Tech's biggest misfires of 2012

You can't win 'em all, right? Sure, 2012 saw its share of high points, but there were plenty of missteps along the way from companies both large and small. Unfinished products, serial delays, lawsuits and layoffs -- after the break, we've got a list of some of the not-so-pretty moments in tech.

Continue reading Tech's biggest misfires of 2012

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Gaming, GPS, Handhelds, Tablets, Software, Apple, Samsung, Google, LG, RIM, Nintendo

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/gYk81yUQCag/

F5 NETWORKS EPICOR SOFTWARE EMULEX EMS TECHNOLOGIES

What it's like to cut the cord and stop paying for TV

This Sunday will be a major television-viewing day for millions of Americans. Most of them will pay to have Fox's broadcast of the Super Bowl beamed into their homes. But I won't.

Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=497206c28c7f32193612bb403eae7f3f

NETGEAR NCR NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

Deal of the Day ? 10.1? Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 32GB Android 4.0 tablet with keyboard dock

Thursday’s LogicBUY Deal is the�10.1″ Lenovo 32GB IdeaTab S2110 Android 4.0 tablet with bundled keyboard dock (2258E5U)�for�$463.20. �Features: Qualcomm 1.5GHz dual-core 1GB of LPDDR2 RAM Android 4.0 IPS screen with HD resolution Keyboard dock doubles the battery life compared to the tablet alone Two USB ports 3-in-1 card reader Front and rear cameras Dual speakers [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/12/27/deal-of-the-day-10-1-lenovo-ideatab-s2110-32gb-android-4-0-tablet-with-keyboard-dock/

FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS F5 NETWORKS EPICOR SOFTWARE EMULEX

Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game

Shot Shot Pirate is very satisfying, because each level is short and to the point. You know what you have to do and you just do it.

As you may have gathered from the name, you're cast in the role of a pirate. Your goal is to shoot at a diamond and make it fall off a tower of bricks. The height of the tower changes as you progress through the levels. It's not enough to just make the diamond fall off the tower of bricks - it has to fall below a certain line (drawn on the screen) for the level to be completed.

There are also different kinds of bricks, with some heavier than others, and different kinds of ammo. You only get a certain amount of ammo for each level, and when it's gone, you lose. But don't worry! If you don't make it on the first try, it's very easy to restart the level and just give it another shot (or three).

All in all it's a cute game. I've seen similar games with better graphics and music, but the game delivers on its main promise - a few minutes of pure time wasting!

Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/24/shot-shot-pirate-is-a-fun-simple-physics-game/

ATandT AUTODESK AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING AVNET

Ireland Has Some Awesome-Looking Water Towers

You typically don't think of water towers as being a particularly interesting outlet for architectural design, but that's not always the case. Photographer Jamie Young has been documenting the water towers of Ireland, and they are awesome. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/FCJkJ67gN7U/ireland-has-the-coolest+looking-water-towers

QLOGIC PROGRESS SOFTWARE PLANAR SYSTEMS PEROT SYSTEMS

FCC streamlines rules for aircraft broadband, promotes widespread in-flight WiFi

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Report and Order today that updated regulatory requirements needed to provide broadband services on aircraft. In short, the commission has designated Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft -- the broadband modules placed on the exterior of aircraft -- as a licensed application and established a set regulatory process for future providers. What this means is that airlines will be able to select FCC-approved systems, verify that systems don't interfere with aircraft instruments, and obtain FAA approval in about half the time it takes now. The new FCC guidelines should make it easier for smaller airlines to install WiFi on their jets, allowing them to catch up to legacy carriers with nearly fleetwide internet access. This news might also be a mixed blessing for frequent flyers, some of whom see flying as the last bastion of peace in an otherwise connected world.

