Barnes & Noble on Tuesday unveiled a new version of its popular Nook Tablet to compete directly with Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Lining up with earlier reports, the new Barnes & Noble slate features the same specs as the earlier Nook Tablet, however the device’s internal storage has been halved to 8GB. ”For any customer who likes to read digitally, watch movies or TV shows, browse the web, or help their kids read and learn through interactive books and apps, our new $199 NOOK Tablet with 8GB is the best product value on the market,” Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch said in a statement. Check out full article HERE

LG unveils the Optimus Vu, a 5-inch ‘phablet’

By JLab, Monday February 20th, 2012

LG on Sunday announced the Optimus Vu a week before the handset’s Mobile World Congress debut. The Vu features a 5-inch IPS display and is a hybrid between a smartphone and a tablet. The device is thinner than the competing Samsung Galaxy Note, coming in a 8.5 millimeters. “The Optimus Vu: was designed to maximize what customers could do with a smart-phone,” president and CEO of LG Dr. Jong-seok Park said. “By offering an optimal 4:3 ratio viewing experience, 5-inch display combined with superfast LTE technology, Optimus Vu: is just one example of what we can achieve when we combine our best technology with customer needs.” The “phablet” is equipped with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 8-megapixel rear camera, 32GB of internal storage, an HDMI-out port, 1GB of RAM, LTE connectivity and a 2,080 mAh battery. The Vu will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, however an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich has been promised within three months of the handset’s March launch.

New Windows Logo Shows Microsoft Is Going All In With Windows 8

By JLab, Friday February 17th, 2012

In a move that demonstrates how cleanly Microsoft intends to cut itself off from the last 20 years of its most widely-used and widely-recognized products, they have given the Windows logo its most significant redesign in 20 years. Ever since Windows 3.1, the slightly curved, red-green-blue-yellow panes have greeted millions on startup, or at least peeked out from the corner of the screen.

No longer: Microsoft has abandoned the shape, color scheme, and even the start button. The new logo is monochromatic (or rather, polymonochromatic), straight, and unfamiliar. If they intended to show just how much they’ve changed the philosophy of the OS, this is a good way to do it. Check out the full article HERE.

Android 5.0 ‘Jelly Bean’ Could Push Fragmentation to New Heights

By JLab, Thursday February 16th, 2012

Despite the fact that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is only found on a handful of Android devices — Ice Cream Sandwich penetration currently sits at 1%, just as it did more than one month ago — a new report suggests Google is preparing to launch the next major build of its mobile platform as early as next quarter. Citing unnamed sources within Taiwan-based component suppliers, DigiTimes on Thursday reports that Google is likely to launch Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) in the second quarter. While details are still limited, the report claims Android 5.0 will again focus on tablets and introduce an interesting new feature.

HTC Rumored to Be Working on A Streaming Music Service

By JLab, Wednesday February 15th, 2012

HTC has fallen from Android grace due to heavy competition from Motorola and Samsung, and the Taiwanese company promised to change by soon offering devices with thinner form factors and better battery life. Now, HTC and Jimmy Iovine of Beats Audio are rumored to be developing a streaming music service exclusively for HTC phones and tablets, according to GigaOM. The music service could launch at this month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and it may help make HTC devices more appealing to consumers.

Microsoft working to add 3D features to upcoming Xbox

By JLab, Tuesday February 14th, 2012

Microsoft is working to bring exciting new 3D features to future generations of it wildly popular Xbox gaming and media console. As the world waits for Microsoft to unveil its highly anticipated next-generation Xbox 720, rumors continue to swirl regarding what we might expect from the upcoming Microsoft console. We know it will be more powerful, it will support more impressive graphics and it may focus as much on other forms of home entertainment as it does on gaming.

Google Reportedly Prepping Free Dropbox Competitor

By JLab, Monday February 13th, 2012

Google is preparing to launch a new cloud storage service that will compete directly with popular start up Dropbox and similar services. The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday evening reported that Google is almost ready to announce the new service, which will be called Google Drive. Similar to Dropbox, which creates a virtual drive containing files that are mirrored on a user’s local hard drive and on cloud servers, Google Drive will allow users to store photos, videos, documents and other files in the cloud, and it will be accessible from computers as well as Android tablets and smartphones.

FarmVille Toys Are Coming: Zynga and Hasbro Sign Licensing Deal

By JLab, Thursday February 9th, 2012

Social gaming juggernaut Zynga is teaming up with toy maker Hasbro to create a “wide range of toys and gaming experiences” based on Zynga properties and brands, a release read.

The first products are expected to hit the market in Fall 2012. The agreement gives Hasbro license to develop and distribute an array of products in various toy and game categories for Zynga’s various properties. The companies will also be able to co-brand merchandise, which could potentially lead to digital product tie-ins. Check out full article HERE

Amazon Announces Content Agreement with Viacom for Kindle Fire and Prime Customers

By JLab, Wednesday February 8th, 2012

Amazon on Wednesday announced that it has entered into a new agreement with Viacom to provide a larger selection of television content to its Kindle Fire and Amazon Prime customers. Under the deal, Amazon’s customers will have access to episodes of The Real World, Chapelle’s Show and the The Sarah Silverman Program from Comedy Central, as well as a number of hit shows from Nickelodeon. “This deal with Viacom brings Prime customers and Kindle Fire users thousands of comedies, kids’ shows, reality TV and much more from some of the best cable networks available,” Amazon’s director of video content acquisition Brad Beale said. “We now offer more than 15,000 movies and TV shows in Prime Instant Videos and are working hard to add even more great content.” Check out the full press release HERE

Nokia to Unveil a New High-End Smartphone During MWC

By JLab, Tuesday February 7th, 2012

Nokia will unveil at least one new high-end smartphone during the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona next month, Forbes said Tuesday. The Finnish company announced the Lumia 900, a Windows Phone device destined for AT&T, during the Consumer Electronics Show in early January but consumers are still waiting to hear what the company will launch as a follow-up to the Lumia 800 in Europe. Early rumors suggested that Nokia was planning to announce a Lumia 910 device with HSPA+ connectivity and a 12-megapixel camera, but Nokia recently shot down rumors of the camera upgrade.

Verizon And Redbox Taking On Netflix With New Joint Venture

By JLab, Monday February 6th, 2012

Verizon and Coinstar Inc., owner of the Redbox video rental kiosks, announced plans for a new video service that will offer physical and digital options to customers nationwide.

"Our customers want more access to our service and by partnering with Verizon we'll be able to give that to them," Galen Smith, senior vice president of finance at Redbox, told TheWrap.

The new venture would, like Netflix, offer customers a choice between physical discs and streaming. But it appears that they would pick up and return their discs at Redbox kiosks rather than receive and return them by mail, like Netflix customers do. It would also be run as a subscription service, Smith said. Check out full article HERE

Lawmaker Launches Assault on Violent Video Games

By JLab, Friday February 3rd, 2012

An Oklahoma lawmaker has proposed levying a new tax on violent video games. Oklahoma Democrat Will Fourkiller has suggested the tax be applied to all games that receive an ESRB rating, which is intended for adults only. In addition, Fourkiller thinks T-Rated games should also have a tax added to the cost of the games, since some include “simulated gambling.” But a tax on all T-Rated games would be too broad, Ars Technica points out, as there are also titles that are rated T for “cartoon violence, crude humor and suggestive themes.” Read full article HERE

Kinect for Windows Now Available for $249

By JLab, Thursday February 2nd, 2012

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Steve Ballmer announced Microsoft would ship the Kinect for Windows on February 1st. The company has delivered on its promise and on Wednesday, version 1.0 of the Kinect for Windows SDK and runtime were made available for download. The software giant’s distribution partners across the globe have also begun to ship Kinect for Windows hardware. The device will retail for $249, with a special discounted academic price of $149 for “Qualified Educational Users” that will come later this year.

