Good news is now at hand for CyanogenMod fans who like a bit of stability in their lives, because the general release builds of CyanogenMod 10.1.3 are now hitting server mirrors. As a nice bonus, support for CM Account is baked into this release (previously available only in the 10.2 nightlies), which allows users to locate and remotely wipe their missing devices — a feature that’s awfully similar to Android Device Manager . If all goes according to plans, CyanogenMod 10.1.3 will be the last of the Android 4.2-based builds, as the team is now investing the bulk of its work on CyanogenMod 10.2, which is based on Android 4.3. Once you have the latest version, perhaps you’ll consider pairing it with the impressive Focal camera app. Filed under: Software , Mobile Comments Source: CyanogenMod (Google+)

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CyanogenMod 10.1.3 arrives with remote find and wipe capabilities

The Surface RT’s full-fledged Pro counterpart just got an update. Today, Microsoft unveiled the follow-up to that x86 / Windows 8 -compatible tablet: the Surface Pro 2 and it still comes with a stylus. According to Microsoft’s claims, this new tablet boasts 50 percent more color accuracy, better graphics performance, an improved speaker setup and some speed gains — it’s purportedly 20 percent faster than the original. Battery life has gotten a significant 75 percent boost as well thanks to the Haswell processor inside and now runs much quieter. The Surface Pro 2 can also be paired with Microsoft’s new Power Cover to give the tablet 2.5x its standalone battery life or the Type Cover 2, which is now 1mm thinner and backlit. The kickstand has also been revised for the refresh, as it’s now a two-stage affair, addressing the issues many users had with the old Pro’s awkward angle. As for ports, Microsoft says the Surface Pro 2 is loaded up with support for three USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort, ethernet, audio in/out and, of course, charging. The Surface Pro 2, when docked, can also output up to a 3, 840 x 2, 160 resolution on an external display and is capable of editing 6K video. %Gallery-slideshow89981% Developing… Filed under: Tablets , Microsoft Comments

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Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 2 gets official

As promised, Microsoft has just revealed the Surface 2 here at its Surface-themed press event . Whereas the new Surface Pro 2 makes subtle changes to the original Pro, the Surface 2 is being billed as a totally revamped version of the original Surface RT. As rumored , it moves up to a higher-res 1080p ClearType display — the same one you’ll find on the new Surface Pro 2. Performance-wise, Microsoft says it’s doubled the BUS speed for the WiFi and the memory, and the CPU speed has increased “dramatically” as well. There’s also a USB 3.0 port on board, a step up from the USB 2.0 connection used on the original. All told, says Microsoft, the new model should run three to four times as fast as its predecessor, and the battery life should be 25 percent longer too. As for the design, this looks similar to the original, at least from a few feet away, but it’s thinner, lighter and is built from two pieces of magnesium, not three. And, of course, it sports the same two-stage kickstand as the new Surface Pro 2, which should make it easier to balance in your lap. Developing… %Gallery-slideshow89979% Filed under: Tablets , Microsoft Comments

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Microsoft announces the Surface 2, the follow-up to the original Surface RT

Here it is: Microsoft’s powerhouse Surface Pro 2 . As we’ve seen and hear already, Microsoft’s follow-up to the Surface Pro is thinner and considerably more powerful. We got our hands on a 256GB model to form some initial impressions and begin to determine whether this guy is worth the meaty $899-and-up going rate, up $100 from the original Pro’s pricing scheme. Head past the break to dive in. %Gallery-slideshow89994% Filed under: Tablets , Microsoft Comments

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Microsoft Surface Pro 2 hands-on

PC game service operator and game development studio Valve announced SteamOS this afternoon, finally formalizing a PC gaming hardware project known as ” Steambox ” we’ve heard dribs and drabs about over the past few years. The OS will function on “any living room machine, ” and it also streams games from your Mac and PC, as well as offering media playback functionality. “Just turn on your existing computer and run Steam as you always have – then your SteamOS machine can stream those games over your home network straight to your TV, ” the announcement page says. The OS is free and built on Linux; it will be available “soon.” Valve says it’s “achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing, and we’re now targeting audio performance and reductions in input latency at the operating system level, ” with regards to streaming capability. “Game developers are already taking advantage of these gains as they target SteamOS for their new releases.” No specific developers are named, but a job posting from Crytek points at one suspect. The project is intended to compete with traditional game consoles, and it seemingly evolves Steam’s ” Big Picture Mode ” to that end. Valve specifically lists four new features as the pillars of SteamOS: in-home streaming, family sharing, music / TV / movies, and family options. Filed under: Gaming , Software , HD Comments Source: Valve

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Valve announces SteamOS, a new game platform for living room-based PCs

