Crazy For Tech - Gadgets,Cell Phones,Cameras

Retailer Selling Refurbished XOOM Tablets With Old User Data

user — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:24:21 +0000

The world’s first Android Honeycomb tablet, the Motorola XOOM was not as successful as the company would have liked it to be. There were a few issues with the tablet itself which eventually led to people returning tablets back to the manufacturer. And now a retailer, woot.com has apparently sold a few units of the tablet which weren’t properly refurbished. The new buyers of the refurbished tablets found data on the tablet. This is clearly an error by Motorola, failing to perform a factory reset of the devices before putting them up for resale as refurbished devices. Information from old users like passwords, images etc were all found on these tablets. Needless to say, Motorola has been quick to respond to the issue and has given out a press release. It is reported that the affected tablets belonged to the customers who returned the tablet between March and October 2011. On the brighter side, only 100 of the 6,200 devices returned during the period are said to be affected. Well, this is a rookie mistake from a company like Motorola and you might want to check with the company if you returned the tablet during the specified time frame. Motorola is offering 2 years of free Experian ProtectMyID for customers who have been affected by this. Instances like these could be avoided if users reset their device or back up the data before sending it over to the company. Contact Motorola by heading over to the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi Return Submission page or simply contact Motorola via phone (1800-734-5870). [ Source ] Stories you may like: T-Mobile U.S Selling Refurbished Samsung Galaxy Tabs for $99.99 HTC to roll out 3 new tablets Motorola XOOM on Verizon starting from $600 This article, Retailer Selling Refurbished XOOM Tablets With Old User Data , was published at TechBuzz . Please don’t violate our copyright

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Retailer Selling Refurbished XOOM Tablets With Old User Data

Corning And Samsung Strike A Deal To Make Lotus Glass

user — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:57:24 +0000

Corning is a well known name for smartphone manufacturers and users alike. The company’s proprietary Gorilla Glass is seen widely on most smartphones. But Samsung and Corning have taken it to a whole new level with a deal to make Lotus Glass for Samsung’s devices (including televisions). This new venture will be based out of South Korea, Samsung’s home. According to the press release, this glass will act as a shell for Samsung’s OLED displays and upcoming Samsung smartphones, mainly Galaxy smartphones. According to the press release, Corning and Samsung have been partners since the early days of television. When introduced into a high temperature atmosphere, a display/glass generally tends to expand a little. But that will not be the case with Corning’s Lotus Glass as it is engineered to expand as little as possible. The best part however is that the glass will consume very little power to display crisp images in higher resolutions. This deal is vital mainly due to the fact that Samsung makes most of its smartphones with OLED displays and is the only maker of Super AMOLED displays in the world. This could mean that future Samsung smartphones would be stronger and more durable. So accidentally dropping your phone face first would cause little or no harm to your smartphone. That’s great news right? It could however take some time to see smartphones with Lotus Glass in the market. Stories you may like: Samsung to launch 4 new Android smartphones for Asian markets Microsoft Demanding $15 Per Android Handset From Samsung Samsung’s latest entrant in the Galaxy series : The Samsung Galaxy SL GT – I9003 This article, Corning And Samsung Strike A Deal To Make Lotus Glass , was published at TechBuzz . Please don’t violate our copyright

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Corning And Samsung Strike A Deal To Make Lotus Glass

Nokia N8 Successor To Be The Last Of Its Kind : Rumor

Budowniczy425 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:26:04 +0000

The Nokia N8 was one of the hotly discussed handsets of 2010. And Nokia has come a long way post the launch of the handset. Today the company’s primary focus is on making Windows Phone 7 smartphones. And the company has been successful to an extent in making an impact in the market. This however means that the Symbian platform is not the primary operating system for Nokia devices, even though the number of Symbian devices is more. Recent reports suggest that Nokia is looking to ditch Symbian once and for all after the successor to the Nokia N8 arrives. The alleged successor apparently will be the last Symbian smartphone by Nokia. We recently learnt that Nokia will be dropping off the Symbian name from its updates. So it could mean that future updates (like Carla and Donna) will have Nokia as the prefix. So this could just be the last Symbian branded phone, but not the demise of the platform itself. But the theories haven’t been confirmed yet, so we might have to wait to hear more about this from Nokia. It was reported last year that Nokia will be outsourcing Symbian development to Accenture. So Symbian still might have some fight left. Note: The image is a rumored render of the Nokia N8’s successor. Stories you may like: Nokia to Launch 40 New Phones in 2011; No WP7 phone till 2012 Three UK Reveals the New Nokia X7 Could Nokia embrace Android? This article, Nokia N8 Successor To Be The Last Of Its Kind : Rumor , was published at TechBuzz . Please don’t violate our copyright

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Nokia N8 Successor To Be The Last Of Its Kind : Rumor

So What’s Windows Phone 8 a.k.a Apollo All About?

