The 404 888: Where you have a weak electrochemical bond (podcast)
You can stop holding your breath for someone to port Android onto the HP TouchPad--it turns out someone already has, in secret! This Reddit thread has pictures and video evidence of an HP TouchPad purchased at Best Buy on Saturday that boots up with Android already on it.And if that doesn't work out, Hack N Mod is offering a $1,500 bounty to anyone who can successfully achieve the five different tasks involved in rooting and booting Android.In other news, did you know that the "Fifth Element" movie was based on only the first half of director Luc Besson's original 400-page script? Reddit strikes again and tells us that the second story, called "Mr. Shadow," wasn't made, but we can't help but dream about its story...Also, PETA is launching a porn Web site that pulls the old bait 'n' switch by drawing in Netizens with dreams of dirty movies, then exposing them to gruesome movies exposing the mistreatment of animals. Those two things go together, right?The 404 Digest for Episode 888DragCloseThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.A guy who gets a TouchPad at Best Buy discovers Android already on it.Modders offer a bounty for an HP TouchPad Android port.PETA plans to launch a porn site.Today I learned that "The Fifth Element" was based on only the first half of Luc Besson's original screenplay.Episode 888PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Pioneer's in-car AVIC F-Series unveiled
Pioneer's in-car AVIC F-Series unveiled
Pioneer's AVIC Z-Series has set the standard for in-dash navigation devices over the past couple of years, and so the release of a new line of a new family of products in the AVIC series is big news for car tech fans.The line-up starts with the entry-level AVIC-F700BT, which features a single CD/CD-R/RW playback mechanism, followed by the AVIC-F900BT and the AVIC-F90BT, which are both capable of reading MP3, WMA, iTunes AAC, and WAV audio formats as well as DVD, DivX, and MPEG4 video files.AVIC F900BTPioneerAVIC-F700BTPioneerUnveiled this week, all of the F-Series include flash-memory-based navigation and the capability to deliver real-time traffic, weather, and gasoline prices via a connection to MSN Direct.Each of the three new in-dash units features a 5.8-inch high-resolution WVGA touch-panel display; a USB interface for quick connection to iPod music players, portable media players, and USB memory devices; and an SD-card slot for loading additional Points of Interest information or compressed audio and video files. The devices also feature an advanced speech-recognition interface for hands-free calling and media playback selection.Developed by VoiceBox, the voice-recognition system is able to understand conversational directions for making phone calls and selecting audio playback options.Pioneer claims that the interface can even discern a voice command that is complicated by pauses or hesitation, such as a command like: "I want to, ah, play artist, um, Black Eyed Peas." If it works as advertised, the technology will go one better than Ford's Sync system, which holds the current crown for voice-command usability.Look out for the AVIC-F700BT, the AVIC-F900BT, and the Premier AVIC-F90BT to hit the shelves in June with price tags of $850, $1,100, and $1,200 respectively.
Pioneer's AVIC Z-Series has set the standard for in-dash navigation devices over the past couple of years, and so the release of a new line of a new family of products in the AVIC series is big news for car tech fans.The line-up starts with the entry-level AVIC-F700BT, which features a single CD/CD-R/RW playback mechanism, followed by the AVIC-F900BT and the AVIC-F90BT, which are both capable of reading MP3, WMA, iTunes AAC, and WAV audio formats as well as DVD, DivX, and MPEG4 video files.AVIC F900BTPioneerAVIC-F700BTPioneerUnveiled this week, all of the F-Series include flash-memory-based navigation and the capability to deliver real-time traffic, weather, and gasoline prices via a connection to MSN Direct.Each of the three new in-dash units features a 5.8-inch high-resolution WVGA touch-panel display; a USB interface for quick connection to iPod music players, portable media players, and USB memory devices; and an SD-card slot for loading additional Points of Interest information or compressed audio and video files. The devices also feature an advanced speech-recognition interface for hands-free calling and media playback selection.Developed by VoiceBox, the voice-recognition system is able to understand conversational directions for making phone calls and selecting audio playback options.Pioneer claims that the interface can even discern a voice command that is complicated by pauses or hesitation, such as a command like: "I want to, ah, play artist, um, Black Eyed Peas." If it works as advertised, the technology will go one better than Ford's Sync system, which holds the current crown for voice-command usability.Look out for the AVIC-F700BT, the AVIC-F900BT, and the Premier AVIC-F90BT to hit the shelves in June with price tags of $850, $1,100, and $1,200 respectively.
