Ubuntu 12.10 launches with web apps and search, Canonical plans for more secretive 13.04 development

An Ubuntu release is always a momentous occasion for a large portion of the Linux community, although it's coming with a mild share of controversy this time around. Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) is finished and brings with it support for pinning web apps to the Launcher as well as search that includes web results, detailed photo results and quick previews. They're all appreciated upgrades -- what's raising hackles is the development strategy for 13.04, or Raring Ringtail. Company head Mark Shuttleworth wants a "skunkworks" approach that will silence pre-release discussion of some features outside of key, trustworthy community members. While there will still be open-source code and only a light layer of secrecy, Ubuntu's progress in the near-term won't be quite as transparent as we're accustomed to with Linux. There's a good chance that most end users won't mind the difference enough to skip the download.

[Source: Engadget]

Bring the noise! Sony confirms HD Voice support for Xperia T

In the fast moving world of smartphones, giant HD displays just aren't enough anymore. The new hot commodity in the land of mobile is "HD Voice." Sure, the technology isn't exactly brand new, but using it over post-3G high speed networks is. The selling point here is high quality noise cancellation, which allows a phone's user to be heard clearly in the noisiest of environments. The latest device to hop on the bandwagon is Sony's Xperia T. When describing this feature, the herculean consumer electronics maker got downright emotional saying, "you feel closer to the person you are talking to." While we're not too sure about that, HD Voice did impress during our ears-on session. The major caveat here is that this feature requires that both parties have HD Voice capable handsets. So, until this concept becomes more mainstream, Xperia T owners' phone calls are likely to be close, but no cigar.

[Source: Engadget]

Mozilla opens Firefox Marketplace for Aurora builds of Android, gives mobile a taste of web apps

Mozilla's love of web apps is more than obvious; we just haven't had a real chance to try the Firefox Marketplace that represents a large part of the company's app strategy. The doors are at last open for a peek, although Mozilla has chosen the unusual path of giving mobile users the first crack: Android users willing to live on the bleeding edge of an Aurora build of Firefox can browse and run those web apps in Mozilla's store. Everyone else willing to venture into the Marketplace will have to wait until their own Firefox builds receive a matching update, including that rare group with access to Firefox OS. We're not quite in a rush to try a first wave of apps in an alpha-grade browser. Should you be the sort who thinks that even beta releases are too sluggish, however, your gateway to the Marketplace awaits at the source links.

[Source: Engadget]

Listing reveals 3G Samsung Chromebook is on its way for $329.99

Well, this has got us scratching our collective heads. Yesterday, Samsung was fairly certain that its latest and greatest Chromebook would be a WiFi-only affair. Today, however, and a listing has appeared on the company's official website and Amazon that shows a 3G-enabled option is available for $329.99. Neither site mentions network options, so presumably you get the same 100MB a month for two years Verizon data that its brethren receive -- and given that we described it as being "80 percent of the MacBook Air experience for a quarter of the price," the 3G version seems well worth the extra $80.

[Source: Engadget]

Sony to start Xperia upgrades to Jelly Bean by mid-Q1, rules out all 2011 phones

We've got mixed news for those who were wondering just where Sony's Jelly Bean updates were headed. The good? Sony has narrowed down its upgrade schedule for the Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V to the middle of 2013's first quarter, or roughly February. Just about every other reasonably capable 2012 model is also getting an upgrade once Sony has narrowed down the timetable, ranging from the Xperia Sthrough to the Xperia ion and Xperia go. Brace yourself for the dark side of the news, however: not a single 2011 Xperia phone will make the Jelly Bean leap, no matter how quick or recent it might be. The company was "not able to guarantee" the experience the devices would have with the newer OS, we're told. While we know that some older phones would have been borderline at best, that cutoff won't be pleasant for anyone whose Xperia Arc S is already out of the Android upgrade loop after less than a year.

[Source: Engadget]

Cybergeddon from Anthony E. Zuiker

Cybergeddon, is a new digital blockbuster about the growing threat of cybercrime starring Oliver Martinez and Missy Peregrym. Cybergeddon follows the story of agent Chloe Jocelyn as she investigates a series of seemingly unrelated cyberattacks with fellow agent Frank Parker and master hacker Chase 'Rabbit' Rosen. The team must crack a worldwide cybercrime ring before it's too late. 

The series comes from Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of landmark show CSI and debuted on Yahoo!. It's the first of its kind bringing together an engaging story, social media and gaming experience.

Norton by Symantec offered their insight to lend credibility and insight into security to the narrative. Like the Facebook page to receive exclusive content and tips from the Norton team:https://www.facebook.com/Cybergeddon.

