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Google and Adobe team up to make Flash Player for Linux (updated)
Linux may no longer be getting any more fresh Air, but it's going to get a heaping helping of Flash thanks to a partnership between Adobe and Google. You see, Adobe the pair has been developing a new browser API to work with Flash, code-named "Pepper," to provide Flash Player 11.2 in Chrome on any x86/64 platform -- including Linux. From now on, Linux users will get new versions of Flash Player directly through the Pepper API in Chrome (as opposed to a download from Adobe), but Adobe promises to provide security updates for five years after its release. Don't believe us? Get the good news direct from Adobe at the source below.Update: To be clear, while this will keep Flash updated in Chrome, it's uncertain what this means for other browsers like Firefox, Konqueror and Midori.
Leaked Sony 2012 smartphone roadmap reveals potentially birdy, minty flagships
Grab a bowl of salt and start pinching, folks. A sales report for Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications India is floating around the internet that's purportedly packing a list of 2012's planned handsets along with suggested pricing. The 11-strong list is in Rupees, and whilst we've reproduced it in full above, it's worth bearing in mind that cellphones in the "developing world" (no offense intended) are often more expensive than the equivalent handset in the US (the 16GB iPhone 4S, for example costs $650 in the US but $882 in India). The "Pepper" codename seems to tie in with what we've been expecting, but the Nypon blurrycam images we've seen don't follow the company's 2012 design language -- so we doubt they're real. That said, it's clear that a pair of flagships will arrive in the second half of the year: the code-names don't shed too much light, since Hayabusa means "Peregrine Falcon" and Mint -- well, we can hardly expect Sony to produce a phone with a built-in breath freshener, can we?
Sony Ericsson 'Pepper' MT27i surfaces, has some design spice
While we wait mere days for Sony to unveil whatever it's got cooking for its smartphone arm, another mysterious phone has leaked ahead of any formal reveal. This prototype black and white handset still carries the full Sony Ericsson branding, and it's rumored to pack a 3.7-inch screen at 480 x 854 resolution. It's purportedly powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor and is, according to Xperia Blog, the successor to the moderately-priced Xperia Neo. There's the same three capacitive buttons, with an unspecified front-facing camera and a five megapixel camera rumored on the back. If Sony has deigned it worthy of a Vegas showing, expect to see some close-up impressions very soon. [Thanks Joseph]
World Tour 'Hard Rock' and 'Reggae Rock' track packs now live
While we were busy drowning ourselves in eggnog and delicious eats throughout the day yesterday, Activision was busy firing off press releases, letting us know the latest round of DLC for Guitar Hero: World Tour is available for download. Along with 3 new tracks that cost the usual 200 Wii Points, we're also given 3 new tracks absolutely free of charge. Check out the details below.The Hard Rock Track Pack features: Hinder - "Use Me" - 200 Wii Points Nickelback - "Because of You" - 200 Wii Points Rev Theory - "Light it Up" - 200 Wii Points The Reggae Rock Track Pack features: Pepper - "Your Face" - free Slightly Stupid - "Jimi" - free The Expendables - "Sacrifice" - free %Gallery-23491%[Via press release]
Guitar Hero World Tour Dec. DLC: The Eagles, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins & free reggae rock
Activision has released the December DLC set list for Guitar Hero World Tour featuring four consecutive weeks of releases (that's a certified streak!). And did we mention the reggae rock is free? Let's smoke toast to that! Details below -- music videos after the break. The Smashing Pumpkins Track Pack (Dec. 4th): "G.L.O.W." "1979" "Everlasting Gaze" Nirvana Track Pack (Dec. 11th): "You Know You're Right" "Negative Creep" "Sliver" The Eagles Track Pack (Dec. 18th): "One of These Nights" "Life in the Fast Lane" "Frail Grasp on the Big Picture" (from Long Road out of Eden) Free Reggae Rock Track Pack (Dec. 23rd): "Jimi" - Slightly Stoopid "Your Face" - Pepper "Sacrifice" - Expendables Note: All premium track packs are priced as follows: 440 (XBLM); $5.49 (PSN); not available on Wii. Individual tracks are sold for: 160 (XBLM); $1.99 (PSN); 200 Wii Points.
