Verizon to offer Sling with 4G/LTE Mobile Phones

With rumors that the iPhone may finally be coming to the Now Network, and now, a real announcement of a package deal that pairs the SlingBox to an LTE/4G Mobile Phone, Verizon has been very busy at CES.

Here’s the deal – customers who subscribe to LTE broadcand can get a Slingbox Media Streamer and a copy of Slingplayer bundled right in. The app itself is a $39.99 value and will be available for select 4G smartphones from Sansung and HTC, as well as being coupled with the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

There’s no word on how much the extra service will run, but it is expected to be a separate tiered service and will add to the already over $100 monthly cellphone bill subscribers are used to.

The offer will be available later in the year and will also include Vcast.

Hands on with the Droid X, plus an important lesson learned at CES 2011

Today I am doing something for the very first time as I am doing my first post on the road here at CES. Right now, I am in a slow moving line, waiting for a bus to bring me to the Las Vegas Convention Center. My brand new Droid X is giving me access to this blog, but I cannot see what I am typing as I go.

After I typed the first paragraph, I lost track of the words as the keyboard took up most of the screen, and never could successfully get back to them. This is sadly a failed experiement. Right now, I am continuing this blog at a party at the Venetian sponsored by Lenovo on one of their desktops.

HTC zaps the CES with the HTC Thinderbolt

HTC intends to make the most out of this year’s CES by announcing their latest masterpiece, touted to be the first 4G LTE Android smartphone in the world – the HTC Thunderbolt. Needless to say, something as exclusive as this will be made available via Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, and you can be sure that with Verizon Wireless, having speedy connections under plenty of areas is something that you can expect without having to keep your fingers crossed. This phone looks set to blaze new trails, and for those who want the latest and the greatest, the HTC Thunderbolt should be on your radar.

Also carrying the HTC Sense experience inside for a more enjoyable Android experience instead of the stock user interface, this is also one of the first smartphones to integrate Skype mobile with video calling – a feature that was recently announced, and with 4G connectivity, it makes perfect sense to use the handset for video calls rather than regular phone calls. It will not rely on a standalone application either, as a Skype mobile with video call is easily made – similar to that of a standard voice call, boasting features such as presence icons that indicate the availability status of friends built into the standard contacts list. The inclusion of a front-facing camera will pave the way for simple video calling, while its 4.3-inch display brings friends and family into clear focus.

You definitely won’t find the HTC ThunderBolt to be a slouch in any way, as it boasts exceptional speed and power with the latest generation of the super fast 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Powered by Android 2.2 Froyo, other hardware specifications of this beauty include a 4.3-inch WVGA display, Dolby surround sound, an 8-megapixel camera and HD video recording. Wireless DLNA capability is also thrown into the mix, letting the HTC ThunderBolt can easily stream and share content directly with compatible home theater components. Oh yeah, just so that you don’t complain about the lack of storage space, each purchase will ship with a 32GB microSD memory card – now how about that?

Digital Waybill

Digital Waybill is a software company that makes software for courier services. The courier software  does GPS tracking, online ordering and integrates directly with Quickbooks. 

All it takes is about five minutes to set up our courier software. And about half hour to customize the delivery software to meet your unique business needs. The software is as simple as using you email and if you do not know to use the electronic mail services, nothing to worry, digital Waybill will help you in every step of the way. It can’t get easier than that!

Here are some of the things that Digital Waybill is proud of and is what most of their customers have to say about this product:

• Seamless Quickbooks integration. Usually, invoicing takes hours, but with this software it’s done in minutes!
• Monthly billing, no long term commitment or large amount of money up front!
• Free trial of the product allows everybody to really learn the product.
• Personal customer support, if they don't answer immediately which is rare, they always respond right back.
• The remote assistance makes any issues you have, a non-issue; they can see exactly what you are talking about.
• Within the first month of implementing Digital Waybill, their client received a new customer, just based on the fact that they can visually track their drivers and could show the prospect in the system, something they were promised by another courier that never happened.

