Microsoft deal allows B&N to go toe-to-toe with Amazon and Apple

Microsoft's $300 million investment not only offers a big cash infusion to beleaguered Barnes & Noble but also sends a message to consumers that it's here to stay.

On a conference call today announcing a new partnership with Microsoft, Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch said the company's new $139 Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight is currently sold out but would be in stock soon.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

In the last couple of years Barnes & Noble has made some big inroads into the e-book market, cutting into Amazon's huge lead. As it stands, Amazon still has about 60 percent of the e-book pie, Barnes & Noble has around 25 percent, and Apple sits at around 15 percent, with smaller players like Sony and Kobo left to fight over the crumbs. Of course, those numbers are just estimates, and depending on who you talk to, Amazon's share might actually be closer to 65 percent.
While a strong second place is not a bad position to be in, the problem for Barnes & Noble has been how much it cost to get there and how much it's going to cost to pick up more market share from Amazon and Apple, which has steadily ramped up its iBooks digital reading platform and recently launched a major digital textbook initiative. Both Amazon and Apple, needless to say, have huge cash reserves to dip into for marketing, engineering, and R&D, while Barnes & Noble has appeared at times as if it's simply battling for survival.
Enter Microsoft and its $300 million investment in what amounts to a spinoff of Barnes & Noble's Nook digital media business, which includes e-books, textbooks, and all those digital newspapers and magazines its been selling on Nook devices. So far the new "subsidiary" of Barnes & Noble doesn't have a name (it's simply referred to as Newco) but you might as well call it Nooksoft (read more here about the announcement here).
Obviously, the cash injection is important because Barnes & Noble has been hemorrhaging money as it beefs up its Silicon Valley-based digital operation with expensive software engineers and hardware designers (a New York Times article noted that Barnes & Noble already has 300 employees in its Palo Alto, Calif., office). The new company also frees up additional cash for Barnes & Noble to compete with Amazon and Apple's huge marketing machines and attract more talented engineers with potentially lucrative stock options. The other obvious benefit to the deal is it allows the bookseller to bring the Nook e-bookstore to Windows 8 devices, whether they be PCs, tablets, or smartphones, though Amazon's Kindle app will be available for the Windows 8 platform as well.
Today's announcement also marks the first time that Barnes & Noble has openly talked about going global, though it remains unclear when it will bring its Nook devices to overseas markets. In a conference call, CEO William Lynch said that few companies were "on more screens than Microsoft" and that the new partnership would allow Barnes & Noble to to extend the Nook digital bookstore to thousands of users in the U.S. and globally. Amazon is also making a big push into global markets and Apple, of course, is already selling millions of iPhones and iPads around the world.
Here in the U.S., in the wake of the government's lawsuit against Apple and five of the "big six" publishers (and subsequent settlement with three of them), there's talk of Amazon once again lower prices on e-books and selling certain titles at a loss. In the past, competitors had trouble matching Amazon's prices, but Microsoft's cash infusion would make it easier for Barnes & Noble to go toe-to-toe on pricing.
Ultimately, however, the biggest benefit of the deal may be a change in consumers' psyche about Barnes & Noble. In the commodity world of e-books, branding is important, and many consumers fear that their purchases, which are stored in a "digital locker," will vanish if a company goes out of business. When Borders went belly up, consumers were simply migrated over to Kobo because Kobo already powered Borders e-book store. But no one knows exactly what would happen if Barnes & Noble went down the tubes, and not a Nook story goes by on CNET without a commenter voicing some concern over Barnes & Noble's longevity.
"I've always thought that the Nooks were a bit better designed than the Kindles," said CNET reader tgibbs in a recent comment concerning the arrival of the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. "But I bought a Kindle because I'm more confident that Amazon will be still be around in the future."
With a giant like Microsoft backstopping the Nook, consumers may now have more confidence that the Nook platform will indeed be here to stay. And that type of peace of mind is just as essential in helping Barnes & Noble gain market share than money alone.

Grand Theft Auto V launching Oct. 23, 2012, predicts analyst

Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter expects Rockstar Games' open-world title to ship one week after BioShock: Infinite this fall season.

The much-anticipated open-world action game Grand Theft Auto V will ship on October 23, 2012, according to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter. Speaking on the latest episode of GameTrailers TV, Pachter acknowledged that shipping on that date would be just a week behind another major Take-Two property, BioShock Infinite (October 16), but he did not budge on his belief.

Pachter has a specific date in mind for GTAV: October 23, 2012.

