LG notches 10M worldwide sales of LTE-enabled smartphones

LG Electronics announced today it has sold more than 10 million LTE-capable smartphones worldwide as the company grapples with dwindling market share.

The milestone comes a little more than six months after the company announced it had surpassed 5 million sales of LTE-enabled phones.

"Aggressive pushing forward with 4G LTE technology allows LG satisfy the needs of consumers and is a huge factor in our growing success in global LTE smartphone sales," LG CEO Jong-seok Park said in statement. "Having established ourselves as a major industry player, we will continue to expand our footprint in the global LTE market with a wider range of differentiated, high quality LTE smartphones."

LG said it hopes to double its LTE smartphone presence in 2013 as LTE smartphone shipment growth is expected to triple. Strategy Analytics said in December that its research indicated global LTE smartphone shipments would hit 275 million this year.

The company attributed its explosive growth in the segment to its expansion last year into markets such as the United States, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. Recent rollouts of the LG Optimus G in more than 50 additional countries also contributed to the milestone.

As impressive as the sales figure is, LG continues to lose ground in the LTE market, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. In the third quarter of 2012, LG's market share fell to 9 percent from 15 percent in the previous quarter. Samsung remained the market leader even though its share fell from 51 percent to 40 percent. Apple brought in 26.7 percent for second place.

The announcement comes on the heels of LG's overhaul of its
Android product line at the Mobile World Congress last month in Barcelona, Spain. LG says it is targeting the spectrum of LTE customers, with its G series for deep-pocketed early adopters, the F series with the mission of "4G LTE for everyone," the lower-end L series, and the Vu
tablets.

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Crave Ep. 111: Man vs. jetpack

Man vs. jetpack, Ep: 111

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A German inventor has built a DIY jetpack, so we hop onboard. Also, we get a first look at "Star Wars" pinball for iOS and
Android, and "Star Trek" fans win a major space battle when they vote to name a Pluto moon "Vulcan." All that and more on this week's episode of Crave.

Crave stories:

- Google Nexus fired into space to see if screams are audible

- Myo gesture-control armband uses muscle power

- Star Wars Pinball coming tomorrow to Android, iOS (video)

- Get a ball's-eye view with camera in football

- Trekkies conquer contest to name Pluto moons

- Inventor gets off the ground with homemade jetpack

- First-person Mario video will blow your mind

- Crave giveaway: Two leather iPad cases from Kavaj

Social networking:

- Stephen on Twitter

- Stephen on Google+

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Best Buy takeover talks said to have ended without deal

Best Buy founder Richard Schulze.

(Credit:
Best Buy)

It appears that Best Buy founder Richard Schulze will not be resuming control of the struggling electronics retail giant any time soon.

Negotiations between the Best Buy and Schulze's investment group have concluded without an agreement for taking the company private, sources with knowledge of the matter told The New York Times, although they cautioned that talks could resume in the future.

Schulze, who founded Best Buy in 1996 and served as CEO until 2002, still owns 20 percent of the company and had proposed paying between $24 and $26 per share in cash to acquire the outstanding shares he doesn't own -- a premium of as much as 40 percent over today's closing price of $17.50. Schulze told the company's board last August that he would pay up to $8.8 billion for the big-box electronics chain, saying he was "deeply concerned about the direction of the company."

However, The Times' sources said the investment group's interest soured several weeks ago on the debt involved in the takeover effort

Schulze stepped down as chairman last year after getting caught up in a scandal involving former CEO Brian Dunn. During its investigation, Best Buy found that Schulze had learned of Dunn's relationship with a female employee but didn't inform anyone, prompting the board to ask him to step down.

CNET has contacted Best Buy for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

Best Buy was originally due to release its fourth-quarter and fiscal 2013 earnings today, the same day as Schulze's deadline to submit a buyout offer. The Richfield, Minn.-based company pushed its presentation back a day, fueling speculation that a deal was at hand. However, a company spokesperson told the Star Tribune that the surprise delay was intended only to allow the bid deadline to expire.

With more than 1,400 stores, the company has been struggling to compete with online retailers.

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Urine sample app lets users detect diseases with iPhones

The Uchek app lets users take urine samples with their smartphones.

(Credit:
Uchek)

Ever thought a smartphone could detect what was in your urine? Well, now it can. A new iPhone app developed by MIT entrepreneur Myshkin Ingawale, unveiled at the TED conference this week lets people take urine samples with their mobile device.

Obviously, pee and electronics don't mix, so this app instead uses the smartphone's camera to determine what's in urine. Dubbed Uchek, the app involves the user peeing into a cup, putting a color-coded urinalysis strip into the cup, taking of photo of the results, and then letting the app work its magic.

Uchek can detect up to 25 diseases, such as diabetes, urinary tract infections, and pre-clampsia. It can also measure the levels of glucose, proteins, ketones, and more. According to Wired, 1,200 sample tests showed that the app was more accurate than humans interpreting the color-coded strips.

