China Mobile is about to spoil its half billion subscribers with yet another Android smartphone in the 3.something-inch category. The Droid’s keyboard-deprived younger sibling, the MT710 is about to hit Chinese stores this month, with TD-SCDMA 3G capabilities and OPhone OS 1.5 giving it a distinctly local flavor. WiFi connectivity will also be available, thanks to Moto playing nice with China’s new security protocol, and the CPU has also changed to a 624MHz Marvel PXA310 chip, which is growing a bit long in the tooth now. Still, with that dashing red stripe on its side and a presumably thinner chassis, the MT710 just might be somebody’s idea of a Droid perfected. You’ll find the full specs of the new handset at the Moto Developers links below.
Apple just released a Java update today, bring improvements to Java in Mac OS X. Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 1 for Snow Leopard updates Java SE 6, while Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 6 updates J2SE 5.0 and Java SE 6. Both of these updates improve reliability, security, and compatibility for Java.
The Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 6 update also disables J2SE 1.4.2, as it’s no longer being updated to fix issues.
Amongst the various high rollers who read Engadget — defense industry big wigs, international businessmen, and the like — security is a major concern, and over the last couple years we’ve seen quite a number of storage products featuring encryption, from IronKey thumbdrives to Seagate HDDs. If you’re a man (or women) with plenty of secrets and a free ExpressCard slot, this next item should be right up your alley: Verbatim’s SSD Secure ExpressCard features AES 256-bit hardware encryption, can be scored either in 16GB or 32GB capacities (with 64GB on the horizon) and is designed to securely delete drive contents after ten incorrect password attempts. Compatible with Windows 7, XP, and Vista, this is due to hit trendy European retailers soonish with prices starting at £90 ($150). PR after the break.
Continue reading Verbatim announces ‘world’s first’ SSD ExpressCards with 256-bit hardware encryption
Google just announced Google Public DNS, a new service that lets consumers use Google as their DNS service provider. The benefits to users are a theoretically faster and more stable browsing experience, and some additional security against malware type sites. The benefit to Google – tons more data, and lots of potential revenue.
Here are the basic instructions on how to use it (and Google has even provided phone support).
Hey, Dell: looking for the absolute quickest way to screw up your first entry into the dog-eat-dog smartphone industry? Well, removing the Market app from your Android load is a solid way to start. Yeah, you heard that right — according to Brazilian site Zumo, the all-important Android Market was nowhere to be found on the Mini 3iX it had an opportunity to play with, rendering software discovery and installation about as easy as a WinMo device from three years ago. It seems that Dell’s “strategy” here is to have users download apps directly from their sources — a practice that typically needs to be manually enabled on an Android device as a security override — and get the rest of their wares from proprietary stores, presumably operated by the carrier, Dell, or both. On the bright side, the 3iX includes the WiFi radio that its Chinese doppelganger lacks and features a generous 3.5-inch display, 3 megapixel camera, 3G support, and a completely button-free face that looks particularly sexy in this low-light shot. Dell’s apparently commenting that Brazilians can expect the 3iX in shops in 2010 — possibly in the first quarter — which should give ‘em just enough time to un-make that deal-breaking Market mistake prior to launch.
Well, maybe it’s not as bad as it sounds, but it’s still not so good. As you’re probably aware, over the last week or so Windows user of all stripes (not just Windows 7 users, as it turns out) have been complaining of a plain black screen that appears upon login — at which point the systems locks up, and… that’s it. Aside from some users getting an additional My Computer window (lucky devils) the system grinds to a halt. According to a Microsoft email that’s making the rounds, the company is “investigating reports that its latest release of security updates is resulting in system issues for some customers.” Until that time, what’s a poor PC user to do? Prevx, a UK developer of anti-malware software, has surmised that a recent Windows security patch changed Access Control List (ACL) entries in the registry, preventing some software from running properly and prompting Engadget to whip up a Bergman-inspired graphic. If your machine should find itself afflicted, Prevx has put together a fix that it claims will do the trick. Keep in mind that we don’t know these guys, so don’t blame us if it blows up your computer — or gives you the Bubonic plague. We’ll let you know when we hear back from Microsoft on this one. Good luck!
Google has just annouced the winners of its second Android Developer Challenge, a competition that looks to spur development on the Android platform by offering large cash grants to the winners. Thirty prizes were given out in total, with the top 3 winners from each of ten categories taking home $100,000, $50,000, or $25,000 respectively, with 3 overall winners walking away an additional $150,000, $50,000, or $25,000.
The top winner overall was SweetDreams, an app that helps you send late night calls straight to voicemail and automatically conserves battery power by turning off features like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi at night. Second overall was What the Doodle!?, an app that sounds like a online multiplayer version of Pictionary. And third prize overall went to WaveSecure, a security/backup app that lets you track your phone’s current location, lock it down or remote wipe your phone, and backup/restore data.
Rumors have been swirling that IBM will be acquiring database security company Guardium after the Israeli financial newspaper, The Market, reported the acquisition yesterday (translated version here). Big Blue is reportedly shelling out $225 million for Israel-based Guardium. This year alone, IBM has acquired six companies, including RedPill Solutions, SPSS, Ounce Labs, Exeros and Outblaze.
A subsidiary of Log-On Software, Guardium provides technologies that ensure security of enterprise databases. The startup protects databases for Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Sun Microsystems and other companies. The Market reports that Guardium is profitable, with sales in the tens of millions per year.
GE Global Research in collaboration with SABIC Innovative Plastics has developed a new class of holographic materials that can be processed in plastic to create a wide range of novelty products, credit, or identity cards. Instead of just being stamped onto the surface of the card like typical holograms, these new cards rely upon thermo-plastic based volume holography to store the data (binary images, 3D images of your face, fingerprints, and even animations) within the card itself for an extra degree of tamper-free security. And because the holographic material can be injection-molded, it could ultimately be applied to a variety of personalized products including laptops and cellphones. GE Global Research is intent on commercializing the new holographic materials by 2012, until then we’ve got a video that gives a good idea of how your 3D mug might look pressed into those government or corporate mandated ID cards of the future. Check it after the break.
Gallery: GE Global Research holograms
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
It’s been a year of milestones for Android in the U.S. The number of handsets with the Google-developed software has grown from one to eight. Three of the four major national carriers, including Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest, now offer Android phones. HTC’s Hero and Motorola’s CLIQ have shown how Android supports customization by manufacturers. And the Motorola Droid has marked the debut of Android 2.0.