Author: Serkadis

Boston GlobeHigh-tech's hand-me-downsBoston Globe… said Michael Raab, a cofounder of Agrivida, a Medford company that is developing crop varieties better suited for biofuel production. …and more »

Deccan HeraldIOC wants 50000 acres for biofuel cultivation in UPBusiness StandardThe new policy may consider financial incentives such as subsidies and grants for biofuel production. The policy also envisages setting up of a National …For greener bio…

University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno and alumna Gabrielle Lyon, BA’94, MA’94, will accept Project Exploration’s Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mentoring on Jan. 6 at a White House ceremony.

Sereno and Lyon co-founded the non-profit Project Exploration as a science education organization in 1999 to make science accessible to the public―particularly minority youth and girls―through personalized experiences with science and scientists.

Project Exploration provides a new model for seizing after-school, weekend and summer opportunities to engage young people’s sense of wonder and curiosity.

Activities include interaction and collaboration with scientists and hands-on experiences and fieldwork.

“By fostering and supporting long-term relationships with students, and targeting students who may not be academically successful, Project Exploration is working to change the face of science―one student at a time,” Lyon said.

Nearly 1000 Chicago Public School middle and high school students have participated in programs over the past nine years.

Project Exploration is among 22 organizations and individuals who will receive the Science Mentoring Award, which includes $10,000 to further advance their work.

“There is no higher calling than furthering the educational advancement of our nation’s young people and encouraging and inspiring our next generation of leaders,” President Obama said last July, when the award was announced.

“These awards represent a heartfelt salute of appreciation to a remarkable group of individuals who have devoted their lives and careers to helping others, and in doing so, have helped us all.”

The award recognizes the crucial role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal development of students studying science or engineering and who belong to minorities that are underrepresented in those fields.

Candidates for the Presidential Mentoring Award are nominated by colleagues, administrators and students from their home institutions.

The mentoring can involve students at any grade level, from elementary through graduate school.

Filed under: Safety, Videos, Humor

Our friend Farmer Dave does some crazy stuff with airbags. You may recall that Dave likes to blow up airbags in refrigerators, and the devastation is pretty impressive. Either Dave got bored with blowing up safety devices in kitchen appliances or he was interested in a fresh challenge, because the good farmer’s latest video takes place on a very frozen pond with a passenger side Saturn airbag.

After the jump is 3:23 of pure safety dummy pyrotechnic bliss. Farmer Dave puts an airbag in a plastic bag, wires it up to a car battery and places it in the water where he cut out a chunk of the ice with a chainsaw. Since we’re showing you this video, you can probably guess that the airbag went off, but the damage to three inches of ice is pretty impressive. As a bonus, Dave stuck a second air bag in the water for a week in order to let the ice freeze over it. The carnage is far less impressive but still worth a look. Hit the jump to watch both videos and please try to remember that blowing up airbags is dangerous business better left to the Farmer Daves of the world.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Answering the eternal question – will an airbag go off in a frozen pond?

Video: Answering the eternal question – will an airbag go off in a frozen pond? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia (NYSE: NOK) said when it comes to smartphones, it will be on par with Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and RIM (NSDQ: RIMM) by 2011, but hopefully it has more to do with innovation than winning legal battles.

Nokia has filed a third complaint, alleging that Apple’s infringing on several “implementation patents” that covers everything from camera sensors to touchscreens, reports Engadget. The complaint is the second one filed with the International Trade Commission. In the filing with ITC last week, Nokia alleged that “Apple infringes Nokia patents in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, and computers.” Previously, Nokia sued Apple in federal court, as well.

In this complaint, Nokia asks the ITC to consider banning imports of Apple products, including the MacBook and iPhone. The U.S. International Trade Commission hears cases involving imports that allegedly infringe intellectual property rights, and then facilitates an international trading system.

