Tech News Today 156

Tech News Today Episode 156

Tech News Today 156: Exploded Playstation Phone

Video of the iPad2, Nintendo 3DS and PSP Phone get cracked open, Google invents the Universal Translator, and more.

Hosts

• Tom Merritt (@acedtect)
  • TomMerritt.com
• Becky Worley (@bworley)
  • BeckyWorley.com
• Jason Howell
  • JasonHowell.net

Top Stories

• Video of iPad 2

• Microsoft goes after Apple store trademark

• Sony heads to court to stop PS3 hackers

Discussion Stories

The Verizon iPhone Aftermath

• Verizon hotspot feature headed to all iPhones
  • AT&T: We're "Evaluating" The New iPhone Mobile Hotspot Feature
  • iOS 4.3 beta arrives for devs, brings AirPlay video support to apps
  • Verizon ends new every two upgrade policy as of January 16
  • Verizon wireless turns on 16 new cell sites in NYC
  • Analysts: Verizon iPhone will put brakes on US Android growth

• Google Puts “Se Habla Espanol” Sign on Android

• Android 2.4 will be codenamed ice cream sandwich and arrive in May?

• Julian Assange Claims To Have Rupert Murdoch ‘Insurance Files’
  • Wikileaks volunteer detained and searched (again) by US agents
  • European politicos protest Twitter Wikileaks court order

News Fuse

• A former TSA worker convicted of planting a logic bomb on a system used to screen airline passengers was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay about $60,000 in restitution to the TSA. The 46-year-old Douglas Duchak worked as a data analyst. He planted the malware in late 2009, after the agency gave him two weeks’ notice that he was being terminated from the job he’d held for five years.

• Sony will close one of its largest CD manufacturing plants due to economic issues complicated by the rise of digital downloads. The plant began producing vinyl LPs in 1960 and moved to CD manufacturing in 1988. The Pitman, New Jersey plant will close on March 31 and about 300 people will lose their jobs. Maybe they can turn it into a data center?

• Galaxy sub-brand KFA2 has announced a graphics card with no display outputs. Instead, the KFA2 GTX 460 WHDI uses a wireless link to send the display output from your PC to your screen, whether that's a conventional monitor or the HD TV in your lounge. You just need to attach the bundled receiver to the back of your chosen screen.

• Samsung is delivering on its promise to give all carriers 4G Samsung Galaxy phones. Billed as a T-Mobile exclusive, the Vibrant 4G looks to be a gentle refresh of the current Vibrant handset, with the notable upgrades being the inclusion of 21Mbps-capable HSPA+ connectivity -- to speed your mobile broadband up into T-Mobile's definition of 4G speeds -- and a front-facing camera paired to Qik video chat software

• T-Mobile UK looks only slightly less evil today as they clarified their new 500mb data cap will only apply to new customers, should they actually receive any after implementing this ridiculously restrictive policy. Meanwhile Virgin Mobile is taking a more sensible but still restrictive policy. Staring Feb. 15 the carrier will throttle the bandwidth for anyone who passes the 5GB limit.

• Virgin Mobile to throttle 'unlimited' mobile broadband

• Looks like our speculation that AMD CEO Dirk Meyer was fired for lack of interest in mobile may have been right. A Wall Street Journal report today said that AMD's board had been concerned for the past year over Meyer's seeming lack of interest in mobile. Following a meeting in November and the onsluaght of mobile at CES the board grew more impatient, eventually forcing Meyer to resign on Monday.

• Looks like Microsoft will block the ChevronWP7 unlock with first Windows Phone 7 update. The software was pulled shortly after it was released in November when Microsoft asked to work with the writers and ways to do legitimate homebrew apps. Those who were lucky enough to downloadit could still use it, but Microsoft says the error that allowed it to work has been fixed.

• The AMBER Alert program, credited with the safe recovery of 525 children across the country, has a new ally today: Facebook. Facebook users are able to sign up to receive AMBER Alert bulletins for their state which will be sent to them through the Facebook 'News Feed' feature.

Kickers and Weird Science

• PlayStation Phone torn apart, found to not contain actual PlayStations
• Alleged Nintendo 3DS roams the wild, gets thoroughly dismantled

Calendar

• Happy Birthday HAL from 2001: A Space Oddysey
• World IPV6 day scheduled for June 8
• Issue 2 of Branson's iPad mag now out
• Sprint promises 'industry first' at February 7th event
• Sprint drops Galaxy Tab down to $300, undercuts everyone but US Cellular
• Samsung Mobile boss confirms Galaxy S successor, Galaxy Tab roadmap being announced next month
• Sony to announce PSP2 at January 27th Tokyo meeting?

Email

"Hey Tom and crew, I love listening to tbe show on my morning commute. My question about the verizon iphone is, if CDMA doesn't allow voice and data simultaneously. What happens if u are sharing a wifi connection and you answer a call on the iphone? Does is kill the data connections? I am on a GSM network and was curious how that works. Thanks and keep the show rocking at 11 in 2011.

Omar from Tampa, Fl"

"Tom and Crew,

I was thinking about reasons to have a Verizon iPhone now, and then release a new one in June. They will probably still carry iPhone 4 even if there is still an iPhone 5 just like you can still buy an iPhone 3GS. The 3GS will probably be phased out when the new one comes out. I think the marketing people like saying you can get an iPhone starting at $49 or $99 even if it isn't the latest version. Just my thoughts, no inside information. Love the show.

James"

Sponsors

Ford

• focuselectricpower.com
• CES-2
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Production Information

• Edited by: Jason
• Notes:

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