Skype for Windows Mobile development cancelled

WMPoweruser reports today that all development of a Skype client for Windows Mobile has stopped and that all associated files have been removed from the Skype website. Skype is a VoIP client used by millions and currently, there is a Skype Mobile iPhone application, but it seems like Windows Mobile users are not so lucky.

Skype has said that the reason they have stopped development on the Windows Mobile application because it does not live up to the quality of the iPhone application. Skype noted that they try to provide the best user experience possible, and that was not happening with the Windows Mobile. However, there is no doubt that Skype is currently working on an application for Windows Phone 7 Series, but it seems odd that they would remove the current version, with so many people enjoying the Windows Mobile version.

If you currently have Skype installed on your Windows Mobile device, you will be able to use it until the end of 2010, but after that, all connections to the application will be blocked. If you are a new customer looking to download Skype onto your Windows Mobile device, you're also out of luck.

iPad Pre-Ordering

Wanting to Pre-Order your iPad today?
Unfortunately, you couldn't.

On February 19, AppAdvice released a statement saying it would go on pre-order sale on February 25th, and they have been wrong a few times before so they aren't the most trusted source of information, but they aren't the least either.

Well its February 25th, and AppAdvice can add another tally to their "We Were Wrong" List. We (The Citizens of America) were unable to pre order it today, and here's why,

Apple has not yet been granted the FCC Approval of this device

and after that, it just says it cannot be sold or leased until it is approved.

Why did Apple wait until after the media event to get the approval? Well, they have good ties with the FCC, but didn't want the information leaked until after it was announced.

Anybody who thinks this will not be approved is just crazy!

Comment Questions
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1. Were you planning on pre-ordering an iPad today?
   
2. What is your overall opinion on the iPad?
3. Are you going to purchase an iPad?
   

Robots joining students in Korean classrooms

We all knew this would happen sooner or later - robots are joining children in Korean classrooms, and it will probably expand past Korea soon.

According to South Korea's etnews, Korea has invested in a "R-Learning" program which puts robot teacher assistants in up to 8,000 pre-schools and kindergartens in 2013. They won't be in charge of the class (yet), but they would be used to do things like recite stories, and could let parents check in on the classroom and send messages to their children.

If this plan is a success, this could change the way we teach and learn. Learning from a human being provides a very different experience than being taught from a machine. How will the robot react if there is an issue in the classroom? How will it adjust to the different styles of learning? These are all important questions, and seem to be addressed somehow.

Comment Question

---------------------------

Do you think that this is a good idea, robot teachers in classrooms? Would you feel OK with a robot teaching?

Image courtesy of Engadget

Apple filed patent for iPhone control via finger swipes through camera

Apple filed for a patent back in August 2008 which discusses using the iPhone's camera to control the device through finger swipes. The patent discusses that this would be most useful while playing back voicemail by swiping forward and back to go forward in the message or rewind. The patent also says that it would use the iPhone's built-in accelerometer to find out when the user's fingers are on the camera and what motion they are making. From the patent:

"In one embodiment, to access his voice mailbox, a user may tap the phone to cause playback of a message to pause, tap the phone again to resume playback, swipe his finger over the camera lens in one direction to fast forward playback, and swipe his finger over the camera lens in another direction to rewind playback. These actions allow the user to control functions of voicemail review without removing the device from over his ear.

In another embodiment, functions for controlling call features utilize similar user actions or motions. Features such as merging multiple calls, putting a call on hold, and switching between or among multiple simultaneous calls may be controlled by single or double (or any number of) taps of the device, as detected by an accelerometer of the device. These taps may be preprogrammed by a manufacturer, or selected and programmed by a user."

The patent also describes the use of swiping over the camera for navigation in a document or application. This could allow users to switch between tabs or contacts easily on the iPhone.

Apple patent shows shape recognition on touch screen iMac

A patent that was filed back in 2004 by Apple has been found today and it depicts an old-style iMac with a touch-screen.

