system

Pulling back from open source hardware, MakerBot angers some adherents

You likely know MakerBot Industries as the poster child for the new era of 3D-printing. You might not know that, until last week, the company and its CEO, Bre Pettis, were considered shining lights in the open-source hardware movement.

Think of open-source hardware, OSHW, as the physical equivalent of open source software. The Open Source Hardware Association, founded just this past March, offers an extended definition for OSHW. Its Statement of Principles sums things up thusly:

Open source hardware is hardware whose design is made publicly available so that anyone can study, modify, distribute, make, and sell the design or … Read more

Whip photos into shape with ACDSee 15

ACDSee and its publisher, ACD Systems, have been on the scene for several years now, so it's not surprising to see how polished their flagship product is at this point. Getting started with the software is simple, yet the extensive feature set--particularly in regard to management of a large photo catalog--should provide users plenty of opportunities for learning how to master the application. With ACDSee 15, every step of the photo process--importing photos from cameras or other devices; cataloging photos in your library, applying corrections or creative edits to photos; viewing photo slideshows; publishing, printing, and sharing photos--is mostly … Read more

Android 4.1 makes its way to Samsung's Galaxy S3

Samsung is slowly rolling out a software update for the Galaxy S3.

Forum posters over at XDA Developers reported today they've started receiving an update to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Based on the posts, it appears that the update is slowly making its way across Europe.

If Jelly Bean is, in fact, coming to the Galaxy S3, it's a bit ahead of schedule. Earlier this month, Samsung confirmed to CNET UK that the device would get Jelly Bean as early as October. The company didn't say when the software might be rolled out to U.S.… Read more

That didn't take long: iOS 6 already jailbroken -- with a catch

Less than a day after iOS 6 was made available, Apple's mobile operating system has been jailbroken.

The iPhone Dev-Team -- a group of hackers who target Apple products and who do not work for the company -- is reporting today that its Redsn0w tethered jailbreak will work with Apple's iOS 6. However, according to Redmond Pie, which was first to report on the news, only the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and fourth-generation iPod Touch will work with the jailbreak.

That iOS 6 was jailbroken already shouldn't come as a surprise. Dating all the way back to … Read more

By adding new maps and more FaceTime, iOS 6 hits major marks (updated)

CNET's review for the iPhone 5 is here! Make sure to check back and see our review of iOS 6 as soon as it becomes publicly available.

Editors' note:This First Take was originally posted on June 11, 2012, at the time of the WWDC Keynote. We are updating this post with changes to the iOS announced today at the Apple event.

During the Apple event today, the company announced the latest version of the operating system that powers its popular mobile devices. Scott Forstall, Apple's SVP of iOS, promises that iOS 6 will bring 200 new features, including tighter Facebook integration, an empowered Siri voice assistant, and the capability to conduct FaceTime calls over a cellular network.

Yet, it's Apple's new Maps app that was easily the star of the show. Created by the company, the app finally adds turn-by-turn directions along with info cards for businesses, a "flyover mode" when searching for an address, and a full 3D satellite view that displays buildings, terrain, and landmarks. There will be much more, of course, but even at this early point it's clear that Apple has filled a few gaping holes on our iOS wish list.… Read more

Get your iPhone ready for iOS 6

At WWDC, Scott Forstall, Apple's senior vice president of iOS, promised that iOS 6 would bring 200 new features, including tighter Facebook integration, an empowered Siri voice assistant, and the capability to make FaceTime calls over a cellular network (Read what we've learned so far of iOS 6). Just three months later, we expect to hear the official launch date for iOS 6 at the Apple event tomorrow. Like every Apple event, it's tough to predict the timing, but it's safe to say iOS 6 will be coming out in the very near future.

The question … Read more

Alibaba to Google's Android: Watch out in China

Alibaba, China's top e-commerce company, has Android firmly in its sights.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal in an interview published yesterday, Alibaba Chief Strategy Officer Zeng Ming said his company hopes to be "as strong as Android in China" with its own mobile operating system, Aliyun. In order to achieve that, however, Zeng needs some help from vendors.

Luckily for Alibaba, Zeng says that the company has added "quite a few [new handset partners]." However, he wouldn't say which companies have signed deals to use Aliyun.

Alibaba launched its Aliyun operating system last summer. … Read more

Which 3D-printing service will make you a gun?

As I explored in this post, while it's possible to print a working firearm component with a 3D printer, it's not exactly the best way to create such a component. Still, more people might experiment with the idea as 3D printers become more common. And as 3D-printing technology develops alongside that growth, so will the popularity of 3D-printing services--companies that print objects for you based on plans you submit.… Read more

Taste Pluto: Solar system lollipops are otherworldly

Ever wondered what Neptune tastes like? Vintage Confections on Etsy has the answer. It comes in your choice of either strawberry or cotton candy.

A complete set of solar system lollipops costs $17.50. You get the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Yea for including Pluto! Sorry, Moon, you don't rate high enough to get your own sucker.… Read more