Facebook Files for Biggest Internet IPO in History at $5 billion

By JLab, Wednesday February 1st, 2012

Facebook on Wednesday formally filed documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in its first step toward an upcoming initial public offering. Facebook said it is looking to raise $5 billion with its IPO, which has been eagerly anticipated by the Street and by investors. Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and others will underwrite the offering, and Facebook could raise as much as $10 billion following its IPO. Check out the full article HERE

Will the iPhone 5 Have NFC? MasterCard Exec Hints at an Answer

By JLab, Tuesday January 31st, 2012

In a recent interview, MasterCard‘s chief emerging payments officer dropped a hint about the yet-to-be announced iPhone 5: the next smartphone from Apple might include near field communication technology.

Fast Company‘s Austin Carr chatted with Ed McLaughlin from MasterCard about when payments via mobile devices might become the norm. Some platforms already allow for payments like this — for example, Google Wallet, which is available only on Android and limited devices — but the big question mark is the iPhone.

“I don’t know of a handset manufacturer that isn’t in process of making sure their stuff is PayPass ready,” McLaughlin said. When asked if that included Apple, he stumbled: “Um, there are…like I say, [I don't know of] any handset maker out there. Now, when we have discussions with our partners, and they ask us not to disclose them, we don’t.” Check out the full article and video HERE

Amazon Sold 6 Million Kindle Fires Over the Holidays

By JLab, Monday January 30th, 2012

Just how much of a success is the Amazon Kindle Fire? According to one financial analyst, a very big one.

Jordan Rohan of investment bank Stifel Niclaus just upped his estimate of how many Kindle Fires Amazon sold over the holiday season, from 5 million to 6 million. In a Sunday note to investors reported by AllThingsD, Rohan calls the Fire a “true tablet market contender.”

If the 6 million number is true, it’s pretty incredible considering the Fire was only released on Nov. 14, so it only had half the quarter, or about six weeks, to rack up all those sales. And although a 6 million figure is still just a fraction of iPad sales over the same period — 15.4 million — it’s more than double the number of iPads sold in the first quarter it was ever available (3.2 million). Check out full article HERE

Twitter Announces Ability to Censor Content by Region

By JLab, Friday January 27th, 2012

Twitter announced recently that it now has the ability to, and will begin to, censor content on the social network by country. “As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression,” the company said in a blog post Thursday. “Some differ so much from our ideas that we will not be able to exist there.” Twitter gave France and Germany as examples, two countries that ban pro-Nazi rhetoric from being posted on the Internet. Previously, Twitter would have had to delete specific content worldwide in order to prevent it from being visible, but it can now remove content on a country-by-country basis. Read the full article HERE

Check Out the B-Flex X-Bass Reviewed by Everything USB!

By JLab, Thursday January 26th, 2012

USB enthusiast website EverythingUSB recently posted a review on the B-Flex X-Bass, and to say they were anything less than impressed would be a understatement. The B-Flex X-Bass was praised for it's excellent volume, strong bass, and portable design. If you want to check out a real hands on look on the B-Flex X-Bass, you can find the full review HERE

AT&T’s Q1 2012 Roadmap: Nokia Lumia 900 to Launch March 18th for $99.99

By JLab, Wednesday January 25th, 2012

We just received a portion of AT&T’s 2012 roadmap from a trusted source, and it looks like AT&T isn’t playing around this year. There are some heavy hitters lined up for the first quarter of 2012, and one of the biggest smartphone launches of the quarter is currently scheduled to take place in mid-March. According to our source, the Nokia Lumia 900 is set to launch on March 18th, which has been rumored before. The phone hasn’t yet received technical acceptance however, so that date could change. The bigger news is the phone’s price: AT&T and Nokia are planning to launch this flagship smartphone at just $99.99 on a two-year contract. Read full article HERE

Facebook Forcing Timeline on Users ‘over the next few weeks’

By JLab, Tuesday January 24th, 2012

Facebook announced on Tuesday that the company’s Timeline feature will be forced on users “over the next few weeks.” Facebook introduced the Timeline feature last year, which transforms a profile page into a timeline of a user’s life, highlighting photos, posts and life events that help tell the user’s story. Once activated, people will have seven days to preview the Timeline content before it goes live on the account. Last week, Facebook added a feature that enabled apps to populate timelines with new information, such as a virtual passport to share a user’s favorite locations.

Nokia Lumia 910 Rumored

By JLab, Tuesday January 24th, 2012

Finland-based Nokia has been known, at least for the earlier part of the millennium, for being sometimes ahead of the curve, while also as notorious for making quirky products. Nokia's latest releases have not been as well received ever since the partnership with Microsoft went through, however the N8 and the Lumia 900 still perform remarkably well when put to the test against the heavyweight iOS and Android devices. Nokia's rumored Lumia 910 does not seem to have many differences than that of it's predecessors and more likely is a menagerie of product perks from both the Lumia and N8 releases (such as the famed 12 megapixel camera, one of the largest resolutions available to smartphones). Nobody 7 years ago would have thought to have a 12 megapixel camera, inside their smartphone that's linked to their Xbox - oh how technology advances. Soon our toilets will tweet updates.

YouTube Reaches 4 Billion Views Per Day

By JLab, Monday January 23rd, 2012

Google’s video-sharing property YouTube now sees 4 billion video views per day. That’s a 25% increase over the past eight months, the company told Reuters in a report released this morning. There’s now approximately 60 hours of video uploaded to the site every minute, compared with roughly 48 hours uploaded in May. Check out full article HERE.

Untethered Jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iPad 2 Now Available!!!

By JLab, Friday January 20th, 2012

Following news earlier on Friday that an untethered jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 was almost ready for public release, anew tool has been made available for download. The new build makes use of pod2g’s “corona” exploit and is the result of combined efforts from the iPhone Dev Team, the Chronic Dev team and iOS hacker pod2g. Get the full article HERE

Apple Unveils iTunes U App for iPad

By JLab, Thursday January 19th, 2012

Apple on Thursday unveiled a new version of its iTunes U product from a press conference in New York City. Apple’s Eddy Cue was on hand to reveal a new iOS version of iTunes U, bringing users an iBooks-like interface through which they can access iTunes U content. iTunes U has served 700 million downloads to date, and it has primarily been used for lectures. The new version of iTunes U gives teachers a variety of new tools to create and manage curriculums, and they can also use the app to give assignments to their classes or even stream live content. Students can take notes in the app just as they can in Apple’s new digital textbooks, and courses from a number of universities including Yale and Harvard are currently available. iTunes U for iPad is available immediately for free in the iOS App Store.

Information on SOPA and PIPA

By JLab, Wednesday January 18th, 2012

Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow

economic growth in the U.S.

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

More information HERE

Netflix makes Ireland and UK debut.

By JLab, Monday January 9th, 2012

Netflix ships millions of DVDs daily to meet customer demands.

