Maingear’s normal method of constructing a gaming notebook works something a little like this: 1. Grab a Clevo chassis, 2. Crowbar as much high-power tech it can. For the Pulse 17, however, the company has decided to follow a different path. Abandoning Clevo’s hardware, the company has crafted a 17-inch laptop that’ll put a dent in your wallet and your friend’s egos. This self-styled “world’s thinnest” gaming notebook comes with a Haswell Core i7 4700HQ clocked at 2.4GHz, but which’ll push all the way up to 3.4GHz when required, in addition to a GeForce GTX 765M with 2GB RAM and a staggering 16GB RAM. Up front, your eyes will be staring into a 17.3-inch 1, 920 x 1, 080 widescreen display, and users will have a choice of a 1TB HDD or a pair of 480GB SSDs in a Raid 0 configuration. Systems go on sale from today and will start from $2, 099 — with prices increasing depending on your build-to-order choices, naturally. Filed under: Gaming , Laptops Comments

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Maingear announces Pulse 17, the ‘world’s thinnest’ 17-inch gaming notebook

You might remember the PocketStation , but most of you probably don’t — it was a Japan-only peripheral that launched over there way back in 1999. Another thing rising from the dead today, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan has just released highly-confusing teaser video promising a big PocketStation announcement on 5th November, two months shy of its 14th birthday. Despite the lengthy four-minute tease, there’s no mention of exactly what PlayStation has planned — a similarly-behaving app for smartphones? A new peripheral for its consoles and handheld? Just some new adorable plushies of the PocketStation’s cat-like protagonist? We don’t know, but we’ll be around in Tokyo next week to tell you more. 懐かしの”ポケステ”に新展開！？　”PocketStationナゾ動画”が緊急公開 – ファミ通.com http://t.co/o0xkofzJUh via @famitsu – Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) November 1, 2013 Filed under: Gaming , Sony Comments Source: PlayStation Japan (YouTube)

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PocketStation, the PS1’s memory card with a screen, teased for November return

Now that we know what smartphone market share looked like in the third quarter when broken down by manufacturer , it’s time to compare performance by platform. As you’d imagine, the world is still Android’s oyster. Strategy Analytics estimates that the OS has crossed the symbolic 80 percent mark , reaching 81.3 percent of smartphone shipments by the end of September. Not that Google was the only company doing well — Nokia’s strong US sales helped Windows Phone grow to 4.1 percent of the market, or nearly double what it had a year ago. Whether or not these trends continue is another matter. Although Android likely isn’t in danger given the launches of phones like the Galaxy Note 3 , there are also new iPhones and Lumias on the scene; there may be one or two surprise upsets when the fourth quarter is over. Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , Apple , Microsoft , Nokia , Google , Blackberry Comments Source: Strategy Analytics

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Android tops 81 percent of smartphone market share in Q3

When you thought we were ready for Google’s next announcement , along comes some fresh information, courtesy of regular Google news-breaker , Amir Efrati . He’s apparently taken a look at confidential documents outlining what’s going on with the next big mobile OS update. The Android KitKat iteration will apparently tackle that tricky fragmentation issue , and has been designed to work well even on lesser-specced Google-powered handsets. The new Android OS “optimizes memory use in every major component, ” and will include tools to make memory-friendly apps for “entry-level devices” with memory even as low as 512MB. The other major point is how Google, a well-known proponent of wearables , is already is prepping for even more smartwatches and visors on its mobile operating system. The new version will reportedly include support for three new sensors: geomagnetic rotation vector, step detection and step counters, which could be Android’s way of answering Apple’s inclusion of a dedicated motion processor in its latest iPhone. The source reckons these are geared towards Google’s rumored smart watch — or possibly glass. Google is apparently still working on making NFC a bigger deal, and has also worked internally on improving smartphones’ skills controlling your TV and other devices. Apparently, this will involve unifying how Android deals with IR blasters, rather than the fragmented approach brought by phone makers including Samsung, LG, Sony and HTC. Bluetooth is also rumored to see significant improvements, with Bluetooth HID over GATT and Message Access Profile increasing what Android-running hardware can talk with. We’ll hopefully see how much of this hits the mark soon, and we have our fingers crossed that there’s also a new phone , primed with those sensors, to go with it. Filed under: Cellphones , Software , Mobile , Google Comments Source: JessicaLessin.com

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​Android KitKat leak suggests big improvements for cheap phones and wearables

