HP names Léo Apotheker as new CEO and President

Share

HP has just named its new CEO and President, former CEO of SAP, Léo Apotheker. Mr. Apotheker, who was with SAP for over 20 years, will also join HP's Board of Directors. His elections are to take effect November 1st. The decision has been expected since Mark Hurd's dramatic exit in August, though Mr. Apotheker's name was not one widely circulated as being in the running. The company has simultaneously named Ray Lane as the Chairman of its Board of Directors.

Toshiba announces 'no-frills' Satellite C660 laptop

Share

We've got to give Toshiba a bit of credit here -- it's certainly not trying to sell its new Satellite C660 (and accompanying Satellite Pro model) as something it's not. Tossing around words like "adequate" and "no-frills," the company says that the revised Satellite is a "smart and affordable" solution, and it does indeed look like it'll satisfy those looking for only the basics. That includes a 15.6-inch display, your choice of Intel or AMD processors up to a Core i3 or Athlon II, integrated graphics only, up to 8GB of RAM, up to a 640GB hard drive, and a multitouch trackpad, among other standard fare. The only difference with the Pro model, it seems, is Windows 7 Professional for the OS, a black textured casing, and a "non-reflective" screen. No word on exact pricing just yet, but you can look for this one to at least be available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa sometime in the fourth quarter of this year.

Sprint execs leave Clearwire board out of an 'abundance of caution'

Share

Well, it looks like Sprint and Clearwire aren't taking any chances when it comes to some of the new antitrust rules now in place. Clearwire has just announced that the three Sprint executives now on its board will be resigning out of an "abundance of caution" -- that includes Sprint CEODan Hesse, along with division presidents Keith O. Cowan and Steven L. Elfman. Not many more details than that at the moment, but Sprint does still hang onto the right to appoint members to the Clearwire board, and the four Sprint appointees currently on the board will remain in place. As The Wall Street Journal notes, however, the move would seem to clear the way for Clearwire to potentially make another deal, although no one involved is saying anything publicly at the moment beyond what's in the brief.

NVIDIA reaches settlement in class action suit affecting Apple, Dell, HP laptops

Share

Some folks may have long forgotten about the issue by now, but anyone that was hit by those defective NVIDIA GPUs a couple of years back will likely want to take notice -- the company has finally reached a settlement in the class action lawsuit spurred on by the issue, and anyone with an affected Apple, Dell or HP laptop is eligible for some form of compensation. In the case of Apple and Dell laptops, that includes a replacement of the GPU or MCP, while users of an affected HP laptop will actually get a full replacement laptop "similar in kind and value." Anyone that has already paid to have their laptop repaired due to the GPU issue is also entitled to a full reimbursement provided they have the necessary documentation for the repairs. Even if you are covered, however, you'll still have to wait a bit longer to actually get any compensation -- a final hearing is scheduled for December 20th, and claims will only begin sometime after that. In the meantime, be sure to hit up the source link below for the complete details, including a list of all the models affected.

Gold To Go ATMs dispense precious metals to the superwealthy, heading to the states this year

Share

Goldline might be a bust (sorry, Glenn), but you're not gonna let that stop you from preparing for the imminent collapse of society. Or maybe you just want to hang with your friends at the Ayn Rand Book Club (The Fountainhead again?) and they prefer Krugerrands to the fiat currency of the USA. Any way you slice it, Americans (including our friend Scott) have "gold fever." Luckily, it turns out that the Gold To Go vending machines we saw early this year are on their way to the states. Stocked with up to ten different gold bars or coins, these bad boys accept cash or plastic and use a VPN to phone home to Germany for updates on the cost of precious metals every 10 minutes. They also feature an ID scanner / camera combo for preventing (or at least slowing down) potential money launderers. The devices can be found currently in the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Bankshop in Reutlingen, Germany, The Westin Palace in Madrid, and the Orio al Serio International Airport, and they'll be hitting Las Vegas and Florida sometime this year. There might also be one next to the Coinstar machine at the Murray Ave. Giant Eagle (we'll check it out and let you know).

