LimeWire sending out cease-and-desist letters on LimeWire Pirate Edition
Earlier this week we reported that just two weeks after LimeWire was permanently shut down by a federal ruling, a “secret dev team” had brought the P2P client back, dubbing it the LimeWire Pirate Edition (LPE).
The LPE has the Ask.com toolbar removed, all need for the LimeWire LLC servers removed, all remote settings disabled, and all LimeWire Pro features activated, for free. There is also no adware or spyware.
LPE has been circulating via warez, P2P and torrents sites for a couple of days now.
Apparently, the real LimeWire is not a fan.
“We have very recently become aware of unauthorized applications on the Internet purporting to use the LimeWire name,” reads a notice on the LimeWire site.
“We demand that all persons using the LimeWire software, name, or trademark in order to upload or download copyrighted works in any manner cease and desist from doing so. We further remind you that the unauthorized uploading and downloading of copyrighted works is illegal.”
Updated Skype released for Android devices
Skype has released the updated Skype for Android software today, version 1.0.1.
Amongst the most notable improvements are:
* 320*240 and 240*400 screen resolutions are now supported.
* Hardware back key is now supported.
* Signing out from Skype now exits Skype.
* Reduced power consumption in idle mode.
* Improved login stability and behavior.
* Improved performance with large contact lists.
* Reduced application size.
* General bug fixes.
More phones are now supported by the popular software, including devices with “lower screen resolutions” such as the WildFire, which has 320×240 resolution.
Skype has added hardware back key support, meaning if you hit the back key on your smartphone, the user interface will close but the program will still run in the background, allowing you to continue receiving messages and calls.
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Sprint accessory adds 3G to iPod Touch
Starting next week, Sprint customers can purchase a Zte Peel, which will add 3G capabilities to the Apple iPod Touch.
The Peel attaches to 2G and 3G Touches.
User slide their Touch devices into the the Peel and instantly connect to Sprint’s 3G data network by pressing a button.
There are many texting applications in the App Store as well as Skype so the iPod Touch can be used as a bulky smartphone of sorts, as long as you are willing to pay $30 a month for 1GB of 3G data bandwidth through Sprint.
The Peel itself costs $80.
“ZTE PEEL unlocks the wonderful user interface and Web experience of Apple’s popular iPod touch and transforms it into a powerful mobile device using the Sprint 3G network,” adds Fared Adib, vice president-Product Development. “When combined with Sprint’s 3G network, ZTE PEEL turns an iPod touch from a portable device limited by the availability of Wi-Fi to a mobility tool free to browse the Web and use applications anytime, anywhere while on Sprint’s 3G network.”
Android moves to second place in global smartphone sales
According to Gartner, Android has moved into second place in global smartphone sales, as of the Q3 2010.
The mobile OS saw 1400 percent growth year-over-year, thanks to strong sales of new devices.
Apple continued strong growth as well, seeing 91 percent growth year-on-year on an already established brand.
Adds Gartner research vice president Carolina Milanesi: “This is the third consecutive double-digit increase in sales year-on-year, indicating that consumer demand is healthy. This quarter saw Apple and Android drive record smartphone sales.”
Smartphone sales almost doubled, exploding from 41 million to 81 million year-over-year.
In the smartphone market, Symbian remained king, with a 36.6 percent market share. Android took second at 25.5 percent, and iOS took 16.7 percent, good for third. BlackBerry moved down to fourth, with 14.8 percent.
Windows Mobile and other mobile OS accounted for the remaining 6.4 percent.
Hulu CEO releases numbers, including expected revenue for 2010
Hulu CEO Jason Kilar has posted some interesting numbers for the popular streaming service today, as of the end of October.
The service has 30 million monthly users with users watching 260 million content streams. An individual TV episode is counted as content stream.
Hulu has 800 million ad impressions and 352 ad partners.
The big number is revenue. Hulu is on-track to earn $240 million for 2010, up from $25 million in 2008 and $108 million last year.
Hulu, a joint service by NBCU, Fox and ABC, just started Hulu Plus, a $10-a-month premium version of the service which offers back catalogs of available TV shows.
