VLC for iPhone and iPad soon to disappear thanks to GPL complaints — go get it now
November 1, 2010 No Comment
There’s always been tension between Apple’s tight control of the iOS App Store and the DRM-free license requirements of the GPL, and it seems like things are coming to a head over VLC, the open-source video player. As you’ll recall, VLC was just released for the iPad and iPhone in the past few months, but the port was done by a company called Applidium — not VLC developer VideoLAN, which holds the copyright and licenses the code under the GPL. VideoLAN now says that since VLC for iOS includes Apple’s FairPlay DRM, it’s in violation of the GPL and must be pulled — and that “concerned users are advised to look for applications on more open mobile platforms for the time being.” That’s certainly fair enough, although we do find it a bit sensationalist that the takedown notice was sent to Apple and not Applidium, since it’s technically Applidium that violated the GPL. Then again, the statement was written by VideoLAN developer R
Continue reading …
Pop rockers Good Charlotte are glad to be back with their fifth studio album, ‘Cardiology,’ almost a decade after their first record. (Nov. 1)
Continue reading …
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek police intercepted a booby-trapped parcel addressed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday, after another package exploded at a courier company in Athens, slightly wounding an employee. Police suspect the parcels were linked to Greek leftist guerrilla groups. Greece has been rocked by a wave of gas canister and bomb attacks, usually…
Continue reading …These numbers line up pretty nicely with last night’s Gallup GOP +15 release.
Continue reading …
The driver of a pickup truck is suspected of intentionally driving into a Los Angeles home, killing his teenage girlfriend and their 6-day-old daughter. Police say the driver remains hospitalized with minor injuries. (Nov. 1)
Continue reading …
Iraqi Christians were in mourning and in shock, the day after an attack on a Baghdad Catholic church left more than 50 dead. (Nov. 1)
Continue reading …
A three-judge panel of the US Circuit Court of Appeals began hearing arguments from lawyers representing Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who appealed a lower-court ruling putting parts of the law on hold. (Nov. 1)
Continue reading …
The story of the Galaxy Tab has been quite a saga, to say the least. In fact, it was actually back in May that we first heard rumblings of Samsung’s plans to unleash a 7-inch Android tablet much like its Galaxy S phones, but it was only after months of painful teasing — including a cruel look at just its packaging on the Engadget Show — that Sammy finally unveiled the Galaxy Tab to the world at IFA. The Tab certainly packed the specs — a 1GHz processor, full Flash support thanks to Android 2.2, dual cameras, support for up to 32GB of storage and WiFi / 3G connectivity — to put other Android tablets to shame, and our initial hands-on with it only had us yearning for more. Without pricing and availability, however, the story was at a cliffhanger. Of course, those details trickled out over the next few months, and here in the US, Samsung finally announced that all four major US carriers would be getting Tabs to call their own. Verizon then finally took the lead in announcing pricing, and revealed that its Tab would hit contact-free for $600 — Sprint followed with the same no-contract pricing along with a $400 two-year contract option. Indeed, it’s been quite a long journey, but even after all of that, some of the major questions are still left unanswered. Does the Tab provide a more complete and polished experience than all the other Android tablets out there? How are Samsung’s specially tailored apps? And ultimately, has a tablet finally hit the market that can rival Apple’s iPad ? We think it’s about time we answer those questions and finally open what might be the most important chapter of the Galaxy Tab story — the official Engadget review. We knew you’d agree, so join us after the break. Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Tab (Sprint) Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab review Samsung Galaxy Tab review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
The argument used to be that carriers’ higher pricing for smartphone data plans were what kept them out of the low end, regardless of the upfront on-contract cost — but now that T-Mobile has rolled out a 200MB / $10 package , phones like the Comet — a T-Mobile branded version of the Huawei Ideos announced at IFA — might actually pose a serious threat to the livelihoods of dumbphones everywhere. Why’s that? Well, the carrier will be charging a ridiculously low $9.99 on contract after $50 rebate for it, featuring 7.2Mbps HSPA, FM radio, integrated Swype , microSD expansion up to 32GB, and 802.11b / g / n atop Froyo ; in fact, the only immediately-obvious downside to it is that it’s got just a 2.8-inch QVGA display. As you might recall, Huawei worked closely with Google to design the Ideos as an Android device for the masses, and we came away with a pretty positive impression with it when we checked it out at IFA — so we’re bullish that this thing is going to make some waves in its Comet guise. It launches on November 3 — and you’ll be able to get it in prepaid guise through some third-party retailers for “less than $200.” T-Mobile Comet sends $9.99 shot across the bow of dumbphones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
The discovery of explosive devices in cargo shipments have prompted a halt to goods and passenger flights moving between Yemen and the rest of the world. Authorities are scrambling to find who may be behind the bombs. (Nov. 1)
Continue reading …