Surface issues? Splitting Touch Covers and audio glitches reported

While at this stage the problems aren't being reported in any great number, Microsoft are bound to be concerned about reports of a number of issues regarding its new Surface tablet its accompanying Touch Cover keyboard.

With any new gadget or device you buy, you expect that over time it’ll begin showing up marks and nicks. But when things start to look a bit shoddy after just a couple of weeks – usually a time when you’re still carrying it around like you would a newborn baby – then of course it’s cause for concern, as much as for the manufacturer as for the owner.

So no doubt Microsoft will be studying with interest a number of comments that have started to appear on a Surface forum in recent days regarding its Touch Cover accessory, the new ultra-thin keyboard/cover which can be used with the company’s recently launched Surface tablet.

Accounts of the edge of the cover “peeling” and “ruffling up” along the magnetic edge where the Touch Cover connects with the tablet have been reported in the forum, while a piece in The Verge claims that a split in the same place exposes a wire.

Currently, there are only a few Touch Cover owners in the forum remarking on the issue, but if it turns out the keyboard/cover has a design fault, it could become more of a problem for the Redmond-based computer giant in the coming weeks.

Commenting on the issue in a statement issued on Friday, a company spokesperson said, “Microsoft makes every effort to ensure our customers receive a high quality product. We are in active contact with our customer support operations and are aware of a small number of instances of material separation.”

Meanwhile, The Next Web has reported a number of Surface owners experiencing “random mute events” where the audio switches off for no apparent reason. According to PocketNow, the culprit may be the Touch/Type Cover keyboards, which are “misreporting a press of their ‘mute’ keys.”

While this is certainly no ‘Antennagate‘ moment for Microsoft (for a start, the problem is with an accessory and not the main device), the company will doubtless be examining these early reports carefully in an effort to ascertain what action, if any, needs to be taken to eradicate future instances of these problems occurring.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

How You Can Hide the Data on your Computer

If you share a computer but do not want anyone deleting, viewing or changing your files you may want to hide them. There are a number of ways to protect your files, you need to find one that fits your needs.

Hidden Folder Options
With any version of windows there is the option to hide files and folder. This is not a very effective method of securing or hiding your files, but it needs to be mentioned.

To do this in windows, right click on a file or folder you want to hide. Select “Properties” from the menu. Check the box for “Hidden” then click the apply button.

This makes the selected file or folder hidden. The down side to this method is anyone wanting to see the hidden folder or files can just change the “Folder Options” settings to “Show hidden files and folders”. This might fool your 5 year old but most likely not anyone else that wants to find your hidden files.

A somewhat better option is a program that will hide files for you. These programs run in the background and are not noticed by the computer users unless they know the “hot key” you set to access the program. A “hot key” is any combination of key strokes set up to run a command for you. One example of this type of program would be Supreme Folder Hider .

This is a shareware program so while it is free to download you must pay for the full options. These type programs are better than nothing, but there are better options for keeping your files safe.

Encryption
Encryption does not technically hide your files. But it will make them so only the person with a password is able to view or change them.

To encrypt your files you will need encryption software. There are many types of encryption softwares, some are free some can be quite expensive. With most free versions your encryption options will probably be fine for keeping the kids out. If you prefer heavy duty protection with options that let you control multiple user access you will have to pay for a program. An example of a pay type encryption program would be WinMagic .

Folder Locks
If encryption is not for you then you might want to look at a “folder lock” type software. Folder locking software does basically what it says. You create a folder and apply the lock software to the folder.

From that point on it takes a password to access the folder or any files you store in that folder. A program like Folder Protect can easily hide all of your sensitive files and folders.

These are your most common options for protecting the data on your computer. It is up to you to make the decision. How much protection does your data deserve or need. Once you have made that decision you can use one of my links, or use your favourite search engine and get that important data protected.

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Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com

Consumers accuse lithium-ion battery makers of price fixing in class-action lawsuits

Several of the biggest makers of lithium-ion batteries have been accused of price fixing in a number of class action suits, which could have major implications for the future of electric cars.

As key components in everything from laptops and cell phones to electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries have never been cheap, but it may have been more than just insatiable demand that has kept them that way over the years. According to the New Jersey Law Journal, at least 10 class actions have been brought against manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries alleging price fixing. Firms named include Panasonic, LG, Sony, Samsung, Sanyo and Hitachi, along with their American subsidiaries in California and New Jersey. The plaintiffs allege that these companies have engaged in price fixing to keep lithium-ion battery prices artificially high since 2000, and that they have controlled at times between 60 and 90 percent of global lithium-ion battery production.

