Windows Phone 7.5 Mango Update Process Ahead of Schedule

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The Windows Phone Blog today announced that Mango updates are ahead of scehdule…read on for details.

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Windows Phone 7.5 AKA Mango has been rolling out for a few weeks now, and since the process has gone very smoothly, Microsoft is speeding up the process.  Here is what the Windows Phone Blog had to say today:

Hello everyone. When we kicked off the global rollout of Windows Phone 7.5, I told you we planned to balance quality with speed. And for three weeks we’ve been watching quality while sending update notices to a growing fraction of phones.

It’s gone well. So today we’re fully opening the spigot —slightly ahead of schedule—and making Mango available to nearly everyone in the current delivery pool (see Where’s My Phone Update? for the details).

In addition, we’re now scheduling Mango updates for LG Optimus 7 phones on Telefonica in Spain.

We’re excited most of our customers now have access to all the new features in Windows Phone 7.5. But we know there’s still work to do.

For example, we’re working with Orange in Europe to resolve a couple technical issues that are temporarily preventing us from delivering updates at full throttle to all its Windows Phone customers.

Updates for a few phones are also still undergoing carrier tests. If this applies to you, I want you to know we’ve already prepared to expedite delivery of Windows Phone 7.5 to you once carrier testing is finished.

One last thing. Next week we’ll start delivering some model-specific “firmware” from handset makers, so don’t be alarmed if you receive an additional update notification on your phone. These updates are designed to activate new Windows Phone 7.5 features or improve your phone’s performance. Not everybody will receive or require one: It all depends on your country, carrier, and phone model.

That’s it for now. For general questions, and to learn how to manually check for an update, visit Update Central. To research or ask about a specific issue, visit the Windows Phone forum in Microsoft Answers or tweet @WinPhoneSupport.

Eric Hautala, General Manager, Customer Experience Engineering

It’s great to hear that the Mango update experience is rolling out so well!  If you have not updated yet, go over to the Where’s My Phone Update page and see what the status of your update is.

Windows Phone Blog Post Where’s My Phone Update?

Netflix Expands Android Support

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Netflix today announced expanded support for Android Honeycomb devices.  Read on for details.

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The Netflix blog announced expanded support for Android tablets today.  Here is what they had to say:

Today, Netflix launched a new application in the Android Market to support Android 3.x (Honeycomb) tablets.This new app also extends Android support to Canada and Latin America for the first time. Now Netflix members in US, Canada and Latin America can enjoy Netflix on both their Android smartphones and tablets.

Some Android tablets shipped with a Netflix app, but if yours did not, go ahead and download it in the Android Market here.  It works in the US, Canada and Latin American markets.

Netflix Blog Post Android Market Link

PHONES 4U First UK Retailer with Galaxy Nexus Smartphone

PHONES 4U in the UK have announced they will be the first UK independent retailer to stock the new Galaxy Nexus smartphone, sporting the new Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS.

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Here is the press release:

Following on from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and Google’s announcement of the GALAXY Nexus today, Phones 4u is pleased to announce that it will be the first independent retailer in the UK to offer customers the World’s FIRST Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone.

The first smartphone to run on the latest release of the Android platform, the GALAXY Nexus also features HD Super AMOLED display technology pioneered by Samsung, boasting a market-leading resolution of 720p.  It also features software navigation buttons, which is a first for Android smartphones out there, and is encased in a sophisticated, 8.84mm slim and curved design.

Ice Cream Sandwich comes with a redesigned Android user interface with updated and new features to the Android platform.  These updated features include multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC support and a full web browsing experience.

Scott Hooton, Trading Director at Phones 4u said: “The GALAXY Nexus combines the full Google experience with Samsung’s superior smartphone performance, and tops it off with the latest and most innovative Android platform yet.  After Android was voted the UK’s most preferred operating system in a Phones 4u poll this year, we know our customers have been just as excited about the launch of the first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone as we have.  We’re confident the GALAXY Nexus will more than live up to expectations and are pleased to be the first UK independent mobile retailer to put the GALAXY Nexus into Android fans’ hands.”

