http://www.randomlyaccessed.com This is the feed for tech and web news site RandomlyAccessed en-gb Copyright (C) 2009 randomlyaccessed.comIt seems that Twitter dropping Bit.ly was true, as the site is now going to be launching a new URL shortener for use on the platform in order to combat the phishing problem that has exploded in Mentions and Direct Messages. The company is launching twt.tl , which will screen incoming links to the service being sent in a Direct Message (and thus email notifications), and check to see whether it's a reported phishing site, intercept and prevent the message from being sent. Phising, as in the act of scammers obtaining a user's login data by pretending to be the destination site, is a massive problem for Twitter as it relies on third-party applications and a technology called Basic Auth where you need to input your Twitter credentials into other sites. Twitter Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-launches-url-shortener-to-combat-phishinghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-launches-url-shortener-to-combat-phishingSocial MediaNewsWed, 10 Mar 2010 10:00:50 UTCAfter waking this morning and going through the nights' tweets, I stumbled across a few rumours that Twitter had ousted long-time URL shortener Bit.ly from automatically shortening links when posted from the homepage. This could be a bug or glitch, but it could also be one of two very interesting plays by the company. Firstly, the could be doing it to be service agnostic - the company relies heavily on the third-party application market (even after bragging about forthcoming features that might increase the homepage's appeal) and might be trying to position itself by perhaps allowing users to choose their own URL shortener on the site. Secondly, they might be thinking of launching a shortener of their own. Their reliance on third-party applications we talked about a minute ago is also one of the things most commentators are concerned about, and the company could be making waves to bring things into the fold internally. However this shakes out, at present you wont have your URLs shortened via Bit.ly automatically from the Twitter homepage at present.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/has-twitter-dumped-bit-ly-http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/has-twitter-dumped-bit-ly-Social MediaNewsWed, 10 Mar 2010 09:29:18 UTCSpotify has been dabbling its toes in the video-music world as of late, but now they're going to be offering exclusive content from singer Amy Macdonald's latest album by showing songs recorded from a recent performance in Berlin in video format within the application. For the rest of the week, Spotify Free users will be able to access the video content via the company's video lightbox on the homepage, featuring 5 tracks from her upcoming album, including; Don t Tell Me That It s Over , Spark and Love, Love . Spotify users in the UK, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway and Finland can watch Amy s performance from today, March 8th through to Sunday, March 14th. Amy will also take over the Spotify home page from today to Wednesday 10th March http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-to-show-exclusive-amy-macdonald-gig-in-desktop-apphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-to-show-exclusive-amy-macdonald-gig-in-desktop-appAppsNewsMon, 08 Mar 2010 11:56:27 UTCIntel had an event late last month where they showed off some of the new technologies that they're working on, with videos of these now being available online, you can get a feel for where computing is going. The one that took our eye in particular is outlining a new technology that can mash-up your digital photos and convert them into a 3D model which can exported to a 3D-supporting browser or (hopefully) as a stand-alone file for use in a game-world. Imagine being able to take photos of any object and have that appear in a video-game - that's what the future might hold within the next 5 years. Other videos include; Ray Tracing 3D Gaming 3D TVhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/intel-shows-off-content-aware-model-based-computinghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/intel-shows-off-content-aware-model-based-computingTechNewsMon, 08 Mar 2010 11:38:05 UTCApple has just loosed details about a slip in the launch date of the iPad (after rumours hit last week that it would) from the previously mentioned March release, to a now firm April 3rd target in the US, with it hitting internationally later that month. Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek stated earlier in the week that problems at the manufacturer of the device could see it moving to an April release, and although this analysis was widely panned across the net, it turns out he was absolutely spot on. Those lucky-devils in the US who want to get their name down for a device can pre-order starting from the 12th March (a week today), where they can sit and wait for the launch for either the WiFi or WiFi 3G device at home, or arrange for a WiFi only device to be reserved at a local store (WiFi 3G models will be released later down the line). Still no UK or other international pricing, but at least the delay gives people another month to save up for when it eventually comes out here. Apple PR http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ipad-march-launch-slips-to-3rd-april-in-us--late-april-ukhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ipad-march-launch-slips-to-3rd-april-in-us--late-april-ukTechNewsFri, 05 Mar 2010 13:51:19 UTCOvernight, Twitter, that microblogging site that noone's talking about, crossed a spectacular threshold; 10 billion tweets have now been sent on the service, outlining quite how far it has come in just the past year or so. Another staggering fact to come from the site monitoring the numbers is that the number of tweets being sent per day has rocketed from 30 million per day in January, to nearly 50 million per day last week. If the rumours of user-numbers are correct (c. 70-100 million), that means the average user has sent over 100 tweets, and with the majority of new users only picking it up in the pats few months, this number should starting jumping higher and higher, faster and faster. Popacular GigaTweet http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-surpasses-10-billion-tweetshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-surpasses-10-billion-tweetsSocial MediaNewsFri, 05 Mar 2010 09:38:10 UTCIt seems that a miscommunication in a Brazilian magazine article has managed to set Twitter alight with inaccurate stories that Zynga were hoarding 50% of the proceeds from their Haiti earthquake relief efforts (an in-game Farmville item) after promising to donate 100% What really happened? There was a campaign by the social gaming company before the devastating eartquake last month to raise money for farmers in the country where 50% of the proceeds of an in-game item would be turned over to a charity serving the region. The company's later campaign, after the earthquake hit, was the one where 100% of the proceeds would be donated, and the company (as well as other sources), have confirmed this to be so. Twitter's ability to spread information quickly is it's oft-spoken selling point, but sometimes (and we're surprised it's not more often in fairness) it can get things wrong, and when it does, then boy does it have an effect. Zynga were in the right completely on this, and it's a shame that the web can explode in this manner which could make the company think twice about philanthropic efforts in the future. Giga Om http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/stupidity-of-the-crowd-turns-on-zynga--s-haiti-effortshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/stupidity-of-the-crowd-turns-on-zynga--s-haiti-effortsSocial MediaNewsThu, 04 Mar 2010 20:56:50 UTCEngadget has it that Apple is suing rival phone maker HTC for infringing on 20 of the patents used in the iPhone. Whilst most American technology companies have dozens of lawsuits going on at any one time, it is interesting to see Apple go after the main proponent and supplier of the majority of Android handsets on the market. Even Steve Jobs has weighed into this one, stating; We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We ve decided to do something about it. We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours. - ouch. We wont be expecting a quick resolution to this one, and it's only time (if we use previous mobile-related intellectual property lawsuits as examples) before HTC comes back with a counter-claim. It's game time. Apple (via Engadget)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-sues-htchttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-sues-htcTechNewsTue, 02 Mar 2010 15:58:23 UTCThere's been various rumours and spy-shots flying around the internet in the past few months that Nokia was gearing up to offer a stripped-down, slim and small smartphone, dubbed; the C5. Well, the company has just publicly announced it, and it's packing some heat. Whilst the company has always been committed to Symbian on their higher-end devices, it looks now to be trickling down to the small ones as the C5 runs the S60 3rd Edition of the mobile OS, meaning it should hook up nicely with the apps available on the platform - including the free GPS software; Ovi Maps (although other Ovi products weren't mentioned in the release). Plus, it's small. Only 12mm thick, it crams in a 2.2 screen as well as a battery good enough for 26 days of standby and a microSD slot ready for up to 16GB cards. Before all taxes and subsidies, they're hoping to get it out there in Q2 for 135, which could be a tasty proposition. Nokia Conversations (via Electric Pig)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nokia-c5-small-smartphone-unveiledhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nokia-c5-small-smartphone-unveiledTechNewsTue, 02 Mar 2010 09:14:13 UTCWe're something of ROCCAT fanboys here at RandomlyAccessed, with the PC peripheral company bringing the heat to Razer with their line of quality gaming products. Well, they're now back with a new gaming mouse. Joining it's wired Kone and Kova brothers, the new wireless Pyra gaming mouse offers up ROCCAT technology for mobile gaming with a smaller form factor, but all the technology of the two desk-bound offerings already in their stable. There's 1ms response time, with 1000Hz polling rate and a middling 1600dpi motion blue-optic sensor which should be enough to tackle the majority of titles. The design allows for it to be used by right or left hookers, and should be available from the middle of April for around 60 (with a wired model coming in at the same time for 40).http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/roccat-announces-pyra-wireless-gaming-mousehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/roccat-announces-pyra-wireless-gaming-mouseTechNewsMon, 01 Mar 2010 15:30:41 UTCThe inventor of one of the defining products in the home computer revolution has come out and admitted that he doesn't actually use a computer anymore. What's more, he has his emails read to him (so make sure you don't SHOUT in your electronic mails to the man). Although his later work (the C5 electric vehicle...thing) wouldn't hit the big time, the ZX80/81 sold in enough numbers to encourage a number of users into the computing space in the 80's, and he was duly knighted for his contributions to electrical development. Any specific reason for not using a computer now? He claims he can't be bothered and the entire process now is a nightmare - and for the most part I'd say that a lot of people would agree with him. The Guardian (Image)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sir-clive-sinclair-doesn--t-use-a-computerhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sir-clive-sinclair-doesn--t-use-a-computerTechNewsMon, 01 Mar 2010 12:09:22 UTCThe amount of salt you need to take this information with would probably give you a coronary, but a tech website (that I admit, we've never heard of before) has been tipped that the entry level iPad will be hitting these shores for a hair under 390. On the face of it, this number looks to have been plucked out of the air, but there is some precedent to back it up. Apple usually charges a 20% premium over the pound-value of the US pricing (to cover taxes as well as the increased cost of doing business in the UK), and currently the straight conversion of dollar to pound would sit the entry level device at 330. So, whilst the 389 figure seems logical to the point of believability, it would be unwise to call Zurich in preparation at this stage. Geeky Gadgets (via Pocket-Lint)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/uk-ipad-pricing-leaked-http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/uk-ipad-pricing-leaked-TechNewsThu, 25 Feb 2010 19:06:01 UTC3 Google employees have been convicted in an Italian court today after supposedly breaching Italy's privacy laws over a horrific video of children bullying an autistic classmate was uploaded to Google Video in 2006. The court indicted 4 Google employees (who had absolutely nothing to do with the video prior to its removal for ToS violations) for criminal defamation and a failure to comply with the Italian privacy code, although the defamation charge was dropped, as was one employee. This case shows how much current legislation is behind the times, if platform providers - and individual persons - can be charged for the content users upload (when we all know YouTube is just a dumb-pipe between content and end users) to sharing sites, then something has to change. Common sense would dictate that the persons filming a clip for internet distribution have received everyone involved's permission to appear, however, that was not thought to be the case here. Google is appealing the decision. Google Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-employees-convicted-over-user-generated-youtube-vidhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-employees-convicted-over-user-generated-youtube-vidTechNewsWed, 24 Feb 2010 11:29:13 UTCTwitter has just announced that they are now serving 50million tweets per day on the microblogging platform, meaning that over 600 are being posted per second. In 2007, when the site first started hitting people's radar, they were pushing 5000 tweets per day, with that growing to over 300,000 per day by 2008. Over the course of 2009, the numbers being delivered jumped 1400% from 2.5m to 35m - highlighting the massive growth the service (and social media in general) had over the past year. Now with 50m per day being posted to the site from clients and devices in every walk of life, and from every corner of the world, Twitter is starting to make it into the mainstream's psyche. On to 100m! Twitter Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-hitting-50m-tweets-a-dayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-hitting-50m-tweets-a-daySocial MediaNewsMon, 22 Feb 2010 21:06:32 UTCThe European Commission has approved the proposed merger of rival UK mobile phone networks; the France Telecom-owned Orange and the Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile. Together, the pair will create the UK's largest mobile provider by subscriber numbers, pulling in 30million users into one pool operated by the same outfit, overtaking O2 who is currently in the lead. The deal did raise concerns for the network 3 , as it has one of the smallest footholds of the major players, but the EU has put into place stipulations on the merger that would require the combined company to open up more of their spectrum and share 3000 more mast sites with 3 . Still no word on branding or naming of the combined company yet though, and there's still a ways to go before we see a unified experience online and on the high street, but it's a start. Recombu http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-t-mobile-merger-approved-by-euhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-t-mobile-merger-approved-by-euTechNewsMon, 22 Feb 2010 17:07:53 UTCOne of the convergent features of most smartphone platforms now is that they enable users to monitor their sporting activities with the use of technologies like GPS and a stopwatch. Now, Puma has teamed up with phone manufacturer Sagem to bring all manner of sports features into one device built for the purpose. The (aptly named), Puma Phone packs a 2.8 touchscreen, HSPA data, 5 hours talk-time and 350 hours stand-by time, a solar panel on the back for green and on-the-fly charging (we're surprised more devices don't do this actually) as well as a 115g weight. As for the sports features, the handset crams in a GPS tracker, compass, geotagging, routing and mapping for location duties as well as a pedometer and stopwatch. It will be available across Europe from April.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/puma-and-sagem-team-up-on-sports-phonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/puma-and-sagem-team-up-on-sports-phoneTechNewsSat, 20 Feb 2010 21:09:01 UTCIf you pay for the BBC License Fee, you'll want to get the optimum from the hundreds of pounds that (seemingly) get thrown down the drain with poor programming on a yearly basis, and one of the ways the majority of people will benefit from innovation is with mobile applications. The BBC announced a brace of them at Mobile World Congress, one dealing with news on the go, and the other on sport in time for the World Cup later this year. Now, however, a trade body responsible for a bunch of national newspapers is calling for the BBC Trust to investigate the apps that will (supposedly) strangle an important new market for news and information . Can we please ask the Newspaper Publishers Association to pipe down? Mobile applications aren't out of the reach of any news organisation, and if they can't make their content useful or distinctive enough to differentiate it, then that's their look-out, don't try and call-foul on a concept that will only benefit users. BBC News (via Pocket-Lint)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/news-companies-whine-over-bbc-trying-to-enhance-mobile-markethttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/news-companies-whine-over-bbc-trying-to-enhance-mobile-marketTechNewsThu, 18 Feb 2010 16:26:00 UTCOne of the brilliant pieces of web technology that has emerged in the past few years is that of TV catchup and streaming services, allowing users to view content from the major television channels whenever they wish. A new player has entered the game today; SeeSaw, which hopes to become the go-to site for your catch-up needs, by pulling in content from BBC iPlayer, 4oD, DemandFive and more archive footage from all the networks. It's a little light on content as it's still in beta, but it does seem to be doing an amazing job with what it does contain. Classic series' range from the brilliant Footballers' Wives , to the sublime Nathan Barley , as well as encompassing all sorts of more modern shows like That Mitchell and Webb Look , The Inbetweeners , Hustle and countless others. All shows run a series of pre-roll ads to support the platform, and it doesn't look like there are ads in the middle of the shows at the moment. In all it's a brilliantly pulled-off site that can only get better and better as more and more content is added. SeeSaw http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tv-catchup-streaming-service-seesaw-launcheshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tv-catchup-streaming-service-seesaw-launchesSocial MediaNewsWed, 17 Feb 2010 12:20:04 UTCFacebook has just announced and rolled-out a new interface for the site that strips down everything bandwidth intensive across the social networking site, making it easy (and cheap) to use on mobiles that don't have a dedicated data plan. The company's hoping that networks will provide access to Facebook Zero for free, as it isn't resource intensive, and should give users a taste for using the 400m users platform on their mobile devices, making it more likely they'd upgrade to the more fully-featured offering available on more expensive handsets and tariffs. They also released stats (in this video) that show 100m people actively use the mobile offerings at the moment, and 200m have used them at some stage in their time on the service. At least they're making allowances for differing levels of network capability, having a more parred down service for mobile, similarly to what they offering Facebook Lite for desktop browsing. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-launching-mobile-friendly-zero-interfacehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-launching-mobile-friendly-zero-interfaceSocial MediaNewsWed, 17 Feb 2010 10:10:53 UTCOrange has just announced that they're going to be carrying the latest Android toting handset from HTC, the sibling to their Google-branded unit the Nexus One; the Desire, on selected contracts from April. The device, which packs; Android 2.1 (the same version as found in the aforementioned Nexus One), 3G , a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5MP camera, A-GPS, 3.7 inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen and a bevy of other high-end smartphone features, will be available on all consumer and business plans. It will also be offered for free on selected tariffs when it hits us in April. So, if you were waiting for the Nexus One to hit Vodafone at some point this quarter, your decision just got slightly muddier. Orange Newsroom (Image)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-getting-nexus-one-sister-device--htc-desirehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-getting-nexus-one-sister-device--htc-desireTechNewsTue, 16 Feb 2010 11:48:33 UTCNot being in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress does make reporting on it slightly harder for us, but we shall endeavor to bring you the biggest news from the show over the next few days. First up, the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini and Mini Pro Android packing handsets. Essentially miniature versions of the yet-to-be-released X10 device announced last year, both pack 2.55 QVGA touchscreens, 5MP cameras, Android 1.6 running on 600 MHz Qualcomm chips. The Pro also packs a slide out QWERTY that doesn't look to add too much bulk to the diminutive frame is sports. Both handsets will be cropping up in Q2, and their size coupled with an expectation they might be cheaper than other high-end devices, should make them a sure-fire hit (maybe if they shoehorn Android 2.1 in there for good measure by launch time as well). Expect more information on them closer to launch, but we've pasted more technical information on them after the jump.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/mwc--sony-ericsson-x10-mini-and-mini-prohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/mwc--sony-ericsson-x10-mini-and-mini-proTechNewsTue, 16 Feb 2010 09:50:38 UTCThe Winter Olympics are going to kick off later today in Vancouver, Canada, and with that Google has taken the wraps off its first doodle to celebrate the occasion. It packs in the 5-rings emblem of IOC, a stadium, as well as the Olympic Torch we all know and love. There haven't been a lot of special Google doodles in the past few weeks after the run on them at the end of last year, but it's nice to see one on their page for millions to see for an event that has garnered surprisingly little web coverage. Google http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-reveals-winter-olympic-doodlehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-reveals-winter-olympic-doodleTechNewsFri, 12 Feb 2010 11:11:39 UTCWhilst we don't subscribe to the hype around Google's new social layer for Gmail, there are plenty of tech-minded users that do, so there's now a new trick to updating your status there as well. If you use Ping.fm to send status updates out to Twitter, Facebook and 50 other social networks, you are able to update your Buzz through Gtalk. Simply enable Gtalk as a service on your Buzz account, and add it to Ping.fm, and you can easily add posts to the new service when you update your other networks. Quite how popular Buzz will be is anyone's guess, but with the number of social media and tech sites integrating some kind of integration, it might be slightly more successful than Wave. Seesmic Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/update-your-buzz-with-ping-fmhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/update-your-buzz-with-ping-fmSocial MediaNewsFri, 12 Feb 2010 09:49:58 UTCGoogle has just announced that they're going to start building and testing a number of networks of 1 gigabit fibre-optic broadband internet connections in a variety of locations in the US, as they try and provide all kinds of communities with access to future-proof web content. They use examples like being able to sit in a rural healthcare center and watch three-dimensional medical imaging, streamed over the web, or even being a student watching a 3D university lecture whilst also accessing notes. The company hopes to deliver this fibre-to-the-home network to a number of communities for a low-rate, serving at least 50,000 people and perhaps even as many as 500,000, with the announcements as to which markets will be covered in future months. In their eyes, it should hopefully stimulate the development of the next generation of killer apps that aren't limited by bandwidth. Google Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-to-build-and-test-ultra-high-speed-broadband-networkshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-to-build-and-test-ultra-high-speed-broadband-networksTechNewsWed, 10 Feb 2010 16:12:00 UTCIn news that will come as no shock to regular readers of RandomlyAccessed, Warner Music has decided it will pull support for it's music collection from free music streaming services like Spotify, We7 and Last.fm We understand why this is, per-listen, free-streamed tracks really don't make the license holders any money when supported by adverts. The bottom dropped out of the online advertising world during the recession, and companies are looking to spend their money in smarter ways online than with intrusive audio and banner advertisements. However, something intrigues us. The company (is rumoured to) own(s) a part of Spotify, so deliberately going out to harm it would seem illogical, they've declared their intent to pursue paid-for streaming operations like the premium version of Spotify yet, which is supported by a 10pcm charge. Click the title for more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/warner-music-to-turn-back-on-free-streaming-serviceshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/warner-music-to-turn-back-on-free-streaming-servicesTechNewsWed, 10 Feb 2010 15:51:02 UTCApple has always shied away from allowing 3rd party browsers onto their hallowed App Store, although that hasn't stopped companies trying, with it looking set that Opera will give it a shot next week with their Mini browser. At the Mobile World Conference next week in Barcelona, the company will be previewing the latest version of their browser (which also happens to be the more widely used mobile browser in the world) for the iPhone. The jury's still out on whether it will be approved by Apple, but (like Spotify before them) they're trying to drum up user support before submitting in order to try and carry some momentum through the process. Expect more info during MWC, which runs from February 15th - 18th. Opera Press Release http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/opera-mini-for-iphone-to-be-shown-at-mwchttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/opera-mini-for-iphone-to-be-shown-at-mwcTechNewsWed, 10 Feb 2010 10:37:17 UTCGoogle has just revealed a new product it's been working on to try and tie their webmail offering in with the kind of social sharing tens of millions of web users do everyday, dubbed; Buzz. What it'll do is surface content that your contacts can share on the service, and allow a conversation to form around it in the confines of the Gmail layout that people are familiar with and aware of. So a user will post a link to an image gallery on Flickr or Picasa, and it'll bring up the photos, so you and your friends can talk about within (in real-time) an email like format. Think of it like Twitter, Facebook, Gmail and Google Wave mashed up into a social mix, with followers and likes thrown in there for good measure. Oh, and they're also creating applications for mobile platforms (Android, Symbian, etc. but not iPhone at the moment) which brings location-awareness into the fray as well. We'll bring you a hands on when they push it out soon. TechCrunch (Twitter Search)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-goes-social-with-buzzhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-goes-social-with-buzzSocial MediaNewsTue, 09 Feb 2010 18:54:12 UTCWe think Apple is the only company in the world that takes their online store down for several hours to add in only a few more products, however, it does give us time to speculate and fanboys time to start salivating as it's down now. What do we reckon? It's an international pull down so it's going to be something reasonably big. We thought about iPad pricing for the rest of the world, but the US store is down, so we fall back on the current rumour du jour; MacBook Pro updates. The unibody white MacBook was updated late last year, so it's going to be the Pros, with what we're expecting to be Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processor updates. Right or wrong? We'll see when they bless us with a live store. Apple UK Store http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-store-downhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-store-downTechNewsTue, 09 Feb 2010 12:38:47 UTCTweetDeck is one of the (if not) largest Twitter desktop clients out there, and whilst it has looked the same in nearly all iterations, it has been on something of a run in the past few months with features. Extending on the large notifications brought with the last big update, the company is rolling out a new version that hooks into Twitter via its OAuth-powered protocol rather than relying on simply entering your password into the application. This should aid security, as well as making syncing easier. Elsewhere in the update comes support for YouTube and Flickr. Both services will show their respective content in preview boxes within the application (rather than opening a new browser tab), making it simpler and easier to see content. It also allows you to view images from more popular services like Posterous, Mobypicture and Twitgoo. TweetDeck Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetdeck-adds-twitter-oauth-and-youtube-supporthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetdeck-adds-twitter-oauth-and-youtube-supportSocial MediaNewsMon, 08 Feb 2010 19:36:10 UTCThe seemingly never ending march of the digital SLR camera development has reached another marker today, as Canon has just released the information on the latest addition to their flagship lineup; the EOS 550D. The new camera packs an 18.7MP still photo sensor which allows you to take 3.7FPS in burst, with a new widescreen LCD to see how those (assumedly) beautiful images come out on the rear. What is even more interesting is that it also adds in a stereo mic jack, as well as letting you shoot 1080p video at up to 30fps and 720p at up to 60fps. It'll hit the UK at the end of the month for 800 (body-only) and in the US (in Rebel T2i guise) in March for $800, with an 18-55mm lens packing version coming in at $900 across the pond. PhotographyBlog (also at Engadget)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/canon-outs-18mp-eos-550dhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/canon-outs-18mp-eos-550dTechNewsMon, 08 Feb 2010 14:55:14 UTCOne of the employees responsible for the Vodafone UK Twitter account must surely be looking for a new job today after a homophobic tweet was sent out onto the microblogging platform to the company's 8,700 followers. The tweet, which read; is fed up of dirty homo's and is going after beaver , spread around Twitter as followers retweeted it with comments outlining their horror and disgust that a major corporate like Vodafone could have let a tweet slip out like that. It does highlight the dangers of social media for companies, and whilst we're sure an internal policy was in place at the company, it does make the case for double-editing of comments on social networks all the more resounding. For its worth, the company is tweeting all those that mentioned the tweet (originally thought to be a hack, until the company stated it was a severe breach of rules by staff in our building ), apologising for any offence caused. Mr_Squishington TwitPic (via Pocket-Lint)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/vodafone-uk-twitter-account-abused-by-staff-memberhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/vodafone-uk-twitter-account-abused-by-staff-memberSocial MediaNewsFri, 05 Feb 2010 17:12:38 UTCIf you're rocking an Android handset and are a Twitter user, chances are that you've heard of or are using Seesmic as your main client on the platform. Well now the company has rolled out an important new feature; multiple account handling. Much like the desktop clients, the Android version of Seemsic is now able to control several different Twitter profiles in one go, letting you post to any number at the same time as you require. Take for example; RandomlyAccessed. We post links to the stories here from our personal accounts as well as to the main, @gadgetweet one, by hand to engage with readers, so being able to do it at the same time on the move would be extremely useful. They've also introduced a new feature that remembers where you've scrolled to, so that when new tweets come in, you're not defaultly returned to the top of the stream, and can continue scrolling down the older tweets. The update should be in the Market now.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-android-now-support-multiple-accountshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-android-now-support-multiple-accountsAppsNewsFri, 05 Feb 2010 12:19:33 UTCFacebook has just undergone yet another homepage design overhaul last night, making it feel more and more like a social email client than the Facebook of old. The new design puts more focus on searching, and utilising different feeds, pushing these powerful (yet in my personal experience, underused) features to the forefront of everyone's mind. It does away with the taskbar at the bottom of the site (the useful one where you could bookmark applications), and simply leaves you with a small chat box, possibly angering developers for their platform even further. The best we can recommend is that if you have a Facebook account, go and check it out. It's certainly a bit different, and lots of people will complain, however, everyone will get used to it in time just like the other redesigns that have gone before it. Facebook Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-redesigns-to-make-itself-feel-more-like-emailhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-redesigns-to-make-itself-feel-more-like-emailSocial MediaNewsFri, 05 Feb 2010 08:41:14 UTCOne of the main pain points of using the Twitter.com website to interact with the microblogging ecosystem is seeing information on people in your stream. With all those RTs flowing about, it'd be great to know something about these users whose tweets appear on your page. Well, Twitter is in the process of rolling out a new feature, dubbed; Hovercards, which allows you to see profile information for users on the Home Stream by just hovering over a users name. This will allow you to see all of the information you'd have to navigate to their profile to see, as well as letting you reply to them directly. The feature will also allow you to send Direct Messages to those that you follow straight from the Home Stream, so no navigating away and breaking the experience. As per Twitter norm, it's being rolled out in batches, but should be appearing for all users soon. Twitter Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-introduces-hovercards-profile-preview-featurehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-introduces-hovercards-profile-preview-featureTechNewsThu, 04 Feb 2010 09:11:29 UTCA small team within Facebook have been working on a project for the past 2 years which should help the social network cope with the massive levels of scaling they have to keep up with as a result of having over 350m users. HipHop is a tool that transforms the site script (in Facebook's case, PHP) into a higher-level programming language that undertakes the neccesary functions, and is then turned back into PHP for outputting to the end user. It has allowed the developers to reduce the web server CPU usage by 50%, ultimately saving on resources needed and being used. The site seems faster today, but whether this is just a placebo effect after being told the code is optimised is currently being debated in RA Towers. Facebook Developers http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-gets-speed-bump-with-hiphophttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-gets-speed-bump-with-hiphopSocial MediaNewsWed, 03 Feb 2010 13:25:37 UTCGoogle has just launched a new software update for their Nexus One handset that enables something people have been asking for since the open-source mobile operating system was announced; multitouch. At the moment, gestures are limited to only pinch-to-zoom, however, this is one of the most used on the iPhone platform which Android is most often compared to, so this is big news in the evolution of the OS. The update also brings a fix to some of the 3G issues affecting the handset, as well as integrated Google Goggles (the ability to search by point the phone's camera at things) and a new night-driving mode of those lucky enough to have a Nexus One and have access to Google Maps Navigation (the company's free sat nav offering). The update will be pushed over-the-air to users. Google Nexus One Board http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-blesses-nexus-one-with-multitouchhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-blesses-nexus-one-with-multitouchTechNewsTue, 02 Feb 2010 20:30:49 UTCOlympus is one of the few camera manufacturers that people trust when it comes to consumer ruggedised cameras, and they've now just launched a few new additions to that line-up. The Mju TOUGH-6020 ( 319.99) can be sunk in water to 5m, dropped from a 1.5m height and taken into temperatures of -10C, all whilst looks pretty fetching in Steel Blue, Midnight Black, Cosmic Green and Candy Pink colours. The Mju TOUGH-8010 ( 399.99, pictured) steps it up a little notch though, allowing you to submerge it to a depth of 10m, drop it from 2m (that's head height for someone 6'5 ), can also be used in -10C temperatures, but is also crushproof to 1000kg and scratchproof. Both pack 14MP sensors, and allow picture and HD video recording in the aforementioned conditions and are available from March.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/olympus-launches-new-tough-mju-camerashttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/olympus-launches-new-tough-mju-camerasTechNewsTue, 02 Feb 2010 10:38:12 UTCSony Ericsson has just announced a new handset to add to its growing Greenheart portfolio of eco devices; the Aspen, which packs Windows Mobile 6.5.3 (the first device we've seen rocking that version), a full QWERTY keyboard and touch controls. The other specs are usual for a mid-range smartphone like this; 3.2MP camera (althogh being an SE, it should be better than other higher-pixel machines), Exchange ActiveSync support, a-GPS, WiFi, 2.4 screen as well as Sony Ericsson's Panels interface over WinMo that they brought to the fore on the Xperia X1. The device should be hitting stores in Q2 on HSPA and EDGE networks in the UK in Iconic Black and White Silver colours.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-ericsson-launches-eco-windows-phonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-ericsson-launches-eco-windows-phoneTechNewsTue, 02 Feb 2010 09:58:46 UTCAlienware, the high-end gaming PC company owned by Dell, surprised a lot of people at CES by releasing a netbook with it's name on, packing it with all the latest small, mobile graphics technology they could grab their hands on. Well, the result; the M11x, is now available starting at 749 for the pre-configured variant (or pushing 1500 with some pretty tasty options), which packs more than a punch with the ability to switch between integrated and discreet graphics for battery and performance tasks respectively. It looks like a very nice machine that has been receiving some positive press. Hopefully we can get our hands on a unit soon and give it a good going over for you, but if you're so inclined, you could head over there and grab yourself one now. Alienware M11x http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/alienware-m11x-now-up-for-orderhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/alienware-m11x-now-up-for-orderTechNewsTue, 02 Feb 2010 09:41:25 UTCUstream, the live video streaming and sharing site that has fans ranging from Jason Calacanis and Gary Vaynerchuk, right through to Tila Tequila and Chris Brown, has just announced that they've raised an additional $75m in capital in a Series B round. The company, according to TechCrunch, says that the money will be used to help them expand into Asia, particularly Japan where the firm Softbank - who ponied up the cash - is based. The company is a major telecoms player in Japan, and owns stakes in all the hottest properties over there, so Ustream is going with a known entity. This round has also seen some of the founders take some money off the table (as in, sell some of their own shares in the deal as well as common company stock), with the money being used to open offices and hire employees in all the major East Asian markets. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ustream-raises--75m-in-venture-capitalhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ustream-raises--75m-in-venture-capitalStartupsNewsTue, 02 Feb 2010 08:51:46 UTCLogitech are gearing up to launch a new iPhone and iPod Touch (plus, we guess the iPad when it arrives) application that will let you turn your hipster touchscreen device into a wireless trackpad for any computer. The application works over WiFi, meaning you can control your computer from anywhere around your home, which would be ideal for when on the sofa with a media center or laptop hooked up to the TV. You can also type from the iPhone as well, so no needing to have a wireless keyboard hooked up as well. We've not seen the app in action yet, so no idea as to how intuitive or easy it is to use, but the company say you can grab it from the App Store, and the computer drivers from their site, now. Logitech Blog (via Engadget)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/logitech-releasing-trackpad-iphone-apphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/logitech-releasing-trackpad-iphone-appAppsNewsMon, 01 Feb 2010 18:50:06 UTCThe Conservatives will begin roll-out of a superfast internet infrastructure over the course of the next seven years if they're voted into power in May. With the bandwidth drains and speed requirements of todays web users, it'd be an essential plan for any future government. They say that their aim is to get 100Mbps broadband piped into the majority (let's hope that doesn't mean an election majority - sometimes as low as 34%) of homes by 2017, with part of the cost planned to be covered by the BBC License Fee. Taking money from programming to put it into an internet roll-out might seem odd, but if the future of on-demand services (like the BBC's iPlayer) is to be successful, faster connections with fatter pipes are what is called for. Rural locations will have their cabling provided by private companies, but if this isn't lucrative for those private entities, then up to 3.5% of the License Fee could be transferred for broadband roll-out. They also said that homes should have, and there should be universal, access to at least 2Mbps by 2012. BBC http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tories-plan-100mbps-net-by-2017http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tories-plan-100mbps-net-by-2017TechNewsSun, 31 Jan 2010 13:43:09 UTCThe death of IE6 might be taking its sweet time, but it could be getting the hurry-up as Google has stated that they're going to officially drop support for the outdated browser in March. Users who are still rocking Microsoft's antiquated browser are now getting the hurry up from the majority of major web brands, including Facebook and now Google. Large enterprise systems, as well as the emergence of netbooks, have been widely credited with the slow demise of one of the most hated pieces of software since the advent of computers. If you wish to use Google Docs after March 1st, without weird and strange layout/functionality issues, you are urged to upgrade to the latest version of IE, or switch to Firefox, Safari or perhaps even that Google one. Google Enterprise Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-dropping-ie6-supporthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-dropping-ie6-supportTechNewsSat, 30 Jan 2010 10:04:36 UTCTesla, the electric car company behind the Roadster sportscar, has just announced that they're lining up to undertake an Initial Public Offering of its stock, floating a part of the comany on the markets. Yesterday they submitted papers in the US with regulators in order to be allowed to sell a stake valued at around $100m, adding to the near 500m loans that the US government lent them last year to help stimulate development of their green -tech as well as their production facilities. The company may be going through a dead zone at the end of next year though, as production plans for the new car (the Model S) aren't scheduled to start until 2012, with their only current model (the Roadster) perhaps ending its production life at some point in 2011. Still, it's another big Silicon Valley IPO, showing signs that - whilst the bubble isn't inflating yet - the pop is over. SF Gate http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tesla-electric-car-company-planning-ipohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tesla-electric-car-company-planning-ipoTechNewsSat, 30 Jan 2010 09:34:52 UTCCatching the weekly show that Jason Calacanis hosts on the subject of technology start-ups; This Week in Startups , the host, Jason Calacanis (known for founding Engadget and Mahalo), has just started another new movement calling for a USB port on the iPad. It's a major sticking point for a lot of users, no native USB port, and a $40 peripheral to add the functionality if you happen to have a specific need for it. We know Apple is a closed-off eco-system, but we highly doubt a native USB port would be that bad for business. Either way, if you fancy joining the lobby, make sure you tag your tweets with the hashtag; #nousbnoipad. Jason's Tweet NoUSBNoiPad Posterous http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/jason-calacanis-goes-on-ipad-usb-missionhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/jason-calacanis-goes-on-ipad-usb-missionTechNewsFri, 29 Jan 2010 22:31:05 UTCThere are some pretty powerful features in Facebook that a lot of people don't take advantage of on the world's largest social networking site that they would be they on any other site. Listing users in particular. With all of the brands, pages and groups being followed on the site, it can sometimes get a bit crowded in your stream if you use it as your main content-gathering tool (we'd advise splitting personal and content between Facebook and Twitter respectively), so they're nudging users to create user lists for brands and pages that push content out to you. This should help you separate the outside content with your personal interactions, much in the same way that Twitter has done with its Lists feature, rolled out only a few months ago. Facebook is really trying to be the Twitter for everyman, and waking up latent features is a good start. Facebook Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-gunning-for-content-lists-nowshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-gunning-for-content-lists-nowsSocial MediaNewsFri, 29 Jan 2010 20:31:48 UTCThe current crop of GTA downloadable content has been Xbox 360 exclusive for a while now, but it appears that Rockstar is now free to release it on other platforms, as versions are being lined up for the PS3 and PC. Gamers running Sony's console or a Windows-PC will be able to grab The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony on a single disc being sold at retail, or as a download on the PlayStation Network and Games for Windows - LIVE stores. You'll need a copy of the original game if you're gaming on the PC, but you wont if you're a PS3 gamer, with both versions being available from March 30th.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/grand-theft-auto-dlc-coming-to-ps3http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/grand-theft-auto-dlc-coming-to-ps3GamesNewsFri, 29 Jan 2010 16:56:32 UTCOne of the main features Apple has hyped up about the iPad tablet they just launched (the one noone was talking about), was the ability to consume the whole internet on your lap on the giant touchscreen interface. What they neglected to mention, however, is that it still doesn't support Flash which is actually quite an important part of the internet experience (so much so it's almost a standard on most traditional computing devices). The majority of online video uses Flash as a delivery mechanism, with only a few sites creating ugly hacks in order to get their videos to play on the iPhone/iPod Touch. Adobe (makers of Flash), has hit out at Apple for not including Flash, stating that consumers would miss out on 70% of games and 75% of video on the web , as well as going on to say that If I want to use the iPad to connect to Disney, Hulu, Miniclip, Farmville, ESPN, Kongregate, or JibJab -- not to mention the millions of other sites on the web -- I'll be out of luck. Can't say we disagree with them. Adobe Flash Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/adobe-hits-out-at-ipad--s-lack-of-flashhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/adobe-hits-out-at-ipad--s-lack-of-flashTechNewsFri, 29 Jan 2010 10:51:55 UTCApple has just put the iPad website live, and we've gone and gotten all of the main images of the device for your perusal - do enjoy! All images are courtesy of Apple, of course. Click the title for more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ipad-official-imageshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ipad-official-imagesTechNewsWed, 27 Jan 2010 19:54:34 UTCHere's some more information on the new Apple iPad tablet.9.7 IPS Screen iPhone OS Models with WiFi only, and models with WiFi and 3G Apple are aiming at 30-day rolling contracts for data plans WiFi only models available in 60 days WiFi and 3G toting models available in 90 days 16GB: $499 ($629), 32GB: $599 ($729), 64GB: $699 ($829) Keyboard dock available for working like a (dare I say it) netbook iPhone/iPod Touch apps will work on the device, either scaled or in iPhone-size in the middle of the screen iWork will be available for the iPad, with each aspect running you $10 They've also launched an ereader app, as well as an ebook store; dubbed iBooksWe'll bring you more info and images when Apple release them. (Image via gdgt)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-ipad-factshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-ipad-factsTechNewsWed, 27 Jan 2010 19:36:02 UTCAfter much (much) hype, Apple has finally revealed the fabled tablet-device; the iPad to the crowds at their event in San Francisco today. A lot has been rumoured over the past few weeks (even years) about the device, but finally it is here. Packing a tweaked version of the iPhone OS 4.0, it makes full use of Apple's multitouch technology that has seen such glory in the iPhone/iPod Touch, as well as on the trackpads of their mobile products. It's designed to do particular things easier than a smartphone or a laptop, specifically things like browsing the web, reading ebooks and even playing games. We'll bring you much more info as the keynote progresses, but check it out for yourself on gdgt's liveblog. (Image via gdgt)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/the-apple-ipadhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/the-apple-ipadTechNewsWed, 27 Jan 2010 18:19:04 UTCOne of the main problems with the current generation of gaming mousepads is that they don't come with any wrist support, either requiring an additional expense in buying a secondary unit, or serious risk of RSI. Razer has just announced a new product that combines both a double-sided speed/control service pad, with a gel-filled wrist support to keep gamers hands in tip-top shape. The Razer Vespula was designed with gamers in mind that need a single solution for every game they play. Different genres call for different gameplays. The advanced technology in the improved dual-sided mouse mat gives gamers choice and flexibility said Robert Razerguy Krakoff, president, Razer USA. It should be available worldwide now for around EUR35.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-razer-vespula-mousepadhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-razer-vespula-mousepadTechNewsWed, 27 Jan 2010 16:31:39 UTCWell, we've finally made it friends to the 27th January, the day of Apple's new product announcement, where we're all waiting on the launch of their fabled iTablet. To keep you salivating until later today (sometime around 6pm GMT) when their press conference starts, we thought we'd grab some of the rumours that have been cropping up online overnight and post them here in an easy-to-read format. Enjoy, and we'll see you later when we bring you all the news you'll need on whatever device they announce! Engadget has a picture of what looks like a demo unit of the device bolted to the table. 9/10 , $1000, iPhone OS Pocket-Lint is running with the news that the CEO of McGraw-Hill may have let slip their knowledge of the device, and the fact it'll launch tomorrow with an education slant. ? , $?, iPhone OS Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-tablet--today--s-the-day-editionhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-tablet--today--s-the-day-editionTechNewsWed, 27 Jan 2010 09:08:39 UTCOne of the breakthrough apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch platform has been Flight Control. It even dictated a new style of play for most users, with the finger based route-plotting formula used by dozens of other popular games now as well. Well, it has now been downloaded over 2m times in under a year since it was launched, coming out on average as over 6000 downloads per day, with 46% of those sales coming from the US and 19% coming from Great Britain. It had amazing days a few weeks into its existence, with it being launched on 5th March 2009, it had 30,000 downloads per day on the 28th and 29th March 2009. Also, Christmas Day also saw downloads reach 20,000. The game has been consistently near the top of the iPhone Paid apps charts since its release, another key feature of its success has also been that Apple has featured the game on various iTunes marketing materials as well. Well done on the 2m downloads Flight Control! Firemint http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/flight-control-hits-2m-downloadshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/flight-control-hits-2m-downloadsAppsNewsTue, 26 Jan 2010 09:25:11 UTCTechCrunch, one of the largest blogs on the net talking about all the latest startup and technology news, has been compromised by a security exploit. The company is currently looking into the problem, but for the time being the site is currently out-of-action. With its status as being on of the forefront blogs in its niche, it's not surprising that it has been targeted by hacker(s), but the timing the night before one of the biggest days of the year seems to be a warning shot. What is interesting is that CrunchGear, TechCrunch's sister publication dedicated to consumer electronics, is running smoothly, suggesting that this was a deliberate effort by the parties involved to take down TechCrunch in particular. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/techcrunch-gets-exploitedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/techcrunch-gets-exploitedTechNewsTue, 26 Jan 2010 09:03:42 UTCTwitPic has been the stalwart Twitter photo-sharing service for the microblogging platform for a while, due to its widespread integration into various clients and the simple email-to-upload feature. In the past year, two new competitors have hit up the scene in the form of yfrog and TweetPhoto. Well, the latter has now had a chunk bought by camera and film company; Kodak. The two companies have been linked in a partnership since November, with the former regularly offering competitions where Kodak products have been the prizes, as well as being featured at Kodak's CES booth this year as well. The Zi6 pocket video camera has also thrown the venerable film producer into the social media spectrum where TweetPhoto is positioned. The deal is beneficial to both parties, raising TweetPhoto's recognition outside of the social media savvy, as well as highlighting Kodak's networking play. Mashable http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/kodak-buys-a-piece-of-tweetphotohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/kodak-buys-a-piece-of-tweetphotoSocial MediaNewsMon, 25 Jan 2010 22:17:38 UTCThe two founders of web behemoth Google; Larry Page and Segey Brin, have had a controlling stake of the company between them since its inception in 1998. Now, however, they're ready to sell off some of their stocks. This will mean the pair will lose the majority stake in the company, taking their percentage from a solid 59% to a slightly-smaller(-but-still-pretty-large) 48%. The CEO, Eric Schmidt also has 10% voting control in the company, meaning we wont be seeing any major shifts in how the company operates as a result. The deal will be done over a period of 5 years so as not to negatively affect the share price (a massive sell-off would cause the stock to drop due to redundant inventory of said stock), and would net the pair $5.5bn at today's rates. PC Pro http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/larry-page-and-segey-brin-to-sell-off-google-shareshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/larry-page-and-segey-brin-to-sell-off-google-sharesTechNewsMon, 25 Jan 2010 08:35:21 UTCIn news that should be interested to all those interested in how we control our data on social media sites, Facebook is in the process of returning the /harman vanity URL to the original registrant; Harman Bajwa. In our earlier post on the subject we noted that the reason for taking the URL (http://www.facebook.com/harman) from Mr. Bajwa was due to concerns it was a cyber-squatter, and was obviously undertaken blindly as the name, well, matched the users' first name. Facebook is currently returning the vanity URL to the user, and all is right with the world, until the next time. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-giveth-vanity-url-backhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-giveth-vanity-url-backSocial MediaNewsSat, 23 Jan 2010 19:27:17 UTCNow, this one isn't currently backed up by any third-party resources, but TechCrunch has it that Facebook has taken the vanity URL /harman away from a chap called Harman Bajwa, citing reasons including a term that specifically states that the username should have a clear connection to one s identity . So, if it comes out in the wash that this is all true, Facebook is essentially saying that their entire workforce cannot connect the term Harman with the name Harman Bajwa . However, this gets more interesting, as Mr. Bajwa also received an email from someone claiming to be from the PR company of Harman International (the audiovisual company behind Harman/Kardon and JBL) saying that they've been working with Facebook to acquire the /harman URL, and offering some sweeteners to make the deal easier. We know it's their service, but Facebook has been worrying us for some time about its use of our data and information. Let's just hope it stops here at vanity URL. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-taketh-vanity-url--giveth-to-corporatehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-taketh-vanity-url--giveth-to-corporateSocial MediaNewsSat, 23 Jan 2010 10:21:57 UTCGoogle Voice is one of the most interesting products that the search giant is working on at the moment, allowing users to group together their mobile, landline and any other phone numbers into one so as to never miss a call when out and about. Unfortunately, it's not available in the UK yet, and with no timeframe for launch, it's not looking like any time soon. They've just added a new convergence though that makes that lack of Voice in the UK even more cruel; integration with Chrome. Their web browser is stealing chunks and chunks of market share from Internet Explorer and even Firefox, and now users can install an extension that allows you to call in-browser, as well as being able to see the messages and calls that you may have missed or are coming in live. Of course it's still a beta extension, but if you're a Chrome user and are one of the lucky few with Voice support; you can grab it from here.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-voice-extension-for-chrome-sits-on-toolbarhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-voice-extension-for-chrome-sits-on-toolbarTechNewsSat, 23 Jan 2010 10:03:09 UTCTwitter is currently testing a feature on their homepage where you can change the location of the Trending Topics to see what important is happening near you at any given time. This looks to only be available to a small handful of users (a la Lists and Retweets in the early days), but at the speed with which Twitter is rolling out these small, but pretty darn useful, features - we should all see it pretty soon. Essentially is enables you to select from a range of countries to see what is going on (the usual for things like this; US, Canada, UK, Brazil and Mexico) in selected countries, as well as what looks like selected cities in the US. A neat feature set that should allow more local (and in the future; hyperlocal) use of the site, rather than the extremely broad, worldwide outlook we get at the moment. Outspoken Media http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-testing-new-local-trendshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-testing-new-local-trendsSocial MediaNewsSat, 23 Jan 2010 09:21:20 UTCTwitter's suggested user list has been something of a hit-and-miss; users sign up for ths ite and are presented with 70 or so names of major tweeters on the site and are invited to follow them all. All of that is changing now though, as the company has just launched a new version which organises people per topic and category, and although is still lists the big hitters, there's more scope for surfacing newer talent. It will take for longer for users to find the quality though, and how many will stick around for the process before they want to start engaging with the twitterverse is unclear, but it should be interesting for the users who are new to the list. You can check it out during the Twitter sign-up process.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-reveals-new-suggested-user-listhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-reveals-new-suggested-user-listSocial MediaNewsFri, 22 Jan 2010 00:19:05 UTCFacebook, in their own words, has come a long way since being founded in a Harvard dorm room and being hosted on a single server. Now the company is the largest social networking platform in the world with hundreds of millions of users and billions of pieces of content to host. This is where the tricky bit for them comes in. Cloud computing is used by a lot of new startups, but when your network is larger than a lot of the players in the cloud game, you can't rely on anyone but yourself for hosting. Likewise, buying your own servers but using them in someone elses facility would also cause major scaling problems, which is why the company is building its own data center. Based in Oregon, the Prineville facility will enable the company to keep up with the brutal storage and speed requirements from being one of the most traficked sites in the world. They'll also be able to do interesting things with energy consumption, using more green energies and ensuring that everything is maintained to their security and administrative needs. It seems they may have just hit the mainstream. Facebook Blog (Image is an artist rendering)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-starts-building-own-data-centerhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-starts-building-own-data-centerSocial MediaNewsThu, 21 Jan 2010 19:18:54 UTCZynga, the social gaming company taking advantage of platforms like Facebook and Bebo to connect gamers, has made almost all of its profit off of gamers on the world's largest social network, and now they're giving back. The company has raised $1.5m to help victims of the Haiti earthquake which has left devastation in its wake through selling limited edition in-game items for users so they can contribute to the appeal. It's a simple gesture that has raised a powerful amount of money for the UN World Food Programme, who say that; through their donations, Zynga players are helping us to bring urgently needed food assistance to people who have been plunged into hunger by this devastating earthquake. The Telegraph http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/zynga-raises--1-5m-for-haiti-on-facebookhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/zynga-raises--1-5m-for-haiti-on-facebookSocial MediaNewsThu, 21 Jan 2010 16:55:07 UTCWe've gone on a quick hands-on with Seesmic's new Twitter client for Windows; Look. It's aimed at a different demographic than us here at RandomlyAccessed, and even (more than likely) youselves, however, you should take note. It's essentially a completely new user interface over Twitter, allowing you to see tweets and the ecosystem in a new light, in a more welcoming manner. Although the features aren't present for a power-user (multi-account control isn't there for example), but for un-social-media-savvy people, it should be more than enough, and for those interested and engaging the space, it's a great way to interact lightly. One way we see this working really well is when you're working having a Look Preview stream open where tweets appear in little bubbles in real-time. It's quite slow so as not to distract you, but it's a great way to view a stream when Twitter isn't your main focus. Click the title for more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-look-hands-onhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-look-hands-onSocial MediaNewsThu, 21 Jan 2010 15:47:59 UTCTwitter is great for people that understand how it works, and can really get the most out of one of the most powerful social platforms on the web. However, for the majority of people, it's simply a puddle of information, and they're overwhelmed by it. Seesmic is known for creating some of the best Twitter clients out there (especially their Windows-only and new Android/BlackBerry versions), and they've just launched a new client for those new users to the service. Look is a great new user interface over the Twitter ecosystem which allows you to view streams and trends from people without even needing an account yourself. It shows you all of the latest tweets about topics in little bubble windows, and can be viewed via different pre-made categories of users by Seesmic (for example they have a group of celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore and Kevin Rose). The main thrust of the product is on ease-of-use and ituition for those that don't require having the power-user within fingers' reach. We'll have a full hands-on later today for this Windows client. Seesmic Look http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-launches-look-easy-to-use--tablet-friendly-twitter-clienthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-launches-look-easy-to-use--tablet-friendly-twitter-clientSocial MediaNewsThu, 21 Jan 2010 15:06:04 UTCNokia is due to make a big announcement this morning regarding the Ovi store, but it looks like Mashable has gotten the jump on them, by revealing that the company will launch global turn-by-turn on its smartphones this year. Taking inspiration from Google's plan to give away Maps-infused turn-by-turn navigation on Android 2.0 handsets in the US, Nokia is also making their offering free, but going one further and extending it to 74 countries. The company is jumping on the free bandwagon as it's the only jump it can get on the iPhone at the moment, which has a large selection of GPS apps, but with the quality ones costing as much as a new sat-nav unit. No accessories have been announced yet, but this story is still developing. Mashable http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nokia-launching-ovi-maps-global-turn-by-turn-navigationhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nokia-launching-ovi-maps-global-turn-by-turn-navigationAppsNewsThu, 21 Jan 2010 09:14:52 UTCNo consumer electronics device is complete nowadays without a healthy dose of applications to run on it, and it seems that the Amazon Kindle is no exception. The book seller is planning on launching an application store for the black-and-white device, which whilst initially sounds a bit of a non-event, could be quite interesting. For example, we could create a RandomlyAccessed app for the device enabling our readers to get our non-stop tech and social media coverage, only delivered to a device that makes reading a lot more enjoyable; an e-book reader. Where this does intrigue us though, is that EA Mobile is involved (when have they not been involved in an app store launch?). Again, this wouldn't be big news if the device were regular, but we can't think of any way that a normal game would work on an e-ink screen. Each time something changes, the screen undergoes a total refresh and is then locked in that position until it completely refreshes again, making gaming rather tricky. Developers can get a hold of the Kindle Development Kit as part of a limited beta next month. Amazon KDK http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/amazon-launching-kindle-app-storehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/amazon-launching-kindle-app-storeTechNewsThu, 21 Jan 2010 08:50:12 UTCSome Facebook stock is for sale on SecondMarket (a place to buy/sell stock from private companies) at $32 per share, or more interestingly, a $14bn valuation. The start-up stock world is a complicated one; however, from what we gather from the TechCrunch article, this indicates a more rounded valuation as the chances are that the common stock these figures are based on will be worth the same as the preferred stock that Microsoft took when it invested at a $15bn valuation in 2007 if the company were to go public. The most recent common stock sale was to DST last year at a $6.5bn valuation, but now other investors have got a taste for the company and are willing to pay to get in on the action. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out, based on Facebook's rumoured revenues of anywhere between $100m-$300m, it's an interesting investment. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/private-stock-values-facebook-at--14bnhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/private-stock-values-facebook-at--14bnSocial MediaNewsWed, 20 Jan 2010 10:32:33 UTCWith the growing rivalry between Apple and Google in several of the key business areas of both companies, it seems less and less likely that the former will keep the latter as the default search provider on their flagship device; the iPhone. Business Week has it that Apple and Microsoft might be in talks discussing the possibility of making Bing the default search engine for use in Mobile Safari, and even possibly the desktop Safari as well. This isn't too shocking. There are only two main overlaps in the two companies' businesses; mobile and desktop operating systems, whereas Google will be competing on some level with both of those, as well as on hardware (Nexus One) and with other properties as well. This may only be a stop-gap though, the rumours of Apple building its own search and web app platform have been rumoured for many years, so any tie-up could only be to free them from Google to go for the power-play. Business Week http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/could-apple-make-bing-iphone-search-default-http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/could-apple-make-bing-iphone-search-default-TechNewsWed, 20 Jan 2010 08:38:30 UTCThe founder of Microsoft is obviously something of a tech-enthusiast, but someone with as many fans as him needs to make sure that any social communication doesn't dominate time-wise. Well, it seems that Bill Gates has decided to use Twitter to engage with his audience on a more personal level. Currently he has retweeted and talked about the tragedy in Haiti, as well as thanking Ashton Kutcher for welcoming him to the service. It seems there will be a more charitable slant to his Twitter stream, after all, that's what he busies himself with nowadays after leaving his everyday role at Microsoft. Welcome to Twitter, Bill Gates!http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bill-gates-joins-twitterhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bill-gates-joins-twitterSocial MediaNewsWed, 20 Jan 2010 07:55:07 UTCSeesmic founder and all-round social media guru; Loic LeMeur is one of our favourite entrepreneurs round these parts, and he is now currently teasing a new application that they are gearing up to launch on Thursday. All that we know about it is that it's called; Seesmic Look , and it will be unveiled on Thursday at 9am ET (New York time) at an event that appears will be live-streamed on this page. The company has been on something of a roll over the past few months, after launching Android and BlackBerry applications, hitting 10k Android downloads (now above 50,000) and acquiring Ping.fm a few weeks ago. Colour us intrigued. http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-gearing-up-to-launch-new-look-apphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-gearing-up-to-launch-new-look-appSocial MediaNewsTue, 19 Jan 2010 23:02:08 UTCGordon Ramsay is to begin tweeting on February 1st after preparing himself by going on a course to learn the ins-and-outs of the social networking microblogging site. The famed TV chef will be interacting with the community himself (no ghostwriters here apparently), so wants to make sure that he's doing it correctly and doesn't make any early faux pas. Celebrities have flocked to the site as it allows them to interact with each other and their fans on a more intimate level, although some do employ publicists to write their tweets and Facebook status updates for them. We can't wait to see how Ramsay will be interacting with the public when he starts tweet on Feb 1st. Monsters and Critics http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/gordon-ramsey-goes-on-course-to-learn-twitterhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/gordon-ramsey-goes-on-course-to-learn-twitterSocial MediaNewsTue, 19 Jan 2010 16:30:31 UTCYouTube, Google's massively popular video sharing site, might be down at the moment as we're seeing an Http/1.1 Service Unavailable message when hitting the site up. We checked in on the site straight after seeing this Mashable story a few minutes ago and the site was fine (from London), but navigating there now only shows the aforementioned error message. Tweets are flooding in speculating that this could be related to last weeks cyber attacks on the GOOG . We'll keep you posted, but drop in on YouTube and let us know in the comments if you can access it.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/is-youtube-down--maybehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/is-youtube-down--maybeSocial MediaNewsTue, 19 Jan 2010 11:17:16 UTCObviously, everything related to Apple's mythical tablet/slate like product (which could be announced at their event next week) is speculation, but Cnet has it from a WSJ article that Apple might be in talks with HarperCollins to serve up an ebook offering. The main rumour surrounding the device is that it will be a content-delivery device, essentially giving users access to content that would ordinarily be served up on paper on their devices, and giving publishers the ability to monetise said content, so this rumour does make a lot of sense. It does go on to say that the book publisher would decide on the price, with Apple taking the cut. Whilst this isn't how Apple would prefer to do things, this model has worked perfectly well on the App Store, so if this does come off, we'd imagine that they'd offer content up in either the App Store or a spin-off. Cnet http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/harpercollins-might-be-readying-itablet-ebookshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/harpercollins-might-be-readying-itablet-ebooksTechNewsTue, 19 Jan 2010 09:20:39 UTCApple has just invited selected members of the world-wide tech press to an event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco next week on the 27th January (next Wednesday, not the 26th). Of course, speculation dictates that the company will use this opportunity to announce the mythical iTablet or iSlate product that has been rumoured for years. Whether the event is for that or not is anyone's guess, but all we know is that Apple's stock will tank if they don't announce the tablet, and the current generation of their other mobile products are all pretty set in the middle of their product cycles, so we would wager that it's a distinct possibility. Engadget http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-press-event-on-27th-janhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-press-event-on-27th-janTechNewsMon, 18 Jan 2010 17:48:37 UTCA man has been arrested after making a joke on Twitter that he'd blow up Doncaster's Robin Hood airport if his flight were cancelled due to the snow last week. Paul Chambers tweeted; You've got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!! after snow had been affecting flights out of the airport for several days over the festive period. Now, we can obviously see both sides of this story, bomb-threat jokes aren't really that funny, especially not with the current state of aviation, but it also seems slightly heavyhanded for what (one would assume) is quite an obvious joke. The man has been released on bail until Feb 11th. The Telegraph http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/man-arrested-over-twitter-airport-bomb-jokehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/man-arrested-over-twitter-airport-bomb-jokeSocial MediaNewsMon, 18 Jan 2010 08:33:10 UTCMicrosoft is apparently dogfooding (developing a public service and using it itself) a new URL shortening service for their searches and content which is actually one character longer than Bing.com Whist Binged.it/123456 is shorter than a regular Bing search URL, it does make one wonder why they didn't just start using short codes on the regular domain name. The URL shortening wars have been intensify since we predicted they wouldn't die in August, with Google, Facebook and various other big internet brands launching their own custom variants. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bing-url-shortener-longer-than-bing-comhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bing-url-shortener-longer-than-bing-comSocial MediaNewsSat, 16 Jan 2010 14:11:45 UTCWe'll try and keep this post sarcasm free, as we aren't currently rocking the new sarcasm punctuation mark that is being bandied about by an American company to try and take the guesswork out of inserting irony into your emails and text. The swirl with a dot in the middle of it is being branded as the SarcMark , and is obviously intended for those who have a less developed sense of sarcasm as we Brits are renowned for. It's obviously a fantastic idea. In all seriousness, the mark would be ideal for deaf or hard of hearing people (as The Telegraph points out) where it would be useful in subtitles, as they might miss out on the nuances of speech in the show. Would you use a SarcMark in your work? The Telegraph http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sarcasm-mark-to-take-the-guesswork-out-of-text-based-sarcasmhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sarcasm-mark-to-take-the-guesswork-out-of-text-based-sarcasmTechNewsFri, 15 Jan 2010 17:54:11 UTCWikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, hits its 9th birthday today after being founded on Jan 15th 2001 by Jimmy Wales, Larry Sanger and Rick Astley (we kid, Wikipedia's only flaw being that anyone can edit it). The site relies on submissions from people with knowledge of all manner of topics, with articles being reviewed by a ninja-team of moderators that aim to keep the site free of the inaccuracies (such as the one in the opening paragraph). It has changed the face of the internet, knowledge-sharing, as well as education - having a profound effect on how students research their assignments and essays, which is seen by some as a good thing, and by others as the death of book-research. The internet, and my personal knowledge on subjects as diverse as John Meeson Parsons and Angeln Cattle , has been massively improved and for this we truly salute it. Happy 9th birthday! Wikipedia http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/wikipedia-turns-9-todayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/wikipedia-turns-9-todayTechNewsFri, 15 Jan 2010 08:55:23 UTCDSGi, the retail giant behind the Currys, Dixons and PC World brands, has just announced that they sold a PC or TV every 2 seconds over the festive/sales period. Needless to say, this set a new UK record for those kinds of consumer electronics, and can be put firmly down to the reasonable deals the company were offering over the period in order to stimulate demand after the country finally dragged itself out of recession. Windows 7 helped with demand as customers were willing to shell out to get the latest version of Microsoft's operating system, as well as a cheap system, for Christmas. Each DSGi megastore took $1m a piece in the first week of the sales. Sky News http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dsgi-sells-a-pc-or-tv-every-2-seconds-over-xmashttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dsgi-sells-a-pc-or-tv-every-2-seconds-over-xmasTechNewsThu, 14 Jan 2010 10:20:45 UTCValleywag, the Silicon Valley column on the New York pop-culture blog; Gawker, has just announced that they're ready to offer large sums of cash to anyone with information on the Apple tablet that turns out to be true. If you provide the company with any information in regards to how it'll work, what software it'll run, the hardware or even pictures they'll give you cash once the device is revealed and your information turns out to be correct. Of course, anyone with knowledge of the device would more than likely be under a water-tight contract explicitly banning this kind of leaking, so it will be a legal (rather than moral) problem were someone to actually take them up on the offer. $100k if they let Valleywag play with a device for a couple of hours? Apple wouldn't let it out of its sight for more than a couple of nanoseconds (at least not for the time being anyway). Gawker http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/gawker-offering--100k-for-itablet-infohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/gawker-offering--100k-for-itablet-infoTechNewsWed, 13 Jan 2010 23:08:11 UTCGoogle has been working in China for four years now, and they've never sniffed at censoring the content the government there wishes them to so as to gain traction in one of the fastest growing economies out there. So why pull out? Sure, the cyber attacks are a major reason and they might explain the question why now? , but there have been numerous cases of the Chinese government going after dissidents online (although not going through Google) and the company hasn't batted an eyelid. Rumours of figures put Google's market-share in China at about 30%, behind Baidu's (a Chinese specific search engine) 60%, but that is growing all of the time. Are Google getting the Chinese used to their services, only to pull the plug out and going for the power-play, forcing the government to reassess their censoring position? It's a 50/50 argument, but it does look as though they wont be operating in China in the short-term.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/is-google-trying-to-force-china--s-hand-http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/is-google-trying-to-force-china--s-hand-TechNewsWed, 13 Jan 2010 16:54:42 UTCGlobal analytical company CSS Insight has just released a new report outlining their predictions for the explosive uptake of mobile broadband services in Europe, with the number of subscribers and the revenue set to nearly double by 2011. They state that the total number of subscribers to mobile broadband in Europe will rise from 22m at the end of 2009, up to 43m in 2011. With revenues jumping from 6bn to 11bn. This growth is expected to be stimulated by expanded roll-outs of LTE and HSPA 4G networks, which should allow networks to offer tiered 3G/4G services to cope with demand. The UK also has the cheapest rates for mobile broadband, with the fairest deal being 17pcm for 3GB of data traffic, as well as across the standard network offerings in Europe of 1GB, 3GB and 5GB (whereas Germans can sometimes pay 45 per GB). GSM World http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/explosive-growth-predicted-for-eu-mobile-broadbandhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/explosive-growth-predicted-for-eu-mobile-broadbandTechNewsWed, 13 Jan 2010 09:28:43 UTCThe CEO of the microblogging site (that we're running out of synonyms for); Twitter, has just announced that yesterday was the highest-usage day for the site across all of the worthwhile metrics. Those metrics weren't revealed, but are traditionally regarded as page views, unique visitors, bandwidth, API calls and (we guess) the number of tweets. So, those rumours of the site's death seem to be greatly exaggerated (of course, the timing is rather convenient on the day that their stats are released, but we'll gloss over that), although today is expected to be bigger. Ev's Tweet http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/yesterday-was-twitter--s-biggest-dayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/yesterday-was-twitter--s-biggest-daySocial MediaNewsWed, 13 Jan 2010 00:01:15 UTCGoogle is currently reviewing its position in China after a recent spate of attacks on their network which were apparently trying to access the private Gmail accounts of human rights activists in the country. The decision to move operations into the country was considered by many to be the wrong thing to do, after all, the company has had to censor searches and websites for the 4 years they've operated Google.cn, but they stuck with it and grew their brand in one of the world's fastest growing economies. However, the company is no longer willing to censor its search results after these recent attacks (which weren't just directed at Google, but a number of multi-nationals), and so will discuss its future with Chinese officials with the most likely scenario being that they will have to shut down their presence in the country. Official Google Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-may-shut-down-chinese-office-after-cyber-attackshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-may-shut-down-chinese-office-after-cyber-attacksTechNewsTue, 12 Jan 2010 23:46:16 UTCFacebook's email notifications for when someone comments on your wall or sends you a direct message are immensely usefl if you don't spend that much time on the service itself, and now they're opening them up to more functionality. You'll now be able to reply to comments and messages by replying to the email notification you've been sent. This should work for status updates, photos, videos and wall posts on the social network, keeping you involved in the conversation at every stage. You don't even need to be logged into the service as it uses the email account you used when registering for Facebook, however, you might want to keep a check on those passwords as it opens up another avenue for mischevious friends to play around with your account. Facebook Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/reply-to-facebook-comments-via-emailhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/reply-to-facebook-comments-via-emailSocial MediaNewsTue, 12 Jan 2010 18:19:42 UTCO2 is to bring Rugby into 3D with the announcement that they are to screen all of England's home Six Nations matches in 3D, with them viewable at 40 cinema locations across the country. The film Avatar has really given cinema-goers a thirst for 3D content, and this will be the first time that a sporting event has been shown in 3D in Europe. O2 is being pretty generous as well, letting customers get access to Priority Tickets to the screenings through the O2 blueroom (which go on general sale from the 25th Jan), and a free pint at each match. Sally Cowdry, Marketing Director at O2, said: As England team sponsor we re committed to enhancing the experience for rugby fans. With these screenings we ll be using the latest technology to let thousands of fans across the country get closer to the action and join in the excitement of celebrating 100 years of England Rugby at Twickenham . O2 News Centre http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/o2-to-screen-six-nations-matches-in-3d-at-cinemashttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/o2-to-screen-six-nations-matches-in-3d-at-cinemasTechNewsTue, 12 Jan 2010 14:36:21 UTCThe world's largest social networking site is steadily making more inroads into every online platform there is with the announcement that their Facebook Connect service has just been integrated with virtual word; Habbo Hotel. Facebook Connect allows users to take parts of their profiles on the social networking site to other services and sites, meaning that all of their information and contacts can be integrated wherever they're needed. This implementation allows the 15m monthly unique users of Habbo Hotel to find their friends in the virtual world who are also connected to them on Facebook. Habbo also announced that they are looking at implementing other networks into the service, like; MySpace, Yahoo! and Google. Casualgaming.biz http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/habbo-hotel-now-works-with-facebook-connecthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/habbo-hotel-now-works-with-facebook-connectSocial MediaNewsTue, 12 Jan 2010 12:37:59 UTCMuch has always been made of Twitter's traffic scores over the past year. People have spelled the doom for the microblogging site, saying that a startup that stands still is actually going backwards, but there's one major difference with Twitter; the API. You might see some stats around the web from Compete predicting the doom of the site as their visitor numbers (thus growth) has stayed at/or around the same point for the past few months. Now the stats for Twitter.com might be correct, but we're sure the site is growing just fine due to its heavy (and some would say unwise) reliance on third-party applications. Tweets and users using these applications are apparently not included in the statistics for the site, so all we can gather from the data is that as soon as someone signs-up, at least one other user takes their experience to the next-level and gets it on via an app - not an unreasonable suggestion. Should we be worried by these stats? No. Twitter wont make money by flogging ads (we don't think), but by selling access to the firehose of tweets (the feed of every tweet being submitted to the site) to application developers and search companies, so we shouldn't be too worried about the future either. Compete Stats for Twitter.com http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/why-is-twitter-flatlining-http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/why-is-twitter-flatlining-Social MediaNewsTue, 12 Jan 2010 10:09:49 UTCDevelopers can now get their hands on the version of the Android SDK (software development kit) that is powering the Google Nexus One; version 2.1, which provides a variety of small features and upgrades for the open-source mobile operating system. The main user-feature is that of Live Wallpapers, meaning that developers can now create their own interactable backgrounds for your Android panels, which whilst not that functional, should increase user enjoyment of their device. Google have also opened up access to the phone's signal strength for developers, opening the door for a more fully-featured phone-status app. The update doesn't bring much more to the party for the end-user, but does add some upgrades and tweaks to the backend. No major hardware company has announced a firm date for upgrading existing handsets to the consumer 2.1 release, so developers have come time with the SDK before they can make full use of it. More information on the 2.1 SDK is available from here.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-releases-android-2-1-sdkhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-releases-android-2-1-sdkTechNewsTue, 12 Jan 2010 09:51:05 UTCThe rumours about the mythical Apple iTablet have hit fever pitch in recent weeks, and with the expected announcement pegged for only a few weeks away, we may have some confirmation. An exec at France Telecom (Orange's parent company) may have just confirmed that the tablet is coming, and that it will be available on the network. He's also reported to have confirmed that the device will (shockingly) have a webcam, although no other details were released. Orange's PR have tried to backtrack, saying that his comments (which were merely answering Yes to the question of whether it's coming) were taken out of context, made worse by the translation to English. Right. So who doesn't believe we'll be seeing an Apple Tablet announced later this month? TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/did-france-telecom-exec-just-confirm-the-itablet-http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/did-france-telecom-exec-just-confirm-the-itablet-TechNewsMon, 11 Jan 2010 18:04:45 UTCFoursquare, the location-based service where users check-in (sending out a message to networks about where they are) at various locations from their mobile devices to earn badges and titles, has just announced that they've had their biggest day ever yesterday, with the service registering more than one check-in per second. The service has seen explosive growth in recent months, with more and more people using it across the iPhone, Android and webOS platforms, sending out location-based updates to their friends on Foursquare itself, as well as Twitter and Facebook. Some shops are offering discounts to users who check-in whilst in the store as it's an interesting viral marketing avenue, with the main draw for people being the ultimate prize of being the Mayor of a location (the person who's checked-in the most at that place). Still, more than one check-in per second is an immense achievement for the company. Foursquare Tweet http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/foursquare-registers-more-than-1-check-in-per-second-yesterdayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/foursquare-registers-more-than-1-check-in-per-second-yesterdayAppsNewsSun, 10 Jan 2010 18:25:26 UTCWikileaks, the site that shot to fame for anonymously shining a glowing light on corruption and attempts at covering up free speach, will be down until Monday as it struggles to keep itself running due to a lack of funds. It was instrumental in the Guardian/Trafigura in October by releasing the court details that the super-gagging order was supposed to suppress. They've raised $50,000 of this years' required amount, although they're still $150,000 short of the minimum they need to see out the year, and $550,000 away from making it a full-time concern. Donations are being accepted via PayPal and even in lawyer-hours . Wikileaks.org (Image)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/wikileaks-closes-for-a-few-days-due-to-lack-of-fundshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/wikileaks-closes-for-a-few-days-due-to-lack-of-fundsSocial MediaNewsSat, 09 Jan 2010 11:40:59 UTCHootSuite, a web-based application that allows you to monitor and update your major social networks, has just raised an additional $1.9m in a recent round, according to TechCrunch. The site was one of the first full-featured web-based clients for the site and managed to gain some real traction before the likes of Brizzly came along for consumer users and CoTweet for business users. It allows you to update not only multiple Twitter clients, but also your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles as well. They recently launched an iPhone app, and we'd imagine the funding will be used in order to help bolster their mobile offerings, whilst also trying to gain a stronger corporate foothold on the web. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/hootsuite-raises--1-9mhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/hootsuite-raises--1-9mSocial MediaNewsSat, 09 Jan 2010 09:44:03 UTCMicrosoft has released more information about the interestingly-styled new Arc keyboard, with the focus being on ergonomics. It weighs in at only around 0.45kg, and has a svelte form-factor which (as the name suggests) arcs to a point in the middle, and has a slight twist to it like the majority of ergonomic keyboards out there, with inspiration apparently drawn from where the product is expected to be used, so it should look at home in a domestic environment. The wireless receiver snaps into the bottom of the unit, and when plugged into a spare USB port on a computer, allows you to type from up to 15 feet away. There's also a new 4-way D-Pad that replaces the standard arrow keys, saving space, and should be instantly usable to anyone who's used a games console in the past decade. It's exclusive to Best Buy in the US, and will be available for around $60, although there's no word on a UK release yet.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-dishes-more-info-on-new-arc-keyboardhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-dishes-more-info-on-new-arc-keyboardTechNewsFri, 08 Jan 2010 22:53:17 UTCPocket-Lint managed to get some snaps of a new Dell concept that packs a 16 OLED screen which allows a near-180 degree viewing angle. The ultra-bright display has a contrast ratio greater than 10,000:1 with a 0.004ms response time, and it's slipped into a very nice Studio chassis. I've been using a Studio 15 for around 6 months now, and must say it fights well above its weight, so a similar form factor with a dazzling screen sounds like a winner. Of course, this is currently only a concept, but if it's a sign of things to come - we're all in luck. Pocket-Lint (Image)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-shows-off-oled-packing-studio-16-concepthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-shows-off-oled-packing-studio-16-conceptTechNewsFri, 08 Jan 2010 21:30:50 UTCOcado has been playing around with some pretty innovative features in recent months, first they launched an iPhone app to do your shopping on-the-go, and now they're letting customers rate individual products. Their new Ratings Reviews service will let users see ratings (out of 5 stars) of a products value for money, quality of packaging and overall quality, as well as being able to rate them themselves using an alias, with the company encouraging the sharing of these to Facebook and Twitter. The system is currently undergoing final testing, and should be live at the end of this month for Reserve and Demand customers to use (with all customers being able to access it at the start of February), as it is now believed that 77% of online shoppers rely on user reviews for part of the decision-making process. Ocado http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ocado-now-lets-you-rate-grocerieshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ocado-now-lets-you-rate-groceriesSocial MediaNewsFri, 08 Jan 2010 17:31:41 UTCTwitter has just made a filing with the SEC outlining the acquisition of an extra $5.2m of cash on its books after buying GeoAPI maker; Mixer Labs. The filing had journalists confused as it was made simply showing a new $5.2m funding round, which would have been odd for a company that raised $100m in September, and which is reported to be cash-profitable. So, Twitter gets Mixer Labs and its geolocation know-how, and also adds $5.2m to its books (we guess as part of unused funding on Mixer's count). paidContent http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter--s-mixer-labs-acquisition-brings--5-2mhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter--s-mixer-labs-acquisition-brings--5-2mSocial MediaNewsFri, 08 Jan 2010 13:15:30 UTCApple bought web music-streaming service Lala a last month, and they're already utilising some of the latter's technology in a revamped version of the iTunes website which now allows a 30 second preview of songs. Simply head to the iTunes Chart site, click on an album or song, and you'll be taken to a page where it'll try and load iTunes as well as giving you the ability to partake in a taster of the song straight on the web page. Whilst this isn't a full-on web-based iTunes, it does show a general direction by Apple to control the content, but make it friendlier for users to pick and choose their music wherever they are. A simple, yet elegant implementation of the web-based music-streaming technology they paid (apparently quite a lot) for. iTunes Charts (via PCWorld and Engadget)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple--s-lala-buy-put-to-work-with-30s-web-previewshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple--s-lala-buy-put-to-work-with-30s-web-previewsSocial MediaNewsFri, 08 Jan 2010 12:28:13 UTCIn response to rumours that social media blog Mashable was being sold to AOL, the founder Pete Cashmore has issued a statement that confirms discussions have taken place with multiple parties, but that no deal has been reached. While his would normally be the end of such speculation (with the irony that the founder of a blog in our sphere is commenting on speculation not being lost on us), the wording leaves the company plenty of wiggle-room in regards to any current or future negotiations. Robert Scoble has it that a deal might be being cut in regards to advertising with AOL's platform as opposed to an out-and-out acquisition, which would leave both parties sitting nicely in a tree if that were to happen in the future. Oh, and if AOL is looking to add a social media and tech blog to their portfolio, they know who to call. Mashable Statement http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/mashable-sort-of-denies-it--s-sellinghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/mashable-sort-of-denies-it--s-sellingSocial MediaNewsFri, 08 Jan 2010 09:37:27 UTCTweetDeck is the most popular desktop client, and one of the most popular iPhone/iPod Touch clients out there, mainly due to the feature-set and partly because both are free, and now the company has rolled out some new updates. First up, they've integrated Lists into the client, meaning that you can simply add a new column in the app to view all of the Lists of users you've created on-the-go. Then, they've taken their interesting Retweet implementation from the desktop version and given it to the iPhone, whereby you can choose to do an old-school (where you can edit and add comments) retweet, or a new official retweet. Also, perhaps more interestingly, the app now has support for Twitter's Geolocation API, which means that you can not only tag a location to any tweet (saved from the iPhone's GPS), but also see on a map from the device where your friends are tweeting from, and if they're near. The update should be available from the App Store now. TweetDeck Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetdeck-iphone-gets-lists--retweets-and-geohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetdeck-iphone-gets-lists--retweets-and-geoAppsNewsFri, 08 Jan 2010 08:27:41 UTCGoogle is known for supporting some of the major open formats on the web, and their most recent hire pledges their continued support for those in the future with the search giant getting the face of OAuth and OpenID; Chris Messina. The search behemoth has been left a bit behind with the explosion in social networking (or a deliberate ploy to scoop up the data without needing to maintain a site), but with more and more sites supporting various standards such as ActivityStreams and OpenID, they're becoming more involved, and getting someone on board who's been involved in all of the stages of these projects will be a major boon. Let's see what new, open, projects Google will be cooking up with this new hire, and good luck to Chris in his new role! Factory Joe Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-bolsters-open-web-efforts-with-chris-messina-hirehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-bolsters-open-web-efforts-with-chris-messina-hireSocial MediaNewsThu, 07 Jan 2010 16:27:04 UTCNot resting on its laurels with a certain other device they're involved in, HTC has come out and announced a new smartphone aimed at the lower-end of the market, only this time based on the BREW MP operating system. They've skinned the OS with their Sense UI that has been making the rounds on their Android and WinMo devices of late, but due to the smaller footprint and lower hardware requirements, BREW MP can be placed on cheaper handsets - getting them in the hands of more people (exactly what I spoke of before). The 2.8 (we're guessing) resistive touchscreen phone should be available in Europe soon, although no word on when exactly yet. HTC Smart http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-announces-brew-based-smarthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-announces-brew-based-smartTechNewsThu, 07 Jan 2010 15:16:02 UTCThe government has finally managed to battle its own bureaucracy and get the emergency legislation in place that prohibits shops from selling products with age classifications to anyone below that age. If you remember, the 1984 Video Recordings Act was found to be unenforceable back in August, which meant that shops could not be prosecuted for selling age-rated material to children (although many kept the system in place out of a moral duty). The reason it has taken so long to plug the hole is due to European regulator scrutiny, although it does still leave one baffled as to how it takes 4 months to implement emergency legislation. Oh well, it seems your local morally bankrupt store can no longer sell that copy of GTA IV to that 4 year old. MCV http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/government-finally-plugs-the-ratings-holehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/government-finally-plugs-the-ratings-holeGamesNewsThu, 07 Jan 2010 14:57:27 UTCWhen Google lifted the lid on its own Android handset, the Nexus One, it was available unlocked and on contract in the US, with Vodafone listed as carrying the phone in Europe, but only starting in Spring . However, paidContent has it that both 3 and T-Mobile are in talks with the search giant to offer the handset on their networks. Whether or not they subsidise the handset, or just offer it as an option are unclear, but in an email to paidContent, 3 made it clear they're ready for people to use it on their waves. Our 15 SIMs are ready and waiting, says David Kerrigan, head of internet services at 3. The phone will only be available through the Google webstore (as Vodafone confirms), so dont expect to just wander into a Vodafone, 3 or T-Mobile shop and pick one up, it seems Google is keeping a tight rein on this one. paidContent UK http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/3-and-t-mobile-in-talks-to-offer-the-nexus-onehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/3-and-t-mobile-in-talks-to-offer-the-nexus-oneTechNewsThu, 07 Jan 2010 14:03:07 UTCAOL is well known for taking punts on the blogosphere for gaining traffic and thus advertising dollars, and it is reportedly going after one of the biggest in the social media sphere; Mashable. The blog, which covers many of the same things we do; like Twitter news, social networking, media and much more, has a massive following on the microblogging site with nearly 2m followers and another 400,000 on other services. Retweets of stories from the site regularly get into the 300-400 range, with some reaching nearer 1000 for a worthy read, so it's no wonder that Gawker is reporting that the owners of Weblogs Inc (the company behind Engadget, Autoblog, TUAW and countless others) would be going after the leader in its field. Unconfirmed from either party, but a totally reasonable rumour we'd imagine. Gawker http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/aol-to-acquire-mashable-http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/aol-to-acquire-mashable-Social MediaNewsWed, 06 Jan 2010 21:45:46 UTCRazer, the PC gaming peripheral company, has just announced that they're going to develop a wired, tournament-grade Xbox 360 controller to be used by the hardcore console gamers they've not currently been targeting. Microsoft has given their approval for the company to develop the Onza Professional Gaming Controller for the 360, as well as the Chimaera Professional Gaming Headset for the console as well. It will come packed with Razer Hyperesponse buttons, analog sticks with customisable tension and a programmable multi-function button whose example-usage isn't mentioned. It wont be available for a while, but expect to fork over $49.99 (EUR44.99) for the controller, and $129.99 (EUR109.99) for the 5.1 surround sound headset.