The suit follows in the footsteps of others filed over price fixing of electronic components, such as LCD screens and RAM, and in some cases, the companies involved are the same. The plaintiffs allege that the situation the battery situation mirrors those previous cases in some ways, such as a highly concentrated market, rapid commoditization of new technology, and pricing that seems to defy the effects of fierce competition.

According to court filings, li-ion battery prices fell dramatically between 2000 and 2002 as Korean manufacturers entered the market and competition increased. But in the period following this, prices have risen consistently without even a hiccup during the 2008 economic downturn, evidence, plaintiffs claim, of price fixing.

Breaking up a potential price-fixing racket in lithium-ion batteries could be a significant development for EVs, where prohibitively expensive battery packs have served as an insurmountable stumbling block preventing mass EV implementation. Government programs have helped somewhat in reducing the cost for the consumer, but this spending is controversial, and skeptics see any consumer technology that needs to be propped up with legislation as being impractical in the long run. Prices have been predicted to fall for lithium-ion EV batteries over the next decade, but with sales of EVs falling well short of the high expectations of just two years ago and automakers rethinking their EV strategies, a decade from now might already be too late to save the EV. Should these suits trigger a worldwide drop in lithium-ion battery prices, the potential is there for an EV market which is competitive with standard gasoline-powered cars.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Hackers break into South Carolina gov’t database, release 3.6 million SSNs

More than 3 million Social Security Numbers - as well as more than 300,000 credit card numbers and potentially a number of tax returns - have been breached as the result of hackers working their way into the South Carolina Department of Revenue's database.

Approximately 3,600,000 Social Security Numbers and an additional 387,000 credit- and debit-card numbers have been made public as a result of a cyber attack on the South Carolina state Department of Revenue, it has been announced, with roughly 16,000 of the credit card numbers revealed to be unencrypted.

According to a statement released by the Department of Revenue, the hacks – at least four separate attempts have been identified to date – occurred in September following an earlier attempt the previous month, with the data stolen on the latter two of the break-ins. The Department of Revenue only became aware of the hacks the following month, according to its director, James Etter: “On October 10, the S.C. Division of Information Technology informed the S.C. Department of Revenue of a potential cyber attack involving the personal information of taxpayers,” he is quoted as saying in the official statement. “We worked with them throughout that day to determine what may have happened and what steps to take to address the situation. We also immediately began consultations with state and federal law enforcement agencies and briefed the governor’s office.”

Following the initial consultation with law enforcement agencies, the Department called in an outside security company, Mandiant, to consult on the investigation. In the days following, it was discovered that the system had been breached four times in September, and once in August; by October 20, the vulnerable pathway had been identified and the system secured – but by that time, it was too late.

An Associated Press report suggests that Tax Returns are also amongst the data that was breached during the hacks, but that has not been confirmed by the South Carolina authorities at this time.

“The number of records breached requires an unprecedented, large-scale response by the Department of Revenue, the State of South Carolina and all our citizens,” Governor Nikki Haley said, when commenting on the situation. “We are taking immediate steps to protect the taxpayers of South Carolina, including providing one year of credit monitoring and identity protection to those affected.”

For those in South Carolina who are concerned that their Social Security Number or credit- or debit-card details have been released as part of this hack, there’re both a website – protectmyid.com/scdor – and a phone number (1-866-578-5422) to call to find out if they have been affected by the break-in. Those who have been affected will be able to receive one year of credit monitoring and identify theft protection from Experian as a result. “From the first moment we learned of this, our top priority has been to protect the taxpayers and the citizens of South Carolina, and every action we’ve taken has been consistent with that priority,” DOR director Etter said. “We have an obligation to protect the personal information entrusted to us, and we are redoubling our efforts to meet that obligation.”

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

How to Find Your Facebook ID

As of March 2012, an estimated 901 million people are active users on Facebook, the most popular social media network on the planet, I believe this number has increased to over 1 billion people. The social networks has taken great measures to manage each users account with a number of features to provide their members with security and privacy while using their accounts. When a new member sets up their Facebook account for the first time, the system immediately assigns the Facebook user with an ID number.

For whatever reason, users may want to know how to retrieve their Facebook ID. The steps to do this are simple, and just a few clicks away.

How to Find Your Facebook ID Number

1) Log into your Facebook account.

2) You should be able to see your name beside your profile picture at the upper right corner, click on it

3) There are two ways of doing this, you can either hover your mouse over your profile photo or click on your profile photo and wait for the page to load.

5) Go to the URL bar in your browser with your mouse and slide it along the bar; you should see a string of
numbers appear.

6) Look for the set of numbers that follow after the word “fbid=”.

7) This is your Facebook ID number.

