| Verizon Wireless Reveals Semi-Hidden High End Shared Data Plans Posted: 08 Aug 2012 10:19 AM PDT  In the wake of AT&T rolling out Mobile Share data plans that allow its subscribers to share up to 20GB of data per month across a swath of wireless devices, Verizon Wireless has come forward to say, 'Hey, our Share Everything plans also go up to 20GB!' Big Red unveiled half a dozen shared data plans back in June that ranged from 1GB for $50/month to 10GB for $100/month, but it turns out there were higher tiers available. Twice as many, in fact.
The upper tiers include: - 12GB for $110/month
- 14GB for $120/month
- 16GB for $130/month
- 18GB for $140/month
- 20GB for $150/month
Why go through the trouble of hiding and/or not making the upper tier plans obvious? VZW spokeswoman Brenda Raney explained to ComputerWorld that the upper tiers weren't initially posted on the company's website because "the majority of customers use under 2GB a month. Who would need 20GB?" The idea that some users would want to use as much as 20GB per month wasn't lost on AT&T, which offers the following Mobile Share plans: - 1GB for $40/month
- 4GB for $70/month
- 6GB for $90/month
- 10GB for $120/month
- 15GB for $160/month
- 20GB for $200/month
Both Verizon Wireless and AT&T charge additional fees per device, which makes all of these plans less attractive than they otherwise could be. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| IHS iSupply: Mobile DRAM Market on Pace to Post Record Revenue Posted: 08 Aug 2012 08:49 AM PDT  DRAM makers have been struggling with falling memory prices for a few years now, and at one point in 2008, Adata chairman Simon Chen declared the DRAM market was the worst it's been in 15 years. Fast forward to today and DRAM players have found their saving grace in the mobile sector. While PC memory is still dirt cheap, mobile DRAM is on a record pace in terms of revenue.
According to IHS iSupply, mobile DRAM will hit a record $6.56 billion in revenue this year, a 10 percent gain from $5.98 billion in 2011. That's also much higher than the 3 percent revenue growth predicted in the standard DRAM market. "The mobile DRAM segment is achieving impressive growth as mobile operating systems, streaming apps and games require more memory to handle sophisticated tasks," said Ryan Chien, analyst for memory & storage at IHS. "Crucial features like multitasking, media decoding and decompression, data synchronization and background operations are all driving DRAM needs—and new phones and tablets are meeting those needs with their rise in mobile DRAM densities." A side effect to this is that DRAM densities in mobile devices are getting bigger. The average DRAM density in smartphones, for example, increased from 2.28Gb (gigabits) in the second quarter of 2010 to 5.85Gb in Q2 of this year. In tablets, the average density jumped from 2Gb to 8.33Gb during the same time period, IHS iSupply says. "The extraordinary accomplishment of mobile DRAM is in marked contrast to the performance of the other memory segments, including standard DRAM used in desktop and notebook computers. Owing to the lagging sales of PC computing behind handsets and tablets, revenue growth for standard DRAM this year is anticipated to be weak," IHS iSupply said. "And while mobile DRAM average selling prices have been falling over time in line with the overall memory space, prices remain relatively firm for mobile DRAM chips because of a number of factors, including high demand, a smaller supply base and healthy density growth." More memory for less money while the mobile DRAM market still posts record revenue? That sounds like a winning scenario to us. Image Credit: Hynix Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft's Windows 8 Retail Packaging and Box Art Pops Up Online Posted: 08 Aug 2012 08:08 AM PDT  There are a million and one questions surrounding Windows 8. Is the world ready for a touch-friendly operating system? What will the user interface formerly known as Metro and temporarily referred to as "Windows 8 style UI" be called? Will Windows 8 kill the PC industry and drive a stake in the heart of PC gaming as we know it? Is it wrong for a vegetarian to eat animal crackers? That last one has nothing to do with Windows 8, we're just curious. Getting back on topic, there's is one thing we learned about Windows 8 today, and that's what the retail box art will look like.
The folks over at The Verge posted what they claim are renderings of the official retail packaging for Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro, which are the only boxed versions you'll ever find on store shelves. Windows 8 is identified by a bright white box and Windows 8 Pro by a darker grayish color, both of which sport the newly designed Windows logo in slim packaging. Windows 8 is scheduled to go on sale to the general public starting October 26, 2012. That's also when OEMs will be able to sell PCs with Windows 8 pre-installed using the RTM (Release to Manufacturing) copies that went out a week ago today. Image Credit: The Verge Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Maingear Launches 'Quickship' Vybe 15 Gaming Laptop Posted: 08 Aug 2012 07:50 AM PDT Boutique system builder Maingear has announced a new 15-inch gaming notebook. Available in four different prosaically named pre-configured flavors, the Vybe 15 is the company's maiden "quick ship mobile solution," which means that all orders will be shipped out to customers within 24-48 hours of being confirmed. But we know that you are more interested in the Vybe 15's specs more than anything else, so just hit the jump for a look inside Maingear's latest notebook. As mentioned above, Maingear has announced four pre-configured systems: namely, the Good ($1,099), Better ($1,299), Best ($1,599) and Ultimate ($1,999). While the first two are available now, the more expensive Best and Ultimate SKUs will begin shipping later this month. Here's a quick rundown of their specs: 
Further, all models come with a 1080P LED-backlit display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, four speaker THX TruStudio Pro audio, multi-touch trackpad, 1.3MP Webcam, DVD burner, HDMI, VGA, multi-card reader, 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, and the option of up to 256GB solid-state storage.
