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Google and Sprint set to launch NFC payments tomorrow
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Google, Wireless / WiFi,
Google is preparing to roll out a payment system on Sprint phones that would use near-field communications (NFC) technology, according to a report.
Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the service would be available on the Sprint Nexus S across five different U.S. metropolitan regions: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Google has sent out announcements to a press event at 11:15 AM local time at Google's New York offices on Thursday, advertised as a partner even where Google will show off its "latest innovations".
Google representatives couldn't immediately be reached for comment. NFC technology is also reportedly being used by the Apple iPhone 5. Three major U.S. wireless carriers recently announced their support for an NFC payment system called Isis, which would let Americans pay for items at retail stores with their mobile phones rather than using physical credit cards.
Google Eric Schmidt, then the company's chief executive, showed off the NFC technology last November at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, running the "Gingerbread" version of the Android operating system.
Click to continue reading Google and Sprint set to launch NFC payments tomorrow
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 drops November 8
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Activision, First Person Shooters, PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360,
Modern Warfare 3, the next video game in the enormously popular Call of Duty franchise, is set for a Nov. 8, 2011 release and Activision on Tuesday teased the eagerly awaited title with an action-packed trailer (video below).
Earlier this month, gaming site Kotaku claimed that a leaked audio clip from Modern Warfare 3 contained a reference to SEAL Team Six, the Navy commandoes who took out Osama bin Laden on May 2.
If that reference exists, it wasn't contained in the official trailer, which managed to whet Call of Duty fans' appetites for what looks to be a blockbuster first-person shooter jam-packed with high-stakes action in "the next global conflict."
"It doesn't take the most powerful nations on Earth to create the next global conflict, just the will of a single man," intones a brief spot of narration in the trailer. That conflagration kicks in the streets of New York, presumably following through on a Russian invasion that was imminent at the end of Modern Warfare 2.
The action then moves to England, France, and Germany. Clips of crashing trains, tank battles, tumbling buildings, air strikes, amphibious assaults, and lots and lots of street fighting are interspersed throughout.
Click to continue reading Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 drops November 8
Motorola addresses slow Gingerbread rollout, updates coming in Q3
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Software,
A Motorola employee says Droid phones running Android 2.2 (Froyo), will be updated to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) by the third quarter of the year—as long as Verizon gives it the go-ahead.
In response to impatient customer questions on the Motorola Support forum, an employee responded that the company "cannot provide exact dates."
"I can say that the Droid X update is currently scheduled to be released before the end of the second quarter of this year or sooner. The other updates are currently scheduled to be released before the end of the third quarter or sooner."
"The above estimates are dependant on Verizon approving the OTA (over the air) updates," the spokesperson continued.
Click to continue reading Motorola addresses slow Gingerbread rollout, updates coming in Q3
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Nook Simple Touch Reader unveiled, aims sights at Kindle
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds,
Today, Barnes & Noble unveiled their revamped Nook e-reader, which they are calling the Simple Touch Reader.
The $139 device is available for pre-order immediately and will be in stores on or around June 10 at Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Walmart, and Staples.
The Android-based, e-reader measures 5 x 6.5 inches and weighs less than 7.5 ounces, which is 35 percent lighter and 15 percent thinner than the first Nook. During a New York launch event, B&N CEO William Lynch promised the "longest battery life of any e-reader," or up to two months on a single charge, and 80 percent less flashing on the 6-inch touch screen; the white-out that occurs when flipping pages. There is 50 percent less contrast than the first-edition Nook.
The device has built-in Wi-Fi and will feature 2GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 32GB with microSDHC. It runs Android 2.1 and a 800MHz TI OMAP3 processor.
