BlackBerry OS 6.1 due this spring, will bring massive upgrades

When the BlackBerry Torch debuted, public reaction was cooler than RIM anticipated -- and that didn't sit well with the Canadian company. During its annual year-end call, however, RIM revealed that it had been working away at a major update to BlackBerry OS 6 in order to deliver an experience that end-users (and the company itself) could get excited about.

BlackBerry OS 6.1 is now expected sometime this spring, and Engadget reports that the .1 appears to be a bit misleading. RIM is approaching the update as an overhaul, not merely a minor tweaking. You can probably expect to see BlackBerry OS 6.1 in action this May at BlackBerry World 2011. We'll keep you posted when a beta or final release hits.

[header image via Crackberry]

BlackBerry OS 6.1 due this spring, will bring massive upgrades originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/25/blackberry-os-6-1-due-this-spring-will-bring-massive-upgrades/

TRANSACTION SYSTEMS ARCHITECTS TOTAL SYSTEM SERVICES TNS

Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'

Google, according to reports from "a dozen executives working at key companies in the Android ecosystem" is finally locking down the open source and easily-fragmented Android operating system.

As it currently stands, Google hands over the 'final' code for each version of Android, and OEMs and developers then spend some time customizing the OS to fit their hardware, and to create a unique and marketable flavor. That's all set to change, however.

Over the last few months, according to several people familiar with the matter, Android licensees such as HTC, Motorola and Facebook, have been asked to sign 'non-fragmentation clauses.' This new contract caveat will give Google the right to review and pass judgment on all changes to the Android OS. Two executives at Facebook say that they're unhappy that Google gets to review its changes to Android -- which is understandable, given Facebook and Google are direct competitors -- and there have also been allegations that Google is preventing some Verizon devices from shipping because they include Microsoft's Bing instead of Google search.

Continue reading Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'

Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source' originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/google-demands-veto-on-android-changes-stretches-definition-of/

MAXIMUS MANTECH INTERNATIONAL MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES

HeLauncher for Android offers 10 different home screen styles including HTC Sense, Motorola Blur

Picking an Android launcher is tricky business. Most of them have so many features and config options that it takes a matter of weeks to learn all of their intricacies -- and you can't possibly know which one suits your needs without trying out a few!

HeLauncher, by offering no less than 10 different home screen styles, gives you a simpler way of finding a home screen that suits your style. This isn't to say that HeLauncher emulates the features of Android launchers like ADW or LauncherPro; rather, it makes your phone look like it's running HTC Sense or Motorola Blur (MOTOBLUR).

In terms of actual features, HeLauncher doesn't do much. It offers resizable widgets, which are fairly cool, and drop-icons-on-trash-can-to-uninstall, but that's about it.

Download HeLauncher from Android Market

Gallery: HeLauncher for Android: 10 home screen styles!

HeLauncher for Android offers 10 different home screen styles including HTC Sense, Motorola Blur originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/18/helauncher-for-android-offers-10-different-home-screen-styles-htc-sense-motoblur/

KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY COMPANY KEY JDS UNIPHASE

Daily Crunch: Focus Edition

Dalby Announces Lighter, Sexier* 3D Glasses Wenger Titanium Tool Is Titanium Prism-Lens Microscope Captures Nine Images At Once For Multi-Angle Stereoscopic Viewing Lawsuits Allege Netflix Violates Privacy Rights All Over The Place More Patent Trolling, This Time Against Every Major Mobile Manufacturer

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/03/22/daily-crunch-focus-edition/

TNS TIBCO SOFTWARE TIBCO SOFTWARE

CCleaner updates with full Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 4 support

CCleaner continues to be one of the most popular Windows maintenance programs we cover here at Download Squad, and Piriform has released a minor (but important) update. CCleaner version 3.05 now includes full support for both recently-released Web browsers, Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 4.

The update doesn't stop there, however. CCleaner is now better at scanning your registry for unused file extensions, obsolete software references, and invalid browser helper objects (BHOs). Cookie management has been improved with the addition of iTunes support and tweaks to CCleaner's Intelligent cookie keeper.