Sony's 13-inch VAIO Z line gets updated, your wallet hurts just thinking about it

Share

Think Apple's MacBook Air is one overpriced ultraportable? Have a gander at the build sheet for Sony's refreshed VAIO Z. The same machine that we took a peek at this February has seen a predictable fall update, right alongside legions of other Sony lappies. The 13.3-inch machine can now be ordered with a presumably lap-melting Core i5-460M (2.53GHz), Core i5-580M (2.66GHz) or Core i7-640M (2.8GHz), an optional carbon fiber colored casing, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, 256GB or 512GB SSD, optional Blu-ray Disc burner, an SDXC card reader and NVIDIA's GeForce GT330M graphics card. Oh, and did we mention that there's a 1920 x 1080 screen resolution on this thing? Maybe that explains the $2,249.99 starting price.

Gateway updates NV series with WiMAX-boasting NV59C66U

Share

Gateway's just announced an update to its NV series laptops, the NV59C66U. This one, which comes in both 15.6 and 17-inch sizes, boasts an integrated Intel 6250 WiMAX card and an updated chassis design. Other than that, you have a choice of Intel Core i3 or Core i5, as well as AMD Athlon or Turion processors, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM (upgradeable to 8GB), and an up to 500GB hard drive. The NV59C66U also has 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet LAN, and a choice of DVD or Blu-ray drives. Gateway's taking the opportunity to update the entire NV line as well, so look for all of these options to hit in the coming weeks, with prices starting at around $480. The WiMAX model will run you $699.99, and you can grab one today.

Origin PC's EON17 laptop packs desktop performance, with desktop processors

Share

Desktop processors in laptops may not be quite as common as they once were, but Origin PC is keeping the practice alive with its line of high-end gaming laptops, to which it's now added a new EON17 model. That packs a big 17.3-inch display, along with your choice of processors up to a Intel Core i7 980X, plus dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480M graphics cards, up to 24GB of DDR3 memory, up to three hard drives for over 2TB of storage, and range of other high-end specs that contribute to a starting price of $2,499.

Steve Ballmer: Kin 'defocused activity from Windows Phone'

Share

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has been willing to admit some of the company's missteps in the past, and he's just done so again in addressing the now infamous Kin. Speaking with The Seattle Times, Ballmer said that the "No. 1 message from Kin is a message of focus," and that ultimately, "it just defocused activity from Windows Phone." Not exactly a huge surprise by any means, but it's still pretty notable to hear straight from the top, especially consideringhow much it cost Microsoft to learn that message. As for the rest of the interview, Ballmer didn't make a ton of news, but he did say that we'll be seeing additional Windows 7 tablet form factors starting this Christmas, and he revealed that he does in fact have a Facebook page, but he won't say which of the many Steve Ballmer pages is the real one. Hit up the source link below to read the whole thing.

U.S. officials push for broader internet wiretapping regulations

Share

The NSA may have its ominously named Perfect Citizen program to guard against potential cyber attacks, but it looks like the U.S. government still isn't quite satisfied with its surveillance capabilities in the age of the internet. As the New York Timesreports, federal officials are now pushing for some expanding wiretapping regulations that would require any communications service -- including everything from encrypted BlackBerry messages to Skype to social networking sites -- to be "technically capable of complying if served with a wiretap order." That, officials say, is necessary because their current wiretapping abilities are effectively "going dark" as communications move increasingly online. While complete details are obviously a bit light, the officials do apparently have a few ideas about how such a radical change might be possible, including a regulation that foreign-based companies that do business in the US be required to install a domestic office capable of performing intercepts, and a flat out requirement that "developers of software that enables peer-to-peer communication must redesign their service to allow interception." Of course, the specifics could still change, but the Obama administration is apparently intent on getting a bill of some sort submitted to Congress next year.

Acer releases Predator AG7750 and AG5900 gaming desktops into unsuspecting US homes

Share

We've made a conscious decision to stop talking about the Acer Aspire Predator's unique design, because every time we stare deep into those orange ridges, we feel a bit of our psyche writhing. If you're made of sterner stuff, however, you should know that Acer's got a couple of new models coming down the pike. Remember that Predator AG7750 with the liquid-cooled 2.8GHz Core i7-930 processor, 12GB of DDR3 memory, NVIDIA GTX 470 graphics, and room for 3-way SLI? Having successfully weeded the population of Canada, it's ready to feast upon the US today at $1,999. If that's more beast than you can handle, there's also the infinitesimally-less-creepy $1,350 AG5900 you see above, which brings a Core i7-870 CPU, 8GB of memory and a ATI Radeon HD 5850, plus a pair of hot-swappable drive bays, 1.5 terabytes of storage and the usual array of ports.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11 announced with Intel and AMD options, denied US citizenship