"I know that's too close to BioShock Infinite," he said. "I don't think the Rockstar guys care about a 2K game."
If GTAV ships on October 23, 2012, gamers will be barraged with high-profile games in consecutive weeks. The October-November release calendar could shape up to be: BioShock Infinite (October 16), GTAV (October 23), Assassin's Creed III (October 30), Halo 4 (November 6), and if rumor proves accurate, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on November 13.
As for when new GTAV details might arrive, Pachter believes Rockstar will let loose new information the Monday before the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo commences.
"My read on those guys, is they like stealing the thunder from everybody else," he said. Pachter went on to explain offering new details about the game on this day would make GTAV the most-talked-about game of the show, despite not actually having a presence there.
This is not the first indication of an October 2012 release date for GTAV. Earlier this month, a Rockstar North employee's resume pointed to the action game shipping during that window.
Not all are on board with a 2012 release date for GTAV. Janco Partners' Mike Hickey and Sterne Agee's Arvind Bhatia are expecting the game to arrive in 2013, and specialty retailer GameStop is not counting on it to ship this year.
When GTAV does eventually arrive, it will do so with lofty sales expectations. Multiple reports suggest the game could sell many millions of copies, with one projecting it could sell 24 million units if it maintains historical attach rates.
Rockstar took the wraps off GTAV in October and issued the game's first trailer in early November. The game will be set primarily in present-day Los Santos, a fictional town modeled on Los Angeles. Rockstar has also said that GTAV boasts the largest scope of any installment in the franchise to date.

'No permission' Android apps can see and share your data

If a developer is not responsive when you report suspicious app behavior on your phone, alert Google's Android security team.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• "No-permission" Android apps can access potentially sensitive data on your phone
• The bigger problem isn't malicious exploitation, but rather that app developers are "sloppy"
• Don't install apps that require too many permissions, and report any suspicious activity

Editor's note: Amy Gahran writes about mobile tech for CNN.com. She is a San Francisco Bay Area writer and media consultant whose blog, Contentious.com, explores how people communicate in the online age.

(CNN) -- Savvy Android users tend to be wary of installing apps that request seemingly unnecessary permissions. When an app wants access to data or functions on your phone, such as your contacts list or the ability to send text messages, it can signal potential security or malware risks.

But Android apps that request no permissions at all (such as this Magic 8 ball app) are generally considered pretty free of security risks.

But are they?

Earlier this month, a test conducted by the Leviathan Security Group showed that even "no-permissions" Android apps can access potentially sensitive data on your phone -- and transmit that data elsewhere via your phone's Web browser.

Specifically, Paul Brodeur of Leviathan created a test app that requested no permissions and installed it on some Android devices. He was able to scan the phone's memory card (SD card) and display a list of all non-hidden files on it.

"While it's possible to fetch the contents of all those files, I'll leave it to someone else to decide what files should be grabbed and which are going to be boring," he wrote.

He also could see which apps were installed on the phone, and list some files belonging to those apps. He observed that this might allow nefarious people to find and exploit permission-related vulnerabilities in certain apps. Last year the Skype Android app presented this kind of problem. (Skype fixed that problem.)

And for phones that operate on GSM cell networks (in the U.S., that's AT&T and T-Mobile), Leviathan's test app was able to read identifying information about the phone from the SIM card, plus some other information.

Finally, since no-permissions apps can launch the phone's Web browser, that provides a potential route to transmit some data from the phone.

While Brodeur's test app was designed to seek out such security lapses. "It's trivial for any installed app to execute these actions without any user interaction," he wrote.

While this may sound worrying, don't panic. What Leviathan discovered probably should concern Android app developers and Google, rather than consumers who use Android phones and tablets.

"What this research found is really little cracks in Android -- not great big security holes you could drive a truck through," said Kevin Mahaffey, co-founder and chief technical officer of Lookout Mobile Security, a leading provider of security apps and services for Android devices. "That's why this kind of research is so valuable -- it ultimately helps make Android more secure."

According to Mahaffey, the bigger problem is not that people might maliciously exploit these security cracks to steal from users or compromise their phones -- but rather that many app developers are "sloppy."

For instance, developers sometimes build apps that store user data (such as usernames and passwords) in ways that could be easily accessed through the security cracks Leviathan found. Or the app might open the phone's Web browser to allow functionality that could be handled other ways.

For instance, TheVerge.com reported that the photo gallery that comes pre-installed on Android phones by Samsung, LG, and some other manufacturers stores unencrypted copies of complete addresses associated with photos. They found in a completely unencrypted file "a list of locations which matched those of our home, work, family, significant other, friends, and even holiday destinations."

These were not GPS coordinates, but rather full addresses: door number, street, town, zip code, and country. TheVerge noted that this address data apparently was generated by Picasa Web Albums. Google acquired Picasa in 2004.

"There is no reason for the application to be caching locations of private photos completely unencrypted," wrote Aaron Souppouris for The Verge. "This was information that we'd never given Google, either on a phone or within Picasa. To make matters worse, Picasa Web-Album syncing had been switched off a week before the information was found."

There's not a lot that the average consumer can do in terms of spotting whether apps are storing unnecessary data in insecure ways.

The best practice is still to notice which permissions apps require before installing them, don't install apps that seem to require too many permissions, and report to the developer any suspicious activity by an app.

If the developer is not responsive or seems evasive or shady when you report suspicious app behavior, Mahaffey advises alerting Google's Android security team by sending an e-mail to security@android.com.

"That channel is mainly used by developers, but it's worth letting them know if you have concerns about an app and you aren't getting useful responses from the developer," he said.

The opinions expressed in this post are solely those of Amy Gahran.

