TechBytesDaily

Hitachi Launches 2 Terabyte HDD at 7,200 RPMs

techbytesdaily — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:53:26 +0000

Need I say more? Well, ok. It’s the Hitachi Deskstar 7k2000 hard drive. And it has 2 terabytes of storage, 3.5″ form factor, runs at 7200 RPMs, 32 MB cache, and uses a 3 Gb/s SATA interface. I would put up a picture but you all already know what a hard drive looks like right? Fine… I’ll put up a picture of a SSD and HDD side by side instead. For the official Hitachi press release, click here.

Mac X OS Update (v10.5.8)

techbytesdaily — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:24:32 +0000

“The Mac OS X v10.5.8 Update is recommended for Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard users and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.”

Read the full update details here.

Speedier Google Chrome Web Browser Beta Released

techbytesdaily — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:11:42 +0000

Google released a new beta version of the Chrome web browser today. According to the official Chrome blog, the beta shows over 30% speed improvement verses the current release. If you’re interested in giving it a run down, head on over to the Google Chrome blog here.

Netflix on the Wii and iPhone?

techbytesdaily — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:16:25 +0000

According to a Multichannel source, Netflix will soon offer streaming video on the iPhone, iTouch, and Nintendo Wii. Although there are iPhone applications that allow Netflix customers to search for movies and manage their queues, it is being rumored that a ‘Watch Instantly’ feature will soon be added that will allow users to watch actual Netflix content on their mobile device.

[via Multichannel]

BlackBerry Desktop for Macs Coming in September

techbytesdaily — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:49:49 +0000

Just a quick FYI for all you crackberry addicts: the Mac version of BlackBerry Desktop is coming in September.

“With BlackBerry® Desktop Software you’ll be able sync your iTunes® playlists and personal information like contacts, tasks and appointments; install new software, games, and more. BlackBerry Desktop Software will offer the best of both worlds by allowing you to manage aspects of your BlackBerry® smartphone from your Mac¹.”

Click here for all the details.

HTC MyTouch 3G Android SmartPhone Now Available Through T-Mobile

techbytesdaily — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:19:13 +0000

It’s official! Google’s second Android smartphone is now on sale through T-Mobile. The HTC MyTouch 3G sports a 3.2″ touchscreen, virtual QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, 3G, GPS, Bluetooth, and 4 GB microSD card. T-Mobile is selling the MyTouch for $199.99 with new 2 year contract.

TECHBYTE

Download the AppPack from T-Mobile’s website to get Visual Voicemail for your Android device!

Nikon CoolPix S1000PJ Projector Camera

techbytesdaily — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:06:50 +0000

I don’t normally cover digital cameras but this was one too cool to pass up. The S1000PJ from Nikon is the world’s first digital camera with a built-in projector. Not only does the camera sport 12.1 megapixels, it also features built-in VGA projector that’s able to display images up to 40 inches. Head on over to the Nikon USA Press Center to see a video of it in action.

Recent IE, Flash Security Flaw Caused by Typo

techbytesdaily — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:04:54 +0000

An errant ampersand was all it took for hackers to exploit a recently patched security flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. The bug, which crossed over into Adobe Flash, allowed hackers to gain control of a victim’s system simply by visiting a malicious website.

According to Michael Howard, a Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) team manager, the vulnerability existed in the Microsoft Active Template Library (ATL). The exact line of code read:

hr = pStream->Read((void*)&pbArray, (ULONG)cbSize, NULL);

“The extra ‘&’ character in the vulnerable code causes the code to write potentially untrusted data, of size cbSize, to the address of the pointer to the array, pbArray, rather than write the data into the array, and the pointer is on the stack. This is a stack-based buffer overrun vulnerability.”

So much for stack-based buffer overruns… if you’re really interested, read Michael’s entire blog post about the issue here.

Eye-Fi Geo Wireless SD Card for Digital Cameras

techbytesdaily — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:06:17 +0000

Imagine being able to upload photos from your digital camera to your PC or Mac using a Wi-Fi SD card. Sounds cool doesn’t it? Now image being able to do that and having all the photos “geotagged” too. Well, now you can with the Eye-Fi Wireless SD card. Found exclusively through Apple online or retail stores, this 2 GB SD card slips into your digital camera and not only adds Wi-Fi capability to your camera, it automatically “geotags” all your pictures. If you didn’t know, geotagging means the location of where the photo was taken is stored along with the photo itself. Upload the pictures to Apple’s iPhoto software, you can organize by and see where the pictures were taken. Geotagging with Eye-Fi is accomplished through WiFi triangulation which isn’t as great as full GPS but it’s close. The Eye-Fi Geo is sold exclusively through Apple and is priced at $59.99.

[via prnewswire.com]

Samsung Solstice Coming to AT&T August 2nd

techbytesdaily — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:39:07 +0000

In a press release today, Samsung and AT&T announced that Solstice (A887) will be officially available on August 2nd, 2009. The phone features a full 3″ touchscreen display, 3G network connectivity, builtin widgets like Facebook and MySpace, 2.0 megapixel camera, microSD, bluetooth, accelerometer, virtual QWERTY, and a host of other goodies. The price will be $99.99 after rebate with a new 2 year contract.

