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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 09:40 AM PDT
 India on Wednesday launched what might be the world’s cheapest tablet with the Aakash, a 7-inch Android tablet that will retail for $60 (Rs 2999).While the device will not impress Indians with high-end laptops and iPads, the Aakash tablet could be help college students and less affluent Indians connect to the Internet for the first time. At present, just 8 percent of India’s 1.2 billion people have Internet access and one factor preventing it is the availability of low-cost devices. Comparably, 40 percent of Chinese citizens have Internet access. “The rich have access to the digital world, the poor and ordinary have been excluded. Aakash will end that digital divide,” Telecoms and Education Minister Kapil Sibal told The Times of India. India is launching the tablet this week by giving it to 100,000 students for free, a move that should help it generate interest. In November, the tablet will go on sale commercially. British technology company DataWind is producing the Aakash tablet, but the device is being manufactured in India. Naturally, the Aakash has limited specs because it is so cheap, but they aren’t that bad. The Aakash runs on Android 2.2, features a 7-inch resistive touch screen with 800-x-480-pixel resolution and has a 366-MHz processor, 256MB of RAM, 2GB of internal storage and a microSD slot to add more storage. It also has two USB ports for connecting accessories and a 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to music. The Aakash also includes a 2100 mAh battery that can last for up to 3 hours. It will have some pre-loaded applications, but unfortunately it won’t have access to the Android Market for downloading more apps. What do you think of the Aakash? Do you think devices like it will help spread the Internet and computer access to India? Filed under: VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 09:15 AM PDT
 VentureBeat is proud to announce that our first iPhone app is available in the iTunes store. We’d like to thank NYSE Euronext, the launch sponsor of the app.Our exhaustive mobile coverage and executive-level mobile conferences keep us on cutting edge of the industry, so we’re particularly excited about this release. The app gives you an easy way to read the latest headlines, editor’s picks, and top stories for whatever categories of news you’re interested in. You can download it now for free. It works on the iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS4 or later. This app is just the beginning. Our goal is to make something that does more than just allow you to read the news. Future versions will take advantage of more advanced features and will include intelligence about VentureBeat’s various activities, including events, that will make for a more personalized experience. But this is a start, and we hope you’ll enjoy it. Also in the works is a web-based version of VentureBeat for mobile devices. Please let us know what you would like to see in version 2. Filed under: mobile         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 09:08 AM PDT
 New Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman has vowed to decide whether or not to spin off the company’s personal computer division by the end of October, Businessweek reports.That’s a huge leap beyond the timetable put forward by former HP CEO Leo Apotheker, who previously said that the company would determine its PC division’s fate by the end of the year. It shows that even at the beginning of her tenure, Whitman is already a more decisive CEO than Apotheker, who was ousted in September after a series of baffling decisions and slow sales quarters. "We have to make a final decision about what to do with the PC division," Whitman said while speaking at a conference about women in leadership yesterday. "It's a decision I want to make much faster than my predecessor. I want to make it before the end of October." Apotheker stunned the technology world in August when he announced that HP would consider spinning off its $41 billion PC division. That same day, the company also killed off its webOS hardware, which included the Pre smartphone and failed TouchPad tablet. Filed under: VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 08:17 AM PDT
 Less than a day after Apple’s announcement of the new iPhone 4S, Samsung has released a video that gives a brief sneak peek at its new Nexus Prime smartphone. The Nexus product line, which runs the most up-to-date version of Google’s Android mobile operating system, is considered Google’s official phone. The Nexus Prime is the latest partnership between Google and Samsung. The promo video is sort of strange. It compares things like milk and cookies, newspapers and coffee, etc. to explain why pairing things together can make a better combination — somehow, this relates to mobile phones. At the end of the video, Samsung flashes a caption that reads “Something BIG is coming”. Just underneath the text is what looks like a new, thin phone with a curved design. The side of the phone we can see reveals a 3-pin dock connector and power button to the right. The device is scheduled to make its public debut at the “Samsung Unpacked 2011″ event at the CTIA convention in San Diego next week. Samsung is also expected to debut the next version of the Android operating system, (Ice Cream Sandwich) for the first time at the event. Check out the video embedded below for a better look at the phone.  [Via Brief Mobile] Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 07:51 AM PDT
 Samsung plans to file patent infringement claims against Apple’s new iPhone 4S and stop it from being sold in France and Italy, the company said today. The move shows Samsung is willing to fight back hard against Apple’s lawsuits.“The infringed technology is essential to the reliable functioning of telecom networks and devices and Samsung believes that Apple's violation [is] too severe and that the iPhone 4S should be barred from sales,” Samsung said in a statement. The announcement comes just a day after Apple most likely killed the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia. Apple sued to block the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 on grounds that it violated Apple’s patents and has rejected settlement offers with Samsung in hopes of blocking the Tab 10.1′s Australian launch altogether. Apple and Samsung have been fighting in courts around the world since April, when Apple sued Samsung in the U.S. for "slavishly" copying the designs of the iPhone and iPad. Samsung filed a counter-suit against Apple in the U.S. that did not do much, but the battle also extended to the U.S. International Trade Commission, which can block the importation of devices into the U.S. Samsung said it also plans to try to block the sale of the iPhone 4S on patent grounds in countries besides Italy and France, but we don’t know where else at this point. Apple just launched the new Apple 4S, an upgrade of its popular iPhone 4 smartphone, yesterday. Apple expects the 4S to be a true successor to the iPhone 4. But if Samsung can find ways to block the sale of the device through courts, as Apple has done to Samsung, Apple may not be able to sell the 4S at the same clip it expects to. What do you think about the squabbles between Samsung and Apple? Filed under: mobile         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 07:22 AM PDT
 Consumers spent about $4.5 billion on all things game related in the second quarter of 2011, up 1 percent from a year ago, according to market researcher NPD.This data about the overall market gives a more accurate picture of game industry growth than simply retail sales of games, which shrank in the U.S. during the quarter. About $1.44 billion of that $4.5 billion was spent by U.S. consumers in physical stores on video and PC game software. But another $1.74 billion was spent on content via other monetization means, including sales of used games, game rentals, subscriptions, digital full-game downloads, downloadable extras, social network games, and mobile games. If you add hardware and accessories, the total reaches the $4.5 billion number. “While the new physical retail channel still generates the majority of industry sales, our expanded research coverage allows us to assess the total consumer spend across the growing number of ways to acquire and experience gaming, including mobile apps and downloadable content,” said Anita Frazier, an analyst at NPD. NPD has begun tracking the expanded definition of game sales — both physical and digital — to give a more comprehensive measure of sales on a quarterly basis. Those measures will be expanded to include the United Kingdom, France, and Germany in 2012. Filed under: games         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 07:13 AM PDT