Apple schedules June conference, but iPhone hopes dim

Apple is promoting its developers' conference as "the week we've all been waiting for."

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Apple announces June 11-15 dates for its annual developers conference
• Some hope for an iPhone 5 at the event, but early signs suggest otherwise
• Apple has sold 35.1 million units of the iPhone 4S in the past three months

(CNN) -- It's a tantalizing bit of expectation building. Apple's invitation to its annual developers conference is tagged with this phrase: "It's the week we've all been waiting for."

But if it's that elusive iPhone 5 you'd like to see, you might need to keep waiting.

Apple announced Wednesday its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be held June 11-15 in San Francisco. Tickets to the event sold out in two hours.

The conference has been the launching point for two iPhones (the iPhone 3GS in 2009 and the iPhone 4 in 2010) and, as such, talk of the yearly gathering inevitably turns to phone dreams among the Apple faithful.

The line on the invitation doesn't do much to dissuade that hope. But keep reading, and you'll find that that's about it.

Like last year, when the new Mac operating system was front and center, this year's announcement focuses more on software (you know, the stuff developers actually work with) than teasing a new product.

"We have a great WWDC planned this year and can't wait to share the latest news about iOS and OS X Mountain Lion with developers," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of marketing, in a written statement. "The iOS platform has created an entirely new industry with fantastic opportunities for developers across the country and around the world."

Of course, if Apple plans a big surprise, they wouldn't admit it now.

But other factors also make a new phone seem less likely.

The iPhone 4S wasn't rolled out until October of last year. It would be out of character for Apple to announce another phone only eight months later.

Also? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Apple announced Tuesday that it sold 35.1 million iPhones during the first three months of this year, outpacing analysts' predictions. So, despite initial grumbling that, aside from a better camera and faster processor, the 4S wasn't much of an upgrade over its predecessor, the current model is obviously doing just fine.

Some early pundits agree that given Apple's announcements over the past 24 hours, we're unlikely to see a new iPhone in June.

"Based on tempered expectations for the current quarter ... it's unlikely the company would plan for an iPhone release this summer and will almost certainly shoot for a fall release," wrote Sean Ludwig in VentureBeat. "Instead, we expect WWDC to be a lot like last year, where software is in the spotlight."

Apple earnings lift iPhone supplier stocks

Apple sold 35.1 iPhones last quarter, soundly beating analysts' estimates and giving related companies' stocks a big boost on Wednesday.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Apple isn't the only stock benefiting from its blowout second quarter, during which it sold many more iPhones than expected. Shares of companies that make chips or accessories for iPhones also rode the good-news wave.
Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) shares ended Wednesday's session 8.9% higher, after the company said late Tuesday that it nearly doubled its profit last quarter. The most striking data point: Apple handily beat analysts' expectations for iPhones, selling 35.1 million during the first three months of the year.
Several players in the iPhone ecosystem also got a boost on Wednesday, including several semiconductor makers. The smaller companies in that bunch gained the most: Cirrus Logic (CRUS) added more than 11%, Triquint (TQNT) rose 7.6% and Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) ended more than 6% higher.
Two bigger semiconductor companies also rose solidly: ARM (ARMH) gained 2.7% and Qualcomm (QCOM, Fortune 500) rose 2.3%.
But Wednesday's action wasn't all about the semiconductors. Shares of Omnivision (OVTI), which makes camera sensors for the iPhone, jumped 8.8%.
Even one company that doesn't make parts for the iPhone is often able to coast on good news from Apple. Zagg (ZAGG), a maker of popular iPhone accessories like cases and screen protectors, added 7.5%.
The next earnings report could be a different story. Apple expects iPhone sales to fall in the current quarter compared with last quarter -- though it predicts sales of its iPad tablet will rise. 

Google Drive files could end up in ads, even though you still own them

Some blogs have squawked about terms of service that state Google Drive reserves the right to "use" some users' files.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Users want to know why Google Drive seemed to be claiming ownership of customers' files
• As it turns out, the company claims no ownership -- it says so right in the terms of service
• But a public file on any of Google's services could, in theory, end up in promotional materials

(CNN) -- The combination of Google's new storage service, Google Drive, and the company's recently unified terms of service and privacy policy, have riled the Internet into demanding to know why Google seemed to be claiming ownership of their customers' files.

As it turns out, the company claims no ownership -- it says so right in the terms of service. And a comparison between Google Drive's terms and that of other storage services turns up few material differences, except for a couple of questionable terms that may land your content in Google's promotional materials.

In a comparison piece, The Verge noted that the terms of service from four major cloud storage services -- Dropbox, iCloud, Microsoft SkyDrive, and Google Drive -- all claim no ownership of the files you give them.

Several publishing outfits raised the alarm about a clause in Google's terms of service that states Google reserves the right to "use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute" content uploaded to their services.

But as The Verge pointed out, other services have similarly expansive, and sometimes more expansive, terms, and those services mean only to use them in service of, well, the services.