How to install Android 2.2 on jailbroken iPhone without PC
Redmond Pie has put up very interesting instructions this week on how to install Android 2.2 Froyo on jailbroken iPhones without needing a PC.
The site uses Bootlace 2.1, a new piece of software similar to iPhoDroid.
Bootlace works on the iPhone 2G with iOS 3.1.2 or 3.1.3 and the iPhone 3G running iOS 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 4.0, 4.0.1, 4.0.2 and 4.1.
The software works with jailbreaking tools PwnageTool, Redsn0w and Blackra1n.
While Android runs painfully slow on the iPhone (say reviewers), you can check the instructions here: Install Android 2.2 on 2G/3G iPhone
Moto Cliq users get Android 2.1, 1.5 almost completely gone now
T-Mobile has finally released the Android 2.1 software update for the Motorola Cliq smartphone today, meaning Android 1.5 may finally be gone.
Until this week, about 8 percent of all Android handsets available were still running 1.5, which launched in March 2009.
The update is not available OTA yet, so users will have to download it manually. The instructions link is posted at the bottom of this article as the process is somewhat complicated.
With 2.1 comes turn-by-turn navigation for Google Maps, voice search, updated Media Gallery and Connected Music Player apps, and speech-to-text.
There will now be six more home screens, widgets can be rearranged and resized, quick actions are added, and favorites can be given a space on the homepages.
The Exchange server has been updated, as well as battery-life saving widgets such as the Power Control toolbar. Users will also get a built-in Task Manager.
More importantly, Cliq users will finally be able to download most of the apps in the Android Market. There were very few still fully compatible with 1.5.
Think you might have an STD? There’s an app for that
If you think you may have an STD (sexually-transmitted disease) but are too embarrassed to see a doctor about it, you may be in luck soon.
British health officials are currently developing a mobile phone app that will allow users to get diagnosed within minutes, and without needing to head to a clinic or a doctor’s office.
The impressive app would work as follows (via Guardian): “A user would put urine or saliva on a computer chip about the size of a USB chip and then plug it into their phone or computer. And voila, a diagnosis will appear right before their eyes.”
There have been over $6 million dollars invested into the project already by the U.K. Clinical Research Collaboration.
Lead researcher Dr. Tariq Sadiq, consultant physician in sexual health and HIV at St. George’s, University of London says: “Your mobile phone can be your mobile doctor. We need to tackle the rising epidemic of STIs, which have been going up and up and up. Britain is one of the worst [countries] in western Europe for teenage pregnancy and STIs.”
If the app confirms you have an STD, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea or herpes, the app “tells you where to go next to get treatment.”
AT&T slashes price of BlackBerry Torch
AT&T has slashed the price of the new RIM BlackBerry Torch in half today, just two months after its launch.
The price is now $99.99 directly from the carrier, with a two-year contract. Without contract the smartphone sells for $500.
AT&T must be having trouble selling the device, especially with Amazon selling it for 1 cent with contract.
When asked for comment, the carrier says the price cut is a holiday promotion.
Says AT&T: “Promotional pricing for wireless devices, especially in the holiday season is business-as-usual for AT&T and other carriers. We are pleased with consumer and business customer response to the BlackBerry Torch and we’re excited for the opportunity to offer it at such a compelling price point in time for the holiday.”
Microsoft only sold 40,000 WP7 devices on launch day in U.S.?
TheStreet.com has said today that Microsoft only managed to sell 40,000 Windows Phone 7 devices on launch day in the U.S., not including the 90,000 given out to Microsoft employees.
While Microsoft would not comment on the report, T-Mobile said they were “receiving strong interest from our customers right out of the gate” for the HTC HD7.
In comparison, Apple says it sells 160,000 iPhones per day, while Google says 200,000 Android devices are activated daily.
One strategist says the Monday launch date did not help matters.
“Mondays aren’t great launch days. They poured all that cash into it but they lost track of the fact that Fridays or Saturdays are the best launch days,” said Michael Cote of Cote Collaborative.
Microsoft is said to have spent $100 million on advertising for WP7.
