RBC: Over half of smartphone buyers want iPhone

A great proportion of current smartphone shoppers have already set their minds on the iPhone 3G, says RBC Capital Markets. The investment bank says it ran a survey of some 3,600 members of its Technology Adoption Panel in the aftermath of June 9th's 3G announcement, and found that of those planning to get a smartphone in the next 90 says, 56 percent wanted the new iPhone. RBC notes that this contrasts with a study conducted in March, in which only 35 percent were expecting to buy a new iPhone.

Panasonic denies OLED TV production rumors

Panasonic will not bring a 37-inch OLED TV to market by 2011 as reported on Tuesday, according to the company. Panasonic executives are instead hinting its OLED TVs will be sold to consumers closer to 2015, although they are officially keeping tight-lipped about specific timelines, saying only that research and development is ongoing in Japan.

Icahn Yahoo statement still insists on MS buyout

Activist investor Carl Icahn today filed a proxy statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that still insists Yahoo offer itself to Microsoft for a takeover. The filing appears to ignore recent statements by Microsoft that it's now uninterested in a full deal and asks that Yahoo shareholders vote on August 1st for Icahn's takeover-friendly board of directors, who would remove Yahoo head Jerry Yang from his CEO position and directly offer the search engine firm to Microsoft.

Treo 800w to jump to 2MP camera, drop MMS?

Palm's Treo 800w will perform better than expected but have unusual feature omissions when it launches on Sprint, if a leaked training document obtained by Engadget proves accurate. The device's camera is said to be uprated from 1.3 to 2 megapixels, while the device will also have a USB 2.0 connection that lets its owner sideload content much faster than on the 755p or earlier Treos. In Sprint garb, however, the device appears to have dropped MMS picture messaging and instead uses Sprint's proprietary Picture Mail for quick image sharing.

Innolux nabs new Apple touchscreen orders

Taiwan display maker Innolux has landed new orders for touchscreens from Apple, say claims from those inside the industry. While few details are available, the company is expected to start shipments soon; the company itself declines to either confirm or deny orders from Apple but says it will soon ship a production run of touch panels using capacitive input like that of Apple's handhelds.

BBC to build iPlayer set-top box

The BBC is planning to build its own set-top box for iPlayer users, a report reveals. iPlayer is a free web service which allows TV license payers to stream the past week of BBC programming for free; it is typically accessed via computers however, with the exception of devices like the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii. The new set-top will hook up directly to a TV, and feed data from a broadband connection to effectively create an IPTV link.

Maxtor offers up 1TB network media server

Seagate through its Maxtor label late Wednesday launched the Central Axis as its entry into network-attached storage for home use. The 1TB device serves as both group storage space for Mac OS X and Windows systems on the same local network but also as a remote storage server over the web. It also serves as an automatic media server for certain devices: any DLNA- or UPnP-based device, including the PS3, Xbox 360, and some Nokia Nseries phones will automatically find the Central Axis and can stream content directly from its hard drive.

Sony Ericsson warns of break-even quarter

Sony Ericsson today warned that its income and shipments will have shrunk this quarter over expectations. The cellphone producer now expects its pre-tax income to only "break-even" when reported in mid-July and says it will ship fewer cellphones over the three-month period than it did a year ago, with about 24 million phones shipped worldwide. The company also expects the average selling price to drop further still from the last quarter, dropping from roughly $192 at the start of the year to about $181, earning the company less for each device.

NewerTech announces 300GB RAID drive

Newertech has announced its Guardian MAXimus RAID-1 Mirror triple interface model. The FireWire 800/400+USB 2.0 drive has two 300GB 10,000RPM drives in a RAID-1 (mirror) for redundant, high-speed storage. The company claims data rates up to 100MB per second and utilizes Western Digital VelociRaptor SATA drives. The MAXimus is ready for Time Machine and geared toward Audio/Video and photo editing, as well as 3D rendering projects. The drive is available immediately for $900 and is compatible with Mac OS X 10.1 and later (as well as legacy Macs on OS 8.6-9.2), requiring Mac OS X 10.2 and later for FireWire 800 and USB 2.0.

Comcast all-digital in 3 years, to push HD/Internet

Comcast's cable TV network will be all digital in the space of three years, according to claims by an unnamed senior executive at a communications company. The service provider is allegedly buying up as many six million digital-to-analog devices from Motorola and others this year as well as 12 million in 2009, all of which will be handed out to subscribers whose TVs don't support digital tuning. The move will let Comcast shut off analog cable entirely in favor of purely digital networks; the process should have all of Comcast's cable base on digital channels by 2011.