At the Geneva Motor Show this coming March, Audi will pull the curtain back to reveal its new A1 compact model. While Europeans will have the option of purchasing the car afterwards, Americans will have no such luxury as Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen feels the American market is not yet ripe for such a vehicle; he feels that that such a move will damage efforts to build brand recognition and compete head-to-head with BMW and Mercedes-Benz. After spending a week with the 2010 Audi S4, we can say with confidence that Audi is fast on its way to becoming a substantial player in the game that is currently dominated by BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

With the all-new 2010 S4 on the market, BMW faces serious competition for its 335i, long touted as the best high-performance sedan on the market. At egmCarTech, we have generally embraced the philosophy of ‘more horsepower, more cylinders’, but the S4 has certainly made us second guess ourselves. Ditching the 340-hp V8 of generations past, the ‘10 S4 has acquired a supercharged 3.0L TFSI engine which produces 333-hp. Don’t be fooled; the S4 is still as quick off the start and lightening fast as ever before. Make the jump to read our take on the new S4 and see how it stands in comparison to the 335i.

Follow the jump to read more and to view the high-res image gallery (at the bottom of the post).

Review: 2010 Audi S4:

2010 Audi S4 Specification:

Base Price: $45,900.
Price as Tested: $53,450.
Engine: 3.0 TSFI Supercharged V6 – 333-hp / 325 lb-ft of torque.
Transmission: 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch S Tronic automatic.
Curb Weight: 3,924 (with S Tronic).
0 to 60 mph: 4.9 seconds.
Fuel-Economy: 18/28 mpg (city/highway).

All Photos Copyright © 2009 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.

Exterior:

Like the ‘10 A4, the 2010 Audi S4 offers substantial aesthetic improvement over its predecessor. Differentiating the S4 from its A4 kin are S-design front and rear bumpers and grille, rocker moldings, quad exhaust tail pipes, trunk lid with lip-spoiler, aluminum side-view mirror housing, aluminum front and rear diffuser blades, 18-inch wheels w/high performance tires, super sized brakes with S4 badging, new LED tail lights, and a number of other details. All of the aforementioned exterior amenities come standard on the S4, and optionally available for an additional $900 are 19-inch 5-spoke wheels with 255/35 summer performance tires.

Compared to the BMW 335i, Mercedes-Benz C350, and Lexus IS350, the S4’s exterior design is exceptional. Audi’s brilliant marketing and design (especially the S4 badging) give the car a look and feel that is luxurious but decidedly-sporty; a natural fit for any car in the premium high-performance segment. Audi’s daytime running LED strips positioned in the headlamp housings also add a touch of subtle elegance to the car.

Interior:

“Step inside and you will notice that every interior element comes together for a singular purpose: To enhance the experience of performance,” says Audi of the interior of their 2010 S4.

In our recent poll asking readers which automaker they felt made the best interiors, the overwhelming consensus was Audi. Audi stands atop the luxury segment with regards to interior design and quality, bar none. The very basic interior design and quality of BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz pale in comparison to the modern and sophisticated interior of the S4, and this reaffirms Audi’s ambition to be recognized as a substantial player in the luxury game.

The 2010 S4 is offered in two different trimlines; Premium Plus and Prestige. With a starting MSRP of $45,900, the Premium Plus package comes complete with brushed aluminum inlays, driver seat memory, electrically adjustable heated front sport seats, S4 aluminum doorsill inlays, 60/40-split folding rear-seats, 3-spoke S4 multifunctional leather steering wheel, three-zone climate control, cruise control, rain and light sensors, and Audi’s exclusive MMI interface.

The MMI interface includes Audi Concert, with SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Audi Music interface with full iPod connectivity, base sound system, Bluetooth connectivity, and their Driver Information System (DIS). For $52,000, one can upgrade to the Prestige Package which adds a navigation system to the MMI, upgrades the audio to a Bang & Olufsen sound system, and adds voice control.

Other interior options include the $900 Driver Assist Package, $3,950 Audi Driver Select Package, $1,000 silk nappa Leather seats, $500 electric rear sunshade, $2,100 adaptive cruise control, $500 carbon or wood decorative inlays, $350 rear side-airbags, and other little amenities.

An optioned out ‘10 S4 will run close to $60,000, but bear in mind that the $45,900 base model already comes much better equipped than any other car in its class.

Performance:

Before we get to the ins and outs of performance, one must bear in mind that the S4 by its very nature does not stand in competition with the BMW M3 or the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. In fact, it doesn’t even compete with the 335i. Audi’s Quattro technology pits the all-wheel drive S4 against the BMW 335xi.