Share

Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise! Lenovo's expanding its ThinkPad Edge family once again, and this time it's adding the 11.6-inch Edge 11. Just like the X100e, the "notbook" -- our word for an ultraportable that looks like a netbook but isn't as slow and weak -- is available with AMD's single and dual-core Nile platform, and also Intel Core i3 / i5 processor options. Certainly you're thinking it sounds and looks like a nice laptop, but Lenovo's not planning to release it stateside anytime soon. Apparently, the X100e will continue to be the 11-inch option in the US, while the Edge 11 will be spreading its wings overseas -- the AMD version will start at $450 and the Intel version at around $550. Of course, we could keep telling you about what the machine is available with and without, or we could just point you in the direction of our piping hot review.

A grand tour of nanotechnology at Nokia Research Center, Cambridge

Share

We've all seen what a bumpy ride Nokia's had over the last few months -- disappointingprofits, the departure of a couple of old friends, and the slight delay of the forthcoming N8. Despite all that, Espoo seems to have at least one stronghold that remained unshaken throughout the storm: its research center in Cambridge, UK. Yep, we're talking about the magical place where Nokia and University of Cambridge co-develop the core technologies for the futuristic Morph concept. Actually, "futuristic" might be too strong a word here, as we were fortunate enough to see some of Nokia's latest research at the heart of Morph -- namely flexible circuitry and nanowire sensing -- demonstrated live yesterday. Curious as to how well the demos went? Then read on -- you know you want to.

Apple TV jailbreak confirmed, done via same exploit as other iOS 4.1 devices

Share

The Shatter exploit that was discovered for iOS 4.1 devices has, predictably enough, been found to function on the latest Apple TV as well. Though a jailbreak fit for distribution is still brewing for all of Apple's iOS wares, this will be welcome news to folks interested in trying to add a little extra functionality to Apple's hockey puck of a media streamer. Then again, even the best of apps might not make up for it being a 720p media device in a 1080p world.

HP's Bradley: HP isn't trying to be Apple, will sell 15 million webOS printers next year

Share

It's no secret that HP's Todd Bradley is one of the leading candidates to succeed ousted CEO Mark Hurd, and it doesn't look like he was doing much to dissuade that notion at the now happening TechCrunch Disrupt conference. In addition to addressing a question about whether it's ethically wrong to charge so much for ink by responding "ask me next year, if I take the [CEO] position," Bradley also sounded more than a little like a CEO throughout, and made a fair bit of news in the process. That includes a confirmation that HP won't be licensing webOS to other companies, and the attention-grabber of a statement that "emulating Apple is not part of our strategy." As if that wasn't enough, Bradley also made the rather bold promise that HP will sell 15 million webOS-based printers next year alone, and he predicted that tablets will become a $40 billion market within the next few years -- a market that HP plans to enter in a big way.

Acer Aspire AS5745 and AS7745 pick up NVIDIA Optimus, Aspire AS5742G nabs some 3D Vision

Share

You know who may have been a bit inspired by NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang's GPU muscle? Acer! Okay, that's not exactly what happened, but Acer does have quite a few new laptops that tap the graphics-chip maker's latest. First up are the 15.6-inch AS5742G and 17.3-inch AS7745, which still have the same design and Intel Core 2010 CPU options as the previous models, but now have the brand spankin' new GeForce 400M GPUs along with Optimus technology for automatically switching between the integrated and discrete graphics options. Both will be available for less than $800, though there's no word on exact availability of the mainstream machines. Those a bit too 2D for ya? There's also the Core i5-powered, GeForce GT 420M-packing Aspire AS5745DG, which is one of the first machines to have NVIDIA's updated 3D Vision. The IR receiver is integrated into the 120Hz LCD's bezel and it supports3DTV Play, which lets you reap the laptop's 3D benefits on a larger 3DTV. For $1,000 (active shutter glasses included!) that's not a bad deal, but don't get too excited about ordering one today -- it'll hit e-tailers in late October. Oh, and there's one more! The 18.4-inch Aspire AS8943G has been updated with a Core i7 quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM and ATI's newest Mobility Radeon 5850 graphics for $1,499.99. That's a lot to digest, but hit the break for the press release if you're up for even more details on all the new rigs.