 LTE 4G technology wasn’t mature enough for Apple to implement in the iPhone 4S, but we can expect it in the iPhone 5 when it debuts next year.Will Strauss, president of market research company Forward Concepts, says that Apple is saving LTE for the iPhone 5, CNet reports. Strauss expects the iPhone 5 to debut next spring, but ultimately it appears that the phone’s release is dependent on the availability of mature LTE chipsets suited for thin smartphones. At this point, it may seem tough to swallow yet another iPhone 5 rumor after Apple failed to deliver the much-anticipated device yesterday, introducing the iPhone 4S instead. But I have a feeling that many of the iPhone 5 rumors we’ve heard so far aren’t false, they just refer to Apple’s plans for next year. Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said several times that first-generation LTE chipsets would have forced “a lot of design compromises.” The popular LTE-equipped HTC Thunderbolt, for example, requires a power-hungry LTE chip for data and another 3G chip for voice capabilities. A new LTE chip by Qualcomm, the MDM9615, is expected to be thinner than current solutions and to include voice functions, and will debut in the second or third quarter next year. “Phones based on the MDM9615 will likely increase LTE battery life to reasonable levels rather than what we’ve seen from the first generation of devices,” wrote AnandTech’s Anand Shimpi. Current LTE chipsets are built with a 45-nanometer process, but next-generation versions due next year are expected to rely on smaller 28nm designs. Shimpi notes that chip manufacturing firms are having trouble with the transition to the smaller design, which likely led some cellphone makers to delay LTE products scheduled for 2011. iPhone 5 mockup via MacRumors Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT
 No one expected Tim Cook, chief executive of Apple, to walk on water and make us all forget about his predecessor Steve Jobs during Apple’s first major press event since the change in command this summer. Cook is now the head of what has become a kind of religious cult in technology — one with an increasingly large and mainstream following. The question is whether he has really stepped up as the new pope. The answer: it isn’t clear. This event was missing some of the Steve Jobs sizzle, for sure.Cook was under a harsh spotlight, with five satellite trucks outside of Apple’s headquarters today and an army of reporters and photographers recording his every word. In a room where Steve Jobs introduced the iPod a decade ago, Cook competently, deliberately, carefully, and humbly communicated what needed to be said. "This is my first product launch since being named CEO," Cook said as he came out on stage. "I'm sure you didn't know that. I love Apple. I consider it a privilege of a lifetime to be here." It was nice to hear a little joke, since that was what Jobs often used to loosen the tension in a room. Cook rattled off the stats about Apple’s momentum, just as Jobs always did to heighten the tension. He didn’t mention Jobs at all. He took a light jab at the competition by saying that competitors have been trying to copy the MacBook Air, unsuccessfully. In one respect, Cook gets a big plus. For most of the event, perhaps a little too much of it, he wasn’t on stage. He let his lieutenants take the spotlight instead. Executives Scott Forstall, Phil Schiller, and Eddy Cue all got plenty of time to talk about their different areas. Jobs had the presence to outshine everyone, and so it made sense for him to command the stage much of the time. But Cook’s lack of stage time communicated a message. It meant that Apple was no longer a one-man show. Those executives announced a steady stream of innovations: a better camera, the iCloud, iTunes Match, and even new faces on an iPod Nano to make it look like a wrist watch. Cook let Phil Schiller introduce the big product of the day, the iPhone 4S. That made everyone think that Cook would come back on stage later and introduce the iPhone 5 himself. But that was not to be. Apple wowed the crowd with the introduction of Siri, the talking personal assistant. But the crowd had been conditioned to expect an iPhone 5, and Cook said nothing to manage those expectations. Jobs used to always save his thunder for last, saying, “One more thing.” But Cook walked off stage without any coda. He said he was proud of the company and its employees. He did a reasonably good job at that and he showed off his ability to speak in a high-pressure environment without blowing it. But I wondered where was the Apple magic.We’re getting used to seeing miracles in technology, business performance, and creativity from Apple. That’s why we could believe all of the crazy rumors circulating about what the company would announce. A lot of this has to do with managing expectations. Would it have killed Apple to issue a one-sentence press release early on that said, “We will not be launching an iPhone 5 at this time”? If I knew an iPhone 5 was not coming, I would have been much happier with Cook and company about innovations like Siri. Apple has some very fierce competition now. Android phones are being activated at a very big pace. It was good that Apple got Sprint as a carrier, so it can stave off market share losses. But Apple has to keep running faster and move ahead with a multitasking strategy if it hopes to avoid the fate of the last war, when the Wintel PC walked off with most of the market share and left Apple in a corner. But Apple has all of the advantages now. It has the second-largest market value on the stock market, at $345 billion. It has sold 250 million iOS devices and 300 million iPods. This company should be able to do many things at once. It can multitask, launching one thing after another. Wouldn’t it have been great if Facebook had announced its mobile project at the Apple event? Or if there was an iPhone 5? Or if Sprint had negotiated an outrageous exclusive? Apple has the capacity to do all of these things and continuously stay ahead of the competition. Apple could have moved on to the iPhone 5 even as the competition was learning how to copy the iPhone 4. Instead, Apple has taken a middling step forward. Maybe that’s why Cook isn’t Steve Jobs. If Cook wants to match some of the Jobs magic, he has to step up the miracles. Whatever it took to get to the “One more thing,” it seemed that Jobs was able to pull them off, bringing hard negotiations to a termination just in time so that Apple could show off on stage. I could understand why the stock price fell slightly after the iPhone 4S launch. We just expected more. I’m willing to give Cook a pass for his first time. Maybe he will deliver an iPhone 5, after all. But next time, Cook had better shake up the whole world. Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT
 Dell is joining the all-in-one PC parade today with the launch of its Inspiron One 2320 desktop computer. The invasion of touchscreen computers continues, as PC makers try to learn a thing or two from smartphones and tablets.The computer has a strait-laced, no frills design that would work well for businesses and in homes. But it has enough cool details to grab the attention of consumers who want a little sizzle. This is the kind of design that computer makers have to come up with if they want to keep up with design leaders such as Apple.  Dell’s big push for clever design comes in the form of Stage, an easy-to-use touchscreen interface that makes it easier to access photos, music, videos, web sites, documents and apps.In this market, the contender to beat is Hewlett-Packard, which recently launched a bevy of all-in-one computers. Dell’s model does a respectable job at that. It balances on a kind of tripod that supports a 23-inch high-definition 1080p display. It has an HD webcam, Intel processors (from Pentium dual core to Intel Core i7). It is powered by relatively weak integrated graphics, but you can upgrade to an Nvidia GeForce GT 525M if you want to play games. It is fairly thin, at 2.67 inches. The wireless keyboard fits under the display so it takes up less space. The machine has plenty of ports and an 8:1 card reader. The machine will sell starting today for $949.99 with an Intel Core i5 processor and multitouch display. Filed under: VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 09:36 PM PDT
