Tech News Today 406

Tech News Today Episode 406

Tech News Today 406: Wendy Puts Rupert In The Corner

Huge beautiful TVs set to conquer CES, why WebOS flopped, how to properly treat a bootloader, and more.

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Hosts

• Tom Merritt (@acedtect)
  • TomMerritt.com
• Sarah Lane (@sarahlane)
  • SarahLane.com
• Iyaz Akhtar (@Iyaz)
  • thisoldnerd.finitecomedy.com
• Jason Howell (@raygun01)
• Ken Denmead
  • wired.com/geekdad
• Scott Wilkinson

Top Stories

• LG to unveil world's largest OLED TV
• Could LG's new 55-inch OLED be the best TV ever?
• LG to Show Off 84-Inch ‘Ultra Definition’ TV at CES
  • LG will show off 55-inch OLED at CES
  • 4mm thick -- four-color pixels, making its picture more natural and accurate than other OLEDs (rgb and white)
  • New process supposedly cheaper.

• In Flop of H.P. TouchPad, an Object Lesson for the Tech Sector
• Palm Software Director: “We Just Weren’t Able To Execute”
  • NY Times Brian Chen reports
  • “Palm was ahead of its time in trying to build a phone software platform using Web technology, and we just weren’t able to execute such an ambitious and breakthrough design,” said Paul Mercer, former senior director of software at Palm, who oversaw the interface design of WebOS and recruited crucial members of the team. “Perhaps it never could have been executed because the technology wasn’t there yet.”
  • Mercer also said WebKit was a mistake because it prevented applications from running fast enough to be on par with the iPhone.
  • a former member of the WebOS app development team said the core issue with WebOS was actually Palm’s inability to turn it into a platform that could capture the enthusiasm and loyalty of outside programmers. There were neither the right leaders nor the right engineers to do the job, said this person
  • Took 9 months to develop. Wrote programs from scratch.
  • Some blamed Jon Rubenstein's hardware background, he did not understand the logistics of creating a powerful new operating system, and he was ultimately responsible for the decision to rely on WebKit. --- Departures after HP acquisition didn't help Matias Duarte, vice president of human interface and user experience for WebOS, left a month after the acquisition for a job at Google. HE WAS WebOS according to one.

• ASUS Eee PC Flare leaked ahead of CES, AMD and Intel models promised
• 7-inch ASUS Eee Memo Pad gets leaked, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon inside
• Intel's Ultrabook portal jabs at limited functionality of tablets
• Intel starts shipping Atom N2600, N2800 processors for netbooks, ten hours of battery life promised
  • The Eee PC Flare line is expected to supplant the long-standing Seashell range at CES, with a smattering of models to be lining ASUS' booth.
  • expect models with the new N2600 and N2800 Atom CPU line, a 12-incher powered by AMD's Fusion APU line
  • 7-inch Eee Memo Pad, ship with a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 16GB to 64GB of internal storage space, built-in 3G, WiFi and a 1,280 x 800 screen resolution, launching as an Asia-only product later in the year.
  • Intel starting an ultrabook portal taking swipes at tablets

Discussion Stories

• ASUS now catching heat for locked Transformer Prime bootloader, probably wishes the thing was never made
• Transformer Prime’s bootloader is locked, customers rebel
  • ASUS Transformer Prime bootloader locked
  • “Operation unlock bootloader social network attack Asus.”
  • WordlyWiseWiz, a forum user at XDA-Developers.com, found that the bootloader for the Asus Transformer Prime is encrypted which means you can't flash your own ROMs on to it.

• Microsoft to quash homebrew on Windows Phone? Not so fast
• ChevronWP7 Labs and the misinterpreted tweet
  • ChevronWP7 team — Rafael Rivera, Chris Walsh and Long Zheng have approval from Microsoft to sell a WP7 unlocker
  • Rivera posted on the ChevronWP7 Twitter account that the team had exhausted the 10,000 tokens MS had granted it.
  • the team is discussing among themselves whether to approach Microsoft for more tokens at this point.
  • If we do request more, we’re sure Microsoft will respond positively – as they have in the past.

• News Corp's Rupert Murdoch joins Twitter social network
• New to Twitter: the tweet Murdoch took down ... fast
• Murdoch's Twitter account
• Wendy Deng account
  • Rupert Murdoch has joined Twitter!
  • "Maybe Brits have too many holidays for [a] broke country!" Then deleted it. Oops!
  • Twitter account by wife Wendy Deng said: "Trying to explain to @rupertmurdoch that twitter is about following not just being followed. sharing and chatting and tweeting." -- also "RUPERT!! delete tweet!!"
  • former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott tweeted, "Welcome to Twitter...@rupertmurdoch. I've left you a Happy New Year message on my voicemail!"

