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2011 Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway: Microsoft Touch Mouse

microsoft touch mouse holiday gift

This 2011 Holiday Gift Guide entry is targeted at making computing a little more fun and futuristic - and we're even giving this one away! The Microsoft Touch Mouse is made exclusively for use with Windows 7. It's got a multitouch surface, allowing you to use natural touch gestures to perform common tasks. Basically, think of it as the Apple Magic Mouse, but for your Windows PC. It's got support for one-, two-, and three-findered gestures, and runs on 2 AA batteries. They sell for $79, but you can get one on Amazon now for $41, which is a whopping 48% discount.

Or, you can win one here! We are giving one of these Microsoft Touch Mouse prizes away as we continue our holiday giveaway series. Simply use the widget below to enter to win. We've got a lot of ways for you to enter, but don't check off any that you don't actually perform. If you do, you'll be eliminated:


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Mac OS X Lion launches tomorrow, July 20

OS X Lion launch

During today's Apple earnings call, CFO Peter Oppenheimer announced that Mac OS X 10.7, better known as OS X Lion, will be launching tomorrow on the Mac App Store. Lion will be available as a 4 GB download, and will sell for $29.99. Once purchased, you can install it on all Macs that you own at no extra cost, and without any sort of authorization key. Apple is touting 250 new features in Lion, with things like Launchpad (an app launcher that is reminiscent of iOS,) Mission Control (a replacement for Expose,) Resume, touch gestures, and more included. Lion Server will also be available as a $50 add-on.


Apple secures iPhone patent that could be huge blow to rivals

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Editorial,

iPhone patents apple

Apple has been awarded its long sought-after patent on the iPhone. Intellectual property experts say it's so broad and far-reaching that the iPhone maker may be able to bully other smart phone manufacturers out of the U.S. market entirely.

Some three-and-a-half years after filing for a patent on the iPhone, Apple on Tuesday was awarded U.S. patent number 7,966,578 for "[a] computer-implemented method, for use in conjunction with a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display, [that] comprises displaying a portion of page content, including a frame displaying a portion of frame content and also including other content of the page, on the touch screen display."

That's just the beginning of the abstract for Apple's iPhone patent, which the company filed back in December 2007. It gets quite a bit more technical in its full form, but there's one thing patent experts consulted by PCMag agree on—Apple has been awarded an incredibly broad patent that could prove to be hugely problematic for other makers of capacitive touch-screen smartphones.

Apple's patent essentially gives it ownership of the capacitive multitouch interface the company pioneered with its iPhone, said one source who has been involved in intellectual property litigation on similar matters. That's likely to produce a new round of lawsuits over the now-ubiquitous multitouch interfaces used in smartphones made by the likes of HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Research in Motion, Nokia, and others that run operating systems similar in nature to Apple's iOS, like Google's Android, said the source, who asked not to be named.

Click to continue reading Apple secures iPhone patent that could be huge blow to rivals


iOS 4.3 beta 3 released to developers

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,

iOS 4.3 beta 3 8f5166b

iOS devs, time to get to downloading, as Apple has just released iOS 4.3 beta 3 alongside the iOS SDK 4.3. Downloads are available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and even the 2nd generation Apple TV. The SDK build is 10M2514, while the software for the devices is build 8F5166b. From the looks of things, this beta is all about checking and testing AirPlay video with the iOS devices and Apple TV. We will keep our eye out for any other new hotness in this build.


iOS 4.3 beta 2 now available

ios 4.3 beta 1

iOS devs, time to get to downloading, as Apple has just released iOS 4.3 beta 2 alongside the iOS SDK 4.3. Downloads are available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and even the 2nd generation Apple TV. The SDK build is 10M2508a, while the software for the devices is build 8F5153d. From the looks of things, this beta is all about checking and testing AirPlay video with the iOS devices and Apple TV. We will keep our eye out for any other new hotness in this build.


iOS 4.3 beta now available, drops support for iPhone 3G, iPod touch 2

ios 4.3 beta 1

iOS devs, time to get to downloading, as Apple has just released iOS 4.3 beta alongside the iOS SDK 4.3. Downloads are available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and even the 2nd generation Apple TV. The SDK build is 10M2508, while the software for the devices is build 8F5148b. From the looks of things, this beta is all about checking and testing AirPlay video with the iOS devices and Apple TV. We will keep our eye out for anything else in the beta, since it's interesting that the Verizon iPhone was running version 4.2.5 with mobile hotspot. You'd think 4.3 would incorporate those features as well.

Users of the iPhone 3G or second generation iPod touch need not apply, as 4.3 isn't compatible with those devices. iOS 4.3 also brings new four- and five-finger multi-touch gestures to the iPad.


Table Connect multi-touch iPhone desk is awesome

Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Accessories, Apple, Videos,

Ever wanted to play beer pong on an iPhone? No, we mean literally, on an iPhone? Apparently, the folks down at TableConnect did, and imagined their vision to life by using a dedicated app on a jailbroken iPhone and a 58-inch multi-touch table. The end result is a table that replicates the iPhone display. The table works surprisingly fast and allows for all the typical hand gestures to work, such as swiping and pinching. Hit that play button above for a look at it.

Read More | Table Connect

Deal of the Day: Save 25% on HP TouchSmart 310 all-in-one multi-touch PC

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hot Deals, PC / Laptop,

HP TouchSmart 310

Today’s brings you the just-released HP TouchSmart 310 all-in-one multi-touch PC at a 25% discount, and with a free 640GB hard drive upgrade. The TouchSmart 310 rocks a 20-inch 1080p LED-backlit multi-touch display, AMD Athlon II 2.8GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 802.11n WiFi, optional TV tuner, and wireless keyboard and mouse. It’s all running Windows 7, and you get it all for under $675 with the HP promo code, which is a $225 discount.

Save 25% on HP TouchSmart 310 All-in-One PC


Apple Magic Trackpad unboxing

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, PC, Peripherals,

Magic Trackpad box

A few days ago, Apple introduced their Magic Trackpad to the world. It’s a multi-touch wireless trackpad device that mimics the trackpads found on MacBook and MacBook Pro computers, but optimized for the Mac mini, iMac, and Mac Pro. We snatched one up as soon as they went on sale, and are currently in the process of reviewing it. In the meantime, though, we took a bunch of photos and put them up in our Magic Trackpad unboxing gallery. Go ahead and take a look, this thing is sexy.

You can pick up a Magic Trackpad for $69.

Gallery:


Wacom Bamboo line picks up multitouch capability

Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Accessories, USB, Peripherals,

Bamboo Pen and Touch

Wacom has put out a lot of great Bamboo tablet interfaces in the past, and they have just recently unveiled a new series that support multitouch.  This means that the user can use his or her fingers for multitouch gestures, along with the stylus. 

This multitouch capacity has been put on five different products with varying prices.  The Bamboo Touch and Bamboo Pen are only $69, while the Bamboo fun has all the features for $199. 

Read More | Bamboo product page

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