Opera 11.10 Released With Smarter Speed Dials, Improved Turbo

By Federico Viticci

Alternative web browser Opera has always been the one that experimented with features and user interface schemes before the “big players” like Firefox and Chrome implemented them. This is true for tabs, tab groups, speed dials, and many other little touches the Opera developers played with over the years. The browser failed to gain a massive traction among average users, but it’s got a loyal userbase willing to test the latest beta or alpha version. Opera released today a new stable build for Mac, Windows and Linux – initially codenamed Barracuda and now available for download with version number 11.10.

Opera 11.10 builds on the features introduced in Opera 11 such as tab stacking and extended HTML5 support by further refining the interface, improving support for CSS3 and HTML5 standards, and introducing a tweaked version of Opera Turbo that works through Google’s WebP engine. First off, Speed Dials have been slightly redesign to feature a “flow layout” that allows users to decide the numbers of columns to display and the size of thumbnails – which, by the way, should offer crisper graphics. You can add as many Dials as you want without limitations.

A Mac-specific tweak involves the browser tabs that now have a closing animation on OS X machines. More importantly, the Turbo functionality that’s aimed at speeding up browsing on slow connections like tethered phones and public hotspots has been improved in the way it handles compressions using WebP. Images should be compressed more, better and faster than before, but we’ve noticed some issues with heavy compression cutting off parts of an image or graphics from websites.

Check out the full 11.10 changelog here. The new version of Opera is available here, and there’s a demo video embedded below. Read more

Apple To Begin Assembling Products In Brazil? [Updated]

By Federico Viticci

As noted by 9to5mac, a local Brazilian report claims Apple has filed documents at the Jucesp (Junta Comercial do Estado de São Paulo) to begin assembling “products” in Brazil. It is unclear what kind of products Apple is willing to assemble in the country, but the report goes on to specify that a previous rumor suggested governor of São Paulo Geraldo Alckmin would announce Apple’s new factory in Brazil on April 22nd. UOL Technologia also claims other tidbits in the past weeks indicated Apple was shipping containers full of components from Asia to Brazil; furthermore, the city of Jundiaí was rumored to be among the candidates selected by Foxconn to build a new facility in Brazil – although this might not be strictly related with Apple’s plans.

From a rough Google Translation of the original report, it appears there might also be tax exemptions involved in the process:

With the installation of a factory in Brazil, Apple may benefit from tax exemptions offered by the government Rousseff for tablets, which will reach 9.25% for PIS and when the classification of the device to switch to “computer”. The arrival of Apple to Brazil could accelerate the adoption of this exemption - and would benefit from other manufacturers such as Samsung, which already produces in the country Galaxy Tab.

There is still no information whether Apple will use its own plant or at Foxconn, assembly line installed in Jundiaí.

The documents filed at the Jucesp can be viewed here. UOL Technologia says it’s also unclear whether Apple will deploy its own facility or use a Foxconn one built in Brazil, but it seems like the main intention is that of moving some parts of Apple’s production line out of China and all the way down to South America. On a side note, back in November we reported Eike Batista – Brazilian billionaire and the eighth richest person in the world – wanted to invest in a $1.6 billion construction project to bring an Apple facility to Brazil to ”create job positions, generate revenue and lower costs of Apple products for Brazilian customers.”

Update: MacMagazine [Google Translation] reports a “contact at Apple Brazil” informed them the updated Jucesp records weren’t created by Apple. Apparently this is the only official Apple Jucesp record in Brazil, and the new one was probably created by “a squatter.” Speculation about the facility still persists, but Apple is denying the rumors.

[Thanks Newton Mota]

Company Claims To Offer Permanent iPhone Unlock That Lasts “Forever”

By Federico Viticci

Company CutYourSim, specialized in SIM cutters and adapters for the iPhone, has launched tonight a new service that promises to provide a permanent iPhone unlock solution that doesn’t need jailbreak, additional software or hacks. The company claims their method will carry on forever through any iOS or baseband update, so users don’t have to worry about updating to the latest version of iOS. More importantly, CutYourSim says it doesn’t affect your iPhone’s warranty status “because this is an official iPhone unlock.”

How is this possible? Apparently, someone at CutYourSim found a way to “whitelist” devices by adding IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers to Apple’s own database – something that of course isn’t possible unless you have access to the aforementioned database. Which leads us to think Apple might soon find a way to block the service – but, then again, we don’t know all the details behind Apple’s IMEI database so we can’t judge right now. It is possible, however, that the procedure involves accessing the IMEI database from a carrier’s online backend. CutYourSim also says currently the CDMA sold on Verizon isn’t supported, and that the method doesn’t change a phone’s IMEI (which is illegal) but simply adds it to the whitelist. Interestingly, CutYourSim says this method has been around for a while (but never worked on AT&T) and was never cut off by Apple. Curious.