Administrator — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:25:44 +0000

With info about the Windows Phone 8 platform being leaked yesterday , there have been numerous speculation by users and critics alike. It seems like Microsoft wants to bring together the desktop operating system ( Windows 8 ) with the tablet and smartphone operating system. This is a great move which could go a long way in bringing forth deep integration with Windows PCs. Secondly, the ability for higher screen resolutions and the compatibility with dual core processors make it a worthy upgrade. The fact that Microsoft’s Metro UI will be seen across all Windows platforms is a welcome sign. Whoever has used a Windows Phone will know what we are talking about. Speaking of the mobile platform, Windows Phone 8 or more popularly known as Windows Phone Apollo will not break cover until the end of the year at least. And that’s just a rough approximation, meaning that the launch date could be further delayed. We believe that the new platform (as we know it) has the potential to make an impact in the mobile industry. But there’s still one major update left before Microsoft even considers rolling out Apollo, yes we’re talking about Tango . Tango is Microsoft’s way of hitting into the low end and mid range market segment with smartphones that do not require fancy specifications. The update is also said to bring the much awaited Skype support for Windows Phones. Ironically, Skype (recently acquired by Microsoft) is available across most mobile platforms except on Windows Phones. The future looks very bright for Microsoft and even though the current market share of Windows Phones is not as much as the company would have liked to have by now, we believe things could change in the future. Stories you may like: 1.6 Million Windows Phone 7 Handsets Sold During The First Quarter of 2011 Windows Phone 7 Could Soon be the Number Three Mobile Platform Windows Phone Mango To Bring Web Based Marketplace This article, So What’s Windows Phone 8 a.k.a Apollo All About? , was published at TechBuzz . Please don’t violate our copyright

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So What’s Windows Phone 8 a.k.a Apollo All About?

Investors Drive $ZNGA Up 26% In Two Days Following Facebook IPO Filing

Achilles — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:54:13 +0000

Those of us who have been following the social gaming industry already know that Zynga makes up a big portion of Facebook’s revenues. But lots of public investors only seem to have gotten the memo on Wednesday evening, when Facebook’s S-1 filing revealed that the developer accounts for 12% of its total revenues , or $445 million. In the two days since, Zynga’s stock has gone up more than 26%, to close at $13.39 this evening. This is far more than most analysts had previously projected. The ones who began covering Zynga after its December IPO had pegged its stock well under ten bucks. When analysts at banks who underwrote Zynga entered the fray a couple weeks ago, they were unsurprisingly more bullish . Following the end of the quiet period, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan and Barclays Capital, along with analysts from banks not involved in the IPO, all put their target price above Zynga’s public opening amount of $10. This drove the Street’s average target price up to $11.08, as you can see from the StreetInsider table below. Existing industry research, namely the Inside Virtual Goods report from my previous company, Inside Network , had indicated as of last fall that virtual goods revenue from Facebook applications reached $500 million last year . Facebook’s prospectus more than confirmed this on Wednesday, revealing that a strong fourth quarter had actually put the number a little higher, at $557 million. There are other data points you can use to try to figure out Zynga’s position with that number. AppData traffic shows that it has a dominant traffic position on Facebook’s platform. It gets 90% of its revenue from Facebook, but first Facebook collects 30% of its virtual goods transaction sales, per terms that have been in effect since midway through last year. And, Zynga has since at least 2009 used Facebook ads as a main way to bring in new and returning users. The problem is how to add this up. The Wall Street Journal’s Rolfe Winkler explains the confusion in how to calculate the results: Different assumptions lead to different estimates for Zynga’s fourth-quarter “bookings,” which is the preferred method for measuring Zynga’s top line. Macquarie analyst Ben Schachter’s quick-and-dirty analysis says Facebook’s disclosure implies $268 million for Zynga’s bookings for the fourth quarter, short of the $302 million analysts are expecting. Baird Equity Research analyst Colin Sebastian digs deeper, making more assumptions, and comes out with a number of $315 million. Both analyses included many caveats. Heavy trading volumes indicate high volatility among investors. Zynga will do its first ever earnings call on February 14th. Get ready for some new estimates.