USB Rechargeable Batteries

Here is a way you can preserve our environment and energy by using rechargeable batteries, rather than using plain disposable batteries that are harmful to our environment. So, by not using rechargeable batteries, not only do we end up spending more money but also end up polluting the environment.

Here is something that will surely catch your attention: You must have heard of rechargeable batteries which was released first in the 80’s and became a huge hit because it could be used over and over again. You must have heard of charging the batteries using electricity and power outlets and there are latest ones that use solar power for recharging. Well here is a USB AA rechargeable batteries. USBCELL AA batteries are standard rechargeable batteries but in order to recharge them you need to remove the top of the battery and plug them into the USB port. It takes about an hour to recharge it to 50%.

Email authentication using DKIM now available to all Google Apps domains

Google Apps administrators can now enable DKIM signing for all outgoing messages which helps validate outbound mail as being from that domain. 

To add a digital signature to outgoing mail, you generate a domain key that Google Apps uses to create encrypted mail headers that are unique to your domain. You add the public key to the Domain Name System (DNS) records for your domain. Recipients can then verify the source of a mail message by retrieving your public key and using it to decrypt the header.

Editions included: 
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

Languages included: 
US English Only (Next Generation Control Panel)

How to access what's new: 
There are three major steps required to add the DKIM signature to all outgoing mail:
- Generate the domain key for your domain
- Add the public domain key to the DNS records for your domain
- Turn on authentication in the ‘Advanced Tools’ section of the administrator control panel

Note: If you purchased your domain from one of our registration partners while signing up for Google Apps, the first two steps are not necessary. Google will automatically generate the domain key and add the necessary DNS record when you turn on authentication.

Dead Space 2 Updated Hands-On

Luckless engineer Isaac Clarke is knee-deep in necros once more, as we wade through the first two hours of Dead Space 2.

Poor Isaac Clarke scraped through the events of Dead Space only to wind up on Titan with barely time to pull on his new RIG before wading into a fresh host of necromorphs. The gruesome space zombies abound on Titan Station, where Isaac is caught between the twisted Church of Unitology and a corporation out to exploit the madness-inducing Marker artefact, all while being tormented by an apparition of his late girlfriend. Poor Isaac Clarke.

Get up close and personal with your favorite necros.

Titan Station, a colony on Saturn's largest moon, is overrun with fleshy abominations even before our luckless engineer escapes the hospital in which he awakes. In the first couple of hours of the game, we steered him through apartment complex Titan Heights and onto a train; then, one train wreck later, through a shopping concourse, a zero-gravity garbage compactor, the Unitology Recruitment Centre, and into the creepily opulent Church of Unitology itself.

As a civilian settlement, Titan Station makes for environments that contrast with those of the spaceship-set first game; though the spaces are still mostly enclosed and corridor heavy, they include compact apartments, laundrettes, shops, and an elementary school, with the pupils of the latter reborn as screeching infant demons. Areas are occasionally linked by claustrophobic vents through which Isaac has to crawl. On other occasions, he draws on his engineering experience to hack electronics, represented by an analog stick-twiddling minigame. The halls are decked with gore and spidery alien scrawl, but beyond the windows, the station is practically scenic: a gleaming space-cityscape withBlade Runner-esque vehicles to match the "futuristic" electronic signage inside.

Team necromorph has diversified since the first game, counting spitting and vomiting horrors among its ranks, as well as the demonic kids and the classic, stabby variety. Some creatures resemble heads with tentacles, while others feature explosive yellowish growths to avoid while you're going about strategically dismembering them. Otherwise, dismemberment is still the way to go, and to that end, there's the usual plasma cutter with vertical-to-horizontal alternate fire mode, which is best used in conjunction with the slow-motion stasis power, plus a satisfyingly destructive pulse rifle coupled with grenades. There's also the powerful line gun, like a plasma cutter with a wider spray, that plants mines in its alternate fire mode, and there's the javelin gun, whose spikes can be remotely electrified. Weapons can be purchased from the automated stores dotted around the station and upgraded with upgrade nodes at workbenches, as can the new, nimbler-looking RIG exosuit.