The GALAXY Nexus includes a fully re-designed camera, Cloud connectivity, which keeps all your important data synced across your devices, and access to more than 300,000 apps and games from Android Market™.

The much-anticipated GALAXY Nexus will be available from Phones 4u stores and online FREE from £46 a month, or for £29.95 on a £41 a month tariff, on a choice of networks when it becomes available in the UK.  Launch date for the Galaxy Nexus will be confirmed nearer the time. Customers can watch a hands-on review of the Galaxy Nexus and pre-register their interest in the new Android smartphone from today on the Phones 4u website.

Features of Ice Cream Sandwich include:

· Face Unlock, which uses facial recognition to unlock your phone

· Android Beam – using NFC technology to quickly share web pages, apps, and YouTube™ videos

· People app – browse friends and family’s photos in high-resolution and keep up with their latest status updates from Google+™

 

Other features of the GALAXY Nexus include:

· 1.2GHz dual core processor

· Built-in HSPA+

· 5 MP Camera with LED Flash – with effects & editor, real time video enhancement, Face tracking, Funny faces, Virtual facelifts

· Video Calling

· 1080p Full HD Video recording and playback

· Bluetooth® technology v 3.0

· 1GB(RAM) + 16GB Internal memory(ROM)

· Up to 14.5hrs Talk Time

· Google Mobile Services including Android Market, Gmail™, Google Maps™ 5.8, Google Earth™, Movie Studio, YouTube and redesigned Google+ app

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What do you think of this new smartphone?

Amazon Announces Increased Prime Instant Video Selection for Kindle Fire and Prime Customers

Amazon Announces Increased Prime Instant Video Selection for Kindle Fire and Prime Customers by Expanding Digital Video License Agreement with PBS.

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Here is what Amazon said today:

SEATTLE, Oct 19, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) —

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced an expansion of a licensing agreement with PBS Distribution that will allow Amazon Prime members to instantly stream, at no additional cost, current and archived PBS programming. This will bring the total number of Prime instant videos to 12,000 by the end of this year, more than doubling the Prime instant video title count since its launch. Amazon Prime members can enjoy this selection on over 300 different devices, including the recently announced Kindle Fire–the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, magazines, apps, books, games, and more. Kindle Fire customers enjoy a free month of Amazon Prime right out of the box.

Prime members will have access to more than 1,000 episodes of popular PBS television, which will roll out on the service over the next several months. PBS titles will include NOVA, Masterpiece and Antiques Roadshow, along with the Ken Burns series of documentaries featuring The Civil War, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, Baseball, Jazz and the acclaimed new series Prohibition, which premiered on PBS stations earlier this month. Prime instant video will also offer popular PBS news programs with day-after air availability from shows like Frontline and Washington Week. Beginning in early November, and for the first time ever on digital video, PBS brings Prime members 200 episodes of The French Chef with the world renowned Julia Child.

“Prime instant video has included great content from PBS since the day it launched and Prime members have told us they want even more – so we are delivering,” said Brad Beale, director of video content acquisition for Amazon. “Our expanded relationship with PBS will bring the total number of titles available for Prime instant video to over 12,000. We are committed to bringing Prime Members and Kindle Fire owners even more compelling content very soon.”

“Expanding the reach of our content by making it accessible through digital platforms is a key priority for PBS,” said Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President, PBS Interactive, Product Development and Innovation. “We are already delivering more than 150 million streams of programming across web and mobile apps each month, so we are excited to offer more titles through Prime instant video and ensure that our acclaimed content is available whenever and wherever people want it.”

About Prime Instant Video

Prime instant video is a benefit for paid Amazon Prime members. Prime members get unlimited, commercial-free, instant access to more than 12,000 movies and TV shows at no additional cost. Since the launch of Prime instant videos, Amazon has secured licensing deals from partners such as CBS, Fox, PBS, NBCUniversal, Sony, Warner Bros and many more.

About Amazon Instant Video

For customers who are not Prime members, or who are looking to instantly purchase or rent movies and TV shows, Amazon offers Amazon Instant Video. Amazon Instant Video is a streaming video service that provides more than 100,000 titles including new release movies, TV shows the day after they air, as well as contemporary and classic videos in SD and HD. Customers can instantly watch movies and TV shows from Amazon Instant Video or Prime instant video on a Mac, PC or directly on a TV with any of the 300 compatible devices, including the new Kindle Fire.