Social networking websites such as Facebook has one priority which is to help their account users stay connected with their family and friends, and also have endless opportunities to meet new people along the way. Email, phone numbers, and physical addresses can all be easily accessed with an active Facebook ID. The Facebook ID number especially comes in handy if you’re a person who uses Facebook applications on a regular basis. It also allows you to compare your social ranking with your friends’ ID’s as well.

Also See: How To Enable Your Facebook Timeline: Fast & Easy

A Facebook user who wants to know how to find their ID number by means of an app can retrieve it by following these instructions:

1) Log into your Facebook account

2) In the search box, type “What is My ID?”. Locate the top search result from your query in the drop-down
menu.

3) You will see the phrase, “Go to App”, click the tab and then click “Allow”.

4) Your Facebook ID will appear.

To locate Your Facebook Fanpage ID, you can follow similar steps

Tags: Facebook ID, Find Facebook ID, Get Facebook ID

Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com

What’s the worst password of 2012? It’s still “password”

Continuing to be a prevalent problem in regards to online security, people still love to use "password" for their password.

Retaining the number one spot as the least secure password for yet another year, people that continue to use the phrase “password” as their personal password remain at the highest risk when it comes to hacking. Detailed in SplashData’s annual report, the three phrases ”password,” “123456,” and “12345678,” have continued to dominate the top three spots on the list. Rounding out the top ten worst passwords of 2012, phrases include “abc123,” “qwerty,” “monkey,” “letmein,” “dragon,” “111111,” and “baseball.” SplashData chooses the rankings of these common security phrases based off what hackers are posting to the Internet. For instance, nearly half a million usernames and passwords for Yahoo users were posted on the Internet during July 2012.

Regarding the lackadaisical online security utilized by many people around the world, SplashData CEO Morgan Slain stated “At this time of year, people enjoy focusing on scary costumes, movies and decorations, but those who have been through it can tell you how terrifying it is to have your identity stolen because of a hacked password.”

Slain continued “We’re hoping that with more publicity about how risky it is to use weak passwords, more people will start taking simple steps to protect themselves by using stronger passwords and using different passwords for different websites.”

New entries to the 2012 list include “jesus,” “ninja,” and “password1.” Phrases that have fallen off the list from last year include “superman,” “passw0rd,” and “bailey.” The entire 2012 list of the 25 worst passwords looks like:

• password 
• 123456 
• 12345678 
• abc123
• qwerty
• monkey
• letmein
• dragon
• 111111
• baseball
• iloveyou
• trustno1
• 1234567
• sunshine
• master
• 123123 
• welcome 
• shadow 
• ashley 
• football 
• jesus 
• michael 
• ninja
• mustang 
• password1

If you are using any of these security phrases for an online account, it’s highly recommended that you switch to a more secure phrase. In order to create a safer password, SplashData suggests using security phrases with at least eight characters while utilizing a variety of characters within the phrase.

This could include using a common phrase that’s broken up by underscores between words or substituting symbols for letters within a word. For instance, the phrase “p@$$w0r6″ is more secure than typing out the word using all letters.

Splashdata also recommends using multiple passwords across different types of sites. For instance, using the same security phrase on a social network as you do when accessing your online banking could become problematic if the social network is hacked. If a user has difficulty remembering passwords across multiple sites, there is a variety of software that can manage security phrases and automatically fill in the password data when visiting a site. However, Web browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox have offered this feature for quite a while.

In reference to security phrase creation, Slain said “Even though each year hacking tools get more sophisticated, thieves still tend to prefer easy targets. Just a little bit more effort in choosing better passwords will go a long way toward making you safer online. It just takes a few extra moments to make a password better. If you get started now and make it a resolution to keep it up, your life online will be safer and more secure in 2013.”

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

200 million devices already upgraded to iOS 6

Over at the Apple event in California Theatre in San Jose Tim Cook announced the number of devices that are currently running on the latest iOS 6.

The magic number is 200 million, which is quite impressive.

iOS 6 started seeding to users On September 19 and reached 100 million devices in just a couple of days. In a matter of weeks iOS 6 covered over 60% of iPhones out there.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

‘We can hear you having sex’: Messages to neighbors via Wi-Fi network names a growing trend, report says

An increasing number of computer users setting up Wi-Fi in their homes are reportedly sending out messages to annoying neighbors via their wireless network names.

The creation of the Internet has meant that the options are now vast for those people who’d rather not use their vocal cords to communicate with another person, preferring instead to engage in more indirect methods of communication – they can, for example, send an email, an instant message, an SMS, or a text. Communicating through the name of your wireless network can also be added to the list, a method which is a fast-growing trend, according to a BBC report on the subject.

When someone sets up a wireless network at home, they’re prompted to give it a name so it can be easily identified. That name will be seen by anyone within range who searches for a wireless network using a computer or mobile device.