Obama cites Steve Jobs' wealth, product success
Obama cites Steve Jobs' wealth, product success
Which segued into the comments about Apple."And something that's always been the greatest strength of America is a thriving, booming middle class, where everybody has got a shot at the American dream. And that should be our goal. That should be what we're focused on. How are we creating opportunity for everybody? So that we celebrate wealth. We celebrate somebody like a Steve Jobs, who has created two or three different revolutionary products. We expect that person to be rich, and that's a good thing. We want that incentive. That's part of the free market," he said.Obama also cited his confab with some of America's top CEOs on December 16, including Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Intel CEO Paul Otellini. "All of us have to be in a conversation with the private sector about what's going to ensure that we can export and sell our products instead of just buying exports from someplace else. How do we make sure that the green technologies of the future are made here in America?And how do we get all these profits that companies have been making since the economy recovered into productive investment and hiring? That's a conversation that I had with the 20 CEOs who came here, and that's a conversation I expect to continue in the months ahead," he said.
Which segued into the comments about Apple."And something that's always been the greatest strength of America is a thriving, booming middle class, where everybody has got a shot at the American dream. And that should be our goal. That should be what we're focused on. How are we creating opportunity for everybody? So that we celebrate wealth. We celebrate somebody like a Steve Jobs, who has created two or three different revolutionary products. We expect that person to be rich, and that's a good thing. We want that incentive. That's part of the free market," he said.Obama also cited his confab with some of America's top CEOs on December 16, including Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Intel CEO Paul Otellini. "All of us have to be in a conversation with the private sector about what's going to ensure that we can export and sell our products instead of just buying exports from someplace else. How do we make sure that the green technologies of the future are made here in America?And how do we get all these profits that companies have been making since the economy recovered into productive investment and hiring? That's a conversation that I had with the 20 CEOs who came here, and that's a conversation I expect to continue in the months ahead," he said.
NYT demands Pulse app be pulled from App Store
NYT demands Pulse app be pulled from App Store
An iPad app called Pulse, a visual RSS reader for news headlines, shot to the top of the app world only to hit the bottom in less than 24 hours.On Monday, the iPad app created by a pair of Stanford grad students got special mention by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during his Worldwide Developers Conference keynote speech. By Tuesday, the app had disappeared from the App Store. Why? Apparently one of the news content providers in the app objected.On Tuesday afternoon, New York Times reporter Brad Stone wrote that the Times Company, which owns several newspapers, objected to the Pulse app's use of Nytimes.com and Boston.com's free RSS feeds. The Times Company's legal team alerted Apple, which removed the app from its store.The objection is that the Times Company's RSS fees are free, but that Pulse is framing and repurposing the content and charging $3.99 for it on the App Store. Still, apparently the Times Company is open to making a deal with Pulse's creators, as it does with other paid RSS readers."We want to be clear that we are willing to work with Pulse, but only under our terms of use," said Robert Christie, a spokesman for the Times Company, to the Times.The situation grew more confusing when the app suddenly reappeared in the App Store, but Christie believes it was a mistake and is looking into it.
An iPad app called Pulse, a visual RSS reader for news headlines, shot to the top of the app world only to hit the bottom in less than 24 hours.On Monday, the iPad app created by a pair of Stanford grad students got special mention by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during his Worldwide Developers Conference keynote speech. By Tuesday, the app had disappeared from the App Store. Why? Apparently one of the news content providers in the app objected.On Tuesday afternoon, New York Times reporter Brad Stone wrote that the Times Company, which owns several newspapers, objected to the Pulse app's use of Nytimes.com and Boston.com's free RSS feeds. The Times Company's legal team alerted Apple, which removed the app from its store.The objection is that the Times Company's RSS fees are free, but that Pulse is framing and repurposing the content and charging $3.99 for it on the App Store. Still, apparently the Times Company is open to making a deal with Pulse's creators, as it does with other paid RSS readers."We want to be clear that we are willing to work with Pulse, but only under our terms of use," said Robert Christie, a spokesman for the Times Company, to the Times.The situation grew more confusing when the app suddenly reappeared in the App Store, but Christie believes it was a mistake and is looking into it.
