Voice controlled "Assistant" coming to iPhone 5/iOS 5

There have been rumors for quite a while that Apple has been trying to put in some kind of voice controlled-based software support in the next version of its iOS operating system. Now the 9to5Mac.com web site reports that Apple might be trying to get that kind of feature in the next version of its iPhone. The story says that the software will be based on technology from a company called Siri that Apple acquired back in 2010.

The story is based on info and screenshots from a unnamed source that has access to an Apple iPhone test unit. The feature is called "Assistant" and is designed to use a iPhone's voice to access local info that can then be used by the iPhone's software to handle tasks. The article gives an example of how this feature will work: "We can imagine a user asking their iPhone 'Assistant" to setup a movie with one of their friends. The user might say “setup movie with Mark” and based on Mark’s contact info and the user’s location data, will be able to offer tickets to a local theater and send Mark the information."

The article adds that with the permission of the iPhone's owner, it could sent data from the "Assistant" back to Apple so the company can take a look at it and use that info to update the "Assistant" with improvements and more features. It could even "speak" back to the iPhone user. The article adds that this feature could be an exclusive, at least for a while, for the iPhone 5 when it is released this fall. However, it also says that the "Assistant" feature may not be ready when the next iPhone launches.

Sony’s Cybershot TX55 Shoots Photos and Video Simultaneously

  There's potentially a lot to dig in Sony's TX-55: Like, it's only 12.2mm thin and there's a 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen. More importantly: It'll let you snap nearly full-res photos while shooting HD video, and Sony's promising full-res, pixel-perfect virtual zoom up to 10x.The main magic going on here? What Sony's calling "By Pixel Super Resolution" processing on top of Sony's 16.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor. It's what allows the camera to simultaneously snap 12MP photos while shooting 1080i video—without interrupting the video—and pull off 5x digital zoom with full-resolution, 16.2MP images. (On top of the cam's 5x optical zoom, that's 10x total virtual zoom. Pixel-perfect zoom? Hrm.)

Other relavent numbers: Autofocus locks in 0.1 second, with auto-stitched panoramas that span 42.9 megapixels. Oh, and 3D images (smeh). It's $350 when it comes out in September. If the real thing matches what's on paper, this could be an interesting little camera

India now blocking file sharing websites

If you live in India and visit file sharing websites, you may be out of luck: It is being reported that India is now blocking sites such as Megaupload, Putlocker, and Rapidshare. When a user attempts to visit any of these websites, they are met with a message by the Department of Telecom (DOT) stating that the site is now blocked.

As reported in our forums and on ZDnet, the blocking comes as a surprise to many end users as it seems that not everyone is blocked. Some say that they are still able to access the sites while others receive the prompt that is shown above.

The most likely reason for blocking the websites is to stop the distribution of copyrighted content. This is an unfortunate side effect because these types of sites are useful for legitimate purposes.  The Internet moves much faster than any government entity, so it is likely a new alternative will pop up in the near future for those in this region.

This type of censorship may become more common as corporations begin to use government agencies to protect their content. At what point does government involvement become too heavy? It starts with copyrighted content, but where does it end?

OS X Lion breaks Adobe products including Photoshop, Flash

The war between Apple and Adobe appears to be continuing. Last year, Apple continuously fired pot shots at Adobe claiming their Flash software causes bad performance, and subsequently announced it would never support the products on the iPhone or iPad, nor would it allow applications that use workarounds to enable it. Adobe responded by launching a "We <3 Apple" and "We <3 Choice" campaign which was targeted directly at Apple's attitude towards its products.

Now, it appears Apple has taken another step to push Adobe away from its platforms. Early reports incorrectly suggested that Apple had disabled GPU support for Flash Player in all browsers. However, the Adobe support page reports that there is an issue where "Flash Player may cause higher CPU activity when playing a YouTube video" but this is a seperate issue, and hardware acceleration has not been disabled. Neowin has heard multiple reports of users having their entire OS crash when the software is used in a browser.

Venture Beat reports that Adobe is listing issues with Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash Builder, Flash Catalyst, Illustrator, Lightroom, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro. Apparently, some older programs will no longer run at all, such as Flash Builder and Catalyst which are listed as "will not work on OS X 10.7." Adobe says it doesn't plan on updating the programs to work on the platform. 