Nokia makes N78 available in US

Nokia today began offering a North American version of the N78, its relatively low-cost but full-feature smartphone. The candybar design comes to the US with 3G Internet support for AT&T's HSPA data network and undercuts the price of Nokia's own N82 and N95 by scaling back the camera: the N78 uses a 3.2-megapixel sensor and a single LED flash versus the 5-megapixel, Xenon-lit shooting of other Nseries phones. Wi-Fi is also built in, as is GPS with data assist that lets the phone find its position through either Nokia Maps or a third-party app such as Google Maps for Mobile.

Early details slip of iPod-like XM portable radio

XM Satellite Radio is gearing up to launch a handheld radio and media player combo that would finally take over from the phased out Pioneer Inno (pictured) and Delphi's Sky-Fi radio, according to a leak floated by Orbitcast. Codenamed Phoenix, he portable would be smaller than the Inno but put in a jogwheel for navigating stations and tracks much like the iPod as well as Delphi's Sky-Fi 2.

Motorola announces MING A1600, A1800

After months of speculation, Motorola has formally announced two new MING-series phones, the A1600 and 1800. The first has a 2.4-inch touchscreen, with a liftable plastic cover to protect against damage. Also onboard is a three-megapixel camera with the unusual feature of continuous autofocus, something allegedly unseen on cellphones to date. The camera can also be used to produced animated GIFs, or translate text through built-in software.

Logitech rolls Mac-ready high end webcam

Logitech this morning made one of its rare webcam offerings for Macs with the advent of the QuickCam Vision Pro. A close cousin of the QuickCam Pro 9000, the USB camera is targeted at Mac mini and Mac Pro owners whose computers don't already have built-in iSight cameras but who want a better-than-average replacement for iChat, Skype, or other video apps. The Vision Pro not only has true glass optics from Carl Zeiss, rather than plastic, but also has a voice coil motor for autofocusing which is much faster and more fine-grained than the stepper motors on most webcams.

Samsung Omnia coming to AT&T near iPhone?

Samsung's i900 Omnia is already in queue to appear at AT&T, according to a claimed leak surfacing from BGR. The touchscreen phone would be close to the reference design but add a MediaFLO tuner that allows it to receive AT&T's Mobile TV live digital broadcasts; it should also have access to the carrier's Internet streaming music and video services and would use AT&T's Navigator service with its built-in GPS reception.

Moto Q 9c already phased out at Sprint?

Motorola's Q 9c smartphone may already be exiting the market just months after making its debut, according to customers' online posts. The Windows Mobile smartphone has been removed from Sprint's online store; although the practice is typical for temporary shortages at the carrier, calls to representatives suggest there are no plans to restock.

iPhone Canada plans to match AT&T?

Rogers Wireless and its sub-brand Fido will nearly match AT&T's pricing when they begin selling the iPhone 3G next month, according to a leaked data sheet said to have been sent out to employees of the two carriers. The sheet points to a standard personal account requiring a $30 data plan like that of AT&T that would provide unlimited access to at least the web, normal e-mail, and Visual Voicemail when linked to a phone plan that includes voice messages. Corporate users would likewise pay $45 per month for similar offerings plus access to work e-mail.

Alltel adopts Samsung MyShot

A new Samsung phone, the MyShot (SCH-r430), is being adopted by Alltel Wireless. The phone is a fairly basic clamshell design, and primarily features a 1.3-megapixel camera, which saves to an internal memory pool of 20MB. The phone also allows limited web browsing and file downloads, but does not support any broadband options.

NVIDIA quietly reveals GeForce 9800 GTX+

NVIDIA today addressed the sudden performance gaps created by the GeForce GTX 200 with a new mid-range video chipset. The GeForce 9800 GTX+ has the same two-slot design as the earlier 9800 GTX but uses NVIDIA's smaller and more efficient 55 nanometer technology to ramp up clock speeds: a reference card's core speed increases from 675MHz to 738MHz while shaders jump from 1688MHz to 1836MHz. Both are intended to give the card better performance against AMD's upcoming ATI Radeon HD 4850 launching later this month.

ASUS intros 4GHz-ready liquid-cooled gaming PC

ASUS yesterday unveiled its ARES CG6155 desktop PC, designed for very high-end gamers. The tower was modeled after Eastern and Western armors of the past and present. The looks are backed up with more durable hardware such as dual power supplies delivering 2kW of energy and liquid cooling technology to ensure system stability. The PC uses Intel's quad-core Extreme QX9650 CPU rated at 3GHz, with ASUS providing the necessary software to overclock the chip to 4GHz.