Yahoo iOS 7 app aims to be 'cleaner, faster' -- and easier, too
Yahoo iOS 7 app aims to be 'cleaner, faster' -- and easier, too
Yahoo on Wednesday unveiled a redesigned iOS app that makes it easier to access content, just in time for Apple's iOS 7 launch.For US users, Yahoo has introduced the ability to save content for later, Fernando Delgado, Yahoo senior director of product management, mobile, and emerging products, said in a blog post. Users simply tap a button and come back later to "My Saves." That feature will make its way to the desktop version of Yahoo in the coming days so users can save something on their computers and read it later on their phones. Yahoo also added a breaking-news category that allows users to follow a story as it develops. The news updates will appear on the app in a feed with time stamps to let people easily scan the latest information. Along with the new features, Yahoo tweaked the design to make it "cleaner, faster, and more engaging," Delgado said. That includes a redesign of the stream to make it more readable, as well as the ability to switch categories faster than before. Each article will include a photo relevant to the story, and some will have "cinemagraphs -- very subtly animated photos that bring the story to life," Delgado added. The Yahoo app redesign comes as the company turns itself around under the leadership of CEO Marissa Mayer. During her time at the helm, Mayer has made several bold moves, such as buying Tumblr for $1.1 billion. She also has led a redesign of Yahoo's home page, Yahoo News, and its Flickr photo-sharing site.It's vital for Yahoo to adapt to the changing world to compete with rivals such as Google and remain relevant for users.Apple plans to roll out iOS 7, the latest version of its mobile operating system, later Wednesday.
Yahoo on Wednesday unveiled a redesigned iOS app that makes it easier to access content, just in time for Apple's iOS 7 launch.For US users, Yahoo has introduced the ability to save content for later, Fernando Delgado, Yahoo senior director of product management, mobile, and emerging products, said in a blog post. Users simply tap a button and come back later to "My Saves." That feature will make its way to the desktop version of Yahoo in the coming days so users can save something on their computers and read it later on their phones. Yahoo also added a breaking-news category that allows users to follow a story as it develops. The news updates will appear on the app in a feed with time stamps to let people easily scan the latest information. Along with the new features, Yahoo tweaked the design to make it "cleaner, faster, and more engaging," Delgado said. That includes a redesign of the stream to make it more readable, as well as the ability to switch categories faster than before. Each article will include a photo relevant to the story, and some will have "cinemagraphs -- very subtly animated photos that bring the story to life," Delgado added. The Yahoo app redesign comes as the company turns itself around under the leadership of CEO Marissa Mayer. During her time at the helm, Mayer has made several bold moves, such as buying Tumblr for $1.1 billion. She also has led a redesign of Yahoo's home page, Yahoo News, and its Flickr photo-sharing site.It's vital for Yahoo to adapt to the changing world to compete with rivals such as Google and remain relevant for users.Apple plans to roll out iOS 7, the latest version of its mobile operating system, later Wednesday.
XP still top OS, but Windows 7 hot on its trail
XP still top OS, but Windows 7 hot on its trail
Windows XP is still the dominant OS worldwide after more than 10 years, but Windows 7 continues to narrow the gap.XP ended last year with a 46 percent slice of the OS market, according to December data from NetApplications. Although impressive after a decade, that number proved a hefty drop in use for XP, which kicked off 2011 with a 55 percent share and has fallen each month since then.On the upswing, Windows 7 rang out the year with almost 37 percent of the market, a solid gain from 22 percent last January and further proof of its ongoing monthly growth.In third place was Windows Vista, which dropped to 8 percent from more than 11 percent at the start of 2011.Related storiesWindows XP market share dips below 50 percentWindows XP usage dips but it's still top OSMicrosoft tells companies on XP not to wait for Windows 8Microsoft has been on a tear lately trying to convince companies and consumers alike to make the leap to Windows 7.The company has stressed that support for Windows XP will end in April 2014, making sure to give IT departments enough time to migrate their users to the latest version of Windows.Microsoft has even gone so far as to advise enterprises still on XP not to wait for Windows 8 and instead plan the switch to Windows 7 now.Meanwhile, over in the land of Apple, Mac OS X grabbed almost 6 percent of the operating system market last month. OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard was the leading flavor with a 3 percent share, though it has gradually fallen in usage. Ending the year with a 2 percent share, OS X 10.7 Lion has risen in popularity since its release last summer.And still carving out a niche among its faithful users, Linux accounted for almost 1.5 percent of the OS market in December.
