The 404 641: Where we use 12 cores to run MS Paint (podcast)
Apple is officially one step closer to fully becoming SkyNet. The company just reached an agreement with Liquidmetal Technologies to license its amorphous metal alloys, presumably for the next generation of casing design.According to Liquidmetal's product page, the alloy in question exhibits extraordinary properties that yield high strength in a light weight, high corrosion resistance, high wear-resistance, and unique acoustical properties. It's anyone's guess what Apple has up its wizard sleeves, but we're hoping it'll use the material to reinforce the dent-prone iPad.I'm tempted to write about Sharpie's newest liquid pencil that writes like a pen but erases like a pencil, but the more important news is Net neutrality, and Wilson distills all the craziness into a simple five-minute explanation: Net neutrality isn't about keeping political speech neutral online or stopping the government from taking over the Internet.Net neutrality is about making sure ISPs don't block or slow down Web sites that don't pay access fees for tiered service plans. Verizon and Google just released their proposal that would allow Google to deliver services more quickly at the cost of higher service charges for the end user. Check out CNET News for more detailed analysis of the deal.Our BlackBerry smartphone is all charged up and ready to receive your BBM! If youhave a BlackBerry as well, you can get in touch with us by sending a BBM to 2482F452 and one of us will certainly respond! If you don't own a BlackBerry, you can still shoot us a line at 1-866-404-CNET (2638) or e-mail the404(at)cnet{dot}com.Episode 641PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
New Pogoplug gets hard drives online with more color, extra USB ports
New Pogoplug gets hard drives online with more color, extra USB ports
Just recently we reviewed Cloud Engines' Pogoplug, a very affordable $99 solution that effortlessly turns any USB hard drive or memory stick into an online-connected makeshift server. We really enjoyed playing with the original, although its blocky white look wasn't exactly eyecatching. We take that back--and perhaps even long for the minimalism--with Cloud Engines' new Pogoplug, available in December.Full of funky curves and lots of pink, the new Pogoplug is clearly designed to be more of a desktop or shelf-based companion as opposed to its predecessor, which adopted more of an Airport Express plug-in brick solution. Now, it almost looks like an iMac peripheral from 1999. While the last Pogoplug had just one USB 2.0 port but could support plugged-in USB routers, the new Pogoplug has four built-in USB 2.0 ports for direct connection of hard drives, and new software tweaks more easily allow global search across all drives, as well as better category organization and even the creation of slideshows, set to music, that can be launched directly from the Pogoplug's browser interface.The original Pogoplug: far more minimalist.Cloud EnginesThe new version jacks up the price a little to $129, but the added ports and more prominent base could be appealing for those who want to build a little home-made server. The original Pogoplug is more of a one-stop portable shop that's ideal for travel and for one USB device, or for those who want to save thirty bucks. We're a little surprised the new Pogoplug didn't simply offer an enclosure to slot a hard drive (or drives) in directly, but it does offer a nice solution for a variety of USB devices.Other new features include syncing with programs such as iTunes, iPhoto and Windows Media Center, a built-in updating address book for file sharing, and video streaming from within the Pogoplug browser or on the iPhone, a feature that was supposed to be available in the last Pogoplug but never really worked for us. Most cameras and video formats are supposed to be supported. Pogoplug supports NTFS, FAT32, Mac OS Extended Journaled and Non-Journaled (HFS+), and EXT-2/EXT-3 formats.Read our original Pogoplug review, or if you're curious as to how the Pogoplug works, check out the hands-on gallery below.Pogoplug hands-onSee full gallery1 - 4 / 14NextPrev
Just recently we reviewed Cloud Engines' Pogoplug, a very affordable $99 solution that effortlessly turns any USB hard drive or memory stick into an online-connected makeshift server. We really enjoyed playing with the original, although its blocky white look wasn't exactly eyecatching. We take that back--and perhaps even long for the minimalism--with Cloud Engines' new Pogoplug, available in December.Full of funky curves and lots of pink, the new Pogoplug is clearly designed to be more of a desktop or shelf-based companion as opposed to its predecessor, which adopted more of an Airport Express plug-in brick solution. Now, it almost looks like an iMac peripheral from 1999. While the last Pogoplug had just one USB 2.0 port but could support plugged-in USB routers, the new Pogoplug has four built-in USB 2.0 ports for direct connection of hard drives, and new software tweaks more easily allow global search across all drives, as well as better category organization and even the creation of slideshows, set to