torch

Research In Motion's BlackBerry browser isn't poised to match Safari on Apple's iPhone, a glaring problem as the smartphone maker attempts to compete in the mobile-browser market. But RIM appears to be addressing this issue with its latest acquisition.

Torch Mobile, a WebKit developer that offers the Iris mobile browser, announced Monday that it has been acquired by RIM for an undisclosed sum.

"Our team of developers will join RIM's global organization and will now be focused on utilizing our WebKit-based mobile browser expertise to contribute to the ongoing enhancement of the BlackBerry platform," … Read more

I tried out the HUGlightrecently and thought it was really cool and practical. Now, I've run across something that brings both coolness and practicality to a new high: the Gorillatorch flashlight.

Introduced by Joby on Tuesday, the Gorillatorch appears to be the first flashlight that comes with a set of flexible tripods. The three legs, made of medical‐grade ABS plastic and German TPE rubber, are flexible enough to be easily bended into any shape. This flexibility, plus the fact that they have strong magnets, means Gorillatorch can grip to virtually anything, leaving your hands free for other … Read more

Here's a fairly new, fairly stealth specimen for all you mobile browser buffs. The Iris Browser is a beta-only offering produced by Torch Mobile, a start-up that presented at last week's Under the Radar conference.

While the beta for Windows Mobile phones 5+ is publicly available, consumers won't likely be able to download it themselves in its full incarnation. The company will convert beta testers' feedback into a more robust product to sell to manufacturers, who will brand the browser as their own.

I've been trying out the Iris Browser nonetheless--it's got a full enough … Read more

Lenovo used a boatload of resources to win the contest to design the Olympic torch for this summer's Games, and what's the world's reaction? Derision and anger.

Of course, it has nothing to do with Lenovo or the torch design and everything to do with China's human rights record, its crackdown on protesters in Tibet, and its ongoing support of Sudan's government.

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at how Lenovo's $100 million-plus marketing blitz as one of the official sponsors of the Games held in its own backyard could actually be a … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--In a switcheroo that threw off hundreds of protesters and put Twitter and text-message alert systems to the test, city officials here decided to take the Olympic torch relay on a far different route Wednesday than had been previously announced.

The relay had been highly anticipated, largely because of security concerns related to protesters who--fueled by Web campaigns--came out in droves to oppose the Chinese government's plans to carry the torch through Tibet, or more generally, the government's overall human rights record.

As crowds of spectators and protesters awaited the torch along the city's … Read more

In case you were interested in keeping track of where the 2008 Olympic torch is at any given moment, the Google Maps team has put together a mash-up that tracks its position as it makes its way around the world via a series of runners and transportation mediums.

Beside the map you can track not only where the torch has been, but where it's going. There's a small information panel that tells you about the route through each city including any relevant landmarks. Information about future dates hasn't been made available (for security reasons), but you can … Read more

The Taser may soon have some competition as the personal safety device of choice, from an unlikely source: the flashlight.

We've already seen models capable of blinding an assailant, shooting 800,000 volts, and even resembling a Gatling machine gun. Now Wicked Lasers--the outfit that brought Blu-ray to the laser pointer--has outdone itself with the "Torch."

Though not the first to make fire-starter claims, this one is billed as "the world's brightest and most powerful flashlight," with the ability to "burn plastic, light paper, or even fry an egg or toast a … Read more

Go long, Herschel.

Former pro football player Herschel Walker and five yet-to-be-selected "Mobile Phone Samaritans" will serve as Olympic Torch Relay bearers, when the symbolic flame passes through its only North American stop in San Francisco in April.

Samsung Electronics, a partner in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, is holding a "Mobile Phone Samaritan" contest to select the five participants who will carry the torch in San Francisco with the Heisman Trophy winner.

Interested parties can either nominate themselves or someone they know who used a mobile phone in an emergency to help another person. … Read more

Considering how quickly Lenovo's Olympics laptop came out--it was shown just one day after its first public mention--the company has taken a fairly long time to release any details.

But Electronista says the "Xiang" notebook, which bears the distinctive "Cloud of Promise" design created specifically for the 2008 Beijing Games, has made an appearance at a Southeast Asian trade show and sported a 12-inch widescreen, a 1.66 GHz Core Duo processor, a multi-card reader and three USB ports, among other features.

Unfortunately, the most important specs--where and when we can get one, and for … Read more