New Gmail web interface design leaked

The blog, Google Operating System, has posted a image that originally appeared in a Chromium OS bug report showing an internal version of Gmail's web interface that is used by Google employees. However, the interface shown in the screenshot is different than what we are all accustom to seeing when we load up gmail.com.

Just from the screenshot we're able to grab about half a dozen changes in what is probably an upcoming Gmail interface redesign, compared to the current Gmail UI.

Here is a brief overview of what we can see is different:

• There are now three links ("Mail", "Contacts", "Tasks") located below Gmail's logo
• The "Compose mail" button is now an actual button, as oppose to the text link it is right now
• There is a "Call Phone" button under Gmail chat, which appears to be Google Voice integration
• There appears to be a new drop-down that allows users to switch between multiple Gmail accounts (something Google's been promising for a while)
• The columns that allow you to select or star messages are now smaller
• There are no longer text links that allow you to "Select All" or "Select None." Those features now reside in a single, check box above the inbox
• There are two small boxes in the top right section of the chat box - one is to hide the box and the other is probably a settings drop-down
• It appears as though there is a new font being used throughout the Gmail interface, but that could just be something done locally

It's important to note that what you see in this screenshot could be changed when this redesign is made public (if it ever will be). It's also important to note that the source posted the pictures below in two different images, making it hard to see how everything is oriented on the page.

Google hasn't commented on the leak yet.

What do you think? Looks good? Bad?

Droid X receiving Froyo in “late summer”

Motorola recently updated their "Android Software Updates" chart, and just as we reported a few days ago the Motorola Droid will be receiving Froyo the week of August 2nd, but enough of that.
The Motorola Droid X which was just released a few weeks ago will be receiving Froyo in the "late summer"

Motorola said that many devices would receive 2.1 before the end of Q2, that obviously failed, Cliq, and Cliq XT, but they apparently are in testing.

Check out the official Motorola chat below,

Hacker reveals another flaw in GSM based cell phone networks

According to Engadget and Wired, hacker Chris Paget fooled 17 GSM cell phones into believing that is $1500 kit was a GSM tower. He was able to record calls with his kit, which included a laptop and two RF antennas.

He says that the purpose of this was to reveal a flaw in the 2G GSM network, which will redirect your cell phone to the nearest tower that is pushing out the greatest signal. His laptop and the antenna were being used as a fake "cell tower". “As far as your cell phones are concerned, I am now indistinguishable from AT&T,” he said. “Every AT&T cell phone in the room will gradually start handing over to my network.”

Paget says that GSM is broken beyond repair, and the best thing to do is just turn it off. I don't think that is an option for AT&T and T-Mobile. Customers can stop hackers from doing this by just switching on their 3G, if that is an option in your area, but he said he could block 3G, causing your phone to turn to the nearest 2G signal, which would be his fake tower.

Apple removes videos of other smartphone attenuation on antenna page

Back at Apple's press conference earlier this month, the company's main arguing point that the iPhone 4 antenna issue is not an issue, and all smartphones experience some type of signal drop when holding the device a certain way. Apple even went as far as posting videos of other smartphones experiencing the same behavior as the iPhone 4 on an antenna page on Apple.com. However, today, the videos have quietly been removed from the webpage.

As you can see on the antenna page, the videos are nowhere to be found. The page now only shows Apple's wireless testing chambers and an overview of the antenna design of the iPhone 4.

However, an interesting addition to this story, the videos are still up on the Canadian Apple website. All of the six videos that were published on Apple's antenna webpage showing other smartphones having signal drops when being held are still available on the Canada version of Apple.com. When looking at the Asia version of Apple's website, the videos are also down.

The videos are still up on Apple's YouTube account, but are no longer featured, making them harder to find.

We can only speculate to why these videos were removed on only some versions of Apple's website, but are still up on the company's YouTube account, but the most obvious is because of the controversies they have caused, with several smartphone makers defending themselves saying that Apple's claims are false.

Twitter scheduled to have downtime today at 11 PM PDT

According to a post on Twitter's Status blog, the popular website will be having a downtime tonight, starting at 11 PM PDT (1 AM EDT), where the company's internal network will be upgraded.

Twitter's hosting provider, NTT America, will be performing the updates to the company's internal network that will last roughly 5 hours and at some points during the maintenance work, users will be unavailable to access Twitter.

At some points during the maintenance, users will see an interesting maintenance page, with a link to the current update status.

Twitter has been experiencing some major issues over the past few months, especially during the World Cup, that have pushed Twitter's servers to their limits. Users have been experiencing a high error rate recently, which Twitter said is being worked on.