Ingawale's goal is to help people become more aware of what health issues they might have or track their existing conditions. Ideally, it would be extra information to give to a doctor.

"The idea is to get people closer to their own information," Ingawale said at the TED conference, according to Wired. "I want people to better understand what is going on with their bodies."

Uchek is currently working its way through Apple's approval process and Ingawale is also working on an
Android app, according to Wired. The app will cost 99 cents and users can buy a packet of strips and a color-coded user guide for $20.

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Feds strike a deal with alleged illegal streaming site operator

Homeland Security banner that goes on seized domain name sites.

(Credit:
Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET)

After taking down Channelsurfing.net and arresting its alleged owner in 2011, the Feds now seem to be easing up. Before going to trial, the government struck a deal earlier this month with the alleged site owner Brian McCarthy.

In a "Deferred Prosecution" memo filed on February 11, which was obtained by TorrentFreak, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara writes that "after a thorough investigation, it has been determined that the interest of the United States and your own interest will best be served by deferring prosecution in this District. Prosecution will be deferred during the term of your good behavior and satisfactory compliance with the terms of this agreement."

Channelsurfing.net was seized in February 2011 during a massive Department of Homeland Security crackdown on sports streaming sites that were allegedly infringing on copyright laws.

At the time, Bharara said in a statement, "The illegal streaming of professional sporting events over the Internet deals a financial body blow to the leagues and broadcasters who are forced to pass their losses off to the fans in the form of higher priced tickets and pay-per-view events... the seizures of these infringing Web sites reaffirm our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to protect copyrighted material and put the people who steal it out of business."

Shortly after the site's seizure, McCarthy was arrested and accused of criminal copyright infringement, according to TorrentFreak. Channelsurfing.net did not actually stream sports itself but instead linked to external sport streams.

It's unclear why the feds are letting McCarthy off the hook. Under the terms of the deal he came to with the government, he has to show good behavior, find a legal job, not violate any laws, and steer clear of anything to do with illegal Internet streaming. He also has to pay back $351,033, which he allegedly made via Channelsurfing.net, according to TorrentFreak.

Under its program "Operation In Our Sites," the Department of Homeland Security has continued to crack down on illegal sports streaming sites over the past couple of years. Last February, it seized 307 Web sites that either live-streamed sports or sold fake NFL paraphernalia. It also arrested a man who allegedly operated nine of the streaming sites on criminal copyright infringement charges.

According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more than 700 domain names have been seized since "Operation In Our Sites" launched in 2010.

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Social video startup Viddy lays off a third of its staff

Social video startup Viddy has laid off a dozen employees, or about a third of its work force, as it faces competition from a Twitter app.

The cuts come less than a month after the firing of co-founder and CEO Brett O'Brien, who was rumored to have turned down a buyout offer from Twitter. In a statement, Viddy's board confirmed the staff reductions, which will reportedly focus on marketing and operations:

As the board continues to review Viddy's business, we've identified specific ways to streamline costs which include eliminating some positions. These changes will allow the Viddy team to be focused on bringing the most innovative and engaging social mobile video product to market. Viddy has a strong balance sheet and an exciting product roadmap ahead, including an upcoming new product release, and we have the right team in place to execute moving forward.

Engineers deemed key to development of future products will reported stay with the company, which will be run by co-founders J.J. Aguhob and Chris Ovitz.

Billed as the Instagram of video, the company's apps allow mobile devices to capture and share 15-second video clips that can be enhanced with video and audio filters. The Venice, Calif.-based startup announced in December that it had 40 million users.

However, Viddy has faced increased competition for the past couple of weeks from Vine, an app that Twitter acquired in October and launched last month.

(Via TechCrunch)

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Samsung, Tim Burton brighten Oscars with rainbow-colored unicorn blood

Movies take a lot of thinking.

(Credit:
Samsung Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

"This is getting too weird for me."

These are words you never expected to hear coming from the mouth of Tim Burton.

Yet Samsung, which these days leaves no competitive joke unturned and no Hollywood star untapped, delivered precisely that during the Oscars broadcast.

The ad, released by Samsung a little while before the show, features Burton playing a director delighted to be turning the "Unicorn Apocalypse" game into a movie.

In this context, "delighted" takes on a very idiosyncratic form.

We begin by hearing that another Samsung endorser, LeBron James, is addicted to "Unicorn Apocalypse."

More Technically Incorrect

It's surely hard for anyone not to become addicted to zombie unicorns.

Who more appropriate, then, to direct the movie of the game than Tim Burton?

The man who sees blackness in darkness and deep gray in white saunters into the gaming company and plays, well, himself.

"Did you guys know that unicorns are basically goats?" Burton informs the rapt game creators.

He follows that fascinating information with the perhaps even less-well known fact that unicorn blood is rainbow-colored with little weird sparkles in it.

Which would sum up this ad.

