Google celebrates Heinrich Hertz’s birthday with a (pretty cool) animated Doodle

Google's celebrating Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, who is best known for proving the existence of electromagnetic waves, today, February 22, with an animated Doodle on its homepage. The Doodle, which is currently live on the U.S. version of Google, is pretty simple, but may just give you hours of entertainment - it's a wave graph that moves.

Hertz is accredited with building an apparatus that displayed the existence of certain electromagnetic waves that detected radio waves. He also expanded and clarified James Maxwell's electromagnetic theory of light. He was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1857 and died on New Year's Day, 1894 at the young age of 36.

Barnes and Noble unveils 8 GB NOOK Tablet for $199

Earlier today, Barnes and Noble announced an 8 GB version of the NOOK Tablet and e-reader for $199. The tablet will tout 512 MB of RAM, a 1 GHz dual-core processor, a battery that lasts 11.5 hours, and a 7-inch display. It's extremely similar to the 16 GB version of the device, except with less onboard storage. It is available for purchase beginning today.

In addition, Barnes and Noble announced that its NOOK Color Android-based tablet will now be available for $169, down from the previous $199. The price change is in effect beginning today.

Comcast launches “Xfinity Streampix” – competitor to Netflix

Today, Comcast announced the launch of its new video streaming service, dubbed "Xfinity Streampix," which will be a direct competitor with Netflix and Verizon's recently announced streaming service with Redbox. Comcast says that the service is subscription-based and will allow customers to watch older movies and TV shows instantly by streaming them to TVs, mobile devices, and online platforms.

To help jumpstart the service, Comcast is partnering with the following movie studios and content providers: Disney-ABC Television Group, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Cookie Jar Entertainment.

Our goal is to consistently deliver greater value to our customers and to bring the best anytime, anywhere entertainment on multiple platforms. Streampix is another step moving TV Everywhere forward by giving customers access to an even greater library of popular choices to watch.

Xfinity Streampix is launching to Comcast customers this week, and will be available on devices such as the Xbox 360 and Android-powered smartphones in the "coming year." The service will be bundled with a number of "Xfinity triple-play" packages, or a separate $4.99 per month.

RIM releases BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0

Today, Research in Motion (RIM) announced the release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, bringing several new features and improvements to the company's mid-range tablet. OS 2.0's major new feature is the addition of a native email client, which the PlayBook launched without last year. Customers made it heard that they were upset over the lack of a native email client on the PlayBook.

In addition, PlayBook OS 2.0 brings the following new features:

• Social integration with the Contacts and Calendar apps
• An updated BlackBerry Bridge app, which includes the ability to use a BlackBerry smartphone as a mouse and/or keyboard for the PlayBook
• New apps in the BlackBerry App World, including Android apps that are able to run on the PlayBook platform
• Updated virtual keyboard, new "Print To Go" app, etc.

The PlayBook OS 2.0 update is available over-the-air (OTA) beginning today.

Anonymous says “massive” announcement coming later this week

Renowned hacker group "Anonymous" has revealed that the Internet should expect a "massive" announcement coming sometime later this week dealing with the group's "anti-security" (a.k.a. "anti-sec") movement. "Stay tuned for a MASSIVE announcement from #Anonymous, coming later this week," the group tweeted via their @YourAnonNews account. Several members of the group later retweeted the announcement Tuesday morning.

At this time, it's unclear exactly what the "massive" news deals with, but it's likely something surrounding Anonymous' recent anti-SOPA / anti-ACTA protests. It could also be another (very) high-profile hack that we haven't heard about yet. Previously, the group obtained information from the FBI, FTC, and several military groups.

We'll keep you posted when the news hits.

Apple’s North Carolina data center earns “LEED Platinum certification”; soon to be powered by largest solar array in U.S.

This week, Apple updated its environmental information page, which is where the company displays statistics about its products and how environmentally friendly ("green") they are. The new info deals with Apple's Maiden, North Carolina data center and discusses how it has been awarded "the coveted LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council."

