Facebook’s “Unfriend” hailed 2009’s Word of the Year

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If this is not enough proof on the popularity of social networking sites, then I don’t know what is. J

The word “unfriend” was chosen by the New Oxford American Dictionary as the word of the year. It is a verb that means “to remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.”

An example from the dictionary reads: “I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.”

Senior Lexicographer of Oxfords U.S. dictionary program said the word was chosen because “unfriend” has both “currency and potential longevity”.

“In the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for Word of the Year. Most “un-” prefixed words are adjectives (unacceptable, unpleasant), and there are certainly some familiar “un-” verbs (uncap, unpack), but “unfriend” is different from the norm. It assumes a verb sense of “friend” that is really not used (at least not since maybe the 17th century!). Unfriend has real lex-appeal,” she said.

Previous words of the year include locavore (people who eat locally grown food) and hypermiling ( act of modifying cars and driving techniques to maximize petrol mileage).

Source: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2009/11/unfriend_goes_into_the_books.html

Windows Azure to launch on New Year

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Source: BusnessWeek
Source: BusnessWeek

Microsoft plans to kick off the year 2010 with the launch of its cloud-computing service, Azure, on January 1.

The news was revealed today by Microsoft chief software architect Ray Ozzie at the Microsoft  Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles.

“Customers want choice and flexibility in how they develop and deploy applications,” Ozzie said.

The company’s goal is for developers to build applications that can be used across different platforms. Calling it ‘three screens and a cloud’ vision, Microsoft wants applications that can run on Windows desktops, mobile devices and TVs (“three screens”) and on cloud computing (Azure).

“We’re moving into an era of solutions that are experienced by users across PCs, phones and the Web, and that are delivered from datacenters we refer to as private clouds and public clouds. Built specifically for this era of cloud computing, Windows Azure and SQL Azure will give developers what they need to build great applications and profitable businesses,” he said.

And to make it more appealing, Azure will be offered for free on the first month. Customers will start to be billed beginning February 1st.

Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/afp/20091117/tc_afp/usitcompanyinternetmicrosoftsoftware

Apple to release Concierge app?

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app_store

Too lazy to pick up that phone and make reservations? This app might just be the right thing for ya.

According to the AppleInsider, a source that “has proven reliable in the past” has told them about Apple’s plans to release the “Concierge” app.

This app allows users of the iPhone and the iPod touch to schedule appointments to retail stores like One to One and Genius Bar. In addition to that, users can also make reservations for personal shopping, workshops, youth programs and businesses. No word yet as to when the app is available or whether it will be free for download in the app store.

Currently, users can already schedule appointments and make ProCare reservations thru Apple’s retail Web site.

This tidbit of info regarding the app was also featured in an article in MacRumors.

Source: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/11/16/apple_said_to_release_iphone_app_for_in_store_appointments.html

Samsung releases new Android phone

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Source: PC World
Source: PC World

Today, Samsung officially released its latest addition to its Android-powered roster, the Galaxy Spica. The sale however, is only in Europe and no word yet as to when or how much it will be in US.

Although this new smartphone from Samsung runs on the older Version 1.5 (Cupcake) Google Android OS (compared to the Motorola Droid’s 2.0), it is the first Android handset to support DivX video without the need for conversion.

The Galaxy Spica features a 3.2-inch touch screen, a 3.2 megapixel camera and an 800MHz processor. The handset can also support up to 32GB of memory through its microSD slot and has a 3.5mm headphone jack, allowing you to carry just one set of headphones. 😉

“The Samsung Galaxy Spica, powered by Android, is the perfect fit for users who want to enjoy a powerful and fast mobile experience.” JK Shin, Samsung executive vice president and mobile communications head, said.

The Samsung Galaxy Spica is a follow-up to the company’s Android-powered Galaxy smartphone.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/182235/samsung_intros_galaxy_spica_android_phone_no_us_launch_date.html

Survey reveals half of teens use handsets while driving

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Big surprise there right? 🙂

Despite the obvious dangers of this act, a recent study proves that teenagers still have no qualms about using the phone while driving.

In a national poll conducted with 800 teen respondents  aged 12 to 17 by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, results showed that about half of these teens have chatted on the phone while driving.

The study also showed that a third of these have been texting while behind the wheel.

In focus groups facilitated by Amanda Lenhart, senior research specialist with Pew and researchers at the University of Michigan, some of the teens wouldn’t acknowledge the dangers of texting or talking on the phone while driving, however a lot of them said that it was something they wouldn’t do.

The reason why these teens (and maybe most adults too 😉 ) still use the phone despite efforts warning against it is that they wanted to stay connected with friends. Don’t we all? 🙂

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-11-16-teens-cellphones_N.htm

EA acquires Playfish Inc. for $275mil

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Credit: Playfish
Credit: Playfish

Video game maker Electronic Arts Inc. is indeed serious in their move to online gaming. Just last week, the company released a version of their game “Spore” on Facebook. Now, it announced the acquiring of Playfish Inc. for $275 million – in cash.