The patent is title "Shape Detecting Input Device." It proposes that a touch screen could be used not only as a pointer/input device but also a shape recognition device to essentially take the place of a "key/lock system," according to MacRumors. For example,  a worker at a store could simply place an ID on the screen and have the computer unlocked or something similar to that.

Rumors have recently begun saying that Apple might be working on a 22-inch touch-screen iMac, due for release later this year. It is certainly possible now. However, it seems unlikely that Apple would announce a product from a patent that is over 6 years old. The patent was last updated in October of 2009.

[UPDATE] FCC hints at HTC Incredible release; new video showing device is released

Earlier this month, we reported that HTC Incredible specs were leaked. Today, a new video popped up on AndroidForums, and with it, further details are emerging.

Leaked Verizon Inventory Database images show the Android OS based HTC phone with the model number '6300'. Also, the FCC filed for a CDMA device (PB31200) with a battery carrying the same model number. The filings cleared on February 9th. This makes Android followers believe that the long-awaited device is coming to Verizon Wireless stores near you within the next few months.

FCC filing

Verizon Wireless's Inventory Database

Here is the alleged new video of the HTC Incredible:

UPDATE: Through further investigation, it seems as though the device featured in this video is actually of the unreleased HTC Supersonic smartphone, not of the HTC Incredible.

Palm stock dropped 19% today

Palm's stock plummeted 19% today, after the company decreased its prediction of third quarter smartphone sales. Palm said it expects its sales to be between $285 million and $310 million, well below its previous prediction of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion.

According to Forbes, analysts expect Palm to report sales of $424.9 million when it releases its third quarter earnings on March 18th.

Wall Street did not respond well to this news, with the Palm's stock dropping $1.56, or 19.28%, to 6.53 by the closing bell on Thursday.

Despite the news, Palm has recently released the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus on Verizon Wireless and rumors are saying that the company is planning to release two more smartphone's running on AT&T's 3G network by the end of this year.

LG launching Windows Phone 7 Series device in September?

According to Neowin, LG will be launching a Windows Phone 7 Series device sooner than expected, possibly even this September. Earlier, the date for the first Windows Phone 7 Series device was "before the holidays."

Back in January, WMPoweruser reported that LG told French blogger, Presse-Citron, that they expect to release a Windows Phone 7 Series device in September. This was then tweeted, but quickly removed. Engadget Chinese reports LG saying that it would launch a Windows Phone 7 Series device sometime between September and December. This further confirms the September release date.

Microsoft has not yet announced a date for the release of Windows Phone 7 Series.

Image of Tweet saying first LG Windows 7 Series Phone this September

AdMob’s Mobile Metrics report for January 2010 released

Today, AdMob's Mobile Metrics report for January 2010 was released showing many interesting numbers.

AdMob's Mobile Metrics report for January 2010 found that iPod touch users download an average of 12 applications per month, which is 37 percent more than iPhone and Android users. iPod touch users also spend 100 minutes per day using applications, which is 25 percent more than Android, webOS and the iPhone. The report also showed that about 78% of iPod touch users are below the age of 25. 25% of iPhone users were under the age of 25 and 24% of Android and webOS users are below the age of 25.

91% of iPhone users would recommend their device to a friend. The iPod touch had an 88% recommendation rate. Android users are relatively happy too, with 84% saying they would recommend their device. Palm's webOS came in last with 69%.

In other surveys released, iPhone users are very satisfied with the iPhone hardware and Android is just behind Apple in terms of happiness.

Finally, in another survey taken over the past week, about 13% of participants are going to buy an iPad, which is higher than the 9% that said they would buy an iPhone when it was released back in 2007.

Sprint confirms Palm Pre and Pixi webOS 1.4 update coming tomorrow

Sprint has officially confirmed in a blog post (now removed) that the Palm Pre and Pixi will be receiving the webOS 1.4 update sometime tomorrow. Users will see a notification stating that a new over-the-air update is available and they will be able to download and install the update.

The blog post confirming the update has been removed, but you can read it below:

Palm Pre and Pixi WebOS 1.4 Software Update

On 2/26, Friday evening, Pre and Pixi device users will receive an Over the Air (OTA) notification to download the new 1.4 webOS software release.