Continue reading FCC streamlines rules for aircraft broadband, promotes widespread in-flight WiFi

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Source: Federal Communications Commission

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/28/fcc-streamlines-rules-in-flight-wifi/

AMERICA MOVIL AMKOR TECHNOLOGY AMPHENOL ANIXTER INTERNATIONAL

Rumors Running Wild About Ubuntu's Top-Secret New Product

Well, we're in the final countdown now as 2012 draws to a close, so you'd think all would be quiet here in the Linux blogosphere as bloggers hunker down to recover from what's been an exceptionally exhausting year. Linux Girl, for one, has been putting in extra hours on her favorite barstool down at the blogosphere's Broken Windows Lounge in an effort to recover a bit of the sanity that slipped away in 2012.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/26f9e435/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C769430Bhtml/story01.htm

SONIC AUTOMOTIVE SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS SILICON LABORATORIES SI INTERNATIONAL

ATandT Beefs Up 3G Net to Get Ready for new iPhone

AT T is said to be making software enhancements to its 3G network to get a bit more juice from it before a planned migration to 4G and before millions of new Apple iPhone users come on board....

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/publishcontmgt/~3/wBksKfDJRGg/

QIMONDA QUALCOMM QUANTA COMPUTER RESEARCH IN MOTION

China's $20 Billion Loan to ZTE to Change Telecom Industry: Report

ZTE has received a $20 billion credit line from a bank backed by the Chinese government. The money, says TBR, will change the telecom industry.

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/eweek_voip/~3/4xIErdfwA0s/

VEECO INSTRUMENTS VARIAN SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATES UNITED ONLINE UNISYS

Another Apple patent called into question in dispute with Samsung

Another of the patents Apple relied on in a $1 billion infringement lawsuit against Samsung Electronics has been called into question by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office (USPTO). The move, if not successfully opposed by Apple, may help Samsung in its appeal against the judgment.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/another-apple-patent-called-question-in-dispute-samsung-209623?source=rss_mobile_technology

BHARTI AIRTEL BT GROUP CANON MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS

ISV Plans Port of Flash to Android Phone OS

BSquare is looking to bring full Adobe Flash technology to the Google Android operating system. If this happens and the company does manage to port Flash to Android, it would give the new mobile OS a leg up on Microsoft Windows Mobile and the Apple iPhone....

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/pdfmobile/~3/gV6lTDonMxE/

MOODYS MISCROSOFT OFFICE MICROSOFT MICROSEMI

Looks Like PBS Made A ?Silicon Valley? TV Show That Could Really Be Worth Watching

Those who dreaded the 'Silicon Valley' reality TV series that aired this past year on Bravo did not have much to worry about after all. The show received mostly negative reviews and had a lackluster performance in the ratings department, and it doesn't seem likely to return -- at least not to chronicle the tech scene here in California. But today we got word of a new TV show also dubbed 'Silicon Valley'

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/gNIAUtI47yw/

FISERV FIRST SOLAR FINISAR FEI COMPANY

Openmoko smartphone reborn as hackable GTA04

German manufacturer Golden Delicious has begun shipping a hackable open source smartphone that runs a variety of Linux software, including a newly optimized Openmoko distro. The Openmoko GTA04 is available as a finished phone or as a board that slips into earlier Openmoko Neo Freerunner GTA01 and GTA02 cases, providing an 800MHz Texas Instruments DM3730 processor and a full range of sensors and wireless features....

Source: http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Golden-Delicious-Openmoko-GTA04/?kc=rss

MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS MICROSOFT MILLICOM INTL CELLULAR MOBILE TELESYSTEMS

Kupa X15 Windows 8 tablet gets production ready, now on sale starting at $1,100

When we first saw the Kupa UltraNote back at MobileCon 2012, the convertible Windows 8 slate had all the markings of a reference design: NFC, fingerprint scanner, LTE, digitizer and Intel Core i7 processor. But production realities change things some, and now that this particular tab is finally on sale, a few of its specs have been swapped out. Starting at $1,100 and rebadged as the X15, this 10.1-inch slate still reps a 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display, dual 1.3-megapixel front-facing / 5-megapixel rear cameras, support for WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, as well as up to 128GB SSD, but now comes in four configurations. Most notably, its allotment of DDR3 RAM's been doubled to 8GB across the board, although users seeking that previously announced Ivy Bridge Core i7 will have to opt for the high-end Ultra model as the lesser Elite, Pro and Lux builds all feature an Intel Core i5. LTE support seems to have been dropped altogether in favor of HSPA+ connectivity on the Ultra and Lux units. If you're interested in what Kupa's selling here, you'll need to contact the company directly -- there's no easy link on its site to simply purchase the X15 tablet outright.

