Section: Communications, Cellphones, Web, Google  When Froyo updates started rolling out to the public, it was no surprise that the first device supported was the Nexus One (it was Google’s first phone). But now, according to a quote from Slashgear, it seems that the Droid is not far behind in getting 2.2.
When Slashgear reached out to Motorola regarding an Android 2.2 update for the Droid they responded with: "We're excited to see Google's news of the next version of the Android operating system and look forward to integrating it on our Android-based devices as it's made available to the open source community." While I can't comment on specifics, we do expect DROID by Motorola users will receive Android 2.2 as a software upgrade in the near future."
Great news for Droid owners like me! Although I’m pretty sure that many carriers and manufacturers will follow in doing over-the-air updates for the majority of phones that will be receiving the update. Read [Slashgear ] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking Our boy Marky has found himself neck deep in trouble as of late. The best thing to do would at this point would be to make some reassuring comments to make the 400 million Facebook users at ease over the whole privacy issue. Zuckerberg officially stated that Facebook’s privacy settings are “too complex”, and that the site will change these settings “as soon as possible”. Is it just me, or can you imagine Zuckerberg making this sort of a statement while scoffing at the users for their stupidity? In any event, Facebook is currently trying to change its ever-transient user experience by taking things a bit slower. Zuckerberg went on to state that “in the coming weeks, we will add privacy controls that are much simpler to use. If people share more, the world will become more open and connected. And a world that’s more open and connected is a better world".
Better for the marketers, right? Zuckerberg went on to state the five principles that Facebook follows: - You have control over how your information is shared.
- We do not share your personal information with people or services you don’t want.
- We do not give advertisers access to your personal information.
- We do not and never will sell any of your information to anyone.
- We will always keep Facebook a free service for everyone.
Take your pick as to which of these five “principles” is actually true. Hint: it’s not the top four. Read [WashingtonPost] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  AT&T Wireless customers beware. As of June 1st the company's early termination fee for smartphones will rise to a whopping $325. That's double the old rate of $175. The fee hike will only apply to smartphones like the iPhone, Blackberry, Palm and Windows Mobile devices. AT&T hasn't given a reason for the hike but some say it is related to the upcoming release of the next generation of iPhone. They are following in the footsteps of Verizon, who hiked their ETF to $350 late last year, triggering an investigation by the FCC. It's well known that ETFs are meant to make up for the steep subsidies on cell phones, but are Verizon and AT&T going too far?
Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile  Be careful what you wish for, says the old saying. That axiom may be proving true based on a new video comparing Android 2.2 running on a Nexus One, a HTC HD2 using Opera and an iPhone 3GS running beta 4.0 software. The result might surprise you.
The Flash is a welcome addition for accessing content that other devices just can’t. The world of Flash gaming opens up and looks pretty good on the video. More online video is available to the Nexus One video but not all is rosy. “Not super smooth, but better than what we’ve seen.” The Flash player is available as an app, allowing Adobe to update as it see fits rather than waiting for Google to push out an update. The app is currently a beta, so keep that in mind in watching the video below. So what are the issues? The addition of Flash means that the 2.2 equipped Nexus One was slower than the iPhone to load pages. It did beat the Opera web browser of the HD2, though, so an advancement in speed has been made. The Flash content on a page, like advertising, when scrolled is rather jerky. It just isn’t a smooth experience. Tap and hold that should enlarge the video to full screen seemed intermittent at best. One more interesting occurrence in the video, part way through playing with 2.2, the phone put up a notification that the OS was “low on space” after downloading all that Flash content. “Flash 10.1 Beta is just not there yet. As I mentioned I think I am going to uninstall 10.1 Beta and forget about Flash on a mobile phone for a while.”
 Read: [PocketNow] via [IntoMobile] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking  According to a recently released study, at least 60% of all Facebook members are considering quitting following the companies recently revised privacy policy, which forces them to make certain parts of their profiles public. The policy has drawn sharp criticism by many who feel Facebook has no right taking control of its users' data. Many are also frustrated with the complexity of the privacy tools the site provides. The anger is so strong that a "Quit Facebook Day" has been organized.
“Most still don’t know how to set their Facebook privacy options safely, finding the whole system confusing,” Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said, adding what is needed is a fundamental shift towards asking users to “opt-in” to sharing information, rather than to “opt-out." People use Facebook to share private information and are unlikely to want their holiday snaps or new mobile number accidentally popping up all over the internet. "
Should Facebook be worried? Yes and no. When you roll out changes that piss off a large segment of your user base you darn well better be concerned, but at the same time it's unlikely that Facebook will see 60% of its user base disappear. Too many people are addicted to the site and even those that aren't are unlikely to leave if the majority of their friends don't.
