Mozilla Firefox 8 Release Candidate available for download

It's been barely over a month since Firefox was officially upgraded to version 7, and now it looks like a new update has arrived. The Release Candidate version of Firefox 8 has been made available for download today, while the official release of version 8 will be happening next Monday. In case you're wondering; Mozilla considers the RC versions of their builds the final version, so there won't be any changes between today's and Monday's release (unless some serious bugs crop up in between the two dates). Firefox 8 brings some noticeable improvements to the popular web browser.

Ubergizmo, Mozilla Firefox 8 Release Candidate available for download

YUDU Media publishes stats and projections for the Apple iPad and the wider tablet market

A new free report from ePublishing specialists YUDU Media compiles stats and projections for the Apple iPad and the wider tablet market. A third report in YUDU's Apple iPad Trends and Statistics series has been published by ePublishing specialists YUDU Media (www.yudu.com). The free report provides analysis of new statistics to emerge since the last report was published in February 2011, and concludes that despite stiff competition, all signs suggest that the iPad will continue its table market dominance for the foreseeable future.

Press Release Distribution, YUDU Media publishes stats and projections for the Apple iPad and the wider tablet market

Apple stockpiles 2 million third-gen iPad units before 2012

Having a decent supply line is always crucial when it comes to war – and you can say that on the corporate battlefield, the same strategy would apply as well. While Apple currently dominates the tablet market which it basically thrusted upon the world, that does not mean the company should remain complacent at all, which is why word has it that Apple intends to stockpile a cool 2 million units of a thinner, higher-resolution third-generation iPad in time for its launch next year – and the fruity company intends to do so before 2011 is over.

Ubergizmo, Apple stockpiles 2 million third-gen iPad units before 2012

Re-case is an eco-friendly iPhone case

If you own an iPhone and you love the environment, how about picking up an environmental-friendly protective case for your phone. No, we don't mean wrap it in leaves or paper, but you can check out the Re-case from Miniwiz. Touted to be 100% trash, the Re-case is made from rice agricultural waste that is added to post-consumer thermo-plastics. In addition to keeping your iPhone safe from the usual bumps and scratches, the back of the case has space for you to place an RFID (radio frequency identification) card for convenience sake.

Ubergizmo, Re-case is an eco-friendly iPhone case

LEGO digital clock is awesome

If you love LEGO projects and you're looking for something challenging to build, you might want to take a stab at this LEGO clock by an inventor named Hans Andersson. Using two LEGO Mindstorm kits, and some extra LEGO Technic pieces; he managed to build a clock that displays the time digitally - without the aid of an LCD screen. Whenever the time changes, each digit painstakingly twists itself to form the correct time. While it may sound simple, wait until you see the whole contraption in action. It's amazing how much patience one person can have figuring out the pattern required to form each digit of the current time.



Ubergizmo, LEGO digital clock is awesome

Google's Guide to the App Galaxy Provides Priceless Tips for Developers

“Brand your app, don't just name it.” This simple tip is among the many offered up as part of a new initiative from Google to increase the quality of apps available for Android devices. The Guide to the App Galaxy by Google is a website created for developers, keeping in mind that the most technically savvy individuals aren't always expert marketers of their own material. The well-designed website uses animations of rockets, space, and beyond to instill knowledge Google sees as crucial to developing and promoting a successful app. Quick links provide devs with advice on promotion, monetization, analytics, and evaluation.

Android Phone, Google's Guide to the App Galaxy Provides Priceless Tips for Developers

Android's US Market Share Nearing 50 percent in Latest Nielsen Report

Android continues to lead US smartphone market share, and the gap is growing according to the latest figures from Nielsen. For the third quarter of 2011 Android's share reached 43 percent, up from 39 percent, compared to Apple's 28 percent, which saw no change. Android saw its gains at the expense of RIM and Microsoft, whose dropping share combined for 25 percent of the smartphone market. Symbian and webOS featured such a small showing that Nielsen dumped them into the “other” category with 4 perent total share.

Android Phone, Android's US Market Share Nearing 50 percent in Latest Nielsen Report

Apple isn't sweating Kindle Fire, says Android fragmentation will drive consumers to iPad

. Several analysts believe Amazon has an imminent hit on its hands with its upcoming Kindle Fire, a $199 Android-powered tablet that features deep integration with Amazon's many digital services. While Amazon's new tablet will be available for just over six weeks in 2011, some analysts think the company could ship as many as 5 million Kindle Fire slates during the holiday quarter. Rapid adoption of that magnitude would certainly make the Fire the fastest-selling Android tablet of all time but according to Barclays Group analyst Ben Reitzes, Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer aren't worried.

Boy Genius Report

See also:
dailygadgets, Apple isn't sweating Kindle Fire, says Android fragmentation will drive consumers to iPad

Patent filing reveals that Nvidia may just build tiny computers

Not every patent results in an actual product. However, if this patent filing has any substance in Nvidia's product plans, then there is a good chance that Nvidia will soon play a much bigger role in CPU manufacturing and even compete with PC vendors. The “portable computer system” is described as a small computer that is about the size of a USB memory stick.

2DayBlog.com

See also:
technoleap, Patent filing reveals that Nvidia may just build tiny computers

Samsung to depose Jonathan Ive, other key Apple employees

. Samsung plans to depose a number of current and former Apple employees as part of its ongoing legal battle with the company, EdibleApple reported on Wednesday. Jonathan Ive, Shin Nishibori, Christopher Stringer and Douglas Satzger were among those named in Samsung's motion. Samsung originally hoped the employees would sit for deposition before November 1st, although each one was unavailable for various reasons. The South Korea-based company has asked for an extension until December 1st as a result. Jonathan Ive is currently Apple's senior vice president of industrial design.

Boy Genius Report, Samsung to depose Jonathan Ive, other key Apple employees

GarageBand now available on iPhone and iPod touch

. Apple announced recently that its popular GarageBand music creation software is now available on the iPhone and iPod touch. Prior to Tuesday, it was only available on Mac computers and on the iPad. “GarageBand on iPad has been a big hit and we think customers will love using it on their iPhone or iPod touch," Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Philip Schiller said.

Boy Genius Report, GarageBand now available on iPhone and iPod touch

Honda now offering body-in-white Civics with HPD racing components

There are few things more inspiring than a blank canvas, and Honda has recently given the company's enthusiasts just that with its new body-in-white Civic. The chassis is perfect for racecar builders who would otherwise spend plenty of time, energy and cost stripping out components in the quest for weight reduction. Honda officially began selling the body-in-white Civic models in July, and the automaker has already delivered a handful of shells to licensed race teams.

Autoblog

See also:
newgadgets, Honda now offering body-in-white Civics with HPD racing components

T-Mobile BlackBerry Torch 9810 now up for pre-order, shipping November 9

T-Mobile has announced earlier that it will start selling the BlackBerry Torch 9810 too. The magenta carrier will have the new smartphone in stores on November 9, which is exactly one week from now. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 will be up for pre-order at T-Mobile starting today (although right now the pre-orders aren't live yet). The price being asked is a rather steep $249.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate) with a new two-year service agreement.

If you're interested in the Torch 9810 and want to be among the first to get your mitts on it, keep an eye on this page at T-Mobile.

Unwired View, T-Mobile BlackBerry Torch 9810 now up for pre-order, shipping November 9

Chevrolet Camaro concepts storm the General Motors booth

It just wouldn't be SEMA without a whole slew of Chevrolet Camaro coupes and convertibles staring us in the face, and this week's Vegas show doesn't disappoint. General Motors' own booth features four rather interesting specimens, which you can see in the image gallery we've compiled here. First comes the Camaro ZL1 Carbon Concept, which boasts a sinister Ashen Gray look with a smattering of carbon fiber bits and pieces. Power comes from the same 580 horsepower and 556 pound-feet of torque supercharged V8 that's set to debut in 2012 in the ZL1. Up next is the Camaro Red Zone Concept.

Autoblog, Chevrolet Camaro concepts storm the General Motors booth

Forum Talk – Galaxy Nexus Edition

Bit of a slow news hump here so I decided to take AndroidForums.com for a spin. What better place to poke around than the section of one of the most anticipated phones for all Android enthusiasts. We jumped into some threads over at the Galaxy Nexus section and found the following threads interesting enough to spend a minute or 10 inside. Have at it.

Android Phone, Forum Talk â€" Galaxy Nexus Edition

Tweephone Sends Tweets from Analog Rotary-Dial Telephone

Tweephone, the world's first analog Twitter client. Nobody has ever wished that Twitter's 140-character limit were even stricter, but then, nobody before had ever tried Tweeting from an old-school rotary-dial phone. Enter Tweephone, a phone that will let you do just that.
Tweephone was made to celebrate the first birthday of the UP Digital Bureau in Russia. It embeds an Arduino and a two-line LCD screen into a vintage Russian telephone. To Tweet, you lift the handset and dial. Letters are selected just like on a pushbutton phone. To type the letter “a” for example, you dial 2 once.

Gadget Lab, Tweephone Sends Tweets from Analog Rotary-Dial Telephone

Toyota Tacoma TRD T/X Baja Series Limited Edition headed for dealers

Toyota has given SEMA 2011 visitors a glimpse at a pre-production version of the company's Tacoma TRD T/X Limited Edition. The newest addition to the Tacoma line is set to begin production in late spring of next year and will offer buyers a 4.0-liter V6 engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic. An electronically controlled locking rear differential provides extra grip over uncertain terrain while active traction control, hill-descent control and hill-start assist control should help make things easier on the driver.

Autoblog, Toyota Tacoma TRD T/X Baja Series Limited Edition headed for dealers

Motorola DROID RAZR gets a redesign in China

Motorola has officially launched the DROID RAZR in two flavors - GSM and CDMA but both of them will look the same, with the CDMA version being US-only on Verizon. According to reports online, there's also a third version of the handset that hasn't been announced but recently made its way through China's equivalent of the FCC recently. The phone will be called the Motorola MT917 and has the same features of the DROID RAZR with a few differences. The MT917 will have a more rounded exterior, giving the phone a curvier appearance.

Ubergizmo, Motorola DROID RAZR gets a redesign in China

Wii U won't launch before April 2012

It's been a while since we last heard anything about the Wii U, Nintendo's next generation Wii console, but the company today confirmed that the console won't be release until at least April 2012. When Nintendo unveiled the Wii U at E3 this past June, the company was clear about its intentions to wait until next year to release the console. However, '2012′ is pretty vague for a release date, and up until today, we still had no idea as to when Nintendo's new console would hit the market.
Now, the company narrowed things down considerably with the revelation that the Wii U won't launch until its next fiscal year begins, in April 2012.

2DayBlog.com

See also:
hitech, Wii U won't launch before April 2012

Motorola Mobility to drop 800 jobs

Motorola Mobility has issued a regulatory filing outlining the loss of 800 jobs. The cut will cost the handset manufacturer $31 million — that number includes $27 million in severance and $4 million to close locations. The reason for the cuts. Bloomberg suggests that it's part of an attempt to lower costs, as the company readies itself to join the Google family — a decision Motorola's board will vote on in the middle of next month.

2DayBlog.com, Motorola Mobility to drop 800 jobs

StrikeAd drives aggressive US expansion with new hire

StrikeAd appoints award-winning digital marketer, John Brodrick; New York office poised to lead expansion in North America London, UK; New York, USA - November, 2 2011 - StrikeAd, the first dedicated global mobile DSP (Demand Side Platform), today announced that is accelerating its growth in North America, one of the largest markets for mobile advertising. StrikeAd works in partnership with media agencies and brands to deliver highly targeted and measurable mobile advertising campaigns by leveraging its technology platform, called StrikeAd Fusion.

Press Release Distribution, StrikeAd drives aggressive US expansion with new hire

Siri can even tell you a story... If you pester her enough times

Bored with Siri yet. Ran out of things to ask her. Then ask her to tell you a story. She'll refuse at first but if you keep on bothering her, she'll relent and tell you her origin story. It's funny!

Easter eggs like this one turn Siri from a really great voice control system to a really great voice control system you actually want to use.

2DayBlog.com, Siri can even tell you a story... If you pester her enough times

Nokia sponsors free Wi-Fi in London

Nokia will be kicking off a pilot global project which will see the recently announced Lumia 800 and 710 smartphones in action, but first things first – the Finnish phone company will be sponsoring free Wi-Fi connections in London. This new free Wi-Fi service will enable owners of the new Lumia 800 and 710 handsets to use the Internet right out of the box, never mind if you don't even have a data plan to work on. This free Wi-Fi network will see action in London from today until the end of the year.

Ubergizmo

See also:
itworld, Nokia sponsors free Wi-Fi in London

Cowon shipping iAudio 10 PMP tomorrow: $160 and up

Remember that stunner of a PMP that Cowon teased us with back in September. Better brush up, 'cause she's shipping out in the US of A starting tomorrow. The iAudio 10 is - for all intents and purposes - a refreshed and re-imagined S9, boasting a curved 400 x 240 (3-inch) display, microphone input, TV output, FM radio and a document viewer. Unlike the D3 before it, the company looks to be eschewing Android on this one for its own homegrown operating system, and in typical Cowon fashion, it'll support practically every file format under the sun.






Engadget, Cowon shipping iAudio 10 PMP tomorrow: $160 and up

Lego CD / DVD ripper lets you drop your physical media - literally (video)

If the only thing standing between you and a full abandonment of physical media is the tedious task of ripping all of your CDs and DVDs, boy have we got the Lego-based gadget for you. Paul Rea whipped up this little beauty - it's an Arduino-powered Lego arm that swings to pick up a disc, deposit it in the drive and then drop it (perhaps a bit too literally) into a finished pile.

Engadget, Lego CD / DVD ripper lets you drop your physical media - literally (video)

Samsung Illusion Coming to Verizon this Month?

4G is the new 3G, but 3G has not been forgotten. The Samsung Illusion which we last saw floating around Flickr, won’t fool anybody with it’s  mid-range hardware, but  it will provide a decent alternative to the barrage of high-powered smartphones Verizon is offering this holiday season. A leaked rebate sheet reveals the device could be headed to Verizon very soon. How soon.

Android Phone, Samsung Illusion Coming to Verizon this Month?

News360 becomes personal

News reader News360 is getting a big update today. The news portal is getting logins, which opens the door to news personalization. While there is no lack of news reader apps and services, News 360 thinks that their algorithm in the end-user experience. I personally think that design would be the primary advantage of any news reader, but we'll see.
News360 is social as well. It now supports Google+ in addition to Facebook and Twitter (even Evernote is supported). You can use the this service from their website, iPhones, iPads and Blackberry Playbook and Android devices (including upcoming Google TV support).

Ubergizmo, News360 becomes personal

Google Street View Now Covers Parks

Google is taking Street View to the next level as it has announced that Street View now covers parks as well. This has been made possible by using Street View Trike bicycles equipped with cameras. These can go inside parks to snap images that a car never could take from the street. The Google team has gone to 22 countries to take pictures of great places, but you can bet that this will go on until every park in the world is in the database.



Ubergizmo, Google Street View Now Covers Parks

Regional carrier C Spire to launch Apple iPhone 4S with unlimited data plans on November 11th

. Regional carrier C Spire, not T-Mobile, will become the fourth wireless carrier in the United States to offer Apple's iPhone 4S to its customers. C Spire announced last month that it would soon carry Apple's latest iPhone, and on Tuesday it announced launch details. The carrier will offer Apple's 16GB ($199), 32GB ($299) and 64GB ($399) iPhone 4S models beginning November 11th, and plans will cost between $50 and $100 per month.

Boy Genius Report, Regional carrier C Spire to launch Apple iPhone 4S with unlimited data plans on November 11th

C-Spire iPhone 4S on 11-11-11 with unlimited data

On Oct 19, C-Spire announced that it would get the iPhone 4S, although at the time, they did not talk about the availability date. In fact, this was one of the shortest press released that I've seen since we created Ubergizmo. Now, we know: on November 11, C-Spire is set to offer the cheapest unlimited* data, messaging and minutes plan for the iPhone 4S (*read the fine prints before subscribing). As for the pricing of the iPhone 4S itself, it is not different from what you can find with other carriers (Apple obviously controls that). If you are a huge consumer of data, this may be your best bet yet, at least without breaking the bank.

Ubergizmo, C-Spire iPhone 4S on 11-11-11 with unlimited data

ABBYY TextGrabber + Translator for the iPhone® Offers Language Translation and Social Media Support

Bracknell, UK (01 November, 2011) - ABBYY®, a leading provider of document recognition, document capture, and linguistic technologies and services, today announced ABBYY TextGrabber + Translator, the new, extended version of ABBYY TextGrabber for the Apple iPhone, a popular on-device solution that turns the iPhone into a multifunctional mobile scanner. The application now allows users to quickly translate snippets of texts captured from various printed materials and information sources by using Google Translate™ technology.

Press Release Distribution, ABBYY TextGrabber + Translator for the iPhone® Offers Language Translation and Social Media Support

Cameras Could Focus As Fast As The Human Eye

In the future, cameras may be able to focus as fast and accurately as the human eye, making photos like this a thing of the past. Photo Charlie Sorrel. Why can humans glance at a scene and focus instantly on the subject, near or far, when a camera takes — relatively — forever. That's the same question Johannes Burge and Wilson Geisler asked themselves, before developing an algorithm to do it.

Humans and animals focus their eyes by estimating the blur in a scene, and then snapping the eye into sharp focus almost instantly.

Gadget Lab, Cameras Could Focus As Fast As The Human Eye

Vimeo Perks Offers Discounts for Paying Users

Vimeo is launching Vimeo Perks, a discount program that offers discount ranging from 5% to 25% on select products from a number of partners like B&H, which is offering a dozen packages of products at discounted prices for the launch.  Vimeo told me that it is not making money from these deals, and that it came up with the Perks to bring more value to its users.The idea is good: users who can access Vimeo Perks are already paying customers (Vimeo Pro or vimeo Plus), so they don't have anything to lose.

Ubergizmo, Vimeo Perks Offers Discounts for Paying Users

The olloclip is a 3-in-1 lens clip for your iPhone 4x4S

A few months ago we reported about the olloclip 3-in-1 lens for the iPhone that was only a Kickstarter project. Well, it looks like the crowd-sourced funding manage to pull through, and the clip was turned into a commercial product which can be purchased online now. In case you were wondering what the olloclip was, it's a tiny lens accessory that you can attach to your iPhone 4 (or 4S) to get the fisheye effect, wide-angle shots, and macro shots - all with one lens. If faux-effects from camera apps aren't good enough for you these olloclips might do the trick. They cost $69.95 each and are available in red or black.

Ubergizmo, The olloclip is a 3-in-1 lens clip for your iPhone 4x4S

App Wakes You When You Reach Your Bus Stop

BusChecker: Helping drunken Londoners get home on time since 2011. Fact 1: When traveling home on the London night bus, its easy to nod off and miss your stop, especially if you are a bartender and go out drinking after work until 3AM. Fact 2: I was this bartender.

Gadget Lab, App Wakes You When You Reach Your Bus Stop

Asus Transformer Prime release date confirmed as Nov. 9th

The Asus Transformer Prime was first revealed by Asus at the AsiaD conference in October and we saw a photo leaked of the Transformer Prime the other day. Today, we found out that the Transformer prime will launch on November 9th according to a slide from a presentation at an investor conference. The slide also indicated that Asus will release some Windows 8 tablets in Q3 2012. Specs wise, the Transformer Prime features a NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 14.5 hours of battery life, a 10.1-inch screen, mini-HDMI connector, a full USB port, and a SD card slot.

Unwired View, Asus Transformer Prime release date confirmed as Nov. 9th

Internet Explorer 9 web browser share in the US almost hits 35%

Great news for fans and developers of Internet Explorer - Microsoft has just announced that 65% of Windows 7 users are now using modern browsers to surf the web - this means that they are surfing the web on browsers like Internet Explorer 9, Google Chrome 14+15 and Firefox 7. With everybody using an up to date browser, developers can focus on creating content that uses the latest technology instead of holding back to cater to web users with older browsers. Out of the 65% of Windows 7 users in the US, 34.9% of them use Internet Explorer 9, while Chrome 14+15 make up 14.3% and Firefox 11.8%.

Ubergizmo

See also:
itnews, Internet Explorer 9 web browser share in the US almost hits 35%

Nokia targets first time smartphone users in the US

If you're wondering why Nokia is taking its sweet time to make its way over to the US, it's because of the company's tarnished legacy. One a force to be reckoned with, Nokia fell from the throne when it refused to adapt and change its products for US consumers. Windows Phone is Nokia's second chance at getting back into the US and they're working hard to make sure they don't screw up. According to the Wall Street Journal who spoke to Chris Weber, Nokia's US head, the company plans to launch a full portfolio of unique devices multiple carriers each year, and they want 2012 to be the year of its comeback.

Ubergizmo, Nokia targets first time smartphone users in the US

Sony scrambles to reverse losses, will split television business into three parts

. Sony announced on Monday that it will split its television business into three different branches in an effort to reverse a course that has the arm headed to its eighth consecutive annual loss. The three new branches include LCD TVs, next generation TVs and outsourced televisions, Reuters said on Monday, and the changes will go into effect on Tuesday, November 1st. “By dividing into three divisions, we will make clearer the misson and responsibilities of these,” a Sony spokesperson said.

Boy Genius Report, Sony scrambles to reverse losses, will split television business into three parts

Native Gmail app rumored to make an appearance on iOS

Ever since the iPhone was introduced back in 2007, there hasn't been a native Gmail app for iOS devices. Sure you can configure the default email client or access it from Safari, but it didn't provide the same experience like the official Gmail app for Android does. But it looks like we'll be finally getting the app on iOS. According to rumors online Google has already submitted the app for review so if it gets approved by Apple, we should see it on the App Store soon.

Ubergizmo, Native Gmail app rumored to make an appearance on iOS

Acer Aspire AS5750-A78D / K 15.6-Inch Notebook

Acer has introduced another 15.6-inch notebook to its range by unveiling the Aspire AS5750-A78D / K. Powered by a 2.20GHz Intel Core i7-2670QM processor, the system is packed with a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 LCD display, a GeForce GT 540M 1GB graphics card, an 8GB DDR3 RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a DVD Super Multi Drive and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium OS. The Aspire AS5750-A78D / K will go on sale from November 9th for around 90,000 Yen (about $1,150).

TechFresh, Acer Aspire AS5750-A78D / K 15.6-Inch Notebook

B&N Rolling Out Invites, Launch Of A New Nook On The Horizon?

Many suggest that this could be the event where B&N would announce the much-rumored next-generation Nook tablet featuring a faster processor, more memory and an enhanced display. It is also possible that B&N may use this event to announce a price drop of Nook tablets already available in the market. Besides that, it is expected to introduce a Kindle Fire tablet just a week before the Kindle Fire starts shipping.
The Kindle Fire is priced at $199 while the tablet actually costs $220 for Amazon per unit.


Technology Nerd, B&N Rolling Out Invites, Launch Of A New Nook On The Horizon?

Boston Dynamics PETMAN portends the pending robot apocalypse

If the sight of Boston Dynamics' unstoppable Alpha Dog didn't convince you of the coming robot apocalypse, then perhaps a glimpse of its bipedal relative, PETMAN, will. Last time we saw the two-legged bot, It was walking well enough, but it lacked the humanoid visage needed to infiltrate and overthrow. In the time since, however, PETMAN has gotten a more anatomically-correct body and some arms - giving it some push-up prowess to go with its jaunty gait.

Engadget, Boston Dynamics PETMAN portends the pending robot apocalypse

AMD Bulldozer breaks own world record, overclocked to 8.46GHz

Advanced Micro Devices is probably feeling a bit silly right about now. To show off how powerful the Bulldozer chip really is, it drafted in the world's most elite overclockers, set them up in a room with whatever was required (including a vat of liquid helium) and broke the chip-speed world record. With a verified speed of 8.429GHz, the company collected its Guinness world record and sat back, thinking that no one could ever best it.

Engadget, AMD Bulldozer breaks own world record, overclocked to 8.46GHz

Press Shot Labeled as Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Carrier Branding Nowhere to Be Found

The above image doesn’t look much different than any other official Samsung Galaxy Nexus image we have seen before, but this one isn’t just any Galaxy Nexus. According to the astute men of DroidLife, this image has the distinction of originally having the file name "Verizon_SCH-i515.jpg.″ The image was located on Samsung’s website, and despite its name the device pictured lacks any recognizable Verizon marks.

Android Phone, Press Shot Labeled as Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Carrier Branding Nowhere to Be Found