Crave

Is this the back of the third-generation iPod Touch?

(Credit: Covino and Rich)

After a week filled with Zune HD news, there's nothing like a third-generation iPod Touch sighting to take the wind out of Microsoft's sails.

Images of the alleged camera-wielding iPod Touch surfaced earlier in the day, but were quickly shot down as a fake. Later the same day, a shaky video was published of the supposed iPod Touch, making a more compelling case for its authenticity.

The cynic in me still thinks this may be a second-generation Touch that's had its backing drilled and modified with a convincing camera. It seems odd that beyond the addition of camera, Apple would have left the design of the iPod Touch unchanged. Then again, the iPhone 3GS is a doppelganger for last year's iPhone 3G.

What do you guys think: real or fake?

(Via Engadget)

(Credit: xitek.com)

Over the past few weeks, Olympus' first Micro Four Thirds camera, the EP-1, has been the talk of the town, thanks in no small part to its retro and compact form factor. That gave it greater buzz over Panasonic, which launched the first two Micro Four Thirds digicams, the Lumix DMC-G1 and DMC-GH1. A Chinese forum has now let loose some images of what seem to be the upcoming Lumix GF1, and if the site is to be believed, Panasonic will soon have an answer to the EP-1.

From the pictures, it appears to be very similar in size to the EP-1 and will even have a built-in pop-up flash, something Olympus' offering lacks. Given the form factor, this looks like a souped-up LX3 and will certainly excite enthusiasts looking for a relatively compact camera to complement their main dSLR system. Digging deeper, Digital Photography Interface is even speculating that it will sport a fingerprint sensor. That seems a little far-fetched at the moment, but we won't know for sure until more information becomes available.

Editors' Note: Panasonic has asked us to note that the rumors from xitek.com are speculative and not official.

(Source: Crave Asia via Engadget)

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

Alex Kochis, Microsoft's director of Genuine Windows, posted a blog late Thursday addressing the "leak of a special product key" of Windows 7 RTM (release to manufacturers). This confirmed the rumor on Tuesday that an ISO file of Windows 7 RTM sent to Lenovo that contains a master key--a number used to verify the authenticity of the software--was leaked to the Internet.

According to the blog, "The key is for use with Windows 7 Ultimate RTM product that is meant to be preinstalled by the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) on new PCs to be shipped later this year. As such, the use of this key requires having a PC from the manufacturer it was issued to. We've worked with that manufacturer so that customers who purchase genuine copies of Windows 7 from this manufacturer will experience no issues validating their copy of Windows 7. At the same time we will seek to alert customers who are using the leaked key that they are running a non-genuine copy of Windows. It's important to note that no PCs will be sold that will use this key."

This means the hacked key will still work, though it will likely be identified, presumably when the computer with this version of the hacked Windows 7 OS installed connects to download updates from Microsoft.

Kochis said Windows 7 includes an improved capability to detect activation exploits and it should be able to alert the customer when the leaked version or other hacks are used to install Windows 7 on a PC.

He added, "Our primary goal is to protect users from becoming unknowing victims, because customers who use pirated software are at greater risk of being exposed to malware as well as identity theft. Someone asked me recently--and I think it's worth noting here--whether we treat all exploits equally in responding to new ones we see. Our objective isn't to stop every "mad scientist" that's out there from dabbling; our aim is to protect our customers from commercialized counterfeit software that impacts our customers' confidence in knowing they got what they paid for."

Personally, I don't see what Microsoft can do now that the key and the ISO is out in the wild, other than wait for a system installed with that copy of Windows 7 to connect to its update servers. In the meantime, it can issue another key to OEMs to make sure they don't use they leaked key and hope that consumers will buy its genuine product and, of course, pay the full price for it.

It's safe to say that we probably have to wait for a service pack of the operating system to be sure that this leak is fully addressed. In the meantime, this leaked key could still pose a big problem if the hackers are able to alter the ISO and sell it as counterfeit retailed package of the OS. In this case, customers will only find out that they don't have an genuine copy, if they ever do, when it's too late.

We've already seen the teaser for a new Black Label Chocolate phone from LG, but now it looks like everything's out in the open if this video is to be believed.

The rendering shows a very long mobile phone with a 4-inch touch-screen display. Its features include HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, and multitouch capabilities. This will be the fourth Black Label handset from the Korean company, and so far, it looks pretty impressive. The end of the video states that the phone will arrive in 2009, so let's wait and see if this rumor turns out to be true.

(Source: Crave Asia via Engadget)

Recently, a shaky, grainy video of what may or may not be a PS3 Slim turned up on YouTube (Engadget says it's supposedly a "stolen" PS3 slim that made its way to a street market in the Philippines). However, it's of such poor quality that it's really hard to tell what's what and it looks pretty dubious to us (and other blogs as well).

The "console" in the video does appear to be a little bit smaller than the current PS3 and there's quick flash of the new PS3 logo that we saw in earlier spy shots of an alleged PS3 Slim shipping box.