Sprint may have lost 360, 000 customers over the last quarter, but it’s looking to stem that tide with the introduction of Sprint Spark, an enhanced LTE service it says will deliver “unprecedented speeds” to its cellphone users. The company demoed the service running at 1Gbps this morning, however, customers can expect “50-60 Megabits per second (Mbps) peak speeds today with increasing speed potential over time.” Sprint says the service will not only enhance video and bandwidth-hogging apps, but says it’s ready to take on virtual reality and “futuristic apps” — whatever those might be. Spark is dependent on tri-band wireless devices , which are intended to seamlessly switch between Sprint’s 800MHz, 1.9GHz and 2.5GHz cellular bands, depending on your location and which apps you’re using. The rollout begins today with limited availability in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Tampa and Miami, though Sprint promises to extend that service to 100 US cities by 2016. The HTC One max, LG G2, Samsung Galaxy Mega and Samsung Galaxy S 4 mini will all be available with Spark starting November 8th. For more info, check out the source links below. Filed under: Cellphones , Wireless , Sprint Comments Source: Sprint (1) , (2)

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Sprint introduces Spark enhanced LTE, promises unprecedented speed, futuristic app support

It’s no secret that Facebook likes its targeted advertising . However, that affinity may soon blossom into a full-fledged love affair. The social network’s Ken Rudin tells the Wall Street Journal that his company is testing a system which targets ads based on where users’ mouse cursors hover; it can also tell whether or not mobile users see their news feeds. Neither tracking technology is new, but the scale of behavioral data collection would be unprecedented when Facebook has almost 1.2 billion users . Don’t be too quick to close your account in protest, though. Rudin notes that there won’t be a decision on the technology for another “couple of months, ” and it may never see the light of day. If you don’t like the idea of Facebook monitoring your on-screen habits, we’d suggest making yourself heard . Filed under: Internet , Facebook Comments Source: Wall Street Journal

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Facebook considers tracking your mouse cursor and screen views to improve its ads

Tesla Motors’ Supercharger Corridor , which runs from San Diego to Vancouver, is now open for business. It enables the Model S to quickly recharge for free at a variety of locations along the West Coast of North America. At least six of those locations are already installed, and Tesla says “more than 99 percent of Californians and 87 percent of Oregon and Washington owners are now within 200 miles of a Supercharger.” Developing … Filed under: Transportation Comments Source: Tesla Motors

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Tesla’s West Coast Supercharger Corridor now open, charging the Model S from San Diego to Vancouver

WebRTC promises plugin-free video chat in our browsers, but it has been stuck in limbo due to format squabbles — some companies want royalty-free standards like VP8, while others insist on the wider support of H.264. Today, Cisco is proposing a truce between the two camps. It’s planning to open-source its H.264 codec without passing on the royalties it pays to MPEG-LA, effectively making the standard free when used in web conversations. Mozilla is endorsing the strategy; although it still prefers open video technologies like VP8 and Daala , it believes that Cisco’s move would let both Firefox clients and Firefox OS use H.264 for more tasks. Nothing is set in stone at this point, however. Industry members will pick WebRTC’s video standard on November 7th, and there’s no guarantee that their choice will dovetail with Cisco’s plans. If all goes well, though, we won’t have to fret much over the apps and devices we use for our video discussions. Filed under: Internet , Software Comments Source: Cisco , Mozilla

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Cisco plans to open-source H.264 code, widen support for web-based video chat

After becoming embroiled in the NSA brouhaha by giving Edward Snowden sanctuary , Russia is again on the defensive after reports suggested it may have slipped G20 leaders compromised devices. A pair of Italian newspapers said that German security experts discovered “USB sticks and recharge cables (that) are suitable for undercover detection of computer data and mobile phones, ” after being alerted by the head of the European council. The Kremlin denied the allegations, calling them “an attempt to switch attention from the (spying) problems that really exist.” Further tests are underway, and if the results are confirmed, may show that Russia has a ways to go to catch up to the NSA’s more sophisticated eavesdropping. Filed under: Misc Comments Source: LA Times

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Russia denies it slipped world leaders bugged USB disks and cables

Michael Dell’s acquisition of his namesake company is now complete. The purchase under Dell and investment firm Silver Lake Partners was valued at $24.9 billion and, as Dell said during a September investor’s call , the company is committed to innovation and customer service as a newly private company. He reiterated that point in a statement today, saying, “Our 110, 000 team members worldwide are 100 percent focused on our customers and aggressively executing our long-term strategy for their benefit.” In the lead up to the deal, Dell seems poised to re-focus the business around merging markets, investing in R&D and acquisitions for enterprise solutions, as well as the PC, tablet and virtual computing space. The move to privatize comes after multiple quarters of dwindling profits and lackluster tablet sales for one of the World’s biggest PC makers. Credit: Getty Images Filed under: Desktops , Laptops , Tablets , Dell Comments

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Dell officially goes private, says focus is on you