When we spoke to the Electronic Frontier Foundation about Google Drive's terms of service, the EFF found little about them that was more suspicious than in any other similar cloud service. But Rebecca Jeschke, EFF's media relations director and digital rights analyst, paused over one phrase: "The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones."

Promoting?

Google's unified privacy policy states that it won't use your material to do anything other than "provide, maintain, protect and improve [its services], [and] to develop new ones," and will ask for consent before lending your material to any other uses.

But if a file is set as publicly available, that is considered consent for use to promote Google's services. If a user uploads a photo and sets it as publicly viewable, that picture could end up in an ad for Google.

The good news here is that Google isn't going to be strewing your personal files all over the Internet as banner ads, as the terms of service alone might suggest, provided the files have some privacy settings, as they do by default -- viewable only to friends, for instance.

But a public file on any of Google's services could, in theory, end up in promotional materials. It makes some sense that public content could be used by others, but it's easy to forget how public "Public" on an Internet service is. It gives us flashbacks to the family photo posted on a blog that wound up in a Czech ad.

Jeschke went on to point out that users should be more concerned with who Google might be forced to give their files to, than what Google itself might do with their files.

"In light of Megaupload, it's possible that users are worried about the wrong thing," she said.

Files stored in the cloud can still be easily lost or subpoenaed without the users' knowledge, Jeschke noted, an issue that's often overlooked.

Review: 'Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings' extends legacy with a deep storyline

Each level Geralt gains gives him points to unlock new abilities, and every ability has two levels to unlock for maximum impact.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The game was recently ported to the Xbox 360 to open it up to console audience
• The swordsmanship tree is all about the combat and boosting defenses
• The mature plot is handled very well while not getting bogged down for drama's sake

(CNN) -- Let me start by saying "Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings" is rated 'M for Mature' for a very good reason. There is more cursing in the game than at a Yankees/Red Sox playoff game and quite a bit of nearly full frontal nudity.

Developers at CD Projekt RED have been very upfront about this title being for adult audiences and make sure people can't be surprised by the content.

Even the storyline involving, monster-hunter extraordinaire Geralt of Rivia, is more in line with a plot from "Game of Thrones" with its political intrigue, backstabbing and power struggles, than your typical "kill the monsters" role playing game (RPG).

"Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings" was released last year as a PC-exclusive title, but the game was recently ported to the Xbox 360 to open it up to console audiences. The "Enhanced Edition" for the Xbox 360 also offers new content, about four more hours of gameplay and many updates to the interface.

Using the Xbox 360 controller to narrate the action can be quite the agility test. Each button, including the triggers and shoulder buttons, will be used constantly and, sometimes, in a hurry. Preparations for combat, which are almost always necessary, will require multiple button pushes to cycle through numerous menus for potions, oils and the like.

If hacking and slashing your way through a campaign is your style, this game is not for you. Here, combat is largely about proper preparation before battle, then making sure to use the right combination of attacks -- depending upon your opponents.

Fortunately, the action slows or stops when you try to access magic ("signs"), but that also requires a couple of button mashes, some joystick movement, then more mashing to get back to the action.

While the PC version allows for hotkeys to make accessing abilities faster and easier, the console controller doesn't have that option. It takes some getting used to, but becomes second nature as the game progresses.

As with most RPGs, there is a certain amount of hunting and gathering that goes on. All different kinds of herbs, trinkets and supplies are lying around, waiting for Geralt to pick them up and convert them into potions, armor or oils. Inventories will fill up fast, but you'll need every scrap to gain advantages in combat.

Leveling up through earned experience allows players to augment certain abilities through skill trees. A training skill tree is unlocked at the beginning and lets players enhance abilities. The other three trees will help shape how Geralt plays and where his strengths will lie.

A magic skill tree powers up spells and unlocks new mystical abilities. The alchemy skill tree boosts gathering and blending abilities as well as increasing the effects of potions and oils. The swordsmanship tree is all about the combat, boosting defenses and damage through different skills learned.

Players will have to concentrate on one of the three specialty trees to really get the best abilities. Each level Geralt gains gives him points to unlock new abilities, and every ability has two levels to unlock its maximum impact.

The environments are fabulously rendered and the lighting is superb. Buildings have their own individuality and subterranean areas don't just feel like recipients of a copy-and-paste tool job that some games appear to rely upon. Different races look and sound unique and the level of immersion is very deep and rich.

The missions and side missions follow along a fairly laid-out path. For all the environmental splendor, there is little reason to go wandering around the countryside unless you just want to see how much work the developers put into the forests (hint: a lot; it is gorgeous).

The story is all about king-killing, kingdom-making and political intrigue. Some of the dialog would probably play out very well in the halls of Congress (minus all the swearing, I think). Even though Geralt is a renowned monster hunter, there are very few true monsters to be slain. Yet, it is all done within the context of the story and accomplished very well.

A few buggy moments slow down the game. Following other characters during missions can be hit and miss as the leader is stopped or slowed down by every rock, twig and bump in the road. However, it only bogs down the pace and never crashes the game.