Other issues affect the massively popular Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator software, with the "droplets" feature being broken in Photoshop CS3, CS4 and CS5. On top of this, in Illustrator CS5, save or export is disabled from the "Save As" and "Export" dialog when saving to the desktop. In Adobe Lightroom, Nikon cameras are having issues with tethered shooting, with Adobe's only workaround being "remain on Mac OS 10.6.7 until the issue is resolved." Adobe Lightroom 2.7 is now no longer listed as "working."

Finally, the Adobe Reader plugins are no longer compatible with Safari 5.1, with the support website saying that Safari 5.1 replaces Adobe's plugins and can render PDF documents natively. The software still works as a standalone solution, but may cause issues with LiveCycle and Acrobat where they expect the plugin. Adobe says that users should continue using OS X 10.6 until the problem is resolved.

It's puzzling as to why so many issues are in this release of OS X. Previously, Adobe and Apple worked closely on new releases to ensure that their products worked seamlessly and caused no issues. Venture Beat points out that software developers are given access to beta versions of Apple's upcoming OS to get everything working, yet it seems someone dropped the ball in this case.

Mac OS X Lion downloaded 1 million times in first day

Apple has a lot of fans who apparently want to get their hands on the latest update to the Mac OS X operating system as soon as they possibly can. The company issued a press release today announcing that Mac users had downloaded the "Lion" update from the Mac App Store 1 million times on its first day of its online availability. The update, which costs $29.99 and contains over 250 new features, is currently the fastest selling Mac OS update in history.

The success of the Lion launch seems to have pleased Philip Schiller, who is Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Product Marketing. In the press release he stated, “Lion is off to a great start, user reviews and industry reaction have been fantastic. Lion is a huge step forward, it’s not only packed with innovative features but it’s incredibly easy for users to update their Macs to the best OS we’ve ever made.”

While Apple has made the Lion update available for download via the Mac App Store, folks who want some kind of physical media can wait until August when Apple will start selling USB thumb drives with the Lion update installed. However the cost of this method, available on Apple's online store, will set you back $69 which is over double the download only price. If you want to get out of the house to get the update, you can also take you Mac to any Apple retail store and download and install the update at that location.

Nokia's N5 makes Symbian-powered procession through the FCC

There's something bittersweet about watching a Symbian phone march through the FCC knowing that Nokia is slowly thinning the herd. This particular model, the N5, made its requisite Mr. Blurrycam debutlast month and now we've got some details about what the glossy white exterior is hiding. You'll find Bluetooth and WiFi radios inside, which isn't surprising, as well as NFC for all the contactless purchasing your Finland-loving heart can handle. On the mobile broadband side of things, there's support for the 850MHz, 1700MHz, and 1900MHz bands, which means it'll work with either T-Mobile or AT&T. Besides price and release date, the big question on our minds is whether or not anyone will buy a Symbian phone knowing the platform is destined for extinction?

'Green' trans-Atlantic cable set to launch in 2012

The Wellcome Trust charitable foundation has stepped outside the world of healthcare research funding and taken a stake in a new trans-Atlantic cable system.
The Emerald Atlantis, cable system has been given the green light after securing vendor TE SubCom to deploy the 5,200 km sub-sea network. The first phase of the cable deployment will provide high capacity between the US, Canada, UK and Iceland.

Its cable route survey between UK and Canada commences in early August and the Emerald Express system will enter service in late 2012.

Emerald Atlantis pitches the project as a “green” development that offers low latency trans-Atlantic bandwidth and low-cost green energy data centres in Iceland. Emerald Express has been designed to support 100x100 Gbps on each of its six fibre pairs, and two branching units will be positioned off Newfoundland and Ireland for future connectivity.
“The cable project will meet the tremendous demand for bandwidth driven by cloud services, while providing Iceland with the required connectivity to support the anticipated explosive growth of low cost, 100% carbon free, renewable energy powered data centres, in which the Wellcome Trust, has a major investment,” said EA president Greg Varisco.
“The industry is shifting its commitment to new trans-Atlantic bandwidth and TE SubCom is looking forward to working with the Emerald Atlantis team in the US and Iceland to deliver this unique IT infrastructure project within budget and on time,” said Michael Rieger, TE SubCom VP of Global Sales

Apple launches OS X Lion with features from Windows 3.1

TWENTY SIX YEARS AGO Microsoft launched a GUI for its disk operating system (DOS) called Windows. Now, more than a quarter of a century later, Cupertino's photocopiers have finally warmed up, allowing the company to copy this Microsoft feature in its Lion-themed OS. We were playing with our Android phones during the keynote, so we weren't listening closely, but we're sure Jobs called this feature "magical" and "life changing" and, although we were playing our free copy of Angry Birds, we got the distinct impression that Jobs also implied it will get you laid.

