Donnerstag, 31. Mai 2012
Daily Crunch: Check-In Edition
This Cube Is Hip To Be Square
Pirate Bay Opens New Channels for Blockade Runners
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RIM finally gets some good news, court rules it can keep using BBM name
Between delays, executive defections and falling market share the news lately hasn't been rosy for RIM, but today it got at least one reprieve as a Federal Court in Canada ruled its use of the acronym BBM did not infringe another company's trademark. The lawsuit was filed last December by BBM Canada, a broadcast industry group that owns a trademark on the name but because they are in different types of businesses the court decided RIMs usage was acceptable. According to The Globe and Mail BBM Canada CEO Jim MacLeod has not decided whether or not to appeal the ruling, but we're sure the folks from Waterloo will take a win for now. It already had to switch the name of its new OS from BBX to BlackBerry 10 after losing a trademark ruling there and more bad news is expected in its next quarterly earnings report.
RIM finally gets some good news, court rules it can keep using BBM name originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 20:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Outspoken Harvard professor Jonathan Zittrain to head FCC's open internet advisory panel
The FCC has created a new forum for corporations, experts and activists to scrap over web laws: The Net Neutrality Advisory Committee. Members have been tasked with "tracking and evaluating the effects of the FCC's Open Internet rules," as well as making policy recommendations. The new group is to be led by Harvard professor and long-time defender of an open internet, Jonathan Zittrain, whose appointment echoes that of Tim Wu -- another expert in a senior advisory position over at the FTC. Harvard University is no stranger to what can go wrong when open access is stifled, so perhaps the good professor can shake things up a bit.
Outspoken Harvard professor Jonathan Zittrain to head FCC's open internet advisory panel originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkArs Technica | FCC | Email this | Comments
Firefox 4 Friday: 25 million downloads, anti-aliasing, and how to make it look like Firefox 3
Yes, 13 months after the initial release of Firefox 3.7 alpha 1 and four more alpha builds, a renumbering to 4.0 and 12 beta releases, and finally a release candidate (or two), Firefox 4 has been released into the wild.
Just like every other Firefox release, initial reception for the new browser has been nothing short of insane. 7.1 million downloads were registered in the first 24 hours and the download rate continued to accelerate, clocking in more than 15 million downloads after two days. At the time of writing, three days in, Firefox 4 has been downloaded over 25 million times. In case you're wondering, the United States accounts for 7 million of those downloads, just beating out Germany's Firefox-downloads-per-capita.
But now that you've installed Firefox 4 (you have, right?), what do you do now? Well, obviously, in true Download Squad fashion, it's time to tweak Firefox 4 using add-ons and about:config hacks!
First up is an add-on called Stratiform that lets you change every aspect of the Firefox 4 browser chrome -- including the color of that orange button!
Firefox 4 Friday: 25 million downloads, anti-aliasing, and how to make it look like Firefox 3 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The middle ages meet insanity with Renaissance Blood THD, now available for Tegra 3 devices
They probably didn't have Tegra 3-powered phones and tablets during the renaissance. Instead, they had some crazy mix of science and magic, and any geek worth his or her salt likes to think they had all sorts of killing and monsters. Renaissance Blood THD is a great way to experience all of that without ever having to roll a d20. NCsoft's latest title for the Tegra 3 platform takes the mobile first person shooter to the next level, and is a feast for the eyes of any former Dungeon Master, young or old.
The premise is simple. You're in search of the final blueprint Leonardo da Vinci has left behind, and every imaginable sort of evil on two legs is trying to stop you. Armed with your rapid-fire crossbow, a rifle, and a big ol' spiked mace you work your way through the various stages, fighting for your life and looking for the lost document. There are no time-wasting puzzles or lulls in the action, it' straight up violence and killing of bad guys -- like a good FPS should be.
The controls are straightforward, all you need to do is aim with an on-screen joystick and shoot from afar, or swing your mighty mace to beat the living crap out of the villains that never stop coming. You won't have to work your way through dark dungeons and twisty passages, the game AI takes care of that for you so you can focus on killing. To be sure, this is one you probably won't want the little ones to be playing.
What makes it a stand out is the way the Tegra 3 leverages the power of the Unreal engine. There's a lot of talk about quad-core this, benchmark that, and nobody can seem to agree on which mobile SoC is the best -- until it comes to games. We've talked about the technology, the 4-PLUS-1 architecture, and all nerdly stuff, but make no mistake, this is damn near console quality gaming on your Android phone or tablet. When it comes to amazing gameplay and graphics, you just don't beat NVIDIA power on the Android platform.
If you're looking for a really fun way to spend a few hours here and there, Renaissance Blood THD is one to look at. Like any FPS, it will get repetitive after a while, but at $3.99 you'll certainly get your money's worth. I'm a self-admitted Tegra fanboy (I've come to grips with it) and games like this one are the reason why. If you've got the hardware for it, you gotta check it out. Hit the links below, and check out the video after the break.
Download Renaissance Blood THD from Google Play
More: NVIDIA TegraZone
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Google Voice brings greater control over anonymous and unknown callers
Think about it for a moment: do you recall a single instance when you were actually glad that you answered a telephone call from a blocked number? Unless that bill collector turned out to be your future spouse, the answer is likely no. Now, Google Voice users will find an extra perk in the online settings that should take the edge off of receiving calls from unknown sources. You'll now find the ability to screen anonymous callers, whereby the system will prompt the individual to state their name, and only then will your phone ring. From there, you'll have the option of answering the call, sending it to voicemail, or even listening in as the caller leaves a voice message -- kinda like back in the days of answering machines. Similarly, you'll also find the ability to apply this same screening process to callers who aren't in your address book. As proof that Google isn't a total grouch, it's also thrown in a new option that allows you to customize a warm greeting for those contacts who are, in fact, in your address book. After all, it never hurts to show some love.
Google Voice brings greater control over anonymous and unknown callers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 03:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkPhone Scoop | Google Voice Blog | Email this | Comments