By Cynthia Herbert :: 1:27 PM
Asus has announced its first Google TV device, the Qube, at CES.
It will come standard with 50GB of cloud storage space and access to a video library of at least 100,000 movies and television shows through services like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.
Like other newly announced display technology, the Qube will sport a motion-sensing remote control device for interacting with games and apps, and will also have support for Android phones in the form of the Asus Mobile Remote application, where users can turn their phones into remote controls.
This offering from Asus is different from other web steaming TV boxes in the fact that the company has developed its own proprietary user interface for the device. It will apparently function as a rotating on-screen cube shape. No screenshots seem to have been released for this, however.
The company did not have an event at CES this year.
By Gilbert Falso :: 1:14 PM
UPDATE: Adobe did not intend to make CS2 available for free. Read here.
Adobe today has announced that it is making available the 2005 version of its popular Creative Suite product, CS2, available for download for free.
This version will run well on slightly older computers, and may have issues if you are sporting the latest hardware and operating systems, but many have found different workarounds in online support forums.
Adobe’s free offering includes Acrobat 3D, Acrobat Standard 7.0, Acrobat Pro 8.0, Audition 3.0, GoLive, Illustrator, InCopy, InDesign, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and Adobe Premier Pro.
The current version of Adobe’s Creative Suite software is Creative Suite 6 (CS6), and includes such programs as Flash, DreamWeaver and Fireworks that were not available or not bundled with CS2 back in 2005. The current retail price for Adobe CS6 Design Standard
While the free CS2 might not mean much to hardcore graphic designers, web hackers, and video wizards, CS2 and its included programs are probably more than enough for the casual Adobe products user, or someone just getting their feet wet in the digital creation world.
In order to download the free version of CS2, you will need to go to Adobe’s website and register for a free Adobe Member account. Once you have registered, you can download the entire Creative Suite bundle, or select individual applications to download.
By Paul Thomson :: 8:26 AM
Your smartphone might just be getting smarter, and that battery life – that might be getting better, too.
Recent industry tests have discovered that changes to the new LTE (long-term evolution, a new standard in wireless communications protocol) chips in handsets may increase their battery life and reduce power consumption by 50%.
In addition to added battery efficiency the new chip technology has special protocols that would improve call quality by reducing some signaling overhead and improving performance in poor wireless carrier coverage areas. The new technology also route calls over your cell provider’s data network, rather than their voice network – this may have implications for current minute-based billing plans on carriers.
Carriers such as MetroPCS have already taken advantage of this new technology, VoLTE, in some markets, and Verizon Wireless  has announced that it plans to begin utilizing the new technology later this year, with widespread availability coming sometime in early 2014.
By Gilbert Falso :: 9:38 PM
The Public Broadcasting Corporation tonight is debuting the 3rd season of its popular show, Downton Abbey – chronicling the trials and tribulations of the family and servants of Lord and Lady Grantham.
In addition to tuning in to your favorite PBS station to watch the antics, you can also hop onto Twitter for tonight and the next seven Sundays, as PBS and Masterpiece host a live Twitter discussion at the hashtag #DowntonPBS.
From 9:00 to 11:00 PM Eastern time, PBS insiders, joined by moderators from Austenprose, The Daily Beast, Tom and Lorenzo and Vulture – will be tweeting and interacting with Downton fans at home.
Some accounts to follow include, @pbs ; @masterpiecepbs ; Laurel Ann Nattress(@Austenprose ) of Austenprose; Jace Lacob (@televisionary ) of The Daily Beast; Tom and Lorenzo (@tomandlorenzo ); and Vulture (@vulture ).
Not up to speed on all things Downton Abbey yet? Head over to Amazon Instant video to catch the first two seasons
By Paul Thomson :: 3:20 PM
In the wake of the Newtown, CT and Webster, NY tragedies, many eyes are on lawmakers to examine and reform gun laws in the United States. A new app has launched that allows social media users to join the conversation by displaying profiles of every member of Congress who has accepted any money from the gun lobby, and provides them with a link to Tweet at the lawmakers directly.
The organization behind the new app is Give US Gun Control. A majority of the lawmakers identified by the app are Republicans, but the list also includes a fair number from the other side of the aisle as well, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
The site also provides information about the state of the gun control issue in America, and offers a donation link to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, one of the country’s largest gun control advocacy groups.