"The new MAINGEAR VYBE 15 offers the best of mobile technology that can ship within 24-48 hours", said Wallace Santos, CEO and Co-founder of MAINGEAR Computers, in a press release. "This notebook is perfect for college students that want to game or business users that need a system for everyday use that can also be used for entertainment." |
| Game Developers Bash Microsoft's "Wrongheaded" Windows 8 Strategy Posted: 08 Aug 2012 07:35 AM PDT  Valve's Gabe Newell appears to have struck a chord with other game developers in his criticism of Windows 8 as a "catastrophe for everyone in the PC space." He said Windows 8 will ultimately force some top-tier PC/OEMS out of the market, and not long after he made those comments, one of Blizzard's higher ups voiced his agreement saying Windows 8 is "not awesome" for his company, either. Now that the rally call is out there, game developers are coming out of the woodwork to say that they too are concerned with Microsoft's upcoming OS.
Brad Wardell at Stardock thinks Newell's assessment is "totally right," adding he hopes the market can somehow "adapt to the wrongheaded strategy Microsoft is employing with Windows 8," GamesIndustry.biz reports. Yikes! Perhaps the pack mentality is starting to kick in, but at the end of the day, "there is some legitimate concern" with Windows, as noted by Dean Hall, creator of DayZ. Hall also indicated its too early to truly gauge the impact Microsoft's touch-friendly OS will have on the PC industry and, by association, PC gaming, but others were more outspoken with their criticism. "I really hate the general concept of 'closing down' Windows, and this seems to be where Microsoft is intending to go," Chris Delay, lead designer at Introversion, told GamesIndustry. Hall fears the day when "all Windows apps may have to be certified by Microsoft before they can be released and installed on users' computers. That just fills me with dread." Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Apple Presents Internal Samsung Document as Evidence Galaxy S1 Copied iPhone Posted: 08 Aug 2012 06:36 AM PDT 
Apple this week pulled out what it hopes will be a trump card in its courtroom battle with Samsung over allegations that the rival device maker copied the look and feel of its iPhone and iPad devices. The supposed trump card is a 132-page internal Samsung document from 2010 in which the company directly compares the Galaxy S1's shortcomings to the iPhone in a variety of areas, with recommendations on how to improve them. The document, which is uploaded to Scribd and first reported on by CNet, covers nearly every aspect of the Galaxy S1 and is titled "Relative Evaluation Report on S1, iPhone." In it, Samsung said it discovered a total of 126 issues, the majority of which related to "basic functions." Seemingly trivial things like the fact that Samsung's Memo and Calculator apps weren't supported in landscape mode were compared against the iPhone in a series of side-by-side diagrams. From making calls to browsing the Web, as well as nearly two dozen items related to visual interaction effects, Apple's iPhone provided the better experience. Samsung's document is by no means damning, however. There's no doubt Samsung will argue it was simply putting in the proper research by comparing its device against the iPhone. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Genius Imperator Keyboard Invites MMO and RTS Gamers to Walk the Plank Posted: 08 Aug 2012 06:07 AM PDT  The smarty-pant folks at Genius today unveiled a professional gaming keyboard intended for massively multiplayer online (MMO) and real-time strategy (RTS) players. It's the Imperator, and it's the latest addition to the company's GX Gaming Series. Now available in the U.S. and Canada, the Imperator provides North American gamers with 6 programmable keys, three game profiles, the ability to assign up to 18 macros, and a UI to manage it all.
While you're harvesting resources or about to deal a death blow in a PvP battle, you won't have to worry about the Windows key interrupting the action if you accidentally press it, as it's deactivated during gameplay, Genius says. Other features including a 1000Hz report rate, 1ms response time, onboard memory to prevent APM (actions per minute) loss, media keys, and a 6-foot braided cable. Perhaps the plank's main selling point is its price tag. With an MSRP of $50, it's one of the more affordable gaming keyboards around. Genius Imperator Product Page Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| BlackBerry 10 Will Fail and Samsung Should Buy Research In Motion, Analysts Say Posted: 08 Aug 2012 05:49 AM PDT  Research In Motion (RIM) has a lot riding on the release of BlackBerry 10, the upcoming mobile operating system that will power a new generation of devices. If all goes to plan, BB10 will thrust RIM back into relevance and save a company that's seen its share of struggles in recent times. More likely, however, BB10 will stand in the shadows of next-gen OSes from Google and Apple, and if that happens, Samsung's best bet is to acquire RIM, according to analysts with investment firm Jeffries.
In a report released on Tuesday, the analysts noted "significant potential" for BB10, recognizing it as "a vast improvement over BB7," eWeek.com reports. But, it won't be enough. "We believe it is highly unlikely that it will be an improvement over iOS 6 and about equal to Android 4.1. Therefore, we see little chance RIM can take share away from Apple with BB10," the analysts stated in their report. That doesn't bode well for RIM, obviously, but it could be a blessing in disguise for Samsung, which is in dire need of a viable software platform all of its own to go along with its successful hardware business. Towards that end, Jeffries believes Samsung has half a dozen options: - Keep riding the Android gravy train
- Develop its own version of Android
- Develop a radically different version of Android
- Build its very own OS
- License BB10 from RIM
- Acquire RIM
Jeffries says it's a "lackluster list," but out of those options, buying RIM would be the best one. We're not sure we agree, though it's certainly an interesting proposition with plenty of potential upside, and an equal amount of risk. What do you think, should Samsung look at acquiring RIM? Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