The Cupertino-based technology company says that it knows of no other data center of that size to earn the same level of certification. In addition, Apple has revealed its plans to power the data center, which supposedly is used for its new iCloud and Siri services, "with high percentage renewable energy mix." It plans to build the largest "end user-owned solar array" and "nonutility fuel cell installation" in the United States.

China Telecom to begin selling iPhone 4S on March 9

China Telecom, the nation's smallest of three major carriers, announced today that it will begin taking pre-orders for Apple's iPhone 4S on March 2, with sales beginning March 9, 2012. Customers will be able to choose between the 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB models, the same options that are available world wide.

[UPDATE: GOOGLE RESPONSE] Microsoft accuses Google of bypassing security settings on Internet Explorer too

Over the weekend, we brought you the news that Google had been caught bypassing user security settings of Safari on iOS devices, which allowed the Internet giant to track users' behavior while browsing the Web. Google was using cookies in order to track how people browse the Internet.

Today, Microsoft announced via its IEBlog that it has caught Google using the same tactic to track users' behavior on Internet Explorer. "Google is employing similar methods to get around the default privacy protections in IE and track IE users with cookies," the company says.

We’ve found that Google bypasses the P3P Privacy Protection feature in IE. The result is similar to the recent reports of Google’s circumvention of privacy protections in Apple’s Safari Web browser, even though the actual bypass mechanism Google uses is different.

Microsoft recommends that users who don't want to be tracked by Google update to Internet Explorer 9 and begin to use the Tracking Protection list feature in the web browser.

UPDATE: Google has issued a statement to The Verge, responding to Microsoft's claim. The Internet giant says that Microsoft is using older technology in Internet Explorer, causing the "issue" with cookies.

Full statement:

Microsoft omitted important information from its blog post today.

Microsoft uses a "self-declaration" protocol (known as "P3P") dating from 2002 under which Microsoft asks websites to represent their privacy practices in machine-readable form. It is well known - including by Microsoft - that it is impractical to comply with Microsoft’s request while providing modern web functionality. We have been open about our approach, as have many other websites.

Today the Microsoft policy is widely non-operational. A 2010 research report indicated that over 11,000 websites were not issuing valid P3P policies as requested by Microsoft...

The Pirate Bay risking a block in the UK

According to a report from The Guardian, popular magnet link and .torrent file host The Pirate Bay may soon be blocked in the United Kingdom following a ruling from a judge in London, which states that the website violates copyright laws. British Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are being pressured by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) to block customer access to The Pirate Bay. The association claims that the website has cost them millions of dollars in copyright infringement.

Mr Justice Arnold said in a written judgment: "In my judgment, the operators of [The Pirate Bay] do authorise its users' infringing acts of copying and communication to the public. They go far beyond merely enabling or assisting.

"I conclude that both users and the operators of [The Pirate Bay] infringe the copyrights of the claimants … in the UK."

The music groups claim that The Pirate Bay ignored repeated requests to stop making available copyrighted music.

The court will decide in June of this year whether to force ISPs to block access to The Pirate Bay.

Samsung to spin off struggling LCD division

Today, Samsung announced its plans to spin off its struggling liquid crystal display (LCD) division as it places a new focus on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels. The new company will be called "Samsung Display Co." and will be officially set up on April 1, 2012.

Combining all 2011 financial results, Samsung's LCD business had an operating loss of $668 million, which is certainly playing an important factor in this decision. The company will now be able to focus on its new OLED division, which it believes is where the money will be at in the near future. OLED panels are able to operate without the need of a backlight, meaning the display can be thinner, and thus, lighter.

Just last week, Samsung first revealed that it was investigating the possibility of a spin off.

Next-generation iPad to sport larger tapered edges, 8-megapixel camera

According to images released by NextMedia, the next-generation iPad, which has been dubbed "iPad 3" by the media, will sport larger, more gradual tapered edges than the current iPad 2 model, as well as an improved 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. From the shots, it's clear that the case design has been modified (even if it is slightly) when compared to the iPad 2, and the most noticeable thing is the larger camera lens. The camera lens now resides directly on the tapered edge, something we've seen Apple go with in previous devices.