music, that can be launched directly from the Pogoplug's browser interface.The original Pogoplug: far more minimalist.Cloud EnginesThe new version jacks up the price a little to $129, but the added ports and more prominent base could be appealing for those who want to build a little home-made server. The original Pogoplug is more of a one-stop portable shop that's ideal for travel and for one USB device, or for those who want to save thirty bucks. We're a little surprised the new Pogoplug didn't simply offer an enclosure to slot a hard drive (or drives) in directly, but it does offer a nice solution for a variety of USB devices.Other new features include syncing with programs such as iTunes, iPhoto and Windows Media Center, a built-in updating address book for file sharing, and video streaming from within the Pogoplug browser or on the iPhone, a feature that was supposed to be available in the last Pogoplug but never really worked for us. Most cameras and video formats are supposed to be supported. Pogoplug supports NTFS, FAT32, Mac OS Extended Journaled and Non-Journaled (HFS+), and EXT-2/EXT-3 formats.Read our original Pogoplug review, or if you're curious as to how the Pogoplug works, check out the hands-on gallery below.Pogoplug hands-onSee full gallery1 - 4 / 14NextPrev
OLED displays- They're 'awful,' says Apple's CEO
OLED displays? They're 'awful,' says Apple's CEO
Apple CEO Tim Cook is definitely not a fan of OLED displays.Cook, speaking at an investor conference hosted by Goldman Sachs in San Francisco today, called the color saturation of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays "awful.""If you ever buy anything online and really want to know what he color is, as many people do, you should really think twice before you depend on the color from an OLED display," Cook said. Conversely, Cook called Apple's Retina Display a superior experience, noting that it is twice as bright. That's a shot at mobile devices that tend to use OLED displays, including Samsung Electronics' successful flagship Galaxy S3 smartphone. Cook brought up the brightness and experience of the display when addressing a question about whether Apple would create an iPhone with a larger display. He wouldn't comment on the company's plans, but criticized the focus on size and specifications as something companies do when they can't "create an amazing experience."In the PC industry, for example, companies tend to compete largely on specifications and price, he said, suggesting that Apple doesn't want to get into that kind of fight. He noted that most consumers don't know -- or don't care -- how fast the processor is on their mobile device or PC, and said it doesn't matter as long as the experience is great. "What Apple does is sweat every little detail," he said. "We want the best display, and I think we got it."See also: HD Super AMOLED versus Retina Display, and other screens
Apple CEO Tim Cook is definitely not a fan of OLED displays.Cook, speaking at an investor conference hosted by Goldman Sachs in San Francisco today, called the color saturation of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays "awful.""If you ever buy anything online and really want to know what he color is, as many people do, you should really think twice before you depend on the color from an OLED display," Cook said. Conversely, Cook called Apple's Retina Display a superior experience, noting that it is twice as bright. That's a shot at mobile devices that tend to use OLED displays, including Samsung Electronics' successful flagship Galaxy S3 smartphone. Cook brought up the brightness and experience of the display when addressing a question about whether Apple would create an iPhone with a larger display. He wouldn't comment on the company's plans, but criticized the focus on size and specifications as something companies do when they can't "create an amazing experience."In the PC industry, for example, companies tend to compete largely on specifications and price, he said, suggesting that Apple doesn't want to get into that kind of fight. He noted that most consumers don't know -- or don't care -- how fast the processor is on their mobile device or PC, and said it doesn't matter as long as the experience is great. "What Apple does is sweat every little detail," he said. "We want the best display, and I think we got it."See also: HD Super AMOLED versus Retina Display, and other screens
October ends with no iTunes Match
October ends with no iTunes Match
