LeakedTT: New images surface of "low-cost" iPhone plastic shell being compared to current iPhone 5

Charles Gantt | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Jul 17, 2013 7:07 PM CDT

It feels like a new leak forms every day about Apple's upcoming "low-cost" iPhone. This time the leak comes in from iOS developer Sonny Dickson who compares the plastic shell that houses the rear of the phone to a current generation iPhone 5. In the images, we can see a green and white version of the shell which appears to be a bit thicker than the iPhone 5 sitting next to it.

Other than the thickness, the "low-cost" iPhone appears to be roughly the same size as the iPhone 5. This works to disprove rumors that stated the new budget friendly iPhone would be sized closer to the iPhone 3GS. Speculators still suggest that we will see not only the "low-cost" iPhone 5 launch this fall, but an updated version of the iPhone which will be named the iPhone 5S as well.

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19-year-old spends a year of his life building a Skyrim mod, the results are breathtaking

Charles Gantt | Gaming | Jul 17, 2013 5:31 PM CDT

Anyone who knows me knows that I am one of the biggest Elder Scrolls fans on the planet. Naturally, Skyrim is one of my most played games and as a result, I have pretty much worn the game out and seen almost everything there is to see and done everything there is to do. Fortunately, Bethesda knows how much their fans love modding their games and freely releases content creation kits that allow users to customize the game in the form of mods.

That is where 19-year-old Alexander J. Velicky enters the story. Over the last year, Velicky has been hard at work on one of the largest Skyrim mods ever created. Dubbed Falskaar, this new mod adds over 25 hours of content as well as a new landmass a third the size of the original game. Velicky has added new characters, new voices, and dozens of new quest. The mod features 54 new characters which are voiced by 29 different voice actors. If that alone is not impressive, then nothing else in the story will be.

"I organized everyone involved, but the voice actors themselves recorded all the dialogue and submitted it to me," Velicky told PC Gamer. "I had some people help me out with a few models and textures, someone wrote a book or two for me... But otherwise all content was implemented, written and developed by me."

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Logitech introduces new Z600 Bluetooth stereo speakers

Charles Gantt | Audio, Sound & Speakers | Jul 17, 2013 3:41 PM CDT

Earlier today, Logitech introduced us to its latest set of Bluetooth stereo speakers. Dubbed the Z600, the speakers are targeted at the MacBook Air and UltraBook markets but will work with any Bluetooth A2DP-enabled device including smartphones, tablets, and media streaming devices. Capable of pairing with up to three devices at the same time, users can stream music from each individual device by just making sure music playback on the other two devices are paused.

Logitech says that the speakers produce a room-filling sound and each incorporates three drivers in a very sleek and refined tower style package. Covered in a fabric finish, the Z600 speakers incorporate touch sensitive volume controls which are actuated by gliding a finger across the edge of the top panel of either speaker to raise or lower the volume.

Logitech has included a small USB Bluetooth dongle that will allow streaming audio from devices that may not be Bluetooth-equipped. No actual launch date was given, but Logitech has the Z600 Bluetooth Speakers up for preorder on their website at a price point of just $150. That price seems a little high when compared to the Panasonic portable Bluetooth speaker we covered earlier today, but I have a feeling the speakers will reproduce a more rich and full-bodied sound.

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Qualcomm to pay its shareholders a dividend of $0.35 per share

Charles Gantt | Business, Financial & Legal | Jul 17, 2013 12:28 PM CDT

If you own stock in QUALCOMM Incorporated, today is a very good day for you. The company announced this morning that it will be paying a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per common share which will be payable on September 25, 2013. This dividend comes after record-breaking quarters for the company as the mobile devices market continues unprecedented growth in all sectors.

During the second quarter of 2013, QUALCOMM amassed $6.12 billion in revenue which is up 24 percent over the same period in 2012. Of that $6.12 billion, $1.87 billion accounted for net income which was actually down 16 percent year-over-year. Operating cash flow came in around $2.2 billion which was up 17 percent year-over-year. Second-quarter operating income was around $1.88 billion which is said to be up 24 percent year-over-year.

"We delivered another strong quarter as the worldwide adoption of smartphones continues," said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. "Looking forward, we are seeing strong traction with our new Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 and 800 processors, and we continue to expect healthy growth in 3G and 3G/4G multimode devices around the world. We are pleased to be raising our calendar 2013 3G/4G device shipment estimates and our revenue and earnings guidance for fiscal 2013."

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WhatsApp removes up-front fee iOS devices, moves to yearly subscription plan

Charles Gantt | Software & Apps | Jul 17, 2013 11:41 AM CDT

WhatsApp has been quickly making its way to the top of the list for the world's most popular messaging platforms. Just a few months ago, its owners claimed that its servers see more than 10 billion messages pass through each day; that's more than Twitter or even iMessenge. The app is free on Android for the first year and then costs one dollar per year thereafter. Unfortunately for iOS users, until now they had to pay that dollar upfront.

Today, the company announced that it is finally going to bring the iOS version of the app in line with Android and BlackBerry and offer the application free for the first year and then require a one dollar per year subscription thereafter. This move has been planned for quite some time and everyone knew it was coming; we just did not know when.