Yes, there are Samsung products in it.

More important, however, are the little weird sparkles that are being sprayed upon the brand with stars, cheek and, most of all, wit.

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The Facebook mistakes people make after a date

February can make people excitable.

A new year is barely old. Hope springs eternal. And then there's Valentine's Day to add a little piquancy to their emotional state.

Sometimes, though, lovers suffer from a certain lack of self-control. This can manifest itself on society's everyday manifest: Facebook.

I was moved, therefore, that someone had taken the time to list the major faux pas that occur when social contact accelerates beyond decent norms.

I am lovingly grateful to Ranker, which has taken it upon itself to reduce the rancor that might be caused by Facebooked overenthusiasm -- the site has listed behavior to avoid.

Apparently the worst thing you can do after meeting someone in whose charm and personality you might be interested is to immediately send them a Facebook friend request.

This might seem obvious to some.

You don't necessarily have any idea what the other person might really think of you. You know, inside their heads.

And, as Ranker wisely offers: "Now you've just given yourself something else to obsess over: 'Why hasn't my friend request been accepted? Why is it taking so long? Did they even see it?!'

And from one small click, a whole new series of sessions with your shrink is created.

It seems, though, that the human imagination has found many more ways of ruining the course of true love on Facebook.

People apparently pore over their new date's Facebook page, seeking secrets to their true friends, thoughts, and, who knows, other objects of affection.

Some devolve into what seems utterly psychotic behavior, such as liking old photos of their new potential paramour. Who does that? Twisted humans, that's who.

But Facebook offers so many more opportunities for self-destruction.

There's revealing too much in your status update. Sample: "I just went on the best date ever with Marie Dupree and her sexy knees."

More Technically Incorrect

Some people, though, go even further and attempt to insert themselves into comments on their love-object's Facebook page, should they already be Facebook friends. Sample: "You look so WONDERFUL when you're saluting the sun, Shoshanna. Can't wait until we do some saluting together!!"

No, it doesn't end there.

The Facebook gauche end up stalking every second of their new friend's Timeline. ("She dated a clown in 2008? Why would she DO that?")

Worse, there are apparently instances of enthusiasts who get so carried away that they start friending the families of their new objects of affection. ("Hi, Mrs. Aziel, you don't know me, but your daughter and I...." Oh, you finish the sentence.)

Facebook offers so many avenues of potential despair that there is only one way that you can use it to avoid complication, pain, sorrow, heartbreak, sleepless nights, and that bottomless feeling of lost opportunity: Don't go anywhere near it.

Top 10 Facebook Mistakes to Avoid After 1st Dates

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Crave Ep. 110: Prevent a hangover with the worlds first 'sober pill'?

Prevent a hangover with the worlds first 'sober pill'? Ep 110

Subscribe to Crave:

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Cheers! Scientists have created what may be the world's first pill that can make you sober if you've gone a little too far with the booze. Russian meteorite fragments go up for sale on online, as do Milla Jovovich's shorts. And later this year a man will have surgery to attach a bionic hand that can feel touch sensations.

Crave stories:

- Russian meteorite fragments pop up for sale online

- Amazon opens celebrity memorabilia store

- Nanotech 'sober pill' could one day de-drunk you

- This sheet turns your windows into mirrors

- Man to get first bionic hand that can 'feel'

- Sony PS4 event skewered in animated parody

- Crave giveaway! Kanex Sydnee four-port recharging station

Social networking:

- Stephen on Twitter

- Stephen on Google+

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Zendesk hack snares user data from Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest

At a time when it seems no company is immune from hackers, user information from three high-profile social-networking sites has been compromised due to a hack at another company.

Customer support service Zendesk revealed today that it had been the victim of a security breach and that information from three of its clients had been downloaded. As first reported by Wired, those three clients are Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr.

Zendesk revealed the hack in a company blog post today that said the vulnerability was immediately identified and patched.

Our ongoing investigation indicates that the hacker had access to the support information that three of our customers store on our system. We believe that the hacker downloaded email addresses of users who contacted those three customers for support, as well as support email subject lines. We notified our affected customers immediately and are working with them to assist in their response.

Although Zendesk did not identity the clients by name, some users of the social-networking services began receiving warnings that they may have been affected by the breach. Wired published warnings sent by each company that identified Zendesk as the point of the leak.

One e-mail sent by Tumblr to a CNET associate said hackers may have had access to the subject lines and e-mail addresses of messages sent to Tumblr support.

The subject lines of your emails to Tumblr Support may have included the address of your blog which could potentially allow your blog to be unwillingly associated with your email address.

Any other information included in the subject lines of emails you've sent to Tumblr Support may be exposed. We recommend you review any correspondence you've addressed to support@tumblr.com, abuse@tumblr.com, dmca@tumblr.com, legal@tumblr.com, enquiries@tumblr.com, or lawenforcement@tumblr.com.

Founded in 2007, the cloud-based customer service solution provider announced last month that it had signed up its 25,000th customer.