For the second time in as many trading days, shares of BlackBerry were halted in advance of some big news from the company. Today’s news is no less big. BlackBerry has just announced that it’s signed a letter of intent agreement for a sale of the company valued at $4.7 billion to a consortium led by Fairfax Financial (the company’s largest shareholder). Pending due diligence that’s expected to be completed by November 4th, the deal would see BlackBerry go private, with shareholders each receiving $9 per share in cash. In a statement, Fairfax Chairman and CEO Prem Watsa said, “we believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees, ” adding, “we can deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution of a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to BlackBerry customers around the world.” While BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins has yet to offer any public comment on the news, the chair of BlackBerry’s Board of Directors, Barbara Stymiest, drew attention to that due diligence period in her statement, saying that “the go-shop process provides an opportunity to determine if there are alternatives superior to the present proposal from the Fairfax consortium.” You can find the official announcement of the deal after the break. Developing… Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , Blackberry Comments Source: MarketWatch

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BlackBerry enters agreement for $4.7 billion sale of company to consortium led by Fairfax Financial

Already feeling secure about using just your fingerprint to unlock the new iPhone 5S? European hacker association Chaos Computer Club claims it can be circumvented with “easy everyday means.” According to CCC hacker “starbug”, tactics laid out in a how-to from 2004 are all that are required, with just a higher res fake needed to beat the Touch ID reader. The process, as described, requires only a 2400 DPI photograph of someone’s fingerprint which is then laser printed at 1200 DPI and used to create a thin latex sheet that serves as the fake. [Thanks, Frederic] Filed under: Mobile , Apple Comments Source: Chaos Computer Club

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Chaos Computer Club says it’s beaten Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint reader (video)

Just in case you thought incorporation would slow things down among the folks behind CyanogenMod , dev and VP of Engineering Koushik Dutta just posted this video showing off Airplay Mirroring from an Android phone. He’s been working on Android streaming support to various protocols / devices for the “AllCast” media streaming app since Google’s changes cut it off from the Chromecast (for now at least), and Apple’s screen sharing feature is the latest target. There are other apps in the Play Store that connect Android devices over Airplay, but mirroring support integrated into the OS feels fresh. AllCast support is already in place for pushing media to Roku and DLNA-compatible hardware, and he says this mirroring feature is “coming soon to a CyanogenMod near you.” Filed under: Cellphones , Software , HD , Mobile , Apple , Google Comments Source: Koushik Dutta (Google+) (1) , (2)

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Android to Airplay Mirroring demonstrated, coming soon to CyanogenMod

While the release of iOS 7 was yesterday’s big news, Apple also dropped a number of other smaller, but no less important , software updates. Not content with allowing only Internet Explorer users import their iCloud bookmarks to Windows PCs, the company is now letting Chrome and Firefox join the party. The additional functionality comes by way of an update to Apple’s iCloud Control Panel for Windows, a small app designed to keep contacts, calendars and bookmarks up-to-date between iOS devices, Mac and PC. To make it possible, Apple — which isn’t known for dedicating resources to rival platforms — submitted two browser extensions to do the heavy lifting. Ironically, Mac users are excluded from the fun, putting Windows users in the enviable position of receiving a feature before anyone else. Filed under: Software , Apple , Microsoft , Google Comments Via: Apple Insider , The Verge Source: iCloud Control Panel , iCloud Bookmarks (Chrome Web Store) , iCloud Bookmarks (Firefox Add-ons)

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Apple now lets Windows users sync iCloud bookmarks with Chrome and Firefox

What do a fanless PC and a motion-controlled laptop have in common? Nothing, really; just that HP is going to be first to market with both of these things. After teasing a fanless tablet back in June, the company has formally announced the Spectre 13 x2, which isn’t actually a tablet so much as a hybrid laptop. Additionally, HP unveiled a special edition version of its Envy 17 notebook with a Leap Motion controller built into the palm rest. Starting with the Leap Motion machine, this is truly the same Envy 17 that’s already on the market, complete with an aluminum chassis, backlit keyboard and generous Beats branding. Except, you know, it has a conspicuous motion sensor below the keyboard, allowing you to control games and other apps using hand gestures. Per Leap Motion’s requirements, HP includes a shortcut to Leap Motion’s Airspace Store, where there are currently 100-plus apps and counting. (If you read our review, you know the selection is hit or miss.) Once you calibrate the sensor, you can turn the controller off by pressing the spacebar plus the Fn key; a small LED indicator will light up to let you know when it’s on. Surprisingly, too, that the sensor doesn’t add to the thickness of the laptop, as the module only measures 3.5mm thick (granted, a 17-inch machine probably has plenty of leeway inside the chassis). Look for it October 16th, with a starting price of $1, 049.99 and your choice of Intel processors and NVIDIA graphics.%Gallery-slideshow88784% Filed under: Laptops , HP Comments

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HP lays claim to the first fanless Haswell PC and the first Leap Motion laptop