Microsoft Surface for Windows RT to launch Oct. 26 for just $199?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,

When Microsoft revealed Surface to the world, we were pretty impressed. It looked like a highly-capable platform that, if it lived up to its promises, would be a major player in the tablet space. However, we also know that the iPad rules the roost. In fact, most consumers don't want tablets so much as they want iPads. What would Microsoft do with Surface to gain attention as a solid differentiator? It looks like it's gonna compete on price.

Click to continue reading Microsoft Surface for Windows RT to launch Oct. 26 for just $199?

Read More | Engadget

Joe Kubert, RIP

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, DC Comics,

It’s hard to believe that Joe Kubert passed away. His work was such a large part of my comic book experience and his war comics are so ingrained on my psyche that it feels like the passing of a great man of literature.

From Sgt. Rock, to Enemy Ace, to Tarzan and dozens more, his work never disappointed. His covers were dynamic, fluid, and never looked like anyone else’s. I could spot Kubert art a mile away. I loved his covers on Son Of Tomahawk, and I really liked a tryout series of his called Firehair, about a red-headed boy raised by native Americans.

And as much as I loved his war comics, it was his Tarzan that was a revelation to me. I’d read the Gold Key stuff which I found stiff and unexciting, but when I picked up the first issue Kubert did for DC, I was amazed at how he got me to like a character I was never really interested in.

Years later, I was fortunate enough to be involved in the publication of one of Joe’s graphic albums, Abraham Stone, at Malibu Comics. Here’s how that came about.

Click to continue reading Joe Kubert, RIP

Report: Next-generation iPhone 5 pre-orders to begin September 12

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

Apple is set to begin pre-orders of the next-generation iPhone 5 on September 12, according to iMore. You might recognize that date as being the same day that Apple will unveil its next smartphone to the world, so it looks like pre-orders will begin later that day. The smaller 7.85-inch iPad is also heavily rumored to make an appearance on 9/12 as well. The next iPhone is expected to see a September 21 release, with international sales kicking off on October 5.

Read More | iMore

Sprint Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE packs QWERTY keyboard, $199 on August 19

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google,

If you're a Sprint customer who's been waiting on a new Android device, and you demand that a real QWERTY keyboard be a part of the action, then the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE is exactly what you're looking for. Aside from the keyboard love, it also packs support for LTE, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 8-megapixel rear camera, and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. You can pre-order the Photon Q today, and it hits stores on August 19th for $199.

Read More | Sprint

Amazon set to release new line of Kindle hardware, older models discounted and discontinued

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Rumors,

Amazon is seemingly set to unleash an update to its Kindle ebook readers across the board, as evidenced by the fact that the entire e-ink line is either discounted or discontinued. While the entry-level Kindle is still in supply, the $99 Kindle Touch isn't shipping for 3-5 days, while the $139 version that comes without ads is simply no longer available. The $149 Kindle Touch 3G is also unavailable, and the larger Kindle DX was discounted by $110 on Friday. Supply constraints and discounts like these aren't typical for the Kindle line, except in the instances where Amazon is set to refresh the line. Word on the street is that we'll see a Kindle event sometime in the next week or two that'll highlight updated models.

Read More | Gizmodo

Mountain Lion OS X 10.8.1 now available to developers

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

Apple has seeded the first build of OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.1 to developers through its Mac Developer Portal. Interestingly, there are no known issues despite it being the first build, so we'd imagine that the 10.8.1 update will be released to the public in short order. Apple has focused on improving Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange in Mail, PAC Proxies in Safari, SMB, USB, and WiFi and Audio when connected to the Apple Thunderbolt Display for the first Mountain Lion update, which weighs in at just 38.54 MB in size. If you haven't upgraded yet, you can download Mountain Lion from the Mac App Store.

Weekend Reading: Batman, Doonesbury, Killraven and Kickstarter

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Reviews, DC Comics, Marvel Comics,

So the Olympics are finally over, and that means it's time to talk about real heroes, right? Y'know, the ones in capes!

For most of us, we have the belief that Bill Finger is the true creator of everything that made Batman great. Here’s why.

Jake Hinkson looks at The Dark Knight Rises and the other two parts of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy: “Unlike the set-bound comic-gothic theatrics of Tim Burton's Batman films or the plastic sex-toy quality of Joel Schumacher's films, Batman Begins is a full on epic.”

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Batman, Doonesbury, Killraven and Kickstarter

Ask Andru: How do I stop iPhoto from opening when I plug in my iPhone?

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

Apple tries to make it easy to use all of its products together harmoniously, but there are times where it might get in the way. Today we received a question that asks how to stop iPhoto from opening automatically whenever an iPhone is plugged in, and that's exactly the kind of synergy that can get annoying when all you want to do is charge up your device while you work. Luckily, I've got your answer. There are a couple of different ways to do this, and they look similar at the surface level, but actually serve two different purposes. Let's explore them.

Question: How do I stop iPhoto from automatically opening whenever I plug in my iPhone? It's annoying!

Click to continue reading Ask Andru: How do I stop iPhoto from opening when I plug in my iPhone?

StoryBundle: Pay whatever you want for DRM-free indie ebooks

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hot Deals, Misc. Tech,

Do you like deals? Reading? Supporting a good cause? Here's something that's got all three in one.

StoryBundle is a new site that's selling indie bundles for whatever you want to pay. It's just like the indie game bundles you've heard about before, like Humble Bundle, and allows you to get five books (or, seven, if you go over the bonus price of $7,) that works on any ebook reader you have. That means that you can load 'em up on on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Kindle, Nook, Android device, and just about any other ebook platform you can think of. You get to decide how much you want to give to the authors and how much you want to give to StoryBundle, plus you can donate part of your purchase to two charitable causes as well.

If you're looking for a cheap and easy way to get books for your tablet, smartphone or ereader, this is it. All these books are hand-selected by StoryBundle and they all have good reviews on Amazon, so you're getting quality reads.

Read More | StoryBundle

Pomodorable brings refreshing touch to task management on the Mac

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

This morning Pomodorable, a new task management and productivity app from Monocle Society, hit the Mac App Store. Pomodorable relies on the Pomodoro technique, a method of accomplishing things on your task list by using a 25-minute timer and focusing on one item exclusively during that timeframe, while also logging distractions.

The nice thing about Pomodorable is how versatile the software is. You can use it exclusively as your task management (and time management) app, but if you're already using an alternative task manager like iCloud Reminders, OmniFocus, or Things, then you can continue using those apps to manage your tasks and Pomodorable will two-way sync between them. This way, you don't need to change how you do things, while still taking advantage of Pomodorable's powerful time features.

Click to continue reading Pomodorable brings refreshing touch to task management on the Mac