By Kasper Jade
The first smartphone based on Google's Android mobile platform could hit the U.S. market as early as October, according to new reports, but a video of the handset leaked on the Internet reveals a device which lacks the elegance that's already drawn millions to Apple's iPhone.
People briefed on the search giant's plans tell the New York Times that the HTC-manufacturered handset, know amongst Internet circles as the "Dream," will go on sale by the holidays -- possibly even earlier depending on how long it takes the Federal Communications Commission to weigh in with approval.
It's expected to be the only Android phone available in the U.S. this year and will be sold exclusively through T-Mobile, the nation’s No. 4 wireless carrier. A video (below) of the supposed device making the rounds on the Internet is said to match the one seen by the Times' sources, confirming its authenticity.
Like the iPhone, the Dream has a full touch-screen and will be able to run a slew of applications written by third-party developers for the open-source Android operating system. Conversely, it will also feature a physical "full five-row keyboard" that's exposed by sliding the display component upwards, mimicking the functionality of T-Mobile's Sidekick handset.
While the Dream is "apparently a hot item to show off in Google's cafeterias these days," those familiar with the device describe it as "big and bulky," and nowhere near as sleek as iPhone that's forever altered the landscape of the mobile industry. The Android software itself is similarly not up to par with standards set by Apple, leaving it feeling "less-elegant, less-user-friendly" just months before its slated to be unleashed into the wild.
Still, the Dream is just one of "several devices" Google is testing with its new mobile software, offering hope that other smartphone makers will be able to compensate for the inadequacies of the initial HTC handset when they begin rolling out their Android phones sometime next year. The more pressing issue appears to be whether Google is adequately prepared to provide its ring of developers with the support and expertise they need to go head-to-head with an already thriving fleet of software makers that have hitched onto Apple's mobile platform.
Some early Android supporters have already expressed frustration with the company for favoring a small subset of developers with advance releases of Android's Software Developer Kit, exposing them to newer features and bug fixes ahead of the general community. Meanwhile, those carriers and hardware manufacturers that do have access to the latest Android codebase haven't experienced a clear path to success either.
Among their complaints have been language translation problems with software and an overall lack of support from Google, whose emphasis on the anticipated launch of the Dream through T-Mobile has crowded out other carrier's attempts to get help launching their own array of Android devices.
Original here
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Listen To Your Home Music Library On Your iPhone With Simplifymedia
Simplify Media is an extraordinary new application which allows you to wirelessly connect to up to 30 people's computers in order to stream their music. And now with an iPhone version of the application, you can wirelessly listen to your home (or friends' home) computer music on-the-go. It's amazing!
The Simplify Media app allows you to enjoy your home music collection from work (or from anywhere) on the go. More importantly, you can access the music collection of up to 30 of your friends, and they can access yours -- as long as you approve each other first.
Here's a demo video:
The service is free, easy, universal, and fast. All you need to do is create a free account.
To access all your music from your iPhone & iPod Touch:
1. Download the Simplify Media app from the App Store [iTunes Link - free for first 100,000 users - $3.99 after that].
2. Start the app on your iPhone
3. Download Simplify Media onto your computer here (works with Windows, Mac, Linux)
4. Install the application and create a free account (remember your username and password)
5. Choose which music libraries you'd like to share (iTunes, WinAmp, your "Music" folder, etc...)
6. Log in on your iPhone using the same username and password from step 4
7. You will now see your library and the libraries of your added friends (Step #10 explains how to add friends)
8. Choose a library (your own or one of 30 friends), artist, and song
9. Ta Da!!! You are wirelessly listening to music from your home (or friend's home)! You can toggle between artist bio and lyrics.
Yes -- the app provides you with instant lyrics for every song.
10. To add a friend, press "Invite" and simply enter his Simplify Media screen name. You can also send an invite to a newbie via e-mail. All your incoming requests are displayed right in your Simplify Media window on your computer.
That's it for Simplify Media. It comes as no surprise that such an application was rated "Top 10 Downloads of 2007" by CNet. Just remember one thing. Before you accept friend requests, make sure you go and delete your old Backstreet Boys albums (or atleast hide them).
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| Developer of Tris (Tetris like Application) thanked hackers in the "about box" section of his application. Keep in mind that this application is part of the Apple's app store. [image] |
Saturday, August 16, 2008
You've got jail! AOL spammer sentenced to seven years
One more spammer is heading off to jail, but not before he managed to bilk at least several hundred people out of $400,000 or more. Michael Dolan, 24, has been sentenced to seven years in jail—the maximum he could have received—followed by three years of supervised release. Dolan and a group of co-conspirators ran a scheme from 2002-2006 in which they first trolled AOL chatrooms for user names, then bombarded these users with phishing attempts.
As Infoworld reports, the scheme ran as follows. Victims typically received a link to a false greeting card which, when opened, installed a malware package. The next time the target attempted to log on to AOL, the program would request credit card numbers, bank account data, or other personal information. Users who refused to enter the data were prevented from logging into AOL. As schemes go, this was a fairly novel idea at the time, and I actually remember running into several systems infected this way. Dolan also sent spam purporting to be from AOL's billing department, asking customers to please reenter their billing details due to a server meltdown. As you can imagine, all of this left AOL feeling a bit perturbed.
Dolan himself has something of a history of bad behavior. He was first sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of accessing a computer without authorization. His probation was revoked in 2006, after the ruling judge discovered that he had taken several trips out of state, including at least one trip overseas. Dolan was then sentenced to nine months of imprisonment, and was charged in the AOL scam on September 28, 2006. Considering that the scam itself ran from 2002-2006, Dolan was likely making money from computer fraud both while on probation and in jail.
The federal government claimed that Dolan masterminded the scheme, but if he did, his intelligence appears to be confined solely to computing. Assistant US Attorney Edward Chang stated in a sentencing memorandum that Dolan attempted to variously bribe, coerce, and threaten various witnesses, and succeeded in convincing his girlfriend to perjure herself. Combined with his modus operandi of committing computer fraud while directly under the nose of the authorities, Dolan simply doesn't seem to be the sharpest crayon in the box.
Sharp or dull, however, he's headed to jail. Five years for fraud, two years for aggravated identity theft, followed by his supervised release, which is essentially probation. Judges are allowed to impose conditions during a supervised release, and can bar the individual in question from engaging in activities which are otherwise lawful. The judge in Dolan's case has not set the terms of the release yet, but based on his record, it's a safe bet that Dolan won't be touching a PC until 2018.
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