In most cases, these names are nothing out of the ordinary, something like “Bob1” or “mycomputer123”. However, recently more and more people are using their network names to send out messages to neighbors.

According to the BBC, many of the names relate to noisy neighbor issues. “Stop wearing heels”, “Stop slamming the door” and simply “shut up” are listed as examples. Perhaps these are the work of desperate people for whom a polite face-to-face request failed, or maybe they simply tremble at the thought of direct confrontation with their noisy neighbor.

Sex, or noisy sex, is also the subject of some network names. “We can hear you having sex” is a common one, while “Stop having so much sex” is also listed.

Naming networks in this manner is the digital equivalent of sticking an anonymous note into the mailbox of whoever’s causing offense, except that this way the offender won’t necessarily know it’s him or her being targeted (unless the network name includes a house or apartment number – or even the person’s name). Also, the offender needs to be fiddling about with their wireless settings in order to see the list of nearby networks, something they most likely don’t often do.

So, no, it certainly won’t ever be the most effective form of communication, though for many it is, one assumes, a bit of fun and an additional way of trying to get their message across.

Seen any interesting network names in your neighborhood recently? Got a good one yourself?

[Image: Pavel Ignatov / Shutterstock]

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Tweetbot for Mac is finally here… but it costs $20 and is in limited supply thanks to Twitter’s API restrictions

Tweetbot for Mac launched today, but Twitter's new API guidelines has left Tapbot with no choice but to sell a limited number of copies for $20.

Tweetbot’s Mac app finally launched in the Mac App Store today, but there’s a catch: Tweetbot for Mac will cost you $20, which is actually a reasonable price considering the circumstances.

The circumstances are these: Mark Jardine of Tweetbot developer Tapbots explains that Tweetbot for Mac will cost $20 “because of Twitter’s recent enforcement of token limits.” Tweetbot only has a limited number of user tokens it can implement and is therefore limited to hosting a small number of users — and because that potential pool of users will be restrained, the company has to charge a higher price. “These tokens dictate how many users Tweetbot for Mac can have,” Jardine says. While initially Tweetbot said it was working closely with Twitter as a result of the API restrictions, collaboration seems to have fallen to the wayside as alpha testing was squeezed out and later the Tapbots developers headed to App.net to try their luck there. 

Despite the bumpy road, the Mac client is finally  here, although there are some strings attached. One thing to note is that the number of Mac tokens available to Tweetbot are independent of the tokens available for Tweetbot for iOS users, which should be a relief to all the Tweetbot iPhone users out there who want the app for their desktop too. Once the number of tokens available for Tweetbot on Mac are used up, however, Tapbots will discontinue further sales — so you may want to act fast. 

An estimated fewer than 100,000 individual user tokens will be made available to Tweetbot based on Twitter’s API guideline Version 1.1. Existing third-party Twitter apps will be offered an additional 200 percent of the app’s current user token, but since Tweetbot for Mac is launching today without an existing user base, this unfortunately won’t apply.

To expand the number of tokens available Twitter explains that it reviews requests on a case-by-case basis. Jardine is aware of this and at the end of his announcement points to Twitter’s support account saying, “feel free to let Twitter know how you feel about it.”

If you were an early participant in the alpha or beta trial of the Tweetbot Mac app but have no intention of purchasing an account, Tapbots is kindly asking these testers to “please do us a huge favor and Revoke access.” With limited tokens available on Tweetbot for Mac, it frees up more space immediately for buyers.

With new stipulations attached to distributing this (and once-free) software, we have to wonder what may  happen to buyers that stop using Tweetbot for Mac. We reached out to Tapbots to find out if the company would possibly consider buying back accounts from inactive users. We will update you with their response.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

RIM boss Thorsten Heins hits back at BlackBerry-bashing NY Times article

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has hit back at a recent NY Times article that interviewed a number of disgruntled BlackBerry owners. In a letter published by the newspaper on Wednesday, Heins accused the piece of lacking balance and said there were still "millions of BlackBerry fans out there."

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins must have had smoke coming out of his ears when he read a New York Times article on Monday entitled The BlackBerry as Black Sheep.

His company is struggling, for sure, but he’s hoping it can turn things around with the launch of its next-generation operating system, BlackBerry 10, early next year. Until then, he needs to hold on to his customers, and prevent the company’s image from being bashed about any more than it is right now. His heart will have sunk when he read the NY Times piece.

It pretty much ripped into the phone maker, interviewing users who had apparently become embarrassed about pulling their BlackBerry phone out of their bag. “I’m ashamed of it,” said one, who claimed to hide her device under her iPad for fear of being judged by clients.