About Prime

Amazon Prime is an annual membership program for $79 a year that offers customers unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items including books, home and garden products, electronics, video games, clothing, and much more. Amazon Prime members also get access to unlimited instant streaming of more than 12,000 popular movies and TV shows with Prime instant videos. Customers who receive free Prime shipping benefits through our Amazon Student and Amazon Mom programs can upgrade to an annual paid membership to receive Amazon Prime’s digital benefits.

Preview of Spotify for BlackBerry Owners

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Spotify have released a preview of Spotify for BlackBerry.

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This is what Spotify posted:

This is the first preview of our Spotify application for BlackBerry. With many of the great features available on other Spotify Mobile apps, get ready for a world of music! Check out our blog for full release notes.

Click here using your Blackberry web browser to start the installation process.

A Spotify Premium subscription is required to use Spotify on your BlackBerry.

We’ve tested our app on the following devices: 9780 Bold, 9700 Bold, 9300 Curve, 9000 Bold, 8520 Curve. Currently the app only supports phones running on GSM networks. CDMA-network phones and the Torch 9800 are not yet compatible.

We appreciate your comments, especially as this is a preview release and still in testing! Please report all feedback of this preview on our official Blackberry preview thread.

Media Browser 2.5.1 (Hydra SP1) Released

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The guys over at MediaBrowser.tv has just released Media Browser 2.5.1, which is a service pack update for Hydra.

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Here is what is updated:

Changes from 2.5.0 (Hydra):

  • Fix performance issues on extenders
  • Improve automatic refreshing of items when MB is running
  • Fix a few more issues with the Now Playing Viewport
  • Fix a few alignment issues and an old problem with TV ratings
  • Resumable items won’t be marked watched until watched past min resume point
  • Don’t clear the resume point when manually toggling watched status
  • ValidationDelay setting in config file is now depricated (it will have no effect)
Download Media Browser 2.5 from here

Apple TV (2nd generation) Software Updated to version 4.4.1

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Apple have released an update to their 2nd generation Apple TV’s, taking them to version 4.4.1.

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Apple TV Software Update 4.4.1 features

ATV 4.4.1

Synology Announce the DiskStation DS712+ with DSM 3.2

Synology have just announced a new High-performance & Scalable 2-bay All-in-1 NAS Server for SMB Users called the DiskStation DS712+ and it comes with DiskStation Manager 3.2, their latest interface software.

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Synology® DiskStation DS712+ offers a high-performance, scalable, and full-featured network attached storage solution that meets the needs of small and medium-sized businesses that require an efficient way to centralize data protection, simplify data management, and rapidly scale storage capacity with minimal time spent on setup and management. The Synology DS712+ is backed with Synology’s 3-year limited warranty.

Highlights

●180.91MB/sec Reading, 105.59MB/sec Writing
●2 LAN with Failover and Link Aggregation Support
●Small yet Scalable, up to 7 Drives with Synology DX5102
●iSCSI Support as Virtualization Solution
●Running on Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

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Sony Announces Release Date for PlayStation Vita

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Sony announced the date that you can get your hands on the PlayStation Vita today.  Read on for details!

PS Vita

We told you about the PS Vita here, and now Sony has gone and announced an availability date.  Just to remind you of what this product is, here is some background from the Sony website:

Put gaming’s latest innovations to the test

It’s not often that a mobile gaming device sets the standard for an entire industry. Then again, it’s not often that something like the PlayStation®Vita arrives. With a full set of unique new features, that both complement and enhance the gaming experience, you are now free to take the world you play in, anywhere you go.