News Fuse

• TheNextWeb was tipped off to a new Samsung imitating Apple mess - it appears Samsung hired the same child actor for a Galaxy Tab 8.9 commercial as appeared in an Apple iPhone 4S ad. The Samsung commercial, meant for a Korean audience, has been removed from Samsung's YouTube feed. However this is the Internet, so copies are still floating around online.

• Sony cut the price of its tear-drop shaped Tablet S by $100. The 9.4-inch Android tablet will cost $400 for the 16GB version and $500 for the 32GB. Unlike last year's $50 price reduction for the holidays, this $100 price cut is here to stay.

• Kara Swisher at AllThingsD reports Apple will host an important event to be held in New York at the end of this month. Swisher says not to expect the iPad 3 or the unicorn-like AppleTV, but the event will be "media-related." Eddy Cue, Apple SVP of Internet Services and Software, is involved according to "sources close to the situation."

• Want to run iOS apps on your Apple TV? You can now. Steve Troughten-Smith came up with a way to use MobileX as an alternative to the Springboard window manager, allowing iOS apps to run. The hack allows access via VNC, SSH and Apple remote and apps like Facebook, Angry Birds and Safari were demoed in a video.

• A post at SlickDeals.net details how you can still get unlimited data on Verizon Wireless even though Verizon removed the option officially. The trick relies on using the automated customer service system, adding the "$20 2GB 3G Mobile Hotspot Feature" or a saying a particular code and that will get you the unlimited data plan. The trick has worked for many, but Verizon could always bump you back.

• Samsung's introduced the DV300F, a dual-display camera - one of which is front-facing to make self-portrait shots easier. The DV300F can use an Android or iOS device as a viewfinder via a free app. The $200 camera shoots 16.4MP images and records 720P HD video.

• The Semiconductor Industry Association reported that the floods in Thailand diminished sales of chips by 2.4% between October and November of 2011. Compared to 2010, global sales were up 0.8%. SIA president Brian Toohey said he expects the industry to "recover production losses over the course of the next few months."

• Data from Finnish wireless carriers show that text messaging on Christmas Eve 2011, usually one of the biggest texting days, was down compared to 2010. The largest Finnish operator, Sonera says it saw an approximately 22% drop in SMSs. Smaller operators saw declines of 1-5%. Analysts are pointing to the increased usage of social networks and services like BBM as the reason for the decline.

• Google is testing out its new home page with a Google drop-down menu, which replaces the black bar. The new design is available to a limited few right now and was announced last year as Google revamped the look of its sites for a more uniform look.

Randomizer

• New law requires all restaurants in Malaysian city to provide Wi-Fi

Calendar

• Apple's Senior VP of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive, is now.. a knight! Sir Jonathan was named a Knight Commander of the British Empire for fostering the UK worldwide and his direct contributions to design. The news was announced over the weekend via Britain's Diplomatic Service & Overseas List.

• The Commodore 64 Is 30 Years Old! It first appeared at CES this week back in 1982. 64 kilobytes of RAM, baby. Although only 32 could be addressed in BASIC

• Starting today, RIM is selling every PlayBook for $300. The price is regardless of capacity and the promotion runs until the 4th of February.

• Quadrantid Meteor Shower, First of 2012, will peak on Wednesday, Jan 4

INCOMING

Email

"Hi TNT crew, This is Tom of Fond du lac listener from the beginning. I was one of the lucky ones with a 2 gb 1st nano that was recalled due to the battery heating issue. To my surprise when it was returned it was a 8gb 6th gen nano. Good on ya Apple! Thanks all for the great show!

- Tom Thompson"

"Hey Twitters -

I am fourteen years old, and I live a dark, sad, CES-less life. (Cue dramatic music.) Whenever I hear tech news reporters complaining about how tiring CES is, I think to myself, "I'd take their place". Sadly, I cannot. I have to go to school, and CES has something called an "age limit". So, while you guys are walking in a gadget wonderland in Vegas, think of us. Think of the fans, and cover it well. As a new TWiT listener, I am anxious to see how well CES coverage goes. I trust you. (End dramatic music.)

-Jack W"

"Hi TNT crew. I stumbled across a link to a picture today that I thought you'd like to see. Someone has mounted two Christmas trees to make it look like it's falling through a Portal hole (the game). ;-)= http://i.imgur.com/U1KoD.jpg -- Johnny A. Solbu"

• http://i.imgur.com/U1KoD.jpg

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Production Information

• Edited by: Jason
• Notes:

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