Yesterday Neil Hunt, chief product officer at Netflix, announced that Netflix was going to become available to residents in UK and Ireland. The on-demand and rental dvd service, founded in 1997 by Marc Randolph, Reed Hastings, and Mitch Lowe, has grown from it's small Scotts Valley, California start-up venture to become the head honcho in media streaming services available today. Netflix also beat out bigger DVD rental service chains, like the bankrupted Blockbuster, who could not compete with Netflix's ever-competitive monthly subscription price point that allows members to rent unlimited DVDs with no late fees, or stream from a variety of source devices, all with one membership fee of around $10. This has raised major concern for cable providers who fear cord-cutting could put them out of business. Now UK and Ireland users can get with the streaming trend. Less soccer-induced pub brawls? Probably not. (Image courtesy of Google Images)

The Aakash tablet under $50 - under high demand. And great scrutiny.

By JLab, Wednesday January 4th, 2012

The world's cheapest tablet out of India, the Aakash, pulled in 1.4 million back orders in just a month. With a $41 price tag, this tablet is being produced in mass quantities and already has a successor scheduled for a Spring release. With most of the tablet market controlled by Apple and the iPad, cheap tablets like the Aakash could reinvent the tablet market. What's better, one iPad 2 or 10 Aakash tablets? Well, Syed Firdaus Ashraf of Rediff.com has tried this (monetarily) revolutionary device and has had some bad luck with the new tablet competitor. After only 30 minutes, Ashraf's Aakash completely stopped working - and according to him, he only tried to connect to WiFi. Hopefully this issue is isolated, because a $41 android tablet (that's not on clearance at BigLots) is a very tempting piece of technology.

India's IT minister, Kapil Sibal, showing off the tablet at launch.

New Sale Cuts BlackBerry PlayBook Price By As Much As $400

By JLab, Tuesday January 3rd, 2012

Research In Motion’s debut tablet has been something of a disappointment for the Waterloo, Ontario-based vendor. While the slate showed promise, it failed to offer potential users a compelling reason to choose it over the iPad or an Android tablet, and RIM would end up taking a $485 million charge in the third fiscal quarter due to unsold PlayBook inventory. Sale pricing ahead of the holidays last year seemingly helped RIM and its distribution partners clear out some inventory, however, as the company is once again offering discounts on its QNX-based tablet. While pricing starts at $299 rather than $199 this time around, all three PlayBook models cost $299, which means the 64GB version can be had for a deep $400 discount.

Verizon To Charge $2 Single Bill Payment Fee Beginning Next Month

By JLab, Friday December 30th, 2011

Verizon Wireless will begin to roll out a new convenience fee on January 15th which will add an additional $2.00 fee to customers who make single bill payments online or by telephone. Verizon claims the fee will allow the company to continue to support these payment options, however the fee is waived for those who pay by electronic check or enroll in Verizon’s AutoPay service. Additionally, customers who pay their bills in the store, online through a bank, or physically mail a check to Verizon will be not be charged the new fee. The telephone and online single payment fee will be disclosed up-front and throughout the transaction, Verizon said.

Rhapsody Tops 1 Million Paid U.S. Subscribers

By JLab, Friday December 23rd, 2011

Rhapsody announced on Thursday that it now has more than 1 million paying subscribers in the United States. The company claims it is now the top pay-for music streaming company in the country. In celebration of the milestone, Rhapsody president Jon Irwin shaved his head, a promise he made to the company if it ever reached million subscribers. “We’ve accomplished quite a bit over the past decade, so it’s no small statement to say that 2011 was probably our biggest year yet,” Irwin said. It is quite a big achievement; one might have assumed Rhapsody’s user base would have declined with the influx of other pay-for music services such as Spotify, Slacker, Pandora, Rdio and others.

T-Mobile and AT&T sign seven year agreement; T-Mobile network expands.

By JLab, Tuesday December 20th, 2011

T-Mobile USA and AT&T have come to a roaming agreement for their US customers, in order to offer broader coverage to it's users. T-Mobile USA's population coverage will jump 50 million customers and T-Mobile service will be available in places in the US that were not supported prior to this roaming agreement. T-Mobile USA's parent company, Deutsche Telekom, is being compensated with $3 billion dollars in cash for this agreement, and coverage in 12 of 20 top mobile markets will be exponentially better (Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Washington, Boston, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego, Denver, Baltimore and Seattle).

T-Mobile finally gets some network coverage (hopefully).

Facebook - now serving Airlines and possibly creditors.

By JLab, Monday December 19th, 2011

Social media, in under ten years, has spread it's umbrella globally. For everyday Americans, social media is a place to go to get the latest updates from their families, friends, and favorite celebrities, as well as a place to share fun things they find over the internet through links. Although this was the initial intent, many developers like Zynga have exploited the wide database of people accessing these social forums and have created software or technology to cater to a select crowd, such as Zynga's development of web-based games to pull in a select crowd of gamers and non-gamers (including middle aged women everywhere). Well, Dutch Airline KLM also wants to tap the potential of such a vast network - and so do creditors. For KLM, their aim is to pair people on flights with other "Meet & Seat" users who wouldn't mind sitting next to each other on flights. No more over-sized, smelly, crying or drooling plane companions, hopefully. However, social media uses are not limited to the beneficent. Creditors are seeking a way to utilize Facebook friends lists to determine people's steadfastness to pay back loans. That one friend that you loaned 5$ to that never paid you back could be owing banks a couple thousand, and that could affect your credit if you're friends over Facebook. Shocking? Yes. Time to go add the top 50 richest Americans on Facebook.

Sony Tablet S update - play with your PS3 controller.

By JLab, Friday December 16th, 2011

Out of Japan comes Sony's Tablet S update, and with this update comes PS3 controller integration. The tablet market, composed of Android and Apple, has succumb to various barriers to truly utilize the devices. When first released, people wanted mounts, stands, cases and the sort of accessories you'd buy with a cellphone; however, as tablets make their way into more user hands, it's up to the brand at this point to offer something extra. Apple offers this extra-something through integration with their existing products - the Mac and iPhone. Other brands have caught on - Asus' Transformer has a fantastic keyboard attachment, essentially making it dually a netbook as well. The Sony Tablet S, while not the most powerful tablet device available, could possibly gain a little steam with such an update. Who knows, maybe kids in ten years with be carrying around a Playstation Portable that is more tablet based. The update is only available in Japan currently, but is on the way to the states.

Intel x86 smartphone and tablet on the way.

By JLab, Thursday December 15th, 2011

The tablet and smartphone market are becoming huge facets of the computing world as mobile computing grips tighter on the American lifestyle. Left and right, old people and young people, everyone is embracing these new technologies and technology hardware companies are responding with fast, more reliable and more competitive alternatives to the last iteration. Late to the game is Intel x86 architecture and subsequent smartphones and tablets that will be running this new platform. While the smartphone side of things with likely stick to Android-based OS computing, there's talk of possible Windows 8 iterations of tablets, Intel-powered tablets. Although the ARM processors have ruled the mobile market, what will Intel's initiative bring? Only time will tell. "The work we've seen thus far is just the first step in a larger strategy to build an ecosystem of x86 devices across both smartphones and tablets." (Image courtesy of extremetech.com)

Flex Lighting's LED Film can brighten your eReader display for night reading.

By JLab, Wednesday December 14th, 2011

If you're a big fan of technology and a big fan of books, chances are you might have picked up an eReader to cram libraries into a compact form factor. Many tablets also support eReader technology as apps, but unlike these LCD powered powerhouses, dedicated eReaders like the Kindle and Nook Simple Touch don't do too well in poor lighting conditions, often causing eye strain or inability to read in general (at night or in dim lighting). Flex Lighting has come up with a solution for those dedicated devices - a film that works with a single LED to illuminate the eReader display for night reading. This technology could severely help battery life drain due to display brightness or help illuminate displays in quirky lighting. Check out the article on Engadget.