 Just a day before the talk, Oracle canceled the keynote speech of competitor Marc Benioff, chief executive of Salesforce.com. Benioff was scheduled to talk about cloud computing at the Oracle OpenWorld 2011 conference on Wednesday morning.But Benioff, in classic fiery fashion, has decided to hold his keynote speech anyway, inside a nearby restaurant. “Oracle just canceled my keynote tomorrow,” he said in a statement. “But the show must go on! Everyone is welcome to join me at Ame Restaurant tomorrow to hear about the social enterprise. Sorry Larry (Ellision, CEO of Oracle), the cloud can’t be stopped.” Benioff used to work for Ellison at Oracle but he broke off to create Salesforce.com, the customer relationship management service provider that touts cloud computing, or services based on web-connected data centers rather than client-based software. Benioff also tweeted his announcement this evening. AllThingsD reports that Oracle spokeswoman Deborah Hellinger said the move was a change in schedule, due to the heavy attendance at the conference. The Salesforce.com “executive solution session” was moved to Thursday at 8 am in the Novellus Theater. Benioff has been critical of Oracle in the past, saying that it advocates a “false cloud.” Filed under: cloud         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 06:51 PM PDT
 Microsoft is expected to announce that it will offer online pay TV from Comcast and Verizon Communications via the Xbox Live online gaming service. The aim is to channel more entertainment to the company’s video game console, which serves as the gateway to the digital living room. The announcement could come as early as tomorrow.The story was first reported on Sept. 19 by DigiDay, and then it was outed once again by Bloomberg Businessweek on Sept. 28. Microsoft is in talks with about two dozen providers of music, sports, movies and TV shows in the U.S. and Europe, according to Businessweek. We’ve confirmed that the announcement is imminent. But rumors of the deal have circulated for a while; clearly it’s a pretty complicated announcement with lots of parties involved. When Microsoft first conceived the Xbox in 2000, part of the strategy was to make it into a gateway to internet services. Back then, the ambition was to head off the PlayStation 2. Microsoft renewed its efforts in 2005 with the launch of the Xbox 360, which was expected to be more than just a video game console. Now the Xbox 360 will be a way to effortlessly switch between games, DVDs and pay TV. That could make the game console a lot more attractive. Microsoft has already said it will add Bing search to the Xbox Live service, and it has redesigned Xbox Live to make it look a lot more like the Windows 8 Metro interface, which will be consistent across Windows Phone, Xbox Live, tablets, and Windows 8 PCs. The Xbox accessory Kinect can be used to issue voice commands to the TV interface, making it easy to search and navigate through the interface with voice commands. Microsoft is expected to sign deals with Time Warner’s HBO cable channel, Sony Pictures Entertainment's Crackle streaming service, NBC Universal's Bravo and Syfy channels and Lovefilm UK, a subsidiary of Amazon.com. Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment. Under the deal with Comcast’s Xfinity TV service and Verizon’s FiOS, users would have to prove they are already pay TV customers in the regions where the services operate in order to get the pay TV service on the Xbox 360. Users can already use Xbox Live to get subscriptions to the Netflix, Hulu and AT&T U-verse services (the latter in regions where it is offered). Comcast has 22.5 million pay TV customers and FiOS has 3.8 million. Those services want to head off defections by giving users more ways to watch them and more digital distribution access points. Filed under: deals, games, media, VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 05:12 PM PDT
 Google has just made an interesting privacy change for users of its Google+ social service this afternoon.“By popular demand, we're rolling out a feature that lets you disable comments and lock your posts before sharing to the Google+ stream,” writes Googler Ebby Amirebrahimi on his own Google+ page. Disabling comments is a pretty straightforward feature, and locking a post means that no one will be able to reshare that post in other circles or with other people. In other words, being able to lock a post means you have complete control over who sees your content — an important privacy feature. Previously, if a Google+ user wanted to lock a post or disable comments on a post, he or she would have to share the post first, then close the comments or lock the entire thing after the post was already public. Now, posts can be locked and comments prohibited before publishing occurs. It’s a relatively minor adjustment, but one that shows that Google is listening to and quickly taking action on users’ requests and complaints about how the service works. Users can expect more similar, incremental changes to come over the next few weeks and months. In this video, Amirebrahimi explains where the new privacy options will show up and how users can access them:  Filed under: social         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 04:07 PM PDT
 Film studio Paramount Pictures is experimenting with a new digital distribution model for the most recently released Transformers movie.By offering its own marketplace for customers to purchase the streaming video, Paramount’s parent company Viacom is essentially cutting out “middlemen” services like Netflix, Vudu and others — meaning it takes a bigger cut of the overall revenue. Viacom is obviously keeping quiet about the experiment. It sent out an e-mail blast Friday (via Viacom-owned MTV’s mailing list) promoting the streaming site for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Potential consumers have the option of renting a standard version of the film for $3.99, while Windows users can rent an HD version for $4.99. The movie is available to watch for 48-hours after purchasing. My guess is that this particular film isn’t going to change the way movies are distributed. It seems like a poor approach because it’s unlikely that many people — those who would spend $4.99 on a digital rental — won’t realize the site is up. Therefore, those same people will either rely on existing services like Vudu and iTunes and/or obtain it illegally. We’ve reached out to Viacom for comment about the company’s strategy and will update the post with any new comments. [Via AdAge] Filed under: media, VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 03:44 PM PDT
 Although Yahoo is in turmoil after the ouster of CEO Carol Bartz, the company is still continuing to release digital products and trying to innovate. The company on Tuesday launched a new video site called Yahoo Screen that it will use to launch eight new original web shows and polish its overall video offerings. Original online video is heating up, as web companies realize the advertising possibilities of homemade, branded content. Yahoo’s news follows AOL’s announcement yesterday that it would also expand its video products by launching more than 15 new original web series. Google is also expected to throw its hat into original video creation ring, after a report yesterday that it has set aside $100 million for YouTube programming. Yahoo, Google and AOL likely see original video series as a major opportunity to reach a new generation of web consumers who have embraced Netflix and Hulu and cut the cord on cable TV. The new Yahoo Screen will replace Yahoo Video as the site’s primary video destination. Yahoo says the eight new original programs will be aimed primarily at women and feature actresses like Judy Greer and Niecy Nash, as well as documentarian Morgan Spurlock. On top of that, the Yahoo Screen site will show licensed content from established content providers such as Fox News and Discovery. It also will license clips directly from Hulu, which is slightly peculiar since Yahoo was supposedly one of the top bidders for Hulu. Perhaps after Bartz’ exit, the company is no longer interested in picking up Hulu, and decided it would be easier to simply mimick Hulu’s strategies with its own site. Yahoo Screen even looks a lot like Hulu. Yahoo’s push into video could also benefit the company’s just-announced partnership with ABC News. ABC News programming and content will find its way onto Yahoo Screen and help provide a variety of content that could keep users coming back. Have you watched anything Yahoo Screen? Do you think it will help Yahoo? Filed under: media         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 03:33 PM PDT