This release includes both fixes and feature updates (listed below).

Fixes:

• Time Zone bug fixed
• Network time sync bug fixed to reflect accurate Network time
  
• Bluetooth car-kit transition to device corrected
  
• No EV icon bug fixed (random)
  
• Random browser formatting bugs fixed
  
• Fixed bug that incorrectly displayed Sprint when actually was Digital Roaming
  
• Missing Contact issue specifically with swap down to 1.2.9.1 or less

Feature Updates:

• Phonebook Transfer (import & export)
• Adds Video Capture capability & edit
  
• Calendar Enhancements
  
• Messaging Enhancements
  
• Improved Performance (Phone & CAL)
  
• Email Enhancements
  
• Notification Enhancements
  
• Adds Adobe Flash 10.0 (Pre Only)
  
• NOTE: The 1.4 software adds the ability to use the Flash 10.0 Adobe plug-in which will be available shortly from the Palm Appl Catalogue.

Google Caffeine search is still “months” away

Back in January, multiple sources believed that the brand new search algorithm, codenamed "Google Caffeine" was being rolled out to Google's data centers. However, it seems like this was untrue and Google Caffeine still has not made its way onto Google's servers.

According to Search Engine Land, they have information that Caffeine will not be released for at least a few more months. According to the report, a spokesperson for Google told them that Caffeine is still only live in a single data center:

"We expect to roll it out to all data centers over the coming months."

It seems like the reason Caffeine has not made an appearance yet is that Google is still testing the new search system and that they want to make sure it is perfect.

Apple releases Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.1

Apple today released the Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.1, bringing RAW image compatibility to the recently released Aperture 3 and iPhoto '09 for a number of digital cameras.

Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.1

This update extends RAW image compatibility for Aperture 3 and iPhoto 09 for the following cameras:

- Hasselblad H3DII-50
- Leica M9
- Leica X1
- Olympus E-P1
- Olympus E-P2
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
- Pentax K-7
- Pentax K-x
- Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
- Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
- Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

The update weighs in at 6.77 MB and requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or 10.6.2. It is available via Software Update on your Mac.

Opera 10.50 Beta for Mac released – early tests show strong JavaScript benchmarks

Opera announced the release of Opera 10.50 Beta for Mac today, bringing several new features to the Web browser.

Highlights
- Cocoa
- Unified tool bar
- Growl notifications
- Multi-touch gestures
- Happy Easter! Well almost, but multi-touch users should look out for the egg

This beta also adds better stability over earlier versions, support for HTML 5 video tags, and support for widgets as standalone applications.

Computerworld has had a chance to run some JavaScript benchmarks on Opera 10.50 Beta for Mac and tests show that it is 10% faster than Safari 4.0.4 and is also faster than Google Chrome. According to Opera:

"A completely new JavaScript engine makes Opera 10.50 run Web applications more smoothly. Up to 8x faster than its predecessor, the new Carakan engine speeds up even the most demanding Web sites."

Internet Explorer 6 is Dead!

It's not quite over yet, but on March 1st the modern day pest we call IE6 will be ousted, finally. It has been around for nine years with many users, who have not modernized, still using it. This may hurt some peoples lives dramatically but for others, like me, it is a great thing. You are all invited  to a funeral hosted by Alten Design Group to mourn the death of the loved and hated browser. You can RSVP at http://ie6funeral.com/. Oh yeah, its in Denver, Colorado.

I am mainly happy because some of the computers at my school use IE6 and it is such a pain. There are already lots of websites that cannot be viewed on IE6 due to the age of the browser. I personally recommend people who use it switch to another browser like Google Chrome or Firefox (you don't have to listen to me). You can comment below on whether your sad to lose your long time internet companion or are you happy to see the outdated browser go.

P.S. You'll get over it (sooner than you think).

Apple announces winner of 10 billion song downloads contest

As we reported yesterday, Apple has announced that they have reached 10 billion song downloads in the iTunes Store. Apple has also revealed the winner of the "Countdown to 10 Billion Songs" content, which is Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia, who purchased "Guess Things Happen That Way" by Johnny Cash who downloaded the 10 billionth song. Sulcer will receive a $10,000 iTunes gift card.