Zero-gravity movement, encountered a couple of times in the first few chapters, has Isaac launching, landing, and boosting--flying, that is--through slowly drifting debris, with floating globules of water a nice visual addition. One zero-g segment takes place inside a powered-down waste unit, while another takes place inside the huge Church of Unitology complex, after disabling the spinning rings of a gravity generator. Those Unitologists don't lack funding--the complex is packed with lavish studies and training rooms; around a gift shop and vast cathedral hall, atop a network of frozen crypts; and all scattered with sly, parodic pokes at Scientology.

The cathedral is the stage for a face-off with a giant clawed necromorph and The Pack (the kiddie demons) that may be familiar from trailers and the demo. That is one of the action-focused beats that break up the slower, creepier traversing of the station, but it's not as extended or spectacular as the train set piece. In this, we fought necromorphs on a moving train that became a crashing, falling train--with Isaac dropping through the carriages, blasting necros as he went. Other action beats are based on explosive decompression; a window is broken, giving you seconds to shoot an emergency switch before Isaac is sucked out into space.

Isaac Clarke….sliding?

Along with the action, there are the subtler scares, with lights failing and elevators halting in readiness for nasties to leap out of vents. The impressively unsettling ambient sound and contextually triggered music returns from the first game: whispers, giggles, spooky distant lullabies, crying behind locked doors, breathing inside the RIG helmet, occasionally punctuated with tense orchestral stings. The nightmare soundscape of real and imagined noises heightens the impression of Isaac's tattered sanity; some of the most sinister moments aren't playable but are flashes of hallucination, mostly starring the girlfriend-turned-demonic-tormentor.

For Isaac Clarke, then, things only go from bad to worse. It's just as well--you couldn't base a Dead Space 2 on pottering about in early, stress-related retirement. The game launches on January 25 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, and there's a console demo available now.

3D Glasses

You'll likely get one or two sets of glasses with the 3D HDTV you purchase, although some models don't have glasses bundled in, and you'll likely need more pairs if you have friends over. An extra set of glasses runs between $130 and $150, depending on the brand. As a general rule, don't futz around with trying to match different brands of glasses with different brands of TVs. If you have a Panasonic HDTV, get Panasonic glasses. Companies like XpanD also have universal glasses (which aren't entirely universal) in the marketplace for about the same price.

Should you own a 3D-ready HDTV, you'll need a 3D-sync device. Like the glasses, each company sells its own branded device. Expect to spend about $50 on the unit, although most come bundled with glasses.

Watch out for passive 3D glasses being sold in stores. The vast majority of 3D HDTVs require active glasses to function. Passive 3D glasses are currently used inside of movie theaters. Unless you're looking to get a personal set for use at a theater, these won't cut it for home use.

3D Gaming on the Console

At the moment, Sony is actively pushing 3D gaming with the PlayStation 3. The console supports 3D gaming once you've installed firmware version 3.30 and higher. There are numerous games available that support 3D, both in stores and for download from PlayStation Network. Don't forget about the Blu-ray player either--it's also capable of 3D Blu-ray playback.

Microsoft's been mostly silent on the 3D-gaming front. The Xbox 360 is certainly capable of displaying 3D visuals, and Microsoft has stated that developers are free to enable 3D content for the console. However, the decision to omit HDMI outputs on early models of the console didn't help the company in terms of compatibility. 3D visuals cannot be transferred via component, composite, or S-Video cables.

Nintendo's Wii lacks an HDMI output and is, consequently, not capable of 3D gaming in the modern sense. There are a few titles that take advantage of 3D gaming via glasses with conventional red-and-blue lens filters. Outside of the glasses, you don't need any additional hardware to play the games in 3D.