Overall, "Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings" does a great job of extending its legacy with a deep storyline, intricate combat and a level of immersion that keeps players interested and involved. The mature plot is handled very well, not getting bogged down in the minutiae of drama for drama's sake.

Cursing and nudity aside, the mature themes are really aimed at an audience who is interested in living the lifestyle of another the era rather than just killing everything in sight.

"Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings" is available now for the Xbox 360. It was previously released for the Windows PC in May 2011. It is rated M for Mature due to blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, and use of drugs. This review was done with the Enhanced Edition for the Xbox 360.

First Ivy Bridge Ultrabook Laptops to Launch June 5

Monday marked the debut of Intel's third-generation processor family--code-named Ivy Bridge--but the first round of 13 of the quad-core chips was reserved for high-end desktops and laptops. These first-round chips will not go in mainstream computers or even trendy Ultrabooks.

 
The processor upgrade is not far behind for Ultrabooks, however; the first Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks should be hitting retail shelves the first week of June.
The date will be June 5, to be precise, according to Scott Pendrey, a desktop product manager at Intel, as quoted in a Techworld report. Despite the six-month gap between today’s unveiling of the Ivy Bridge processors and the Ivy Bridge Ultrabook launch, Techworld writes that Intel’s “real target for Ivy Bridge processors is Ultrabooks.”
Considering the new chips’ main advantages over the second-generation Sandy Bridge processors, I’m inclined to agree. Ultrabooks--and laptops in general--seem to be the real winners when it comes to upgrading to Ivy Bridge. PCWorld benchmarks of the Ivy Bridge processor found moderate CPU performance gains--but, more importantly for laptop users, improved performance and longer battery life. Intel Vice President Kirk Saugen told BBC that both performance and power efficiency are improved by 20 percent in Ivy Bridge when compared to earlier Sandy Bridge processors.
The biggest improvement, though--also significant for Ultrabook and mainstream laptop buyers--is seen in graphics benchmarks. For very intensive laptop gaming (e.g., running games like Skyrim or Crysis 2), you’ll still need a discrete graphics card, but Ivy Bridge’s impressive integrated graphics can handle most videos, games, and graphics smoothly--saving you $50 or more for a discrete video card.ntel recently announced 75 Ultrabooks are in the works, including touchscreen hybrids, and that the price of Ultrabooks will drop to $699. However, AMD “Trinity” ultrathin laptops are expected to compete against Intel Ultrabooks on both graphics performance and pricing. So expect this summer to be a very hot one for laptop buying.

The 11-inch gaming laptop lives, with the new Origin Eon 11-S

Alienware's once-popular M11x may be heading for retirement, but boutique rival Origin is keeping the ultraportable gaming laptop alive.

(Credit: Origin)

The 11-inch gaming laptop is the textbook definition of a niche product. In fact, up until now, there's really only been one serious entry in that category, Dell's Alienware M11x. Origin (coincidentally co-founded by some former Alienware employees) is now getting into the game, with the Eon 11-S, which the company calls a "compact high-performance laptop."
Interestingly, this new model won't actually double the number of 11-inch gaming laptops available, as the Alienware model is being quietly discontinued. That's a shame, as we liked the M11x, even if it wasn't the most practical for either serious PC gamers, or portability obsessed travellers.
Taking a bit of a shot at the current trend for slim ultrabook-style laptops, Origin CEO and co-founder Kevin Wasielewski says, "Everyone dreams of a laptop that is smaller, lighter, has a longer battery life and has the ability to play all of the latest PC games well. The EON11-S makes that dream a reality and without making any 'ultra-sacrifices.'"

(Credit: Origin)

The new Origin Eon 11-S will debut with Intel's new third-generation Core i-series processors and Nvidia's GT 650M graphics, which sounds like a basis for a good gaming rig. The company claims 6.5 hours of battery life (with Nvidia's Optimus technology switching the GPU off as needed), and a weight under four pounds. Like the recent Eon 17-S update, the 11-inch version will also include Origin's new finned (and frankly, a bit Alienware-like) back lid design.
The highly customizable Origin Eon 11-S is available to order now, and starts at $999.
Source: news.cnet.com

Tracking diseases using Google Maps and cell phones

Researchers at UCLA digitize rapid diagnostic tests to test for diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis with less user error.
Many of us have relied on rapid diagnostic tests at one time or another, whether it's testing for pregnancy, blood glucose levels, or strep throat.
But while dropping fluid samples on a small strip for near-instantaneous results is affordable and convenient, reading results using the human eye means there is the potential for, well, human error.

Aydogan Ozcan demonstrates his team's RDT cell phone attachment.

(Credit: Screenshot by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore/CNET)

So researchers at UCLA have taken the human out of the equation as much as possible and developed a digital "universal" reader for all rapid diagnostic tests, or RDTs, that requires no translation of results.
In the journal Lab on a Chip, the team of engineers describes the device as an RDT-reader attachment that clips onto a cell phone (they used iPhones and Android-based smartphones). At 65 grams, the attachment consists of an inexpensive lens, two AAA batteries, and three LED arrays.
The researchers say the attachment can read almost every type of RDT available; all the user does is insert the RDT strip into the attachment, which is then converted into a digital image via the phone's built-in camera.
An app then determines two things: whether the digital RTD is valid and whether the results are positive or negative. But the team didn't stop there. They have the reader transmit these results wirelessly to a server for processing, storage, and mapping via Google Maps to track the spread of specific conditions and diseases globally over time.