Notebook Market May Rebound as PC Makers Shift From Tablets to Ultrabooks

By JLab, Tuesday December 13th, 2011

Are PC makers starting to give up on tablets? Manufacturers Asus and Acer are shifting focus to Intel-powered ultrabooks instead of tablets to improve gross margins, DigiTimes said on Tuesday. The site’s report suggests that the notebook market may soon begin to rebound after declining in 2011. Both firms are seemingly drawn to the wider margins achieved on sales of notebook computers, and are also gravitating away from developing low-cost netbooks. Asus and Acer aren’t alone; other reports have suggested that Dell and HP may also abandon the tablet market next year despite rumors both would launch Windows 8 tablets during the third quarter.

Kindle Fire Update Coming Soon

By JLab, Monday December 12th, 2011

Amazon will provide an over-the-air update to Kindle Fire tablets in less than two weeks, a spokesman told The New York Times today. Few details were offered, but the Times said the improvements will affect overall performance and multitouch capabilities. Also, users will be able to edit a list of recent actions, including Web sites visited, the newspaper said. Amazon did not respond when asked to confirm or elaborate on the update. On Nov. 29, Amazon issued an update to Kindle Fire with version 6.2, which it said "provides improvements to the operation of your Kindle Fire."That update could be handled over the Fire's Wi-Fi connections. Amazon is also expected to launch an upgraded version of the Kindle Fire, "probably" as early as next spring.

Microsoft Unveils Official Xbox LIVE iOS App

By JLab, Friday December 9th, 2011

Microsoft recently unveiled an official Xbox LIVE application for iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The application allows users to view and change Xbox avatars, send Xbox LIVE friends messages or compare achievements, learn about new games and more. Prior to Wednesday, Microsoft had only offered an official Xbox LIVE application to its Windows Phone users, so we’re a bit surprised (and pleased) to see the company spread the love to iOS. There’s no word if an Android application is in the works. Xbox LIVE for iPhone is available now in the iTunes App Store for free.

The Novo7, from Ainol Electronics, is an impressively cheap-yet-powerful Android-based tablet.

By JLab, Thursday December 8th, 2011

With the huge eruption in the tablet sector of consumer electronics, it's been a cutthroat battle to see who will emerge victorious - Apple or Google based tablets? For Apple, they have the Apple brand backing up their products (the iPad and iPad 2) as well as interconnection between their devices. Google, on the other hand, just provided a software platform that other companies, like HTC, Samsung and Motorola, built hardware around. However disjointed, the Android platform hasn't staggered in taking much of the smartphone market by storm, but on tablets, nobody has created a serious low-cost android alternative. The Novo7, out of China, will be competing with the current tablet market, offering a 1 ghz processor, the Android update codenamed "Ice Cream Sandwich" and a $99 sale point. Alternatives like the Nook do not offer the full tablet experience because they're designed for singular purposes while the Novo7 will be designed for Android, and not to read e-books. With 3D capability and an HDMI port, plus a boasted 8 hours of battery life while watching a video, it's something to add to the next wishlist for sure.

TV Enabled iMac Could Launch Before Apple’s Siri HDTV

By JLab, Wednesday December 7th, 2011

Apple may launch an iMac with integrated “TV capability” before it launches its own full-blown HDTV, Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair said Wednesday. Blair said Apple’s new iMacs, which could launch during the first half of 2012, will integrate several features that are currently found in the Apple TV set top box and create a “slimmer all-in-one PC with TV capabilities.”

Android Market Running "10 Billion Promo": 10 High Quality Apps For Just $0.10

By JLab, Tuesday December 6th, 2011

Visit the Android Market today and you'll see one of the spotlights is a sale: "10 Days of Offers: Top Premium Apps, 10¢ Per App." They're not kidding when they say premium, either; just check out today's deals:

SoundHound

Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD

Minecraft - Pocket Edition

Swiftkey X

Endomondo Sports Tracker

Great Little War Game

Sketchbook Movile

Fieldrunners HD

Color & Draw for Kids (Phone)

Paper Camera

... are all just 10¢ in celebration of 10 billion apps downloaded from the Android Marked. Head on over to the Android Market or hit up the source link to check out the deals for yourself!

Microsoft gets head start on rumored ‘iTV’ with voice controlled TV for Xbox

By JLab, Monday December 5th, 2011

“A revolution is happening in the living room,” Microsoft proclaimed late Sunday as it unveiled a new update to its Xbox 360 software that enables Kinect-based voice controls for a variety of multimedia content. Repeatedly emphasizing voice controls as rumors of a Siri-enabled HDTV product from Apple that may launch this summer heat up, Microsoft announced a new wave of content set to hit its Xbox platform on Tuesday. A variety of on-demand services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, and EPIX arrive on Xbox on December 6th, and nearly 30 more content sources including Verizon FiOS TV and Vudu will arrive later this month. ”A new era in entertainment begins where all your entertainment is together in one place — your games, movies, TV shows, music and sports,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft

Check Out The B-Flex X-Bass Reviewed by Early Coffe Tech Reviews

By JLab, Friday December 2nd, 2011

Early Coffee Tech Reviews recently posted a video review of the B-Flex X-Bass and it is very hot! Early Coffee Tech Reviews unboxes the X-Bass and puts it to use. The video is definitely worth checking out if you want to see the B-Flex X-Bass at work. Check out HERE

Cluzee is the Android Siri Alternative

By JLab, Tuesday November 29th, 2011

If you are an Android user and have been wishing for something along the lines of Siri for your smartphone, Cluzee is looking like your alternative. Cluzee might lack the integration with some of the outside devices and services like Plex media and such that Siri offers. However, it will do the core voice functions Siri offers. However, it will do the core voice functions Siri offers. Cluzee does have a few tricks that Siri is missing reports BGR.

One of those cool tricks is that if you have Cluzee read your schedule to you for the day and say you have a doctor appointment on the books, Cluzee will tell you if an issue on a road you would take to get to your appointment might make you late. That is a neat trick for sure. The app also does the basic reading of email and text message aloud to the user. It will also take the user’s speech and turn that into a text or email.

The voice commands that the app will respond to are plain language spoken commands and it will do all sorts of cool things including local search if you tell it what you need. The app is available today and a cloud-based version is in the works that will support any phone, computer, or tablet that has a web connection.

Microsoft Kinect 2 May Monitor Emotions and Read Lips!!!

By JLab, Tuesday November 29th, 2011

Reportedly, the next generation Kinect will be able to monitor a user’s mood by combining facial expressions with the volume and pitch of the user’s voice. Eyebrow and mouth movements are already supported through Microsoft’s Avatar Kinect software, but the technology is limited and is a fraction of what is possible. Eurogamer explained new Kinect hardware will be required because the current USB interface is too slow for the new emotion and lip sync capabilities. While Kinect currently serves as an Xbox 360 accessory, Microsoft has much bigger plans for the device. The firm recently added Windows 8 support to its Kinect development kit and full Windows 8 support is expected sometime next year. In addition, the Redmond-based company is reportedly working with partners on Kinect-enabled televisions that could go head-to-head with Apple’s rumored Siri-enabled HDTV.

An Amazon Smartphone? It Could Happen Next Year

By JLab, Friday November 18th, 2011

Amazon could have a smartphone on store shelves by the fourth quarter of next year according to Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney. “Based on our supply chain check, we believe FIH is now jointly developing the phone with Amazon,” Mahaney wrote in a research note. “However, we believe that Amazon will pay NRE to FIH but the device and multiple components will actually be manufactured by Hon Hai’s TMS business group.” Additionally, Mahaney said that Amazon will likely use a Texas Instruments OMAP 4 processor, and that it will adopt Qualcomm’s dual-mode 6-series baseband chip as well. Check out the full article HERE

SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, is being recognized, and resisted.