Twitter surpasses 20 billion tweets

According to tweet counting service, GigaTweet, Twitter surpassed 20 billion tweets since it was launched in 2006. The 20 billionth tweet comes just two months after the popular social networking website surpassed 15 billion tweets, and just about five months after it reached 10 billion, indicating that the website is gaining in popularity, and gaining fast.

Back in early February of this year, Twitter announced that it was getting around 50 million tweets per day, but with the World Cup that wrapped up earlier this month, those numbers probably increased dramatically, helping Twitter to get 20 billion tweets.

The 20 billionth tweet has been identified, coming from the user @GGGGGGo_Lets_Go.

Twitter has not made an official comment at this time.

How to show hidden files/folders on Windows

Want to do some system file digging? Need to access some system logs? Here’s the simplest way to show hidden files and folders on Windows:

Windows 7:

Step 1: Launch Computer

Step 2: Under the Organize tab, select Folder and search options

Step 3: Click the View tab

Step 4: Find the radio button that says Show hidden files, folders, and drives. Select it.

Step 5: Click Apply and then OK.

Windows Vista

Step 1: Click the Start button

Step 2: Open Control Panel

Step 3: In Control Panel, click Appearance and Personalization

Step 4: Click Folder Options

Step 5: Click the View tab

Step 6: Under the Advanced settings section, click Show hidden files and folders, and click OK.

Windows XP

Step 1: In Windows Explorer, click the Tools menu

Step 2: Click Folder Options

Step 3: Click on the View tab

Step 4: Under the Hidden files and folders section, click Show hidden files and folders.

• To launch Windows Explorer, right-click the Start menu and click Windows Explorer

Apple sues several iPod, iPhone, and iPad accessory makers claiming damage was caused to device; illegally sold

According to Bloomberg, Apple is taking a number of iPod, iPhone, and iPad accessory makers to court, filing a complaint that says "many are of inferior quality and reliability, raising significant concerns over compatibility with and damage to Apple’s products."

One example cited in the report was of a user complaining that a battery charger actually drained the battery, rather the charging it like the product description stated.

The report mentions that Apple makes around a 20 to 25% revenue from licensed accessories under the "Made for iPod" brand. However, unauthorized vendors, the ones targeted in this case, who create accessories without the "Made for iPod" brand, deprive Apple of those revenues, but also validate the company's patents.

The lawsuit currently names six companies: Accstation, Boxware Corporation, Crazyondigital, Eforcity Corporation, Everydaysource, Itrimming, and United Integral, but Apple may list up to 20 additional unauthorized companies.

The lawsuit was filed on July 22nd, 2010 in a federal court in San Francisco.

RIM to introduce tablet in November to rival iPad

Bloomberg is claiming that they have been told by two tipsters who are familiar with RIM that the company is planning on releasing a tablet computer in November of this year that will directly rival the Apple iPad. According to the tipster, pricing for the BlackPad will be the same as the base Wi-Fi only iPad model, $499.

The device is rumored to have a 9.7-inch display, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support. The device will also reportedly allow users with Blackberry smartphones to use the Internet connection from their phone for the tablet. There will also be a front-facing camera, as well as a back-facing camera for video conferencing, sounding very similar to Apple' FaceTime video conferencing feature.

RIM is also reportedly going to call the device "BlackPad," as they purchased the domain blackpad.com this month, according to the WHOIS database.

One thing is for sure - if RIM is going to enter the tablet computer industry, and almost directly copying Apple's iPad features (and even name), they better have something big hiding under their belts. Good luck, RIM!

RIM is stepping up its competition with Apple on multiple fronts. The company is hosting an event in New York Aug. 3 at which it will debut its BlackBerry 9800 slider phone, according to one person familiar with its plans. The device will feature a full touchscreen like Apple’s iPhone and a slideout Qwerty keyboard to allow for easy e-mail typing, the person said.

RIM plans to use the phone to regain the market share it has lost recently to its U.S. rival. RIM’s share of the smartphone market fell to 19.4 percent of global shipments in the first quarter from 20.9 percent a year earlier, according to researcher IDC, based in Framingham, Massachusetts. Apple claimed 16.1 percent of the smartphone market, up from 10.9 percent a year earlier.

We initially reported on a possible Research in Motion tablet back in May, but it appears as though that report was inaccurate due to these new specifications released today.

Research in Motion has refused to comment on today's claims.

[UPDATE] Motorola Droid to be updated to Android 2.2

Verizon has confirmed it, as well as Motorola's Official Facebook page. It appears the Verizon and Motorola has put all their effort into getting this update rolling out quicker then the 2.1 update.

They have announced some specs of the next update too.

• Of course Flash 10.1 beta
• Updated Camera software
• New Launcher
• Another Home Screen, 3 from 4.