Windows XP is still the dominant OS worldwide after more than 10 years, but Windows 7 continues to narrow the gap.XP ended last year with a 46 percent slice of the OS market, according to December data from NetApplications. Although impressive after a decade, that number proved a hefty drop in use for XP, which kicked off 2011 with a 55 percent share and has fallen each month since then.On the upswing, Windows 7 rang out the year with almost 37 percent of the market, a solid gain from 22 percent last January and further proof of its ongoing monthly growth.In third place was Windows Vista, which dropped to 8 percent from more than 11 percent at the start of 2011.Related storiesWindows XP market share dips below 50 percentWindows XP usage dips but it's still top OSMicrosoft tells companies on XP not to wait for Windows 8Microsoft has been on a tear lately trying to convince companies and consumers alike to make the leap to Windows 7.The company has stressed that support for Windows XP will end in April 2014, making sure to give IT departments enough time to migrate their users to the latest version of Windows.Microsoft has even gone so far as to advise enterprises still on XP not to wait for Windows 8 and instead plan the switch to Windows 7 now.Meanwhile, over in the land of Apple, Mac OS X grabbed almost 6 percent of the operating system market last month. OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard was the leading flavor with a 3 percent share, though it has gradually fallen in usage. Ending the year with a 2 percent share, OS X 10.7 Lion has risen in popularity since its release last summer.And still carving out a niche among its faithful users, Linux accounted for almost 1.5 percent of the OS market in December.
WWDC 2011- There's an app for that
WWDC 2011: There's an app for that
Ahead of next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has published a full schedule of the show, along with a special iOS application for those who are attending.The application (iTunes), which works on both iPhones and iPads has a full conference schedule, which users can bookmark to create their own itineraries. It also has maps of San Francisco's Moscone West (where the conference is being held) so that attendees can find their way around. Additionally the app has a reservation tool that can get attendees a slot at one of the various developer labs, just like they'd book an open slot at the Genius Bar withthe company's retail store app.More interesting features include a photo viewer with official images from the show, and a news reader that reads like Apple's Mail application.Having a special app for a conference is not unusual these days, in fact Apple did the very same thing last year. And like last year, this one is also limited to registered attendees. Apple ran out of tickets for this year's show in less than 12 hours. By comparison, it took last year's show eight days.WWDC kicks off on Monday with a keynote address from Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The company has said it's showing off iOS 5, along with detailing more of Lion, the next version of the Mac OS. Apple will also take the wraps off iCloud, what it's only described so far as a "cloud services offering." (via Macworld)Apple's WWDC app.Apple
Ahead of next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has published a full schedule of the show, along with a special iOS application for those who are attending.The application (iTunes), which works on both iPhones and iPads has a full conference schedule, which users can bookmark to create their own itineraries. It also has maps of San Francisco's Moscone West (where the conference is being held) so that attendees can find their way around. Additionally the app has a reservation tool that can get attendees a slot at one of the various developer labs, just like they'd book an open slot at the Genius Bar withthe company's retail store app.More interesting features include a photo viewer with official images from the show, and a news reader that reads like Apple's Mail application.Having a special app for a conference is not unusual these days, in fact Apple did the very same thing last year. And like last year, this one is also limited to registered attendees. Apple ran out of tickets for this year's show in less than 12 hours. By comparison, it took last year's show eight days.WWDC kicks off on Monday with a keynote address from Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The company has said it's showing off iOS 5, along with detailing more of Lion, the next version of the Mac OS. Apple will also take the wraps off iCloud, what it's only described so far as a "cloud services offering." (via Macworld)Apple's WWDC app.Apple
WSJ- Verizon iPhone in the works
WSJ: Verizon iPhone in the works
In addition to a new iPhone model that works on AT&T's network, Apple is also reportedly prepping an iPhone that is compatible with Verizon's network.The Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed sources in a story Monday who say one of Apple's contract manufacturers--the companies that build the hardware according to Apple's specifications--is working on an iPhone that runs on a CDMA network. That's the cellular network that Verizon uses in the U.S. The sources said the CDMA-compatible iPhones will go into mass production in September, though when Apple would sell it wasn't mentioned. Apple has traditionally released new iPhone hardware in late June or early July.There have long been rumors that a Verizon iPhone was in the works, but Apple's exclusive contract with AT&T in the U.S. has appeared to be a roadblock. However, it's never been clear how long AT&T was granted exclusivity. Apple has added additional carriers in other countries but as recently as January has not sounded overwhelmingly positive about the possibility of doing so in the U.S.The Journal story says that while Apple's traditional partner for building iPhones has been Taiwan's Hon Hai, a different manufacturer, Pegatron, has been assigned to build the Verizon-compatible model. Pegatron is also based in Taiwan and is a subsidiary of Asustek. Hon Hai is said to be working on the next-generation iPhone that will operate on AT&T in the U.S. and on GSM networks in other countries.