By JLab, Wednesday November 16th, 2011

Recently the idea of fighting online privacy has come about in legislation through the Stop Online Piracy Act which would allow the attorney general to attack any site that engages in "trademark counterfeiting, copyright infringement, or theft of trade secrets and would be subject to seizure if they were domestic Internet sites." What does this mean? Well, internet service providers have been authorized to motion against these sites via this new bill, by blocking the accused sites from appearing if necessary. The internet has lashed out, with large companies such as AOL, eBay, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Mozilla, Twitter, Zynga and Tumblr fighting this proposed legislation. Net neutrality, or the idea that the internet cannot be throttled by providers, is being attacked. Also, Tumblr, a blog site with millions of unique users daily, has gone as far as blocking their users from viewing posts, rerouting them to an information form that can be filled out to contact a local representative. Although this bill's opposition has been quiet since it was introduced on October 26th, 2011, it's safe to say that the internet (as a collective whole) is NOT okay with internet censorship, and motions to have the users themselves get involved themselves. The hearing for this proposed legislation is today, November 16th, and hopefully the internet will let their opinion be known. This attack on Net Neutrality would set precedence on policing the internet and it's content. (Image courtesy of Complex.com)

Apple Loses Smartphone Share in Q3 as Android Maintains Explosive Growth

By JLab, Tuesday November 15th, 2011

Google’s Android platform continued to grow rapidly in the third quarter of 2011 as shipments of Apple’s iPhone declined. New data released by market research firm Gartner on Tuesday shows that Android powered more than half of the smartphones that sold to end users last quarter at 52%. In the same quarter last year, Android was found on just 25.3% of smartphones sold. The second largest share last quarter belonged to Symbian according to Gartner, though it’s share was nearly halved from 36.3% in the third quarter last year to 16.9% last quarter.

Battery Breakthrough Could Improve Capacity And Reduce Charge Time By A Factor Of Ten Each

By JLab, Monday November 14th, 2011

Researchers at Northwestern University claim to have created an improved lithium ion battery that not only would hold ten times as much energy, but would charge ten times as quickly.It’s probably safe to call it a breakthrough.

Inside Li-ion batteries, there are innumerable layers of graphene, a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms. Lithium ions fill the spaces between these layers, and when the battery is being charged, these atoms must creep their way physically to the edge of the sheet in order to get down to the next layer and make room for more ions. The rate of recharge is limited by how fast these ions can go from layer to layer. One solution tried before was replacing the carbon sheets with silicon, which for some chemical reason can hold many times the lithium ions — but the silicon would expand and contract with the charge cycles, quickly breaking. Read full article HERE

Motorola DROID RAZR On Sale Today, $111 From Amazon

By JLab, Saturday November 12th, 2011

Verizon Wireless’ flagship smartphone for the holiday season, the DROID RAZR, will finally become available Friday at 11:11 a.m. local time. The 7.1-millimeter thin smartphone features a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED Advanced display, a dual-core 1.2GHz TI processor, 16GB of internal storage plus an expansion slot, an 8-megapixel primary camera capable of recording 1080p HD video, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera that supports 720p HD video chat, a 1,780 mAh battery and the Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread OS. Verizon is offering the device for $299.99 on contract, but AmazonWireless is running a special on the new smartphone: $111.11 on contract for a limited time.

Apple Is Trying To Make iOS Autocorrect Less Horrible

By JLab, Thursday November 10th, 2011

Apple is working on solutions that will help to improve the text input experience on its iOS devices. The Cupertino, California-based company has been discovered to be building an enhanced version of its autocorrect feature that adds suggested words above the iOS keyboard as users type. The functionality works much like the solutions currently found in Android or Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, and it is viewed by many as a much-needed addition to Apple’s mobile OS.

Check Out JLab in Business Insider!!!

By JLab, Thursday November 10th, 2011

Business Insider recently posted an article on Soletron Co-founders Shane Robinson and Allen Steigman. The article goes into detail about the entrepreneurs and what inspired them to start the sneakerhead platform. The article also mentions JLab as one of the many vendors that helped Soletron get on their feet. Any JLab fans should definitely check it out HERE

Adobe Confirms Plans To Dump Flash Player For Mobile Devices

By JLab, Wednesday November 9th, 2011

Adobe on Wednesday confirmed that it is ceasing development of Flash Player for mobile devices. Instead, with regard to mobile platforms, the software company will focus on HTML5 and Adobe AIR-packaged native apps moving forward. “Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores”.

Spotify For Windows Phone 7.5 Now Available

By JLab, Tuesday November 8th, 2011

During an event in New York City on Monday, Microsoft announced that the popular music service Spotify will launch for Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) devices sometime during the day. Spotify allows users to stream free ad-supported music from a computer, but access to the service from mobile devices requires a $9.99 monthly subscription option. The monthly fee also gets rid of ads and allows users to store playlists on a mobile device for offline playback.

Verizon To Double 4G Monthly Data Allotment For Limited Time!!!

By JLab, Monday November 7th, 2011

Verizon Wireless will soon offer a promotion that provides its 4G LTE customers with twice the amount of data for the same monthly price. The special will kick off on November 11th at 11:11 a.m. EST to coincide with the Motorola DROID RAZR launch. The promotion works just how it sounds: if you currently pay for 2GB of data per month, you’ll receive 4GB for the same price. If you subscribe to a 5GB monthly plan, you’ll receive 10GB for the same price. Reportedly, existing customers will be able to add the option to their account by contacting customer service or by logging into their My Verizon account on Verizon’s website. It is unclear how long the promotion will last, but it’s definitely one we would take advantage of.

Verizon offering better app network reception, for a fee.

By JLab, Friday November 4th, 2011

It comes as no surprise as national carriers switch to tiered data plan offerings, that premium data rates for apps on their network also come into play. Verizon is giving the developers on their network the option to build into their apps a 'turbocharge" feature that will pull more data from the network for a small fee, "which users would also be tied to another API Verizon is developing — for micropayments" as reported on The Verge. What does this mean for users on Verizon? Well, this could be the same ploy used by Intel to throttle their chipsets last fall, and could mean premium prices for premium speeds on phones, or it could be an effective way to speed up sluggishly coded apps that require mounds of data. For instance, some RPG gaming apps require constant data streaming, commonly interrupted by SMS or other data apps, as well as music service apps like Pandora, and their performance suffers with in-and-out service performance. No news yet on when this feature will start being integrated by developers, however.

HTC Rezound Announced For Verizon Wireless, Lands November 14th for $300

By JLab, Thursday November 3rd, 2011

The HTC Rezound a new 4G LTE Android smartphone for Verizon Wireless that takes advantage of the HTC’s Beats Audio technology. The Rezound is equipped with a 4.3-inch touchscreen with a sharp 1280 x 720-pixel HD resolution, a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and 1GB of RAM. It will also ship with Beats headphones in the box. The phone will hit store shelves with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) installed but Verizon Wireless confirmed an upgrade to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) will be available in “early” 2012. Other features include 16GB of internal memory, GPS/AGPS, a 1,620 mAh battery and support for Bluetooth 3.0. The Rezound will be available on November 14th for $299.99 with a new two-year Verizon Wireless agreement

Twitter Tests “Top News” and “Top People” Search Results

By JLab, Wednesday November 2nd, 2011

Twitter is testing a new feature that highlights a link labeled as “top news” or a profile labeled “top people” at the top of its real-time search results.