What do you guys think? Real or fake?

Alleged spy shots of a new, slimmed down PS3 continue to attract attention.

(Credit: Engadget)

Engadget is reporting that its Japanese site received a cease-and-desist notice from a "mysterious Chinese firm" demanding that it take down images of what may--or may not be--a new, slimmer version of Sony's PS3 game console.

Engadget didn't name the firm, but if such a company really exists--and it did send out a real cease-and-desist letter--it would lend some credence to the possibility that the photos are real. Engadget, as we do, finds the whole episode amusing, because in this day and age you just don't retract leaked photos. Once the genie's out of the bottle, nothing's bringing him back in; those images are everywhere.

As for what to make of these demands from this mysterious firm, the most obvious speculation is that the company is somehow involved in the production process of the new PS3 and that one of its employees leaked the photos. However, some Engadget readers aren't buying the authenticity of the letter, saying it doesn't have the requisite legal jargon to pass cease-and-desist muster and it smells like a hoax. Here's the letter as printed by Engadget:

Dear Sir,

We just find that the following web pages on your website contain some confidential document and photos, which were highly possibly illegally released and posted:

(redacted)

We are investigating this violation and will bring all necessary legal actions regarding this matter. In order to protect the confidential information and prevent you from further legal issues and infringements, please immediately remove those pages and keep our request confidential. If you have any question regarding this issue, please feel free to contact us.

Your cooperation is deeply appreciated.

Best regards

The whole thing sounds bizarre to us and frankly, we're a little jealous we didn't get our own cease-and-desist letter.

Comments?

Additional reading: Is a slimmer PS3 in the works?

(Credit: Sony)

Those crazy Russians. They've only gone and leaked details of three new Sony Alpha dSLR cameras: the 230, 330 and 14-megapixel 380.

Details of the new dSLRs briefly surfaced like the Red October on the Russian Sony site before disappearing again. Fortunately for us, photoclubalpha was on hand to capture and composite the various new features listed, albeit with a Google translation about as convincing as Sean Connery's Russian accent.

(Credit: Sony)

The A230 is a lightweight, entry-level model. The top-end A380 and middle child A330 boast flip-out screens. All three boast HDMI output to TVs, but do not appear to shoot video of any definition. Features shown include a new user interface, showing aperture and shutter speed on a sliding scale, pictured left.

The leaked pages mention APS-C format sensors, presumably for all three cameras. The sensors are protected by a dual dust-reduction system. Sony's Bionz sensor handles the thinking, while a dynamic range opimizer handles tricky, contrasty images to keep detail in both highlights and shadows.

(Credit: Sony)

Another feature is a smart teleconverter, which magnifies the image by 1.4x or 2x on the camera's screen, for more precise focusing. We also like the look of a 40-segment metering system, pictured right.

Finally, Sony has gone all green, pointing out that the cameras' shells are made using polycarbonate byproducts of CD-ROM manufacturing. Very reassuring. It also appears that one--or all--of the cameras supports two types of memory card. We've got our fingers crossed for SD cards, but we'll settle for CompactFlash, like the Alpha A300, alongside those pesky Sony Memory Sticks. Do svidaniya!

(Source: Crave UK)

A blurry photo of what appears to be a dry run of tomorrow's presentation.

(Credit: Engadget)

Here's the latest on Amazon's new, larger Kindle, which is expected to be announced Wednesday morning at Pace University in Manhattan, according to numerous sources.

• Thanks to an apparently surreptitious cameraphone photographer, Engadget has posted some blurry photos of what looks to be the dry run of tomorrow's presentation. They're not all that exciting--the new Kindle just looks like a jumbo Kindle 2.
• This Kindle may be called the Kindle DX, according to Engadget's anonymous source.
• The same source says it has a 9.7-inch screen (compared to the 6-inch screen on the Kindle 2).
• Allegedly, the device has a more robust built-in PDF reader and "the ability to add annotations in addition to notes and highlights."
• The Wall Street Journal has an article on the textbook angle of the new Kindle.
• Rumor has it that The New York Times will be lowering its Kindle subscription rate from $13.99 to $9.99. That would be a good move if true.
• The Wall Street Journal says the new Kindle will have a more functional browser.
• It's also reporting that select students at select universities will receive the new, larger Kindles with pre-installed textbooks for chemistry, computer science and a freshman seminar. Pace, Case Western, Princeton, Reed, Arizona State, and Darden School at the University of Virginia will initially lead the lineup for the college Kindle program.
• There's no word on price or whether this will be a touch-screen model.

As always, feel free to comment. We'll have full details Wednesday on the new Kindle after it's officially announced.

Episode 28 of the Digital City, where we discuss the back-and-forth on bandwidth caps from ISPs, make our Palm Pre predictions (I predict joey's gonna buy one), and look at how movie studios plan to fight high-profile leaks of summer blockbuster films.

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