Another said she wanted to “take a bat to it,” which, let’s be honest, seems like something of an overreaction when it comes to feelings about a mobile device. There were a few favorable words towards the end of the piece from a BlackBerry owner called Mr. Fenton who said he couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about when it came to the iPhone, but in case the reader might start to think that perhaps RIM’s phones weren’t so bad after all, the article finished off with someone called Mr. Mindel laying the boot in, saying, “I’m considering removing my BlackBerry battery, pouring in cement, and using the BlackBerry as an actual paperweight.” You get the picture. 

So imagine Heins in his office earlier this week, NY Times in hand, reading this article. Of course he wasn’t going to let this go without saying something. He hammered out a response and on Wednesday the newspaper published it.

In his letter, Heins accused the publication of lacking “the balance your readers expect,” before going on to explain that carriers and partners around the world have recently told him “there are millions of BlackBerry fans out there who not only find great value in their device, but also pride in being a BlackBerry owner.”

He says that he takes reports of dissatisfaction among BlackBerry users very seriously, adding that he was encouraged by the supportive comments received in response to the NY Times article.

After trotting out a couple of stats, Heins ends his letter confirming that RIM is on track to deliver BlackBerry 10 in the first quarter of 2013, and offers thanks to “the customers who have remained loyal to the BlackBerry platform.” He also says RIM is looking forward to “winning back many who have left.”

Heins is all too aware that having nothing to show for at least another 10 weeks gives BlackBerry bashers ample time to keep on bashing, and that what RIM must do is keep current users on board while trying to put a positive spin on a very difficult situation. Of course, there will be those who say RIM has done a decent job of beating itself up in recent years with various PR blunders and missteps, but Heins is steering the ship now and is doing everything in his power to save the company from collapse.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Lenovo to build on PC success with international smartphone release, leaves HP in its dust

Research indicates Lenovo has become the world's number one PC manufacturer, as the company announces plans to expand its smartphone range.

Lenovo is riding a wave of success at the moment, after announcing some exciting Windows 8 tablets, and now it appears the company has become the world’s number one PC manufacturer, and is preparing to release its smartphone range internationally too.

Research firm Gartner has released data that shows Lenovo has pushed past Hewlett-Packard to take the number one spot, and the figures read like this: HP can claim a 15.5-percent global market share, with 13.55 million units shipped, while Lenovo has a 15.7-percent market share with 13.77 million units heading out the door this quarter.

Perhaps more importantly, Gartner shows HP’s sales as down 16.4-percent on last year, while Lenovo is up by just under 10-percent. If you had to choose a direction as a company, you’d want to be the one going up.

According to Reuters, researchers from IDC still put Lenovo ahead of HP, with market shares of 15.7 and 15.9-percent respectively. HP told them that IDC’s report was “more expansive,” but then, they would say that. Almost regardless of who’s right today, the trend certainly indicates the position swap will happen soon.

HP’s CEO Meg Whitman has been quoted as saying the company is in the first year of a five-year restructuring plan, but despite the much-publicized downturn in PC sales — IDC says global sales have dropped by 8.6-percent since July — it still hasn’t made up its mind about re-entering the smartphone and tablet market. Recent reports seem to indicate confusion regarding this market segment within HP.

Lenovo to enter international smartphone market

Lenovo feels rather differently. It already produces smartphones for a variety of Eastern markets and in June this year, overtook both Nokia and Huawei to take second place in the Chinese market. Perhaps most tellingly — and a point HP needs to hear — is that its phone sales surpassed that of its PC sales for the first time there too.

It’s not just low-end hardware the company produces either, as it introduced the LePhone K860 in August, which has a 5-inch display with a 720p resolution, a quad-core processor (actually Samsung’s Exynos 4 Quad, also seen in the Galaxy S3), Android 4.0 and an 8-megapixel camera. It’s destined for Japan sometime later this year.

The momentum is there for Lenovo, and it’s already producing some interesting hardware, so it’s no surprise to see the following message posted on its Facebook page: “We won’t stop at laptops and tablets. For the first time, Lenovo is making plans to sell smartphones outside China.”

Introducing new hardware into the already massively competitive US and European markets isn’t going to be easy, but Lenovo knows it has little choice. Besides, it can always look at the lucrative African, Russian and South American markets initially, before hitting the rest of Europe and the US with devices such as the K860.

Lenovo hasn’t provided any further details, and we’d be surprised to see any releases this year, but it’s still a very positive step from a highly motivated company. Whether HP will respond remains to be seen.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Borderlands 2 glitch erases Badass Rank, locks out completed challenges

A number of players are reporting a Borderlands 2 glitch that wipes out their hard earned Badass Rank. Gearbox says its investigating.