The hacks come just days after Apple and Facebook revealed that their respective employees' computers fell victim to unauthorized access.

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Making sense of the PS4 game lineup

NEW YORK--So the world didn't exactly get what it wanted out of Sony's PlayStation 4 debut tonight. There was no sight of the actual console itself and details about its specific release date and price were also nowhere to be seen.

Sony's team-up with Gaikai is sure to net some interesting ideas and implementations with cloud streaming, the sharing of game screens, remote play and other concoctions, but it was the games themselves that made the biggest impact.

Those pondering the PS4's gaming prowesses were served an interesting dish. 10 or so major developers were represented in some capacity and on hand to discuss their progress with the new hardware, which consisted of all sorts of fresh media. Some announced new exclusive titles, while others merely showcased proof of concept videos.

So how do these new tidbits of information playout in the grand scheme of things? How does this impact the current PS3 ecosystem and what we (up until now) thought was a concrete list of upcoming software?

Let's take a closer look at each presentation and dig a little deeper. Here are the exclusives:

The first game to debut was Knack, a title being directed by Mark Cerny, who's also the lead on the PS4's hardware. Knack looks like a platform-action title in the vein of Ratchet & Clank or Jak & Daxter and will be an exclusive PS4 title.

Knack

(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CBS Interactive)

Guerilla Games' next chapter in the Killzone series will be called Shadow Fall. The audience in New York was treated to visually brilliant flythrough that eventually morphed into an actual demo of the game being played live. It was loud, violent and ultimately not much of a departure from previous titles in the franchise. However, the big takeaway here is that Shadow Fall's massive scope and size could only be achieved on next-gen hardware.

Killzone: Shadow Fall

(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CBS Interactive)

From the studio that brought us MotorStorm, the next exclusive to debut was DriveClub, a game that looks to create a never-before-seen racing experience by painstakingly recreating every last possible detail of racing machines. There's also a focus here on multiplayer, specifically 3-on-3 racing.

Next up was inFamous: Second Son, the next-gen effort from Sucker Punch, the studio behind the PS3's duo of inFamous games. Second Son looks to build upon the inFamous universe where normal human beings evolve to harness supernatural powers. Some heavy-duty themes of the cost of freedom and privacy issues came to play in this debut.

Media Molecule, the makers of LittleBigPlanet, showed off some interesting technology as well. Citing the mantra of "the tyranny of the polygon," the team teased what their next project would be by demonstrating the use of a Move controller to sculpt 3D objects and characters in a virtual world.

Media Molecule's sculpting demo

(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CBS Interactive)

Wrapping up the short list of announced exclusives was a quick presentation from David Cage, the founder of developer Quantic Dream. His new game, Beyond: Two Souls was announced at last year's E3, but Cage certainly made it seem that the title would see a PS4 release. It's here where we're starting to see a blurring of the PS3/PS4 release calendar and the first of what could be many PS3 titles that actually become PS4 bound.

Indie games had a great night too. Jonathan Blow, the creator of the hit, Braid, was on hand to talk about his next title, The Witness. This wasn't necessarily an announcement, but rather a chance for the world to see much more of a game that doesn't necessarily follow the same formula as most mainstream titles. The Witness will launch along with the PS4, but only with a timed exclusivity.

The Witness

(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CBS Interactive)

What followed after Blow's segment was a parade of third party developers chatting up what their studio's were cooking up for PlayStation 4. It's safe to assume these titles will most likely not be totally exclusive to Sony's system.

Capcom unveiled its next-gen engine, codenamed Panta Rhei, and the first title to be released built upon it. Tentatively titled Deep Down, the game looks like it will be some sort of dungeon-raiding adventure title complete with fire-breathing dragons, in-game slo-mo sequences and gorgeous texture renderings.

Deep Down (working title)

(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CBS Interactive)

Next up was publisher Square Enix showing off the Luminous Studio engine which was used to provide the attending audience with more of a "what's possible" using PS4 hardware. There was no specific game being announced here, just an over-the-top sequence of magic, gunfighting and brilliant visuals.

Square Enix shows off a proof of concept video

(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CBS Interactive)

Ubisoft's time on stage was spent providing a real-time demo of Watch Dogs, the current-gen turned next-gen title that will officially be a PS4 game. Arguably the best demo of the evening, Watch Dogs presents a world where players can hack almost anything in the world around them, using circuit breakers as booby traps and stalling trains to their advantage.

Watch Dogs

(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CBS Interactive)

Blizzard Entertainment made a brief presentation announcing that Diablo III would appear on both the PS3 and PS4.

Finally, Activision spent a few minutes discussing developer Bungie's first foray outside of Microsoft's console, announcing that Destiny will also be a PS3 and PS4 title.