OS X Lion also adds some other groundbreaking features, like disabling support for apps coded for the PowerPC Macs of old and introducing a new scrolling system that makes no sense at all. The company has also 86'd Front Row, leaving some users yearning for a Windows Media Centre PC. This comes at a time when professional video editors are all wondering why their new version of Final Cut Pro can no longer access the cinematic projects that they've toiled over for months or years.

Additional innovative features in Apple's Mac OS X 10.7 Lion include an ability to see all your apps in one place, something Microsoft did decades ago with Program Manager, and later, the Start menu. Apple also now has something called "Mission Control", which it's so very proud of, and it allows you to access running programs, much like Task Manager under Windows, and see open documents and web pages.

Apple has also given sharing files a makeover. Now, it's possible to share documents with other Apple users through something called Air Drop. To do this, find someone else in your vicinity, then drop that file called "naked fun times and happylulz" onto their name. Soon, they'll have your .sit file with that Macdefender payload and your credit card information will propagate widely. Hurrah!

Apple has also put the Mac App Store in a new, prominent position. This is great for Apple, because it has finally managed to con users into accepting that it controls all app stores they will ever use. This means it can deny access to apps it doesn't approve of whilst creaming off a juicy 30 per cent cut of the rest for itself. It's inspired marketing by total control. And what's more, when it introduces a system that locks software apps to one computer, no one will be able to do anything about it.

Apple's Mac OS X Lion costs £20.99 and is available via the Mac store. Apple also intends to make it available for sale to its fanbois on USB sticks, which is a feature Microsoft pioneered decades ago.

Apple is catching up with Mac OS X though, however slowly

Samsung denies all knowledge of Smart Cover copy

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Accusations that Samsung is making headway in the mobile market by copying the work of Apple continue to fly, and the workings of third parties aren't doing much to help: an officially certified accessory has appeared that looks to be taking a cue from Apple's Smart Cover.
Built by Anymode for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, the 'Smart Case' looks a lot like Apple's own Smart Cover: it's a segmented cover designed to protect the screen while also transforming into a stand for the tablet in either portrait or landscape modes.
It's the last thing Samsung needs, as the company already stands accused of being 'inspired' by Apple's iPhone and iPad in the creation of its own Android-based Galaxy product series. The company has a get-out clause for this one, though: it's a third party, and not Samsung itself, that's at fault.
At least, that's the argument. The problem is, Anymode claimed to have received the designation of 'Designed for Samsung Mobile,' a certification scheme run by Samsung that guarantees compatibility with its products in the same way as Apple's 'Designed for iPhone' scheme.
"As a general practice, Samsung Electronics reviews and approves all accessories produced by partners before they are given the 'Designed for Samsung Mobile' mark," the company admits in a statement on its website. "In this case, approval was not given to Anymode for the accessory to feature this official designation."
Quite why the company thought that producing an accessory so clearly based on an Apple product at a time that the Cupertino-based company was fighting Samsung on patent and copyright grounds and then claiming Samsung approval was a good idea is not known. Neither Anymode nor Samsung have responded to our request for comment.
Comments made by visitors to Samsung's website reveal the damage that the brand is taking, however.  "Once a fan of this brand, I am strongly against buying any Samsung mobile device just because they copy Apple products," one comment reads. "If Samsung won't take any action on this copying, it will ruin the reputation of the brand as an innovator and it won't enjoy success as long as Sony did!"
"You've lost my interest [and I] will never buy product with your visible name on it," another visitor agrees. "We, customers, can see that your 'inspiration' is nothing more than a shameless copy of others' creations."
The apparent backlash is bad news for Samsung: while its Galaxy S II smartphone is proving popular with those looking for a high-spec Android smartphone, it's coming at a serious cost to the company's public persona. With the lower-spec Galaxy R expected to launch by the end of the month, it remains to be seen how much of an impact the company's ongoing legal tussle with Apple will have on overall sales.

