Cable industry execs claim they don’t fear Netflix

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Home Entertainment,

Cable executives on Tuesday downplayed the impact of Netflix on their businesses, arguing that it is simply another provider in a crowded market, though they were forced to acknowledge that consumers are no longer satisfied with just a cable box and a remote.

Execs from Time Warner, Viacom, Comcast, Cox, and News Corp. sat down this morning for a panel discussion at The Cable Show in Chicago. When asked about Netflix's recent decision to air original content, Philippe Dauman, president and CEO at Viacom, warned that "it's not easy to get into the content business; it's a tough exercise."

"That's not really their fundamental business," Dauman said of Netflix. Viacom, on the other hand, is "100 percent focused on content," he said. Netflix is just one cog in the content wheel, he said, pointing to the "incremental money" Viacom has made by repurposing its older shows, like "Beavis and Butthead," on Web-based services like Netflix.

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Family Guy Online beta registration now open

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Internet, MMORPG, PC,

Registration for the closed beta of Family Guy Online is now open! We're not sure how long it'll take them to fill the spots, but we're fairly certain that, given the popularity of the franchise, that you'll wanna jump on over and get signed up sooner rather than later.

Read More | Family Guy Online

Airbus says that by 2050 we’ll have transparent planes and biometric boarding passes

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Science, Transportation, Videos,

If you've ever been cheated out of a window seat on a flight, you'll appreciate the concept plane Airbus just revealed at an airshow in Paris. In its vision of what air travel might be like in 2050, the aircraft manufacturer showed a plane with a transparent fuselage, giving all passengers a panoramic view of what's outside.

"The idea is to have a technology for the fuselage that's a bit like bones of birds that allows to have large spaces that can turn transparent, in order to look outside and 'live' the panorama in which you are flying," Charles Champion, Airbus' head of engineering, told London's Telegraph (see video below).

Airbus didn't hold back its designers' imaginations in conceiving features for the future plane. Besides a see-through hull that would make Wonder Woman consider a copyright infringement lawsuit, the concept aircraft would also discard the traditional class system of first, business, and economy. Instead, the Airbus from the future would have three zones: a Vitalizing Zone, with "organically grown" seats that can massage you; a recreational Interaction Zone, with pop-up "pods" for things like private dinners and a holographic gaming wall; and a Smart Tech Zone, where the seats adapt perfectly to individuals' size and shape.

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AMD’s Llano APU processors set to ship this quarter

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, PC / Laptop,

Advanced Micro Devices has unveiled unloaded a bevy of product roadmap details for its upcoming Fusion processors—though; much of the information had already been leaked last month.

AMD's Fusion chips are the culmination of the chip maker's blending of x86 central processor technology with the GPU instruction set it acquired when it bought ATI Technologies in 2006. By putting both key computing functions on a single processor die, the company thinks it has a more compelling processor package for makers of mobile computers and light-footprint desktops than rivals Intel and Nvidia.

AMD calls these chips "accelerated processing units" or APUs. The company's A-Series APUs, formerly codenamed Llano, are currently shipping to computer makers and are expected to appear in more than 150 desktops and notebooks set to hit retail shelves throughout the second quarter of this year, AMD said.

The company isn't shy about talking up the advantages of its A-series processors, which combine up to four x86 CPU cores with up to 400 Radeon GPU cores with DirectX11 support, and dedicated HD video processing on a single chip of silicon.

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What does the Samsung Chromebook cost to produce?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Google, PC / Laptop,

How much does that Samsung Chromebook really cost? According to an iSuppli teardown, the device's bill of materials comes to $322.12.

With the manufacturing cost throw in, the Chromebook costs $334.32 to produce. Despite Google's emphasis on the software, meanwhile, iSuppli finds that it's the hardware that really makes the Chromebook sing.

"As much as Google would like to de-emphasize the role of user hardware, it is the hardware, in fact, that defines the Chromebook and will determine the success of the platform," Wayne Lam, a senior analyst at IHS, said in a statement.