Facebook does appear to be worried. They called an emergency meeting to discuss the backlash but decline to reveal what was talked about or if it resulted in a decision to roll back any of the changes. Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops, Netbooks, Gadgets / Other, ebooks Asus and Amazon have teamed up, and moving forward you will be able to order select Asus notebooks and netbooks with the Amazon Kindle app for the PC pre-installed. The models that will be included in this promotion are the Eee PC 1005PE-MU27 netbook and the UL30A and the UL30VT notebooks. Sadly though, its just that, some otherwise free software that is going to be installed as default. And while this is most likely a good partnership for Asus and Amazon I can see some users upset that they now have another default app that they may or may not ever use. Its funny, I like Asus and the Eee, and I like Amazon, but still have a hard time seeing this as anything more than additional crap on my computer. Still I guess if you are not capable of installing software for some reason this may appeal to you. Otherwise, they are giving you something that is already available for free. Via [Engadget] Keep reading to check out the full press release… ASUS Pre-installs Kindle for PC Application on Award-Winning Netbooks and Notebooks Customers using Kindle for PC can enjoy over 540,000 books, including New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases, on ASUS’ latest netbook and notebook products FREMONT, California (May 24, 2010) - ASUS today announced that Amazon’s “Kindle for PC” application, which lets readers enjoy Kindle books on their personal computers (PC), will come pre-installed on select ASUS netbooks and notebooks sold at Amazon.com. Kindle for PC enables customers to discover and read from over 540,000 books in the Kindle Store -the largest selection of the most popular books that people want to read—including New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases priced from $9.99. Like all Kindle apps, Kindle for PC includes Amazon’s Whispersync technology, which saves and synchronizes a customer’s notes, highlights, bookmarks and last page read across their Kindle, Kindle DX, PC, Mac and other devices* so customers always have their reading material with them and never lose their place whether at home or on-the-go. “We are thrilled that customers will begin to enjoy the Kindle for PC experience right out of the box with ASUS devices,” said Ben Thacker, VP Sales and Product Management, Systems Business Group, North American Channel, ASUS Computer International. “Kindle is something our customers have been asking for and by pre-installing Kindle for PC on select long battery life products, we believe we are providing our customers an even richer PC experience. Working with a customer-centric company such as Amazon and pre-installing their Kindle for PC application is a natural fit for ASUS.” With the free Kindle for PC pre-installed on select ASUS netbooks and notebooks, consumers can take advantage of the following features and more: · Purchase, download, and read more than 540,000 books, including 96 of 110 New York Times Bestsellers, plus tens of thousands of the most popular classics for free directly from their ASUS device. Bestsellers such as “Backlash” by Aaron Allston, “Big Girl” by Danielle Steel, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot and “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown, and hundreds of thousands of other popular books are $9.99 or less in the Kindle Store · Browse by genre or author, and take advantage of all the features that they enjoy in the Kindle Store, including Amazon.com customer reviews, personalized recommendations and editorial reviews
· Read the beginning of books for free before they decide to buy
· Access their Kindle books even if they don’t have Kindle with them
· Synchronize last page read between their Kindle, Kindle DX, PC, Mac, and other devices*
· Create new highlights, notes and bookmarks, and manage those created on their Kindle
· Choose from three different color modes: read in white, sepia, or black color modes and adjust the brightness of the display from within the application
· Choose from more than 10 different font sizes and adjust words per line
· Read books using full-screen mode of their PC “We think customers are going to love the convenience and simplicity of having instant access to Kindle for PC from their ASUS device and access to a massive selection of Kindle books,” said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. “Kindle for PC lets customers enjoy over 540,000 books in the Kindle Store even if they don’t yet have a Kindle, and its the perfect companion application for the millions of Kindle and Kindle DX owners.” Kindle for PC* is available today and comes preinstalled on the following ASUS Eee PC Netbooks with battery life** up to 11 hours: 1005PE-MU27- BK 1005PE-MU27-BU 1005PE-MU27-WT 1005PE-MU27-PI And on the following ASUS ultra thin and light UL Series notebooks featuring over 11 hours of battery life **: UL30A-X5K
UL30VT-X1K These select ASUS netbooks and notebooks are available at Amazon.com with additional models arriving soon. ### * Kindle for PC, a free application that allows customers to read Kindle content on a PC, is available for download on http://www.amazon.com/KindleforPC . **Battery life measured with MobileMark 2007 in reader mode and can be different based upon usage and conditions. Please visit http://usa.asus.com for more information. Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. ### About ASUS ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era, with a broad product portfolio that includes notebooks, netbooks, motherboards, graphics cards, displays, desktop PCs, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones and networking devices. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s home and office users. ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than 10,000 and a world-class R&D design team, the company’s revenue for 2009 was US$7.5 billion. ASUS ranks among BusinessWeek’s InfoTech 100, and has been on the listing for 12 consecutive years.