Apple has missed the deadline it laid out last month to bring its iTunes Match service to users. iTunes Match is the service that scans a user's library to find music that they may have ripped from a CD but did not purchase from Apple, then cross-references it with Apple's own library. When it finds a match, it provides a user with a license of the track at the same quality they'd find if they bought it off iTunes, as long as they're a paid subscriber to the matching service.The feature is integrated with Apple's iCloud platform, which taps into the cloud to do things like ferry files, content, and apps between Apple devices. In this case, matched tracks are effectively licensed to users, letting them download music tracks to a device, even if they bought them via another device. At its "Let's Talk iPhone" event on October 4, the company pledged to bring the service to U.S. users "later this month," a deadline which MacRumors notes has passed without the new service going live. The company shipped out a version of iTunes shortly after the event that was missing Match. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.When iTunes Match goes live, it will cost $24.99 a year. That covers 25,000 songs in a user's library against Apple's own iTunes Store library, which currently contains about 20 million songs.Here's a video of the service in action:This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Apple has missed the deadline it laid out last month to bring its iTunes Match service to users. iTunes Match is the service that scans a user's library to find music that they may have ripped from a CD but did not purchase from Apple, then cross-references it with Apple's own library. When it finds a match, it provides a user with a license of the track at the same quality they'd find if they bought it off iTunes, as long as they're a paid subscriber to the matching service.The feature is integrated with Apple's iCloud platform, which taps into the cloud to do things like ferry files, content, and apps between Apple devices. In this case, matched tracks are effectively licensed to users, letting them download music tracks to a device, even if they bought them via another device. At its "Let's Talk iPhone" event on October 4, the company pledged to bring the service to U.S. users "later this month," a deadline which MacRumors notes has passed without the new service going live. The company shipped out a version of iTunes shortly after the event that was missing Match. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.When iTunes Match goes live, it will cost $24.99 a year. That covers 25,000 songs in a user's library against Apple's own iTunes Store library, which currently contains about 20 million songs.Here's a video of the service in action:This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Obama commends Apple, Intel for U.S. manufacturing jobs
Obama commends Apple, Intel for U.S. manufacturing jobs
One of President Obama's policy points in his State of the Union speech tonight was that U.S. companies need to create jobs here. Not only did he stress this need, he also praised those companies already in the process of doing this, including Intel and Apple."Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing. After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three," Obama said in his speech. "Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. After locating plants in other countries like China, Intel is opening its most advanced plant right here at home. And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again."Sitting there in the audience, in the box of First Lady Michelle Obama, was Apple CEO Tim Cook. Cook announced in December Apple's plans to move some Mac production to the U.S. The company is investing $100 million on this venture, Cook said.Apple CEO Tim Cook at the 2013 State of the Union address.PBS video/Screenshot by CNET Intel has also ramped up U.S. production over the past year by building a manufacturing plant in Arizona. The plant is expected to produce Intel's next generation of processors built on its 14-nanometer technology. The company said it was investing more than $5 billion in the facility. Giving a nod to Intel's advances with U.S. manufacturing, Obama visited the plant last January. "It's not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth," Obama said in his State of the Union speech tonight.
One of President Obama's policy points in his State of the Union speech tonight was that U.S. companies need to create jobs here. Not only did he stress this need, he also praised those companies already in the process of doing this, including Intel and Apple."Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing. After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three," Obama said in his speech. "Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. After locating plants in other countries like China, Intel is opening its most advanced plant right here at home. And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again."Sitting there in the audience, in the box of First Lady Michelle Obama, was Apple CEO Tim Cook. Cook announced in December Apple's plans to move some Mac production to the U.S. The company is investing $100 million on this venture, Cook said.Apple CEO Tim Cook at the 2013 State of the Union address.PBS video/Screenshot by CNET Intel has also ramped up U.S. production over the past year by building a manufacturing plant in Arizona. The plant is expected to produce Intel's next generation of processors built on its 14-nanometer technology. The company said it was investing more than $5 billion in the facility. Giving a nod to Intel's advances with U.S. manufacturing, Obama visited the plant last January. "It's not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth," Obama said in his State of the Union speech tonight.