"This platform would be quite useful for global health professionals, as well as for policymakers, to understand cause-effect relationships at a much larger scale for combating infectious diseases," Aydogan Ozcan, a UCLA electrical engineering and bioengineering professor, said in a school news release.
We first wrote about Ozcan's work back in 2009, when he was adapting cell phones to sample biological images via the camera, not a microscope. He has since developed several cell phone attachments that take advantage of the digital components already built into the phones, not to mention cloud-based monitoring.
Should this device come to market and be widely used, we may all be afforded the opportunity to see, in real time, which diseases are trending where, and whether it's a good idea to leave the house on any given day.

Source: Cnet

Sony 'Hayabusa' may be 4.5-inch flagship handset

Expected to arrive in July, the Sony LT29i Hayabusa has the makings of a top-notch Android.

Sony's next big Android should be the Hayabusa.

(Credit: BriefMobile)

The last, and only, time we spoke of the Sony LT29i, we saw it listed on a leaked 2012 road map.
With an expected price of 493 euros ($650 U.S.), I can assume only that it would be something worthy of flagship status. And if today's rumored details prove to be correct, then that is exactly what we'll be getting this summer.
Said to be powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the LT29i, aka the Hayabusa, is pegged with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset with an upgraded graphics processor unit. The battery is listed as being 2,200mAh, which puts it slightly above most of today's Android smartphones. As impressive as this all sounds, consider that Sony is rumored to squeeze this into a 7mm case.
What's more, BriefMobile is reporting that the LT29i will feature a 4.55-inch 720p HD display and boast a 13-megapixel camera with high dynamic range video. For Sony it would be its largest screen and highest-resolution camera so far.
I'll be curious to see how Sony approaches this model in terms of release and availability. Will it simply scatter the phone across the globe in a seemingly random manner or will it attack the market with multiple carriers per region? We'll soon find out as the Hayabusa is now rumored with a June announcement and July release.
Source: Cnet

New BlackBerry phones a no-show at BlackBerry World

Research In Motion will use its upcoming conference to unveil its BlackBerry 10 platform, but don't expect any new products to make an appearance.

The BlackBerry 9900 made its debut at last year's BlackBerry World event. No phones will be shown off this time around.

(Credit: CNET)

Eager to see Research In Motion's latest and greatest phones at BlackBerry World next week? Prepare to be disappointed.
RIM will be taking a software-heavy approach this year, using the event to formally unveil its BlackBerry 10 operating system.
"We are not unveiling any BlackBerry 10 hardware," a company representative confirmed to CNET.
There's never been a more crucial BlackBerry World than this next event. The annual confab is a chance for BlackBerry developers, product enthusiasts, and business partners to take in RIM's latest and future wares. This year, RIM has the added task of convincing its shrinking band of supporters that the company is still worth taking a chance on amid declining market share and the notion that it is too far gone to be saved.
Its single hope: the BlackBerry 10 platform build on QNX, which also powers its PlayBook software. The platform represents a break from its older -- almost archaic -- BlackBerry operating system and is the company's best hope at mounting a comeback. CEO Thorsten Heins sees it more than simple software for phones; he said during the last quarterly conference call that he believes multiple devices beyond phones will emerge from BlackBerry 10.
His strategy isn't unique; Google's Android and Apple's iOS both power multiple types of mobile devices, while Microsoft's Windows 8 will be extended to PCs, laptops, and tablets.
RIM will make its case that it too should be included in the conversation next week at BlackBerry World in Orlando, Fla. The company plans to launch a beta version of its BlackBerry 10 toolkit. Developers in attendance will also be getting a Dev Alpha device, according to a RIM representative. The device, however, isn't a BlackBerry 10 phone, nor will it be running the software.
The event will also likely be a showcase for the apps that are currently being developed for BlackBerry 10. A few developers will be showing off demonstrations of what they are building for BlackBerry 10.
Still, the lack of hardware has to be disappointing to some BlackBerry fans who were expecting a strong showing at the event. Last year, RIM used the conference to debut its BlackBerry Bold 9900, its flagship phone last year. The phone marked the first device to use its BlackBerry 7 operating system, which was an update of its older platform.
RIM has maintained that it plans to launch the first BlackBerry 10 phone in the second half, with some speculation that it may emerge in August and hit stores in October.

Source: news Cnet

Nokia demos indoor-location tracking with 'white space' tech

Nokia and 17 other technology and broadcast companies are working in the U.K. to demonstrate how white-space TV spectrum can be used to help track and locate devices indoors.
Nokia and several other technology companies are showing off some innovative uses for unlicensed "white space" technology in a trial in the United Kingdom.