Samsung HS3000

The Samsung HS3000 features an interesting design for a stereo Bluetooth headset. It comes with a set of wired earbuds, plus a separate main body that clips onto your shirt. It works for both voice calls and music like most stereo Bluetooth headphones. But it doesn't convert into a mono Bluetooth headset with an ear hook, like the Samsung Modus HM6450 ($99, 4 stars) or HM3700 ($59, 4 stars); the HS3000 is a pure stereo model. The HS3000 won't win any sound quality awards—stereo Bluetooth or otherwise—but it's a decent, low-cost headset that should please casual music listeners.
Design, Fit, and Pairing
The HS3000's main body is made of a hard, matte plastic, and feels very light. A sturdy plastic clip on the back lets you pin the HS3000 to a shirt pocket. A Talk button and indicator light sit on the front panel. The sides contain the power switch, volume buttons, a Mode button, and a trio of music playback controls for pausing or skipping tracks. The bottom edge holds a covered microUSB port, while the top edge houses a standard-size 3.5mm headphone jack.
This last point is interesting; while Samsung includes a set of in-ear buds with rubber tips, you can actually use any set of wired headphones. The HS3000's main body contains the microphone, not the earbud wires, so you can still make or receive calls with any set of headphones plugged in. That makes the HS3000 much more versatile than most stereo Bluetooth headsets—particularly for audiophiles who are willing to forego Bluetooth's inherent audio quality limitations in favor of wireless listening, or even just for wearing whatever headphones or earbuds are the most comfortable.
The bundled earbuds include soft ear tips that are somewhere between rubber and plastic, in terms of texture. I found them quite comfortable to wear. I'll refer to them as in-ear buds, since they sit inside the ear a bit and don't sit outside like stock iPod earbuds. But they don't go all the way in and form a tight seal like audiophile-quality earbuds do (sometimes at the expense of comfort). Samsung also includes two additional sets of ear tips in the box—one larger set than the pre-fitted ear tips, and one smaller set—as well as an AC adapter.
The first time you power up the HS3000, it automatically enters pairing mode; subsequent pairings require you to hold down the Talk button for several seconds while the unit is turned on. The HS3000 supports Bluetooth 3.0, and can also pair with two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. But unlike some other headsets, you must first activate multi-point mode manually. For this review, I paired the HS3000 with an Apple iPhone 4 ($199, 4.5 stars) and a Casio G'zOne Ravine ($149.99, 4.5 stars) with no issue or audio dropouts in either case.
Sound Quality, Other Features, and Conclusions
Sound quality was well balanced for the most part, but decidedly flat. It's not artificially boosted in any way, with even response across the frequency spectrum. Bass response was just okay; there was enough to give the music proper weight, with some oomph to kick drums, but it didn't extend to the lowest frequencies, nor did it have much punch. But the main issue was a lack of detail, as well as a lack of sweetness in the high range. Listening to Mumford & Son's "Little Lion Man," I didn't hear the distinct stereo separation I usually hear over other headphones and earbuds.
Quibbles with audio quality aside, the HS3000 is fine for casual or background listening, and the in-ear design isolates you from external background noise. On the other hand, there was significant cable thump audible, so these aren't a good choice for exercising. The Mode button cycles between three DSP algorithms: Normal, Instrument, and Vocal. Each of the latter two settings were quite poor, so I listened via the Normal mode almost exclusively.
Other features: The Talk button makes, answers, and ends calls; you also hold this down for a few seconds to enter pairing mode. The LED light doubles as a battery status indicator, and changes between blue (above 80 percent), violet (between 80 percent and 20 percent), and red (below 20 percent) to reflect the amount of charge remaining. The voice prompts offer the same info, and also keep you posted as to call, connection, and pairing status. Range was average; I could walk about 10 feet away from my handset before hearing audible artifacts in the music. A full charge takes about two hours; under continuous music playback, battery life was good at 7 hours and 23 minutes.
All told, the Samsung HS3000 is inexpensive and unusually flexible for stereo Bluetooth headphones. It's a good choice if you prize battery life above all else, or if you've got your own pair of headphones that you want to use in lieu of stock earbuds. The Samsung HM3700 comes with a much better set of stereo earbuds, lacks the HS3000's cable thump issue, and also converts to a mono headset with an ear hook, although it's bulkier and doesn't have the HS3000's standard size headphone jack. Don't want to deal with earbud wires at all? Then check out the Novero Tour ($79, 4 stars); the Tour's standard plastic earbud design means you don't get the same deep bass as you do with in-ear, rubber ear tips, but they're quite comfortable for all day use, fold up for traveling, and have no exposed wires.