DOJ wiggles on Apple e-book remedies but not oversight

The US Department of Justice is willing to wiggle a bit on the remedies proposed for Apple following an e-books trial, but one area it won't budge is having someone monitor the company.
The government, which in July won an antitrust suit against Apple, initially asked for an injunction of 10 years, but the DOJ on Friday said it's willing to cut that length to five years. It noted that it's trying to limit the possibility that changes in the industry will cause the decree to "outlive its usefulness and unnecessarily harm Apple." At the same time, the DOJ wants the ability to seek a limited number of one-year extensions. 

Bye-bye, Ballmer. But who's next as Microsoft CEO?

Microsoft is beginning its search for a successor to CEO Steve Ballmer. Here's who might be on the internal short list of possible candidates.

First Beta Of MoDaCo.SWITCH Arrives For The Galaxy S4, Currently Only For Indiegogo Backers

If you cannot make up your mind between running TouchWiz or a stock version of Jelly Bean, thanks to MoDaCo.SWITCH, that's a decision you won't have to make. This piece of software makes switching back and forth between the two versions as simple as toggling a switch. Paul O'Brien, better known as MoDaCo, has started porting it to the Galaxy S4, and the beta is now available for those who backed his Indiegogo campaign. 

 

iPhone 5S and 5C: Everything You Need to Know About the Next iPhone

 

"When is the next iPhone coming out?" "Should I wait for the next iPhone or just get one now?" "And why would I want the next iPhone to read my fingerprint?"
It happens to me every year around this time -- a deluge of questions about the next iPhone.
And the timing of the rumors and interest makes sense. For the past two years, Apple has released a new iPhone in September, which means that many are preparing for a long-anticipated upgrade. And yes, according to reports, Apple is now gearing up for its annual September iPhone event where it is expected to release the successor to the iPhone 5 -- presumably the iPhone 5S -- and another phone called the iPhone 5C.

Prices and specifications of smartphones and tablet devices this week

Blackberry Bold 9790

Microsoft to close Xbox PC Marketplace on August 22

Microsoft has officially decided to close down its PC Marketplace.
The company announced the news late Thursday, saying that on August 22, it will shutter the PC Marketplace platform. The move comes in conjunction with Microsoft's announcement earlier this year that it will ditch its virtual currency, Microsoft Points, in favor of local currency in an upcoming Xbox system update.

PS4 release date, news and features

The PlayStation 4 will go on sale later this year and it'll be cheaper than the Xbox One - $399 in the U.S., £349 in the U.K. and €399 - compared to $499 and £429.

These pricing details were revealed along - at long last - with the look of the PS4 console itself, at Sony's E3 2013 press conference.

Sony says the PS4 was designed with an overarching theme of a "frictionless and seamless" gaming experience.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini review

 It's hard to mention the Samsung Galaxy range of smartphones without mentioning the sheer range of devices that it covers, from the highest end powerhouses such as the Samsung Galaxy S4, all the way through to the wallet-friendly Samsung Galaxy Fame.

Disney defends cost of new Infinity collectable game

Disney has defended the cost of its new collectable, interactive video game ahead of its launch next month.

Disney Infinity encourages players to collect additional figures and add-ons inspired by the company's films.
The starter pack, with three figures, will cost around £60, with an optional 17 extra figures costing around £12 each.
Disney told the BBC the game represented good value for parents, and that toys could be easily swapped.

Swedish e-sports team win $1.4m Dota 2 video game prize

It is the biggest single-event prize awarded at a video games event.
The final in Seattle was a close-run affair. Alliance only secured victory after destroying the stronghold of runners-up, Ukraine-based Na'Vi, in the final game of a best-of-five challenge.
The news comes months after the US began recognising gamers as pro athletes.
The move means that highly skilled players can now apply for a P-1 work visa on the same basis as other sportsmen and sportswomen.
'Slug fest'