Intel prices fresh Core i5 and i7 mobile parts

Share

We'd say Intel is delivering its new chips like clockwork, but then our favorite timepieces don't usually leak anywhere near as often as Chipzilla's roadmaps. The now well known 2.66GHz Core i5-580M has finally been made official, costing $266, alongside an identically clocked family mate in the Core i5-560M, which will set bulk buyers back $225 a piece. From what we know of those two, the major difference is that the 580M canTurbo Boost its way to 3.33GHz whereas the 560M maxes out at a humbler 3.2GHz. Both are overshadowed, however, by the new i7-640M colossus, which runs at 2.8GHz by default and will reach 3.4GHz when called upon -- yours for only $346. Of course, should the 35W TDPs of those chips seem too gaudy for you, Intel's wisely dropping a pair of 18W parts as well: the Core i5-560UM slinks along at 1.33GHz and asks for $250, while the Core i7-680UM raises those numbers to 1.46GHz and $317, respectively. Finally, for the perfect balance of power and efficiency, the i7-660LM couples 2.26GHz (or 3.06GHz in Turbo mode) to a 25W thermal envelope. It matches the 640M with a $346 unit price. All these CPUs sport a pair of 32nm cores alongside a 45nm integrated graphics unit and there are absolutely no Performance Upgrade Card anywhere in sight!

AMD Radeon HD 6770 and 6750 spec sheets emerge, give NVIDIA cause for concern

Share

Alright AMD, we still haven't forgiven you for burying the glorious name that was ATI, but if your next GPU refresh is as mighty as these numbers indicate, we might at least let you in from the doghouse. A slide detailing two flavors of the upcoming 40nm Barts chip has sprouted up from two independent sources online, and it shows some appreciable gains between generations. The new HD 67x0 cards appear manifestly speedier than their predecessors -- with faster clocks, more texture units, and more ROPs -- but the fun really gets going when you compare them to the HD 5870 and 5850, AMD's previous high-end cards. Memory bandwidth and pixel fillrate are identical between the HD 6750 and 5850, while the HD 6770 even manages to beat the formerly imperious 5870 in a couple of areas. Of course, this is all still unconfirmed information, but considering that Barts is only an "upper midrange" chip that's already stepping on the toes of last year's finest, we feel safe in expecting some pretty big things from the flagship Cayman silicon when it lands -- which will be soon if all these leaks and rumors are anything to go by.

EPFL develops Linux-based swarming micro air vehicles

Share

The kids at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (or EPFL) have been cooking up quite a bit lately, as this video demonstrates. Not only have they put together a scalable system that will let any flying robot perch in a tree or similar structure, but now they've gone and developed a platform for swarming air vehicles (with Linux, nonetheless). Said to be the largest network of its kind, the ten SMAVNET swarm members control their own altitude, airspeed, and turn rate based on input from the onboard gyroscope and pressure sensors. The goal is to develop low cost devices that can be deployed in disaster areas to creat ad hoc communications networks, although we can't help but think this would make the best Christmas present ever.

This Is How Much Apple Has Changed In a Decade

Share

It's amazing to see how things change in a little more than a decade. Back then, Steve Jobs preached the new iMac as the center of your digital life, the internet machine. Now, the internet machine fits in your pocket.

But with sixteen times the memory, eight times the storage, and more than double its raw computational power. All in just a tiny fraction of the iMac's size and at almost half the price. It truly boggles the mind. Back then, if you told this to anyone, they would have thought you were nuttier than Mel Gibson on speed.

It's even more amazing to see how this tiny little thing has dwarfed the Mac. In 2009, Apple sold 10 million Macs—including the desktop and portables—compared to a whooping 45 million iPhones. And the 45 million is not counting the other iOS devices. Next year, the iPad alone is expected to surpass the sales of all Mac computers combined.

The difference in terms of revenue is about the same, so it's not surprising to see iOS development at the core of their World Wide Developer Conferences. The usual suspects may scream, but the iPhone 4 and the rest of the iOS devices are now not only the bread and butter of the company, but also its heart.