The update will begin to roll out on the week of August 2nd.

UPDATE: Verizon has posted the upgrade instructions for Android 2.2 for the Motorola Droid. The instructions note that the update is mandatory, and once prompted, you will be reminded every 30 minutes until you update the device.

How to show hidden files/folders on Mac OS X

Want to do some system file digging? Need to access some system logs? Here's the simplest way to show hidden files and folders on Mac OS X:

Step 1: Go to Applications>Utilities and launch Terminal.app

Step 2: Type in the following code (making sure you type it in EXACTLY how it appears below) -

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder

Step 3: Your Finder should restart and you should now have access to hidden files and folders.

To disable hidden files and folders on Mac OS X, follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to Applications>Utilities and launch Terminal.app

Step 2: Type in the following code (making sure you type it in EXACTLY how it appears below) -

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE
killall Finder

Step 3: Your Finder should restart and you should not see any hidden files or folders.

First U.S. LTE phone approved by FCC

According to filing in the FCC's database, the Samsung SCH-R900 has been approved in the United States. the SCH-R900 is the first LTE network-based phone that has been approved in the United States and it is expected to hit store shelves sometime after this summer.

There is not much known about the device, other than the fact that it carries certifications for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, dual band 1700 / 1900 LTE and EVDO data.

LTE technology is a new mobile network interface that Verizon Wireless and AT&T are both testing, and planning to roll out soon in the United States. LTE technology is faster and more stable than the current 3G and 4G network.

Confirmed: HTC rolling out Android 2.2 to unlocked European Desire users

Engadget is reporting that HTC has confirmed to them that Android 2.2 update for Desire smartphones that are unlocked and in Europe, will be rolling out this weekend.

New features for the HTC Desire with Android 2.2 include:

• 720p video recording
• iTunes syncing for music (how's Apple going to react to that?)
• App Share widget
• smart Caller ID feature

If you are not unlocked, the Android 2.2 update is still being tested for your HTC Desire, and is expected to roll out in "several weeks time."

Confirmed: Samsung Galaxy S getting Froyo update in September

Samsung U.K. has tweeted via their Twitter account that the Galaxy S smartphone will be receiving the Android 2.2 (a.k.a. "Froyo") update at the end of September. The update will be available for all networks, meaning that everyone will get the 2.2 update at the same time.

Nothing else to really say here - Samsung announced it, it'll be coming at the end of September. Awesome!

Apple to begin taking new Mac Pro pre-orders on August 9th

According to MacRumors, users are reporting that Apple Store representatives are claiming that Apple will begin taking pre-orders for its new Mac Pro's announced earlier this week, on August 9th.

Several readers have informed us and we have confirmed that Apple Store representatives are telling potential buyers of the company's new Mac Pro announced earlier this week that the updated models are set to become available for ordering on August 9th. Company sales representatives on both chat and telephone support systems have cited that date for the launch.

While the exact date when the new Mac Pro will be shipping to customers is still unknown, some representatives are claiming that August 9th is the actual shipping date for the new Mac Pro's.

Apple's press release stated only that the new Mac Pro would be coming to customers sometime in August, with an exact date not mentioned.

Steve Ballmer: Apple sold more iPad’s than he’d liked them to sell; Windows-based tablets are under development

CNET is reporting on comments made by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer today at the company's conference for financial analysts revealing that the company's is "coming full guns" with Windows-powered tablet computers, and that Apple sold more iPad's than he would have liked.

"They'll be shipping as soon as they are ready," Ballmer said, offering few details on the products, which he said will come from partners, not Microsoft itself. "It is job one urgency. No one is sleeping at the switch."

Speaking to financial analysts, Ballmer said the goal is "not just to deliver products, but to deliver products that people want to buy."

As for Apple and the iPad, Ballmer said, "they've sold certainly more than I'd like them to have sold."

Ballmer revealed that the Windows-based tablets will be coming with Intel processors, and running a flavor of Windows 7, rather than Windows Phone 7, the company's upcoming mobile operating system due for release later this year. The first tablets are reportedly going to appear later this year.

Google to release Nexus Two next month?

Neowin is reporting that they have learned from a close source to Google that the company is "hard at work" with the Nexus Two, the successor to the Nexus One.

There have not been many rumors or details regarding the "Nexus Two," but the source claims Google is going to be releasing it within the next month. Also, with Android 3.0 (a.k.a. "Gingerbread") in the wild, and running on what appears to be a Nexus One, or what could be the first picture of the Nexus Two, it does make sense.

The Nexus One sold around 80,000 units in its first month on the market and Sprint even dropped the Google smartphone because of poor sales, and the release of the HTC EVO 4G.