Previously, people who wanted to buy an iPhone from the United States at a cheaper price had to rely on tools like ultrasn0w for their unlocking needs. Otherwise, the phone wouldn’t work on an unsupported carrier. The obvious downside to hacks like ultrasn0w is that every iOS release and baseband update can “break them”, forcing iPhone users to stay on an older iOS version until a new unlocking tool is released. This is exactly what CutYourSim wants to improve by offering an unlock that works with any iOS update – again, because an iPhone’s IMEI is added to Apple’s whitelist.

Personally, I don’t recommend buying the $169 unlock process from CutYourSim as I have a feeling the whole thing is illegal and requires hacking into Apple’s own database. Still, I believe it would be interesting to know the technical details behind the process, and feedback from those who went ahead and purchased the unlock. If you did, let us know. [via @chronic]

New Thunderbolt Products Are Coming: Announcements from NAB

By Federico Viticci

Since the introduction of the new MacBook Pros in February, many have wondered how long it would take for third-party manufacturers to ship the first Thunderbolt-compatible products. Developed by Intel and brought to the market by Apple, Thunderbolt is a brand new I/O technology that allows for multiple data transfers at 10 Gbps connection over a cable, with an additional 10 Watt feed to power external devices with the addition of “daisy-chaining” one peripheral to another. You can read more about Thunderbolt in our initial roundup.

At the NAB trade show that’s currently ongoing in Las Vegas, several companies have unveiled their first Thunderbolt products that will ship later this year starting in July. As reported by MacRumors these products are aimed at video editing / movie professionals, but they show the industry is clearly interested in supporting the new technology that’s rumored to be implemented in upcoming refreshes of the iMac and Mac mini lines as well. AJA, Blackmagic, and Promise have all announced Thunderbolt-enabled peripherals for audio capture and playback device (Blackmagic’s UltraStudio 3D) or “high-framerate 2K 3D, 4K and 5K workflows, and portable HD connectivity” (AJA). Promise had already announced its Pegasus storage line with Thunderbolt back in February.

Early reports coming from the NAB show floor indicate the Thunderbolt enclosures from Promise “scream” with the updated CS 5.5 suite, and hopefully we’ll have the chance to check out demo videos and benchmarks in the next few hours.

Meanwhile, we’re all waiting for the Final Cut announcement rumored to be scheduled for tomorrow at the tenth annual SuperMeet at the Bally’s Event Center. According to people familiar with the matter, the new Final Cut will take advantage of Thunderbolt and feature iPad integration, as well as file based workflows.

Best Buy Forcing Customers To Buy Service Plan To Get An iPad 2?

By Federico Viticci

Following last week’s reports about Best Buy holding iPad 2s in stock without selling them to customers because of “an upcoming promotion”, a new story comes today from a CrunchGear reader that had to buy an additional Best Buy Service Plan in order to get one of the iPads held by the store. CrunchGear reports the guy initially asked for an iPad 2, but he was told they had none in stock. Upon further inspection of the store, he noticed 40 iPad boxes stacked on top of each other, and asked why they were there. An employee told him those iPads were sold, but later a manager confirmed he could get one if he agreed to pay $109 for a Service Plan (not required by Apple).

I said that doesn’t seem right. He then told to try and find one somewhere else they can do what they want. To make a long story short I purchased it just to find out if that was policy. I just went to another store spoke to a manager and was told that is not policy and should have not be forced to but the coverage just to purchase an iPad.

Obviously, a customer shouldn’t be forced to buy an additional support plan to get an iPad 2. We also don’t believe this is part of Best Buy’s rumored “upcoming promotion” – why would anyone want to spend $109 more with no discounts on the whole bundle whatsoever? Rather, people can just get a $79 AppleCare protection plan.

Did you try to buy an iPad 2 from Best Buy recently? Did they try to convince you to buy a Service Plan together with the device? Let us know in the comments below.

The iPhone Goes Where No Mac Has Gone Before →

Linked By Federico Viticci

The iPhone Goes Where No Mac Has Gone Before

Francois Fortier shares his experience with using Macs and iOS devices in a corporate environment:

However, the iPhones and iPads seemed to have crept into most Enterprise class companies from the top floor boardrooms as well as the server rooms in the basements. Not only does the current version of iOS 4.3.1 play nicer with Exchange Activesync than Windows Phone 7 and even Android but its extra management features provide comparable security to BlackBerry Enterprise Server managed BlackBerry’s. In fact, the iPhone comes out tops on this fight too since it doesn’t require a Client Access License for it to be managed. Apple has even released a free tool to allow Exchange Admins to lock out other iPhone features if the need be. Here is a table explaining the current state of the mobile OS landscape.

It is no secret that Apple has managed to capture the heart of corporate America with the latest Enterprise additions to iOS for iPhones and iPads. As several Fortune 500 companies deploy or pilot iOS devices instead of BlackBerrys, there’s a trend among IT departments and employees: why would you need to use a separate “corporate device” when you can just activate the enterprise features and switch between your personal and business-related apps on a single iPhone or iPad? Sure BlackBerrys still have a couple more functionalities than iPhones or iPads, but the 400,000+ apps available in Apple’s App Store are the key factor here. Employees don’t want to swap devices anymore.