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Features, Originals Images taken by Greg Billetdeaux Your iPad is jailbroken and you have Cydia installed, but now what do you do? Well today, we have the top 5 free productivity apps you can find in the Cydia app store. These things may not all have icons, but they significantly improve your experience with your pad. We'll go through things like improved settings, another installer, and even multitasking! So without further adieu, lets get started. 
5. Respring
This app does hardly anything at all. In fact, it is included in one of the apps later down the list. But nevertheless, in the beginning stages of your jailbroken iPad experience, it comes in handy. Plus, many of the good productivity apps don’t quite work on the iPad yet. Anyways, the only thing Respring will do is basically restart your iPad; only it doesn’t take 2 minutes. Instead, it takes 10 seconds. But if an app you download turns your iPad literally into a giant iPhone (which has happened to me), you just run Respring and everything will be alright.
4. Rock
Rock is a much more aesthetically pleasing version of Cydia. It is an app store that allows you to download apps and purchase licenses for apps that cost money. Yes, even though you jailbroke your iPad, the good apps still cost money. You create your Rock account, and then you can purchase apps on your iPad, iTouch, iPhone, or your computer. You can use many different methods of payment, including my favorite, PayPal. Overall, it feels more like an app store than Cydia really does and it looks more like one too.
3. OpenSSH
OpenSSH is an app you won't see after you download. In fact, you'll never see it again. But its uses are immeasurable. It allows you to access your iPad's file-system on any computer on your network. This allows you to manually place files onto your pad. The most common use of this is to place the ROM's of your purchased games onto the iPad to play them coupled with an emulator. Sadly, this app has a downside as well; it opens up the opportunity for viruses to infect your i-device. It is simple to prevent that though, just change your root password and you’ll be safe.  2. SBSettings
This is another app that exists without an icon. But unlike OpenSSH, SBSettings has a much more physical presence. Just swipe your finger across the status bar at the top of the screen and a menu will appear. This menu can have many settings on it such as brightness, volume, wi-fi, etc… All of them are accessible while in any app without closing the app. You can also download more controls like 3G, Bluetooth, and a calculator through Cydia. SBSettings also has a natural respring function built-in. Essentially, it is a very very basic form of multitasking. There is also a “dock” inside SBSettings that lets you put apps in there. It’s good for hiding apps you don’t often use so you don’t want them to clutter up your screens.
 
1. Backgrounder
Backgrounder is number one for various reasons. But the biggest one is the fact that if you want to really do any two or more things at once on the iPad, you have to continue to reopen them over and over again and with most, start back from the beginning. With Backgrounder, the state of the app is saved once you close it so you can move between multiple apps with ease. This is perfect if you want to browse the web for hints while playing a game. Or if you’re like me, go between Aim and Safari. Any app with sound, the sound will continue to play. This is either annoying or helpful depending on what you’re doing. For Aim, the like ding whenever you get an IM no matter what app you are in is great. But for games, the games background music continues to play and the game also continues to play. So be sure to pause anything you are doing before you “minimize” it for the time being.
The developer of Backgrounder has also already made an iPad ready version as well so no overly pixelated apps. Now, once iPhone OS 4.0 finally comes to the iPad in the fall, this app will obviously be rendered useless. But for now, it is our number one productivity app. What are some of your favorite apps for your jailbroken iPad? Full Story » | Written by Greg Billetdeaux for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile The BlackBerry Bold 9800 images seem to keep appearing, and this latest round is actually pretty decent. We are seeing a good image of the front and back, as well as the keyboard—both hardware and virtual. It was also noted that this particular BlackBerry is not SurePress capable, which may be good or bad news depending on who you are asking. Anyway, there are a few images below, but make sure you hit the Read link below for the rest of the images… Read [The Berry Fix] Via [Gizmodo] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Websites, Google Following the success and the popular demand of Google’s Pacman, Google has decided to leave it up permanently at www.google.com/pacman. Google originally put it up there to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pacman. The HTML5 version was a replica, full 256-level version of Pacman. It served as the home page of Google and the button “Insert Coin” replaced the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button and activated the game. What’s unique about this one, besides the giant Google logo in the middle, is the fact that there is a co-op mode. All you need to do is hit either W,A,S, or D before you hit the “Insert Coin” button and both Pacman and Mrs. Pacman will appear on the screen. It then becomes co-op Pacman, one controlled be the arrows, the other controlled by the WASD form of input. So have fun playing Pacman forever and eventually telling your grandchildren that you had the privilege of playing this game before it was immortalized. Read [Google] Full Story » | Written by Greg Billetdeaux for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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