NVIDIA announces Titan Z: a $3,000 graphics computing powerhouse
Thought that NVIDIA’s Titan Black was as good as it gets in the GPU world? You were mistaken. Meet the GeForce GTX Titan Z (seen in all its glory after the break), NVIDIA’s latest graphical behemoth announced by CEO Jen-Hsun Huang today at NVIDIA’s 2014 GPU Technology Conference. The Z packs dual Kepler GPUs specifically designed to operate in perfect power and performance harmony. It also keeps cutting-edge games (like those using Unreal Engine 4) running smoothly at up to 5K resolution and on multiple monitors thanks to 12GB of dedicated memory. For now, other Titan Z details are scarce, but we know it costs $3,000, and Huang likens its performance to that of a supercomputer — what more do you really need to know?
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Mobile, NVIDIA
Source: NVIDIA
Microsoft makes MS-DOS and Word for Windows source code public
Microsoft believes the children are our future, and to prove it, it’s teamed up with the Computer History Museum to make source code available for two groundbreaking programs: MS-DOS and Word for Windows. In a blog post that outlined the deal, Roy Levin, managing director of Microsoft Research, said the company granted the museum permission to make the code public for MS DOS 1.1 and 2.0 and Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a, “… to help future generations of technologists better understand the roots of personal computing.” MS DOS, originally code named “Chess,” took root in 1980 when IBM asked Microsoft to produce an OS to run on its computers. Word for Windows was released in 1989, and with in four years had captured half of the revenue of the word-processing market, according to Levin.
Both programs marked the beginnings not only of great successes for Microsoft, but also the PC industry as we know it today. The museum’s Chairman, Len Shustek, had this to say about the effort: “We think preserving historic source code like these two programs is key to understanding how software has evolved from primitive roots to become a crucial part of our civilization.” The move marks an ongoing effort to make landmark software code available to the public; the museum released the source for the 1989 version of Photoshop early last year.
Filed under: Desktops, Software, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft, Computer History Museum
Instagram is testing Facebook Places integration for location tagging
It looks like Zuckerberg and Co. may be looking to make a big push for Facebook Places, and an on-going trial indicates that it could start with Instagram. The folks in Menlo Park are testing the social networks’ own service for adding location info, but for now, Foursquare remains an option for sharing inside its popular filter-driven photo editor. In fact, some users have already encountered the tweak. Instagram has long used Foursquare’s API and venue data for attaching snapshots to a particular place, and there’s no guarantee that the trials will even make it to a new version of the app. Of course, in addition to Foursquare, users can beam photos to Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr in addition to the parent social network. We reached out for a comment on the matter and we recieved the following statement from an Instagram spokesperson:
Foursquare is a great partner, and people will continue to be able to share their check-ins to Foursquare from Instagram. We are constantly testing experiences throughout the app to provide the best possible user experience as part of future planning.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Facebook
Source: Fast Company
Amazon and Other Book Retailers Issuing Refunds in E-Book Publisher Settlement [Mac Blog]
Amazon today notified customers they are eligible for a refund for books they purchased through the Kindle book store. The refunds were paid by publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin as part of a settlement agreement in ebook price-fixing lawsuits filed by State Attorney Generals and other class-action plaintiffs.
Amazon issued the settlement refund in the form of a Kindle book store credit that is automatically applied to a customer’s Amazon account. The credit is valid for one year and must be redeemed before 03/31/2015.
Good news! You are entitled to a credit of $27.55 for some of your past Kindle book purchases. The credit results from legal settlements reached with publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin in antitrust lawsuits filed by State Attorneys General and Class Plaintiffs about the price of eBooks.
You don’t have to do anything to claim your credit, we have already added your credit to your Amazon account. We will automatically apply your available credit to your next purchase of a Kindle book or print book sold by Amazon.com, regardless of publisher. The credit applied to your purchase will appear in your order summary. If your account does not reflect this credit, please contact Amazon’s customer service.
For more information about the settlements, please visit http://www.amazon.com/ebooksettlements
Your credit is valid for one year and will expire after 03/31/2015. If you have not used your credit, we will send you another email 90 days before it expires to remind you that it is still available.
Thanks for being a Kindle customer.
The Amazon Kindle Team
Select book sellers like Barnes & Noble and Sony are expected to begin issuing similar credits today, with postcard checks from other booksellers being sent via mail to consumers starting March 27, 2014. You can find information on book retailers and their refund payment methods on the e-book settlement web site.