Xbox 360 sells 50 million, Kinect 8 million

LAS VEGAS--As is the case each year, one of the centerpieces of the Consumer Electronics Showis the keynote from the CEO of Microsoft. Since 2009, that job has fallen to Steve Ballmer, the software giant's current chief executive, who will be on hand Wednesday night to deliver a presentation outlining Microsoft's latest wares.

Game Room for Xbox Live was one of the big gaming announcements at CES 2010.

Last year, a significant section of that presentation was dedicated to gaming, with emcee duties during that period handled by former senior vice president of the Entertainment and Devices Division, Robbie Bach. (Bach has since left the company.) Last year, the biggest gaming news to emerge from the event was that Kinect--then called Project Natal--would ship during the 2010 holiday season. The company also took the wraps of Game Room for Xbox Live, which would let gamers revisit classic games in a virtual arcade, complete with original cabinet art.

This year, it appears one of Microsoft's big CES game reveals may have been blown, courtesy of some apparently leaked photos of the presentation's rehearsal. One such photo showed a slide for something called "Avatar Kinect," possibly a new service involving Xbox Live Avatars controlled by the motion-sensing system. Microsoft declined to comment on the slide, which appears authentic.

Other possible CES reveals include the next wave of Kinect games, Windows Phone 7 games, and the latest sales statistics for the Xbox 360, which was the top-selling console in the US during several of the last months of 2010.

[6:38] Following the obligatory too-hip music montage blaring over the PA system comes the obligatory introduction of Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association.

Welcome to Microsoft's keynote!

[6:41] Surprise, he says, "This is my favorite week of the year."

[6:41] There are 2,700 companies displaying this year.

[6:45] After discussing the show's various aspects and keynotes, Shapiro introduces Steve Ballmer, who joined Microsoft as its first business manager in 1980.

[6:46] Ballmer lived down the hall from Bill Gates when they were both at Harvard.

[6:47] Cue Microsoft credits--and booming music--as Ballmer takes the stage.

[6:47] He begins with a run-down of 2010.

Steve Ballmer.

[6:48] The year saw the launch of Internet Explorer 9, Windows Phone 7, and Kinect.

[6:49] Tonight, we wants to show "a little bit of what's coming next."

[6:49] He begins with the Xbox, which launched 10 years ago this year.

[6:50] Next was Xbox Live in 2002, a service which provided online gaming, and eventually including music, video, and social networking such as Facebook.

[6:51] Next up is Kinect, introduced last year, which was the biggest year in Xbox 360 history.

[6:52] No figures are offered, but a slick video montage rolls of people enjoying Kinect and watching ESPN on Xbox Live.

[6:52] Cue celebrities promoting the game.

[6:53] Ballmer back, promising a sneak peek of what's in store for Kinect later this year.

Is Microsoft on Team Edward or Team Jacob?

[6:55] First up is a demo of Zune video marketplace, which will suggest movies via voice commands.

[6:55] He browses videos with his hands and then selects a movie by saying "Xbox. Play this."

[6:56] The movie--the latest Twilight film--picks up where he left off.

[6:57] He then navigates to the music hub of Zune with voice commands, and skims through a playlist.

[6:58] The demonstrator then announces that this spring, Netflix movies and Hulu Plus will be able to be controlled sans controller with Kinect.

A Kinect interface will be coming to Netflix soon.

[7:00] Now the subject movies to ESPN, and a clip is shown of the demonstrator trash-talking with his sister via Xbox Live while watching the Rose Bowl on Xbox Live.

[7:01] The demonstrator leaves, and the screen is suddenly filled with the Xbox Live Avatar of Ballmer, who is now giving the presentation.

[7:02] He then shows how Kinect will soon be able to recognize facial features, including smiles and even eyebrow raises.

[7:02] This will be done via a new feature called…Avatar Kinect.

[7:03] The service will let players interact as their Avatars in 15 different settings, and hang out.

[7:03] Due out this spring, and free for all Xbox Live Gold members.

[7:04] Xbox Live now totals 30 million members, a new milestone.

[7:04] One person joins Xbox Live every two seconds.