Click to continue reading Nook Simple Touch Reader unveiled, aims sights at Kindle
Read More 
| Nook Simple Touch Reader
Deal of the Day: 18% off Dell XPS 15z ultraslim laptop
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hot Deals, PC / Laptop,
Dell just launched their brand new XPS 15z laptop, and they are super proud of how thin they were able to make it...and we're proud that we've got a deal on this new release, offering an 18% discount on the Dell XPS 15z laptop. It's powered by an Intel Sandy Bridge processor, GeForce GT525M graphics, and rocks a 1080p display. Oh, and it's less than an inch thick. That's why we're making this our Deal of the Day. These usually sell for $1337.99, and this 18% discount brings the price down to $1099.99, saving you a nice $238:
Save 18% on Dell XPS 15z laptop
Don’t forget, if you’re looking for other deals, be sure to check out our Newegg Promo Code thread. Oh, and if you're on Twitter, be sure to follow @TechPromos for the latest deals, or you can Like TechPromos on Facebook.
eBay has the 17-inch MacBook Pro for 24% off for a limited time. These Apple notebooks are packing a 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 processor. They normally sell for $2,299, but the 24% off savings means that you end up saving $550. Shipping is free with this deal as well, so this is an amazing deal all around:
Don’t forget, if you’re looking for other deals, be sure to check out our Newegg Promo Code thread. Oh, and if you're on Twitter, be sure to follow @TechPromos for the latest deals, or you can Like TechPromos on Facebook.
Verizon Usage Controls lets you monitor data, prepares you for end of unlimited use?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Smartphones, Corporate News, Wireless / WiFi,
What does a wireless carrier do when it expects to cancel its unlimited data plan? Offer a data management service.
Verizon, which said in March that it plans to do away with its unlimited data plans by this summer, launched a Verizon Wireless Usage Controls service on Monday, with the ability to set usage allowances, place restrictions on when kids and other members can use their phones, and even block numbers.
Usage Controls is available for $4.99 per month per line, which is added to a customer's monthly service plan, Verizon said.
"Summer vacation means more time for the youngest customers who use Verizon Wireless phones to send and receive messages, download and use apps and games, surf the Web, and make calls on their cell phones," Verizon said. "But, with a few tools from Verizon Wireless, summertime doesn't have to mean unexpected high wireless bills."
I like the Tintin books by Herge. They’re good, goofy fun built on crazy characters, wild coincidences and non-stop action.
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a Tintin movie coming out: The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. It’s due at Christmas in the US (October in the UK) and the newest trailer has just been released.
The trailer looks a lot like Raiders of Herge’s Ark but it also looks like it might be fun, too. It has that dead-eyed Uncanny Valley look to it that you'll find in other mo-cap features like Polar Express.
But I'm still willing to give it a shot in the theater because of the people behind the software.
It’s co-written by Stephen Moffat (Coupling, Doctor Who and the new Sherlock Holmes series at the BBC).
The other co-writers are Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and Joe Cornish (who co-wrote the new Ant Man movie and directed the upcoming Attack The Block).
Tintin’s director is Steven Spielberg, who still has Geek Cred and certainly knows how to make a good adventure movie.
Click to continue reading Tintin: Secret Of The Unicorn
Read More | Tintin Trailer
Motorola Droid 3 spec leak: dual-core, 4-inch qHD display
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Rumors,
What we've got above is a leaked image of the Motorola Droid 3, but that doesn't really tell us much about what's happening on the inside of the device. However, TechnoBuffalo is saying that they've got the goods, and if they are to be believed, this'll be a nice upgrade over the current Droid 2 smartphone. The display here is reportedly a 4-inch qHD screen, and inside there's a dual-core processor (similar to the Droid X2,) front-facing camera, and 8 megapixel camera around back. The other pertinent detail here is that the Droid 3 won't be packing a 4G LTE chipset.
Deal of the Day: 25% off Dell UltraSharp U2711 monitor
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Displays, Hot Deals, PC / Laptop,
Dell is offering a 25% discount on their UltraSharp U2711 display, and that's good enough to make that our Deal of the Day. The UltraSharp U2711 boats a WQHD 2,560 x 1,400 resolution IPS panel, 6ms grey-to-grey response time, 80,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, 8-in-1 card reader, 1 USB 2.0 upstream port, 4 USB 2.0 downstream port, capacitive-touch switches for setup, and an HDMI 1.3 port. Shipping is free with this deal as well, so you end up savings over $275:
Save 25% on Dell UltraSharp U2711 display
Don’t forget, if you’re looking for other deals, be sure to check out our Newegg Promo Code thread. Oh, and if you're on Twitter, be sure to follow @TechPromos for the latest deals, or you can Like TechPromos on Facebook.
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