightweight and easy to use, which might make them preferable to apps like Vine. Still, don’t be surprised if you do eventually see that “Best Vines” Tumblr. You’ll know exactly who and what to blame.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Reebok’s ATV-inspired sneakers look more inspired by a sex shop

This Friday, you can own the Reebok ATV 19+: a pair of sneakers inspired by all terrain vehicles that’s built to last under any outdoor condition. And they mean any.

Feet are to you as tires are to a car. At least that’s the logic behind Reebok’s design team at the unveil of these new all-terrain sneakers. The Reebok ATV 19+ aims to help you tackle all sorts of outdoor madness, as if you’re an SUV bumping through the muddy jungle all car commercials seem to suggest drivers often travel.

The ATV 19+ features 19 lugs built around the soles to help wearers hop through snow, mud, grass, sand, and everything in between. The knobby lug design was inspired by ATVs, and are padded with rugged overlays so they can grab on to as much terrain as possible per step. Additionally, these overlays help to reenforce durability, abrasion resistance, and traction. Now you’ll have no excuse for sticking with the treadmill when you can rock these sneakers and run out in the snowstorm. Unless, of course, you like being warm and prefer not to wear something that resembles what you’d find at the Museum of Sex.

Before we make too many jokes, we should also note that the Reebok ATV 19+ has a rather reputable spokesman to vouch for its design-meets-functionality appeal. UFC fighter Quinton Rampage Jackson recently spoke to basketball news site Slam Online and gave the sneakers quite the praise despite the unusual look. “When I first looked at it, I thought, ‘What am I gonna be doing, running on the moon?’ Surprisingly enough, this design is really, really comfortable,” he said. “I wanted to test these shoes out and prove them wrong but I couldn’t. I was running over rocks and logs and in mud, up dirt hills. It doesn’t bother me.”

If you want to be as cool as Rampage Jackson himself, these goofy Reebok ATV 19+’s will be available at major shoe retailers this Friday at $140 a pair. We promise these are made for humans, not octopi.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Alicia Keys: BlackBerry’s Official Creative Director … Really

Credit: Getty Images

BlackBerry certainly surprised this morning at its BlackBerry 10 launch event.

Not only did it announce its plans to drop RIM (Research in Motion) from its name – it’s now just BlackBerry – but towards the end of the presentation CEO Thorsten Heins brought Alicia Keys on stage. And not just as a performer or to endorse the new products. He announced the singer and songwriter as the new BlackBerry global creative director.

Keys said she will be involved in a range of activities and described the role as being “hands on.”

“I am an extremely committed and focused individual. I am going to work closely with the app designers and developers, the content creators, the retailers and the carriers to really explore this BlackBerry 10 platform and create ideas for its future,” Keys said on stage.

FULL REVIEW: BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry 10 

Keys did acknowledge that she has been using other phones since being a big fan years ago.

“I was in a long-term relationship with BlackBerry and then I started to notice some new, hotter, attractive, sexier phones at the gym. I kinda broke up with you for something with a little more bling,” she told Heins. “I always missed the way you organized my life and the way you were there for me at my job. So I started to have two phones, I was playing the field. But then you called and you said you were working it out. And now, we are exclusively dating again.”

However, many technology reporters were quick to point out that Keys is an avid Instagram user - an app not yet available for BlackBerry 10.

Perhaps she has only just started to use her BlackBerry Z10. But, of course, many celebrities endorse products they don’t strictly use. For instance, Jessica Alba, who appeared at Microsoft’s Windows Phone event, said she gave up her iPhone for a Windows phone. However, she has also been tweeting Instagram photos, though Instagram isn’t available for Windows phones, either.

Other companies have named celebrities as their creative directors in the past. Will.i.am held the position for Intel and Lady Gaga for Polaroid. Keys added that she will be working with other women and entertainers about building the new platform and wants to bridge the gap between the work phone and the play phone.

Source : abcnews[dot]go[dot]com

Hands on: BlackBerry Q10 proves the QWERTY keyboard ain’t dead yet

The Blackberry Q10 combines the classic BlackBerry look and keyboard with a new operating system and sensibility.

Physical keyboards are emblematic of BlackBerry phones, so it’s no surprise that both have been in decline in the past few years. In the case of physical phones, this is a real shame. Sure, they either steal space that could be used to make the touchscreen bigger or add bulk to otherwise slim designs. But come on, they also make for faster and more accurate typing, an important feature for messaging fiends. Due to this, we’re tentatively excited about the BlackBerry Q10, a smartphone that looks more like traditional BlackBerry handsets but runs the newest BB 10 operating system.

The Q10 is the phone that people will immediately recognize as being a BlackBerry thanks to the keyboard that sits under the 3.1-inch display and curved-corner design. The company formerly known as RIM is bringing forward the design elements that worked in previous generations while leaving behind unnecessary elements. For example, the row above the keys is now gone to make more room for the screen.