 Google released a new application programming interface (API) for Google+ today. The API gives developers access to Google+’s search functions. The API remains public-focused and will only allow developers to access public posts as well as people.Developers use APIs to access data within another program, such as social data, to improve their own third party applications. Google launched its first set of APIs for Google+ mid-September and soon thereafter introduced the search feature in a sweep of additions. Its second API announcement, this time for access to Google+ video chat feature Hangouts, came in tandem with that announcement. Today Google announced on its blog an API that focuses on search. The current Google+ search function provides you with relevant people and posts pertaining to your keyword query, and also relevant matches from the web. In terms of public posts, the calls will scan both the body of the post as well as any comments on it. You can also see who has plus-oned a post or reshared it. Google explained that it wants developers to not only see the conversations, but also how they are being interacted with. You can also use the API to access people’s name, bio, location, tag line and description. “As an API developer, I love seeing what people build on top of the APIs I've worked on,” said Jordanna Chord, a software engineer for the Google+ API team, said in the blog post. “We have been reading your posts on the discussion board and issue tracker and I am excited to see more of your creative ideas.” Filed under: dev, social         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 03:21 PM PDT
 Open-source software provider Red Hat is planning to acquire online storage vendor Gluster Inc. for $136 million, the company announced Tuesday.Red Hat said it’s purchasing the privately owned Gluster to boost its cloud computing offerings — specifically, Red Hat wants to offer data storage for email and social media information to its enterprise customers. Red Hat plans on incorporating Gluster’s products into its existing product line, which the company will eventually offer to clients through a subscription payment model, according to Red Hat. Founded in 2005, Sunnyvale, California-based Gluster previously obtained a $8.5 million second round of funding from Index Ventures and Nexus Venture Partners. Gluster has a list of high-profile customers, including Deutsche Bank, Samsung, Autodesk and Barnes & Noble. The acquisition deal should close later this month, according to Red Hat. Filed under: cloud, deals, VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 02:33 PM PDT
 Epic Games today showed a demo of Infinity Blade 2, the latest game for the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2. The company was one of the few to take the stage at Apple’s press event introducing the new iPhone 4S.Epic’s subsidiary, Chair Entertainment, stirred a lot of excitement for iOS gaming last year when it launched Infinity Blade, a sword-fighting adventure game. Now the sequel, Infinity Blade 2, will take advantage of the seven-fold improvement in graphics rendering of the A5 chip, which is inside both the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2. Mike Capps, president of Epic Games, and Donald Mustard, creative director at Chair Entertainment, demonstrated the game live on stage, showing off a stunning sword fight between a puny swordsman and a giant titan (pictured). The 3D graphics show that mobile game technology is getting closer and closer to console quality. “I put those graphics up against Xbox One games for sure,” said Capps. “It’s getting real close to current generation consoles, no doubt.” The game will support iOS 5 features such as iCloud, which will allow you to transfer profiles and saved games across devices. Mustard said the game is uniquely focused on touchscreen controls, where you can swipe across the screen to simulate a sword thrust. Epic will also work to see if it can make the game compatible with earlier iPhone and iPad models. Mustard said the new game will have customization features so you can put your own mark on hundreds of different weapons. You will also be able to work in “clash mobs” where you can work together with other gamers in joint battles. If you participate in the “massively social” clash mobs, you can unlock rare weapons and exclusive features. The game will be available in the App Store on Dec. 1. Chair also announced today Infinity Blade: Awakening, a novella written by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. That novella is selling for $2.99 in the iBookstore as of today. You can see the trailer for the Infinity Blade 2 game here. For more on Epic and Infinity Blade, check out our video interview with Capps and Mustard below.  Filed under: games, VentureBeat, video         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 01:56 PM PDT
 Apple today announced more details and a release date for its new iCloud service, which allows iOS users to store content such as music in web-connected data centers, also known as the cloud.Finally making its debut on Oct. 12, iCloud will work on mobile devices running iOS 5 and Mac computers running OS X Lion. It can also sync with Outlook on Windows computers. The service will let you access all of your data on up to 10 Apple devices, including Macs, iPads, iPhones and iPod Touches. You can back up data automatically to the cloud from your devices, such as photos, settings, documents, videos and text messages. To get started, you just need to sign in with an Apple ID. You get 5 gigabytes of data for free. For $20 a year users get 15 gigabytes; $40 a year for 25 gigabytes; and $100 per year for 55 gigabytes. Music lovers have another option for remote storage. The new iTunes Match service allows you to access your entire iTunes collection in the cloud for $25 a year. That means that you can buy a song once on your Mac and then listen to it on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You don’t have to manually sync the devices anymore through a cable. You download a song on one device and it instantly downloads to all of your other Macs or iOS devices. You can pick up where you left off in a document. iCloud will even let you save your spot in a game and jump right back in on another device later. “It’s a smart move on Apple’s part,” said Dave Castelnuovo, head of Bolt Creative, maker of the mobile game Pocket God. “It’s going to be a huge plus for games where you can access saved games, watch your games on a big screen, and let you share things more easily.” iCloud will allow game developers to create multiplayer options in their games since they can rely on Apple to handle the server infrastructure. A feature known as Photostream will allow users to automatically send photos to and from iCloud enabled Apple devices. Calendars will also sync with iCloud. Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, said that iCloud and accompanying iTunes Match service (where you can access your iTunes in the cloud) would be rolled out across the globe over time. Right now, iCloud will debut just in the U.S. and iTunes Match will be ready at the end of October. For more on how iCloud works, watch this video about the service that Apple showed today.  Filed under: cloud, mobile, video         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 01:37 PM PDT
