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RIM patent application puts pressure on sensitive touchscreens for a possible unlock alternative May 24th 2012, 22:59 RIM's been busy on the patent application front lately, filing off concepts for anything from smartphone docks to rotating keypads -- even flirting with potential forays into forensics peripherals. Perhaps sensing the crushing need to differentiate its ailing BlackBerry brand, Waterloo's taken to the USPTO with a doc submitted last November that could do just that. The pressure-sensitive input scheme and touchscreen interface described therein would respond to a user-set pattern of force by granting access to a handheld device's features and applications. Sure sounds a heckuva lot like a new password protection implementation, but that's just our humble take. What it actually is, where it goes from this legal limbo and whether or not it ever winds up in BB 10 tech is truly up in the air. What you can count on, though, is a continued flood of in-process IP procurement from a company close to the edge. RIM patent application puts pressure on sensitive touchscreens for a possible unlock alternative originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 18:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink   |  USPTO  | Email this | Comments Slide shows Dell Latitude 10 tablet running Windows 8 May 24th 2012, 22:38 Rumors of a Dell Peju tablet shipping with Windows 8 made the rounds last year, but they died down when the mystery device turned out to be the Windows 7-powered Latitude ST. Time to reignite the hype: NeoWin got its hands on a slide that shows a Dell Latitude 10 slate running Windows 8. The tablet is listed as having a 10.1-inch screen, which isn't to say that other form factors could be in the works. Other listed specs include a dual-core Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, up to a 128GB SSD and a fingerprint reader. NeoWin has word that the Latitude 10 will get six to eight hours of battery life with the base battery and up to 12 hours with the larger one. The tablet looks quite similar to the Latitude ST, but then again we're going off of one slide here. Slide shows Dell Latitude 10 tablet running Windows 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 18:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink The Next Web  |  NeoWin  | Email this | Comments BBM staying exclusive to BlackBerry, says WSJ source May 24th 2012, 22:18 Been looking forward to porting your BBM addiction to iOS or Android in hopes of finally kicking that Crackberry to the curb? Take a seat -- it looks like RIM's private messaging service isn't going anywhere. According to a Wall Street Journal source, the firm's new CEO has shut down rumors of a BlackBerry Messenger port. "It was not up for discussion," the WSJ was told. According to a person "familiar with the matter," CEO Thorsten Heins decided that RIM shouldn't be pursuing licensing deals. Heins' apparent house cleaning might be a deal breaker for BlackBerry veterans looking to jump ship, requiring users to stick with RIM to maintain their dwindling BBM contact lists. Bummer? Sure is, but at least your pals don't need a security clearance to ping you. BBM staying exclusive to BlackBerry, says WSJ source originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 18:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink MobileSyrup  |  Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments Microsoft pulling free development tools for Windows 8 desktop apps, only lets you ride the Metro for free (update: confirmed) May 24th 2012, 22:07 Microsoft has instituted a big change with its free Visual Studio 11 Express suite that's leaving some current- and soon-to-be Windows 8 developers up in arms: it's pulling support for creating anything but Metro-native apps. After 11 becomes the norm, desktop developers will need to either cling to Visual Studio 2010 for dear life or fork over the $500 for Visual Studio 11 Professional. Programmers won't have the option of backdoor coding, either, with both the compiler and toolchain being pulled from Windows' framework. The situation doesn't represent the end of the world for some developers -- more established pros don't balk at a $500 price, and third-party tools will likely live on -- but it sets a much higher price of entry for desktop apps developed through the official route, especially if you want to write games using XNA. We've reached out to Microsoft for a response, but for now we'd suggest setting aside five Benjamins if Start screen tiles and app charms aren't your cups of tea. Update: We've confirmed with a Microsoft spokesperson that it's true you'll need Professional if you want to write desktop apps using Visual Studio. It's equally correct, though, that third-party developer kits will keep building desktop apps as long as they have their own compilers and related tools. Microsoft pulling free development tools for Windows 8 desktop apps, only lets you ride the Metro for free (update: confirmed) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 18:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Ars Technica  |  Visual Studio Blog  | Email this | Comments Broadcast TV networks, Dish Network file lawsuits over new Auto Hop ad skipping feature May 24th 2012, 21:42 Dish Network shocked us just a couple of weeks ago by upgrading its new Hopper DVRs with "Auto Hop" ad skipping that targeted prime time programming on broadcast TV captured via its PrimeTime Anytime feature, and predictably, the networks aren't happy. After several executives took shots at the service during upfronts for the new fall programming in the past few weeks, Fox has filed suit in US District Court, while Dish Network responded with its own request for a court order specifying that it does not infringe on the TV network's copyrights. Just in the last few minutes, the New York Times reports NBC has filed a lawsuit against Dish Network as well, and it likely won't be the last one to do so. ReplayTV folded under similar legal pressure, but clearly Dish Network thinks it has a workable solution and now it's going to be up to the courts to decide who wins. Continue reading Broadcast TV networks, Dish Network file lawsuits over new Auto Hop ad skipping feature Broadcast TV networks, Dish Network file lawsuits over new Auto Hop ad skipping feature originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink   |  Hollywood Reporter, Reuters, New York Times  | Email this | Comments Facebook Camera hands-on May 24th 2012, 21:27 Facebook has kept itself rather busy in the last month or so with such tasks as going public and purchasing popular photo-sharing app Instagram, but that doesn't mean it stopped working on other projects in the meantime. This realization is apparent with the launch of Facebook Camera, a photo-centric application that chooses to remain separated from the company's general mobile representation. It's still connected with the social network, of course, but it brings a fresh user interface and some light Photoshop-esque features to the table: filters, cropping, zoom, twist and so on. We had the opportunity to grab the new app and take it for a spin on an iPhone, so check out the gallery and continue below for our first impressions. Gallery: Facebook Camera hands-on Continue reading Facebook Camera hands-on Facebook Camera hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 17:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

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