For a small percentage of users, searching for a topic such as “South Park” or a hashtag such as “#OWS” returns a link to a news story at the top of the page in addition to the usual relevant tweets. This is different from a “top tweet.” There’s no author, just text and an image pulled from the linked content itself.

If the search is for a person with a high amount of Twitter influence and reach, his or her profile appears in a similar box un
der the heading of “top people.

Google’s GoMo Launches To Help Businesses Go Mobile

By JLab, Tuesday November 1st, 2011

Google is now launching its new GoMo service, which aims to help businesses easily create a mobile-friendly website. The website for the service was discovered earlier this week, but the details sat behind a password-protected front page. Today, Google is making GoMo available to the public.

On HowToGoMo.com, business owners can enter in their current website’s URL to see what the site looks like on mobile. GoMo will then make suggestions and recommendations on how the site could be mobile-optimized. GoMo will also show examples of great mobile websites for inspiration and point to a list of mobile site developers who can help design a better experience. Check out full article HERE.

iPhone 4S Battery Drain Could Be Result of Time Zone Bug

By JLab, Monday October 31st, 2011

We have seen a number of reports suggesting that the Apple iPhone 4S has a software bug that has resulted in poor battery life. iDownloadBlog says that adjusting the time zone settings on the iPhone might help alleviate the issue. Reportedly, a bug within iOS 5 forces the phone’s location tracking feature to remain active far more than it should, which in turn drains the phone’s battery too quickly. Users can manually turn off the automatic time zone setting by navigating to Settings > General > Date & Time and toggling “Set Automatically” to “Off.” Check out full article HERE

Nokia bendable phones revealed

By JLab, Friday October 28th, 2011

Photo courtesy of GameTech Plus, double courtesy to whoever they lifted the image from.

The technology world is booming with new inventions to improve our day-to-day computing including everything from new and faster processors, some of which run faster than whole PCs from 10 years ago, even to aesthetic improvements in materials. For instance, the iPad 2 with Apple's signature glass face and aluminum backing has set a standard for many devices to follow. Durability of technology, and their components, is what separates Apple from most companies in the technology market. However, Nokia has revealed technology that no carrier or supplier of mobile devices has provided yet - the ability to bend your phone to navigate interfaces and use functions like "zoom". This new functionality may not seem relevant, but the user in the video provided on CNET's channel seems to intuitively scroll through the menus efficiently - without moving his hands off the sides of the phone! No buttons used! Nokia could definitely be on to something BIG, claiming that the phone can even be run under water to be cleaned. It may not be the fastest, most advanced smartphone, but this mobile device could change the way users interact with their devices. User customizable bend functions? Yes please. More on this story over at GameTech Plus.

Redbox Raises Price On Rentals To $1.20

By JLab, Thursday October 27th, 2011

Kiosk rental company Redbox said Thursday it is raising its standard price to $1.20 a day to cope with rising costs. Blu-ray disc rentals will cost $2 a day, up from from $1.50. The company's first price increase since it launched eight years ago comes as Redbox reported strong results for its third quarter ended Sept. 30, possibly fueled by the gaffes of its primary competitor, subscription service Netflix. Redbox may face more challenges in the future, however, as several studios that already forbid it from renting their DVDs until 28 days after they go on sale -- including 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. -- are considering extending that delay to as much as 60 days in an effort to boost more profitable sales and video-on-demand rentals.

Apple’s Newsstand Causes Surge In Magazine Subscriptions

By JLab, Thursday October 27th, 2011

Apple’s Newsstand application, which allows iOS 5 users on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to subscribe to and purchase magazines, has resulted in a surge of magazine subscriptions. According to paidContent, Condé Nast recently said its weekly subscription sales for nine of its digital magazines (Allure, Brides, Glamour, Self, GQ, Golf Digest, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Wired) increased 268% since the storefront made its debut alongside iOS 5. In addition, sales of single issues surged 142% in comparison to the eight weeks prior to Apple’s launch of Newsstand.

Apple Expected To Launch 4G LTE-Enabled iPhone Next Year

By JLab, Tuesday October 25th, 2011

Apple is expected to launch a new version of its popular iPhone handset next year that will include an embedded 4G LTE radio. In line with numerous rumors to the same effect, DigiTimes on Tuesday reported that Apple is prepping a 4G LTE-compatible iPhone that is expected by its anonymous industry sources to launch in 2012.

Apple’s Smart TV to Feature ‘Unmatched Aesthetics'

By JLab, Monday October 24th, 2011

Reports have suggested for more than a year that Apple is working on a smart TV product, and those reports were firmed up last week when an excerpt from Steve Jobs’s biography revealed that the Apple co-Founder was indeed working on an Apple television. ”I’d like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use,” Jobs said according to biographer Walter Isaacson. “It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.” Check out the full article HERE

Sprint drops it's unlimited 4G offerings.

By JLab, Saturday October 22nd, 2011

Starting November 2011, mobile users who enjoyed the unlimited 4G data offered by Sprint will be disappointed to hear that their billing has changed. Sprint has had separate costs for it's 3G and 4G data, and many mobile users have skimped on unlimited 3G plans to get unlimited 4G with minimal 3G data. These are the effected users, and Sprint has said they'll honor current unlimited plans, "if your phone plan contains unlimited data, you will continue to enjoy unlimited data usage on your phone while on the Sprint network." What this means is that users of Sprint who have unlimited data on their plan with Sprint probably won't switch services soon, in order to retain their unlimited plans as-is (seems as if only unlimited 3G plans are retained). More and more mobile providers are transitioning out of favor of unlimited data, and that could leave a lasting impact for future generations of mobile computing. Verizon and AT&T have already switched to tiered billing options, AT&T in 2010 and Verizon just this past June, 2011) and Sprint is now following suit.

Google opening new music store?

By JLab, Friday October 21st, 2011

There is a rumor circulating the web that Google is working on it's very own music store, similar to iTunes, the online music retail giant. Although Google has made an attempt in the past to acquire some of Apple's musical market share with Music Beta by Google, but the service hasn't made any big advances. Apple has been a solid name in digital music retail since the iPod boom at the beginning of the decade, and the company owns over 50% market share. Google has to make some strides if they want to overtake - or even catch up with Apple, especially when Apple plans to launch iCloud, which puts a user's purchased content and even non-purchased content onto a "cloud", or web-based storage, that's accessible on any iOS device. Apple's service launches within the year, and Google's (un)planned music store remains a rumor - will we all be on iOS devices within 10 years?

New Version of Gmail Coming Soon

By JLab, Thursday October 20th, 2011

A new version of Gmail featuring a revamped look, redesigned conversation threads and improved search is slated for pending released, according to an official video that was mistakenly posted to Google’s YouTube channel.Jason Cornwell, user experience designer for Gmail, unveils the new version in the video. The Google Operating System blog spotted the video and it has since been made private — but not before YouTube user crlsndrsjmnz had time to repost it. “Oops, you weren’t supposed to see that,” Gmail representative Andrea Freund tells Mashable. “Stay tuned, we’ll be sharing more info on Gmail’s new look soon.”Check out the full article HERE.

WordPress.com Users Can Soon Put Ads on Their Blogs

By JLab, Thursday October 20th, 2011

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, and Federated Media have teamed up to give WordPress’s millions of users the ability to place ads on their blogs. The partnership, which the two companies announced at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, will allow brands and advertisers to target participating WordPress.com site owners in order to reach the audiences that are relevant to them.

Verizon Unveils DROID RAZR!!!