The iPad 2 only has a 1-megapixel camera on the back, meaning that this could be a significant upgrade. The site is also claiming that the tablet will be powered by a quad-core processor (likely another in-house CPU developed by Apple, "A6") and a high-resolution display. In addition, a March 7 announcement date is once again being thrown around the rumor mill.

LG unveils ‘Optimus Vu’ 5-inch smartphone

Ahead of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) conference that's set to kick off a little later this month, LG has officially unveiled its highly anticipated "Optimus Vu" smartphone to the public today. The device sports a 5-inch IPS LCD display, LTE connectivity, a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, and a 2080mAh battery. The Optimus Vu's display touts a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution, giving it a 4:3 aspect ratio.

The large 5-inch display with bright 4:3 aspect ratio makes viewing documents, books, internet and multimedia contents easier and more comfortable. The 4:3 aspect ratio is optimized for viewing to grasp more at a glance and note taking to increase productivity in everyday life. Moreover, IPS display realizes every color in its natural state for the best viewing experience even under bright sunlight.

The LG Optimus Vu is powered by Android OS 2.3 (a.k.a. "Gingerbread"), and includes a built-in "QuickClip" hotkey that can be used for quickly grabbing screenshots and memos.

Other technical specifications of the LG Optimus Vu:

• 8.5mm thin
• 32 GB of internal storage
• 1 GB of RAM
• 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
• Update to Android OS 4.0 (a.k.a. "Ice Cream Sandwich") already in the works

The Optimus Vu will be unveiled in Korea next month, but pricing information has not been provided.

Apple files antitrust complaint against Motorola Mobility with European Commission

As noted by Bloomberg, Apple has filed an antitrust complaint against Motorola Mobility with the European Commission (EC), accusing the company of violating a promise to license patents on fair terms. The complaint was likely filed earlier than yesterday, which is when Motorola Mobility was informed of it by the EC. A company spokesperson has stated that Motorola Mobility is willing to "negotiate a patent license with Apple."

Apple believes that Motorola is licensing patents against the "fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory" (FRAND) terms, which are designed to force companies to license intellectual property fairly to avoid a possibly monopoly in a certain market.

Earlier this week, the EC approved Google's $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility.

Fair Labor Association finding “tons of issues” with Foxconn facility

Manufacturing of an aluminum Mac notebook

Just days after the Fair Labor Association (FLA) released their preliminary thoughts on Apple's Foxconn supplier facility, stating that it was "top-class," the association has stated that "tons of issues" have since been uncovered. According to Bloomberg, FLA chief executive officer Auret van Heerden said, "I believe we’re going to see some very significant announcements in the near future."

Heerden also said that the issues that have been found, which likely deal more with chemicals rather than physical conditions, will need to be addressed in the near future.

The FLA will be releasing more information on their findings in the coming weeks.

Apple announced earlier this week that it has asked the FLA to complete a thorough investigation of nearly off of its supplier facilities amidst reports that working conditions are poor.

VLC 2.0 released for Windows and Mac OS X

Following months of testing, the second version of popular video playback software VLC has been released to the public. VLC 2.0 improves decoding on multi-core, GPU, and mobile hardware, as well as higher quality subtitles and video filters. In addition, Mac OS X users can expect to see a refreshed UI for VLC, with support for full-screen mode under OS X Lion.

With faster decoding on multi-core, GPU, and mobile hardware and the ability to open more formats, notably professional, HD and 10bits codecs, 2.0 is a major upgrade for VLC.

Twoflower has a new rendering pipeline for video, with higher quality subtitles, and new video filters to enhance your videos.

It supports many new devices and BluRay Discs (experimental).

Completely reworked Mac and Web interfaces and improvements in the other interfaces make VLC easier than ever to use.

Twoflower fixes several hundreds of bugs, in more than 7000 commits from 160 volunteers.

VLC 2.0 is available for download here.