It's tough to completely wrap our heads around the PS3 release calendar and how it will overlap with PS4's. Because the PS4 will not be backwards compatible with PS3 games directly, it's created what is going to be a strange transitional period where we have games available on both platforms. How Gaikai's streaming technology comes into play with PS3 backwards compatibility has still yet to be definitively outlined.

Hopefully this wrap-up provides a bit of clarity to what was certainly an evening of scattered information. It's not worth hoping for things to get much clearer from now until this summer's E3, which should shed much more light on these titles and more.

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HTC One takes display pixel density crown

The HTC One has one eye-popping display.

(Credit:
HTC)

The HTC One has taken the pixel density crown, leaving phones like Retina iPhone 5 in the dust.

First, to get a sense of the HTC One screen's density, a quick comparison to Microsoft's Surface Pro, which has also been praised for its display chops, puts this into perspective.

The Surface Pro packs a resolution of 1,920x1,080 into a 10.6-inch panel. One of the highest pixel densities (208 pixels per inch, to be exact) for a
Windows 8 PC to date.

The HTC One packs that same resolution (1,920x1,080) into a 4.7-inch screen. That's more than 2 million pixels, yielding 468 pixels per inch (ppi).

"That makes it the current record holder for announced/shipping consumer products," Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate, told CNET.

Some products get close, though. Last summer, Sharp and LG announced a new class of very high-ppi displays with 440ppi, which is 1,920x1,080 in a 5-inch (phablet) size, Soneira added.

The first shipping product in the U.S. with this display is the
HTC Droid DNA, which began shipping in December and it has a Sharp display, according to Soneira.

And other manufacturers including Samsung are working on this new format. And LG is now also shipping a 440 ppi display, which, though a slightly lower pixel density, is "visually indistinguishable" from HTC One's display, he said.

Close up of HTC One's icons.

(Credit:
HTC)

Sharp is making its 440+ ppi screens using a technology called Continuous Grain Silicon. "It has higher electron mobility than either IGZO or amorphous silicon, which allows for maximum aperture ratio/light transmission," according to Soneira.

Translation: More light can get through the closely packed pixels than conventional technology, leading to brighter very-high-resolution screens.

And what about the inevitable comparison to Apple's Retina display tech?

"Now 468 ppi is substantially higher than the
iPhone 5's 326 ppi. What does that mean visually? In terms of what Apple calls a Retina Display (equivalent to 20/20 Vision), for 20/20 Vision, 10.5 inches is the viewing distance where the eye can just resolve the individual iPhone 326 ppi pixels for people with standard 20/20 Vision."

Soneira continues. "For 468 ppi, the 20/20 Vision pixel resolution distance is 7.4 inches -- much closer than a typical viewing distance for a 4.7 inch display. Watching further away from the minimum viewing distance means the eye can't resolve the pixels and so the high ppi is often wasted."

But not always. "The only place where [this]...level of sharpness is important is for computer generated text and graphics. Where 440 ppi [and above] will make a difference is when people are intently visually studying the display image for fine image details," he said.

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Chinese Army linked to hacks of U.S. companies, agencies

An "overwhelming percentage" of cyber attacks on U.S. corporations, government agencies, and organizations originate from a 12-story office tower on the outskirts of Shanghai that's connected to the People's Liberation Army, according to an extensive New York Times report.

The newspaper cites a 60-page report by U.S. security firm Mandiant traces the activities of a sophisticated Chinese hacking groups -- known in some circles as "Comment Crew" or "Shanghai Group" -- to the headquarters of PLA Unit 61398. The report notes that a body of digital forensic evidence led investigators to the building's doorstep but was unable to confirm that the hackers were inside the building.

However, Mandiant argues that there is realistic explanation for the large number of attacks emanating from such a small neighborhood populated with restaurants and massage parlors.

"Either they are coming from inside Unit 61398," Kevin Mandia, the founder and chief executive of Mandiant, told the Times, "or the people who run the most-controlled, most-monitored Internet networks in the world are clueless about thousands of people generating attacks from this one neighborhood."

As part of its report, Mandiant also released a highly detailed video (see below) it says shows actual attacker sessions conducted by a hacker group in China Mandiant calls Advanced Persistent Threat group 1, or APT1.

"Our analysis has led us to conclude that APT1 is likely government-sponsored and one of the most persistent of China's cyber threat actors," Mandiant wrote.

Chinese authorities told the Times that its country does not engage in computer hacking.

The probe came after the newspaper revealed last month that it was the victim of a four-month cyberattack in which hackers stole the passwords of its employees in an effort to get information on sources and contacts for a story on Chinese Prime Minster Wen Jiabao. According to the Times, the methods these hackers used were similar to past attacks by the Chinese military.

The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post also reported being the victims of similar hacks. The newspaper hired the firm to investigate the hack but found that Comment Crew was not responsible for the sophisticated hack.

Mandiant said it had been tracking Comment Crew for more than six years and had traced their activities to IP addresses that were registered in the same neighborhood as Unit 61398's building.