For more information visit: http://bit.ly/ukcybergeddon

[sponsored article]

The iPod touch doesn't have a light sensor because it's 'too thin'

Kevin Tofel over at GigaOm stepped into the sunlight this past week (a dangerous endeavor for any blogger, let me tell you), and found out something strange about his new iPod touch: It doesn't have an autobrightness function. That's because it doesn't have a light sensor at all, apparently: There's only a manual setting for the brightness, and when Tofel went to Apple's product page for the new iPod touch, he confirmed that there's no light sensor listed in the various features of the device. While older iPod touch models do have the light sensor function, this current model apparently does not.

Why not? An iDownloadBlog reader named Raghid Harake emailed Apple Senior VP Phil Schiller to ask him that very question, and he got the answer that the device is just too thin. Schiller confirmed again that the device doesn't have a built-in light sensor, and reported that the design makes the whole thing too thin to fit one in. Indeed, Apple lost more than a millimeter in the latest iPod touch design, and part of that space means losing the light sensor.

Was the trade-off worth it? For Apple, apparently so. While some users might be surprised when their iPod touch doesn't automatically brighten up or down when moving into different ambient light situations, Apple decided that feature wasn't as important as slimming the device down. Do you agree?

[Source: TUAW]

Apple receives patent for original iPad design

A week before the expected launch of the much-rumored "iPad Mini," Apple has been granted the design patent for the original iPad. Filed a day before the initial announcement in 2010, the patent references older patents going back to the 1940s and lists Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive among the inventors. As our sister site Engadget says, it gives Apple one more tool in its ongoing patent litigation against Samsung and other companies.

Other iPad-related patents have been approved by the USPTO, including an unused one that has an extra USB slot for connections in landscape mode.

[Source: TUAW]

Microsoft turns Surface tablet into a skateboard, Windows chief Steven Sinofsky takes it for a spin

Gorilla Glass 2 and a chassis forged from magnesium lend Microsoft's Surface slates some durability, but the firm's decided to prove just how tough its tablets are by turning one into a skateboard. The wheeled slice of Windows 8 is said to have been rolled out during a tour of Redmond's Surface skunkworks, but Windows chief Steven Sinofksy couldn't resist hopping on the board today and tweeting a pair of photos. You can pre-order your deck now, though something tells us this mod isn't covered under Ballmer and Co.'s warranty.

[Source: Engadget]

KDDI unveils HTC J Butterfly (HTL21), the first phone with 5-inch 1080p display

We've been hearing about a certain 5-inch HTC phablet for Verizon since July, but it looks like its Japanese counterpart may actually hit the market first. Unveiled by KDDI as the HTC J Butterfly (HTL21), this Android 4.1 device is the first announced phone to feature a 5-inch, 440ppi full-HD"Super LCD 3" panel, and it's fittingly complemented by a 1.5GHz quad-core APQ8064 underneath, making this the latest member in the small family of Snapdragon S4 Pro phones. There's an eight-megapixel camera that naturally handles 1080p video at the back, accompanied by a 2.1-megapixel front-facing imager. Other details include 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, microSDHC expansion, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE), NFC, LTE and CDMA/GSM/UMTS/GPRS radios -- that's right, it's a global device. Not bad for a 140g package, and it's waterproof as well, rated at IPX5. But the question is how well will the 2,020mAh battery last under that super dense LCD and high-end processor? Only time will tell -- even KDDI has yet to finalize this part of the specs. Folks on the KDDI network can grab hold of this powerful phone in early December, with a choice of red, white or black.

Update: HTC confirmed to us that this phablet will use panels supplied by Sharp and JDI.

[Source: Engadget]

Virgin Media extends free tube WiFi for all until 2013

Tweeting about the obnoxious individuals you share a tube platform with was expected to be a one-time thing if you weren't a Virgin Media customer. The Branson-backed provider had said that, once the summer games had finished, it would make the service exclusive to its own broadband subscribers. Now, however, the company has reversed that decision, extending the free period through until the end of the year. The Telegraph is reporting that the turnaround is in part thanks to wholesale talks with other ISPs, who are keen to offer the service as part of their own packages. Given that we're unlikely to make it into the stratosphere or the bottom of the ocean any time soon, we'll settle for pretending we're a daring explorer of the Piccadilly line.

[Source: Engadget]

Google takes us inside their data centers, shows you where the internet lives

Ever fancied a look inside one of Google's cavernous server farms? Given the security issues, the company isn't likely to just let anyone mooch around -- but understands if you're curious. That's why it's adding a special collection to its Street View data that lets you wander inside without a big trek to Iowa, Belgium or Finland. If you'd like to sample some of the delights, you can check out our gallery or head down past the break to get a video tour of the facility in Lenoir, NC.

[Source: Engadget - Click here to read more]