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/razer-to-develop-tourno-grade-xbox-360-controllerhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/razer-to-develop-tourno-grade-xbox-360-controllerTechNewsWed, 06 Jan 2010 19:32:35 UTCThe Nexus One announcement is massive news in the battle for high-level smartphone superiority, showing that the iPhone platform really does have the spectre of Google and Android behind it. However, the major battlefront over the next 18-months or so might not be the high-end handsets, but the lower end of the market which is (at the moment) significantly larger. The chances of Apple revealing a device that can be had on pay-as-you-go are marginal at best, and laughable at worst (now I've made that statement, they'll announce one, but I digress), but the chances of seeing an Android device creep under the 150 handset price are entirely reasonable. Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/android-and-the-race-for-the-dumbphonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/android-and-the-race-for-the-dumbphoneTechOpinionWed, 06 Jan 2010 10:22:53 UTCThe second annual Shorty Awards has just kicked off, which allows you to nominate tweeters on the microblogging site for an award in a particular category. Rather than nominating a funny or interesting tweet, voters are encouraged to vote on the entirety of the votee's work, so it's about those that add true value to your network as opposed to a one-tweet-wonder. Working in much the same way as other voting events have occured on Twitter, you need to send a tweet to your followers with a specific format and hashtag, as well as a reason for voting, for it to be picked up as a vote. There are 27 official categories, where the winners will be honoured in an awards ceremony in NYC in March, but other crowdsourced categories will also be added as the contest rolls along. Shorty Awards http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/awards-ceremony-to-honour-tweetshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/awards-ceremony-to-honour-tweetsSocial MediaNewsWed, 06 Jan 2010 09:32:30 UTCIt looks like a lot of companies are jumping into bed with location-application developers in order to do something a little bit different in order to attract attention, with Intel partnering with Foursquare to offer exclusive CES badges when checking in at the event. When users check-in at specific locations around the Consumer Electronics Show, they unlock specially designed and exclusive awards on the service, which might land you a free netbook, as they're giving one away to a random user who connects with them and checks in. It's something a little bit different, and if you're at the event, it might be worth looking out for the Intel Check-In signs dotted around the show floor. Intel Scoop http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/intel-offers-up-exclusive-ces-foursquare-badgeshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/intel-offers-up-exclusive-ces-foursquare-badgesAppsNewsWed, 06 Jan 2010 09:00:57 UTCAmazon has just revealed that they will be offering their largest and flagship e-reader device; the Kindle DX, for sale to international customers with global wireless. Like the standard Kindle, it will still only be sold through their US store, so you will have to factor in any import taxes wherever you live, but the international 3G Whispernet service allows you to get books, newspapers, magazines and even Wikipedia searches onto the device from wherever you are. The 9.7 e-reader, with space for over 3,500 books, will start shipping on January 19th to over 100 countries for $489 ( 305 at current exchange rates). Amazon Kindle DX http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/amazon-kindle-dx-released-globally-on-jan-19thhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/amazon-kindle-dx-released-globally-on-jan-19thTechNewsWed, 06 Jan 2010 08:11:42 UTCSo many news outlets are covering the Google Nexus One announcement tonight, that I thought we should offer you up the salient facts and bring you more information once the device is in the wild.3.7 AMOLED 800 x 480 pixel screen 5MP Camera with LED flash and autofocus Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor 512MB RAM 4GB MicroSD card (expandable to 32GB) A-GPS, compass, accelerometer and WiFi positioning Weighs 130 grams with battery 250 hours standby on 3G Android 2.1 Eclair $529 SIM free, $179 on a T-Mobile Even More individual 500 Plan in the US, with a Vodafone release for Europe coming soon, and a Verizon release in the US under the Droid branding as well in Spring Made by HTC, makers of the Hero, G1 and Tattoo Android handsets That's about it for the Google Nexus One in bullet-points, look out for more information when we get our hands on a device. Google Nexus One http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-nexus-one-factshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-nexus-one-factsTechNewsWed, 06 Jan 2010 00:12:21 UTCMicrosoft has lifted the lid on the pricing structure for Office 2010 in the United States, with two different ways to get your hands on the latest iteration of their flagship productivity suite. If you walk into a shop and want to buy the product there-and-then, then these are the prices you'll be paying: Office Home and Student - $149 Office Home and Business - $279 Office Professional - $499 Office Professional Academic - $99 However, Microsoft has teamed up with several OEMs and major retailers to offer a discount in the form of a Product Key Card , which allows you a one-shot digital download license. Prices for the PKC versions are after the break.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/office-2010-us-pricing-revealedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/office-2010-us-pricing-revealedTechNewsTue, 05 Jan 2010 17:03:07 UTCApple has just announced that the total number of apps that have been downloaded on their App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms has now topped 3 billion. In a short statement, Apple CEO Steve Jobs says; Three billion applications downloaded in less than 18 months - this is like nothing we ve ever seen before. This isn't an amazing surprise, given that the number of networks the iPhone is one is ever increasing, with two layers of mobile phone device (3G and 3GS), along with several layers of iPod Touch which has been doing a roaring trade of late. Android has a lot to catch up with in the application space, and with today's expected announcement of the Google Nexus One, the fight may well be getting underway. Macworld http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/app-store-downloads-now-over-3-billionhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/app-store-downloads-now-over-3-billionAppsNewsTue, 05 Jan 2010 14:50:13 UTCLenovo has just announced a new product that takes the concepts of a laptop and a tablet and squeezes them into just one product. Sitting normally, the device is a standard notebook, but the screen can be removed to become a tablet. The 11.6 screen leaves it sitting in the grey area between a netbook and laptop, although it is powered by a slightly meatier Core2Duo processor from Intel when in laptop mode, and a nippy little Snapdragon chipset from Qualcomm when in tablet form. The tablet packs 16GB of flash storage and 512MB of RAM, whilst the laptop can be configured with an SSD up to 128GB and 4GB of RAM, with the multitouch tablet booting into a custom flavour of Linux, dubbed; Skylight, with Windows being run when in laptop mode. It'll cost $999, and wont be available until the Summer, however, this does show the kind of form factor that many companies are looking at in trying to combat the threat of the mythical Apple tablet. PC Mag http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/lenovo-announces-laptop-tablet-hybridhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/lenovo-announces-laptop-tablet-hybridTechNewsTue, 05 Jan 2010 10:07:54 UTCKe$ha has just set the female music download record for her song; Tik Tok, for last week, as she shifted 610,000 digital copies of the track, as well as being a featured artist on the all-time number 1; Right Round by Flo Rida. The song, which is to appear on her debut album Animal that launches tomorrow well and truly eclipsed the former holder of the record; Lady Gaga, who set it for Just Dance over the same period last year by shifting 419,000 copies. The week after Christmas is traditionally the best time for legal music downloads, as users are filling up their newly acquired MP3 players with all their favourite tracks. Billboard http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ke-ha-sets-female-song-download-recordhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ke-ha-sets-female-song-download-recordTechNewsMon, 04 Jan 2010 20:23:28 UTCHot on the heels of Google's New Year Easter Egg, the search giant has revealed a doodle for today celebrating Sir Isaac Newton's birthday. The difference with this one though, is that when scrolled over, the doodle drops an apple off of the logo, with it landing under the Advertising Programmes link at the bottom of the page, obviously in reference with the eureka moment Newton had in discovering gravity. These more interactive homepage elements that Google has been playing with recently are a lot more fun that the normal static graphic, and they don't clutter the page like some of the more interesting aspects of other sites that try the same approach. Give it a look on their homepage.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-gets-interactive-doodle-for-newton--s-birthdayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-gets-interactive-doodle-for-newton--s-birthdaySocial MediaNewsMon, 04 Jan 2010 19:07:55 UTCSeesmic, the video company that has transformed itself into a social media application developer, has been expected to aquire another social media company over the past few weeks; Ping.fm, with the deal being official announced today. The deal allows users to update 50 social networking sites from one place, and with Seesmic gaining a lot of ground in the application space recently (with Android, BlackBerry and a Windows-only client hitting right at the end of last year), users should start moving across to the platform for their networking usage. Financials of the deal were not released, but Seesmic has taken on the angel investors and advisors from Ping.fm, with Joi Ito, Reid Hoffman and Mohamed Nanabhay all continuing their advisory roles with the combined company. Seesmic Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-aquires-ping-fmhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-aquires-ping-fmSocial MediaNewsMon, 04 Jan 2010 18:39:50 UTCNewcomer to the consumer electronics world; Skiff, has just announced a new product that is looking to shake up the e-reader market, as not only does it have the largest screen for these type of devices, but also full touch too. The electronic ink screen is 11.6 , packing a resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels which is shatter and crack proof due to its lack of internal glass, all contained in a magnesium housing, so it should be rather quite durable. It's 3G enabled for long-range wireless use, and also has WiFi for short-range wireless use, as well as 3GB of storage for content with an SDHC card slot for expansion. There's also a built in speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to audio content on the device, and the battery could last you over a week if you keep the wireless to a minimum. It'll be previewed at CES later this week. Skiff Reader http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/skiff-announces-largest-e-reader-with-full-touchhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/skiff-announces-largest-e-reader-with-full-touchTechNewsMon, 04 Jan 2010 18:29:53 UTCJason Calacanis, one of our favoured entrepreneurs here at RandomlyAccessed and founder of Engadget and Mahalo, has just announced a competition whereby if the Twitter account; @auto gets more followers than Ashton Kutcher and makes it to number 1 on the site, he will give away a Tesla Model S electric car to a random follower. Kutcher has over 4.2m followers, so it is quite a mountain to climb in order to beat him, however, with the sniff of a free car on the horizon the number of followers should ramp up nicely. Tesla is an American company, so we don't see any problems with this if you're in the US, and the account tweeted that they're looking into international distribution if the eventual winner was from anywhere else. So, simply follow @auto and you could win the #85 Tesla Model S saloon.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/win-a-tesla-model-s-on-twitterhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/win-a-tesla-model-s-on-twitterSocial MediaNewsSun, 03 Jan 2010 22:03:24 UTCStephen Fry is taking time off of Twitter to focus on writing a book that has to be completed by April for his publisher. In a mini blog post on his site, the esteemed actor and intellectual who has brought mainstream acceptance in the UK to the microblogging service, said that he has to work with no distractions in order to get his work completed, which means no TV work, no meetings and no Twitter. The book is a follow-up to the first part of his memoirs; Moab is my Washpot , which was written twelve years ago, long before many of the current technological distractions were made. Although it's nice to hear that he's back writing once again, Twitter will be a quieter place without him for the next few months. Stephen Fry Site http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/stephen-fry-takes-twitter-sabbaticalhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/stephen-fry-takes-twitter-sabbaticalSocial MediaNewsSat, 02 Jan 2010 11:13:15 UTCHappy New year people! It's a new year and a new decade, and Google is helping us celebrate by offering an Easter Egg on their homepage for those interested. Simply head to the Google site, and click I'm Feeling Lucky without typing anything in the search box, and the page will explode in a bout of fireworks saying; Happy New Year . The company has a long history of adding little treats and tricks to their homepage to generate some interest, although one does wonder whether this was found as a result of an accident, or whether people play with the site every holiday to try and find one. Google http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-new-years-easter-egghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-new-years-easter-eggSocial MediaNewsFri, 01 Jan 2010 22:20:42 UTCDrew Carey, the American TV host, is currently engadged in a charity auction on Twitter where when he and the Livestrong account reach a million followers, he'll donate $1m to charity and get the @drew username. Well, he's just announced that he's raising the time limit, and instead of it being before the end of 2009 as previously stated (obviously, that ends tonight), it's whenever the combined total hits one million. Lots of cash to charity, lots of followers for a seemingly good bloke and the guys gets his preferred username of of Drew Olanoff of #blamedrewscancer fame. Tweet http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/drew-carey-raises-time-limit-on-twitter-auctionhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/drew-carey-raises-time-limit-on-twitter-auctionSocial MediaNewsThu, 31 Dec 2009 18:39:21 UTCIn a piece in the NY Times today, YouTube has mentioned that improvements to their search function has led to users watching 50% more clips in the past year, increasing ad revenues but also bandwidth costs. Independant traffic measurement from comScore also shows that the average user watched 53 clips in October 2008, compared to over 83 this year, showing an even bigger growth. The video streaming service is almost 10x the size of its nearest competitor, but it still considers itself small-fry compared to its main rival; TV, although these figures show that it is still growing, and could one day be the platform of choice. NY Times http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/youtube-users-watch-50--more-over-last-yearhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/youtube-users-watch-50--more-over-last-yearSocial MediaNewsThu, 31 Dec 2009 14:24:28 UTC2009 has been the best year for RandomlyAccessed since its inception in March 2006, with the site finding a true voice talking about the internet, tech and social media stories and getting a loyal following on Twitter. We look back at the year with the Top 10 most read stories on the site for the past year. 1. Microsoft will help feed the hungry if you drop IE6 for IE8 SmashingMag caught our original message about Microsoft's plan to bribe users to upgrade to IE8 by offering 16 free meals per upgrade. Due to its anti-IE6 nature, designers around the world picked up on it, and the story received nearly 900 retweets. 2. New Packard Bell ixtreme desktop Engadget picked up on our story about the first product to be released after Pakcard Bell underwent a brand redesign, with a new gaming-orientated PC. Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-10-stories-this-yearhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-10-stories-this-yearTechNewsThu, 31 Dec 2009 13:03:49 UTCOrange has just announced that it will be rolling-out an update to its network in 2010 that allows voice calls to be made in high-definition, making them sharper and clearer on existing devices. Building on their push to become to best 3G network in the country, the company is launching trials of the HD Voice service in early 2010 and will be offering a full service to its customers later in the year. Tom Alexander, CEO of Orange UK, said: Orange is proud to be leading the industry into the next decade by announcing a new standard in voice innovation that will transform the mobile experience for customers in the UK. Further details are expected to be made closer to the trials in 2010. Orange Newsroom http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-to-roll-out-mobile-hd-voice-in-2010http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-to-roll-out-mobile-hd-voice-in-2010TechNewsThu, 31 Dec 2009 10:56:27 UTCFOXNews has confirmed with sources within Apple that the company is to host an event on the 26th January related to the mobility space, which leads us to believe it's iPhone, iPod Touch or even Tablet related. This comes at around the time in January that previous blow-out devices have been launched, such as the iPhone, but we weren't expecting anything this early in the year in 2010 as the company wasn't fulfilling its usual Macworld conference spot which was the spot for past announcements. Whether this is the launch of the mythical tablet device, we don't know, although the timing does link up with other rumours as well as previous form, and seeing as the previous iMac and Macbook updates didn't even have a press conference, this should be a big deal. FOXNews http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-to-host-mobile-focused-event-in-januaryhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-to-host-mobile-focused-event-in-januaryTechNewsThu, 31 Dec 2009 09:39:25 UTCThe UK startup scene has been going through something of a tough time with the state of the economy in recent months, however, with the announcement that we're now out of the recession a London based firm has just be acquired for a 9-figure sum. SpinVox converts voice messages into text so that they can be stored and catalogued easily and efficiently for the enterprise, and they work with companies like Vodafone, Movistar, Rogers, Bell, Alltel, Skype and many more to make it happen, with Nuance offering similar products in the imaging and voice field. The deal is worth $66m in cash and 2.3m shares ($35m value) in common stock. Nuance Press Release http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nuance-acquires-spinvox-for-102mhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nuance-acquires-spinvox-for-102mStartupsNewsWed, 30 Dec 2009 20:12:39 UTCMore legislation will be in place in the UK soon which will require all internet service providers and telecoms companies to keep a track of what you've been reading and who you've been speaking to for a year. This data will then be shared by hundreds of public bodies and governmental organisations who will only need the authority of a senior police office (as opposed to a court ruling) to access the informtaion. These rules (dubbed the; Intercept Modernisation Programme) are being brought in to place to combat - yes, you've guessed it - terrorism, the term which the government is using as an excuse for all manner of invasive policy. Most companies do already keep records of calls and emails made, but they do so for their own use, rather than for the use of over 600 organisations who get a firehose of personal information. Daily Telegraph (Image)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/government-to-monitor-every-call--email-and-web-visithttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/government-to-monitor-every-call--email-and-web-visitTechNewsWed, 30 Dec 2009 19:03:44 UTCWe were going to make a big announcement, and have a big ceremony to celebrate the winner of the Gadget of the Decade prize on RandomlyAccessed, however, it's so blindingly obvious what it is that we needn't bother. Ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to announce that the winner of the Noughties Gadget of the Decade on RandomlyAccessed is; The Apple iPod. Sure, there were MP3 players before and there are some that play music clearer, have more space and innovate in the user experience department, but none combine all aspects of the gadgeting experience quite like Apple's finest. Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ra-gadget-of-the-decadehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ra-gadget-of-the-decadeTechNewsWed, 30 Dec 2009 17:42:30 UTCPossibly the downfall of the current generation of smartphones is that they're too popular, too many people are now connected to the web and sharing content on-the-go for the poor networks to cope. One of the largest and thus, most burdened, is O2 who happens to have some of the most bandwidth-hungry phones on the planet on its roster. All iterations of the iPhone, the Palm Pre, Samsung Galaxy and several BlackBerry models have all come to together to squeeze the network capability of O2, leading to the companies reaction to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in 2010 to help things. There have been a growing number of reports of iPhone and other smartphone users having calls dropped and zero reception in areas where there should be coverage, so the network provider is bowing to customer needs and spending to develop the infrastructure needed to carry more smartphones in the future. Daily Mail http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/o2-to-spend-millions-on-network-to-support-smartphoneshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/o2-to-spend-millions-on-network-to-support-smartphonesTechNewsWed, 30 Dec 2009 15:55:08 UTCOne of the downsides with the success of the BlackBerry range of devices in the corporate world is that they will one day hit saturation in their targeted market, which is one reason why RIM is now going after the consumer. This tactic looks like it's paying off, as a large portion of the company's sales are from students buying the QWERTY packing devices for SMS and instant messaging use, with the FT reporting that as many as 2% of all UK university students pack a BlackBerry handset. The iPhone still demands a lot of mind-share among the student market, but more and more are turning to the RIM devices with the aforementioned keyboard, longer battery life, a growing number of apps and cheaper contracts. FT http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/students-propping-up-blackberry-saleshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/students-propping-up-blackberry-salesTechNewsSun, 27 Dec 2009 21:37:41 UTCThis Christmas has seen a turning point in the future of media consumption; more books were sold on Amazon over the festive period for the Kindle than were sold on printed paper. Of course, this isn't that surprising given that noone would be ordering physical media this late for Christmas, and the newly Kindle-d would be stocking up their new devices with as many e-books as they could, but it does give Amazon some leverage over publishers. Publishers and the immensely popular internet merchant have been locked in somewhat a battle over the fact that some e-books will be released as much as 6 months after their paper counterparts as part of an old-media push. So this news doesn't mean a lot for consumers at present, but it could mean that Kindle users will get more books closer to release on their device as a result in the future. Digital for the win. Amazon Press Release http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/amazon-sold-more-kindle-books-than-paper-oneshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/amazon-sold-more-kindle-books-than-paper-onesTechNewsSun, 27 Dec 2009 11:26:29 UTCPlay.com is one of the most recognisable online brands in the consumer electronics, DVD and games markets in the UK, and as such they have a large audience from which to gather data. They asked a cross-section of their users to tell them what their most anticipated gift they were hoping to open on Christmas day was, and we have the results. 1. Apple iPod 2. Samsung HD TV 3. Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2 4. Sony Playstation 3 5. Nintendo Wii Fit Play.com http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/play-reveals-the-most-anticipated-xmas-giftshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/play-reveals-the-most-anticipated-xmas-giftsTechNewsThu, 24 Dec 2009 14:43:25 UTCTruphone, the mobile VoIP company that has been gaining a lot of traction recently, has announced that they're going to be offering half price calls to a variety of international destinations until the 5th of January. Starting on Christmas Day itself, users will be able to dial friends and family scattered around the globe in 30 countries for half the price of their standard TruStandard rate. So, for example, calling USA, Canada, China, UK and Australia from anywhere in the world on your tariff for one hour will cost less than 1, with the application usable on devices like; the Apple iPhone, Apple iPod Touch, Blackberry, Nokia and Android handsets. A similar promotion around the time of the US Thanksgiving holiday resulted in a 600% bump in the number of calls made, so make hay while the sun shines with this deal if you're a Truphone customer. Truphone Christmas http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/truphone-offers-up-11-days-of-cheap-callshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/truphone-offers-up-11-days-of-cheap-callsAppsNewsThu, 24 Dec 2009 10:59:41 UTCTwitter has been making it known that they're not afraid of aquiring companies if they think that they'll bring value to the service, heck, their main search service was created by a third-party that the microblogging company eventually bought. Now, they've just purchased the company behind GeoAPI; Mixer Labs, to help push the new geolocation API that was released last month to new heights, utilising the technology that Mixer developed to help other devs to build geolocation-aware applications . It should help add contextual awareness to location-tagged tweets, as well as hoping developers of applications like Foursquare, Gowalla, Seesmic and many more that integrate the APIs already to add even more features and explore more possibilities. The company has now integrated with the main Twitter team, so we should see the fruits of the joined-labour relatively soon. Twitter Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-aquires-mixer-labs-to-push-geohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-aquires-mixer-labs-to-push-geoSocial MediaNewsWed, 23 Dec 2009 22:45:20 UTCSpotify has released details of the top tracks on the music streaming service for 2009, which has been a blow-out year for the company which has seen them get mass-market approval as well as releasing a clutch of applications which are changing mobile music as well as desktop music. Pop plays a large factor in their charts, which shows how much the service has been embraced by traditional music listeners, with it not being the preserve of computer geeks. The Top 10 tracks from Spotify this year are; 1. I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas 2. Right Round - Flo Rida 3. Sexy Chick - Akon, David Guetta 4. Poker Face - Lady Gaga 5. Halo - Beyonce Click the title to see the rest.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-reveals-top-2009-trackshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-reveals-top-2009-tracksTechNewsWed, 23 Dec 2009 20:24:18 UTCAccording to some rumours we've been hearing, along with a piece today on Business Insider, Apple may be gearing up to give us, at least, a small glimpse of their mythical tablet, based around an expanded iPod Touch. Rumours have this iteration pegged at 7 inches, with sources stating that the company behind the biggest selling MP3 player of all time may be releasing a variety of SKUs in a number of different screen sizes. This all stems from some insider information stating that Apple has approached some app developers asking them to create full-screen apps that can run at any size, as opposed to the fixed screen size that the iPhone and iPod Touch currently run at. As with anything unconfirmed and related to Apple, take this with a grain of salt, and the rumours point to a showing of the device in January with a release later in the year (allowing devs to create new apps), rather than it being on sale next month. Business Insider http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-may-be-showing-a-tablet-in-janhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-may-be-showing-a-tablet-in-janTechNewsWed, 23 Dec 2009 17:38:57 UTCWe all know that the weather today is abysmal for those affected with any kind of ice, with flights cancelled, trains delayed and roads undriveable, so we've prepared a list of the 12 best ways to track the weather and your transport options on the internet. So, here we go; 1. Metcheck Metcheck is one of the best ways to keep abreast of the weather at any point in the UK, with detailed analysis of various parameters including precipitation, UV and wind speed. Metcheck Click the title for more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/5-ways-to-track-transport-this-xmashttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/5-ways-to-track-transport-this-xmasSocial MediaNewsWed, 23 Dec 2009 10:59:18 UTCPerhaps even larger than last week's announcement that Bit.ly (one of the largest URL shorteners around) was launching a Pro service, is a new site from the company that showcases the most viral videos on the web that are being shared by their shortener. We've known for a while that they would have to spin out a couple of destination sites in order to monetise, and this seems like a fantastic way to do it. Simply head to http://bitly.tv/, and you'll be able to see the hottest videos now, over the past day and over the past two days, with the videos appearing in a lightbox overlay over the page. It's a really slick service which is a part of the company's new Bit.ly Labs, which are designed to be a testing ground for cool new products from the company based around using the wealth of data they generate from getting 2 billion clicks per month. Bit.ly TV http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bit-ly-launches-bitly-tv-service-for-watching-trending-videoshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bit-ly-launches-bitly-tv-service-for-watching-trending-videosSocial MediaNewsWed, 23 Dec 2009 08:08:57 UTCOne of the main hailings of the currently-fictional iTablet is that it's aiming to revolutionise the magazine industry by allowing users to view full-colour content on their device. Now, however, one of the major companies behind computer-based magazines; Issuu, has announced that they're going mobile, with a ready to release Android application and a forthcoming iPhone app. There are currently a million publications available on their platform, so users shouldn't be without content to view on their mobile device, and anyone can sign up and publish at any time. The Android app should be available now, with the iPhone app hitting at some point in the future. Issuu Mobile http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/issuu-releases-android-mobile-magazine-apphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/issuu-releases-android-mobile-magazine-appAppsNewsTue, 22 Dec 2009 23:01:04 UTCUsers are being given the opportunity to have their name appear in a new WiiWare game from Gamelion simply by following their official Twitter account on the microblogging platform. As long as the account breaches 1000 followers before the January 31st 2010, they'll select a user at random and feature their name in the upcoming game; Furry Legends. Gamers take control of characters that are essentially furry balls and attempt to perform a variety of tasks by rolling and jumping around various levels packed with 3D graphics along with 2D gameplay. Furry Legends Twitter http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/win-a-chance-to-appear-in-a-game-via-twitterhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/win-a-chance-to-appear-in-a-game-via-twitterSocial MediaNewsTue, 22 Dec 2009 22:17:31 UTCMicrosoft has been embroiled in a bitter patent battle over the past few months with a specialist company over a variety of patents regarding XML, with the tech giant allowed to keep on selling versions of Word and Office during the appeals process following an earlier decision to block sales. The company behind the suit, i4i is a legitimate development company, and not a shady group of patent trolls (as pointed out by Engadget), and was involved in pioneering the uptake of XML technology in Office products. This is based on a U.S. Court of Appeals decision, so it's unclear whether any of this extends over this side of the pond, but we'd wager that as this affects .xml, .docx and .docm it might go international. Sales will cease in January, with current Office and Word users unaffected as it only applies to new sales. Update: Microsoft has clarified some points, stating that the case only affects copies of Word 2007 and Office 2007 in the US, with the company having been working on a fix since the original injuction in August, although if they cannot get a fix in time, they may attempt a rehearing of the appeal. Engadget Microsoft Statement http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-loses-patent-battle--ordered-to-stop-selling-officehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-loses-patent-battle--ordered-to-stop-selling-officeTechNewsTue, 22 Dec 2009 19:32:40 UTCGoogle has exploded the doodles it has been using this year on its homepage, and our reporting on them have been some of the biggest articles on RandomlyAccessed over the past few months, so here are their new ones; Holiday Doodles. The company is know to pack up and put code on hold for the holidays, and their doodles seem to convey that same sense of checking out that many of their engineers are currently feeling with the holiday season in full swing. The search giant is rolling a new picture out each day, but it's not clear how many more there will be in the series, with only the ones released so far available on their holiday landing page. If I don't speak to you on the topic of the holidays again before Friday, then have a Merry Christmas everone! Google Holiday Logos http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-checks-out-for-the-holidays-with-new-doodle-serieshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-checks-out-for-the-holidays-with-new-doodle-seriesSocial MediaNewsTue, 22 Dec 2009 17:15:17 UTCThe BBC Trust has announced that they have given their provisional approval to the BBC joining the group of broadcasters who are working together on a standard for watching internet-based video content on your telly. The technology, dubbed; Project Canvas, would allow users to watch services like the BBC iPlayer or the ITV Player along with standard content on their televisions. The tech would be embedded on set-top boxes and other such hardware and, whilst a broadband connection would be required, would not cost any extra in subscription fees. With anything the BBC does, there are a number of positives and negatives they have to consider, for example; how the new service will affect DVD rentals, pay-for-play subscription services as well as existing IPTV/regular TV hybrid services. However, it should make it easier for users to enjoy internet-protocol television on their TVs, so it should be beneficial to end-users. BBC Press Release http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bbc-joins-project-canvas-iptv-grouphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bbc-joins-project-canvas-iptv-groupTechNewsTue, 22 Dec 2009 12:41:26 UTCDell has had a runaway hit with its little Inspiron Mini 10 netbook in the past, and now they've just announced that they will be releasing an updated model in early 2010 for consumers to use on the move. The new version packs an updated Atom processor from Intel clocked at 1.66GHz, with a choice of standard or HD screen resolutions with an HDTV module-packing version popping up in a few months. It also has 1GB RAM and a choice of 160 or 250GB, along with options of 6 or 9 cell batteries. It should be available in early January on the Dell site, as well as in Dell's retail partner's stores in Alpine White, Pretty Pink, Ice Blue, Gecko Green, Cherry Red, Passion Purple and Obsidian Black, starting at 245.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-revamps-mini-10-for-2010http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-revamps-mini-10-for-2010TechNewsTue, 22 Dec 2009 12:22:57 UTCWe've been meaning to try the official Formula One iPhone/iPod Touch game since it was announced last week, and since it has now been released onto the App Store for download, we thought we'd give you our hands-on look. First of all, the app looks slick, with the graphics being on par with the best racing games on the platform, and similar in feel to the PSP and Wii games this is following from (both from Codemasters). It follows a rather strange, but intuitive control-system, with both the accelerator and brake on the right hand side, with a KERS (gives you speed boost, at the press of a) button on the left where other games keep the brake. Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/f1-2009-iphone-game-hands-onhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/f1-2009-iphone-game-hands-onAppsReviewSun, 20 Dec 2009 12:36:23 UTCSome of the social media and technology world's leading lights convened on Paris earlier in the month for the LeWeb conference organised by Seesmic's founder; Loic LeMeur. One of the highlights of the conference for those not attending, was the launch of a conference specific application for the iPhone and iPod which kept users in the loop, as well as giving conference-goers more information. It's just been revealed that the application was downloaded over 5000 times, with 2300 at the conference on thousands of iPhones. A success for the event and organisers, and a showcase for how best to use the great new app ecosystem to help with generating interest and disseminating information for conferences. Mobile Roadie Tweet http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/leweb-iphone-app-gets-over-5000-downloadshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/leweb-iphone-app-gets-over-5000-downloadsAppsNewsSat, 19 Dec 2009 15:35:04 UTCValentino Rossi, perhaps the most well known motocycle racer of all time, and his team have been sponsored this year by Packard Bell, which when announced earlier this year got us wondering how long it'd be before there was a VR branded netbook. The wait is now over, with Packard Bell releasing the first image of the 9-time World MotoGP champion inspired piece of hardware, whose design was penned by Aldo Drudi who is credited with The Doctor's best known pieces of artwork. The sun (in Rossi's shade of yellow) and the crescent moon shape are also joined by the legendary bike number; 46, which Rossi has worn for years. No mention of price, specs or release date yet, but we'd bet on some pretty standard internals and a price-point which shouldn't put off the legions of diehard Valentino fans parting with some cash.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/valentino-rossi-adds-name-to-a-netbookhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/valentino-rossi-adds-name-to-a-netbookTechNewsWed, 16 Dec 2009 20:12:55 UTCLast week we soft-launched a Facebook Page for our fans who wish to keep abreast of the latest social media and technology news on the world's largest social network. Now we want you - yes, you - to become a Fan of us on t'Facebook by simply heading here and click Become a Fan . It really is as simple as that to be kept in the loop with stories, and if enough people sign-up, we'll start offering Facebook-only competitions, as well as bringing you exclusive stories and images that only fans of us will be able to see! RandomlyAccessed on Facebookhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/randomlyaccessed-facebook-pagehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/randomlyaccessed-facebook-pageSocial MediaNewsWed, 16 Dec 2009 15:32:12 UTCTwitter has just announced their top 2009 trends, with (predictably), the Iran Election, Michael Jackson, Google Wave and American Idol all coming out as some of the top things people have been talking about in this bumper year for the microblogging site. The two stories behind #iranelection in the News Events category were Swine Flu and Gaza, with MJ fighting off Susan Boyle and Adam Lambert to the crown in the People category. American Idol, Glee and the Teen Choice Awards were the top three respectively in TV Shows , with Harry Potter, New Moon and District 9 heading the leaderboard in Films and the Super Bowl, Lakers and Wimbledon in Sports . Lastly, Google Wave, Snow Leopard and TweetDeck took top honours in the Tech section, with the most used hashtags being; #musicmonday, #iranelection and #sxsw. The full tables are available here.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-releases-top-2009-trends-infohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-releases-top-2009-trends-infoSocial MediaNewsWed, 16 Dec 2009 14:29:40 UTCWe have to say that the European Union vs Microsoft argument has confsed us since day one. Sure, Microsoft is in a dominant position, but surely they're allowed to bundle whatever software they want with their freaking product? Well, after the EU felt that it was within its monopolies remit to go after the software monster with a 10 year legal battle that has cost the developer over EUR1.6b in fines, it looks like the two parties have come to an agreement, whereby Microsoft must allow users which browser they want when they set-up their computer. An earlier proposal was shunned as it placed Internet Explorer at the start of a list of available alternatives, so they went back to drawing board, and now the choices are randomised. TheNextWeb has it that Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said; Millions of European consumers will benefit from this decision by having a free choice about which web browser they use. Right. TheNextWeb http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-and-eu-reach-resolution--eu-thinks-it--s-been-usefulhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-and-eu-reach-resolution--eu-thinks-it--s-been-usefulTechNewsWed, 16 Dec 2009 11:41:04 UTCDigital Sky Technologies, who was one of only a few investment companies to get into Facebook this year with a $200m investment, has just made another big money, social networking deal, by droppping $180m into (primarily Facebook-based) social gaming company; Zynga. Zynga makes the wildly popular Farmville and Mafia Wars games on the behemoth social network, and has been growing at an alarming rate, with revenues reported to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars per year due to the explosive virtual goods market. Some of the money will be taken off of the table by the executive team (buying stock off of them, rather than buying all free stock), and some will be used to bolster the massive workforce the company demands, creating new revenue streams in the face of suspending offer-based advertising (getting users to sign-up with 3rd-party companies in exchange for in-world goods) on their products. NY Times http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dst-drops--180m-into-zynga-for-social-gaminghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dst-drops--180m-into-zynga-for-social-gamingSocial MediaNewsWed, 16 Dec 2009 10:27:48 UTCAloqa, the multi-mobile-platform application that shows you what is happening and what is available around the location you're at, is launching a new feature today that allows you to change where it thinks you are. This means that you could place yourself in Munich and see what events are occuring, whereabouts the nearest coffee shop or MccyD's is or see whether any of your friends are in or about that place. This might seem like a simple feature, merely change where the application thinks you are and get information served from that location, but the prospects for this extend Aloqa from being a local application to a true travel app, increasing its userbase tremendously. It's currently available for Android phones, the iPhone and selected Blackberry's, so look out for an update soon, which will bring with it 5 countries to be placed in. AloqaHQ Tweet http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/aloqa-transports-you-to-somewhere-else-nowhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/aloqa-transports-you-to-somewhere-else-nowAppsNewsTue, 15 Dec 2009 19:45:57 UTCAfter 15 years, the editorial sections of the commercial Teletext operation of digital information on your TV have been switched off amid cost-cutting measures at its parent company. It seems that the primary-coloured service just wasn't bringing in enough cash to support the numbers of people required to keep its pages full of the kinds of information that people can access on their computers without waiting for their numbers to line-up. However, it's not just the analogue-TV-based editorial content that's getting the axe, the Freeview and content internet properties have also been slashed from the roster, meaning that only services like Teletext Holidays and Teletext Racing remain (on all platforms). It's public service compatriot; Ceefax, is expected to continue until the digital switchover is complete in 2012, at which point it's not expected to be replaced. Sad days for fans of blocky text and even blockier pictures indeed. paidContent:UK http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/teletext-editorial-switched-offhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/teletext-editorial-switched-offTechNewsTue, 15 Dec 2009 10:50:47 UTCTwitter is on a roll with features at the moment, with Lists and Retweets hitting close-together last month, and now another needed feature is in the Twitter Labs; contributing. A lot of the brands on Twitter have several people updating the account for them, and the previous approach to tag a tweet with a cotag (for example ^AB , where A and B are the persons' initials) isn't as graceful as one would hope, the microblogging company is testing a new feature that would eliminate this. It will work much like the retweet feature does by providing a crediting byline under the tweet stating which user wrote it, not much else is known, and it's pretty early in the development cycle, but we imagine it will be included as a standard feature if Twitter bring out business accounts for the service. Twitter Blog (via CoTweet Blog)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-testing-account-contributor-featurehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-testing-account-contributor-featureSocial MediaNewsTue, 15 Dec 2009 08:31:36 UTCNot 12 hours since Google got into the short URL game with their Goo.gl service that integrates with their Toolbar and Feedburner products, Bit.ly has announced their Pro service. Much like awe.sm, the service will allow third parties to get into the URL shortening game with a white label offering of Bit.ly's product, allowing them to integrate with their own custom short URL for linking to their published content. Pro users will also get access to the new real-time dashboard that provides up-to-the-minute traffic analysis across networks like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace and services like email, SMS, and instant messenger. It's currently in a free beta, and if you're a publisher or blogger there is a form on their site to express interest in the Pro service. Bit.ly Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bit-ly-launches-pro-serverhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bit-ly-launches-pro-serverSocial MediaNewsTue, 15 Dec 2009 08:15:21 UTCWe predicted the end of the URL shortener battle in the Summer by stating that consumers would just use Bit.ly for their shortening needs, and brands would get their own. Well, the biggest web-brand of them all has just announced that they're rolling one out for use with their Toolbar and Feedburner products, dubbed; Goo.gl Like all Google products, their aims are to make it easier, faster and more measurable for users to share content via social networks, microblogging and emails using a short URL. We see this becoming a quickly adopted service, however, we think that with Bit.ly's traction in the 3rd-party arena, and the fact that Goo.gl wont be a standalone service (can only be used from the aforementioned Toolbar and Feedburner at present) mean that this isn't a Google powerplay at the URL shortening space, and is merely a tool for increased monitoring into their network in a specific way. Google Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-gets-their-own-url-shortenerhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-gets-their-own-url-shortenerSocial MediaNewsMon, 14 Dec 2009 21:24:58 UTCQik has just announced a new product that will allow you to share your livestreamed videos with your friends and family by allowing you to stream video straight to their desktop. Qik-in-Touch is an application that sits in the background on your computer until your or one of your friends starts streaming, with it then springing into life and showing you the action right there. It also allows you to skim through all of the archived Qik clips from your friends, as well as the ability to hook into the public stream (dubbed QikTV) to see what's happening live right now. Qik-in-Touch is currently in closed beta, but if you head over to the landing page you can express an interest in getting a beta code. Qik Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/qik-launches-in-touch-for-vid-sharinghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/qik-launches-in-touch-for-vid-sharingSocial MediaNewsMon, 14 Dec 2009 17:20:53 UTCO2 and Huawei have just completed a successful trial of a 4G network in the UK based on Long Term Evolution technology, or LTE . This trial is the first of its kind to be seen in Britain, and takes us one step closer to a consumer network capable of delivering the 150Mbps downlink that was seen at the peak of this trial period near the O2 headquarters in Slough. LTE is expected to deliver high definition video streaming, mobile gaming, high speed file transfer and video conferencing to the masses through their connected devices, taking the load off the fragmented 3G network and traditional wired broadband. A UK-wide network is still a few years off, but this successful trial is going in the right direction, and shows O2's aim to continue being the smartphone network in Britain. O2 http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/o2-trials-lte-4g-network-in-ukhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/o2-trials-lte-4g-network-in-ukTechNewsMon, 14 Dec 2009 15:54:06 UTCWarner Bros has just announced the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum, with the concept name of Arkham Asylum 2. Not much is known about the game at present, but the domain name for the game is http://www.arkhamhasmoved.com/, so we'd expect it to be a true follow-up as opposed to a completely rejigged format. We've also got a sneak peek at the teaser trailer for the game, which can be see here; Batman Teaser.mov (Quicktime required, Flash coming soon). Arkham Has Moved http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/wb-announces-arkham-asylum-2http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/wb-announces-arkham-asylum-2GamesNewsMon, 14 Dec 2009 10:01:24 UTCCodemasters promised to bring the Formula One franchise to as many platforms as they could after the tyranny of Sony holding the IP to the pinnacle of motorsport for their own platforms for years ended. Well, it seems as though Codies to sticking to that promise, as they've just announced that a version of the 2009 game will be hitting the App Store soon for use on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The game will feature all 10 teams, 20 drivers and 17 circuits from this years' season (which was won by Brawn GP and Jenson Button), with what looks like the now-accepted control system of bottom-left for braking and bottom-right for accelerating. It's currently only listed as Coming Soon , but we doubt it'd be too far away from Christmas with the expected avalanche of new iPhone and iPod Touch users clamouring for hot games to download.