Fortier also writes:

So there I was in between floors checking the location of the next meeting while lugging my colleague asked me to review the notes from the last for one of the action items, and this is when it occurred to me. No one was looking at me weird because I wasn’t using a BlackBerry or trying to wake a HP EliteBook from Vista Sleep of death mode. In fact it seemed perfectly acceptable for me to checking my iDevices, getting the info out quickly and move along

You know something has changed when people are writing books on how to use the iPad in corporate with apps available from the App Store. Macs might as well be growing fast in enterprise, but iOS devices have done in 36 months what OS X couldn’t in 35 years. [via Forkbombr]

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Nintendo 3DS Sales Affected By iOS Devices →

Linked By Federico Viticci

Nintendo 3DS Sales Affected By iOS Devices

Electronista reports the sales of the Nintendo 3DS won’t match the ones of the original Nintendo DS, according to iSuppli:

Nintendo’s 3DS sales will never match those of the earlier DS line due to competition from Apple and Google, IHS iSuppli said this weekend. The 3DS would hit 11.6 million devices in 2011, but it would always lag behind what the DS line managed at the same point in its history, hitting 69.9 million systems versus 90.9 million.

I was one of the people who stood in line at my local videogame store in 2004 to get an early DS unit imported from the US (back then, games didn’t have regional restrictions), and I bought a DSLite and DSi after that. But something’s changed in the mobile gaming industry since November 2004 (when the original DS went on sale), and that’s the quick adoption of app stores and touch-based smartphones. In fact, iSuppli believes that the iPod touch, the iPhone and iPad are affecting the sales of the 3DS, which is struggling in keeping sales numbers up in Japan. Official numbers haven’t been released yet (they’ll be available later this week), but the 3DS is doing okay for now. It’s just that there’s a general assumption it won’t do as well as the DS in the long term, mainly because the market has changed to accommodate iOS and Android devices as gaming machines that also happen to do many other things – again, thanks to online marketplaces like the App Store. On top of that, DS games are still sold in cartridges at $40 whilst you can find thousands of $2.99 - $9.99 games in the App Store. And with digital downloads, you don’t have to worry about physically carrying around anything except, well, your phone or tablet.

There are a lot of factors to consider when comparing Nintendo’s portable consoles to iOS devices (personally, I don’t believe the console will die anytime soon), but it’s very clear that in this new market many users are playing games on new devices like the iPod touch. Nintendo will keep selling its 3DS models for years, but don’t expect those numbers to be as huge as the original DS.

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iPad 2 + Head Tracking: Glasses-free 3D

By Federico Viticci

Jeremie Francone and Laurence Nigay from the Laboratory of Informatics of Grenoble at the EHCI Research Group have created one of the most impressive and, overall, amazing tech demoes for the iPad we’ve seen recently. By combining head-tracking technology that uses the iPad’s front facing camera with basic 3D graphics, they have developed a glasses-free 3D experience that doesn’t require the accelerometer, but it’s entirely based on the camera and the movements of a user’s head in front of the screen.

As you can see in the video after the break, graphics on screen change accordingly to the position of the user to give the illusion of tridimensional objects moving on the display. It is pretty amazing that this system only uses the camera and the effect is so well conveyed in a video.

We track the head of the user with the front facing camera in order to create a glasses-free monocular 3D display. Such spatially-aware mobile display enables to improve the possibilities of interaction. It does not use the accelerometers and relies only on the front camera.

Glasses-free 3D has been deployed by Nintendo in its latest 3DS portable gaming console, and a series of reports in the past suggested Apple could implement glasses-free 3D gaming for the next-generation iPod touch. The demo we have here today is truly impressive, so make sure to check it out below. Read more

Adobe TV Now Streaming to iOS Devices

By Federico Viticci

Following the announcement of the Photoshop Touch SDK that will enable developers to write Photoshop-compatible iOS and Android apps, the scheduled release date of the CS 5.5 suite and the first demoes of third-party Photoshop software for the iPad, Adobe has also revamped its Adobe TV website (which contains several CS suite video resources and tutorials) to offer native video streaming for phones and tablets. The move came a little unexpected, as the website was well known for working under the Flash format on desktop computers, but incompatible with iPhones and iPads. This is changing today with a complete rewrite of the website that now detects the user agent of a mobile device and serves the proper video content without the need of Flash:

We just launched Adobe TV Mobile, which means you can now watch all your favorite Adobe TV videos on your iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android phone, and Android tablet. Simply visit tv.adobe.com from your tablet or phone and you’ll be automatically re-directed to an optimized experience for your device.

Adobe says the new website has nothing to do with the debate over Flash content on iOS devices, it simply was one of the most requested features and it’s been implemented because Adobe believes in ”delivering our content to all platforms and devices that are meaningful to our audience.” If you’ve been looking for a way to consume Adobe Tv content on your iPads and iPhones, now it’s the time to open Mobile Safari and start streaming. [via TUAW]