For the past 10 months, the handset maker has been working to demonstrate applications for the white-space spectrum in trial alongside 17 other technology companies and TV broadcasters, including the BBC, BSkyb, BT, Microsoft, Virgin Media, and Samsung.
"White space" refers to unused wireless spectrum that sits between broadcast TV channels and was originally used as a buffer to mitigate interference. For the most part, white-space spectrum is unused. But in some places, it's used for other wireless gear such as microphones. As a result, technology companies that want to use the spectrum for Internet access have had to demonstrate that by using a database query system interference can be mitigated. And the white-space spectrum can essentially be used between different entities.
This particular trial, which took place at the Imperial War Museum near Cambridge, shows how useful white-space technology can be used for indoor location-based services. Satellite GPS is great for locating users outside, but the signal is lost indoors. The white-space technology and database makes it much easier to map and track things indoors. Researchers set up the demonstration in the hopes of showing off the technology to U.K. regulators, who are expected to put a framework in place to allow white-space spectrum to be used.
In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission approved the use of these unlicensed airwaves in 2010. But so far no devices have been built that actually use the unlicensed spectrum. The demonstration in the U.K. is a good example of how the technology can be useful.
According to an article about the demonstration on Nokia's Web site, researcher Scott Probasco used the unlicensed wireless spectrum to set up a wireless network that delivers information on different exhibits to a Nokia N9. Since the technology hasn't been put into a chip yet, a large portable receiver was connected via USB to the Nokia N9.
White-space devices naturally have good location features built in, mainly because to use the spectrum, the devices must check a database to make sure that they are not operating on spectrum that's already being used by other devices.
In the trial, researchers used this location tracking to push rich multimedia content to the device.
"You know when you go to a museum and you put the headset on, and listen to the information about what you're seeing," Probasco told Nokia for its article on the trial. "Well, this basically does away with that."
The Nokia N9 can detect a museum patron's location as he or she wanders through the exhibit. The museum is able to push tidbits of information, such as a video or text, directly to the device as someone passes by a particular part of the museum.
Probasco said that eventually store owners could use the same technology to deliver marketing information to customers as they shop in the store, pushing coupons and other special offers to shoppers.
There have already been several demonstrations of how white spaces can be used throughout the world. And regulators have been working to establish rules and set the spectrum aside for unlicensed use. But getting devices in the hands of customers is still a few years away. First, a standard needs to be developed. It's currently being worked on. After that, chips can be developed and mass produced to fit inside smartphones and other products.
Meanwhile, Nokia and other technology companies are looking at doing other trials in places, such as Brazil, Singapore, and Finland.

Source: news.cnet

Dates of possible ICS upgrades for T-Mobile devices revealed

T-Mobile customers waiting for the latest Android OS update may have to wait until June for a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich.

If you have a T-Mobile device in your possession, an upgrade to Android 4.0 may be in your nearby future. At least, until June anyway.
Tmo News, an unofficial blog covering T-Mobile, got a hold of a 2012 enterprise calendar, which details possible launch dates for Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades on three of the carrier's devices.
Among the devices listed are HTC's Sensation 4G and Amaze 4G -- both are slated to get ICS on June 16. The third is the Samsung Galaxy S II, which was a tentative upgrade date of May 14.

Source: news.cnet

Apple v. Samsung: 50 suits, 10 countries -- and counting

One year ago this month the two companies locked horns over patents, and their legal fight has since extended around the globe. It will apparently even bring the two CEOs face-to-face in May.

With patent litigation fast turning into the tech industry's favorite pastime, the yearlong legal battle between Apple and Samsung that began last April now extends to more than 10 countries around the world and at least 50 initial filings. Incredible.
Patent expert Florian Mueller, who, thankfully, tracks this stuff closely so the rest of us don't have to risk having our brains explode, has done his usual first-rate job compiling a list sorting out the venues of this "massively escalated, planet-spanning dispute." Amazingly, he noted, the number of legal filings might even climb higher. As Mueller notes in his latest post:
After an initial filing, lawsuits can be consolidated (which effectively happened to the first two lawsuits the parties filed against each other in California) or, which happened far more frequently, split up into multiple lawsuits by the courts. For example, German courts usually look at only one patent per litigation, and sometimes assign more than one case number per patent if there's a delay with serving the complaint on one of two or more defendants. Also, these parties tend to appeal each and every decision, and the list below doesn't contain cases before appeals courts.
Of course, there's always the possibility that these two might be able to work out a deal. During a conference call last week to discuss the company's quarterly earnings, Apple CEO Tim Cook offered a general statement of his desire to end the litigation that has engulfed much of the wireless industry, without mentioning Samsung specifically.
"I would highly prefer to settle than to battle," he said. "But it's important that Apple not become the developer for the world. We need people to invent their own stuff."
Both Cook and his opposite number at Samsung, along with their top lawyers, are supposed to give settlement talks a shot in front of a judge in San Francisco on May 21 and 22.
This long-running legal confrontation began in April 2011 when Apple filed a lawsuit in California accusing Samsung of copying "the look and feel" of its iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone. "Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smartphone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface, and innovative style in these infringing products," Apple complained.
Samsung quickly responded with a countersuit against Apple, taking the fight overseas to South Korea, Japan, and Germany.
Ever since, it's been a veritable full-time employment act for the lawyers.
Clarification:: We tweaked the earlier headline to correct the wording.

