Year: 2010

iPhones offered without a contract

“Gizmodo” (http://gizmodo.com/5499439/buy-iphones-without-contract-now-official-apple-document-leaked) is reporting that, according to Apple’s internal documentation, the iPhone is now available without AT&T contract or ID at any Apple Store. The “Gizmodo” contact claims that the iPhone is locked, however, so it will only work with AT&T SIMs.

Customers aren’t required to have an AT&T contract. And they can only purchase one iPhone per day.

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Adobe delivers Lightroom 3 public beta update

Adobe has released an update to its Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta software, available immediately through Adobe Labs (http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom3/). It incorporates feedback from the first iteration of the beta while offering users several new features and improved performance throughout the application.

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Red Giant introduces new Photoshop plug-ins

Red Giant Software (http://www.redgiantsoftware.com) has introduced a new family of plug-in applications for Adobe Photoshop: Magic Bullet PhotoLooks and Knoll Light Factory for Photoshop.

Magic Bullet PhotoLooks (US$199) lets you manipulate and experiment with light while preserving essential photographic detail. Knoll Light Factory for Photoshop 3.1 ($149 USD), created by Photoshop co-creator John Knoll provides 19 flare tools for creating custom effects
and includes over 100 presets and real-time previewing.

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Coming later this year (hopefully): Wi-Fi Direct devices

Coming later this year or perhaps in early 2011: Wi-Fi devices that will be able to connect in a new way that makes it more simple and convenient than ever to do things like print, share and display.

Ad hoc wireless networking has always been more difficult than it should be. Plus, it maxes out at 11 mbps. Wi-Fi Direct will connect at existing Wi-Fi speeds of up to 250 mbps. And Wi-Fi Direct devices will also be able to broadcast their availability and seek out other Wi-Fi Direct devices.

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Active Media launches 100MB/second eSATA flash drives

Active Media (http://www.activemp.com), a manufacturer of SSDs and USB drives, has launched eSATA (external SATA) Flash drives that boast sequential read and write speeds up to 100 and 55 MB/second, respectively, about three times faster than the fastest USB 2.0 flash drives.

The company builds these drives with either 16GB or 32GB of MLC NAND flash. With no moving parts, “they offer the same outstanding reliability as SSDs,” says Jerry Thomas, vice president of sales at Active Media.

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