Casio intros new Super Slim projectors

Casio has revealed information on a new Pro-Series group of Super Slim projectors. The base-level systems fall under a "Super Colorä" line, and are said to have a higher level of color accuracy than previous Super Slims, with a 10 percent larger chromacity region. The units have a 2x optical zoom, a native resolution of 1024x768, and a contrast ratio of 1,800:1, achieved through a 2,500-lumen lamp. Of the two the XJ-SC215 also has a built-in USB host, which lets users view converted PDF, JPEG, BMP and AVI files directly from a flash stick.

Gear4 unveils BlackBox 24/7 iPod dock

UK-based Gear4 on Thursday announced the release of its newest iPod dock, the BlackBox 24/7. The new dock is a 12-hour clock with alarm functionality, has a built-in FM radio tuner, and will play music and charge all iPods with docks. An auxiliary input allows the twin 2.75-inch speakers to play music from more traditional MP3 players as well.

Texas Instruments demos 'lamp-free' projector

At today's ongoing InfoComm expo, Texas Instruments is demonstrating a new projector technology (not pictured) which it claims will significantly improve home theater setups. Combining a PhlatLight LED with a BrilliantColor chipset, the TI arrangement completely omits a lamp, instead relying on mirrors and the LED itself to provide enough light. The major advantage is said to be a lack of lamp replacements and filter changes, which can potentially be expensive for home viewers.

Netflix drops multi-user queues

Netflix is dropping support for multiple queues per account on its movie rental service, the company says in a message sent to subscribers overnight and picked up by Ars Technica. The company plans to drop its Profile Queue feature as of September 1st and will merge all the queues into one, preventing users from individualizing their queues for individual family members and potentially interfering with recommendations. The move is meant to "improve the Netflix website," according to the company, though its plans are unclear.

Briefly: Zune 80 and Zune 2.5 review

In the past several months since the second generation of Zunes went on sale, Microsoft has been busy addressing longstanding complaints about the Zune and its software: version 2.5

Sprint's Xohm WiMAX to go live in September

Sprint's long-delayed full rollout of its Xohm WiMAX Internet service should start in September, company chief technical officer Barry West said Wednesday at the WiMAX Forum's Global Congress event. The executive now claims that the 4G-class wireless network will start its normal, paid business in September with a first run in Baltimore; Chicago and Washington DC, which have also participated in early trials, will see their networks opened to the public sometime in the fall. Other cities should come soon after, West says.

Fujitsu T5010 specs, photo revealed ahead of release

Fujitsu's newest laptop has been spotted early and in an unlikely place, as the T4220 replacement recently popped up on the Virginia Tech University Bookstore. The Tablet PC features a 13.3-inch 1280x800 (WXGA) display, and is expected to run an Intel Centrino 2 vPro chip of unknown speed along with 2GB of DDR3 RAM.

Palm Centro hits Canada through Rogers

Rogers today became the first Canadian provider to pick up the Palm Centro. Similar to the version available through AT&T, this variant on Palm's smallest and most inexpensive smartphone runs on EDGE networks and comes with a 1.3-megapixel camera, microSD storage, as well as a larger-than-normal bundle of software such as DocumentsToGo (for Office and PDF files), Google Maps for Mobile, and Exchange push mail support.

60GB Xbox 360 to bow at E3?

Microsoft's heavily rumored 60GB Xbox 360 Pro could make its appearance at the company's E3 keynote next month, claims a source for TrustedReviews. The upgrade would allegedly be announced at the start of the show and would at least replace the existing 20GB console when it ships in early August, providing a heavily requested boost to the storage of the default console without pushing users to the Elite model.

EU to cap cell carrier data, text roaming

The European Union today warned carriers in its member states that it would start regulating the roaming rates for data and messaging in the region without voluntary price drops. While not saying what would dictate the regulation, Commissioner Viviane Reding explains that the government body will start posting Europe-wide prices in the next two weeks and will likely demand that most prices be regulated lower if not dropped voluntarily.

Gigabyte Atom-based UMPC given first launch window

Gigabyte today gave release info one of the first known ultra-mobile PCs using Intel's Atom processor. The M528 will first appear in the Taiwan area in late July and should be priced in the middle of the UMPC range at an equivalent of $750; the device centers around the extremely energy-efficient 800MHz version of the Atom that should extend battery life even with additional performance and features versus the earlier A110 chip.