In addition to a new iPhone model that works on AT&T's network, Apple is also reportedly prepping an iPhone that is compatible with Verizon's network.The Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed sources in a story Monday who say one of Apple's contract manufacturers--the companies that build the hardware according to Apple's specifications--is working on an iPhone that runs on a CDMA network. That's the cellular network that Verizon uses in the U.S. The sources said the CDMA-compatible iPhones will go into mass production in September, though when Apple would sell it wasn't mentioned. Apple has traditionally released new iPhone hardware in late June or early July.There have long been rumors that a Verizon iPhone was in the works, but Apple's exclusive contract with AT&T in the U.S. has appeared to be a roadblock. However, it's never been clear how long AT&T was granted exclusivity. Apple has added additional carriers in other countries but as recently as January has not sounded overwhelmingly positive about the possibility of doing so in the U.S.The Journal story says that while Apple's traditional partner for building iPhones has been Taiwan's Hon Hai, a different manufacturer, Pegatron, has been assigned to build the Verizon-compatible model. Pegatron is also based in Taiwan and is a subsidiary of Asustek. Hon Hai is said to be working on the next-generation iPhone that will operate on AT&T in the U.S. and on GSM networks in other countries.
WSJ- Papermaster left Apple over 'cultural incompatibility'
WSJ: Papermaster left Apple over 'cultural incompatibility'
Mark Papermaster is no longer employed as Apple's mobile hardware engineering chief. But is it because he failed to foresee the issues related to the iPhone 4's antenna? Or because he just didn't fit in at Apple? Perhaps both.When the news hit Saturday that Papermaster was no longer with the companyand his duties assumed by Mac hardware engineering chief Bob Mansfield, it was fairly easy to connect the dots: the guy in charge of the iPhone's design was ousted over the embarrassing antenna episode, and also perhaps the lengthy delays in shipping the white version of the iPhone 4. Both areas would fall within Papermaster's purview.But Papermaster only officially started working at Apple in April 2009 (after a legal battle with former employer IBM), and Apple has said it spent two years testing the unique design placing the phone's antenna in the metal strip on the phone's exterior.Turns out, it might be more than that. The Wall Street Journal cited several sources in a new report that Papermaster is no longer at Apple because of "broader cultural incompatibility."Apparently the former IBM employee didn't adapt well to the internal company dynamics at Apple, nor to the man who sets the tone there, CEO Steve Jobs.Papermaster "had lost the confidence" of Jobs several months ago and "didn't have the type of creative thinking expected at Apple," according to the report.But the timing is just too coincidental. Perhaps combined with Papermaster's falling out with Jobs, the iPhone 4 antenna problem was the last straw.
Mark Papermaster is no longer employed as Apple's mobile hardware engineering chief. But is it because he failed to foresee the issues related to the iPhone 4's antenna? Or because he just didn't fit in at Apple? Perhaps both.When the news hit Saturday that Papermaster was no longer with the companyand his duties assumed by Mac hardware engineering chief Bob Mansfield, it was fairly easy to connect the dots: the guy in charge of the iPhone's design was ousted over the embarrassing antenna episode, and also perhaps the lengthy delays in shipping the white version of the iPhone 4. Both areas would fall within Papermaster's purview.But Papermaster only officially started working at Apple in April 2009 (after a legal battle with former employer IBM), and Apple has said it spent two years testing the unique design placing the phone's antenna in the metal strip on the phone's exterior.Turns out, it might be more than that. The Wall Street Journal cited several sources in a new report that Papermaster is no longer at Apple because of "broader cultural incompatibility."Apparently the former IBM employee didn't adapt well to the internal company dynamics at Apple, nor to the man who sets the tone there, CEO Steve Jobs.Papermaster "had lost the confidence" of Jobs several months ago and "didn't have the type of creative thinking expected at Apple," according to the report.But the timing is just too coincidental. Perhaps combined with Papermaster's falling out with Jobs, the iPhone 4 antenna problem was the last straw.
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