As any performance-enthusiast would be, we are certainly fans-huge fans- of the 335i’s award-winning twin-turbocharged 3.0L straight 6-cylinder engine. Audi’s new 3.0 TSFI supercharged V6 however, is just a touch more impressive in our eyes. The 333-hp and maximum torque of 325 lb-ft engine, when mated to either the standard 6-speed manual transmission or Audi’s 7-speed S Tronic automatic with paddle-shifters, brings the car from 0-60 mph in a spectacular 4.9 seconds, compared to the 335xi’s 5.3 seconds.

The timing of our test-drive was great for the purposes of review; we enjoyed the car for a few days on clear normal roads, and then in one of the most brutal snow storms the ti-state area has seen in years. While BMW’s all-wheel drive system is undoubtedly sufficient enough to guide novice drivers through moderate snow conditions, Audi’s Quattro system however allowed the S4 to operate flawlessly in the brutal snow. For $1,100, one can opt for the dynamic Sports Rear Differential Package, which varies the torque between the two rear-wheels, allowing enhanced agility and cornering performance. The $3,590 Drive Select option, allows the driver to really tap into the adaptive suspension, dynamic steering, transmission shift characteristics, and engine response with its four distinct driver configurations; Comfort, Automatic, Dynamic, and Individual.

Despite the two-cylinder disadvantage o the new engine, the outgoing V8 is undoubtedly the inferior engine. The supercharged boost of the new engine is certainly nice; so is best-in-class fuel economy with the EPA estimating 18/27 mpg (city/highway) on a vehicle equipped with the 6-speed manual, and 18/28 mpg with the 7-speed S Tronic automatic.

As far as performance is concerned, the Audi S4 blows the competition away; with extreme prejudice.

Overall:

While the S4 has a base MSRP $3,300 higher than that of the BMW 335xi which starts at $42,600, the difference is immediately realized considering the extra performance one will get out of an S4; a standardly equipped S4 at that. As far as aesthetics is concerned, exterior styling is strictly a matter of personal taste, and the two cars are likely to appeal to the same crowd, but the interior is an entirely different story. As we mentioned above, there is no touching the S4 in terms of interior styling, build quality, and available amenities.

With the 2010 S4, Audi has certainly lit a flame under the feet of Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Review: 2010 Audi S4:

– By: Stephen Calogera

All Photos Copyright © 2009 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.

Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, has completed its previously announced acquisition of Logical Information Machines, Inc. (LIM), a leading provider of data and analytics for the energy, financial, and agriculture sectors, for $51.5 million, subject to post-closing adjustments.

LIM provides market pricing data, securities reference data, historical event data, predictive analytics, and advanced data management solutions that help customers manage large sets of time-series data.

The company collects, unifies, and conducts quality assurance on data from more than 180 providers in the energy, financial, and agriculture sectors and provides clients with one central source for data intelligence and analysis.

About Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of Internet, software, and print-based products and services for individuals, financial advisors, and institutions.

Morningstar provides data on more than 325,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on more than 4 million equities, indexes, futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in addition to foreign exchange and Treasury markets.

The company has operations in 20 countries and minority ownership positions in companies based in two other countries.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on our current expectations about future events or future financial performance.

Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, and often contain words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue.”

These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the events we discussed not to occur or to differ significantly from what we expected.

For us, these risks and uncertainties include, among others, general industry conditions and competition, including the global financial crisis that began in 2007; the impact of market volatility on revenue from asset-based fees; damage to our reputation resulting from claims made about possible conflicts of interest; liability for any losses that result from an actual or claimed breach of our fiduciary duties; financial services industry consolidation; a prolonged outage of our database and network facilities; challenges faced by our non-U.S. operations; and the availability of free or low-cost investment information.

A more complete description of these risks and uncertainties can be found in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2008.

If any of these risks and uncertainties materialize, our actual future results may vary significantly from what we expected. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events.

    MEDIA CONTACT:

     Margaret Kirch Cohen, 312-696-6383
     [email protected]

El último rumor que nos llega desde las oficinas de Silicon Valley sobre General Motors es que el gigante americano estaría interesado en contratar los servicios del actual director general de Apple para ocupar el puesto de CEO de GM.

