LG is apparently tired of this tiny OLED stuff and has decided it’s time to super-size the organically-powered panels and plans to introduce a 55-inch HDTV in mid-2012. We’ve got faith it can deliver too — last summer the Korean manufacturer was showing off a 31-inch model (above) and it sounds like the company is shifting focus completely towards larger sizes. CEO Kwon Young-soo has said that IPS technology is much better suited for the mobile space. Of course, LG has promised impressively-sized panels before and, even if such a set does make it to market, chances are you’ll have to take out a second mortgage to afford one.

SOURCE via Slashgear

Odds seem pretty good that, if you’re a Linux user who’s been aching to give Google Music a spin, you haven’t been sitting idly by, waiting to upload your content through official channels. If you have, in fact, been waiting Google’s blessing, however, the time is now. The software giant has released the official Linux version of its Music Manager application for your cloud-listening pleasure. You’ll still need an invite, of course, but once that’s squared away, the sky (and upload cap) is the limit.

SOURCE via Google

Friday brought two separate Verizon-related reports indicating that Apple’s release of the iPhone 5 this fall is almost a certainty.

The first indication arrived by way of Verizon COO and upcoming CEO Lowell McAdam during a CNBC interview discussing the company’s Q2 financials. When asked about the slow revenue growth of the past quarter, he admitted that the company expected a significant jump thanks to the launch of the iPhone 5 this summer. Of course, that didn’t happen, so now the boost in revenue is expected next quarter due to the smartphone’s predicted launch in the fall.

“We had assumed that we would see an iPhone early in the summertime as it’s been usually, and that’s going to be a little bit later in the year now,” said McAdam.

McAdam followed up his iPhone revelation with a conference call on Friday, attributing the company’s Q2 financial performance to the expectations of the rumored iPhone 5. “We are probably what I would view as maybe a quarter behind what we had talked about in January, primarily because we expected an iPhone 5 refresh sometime this summer,” he said. “We don’t know when the next one is going to come out. You will have to ask Apple that, but we expect that probably sometime in the fall, and I think you will see a significant jump there when we get to that point.”

The second Verizon report of the day seemingly backs up McAdam’s prediction that the iPhone 5 will arrive this fall. According to reports, the Big Red is actually clearing out inventory to make room for the next-gen iPhone. The carrier is now reportedly discounting certain accessory bundles for the iPhone 4 to make room, and will later reduce the prices of single accessory offerings closer to the iPhone 5 launch / iPhone 4 EOL.

So far the predictions for the iPhone 5 launch have focused primarily on late August, September and early October. Naturally, Apple hasn’t said a word.

Thursday the Android Developers Blog was updated with news that Google’s Android Market now supports multiple APKs. This new change is undoubtedly one of Google’s efforts to tackle Android fragmentation by allowing developers to create various versions of the same app and combine them in one Android Market listing. Previously Google allowed for only one APK per product listing.

“With multiple APK support, you can now upload multiple versions of an APK for a single product listing, with each one addressing a different subset of your customers,” the blog reads. “These APKs are complete, independent APKs that share the same package name, but contain code and resources to target different Android platform versions, screen sizes, or GL texture-compression formats. When users download or purchase your app, Android Market chooses the right APK to deliver based on the characteristics of the device.”

Read more…

Apple this week launched the newest version of its OS X operating system, Lion. The software debuted in Apple’s Mac App Store and has already racked up a million downloads. However, downloading is not your only option; Apple is also releasing the new iteration of its OS on USB stick next month.

Costing $69, it’s a full $40 more than the $29 users are paying for the download. Why is Apple selling the OS on USB and charging more than double the price? We can’t say for sure, but we’re betting it’s got something to do with the fact that OS X Lion is a rather hefty download (almost 4GB) and not everyone has the speed or bandwidth to download it. Still, that doesn’t completely excuse charging so much extra (Apple does need to cover costs for materials, shipping, handling, etc., but it can’t be that much). Considering the month between digital and USB release, it would seem Apple is doing its best to push people towards the Mac App Store.

If you’ve got slow internet or a cap on your bandwidth and can’t afford to fork out $70 (or don’t want to) for OS X Lion, you can always lug your computer down to the local Apple Store and use its internet for your digital download.

SOURCE via Reuters

Research In Motion’s PlayBook Tablet hasn’t exactly been a roaring success. However, while the device has failed to match up to competitors, the device got a boost this week as it received the federal stamp of approval for government use. RIM has revealed that the BlackBerry tablet has just been awarded Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 certification, something that’s required if a device is to be used in any government department or the White House.

“This certification demonstrates our continued commitment to meeting the needs of security-conscious organizations and enables the U.S. federal government to buy with confidence knowing that the PlayBook meets their computing policy requirements for protecting sensitive information.” Scott Totzke, senior vice president of BlackBerry security at RIM, said in a statement.

It’s not surprising that the BlackBerry PlayBook has garnered the approval of the feds — the company has always been dedicated to providing strong security for its customers. Now, with the PlayBook being the first and only tablet to receive FIPS approval, any government agency or department hoping to add tablets to their arsenal of gadgets will have to use the PlayBooks.

Launched in April of this year, the PlayBook boasts a 1GHz Cortex-A9 dual-core CPU; 1GB of RAM; a 7-inch, 1024×600 display; a 5-megapixel camera capable of shooting 1080p HD video on the back and a 3-megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video up front (for video calling and the like); support for Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR; Micro-USB; and Micro HDMI. It runs RIM’s new QNX-based BlackBerry Tablet OS but can also run existing BlackBerry Java apps as well as Android apps.

Apple is all about its ecosystem, now with iOS devices making up the majority of the company’s product portfolio. Being able to deliver content exclusively for its platform is part of Apple’s scheme, which may explain why a report claims that the Cupertino company is considering a bid to buy online video streaming service Hulu.

Bloomberg cites “two people with knowledge of the auction,” but “weren’t authorized to speak publicly,” as sources for this information. With Apple’s recent announcement that it has $76.2 billion in cash and securities, Hulu’s estimated price tag of over $2 billion is just pocket change.

Hulu’s owners, Walt Disney Co., News Corp. and Comcast Corp.’s NBC Universal, believed to be offering potential buyers a five-year extension of program rights, including two years of exclusive access. There’s no doubt that Apple would love to lock down the streaming of Hulu programming to iOS devices.