Seasons Greetings from AfterDawn.com!
It’s time for us here at AfterDawn to take a break, and enjoy some quality time with our friends and family.
Happy holidays to all our readers and users!
-AfterDawn.com Staff
Apple removes WikiLeaks app from iOS App Store
After just 4 days in the store, Apple has pulled a WikiLeaks app from its iOS App Store.
The application provided WikiLeaks updates from the service’s Twitter account, along with access to WikiLeaks documents.
Submitted to the store for approval on December 11th, developer Igor Barinov says the app was accepted last week and has already been removed.
The app cost $2 and Barinov says half the money made from the sales was donated to WikiLeaks.
Barinov claims to have already sent $1000 to Wikileaks.
A number of prominent banks and financial institutions have cut off all donations to WikiLeaks, including Bank of America and MasterCard.
Amazon expects to sell 8 million Kindles this year
According to Bloomberg, Amazon is on pace to sell 8 million Kindle e-readers this year, much higher than analysts have predicted.
The news agency cites people “aware of the company’s sales projections,” and says the 8 million sales figure should be hit easily. Analysts, on average, had anticipated 5 million sales.
These same sources also say Amazon sold 2.4 million Kindles last year.
Goldman Sachs had estimated 4-5 million, Caris & Co had predicted 4.8 million and Citigroup, Barclays Capital, BGC Partners LP and ThinkEquity all noted anticipated sales of 5 million.
Amazon recently began selling a thinner, lighter Wi-Fi-only model of their Kindle for $139, seeing strong sales after its launch.
The e-tailing giant has not confirmed the numbers.
Rivals Sony and Barnes & Noble do not disclose their e-reader sales, either.
Palm/HP will reveal new tablets at CES
FoxNews has reported today that Palm, purchased by HP in April, will unveil three tablets at the upcoming CES in January, taking on the iPad and Android devices.
Dubbed the PalmPad, Palm will release three models, each with small hardware differences.
Each tablet will run on WebOS 2.5.1, an upcoming update to the mobile operating system.
The PalmPad will have 4G connectivity to the Sprint network and “hardware specs nearly identical to the iPad.”
Differentiating itself from the iPad is a USB 3.0 port and a mini-HDMI port. Like the rumored iPad 2, the PalmPad will have a 3MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front-side camera, each with LED flash.
Ready for a March 2011 launch, the PalmPad will be around 10-inches, rounded curves, weigh 1.25 pounds, and be thinner than the iPad.
Swype opens its beta
After being in closed beta since early this year, alternative text input software Swype has moved to open beta, giving most Android users a chance to try the application.
For those that have not used the software or seen commercials, Swype lets users slide their finger over the touchscreen to spell words, allowing for typing speeds much faster than normal input, or even physical keyboard input.
Using predictive design, the software will determine what word you are trying to type, even if you spell it wrong when sliding.
Current beta users will get a nice upgrade, as well. Reads the Swype site:
First and foremost - We’ve resolved an accuracy issue that was introduced in the last beta update. Refer to the changelog for more detail on this critical fix.
Second - Swype BETA for Android now supports Double-Tap-to-Edit! Swype choose a wrong word? Just tap the word twice to bring up the word choice window, pick the correct word, and the cursor will return to wherever it was before. It doesn’t get any simpler! See a video demonstration, and check out our other tips and tricks.
And Third - Swype BETA for Android now includes a Voice-to-Text button (available for QWERTY layouts ONLY)! You MUST have Google Voice Search pre-integrated in your ROM for this feature to work. We wish everyone could access it, and are working to adapt our existing code to support versions of Voice Search downloaded from the market, as well as other voice search providers, in our next update.
Video Daily: Motorola teases their upcoming Honeycomb tablet
Motorola has taken a shot at the iPad and Galaxy Tab today, while at the same time hyping up its upcoming Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet.
The teaser video (posted), shows a museum of tablets, starting with an Egyptian Hieroglyphics Tablet from 3200 BC and concluding with the iPad and Galaxy Tab, released earlier in 2010.