[Graphic based on Brett Jordan's original via tuaw]

Rampant View turns your 5th gen iPod nano into a head cam

Share

Sure, iPod nano watch straps may be the hot new accessory these days, but the folks at Rampant Gear aren't leaving the 5th generation iPod nano behind just yet -- the company's just introduced its new Ramant View contraption that turns your nano into a head cam. Is it the best head-mounted camera option around? Probably not, but it is cheap at just $35, and it's not very hard to find a deal on a previous-gen nano either if you don't have one already.

Apple attempts to patent a smarter camera flash

Share

There's always something intriguing cooking in Cupertino, even if Apple's ovens are full, and the latest item on the list is a novel camera flash assembly you might one day see on an iPhone. Where camera flashes are typically fixed in a single spot on a device, Apple's trying to patent a flash redirector that could whip them around, letting you frame a dimly-lit picture the way you want and automatically adjust the intensity and direction of the flash to get better results. The patent application suggests that devices would have a dedicated lens for the flash, and then a pivot on either that lens or the flash itself to aim, plus an "evaluator" that figures out what needs to be lit and by how much. Alternatively, Apple imagines you might be able to just select an area on a touchscreen camera device (wonder where we'd find one of those?) with your finger and aim the flash yourself, but if we know anything about Apple's love of simplicity they'll try the AI solution first. Either way, it seems like an excellent nighttime equivalent to iOS 4.1's HDR, and something we might like to see on all sorts of shooters, not just those on phones.

Download Awesome Solitaire, an Awesome iOS Solitaire Game Set In Space, For Free

Share

Playing solitaire's a nice way to pass the time. Playing solitaire in a gyroscope-controlled cosmos of twinkling stars is an even nicer way to pass the time. So download the gorgeous Awesome Solitaire app for iOS, free all weekend. [iTunes]

Apple, Adobe, Google, Intel Intuit and Pixar: now free to cold call each other's employees

Share

Attaboy, DoJ! Out of (almost) nowhere, the United States Department of Justice announced today that it was requiring six well-known technology outfits to stop entering into "anticompetitive employee solicitation agreements," and we're guessing you will have heard just a few of these names: Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit and Pixar. As the story goes, these six companies were all mixed up (but not all together, mind you) in agreements that forbid each other from cold calling employees from a rival firm in order to offer them a different job.

According to the DoJ, those arrangements acted as a "significant form of competition to attract highly skilled employees," and it has now filed a civil antitrust complaint today along with a proposed settlement that, "if approved by the court, would resolve the lawsuit." We're also told that some of the agreements were put into place as early as 2005, and they were "formed and actively managed by senior executives of these companies." Yikes. Hit the source link for the full report, and feel free to call back that "Unknown" caller that keeps hitting you up on your Adobe line -- it's probably Pixar with a seven-figure offer.

Caption Contest: NVIDIA CEO flaunts tattoo on stage, still serving cans of whoop-ass

Share

Oh sure, NVIDIA might not have had any physical chips to show off at the GPU Technology Conference earlier this week, but CEO Jen-Hsun Huang did have one very, very special exhibit up his sleeve.

Paul: "And below the logo is a picture of all the shipping devices running Tegra 2."
Don: "Here are the new logo designs we've been working on, Mr. Huang."
Ross: "Take a cue from Peter Moore and go with temporary. You never know where you'll bein even just a few years' time."
Chris: "Huang's Boxee Box tramp stamp, of course, would remain a secret."
Joanna: "And this is why I hate gun, er GPU shows."
Darren: "Whatever. At least it's not a Zune tattoo."
Richard Lai: "Yo Intel, this is how embedded is done."
Vlad: "Jen-Hsun's displays of support for Notion Ink are starting to get out of hand..."

Co-creator of T9, Martin King, passes away

Share

Some of today's young'uns starting out on QWERTY and full-touch devices might not even know what T9 is, but let us tell you something: back in the day, it was the way things got done on your phone. Copied by a number of manufacturers and software firms (notably Motorola with iTap), T9 was the premier product of start-up Tegic that would eventually find its way to a majority of phones with numeric keypads sold around the world -- several billion, in fact -- and continues to enjoy enormous success today. T9's co-inventor, Martin King, passed away this week after a protracted bout with cancer; though he hadn't been actively involved with Tegic (now a part of Nuance) in some time, he had been engaged with a newer startup, Exbiblio, whose technology actively parses words snapped by cameraphones and directs the user to more information in real time. We'll pull out our old Sony Ericsson T68 in your honor, Martin.