PC Keyboard Salt and Pepper Shakers don't support SureType
Just what you needed, right? After a hard day's night pounding away on keys for The Man, do you really want to season your grub with a little QWERTY? Amazingly, we bet the answer is still yes. Get your set now for $10.95.[Via technabob]
Pepper announces Pepper Linux support for Intel-based MIDs
Having already successfully ported its OS to the OLPC, Pepper has now set its sights on slightly less colorful territory, announcing today that its Pepper Linux OS now officially supports the latest Intel-based Mobile Internet Devices (or MIDs). Among other things, the OS has apparently been optimized for the MID's 4 to 7-inch displays, tweaked for optimal power management and battery life, and prepped to allow automatic WiFi and network configuration. The OS also boasts integrated malware protection, automatic system and application updates, and a full complement of audio and video codecs, with the entire OS weighing in at less than 500MB. While there doesn't appear to be word of any MID manufacturers that have signed up to use the OS just yet, it'll be ready to ship to any interested OEMs or ODMs sometime this fall.
Apple's iPod Shuffle: the next great appetizer?
Although this won't go down as the first restaurant to mix in a little iPod action with the meal, it's fairly safe to say that Fat Duck chef Heston Blumenthal has melded portable audio with dining like no other. Apparently, the culinary guru "wanted to experiment with using sound to enhance a dining experience," which landed a person with a plate full of silver electronics and tangled white cord to compliment the rest of the Sound of the Sea dish. Aside from the food itself, the iPod was pre-loaded with "soothing sounds of the sea breeze and waves gently caressing the seashore," presumably to further enhance the eating experience. Still, we can't really envision how listening to sounds related to our meal would make things more appetizing -- you know, unless deafening moos just jazz up your taste buds when rolling by a burger joint.[Via Kottke]
Here comes the Pepper Pad 3!
As expected, the Pepper folks are busting out their new Pepper Pad 3, which is supposedly "now available," though we're having a hard time spotting it up for anything but pre-order. The new unit isn't too much of a departure from its Pepper Pad Plus predecessor, but it has slimmed down a bit, and is running the new 3.0 OS, which claims enhancements such as 3x faster web browsing and enhanced video performance. There's also "faster" 802.11g WiFi and USB 2.0, and Pepper claims they've got a SDK out, so we might finally see a bit of application support. The new form factor is 0.9-inches thick, weighs 2 pounds, and the screen size has been trimmed down to 7-inches, but while we didn't have a terrible time holding this thing in one hand for snapping a few pics, it's not going to slip into your shirt pocket anytime soon. We could've done for a bit more of a refresh to the QWERTY keys, but we suppose they'll have to do, and if the purported speed increases from the new OS and the AMD LX800 processor prove true, the Pepper Pad 3 should serve its teensy little niche market well enough. And for $700, it sure oughta. Keep reading for a few more action shots.
Pepper Computer announces Pepper Pad 3
Hard to believe there was a first and second Pepper Pad (wait, there weren't two, unless you count that Pepper Pad Plus, which we don't), but it looks like with the recent upgrade to the Pepper Platform 3 comes the Pepper Pad 3 as well. Users can look forward to 50 percent longer battery life (supposedly), faster WiFi (802.11g this time, we presume), an integrated webcam, UPnP support, and a new AMD Geode LX 800 0.9 watt processor (instead of Intel's 624MHz Xscale PXA270). It's supposed to launch in August for $699 -- less than before -- but unless they do something about that cripplingly bad keyboard, unresponsive touchscreen, and dearth of applications developed for the "Web player," we can't imagine this one being any more successful than its predecessor(s).