 You’ve read the rumors, the liveblogs and the steady stream of excited tweets, now check out this video of Apple showing off the new iPhone 4S today.Scott Forstall (pictured above), senior vice president of iPhone software, and other executives demonstrated everything the iPhone 4S can do today in a press conference. The video highlights new features for the new smartphone such as a better camera, a faster A5 chip, and the Siri voice-based personal assistant. The new phone will run on Apple’s new mobile operating system, iOS 5. The iPhone 4S will be available for preorder on Friday and it will ship with AT&T, Sprint and Verizon on Oct. 14.  Filed under: mobile, video         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 12:58 PM PDT
 Apple announced today its latest mobile operating system update, iOS 5, will be available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners to download on October 12.Today’s Apple event had little by way of new features available in iOS 5, but did recap what we can expect next Wednesday when we all plug into iTunes. According to Scott Forstall, Apple’s senior vice president of iOS Software, who took the stage to talk iOS, the new release has over 200 new features to offer. Here are the top ten features he highlighted: Better Notifications: iOS 5 will include the new Notification Center, which can be accessed by swiping your finger downward on any iPhone screen. You can customize which notifications appear, including emails, texts, Game Center updates and weather. The point is to make notifications less like that interrupting cow in your knock knock joke. iMessage: The new messaging feature allows iOS users to communicate over 3G and Wi-Fi with any iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad running iOS 5. You will be able to send photos and video, receive message delivery and read receipts, and see when others are typing. iMessages are synced to all of your devices, so you can pick up a conversation where you left off. Apple also promises your messages will be encrypted end-to-end for security. Reminders: For the forgetful among us, reminders combines to-do lists and reminders. The feature can alert people to the simple things such as, “Pick up your dry cleaning,” or, “Your mother-in-law has been at the airport for an hour, prepare to sleep on the couch.” You can also set up a geofence around an area, that will set off a reminder once you leave that space. Reminders sync with Outlook, Apple’s iCal and iCloud so that they’re available across all of your devices. Twitter Integration: Forstall said, “"We have integrated Twitter deeply into the OS. We have integrated Twitter into many of the built-in apps.” You only have to log in to Twitter once in your iOS device’s Settings screen. Then you can use it across the built-in iOS 5 apps and share websites from the Safari, YouTube, Photos app and more. Newsstand: All of your favorite news publications, such as the New York Times, the New Yorker and Allure, are aggregated into a special folder on your home screen iOS device called newsstand. Apps purchased in the Newsstand section of the App Store automatically download to this folder. While you’re going about your business, Newsstand continues to download new content from your subscriptions. Camera: When you need to whip out your camera and grab that fleeting shot of a seagull flying in front of the setting sun, you don’t want to wait to unlock your phone and access the camera. Apple’s answer to that is a shortcut in iOS 5 that doesn’t require you to enter a lock code to take a picture — just double click on the home screen and hit the Camera button. iOS 5 will also have new camera features, including auto focus and exposure lock, a rule-of-thirds grid overlay, pinch-to-zoom and the ability to use the volume up button as a shutter release button. On the other side, there are finally editing options to clean up pictures after you take them, including red eye removal, cropping and auto levels. Game Center: We’re all about content discovery lately, and gaming is the next frontier. iOS 5 is rolling out game and friend discovery to its over 67 million Game Center users. A sequel to Infinity Blade by Epic Games is also coming out, made specifically for the new iPhone 4S. New Safari: Forstall says, “”This next feature is one of my favorite: Tab browsing.” Tabbed browsing is just as it sounds, a way to switch between pages you’re reading simultaneously, like you do on a desktop. If you don’t have time to read a page, you can now “save” that page for later with the Safari Reader tool. Saved articles will be synced across all of your devices with iCloud, so you can pick up an article on your iPad where you left off on your iPhone. Mail: The iOS Mail app will be more like a traditional email inbox! iOS 5 allows you to flag messages, search your whole inbox and write emails with rich text formatting, including bold and underlined fonts. PC Free: Cast off the chains tying your mobile to your computer! With iOS 5, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users will no longer have to physically connect to a computer in order to activate their new devices or download important iOS updates. And with iCloud, you can backup photos, email, and other data wirelessly as well. Look out for the iOS update next week. [Some photos by Christina Bonnington and Brian X. Chen/Wired.com] Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 12:18 PM PDT
 Apple fans who expected an iPhone 5 today were disappointed.Instead, all Apple unveiled was a phone that’s 2 times faster, with 7 times faster graphics rendering. It’s got a battery that’s good for a full day of talking, almost, and more than 3 solid days of listening to music. The camera is substantially improved, with a faster, f2.4 lens and an 8 megapixel sensor, and it records 1080p HD video. It’s a worldphone, meaning it will work on just about any cellular network around the world, both CDMA and GSM. Oh, and you can talk to your phone, and it will answer your questions, thanks to a new feature called Siri. It knows who you’re sending messages to, where you are, and even knows who your wife is, as Apple’s Scott Forstall somewhat creepily said. The result: You can ask it for directions, currency conversions and restaurant recommendations, and you can hold down the home button and tell your phone “Remind me to call my wife when I leave work today,” and it will do it. Leave it to Apple fans to be disappointed when their favorite company announces something that blows away just about every other competing product in technical sophistication, speed and price. What we didn’t get today was a phone with a redesigned look or a larger screen. Some were hoping Apple would increase its screen size from the current 3.5-inch display to a more impressive 4-inch or larger display, like many Android-based competitors have done. And some were hoping Apple would move away from its obsession with glass and give its phone a slightly more sturdy back. None of those hopes panned out. On the other hand, today’s announcement is pretty damn impressive. There’s even something for the low end of the market: You can now get an iPhone 3GS for free (and that phone, another seemingly incremental upgrade, has sold very well over the years). Apple releases products on its own timeline. And it doesn’t worry too much about inflating its products’ names (it could easily have decided to call today’s phone the iPhone 5, for instance). Cook definitely exaggerated when he said “Only Apple can make amazing hardware, software and services and bring them together in an integrated experience.” Other companies can do that, too. But Apple does it very well. No matter what you call it, the iPhone 4S is an impressive product that’s well-integrated into an even more impressive suite of software and services. As Dan Frommer writes, “If you’re disappointed by the iPhone 4S, you’re nuts.” Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 12:10 PM PDT