El director general de Apple no es otro que Tim Cook, un ingeniero industrial con una gran experiencia, entre otras cosas estuvo trabajando 12 años para IBM y en 1998 se unió a Apple. Además, forma parte del consejo directivo de Nike.

Por otra parte, si General Motors llegase a contratar a Tim Cook, contaría con una directiva de lo más renovada y por que no decirlo, llamativa. Seguiremos atentos para ver si este rumor llega a confirmarse.

Related posts:

1. General Motors podría vender Hummer
2. General Motors liquida los modelos de Pontiac y Saturn
3. Sberbank pide una indemnización a General Motors por no vender Opel

According to the founder of Tennenbaum Capital Partners, small businesses generate around 2/3 of new jobs. At the same time, they get their loans from small banks. However, regulators have forced these small banks to have a low debt to capital ratio meaning less loans are made to small businesses.

“Sadly, this is like sand in the gears. For the next couple of years, I think the U.S. economy is going to be sluggish.”

Watch the entire interview below:

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Better Regulation, Not Better Monetary Policy, Is The Key To Preventing Bubbles
• 5 Small Business Marketing Trends For 2010
• Why You Should Be Downright Giddy About 2010

Those gifted gents over at the BTStack might just be too clever for their own good. First they blow our minds by sneaking Wiimote support onto the iPhone, and then tickle our productivity-loving souls by hacking in Bluetooth keyboard support. It’s a bit awkward to be typing away on a keyboard then have to reach over and poke the screen whenever you want to do something – wouldn’t it be nice to be able to use a mouse instead?

Yes, yes it would. And the BTStack guys agree.

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CES is bound to be full of slate computers and e-book readers. But the Skiff Reader might stick out from the rest thanks to its huge 11.5-inch display and very thin bezel. That’s nearly two inches bigger than the Kindle DX, but yet the whole device is only .25-inches thick. Nice, eh? Oh, and it uses Sprint’s 3G network.

The screen is not only large and high-res at 1200 x 1600, but it’s also a next-gen e-paper type based on a thin, flexible sheet of stainless-steel foil. The company claims that’s it’s a lot more durable than the glass kind used in other devices.

Sprint is providing the wireless connectivity and a retail outlet for the reader. It will be available in more than 1,000 Sprint retail locations later this year. Pricing and exact availability wasn’t mentioned in the presser, but hopefully we can nail something down at CES.

Too bad we don’t know yet what content will be featured. Having 3G wireless is a major feature, so it’s probably safe to assume that Skiff has worked out some sort of distribution deal. But with who?

SKIFF AND SPRINT TO PREVIEW FIRST SKIFF READER AT 2010 INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW

Skiff Service to Deliver Newspapers, Magazines & Books to e-Reader with Thinnest Form Factor, Largest e-Paper Display and Full Touchscreen, via Sprint 3G Wireless Network

Device Is First to Feature “Metal Foil” e-Paper Technology from LG Display,
Enhancing Durability by Eliminating the Fragility of a Glass Display

NEW YORK, January 4th, 2010 — Skiff, LLC and Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced that they will preview the Skiff Reader, the first e-reader optimized for newspaper and magazine content, at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week.

The Skiff Reader, the initial dedicated device to integrate the upcoming Skiff e-reading service, is remarkably sleek and easy to use. At just over a quarter-inch in overall height, the device is the thinnest e-reader announced to date. It features the largest and highest-resolution electronic-paper display yet unveiled in a consumer device, at 11.5″ in size (measured diagonally) and a resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (UXGA). A full touchscreen enables users to intuitively navigate and engage with the newspapers, magazines, books and other digital content they purchase through the Skiff Store, as well as personal and work documents. The device weighs just over one pound and lasts over a week of average use between charges.

“The Skiff Reader’s big screen will showcase print media in compelling new ways,” said Gilbert Fuchsberg, president of Skiff, LLC. “This is consistent with Skiff’s focus on delivering enhanced reading experiences that engage consumers, publishers and advertisers.”

The Skiff Reader is designed not just for sleekness but also for durability. It is the first consumer product to feature the next-generation of e-paper display – one based on a thin, flexible sheet of stainless-steel foil. This contrasts with the fragile glass that is the foundation of almost every electronic screen – and a primary source of vulnerability and breakage risk in the devices that incorporate them. Skiff has worked closely with LG Display (NYSE: LPL), one of the world’s leading display manufacturers and the innovator of the foil-display technology, to optimize and implement this first-of-its-kind non-glass display uniquely for the Skiff Reader.