Google caught tracking iOS users through Safari with hidden code

According to The Wall Street Journal, Google has been caught tracking iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users via the Safari web browser on iOS by using hidden software embedded on certain websites. The software is designed to go around default privacy settings setup by the user, which allowed Google to track their behaviors on the Internet.

The issue lies with how Safari handles cookies, the information that is stored on devices that allow you to login to a website, leave the website, and come back still logged in. Cookies are also used by a number of advertisers, including Google, to display relevant ads to you.

Google is accused of placing specific cookies onto users' devices, which would allow the Internet giant to then track the behavior of the user. The company claims that the software being placed on certain websites was actually a mistake, and was done merely to use the Google "+1" button on domains other than Google.com.

Google has stated it has begun deleting the cookies that are causing the controversy from user' devices, but hasn't provided a current state of this. In addition, it's unclear whether any government agencies will begin to investigate this incident, but it's likely that it will happen eventually.

[UPDATE] Apple settles iPhone 4 “Antennagate” lawsuit – customers eligible to receive $15 or free bumper case

According to CNET, Apple has settled a class-action lawsuit with iPhone 4 customers that dates back to 2010. The lawsuit accused Apple of "misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4--particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."

As a result of the settlement, U.S. residents who purchased an iPhone 4 are eligible to receive $15 or a free bumper case from Apple. A similar offer was being made by Apple back in July of 2010, shortly after the performance issues surrounding the iPhone 4 antenna system were uncovered.

Sometime in the next couple of weeks, customers will be able to go to www.iPhone4Settlement.com (website not working right now) to apply for a claim. In addition, emails will be sent to users before April 30, 2012 informing them of the outcome of the lawsuit, and the claims period will then be open for 120 days.

"We believe that the Apple iPhone 4 settlement is fair, adequate, and reasonable," Ira Rothken, co-lead counsel representing the class, told CNET. "We believe that it allows members of the class to choose, and they can get $15 of cash or a bumper, so we believe that type of choice is proportional to the circumstances."

UPDATE: Apple has issued a statement that reveals that this settlement is for any customer who didn't participate in the free case program of 2010, or elected to not return their iPhone 4.

HTC announces plans to update Thunderbolt, DROID Incredible 2 to Android OS 4.0

Earlier today, HTC announced via its official Facebook Page that Verizon Wireless customers with the HTC Rhyme, HTC Thunderbolt, HTC DROID Incredible 2, and HTC Rezound should all be expecting to be upgraded to Android OS 4.0 (a.k.a. "Ice Cream Sandwich") sometime in the future. The Taiwan-based manufacturer was reluctant to give any solid rollout dates, but it's expected sometime in the near future.

In addition, HTC revealed that the HTC Raider will be receiving the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for customers on Rogers and Bell in Canada.

Apple begins countdown to 25 billion iOS app downloads

Today, Apple launched a countdown on its website for 25 billion iOS app downloads from the App Store. At the time of writing, the countdown is at 24, 310, 616 apps downloaded. The person who downloads the twenty-fifth billion app will receive a $10,000 App Store gift card courtesy of Apple. Users can also enter the contest by filling in a submission form.

As of today, nearly 25 billion apps have been downloaded worldwide. Which is almost as amazing as the apps themselves. So we want to say thanks. Download the 25 billionth app, and you could win a US$10,000 App Store Gift Card.* Just visit the App Store and download your best app yet.

Apple ran similar countdowns for the 10 billion App Store downloads milestone just over one year ago, as well as a countdown to 10 billion songs being downloaded from the iTunes Store in February of 2010.

Microsoft unveils new Windows 8 logo

Going for a more modern look with actual windows, Microsoft showed off the newly designed Windows 8 logo Friday.

The logo sports 3D style windows with a simple modern font showing "Windows 8." Microsoft's Windows Team Blog explains that since Windows 8 is a complete new look on an operating system they are going for a complete new look on the logo as well.

It has long been noted that in the recent past Microsoft has used a "flag" type look to the logo. The company brought in Paula Scher from the Pentagram design agency and she simply asked "your name is Windows. Why are you a flag?"