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/f1-2009-coming-to-iphonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/f1-2009-coming-to-iphoneAppsNewsSun, 13 Dec 2009 11:22:11 UTCIf you're looking for an easy Easter-Egg for a Saturday morning, then head to the Google homepage (we've tested it for a few countries, and it should work wherever) and click I'm Feeling Lucky with nothing in the search box. What you'll then see is a massive countdown timer appear, which is a relatively large number, which TechCrunch managed to deduce was a seconds-based countdown. Well, the seconds left conveniently point to midnight on December 31st/January 1st, meaning that either Google is just having a little game, or they're going to announce something to kick off the New Year. We'd go for the former, but with all the rumours swirling on Twitter and the aforementioned TechCrunch about a Google-branded phone coming in early 2010, this might be the countdown to that announcement. We'll see in (at the time of writing), 1695809 seconds. Happy holidays! Google (via TechCrunch)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-homepage-counting-down-to-new-years-dayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-homepage-counting-down-to-new-years-dayTechNewsSat, 12 Dec 2009 08:58:31 UTCWe've plotted the course of the Peek emailling device since it first launched in the US last year, but now we're getting a version in Europe. What's special about this email-only device is that it will be packed with Euro-wide roaming built into the price, meaning if you spend your time flitting across European borders, you'll only be charged one low rate for access to your emails. The simplicity of the device intrigues us, as does the co-branding with FON (the company that offers up routers if you allow other FON users to use your WiFi), meaning that this looks like a good deal for Euros. It's up for preorder now for EUR99, which includes the device and 6-months of service, with a flat-rate of EUR12.90 per month after that, and is expected to ship in January. PeekFON Preorder http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/peekfon-euro-emailer-up-for-preorderhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/peekfon-euro-emailer-up-for-preorderTechNewsFri, 11 Dec 2009 12:04:30 UTCMozilla's community coordinator has come out and said on his blog that with Google's if you have nothing to hide privacy policy, some users should think about a switch to using Bing as their search provider. This comes only a few days after Google launched Chrome for Mac, as well as extenstions for the Windows and Linux variants of their browser, going toe-to-toe with Firefox and Mozilla itself. Whilst the timing smacks of sour grapes, the fundamentals do not. Google has always been open in its view that anything you do on the web is fair game from their standpoint, whereas the larger (more secretive) corporation in the shape of Mozilla's old-enemy; Microsoft, has a slightly different take on it. Will you be switching to Bing from Google for your searching needs? Will that decision be made on privacy concerns, or feature-set? Asa Dotzler Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/mozilla-siding-with-bing-over-google-http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/mozilla-siding-with-bing-over-google-TechNewsFri, 11 Dec 2009 08:59:50 UTCTesco Mobile has announced their contract and device prices for the iPhone 3G and 3GS that will be lighting up their network on the 14th December. Users will have to pay a higher initial price for the device, but will be able to get both phones on 20pcm contracts that are only tied down for 12 months (which gives you a 60 combination of texts and calls to use each month). On this plan, the 3G will cost 222 up-front, with the 16GB 3GS costing 320 and the 32GB variant running you 407. There is also the option of a 60pcm that's locked down for 2 years, with which you get an unlimited selection of texts and calls (fair use pegged at 500), with the 3G and smaller 3GS being free. There's also a PAYG version of all three, costing you 342, 440 and 538 for the 3G, 16GB 3GS and 32GB 3GS respectively. All plans come with at least a years free web over 3G as well as WiFi provided by BT Openzone (fair use applies). Tesco Mobile iPhone http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tesco-mobile-iphone-pricing-announcedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tesco-mobile-iphone-pricing-announcedTechNewsThu, 10 Dec 2009 11:19:03 UTCToday marks an interesting day in the App Store battle, Apple has just accepted the Ustream application that allows you to broadcast video live to the web, and Qik is submitting their variant as well. Ustream's variant has been getting a lot of press today, and with good reason. The sort of person who is interested in showcasing themselves live and the demographic of iPhone users overlaps nicely so it is important news in the online world. Now that Qik has announced that they've submitted their live-streaming app to the App Store as well, it shows that the big guns take the iPhone as seriously as they do the web, and with Qik already offering DVD quality streaming from Android devices, there is hope that their version will one-up Ustream's. Qik Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/live-streaming-coming-to-the-iphonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/live-streaming-coming-to-the-iphoneAppsNewsWed, 09 Dec 2009 19:24:35 UTCFacebook has long been playing with how to deal with the privacy of its members, but also capitalise on the wealth of content the 350 million members make on a day to day basis. They've just announced that they will be rolling out a bunch of new provacy controls that will allow you to undertake actions like assign a specific privacy condition to each piece of content (targeting certain statuses and information to certain groups for example), as well as a much simpler option page for over-reaching privacy actions. They're also providing a Transition Tool to help users update their privacy preferences, and encourage them to select the options that make Facebook work in the way they want it to, which is a first for the major social networking sites. More information of the changes are available from here, and you should notice changes happening over the next few days.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-to-roll-out-new-privacy-controlshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-to-roll-out-new-privacy-controlsSocial MediaNewsWed, 09 Dec 2009 15:55:35 UTCHootSuite was one of the first full-featured web clients for Twitter, and whilst it may have lost mindshare to Brizzly and Seesmic Web, there are still a lot of users of the service. Well, now they're launching an iPhone app, to go toe-to-toe with the other major clients offering Lists integration as well as compatibility with the web-based variant, which allows you to schedule tweets as well as track statistics and update multiple accounts at the same time. There's also integration with Ow.ly, their file and URL shortening service (although it does use a frame-bar which could annoy other users using your links). From their demo of the app, it does look pretty slick, and should be available today from 9am EST, although it's expected to cost, there's no mention of price yet. HootSuite iPhone http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/hootsuite-launches-iphone-apphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/hootsuite-launches-iphone-appAppsNewsWed, 09 Dec 2009 14:27:09 UTCTwitter has made 4 new announcements at the LeWeb conference going on in Paris this week that should help foster and improve the developer ecosystem that has sprung up with the mircoblogging platform. Firstly, all developers will have access to the Firehose , which is the stream of all the Twitter information (currently the API only allows certain parameters to be used). Secondly, there will be a new developer destination on the website that will offer improved documentation as well as more resources which are currently lacking from the current Wiki. All applications will have to run off of OAuth by June 2010, which means sites like TwitPic will have to use the Sign In With Twitter functionality (like we do with Expndr, as opposed to letting you login directly on their site. Lastly, they're announcing a developer conference in San Francisco next year, dubbed; Chirp, which is in a similar vein as WordPress does with its camps we'd expect. TheNextWeb http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-to-improve-developer-experiencehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-to-improve-developer-experienceSocial MediaNewsWed, 09 Dec 2009 13:17:18 UTCDell is reporting that the amount of sales that have been generated as a direct result of their work on Twitter has now hit over $6.5m, showing just what can be achieved with a proper social media strategy. $3m of that was added by the @DellOutlet account alone, with sales from other corners of the globe adding the other $3.5m to the total. Their Brazilian and Canadian Twitter accounts are growing rapidly too, with @DellnoBrasil having raked in $800,000 in product revenues in under a year, with the Canadians already hitting the $150,000 mark. Hopefully more companies will take Dell's lead and focus on taking social media seriously, as they have quite clearly shown, there are a lot of monetary benefits to doing so. Direct2Dell http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell--s-twitter-revenue-hits--6-5mhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell--s-twitter-revenue-hits--6-5mSocial MediaNewsTue, 08 Dec 2009 08:59:39 UTCGoogle's doodle for the day is of legendary spinach-eater; Popeye, in celebration of the birthday of E. C. Segar, the American cartoonist who created the character. It would have been the 105 birthday of the man who grew up close to the Mississippi river (well, according to Wikipedia), and marks Google's continued effort to mark and celebrate dates related to cartoons and traditional childrens shows. The company's doodles keep on drawing out attention to events that we may not otherwise have known, and I for one now know who by (and when), Popeye was created, which whilst not a particularly useful piece of trivia, is intereseting nonetheless. Google Doodle - 8th December http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-celebrating-popeye-creatorhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-celebrating-popeye-creatorSocial MediaNewsMon, 07 Dec 2009 22:54:52 UTCGoogle has just announced that they're getting into the real-time game to provide you with a stream of the latest stories on the web related to any particular search topic. So not only does Google archive stories for posterity, they're also providing a platform for viewing truly breaking news stories, by bringing in tweets, blog posts and stories to contribute to the results. To achieve this, they're announcing a new raft of partners to join Twitter in being integrated into search, including; Facebook, MySpace, FriendFeed, Jaiku and Identi.ca all contributing to the real-time story. You can try them out now by heading to Google Trends and clicking on a hot topic, and it'll be rolled out to all searches within the next few days. Official Google Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-real-time-search-announcedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-real-time-search-announcedSocial MediaNewsMon, 07 Dec 2009 21:39:29 UTCThe Holland America Line of cruise ships based in the US is about to launch Microsoft Surface touch-tables on 5 of their ships in an effort to help customers mingle and mix in their entertainment spaces. What it'll mean is that guests can listen to music and play checkers and chess, air hockey, Tetris, cards and the Touch Sports games of football, basketball and skee-ball on any of the five units already installed on the ms Veendam. They currently have 14 ships, which means that they are rolling these out to a substantial proportion of their customers, so if you're sailing on them in the next few months, you might be able to play social games with your follow guests. MSDN Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-surface-coming-to-cruise-shipshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-surface-coming-to-cruise-shipsTechNewsMon, 07 Dec 2009 19:50:04 UTCIf you've been following the startup industry over the past few months, you'll know that serial entrepreneur Jason Calacanis (founder of Weblogs Inc and Mahalo) has been running a campaign to stop angel investment groups from charging cash-poor startups to pitch for investment. As his answer to this, he's launched his own investment network which is based on one simple truth; startups should never have to pay to pitch to angels, dubbed the; Open Angel Forum. The project already has some big hitters on board; Kevin Rose (founder of Digg), Matt Coffin (who launched LowerMyBills), Phil Kaplan (of AdBrite) and loads of other big names. The first event will be in Los Angeles on January 14th, with the aim being to have 5 startups pitching for 10 minutes each, and it will be expanding to more cities throughout 2010. Open Angel Forum http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/jason-calacanis-launches-open-angel-forumhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/jason-calacanis-launches-open-angel-forumStartupsNewsMon, 07 Dec 2009 08:50:50 UTCSome of the largest web companies (who all have a major presence in the UK) have written a letter to the British government outlining their objection to the proposed Digital Economy Bill which is a piece of witchhunt legislation against illegal filesharers. We're all against illegal P2P sharing at RandomlyAccessed, always have been and always will be, but the rules outlined in this bill could have a major impact on UK internet users who are entirely innocent, which is the reason why Google, Facebook, eBay and Yahoo have addressed a letter asking the government to drop the highly-controversial Clause 17. This Clause would give the government the right to introduce any new copyright-related law into force at any time without going through traditional means, resulting in a possibility of increased monitoring, cost and surveilance of UK citizens on the web. I for one am grateful that these massive web companies have decided to take the fight on, as it would have a dire effect on the state of the creative-web in years to come. Wired UK http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/webs-big-guns-attack-government-over-digital-economy-billhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/webs-big-guns-attack-government-over-digital-economy-billTechNewsWed, 02 Dec 2009 16:34:23 UTCTwitter creator and founder, Jack Dorsey, has just launched his latest startup; Square, which is focused on making credit card payments easier for companies in the US. All companies need to do is get a little device plugged into the bottom of an iPhone/iPod Touch or Android phone (rumours have the device as being free), which allows you to swipe credit cards along the magnetic strip (no mention of chip-and-pin compatibility yet). This will charge the card, and also send an email receipt to the user if they've set a profile up, which also allows a picture to be uploaded as a second level of verification on the purchase. It's currently in a small beta, but businesses can express their interest on Square's site. Square http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-founder-launches-payment-startuphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-founder-launches-payment-startupTechNewsTue, 01 Dec 2009 19:42:34 UTCGoogle is today rolling out an update to their First Click Free programme, which aims to allow users access to one page of premium content on a publisher's site for free from their search engine. Publishers who sign-up to use the service will now be able to set a 5 page limit on the number of free pages users can see in one day, as opposed to the numerous as long as the user went back to Google first. It comes on the same day that The Next Web brings to light figures that show a massive drop in the number of News Corp pages indexed by Google, something that Rupert Murdoch vowed to do in order to begin charging (either users or the search engines) for content. Looks like we might finally be reaching a point in the free/paid web news debate where a decision by the major players is being made. Google News Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-tries-to-counter-a-decline-in-indexed-news-corp-pageshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-tries-to-counter-a-decline-in-indexed-news-corp-pagesTechNewsTue, 01 Dec 2009 18:09:07 UTCAlthough this is a UK-based site, we do have a large following in the US of A, and so therefore we're going to be giving you a few Christmas gift ideas that have been inspired by social media and technology specifically for their side of the pond. Today; Food and Drink. Two of the best sites out there that combine aspects of social media as well as quality food and drink products are Gourmet Library and Cinderella Wine, which aim to bring the customer to the forefront of the shopping experience. Both are hooked up to Twitter and Facebook to engage with users, making everything more transparent and easier for the consumer. Plus, the prices look great and the quality of the food presentation (in particular the cheeses) looks top-notch. Gourmet Library Cinderella Wine http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/social-media-with-food-and-drinkhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/social-media-with-food-and-drinkSocial MediaNewsTue, 01 Dec 2009 16:31:54 UTCTwitter has implemented a new feature for today in support of World AIDS Day whereby, if you use the hashtag #red in a tweet, it will show up on Twitter.com in a red colour instead of the standard black. The reason for red? The campaign is being pushed by the (RED) organisation, who - contrary to popular belief, aren't a charity - help companies get money to the worst affected parts of the world. Companies involved in increasing awareness for AIDS today are; Twitter, Dell, Nike, Starbucks and countless others. Join (RED) http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/turn-twitter-red-for-world-aids-dayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/turn-twitter-red-for-world-aids-daySocial MediaNewsTue, 01 Dec 2009 09:29:41 UTCGoogle was at the forefront of offline web-app development with its Gears technology, that allowed users to use products like Google Docs and Gmail when they didn't have a net connection to edit and view files. Now, however, with the industry moving towards HTML5 integration within the next few years, the web-search leader is planning to drop development of the Gears product in favour of the new standard, which supports offline use of apps. In a comment to the LA Times Blog, a Google spokesperson states that they'll continue to support Gears so that sites can function into the future, but that they expect developers to switch to the new standards based approach offered by HTML5. LA Times Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-focusing-on-html5-not-gearshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-focusing-on-html5-not-gearsTechNewsTue, 01 Dec 2009 08:51:17 UTCSeesmic for Android phones was only launched last week, yet it has now topped over 10,000 downloads in that short space of time, which whilst not a massive amount compared to iPhone apps, is a lot for an Android variant. Google's open-source mobile operating system is currently gaining a lot of traction with users, and it seems that this is the first step by Seesmic to be the main player on an upcoming wave. Whilst the other developers are focusing on the saturated iPhone market, Seesmic spotted where there was a need for a major client (other than Twidroid). Their Twitter client is currently available for the great price of Free in the Android Market if you're rocking one of those handsets. Seesmic for Android http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-android-tops-10k-downloadshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-android-tops-10k-downloadsAppsNewsMon, 30 Nov 2009 09:10:57 UTCRumours of a new iPhone will never die down, and why should they? Apple's money-making machine is one of the most desired phones on the planet, so it would be unreasonable to think that they weren't going to upgrade it at some point again. MacRumours has it that usage logs from an app developers analytics suggest the as-yet unheard of device; iPhone3,1 , is undergoing field testing somewhere (presumably in San Francisco, the location of the transport app these stats came up on). All of the pieces fit together, the first reference to the 3,1 was in the iPhone firmware in August, plus with the 3GS popping up in stats (itself being dubbed; iPhone2,1 ) 8 months before launch, this would indicate that 3,1 is looking at a Summer '10 launch, which is in line with the other models. MacRumours http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/unannounced-iphone-creeps-up-in-usage-datahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/unannounced-iphone-creeps-up-in-usage-dataTechNewsSun, 29 Nov 2009 08:54:17 UTCTwitter has been used once again to break an important story, as last night reports were springing up on the microblogging site that Tiger Woods was in hospital after a car crash near his home. As a hobbyist golfer myself, this was the kind of news that you don't want to hear, but was glad I knew of quickly (even if his condition was better than had been initially reported). Was it wrong to follow a breaking story, real-time, on a social network before all of the facts had been gathered? Or is it the inevitable evolution of news reporting? At present, it really has to be a little from column A and a little from column B. Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/real-time-news-in-the-age-of-twitterhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/real-time-news-in-the-age-of-twitterSocial MediaNewsSat, 28 Nov 2009 11:19:20 UTCOne of the more interesting concepts in the world of broadband recently is Three's sleek little MiFi device, which is a 3G modem that also has in-built WiFi so that 5 users can browse together out and about. Well, it seems that one of the more popular hook-ups for this service is Apple's supremely brilliant media player; the iPod Touch, so the company is launching a new deal where you can get both a MiFi unit, and a Touch for one price. Just fork over 23pcm for 24 months, and you get both devices, as well as 5GB of data transfer (we assume monthly) to browse away on. Seems they have their festive hats on over there at Three, and with the positive reviews the MiFi has been getting, it could do rather well this holiday season. 3 Mobile Buzz http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/free-ipod-touch-mifi-bundlehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/free-ipod-touch-mifi-bundleTechNewsFri, 27 Nov 2009 17:28:49 UTCPackard Bell has been on something of a run with decent-looking products recently since their re-branding earlier this year, and now they're adding a new nettop to their stable with the imedia XS. Packing the obligatory Intel Atom processor, it is also backed up with the impressive NVIDIA ION netbook/nettop chipset so it can handle DX10. There's also your 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD a 4-in-1 card reader and a whopping 6 USB ports. You'll also get a wireless keyboard and mouse with the VESA-mounting capable machine, which should be out in the UK now for the rather-reasonable price of 199.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/packard-bell-launches-imedia-xs-nettophttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/packard-bell-launches-imedia-xs-nettopTechNewsFri, 27 Nov 2009 10:02:19 UTCTesco Mobile announced this morning that they are to offer the iPhone 3G and 3GS on their network at some point in the not-too-distant future. The network is an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), which is a 50:50 venture between the behemoth grocery seller and the original iPhone provider; O2. No details have been released yet on pricing or contract costs yet, but as Tesco Mobile traditionally appeals to the cheaper-end of the network, there are hopes that their offering might actually stimulate a pricing war between the providers (Orange's attempts didn't exactly provide a compelling monetary reason to switch). Tesco Direct http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tesco-mobile-to-get-the-iphonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tesco-mobile-to-get-the-iphoneTechNewsWed, 25 Nov 2009 19:29:04 UTCThe Icon Factory is spicing up its holiday offering by not only having one of the most wel respected third-party Twitter clients out there in the shape of Twitterrific, but, they're also launching a toy. Their mascot; Ollie, will be available in physical vinyl form for the first time very soon. If you know any social media fans, then it should go down a storm as a gift (if it's available before Christmas). Follow the team on Twitter to be kept in the loop about availability. Image via Flickrhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitterrific-twitter-bird-toy-coming-soonhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitterrific-twitter-bird-toy-coming-soonSocial MediaNewsTue, 24 Nov 2009 21:24:20 UTCSome products have an understated elegance, some are ridiculously over the top and some have hundreds of crystals stuck on them for the largest 'bling-win' value. Well, Olympus has decided to take a camera that lived firmly in the first camp, and drag it through the others to the sparkly end of the spectrum with this Swarovski-coated version of their recently relaunched Pen digicam. The HD-video recording and multi-lens compatible camera has been decked out with enough crystals to bring the price up to a respectable 1,999.99, and is available to order from the Micro Anvika concession in Harrods.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/swarovski-encrusted-olympus-penhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/swarovski-encrusted-olympus-penTechNewsTue, 24 Nov 2009 17:36:59 UTCOne of the killer-features of the recently launched Motorola Droid in the US was that it's Android 2.0 installation came with Google's own turn-by-turn GPS software. Now, however, they're extending the love to all Android 1.6 (Cupcake) phone owners, so users with the HTC Hero, Motorola DEXT or Samsung Galaxy will be able to get the Maps/Street View/GPS mashup from the search giant. It also includes the new Layers feature which allows you to lay geographical information, Wikipedia information and various other facts over the map. If you're running on a 1.6 device, simply head to the Android Market and download the upgraded Maps app which contains Navigation. Sadly it's only available in the US at the moment, with no word on an international release. Google Mobile Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-navigation-now-on-android-1-6http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-navigation-now-on-android-1-6AppsNewsMon, 23 Nov 2009 20:12:14 UTCiPhone/iPod Touch Twitter application; Echofon, is just about to launch a new update that pushes Direct Messages to users of their free and paid for applications from other Echofon members. The great thing about this is that it not only works with the iPhone version, but someone could send a Direct Message from the Firefox of Mac versions of the software, and it appear like an SMS (pushed message) on a friends device. Plus, push notification times from non-Echofon users have been cut from 10-15 minutes to 5-10 minutes, meaning that others can get in on the action too. This is available in the version 2.5 update currently available from the App Store. Naan Studio http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/echofon-allowing-sms-like-pushhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/echofon-allowing-sms-like-pushAppsNewsMon, 23 Nov 2009 16:53:21 UTCThe web has been alive this morning (and over the past week), over a series of meetings that Microsoft has reportedly had with News Corp bosses, allegedly over removing their content from Google but not Bing. What this amounts to is Microsoft buying the search-engine rights to News Corp's stable of publications (including The Sun, The Times, The Wall Street Journal and many, many others), with them not being indexed by the majority player in the space; Google. Will this actually happen? We're not sure, but the fact they're engaging in the process shows that they're either seriously considering it, or trying to force Google into paying up for searching their content. If neither happens, then it wouldn't be impossible to think that the content would go pay-per-view completely. Will Microsoft pay-up? We can't see why not. Both search companies are known to accept losses on some projects just to gain marketshare points, and with Bing on something of a roll at the moment, this deal could give it much greater leverage. How this plays out will be interesting. Will Google go after other publishers? How many others will follow the money to Bing?http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/will-news-corp-go-bing-exclusive-http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/will-news-corp-go-bing-exclusive-TechNewsMon, 23 Nov 2009 14:27:10 UTCHTC's new flagship Windows Mobile phone; the HD2, is launching on O2 today, bringing its 4.3 screen to the network with the iPhone and the Pre. It brings with it more buzzwords and features than you could shake a stick at, packing YouTube, Facebook and Twitter integration. WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and a 3.5mm headphone jack are also thrown in for good measure. It runs WinMo 6.5 on top of a 1GHz processor, and weighs in at just 153g from an 11mm thickness. It's currently available in store or over the phone.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-hd2-launches-on-o2-todayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-hd2-launches-on-o2-todayTechNewsMon, 23 Nov 2009 13:44:11 UTCSpotify, the music streaming service that is hoping to spice up the way we listen to our music, has already had their Android and iPhone/iPod Touch apps available for a while, but today, they're launching on Symbian. The application allows premium subscribers to listen to their tracks on the move, even providing them with the ability to sync tracks to their phone so that they can be listened to when there isn't a data connection. The benefits of the Symbian app (like the Android one) is that tracks can be listened to whilst doing other things on the devices, like texting or emailing. Click the title to see the full range of compatible phones from Nokia, SE and Samsung.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-launches-on-symbianhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-launches-on-symbianAppsNewsMon, 23 Nov 2009 08:13:38 UTCSeesmic has been on something of a run these past few weeks, they were one of the first Twitter clients with Lists support, the first with geolocation and they've just launched their Windows specific version a few days ago. Now though, they've just announced their first mobile clients. Not one, not two, but three. One each for the Blackberry, Android and even a little bit of info on the iPhone version. TechCrunch (who's event was where these were announced), has word that the Android version will be one of the most powerful Twitter clients on the platform, delivering a speedy and slick interface to the microblogging site. No Lists or Geolocation support in it yet, but that's to be given as Twitter sprung the launch on everyone. They should be launching soon. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-focuses-on-android-and-blackberryhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-focuses-on-android-and-blackberryAppsNewsFri, 20 Nov 2009 21:23:47 UTCTwitter has only just rolled out retweets to all users this evening, and only completed its Lists roll-out last week, but they're already hitting fast with their latest feature; geolocation. Geolocation means that you can choose to tag your tweets with the coordinates of where you are when you posted the message to show others where you might be, or to filter news out to keep it hyperlocal. Where this is different from normal Twitter features though, is that you wont start seeing it popping up on their site for a while (in contrast to retweets), but it will rather be supported in clients initially. It's disabled by default, and you have to go to your Twitter.com Settings page to enable it for use in the third party clients (of which the Twitter Blog has a list of the ones that support the new feature). Twitter Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter--s-been-busy--launches-geolocation-apihttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter--s-been-busy--launches-geolocation-apiSocial MediaNewsThu, 19 Nov 2009 22:04:55 UTCAll Twitter users now have access to the controversial new retweeting feature that the microblogging company has implemented on their own site. It simply shows the original tweet from the original poster in your followers' stream on their Twitter.com stream, meaning that you cannot add your own comments and that random people that you've not followed will be in your feed. It works well for what it's designed for, although we still see a need for the traditional RT that was created by the users of the service. If you go to the site, you should be able to see it working.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/retweets-now-available-to-all-usershttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/retweets-now-available-to-all-usersSocial MediaNewsThu, 19 Nov 2009 20:38:37 UTCAll of the hype online at the moment is to do with Google showing off their Chrome operating system at a conference in California. The operating system, imaginatively dubbed; Chrome OS, is a browser-based OS which means that almost all of the tasks are acheived through a web interface. There's not desktop per se, just a number of tailored Chrome browser instances, and since it is focused on speed, it should only a matter of a few seconds from pushing the on-button to being live in the browser. Plus, since all of the apps are based in the browser, it should be more secure for users since nothing will be installed on the computer itself. It wont be ready as a shippable product until this time next year, but if you know what you're going, the current (very early) code is available from http://www.chromium.org/ if you like compiling yourself. Google Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/chrome-os-informationhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/chrome-os-informationTechNewsThu, 19 Nov 2009 19:22:25 UTCIs Twitter about to roll-out its real-time implementation tonight? I've personally just received retweets along with a weird new UI that has new buttons/tabs for Retweets, your DM Inbox/Sent box and retweets by other people. The homepage of the site is updating in real-time with new tweets, so instead of how it has been doing it for the past few days with a box saying 2 new tweets that you click on to update the page, it is doing it automatically, a la FriendFeed. They're scheduled for maintenance to upgrade some equipment at some point tonight (11pm PST), and that might be a good time for the team to push a new real-time feature to its users, although the UI we're seeing is a long way from pretty (and, as was pointed out by Robert Scoble, it has lost the star icon for favouriting tweets at the moment). Are you seeing it at the moment? Here's a larger look at the new UI from Scoble. Update: Twitter is saying that it's a CSS error, which explains a lot of the issues with this UI. They may well be playing with the user interface of Twitter.com, but thankfully, it looks like that this isn't what they're going to be releasing.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-redesign-teaser--plus-is-it-going-real-time-tonight-http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-redesign-teaser--plus-is-it-going-real-time-tonight-Social MediaNewsTue, 17 Nov 2009 20:56:47 UTCT-Mobile has just confirmed that a large swathe of user data has been sold onto other firms without their knowledge by people within the company. Employees of T-Mobile sold the information on thousands of accounts to brokers, who in turn sold it to other companies that would ring up close to a customers contract expiry date to try and sell them a new service. The company expects that the investigation into the breach by the Information Commissioner's Office will lead to prosecutions and regrets that its user's data was able to be used in this way. Mobile News http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/t-mobile-admits-to-massive-data-breachhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/t-mobile-admits-to-massive-data-breachTechNewsTue, 17 Nov 2009 17:28:26 UTCSeesmic, one of the best Twitter clients out there, has traditionally used Adobe AIR technology to help serve up your desktop Twitter action, however, they've just announced a new product today; a native Windows application. Adobe AIR is often associated with eating CPU, and doesn't quite offer the same functionality as if the client was installed natively on the users computer (at the moment Seesmic Desktop and TweetDeck Desktop run atop AIR all of the time), so it should be effective at making the experience easier and more efficient for users. They've also announced that developers will be able to create plugins for the new program, which should mean great extensibility and integration with the plethora of third-party services out there. This looks like a great step in the Twitter-client world if you're running on a PC. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-to-launch-windows-specific-clienthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-to-launch-windows-specific-clientSocial MediaNewsTue, 17 Nov 2009 17:15:46 UTCNow that Orange has got the main social media device on their network (read: iPhone), they're showing the rest of their customers some love by partnering with Twitter to offer the ability to tweet via SMS to the shortcode 86444. This is similar to what you've been able to do with Vodafone and O2 for a while now, but they're also introducing something new whereby you send a picture to the same shortcode (which is Twitter's own in the UK), it'll be routed to a new photosharing service provided by Orange, dubbed; Orange Snapshot. It works in much the same way as TwitPic does, sending a tweet into your stream with a link to the picture on their servers (although there isn't a short URL for the service yet). An interesting use of a mobile network and social media. What do you think, is routing images through your provider the way forward for ease of use? Orange Snapshot (via Twitter Blog)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-customers-can-now-sms-and-mms-to-twitterhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-customers-can-now-sms-and-mms-to-twitterSocial MediaNewsTue, 17 Nov 2009 08:59:25 UTCParts of the start-up community were in equal parts shock and uproar when Microsoft announced that in line with current budget-cuts, it was to let its main face to the start-up community; Don Dodge, go. Well it seems that Microsoft's loss, is in fact their main rival's gain, as not 90 minutes after the news of his departure being broken, he was approached by Vic Gundotra at Google (also an ex-Microsoft-er), and was offered an opportunity at the search giant. He'll now be involved in helping start-ups use Google products in their applications and working lives which is a similar role to what he was going at Microsoft. It seems Google's message is getting out there, as more and more smart people have #gonegoogle. Don Dodge http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/don-dodge-heading-to-google-after-microsofthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/don-dodge-heading-to-google-after-microsoftStartupsNewsMon, 16 Nov 2009 14:27:03 UTCThe country of Switzerland is set to take Google to court over its use of it's Street View technology in the nation after it was deemed that steps weren't taken to sufficiently retain anonymity. Numerous faces and vehicle number plates are not made sufficiently unrecognisable, said data protection commissioner Hanspeter Thuer, plus, with the camera being above head-height, it is also able to see over hedges and garden fences, further invading Swiss-citizen's privacy. The BBC estimates that it could take months before any proceedings begin, but that Swiss officials are asking for Google to remove any images of their country until a ruling has been made. BBC http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/switzerland-vs-google-in-street-view-feudhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/switzerland-vs-google-in-street-view-feudTechNewsSat, 14 Nov 2009 13:51:53 UTCOne of the benefits of using a dedicated URL shortener is the ability to track the analytics of the links that you post to your social networks, with Bit.ly being one of the first to bring this feature to the table. The preferred URL shortener of Twitter itself has just rolled out an update though which allows you to see analytics, not just for individual links, but in totals for the past 7 days. It allows you to see the top referrers to your links, the clickers' location and what they were referred from (Twitter site, Adobe AIR client, other site etc...). Simply direct your browser to http://bit.ly/app/summary, and you'll be able to access the data.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bit-ly-adds-stat-summaryhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bit-ly-adds-stat-summarySocial MediaNewsFri, 13 Nov 2009 22:21:09 UTCYou've been able to access the US Bing homepage from the UK since the service was launched in June of this year, but now it seems that Microsoft have begun rolling out localised versions; starting with the UK. Once of the nicest features of the service is the fact they have a selection of different images on the homepage that spice things up somewhat, with all of the UK site ones being of landmarks over here. It now gives you localised results as well, with a search for government returning Direct.gov.uk over the US government website, without the Only from United Kingdom box selected. Bing UK http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bing-arrives-in-the-ukhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bing-arrives-in-the-ukTechNewsFri, 13 Nov 2009 12:30:45 UTCThere has been a bitter fight between AMD and Intel, not only in the consumer space but at the board level as well, over the past few years, but it now seems that the two have come to an arrangement. Intel is set to pay-out a total of $1.2billion to AMD, and both have signed a cross-licensing deal pegged at five years, hopefully helping to ensure that disputes don't arise between the two during that period. AMD's stock has taken a jump on the back of this news, with Intel's taking a slight dip with their extra $1.29bn spend. PCR http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/intel-settles-with-amd-for--1-29bnhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/intel-settles-with-amd-for--1-29bnTechNewsThu, 12 Nov 2009 19:43:57 UTCMCV has it from sources that Microsoft has revealed some of the facts about the Project Natal motion-controller being developed for the Xbox 360, and one of the surprising ones is that it's going to be around 50. The controller-free camera device is being readied as an impulse-buy for consumers, with games being developed by some of the big hitters including; Activision, Capcom, EA, Ubisoft and more. Availability is being pegged at some point in Spring next year (so Q2-ish), with launch games expected to be available from first-party studios like Rare and Lionhead. MCV http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/natal-to-only-cost--50http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/natal-to-only-cost--50GamesNewsWed, 11 Nov 2009 10:43:42 UTCOne of the most popular Twitter clients was pulled from the App Store over the weekend after the last version suffered from a lot of bug reports from users, well it's now back, with added awesome . It now integrates with Facebook much like the Desktop version, which means you get to see your friends' status updates, write on walls a like news items. There is also the ability to record a video on the iPhone's camera (3GS, or choose one that has already been recorded) and upload it to 12seconds.tv for sharing on Twitter and Facebook. There is also now the ability for the app to work in Landscape mode if you need a larger keyboard to compose your tweets (and it will hopefully mean Safari can be rotated on the in-built browser). You can also save a draft, integrate with your bit.ly account, an address picker for the usernames of your most talked to friends as well as the ability to close TweetDeck and open links in the iPhone's own Safari instance. It should be available as an update in the App Store now.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetdeck-iphone-returns-to-the-app-storehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetdeck-iphone-returns-to-the-app-storeAppsNewsWed, 11 Nov 2009 08:41:51 UTCThere are a whole bunch of ways for UK-ers to get their hands on an Orange iPhone today, but we're going to give you some information on the main price-points of the handset, and how much you need to sign away on a contract here. iPhone 3GS 29.36pcm: 18 months, 150 mins, 250 texts 184.50 handset price 34.26pcm: 24 months, 600 mins, 500 texts 87 handset price 44.05pcm: 24 months, 1200 mins, 500 texts free handset price Click the title for the 3G prices.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/some-orange-iphone-priceshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/some-orange-iphone-pricesTechNewsTue, 10 Nov 2009 21:46:33 UTCFiremint, perhaps one of the most well-known iPhone app developers after their smash hit; Flight Control, has just announced that their latest game; Real Racing GTI has been taking the App Store by storm has been downloaded 2 million times. 1 million of those came in just one week, and it was also instrumental in the launch of the 2010 US Golf GTI (of which they're giving 6 limited editions away of to US-ers who just play the game), and has kept the game attached to the Top Free apps list. The App Store continues to gather pace, with more and more applications hitting spectacular download numbers, which brings with it the kind of big-money competitions like with these 6 free cars. Real Racing GTI is available from the App Store for both the iPhone and iPod Touch for free.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/real-racing-downloaded-2m-timeshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/real-racing-downloaded-2m-timesAppsNewsTue, 10 Nov 2009 11:03:35 UTCQik, the liveblogging and video sharing site, has had an Android client for a while now, but since the Motorola Droid has launched on Verizon in the US, they thought that the app could handle more power. With Android 2.0 and a rather good quality camera, the Droid was the perfect device for the Qik team to edit their app to allow for DVD quality recordings, which can then be uploaded to the Qik site for sharing across the web. The updated app, which records in 720 480 DVD resolution, wont be available from the Android Market for a while, but if you fancy giving it a go, you need to drop them an email to express your interest. Qik http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/qik-to-roll-out-dvd-quality-for-droidhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/qik-to-roll-out-dvd-quality-for-droidAppsNewsTue, 10 Nov 2009 09:17:32 UTCO2 has given the signal, and after 2 years of having the exclusive on Apple's hot smartphone, they have announced that from tomorrow you will be able to unlock your device from their network. You will still have to honour the rest of your contract of course, by either waiting for it to end naturally or by buying yourself out in one go. There will be a 14-day wait for the unlocking to be undertaken, but there is now an official route to getting off of O2 if you so wish. It's free to unlock for Pay Monthly customers (still bound to a contract though), but Pay as You Go customers will only be able to do it if they've had their device for 12 months and will be subjected to a one-time 15 fee (which strikes as us odd as they would have paid more for the device in the first place). O2: Unlock my iPhone http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/o2-users-can-unlock-their-iphones-tomorrowhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/o2-users-can-unlock-their-iphones-tomorrowTechNewsMon, 09 Nov 2009 19:09:54 UTCGoogle has always been a company who will buy a company if they think it adds value, and being such a major player in the advertising space, they like picking up ones that fit their brand and ethos. Well, it's just been announced thay they have aquired mobile ad company AdMob for a reported $750 million in stock, one of the largest deals in this quarter and another big-money aquisition to be announced today (EA and Playfish, $275m). AdMob was founded in 2006 by entrepreneur Omar Hamoui, and is currently the world s largest mobile advertising marketplace, so it seems to be a good fit for Google who want to have a finger in every form of advertising. A deal of this size shows where Google is betting at least a chunk of its money, and the emergence of more and more smartphone devices, you could be seeing more and more tailored ads on that smaller screen. Yahoo! Finance http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-to-aquire-mobile-ad-company-admob-for--750mhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-to-aquire-mobile-ad-company-admob-for--750mStartupsNewsMon, 09 Nov 2009 17:38:03 UTCEA is set to bolster their social gaming roster with the purchase of one of the leading developers of that kind of game; Playfish. The company specialises in the Facebook platform, so it should be exciting to see whether EA will bring their collection of heavy-hitting franchises to the social networking site, or whether it will let new IP flourish on the relatively new platform. Surprisingly, financials were released for the deal, which totals around $275m in cash and another $25m in equity retention, according to Develop. Another high-profile exit for a company involved in the social media and gaming scene, which looks to be the hot-ticket at the minute (as long as you're not using offer advertising). Develop http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ea-to-buy-social-gaming-dev-playfishhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ea-to-buy-social-gaming-dev-playfishSocial MediaNewsMon, 09 Nov 2009 15:31:10 UTCThe internet is going all boo-hoo over Rupert Murdoch's plans to make all of his online-newspaper content pay-to-play within the next few years, and I'll be honest with you, I can't see why. The internet has seemingly given a generation of users the feeling that they have a right to access all content for free whenever they wish to have access to it. Even things you're supposed to pay for (like music), the internet has decided should be made available for nothing. Should this viewpoint be changed? Yes. And quickly. Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/murdoch-can-do-what-he-wantshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/murdoch-can-do-what-he-wantsSocial MediaOpinionMon, 09 Nov 2009 15:24:09 UTCOne of the most anticipated sequels of the decade hits the shops tomorrow morning in the form of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the follow-up to the game of the same name released 2 years ago. It made a massive splash when it appeared in 2007 as it pushed the ageing Call of Duty franchise into the current, the Modern day, with a supreme multiplayer mode and polished single player campaign. The cycle of CoD games meant that last years annual update reverted to another developer and another time-zone, but tomorrow's launch puts gamers back into familiar territory. It was announced that the game would retail for an RRP of 55, helping to offset some of the massive developement costs associated with a game of this caliber, however, Sainsburys is planning on flogging it for less than half that; 26. MCV UK http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/modern-warfare-2-for-26-quidhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/modern-warfare-2-for-26-quidGamesNewsMon, 09 Nov 2009 14:55:05 UTCOne of the main way social gaming companies have been making money since the concept began to explode over the past year is to integrate with companies who pay them for (what amounts to) lead generation. If you sign-up to a trial or a subscription with an advertiser, you'd get free in-game goodies that would make your experience more enjoyable. However, this often leads to you signing up to ringtone or mobile game subscriptions, which then impact quite highly on your monthly bill. Now, it seems that TechCrunch's crusade against this slightly devious practice (of getting gullible people to part with lots of cash and private information for a cute in-game object) which has been rumbling on for a few weeks has come to a head, with the CEO of the largest player in the space; Zynga, stating that they'd be removing all CPA offers across their games until we can control their inclusion and presentation . At present they're just words on a page, but if they do follow through with it, it will have a negative effect on their balance sheets, but will raise the company's customer experience level. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/zynga-to-remove-offer-advertisinghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/zynga-to-remove-offer-advertisingSocial MediaNewsSun, 08 Nov 2009 20:34:45 UTCAdobe has just announced the new Photoshop.com application for Google's open-source mobile operating system; Android. The application will allow users to edit the photos that they have taken on their phones, with functionality such as cropping, rotating, adding black white and sepia filters as well as being able to adjust brightness and change the focus levels. It comes less than a month after the company released the iPhone version of this application which established itself as one of the top free applications. Adobe Photoshop.com Mobile for Android is available now, for free from the US and Canadian Android Markets only (for the time being). Photoshop.com Android http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/adobe-debuts-photoshop-com-for-androidhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/adobe-debuts-photoshop-com-for-androidAppsNewsSun, 08 Nov 2009 13:57:05 UTCTwitter's own homepage has had the Lists feature for a while now (for some users), but the third-party client developers are only just starting to roll-out updates that support it. Brizzly (the superb web-based client) announced that it had integrated them yesterday, but perhaps more crucially; Seesmic Web has added both Lists and Geolocation features into their client. Whilst it's not quite the Desktop client update that most users were looking for, fans of Seesmic Web (which is up there with Brizzly) should be chuffed at not only getting one of the hottest new features on the micro-blogging platform, but one that hasn't even made it onto the Twitter site yet. So, if you're a fan of the new List functionality, and have Geolocation enabled on your account, then all you have to do is mosey over to Seesmic Web to give it a try.