Apple notes in the press release that the iTunes Store currently offers over 12 million songs, over 55,000 TV episodes and over 8,500 movies including over 2,500 in high definition.

Rolling Stone is reporting that Steve Jobs called the winner personally, to tell him that he won the contest. From the report:

"When Steve Jobs personally called Woodstock, Georgia native Louie Sulcer to tell him he'd won Apple's iTunes Store 10 Billion Song Sold contest, Sulcer first thought was that he was being pranked. "He called me and said, 'This is Steve Jobs from Apple.' I said, 'Yeah right,' " Sulcer tells Rolling Stone. "I have a son that loves to play tricks and he does that every now and then -- calls me and imitates somebody." After three or four times of asking "Come on now, who is this," Sulcer realized that his caller ID read simply "Apple," and only then did he believe that he was the winner of the contest and a $10,000 iTunes card."

Flash 10.1 is not a battery hog on Android OS?

Mark Doherty, an Adobe Flash Player tester, has posted a video that shows what the battery effect is when playing Flash content on a Nexus One. It turns out, it really doesn't effect the battery too much.

Doherty played a 17-minute embedded video in the full YouTube site then launched Android's built-in battery use utility, which shows that only 6 percent of the battery has gone to power the browser.

He says that the Adobe's tests suggest they can get about three hours of H.264 playback over Wi-Fi, which is about two movies.

Apple seeds Mac OS X 10.6.3 build 10D561 to developers

Apple has seeded yet another build of Mac OS X 10.6.3 (build 10D561) to developers on Wednesday. The build reportedly has no known issues and developers are asked to focus on Bluetooth, iChat, and USB, in addition to two previously listed focus areas: graphics drivers and QuickTime.

This build also brings improvements to QuickTime X and overall stability and speed of the operating system. The build currently weighs in at 716 MB. Mac OS X 10.6.3 is expected to be released to the public in the near future.

What is Comcast Xfinity?

"Initiating Comcast Xfinity upgrade in 3...2...1."  We've all seen the Comcast Xfinity commercial once or twice already. I myself saw it 4 times in the course of one hour during the Olympics. But what is Comcast Xfinity? Better TV, Phone and Internet, apparently. Here is an overview of what this means to Comcast customers.

In simple terms, this is a re-brand of Comcast's "Triple Play" service, which bundles TV, Internet and Phone into one, low cost package. However, Xfinity brings a few major upgrades to the services. According to the Comcast Xfinity FAQ, XFINITY stands for infinite content choices (the "infinity") and cross-platform features (that's the "X").

The biggest upgrade in Xfinity is that Internet speeds are increasing to a super-fast 100 Mbps.

Xfinity also brings along improvements to Comcast's 'Fancast' service. The selection of on-demand videos can be played from your TV, computer or mobile device, and is now close to 20,000 selections. Over 3,000 hours of that programming is also in HD.

Xfinity is currently available in the following eleven cities:

• Augusta, GA
• Baltimore
• Boston
• Chattanooga, TN
• Chicago
• Hartford, CT
• Philadelphia
• Portland, OR
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Seattle
• Washington, D.C.

More cities are expected to be added throughout 2010.

Overall, Comcast Xfinity is a welcome upgrade to all Comcast customers and will provide better TV, Internet and Phone services.

Basic HTML markup tags for creating a website

For any web designer, a basic knowledge of HTML is needed, even if you are using a content management system like WordPress. Here is a list of basic HTML markup tags, which should allow you to design a good website. Remember, all of your HTML pages should have a .HTM extension on them. For more information on HTML, please visit W3Schools.com. To test your HTML code against the web standards, use this link; http://validator.w3.org/

Important Tags:

<html> </html>: You MUST start every page that will have HTML code on it with a <html> tag and end the page (after all your content is inserted) with a </html>.

<body> </body>: All of your other HTML goes inside the <body> tag. Right before the </html> tag, insert your </body> tag.