 Apple’s press conference ended moments ago without an iPhone 5 announcement. Instead, the company said it would launch an iPhone 4S on Oct. 14. That phone has a lot of cool new features and a speedy new A5 processor, but it isn’t the next-generation iPhone 5 that many were expecting. The big star of the event, as a result, wasn’t the new phone at all. Rather, it was Siri. The iPhone 4S includes a voice assistant with artificial intelligence built into it called Siri. You can talk to the phone in a natural way and it speaks answers right back to you in a friendly computerized voice.Apple acquired Siri, a startup spun off by SRI, for an undisclosed price last year. It has now integrated Siri and many of its functions into the iPhone 4S. The virtual assistant can do simple things like look up a contact or tell you the weather. It also understands you when you speak in a conversational manner. You can ask it to “find the best Greek restaurants in Palo Alto” and it will speak the answer, using ratings from Yelp. Then, upon request, it can make a reservation and invite one of your friends to join you there.  That is pretty cool technology, but it may be seen as letdown by those who were expecting a more radical iPhone upgrade with better features, such as faster data service with true 4G service. The new iPhone 4S has HSDPA data service, which can download data at 14 megabits per second and upload it at 5.8 megabits per second.The iPhone 4S also has a pretty nifty camera, which has an 8 megapixel sensor and a resolution of 3264-by-2448 pixels. That is 60 percent more pixels than the iPhone 4 camera sensor. It also takes pictures 33 percent faster and can gather 73 percent more light per pixel. The iPhone 4S looks exactly like the last model, but has features that distinguish it from the iPhone 4. This iPhone works with both the GSM and CDMA wireless protocols, so you can take it with you around the world and still get service, mainly by switching from one network to the other. The iPhone 4S antenna is also designed to give you better reception. Consumers are likely to react to the release with some confusion as well. Should they buy a new iPhone 4S now, or wait for an iPhone 5?  The iPhone 4S will be available on Sprint in addition to Verizon and AT&T. It’s possible the latter two carriers may have tried to head off Sprint’s rumored iPhone 5 exclusive at the last minute, causing Apple to cancel the iPhone 5 announcement, if it existed. In any case, it is a victory for Sprint that it will finally be carrying an Apple iPhone.The iPhone 4S will sell for $199 for 16 gigabytes of storage, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64 gigabytes to eligible customers as part of a two-year contract with AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. The old iPhone 4 will now sell for $99 and the iPhone 3GS will be available for free with a two-year contract. Preorders for the iPhone 4S start on Oct. 7 and delivery begins on the 14th. In other matters: Apple updated the iPod line with a cheaper and more functional Nano and a new version of the iPod Touch with a better camera. Epic Games showed off Infinity Blade 2, a sequel to its big hit Infinity Blade from a year ago. The game looks gorgeous on the iPhone 4S. It was designed for the A5 chip, which is the same high-performance microprocessor Apple used in the iPad 2 and which it is now in the iPhone 4S. Tim Cook, chief executive of Apple, rattled off a bunch of statistics and sales numbers. He said Apple has sold more than 250 million iOS devices and users have downloaded more than 18 billion apps. Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 12:07 PM PDT
 Just before it debuted its much-hyped iPhone 4S, Apple on Tuesday announced minor upgrades and price reductions for its popular iPod music player line. The iPod touch, the most popular iPod selling today, will stay mostly the same. It will run the new iOS 5 software, which will give the device a lot more features. Apple at one point called the device the best-selling handheld game console on the market today. The cheapest iPod touch 16GB model will drop by $30 to $199. The 32GB model will run $299 and the 64GB model will run $399. The iPod nano has also had a minor update, with the addition of 16 new clocks for the people who like to use their iPod as a watch. The iPod nano will also drop slightly in price to $129 for the 8GB model and $149 for the 16GB model. The iPod shuffle will continue to sell for $49 with 2GB of storage. It’s a popular choice for runners and exercise enthusiasts, so the company probably thought there was little reason to change it up. Notably, there was no word about the iPod Classic at the keynote. But Apple has sent out a press release covering its iPod line up and kept the iPod Classic with 160GB of storage in the mix for $249. The model will be exactly the same, so perhaps Apple just decided it was best to leave it off the side. What are your thoughts on Apple’s iPod line up? Filed under: media, mobile         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 11:57 AM PDT
 After much speculation and waiting, Apple finally launched its new iPhone 4S on Tuesday at a keynote hosted by new CEO Tim Cook.Many people thought the new iPhone would have a bigger screen and a thinner design, but the device looks a heck of a lot like the iPhone 4. Thankfully, the iPhone 4S does offer many hardware and software improvements that make it a significant upgrade over the iPhone 4. These include a faster processor, a much better camera, a virtual voice-powered assistant and doubled data speeds. Here are 10 important questions and answers about brand-new iPhone 4S. 1. What carriers is the phone available for? The iPhone 4S will be available for AT&T, Verizon and for the first time, Sprint. The addition of the phone to Sprint’s line is a huge boon for the third-place wireless carrier, and for customers who have been demanding the iPhone for some time. 2. How much does it cost? The iPhone 4S will come in three models, but requires a 2-year contract from one of the above carriers. The 16GB model runs $199, the 32GB model is $299 and the 64GB model costs $399. If you are not eligible for a new subsidized iPhone from your carrier yet, the prices are much steeper: The iPhone 4S 16GB is $449, the 32GB is $549, and the 64GB is $649. Older iPhone models will still be available and will drop in price. The iPhone 3GS 8GB will now be free with a 2-year contract from AT&T only ($199 if you’re not eligible), and the iPhone 4 8GB will cost $99 with a 2-year contact from AT&T, Verizon or Sprint (or $349 if you’re not eligible). 3. What kind of screen does it have? Contrary to early rumors, the iPhone 4S features the same exact screen as the iPhone 4. It has a 3.5-inch, 960-by-640-pixel “Retina Display.” On the plus side, the Retina Display is really great, so we can’t complain too much.  4. How good is the hardware inside and does it have 4G data capabilities?The iPhone 4S includes the same, powerful, Apple-made A5 processor that runs the iPad, which will enable fast performance and strong gaming abilities. Apple said the antenna design has been modified to improve reception. Also inside is a chipset that allows the phone to work around the world on GSM and CDMA networks. Unfortunately, the iPhone 4S is not equipped for true 4G using LTE or WiMAX. It will, however, offer faster download and upload speeds using HSPA than the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4S offers maximum 14.4 Mbps downloads and 5.8 Mbps uploads. Data speeds will be somewhat faster on AT&T than on Sprint and Verizon because of HSPA technology. 