One of the many marvelously user-friendly features in Gearbox’s Borderlands 2 is the Badass Rank. Slowly unlocked perks separate from your character’s level and skillset, the Badass Rank is an elegant version of the New Game+. Borderlands 2 is a lengthy, involved game, but you’re going to want to start new characters depending on who you’re playing with, and the Badass Rank ties to any character you create, giving you a base level of improving stats that make revisiting the game from different angles accessible without making it too easy and boring. Smart stuff. Too bad there’s a bug in the game that will wipe out your Badass Rank.

A number of users in Gearbox’s official forums have reported a problem where their Badass Rank is set back to zero and all the associated bonuses, including the stat boosts and unlocked character customization options, are wiped away. Compounding the problem is the fact that the challenges that raise the Badass Rank (e.g. shoot this many enemies, collect this many guns, etc.) aren’t reset alongside the rank itself so affected players can’t simply rebuild what’s been lost.

While the initial report about the problem was from a player on the Xbox 360 version, others playing the PC and PlayStation 3 versions of the game have also reported the same problem.

Gearbox community manager Chris Faylor said that the studio is working fast to fix the problem. “Our engineers are looking into this, and the information you’ve provided has proven to be a great resource while we investigate,” said Faylor, “At the moment, it seems to be a fairly rare issue and we’ll keep you updated on when we resolve it.”

The original Borderlands was no stranger to glitches like this when it released in 2009. At least the Borderlands 2 glitch only erases the Badass Rank and its associated perks. The Borderlands glitch erased everything. When players would leave a multiplayer game on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or PC they would lose all their weapons proficiencies and skill points, and though the proficiencies could be rebuilt, the skill points were erased forever meaning that they needed to restart the entire game.

Gearbox fixed that problem eventually though, and this new glitch will definitely be addressed. Players affected by the Borderlands 2 glitch should take comfort in the fact that their lost Badass Rank might even be salvageable since the challenges that earn the rank aren’t reset.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Adobe upgrades Photoshop Elements to version 11, offers new bundles with Premiere Elements

Adobe today released an update to its Elements and Premiere Elements applications, bringing their version number to 11.

The software is lighter than Photoshop but still pretty powerful. In addition Adobe will offer a discounted bundle of the two services – $150 for new customers and $120 for updating ones.

Photoshop Elements 11 comes with a refreshed UI, the same engine as Photoshop, one-click editing, photo organizing based on people and places, new filters and three editing options for every taste – Quick, Guided and Expert.

Photoshop Elements 11 will put an emphasis on image editing, while Premiere Elements is focused on making home movies look a whole lot better.

Premiere Elements will include new effects, transitions, themes, etc. There’s also an integrated video sharing with Vimeo.

If purchased separately the two products will cost $100 each. Upgrading users will have to shell out $80 for each.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Apple iPhone 5 faces the Galaxy S III in a drop test, the sight makes us shiver

When a hot smartphone comes to the market it has a number of tasks to complete on its launch day. After ticking the “being subjected to a teardown” box, the iPhone 5 is now facing the drop test challange.

And, as if seeing one ultra-expensive gadget crash against the floor isn’t painful enough to watch, we’ve got a second one to accompany it while taking the fall. The iPhone 5 is joined by the Samsung Galaxy S III in this experiment, conducted by Android Authority.

See how the two did in the video below.

Of course, this test is highly unscientific and the two gadgets hit the pavement at different angles, but it’s interesting to see nonetheless. It appears that the weight the Apple iPhone 5 lost has not cost it anything in terms of impact resistance.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

iPhone 5: 1-Day Sales Hit 2 Million

There was a pretty good idea that the demand for the iPhone 5 was higher than in years past, at least according to the number of people who tried to sell their old iPhones before it launched and the interest in its rollout. But demand might have been bigger than even Apple imagined.

This morning Apple announced that 2 million iPhone 5s had been pre-ordered within 24 hours of being on sale  early Friday morning.  The ship date of the new larger and faster phone slipped from one week to two and now it won’t ship for up to three weeks at many retailers.

AT&T also announced this morning that it had set a sales record with the iPhone 5 over the weekend, making it the fastest-selling iPhone the company has ever offered.

“iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal,” Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said in a statement this morning.

The new iPhone 5, which was announced less than a week ago in San Francisco, has a larger 4-inch display, new design, LTE, faster processor, and an improved 8-megapixel camera. Check out our first impressions of the phone  and our guide to the top 5 features.

Samsung recently announced that it had sold over 20 million Galaxy S 3s — the iPhone 5′s closest rival — in 100 days. Analysts predict Apple will sell 10 million iPhone5s within weeks. Samsung and Apple have been involved in ongoing intellectual property disputes in the U.S. and around the world over smartphone technology.

