2011 January - SlashGear

Archive for January, 2011

Hulu facing free show cull as “virtual cable operator” plans considered

Chris Davies, Jan 27th 2011 Discuss [0]

Hulu is reportedly facing a cull on its free content, with Fox and ABC both considering pulling some of their shows in an attempt to make more money through paid subscriptions. According to the WSJ's sources, Hulu's management may reposition the service as an "online cable operator" which would use IPTV to deliver live TV and video-on-demand, similar to channel bundles currently offered by cable and other operators. Read The Full Story

Motorola sales dip under Verizon iPhone 4 pressure

Chris Davies, Jan 27th 2011 Discuss [0]

Motorola has revealed smartphone sales have already dipped in anticipation of the Verizon iPhone 4, with the company's Q4 performance impacted even before the official announcement had been made. According to CEO Sanjay Jha,"since the announcement of the iPhone, we have seen a little slow down in our sell through of devices at Verizon. There was anticipation of devices coming to Verizon even prior the announcement of the iPhone." However, Jha also suggests that expectations around a flagship Motorola device in Q1 2011 also impacted the previous quarter's sales. Read The Full Story

MacBook Pro stock shortage could point to imminent Sandy Bridge refresh

Chris Davies, Jan 27th 2011 Discuss [3]

Apple's MacBook Pro range could be due for an imminent refresh, if reports of dwindling stocks of existing 15- and 17-inch models pan out. According to multiple MacRumors sources both Apple Stores and third-party retailers are running low on supplies of the notebooks, with Amazon listing 1-2 month delays on shipping the 17-inch MBP. The shortage could herald a refresh of the MacBook Pro line, introducing Intel's new Sandy Bridge 2011 Core processors. Read The Full Story

Sony unveils 82-strong NGP studio support list

Chris Davies, Jan 27th 2011 Discuss [2]

With Nintendo crowing about its 30+ title expectations for the 3DS launch, you couldn't expect Sony not to do some gloating of its own about the studios signed up to work on Sony NGP titles. Altogether there are 82 companies worldwide committed to the new quad-core console, including big names like Square Enix, Capcom, Ubisoft and Rockstar games. Read The Full Story

Featured

Sony PlayStation Suite & PS Store for Android gaming

Chris Davies, Jan 27th 2011 Discuss [6]

The Sony NGP isn’t the company’s only gaming announcement; there’s also the PlayStation Suite, a new download store and licensing program that promises to bring PlayStation gaming to Android devices. The PS Suite combines a new PlayStation Store for Android 2.3 devices and above – and which will be initially populated with PSOne classic titles – and a development program for coders to produce their own titles for inclusion in that store.

Read The Full Story

Featured

Sony NGP is “next generation portable” PSP2

Chris Davies, Jan 27th 2011 Discuss [16]

As expected, Sony has outed its “PSP2“, currently codenamed the Sony next generation portable entertainment system or NGP, and expected to go on sale at the end of 2011. Based on a quad-core ARM Cortex A9 processor and Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX543MP4+ GPU, the NGP has a 5-inch OLED 960 x 544 multitouch-capable touchscreen on the front and a multitouch pad on the back, for what Sony describes as “touch, grab, trace, push and pull” gestures in gameplay.

Read The Full Story

The Daily Slash: January 26 2011

Chris Burns, Jan 26th 2011 Discuss [0]

First get your spoons and cereal bowls out, because Google's released the SDK file for developers to take a look at Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Next get super pumped up at the thought of running Android apps on your brand new BlackBerry PlayBook. Get a weird feeling in your hearing at Plantronics Infamous Wall of Ears. Hammer away at your social brain with more unique details about the HTC Facebook phone. See as both Facebook and the infamous Farmville game get hacked via their fanpages. Some BlackBerry users are getting their handsets dipped in real gold while others are ready to toss them in the garbage as a Verizon BlackBerry outage leaves everyone stumped. Check out the latest in developers to cash in Android apps with Adknowledge and a 95% profit share. Have a close and personal look at a very odd device with our unboxing and hands-on of the Motorola Roadster. Finally, see a fantastic analysis of our modern slab reality in the article General Purpose vs Use-Case Specific Tablets by Ben Bajarin. All this and MORE on The Daily Slash! Read The Full Story

Plantronics and The Infamous Wall of Ears

Ben Bajarin, Jan 26th 2011 Discuss [3]

Today is Plantronics 50th anniversary as a company. I was at their corporate headquarters to join in the celebration, which included American hero Buzz Aldrin as a guest speaker. As a part of the celebration they launched two new products and then took a few of us to see their industrial design labs which included the infamous wall of ears. This wall is not just famous it is IN-famous (kudos to the commenter who ID's this movie quote.) Read The Full Story

Woman caught smuggling 44 iPhones in her stockings

Rue Liu, Jan 26th 2011 Discuss [3]

Maybe she needed presents for all of her grandchildren or is possibly Lady GaGa’s fashion coordinator? A woman at Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport was caught attempting to smuggle forty four iPhone 4’s in her stockings. Forty four iPhones. In her stockings. Read The Full Story