Sony readying Wii-like, two part gamepad?

Sony is developing a unique controller that would help the PS3 offer motion-based games like those found on the Nintendo Wii, GamesIndustryclaims. Anonymous sources allege that the gamepad would act as usual in most cases but separate into two distinct parts, each of which would have a built-in accelerometer that recognizes movement. The pad is already said to be in the hands of some companies producing games for the PS3 and would let them implement code to support the controllers in advance.

Orange opens music store, reverses on DRM

France's Orange today said it had launched Musique Max, a new hybrid desktop and mobile music store. The service offers music from all four major labels, plus independents, with an emphasis on French artists. The company claims the store is centered around an unlimited subscription but institutes an eMusic-like maximum song download limit per month; users can download as many as 500 songs as part of a €12 ($19) monthly subscription but are charged 99 Euro cents per track for every download past that point.

Analyst: Xbox 360 price cut by E3

EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich today said that an Xbox 360 price cut or model change is very likely to take place by the E3 gaming expo next month. The researcher doesn't point to specific sources but is confident that Microsoft will either drop prices on the consoles at the event, introduce at least one new version, or combine the two in a single update. It's unknown whether Sony will follow suit with the PlayStation 3, though the company is predicted to respond to any Microsoft cuts with one of its own within two months.

Warner Bros. teams with TiVo, Joost, others

Warner Bros. Television is expanding its internet distribution, announcing new deals with TiVo, Joost, Sling Media, Daily Motion and Veoh Networks for a “number of advertiser-supported branded channels.” The deal includes TheWB.com ad KidsWB.com, which were announced in April. The move gives Warner more platforms to broaden its reach in the increasingly crowded television marketplace -- and more opportunities to catch the elusive 16-34 year-old advertising demographic.

Corsair intros rugged Flash Voyager Mini

Corsair this morning claimed a minor breakthrough in flash drives courtesy of its new Flash Voyager Mini. Like the larger Voyagers, the drive is shielded in a rubber case that protects both against shocks as well as water and other natural hazards. By using a newer all-in-one board design, however, the Voyager Mini not only shrinks to just over an inch long but also frees up space for a retracting USB connector that prevents damage to the data port itself.

Packard Bell next with Centrino 2, Turion X2 Ultra

Packard Bell today became the next system builder to update its line with newer platforms from AMD and Intel. The 13.3-inch EasyNote RS65 runs on a Centrino 2 chipset with an unspecified Core 2 Duo processor and joins the increasing ranks of ultraportables at its screen size, with a very thin and extremely stylized design; Packard Bell's signature circular trackpad sports hidden buttons while the rest of the system is backed by chrome trim and brushed black metal. Few other details are available beyond its use of a slot-load optical drive and HDMI video out.

EMI, XM settle in Pioneer Inno lawsuit

Record label EMI has finally reached a settlement in a lawsuit against XM Satellite Radio, Reuters notes. The former sued XM over Pioneer's Inno music player, which lets people record on-air streams. EMI considered this a potential violation of copyright, as the player does not distinguish between authorized and unauthorized music, much like cassette players recording off of FM radio. Terms of the settlement have not been announced.

ThinkPad R400, R500 specs emerge

Specifications have been learned for two upcoming Lenovo notebooks, according to Notebook Italia. Both are said to be intermediary computers for the transition to Intel's Centrino 2 platform, and a replacement for Lenovo's current ThinkPad R61. Each has the option of a Core 2 Duo or Celeron M processor, matched to a PM45, GM45 or GL45 motherboard; the systems also support up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 320GB 5400rpm hard drive or a 200GB 7200rpm drive. Wireless technologies should include options for Bluetooth, WiMAX, and 802.11b/g or a/g/n.

InFocus launches projectors with USB video

InFocus started Wednesday by introducing two Work Big DLP projectors that are the first projectors anywhere to use DisplayLink's USB video technology. The portable IN1100 series and the larger-sized IN3100 series can both use USB for video output. The approach lets users relay video from a notebook even when the computer lacks a free traditional output of its own or is missing a video cable. It also allows a connection to two or more external displays at the same time.