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Investors Drive $ZNGA Up 26% In Two Days Following Facebook IPO Filing

I Use Wikipedia More Than Makeup

A D M I N — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:27:07 +0000

I just donated $40 to Wikipedia, because I promised myself I would every time I poked fun at its holiday donation drive and then just never got around to it. Did you know that you could actually donate during the off-season (Via the covert “Donate to Wikipedia” link at the far left of each individual entry page)? I didn’t, before I asked Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales whether it was possible to donate in the off-season. Spoiler alert, it is. My 40 bucks got me, in addition to the very sweet ‘Thank You’ letter below, the satisfaction of paying duly for something I use all the freakin’ time. Dear Alexia, You are amazing, thank you so much for donating to the Wikimedia Foundation! This is how we pay our bills — it’s people like you, giving five dollars, twenty dollars, a hundred dollars. My favourite donation last year was five pounds from a little girl in England, who had persuaded her parents to let her donate her allowance. It’s people like you, joining with that girl, who make it possible for Wikipedia to continue providing free, easy access to unbiased information, for everyone around the world. For everyone who helps pay for it, and for those who can’t afford to help. Thank you so much. I know it’s easy to ignore our appeals, and I’m glad that you didn’t. From me, and from the tens of thousands of volunteers who write Wikipedia: thank you for helping us make the world a better place. We will use your money carefully, and I thank you for your trust in us. Thanks, Sue Gardner Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director This year the Wikimedia Foundation raised $20 million during its high gear donation drive, to cover a total budget of $28.3 million — the deficit is made up in grants and off-season donations. Money raised is spent on things like servers, bandwidth, maintenance and staff. Here are the financials if you want to dig deeper. During the online encyclopedia’s blackout protest of SOPA , many off us felt the pang of “You don’t know what you’ve got until its gone” when we wanted to know something about, let’s say, Exponential Growth and that info wasn’t readily available. Google would be a bunch of spam if not for Wikipedia. I personally use Wikipedia more than I use makeup, multiple times a day. And I spend a good amount of money on makeup, AT LEAST $40 on a mascara/lippy combo. What do you use Wikipedia more than? Do the math …

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I Use Wikipedia More Than Makeup

Google Adjusts Political Posture With Sponsorship Of Conservative Conference

Achilles — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:09:02 +0000

In interesting but ultimately not very shocking news, Google has signed on as a major sponsor of the Conservative Political Action Conference , which is more or less what it sounds like. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just a little odd seeing Google, which is becoming increasingly political, listed next to such organizations as the Koch Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and the NRA. But this isn’t the moment Google comes out as a closet Republican. It’s actually quite in keeping with Google’s position of aggressive neutrality. Google says that it’s there because it’s a great place to promote their election-tracking site, push Google+ as a platform for sharing and collaborating, and because the conference is fairly young and tech-savvy. Hard to accuse them of pandering, or of partisan pandering anyway. And that’s sort of the point. Google will no doubt be sponsoring similar events on the left side of the political spectrum as well (they say as much, but haven’t announced anything specific). The message is: hey, we just provide a service. No agenda here. Not that Google is totally apolitical, but their fierce opposition to SOPA was more like a mother bear defending its cubs than a deliberate political decision. On the other hand, they did go out of their way to take an official stance against Proposition 8 . By and large, though, they have avoided taking a stance on hot-button issues. Can Google actually remain neutral? SOPA was the product of bipartisan ignorance and greed, not just left or right, but what if the next bill threatening a Google territory were to be led by one party or the other? Or what if Google refuses to support, say, a communications embargo with a terrorist-harboring country, or such like? The dance they’re doing will become increasingly difficult if they insist on putting their neutrality on a pedestal for much longer. On the other hand, this may be overthinking it. Why can’t a company spend a little cash to have a ring in the political circus, and not choose sides overtly? No reason. But, as has been observed in other contexts, sometimes the only winning move is not to play.