MacBook Air suffers another bout of 11.6-inch display rumors

Share

You know a device is due for a refresh when the only thing left to write about it is rumormongering of a possible upgrade. Today it's the turn of Apple Insider, citing sources in Taiwan, to declare that an 11.6-inch LED-backlit display will be headlining a long overdue update to Apple's MacBook Air. We've heard this scuttlebutt before, and the idea that the Air would be shrunken in order to better differentiate it from the MacBook Pro line carries a lot of believability, but we're still a little jaded from previous misleading rumors on the same subject. At least this one comes with all the gravitas of DigiTimes, whose scribes suggest Quanta has an order to build up to half a million 11.6-inch "MacBooks" for Apple in 2010. All that said, we still wouldn't be surprised if Apple let another holiday period go by without updating its unhealthily thin 13.3-inch laptop.

CEO Jeff Zucker leaving NBC following Comcast merger, exit stage left

Share

Comcast's acquisition of NBC isn't quite in the bank just yet, but that doesn't mean the upcoming change isn't already dealing an impact. Current CEO and President Jeff Zucker announced today he plans to leave the company sometime following the takeover -- but also noting his final day might not be for another six months from now. "Comcast will be a great new steward, just as GE has been, and they deserve the chance to implement their own vision," he said. We wonder what exactly that new vision might be and how it pertains to the shift in online offerings -- for his part, Zucker's made a few headlines over the years that seem to suggest hesitation / aversion to the current digital transition. No successor has been named, but again, that could very well be half a year away -- as they say, stay tuned.

Huawei breaks DSL speed barrier with 700Mbps prototype

Share

DSL cables might not really be the sexiest thing in networking anymore, but what they are is ubiquitous, so let's not begrudge Huawei its feat here. The Chinese telecoms facilitator has shown off a new prototype that can pump 700Mbps of data across a 400-meter expanse. This is done by bundling four twisted pairs of copper wire together and sprinkling in some fairy dust to make them communicate at 175Mbps each. The clever bit here is in how crosstalk and interference are minimized, and Huawei claims a 75 percent improvement in bandwidth as a result. An immediate opportunity for these new cables will be, ironically, with fiber rollouts, as they could serve as the last connection between fiber hubs and your home. Then again, with Google and Chattanooga already looking at 1Gbps lanes, maybe the day of the copper wire has already passed?

Sony holding Google TV event on October 12

Share

We'd definitely been hearing that Google TV would be hitting sometime in the next month or so, and here we go: Sony's sending out invites for an October 12 event in New York. We already know we'll be getting both Bravia Internet TVs and Blu-ray players with Google TV integration, so we're not banking on any earth-shattering surprises, but you know we'll be there with bells on, IR blasters set to stun.

Anssi Vanjoki on quitting Nokia: 'I didn't become the CEO. It is as simple as that'

Share

We're really going to miss Anssi Vanjoki when he leaves Nokia in a few months. The straight-shooting Finn brings a sometimes astonishing but always entertaining level of honesty and passion to an otherwise staid consumer electronics industry. Of course, we've all been wondering why Anssi announced his resignation from Nokia so suddenly after saying in July that he was "committed, perhaps even obsessed" with taking Nokia back to the number one position in high-end devices. Easy, "I didn't become the CEO," said the 20 year Nokia veteran in an extended version of the interview first published on Tuesday. Anssi then added, "You know who the guy is it's not you... so what do you do, you stay or you leave. I decided to leave." While not regretting the decision to stick with Symbian in the last few years, he does admit that it couldn't compete with Apple's iOS or Google's Android in touchscreen smartphones -- the Symbian rewrite took (or is taking, depending upon your perspective) too long. The second problem, he says, is Nokia's absence from the US market. In particular, Silicon Valley, the "nucleus," as he calls it, for the software development behind all those "crazy apps everyone keeps talking about." Unfortunately, the 54-year-old Anssi has no future plans that he's willing to discuss. "I need a plan. My plan is to plan," he says.

Toshiba outs new 4G WiMAX-ready laptops

Share

Looks like Toshiba's dipping its toes a little bit deeper into that pool known as WiMAX-ready laptops. In addition to the previously-announced Satellite U405, we've now got a quartet of older models with a new 4G flair: Satellite E205, M645 and A665, and Protege R705. All have prices starting between $760 and $1,080 and will hit retail around September 26th. Just make sure you double-check the laptop you're picking up is the newer version with the right antennas.

