Filed under: HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

As much fuss as we make about 3G, the impact it has on the mobile experience, and the death of old-school GSM as a viable technology, deployed WCDMA networks in their various forms are still just a drop in the bucket when compared to the GSM subscriber pool as a whole — even in 3G-rich Europe. A new report from market research firm Informa Telecoms and Media reveals that European 3G users now number 101.5 million, which works out to about 11.1 percent of the some 910.8 million wireless users in the continent. Norway, Sweden, and Italy all individually broke 25 percent 3G penetration, but even so, that paints a very interesting picture of the overwhelming importance of the legacy infrastructure. With EDGE Evolution on the way, it could continue to play a majority role well into the next decade, too.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Filed under: Gaming

It’s here kids, in-game XMB demonstrated on a firmware 2.40 PS3 for the first time. Yup, that’s the clock and date displayed upper-right with a quick hit of the PlayStation button. Sony also reveals that the 2.40 firmware update will deliver the Google search bar (like the PSP update last week) and the capability to play and control your own music stored on the hard drive in-game. See that and more in the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: In-game XMB demonstrated on PS3 v2.40

Popularity: 3% [?]

Homebrew developer pyefox current made a rather hefty update with the iPhone text reader application entitled “textReader”. Version 1.0Beta6 includes several useful additions which certainly steps up the previous version’s functionality.

Many of the new changes in textReader v1.0Beta6 include additional support for several text file formats, most notably for RTF files. Aside from that, several small tweaks were also added to help spruce up the app’s interface.

Here are the specifics of all the new stuff added to textReader 1.0Beta6 since our previous coverage of the homebrew program:

• Fix RTF NLS/Encoding Support. The RTF file will have the encodings applied like any other file - ideally I’d use the encodings specified within the file but that will be left for a future release. I’ve tried it with English, Chinese, and French RTF files and it seems to be working.
• Fix “No Encoding Specified” error
• Add extra backgrounds - Thanks to the www.weiphone.com folks!
• Minor additions to RTF formatting that were broken in Beta4 (believe it or not, a Microsoft bug!)
• Adds initial support for RTF files … let me know where formatting needs to be improved.
• Treat IDEOGRAPHIC SPACE like a normal blank
• Fix Indent paragraph Original (I hope)
• Add option to display background images - just put them in /Applications/textReader.app/images and choose them via the settings page
• WARNING - make sure the execute bit is set on the /Applications/textReader.app/images directory or you won’t be able to choose the images!!!
• Should improve character justify - the length was not being calculated properly
• Hopefully repairs problem were settings were sometimes lost (settings are now saved when you choose the value rather than when you choose “Done”)
• Improves Strip Line Feeds - Format: line breaks should be chosen in superior spots when words run together - i.e. “this,is-not;easy”
• Adds support for unencrypted/unprotected eReader/Peanut Press PDB files. The PML processing is pretty minimal at the moment, and I suspect that some files will not work, so let me know (I have seen it work with fictionwise, eReader, and Manybooks files). NOTE: As always, this code will NOT work with DRM‘d files.
• Adds an option to control how the first line of a paragraph is indented. A paragraph is defined as the text following a line feed character that is not ignored. You can set it to display the original formatting (usually not very pretty), no indentation, or 1-6 blank spaces.
• Adds an option to enable pinch/stretch gestures to increase or decrease the font size. This is really a gimmick, but the same can be stated for most of the code.

The developer mentioned that, as of this beta version, textReader now supports eReader, Mobipocket, RTF, HTML, Text, FB2, Plucker, and Palm Doc formats.

If you’re interested in downloading textReader, we’ve provided the file bundle containing the homebrew app through the link below. For more information on textReader’s different features and how to install it, check out pyefox’s Google code site, accessible through the Via link below.

Download: textReader 1.0Beta6

Via [apple.qj.net]

Popularity: 1% [?]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Filed under: Etc., Solar, Legislation and Policy, USA

With the cost of fuels and the environmental toll of traditional carbon-based sources of electricity generation swiftly climbing, solar power in America has become so popular that the government has placed a moratorium on the building of any such projects on Western public land. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has decided to initiate a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) in conjunction with the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the “environmental, social, and economic impacts” that solar installations could have on some of the 119 million acres that it manages in six Western states. While the PEIS is being conducted, no new applications for solar plants will be accepted and the 125 applications already received - which could generate up to 70 billion watts or enough power for 20 million homes - will be the object of their scrutiny. All this effort is being undertaken to, ahem, “increase domestic energy production and ensure greater energy security.” According to the New York Times, the PEIS could take two years.

