Technology News

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will not be ringing Nasdaq's opening bell in New York. He'll be ringing it remotely from the company's Menlo Park headquarters, according to a recent rumor.

Drew Olanoff / The Next Web:Foursquare check-ins are now integrated into your Facebook Timeline map  —  If you use foursquare to check-in to your favorite locations and share those notifications on Facebook, then you're in for a treat.  —  Foursquare has announced that your foursquare check-ins will now populate your Timeline map.

Mike Masnick / Techdirt:Microsoft-Funded BitTorrent Disruptor Won't Make Pirates Pay, But Might Break The Law  —  There was quite a bit of chatter recently about a Torrentfreak article discussing an operation called “Pirate Pay,” which was funded by Microsoft, and claimed it could track and shut down unauthorized works being transmitted via BitTorrent.

Rocky Agrawal / VentureBeat:AmEx's new local offers pose threat to Groupon  —  American Express is releasing a new version of its iPhone app today that lets users find offers at nearby businesses.  The new feature, dubbed “My Offers,” represents a threat to Groupon, which has tried to entice merchants to market through its mobile product, Groupon Now.

David Cohen / AllFacebook:Interested In Buying One Share Of Facebook Stock?  —  Imagination is looking for a Social Media Specialist.  —  Allfacebook Marketing Conference: June 28 - San Francisco AllFacebook.de SocialTimes Send an anonymous tip  — Facebook Marketing Bible  — AppData  — PageData

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: If you're an African-American, tracing your roots back to the ancestral continent is hard enough — but tracing them back to the ancestral family? That requires a lot of research and a little bit of faith.

McGruber writes "The Rochester (NY) Democrat-Chronicle has the interesting story of the Eastman Kodak Co.'s Californium Neutron Flux Multiplier, which was housed in Building 82 of Kodak Park in Rochester, NY. The multiplier contained 3½ pounds of highly enriched (weapons-grade) uranium. Kodak used it to check chemicals and other materials for impurities, as well as for tests related to neutron radiography, an imaging technique. From the article: 'When Kodak decided six years ago to close down the device, still more scrutiny followed. Federal regulators made them submit detailed plans for removing the substance. When the highly enriched uranium was packaged into protective containers and spirited away in November 2007, armed guards were surely on hand. All of this — construction of a bunker with two-foot-thick concrete walls, decades of research and esoteric quality control work with a neutron beam, the safeguarding and ultimate removal of one of the more feared substances on earth — was done pretty much without anyone in the Rochester community having a clue.'" Read more of this story at Slashdot.

T-Mobile subscribers waiting on pins and needles for the day their HTC Sensation 4G or Amaze 4G will get its Android 4.0 update don't have to sit so uncomfortably for much longer: the carrier has just narrowed down the timetables considerably. The first wave of owners will get its Ice Cream Sandwich just desserts on May 16th, when Sensation 4G owners can push Android 4.0.3 to their dual-core 2011 flagships. Amaze 4G users have a looser timeframe of the "coming weeks" to dig in. Either circumstance will see HTC slap on Sense 3.6 like it has with other pre-2012 device updates, so don't expect a full One S-like Sense 4.0 experience. Do, however, expect to pay an extra $15 per month for hotspot support on the Sensation 4G if you've been sharing your service on the cheap before -- it'll be required for sharing data with Android 4.0 and up.T-Mobile gives HTC Sensation 4G users an Ice Cream Sandwich treat on May 16, Amaze 4G within weeks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 16:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  T-Mobile (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

In a relatively strange fashion, AT&T's quietly pulled the plug on its U-verse kit for the Xbox 360 -- at least for the time being. According to a note on its own site, the company's taking some time to focus on "improving and enhancing" its U-verse bundle. This is probably a reference to the updated app (that would also require XBL Gold) AT&T promised for the new dashboard with Kinect support and a new UI, but has yet to deliver. As Multichannel points out, earlier last week Netflix had filed a complaint with the FCC, claiming that AT&T's U-verse on Xbox violated network neutrality regulations -- though, it's unclear whether this had anything to do with the outfit's decision to suspend the service. AT&T has said the set-top kit won't "be available until the new enhancements and functionality are added," so we'd recommend not holding your breath for too long.AT&T stops offering Xbox 360 U-verse bundle until it can deliver an updated version originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 16:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink SlashGear, Multichannel  |  AT&T  | Email this | Comments

Join us in playing our SAP Sapphire Now drinking game. You say business solutions, we say bottoms up!

Jennifer Van Grove / VentureBeat:Groupon rebounds with $559M in Q1 revenue  —  Still reeling from a disastrous fourth quarter, Groupon beat Wall Street's expectations and reported $559 million in revenue and $39.6 million in operating income for the first quarter of 2012.  Monday's earnings report is Groupon's second since opening on the NASDAQ in November.