The Chromebook includes "some advanced hardware features not typically found in low-cost notebooks," iSuppli said.

The motherboard is the most expensive part of Samsung's Chromebook, at $86.37, or 26 percent of the total bill of materials. The motherboard includes a 2GB Double Data Rate 3 (DDR) SDRAM, as well as a dual-core Intel Atom N570 processor and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) for computing security from Infineon Technologies, which is most commonly found on enterprise-level computers, iSuppli said.

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OS X Lion Developer Preview 4 update now available

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software,

Hot on the heels of the release of OS X Lion Developer Preview 4 at WWDC 2011, Apple has already released the next update to the Lion build. No details yet on the fixes/additions/improvements in this one, but if you are running the latest OS X 10.7 Preview, you can find this update waiting for you in Software Update. Go ahead and run it, and if you find anything interesting, do let us know, mmkay?

Google Nexus 4G: 720p display, 4G LTE, Android 4.0, 1080p recording

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds, Rumors,

Whenever there's a major release of Android, Google likes to partner with a manufacturer on the release of a reference device for the platform, and it looks like the Nexus 4G may be that device for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich when it ships later this year. We aren't totally sure that Nexus 4G will be the name of the device, but it will be the fourth-generation Nexus phone that Google fills to the brim with all sorts of goodness. What can we expect from this one? Well, how about a 720p display for starters, with a dual-core 1.2 GHz or 1.5 GHz Snapdragon processor? 4G LTE support point to this one being a Verizon Wireless device (althought it may also launch as the first AT&T 4G LTE device,) and things are rounded out by 1 GB RAM, 1080p video recording, 5 megapixel rear camera, 1 megapixel front camera, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich goodness, all in an ultra-thin package.

Yeah, we know how good this sounds. Just remember, it's a rumor for now, and if it comes to fruition, don't expect to see it until around the September timeframe, right in line with the iPhone 5.

Read More | BGR

Here’s what the Wii U console looks like

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: E3, Hardware, Nintendo, Wii U,

While Nintendo focused their E3 2011 Wii U efforts on the tablet-style controller for the new platform, many gamers wondered why they were to quiet about the console itself. In fact, many wondered if the Wii U controller was the console, and if it was just a new accessory for the current Wii system. Nintendo cleared it up later during E3, but all the press photos they released focused on the exciting controller. We're guessing they simply thought that the controller was the big deal (which it is,) and that no one would care about the actual console when it's over a year away from launching (although they were wrong there.) Above is an image of the Wii U console. Not much to see, but at least we can see that it is certainly not a Wii. Oh, and yes, it does 1080p.

Deal of the Day: Dell Latitude E6420 14-inch laptop for $649

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

Our Deal of the Day today brings you a $50 off coupon for the Dell Latitude E6420 14-inch laptop. What's cool about this one? Well, it's ultraportable, while still packing the new Intel Sandy Bridge processor in there, bringing the Core i3 to $649, Core i5 to $674, and Core i7 to $869. You get features like support for up to 8 GB RAM, dock connector, HDMI port, eSATA, and Intel HD 3000 graphics. Shipping is free as well:

Dell Latitude E6420 $50 coupon

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.

Comcast Spectrum will bring revamped Xfinity guide, Facebook to your TV

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment,

Comcast is set to show off the next evolution of their Xfinity TV offerings, which they are calling Xfinity Spectrum, tomorrow at NCTA 2011. We've gotta say, Comcast has been long overdue for a revamp, and it's nice to see that the company is looking to step things up in a major way. As you see in the video, things are much more integrated and easier to navigate. You're even able to share things about your viewing habits with Facebook, and of course this is likely the way that Comcast will bring Skype to your television. No word yet on how long it'll take to roll these boxes out, or when it will start, but let's just keep our fingers crossed on that one. Hit the video above for a look at the new hotness.