NYPD creates special team to recover stolen Apple devices
NYPD creates special team to recover stolen Apple devices
Smartphones are so common now that it's easy to forget criminals will steal them if you give them the opportunity.Apple device thefts in New York have gotten so bad that the New York Police Department created a team dedicated to recovering stolen iDevices, the New York Post reported today. The team works with Apple to obtain ID numbers -- known as International Mobile Station Equipment Identity numbers -- for devices to help track down the stolen goods. The number of thefts of such devices in the city soared last year, according to a report from the NYPD. The department found that iPhone and iPad thefts rose 40 percent during a period of eight months. As of September, 11,447 cases were reported.These numbers for "Apple picking" will continue to rise as smartphones and tablets become ubiquitous for most day-to-day activities. Using apps on phones and tablets to check for news updates, weather reports, and so on, are common for bustling metropolises like New York and elsewhere.A Wall Street Journal reporter chronicled his own experience with an iPad theft on the subway that left him with a broken jaw. In tech-savvy San Francisco one iPhone theft led to a police foot chase and shots fired.Consumers should take the proper precautions in case they lose their phones to the black market, where phones can fetch hundreds of dollars. Securing your phone with a good passcode and signing up for services like Apple's Find My iPhone service could offer piece of mind.Thieves like to target those who are preoccupied with their phones, opting to grab the devices from owners' hands and then bolt. If you do end up a victim, police say it's best not to try to stop the criminals. Here is the NYPD's public announcement alerting people to some common iDevice theft situations:
Smartphones are so common now that it's easy to forget criminals will steal them if you give them the opportunity.Apple device thefts in New York have gotten so bad that the New York Police Department created a team dedicated to recovering stolen iDevices, the New York Post reported today. The team works with Apple to obtain ID numbers -- known as International Mobile Station Equipment Identity numbers -- for devices to help track down the stolen goods. The number of thefts of such devices in the city soared last year, according to a report from the NYPD. The department found that iPhone and iPad thefts rose 40 percent during a period of eight months. As of September, 11,447 cases were reported.These numbers for "Apple picking" will continue to rise as smartphones and tablets become ubiquitous for most day-to-day activities. Using apps on phones and tablets to check for news updates, weather reports, and so on, are common for bustling metropolises like New York and elsewhere.A Wall Street Journal reporter chronicled his own experience with an iPad theft on the subway that left him with a broken jaw. In tech-savvy San Francisco one iPhone theft led to a police foot chase and shots fired.Consumers should take the proper precautions in case they lose their phones to the black market, where phones can fetch hundreds of dollars. Securing your phone with a good passcode and signing up for services like Apple's Find My iPhone service could offer piece of mind.Thieves like to target those who are preoccupied with their phones, opting to grab the devices from owners' hands and then bolt. If you do end up a victim, police say it's best not to try to stop the criminals. Here is the NYPD's public announcement alerting people to some common iDevice theft situations:
Non-Apple companies hold iWatch trademark in U.S., U.K., China
Non-Apple companies hold iWatch trademark in U.S., U.K., China
It hasn't even been unveiled yet, but Apple's hotly rumored smartwatch is already running into trouble. Other companies reportedly own the iWatch trademark in the U.S., U.K., parts of Europe, and China.Having registered the iWatch trademark in Japan, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan, and Turkey, Apple could be set for trademark trouble elsewhere. In the U.S., a California-based company called OMG Electronics claims to hold the trademark. OMG is trying to crowdfund an iWatch smartwatch, but raised only a fraction of its $100,000 goal when it took to Indiegogo.In the U.K. and European Union, a network services company called Probendi has held the trademark since 2008, for an app that sends audio, video, and location data from a smartphone to the company's emergency management software.And in China, no less than nine companies have had a claim to the name, although most of those trademarks are now invalid. The trademark iWatching is also held by another company.Apple has the legal clout -- and more importantly, deep enough pockets -- to overcome these obstacles, especially where the trademark isn't being used. It wouldn't be the first time: The company forked over $60 million to Chinese company Proview in an iPad trademark row.Smartwatches are expected by some to be the next big thing. Although they've been around for a while, wrist-worn mobile devices look likely to take off in the near future, especially if the iWatch does turn out to be real. Microsoft, Google, Samsung, and Dell are all reportedly working on their own watch that talks to your phone, while Sony is already ahead of the game with the recently announced Sony SmartWatch 2.
It hasn't even been unveiled yet, but Apple's hotly rumored smartwatch is already running into trouble. Other companies reportedly own the iWatch trademark in the U.S., U.K., parts of Europe, and China.Having registered the iWatch trademark in Japan, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan, and Turkey, Apple could be set for trademark trouble elsewhere. In the U.S., a California-based company called OMG Electronics claims to hold the trademark. OMG is trying to crowdfund an iWatch smartwatch, but raised only a fraction of its $100,000 goal when it took to Indiegogo.In the U.K. and European Union, a network services company called Probendi has held the trademark since 2008, for an app that sends audio, video, and location data from a smartphone to the company's emergency management software.And in China, no less than nine companies have had a claim to the name, although most of those trademarks are now invalid. The trademark iWatching is also held by another company.Apple has the legal clout -- and more importantly, deep enough pockets -- to overcome these obstacles, especially where the trademark isn't being used. It wouldn't be the first time: The company forked over $60 million to Chinese company Proview in an iPad trademark row.Smartwatches are expected by some to be the next big thing. Although they've been around for a while, wrist-worn mobile devices look likely to take off in the near future, especially if the iWatch does turn out to be real. Microsoft, Google, Samsung, and Dell are all reportedly working on their own watch that talks to your phone, while Sony is already ahead of the game with the recently announced Sony SmartWatch 2.
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