Twitter hasn't wasted any time in making good on its Summify acquisition. Not even half a year after the ink has dried, you can now opt to get a curated summary of the "most relevant Tweets" and linked stories sent to your email inbox. The layout borrows more than a few cues from the new Discover tab and will let you respond from the email message itself, although we can imagine friends being slightly irked at reviving a conversation that was so very three days ago. Even so, once the option has rolled out to everyone within the space of a few weeks, it'll be an easier way to keep up on one Mr. Bieber's Twitter adventures without others' pesky life events and politics getting in the way.Twitter now sending email summaries, will keep weekly tabs on the Biebs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Twitter  | Email this | Comments

SAP brings its Afaria mobile device management platform to the Amazon Web Services Marketplace.

Dan Primack / Fortune:Is Facebook raising its IPO range?  —  Facebook set to up its price.  —  FORTUNE — Last week, Bloomberg reported that Facebook was getting “weaker than forecast” demand for its upcoming IPO.  A few hours later, Reuters reported that the offering was already oversubscribed.

Business Wire:Groupon Announces First Quarter 2012 Results  —  CHICAGO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) today announced financial results for the first quarter 2012.  —  Revenue increased 89% to $559.3 million in the first quarter 2012, compared with $295.5 million in the first quarter 2011.

Caleb Garling / Wired:Judge Decides Oracle and Google Will Battle Over Damages  —  In the ongoing legal battle between Oracle and Google over the Android mobile operating system, the presiding judge has ruled that the trial will proceed to a damages phase — a third and final phase where a jury …

Facebook's head of privacy policy, Erin Egan, hinted in a Web chat on Monday that Facebook would begin serving targeted ads to users on third-party websites.

fallen1 writes "Wireless broadband company LightSquared has filed for bankruptcy. In filings with U.S. Bankruptcy court, it was revealed that LightSquared had assets and debts of over $1 billion each. The decision followed a year-long fight between LightSqaured and GPS users — including some heavyweights like FedEx and UPS. Apparently Boeing and Alcatel-Lucent are heavily invested, but it would be interesting to see what the old Bell Labs could do with the technology." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Playback of 3D motion capture with a computer is nothing new, but how about with a solid levitating object? MIT's Media Lab has developed ZeroN, a large magnet and 3D actuator, which can fly an "interaction element" (aka ball bearing) and control its position in space. You can also bump it to and fro yourself, with everything scanned and recorded, and then have real-life, gravity-defying playback showing planetary motion or virtual cameras, for example. It might be impractical right now as a Minority Report-type object-based input device, but check the video after the break to see its awesome potential for 3D visualization.Continue reading ZeroN slips surly bonds, re-runs your 3D gestures in mid-airZeroN slips surly bonds, re-runs your 3D gestures in mid-air originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 16:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink The Verge  |  Jinha Lee  | Email this | Comments

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been in the news for quite some time now, but I'm sure he's taking a break today to celebrate that he's turning 28. Happy Birthday Zuck!

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc's new interim chief executive is a signal to Wall Street that the company is returning to a media-centric strategy, even as the its weekend deal with activist hedge fund Third Point raises new questions about its future.

(Reuters) - LightSquared, the wireless startup backed by hedge fund manager Philip Falcone, on Monday filed for Chapter 11 protection.

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc will launch new versions of its Kindle e-reader and tablet, including a monochrome e-reader with front lighting, a source who has seen the prototype told Reuters.

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc's new interim chief executive is a signal to Wall Street that the company is returning to a media-centric strategy, even as the its weekend deal with activist hedge fund Third Point raises new questions about its future.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court ruled on Monday that Apple Inc could press its bid for an immediate injunction to block the sale of some tablet computers made by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd based on allegations of infringement of one patent.

(Reuters) - Sony Corp and Panasonic Corp are in talks to jointly produce large OEL (organic electroluminescence) televisions, the Nikkei business daily said.

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc will close the books on its mammoth $10.6 billion initial public offering Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the deal.

(Reuters) - Graphics chipmaker Nvidia Corp is buying about 500 wireless communications patents from privately held IPWireless, as it locks horns with Qualcomm Inc in the lucrative market for smartphone and tablet chips.

Ernesto / TorrentFreak:BitTorrent is the New Radio, Says Counting Crows Frontman  —  Last month Counting Crows released their latest studio album titled Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation).  —  Fans have been waiting since 2008 for the release and it's selling well, but that won't prevent …

Andrew Webster / The Verge:Kaspersky Lab investigates OS X security, but investigation not undertaken at Apple's request (update)  —  Not long after its CEO claimed that Apple was a decade behind Microsoft in terms of security, Kaspersky Lab has revealed that it's now working with Apple to investigate OS X security concerns.