Overall, the phone feels really good in the hand. It’s light as well, with a smooth back that will make it easy to slip in a pocket but won’t go flying out of your hand at the first opportunity. We also like the glass weave pattern and the fact that this material is strong and drop-resistant.

We weren’t able to do any lengthy testing on the physical keyboard at the launch event, but it appears to be comfortable with well-spaced and well-sized keys. Speed typers will appreciate the light tactile feedback. The Q10 is narrow enough for one-handed use if you need it and wide enough for typing with two hands.

Though the keyboard here is physical, the Q10 still utilizes the text prediction engine in BlackBerry 10. Words appear on screen just about the keys as you type, and users just tap to choose them. As it learns, you may be able to use the keyboard less. We found that reaching up to tap the words didn’t feel natural. That could change with longer use and we’ll be looking out for that when we perform our full review.

BlackBerry 10 is beautiful on a bigger screen as we saw on the Z10. The Q10′s 3.1-inch display is significantly smaller, but the overall experience isn’t hampered. The OS looks good even when it has less room to work with, and all the good things about it – Flow, Hub, Balance – are still good.

The BlackBerry Q10 won’t hit the U.S. until April, several weeks after the much anticipated Z10. For fans of the physical keyboard, this is probably the more exciting product, even if all the focus is on the touchscreen model. Or first impression is that the Q10 has just as good a chance to raise the prospects of the BlackBerry brand as the Z10. It’s solid and comfortable but new and exciting.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Utah Woman Finds Apparent Birth Mother Through Viral Facebook Post

                                                                                  (Image Credit: Facebook)

A Utah woman found her apparent birth mother three days after her Facebook appeal went viral.

On Sunday, Jenessa Simons, 21, posted a picture of herself holding her birth information.

She was born at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo on Nov. 17, 1991. Her parents were both 16. They named her Whitney. With that little bit of information and the hope that someone may recognize her, Simons asked her friends to share it.

They did just that – more than 124,000 times.

The story caught the eye of a woman who attended high school with who she believed were Simons’ birth parents. She passed on the information to the apparent Simons’ birth mother, who then sent her a message.

Simons was skeptical at first, she said, but after talking to the woman, she knew she had found the one.

“She sent pictures of me as a baby that my mother had given her,” Simons told ABC News affiliate KTVX-TV.

Her apparent birth mother also provided her with information about her purported birth father, Simons wrote on Facebook.

She hopes to learn more about the woman she believes is her birth mother and possibly meet her, she said. In the meantime, she’s also looking for her birth father.

As for the whirlwind of the past few days, Simons now hopes to pass on her good fortune to someone else in her situation.

“This page has gone crazy and I would love to turn it into a resource for others to help find birth parents,” she wrote.

Source : abcnews[dot]go[dot]com

Ticketmaster’s finally ditching that stupid CAPTCHA verification system

The much dreaded CAPTCHA verification system is finally seeing its way out of Ticketmaster. The giant ticket retailer is opting for a simpler version that won’t require users to read a mess of letters in order to buy access to a show.

When was the last time you went through a CAPTCHA verification system? Probably when you tried to illegally download something off Mediafire or when you forgot your password to some random gaming forum. Point is, no one should be using CAPTCHA anymore because it’s annoying, hard to read, and harder to get past even for humans. So praise the heavens that Ticketmaster is finally kicking CAPTCHA verifications to the curb.

Thanks to a new software created by New York startup Solve Media, no more will buyers be forced to type in a string of jumbled letters and numbers. Instead of deciphering the randomized mess of alphabets, the new verification will ask customers to type in common phrases, select an answer to a simple multiple choice question, or type in a description that matches a displayed image. Already this is proving to be a much more effective way of differentiating humans from robots, since it relies on basic human knowledge rather than our reading abilities.

CAPTCHA, short for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, puzzles have recently gotten increasingly confusing in an effort to outsmart the bots. Sadly, these new levels of illegibility have also baffled human consumers, forcing them to try multiple times to get past the security check page. And you wonder why everyone hates on Ticketmaster when they can’t snatch tickets to a popular show because these obnoxious CAPTCHAs slowed them down.

The new system is currently being tested by Ticketmaster, and so far results have shown fairly increased effectiveness. Kip Levin, Ticketmaster’s executive vice president of eCommerce, said the average time it takes to solve these puzzles has been halved from 14 seconds to 7 seconds. He also expects the new system will go into full effect beginning in February, where it is estimated to serve up to 200 million puzzles per month. Undoubtedly, less CAPTCHA attempts will equal heightened customer satisfaction, which goes to show that when it comes to computers, e-commerce, and verifications, the KISS protocol still holds true. Seriously, just keep it simple, stupid.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Chinese Qoros Cross Hybrid Concept to debut at Geneva Motor Show

This Chinese upstart hasn’t even put its first car into production, but it is already planning a second model line with a hybrid powertrain.