Apple also was included in the antitrust lawsuits, but refused to settle. After being found guilty in federal court of conspiring to artificially inflate e-book prices, Apple was barred from entering into anticompetitive deals with content providers and must submit to court-appointed compliance monitoring. The Cupertino company also could owe as much as $500 million in damages, which are yet to be assessed.
Apple recently appealed the verdict, calling the plan a “draconian and punitive intrusion into Apple’s business, wildly out of proportion to any adjudicated wrongdoing or potential harm.”
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Istanbul Apple Store Taking Shape Ahead of April Launch [Mac Blog]
Turkey’s first Apple Store is nearing completion, as seen in new photos posted by Turkish Apple blog ElmaDergisi (via AppleToolbox). Taken on March 24 and 25, the images show the progress on the upcoming Istanbul location.
Located in the heart of Istanbul’s multi-use Zorlu Center, the store is said to feature a concept that includes a design with a cubic glass ceiling. As can be seen in the photos, the wooden frame covering the building has been removed, but the structure itself, said to be entirely glass, remains under wraps.
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the Istanbul store will be unique among Apple retail locations, spanning more than 20,000 square feet with a portion of the store located underground.
The Istanbul Apple Store is rumored to open on Friday, April 4. Both Tim Cook and Turkish president Abdullah Gül are both expected to attend the opening.
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The HTC One (M8) officially announced
What has possibly been the most leaked phone to date, the HTC One (M8) is finally official.
The HTC One (M8) is sporting Android 4.4.2 KitKat and Sense 6.0, an updated version of HTC’s custom software.
Here are the official specs for HTC’s new flagship:
- 5-inch 1080p Super LCD3 display
- 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor (quad-core)
- 2GB RAM
- non-removable 2,600mAh battery
- Duo camera (4.1 UltraPixel + 2MP depth cameras)
- 5MP front-facing camera
- 32GB internal storage with expandable storage up to 128GB
- 3.5mm headphone jack, microUSB port
- Bluetooth 4.0, DNLA, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) GPS, NFC
- nanoSIM
- IR Blaster, Boomsound, Blinkfeed 2.0
Hardware
The HTC One (M8) will be available in Gunmetal Gray, Glacier Silver, and Amber Gold, all sporting the ever-popular metallic unibody. What’s more, is that the M8′s body is actually 90% metal, with a brushed metallic texture on the back. They’re keeping the same general look of the device with two front-facing speakers on the top and bottom of the phone, but adding on-screen navigation buttons this time around.
The battery has gone through some huge improvements, offering a 40% longer lasting battery on daily use. HTC also added an Extreme Power-Saving Mode, that can give you up to two full weeks of standby time. You can still access phone calls, text messages, and other basic functions of the phone while in this mode, but for the most part, functionality is pretty limited.
Camera
HTC added another camera on the back, dubbing it the Duo camera. It’s still the HTC UltraPixel camera that we’re used to, just with a second “depth camera”. The second camera is used to focus pictures after they’re taken and added improved focusing abilities. All you need to do is tap the photo and let it re-manage the focus for you.
They’ve also included a new camera layout, updated camera switchers, and improved speed. Slow-motion video capture has also been added, with the ability to slow down certain parts of the video after it has been taken.
A bit more on the camera interface is an updated image gallery with Image Mash, which recognizes peoples’ faces in photos and can tag them automatically.
HTC is opening up the camera API to developers to focus on depth software to see what new features others can bring to the table.
They’ve also added a simplified Zoe mode, where all the user needs to do is tap to shoot a photo and hold down the screen to take a video. Also, you’ll now be able to add personalized music to your Zoes after they’re created. And while we’re talking about Zoes, you will soon be able to upload your Zoes to the cloud to share and connect with other Zoe users. The new Zoe cloud feature will be available for Sense 6 sometime during the summer.
Software
A bit has changed with the software and Sense 6.0 with the addition of some new gesture features and Blinkfeed 2.0.
You can now personalize Sense 6.0 with custom colors, making it a more personal experience. They also included a new Motion Launch feature, allowing you to swipe into Blinkfeed and recent apps, among others. You can simply hold the phone and press the volume down key to launch into the camera, as well as double-tap the screen to get a quick view of the time. Also, you can hold the ringing phone up to your ear to answer a phone call. More on Motion Launch to follow.
Blinkfeed 2.0 brings easier readability, custom feeds, and developer support. There are some new partners announced with Blinkfeed, including 4square and FitBit, integrating their services more fluently.