That’s not all too. According to EA, besides the $275mil upfront cash, it will also pay an additioncal cash sum up to $100 million contingent on Playfish hitting certain financial targets up to December 2011 AND additional $25 million in equity-based retention agreements with employees.

Playfish Inc., creator of social networking games like “Pet Society” and “Who Has the Biggest Brain”, distributes its games for free. They earn by selling virtual items for the games instead. For instance, in Pet Society, as much as 21 million monthly players on FacebookMySpace, the iPhone and other platforms purchase stuff for their virtual pets.

Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20091109/ap_on_hi_te/us_electronic_arts_playfish

Nokia recalls faulty phone chargers

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Credit: Nokia
Credit: Nokia

Nokia announced today that they are offering to exchange faulty phone chargers which may pose electric shock hazards to customers

According to the Finland-based phone manufacturer, the plastic covers of the faulty chargers can become loose and eventually separate, exposing the charger’s internal components.  The problem was discovered during a routine quality control inspection.

Although the company did not reveal just how big the recall was going to be, reports say as many as 14 million chargers are affected.

BYD Co. Ltd., the China-based company that assembled the chargers, will reported cover the cost of the recall.

Users who own a Nokia device are advised to visit the Nokia Web site which lists info that helps customers determine if theirs is among those that are set to be replaced.

Source: http://www.crn.com/mobile/221600847;jsessionid=E24YAQGMREF01QE1GHPSKHWATMY32JVN

First worm hits iPhones in Australia

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Source: Wired.com
Source: Wired.com

If you haven’t jailbroken your iPhone though, there is no reason to worry.

The worm installs an image of 1980s singer Rick Astley with the words “ikee is never going to give you up,” a reference to the singer’s greatest hit, Never Gonna Give You Up. The image replaces the wallpaper owners see when the device enters lock mode.

The hacker, whose aliases include “Ikee” and “Ikex”, also inserted a note in the malware, chastising people for not reading their manuals and failing to change the default root password (alpine) for the installed SSH.

A 21-year-old student who identifies himself as Ashley Towns has taken credit for the creation of the worm. He appears to be based near Sydney, Australias nd has a Twitter account ikeex. He told ABC News Australia that he infected around 100 phones.

“When people jailbreak their phone, it allows them to install a service on their phone called SSH,” he said.

“Generally you should always change your password after setting up on the iPhone as all iPhones use the same password.

“This virus pretty much exploits people’s laziness to change their password.”

According to Towns, the worm can be removed by changing the phone’s password and deleting a few files from the phone.

“The virus itself is not malicious and is not out to hurt people,” he told ABC. “It’s just poking fun and hoping waking people up a little.”

Source: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/11/iphone-worm/

Huge demand on the Nook delays production

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Credit: Barnes & Noble
Credit: Barnes & Noble

Is this finally the device to challenge the Kindle’s reign in the eBook reader market?

It sure looks like it, as Barnes and Noble, distributor of the Nook eReader, announced that it is experiencing production delays because of the huge demand for the device – and they haven’t even started shipping the devices yet.

Compared to Amazon’s Kindle which has a black and white display, the Nook provides a split-screen display, allowing for a black and white text display for the majority of the screen, and a smaller color display at the bottom.

Additional features of the Nook include Wi-Fi access capability and a touch-screen display. The device will be built on the Google Android operating system.

All of these plus access to Barnes & Noble’s extensive of library, the Nook is being marketed for $259, the same price as the Kindle. Kinda makes it an easy choice, doesn’t it? 😉

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/181739/nook_ereader_demand_delays_shipments.html

HD Radio now iPhone and iPod Touch

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Credit: RadioShack
Credit: RadioShack

Some people might be complaining of the lack of radio capability of the iPhone and the iPod touch, but the competition such as the Zune HD is banking on this, having one advantage over the king of MP3 players.

However, with the iPod Touch and iPhone’s amazing flexibility with regards to third-party accessories, fans of the Apple player can now sit back and enjoy what it couldn’t do before.

The Gigaware In-Line Remote with HD Radio brings makes it possible for users of the iPhone and iPod Touch to access their favorite radio stations, allowing for crystal-clear music minus the subscription fees. The In-Line Remote can be connected via the iPhone or the iPod Touch’s dock connector and it replicates the click wheel of the iPod for easy music control.

This accessory also displays track info such as title and artist on the iPod screen and the iTunes Tagging allows users to “tag” the songs you hear on the radio so that you can easily purchase it iTunes.

The Gigaware In-Line Remote with HD Radio is available in the market for $80.

Take that HD Zune! 😉

Source: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10393370-233.html

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