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Google Adjusts Political Posture With Sponsorship Of Conservative Conference

Watch 2012 Super Bowl Commercials Now With Facebook + USA Today’s Ad Meter

bestcbstore — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:48:56 +0000

Want to watch the big budget Super Bowl commercials, but can’t wait till Sunday or don’t care about football? Facebook and USA Today have just launched Ad Meter , a Facebook app where you can watch many of the TV spots right now. Then from kickoff until Tuesday night you can vote for your favorites. Traditionally an offline poll done live with handheld meters, USA Today has finally brought Ad Meter online so you can judge ads both in real-time and post-game. Facebook tapped Involver to build the app, and has secured early previews of roughly 20 commercials. The rest of the ads will become available through the app at game time. Last year Facebook let you watch Several Internet companies have plopped down the big bucks this year in an attempt to court the mainstream. Arrested Development’s Gob plugs Hulu, and Teleflora.com touts the lovin you might get if you use it to send a Valentine’s Day gift. Etrade, Careerbuilder.com, Investing in Super Bowl ads makes more and more sense for web services as the general public becomes more internet savvy. They should tread cautiously, though, considering past ads from Salesforce, Groupon have been voted most disliked and caused PR crises . Let’s hope no one gives our industry a bad wrap this time around. Oh wait, GoDaddy’s ads filled with body-painted models and angels in the cloud are just as sexist as ever.

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Watch 2012 Super Bowl Commercials Now With Facebook + USA Today’s Ad Meter

Pokki Gives Quick Access To Madden NFL Superstars, Just In Time For The Big Game

blogger — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:00:32 +0000

It’s the Super Bowl season, when a host of services and apps debut just in time for the biggest television event of the year. And, if you’re a fan of Madden’s NFL Superstars (a web app that’s available through Facebook), then you’ll like this launch: the game is now available as a Pokki right here . Pokki , for those that haven’t used it, is a platform that lets you install lightweight apps that live in your Windows Taskbar (a Mac version is on the way). Each app gets its own icon — click on it, and the app will pop open immediately, click away and it’ll hide itself, and when you click it again, it’ll pick up right where you left off. The point is to give you quick access to apps without having to deal with browser tabs or standalone windows, and it works well.There are other apps and services that do something similar (Mac users may want to check out Fluid ), but Pokki’s platform features apps that are specifically designed for its quick, pop-over design. Pokki has landed two major gaming companies so far: Kabam and, with this launch, EA, and it seems likely that more will follow suit (the platform is well-suited for quick sessions of gaming throughout the day). And there are other apps available as well, including Gmail and eBay. The company says that Pokki is still in beta and hasn’t yet focused on marketing, but that its early numbers are very promising — so far they’ve seen “hundreds of thousands” of app installs, with users who have used the apps “tens of millions of times”. The platform is also seeing strong traction with its built-in app market: 60% of users are browsing and installing two new apps per month. Pokki is one of two main products from SweetLabs — their other major product is OpenCandy , which lets developers include targeted ads within their application’s install flow.

Arianna Wants To Put A Nap Room In TechCrunch HQ. LOL.

Achilles — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:48:36 +0000

This funny little piece of email just got forwarded to me … From: “****, ***” Date: February 3, 2012 10:11:04 AM PST To: Greg Barto [@ TechCrunch] Subject: NapQuest Hey Greg It is one of our goals to get a “nap room” set-up in every location. Basically, it’s a closed room where we would put a chaise or couch, darken the windows and allow people to nap as the [sic] like. This is high on the priority list for Arianna and your office is one of the few where we don’t yet have it in place. When I visited your office on Wednesday, I looked around. It strikes me that the room (3rd office from the back corner) might be a good choice? There are currently a couple of desks in there we would need to remove. Then I would purchase the furniture and arrange to have the window glass tinted. What do you think? I just need your agreement to move ahead and I will coordinate making it happen. Let me know. Thanks, **** **** Sr. Facilities Manager, PA/SF Corporate Services, AOL Inc. 395 Page Mill Road Palo Alto, CA 94306 After making a bunch of “nap room” jokes and laughing uncontrollably like a hyperactive child around the office, I’ve finally figured out why this “high Arianna priority” (LOL) strikes me as so funny — other than the fact THAT IT IS ACTUALLY CALLED NapQuest. This is Silicon Valley, where we herald founders like Jack Dorsey for working 16 hour days (at not one, but two! companies). People at startups are never not working. Silicon Valley absolutely, positively doesn’t need a nap room because in theory we don’t sleep, let alone nap (and if we do need to nap — like in an emergency — we take that shiz home, far far away from hungry competitors!). Please Aol Mr. Sr. Facilities Manager, take that money and buy us a bunch of Diet Coke to drink late at night or that great beef jerky we used to have or a copyediting slave intern or passes to Burning Man or anything but a room specifically designed for being less productive. Oh sure, it could be worse. At least they’re not trying to install one of these things. Image: Roger Jegg – Fotodesign-Jegg.de