Apple releases iOS 5 beta 7 [Updated]

Apple has just pushed out iOS 5 beta 7, another over the air (OTA) update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. As with previous betas, go to Settings > General > Software Updates to grab it.

It apparently hasn’t shown up in Apple’s development portal yet, but I imagine...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/AekL2Ce6BzM/

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YC?s Patent Pledge Asks Tech Companies To Grant Startups Patent Immunity

Y Combinator is about to wield its rapidly-growing influence in the tech community to help startups everywhere. And it's taking on one of the hottest (and most fear-inspiring) issues around: patents. Today YC cofounder Paul Graham has written a note called The Patent Pledge in which he proposes that tech companies should commit to a straightforward promise: "No first use of software patents against companies with less than 25 people." That's the entire pledge. There's no legalese or confusing conditions around it. But it could shake things up for tech companies in a big way. More important: unlike government intervention, which would likely take years, YC's Patent Pledge could be widely adopted in a much shorter timeframe. YC has set up a site at ThePatentPledge.org that lists a roster of the companies that have agreed to the pledge, which already includes fourteen well-known YC alumni like Airbnb, Disqus, Hipmunk, and Weebly.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/HCGCK63fnys/

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First Firefox 6 build next week, Firefox 7 by May, and aurora channel introduced

Mozilla's Engineering Project Manager, Christian Legnitto, has detailed the release schedule for Firefox 5, 6 and 7. If all goes to plan, Firefox 6.0a1 will be released next week, April 12, and Firefox 7.0a1 in the middle of May. The final build of Firefox 5 should be released on June 21, exactly three months after the release of Firefox 4.

Along with the faster 6-week release cadence, Firefox's new Chrome-like release channels have also been given names and anticipated update frequencies. The most notable change is the introduction of a new alpha channel -- which is analogous to Chrome Canary -- that will be called 'aurora' and will update nightly. Aurora will be where fixes and features are tested, and either approved for Beta, or backed out to Central. Aurora will have a new icon, too.

The Nightly (mozilla-central) channel will remain unchanged in name and frequency, but it will gain a new 'nightly icon.' The Beta (mozilla-beta) channel will remain as-is, with new builds rolling out weekly. The Release (mozilla-release) channel will also remain as-is, with security and stability updates coming every 6 to 12 weeks.

It should be noted that the names (including 'aurora') are not necessarily final, but it's unlikely that they'll change. We're also awaiting the arrival of the new 'channel switching' technology, which should arrive in the next few days -- in time for the release of Firefox 6 aurora!

First Firefox 6 build next week, Firefox 7 by May, and aurora channel introduced originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/07/first-firefox-6-build-next-week-firefox-7-by-may-and-aurora-ch/

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Google+ Mimics Twitter with Celebrity Verification

On the Internet, it's often difficult to determine if a person you're communicating with is actually the person they say they are. Like Twitter before it, Google+ aims to change that.

Source: http://feeds.pcworld.com/click.phdo?i=3678de6eae0f0415f6d0e4f0faecac11

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Quantum Phantom program turns your smartphone into a wireless mouse (video)

The last time we saw Ben Wu, he was busy hammering away at Quantum Phantom -- a prototype program that allows users to manipulate their desktops with a simple webcam. Now, the engineer has expanded the concept to smartphones, as well, with a system that effectively turns any camera-equipped handset into a wireless mouse. To achieve this, Wu hooked up his Android phone to his PC via WiFi and used the IP Webcam app to create a video stream server. The results, by Wu's own admission, aren't exactly elegant (due to an unwieldy configuration process and low-res camera), though he still managed to use his creation to sketch an onscreen smiley face. Watch it for yourself in the demo video, after the break.

[Thanks, Ben]

Continue reading Quantum Phantom program turns your smartphone into a wireless mouse (video)

Quantum Phantom program turns your smartphone into a wireless mouse (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/SUxTWiXyWto/

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Scrabble Helper helps you improve your Words With Friends gameplay

If you play Scrabble (or a scrabble-like game) from time to time, you may want to check out Scrabble Helper. This simple website is a godsend when you're at a loss for words. Simply enter whatever letters you have, and the word you'd like to connect with. Scrabble helper comes up with a whole bunch of suggestions sorted by score.

The site lets you select one of five dictionaries - Scrabble International/US, Lexulous International/US, and Words With Friends. Some people might say this constitutes cheating -- I think if the other side knows you're doing it, it's definitely not cheating. And it doesn't take the challenge out of the game, because implementing Scrabble Helper's suggestions and deciding which words you'd like to connect with still takes a fair bit of thought.

Very handy, though perhaps not one for the Scrabble puritans in the crowd.

Scrabble Helper helps you improve your Words With Friends gameplay originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/14/scrabble-helper-helps-you-improve-your-words-with-friends-gamepl/

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Samsung Epic 4G Touch training docs leaked, likely to have 4.5-inch display?

Like many other highly-anticipated product announcements, a few bits of information have leaked out mere hours prior to tonight's reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S II. This time, we have a new piece of 411 about the Epic 4G Touch, Sprint's weapon of choice. According to leaked training documents that surfaced today, it appears the device will match the Hercules in screen size, receiving a healthy bump up to a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display. True or not, we don't have much longer to wait before Sammy lets us in on all of the secrets these three Galaxy S II models have been keeping for so long.

Samsung Epic 4G Touch training docs leaked, likely to have 4.5-inch display? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/30/samsung-epic-4g-touch-training-docs-leaked-likely-to-have-4-5-i/

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Photographer goes digital, blows half a million dollars on a 10MP sensor

Ever spent way too much on a luxury watch or handbag? We hear ya -- the Engadget closet is bulging with Balenciaga clutches we hardly ever take out any more. But do you know who we blame for these inexplicable lapses of consumer judgment? A professional photographer by the name of Mitchell Feinberg, who happens to own the world's largest digital sensor. He uses the $500,000 custom-built 8x10-inch camera back to help capture mouthwatering advertising stills for couture clients like Bulgari and Vogue. What's really loco, though, is that the sensor is only 10MP, which isn't remotely sufficient for printable art. Instead, Feinberg puts it to work as a replacement for Polaroid; grabbing full-size test snaps during a shoot before reverting to an old-fashioned sheet of 8x10 film for the final money-shot. Whereas he previously spent $50k per year on Polaroid stock, now he spends nothing. So, unlike those silly blue-tinted Ray-Bans we bought for our vacation, this block of light-receptive love should eventually pay for itself. (Oh, and speaking of summer breaks, Feinberg says he's currently away on his, but he promises to post some sample pics on his site when he returns.)

Photographer goes digital, blows half a million dollars on a 10MP sensor originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/T4FtxkhxBFo/

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Apple Forces Competition to Abandon Metal Skin for UltraBooks

Thanks to Apple's stranglehold on the supply chain, its competition has no choice but to turn to fiberglass

Source: http://feeds.pcworld.com/click.phdo?i=071bfb28b914e5b29a630bd612a4e98f

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New Zealand Plans to Build a Recyclable Church [Architecture]

The magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck Christchurch, New Zealand in February demolished the town's cathedral, which had stood since 1864. Now, Japanese architect Shigeru Ban is building them a temporary replacement—out of cardboard. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/KkCxv9RP6MI/new-zealand-plans-to-build-a-recyclable-church

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