<head> </head>: This is where you put your meta data, <title> tag, JavaScripts and some CSS code if needed. This usually goes before the <body> tag.

<title> </title>: This is where you put what text you want to be displayed on the window name. For example, it might a page name or post name. Or, it could be a description of your website. This usually goes inside the <head> tag.

Simple style tags (all in <body>):

<h1>...<h6>: These are your headings. <h1> is the largest heading (in size) and <h6> is the smallest heading (in size). Be sure to close your heading tags as well. The heading tags are as follows: <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6>.

<b> <i> <u>: <b> is the tag to make a line or word bold <i> is the tag to make a line or word italicized. <u> is the tag to make a line or word underlined. Be sure to close all of these tags with a </b>, </i> or </u>

<p>: This is a paragraph tag. To combine lines of text into a paragraph, use this tag. Be sure to close this tag with a </p>.

<br>: If you would like to skip a line, use this tag. Remember, in HTML, just hitting the enter button and skipping a line in the code will NOT skip a line in the view of the HTML. There is no closing tag for this element.

<s>: This is used to strike  text out. Be sure to use the </s> as the closing tag for this element.

Links:

<a href="FULL URL HERE">WHAT YOU WANT LINK TEXT TO BE</a>: This tag is used to create a hyperlink. Be sure to substitue in the capitalized parts with the needed information.

Embed an image:

<img src="IMAGE URL" alt="TEXT TO SHOW WHEN HOVERING OVER IMAGE" />: This tag is used to embed an image onto a HTML page. Be sure to substitue the capitalized parts with the needed information. Also note that if you are hosting the image locally, the image must be in the same folder as the HTML document.

Tables:

<table border="1">: This is the base of a table tag. You can customize the border to any value you want. After the contents of the table, be sure to close the table with a </table> tag.

<tr>: This is a table row tag. Use it inside the <table> tag. After you put in all of the column tags, use </tr> to close the row.

<td>: This is a table column tag. Use it inside the <table> tag. After you put in all the columns (and after every column), use the </td> to close the column.

<th>: This is a table header tag. Use this to make the text a header inside a table. Be sure to close it with a </th> tag.

Lists:

<ul>: This is an unordered list. This makes all of the elements show up as bullets. For every line that you want to show up a a separate bullet, use the <li> and </li> tag.

<ol>: This is an ordered list. This makes all of the elements show up numbered. For every line that you want to show up a a separate number, use the <li> and </li> tag.

Forms and Inputs:

<form>: This is used to open a form. Put this at the very beginning of every form you use. Use the </form> tag at the very end of every form you open to close the form.

<input type="text" name="NAME OF TEXT INPUT" />: This is a text input field. Use it in a login form. Be sure to fill in the capitalized parts with needed information. Use this in a <form> tag.

<input type="radio" name="NAME OF RADIO BUTTON" value="WHAT RADIO BUTTONS REPRESENTS" /> WHAT RADIO BUTTON SAYS: This tag is for a radio button. Be sure to fill in the capitalized parts with needed information. Use this in a <form> tag.

<input type="checkbox" name="NAME OF CHECKBOX" value="WHAT CHECKBOX REPRESENTS" />: This is a tag for a checkbox. Be sure to fill in the capitalized parts with needed information. Use this in a <form> tag.

<form action=""><input type="button" value="WHAT SUBMIT BUTTON REPRESENTS">: This is a tag for a submit button. Be sure to fill in the capitalized parts with needed information. Also, fill in the <form action=""> with either a link to bring users to a page when the button is clicked or something else. Use this in a <form> tag.

<select name="WHAT IS THE DROP DOWN BOX">

<option value="VALUE">Volvo</option>

</select>: This is the code for a drop down box. Be sure to fill in the capitalized parts with needed information. Use this in a <form> tag.

HTML Colors:

http://w3schools.com/html/html_colors.asp

See the above link for a list of HTML color codes

The titanium iPhone exists!

Engadget is reporting today that someone has created a "shell" for the iPhone 3GS that makes the phone seem like it was made out of titanium. The user posted a video showing off the transformed device:

Image and video courtesy of Engadget