PS Vita Features

Features like front and back multitouch screens, motion sensors and Six Axis sensors

Chat on the fly

Chat on the fly in the midst of multiplayer action or while watching videos

Multitouch Display

Catch every detail with the PlayStation®Vita system’s stunning, multitouch 5-inch OLED display

Augmented Reality

Merge the real world and the game world with front and rear camera enabled augmented reality

Always on

Take on your friends — or the whole world with Wi-Fi or always-on 3G

Dual analog sticks

Feel the full-on intensity of First Person Shooters with Dual Analog Sticks

PS3 Integration

Enjoy continuous, uninterrupted gameplay between your PS3 and PlayStation®Vita systems with compatible titles

Sony announced that this gadget will be available in the US, Canada, Latin America and Europe on February 22, 2012.  Here is what they said:

This afternoon on stage at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, I shared some very exciting news that I know the PlayStation Nation has been anticipating since we unveiled PlayStation Vita back in January. For those looking to get their hands on the ultimate in handheld entertainment, I’m thrilled to let you know that starting on February 22, 2012, PS Vita will be available at major retailers in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe.

Our first-party studios and army of publishing partners have been extremely hard at work to ensure that PS Vita launches with a vast library of titles that deliver unique gameplay experiences that go beyond any handheld or mobile device on the market. We have more than 100 games currently in development globally that span many different genres, including Sound Shapes, Resistance: Burning Skies, Uncharted Golden Abyss, Capcom’s Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed, EA Sports’ FIFA, Activision’s Call of Duty, and numerous others that you’ll hear about in the months ahead.

I’ve had the chance to spend some time with several of these titles and I think you’ll be blown away by how each takes advantage of the technology packed into PS Vita to deliver amazing gaming experiences. With its vibrant 5-inch OLED screen, dual analog sticks, dual cameras, and front and rear touch panel, PS Vita will deliver rich, immersive games with stunning graphics, which simply can’t be found anywhere else. Now you’ll be able to play shooters and action titles on-the-go with controls that are familiar, and you won’t have to block out the gorgeous screen to interact with the games.

In addition to the deep portfolio of games, you’ll also have access to native social applications – near and Party – that help you connect with your friends and fellow PS Vita owners. We also recently announced that PS Vita will have your favorite social networking applications like Facebook, foursquare, Skype, and Twitter, so you can share and connect with friends. With PS Vita, you can enjoy the best handheld gaming experience available and stay connected to the people and interests you care about.

It’s never been a better time to be a part of PlayStation Nation and I can’t wait for you to experience this revolutionary handheld system. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as we near the February 22, 2012 launch!

I’ll be interested in trying one of these out when they are available.  I really wish that they had released it in time for the Christmas holidays, but I’ll still be interested in checking this out in February!

PlayStation Vita Features PlayStation Vita Availability Announcement

Kingston Digital Updates Wi-Drive App

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We have mentioned the Kingston Wi-Drive in the past, now today Kingston have updated the Wi-Drive app.

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Here is what Kingston said:

Added Functionality Includes Wireless File Transfers

Sunbury-on-Thames — October 18, 2011 — Kingston Digital Europe Ltd, an affiliate of Kingston Technology Company Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced an update to the Wi-Drive™ App. By downloading the latest version, consumers can enjoy the following expanded features on the award-winning Kingston® Wi-Drive:

  • Wireless file loading and deleting: File transfers from Wi-Drive hardware to the Wi-Drive App “local” area and vice versa can be done via Wi-Fi.
  • Recognition of Apple device “Open In” option: When working with documents, Wi-Drive presents the “Open In” option so the user can select which App to use to open and copy a file to.
  • Addition of file select and email sending function: User can select and send music, photo, video or document files (up to 10MB size) as email attachments.
  • Minor bug fixes

The updated Kingston Wi-Drive App is available now on the App StoreSM, or can be downloaded from here

Kingston Wi-Drive is backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 live technical support. For more information visit www.kingston.com/europe

Firecore Updates Seas0nPass Jailbreak Tools Package for AppleTV 4.4 Users

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Seas0nPass has been updated to support a tethered jailbreak of the new AppleTV 4.4 software.

Here is what they said:

Seas0nPass has been updated to support a TETHERED jailbreak of the new AppleTV 4.4 (iOS 5) software released on 10/12/2011 (also supported is the 4.4.1 update released on 10/17/11). Full details on what’s new in 4.4, status of 3rd party features, and how to update are below.

Should I update?

Currently the jailbreak for 4.4+ is tethered, which is a bit less convenient than an untethered version. If the features added in 4.4 excite you it may be worth updating; however, the previous 4.3 version will continue to be supported so updating is not required.