5. How big is the iPhone 4S and how long does the battery last? The iPhone 4S has the same dimensions as the iPhone 4. It has a 3.5-inch screen and measures 4.5-by-2.31-by-.37 inches. The device weighs about 5 ounces. The battery life of the iPhone 4S is supposedly higher than the last model, and it is rated for 8 hours of 3G talk time, 10 hours of video playback and 40 hours of music playback. The iOS 5 software may potentially contribute some of the better battery life. 6. What software is it running? The new iPhone runs Apple’s iOS 5 operating system, which was announced in June at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. iOS 5 is a steep upgrade from iOS 4 and has more than 200 new features, including much deeper social integration from Twitter, better camera software and a powerful new notifications tray that swipes down from the top of the screen. One other major software addition that makes iOS 5 special is the new Siri voice assistant software. Apple bought Siri’s voice technology back in early 2010, and we finally get to see the product of that today. It’s a smart app that you can ask questions to, such as what the weather is or how to get to a certain restaurant. Apple cautioned that Siri is still in beta, so it might not be able to answer all of your questions, yet. 7. How much storage does it have? The iPhone 4S will come with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB storage options. Thanks to its iOS 5 operating system, the phone will also have iCloud access. iCloud lets you keep a backup of your songs, pictures and documents in Apple’s cloud. If you want to delete a song, for example, you can then re-download it later from Apple for no extra cost. 8. What sort of camera does the iPhone 4S have? The iPhone 4′s 5-megapixel back camera was already great, but the iPhone 4S’s camera is even better. The iPhone 4S includes an 8-megapixel sensor and captures pictures up to 3264-by-2448-pixels in size. The lens has been upgraded for sharper photos, and there’s a new IR filter. Apple also says that it has tinkered with the camera software in iOS 5 for better color accuracy and white balance. With such a good camera, it might be time to stop bringing your point-and-shoot with you. For video, the device offers 1080p HD recording with video image stabilization and temporal noise reduction. That’s sure to come in handy when you’re recording YouTube videos. The front facing camera is the same as it was in the iPhone 4. 9. What are the best current alternatives to the iPhone 4S? The most impressive new smartphones for AT&T and Sprint come from the same line — the Samsung Galaxy S II Android phones. These devices each carry a brilliant AMOLED screen, an 8-megapixel camera that records 1080p video, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 16GB of onboard memory and a microSD slot that can take up to a 32GB memory card. The AT&T model has a 4.3-inch screen and HSPA+ 4G while Sprint has a 4.5-inch screen and faster WiMAX 4G. On Verizon, we think the most impressive non-iPhone device is currently the Motorola Droid Bionic. The phone has blazing fast 4G LTE data speeds, 4.3-inch screen, a dual-core 1-GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording. 10. When can I buy the iPhone 4S? The phone will be available for pre-order on Oct. 7 and for purchase on Oct. 14. You can get it through the wireless carriers or through Apple. If you already own an iPhone, you can check to see if you’re eligible for the subsidized iPhone 4S prices here. Finally, what are your thoughts on the new iPhone 4S? Do you have any questions about the new device? Filed under: mobile         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 11:47 AM PDT
 Apple announced today that it will launch its popular iPhone line on Sprint, the third-largest provider of wireless service in the U.S., at a press event in Cupertino, Calif.A report by the Wall Street Journal on Monday indicated Sprint spent more than $20 billion on a deal with Apple to secure the iPhone. The report suggested Sprint bought more than 30 million iPhones from the manufacturer. Later reports incorrectly suggested Sprint might have secured an exclusive for the next iPhone while Verizon Wireless and AT&T would get a lesser version of the next phone. Sprint is the last major carrier (outside of T-Mobile, which AT&T is in the process of buying) that has not secured the iPhone. It has had to survive by offering deals for unlimited data — something Verizon Wireless and AT&T have both abandoned — and popular phones running Google’s mobile operating system Android. That strategy took its toll, as Sprint had some 52 million subscribers at the end of the second quarter this year. In comparison, Verizon Wireless has around 106 million subscribers and AT&T has around 99 million. Apple also unveiled a revamped line-up for its iPod Nano, a smaller version of the iPod Touch with a touch screen and a pedometer, and a new version of the iPod Touch. While many expected the company to release a drastic upgrade for the phone, the only thing consumers get this fall is a suped-up version of the iPhone 4 called the iPhone 4S. That phone features a more powerful chip, more memory and a better camera, but still looks identical to the iPhone 4. Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S begin Friday, Oct. 7. The company will start shipping the phone the following week on Oct. 14. It’s available with a new 2-year contract for $199, $299 and $399 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models of the phone respectively. Filed under: mobile         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 11:46 AM PDT
 Twitter has taken a lot of flack for its slow approach to revenue, but a new report pegs the startup’s annual revenue at $1.194 billion in five years.A few days ago, we learned that the startup was on track for around $140 in revenue for 2011. That number pales in comparison to, say, Facebook’s $4.27 billion projected revenue for the year. However, we have to remember that the microblogging platform’s revenue-generating suite of ad products hasn’t even been fully rolled out yet. Saying the company’s revenue efforts are still in a “nascent stage,” secondary market SharesPost researchers stated, “We believe the company is still a year or two from fully monetizing all aspects of its platform.” The new study released by SharesPost today shows that, in fact, Twitter’s revenue is projected to grow substantially once its group of promoted products is fully operational. The report estimates that Twitter will reach $329 million in revenue by next year and half a billion dollars in annual revenue by 2013, surpassing the $1 billion benchmark in 2016. These numbers are somewhat higher than, but still comparable to, estimates from ad intelligence firm eMarketer.  Twitter is reported to have made around $45 million in 2010, and between $140 million and $165 million in 2011. However, SharesPost’s report does come with a critical caveat. Explaining that the promoted ad options are still relatively untested, the researchers wrote, “We believe that most revenue generation options available to the company have the potential to alienate at least some of Twitter’s user base. The company may not have adequate time to revise its models before it loses its critical mass and reputation… Promoted Tweets and Trends offer additional monetization options, but… is likely to turn off some users if the advertising gets too intrusive.” This year, Twitter started ramping up its line of advertising products, which currently includes Promoted Tweets, Promoted Trends and Promoted Accounts. Just last month month, the company started serving promotional content in a new way altogether, allowing advertisers to push tweets to users even if those users don’t follow the advertiser’s account. Another new source of revenue for the end of 2011 and the duration of 2012 will be political advertising. The company opened a Washington, DC-based ad sales office to gear up for a slew of political advertising over the next 13 months or so. The report’s numbers are based on expected customer growth, the number of brands choosing to advertise through Twitter, revenue from existing advertising products and ad targeting. However, SharesPost did note that since Twitter’s revenue-generating features are still “in an experimental phase… it is not yet certain when Twitter will achieve this kind of ad targeting and attain its expected revenue growth.” The report also indicated that Twitter is sitting at the top of the heap when it comes to return on investment for advertisers. Researchers pegged the cost per acquisition for Twitter ads at around $0.14 to $0.50 — a far cry from the multi-dollar per acquisition amounts seen in email marketing, mobile marketing or telemarketing. As for valuation, the report reads, “Assuming steady state revenues of $1.195B in 2016, normalized net margins of 25 percent, a growth multiple of 25x, and discounting to 2011 at a discount rate of 20 percent, we arrive at a target 2011 enterprise value of $3.0B. Accounting for estimated cash in hand of $600M we arrive at a market capitalization of $3.6B.” These numbers are significantly lower than reported valuations from a recent funding round (around $8 billion) and secondary market trading ($6.8 billion).  Filed under: social         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 11:43 AM PDT