New Voodoo Envy, Omen chase after Apple

HP's performance label Voodoo PC today launched a complete overhaul of tis designs with systems that directly challenge the design aesthetics of the MacBook Air and the Mac Pro. The Envy 133 notebook joins both the Air and the ThinkPad X300 in the newer class of ultra-thin but still fast portables: the use of an LED-backlit screen and a carbon fiber chassis help the Envy measure 0.7 inches thick at every point while weighing under 3.4 pounds. A new generation of Intel's notebook platform helps reach these dimensions while still supplying speed, the company says. Voodoo's design is also the third after those from Apple and ASUS to sport a multi-touch trackpad with support for pinching and scrolling.

Motorola intros CDMA/GSM hybrid MC75 handheld

Motorola this morning brought many of its home cellphone features to a tougher environment with the MC75. Designed chiefly for in-the-field users with a ruggedized shell, the Windows Mobile 6 handset nonetheless is nonetheless upscale and includes both HSDPA-based 3G for GSM networks as well as EVDO Revision A for Sprint, Verizon, and other CDMA phone carriers' 3G services. An 802.11a/g Wi-Fi connection fills in remaining gaps.

IBM's Roadrunner supercomputer capable of 1 petaflop

IBM today announced it will commission a $100 million hybrid supercomputer, the world's fastest, codenamed Roadrunner, to the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. The supercomputer is claimed to be able to perform 1,000 trillion operations per second, or one petaflop. According to IBM, the array has the same computing power as 100,000 of today’s fastest laptop computers combined. The hybrid computer combines AMD's x86 processors with Cell Broadband Engine chips originally developed for video game platforms, such as the ones used in Sony's PlayStation3.

HP, Dell dominate notebook sales, Apple rises

HP continues to dominate in the realm of notebook sales, writes the NPD Group. In its latest quarterly report, the research firm notes that HP shipped nearly 6.5 million notebooks around the world, giving it a marketshare of 20.8 percent. Dell by contrast managed to recapture second place from Acer, but with a share of just 15.1 percent, and shipments just under 4.7 million. Acer slipped to third place with control of 14.6 percent and over 4.5 million notebooks.

Official: Verizon to buy Alltel for $28b

Quickly following up on earlier confirmations by its partner Vodafone, Verizon on Thursday said it would buy out Alltel in a cash merger with a total value of about $28.1 billion. The deal is mutually agreed upon and should see the union take place by the end of the year following approvals from the US government; Alltel chief Scott Ford will continue to run Alltel until the deal is completed.

UK ISPs agree to advertised speed standard

Ofcom, the UK communication industry's independent regulator, is planning to make a voluntary standard for Internet providers to follow when advertising their maximum connection speeds. More than 90 percent of the country's ISPs agreed to complying with the new code, which would give customers a more accurate comparison of performance between companies when shopping for a new provider.

New Panasonic D-dock rips CDs to SD cards

Panasonic today announced its newest addition to its line of D-dock mini sound systems, with the SC-NS570SD. The system is equipped with an SD card slot for file playback, and it also has the ability to rip CDs at up to 8 times playback speeds to SD cards in the AAC format. Rated at 15W for each of its twin speakers, the system will play MP3, AAC or WMA-encoded CDs, or broadcast programs via its AM/FM tuner.

Western Digital readying 20K RPM hard drive?

Western Digital is in the early stages of developing the first hard drive to spin at 20,000RPM, alleged sources have toldBit-Tech. Fears that solid-state drives may overtake its business have led the company to develop a record-setting hard drive that will share the same design philosophy as the VelociRaptor; the hard drive itself will measure 2.5 inches across but sit in a 3.5-inch enclosure that both cools the disk and cuts down on noise.

Apple, RIM claw world share from Nokia

Both the BlackBerry and iPhone have contributed to a downfall in Nokia's smartphone marketshare in the latest quarter, Gartner analysts report. The Finnish phone maker's influence dropped from 46.7 percent of the world market in the first quarter of 2007 to 45.2 percent a year later after aggressive moves by both Apple and Research in Motion into its territory. The iPhone as a new entrant for the quarter earned about 5.3 percent of the smartphone business through shipping 1.7 million iPhones between January and March; RIM, in turn, climbed from 8.3 percent to 13.4 percent on the back of 4.3 million BlackBerries delivered during the three-month span.

HTC Touch Diamond hit with crucial delay?

HTC's Touch Diamond is suffering from a significant delay that could critically affect the timing of its launch, say reports. UK reseller Devicewire and others are being told by HTC that the touchscreen phone will miss its originally scheduled June 9th release date and will be pushed back to June 23rd due to a last-minute firmware upgrade necessary for all of the devices.