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-adds-lists-and-geolocationhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-adds-lists-and-geolocationSocial MediaNewsFri, 06 Nov 2009 19:23:21 UTCThe real dirt today from Google is not about their new dashboard widget and ecommerce search (both of which we're writing up for stories over the next few days), but that the Cookie Monster has taken over the doodle. Yesterday's doodle in the UK was of Wallace and Gromit who were celebrating their 20th birthday, but in the US, Big Bird took over the show. Now that same theme has gone international with the biscuit-loving maniac has descended on the Google homepage-logo. Doodles are being used with increasing regularity on the homepage of the site, and whilst we were hesitant that it might detract from the special-ness of the act, we feel it's more interesting and exciting when the big G is celebrating something that we might not have known about. How many people screamed COOKIE at their screens this morning? I know I did... Google http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/cookie-monster-takes-over-at-googlehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/cookie-monster-takes-over-at-googleSocial MediaNewsThu, 05 Nov 2009 11:09:41 UTCTwitter is going to bring a feature to the homepage of the site, much like they do on their side-bar searches, wherein you will be told how many tweets have appeared since you last loaded the page. So, it may pop up with 1 new tweet , and clicking on this will show you the new content. If it's like the search implementation then it should be pretty slick, and will help control the noise generated by real real-time services like FriendFeed. It's currently a limited test, but we all know how quickly the microblogging platform can iterate, so we expect it will be in most users' hands soon. Twitter Status Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-tests-new-homepage-notificationshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-tests-new-homepage-notificationsSocial MediaNewsThu, 05 Nov 2009 08:07:55 UTCTweetMeme, the go-to tracker for monitoring how many people are engaging with your content on Twitter (and the company behind the buttons on the left of every story here, and across the web), has now announced that they will be offering native retweeting on the iPhone, Android and Blackberry platforms. When you're on a website using one of the smartphone trifecta, you'll be served a mobile-specific retweet button that will take you to page where you can choose from a range of Twitter applications from which to tweet the link. It will also work with the mobile version of the Twitter website itself, meaning you can also share the fun if you're not using a dedicated client. It should be rolled out to users next week, and you can learn more on their blog.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetmeme-offers-up-mobile-retweetinghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetmeme-offers-up-mobile-retweetingSocial MediaNewsWed, 04 Nov 2009 18:28:00 UTCSony Ericsson had been predicted to launch an Android smartphone for a while now, and we were all waiting when the X2 was launched to see if it were packing Google's open-source OS. It wasn't, but the company's new X10 does. Wrapped in a 4 touchscreen, SE has managed to hack Android to make the experience more fluid with a new media player dubbed Mediascape, and a social networking widget that allows you to interact with Twitter and Facebook at the same time (kind of like MOTOBLUR). It has 1GB of internal storage, but you get an 8GB microSD card included (no M2 card here), and it's based on Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon processor, which at present is rocking Android 1.6 (so no Google navigation software yet, although there is Wisepilot). The 8.1MP camera toting device will be available in black and white in Q1 2010. XPERIA X10 UK Overview http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-ericsson-release-android-xperia-x10http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-ericsson-release-android-xperia-x10TechNewsTue, 03 Nov 2009 13:12:44 UTCTwitter's new List feature has now been rolled out to all of the users of the microblogging site, as confirmed by a tweet from one of the developers. The feature allows users to create groups of users that they organise into certain areas of expertise or interest. You can have up to 20 Lists, which can hold up to 500 people per piece, although we imagine there is more value in having a few lists of the highest value-adding people. Tweet http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-lists-available-to-all-usershttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-lists-available-to-all-usersSocial MediaNewsFri, 30 Oct 2009 20:54:51 UTCNetlog, Europe's largest social network and one of the fastest growing in the world, has been adding more and more features to the site to make it more enticing to users over the past few months. Now they're capping things off with the introduction of the Gatcha! social gaming brand to help bolster their entertainment-offering for their 56 million members. In the words of Netlog CEO and co-founder Lorenz Bogaert, Netlog is an open, profile-centric community as opposed to a standard friends network . At Netlog, young people make friends by building a digital identity, sharing experiences and playing games. Things are already starting to happen as they have a closed beta version of their upgraded site already in place. Netlog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/netlog-snaps-up-social-gaming-brand-gatchahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/netlog-snaps-up-social-gaming-brand-gatchaSocial MediaNewsFri, 30 Oct 2009 16:36:29 UTCOne of the features that we were intrigued by about Twitter Lists (which are now available to over 50% of users of the site - add us!) was how it'd interact with the Favouriting features of the site as showcased by Robert Scoble. Well, Favourite aggregating site Favstar.fm has introduced a new feature that creates a list of the top 20 people whose tweets you have favourited. This is a really great concept, as it means that you can create a truly informative List on people whose tweets you enjoy (as long as you are into favouriting, which you should), without having to go through the effort of going through the people you follow. Simply hook your account up via OAuth, and it'll create the List for you. If you want to add anyone at any time, simply head to their profile page and add them, and it'll sync back to Favstar. If you've had Lists enabled, head over there to try it out.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/favstar-introduces-my-favstar-listhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/favstar-introduces-my-favstar-listSocial MediaNewsFri, 30 Oct 2009 09:39:12 UTCRumours have been spreading around the web in recent weeks, speculating that Nintendo was set to unveil an updated DS with a larger screen. Well, the company has just announced the DSi LL. The LL will pack twin-4.2 screens and is targeted at users who want to browse the internet on their device. It will be available in Japan next month with three WiiWare titles installed in Dark Brown, Wine Red and Natural White colours, although there is no plan for a launch in either the UK or US at this time. MCV UK http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nintendo-unveils-dsi-with-larger-screenshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nintendo-unveils-dsi-with-larger-screensGamesNewsThu, 29 Oct 2009 11:06:36 UTCFake ChromeOS stories aside, Google actually has something pretty major for us today; a free satnav application for Android 2.0 (Eclair) phones. The term game changer is thrown around a lot when talking about new technologies, but with companies like Garmin and TomTom gearing up for subscription apps on the iPhone (and we assume were looking at Android too), Google's product is really aiming to take both of them out. Google is perfectly placed to create this kind of product; massive library of free-to-use maps, images of streets all over the country, it's own mobile platform where all the phones have GPS as well as the technological know-how to make it all mesh. Looking at the stock prices for Garmin and TomTom, it's clear to see that investors are really worried that this is going to drive the prices those companies charge through the floor. Engadget http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-changes-the-satnav-game-with-free-offeringhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-changes-the-satnav-game-with-free-offeringAppsNewsWed, 28 Oct 2009 20:13:51 UTCGoogle has been running a campaign for the past few months to encourage corporate and public sector companies to switch to their hosted email and application services. Well, now it seems that the effort is paying off, as the Los Angeles City Council has voted to switch ( tentatively ) to Google products for their email etc. The deal is worth $7.2 million, which is nice, but a drop in the ocean for Google. What this deal really means though, is that if one major US city can place their faith in the big G , then many others might follow suit, opening up government and huge-corporation channels. AP @ Google http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/la-council-goes-googlehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/la-council-goes-googleTechNewsWed, 28 Oct 2009 08:19:22 UTCIn news that confirms the iPhone/iPod Touch platform as the de facto mobile application to be seen on, there are now over 100,000 approved application on the App Store. Third party site AppShopper has (currently) 101,754 approved applications in their database, which is staggeringly high. However, the number actually available is slightly lower at around 93k, which is probably based on release timing of apps and updates. Still, it is another milestone in the march of the app economy , and when you think we were all shouting about 50,000 apps earlier this year, it just shows the Apple devices' runaway success. http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/iphone-apps-bound-over-100khttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/iphone-apps-bound-over-100kAppsNewsTue, 27 Oct 2009 11:38:46 UTCIf you use social sites like that microblogging one we don't seem to stop talking about, then you'll know that it sometimes takes a long time to find the golden pieces of content. Well, Google now has you covered. The company is introducing a new Social Search product that will give you search results from your contacts and friends along with your regular results, so you get the best of both worlds. Simply make sure that your social circle is linked with your Google Public Profile, and you'll then be given real, personalised results for each search based. It surfaces the most relevant content from your friends, so if they tweet a link that's related, or have written a blog post then you'll be presented with it. The feature will be launched into Labs later today for users to play with. Google Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-introduces-social-searchhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-introduces-social-searchTechNewsMon, 26 Oct 2009 19:43:27 UTCThe second device packing Palm's webOS platform will be hitting US network Sprint on November 15th; the Pixi. It packs a full QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen in standard candy-bar form factor, which is interesting as there haven't been too many devices like this on the market (most either are entirely touchscreen, or have a slide-out keyboard as well). If you sign up to the network with a 2 year contract, you can get the device - after rebate - for $99.99, which undercuts the Pre's original price by quite a bit. After playing with the UK Pre for a bit, webOS is a very nice platform and has a lot of potential, so the Pixi should carry this forward as well. Palm Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/palm-pixi-hits-sprint-november-15thhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/palm-pixi-hits-sprint-november-15thTechNewsMon, 26 Oct 2009 14:20:32 UTCIn news that Twitter is really pushing to make their API the best darn API on the planet for developers, they've managed to nab the platform manager for the company that has been linedup as their biggest competitor; Facebook. Louis Gray has it that Facebook's Platform Program Manager; Josh Elman will be joining the micro-blogging platform, presumably in a developer platform role. Facebook has been pushing for the developer vote in recent months, with an easier Connect tool and various other improvements, but with the site being focused on personal interaction, the API features aren't quite as compelling as Twitters, and that seems to be reflected in this move. Louis Gray Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-nabs-facebook-platform-managerhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-nabs-facebook-platform-managerSocial MediaNewsMon, 26 Oct 2009 08:44:49 UTCOrange has set the date from which they will start selling iPhone's in the UK; November 10th. In a move we all expected, O2's exclusivity with Apple for their flagship handheld product has come to an end, and now it will be available on both Orange and Vodafone, as well as on the blue network still. Vodafone is expected to start selling after Christmas, but Orange's timing shows that it is gearing up for a bumper holiday season with the hottest mobile property going. According to The Times 200,000 people have pre-registered to get the device on Orange, how many of those have chosen to switch from O2 or are new customers to the OS X mobile platform is unknown. The Times Online http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-sets-date-for-iphone-launchhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-sets-date-for-iphone-launchTechNewsSat, 24 Oct 2009 14:12:47 BSTAs you may know, we at RandomlyAccessed have often dabbled (we mean, immersed) ourselves in the world of golf technology, so we thought we'd save up and deliver you a bumper pack of TaylorMade related, 2010 equipment news. First up, we have the new R9 TP irons from the company, that use their new Velocity Control Chamber technology to help promote distance from an improved COR in the long irons, and also improved feel in the short irons. They're even making a 2-iron for the set, which is often unseen in these days of technical hybrid and rescue clubs that borrow from the fairway wood design, showing their confidence in how well these are to play with. Click the title for more on TM's 2010 lineup.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-taylormade-lineup-compilationhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-taylormade-lineup-compilationSportsNewsFri, 23 Oct 2009 10:57:01 BSTOnline videosharing site, Dailymotion, has just closed a new round of funding which totals $25m, including some from a French state-owned company. Based on their figures of 1bn views per month, the site is about a 1/30th of YouTube (who recently announced 1bn per day), but that is still a massively impressive figure, which comes from 60 million unique monthly visitors on 18 localised versions. FSI, contributed $11M to the round, is 49% owned by the French government themselves, who invest in companies that create value and boost the competitiveness of the country's France's economy . The money will be used to help accelerate the growth of the company world-wide, and try and steal marketshare from Google's monster videosharing site.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dailymotion-closes--25m-funding-roundhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dailymotion-closes--25m-funding-roundStartupsNewsFri, 23 Oct 2009 10:09:22 BSTPC Mag sat down will Dell yesterday, on the day of the Windows 7 launch, to talk about their latest model that has been being teased; the Adamo XPS. What is clear from the start, this isn't an ordinary laptop, not only do they claim it'll be the thinnest laptop in the world, it also sports a design which most would undoubtedly label as; unique . It seems that the rumours of it getting that heat sensing latch were true as well, but none of the other specifics of the machine were shared at this time, so nothing much to go on (although we suspect it's running one of Intel's CULV processors inside). Head over to PC Mag, where they have a selection of hands-on photos of the device which looks different .http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-adamo-xps-revealedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-adamo-xps-revealedTechNewsFri, 23 Oct 2009 09:57:45 BSTToday is the day that a lot of people have been waiting for, the launch of Microsoft's new operating system; Windows 7. Whether you're picking it up on a new machine, or one of the record number of pre-orderers, it seems as though customers want to get along with this new iteration after the frustrations Vista's (relatively) short status at the top of MS's tree provided. We doubt there will large-scale queues for this update, but it does mark the beginning of what a lot of people are hoping to be an easier era for Windows, and the start on the road to a full touchscreen world with the built in multitouch functionality of the software. So, will you be getting it?http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/windows-7-launches-todayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/windows-7-launches-todayTechNewsThu, 22 Oct 2009 08:10:22 BSTBing, Microsoft's stab at taking search marketshare away from Google, has just sealed a deal with Twitter to bring tweets into its search engine, meaning you can now get trending topics as well as tweet data from the successor to Live Search. Head over to http://www.bing.com/twitter, and you'll be presented with a list of trending topics, as well as tweets related to those topics and the ability to search for specific topics. It seems as though Bing is trying hard to grab a hold of parts of the market that Google has yet to capitalise on yet, with the newer search enging adding all kinds of niche search ideas (although some would argue Twitter is fast becoming non-niche). If you fancy giving it a try, head over to their dedicated page.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bing-integrates-twitter-in-searcheshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bing-integrates-twitter-in-searchesSocial MediaNewsWed, 21 Oct 2009 20:12:30 BSTSomething I've been thinking a lot about recently is whether we have a say in the future of our online services because we invest so much of our time and effort in morphing them into these ultra-cool communities. I know I harp on about it a lot, but Twitter has redefined for me what the internet is about, it's taken something that we used to see as fast and has just hit the warp-speed button, and tens of thousands of people spend large parts of the day attached to the site in one way or another. It's not a question of whether we own our content, because we don't, it's a case of whether we can expect to have a say in what goes on behind-the-scenes with these sites due to the time investment. Twitter wouldn't be the same without us, or would it? Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/do-you-own-a-service-if-you-invest-time-in-ithttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/do-you-own-a-service-if-you-invest-time-in-itSocial MediaOpinionWed, 21 Oct 2009 19:37:20 BSTHere is an image of the new MacBook White, courtesy of Apple. http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-macbook-white-imagehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-macbook-white-imageTechNewsTue, 20 Oct 2009 17:12:38 BSTIf you believe in the wholesale refreshes that are expected to be happening today, you might be right, as the Apple Store has just gone down both in the UK and across the pond. So, what do you want to see today? We'd bet the farm that there wont be a Tablet or MacBook Pro and iPod updates, but everything else is fair-game. We should all know pretty soon. Apple Store UK http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/uk-apple-store-is-downhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/uk-apple-store-is-downTechNewsTue, 20 Oct 2009 14:45:29 BSTThose of you who were in awe of the Limited Edition Black Nintendo Wii that was being sold in Japan earlier this year are in luck, the Big N is bringing said console to the UK just in time for the holidays. Everything will be the same except for the colour (although we are betting on a slight price hike due to the Ltd Edition nature of the console), and it will be available with matching Remotes and Nunchuks. You will be able to get the console, which comes with a black Remote, black Nunchuck and MotionPlus, with Wii Sports Resot and the original Wii Sports on November 6th in the UK and Ireland. The US will get it on the 16th and Europe will get it on the 20th. Image from MCVhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/black-wii-hitting-uk-next-monthhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/black-wii-hitting-uk-next-monthGamesNewsTue, 20 Oct 2009 14:36:17 BSTWhenever Apple announces a new product that doesn't deserve its own press conference, they tend to launch it on a Tuesday. No idea as to why, but that's been the case for at least the past few years. Well, the internet has been rumouring (when doesn't it in regard to Apple), and has thrown up some interesting titbits that might be coming today. We might be seeing; new iMacs, new plastic MacBooks, new-ish Mac Minis, a new mouse and a new desktop touchpad-type device. All of those rumours make sense, but can you really see Apple launching 3 product line refreshes in one day? Not to mention a completely new product line in the shape of the multitouch desktop trackpad. Who knows, we don't normally comment on all of these rumours, but after last nights Earnings Call, it's make sense if they announced something today. Via Engadgethttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/are-new-apple-products-hitting-todayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/are-new-apple-products-hitting-todayTechNewsTue, 20 Oct 2009 08:47:45 BSTA group of the top technology companies in America have all signed a letter supporting the FCC's decision to implement new rules and legislation that leave the internet open. Open in this regard means uncensored and uncut, meaning that free speech and all that that entails is entitled to roam free through the intertubes for all of time, and is accessible by anyone with a data connection in the USA. If you've ever connected to the net when in a corporate setting, you might know what it feels like to be blocked from seeing certain (entirely SFW) sites and how frustrating it is, and that is what the FCC is planning to prevent with their new, open, stance. The companies include; Amazon, Digg, Expedia, eBay, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, Sony, Twitter, Skype and more. Google Publicity Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-tech-companies-thank-fcc-for-open-nethttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-tech-companies-thank-fcc-for-open-netTechNewsMon, 19 Oct 2009 22:47:04 BSTThe latest version of the TweetDeck desktop Twitter client, based on Adobe AIR, has given a refresh to the notifications system which makes it easier to see whether it's worth looking at the client itself. You get a neat widget that pops up like the old notifier did, which allows you to scroll through all of the tweets that were delivered in that update. It might be a little bit intrusive for a lot of people, but it does keep you in the loop without having to have the TweetDeck client window up, thus blocking the work you'd be distracted from anyway. Head over to the TweetDeck website to update your current version or to download it if you haven't got it (it's the 0.31.2 update).http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/latest-tweetdeck-brings-new-notificationshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/latest-tweetdeck-brings-new-notificationsSocial MediaNewsMon, 19 Oct 2009 20:21:26 BSTIn more news that the big GOOG loves everyone (who happens to live in the USA), the search giant has teamed up with the US domestic airline Virgin America to offer free WiFi on all flights between November 10, 2009 and January 15, 2010. Their statement says that they're doing it to make your holiday season that little bit less stressful by allowing you to coordinate and get things done whilst in the air, which is usually dead-time. Simply hook up to the gogoinflight network, go through a simple CAPTCHA page, and you should then be treated to your free in-fight WiFi. Google has a map and more information at http://www.freeholidaywifi.comhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/free-wifi-on-virgin-america-flights-from-googlehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/free-wifi-on-virgin-america-flights-from-googleTechNewsMon, 19 Oct 2009 15:23:26 BST3 has been known to dabble in alternative routes for gaining customers, and it seems that their latest plan is to jump on two very good services; Android and Spotify. The company will be launching a new plan that will get you a premium subscription included in the deal, along with HTC's original Hero handset (the Sprint-flavoured updated version doesn't seem to be heading over here), with 750 minutes, unlimited texts and internet. You will need to stump up 99 for the handset at the start though, but if you're going to go for a Spotify subscription, you'll easily save as they include 2 years essentially for free - saving you 240 if you were going to go for the Spotify Premium service anyway, which let's you use the music streaming service on your mobile device. No word on when this plan will be available, but you can register your interest on their site.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/3-launches-htc-hero-and-spotify-planhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/3-launches-htc-hero-and-spotify-planTechNewsMon, 19 Oct 2009 14:13:35 BSTPlastic Logic, one of the companies at the forefront of ebook reading device technology, has come forward to tease its latest product; the QUE, which is being lined up as a business-class device. It will be appearing at CES in January, and will help you connect with your business and professional newspapers, books and periodicals , as well as supporting PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents. There will also be document interaction and management tools built into the device, which from their teaser image, looks especially sleek and will be the size of an 8.5 x 11 inch pad of paper, and run less than 1/3 thick. It will also be able to connect to WiFi or AT T's 3G network in the US. No news on pricing and availability, but it will be on show from 7th January at CES.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/plastic-logic-teasing-sleek-business-ereaderhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/plastic-logic-teasing-sleek-business-ereaderTechNewsMon, 19 Oct 2009 13:41:10 BSTWe've all been amazed at the elaborate hoax involving the story of a 6 year old who was said to be hidden inside of a runaway weather balloon in the US, when in fact he was tucked up safely in the garage. Authorities spent 2 hours chasing the balloon, wasting countless manhours of resources and taxpayers money with the stunt worrying half of America. Although officials are calling for felony charges to be brought against the family as it was clear this was a deliberate hoax by the father who seems to be obsessed with being on TV. Anyway, you've never truly made it as an internet meme unless you've got your own, unofficial, Flash web based game; and now Balloon Boy has! You simple float along for as long as possible, collecting rainbows for extra time and shooting down seagulls with your lightning abilities. A fun a quirky game, that will be relevant (although fun) for all of 4 days. Balloon Boy Game http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/balloon-boy-gets-his-own-flash-gamehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/balloon-boy-gets-his-own-flash-gameSocial MediaNewsMon, 19 Oct 2009 08:49:52 BSTI don't know how long Google has been offering this service, but if you type any of the Formula One drivers' names into the search engine, it'll provide you with their live position on track. Searching for Jenson Button now, during the Brazilian Grand Prix, it will tell you where he is in the race (P7 at the time of writing), and it works for a number of the drivers - although not for debutante Kamui Kobayashi. It's officially run with data from the F1 website and is just another little service that Google offers unasked that makes the searching experience that little bit better. Jenson Button Search http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-showing-live-f1-driver-positionshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-showing-live-f1-driver-positionsSocial MediaNewsSun, 18 Oct 2009 17:28:04 BSTEveryone with half an opinion on the web has been talking about the expected train-wreck of a show that Family Guy Presents: Seth Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show will be when it goes out to American on November 8th. It's a half-hour show one night, not a season long product placement (that would be hard to swallow), and it's not like it's detracting from the normal Family Guy running. Microsoft ponied up some cash and Fox was more than willing to let one of its best franchises bat for their cause for a bit. It's a bit more money in the coffers of Seth MacFarlane to play with some new content or add an extra show to the next Family Guy series, so I cannot see what the big deal is. It will only taint their reputation if people let it. You get an episode of jokes that make you heh instead of LOL for absolutely no effort, and no break, for hearing about Windows 7 for a bit. Doesn't sound horrendous, and noones forcing you to watch. Image via arstechnicahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/it-doesnt-matter-family-guy-sold-outhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/it-doesnt-matter-family-guy-sold-outTechOpinionSun, 18 Oct 2009 11:24:31 BSTChalk this one up as purely speculation, but BusinessWeek is reporting that the new ultra-thin laptop will have a heat-sensing latch that, when swiped with a finger, will open the lid of the laptop. We're guessing they don't mean open it all of the way, sort of like popping the boot open on a car is what we'd wager it to mean, but it does seem like a novel way to open the device. Let's hope that it's not just one more thing to go wrong , denying you access to your $2k machine. Also, it's being rumoured that the device is due for launch on October 22nd, the same day as Windows 7 is released on the world in its final form. It's a logical date, but we're sure that Dell has a lot more teasing up its sleeve before we get to see all of this machine. BusinessWeek (via Engadget)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-adamo-xps-getting-heat-sensing-latchhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-adamo-xps-getting-heat-sensing-latchTechNewsSun, 18 Oct 2009 10:18:53 BSTYouTube and Channel 4 have just signed a multi-year deal that means you'll be able to stream the latter's shows on the former's site. It will bring you full shows for free in the UK, and will help bring C4 additional advertising inventory and reach, whilst helping users enjoy their shows without heading to the 4oD site, which the YouTube offering will act like. There will be around 3000 hours of content available simultaneously (we gather it will be available for around 30 days after showing on the live station), and with the deal being non-exclusive, it leaves the door open to it being offered on other sites and services as well. Some programmes will be available over the coming months, but a full roll-out is expected to occur in early 2010.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/youtube-to-offer-channel-4-shows-onlinehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/youtube-to-offer-channel-4-shows-onlineSocial MediaNewsFri, 16 Oct 2009 12:34:08 BSTTwitterfeed, a service for sending RSS stories from your blog or site to Twitter, is in the process of rolling out a new update that will push stories to the microblogging service straight away. The main complaint with the Twitterfeed service was that it could take 15-20 minutes for an article to be pushed across, which in the cut-throat world of online journalism could be the difference between serious ad revenues. This works if your blog is Pubsubhubbub enabled (like the ones hosted on Typepad and Blogger for example), and they're currently working hard on support for those who are rocking RSScloud too. It should take a few days before all feeds that can use the new technology are rolled over to the new architecture, and once done, you'll be able to post to Facebook out-of-the-box as well. Twitterfeed Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitterfeed-goes-realtimehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitterfeed-goes-realtimeSocial MediaNewsFri, 16 Oct 2009 11:55:49 BSTA (albeit single) blog post today has drawn light on an incident where a TFL (Transport for London) guard was tapped being exceptionally rude to an elderly customer and was heard to say sling him under a train when the man got onto a tube after the incident. The elderly man had his arm trapped in a tube door, and was reporting the incident to the member of staff (beyond the yellow line) who didn't seem to be concerned with the wellfare of the man, and when another tube was approaching escalated the conversation into a foul-mouted tirade against the customer. The face of the TFL worker wasn't seen when the sling him under a train comment was made, but we can quite clearly see him called the old man a jumped up little git and letting the tube go, not following up on his previous threats of halting the service. It comes on the same day as it was announced that the cost of using public transport in the nation's capital is increasing by 20%. Hardly a great example of why we should pay more... UPDATE: The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has spoken out on his Twitter account about the video, posting; Appalled by the video. Have asked TfL to investigate urgently. Abuse by passengers or staff is never acceptable. The age of citizen journalism is upon us, it seems as though we can get our public-stories into the face of the most important people within the shortest timeframe now. Hopefully something will be done. Jonathan MacDonald http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tube-abuse-anger-hits-social-mediahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tube-abuse-anger-hits-social-mediaSocial MediaNewsFri, 16 Oct 2009 10:28:08 BSTThe Palm Pre is now available in the UK courtesy of O2 on a variety of 18-month and 24-month contracts, both online and at their retail stores. The webOS-powered smartphone packs a slide out QWERTY keyboard, 3.1 multitouch screen, 8GB internal storage, GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It can be had for around 100 when taking out an 18-month 30pcm contract (75 mins, 125 texts) or a 35pcm contract (600 mins, 500 texts), or free with the 35pcm tariff over 2 years. Free on an 18-month deal will run you either 45pcm (1200 mins, 500 texts) or 73pcm (3000mins, 500 texts), which is in a similar ballpark to what the iPhone is available for on the network. If you're ready to sign on the dotted line of a new contract, then you can get the App Catalog, application sporting device today. O2 Shop http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/pre-now-available-in-the-ukhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/pre-now-available-in-the-ukTechNewsFri, 16 Oct 2009 10:07:25 BSTIt was only a few days ago when all looked bleak for Sidekick users who may have lost all of their data off of the cloud and into the ether. Well, it seems as though Microsoft has been working hell-for-leather to get the data back (after initial reports of there being no back-ups, and several reports of a class-action lawsuit doing the rounds), and it seems as though you might be able to get back most, if not all, of your data. The loss meant that anyone with a Sidekick wouldn't be able to access their contacts, calendar, messages, photos, notes etc... as it was all hosted on a massive server which was corrupted. Microsoft Response http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-recovers-most-sidekick-datahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-recovers-most-sidekick-dataTechNewsThu, 15 Oct 2009 22:49:52 BSTGoogle has just released their third-quarter financials, and have revealed that their revenues are up 7% over the same period (quarter to 30th September) last year, which marked the start of the stock market crash. The company raked in $5.94 billion over the period with $3.14 billion of that coming from outside of the US with advertising programmes and Google-owned sites contributing to the tally. Operating expenses were $1.64 billion which was down on the previous year as well. Google had a strong quarter--we saw 7% year-over-year revenue growth despite the tough economic conditions, said Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. While there is a lot of uncertainty about the pace of economic recovery, we believe the worst of the recession is behind us and now feel confident about investing heavily in our future. Nice to see GOOG growing in this difficult market, with their low-cost entry to online advertising proving to be a robust model when the majority of companies are cutting their ad budgets. GOOG Earnings Document http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-grows-revenues-7-percenthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-grows-revenues-7-percentTechNewsThu, 15 Oct 2009 22:39:45 BSTIn another example of Twitter branching out into every area of our lives, it has just been announced that the company is to launch a wine brand in order to help a charity. Fledgling Wines, as it's called, sells a Pinot Noir red and a Chardonnay white for $20 a pop in association with specialists CrushPad, with the proceeds going to help the charity Room to Read that helps to crush illiteracy in developing nations. Buy a bottle of wine made by wine experts, branded by the hippest site of the moment and do a bit for charity. Sounds pretty good to us. Fledgling Wines (via SF Weekly)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-taking-over-the-world--selling-winehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-taking-over-the-world--selling-wineSocial MediaNewsThu, 15 Oct 2009 22:20:10 BSTTwitter has rolled out another new feature that stops you from repeating tweets that contain the exact same text straight after each other. In an attempt to cut-out tweet spam, this new feature goes along with yesterday's roll-out of a mark-user-as-spam button, and should mean you're not bothered with multiple mentions with the same content or have your main stream clogged. It works not only on the Twitter site, but on 3rd party clients as well (we've tested it on TweetDeck Desktop and can confirm this), which means that there shouldn't be a loophole around this new feature which is something that the site has been needing for a while. It should work for all users now.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-stops-you-posting-same-thing-twicehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-stops-you-posting-same-thing-twiceSocial MediaNewsWed, 14 Oct 2009 20:43:59 BSTOne of the most popular games in the App Store is Harbour Master, the line-drawing game that has you docking dozens of boats to offload cargo and getting them off the screen safely, has submitted an update to Apple which will bring Bluetooth multiplayer. When you send a ship off of your screen after unloading, it'll appear at the same point on your opponents screen fully-loaded, so they then have to dock it. With this you can play tactically by sending waves of ships onto their map, bombarding them with all manner of problems to deal with. You can play with this mode on any ofthe 6 included maps, plus the update brings about the oft-requested Fast Forward feature which help when things are slow at the start. The update is expected to be approved by Apple at some point this week, and will work on OS 3.0 and higher and on 2nd gen iPod touch and iPhone 3G or newer.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/harbour-master-getting-multiplayerhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/harbour-master-getting-multiplayerAppsNewsWed, 14 Oct 2009 10:44:16 BSTIn yet another example of Yahoo! trying their hardest to squeeze every piece of good-will out of their online services, they've gone and deleted a popular user group on Flickr on the basis of one or two posts. User Thomas Hawk has written an open letter to Elisa Steele who is the Chief Marketing Officer at Yahoo! outlining the ridiculousness of what has happened to the DMU group on the site, where instead of removing the offending posts, an admin just deleted the whole 5000-conversation group. It seems as though this user isn't alone. The 3000 members where none-best-pleased, and reading the comments on the post, it appears that many of their core userbase wont be renewing their subscriptions and will be jumping ship altogether. These actions don't seem to ring true with Yahoo!'s new slogan; The internet is under new management - yours. Flickr http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/yahoo-angers-core-flickr-userbase-againhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/yahoo-angers-core-flickr-userbase-againSocial MediaNewsWed, 14 Oct 2009 10:23:35 BSTOpenMoko, the company that was developing mobile phones with open-source operating systems back before it became cool, have announced a new device which puts the whole of Wikipedia into the palm of your hand. It packs a touch interface on top of a high-contract screen, and can be updated yearly with new SD cards for content for $29, which keeps the device offline, and with strict parental control features, should make it great for kids. WikiReader was designed by Thomas Meyerhoffer, the former Apple designer known for reshaping surf culture with his radically different surfboards: The key is keeping it simple. We really want the focus to be on the experience of reading Wikipedia, not browsing the Web. That's why we only have three buttons. There really is no interface. You're just straight into the content. It's available today from http://thewikireader.com/ and Amazon.com for $99http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/wikireader-dedicated-wikipedia-devicehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/wikireader-dedicated-wikipedia-deviceTechNewsTue, 13 Oct 2009 11:23:33 BSTThe Guardian story from last night is perhaps one of the most shocking to hit the UK journalism scene in years, but the newspaper managed to get the truth out without breaking any rules. They were allowed to mention the name of the solicitors involved in the case, which gave the truth-hungry scavengers of Twitter something gristly to get their teeth into, and they took the story. Seeing how the story evolved on the social network last night was truly amazing to anyone with an interest in this form of the media. We saw it with Michael Jackson's death, and we've seen it with other stories, but witnessing the real-time stream of the story unfolding was something magical. Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/how-the-guardian-worked-social-mediahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/how-the-guardian-worked-social-mediaSocial MediaNewsTue, 13 Oct 2009 11:07:40 BSTTweetMeme, the social link aggregator that follows the number of retweets and posts about content on the web from Twitter, is about to roll out new functionality to their button which is all around the web (including here on the left) and on their site. It will let you log into TweetMeme with a Sign In With Twitter (the microblogging platform's OAuth system) pop-up, as opposed from dragging you away from the site you're on. Once logged in, when you click Retweet on any button, you'll be given another pop-up that lets you edit the message that goes along with the link, with the link being uneditable so that the tweet refers to the original article. No word on when the roll-out of these new features will be, but this being social media, we'd expect any day now. TweetMeme Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetmeme-button-to-increase-functionalityhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetmeme-button-to-increase-functionalitySocial MediaNewsTue, 13 Oct 2009 10:40:03 BSTOne of the hottest stories to hit Twitter and other social networks tonight is that of The Guardian being gagged by the-powers-that-be from revealing any of the details about a legal case involving parliament, apart from the names of the solicitors involved. It seems to be in contradiction of a number of UK conventions (which can be accepted as law) over the reporting of events in the country's parliament. How juicy the story is, or what it actually entails, we cannot be sure. However, we do know that with the ever growing use of social media in the public domain, governments can generate a lot of negative PR for themselves. With the other pressures on the administration at the moment, a massive amount of public anger outpouring onto the net is not what is needed. The Guardian http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/guardian-gagged-story-whips-around-social-mediahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/guardian-gagged-story-whips-around-social-mediaSocial MediaNewsMon, 12 Oct 2009 22:12:13 BSTTwitter is having even more issues at the moment, where some users haven't been able to access the site as it's throwing up a 503 Service unavailable error, and occasionally the Fail Whale makes an appearance. Twitter doesn't seem to have noted the issue, and having managed to get back into the stream for a little bit, not many people are reporting this issue as it seems that some clients are working (TweetDeck isn't for us). We'll keep you updated when we have more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-having-more-problemshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-having-more-problemsSocial MediaNewsMon, 12 Oct 2009 19:18:28 BSTOrange has signed a deal with Transatel to allow companies to set-up in the UK as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in as little as six weeks. The MVNO market is widely known in the US where a few key players dominate the cellular towers, but local netorks sell to consumers, and even though the market seems to be dying over there, it could work in the UK for niche audiences. We'll see how this pans out, but expect to see a few new, smaller networks popping up in the next few years offering something slightly different. Heck, you might even see a RandomlyAccessed network. Orange PR http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-deal-paves-way-for-uk-mvnoshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/orange-deal-paves-way-for-uk-mvnosTechNewsMon, 12 Oct 2009 13:30:37 BSTT-Mobile, Danger and Microsoft in the US have announced that the recent troubles that users have been having accessing their data (all contacts, photos, calendars, messages and data is server-hosted) on their Sidekick devices has been down to a permanent server problem. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, companies would revert to a secondary system and all would be fine and dandy, but it seems that there aren't any backups of any of users' data, which means that customers will probably lose all of it. They're advising anyone with a Sidekick device not to reset, let the battery drain or switch off the device as the locally-stored information will be lost, resulting in a handset with nothing on it. T-Mobile US (via Engadget)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sidekick-users-may-lose-all-datahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sidekick-users-may-lose-all-dataTechNewsSat, 10 Oct 2009 23:09:46 BSTEngland's match against the Ukraine on October 10th (tomorrow) is to be shown exclusively online for the first time ever on sites such as; The Sun Online, Mail Online, Virgin Media, Orange and in selected cinemas. However, the paid-for service will only be viable for those with super-fast broadband which reaches above the 2Mb threshold experts believe to be the minimum for uninterrupted streaming. This has spurred a 30% increased in super-fast broadband sales in the past three weeks as users want to be able to see the 4.99 match (when paid in advance, 11.99 on the day) without problems. Alex Buttle, marketing director at Top 10 Broadband, said: Clearly England fans don t care if they watch online or on TV, so long as they are sure to see the game. A good broadband connection has become as essential to fans as a replica shirt or a fridge of cold beer. Top 10 Broadband http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/broadband-sales-soar-as-england-online-only-quali-approacheshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/broadband-sales-soar-as-england-online-only-quali-approachesTechNewsFri, 09 Oct 2009 11:05:47 BSTUS President Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize, with the news suddenly hitting Twitter a few moments ago. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded this years' prize to Mr Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples . It was awarded a little less than 15 minutes ago, but it is already the number one trending topic on the microblogging platform, just showing the true power of sharing on Twitter. Nobel Peace Prize http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-breaks-it--obama-wins-peace-prizehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-breaks-it--obama-wins-peace-prizeSocial MediaNewsFri, 09 Oct 2009 10:17:47 BSTAlthough Twitter is only officially available in English and Japanese, it has a massive following all over the globe. Now it seems as though it is time to bring these other countries into the fold though, as the company is looking to translate. In much the same way as Facebook managed its translation, Twitter will be allowing volunteers the opportunity to suggest translations for key terms on the site in the FIGS languages (French, Italian, Germand and Spanish). We'd imagine that the translations would be finished quite quickly, as there isn't much text on the site to translate, so hopefully once these new four languages have been added, they'll expand into even more markets. Twitter Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-expanding-into-new-languageshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-expanding-into-new-languagesSocial MediaNewsFri, 09 Oct 2009 09:58:14 BSTYouTube is celebrating 1bn views per day (although we thought it had already reached that) with a brand spanking new logo which has a neat little 1bn banner over the side of it, with the tagline; 1 billion views per day! . One of the more humorous sidelines to this is that if you bring up the file name on the image, it is called; logo_holy_crap_1bn_a_day.png , which shows that the YouTube team has developed Google's abilities with hidden jokes and messages. Still, it is nice to see that the vast majority of worldwide internet users are viewing at least one YouTube video per day. Now let's see how Google aims to turn a profit from all of these views. YouTube (Thanks to TechCrunch for pointing out the filename)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/youtube-celebrates-1bn-views-per-dayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/youtube-celebrates-1bn-views-per-daySocial MediaNewsFri, 09 Oct 2009 09:43:55 BSTOne of the sponsors of the weekly startup vidcast hosted by Jason Calacanis; This Week in Startups, is set to aquire procurement and materials management system provider, Marketboomer in a deal worth around $4.7m (in a share deal). WebSpy makes technologies for business to keep an eye on what employees are upto on their company computers during the day, using raw log files to determine exactly what has been seen and what emails have been sent and when. The company has been in business since 1996 and has offices around the globe, with clients such as; Codemasters, Tesco, Honda, DHL and more, with the hope that this aquisition will help with marketing in new areas and help substantially improve the combined company's cashflow. More details are available here.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twist-sponsor-webspy-to-aquire-marketboomerhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twist-sponsor-webspy-to-aquire-marketboomerStartupsNewsFri, 09 Oct 2009 09:29:02 BSTTwitter is currently experiencing a problem where your home feed wont be being updated either on their own site or on third-party applications like TweetDeck and Tweetie. They've updated their status blog this evening (morning for US-ers) with some scant details, and indicating that they're still working on the problems with the service. Hopefully the kinks will be worked out soon, as this is the third bout of downtime that has extended more than a couple of hours in the past month, but at least it has occured after the company secured $100m at a $1bn valuation.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-timelines-delayedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-timelines-delayedSocial MediaNewsThu, 08 Oct 2009 19:05:02 BSTWe've all been waiting expectantly for the Amazon Kindle to hit the UK, so we can all get our hands on one of the most well-regarded ereaders on the market at the moment. Well, that is sort-of going to happen on October 19th. You see, the US store will be selling a version of the device with International 3G, meaning that users in the UK can use the Whispernet mobile connection for downloading ebooks on the move. This is a big step, however, you still need to buy the device from the US store and pay any relevant import taxes plus all of the books and magazines will still be charged from the American store as well rather than the British one. The company does make it clear that they want to introduce a UK-centric model soon, and although the International version will work in several other countries around the globe, it does strike us as confusing to the consumer as to why they can buy a Kindle that works in the UK officially, but isn't sold from our store. Still, if you want to get your hands on the device, the model you want is the 6 incher that can work in 100 countries for $279 (US only version now priced at $259). Amazon Listing http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/kindle-sort-of-coming-to-the-ukhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/kindle-sort-of-coming-to-the-ukTechNewsWed, 07 Oct 2009 08:19:06 BSTAloqa is an application that lets you known what is around you by using your mobile device's GPS and WiFi abilities to look at your coordinates and bring you information on nearby people and services. It has been available on the Android Market for a while now, but they have just released their iPhone and iPod Touch versions onto the US and German App Stores so that users in those countries can get updates on their close-by Facebook friends, information on Craigslist auctions that might be happening in the vicinity and various other helpful location-based snippets. As much as we love the BlackBerry and Android platforms that the company has already released the app for, the iPhone is the real test that can make-or-break an application company. From what we've seen of the app though, they should be successful.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/aloqa-launches-on-the-iphone-and-ipod-touchhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/aloqa-launches-on-the-iphone-and-ipod-touchAppsNewsTue, 06 Oct 2009 08:24:07 BSTThe most popular feature of the iPhone version of the Spotify application is that you can sync playlists to be stored offline for when you don't have an internet connection, well, that functionality is now being extended to the Desktop version. So, whether you only have patchy internet coverage, or are constantly on the move with your laptop, Premium subscribers (sorry freebies) can now make sure that their tunes will work wherever, whenever. More details are to be announced later today, but we imagine it will stick with the iPhone/iPod Touch's method of requiring you to connect to the net at least every 30 days to keep the tracks working. The reason I subscribed to Spotify was for the offline capabilities in the app, and the addition of this to the Desktop version may just keep me as a subscriber.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-offline-coming-to-desktop-versionhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-offline-coming-to-desktop-versionSocial MediaNewsThu, 01 Oct 2009 13:22:19 BSTOne of the driving forces behind most users' adoption of third-party Twitter applications are their uses of groups and lists of uder types to help organise tweets and people you follow. This will become a more pressing issue as the mainstream hits the service and each and every user starts following more and more people, now it seems that Twitter has been taking note, and is set to launch their new Lists feature that lets you organise. They give the example that you could create lists based on athletes, local businesses, friends, or any compilation that makes sense , and you're able to have these lists either be public (default) or private. They're currently undertaking testing of this feature with a select handful of users, but will be rolling it out in due course to all accounts, plus, there will be a List API for developers to integrate this in their applications. Twitter Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-to-launch-lists-featurehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-to-launch-lists-featureSocial MediaNewsThu, 01 Oct 2009 08:24:32 BSTOur most popular story ever on RandomlyAccessed was the one we ran late last month/early this month about Microsoft's pledge to donate 16 meals to starving American's when you upgraded from IE6 to IE8. Not only does this help feed the hungry, but it also helps rid the internet in perhaps the most hated browser ever by web developers due to its non-compliance with the majority of web standards. Well today is the last day that this programme is running, so if you (or your IT department) has been holding offon upgrading to the latest browser from the company, now is the time to do it. Simply head to http://www.browserforthebetter.com to learn more and to download Internet Explorer 8.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/last-day-to-feed-america-by-upgrading-to-ie8http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/last-day-to-feed-america-by-upgrading-to-ie8TechNewsWed, 30 Sep 2009 19:03:32 BSTThere's now even more ways to pay for your Spotify Premium account than before, as the company has just introduced PayPal integration to the music streaming service. You have to pay if you want to use the iPhone application, or don't want to sit on the waiting list for use of the free version (something that was brought back into place earlier this month), and with millions of PayPal accounts in the world, and with a vast number of those in the UK where you can now use it to pay your subscription. Sounds like it is just the UK at the moment, but more markets will be added soon, and we'd imagine that it will be fully ready for when they do launch in the United States. Spotify Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-adds-paypal-for-premium-accountshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-adds-paypal-for-premium-accountsSocial MediaNewsWed, 30 Sep 2009 13:26:04 BSTMicrosoft has just released its Security Essentials anti-virus software for genuine Windows users which enables consumers to be kept secure from viruses and Trojan Horses for absolutely free. Like most other security software suites, it runs in the background, monitoring activity and assessing the threat level of processes to keep you protected, whilst also offering automatic definition updates to sustain the protection. Security Essentials is available now, and will be compatible not only with Vista but with Windows 7 when it is launched as well. Microsoft Security Essentials http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-now-offering-free-security-softwarehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-now-offering-free-security-softwareTechNewsTue, 29 Sep 2009 20:18:21 BSTYouTube is often used as a site to listen to music, and whilst it is designed to be based around video, many users leave the sounds playing in the background whilst browsing other sites. Now, if you're a talented YouTube musician, there's a chance you might get signed to a new indie label that is based around showcasing and selling the tracks of those who use YouTube as their medium. DFTBA Records (Don't Forget to be Awesome) has released 10 CDs from YouTube stars and is set to launch a merchandise range for their popular artists which will help generate even more cashflow on top of the $100,000 worth of sales surpassed to date. Check them out at http://dftba.com/ YouTube Global Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/youtube-users-set-up-music-labelhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/youtube-users-set-up-music-labelSocial MediaNewsTue, 29 Sep 2009 20:00:29 BSTThe Tube Exits iPhone app has been helping commuters in London know which carriage to get on to be best placed for walking straight out and up the escalators to exit for a few months now. Now it seems as though commuters in Paris will be getting the same help, as the same development team has turned their attention to Sorties Metro , which is all about knowing which carriage to be in for the exits on the French capital's underground system. If you live in Paris, or are a regular on their subway network, this app may very well prove invaluable to you in much the same way as Tube Exits is making sure that workers in the English capital aren't bogged down behind tourists and those who aren't in a rush. Sorties Metro http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tube-exits-now-gets-french-friendhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tube-exits-now-gets-french-friendAppsNewsTue, 29 Sep 2009 10:03:09 BSTVodafone has jumped on the bandwagon, and not 24 hours since Orange made its similar announcement, will begin selling the highest of the high-end smartphones on its network. We knew that O2's exclusivity was coming to an end (a fact which they wrapped up with we've still got the iPhone, and we're getting the Pre ), and with Orange's announcement that they were offering the handset just yesterday, we weren't expecting this. Although it also seems as though Vodafone wasn't expecting it, as The Telegraph reports that the deal was only hammered out last night. Analysts reckon that this will lead to an iPhone price war, with the new networks having to knock 4 or 5 a month off of their tariff prices (resulting in a 120 saving over the lifetime of the contract) to compete with O2's brand recognition as the iPhone network in the UK. Full details are expected within the next few minutes. The Telegraph http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/breaking-vodafone-to-sell-the-iphone-in-uk-as-wellhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/breaking-vodafone-to-sell-the-iphone-in-uk-as-wellTechNewsTue, 29 Sep 2009 09:02:09 BSTEvan Williams sent a tweet out last night that simply read; Very excited about the secret (and not so) projects being worked on in the back room. (This is not a teaser, it's a test.) This wouldn't have piqued out interest - after all, companies work on secret projects all of the time - but the last line about it being a test has us intrigued. The tweet was sent via text, so at least something they're working on is to do with updating on the go from a mobile handset, but that's about all we can gather from this definitely-is-a teaser. @ev Status http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-working-on-some-secret-projectshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-working-on-some-secret-projectsSocial MediaNewsTue, 29 Sep 2009 08:28:02 BSTIn a sign that companies are still hiring talented people out there, Rackspace has snagged the Chief Technology Officer at hip t-shirt startup Threadless; Harper Reed. The company which is best known for payer for user submitted tee designs has long been a Rackspace customer, so moving on up the tree to satisfy the need to be kept geeky isn't surprising, and with the good relationship the two businesses share anyway, we can't see this being much of a loss for Threadless. Rackspace (the world renowned hosting company) has been on a roll recently, making sure they keep hiring smart people, and staying relevant in the marketplace - including branching out into social media with Building43 and the hiring of Robert Scoble. kr8tr s posterous (Image)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/threadless-cto-joins-rackspacehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/threadless-cto-joins-rackspaceStartupsNewsTue, 29 Sep 2009 08:15:39 BSTO2's two year exclusivity deal has come to an end, as Orange has just announced that they will be selling both the 3G and 3GS on their network, and it'll be coming before Christmas. With the orange network merging with the magenta network (T-Mobile), it makes sense for the predicted biggest network in the country to have one of the most hyped handsets on its roster, and although no pricing details have been announced, it will have to undercut the O2 offering to make consumers take note. It is the 28th territory that the company will be offering the phone, so it makes sense that they secure the rights to it here as well, although O2 will also continue to sell the device. If you fancy getting some details on this fruit salad, then they've put together a splash page to register interest and get information on pricing and contracts when they're released. Orange Site http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/iphone-coming-to-orange-in-ukhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/iphone-coming-to-orange-in-ukTechNewsMon, 28 Sep 2009 13:34:16 BSTGoogle is 11. It has come a long way in the past decade plus one, from a research project founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford dubbed; BackRub, all the way to the multi-billion dollar search and advertising giant we all know today. Now the word Google is (not only one of the most famous misspellings of all time as it's a play on the word googol , but also) known around the world, and is even accepted as a verb for the action of web searching in much the same way as Hoover is used for the act of vacuum cleaning. Reading through the company history, it's interesting to see how quickly new features of the site were added, and how recently (comparatively) some of the killer features were implemented. Google has changed the lives of all web users forever, and we can only wish them Happy Birthday and bring on the next 11 years!http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-celebrates-11th-birthdayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-celebrates-11th-birthdayTechNewsSun, 27 Sep 2009 09:49:52 BSTWe ran a story last week stating that Twitter was raising investment at a $1bn valuation, hoping to bring in an extra $50m or so in venture capital. Well, it appears that there are so many firms interested in taking a few of the shares off of their hands, that they might be nearing $100m invested. This should help the company to clear up any technical glitches and help scale the system to cope with the influx of new users that the Winter season will bring in (after the Summer technology lull). At a valuation like this, it seems more and more likely that an IPO is the exit strategy for investors, or a potential sale to one of the big guns a few years down the line (we assume Google and Microsoft would fall over themselves to aquire it). Let's just hope that $100m is enough to send the Fail Whale on a permanent vacation... TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-maybe-raising--100mhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-maybe-raising--100mSocial MediaNewsThu, 24 Sep 2009 18:37:01 BSTO2 has just confirmed that the Palm Pre smartphone will be hitting the network in the UK on October 16th (which is under a month away at the time of writing). The phone, which packs the company's webOS operating system for syncing and running multiple applications, has been available in the US for a few months yet, but with only a few free apps in the App Catalog. However, paid apps were recently added, and more and more developers are heading over to the platform, so if you pick up a device (which will be free on 44.05 or 73.41 per month contracts), you should get a more fully-featured experience. The slide-out QWERTY toting phone will be available alongside the iPhone, which puts O2 at the top of the smartphone tree at present. Which phone will win out? The battle will begin on October 16th.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/pre-coming-to-o2-october-16thhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/pre-coming-to-o2-october-16thTechNewsThu, 24 Sep 2009 17:36:21 BSTSomething that has been questioned in boardrooms the world over is; how do we measure our social media efforts? Well, it seems as though Microsoft is taking some steps towards that with its new LookingGlass technology for monitoring social media adverts. The proof-of-concept prototype tool allows users to listen to, participate in, and analyze social media . For example, they can use it to monitor what people are saying in real-time about the new Zune HD MP3 from the company on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube, and whether the comments are positive or negative. It also interacts with Twitter and Facebook, so the company can reply to any messages and update their status on the social networking services. It's powered by Silverlight, so it provides companies with increased functionality (like you would with Flash), and will be unveiled in full at Ad Week in New York today. Microsoft Advertising Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-aims-to-make-social-media-investment-trackablehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-aims-to-make-social-media-investment-trackableSocial MediaNewsWed, 23 Sep 2009 22:41:12 BSTYouTube, the world's foremost video-sharing site, is currently down for maintenance, which marks the first time in a while that the site hasn't been online for a period of time. Hopefully this wont be a long bout of downtime, we don't want them turning into another social media site. Update: Parts of the site are back online, whereas others are not. You might get some patchy service.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/youtube-is-currently-down-for-maintenancehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/youtube-is-currently-down-for-maintenanceSocial MediaNewsWed, 23 Sep 2009 18:34:09 BSTLayar, the aumented reality app that is currently available on Android and (hopefully) coming soon to the iPhone, has added a new feature to their toolset; 3D. Their application enables developers to create tailored augmented reality environments to offer to consumers that overlay information about local areas and businesses when being viewed through the users' device camera, and the new 3D tool is a welcome addition. It uses OpenGL, the accelerometer, the GPS and the compass of the phone, and allows developers to place 3D, actionable objects into your content layer, which can open music files and web pages for more information. They currently have 500 developers on board to use the API, and the 3D features will be rolled out with version 3 of the Android software coming in November. Layar 3D http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/layar-augmented-reality-app-goes-3dhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/layar-augmented-reality-app-goes-3dAppsNewsWed, 23 Sep 2009 16:56:51 BSTIt seems as though Microsoft is trying to build a little bit of abstract buzz for its new operating system; Windows 7, by building a cafe in Paris that lets users play around with Microsoft-powered products. TechCrunch has the story, as well as a selection of pictures of the space, which will let customers buy food and beverages, but not any actual products. It'll open on October 22nd in the centre of the city, and will provide people with free WiFi for consumption, not only when it opens, but on the pavement even now. An interesting plan for the company to get people talking about and interacting with their product, but Paris is a long way to travel just for a coffee. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-to-build-a-windows-7-cafe-in-parishttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-to-build-a-windows-7-cafe-in-parisTechNewsWed, 23 Sep 2009 16:46:16 BSTGoogle has gone on the record and stated that they don't use the keyword meta tag in their search rankings, so that web developers can't game their engine. In the past, site creators would be able to put in a bunch of keywords into the page header to help search bots into defining the content of the site, however, Google has said that they do not use this in their rankings and that they rely on other metrics like actual page content and off-page links. This is one of the reasons why Google can be so accurate with information, they're not being troubled by developers trying to get listed under irrelevant (but popular) searches when they shouldn't be. They still support other meta tags like description to help their listings, but there's no point in trying to game them with all those keywords. Google Webmaster Central http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-doesnt-use-keywords-in-rankinghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-doesnt-use-keywords-in-rankingTechNewsWed, 23 Sep 2009 16:37:34 BSTYahoo!, the destination page site, has been pushing quite hard since it was announced they'd be teaming up with Microsoft to use the latter's Bing search technology, leaving them free to focus on other ventures. They're now planning on spending $100m to push the site in the UK, US and India, which allows users to customise their experience on Yahoo! using custom news feeds as well as other applications. Now that search isn't distracting them any more, it'll be interesting to see how they pitch the site and what new features they can bring us to make Yahoo! a must visit destination again. Guardian http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/yahoo-investing-100m-in-marketinghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/yahoo-investing-100m-in-marketingTechNewsWed, 23 Sep 2009 13:26:44 BSTBlimey o'riley, another week has gone and we've reached our Wednesday look at the iPhone App Store top paid applications again. In the week of the launch of a number of high-profile and expensive applications, we see whether the Top 10 has been infiltrated. 1. AppBox Pro - 0.59 2. Scrabble - 2.99 3. geoDefense Swarm - 0.59 4. iPark It! - 0.59 5. Internet Radio Box - 0.59 6. Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D - 1.79 7. Max Injury - 0.59 8. Geared - 0.59 9. Live Cams - 0.59 10. ColorSplash - 1.19 The majority are still the 59p-ers, with AppBox Pro clinging to its top spot from last week. Scrabble does make up one place with a 2.99 price-point though. Geared slips even further to eighth, with Internet Radio Box moving back into the top ten after missing out last week. With Modern Combat falling from last week's 7th, all the way down to 17th.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-paid-iphone-apps-23rd-septemberhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-paid-iphone-apps-23rd-septemberAppsNewsWed, 23 Sep 2009 10:03:34 BSTWe were wondering when the low-end HTC Android handset, the still-somehow-hard-to-spell; Tattoo would hit the market. Well, we now have that information, and it'll be coming next month to the red network. No word on how much it'll cost in October on Vodafone, but it could be loading up on PAYG or lower priced contracts. It'll be interesting to see how Google's open source mobile operating system works on a resistive touchscreen, instead of the standard capacitive unit. You'll be able to find out soon enough, but if you want to be kept in the loop, their site allows you to register for updates on the device. Vodafone Shop http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-tattoo-coming-to-vodafone-next-monthhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-tattoo-coming-to-vodafone-next-monthTechNewsTue, 22 Sep 2009 22:26:18 BSTMSI has been teasing with a number of thin-and-light laptops running on Intel's CULV platform for a while now, and they've seen fit to release the 14 incher in the UK. It runs on the 1.4GHz version of the CULV processor, with 2GB RAM, either a 320GB or 500GB HDD, WiFi a/g/n (no mention of b in their details) as well as 2 USB ports - which trumps the laptop which this is aiming at; the MacBook Air. It's just 9mm thick at its thinnest point which makes it one of the thinnest 14 models on the market, which it'll be hitting this month for 569 with the 500GB HDD and an external optical drive, or 499 for the 320GB model without the drive.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/msi-release-x400-thin-and-lighthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/msi-release-x400-thin-and-lightTechNewsTue, 22 Sep 2009 21:56:04 BSTIf you're interested in getting the latest version of the Windows operating system; 7, and are on Twitter, then you might want to enter a competition to get one of a handful of licenses. All you have to do is follow @MSWindows and follow a certain number of challenges dished out with the official #WinWin7 hashtag. They've been dishing out prizes for a couple of weeks, including pizzas, drinks and even $7.77 in cash, but they'll be giving out a copy of the OS to a random follower for every 2000 followers they get until they hit 77,777 (starting at 42,777). Plus, they'll be giving out even more special prizes when they do hit that figure. An interesting competition, and quite an easy way to be in with the chance to get some free Windows 7. Windows Team Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/win-windows-7-on-twitterhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/win-windows-7-on-twitterSocial MediaNewsTue, 22 Sep 2009 21:38:32 BSTOnly most highly anticipated sequels of the current generation has been dated for release its publishers; 2K Games. BioShock 2, which is based around 10 years after the original, will be hitting the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on February 9th next year. It has a lot to live up to, as the first game won no fewer than 50 Game of the Year awards when it was released in 2007. The game also has 3 websites for you to visit to get more information; www.bioshockgame.com, www.cultofrapture.com and www.somethinginthesea.com.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bioshock-2-dated-for-februaryhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bioshock-2-dated-for-februaryGamesNewsTue, 22 Sep 2009 21:23:49 BSTNope, the game hasn't hit the deadpool, just that the latest updates is taking your pygmies to a graveyard for their latest escapade. The latest map allows you to bury your pygmies who return from the grave as zombies and eat the brains of the remainder of the tribe (turning them into zombies). You can't control the zombies, as they just turn to dust if you try and pick them up, and they can't be transported to another map once they've been bitten. It should be available as an update in the App Store now for those who have already bought the game, if you haven't, it's well worth the 59p.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/pocket-god-enters-the-graveyardhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/pocket-god-enters-the-graveyardAppsNewsTue, 22 Sep 2009 20:59:33 BSTMany users only use Internet Explorer because it is all they know, however, more and more people are turning to alternative browsers for their internet usage (although not us) which change the way you can use the web. Firefox has its massive plug-in library which allows people to do all kinds of things straight from the programme itself, Opera has their Unite server technology and Chrome has its lightning fast Javascript engine. Now you can bring the latter's Javascript engine (along with a whole host of features, like the HTML5 canvas tag) to Internet Explorer with the help of Google's new plug-in which turns IE into - what looks like - Chrome. All developers need to do is add one tag to their code to make sure that users who have Google Chrome Frame installed can use the WebKit engine for speedy usage. It's still a very early release, but if you're interested, their blog post outlines more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/turn-internet-explorer-into-chromehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/turn-internet-explorer-into-chromeSocial MediaNewsTue, 22 Sep 2009 20:40:38 BSTAmazon is known for helping companies sell their own wares, but with products like the Kindle, the company is starting to branch out into selling their own gear. For things like blank CDs, DVDs and cheaper AV cables, you can now buy directly from the company themselves, cutting out your dealing from other Amazon Market firms. The AmazonBasics range also comes in the company's new frustration free packaging which cuts out excess and gets rid of the vacuum packaging that frustrates users. It's currently only available in the US, but an international roll-out is expected at some point. If you want to check it out, head to their site.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/amazon-launches-own-brand-electronicshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/amazon-launches-own-brand-electronicsTechNewsTue, 22 Sep 2009 20:27:59 BSTOne of the main features of Twitter is the ability to retweet, and the company is known to be working on an API to make this an official feature on the site, but we've not seen how that will work. Until now. They've just released a screenshot of a possible homepage design showing how the feature might be integrated on the Twitter site, which shows a list of the people (by their avatars) who have retweeted the story. Click the title to see a larger image.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-released-retweet-homepage-mockuphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-released-retweet-homepage-mockupSocial MediaNewsFri, 18 Sep 2009 22:14:03 BSTParts of Google's original letter to the FCC were redacted and thus the public weren't privy to what was said, however, that has now changed and the entire letter is available for viewing. What it essentially says is that Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing, and current face of the company whilst Steve Jobs is still getting back into his groove, Phil Schiller personally told Google that their Voice application was to be rejected. This is in direct contradiction to Apple's version of events which state that the application hasn't been rejected (whilst also not being approved yet either). The search giant also claims that Apple rejected the Latitude application on the same grounds as well, and that it was Mr Schiller who they corresponded with again. Whoever is telling the truth, they both can't be right, so expect this to drag on for a while yet. Google's Letter PDF (Thanks for the tips!)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-tells-fcc-that-phil-schiller-rejected-google-voicehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-tells-fcc-that-phil-schiller-rejected-google-voiceTechNewsFri, 18 Sep 2009 20:26:26 BSTLast night's problems with avatars and user backgrounds on Twitter left a lot of people confused this morning, but it was due to a small bug that the company was fixing, and was planning to have sorted within a few hours. Well, it seems as though some problems are back again, as the company is saying that some people may still be suffering from problems (we are with the site account) due to a caching error on their part. So, like the earlier problem, it's nothing to worry about, the avatars and backgrounds haven't been deleted and they should start switching themselves back on when the company has solved the problem. Twitter Status Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-avatars-go-back-on-holiday-againhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-avatars-go-back-on-holiday-againSocial MediaNewsFri, 18 Sep 2009 18:52:05 BSTRahul Sood, the founder of high-end computer manufacturer Voodoo, has gone on the record and outlined where the brand now fits into the HP landscape after the announcement of HP's own Envy laptop (not Voodoo's Envy 133) without any Voodoo branding. It seems as though HP decided to inject some of the Voodoo DNA into more products, and instead of diluting the name, they left off all mention of it, allowing the smaller team time to focus on more new products (including something completely unexpected apparently) without being focused on an expanding range of interesting HP products. So it sounds as though the team is still going to focus on creating amazing products, but we shouldn't expect to see anything new from them in the short-term as they're looking way ahead into the future at the moment. Rahul Sood Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/voodoo-founder-talks-about-place-in-hphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/voodoo-founder-talks-about-place-in-hpTechNewsFri, 18 Sep 2009 15:44:14 BSTDAB radio is still taking a long time to catch on among users, as more and more people turn to the internet to get on-demand tracks, sitting through endless talking and adverts isn't something users want. However, Pure has been doing a decent trade in DAB-capable radios recently, and they've just announced a new model; the Sensia, which also connects to your favourite social networking sites. It packs a 5.7 touchscreen which hooks into the net allowing access to various Pure apps like Picasa, Facebook and Twitter. You can also stream tracks from your media enabled PC, and will be available in red, yellow, black and white when it hits just in time for Christmas for 249.99http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/pure-announces-net-enabled-dab-radiohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/pure-announces-net-enabled-dab-radioTechNewsFri, 18 Sep 2009 14:16:39 BSTWith the emergence of applications like the TomTom and Navigon ones on the App Store, there is now a need to be able to mount the iPhone in the car so it can be used as a bona fide Sat Nav. GEAR4 has seen fit to fill this current hole in the market place with their new CarDock FM Follow Me peripheral which not only holds your iPhone for viewing use, but also transmits your tracks over FM to the radio to play on your cars' speakers (it could even work with the talking turn-by-turn directions on some apps). It plugs into the cigarette lighter for power, so requires no batteries, hooks into an FM band between 87.6 - 107.9 and sports a fully adjustable arm. It should be available soon for 49.99http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/gear4-launched-an-iphone-car-standhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/gear4-launched-an-iphone-car-standTechNewsFri, 18 Sep 2009 13:37:32 BSTSeesmic Desktop, one of the Adobe AIR clients for Twitter, has just been upgraded to version 0.6 which brings several new features including greater integration with Facebook. You will now be able to control your Facebook Pages from within the application, so you can post messages as well as respond to comments posted on your Page. This should be a killer feature for some brands who want a greater level of social media interaction, and who already have a Twitter presence. You can also now reply to all of the users mentioned in a tweet, so as to make sure you respond to a grouped conversation on Twitter, without having to send multiple tweets with the same content. Plus, they're also announcing a partnership with Yfrog which means the site is to become the default image sharing site across all of the Seesmic applications. We still prefer TweetDeck ourselves, but for Seesmic fans (and there are a lot), these new features should be well received. Seesmic Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-desktop-upgraded-to-0-6http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seesmic-desktop-upgraded-to-0-6Social MediaNewsFri, 18 Sep 2009 13:00:49 BSTAlienware, the premium gaming brand that was snapped up by Dell a few years ago, has been teasing new products for a long time, but they've been stepping up their game lately with dedicated websites and now videos. If you head to their YouTube account you can see the two clips they have, which look like pretty high-budget videos for web adverts, and the tagline; They're Coming seems to indicate that it's either multiple products or multiple SKUs. The designs of their products have always been outlandish, and the prices astronomical, so hopefully this announcement will be for something slightly more tame and slightly cheaper. However, nothing is known about these new products yet, but whatever they are, they should have some serious gaming DNA in them. AlienwareChannel http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/alienware-teasing-more-productshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/alienware-teasing-more-productsTechNewsFri, 18 Sep 2009 11:19:39 BSTIn a move to cleary differentiate themselves from Apple's juggernaut of a smartphone, Palm has seen the light and has admitted another Google Voice application to hit the App Catalog. P2GoogleVoice, as it's known, sits alongside the already approved gDialPro to help you control your phone calls and text messages using your Google Voice number. Voice is the controversial application from the search giant that hijacks the core features of your phone, allowing you to make VoIP calls, as well as allowing you to have one number for all of your mobile and home phones, so that whenever someone rings you (as long as they dial your Google Voice number), they'll be ringing your home and mobile numbers simultaneously, almost guaranteeing to get through. If you were cursing your luck that the Pre isn't available in the UK yet on the back of this news, there is some light; Google Voice isn't available here yet either. Palm Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/stuff-the-iphone-palm-pre-has-two-google-voice-appshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/stuff-the-iphone-palm-pre-has-two-google-voice-appsAppsNewsFri, 18 Sep 2009 09:49:00 BSTOvernight, Twitter had some problems with avatars on the site, where people who already had images had theirs replaced with the new default avatar (pictured, but does come in various other colours). Things look to be getting back to normal now, but if you do notice that your profile picture has gone, don't worry, as it should be coming back shortly. Twitter hasn't said what the cause of the problem was, but they have confirmed that it was a bug that has now been fixed.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-avatars-go-awol-for-a-bithttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-avatars-go-awol-for-a-bitSocial MediaNewsFri, 18 Sep 2009 09:34:13 BSTThere are thousands of people currently developing web and iPhone applications out there at the moment, but sometimes coming up with a design for the website can be difficult if you don't know where to draw inspiration from. Look no further! We've compiled a quick list of 12 Web 2.0 and iPhone application pages, with a variety of design features and outlooks to inspire you! Click the title to head to the list!http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/12-web-2-0-sites-for-inspirationhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/12-web-2-0-sites-for-inspirationStartupsOpinionWed, 16 Sep 2009 21:54:49 BSTTwitter has been growing at an exceptional rate, and they have an amazing number of users with the $55m that they've already raised, but it seems as though the company needed another large round to continue their march. TechCrunch is reporting that the company has raised another $50m or so that pegs the company at a $1bn valuation. Which, whilst less than most power-users would value it at (compared to other services on the web), is quite a price for a company that still hasn't got a business model figured out. The $1bn figure is put into perspective when you consider the company raised a round earlier this year that had it valued at $250m. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-raises-funding-at-1bn-valuationhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-raises-funding-at-1bn-valuationSocial MediaNewsWed, 16 Sep 2009 21:18:33 BSTHas it been a week already? Our weekly rundown of the Top 10 Paid iPhone apps in the UK is back again, so without further ado, here it is: 1. AppBox Pro - 0.59 2. iPark It! - 0.59 3. Scrabble - 2.99 4. Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D - 1.79 5. Geared - 0.59 6. Max Injury - 0.59 7. Modern Combat - 3.99 8. Mobile Minutes Tracker for O2 - 0.59 9. Pub Quiz - 0.59 10. Live Cams - 0.59 The charts have changed almost beyond recognition this week, with all manner of new games, a new leader in the shape of AppBox Pro, with Geared slipping to 5th. There's also a few more expensive apps creeping in this week, which may well be down to new users who have bought the 3rd Gen iPod Touch and are playing with the App Store.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-paid-iphone-apps-16th-septemberhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-paid-iphone-apps-16th-septemberAppsNewsWed, 16 Sep 2009 20:24:46 BSTAppleInsider has received word of a Wedge Partners report which states that Apple might be giving a refresh to its iMac and plastic MacBook lines within the next few weeks. The plastic white MacBook is one of the compelling items for Apple to consider dropping the price on, as it shouldn't dampen the company's high-end tag associated with the aluminium MacBook Pros, and would certainly help boost sales and marketshare in the run-up to Christmas. The company has been holding off building a netbook, but with the economic climate and increasing pressure from consumers and shareholders to produce a more value-orientated offering, they might be coming aroung to the idea of dropping the price of the white model by a couple of clicks. As for the iMac refresh, we're not sure about the details, but we'd be surprised if there weren't lashings of aluminium and some kind of touch support. AppleInsider http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/is-a-cheaper-macbook-on-the-wayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/is-a-cheaper-macbook-on-the-wayTechNewsWed, 16 Sep 2009 16:00:32 BSTFlight Control, one of the best and biggest selling games on the iPhone and iPod Touch, is now heading to another platform; the Nintendo DSi. With the launch of the new DSi console, Nintendo released DSiWare, which were small games (like apps) that could be downloaded straight to the device to play anywhere, and they've been encouraging developers from other systems to create games for the platform. The stylus input should be a good control system for the game, but there isn't yet any word on what elements will be moved across to the DSi or anything new that might be included when it launches at some point in Q4. Casual Gaming http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/flight-control-coming-to-dsiwarehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/flight-control-coming-to-dsiwareAppsNewsWed, 16 Sep 2009 11:43:16 BSTIf you've been following my Twitter stream, you'll know that I've been particularly impressed with a beta web-based client; Brizzly. We'll be bringing you a full review of the service soon, but we've got 100 invites for RandomlyAccessed readers to get in on the action before everybody else! All you need to do is head over to http://brizzly.com/signup, and enter boldquiet in the Invitation Code box, and fill in the rest of the details to get an account! In our opinion it's the best web-based Twitter client out there at the moment, so head over there and enjoy!http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/brizzly-web-based-twitter-client-inviteshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/brizzly-web-based-twitter-client-invitesSocial MediaNewsWed, 16 Sep 2009 11:27:29 BSTSimilar to Google's Lab feature, Facebook is launching a new service which lets users try out cool new beta applications that have been developed to make their social networking experience easier. They regularly has Hackathons , all-nighters when teams get together within the company to make cool new ideas and features come to life, and it's for these kinds of ideas and applications that the Prototypes section will be for. One of the first is an application that allows you to get notifications from the site delivered to your desktop on your Mac. Other applications include an advanced search function where you can search for photos based on who is tagged in them, as well as an enhanced events email that allows you integrate with your Outlook and Google Calendars. Keep in mind that any of these could still be buggy as they're (as the name suggests) still prototypes. Check them out here.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-launches-prototypes-lab-like-featurehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-launches-prototypes-lab-like-featureSocial MediaNewsWed, 16 Sep 2009 11:18:00 BSTViewSonic - known for their PC monitors, and more recently their netbooks - has been adding various products to its stable in the past few weeks, and now they've just added a couple of HD media players. The MovieBook VPD500 and VPD400 are portable media devices that fit in the palm of you hand with their 5 and 4.3 form factors respectively, with 800x430 resolutions, 720p HD output, 8GB of built in storage as well as an SD card slot. You'll get 4 hours of video and 15 hours of audio off of the 1900mAh battery (on the VPD500), and they'll be able to play a whole host of codecs including; AVI, RMVB, FLV, MP3, WMA and WAV, APE and FLAC. They will be available in October, hitting at 115 for the VPD500 and 105 for the VPD400.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/viewsonic-release-hd-media-playershttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/viewsonic-release-hd-media-playersTechNewsWed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:36 BSTModern Warfare 2 is one of the most anticipated games of the past couple of years as it hopes to capitalise on the success of the original that hit in 2007. Microsoft is hoping to take advantage of that and provide die-hard enthusiasts with a Limited Edition Modern Warfare-spec console, which is decked out in a special motif, as well as coming with a copy of the standard edition of the game. You'll also get a 250GB HDD and 2 black controllers for your $399.99, but unfortunately for us in the UK, it only looks to be getting a US release for the moment. Amazon Listing http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/modern-warfare-2-limited-edition-xbox-360http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/modern-warfare-2-limited-edition-xbox-360GamesNewsWed, 16 Sep 2009 10:41:24 BSTMotorola's CLIQ Android handset could very well be the shot in the arm that the device maker needs to kick-start their comeback, but it has been rebranded as the DEXT in the UK ahead of its launch. It will be coming to Orange in early October, and will be available free on a 34pcm, 24-month contract. This will get you unlimited internet and texts, as well as 900 minutes. It looks like a very nice device, and whilst the MOTOBLUR social-networking skin for Android might be too busy, it should be useful for users.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/motorola-cliq-is-dext-in-uk-coming-to-orange-in-octoberhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/motorola-cliq-is-dext-in-uk-coming-to-orange-in-octoberTechNewsWed, 16 Sep 2009 10:29:28 BSTOfcom has held the reins over BT's consumer business for 25 years, but now it seems that that period is now over. BT is now free to offer their own take on the triple-play package, by offering phone, broadband and digital television at a rate lower than you can buy them each individually, which was previously the case imposed by Ofcom. The communications regulator says that the telecoms company no longer has signficant market power in the landline market, so has decided there is no reason to constrict them any more than they do any company offering similar services. It should mean cheaper deals for consumers from BT if they're in the market for the triple-play scenario, and with BT Vision becoming a hot property in the on-demand space, it's good timing. The Times Online http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bt-allowed-by-ofcom-to-offer-discount-packageshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bt-allowed-by-ofcom-to-offer-discount-packagesTechNewsWed, 16 Sep 2009 10:14:09 BSTTwitter has been amazing at getting people sharing news stories and breaking headlines across the world immediately as they happen, and whilst trends used to be useful, they have been being gamed recently by memes as opposed to headlines. Insttant hopes to change that by collating news that is shared by people with influence on the microblogging platform (decided from number of followers, number of tweets being retweeted and other factors as well). The service shows you various statistics and provides visual aides to help you view how a story is being shared across the platform, which should be good for marketers or newsgatherers. It's currently in closed beta, and was launched at the TechCrunch50 conference. Insttant http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/insttant-delivers-people-generated-newshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/insttant-delivers-people-generated-newsSocial MediaNewsTue, 15 Sep 2009 23:02:35 BSTVideoEgg has been gathering quite a following on the web as it delivers adverts on pages that are both pushing a product, but also engage the user with quality video content, and they've been innovating non-stop on the back of their success. They've just announced their new ToGo service which allows companies to advertise across their network as well as on any other site on their media buy with the same technology. It's an interesting concept, and if you're in the market for advertising on the web, and can serve up content for users to engage with, it should be a good platform. VideoEgg ToGo http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/videoegg-launches-togo-offeringhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/videoegg-launches-togo-offeringStartupsNewsTue, 15 Sep 2009 22:13:45 BSTSomething I've wanted to do since playing Sonic on the Megadrive is design my own levels for the hedgehog to navigate, collecting rings and facing Dr. Robotnik at the end. Well, it seems as though Sega have been working on such a feature, as they've now rolled it out to their PlaySega VIP members. It was created by Mediatonic so that it works with the Flash-port of the original game, which should mean that it is easy to use. You can also share your creations with others, and there's a small voting system tacked onto it as well to make the feature sociable. If you have a PlaySega account (or fancy a 5-day trial which is offered on their site), then head over there and give it a try. Sonic Level Editor http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/design-your-own-sonic-levelshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/design-your-own-sonic-levelsGamesNewsTue, 15 Sep 2009 20:54:34 BSTDivX and Panasonic have teamed up to launch the new DivX Plus HD technology which brings the codex 1080p, H.264 video support in the consumer electronic company's new products. We re thrilled that Panasonic has embraced DivX Plus HD technology for ICs that will power some of the most advanced CE devices on the market, said Kevin Hell, Chief Executive Officer at DivX. With more and more devices on the market possessing DivX Plus HD technology, we are advancing our effort to become the consumer face of H.264 in software and consumer electronics. We should start seeing digital TVs, Blu-ray disc players and in-car players that can support the technology appearing soon.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/divx-and-panasonic-bringing-divx-plus-hdhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/divx-and-panasonic-bringing-divx-plus-hdTechNewsTue, 15 Sep 2009 19:18:26 BSTTwitterfon has seen fit to change their name to Echofon, which seems like an active change to fend-off any kind of trademark protection by Twitter themselves, as well as give the company scope to branch out into applications for other services. Both of their products, Twitterfon and Twitterfox were both individual applications, however, under the new Echofon brand they can now talk to each other (sort of like TweetDeck can do with its iPhone and Desktop clients). Also, the iPhone client supports Push Notifications, so you're alerted when someone mentions you or sends you a direct message on the service. Rebranding is now complete, and the new Pro and Standard iPhone/iPod Touch applications are available as an update from the App Store if you have already bought/downloaded them.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitterfon-becomes-echofonhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitterfon-becomes-echofonAppsNewsTue, 15 Sep 2009 19:08:59 BSTAs well as the recently announced dot m/u netbook we saw earlier today, Packard Bell has seen fit to launch their latest all-in-one range; the oneTwo M and the oneTwo L. Both are multi-touch sporting PCs which take advantage of the finger capabilities in Windows 7 and a gloss black finish, wrapped around 20 (M) and 23 (L) screens. A whole array of specs can be had, with the L providing a bit more potency courtesy of a 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility 4670, a Core 2 Quad processor and optional Blu-Ray player. We should see them cropping up on October the 22nd, with the M coming in at 599 and the L hitting at 899.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/packard-bell-all-in-one-onetwohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/packard-bell-all-in-one-onetwoTechNewsTue, 15 Sep 2009 18:14:17 BSTMicrosoft has released a new concept for how they see news being delivered to people whilst sat at their computer, with what looks like a TweetDeck-for-stories. It ties in your Facebook and Twitter streams with RSS feeds from the main news sources, as well as picture content to go along with the hot stories. I like this idea, as it combines how most of us use social media with current affairs that some people may miss, and if the focus was put on Twitter like it is in TweetDeck, but with these extra services, it could be a killer app from Microsoft. Whilst still a concept, it is an idea that could become viable at a moments notice for a company with Microsoft's resources, so watch this space as it's where we see news going. Nieman Lab http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-reveals-online-newspaper-concepthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-reveals-online-newspaper-conceptSocial MediaNewsTue, 15 Sep 2009 16:46:59 BSTPackard Bell have been dishing out some tasty products since they realigned their brand a month or so ago, and now the've just delivered a new netbook (well, slightly larger than a netbook) that looks interesting. The dot m/u is an 11.6 incher, which is slightly bigger than the normally accepted definition of a netbook, but it should provide increased usability whilst not hampering performance. There will be several SKUs, with up to 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, Adobe Photoshop Element 6, optional Bluetooth and 3G, a multi-touch gesture touchpad all in a chassis less than an inch thick. It'll come in October with a 6-cell battery starting at 399.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/packard-bell-dot-m-u-netbookhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/packard-bell-dot-m-u-netbookTechNewsTue, 15 Sep 2009 16:30:05 BSTAt the moment, there's a highly focused technology and startup conference going-down in California in the US called TechCrunch50. We'd wager that everyone at that conference has accounts and are tweeting about it in real-time. However, is it on the Twitter trends list? Nope. In fact, it has barely made it into the top 10 all day, why? Because Twitter is more concerned with the aftermath of the MTV Video Music Awards (with Kanye West's outburst being the main topic), than a tech-geek get-together. It's just one of the latest examples of how Twitter has grown out of its nerd beta phase, and shows that it has hit the mainstream in a big way. Major celebrities on the site, as well as sustained and massive media attention have exploded the sites' userbase to the stage where a topic which would have been dominating the majority of conversations on Twitter a year ago, is now a non-event. Interesting at the very least.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-trends-shows-mainstream-successhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-trends-shows-mainstream-successSocial MediaNewsMon, 14 Sep 2009 22:28:53 BSTFacebook announced that it would be launching a tagging function to their status updates that would work in much the same way as Twitter mentions last week. It seems as though that functionality is now live, so if you want to tag a friend in a status update for all of your friends to see, simply write an @ and then their name and it'll include a link to their profile, as well as notify the tagged friend of their inclusion. As Facebook is more fully featured as a social network, it is tied into the site more than Twitter mentions, but will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used the microblogging platform's integration. Check it out at Facebook.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-mentions-goes-livehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-mentions-goes-liveSocial MediaNewsMon, 14 Sep 2009 21:11:46 BSTWe're currently watching the TechCrunch 50 livestream, the event in the US where startups and companies show off their latest projects and applications hosted by Jason Calacanis and Michael Arrington. Bing, Microsoft's latest attempt at stealing search marketshare from Google, has been well received since it was launched 90 days ago and they're about to turn on the switch to launch a Visual Search product. This will enable you to be presented with a lots of pictures of products that might of interest to you (say; comedy films), and you then use filters (example; lead actor, year of release) to hone your results to something that should be of real interest to you. The list of images is updated in real-time, and will give you a more focused area to search (and thus shop) for. The feature should be coming live from now, so head over to Bing and check it out.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bing-demos-visual-search-at--techcrunch50http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bing-demos-visual-search-at--techcrunch50TechNewsMon, 14 Sep 2009 18:48:03 BSTWell, that was quick. Facebook Lite was only launched in the US and India last week, but over the weekend, it has already been rolled out to us in the UK. Having spent the past few days playing with the Lite version, we have to say that it is a much better user experience than the fully-featured version. It cuts to the core information, and each pages loads faster and the layout is cleaner. If you want to try it out, head to http://lite.facebook.comhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-lite-launches-in-the-ukhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-lite-launches-in-the-ukSocial MediaNewsMon, 14 Sep 2009 11:58:47 BSTHP hasn't been up to a lot with their high-end Voodoo purchase recently, with only the Envy 133 and a couple of Voodoo DNA desktop rigs hitting the market. Well, it seems as though they're taking cues from Voodoo, without actually including their branding on their latest product; the Envy 13. It's a 13 affair, which seems to aim it squarely at the MacBook Pro or the MacBook Air, with a similar aluminium frame and edge-less display. Whilst not as thin as the latter, it does look pretty svelte. From what we hear, the Windows 7 packing machine will be announced officially tomorrow, but in the meantime check out the pictures at NotebookItalia.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/hp-envy-13-loosed-a-day-earlyhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/hp-envy-13-loosed-a-day-earlyTechNewsMon, 14 Sep 2009 11:38:45 BSTWe knew that Bit.ly would be getting some kind of file-upload and management functionality as part of its tie-up with image sharing site Yfrog, but it seems as though those features are starting to go live now. Under the standard link shortening box, you should now have the option to Upload File , clicking on which will present you with a standard Browse box for choosing a file off of your PC. This only seems to work with images at present, but it doesn't block you from selecting all other types of file, which will return an error message. When you do upload a picture, it'll be stored to Yfrog, and you'll be given a Bit.ly short link to post to Twitter or anywhere else. It's a really nice, light-weight offering from the two companies, and it should make image sharing easy for users of the URL shortening service. If you have a Bit.ly account, try it out.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/upload-files-to-shorten-via-bit-lyhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/upload-files-to-shorten-via-bit-lySocial MediaNewsMon, 14 Sep 2009 11:17:30 BSTOnly a few days after catching a glimpse of LG's hot new Android device, it seems like the company has taken the steps to make the device official. The handset packs a 3 inch, full touch screen, looks to be a Google Experience phone (so you get Maps and Gmail) as well as what seems to be a 5MP camera. It will be showing up in select European markets in Q4, which may well include the UK. Looks to be a nice handset, so hopefully we'll be getting it sooner than later, as it seems as though there will be an increasing amount of decent Android hardware hitting just after Christmas.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/lg-gw620-android-handset-announcedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/lg-gw620-android-handset-announcedTechNewsMon, 14 Sep 2009 11:07:49 BSTIf you're in the US, you might know of a financial services company called Mint. They provide online tools for helping monitoring your bank account and your finances, and they've been on something of a roll recently with the number of users using the service. Well, they've just been aquired by one of their competitors; Intuit, who own the Quicken brand, in a deal valued at $170m. According to TechCrunch, the investment in the company values it at around $140m (from $32m invested) which means that they're well up on their baseline figure with this deal. TechCrunch http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/intuit-buys-mint-for-170mhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/intuit-buys-mint-for-170mStartupsNewsMon, 14 Sep 2009 10:56:23 BSTFlight Control, one the best selling iPhone and iPod Touch games from the App Store has just released a new update which brings a whole-host of upgrades, including a new airfield located in Australia. The new airfield is based in the outback, with an added challenge being that there are the occasional Royal Flying Doctors planes which automatically head to a certain landing strip, meaning you have to plan around them. The update also brings in the ability to select your own tracks to listen to whilst playing Flight Control with game sounds (OS 3.0 feature), as well as letting you play multiplayer over WiFi. There's also the option to pause a multiplayer match, with a 3...2...1... resuming countdown to help both players get back into the groove. It should be available in the App Store now.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/flight-control-update-head-down-underhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/flight-control-update-head-down-underAppsNewsSun, 13 Sep 2009 21:06:56 BSTAfter Apple's event on Wednesday we were left wondering how the videocamera technology on the iPod Nano 5th Generation would work. Well, after a impromptu trip to the local Apple store, we got a quick hands on. The device is very light to anyone who isn't used to the Nano, and you certainly wouldn't notice it in anything but the smallest of pockets, with the proportions being right with the new screen size (there's enough to grab a hold of without covering the screen). The menu system works as it always has on standard iPods, but the wheel isn't quite as usable as some of the older generations, but it wasn't a major issue in the short time we were using the device. Click the title for more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/quick-hands-on-with-ipod-nano-5ghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/quick-hands-on-with-ipod-nano-5gTechOpinionFri, 11 Sep 2009 20:58:48 BSTDue to the massive increase in people wishing to use the music-streaming service Spotify since the launch of the iPhone/iPod Touch client, the company has reverted to requiring new users to have been invited by an existing user. UK users wishing to use the free version can apply for an account, but each new one will be added to a waiting list unless they've been invited by someone with a Premium account. You'll still be able to buy a Premium account and get immediate access though, and this is the only avenue if you want to use the mobile clients (iPhone, iPod Touch and Android currently) anyway. Spotify Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-reverts-to-invites-in-the-ukhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-reverts-to-invites-in-the-ukAppsNewsFri, 11 Sep 2009 20:19:17 BSTMacworld has found a segment of interview by David Pogue (of the New York Times) with Apple CEO Steve Jobs which sheds some light on the reasoning why the iPod Touch hasn't been refreshed with a camera module. Apparently the reason why the iPod Nano can only shoot video and not take still images is because the sensor needed for taking video is thinner than that for taking still pictures. This makes sense to us, video can get away with a lower resolution than a still image, so the compromise was made. If the iPod Touch was to be given a camera, it would need to be the same as the one in the iPhone to make it worthwhile (so it'd work with the same camera applications), this would have meant the Touch having to gain some weight (the thinning at the edges of the device wouldn't leave enough room for a camera module like the iPhone's), and that's not something that Apple wants to do (nor is it something consumers want). It does sound like the Touch will be getting a camera at some point, but only when the technology can be made thin enough for it to fit into the svelte form-factor users (including us) love. Macworld http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ipod-touch-might-be-too-thin-for-a-camerahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/ipod-touch-might-be-too-thin-for-a-cameraTechNewsFri, 11 Sep 2009 12:25:14 BSTSony is squarely aiming at the iPhone/iPod Touch market with their latest Minis initiative to develop a game and application market for the PSP, but it seems as though these could become cross-platform eventually, with the company admitting that the more successful Minis could transition to UMD as packaged games. Sony Europe s Zeno Colaco said in an interview with Develop Magazine that although the games weren't built with the home consoles in mind, they might also get some playtime on that platform as well. It'll be interesting to see how the PSP market opens up, as long as Sony makes the development tools free or as-near-as-makes-no-difference, then it should be a viable platform for current iPhone and Android developers. Develop Magazine http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-psp-minis-could-hit-umd-and-ps3http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-psp-minis-could-hit-umd-and-ps3GamesNewsFri, 11 Sep 2009 12:04:58 BSTTwitter is making sure that it keeps users in loop when it comes to their Terms of Service, and has made a few points on their blog which outline the key features. Firstly, Twitter is keeping the door open for advertising on the site. They've never been interested in running advertising, but with the strive for profitability, some kind of advertising model could be worked out. Unlike that other social network, Twitter is making sure that you know that your tweets belong to you. The company is free to use them and distribute them (as is the function of the site), but they are yours. They're also writing guidelines for the usage of the API (the tools used for developers to create applications like TweetDeck, and what we used to develop Expndr), which will govern how your data is used by third-party applications. It's refreshing to know exactly where you stand with the service. If you fancy looking over the summary of changes, head over to the blog post.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-modifies-tos-open-for-adshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-modifies-tos-open-for-adsSocial MediaNewsFri, 11 Sep 2009 11:49:11 BSTFacebook has been gearing up to launch a lighter version of the site for a couple of months now, and it seems as though users in the US and India can now get their hands on it. Facebook Lite will strip out all of the boxes and applications, and simply allows users to write on walls, post status updates and upload pictures and video; i.e. the core features of the social network. We made our feelings clear on the subject; users needed a way to cut all of the excess away to make the site run faster on slower connection speeds (or for mobile broadband access), but still have the functionality when needed. Their test markets are the US and India at the moment, but we don't reckon it'll be long before it starts to move internationally. If you're an American reader, then head over there and give us your thoughts! Facebook http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-delivers-lite-version-to-us-and-indiahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-delivers-lite-version-to-us-and-indiaSocial MediaNewsFri, 11 Sep 2009 10:41:18 BSTGigaOM has been holding its Mobilize conference for the last few days, with the Motorola CLIQ being announced there yesterday, and now they have another exclusive; INQ is going to have an Android handset out at some point next year. The CEO, Frank Meehan, quite rightly points out that the established phone manufacturers have been slow to adopt new technologies like Android, and that a smaller team can take advantage of this and move the industry forward. Quite what form it'll take we don't know, but their latest handsets; the 3G Chat and Mini both look very interesting, so INQ could just pull this off and bring Android to the mainstream. GigaOM http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/inq-to-develop-android-handsetshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/inq-to-develop-android-handsetsTechNewsFri, 11 Sep 2009 09:20:02 BSTWe're unashamed gaming peripheral fans here at RandomlyAccessed, and the current battle between Razer and ROCCAT for the pennies in the gamers' pockets is heating up nicely for us as consumers, as ROCCAT has just released another product into their stable. The Sota mousepad has a metal film integrated between two layers which makes it better for using both optical and laser mice, plus it also gives the surface a nice sheen to it. It's the latest in their Smart Desktop Management System series, which aims to help gamers make the most of their desk space. It should be available now in Blue or Black.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/roccat-launches-sota-mousepadhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/roccat-launches-sota-mousepadGamesNewsThu, 10 Sep 2009 22:32:01 BSTMotorola has been on something of a slippery slope since the runaway success of the RAZR, and their attempts at flagship handsets in recent years have been high-priced, but low-tech affairs. That's about to change though, as Motorola has just launched a new Android smartphone that packs a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a social-networking skin over the operating system, a 5MP camera, WiFi, a 3.5mm headphone jack and up 32GB or storage from microSD card. This looks like it could be the handset that might give Motorola the shot in the arm that it so desperately needs, and it does seem to be a nice device. We expect it to hit at some point before Christmas. Motorola http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/motorola-launches-cliq-android-handsethttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/motorola-launches-cliq-android-handsetTechNewsThu, 10 Sep 2009 21:59:44 BSTFacebook has been trying to cash-in on the increased interest in Twitter recently with a few moves to make their Status Updates into its own micro-blogging service. You will be able to tag friends when you're writing a message about them to post, but not only will it function in a similar way to tagging photos, but takes the tried and true method of putting an @ symbol in front of the friends name to link it. The friend(s) will then be notified and be posted a Wall Post, and the @ wont be displayed in the message. Facebook Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-introduces-mentions-in-status-updateshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-introduces-mentions-in-status-updatesSocial MediaNewsThu, 10 Sep 2009 21:17:14 BSTDell's Adamo managed to wrestle itself into a special place in my heart as one of those talisman laptops that I would always like to own and love - along with the MacBook Air and Voodoo Envy 133. Well, it seems as though they're going to be extending the range by introducing a new model that is even thinner. They tease that it's crafted to fall in love with at 9.99mm , which we take to mean that it will be 9.99mm thick, which is achingly thin. With the Sony VAIO X-Series hitting stores soon, it looks as though this Winter will be the season of thin. With Atom and CULV processors making their way into all manner of thin-and-lights, it'd be interesting to see what this new Adamo will be packing on the inside, however, the teaser page URL does hint that it may be packing something meatier; it says XPS, which is Dell's high-performance line. Adamo XPS http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-teases-9-99mm-thin-adamohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-teases-9-99mm-thin-adamoTechNewsThu, 10 Sep 2009 09:33:25 BSTGoogle has made several small enhancements to their homepage over the years (even though it may not seem it at times), and they're about to release another one in the form of a larger search box. They're planning on making the default box on the Google page larger so that it can accomodate larger text for greater legibility, as well as longer to contain a larger query without stretching sideways. The smallest changes can sometimes have a large (subconcious) affect on users, and this looks to make searching easier for everyone, including those that are partially sighted or have problems making out smaller text. Expect it to roll out as soon as possible. Google Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-makes-search-box-biggerhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-makes-search-box-biggerSocial MediaNewsWed, 09 Sep 2009 23:35:23 BSTWe half predicted it; the Nano's were blessed with cameras, but the Touch's weren't, which isn't too bad when we think about it. The Nano is the biggest selling iPod model, and the addition of any new feature will likely go down a storm, but with the addition of not only the videocamera, but an FM radio and voice memos, the Nano is really being aligned as a multi-purpose device like the Touch. You also get a larger screen, with a much improved colour palette which should do the videocamera (and the assumed stills) capabilities justice. It should be available in a smattering of colours, start at 8GB and be available as soon as they can get them into stores.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-announces-nanos-with-videocamerahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-announces-nanos-with-videocameraTechNewsWed, 09 Sep 2009 20:34:34 BSTThe UK and US Apple store websites are both down in anticipation for tonights festivities. The US store had reduced iPod Touch's and Nano's this morning, so we can pretty much say with little doubt that new models are a-coming. Have a look at our predictions and join us at 6pm BST for the gory details. UK Apple Store http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-store-down-eyes-down-peoplehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-store-down-eyes-down-peopleTechNewsWed, 09 Sep 2009 15:51:06 BSTHTC has confirmed that their low-end Android handset the (as we proved yesterday, surprisingly hard to spell) Tattoo is actually packing a resistive touchscreen, not the capacitive unit we were all expecting. They say that it is because capacitive screens at small sizes are hard to be accurate with , which whilst holding some truth, isn't really relevant as the resistive advantage at smaller sizes is only seen when using a stylus, and (we hope) the device isn't using one for input. Is this a cost saving move? It would seem so, but we would definitely have bought one had it been capacitive, even if it cost 10 or 20 more, so this leaves us slightly confused. If the Samsung Galaxy Lite packs a capacitive display, then it might just edge ahead in the cheap Android wars. HTC Tweet http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-tattoo-packs-a-resistive-touchscreenhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-tattoo-packs-a-resistive-touchscreenTechNewsWed, 09 Sep 2009 14:37:53 BSTThe latest version of TweetDeck has been released which contains greater integration with Facebook and MySpace, as well as more features for interacting with Twitter. You can now drag images and links into the tweet box to automatically upload them to your chosen services, as well as assigning a hashtag that you've used recently (as well as the ability to translate your tweets into other languages). It also contains integration with the new TweetDeck Directory, which is a selection of searchable suggested users to follow based on certain genres, which can be inserted as a dedicated column into your TweetDeck install. It does feel slighty different to how it used to, so it will take some getting used to, but overall the new features should help users in the long-term. TweetDeck http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetdeck-v0-3-intros-new-featureshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetdeck-v0-3-intros-new-featuresSocial MediaNewsWed, 09 Sep 2009 13:48:41 BSTAnother week, another look at the top paid iPhone apps on the App Store. In a week dominated by the free Spotify app (which happens to sit at the top of the Free list), it's easy to forget that the paid-for section is ever-changing. So without furter ado, here is this Wednesday's list: 1. Geared - 0.59 2. Pub Quiz - 0.59 3. Pocket Ted - 0.59 4. Modern Combat: Sandstorm - 3.99 5. I Am T-Pain - 1.79 6. Solitaire - 0.59 7. Flight Control - 0.59 8. Alive 4-ever - 0.59 9. ColorSplash - 1.19 10. Farm Frenzy - 0.59 Flight Control continues its stay in the top 10 for another week, and Geared continues its dominance at the top. There are a few more applications that cost more than 59p this week, but it is still the preferred price for apps at the moment.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-paid-iphone-apps-9th-septemberhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-paid-iphone-apps-9th-septemberAppsNewsWed, 09 Sep 2009 13:05:43 BSTWe thought we'd prepare a little list of what we reckon will be at the Apple event happening in America later today. This is all based on informed rumour and speculation, but we'd be surprised if the contents of this list didn't happen tonight (6pm BST), so take it in, and follow us here and on Twitter tonight. What will be there iPod Touch's with cameras Maybe iPod Nano's with cameras as well. Perhaps a storage boost for the iPod Classic, but we expect it to be left alone for the most part. Beatles on iTunes has been near-enough confirmed by Yoko Ono, and the hoohah trying to cover that up also confirms it. Details of the iPhone OS 3.1 launch Information on iTunes 9 which is rumoured to have some social network bolted on. What wont be there We highly doubt the iTablet will be there, it's a music event and it's not the right time for them. Any Mac refreshes. Likewise, we doubt to see much other hardware getting a boost. An iPod Classic redesign. Rumour has been swirling that Apple might just leave it as it is until they end-of-life it, likely after Christmas. As said before, this is just speculation, but we think it's a pretty good bet.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-event-whatll-be-there-what-wonthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-event-whatll-be-there-what-wontTechNewsWed, 09 Sep 2009 12:45:43 BSTOne of the major applications missing from the Android Market has been a dedicated application for wildy popular social network; Facebook. Well, that's about to change as there finally is such an application. It's a light app, as it only features the News Feed, status updates and image upload at the moment (currently no messaging features included), but this should make it fast and light on the processor as it can be made to run in the background, thus providing updates directly to you. As TechCrunch has been reporting, this hasn't been developed by the same team that undertook the iPhone app, as it is understood that Google was so keen to have a Facebook application on their platform, that they created it themselves (as the application page points out: This application was not developed by Facebook ). It should be in the Market now.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-app-launched-for-androidhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-app-launched-for-androidAppsNewsWed, 09 Sep 2009 09:46:25 BSTTwitter is currently down (as of 9:10am BST) again, this time not even showing the Fail Whale, but just throwing up a 503 server error, and a warning message stating: No available server to handle this request . Plus, it looks as though the API is down as well, as both TweetDeck and Expndr are currently not working. We'll keep you posted. Update 1: Well, Twitter failed at around 9:09 on the 09/09/09, which leads us to believe that it was flooded with tweets of the same nature at exactly the same time. Pure speculation on our part, but it does seem to indicate as such. Especially as parts are coming back online now. Update 2: It seems as though it's just an illusion that some parts are back online, as tweets aren't being handed to the system from any of the clients we've tried. Update 3: Twitter is now back up, and it looks as though the API is as well as TweetDeck is working. Let's hope that the site holds up under the strain of the Apple event being held today (6pm BST).http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-is-down-again-2http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/twitter-is-down-again-2Social MediaNewsWed, 09 Sep 2009 09:12:54 BSTPalm has announced the second handset that will be powered by their well-respected mobile operating system, webOS; the Pixi. It packs a 2.3 touchscreen (we're betting capacitative), GPS, 2MP camera with LED flash, an accelerometer and proximity sensor, 8GB memory, 3.5mm headphone jack and is compatible with the Touchstone wireless charging dock. There's also the full QWERTY keyboard, which looks a little cramped, but might get easier to use with more use. It'll be hitting Sprint first at an undisclosed price and time, with no word on a UK launch yet (the Pre isn't even out over here yet). Click the title for more pictures. Palm Pixi http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/webos-packing-palm-pixi-revealedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/webos-packing-palm-pixi-revealedTechNewsWed, 09 Sep 2009 09:08:18 BSTYahoo! has bitten the bullet and released an iPhone client for its Flickr photosharing service (which was recently in the news as the iPhone was fast becoming the most used camera for photos uploaded to the site). With other sharing features like sending a link to Twitter, Flickr is really gunning for the social-media set as well as the dedicated photography enthusiast, and the app functions really well for this. You get geolocation, so as to tag your photos from wherever they may be taken from (or where you've uploaded them), as well as the ability too browse taken photos from other users as well as your own photostream. It's available now for free from the App Store. Just search for Flickr and, at the moment, the app is about halfway down the results page.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/flickr-launches-iphone-apphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/flickr-launches-iphone-appAppsNewsTue, 08 Sep 2009 15:25:54 BSTAfter reading this article about the argument between a games blogger and a games designer on the issue of trading in games, I thought it'd be useful to a) show you where RandomlyAccessed stands on this issue and b) open up a community discussion on the issue. For a start - trading in games is important. The games designer in the referenced article seems to think that the issue is purely philiosopical, it's not. At the end of the day it all comes down to cash, a young gamer without an income has to trade in their old games to get the new ones, this is a fact of a gamers life, and the cheaper traded-in games make a better buy for the consumer. New games are overpriced. I'm not devaluing the talents of the people designing and making them, but 55 for a game is too much for consumers to pay. For the price of 3 games you could buy a new console, so why should gamers buy something for 55 when it could be 40 as a trade-in? Click the title for more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/trading-in-old-gameshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/trading-in-old-gamesGamesOpinionTue, 08 Sep 2009 13:07:41 BSTThe HTC Click was one of the most anticipated Android handsets that was being leaked across the internet this year. Why? It promised to be a lower-end handset for the open-source mobile operating system, opening it up to the masses. Well, HTC decided that it need to become official and get a name change in the process, as the Click is now the Tattoo. It even packs the much-applauded Sense UI that HTC has developed for the Hero and their other Android devices. It's a Google Services phone as well, packing integrated Maps (which we take to mean it has a compass, GPS and accelerometer) and Gmail, as well as access to the Android Market, a 3.2MP camera and a 3.5mm headphone socket. It should hit Europe in October before being rolled out into other markets after that. Click the title for more images.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-tattoo-brings-cheap-androidhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-tattoo-brings-cheap-androidTechNewsTue, 08 Sep 2009 10:10:17 BSTWe ran the news yesterday that both Vodafone and O2 were in talks to aquire the T-Mobile network for somwhere around the 3.5bn, well it seems as though those talks have fizzled out as it seems the magenta-coloured network will be merging with the orange-coloured network. It would be a 50-50 venture between T-Mob and Orange, resulting in a company that will gather 9.4bn (EUR) in revenue and will become the largest UK network by subscriber numbers. According to Bloomberg, the merger will save around 4bn in expenses, and should help cement subscribers network coverage, whilst also being able to compete more with O2 on price. T-Mobile has been focusing on flagship phones like the G1, G2 and Nokia 5800 in the last year, whilst Orange has been working to attract users at the lower end of the spectrum with cheaper contracts and lower end handsets. We're not sure what name or branding the combined entity will take, what will happen to stores in similar locations or whose handset roster will win out, but we should know in due time. Bloomberg http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/t-mobile-to-actually-merge-with-orangehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/t-mobile-to-actually-merge-with-orangeTechNewsTue, 08 Sep 2009 09:45:59 BSTAn Android handset by WinMo (or Windows Phone ) fans LG has snuck into the way of a camera at IFA in Berlin, in the form of the QWERTY-packing Etna. Not much is known about the device (other than the fact it has the aforementioned QWERTY keyboard), apart from a rumoured 3 screen - the screen is suitably smaller than the keyboard for it to be a 3-incher as opposed to a 3.2 or 3.5 incher - and a 5MP camera. This device is pegged to be hitting up Germany before Christmas, so we'd imagine an early 2010 release here in the UK. Engadget http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/lg-android-phone-leakedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/lg-android-phone-leakedTechNewsMon, 07 Sep 2009 19:41:08 BSTIt seems as though Spotify is having a mobile blow-out day today, as not only have they released an iPhone and an Android app, but they've also released a video demo of their S60 application. The video makes it look like it works in much the same way as the iPhone and Android version (you can minimise the app as well to get on with other things). That means you get the same Offline Playlist functionality, search and play abilities as the other smartphone platforms, plus, if you're online you can sync playlists on-the-fly between your phone and computer. It's still an early version, and could be someway away from release, but will eventually be available for Premium subscribers. S60 Video http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-also-hitting-for-s60-phoneshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-also-hitting-for-s60-phonesAppsNewsMon, 07 Sep 2009 14:56:11 BSTDr. Kai-Fu Lee has left the search engine giant; Google to fund his own startup incubator centered on the Chinese market, with an initial $115 million warchest from WI Harper Group, Steve Chen (Co-Founder of YouTube), Foxconn Technology Group, Legend Group and New Oriental Education Technology Group. The Chinese entrepreneurial environment is still in its formative stage, with significant barriers for the early-stage entrepreneur: the lack of management experience and coaching, the reluctance of venture capitalists to invest in companies in the formation stage, and the lack of networking and experience to pull a company together. said Dr. Kai-Fu Lee. Innovation Works, as the company/incubator/investment firm is called, will focus on the Internet, mobile Internet, and cloud computing technology advancements targeted at the Greater China market. Innovation Works http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/kai-fu-lee-leaves-google-founds-incubatorhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/kai-fu-lee-leaves-google-founds-incubatorStartupsNewsMon, 07 Sep 2009 12:36:47 BSTIt seems as though T-Mobile wants out of the UK markets, and that the other major networks fancy their share of the market, as both O2 and Vodafone has tabled offers for T-Mob, both at 3.5bn. Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile's parent company) has been trying to offload its UK business after an extremely bad quarter where it lost a lot of subscribers to the other networks, although it does seem as though the 3.5bn offers do fall someway short of the 4.5bn DT were hoping for. A sale to Vodafone would give them a 40% marketshare, whereas a sale to Telefonica (O2's parent company) would give them 43% marketshare in the UK, which means they have to be very careful with anti-competitive regulations from Ofcom. The Virgin network also piggybacks on the T-Mobile infrastructure, so any deal would have to make allowances for that. Ofcom would not look too fondly on a deal which meant a major network would extinguish another. T-Mobile may still be withdrawn off of the market, but it does look increasingly likely that a sale will be made, to either Vodafone or O2. Times Online (via Trusted Reviews)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/o2-and-vodafone-bid-for-t-mobilehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/o2-and-vodafone-bid-for-t-mobileTechNewsMon, 07 Sep 2009 11:06:32 BSTIn all the excitement of the iPhone and iPod Touch application for music-streaming service Spotify, the news that they've also released the application for the Android platform might get a little lost. The Android application was slightly behind the iPhone app in development, but it was probably due to this double launch that the company made sure its backend could handle the load by holding off on the release of the the iPhone version. The application looks to have the same features as the iPhone one that we just reviewed, which means you should get the same search functionality as well as the offline playlists that make the app extremely interesting. With the number of rumoured MIDs and netbooks running Android, a Spotify client for the operating system makes perfect sense, and is another avenue that could bring them some decent revenue returns. It's available for free (Premium subscription to Spotify required) on the Android Market now.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-app-launches-on-android-toohttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-app-launches-on-android-tooAppsNewsMon, 07 Sep 2009 09:37:50 BSTThis is the day I've been waiting for since the application was demoed back in May, and now it's here; the Spotify application for iPhone and iPod Touch. You'll need a Spotify Premium account ( 9.99 pcm) to be able to use it, but the application itself is a free download from the App Store, and it actually quite light-weight, so will only take a minute or so to download. Once into the app, everything is very intuitive. You're asked for your credentials (Spotify Premium log-in), and then presented with a very clear design that shows you your current playlists, as well as a clean tabbed design. You get the option to search through all tracks, albums or artists to find your new tracks, and once they're playing, you only need to click the i in the top right to bring up a menu where you can add that one to a playlist. Click the title for more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-for-ipod-touch-hands-onhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-for-ipod-touch-hands-onAppsNewsMon, 07 Sep 2009 09:13:26 BSTThe Spotify iPhone/iPod Touch application has finally hit the App Store, so users who have Premium accounts with the service will be able to listen to music ad-free, and play their playlists offline. We'll be bringing you our thoughts in the next hour or so, but if you can't wait, search Spotify in the App Store.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-iphone-app-launcheshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/spotify-iphone-app-launchesAppsNewsMon, 07 Sep 2009 08:42:41 BSTMost people wouldn't complain at the length of the http://bit.ly URL, however, Bit.ly themselves have decided that they need to offer the shortest URLs in all the land by announcing a sister-service; J.mp Essentially http://j.mp functions in the exact same way as Bit.ly, only it saves 2 (two) characters on the longer domain. Quite what users will thing of this, we don't know, but another (even shorter) service has entered the ring. J.mp http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bit-ly-announces-j-mp-url-shortenerhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bit-ly-announces-j-mp-url-shortenerSocial MediaNewsFri, 04 Sep 2009 18:13:38 BSTSony has just revealed the new PSP entertainment pack that includes the legendary racing sim; Gran Turismo's first outing on the console. You'll get a Mystic Silver PSP-3000 (not the new PSPgo), Gran Turismo PSP on a UMD disc, PlayStation Network downloadable voucher for a white Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 which is a colour not available in the game and is exclusive to the pack, 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, a voucher for a movie download (title to be decided), as well as a voucher for 10 free music downloads. Expect it to hit in October for $199.99http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-reveals-psp-gt-packhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-reveals-psp-gt-packGamesNewsFri, 04 Sep 2009 17:51:45 BSTAsus' Lamborghini range must be a hit with consumers, as they keep on rolling out new models with even longer spec-lists and their outlandish designs (like the cars themselves), and they've now added the new VX5 notebook to the line-up. It comes with a Q9000 Intel Core 2 Quad processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, twin 500GB HDDs, Blu-Ray drive, 16 screen, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GPU, an integrated webcam and a smattering of ports. You can grab it now for 1999 in dark graphite or ivory white colours, and it comes with its own - specially designed - accessories.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/asus-announces-lamborghini-vx5-notebookhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/asus-announces-lamborghini-vx5-notebookTechNewsFri, 04 Sep 2009 14:09:27 BSTEngadget has managed to find a third-party case for the (still only rumoured) 3rd Generation iPod Touch at the IFA conference in Berlin that has a little square hole in the back, in the location where all of the other rumours peg it to have a camera. We have to admit, the rumours about it not getting one left us somewhat confused, as it is the next logical step on the iPod Touch roadmap for it to be able to take photos and run the augmented reality apps coming to the App Store soon. We've got less than a week before we know for certain, but I think iPod Touch's with cameras can be chalked up as very likely. Engadget http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/3rd-gen-ipod-touch-case-reveals-space-for-camerahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/3rd-gen-ipod-touch-case-reveals-space-for-cameraTechNewsFri, 04 Sep 2009 14:00:42 BSTGEAR4 is known for making peripherals for the iPod and iPhone, with a wealth of docks, cradles and cases. Well, they've now added a flagship dock to their product roster with the new SoundOrb Aurora. The system delivers 2.1 surround sound from the soundbar (that acts as the iPod dock), backlit touch controls, with the wireless subwoofer glowing with light from a series of LEDs, as well as TV-out for a semi-Home Cinema effect. It will be available in October for 249.99, and it is currently being displayed at the IFA conference in Berlin.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/gear4-launches-the-soundorb-aurorahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/gear4-launches-the-soundorb-auroraTechNewsFri, 04 Sep 2009 12:05:56 BSTThere have been a lot of complaints from developers that the Android Market design was making it impossible to make any kind of living off of the platform due to ridiculous constraints and an emphasis on free applications. Now, however, Google has taken the wraps off of a refresh of their take on an application store, with a much brighter, more intuitive Android Market experience. You'll now be able to see more detailed app descriptions, screenshots and user reviews on the application pages, as well as being able to filter results in Top Paid and Top Free a la the App Store. You can now also sell your apps in Italy as well. Expect this update to hit when Android 1.6 is rolled out to users.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/android-market-gets-a-makeoverhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/android-market-gets-a-makeoverAppsNewsFri, 04 Sep 2009 10:24:40 BSTViewSonic, the renowned creators of PC monitors, have been expanding their remit as late, with a move into the computer space. They recently launched a nettop, and now they're adding to that with a new netbook; the VNB100. It's standard netbook affair; 10 screen, 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 160GB HDD, 1GB RAM, Windows XP Home, WiFi b/g and 3 USB ports. It also comes with a PCI-Express slot for expansion (like a TV card for example), as well as GPS for using with mapping software. It should be available now for 299.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/viewsonic-enters-netbook-arena-with-vnb100http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/viewsonic-enters-netbook-arena-with-vnb100TechNewsFri, 04 Sep 2009 10:04:23 BSTMedion, the PC manufacturer that has been gaining quite a following for its good review scores and low prices, has just announced the latest addition to their range; the LIFE S47000 HD Sports Camera. It's like the pocket-videocameras we all know and love (think Flip and Kodak), but with splash resistance and a ruggerdised casing for recording those gnarly stunts, or just your trip to the beach. It'll record in 720p (H.264 MOV files), has a shutter speed of 1/2000 for recording fast objects, packs 90MB of internal storage (so you'll want to invest in an SDHC card to expand it) and can also snap pictures. It is available now for 99.99 from www.medionshop.co.ukhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/medion-launches-an-hd-sportscamerahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/medion-launches-an-hd-sportscameraTechNewsFri, 04 Sep 2009 09:53:24 BSTTomTom has just announced its entire new flagship satnav range with a whole host of new features and new models, including; the TomTom GO 950 LIVE, TomTom GO 750 LIVE and TomTom GO 550 LIVE. All of the new models come with the company's IQ Routes technology, and can be fixed up with the 7.99pcm Live Services package that gives you access to fuel prices in your area, safety alerts for accident blackspots, local search with Google as well as a lot else. The TomTom GO 950 LIVE comes with pre-installed maps for the US, Canada and 45 countries in Europe and offers Enhanced Positioning Technology for uninterrupted navigation when driving through tunnels. The TomTom GO 750 LIVE offers you the maps for those 45 European countries, and the TomTom GO 550 LIVE is for the UK/RoI only. They will be available at somepoint this Autumn, for an as-yet undisclosed price.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tomtom-launches-go-x50-live-serieshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tomtom-launches-go-x50-live-seriesTechNewsFri, 04 Sep 2009 09:39:52 BSTShuttle, known for their small-form-factor PCs, has been expanding out into the touchscreen computer realm as of late, and they've just added a new machine to their lineup; the X500V Linux. It's a very thin unit, with the Intel Atom 330 dual core processor, 1GB DDR2 RAM, a 2.5 160GB harddrive, onboard graphics, and the 15.6 touchscreen with webcam. It comes preloaded with openSUSE Linux for you to use, which should mean it's compatible with all of the open-source programmes like OpenOffice.org and the like. An interesting system that seems to be capitalising on the increase in demand for devices that offer user interactivity. It can be configured now, starting at EUR444. Shuttle http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/shuttle-launches-slim-touchscreen-linux-pchttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/shuttle-launches-slim-touchscreen-linux-pcTechNewsThu, 03 Sep 2009 17:40:37 BSTToshiba was the main driving-force behind the HD-DVD next-gen DVD format which was beaten by Blu-Ray to become the dominant HD disc format, and it has taken a long time for Toshiba to heal their wounds. After writing off a significant chunk-of-change on the HD-DVD affair, they're now releasing their own Blu-Ray offering in the form of the BDX2000. It's a Profile 2.0 player that allows users to run extra content for their Blu-Rays through the internet, hooks up via HDMI and sports a nice, sleek design language. It is slightly amusing that Toshiba puts at the bottom of the their press release; This product does not play HD DVD discs , as it might be hard to convince some people that they are putting out this $249.99 machine for sale in November. Press Release (via Engadget)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/toshiba-blu-ray-player-hitting-us-in-novemberhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/toshiba-blu-ray-player-hitting-us-in-novemberTechNewsThu, 03 Sep 2009 17:15:20 BSTThe most recent Twitter phenomenon is an account recounting funny things that a users' father says after the account holder had to move back in with the 73 year old. It has spread like wildfire over the microblogging site in recent weeks, and with nearly 230,000 subscribers, it seems like book publishers have been circling to pick up the rights to publish a book based on the tweets. It seems it's only a matter of time before a deal is done, and the humourous (if extremely Not Safe For Work ) will be available on store shelves. LA Times http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/shitmydadsays-close-to-a-book-dealhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/shitmydadsays-close-to-a-book-dealSocial MediaNewsThu, 03 Sep 2009 16:48:47 BSTSprint has come out and confirmed that the HTC Hero is undergoing an early-life refresh, that is severly lacking in chin. The design is a lot more interesting than that of the current Hero, with nicer looking plastics, as well as the absence of any kind of chin which has been a feature of the first-generation Android handsets. No word on when/if we'll be seeing it in the UK (the normal Hero has only just been released on Orange), but it will be available on Sprint for $179.99 on a 2-year contract. Sprint http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-hero-refresh-confirmed-for-sprinthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/htc-hero-refresh-confirmed-for-sprintTechNewsThu, 03 Sep 2009 15:02:08 BSTT-Mobile has just announced a new pay-as-you-go handset, dubbed; Pulse , which should help bring Android to the masses. The device runs on the HSDPA 3G network, and packs WiFi, a 3.2MP camera, a 2GB microSD card and a 2.5mm headphone jack. The screen is a 3.5 touch affair, which should allow users to interact with Google's open-source operating system (and we assume is capacitive), and the T-Mobile Canvas homepages that sport widgets. Expect it to hit in October for 180, which seems like the lowest price of entry for Android so far. Pocket-Lint http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/t-mobile-pulse-payg-android-handsethttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/t-mobile-pulse-payg-android-handsetTechNewsThu, 03 Sep 2009 14:49:14 BSTTwo-thirds of all Americans now carry around a video playing mobile device, such as an iPod, mobile phone or laptops according to a new survey. The use of video iPods has exloded since 2006, with 22.7% of the surveyed population having one, up from 4%. A mobile phone with video playing abilities captivates users for 15 minutes on average, with 23 minutes for an iPod and 33 for a laptop. It makes for interesting reading, and goes to show how mobile media is being consumed and how the market is growing at a rapid pace. Mediapost http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/2-3rds-of-americans-have-a-video-playing-mobile-devicehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/2-3rds-of-americans-have-a-video-playing-mobile-deviceSocial MediaNewsThu, 03 Sep 2009 14:29:00 BSTDell has just announced that they've sealed a deal with The Carphone Warehouse to sell the new Inspiron 11z thin-and-light laptop. It packs one of the new Intel CULV processors (that all these thin laptops seem to be sporting nowadays), as well as a 92% keyboard, 11.6 display, 2GB RAM and a 250GB HDD. You'll be able to grab it for 399 or for free on a 2 year, 35pcm, T-Mobile contract at The Carphone Warehouse.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-releases-the-inspiron-11zhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dell-releases-the-inspiron-11zTechNewsThu, 03 Sep 2009 12:09:12 BSTLinutop is known for producing those ultra-small Linux PCs that were the precursor to the current generation of nettops, and now they've introduced a new version; the Linutop 3. It runs on a VIA C7 processor with 2GB of flash storage, 1GB RAM (upgradeable to 2GB), runs without fans and packs in 6 USB slots. You can hook it up to monitors using both VGA and DVI, with it being available now for EUR340. Additionally, the older Linutop 2 is still available for those seeking something even smaller. Linutop http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-linutop-3-availablehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-linutop-3-availableTechNewsThu, 03 Sep 2009 11:20:40 BSTOne of the all-time best iPhone game series' is Pocket God, coming up with ingenious mini-games every few weeks that really add value to the origial game and keep us coming back for more. Now as the title suggests, their latest updates takes its cues from a certain spoof-spy series, as it contains a Sharks-with-lasers-on-their-heads mini game. The aim is to use the accelerometer to guide a cross-hair over your pygmies, and tap to shoot a laser beam from the sharks head, the more pygmies you fry, the better! All you need to do is cause a tidal wave to knock your tribe underwater, then flick the bucket of fish remains to unlock the game. It's a fantastic addition, and as a free update (to a 59p game), it's perfect.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/pocket-god-returns-with-laser-sharkshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/pocket-god-returns-with-laser-sharksAppsNewsThu, 03 Sep 2009 10:30:27 BSTSony's busy day continues. Hot on the heels of the Xperia X2 and BRAVIA Internet Video announcements, comes the news that they are releasing their own pocket videocamera to take on the likes of Flip and Kodak. The PM1 Mobile HD Snap (as the name suggests), captures film in 1080/30p (as well as settings for 720/30p and VGA/30p for smaller file sizes), and if you use the optional 16GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, you can record 340 mins of video (510 and 990 mins for 720 and VGA respectively). The camera on the top swivels 270 degrees, so you can record things in front of and behind the camera, and this second setting should be good for recording video-blogs, as you'll be able to see what's being recorded on the 1.8 screen. It's available now, and should run you between 150 and 200 online.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-announces-pocket-videocamhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-announces-pocket-videocamTechNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 17:54:50 BSTSony has been busy at IFA, and on top of that Xperia X2 announcement, they've also let loose the details on the next generation of BRAVIA TVs. BRAVIA Internet Video will enable users to view video clips off of the web on their living room telly, including iPlayer and other such services. They're also working with Five in the UK to bring, what they describe as, an advanced TV viewing experience with on-demand content. Demand Five is actually quite good, so it'd be interesting to see this being a feature of future BRAVIA TVs. We'll bring you more details on this when we get them (image shown is a regular BRAVIA telly).http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bravia-to-bring-web-tv-into-the-loungehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/bravia-to-bring-web-tv-into-the-loungeTechNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 17:40:50 BSTSony has kicked off IFA with the reveal of the second in their line of Xperia, consumer-focused, smartphones; the X2. The X2 will be exclusive to Vodafone in the UK, runs on Windows Mobile (or rather, the new term is that it's a Windows Phone ) 6.5, and it packs an 8.1MP camera with geotagging and 16x digital zoom, A-GPS, a 3.2 resistive touchscreen, microSDHC card support (rather than Memory Stick M2) and a load more besides. The X1 was a slight let-down all round, but the faults were only minor (and mainly related to WinMo 6.1), with some nice hardware, so hopefully the X2 should be pretty decent. Check out the in-depth stats here. Also, click the title for more images of the X2.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-launches-xperia-x2http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-launches-xperia-x2TechNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 17:27:39 BSTStuff has it on good authority that the reported iPod Touch refresh will not contain a camera after all. This comes off of the magazine seeing manufacturing samples of cases for the 3rd Gen iPod Touch that indicate that no holes have been made for a camera of any sort. It's a rumour that could very well turn out to be true, if Apple were worried about Touch sales cannibalising iPhone sales then leaving a camera off of the device is the way to go, but it does strike us as being slightly abstract as it would essentially split the App Store with more and more apps requiring a camera. Stuff http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/no-camera-for-new-ipod-touchhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/no-camera-for-new-ipod-touchTechNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 14:42:56 BSTThere was quite a lot of movement in the App Store last week in regard to the paid apps, with the 59p applications taking back control from the bigger budget offerings, so what's happened this week? Let's have a look; 1. Geared - 0.59 2. Alive 4-ever - 0.59 3. Pub Quiz - 0.59 4. Farm Frenzy - 0.59 5. Cartoon Wars - 0.59 6. Moto X Mayhem - 0.59 7. Sheep Launcher - 0.59 8. Solitare - 0.59 9. Flight Control - 0.59 10. ColorSplash - 1.19 A near clean-sweep for the 59p applications again this week, with only ColorSplash making it (just) into the Top 10 at a higher price-point. Flight Control continues to cling to a place up there as well, with Geared once again locking out the top spot.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-paid-iphone-apps-2nd-septemberhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-paid-iphone-apps-2nd-septemberAppsNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 14:26:05 BSTAfter reading through the transcript of Take-Two's quarterly earnings call (yes, technology journalism is that exciting), we came across a golden quote on the release schedule for Grand Theft Auto 5, that VG247 told us to look out for. Answering a question asking about their plans to announce the game; So we re not going to announce it, we re not going to announce when we are going to announce it, and we are not going to announce a strategy about announcing it or about when we are going to announce it either, or about the announcement strategy surrounding the announcement of the strategy said Strauss Zelnick from the company. If you fancy reading through the transcript for yourself - there are some tidbits about release dates, as well as the revelation that they already have their Natal dev kits and are working on creating games that use the motion-sensing technology for the 360 - then head over to Seeking Alpha.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dont-ask-take-two-about-gta-vhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/dont-ask-take-two-about-gta-vGamesNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 13:28:10 BSTAlienware is known for providing gamers with top-notch machines, but they've been slowly branching out into peripherals as well, and they've just released the new TactX keyboard and mouse. Sporting Alienware's rather distinctive design-language, the keyboard packs a full-size QWERTY offering with 6 macro-keys, 20 different colour choices in two zones , customizable user profiles and more for your $99. The mouse comes in a very sleek matte-black finish, packing a 5000DPI sensor with on-the-fly DPI switching (much like the Razer Copperhead), 9 customizable buttons, 6 foot cable as well as more customizable lighting for the $99 that it will too, cost you to own. Alienware Gear Shop http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-alienware-keyboard-and-mousehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-alienware-keyboard-and-mouseGamesNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 13:11:06 BSTApple has been offering a free (ok, a 145 rebate on an) iPod Touch to new buyers of a Mac for a while now, and they've just announced the date the new promotion is going to stop; 8th September. As in, a day before their music-related press event. This really does indicate that they will be refreshing their non-iPhone touchscreen device, which we expect to pack a 64GB SSD and a camera as well. This rumour is really gathering pace now, and this email has just sealed it in my mind, how about yours? Click the title for a larger look.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-email-hints-at-ipod-touch-refreshhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-email-hints-at-ipod-touch-refreshTechNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 11:27:52 BSTOur golf equipment coverage has been lacking over the past few months, however, we're going to be changing that in a big way, and TaylorMade has just introduced a new Tour ball to their lineup; the Penta TP. The Penta TP packs a low-compression core which is extremely soft for high launch and low spin off the driver (best for long distance), and can help reach higher ball speeds for hitters who generate between 140 and 180 mph off the ball. It has a five-mantle design, with each layer being designed to aid different parts of your game, with the outer layers helping with your short-game, and the inner ones helping with the longer clubs. The Penta TP took three years to develop as our golf ball R D team carefully experimented with different mantle materials, compositions and thicknesses until the ideal combination was defined, said Dr. Benoit Vincent, TaylorMade's chief technical officer. They'll be available in March next year for around 40 per dozen.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/taylormade-penta-tp-golf-ballshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/taylormade-penta-tp-golf-ballsSportsNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 11:15:51 BSTClearwire, the US provider of 4G WiMAX, has today announced that they're rolling out their WiMAX network to another 10 markets in the United States. Boise, Idaho; Bellingham, Wash.; and Eight Texas Markets, Including Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Waco and Wichita Falls will all be hooked up to super-fast mobile data for the home or on the go, with speeds averaging between 3 and 6Mbps, with bursts up to 10Mbps. The company has also added that they will be rolling their service out to areas within Detroit and Puerto Rico - that were not part of the roadmap - due to the Broadband Stimulus Initiative.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/clearwire-bringing-wimax-to-10-more-us-marketshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/clearwire-bringing-wimax-to-10-more-us-marketsTechNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 11:02:41 BSTViewsonic has just released a new addition to their monitor line-up; the VX2268wm, which can handle 3D graphics. The company's new FuHzion range (which this first model comes under) can handle stereoscopic 3D with the assistance of the NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision active shutter glasses which already work with 350 games titles. It also handles 2D gaming as well, with a 2ms response time, 120Hz frame rate support, a 1680 x 1050 HD resolution and built-in HDCP support. The VX2268wm is available now for an RRP of 269.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/viewsonic-launches-3d-monitorhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/viewsonic-launches-3d-monitorGamesNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 10:22:07 BSTNokia is on a bit of a roll today in Stuttgart at their Nokia World keynote, as they've just announced another two new handsets; the X3 and X6 that go with their Comes With Music programme. The X6 is the higher-end handset, and claims to be something of a powerhouse, with a 3.2 touchscreen with 16:9 aspect ratio for widescreen, as well as 32GB of onboard storage for all of those tunes. There's also the Ovi Store, as well as a battery good for 35 hours of music playing and will run you EUR450 off contract. Then there is the X3, a lower-end handset running the S40 operating system (but still packing Ovi support), with stero-speakers, FM-radio and a 3.2MP camera all for EUR115. More pictures when you click the title.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-nokia-comes-with-music-handsetshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-nokia-comes-with-music-handsetsTechNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 10:01:12 BSTNokia has just introduced a revision to their flagship model; the N97 at their annual Nokia World conference in Stuttgart, Germany. It packs a 3.2 touch display, QWERTY keyboard, Ovi Store integration and will be available in October for EUR450 (although that'll come down when subsidised on a contract). You also get their new Ovi Maps software which makes searching, finding and navigating easier, as well as access to premium content from Lonely Planet, Michelin and Wcities. More photos of the device when you click the title.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nokia-introduces-n97-minihttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nokia-introduces-n97-miniTechNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 09:44:47 BSTAccording to a report on Macworld, a user gained a lot more back from their install of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard than the 7GB Apple claim. Jayson Brinkler says that the new operating system either had a bonfire with his files, or actually freed up 33GB of space (going from 325.5GB of free space to 358.73GB). The chances of the upgrade slashing his files is minimal, so we must take it that Snow Leopard really does trim down on its footprint. A really good show for a new OS, and although we known Windows wont be able to ever lose-weight like that, hopefully Microsoft will think about what it actually needs in the base OS install. Macworld http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/snow-leopard-freed-up-33gbhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/snow-leopard-freed-up-33gbTechNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 09:29:09 BSTNintendo has finally made the Internet channel on their Wii games console free for users to download. Previously users had to pay to be able to browse the net on their Wii, and these consumers aren't being left out in the cold either. If you've previously shelled out for the 500 Wii Point download, you'll be able to select one free NES game to download (valued at 500 Wii Points). A nice step by Nintendo who, having seen the mistake in charging for something that should be free, have done what they can to rectify the situation. For more info on the Internet Channel, check out their website.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nintendo-finally-makes-internet-wii-channel-freehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nintendo-finally-makes-internet-wii-channel-freeGamesNewsWed, 02 Sep 2009 09:16:56 BSTThe news over Twitter is that Gmail is currently down, which means major inconvenience for users around the globe as people cannot access their emails. Google is aware of the problem, and is currently working to get it sorted out as soon as possible. Quite what would happen if Twitter was down at the same time as Gmail we don't know, but we assume there'd be a rip in Space/Time somewhere... Google Apps Status http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/gmail-is-officially-down-google-working-on-ithttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/gmail-is-officially-down-google-working-on-itSocial MediaNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 21:31:32 BSTThe Win7 based Windows Embedded Standard 2011 Community Technology Preview has been released for OEMs who are looking to create specialist devices and get them to market quickly. Quebec , as it was codenamed, takes the Windows 7 operating system and uses it in a highly customizable and componentized form for thin-client, point-of-service (POS), kiosk, medical, multifunction printers and other devices. To meet the demand for improved user experiences and connectivity among today s rapidly growing categories of specialized devices, Microsoft has strategically planned the release of Windows 7-based technologies to OEMs in the embedded marketplace, said Kevin Dallas, general manager of the Windows Embedded Business at Microsoft. Windows Embedded http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/windows-embedded-standard-2011-ctphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/windows-embedded-standard-2011-ctpTechNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 18:40:28 BSTAs you may (or may not) know, we experienced the full effect of Twitter last night when a story of ours on Microsoft offering food for switching from IE6 to IE8 got the retweeting treatment (currently standing at 860 retweets according to TweetMeme). We were exceptionally pleased with this result, it shows that our occasionally obsessive coverage of social media actually means something, but it did uncover a rather strange fact. TweetMeme rules over social media. Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/how-tweetmeme-rules-over-social-mediahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/how-tweetmeme-rules-over-social-mediaSocial MediaOpinionTue, 01 Sep 2009 17:31:29 BSTMicrosoft has just announced that there will be a large swathe of Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets hitting the market on October 6th when the platform goes live. Research undertaken by the software giant indicates that most people who have a Windows Mobile phone, don't actually realise that it's a Windows Mobile phone, and that the majority of (evidently not in the know) people would consider choosing WinMo as it's from a brand they trust. Expect WinMo handset announcements from HP, HTC, Sony Ericsson, LG, Acer, Samsung and Toshiba before the launch, with (we expect) a large number of those coming from the IFA show kicking off tomorrow in Germany. Windows Team Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/winmo-6-5-phones-coming-october-6thhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/winmo-6-5-phones-coming-october-6thTechNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 17:06:44 BSTO2 has rolled out the latest smartphone exclusive, their first Android handset; the Samsung Galaxy I7500. It packs a 3.2 AMOLED full touchscreen, an accelerometer, gigital compass, Google mobile services, 5MP camera, 8GB internal storage (expandable to 40GB with a 32GB microSD card) as well as WiFi. You can get the handset for free on 44 and 73pcm contracts, with the phone increasing in price to 245 on a 20pcm contract. O2 Shop http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/samsung-i7500-android-handset-now-on-o2http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/samsung-i7500-android-handset-now-on-o2TechNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 16:29:36 BSTSkype have just confirmed that they have sold to a raft of investors led by Silver Lake Partners, joined by Index and Andreessen Horowitz Ventures (not led by Andreessen Horowitz as we speculated earlier). The new investors have agreed to buy 65% of the company with eBay keeping a hold of 35% of it, valuing them at $2.75bn. So eBay offloads the majority of the weight around their necks, and a team of investors get a lot of stock in a very large internet property. Skype http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/skype-sale-confirmed-priced-at-2-75bnhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/skype-sale-confirmed-priced-at-2-75bnSocial MediaNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 15:27:10 BSTOpera have just released the latest version of their desktop browser, and they're now at version 10. Whilst being a major player in the mobile-device browser space, they're something of an also-ran in the desktop market, and certain features like Unite (their PC based server software) haven't increased their marketshare massively. Now with version 10, they've got a nice new feature called Turbo that they say will increase the speed of pages when internet speeds are slow. From the looks of it, the browser compresses images to ease the burden when you're connecting via dial-up or on mobile broadband (much like Virgin's MBB software does). It's a neat idea, but is it enough to make you switch when you're out and about? We'll be bringing you a few comparison shots between Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Opera 10 later in the day. Opera http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/quick-look-at-opera-10http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/quick-look-at-opera-10AppsNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 15:12:27 BSTStockTwits have just launched their new Adobe AIR desktop client that brings about a raft of changes to the trading information portal that has traditionally been bolted onto the Twitter ecosystem. The new application means that you can choose to never interact with Twitter again, as they've created their own microblogging system on the back-end (you can still CC a message to the Twitterverse though). The experience is very similar to that of TweetDeck (no surprise that the founder of StockTwits is an investor in the desktop Twitter client), and will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used one of the current generation of Adobe AIR Twitter clients. If you like to keep abreast of the trading news, and also have a penchant for social media, then the StockTwits desktop app looks killer. StockTwits Desktop http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/stocktwits-desktop-launcheshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/stocktwits-desktop-launchesSocial MediaNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 14:38:20 BSTThree has just announced that their Mobile WiFi offering will be available online and by phone on the 17th September, with an in-store roll-out happening on Friday 18th September. MiFi, as it has been dubbed, is the technology used to pick-up a mobile broadband signal, and then provide that over a local WiFi connection (usually within 4/5m of the router) via a dedicated MiFi router. It connects over HSDPA to Three's 3G data signal, which they'll provide to you for 15 a month for 5GB ( 69.99 for the MiFi router) of data, or a 99.99 deal that gives you the modem and 3GB for 3 months, then pay as you go after that. It'll be perfect for teams working in a coffee shop, or for when a group of people are travelling on holiday (an impromptu coding holiday for example).http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/three-mifi-coming-18th-septemberhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/three-mifi-coming-18th-septemberTechNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 12:54:45 BSTThe Collins English Dictionary has added a raft of new words to its latest edition whose main usages are on social networking sites. Words like meh , heh , mwah and noob have all been added, along with the verb; to twitter (although no word on whether tweet has been added). Many English language purists will be up in arms about these words, but they are being used by an increasing number of people online, so if someone unfamiliar to them needs to know what they mean, the dictionary is the best place to turn. Just because they've been added to the dictionary now though, doesn't mean they'll always be there. If one of these new words falls out of favour, then it may well be dropped a few years down the line. The Telegraph http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/social-networking-words-added-to-dictionaryhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/social-networking-words-added-to-dictionarySocial MediaNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 12:43:27 BSTThe HTC Hero has only been kicking around over here for a month or so and already there are rumours of a hardware-design refresh. Suffice to say that the Hero was never going to win a beauty contest (in fact, many say that it's uglier than the G1), but this reported redesign does look a much nicer proposition from HTC, with a lack of a chin, and seemingly nicer materials. Whether this is a Hero refresh, a fake, or a completely different (but genuine) HTC device, we don't know, but this is looking like another Android device that will get more consumers heading over to Google's mobile OS. 8080 http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/is-an-htc-hero-refresh-cominghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/is-an-htc-hero-refresh-comingTechNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 11:31:13 BSTIt is expected to be confirmed today that the venture capitcal vehicle headed by Marc Andreessen (co-founder of Netscape); Andreessen Horowitz, as well as other assorted parties, will be buying the Skype VoIP company from eBay. No price has been announced yet, but it has been said that eBay wants around $2bn for the company, which actually brings in a lot of money (although has been a blight on eBay's finances due to their $3.1bn purchase price). Andreessen would be a good fit, he's on the eBay board, and has good experience handling large web companies as well as investment. This puts the skids on eBay's plans to spin Skype off with its own IPO, but it does mean they can finally offload what was a truly ridiculous purchase considering their market. New York Times http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/andreessen-horowitz-expected-to-purchase-skypehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/andreessen-horowitz-expected-to-purchase-skypeStartupsNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 10:35:43 BSTIn a move to try and drum up some support for the .BIZ domain name market, the global registry operator for the .BIZ domain name; Neustar, has teamed up with Sedo to offer all 36 of the one character domain names for sale. Only three one-character .com domain names exist, and very few of the other TLDs, so it'd be quite a coup to secure one of the A-Z and 0-9 domains if you're a B2B business (the .BIZ target market). These single-character .BIZ domain names offer an incredible branding opportunity to B2B organizations to build or extend their business on the Web, said Jeremiah Johnston, chief operating officer at Sedo. Sedo .BIZ Sale http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/one-character-biz-domain-names-for-salehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/one-character-biz-domain-names-for-saleTechNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 10:19:51 BSTSony will ship Google's Chrome browser with the PCs and laptops in a new deal agreed between the two. Reuters is reporting that the deal went down earlier in the summer, but no financials or information on the scale of the roll-out have been revealed. Chrome has managed to achieve a great deal of traction since it was announced around a year ago, and with a Mac release on the cards for the next few months and this news, it should gain even more marketshare. We're not sure whether this decision was made in the light of the EU investigation into Microsoft bundling Internet Explorer with Windows 7, but it's not unreasonable for a company like Sony to play it safe. Reuters http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-pcs-to-come-with-chrome-preinstalledhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-pcs-to-come-with-chrome-preinstalledTechNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 10:01:15 BSTLogitech has managed to hit 1 million members for its VoIP offering; Vid, which aims to help streamline the internet-phone market by making sure all users can access the software (and thus call) easily. One million registered customer accounts is a tremendous accomplishment, making it clear just how appealing video calling can be when it s simplified, said Scott Lomond, vice president of Logitech s video conferencing services. With people downloading Vid from every corner of the globe many of whom were formerly frustrated by the complexities of video calling software Logitech Vid is delivering on the promise of video calling. Logitech Vid http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/logitech-announces-1-millionth-vid-userhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/logitech-announces-1-millionth-vid-userAppsNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 09:34:27 BSTApple's recent operating system refresh; Snow Leopard, has divided the online community. Whilst a lot of people have had a hassle free upgrade, numerous users have been reporting serious compatibility issues with various programmes and hardware products. Now HP is stepping in and is providing real-time, 24/7 support for users of their products that have been having issues with the move to Snow Leopard. Their experts will be monitoring the HP Mac Printing Scanning Board on the company's forum, providing assistance to consumers with all sorts of issues. With the amount of under the hood changes to the OS, it's not surprising that there are some teething problems. HP Mac Printing Scanning Board http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/hp-to-offer-snow-leopard-printer-supporthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/hp-to-offer-snow-leopard-printer-supportTechNewsTue, 01 Sep 2009 09:27:11 BSTMicrosoft has just announced that they will provide 16 meals for hungry Americans (not meant ironically) if users upgrade their browsing experience from Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 8. During Hunger Action month, they will give 16 meals to help the 36 million Americans struggling with hunger for each person that downloads IE8 through their site. So it seems as though it's not just web developers that are trying to rid the world of IE6 after all. This is a great programme for helping out those in need, whilst improving the overall internet experience. Kudos to Microsoft. Browser For the Better http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-will-help-feed-the-hungry-if-you-drop-ie6-for-ie8http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/microsoft-will-help-feed-the-hungry-if-you-drop-ie6-for-ie8TechNewsMon, 31 Aug 2009 20:41:11 BSTRockstar, developers of the generation-defining series; Grand Theft Auto, as well as a raft of other top-notch IPs, is bringing their star franchise to the iPhone/iPod Touch in the form of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. We are very excited to bring this incredibly ambitious version of Liberty City, with this level of detail and immersive gameplay on Apple's new gaming platforms says Sam Houser, founder of Rockstar. It's not clear how the game mechanic will work yet or when it'll be available, but it's a very interesting development and a coup for Apple's touch-screen devices. Casual Gaming http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/rockstar-games-coming-to-the-iphonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/rockstar-games-coming-to-the-iphoneAppsNewsMon, 31 Aug 2009 19:39:42 BSTApple has confirmed that it is hosting a music-based event for the 9th September (09-09-09). This is the date we were all speculating, a significant date in September, when Apple normally has its annual iPod merry-go-round. We've already made our predictions, but suffice to say, iPod Touch's with cameras with the 3GS processor and the notable absence of the iTablet are the key points we've been hearing. Only a week and half to go then. Engadget http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-event-confirmed-for-9th-septemberhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-event-confirmed-for-9th-septemberTechNewsMon, 31 Aug 2009 17:27:05 BSTDisney is to buy Marvel for approximately $4 billion as it is buying the shares of the latter company for $50 each. Marvel is best know for such franchises as Spider Man, Iron Man, X-Men, Captain America and Fantastic Four, whereas Disney is widely known for Mickey Mouse and various other cartoon series, films and themeparks. We believe that adding Marvel to Disney's unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. Both boards have approved the aquisition, now it's just up to antitrust regulators to rubber-stamp it. Disney http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/disney-buying-marvel-for-4bnhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/disney-buying-marvel-for-4bnLifestyleNewsMon, 31 Aug 2009 16:55:31 BSTIn not-very-surprising but not-at-all-welcome news, it seems as though insurance companies might be increasing premiums for users of social networking sites, as they might be giving too much information out online. Users that post information on travel plans and exactly when they might be out of the house put themselves at risk from unsavoury types pilfering their belongings. Although Malcolm Cooper, director of pricing and underwriting at Legal General, told The Daily Mail: It's a challenging one for the insurance industry. Just because someone is burgled, you can't prove that it's down to details posted on Facebook. Whether or not burglars are reading your Facebook or Twitter stream, it's always best to keep yourselves protected online. Do not post anything like holiday plans onto any site - even social networks that offer a veil of security aren't protected from public exposure. Brand Republic http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/insurance-premiums-to-rise-for-social-network-usershttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/insurance-premiums-to-rise-for-social-network-usersSocial MediaNewsMon, 31 Aug 2009 16:35:36 BSTIf you've ever tried running a server, you'll know that they can draw a lot of power (as well as creating a lot of noise and heat), which is not only bad for the environment, but also for your company's bottom line. Well, AMD has just rolled out a new server processor for cloud and high-density applications that claims to produce 31% better-performance per watt. The new Six-Core AMD Opteron EE processor will be available from system builders for cloud and Web 2.0 customers where density and low power are key considerations, where it also comes with AMD Virtualization for advance virtualization for power applications. If you need a specialised piece of kit like this, then AMD is your point of call for the processor which should be being rolled out soon.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-amd-processor-for-cloud-applicationshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/new-amd-processor-for-cloud-applicationsTechNewsMon, 31 Aug 2009 11:18:24 BSTAnother app that we've been having a play with is Fling, which is made by the same development team that brought you Fuzzle for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The premise is simple, but like many apps is quite hard to convey, fling your furballs into each other to knock them off the screen. You can only knock others off the screen (meaning you can't just fling the one your finger is on off the side) with a single furball, and you cannot hit one directly next to you. This means that it is a tactical puzzle game, if you make a wrong fling, you might have scuppered your chances of getting rid of other furballs on the board. It's a game you'll keep coming back to, as it does have that tactical twist. If you're looking for a 59p app with decent replayability, then Fling makes a very good case for itself. Search for Fling in the App Store.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/fling-for-the-iphonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/fling-for-the-iphoneAppsReviewSun, 30 Aug 2009 10:36:02 BSTSince Apple confirmed that the Spotify music streaming (and offline track storing) app would be coming to the App Store soon, having been approved by the iPhone maker, the web has been alive with talk about why Apple would let an app through that creeps upon the devices core features. With offline playlists, you could genuinely use nothing but the application on your device for music playing, so, why would it get approved? Obviously, we'll never really know the answer to this. Apple is notoriously tight-lipped, and as long as the FCC doesn't demand details in their investigation, we can't see Apple giving up their reasoning lightly. However, one can speculate. Click the title to read more.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/did-consumer-pressure-win-the-spotify-app-battlehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/did-consumer-pressure-win-the-spotify-app-battleAppsNewsSat, 29 Aug 2009 09:39:07 BSTArstechnica has been informed by those ever-ready-to-talk sources that the current line-up of iPods are on their way out, more than likely to be refreshed with whatever Apple has in store for us in September (when an iPod keynote is alleged to be occuring). This wouldn't surprise us that much, we're expecting to see iPod Touch's with cameras, as well as the chips powering the iPhone 3GS to aid gaming and augmented reality apps on the device. Not really expecing a lot to be refreshed on the iPod Classic front, but the Nano's have been rumoured to be getting cameras and iPhone-cues for a while. We've recently had the Shuffle revamped, so nothing is expected for that unit. The iTablet is notable in its absence from all of the recent sources based rumours, but end-of-life on the iPod SKUs are a pretty good indication that new ones are coming. Arstechnica http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/current-ipods-on-their-way-out-indicates-september-refreshhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/current-ipods-on-their-way-out-indicates-september-refreshTechNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 20:58:02 BSTTweetMeme wasn't down earlier for maintenance, it was down for a pretty big revamp, with a sleeker design and newer features being integrated. The front page looks similar to how it did before, but its the story pages that have received the lion's share of updates, with a new tabbed UI and better analytics (the full analytical package will be launching next week). The update has also brought retweetable comments into the fray (including a partnership with JS-Kit to bring comments into the Echo stream for sites), as well as a better search feature (although we didn't have many complaints of the old one). Each story now has a kudos rating, which should help more interesting content to float to the front. All in, it's a nice and welcome change to one of the killer sites of the social media generation. TweetMeme http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetmeme-v2-launches-with-new-featureshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetmeme-v2-launches-with-new-featuresSocial MediaNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 19:53:57 BSTA recent survey has just revealed that the majority of Twitter users actually stay pretty quiet, with 85.37% of users tweeting less than once per day. Only 1.1% of users update their stream more than 10 times per day (us included, of course), with 94% of users having less than 100 followers. The largest demographic on the site is the 20-24 year old age group accounting for 35% of tweeters, with the 55-60's making up just 1% of users. It's a very interesting survey, and whilst the results aren't surprising, it is good to have them outlined with statistics. eMarketer http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/85-of-twitter-users-tweet-less-than-once-per-dayhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/85-of-twitter-users-tweet-less-than-once-per-daySocial MediaNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 18:44:02 BSTWe know that quite a few people that read this site are developers of iPhone applications and games, and so these might be quite useful. They're sketchbooks that contain outlines of iPhones, making it easy to design user interfaces for the platform. Having dabbled in UI design before, we reckon that these should be useful for anyone who likes planning before they create their designs, and whilst many app designs are forced by their content, they could lead to better interfaces for users. App Sketchbook http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/iphone-app-design-sketchbookshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/iphone-app-design-sketchbooksAppsNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 18:20:49 BSTSony has been building a solid reputation for itself with its line of Alpha DSLR cameras since the range was announced sometime last year, and now they've just topped off the bunch with the new, full-frame, 24.6MP snapper; the A850. Weighing in at 850g, this DSLR packs the company's new Exmor sensor which can deliver 24.6 effective mega-pixels, with a maximum ISO rating of 6400 (in expanded range). You can also snap in JPEG or RAW formats, then view your photos on the 3 LCD screen or on your TV via the integrated HDMI port. It's compatible with CompactFlash, as well as various flavours of Sony's own Memory Stick card range. Get it in September, with a 28-75mm lens coming in November.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-launches-24mp-full-frame-a860-dslrhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sony-launches-24mp-full-frame-a860-dslrTechNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 17:58:04 BSTTo go along with the launch of Snow Leopard today, and to celebrate the OS's native support for Microsoft's Exchange 2007, world-renowned hosting company - Rackspace - will be giving a free copy to those that sign up for an Exchange email programme. They'll deposit $29 into the accounts of all those that sign-up to their Hosted Exchange offering. You'll need to access your account from your Snow Leopard install (yes, you do have to have bought it to get the money back) and online retail customers must enter the promotional code 777 into the Sales ID located in the signup process. You're also required to show proof of purchase, but if you're looking for a new Exchange service, and you're getting Snow Leopard, this is quite a good deal for the first 1000 people. Rackspace Full Details http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/rackspace-email-offers-free-snow-leopardhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/rackspace-email-offers-free-snow-leopardTechNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 15:30:09 BSTSeedonk, a platform provider for network cameras, has just released a new iPhone app for letting users monitor their camera goings on, on the move. Seedonk represents a paradigm shift for network cameras, we help bring network cameras out of its niche security segment to mainstream consumers, in terms of both its usability and its applications, said Herman Yau, CEO, Seedonk. We are excited to provide our network camera partners with a service that lowers the barrier for consumer adoption and raises market excitement and demand. We are making network cameras relevant to everyday consumers. Great for monitoring places whilst away, or as a local-home babycam, or pretty much anything that you need to keep an eye on wherever you might be. Seedonk http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seedonk-pushes-out-iphone-ip-cam-apphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/seedonk-pushes-out-iphone-ip-cam-appAppsNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 14:02:45 BSTWe reviewed the first 3M MPro pico projector way back before Christmas last year, and the market hasn't really move forward from that in any way. The small size and versatility was first-rate, and now the company is launching the MPro120, which is a full VGA unit, projects upto 50 and also packs two half-watt speakers for when you need to dish up some sound with a clip or presentation. It produces 12 lumens of brightness, which isn't spectacular, but gets the job done, and runs a 4:3 aspect ratio in enhanced brightness mode, with the option to switch to 10 lumens if you can control the lighting conditions. It'll hit on the 1st September for 299, and you can get more information from here.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/3m-launches-next-generation-pico-projectorhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/3m-launches-next-generation-pico-projectorTechNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 11:15:52 BSTTweetMeme, the popular Twitter news aggregation system that also powers the famous Retweet buttons that we (and almost every other blog and site on technology and social media) run by the side of our posts, is currently down. This is due to system upgrade, meaning that when users click retweet , they'll be redirected to Twitter to post a tweet manually, rather than automatically as per usual. It also means that retweet counts will not increase, so if you're getting lots of 0 counts on your site like we're getting, don't worry too much. TweetMeme Status http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetmeme-down-for-upgradinghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tweetmeme-down-for-upgradingSocial MediaNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 10:54:39 BSTChina will be getting the iPhone, as after a very long wait, Apple and the network China Unicom have finally agree terms and settled on a 3-year contract for selling the phone in the country. It will more than likely have to have the WiFi disabled, in keeping with China's laws on such things, but it is a step in the right direction, and opens the handset up to the world's most populous country. China Unicom will offer two flavours of the 3G device when it launches on the network (who has over 140m subscribers) at some point in Q4. WSJ http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/china-unicom-nabs-iphonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/china-unicom-nabs-iphoneTechNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 10:37:00 BSTTIGA, the UK's game development trade association, has just announced that it is to present a plan to the government outlining their proposals for a cultural tax break for video game production. A lot has been made of the tax breaks made available in Canada to developers, and with the French also offering a similar system, the UK is under-threat from a so-called brain drain in the game making space. One of their main arguments is that with companies having to pay increased levels of tax, during the credit crunch, 15% of them have gone out of business, actually resulting in millions of pounds in lost tax for the government. The plans are also expected to create 1400 more jobs, as companies are anticipated to grow with a more stable financial future. With games development adding as much as 1b to the nation's GDP, we need to ensure we protect developers and encourage more to stay in the UK.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tiga-to-present-game-dev-tax-incentive-planhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/tiga-to-present-game-dev-tax-incentive-planGamesNewsFri, 28 Aug 2009 10:13:33 BSTFacebook has just released the latest update to their iPhone/iPod Touch app, bringing it to Version 3. There are a raft of updates, including the ability to Like statuses and images, a more intuitive News Feed, better use of the Photo part of the application as well as integration with Facebook Chat. You can also view and RSVP events that have been set up on the social network, plus, it also gives you a window into the Birtday-dates part of the site, making it easy to see when t send a card or wite Happy Birtday on someones wall. If the app isn't updating, what you need to do is delete your current install and redownload, this'll bring the new version.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-3-0-for-iphonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-3-0-for-iphoneAppsNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 23:42:44 BSTIf you've yet to take the plunge to buy Harbour Master for the iPhone and iPod Touch, then there is now a free Lite edition on the App Store that will try its best to convince you into a purchase. It allows you to play one of the best levels in the game; Sturgeon Creek, which incorporates two colours of cargo for you to navigate to their respective ports. We cannot recommend Harbour Master more highly, but if you're not tempted by the 59p price-tag, then there's now no reason for you not to at least give it a go. iTunes Link http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/harbour-master-lite-edition-now-availablehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/harbour-master-lite-edition-now-availableAppsNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 20:57:32 BSTRenowned start-up, social media and web technology blogger; Robert Scoble recently unfollowed the vast majority of the people he was following in an attempt to cut out the noise and make Twitter interesting again. We had a chat and asked him about why he did it, and to get some tips on how to effectively use Twitter and FriendFeed. My notsecretscoble account was where I realized just how much I was losing by following everyone back and not following a group that I selected. I knew that for a while actually because of how I used FriendFeed (I had several groups over there where I could follow smaller groups of people). Click the title for the full interview.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/interview-with-robert-scoblehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/interview-with-robert-scobleSocial MediaNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 20:02:06 BSTAmazingly, Apple has just approved the Spotify iPhone app, which means that soon, users will be able to stream tracks from the service straight to their device. The general consensus on the web was that Apple would reject the app, but with this news, Spotify Pro users should be playing with the application very soon. The current status as of right now is it s been approved said Apple s Cupertino to PaidContent, who broke the news. Spotify have been informed of the approval, so the service should be gearing up for an upshoot in new users. PaidContent http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-approves-spotify-apphttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/apple-approves-spotify-appAppsNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 19:18:24 BSTThe real-time commenting system; Echo, from JS-Kit launched with a very nice feature-set, and integrated well with a number of social media services, however, one of the most well known real-time services was absent; FriendFeed. That's not been changed, and the team has managed to integrate FriendFeed, so that you can share your comment with your subscribers there, as well as on Twitter, Facebook and a fair few more. You can now purchase a license for it on their site. It does look promising, and now that it integrates with another real-time service, its use might just grow. JS-Kit http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/js-kit-echo-now-works-with-friendfeedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/js-kit-echo-now-works-with-friendfeedSocial MediaNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 18:55:13 BSTWe've known that the Xbox 360 Arcade would be getting a bump in price (although 30 was larger than we'd have liked), but we didn't really know the reason why it was being raised. Well, Microsoft has announced that the new price-point at 160 is merely due to currency exchange rate fluctuations , and not down to any new features or extras. To be fair to Microsoft, it'll still be one of the fairest value consoles out there (even with the high failure-rate), and it should help out their bottom line in the run-up to Xmas to encourage further development in the division. MCV http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/360-arcade-price-rise-put-down-to-currency-changeshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/360-arcade-price-rise-put-down-to-currency-changesGamesNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 16:57:45 BSTFacebook has made some more revisions to its Privacy Policy giving users more control over what information and data is used by applications and what is shared. They're planning to outline the differences between account deactivation and deletion, as well as encouraging users to review their privacy settings, plus, giving users a lot more control over what data is seen and needed by 3rd party applications. These changes wont be made immediately, as any modifications to the Privacy Policy need a notice and comment period, and any changes to the 3rd Party API will take quite a long time. A good step in the right direction from the social network though. Facebook Press http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-to-give-users-more-control-over-datahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/facebook-to-give-users-more-control-over-dataSocial MediaNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 15:53:29 BSTGoogle has launched a new product specifically for its London users. Dubbed A Fire , it spills acrid, black smoke into the area surrounding its offices, which - we're led to believe - integrates with their Earth software as a real-time placemarker. The Fire seems to have stopped working at the moment, although there is still some smoke indicating the location of their building, but as a company spokesperson has pointed out, the product is still in beta. The majority of this is a joke, however, there has been a fire at Google's UK HQ. We hope (and understand that) noone is injured and that people can get back to work soon TwitPic http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-launches-fire-still-in-betahttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/google-launches-fire-still-in-betaTechNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 15:12:05 BSTThe Convert app for the iPhone and iPod Touch is well known for its viral competition on Twitter where the creators are giving away an extremely limited edition Stealth MacBook Pro by ColorWare, but the app they've been marketing has acheived amazing things. In the two weeks since launch, it has been downloaded 40,000 times (at $0.99 a pop) and has broken into the top 2 paid apps on the US store (our list of paid applications is for the UK store). As the name suggests, it allows you to convert all sorts of values, from imperial and metric measurements, currency estimates and angles. taptaptap Blog http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/convert-iphone-app-tops-40-000-downloadshttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/convert-iphone-app-tops-40-000-downloadsAppsNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 15:04:10 BSTIf you're hankering for the Palm Pre and live in Canada, then you're in luck (somewhat); as Bell has just announced that they'll be offering the device for $199.99 on a 3 year contract. The touchscreen smartphone that sports the company's webOS is one of only a handful of phones to be considered a viable alternative to the iPhone for dedicated touch-consumers, and if you're willing to sign your name away for 36 months, you can now get your action on in Canada. With more and more apps being added to the Catalog as well, it could be an interesting proposition, but there is still no word on when it'll be arriving in the UK. Bell.ca http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/palm-pre-released-in-canada-on-3-year-planhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/palm-pre-released-in-canada-on-3-year-planTechNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 14:42:41 BSTSmart is preparing to launch the first of a new type of product; the smartbook, which is someway between a netbook and a smartphone in the form of its new PC-Z1 NetWalker. The device will run a 5 touchscreen, with a touchable Ubuntu version installed as its OS, with a QWERTY keyboard for input and will be compatible with Office Documents. The company is gearing up for a September launch in Japan, with no word of a launch in the UK or US. PCR http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sharp-to-launch-first-smartbookhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sharp-to-launch-first-smartbookTechNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 14:28:05 BSTReports from Taiwan have been saying that Asus is planning to release an Eee-branded e-book reader at some point by the end of the year. With the explosion in e-book reader usage in the US (due in no small part to the Kindle, which we might be getting next week), it looks like a cheap e-reader might go down a storm with consumers across North American and Europe. The report does state that it wouldn't go down too well in Asia due to different reading habits, and that the main hold-up at the moment is securing a decent distribution channel. Perhaps they can do a licensing deal with Amazon and get the Kindle books on their reader? Digitimes (Image courtesy and story via Engadget)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/is-an-eee-e-book-reader-cominghttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/is-an-eee-e-book-reader-comingTechNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 13:31:55 BSTNokia has just made official its N900 mobile internet device, which sports the open-source Linux OS; Maemo. You get a 3.5 resistive touchscreen, has 32GB of storage, a 5MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics, WLAN, an ARM Cortex-A8 processor and GPS. You also get Flash 9.4 support to go with the browser, which should make it a more interesting proposition for in-house internet browsing or on the move courtesy of a data chip inside. It'll be on show at Nokia World on 2nd September, and will be on sale from October for EUR500.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nokia-makes-n900-mid-officialhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/nokia-makes-n900-mid-officialTechNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 13:24:36 BSTMCV has confirmed that the Xbox 360 Elite edition has been dropped to 199.99 officially, whereas the Arcade SKU has been increased to 159.99 The changes are exactly in line with what we were forecasting, and should be introduced tomorrow to give the Elite a decent run at its new price point over the Bank Holiday weekend before the launch of the Slim PS3. No word as to whether the Arcade will be lashed with any extra goodies (like an HDD) for its price hike, but we could forsee this is a move to cement the Xbox's profitability before Christmas. MCV http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/xbox-360-price-changes-announcedhttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/xbox-360-price-changes-announcedGamesNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 10:03:22 BSTWe've seen a great shift in the apps in the Top 10 paid list this week, as (I'm guessing) most people already had the 59p staples like Flight Control and Harbour Master. Let's check this list out, as there are a lot of changes: 1. Geared - 0.59 2. Pub Quiz - 0.59 3. Farm Frenzy - 0.59 4. Sheep Launcher - 0.59 5. Moto X Mayhem - 0.59 6. Fonejacker Soundboard - 0.59 7. Doodle Jump - 0.59 8. Flight Control - 0.59 9. Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor - 1.79 10. Cartoon Wars - 0.59 This week shows that the 59p game is still king in the app store, after the past few weeks with some more expensive ones in the top, impulse buys come storming back. We are expecing higher-priced apps to come back into play next week, with the release of Snood and Bioshock from EA.http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-paid-iphone-apps-27th-augusthttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/top-paid-iphone-apps-27th-augustAppsNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 09:32:08 BSTSirius XM, the paid-for satellite radio service provider in the US, has announced that they'll be bringing a $120 dock to the iPhone/iPod Touch and runs off of a cigarette lighter, in order to essentially turn the media player into a satellite radio. That kind of radio has been under threat for a while, as its main market - being implemented into cars - has seen the bottom drop out of it with the credit crunch. Hopefully with the ease of use of using it with an iPod, the company might get a shot of new subscribers, bringing more talent and stations to the service, thus getting even more listeners. The device is expected to hit in Autumn, according to the WSJ. (Image courtesy Dealerscope)http://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sirius-xm-coming-to-iphonehttp://www.randomlyaccessed.com/article/sirius-xm-coming-to-iphoneTechNewsThu, 27 Aug 2009 09:07:25 BSTWe've been waiting for a few big mobile game publishers to move into the Android app development space, and there aren't many bigger than Namco, who is bringing a raft of franchises to the platform. To go with the Pac-Man game that is already available on the OS, you've got Inspector Gadget, which has been a good-seller for Namco on mobile platforms, as well as Katamari (the game where you roll over things from the PS2 and PSP) and More Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima which has proven to be a massive hit on the Nintendo DS. All of the games will be available on the Android Market for $2.99 Click on the title for full details abou