Motorola, via @MotoMobile, tweeted today: “Might want to hold off on that tablet purchase until 2011,” before linking the video.
The company will launch the Android tablet at CES 2011 next year.
In all CGI, the video walks the viewers through a museum of tablets, starting with the aforementioned Egyptian Hieroglyphics Tablet, moving to the Ten Commandments, then the Rosetta Stone, Mayan tablets, 1989’s GriDPad and finally the 2010 tablets before panning back to a Motorola stand with a bee buzzing around it, in a reference to Honeycomb.
Dr. Dre to promote new album through ‘Mafia Wars’
Legendary rapper Dr. Dre has announced this week that he will begin promoting his upcoming album via “Mafia Wars,” the extremely popular Facebook game.
‘Detox,’ Dre’s first album since 1999, is set for release early next year, after years of delays.
The partnership with game developer Zynga will begin with the company streaming the music video for “Kush,” the first single off the album.
Zynga is the market leader in the growing “social gaming” market, thanks to their hits FarmVille, FrontierVille, Mafia Wars and others.
The promotion is dubbed “Hustlin’ Wit Dre,” and Mafia Wars gamers can purchase and collect Dr. Dre virtual goods, like Beats headphones, weapons and a car or purchase (in real-life) ‘Kush.’
There is a chance to win a signed Detox album, as well as signed Beats headphones, via the promotion.
Apple to launch Mac App store next month
Despite rumors that it may launch this month, Apple has confirmed the Mac App Store will launch next month, on January 6th.
First announced back in October, the Mac App Store will mimic the iOS App Store, giving Mac desktop and notebook owners a chance to download thousands of free or paid apps to their computers.
Says CEO Steve Jobs:
The App Store revolutionised mobile apps. We hope to do the same for PC apps with the Mac App Store by making finding and buying PC apps easy and fun. We can’t wait to get started on January 6.
The downloads will come via “a new system overlay,” says GI.
Apple says the Store will come with a free update to the Snow Leopard OSX.
The Store will be built-in the upcoming Lion OSX.
Just like in the iOS Store, Apple takes a full 30 percent cut of any sales made, however some more savvy game makers have begun releasing free versions of the games with in-app purchase offerings for full versions.
Paramount to release 10 Silverlight-enhanced movies for Windows Phone 7
Paramount has announced this week that it will begin releasing 10 feature films with Silverlight-enhanced features for Windows Phone 7 devices, starting with the launch of ‘School of Rock.’
The other 9 movies will be available in the U.S, Canada and some international markets by the end of the year.
Each movie “app” will have the full film, a menu, bonus features and Web-connected content.
The next Paramount Silverlight Enhanced Movies for Windows Phone are ‘Zoolander,’ ‘Waiting for Superman’ and ‘GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra.’
“Through our relationship with Microsoft, we’re able to provide consumers new, enhanced ways to enjoy movies from anywhere on Windows Phone 7,” adde Geremie Camara, Vice President Product Development for Paramount Digital Entertainment, in the press release. “Using Silverlight technology and adding interactive and social networking features, our enhanced movie apps transform the movie viewing experience into a true entertainment experience.”
Enhanced movie apps will have ‘Scene It?’ pop-up trivia, the ability to cut custom clips, and “Movie Info,” giving consumers a chance to identify actors, music, places and objects in the movie.
Sony Reader line selling out, everywhere
Sony has noted today that their ‘Reader’ line of e-readers is selling out, worldwide, with supply dwindling for some models.
The company’s two high-end models, the Touch and Daily, will most likely be sold out before Christmas.
Without giving a specific number, Sony would only say that they are selling “millions” of the gadgets.
Surprisingly, the company says the cheaper low-end Pocket was not selling well and supply was heavy.
Sony has strong competition in the market, with market leaders Amazon and Barnes & Noble continuously adding features and dropping prices.