[7:05] Over 50 million Xbox 360s sold worldwide.

[7:05] Kinect beat its 5 million forecast handily, selling 8 million units in just 60 days.

Announcing Avatar Kinect!

[7:06] Ballmer is now moving the subject to Windows Phone 7, which is integrated with Xbox Live.

[7:07] "It's Xbox Live on the go."

[7:07] A new game, Fable Coin Golf, will join other game spin-offs on Windows phones.

[7:07] Money made in the game will go right to a player's character in Fable III.

Fable Coin Golf, coming soon to Windows Phone 7.

[7:08] Cue montage of Windows Phone 7 games, like Fruit Ninja, and how Game Room Arcade titles will work on the device. Sims 3, Avatar Gadgets, and many other games also shown off.

[7:10] In developing the Windows Phone 7, Microsoft asked how they could simplify tasks and make applications easier to use.

[7:10] Nine phones were launched across 60 mobile operators in 30 countries.

Ballmer is, unsurprisingly, a big fan of WP7.

[7:12] In recent weeks, the device received a Kindle application.

[7:12] More than 20,000 developers have registered with Microsoft to develop apps.

[7:13] 9 out of 10 Windows Phone 7 customers would recommend a Windows Phone 7 phone to others.

[7:15] To put the device through its paces, Microsoft senior marketing manager Liz Sloan takes the stage, displaying levels of Cammie Dunaway-like pep.

[7:15] The Windows Phone 7 has a dedicated camera button, which works, even when the camera is locked.

[7:15] Once taken, photos can be uploaded to Facebook with the touch of a button.

[7:18] She then shows off voice search, which she uses to find the nearest In & Out burger in seconds.

[7:18] She then shows "live tiles," dynamic tiles which show off such things as time of day and Facebook updates.

[7:18] The phone also uses Bing, Microsoft's new search engine.

[7:21] Over 5,500 new apps in marketplace, including Amazon.com.

[7:22] She then shows off the Xbox Live section, which will feature such games as Need for Speed and Fruit Ninja, which Sloan plays….badly.

[7:23] Ballmer returns to talk about Windows PC.

[7:23] Windows 7 PCs now represent over 20 percent of all PC connected to the Internet.

7 copies of Windows 7 are sold every second!

[7:24] 20 million people are using the Internet Explorer beta, and over 500 million people use Windows Live.

[7:26] Mike Angiulo, corporate vice president, takes the stage.

[7:27] He shows off a new line of PCs, including ones featuring Intel's new chips which have both GPUs and CPUs on them.

[7:28] The next PC uses the new AMD chipset, Fusion, in an HP DM1 laptop.

Tablet time!

[7:30] Next up is a dual-touch laptop from ACER which features two touch-screens, the bottom one of which can become a keyboard when 10 fingers are pressed on the lower screen.

[7:33] Next up is a Microsoft Surface light table, which is hooked up to a dual-processors.

Touch recognition on the new, slimmer Microsoft Surface.

Windows will soon support ARM processors.

[7:37] The screen not only can recognize touch, but can also read text placed on it.

[7:37] Ballmer is back.

[7:37] Now he is talking about the next version of Windows, which will support system on a chip from Intel, AMD, and ARM.

[7:39] Anguilo, who speaks incredibly fast, returns to talk about platform support for system on a chip.

An upcoming version of Windows running on a Snapdragon processor.

[7:42] He shows some more far-off projects. One version uses a future version of Windows on an Intel Atom system on a chip. The large experimental motherboard can be shrunk down to something the width of a pack of cigarettes.

[7:42] He also shows Qualcomm and Texas Instruments systems based on ARM chipsets which run Windows natively. To prove his point, he runs Word on the latter system and prints out something on a standard USB printer.

[7:44] He then shows off the Iron Man trailer running on an Nvidia-ARM-based chipset in high-definition. The video doesn't stutter at all, running very smoothly.

[7:54] Ballmer returns to the stage to beat a hasty treaty, and that's it from Microsoft!