The full list of changes included in 4.4 is below:

  • AirPlay Mirroring: Now with video mirroring – wirelessly stream what’s on your iPad 2 screen to your HDTV.
  • Photo Stream: View photos recently taken on your iOS device and pushed to your Photo Stream in iCloud.
  • Trailers: A whole new way to browse and view hundreds of the latest theatrical trailers.
  • National Hockey League: Watch live games. View highlights, scores, and more.
  • Wall Street Journal Live: Watch up-to-date news, business commentary, and financial analysis from leading experts.

Apple has also added support for subtitles in Netflix and three new slideshow themes: Photo Wall, Flip-up, and Shifting Tiles.

Which plugins are supported on 4.4 and 4.4.1?

  • Media Player (works)
  • Couch Surfer (works)
  • Last.fm (works)
  • Weather (works)
  • RSS Feeds (works)
  • NitoTV (works)
  • Overflow (works)
  • XBMC (not working)
  • Plex (not working)
  • Remote HD (not working)
  • Rowmote (not working)

How do I update?

Seas0nPass will default to the latest untethered version, which is currently 4.3. If you want to use Seas0nPass to update and jailbreak a newer version simply follow the steps below.

  1. Download version 4.4 (9A334v) or 4.4.1 (9A335a) and save the IPSW in an easy to find location.
  2. Download the latest version of Seas0nPass.
  3. Open Seas0nPass then Option + click (Mac) or Shift + click (PC) the Create IPSW button and select the new IPSW file that was downloaded in step #1.
  4. Seas0nPass will complete the jailbreak and restore process automatically.
  5. After the restore is complete, move the AppleTV to your TV and follow the steps for performing a Tethered Boot.

AWIECO WakeOnLan for WHS 2011 Updated to Version 1.1.3

Today saw the release of the updated add-in WakeOnLan from AWIECO.

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The AWIECO WakeOnLAN add-in for Windows Home Server 2011 and Small Business Server 2011 Essentials is a free and useful add-in, which has the ability to remotely turn on a computer. It enables the Server to start up every computer attached to your network. You can also power off a computer out of the Launchpad.

v1.1.3

• Added: Scheduler (PRO)
• Added: Server shut down in Launchpad (PRO)
• Added: Language: Japanese, Polish
• Fixed: Issues with deleted computers

Learn more from the AWIECO website

HP Releases TouchPad Software Update

HP released webOS 3.0.4 for TouchPads today.  Read on for details!

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Ari Jaaski, who heads webOS services for HP according to his blog site, announced the availability of a webOS update for the TouchPad today.  Here’s what he had to say about it:

We released a new software release (3.0.4) for the HP Touchpad a few minutes ago. It gets downloaded over the air and is automatically updated to your devices. As always, no strings attached. Enjoy.

We have a big number of TouchPads out there, and we wanted to continue serving users and developers. We improved performance, added better support for the camera, made connectivity with non-HP phones possible, improved messaging, touched the UI in many places, etc. Also, we’ve got over 1000 applications available for TouchPad through Application Catalogue.

We have also continued longer term architectural development for webOS. We are working hard around webKit and V8. Those are core engines for the whole webOS. The Enyo framework and developer tools are getting a lot of attention now. We have also some very cool development around UI especially in the area of working with many task simultaneously, and using the table screen even more efficiently. The web development model, strong cloud integration, and a fluid and beautiful UI are the cornerstones of webOS.

If you have a TouchPad, go ahead and update, but be careful if you have patches and/or themes installed.  You may want to uninstall them before updating webOS.

I have two on the way, expected any day now, and I’ll do a review when I receive my units.  Stay tuned!

Ari Jaaksi’s Blog Post

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 Beta Updated to 2.0.0.1169

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 is now available in beta and has been updated to version 2.0.0.1169.

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An advanced hard disk surface scanner, monitor and more.

Monitors all your hard drives and ensures that every bit holding your precious data is readable.

2.0.0.1169
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* Don’t crash if the drive doesn’t report an interface.
* Fixed crash when opening disk context menu with no disk IDENTIFY.

Download the latest beta version from here