Application clean-up has gotten a big boost, too -- with added support for Adobe Air, Steam, Xfire, TeamSpeak, Ventrilo, Skype, AIM, Camfrog Video Chat, Miranda, Pidgin, Yahoo Messenger, FrostWire, uTorrent, iMesh, BearShare, and more.

You'll find both the CCleaner 3.05 installer and portable version on Piriform's site.

CCleaner updates with full Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 4 support originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/24/ccleaner-updates-with-full-internet-explorer-9-and-firefox-4-sup/

NETWORK APPLIANCE NETGEAR NCR

Is Samsung Installing Keyloggers on Laptops? [Bad Ideas]

It seems weird that a company like Samsung would go and install keylogger software on their products, but according to IT expert Mohamed Hassan, he found the software on not one, but two of his brand new Samsung laptops. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/rmby45Q0VUw/is-samsung-installing-keyloggers-on-laptops

MICROSOFT MICROSEMI MICROS SYSTEMS

How Facebook Could Save Ticketmaster from Scalpers [Scalping]

Live Nation Entertainment, the live music behemoth forged in the mega-merger between ticket seller Ticketmaster, artist manager Front Line Management Group, and promoter and venue owner Live Nation, finds itself at a crossroads. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/gxq8wdElGVY/how-facebook-could-save-ticketmaster-from-scalpers

PALM OSI SYSTEMS ORACLE

Why Do These Breathtaking Russian Images of Earth Look So Different from NASA's? [Image Cache]

While this morning's orbital image of Mercury is historic, these two images are the ones that have truly left me in complete awe today. Even more so than the most accurate, highest resolution view of Earth to date. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/nGYgNn6nnQA/this-is-the-moon-and-the-earth-like-you-have-never-seen-them-before

ACCENTURE ACER ADOBE SYSTEMS

Inside the giant megawatt batteries that will power Russia's Sochi Winter Olympic Games (video)

Clean and constant power is something that we take for granted here in the Americas. Sure, we've seen rolling blackouts in California before, and that outage in the Northeast back in 2003 was decidedly uncool, but those are the exception to the norm. Right now many Japanese citizens are dealing with power problems in the wake of the devastating tsunami, but in parts of Russia unreliable power is a decidedly reliable part of day-to-day life.

So, what's going to happen when a couple-hundred-thousand fans from around the world swoop into Sochi in 2014, along with a flotilla of international media and all the world's greatest athletes? The Winter Olympics will happen, and the power will flow. It has to, and it will thanks to that unassuming looking shipping container above. It's being assembled at Ener1's facility outside of Indianapolis, and it's actually a giant battery holding an amazing one megawatt-hour of power. That's enough to juice 1,000 average homes for an hour, or to act as the mother of all UPS's. Join us for a look inside and a video show how each of those packs is made.

Gallery: Ener1 factory tour

Continue reading Inside the giant megawatt batteries that will power Russia's Sochi Winter Olympic Games (video)

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Inside the giant megawatt batteries that will power Russia's Sochi Winter Olympic Games (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/30/inside-the-giant-megawatt-batteries-that-will-power-russias-soc/

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION RF MICRO DEVICES RED HAT

Android Market?s In-App Billing Now Live

One of the biggest gripes Android developers have about the ecosystem has been Android Market ? it was slow to add support for paid apps internationally, and it's taken ages for it to support in-app payments. Today, it's finally fixing the latter issue: Android Market now supports in-app billing. The news doesn't come as a big surprise, as Google pre-announced the feature's impending launch last week so that developers could prepare for it. But it's still a big deal. In-app purchases have proven to be very lucrative for developers on Apple's iOS (which launched in-app payments back in 2009).

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/rIc1jWRa9TU/

APPLIED MATERIALS ARIAN SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT ARROW ELECTRONICS

Let Your Camera Take Advantage of iPhone Apps With the Aid of This DIY Hotshoe [DIY]

There are many useful iPhone apps which photographers can use while they're shooting, but it can be inconvenient to hold both iPhone and camera. German photographer Nigel Nowhere solved this problem with his custom iPhone hotshoe. [Phototinker via Make] More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DTBF0_oF1js/let-your-camera-take-advantage-of-iphone-apps-with-the-aid-of-this-diy-hotshoe

APPLIED MATERIALS ARIAN SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT ARROW ELECTRONICS