 This post is sponsored by The Founder Showcase.Are you a seed-stage startup looking for funding or exposure? Then apply to the Founder Showcase Pitch Competition, where previous presenters have raised over $20 million without ever being required to pay a dime. To apply for your chance to present on-stage, go here. Any company less than two years old with less than $250,000 in funding is eligible, but the application deadline is Sunday, October 9. To see previous presenters, visit the new Founder Showcase Hall of Fame. The Founder Showcase event brings together leading investors, founders, and press for one action-packed night to network and help launch a startup company to greatness. The 8th Founder Showcase is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8 in San Francisco and will be the largest crowd yet (500+). Guests will be treated to a Keynote speech from Michael Arrington, General Partner at CrunchFund and the Founder of TechCrunch, as well as an entertaining Pitch and Demo Table Competition. This event has sold out the last five times, so purchase your tickets today. VentureBeat readers get 15% off with the code “vbeat”. The Founders Showcase is also giving away a free Demo Table ($395 value) to someone who helps spread the word. Just tweet a message with the hashtag #foundershowcase and the URL http://bit.ly/9OlVo8, and on Friday, November 4, one winner will be randomly selected on the @founding account. A sample message is below: - Are you going to #FounderShowcase on 11/08 in San Fran? @arrington is speaking. http://bit.ly/9OlVo8 via @founding For more information go here. Filed under: VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 11:23 AM PDT
 Apple showed off its new voice assistant, Siri, a voice control feature available on its mobile operating system iOS, today at a special press event in Cupertino, Calif.From what I can tell from the demo, Siri is the equivalent of handing your phone to another person sitting beside you and instructing them on what you want to do with it — sort of like many people have experienced when driving and trying to find something on their phones. (And as TWiT host Leo Laporte mentioned, Siri also adds a whole new level of “Damn you auto correct!”). Siri will to transform the way you access things on a device by making speech a key component of navigation and discovery. You can now ask your phone and tablet computer to pull up contacts, recommend a restaurant, search Wikipedia, find out the daily weather forecast and way more. “You can ask Siri about the weather. ‘What is the weather like today?’” Siri: “Here is the weather for today,” Apple’s Phil Schiller said during the live demonstration. Another demonstration of Siri showed it consulting Wolfram Alpha to find out how many days there are until Christmas. For now, it seems that Siri only works with native iOS apps. It’ll be interesting to see if Apple opens this up once its out of beta testing. Apple began working on a voice assistant feature in April 2010 after purchasing Siri. The new feature is based on artificial intelligence technology that Apple acquired from Siri, which allows users to ask for places to eat using normal spoken words. The announcement of Siri was predicted by several people after many developers noticed voice control components within the iOS 5 beta, the latest version of the operating system available to developers to create and test applications.  This story is developing. Please refresh the page for updates. Images via Engadget Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 11:03 AM PDT
 Gears of War developer Epic Games today unveiled the second version of its hardcore mobile hack-and-slash game, Infinity Blade — designed specifically for Apple’s next iPhone (also unveiled today) and once again featuring suped-up graphics.The original Infinity Blade broke through a lot of the boundaries for graphics on a smartphone. It was one of the first games to show that the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 could compete as gaming platforms with devices built specifically for gaming. Infinity Blade on the iPhone 4 actually looks a touch better than the graphics available on the PlayStation Portable, Sony's handheld video game console, and much better than those on the Nintendo DS. Infinity Blade 2 looks like it will once again push the phone’s boundaries. It includes new gameplay features, like being able to customize weapons and armor. But it also features a revamped graphic engine with dynamic lighting, which is extremely graphic intensive. Apple’s iPhone 4S should be able to handle it thanks to its A5 processor, which is about 7 times more powerful than the A4 in the iPhone 4 when it comes to graphics. But that’s about it. Aside from the incremental upgrades to the processor, the iPhone 4S doesn’t really push the envelope in gaming like the original iPhone did when it introduced touch and motion controls. Even the iPhone 4 still pushed mobile gaming forward with its super high-resolution Retina display, which made colorful games much more vivid and artistic games more popular. The iPhone 4S runs the risk of going along with other pieces of hardware that assume graphics are what makes or breaks a game. “Agreed, I don’t see a material change here,” Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter told VentureBeat. Creating a device that can handle more graphically intensive games isn’t always the most successful strategy. For example, the Wii is not a graphics powerhouse, but it is still the most popular console of the current generation. That’s because it opened up gaming to a brand new audience. Infinity Blade 2 puts players in control of a man on a mission to destroy the "God-King," a hyper-powerful knight who kicks your ass the first time you play. You control the game by swiping your finger to swing your sword and tapping the screen to dodge attacks and bring up your shield. Over time, you become more powerful and get access to better equipment — like new spells, swords and shields. Infinity Blade was a commercial success for Epic Games and brought in more than $10 million in revenue. That's pretty impressive given that the game costs $6 on the Apple App Store. Epic Games is known for games that push the limits of graphics on devices like its over-the-shoulder shooting game series Gears of War. Infinity Blade 2 comes out December 1 this year. Filed under: games         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 10:58 AM PDT
 For the first time ever, the total spent on mobile advertising in the U.S. will top $1 billion in 2011.According to projections from ad intelligence firm eMarketer, brands will spend around $1.23 billion on mobile advertising, up from $743 million just last year. That’s a 66 percent increase year over year. Right now, text messaging makes up the bulk of mobile ad spending, composing around 36 percent of all mobile spending. Banners and rich media also make up a large chunk of the total at 30 percent, and mobile search advertising isn’t far behind at 28.5 percent. Mobile video advertising is the ugly stepchild of the group, making up just 4.7 percent of mobile ad spend in 2011. However, eMarketer projects that number will increase to 9 percent by 2014. Over the next four years, forecasts show the total for mobile ad spending increasing to $4.4 billion. Already, mobile ad spending has come a long way, up from $320 million in 2008 and $416 million in 2009.  By contrast, online ad spending is expected to reach $31 billion this year. Buzz-heavy social media properties such as Twitter and Facebook have been singled out for ad spend analysis, weighing in at $140 million and $4 billion, respectively. eMarketer’s forecast comes from data gathered from research firms, major mobile ad networks and vendors. The company also considers smartphone and tablet usage trends as well as the input of mobile and advertising industry leaders in its analysis. Image courtesy of johnkatsanis. Filed under: mobile         This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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