Certainly it's no great shocker that Amazon's got plans for a new e-reader and tablet later this year. Nor should anyone be particularly surprised at the prospect of a front-lit reader from the retail giant set to compete directly with the latest Nook offering. Reuters, however, claims to have some insight into both, courtesy of an anonymous source. Apparently the aforementioned reader is set for a July launch, arriving in the customary Wifi and 3G varieties. The tablet, meanwhile, is set for a release "closer to the holiday season," according to the source. Amazon, E Ink and the like naturally refused to comment on the matter.Report: Amazon planning front-lit Kindle e-reader for July, new tablet later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Reuters  | Email this | Comments

Competition among US cellular carriers is about to get a bit fiercer with a fresh national network that will actively encourage using your phone rather than setting hard limits. Newcomer (and MVNO on Sprint's network) Voyager Mobile is teasing a "frequent talker program" that will give all kinds of perks for the more talkative among us: call your Aunt Ruth a lot and you'll get phone upgrades, free months of service and smaller nice-to-haves like air mileage and gift cards. That's helped by Voyager starting off at $19 a month for unlimited voice, although picking a smartphone in the early catalog will hike that to a still rather thrifty $39 for all-unlimited voice, text and WiMAX data. If you're tempted by the price and don't mind an early phone roster that focuses on mostly Android-based carryovers like the LG Optimus S, Motorola XPRT or Samsung's Conquer 4G and Epic 4G Touch, Voyager will swing the virtual doors open for some states (with more to follow) when its countdown expires on May 15th.Continue reading New carrier Voyager Mobile starts May 15th, promises rewards for chatting it upNew carrier Voyager Mobile starts May 15th, promises rewards for chatting it up originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 15:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Voyager Mobile  | Email this | Comments

Paul Thurrott's / SuperSite for Windows:Windows 8 Pro PC Upgrade Cost Is Just $15  —  A coming Microsoft promotion will provide Windows 8 Pro to buyers of Windows 7-based PCs for just $14.99, according to my sources.  The promotion begins June 2, and was first reported by my Windows Weekly cohost Mary Jo Foley.

Josh Constine / TechCrunch:Zuckerberg Will Ring In Facebook IPO From Menlo Park HQ On Friday  —  He's not taking off the hoodie, and he's not going to NYC.  TechCrunch has learned and confirmed that Facebook will IPO on Friday with CEO Mark Zuckerberg ringing the NASDAQ bell remotely from his company's new Menlo Park headquarters.

Plastic Logic has getting by with some eastern love since last year, when RUSNANO's $700 million investment helped the e-reader maker land its Plastic Logic 100 in Russian schools. The latest fruit of that partnership is a prototype of its first flexible color e-reader display, which delivers 4,000-plus hues at a resolution of 75 ppi. The screen contains some 1.2 million plastic transistors, and it's able to bend without distorting images thanks to a filter and display that flex at the same rate. Skip past the break for a demo clip of the tech in action, appropriately featuring some Matryoshka dolls.Continue reading Plastic Logic demoes flexible color display for e-readers (video)Plastic Logic demoes flexible color display for e-readers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink The Digital Reader  |  Digit.ru  | Email this | Comments

The private spaceflight company SpaceX is preparing to launch a robotic capsule to the International Space Station this week, following a series of delays that postponed the historic first flight of a commercial spacecraft to the orbiting outpost.

Virtually all teenagers agree that texting while driving is dangerous but 43 percent said they had done so in the past three months, according to a new nationwide survey released on Monday.

Looks like Lara Croft will be joining BioShock's Booker DeWitt in the game development waiting room. Development studio Crystal Dynamics announced that its reboot of the famed Tomb Raider franchise has been pushed back from fall 2012 to 2013.

Those of us prone to typing out text messages while walking down streets were ready to storm Fort Lee, N.J., with pitch forks, torches and protest signs on Monday morning. After all, there were reports that texting while walking was banned in the town — and that people caught doing so were fined.

Skywatchers in East Asia and the western United States should circle this upcoming Sunday on their calendars. That's when a solar eclipse will block out most of the sun, leaving a spectacular "ring of fire" shining in the sky for observers located along the eclipse's path.

Two men robbed an Internet cafe at gunpoint and proceeded to make a clean getaway on a motorcycle recently. One of them got caught anyway though — because he forgot to log out of his Facebook account.

Google's Mother's Day gift to moms everywhere is a sweet, short animation on its search home page.

In the first study using satellite tracking of giant manta rays, scientists have teased out a few of the creatures' secrets , including the finding that they travel a lot.

New research says that seafloor volcanoes, which have been mysterious because they're so difficult to find and monitor, shrink and swell in rapid pulses. One on the sea floor near Tonga collapsed and grew in height by a football field over the course of two weeks.

You can use apps that help you track your computer and phone, but is there a way to track everything if it gets stolen?

A spacecraft designed to stare at the sun is back up and running after a technical glitch temporarily sidelined the observatory for just over a week.

An engineer outlines a detailed plan for building a full-sized, ion-powered version of a Star Trek-style Enterprise, and says it could be done with current technology within 20 years.

Those 15 minutes on the elliptical machine might end up being worthless to you, but at this outdoor gym in England, it might mean enough juice to charge your phone.

A Japanese company has created a device that will instantly erase all the data on a drive, a breakthrough that could make shredding digital information simple and recycling your old laptop less risky.

Three astronauts are finally ready to blast off toward the International Space Station Monday night, after weeks of delay caused during testing of their Russian-built space capsule.