China is entering the hybrid automotive field with a new brand called Qoros. The name may sound like a planet from Star Trek, but it’s actually a joint venture between Chery Automotive, one of China’s largest car companies, and Israel Corporation, an industrial holding company. Qoros plans to debut an all-new hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

“We are a new company without any legacy or previous history, which gives us a great advantage because we are starting from scratch with a clean sheet of paper,” Qoros vice chairman Volker Steinwascher said in a press release at the brand’s launch, making his company sound a little like China’s version of Tesla Motors.

So far, though, Qoros isn’t offering a midsize luxury sedan with the accelerative ferocity of a BMW M5. The company’s first car will be the GQ3, a C-segment (compact sedan), which kind of looks like a Chrysler 200 with the front end from a Scion tC.

A second Qoros model, the Cross Hybrid Concept, will debut alongside the GQ3 at Geneva. According to the China Daily, its gasoline engine will power the front wheels, while an electric will power the rear wheels.

Interestingly, the Cross Hybrid Concept will be able to switch between front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive; most cars with a rear-mounted electric motor start out with all-wheel drive and de-power the rear axle when the electricity runs out. The concept was designed by Gert Volker Hildebrand, who led the redesign of the Mini.

Details on the new hybrid will be revealed at Geneva, but Qoros is saying that it will have a state of the art infotainment system. An eight-inch touchscreen will perform typical functions like controlling audio and navigation functions, and the system will have Cloud and social media connectivity.

Qoros will also offer concierge services, including traffic information, point of interest search capability, and an automatic emergency services alert (think OnStar). Qoros plans to make infotainment standard on all models.

The hybrid crossover and GQ3 sedan and wagon will be built in a new factory in Changshu, China. The conventional GQ3 sedan and wagon are set to go on sale in China in mid-2013, with a production version of the Cross Hybrid Concept scheduled for a 2014 launch.

Qoros has no plans to sell its cars in the United States. It’s targeting young urban professionals in China and Europe instead.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Embarassing Facebook Graph Search results

Be careful of what you publish or like on Facebook, now that just about everything about you can easily be discovered on Facebook’s Graph Search.

Thanks to Open Graph, our information is out in the open and publicly available for everyone to see, which is all the more reason to give your Facebook profile a second look in case an embarrassing Like or photo is floating around that you’ve forgotten about. Now that discovering these details is incredibly easy, it’s time to use a little self-censorship – because the things you can find with a simple Graph Search are revealing, to say the least.

To prove this point (and let’s face it, because it’s hilarious), we’ve compiled some eye-opening Facebook Graph searches that will make you think twice about how you share on Facebook from this day forward.

“People who work at Prostitutes”

If if I were a potential employer who found “prostitute” as your job description – even on Facebook – trust that your application was lost. 

“Females that like Starbucks and like Uggs and like The North Face”

If you want to be a walking cliche, go ahead and publicly Like all these things. 

“People in a relationship who like Adultery”

We’re not going to pass judgment on someone’s personal life, but advertising that you Like adultery, especially while also listing yourself as “in a relationship,” is probably only going to bring bad things your way.

“People who like PETA and like Chinchilla Fur Coats”

We’re not sure if these people who have liked PETA are also in favor of Chinchilla fur coats out of irony, especially when the Facebook page for “Chinchilla Fur Coats” says in its tagline, “Real fur is better.” Fingers crossed you’re all being sarcastic, because otherwise you might want to carry a splash guard around next time you go to the local PETA meeting in your mink stole. 

“People who are older than 18 and younger than 20 and like Alcohol”

Yes, we know, most people drink underage in college. That’s all well and good – unless you’re on the outs with the RA and a simple Graph Search reveals that you enjoy booze so much, it’s one of your Likes. Although, this is you, your drunken photos probably suggest as much anyway. Still, suffice it to say this isn’t impressing anyone. 

Review your account

The moral of the story is get thee to your privacy settings! We’ve given you more than a few reasons why you probably want to go back to your Facebook profile and scour through everything that you’ve published, commented on, Liked, played, or even watched and listened to. We can’t stress this enough; you never know what may pop up in someone’s Graph Search results.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

BlackBerry chief confirms BB10 update for all the existing PlayBooks

BlackBerry’s latest BlackBerry 10 OS will be available for all the existing PlayBook tablets, confirmed Thorsten Heins, during the Q&A session after the platform’s launch. The different variants of the 7″ PlayBook tablets will soon be on the latest version of the OS.

According to Heins, BlackBerry is currently trying to figure a way to sell the tablet with services to bring in more cash as the company is not making sufficient profits by just selling the hardware.