The iPhone 5 will begin shipping and will go on sale in stores this Friday, Sept. 21 at 8 a.m. local. Apple’s new iOS 6 will be available for download on Wednesday, Sept. 19.

Source : abcnews[dot]go[dot]com

Instagram is officially coming to Windows Phone

Instagram has confirmed that it will make its Windows Phone debut in the Windows Marketplace later this year.

The number of apps available in Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace dwarfs the number of apps available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. But soon, those of you who took a risk with a Windows phone won’t have to fret that the world’s favorite photo app isn’t available: Instagram is coming to Windows Phones.

The Verge was initially tipped off about the app’s existence when a reader thought he noticed Instagram featured in the Nokia promo video featuring its PureMotion technology. This wouldn’t be the first time Nokia inadvertently unveiled a big new app in a promo video; Nokia’s promo video demonstrating a Lumia charging on a wireless charging dock “accidentally” unveiled Skype’s Windows Phone app in action.

We re-watched the video and could make out what might be the Instagram app during the PureMotion demo, but we couldn’t be sure. The tile in question is displayed toward the end of the promo clip and displays the words “Walk Up,” and is accompanied by a comment and “Like” button that’s uncanny to the silhouette of the talk balloon and heart button that you would find on Instagram. But a secondary explanation could be that the app is actually Vimeo.

Whatever the case may be, The Verge has confirmed that Instagram will be making its way onto Windows Phones.

ZDNet theorized that Facebook’s purchase of Instagram would result in the app coming to Windows Phones, and it looks like they were right. Facebook has a tight-knit relationship with Microsoft, which purchased a stake in Facebook back in 2007. Further, the Federal Trade Commission finally approved the Instagram and Facebook deal after conducting an investigation due to antitrust concerns. Had the deal been blocked by the FTC, Instagram would have walked away with $200 million from Facebook for its troubles.

A consumer’s decision on purchasing a smartphone these days has a lot to do with what the complimenting app store has to offer. Microsoft’s Marketplace has cracked the 100,000 app mark, while Apple has broken 700,000 apps. The Google Play store is hot on Apple’s tail with more than 500,000 apps. That said, the number of apps isn’t everything; a large number of apps go unused simply by getting lost in the mix. In other words, it’s a matter of quality over quantity — how many of the main app titles an app store can get from existing popular apps like Skype, Instagram, and Angry Birds. Of course getting apps like Skype, Instagram, and even Angry Birds onto the Marketplace came courtesy of existing Microsoft relationships. 

Windows Phone users — are you excited for Instagram? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

New Amazon TV ad reveals large-screen Fire tablet and back-lit ‘Paperwhite’ e-reader

An Amazon ad broadcast Wednesday night appeared to reveal a number of products set for launch on Thursday, including a large-screen Kindle Fire tablet and back-lit Paperwhite e-reader.

It looks as if Jeff Bezos and his team are having some fun, teasing TV viewers the evening before a big product launch with an ad featuring, apparently, some or all of its new devices.

Interestingly, a large-sized tablet makes several appearances during the 60-second ad – likely the much-talked about 10-inch Kindle Fire. There even appears to be a shot of someone tapping away on a keyboard connected to the device – could the e-commerce giant be about to unveil a keyboard cover similar to the Touch Cover accompanying Microsoft’s soon-to-launch Surface tablet?

The existence of the Paperwhite e-reader is also apparently confirmed in the ad, with a fleeting shot of someone holding a device with a super-white back-lit screen.

There’s no sign, however, of a smartphone, though the company is said to be in the process of making one.

Broadcast during Wednesday night’s Giants vs Cowboys NFL game, the 60-second ad begins with boxes – lots of boxes (with Amazon printed on them, naturally) – and a voiceover saying, “We’re the people with the smile on the box. We’re the reinventors of normal.”

Various shots of various people with various devices follow – there appears to be a (new) 7-inch Kindle Fire, a larger tablet and a new e-reader. And lots of boxes.

It is of course possible that the ad wasn’t meant as a tease at all but was instead broadcast as the result of a scheduling error. Either way, we’ll all find out on Thursday exactly what the Seattle-based company has up its sleeve.

Digital Trends will be covering Amazon’s media event, which begins at 10.30am PT.

[Daniel Marchena via The Verge]

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Apple court hearing requesting ban of Samsung products set for December 6

Apple will have to wait until December 6 to see whether it can get sales bans imposed on a number of Samsung devices.

A US court will decide on December 6 whether Apple has justifiable grounds for a ban to be imposed on sales of eight Samsung handsets following the Cupertino company’s big win in the courts last week.