"It's where more than 90 percent of the attacks we followed come from," Mandia told the Times.

The report comes out as the U.S. begins a more aggressive policy of cyber defense against hackers like those suspected to be in China. Under a long-anticipated executive order signed last week by President Obama, companies will be allowed to share confidential information such as hackers' unique digital signatures with intelligence agencies without oversight.

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Why Google's stores shouldn't look so much like Apple stores

Is this really different enough?

(Credit:
Crave CNET UK)

Some engineers have never dated a real person.

They've tried to, but it's hard for them to appreciate that real people don't necessarily use data to make decisions -- especially when it comes to love.

Perhaps their most embarrassing moments come when they try to mimic what non-engineers do in order to make themselves more attractive.

This mirrors some of the little issues that the Google brand has had over the years in becoming, well, human.

When you've spent you life believing that facts are everything, it's hard to imagine that people might prefer, oh, rounded corners or that ephemeral thing sometimes known as taste.

Google has made progress through some of its advertising. The "Jess Time" ad for Chrome was one of the very best tech ads of the 2012.

Yet when Google has wandered into retail, it has either believed that all you need is online or that an offline store ought to look rather like Apple's.

This is something against which Microsoft also struggles. It was almost comical when one Microsoft employee explained to me that its store looked -- at first glance -- a lot like the Apple store because the company used the same design firm.

This week, rumors surfaced that Google wants to make the next step in coming toward humanity by having its own shopping-mall retail presence.

The evidence so far from its pop-up stores -- as the picture above shows -- is that Google isn't thinking different. Or, at least, different enough.

If it fully intends to come out to the people -- to be itself-- then instead of having nice, clean retail staff in blue T-shirts (what brand does that remind you of?), it should embrace its true heart.

It should have real house-trained nerds, replete with bedhead and bad taste clothing, there for all to see. Yes, you could have nice, normal members of staff there to translate for them.

But the purpose of a retail store isn't merely to sell. It's to create street theater. Apple has its own version. Google must find its own too.

Instead of the now almost cliched clean lines and permanent white, it should make its stores look like excitable, sophisticated college playrooms, where books about dragons and vast Hulk hands are lying about and episodes of "Star Trek" and "Game of Thrones" are playing on huge screens.

More Technically Incorrect

It should expose itself fully as a brand that came out of nerdomania by parading its nerdomanic tendencies for all to see and making it lovable.

You might think this marginally insane. You might think that I am suffering from delusions of brandy.

Yet "The Big Bang Theory" has proved to be one of the most popular TV shows, not because the nerds are hidden away, but because they are in full view, with a beautiful counterpoint in a real person called Penny.

Imagine taking your kids, your lover, or your granny into a Google store and having them actually enjoy learning something about, say, comic books or Hermann von Helmholtz.

Imagine walking in and one of the Google nerds has dressed as The Flash, Batman, or Wonder Woman for the day, yet still finds a way to sell you a fascinating
Nexus 7.

In fact, wouldn't it be an excellent human resources idea, as well as a stimulus to make more uplifting products, if every Google engineer had to spend a certain period working in a Google retail store?

Mountain View should surely mine the more lofty, fantastic elements of its reality in order to create something unique and dramatic.

Otherwise, its stores might simply be accused of being Apple rip-offs.

And you know where that will ultimately end up. Yes, in front of Judge Lucy Koh.

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Russian meteorite: The conspiracy theories

A strange time for a military attack?

(Credit:
CNN; screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

A good hearty conspiracy theory can shine a sharp light on two of humanity's most enduring traits.

One, of course, is humanity's boundless imagination. The other is humanity's essential suspicion of humanity.

So while you might be deeply immersed in Bill Nye's explanation of the Russian meteorite, those with darker sensibilities have filled the Web with their fears and hauntings about the phenomenon.

There are few nations with greater awareness of dark sensibilities than Russia. The fact that there seems to be little evidence of meteorite fragments on the ground has encouraged some Russians to offer their own suspicions.

As the Toronto Globe and Mail reports, nationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky hasn't been slow to offer something of a Hot War perspective.

"It's not meteors falling. It's a new weapon being tested by the Americans," he was quoted as saying.

We know from our recent experience of North Korea that weapons testing is an imprecise science.

But if you were an American in the mood to test a weapon, would Chelyabinsk, Russia, be your very first choice of place for the experiment?

Perhaps Tallahassee; Area 51; and Bialystok, Poland, were all unavailable due to prior commitments. Or perhaps it wasn't the Americans, but, say, the North Koreans, who mistook Chelyabinsk for, say, Chelsea.

Zhirinovsky's rather emotionally manipulative offering was countered by Russia's Emergency Ministry, which dedicated itself to an extensive rebuttal of his belief (and that of others) that this was some sort of military thing. The rebuttal? "Rubbish."

But that wasn't going to put off the local media, was it? Not only do they have papers to sell, they also have theories to expound to a troubled nation and world.