Existing iOS users should be ecstatic to hear that since they've already paid for the app, their subscription to the service will be free for life and they will not be required to pay the one dollar subscription fee each year. I use WhatsApp on a daily basis as it appears to be much faster than my carrier's text messaging service, is quite convenient, and is a free way for me to communicate with my brother and sister who live overseas. While none of us are iOS users, I know a few friends will be happy to hear of this announcement.

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Google's Street View now lets viewers experience Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower

Charles Gantt | Internet & Websites | Jul 17, 2013 10:39 AM CDT

Hot on the heels of Google's public beta of its refreshed maps, the company has now updated its Street View service to include views from atop the Eiffel Tower. Google says that they worked with the Eiffel Tower Operating Company to gather a fairly large stack of panoramic imagery from all three of the Eiffel Tower's viewing platforms. Additionally, Google has built an online exhibit that depicts the story of the Eiffel Tower through 50 archival images, plans, engravings, and photographs.

"In order to capture the imagery, the Street View team followed in the footsteps of 7 million annual visitors and ascended multiple floors of the Tower," Mark Yoshitake of the Google Cultural Institute wrote in a blog post introducing the new material. "Using the Street View Trolley (designed especially for monuments and museums) they filmed 360-degree views of the monument's architecture and its views over Paris."

The Eiffel Tower is 324 meters tall and held the title of tallest construction in the world for 40 years after it was built in 1889 until it was dethroned by the Chrysler building in New York City. It is comprised of over 18,000 separately made pieces and is one of the most photographed structures in the world.

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Panasonic unveils a new rugged wireless speaker dubbed the SC-NT10

Charles Gantt | Audio, Sound & Speakers | Jul 17, 2013 9:29 AM CDT

Panasonic likes building products that can take whatever you can throw at them and their new portable wireless speaker is no exception. The SC-NT10 is a black and orange 4W portable speaker that features two full-range speakers and a passive radiator. Panasonic says that the speaker is "quad proof" and is dust, water, and impact resistant. Panasonic says that the speaker is able to last about eight hours on a single charge but did not disclose standby time battery life.

"Building on the popularity of other "tough" products in our lineup, Panasonic has created a wireless speaker that is small enough to carry almost anywhere and can handle the elements, but will still produce superior sound quality," said David Fisher, Product Manager, Home Entertainment, Panasonic Consumer Marketing Company of North America. "The SC-NT10 is an ideal audio companion for anyone who loves the outdoors. It's equipped with unique features for ease-of-use including Near Field Communication for easy pairing with mobile devices, and produces crystal clear, powerful sound."

Featuring Near Field Connectivity (NFC), the device is able to quickly pair with your smartphone's Bluetooth connection or alternatively, a 3.5 mm jack allows you to input your favorite tunes. The SC-NT10 is able to survive splashes of water, intense heat or freezing cold, and is able to survive drops from about 3 feet. Samsung says that they expect the speaker to ship sometime in August, but interested parties may pre-order one now for $100.

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Oculus Rift could one day be free, but for now we should expect a $300 price point

I'll be attending PAX AU on Friday, where I'll finally get some hands-on (or is that heads- and soul-on) with Oculus' Rift VR headset. I'll be using the Full HD version, which I'm quite excited about.

But, for now, the company have said that they're going to be releasing Rift to consumers at $300. Most people will look at that and think it's expensive, but consider the price of a Full HD 27-inch monitor, which is around the same price, and it doesn't seem so bad. Moving onto multi-monitor setups, which are even more expensive, it makes Oculus' Rift look like a much better alternative.

During an interview with Edge Online, Oculus' CEO, Brandon Iribe noted how he hopes it would influence how we play games in a better way than next-gen consoles. He talked about the way that Rift will reach the market, acknowledging that "the lower the price point, the wider the audience." It's true, but getting it cheaper than $300 will be hard.

Continue reading: Oculus Rift could one day be free, but for now we should expect a $300 price point (full post)

Apple TV dominates the streaming media device market

Anthony Garreffa | Peripherals | Jul 17, 2013 12:31 AM CDT

Apple TV launched as just a 'hobby' for the Cupertino-based giant, but it has grown out of control, but in a good way. Apple have now become the force to be reckoned with in the "streaming IP device" market according to a new report.

Apple scoop up 56% of the market, representing more than 13 million units sold in Q1 2013 alone. This number is more than all of the competitors' devices combined. Competing brands include Roku, WD TV, Boxee and Google TV, but Apple leads the market by a large margin. Roku takes second position with 21.5% of the market, which represents an estimated 5 million units.

I think this will change in the coming years, as Google push forward with media devices and companies like Netflix continue to dominate the new Internet market with original TV shows.

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One of the best artificial intelligence systems is about as smart as an average 4-year-old child

A team of artificial and natural knowledge researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have IQ-tested one of the most advanced artificial intelligence systems in the world to see how smart it is.

The results? It is about as smart as the average four-year-old child. The UIC team will report their findings in detail at the US Artificial Intelligence Conference in Bellevue, Washington, tomorrow. The UIC team put an artificial intelligence system developed at MIT called 'ConceptNet4' through the verbal parts of the Weschsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Test, which is a standard IQ assessment for young children.

They found that ConceptNet4 had the IQ of a four-year-old child, but unlike most children, the machine's scores were quite uneven throughout most of the test. Robert Sloan, Professor and head of Computer Science at UIC and lead author of the study said: "If a child had scores that varied this much, it might be a symptom that something was wrong."

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