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Gadget and Techno Updates
Qualcomm job listing for iPhone dev guru sets internet absolutely aflutter
Aug 27th
“The iPhone has no secret for you? Well, that’s what you think… join us and develop the most challenging product of your life!” So reads a now-removed job listing on Qualcomm’s website for an “iPhone Developer Guru” (still cached, thanks to Google). Responsibilities will include “iPhone software design and development but not restricted to it” as well as some Android and… oh, you’ve already jumped to conclusions, have you? The forerunners of CDMA technology asking for iPhone software engineering? Teasing with the most challenging product of your life? We wouldn’t fault for Qualcomm for a bit of boasting, and for More >
MPEG-LA makes H.264 video royalty-free forever, as long as it’s freely distributed
Aug 27th
The H.264 codec that makes a good deal of digital video possible has actually been free to use (under certain conditions) for many years, but following recent controversies over the future of web video, rightholders have agreed to extend that freedom in perpetuity. Whereas originally standards organization MPEG-LA had said it wouldn’t collect royalties from those freely distributing AVC/H.264 video until 2016, the limitless new timeframe may mean that content providers banking on WebM and HTML5 video won’t have an expensive surprise in the years to come. Then again, patent licensing is complicated stuff and we’d hate to get your More >
AIST’s i3Space tactile 3D interface: destroyer of (virtual) worlds
Aug 27th
Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST, to friends) is responsible for a good many innovations that the denizens of the year 2030 take for granted, and the new i³Space certainly won’t tarnish the institute’s record. Built on the foundation of AIST’s own GyroCubeSensuous for tactile feedback, the i³Space tracks the motion of the operator’s two index fingers in 3D space, and sends back “illusionary tactile and kinesthetic sense” through the controllers. Details are still a little thin, but AIST plans to show the full rig off at CEDEC next week, with eyes on reducing the size More >
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ45 reviewed, bests the FZ35 but falls short of the FZ100
Aug 26th
Panasonic’s DMC-FZ35 (aka the FZ38 in some regions) was highly regarded in its time — which was all of a year ago. The superzoomer won shootouts along with the hearts of many, but now it’s being retired in favor of a new camera, the DMC-FZ45 (aka the FZ40). This one moves up to a 14 megapixel CCD sensor but, according to PhotographyBlog‘s review, doesn’t suffer the resulting decrease in image quality you might expect. Its 24x, 25 – 600mm zoom lens is highly rated, as is the 720p30 mode. A total winner, then, right? Yes — except that it doesn’t More >
Apple to hold ‘special event’ September 1st… we’ll be there live!
Aug 26th
C’mon, you saw this one coming, right? Just like they always do come fall time, Apple will be holding a “special event” on September 1st out in San Francisco, and we’ll be on the ground reporting live. Think we’ll see that new Apple TV we’ve been hearing about? Some iPods? A ‘one more thing’? Yes, probably. Tune in here at 10AM PT / 1PM ET on the 1st to catch the best liveblog in the business!
In case you haven’t heard the rumors lately:
Apple TV- Exclusive: Upcoming Apple TV loses 1080p playback, gains apps, will be renamed iTV
- The next Apple TV revealed: cloud More >