Google announced earlier this month that they are closing the Nexus One online store for good, as they had received their final stock of the smartphone.

We also reported that Google had stated in the past that there is no Nexus Two in development, but hey, any technology company will tell you that if there's something big cooking.

According to the source, the Nexus Two will be launching sometime next month, but no pricing, date, or technical specifications were released. Google's going to have to do something big with the Nexus Two if they want it to compete with the iPhone 4, EVO 4G, Motorola Droid X, and even the Samsung Captivate.

Apple posts new job opening, looking for someone to help develop ‘revolutionary’ new Mac OS X 10.7 feature

Apple has posted a new job opening today, looking for a software engineer for Mac OS that will help develop a "revolutionary new feature" in Mac OS X 10.7.

Are you looking to help create something totally new? Something that has never been done before and will truly amaze everyone? Are you excited by the prospect that what you helped create would be used every day by millions of Apple customers? Then come and work on with the Mac OS X software engineering team to help build a new and revolutionary feature for Mac OS X.

We are looking for a senior software engineer to help us create a revolutionary new feature in the very foundations of Mac OS X. We have something truly revolutionary and really exciting in progress and it is going to require your most creative and focused efforts ever.

An ideal candidate will have a degree in Computer Science (or equivalent), five years of professional experience developing C / C++ / Objective-C libraries or frameworks for use on end user systems, experience with developing for Internet technologies and services, and a passion for doing “really hard” things that have never been done before.

An exceptional candidate will also have up close and personal experience with the HTTP protocol as well as other protocols layered atop it, have participated in or lead the architecture of large web scale systems, have shipped multiple “platforms” for use by millions of users.

It is clear that Apple was very careful when writing the description of the job opening to not give away any details, but the description does seem very enthusiastic, something not usually found in Apple job descriptions.

The only hint that we can get from the job description comes in the qualifications, where Apple states they are looking for someone with knowledge of HTTP and related protocols, suggesting something to do with the Internet.

There have not been too many rumors regarding Mac OS X 10.7, except some references of it found earlier this year. There have been claims that Apple had dropped fast development of Mac OS X 10.7 to focus mainly on iOS 4 development.

Google fully blocked in China

Reuters is reporting that Google has been fully blocked in China today, with only a small percentage of users able to get to the website. As a result of Google being blocked, the company's stock dropped by 1.4% today.

According to Google's mainland China service page, Web search, Suggest, YouTube, Sites, Ads, Blogger, Picasa, and Mobile are completely unavailable, with Images, News, Docs, and Groups being listed as "partially blocked (10 - 66%)." As of this writing, Gmail is the only Google service that is still available in China.

There has been no official comment from Google or the Chinese government, but it does seem evident that the block came from the Chinese government, and not from Google.

Since the beginning of the year, there has been a lot of controversy between Google and the Chinese government, with Google going as far as threatening to pull all operations out of China.

However, it seems like the Chinese government was happy, at least earlier this month, as they renewed Google's license to host in the country.

We'll keep you posted.

iPhone 4 launches in 17 countries tomorrow

As announced earlier this month by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the iPhone 4 is launching in 17 countries beginning tomorrow, July 30th. The countries include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The Sydney Morning Herald offered coverage of the launch in Australia, where a number of retail stores opened at 8:00 AM.

But in the race to score the most customers, Optus, Telstra and Vodafone/3 bent over backwards to ensure the wait was an event in itself. Singer Kelly Rowland greeted customers at Optus, Vodafone plied its faithful with free booze and Telstra offered fine cuisine.

Sources say each telco has received only about 12-13,000 iPhone 4 units in the first batch, and with Optus alone getting over 100,000 pre-order customers, stock is likely to run out within days.

However, things seem to be going a bit more difficult in new Zealand, where, according to local reports, Apple's deal with the carrier Vodafone has been cancelled in that country. All mentions of the iPhone 4 have been removed from the carrier's website and no launch plans had been announced. Several sources are also reporting that Vodafone posted signs in its stores that the launch of the iPhone 4 would not be taking place on July 30th. On the other hand, MacRumors is reporting that they have been told that both Vodafone and JB Hi Fi are claiming a "shipping error" is what cancelled the launch for today.

South Korea had also been scheduled to receive the iPhone 4 tomorrow, but Jobs announced that there would be a delay due to government approval. However, government officials in South Korea are denying the claims from Apple, stating that the company hasn't even submitted the iPhone 4 for approval yet.

The next round of iPhone 4 international launches is set to take place in August, with 24 more countries, followed by 40 countries in September, bringing the grand total to 88 countries.

[IMAGE CREDIT]