[via Samsung Press Release]

Microsoft and Yahoo Join Forces

techbytesdaily — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:44:32 +0000

“Yahoo! and Microsoft announced an agreement that will improve the Web search experience for users and advertisers, and deliver sustained innovation to the industry. In simple terms, Microsoft will now power Yahoo! search while Yahoo! will become the exclusive worldwide relationship sales force for both companies’ premium search advertisers.”

Read the press release here.

CRITICAL: Adobe Update on Thursday, July 30th 2009

techbytesdaily — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:26:31 +0000

“A critical vulnerability exists in the current versions of Flash Player (v9.0.159.0 and v10.0.22.87) for Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems, and the authplay.dll component that ships with Adobe Reader and Acrobat v9.x for Windows, Macintosh and UNIX operating systems. This vulnerability (CVE-2009-1862) could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. There are reports that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild via limited, targeted attacks against Adobe Reader v9 on Windows.

We are in the process of developing a fix for the issue, and expect to provide an update for Flash Player v9 and v10 for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux by July 30, 2009 (the date for Flash Player v9 and v10 for Solaris is still pending). We expect to provide an update for Adobe Reader and Acrobat v9.1.2 for Windows, Macintosh and UNIX by July 31, 2009.”

Read the original security advisory here.

Reminder: Out-of-Band Microsoft Critical Update Due Today

techbytesdaily — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:17:20 +0000

Just a friendly reminder to update your computers today. Microsoft should be releasing an unscheduled Internet Explorer patch anytime now so keep an eye out for it. The patches are deemed critical so apply the updates as soon as possible. You can read the advanced bulletin here.

BlackBerry Curve 8520 Hits T-Mobile Aug 5th

techbytesdaily — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:22:47 +0000

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 will be available through T-Mobile starting August 5th, 2009. Technical details below:

• 2.64″ TFT Display – 320×240 Pixels
• Full Backlit QWERTY Keyboard
• Optical Trackpad
• WiFi – 802.11B/G
• 2.0 MP Digital Camera With Video
• Dedicated Media Player Buttons
• Quad-Band GSM
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
• 256MB Flash
• microSD/SDHC Slot
• Battery – 4.5 Hours Talk / 17 Days Standby

No word yet on pricing but you can sign up for updates and get more information here.

Android OS 2.0 Released to Devs: Multi-touch, CDMA, and More

techbytesdaily — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:37:11 +0000

Google partially released Android OS 2.0 yesterday. And it looks like developers are getting what they asked for. Some notable features found in the new version:

Multi-touch and gesturing, CDMA support for carriers like Verizon and Sprint, WPA Enterprise Encryption, VPN Support, Integrated Universal Search, Automated Backups, Speech Synthesizer, and Hardware Performance Improvements.

[via xda-developers]

Apple TouchBook Tablet PC Will Debut in 2010

techbytesdaily — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:26:57 +0000

According to a new report by AppleInsider, Apple is set to unveil its touchbook tablet PC in the first quarter of 2010. Rumor has it that the new PC will sport a 10″ touchscreen akin to an over-sized iPod Touch, will be 3G enabled, and should be priced between the iPhone and MacBook.

Click here to read the entire AppleInsider report.

Critical Update – Microsoft to fix IE vulnerability on July 28th

techbytesdaily — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:52:58 +0000

Microsoft will issuing an out-band-patch for a critical Internet Explorer vulnerability next Tuesday, July 28th 2009. It is strongly advised that all Windows users apply this update given that Microsoft rarely issues patches between regularly scheduled monthly updates. The following products are affected: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008.

Click here to read the full Microsoft Security Advanced Bulletin.

HTC Click Android Phone Could Be Free

techbytesdaily — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:32:38 +0000

A new photo of the budget-minded HTC Click has surfaced and rumor has it that the phone will be priced between $280 – $330 USD. At that range, the phone could potentially be free to customers signing up for new wireless contracts. The HTC Click presents a huge opportunity for Google to increase its market share among mobile phone users.

Based on the photos, HTC Click looks like it sports a full touch screen and direction pad. Aside from that, there aren’t many more details as HTC hasn’t officially confirmed the device. We’ll let you know as soon as more information is available.

New Slots – iPod Touch and Nanos with Cameras

techbytesdaily — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:31:18 +0000

According to a Cult of Mac exclusive, it looks like the next iPod Touch and Nano will be getting built in cameras. Judging from cases now being manufactured, the camera on the Nano is placed in the upper left corner, while the Touch camera is more towards the center, along the edge. Apple will probably introduce the new iPod lineup in September, before the holiday shopping season.

To see more pictures hit up the full Cult of Mac exclusive here.

Twitter, Now with Less Spam

techbytesdaily — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:02:12 +0000

If log on to your Twitter account, you might notice that your following and follower counts have dropped. This isn’t any fault of your own. Twitter recently updated their system to remove spam accounts and data inconsistencies. Your sidebar count should now match what you see on your following and followers pages. Click here to see the official Twitter statement.