BlackBerry’s goal is to quickly become the third biggest name in the smartphone market, but will it be able to achieve its goals anytime soon? Let’s wait and watch.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Mega-zoom and entry-level FinePix cameras round out Fujifilm’s new 2013 CP+ unveils

Fujifilm unveils two 30x long-zoom cameras and an entry-level model at the 2013 CP+ show.

In addition to the FinePix F900EXR and F850EXR cameras, Fujifilm at 2013 CP+ introduced new mega-zoom and entry-level models.

For those who want to step up to a long-zoom camera but aren’t ready or willing to invest in a interchangeable lens system, Fujifilm has for you two new S-Series mega-zoom cameras: the S6800 and S4800. These “all-in-one bridge” cameras feature a 30x Fujinon zoom lens (24-720mm) with optical image stabilization, and “consists of 17 elements in 12 groups, and combines aspherical and ED elements that help to reduce aberrations and promote a superior level of image quality.” A Super Macro mode lets you get as close as 0.78-inches to a subject. 

Where they differ is in the components. The S6800 uses a 16-megapixel 0.43-inch back-illuminated CMOS sensor that has a ISO sensitivity of up to 12,800. Autofocus speed is 0.3 seconds, while startup time is 1 second, interval time is 0.5 seconds, and a burst mode of 8 frames per second. The camera can also shoot ultra-high-speed at 60 fps (60 frames max at 1280 x 960) and 120 fps (60 frames max at 640 x 480) for slow-mo capture.

The back of the Fujifilm FinePix S6800. (Front is shown above)

The S4800 has the same sensor size and resolution as the S6800, but it’s a regular CCD, so it lacks the low-light performance of a BI CMOS sensor. Autofocus is still 0.3 seconds, but startup time is 1.3 seconds.

Both cameras have a DSLR-like mode dial and a 3-inch LCD (460K dots for the S6800, 230K dots for the S4800). For video capture, the S6800 shoots HD video at 1080i at 60 fps and slo-mo capture at 480 fps, while the S4800 records in 720p at 30 fps. The two cameras are powered via four AA batteries, so you’ll need to stock up on those or buy some rechargeable ones.

The S6800 comes in black, white, and red, and has a list price of $250. The S4800 comes in black only, and will sell for $230. Both cameras will shelves in March.

In the entry-level JX line, Fujifilm unveiled the FinePix JX680, a compact camera with a 5x optical zoom (26-130mm). Unlike higher-end offerings, the JX680 uses digital image stabilization and a 16-megapixel CCD sensor. It shoots HD at 720p, and has a 3-inch LCD (230K dots).

The FinePix JX680 will list for $100 in March.

Fujifilmm FinePix JX680

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

IBM’s Watson supercomputer is heading to college to study math and language

Remember Watson, IBM’s supercomputer that bested Jeopardy champions? IBM is sending its baby off to college so that it can become even smarter.

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in upstate New York will soon be home to a Watson computer for three years, according to a press release from IBM. While there, RPI’s cognitive science department head, Professor Selmer Bringsjord, will work with his graduate students to add to Watson’s already vast amounts of data. After its stint with RPI, the team expects Watson to be able to process mathematical problems better, determine the meaning of made-up words faster, and be able to process videos, emails, and images from the Internet more effectively. 

Bringsjord, who likens the chance to work on Watson to “a car aficionado being tossed the keys to a souped-up Lamborghini,” says his team might tweak the computer in the future to improve its ability to understand dialogues and sentence structures. The second purpose of Watson’s time with RPI is to help IBM find future potential employees, as the students slated to work on the project will end up being well-trained for big data and cognitive science jobs. The Watson computer can store 15TB of data and can be accessed by 20 users at once. 

This isn’t the first time IBM has collaborated with a company or an education institution to further enhance the famed supercomputer’s abilities. Back in 2012, IBM sent a Watson computer to the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University so it could be fed tons of medical journals and research papers. 

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Does the BlackBerry Z10 look like the Apple iPhone 5?

The BlackBerry Z10 is finally official and its announcement caused an argument here in the office. Since we couldn’t reach an agreement, we had to turn to you our readers and hope you would be kind enough to settle it for us. Take a look at the picture below.

On the left, we have the newly unveiled BlackBerry Z10 and on the right we have the Apple iPhone 5. The question is simple – does the Z10 look like the iPhone 5? The GSMArena team is split in two on the matter.

Me, Chip and Peter think that the Z10′s design steers clear of the iPhone’s cold metallic look and involves some nice ideas of its own. Of course there aren’t too many ways to design a full touch smartphones and the Z10 does have rounded edges and flat sides, but the differences are more than the similarities.

On the other side we have Johnny, Kyle and Nick, who think that BlackBerry completely stole the iPhone 5′s styling and this is most obvious when you look at the picture above. The outlines of the two smartphones are similar and there are enough other similarities between the two so they look identical from a distance.

What do you guys think?

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com