So, as The Atlantic reports, the local Znak newspaper accepted that this was a meteorite but insisted the explosion was caused by military defense blowing it up.

More Technically Incorrect

Yes, of course it has a source in the military. You thought it didn't?

Though I've watched a few movies in which exciting things happen, I don't find it easy to imagine that some sort of terrestrially created missile-laden aircraft could really explode a meteorite in such a manner.

It is easier to imagine, though, that politicians like Zhirinovsky might take the opportunity to foment a little rage.

Indeed, Alex Jones' infamously well-guarded Infowars site offered that Zhirinovsky insisted that America -- in the person of Secretary of State John Kerry -- had tried to give Russia advance notice of its "attack."

The Drudge Report led me to a piece at Foreign Policy that explained that Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, simply hadn't called Kerry back.

Which all suggests that Russia isn't, after all, living in fear of an attack from the U.S. Especially one over Chelyabinsk.

On balance, I prefer to currently believe Nye. He is the science guy, after all. And science guys know scientific events when they see them.

I hope.

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E-orders for 128GB Surface Pro to ship in 2-3 weeks -- Microsoft

Microsoft provided another update at the end of this week regarding the availability of its sold-out 128GB version of the Surface Pro.

A February 15 Surface Blog post said that those ordering through the Microsoft online store in the U.S. can place an order for the 128GB model and have it ship in two to three weeks.

The new post also provided updated information for those wanting to "reserve" the Intel-based PC/tablet hybrid
Surface Pro devices. Up until now, Microsoft officials have declined comment when asked whether users would be able to pre-order Surface Pros.

Here's the latest Surface Pro availability guidance:

At Best Buy (U.S.): Inventory levels are increasing and many Best Buy stores have Surface Pro units for sale in-store. If the store does not have stock, you can reserve a Surface Pro (64GB and 128GB). Please note that Best Buy is only taking reservations in their stores for Surface Pro based on new inventory they know is coming in next week, so it's possible that reservations could become "sold out."

At Staples (U.S.): Many Staples stores have Surface Pro units for sale in stores. If the store does not have stock, you can place a kiosk order in store to purchase Surface Pro 64GB for delivery.

For Canada: In Best Buy and Future Shop stores you can reserve the 64GB Surface Pro in stores at this time. Staples has availability online while inventory lasts and more inventory has been ordered to ensure store availability in the near future. More details to come on the 128GB Surface Pro availability in Canada.

It seems that Staples is making the 128GB Surface Pros available for order online and that they are not being stocked in Staples brick-and-mortar outlets, as I noted earlier this week.

Microsoft is "work(ing) around the clock to meet that demand with production and get new inventory into retail," the post concluded. Company officials advise customers interested in the Pros to call ahead before venturing to stores this weekend, in spite of guidance earlier in the week that more stores would have stock on hand starting on Saturday, February 16.

It's still unclear why there are not enough Surface Pros on the market. Is it that Microsoft seriously underestimated demand for 128GB Surface Pros -- a happy problem for the Softies? Or have supply-chain problems led to device shortages (a not-so-happy problem)? Microsoft's Surface Pro devices went on sale February 9.

This story originally appeared on ZDNet under the headline "Microsoft: Online orders for 128 GB Surface Pro to ship in two to three weeks."

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Staples will reportedly begin selling Apple products in U.S.

Might Staples customers soon be able to get their hands on Apple's 4th-generation iPad at the office supply store?

(Credit:
Apple)

Apple products will soon be showing up at Staples stores, according to tweets from employees at the office supply store chain.

Regis Mulot, the vice president of international human resources at Staples, made the announcement this afternoon:

In addition to Mulot's tweet, Erin LaFlamme, a Strategic Accounts coordinator at Staples, tweeted her joy at the deal (and the apparent gift of Apple pie):

Mike Goggin, a field services manager at Staples, tweeted that it was a done deal:

Rumors of just such a tie-up have been circulating for a couple of months. Initially offering its products only at CompUSA, the company has gradually expanded its retail channels to include Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and RadioShack.

The move would be a big win for both companies. It would give Apple exposure at one of the largest office supply chains in the U.S., while expanding Staples' customer base with Apple's loyal customers.

It was not clear which products would be offered or when they might arrive in stores. CNET has contacted Staples and Apple for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

(Via AppleInsider)

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Instagram seeks dismissal of lawsuit over TOS change

Instagram has asked a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit over controversial terms of service changes the popular photo-sharing service announced last year.

The lawsuit, which was filed in December and seeks class-action status, accused the service of breach of contract and trying to "grab for customer property rights" after announcing revisions to its terms of service that many feared gave the service perpetual rights to sell users' photographs without payment or notification.

After a user backlash, Facebook-owned Instagram soon backpedaled on the changes and announced that the terms would revert to the version in place since the service launched in 2010.