By JLab, Tuesday October 18th, 2011

Verizon Wireless announced the DROID RAZR by Motorola on Tuesday, a brand new Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread) smartphone that will take advantage of the carrier’s 4G LTE network. The device is equipped with a dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz, a Super AMOLED Advanced display with a qHD resolution, 32GB of memory including 16GB of on-board storage and a 16GB microSD card, Bluetooth 4.0, an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p video, a front-facing “HD” camera for video chat and support for sharing its 4G LTE connection using Verizon’s Mobile Hotspot feature. The DROID RAZR is also covered with a water-repellant nanocoating that protects the phone from everyday spills. Despite the beefy feature set, the DROID RAZR is the thinnest LTE phone yet and measures just 7.1mm thick. Verizon Wireless confirmed the device will be available in November for $299.99 with a new two-year contract.

RIM To Offer Free ‘Premium’ App and Tech Support To Make Up For BlackBerry Outage

By JLab, Monday October 17th, 2011

Research In Motion announced on Monday that it will soon offer BlackBerry users 12 free “premium” applications through December 31, 2011 as an apology for its recent BlackBerry service outage. In addition, the company said it will provide its enterprise customers with one month of free technical support. “Our global network supports the communications needs of more than 70 million customers.

The free applications include SIMS 3, Bejeweled, N.O.V.A, Texas Hold’em Poker 2, Bubble Bash 2, Photo Editor Ultimate, DriveSafe.ly Pro, iSpeech Translator Pro, Drive Safe.ly Enterprise, Nobex Radio Premium, Shazam Encore and Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant.

Spotify App Now Available On Boxee

By JLab, Friday October 14th, 2011

Boxee Box owners who are also paying Spotify users, rejoice, for the two have been combined into one sweet music streaming app. Boxee users with a Spotify Premium subscribers ($9.99 per month) can now enjoy on-demand access to Spotify’s millions of available tracks directly on their TV.

Sidewalks of the Future Produce Electricity

By JLab, Friday October 14th, 2011

In London, England new sidewalks are revolutionizing ideas about the emerging idea of an energy crisis. It's no secret that alternative fuel and alternative energy has been a huge topic in the last decade, especially with the new idea of a "green" society emerging. Many cities have started using more eco-friendly building materials and biodegradable materials while common day things from water bottles to CPU processors have joined in - why not our sidewalks? PaveGen paving slabs are rethinking reusable energy by harnessing the kinetic energy of a person stepping down on pavement, converting the energy into usable electricity. If this technology is successful in it's testing, PaveGen might be laying down more of their light-up slabs elsewhere in the world with heavily populated sidewalks.

Apple Close To Deals For iCloud Movie Streaming

By JLab, Thursday October 13th, 2011

Apple is reportedly close to inking deals with major movie studios that would allow the Cupertino-based company to stream movies to its iOS devices and PCs via iCloud. Los Angeles Times on Wednesday reported that Apple has been meeting with movie studios and is currently closing licensing deals that will allow its customers to purchase movies through iTunes and then stream them from iCloud to mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, or even to Mac computers or Apple TV. The service would be similar to Hollywood’s just-launched UltraViolet product, though it would remove the requirement that customers purchase physical media before streaming content to their devices. The LA Times report states that Apple is expected to launch the service in late 2011 or early 2012.

StumbleUpon Doubles User Base in 16 Months!

By JLab, Wednesday October 12th, 2011

For a service that some say drives more traffic to websites than Facebook, StumbleUpon is not well known. However, user data that the company has released suggests that “stumbling” is on track to enter the mainstream vernacular.

In the past 16 months, the personalized discovery engine has doubled its user base. It now has more than 20 million registered users who “stumble” (click a button to load a webpage the site has picked out based on users’ preferences and behavior) more than 1 billion web pages every month.

StumbleUpon‘s growth spurt coincides with a hiring spree — it doubled its number of employees from 40 to 80 — and aggressively launched its first mobile apps. Since August 2010, the company has launched iPhone, iPad and Android apps, with help from a $17 million round of funding that closed in March.

Adobe Shows Off Prototype Blur-Fixing Feature

By JLab, Tuesday October 11th, 2011

Adobe Photoshop could soon help salvage all those photographs you keep thinking would be "perfect if they weren't so blurry." Adobe recently demoed an early prototype for a one-click "deblurring" feature, tentatively called "restore sharp image," that turns a blurry image into a clearer and more usable photograph.

YouTube is already full of methods on how to remove blur from photographs, but these tricks typically require several manual adjustments to your photos -- not to mention a deeper knowledge of photo editing software than most people have. The new Photoshop prototype feature, if it works as promised, would allow anyone to quickly and easily correct their photos in just a few steps.

Check Out The TiVo Premiere Elite

By JLab, Tuesday October 11th, 2011

The TiVo Premiere Elite is the TV watcher’s Bugatti Veyron. It’s their Lance Armstrong, their Empire Strikes Back. It’s the Budweiser of set-top box DVRs. The TiVo Premiere Elite is simply the best recording and playback device ever made and yes, I just called Budweiser the best beer of all time.

The quad turner device quietly leaked over the summer, followed by an official TiVo announcement in September. At that time the company failed to announce the price and availability but the product page later reveled the $499 price. TiVo just took to the wires to announce the Premiere Elite is available starting today. Your king has arrived, TV nerds.

Nothing has changed since the Premiere Elite’s announcement. The DVR still features four tuners and a 2TB hard drive for up to 300 hours of content storage. Digital cable is required and unlike every previous TiVo, it lacks an ATSC tuner for over-the-air signals. The device can output signals up to 1080p and is THX Certified for audio and video. The backside houses two USB 2.0 ports and an eSATA interface for the TiVo wireless adapters and external storage, respectively.

The Premiere Elite is powered by the Series4 platform that offers a fluid interface along with rich internet media support. TiVo built support directly into the OS for Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube and Pandora. It’s simply the most complete internet media streaming platform available outside of a computer.

Dell Possibly Launching iPad Competitor, running Windows 7

By JLab, Friday October 7th, 2011

With all the new technology flowing into the market in the past few years, it's hard to distill what users want and what users get. With the iPad, critical review was positive and increased sales have reflected the reception of Apple tablets into the mainstream of technology - and every company is now itching to get into the same market. Samsung's Galaxy line of phones and tablets, Dell's "Streak", and countless other products have tried to make a stab at the solid-and-growing iPad community and market with no real breakthrough yet. Many of the tablets have fallen short of their promises but Dell looks to change all that by launching the 'Peju', a Windows 7 based tablet. Although much is still unknown, this 10.1 inch tablet could stand up to the iPad, especially if on launch it's running the speculated Core i5 processor.

Microsoft Announces Xbox Live TV Partnerships

By JLab, Thursday October 6th, 2011

As Bob Dylan once wrote, the time they are a changin': television is finally making a surge towards a truly personal experience with the announcement of Microsoft's new initiative to integrate a bevy of new entertainment providers to their current Xbox Live online entertainment platform. Through a partnership with nearly forty TV and entertainment providers, located all across the globe, Xbox Live will soon explode in terms of options for television viewing - including Comcast's Xfinity content, HBO GO, and ESPN. With this upgrade, it's a possibility that any owner of an Xbox Live subscription will no longer have use for regular cable programming, as all their content will be available to them from one central location. As such, using the Xbox Live dashboard, Microsoft hopes to morph the television experience into one that is part of a connected community, similar to its multiplayer end-user offerings with video-game content.