The devices, all smartphones, are:

- Galaxy S 4G

- Galaxy S2 AT&T

- Galaxy S2

- Galaxy S2 T-Mobile

- Galaxy S2 Epic 4G

- Galaxy S Showcase

- Droid Charge

- Galaxy Prevail

At the same hearing, Samsung will argue for the jury’s decision to be set aside, AllThingsD reports.

“Having considered the scope of Apple’s preliminary injunction request, the additional post-trial motions that the parties have already filed and will file, and the substantial overlap between the analysis required for Apple’s preliminary injunction motion and the parties’ various other post-trial motions, the Court believes consolidation of the briefing and hearing on the post-trial motions is appropriate,” Koh said in a written order released on Tuesday.

Last week Samsung was ordered to pay Apple $1.05 billion in damages after a nine-person California jury ruled unanimously that the Korean firm had willfully infringed on a number of Apple’s patents.

The decision came at the end of a trial that lasted almost a month, with both sides accusing each other of patent violation. Unfortunately for Samsung, the jury ruled that Apple had not violated any of its patents.

Following the conclusion of the case, Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a memo to his employees in which he said that the jury’s verdict sent a “loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.” Samsung, meanwhile, called the verdict “a loss for the American consumer.”

Before the December 6 hearing, the two sides will face each other in court again on September 20 as Samsung attempts to have a US-based preliminary sales ban lifted on its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, a product which was found in the recent trial not to have infringed on any of Apple’s design patents.

For an overview on what last week’s trial verdict might mean for Android users, head over to here for a piece by DT’s mobile expert Jeffrey Van Camp.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Samsung calls court decision ‘a loss for the American consumer’

A US jury ruled in Apple's favor Friday, agreeing that Samsung had infringed a number of the Cupertino company's patents. Samsung called the verdict 'a loss for the American consumer.'

The jury in the US Apple-Samsung patent infringement trial ruled on Friday that the Korean tech giant has infringed a number of Apple patents, and as a result has been ordered to pay the Cupertino company just over $1 billion in damages.

Samsung called the verdict “a loss for the America consumer” while Apple said it applauded the court for “sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.”

Read the statements in full below:

Samsung:

Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.

Apple:

We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trail showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.

For more information on the outcome of the trial, head over to here.

[The Verge via 9to5Mac]

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Patent palaver: Apple and Samsung banned from selling some products after S Korean court ruling

A court in South Korea has imposed a national sales ban on a number of Apple and Samsung products in the conclusion of a patent infringement case in the country.

While all the focus has been on the Apple-Samsung patent trial in the US in recent weeks, another court case focusing on the same issues has been going on in the South Korean capital, Seoul.

On Friday local time, the court ruled that both companies had infringed each other’s patents. As a result, the judge slapped a national sales bans on products made by both tech giants, among them Apple’s iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 handsets, as well as the iPad and iPad 2. Samsung products ordered to be removed from store shelves include the Galaxy S I and S II smartphones, together with the Galaxy Tab and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet PCs.

These may not be Apple or Samsung’s latest products, but the ruling will nevertheless be annoying for Korean consumers who’d been hoping to pick up a cheaper phone or tablet made by one of the two companies. They may just look elsewhere now. Apple and Samsung, meanwhile, will have the hassle of removing their products from sale, losing revenue in the process.

Patent infringements

The court ruled that Apple had infringed two Samsung patents, while the Korean company had infringed one of Apple’s.

The judge said Samsung had violated an Apple patent concerning the ‘bounce back’ fuction, which serves to indicate to users that they have reached the end of a page when scrolling down on their device. Apple, on the other hand, was ruled to have infringed patents relating to the transfer and transmission of data between devices.

Design OK

On the design of the iPhone and Galaxy S handsets, the judge said it was hard to agree with Apple’s claim that consumers would confuse the two devices.

“There are lots of external design similarities between the iPhone and Galaxy S, such as rounded corners and large screens….but these similarities had been documented in previous products,” Reuters reported a Seoul Central District Court judge as saying.

“Given that it’s very limited to make big design changes in touchscreen based mobile products in general … and the defendant (Samsung) differentiated its products with three buttons in the front and adopted different designs in camera and (on the) side, the two products have a different look,” the judge said, adding that the respective company logos were also shown on the devices, further decreasing the chances of someone mixing them up.

Fines

Besides the sales bans, the court also imposed fines on both companies, with Apple told to pay 40 million won ($35,500). Samsung’s fine was slightly less at 25 million won ($22,000).

Such amounts pale into insignificance when you consider that at the trial in California, where the jury is currently deliberating, Apple is seeking $2.5 billion from Samsung for patent violation. The verdict in that case is expected soon.

[via BBC, Reuters]

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com