Verizon CEO talks (more) about iPhone: 'we have to earn it'

Share

So, Apple's talked about putting the iPhone on Verizon, Verizon wants the phone... why can't we get these two crazy kids together? Well, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg touched on that topic in a talk to investors at the Goldman Sachs conference today. "We don't feel like we have an iPhone deficit. We would love to carry it when we get there, but we have to earn it," Seidenberg said, walking a fine line between complimenting the phone and making it clear that Verizon still has a good lineup. Ivan also mixed in a basketball analogy to sweeten the deal: "This is like the Knicks getting Carmelo Anthony. Like it would be very good if the Knicks got Carmelo Anthony. But they have to play the game whether they get Carmelo Anthony, right?" Ivan hinted heavily that Verizon's forthcoming 4G LTE network could be the golden ticket, and while this isn't a new theory, it's unclear (and a little disconcerting) if he's just as in the dark as we are as to whether or not Apple will come around once LTE is up and running. Still, he put on a brave face: "At some point, Apple will get with the program." Our suggestion? Bake Steve a cake. Couldn't hurt!

Nokia's latest Calling All Innovators developer contest features AT&T involvement

Share

Nokia has made no secret of the fact that improving its long-tepid relationship with the North American market is a priority -- but we'll admit, we didn't expect AT&T to throw its weight behind a rather massive Symbian developer contest this quickly. The concept is simple: develop and submit an app targeting the N8 by January 28 of next year; the best one (in Nokia's eyes) gets a cool quarter million, while 17 (yes, seventeen) runners-up get $150,000, which is still a pretty gigantic number. What makes this fascinating is that although AT&T had dipped its toes in the Symbian waters a few times over the years, it currently offers nothing but the Vivaz and refurbished E71x units -- and it hasn't announced any plans to carry the N8. Considering the size and scope of this contest, Nokia's definitely putting its money where its mouth is -- it seems to understand the importance of building a healthy third-party app catalog to drive a platform's success -- and we imagine AT&T's got some announcements of its own in the coming months.

SteelSeries debuts customizable Shift gaming keyboard

Share

Looking for some more customization options than your standard gaming keyboard offers? Then you might want to consider the new SteelSeries Shift, which can accommodate variousZboard keysets to tailor the keyboard for specific games. Those looking to take things even further can also record macros (including timed delays) directly on the keyboard itself, and you'll naturally get plenty of gamer-friendly touches all around, including some improved rubber domes that promise a lifecycle of 15 million keystrokes per key, and even some "fine-tuned heat spots" centered around commonly used keys like WASD. Look for the keyboard itself to set you back $89.99, while individual keysets will run you $24.99 apiece.

Sprint CEO hints unlimited data could end if usage gets crazy

Share

So far, Sprint's been steadfast in its commitment to keeping caps off its data plans -- a big selling point since AT&T's moved to tiered pricing and Verizon has threatened to do the same -- but the laws of supply and demand sadly still exist, and Sprint CEO Dan Hesse knows it. In speaking at the Emerging Technologies Conference at MIT today, Hesse mentioned that his company "can offer unlimited as long as the usage is reasonable," suggesting that a glut of extremely heavy users (you probably know who you are) could ultimately mean he "can't afford to do that anymore." Torrenting off a tethered EVO is fun, yes -- especially when you're on WiMAX -- but just remember: it might ultimately come back to bite you.

Sony Ericsson's CEO promises 'big surprises in the next few months'

Share

The grand opening of Sony Ericsson's new Americas HQ in Atlanta isn't the sort of thing we spend sleepless nights thinking about, but a PSP Phone is. It's mighty encouraging, therefore, to hear the company's CEO Bert Nordberg tease "big surprises" coming from his team over the next few months. That revelation was accompanied by plentiful references to SE as an entertainment phone maker, a sly grin, and the usual disclaimer that "we never announce them in advance" -- though considering the gap between the Xperia X10 announcement andarrival to market, maybe Bert should reconsider that part. Either way, unless SE's big surprise is the delivery of a smartphone with an up-to-date OS and cutting-edge components on time (which would, admittedly, be a surprise), we're happy to take this as a sign that theAndroid 3.0-powered gaming platform-cum-smartphone is brewing nicely behind the scenes.