Skiff has signed a multi-year agreement with Sprint (NYSE:S) to provide 3G connectivity for Skiff’s dedicated e-reading devices in the United States. Plans are underway to have the Skiff Reader available for purchase later this year in more than 1,000 Sprint retail locations across the U.S., as well as online at www.sprint.com. Availability, pricing, additional distribution channels and other details will be disclosed at a later date.

“The forthcoming launch of the Skiff Reader is an exciting development for consumers who are looking for more and more choice in the arena of embedded devices,” said Dan Dooley, president wholesale solutions, Sprint. “We have witnessed a strong demand for e-readers in recent years and now Sprint is showing its commitment to Skiff by making this new device available on the 3G network and for sale in Sprint retail stores.”

In October 2009, Sprint announced the formation of its Emerging Solutions Business that focuses exclusively on the rapid delivery of machine-to-machine and mobile computing solutions to businesses and consumers. Sprint’s partnership with Skiff builds on more than 10 years of experience in working with vendors to provision non-Sprint-branded devices to operate on its networks, as well as extensive expertise in operating multiple platforms and assets.

In addition to 3G, the Skiff Reader will also support wireless connectivity via WiFi.

The Skiff Reader will feature the Skiff service and digital store, allowing consumers to wirelessly purchase and access a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, books, blogs and other content from multiple publishers. Newspaper and magazine content delivered by Skiff will feature visually appealing layouts, high-resolution graphics, rich typography and dynamic updates, supporting key design qualities that help publications differentiate themselves and attract subscribers and advertisers.

Besides the Skiff Reader, Skiff is working with major consumer electronics manufacturers to integrate Skiff’s service, digital store and client software into a range of innovative devices. By supporting a variety of devices from multiple manufacturers, and through complementary applications for major smart phone platforms, Skiff will make it easier for publishers to distribute content and advertising across a range of devices and form factors, an increasingly important goal as the e-reading market continues to grow.

About Skiff
Skiff provides a complete e-reading solution that includes the Skiff Service platform, Skiff Store and Skiff-enabled devices. Skiff will sell and distribute newspapers, magazines, books, blogs and other content. Skiff gives periodical publishers tools to maintain their distinct visual identities, build and extend relationships with subscribers, and wirelessly deliver dynamic content and advertising to both dedicated e-readers and multipurpose devices. Skiff will also make it easier for consumers to access content from multiple publishers across a range of devices. Skiff is headquartered in New York City and also has offices in Palo Alto, Calif. Visit Skiff at www.Skiff.com.

About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 48 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2009 and the first and only 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

About LG Display
LG Display Co., Ltd. [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220] is a leading manufacturer and supplier of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, OLEDs and flexible displays. The company provides TFT-LCD panels in a wide range of sizes and specifications for use in TVs, monitors, notebook PCs, mobile products and other various applications. LG Display currently operates eight fabrication facilities and five back-end assembly facilities in Korea, China and Poland. The company has a total of 30,000 employees operating worldwide. Please visit www.lgdisplay.com for more information.

###

Skiff™ is a trademark of Skiff, LLC.

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We all knew this would come one day, especially since the basic technology has been around for some time, and now we have it: A brain activity-powered remote control that can be used without you having to lift a finger. The Hitachi device is unfortunately just a prototype, but at least they’re planning to commercialize it within three to four years.

The technology is being developed not for lazy couch potatoes but for something that actually makes a lot of sense: Hitachi says they would like to see physically handicapped people using the remote control in the future (think about how many times a day you push buttons on your remote when watching TV).

All that users need to do is to think about changing channels or control the volume on a TV to make that happen (the technology can naturally be used for other appliances as well). A headset scans the user’s brain with near-infrared rays, measuring changes in blood flow (which indicate activity) in the brain. It then sends the brain signals to the remote control through optical fiber, making the remote beam infrared signals to the appliance in question.

Hitachi’s brain-machine interface system weighs just 1kg. The company says similar systems are as large as a fridge.
(My apologies for the small picture, which is the only one available at this point.)