Source: news.cnet

Far Cry 3 PC

Release Date: September 4, 2012

 

Beyond the limits of civilization lies an island, a lawless place ruled by piracy and human misery, where your only escapes are drugs or the muzzle of a gun. This is where you find yourself, trapped in a place that's forgotten right from wrong, a place that lives by the principles of violence. In Far Cry 3, players step into the shoes of Jason Brody, stranded on this mysterious tropical island. You dictate how the story unfolds, from the battles you choose to fight down to the allies or enemies you make along the way. Slash, sneak, detonate and shoot your way across the island in a world that has lost all sense of right and wrong. Beware the beauty and mystery of this unexplored paradise and live to outwit its roster of ruthless, desperate characters. You'll need more than luck to survive.

Genre: First-Person Shooter
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Also on: PS3, X360
RP-T+ for Rating Pending, Targeting a Rating of Teen or Above

Assassin's Creed III PC

Release Date: October 30, 2012

Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in the late 18th century, Assassin's Creed III introduces a new hero, Ratohnhaké:ton, of Native American and English heritage. Adopting the name Connor, he becomes the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars. Players become an Assassin in the war for liberty against ruthless tyranny in the most stylized and fluid combat experiences in the franchise to date. Assassin's Creed III spans the Revolutionary War, taking gamers from the vibrant, untamed frontier to bustling colonial towns and the intense, chaotic battlefields where George Washington's Continental Army clashed with the imposing British Army.

Genre: Action Adventure
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer/Co-Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Annecy

Also on: Wii-u
RP-M+ for Rating Pending, Targeting a Rating of Mature or Above

Batman Arkham City's Harley Quinn DLC launches next month

Lets you play as Batman and Robin in over two hours of new gameplay

Warner has detailed the Harley Quinn DLC for Batman: Arkham City.

First confirmed via a trailer for an upcoming Game of the Year Edition, Harley Quinn's Revenge is being billed as the game's "final chapter". Featuring over two hours of fresh gameplay, it'll be available to download beginning on May 30 on PS3 and Xbox 360. Pricing has yet to be confirmed.
Warner says: "The Harley Quinn's Revenge mission sends players back into Arkham City to face their final challenge as they interchange between playing as both Batman and Robin.
"Gamers must utilise each of the characters' unique combat and investigative skills to uncover Harley's vengeful plan and shut the gates on the urban mega-prison forever. In addition to experiencing a new storyline, fans can explore new environments and face-off against Harley's all new gang of thugs."

 

GTA 5 to launch in October, reckons Patchter

Analyst thinks Rockstar will show off game off the day before E3

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter expects Rockstar to steal thunder from E3 this year by having a Grand Theft Auto 5 blowout the day before the event begins. He also reckons the game will launch on October 23.

Speaking on the latest episode of GTTV, Pachter said he thinks Rockstar has reached the point where it doesn't need to attend the high-profile event to get eyes on its titles. "They've outgrown the show. I think they're way too cool to go," he said.
"My read on those guys is they like stealing the thunder from everything else. So if I had to bet I'd say you'd get an announcement on GTA 5 the day before E3 starts, that'd be Monday June 4. They don't show up and that's all anybody can do is talk about GTA 5 at the show."
Pachter believes GTA 5 will arrive shortly after BioShock Infinite's mid-October release, suggesting Rockstar "don't care about the 2K game".
In the same episode of GTTV, Sony showed off PlayStation All Stars: Battle Royale for the first time.
In February, Rockstar said we can expect to hear more about GTA5 in a few months' time. The timing seems roughly in line with Pachter's predictions.

 

Samsung turns in record quarterly profit

outh Korean electronics giant says its net profits rose 82 percent in the first quarter on the strength of smartphone sales.

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest consumer electronics maker, reported a record quarterly profit Friday on the strength of its smartphones.
The South Korea-based company said net profits rose 82 percent to a record 5.05 trillion won, or about $4.45 billion, for the fiscal first quarter ending March 31, compared with 2.78 trillion won a year earlier. Samsung also recorded record quarterly operating profits of $5.85 trillion won, in line with earlier guidance provided by the company.
"We cautiously expect our earnings momentum to continue going forward, as competitiveness in our major businesses is enhanced," Robert Yi, head of investor relations at Samsung, said in a statement.
Samsung's handset division accounted for 73 percent of the company's total profit, bringing in 4.27 trillion won, triple over the year-ago period. The division's operating profit margin jumped to 18.4 percent from 11 percent a year ago on the back of strong sales of the Galaxy S and Note smartphones. Analysts estimate Samsung sold 90 million handsets, including 44 million smartphones.
Profits from the company's TV and home appliances business skyrocketed to 530 billion won from 80 billion a year ago. However, semiconductor profits plummeted 54 percent to 760 billion won compared to last year.

Source: news.cnet