In a filing today with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District, Instagram argues that plaintiff Lucy Funes is not entitled to her claim because she could have deleted her account before the new terms were implemented and continued to use her account on January 19, when the changes in terms of service occurred.

Instagram had said that the new terms of service would go into effect January 19 and that users could not opt out but could delete their accounts before the deadline. The lawsuit takes issue with that last point, saying customers could cancel, but that in doing so would forfeit the right to their photos.

Instagram's filing also takes issue with that point, claiming that the terms of service prior to January 19 did not claim any ownership rights to user-created content.

CNET has contacted Funes' attorney for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

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Obama commends Apple and Intel for U.S. manufacturing

President Obama commends Apple and Intel for creating U.S. manufacturing jobs during his State of the Union address.

(Credit:
CBS News)

One of President Obama's policy points in his State of the Union speech tonight was that U.S. companies need to create jobs here. Not only did he stress this need, he also praised those companies already in the process of doing this, including Intel and Apple.

"Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing. After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three," Obama said in his speech. "Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. After locating plants in other countries like China, Intel is opening its most advanced plant right here at home. And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again."

Sitting there in the audience, next to First Lady Michelle Obama, was Apple CEO Tim Cook. Cook announced in December Apple's plans to move some
Mac production to the U.S. The company is investing $100 million on this venture, Cook said.

Intel has also ramped up U.S. production over the past year by building a manufacturing plant in Arizona. The plant is expected to produce Intel's next generation of processors built on its 14-nanometer technology. The company said it was investing more than $5 billion in the facility. Giving a nod to Intel's advances with U.S. manufacturing, Obama visited the plant last January.

"It's not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth," Obama said in his State of the Union speech tonight.

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Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen: 'I don't want to kill ads'

Dish Network founder and Chairman Charlie Ergen (Credit: Dan Farber)

DANA POINT, Calif.--You might think that Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen wants to kill TV advertising. With the introduction of the Dish Hopper with Sling HD DVR nationwide this week, the company ironically launched a new series of commercials to promote the latest version of its ad-skipping product.

In one commercial, the "Boston guys" sit on a couch paying their last respects to commercials. "Now that we have the Hopper, we can watch commercial-free TV," they said. "Commercials are out of our lives."

Granted, viewers keep the fast-forward button handy to skip ads on their DVR, but automating the process has forced the broadcast networks to take up arms against Dish's AutoHop feature.

CBS Corp., parent company of CNET, NBC (Comcast), ABC (Disney), and Fox (News Corp.) have all filed suits against Dish.

In a brief on January 31, Fox accused Dish of breaching its contract by creating an ad-free copy of Fox's content:

Dish did not "create commercial free TV." Fox has been offering VOD and commercial-free TV to consumers for years. Instead, Dish created a competing, premium, VOD service that Dish's top executive boasted would make licensed services like Hulu obsolete, and that threatens the ad-supported broadcast television ecosystem. Contrived legal argument to avoid abiding by conditions in a license agreement is not innovation.

But Ergen maintains that he really doesn't want to kill TV ads, he just wants to change the way ads are delivered to consumers.

In conversation with Peter Kafka at the All Things D Dive into Media conference here, Ergen was asked about the new ads.

"It's not an ad that the networks are going to run. It's our team having a little bit of fun," he said. "I don't want to kill ads. I think advertising is great. I am very aware of the multiple revenue stream in television, subscription and advertising. But I also don't want to put my head in the sand. As an example, Hulu did a good job. You can pick an ad that is relevant to you. With the Hopper, we have technology that allows you to pick an ad relevant to you. But the broadcast industry is slow to adapt to that.

"We have the ability to skip commercials, so it makes sense to give more targeted, meaningful, and fewer commercials, and they can make more money," he said, adding as an example, "A single mom may not need the testosterone ad that runs time and time again. She may want something about fashion," Ergen said.

In pursuit of that "smarter Hopper" mission, Ergen wants to compete with the cable and wireless providers to offer a complete set of services inside and outside the home, and to use all the data to target customers with ads. Dish has tried to acquire DirectTV to expand its satellite footprint and has been trying to acquire wireless spectrum from Clearwire. So far, he has struck out.

In its own suit against the broadcast networks, Dish claims that the AutoHop feature doesn't infringe copyright because the technology doesn't alter the broadcast signal since the ads are not deleted from the recording.

It appears that Ergen is less focused on killing advertising than taking a piece of that action. "They [broadcasters] are trying to run their business and do right things for their shareholders. I am trying to explain to them how to make more money, not less," Ergen said. But, in its marketing, Dish talks about skipping ads, not about reframing how the $60 billion per year in TV ads are delivered.

"The lawsuits will ultimately decide the fate of commercials. If the broadcasters win on their claims, it would outlaw the DVR," Ergen said. That may be an exaggeration, but it wouldn't stop Ergen from trying to upend the delivery of TV services. "I believe it's less risky to embrace change...you can lead it and make the rules or be a fast follower or slow follower and pay more to catch up."

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