They’ve worked on improving the speakers this time around, adding a multi-band amplifier, resulting in clearer audio that is 25% louder than the original HTC One. Something we weren’t sure would be on the phone this time is Boomsound, due to HTC and Beats Audio’s recent split. We’re happy to see it made it to the phone, and continue the great audio experience that we love about the phone.
HTC has also added Sense and Blinkfeed to the Google Play Store in order for users to receive faster updates.
Accessories
They’ve also outed an official accessory for the New One – the HTC Dot View case. The case is a flip cover that displays weather information and the time on the front of the case, in a beautiful dot-matrix pattern. Double tap your phone to get information sent to the case, and view calling information instantly. And they will be available to order with your new phone later today.
Availability
At 1PM Eastern, you can order the phone from Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T online, or from HTC’s Official site. For the Verizon customers out there, the phone will be available today in-store and for a limited time, if you purchase one on a two-year contract, you can get a second one for free! It will be available on-contract for $199 or $249, while the unlocked and developer versions are a hefty $649. You can also pick up a Google Play Edition for $699 from the Google Play Store later today.
Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T should have the phone in-stock before April 10th, but still be on the lookout for more carrier availability to follow in the coming weeks.
The post The HTC One (M8) officially announced appeared first on AndroidGuys.
HTC explains how the ‘Duo Camera’ brings depth-sensing to the new One
Finally, we have an official explanation for the two round holes in the back of the new HTC One. The main camera, which sits in the regular spot, houses a 4MP “Ultrapixel” camera much like on last year’s handset. The smaller lens, which is positioned directly above — or to the side when you hold the phone in landscape mode to grab a shot — contains half the resolution (i.e., 2MP), but it doesn’t actually capture images. It merely offers a level of depth perception, allowing the camera to “understand objects in physical space.” A key benefit of this, according to HTC, is a quicker autofocus time of around 300ms, because the camera can use actual depth measurements to focus on objects. Other benefits come when you edit a photo, thanks to a range of effects (such as blurring) that can be selectively applied to foreground or backgrounds subjects. HTC has also just announced an SDK that will allow third-party app makers to make use of the Duo Camera’s depth map, which is stored as metadata within JPEG files. For more, including sample images, check out our full review of the HTC One.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile
Nokia promises ‘more Lumia’ at April 2nd event
Windows Phone fans have more to look forward to this April than just the formal unveiling of Windows Phone 8.1 — Nokia has sent out invitations for an April 2nd event in San Francisco that should deliver “more Lumia.” The notice doesn’t give any real hints as to what will be at the presentation. However, the event takes place on the first day of Microsoft’s Build developer conference. Don’t be shocked if Nokia unveils devices that need Windows Phone 8.1 to run, such as the rumored Lumia 630 (Moneypenny) and Lumia 930 (Martini). No matter what shows up, we’ll be there to give you the full scoop.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia
Amazon paying e-book settlement cash back to Kindle users
Remember that antitrust suit concerning publishers, ebooks and price rigging? The good news, at least if you bought one of the affected titles between April 2010 and May 2012, is that Amazon is sending some money your way. If the book you purchased had ever been a New York Times bestseller, then you’ll receive a credit of $3.17 in your Kindle account, but if the book was, erm, less popular, you’ll get $0.73. The only exception is for residents of Minnesota, since the state negotiated for a few more cents for both the bestseller and non-bestselling settlements. If you haven’t already received an email letting you know about your cash bonus, head over to the Kindle bookstore where you’ll be notified if you have a credit — which can be used to purchase any book through to March 2015, even if it wasn’t published by the five companies on the Department of Justice’s naughty list.
Filed under: Amazon
Via: GigaOM
Source: Amazon, Kindle Books
Ashton Kutcher’s ‘Jobs’ Biopic Now Available to Stream on Netflix
Steve Jobs biopic, “Jobs”, is now available on Netflix’s streaming service for U.S. customers. Directed by Joshua Michael Stern and starring Ashton Kutcher as the Apple co-founder, the film is free for customers who subscribe to Netflix’s $7.99 monthly unlimited streaming plan.
Originally released in August 2013, the independent film received mixed reviews with many critics saying the movie focused too much on Apple and not enough on the character of Jobs, providing only a “skin-deep portrait” of the complex figure who lead Apple to greatness. It earned a 27% approval rating among critics and a 41% audience approval rating on movie review site Rotten Tomatoes.
“Jobs” also can be purchased via iTunes for $19.99 in high definition or $14.99 in standard definition. A 24-hour rental option is available for $4.99 (HD) or $3.99 (SD). 
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