Sony Reports First Profit In Five Years But It's Not All Good News

Sony, once a leader in the field of electronics, has announced its first profit in five years - but its not necessarily good news for the Japanese firm just yet.
The £280 million fourth quarter profit is largely down to a sell off of assets such as its New York headquarters and shares in various firms.
A weakening of the yen in an effort to kick-start the Japanese economy is also partly responsible as earnings made abroad become more valuable when brought back home.

iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C: Release date, hardware specs, and rumors rounded up

With the iPhone 5S unveil all but confirmed for September 10, it’s now time to discuss the release date and the hardware and software specs. We expect the iPhone 5S to be released towards the end of September, most likely alongside the iPhone 5C — a cheaper, plastic-backed model that will come in a variety of colors. With the iPad release schedule shifted from spring to fall, it’s also likely that we’ll see a new iPad and iPad Mini at the same event, culminating in Apple’s complete domination of the mobile market for September and October, and probably the rest of the year as well.

Microsoft promises Xbox One controller support for Windows in 2014, but why not on day one?

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller has dominated the PC gamepad market during this console generation. Now that we’re nearing the launch of the new platforms, dedicated PC gamers are starting to worry about which gamepads will work going forward. This week, Microsoft officially confirmed that the Xbox One controller will work under Windows, but not until sometime in 2014. While this is positive news, it still leaves PC devotees wondering why Microsoft can’t make it work on day one.

Passcode iPhone fingerprint scanner and randomized keypad would greatly increase security

Smartphones and tablets are filled with personal information, and the only barrier between the public and your data is a skimpy four-digit passcode. While enabling complex passwords and limiting the number of entry attempts are your best security bet for the moment, the introduction of fingerprint scanners and randomized keyboards have the potential to make your iPhone even more secure going forward.

PlayStation TV: Sony to bring internet TV service to the PS4

As Microsoft continues to right all of its Xbox One wrongs, its upcoming console has been catching up to Sony’s PS4. One of the features the PS4 never had over the Xbox One, though, was the console’s ability to tap into and alter live television with an interactive overlay. Now, as Sony signs a deal with Viacom, it looks as though the PS4 will feature a subscription-based television service.

Is Facebook making you unhappy?

Researchers find a correlation between using the social network and a decline in user well-being

 

Results showed that the more the participants were active on the social networking site during one period, the worse they subsequently felt.

Using Facebook may makes us feel more connected, but it does not necessarily make us happy, according to the findings of a new study.

Windows overtakes BlackBerry OS

But the two are still well behind Android and iOS, which had 79 per cent and 14.2 per cent of the global market respectively for the second quarter of this year, according to a report.

Missile Command game hidden on YouTube

To access the game, users can start playing any YouTube clip, click away from the video and type
 ‘1980’.

The original video carries on playing but slides down the page, making room for the classic arcade game and its instruction: “Blow those missiles out of the sky!”

Rockets then start raining down and users have to intercept them from their gun turrets. Once all gun turrets have been destroyed the game is over; and it is harder than it looks.

Other hidden gems were scattered about the site for Geek Week, including lightly-wobbling videos when ‘Use the force Luke’ is typed into the search bar.

When ‘Fibonacci’ is searched, videos are displayed in a pattern representing the mathematical sequence, while tiny ponies run across the screen if ‘ponies’ is typed.

Xbox One controller: hands-on review

Manuals for Sony QX10 and QX100 leaked

Thanks to SonyAlphaRumors, the owner’s manual for a few of Sony’s upcoming lens cameras have been leaked. According to the manuals, both devices will have their own power buttons, microphone, status indicator display, hook for belt, ring control, shutter button, multifunctional jack and a socket to mount the lens on a tripod.

Logitech keyboard sprouts trackpad to support Windows 8 gestures

If you're a PC owner who's longed for an equivalent of Apple's Magic Trackpad and wireless keyboard accessories, Logitech may have you covered with its new TK820 wireless keyboard.
An evolution of the company's comparitively plumper K400, the 'ultra slim' TK820 fuses a large two-buttoned trackpad onto the end that supports up to 13 Windows 8 multi-touch gestures using Logitech's SetPoint software.