In addition, in the works is an upgrade to Microsoft's Kinect technology, which will enable voice-commands to streamline and simplify the end-user experience. Microsoft's vision is one where the remote is no longer necessary, and you can simply search, select, and watch whatever programming you wish through simple word commands. Usability is the name of the game here. Whether or not it all works out as hoped is yet to be seen - the new line-up is scheduled to be released this holiday season.

The new Xbox Live dashboard, introducing the TV menu

The new Xbox Live dashboard, introducing the TV menu

Steve Jobs Passes Away

By JLab, Thursday October 6th, 2011

News just broke that Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs has passed away at age 56. Apple’s statement is as follows:

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."

Apple has posted a page on the company’s website, allowing Apple customers to share their thoughts and condolences with the company via email. Tim Cook’s email to Apple is below:

Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

Tim

Everything You Need To Know About The iPhone 4s

By JLab, Tuesday October 4th, 2011

Apple’s Hot New Processor: The A5

In a step up from the iPhone 4’s single-core A4, the 4S will sport the A5 processor, an Apple-designed, Samsung-made chip that boasts two cores and can be found in the iPad 2. That means better graphics processing (up to 7x faster than the previous iPhone, according to Apple VP Phil Schiller), faster iOS performance and significantly enhanced gaming. Apple’s demo of the iOS-exclusive Infinity Blade II game looked smooth as silk and almost Pixar-esque in quality, according to Wired.com’s Apple reporter, Christina Bonnington.

A Faster World Phone

The 4S will run on HSPA+ networks, which means download speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps, and uploads reaching 5.8 Mbps (according to Apple, that is). While the company says it’s “4G speed,” make no mistake — HSPA+ ain’t 4G proper. It’s not LTE, it’s not Wi-Max. We’re thinking the battery drain of a 4G antenna was too much for Apple to sacrifice, not to mention the infancy of existing 4G networks.

The iPhone 4S will also come with both GSM and CDMA antennas, which means you’ll be able to use the phone anywhere around the world. A nice touch, especially for business-class jet-setters.

Carrier Agnosticism

The first iPhone launched exclusively on AT&T. To Apple’s chagrin, the network couldn’t handle the influx of data-hungry customers, and complaints of terrible AT&T service have been widespread ever since. In February of this year, the iPhone 4 finally came to Verizon’s vaunted network. Continuing the trend toward carrier agnosticism, Apple said Tuesday the iPhone 4S would be available on Sprint’s wireless network for the first time (as well as Verizon and AT&T).

It’s a huge slap in the face to AT&T, which once held the keys to the iPhone kingdom. Now, Apple must compete with Android’s multicarrier reach and can’t afford to play favorites in the carrier arena.

New Camera for Smartphone Shutterbugs

The iPhone 4S really beefs things up on the photo front. It packs an 8-megapixel camera that comes in at 3,264 x 2,448 resolution. That’s 60 percent more pixels than the iPhone 4’s 5-megapixel camera. A backside-illuminated sensor ensures that those extra pixels don’t go to waste by gathering more light into the shot. The iPhone 4’s camera is composed of five Apple-designed lenses (there were four in the iPhone 4), providing a 30 percent sharper image. It’s got an f/2.4 aperture, which lets in more light, and a hybrid IR filter for better color accuracy and more color uniformity.

The camera can also take 1080p HD video with real-time image stabilization. Temporal noise reduction should help in low-light scenarios.

Siri, the Voice-Activated Digital Assistant

The iPhone 4S will launch with a beta version of Siri, a voice-controlled, language-deciphering virtual assistant — probably the coolest feature revealed during Tuesday’s event.

Think of Siri as Hal 9000, only nicer. Wondering what the weather is like in Paris? Ask Siri, and she’ll tell you (yes, Siri has a female voice). Looking for a good local restaurant? Apple’s partnership with Yelp will aid Siri, pulling up nearby eateries and ratings straight from Yelp’s user-generated reviews site, all using your GPS data. Exchange rates, stock market information and other data will be just a question away — Siri will even read back your SMS messages from your pocket if you ask her to.

While Siri will launch in beta (a very Google-esque move by Apple, a company notorious for only shipping products that are fully finished), we’re excited to give this feature a test drive.

Pricing and Launch Date

Not so fast, eager beavers — the iPhone 4S isn’t available just yet. The phone will launch Oct. 14 on three of the big four U.S. carriers (AT&T, Verizon and Sprint). It will come in 16-, 32- and 64-GB versions at $200, $300 and $400, respectively. And yes, they’ll come in two colors: black and white. Preorders start Friday, so get your mouse-clicking fingers at the ready if you must own Apple’s latest, greatest iPhone.

Rhapsody Buys Napster

By JLab, Monday October 3rd, 2011

The once beloved Napster may have reached the end of the line, after a 12-year-long roller coaster ride that included legal woes and social reinvention. Music subscription service Rhapsody has signed an agreement to acquire Napster from parent company Best Buy for an undisclosed sum. Best Buy gets a minority stake in Rhapsody, which was launched in 2001. Rhapsody gets Napster subscribers and assets as part of the deal, which is expected to close on Nov. 30.

Microsoft To Drop Zune Music Pass To $10 Per Month

By JLab, Friday September 30th, 2011

Microsoft will lower its Zune Music Pass from $14.99 per month to $9.99 per month beginning on October 3rd alongside the service’s launch in Canada. The service will now be priced in line with Spotify and similar services. Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace is home to 14 million songs and a Zune Music Pass subscription provides unlimited streaming access to the music. Unlike other services, Zune Music Pass allows subscribers to keep 10 songs per month.

Google Analytics Adds Real-Time Traffic Data

By JLab, Thursday September 29th, 2011

Google for the first time is providing a window into real-time web traffic with Google Analytics Real-Time. Real-Time reports are available in the new version of Google Analytics, and administrators with Analytics accounts will get Real-Time reports. Google turned the new feature on Thursday for “a number of you,” John Jersin, product manager at Google Analytics wrote on the Google Analytics blog.

Amazon Kindle Fire hands-on!

By JLab, Wednesday September 28th, 2011

We just saw the Amazon Kindle Fire in person, and it really is about as close as it comes to a BlackBerry PlayBook as far as the exterior goes. It’s nearly identical save for the Amazon branding, and the lack of a camera and microphone. The touch panel and screen are the same, and the exterior casing is almost an exact replica. As far as the software, Amazon’s heavily-customized Android OS looks to be just perfect for what Amazon intend for users to do with this tablet — watch movies, read books, play music, browse the web and spend money on Amazon services. We saw games being played, movies being watched, and the web browser in use, and while it was mostly smooth, there were notable hiccups and stutters when switching between apps and tasks. All in all, at $199, it’s an incredibly compelling offer, though the new Kindle or Kindle touch for $79 and $99, respectively, seem more attractive to us in addition to an iPad or Android tablet.

- www.bgr.com

Check Out New App Shopkick!!!

By JLab, Tuesday September 27th, 2011

Instead of checking in, as you would with a geo app like Foursquare or Gowalla, shopkick automatically recognizes when someone with the free Android or iPhone app on their phone walks into a store. Once a shopkick Signal is detected, the app delivers reward points called “kickbucks” to the user for walking into a retail store, trying on clothes, scanning a barcode and other actions. Kickbucks can then be redeemed across all partner stores for gift card rewards or for Facebook Credits. User can also receive special discounts on specific products at partners stores like Macy’s, Best Buy or Target.

Since the application’s launch in August 2010, Shopkick has seen a whopping 700 million product views, and the startup expects to pass 1 billion product views this year. There have been over 2 million physical walk-ins to stores (which are measured from the shopkick signal device installed at the store). The device is installed at 3000 large stores and 250 malls now. Read the full article HERE