Filed under: Tablets

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Source: Kupa

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/26/kupa-x15-windows-8-tablet/

IRON MOUNTAIN INORATED IOMEGA INTUIT INTERSECTIONS

Ransomware scammers push panic button with bogus claims

Cyber extortionists shilling ?ransomware? have upped the ante by pushing users? panic buttons with claims that their malware will wipe hard drives, a security firm said Monday.

The claim is bogus, said Symantec, and is simply a ploy by scammers preying on people?s fears.

?This is an attempt to extort money from computer users by taking advantage of human weakness when under panic and pressure,? wrote Symantec researcher Jeet Morparia in a Dec. 24 blog post.

Ransomware is a long-standing label for malware that, once on a personal computer, cripples the machine or encrypts its files, then displays a ransom note that demands payment to restore control to the owner. The technique, flatly called ?an extortion racket? by Symantec last month, has been in use for at least six years. Until relatively recently, it was rare and ineffective and seen mostly in Eastern Europe.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Source: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9235040/Ransomware_scammers_push_panic_button_with_bogus_claims

MOBILE TELESYSTEMS NANYA TECHNOLOGY NII HOLDINGS NIKON

Sonos Sound Bar Hits the FCC and May Land in Your Living Room Soon

Sonos wireless sound systems might not be cheap, but their easily switchable, multi-zone design makes having wireless music throughout your house simple. In 2012, the company added a burly sub to its lineup of products, and from the looks of this FCC filing, a sound bar, called the Playbar, might drop soon. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DKAVNDSMbVM/sonos-sound-bar-filing-hits-the-fcc-and-may-land-in-your-living-room-soon

AMAZONCOM AMERICA MOVIL AMKOR TECHNOLOGY AMPHENOL

Google and Motorola rumored to be working on X Phone to once again take on the iPhone

Google buys Motorola. Denies any plans to do anything with it. No one believes them. Flash forward. Rumors spread Google is doing something with them. Deep breath. It's rumored to be an "X Phone" designed, once again, to take on the iPhone.

That might sound silly until you realize it's been Samsung, not Google, who's had all the success in the market against Apple. Now that Google owns Motorola, it only makes sense they'd want that division to be profitable as well, and to be an insurance policy against the power of manufacturers like Samsung, the same way Android was an insurance policy against the power of BlackBerry and Microsoft at first, and then very quickly Apple.

Not much is know about the code-named X Phone yet (which really should have been a name used by Microsoft for a gaming phone, but I digress), though Android Central scored some details in their forums:

Apparently this phone is called the "X Phone" or something along those lines and has buttons on the back of the phone. He said that a camera button is in the middle of the phone with volume up and down buttons on both sides of it all on the back face of the phone. He said it is supposed to be more ergonomic while holding the phone.

Best of luck to Google and Moto on this. Sincerely. The faster they push the pace of innovation, the faster Apple and everyone else has to work to stay ahead or keep up.

For the full story on the X Phone, at least as much as we know right now, hit the link below, and then jump back here and tell me what you think. Are Google and Motorola capable of fielding a device that can take significant market share away from Samsung, and profit share away from Apple?

Source: Android Central

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/DLKBRoUgnaI/story01.htm

VIRGIN MEDIA VIEWSONIC VERISIGN VERIFONE HOLDINGS

Nokia Promises Exclusive Phones To U.S. Carriers

Will unique devices appease carriers and change Nokia's Microsoft Phone fortunes?

Source: http://feeds.informationweek.com/click.phdo?i=c65f0d967fc2603d065316df51ebadd5

XILINX WESTERN DIGITAL VOLT INFORMATION SCIENCES VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGY