Comment Re:Fanbois be quiet... (Score 1) 543
You can't patent a pin out.
Now the physical design of the connector... we all know that's patented to hell.
Comment Re:lock in & license fees. (Score 2) 543
They have actually said they will be selling Lighting to HDMI and Lightning to VGA adapters. I'm interested in finding out what the pinout is. I doubt it carries pins dedicated to HDMI. The adapters could be active devices. One of the reasons for the $30 and $40 cost on the adapters (besides "they can") is that they have DACs for audio, since the new connector doesn't have analog audio pins.
Comment Re:Thinness (Score 1) 543
The old connector had a few problems. It was big and bulky, that's certainly true. But it also had a ton of extra pins that aren't needed. It supported USB, USB charging, Firewire, Firewire charging (not supported on the iPhone 4 and beyond), analog audio out, analog audio in, and composite and s-video out.
In fact, that's one of the reasons for the $30 price. There are no analog out pins in the new connector. So those adapters have to include DACs to provide audio to whatever gets plugged in. If the adapter did nothing but charging and data it would probably be cheaper. I wonder how many adapters they'll end up selling. I need one for my car, but will many "normal" people bother to buy one?
Remember that Apple has been using that connector for 8 or 9 years. It used to be common (before other makers went to micro-USB) for each new phone model to have a new connector, requiring new power adapters. The iPod/iPhone universe has kind of spoiled us.
I would like wireless charging, I've wanted it ever since I saw the Palm Touchstone. Apple claims people are happy enough without it... it's not a big enough thing to stop me. Maybe having to set my phone down on a specific spot where I kept a special charging pad/device would annoy me. Since Nokia just put it in the new Lumia, I'm hoping it shows up later. There are also claims that NFC isn't in there because it would require a plastic back (less durable, feels cheaper) or an additional antenna.
I will say the gizmo-nerd in me was really hoping for NFC. It seems so perfect for Passbook, I thought that alone might do it. If NFC ever catches on, I'm sure Apple will include it. I was hoping Apple would because I figured that would cause an explosion in adoption.
Comment Re:Fanbois be quiet... (Score 2) 543
Apple has been complying since that ruling was made, they give European buyers a little adapter.
The new Lightning connector (not a fan of that name, btw) has some benefits over micro-usb. Reports say that it plugs into the phone pretty securely. When I use micro-USB on my Kindle, I can tell you it doesn't feel like the most secure thing. More importantly from an ease of use perspective, the new connector doesn't have to be plugged in a specific way, there is no "up".
I'm curious to see what the pinout ends up being. Apple might have some surprises in store for us.
Submission + - Is Windows Phone 8 Already in Trouble? (slashdot.org)
Nerval's Lobster writes: "In the days following Nokia unveiling the Lumia 920 and 820 at a high-profile event in New York City, various publications have begun questioning whether Windows Phone 8’s rollout will be smooth as silk or rougher than a rocky patch of country road. The Verge, following up on its report that Nokia had faked some of the footage promoting the new Lumia devices’ cameras, tried to give Microsoft a minor aneurism with a Sept. 11 story questioning whether Windows Phone 8 would launch on schedule; it alluded to “delays and bugs” in testing.
Ars Technica, meanwhile, threw its own darts with a Sept. 6 story highlighting the total lack of information about Windows Phone 8’s release date.
Compare that to Amazon’s rollout of the Kindle Fire HD, which has a definite release date and pricing, or Apple’s iPhone 5, which—at least if history is any indication—will also make its debut with a price-tag and shelf date in place. As these IT giants head into the crucial holiday shopping season, Microsoft’s information vacuum could end up confusing consumers to the point where they turn to rival vendors for satisfaction."
Ars Technica, meanwhile, threw its own darts with a Sept. 6 story highlighting the total lack of information about Windows Phone 8’s release date.
Compare that to Amazon’s rollout of the Kindle Fire HD, which has a definite release date and pricing, or Apple’s iPhone 5, which—at least if history is any indication—will also make its debut with a price-tag and shelf date in place. As these IT giants head into the crucial holiday shopping season, Microsoft’s information vacuum could end up confusing consumers to the point where they turn to rival vendors for satisfaction."
Submission + - Apache Patch to Override IE 10's Do Not Track Setting (paritynews.com) 1
hypnosec writes: A new patch for Apache by Roy Fielding, one of the authors of the Do Not Track (DNT) standard, is set to override the DNT option if the browser reaching the server is Internet Explorer 10. Microsoft has by default enabled DNT in Internet Explorer 10 stating that it is to "better protect user privacy." This hasn’t gone down well with Ad networks, users and other browser makers. According to Mozilla, the DNT feature shouldn’t be either in an active state or an inactive state until and unless a user specifically sets it. Along the same lines is the stance adopted by Digital Advertising Alliance. The alliance has revealed that it will only honor DNT if and only if it is not switched on by default. This means advertisers will be ignoring the DNT altogether no matter how a particular browser is set up. DNT project has another member – Apache. It turns out that Microsoft’s stance is like a thorn to Apache as well. Fielding has written a patch for the web server titled "Apache does not tolerate deliberate abuse of open standards." The patch immediately sparked a debate which instigated Fielding to elaborate on his work: “The only reason DNT exists is to express a non-default option. That's all it does. [...] It does not protect anyone's privacy unless the recipients believe it was set by a real human being, with a real preference for privacy over personalization.”
Comment Re:Where DID they come from then. (Score 4, Informative) 104
It could be from a 3rd party. Lots of applications were known to track UUIDs (and take phonebooks, etc). One of those companies could have given that data to the FBI (or had it taken as part of a search). Or the FBI could have gotten it from some criminal who obtained it by breaking into some company's computer. Or a rogue employee took it and gave it to someone.
Apple is hardly the only possible source of this kind of data.
Comment Re:iOS6 (Score 2) 104
I believe the new suggestion is to generate your own GUID on install and use that. It wouldn't identify the phone, but only the specific installation of your software on that device. If the device's owner deleted your application and then re-installed it, you'd have a new GUID.
Comment Re:But Anonymous has? (Score 4, Insightful) 104
Or, it could simply mean that the FBI didn't get the information from Apple, but from some 3rd party.
Submission + - Nokia: memory card slot would have "defiled" our phone (pcpro.co.uk) 1
nk497 writes: "Nokia unveiled its flagship Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 handset today, but it doesn't feature an SD card slot. There's a reason why: Nokia's designers didn't want to "defile" the design. "We started with the premise that we wanted an uncompromised physical form," executive vice president, Kevin Shields, said. "To put an SD card slot in it would have defiled it." He said most people don't use the storage in their phone, although the Nokia Lumia 820, which has only 8GB of storage, does include a micro-SD card slot behind its removable cover, which Shields claims doesn't compromise the design."
Submission + - Library Install Internet Filter to Avoid Illegal Download Lawsuits (gmtoday.com)
jsrjsr writes: The West Bend, Wisconsin library is installing filters on its public internet wi-fi access to avoid paying for illegal downloads of copyrighted materials. The library has already tapped its reserve fund twice to pay off two settlements to copyright owners.
Submission + - Kickstarter Funds Fall Through, Despite Successful Campaign (techzwn.com)
jjp9999 writes: If you've been following the stream here on Slashdot long enough, you may have heard speculation around Kickstarter projects falling through, despite successful campaigns. Well, it finally happened. Warbird Games never got a $10,000 contribution for Jack Houston and the Necronauts, which was a large portion of the $64,256 they raised. “After the exhilaration of passing our goal by almost $10k, I was expecting to spend the next few days getting ready to start production on the project.” said lead designer, Stacy Davidson, in a press release. “Instead, I spent them frantically trying to find out what was going on with the donation, whether we’d even get the other funds and glued to email for any news.” Warbird Games will continue development, but they've started up a new fundraising campaign using PayPal to make up for the loss.
Submission + - Phony Laser Security System Proves Perception Is Reality
Hugh Pickens writes writes: "Softpedia reports that Global Link Security Solutions are offering a product that doesn’t actually do anything to alert an owner of a break-in to their home or business, but it displays "one hell of a laser show in an attempt to scare potential crooks into thinking that they have no chance of breaking in without triggering the alarm." According to the security firm, LaserScan has four lines of protection: a number of lasers that move along the walls and floors (video), an LED which indicates that there’s a “link” to a satellite, a beeping alert, and a sticker placed on the front door. Although the company claims that none of their current customers has reported break-ins since the system has been installed, security guru Bruce Schneier highlights that the product only works if the product isn't very widely known."
Submission + - Hands-on with Synaptics' next-gen input tech (techreport.com)
crookedvulture writes: "Next year, Synaptics' ForcePad will bring pressure sensitivity to touchpads. It can track five fingers independently, each with up to a kilogram of effective force in precise 15-gram increments. This look at Synaptics' next-gen input tech goes hands-on with with ForcePad, among other new PC inputs. The ultra-slim ThinTouch keyboard, recently acquired through the purchase of Pacinian, combines secretive switches with a side order of capacitive touch. And then there's the latest in touchscreens, the ClearPad Series 4, which purportedly cuts tracking latency by 70%. That's captured on high-speed camera at 240 frames per second."
Submission + - Amazon to Eat Google's Lunch (sfgate.com)
wreakyhavoc writes: Nicholas Carlson at Business Insider maintains that Amazon's reviews and One-Click ordering will undercut Google's shopping ad revenue, and that Google is "terrified". How could Google fight this possible threat? Expose the astroturfing of Amazon reviews. Of course this would likely backfire as it would expose the astroturfing, link farming, and SEO games on Google.
From the article:
Google's real rival, and real competition to watch over the next few years is Amazon.
Google is a search company, but the searches that it actually makes money from are the searches people do before they are about to buy something online. These commercial searches make up about 20 percent of total Google searches. Those searches are where the ads are.
What Googlers worry about in private is a growing trend among consumers to skip Google altogether, and to just go ahead and search for the product they would like to buy on Amazon.com, or, on mobile in an Amazon app.
There's data to prove this trend is real. According to ComScore, Amazon search queries are up 73 percent in the last year.
From the article:
Google's real rival, and real competition to watch over the next few years is Amazon.
Google is a search company, but the searches that it actually makes money from are the searches people do before they are about to buy something online. These commercial searches make up about 20 percent of total Google searches. Those searches are where the ads are.
What Googlers worry about in private is a growing trend among consumers to skip Google altogether, and to just go ahead and search for the product they would like to buy on Amazon.com, or, on mobile in an Amazon app.
There's data to prove this trend is real. According to ComScore, Amazon search queries are up 73 percent in the last year.