Those folks hoping that the electricity they feed into their Chevy Volts and Apteras in the coming years would be supplied by increasingly carbon-free energy sources may take heart that their voices haven’t been left out of this process. from the public are encouraged at the Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Solar Energy Development PEIS) website. Of course, we also appreciate your comments as well.

[Source: New York Times]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Filed under: Transportation

While Audi is over there planning to produce an electric vehicle within the next decade, Mercedes-Benz is hoping to be totally petro free within seven years. At least that’s the word according to a recent report in The Sun. Dr. Herbert Kohler, who is responsible for Mercedes’ advanced engineering, has reportedly suggested that “by 2015 motorists will have switched almost completely to alternative fuel automobiles.” In order to make sure it’s not left out, the automaker already has an electric automobile in the works for 2010 as well as plans to use its DiesOtto engine which will give motorists the ability to use biofuels should they choose. Still, aiming to phase petroleum absolutely out of its lineup by 2015 sounds overly ambitious from here, but we certainly won’t complain if it achieves said goal.

[Via AutoblogGreen, thanks Dan]

Popularity: 2% [?]

Filed under: Other hardware, Set-top boxes, Others, Internet

Matrixstream’s been pushing its high definition IPTV box for the last couple of years, and now its show is going on the road. The MX-Drive system is a touchscreen platform that uses the company’s MatrixCast technology to stream either video on-demand or live TV in standard or high definition, using h.264 compression, even over a low bandwidth connection. Unfortunately no manufacturers to use the tech have been named yet, and we’ve no idea if their content partnerships have improved over the sparse offering available last time we checked. With more ways to get HD hitting the home every day, in-automobile systems (even on tiny screens) is inevitable, but we’ll wait and see if this system is the first to make a major impact.

[Via TVOver.net]

Popularity: 2% [?]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Being that it is Bill’s special day and all, we figured we’d give you a shot at stepping into his shoes and shaping Microsoft into something even more dominant that the juggernaut it is. Just envision taking a seat in the biggest corner office Redmond has to offer, getting your Outlook set up, fiddling through a mess of old floppy discs and finally conjuring up a business plan. How in the world would you tweak / overhaul / etc. Microsoft if you were suddenly dubbed the large kahuna? We know this one’s wide (and we mean gaping wide) open, so feel free to write a book down there.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Filed under: Robots

Even though Pleo’s only been out for about six months, UGOBE opened up shop at PleoWorld about a year ago, and to celebrate they’re selling the robo-dino-pets at over $100 off the regular $350 price tag. The promo goes on until July 11th, and apparently all you need to do is pop in a promo code (PLEOWORLDISONE) and you’ll get yours for a cool $235, which is an especially great deal if your intention is only to slaughter it.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

The question on quite literally each WinMo fanatic’s mind as we go into the second half of the year here is, “Touch Pro or X1?” It’s not an simple question to answer, and anyone hoping to sink some cash on either one of these models in a few months is going to want to do so with a crap-ton of research and anecdotal information under their belts lest the buyer’s remorse set in particularly swiftly. MobileBurn scored an early look at the Touch Pro — which won’t be available at retail for a month or three yet — and came away impressed with the all-important keyboard, saying that it was “much more” usable than the QWERTY found on Sony Ericsson’s rival superphone. Shut, it’s stated to be virtually indistinguishable from the Touch Diamond (which we’d say is a good thing) other than being a bit thicker to accomodate they keyboard and picking up a matte-finish rear cover. Unfortunately, HTC refused to show off the Touch Pro’s interface — apparently on account of some new tricks up TouchFLO 3D’s sleeve that haven’t already made their way into the Touch Diamond — but they did share that the new model will handle landscape mode with particular aplomb. So this one might have the X1 beat in the keyboard department, but the X1’s WVGA display takes the crown for sheer pixel count. Decisions!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Filed under: Gaming, GPS

An enterprising nerd and Portal fan by the name of Ryan VanMiddlesworth has cobbled together an installable GLaDOS-simulating voice pack for Garmin N

Popularity: 3% [?]