Via Nikkei [registration required, paid subscription]

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Intersted in risky emerging markets, but spooked out about the sovereign credit meltdown that everyone’s talking about?

RBS (via Alphaville) has produced an awesome flowchart to determine, using various national criteria, whether a given country is at risk of a meltdown.

Basically, it starts at the top and divides countries into two camps — those with external debt above and below 50% debt to GDP. Then it looks at other criteria, such as the inflation rate and the volume of external reserves.

Keep going down the flowchart, and you can see where each country is.

Click to enlarge the image

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• European Commision Warns: Eight Countries Charging Off A Sovereign Debt Cliff In 2010
• MF Global: A Jobless Recovery, Sovereign Debt Risks, And The "Apex" Of US Liberalism In 2010
• Hedge Fund BlueGold: The So-Called Sovereign Debt Crisis Is A Distraction

If Apple doesn’t steal the thunder from this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with rumors of a tablet computer, Google may pull a hefty share of the headlines away from the showroom floor with its highly anticipated Google phone. The company is set to hold a briefing about its smartphone plans on Tuesday as competitors show their new wares at CES at a different venue.

After a weekend of leaked information about Google’s plans and its phone, dubbed Nexus One, analysts expect the search giant to offer much-wanted information about features, pricing, carrier and release date for the Android device manufactured by HTC.

Google previously said the phone is designed for developers looking to build applications for the Android application store. But many analysts believe Nexus One will sell on contract through T-Mobile for somewhere around $179, or unlocked for about $530. Google was not immediately available for comment.

What About the Droid?

“A lot of information leaked over the weekend that makes the Google phone sound perhaps a little less interesting than it was,” said Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret. “It sounds like a phone that was designed by Google, built by HTC, and will be sold on contract through T-Mobile. That’s nothing particularly new.”

The twist, as Gartenberg sees it, is that Google may offer the device directly to consumers — unlocked. That, he said, would be interesting if Google subsidized the device, but all reports indicate that Google will sell the unlocked phone unsubsidized. As the rumors stand, Google’s pricing model is not shaking up the industry as some expected.

“Certainly, Google is going to realize that selling unlocked phones in the U.S. is not a particularly easy task. All they have to do is ask Nokia,” Gartenberg said. “Maybe the story will be different tomorrow, but the news that leaked…

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Filed under: Apple Corporate, Hardware, iPhone

Back in 2002, Apple applied to register the iPhone trademark in China, but that application was limited to computer hardware and software, not mobile phones. A year later (three years before the iPhone’s introduction), Chinese manufacturer Hanwang Technology applied for the trademark “i-phone” for a device they briefly sold. I

Since then, Apple has been working to acquire the trademark “i-phone,” and this week they finally succeeded. According to Macworld, the record for the trademark now shows Apple’s name where it used to list Hanwang Technology. On Monday a Hanwang representative stated that Apple has indeed acquired the trademark, but refused to give any details.

The iPhone’s performance in China has been interesting, as the government’s communication restrictions, a bustling black market and cheaper competition in Hong Kong got things off to a slow start. Just last week, China Unicom reported that they had sold 300,000 iPhones, which tripled claims of only 100,000 units sold by the start of December.

TUAWApple gains control of “i-phone” trademark in China originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BenQ’s Joybook Lite U103 packs an SSD for when you’re feeling frisky, HDD for when you’re not originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skiff Reader is largest yet, will be hitting a Sprint Store near you originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thought digital delivery would get left behind in the jump to 3D? Roxio’s CinemaNow 2.0 platform is ready to build on the success of its predecessor — already embedded in many devices and powering the online stores for Blockbuster, Best Buy and Zip.ca — and flip the switch bringing streamed or downloaded 1080p or 3D, plus the ability to add additional background info on each movie or previously disc-exclusive extras like multiple audio tracks, subtitles and more. Also new for 2.0 are plans for access on Android and Windows Mobile devices. We’re still thinking a combo of lower prices, all you can eat subscriptions or a disc tie-in is the logical next step, but we’ll wait for a CES demo to ask about that, and whether the new features will be backwards compatible on old hardware.

CinemaNow 2.0: 3D, 1080p, Android & WinMo get a taste of online movie distribution originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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